Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Chinese cities urged to loosen vehicle purchase restrictions Xinhua) 08:33, June 25, 2024 Visitors view a vehicle at an auto show in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cities with restrictions on vehicle purchases are encouraged to ease these limitations and provide additional quotas for vehicle purchases, according to a circular aiming to create new consumer demand. The circular, made public on Monday, was released by government departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce. Local governments are encouraged to support vehicle replacement and renewal when conditions allow, according to the circular. It noted that efforts will be made to steadily promote the commercialization of autonomous driving and new scenarios for advanced smart driving. Automobile-related products and services will be enriched in diverse scenarios, such as car races, camping, and car modification. The country will also further enhance the safe and convenient trading of used cars, according to the circular. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Washington's latest proposal to restrict and monitor US companies' and individuals' investments in key technologies in China will jeopardize the global artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains, and increase the uncertainty of international economic recovery, officials and experts said on Monday. The comments came after the US Department of the Treasury fleshed out a proposed rule on Friday that would restrict and monitor US companies' and individuals' investments in China for artificial intelligence, chips and quantum computing. The proposed rule outlines the information that US citizens and permanent residents must provide while engaging in transactions in this area as well as what will be considered a violation of the restrictions. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Monday that the US repeatedly emphasizes that it has no intention of "decoupling" from China or hindering China's economic development. However, it insists on issuing such proposed rules to restrict US companies' investments in China and suppress the normal development of Chinese industries. Such measures represent an overreach under the guise of national security, undermine the international economic and trade order, and disrupt the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, the spokesperson said. "China expresses serious concern and firm opposition to this and reserves the right to take corresponding measures," the spokesperson added. Wei Jianguo, former vice-minister of commerce, said: "Despite Washington's shift in rhetoric from decoupling to de-risking in key supply chains, the US government continues to tighten its controls over exports and investments to China. "The move is the latest evidence that, to contain China's technological rise, the US government is leveraging all means, regardless of how much pain it will cause US companies," Wei said. Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the latest US actions signify a strategic extension of export controls to investment restrictions, aimed at further decoupling from China in high-tech sectors. Zhou said that these restrictions will disrupt normal trade and investment activities between Chinese and US firms, hamper bilateral technological exchanges, and undermine the global innovation ecosystem. Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecommunications industry association in China, said the US government's intensified attempts to contain China's rise in the tech sector through export and investment controls will hurt the interests of US companies and accelerate Chinese companies' efforts for technological breakthroughs. As the world's largest semiconductor market, the Chinese mainland consumes more than half of the world's semiconductors, which are then assembled into tech products to be re-exported or sold in the domestic market, according to research firm Daxue Consulting. At least six of the staff members from the Portuguese School of Macau (EPM) have filed complaints with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) following their dismissal from the school, the public broadcaster TDM reported. According to the same source, the six staff members include five teachers and one psychologist who are part of a group of 10 staff members who were dismissed by the school at the end of this academic year. In a previous report, the DSAL urged the school to abide by government policies and recruit resident workers rather than others who are not residents of Macau. When confronted with the issue the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DESDJ) also noted that the EPM should comply with all regulations regarding the replacement of teachers from the school and take into account all the legal rights of those dismissed. In the meantime, TDM also confirmed that the 10 new teachers that EPM director Acacio de Brito is said to have hired to replace those leaving the institution have not been cleared by the Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation of Portugal (MECI) to come to Macau under a special program for the posting of workers, as this program has been defunct for some time. As the Times reported, MECIs head Fernando Alexandre had said previously that new teachers would not be made available to replace those the school management may dismiss. Still, there was doubt about whether this measure applied to the current case, which has now been cleared. Since MECI does not approve the posting of new teachers from Portugal to Macau, this means that all those coming to teach at the school will not be linked to the Portuguese official system and will be hired locally. This process has happened already for many years with some of the EPMs hirings. The major difference in this process is that the locally hired teachers period of employment does not count for career or retirement purposes in Portugal (in case they later decide to return to the country). * Coast is clear Macau outlines a strategic vision for coordinating urban construction and maritime conservation until 2040 in new marine area plan * Cross-border finance | Refusal of Macau credit cards in Hong Kong not illegal * Ecological island | Environmental assessment to determine impact on white dolphins: DSPA * At least six staff members from the Portuguese School of Macau have filed complaints with DSAL following their dismissal * Morgan Stanley: Mass gaming revenue to decline in Q2 * China, EU are open to talks on plans to hike tariffs on Chinese EVs DOWNLOAD PDF Tuesday, June 25, 2024 edition no. 4509 A teenager at Wisconsins troubled youth prison in Lincoln County assaulted two guards Monday night, sending both to a local hospital with one in critical condition, authorities said. Department of Corrections spokesperson Beth Hardtke said a 16-year-old inmate assaulted the first guard around 8 p.m. after coming inside from outdoor recreation before causing the second to sustain a head injury after the persons head hit concrete. The second guard is still in critical condition, Hardtke said. The DOC is working to move the teen in Monday nights incident to a different facility, Hardtke said. Assembly Corrections Committee Chair Rep. Michael Schraa, R-Oshkosh, said some of his sources Monday told him the guard in critical condition was airlifted to a local hospital. Hardtke said the department has referred the matter to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office for investigation. The prison is operating normally, Hardtke said, but some inmates have been moved to a different housing area while the investigation continues. In a joint statement, area lawmakers Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, and Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk, said there will be a time for discussions on accountability, but now is not that time. All we know with certainty now is that a family in our community is facing one of their worst fears, they said. Lincoln Hills is located in northern Wisconsin and houses the states most serious juvenile male offenders. The prison has experienced a litany of problems over the years, including a raid by federal agents in 2016 that resulted in a federal court order to close the prison and have the state revise many of its youth inmate policies to comply with national standards. Copper Lake, the girls prison with the states most serious offenders, sits next to Lincoln Hills on the same campus and has experienced many of the same issues. The raid and investigation leading up to it found staff were excessively using force, such as pepper spray, and other issues, such as inmates attempting suicide. Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2018 signed a law requiring the prison to close by the start of 2021. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers later extended the deadline to July the same year, but plans to build one of the primary replacement prisons on Milwaukees north side, near where many of the current inmates families are, have yet to come to fruition. Even once the new Milwaukee replacement facility is constructed with a 32-bed capacity, DOC Secretary Jared Hoy has said at least one more prison of the same size is needed before the state can close Lincoln Hills. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi delivered an important speech at the meeting here on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday underscored the importance of sci-tech modernization and innovation in pursuing Chinese modernization and high-quality development. Noting the strategically leading and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged efforts to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and expedite high-level sci-tech self-reliance to realize the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035. Xi presented China's top sci-tech award and made the remarks at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Ding Xuexiang announced the award decision. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the meeting. Xi presented medals and certificates for the country's top sci-tech award to Li Deren, an academician of CAS and CAE from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University. He then shook hands with the two scientists and extended his congratulations. Xi and other Party and state leaders, together with the two winners of the top sci-tech award, presented certificates to other award recipients. China has made new breakthroughs in basic frontier research, taken new strides in strategic high-tech fields, achieved new results in high-quality development driven by innovation, opened up new prospects in the reform of the sci-tech system, and made new progress in sci-tech opening-up and cooperation with the rest of the world, Xi said. Xi pointed out that experience accumulated from the sci-tech development in the new era must be adhered to and continuously enriched in practice. The experience includes adhering to the overall leadership of the Party, the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, innovation-driven development, deepening reform to stimulate innovation vitality, the virtuous cycle of education, sci-tech development and talent, the cultivation of innovation culture, as well as sci-tech opening-up and cooperation for the benefit of mankind. Xi pointed out there are still some weak spots in the development of the country's sci-tech undertakings. The country must further enhance its sense of urgency and intensify its efforts in sci-tech innovation, so as to secure a leading position in sci-tech competition and future development, he said. Xi urged giving full play to the advantages of the new national system for mobilizing nationwide resources, improving the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over sci-tech work, and building a coordinated and efficient decision-making and command system, as well as organization and implementation system. China must fully leverage the decisive role of the market in allocating sci-tech resources, and better utilize the role of the government, he said. Xi urged the promotion of the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation to facilitate the development of new quality productive forces. He called for an increase in high-quality sci-tech support for major sectors and vulnerable links in the construction of modern industrial system, fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries, and actively using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries. Xi called for deepening the comprehensive reform of sci-tech systems and mechanisms, and emphasized the importance of an integrated reform in educational, scientific and talent institutions to cultivate a large, well-structured and high-caliber team of innovative talent. Xi also called for achieving sci-tech self-reliance and strength through openness and cooperation. He called for the further implementation of international sci-tech cooperation initiatives, broadening channels for exchanges and collaborations at both governmental and non-governmental levels, and leveraging platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative to support collaborative research by scientists worldwide. Xi urged efforts to engage in the global innovation network, participate in global technology governance, and work together to tackle global challenges. Xi expressed the hope that academicians of the CAS and the CAE will serve as pioneers at the forefront of science and technology, undertake important tasks, guide the growth of young talent, and exemplify the spirit of scientists. He called on all sci-tech workers to actively align their academic pursuits with the great cause of building a nation that is strong in science and technology. Presiding over the conference, Li Qiang pointed out that Xi's remarks summarized the important experience of sci-tech development, elaborated the role of sci-tech innovation in promoting Chinese modernization and building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and clarified the basic connotation and main tasks of building a strong country in science and technology under the new circumstances. Monday's meeting was attended by about 3,000 people and honored 250 projects and 12 sci-tech experts, with two scientists winning the top award, 49 projects the State Natural Science Award, 62 projects the State Technological Invention Award, 139 projects the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and 10 foreign experts the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. The 15-foot-tall Canterbury street clock stands like a sentinel along Twin Falls Main Avenue. It hadnt been running for years but got new life Saturday morning. Even a nonworking clock shows the correct time twice a day, but that wasnt enough for a small group of people who, on Saturday morning, gathered at its base. One of them, Eric Smallwood, clutched a square metal object, the movement, that when installed by an electrician, along with adjustment of the hands, got the clock running again mostly. Three of the faces now appear to be keeping proper time, but the one that faces Main Avenue is lagging. It has been so many years since it has been running or looked at that I am not surprised, Smallwood said. The clock, a reproduction from a late-1800s model, was likely installed there in the 1970s, he estimates, but just as it is difficult to pin down the clocks origin, it is equally difficult to know when it stopped operating. Shawn Barigar, the citys economic development director, said he doesnt have record of when the clock was installed. Its possible that Smallwoods estimate is correct, however, as a street revitalization project took place at that time. The group decided to let the clock run for a few weeks before deciding the next step in getting the last face working properly. Although being involved with the downtown Urban Renewal District, I really just tackled this project as a volunteer who wanted to see the clock work, Smallwood said. Efforts have been years in the making. The Magic Valley Bible Church, before the COVID-19 pandemic, took an interest in its repair, said clockmaker Dr. Peter Doble. The movement, installed near the clocks pedestal, had a worn-out gear, Doble said, and was sent to a Canterbury shop in California because no one in town had the proper equipment to fix it. An estimate of $3,900 for the repair came back higher than expected and efforts stalled. Then the pandemic hit and clockmaker went out of business, Smallwood said. The movement was lost by the business. Smallwood got involved with the effort and tracked down an individual who found the original specifications and had a new movement fabricated. It cost $5,000, paid with some of the last downtown Urban Renewal District monies as the district is set to expire. The working clock is a capstone on the Main Avenue reconstruction. It will be nice to have it functioning again, said Barigar. Not only does it photograph well, it is a somewhat iconic piece of downtown. Biden-Harris Administration announces $25 million to expand high-speed internet in rural areas U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden announced June 21 that USDA is making available $25 million through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program to help expand affordable, high-speed internet projects in rural communities. The department has already begun accepting applications. The BTA program provides funding to help communities and organizations receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that will expand high-speed internet into rural and Tribal communities. This program also helps rural communities identify and pursue opportunities to meet the administrations goal to connect every community in America with affordable high-speed internet. USDA is committed to making sure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet, Under Secretary Gooden said in the press release. Through the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is partnering with small towns, Tribes, local utilities, rural cooperatives, and private companies to increase access to this critical service, which will boost opportunities and help build bright futures. Thats how you grow the economy not just in rural communities, but across the nation. Applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 20. Additional information is available on page 52012 at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-06-21/pdf/2024-13691.pdf. Also: The City of Twin Falls Hankins Pressure Zone announced that due to construction, Addison Avenue between Maurice Street and Eastland Avenue will be reduced from four lanes to two lanes from Friday through Monday. Avoid the area if possible, but if needed, traffic should expect delays. Please contact Extreme Excavation Inc. at 208-821-2868 for questions about the project. Times-News Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Senators welcomed the dismissal of the final drug case against former Senator Leila de Lima and raised the possibility of her returning to the Upper Chamber, Senate President Francis Escudero said in a statement on Tuesday. Escudero voiced strong support for De Lima and hoped the former Justice Secretary would consider running for the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections. - Advertisement - Meanwhile, the US State Department and foreign envoys hailed the acquittal of De Lima from drug charges filed during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The United States welcomes the acquittal of former Philippine Senator Leila de Lima on the final criminal charge against her. This decision follows her release on bail in November 2023 after nearly seven years of detention and her acquittal on two separate politically motivated criminal charges, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. The spokesperson reaffirmed the United States commitment to working with the Philippines in strengthening democracy and human rights around the world. We continue to urge the Philippines to resolve politically motivated cases, including those against journalists and civil society, in a manner consistent with its international human rights obligations and commitments, Miller added. US Ambassador Marykay Carlson posted in X (formerly known as Twitter) saying that the United States supports rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms around the world. Echoing the same statement, German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke commended the significant victory for justice and rule of law. He also urged the government to quickly resolve all cases of EJK and bring perpetrators to justice. Australias Ambassador said that she is grateful to have met this strong and courageous woman. Australia continues to support the rule of law and respect for human rights, she continued. Escudero praised De Lima for her courage and resilience in confronting her accusers. As a fellow Bicolano, he shared a sense of pride in De Limas unwavering faith and commitment to the truth. Senator Risa Hontiveros celebrated the dismissal as a testament to justice founded on truth and evidence rather than unfounded accusations and political agendas. The Senate Deputy Minority Leader noted that she never doubted De Limas innocence from the start and is truly happy now that she has been set freefrom Free Leila Now to Now, Leila is free. However, Hontiveros emphasized that the focus should now shift to those who wrongly accused De Lima. She pointed out that baseless charges not only tarnish an individuals reputation, but also undermine the integrity of the legal system. We call upon the authorities to pursue and hold accountable those who have perpetuated these unfounded allegations, Hontiveros said, emphasizing that justice must be served, and those who have wronged De Lima and our legal system must face the consequences of their actions. Senator Ronald dela Rosa acknowledged the courts decision, stating, We have to respect the decision of the court. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline US State Dept. welcomes De Limas acquittal, reaffirms commitment to democracy and human rights THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Directorate General for Sea Transportation (DGST) of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) on Monday , June 24, launched their four-day Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2024 at BREDCO Port, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Leading the arrival ceremony earlier were PCG District Western Visayas chief Capt. Weneil Azcuna who is also skipper of BRP Gabriela Silang, Capt. Lawrence Roque, KN TRISULA P111 commanding officer, Capt. Satria Aji Yudha of DGST, and PLH 02 TSUGARU head Capt. Mori Naoki (JCG). - Advertisement - The three coast guards will conduct joint maritime exercises on search and rescue, firefighting, oil spill and equipment recovery operations, as well as damage assessment. Prior to these exercises, the commanding officers and members of the oil spill response team will determine the position of the vessels and other assets to ensure safe speed and distance through a comprehensive table top exercise. The biennial MARPOLEX implements the 1981 Sulawesi Sea Oil Spill Response Network Plan Agreement. This years MARPOLEX is the 23rd conduct of such maritime exercise since its establishment in 1986. The PCG and the DGST maintain a strong fraternal agreement that promotes multilateral cooperation toward addressing major oil spills in the Asian region. Meanwhile, the JCG supports the initiative that enhances the Philippines and Indonesias operational readiness and capability for oil spill incidents, making the Regional MARPOLEX 2024 an opportunity to share knowledge and latest techniques in maritime safety and marine environmental protection. Kuwait said Monday it would lift a visa ban on domestic workers from the Philippines after a year-long suspension sparked by a row over the rights of employers and employees. An interior ministry statement carried by the official KUNA news agency said the oil-rich Gulf state and Manila had reached an agreement to resume the recruitment of domestic workers after a breakthrough in talks. - Advertisement - The countries agreed to form a joint committee pertinent to domestic labour affairs, the statement said. This would convene in a routine manner to address any sticking points that could potentially emerge, it added. Kuwait suspended all new visas for Philippine nationals in May last year after relations soured over the murder of domestic worker Jullebee Ranara. Her charred body was found in the Kuwaiti desert in January 2023, prompting Manila to stop sending first-time workers to Kuwait. It sparked the latest in a series of spats between the Philippines and Kuwait, which is home to a sizable domestic worker population. In 2020, the Philippines reimposed a ban on its citizens going to work in Kuwait after a Filipina was allegedly killed by her employer. That incident echoed a 2018 row between the two countries that began with the discovery of the remains of a murdered Filipina maid in her employers freezer. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Kuwait lifts visa ban on Philippines workers after row The biggest vessel of China Coast Guard (CCG), dubbed The Monster, was sighted near BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday said. In a statement, the AFP said the sighting of the 12,000-ton Chinese ship also the largest coast guard ship in the world was part of the claimants broader pattern of intrusive patrol aimed at asserting unlawful claims over the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). - Advertisement - The Armed Forces of the Philippines closely monitors all activities in the West Philippine Sea as part of our commitment to maritime domain awareness and the protection of our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights. The CCG vessel was sighted on Monday near the Philippine naval post in Ayungin Shoal. As of 9:00am, the 12,000-ton CCG vessel passed close to the Philippines naval post and was heading north, maritime security expert Ray Powell said. The sighting of The Monster came after the June 17 ramming incident in the area between the Philippine Navy and CCG and maritime militia vessels. We emphasize that such actions by the CCG are illegal, coercive, and contrary to the spirit of maintaining peace and stability in the region, the AFP said. Our forces will continue to monitor and report any developments in the WPS in the performance of our mandate. We call on all nations to respect international law and to refrain from actions that escalate tensions in the WPS, the military added. Also on Tuesday, the Philippine Navy reported at least 129 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea in the last week. According to data released by the Navy, from June 18 to 24, a total of 14 CCG vessels were roaming around Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales (5), Ayungin Shoal (6) and Pag-asa Island (3). The Philippine Navy also reported 5 Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN vessels around Bajo de Masinloc (1) and Ayungin Shoal (4) during the same period. The presence of some 110 Chinese maritime militia vessels was also recorded. In May, The Monster with bow number 5901 also conducted an intrusive patrol in Scarborough Shoal, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said. Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal, is within the Philippines 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline AFP confirms sighting of CCG monster ship near Ayungin Taiwans President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China has no right to punish Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy, after Beijing warned diehard supporters of the islands independence could face the death penalty. China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out using force to bring the island under its control. - Advertisement - Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years and held military drills around the self-ruled island days after Lais inauguration last month. On Friday, Beijing published new judicial guidelines that included the death penalty for particularly serious cases involving diehard supporters of Taiwanese independence, state media reported. When asked to comment on the guidelines, Lai said: I want to emphasise that democracy is not the source of crime. Autocracy is the crime. China has no right to punish the people of Taiwan just because of what they advocate. China has no right to pursue cross-border prosecution of Taiwanese people. The United States also criticised the guidelines by Beijing, officially the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). We strongly condemn the escalatory and destabilising language and actions of PRC officials, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. We continue to urge restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo, he said. Lai warned that relations between the two sides would become more and more alienated if China does not face up to the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwans official name), and conduct exchanges and dialogues with Taiwans democratically elected and legitimate government. This is the correct way to enhance the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, he said. Lais Democratic Progressive Party has long asserted Taiwanese sovereignty, and Beijing has not conducted top-level communications with Taipei since 2016, when his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen came to power. China has branded Lai a dangerous separatist and denounced his inaugural speech as a confession of Taiwan independence. During that speech, Lai signalled an openness to resuming dialogue with Beijing, calling for both sides to develop exchanges. China, however, has appeared to rebuff those overtures. It continues to maintain a near-daily presence of naval vessels and warplanes around the island, and Taiwans military said Monday that 23 Chinese warplanes and seven naval vessels had been detected in the last 24 hours. Bangkok, ThailandJulian Assange has been released from prison and left Britain, WikiLeaks said, as he reached a landmark plea deal with US authorities that brought an end to his years-long legal drama. Julian Assange is free, WikiLeaks wrote on X of its founder, who had been detained in Britain for five years as he fought extradition to the United States which sought to prosecute him for revealing military secrets. - Advertisement - He has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information, according to a document filed in court in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific. A charter plane flew Assange, 52, from London to Bangkok, where it had been scheduled to stop for refuelling. Agence France Presse (AFP) journalists saw it touch down at Bangkoks Don Mueang airport at around 12:30 pm (0530 GMT). From there it is scheduled to fly to Saipan, capital of the US territory where Assange will appear in court on Wednesday morning. Assange is expected to be sentenced to five years and two months in prison, with credit for the same amount of time spent behind bars in Britain. This means he could return to his native Australia, where the government said his case had dragged on for too long and there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. The publisher was wanted by Washington for publishing hundreds of thousands of secret US documents from 2010 as head of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. Since then Assange became a hero to free speech campaigners and a villain to those who thought he endangered US security and intelligence sources. US authorities wanted to put Assange on trial for divulging military secrets about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange was indicted by a US federal grand jury in 2019 on 18 counts stemming from WikiLeaks publication of a trove of national security documents. Former vice president Mike Pence slammed the plea deal on X as a miscarriage of justice that dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces. 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: Plots for the relationship between baseline sleep duration category and the trajectory of brain A burden, in cognitively unimpaired APOE 4 allele non-carriers (left) and carriers (right). Plots for the relationship between baseline sleep duration category and the trajectory of brain A burden, in cognitively unimpaired APOE 4 allele non-carriers (left) and carriers (right). Credit: Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (2024). DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12579 Getting more than six hours of quality sleep a night may help prevent, or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from Murdoch University. The study, "Suboptimal self-reported sleep efficiency and duration are associated with faster accumulation of brain amyloid beta in cognitively unimpaired older adults," is published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. The research has found the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, a process linked to the development and progression of the disease, is closely related to individual sleep patterns. The study highlighted that poorer sleep quality, and lower quantity, were associated with faster accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain, in older adults whose memory and thinking were still unimpaired. Associate Professor Stephanie Rainey-Smith from Murdoch University's Center for Healthy Aging said the findings suggest new hope for us all. "Alzheimer's disease is a condition traditionally diagnosed in later life, but whose pathological processes commence much earlier," Associate Professor Rainey-Smith said. "There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's disease, but our research suggests that we should be looking at personalized sleep improvement interventions as a modifiable risk factor against Alzheimer's with potential to delay or prevent the onset and progression of symptoms for those in the early stages of the disease. "Our findings, add to the evidence regarding how lifestyle factors like sleep might be harnessed in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases." "We are delighted to have been able to support this research which highlights the importance of quality sleep for brain health," Professor Vicky Vass, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer's Research Australia said. "We look forward to learning more about how sleep improvement could provide new hope in making Alzheimer's a distant memory." The longitudinal study involved an analysis of 189 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 60 to 80 years, with up to six years of follow-up data including brain imaging. More information: Louise N. Pivac et al, Suboptimal selfreported sleep efficiency and duration are associated with faster accumulation of brain amyloid beta in cognitively unimpaired older adults, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (2024). DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12579 You are here: China The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, started its 10th session Tuesday to review multiple draft laws and law revisions. The session's agenda includes reviewing a draft law on emergency response and management, a draft organic law for rural collective economy, a draft financial stability law and a draft preschool education law, and a draft amendment to the accounting law. Lawmakers also started deliberating draft revisions to the frontier health and quarantine law, the public security administration punishments law, the cultural relics protection law and the mineral resources law, among other bills. 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: Infrared thermography image in an awake rat. The average temperature in the center of the cornea is 34C. Credit: IN-CSIC-UMH. Nerve fibers on the eye surface are involved in many relevant physiological processes, from detecting and transmitting external stimuli to maintaining the integrity of the cornea. However, research on the sensory system of the ocular surface has focused mainly on the peripheral axons of the trigeminal ganglia neurons, leaving information processing in the central nervous system unknown. Now, a new study carried out by the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Miguel Hernandez University (UMH) of Elche and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), together with the National Hospital for Paraplegics-SESCAM of Toledo, has characterized, for the first time, the neurons of the thalamus and cerebral cortex that respond to stimulation of the ocular surface. The work, published in The Journal of Physiology, reveals that along the somatosensory pathway, there are neurons capable of responding to different types of stimuli applied to the eye surface and that their functional diversity increases as progress from the peripheral system to higher levels of the central nervous system. The eye surface is sensitive to external stimuli that cause discomfort, such as irritation, dryness, or a feeling of sand in the eyes. Although these are the most relevant symptoms of many ocular pathologies, little is currently known about the central nervous system circuits involved in these perceptions. "Until relatively recently, ocular sensitivity and pain had not been the subject of attention because these symptoms barely existed in the field of ophthalmology," explains Juana Gallar, co-director of the Ocular Neurobiology Laboratory at the IN together with M Carmen Acosta, who also has participated in the study. "It has been the arrival of some social changes such as the habitual presence of air conditioning in many places, the high levels of environmental pollution or the introduction of refractive surgery, which has led to focusing on this issue," says the researcher. The study shows the precise location of the thalamic and cortical neurons that receive information from the ocular surface and analyzes how the activity caused by stimuli of different types is integrated, which is transmitted from the trigeminal sensory neurons to the thalamus and, subsequently, the cerebral cortex. "Until now, the primary sensory neurons have been characterized, which are those in the trigeminal ganglion, but this is the first time that it has been analyzed which stimuli activate the neurons of the thalamus and the cerebral cortex," says researcher Enrique Velasco, first author of the article. Multimodal neurons The peripheral nerves found on the ocular surface are composed of axons of unimodal neurons, which respond to a single stimulus modality, and polymodal neurons, which respond to stimuli from several modalities. As the authors describe, there are different degrees of sensory multimodality, so there are neurons that activate in response to multiple modalities of stimuli and others that respond to a smaller number. Researchers have discovered that, although in the peripheral nervous system, some sensory nerves act as detectors of a single class of stimuli, this unimodality is practically non-existent in the brain. "In the detectors of our eye, cold, heat and touch are totally separate," says Velasco. "However, in the central nervous system we find neurons that respond to various stimuli, which tells us that information from the periphery converges as it progresses through the nervous system and is compared one with another to give rise to conscious sensations that we perceive when we are exposed to a stimulus." Furthermore, investigators have observed that both the degree of multimodality of neurons and the percentage of highly multimodal neurons increase along the somatosensory pathway: it is lowest in the trigeminal, intermediate in the thalamus, and maximum in the cerebral cortex. This distribution implies that different stimuli can activate the same neuron, and conversely, the same stimulus can activate many different neurons, so the perceptions they produce are intermixed. "In the case of the skin, we can clearly distinguish between a cold, hot, mechanical, or other type of stimulus. However, in the case of the cornea, we are not able to describe the sensations with that precision. This happens because most neurons that are part of the somatosensory pathway of the ocular surface are multimodal and, therefore, the information collected by these receptors on the eye surface converges and is intermixed along the pathway," explains Gallar. To carry out this study, the researchers used electrophysiology techniques, which allowed them to explore the physiology of tissues and synaptic connections in living beings. To observe trigeminal, thalamic, and cortical activity in response to different stimulation modalities, the authors took recordings of rats while they administered eye drops of different temperatures, which allowed them to test five sensory modalities: intense cold, light cold, neutral temperature, light heat, and intense heat, the later capable of causing a sensation of pain. Regarding the evolutionary significance of these results, experts consider that "the high functional diversity of these ocular neurons in the cerebral cortex guarantees that any kind of stimulus that we receive in the eyes produces a conscious perception," says Gallar. "This allows us to be alert regarding our eyes to be able to react quickly in the case of harmful stimuli and, in addition, launch fundamental mechanisms to protect vision, such as increased tear production and blinking itself. The flip side is that we can not differentiate the types of stimuli with precision, or define their exact location on the ocular surface." Along these lines, Gallar explains that this diversity of neurons constitutes the basis of the very characteristic sensations that are perceived on the surface of the eye. "When we feel discomfort on the ocular surface we usually say that we have 'something' in the eye (the so-called foreign body sensation), grittiness, dryness, etc., but generally we do not use the word pain, although in reality what we are doing is using different terms to describe the different kinds of discomfort and pain that the neurons on our ocular surface are capable of processing," says the researcher. More information: Enrique Velasco et al, Ocular surface information seen from the somatosensory thalamus and cortex, The Journal of Physiology (2024). DOI: 10.1113/JP285008 Journal information: Journal of Physiology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Tener gripe, tener gripa, engriparse, agriparse, estar agripado, estar griposo, agarrar la gripe, coger la influenza. In Spanish, there are at least a dozen ways to say someone has the fludepending on the country. Translating "cardiac arrest" into Spanish is also tricky because "arresto" means getting detained by the police. Likewise, "intoxicado" means you have food poisoning, not that you're drunk. The examples of how translation could go awry in any language are endless: Words take on new meanings, idioms come and go, and communities adopt slang and dialects for everyday life. Human translators work hard to keep up with the changes, but California plans to soon entrust that responsibility to technology. State health policy officials want to harness emerging artificial intelligence technology to translate a broad swath of documents and websites related to "health and social services information, programs, benefits and services," according to state records. Sami Gallegos, a spokesperson for California's Health and Human Services Agency, declined to elaborate on which documents and languages would be involved, saying that information is "confidential." The agency is seeking bids from IT firms for the ambitious initiative, though its timing and cost is not yet clear. Human editors supervising the project will oversee and edit the translations, Gallegos said. Agency officials said they hope to save money and make critical health care forms, applications, websites, and other information available to more people in what they call the nation's most linguistically diverse state. The project will start by translating written material. Agency Secretary Mark Ghaly said the technology, if successful, may be applied more broadly. "How can we potentially not just transform all of our documents, but our websites, our ability to interact, even some of our call center inputs, around AI?" Ghaly asked during an April briefing on AI in health care in Sacramento. But some translators and scholars fear the technology lacks the nuance of human interaction and isn't ready for the challenge. Turning this sensitive work over to machines could create errors in wording and understanding, they sayultimately making information less accurate and less accessible to patients. "AI cannot replace human compassion, empathy, and transparency, meaningful gestures and tones," said Rithy Lim, a Fresno-based medical and legal interpreter for 30 years who specializes in Khmer, the main language of Cambodia. Artificial intelligence is the science of designing computers that emulate human thinking by reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding language. A type of artificial intelligence known as generative AI, or GenAI, in which computers are trained using massive amounts of data to "learn" the meaning of things and respond to prompts, is driving a wave of investment, led by such companies as Open AI and Google. AI is quickly being integrated into health care, including programs that diagnose diabetic retinopathy, analyze mammograms, and connect patients with nurses remotely. Promotors of the technology often make the grandiose claim that soon everyone will have their own "AI doctor." AI also has been a game changer in translation. ChatGPT, Google's Neural Machine Translation, and Open Source are not only faster than older technologies such as Google Translate, but they can process huge volumes of content and draw upon a vast database of words to nearly mimic human translation. Whereas a professional human translator might need three hours to translate a 1,600-word document, AI can do it in a minute. Arjun "Raj" Manrai, an assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School and the deputy editor of New England Journal of Medicine AI, said the use of AI technology represents a natural progression in medical translation, given that patients already use Google Translate and AI platforms to translate for themselves and their loved ones. "Patients are not waiting," he said. He said GenAI could be particularly useful in this context. These translations "can deliver real value to patients by simplifying complex medical information and making it more accessible," he said. In its bidding documents, the state says the goal of the project is to increase "speed, efficiency, and consistency of translations, and generate improvements in language access" in a state where one in three people speak a language other than English, and more than 200 languages are spoken. In May 2023, the state Health and Human Services Agency adopted a "language access policy" that requires its departments to translate all "vital" documents into at least the top five languages spoken by Californians with limited English proficiency. At the time, those languages were Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. Examples of vital documents include application forms for state programs, notices about eligibility for benefits, and public website content. Currently, human translators produce these translations. With AI, more documents could be translated into more languages. A survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation late last year found that 30% of Spanish speakers have difficulty explaining their health issues and concerns to a doctor, compared with 16% of English speakers. Health equity advocates say AI will help close that gap. "This technology is a very powerful tool in the area of language access," said Sandra R. Hernandez, president and CEO of the foundation. "In good hands, it has many opportunities to expand the translation capability to address inequities." But Hernandez cautioned that AI translations must have human oversight to truly capture meaning. "The human interface is very important to make sure you get the accuracy and the cultural nuances reflected," she said. Lim recalled an instance in which a patient's daughter translated preoperative instructions to her mother the night before surgery. Instead of translating the instructions as "you cannot eat" after a certain hour, she told her mom, "You should not eat." The mother ate breakfast, and the surgery had to be rescheduled. "Even a few words that change meaning could have a drastic impact on the way people consume the information," said Sejin Paik, a doctoral candidate in digital journalism, human-computer interaction, and emerging media at Boston University. Paik, who grew up speaking Korean, also pointed out that AI models are often trained from a Western point of view. The data that drives the translations filters languages through an English perspective, "which could result in misinterpretations of the other language," she said. Amid this fast-changing landscape, "we need more diverse voices involved, more people thinking about the ethical concepts, how we best forecast the impact of this technology." Manrai pointed to other flaws in this nascent technology that must be addressed. For instance, AI sometimes invents sentences or phrases that are not in the original text, potentially creating false informationa phenomenon AI scientists call "hallucination" or "confabulation." Ching Wong, executive director of the Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project at the University of California-San Francisco, has been translating health content from English into Vietnamese and Chinese for 30 years. He provided examples of nuances in language that might confuse AI translation programs. Breast cancer, for instance, is called "chest cancer" in Chinese, he said. And "you" has different meanings in Vietnamese, depending on a person's ranking in the family and community. If a doctor uses "you" incorrectly with a patient, it could be offensive, Wong said. But Ghaly emphasized that the opportunities outweigh the drawbacks. He said the state should "cultivate innovation" to help vulnerable populations gain greater access to care and resources. And he was clear: "We will not replace humans." 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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: Relative timing of symptom onset, infectiousness, and detectability vary by pathogen and individual. Symptom onset time (open circles), infectious period (shaded rectangles), and window of detectability by an RDT (colored lines) are shown for 15 stochastic realizations of RSV [(A) orange], influenza A [(B) pink], and SARS-CoV-2 omicron/experienced [(C) green] infections. Credit: Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5108 Peek in medicine cabinets across the U.S. and you'll find stacks of leftover COVID tests. When symptoms arise, so do questions: When should I test? How accurate is it really? And what should I do if I test positive? In a paper published June 14 in the journal Science Advances, University of Colorado Boulder researchers unveil a new mathematical model to quickly answer such questions, not only for COVID but also for emerging rapid tests for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the flu and other infectious diseases. One key takeaway: Advice can differ widely depending on the bug. "For COVID, we found that if you only have one test, it's best to wait two days after symptoms arise to use it, because the virus is unlikely to be detectable until then," said first author Casey Middleton, a Ph.D. student in the department of Computer Science and the IQ Bio program. "For flu and RSV, you're best off to take that rapid test when you first feel symptoms." A new era of DIY testing Middleton and senior author Daniel Larremore, a professor of computer science at the BioFrontiers Institute, developed the model to address several challenges that have emerged with the post-pandemic proliferation of rapid tests. In recent years, companies have rolled out "all-in-one" tests that check for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza A and B, and RSV simultaneously, and some doctor's offices and pharmacies offer a combo, while-you-wait option. Meanwhile, at-home COVID testing has become the norm, with people routinely self-collecting nasal swabs to protect friends and family. "If you're trying to make a decision about whether to go to book club or go to Bingo night with the grandparents, testing is a really good idea," said Larremore, whose lab combines computer science, math, epidemiology and biology to address public health challenges. "But COVID has changed, each variant behaves differently and that means the way that they interact with tests may be different." When he and Middleton plugged information about omicron variants, patient behavior and other factors into their new computational model, it revealed that if a person with COVID tests immediately with a rapid test when symptoms emerge, they receive a false negative as much as 92% of the time. Waiting two days after symptoms brings that rate down to 70%. For those who can afford to take a second test on day 3, the false negative rate dips lower, with the tests catching about a third of infections. That's because, with most people already previously exposed, their immune systems are primed to react upon seeing COVID again, and that immune response itself causes symptoms. In addition, new variants in folks with some immunity grow slightly more slowly than the original strain. "Our symptoms are happening sooner, but it takes longer to reach enough virus in your body for it to be detectable," said Middleton. With RSV and flu, on the other hand, the virus multiplies so quickly that once symptoms set in, there's already plenty to make a test show up positive. "This is the conundrum," said Larremore. "If you go in right away and test for all three, you can learn a lot from the flu and RSV tests, but you may have swung too early for COVID. If you wait a few days, the timing might be right to catch COVID but you are too late for flu and RSV." While a 66% false negative rate may seem high for a COVID test, Larremore notes that the tests are designed to identify folks who have a high viral load and are, thus, most likely to infect others. "Diagnosing only one third of infections can still cut transmission substantially if we've diagnosed the most infectious third," he said. Rethinking isolation policies Assuming that enough at-home tests are available, their study also suggests that a "test to exit" strategyin which people test again before determining whether to return to work and socializecan prevent more COVID infections with less inconvenience than the five-day isolation policy that was standard Centers for Disease Control advice until March. "The five-day isolation policy made people isolate for too long in most cases," said Middleton. "Test-to-exit does a good job releasing people early who aren't going to transmit but holding those who still have high amounts of virus." Larremore's previous research was instrumental in informing how COVID-19 vaccines were distributed early in the pandemic and for helping to convince policymakers to prioritize rapid testing. He and Middleton hope that their new model can help companies develop better tests, help clinicians give better advice and, should another pandemic arise, enable policy-makers to offer swift, data-driven guidance on testing. "If done correctly, the next generation of rapid tests have the potential to be really impactful," Larremore said. More information: Casey Middleton et al, Modeling the transmission mitigation impact of testing for infectious diseases, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5108 Journal information: Science Advances This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Estzer Miller on Pixabay In an ongoing effort to better understand possible links between skin conditions and mental health, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered an association between psoriasis and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that may have important implications for dermatology practice. Their study, published in Archives of Dermatological Research on May 25, uses data from the All of Us Research Program, an NIH initiative that collects health information from patients across the United States. This health data is currently being used for thousands of research projects investigating a variety of health conditions, and at Yale, researchers used the surveys and electronic health records of over 250,000 diverse participants to demonstrate for the first time an association between OCD and psoriasis in U.S. adults. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin condition characterized by scaly plaques on the body. It affects more than 8 million people in the U.S. OCD, a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsions, may affect between 2 and 3 million people. Among the participants analyzed in the study, researchers found that those with psoriasis had a 1.5-fold increase in odds for an OCD diagnosis. "We're interested in the overlap between psychiatric disease and inflammatory skin disease," says Jeffrey Cohen, MD, assistant professor of dermatology and principal investigator of the study. "There may be opportunities for dermatologists to identify the potential for mental health disorders in one of our patients that would then allow us to appropriately refer that person to a mental health professional." Symptoms, inflammation, and genetics There are a few potential explanations for the OCD-psoriasis link that Cohen and his team found. It's possible that symptoms associated with psoriasischronic itching, sleep troubles, disfigurementmight put patients at greater risk for developing OCD. But it's also possible that certain OCD-related tendencies, such as too much bathing or handwashing, could exacerbate psoriasis. "Excessive bathing can dry the skin and flare psoriasis. The itch of psoriasis can lead to a lot of scratching that can become a compulsion," says Cohen. Inflammation could also play a role. Both OCD and psoriasis are associated with elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-, that play a role in the body's immune response. Cohen believes this could be significant, especially considering genetic evidence that shows family members of people who have OCD have higher rates of immune-mediated disease, such as skin conditions that include psoriasis. A diverse dataset Though the same OCD-psoriasis association had previously been found in Taiwanese and Swedish populations, this study was the first to demonstrate the link in American adults, and in particular, those Americans who are often left out of biomedical research. The All of Us database that Cohen and his team used collects health information from U.S. patients of various races, ethnicities, ages, gender identities, sexualities, and other classifications. This provides researchers such as Cohen access to a highly valuable and largely underrepresented data pool. "It remains a really great database to use for this because it has information about a lot of people from diverse groups across the United States, and the data that's there is quite powerful," says Cohen. Integrating mental health and dermatology Cohen has been using All of Us data since 2021 to discover a number of other associations, such as eczema and eating disorders, and atopic dermatitis and OCD. His findings add to the growing body of research linking the skin with the mind, but despite such evidence, mental health is frequently not considered in dermatology practice. Cohen believes this is an area where the field could improve. "In dermatology, we're not that great at asking about certain mental health disorders that may be relevant," says Cohen. "But if we identify it, if we see that someone might be at risk, we could put the wheels in motion to try to get them thoroughly evaluated and, if needed, treated for whatever it is that's going on, in addition to what we're doing for their skin." As medical professionals who often have frequent contact with their patients, dermatologists are well positioned to identify the potential for mental health concerns early on, Cohen says. Thus, increasing the awareness around research findings that link the skin and the mind will be key for dermatologists and their patients alike. More information: Andrew E. Craver et al, Association between psoriasis and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case-control study in the All of Us research program, Archives of Dermatological Research (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00403-024-03112-y 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: Proposed model for the differential mortality outcomes between patients who are lean and non-lean with MAFLD. Credit: Hepatology International (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12072-024-10701-6 A world-first research discovery from the Storr Liver Center at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) has identified why lean people with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) have higher mortality than their non-lean counterparts. The research, published in Hepatology International, provides a new drug target for the development of potentially lifesaving treatments, as well as the potential to increase early detection. MAFLD affects up to one third of the global population and is the leading cause of end-stage liver disease, liver cancer and liver transplantation. In Australia, the prevalence of MAFLD has been reported to be 20%30% and is the most common liver disease. Although typically associated with excess weight, obesity and type 2 diabetes, up to 20% of individuals with MAFLD are considered to be lean. Sydney University Ph.D. student Mohammad Alarabi, first author of the study, says, "Despite being healthier overall than their overweight or obese counterparts, lean people with MAFLD have a worse long-term prognosis. We set out to understand the mechanisms that cause this seemingly contradictory outcome." The research team focused their efforts on telomeresprotective structures found on the end of chromosomes. Alarabi says, "Telomeres protect the end of a chromosome from becoming frayed and tangled. "Each time a cell divides, some of the telomeres get cut off. Eventually, the telomeres become so short that the cell dies." The shortening of telomeres is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in several diseases. Alarabi explains, "We hypothesized that telomere loss increases in times of substantially higher energy demands or metabolic stress. Long-term, this could lead to increased cell death and poorer outcomes." In this study, the research team demonstrated that growth/differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a protein that helps to regulate a cell's response to injury, is reduced in lean individuals with MAFLD. As the cells try to adapt to this reduction in GDF-15, it results in an increase in molecules known as endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS). An increase in ROS can cause damage to telomeres and may result in cell death. "It is the combination of a decrease in GDF-15 and increase in ROS that leads to a more rapid loss of telomeres," says Alarabi. "We have been able to demonstrate that the shortening of telomeres can, in part, explain the increased mortality of lean individuals with MAFLD. "We say 'in part' because there is another factor that we believe has an impact on mortality rates. "As the name suggests, 'fatty liver' is usually associated with excess weight and obesity. Many health professionals do not consider that a lean person potentially has a fatty liver. This means that many lean individuals are diagnosed with MAFLD much later than their non-lean counterparts, which results in delayed treatment. "This could also partially explain the increased mortality of lean individuals with MAFLD," Alarabi says. The next step for the research team is to look for treatments that could stop the increase in ROS, reducing telomere loss and increasing survival rates for lean people with MAFLD. Alarabi adds, "We also hope to develop a biomarker that could identify increased ROS, and improve early detection of MAFLD in lean individuals." More information: Mohammad Alarabi et al, Telomere length and mortality in lean MAFLD: the other face of metabolic adaptation, Hepatology International (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12072-024-10701-6 Provided by Westmead Institute for Medical Research This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Crowding in emergency departments (EDs) is a growing problem in Ireland and internationally, and coupled with long waiting times, affects health care outcomes and patient satisfaction. A new study from researchers at Trinity College Dublin and University of Limerick has examined the economic impact of adding a specific, appropriate, and dedicated team of professionals to the care already available for older patients. The researchers found that the potential cost savings are staggering, along with a significant increase in a patient's quality of life. The study is published in PLoS ONE. In 2023, researchers, led by Professor Dominic Trepel at Trinity College Dublin and Professor Rose Galvin at University of Limerick, conducted the OPTI-MEND trial, which looked at the impact of a novel service for older patients that introduced a dedicated ED team of health and social care professionals (HSCPs) to focus on timely assessment and intervention among people aged 65 years and over. The study of 353 older adults showed early assessment and intervention by the HSCP team reduced ED length of stay and the risk of hospital re-admissions, and improved patient satisfaction. Using this new service would mean that low-acuity patients (e.g. patients who are less likely to have more serious disease or complications) would also routinely see a senior occupational therapist, a senior physiotherapist and/or a senior medical social worker in addition to routine care in the ED. Primary clinical findings from the OPTI-MEND trial suggested that several older adults could be safely discharged from the ED following early assessment and intervention by an HSCP team (avoiding costly inpatient stays in hospital). This motivated the hypothesis that there may also be significant economic benefits and led to the collaboration between University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin. After extensive scrutiny by the Trepel Lab (Trinity) of the trial data to determine changes in quality of life and estimate the direct cost of HSCP, as well as downstream costs to the Irish Health Service, this new study demonstrates that investing in adding HSCP teams to existing normal care in the ED increases a patient's quality of life and presents, according to researchers, a potential national saving of 2.4 billion. These cost savings are largely driven by the timely discharge of older adults from the ED, meaningif adopted nationallythe service would aim to get patients back in the comfort of home as soon as possible. This economic evaluation conducted alongside the OPTI-MEND trial provides definitive evidence that HSCP should be adopted as part of treatment as usual in Irish EDs, or put another way, not doing so results in overspending of 6,128 every time a low-acuity patient visits the ED. Commenting on the findings, Professor Dominic Trepel, School of Medicine and Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity, said, "Clinical trials have historically aimed to generate evidence that aids clinician decision. However, the OPTI-MEND trial is an excellent example of the power of including an economic perspective and a testament to the Health Research Board's drive to ensure studies they fund include patient and public perspectives and consider how our money is spent. "As our health system must manage a limited budget, studies like this demonstrate that small investment in HSCP teams across Ireland's 27 Emergency Departments could free up to 2.4 billion for other services, while at the same time, significantly improving Health-Related Quality of Life." Professor Rose Galvin, School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, added, "We expected there would be economic benefits, but have been shocked at how much money can be made available by simply deploying HSCP teams while significantly improving the health of older ED patients. Given what we have learned about the power of including economics in our clinical research, Prof. Trepel and I are now collaborating to explore the value of home-based comprehensive geriatric assessments. Like OPTI-MEND, we hope this new program of research will further demonstrate clinical and cost effectiveness of improvements to our service landscape and will help shape Irish health care for generations to come." More information: Dominic Trepel et al, The cost effectiveness of early assessment and intervention by a dedicated health and social care professional team for older adults in the emergency department compared to treatment-as-usual, PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298162 Journal information: PLoS ONE 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: Drinking patterns identified in Europe, based on alcohol per capita consumption and drinking status indicators. CD = current drinkers; HED = heavy episodic drinkers; LA = lifetime abstainers. Credit: Addiction (2024). DOI: 10.1111/add.16567 A new study of drinking patterns across Europe from 2000 to 2019 shows that drinking occurs in stable, beverage-specific clusters that seem to be partly determined by geography. The study was published today by the scientific journal Addiction. The study identified six drinking patterns in Europe in 2019: Wine-drinking countries: France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden. Characterized by the highest consumption of wine, lowest consumption of beer and spirits, and lowest overall alcohol consumption. High beer/low spirit drinking countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain. Characterized by high consumption of beer, relatively low consumption of spirits, and the highest consumption abroad. High beer/binge drinking countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Characterized by high overall alcohol consumption, with the highest consumption of beer and high prevalence of heavy episodic drinking. High spirit drinking countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Characterized by the highest consumption of spirits but also high beer consumption, resulting in the highest overall alcohol consumption, but lowest wine consumption and low binge drinkinginstead of regular high consumption. High spirit drinking/high lifetime abstinence countries: Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. Characterized by the lowest prevalence of drinkers (and highest prevalence of lifetime abstainers), but high and regular consumption of spirits. Countries with high prevalence of current and binge drinking: Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta. Characterized by the highest prevalence of drinkers and binge drinking. Looking back almost 20 years, the same overall clusters were in place from 2000 to 2019, with two-thirds of the countries staying in the same cluster for all measurements. The study found significant associations between drinking patterns and alcohol-attributable deaths and health harm (measured in terms of 'disability-adjusted life years': the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability, or early death). Countries with high consumption of spirits and/or high prevalence of binge drinkingEstonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Cyprushad the highest average alcohol-attributable deaths and health harm. Co-author Dr. Jurgen Rehm comments, "Europe's distinct drinking patterns seem to be deeply rooted in culture and are therefore difficult to change. Since drinking patterns are strongly associated with burden of disease and mortality, we must find ways to change the patterns which characterize the clusters with the highest alcohol-attributable burden. Alcohol policies for this change are available and should be considered by all European countries, as the overall level of drinking is still high in this region." More information: Classifying national drinking patterns in Europe between 2000 and 2019: A clustering approach using comparable exposure data, Addiction (2024). DOI: 10.1111/add.16567 Journal information: Addiction Provided by Society for the Study of Addiction This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain In the wake of a debilitating cyberattack against one of the nation's largest health care systems, Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at an Ascension hospital in Wichita, Kansas, said he had a frightening experience: He nearly gave a baby "the wrong dose of narcotic" because of confusing paperwork. Ruckle, who has worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph for two decades, said it was "hard to decipher which was the correct dose" on the medication record. He'd "never seen that happen," he said, "when we were on the computer system" before the cyberattack. A May 8 ransomware attack against Ascension, a Catholic health system with 140 hospitals in at least 10 states, locked providers out of systems that track and coordinate nearly every aspect of patient care. They include its systems for electronic health records, some phones, and ones "utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications," the company said in a May 9 statement. More than a dozen doctors and nurses who work for the sprawling health system told Michigan Public and KFF Health News that patient care at its hospitals across the nation was compromised in the fallout of the cyberattack over the past several weeks. Clinicians working for hospitals in three states described harrowing lapses, including delayed or lost lab results, medication errors, and an absence of routine safety checks via technology to prevent potentially fatal mistakes. Despite a precipitous rise in cyberattacks against the health sector in recent years, a weeks-long disruption of this magnitude is beyond what most health systems are prepared for, said John Clark, an associate chief pharmacy officer at the University of Michigan health system. "I don't believe that anyone is fully prepared," he said. Most emergency management plans "are designed around long-term downtimes that are into one, two, or three days." Ascension in a public statement May 9 said its care teams were "trained for these kinds of disruptions," but did not respond to questions in early June about whether it had prepared for longer periods of downtime. Ascension said June 14 it had restored access to electronic health records across its network, but that patient "medical records and other information collected between May 8" and when the service was restored "may be temporarily inaccessible as we work to update the portal with information collected during the system downtime." Ruckle said he "had no training" for the cyberattack. Back to Paper Lisa Watson, an intensive care unit nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, described her own close call. She said she nearly administered the wrong medication to a critically ill patient because she couldn't scan it as she normally would. "My patient probably would have passed away had I not caught it," she said. Watson is no stranger to using paper for patients' medical charts, saying she did so "for probably half of my career," before electronic health records became ubiquitous in hospitals. What happened after the cyberattack was "by no means the same." "When we paper-charted, we had systems in place to get those orders to other departments in a timely manner," she said, "and those have all gone away." Melissa LaRue, an ICU nurse at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, described a close call with "administering the wrong dosage" of a patient's blood pressure medication. "Luckily," she said, it was "triple-checked and remedied before that could happen. But I think the potential for harm is there when you have so much information and paperwork that you have to go through." Clinicians say their hospitals have relied on slapdash workarounds, using handwritten notes, faxes, sticky notes, and basic computer spreadsheetsmany devised on the fly by doctors and nursesto care for patients. More than a dozen other nurses and doctors, some of them without union protections, at Ascension hospitals in Michigan recounted situations in which they say patient care was compromised. Those clinicians spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of retaliation by their employer. An Ascension hospital emergency room doctor in Detroit said a man on the city's east side was given a dangerous narcotic intended for another patient because of a paperwork mix-up. As a result, the patient's breathing slowed to the point that he had to be put on a ventilator. "We intubated him and we sent him to the ICU because he got the wrong medication." A nurse in a Michigan Ascension hospital ER said a woman with low blood sugar and "altered mental status" went into cardiac arrest and died after staff said they waited four hours for lab results they needed to determine how to treat her, but never received. "If I started having crushing chest pain in the middle of work and thought I was having a big one, I would grab someone to drive me down the street to another hospital," the same ER nurse said. Similar concerns reportedly led a travel nurse at an Ascension hospital in Indiana to quit. "I just want to warn those patients that are coming to any of the Ascension facilities that there will be delays in care. There is potential for error and for harm," Justin Neisser told CBS4 in Indianapolis in May. Several nurses and doctors at Ascension hospitals said they feared the errors they've witnessed since the cyberattack began could threaten their professional licenses. "This is how a RaDonda Vaught happens," one nurse said, referring to the Tennessee nurse who was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in 2022 for a fatal drug error. Reporters were not able to review records to verify clinicians' claims because of privacy laws surrounding patients' medical information that apply to health care professionals. Ascension declined to answer questions about claims that care has been affected by the ransomware attack. "As we have made clear throughout this cyber attack which has impacted our system and our dedicated clinical providers, caring for our patients is our highest priority," Sean Fitzpatrick, Ascension's vice president of external communications, said via email on June 3. "We are confident that our care providers in our hospitals and facilities continue to provide quality medical care." The federal government requires hospitals to protect patients' sensitive health data, according to cybersecurity experts. However, there are no federal requirements for hospitals to prevent or prepare for cyberattacks that could compromise their electronic systems. Hospitals: 'The No.1 target of ransomware' "We've started to think about these as public health issues and disasters on the scale of earthquakes or hurricanes," said Jeff Tully, a co-director of the Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity at the University of California-San Diego. "These types of cybersecurity incidents should be thought of as a matter of when, and not if." Josh Corman, a cybersecurity expert and advocate, said ransom crews regard hospitals as the perfect prey: "They have terrible security and they'll pay. So almost immediately, hospitals went to the No. 1 target of ransomware." In 2023, the health sector experienced the largest share of ransomware attacks of 16 infrastructure sectors considered vital to national security or safety, according to an FBI report on internet crimes. In March, the federal Department of Health and Human Services said reported large breaches involving ransomware had jumped by 264% over the past five years. A cyberattack this year on Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group's Optum division that processes billions of health care transactions every year, crippled the business of providers, pharmacies, and hospitals. In May, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty told lawmakers the company paid a $22 million ransom as a result of the Change Healthcare attackwhich occurred after hackers accessed a company portal that didn't have multifactor authentication, a basic cybersecurity tool. The Biden administration in recent months has pushed to bolster health care cybersecurity standards, but it's not clear which new measures will be required. In January, HHS nudged companies to improve email security, add multifactor authentication, and institute cybersecurity training and testing, among other voluntary measures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is expected to release new requirements for hospitals, but the scope and timing are unclear. The same is true of an update HHS is expected to make to patient privacy regulations. HHS said the voluntary measures "will inform the creation of new enforceable cybersecurity standards," department spokesperson Jeff Nesbit said in a statement. "The recent cyberattack at Ascension only underscores the need for everyone in the health care ecosystem to do their part to secure their systems and protect patients," Nesbit said. Meanwhile, lobbyists for the hospital industry contend cybersecurity mandates or penalties are misplaced and would curtail hospitals' resources to fend off attacks. "Hospitals and health systems are not the primary source of cyber risk exposure facing the health care sector," the American Hospital Association, the largest lobbying group for U.S. hospitals, said in an April statement prepared for U.S. House lawmakers. Most large data breaches that hit hospitals in 2023 originated with third-party "business associates" or other health entities, including CMS itself, the AHA statement said. Hospitals consolidating into large multistate health systems face increased risk of data breaches and ransomware attacks, according to one study. Ascension in 2022 was the third-largest hospital chain in the U.S. by number of beds, according to the most recent data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. And while cybersecurity regulations can quickly become outdated, they can at least make it clear that if health systems fail to implement basic protections there "should be consequences for that," Jim Bagian, a former director of the National Center for Patient Safety at the Veterans Health Administration, told Michigan Public's Stateside. Patients can pay the price when lapses occur. Those in hospital care face a greater likelihood of death during a cyberattack, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Workers concerned about patient safety at Ascension hospitals in Michigan have called for the company to make changes. "We implore Ascension to recognize the internal problems that continue to plague its hospitals, both publicly and transparently," said Dina Carlisle, a nurse and the president of the OPEIU Local 40 union, which represents nurses at Ascension Providence Rochester. At least 125 staff members at that Ascension hospital have signed a petition asking administrators to temporarily reduce elective surgeries and nonemergency patient admissions, like under the protocols many hospitals adopted early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Watson, the Kansas ICU nurse, said in late May that nurses had urged management to bring in more nurses to help manage the workflow. "Everything that we say has fallen on deaf ears," she said. "It is very hard to be a nurse at Ascension right now," Watson said in late May. "It is very hard to be a patient at Ascension right now." 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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: Adjusted odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mental and behavioral disorders of immigrants that experienced occupational downgrading. Credit: SSM - Population Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101652 A new study, "Downgraded dreams: Labor market outcomes and mental health in undocumented migration," analyzed the mental health and labor integration conditions of undocumented migrants in Italy. The study was conducted by Carlo Devillanova of the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Bocconi University, in collaboration with Cristina Franco of the European Commission and Anna Spada of Naga, a charity. The study, published in SSMPopulation Health, represents a first in-depth investigation of the association between occupational downgrading and mental disorders among this vulnerable population. Using a unique dataset collected from an outpatient clinic in Milan, the study analyzed the health conditions and occupational information of 1738 undocumented migrants who had their first medical examination in 20172018. It emerges that 66.63% of the migrant workers had experienced an occupational downgrade, and 5.58% were diagnosed with mental disorders. The results show that undocumented migrants who experience occupational downgrading have a significantly higher risk of developing mental disorders. According to Devillanova, "Occupational downgrading experienced by undocumented migrants has a strongly negative effect on their mental well-being, which adds up to all the other risk factors these individuals are constantly subjected to, highlighting the need for policies that address the integration of these individuals not only in the labor market, but also in the health care system." Irregular migration is a global challenge, with approximately 281 million international migrants worldwide, 15-20% of whom are undocumented. This population is exposed to precarious living and working conditions that increase the risk of mental health problems. This research emphasizes the importance of considering the impact of migration policies as a whole, including restrictive entry and labor market integration policies, on migrants' health. In addition, ensuring access to primary care for all migrants is crucial for the early detection and treatment of mental health conditions. "Access to primary care is critical to breaking the vicious cycle of labor market segregation and poor mental health among undocumented migrants," Devillanova adds. The issue of irregular migration is constantly in the spotlight of political and media-driven debate. Recent tensions at European borders and increasingly restrictive migration policies highlight the need for solutions that address the psychological well-being of migrants. In this context, studies such as the one conducted by Devillanova and colleagues provide essential data that may help define policy decisions and promote more humane and inclusive actions. This pioneering study highlights the complexity of the challenges faced by undocumented migrants and the need for integrated policies that consider both employment and health aspects. The evidence presented calls for deep reflection and concerted action to improve the living and working conditions of these vulnerable populations. More information: Carlo Devillanova et al, Downgraded dreams: Labor market outcomes and mental health in undocumented migration, SSM - Population Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101652 Paddy fields in the Nanniwan Scenic Area in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, June 24, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn] Nestled in Yan'an city, northwest China's Shaanxi province, Nanniwan town stands as a beacon of revolutionary heritage and modern ecological tourism. Originally a symbol of the Communist Party of China's early reclamation efforts, Nanniwan has evolved into a thriving example of rural revitalization, blending ecology with cultural tourism to pave a new path of development. Today, Nanniwan attracts visitors from across China, who come to explore the rich historical sites and enjoy the scenic beauty of the area. "After a day of touring, visitors can enjoy a bowl of mushroom noodles or try our local stewed chicken at my eatery," says Feng Yan'an, a resident of Taobaoyu village in Nanniwan. Feng, who returned to his hometown in 2021 after several years working elsewhere, transformed his seven-room home into an agritainment business. Last year, his modest establishment generated a net income of over 300,000 yuan. Feng's success story is part of a larger trend in Taobaoyu village. With initiatives such as the inauguration of the Nanniwan Revolutionary Culture Town in 2017, as well as the Baota District Water System Connectivity and Beautiful Countryside Construction Pilot Project in 2020, the village has embraced the goal of building a beautiful and livable rural area. Taobaoyu village was named a beautiful, livable demonstration village in Shaanxi in 2022. Wang Lin, first Party secretary of Taobaoyu village, recalled the time when unkempt vegetation and barren patches marred the landscape, and the riverbeds were choked with silt, sometimes even running dry. "After ecological development, the rivers were dredged, becoming twice as wide and crystal clear," Wang said. Former cave dwellings in the Nanniwan Scenic Area in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, June 24, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn] Wang emphasized the importance of ecology as the foundation of tourism. "Yan'an has abundant revolutionary tourism resources, but visitors were spread out, and there was no well-defined tour route," he explained. "The integration of ecological enhancements with improved transportation has now begun to attract a growing tide of tourists." Taobaoyu village now boasts seven agritainment establishments and six boutique homestays, repurposing empty properties and enabling villagers to find employment locally. Liu Gang, director of the Project Management Department of the Nanniwan Development Zone, highlighted the inclusive nature of Nanniwan's tourism industry. "The tourism industry engages the entire community," he noted. "The youth can start businesses by running agritainment restaurants and promote cultural tourism via livestreaming, while the elderly can work in hospitality and sanitation, marking a shift from traditional agriculture to service-oriented professions." With annual visitor numbers surpassing a million, Nanniwan is not only a hub for revolutionary-themed education, but also a catalyst for comprehensive rural rejuvenation and the flourishing of ecotourism. While aware that flooding is occurring along the Mississippi River, the City of Muscatine is taking a wait and see approach before determining a course of action for possible flood waters. Public Works Director Brian Stineman said the city wants a few more days to see what weather and water predictions are like before enacting plans to mitigate flooding. He said that current predictions are for a river level of 18.5 feet by Sunday, which would impact some of the riverfront, but would not require any street closures. The flood stage in Muscatine is 15 feet. Right now, the waters are at about 14 feet. At 16 feet, the lower portion of the parking lot in Riverside Park will be impacted. Right now, we are aware, and we are talking things over, but until we get a better prediction or closer to that prediction time we are just watching and waiting, he said. We have all our stuff from last time. We have our sandbags, and we are prepared that way. Its just a matter of seeing how high they are predicting, and we will prepare according to that. Mayor Brad Bark also said that he would have more information on the citys plans on Wednesday. More widespread rains are predicted in the south. In 2023, the river crested at 22.5 feet, leaving most of the riverfront flooded and becoming the seventh highest flood in the history of Muscatine. A HESCO wall was installed to protect businesses along the riverfront. In 2023, many people contacted the city and asked to be put on volunteer lists in case of flooding. The highest flood was in 1993 when the river crested at 25.6 feet, after which many structures in Muscatine County along the Mississippi were elevated. According to the National Weather Service, 15 feet is flood stage, and 23 feet is a major flood. At 20 feet, the water impacts Mud Creek and Pearl City Station. At 21 feet, Riverside Park is mostly underwater. If the water level gets up to 24 feet, many of the buildings along the riverfront would be impacted. At 25 feet, the railroad tracks would have to be closed. Severe rainfall was reported north of Iowa. Dubuque, the Quad-Cities and Burlington are all under flood warnings. PHOTOS: Flooding; evacuations ongoing in Sioux City metro area Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Video: Railroad bridge partially collapsed in Big Sioux River TEL AVIV, Israel The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to wind down the 8-month-long war in Gaza was cast into doubt after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a "partial" cease-fire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas. In an interview broadcast late Sunday on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was "prepared to make a partial deal this is no secret that will return to us some of the people," referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. "But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I'm not willing to give up on that." Netanyahus comments did not deviate dramatically from what he said previously about his terms for a deal, but they come at a sensitive time as Israel and Hamas appear to be moving further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal, and they could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war. Netanyahus comments stood in sharp contrast to the outlines of the deal detailed late last month by U.S. President Joe Biden, who framed the proposal as an Israeli plan. Some in Israel refer to it as Netanyahus deal. Netanyahus remarks could further strain Israels ties to the U.S., its top ally, which launched a major diplomatic push for the latest cease-fire proposal. The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But disputes and mistrust persist between Israel and Hamas over how the deal plays out. Hamas insists it will not release the remaining hostages unless there's a permanent cease-fire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal, he said it included both. But Netanyahu says Israel is still committed to destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities, and ensuring it can never again carry out an Oct. 7-style assault. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas' top leadership and much of its forces are still intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and able to rearm. In the interview, Netanyahu said the current phase of fighting is ending, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in what could open up a new war front. But he said that didn't mean the war in Gaza was over. On Monday, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant discussed tensions on the border with Lebanon during his trip to Washington with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden. He echoed Netanyahu's comments that the war in Gaza is transitioning to a new phase, which could impact other conflicts, including with Hezbollah. During the initial six-week phase of the proposed cease-fire, the sides are supposed to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining living hostages including male soldiers and Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza. The temporary cease-fire would become permanent. Hamas appears concerned that Israel will resume the war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if it doesn't, Israel could make demands in that stage of negotiations that were not part of the initial deal and are unacceptable to Hamas and then resume the war when Hamas refuses them. Netanyahu's remarks reinforced that concern. After they were aired, Hamas said they represented "unmistakable confirmation of his rejection" of the U.S.-supported deal, which also received the backing of the United Nations' Security Council. Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organizations Eastern Mediterranean region said Monday that the reconnected U.S.-built pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip cannot supply Palestinians with anywhere near the level of aid they need. Dr. Hanan Balkhy made the remarks after the U.S. military began delivering aid through the floating pier again, after it was removed a second time because of rough seas. The pier has supported a little bit, but its not to the scale that is needed by any stretch of the imagination, Balkhy said. So we need to emphasize on the land routes to ensure the amount and the quantity and the efficiency. An influx of aid appears to have eased a hunger crisis in northern Gaza for now, but the entire territory remains at high risk of famine after Israels offensive in Rafah caused displacement and the disruption of aid operations in the south, a draft report said Monday. The report by the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises said nearly everyone in Gaza struggles to get enough food and that more than 495,000 people, or greater than a fifth of the population of 2.3 million, are expected to experience the highest level of starvation in the coming months. In its Oct. 7 cross-border assault, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 people captive. Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Military sexual trauma is shockingly commonHere's how it affects mental health Military sexual trauma is shockingly commonHere's how it affects mental health Military sexual trauma can also cause increased depressive symptoms Military sexual trauma also takes a toll on physical health Flash A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated on Monday that no country, organization, or individual should think they can cross the red line on the Taiwan question without facing consequences. On June 21, the Chinese foreign ministry announced its decision to take countermeasures against U.S. arms dealer Lockheed Martin Corp. and its executives. In response to a related query during a daily press briefing, spokesperson Mao Ning said the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, meddled in China's internal affairs, and undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. She added that China has taken countermeasures against the relevant company and its executives involved in the arms sales in accordance with the law. Mao emphasized that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed. "No country, organization or individual should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and should not dream of crossing the red line on the Taiwan question without paying a price," Mao said. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Iowa as floodwaters have pummeled the northwest portion of the state for days on end now. With the announcement, federal funding is available to affected in individuals in the county of Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux. "Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the statement, which came through FEMA, read. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds who toured disaster areas in Hawarden, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley and Spencer on Monday said she will continue to request additional counties as more information is collected. Aid is available through the disasterassistance.gov website or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Randy Feenstra, the Republican representative for Iowa's Fourth Congressional District, accompanied Reynolds on the Monday tour and said in a statement he welcomes Biden's major disaster declaration. "This decision will help our families recover, our businesses keep their doors open, and our communities rebuild. I will continue to work with Governor Reynolds and our partners at the federal level to secure relief for more communities in more counties that were impacted by severe flooding." According to the declaration from Biden, "Federal funding is also available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Plymouth and Sioux counties." In addition, federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. Hawarden, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley and Spencer all saw record-high crests of rivers in their respective area and floodwaters are slowly receding. The latest flood warning concerns are in the counties of Monona and Woodbury as evacuations have taken place in several towns. PHOTOS: Missouri River flooding in Sioux City and South Sioux City South Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding South Sioux City flooding South Sioux City flooding Sioux City flooding Akothee has rubbished insinuations that the majority of Generation Z (Gen Z) anti-Finance Bill protesters are raised by single mothers. Taking to social media on June 24, Akothee warned critics against stigmatizing children from single-parent households, emphasizing that they are just as responsible as those raised by both parents. Akothee explained that children brought up by single mothers are often fearless because they have lost emotional attachment. A child raised by a single mother can face the world because they lost emotional attachment to what is called love and care. Do anything you can, but dont stigmatize children because of their past, she said. The celebrity musician and businesswoman compared the experiences of children from two-parent households to those from single-parent households, noting some privileges Gen Z children from single-mother households never had. Akothee pointed out that unlike previous generations who grew up in relative peace, Gen Z has been raised amid teargas and demonstrations, leading to their unity. Generation Z never enjoyed the freedom and peace that you and I had while growing up. Some of us even enjoyed maziwa ya Nyayo with a lot of peace! There were no bullets or teargas; only top leaders were losing their lives. The cost of living was very good; you could shop with 100 Kshs and bring change home. But our children are raised amidst teargas and demonstrations; they are united and speak one language. They know no tribe or ethnicity, she said. At the same time, Akothee urged police officers to stop using teargas against the youth. She called on authorities to care for Gen Z during the anti-Finance Bill protests or engage them in dialogue to understand their concerns. Dont underestimate this generation that we took to good schools. As a single mother, I will go to the streets to protect my children. Now that you have mentioned single mothers children on the streets, dont bring teargas, dont bring bullets. Instead, bring my children some water, biscuits, and juice, or call for a dialogue, she added. Akothee further stressed that there is no need to play tough, warning that these children have nothing to lose but everything to gain considering the hardships they have endured. She urged people not to underestimate the children of single mothers. It might be true that you have raised your children with a present father, but I implore you to show understanding and empathy. This finance bill should be put on hold until a dialogue happens, she concluded. Interior CS Kithure Kindiki issued directives to protesters ahead of planned #rejectfinancebill2024 demonstrations today, June 25, 2024. Speaking Monday evening, Kindiki affirmed that Kenyans have a Constitutional right to peacefully assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to authorities. However, Kindiki emphasized that while exercising the right under Article 37, protesters should not infringe upon the rights and freedoms of others. Those exercising the Article 37 right to assemble and picket must do so within Constitutional and legal parameters, he stated. The CS insisted that protesters must maintain peace and refrain from carrying weapons during their assembly, picketing, and petition presentations. He stressed that Article 37 guarantees the right to demonstrate, not to incite violence or provoke riots. Protesters must conduct themselves in a manner that does not disrupt public order or cause harm or inconvenience to non-participating members of the public, he added. Kindiki outlined that protesters are required to notify the police of their intention to picket, including specifying routes and timings of their activities. They must conclude their activities by sunset or 6:30pm, whichever is earlier, in accordance with the Public Order Act, Cap 57 of the laws of Kenya, he specified. Additionally, CS Kindiki cautioned that protesters must not provoke, assault, obstruct law enforcement officers, or members of the public. He instructed that protesters should adhere to police guidance and security measures to safeguard themselves from non-protesters and maintain orderly conduct. They must refrain from obstructing, vandalizing, blocking, or damaging any private or public property, he concluded. Kindiki emphasized that protesters must comply with Kenyan laws, including the Protected Areas Act, which restricts access to critical infrastructure for national security reasons. He stated that the police will instruct demonstrators on areas they are prohibited from accessing under the law. They must not access critical assets for the supply of power, water or other social amenities in a manner that is likely to interfere with the enjoyment of these amenities by members of the public, Kindiki cautioned. Additionally, he warned protesters against disrupting non-protesters private activities, as well as roads, railways, ports, or air transport. Kindiki underscored the importance of upholding the rule of law and maintaining public order regardless of the issues or grievances. For the avoidance of doubt, non-protesters and other members of the public who hold a contrary to that of protesters are bound by the same limitations. They must exercise their rights to disagree if at all in the same manner and circumstances, he added. The CS assured that national security agencies will enforce the laws impartially but firmly. No form of lawlessness will be tolerated, he affirmed. Kindiki mentioned that previous protests had been exploited to vandalize property and disrupt others activities. Kenyas Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Noor Gabow, is leading the Kenya police mission in Haiti alongside General Service Unit (GSU) head of operations Samuel Chebet and Administration Police (AP) head of Operations Geoffrey Otunge IG of Police Japhet Koome informed the three police officers about the decision on Friday, June 22, 2024. President William Ruto flagged off 400 Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean nation on Monday at the National Police College, Embakasi Campus in Nairobi. Recently, DIG Noor led a reconnaissance mission to Haiti, identifying an urgent need for retraining local police. Over the past year, he has directed efforts to ensure the deployment team is well-prepared for their mission. Noor accompanies the initial deployment team to Haiti, overseeing the process, and is expected to return to his coordination duties in Nairobi. The DIG will collaborate with other nations involved in the mission and maintain communication with Haiti during Kenyas presence in the country. Gabow will maintain his position as the DIG but will also have offices in Haiti and Washington. He will occasionally travel to these destinations to coordinate police operations. Otunge holds the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIG) and is the director of operations at the AP headquarters in Jogoo House. Chebet holds the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) and is the director of operations at the GSU headquarters. Reports indicate that several senior police officials sought to lead the Kenya police mission to the Caribbean nation. The three police officers will enjoy substantial benefits, including close to Kes.1 million monthly, free meals, and accommodation. They will also receive a free ticket to and from Haiti and a visit back to Kenya every six months. Additionally, Noor Gabow will receive a package that includes paid travel and accommodation, along with a monthly allowance of about Kes.1.5 million. Noor brings over three decades of experience to his role. He joined the police service in 1989 and quickly rose through the ranks to become Assistant Inspector General. His experience from peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Rwanda will be crucial in resource mobilization and overall supervision of Kenya police in Haiti. In 2018, he became the first officer from the Kenya Police Service to lead the Administrative Police. Noor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Penology from the International Academy Bramshill of the National Police Improvement Agency in the UK and also has a Masters degree in Governance, Peace, and Security Studies. During his career, he has played key roles in maintaining order and restructuring police operations. He was instrumental in restoring order at the Bomas of Kenya auditorium during the presidential election announcement when the opposition clashed with government-allied politicians and former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson, Wafula Chebukati. The DIG also served as acting Inspector General (IG) when former IG Hilary Mutyambai took medical leave, during which he initiated a reshuffle of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to enhance its efficiency. President William Ruto on Monday flagged-off the first 400 group of police officers for the United Nations peace mission in Haiti. The President expressed confidence that the Kenyan contingent, together with others from contributing countries, will help in returning lasting peace in the conflict-ravaged Haiti. Speaking at the National Police College, Embakasi Campus in Nairobi, President Ruto told the officers that they were selected for the peace mission on the basis of their integrity, professionalism and capabilities. He handed the peace mission the Kenyan flag during the event attended by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, Presidents National Security Advisor Monica Juma, Inspector-General Japeth Koome and Deputy Inspectors-General of Police Douglas Kanja and Noor Gabow. This mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity. It is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a mission to take a stand for humanity, President Ruto said. Pointing out that the people of Haiti were the first to liberate their land from slavery and colonialism, the President, however, said their freedom was short-lived as it was undermined by forces that sabotaged the progress. Speaking to the 400 officers, he said: We will support and pray for you. As a country, we respect the rule of law, freedom and democracy. This is why we want you to help the people of Haiti achieve these values that they have been denied by criminal gangs. Consequently, the President pointed out, Haiti has faced continuous onslaught by external and internal forces, causing instability, leading to the loss of thousands of lives, extinguishing countless dreams and depriving millions of basic social services. This has subjected millions to harrowing poverty, hardship, and disease, he said. Currently, Haiti is torn apart by vicious gang violence, which has diminished the States capacity to function and provide essential services. Development cannot take place under these conditions and, if nothing is done, millions of children, women and men will continue to suffer without the prospect of relief, the President said. He told the officers that the international community has the confidence in Kenya to lead the peace mission in Haiti. Kenya is a proud member of the international community in good standing. We also have an outstanding global, Pan-African and regional peacekeeping track record, having made exemplary contributions to 47 missions, he said. The President added that Kenya is renowned as a peace-making nation, determined to show to the world the power of peaceful dispute resolution through dialogue and negotiation. We have mediated many conflicts and are currently engaged in resolving more. Dont let down the confidence the people of Kenya and the international community have in you, President Ruto implored the officers. The Inspector-General and Deputy Inspectors-General have assured me that, in addition to the high-level training each of you has received in your respective units, you have acquired the the necessary exposure for this mission, including a grasp of both French and Haitian Creole during this preparatory period, the President said. He exuded confidence that the inter-agency team that was training the contingent has done its work well in preparing and establishing what is required to support the mission, including operational protocols to guide it. You are undertaking a vital mission that transcends borders and cultures. Your presence in Haiti will bring hope and relief to communities torn apart by violence and ravaged by disorder, he said. He said the Haiti Transitional Presidential Council and the Prime Minister have shared with him their expectations that the officers will support the Haitian police in restoring public safety and security. As you perform this role, you are expected to embody the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, bearing in mind that you are representatives of our country and our ambassadors of stability and security, the President told the officers. At the same time, President Ruto assured the officers that the government would improve their working conditions and welfare. He announced that beginning next month, the government will increase the salaries of police officers in line with the recommendations of the taskforce that was led by former Chief Justice David Maraga. President Ruto noted that reforms were being undertaken to ensure security officers discharged their duties effectively. In an effort to secure the country from internal and external aggression, the government is implementing a police equipment modernisation programme at a cost of KSh25 billion, said President Ruto. Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki thanked the President for the police modernisation programme, saying it was making the officers effective in their work. On Haiti, he said the country was making history in the deployment of police officers for the peace mission in Haiti. In the past, participation of police officers has been limited. But we are now making history in the deployment of our police officers to the peace mission in Haiti, he said. Mr Koome said the officers had undergone thorough training since October last year. Presidential Communication Service (PCS) Various rights groups led by Amnesty International and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have strongly criticized potential internet and mass media disruptions during this weeks demonstrations against the Finance Bill, 2024. In a joint statement on Monday, the organizations pointed out that such disruptions could heighten national uncertainty and violate fundamental human rights. They underscored the crucial role of the internet and mass media in safeguarding the publics right to information and freedom of expression. The internet and mass media are crucial for ensuring public access to information, citizen self-expression, e-commerce, and the digital economy, which contributes nearly 10 per cent to the GDP, the statement highlighted. Other signatories to the statement included Access Now, Article 19 Eastern Africa, the Police Reforms Working Group, the Bloggers Association of Kenya, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and the Kenya Medical Association. The groups further argued that shutting down or limiting internet access, suppressing hashtags(#RejectFinanceBill2024), or imposing bans on live media coverage would constitute a severe infringement of basic human rights. Disrupting mass communication will also increase national uncertainty, cut off the public and authorities from reliable updates, choke the timely deployment of emergency medical services, and hinder the tracing of missing persons, the statement warned. They stressed that such measures would undermine peoples legitimate rights to organize, protest, and participate in policymaking. They added that the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024 symbolizes citizens engagement and discussions on the Finance Bill and its implications for the national economy and livelihoods. The organizations also cautioned that internet shutdowns can disrupt online transactions, slow economic activity, and cause harm. Recommendations Referring to the ACCESS 2023 report, which highlighted how total or partial internet shutdowns are increasingly used by governments in response to public protests, often concealing serious human rights violations, state-sanctioned violence against peaceful demonstrators, abductions, and killings, the groups made several recommendations for Kenya. They called on Kenyan authorities to uphold the rights to conscience, opinion, self-expression, and association as guaranteed by national laws and international frameworks. The government is urged to recognize the vital role of the internet and mass media in policy discussions and refrain from any form of internet shutdown or media interference. We urge the Government of Kenya and the Communications Authority to affirm that the people of Kenya can access an open, reliable, secure, and free internet and a free press at this critical time, the groups emphasized. Furthermore, the organizations appealed to social media platforms to resist any attempts by the government to block or restrict access during the protests, asserting that censorship or limitations on social and mass media would be illegal and counterproductive. Protesters are preparing for the second phase of Occupy Parliament demonstrations starting today, coinciding with the National Assemblys vote on the contentious Finance Bill, 2024, in its third reading. A national strike, Day 5, Tuesday, June 25: #OccupyParliament. Gen Zs are granting all hard-working Kenyans a day off. Parents, keep your children at home in solidarity, announced a poster detailing the plans. On Wednesday, demonstrators will visit the offices of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Inspector General of Police to demand justice for the two individuals killed during the protests: 29-year-old Rex Masai and 21-year-old Evans Kiratu. Thursday will see protesters marching to the State House in Nairobi to demonstrate their disapproval as President William Ruto is expected to assent to the bill. Updated at 2:47 p.m. Tuesday The Napa County fire chief will leave his post and join Marin County Fire. Mike Marcucci, who has led Napa County Fire since 2022, will retire from the position on Friday, the Napa County Board of Supervisors announced. The board issued a proclamation recognizing Marcuccis service at its meeting Tuesday morning. In a brief speech, Marcucci told supervisors the departure will allow him to be closer to family members. It is with mixed feelings that I retire, but an opportunity to come back home to family could not be passed up, he told supervisors. Starting on Monday, Marcucci will become a Marin County Fire division chief as well as director of the Marin Emergency Command Center at a salary of $225,784, according to Mari Ochoa, spokesperson for the fire department. Marcucci began his fire safety career in Marin County in 1993 as a seasonal firefighter, Ochoa said. Marcucci held the Napa County fire chief role because he was unit chief for Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. Cal Fire operates the Napa County Fire Department under a 94-year-old agreement between the county and the state firefighting agency. He was also fire chief for the South Lake County Fire Protection District. Unit Assistant Chief Kirk van Wormer has been named acting unit chief until the next permanent chief is named. The unit chief is responsible for Cal Fire operations in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake, Colusa and Yolo counties. As of 2022, Marcucci's total compensation by Cal Fire was $282,076, including $191,853 in pay, according to Transparent California. It was not immediately clear whether Napa Countys next fire chief would have a direct local connection like Marcucci, a Napa resident. Marcucci pointed out that Napa County has battalion chiefs who are local. He said Deputy Fire Chief Jason Martin is in the county most days of the week. "The local influence will still be maintained," he said. Marcucci was chief of Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit two years ago when the agency appointed him to lead Napa County Fire, shifting the previous head, Martin, to deputy fire chief. The move unnerved some Napa supervisors, who said Cal Fire made the decision without consulting them first. The county in 2012 had moved away from the Cal Fire unit chief also being the county fire chief because supervisors wanted a full-time, local chief. For this to unilaterally happen with no prior discussion is pretty disturbing, frankly, then-Supervisor Diane Dillon told her colleagues shortly after Marcuccis promotion. Thats not the way weve operated in the past with Cal Fire. Both Marcucci and Martin described the move as a change only of title and not duties. Nothing is changing on the day-to-day, Marcucci said at the time. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors honored Marcucci for his service as Napa County fire chief. Board Chair Joelle Gallagher read the proclamation. "His strategic vision and proactive approach have significantly enhanced the preparedness and effectiveness of our fire department, making Napa County a safer place to live, work and play," she said. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged China's willingness to work with Poland to push bilateral relations to a higher level and inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world. Xi made the remarks while holding talks in Beijing with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China. Noting Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained steady progress since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 75 years ago. Since China and Poland decided to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have expanded and deepened in an all-round way, benefiting the two peoples, he added. Noting that great changes are unfolding globally in an unprecedented way, Xi said China is ready to work with Poland to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, push bilateral relations to a higher level, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world. The key to the enduring relationship lies in that the two nations can draw wisdom and strength from their respective national history and cultural traditions, and independently develop their bilateral friendship, Xi said. The two sides should continue to adhere to the China-Poland friendship featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and mutual learning, understand and support each other's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, jointly oppose the Cold War mentality and camp confrontation, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and promote an equal and orderly global multipolarization and an economic globalization that benefits all, Xi said. Xi urged the two sides to make good use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee to strengthen strategic coordination and planning of cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance cooperation in major projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express, and strengthen cooperation in trade, agriculture, digital economy, green industry and clean energy. China welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Poland into the Chinese market, supports the expansion of two-way investment, and hopes Poland will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Xi said. China has decided to adopt a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens, Xi said, adding that both sides should vigorously promote exchanges in culture, youth, academia and media. China is willing to work with Poland and other countries to promote the sustainable development of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism, and advance the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations, he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Duda said President Xi's state visit to Poland in 2016 was an important milestone in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi represents huge development opportunities for Poland, and the Belt and Road cooperation has strongly propelled Poland's infrastructure construction and economic development, he said. Poland greatly appreciates the principles China adheres to in international affairs and its contributions to world peace and development, Duda said, stressing that Poland firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Poland is willing to advance the Belt and Road cooperation with China, deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, infrastructure, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and expand cooperation in new areas such as innovation, digital economy and new energy vehicles, he added. Duda said Poland is willing to maintain close multilateral communication and coordination with China to further develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to world peace and stability. Noting that Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, Duda said Poland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and advancing cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda prior to the talks between Xi and Duda in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi stressed that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace talks and political settlement. At present, efforts should be made to avoid further escalation of the conflict, cool the situation down and create conditions for peace talks. "This is in the interests of the international community, including Europe." China opposes some individuals using the normal trade between China and Russia as an excuse to divert focus and smear China, Xi said, adding that China encourages and supports all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis, and promotes the building of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture. China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in its own way. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. The two sides also issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Poland (2024-2027). Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Duda and his wife. A welcome banquet was also held for the guests in the evening. These are Napa County-style growth issues a proposed vineyard on land where California red-legged frogs might live, or a proposed warehouse on a field where Swainson's hawks might forage. Some residents are asking whether the county might benefit from having a habitat conservation plan. These plans aim to bring more certainty to where growth can take place while also better protecting endangered species. During her election campaign this winter, Napa County Supervisor-elect Amber Manfree proposed looking at whether a habitat conservation plan could help the county. She has yet to take office and the county has yet to pursue the idea. But the possibility of a habitat conservation plan has come up at a few American Canyon City Council meetings, most recently on June 18. American Canyon is a growth hub with potential habitat for such protected species as the Swainsons hawk. It may or may not have real application for our particular situation. Obviously, Napa County needs to be part of this conversation, City Manager Jason Holley said. A habitat conservation plan can be a kind of master plan to preserve habitat for rare species. Activities that disturb the species no longer need to be viewed by federal and state agencies simply on a case-by-case basis. One goal is to streamline endangered species permitting for development. Another aim is to make clear what habitat needs to be preserved by developers in return, instead of having a patchwork of preservation. Habitat conservation plans meet federal Endangered Species Act requirements. Natural Community Conservation Plans are the California counterpart. Applicants work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. American Canyon has seen a recent dispute over proposed warehouse development on potential Swainsons hawk foraging habitat, leading to lawsuits. The Swainsons hawk is listed as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act. Last week, the American Canyon City Council met with its Open Space, Active Transportation and Sustainability Commission, whose members want to explore the habitat conservation plan idea. Were just starting, Commissioner Barry Christian said. We dont know. We want to find out more about it and would it work here. Napa resident Yvonne Baginski wants Napa County to explore whether a habitat conservation plan would be a good fit. She has spoken at various public meetings, including American Canyon City Council meetings, and has been researching the idea. Ive been out there advocating for wildlife, Baginski said. One of the problems Im seeing is we are losing habitat for some of our threatened species. She and others are looking to nearby counties for information. Eastern Contra Costa and Yolo counties have habitat conservation plans, while Solano and Sonoma counties have plans in the works. Some habitat conservation plans take years to complete. The Yolo County plan was 25 years in the making. Work began on the Solano County plan in 1999. The Santa Clara County plan took about eight years to develop and win approval. American Canyon City Councilmember Mark Joseph suggested another approach for southern Napa County and his city. Im wondering if in that review process we explore some simpler options, Joseph said. For example, if we could acquire parcels around our perimeter, and just acquire them and leave them in open space. Baginski, during public comments at the county's May 17 Climate Action Committee meeting, talked about a possible habitat conservation plan. She said a plan would help both the environment and developers while reducing legal fights. We need a more integrated approach, she said. Where are our animals and plants going to survive? Climate Action Committee chair Joelle Gallagher, who is also Napa County Board of Supervisors chair, responded later in that meeting. She said perhaps someone from Sonoma or Solano could make a presentation on the work done in those counties. I am very interested in hearing more about habitat conservation plans, Gallagher said. How a habitat conservation plan might help the county with the controversy over new vineyards in the mountains remain to be seen. Those disputes often focus on matters that go beyond endangered species issues, such as the number of trees to be cleared and vineyards' effects on water quality. For now, a Napa County habitat conservation plan is simply an idea that could be further explored. Baginski is trying to arrange a meeting that would include local officials and a biological wildlife consultant. I think right now people are just trying to gather information, Baginski said. PHOTOS: The Serenity Homes of Napa Valley Classic Car Show Classic Car Show 1 Classic Car Show 2 Classic Car Show 3 Classic Car Show 4 Classic Car Show 5 Classic Car Show 6 Classic Car Show 7 Classic Car Show 8 Classic Car Show 9 Classic Car Show 10 Classic Car Show 11 Classic Car Show 12 Classic Car Show 13 Classic Car Show14 Classic Car Show 15 Classic Car Show 16 Flash Rescuers work at the battery plant fire site in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. South Korean officials said the accident has killed 22 people, 17 of them presumably to be Chinese nationals. Eight other people were injured, including one Chinese who was slightly injured, and all the injured have been properly treated. Firemen are still searching for the missing. The South Korean side deeply mourns the tragic death of Chinese citizens in the accident and will assist China in doing its utmost to rescue and deal with the aftermath. Xing urged the South Korean side to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, properly deal with the aftermath, and provide all necessary support for the families of the Chinese victims. Xing told media at the scene that the Chinese embassy is working with the South Korean side to do its best to deal with the aftermath of the accident. It is hoped that South Korean businesses will learn a painful lesson, refrain from similar incidents in the future and earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in South Korea. Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday afternoon met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, who is in northeast China's city of Dalian for the upcoming 2024 Summer Davos. Li conveyed cordial greetings from General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and Vietnamese President To Lam. Li noted that last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, drawing a blueprint for China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation in the new era. China is willing to work with Vietnam to further implement the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two parties, and promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future in order to benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional peace, stability and development, Li said. He called on the two countries to make full use of their economic complementarity, facilitate synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, expand the scale of trade and investment, strengthen connectivity, and continue to foster new growth points for cooperation on new energy and digital economy. China is willing to deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Vietnam in fields such as tourism, medical education and youth to consolidate public support of the China-Vietnam friendship, the premier said. Chinh said that strengthening long-term friendly cooperation with China is a strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy. The Vietnamese side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports China's development, and supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Chinh said. He added that Vietnam is willing to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future to achieve more fruitful results. Jonathan Strom, professor of church history at Emory University and a renowned theological scholar and respected leader, has been appointed the next Mary Lee Hardin Willard Dean of Candler School of Theology. He will step into the role Aug. 1, 2024, after current dean Jan Love concludes her 17-year tenure. Since 1997, Jonathan Strom has contributed to Candler School of Theology in profound ways, says Emory President Gregory L. Fenves. He is respected for his research and teaching as well as his impressive leadership within Candler, which I witnessed firsthand during his time as acting dean. He is poised to carry the torch from Dean Love and keep Candler on its extraordinary trajectory. Stroms two-year appointment was announced June 25, 2024, by Ravi V. Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, following a national search launched after Loves previously announced plans to step down and return to the faculty. Following Dean Loves incredible term of almost 18 years, we believe Jonathan Strom is the right person to enable Candler to continue fully pursuing the many ambitious efforts underway, says Bellamkonda. He has been a longtime leader within the school, including acting as dean from 2019 to 2021 while Dean Love served as interim provost, and has the deep knowledge and support of the Candler community that will serve Emory well as he takes on the full leadership role of the dean. As dean, Strom will focus on efforts that advance Candlers mission to educate faithful and creative leaders for the churchs ministries worldwide. He will drive initiatives to further the schools academic impact, develop innovative offerings, support faculty in their scholarship, increase enrollment and student support and nurture the schools vital ties with The United Methodist Church (UMC) as one of its 13 seminaries. Not only a leader at Emory, Jonathan is also well known nationally and internationally among theological educators, says UMC Bishop William T. McAlilly 81T, a member of the Candler dean search advisory committee. As a faithful Christian and very active layperson in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with which The United Methodist Church is in full communion Jonathan will deepen our ecumenical relationships. He has a profound grasp of the ethos of Candler and the UMC and I am excited to see Candler continue its commitment to forming leaders for the church and to academic excellence. Committed to Candler Since Stroms career at Candler began in 1997, he has led efforts to support faculty scholarship and development and expand learning opportunities for students. Through teaching and various leadership roles, including seven years as associate dean then senior associate dean of faculty and academic affairs, as well as two years in an acting capacity as dean while Dean Love served as interim provost, Strom has encouraged input from community members to inform decisions. I have learned so much from my colleagues and from students throughout the years, he says. Those connections and experiences have helped me figure out what needs to get done. We need to pay close attention to what people are doing and saying and ensure they have the support they need to accomplish their goals. Strom currently serves as the director of international initiatives at Candler, where he actively promotes student flourishing and provides students with experiential learning offerings. In recent years, he has significantly expanded opportunities for study abroad, enabling students to gain diverse global perspectives while in seminary. His unique understanding of the academic, administrative and philanthropic facets of the role and deep knowledge of Candler will aid in sustaining the schools transformative momentum of recent years. I love Candler, Strom says. I have spent the overwhelming majority of my career here and care deeply about the school and its people. I am committed to doing everything I can to continue moving the school forward. Its a sentiment that Love, who will return to the faculty for the 2024-25 academic year before retiring, attests to. As a wise, seasoned and dedicated administrator, scholar and teacher, Jonathan Strom is the perfect leader for Candler at this time, she says. His understanding of and appreciation for The United Methodist Church will serve the school well as will his devotion to faculty excellence, cutting-edge pedagogy and good governance. Continuing Candlers momentum and impact Strom is charged with overseeing a dynamic academic community of more than 100 full-time faculty and staff and 400 students across various degree programs. Among his priorities will be to recruit and retain outstanding theological scholars; broaden academic offerings to increase enrollment; champion financial accessibility for students; foster a culture of inclusion and social justice; and deepen the schools connections with The United Methodist Church as well as local and global communities. Candler is not a place that needs to be shaken up because of complacency, he notes. Exciting initiatives are happening across the school, and we are benefiting from an accelerated expansion of our programs and reach. Its a special place where people want to do new, creative work. Strom understands the importance of fostering a community of scholars where faculty eminence is celebrated and a culture of shared governance is supported. A historian of Christianity at the school for nearly three decades, Strom focuses his research and teaching on the late Reformation and Pietism in continental Europe, the historical development of Protestantism and the emergence of new religious practices. He has authored or edited seven books and more than 40 articles and papers, and his work has been supported through grants from several organizations, including the Association of Theological Schools and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, a German institution that promotes international academic cooperation. Candlers faculty has changed enormously, thanks to deliberate strategic hiring under Dean Loves leadership, he says. I have terrifically dynamic colleagues, and I will continue to cultivate our talented and diverse faculty while supporting their scholarship and development at all levels. Another priority will be to lean into new ventures and degree formats to increase enrollment. Candler has new programs that are doing great things, Strom says. The Candler Foundry, La Mesa Academy for Theological Studies, new virtual and hybrid degree-delivery offerings these are culture-shifting, forward-thinking initiatives that are broadening access to theological education and reaching new audiences. Candlers investments in these areas have been met with demonstrative success. With the addition of a hybrid Master of Divinity (MDiv) program in fall 2023, entering enrollment increased by nearly 40%. The Candler Foundry, which provides non-degree courses, certificates, talks and webinars on a variety of spiritual and theological topics to persons outside of higher education, has reached more than 200,000 people since its launch in 2019. Strom is eager to build on this momentum, increasing Candlers academic offerings and refining existing programs to cater to evolving needs in churches and communities and the fast-changing theological education landscape. Part of those efforts will include expanding financial support for students to transformative levels, allowing the school to attract a robust pool of future ministry leaders. Candler has incredible students we can learn a lot from, Strom says. By maximizing financial aid, we can enable them to graduate and serve in ministries without being encumbered by debt. Focusing on the future of the church In announcing Stroms appointment, Bellamkonda expressed gratitude to the Search Advisory Committee chaired by Kimberly Jacob Arriola, dean of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies and vice provost for graduate affairs. The committee included faculty, staff, students, alumni and church leaders. I am grateful to the committee for their dedication to Candler and their insight as we sought a dean who will be a champion for our students, faculty and institution and a partner to The United Methodist Church, Bellamkonda says. With their guidance, and considering many listening sessions with the Candler community and stakeholders, I am confident that we have selected a highly respected leader who understands the needs, strengths and vision of the Candler community and is perfectly positioned to lead the school forward into its next chapter. Candlers dedication to shaping faithful leaders for an ever-changing world will drive Stroms work as the school navigates disruptions in higher education and the church landscape and focuses on efforts that help faculty, staff and students thrive in their work and studies. The right kind of changes exciting, creative and collaborative changes are happening at Candler, Strom says. Everything we do comes from a deep care for the work of the school. Even when people disagree, they come together because of our shared mission. Thats what makes this opportunity worthwhile to me and I am thrilled to lead Candler forward. Undergraduate students from across the U.S. arrived in Atlanta for the summer to begin a 12-month mentorship in infectious diseases (ID) research. The INfectious Diseases Summer Program Integrating Research at Emory (INSPIRE) began May 28 with six students spending 10 weeks on campus to meet and work alongside their Emory faculty mentors. After the summer in-person time ends, participants return to their own institutions but continue to receive mentorship from Emory faculty throughout the cohorts term. Students may also continue the research they began at Emory by analyzing their work, writing it up for publication in journals and/or presenting at scientific conferences. INSPIRE focuses on providing opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds to explore a career in ID research, including a pathway to further education. The success of a summer 2023 pilot resulted in a grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to principal investigators Michael Chung, Anita Corbett and Zanthia Wiley that is focused on preparing 48 undergraduate students for careers in ID research over five years. The pilot was supported by many Emory stakeholders who collectively made the grant award and experience for these students and their mentors possible. INSPIRE was a catalyst in my journey to becoming a physician, says Yasha Joseph, an Emory anthropology and human biology undergraduate student who participated in the 2023 pilot program. She was paired with Wiley last year and researched long-COVID care, particularly what demographics made up the small percentage of participants who did not follow up to health appointments and why. This enabled me to combine my passions for social sciences and natural sciences, as I love understanding how diversity and inclusion, patient advocacy and social determinants of health can impact how infectious diseases spread, Joseph says. I can say with confidence that infectious diseases is now one of my top specialties of interest. Each student in the cohort is assigned a research mentor for their infectious diseases work. They also are assigned an identity mentor, an Emory faculty member who may share similar race, ethnicity, life experiences and/or background to the student, and who can help them navigate challenges they may face or share opportunities from their own professional experiences. One of the biggest highlights of INSPIRE was the mentorship, adds Joseph. It was great to connect with and learn from Dr. Nadine Harris, an infectious diseases physician who is Caribbean, like me, and shared so much invaluable insight into her experiences. In addition to the research program, INSPIRE enabled Joseph to shadow different health care professionals and conduct community outreach at an Atlanta YMCA. She went on to present her research at the national American Federation for Medical Research conference in October 2023 and the Georgia CTSA (Southeast Regional Clinical and Translational Science Conference) in February 2024. 2024 INSPIRE summer cohort begins The five-year NIAID grant is administered by TREE at Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) and supported by the Laney Graduate School Summer Opportunity for Graduate Research (LGS-SOAR) and the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory School of Medicine. Each year, a new cohort of undergraduate trainees will spend the summer conducting ID research at Emory University, followed by career mentorship and guidance on applying to graduate school. In addition, workshops will be implemented in collaboration with the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) at the University of Wisconsin to help faculty mentors learn how to more effectively teach students from diverse backgrounds. INSPIRE will not only provide valuable research experience for underrepresented undergraduates but help us learn how to become better mentors in the process, says Chung, who serves as director of TREE. In such a virtuous cycle, we hope to create a more conducive and inclusive research environment that better represents the communities we serve. The 2024 INSPIRE participants are a diverse group from across the United States. Brandon Artis, North Carolina A&T University Research mentor: Cheryl Day, associate professor, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University Department of Microbiology and Immunology Identity mentor: Zanthia Wiley, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Nkemka Chukwumerije, Wesleyan University Research mentor: Anandi Sheth, professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Identity mentor: Igho Ofotokun, professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Bella Grace Parker, Stetson University Research mentor: Marcin Grabowicz, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Identity mentor: Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Daelyn Pena, Columbia University Research mentor: Sohail Khoshnevis, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry Identity mentor: Paulina Rebolledo, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Taylor Richardson, Spelman College Research mentor: Stephanie Pouch, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Identity mentor: Melody Palmore, associate professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Angel Santos, University of Puerto Rico Research mentor: Gonzalo Vasquez Prokopec, associate professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Winship Distinguished Research Professor in Environmental Sciences Identity mentor: Annelys Roque Gardner, assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases For more information about INSPIRE, contact TREE4Health@emory.edu. This is the first of two articles from Gallups latest global research on how the world is feeling. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The worlds overall emotional health was in a better state last year, according to Gallups latest annual update on the negative and positive experiences that people have daily. Negative emotions fell for the first time since 2014, with experiences of stress, sadness, anger, worry and physical pain each taking a downturn. As a result, Gallups Negative Experience Index fell two points from the previous year to 31, the level it was at in 2019 before the pandemic. ###Embeddable### As it does every year, Gallup asked adults in 142 countries and areas in 2023 if they had five different negative experiences on the day before the survey -- and then compiled the results into an index. Higher scores on the Negative Experience Index indicate that more of the population is experiencing these negative emotions, and lower scores show the opposite. While this drop is a positive sign for policymakers on the heels of the well-documented rise in global unhappiness, the good news comes with a caveat: The index and each of its components remain higher than they were a decade ago. Further, not all countries -- particularly those at war, such as Israel -- enjoyed these improvements. With a score of 47 on the Negative Experience Index, Israel, surveyed two weeks after the Hamas attacks, vaulted onto the list of countries with the highest scores in the world on this index. Stress Levels Ease Globally Stress declined the most among the five negative emotions, falling three percentage points in 2023 to 37%. Stress was down from levels seen during the pandemic but well above where it was a decade ago (33%) and the years before that. Worldwide, stress was still present everywhere, although to varying degrees. Reported stress was above 60% in Northern Cyprus (65%) and Israel (62%) and lower than 10% in Kyrgyzstan (8%). ###Embeddable### After the signing of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan led the world in declining stress levels -- dropping from 40% to 14% in the span of a year. Other countries saw double-digit declines, including Afghanistan and Gambia (each down 15 points), China (12 points and accounting for much of the global decline) and Eswatini (11 points). Israel led the world in increased stress, with levels soaring 38 points to a new record high for the country. Other countries also saw double-digit increases, including Latvia (17 points), Kuwait (14 points) and Egypt (13 points). Positive Emotions Complete Their Rebound Globally, positive emotions also returned to their pre-pandemic levels in 2023, completing the rebound that started in 2022. The global Positive Experience Index score in 2023 -- 71 -- matches the previous high in the years leading up to the pandemic and even in its first year. ###Embeddable### The index is based on people's responses to five questions about positive experiences they had the day before the survey. Higher scores indicate that more of the population reported experiencing these emotions, and lower scores indicate the opposite. Last year, three of the five emotions were stable compared with the previous year. Over seven in 10 people worldwide said they felt well-rested (71%), experienced a lot of enjoyment (73%), or smiled or laughed a lot (73%). Two emotions changed direction. Just shy of nine in 10 felt treated with respect (85%), down two percentage points from the previous year. The percentage who learned or did something interesting the previous day increased to a record-high 54%, up four points from the year before. More of the World Learned Something in 2023 For almost two decades, the percentage of people worldwide who said they learned or did something interesting the previous day has seldom topped 50%. That changed in 2023. A host of countries saw double-digit increases on this measure in 2023, including India (12 points), Iceland (11 points), and Greece and China (10-point increases). Indias and Chinas increases account for much of the change at the global level because of their large population sizes. The 59% of Chinese adults and 52% of Indian adults who said in 2023 that they learned or did something interesting are among the highest levels in Gallups trends for these two countries. Still, residents in China and India were not the most likely worldwide to say they had these experiences. Senegalese ranked No. 1 on this measure, with 79% in 2023 saying they learned or did something interesting, similar to the 77% who said so in 2022. ###Embeddable### Not all people were as lucky. Afghans and Bangladeshis were among the least likely in the world to say they learned or did something interesting, with 17% in each country saying they felt this way the previous day -- statistically unchanged from the 15% who said so in each country the previous year. Implications While the worlds emotional health improved in 2023, its still too soon for policymakers to relax. Although positive emotions are up and negative emotions are down, the world continues to have a wellbeing problem. Negative emotions remain higher than they were a decade ago. Read the full report. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on X @Gallup. For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details. Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works. ###Embeddable### SIUs Center for English as a Second Language celebrates 60 years by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. For 60 years, Southern Illinois University Carbondales Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) the third oldest intensive English program on a university campus has helped an estimated 30,000 international students from about 100 countries acclimate to the region and prepare to earn their degrees. Lilia Angel-Post, CESL assistant director, said that only about 15% of U.S. universities have an intensive English program, and about half are accredited. CESL averages about 100 students from around 20 countries per semester. CESL helps bring the world to our Southern Illinois community, she said. This allows members of our community the opportunity to interact with people from countries they might never get the chance to visit. In addition, these international students and scholars value who we are as they chose our university and our town over the thousands of options available to them. These interactions between the local and global community are an enriching experience for all. Media availability Journalists are welcome to cover SIUs Center for English as a Second Languages 60th anniversary celebration on Thursday, June 27, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Morris Librarys John C. Guyon Auditorium. The invitation-only event will feature a living library with CESL students talking to community members, a mini-cultural show and international cuisine. Speakers include Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey; Joddy Murray, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and more. To arrange for interviews with students and officials, contact William Hellriegel, CESL director, at 618-453-6538 or william.hellriegel@siu.edu, or Lilia Angel-Post, CESL assistant director, at 618-453-6470 or langel@siu.edu. CESLs offerings include: An eight-week intensive English program curriculum that is academic preparation-focused and prepares students rigorously for success in undergraduate and graduate degree programs. An innovative community engagement program that benefits local residents and organizations, as well as international students. A large amount of international English teacher training. CESL can customize programs to make a large variety of language needs, Angel-Post said. She added that CESL has contributed to campus diversity for six decades and prioritizes engagement through immersion, which includes students actively attending campus and community events. We provide prompt and excellent service, keep costs as low as possible, and are innovative and flexible in our programming, said William Hellriegel, CESL director, noting the programs prestigious reputation. CESLs history began in 1964 when a private language training firm opened an intensive English institute on campus. SIU took over operations in 1966. Large language models such as ChaptGPT have proven to be able to produce remarkably intelligent results, but the energy and monetary costs associated with running these massive algorithms is sky high. It costs $700,000 per day in energy costs to run ChatGPT 3.5, according to recent estimates, and leaves behind a massive carbon footprint in the process.In a new preprint paper , researchers from UC Santa Cruz show that it is possible to eliminate the most computationally expensive element of running large language models, called matrix multiplication, while maintaining performance. In getting rid of matrix multiplication and running their algorithm on custom hardware, the researchers found that they could power a billion-parameter-scale language model on just 13 watts, about equal to the energy of powering a lightbulb and more than 50 times more efficient than typical hardware.Even with a slimmed-down algorithm and much less energy consumption, the new, open source model achieves the same performance as state-of-the-art models like Metas Llama.We got the same performance at way less cost all we had to do was fundamentally change how neural networks work, said Jason Eshraghian, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Baskin School of Engineering and the papers lead author. Then we took it a step further and built custom hardware.Until now, all modern neural networks, the algorithms that power large language models, have used a technique called matrix multiplication. In large language models, words are represented as numbers that are then organized into matrices. Matrices are multiplied by each other to produce language, performing operations that weigh the importance of particular words or highlight relationships between words in a sentence or sentences in a paragraph. Larger scale language models have trillions of these numbers.Neural networks, in a way, are glorified matrix multiplication machines, Eshraghian said. The larger your matrix, the more things your neural network can learn.For the algorithms to be able to multiply matrices together, the matrices need to be stored somewhere, and then fetched when it comes time to compute. This is solved by storing the matrices on hundreds of physically-separated graphics processing units (GPUs), which are specialized circuits designed to quickly carry out computations on very large datasets, designed by the likes of hardware giant Nvidia. To multiply numbers from matrices on different GPUs, data must be moved around, a process which creates most of the neural networks costs in terms of time and energy.The researchers came up with a strategy to avoid using matrix multiplication using two main techniques. The first is a method to force all the numbers within the matrices to be ternary, meaning they can take one of three values: negative one, zero, or positive one. This allows the computation to be reduced to summing numbers rather than multiplying.From a computer science perspective the two algorithms can be coded the exact same way, but the way Eshraghians teams method works eliminates a ton of cost on the hardware side.From a circuit designer standpoint, you don't need the overhead of multiplication, which carries a whole heap of cost, Eshraghian said.This strategy was inspired by a paper produced by Microsoft that showed it was possible to use ternary numbers in neural networks, but did not go as far as to get rid of matrix multiplication, or open-sourcing their model to the public. To do this, the researchers adjusted the strategy of how the matrices communicate with each other.Instead of multiplying every single number in one matrix with every single number in the other matrix, as is typical, the researchers devised a strategy to produce the same mathematical results. In this approach, the matrices are overlaid and only the most important operations are performed.Its quite light compared to matrix multiplication, said Rui-Jie Zhu, the papers first author and a graduate student in Eshraghians group. We replaced the expensive operation with cheaper operations.Although they reduced the number of operations, the researchers were able to maintain the performance of the neural network by introducing time-based computation in the training of the model. This enables the network to have a memory of the important information it processes, enhancing performance. This technique paid off the researchers compared their model to Metas state-of-the-art algorithm called Llama, and were able to achieve the same performance, even at a scale of billions of model parameters.The researchers designed their neural network to operate on GPUs, as they have become ubiquitous in the AI industry, allowing the teams software to be readily accessible and useful to anyone who might want to use it.On standard GPUs, the researchers saw that their neural network achieved about 10 times less memory consumption and operated about 25 percent faster than other models. Reducing the amount of memory needed to run a powerful large language model could provide a path forward to enabling the algorithms to run at full capacity on devices with smaller memory like smartphones.Nvidia, the dominant producer of GPUs worldwide, designs their hardware to be highly optimized to perform matrix multiplication, which has enabled them to dominate the industry and launched them to be one of the most profitable companies in the world. However, this hardware is not fully optimized for ternary operations.To push the energy savings even further, the team collaborated with Assistant Professor Dustin Richmond and Lecturer Ethan Sifferman in the Baskin Engineering Computer Science and Engineering department to create custom hardware. Over three weeks, the team created a prototype of their hardware on a highly-customizable circuit called a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This hardware enables them to take full advantage of all the energy-saving features they programmed into the neural network.With this custom hardware, the model surpasses human-readable throughput, meaning it produces words faster than the rate a human reads, on just 13 watts of power. Using GPUs would require about 700 watts of power, meaning that the custom hardware achieved more than 50 times the efficiency of GPUs.With further development, the researchers believe they can further optimize the technology for even more energy efficiency.These numbers are already really solid, but it is very easy to make them much better, Eshraghian said. If were able to do this within 13 watts, just imagine what we could do with a whole data center worth of compute power. Weve got all these resources, but lets use them effectively. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa asked why did Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) "committed suicide" by deciding to merge with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) following the February 8 elections, Geo News reported. CJP Isa''s remarks came during a hearing of the petition filed by the SIC, which is an ally of the PTI, against the Peshawar High Court''s (PHC) verdict denying reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies. A full court 13-member bench, headed by CJP Isa, also comprised of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan. "Why did the independent candidates leave PTI when it is a political party? Why did you commit suicide by joining another party which goes against your arguments?" asked the chief justice. The CJP said that had the independent candidates stayed with the PTI, there would have been no problem today. Following today''s proceedings, the Supreme Court said PTI leader Kanwal Shuzab''s counsel Salman Akram Raja and SIC counsel Faisal Siddiqui have completed their arguments in the case. Notably, the PTI-backed independent candidates who emerged victorious in the February 8 elections had joined the SIC in a bid to claim seats reserved for minorities and women, Geo News reported. However, this did not help the Imran Khan-founded party as the election commission did not allocate reserved seats to the SIC, citing its failure to submit its list of candidates. PTI had then approached the Peshawar High Court on the said issue wherein the court upheld the electoral body''s decision. Earlier in April, SIC chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, along with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker, moved the SC seeking setting aside of the PHC verdict and the allocation of 67 women and 11 minority seats in the assemblies. In May, a three-member SC bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah, suspended the PHC verdict. It then referred the matter to the judges'' committee for the formation of a larger bench since the matter required constitutional interpretation. The Election Commission of Pakistan, last week submitted its response to the apex court, saying the SIC does not qualify for reserved seats as the political party doesn''t allow non-Muslims to be a part of it, as reported by Geo News. The ECP informed the top court that the reserved seats cannot be allotted to the SIC as the party did not submit the list of candidates before the January 24 deadline. (ANI) Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing on Monday, expressing China's readiness to enhance the alignment of development strategies with Poland. Li said that since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Poland in 2016, exchanges and cooperation in various fields have achieved leapfrog development, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. China is willing to work with Poland to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, further carry forward traditional friendship, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and push for greater development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said. He said China stands ready to strengthen the docking of development strategies with Poland, take high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the guide to promote the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation, foster optimized and balanced development of bilateral trade, achieve more efficient and smooth connectivity, expand cooperation in emerging fields like new energy, digital economy and artificial intelligence, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. China welcomes more quality Polish products to enter the Chinese market and hopes that Poland will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Li said, adding that the two sides should strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation on youth and education and continue to enhance mutual understanding and friendship. It is hoped that the European Union will view China's development in an objective and rational way, honor its commitment to support free trade, create a fair and non-discriminatory market environment for China-EU economic and trade cooperation, and promote the steady and healthy development of China-EU relations, he added. Duda said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, Poland and China have always adhered to mutual respect, and bilateral relations have withstood the test of changing international situation and maintained a strong momentum of development. Poland attaches great importance to relations with China, firmly abides by the one-China principle and supports the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, Duda said, adding that Poland is willing to provide an equal and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises and work with China to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on economy, trade and culture to push bilateral relations to a new level. He said Poland supports the development of EU-China relations and is willing to play a positive role in strengthening EU-China cooperation. PNN New Delhi [India], June 25: Indian PR Distribution (IPRD), a leading innovator in the public relations and communications industry, has been awarded the prestigious MAA Gold Award for Technology and Innovation Marketing at the 2024 CMO's Charcha Kolkata Chapter Summit. This recognition, presented by esteemed marketing publication Adgully, highlights IPRD's groundbreaking approach to public relations, which combines data-driven strategies with cutting-edge technology. The award ceremony, held at The LaLiT Great Eastern, Kolkata, saw industry leaders gather to celebrate excellence in marketing and communications. IPRD's founder and chief strategist, Saikat Marik, accepted the award on behalf of the company. "This MAA Gold Award is a testament to our team's relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in PR," said Marik. "At IPRD, we've always believed in the power of technology to transform communication strategies. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our industry." IPRD has distinguished itself in the competitive Indian PR landscape by offering a comprehensive suite of services, including: - Brand Awareness - Personal Branding - Thought-leadership Positioning - Communications Strategy - Brand Consultancy - Curated PR Services - Online Reputation Management (ORM) - Crisis Management - Strategic Communication - Press Release Distribution - Content Marketing - Holistic Search Engine Optimization The agency's unique blend of creativity and data-driven insights has propelled it to the forefront of the industry, attracting a diverse clientele ranging from startups to multinational corporations. "Transparency and client trust are at the core of our operations," Marik emphasized. "We believe that combining innovative technology with clear, open communication is key to delivering campaigns that not only reach but truly resonate with target audiences." The MAA Gold Award at the CMO's Charcha Summit is seen as a significant endorsement of IPRD's strategy and methodologies. As the PR industry continues to evolve, Indian PR Distribution aka IPRD remains committed to pioneering new approaches while adhering to its core values of transparency, affordability, and client-centricity. IPRD's Social Media Pages: Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@IndianPRDistribution Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/indianprdistribution Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/indianprdistribution/ Linkedin Page: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-indian-pr-distribution X (formerly twitter) Page: https://twitter.com/IndianPRDistri1 About Indian PR Distribution Indian PR Distribution (IPRD) is India's leading PR agency, renowned for its expertise in public relations, press release distribution, media relations, reputation management, brand awareness campaigns and strategic communications. With a robust network that includes journalists, bloggers, and media outlets across the globe, IPRD excels in delivering comprehensive PR solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of its clients. From drafting compelling press releases to securing national and international media placements, IPRD's seasoned team leverages advanced technology and data-driven insights while remaining result-focused to enhance brand visibility through media engagement. Committed to transparency and client-centric strategies, IPRD strives to undertake campaigns that not only reach but resonate with the target audience while providing quantifiable success and impactful results. For details, visit the official website at: https://indianprdistribution.comEmail at: info@indianprdistribution.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) BusinessWire India Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], June 25: Ashoka Innovators for the Public (India), which supports the country's largest network of social entrepreneurs and young changemakers, has started accepting applications from India for the 2024 edition of their Young Changemakers cohort. The application deadline for this year's cycle is on 30th, June, 2024. Teen Changemakers (12-20 years of age) from across India working on impactful social ideas are eligible for the program. The Ashoka Young Changemakers Programme focuses on the role of young people as influencers and co-leaders in helping different stakeholders in the society to become changemakers for the good of society. After initial rounds, A reputed selection panel will be involved in the final selection of these inspiring young changemakers. These bright young sparks are the representatives of Ashoka's network, which aim of realizing a world where Everyone is a Changemaker. The selected young changemakers will be exposed to a global platform where they shall be given access to co-leadership boot camps, partnerships, public speaking platforms, exposure visits, strategic allies and more opportunities to groom themselves to be the influencers of youth culture in India. Yashveer Singh, Co-founder & Global Director, Ashoka Young Changemakers, says "Ashoka Young Changemakers are role models for their entire generation. They are not only bringing much needed change around them but also helping others start on their changemaker journey. Indian Youth have the huge opportunity to demonstrate to the world how to build a society where every young person unleash their changemaker potential." Notably, Alumni of the prestigious Ashoka Young Changemakers program have been recognised as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia, Diana Awardees, and have received further incubation, scholarship and funding support from other global platforms. For more information on Ashoka, please visit www.ashoka.org. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: Hettich India is proud to announce that it has been honored with two prestigious awards at the Madhya Pradesh Leadership Awards 2024. The company received accolades for "Organization with Innovative HR Practices" and "CHRO of the Year - 2024." For nearly 136 years, Hettich's ethos of 'investing in people is investing in future' has been the cornerstone of its legacy. This philosophy has been instrumental in building a strong foundation and continues to propel the company's success for generations to come. Over the past few years, Hettich has diligently pursued a path of cultural transformation, fostering a culture of innovation within the organization. These accolades bear testimony to Hettich's commitment to its values of determination, forward-thinking, sincerity, and mutual support. "We are honored to be recognized by the World HRD Congress for our efforts. These awards reflect our dedication to creating a supportive and future-ready workplace for our employees," said Mr. Andre Eckholt, Managing Director of Hettich India. Groundbreaking HR Initiatives: 'Akademie' and 'My Daughter My Pride' Hettich recently announced two major initiatives: the "Akademie" program and the "My Daughter My Pride" initiative. Akademie is an exclusive post-graduate management program tailored for ambitious professionals as part of Hettich's learning and development initiative, designed to foster growth and prepare the team for future challenges. Developed in collaboration with Symbiosis Institute, Akademie features a diverse curriculum tailored to meet the evolving needs of the company and the industry. Through Akademie, Hettich is not just accelerating careers but shaping future leaders. My Daughter My Pride initiative provides financial support by directly crediting a substantial amount into the Sukanya Samriddhi funds of a girl child whose parents are Hettich employees. This initiative aims to encourage a culture of savings and long-term financial planning for the education and well-being of girl children within the Hettich family. Moreover, Hettich is actively working to increase female representation within its factory workforce, challenging industry stereotypes and demonstrating its dedication to diversity and inclusion. "We believe that this program not only supports our employees but also sets a precedent for broader societal change, highlighting the importance of investing in the education and future of girl children," added Mr. Amit Prasad, CHRO at Hettich India. Hettich remains committed to empowering its employees and fostering an inclusive environment. These initiatives and recognitions underscore the company's dedication to innovative HR practices, leadership, and employee centricity. About Hettich: Hettich is a 136-year-old family-owned German lifestyle brand, being one of the world's largest manufacturers of Furniture Fittings with a global turnover exceeding 1.5 billion euros. In India, Hettich started operations at the dawn of the new millennium and within a short span of time gained an undisputed leadership position in the Indian furniture fittings and hardware industry. It is also the recipient of 'Best Brands 2022 & 2023' by the Economic Times and the 'Most Trusted Brands of India 2023 & 2024' by Marksmen Daily recognitions for its unwavering customer trust and strong brand equity. Hettich's product portfolio comprises a repertoire of Furniture Fittings & Door Hardware made with cutting-edge German quality complemented by Wire Products, Aluminum Profiles, Shelving Systems, Built-in Appliances and Furniture Lights, thereby providing holistic fitting solutions for all residential and commercial spaces. For more information, please contact:Samina Zaidisamina.zaidi@hettich.com+91-86557 06940 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446282/Hettich_Award.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2437651/4760229/Hettich_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], June 25: In today's fast-paced world, finding a gift that truly shows appreciation toward your dad's sacrifices for the comfort of his family can be challenging. An air conditioner is not just a gift of comfort, but a testament to your care and thoughtfulness. It ensures that your dad stays cool and comfortable during the hottest months of the year, providing a haven of relaxation at home. We have shortlisted Hitachi's top 5 air conditioners with a combination of innovative technology, energy efficiency, and user-friendly features making them the ideal choice to celebrate this Fatherhood Awareness Month. Additionally, all these ACs have a 5-year comprehensive warranty, including gas charging. 1. Hitachi Yoshi 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split AC The Hitachi Yoshi 1.5 Ton is a 5-Star AC with advanced features and magnificent colling efficiency. It contains a 4-way wing for uniform colling even in large spaces, the ice Clean feature powered by FrostWash technology, allows easy wet-cleaning of the indoor unit coil at the press of a button. Xpandable+ technology is another exceptional feature that automatically adjusts the compressor's RPM to maintain the desired temperature regardless of external conditions. Key Features: * ice Clean powered by FrostWash Technology * Xpandable+ * Long air throw * Hexa Sensor Other Features: * 100% Inner Grooved Copper Tube * SuperSlit Fins * Anti-Corrosive Coating 2. Hitachi iZen 1.5 Ton 3 Star Split AC The Hitachi iZen 1.5 Ton 3 Star AC combines sleek design with cutting-edge technology. It features the advanced ice Clean feature that allows you to wet-clean the indoor unit (IDU) coil eliminating the bacteria, dust & mold on the coil. Its Xpandable+ technology ensures comfortable & efficient cooling indoors regardless of the temperature outdoors. The Long Air Throw ensures that every corner of the room is evenly cooled. The Ambiance Light highlights. the temperature within the room by displaying a specific colour light making it easier for you to know the aura of the room. Key Features: * ice Clean powered by FrostWash Technology * Xpandable+ * Long air throw * Ambience Light Other Features: * 100% Inner Grooved Copper Tube * Anti-Corrosive Coating 3. Hitachi Senpai 1.5 Ton 3 Star Split AC The Hitachi Senpai 1.5 Ton 3 Star AC is a top pick from the Hitachi cooling & Heating airHome series, designed to blend indoors & outdoors effortlessly. It is known for its durability and superior design. Its UV Protection keeps the unit's pristine white colour intact even during harsh weather. The 24m Long Air Throw ensures comprehensive cooling to every corner of the room. The AC is equipped with innovative features like Auto Coil Dry, Silent Air, and a Tropical Design, making it highly efficient and environmentally friendly. Key Features: * Long air throw * My Mode * Ambience Light * Silent air * Odour-free air Other Features: * 100% Inner Grooved Copper Tube * SuperSlit Fins * Xpanded Voltage Surge Protection * Anti-Corrosive Coating 4. Hitachi Yoshi 1 Ton 5 Star Xpandable+ Inverter Split AC The Hitachi Yoshi 1 Ton 5 Star AC is perfect for smaller rooms, offering efficient cooling with a stylish design. Its ice Clean function ensures clean air circulation, but eradicates dust, bacteria & mold from the indoor unit coil, while the Xpandable+ feature adapts the cooling performance based on indoor and outdoor conditions. The Long Air Throw ensures even cooling, making this unit a great addition to any room. Key Features: * ice Clean powered by FrostWash Technology * Xpandable+ * Long air throw * Ambience Light * Hexa Sensor Other Features: * 100% Inner Grooved Copper Tube * SuperSlit Fins * Xpanded Voltage Surge Protection * Anti-Corrosive Coating 5. Hitachi iZen 2 Ton 3 Star Xpandable+ Inverter Split AC The Hitachi iZen 2 Ton 3 Star AC is designed to deliver robust cooling for larger spaces. It features the ice Clean function for maintaining the indoor unit's efficiency by allowing you to wet-clean the indoor unit (IDU) coil with the press of a button, Xpandable+ technology offers comfortable & efficient cooling despite the weather outdoors, and Long Air Throw provides uniform air distribution. The sleek design with a dual gold colour strip adds a touch of sophistication to your home decor. Key Features: * ice Clean powered by FrostWash Technology * Xpandable+ * Long air throw * Ambience Light * Hexa Sensor Other Features: * 100% Inner Grooved Copper Tube * SuperSlit Fins * Green Refrigerant * Anti-Corrosive Coating These top-rated Hitachi ACs will not only help beat the heat but also enhance the indoor air quality, ensuring a healthy living environment for the father figure in your life. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) During a strategic business trip to Japan, MB Patil, the Karnataka minister for large, medium industries, and infrastructure development, met with representatives of international companies as part of its ongoing effort to attract investments to the state. The delegation was focused on attracting investments to Karnataka and fostering a strong business environment for India. The meeting that took place on June 24, focused on exploring potential collaborations and strategic investments in Karnataka, emphasising the importance of leveraging companies' expertise and innovation to drive economic growth and development in the region, as per a release issued by the state government's arm, Invest Karnataka. "The Japan tour undertaken with the aim of increasing capital investment in the state has continued successfully. Talks with Mr. Ryo Ryota Waza, Director of Daiki Axis, led to a significant milestone. Daiki Axis, globally recognised for its environmental equipment and wastewater solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Karnataka. A state-of-the-art STP and waste water management equipment manufacturing unit will be set up in the state. Land selection in Doddaballapur and Tumkur is also under review. Invited to GIM 2025, Invest Karnataka in February 2025," MB Patil posted on X. The talks also emphasised ways to improve digital solutions, infrastructure, and sustainability programmes, reaffirming a common dedication to promoting interests that align and cultivating long-term relationships, it added. Patil, while inviting Nissin Foods to the Global Investors Meet, suggested Bangalore as a hub for the company's expansion. He expressed interest in Nissin's plans, offering support through food parks in Dharwad and Bijapur, which emphasise the complete food processing value chain and are in proximity to Maharashtra. Patil engaged in a business discussion with key representatives from Hitachi, including Bharat Kaushal, Managing Director of Hitachi India, among others. Hitachi showcased its long-lasting and efficient engineering products, some of which have been functioning for over 50 years. Additionally, the company discussed the potential of quantum computing for improving energy efficiency and their joint venture with the Indian government on cybersecurity. During the discussions, the representatives of Nissan Motor focused on potential collaborations and the expansion of Nissan's electric vehicle initiatives in Karnataka. Patil also emphasised Karnataka's strong R&D ecosystem, which includes a robust network of Japanese companies and a commitment to sustainability, presenting opportunities for Nissan in both manufacturing and design. (ANI) India PR Distribution Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: Magenta Mobility, an integrated electric mobility solutions provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Arnab Saha as its Chief of Staff, to spearhead the company's strategic growth and investments. Arnab joins Magenta with an impressive background and brings over 13 years of diverse experience spanning energy, telecom, and automotive industries. As Magenta charts its course for further growth, Arnab will drive strategy and fundraising for the company and build a top-notch team that is focused on driving long-term growth. Arnab holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and has held key roles at prominent organizations including Reliance Industries Limited and Sterlite Technologies Limited. His expertise encompasses strategic management, growth initiatives, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, and alliances across India, South East Asia, and Europe. Arnab has consistently delivered impactful strategic initiatives and fostered high-performance teams throughout his career. At Magenta Mobility, Arnab will play a pivotal role in driving the company's strategic direction, with a strong focus on advancing decarbonization efforts in the transportation sector. His deep commitment to environmental sustainability aligns perfectly with Magenta's mission to lead the electric mobility revolution, particularly in the commercial vehicles segment. Given the significant environmental impact of commercial vehicles, Arnab's leadership will be instrumental in accelerating Magenta's growth trajectory and solidifying its position as a leader in electric mobility solutions. Maxson Lewis, Founder & CEO of Magenta Mobility, expressed his thoughts by stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Arnab Saha to Magenta Mobility as Chief of Staff. Arnab's extensive experience and strategic acumen will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and expand our footprint in the electric commercial vehicles market. His proven track record in driving growth and leading transformative initiatives make him an ideal leader to spearhead our strategic efforts and cultivate a high-performance organizational culture. In this role, Arnab will oversee strategic planning, fundraising activities and work closely with the executive team to achieve Magenta's ambitious growth plans and further enhance its market leadership in sustainable transportation solutions." Arnab Saha, Chief of Staff at Magenta Mobility, said, "I am excited to join Magenta Mobility at this pivotal moment in the company's journey. Magenta's commitment to decarbonization and its innovative approach to electric mobility presents a compelling opportunity towards reducing carbon emissions in India's transportation landscape. As the company continues to accelerate its mission to revolutionize the commercial vehicle industry through sustainable and innovative mobility solutions, I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Magenta to drive long-term growth and deliver value to our stakeholders." Magenta Mobility is firmly committed to India's decarbonization goals. The company aims to deploy 10,000 electric vehicles by September 2025 as part of its ambitious goal of 'Ab Ki Baar Dus Hazaar' program. To date, Magenta Mobility's fleet of over 2,000 vehicles have traveled 16 million clean kilometers across 17 cities and managed to keep 430 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Magenta Mobility continues to lead the way in safe, smart, and sustainable logistics solutions across the country. About Magenta Mobility: Magenta Mobility is a leading end-to-end integrated E-Mobility solutions provider. The company is committed to the vision of "Decarbonizing Logistics" by providing safe, smart, and sustainable delivery solutions across the country. They are building India's safest and smartest electric mobility ecosystem. Currently, they have a fleet of over 2,000 electric vehicles spread across 17 cities in India, serving clients in the e-commerce, grocery, FMCG, food, and pharmaceuticals industries for their mid and last-mile deliveries. Under the campaign 'Ab Ki Baar Dus Hazaar,' Magenta targets to have 10,000 cargo vehicles operating under its portfolio. Furthermore, they have their own Electric Fleet Management System, making them an excellent partner for businesses looking to achieve practical portability goals in decarbonization. For more information, please visit www.magentamobility.com. Media Contact for Magenta Mobility: Jayna Parikh jayna.parikh@magentamobility.com Prem Jadhav prem.jadhav@magentamobility.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 25: Imagine a royal gala evening set in a majestic mansion adorned with intricate carvings and ornate archways, setting the stage for an evening of opulence and sophistication. The leading lady, a vision of timeless beauty, descends the grand staircase with grace and poise adorning a breathtaking statement necklace from Raniwala 1881's new collection. Raniwala 1881's latest collection of exquisite Polki jewellery takes centre stage, unveiling their Pre-Fall 2024 Collection - "A Royal Evening Soiree." The collection showcases Raniwala 1881's leading ladies, whether brides or bridesmaids, adorned in shades of azure and gold, radiating an aura of understated elegance with every graceful movement. Adorning her neckline is a breath-taking statement necklace from Raniwala 1881's new collection, its intricate design reminiscent of twinkling crystal chandeliers. Each delicate petal is adorned with shimmering Polki diamonds, catching the light with every step she takes. Paired with matching earrings and a stack of slim bangles, the jewellery adds a touch of regal splendour to her ensemble, elevating her cocktail look to new heights of sophistication. Open-setting Polki jewellery combines modern contemporary styles with a forward-thinking, fresh design vocabulary. The unique colour palette captures the majestic hues of a surreal summer sunset, integrating gemstones like morganites, Russian emeralds, pearls, and rubies. This approach underpins the versatile use of these gemstones, enhancing the jewellery's allure and sophistication. Abhishek Raniwala, Co-founder and Creative Director of Raniwala 1881, describes the Raniwala bride and bridesmaid as strong, young women who take pride in their roots and values. "This collection," he says, "has been crafted with love for the contemporary bridesmaid who appreciates modern heirlooms." Explore the collection and experience the regal splendour ensemble https://www.instagram.com/raniwala1881/ . Address: Raniwala 1881, 1, Hawa Sadak, Geejgarh Vihar Colony, Bais Godam, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302006 About Raniwala 1881: Raniwala 1881's illustrious history began with Rai Bahadur Champalal of Beawar, the great-great-grandfather of Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala - the current generation behind the brand. Raniwala 1881, the purveyor of crafted Flat-Cut Diamond (polki), is based out of Jaipur. Their pieces hold within them a history of Indian royalty, with patterns, motifs and compositions inspired by the heritage of Rajasthan which shines through the signature polki jewellery, timeless and lustrous like the desert sun. As custodians of traditional jewels, Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala showcase treasured collections. Artisanal techniques, finest gemstones and intricate settings coalesce to form award-winning jewellery that combines the old and the new. The gems echo the imperial history of the land and the rich promise of a brand that embraces time and has evolved with it. Specialists in polki-crafted jewellery, the Raniwala family continues to create award-winning pieces with the finest gemstones using traditional, artisanal techniques. For several years, Raniwala 1881 remains the leading name behind most Ethno-Contemporary polki collections, endorsed by India's leading jewellers. Having successfully carved a niche in the jewellery trade, Raniwala 1881 will now directly cater to its bespoke clientele with collections ranging from delicate, everyday polki jewellery to traditional bridal wear through its atelier in Jaipur. Connect with Raniwala 1881: Raniwala 1881 - raniwala1881.com Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447230/Pre_Fall_raniwala.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi highlighted the need for international collaboration and the adoption of advanced technologies for the further development of the sugar industry at a workshop titled 'Sugar and Biofuels - Emerging Vistas,' held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Tuesday. India is hosting a global event in the sugar sector, the 'ISO Council Meeting,' in New Delhi from June 25th to 27th. Delegates from over 30 countries and representatives from various international organizations are participating to discuss critical issues in the sugar and biofuel sectors. During the event, Union Minister Joshi said, "It is a matter of great pride for all of us that the 64th Council Meeting of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) is being organized in India this time. I am confident that this meeting will prove to be a milestone in taking the sugar sector to new heights of progress through collaboration and innovation among ISO member countries." He also highlighted the importance of sugarcane for the biofuel industry, noting that India has achieved almost 10 per cent ethanol blending, which is boosting renewable energy in the country. "Sugarcane serves as the key crop in the biofuel sector. India's strides in the biofuel industry are positively impacting both economic growth and agricultural prosperity. By utilizing biofuels, we are creating new opportunities for farmers in addition to boosting renewable energy. Today, we have surpassed the 10 per cent mark in ethanol blending. Looking ahead, biofuels will continue to drive India towards Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) and a sustainable future," Joshi said. Sanjeev Kapoor, Secretary of Food and Public Distribution, also expressed optimism about surpassing expected sugar production figures for 2024-25. He noted significant progress in ethanol blending, which increased from 1.4 per cent in 2013-14 to over 15 per cent recently, with a goal of 20 per cent blending by 2025-26. The initial monsoon in Western and Southern India has been promising, raising hopes for a good crop in the upcoming season. Kapoor reassured that India would meet its domestic sugar consumption needs and support ethanol production. He emphasized the government's priority on ethanol production and blending and noted that the overall blending for the 2023-24 Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) is higher than last year. As the world's largest consumer and second-largest producer of sugar, India has been nominated as the Chair of the ISO for 2024. As part of the meeting agenda, India has organized several events, including an industrial tour for international delegates. On Monday, delegates visited a grain-based distillery in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, to observe India's adoption of state-of-the-art technology in the production of biofuels and other by-products. (ANI) PNN Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], June 25: As one of the premier American brands, Admiral is proud of its legacy and heritage of 90 years as it celebrates '9 decades of Excellence' this year. Admiral with its renowned expertise in Appliances and Electronics is pleased to make its foray into the Indian market in association with Flipkart. Flipkart's service arm, Jeeves, will support the After Sales Service for the Admiral product range. Vishal Saxena, Chief Executive Officer for MEA & South Asia region, stated, "Admiral is proud and delighted about its collaboration with the wholesale arm of Flipkart. India being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Admiral is focused on capturing market share aggressively in various product categories." He further added that in the first phase, Admiral and Flipkart will introduce a wide range of products including LED TVs, Air conditioners, Refrigerators and Washing Machines to the discerning consumers of India. Vishal Saxena further added that Admiral has plans to introduce multiple product categories in the second phase that will further strengthen Admiral's presence in India. Kunal Gupta, Vice President, Large Appliances at Flipkart, said, "As they foray into the Indian market, Flipkart is pleased to be one of the partners for Admiral America Corporation Pvt Ltd. Combining the varied range of Admiral America's products and our strong footprint in the Indian market, we believe this will add significant value to the shopping experience of consumers and create an impactful journey ahead." Admiral Range will go live on Flipkart tentatively by the end of June 2024 About Admiral America Corporation Admiral Corporation Inc. is best known worldwide for its home appliances and electronics. The company was originally known as the Transformer Corporation of America and by 1929 it was the biggest supplier of radio parts in the world. The Great Depression of 1929 took its toll and Ross D Siragusa, our founder, was forced to declare bankruptcy. Later in 1934 he purchased the "Admiral" trademark which went on to officially become Admiral Corporation America Inc., in 1936. Admiral's global operations started in 1946 with the opening of its factory in Toronto - Canada with subsequent regions entities in Mexico, Italy, Taiwan and India. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) As part of pre-budget consultations, Union Finance Minister and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a meeting with representatives of trade and services to take suggestions for the upcoming General Budget 2024-25 in New Delhi, today. During the meeting, the industry representatives conveyed their suggestions to the finance minister, ranging from exports and the need to enhance R&D, Interest Equalisation Scheme, ease of doing business, and issue of employment, among others. Ashwini Kumar, President, of FIEO, demanded greater government support for R&D to support exports. He said, "Exports require R&D and innovation and therefore, the fiscal support to R&D should go up. We are looking into 250 to 300 per cent tax under Section 35 (2AB) of the Income Tax Act." FIEO other demands include the development of an Indian Shipping line, extension of the Interest Subvention Scheme for additional five years, and the subvention rate increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent for MSME manufacturers and from 2 per cent to 3 per cent for others. The exporters body also asked for marketing support from the government, adding that the Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme is grossly inadequate. Speaking on behalf of NASSCOM, Ashish Aggarwal, Head of Public Policy made suggestions on ease of doing business. He asked the Finance Minister to enhance ease of doing business to facilitate the service sector exports. NASSCOM also asked for a review of the safe harbour regime from the government. It pointed out the need to make more investments in deep tech startups and encourage foreign domiciled Startups to listen to India's needs. Brij Bhushan Agarwal, VP, of Indian Chambers of Commerce, asked for creating jobs through Made in India initiatives of the government. He asked for the development of additional R&D centre for the need of the new economy and new products. Another big concern of the industry was Chinese dumping in the Indian markets. Ajay Sardana, President &Head, Petchem Industry Affairs, Reliance Industries and Chairman, Petrochemicals Committee of Indian Chamber of Commerce, pointed out at Chinese dumping after Covid-19. He said, "We requested the Finance Minister to evaluate on the tariffs India is putting on China. There is a need to review it so that the domestic capacity can get increased." Other prominent industry leaders who attended the pre-budget meeting with finance minister include Parminder Singh Kakaria, Head Corporate Affairs, Wipro, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, and Ashwini Kumar, President, FIEO. FM Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union budget for 2024-25 in the third week of July. Sitharman had presented an interim budget on February 1 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She has so far presented six budgets in a row and will create a record when she presents the full-fledged budget for the new term of the BJP-led Union government. (ANI) Flash China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it will extend its visa-free policy to New Zealand, Australia, and Poland. On the same day, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that from July 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025, citizens of these countries with ordinary passports will be allowed to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit. Individuals from the aforementioned countries who do not meet the visa exemption criteria are still required to obtain a Chinese visa prior to entry, Mao added. "At the same time, it is hoped that relevant countries could provide Chinese nationals with more visa conveniences," said the spokesperson. SMPL New Delhi [India], June 25: Doon School Srinagar was honored with the "Award for Transformative Education Excellence" at Mind Mingle's Indo-Norway International Education Summit and Awards 2024, held in Stortinget, Norway, on June 5, 2024. This recognition celebrates the school's outstanding contributions to education, particularly under the leadership of its Chairman, Showkat Hussain Khan. The summit, which gathered global leaders to celebrate innovations in education, featured keynote speeches by notable figures such as Chief Guest Himanshu Gulati, Member of Parliament, Kingdom of Norway. Guests of Honor Ole Jacob Johansen, Minister of State for Akershus, and Dr Acquino Vimal, Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway, also praised the awardees for their significant contributions. Showkat Hussain Khan's initiatives in Kashmir, including promoting girls' education and fostering peace through sports, were highlighted for their profound impact. With an MSc in Physics, Khan has earned numerous accolades, including the 2022 Award for Excellence from the Government of Mauritius. His visionary leadership at Doon School has set new educational benchmarks and inspired institutions across the region. In his acceptance speech, Showkat Hussain Khan expressed gratitude, emphasizing Doon School's commitment to excellence and inclusivity in education. He stated, "Everybody is a genius; it depends on the individual how one looks at it," reflecting his dedication to uncovering and nurturing each student's potential. The summit underscored the importance of global collaboration and innovation in shaping the future of education worldwide. Doon School continues to expand its influence, striving to become a global institution that transforms lives through education and leaves a legacy of learning that transcends borders. The Indo-Norway Education Summit was organized by Mind Mingle, an organization dedicated to the professional development of educators and schools since 2014. A highlight of the summit was the felicitation of 25 schools with the "Award for Transformative Education Excellence." These awards recognized schools for their invaluable contributions to the education sector, showcasing exemplary practices and innovative approaches that have significantly impacted student learning and development. For more information, please visit: http://www.mindmingle.org (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: Lifelong Online, one of India's leading e-commerce brands for consumer goods, is thrilled to announce a significant expansion of its product lineup with the introduction of the latest in portable technology: the Power Bank and Wireless Charger. These new offerings underscore the company's unwavering commitment to delivering state-of-the-art technology solutions that address the ever-evolving needs of its customers. In today's fast-paced world, where connectivity and mobility are crucial, the Lifelong Online Power Bank stands out by providing unparalleled power availability on the go. This product boasts a high-capacity battery and fast-charging capabilities, ensuring that devices are quickly and efficiently charged. Additionally, its support for multiple cables and sleek design makes it a versatile and stylish companion for any tech-savvy individual. Whether you're traveling, commuting, or simply navigating a busy day, the Power Bank is designed to keep your devices powered up and ready for use. Power banks start from Rs1,299, available at both Flipkart.com and Amazon.in. Sanjeev Ranjan, Category Head (Electronics) at Lifelong Online Retail Pvt. Ltd, expressed his enthusiasm about the launch, stating, "We are excited to bring these innovative products to our customers. The Power Bank and Wireless Charger reflect our dedication to enhancing user experience through advanced technology. These products are designed to meet the demands of today's fast-paced lifestyle, ensuring that our customers stay connected wherever they are." Complementing the Power Bank, the Lifelong Online Wireless Charger introduces a new era of convenience. By leveraging efficient and safe wireless technology, this charger eliminates the need for multiple cables, offering a streamlined and clutter-free charging experience. Its design seamlessly integrates into various environments, whether at home, in the office, or while traveling. This innovative charger ensures that users can maintain their productivity and connectivity without the hassle of tangled wires. Wireless Chargers start from 2799, available at Amazon.in. The introduction of these cutting-edge products marks a significant milestone for Lifelong Online as it continues to expand its portfolio and enhance its reputation as a leader in the e-commerce space. By prioritizing innovation and user-centric design, Lifelong Online reaffirms its commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of modern consumers and maintaining its position at the forefront of technological advancement. About Lifelong Online Lifelong Online is one of India's leading e-commerce brands for consumer goods. Inspired by consumers, our products are developed keeping the modern Indian consumer's lifestyle at the core of the design. As we reimagine everyday living, our products strongly resonate with our consumers, establishing our strong presence across multiple categories, starting from Home & Kitchen, Lifestyle, Fitness, Healthcare, and extending to Smartwatches. At Lifelong Online, we run the complete e-commerce flywheel, with a technology backbone that secures customer feedback across multiple touch points, demonstrating effective marketing and communication campaigns, managing a diverse multi-country factory base, a pan-India customer service network, and robust capabilities of e-commerce fulfillment at multiple locations across India. Lifelong Online was founded by Atul Raheja, Varun Grover, and Bharat Kalia in 2015. For further media queries, please contact: Sonia Kulkarni | Hunk Golden and Media 9820184099 | sonia.kulkarni@hunkgolden.in (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) NewsVoir New Delhi [India], June 25: Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused NGO, released an in-depth assessment report today showcasing the transformative impact of Smile Train's cleft care interventions across the country in a twenty-year period. Compiling data collected by consulting firm KPMG. The report deployed three research methodologies to get a holistic view of the social impact of Smile Train's programs supporting cleft care over a period of two decades. The report also highlights the USD 16 Billion impact created in India through Smile Train's investment in cleft treatment since 2000. Since 2000, Smile Train has supported more than Seven Lakh cleft surgeries across India. The key findings from the study reinforce that Smile Train's program in India is aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national priorities. It demonstrates the positive impact of Smile Train's support in improving access to cleft treatment, enhancing hospital infrastructure, and positively influencing patients' quality of life. All respondents indicated that Smile Train India's support was crucial in addressing the challenges faced by individuals with clefts and their families. * 70% of parents stated that they lacked financial resources to access cleft treatment without a Smile Train's support. * 100% of parents stated that the Smile Train helped reduce financial burden and improved access to cleft treatment. * 100% of parents acknowledged that information on cleft and its treatment helped them understand their child's condition. * Awareness created by Smile Train helped parents change the perception of their family members towards cleft. * Parents' stress and tension reduced considerably after interacting with qualified doctors who treated their children. * 79% of parents reported that cleft treatment received via smile train has greatly benefited their child. * 60% of individuals with clefts had difficulty eating certain foods and drinking liquids before cleft surgery. * After treatment, 83% of individuals with clefts reported no difficulty in facial functions like eating and drinking. * 77.6% partner doctors agreed that the number of individuals seeking cleft treatment increased after support provided by Smile Train. * 96% doctors interviewed highlighted effective outreach created by Smile Train India to cater to individuals with clefts belonging to remote areas. * 100% doctors agreed that the hospital staff is adequate in numbers to treat the increased number of individuals with clefts. The doctors interviewed on average conduct 278 cleft surgeries in a year. * 82% of doctors surveyed confirmed that they have received training from Smile Train India. On average, the doctors spent 20-25 days a year in training related to cleft treatment. This helped to enhance their knowledge and expertise in cleft treatment. Susannah Schaefer, Executive Vice Chair, President & CEO of Smile Train, stated, "As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Smile Train's founding as a global nonprofit, I want to take a moment to reflect on two-and-a-half decades of remarkable achievements. Since inception, our goal has always been to provide comprehensive and sustainable cleft care. To commemorate this milestone, we commissioned two significant studies: an Economic Impact Study to analyze our work's impact on the global economy, and the India-specific Quality of Life and Impact Report to understand how our support has impacted the lives of individuals with clefts and their families. The findings underscore the importance of our work and the need to continue expanding our reach to underserved communities as well as create a sustainable cleft infrastructure with critical partnerships and training." Speaking at the occasion, Mamta Carroll, Senior Vice President, and Regional Director - Asia, Smile Train said, "We are immensely proud to present Smile Train India's "Quality of Life and Impact Report," which encapsulates 20 years of our transformative work and its profound impact on the lives of countless individuals, including the medical community. This report marks a significant milestone in our unwavering commitment to equitable cleft care across India. The findings highlight Smile Train's pivotal role in bridging gaps in cleft care, from improving medical infrastructure to supporting underserved communities." Cleft is a gap in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth (palate) and is a facial birth difference that affects one in 700 babies. An untreated cleft condition not only leads to facial differences in appearance, but health challenges related to eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking. Many children with clefts get bullied in schools and colleges and end up living in isolation. Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We offer a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. Since 2000, Smile Train India has supported more than 700,000 free cleft surgeries across India, through a network of 150+ partner hospitals. To learn more about how Smile Train India's sustainable approach, please visit smiletrainindia.org. For cleft treatment-related query or support, please call our toll-free helpline number: 1800 103 8301. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers in India, today hosted a workshop in Pune to familiarize hospitals on the benefits of enrolling on the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) platform. This initiative aligns with the General Insurance Council's directive to integrate hospitals with NHCX for a more streamlined healthcare claims process. The workshop brought together key stakeholders from the healthcare ecosystem, including representatives from the National Health Authority (NHA), the General Insurance Council (GIC), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), insurance industry peers, and Third Party Administrators (TPAs). In addition, the workshop saw participation from more than 200 attendees, including representatives from hospitals, other insurance companies, TPAs, and various technology platform IT companies that provide solutions to hospitals The National Health Authority (NHA), the architects of the NHCX platform, took the lead in presenting the platform's benefits for all stakeholders. Kiran Gopal Vaska, IAS, Director-IT & Policy at the NHA, presided over the presentations and actively addressed participant queries. The General Insurance Council (GIC) was well-represented by Inderjeet Singh, Secretary General, GI Council, and P. Sashidhar Nair, Consultant & Technical Advisor-Health, GI Council. Their presence underscored the GIC's commitment to driving NHCX adoption for the benefit of the entire insurance ecosystem. The three tech platform agencies--Claim Book, IHX, and Vitraya also presented their capabilities and offerings to support hospitals and insurance companies in the NHCX value chain. These senior officials and technical experts detailed the operational benefits and procedural ease of the platform, highlighting key advantages such as streamlined claim processing, faster settlements and enhanced transparency, which will benefit the customer immensely. Further improved data accuracy, enhanced data security will help reduce frauds, and benefit both hospitals and policyholders alike. Speaking on the announcement, Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Chairman of the General Insurance Council, said, "We are committed to the vision of a robust and efficient healthcare ecosystem that simplifies the healthcare claims process for both hospitals and policyholders. The NHCX platform plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal by facilitating the seamless exchange of health insurance claims data. This workshop aimed to familiarize hospitals with the platform's capabilities and functionalities and encourage them to actively participate. We believe widespread hospital enrollment will be instrumental in creating a more transparent and efficient healthcare claims process for all stakeholders, making healthcare access easier, and more convenient for our citizens." Bajaj Allianz General Insurance remains committed to fostering collaborations that enhance the health insurance ecosystem. This workshop serves as a significant step towards fostering wider adoption of the NHCX platform in Pune and across India. The successful execution of this workshop underscores our dedication to driving innovation and efficiency in health claim processes. The NHA and GIC, as drivers of the NHCX platform, noted that the hospital participant numbers were the highest in Pune, reflecting strong engagement during the workshop. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance stands as India's premier private general insurance company. It is a collaborative effort between Bajaj Finserv Limited, India's most diversified non-bank financial institution, and Allianz SE, the world's leading insurer and largest asset manager. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance provides a wide range of general insurance products, including motor insurance, home insurance, and health insurance, along with distinctive insurance offerings like coverage for pet insurance, weddings, events, cybersecurity, and the film industry. The company commenced its operations in 2001 and has consistently expanded its reach to be in close proximity to its customers. Presently, it maintains a presence in nearly 1,500 towns and cities across India. Notably, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance holds the issuer rating of [ICRA]AAA from ICRA Limited, signifying the highest level of assurance regarding the punctual fulfilment of financial commitments. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: "CREDAI-MCHI congratulates the government on its third term and anticipates more financial measures to strengthen the economy under the current administration. Mumbai, as a vital economic engine, must focus on comprehensive city development, including infrastructure improvements and future growth planning. Given that over 50 per cent of real estate projects in Mumbai are redevelopment projects, the government should consider levying no GST on redevelopment projects. This step would ensure safer, better, and more affordable housing for the citizens of Mumbai. To address the validated demand for 11.2 million houses, redefining affordable housing for metro cities like Mumbai is critical. A uniform affordable housing criterion for both metro and non-metro cities, without a price cap, should be established, with all houses of 60 sq m declared as affordable housing. Additionally, increasing tax exemptions on home loans and making the interest component on home loans tax-free under the relevant sections of the IT Act are crucial steps to make housing more accessible. We hope that the government formulates financial policies in a democratic manner, ensuring that the diverse needs of all stakeholders are addressed." CREDAI-MCHI CREDAI-MCHI is an apex body comprising members from the Real Estate Industry in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). With an impressive membership of over 1800+ leading developers in MMR, CREDAI-MCHI has extended its reach throughout the region, establishing units in various locations such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Virar, Raigad, Navi Mumbai, Palghar-Boisar, Bhiwandi, Uran-Dronagiri, Shahapur-Murbad, and most recently in Alibag, Karjat-Khalapur-Khopoli, and Pen. Being the only Government-recognized body for private sector developers in MMR, CREDAI-MCHI is dedicated to promoting the industry's organization and progress. As a part of CREDAI National, an apex body of 13000 developers across the nation, CREDAI-MCHI has emerged as a preferred platform for regional discussions on housing and habitat by establishing close and strong ties with the government. It is committed to breaking barriers to create a strong, organized, and progressive real estate sector in the MMR. The vision of CREDAI-MCHI is to empower the Real Estate fraternity of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as it preserves, protects, and advances the right to housing for all. To continue being a trusted ally, guiding their members, supporting the Government on policy advocacy, and assisting those they serve through the ever-evolving real estate fraternity. Website: https://mchi.net/ For further media queries, please contact: Sonia Kulkarni | 9820184099 sonia.kulkarni@hunkgolden.in (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut's much-awaited film 'Emergency' has finally got a new release date. Last month, Kangana announced the postponement of the movie due to her election campaign. The movie is all set to release on September 6. After her victory in the elections in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, the ace actor has announced the release date of her upcoming film with a new poster. Taking to her Instagram handle, she shared the poster of the film and wrote in the caption, "The Beginning of the 50th Year of Independent India's Darkest Chapter, Announcing #KanganaRanaut's #Emergency In Cinemas on 6th September 2024.The Explosive Saga of The Most Controversial Episode of The History of Indian Democracy, #EmergencyOn6Sept in cinemas worldwide." https://www.instagram.com/p/C8oBIgVyxYU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Talking about the film, Kangana said in a statement, "I am deeply inspired by William Shakespeare's Macbeth, essence of Emergency is the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints, it is undoubtedly the most sensational chapter of Indian democracy and I am eagerly awaiting its worldwide release on 6th September 2024." The makers earlier took to social media handle, where they shared an update with the fans about the postponement of film https://www.instagram.com/p/C6_W2t6RG-X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 'Emergency', a project helmed entirely by Kangana Ranaut, boasts a stellar cast including Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik in pivotal roles. Produced by Zee Studios and Manikarnika Films, the film is set against the backdrop of one of India's most tumultuous political periods, promises to be a portrayal of historical events. With screenplay and dialogues by Ritesh Shah and music orchestrated by Sanchit Balhara, 'Emergency' aims to captivate audiences with its portrayal of a significant chapter in India's political history. Talking about Kangana, she registered her first victory on a BJP ticket from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. She took oath as a member of Parliament on the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday. Ranaut defeated Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor and lifeguard Tamayo Perry has died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii, according to People. As per the outlet, Perry, a lifeguard for Ocean Safety for the City and County of Honolulu, was severely hurt while surfing off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. "A lifeguard loved by all," Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager said while paying tribute to Perry, who died at age 49. 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is an American fantasy supernatural swashbuckler film series produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and it is based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name. Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department revealed in a press conference that the police had responded to reports of a surfer being attacked near Malaekahana Beach on Oahu's North Shore. "As you can imagine, this is [an] extremely difficult time for all of us. I ask for your kindness and your patience as we all just try to get through this next hour into these next weeks and months," Enright said, confirming that Honolulu Ocean Safety had responded to the attack via jet ski, before bringing the victim to shore. Perry is knowm for working in movies like 2011's Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. He also had a role in 2002's Blue Crush, among other projects. During the conference, Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager said Perry was "a lifeguard loved by all." "He's well known on the North Shore. He's a professional surfer known worldwide," Lager added. "Tamayo's personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more," Lager continued, before asking for privacy for the family. "It's just a tragic loss," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said, adding, "Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected," reported People. (ANI) Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's '12th Fail' has been receiving much appreciation from the audience and the critics. Since its release, the movie has garnered attention not only in the country but also on an international platform. Recently, the film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival. The film starred Vikrant Massey in the lead roles and received a lot of appreciation from the audience. Expressing his excitement about the screening of the movie at the prestigious Shanghai International Film Festival, he shared, "My experience at the Shanghai International Film Festival was truly exceptional. I am grateful to the organisers for their warm hospitality. The energy inside the cinema hall, with a packed audience reacting to the film, was unforgettable." "Meeting Chinese fans who spoke Hindi was a delightful surprise. While I missed Vidhu Vinod Chopra, I am confident that our official release in China will give us more time to interact with the Chinese audiences. I believe '12th Fail' has tremendous potential for success here," he added in a statement. Vidhu Vinod Chopra bagged the Best Director award for his biopic drama film '12th Fail' at the 69th Filmfare Awards. '12th Fail' draws from the gritty struggles of millions of students who attempt the UPSC entrance exam. Vikrant won the Best Actor (Critics) award for his performance in the film '12th Fail' at the 69th Filmfare Awards. Also '12th Fail' bagged the Best Film award at the 69th Filmfare Awards. The film has also received appreciation from Kamal Haasan, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal, Rishabh Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Farhan Akhtar, and Anil Kapoor, among others.'12th Fail' was released in theatres on October 27. Vikrant is also receiving appreciation for his performance in the comedy-thriller 'Blackout'. Apart from this, Vikrant is also set to feature in 'The Sabarmati Report' alongside Raashii Khanna and Ridhi Dogra. In the film, Vikrant plays a vernacular journalist, Samar Kumar, who teams up with a fellow reporter portrayed by Raashii Khanna, and a senior anchor played by Ridhi Dogra. The film is helmed by Ranjan Chandel. Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Amul V Mohan and Anshul Mohan serve as the producers of the film. The film earlier scheduled to be released in May, will now be out in August 2024. (ANI) The duo, known for their impeccable style and endearing chemistry, recently treated fans to a glimpse of their latest outing together, termed affectionately by Alia as the "sunset club". https://www.instagram.com/p/C8o47jJv-pR/?img_index=1 In a series of Instagram posts, Alia Bhatt shared radiant photos alongside Ranbir Kapoor, where she effortlessly showcased her fashion prowess in a stunning Elie Saab creation. The dress, a sage green outfit, featured a corset top, a flowing silk drape, bohemian details, and intricate embroidery, perfectly complemented by a chic bun hairstyle and minimalist accessories. Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor looked dapper in a maroon-black tuxedo paired with a classic white shirt and a black bow tie, adding a playful twist with a matching black eye mask. Their picturesque appearance garnered immediate adoration from fans and followers alike, who flooded the comments section with compliments and expressions of awe. Earlier, on Father's Day, Alia delighted her followers with a heartwarming throwback picture featuring Ranbir Kapoor and their daughter Raha. The nostalgic snapshot, captured during a leisurely stroll in Italy, depicted Ranbir in casual attire, a white cap, green t-shirt, and white shorts, while Raha looked adorable in a yellow outfit. Alia accompanied the image with a simple yet emotive caption, sparking a wave of affectionate responses across social media platforms. The couple, who exchanged vows in April 2022 and welcomed their first child in November of the same year, continues to charm audiences both on and off-screen. On the work front, Ranbir Kapoor received acclaim for his role in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Animal' and is set to star in its sequel 'Animal Park'. Alia Bhatt, last seen in 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', awaits the release of 'Jigra' and the highly anticipated 'Love and War', alongside Ranbir and Vicky Kaushal, under the direction of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. (ANI) Robert Eggers, the filmmaker behind 'The Witch' and 'The Lighthouse', has unleashed the first trailer for his highly anticipated horror epic 'Nosferatu', offering a chilling glimpse into his reinterpretation of Bram Stoker's classic tale of Dracula. Starring Bill Skarsgard in the iconic role of Count Orlok, also known as Nosferatu, the trailer sets a foreboding tone for the film. Joining Skarsgard are Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Willem Dafoe, forming a formidable cast poised to bring Eggers' dark vision to life. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Nosferatu' is described as a gothic tale of obsession, centred around a haunted young woman and the malevolent vampire who becomes infatuated with her, unleashing untold horrors in its wake. While the teaser trailer maintains the mystery of Nosferatu's appearance, Skarsgard, renowned for his portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in the 'It' films, immersed himself deeply into the role. In an interview obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed, "It was like conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me." Director Robert Eggers echoed Skarsgard's transformation, expressing concerns that the actor's profound portrayal might not receive due credit due to its immersive intensity. "Bill has so transformed, I'm fearful that he might not get the credit that he deserves because he's just ... he's not there," Eggers disclosed to Empire. Promising a return to old-school gothic horror with genuine scares, Eggers emphasized, "There hasn't been an old-school gothic movie that's actually scary in a while. And I think that the majority of audiences will find this one to be the case." 'Nosferatu' is positioned as a reinterpretation of the 1922 silent German expressionist masterpiece, maintaining Eggers' signature style of meticulous storytelling and atmospheric tension. Originally slated to feature Anya Taylor-Joy, Eggers' frequent collaborator from 'The Witch', the film was shot on location in the Czech Republic last year. Set to hit theatres on Christmas Day, December 25, 'Nosferatu' is poised to captivate audiences with its haunting narrative, eerie ambience, and Skarsgard's transformative performance. (ANI) Direct flights resume between Beijing, Prague Xinhua) 08:40, June 25, 2024 A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) PRAGUE, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. Noting at a ceremony held at the airport that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao expressed the hope that the renewed flight service will promote exchanges and interactions between the peoples of the two countries, as well as revitalizing bilateral tourism cooperation. Jiri Pos, chief executive officer of the Prague Airport, said, "We have trust in the potential of the market in both directions. Together with Hainan Airlines, we are building a bridge." The Czech tourism sector is "very much looking forward to getting a new wave of Chinese tourists coming to the Czech Republic," he added. Wen Rui'an, a Chinese student who was preparing to board the return flight to Beijing in the afternoon, said she had long been looking forward to the resumption of direct flights. "The return flight is faster, taking just over nine hours to reach Beijing," she said. "I also know some Czechs who are starting businesses or engaging in trade in China. The resumption of direct flights will bring convenience to their future travels as well," she added. Hainan Airlines is now offering three flights a week between Beijing and Prague, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. According to an official from HNA Aviation Group, with the successful resumption of this route, Hainan Airlines now has 11 destinations in Europe, with routes spanning Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe. A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines arrives at the Prague Airport, Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) Passengers from a Hainan Airlines plane are welcomed upon their arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The film, which began filming recently in Los Angeles, marks a return for original stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising their iconic roles, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, known for her work on 'Late Night', the sequel revisits the characters of Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) years after their unforgettable body-swap adventure. This time around, Anna is navigating life with a daughter of her own and soon-to-be stepdaughter, blending two families into one. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the film promises to explore the challenges and comedic mishaps that arise when lightning strikes twice. Joining Lohan and Curtis in the cast are familiar faces such as Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray, along with newcomers Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Additionally, several actors from the original 2003 film including Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao will reprise their roles, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter. Kristin Burr, Andrew Gunn, and Jamie Lee Curtis will serve as producers, with Lindsay Lohan joining as an executive producer alongside Nathan Kelly and Ann Marie Sanderlin. The sequel promises to bring back the heart and humour that made the original a box-office success, reportedly grossing USD 160 million globally with a significant portion of the domestic market. 'Freaky Friday' is not only a nostalgic return to the big screen for Lindsay Lohan but also marks her comeback to Hollywood filmmaking following a hiatus, during which she starred in successful Netflix romantic comedies. As production for the sequel commences, anticipation builds among fans eager to see how 'Freaky Friday' will blend its signature comedy with new family dynamics and modern-day challenges. With filming underway, audiences can look forward to reconnecting with the beloved characters and experiencing another hilarious and heartwarming adventure in 2025. (ANI) After a meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi, Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh on Monday said that the party will raise the Manipur issue in the Parliament. "We had a discussion over the Manipur issues and raising it in the Parliament. There have many incidents that took place in Manipur, that were discussed in the meeting," Singh told ANI. The Congress on Monday met the party leaders of Manipur and discussed ways to alleviate their pain. Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday criticised the central government over the Manipur issue. "This time, Manipur voted for compassion, peace and harmony. PM Modi's abject apathy towards the people of Manipur was resoundingly rejected. BJP's state Government is complicit in failing to prevent violence, even as tens of thousands of people still suffer the unending circle of turmoil," Kharge posted on X. On June 17, Union Home Minister Amit Shah did a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur in a high-level meeting here in the national capital and directed to ensure that "no further incident of violence takes place" in the northeastern state. In the one-hour-long meeting at his North Block office, the Home Minister stressed upon strategic deployment of the central forces to restore peace and tranquillity in Manipur. Shah mentioned in the meeting that the "forces will be increased if required", and directed that "strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence." The Home Minister directed the Chief Secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and their rehabilitation. He underscored the importance of a coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict.' He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide, at the earliest, adding "the Central government has been actively supporting the Manipur government in strengthening the security situation in the state." The northeastern state has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category. In fresh violence, several houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities were burned by unknown miscreants in Kotlen following the murder of a person earlier this month, the Manipur Police said. Around 600 people from Manipur's Jiribam area are now taking shelter in Assam's Cachar district following fresh violence reported in Manipur's Jiribam area. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday said that various key issues were discussed during his meeting with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Manohar Lal Khattar while highlighting that he demanded the setting up of Sainik schools in the State. Telangana CM said that the discussions also centered around 2492 acres of land provided by Telanagna government to the defence sector, but the state has not received the land that was promised by the Centre in return. "We met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on behalf of the Telangana government. We gave 2492 acres of land to the Defence, but we had not received the land that we were supposed to receive in return. We met the Defence Minister to talk about that. Every state has Sainik schools, but there is not even one in Telangana. We also demanded that," Reddy told reporters. "From Manohar Lal Khattar, we spoke about the riverfront, metro and houses under PM Awas Yojana," he added. Meanwhile, Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the Telangana government has requested for Gurukul school and many other things. "Regarding the defence we have requested that we need to have one Gurkul school... We requested the Defence Minister to consider our issue as a pre-resolution thing... The other was about 2000 plus acres of land around Hyderabad, which was the defense land that we requested for the development of Telangana... Regarding the meeting with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, we have two smart cities in Telangana other than Hyderabad. They are the major two-tier cities of Warangal and Karimnagar... The past government didn't procure the funds from the central government... We requested for the disbursement of teh funds quickly so that faster development can take place," Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said. Telangana CM was accompanied by Congress MPs from Telangana, Mallu Ravi, Raghurami Reddy, Balaram Naik, Suresh Shatkar, Raghuveer Reddy, Chamala Kiran Reddy, Kadyam Kavya, Gaddam Vamsi and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav during the meeting with the Defence Minister. On meeting with the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power Manohar Lal Khattar, the Telangana CM said, "With Manohar Lal Khattar, we spoke about the riverfront, metro and houses under PM Awas Yojana." Khattar also shared pictures of the meeting in a post on X with a caption that read, "Pleased to meet Chief Minister of Telangana, @revanth_anumula who paid a courtesy visit along with his delegation." (ANI) The Chief Minister reviewed the upcoming infrastructure upgradation work at the University premises, including the construction of new hostel blocks and the upgradation of the boundary wall, among other projects. The upcoming hostel blocks will be built at a cost of Rs 55 crore, and are planned to accommodate 350 students. However, the Assam Chief Minister has instructed PWD (B) to make necessary changes to ensure accommodation for 500 students. The Chief Minister also urged the VC to consult the University Executive Council before proceeding with the necessary works at the premises. The Assam Chief Minister also chaired a meeting with officials of the Education Department to discuss the fee waiver scheme under Pragyan Bharti. The Chief Minister sought details on the progress and beneficiaries of the scheme to date and instructed officials to ensure widespread awareness on the scheme so that all eligible beneficiaries can apply. Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma also instructed officials to accept NFSA certificates as income proof where Income certificates are not available to make the scheme hassle-free for all students. (ANI) Congress Jharkhand Incharge Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Monday after a meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi said that the party has decided the roadmap for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections. "Some states have been prioritised after the Lok Sabha elections... 26 senior party leaders come from Jharkhand. The interaction went on with Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal for more than 2 hours... The main focus was the upcoming assembly election in Jharkhand... We have decided the roadmap for the elections," Mir told reporters. Earlier, the Congress held a meeting with the senior leader of Jharkhand at the AICC Headquarters in the national capital. "An important meeting related to Jharkhand was held today at the AICC Headquarters in Delhi in the presence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal. Senior leaders of INC Jharkhand were present in this meeting," Congress posted on X. Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur said that the mantra for ensuring the victory was given by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal in the meeting "The discussion that usually takes place before the elections was done today... There are going to be elections in 3-4 states including Jharkhand... Mantra for ensuring the victory was given by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal," Thakur said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge after the meeting said that the party is dedicated to the rights of all sections of Jharkhand. "The Congress Party is fully dedicated to the rights of all sections of Jharkhand including water, forest, land and tribal society. By doing conspiratorial politics, the BJP has insulted the identity of Jharkhand. Every Congress worker has to remain among the public for the upcoming assembly elections. We are all committed to social justice and participation. Today we discussed the election strategy with the leaders of the Jharkhand Congress," Kharge posted on X. Along with Jharkhand, Haryana, Maharashtra will also undergo the Assembly elections this year. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress bagged two seats in the State, while its ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha secured three seats. The State's Opposition BJP along with its partner AJSU Party got nine of the total 14 seats. (ANI) Amid the row over NEET and UGC NET examinations, Nationalist Congress Party leader (Sharad Chandra Pawar faction) Rohit Pawar-led delegation held a meeting with Governor Ramesh Bais on Monday and demanded that the Maharashtra government enact a law similar to the one adopted by the Centre to curb paper leaks and irregularities. Furthermore, the MLA called the meeting a 'positive discussion' and informed that Governor has assured actions on those issues. Addressing the media, Rohit Pawar said, "We met the Governor, and several issues were discussed. We have tried many times to bring the law passed by the central government regarding paper leaks into the state. We have also raised the issue of the drug racket at Pune University." On the issue of paper-leak, Rohit Pawar said, "We have talked to governor about the issue of paper leaks. Earlier, Uttarakhand governor had taken measures concerning the paper-leaks and brought anti-paper leak laws. Similarly, we have pledged to the governor to take measures and bring anti-paper leak law to address this issue." Speaking about the discrepancies noticed at Savitribai Phule University, Rohit Pawar stated, "The state government is ignoring the issues of frequent paper leakages in the state and malpractices in the recruitment of vacancies in Savitribai Phule Pune University. If the government is neglecting, then one can go to the governor and ask for complaint. Accordingly, we met Ramesh Ji Bais Saheb and gave him a letter in this regard. The Governor also gave a positive response in this regard." He also urged the governor to shift his attention on the MIDC issue of his constituency and stated, "The issue of MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) was also mentioned and the governor was requested to handle the matter." Highlighting the issue of drug-racket at Pune University, he asserted, "We have requested the governor to pay attention to the issues of Savitribai Phule University. The consumption of drugs and alcohol among students have significantly increased in the university. Upon investigation, drugs worth thousands of crores can be found in Maharashtra." Concluding the address, he said, "Overall, it was a positive discussion and he has promised he will talk to the government on these issues." Earlier, on June 9, NCP-SCP leader Rohit Pawar said that Ajit Pawar has lost his utility to the Bharatiya Janata Party. "I think BJP wants to give them a message that they did not benefit from them (NCP) in the Lok Sabha. They thought that by favouring Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar's power will be curtailed. But that has proved wrong. People have supported Sharad Pawar and given him strength. So Ajit Pawar has lost his utility to the BJP," Rohit Pawar said speaking to ANI on Sunday. "In future, Ajit Pawar and his companions may have to fight elections under the BJP's symbol," he warned. Rohit Pawar even said that people who join hands with the BJP have got their "power" reduced. "Those who side with the BJP get their powers reduced and Ajit dada's power has reduced as well. People have also shown them that," Pawar said. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP won one seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Tuesday said that Delhi Minister Atishi has been admitted to hospital adding that the latter is not fighting for herself, she is fighting for the people of Delhi for water. Delhi Minister Atishi was admitted to the hospital after her health condition deteriorated as she was on an indefinite hunger strike against the Haryana government for not releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water thus creating a water crisis in the national capital. "Her blood sugar levels dropped to as low as 43. The doctors suggested she be admitted to the hospital before her condition worsens... She is being admitted to LNJP Hospital. She has not eaten anything for the last 5 days. Her sugar levels have dropped, ketone is increasing, and BP is decreasing... She is not fighting for herself, she was fighting for the people of Delhi, for water," Singh told ANI. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj informed that Delhi Minister Atishi's blood sugar level has fallen to 36 due to which the latter has been admitted to hospital. "Atishi's blood sugar level fell to 36, so she has been admitted to LNJP Hospital," Bharadwaj posted on X. Speaking to ANI, Bharadwaj said that doctors are checking her vitals and then doctors would give some suggestions. "Her blood sugar levels had been dropping from the night. When we submitted her blood sample, her sugar levels came out to be 46. When we checked her sugar levels from a portable machine, her sugar levels came out to be 36... Doctors are checking her vitals and only after that will they give suggestions," he said. Atishi has been admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital in the national capital in the early hours of Tuesday. Atishi's indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day on Tuesday. She said that Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water. According to the AAP press release, a health checkup done on the minister revealed that her blood pressure and sugar levels dropped drastically. The speed with which Atishi's blood sugar level and blood pressure have dropped has been described by doctors as dangerous, said AAP. Water Minister Atishi, who was on an indefinite hunger strike to ensure the water rights of 28 lakh Delhiites, has said that her indefinite hunger strike will continue till the Haryana government provides the water rights of Delhiites and till the gates of Hathnikund Barrage are not opened, said AAP. The AAP has alleged that the neighbouring state of Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water every day, which has severely affected the lives of 28 lakh people in Delhi, adding to the problem of water shortage. The issue of water shortage arose with the high temperatures and heat wave conditions in the national capital. The people of Delhi have been counting on water tankers to meet their daily water requirements. Amid soaring temperatures, these scenes have become a daily occurrence in many areas of the national capital since the start of the summer season this year. (ANI) As the death toll in the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district rose to 58 on Monday, 111 persons are undergoing treatment at Kallakurichi Government Medical College hospital, hospital authorities stated. At Puducherry 11 persons, in Salem district 30 persons, and in Villupuram district 4 persons are undergoing treatment at various government hospitals. In Royapetta Hospital Chennai one person is undergoing treatment. A total of 157 people were admitted at 5 government hospitals in the state. Out of the 58 people who lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor, 32 people passed away at Kallakurichi Medical Hospital, 19 persons died at Salem Medical College, 4 people passed away at Villupuram Medical College, and 3 people lost their lives at JIPMER, Pondicherry. Earlier, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader D Jayakumar hit out at DMK-led Tamil Nadu government over the hooch tragedy in the Kallakurichi district that claimed 58 lives. The AIADMK leader alleged that many top leaders were involved in the case which was the reason the state government did not transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "Why is the case not being transferred to CBI? They are scared that if the CBI investigates, many top leaders of the ruling government will be caught. They formed a one-man commission. What is the use of that? That is just for the sake of it. Such a commission will dilute the real issue," Jayakumar said. He further alleged that the DMK government failed to maintain law and order in the state. "Illicit liquor and drugs are very open in the state. This raises the question of whether the CM, who holds the Home Department, is there or not. The CM said that he wouldn't allow such tragedies when a similar tragedy happened last year in Villupuram and Chengalpattu. But what happened now?" he asked. He said that there is no proper medicine to treat patients who are affected by illicit liquor consumption. "If we had enough medicines, many lives could have been saved. This was raised by our leader Palaniswami and then the State Medical Department urgently procured medicines," he claimed. AIADMK held a protest in Chennai over the issue and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister MK Stalin. (ANI) Amidst the ongoing water crisis in the national capital of the country, residents continue to struggle to get water in the areas of Okhla and Mayur Vihar. Visuals from Tuesday morning showed residents of areas of Jatav Chowk and Mayur Vihar Phase I running behind tankers with buckets in their hands to get water for themselves and their families. Satnarayan, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase I said, "We have to get in line from 5 a.m. The authorities should send the tankers on time so that we can get water." Another resident, Samsher Alam, said, "Even though we stand in line from 5 in the morning, there is no guarantee that we will get water. There should be more water arrangements made by the government. Tankers only come once a day and to get water in that time is very difficult." Sheila, a resident of Jatav Chown, Okhla, said, "Around two to three water tankers come at 6 a.m., but it is very difficult to get water. The government has not been doing anything. The issue of the water crisis has been there for a very long time, we have no hope anymore." Seema, another resident, said, "In the beginning, the water that was supplied was still sufficient to survive. It used to come at least 3 to 4 times a day. However, there is no water left now. The government just makes false promises but does nothing." Meanwhile, amidst the water crisis, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi''s Water Minister, Atishi, who was on an indefinite hunger strike against the Haryana government for not releasing 100 million gallons of water (MGD) to Delhi, was admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital in the early morning hours today after her health deteriorated. She has been advised by the doctors to remain in the hospital because of her deteriorating health. As per a press release, Atishi''s blood pressure and sugar levels had dropped drastically. Atishi''s hunger strike had entered its fifth day on Tuesday. Atishi had also said that her indefinite strike would continue till the Haryana government fulfilled the water rights of the residents of Delhi and till the gates of the Hathnikund Barrage are not opened, as per AAP. The issue of the water crisis has been ongoing in Delhi for a very long time, leading to the people of Delhi counting on water tankers to fulfil their daily water requirements. (ANI) Having performed well in the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Congress is now gearing up to strike big in the upcoming state elections and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The MVA leadership has already agreed to contest these polls in alliance, and now some of the leaders in the Mumbai unit of the Congress want the party to make changes in the leadership structure to ensure victory. Currently, the Mumbai unit of the Congress is helmed by Varsha Gaikwad, who was recently elected to the Lok Sabha from Mumbai North East. With her elevation to the Lok Sabha, the Mumbai Congress has urged the party high command to make changes in the city unit. A senior Mumbai Congress leader said that they have collectively written a letter to party high command and have requested them to make necessary amendments to the party structure in view of the upcoming Assembly and BMC elections. The leader emphasised that they have not directly requested the party high command to change the Mumbai party chief, Varsha Gaikwad but they have written in their letter that the present Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) leadership is not taking leaders in Mumbai in confidence and they are not even being updated about the regular programmes of the MRCC. The leaders said in their letter that this lack of coordination may be very harmful in the upcoming assembly and BMC elections, and to form an MVA government in Maharashtra, a victory in Mumbai is an important precondition. On Tuesday, there is a meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi about the preparations for the Maharashtra assembly polls. Most of the signatories to the letter are already in Delhi to attend the meeting in the evening at 4 pm. The letter is signed by former MRCC presidents Bhai Jagtap, Janardan Chandurkar, Rajya Sabha MP and CWC member Chandrakant Handore, former minister Naseem Khan, Charan Singh Sapra, and others. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party core committee held a meeting at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's residence on June 22. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that in the meeting, the party analysed the entire Lok Sabha elections and the mistakes that were being made by the party in the elections. The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled to be held this year to elect 288 members of the state's legislative assembly. The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state. The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) got nine seats while the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar won eight seats. (ANI) With the deadline for the nomination to the post of Lok Sabha Speaker approaching, senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to Opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, sources have said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has also been reaching out to opposition leaders. If the Opposition INDIA bloc announces its candidate for the post, it will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. While the ruling alliance has not named its Speaker candidate, there is speculation that Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, may be nominated for the post. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab is also seen as a possible frontrunner. The nomination process will be held today and the elections will be held on June 26. Amid the row over the appointment of Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem speaker, INDIA bloc leaders on Monday carried out a protest holding copies of the Constitution inside the Parliament premises in the national capital. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi, and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge took part in the protest. The position of Deputy Speaker that remained vacant in the last term is traditionally given to the Opposition. Speaking on the issue Congress MP K Suresh said the BJP has not taken any initiative to reach a consensus on the position. "The Speaker should be elected unanimously...According to the tradition of the House, the Speaker is elected unanimously. The BJP is not discussing with the opposition, they have to take the initiative for consensus. Till now, they have not taken any initiative to reach consensus for the post of Speaker. If there is no election for the post of Speaker, then the Deputy Speaker will come to the opposition. The leaders of the INDIA alliance have already made their stand clear," K Suresh said. Earlier, the Revolutionary Socialist Party's Lok Sabha MP, NK Premachandran, said that the INDIA bloc will field candidates for the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker elections. "Definitely, we will contest the Speaker post as well as the Deputy Speaker post. Let the government come out with their opinion on whether they are going to discuss with the opposition parties so as to have a consensus on the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and then we will think of it. Otherwise, we will definitely contest," Premchandran told ANI . The BJP however, feels the opposition is just trying to disrupt proceedings as they do not have the numbers to ensure the speakers election BJP MP Khagen Murmu said, "...How will they make their own Speaker? When the Presidential election took place, they (the opposition) contested but it did not benefit them... Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for all the people, for the benefit of the country, so to stop that these people are doing all this in the House..." The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA. bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) The Delhi High Court is set to pronounce its order today on the Enforcement Directorate's plea for stay on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail, which was granted by a trial court in the liquor scam case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed written submissions before the Delhi High Court opposing any relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Excise Policy money laundering case. ED opposed the trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal and called the order illegal and perverse. ED submitted that the impugned order passed by trial court deserves to be stayed and set aside as a vacation judge has returned perverse findings in almost every paragraph of its order on both the facts and the law after admittedly not examining the material placed on record by the prosecution, ED told Delhi High Court. The investigative agency further stated that new material collected against Arvind Kejriwal post 2023 was not considered by vacation judge. Enforcement Directorate lists statements of 13 Angariyas, Goa AAP workers, and AAP office bearers as new statements. "Denial of ample opportunity to the Enforcement Directorate is a violation of one of the conditions of Section 45," said the ED to the Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned for June 26 the plea of Arvind Kejriwal challenging the order of the Delhi High Court granting interim stay on bail to him in the Delhi excise policy case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti observed that the decision of the High Court to grant an interim stay on Kejriwal's bail without passing a final order in the matter was "unusual.". "In stay matters, judgements are not reserved but passed on the spot. What has happened here is unusual. We will have it (case before it) the day after," the bench said. On June 21, the High Court ordered the grant of an interim stay on bail while reserving its order and asked both sides to file their written submissions until Monday. Kejriwal then filed an appeal in the top court against the High Court order. On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively reserve orders on the ED's application to stay the bail order, and it halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order. (ANI) BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda along with fellow party colleagues and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman among others on Tuesday took to social media to share their thoughts on the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Emergency in the country. The BJP said it will launch a nationwide programme to mark the 21-month state of Emergency imposed on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. PM Narendra Modi on Monday termed the day as a "dark chapter" or "dark spot" in Indian democracy which can't be forgotten. Lashing out at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today tweeted that it has a history of "murdering democracy". "The Emergency imposed in 1975 is its biggest example." The "arrogant autocratic" Congress, Shah said had suspended all rights of the citizens' for 21 months to stay in power. "They imposed censorship on the media, changed the Constitution and tied the hands of the court," he said. "I salute the struggle of countless satyagrahis, social workers, workers, farmers, youth and women who protested from Parliament to the streets against the Emergency," the Union Minister said. Rajnath Singh Singh wrote, "Exactly 49 years ago, the then Congress government imposed an Emergency in India. Emergency is a dark chapter in the history of our country's democracy which cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. The way the misuse of power and the open game of dictatorship was played during that time raises a big question mark on the commitment of many political parties towards democracy." "If democracy is still alive in this country today, the credit goes to those people who struggled to restore democracy, went to jail and had to undergo so much physical and mental torture. The coming generations of India will remember their struggle and their contribution in protecting democracy." Jaishankar took to social media platform X to write, "On the anniversary of the declaration of Emergency, recall the dark period for Indian democracy and the courage shown by those who resisted that challenge. The collective response of the nation defined our generation. It will remain a constant reminder of the need to keep working to protect, preserve and fight for our democracy." Party president JP Nadda in his post shared how the emergency shook the very pillars of the country's democracy and suppressed voices raised for safeguarding constitutional values. "June 25, 1975- this is the day the Congress Party's politically driven decision to impose a state of emergency shook the very pillars of our democracy and tried to trample over the Constitution given by Dr. Ambedkar. During this period, those who today claim to be guardians of Indian democracy left no effort to suppress voices raised in defence of constitutional values." "Today, we reflect on the sacrifices made by our great heroes who bravely stood as preservers of democracy during the #DarkDaysOfEmergency. I am proud that our Party belongs to that tradition which resisted the Emergency tooth and nail and worked to protect democracy," he added. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote on X that he honours those "who opposed the dictatorial Emergency and re-established democracy." Union Finance Minister cited a newspaper article to state, "Opposition leaders JP, L K Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Morarji Desai and...activists were put behind bars...period was...known for excesses such as forced mass sterilisation, censorship of the press, suspension of constitutional rights...." Yesterday, while addressing mediapersons outside the new Parliament building, PM Modi stated "Tomorrow is 25 June. 50 years ago on this day, a black spot was put on the Constitution. We will try to ensure that such a stain never comes to the country." PM Modi said that the new generation of India will never forget the day when the Constitution of India was completely rejected by suppressing democracy and the country was turned into a prison. He exhorted citizens to take the resolution to protect the democracy and democratic traditions of India so that such an event never arises again. The Prime Minister said, "We will take the resolution of a vibrant democracy and fulfill the dreams of the common people according to the Constitution of India." (ANI) With the deadline for nominations for the Speaker's position fast approaching, Congress MP K Suresh asserted that the Lok Sabha speaker should be elected unanimously. He also accused the BJP of not taking the initiative to reach a consensus over the issue. "The Speaker should be elected unanimously...According to the tradition of the House, the Speaker is elected unanimously. The BJP is not discussing with the opposition; they have to take the initiative for consensus. Till now, they have not taken any initiative for consensus for the post of Speaker. If there is no election for the post of Speaker, then the Deputy Speaker will come to the opposition. The leaders of the INDIA alliance have already made their stand clear." If the INDIA bloc announces its candidate for the post, it will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha speaker and deputy speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. Although the BJP leaders remained tight-lipped about their nominee for the post, there are speculations that Om Birla, the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, could also be in the race again. Meanwhile, senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, sources have said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has also been reaching out to opposition leaders. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) After senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh reached out to Opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had conveyed Rajnath Singh that opposition is ready to extend support to NDA's Speaker candidate, but the post of Deputy Speaker should be given to the opposition. Interacting with Media on Tuesday, Rahul said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker be given to opposition." Further, detailing about talks that happened between Rajnath Singh and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also alleged that Opposition leaders are getting "insulted". "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted," said Rahul Gandhi. If the Opposition INDIA bloc announces its candidate for the post, it will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday said that the indefinite strike called by Delhi Minister Atishi against the water crisis has been called off but they will continue to raise the issue in Parliament by mobilising the opposition parties. Addressing a press conference here today, Singh said, "Atishi has been on a hunger strike for 5 days. Her health was deteriorating. Doctors had been asking her to break the strike. Her health started worsening yesterday night. Her sugar level was 43. Her lowest sugar level was 36. Doctors suggested that she had to be admitted immediately; otherwise, she might lose her life. She was admitted to LNJP at 3:30-4 am in the ICU. She is still in the ICU. We are also writing to the PM to release Delhi's water. The indefinite hunger strike is being stopped but we will raise our voice in Parliament." He also mentioned that they will write a letter to the Prime Minister today and appeal to him to give Delhi its rightful share of water. "Today we are also writing a letter to the Prime Minister and appealing to him to give Delhi its rightful share of water. Our delegation also met the LG. The LG spoke to the Haryana CM at 4 pm on the same day and assured that Delhi will get water," Sanjay Singh said. Delhi Minister Atishi has been admitted to the hospital after her health condition deteriorated as she was on an indefinite hunger strike against the Haryana government for not releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water, thus creating a water crisis in the national capital. Atishi has been admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital in the national capital in the early hours of Tuesday. Earlier on June 22, Atishi started her indefinite hunger strike, protesting for Haryana to release Delhi water share. According to the AAP press release, a health checkup done on the minister revealed that her blood pressure and sugar levels dropped drastically. "The speed with which Atishi's blood sugar level and blood pressure have dropped has been described by doctors as dangerous," said AAP. The AAP has alleged that the neighbouring state of Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water every day, which has severely affected the lives of 28 lakh people in Delhi, adding to the problem of water shortage. The issue of water shortages arose with the high temperatures and heat waves in the national capital. The people of Delhi have been counting on water tankers to avail their daily requirements of water. (ANI) NDA candidate Om Birla and INDIA bloc''s Kodikunnil Suresh on Tuesday filed their nominations for the post of Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on Tuesday, forcing the first election for the post. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition but this time, after the INDIA bloc''s announcement, the election will take place. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. An agriculturist and social worker, the low-profile leader, Birla, has been active in politics from his student days and served as state unit president of the Bhartiya Yuva Morcha in 1991 and as vice-president at the national level. Birla was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from Kota, where he defeated Congress'' Ramnarain Meena by over 2.5 lakh votes. He was elected to the last Lok Sabha from the same seat. In the 16th Lok Sabha, Birla was a member of the Standing Committee on Energy in Parliament and member of Committee on Petitions and Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. NDA candidate Birla was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha. Birla''s name was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was supported by all major opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, and BJD. The YSRCP and TDP also supported Birla''s candidature. INDIA bloc candidate K Suresh is currently the longest-serving Lok Sabha MP, as he has remained MP for 29 years. Suresh was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, and thereafter, he won consecutively in the 1991, 1996, and 1999 general elections to the Lok Sabha from the Adoor constituency for four straight terms. Suresh, who won his eighth Lok Sabha election from Mavelikkara (Kerala) in the 2024 general elections, has represented the seat four times in the past. He is the working-president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and was the chief whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the 17th Lok Sabha. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had conveyed to Rajnath Singh that the opposition is ready to extend support to the NDA''s Speaker candidate, but the post of Deputy Speaker should be given to the opposition. Interacting with the media on Tuesday, Rahul said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their candidate for Speaker, but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker be given to the opposition." The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) Efforts by the BJP's top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to field 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJP's Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Birla was the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. This will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The elections for the post will be held on June 26. BJP MP Piyush Goyal said there was no precedent to suggest that the deputy speaker's post must go to the opposition, and the opposition was needlessly choosing a showdown. "They said first decide the name for Deputy Speaker then we will support the Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. A good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha." Earlier, senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh had been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had conveyed to Rajnath Singh that the opposition is ready to extend support to NDA's Speaker candidate, but the post of Deputy Speaker should be given to the opposition. Interacting with the media on Tuesday, Rahul said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their candidate for Speaker but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker be given to the opposition." Rahul also alleged that opposition leaders are getting "insulted." "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet. PM Modi is asking for cooperation from the opposition, but our leader is getting insulted," said Rahul Gandhi. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) After failing to build a consensus for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that when Rajnath Singh tried, the Congress put the condition of deciding the Deputy Speaker post first. Piyush Goyal said that his party condemned this type of politics. "After discussions with all the parties of the NDA, it was decided that Om Birla should be chosen as the speaker of the Lok Sabha. In the morning, Rajnath Singh ji wanted to discuss with Mallikarjun Kharge ji, but he was busy, so he said that Venugopal ji would talk to you. But after speaking with TR Baalu and KC Venugopal ji, the old mentality that we will dictate the terms was shown again that the condition is that first decide who will be the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and then support will be given for the Speaker, we condemn this type of politics," Goyal said. He further said that it is a good tradition that if the Lok Sabha had elected a Speaker unanimously and unopposed, then the dignity of the House would have been maintained and all the parties would have contributed as well. "Just like the Speaker belongs to the entire House and not to the ruling or opposition party, the Deputy Speaker also belongs to the entire House. It is not in keeping with the tradition of the Lok Sabha that the deputy speaker should be from a particular party," Piyush Goyal added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader, and I respect him. I have had a conversation with him three times since yesterday." Senior JDU leader and minister Lalan Singh said democracy does not work on conditions. "KC Venugopal and TR Balu had come. They spoke to the Defence Minister. The Defence Minister informed about the Lok Sabha Speaker candidate from the NDA side, and he asked for support. Venugopal said that the name of the deputy speaker should be accepted... The defence minister said that when that election comes, we will sit together and discuss... They were adamant on their condition. 'Sharton ke aadhar par wo loktantra chalana chahte hain, dabaav ki rajneeti karna chate hain... This does not work in a democracy," Lalan Singh said. Meanwhile, efforts by the BJP's top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to field 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJP's Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Birla was the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. This will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The elections for the post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) The mortal remains of CRPF jawan Vishnu R (35), who lost his life in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, were brought to his house in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Two jawans of the CRPF CoBRA 201 battalion lost their lives in an IED blast by Naxalites between Silger and Tekulagudem, under the limits of Jagargunda Police Station in Sukma district, on Sunday, June 23. The other jawan was identified as Shailendra (29), who hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. The security personnel were part of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 201 battalion. Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief on Sunday over the deaths of the two security personnel due to the IED blast carried out by Naxalites in Sukma district. The Chief Minister described the Naxal attack as a "cowardly act out of frustration" due to the ongoing Naxal eradication campaign in Bastar. In a post on X, the Chhattisgarh CM wrote, "Sad news is coming about the death of two CoBRA soldiers in the IED blast carried out by Naxalites in Tekalgudem of Sukma district. I pray to God for peace to the souls of the deceased soldiers and to provide strength to their families." "The Naxalites are frustrated with the ongoing Naxal eradication campaign in Bastar and are perpetrating such cowardly acts out of frustration. The martyrdom of the soldiers will not go in vain; we will not stay silent until Naxalism is eradicated," CM Sai wrote. The CoBRA battalion is a specialized force established to undertake operations of guerrilla and jungle warfare, specifically tailored for addressing the Maoist insurgency. According to officials, the incident occurred at 3 pm on Sunday, when these jawans were on Road Opening Duty from Camp Silger under the Jagargunda police station area to Camp Tekalgudem. The blast of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites claimed their lives. The IED was planted by Naxalites on the way from Camp Silger to Tekalgudem to harm security forces. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea of Congress' Ajay Rai challenging Allahabad High Court's order, which had refused to quash criminal proceedings going against him at Varanasi trial court under some sections of IPC and the Gangsters Act case registered in 2010. A vacation bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government, and one Bhanu Pratap Singh, on whose complaint FIR was registered in the case. Counsel of Rai, who contested from Varanasi seat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recently concluded election, sought a stay on the proceedings in the case, however, the bench refused to stay the proceedings. The bench has now posted the matter for hearing on July 15. On May 19, the High Court had dismissed the petition filed by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Rai who sought quashing of the case against him under the Gangster Act. The FIR in this case was registered on March 26, 2010, by Bhanu Pratap Singh at police station Chetganj, Varanasi against six persons, including Rai. The High Court had earlier refused to accept the compromise entered between the accused persons and the complainant on September 28, 2023. The High Court had said that the offence punishable under the Gangsters Act is an independent offence and it was not imposed at the instance of the complainant but it has been imposed by the State government to achieve the aim and object of the said Act. It had opined that there is no statutory basis to quash the proceedings under section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act and section 3(1) UP Gangsters Act even after compromise between the complainant and accused for the offence under IPC. (ANI) Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone V K Birdi took stock of the arrangements for the peaceful conduct of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra (SANJY-2024) during a meeting held at the Conference Hall of Police Control Room Kashmir, IGP Kashmir said in a press release. The meeting was attended by DIG Central Kashmir Range, DIG North Kashmir Range, DIG South Kashmir Range, all district SSsP of Kashmir Zone, SSP Traffic City, SSP Traffic Rural, SSP Security, SSP APCR, and SP Telecommunication. At the outset, the participating officers briefed the IGP Kashmir through a Point Presentation (PPT) of the security plan including the specific requirements of their respective districts & security arrangements put in place for the smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra-2024. While directing the officers, V K Birdi closely examined the SOPs formulated for coordinating security efforts and ensuring a unified approach in managing exigencies arising out of operational, natural, and manmade disasters. Emphasising the safe and secure movement of pilgrims, being the top priority, V K Birdi reviewed the deployment and operational readiness of the Road Opening Parties, stressing the need for vigilant patrolling and monitoring along highways. V K Birdi also instructed the officers to ensure robust night dominations to prevent any untoward incidents during the night. IGP Kashmir also reviewed the schedule and cutoff timings for the vehicle bound as well as foot yatra, which is crucial for maintaining a structured and secure flow of pilgrims along the designated routes. He also directed that mock drills be conducted based on SOPs to evaluate their effectiveness on the ground and identify areas for improvement. Besides, DIG SKR & DIG CKR were directed to assess the High-Density Counter Operation Plans in their respective zones to ensure comprehensive security coverage and timely response to potential threats. He stressed further strengthening the security grid and checking on anti-national elements (ANEs) & terrorist associates by generating actionable intelligence. IGP Kashmir urged all officers to remain vigilant and proactive in their duties, emphasizing the importance of coordination and timely response to any potential threats. He also directed the officers to ensure robust security measures at all camping sites by installing CCTV Cameras at all strategic locations. The IGP stressed to the officers the importance of ensuring adequate manpower at each yatra camp. The meeting concluded with the IGP expressing confidence in the capabilities of the police to provide a safe, smooth & secure environment for the yatra, ensuring that pilgrims can undertake their spiritual journey with great fervour & peace of mind. (ANI) Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that the Opposition was ready to unanimously support the NDA candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker position on the condition that it give a commitment on giving the post of the Deputy Speaker to them. The INDIA bloc announced Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker election. This was announced after Venugopal and DMK's TR Baalu met BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh. "We are still waiting; if they are ready to give us the Deputy Speaker post, we are ready to elect the NDA's candidate unanimously. Yesterday, PM Modi talked about the consensus for the smooth functioning of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We are ready to support the Speaker suggested by the government's side, provided they also honour the opposition. We have witnessed for the last few years that the Speakers will be from the government's side and the Deputy Speaker from the Opposition," Venugopal said. "When the UPA was in power, we gave the Deputy Speaker to the NDA for 10 years. The convention is so in the Lok Sabha that the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is given to the Opposition," Venugopal said Further, the Congress leader said that after discussing with Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajnath Singh didn't respond till 11 am on Tuesday morning. "Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge yesterday. Mallikarjun Kharge said we are happy to support your candidate but we want the post of Deputy Speaker to which Rajnath Singh told him that we will consult PM Modi and revert. Till 9 am in the morning, Rajnath ji didn't call. When Kharge ji called him he said that he will talk to the Prime Minister. We waited for the government's response till 11 am. Then I and TR Baalu were called into Rajnath Singh's office and was asked to sign to support their candidate. That is not the fair play," Venugopal said.Meanwhile, efforts by the BJP's top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to field 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJP's Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Birla was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. The elections for the post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) After the INDIA bloc nominated its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday that the Speaker is not for a party; it is for the functioning of the House, and it is disheartening that Congress has nominated one. "We had a conversation with all the floor leaders of the opposition regarding the post of speaker. The Speaker is not for a party, it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for Speaker. No election has ever taken place for the post of Speaker. Congress put this condition in place: if they get the post of Deputy Speaker, they will support our candidate for the Speaker's post. This give and take of posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right," Rijiju said. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi told ANI that the opposition is going to contest against them, although they have the numbers but this is against parliamentary traditions. "Today, we had to move the proposal for the post of Speaker. Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah had a conversation with the leaders of the opposition, but they had a pre-condition to support our candidate for Speaker. When they raised the issue of the post of Deputy Speaker, Rajnath Singh said he would have discussions again when the Deputy Speaker is decided. They (Opposition) are going to contest against us, although we have the numbers, but this is against the Parliamentary traditions," Joshi said. "I am making a request to the leaders of the opposition to rethink their decision and give support to electing the Speaker unanimously," he added. Union Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leader Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu slammed the opposition and said that democracy does not work on conditions. "It is not a good thing to keep conditions. Democracy does not work on conditions. And as far as the Speaker election is concerned, whatever should have been done by the NDA, they all did it. Specially Rajnath Singh ji, being a senior leader, reached out to everyone. He also reached out to the opposition and told them that we are proposing Om Birla ji's name, so your help is needed in this. So when it was their turn to help, they put up a condition that we would do it only if you give us this (Deputy Speaker post). There was never a convention to support Speaker on a conditional basis," Naidu said. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale told ANI, "In a democracy, they (INDIA Alliance) have the right to field their candidate, but we have a clear majority, we have more than a majority. The NDA candidate will win with a good number of votes." Meanwhile, efforts by the BJP's top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to field 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJP's Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Birla was the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. This will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The elections for the post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI) For the first time since independence, the Lok Sabha is set to see an election for the position of Speaker of the house. The election was forced after consensus evaded the government, which refused to back down on conceding the position of Deputy Speaker to the opposition. Following a break down in negotiations, the INDIA bloc fielded 8 term MP K Suresh as its candidate for the speaker's position. Suresh will face Om Birla, the BJP MP from Kota, and the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. The elections for the post will be held on June 26. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav blamed the BJP for forcing the contest by not yielding to the opposition demand of a deputy speaker. "Everything will be in front of us soon. The only demand of the opposition was that the deputy speaker should have been from the opposition," he said. The government has in turn accused the opposition of indulging in conditional politics and not maintaining the dignity of the house by forcing an election for the speaker's post. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "We had a conversation with all the floor leaders of the opposition regarding the post of the Speaker. The Speaker is not for a party, it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for Speaker. No election has ever taken place for the post of Speaker. Congress put this condition in place: if they get the post of Deputy Speaker, they will support our candidate for the Speaker's post. This give and take of posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right." Union Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leader Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said, "It is not a good thing to keep conditions. Democracy does not work on conditions. And as far as the Speaker election is concerned, whatever should have been done by the NDA, they all did it. Specially Rajnath Singh ji, being a senior leader, reached out to everyone. He also reached out to the opposition and told them that we are proposing Om Birla ji's name, so your help is needed in this. So when it was their turn to help, they put up a condition that we would do it only if you gave us this (the Deputy Speaker post). There was never a convention to support the speaker on a conditional basis...They want to do politics in this too." The opposition says it is still willing to make the election of the speaker unanimous if the government yields to their demand. With the government not showing any intent od doing so, the election to the position will take place on June 26. On June 27, the President will address both houses of Parliament. With 290 MPs the NDA has the numbers to ensure the election of OM Birla as speaker. (ANI) Floor leaders of the Opposition bloc, the ''Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)'', will meet today at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge''s residence following the announcement of K Suresh as their candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker. The meeting is scheduled for 8 pm at Kharge''s residence in Delhi, where the leaders are expected to discuss the upcoming speaker election on June 26. The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. Efforts by the BJP''s top leadership to reach a consensus on the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to nought when the INDIA bloc decided to nominate 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of nomination by BJP''s Kota MP Om Birla for the same position. Birla previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. This will be the first time that elections are held for the Speaker of the lower house, as traditionally the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had informed Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA''s Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, Interacting with Media on Tuesday, Rahul said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition." Further elaborating on discussions between Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also criticized the treatment of opposition leaders, alleging disrespect. "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted," said Rahul Gandhi. Congress MP KC Venugopal emphasized that the opposition is prepared to unanimously support the Speaker candidate suggested by NDA, provided they receive the Deputy Speaker position. "We are still waiting, if they are ready to give the Deputy Speaker post, we are ready to elect the NDA''s candidate unanimously. Yesterday PM Modi talked about consensus for the smooth functioning of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We are ready to support the Speaker suggested by the government''s side provided they should also honour the Opposition. We have witnessed for the last few years that the Speakers will be from the Govt''s side and the Deputy Speaker from the Opposition. When UPA was in power, we gave the Deputy Speaker to the NDA for 10 years. The convention is so in the Lok Sabha that the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is given to the Opposition," he said. (ANI) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police, which is investigating cases of sexual assault and harassment against Prajwal Revanna, has registered a fourth case against the former Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan. Unlike the three previous cases registered against Prajwal Revanna which invoked the Indian Penal Code (IPC)'s section for sexual assault, the fourth case has been registered under sections for sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation of a victim as well as clandestinely recording and sharing images of the victim Three others, including former BJP MLA from Hassan Preetham Gowda, have also been named in the FIR. Police sources said Preetham Gowda, Kiran, and Sharath have been accused of sharing images that Prajwal Revanna recorded in the course of sexual harassment of a victim on a video call. The victim filed a complaint stating the recording of the sexual harassment by Prajwal Revanna and the sharing of the clip by others caused embarrassment and loss of image for her whole family. The fourth FIR has been registered under IPC sections 354(A),354(D),354(B), 506, and 66 E of the Information Technology Act. Apart from this, Janata Dal (Secular) MLC and the son of former Karnataka minister HD Revanna, Suraj Revanna was arrested on Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a male party worker, police said. On Saturday evening, a case was registered against Suraj Revanna under Sections 377 (unnatural sex), 342, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Holenarasipura police station in Hassan district. It was done on a complaint of a party worker that he was sexually assaulted by the MLC at his farmhouse on June 16. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised the Congress party on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency for its autocratic actions and said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unleashed ruthless atrocities on the people of India during the Emergency. Shah also quoted an old speech of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing the party of crushing the spirit of our Constitution for power retention. https://x.com/AmitShah/status/1805533648953000228 Amit Shah in a post on X said, "The Congress crushed the spirit of our Constitution several times for the sake of maintaining a certain family in power. Indira Gandhi unleashed ruthless atrocities on the people of India during the Emergency". Amit Shah said, "The yuvraj of the Congress party has forgotten that his grandmother imposed the Emergency and his father, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, on July 23, 1985, said in the Lok Sabha, taking much pride in this horrific episode, "There is nothing wrong with an Emergency." His post added, "Mr Rajiv Gandhi even said, "If any Prime Minister of this country who feels that an Emergency is necessary, under these circumstances and does not apply the Emergency, he is not fit to be the Prime Minister of this country." "This very act of taking pride in a dictatorial act shows that nothing else is dear to the Congress other than the family and power," Amit Shah added. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi in sharp criticism of the Congress said that the dark days of the Emergency are a reminder of how the Congress Party trampled over the Constitution of India. Taking to X PM Modi posted, "Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the emergency. The Dark Days of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly." He further said that just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle. "Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections" the prime minister wrote. The Emergency, which is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history, was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to 1977. There were political arrests, mass forced sterilisation and beautification drives among others during the period. All key opposition leaders at the time, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, and Jay Prakash Narayanan, among others, were either jailed or placed under detention. (ANI) The Madhya Pradesh cabinet has decided that state ministers will have to pay their income tax and that they will not take any financial help from the state government. A proposal in this regard was tabled at the cabinet meeting held at Mantralaya in Bhopal on Tuesday, and the council of ministers approved it unanimously. The cabinet decided that all ministers would have to pay the income tax on their salaries and allowances. "We have decided that our ministers will pay their Income Tax and they will not take any financial help from the government. From the income tax point of view, there was a rule from 1972 that provided for the tax expenses of ministers and even parliamentary secretaries to be covered by the state government," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav told ANI on Tuesday. The official handle of the Chief Minister also posted on X, "The income tax rule of 1972 is being changed." Earlier, the state government used to pay the Income Tax of state ministers, but now after 52 years, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to change this rule. Providing further details about other cabinet decisions, State Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya briefed the media and said a proposal to allow the Public Works Department (PWD) to coordinate railway projects in Madhya Pradesh was also given a nod. "The state government provides scholarships to students of the Sainik Schools in Madhya Pradesh, but often, students from Madhya Pradesh get admission to Sainik Schools outside the state and do not benefit from this facility. Today, the cabinet decided that the state government will also provide scholarships to students from Madhya Pradesh who are studying in Sainik Schools outside the state," Vijayvargiya said. (ANI) The Bombay High Court granted bail to the juvenile accused in the Pune car accident case on Tuesday. The court ordered the release of the minor into the care and custody of his paternal aunt. The bench noted the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. Speaking to the media about the case's development, Prashant Patil, the advocate for the minor accused, said, "The child in conflicting law was arrested on May 19, 2024 and was released on bail. After his release on bail on May 22, 2024, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) took custody of the child under a conflicting law." "That particular custody was illegal per se. Today we challenged the three remands of the JJB before the High Court. The writ of Habeas Corpus was filed by the paternal aunt of the child in conflicting law. Section 12 of the particular act was the backbone of the writ and we argued that,, be it a bailable offence or a non-bailable offence, the code of CrPc does not apply to a child of conflicting law and thats why we requested his immediate release," he said. "Today, the honourable Bombay High Court set aside those orders and ordered the immediate release of the child under conflicting laws," said Advocate Patil. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met the parents of the two engineers who died in the Pune Porsche crash case on Monday and assured them the guilty would not be spared. Shinde met Omprakash Awadhiya, father of Anish Koshta, and Suresh Koshta, father of Ashwini Koshta, and consoled them. He said that the incident was unfortunate and that the culprits would be severely punished. CM Eknath Shinde spoke to the Commissioner of Police ( CP) Pune and directed him to initiate strict action against illegal pubs and bulldoze all structures that are against the building rules. He also directed the police to initiate renewed action against drug peddlers to make Pune a drug-free city, the CMO said in a press statement. Even though the minor accused in the accident has been released, Shinde assured that the case has been taken up again for investigation. He also clarified that the case will be fast-tracked. The Chief Minister stated on his 'X' handle, "We fully understand the grief caused by the sudden death of one's young children. So, we decided to provide Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as a special consideration to the families of their two deceased children." Shinde added that the government is making efforts to track down all the culprits and ensure that they are punished. The two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, died on May 19 at 2.30 am after a car allegedly driven by a drunk 17-year-old boy crashed into them. The investigation unfolded like a bag of worms as his kin allegedly tried to obliterate the evidence against him. On June 21, the Pune district court granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the accused teenager, in the primary case where he was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. But his 77-year-old grandfather is still in judicial custody for allegedly forcing the driver to take responsibility for the crime on behalf of his grandson. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Parliament House here on Tuesday. "Today I had a courtesy meeting with the Honorable Union Minister of Home and Cooperation, Shri @AmitShah ji at Parliament House, New Delhi," Mohan Yadav said on X. This is his second meeting with Amit Shah in a week. On June 20, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in New Delhi. After the meeting with the Prime Minister, an official press release said that the Chief Minister briefed Modi on the progress of the two river-linking projects being undertaken in the state currently. He invited Modi to lay the foundation for the Ken-Betwa River linking project. The state government is also undertaking a project to link the rivers of Parvati, Kalisingh and Chambal in the state. This apart, the chief minister has apprised the PM of the implementation of various welfare schemes in the state, the press release said. Meanwhile, Mohan Yadav chaired a cabinet meeting at Mantralaya on Tuesday, and the council of ministers approved various decisions for the welfare of the public and the state. CM Yadav told ANI, "A lot of decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting today that would have a long-term effect on the state. Spouses of the martyrs in different security forces used to get Rs 1 crore from the state government. Today in the cabinet meeting, we have decided to divide that amount equally between the spouse and the parents to avoid any family issues." Before the beginning of the cabinet meeting, the chief minister and the council of ministers recalled the 21-month period of emergency that was implemented in the country on June 25, 1975 and condemned it. After the meeting, state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya further briefed the media about the cabinet decisions. "In the beginning of the cabinet, CM Mohan Yadav condemned the Emergency period. Due to the Emergency, the lives of many people were ruined. Family members went to jail, businesses were ruined, deaths occurred in the family and people could not even be able to attend the last rites. In such a situation, the Chief Minister has expressed sympathy towards all of them and condemned those who imposed the Emergency," Vijayvargiya said. (ANI) The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) strongly condemned the alleged attack by Twipra Students' Federation (TSF) members on ABVP karyakartas at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) College in Agartala on Monday. "Our members were actively engaged in assisting students with the admission process as part of our "May I Help You!" initiative to help the newcomers. The attack on our dedicated volunteers is not only an assault on our organisation but also on the spirit of student cooperation and assistance that we strive to foster," the ABVP said in a statement. The statement said that ABVP members present at MBB College were dedicated to facilitating a smooth admission experience for aspiring students. However, the peaceful environment was disrupted when TSF members, an organisation known for its confrontational tactics, began causing disturbances among the students waiting in line. When ABVP members intervened to restore order, TSF members resorted to physical aggression against those defending the students' right to a hassle-free admission process. Sanjit Saha, ABVP Tripura state secretary, stated, "ABVP is committed to creating a meaningful campus life and revitalising campus culture. Such acts of violence are unacceptable and will not deter us from our mission of helping students. We urge the authorities to take strict action against the perpetrators and ensure a safe and conducive environment for all students." (ANI) The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, on Tuesday wrote a letter to the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, urging him to secure the release of all fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. In his letter directed to the EAM, Stalin said, "The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended one mechanised fishing boat bearing registration number IND-TN-12-MM-5138 and ten fishermen from Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour on June 25, 2024." Stalin added that in the year 2024 alone, 203 fishermen and 27 boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Tamil Nadu CM said, "The frequent arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan authorities have created an insecure atmosphere among the fishermen community. He requested Jaishankar's "immediate intervention" to secure the release of 47 fishermen and 166 fishing boats currently in custody of Sri Lankan authorities. The Tamil Nadu CM requested' the EAM's immediate intervention to convene the Joint Working Group to prevent further arrests and secure the release of all 47 fishermen and 166 fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Stalin said that such incidents disrupt the livelihood of the fishermen and instill a sense of fear and uncertainty in their entire community. The families of the fishermen had requested that the central and state governments take appropriate action to ensure timely release of the fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. Earlier, on Sunday, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 22 fishermen near Nandutheevu in Sri Lankan waters, the Rameswaram Fisherman Association said. The fishermen went into the water on Saturday. While the fishermen were near Nandundeevu in the Palkbsay,. The Lankan Navy came in the area and seized three boats belonging to the Thangachimadam. Earlier in April, a total of 19 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were sent to Chennai in an Air India passenger flight from Sri Lanka's Colombo following their arrest, by the Sri Lankan Navy on March 6 for crossing the border.The 19 fishermen included nine from Mayiladuthurai, four from Pudukottai, and six from Karaikal in Puducherry state. All of them went fishing in the sea in two boats on March 6. (ANI) As many as 7,160 projects worth Rs 1,43,778 crore under Smart Cities Mission have been completed so far, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said on Tuesday, while another 854 projects worth Rs 20,392 crore are in advanced stages of completion. The centre has released Rs 46,387 crore to 100 cities and 93 per cent of released funds have been utilized, the ministry said. "Today marks a significant milestone as India celebrates the 9th anniversary of the Smart Cities Mission, launched on 25th June 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Over the past nine years, the mission has emerged as a beacon of urban transformation, enhancing the quality of life across 100 cities through 8,000+ multi-sectoral, innovative projects valued at approximately Rs 1.6 lakh crore," the ministry said. Smart Cities Mission was launched by PM Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015. The main objective of the mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and give a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of 'smart solutions.' "As of June 25, 2024, 7,160 projects worth Rs 1,43,778 crore had been completed and another 854 projects worth Rs 20,392 crore are in advanced stages of completion. The Government of India (GOI) has released Rs 46,387 crore to 100 cities. 93 per cent of released GOI funds have been utilized," the ministry added. Among key achievements under Smart Cities Mission, there is operation Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC), the installation of 76,000 CCTV across 100 cities, the installation of 1,884 emergency call boxes, and 3,000 public address systems. The ministry further said more than 6,800 km of water supply systems are being monitored through SCADA, reducing the non-revenue water and leakages. "Around 4,800 vehicles across 50+ smart cities have been RFID enabled for Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) to improve solid waste management in addition to innovative technologies deployed to improve Route Management, Collection and Daily Management," the ministry said. Under the smart cities mission, more than 50 lakh Solar/LED streetlights have been installed and over 89,000 kms of underground electricity cabling constructed. Under the mission, there has been the development of 12,300 kms of smart roads and 2500+ km of cycle tracks, alongside the Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS), which has streamlined traffic operations and journey times. Moreover, 44,054 Dwelling Units have been constructed so far and 6,312 rooms built in community housing projects like Rain Basera, Hostel (non-educational), night shelters, etc. As per the ministry, more than 1,300 parks, green spaces and lakefront/riverfront promenades developed/ being developed. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called on Union Minister Amit Shah at Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday and invited him to launch the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign in the state. "Today I have met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and I am happy that he continuously supports the development of Madhya Pradesh. I have invited him to launch the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign and he agreed to come," CM Yadav told reporters after the meeting. He further said, "We will try that when he (Amit Shah) comes to Madhya Pradesh, we will make the Prime Minister's dream come true by planting 5.5 crore trees. Initially, we will be painting 51 lakh trees in Indore district and will try to move ahead with such a positive approach." Earlier, state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said that 51 lakh trees would be planted in Indore district under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign between July 7 and July 14. "The preparations for the campaign are being done on a large scale and the work for digging the pits has started in the state. Saplings have also been ordered from various states across the country. Several social organisations, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation and Indore Development Authority, will plant trees in various areas of the district," he said. Indore Municipal Corporation will provide the saplings. Along with this, the Municipal Corporation, Indore Development Authority and Forest Department will also plant trees at their own level in various areas of the city, village and BSF, he added. The campaign will start on July 7 and conclude on July 14. On the last day of the campaign, 11 lakh trees will be planted at the BSF shooting range and Revati Range. It will be a world record for which a team of Guinness Book of World Records also arrived in Indore, the minister further said. (ANI) Ahead of the elections for the post of Lok Sabha speaker, the Congress party has issued a three-line whip to its MPs to be present in Parliament tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards, an official statement by party said. "All members of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11 a.m. onwards till the adjournment of the House on June 26 without fail and support the party stand", the official release read. Having failed to reach a consensus on the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla, the opposition INDIA bloc has nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post of Lok Sabha speaker. The opposition had been demanding the post of Deputy Speaker, however, with no clarity forthcoming from the BJP, the INDIA bloc has put forward Congress MP K Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. On the other hand, BJP has nominated its Kota MP Om Birla for the Speaker's post, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had informed Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA's Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition." Further elaborating on discussions between Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also criticised the treatment of opposition leaders, alleging disrespect. "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted," he said. The elections for the speaker's post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. (ANI) Uttarakhand's preparations for the three new criminal laws to be implemented across the country from July 1 this year have been completed. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi gave this information on Tuesday in a video conferencing with all the states under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, Government of India. Radha Raturi said that the Uttarakhand government has made full preparations for the implementation of the three new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023. "After the passage of the new criminal laws, we have coordinated with the Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI) and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and 50 officers from PTC/ATC and other training centres have been given a master trainer course in Ghaziabad and Jaipur. Along with this, the Uttarakhand Police Handbook has been prepared, based on which all the courses are being conducted. In this, a method has been prepared to read the major laws in a simple way. A copy of which is being distributed to all police officers/employees," Radha Raturi said. Raturi also informed that in a short period, training was decentralised at the district level. Such employees, who do not have direct interference in the police investigation, have been given training in online mode, for which an online module was prepared, that is AI-based. She said that about 1,000 recruit constables of Civil Police/PAC operating in RTCs have been given three days of training. Apart from this, about 500 head constables have also been given training on new criminal laws for promotion. All IPS officers and Senior Superintendents of Police were given training by the Assistant Professor of National Law University, New Delhi. Training has been done in both offline and online mode for training on new criminal laws. All police personnel have been registered on the iGOT Karmayogi portal. Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar, Secretary Dilip Jawalkar and other Home Department officials were present at the meeting. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House on Tuesday to congratulate him on his third term as Prime Minister of the country. During the meeting, the Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister about 'Amritkaal: Chhattisgarh Vision 2047', a 'Vision Document' being prepared by the State NITI Aayog, which will be dedicated to the people of the state on November 1. Chief Minister Sai also apprised the Prime Minister on recent anti-Maoist operations over the past six months and said that a joint action plan is being prepared and action is being taken to eradicate the Maoist problem. Giving information about the Niyad Nellanar Yojana (Your Ideal Village), the Chief Minister said that under the scheme, work is being done to weaken the base of Naxalites and restore mutual trust between the government administration and the villagers. Currently, 23 camps covering 90 villages are operational, with plans to start 29 camps in the future. Regarding the fulfilment of Prime Minister Modi's assurances, the Chief Minister mentioned that the Council of Ministers had swiftly approved the construction of houses for 18,12,743 families under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) during their first meeting after forming the new government. Currently, construction is underway for 1,06,777 approved houses. Chief Minister Sai highlighted that Rs 3,667 crore has been disbursed to farmers for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 periods under the Paddy Production Incentive Scheme. Additionally, through the Krishak Unnati Yojana, the Chhattisgarh government has transferred Rs 13,287 crore directly to the bank accounts of 24.73 lakh farmers. He also mentioned the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, aimed at promoting economic self-reliance and empowerment of women in the state. So far, the scheme has provided financial assistance totalling Rs 2,618 crore to 70 lakh women over four months. Informing the Prime Minister about the Shri Ram Lala Darshan Scheme, Sai said that an MOU has been signed with the IRCTC for the scheme under which over 20 thousand beneficiaries from the state will be taken on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya every year. (ANI) Officials said that on Monday, the Zokhawthar police team while conducting random checks at the Immigration Check Post, Zokhawthar found three nylon sacks loaded on one vehicle near the Land Custom Building, which were suspected to contain and concealed some contraband items inside. "After preparing grounds of belief, checking was conducted upon the three nylon sacks in the presence of reliable witnesses," Inspector General of Police (Law & Order), Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, said. "A total of 330 Soap Cases (110 Soap Cases in each sack) of heroin, weighing 3.866 kg (3866 grams) and valued at Rs 1,15,98,000 were recovered. The owner(s) of the contraband /three sacks could not be ascertained yet," he said. Zokhawthar police station Case No.55/24 Dt. 24.6.2024 u/s 21(c) ND&PS Act was registered for further legal action and investigation on backward and forward linkages, he added. (ANI) The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a three-line-whip to its party MPs to remain in the Parliament tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards during the election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. "Harish Balayogi, Whip of the Telugu Desam Party, has issued a three-line whip to all TDP Members of Parliament, mandating their presence and vote for the NDA candidate, Shri Om Birla, in the upcoming Speaker elections scheduled for June 26, 2024. All members are requested to gather in the Parliamentary office, Room Number 111-B, by 10:30 AM", read the official release. The TDP is an ally in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Earlier today, the BJP and the Congress also issued a three-line-whip to their party MPs to remain present in the Parliament tomorrow. Having failed to reach a consensus on the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla, the opposition INDIA bloc has nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post of Lok Sabha speaker. The opposition had been demanding the post of Deputy Speaker, however, with no clarity forthcoming from the BJP, the INDIA bloc has put forward Congress MP K Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. On the other hand, BJP has nominated its Kota MP Om Birla for the Speaker's post, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA's Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition." Further elaborating on discussions between Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also criticised the treatment of opposition leaders, alleging disrespect. "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted," he said. Meanwhile, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab is serving as the pro-tem speaker. The elections for the speaker's post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday, discussed various issues related to the development of the state with him and sought his guidance. CM Dhami also congratulated him for a second term as Home Minister on this occasion. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister further requested the Home Minister to increase the funds for reconstruction under the State Disaster Relief Fund and to give all the land of the enemy property Metropole Hotel complex in Nainital to the state government for vehicle parking. Along with this, the Chief Minister discussed the issues related to the Char Dham Yatra being conducted in the state and the Kanwar Yatra to be started soon. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand's preparations for the three new criminal laws to be implemented across the country on July 1 this year have been completed. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi gave this information on Tuesday in a video conferencing with all the states under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, Government of India. Radha Raturi said that the Uttarakhand government has made full preparations for the implementation of the three new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023. Raturi also informed that in a short period, training was decentralised at the district level. Such employees, who do not have direct interference in the police investigation, have been given training in online mode, for which an online module was prepared, that is AI-based. She said that about 1,000 recruit constables of Civil Police/PAC operating in RTCs have been given three days of training. Apart from this, about 500 head constables have also been given training on new criminal laws for promotion. All IPS officers and Senior Superintendents of Police were given training by the Assistant Professor of National Law University, New Delhi. Training has been done in both offline and online mode for training on new criminal laws. All police personnel have been registered on the iGOT Karmayogi portal. Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar, Secretary Dilip Jawalkar and other Home Department officials were present at the meeting. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that fifty years ago, Congress, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, "conspired to destroy" the Constitution and democracy by imposing an Emergency in the country. Addressing a seminar on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency in Gorakhpur, CM Yogi said, "Congress 50 years ago, under the leadership of (former PM) Indira Gandhi, conspired to destroy the Constitution and democracy by imposing an Emergency. The rights of people were taken away, restrictions were imposed on media and a dictatorship-like atmosphere was imposed in the country." He highlighted that Congress unethically dismissed governments in the states more than 90 times during its rule. "Congress has unethically dismissed governments in the states more than 90 times. Today their faces may have changed, but their basic character has not changed yet," CM Yogi added. CM Yogi added, "Instead of bowing down to Congress, the democracy fighters chose the path of struggle, because for them, the country's 'Constitution' was supreme, 'Democracy' was supreme, 'India' was supreme." Earlier, Prime Minister Modi, in sharp criticism of the Congress, said that the dark days of the Emergency are a reminder of how the Congress Party trampled over the Constitution of India. Taking to X, PM Modi posted, "Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the emergency. The Dark Days of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly." He further said that just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle. "Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections," the prime minister wrote. The Emergency, which is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history, was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to 1977. There were political arrests, mass forced sterilisation and beautification drives, among others during the period. All key opposition leaders at the time, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, and Jay Prakash Narayanan, among others, were either jailed or placed under detention. (ANI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited the house of CRPF Cobra unit jawan Vishu R, who lost his life in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma on June 23. The Chief Minister paid a visit to the late jawan's residence in the state capital and offered his condolences to the bereaved family members and relatives. The mortal remains of the CRPF jawan were brought to his house in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Two jawans of the CRPF CoBRA 201 battalion lost their lives in an IED blast by Naxalites between Silger and Tekulagudem, under the limits of Jagargunda Police Station in Sukma district, on Sunday, June 23. The other jawan was identified as Shailendra (29), who hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. The security personnel were part of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 201 battalion. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also expressed grief on Sunday over the deaths of the two security personnel due to the IED blast carried out by Naxalites in Sukma district. The Chief Minister described the Naxal attack as a "cowardly act out of frustration" due to the ongoing Naxal eradication campaign in Bastar. In a post on X, the Chhattisgarh CM wrote, "Sad news is coming about the death of two CoBRA soldiers in the IED blast carried out by Naxalites in Tekalgudem of Sukma district. I pray to God for peace to the souls of the deceased soldiers and to provide strength to their families." "The Naxalites are frustrated with the ongoing Naxal eradication campaign in Bastar and are perpetrating such cowardly acts out of frustration. The martyrdom of the soldiers will not go in vain; we will not stay silent until naxalism is eradicated," CM Sai wrote. The CoBRA battalion is a specialised force established to undertake operations of guerrilla and jungle warfare, specifically tailored for addressing the Maoist insurgency. According to officials, the incident occurred at 3 pm on Sunday, when these jawans were on road opening duty from Camp Silger under the Jagargunda police station area to Camp Tekalgudem. The blast of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites claimed their lives. The IED was planted by Naxalites on the way from Camp Silger to Tekalgudem to harm security forces. (ANI) The opposition INDIA bloc held a meeting of its floor leaders at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Tuesday, the second day of the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha, to strategize on the election of the Speaker. Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, president of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Hanuman Beniwal and other leaders of the INDIA bloc were present in the meeting. The meeting comes ahead of the election to the post of Speaker for which both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have fielded their respective candidates. Efforts by the BJP's top leadership to reach a consensus on the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to nominate 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of nomination by BJP's Kota MP Om Birla for the same position. Birla previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The election for the post of Speaker has taken place at least twice in India's parliamentary history. The first instance was in 1952 when Congress' GV Malvankar contested against CPI's candidate Shankar Shantaram More. The second instance was in 1976 when Congress' BR Bhagat contested against Jagannathrao Joshi from Jan Sangh and was supported by Congress O. Rahul Gandhi said that his party had informed Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA's Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition. A meeting was also held at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in Delhi earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee said on Tuesday that his party was not consulted on fielding Kodikunnil Suresh of the Congress as the INDIA bloc's joint nominee for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker and termed it a "unilateral decision." Speaking to ANI on K Suresh's candidature for Lok Sabha Speaker, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said, "We were not contacted about this, there was no discussion. Unfortunately, this is a unilateral decision." Earlier, Congress leaders of Maharashtra held a meeting with party Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal at the national capital. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on Wednesday. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.INDIA bloc candidate K Suresh is currently the longest-serving Lok Sabha MP, as he has remained MP for 29 years. Suresh was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, and thereafter, he won consecutively in the 1991, 1996, and 1999 general elections to the Lok Sabha from the Adoor constituency for four straight terms. Suresh, who won his eighth Lok Sabha election from Mavelikkara (Kerala) in the 2024 general elections, has represented the seat four times in the past. He is the working president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and was the chief whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the 17th Lok Sabha. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday called on Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi and held a meeting on various topics related to agriculture and rural development. "Today, I had a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan at his office. We discussed some topics and some decisions have also been taken. A crop of our state Kodokutki was not covered under Minimum Support Price (MSP) for which we have put the matter in front of the Agriculture Minister," CM Yadav told reporters after the meeting. "Ragi is an equivalent crop to Kodokutki, so I suggested to grant MSP to it on par. I thank Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan for agreeing to that. He has also given suggestions regarding pulses and palm oil cultivation," the CM said. On the other hand, Union Minister Chouhan said that MP CM Yadav came with some issues of Madhya Pradesh after which he met with him and also held a meeting with officials to discuss the issues. "Today Chief Minister Mohan Yadav came with some issues of Madhya Pradesh, I called all the officers and discussed them immediately. Kodokutki is grown as coarse grain in Madhya Pradesh, especially in tribal areas, so till now there has been no purchase of Kodokutki at Minimum Support Price (MSP). Now we have decided to buy Kodokutki at Rs 4290 which is the MSP of Ragi. So that we can promote Millets and tribals can get a fair price. The Government of India has also given permission to Madhya Pradesh to purchase moong," Chouhan said. Apart from this, CM Yadav has put forward some other important issues before the department and we all are committed to the development of Madhya Pradesh and the country. The issues raised by the Chief Minister have been taken seriously, we have taken immediate decisions on many issues and there are many on which we will consider according to the policy, the union minister said. (ANI) Fostering a pioneering effort in aligning traditional medicine research with global standards and priorities the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an apex autonomous organization under the Ministry of Ayush, has signed two MoU's with Shri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra and Dabur, a leading Ayurvedic company in India, a press release from the Ministry of Ayush said on Tuesday. The CCRAS also launched its new and updated website. The first-of-its-kind consultative meet brought together representatives from diverse domains of Traditional Medicine (TM) in India, including policymakers, academic institutions, researchers, patients, and industry stakeholders. The aim is to identify and prioritize key research areas across various traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy, the release said. These announcements were made during the one-day National Consultative Meet on "Research Priority Settings in Traditional Medicine" on June 24, 2024, at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, held in collaboration with the WHO-SEARO (World Health Organisation - South East Asia Region office) office and WHO-GTMC (World Health Organisation - Global Traditional Medicine Centre) On this occasion, Vaidya, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush Rajesh Kotecha said, "The objective is to ensure effective utilization of funds and address critical areas of need within traditional medicine, including medicinal plant research, quality, safety, and efficacy studies, pre-clinical validations, rational use of traditional medicines, clinical trial monitoring, medical anthropology, and the digitalization of ancient medical literature and thereby supporting its global acceptance and integration". Director General, CCRAS, Professor (Vaidya) Rabinarayan Acharya, said "We wanted to chart a research roadmap for the next decade and lay the groundwork for a decade-long research strategy in traditional medicine and align efforts with WHO guidelines. These two Mou's with Dabur and Sri Krishna AYUSH University is a healthy start in this direction, the release said. Vice Chancellor of Sri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, Prof. Kartar Singh Dhiman, emphasized the importance of MoU and under its ambit both parties will look at fostering the path for academic and research collaborations that provide opportunities to researchers and scientists for exchange of ideas through workshops, seminars. PhD Studies of CCRAS scientists. Setting research priorities is a critical endeavour that guides the allocation of resources, shapes scientific agendas, and influences the direction of innovation and discovery. Setting research priorities in traditional medicine is the need of the hour as an increase in demand and the global accessibility and acceptability of systems foster the need for the same. The identified areas will shape the roadmap of policies for traditional medicine at the regional or global level, the release said. Around 150 stakeholders representing the Ministry of Ayush, NITI Aayog, Heads of Research Councils from different streams of traditional medicine and homeopathy in India, Vice-chancellors of various reputed universities, Directors of National Institutes under Ministry of Ayush, ICMR- NITM, CSIR, RIS-FITM, JNU New Delhi, WHO-SEARO, WHO-GTMC, policymakers, pharmacy representatives and media persons. The Round table discussions among Expert working groups shaped the prioritization exercise followed by a plenary session including the way forward. Dr. G P Prasad, Assistant Director (In-charge) of the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), a recently designated WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine in India and a co-organizer of this event points out that prioritization fosters the preservation and documentation of traditional knowledge, protecting cultural heritage and biodiversity associated with medicinal plants and indigenous healing practices, the release mentioned. (ANI) The minor accused involved in the Pune Porsche car crash accident has been released from observation home following the Bombay High Court's order. The court on Tuesday granted bail to the juvenile accused in the Pune car accident case and ordered the release of the minor into the care and custody of his paternal aunt. The bench noted the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. A division bench of Justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande ordered in this case, and the court also mandated that the minor accused continue sessions with a psychologist and that his paternal aunt will take care of the minor and it contested the juvenile's detention in an observation home. The Bombay High Court made several important observations during the hearing on Tuesday in this case. The Bombay High Court said that "the accident that took place was very sensitive and it also affected the minor accused," the judge added. Speaking to the media about the case's development, Prashant Patil, the advocate for the minor accused, said, "The child in conflicting law was arrested on May 19, 2024 and was released on bail. After his release on bail on May 22, 2024, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) took custody of the child under a conflicting law." "That particular custody was illegal per se. Today we challenged the three remands of the JJB before the High Court. The writ of Habeas Corpus was filed by the paternal aunt of the child in conflicting law. Section 12 of the particular act was the backbone of the writ and we argued that, be it a bailable offence or a non-bailable offence, the code of CrPc does not apply to a child of conflicting law and that's why we requested his immediate release," he said."Today, the honourable Bombay High Court set aside those orders and ordered the immediate release of the child under conflicting laws," said advocate Patil. Earlier on Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met the parents of the two engineers who died in the Pune Porsche crash case and assured them the guilty would not be spared. Shinde met Omprakash Awadhiya, father of Anish Koshta, and Suresh Koshta, father of Ashwini Koshta, and consoled them. He said that the incident was unfortunate and that the culprits would be severely punished. CM Eknath Shinde spoke to the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Pune and directed him to initiate strict action against illegal pubs and bulldoze all structures that are against the building rules. He also directed the police to initiate renewed action against drug peddlers to make Pune a drug-free city, the CMO said in a press statement. Even though the minor accused in the accident has been released, Shinde assured that the case has been taken up again for investigation. He also clarified that the case will be fast-tracked. The Chief Minister stated on his 'X' handle, "We fully understand the grief caused by the sudden death of one's young children. So, we decided to provide Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as a special consideration to the families of their two deceased children."Shinde added that the government is making efforts to track down all the culprits and ensure that they are punished. The two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, died on May 19 at 2.30 am after a car allegedly driven by a drunk 17-year-old boy crashed into them. The investigation unfolded like a bag of worms as his kin allegedly tried to obliterate the evidence against him. On June 21, the Pune district court granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the accused teenager, in the primary case where he was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. But his 77-year-old grandfather is still in judicial custody for allegedly forcing the driver to take responsibility for the crime on behalf of his grandson. The Pune district court on June 21 granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the teenager accused in the Pune Porsche car crash case. Agarwal was granted bail in the primary case, where he was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The advocate of Agarwal, Prashant Patil, said that his client will continue to cooperate with the probe. "My client, Vishal Agarwal has been granted bail by the Honourable Sessions Court at Pune. It is his duty to abide by the conditions imposed by the Court and shall continue to cooperate with the investigation agency," Patil said. The father of the accused teenager was in police custody in connection with the manipulation of blood samples, while the grandfather is in judicial custody following his arrest for allegedly abducting the family driver to force him to take responsibility for the crime on behalf of his minor grandson. Two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike died on the night of May 19 after a Porsche car allegedly driven by the minor accused ploughed into them. The teenager was detained at an observation home on the order of the Juvenile Justice Board. He was earlier granted bail in the case but was later sent to the observation home for 14 days till June 5. On June 15, a paternal aunt of the minor accused in the car crash case moved the Bombay High Court, claiming that the teenager's detention was "illegal" and seeking his immediate release. (ANI) The meeting took place at the Parliament House in New Delhi. https://x.com/PSTamangGolay/status/1805590754771059155 Taking to X, CM Tamang said, "I met with the Hon'ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri @JPNadda Ji, at the Parliament House in New Delhi. At the outset, I congratulated him on his new role as Union Minister and wished him a successful tenure". "During our discussion, I briefed him on the current status of the health sector in Sikkim, specifically highlighting Namchi Hospital and Singtam Hospital. The Hon'ble Union Minister graciously assured us of comprehensive support through various schemes for upgrading hospitals in the state," his post added. Additionally, he advised us to establish a super-specialty blocks in STNM Hospital for cancer and orthopedic treatment, he further wrote in his post. On Monday, Sikkim CM Golay called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament House. CM Golay presented the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) report, estimating Rs 3,673.25 crore for recovery and reconstruction, and emphasised the need for continued support. He thanked the PM for his prompt relief after the Sikkim Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in October 2023. Meanwhile, JP Nadda has been appointed the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha on Monday. Nadda assumed charge as Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare on June 11. He is also allocated the portfolio of Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers. He also continues to serve as the BJP's national president. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday discussed various topics related to the development of the state with the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of the state at the official residence of Union Minister of State for Road and Transport Ajay Tamta in New Delhi. The meeting was held in the presence of BJP National Organization General Secretary BL Santhosh, State In-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam and Co-in-charge Rekha Verma. During this time, the Chief Minister discussed the upcoming organizational programs as well as the Badrinath and Mangalore assembly by-elections. The CM also had a detailed discussion with the MPs on providing the benefits of various public welfare schemes run by the Central and State Government to the people living in the remote areas of the state. Earlier on Tuesday, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and congratulated him on his second term as Home Minister. On this occasion, he discussed various issues related to the development of the state. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister further requested the Home Minister to increase the funds for reconstruction under the State Disaster Relief Fund and to give all the land of the enemy property Metropole Hotel complex in Nainital to the state government for vehicle parking. Along with this, the Chief Minister discussed the issues related to the Char Dham Yatra being conducted in the state and the Kanwar Yatra to be started soon. (ANI) The Indian Air Force on Tuesday conducted a capstone seminar marking the culmination of the No 3 Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Program (WASP) at the Air Force Auditorium in New Delhi. The seminar with the theme "India's Strategic Culture and Imperative for Contemporary National Security' was conducted under the aegis of the College of Air Warfare and Centre for Air Power Studies, a press release from the Ministry of Defence said. WASP is a strategic education programme of 15 weeks duration which was started in 2022 to provide the participants with a deep understanding of geo-politics, grand strategy and Comprehensive National Power. The broader aim is to nurture critical thinkers who can blend cross-domain knowledge to generate policy-driving ideas at the strategic level. This edition of WASP saw tri-services participation for the first time. The participants comprised fourteen officers from the Indian Air Force, two officers from the Indian Navy, one officer from the Indian Army and a research scholar. The participants underwent intensive training in the fields of strategy, military history, civil-military relations, higher defence organisations, aerospace power, information warfare, technology and hybrid warfare, the release said. The program was guided by an external faculty consisting of accomplished practitioner scholars with extensive teaching and research experience. The graduates of the program were awarded a PG diploma in Strategic Studies by Rashtriya Raksha University. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), delivered the keynote address of the seminar which was attended by Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff, senior officers from all three services, aerospace power scholars, academia and established defence correspondents. He highlighted that the dynamic environment of modern warfare demanded that military leaders not only be adept at combat, but also possess strategic thinking ability and grasp of the evolving geopolitical landscape. The CAS congratulated the course participants for successfully completing the rigorous program. While concluding, the CAS complimented the mentors who guided the participants through the programme and urged them to continue with the same zeal in the forthcoming editions of the WASP. In the first session of the Seminar, the participants presented their papers on the topics of 'Examining International Relations through India's Strategic Culture' and 'Military Outlook through Strategic Partnerships'. This was followed by the second session, which saw them discussing 'Evolution of Civil-Military Relations in India' and 'Imperatives of Evolving Security Environment on Future Contours of Civil-Military Fusion (CMF), the release said. (ANI) The second day of the first Lok Sabha session post-general elections began with the remaining 281 members taking oath as Members of Parliament (MPs) today. A total of 262 newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took oath on Monday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while taking oath as the MP, displayed a copy of the Constitution. Yesterday too, when Prime Minister Modi approached the stage to take his oath, Rahul Gandhi was seen displaying a copy of the Constitution. "I, Rahul Gandhi... Having been elected a member of the House of People, do solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter. Jia Hind Jai Samvidan," the social media platform X of the Congress Party posted alongside a video of Rahul Gandhi's oath-taking. Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party's general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also arrived at the Parliament for Rahul's oath-taking ceremony. Besides Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav, SP leader Dimple Yadav, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-SP MP Supriya Sule and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi are some of the key leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc who took oath on the second day of the 18th Lok Sabha. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday concluded taking his oath as a member of the Lok Sabha with the words "Jai Palestine". Owaisi defeated BJP's Madhavi Latha Kompella with a margin of 3,38,087 votes in the recent parliamentary election for a fifth consecutive victory from Hyderabad in Telangana. While being sworn in as an MP in the 18th Session of the Lok Sabha, Owaisi ended his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine. "Taking to his official X handle, Owaisi posted, "Sworn in as a member of Lok Sabha for the fifth time. Inshallah, I will continue to raise issues of India's marginalised with sincerity." Speaking with ANI, Owaisi said, "Everyone is saying a lot of things... I just said "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine"...How it is against, show the provision in the Constitution?" Several Palestinians have been facing the brunt of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Meanwhile, efforts to reach a consensus on the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP om Birla came to naught as the opposition INDIA bloc nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post. The election for the post of the Lok Sabha speaker is to be held tomorrow. Earlier, the INDIA bloc demanded the position of the Deputy Speaker. However, with no clarity forthcoming from the BJP, the INDIA bloc has put forward Congress MP K Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. On the other hand, BJP has nominated its Kota MP Om Birla for the Speaker's post, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA's Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition." Further elaborating on discussions between Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also criticised the treatment of opposition leaders, alleging disrespect. "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted," he said. The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. The BJP and the Congress party, meanwhile, have issued a three-line-whip to all of their MPs to remain in the House tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards. Earlier today, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal advocated INDIA bloc's demand to hold the position of the Deputy Speaker. "When the UPA was in power, we gave the Deputy Speaker to the NDA for 10 years. The convention is so in the Lok Sabha that the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is given to the Opposition," Venugopal told ANI. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also emphasised that according to tradition, the Speaker should be from the ruling party while the Deputy Speaker should come from the Opposition. "The usual practice is that the ruling party holds the post of Speaker, and the Opposition holds the post of Deputy Speaker. During the past 10 years of the Modi government, the opposition was not given the post of Deputy Speaker," Sharad Pawar said while speaking to the media in Mumbai. Pawar further mentioned that he had spoken with leaders of the INDIA bloc and suggested they communicate to the ruling party that consensus could be reached on the Speaker's appointment under the condition that the Opposition gets the post of Deputy Speaker. "I had discussions with the leaders of the INDIA bloc. I suggested that they convey to the ruling party that consensus could be achieved regarding the Speaker's appointment, provided the post of Deputy Speaker is allocated to the Opposition," Pawar said. This will be the first time that elections are held for the Speaker of the lower house, as traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected through consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, criticised the Congress party for wanting the post of Deputy Speaker in return for extending support to the post of Lok Sabha Speaker and said that putting up conditions is wrong. Speaking with the reporters, Rijiju said, "For the last two days, we have contacted the major opposition parties and we have talked about the post of Speaker. Since the country became independent, there has never been an election of the Speaker, and we want the Speaker to be elected unanimously and unopposed, so we contacted and appealed to them." Informing about the meeting with the Congress, Rijiju said, "Today, we had a meeting with Congress leaders. We appealed to them for support for the Speaker but they said that they would support it but that they wanted the post of Deputy Speaker. We told them that the process of election for both posts is different. The process for choosing the Speaker is conducted before the Deputy Speaker. So it is not right to combine both." He criticised Congress for putting up conditions for extending their support to the post of Speaker and said, "The tradition has been that the Speaker is elected unanimously and that has been a practice. Let us not break convention and tradition and putting conditions on the Speaker post itself is wrong. I once again appeal to the Congress party to follow tradition and convention and let us elect the new speaker of Lok Sabha unanimously." "The attitude of the Congress party was clear, they wanted the Dy Speaker post in return for supporting us for the post of Speaker. I appeal again that they should think about keeping in mind the dignity of the post of Speaker," Rijiju said. This is the first Lok Sabha session post-general elections in which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 293 seats while the INDIA bloc secured 234 seats. The BJP, however, failed to reach a majority mandate bagging merely 240 seats. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday lashed out at Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy for questioning his contribution to Channapatna and said his association with the town was much older than his. Speaking to reporters at Bajpe airport in Mangaluru during his visit to Kukke Subramanya Swamy temple, "I have seen Channapatna much before Kumaraswamy did. He came to politics 10 years after me. I am from Ramanagara district and I know Channapatna way better than him." "I contested the elections against his father HD Deve Gowda in 1985. He contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1995. People are of the opinion that no development has happened in the constituency in spite of big leaders representing the constituency. I have come to the constituency once again to serve the people here," he said. "My brother D K Suresh is not keen on contesting Channapatna by-elections but he wants to contribute to the party. The people of the constituency have given us 85,000 votes in the Lok Sabha elections and we have to repay the debt," he added. Asked about the demand for additional DCMs, he said, "The media is making news out of this every day. The party will answer these questions. Ask this question to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge or Surjewala, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka or the Chief Minister." Asked about Kumaraswamy's statement that the State government had rejected permission for mining in Bellary due to political vendetta, he said, "I don't know anything about mining, he may have more knowledge about it." Asked about his visit to Kukke Subramanya Swamy temple, he said, "We are a Hindu family and we had plans of visiting the temple for a long time and hence we are here." On the establishment of Kukke Development Authority, he said, "The proposal has come to my notice, it will be taken up in the Cabinet meeting." Speaking about the FIR against Preetham Gowda in the Prajwal Revanna sex abuse case, he said, "I don't have any information on that." Replying to a reporter's query about the lack of hospitals in Kukke Subramanya for the devotees, he said, "Ask this question to the BJP. People are voting for them but they have not done anything. This will be taken up with Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao." Referring to issuing ownership rights to the people living in forest lands, he said, "People have been living in forest lands and doing agriculture for generations. The Congress government will not bother them. No one will be evicted." Asked about increasing milk prices, he said, "The price of water has become Rs 25 now. Farmers are getting very low prices for milk and they had been demanding price hike. The cost of dairy farming has gone up significantly and the farmers have been demanding this for a while and hence prices have been hiked." "I sought the blessings of Lord Subramanya for the welfare of the State and its people and for good rains. Tamil Nadu has been demanding water. I hope we receive good rains and our dams fill up fast," he noted. (ANI) Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Tuesday said that the "Save Constitution campaign" initiated by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the party national president Mallikarjun Kharge gave a big victory to the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state in the recently held Lok Sabha election. "In the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the effect of the Save Constitution campaign by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge was that the people of Maharashtra gave a big victory to the Maha Vikas Aghadi. A meeting has been held today regarding the victory and the upcoming elections in Maharashtra," Nana Patole told ANI after the meeting of Maharashtra Congress leaders with the party's central leadership here. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, State leaders Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, Prithviraj Chavan, Vishwajeet Kadam, and others were present at the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Kharge at the party's headquarters in New Delhi. In the meeting, Congress leaders discussed the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in the state due later this year. The tenure of the Maharashtra Assembly ends on November 26 . Having performed well in the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Congress is now gearing up to strike big in the upcoming state elections and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Congress emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha election, winning 13 seats out of 17 that it had contested. In the 18th Lok Sabha polls, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), secured 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Some of the leaders in the Mumbai unit of the Congress want the party to make changes in the leadership structure to ensure victory. Currently, the Mumbai unit of the Congress is helmed by Varsha Gaikwad, who was recently elected to the Lok Sabha from Mumbai North East. With her elevation to the Lok Sabha, the Mumbai Congress has urged the party high command to make changes in the city unit. A senior Mumbai Congress leader said that they have collectively written a letter to the party's high command and have requested them to make necessary amendments to the party structure in view of the upcoming Assembly and BMC elections. The leader emphasised that they have not directly requested the party high command to change the Mumbai party chief, Varsha Gaikwad but they have written in their letter that the present Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) leadership is not taking leaders in Mumbai in confidence and they are not even being updated about the regular programmes of the MRCC. The leaders said in their letter that this lack of coordination may be very harmful in the upcoming assembly and BMC elections, and to form an MVA government in Maharashtra, a victory in Mumbai is an important precondition. Most of the signatories to the letter are already in Delhi and attended the meeting in the evening at 4 pm. The letter is signed by former MRCC presidents Bhai Jagtap, Janardan Chandurkar, Rajya Sabha MP and CWC member Chandrakant Handore, former minister Naseem Khan, Charan Singh Sapra, and others. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party core committee held a meeting at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's residence on June 22. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that in the meeting, the party analysed the entire Lok Sabha elections and the mistakes that were being made by the party in the elections. The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled to be held this year to elect 288 members of the state's legislative assembly. The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state.(ANI) Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad who took oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Uttar Pradesh's Nagina Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday said that he has come to the Parliament to protect the self-respect and rights of his people. "Today I took oath as MP inside the Parliament... even today our people have not got respect, basic facilities. Where are the jobs? Where is employment? The government will have to answer. We have come here to protect the self-respect and rights of our people and we will show it by doing it. We will raise our voice here, our people will become aware. We will force people in power not to be arrogant," Aazad said speaking to ANI after taking oath in Parliament. Earlier on Monday, on the first day of the inaugural session of the Parliament after the 18th Lok Sabha election, Aazad said that he will give voice to the concerns of those who are "not even considered humans". "...I am the voice of those who were not even considered human. Their voices were suppressed... I assure you that as long as I am in the Parliament, I will raise my voice for the people. Those who work against the Constitution and people will be questioned...," he said speaking to ANI. Earlier this month Aazad said that governments are responsible if people do not have access to basic facilities after decades of Independence. "If basic facilities are not reaching people after so many years of Independence, then the governments are responsible for it. Discussions should be on how to create new facilities for people, so many youths are unemployed, farmers are worried," Aazad said speaking to ANI. "They (farmers) are not getting their minimum wages nor do they have employment. They go to sell their produce every day but there is no one to buy. This is because more than 80 crore people are living a hand-to-mouth existence," he added. Azad emerged as the winning candidate from Nagina Lok Sabha constituency after defeating BJP's Om Kumar by a margin of 151473 votes. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party won 37 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 33, the Congress six, Rashtriya Lok Dal two, Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) one and Apna Dal (Soneylal) one seat. (ANI) Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said that it is very unusual that without reading the order of the trial court, Delhi High Court stayed the court order granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Speaking to ANI, the senior Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader said, "It is very unusual that without reading the order of the trial court, Delhi High Court stayed the court order granting bail to Kejriwal...We will make a legal strategy regarding it..." The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Arvind Kejriwal's bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of section 45 of Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order. The bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain in the order stated, "The Court ought to maintain a delegate balance between a judgment of acquittal and conviction and order granting bail much before commencement of trial. The Court is not supposed to weigh the evidence meticulously. However, the Vacation Judge in the impugned Order has not discussed the requirement of section 45 of PMLA while passing the impugned Order. The trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of the twin conditions of section 45 of PMLA before passing the impugned order." "The perusal of the Impugned Order reflects that the Vacation Judge has passed the Impugned order without going through and appreciating the entire material brought on record by the rival parties which reflects perversity in Impugned Order," observed Delhi HC while dealing with the arguments made by ED counsel, stating that impugned Order passed by trial Judge has observed that it is not possible to go through thousands of pages of documents filed by the respective parties but the court must work upon the matter whichever comes for consideration and passed the order per law. On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively reserve orders on the ED's application to stay the bail order and halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order. (ANI) Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Tuesday said that during the emergency period, people suffered a lot adding that it is important to be aware of the history of our country and the Constitution. "It has been 49 years since the emergency was imposed in our country...People who suffered during the emergency period shared their experiences...It is very important to go through the lived reality so that our country is more stronger," K Annamalai said after attending a programme on Emergency titled 'An Insult to the Constitution' organised here by Citizen for Social Justice, Bengaluru. "These kinds of programs create awareness among the citizens to keep our country and Constitution safe. If you don't learn from history, you are condemned to repeat it. The price we pay for our liberty is eternal vigilance," he added. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi, in sharp criticism of the Congress, said that the dark days of the Emergency are a reminder of how the Congress Party trampled over the Constitution of India.Taking to X, PM Modi posted, "Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the emergency. The Dark Days of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly." He further said that just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle. "Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections," the prime minister wrote. The Emergency, which is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history, was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to 1977.There were political arrests, mass forced sterilisation and beautification drives, among others during the period. All key opposition leaders at the time, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, and Jay Prakash Narayanan, among others, were either jailed or placed under detention. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday issued instructions to the police to initiate strict action against illegal pubs in the state and bulldoze all structures violating building rules. "I have given directions to initiate strict action against illegal pubs and bulldoze all structures that are against the building rules," Eknath Shinde told reporters here. "I also directed the police to initiate renewed action against drug peddlers to make Pune a drug-free city," he added. The Chief Minister's remarks came amid the outrage in Pune city over a viral video of a bar in which minors can be seen allegedly consuming drugs in the bar's washroom during a late-night party. On Monday, the Pune Police raided and sealed the bar in the city for allegedly serving drugs to minors. Four police officials have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the incident. The police have suspended one Assistant Police Inspector, one Police Inspector, and two constables attached to Shivaji Nagar Police Station. The police have also arrested 8 people in the case. The operation was carried out at the pub located in the posh area after a video surfaced on social media showing minor boys consuming drugs in the bar's washroom during a late-night party. Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar ordered an immediate probe into the matter, leading to a late-night raids. Police teams conducted a thorough search of the premises and sealed the bar early the next day. The owner of the pub and five others were arrested in connection with the case and produced before a Pune Magistrate court and later sent to police custody till June 29 by the court. The incident has sparked outrage among residents in Pune, with many demanding stricter enforcement of laws and regulations to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. The police have assured that they will continue to crack down on illegal pubs and bars engaging in illegal activities and uphold the safety and well-being of minors in the city. (ANI) Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Tuesday visited the historical Banganga Lake site after a contractor assigned the desilting work of the 11th-century Banganga temple tank in Mumbai's Malabar Hill area, mowed over the surrounding heritage steps with a JCB machine, causing damage to them. The Minister said that he contacted Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to file an FIR against the contractor responsible for damaging the heritage steps . He also ordered the blacklisting of the contractor. The minister said that he directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Mumbai Municipal Corporation officials to start repair work of the damaged heritage steps immediately. The repair work will be completed within the next 72 hours, he added. He also instructed the formation of a local committee to oversee future work and ordered the establishment of a committee by Mumbai Municipal Corporation officials to investigate the entire incident. This committee will submit a report within the next 15 days, he said. The heritage steps around the 11th-century Banganga tank being repaired after they were left damaged during desilting works here. The damage was caused by a JCB machine that was used during the desilting being carried out by a BMC contractor. "We are always committed to preserving and conserving Mumbai's historical heritage. The site will soon be restored to its original state," Lodha said. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has rapped the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the damage, stating that Banganga is a state-protected monument and the use of the JCB machine has wrecked the steps. The GSB Temple Trust, which owns the Banganga tank has also pressed for an FIR to be registered against the BMC for its negligence. Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora targeted the BMC for its misgovernance and said this will not be tolerated under chief minister Eknath Shinde. He alleged that the BMC has been plundered "as an ATM for almost 3 decades". "Glad to see the GSB Temple Trust & @ASIGoI taking action against those responsible for the #Banganga mishap. They have my full support. @mybmc has been plundered as an ATM for almost 3 decades. Under @mieknathshinde Ji, we will not tolerate BMC's misgovernance," he said in a post on X. (ANI) This event focused on the recently enacted criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). This initiative is meant to raise nationwide awareness and understanding of these transformative legal changes, particularly for the benefit of women and children. The first such webinar was conducted on June 21, 2024. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the webinar, ensuring further dissemination and engagement across various sections of society, featured opening addresses by the Secretary of MoPR and the Joint Secretary of MoWCD and MoRD, who highlighted the key provisions of the new laws. Experts from the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and MoWCD provided in-depth insights into the positive impacts of these laws on women and children, emphasizing features related to their protection, dignity, safety, and security. The event saw participation from nearly 50 lakh stakeholders, including elected representatives from Panchayati Raj institutions, especially women representatives, women's self-help groups, and various stakeholders from MWCD, MoRD, and MoPR. The passing of these reformative laws aligns with the broader vision of the Prime Minister to strengthen the legal framework for empowering women and children in India. (ANI) Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP T Krishna Prasad on Tuesday said that he was "shocked" after AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi took oath as a member of the Lok Sabha with the words "Jai Palestine". AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday concluded his oath-taking as a member of the Lok Sabha with the words "Jai Palestine". "I am happy and proud of taking the oath in Sanskrit... As far as Asaduddin Owaisi is concerned, the people of the country would have been happy had he said, Jai Bharat... I was shocked when I heard him say this. He could have said Jai Bharat and Jai Hindustan," TDP MP told ANI. While being sworn in as an MP in the 18th Session of the Lok Sabha, Owaisi ended his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine." Taking to his official X handle, Owaisi posted, "Sworn in as a member of Lok Sabha for the fifth time. Inshallah, I will continue to raise issues of India's marginalised with sincerity." Speaking with ANI, Owaisi said, "Everyone is saying a lot of things... I just said "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine"...How it is against, show the provision in the Constitution?" On being asked the reason for saying 'Jai Palestine', Owaisi said, "Waha ki awaam mahroom hai (The people there are destitute). Mahatma Gandhi has said so many things regarding Palestine and one can go and read." Several Palestinians have been facing the brunt of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. (ANI) WINDHOEK, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China's support is enhancing productivity in Namibia's agricultural sector and contributing to economic growth, a government official said Monday. Jona Musheko, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, said in an interview with Xinhua that ongoing Chinese investments include assistance toward agricultural technology adoption, technical assistance, and technical facilities. This support is part of the long-standing collaborative 1.7-million-U.S.-dollar UN Food and Agricultural Organization-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Program Phase 2 tripartite agreement, which aims to assist Namibia's agricultural sector from September 2023 to Sept. 30, 2025. "Upon signature of the project document in November 2023, implementation is underway," Musheko said. The expansive support would derive benefits and opportunities for citizens in areas such as soil fertility, plant health, seed production, vocational training in agriculture, and poultry production. Regarding poultry production, the goal is to help rural women and youth establish or expand indigenous chicken enterprises by providing technical assistance in poultry production to enhance productivity. Additionally, the project focuses on improving soil fertility. According to Musheko, Namibian soils are naturally poor, and local farmers lack knowledge about nutrient requirements, nutrient balance in the soil, and the need for fertilizer application for optimal yields. "The SSC would, therefore, provide soil experts with the capacity to capacitate researchers, extension personnel, and farmers in all aspects of soil management," he added. Meanwhile, the Namibian government has aligned the project with its national programs and development agenda to achieve more efficient and sustainable agricultural production. "It is expected to enhance Namibia's capacity, diversify its economy, and contribute to technology transfer, skills development for locals, and increased national productivity," he said. According to him, the Namibian ministry, which will lead the project, has established a national Project Steering Committee to provide overall guidance, coordination, and deployment of 11 Chinese experts and three technicians. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to enter a plea deal with the Joe Biden administration that could pave the way for him to avoid imprisonment in the United States, according to recently filed federal court documents, CNN reported. The WikiLeaks founder has reportedly consented to plead guilty to a felony charge connected to his alleged involvement in one of the largest breaches of classified US government material. This agreement, if approved by a federal judge, would see Assange receiving a 62-month sentence, which matches the duration he has already served in London's high-security Belmarsh prison while contesting extradition to the US. The plea deal includes crediting his time served, potentially allowing Assange to immediately return to his native Australia. Assange's release from Belmarsh was confirmed by WikiLeaks, who announced on Tuesday that he had been granted bail by the High Court in London and subsequently departed from Stansted airport. A video posted by the organisation showed Assange boarding a plane after leaving the UK, as reported by CNN. https://x.com/wikileaks/status/1805391265489731716 According to the US District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a plea hearing and sentencing have been scheduled for Wednesday morning. Prosecutors explained to the court that Assange preferred not to set foot in the continental US for his guilty plea, hence the choice of venue near Australia, where he intends to return following the court proceedings. The Justice Department prosecutors anticipate Assange will plead guilty to the charge and be sentenced accordingly. Assange had been sought by US authorities for publishing confidential military records leaked by Chelsea Manning between 2010 and 2011. He faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment related to the breach, which carried a potential maximum sentence of up to 175 years in prison, although it was unlikely he would receive the full term. US officials alleged Assange had actively encouraged Manning to obtain extensive amounts of unfiltered US diplomatic cables, potentially endangering confidential sources, as well as significant Iraq war-related reports and Guantanamo Bay detainee information, according to CNN. President Joe Biden had hinted at a potential deal, supported by Australian government officials, to facilitate Assange's return to Australia. However, FBI and Justice Department officials insisted that any agreement include a felony guilty plea by Assange, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by CNN. Last month, a UK court ruled in Assange's favour, granting him the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the US. This decision marked a significant victory for Assange after years of legal battles aimed at avoiding prosecution in the United States for the charges levelled against him. Assange's case has drawn international attention and sparked debates over freedom of the press, government transparency, and the legal implications of publishing classified information. His journey from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought asylum for seven years, to incarceration in Belmarsh, and now potentially to a plea deal and return to Australia, has been closely followed by supporters, critics, and legal experts alike, CNN reported. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], June 25 (ANI/TPS): For the first time since October 7, Thailand will resume sending agricultural workers to Israel on Sunday, the Thai Ministry of Labour said on Monday. The ministry aims to send 10,000 labourers by the end of the year. Israeli agriculture is facing staggering losses in production and manpower. Before October 7, Israel had roughly 30,000 Thai labourers working in farms, orchards, greenhouses, and packing plants. Many opted to be repatriated after the war's outbreak, while others in safer areas of the country chose to stay. Israeli workers who might have filled labor gaps were called up for military reserve duty while Palestinian workers are currently banned as security risks. "The government asked for the cooperation of the Israeli government to help emphasize to employers to take care of the safety of Thai workers," the ministry's statement said. During Hamas's October 7 attacks, 39 Thai labourers working in agricultural communities near the Gaza border were killed and another 32 were taken, hostage. Most were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November, but six are still captive in Gaza, and their fate remains uncertain. Some Thai workers repatriated after the war's outbreak returned to Israel on their own, saying they could make more money than they would in Thailand. On Tuesday, Israeli officials approved a quota to import 92,000 foreign workers to fill gaps in agriculture, industry, hotels and restaurants. Since October 7, Hezbollah rocket barrages and drone attacks have killed 22 Israelis and foreign nationals. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent thousands of residents of northern Israel from returning to their homes. Many growing areas are within two kilometers of the Lebanese border where farmers have not been able to freely access fields and orchards. However, residents of Gaza border areas are gradually returning to their communities. And the labour shortage has impacted farms in central Israel and the Jordan Valley, which are not on the front. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead. (ANI/TPS) The Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, slammed the United States over the recent missile attack in Crimea, and accused Washington of supporting the "crimes of the Kyiv regime. He said that the crimes were "committed purposefully" during the concentration of the maximum people, adding that the attackers didn't even spare women and children. "The administration (US) demonstratively supports the crimes of the Kiev regime. It took the side of international terrorism," the Russian envoy said on Monday, in a press briefing on being asked about the US''silence' on the issue. "There is no justification for the bloody acts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The crimes were committed purposefully during the concentration of the maximum number of Russians on the shore. The bandits did not even hesitate to kill women and children on a Christian holiday, revered by all," he added. This comes after at least five people were killed and over 100 were injured after missile fragments scattered over beachgoers during a Ukrainian strike on the city of Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea, CNN reported citing authorities. The Russian Ministry of Defence said in a post on Telegram that Ukraine carried out the attack using "US-supplied ATACMS operational-tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads." Anatoly Antonov further slammed the US saying its supply of weapons to Ukraine, stating that it "testifies the desire" of the local authorities. "Americans cannot sit overseas and escape responsibility for the blood and tears of innocent people. The supply of American weapons to the puppets, giving them the right to attack civilians, only testifies to the desire of the local authorities to continue the war, regardless of human casualties," he said. "It is obvious to policymakers in Washington that cluster munitions in ATACMS missiles cannot be launched without the participation of American specialists and support from US intelligence. It is no coincidence that enemy drones are circling over the Black Sea almost every day," Antonov added. The envoy called it a death of America's "pseudo-humane" foreign policy "All this indicates the death of America's pseudo-humane foreign policy in the bloody swamp of the Ukrainian crisis. It becomes almost impossible for Russophobes to justify their direct involvement in the conflict in the post-Soviet space," he further stated. He also expressed condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased and wounded in the terror attack and also wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Notably, Crimea has been under Russian control since its forces annexed the peninsula in 2014. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, it has come under sporadic attack from Ukrainian forces. Kyiv has previously insisted that its strikes on Crimea, which have targeted Russian naval bases and vessels, are an integral part of their strategy, intended to try to isolate the peninsula and make it more difficult for Russia to sustain its military operations on the Ukrainian mainland, a Ukrainian source familiar with the strategy told CNN last year. (ANI) French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning on Monday, cautioning that a victory for either the far left or the far right in the upcoming snap election could potentially ignite "civil war," Politico - an American political newspaper, reported. Macron expressed concerns about the divisive policies pursued by both ends of the political spectrum. He singled out Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and the far-left France Unbowed, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon, accusing them of exacerbating tensions within French society. Macron criticised the far-right's approach to insecurity, arguing that it "reduces people to their religion or their origin" and therefore "pushes people towards civil war," Politico reported, citing an interview with the podcast "Generation Do It Yourself." Similarly, he denounced the far-left's strategy of dividing people along religious or ethnic lines for electoral gains, warning that such tactics also sow seeds of potential conflict. The French president's decision to call for a snap election on June 9 came after his coalition suffered a significant setback against the National Rally in the European elections. As France prepares for parliamentary elections, Macron expressed concern that a surge in support for the far right could result in a record number of National Rally members in the National Assembly, according to Politico. Recent polls indicate a competitive electoral landscape, with the National Rally projected to secure 35 per cent of the vote in the first round, ahead of a left-wing alliance, including France Unbowed, at 27 per cent, and Macron's centrist party at 19 per cent. Macron and his allies have been vocal in highlighting the potential risks associated with a victory for either extreme end of the political spectrum. On Monday, the president went a step further in warning what he called the "extremes" increase in "conflict and civil war." "When you are fed up, and daily life is hard, you can be tempted to vote for the extremes that have quicker solutions. But the solution will never be to reject others," he said, Politico reported. (ANI) In a significant escalation of tensions, Taiwan reported on Tuesday that a total of 17 China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 8 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected operating around Taiwan as of 6 am (UTC+8) today. According to the Ministry of National Defence, 10 of the Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), prompting a response from Taiwan's Armed Forces. The situation has been closely monitored, with Taiwanese military forces taking necessary actions in response to the presence of Chinese military assets near Taiwan's airspace and waters. "17 #PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around #Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 10 of the aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," said Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence in a post on X. This development reflects ongoing tensions between Beijing and Taipei over issues of sovereignty and regional security. The Ministry of National Defence reiterated Taiwan's commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity and maintaining regional stability amid heightened military activities in the area. The presence of PLA aircraft and PLAN vessels near Taiwan has raised concerns internationally, particularly amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States and other regional allies have been closely monitoring the situation, underscoring the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan. Grey zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force." This latest incident adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into ADIZ. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue in China's foreign policy. China continues to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan, considers it a part of its territory, and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. (ANI) Addressing the speculation surrounding a purported deal, the former Punjab chief minister clarified his stance, stating that he remains firmly aligned with Imran Khan and debunking any claims of negotiations with authorities. Elahi pointedly refuted the rumours, attributing their spread to certain relatives, including Mohsin Naqvi, whom he mentioned by name. Emphasising his commitment to PTI, Elahi highlighted his personal sacrifices for the party, including enduring periods of incarceration. He issued a stern warning to those attempting to sow discord within PTI, asserting their efforts would ultimately fail, and confidently predicted the party's imminent return to power, as reported by ARY News. Elahi further called for accountability from those responsible for electoral malpractice, demanding they publicly apologise to the nation for undermining the democratic process. The statement follows Elahi's recent release from Kot Lakhpat Jail, where he had been detained for several months. The Lahore High Court granted him bail in a case related to alleged illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly, a decision delivered by Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmad after earlier reserved verdicts. Expressing gratitude upon his release, Elahi thanked his supporters for their unwavering loyalty during his legal challenges. He credited his resilience to divine strength and acknowledged the judiciary for upholding justice in his case. Elahi's legal troubles stemmed from accusations of facilitating illegal appointments within the Punjab Assembly, specifically involving 12 purportedly unauthorised placements of Grade 17 officers. The charges included claims of manipulating records and employing fraudulent testing services to benefit favoured candidates. Initially arrested on June 3 last year, Elahi faced subsequent detentions related to additional corruption allegations. Despite legal manoeuvres attempting to challenge his judicial remand, Elahi remained resolute throughout the legal proceedings. As he returned to his residence after his release, Elahi expressed optimism for PTI's future and reiterated his support for Imran Khan's leadership, ARY News reported. (ANI) Amid escalating tensions, Russia has accused the United States of orchestrating a "barbaric" attack in Crimea, that relied on missiles provided by the US that resulted in casualties, including children, and left scores wounded, Al Jazeera reported. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday, condemning the incident as a "proxy war" instigated by Washington and vowing retaliatory measures in response. Ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has consistently framed the conflict as a proxy war with Western support. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed reporters, asserting that the US supplies weapons to Ukraine to safeguard its sovereignty. Ambassador Tracy conveyed regret over any civilian casualties resulting from the recent escalation, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Kremlin has strongly criticised the US decision to allow Ukraine to deploy supplied weapons against targets within Russian territory, warning of potential escalation and repercussions. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the attack on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula involved five US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles. The ministry reported that four missiles were intercepted, while a fifth exploded in mid-air. Moscow alleged that US specialists coordinated the missile strikes using data from American spy satellites. "Such actions by Washington ... will not be left without response," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday as it summoned the ambassador. "There will definitely be response measures." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov condemned the missile strike as "absolutely barbaric" during a press conference, affirming that Moscow would respond to US involvement. "You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington ... why their governments are killing Russian children," he suggested to reporters present, according to Al Jazeera. He also referenced President Vladimir Putin's recent remarks on supplying armaments to potentially strike Western targets, including a new military alliance pact with North Korea, which has raised concerns among Western allies. Russian officials have issued warnings about the Ukraine conflict entering a perilous phase, with Putin emphasising the risk of broader conflicts involving nuclear powers. Directly accusing the US of orchestrating a deadly attack in Crimea--a region annexed by Russia in 2014 but internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory--marks a significant escalation in rhetoric. "We perfectly understand who is behind this," Peskov said, adding that it was clear who supplied weapons to Ukraine, aimed them and provided data for them. "Of course, the involvement of the United States in the fighting, as a result of which peaceful Russians are dying, cannot but have consequences," Peskov said, adding, "Which ones exactly, time will tell," Al Jazeera reported. (ANI) Suspected debris from a Chinese rocket was observed falling over a village in southwest China on Saturday, as captured in dramatic videos circulating on Chinese social media and shared with CNN by a local witness. The incident unfolded shortly after a Long March 2C carrier rocket lifted off at 3 pm local time Saturday (3 am Eastern Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. This launch aimed to place into orbit the Space Variable Objects Monitor, a collaborative satellite project between China and France designed to study gamma-ray bursts. Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it a priority to elevate China's status as a leading space power, increasing the frequency of missions to enhance China's competitiveness against major global players such as the United States, as reported by CNN. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned contractor responsible for developing the Long March 2C rocket, declared Saturday's launch a "complete success." CNN reached out to both CASC and the State Council Information Office, which handles press inquiries for the Chinese government and its space agency, for comment on the incident. Videos posted on Kuaishou, a Chinese short-video platform, depicted a cylindrical piece of debris descending over a rural village, crashing near a hill with yellow smoke billowing from one end. CNN's analysis geolocated the footage to Xianqiao village in Guizhou province, which borders Sichuan to the southeast, where the launch site is situated. The video originated from an IP address in Guizhou and showcased multiple angles of the debris descending, including villagers, including children, fleeing while observing the orange trail in the sky, with some covering their ears in anticipation of the crash. By Monday afternoon, several videos had been removed from Chinese social media platforms. Eyewitness accounts shared on social media described hearing a loud explosion upon impact, with one witness telling CNN they saw the rocket fall with their own eyes. They described experiencing a pungent odour and hearing the sound of the explosion afterwards. A government notice, subsequently deleted but reposted by a local villager following the launch, outlined plans for a "rocket debris recovery mission" scheduled from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. local time on Saturday in Xinba Town, near Xianqiao village. Residents were advised to vacate their homes and other structures an hour before the launch, moving to open areas to observe the sky. The notice cautioned against approaching the debris to avoid potential harm from toxic gases and explosions. Residents were strictly prohibited from photographing the debris or disseminating related videos online, according to the notice. Local authorities reported no immediate injuries resulting from the incident. Markus Schiller, a rocket expert and associate senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, identified the debris as likely the first-stage booster of the Long March 2C rocket. He noted the rocket's use of a highly toxic liquid propellant composed of nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), which produces distinctive orange smoke trails and poses significant health risks due to its toxicity and carcinogenic nature. "This combination always creates these orange smoke trails. It's extremely toxic and carcinogenic," Schiller said. "Every living being that inhales that stuff will have a hard time in the near future," he added. Schiller emphasised that such incidents are not uncommon in China due to the geographical positioning of its launch sites. Rockets typically launch eastward to leverage Earth's rotation for additional thrust, often passing over villages in the booster's trajectory during the initial stages of flight. China operates three primary inland launch sites: Xichang in the southwest, Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert to the northwest, and Taiyuan in the north, all established during the Cold War for security reasons, distant from coastal areas. In 2016, China inaugurated its fourth launch site at Wenchang in Hainan Island, the country's southernmost province, reflecting its ongoing expansion and development in space exploration capabilities. In contrast, NASA and the European Space Agency predominantly conduct launches from coastal locations directed towards open ocean, reducing the risk of populated areas being affected by falling debris. Western space agencies have largely phased out the use of highly toxic liquid propellants in favour of safer alternatives for civilian space programs, a move China and Russia have yet to emulate. Multi-stage rockets, like the Long March series, shed debris during initial stages shortly after launch, with trajectories typically predicted and managed before liftoff. Prior to each launch, China's civil aviation authority issues notices to pilots, known as NOTAMs, marking "temporary danger areas" where rocket debris may descend. Instances of rocket debris impacting villages in China have been documented previously, including a December 2023 incident where rocket debris damaged two homes in southern Hunan Province. In 2002, fragments from a satellite launch injured a boy in Shaanxi province when they fell into his village. "I expect that we'll see something like that for quite a while, for many years to come," Schiller said. The international space community has previously criticised China for its handling of debris from out-of-control rocket boosters re-entering Earth's atmosphere. In 2021, NASA condemned China for failing to adhere to responsible standards after debris from a Long March 5B rocket uncontrollably crashed into the Indian Ocean west of the Maldives following re-entry, CNN reported. (ANI) Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday emphasised the critical need for India to invest in the modernisation of its armed forces amidst evolving security challenges. He was addressing the Capstone Seminar organised jointly by the Indian Air Force, the College of Air Warfare, and the Centre for Air Power Studies. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari also underscored India's strategic culture and its relevance in facing current security challenges. Addressing the audience at the Air Force Auditorium in Subroto Park, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari highlighted, "Our strategic culture is shaped by historical experiences and the ever-evolving geopolitical environment. It emphasises strategic autonomy, caution, and a strong focus on territorial integrity." He also navigated through the multifaceted challenges facing India, ranging from border disputes and terrorism to cyber threats and regional volatility. "integrity. The contemporary security landscape presents multifaceted challenges, from border disputes and terrorism to cyber threats and regional volatility," he said. He stressed the imperative for India to modernise its armed forces, foster strategic partnerships, boost indigenous defence production, and adopt a comprehensive approach to security. "To navigate through these turbulent times and secure our national interests, India must invest in the modernization of its armed forces, strengthen strategic partnerships, promote indigenous defence production, and adopt an integrated approach to both internal and external security," he added. Highlighting the diverse viewpoints on India's strategic heritage, he remarked, "On the other hand, Euro thinkers will assert that the practice of statecraft in India has been witnessed throughout history, and epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata display India's grand strategic thought." Acknowledging the significance of effective strategic planning, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari noted, "It's also a cogent argument that many great pieces of advice for the modern period onwards have survived and thrived, which is not possible without an effective grand strategy." Reflecting on India's enduring strategic practices, he added, "Whether India has a strategic culture or not, as a matter of opinion, our realpolitik, statecraft, and diplomacy have always been integral to our historical, domestic, and contemporary geopolitics." In referencing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent contributions, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari highlighted, "The Honourable External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, in his recent book 'Why Bharat Matters,' offers a novel approach to contemporary, complex international situations by presenting his perspective through the lens of epic drama." The seminar, attended by prominent figures, explored novel approaches to international relations in the context of India's rich cultural and strategic heritage. (ANI) Protesters passionately declared, "Pashtuns will not allow their land to be used for further operations and wars," reflecting the sentiments of the participants. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) also staged a major gathering (Jalsa) on June 22 in Razmak, North Waziristan tribal district. The rally vehemently condemned the rise in target killings, enforced disappearances, and threats from landmines, demanding an end to violence and human rights abuses in the region. Thousands of people participated in this demonstration against what they perceive as ongoing oppression, state terrorism, exploitation of mineral resources, target killings, and kidnappings. "We will not tolerate this terrorist policy of the establishment and the army anymore. In this policy, not only the Pashtuns, but all nations and the lower class people are being exploited," asserted PTM founder Manzoor Pashteen. He further criticised, "This is terrorism, and behind it is the uniform. If the military's terrorist policy is not changed, soon the common people will get fed up and overthrow the military regime. We are closely monitoring the public anger." The recent rally underscores PTM's growing influence and the mounting frustration among Pashtuns regarding military operations in their homeland. The turnout at the rally signals widespread discontent and a pressing call for change. Participants expressed their yearning for peace and justice, stressing the urgency to halt military operations and establish a fair and equitable system that upholds the rights and freedoms of all citizens. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), established in 2018, is a grassroots movement advocating for the rights of Pashtuns in Pakistan. Led by Manzoor Pashteen, PTM emerged in response to human rights violations faced by Pashtuns, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the threat of landmines in their regions. The movement organises peaceful protests and rallies, demanding accountability from the Pakistani military and government. Despite facing significant repression, PTM continues to champion justice and equality. (ANI) Elena Tatomir, general director of the Directorate General for Agricultural Policy at the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture in Bucharest, Romania, on June 25, 2024. The China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM) in Bucharest, aiming to enhance collaborative research in agricultural science and technological innovation. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) BUCHAREST, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM) in Bucharest, aiming to enhance collaborative research in agricultural science and technological innovation. This joint initiative was built by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the UASVM, with support from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the Chinese Embassy in Romania and the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture. Wu Kongming, president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, hailed the laboratory's establishment as a significant milestone in China-Romania scientific cooperation, emphasizing its role in green agricultural development. Elena Tatomir, general director of the Directorate General for Agricultural Policy at the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted the importance of this collaboration for the future of Romanian agriculture, particularly in greenhouse vegetable cultivation. Chinese Ambassador to Romania Han Chunlin said the laboratory is a crucial achievement under the "Belt and Road" Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan, fostering deeper scientific, technological, and cultural exchanges between the two nations. Han added that the laboratory has significantly impacted Central and Eastern Europe, supporting cultural exchanges, technology promotion, and production capacity cooperation. UASVM Rector Sorin Cimpeanu and its Vice-Rector Florin Stanica both underlined the laboratory's role in advancing facility agricultural technologies and energy-saving solutions. Since 2019, the initiative of the joint laboratory has completed various projects, including a plant factory with artificial light, a double-layer energy-saving greenhouse, and an edible fungus factory. Participants visit a greenhouse at the opening ceremony of the China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture in Bucharest, Romania, on June 25, 2024. The China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM) in Bucharest, aiming to enhance collaborative research in agricultural science and technological innovation. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) Sorin Cimpeanu (L), rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Wu Kongming (C), president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Chinese Ambassador to Romania Han Chunlin attend the opening ceremony of the China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture in Bucharest, Romania, on June 25, 2024. The China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM) in Bucharest, aiming to enhance collaborative research in agricultural science and technological innovation. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) Sorin Cimpeanu, rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture in Bucharest, Romania, on June 25, 2024. The China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UASVM) in Bucharest, aiming to enhance collaborative research in agricultural science and technological innovation. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated his government's firm stance on the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, emphasising the need for his return to Australia amidst ongoing legal proceedings in the United States. The WikiLeaks founder has left the United Kingdom after he agreed to enter a plea deal with the Joe Biden administration that could pave the way for him to avoid imprisonment in the United States. https://x.com/AlboMP/status/1805474218534224009 "The Australian Government has consistently said that Mr Assange's case has dragged on for too long, and that there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. We want him brought home to Australia," Prime Minister Albanese told the Australian parliament. Acknowledging the complexities of Assange's legal situation, Prime Minister Albanese added, "The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States. While this is a welcome development, we recognise that these proceedings are crucial and delicate." Prime Minister Albanese affirmed his longstanding advocacy for Assange's case, emphasising bipartisan support for his return. "I've been very clear, as both the Labor leader in opposition and as Prime Minister, that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long," he stated. Highlighting diplomatic efforts, Prime Minister Albanese emphasised, "There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration, and we want him brought home to Australia. We have engaged and advocated Australia's interests, using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, and I've done that since very early on in my prime ministership." The WikiLeaks founder has reportedly consented to plead guilty to a felony charge connected to his alleged involvement in one of the largest breaches of classified US government material. This agreement, if approved by a federal judge, would see Assange receiving a 62-month sentence, which matches the duration he has already served in London's high-security Belmarsh prison while contesting extradition to the US. The plea deal includes crediting his time served, potentially allowing Assange to immediately return to his native Australia. Assange's release from Belmarsh was confirmed by WikiLeaks, who announced on Tuesday that he had been granted bail by the High Court in London and subsequently departed from Stansted airport. A video posted by the organisation showed Assange boarding a plane after leaving the UK, as reported by CNN. Last month, a UK court ruled in Assange's favour, granting him the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the US. This decision marked a significant victory for Assange after years of legal battles aimed at avoiding prosecution in the United States for the charges levelled against him. Assange's case has drawn international attention and sparked debates over freedom of the press, government transparency, and the legal implications of publishing classified information. His journey from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought asylum for seven years, to incarceration in Belmarsh, and now potentially to a plea deal and return to Australia, has been closely followed by supporters, critics, and legal experts alike, CNN reported. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has staunchly opposed Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, asserting that any military intervention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be vehemently resisted, according to a report by ARY News. During a high-level meeting held in Islamabad, PTI leaders including Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Asad Qaiser gathered to deliberate on the implications of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting culminated in a unified stance against the proposed operation, as conveyed by PTI leader Iqbal Afridi. Afridi emphasized that the party's unanimous decision is to refer the matter to a Jirga, a traditional assembly of elders, for a final determination on whether the operation should proceed, as reported by ARY News. Ali Amin Gandapur provided an overview of past anti-terrorism efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, further solidifying PTI's stance against the operation. The party members reiterated their opposition, affirming that they would adamantly oppose any such military action within the province. The dissent against Operation Azm-e-Istehkam was echoed by other political entities as well. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), denounced the initiative as destabilising and potentially weakening Pakistan. In a press conference, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the operation, renaming it "Adm-e-Istehkam," indicating his belief that it could exacerbate Pakistan's vulnerabilities rather than strengthen its security. Similarly, Asfandyar Wali Khan, leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), voiced reservations about the military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khan, whose party has historically borne significant sacrifices in combating terrorism, expressed concerns over the operation's implications. He emphasised the necessity of a comprehensive national action plan before any military engagement is undertaken. The PTI's decision to oppose Operation Azm-e-Istehkam coincided with the convening of the Central Apex Committee of National Action Plan, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The committee endorsed a revitalized national counterterrorism strategy through the launch of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, underscoring a collective resolve among stakeholders, including provinces and territories like Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In response to the Prime Minister's endorsement, PTI remained steadfast in its position against the operation, reflecting broader concerns within political circles regarding the operational efficacy and strategic implications of such military campaigns. The PTI's decision 'came after the meeting of the Central Apex Committee of National Action Plan, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "The prime minister approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counterterrorism campaign through the launching of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, with the consensus of all stakeholders including the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement issued after the meeting, ARY News reported. (ANI) The terrorists based themselves in school compounds and were operating inside two structures in the Shati and Daraj Tuffah areas of northern Gaza at the time of the strikes. The army said several of the terrorists killed had been involved in the October 7 attacks, held hostages and were planning further attacks. "The Hamas terrorist organization continuously violates international law by systematically exploiting civilian structures and using the civilian population as human shields for its terror activity against Israel," the IDF's statement said. The army has repeatedly found Hamas weapons, tunnel shafts and command centers in schools, hospitals, homes and UN facilities. In recent days, Israeli airstrikes and raids have targeted buildings used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a UNRWA facility, a Gaza university and residential homes, as well as a rocket launching site placed inside a humanitarian zone. Aerial surveillance checks, precise munitions, and additional intelligence measures were used to mitigate harm to civilians. Palestinian reports said a sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was among the dead in the Shati strike but details were not clear. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead. (ANI/TPS) The demonstration in Turbat, Balochistan, organised by families of forcibly disappeared individuals, entered its ninth consecutive day on Tuesday. Despite this, the administration continues to ignore the demonstrators' demands for the safe return of their loved ones, according to a statement by the Baloch Yajjehti Committee (BYC). The BYC's statement accused the administration of deliberately harassing the Baloch community through genocidal acts. It asserted, "The state's oppressive practices, aimed at physically harming the disappeared individuals and causing psychological distress to their families, are designed to destroy Baloch society--a crime and a violation of human rights." "When individuals disappear and their families protest peacefully, they are left abandoned, hopeless, and in despair. This reality underscores the state's direct genocide against the Baloch people," the BYC statement added, criticizing the state's failure to address legitimate demands as a denial of its brutal practices. The BYC labeled the situation in Balochistan as state-inflicted genocide and urged the international community to act. "Witnessing genocide and remaining silent amounts to approval of cruelty and barbarism against a nation. The world must not ignore such atrocities but condemn them unequivocally," the statement emphasised. Prominent Baloch rights activist Mahrang Balcoh echoed similar concerns, stating, "Pakistan is intensifying its policy of Baloch genocide, including enforced disappearances. Recently, two cases of mutilated bodies of disappeared persons were reported in Panjgur and Soorab, Balochistan." Baloch continued, "The Baloch people are protesting against this genocide. Today marks the 9th day of the Baloch Missing Persons family sit-in in Turbat. Extrajudicial killings have instilled fear among the victims' families, making Balochistan the worst region for human rights violations. I urge human rights organisations to raise their voices against these abuses and hold Pakistan accountable on the international stage." (ANI) A Liberal member of Parliament has criticised the recent decision for MPs to stand in the House of Commons for a moment of silence marking the anniversary of the killing of Sikh separatist and India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, reports The Globe and Mail. Chandra Arya, MP for Nepean, voiced discontent with his own government's stance. He referenced a Globe and Mail investigation revealing Canadian authorities' concerns about Nijjar's alleged ties to extremism. In an interview with the newspaper on Monday, Arya remarked on the exclusivity of parliamentary honours, stating, "When Parliament decides to hold a moment of silence, it is very exclusive and limited to a few great Canadians who have immensely served Canadians for most of their lives. Nijjar is not one of these people." He criticised the elevation of Nijjar's status despite "credible allegations" linking his killing to a foreign government. On June 18, MPs from all parties observed a moment of silence for Nijjar, who was fatally shot outside his gurdwara in Surrey, BC, a year earlier, an incident Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked to "credible allegations" involving the Indian government, leading to strained diplomatic relations. Arya, known for advocating stronger ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and opposing Khalistan separatist movements, expressed concern over Nijjar's background. He cited findings that Nijjar had entered Canada using a fake passport, promoted violence, and was associated with Sikh militants advocating for Khalistan in Punjab. The investigation also revealed Nijjar's presence on Canada's no-fly list and multiple instances of police questioning. The MP highlighted worries that elements within the Khalistan movement were propagating conspiracy theories about the 1985 Air India bombing, which claimed 329 lives, mostly Canadians. Canadian inquiries attributed the bombing to Sikh extremists, including Talwinder Singh Parmar, identified as its mastermind. Following the bombing, Parmar, based in British Columbia, fled and was later killed by Indian police in 1992. Two men initially charged were acquitted of first-degree murder. The RCMP maintains an open investigation into the case. Recent disruptions by Khalistan supporters at Air India bombing memorials prompted condemnation from the families of the victims. Deepak Khandelwal, who lost his sisters in the bombing, criticised the Trudeau government's recognition of Nijjar, fearing it could embolden extremist elements. Despite controversies, the NDP defended honouring Nijjar, emphasising the significance of a Canadian killed on Canadian soil, allegedly by a foreign government. The Conservative Party declined to comment, while Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland reaffirmed Canada's commitment to protecting Canadians' rights. Mahesh Sharma, a professor at Concordia's School of Business, dismissed allegations implicating the Indian government in the Air India bombing as "totally, totally absurd," emphasising personal loss from the tragedy. (ANI) India and Russia are making arrangements for an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia, Reuters reported, citing, Russian state news agency RIA, on Tuesday. According to RIA, a diplomatic source indicated that PM Modi's visit may take place in July. The Kremlin had previously announced in March that Modi had an outstanding invitation to visit Russia, confirming that a meeting between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to take place, Reuters reported. Putin was sworn-in as the President of Russia for the fifth consecutive time in May this year, while Narendra Modi too took the oath as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term on June 9. "The Russian President warmly congratulated Narendra Modi on the success of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent general parliamentary elections," the Russian President said in an official statement earlier. If the visit takes place, it will be PM Modi's maiden trip to Russia since 2019, and also the first since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. President Putin last visited New Delhi in 2021 for the annual India-Russia Summit, which hasn't been held in the past two years. PM Modi last met Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022, when he called him to follow the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict. In spite of growing strategic and security ties with the US and other key Western players, India has refrained from publicly criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine. India even ramped up the purchase of Russian crude despite initial pressure from the US, saying such a move is required to control domestic oil prices. However, India has time and again advocated for a cessation of hostilities in the Ukraine conflict and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to find a lasting solution. (ANI) Students from various regions of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have initiated protests at the Diamer campus of Karakoram International University, mirroring ongoing protests at the Hunza campus. These students had come from remote areas with hopes of pursuing higher education but encountered unexpected challenges. They faced arbitrary fee hikes and reported instances of harassment without explanation. The situation worsened when the Vice-Chancellor announced the campus's imminent closure, citing insufficient government funding. This abrupt decision left students feeling disillusioned, as they had expected the university to provide opportunities, not face financial mismanagement. "The decision to close the campus has been made, but we strongly oppose and condemn it because it will negatively affect us, the students. We refuse to accept this decision and will make every effort to overturn it. Our academic pursuits are not yet finished, and this decision will have detrimental consequences for us," a protesting student at the Hunza campus said. Despite global efforts to advance education, the region under illegal control of Pakistan faces numerous obstacles: budget cuts for higher education, irregular funding from the Higher Education Commission for Karakoram University, and prolonged absences of vice-chancellors leading to stalled decisions. Criticising the potential loss of degrees midway through their studies, another student said, "It is unjust to have our degrees taken away midway through our courses. Moreover, we have heard that there is a proposed 25 percent increase in fees. The people here are not affluent enough to accept such a decision. Who will be accountable for its future? We urge the Higher Education Commission to reconsider its decision. It is unfair to force students and faculty members onto the streets." There is a deliberate effort to diminish education in Gilgit-Baltistan, suggesting Pakistan is wary of an educated populace challenging its illegitimate authority. Despite setting up campuses in Hunza and Diamer to foster education, these institutions have encountered persistent challenges such as internal strife, ineptitude, poor administration, and corruption right from their inception. (ANI) Protesting against the controversial finance bill of Kenya, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama, was teargassed live on air on Tuesday, according to CNN. The incident occurred when Auma Obama, who is a Kenyan-British activist, was in a chat with CNN's Larry Madowo with a group of teenage protestors. "I can't even see anymore, we're being teargassed," she said. Proposed tax hikes are the target of widespread protests in Kenya, which are expected to culminate in a "total shutdown" of the nation. The people in the country have been organising rallies under the title of "7 Days of Rage" in response to the Finance Bill 2024, which has generated additional days of unrest around the country, reported CNN. "I'm here because look at what's happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners," Obama said. William Ruto, Kenya's president, has declared that he is "proud" of the demonstrators and that he hopes to speak with them. Security personnel, meanwhile, have been charged with kidnapping well-known Kenyans, especially those with sizable social media followings. Prior to the scheduled protests on Tuesday, Amnesty International Kenya reports that it was looking into the whereabouts of up to 12 people who were "abducted in the middle of night," according to CNN. Amnesty Kenya executive director Irungu Houghton told CNN that the list consists of bloggers, content creators, human rights campaigners, doctors, and legislative staff members. The demonstrations coincide with Kenya's rising international profile following US President Joe Biden's designation of the country as a "major non-NATO ally" on Monday. This is the first time a country in sub-Saharan Africa has been granted this designation. In May, as part of a major state visit to the White House honouring 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Biden declared his intention to promote Kenya to this status. (ANI) Upon receiving the Chinese envoy, Jaishankar, in a post on X, wrote "Received Ambassador of China Xu Feihong this evening. Discussed our bilateral relationship and our common interest in its stabilization and progress." He wished him a "successful tenure," through the post on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1805568653703921721 Xu arrived in New Delhi on May 10 and assumed charge as the Chinese Ambassador to India. Xu Feihong is the 17th Chinese Ambassador to India. Notably, he became the first Chinese envoy to India in over 18 months. The last Chinese Ambassador to India was Sun Weidong, who left in October 2022, at a time when India and China were trying to manage ties via multiple channels, following the Ladakh border standoff in 2020. After assuming the charge, Xu said that India and China boast of being time-honoured civilizations and are each other's, important neighbours. In an interview with China Global Television Network, Xu Feihong shared his first reaction to being appointed as the Indian ambassador after a considerable hiatus and said that it is an honourable mission and a sacred duty. "I will do my best to deepen understanding and friendship between the two peoples, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and improve and advance the bilateral relationship," he said. He further stressed that India and China are the biggest emerging markets and developing countries of the world. "As President Xi Jinping said If China and India speak with one voice, the whole world will listen; if the two countries join hands, the whole world will pay attention," he noted. (ANI) During the conversation, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to continue to work together to advance bilateral strategic partnerships. Meanwhile, Kazakh President Tokayev also extended his wishes to PM Modi for getting re-elected for a third consecutive term. "President Tokayev warmly congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful conduct of the largest democratic exercise in the world and his re-election for a historic third consecutive term. The Prime Minister thanked him for his warm felicitations," the Prime Minister's Office said in an official release. The Prime Minister conveyed India's full support for the success of the upcoming SCO Summit in Astana, and expressed confidence that Kazakhstan's leadership would greatly contribute to the furtherance of regional cooperation. "Had a good conversation with President of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Thanked him for warm wishes on the success in the elections," PM Modi wrote in a post on X. "Reiterated the commitment to advance our Strategic Partnership with Kazakhstan. Conveyed India's full support for the success of the upcoming SCO Summit," he added. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1805586206505173387 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2001. The SCO has India, Russia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as its members. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. (ANI) The father of a brave missionary killed with his devoted wife during an armed gang raid in Haiti, Caribbean, has vowed that work for the gospel of Jesus Christ will carry on after the tragedy. Haiti is being overrun by gang violence, which has reached unprecedented levels with the United Nations confirming the deaths of 2,500 people in the first quarter of 2024. Missions in Haiti Inc. was founded by David Lloyd and his wife Alicia in Haiti in 2000. With a vision to helping the small nations impoverished children, the Lloyds purposed to bring the gospel by setting up various projects such as House of Compassion providing schooling for youngsters, Good Hope Boys Home for boys who lost everything in the hurricanes of 2008, and a weekly church program for children. Davids 23-year-old son, known as Davy - full name David Lloyd III - worked at the mission project base in Haiti from January 2023 with his wife Natalie Lloyd (Baker), aged 21, the daughter of Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker and his wife Naomi. The couple were married at Bible Holiness Assembly of God in Neosho on June 18, 2022. Natalie had a mothers heart and loved the children in the orphanage in Haiti from the moment of her first trip there prior to her marriage to Davy, said an obituary tribute with Clark Funeral Home, adding: Soon after he was born, Davy went to Haiti. His first language was Haitian Creole. He loved his Haitian brothers and sisters, whom he grew up with at the House of Compassion. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up However, tragedy struck on May 23 when a criminal gang killed the couple and local mission director Jude Montis, 45, a married father-of-two, in an armed raid in the Lizon community, in northern Port-au-Prince. The trio had just left a youth group meeting when they were ambushed and eventually shot dead. Following the tragedy, David Lloyd Jr. returned recently from a two-day trip with family members after checking on the welfare of the Haitian project staff and children who are being temporarily housed. He had reassured project staff and children that the mission work would continue. Lloyd told Christian Daily International of the importance in continuing the gospel work in the country, to honor Davy and Natalies and Jude's sacrifice, and that is what all three would have wanted. He also spoke of the importance to not let the Devil win because the Haitian people that are our staff and kids are our family. You don't abandon your family just because they are in a tough situation that could affect you also. God called us there, we have no doubt, and He hasn't released that calling from off of us. The darkest places need the most light and we will do what we can, and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ still needs to be preached trusting these three lives will be the turning point for Haiti and repentance will come. Lloyd himself is aware of questions about the projects future but he trusts in God for the steps ahead. The question of now what kept coming up, he said. So far now we have a 6-month plan: temporary housing that would be sufficient for everyone for the next 6 months. Found that when I was there. Then continue to pray that help comes to Haiti, so the security situation turns around and hopefully soon to be able to go back to our area and pick up pieces and continue on. Lloyd also posted a poignant update on the missions Facebook page about the recent tragic events. He said there were different accounts of what happened on the night of the triple shooting. He summarized the incident as good against evil. Gangs in the vicinity decided to help themselves in stealing what they could get from the mission base, regardless of destruction. Before she was killed, Natalie bravely ran past the armed men with guns to rescue a little girl called Laika and bring her to safety with other children, he wrote. The whole time Davy kept preaching to the gangs and telling them that God loves them and will forgive them, quoting scriptures and telling them the plan of salvation. They would tell him to shut up and he wouldn't, so they would hit him. He was told by one staff to please be quiet and just lay there, but Davy said he couldn't, that these guys needed to hear about the hope of Jesus, and the plan of salvation. A second gang then arrived with over 100 guys, all shooting. Davy could be heard continuing to evangelize from another building, his father said, proclaiming the love of Jesus to the gang men. The staff and kids in the big house could hear him from the house doing the same thing. Telling the gang guys about the love of God, quoting scriptures, and telling how to be saved and forgiven and have a home in Heaven some day. They said he did that until they killed him. In another Facebook post, Lloyd said Davy, Natalie and Jude were in the house at the end of the property using a Star Link internet connection to call him as the tragic drama unfolded. So they are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot. Their lives are in danger. I have been trying all my contacts to get a police armored car there to evacuate them out to safety but can't get anyone to do. Being able to share the love of God during the attack, reassures us that Jesus was there with them, said Lloyd in the recent Facebook tribute, and Davy had a supernatural anointing on him for his voice to carry and echo throughout the area every time the shooting would stop. I am still in awe of this, as hundreds of bullets [were] being fired at them, they were demonstrating God's love and mercy in return. Believing this will have a great impact in the world for Jesus Christ. The funeral for the couple was held at Bible Holiness Assembly of God in Missouri on June 3. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has raised alarms over Pakistan's recent "Azm-e-Istehkam Operation," warning that it will escalate violence, including forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The BNM urged unity among oppressed nations and called for intervention from neighbouring and global powers to prevent the anticipated bloodshed. According to a press statement issued by BNM spokesperson Qazi Dad Mohammad Rehan, Pakistan is a failing state where the military continues experiments to maintain control. These actions, he said, are failed attempts to prolong military exploitation and occupation, which will inevitably result in more deaths, human rights abuses, and severe crimes such as enforced disappearances. Notably, Pakistan's top civilian and military leadership has decided to launch a new multi-faceted nationwide counterterrorism campaign amid the country's deteriorating security situation and to allay the fears of China. Recent attacks on Chinese had angered the Chinese who had been given repeated assurances by the Pakistanis of foolproof security. The spokesperson highlighted that since the occupation of Balochistan, the Pakistan army has relentlessly fought the Baloch nation, utilising all state resources and power. He recalled the nuclear explosions conducted at Chagai in Balochistan on May 28, 1998, which caused widespread radiation effects. "Continuous military raids have displaced residents of numerous villages along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route. Thousands of people from Dera Bugti, Kohlu, and Kahan are living as refugees both within and outside Balochistan. Even drones are being used against the Baloch, who are not safe from Pakistan's aggression, even beyond international borders. The Azm-e-Istehkam operation, he warned, will only lead to further destruction and displacement of the Baloch nation", the press statement said. Since 2007, this is the twelfth major anti-Islamist terrorist military operation, there have been many minor ones as well. Most of the earlier operations were of a tactical nature, focusing on a particular area that had become particularly troublesome. For instance, the Operation Rah-e-Rast and Rah-e-Haq were in Swat region, Sherdil was in Bajaur and Rah-e-Nijaat was in South Waziristan agency. The two big operations on a much broader front were the Zarb-e-Azb, which started in North Waziristan and then was extended to other regions, followed by Radd-ul-Fassad which was more an intelligence based operation to strike at terrorist networks which had spread throughout Pakistan. The spokesperson accused the Pakistani state of attempting to seize Balochistan's coast and resources by altering its demographic composition. He pointed out that state aggression against the Baloch nation intensifies whenever the Pakistan People's Party comes to power. Still, Asif Zardari was the first to issue a statement supporting military aggression in Balochistan. Despite the tragic ends of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, the Bhutto party continues to support military actions, which is shameful for a political party. Emphasising unity and solidarity among oppressed nations and nationalist political parties, the BNM spokesperson urged Baloch and Pashtun nationalist and patriotic forces to set aside minor differences and unite against their common enemy. He stressed the need for a broad political coalition, agreeing on national interests and fostering harmony among political cadres in formulating and promoting a national narrative. He called for creating an environment conducive to unity without imposing conditions on one another. The spokesperson expressed concerns that under the new policy, Pakistan would tighten its grip on Baloch refugees in neighbouring countries. Pakistan might shift its problems and failures onto neighbouring countries to exert pressure, as its military power has failed against Baloch resistance, and China, the main investor in CPEC, is disappointed with Pakistan's security measures. The spokesperson warned that this could be an attempt to appease China, which would have far-reaching negative consequences for the region. Concluding his remarks, the BNM spokesperson called on neighbouring countries to take a clear stand against Pakistan's actions, rather than remain silent spectators. He urged these countries to engage in diplomacy to hold Pakistan accountable at the global level, thereby preventing the Pakistan army from committing further crimes against humanity. The peace of Balochistan and Pakhtunkhwa, he said, is essential for regional stability and prosperity, achievable only when oppressed nations regain ownership of their lands. Pakistan is suffering from its failed policies and seeks foreign aid by burdening its neighbours to sustain the crumbling state for a few more days, enabling its military elite and facilitating politicians to continue their exploitation. (ANI) Nawaz Khan Naji, an opposition member of Parliament from Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), raised his concerns on Monday over biased budgetary allocation in the financial budget presented at the assembly, according to a local news channel from PoGB. In his statement, Naji said, " The fate of Pakistan is doomed; it is a well-known fact; the administration is incompetent and corruption is at its peak, so what will be the ultimate result is clear. Now PoGB is a colony of Pakistan; hence, our fate is also sealed. Every time the budget is allocated, money is given as a donation or alms, we deserve more than what we are given, which is also true." Naji said that the allocations for schemes are not based on any logic and complained about the distribution of money to major corporations and projects. "Neither we are given the right sum of money nor the money given to us is rightly distributed. The allocations for schemes are not based on any logic. We had participated with the Joint Awami Action Committee in their protests of demands to stop taxation essentials but should we not apply taxation rules to major corporations and projects that have been using PoGB resources for their benefit?" he asked. "These major firms don't give a single penny in taxes but a general citizen is forced to pay huge sums of money as taxes. The local administration does not have the guts to tax major corporations that do business in PoGB using our land and people. I know several firms are entering PoGB now, just to save their taxes, as PoGB has now become the land of tax fraud. All this is happening, despite the general public paying heavy taxes. The conditions remain the same for the people, as there is no accountability of the government for paying taxes paid by the people," he added. Another female leader from PoGB raised her concerns over ignorance of allotment over woman-related issues in the current budget. In her statement, she mentioned, "The local administration remains a silent observer as the situations go from bad to worse. As the government is not empowered, the people are empowered. And the ultimate ruler of the PoGB is someone else as the local administration always acts as an advocate for the Pakistani administration." Previously, the finance minister of Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), Engineer Muhammad Ismail, presented the financial budget for the year 2024-25, totaling PKR 140.17 billion, on Tuesday. In the tabled budget, PKR 86 billion was allocated for non-developmental expenses and PKR 34.60 billion was allocated to developmental projects, Dawn reported. The budget was presented amid demonstrations by the opposition members at the parliament in Gilgit City. According to Ismail, PKR 6.40 billion is estimated as non-tax revenue, and PKR 1.33 billion is estimated to be collected as revenue from PoGB authorities. Additionally, the budget deficit is estimated to be at PKR 11.92 billion. However, a protest was initiated in the parliament house by the opposition leader, Kazim Mesum, and other members of the assembly. Mesum in his statement claimed that the budget is inappropriate and neglects key sectors like health and agriculture. According to the Dawn news report, the leader also alleged that the budget was biased towards making budgetary allocations, as funds were only approved for schemes that benefited members of the treasury bench. The Minister of Agriculture, PoGB Kazim Mesum in a local news report, "I have raised my voice repeatedly but the administration is not interested in listening to our concerns. Instead of taking considerable actions to resolve our issues, we are being pushed into even more despair. The employees of various departments that had been protesting were promised that their needs would be fulfilled this time but we have read the budget cover to cover but no consideration has been given to those demands." In the same local news report, while raising the issues raised by media professionals from PoGB Kazim Mesum stated that "Media professionals in PoGB had demanded an endowment fund, but no such allocations have been made in the budget. Similarly, we had raised the issue of vacant teacher positions in PoGB and had made adequate allocations during our time but in this budget, they have not made any allocations regarding this severe issue." (ANI) In a new advisory released on Tuesday, US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy said that gun violence in the US is an urgent public health crisis that demands the "collective commitment of the nation" to put an end to it, reported CNN. This is the first Office of the Surgeon General publication that specifically addresses gun violence and its "deep consequences" for victims, communities, and mental health. The US Department of Health and Human Services states that a surgeon general's advice is usually used to highlight important public health issues. The advise released on Tuesday outlines the terrible effects of gun violence in the US and provides information on how public health initiatives can be helpful. Provisional data indicates that over 48,000 US citizens lost their lives as a result of firearm-related injuries in 2022 alone. Homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths were all included in that total. The recommendation states that the number of firearm-related deaths in the US has been increasing and will peak in 2021 at three decades, reported CNN. According to the advise, since then, there has been a decline in gun-related killings but the number of gun-related suicides has remained relatively constant. The caution states that although mass shootings are still uncommon--they account for only 1 per cent of gun fatalities--the frequency of these events has been increasing. The Surgeon General's advisory underlined, how people of color are "disproportionately impacted" by gun violence, reported CNN. The recommendation states that firearm violence can have a negative impact on mental health in addition to the physical issues it can cause. According to the advisory, youngsters are especially prone to fearing gun violence, with many of them believing that their school will be the scene of such carnage. It states that in order to understand how to lower and prevent firearm violence in the US, additional funding for guns research is required. Investments should be made with a focus on improving data gathering and preventative tactics, CNN reported. The guideline calls on healthcare providers and communities to take proactive measures to support populations that are most at risk of this type of violence. "There are no federal standards or regulations regarding the safety of firearms produced in the US," the advisory says. In the past few weeks, the US has witnessed several shooting incidents, with at least 21 other mass shootings recorded by the Gun Violence Archive since last Friday. According to CNN report, the Gun Violence Archive regards mass shootings as ones in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter. (ANI) Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal reiterated his stance that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani are integral parts of Nepal, however, India maintains that the three above-mentioned regions belong to it. PM Dahal reiterated the statement while responding to the queries in the House of Representatives (HoR), emphasising that the government is unequivocal in its position regarding these territories. "The Government of Nepal, the Sugauli Treaty signed between Nepal and India in 1816, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani, all the areas situated to the east of the Mahakali River, belong to Nepal. There is no doubt about this," Nepal PM Dahal said. Notably, in May 2024, Nepal introduced a new Rs 100 currency note featuring disputed Indian territories, which was contested by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who said that New Delhi's position is very clear, adding that Kathmandu unilaterally took some measures on their side. He also said that while both countries were having talks on boundary matters, by doing something unilaterally, Nepal is not going to change the on-ground reality. "I saw that report. I have not looked at it in detail, but I think our position is very clear. With Nepal, we were having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. And then, in the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side. But by doing something on their side, they are not going to change the situation between us or the reality on the ground," said Jaishankar while interacting with professionals in Bhubaneswar on "Why Bharat Matters." Meanwhile, Nepal's PM Dahal said that during his visit to India, he held a discussion on the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950, which forms the bedrock of the special relations that exist between India and Nepal. "During the visit to India, during the meeting of Prime Ministers of Nepal and India, discussion about the 1950s and other treaties were discussed and agreed to resolve the border disputes as well as amend the treaties which need to be overseen through the established mechanisms," PM Dahal added. In the year 2020, Nepal amended the constitution, incorporating a new political and administrative map. The new map included the tri-junction of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh, which has remained a disputed area between Nepal and India. Nepal's updated map, prepared to incorporate the missing territories, was submitted to the Ministry of Land Management by the Department of Survey, which claims to have taken an accurate scale, projection and coordinate system. It was publicly released on May 20, 2020, after the go-ahead signal from the Cabinet meeting on May 18, the same year. The department has collected a map drawn during the Treaty of Sugauli, another brought from London, receipts of payment of land revenues and the order issued by the then Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher as evidences that the land belongs to Nepal. The earlier map issued in 2032 BS had left Gunji, Nabhi and Kuri villages, which now have been included in the revised map, adding on 335 square kilometres of land. Tensions between New Delhi and Kathmandu last year arose after the issuance of a political map by Nepal in mid-May, including the tri-junction, which India had earlier included in its November, 2019 map. Diplomatic ties between the nations severed further after the inauguration of the road linking Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on May 8, 2020, after which Nepal handed over a diplomatic note to India objecting to the move. Prior to the handover of the diplomatic note, Nepal also strongly objected to India's unilateral move to construct the road. Following a strong objection from Nepal, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said the road going through Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district "lies completely within the territory of India". Nepal said it has "consistently maintained" that, as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), "all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal."Indian Defence Ministry had said the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in Uttarakhand has connected Kailash Mansarovar route to Lipulekh pass, which will provide connectivity to border villages and security forces. Following a strong objection from Nepal, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the road going through Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district "lies completely within the territory of India." India has urged the Government of Nepal to refrain from such an unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. India has also asked Nepal to return to dialogue.(ANI) Dubai [UAE], June 25 (ANI/WAM): The Ministry of Education today honored 24 young Emirati leaders, graduates of the first batch of the "National Leadership Academy for Higher Education" program to qualify Emirati leaders in the education sector, which the Ministry launched last October as part of its continuing efforts to support, empower and qualify Emirati competencies in the educational field. The honoring ceremony, which was held in Dubai, was attended by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Al Mualla, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Academic Affairs, and a number of senior officials from the ministry, along with graduates of the first batch of the National Leadership Academy for Higher Education program and leaders. Institutions of higher education. In his speech during the ceremony, His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi congratulated the graduates, explaining that this is an important step in their journey to move towards broader and broader horizons of continuous learning, creativity and innovation to serve themselves, their community and their country by improving the higher education sector in the UAE and enhancing its competitiveness and presence at the levels. All local, regional and international. His Excellency said: The Ministry of Education is constantly keen to invest in developing Emirati capabilities and competencies in the educational field, and the "National Leadership Academy for Higher Education" program is the best witness to that, as we have succeeded today in empowering creative energies and building Emirati leaders armed with the knowledge, skill, and innovative thinking necessary to achieve excellence. And successes in the academic and administrative fields in the government higher education sector, as this represents a national priority adopted by the government, in addition to contributing to the development of the future education system to be pioneering, successful, proactive, and capable of contributing to achieving the development vision of the UAE. The ceremony included an introductory video about the objectives of the "National Leadership Academy for Higher Education" program, its activities, and the stages that the participants go through, as well as a presentation of the five projects resulting from the program that were created by the young leaders, after the graduates were divided into five groups, and each group then presented its project to develop the system. Higher education in the country, a number of which were implemented with funding and supervision from the Ministry of Education. The list of graduates of the first batch of the National Leadership Academy for Higher Education program included Dr. Samira Al-Mulla, Dr. Hassan Al-Hashemi, Dr. Fatima Kalbat, Hoda Al-Tamimi, and Nada Bouftaim from the Ministry of Education, Professor Juma Al-Kaabi and Al-Yaziya Al-Dhaheri from the United Arab Emirates University, Maryam Al-Hammadi from the Emirates College for Educational Development, and Issa. Al Shamsi and Reem Al Hashemi from the University of Sharjah, Asma Al Shamsi from Ajman University, Dr. Wafa Al Zaghbar, Professor Fatima Taher and Dr. Mona Al Sinai from Zayed University, Dr. Habiba Al Saffar and Dr. Ali Al Mansouri from Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and Dr. Fahd Al Saadi and Dr. Mira Al Marri from Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. Dr. Lamia Al Hajri, Jassim Al Hammadi, and Maryam Al Hafeet from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Mohammed Al Raisi from Abu Dhabi Polytechnic University, and Samia Al Saeedi and Maryam Al Balushi from Rabdan Academy. The program included three phases, with the first phase focusing on meetings and direct interaction with the participants by organizing a group of practical lectures, interactive workshops, and training activities specifically designed to develop leadership awareness among the participants and provide them with the key skills and competencies that must be possessed by a successful leader in the higher education sector. The second phase worked on preparing a comprehensive assessment (360 degrees) to contribute to the development of leaders individually, targeted enrichment for each leader, periodic follow-up to build and implement projects, and providing the necessary support by the ministry and the advisory body that sponsors the projects. As for the third phase, it evaluated and launched development projects for the higher education sector from Before the ministry and the shepherds. (ANI/WAM) Dubai [UAE], June 25 (ANI/WAM): Today, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed a cooperation agreement with the Africa 50 Fund, an investor and asset manager in infrastructure projects across the African continent, to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy in Africa. In this agreement, the Fund pledged to provide up to US$100 million to participate in financing energy transition projects and infrastructure based on renewable energy sources in Africa through the Energy System Transformation Acceleration Platform (ETAF), which enhances sustainable development efforts and climate action throughout Continent. The agreement was signed today on the sidelines of the OPEC Fund Development Forum in Vienna by Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA, and Alain Ebobisi, CEO of the Africa 50 Fund. La Camera said that the data showed, for the first time in ten years, that the number of people deprived of electricity has increased significantly, and the majority of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, which necessitates making every effort to address this worsening problem urgently, noting that Renewable energy sources represent the most effective and climate-safe solution, which is why the partnership with the Africa 50 Fund plays a pivotal role in increasing the impact of the energy system transformation acceleration platform across Africa. Alain Ebubisi, CEO of the Africa 50 Fund, said: The African continent should focus on reducing emissions and accelerating economic development, as investing in renewable energy infrastructure is a crucial transitional step to achieving net zero emissions, and the "ETAF" platform will represent an important starting point for expanding and accelerating The scope of our investments in renewable energy projects that will ultimately contribute to reducing the catastrophic impact of climate change on our people. The ITAF platform, which was established in 2021 with support from the UAE, aims to expand the scope of financing renewable energy projects that support nationally determined contributions in developing countries, in addition to achieving benefit for communities by facilitating access to energy sources, ensuring energy security, and advancing Economic growth and diversification. With the addition of the Africa 50 Fund, ITAF now has 14 partners who have pledged a total of $4.15 billion, demonstrating its growing role as a comprehensive and effective financing instrument for the energy transition. This partnership benefits from IRENA's global membership to attract project proposals via the ITAF platform, as well as the Africa 50 Fund's experience in project development and equity financing. It is noteworthy that IRENA will cooperate with the Kenyan government to host the investment forum for the "Accelerated Partnership for the Dissemination of Renewable Energy in Africa" initiative, scheduled to be held on September 1, 2024. The forum aims to facilitate project developers' communication with potential financiers through an organized program to align interests and discuss partner projects. The "Accelerated Partnership for Renewable Energy in Africa" initiative and other international organizations to support the development goals of this initiative. (ANI/WAM) Amid repressions, enforced disappearances, economic marginalisation, and severe restrictions on their freedoms, Baloch women are leading an unprecedented protest movement against Pakistan. Baloch Women Forum released a statement on Tuesday raising concerns over the condition of women in Balochistan, highlighting state-inflicted genocide upon the Baloch community. The statement mentioned, "Despite facing numerous socio-political challenges, women stand firm in their struggle for justice and the well-being of their families. These women often confront issues such as enforced disappearances, economic marginalisation, and severe restrictions on their freedoms." The forum lauded their activism, "driven by love and an unyielding spirit, involves organising protests, advocating for human rights, and raising awareness about the plight of their loved ones." https://x.com/BalochWF/status/1805566070243443047 The statement also emphasised that Balochistan has been witnessing severe scarcity when it comes to the distribution of essential services and basic amenities. According to the statement by the Baloch Women Forum "Amid these struggles, the lack of adequate healthcare facilities compounds their suffering. In Balochistan, access to medical services, especially for severe illnesses like cancer, is grossly insufficient. Many women are forced to endure pain without proper diagnosis or treatment, travelling long distances to receive basic medical care. This dire situation highlights a critical need for improved healthcare infrastructure and services in the region." The same statement also informed that Hameeda Baloch, a prominent Baloch rights activist, has been admitted to Agha Khan Hospital in Lahore due to the detection of cancer and could not take proper medication in her homeland. The statement said, "The plight of these women like Hameeda Baloch, who has been fighting and struggling against the issues in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, now fighting against cancer in the Agha Khan Hospital, is a stark reminder of the intersection between political strife and public health crises." "Their stories are not just tales of personal suffering but also powerful calls for systemic change. We urge the world to recognise their endurance and join in their fight for a future where their rights and health are secured," the Baloch Women Forum added. (ANI) This hesitation appears to have prompted the Pakistani government to take action, as Islamabad recently approved a revitalised national counter-terrorism campaign known as 'Operation Azm-e-Istehkam'. According to a recent editorial in Dawn, the move underscores Pakistan's recognition of the importance of addressing China's security concerns, especially at a time when attracting foreign investment is critical for the country's economic development. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif clarified that the main focus of operations under 'Azm-e-Istehkam' will be in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan. He mentioned that a comprehensive plan detailing the framework for these operations will be announced in the coming days. Notably, Chinese citizens, workers, or projects have been targeted by violence or security threats within Pakistani territory. These incidents have raised concerns about the safety and security of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan, particularly under projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Such attacks can have significant implications for bilateral relations between China and Pakistan, as well as for regional stability and economic cooperation. However, military operations conducted by Pakistan frequently face allegations of human rights violations, which involve accusations of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and mistreatment of civilians in conflict zones such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and in areas affected by insurgency. These allegations are often reported by human rights organisations and international observers, raising concerns about the protection of civil liberties and adherence to international humanitarian law. Such reports can strain Pakistan's relations with the international community and prompt calls for accountability and reforms within the military and security forces. (ANI) The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the current Chief of Staff of Armed forces, Valery Gerasimov, for alleged international crimes, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, according to CNN. The two are accused of two war crimes, according to the court, which are targeting civilian targets and intentionally causing significant incidental harm or damage to civilian property. They are charged with crimes against humanity as well. However, the Russian state media outlet TASS referred to the ICC ruling as "null and void." Presently, Shoigu leads the Security Council of Russia. "It is meaningless, as the ICC's jurisdiction does not extend to Russia, and [the decision] was made within the framework of the West's hybrid war against our country," TASS quoted the body as saying. On Tuesday, officials from Ukraine greeted the news with enthusiasm. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the ruling demonstrates that "no cabinet door or military rank can shield Russian criminals from accountability." Dmytro Lubinets, the nation's human rights ombudsman, stated that Ukraine was one step closer to receiving justice as a result of the ICC ruling. The chief of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, stated that Gerasimov and Shoigu were being held "individually responsible. "This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil," he said in a statement. Shoigu and Gerasimov are now on the ICC's wanted list as a result of the arrest warrants; however, it's unclear if they will ever go to trial. Trials are not held in absentia by the court, and Moscow is not likely to turn them up, CNN reported. The ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova and President Vladimir Putin for an alleged conspiracy to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. With the issuance of these two warrants, the total number of top Russian officials wanted for war crimes has increased to four. (ANI) The protests in Kenya against new tax hike turned extremely violent, with several casualties reported and protestors flooding the street around the Kenyan Parliament, CNN reported. At least five people were killed and 31 injured in protests in Kenya on Tuesday, CNN reported, citing a joint statement released by several human rights groups. It was released by Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group Kenya. "Despite the assurance by the government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today's protests have spiralled into violence. Human rights observers and medical officers have reported several incidents of human rights violations," the statement said. According to the statement, at least five people were shot dead. At least 31 have been injured, with 13 of these people shot with live bullets, four with rubber bullets, and three hit with launcher canisters. However, there has not been any official statement by the Kenyan police on this. As violence rages, the ambassadors of 13 Western embassies in Kenya, in a joint statement, said they were "shocked" by the scenes around Kenya's Parliament on Tuesday. They said they were "deeply concerned" by allegations that some protesters had been abducted by the security forces and called for "restraint on all sides," the New York Times reported. Embassies and high commissions from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States said that they "are especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament." Amid violent protests, several cases of internet disruptions have also been reported. The internet watchdog group NetBlocks is reporting a major disruption to internet connectivity in Kenya, just hours after protesters marched towards Parliament. However, Kenya's Communications Authority said on Monday, that it had "no intention whatsoever to shut down internet traffic or interfere with the quality of connectivity." The contentious bill was introduced by the government of President William Ruto in May to raise revenue and limit borrowing in an economy facing a heavy debt burden. But, the legislation has received sharp criticism from Kenyans, who claim that it adds punitive new taxes and raises others on a wide range of goods and services that would escalate living costs, and detractors have pointed to corruption and mismanagement of funds, as reported by NYT. President Ruto now has two weeks to sign the legislation into law or send it back to Parliament for further amendments. India has also issued an advisory for its nationals in Kenya, as protests against a tax hike turned violent, causing a rampage in the African nation. The Indian Embassy in Kenya on Tuesday, has advised the Indian nationals there to "exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up." "In view of the prevailing tense situation, all Indians in Kenya are advised to exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up," the Embassy stated. Earlier in the day, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama, was teargassed live on air on Tuesday, CNN reported. The incident occurred when Auma Obama, who is a Kenyan-British activist, was in a chat with CNN's Larry Madowo with a group of teenage protestors. (ANI) Russian propaganda that Vladimir Putin is protecting Christianity against Satanism and neo-Nazism flies in the face of reliable reports from numerous sources of the brutal and ruthless persecution of Christians in the occupied Ukrainian territories. To justify his imminent special operation against Ukraine, Putin said in February 2022: The overthrow of faith and traditional values and the suppression of freedom (in Ukraine!!) are resembling a religion in reverse pure Satanism. Some western politicians, from Republican congresswoman Greene to Hungarian prime minister Orban, openly support Putins professed crusade to save Christianity. Their wilful blindness is exposed by countless stories of church buildings being systematically destroyed or severely damage; worse still, of sadistic torture, rape, imprisonment, abduction, murder and disappearance of church leaders including pastors, priests, bishops and deacons. Even before the full-scale Russian invasion, systematic religious freedom violations were being conducted in the Luhansk Peoples Republic (LNR), in Ukraines Luhansk region, which declared independence in May 2014 after the Crimea occupation. A law passed in 2018 permitted authorities to discriminate against any and all non-Orthodox religious communities. It was a harbinger of things to come. Since the invasion, more than 600 religious buildings have been reported damaged or destroyed by targeted Russian missiles, suicide drones, artillery strikes, and other violence. The Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, Evangelical and Baptist churches, and the Seventh-day Adventists have all been targeted as extremists. Over one hundred Kingdom Halls of the Jehovahs Witnesses have been damaged. All Protestant and non-Orthodox churches were banned soon after the conquest of Mariupol. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up United Nations Special Rapporteurs have stated in writing to the Russian authorities their serious concern for the alleged enforced disappearances and torture of clergy in the occupied territories. Russian authorities have not answered. Hidden roots This week, in an online prayer session from Ukraine with YWAM colleagues, our attention was drawn to the persecuted churches in the occupied territories for prayer. As we asked God how to pray for the persecuted church, I recalled an article I recently had read about an Australian agronomist encouraging reforestation in the Sahel region in Africa. With local farmers, he has reforested 50,000 square kilometres of forest in 40 years without planting a single tree. The agronomist realised that in most of the drought-prone areas of the world, almost invisible underground forests were still alive. Hidden roots and seeds of former trees or existing bushes remained under the ground. If these roots were pruned, protected and cared for systematically, they would eventually grow into trees. The trees would in turn help agriculture and improve peoples livelihoods. They brought hope. Local churches also bring hope, healing, reconciliation and transform peoples lives. Even as the occupiers presently suppress religious freedom and bury current forms of worship, we prayed for hidden seeds to sprout again and bring new life. Which in turn triggered another association. Answered prayer During the Thirty Years War, much of Central Europe was ravaged by the drawn-out struggle between the forces of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. At the Battle of White Mountain just outside of Prague in 1620, the Catholic House of Hapsburg repulsed a revolt by the Protestant nobles. Bohemia and Moravia, overlapping todays Czech Republic, became firmly under Catholic control. The Brethren had to recant, go underground, leave the country or be killed. A young teacher named Comenius, 26 years old when war broke out in 1618, was a member of the Unitas Fratrum (the United Brethren), the church formed by followers of Jan Hus. On several occasions, Comenius had had to flee from hostile soldiers. He had lost his wife and child, and all his written manuscripts. In 1628, with the Brethren now scattered by persecution, Comenius found himself shepherding a small straggling band of refugees across the mountainous border to safety in Poland. As they stopped to take one last look back at their homeland, Comenius prayed for God to preserve a hidden seed in that land that would one day bring forth fruit. Comenius and his band of refugees settled in Lissa (Lezno), Poland, where he was consecrated as bishop of the Unitas Fratrum. He remarried and continued developing his educational ideas. He would eventually be recognised as the father of modern education. Yet once more war forced Comenius to flee from Lissa. Eventually he found refuge in Amsterdam, where he died in 1670. His prayer for the hidden seed however was answered some fifty years after his death. More refugees from Moravia and Bohemia found their way across the border into Saxony, in modern Germany. There under the leadership of Count von Zinzendorf they grew into the missionary community of Herrnhut, which in 1732 sent out missionaries at the very start of the modern Protestant missionary movement. Lord, preserve hidden seeds in the occupied territories of Ukraine that one day will bring forth fruit! The Indian Embassy in Kenya on Tuesday, advised the Indian nationals there to "exercise utmost caution" and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation improves. The Indian mission also advised the Indian nationals to follow local news and Mission's website and social media handles for updates. "In view of the prevailing tense situation, all Indians in Kenya are advised to exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up," the Embassy stated. https://x.com/IndiainKenya/status/1805616247481970933 This comes as the protests against proposed tax hikes in Kenya are the target of widespread protests, which are expected to culminate in a "total shutdown" of the nation. The people in the country have been organising rallies under the title of "7 Days of Rage" in response to the Finance Bill 2024, which has generated additional days of unrest around the country, reported CNN. Meanwhile, amid raging protests, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama, was teargassed live on air on Tuesday, CNN reported. The incident occurred when Auma Obama, who is a Kenyan-British activist, was in a chat with CNN's Larry Madowo with a group of teenage protestors. "I can't even see anymore, we're being teargassed," she said. The demonstrations coincide with Kenya's rising international profile following US President Joe Biden's designation of the country as a "major non-NATO ally" on Monday. This is the first time a country in sub-Saharan Africa has been granted this designation. In May, as part of a major state visit to the White House honouring 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Biden declared his intention to promote Kenya to this status. (ANI) Stating that India and Africa must engage and work together "very closely," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that New Delhi looks forward to a mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a 'Vishwa Bandhu.' He further stressed that India is supportive of a greater role for Africa in the United Nations and other multilateral forums and invited the African countries to join the International Big Cat Alliance. The EAM was addressing the Africa Day celebrations in the national capital on Tuesday. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1805638403230515682 The Foreign Minister highlighted that the defence relations between India and Africa are strongly evolving and African Defence Ministers have already held multiple meetings in India. "Besides training military officers from several countries in our military training institutions, India has also contributed to the setting up of Defence Academies and Colleges in Nigeria, Ethiopia and in Tanzania. We have deployed training teams in several African countries like Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Lesotho, Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania, among others. "India is the third largest contributor to the UN Peace-Keeping Operations with nearly 5000 Indian personnel currently serving in five Peacekeeping Missions in Africa. India has also joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment, as an Observer in August 2020, to play an active role in the repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden and in order to secure maritime navigation," he added. Jaishankar highlighted that India kept Global South at the centre of global discourse during its G20 presidency last year, adding that African Union's inclusion as a permanent G20 member is a matter of 'pride' for New Delhi. "Given our shared struggles, it is natural that we are supportive of a greater role for Africa in the United Nations and other multilateral fora. During our G-20 Presidency, as you all just saw, India took the decision to keep the global south at the centre of global discourse. We put emphasis on the aspirations of Africa, not just the needs of Africa," he said. "The inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 during our Presidency in 2023 is a matter of great pride for us. We also completely stand behind African Union's 'Ezulwini Consensus' and the 'Sirte Declaration'. We have reiterated our commitment to the global south in the "Voice of Global South Summits" which we held in January and November 2023," Jaishankar added. The Foreign Minister further appreciated the participation of of African countries in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Global Biofuel Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and invited them to join the International Big Cat Alliance. "We also value the participation of African countries in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Global Biofuel Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). We are thankful to Africa for helping us recreate our bio-diversity and I take this opportunity to invite African countries to join us in the International Big Cat Alliance," he further said. He said that India's belief in transformative power of technology, which is providing citizen-centric services to people is also yielding results in Africa. He added that India's strides in its space programme have also opened up exciting avenues for cooperation with Africa. Calling for closer ties between India and Africa, Jaishankar said he looks forward for the fourth India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS IV). "For all these reasons and more, India and Africa must engage and must work together very closely. In this regard, we look forward to organising the IAFS IV Summit, and we seek your support to do so. We hope that the event would provide a more contemporary agenda of cooperation between us," Jaishankar said. He also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2018 remarks on India's focus on Africa, "India's priority is not just Africa; India's priority is Africans - every man, woman and child in Africa. Our partnership with Africa is beyond strategic concerns and economic benefits. It is based on the emotional bonds we share and the solidarity we feel." "I assure you that Africa will be at the top of our priorities. We look forward to a mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a Vishwa Bandhu," Jaishankar added. (ANI) These are the best airlines in the world, according to a survey of travelers see the full list Airline ratings company Skytrax has released its 2024 list of the best airlines in the world. Qatar Airways took the top spot from Singapore Airlines, 2023's winner. No airlines from the US made it in the top 20. Qatar Airways has reclaimed the title of best airline in the world after losing out in 2023, according to travel industry rating company Skytrax. Skytrax announced the results of the World Airline Awards, which polled travelers from over 100 countries on their impressions of more than 350 airlines, at a gala on Monday in London. Once again, airlines from Asia and the Middle East dominated the awards, sweeping the top six spots and taking 12 of the top 20. European carriers accounted for seven of the top 20 spots, with Turkish Airlines ranked highest in seventh. No airlines from the US made the top 20 after Delta Air Lines fell one spot in this year's rankings to 21st. Delta was one of only two US airlines to crack the top 50, with United in 42nd. Here's a closer look at the 20 best airlines in the world for 2024 according to Skytrax: 20. Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus. Vytautas Kielaitis/Shutterstock Saudia, which changed its name from Saudi Arabian Airlines last year, jumped up three spots to finish 20th in this year's rankings. Saudia is Saudi Arabia's flag carrier and is a member of the Sky Team alliance. It's also one of the few major airlines in the world the not serve any alcohol on board its flights. 19. Etihad Airways An Etihad Airbus A380. Etihad Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways fell six spots in this year's rankings but managed to stay in the top 20 at 19th. Etihad reintroduced its Airbus A380 fleet and its luxurious The Residence suite after a four year hiatus. 18. Lufthansa A Lufthansa Airbus A350-900. CHRISTOF STACHE via Getty Images Lufthansa jumped three spots to 18 this year. The German national airline is a member of the Star Alliance and recently introduced its first new aircraft with the long-awaited Allegris cabin. 17. Virgin Atlantic Airways A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner. EQRoy/Shutterstock Virgin Atlantic jumped up five spots to 17th in this year's rankings. The British carrier, co-owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Delta Air Lines, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding this year. 16. Vistara NOAH SEELAM / AFP) (Photo by NOAH SEELAM/AFP via Getty Images Vistara is ranked 16th for the second consecutive year and remains India's top airline. The carrier, founded in 2013 as a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, is in the process of merging with Air India. 15. Iberia An Iberia A350. Airbus Spain's Iberia fell one spot to 15th in this year's rankings. The Spanish national carrier is an Oneworld alliance member alongside its International Airlines Group sibling, British Airways. 14. Fiji Airways Fiji Airways' Airbus A330-243. Marcio Rodrigo Machado/S3studio/Getty Images Fiji Airways moved up one spot this year to 14th. Fiji Airways is now Oceania's only representative in the top 20 after Air New Zealand fell to 23rd this year. 13. British Airways A British Airways Boeing 777. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images British Airways moved up five spots in the rankings to 13th place. BA is the highest-ranked of the International Airlines Group (IAG) carriers, which also include Iberia (15th), Aer Lingus (49th), and Vueling (56th). British Airways also won this year's award for the world's most family friendly airline. 12. Hainan Airlines Hainan Airlines' Boeing 737-800. China Daily CDIC/Reuters Hainan Airlines dropped one spot to 12th this year. Hainan has consistently been China's highest-rated carrier and the only one of the country's four major airlines not owned by the Chinese central government. 11. Korean Air A Korean Air A380. DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images Korean Air slipped one spot to 11th place this year. South Korea's largest airline is still awaiting final approval from the US government for its proposed merger with Asiana, which was announced in late 2020. 10. Swiss International Air Lines A Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A330. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Swiss International Airlines jumped two spots in the 2024 ranking to 10th place. Swiss, founded in 2002 following Swissair's bankruptcy, is the highest-ranking member of the Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa (18th), Austrian (28th), and Eurowings (70th). 9. Air France An Air France Boeing 777-200. Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Air France slipped two spots to 9th place this year despite winning a host of awards, including the world's best first-class catering, best first-class lounge dining, and best airline in Western Europe. 8. EVA Air EVA Air Boeing 777 Huy Thoai/Shutterstock Taiwanese carrier EVA Air moved up one spot to 8th this year. The carrier is a subsidiary of container shipping giant Evergreen Group. 7. Turkish Airlines A Turkish Airlines Airbus A350. Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images In seventh place is Turkish Airlines. It's once again Europe's highest-ranked airline. 6. Japan Airlines A Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Marcio Rodrigo Machado/S3studioGetty Images Japan Airlines dropped one spot to sixth this year. The Japanese flag carrier also won this year's award for the world's best premium economy cabin. 5. Cathay Pacific Airways A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific moved into the top five this year, up from eighth position in 2023. Cathay also took home the prize for this year's best economy-class cabin. 4. All Nippon Airways (ANA) An ANA Airbus A321neo. ryo a/Shutterstock.com All Nippon Airways or ANA fell one spot to fourth place this year. Despite that, the Japanese carrier managed to snag awards for the world's best airport services and the best airline staff service in Asia. 3. Emirates An Emirates Airbus A380. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images Dubai's Emirates Airline moves into the top 3 this year after spending 2023 in fourth position. Emirates remains the world's largest operator of the A380 Superjumbo, with more than 100 in its fleet. 2. Singapore Airlines A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images After spending 2023 as the world's best airline, Singapore Airlines is back in second place, a position it also held in 2022 and 2021. Second place is nothing to scoff at. The airline also picked up honors for the world's best cabin staff and the world's best first-class cabin. 1. Qatar Airways A Qatar Airways A350-900. PASCAL PAVANI/AFP via Getty Images Qatar Airways takes the No. 1 spot again after falling second behind Singapore Airlines last year. It's a familiar position for the airline, which also claimed top honors in 2022, 2021, and 2019. This year, Qatar Airways also won awards for the best business class cabin and lounge. Read the original article on Business Insider Boeing should face criminal charges over 737 Max crashes, say US prosecutors David Calhoun, Boeing's chief executive, apologises to relatives of those killed on its Boeing 737 Max planes - Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg Boeing should face criminal charges after violating a settlement over two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, US prosecutors have said. The aerospace giant has been accused of breaching a settlement related to the crashes, which took place in 2018 and 2019. The two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people, resulting in the longest grounding of a commercial jet in US history for the 737 Max. US prosecutors have said that Boeing violated the terms of its settlement and have recommended that the Department of Justice bring criminal charges, according to Reuters. Under the 2021 deal Boeing agreed to pay $2.5bn (2bn) in fines and compensation to customers and families involved in the crashes and to overhaul its compliance practices. The settlement gave Boeing protection from claims that it deceived regulators into approving the 737 Max aircraft. The two Boeing 737 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people - Getty Images/Getty Images However, the Department of Justice last month told a Texas court that Boeing had failed to design, implement and enforce a compliance and ethics programme to prevent and detect violations of fraud laws, breaching the settlement. Boeing has said it believes it honoured the terms of the deal. Talks are ongoing and officials have until July 7 to decide whether to prosecute the business. A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment. The threat of new legal action comes at a time when Boeing is facing pressure after a panel blew off one of its planes mid-flight on Jan 5. It follows years of recriminations over the fatal crashes, which took place within six months of each other. In both, the aircraft crashed after a new flight control system sent the planes into a series of automated nosedives which the pilots had not been trained to recover from. Relatives of crash victims demand that US officials bring forward criminal penalties against Boeing - Samuel Corum/AFP Two years later Boeing agreed to settle claims that it had concealed information from regulators, who were responsible for signing off on pilot training materials, about the critical upgrades to its systems. The Department of Justice said at the time that Boeing employees chose the path of profit over candour. Relatives of the crash victims have since demanded that US officials seek a $25bn fine and bring forward criminal penalties against Boeing. According to Reuters, the US government could charge Boeing, or it could extend the length of the settlement or impose stricter terms. It could also appoint a third party to monitor the company or demand it pleads guilty to wrongdoing. Earlier this month, David Calhoun, Boeings chief executive, faced a grilling by US politicians in Congress as he apologised to relatives of those killed on its Boeing 737 Max planes. However he insisted was proud of the companys safety record. The hearing was watched by families of the victims of the 2018 and 2019 crashes. One was heard to shout: You should be in jail. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Chicago woman missing in Bahamas after going for yoga certification retreat, police say A Chicago woman has gone missing in the Bahamas after not being seen since last week, police said. Taylor Casey, 41, is being searched for by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, according to a Facebook post the department shared on Friday. Casey was last seen on June 19 in the area of Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, police said. It is unclear what clothing she may have on, or if she is in danger. USA TODAY contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Monday but has not received a response. Why was Taylor Casey in the Bahamas? Casey has been in the Bahamas for a yoga certification retreat, according to a Facebook group created for her called "Finding Taylor Casey." "Im currently in shock & can't believe Im making this post. Taylor is such a sweet person who cares so deeply about the community," Anna DeShawn, a member of the Facebook group, said in a post on Monday. Missing person poster for Taylor Casey, a 41-year-old Chicago woman who disappeared while in the Bahamas. The yoga retreat center in Paradise Island noticed Casey was not in class on June 19 so they notified her family the following day, according to DeShawn. Casey's family is preparing to travel to the Bahamas, the Facebook group wrote in a post on Monday afternoon. "We send our love, prayer, and energy to Taylors family as they begin their travels to the Bahamas," according to the social media post. "Together, we share our strength and our resolve to find our beloved Taylor." USA TODAY reached out to Casey's family and friends but has not received a response. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Casey, of Chicago, reported missing in Bahamas, police say Honey is sweet, sure. But bees are a sweaty job. Keeping a hive is labor of love, with an emphasis on labor. Its been this way for 170 years, ever since a Philadelphia minister named L.L. Langstroth invented the modern movable-frame hive in 1852. Every week or two, over and over, you might need to unstack and restack towers of 50-pound, honey-filled boxes as high as your head in order to inspect the queens at the bottom of each hive. You must do this in bee netting, while swarmed by bees in sometimes sticky heat. Its hard work, and for more than a century beekeepers have looked for a better way. For just as long, theyve mostly failed to catch on. Beekeepers are storied cynics, mistrustful of any promised innovation over their trusty Langstroth hives. A pair of Delaware and Pennsylvania beekeepers, including the beekeeper at northern Delaware's storied Winterthur estate, believe they may have finally succeeded in building a better beehive one that might have a chance at truly changing the way beekeepers manage their hives. Beekeepers George Datto and Nat Wolfe are calling their invention "The Keeper's Hive," and their designs are already in use around the region, including at the Winterthur estate in Delaware, the SIW Vegetables garden in Chadds Ford and the Brewerytown Garden in Philadelphia. An online startup campaign has racked up $50,000 in funding and pre-orders over just a couple of weeks, and the hive has garnered international interest. Why? Datto and Wolfe believe they've finally found a way to take some of the labor out of the avocation they love. The Keeper's Hive began as a dare Dave McNeeley, left, stands for a photo with beekeepers Nat Wolfe, center, and George Datto, right, after they tended to the beehive at the Winterthur in Wilmington on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The story began in 2016, on another of northern Delaware's historic estates, where Datto had been keeping bees before he arrived at Winterthur while still keeping his day job as a pediatrician. Nat Wolfe, a master carpenter on that estate, took an interest in the beehives Datto was keeping there. But he couldn't believe how much senseless work was involved in lifting all those boxes. Finally, he turned to Datto in exasperation. George, are you kidding me?" Wolfe remembers exclaiming. "Theres got to be a better way." Datto responded with a dare. If you can come up with something better, he told Wolfe, go for it. Wolfe went for it. He went home and puttered around, and finally came back to tell Datto it might be a good idea if he stopped by Wolfe's workshop. When he saw the prototype that Wolfe had hammered together, Datto was gobsmacked: Wolfe's idea could potentially remove the need to move around all those bee boxes. The pair spent years refining the idea, bolstered by Wolfe's carpentry acumen and Dattos long bee expertise. The result of all that work, finally, is The Keepers Hive, a company based in Datto's home of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he also runs a honey brand called Revolution Bees and heads the local beekeeping association. A "better beehive" came from a simple idea The Winterthur master carpenter and beekeeper, Nat Wolfe, inspects the beehive at the Winterthur in Wilmington on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Like most good ideas, the idea behind The Keeper's Hive is quite simple. Indeed, a key feature is that the design doesnt change the classic Langstroth hive much at all. Beekeepers can still keep on using the same old Langstroth honey-boxes they already own, making the new hive design much easier to adopt. "Langstroth is awesome," Datto said. "We just built a better base." The innovation that led to The Keeper's Hive is all about the beehive's bottom box, the lower sanctum that houses the queen. For the sake of argument, think of a beehive as a big hanging file cabinet, except the "files" are vertical removable wood-frames that that bees fill with honeycomb. The frames in the hive's top boxes are where worker bees "file" their honey. The bottom cabinet, the brood box, is where the queen lays her eggs. The Winterthur beekeeper, George Datto points out the queen bee, center with the blue head, of one of the hives while inspecting the beehive at the Winterthur in Wilmington on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Datto and Wolfe's innovation involves letting those hanging frames on the bottom box slide along little runners, and be removed through a door in the front. Beekeepers can open the door and slide the frames forward to pull them out, without the need of unstacking the boxes on top. Other beekeepers have thought of sliding brood frames before, of course. But there's always the same problem: Bees are prodigious gluers, and theyll glue shut almost anything they can get to. Bees like to hang in spaces three-eighths of an inch across, the "Goldilocks" distance between honeycomb frames. Make the space between frames a bit bigger, and the bees start building honeycombs between the frames. Much narrower, and the bees will gunk up the gaps with a sticky substance called propolis, otherwise known as bee glue." Wolfe and Datto managed to solve the bee-glue problem using a few bits of clever carpentry, as well as a pair of removable brackets that close the gaps so bees can't get in to glue up the frames and runners. Will a new hive design help bees survive? The Winterthur beekeeper, George Datto inspects the beehive at the Winterthur in Wilmington on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Lowering the effort of beekeeping could have big results for the survival of bees, Datto believes. Quite simply, Datto said, its human nature to be lazy. And where bees are concerned, laziness is dangerous. Hives have many enemies, from mites to beetles to disease. If a hive is overcrowded, it may swarm. If a beekeeper doesnt catch a problem early, it may be too late. And if it takes an hour of heavy lifting to check on your queens, you might not be as inclined to inspect hives often enough to spot problems, Datto believes. Failure to assess the state of a hive can have real effects, Datto said. Nearly half of backyard beehives died in the 2022-2023 season, according to a bee lab study last year an alarming number that is not just expensive for beekeepers, but also potentially worrisome for the plants and crops that depend on bees to reproduce. "There are too many bees, and too many colonies, that die," Datto said. "Beekeeping is about honey production, but it's also animal husbandry. It's about raising healthy animials that live. You wouldn't want half your cows to die every year." Ideally, by making it easier to manage beehives, The Keeper's Hive's inventors hope to help more hives survive. Beekeepers are slow to change, or to try new designs The Winterthur beekeepers, George Datto, center, and Nat Wolfe, right, after inspecting the beehive at the Winterthur in Wilmington on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Now the problem was convincing skeptical beekeepers that The Keeper's Hive was anything special. Datto had a long career behind him in Delaware as a pediatrician, and Wolfe was a skilled carpenter. But neither had any particular experience in marketing or launching a retail business. And when the pair took their hive to beekeeping expos, skeptical beekeepers were a tough audience. "We'd go to these different shows and we'd set our stuff out on the table, and you'd get hundreds of people walking by in a day," Wolfe said. "They'd see our banner up that said 'Langstroth Without the Lift,' and they'd say 'I'd like to see that!' And then they'd keep on walking." When the pair demonstrated the hive, things went well. But it was hard to convince people they didn't know to even listen. Thats where an old childhood friend of Wolfe's son came into play. Dave McNeeley, a Middletown native whod gone off to run logistics for a high-end photobooth company in New York City before getting into marketing and branding, kept asking Wolfe about the bee invention hed heard about. McNeeley kept on asking about the hive, until finally he ended up a partner in the business. Now in Philadelphia, he worked with the pair to figure out a business plan and launch the business nationally. McNeeley also got hives into the hands of people who might be able to spread the word, including an influential beekeeper in Wales named Laurence Edwards, whose honey brand Black Mountain Honey is known to beekeepers all over the world, in part through a popular YouTube channel. In a video from May, Edwards tried out the Keeper's Hive after transferring a colony of somewhat perturbed bees, waxing increasingly ecstatic over a hive idea that could save hours and hours of effort. "This is the Keeper's Hive, and this is probably going to be my favorite video of 2024," Edwards declared, his excitement visible through bee netting. He then declared the Delaware invention "the coolest beehive I think I have ever seen in my life." Still, Datto and Wolfe know not to get their hopes up that their invention will immediately take over the world. Afer all, beekeepers are notoriously tough to convince. In front of his hives at Winterthur, Datto told the story of L.L. Langstroth, the inventor of the modern movable-frame hive. Though now revered as the "father of modern beekeeping," Langstroth famously died a pauper. Datto and Wolfe can only hope The Keeper's Hive won't take quite as long to catch on. Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all things related to land and money: openings and closings, construction, and the many corporations who call the First State home. Send tips and insults to mkorfhage@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Have Delaware, Pennyslvania beekeepers invented a better beehive? Miami was the place to retire until it slid 150 spots down the popularity list Miami was the place to retire until it slid 150 spots down the popularity list For a few years during the pandemic, it seemed like the snowbird, the stereotypical retiree moving to the sunny acres of Florida, might be going extinct. An annual study of where US seniors choose to retire logged a precipitious drop in the Sunshine States most famous city. In 2021, Miami was the number eight retirement destination in the country, according to the research by financial advisor SmartAsset. The following year, it had tumbled more than 150 places, all the way down to number 168. News reports heralded a great Florida exodus, with nearly 500,000 moving out of state in 2022, a worrying sign for a state that was also the top choice for retirees nationwide that year. Others pointed to Baldwin County, Alabama as the next big thing in senior living. Perhaps it was all the uber-wealthy snapping up scenic real estate during the pandemic. The number of millionaires and billionaires living in Miami grew by 75 per cent over the last decade, according to a study by investment migration firm Henley & Partners and New World Wealth. By the end of 2023, the cost of living in Miami was well above the national average. A for sale sign in front of a home in Miami, Florida, part of the wave of homes being bought and sold during the pandemic (Getty Images) Perhaps Governor Ron DeSantis had reached the limit of acceptance for his particular adversarial brand of politics, in which gay people, trans people, Black history, librarians, vaccines, and the Walt Disney corporate were all but deemed enemies of state. Perhaps, but perhaps not. Whatever was going on during the peak pandemic years seems to have receded, and the path of the snowbird is still as vibrant as ever towards Miami. At the end of the day, a lot of people are moving out of state in retirement, Nicolas Dumas, of Malta, New Yorks Retirement Planning Group, LLC, told The Independent. And for many New Yorkers, as ever, the destination is Florida. The Empire State consistently ranks as among the top states losing retirees, and Florida consistently ranks as the top state gaining them. All of Florida has no income tax, and a generally lower cost of living than other parts of the country, but one region reigns supreme for retirees: Miami. According to a study from moving company Hire a Helper, analyzing US government population data from 2023, the 70 mile stretch encompassing the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach areas was the number one retirement destination in the country. A general view of the atmosphere as Haute Living supports our veterans at America First gala at Mar-a-Lago on April 11, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida (Getty Images for Haute Living) Thats even though the financial considerations of moving to Miami have shifted considerably. The draw of the city has long been about dollars and cents: you could move from a place like New York City, with its astronomical cost of living, to another global city, riding into retirement with some extra money and a whole lot more sun to boot. However, between 2019 and 2023, it got a whole lot less advantageous to make the move, thanks to housing costs rising about 40 per cent in the last four years, and the price of utilities and gasoline rising even faster than in New York. All told, in 2023, someone with a $100,000 salary in Manhattan would save an estimated $37,166 a year by moving to Miami, down from more than $51,000 in savings just four years earlier, according to a study from SmartAsset. Those werent the only financial changes. Last year, the price of car insurance in Florida was up over 24 per cent, while the price of homeowners insurance grew by nearly double that amount, while home prices were up roughly 60 per cent since 2020. If the idea of moving to Florida was to make a pension or government retirement benefits go a little further, changes like these complicate the picture. Still, these factors dont seem to have slowed down the retirement train to Miami. In fact, looking back at the last decade or so, the Florida Chamber of Commerce found that not only is migration into Florida growing, its rate of growth has also been increasing steadily since 2017. It seems that despite the changes to the economy and politics of Florida, Miami wont lose its status as a retiree haven any time soon, and the more than 72,000 residents of the city aged 65 and over will continue to be in good company. Boats are anchored off the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach (Getty Images) As The Independent has reported, population trends rarely follow one set model. Just because a state is getting more expensive, doesnt mean its going to suddenly see a massive population decline or enter a doom loop just look at California. You might think the state, which has a sky-high cost of living and population growth slowing to a trickle, might collapse in on itself like the faded Rust Belt regions of the upper Midwest or Appalachia, but that hasnt been the case. Some people outside of the state like the idea of California being basically in a doom loop and everything is a disaster here, Hans Johnson of the Public Policy Institute of California recently told The Independent. If you look at the reality, I would say that the desirability to live in California is quite high, based on pretty direct measures which include the cost of housing. The same goes for Miami. Sometimes, a state or city just has that special something, and makes its own trends. For Miami, the recipe is simple. They like the weather down there and the tax breaks, Dumas said. And neither of those look like theyre going to be changing anytime soon. Julian Assange flies out of UK after reaching plea deal with US government The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has struck a deal with US prosecutors which is expected to see him return to his native Australia within days. Mr Assange was released from Belmarsh prison and has flown out of the UK as he prepares to enter a guilty plea as part of a deal with the US Justice Department. Assange, 52, boarded a flight from Stansted airport at 5pm UK time on Monday, ahead of an appearance later this week in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information by the US government. According to a new filing from the DOJ, proceedings in the Mariana Islands are due to take place on Wednesday morning, when Assange will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing on the island of Saipan at 9am local time. The charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during the first term of Barack Obamas presidency. Assange was accused by the US government of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a document at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released June 25, 2024 (via REUTERS) The documents included unfiltered US diplomatic cables that potentially endangered confidential sources, Iraq war-related significant activity reports and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees. The information leaks occurred from between 2009 and 2011, the documents said, and was shared on Assanges WikiLeaks website. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released June 25 2024 (via REUTERS) Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the US government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from the UK. In a post on X, the WikiLeaks account announced that Assange had left Belmarsh on Wednesday after 1,901 days, and had departed on a flight from Stansted airport. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised, the statement read. After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. A filing from the U.S. Department of Justice to the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands describes a plea deal regarding Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, in this image obtained by Reuters on June 24, 2024 (via REUTERS) The statement added: WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, signing a document before boarding a private jet with the markings of charter firm VistaJet. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 Julian is free!!!! Stella Assange said on X. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soonpic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 The plane departed from Stansted on Monday afternoon for Bangkok, FlightRadar24 data shows. A spokesperson for Assange in Australia declined to comment on his flight plans. VistaJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Australian government, led by prime minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing for Assanges release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. Prime minister Albanese has been clear: Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration, a government spokesperson said. Prior to his incarceration at Belmarsh, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, gives a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, after he won a bid at the High Court to bring an appeal against his extradition to the US (PA Wire) He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Sweden eventually discontinued its sex crimes investigation in 2019, with prosecutors saying that although the alleged victims claim was credible, the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question. Assange always denied all allegations, saying the sex was consensual. His family and supporters have said previously that his physical and mental health have suffered massively during more than a decade of legal battles. If approved by a federal judge, the new plea deal would credit that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. Assange was indicted during former president Donald Trumps administration over WikiLeaks mass release of secret US documents, leaked by Chelsea Manning. The charges sparked outrage among global supporters, who have long argued that Assange as the publisher should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organisation Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world. The plea agreement comes months after president Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the US push to prosecute Assange. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act and other offences for leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven behind bars. Whats next for the Virginia Beach Convention Center area and MOCA property? Input sought. VIRGINIA BEACH A lively, mixed-used environment where both residents and tourists co-exist will make the most sense for the central part of the Oceanfront, says a city consultant who is gathering public input this week. Virginia Beach is spending nearly $300,000 to study land around the convention center and the economic impact of the area known as central beach. Renaissance Planning held its first public session Monday, and the second one will start at noon Tuesday at the Convention & Visitors Bureau office on 22nd Street. A big concern of mine is affordable housing, said Melissa Lukeson, who along with several other residents and business owners attended Mondays session. Participants were invited to list their priorities on sticky notes placed on placards. Open space was one of Mark Stevens areas of interest. I want to keep what we started here in the ViBe and keep it inviting, he said, referencing the citys arts district. Renaissance Planning will create a strategic report for the central beach area that will consolidate multiple land, housing and transportation studies commissioned by the city over the past decade. Six studies over the past 19 years all concluded that the Virginia Beach Convention Center needs a headquarters hotel and a bigger, mixed-used project that can go along with it, according to the city. This is a culmination of all the efforts that have taken place, said Joe Strayer of Renaissance Planning. This latest study will analyze compatible uses for the district and will include input from surrounding residential stakeholders including the historic Seatack neighborhood and the ViBe Creative District. It will also include a plan for key pieces of city-owned land in the central beach area including the convention center parking lots and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art property. The museum plans to relocate to Virginia Wesleyan University. It will also look at potential private redevelopment of the Colony Mobile Home Park on Virginia Beach Boulevard. Strayer said the area is ripe for a plan with a focus on residential needs while also accommodating tourists. The network is there, we just have to activate it with the right uses, he said. At the request of the city, the consultants will also analyze a recent proposal for a mixed-use project across from the convention center. In 2022, Capstone Development was the only respondent to the citys request for ideas to include affordable housing and a convention center hotel. The Capstone proposal calls for the city to fund the projects parking garages, which could have up to 3,500 spaces, more than four times the spots that exist in the convention center lots now. Members of the Resort Advisory Commission, which makes recommendations to the City Council, had previously expressed concerns about the proposal and a desire for a broad study of the 19th Street corridor. In addition to the central beach plan, the city has hired commercial real estate firm CBRE to provide an economic impact and infrastructure analysis of the area and the Capstone proposal. It will be completed by the end of the summer. The final report on central beach will likely be presented to the City Council in October. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com If you go What: Central Beach Small Area Plan public engagement session Where: Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, 600 22nd St., 2nd floor When: Tuesday, Noon to 4 p.m. The Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected a state contract to open the nations first public religious charter school in a lopsided ruling that's unlikely to be the final word in a long legal fight. Tuesday's 6-2 decision marks a significant victory for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who pressed justices in April to reverse a state charter board's approval to open the publicly funded St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. But Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt declared that the court's ruling undermines religious freedom and said he hopes the case is eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. "Im concerned weve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system," Stitt said Tuesday in a statement. "Religious freedom is foundational to our values, and today's decision undermines that freedom and restricts the choices available to Oklahomans." Conservative groups have rushed to St. Isidores defense with the hope of creating a test case that changes the U.S. Supreme Courts interpretation of the First Amendments Establishment Clause and clears the way for a new form of public education supporters argue will advance religious freedom and school choice. The ruling: State justices ordered the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to rescind its contract with the religious charter school, ruling the agreement is an unconstitutional violation of both state and federal law. "Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school," justices wrote in the majority's ruling. "As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian. However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic faith as part of its school curriculum while sponsored by the State. This State's establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause." The school has been pushing to start operations by July 1. But justices wrote St. Isidore cannot justify its creation by invoking its rights to the free exercise of religion. The school exists because of its charter with the state and would function as a component of Oklahoma's public school system, they said. A trio of federal Supreme Court rulings that expanded faith-based institutions access to public funds also do not apply in St. Isidore's case, the state court's majority said. "What St. Isidore requests from this Court is beyond the fair treatment of a private religious institution in receiving a generally available benefit, implicating the Free Exercise Clause," justices wrote. "It is about the State's creation and funding of a new religious institution violating the Establishment Clause." The court further waded into a divisive but unresolved legal question over whether public charter schools qualify under the law as private entities or "state actors" that work on behalf of the government. The Catholic charter school "is a public charter school and a state actor," the majority ruled. Reactions: This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty," Drummond said in a statement. "The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahomas Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism." State religious and political figures nevertheless suggested they would challenge the decision. "This ruling cannot and must not stand," state school Superintendent Ryan Walters said on Tuesday. Phil Sechler, senior counsel for the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom legal fund that is representing the states charter school board, said his clients would consider all legal options, including appeal. "The U.S. Constitution protects St. Isidores freedom to operate according to its faith and supports the boards decision to approve such learning options for Oklahoma families," Sechler said in a statement. "The board knew that the First Amendments Free Exercise Clause prohibits state officials from denying public funding to religious schools simply because they are religious." Top Catholic officials in the state also said they are weighing their options. Todays ruling is very disappointing for the hundreds of prospective students and their families from across the state of Oklahoma who desired the educational experience and promise of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School," Oklahoma Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Oklahoma City Archdiocese and Bishop David Konderla of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma said in a joint statement. China honors outstanding scientists, sci-tech innovations Xinhua) 09:02, June 25, 2024 Li Deren (1st R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and his wife (2nd R), pose for a group photo with Xue Qikun (1st L), an academician of the CAS from Tsinghua University, and his wife at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Li Deren and Xue Qikun won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Photogrammetry and remote sensing expert Li Deren and condensed matter physicist Xue Qikun were presented with China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 on Monday. They were awarded at a meeting combining the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), which was held in Beijing to honor the distinguished scientists and research achievements. Li, born in 1939, is an academician at both the CAS and the CAE. He has dedicated his career to advancing China's capabilities in surveying and remote sensing for Earth observation. Li, also a professor at Wuhan University, is celebrated for his expertise in core technologies of high-precision global positioning and mapping via satellite remote sensing. He solved the high-precision processing problems of remote sensing satellite images, and has led his team to develop a fully automatic high-precision airborne and ground measurement system, making outstanding contributions to the building of China's high-precision and high-resolution Earth observation system. Li noted that the award represents the country's recognition of both him and his peers working in the field of remote sensing. "My fellow colleagues engaged in this field are all very happy. For the younger generation of scientists, I hope they will continue to advance China's capabilities in sky, land and sea remote sensing, Earth observation, and deep space exploration, thereby making greater contributions to the world," Li said. "I will learn throughout my life and contribute to my country and my people," the veteran scientist added. Born in 1963, Xue, a CAS academician and a professor at Tsinghua University, is a distinguished scientist of condensed matter physics, who has achieved multiple scientific breakthroughs. His team conducted the first experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in 2012 and later published their findings in the journal Science, which was called by Nobel laureate Yang Chen-ning "the first physics paper of Nobel Prize level published by a Chinese lab." They also discovered interface-enhanced high-temperature superconductivity in the heterostructure system, which opened up a new direction of research in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. "We are in the golden age of scientific research. As the country has created such good conditions for us to carry out our work, we should cherish it and strive to achieve more breakthroughs," Xue said. At the Monday meeting, research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials and 48 other achievements were honored with the State Natural Science Award. Dozens of projects received the State Technological Invention Award. More than 100 projects, including the Fuxing high-speed train project, received the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. A total of 10 foreign experts won the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, speaks on behalf of all the national science and technology award recipients at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, speaks on behalf of all the national science and technology award recipients at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) Li Deren (L), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of the CAS from Tsinghua University, communicate at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Li Deren and Xue Qikun won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Younger Christian scientists have a crucial role in knocking down the zombies of atheism amid a clear trend revealing Generation Z is waking up to believe in a relationship between faith and science, according to scientist and apologist Sharon Dirckx. She spoke on the subject of Explaining God Away: Christian Belief in a Scientific World, a plenary session held at the European Leadership Forum 2024 in Wisla, Poland on May 28. Dirckx serves as an adjunct lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics in Oxford, England. She has a PhD in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge and is a well-known apologist. Dirckx said that think-tank Theos commissioned a Communicate Research poll 15 years ago, which recorded 42 percent of U.K. adults agreeing with a statement from atheist scientist Richard Dawkins made in a 1996 speech to the American Humanist Association that faith is one of the worlds great evils, comparable to the Smallpox virus but harder to eradicate. At the time, Dawkins said he felt greatly encouraged at the poll, adding that our whole consciousness-raising effort is succeeding. However, the poll was redone more recently using the same question and that figure has dropped dramatically to 20 percent, according to Dirckx. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Opinions on science and God are changing and they are actually changing most rapidly amongst young people amongst Generation Z depending on which part of the side of the Atlantic you are from, said Dirckx. People born between 1997 and 2012 are in strong disagreement with the statement that you can't be a good scientist and be religious, she added. Isn't that encouraging? Young people actually think differently about this. That's going to shape how we talk about this in all of the different settings that we're in, its going to shape all kinds of things. Dirckx encouraged younger scientists with a Christian faith to focus on their research, to gain a reputation in your field but also to speak into the debate about belief in God and science: The work is not finished yet. The landscape is shifting, but we still need people to chip away at the wall and to bounce down the zombies. She believed that the intellectual landscape questioning the balance between faith and science had shifted, and opined that even Dawkins had become more conciliatory in his views. The apologist said people needed to know that intellectualism did not require a choice between spirituality and the material laws of nature, within the understanding that God, as revealed in the books of the Bible, created the Universe. It's so interesting that the landscape has shifted. In the ancient world, the physical world was explained in spiritual terms, natural phenomena was explained in terms of divine action, the action of the gods of nature. But now in the modern world, we're trying to explain the spiritual world purely in physical terms, but those terms are not sufficient. Dirckx, with a professional interest in brain studies, referenced the study of neurotheology, looking at the intersection of neuroscience and theology. For example, examining what happens inside the brain when we pray. Dirckx said the sum total of all that generates the conscious you involves more than non-conscious neurons. She queried how the latter can generate a conscious mind. She acknowledged the mind growing problem was not a new scientific quandary it has been discussed since ancient times. In her opinion though, consciousness does not involve merely having a brain. Yes, we have a brain thankfully with all of its neurons and chemicals and electrical activity and hormones, but we also have a mind with its thoughts and feelings and emotions and memories. There's a you and you have an inner life, you have a self and there's a me, and actually measuring activity and your brain doesn't access that for us. Dirckx gave an imaginary example of someone wanting to study the experience of attendees at the leadership forum. She recalled moments from last years event such as people singing in worship with different languages, a very powerful moment of international unity. Scientific studies could use materialistic methods to examine the experience, such as an MRI scan or EEG tests recording brain activity. Those would reveal data from the brain but not give the proper living experience of attending the event: meeting old friends, attending workshops, hearing teaching, praying and crying together. We can measure all the data we like from your brain but that can't tell us what it's like to be you. And that is why material processes are not enough to capture the human mind. Dirckx emphasized that Christianity formed the basis for modern scientific discovery in the western world. She said that in the time of the Roman Empire a volcanic eruption would be interpreted as the god Vulcan venting his anger. Scientists now would explain it as merely natural effects of pressure changes in the Earth. And so some spiritual explanations have been overtaken by scientific ones and that has led to the perception that [not] just some spiritual explanations are irrelevant, but all spiritual explanations are irrelevant. But that is not the case. She used an illustration for comparison that the existence of Jeff Bezos, executive chairman and founder of Amazon did not conflict with the processes, procedures, and website that undergird Amazon. And it's no different with God and science, or faith and irrationality. The truth is everybody has faith in something. Everyone trusts something or someone and we never exercise that faith in an unthinking way. We always exercise our faith or trust on the basis of the evidence to support it. We trust people in our lives that have a proven track record. We have a low level of trust if we've been let down. And it's the same with Jesus. When people put their faith in Jesus in the first century, it was not an irrational blind leap into the dark. It was a response to this living, breathing, thinking, amazing, extraordinary person who treats people like no one else had ever seen and people [felt] safe on that basis. And of course they do that today through all the different ways in which we see God at work in the world, and on the basis of the reliability of scripture as well, and on miracles. A 26-year-old woman visiting Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana died after being swept over St. Mary Falls in Montana. Photo by Ellen Port for UPI June 24 (UPI) -- A 26-year-old woman visiting Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana died after being swept over the waterfall, the federal park said Monday. On Sunday, rangers say the 26-year-old unidentified woman from Pennsylvania fell into the water above St. Mary Falls, according to a news release from the park. The falls, which are on the park's east side, are 35 feet high and popular for day hikers. Witnesses told rangers the woman was swept over the falls at about 5:20 p.m. and then trapped under the water for several minutes. Bystanders were able to pull the woman from the stream and were able to administer CPR until emergency crews and an ALERT helicopter team could get to the scene. But she never regained consciousness. The death is under investigation and additional details are still being gathered. "Park staff would like to thank Glacier County, ALERT, Babb Ambulance and U.S. Border Patrol for their support, along with numerous bystanders for their immediate assistance," according to the release. "The park extends their deepest condolences to family and friends of the woman and asks that the public respect their privacy." Glacier National Park Conservancy said water is the main cause of fatalities in Glacier National Park. "Please use extreme caution near water. Swift, cold glacial streams and rivers, moss-covered rocks, and slippery logs all present dangers, the conservancy said. "Children, photographers, boaters, rafters, swimmers, and fishermen have fallen victim to these rapid, frigid streams and deep glacial lakes. Avoid wading in or fording swift streams. Never walk, play, or climb on slippery rocks and logs, especially around waterfalls. When boating, don't stand up or lean over the side, and always wear a lifejacket. The park gets its name from the many glaciers and glacial forces that shaped its rugged topography over two million years. Glacier National Park, which was established in 1910, covers about one million acres of land, and contains 25 "active" glaciers that move due to thawing and melting. It was joined together with Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta in 1932 as the world's first international peace park. A website describes the park as "a showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness steeped in human history. Relive the days of old through historic chalets, lodges, and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road." A June 24, 2024, view of a home destroyed by flooding the previous night at McCook Lake in southeast South Dakota. (Courtesy of Dirk Lohry) Homes were destroyed, roads were washed out, sinkholes opened up, a railroad bridge was swept away, and rescuers worked Sunday night into Monday morning to save people from rising floodwaters in the McCook Lake area of southeastern South Dakota. It looks like the Grand Canyon here, and its just pouring in. What a disaster, said McCook Lake Association President Dirk Lohry while kayaking the lake and surveying the damage Monday morning. He waded through trash and navigated currents that he said rivaled the Missouri River. The lake is a 273-acre, horseshoe-shaped body of water ringed by homes around its northern shore. Its just west of Interstate 29, while the Big Sioux River is just east of the Interstate. The Missouri River is a short distance to the south. As of Monday morning, the water on McCook Lake was rising about 6 inches an hour already 10 feet above normal levels, Lohry estimated. While dozens of homes were flooded near the lake, several more were under threat as the water continued to rise. The State of South Dakota, North Sioux City and private contractors built a levee Sunday evening across the Interstate at Exit 4 in an effort to tie it in with other protective structures and reduce impacts to McCook Lake and North Sioux City from the Big Sioux, which is swollen from three days of rain last week. Gov. Kristi Noem, speaking at a Monday morning press conference in North Sioux City, said the Big Sioux rose higher and faster than authorities anticipated Sunday as they were mobilizing the effort. The river crested at a record 44.98 feet overnight, surpassing its old record from 2014 by 7.28 feet. Noem said the crest was 2 feet higher and came 17 hours sooner than an earlier forecast. We expected that we had overnight to build a levee, Noem said, adding, and then within an hour that had changed dramatically. We had to build that levee within a few hours. The Big Sioux River at Sioux City rose rapidly on June 23, 2024, and set a new record crest, as shown here. (Courtesy of NOAA) The South Dakota Department of Transportation closed a portion of Interstate 29 at 6 p.m. Sunday to build the levee. Noem said workers used sandbags as the water rose but soon switched to truckloads of clay offered by a local resident. Noem said a levee was built in the same location during a 2014 flood, and water never reached it. This time it did, and Noem said the levee did divert water. State and local authorities did not immediately have a count on the number of homes destroyed at McCook Lake. Union County Emergency Management Director Jason Westcott said rescuers conducted two sweeps of McCook Lake and would do a third, and he was feeling pretty comfortable that almost everybody is out of that area. Westcott said work was underway Monday morning to open a donation site in North Sioux City, open a shelter for displaced residents and draft a debris management plan for the cleanup. He encouraged people to check Union County Emergency Managements Facebook page for updated information. Were also asking everyone this includes residents to stay out of the flooded areas, Westcott said. A lot of these flooded areas are very dangerous at this time. The flooding resulted from 10 to 15 inches of rain that fell from Thursday to Saturday in the hardest-hit area of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, with totals exceeding 17 inches in some locations. Twenty-one of South Dakotas 66 counties experienced flooding. Estimated three-day rainfall totals in southeast South Dakota as of 7 a.m. Central time on June 22, 2024. (Courtesy of National Weather Service) Noem said Sunday that at least one person had died as a result of the flooding, but she declined to provide further details on the death. The state Department of Public Safety separately reported that an 87-year-old man died Saturday near Harrisburg when he accidentally backed a utility terrain vehicle over a washed-out road section. The department declined to say whether that was the death Noem was referencing. The heavy rainfall filled rivers and creeks that run south and east to the Missouri River in the southeast corner of the state, putting McCook Lake, North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes in the crosshairs of the collected floodwater. Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for the Dakota Dunes area Sunday. The road in front of Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was washed away overnight. Her familys house is flooded. Some of her neighbors homes are almost entirely submerged, and another is split in half. Speichinger evacuated with her husband, two toddlers and dogs before the water reached their home, alerting neighbors to evacuate as well. There was nobody telling people that water was in our backyards, Speichinger said. Within 30 minutes of us seeing the water and leaving, there was water in our basement. Beyond the damage at McCook Lake, Westcott, the local emergency manager, said some damage in other areas was prevented. What occurred yesterday was a result of a mitigation effort, Westcott said Monday morning. Mitigation is designed to lessen the effects of flooding in our area, and also lessen the effects on critical infrastructure. If we did not take the mitigation effects that we took yesterday, much of North Sioux City would be under water. But that diverted water seemed to go straight into McCook Lake and into Speichingers backyard, she said. Her house was delisted from the flood zone a few years ago after officials reviewed and updated a flood map, so she doesnt have flood insurance. Shes worried that the actions of Gov. Kristi Noem and other authorities or lack thereof have cost her family their home and that they wont find an acceptable replacement. Gov. Kristi Noem leads a press conference June 23, 2024, in North Sioux City on flooding in the area. (Courtesy of the South Dakota Governors Office) Im pretty mad at Kristi, because she makes it sound like they did a great thing, but in reality it hurt a huge part of our community, Speichinger said. They said they had this plan set in place since at least the previous flood. Im angry that they saved the Dunes and the business district but not us. Lohry said that his association attempted to have city officials review the diversion plan in 2014 but lamented that they didnt push hard enough and that their concerns fell on deaf ears. Officials should review the plan now, he said. Scott Vetos lakeside house hadnt flooded yet Monday morning, but his pontoon boat and lift were on the other side of the lake. While the state did build a levee, it wasnt fast enough to help McCook Lake residents, he said. This was intentional. This is basically a triage thing, Vetos said. To us, living on the lake, were not happy about the Lets flood McCook Lake and save Sioux City move. Lohry estimates that once the water stops flowing into McCook Lake, the water level will drop about an inch per day. He said itll take months for the lakes residents to return to normal. Beyond the damage around McCook Lake, Noem said Monday that a BNSF Railway bridge on the Big Sioux River had been destroyed by the flooding. Noem encouraged everyone affected by flooding to document their damages and share the information with their insurance provider and local emergency manager. She said that information will help the state prepare its application for aid to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson attended the Monday press briefing and said he and the states two U.S. senators will press hard for federal support. Having seen some of the damage, having a sense of how high these waters are, I would be surprised if there will not be a robust federal assistance when we talk about recovery, Johnson said. Some Missouri River tributaries including the James and Vermillion Rivers were still rising Monday, with crests not expected until later this week. State Geologist Tim Cowman said the varying pace of crests on those rivers should help prevent further damage in the McCook Lake, North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes area. It will take a while for that water to get down here, Cowman said. Our feeling is that the Big Sioux will obviously be past its crest and will have dropped enough that well be seeing drops in the Missouri by the time those pulses from the James and the Vermillion get here. So I dont anticipate that the Missouri River later in this week would get any higher than it is today, and actually would be lower than it is today. Noem welcomed those projections but cautioned against complacency. As you can tell, clearly, things change quickly. The state Department of Transportation, meanwhile, said the I-29 closure was extended Monday morning between exits 2 and 26. A lengthy detour has been established with maps available on sd511.org. This article first appeared in the South Dakota Searchlight, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. The post SD homes and roads in McCook Lake area ravaged by flooding appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Sweden joins NATOs exercises as full member for the first time Sweden joins NATOs exercises as full member for the first time Approximately 9,000 troops from 20 NATO countries have been conducting military exercises in June in the Baltic Sea region, an area of increased strategic significance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This year's Baltops exercises are notable as Sweden, now a full NATO member, joined the drills for the first time since its recent induction into the alliance. The exercises, which run through Thursday, involve comprehensive training operations including sea mine sweeps, submarine detection, landings, and medical response to mass casualty scenarios. The primary aim is to enhance the interoperability of NATO forces and demonstrate the alliance's commitment to joint security. NATOs Naval Striking and Support Forces, along with the US Navy's 6th Fleet, are organising the drills, which feature around 50 navy ships and 45 aircraft and helicopters. These exercises are being held across the Baltic Sea, as well as on the strategic island of Gotland in Sweden, and in Lithuania, Poland, and Germany. The Baltic region's significance has grown due to major gas pipelines running across its seabed from Russia and Norway to Germany, Poland, and other European nations. The area has become increasingly sensitive since Russia's increased hostile activities following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Military armored vehicles take part in the Baltops 2024 exercise in the Baltic Sea region. - Cameron C. Edy/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved US Marine Corps Andrew T. Priddy emphasised the importance of NATOs presence on Gotland Island, saying, 'The dynamic challenges of the Baltic Region demand a refined, precise, and efficient amphibious capability; and that is exactly what we conducted in Sweden today. The landing location was intentional: NATOs presence on Gotland Island is vital to protecting the security and stability of the Baltic Sea.' The extensive joint exercises underscore NATO's strategic priorities and readiness in a region of critical geopolitical importance. Ukraine is fighting to stay 'five steps ahead' of the Russians in the 'cat-and-mouse' war tech game, top official says Ukraine and Russia are in a war technology arms race, and both are rushing to produce more drones to fuel their war efforts. Both sides have relied on drones for tasks like carrying out attacks and conducting surveillance. "We do our best to be five steps ahead," one senior Ukrainian official told Business Insider. Away from the front lines in Ukraine, an unprecedented arms race is underway. Kyiv and Moscow have both sought to significantly ramp up production of unmanned systems as each side looks to out-produce their enemy and score a numerical advantage. But it's not just numbers. It's capability as well. One senior Ukrainian official said technology is making a difference on the battlefield and is constantly going through evolutions. "For the first time in human history, the tech war has moved at such a pace," Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, said in translated remarks shared with Business Insider. He added "it's more like a cat-and-mouse game now, with one side advancing over the other." Drones of all kinds have been invaluable in this war, with both sides using them to regularly to complete a variety of battlefield tasks, including carrying out attacks, conducting surveillance, monitoring enemy troop movements, laying mines, dropping bombs, delivering supplies, and evacuating casualties. Both Ukraine and Russia have prioritized unmanned systems as a cheap but effective way to keep pace with the ever-evolving nature of this grinding conflict. A Ukrainian soldier prepares a LELEKA 100 drone for flight in the direction of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, on June 10, 2024. Photo by Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images Russia has dramatically ramped up drone production, including its first-person-view drones, and trained thousands of operators, putting pressure on the Ukrainians to keep up. "In terms of drone production, we see that Russia produces rather quickly," explained Fedorov, who has been at the forefront of Ukraine's war-time efforts to strengthen domestic innovation and procure unmanned systems. "But at the same time, we do our best to be five steps ahead," he added. Ukrainian officials said in December that Kyiv plans to produce one million first-person-view, or FPV, drones by the end of this year. These relatively cheap systems have had a tremendous impact, but building that many would be a monumental effort that would require the country to boost its already-elevated production levels. Ukraine also aims to produce thousands of other systems. A Ukrainian soldier of the 71st Jaeger Brigade prepares FPV drones at the frontline near Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, on March 22, 2024. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky FPV drones, specifically, have emerged as an ever-present threat on the modern battlefield. Both Ukraine and Russia have relied on these systems, oftentimes nothing more than a small quadcopter drone loaded up with explosives, as a cheap way to deliver precision strikes on enemy personnel, positions, and armor. In February, Fedorov said Ukraine will reach its FPV production goals by the end of the year. Some officials have said that Kyiv may actually eclipse these figures because the country is capable of producing 150,000 drones a month. Even though Ukraine has its eyes set on 1 million FPV drones, Fedorov told BI that Kyiv still plans on producing other unmanned systems like exploding naval drones and long-range attack drones. "Different missions require different drones," he said. Ukrainian servicemen stand in front of a Sea Baby drone during the presentation in the Kyiv region on March 5, 2024. AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka Naval drones and long-range attack drones, in particular, have emerged as innovative and successful solutions for Ukraine in areas where Kyiv had been lacking earlier in the war due to its essentially nonexistent navy and a shortage of missiles. Ukraine doesn't have any warships of its own, but it has leaned on two types of naval drones to damage Russia's Black Sea Fleet, effectively forcing Moscow to relocate its vulnerable assets away from its long-held headquarters in the occupied Crimean peninsula. Initially, these naval drones were just packed with explosives, but now they also feature rocket launchers and heat-seeking missiles. Long-range attack drones, meanwhile, emerged as a way for Ukraine to skirt restrictions on using Western weapons and conduct strikes deep inside Russian territory. Using domestically produced unmanned aircraft, Kyiv has gone after strategic military and energy facilities hundreds of miles from the front lines. "You can track the successes of Ukraine's long-range program by the surprising news coming from Russia," Fedorov said. Read the original article on Business Insider The seven members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court hear oral arguments. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner) The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday ordered the six groups that submitted maps in the lawsuit against the states old gerrymandered political maps to split the $128,000 owed to two consultants hired by the Court to assess proposed maps. The Court ultimately didnt need to decide which maps should be chosen after Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-held Legislature reached a deal on implementing new maps proposed by Evers in February. The two consultants did author a report assessing the proposed maps submitted by each of the groups involved in the case. Under the Courts Monday order, each group must pay $21,359.67. The decision like many of the Courts actions since Justice Janet Protasiewicz took her seat last August, swaying ideological control of the Court to the bodys four liberals included accusations of partisanship. In a dissent, joined by Justice Rebecca Bradley, Chief Justice Annette Ziegler referred to the Courts majority as a court of four as she accused the liberals of improperly communicating with the two consultants and making decisions without transparency. Trust us! Were from the government, and were here to collect our $128,158 bill, Ziegler wrote. But trust cannot be demanded where transparency is glaringly absent. From the outset, this case has been rife with procedural irregularities, legal contortions, and due process problems. Now, parties are ordered to pay the non-itemized bill submitted by the consultants for services which the court of four contracted through the Director of State Courts. In another dissent, Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote that the decision to split the bill is a brazen imposition of judicial will and that the hiring of the consultants was improper. What a mess. To no ones surprise, this case is moving toward closure with new legislative maps that align with four justices sense of political fairness, he wrote. The only question was how not if we would get here. And now were left with a $128,000 bill that needs to be paid. Following the theme of this entire case, todays order is a brazen imposition of judicial will, not a principled application of the law. But Justice Rebecca Dallet objected to the accusations that the Courts majority acted improperly, writing that the redistricting case followed an agreed upon process in which the consultants completed a job that none of the parties in the case could have done themselves. In every case, we a court of seven evaluate the parties submissions and arguments in good faith and render decisions that reckon with the arguments of the parties, Dallet wrote. At times we disagree, sometimes vehemently. But we remain a seven-member court even when we disagree. The majority vote rules, and the dissenting justices are welcome to voice their disagreement in separate writings. Dallet added that the consultants did their work well and did it under budget. In the end, it was not necessary for this court to adopt new maps in this case, she continued. That was because the political process worked: The legislature enacted new state legislative district maps and the governor signed them into law. Nevertheless, I commend the Consultants for their work in this case. The post Wisconsin Supreme Court splits cost of consultants in redistricting case appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. TOKYO, Jun 25 (News On Japan) - A 26-year-old nursery teacher has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a child at a daycare center in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, including forcefully pulling the child's hair. The suspect, Kiyora Sakuma, is alleged to have violently pulled the hair of a young boy and inflicted other forms of abuse at the licensed nursery school in Setagaya Ward where she worked last month. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Sakuma pulled the boy's hair with such force that his head was thrown back and roughly grabbed his hand to make him stand up. The incident came to light after the boy complained to his parents, leading to a review of the nursery's security camera footage, which captured Sakuma's abusive behavior. During the police interrogation, Sakuma admitted to the charges, stating she was "irrate." Source: ANN LONDON, Jun 26 (News On Japan) - The Emperor and Empress of Japan, on an official visit to the United Kingdom, departed Buckingham Palace by car after attending a luncheon. Approximately two hours earlier, they had entered Buckingham Palace by carriage for an official luncheon. After the meal, they viewed the Royal Collection, which included decorations sent from Emperor Showa to Queen Elizabeth. After a brief return to their hotel, the Emperor and Empress will visit Westminster Abbey to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, dedicated to those who died in World War I. Source: ANN By Rachel Okporu Fadoju The Police Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed reports circulating on social media about cancelling its 2022 constable recruitment. Naija News recalls that the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force have been in a running battle over the recruitment lists of police constables. The police alleged the disappearance of some names of successfully screened candidates, claiming that the exercise was fraught with corruption and irregularities. The police commission has since denied the allegations, challenging the NPF to provide evidence, while insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the police be subjected to a forensic audit. However, in a statement on Tuesday, the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, disowned reports alleging that it has succumbed to pressure and cancelled the final list of successful candidates. Ani noted that the PSC would continue to ensure that federal character, gender sensitivity and merit remained the bedrock of its recruitment process. He also advised successful candidates to ignore the fake reports online and warned those engaging in the act, adding that anyone caught will be punished. He said, The Commission has not and will not cancel the final list of successful candidates from the recruitment exercise which was conducted in clear adherence to relevant guidelines and provisions of the law. The Commission is in control of the situation and has since restored the Recruitment portal with its original contents. Successful candidates are advised to ignore this deliberate antics of desperate groups bent on destroying the good work of the Commission in giving the nation a merit based and inclusive recruitment exercise. Disgruntled elements are advised to desist further from undermining the recruitment exercise, as anyone caught will be dealt with. The Commission restates that the portal is now fully functional and accessible. Candidates can now log in and access all its features without any disruptions. The Commission regrets the hitches and assures that it has fully secured the platform. Not a day passed when Allah Rakhi Bibi would not cry for her husband Nazeer Masih Gill, beaten to death at 74 by a Muslim mob on a false blasphemy accusation a month ago. On Friday (June 21), the grieving widow could bear the suffering no longer, and she died of cardiac arrest, relatives said. She was 72. Her son Sultan Gill told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that his mother constantly thought and talked about his father since he succumbed on June 3 to his injuries from the May 25 attack. The tears in her eyes never dried, Sultan Gill said. She would recall the good times they had spent together and would then cry out his name. A few hours before she passed away, my mother wept and said that life had become meaningless for her after my fathers death. She would say, He has left me alone, and I cant bear this anymore. Gill said his mother questioned why such tragedy had to happen to their family. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Her pain and agony apparently worsened when she overheard some family members talking about the bails being granted to the people involved in my fathers killing, he said amid sobs. We tried our best to keep this information from her, but we failed. Gill said that on Friday afternoon Bibi started complaining of chest pain. We called for a government ambulance, but the paramedics told us that the pain was probably due to stress, he said. They said it was useless to take her to the areas hospital since it was the time for Friday prayers, and no senior doctor would be available there to look after her. The paramedics gave her some medication and left. When her situation did not stabilize, we took her to the hospital, but she couldnt survive, Gill said. The duty doctor there said she had suffered cardiac arrest. Gill said his mothers body was buried the same day next to that of her husband. Our lives have been completely shattered all family members, including our children, are suffering from depression and stress, he said. We have lost our business, and are forced to live in our own house as refugees. The release of the people involved in the killing of my father is akin to rubbing salt on our wounds. Weve already lost hope for justice, and now my mother has also left us. Bail Granted Special Judge Anti-Terrorism Court Sargodha Muhammad Abbas on June 13 granted bail to the suspects, including three persons named in the First Information Report (FIR). The Urban Area Police Station had registered an FIR on behalf of the state against 44 named and 300 to 400 unidentified suspects. The case was registered under several sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including murder, attempt to murder, obstructing public officials in discharging their duty, assaulting a public official and mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house or cause death or hurt. Abbas admitted the suspects pleas, in which they claimed that police had implicated them in the case only on the basis of suspicion. They stated that officers failed to specify their roles in the attack, and none of the 18 witnesses had identified them. Moreover, nothing has been recovered from their possession, they added. Accepting the petitions, the judge ordered the suspects release on bail against surety bonds of 100,000 rupees (US$360) each. Attorney Asad Jamal said he regretted the release of the suspects but was anticipating it because of the polices intentional poor investigation. The polices conduct was suspicious from the onset, Jamal told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. The investigators neither preserved the crime scene nor made any attempt to interrogate the detained suspects. The suspects were arrested and sent to jail on the same day, whereas the police should have sought their physical remand for interrogation to record their first version statements to link their involvement in the incident. The Muslim lawyer, who has represented several people falsely accused of blasphemy, including Christians, was part of a fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) that termed Gills lynching a calculated assault, manipulated through religious fervor to gain maximum leverage. Jamal said it was clear that police had deliberately recorded statements of false witnesses to damage the case. They should have identified neighbors who witnessed the entire incident and recorded their statements, but it was not done, he said. Moreover, the police have not recorded the statements of Gills family to date. Jamal said police were not sharing any information with Gills family, though they are a natural party to the case. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. Region 11 emergency management is encouraging safe driving with the fall changes that drivers are experiencing. From the end of daylight saving time to active wildlife to Halloween, there are many things that drivers need to be on the lookout for. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The World Bank has approved $600 million funding to Morocco to enable the North African Kingdom finance two projects destined to improve public service and performance. The first project, which gets a $350 million support, aims to improve the governance, restructuring, competitive neutrality, and performance monitoring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The 2nd project, entitled Public Sector Performance (ENNAJAA), will benefit from $250 million funding destined to support the Moroccan governments efforts to enhance performance and transparency, while focusing on modernizing public administration through digitization and reforms in public financial management. The ultimate goal of these two projects is to enhance the performance of the public sector and elevate the quality of public services delivered to Moroccan citizens, said Jesko Hentschel, WB Country Director for the Maghreb. The World Bank has supported the Moroccan government in the initial stages and implementation of SOE reform by focusing on results, strengthening the reform implementation capacity of the two implementing agencies, the Ministry of Economy & Finance and the newly created state ownership agency. These efforts have already achieved measurable results, including an increase in womens representation on SOE boards of directors from nearly none to 30%, greater competitive space for the private sector, and the inclusion of climate reporting. On public sector performance, after almost two years of implementation, the initial ENNAJAA program has already shown results, including an increase of nearly 7% in additional tax revenues through better compliance at the national level and a 22 percent increase in revenues collected by the ten largest municipalities at the subnational level. The additional financing for the ENNAJAA program will prioritize improving public spending efficiency and revenue management, including greater budget transparency for citizens on public spending. It will also enable the adoption of climate-sensitive budgeting, a first in Morocco, and gender-sensitive budgeting for eight ministerial departments by the end of the project in 2028. Several Palestinian officials and personalities have hailed the new medical assistance dispatched to Gaza at the instruction of King Mohammed VI, saying that this royal move illustrates again the Sovereigns unwavering support for the Palestinian Cause. These Palestinian officials and personalities expressed their thanks and gratitude to King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, for this humanitarian medical aid, pointing out that this timely act of generosity will alleviate the urgent need for medical and first-aid products in the Gaza strip, prey to a disastrous humanitarian crisis. king Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al Quds Committee, ordered the delivery of 40 tons of medical aid to Gaza, in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-torn strip, Moroccos foreign ministry said in a statement Monday. The shipment will follow the same unprecedented land route as the aid sent last March. In March, Morocco was actually the first nation to use the Kerem Shalom border crossing to send aid to Gazans. This marked the first land breakthrough for humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. As put by Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar al-Kiswani, the delivery of this aid by land is of utmost importance in these circumstances, marked by escalation and obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid. This testifies to the Kings personal commitment to the smooth running of this operation, he underlined. The delivery of the aid by land illustrates the respect and high esteem enjoyed by the Sovereign, said for his pat Director of the Al-Quds Center for Economic and Social Rights, Ziad Al-Hamouri. This humanitarian aid will alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians, all the more so, as all the crossing points leading to the Gaza Strip are subject to a total blockade, which has had a negative impact on the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid, Ziad Al-Hamouri said. Moroccos new assistance consists of 40 tons of medical products, in particular, equipment for treating burns and surgical and traumatological emergencies, as well as essential medicines, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said adding that the King paid for a large portion of the aid. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) welcomed this new royal initiative as it will alleviate, it said, the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at this critical time when the few remaining hospitals in Gaza are suffering from a crying lack of medical products and medicines. The shipment by Morocco of 40 tons of medicines and medical products comes at a time when the medical sector in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse due to the scarcity of medical products and drugs, especially after the occupier closed the Rafah land crossing more than 40 days ago, Nebal Farsakh, PRCS spokesperson, said, noting that since this closure, no medical aid has been delivered. The aid from the Kingdom of Morocco will boost the performance of the few hospitals still operating in the Gaza Strip and improve their efficiency, allowing them to continue providing the health and medical services needed to save lives. Farsakh emphasized that the PRCS teams will transport aid to the Gaza Strip and then distribute it to medical service providers and public hospitals, including the Red Crescent hospitals in Khan Younes and Al Amal, as well as to medical points throughout the Strip. Many other officials, including Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Ashraf Al Aawar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al Azhar University in Gaza, Khalil Abou Foul, President of the Palestinian-Moroccan Friendship Association, Ziyad Al Jaabari, Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar al-Kiswani, Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Al-Quds, and others have all expressed thanks and gratitude to the Sovereign for his noble gesture and genuine human values and commended Morocco for having always been at the forefront of support for Palestine. They stressed Moroccos unwavering support for the Palestinians, as evidenced by the deployment of military field hospitals, and the supply of humanitarian and medical aid to the Palestinian people on several occasions. They likewise praised the key role of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al Quds Committee, and the laudable actions of Bayt Mal Al Quds Acharif Agency to strengthen the resistance of Al Quds population, through projects targeting several sectors such as education and health, which contribute positively and effectively to maintain services of several institutions in the Holy City. 'Bridgerton' star Jonathan Bailey will play 'Richard II' in a new production of the Shakespeare play at the Bridge Theatre in London under Nicholas Hytner's direction. The show will run from Monday, February 10, to Saturday, May 10, 2025. Opening night will be on Tuesday, February 18. Bailey, well-known for his breakthrough performance as Lord Anthony in 'Bridgerton,' recently appeared in Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers.' He is currently filming 'Jurassic World' with Scarlett Johansson and will play Fiyero in the upcoming 'Wicked' film. He also starred as Edgar in 'King Lear' opposite Ian McKellen and won an Olivier for his role as Jamie in 'Company.' 'Richard II' delves into the intricacies of leadership and the challenges of a monarch out of touch with political realities. The famous Shakespeare play shows the conflict between divine right and pragmatic governance. The production includes casting by Robert Sterne, design by Bob Crowley, and lighting by Bruno Poet. Associate director Lily Dyble joins the creative team. Hytner's 'Richard II' will stage the play in "a cross between in-the-round and traverse" rather than the immersive style of Hytner's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar,' which both allowed viewers to be up close to the actors. "Richard II has a delicacy and interiority that isn't going to respond to that kind of treatment," Hytner told The Guardian of plans for the production. He said the play's main question is: "What do you do when a ruler is absolutely inadequate? How do you get rid of the rightful leader?" The director added that, on the one hand, the play endorses Richard's right to rule, and on the other hand, it appears to endorse his adversary Bolingbroke's greater capacity to rule. Furthermore, he noted that the play will look at "a feudal world on the cusp of modernity." A contingent of 400 Kenyan police officers, the first of a 1,000-strong force, departed early Tuesday (25 June) for a controversial UN-backed mission in Haiti to combat the influence of powerful criminal gangs that have brought turmoil and violence to the Caribbean nation. A day earlier, Kenyan President William Ruto held a ceremony in the capital Nairobi to flag off the first group of 400 police officers who will participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. Wishing them luck, Ruto told the officers that this mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity, adding that it is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a mission to take a stand for humanity. Ruto also noted that his country will work with the international community to bring lasting stability in Haiti. The mission was authorized by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in October last year, under Resolution 2699, but the deployment has since faced several delays and legal challenges, including being declared illegal by the Kenyan High Court. The deployment comes amid a surge in violence and political instability in Haiti, with powerful gangs controlling large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and overwhelming local authorities. The mission is backed by the United Nations, the United States has pledged $100 million in funding if approved by Congress, and also several other countries including Canada, Jamaica and Senegal, have expressed their support for the initiative. Foreign investment flows to Africa dropped by 3% in 2023 to $53 billion, despite an increase in investments in green energy projects, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said. While Egypt and South Africa drove the overall investment trend in the continent, countries such as Morocco and Mauritania are expected to benefit from their green hydrogen plans in attracting substantial foreign investments, UNCTAD said in a recent report. Mauritanias green hydrogen plan is expected to generate $34 billion in investment, an amount several times greater than the nations GDP, UNCTAD said. Morocco also had decreased FDI inflows but performed well in attracting greenfield projects, it said Africa also received more than $10 billion in project finance for wind and solar electricity production, with the largest projects located in Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, it said. Value chains for electric vehicles also prompted foreign investments, UNCTAD said, adding that the largest deals announced included one to establish a $6.4-billion electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Morocco. Most FDIs came from the Netherlands, France, the US, the UK, and China, it said, Human rights activists have launched an urgent appeal on the United Nations to lift the blockade on the Tindouf camps in southwestern Algeria and allow access to the camps, which are witnessing an unprecedented deterioration of human rights conditions, as reported by several international organizations. On the sidelines of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the International Observatory for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (IOPDHR-GENEVA-NGO) on Monday sent a document with an urgent appeal to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Hespress news outlet reported. The document called for sending technical committees to the Tindouf camps to monitor the serious violations and abuses taking place there and the state of renewed violence and appalling insecurity, especially after the Polisario Front announced a return to arms. The Observatory stressed the need for Algeria to assume its international responsibilities as a host country, by ensuring decent and safe living conditions for the refugees in the Tindouf camps and recognizing their refugee status with all the rights that this entails. The appeal stressed the need to ensure access of UN special procedures and international organizations to the Tindouf camps to independently and transparently assess the humanitarian situation and the needs of the refugees, strengthen the monitoring and transparency of humanitarian operations in the Tindouf camps, ensure that aid effectively reaches the refugees without diversion or discrimination, and promote durable solutions and initiatives for resettlement, voluntary return, or local integration to ensure dignity and a stable future for the refugees. For nearly five decades, the inhabitants of these camps have been living in extremely precarious conditions, relying almost entirely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs, away from the watchful eyes of regional, continental, and international mechanisms, and human rights organizations, the document said. The letter addressed to the UN bodies held Algeria responsible for the abnormal situation in the Tindouf camps it hosts, and called for the urgent opening of these camps to international monitoring and the dispatch of fact-finding committees. The document noted that for more than four decades, the inhabitants of these camps have been living almost isolated from the world, away from the watchful eyes of regional, continental and international mechanisms and organizations working in the field of human rights. Classifying the Tindouf camps as refugee camps remains difficult in many ways, and the issue is not resolved over time, according to the Geneva-based NGO, which emphasized that these camps have never been subject to a census, despite the UNHCRs repeated request to the host country, despite relevant Security Council resolutions and despite repeated requests to register refugees in the Tindouf camps. Faced with this situation, the Algerian state still refuses to recognize the refugee status of the inhabitants of the Tindouf camps and apply the rights deriving from it, in accordance with the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, both of which have been ratified by Algeria. According to the letter, Algeria is also responsible for all internationally illegal acts and behaviors on its territory, including the Polisarios repudiation of the 1991 UN ceasefire agreement and its declaration of a return to arms. The document warned of the manipulation of aid distribution as the Polisario Front, in cooperation with the Algerian authorities, controls the distribution of these foodstuffs, making them available to the population according to their proximity to the leadership. Over the years, this aid has been the subject of significant diversion by the Polisario Front. This has led to a shortage of basic foodstuffs and has severely affected the health of the camp residents, causing widespread malnutrition. This abnormal situation, which escapes monitoring, has prompted the Polisario to continue to commit serious violations against the camp residents by strengthening its security grip on the area, relieving it of any legal obligation to protect people in the Tindouf camps, and obtaining full authorization from the Algerian government since 1975 to do so. According to the report sent to the UN bodies, in many cases, Algerian security services are placed at the service of the Polisario Front to abuse, torture, and subject individuals to degrading treatment in detention centers outside the control of the Algerian judiciary and the supervision of international mechanisms and organizations. American far-right, alt-right radio-show host Alex Jones addresses the conservative Turning Point Actions the Peoples Convention in June at Huntington Place in Detroit. Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images Infowars, as its currently known, may soon be coming to an end. In the latest development of the yearslong legal saga of far-right provocateur Alex Jones, the court-appointed trustee handling his media company indicated in a court filing on Sunday that he intends to shutter the business and sell off its properties. The trustee, Christopher Murray, wrote that he plans to conduct an orderly wind-down process and asset sale of the business. Such a sale would likely include Infowars, Joness flagship media website. It was earlier this month that a judge ruled that Jones must liquidate his personal assets to pay the $1.5 billion in legal penalties he owes to Sandy Hook families, but his company, Free Speech Systems, LLC, wasnt included in the decision. This allowed some of the families to begin their attempts to collect the money Jones was ordered to pay up after his continued promotion of lies and conspiracies following the 2012 mass shooting. CNN reports that Murray asked the court to pause any asset seizures after a Sandy Hook parent filed in Texas, seeking the companys holdings. The specter of a pell-mell seizure of FSSs assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment of the interests of the chapter 7 estate for which the Trustee is responsible, he wrote. In August 2022, Jones was ordered to pay $45.2 million in damages to parents of a child killed in the shooting. Later, in October, a Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay $965 million to several Sandy Hook families he was found liable for defaming. A judge added an additional $473 million to that total. Infowars filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that year, reporting up to $10 million in liabilities and as little as $50,000 in assets, per the New York Times. Jones himself filed for bankruptcy, citing the sizable judgments against him. In response to reports about Infowarss imminent closure, Jones posted a video saying the news is not accurate and that more information will emerge in the coming days. Although he denied the veracity of the reports, Jones suggested there could be a future for his program beyond its current platform. Infowars is only this building and equipment and our great crew. They can go anywhere. I can work anywhere. Theyre not shutting anything down, he said in the clip. Saudi Aramco controls 259 billion barrels worth of oil and gas reserves, which is unmatched by any other company globally. This is a key factor in the companys massive $1.8 trillion valuation. To illustrate that, Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu created this chart to compare the proved reserves of major oil companies as of 2022. Data was compiled by Statista from various company reports. Crown Jewel Saudi Aramco is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. As of 2024, it is the sixth-largest company in the world by market capitalization. Its oil reserves are over four times bigger than the reserves of all the other six companies on our list combined. Behind Saudi Aramco, American company ExxonMobil comes in second with 17.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent, followed by another American company, Chevron, with 11.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Saudi Aramco produces 9 million barrels of oil a day, more than any other firm and nearly a tenth of the worlds total. In addition, the state-run oil giant is the worlds most profitable company, generating $722 billion in profits between 2016 and 2023. Saudi Aramco is also expected to play a big part in Saudi Arabias plans to diversify its economy and reduce oil dependence. Recently, Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman confirmed that the kingdom is in talks to sell a 1% stake in the state oil giant, which could help fund the countrys projects in clean energy and technology. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which ranks oil production by country. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last week, crude oil futures finished the week higher on indications of stronger U.S. demand and a rising perception of risk from a wider Middle East conflict that could endanger oil flows from the region. Attacks by Houthi rebels continued on the Red Sea while drones from Ukraine struck four oil refineries and other military targets in Russia. Overall EIA data suggests a tightening U.S. oil market, "over the near term, we think China's oil demand growth disappointing market expectations is the key downside risk to consider," Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar said. Another corner of oil markets continues to shine: the aviation industry. Last week, U.S. refiners produced 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) of jet fuel, good for 8% Y/Y growth and the highest weekly total since January 2020, the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly data has revealed. Airlines for America (A4A) has forecast that U.S. airlines will carry 271 million passengers across the globe this summer, a 6.3% increase from last summer and a new record that surpasses the previous one of 255 million customers set in summer 2023. According to A4A--the industry trade organization for leading U.S. airlines--U.S. passenger carriers will offer more than 26,000 scheduled flights per day in a bid to accommodate this heightened demand--up nearly 1,400 from last summer. Meanwhile, motorist group AAA has predicted that a record 5.74 million people will fly to their destinations around the July 4 holiday. Related: U.S. Remains The Worlds Most Attractive Renewables Market U.S. jet fuel demand is already setting new records, with the four-week average jet fuel demand of 1.75 million bpd over the last week the highest for this time of the year since 2019, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. Thankfully, U.S. refiners are up to the task, with Matias Togni, founder at energy research firm Galpon Shipping & Trading, telling Reuters that higher refinery output will match the anticipated surge in demand over the holidays. Refiners have added over 2 million barrels of jet fuel to stockpiles in the current year, bringing inventories to 41.95 million barrels by June 14. That marks a 2% increase compared to last year and in-line with the past five years' seasonal average. According to AAA, domestic airfares around the July 4 holiday are 2% lower than last year, even as the flight tracker Airportia showed total U.S. flights are up 1% from last year. Airportia tracked 30,264 U.S. flights on Thursday last week, a 7.2% Y/Y increase. According to the EIA, jet fuel is the fourth-most-used petroleum product in the United States. In 2022, jet fuel consumption averaged 1.56 million b/d (65 million gallons per day), accounting for about 8% of total petroleum consumption. Global Aviation Rebound The aviation industry rebound is not just happening in the United States. According to Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA), the vast majority of metrics point to a strong rebound in global passenger air travel. Last year, global revenue passenger kilometers or RPK rose 36.9% Y/Y with full-year traffic hitting 94.1% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. Virtually all international passenger markets posted double-digit traffic growth with Asia-Pacific airlines posting a world-leading 126.1% increase. This trend is expected to continue in the current year and over the long-term. In its latest forecast, IATA sees RPKs growth clocking in at 11.6% year on year. The long-term 20-year growth trend is expected to see passenger demand grow 3.8% annually for the 2023-2043 period. Net profits are expected to reach $30.5 billion in 2024 (3.1% net profit margin), an improvement on 2023 net profits at $27.4 billion (3.0% net profit margin). This also marks an improvement on the $25.7 billion (2.7% net profit margin) forecast for 2024 profits that IATA released in December 2023. In contrast, cargo revenues are expected to fall to $120 billion in 2024 from $138 billion in 2023. Both figures are sharply lower after a record $210 billion posted in 2021, but above 2019 revenues, which were $101 billion. Despite strength on the demand side, cargo yields are expected to fall 17.5% in 2024 while remaining slightly above 2019 levels. IATA has pointed out that in general, air cargo is currently going through a period of correction following an exceptional year in 2021. Thus, key metrics including yields, capacity growth, the belly-dedicated freighter split are all moving from the extraordinary mid-pandemic situation towards a continuation of pre-pandemic trends and levels. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: ExxonMobil, Hess, and CNOOC of China booked a combined $6.33 billion in net profit for their joint oil operations offshore Guyana last year, with net profit margins topping that of chip maker Nvidia, according to Guyanese government data cited by Reuters. The Exxon-led consortium secured a lucrative contract with the government of Guyana when it began exploration offshore the South American country in the 2010s. Since discovering first oil in what turned out to be a very prolific Stabroek block, the partners in the consortium Exxon, Hess, and CNOOC have received billions of U.S. dollars in revenues and net profits, as production has been ramping up and is now more than 600,000 barrels per day (bpd). Exxon received $2.9 billion in net profit from the Guyana operations last year, per Guyanas government filings quoted by Reuters. Hess generated $1.88 billion and CNOOC booked $1.52 billion in net profit from the Stabroek joint venture in 2023. Total revenue for the joint venture jumped by 23% annually, to $11.25 billion in 2023. As a result, the Stabroek block joint ventures combined net margin was 56%, higher than Nvidias 49%, according to Reuters estimates. The Exxon-led consortium secured very favorable fiscal and tax terms for the Stabroek block before billions of barrels of oil were found in place. Since then Guyana has tweaked its contracts to have the governments share double to 27.5% but these terms apply for oil contracts outside the Stabroek block. The most immediate change in the consortium operating in the Stabroek block will likely come from Chevrons proposed acquisition of Hess. Chevron has proposed a multi-billion all-stock transaction to buy Hess, a minority partner of Exxon in the block with a 30% stake. ExxonMobil has challenged the sale in an arbitration procedure regarding its right of first refusal for Hesss stake. The merger between Chevron and Hess may be delayed until next year because of the arbitration panel set up to rule on a dispute with Hesss Guyana partner Exxon. Three months after the arbitration case was filed, there is still one more arbitrator who needs to be appointed to the panel for it to be complete, Reuters reported last week, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A cold conflict is escalating between France and Azerbaijan. And the latest twist in the tit-for-tat spat is heightening the prospect of renewed conflict in the Caucasus. On June 18, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the sale of 36 Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Armenia. The move immediately sparked vitriolic responses from Azerbaijan and Russia. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry called the sale as a provocative step that could revive the region as a hotbed of war. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed the Azerbaijani narrative, saying that Paris is provoking another round of armed confrontation in the South Caucasus, and they are doing it in different ways. The Armenian Foreign Ministry brushed off the criticism, issuing a statement asserting that it is the sovereign right of every country to have a combat-ready army equipped with modern military hardware. In recent days, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry has reported several instances in which Armenian forces allegedly fired on Azerbaijani positions along the two countries border. Yerevan has denied allegations of initiating any gunfire exchange. At the same time, reports appearing in state-connected media in Azerbaijan have hinted at the rising potential of renewed conflict; one commentary published June 22 by the official APA news agency raised the possibility of a Third Karabakh War. The Armenian leadership, which did not draw any conclusions from its successive defeats in the military and diplomatic fields, has begun to exhibit a non-constructive approach, the APA commentary stated. It went on to single out France as provoking confrontation in the Caucasus. In the 21st century, France, which still has the status of a shameful neo-colonial state, is trying to play the provocateur role it plays on a global scale, in the processes in the South Caucasus region, according to APA. As the APA statement highlights, Azerbaijans sharp response is connected to Bakus deep antipathy for France, rooted in Paris strong support for Armenia throughout the three-decade struggle for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a conflict that ended late last year with Azerbaijans decisive defeat of Armenian forces and the cleansing of Karabakhs ethnic Armenian population. The reaction is also linked to a chain of events since the start of 2024, in which France and Azerbaijan have taken turns antagonizing each other. In March, for example, French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Paris, offering unambiguous political backing for Armenias territorial integrity and its efforts to improve relations with the West. Resenting what it perceived as further meddling in the Karabakh peace process, Azerbaijan reportedly helped stir up independence sentiment that led to violent protests in May in the French Pacific colony of New Caledonia. Baku denied French allegations of involvement, but Azerbaijani media outlets did start assailing Frances neo-colonial behavior. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev appeared to take a backhanded swipe at France earlier in June when he raised the possibility of Azerbaijan creating a development fund to help small island nations. The howitzer sale can be seen as France clapping back at Baku. But a feud that has been up to this point limited mainly to verbal sniping now has reached a point where, if not managed well, it could prompt actual bullets to start flying again in the Caucasus. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iranians are going to the polls on Friday to elect a new president after the death of Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month. Most of the candidates are conservatives, with only one labeled as a reformist by the media. But he is not the only one sounding a pragmatic note about sanctions. Iranians are tired of Western sanctions, the AFP wrote in a recent analysis of the situation ahead of the elections. Even though the EU has stuck to the 2015 nuclear deal, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from it when he got into the Oval Office, and this has hurt Irans economy. Then, the EU joined the U.S. in punishing Iran for its foreign policy, adding to the pain. Iranians have had enough of this sanction-caused hardship. And what the six presidential candidates are offering its citizens are different paths out of it. The one so-called reformist candidate, Massoud Pezeshkian, is campaigning for a mending-fences approach with the West to get Iran out of its isolation from that same West, the AFP reported, noting he has the support of one of the people who devised the 2015 nuclear deal, former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The rest of the candidates are all conservatives, but this does not automatically mean they are all campaigning for a continuation of Irans current path. One of them, the current speaker of the Iranian parliament, has in fact suggested mending relations with the West but only if Iran stands to gain something from ita pragmatic approach instead of ideology. At the same time, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is campaigning for a continuation of Irans work on expanding its nuclear capabilities, which is certainly not winning the country any friends in the West. Related: US West Coast Refiners Swap Expensive Iraqi Crude for Cheap Canadian Oil Yet some candidates do not consider this important. Per the AFP, the most conservative of the candidates, former nuclear deal negotiator Saeed Jalili, has campaigned for forging even closer ties with China and Russia, saying repeatedly during rallies that The international community is not made up of just two or three Western countries. More interestingly, Jalili has called for closer relations with the Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, former reformist president Hassan Rouhani was quoted by the AFP as saying the sanctions are costing Iran an estimated $100 billion annually in direct and indirect losses from the exports of oil and oil products. Rouhani was referring to the preferential terms of an oil deal with China, which, after the snap-back of the U.S. sanctions, became Irans biggest oil client. Despite these discounts and sanctions, Iran has recently managed to boost its oil production and exports. Earlier this year, exports hit the highest in six months, cargo-tracking data from Vortexa showed, reaching 1.56 million barrels daily. The increase, according to analysts, was a result of Irans perfecting of ways to circumvent the sanctions. The Iranians have mastered the art of sanctions circumvention, Fernando Ferreira, head of geopolitical risk service at Rapidan Energy Group, told the Financial Times at the time. If the Biden administration is really going to have an impact, it has to shift the focus to China. While the Biden administration considers this, Iran is planning to increase its oil production. The country is eyeing an average daily output of 4 million barrels from the current rate of 3.6 million barrels. For context, before the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran, the country was producing 4.3 million barrels daily. Whether Irans next president will be a reformist or a conservative with a pragmatic streakor none at allremains to be seen at the end of the week. Whoever wins, the final word on things like foreign policy or the nuclear program comes from the Supreme Leader of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yet the next Iranian president might eventually become the new ayatollah, making the final decisions on future Iran policy. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Anna Lee Dozier, a Washington, DC woman, found a ceramic vase in a local thrift store in Maryland five years ago and bought it for $3.99. She had no idea she had an ancient Mayan artifact displayed at her home for five years. The vase turned out to be a 2,000-year-old Mayan artifact is now headed to a Mexican museum. Dozier told local CBS affiliate WUSA that about five years ago, she came across what she thought was a "tourist reproduction" of a Mayan vase. "It did look old to me, but not old-old, like 20 to 30 years old, maybe," she told NPR station KVCR. She claimed it had some kind of link to Mexico regarding what it looked like. She added that she thought it would be just a nice little thing to take home, put on the shelf, and remind her of Mexico. In January 2024, Dozier made a business trip to Mexico. She visited the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City while on her vacation, and she was startled to see how similar some of the vases there were to the one she had spent less than $5 for. She asked a museum employee what to do if she discovered an artifact from the same historical period because the vases she saw were nearly identical. Dozier and her boys gave the vase to Mexican Ambassador Estaban Moctezuma Barragan this week at the Cultural Institute of Mexico, where it will be placed among other invaluable pre-Columbian artifacts. "When you have strong roots, you know them, and you honor them," Barragan said at the ceremony. He noted that Dozier recognized that a whole country and culture care about it, and they are deeply grateful to her. Meanwhile, Dozier expressed her happiness to the outlet about her decision. "Human rights extends to culture and history," she said. Calls from campaigners and activist investors for banks to abandon financing for the oil and gas industry are unrealistic, according to the top executive of banking giant Barclays. Banks cannot go cold turkey on financing the oil and gas sector, Barclays chief executive officer C.S. Venkatakrishnan told Bloomberg during the Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Forum in London on Tuesday. Environmental campaigners and shareholder activists have been calling for a halt to financing for coal, oil, and gas, and have been accusing the banks supporting fossil fuel projects of funding the wrecking of the climate. Last month, a report from activists and campaign groups showed that banks have financed fossil fuels with $6.9 trillion since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, with $705 billion provided in 2023 alone. The 15th annual Banking on Climate Chaos (BOCC) showed that JP Morgan Chase is the number-one fossil fuel financier in the world, committing $40.8 billion to fossil fuel companies in 2023. JP Morgan leads in financing since the 2015 Paris Agreement, too, followed by Citigroup and Bank of America. Barclays ranks eighth for most money extended to fossil fuels since 2015, with $235.2 billion in funding, making it Europes biggest lender to the fossil fuel industry, the report found. Earlier this year, Barclays announced that it would drop direct funding for new oil and gas projects, joining other major European banks in halting the financing of fossil fuel expansion. Europes biggest lender to fossil fuel projects pledged to restrict financing for oil and gas, including direct funding for new projects, in a move welcomed by environmental groups. The bank will also require its energy clients to have 2030 methane reduction targets, a commitment to end all routine/non-essential venting and flaring by 2030, and near-term net-zero-aligned Scope 1 and 2 targets by January 2026. Campaigners, however, say that Barclays could have gone further in its commitments and that the announcement of the UK banking giant now puts pressure on the U.S. banks, which are the top lenders to the fossil fuel industryJP Morgan, Bank of America, and Citi. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Canada may follow the example of the EU and the U.S., and impose import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Reuters has reported, citing finance minister Chrystia Freeland. Chinese producers are quite intentionally generating a global oversupply that undermines EV producers around the world, including here in Canada, Freeland said, adding the federal government would open a public consultation period of 30 days on the issue on July 2. The European Union earlier this month announced additional tariffs on China-made electric vehicles in an attempt to stem the influx of cheap EVs from China that would undermine European car manufacturers. Arguably, the tariffs themselves could undermine European carmakers since their China-made cars would also be included in the tariff regime. Under the new regime, Mercedes, Renault, and any other European carmakers with factories in China will, starting next month, pay an additional 21% import tariff, while Chinese carmakers will pay individually set tariffs of between 17% for BYD and 38%, the top rate, for SAIC, which the European Commission claimed had not cooperated with its investigation into Chinese EV subsidies. The U.S. also imposed import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to protect local car manufacturers who, like their European peers are struggling to make their electric cars more affordable, and now Canada may follow. China is Canadas second-largest trading partner, Reuters noted in its report on the possibility of EV tariffs. Last year, imports of cars from China at Vancouver port rose by 460% on the year. The massive increase was to a significant extent the result of Tesla starting to export China-made cars to Canada. Tariff action, however, risks prompting retaliation, as the EU found out when Beijing authorities informed it they had started an investigation into European imports of pork and pork byproducts, targeting the food industry, which is the only source of surplus in bilateral trade relations between Brussels and Beijing. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Maintenance works at Russias busiest oil ports dragged down weekly crude oil shipments to the lowest level in over three months as the ports of Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and Kozmino in the Far East halted vessel departures for four days each in the week to June 23. Last week, Russian crude oil exports by sea fell by 660,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the previous week, to the lowest level in more than three months 3.04 million bpd, vessel-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed on Tuesday. The four-week average exports also dropped, by around 45,000 bpd to 3.37 million bpd, according to the data reported by Bloombergs Julian Lee. In the previous week to June 16, before the port maintenance, Bloombergs data showed that Russia continued to raise its crude oil exports by sea for a second consecutive week despite promising to stick strictly to its OPEC+ output target in June. In the four weeks to June 16, Russian crude oil shipments jumped by some 80,000 bpd to 3.42 million bpd. The week to June 16 was the second consecutive week in which the four-week average of Russias crude export volumes increased compared to the prior four-week average. Russias crude exports hit the highest level in 11 months in the week to April 14, as export terminals likely shipped more crude that couldnt be processed at refineries knocked offline by Ukrainian drone attacks. Between the middle of April and the beginning of June, crude flows out of Russias ports were trending down, according to the data analyzed by Bloomberg. But in June, seaborne crude exports started rising again, and the volumes have recovered about one-third of their recent decline. This came even as Russias Energy Ministry pledged earlier this month that Russia would reach its oil production quota in June after exceeding its target output under the OPEC+ deal in May. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In a significant rebound, Russia's oil and gas revenues for June are projected to increase by over 50% year-on-year, reaching $9.4 billion, according to new Reuters calculations. This surge comes after a reduction in refinery subsidies, highlighting Russia's resilience in the face of Western sanctions aimed at its energy sector. The redirection of oil exports to India and China has played a crucial role in maintaining financial inflows, essential for a budget under pressure from increased defense spending. Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and subsequent economic sanctions, Russia's ability to adapt its export strategies has been pivotal. The projected increase in June revenues, up from 794 billion rubles in May and 529 billion rubles in June 2023, underscores the robustness of Russia's energy sector. The Finance Ministry's anticipated report on July 3 will provide detailed insights into these financial trends. The 2024 federal budget anticipates oil and gas revenues to rise by 21% from 2023, following a year marked by lower oil prices and reduced gas exports. Despite the economic strains, Russia has continued to sustain its defense expenditures, resulting in consecutive annual budget deficits of over 3 trillion rubles, approximately 2% of GDP. These deficits have been managed through internal borrowing and the National Wealth Fund. President Vladimir Putin has emphasized the country's economic growth, which stood at 3.6% in 2023 after a 1.2% contraction in 2022. However, local economists caution that this growth is driven largely by increased production in the defense sector, which offers limited benefits to the broader population. As Russia navigates its economic challenges, the resilience of its oil and gas sector remains a critical factor in its financial stability. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a case that could have far-reaching implications for future energy infrastructure projects in the country by establishing the limits to federal agency power over emission assessments. On the face of it, the case is small. It concerns an 88-mile railway that would carry oil and other commodities from northeast Utah to markets. The project was approved by the Surface Transportation Board but an appeals court in Washington D.C. nixed that approval, citing numerous violations of the National Environmental Policy Act in the projects review. The case was brought to the appeals court by environmentalist organizations but now supporters of the $1.5-billion project are fighting back, challenging what they suggest is overarching powers. In their request for the hearing, the groups behind the Uinta Basin Railway project asked the judges to have their say on whether the National Environmental Policy Act gives federal agencies power beyond the proximate effects of the action over which the agency has regulatory authority. The case bears some similarity to one that a UK court recently decided in favor of the environmentalist plaintiffs. The case focused on the issuance of new drilling permits for an onshore oil field in England, near Heathrow Airport. Regulators had granted the permits but activists challenged that approval on the grounds that it did not consider the full spectrum of emissions from the project, only focusing on the immediate emissions from the oil extraction activity alone. The ruling was considered a major victory for climate activists, setting a precedent for more legal challenges to oil and gas activity in the country. In the U.S., meanwhile, it appears that federal courts of appeal have differing views on how far the powers of federal agencies extend with regard to environmental assessments. This is why the Uinta Basin Railway backers approached the Supreme Court, citing those differences, with five courts holding the view that a federal agencys powers end where its statutory authority ends. The D.C. court where the activists filed their case, however, was one of two who hold a different opinion, requiring an agency to consider all foreseeable impacts of a project on the environment. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Two teenage boys face Juvenile Court cases after an investigation into allegations of hazing of fellow students at Wahoo Neumann High School. Saunders County prosecutors filed a petition accusing a 17-year-old and 15-year-old of hazing and of attempted first-degree sexual assault. The older boy also faces a count of distributing a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving minors. The younger faces a second count of hazing and assault. They made their first court appearances last week and denied the allegations. Last month, Wahoo police obtained search warrants to seize cellphones alleged to contain recordings of two separate assaults involving different victims, according to court records filed in Saunders County District Court. Wahoo police were called to Wahoo Neumann on April 19 on a report by the assistant principal about a rumor going around the school regarding a possible sexual assault of a student at a home in Wahoo. Investigators learned in late March that a boy had been pinned down, had his pants pulled down and was assaulted with a plastic bottle while another boy made a video and sent it to friends. In a separate incident, Wahoo police learned of a video of three students holding down another boy and attempting to strip him of his gym shorts and roll him onto his stomach. The incident was alleged to have happened on Wahoo Neumann school grounds during religion class April 5. The boys have been expelled from the school. Kazakhstans new President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was sworn in on Wednesday, making it the first time the Central Asian republic is having a new leader in almost 30 years. Presidential predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, 78, announced his unexpected resignation in a televised address on Tuesday. Tokayev, a former parliamentary speaker who served for decades in the upper echelons of the government, quickly proposed that the nations capital, Astana, should be named after Nazarbayev. I consider it necessary to immortalise the name of the first president of the republic of Kazakhstan, Tokayev said in a speech, excerpts of which were carried by state news agency, Kazinform. Astana should be renamed Nursultan and the central streets in every Kazakh city should also bear his name, Tokayev told a joint meeting of both houses of Kazakhstans parliament. Tokayev, previously chairman of Kazakhstans Senate, has also served as prime minister and foreign minister, and is fluent in Chinese and English Languages. In endorsing Tokayev for president, Nazarbayev said in his resignation speech on Tuesday that Tokayev had been working alongside him since Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. He is an honest, responsible and indispensable person. He fully supports implemented policy inside and outside the country. All programmes were developed and adopted with his participation. Nazarbayev said. Nazarbayev, a former Communist Party official, rose to power at the height of political reforms under Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He then ruled the resource-rich republic with an iron fist. (dpa/NAN) The Buhari Presidential Campaign Council has faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the presidential and National Assembly elections. We condemn and deprecate this tardiness of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms possible. The councils position was contained in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Festus Keyamo, on Saturday. He said President Muhammadu Buhari had cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it. He described the postponement as a disappointment to the ruling All Progressives Congress and its supporters across the country. He, therefore, warned INEC against bowing to the purported pressure of the opposition which he said was not ready for the elections. He claimed that projections have predicted a defeat of the opposition. We do hope that INEC will remain neutral and impartial in this process as the rumour mill is agog with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion with the main opposition, he alleged. Keyamo appealed to Nigerians to be patient, calm and resolute despite what he called the temporary setback. Let us not give anyone the opportunity to plunge this nation into a crisis, which is what they earnestly desire, he advised. To Invest & Earn High Profits Take A Loan & Pay Low Interest City Manager Erik Walsh, Airport Director Jesus Saenz and Mayor Ron Nirenberg welcomed Condor Airlines aircraft when it landed last month for its first flight back to Germany. Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg sits across from Condor Airlines Mikko Turtiainen in the business class area of the Condor Airlines aircraft that made the first flight from San Antonio to Frankfurt, Germany, last month. Turtiainen was telling media members about the plane and airline. Ethan Rocke/Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor San Antonio's first flight to Frankfurt, Germany, took off from San Antonio International Airport on May 17. A small crowd of city officials, airport employees and press welcomed the Condor Airlines aircraft, which landed around 6:30. Ethan Rocke/Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor A Condor Airlines pilot flies a Texas flag outside the cockpit as crowd of city officials, airport employees and press welcomes the aircraft. Ethan Rocke/Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor The Condor Airlines crew received a warm welcome last month at San Antonio International Airport. Ethan Rocke/Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor Mikko Turtiainen of Condor Airlines speaks at San Antonio International Airport last month. Ethan Rocke/Ethan E. Rocke/Contributor Maybe not many Germans want to hang out in San Antonio during its hot, sticky season. Or maybe fewer area travelers are interested in flying nonstop to Frankfurt, Germany, than anticipated. Either way, San Antonios first nonstop flight to Europe, hailed by tourism and economic development officials as a milestone for the city, is being scaled back. Condor Airlines is reducing the frequency of its new route between San Antonio and Frankfurt to twice a week next summer, down from three times a week now. Local officials confirmed the plans Tuesday, just more than a month after celebrating the service at San Antonio International Airport with a group of German volk musicians, featuring accordion and tuba players in lederhosen, and an elaborate five-tier cake in Terminal A. Condors celebrated new service which Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in September marked San Antonios arrival on the world stage isnt year-round. It runs this year from May 17 through Sept. 6. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Tuesday, officials were focused on word that the Frankfurt-based leisure carrier has agreed to continue the service next year. Despite global issues including engine recalls, equipment delays and pilot shortages, the fact that our San Antonio region has secured a trans-Atlantic flight for a second year and has initiated conversations around 2026 is a huge win for our market, said Jamie Bloodsworth Lutrell, a spokesperson for Greater: SATX, the regional economic development corporation. We are already proving the demand for nonstop travel to Europe. She said Greater: SATX also is in discussions about 2026. The flight, which first took off May 17, has been touted as a boost for the local economy with the potential to strengthen business and cultural ties across the Atlantic. It was achieved with the help of a $1.3 million subsidy agreement between the city and Condor, as well as an undisclosed amount from Greater: SATX and tourism marketing organization Visit San Antonio. Those funds will only be disbursed pending a review of the routes performance in its first year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Next summer, the route will have once-a-day flights on Mondays and Fridays, according to timetables posted on Condors website. This summers schedule also offers flights on Wednesdays. It isnt uncommon for new routes to be adjusted as airlines work to determine what works best, Lutrell said. A Monday-Friday schedule for summer travel to and from Europe works well, and we understand that those are currently the busiest nights for the Condor service, she said. Lutrell declined to offer data on passenger demand, though, saying it was proprietary to the airline. Condor didnt respond to email sent Monday requesting more information. The routes inaugural flight had about 150 passengers, filling less than half of the 310 seats on the Airbus-manufactured plane, the Frankfurt-based airline said last month. About 200 passengers boarded for the return flight to San Antonio. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mikko Turtiainen, Condors director of sales for the Americas, told the Express-News prior to the first flight that it was usually difficult to sell tickets for new routes and that he was really happy with early demand. Jesus Saenz, director of airports for the city, said in a statement he is thrilled to see the airline is committed to serving San Antonio again in 2025. Thousands of South Texans have utilized the airlines service to Frankfurt and beyond so far this summer, and we look forward to growing our partnership to provide service to Europe for the people of our region, he said. Marc Anderson, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, said in a statement that the nonprofit is working diligently to market San Antonio and the flight to potential visitors from Germany. Last fall, it hired a German marketing firm to advertise San Antonio as a destination, touting it as home to the Alamo and the historic missions, which are World Heritage sites. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In late 2022, the public-private nonprofit opened its first overseas office in London, saying the goal was to generate annual economic impact of nearly $60 million by 2026. Also that year, Visit San Antonio and Greater: SATX began collecting money from local companies including H-E-B, USAA, Holt Cat and Frost Bank to create a fund to guarantee airlines a minimum level of revenue on new routes; it raised about $3 million. They are pursuing flights to many cities in North America, and, along with Frankfurt, are now putting an emphasis on nonstop flights to London. Frankfurt is seen as a desirable destination because its a major economic hub with a strong presence in industries including automotive, telecommunications, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and banking. London, on the other hand, is a global center for finance and tech. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has had nonstop flights to London for about a decade; the airport now also has nonstop flights to Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Anderson said Visit San Antonio had expected most of the seats on San Antonios Frankfurt flights would be purchased by Texans rather than Germans. The African Development Bank (AfDB) said it has debarred a Nigerian construction company, known as Qualitrends Global Solutions Nigeria Limited, for 36 months. The bank made this known in a statement by its Communication and External Relations Department. It explained that an investigation conducted by the banks Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that the construction company allegedly engaged in numerous acts of fraud in bidding for a construction contract. The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the AfDB Group is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other sanctionable practices in Banks Group-financed operations. It disclosed that the contract was under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase One in Nigeria (ATASP-1). According to the statement, while participating in a tender for the conduct of construction of social infrastructure in Niger State of Nigeria, the company misrepresented its experience in conducting such construction contracts and submitted a false bid security. The debarment therefore renders the company ineligible to participate in bank-financed projects during the debarment period. The debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Recognition of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank. Others are the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group. ATASP-1 is financed under the African Development Fund, an entity of the AfDBs Group, it explained. It has been raining Disney teasers lately from our first look at the studios live-action Mulan remake, to more clips for the upcoming The Lion King. Now, theyve come through with the second trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, the sequel to 2014s Sleeping Beauty spinoff. Angelina Jolie reprises to her role as the iconic wicked fairy godmother, who, as it turns out, is not one-of-a-kind after all. By the end of the new teaser, we learn that there are more horned and winged beings like her, giving us our first look at Chiwetel Ejiofor in his role as Connal. It is unclear what Connals story is, but we can tell that it will be pretty significant, as the trailer indicates that he has authority over Maleficent. Whatever the arc for him turns out to be, we cannot wait to see it, because the British-Nigerian actor brings gravitas to every role. The official synopsis for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is setting up a great war between Maleficent and Queen Ingrith: The years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Auroras impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of Ulstead and the neighbouring Moors, as the wedding serves to unite the two worlds. When an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be family. Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville are reprising their roles from the first movie, while Ejiofor, Ed Skrein (Deadpool 2), Michelle Pfeiffer (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Warwick Davis (Solo: A Star Wars Story) round out the new cast. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will be released on October 18, 2019! [embedded content] The U.S. is sending one Patriot missile battery and four ground-based radar systems to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said Thursday, in what officials describe as the first steps to help the kingdom protect itself against Iranian attacks. Two more Patriot batteries and a THAAD missile defense system will be prepared to go later if needed, and the deployment will involve about 200 troops. Military commanders and defense leaders have been working since last week to iron out what military aid to send to the region in response to what U.S. officials say was a brazen and unprecedented cruise missile and drone attack by Iran on Saudi oil facilitieson Sept. 14. Iran has denied any involvement. President Donald Trump, during a White House meeting last Friday, said he wasnt ordering any immediate military strike on Iran, but approved a broader effort to beef up security in Saudi Arabia and the region. He told reporters that showing restraint shows far more strength than launching retaliatory strikes now. The four Sentinel radar systems and the Patriot battery are designed to provide better surveillance coverage across northern Saudi Arabia. The bulk of the kingdoms Patriot batteries and other defenses are focused on the south to protect the country from attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis launch almost daily attacks into Saudi Arabia and at times into the UAE. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said last week that additional security measures will be the first step, but he did not rule out additional moves down the road. Officials have said they are talking with allies in an effort to get more nations to contribute to security in the region. Other countries have called out Iranian misadventures in the region, and we look for them to contribute assets in an international effort to reinforce Saudi Arabias defense, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Thursday. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week the goal is to defend Saudi Arabia against unconventional aerial attacks using a layered system of defensive capabilities to mitigate the risk of swarms of drones or other attacks by Iran. The U.S. has so far not provided any hard evidence that Tehran was responsible for the attacks, but officials insist they have no doubt the cruise missiles and drones were launched from inside Iran. Iran has denied involvement and warned the U.S. that any attack will spark an all-out war with immediate retaliation from Tehran. A military forensic team has been poring over evidence from cruise missile and drone debris, but the Pentagon said the assessment is not finished. Officials are trying to determine if they can get navigational information from the debris that could provide hard evidence that the strikes came from Iran. Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja The primary objective of forming the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 was to fight poverty among the larger population, especially the most vulnerable and the poor. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) stated this over the weekend at the 5th edition of the Airtel Touching Lives event in Lagos. He said the writers of the APCs manifesto, one of whom he is, decided the that the partys workbook must include a social safety initiative for the people. He said the APC, while being put together, was strongly of the opinion that government owed a duty to the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and those who cannot work, hence choice to be dedicated to creating a system that fights poverty, among other things. According to the Vice President, in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande: Listening to each story of a life touched this evening must remind us of the many others who need our help, our comfort and our kindness. The poor and vulnerable always need a voice. In 2014, Mr Wale Edun, Prof. Pat Utomi and I met at Pats home to write portions of the manifesto of the APC. We all agreed that a fundamental pillar of our partys plans must be to create a social safety net for the people. We were convinced that government owed a duty to the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and those who cannot work. Continuing Prof. Osinbajo stated that social safety nets are not merely acts of sovereign kindness; they are a sovereign obligation a responsibility. Making reference to the Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government, the Vice President said the effort of Airtel was commendable especially in complementing the work already done by government in tackling poverty. He said today, the social safety net scheme is the fore of our Social Investment Programmes where we are feeding about 9.5 million children in public schools in 34 states across Nigeria; we are giving monthly cash to about nearly a million households as part of our conditional cash transfer scheme; we have given, as at the last count, 2.2 million loans to petty traders whose inventories are no more than N5, 000. We have also engaged about 500, 000 young men and women, who have been unemployed (over different periods of time) under our N-Power programme. But we are still very far from touching majority of those who need help. It is clear that to do so, we need far more resources behind that programme. This is why the work of social conscious companies like Airtel is so vital. Bridging the huge gap between what government can do and what is left to be done, the statement said. MATTOON Family members of a missing Mattoon man have reported that he was last seen early Tuesday on Old State Road and that he likely then made his way to Dayton, Ohio. The family of Doug Reed, 30, have created a missing person flyer for him that they are circulating in the area and on social media. His sister, Kristen Dolan, posted Monday on her Facebook page that the Mattoon Police Department is nearly certain that Reed was last seen at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday, June 18, walking east on Old State Road (near Gardner Excavating), based on security footage. She said it was also reported that Reed was most likely in Dayton, Ohio between Tuesday, June 18, and Thursday, June 20. "No further information regarding his whereabouts has been suspected or confirmed since (Friday, June 21)," Dolan said. "However, we have had multiple leads across Central Illinois that could have possibly been Doug and that the PD is still looking into. We are unsure if he came back to Illinois or continued on to another state or location." Dolan said via Facebook messenger that it's possible that Reed has gotten a ride or found a bicycle or other means to travel faster and farther. She said law enforcement is considering this to be a national missing person case and has asked that his family make his story known across the country. Reed was last seen weighing 225 pounds. He typically wears boots and a ball cap, has brown hair and hazel eyes, and stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall. Reed has a deep voice with a bit of a twang and speaks in a slow, soft tone most of the time. "Doug has also been without his necessary medication for his mental health condition and is considered to be endangered," Dolan posted. "He could appear to be confused or disoriented and may need assistance finding his way back home." Deputy Chief Ryan Hurst said the Mattoon Police Department has remained in constant communication with Reed's family as it continues to work on this case. "We are in communication with agencies outside of Illinois. We have reason to believe he left the area in a vehicle," Hurst said. Those with information about the whereabouts of Reed is asked to contact the police at 217-235-5451. "We want to encourage anyone to continue to submit any lead they could possibly believe could be him. Our family has been so appreciative of the Mattoon area community for their support, encouragement and prayers," Dolan said via Facebook message. Who are they? IL children reported missing as of February 25 These are recent reports of missing children made to local law enforcement. If you think you have seen a missing child, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Hollard Ghana, the countrys favourite insurer, with its subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life, has made a profound difference in the lives of young girls in Tema, Sunyani, Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale. Through reproductive health education and the distribution of sanitary pads, the company has commemorated World Menstrual Hygiene Day and empowered the youth to take charge of their health and education. The beneficiary schools are across five regions in Ghana, including Methodist Day Senior High School, Tema, Sunyani, Nwawasua M/A Basic School, St Anselms Anglican Cluster of Schools, Sunyani, Methodist Basic School, Tanoso, Methodist Basic School, Yamfo, Mbredane STMA Basic, St James Anglican Basic Akromakrom, Mampong Stma Basic, Atwiman Kwanwoma Senior High Technical (AKASS), Trede, Kumasi and Vitting Senior High School, Tamale. After successfully coordinating multiple events across the country, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Hollard Ghana, stated that as an insurance company, Hollards goal is to provide care to its community. She said, We are thrilled to commemorate World Menstrual Day with over 5000 students nationwide. Recognising teachers invaluable role in reproductive education, we are here to complement their efforts and advocate for an inclusive community where girls can confidently manage their menstrual cycles while receiving support from their male counterparts. It is essential to distribute sanitary pads and provide health talks by qualified health practitioners, and it is equally important to involve young boys in this advocacy. When boys have a comprehensive understanding of the female reproductive system, they can be valuable supporters for their sisters, friends, mothers, and future spouses., she added. Samuel Agyekum, Acting Clinical Coordinator and Chairman of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee at the President Medical Center and CEO of Prevenza Health Consult, emphasised the importance of proper menstrual hygiene for girls overall health. He stressed that it is crucial for their education and future success and that its essential to ensure that no girl misses school due to her period. After the intervention, Fusieni Alhassan, the Assistant Headmistress Domestic of Vitting Senior High Technical School in Tamale, one of the recipient schools, praised the timeliness of the effort. She thanked the insurance group for selecting the school as a beneficiary. She mentioned that some girls had never seen a sanitary pad before and were thankful for this gesture. Additionally, she advocated for a more comprehensive education package in the future, including family planning. About Hollard Ghana The countrys favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market, having previously operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance, with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries worldwide. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customised to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard offers various life and general insurance products, including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more. Reach Hollard via 0800 444 999. Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh, www.melcom.com/hollard-insurance and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Don Frost, who worked 41 years at Frost Bank, will retire at the end of the week. Frost Bank The new Frost Tower Building as seen from Main Avenue in downtown San Antonio Sept.17, 2019. JOSIE NORRIS/The San Antonio Express-News View of the Frost Bank Tower looming over the Robert E. Lee Hotel in downtown San Antonio. Kin Man Hui /Staff file photo Come Monday, for the first time in the 156-year history of Frost Bank, no member of the Frost family will be employed at the San Antonio-based institution. Don Frost, a great-great grandson of Frost Bank founder Thomas Claiborne T.C. Frost, is retiring at the end of the week after a career spanning more than four decades at the bank a subsidiary of Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. I feel proud that I got to serve in the company for 41 years of that 156 years, said Frost, 66. And, yes, if Im the last guy standing, Im proud of that, too. But Im also proud that, I believe, the companys in a good spot, that it will continue to focus on its mission statement and the culture will continue to live on because its so strong. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Frost worked for 30 years in commercial banking before helping Frost Bank launch its investment banking operations in 2012. He is the son of Tom C. Frost Jr., who became Frost Banks president in 1962 and ran the bank from 1971 until his retirement. Tom Frost held the chairman emeritus post until his death in 2018. Don Frosts brothers Tom, Bill and Pat also worked at the bank. Pat Frost retired as Frost Bank president at the end of last year but remains a director of the parent company, a position hes held for more than a quarter century. My father never required us to come into the business, Don Frost said. When I was a youngster, I wanted to be a general contractor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Aspirations change He recalled pouring concrete slabs and building pigeon lofts and deer blinds with Henry Bartell Pat Zachry, founder of H.B. Zachry Co., the predecessor of the two flagship companies that bear the family name. Frost considered Zachry a mentor. But he said his career aspirations changed while attending college at the University of Texas in Austin, where he received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance and real estate. As I went to college, the tradition and the heritage of the bank drew me there, because thats who I am, I guess, he said. When I graduated college, I had all the intentions of going to the bank. Instead of joining Frost Bank right out of college, though, he became a bank examiner for the Texas Department of Banking. His father didnt even know he applied for the job until the elder Frost received a call from the agencys deputy commissioner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He wanted to be sure Tom Frost wasnt going to encourage Don Frost to come work at the bank. Little did the deputy commissioner know about Don Frosts plans. A YEAR AGO: Frost Bank President Pat Frost to retire at end of year Frost joined Frost Bank on Aug. 1, 1983, in the loan review department. He later moved to the real estate loan desk before his promotion to become the banks first San Antonio region president. After 11 years in that post, Frost helped build Frost Banks Capital Markets Division in its public markets group, underwriting more than $80 billion in Texas municipal bonds. It was important to my father, and it was important to (current Chairman and CEO) Phil Green that investment banking would grow in the Frost way, he said. We only underwrite Texas municipal debt, which would be public school districts, state of Texas counties and municipalities. Were only going to underwrite bonds that were willing to put on our balance sheet. So its like a chef eating their own cooking. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Frost, like his father, never required any of his children go to work at the bank. His three children have chosen other career paths. Retirement plans Green thanked Frost for his contributions to the company and the San Antonio community. Its hard to find someone who in the San Antonio area that doesnt know Don or has interacted with him and his family, Green said in a statement. Were grateful for the way he represented us, and we congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement. Frost is president of the McNay Art Museums board of trustees but will step down at the end of the year after 14 years on the board. A Frost family member has served on the board since its inception 70 years ago, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hes also continues to be involved in fundraising for the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio Academy, he said. Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Professor Joseph Osafo has kicked against Ghanaian students writing BECE. According to him, the formative years of a child should not be academically competitive to the extent of subjecting them to writing exams. He argued that, to him, it is proper for the students to be assessed by their class works and tests but the BECE must be scrapped. Professor Joseph Osafo said this in relation to fears that this year's Basic Education Certificate Exams (BECE) may not come on due to governments indebtedness to the examining body, WAEC. WAEC expects government to pay over 90 million cedis to conduct the exams. According to reports, WAEC has received only GH2.3 million out of GH95.83 million which, to them, is not enough to organize the exams scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8 to July 15. The examining body is demanding at least 50 percent payment of the total amount to commence the exams. To Prof. Osafo, "why should we worry these children?" He stressed on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show that if the government cannot pay the debt, they should consider his suggestion that students at the basic level should not write BECE but rather be given the chance to advance to the secondary/technical institution for their future sake. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nana Ofori Owusu, Chairman for the Progressive People's Party (PPP), has questioned the logic in students at the basic education level writing BECE. According to Nana Ofori Owusu, the compulsive demand for students to write BECE contributes to streetism. To him, BECE is unnecessary, hence should be scrapped. "We have to be very serious with our education. The way our education system is going, it is not doing us any good. It creates streetism," he said during "Kokrokoo" panel discussion show on Peace FM. He emphasized; "You must abolish it. It is of no value." Nana Ofori Owusu gave these comments in relation to the uncertainty hanging around this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Government owes the examining body, WAEC, over 90 million cedis and, reportedly, if it fails to pay 50 percent of the debt, the examination may be in jeopardy. WAEC, according to reports, has received only GH2.3 million out of GH95.83 million which, to them, is not enough to organize the exams scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8 to July 15. However, on Monday, June 24, the Public Relations Officer of the WAEC, John Kapi indicated in an interview on Kokrokoo with Kwami Sefa Kayi that the examination will come off. We have done the preparations . . . We can indeed do it. The printing and stationery are all ready, John Kapi said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The District Chief Executive of Nkoranza North and Dean of the MMDCEs in the Bono East region, Hon. Peter Osei Fosu, says the NPP led government will provide the needed support to the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA) in developing a new Secondary Education Curriculum and ensuring its successful implementation. He explained that the government is fully committed to provide quality education to the Ghanaian people hence their readiness to provide the necessary support to NaCCA and GES to implement the new Secondary Education Curriculum, which is currently under development. Hon. Peter Fosu, said this at the AJ Plaza Hotel at the Techiman South Municipal in the Bono East region during a stakeholders engagement and town hall meeting organized by NaCCA. The National Council for Curriculum Assessment, is currently on a regional tour to engage all stakeholders in the educational sector on the Secondary Education Curriculum development to seek their inputs while elaborating on what the NaCCA has done so far in developing the new curriculum. Hon. Peter Osei Fosu, emphasized the importance of quality education in shaping the future of the nations youth and ensuring their success in an increasingly competitive global job market. He stated that the government recognizes the need for continuous improvement in the education system and is willing to invest the necessary resources to make it happen. Resources are very scarce for every developing country but we all agree that education is the bedrock, education is the fulcrum around which every other national development evolves, so we have to be very serious in that aspect. So you will all attest to the fact, this government always allocates huge budgets in our education and some people even ask questions as to why the government is spending so huge in the educational sector but the government spending huge on education shows that education is very important to this government. So government is ever ready to provide the money or resources that will be needed to ensure the successful development and implementation of this new curriculum, we will gladly do it and we are ensuring Ghanaians that, we will do whatever necessary to get money to ensure that the new curriculum will run effectively because it is very important and we will treat it as such, he said, The development of a new Secondary Education Curriculum is seen as a crucial step in enhancing the quality of education in Ghana. NaCCA, an independent body responsible for curriculum development and assessment, will work closely with the government to design a curriculum that aligns with the countrys educational goals and addresses the evolving needs of students. Agencies involved in the development of the new Secondary Education Curriculum are NaCCA, MOE, GES, NTC, WAEC, Reform Sect, NaSIA, GTEC, Christian Council / Catholic Bishop Conference, CENDLOS, TVET, AGI, VCG, Teacher Unions, PRINCOF, GEA, and CHASS. Source: Elvisanokyenews.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Rotary Club of Obuasi has partnered with Doctors & Engineers Without Borders, Brown University Club to embark on a medical Outreach project for inmates of the Obuasi local Prisons. They also presented drugs to the inmates and a table top fridge to store the drugs at a high temperature. The goal of the project is to conduct medical screening for the inmates, create awareness on prison hygiene and supply the infirmary with drugs in line with Rotary International area of focus; Disease Prevention and Treatment and sanitation. The exercise brought together doctors and other health practitioners who screened over 300 inmates and officers of the Obuasi local prisons. The inmates were screened for hypertension, tuberculosis, diabetes, malaria, hepatitis B, and other ailments. Doctors were at hand to consult and dispense medications for common ailments whiles provisions were made for those who will need prolong treatment. The President- elect of the Rotary Club of Obuasi Delphine Gbogblorvor , during her interaction with the media stated that the exercise had become necessary because the club had recognised prison health as an area which needed support owing to the poor living conditions in the prisons. The inmates were at risk of contracting and spreading various ailments if the needed support and logistics are not available. She emphasized the need to prioritize the health needs of inmates at the prisons since they are being prepared to be integrated into the larger society. " We need to recognize that these inmates are not outcasts, they will definitely be integrated into the society at a point so health screenings like this is important in making sure they are in good conditions before they come out", she stressed. Miss Gborgblovor further assured the prison of the Clubs continued support towards improving the living conditions of inmates as the 3- year partnership which started in 2023 is expected to be rolled out in the next 2 years with support from the Doctors and Engineers Without Borders, Brown University. To additionally support the water and sanitation needs of the inmates, a new mechanized boreholes has been constructed for the inmates to ensure continuous supply of clean water for drinking and domestic use. Way forward The President- elect of the Rotary club of Obuasi briefed the media on programs line up for the year. She said the club will continue to create hope to the world by implement the ' magic of rotary' initiative where some of the activities will be based on promoting peace ahead of the 2024 elections. As part of the Clubs support for Basic Education and Literacy, two STEM projects in Obuasi and Akrofuomto encourage the learning of STEM courses are being finalized within next month. On behalf of the Ghana Prisons Service and the inmates, the Officer in- charge of the Obuasi local Prisons, CSP Esther Ako- Nunoo expressed her appreciation to the Doctors and Engineers Without Borders, Brown University Club, Rotary/Rotaract Clubs of Obuasi, and Ghana Health Service for their timely support. She called for more support towards improving the conditions at the prisons and also charged the officers to continue the discharge of their duties as mandated by their ethics to support the prisons service. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the Finance Minister, has assured Ghanaians of the strides the economy is making with its robust ricochet after experiencing a spiral economic challenges for almost two years. In a town hall meeting with some members of the New Patriotic Party in the United Kingdom, on June 22, 2024, Dr. Amin Adam said, this year our economy is going to surprise the whole world. I can tell you that this economy is rebounding strongly. We are rebounding strongly, and it is surprising the world even the IMF, the World Bank. They are all surprised. Last year, they projected our economy will grow at 1.5%, we grew at 2.9%. This year in the first quarter of this year, they projected we will grow at 3.1% we grew at 4.7%. He reiterated, this economy will grow, and it will grow faster than everybody thinks. According to Dr. Amin Adam, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had directed the Ministry of Finance to release GH1.5 billion to customers affected by the banking sector clean-up. Outlining the numerous challenges the banking cleanup posed to the economy, Dr. Amin maintained that, in as much as the clear up took a greater toll customers, it was in the best interest of all customers that the exercise is considered to safeguard the hard earned monies of innocent customers. Dr. Adam stated that that the government should not be blamed for their investment decisions, but noted that mistakes were made in this case and people were not well-informed about the dire consequences adding that some individual investors had suffered greatly, with some even losing their lives due to the impact of the clean-up. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from prison in the United Kingdom and is expected to travel home to Australia after he agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of breaching the espionage law in the United States. Assange, 52, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to a filing in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He was freed from the UKs high-security Belmarsh prison on Monday and taken to the airport, from where he flew out of the country. Assange will appear at a court in Saipan, a US Pacific territory, at 9am on Wednesday (23:00 GMT on Tuesday), where he will be sentenced to 62 months of the time already served. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. A video posted on X by WikiLeaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. He will return to Australia after the hearing, the WikiLeaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan. The plane carrying Assange landed in Bangkok on Tuesday to refuel before flying the WikiLeaks founder to the US territory. His wife Stella Assange said she was elated and it was incredible that her husband was set to be freed. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by the judge and that will happen sometime tomorrow, she said, speaking from Australia. Source: Al Jazeera Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Barack Obamas half-sister was tear-gassed in the middle of a live interview with CNN as protests rock Nairobi, the Kenyan capital on Tuesday, June 25. Auma Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, showed up to support demonstrators taking part in nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes. While she was trying to talk to CNN, Police opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas outside the parliament, with everyone including the reporter trying to gasp for air. Im here because look at whats happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners, she said. Moments later, she began coughing along with fellow demonstrators as tear gas enveloped the group. I cant even see anymore, were being tear-gassed, she said. The unrest hit a fever pitch Tuesday as protesters stormed the parliament and legislators fled. Parts of the building were set ablaze before reportedly being put out by police water cannons. On social media, several bodies were seen outside the parliament after police opened fire, according to the Associated Press. A paramedic reportedly said at least 10 demonstrators had been shot dead. Kenyans are protesting against a finance bill that would raise an extra $2.7 billion in taxes at a time when Kenyan citizens are already struggling. Watch the video below Auma Obama who is Barack Obama sister teargassed while demonstrating pic.twitter.com/jnY2dDOAjR MR RIGHT (@MrRightke) June 25, 2024 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame was at a town hall meeting with some Ghanaian residents in the United Kingdom (UK) where he addressed some issues in relation to the allegation that he has misconducted himself in relation to the ambulance trial involving the current Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and businessman Richard Jakpa. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) had demanded the resignation or dismissal of Godfred Dame, for allegedly flouting regulations in the legal practice. According to the NDC, the Attorney-General had violated Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2423 - Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020, and Section 315 of the Criminal Offences Act and for that purpose, the leading opposition political party wanted the Attorney General to be prosecuted for the alleged violations. The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, for instance at a press conference in Accra warned that if the president does not take action, the next NDC administration will. But when those allegations were presented at the High Court in Accra where the related ambulance case is on trial, the court said the appropriate forum for the issue was the General Legal Council. The High Court judge overseeing the case had advised that the Attorney General should consider recusing himself after expressing concerns about Dame's interaction with Jakpa, the third accused, outside the courtroom. The judge noted that Dame had discussed case details with Jakpa and encouraged him to submit a medical excuse to facilitate an adjournment. However, the judge clarified that this encounter did not constitute sufficient grounds to halt the prosecutions. Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe advised Dame to step away from the direct prosecution to uphold the judiciary's integrity. But in response, Mr Dame emphasised that the judge's recommendation was merely advisory and not an official order. . NDC accuses Attorney General Godfred Dame of witness tampering, demands immediate dismissal. Speaking at the town hall meeting in the UK, Mr Dame stated that the allegation being put forward by members of the NDC and the third accused person, Richard Jakpa about his conduct in the case has fallen into water since the cross-examination of Jakpa started. He has therefore urged the public to reject the falsehoods and misrepresentations by the NDC in the ongoing ambulance case. "So I am saying that we should resist all the lies, deception and deceits of the NDC and indeed that is their stock-in-trade and I, personally, I can attest to that," he said. Mr Dame said the cross examination in court in the ongoing trial has exposed the "lies, deceptions and deceits of the NDC". "Within a matter of two days when we [prosecution] started our cross-examination of the person who was spreading all those lies, you see how the matter is going. Their case has crumbled, as the President [Akufo-Addo] will say, case no at nsuom [to wit the case has fallen into water]. So, indeed we should resist the deception, lies of the NDC. They will come with all sorts of presentations about every major action or step being taken by this government and therefore we should be on the lookout, Thank you very much, he said. VIDEO BELOW- NDC 'case no at nsuo mu- Godfred Dame at town hall meeting in UK pic.twitter.com/0G15qoJTMp DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) June 24, 2024 Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Special Aide for former President John Mahama has said that his next government will look into granting amnesty to alleged illegal miners awaiting prosecution in jail and some convicted miners. Speaking on JoyNews, Joyce Bawa-Mogtari said that it is unfair that foreign nationals and government appointees implicated in the Prof Frimgpong Boateng report on illegal mining have been left scot-free, while the Ghanaians with no voice suffer. If there are many of our brothers and sisters languishing in prisons because of illegal mining, certainly this is a matter that we must look at within the context of the Frimpong Boateng Report, within the context of the corruption that has engulfed Akufo-Addo and his government, within the context of the allegations which Mr Mahama has pledged to investigate and prosecute where possible, she said. Joyce Bawa-Mogtari said if people are being bandied together and thrown into prison without necessarily going before the law, and in some cases wait years for a trial, there needs to be an investigation into it for some interventions to be employed. On addressing illegal mining in the next NDC government, she said it will serve the countrys interest to have stakeholders in communities join the the conversation. Note that all these joint actions have largely been maybe joint military action, joint police, joint citizens that, but it has never actually worked in tandem with stakeholders. Various opinion leaders are very worried about this canker, she stated. Furthermore, she noted that if the party wins the upcoming election, it will invest $500 million to combat the illegal mining menace, known locally as galamsey. Joyce Bawa-Mogtari said this issue is of great concern, and additional state resources will be invested to address it. The former Deputy Transport Minister said, John Mahama actually said in his speech at the University of Mines and Energy, for example, that at least $500 million will be deployed first into research to get data and of course using modern technology. Everybody's interested in this conversationthere is something that modern technology does for us. It makes things much easier and presents a better photograph and actually satisfies something that humans cannot do, she explained on Monday. Source: JoyNews Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net. Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023. The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has alleged that the Minority caucus in Parliament is opposing the proposed free senior High School bill. The bill proposed to Parliament seeks to regulate the Free SHS programme by making it mandatory for other subsequent governments to sustain the policy. Hon. Afenyo-Markin revealed that the bill has received executive approval for it to be laid before Parliament by the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum. In an engagement with the press in parliament on Tuesday, June 25, the Majority leader stated that, the minority must provide reasons for its opposition to the bill. He said, We have heard the Ranking Member on Education, the Hon Member for Akatsi North, [Peter Nortsu-Kotoe], strongly opposing the Free SHS bill. Clearly, the NDC minority doesnt want to commit itself to the Free SHS, and the fact that we want to enact a law to make it mandatory. We have stated time without number that those provisions in the constitution that talk about Free SHS, are very aspirational, they are aspirational provisions. So, the way to go is to enact a law to regulate the Free SHS policy which is currently in operation. The NDC is opposed to this, and they have spoken through their ranking member. We want them to tell Ghanaians whether Free SHS is not their priority, as a responsible opposition. According to Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Ministry of Education is going to ferry the bill through to parliament adding that, Were ready and as part of the engagement process, we engaged them, but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the Free SHS bill. Its clear and their spokesperson on education has been clear. The last time I tried to tease the matter out of the floor, he avoided a response and stayed clear of it. Hes not ready to commit himself. We know that in Parliament, the caucus speaks through its spokesperson and hes the ranking member on Education, hes the NDCs Spokesperson on education and he says he is opposed to the bill because there are some provisions in the constitutions. They should tell us why they oppose the bill. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Atik Mohammed, a former General Secretary of the People's National Convention, has waded into discussions regarding Ghana's successful Eurobond holders' agreement to restructure commercial debts of $13.1 billion. Ghana has reached an agreement with two bondholder groups to restructure some $13 billion of international debt, a negotiating group, marking a key step in the countrys economic recovery under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan deal. The agreement, which will see Eurobond holders take a haircut of 37 per cent or $4.7 billion in addition to delayed repayments, represents the third and final step in the countrys external debt restructuring negotiations. The Committee of Holders of Ghanas Eurobonds (the Committee) which announced this yesterday, said the proposed agreement on the restructuring of the Eurobonds would resolve Ghanas default on the Eurobonds in a manner that provided significant cash flow and debt stock relief to support the countrys economic recovery, a publication on Graphic.com stated. Atik Mohammed, on the agreement during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, though happy about this success however cautioned the authorities in charge of Ghana's finances not to take delight in borrowing. He stressed; "There is nothing smart about borrowing. So, whether you go and borrow 10 billion at a coupon rate of 5 or 10, at the end of the day, it is debt and debt must be paid. And looking at Ghana, we have always complained; if you look at our revenue or revenue collection effort, it is not encouraging." Atik expounded that Ghana's borrowing culture is disturbing because "I don't remember the last time that, in Ghana, we had a surplus fiscal balance which means that at every point we are always in the deficit but how we manage those deficits or the levels that we keep the deficits is the important thing". "When you have deficit, there are two ways to finance it. Either you print money or you borrow and recently, we can't print money and we can't monetize our debt anymore...So, what you do is to borrow," he added, explaining why the nation is on a borrowing spree. He hoped the managers of the economy will take advantage of this debt restructuring programme and revive the economy. 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. Featured Video The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC), a member-based trade association that promotes trade between Ghana and the United Kingdom, has hosted an inaugural, the Hat and Flower Show charity fundraiser, to raise funds to support the initiatives of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation. Executive Director of the UKGCC, Adjoba Kyiamah, remarked that the Hat and Flower Show is a celebration of Ghanas vibrant culture through floral design and millinery craftsmanship. As a charity fundraiser, the event showcases the talent of skilled Ghanaian artisans while raising vital fundsthrough our raffle sales. The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation seeks to improve the lives of Ghanaians by implementing the ideals, values and visions of its patron, the Asantehene and the Asante Kingdom. According to Ms. Kyiamah, the UKGCC selected the Foundation as beneficiaries because their thematic areas, especially Entrepreneurship, which rallies partners in business and academia to promote Ghanaian entrepreneurship, resonates with our work in the UK and Ghana business community. She urged the public to donate to the Foundation, which has already impacted a million lives across Ghana. The UKGCC has a storied history of raising funds for noble causes through its events. In 2021 and 2022, it raised funds to support the establishment of a clinical trials unit at the University of Ghana Medical Centre through its Royal Ascot Ladies Day Experience event. Nana Afua Kobi Prempeh, the Executive Director of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, expressed the excitement of the Otumfuo Foundation to partner the UKGCC to raise much needed funds and collaborate to undertake some of its core development initiatives in furtherance of the Asantehenes vision of improving the quality of life of Asanteman and Ghana. Over the years, the Asantehene His Royal Majesty OtumfuoOsei Tutu II has implemented this vision through his Foundation partnering with like-minded organisations to enhance access to good quality education, real entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, and sustainable health infrastructure, she said. Through a fundraising initiative managed by IT Consortiums CHANGO, a crowdfunding and group contributions platform, the event succeeded in raising funds to support the activities of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation. For his part, Mr. Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, the Deputy Director in Charge of Domestic Marketing at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), praised the UKGCCs efforts at promoting Ghanaian culture with the Hat and Flower Show, and said the Authority is open to supporting individuals, groups, and organisations whose projects promote Ghanas culture, heritage, and tourism. We are available for partnership and we are looking forward to working with any creative initiative and anything that has to do with our cultural heritage. We are there to give a helping hand to entrepreneurs that are doing something that has to do with our industry, he said. The show, intended to be an annual extravaganza, offered attendees which included artisans, fashion enthusiasts, and philanthropists, an enchanting experience. It also provided florists and milliners with a dynamic platform to showcase their creativity against a backdrop of the rich cultural heritage of the Ashanti Kingdom. The inaugural Hat and Flower Show, which was sponsored by Labadi Beach Hotel, Turkish Airlines, IT Consortium; Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC, and Standard CharteredBank Ghana with cash donations from Contracta Construction UK, B5 Plus Foundation, and Vivo Energy, concluded on a high note with memorable highlights that included floral and millinery showpiece competitions. UKGCCs next Hat and Flower Show charity fundraiser is slated to occur on in June 2025. Interested donors to the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation may reach out to the UKGCC. About the UKGCC The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) was established in 2016 to promote trade between the UK and Ghana. It is the leading private sector organisation proffering trade and commerce support for UK and Ghana businesses. The UKGCC provides exceptional support for its members through the sharing of knowledge and ideas, creating platforms for building stronger networks and providing linkages with Government and its agencies. One of its key foci is to see Ghana become a significant economic partner for the UK as an export market, import source, investment destination and vice versa. It exists to further the business interests of its members across both countries and create more business opportunities. The UKGCC is backed by the British and Ghana Governments through the UK-Ghana Business Council and the British Chambers of Commerce in the UK, and is Africa Scotland Business Network Strategic Partner. The UKGCC is a two-time British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) International Chamber of the Year finalist, and 2023 BCC International Chamber of the Year. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video " " Ohio was the most recent state to legalize recreational marijuana. Read on to learn which other states share its company. Carol Yepes / Getty Images As a remnant of the legacy of President Nixon and the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, cannabis plants are still categorized as Schedule I narcotics at the federal level. Although federal law remains less progressive than state laws, several states with legal weed permit medical or recreational use for citizens. As of publication, there are currently 24 states plus the District of Columbia which have fully legalized weed for adult use, while only six states are standing their ground with no path to marijuana legalization in the foreseeable future. Advertisement Marijuana laws are dynamic across all 50 states, and specific laws around the legalization of medical and recreational use can quickly change within a state. Although varied and changing laws can be confusing, it's important to research and respect the laws within a state if you are a current resident or visiting as a tourist. 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: Jameson compared the scavenging activity of different animals by leaving dead rats at feeding stations, with camera traps, across the landscape. Credit: Tom Jameson Giant lizards called heath goannas could save Australian sheep farmers millions of dollars a year by keeping blowfly numbers downand must be prioritized in conservation schemes to boost native wildlife, say researchers. A study led by the University of Cambridge has found that heath goannasa species of giant, scavenging lizardact as natural cleanup crews by clearing maggot-ridden animal carcasses from the landscape. This reduces the emergence of blowflies, which attack sheep by laying eggs on their backsides that hatch into flesh-eating maggots. The disease, known as "fly strike," costs the Australian sheep farming industry an estimated $280 million a year. This study was carried out at 18 sites across the Marna Banggara Rewilding Project area on Australia's southern Yorke Peninsula, where over 90% of the native mammals are now extinct. The work is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution. The heath goanna is an endangered species of giant lizard native to the heathlands of southern Australia that can grow up to a meter and a half in length. It feeds on the dead carcasses of other animals, as well as catching live animals. Credit: Tom Jameson The study found that heath goannas perform a superior blowfly control service to introduced European mammals, including red foxes and cats, which are displacing them. The researchers say that boosting populations of native large reptiles like heath goannas is vital in restoring Australia's ecosystem and the services it supports. "We found that Australia's native scavengers like heath goannas are much more effective in removing blowflies from the landscape than invasive scavengers like European foxes and cats," said Tom Jameson, a Ph.D. researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and first author of the report. Camera trap footage revealed which scavenging animal had found the dead rat, and how quickly. Eighteenth century European settlers to Australia brought with them red foxes for hunting, and cats as pets. Australia's native wildlife has since been decimated by them. Credit: Tom Jameson High densities of blow flies put sheep at risk of fly strike, a disease where blowfly maggots burrow into the sheep's flesh and start to eat it alive, causing painful wounds. This affects the market value of the sheep, reduces breeding success and often results in death. "Blowflies are a massive problem for the Australian sheep farming industry. They cause a horrible disease that is expensive for farmers to manage and a real animal welfare problem for sheep," said Jameson. This is the first study to show the importance of large reptiles as scavengers. Reptiles like the heath goanna act as natural clean-up crews by clearing maggot-ridden animal carcasses from the landscape. Researchers say that boosting populations of native large reptiles like heath goannas is vital in restoring Australia's ecosystem and the services it supports. Credit: Tom Jameson To get these results, Jameson compared the scavenging activity of different animals in a region of southern Australia. He left hundreds of dead rats at feeding stations, with camera traps, across the landscape. He returned after five days to see whether the rats had been eaten, and to count the number of blowfly maggots left on any remaining carcasses. Camera trap footage revealed which scavenging animal had found the rat, and how quickly. Native Australian scavengers ate more of the dead rats, and with them the flesh-eating maggots, than scavengers introduced from Europe. Reptiles like the heath goanna are the largest remaining native land scavengers in much of Australia today. Native Australian scavengers were seen to eat more of the dead rats, and with them the flesh-eating maggots, than scavengers introduced from Europe. Credit: Tom Jameson "It was disgustingwe were counting maggots. After five days, we'd find over 1,000 maggots in one rat if a scavenger hadn't found it. Those maggots produce blowflies that can spread up to 20 kilometers in a week, putting local sheep flocks at risk of fly strike," said Jameson. In natural situations, any dead animal in the landscape will fill with blowfly maggots very quickly. "The results suggest that conservation work in southern Australia to remove invasive species should also focus on boosting the population of heath goannas and other native species because they're really important for the wider ecosystem," said Jameson. "As well as benefiting native wildlife, this will have knock-on benefits for local agricultural industry, and also attract more wildlife tourism." The study was carried out at the Marna Banggara Rewilding Project area on Australia's southern Yorke Peninsula, where over 90% of the native mammals are now extinct. Credit: Tom Jameson Jameson spent a total of six months living remotely in Australia, mostly alone, to conduct the research. He says it was "an absolute privilege to work in this utterly stunning landscape with such wonderful wildlife." Credit: Tom Jameson Marna Banggara, supported by Narungga traditional owners, is an ambitious rewilding project that aims to restore ecosystem health in the region by reintroducing missing native Australian species. Eighteenth-century European settlers to Australia brought with them red foxes for hunting, and cats as pets. Australia's native wildlifeincluding many scavengershas since been decimated by them. The heath goanna is an endangered species of giant lizard native to the heathlands of southern Australia that can grow up to a meter and a half in length. It feeds on the dead carcasses of other animals, as well as catching live animals. Reptiles like the heath goanna are the largest remaining native land scavengers in much of Australia today. More information: Squamate Scavenging Services: Heath goannas (Varanus rosenbergi) support carcass removal and may suppress agriculturally damaging blowflies, Ecology and Evolution (2024). Journal information: Ecology and Evolution 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: Antarctic landscape (Ross Sea). Credit: Marco Lo Martire, used with permission. A team of marine biologists affiliated with multiple institutions in Italy has found that some marine worms are able to survive in cold polar waters thanks to symbiotic bacteria that produce antifreeze-like proteins. For their study, published in the journal Science Advances, the group ventured to three coastal areas in Antarctica and collected sediment samples containing marine worms and brought them back to their lab for study. Prior research has shown that some sea creatures such as icefish produce proteins that have antifreeze-like properties to keep themselves from freezing in cold waters. Prior research has also shown that other creatures without this adaptation somehow manage to survive anyway. In this new study, the research team suspected that some of those species may be getting help from microbes that produce proteins for them. To find out if that might be the case, they ventured to three coastal regions in Antarctica, all along the Ross Sea, and scooped up ocean sediment, which they knew would contain multiple species of marine worms. Sampling activity in Antarctica. Credit: Marco Lo Martire, used with permission. They captured three species of marine worms, two of which are known to survive by feeding on the carcasses of dead animals; the third was a predator. They also noted that the water temperature where the samples had been collected averaged 1 below freezingany creature living there would need some sort of antifreeze-type protection. Through dissection, the research team identified two types of enzymatic proteins, associated with Meiothermus silvanus and Anoxybacillus flavithermus, known to generate proline and glycol, materials that reduce the freezing point of liquids. They also found that none of the proteins were produced directly by the worms. Antarctic invertebrates collection. Credit: Michael Tangherlini, used with permission. The team then conducted a DNA analysis of the worms to discover what sort of bacteria may be residing inside of their bodies. They discovered two genera of bacteria that are known to produce cryoprotective proteins of the type that were found in the worms. The finding showed that the worms and bacteria had formed a symbiotic phylogenetic relationshipthe bacteria got a home in the worm and a food source, and the worms avoided freezing to death. More information: Emanuela Buschi et al, Resistance to freezing conditions of endemic Antarctic polychaetes is enhanced by cryoprotective proteins produced by their microbiome, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk9117 Journal information: Science Advances 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study conducted by Filippo De Marco of Bocconi University, Milan, and Silvio Petriconi of the Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, published in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis reveals that competition among banks significantly reduces the production of information about potential borrowers. This result emerges against a backdrop of deregulation of interstate branching in the United States, which has seen a decline in positive yields of loan announcements, especially for opaque and bank-dependent firms. According to the study, increased bank competition has reduced banks' incentive to collect detailed information on borrowers, a phenomenon reflected in lower yields of loan announcements, especially in states that have deregulated interstate branches. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced for smaller, bank-dependent firms, which need more detailed information for accessing credit. "Our study clearly shows that increased competition reduces the quality of information produced by banks about borrowers," said Filippo De Marco. "This is particularly worrisome for opaque firms that rely heavily on banks to obtain credit." Silvio Petriconi adds, "The reduction in information production not only makes it more difficult for firms to obtain loans, but also increases the risk of covenant violations, undermining financial stability." At a time when bank competition is incentivized to improve access to credit and stimulate economic growth, this study offers a crucial counterpoint, underscoring that excessive competition can lead to decreased credit quality and increased financial risks. The current environment, marked by increasing deregulation, makes these findings particularly relevant to financial regulators and legislators. The study is notable for its use of an innovative approach in measuring information production through cumulative abnormal returns to borrowers' shares after a loan announcement. It also uses detailed data from DealScan and a variety of robust methodologies to ensure the reliability of the results. The implications of this study are far-reaching. As pointed out by De Marco and Petriconi, existing banks reduce information production to prevent their best customers from switching to competitors. This behavior, while understandable, has negative consequences for the credit market and economic stability. "Our research suggests that balanced regulation is essential to maintain a healthy and informed banking system," De Marco concludes. More information: Filippo De Marco et al, Bank Competition and Information Production, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (2024). DOI: 10.1017/S0022109024000152 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: Research assistants setting up a stool sample collection point in Pakistan. Credit: Tamim Khawaja Many bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics originate in Pakistan and other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Infections caused by these bacteria are challenging to treat; longer treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is required and despite this, mortality is increased in those infected with multiresistant bacteria. A study published in Nature Communications sheds light on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in the Pakistani population. The multidisciplinary study conducted between the University of Helsinki and the Cambridge-based Wellcome Sanger Institute also investigated the short-term effects of antibiotic use on the occurrence of resistant bacteria in individual patients. "Travelers returning from the Indian subcontinent face the highest risk of carrying multi-resistant bacteria. To understand the global emergence of resistance, it is essential to explore the resistant strains spreading in these high-risk regions," says Anu Kantele, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Helsinki and Senior Medical Officer at Helsinki University Hospital. Genes in the entire bacterial culture were identified Researchers took rectal swab samples from roughly a thousand patients who had an appointment at a small hospital in the Lahore metropolitan area. Approximately half the patients provided control samples after a one-month monitoring period. The researchers used the samples to explore the impact of antibiotic use on Escherichia coli bacteria carried by people. Samples were also collected from healthy volunteers across the Punjab, Pakistan's most populated province. Infectious diseases physician Tamim Khawaja spent four months in Pakistan collecting samples from locals. These were cultivated on-site at a local laboratory, and the bacterial cultures were frozen and delivered to Finland. The DNA of the cultures was sequenced using a new deep sequencing method in cooperation with the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The analysis was conducted using new methods developed by Tommi Maklin, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, with which all information contained by DNA could be used accurately. As a result, the research consortium was able to identify diversity in E. coli bacteria, both in individuals and at the level of the population. "Thanks to the better scalability of the latest sequencing technology and the methods developed by my team, we have opened a different perspective on research on the evolutionary dynamics of bacteria and resistance. I believe that this approach will help us achieve several breakthroughs in the next few years," says Professor Jukka Corander. The study showed that the prevalence of the E. coli bacterial strains found in Pakistan displayed significant variation, even in samples collected from a single individual. The researchers also observed that many bacterial strains common in Europe could not compete with local strains in Pakistan, even though many can be found on both continents. "For example, ST58, an E. coli strain common in Pakistan, has caused serious infections in countries with a high standard of living. In western countries, asymptomatic carriers of this strain are rare, but in Pakistan, ST58 was the third most common type of E. coli colonizing people. Then again, certain E. coli strains that cause urinary tract infections and are carried asymptomatically by healthy people in western countries were rare in Pakistan, possibly due to the high antibiotic selective pressure," Maklin says. No antibiotics just in case Some of the E. coli bacteria found in Pakistan were genetically close to strains sequenced previously in Norway. "This is highly representative of how bacteria travel from one continent to the next as quickly as people," says Kantele. "Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in Western countries isn't enough; it's in everyone's best interest to help poorer countries use antibiotics more wisely. During our research, we realized that physicians often have less than a minute per patient, leading to the frequent prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics just in case. In our health care crisis, we often forget that the crisis is far greater in poorer countries and its impact reaches us," says Khawaja. The study is part of his doctoral dissertation. More information: Tamim Khawaja et al, Deep sequencing of Escherichia coli exposes colonisation diversity and impact of antibiotics in Punjab, Pakistan, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49591-5 Journal information: Nature Communications 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 pores in the gold membrane developed by ETH researchers amplify the laser beam in Raman spectroscopy, allowing it to penetrate only into the surface (light grey) but not into the bulk of the material (dark grey). Credit: Scixel Using a special wafer-thin gold membrane, ETH researchers have made it significantly easier to study surfaces. The membrane makes it possible to measure properties of surfaces that are inaccessible to conventional methods. "Surfaces were invented by the devil"this quote is attributed to the theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli, who taught at ETH Zurich for many years and in 1945 received the Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions to quantum mechanics. Researchers do, indeed, struggle with surfaces. On the one hand, they are extremely important both in animate and inanimate nature, but on the other hand, it can be devilishly difficult to study them with conventional methods. An interdisciplinary team of materials scientists and electrical engineers led by Lukas Novotny, Professor of Photonics at ETH Zurich, together with colleagues at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin has now developed a method that will make the characterization of surfaces considerably easier in the future. They recently published the results of their research, which is based on an extremely thin gold membrane, in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Surfaces are important for functionality "Whether we are dealing with catalysts, solar cells or batteriessurfaces are always extremely relevant for their functionality," says Roman Wyss, a former Ph.D. student in materials science and first author of the paper, who now works as a researcher at the ETH spin-off company Enantios. The reason for this relevance is that important processes usually happen at interfaces. For catalysts, these processes are the chemical reactions that are accelerated on their surface. In batteries, the surface properties of the electrodes are crucial for their efficiency and degradation behavior. For many years, researchers have used Raman spectroscopy for examining material properties non-destructivelythat is, without destroying the material in the process. In Raman spectroscopy, a laser beam is sent onto the material, and the reflected light is analyzed. From the properties of the reflected light, whose frequency spectrum was modified by the vibrations of the molecules in the material, one can draw conclusions both on the chemical composition of the object under considerationalso known as its chemical fingerprintas well as on mechanical effects such as strain. Gold membrane with tiny pores "This is a very powerful method, but it can only be applied to surfaces with strong limitations," says Sebastian Heeg, who contributed to the experiments as a postdoc in Lukas Novotny's group and who now leads a junior research group at Humboldt-Universitat. Since in Raman spectroscopy the laser light penetrates the material by several micrometers, the frequency spectrum is affected mainly by the bulk of the material and only to a very small degree by its surface, which only comprises a few atomic layers. Left: The gold membrane (left half) amplifies the Raman signal of the surface compared to the signal from the bulk of the material (right half). Right: Gold membrane with pores 100 nanometers in size that act as antennas. Credit: S. Heeg, R. Wyss To harness Raman spectroscopy also for surfaces, the ETH researchers developed a special gold membrane that is only 20 nanometers thick and contains elongated pores about 100 nanometers in size. When such a membrane is transferred onto a surface to be investigated, two things happen. First, the membrane prevents the laser beam from penetrating into the volume of the material. Second, at the locations of the pores, the laser light is concentrated and re-radiated only a few nanometers into the surface. Thousand-fold signal amplification "The pores act as so-called plasmonic antennasjust like the antenna in a mobile phone," says Heeg. The antenna amplifies the Raman signal from the surface by up to a thousand times compared to the signal of conventional Raman spectroscopy without the membrane. Heeg and his colleagues were able to demonstrate this on a number of materials, including strained silicon and the perovskite crystal lanthanum nickel oxide (LaNiO 3 ). Strained silicon is important for applications in quantum technologies, but so far it has not been possible to probe the strain using Raman spectroscopy because the signal produced by the surface was covered by the background noise of the measurement. After the gold membrane had been applied, the strain signal was selectively amplified to the point that it could be clearly distinguished from the other Raman signals of the material. The metallic perovskite lanthanum nickel oxide, on the other hand, is an important material for producing electrodes. "The strong coupling between its crystal structure and electrical conductivity makes it possible to control the conductivity by changing the thickness of the electrode on the nanometer scale. The surface structure, one presumes, plays an essential role here," says Mads Weber, a former postdoc at ETH Zurich and now assistant professor at the University of Le Mans, who investigates this class of materials and was also involved in the study. Thanks to the new gold membrane method, the researchers were now able, for the first time, to gain access to the surface structure of lanthanum nickel oxide. "Our approach is also interesting from the point of view of sustainability, as existing Raman equipment can gain completely new capabilities without much effort," says Heeg. In the future, the researchers want to further improve their method and adapt it to user demands. For instance, currently the pores in the gold membrane have different sizes and are randomly oriented. By producing a gold membrane with pores of equal size that are aligned in parallel, the method could be optimized for specific materials, which would improve the strength of the Raman signal by another factor of a hundred. More information: Roman M. Wyss et al, Bulk-suppressed and surface-sensitive Raman scattering by transferable plasmonic membranes with irregular slot-shaped nanopores, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49130-2 Journal information: Nature Communications 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 Bias Detector allows users to visualize the quantity of news stories on a given topic in a particular time period by lean or tone. Credit: Computational Social Science Lab Every day, American news outlets collectively publish thousands of articles. In 2016, according to The Atlantic, The Washington Post published 500 pieces of content per day; The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal more than 200. "We're all consumers of the media," says Duncan Watts, Stevens University Professor in Computer and Information Science. "We're all influenced by what we consume there, and by what we do not consume there. Today, the University of Pennsylvania's Computational Social Science Lab (CSSLab), which Watts founded and leads, has launched the Media Bias Detector, providing media consumers an unprecedented level of detail in understanding how news outlets from across the ideological spectrum stack up against one another on topics as varied as the presidential race, social media and climate change. By selecting topics and publication names from simple drop-downs, visitors to the Media Bias Detector can see exactly how different publishers covered particular topics during specific time periodseasily learning, say, how many stories The New York Times has published in the last six weeks about Joe Biden's age, as opposed to Donald Trump's, or how often Fox News covered climate change during last week's heat wave compared to CNN. "Our goal is not to adjudicate what is true or even who is more biased," says Watts, who also holds appointments in the Wharton School and the Annenberg School for Communication. "Our goal is to quantify how different topics and events are covered by different publishers and what that reveals about their priorities. In Watts' view, media bias isn't just the manner in which a publication covers a topicthe language used, the figures quotedbut also the topics that publications choose to cover in the first place, and how frequently. "The media makes a lot of choices about what goes public," says Watts, "and that dictates the political environment." Unfortunately, that data has been extremely hard to keep track of, due to the volume of daily news stories, and the time and expense associated with reading and classifying those articles. Until now, unearthing media bias in this level of detail has been impossible to achieve at scale, but the CSSLab realized that artificial intelligence (AI) could augment the efforts of human researchers. "We're able to classify text at very granular levels," says Watts. "We can measure all kinds of interesting things at a scale that would have been impossible just a year or two ago; it is very much a story about how AI has transformed research in this area. On a daily basis, says Amir Tohidi, a postdoctoral researcher in the CSSLab, the Media Bias Detector accesses the top publicly available articles from some of the country's most popular online news publications, and then feeds them into GPT-4, the large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI that underlies ChatGPT, the company's signature chatbot. Using a series of carefully designed prompts, which the researchers rigorously tested, GPT-4 then classifies the articles by topic, before analyzing each article's tone, down to the level of individual sentences. "For every sentence," says Tohidi, "we are asking, 'What's the tone of this sentence? Is it positive, negative, neutral?'" In addition to those sentence-level measurements, the researchers also use AI to classify the article's overall political leaning on a Democrat/Republican spectrum. In other words, the Media Bias Detector essentially maps America's fast-changing media landscape in close to real time "We are giving people a bird's-eye view," says Tohidi. "Everyone can read only so many articles from these publishers every day. So they have local views, based on where they stand. These AI tools elevate us so we can see the entire landscape." In order to ensure the Media Bias Detector's accuracy, researchers have incorporated human feedback into the system. "The beauty of it is that we incorporate a human in the loop," says Jenny S. Wang, a predoctoral researcher at Microsoft and member of the CSSLab. "Because LLMs are so new, we have a verification process where research assistants are able to review an LLM's summary of an article and make adjustments." To validate the use of AI, the researchers also compared the system's outputs to those of expert human evaluatorsdoctoral students with backgrounds in media and politics. "The correlation was really high," says Yuxuan Zhang, a data scientist at the CSSLab. On some tasks, Zhang adds, GPT-4 even outperformed its human counterparts, giving the CSSLab confidence that AI could be incorporated into the process to achieve scale without significantly losing accuracy. Zhang, a recent Penn Engineering master's graduate in Biotechnology and Data Science, draws regularly on what he learned in the natural-language processing course taught by Chris Callison-Burch, Associate Professor in CIS, who is a consultant for the Bias Detector. "I worked as a head teaching assistant in that course," says Zhang, "which is really an important tool for our lab, because everything in computational social science is related to natural-language processing. Building on Penn Engineering's expertise in AIthe School recently announced the Ivy League's first undergraduate and online master's degrees in engineering in AIthe Media Bias Detector will provide an unprecedented opportunity for anyone to understand the subtle ways that bias manifests itself in the media. "Everyone has their own sense of what leaning these different publishers have," says Wang. "But no one has just looked at all the data. Powering these analytics at scale has never been done before. More information: Try the Media Bias Detector here. The New Braunfels City Council on Monday gave initial approval to a $20 million deal to buy a 100-acre property that could become a tech school or an industrial park. Liz Teitz The New Braunfels City Council on Monday gave initial approval to a $20 million deal to buy a 100-acre property that could become a tech school or an industrial park. The council voted unanimously to OK the purchase of the site, which is north of a Walmart distribution center, east of Interstate 35, between the interstate and FM 1101, south of Kohlenberg Road. The New Braunfels Economic Development Corp., which manages a portion of the citys sales tax revenue, approved the plan last week. It will provide up to $12 million in cash up front, with the remainder paid in $1 million annual payments at 3% interest. Advertisement Article continues below this ad City officials say the property could become either a business park or as a campus for Texas State Technical College, a Waco-based public college with 10 campuses and 10,000 students. The school has operated an advanced manufacturing program in New Braunfels since last August and plans to add welding and industrial systems training. The 100-acre site is part of a 240-acre tract just off I-35. The full 240-acre site has an appraised value of nearly $30 million, according to the Comal Appraisal District. New Braunfels has the option to buy the remainder of the property, which is owned by the estate of Frederick Frueholz Jr, a well-known New Braunfels physician who died in 2018. I cant think of many pieces of land that could offer this opportunity, said Jonathan Packer, president and CEO of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Neil Linnartz called the land some of the only property in the city that could to be used for industrial purposes. Mike Anderson, Texas State Technical Colleges vice president of operations and head of its New Braunfels operations, said the school has received more than100 applicants for only 20 spots in the schools current program. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I think what that really shows is the amount of growth thats happening here in this region is just absolutely immense, Anderson said. I think its really exciting. District 4 Council Member Lawrence Spradley, whose district encompasses the site, said a local expansion of Texas State Technical College would put New Braunfels on more equal footing with nearby San Marcos and Seguin, as both cities have institutions of higher learning in Texas State University and Texas Lutheran University, respectively. The $20 million price tag for the property is subject to an independent appraisal, according to city documents. Liz Teitz contributed to this report. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Authoritiesconcerned about an increasing number of mountain lion encounters including one earlier this year that killed a man and severely injured his brotherare asking residents of one California county to turn to Facebook to spread the word. Over the weekend, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office took to its social media channels to encourage residents to go online as part of its protocol for mountain lion safety. They touted a group named El Dorado County Mountain Lion Sightings, which had 7,000 members as of Monday, to report mountain lion activity across the county. The announcement encourages anyone who sees a mountain lion to post details on the Facebook feed, which is listed after calling 911 if a mountain lion poses an immediate threat and calling the local agricultural department if pets or livestock get hurt or killed by a cougar, an animal common to the Sierra foothills that has increasing been seen in populated areas. The postings on the page include surveillance footage, photos of droppings and other safety announcements. The page was created in early May, weeks after two brothers were attacked by a mountain lion resulting in the death of 21-year-old Taylen Brooks. His brother, Wyatt, required multiple surgeries but survived the attack. It happened March 23 off Darling Ridge Road east of Auburn on the outskirts of the Eldorado National Forest. The attack shocked the foothill community and was the first deadly mountain lion encounter in California in 20 years. Experts said after the attack that the brothers did the right things when they were pinned down by the cougar, which included making themselves appear bigger, shouting at it and throwing a backpack to try to scare it away. But instead of leaving, the 90-pound mountain lion became aggressive and attacked the brothers. County trappers, who located the cat next to Brooks' body and scared it away, eventually re-located the mountain lion and killed it. Attacks are rare, according to Josh Rosenau the director of policy and advocacy for the Mountain Lion Foundation. "So much about this situation is unusual and surprising," Rosenau said of the attack at the time. "For the most part, mountain lions try to avoid people. They don't like human voices. They recognize human shapes. They tend to avoid people and things that are not obviously food." The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported just 21 mountain lion attacks on humans in the state since 1986, including none since the attack on the Brooks brothers in March. It marked the fourth attack that resulted in a death since records have been kept and the second in El Dorado County. The state's previous deadly encounter came in Orange County in January 2004. El Dorado deputies said the agency receives calls to 911 for a "significant volume of mountain lion sightings each day" in the county. In developing the new protocol, the Sheriff's Office worked with the Outdoor View, a website dedicated to "educating and empowering your voice for the great outdoors," as well as county agricultural officials. "It was determined that, at this time, simple 'sightings' should be posted on the El Dorado County Mountain Lion Sightings Facebook page," the Sheriff's Office said. The page provides a phone number to report livestock kills and other non-emergency assistance but deputies said that in a situation to protect "yourself, your family, pets and livestock if you are at immediate risk or under attack," 911 remains the first option for help. 2024 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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: Two NASA aircraft, including the P-3 shown here, will be flying over Baltimore, Philadelphia, Virginia and California between June 17 and July 2, to collect data on air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: NASA/Zavaleta This summer between June 17 and July 2, NASA is flying aircraft over Baltimore, Philadelphia, parts of Virginia, and California to collect data on air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign supports the NASA Student Airborne Research Program for undergraduate interns. Conducted by two research aircraft at lower altitudes than most commercial planes fly at, the East Coast flights end June 26. California flights will be June 29 through July 2. The East Coast flights take place from June 17 to 26. Researchers and students are flying multiple times each week in Dynamic Aviation's King Air B200 aircraft at an altitude of 1,000 feet over Baltimore and Philadelphia as well as Norfolk, Hampton, Hopewell, and Richmond in Virginia. Meanwhile, a NASA P-3 aircraft based out of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is flying over the same East Coast locations to collect different measurements. The West Coast flights will occur from June 29 to July 2. During the period, those same aircraft will conduct similar operations over Los Angeles, the Imperial Valley, and Tulare Basin in California. The research aircraft will fly at lower altitudes than most commercial planes and will conduct maneuvers including vertical spirals from 1,000 to 10,000 feet, circling over power plants, landfills, and urban areas. They will also occasionally conduct "missed approaches" at local airports, where the aircraft will perform a low-level flyby over a runway to collect samples close to the surface. The aircraft carry instruments that will collect data on a range of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, as well as air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and ozone. One purpose of this campaign is to validate space-based measurements observed by the TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) mission. Launched on a commercial satellite in April 2023, the TEMPO instrument provides hourly daytime measurements of air pollutants across the United States, northern Mexico, and southern Canada. "The goal is that this data we collect will feed into policy decisions that affect air quality and climate in the region," said Glenn Wolfe, a research scientist and the principal investigator for the campaign at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The B-200 aircraft is owned by Dynamics Aviation, an aircraft company contracted by NASA. Provided by NASA 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: In this photo provided by NASA, astronaut Jeanette Epps (center) is pictured assisting NASA astronauts Mike Barratt (left) and Tracy Dyson (right) inside the Quest airlock. Credit: NASA TV via AP NASA on Monday canceled a spacewalk at the International Space Station after water leaked from an astronaut's spacesuit. Astronauts Tracy Dyson and Mike Barratt opened the hatch to the space station's airlock when Dyson reported water leaking from her spacesuit's cooling system. The leak occurred when Dyson switched her spacesuit to battery power. The astronauts hadn't floated outside yet. "There's literally water everywhere here now," Barratt said. The duo were not in danger, according to NASA. The astronauts were supposed to remove a faulty communications box and collect microbe samples from outside the orbiting laboratory. The spacewalk was planned for nearly seven hours, but lasted only a half hour. Earlier this month, a spacewalk was postponed after another astronaut experienced "spacesuit discomfort." In this undated photo provided by NASA, astronaut Tracy Dyson is pictured training for spacewalks at the Johnson Space Centers Neutral Bouyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. On Monday, June 24, 2024, NASA canceled a spacewalk at the International Space Station due to a water leak on Dyson's spacesuit. Credit: NASA via AP In this undated photo provided by NASA, astronaut Mike Barratt is pictured training for spacewalks at the Johnson Space Centers Neutral Bouyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. NASA canceled a planned spacewalk for Barratt and fellow-astronaut Tracy Dyson at the International Space Station on Monday, June 24, 2024, after a water leak on Dyson's spacesuit. Credit: NASA via AP 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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 Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent (right) gathered samples of iodine and uranium radionuclides from the Arctic Ocean that scientists are now using to trace ocean currents. Credit: Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard, Public Domain The Arctic Ocean is warming four times faster than the rest of the world's oceans, a trend that could potentially spill over to the rest of the world in the form of altered weather patterns and other climate consequences. Efforts such as the Synoptic Arctic Survey are studying the Arctic Ocean to better understand ocean currents, in the hope of allowing scientists to better predict future changes. One way to track ocean currents is by tracing, or tracking, radioactive isotopes that humans began generating in the 1950s during nuclear testing. Though these "radionuclides" are now too dispersed to trace, nuclear reprocessing plants are still releasing two radionuclides into the Atlantic: iodine-129 and uranium-236. In a study, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Annabel Payne and colleagues used these radionuclides, present in very small, but still traceable, quantities, to learn about the decades-long path that water from the Atlantic Ocean takes into the Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin. Their work analyzes radionuclide levels in samples from the deep Canada Basin that were gathered in the 2020 Beaufort Gyre Observing System/Joint Ocean Ice Study expedition. The researchers found that the water flowing into the Canada Basin takes two separate paths: one across the Chukchi Plateau and Northwind Ridge and one that follows the perimeter of the Chukchi Plateau. Additionally, they found that about 2540% of winter water from the Pacific Ocean contains markers of Atlantic water by the time it reaches the Canada Basin, which they attribute to upwelling on the Alaskan Beaufort Shelf or in Barrow Canyon, along the boundary of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Comparing their results to previous studies, they note that transit times for Atlantic waters into the Arctic have not changed over the past 15 years, indicating the currents have been stable over that period. This research helps validate that iodine-129 and uranium-236 are useful tracers for tracking water masses in the Arctic Ocean and presents a high-resolution glimpse of currents in the region. The authors say future work expanding the sampling area to the continental slope near Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago will help reveal outflow to the Atlantic Ocean and improve the understanding of this rapidly changing ocean. More information: Annabel Payne et al, Circulation Timescales and Pathways of Atlantic Water in the Canada Basin: Insights From Transient Tracers 129I and 236U, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023JC020813 Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans This story is republished courtesy of Eos, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original storyhere. 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 wildfire that occurred in Chongqing, China, in August 2022. Credit: Zhou Xuan In the summer of 2022, China's Yangtze River Valley (YRV) endured an unprecedented heat wave, severely affecting human society and ecosystems. Traditionally, the extremity of such hot events has been evaluated against a fixed historical baseline (e.g., 19792022), suggesting record-breaking magnitudes. However, recent research underscores the significance of the chosen baseline in quantifying these extremes. A study published on June 7 in Environmental Research Letters examines how the use of a fixed versus a 10-year moving baseline alters the perceived extremity of the 2022 heat wave. The findings indicate that using a moving baseline, which accounts for recent climatic adaptation, record-breaking daily hot extremes were confined to the Sichuan Basin in the upper reaches of the YRV. "Fixed baselines compare extremes to a static historical period (e.g., 19812010), capturing the continuous warming trend and increasing the perceived magnitude of extremes," explained Lan Li, the study's lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "In contrast, moving baselines consider time-evolving climatology and societal adaptation to warming, offering a nuanced understanding of extremes." The research revealed that while fixed baselines showed record-breaking daily hot extremes across the upper and middle reaches of the YRV in 2022, moving baselines identified such extremes only in the Sichuan Basin, with a magnitude of 2.52 standard deviations. Furthermore, this event was not the most extreme historically, as China has faced approximately 13 events of greater magnitudes since 1971. Future projections suggest that under high-emission scenarios, extreme hot events similar to those in the Sichuan Basin in 2022 could occur every 212 years between 2081 and 2100, affecting up to 25% of continental China with magnitudes exceeding 5 standard deviations. However, with a moving baseline, the projected changes in extremity are minimal, implying that continuous adaptation to warming could mitigate future risks. "The moving baseline assumes prompt adaptation by humans and ecosystems to background warming," noted Prof. Tianjun Zhou, the study's corresponding author and a professor at IAP. "However, adaptation alone, such as improving infrastructure and health systems, is insufficient. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. Climate change adaptation and mitigation must work in tandem to address global warming effectively." More information: Lan Li et al, Quantifying the extremity of 2022 Chinese Yangtze River Valley daily hot extreme: fixed or moving baseline matters, Environmental Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad4e49 Journal information: Environmental Research Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Collective bargaining is a fundamental pillar of the European social model. In Italy, over the decades, unions have ensured wage increases commensurate with productivity growth and a gradual improvement in working conditions. Today, however, they are in decline. In 20 years, according to a Bocconi University, Milan, study, the unionization rate has been declining from 30% to about 12%. Fewer members means less bargaining power, hence less protection at a time in history when the challenges of technological development would, on the contrary, require greater worker protection in the face of shrinking employment in some sectors. Conducted by a team of researchers from Bocconi University, led by Paolo Agnolin, Massimo Anelli, Italo Colantone and Piero Stanig, the study explores the impact of new technologies on the European union landscape. By analyzing union membership data in 15 European countries over a 20-year period through 2018, the study offers valuable insight into the evolving role of unions in the digital age. The lack of disaggregated official data on the number of union members hinders research on the impact of social change on unions. We know the overall data on unionization in a given country and in a given year, but we do not have more specific numbers describing differences in union membership across industries and geographic areas. The Bocconi study, with an innovative method for estimating the percentage of unionized workers, has made it possible to create a unique dataset to fill this information gap. The results show a widespread negative trend, with Italy getting closer to traditionally unionized countries such as France. Differences between regions and sectors are clear: from 25% in Trentino-Alto Adige to 7% in Liguria, and from 27% in public education to 6% in house help. But what is to blame for this not-so-slow decline? "Globalization and automation have contributed to a reduction in employment in those sectors, such as manufacturing, where unions were traditionally stronger," explains Massimo Anelli, an associate professor in Bocconi's Department of Social and Political Sciences and an expert in labor economics. "Besides, entire sectors that have developed thanks to technology, think of gig economy activities, did not exist until a few years ago, and as a result unions are practically absent." As the base on which trade unions can rely gradually shrinks, so does their negotiating strength. "Simplifying, we can think of the production of goods and services as the result of a process that employs two factors, labor and invested capital," Anelli continues. "In contemporary society, in which technology (which is part of invested capital) plays an increasingly central role in the production process, the importance of the labor component is progressively diminishing. At the same time, with fewer workers in unions, the ability of unions to protect wages decreases accordingly. It is a dog biting its own tail." That is why, Anelli concludes, "A strong union is important to protect social cohesion in the face of structural changes in society. Our data tell us that the unionization rate is falling: if this trend is not reversed, Italy risks the lowest levels of union participation in Europe." 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: Artistic Impression of the Sun's supergranules. Supergranules transport heat near the surface of the Sun and are approximately 3 times wider than the Earth. Hot material from inside the sun rises to the surface, cools and turns over before sinking back into the interior. Scientists use sound waves to see below the surface, which appear as ripples on the surface. Credit: Melissa Weiss. A team of solar physicists at NYU Abu Dhabi's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), led by Research Scientist Chris S. Hanson, Ph.D., has revealed the interior structure of the sun's supergranules, a flow structure that transports heat from the sun's hidden interior to its surface. The researchers' analysis of the supergranules presents a challenge to the current understanding of solar convection. The sun generates energy in its core through nuclear fusion; that energy is then transported to the surface, where it escapes as sunlight. In a study titled "Supergranular-scale solar convection not explained by mixing-length theory," published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the researchers explain how they utilized Doppler, intensity and magnetic images from the helioseismic and magnetic imager (HMI) onboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite to identify and characterize approximately 23,000 supergranules. Since the sun's surface is opaque to light, the NYUAD scientists used sound waves to probe the interior structure of the supergranules. These sound waves, which are generated by the smaller granules and are everywhere in the sun, have been successfully used in the past in a field known as helioseismology. By analyzing such a large dataset of supergranules, which were estimated to extend 20,000 km (~3% into the interior) below the surface of the sun, the scientists were able to determine the up- and downflows associated with supergranular heat transport with unprecedented accuracy. In addition to inferring how deep the supergranules extend, the scientists also discovered that the downflows appeared approximately 40% weaker than the upflows, which suggests that some component was missing from the downflows. Through extensive testing and theoretical arguments, the authors theorize that the "missing" or unseen component could consist of small scale (approximately 100 km) plumes that transport cooler plasma down into the sun's interior. The sound waves in the sun would be too big to sense these plumes, making the downflows appear weaker. These findings cannot be explained by the widely used mixing-length description of solar convection. "Supergranules are a significant component of the heat transport mechanisms of the sun, but they present a serious challenge for scientists to understand," said Shravan Hanasoge, Ph.D., research professor, co-author of the paper and co-Principal Investigator of CASS. "Our findings counter assumptions that are central to the current understanding of solar convection, and should inspire further investigation of the sun's supergranules." The research was conducted within CASS at NYUAD in collaboration with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Princeton University, and New York University, using NYUAD's high performance computing resources. More information: Supergranular-scale solar convection not explained by mixing-length theory, Nature Astronomy (2024). www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02304-w Journal information: Nature Astronomy 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: A quarry illustrating bands of stratified limestone from the ancient seafloor in what is now Mercato San Severino in Italy. Credit: F. Tissot About 183 million years ago, volcanic activity in modern South Africa unleashed an estimated 20,500 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the oceanatmosphere system over a period of 300 to 500 thousand years. Known as the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE), the lack of oxygen, or anoxia, in the water during this time caused a mass extinction of marine species. Human activity since the industrial revolution has already resulted in cumulative CO 2 emissions representing 12% of the total CO 2 released during the entire T-OAE, in less than 0.1% of the time. The T-OAE foreshadows what might happen to our oceans if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. "You can see lots of fossils within ocean sediments before the T-OAE, and then suddenly they disappear," says Caltech's Francois Tissot, Professor of Geochemistry and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator. Tissot is a co-author on a new study that was published on June 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describing the extent of the ocean anoxia during the T-OAE. Led by researchers from George Mason University, the team collected 30 samples of stratified limestone from the Mercato San Severino region in southern Italy to assess the severity of ocean deoxygenation during the T-OAE. The team analyzed the samples for their uranium content and isotopic composition. Isotopes are twin version of an element with different number of neutrons, and thus very slightly different masses. The relative abundance of isotopes of uranium in the ocean depends on the amount of anoxia. This means that by measuring the isotopic composition of uranium in the ocean, scientists can infer the amount of anoxia in the ocean. In the absence of actual seawater samples from the past, scientists are able to use a proxy for it, such as carbonate rocks, which faithfully record the seawater composition. When there is plenty of oxygen in the ocean, uranium likes to stay in its soluble form, dissolved in the seawater. But when oxygen in the water becomes more scarce, then uranium begins to precipitate out of the seawater, and settles into sediments on the ocean floor. Thus, through careful modeling developed by former Caltech postdoctoral scholar Michael Kipp, Tissot, and collaborators, the amount of uranium in seafloor samples can indicate the percentage of oxygen in the ocean at the time of the T-OAE. "Using this model, we found that anoxia peaked at 28 to 38 times of the modern ocean," says Tissot. "Today, only about 0.2% of the ocean floor is covered with anoxic sediments, similar to those found in the Black Sea. At the time of the T-OAE, 183 million years ago, it was 6% to 8% of the ocean floor that was covered in anoxic sediment." The results indicate that past OAE events can foreshadow the effects of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions on marine ecosystems. "If we don't curb carbon emissions and continue on an increasing CO 2 trajectory, we can clearly see that there will be severe negative impacts on the ocean's ecosystem," says Tissot. The paper is titled "Carbonate uranium isotopes record global expansion of marine anoxia during the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event." More information: Mariano N. Remirez et al, Carbonate uranium isotopes record global expansion of marine anoxia during the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406032121 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 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: Antelope run as they migrate through national parks and surrounding areas in South Sudan, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, June 25, found about 6 million antelope. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga Seen from the air, they ripple across the landscapea river of antelope racing across the vast grasslands of South Sudan in what conservationists say is the world's largest land mammal migration. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, found about 6 million antelope. The survey over a two-week period last year in two national parks and nearby areas relied on spotters in airplanes, nearly 60,000 photos and tracking more than a hundred collared animals over about 46,000 square miles (120,000 square kilometers). The estimate from the nonprofit African Parks, which conducted the work along with the government, far surpasses other large migratory herds such as the estimated 1.36 million wildebeests surveyed last year in the Serengeti straddling Tanzania and Kenya. But they warned that the animals face a rising threat from commercial poaching in a nation rife with weapons and without strong law enforcement. "Saving the last great migration of wildlife on the planet is an incredibly important thing," said Mike Fay, a conservation scientist who led the survey. "There's so much evidence that the world's ecosystems are collapsing, the world resources are being severely degraded and it's causing gigantic disruption on the planet." The east African nation is still emerging from five years of fighting that erupted in 2013 and killed nearly 400,000 people. Elections scheduled for last year were postponed to this December, but few preparations are in place for those. Violence continues in some areas, with some 2 million people displaced and 9 million75% of the populationreliant on humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. The migration is already being touted as a point of national pride by a country trying to move beyond its conflict-riddled past. Billboards of the migration recently went up in the capital of Juba, and the government has aspirations that the animals may someday be a magnet for tourists. Charo Ochogi poses for a photo in Otallo village, South Sudan, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Ochogi said he's not worried about the animals disappearing. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga South Sudan has six national parks and a dozen game reserves covering more than 13% of the terrain. The migration stretches from east of the Nile in Badingilo and Boma parks into neighboring Ethiopiaan area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Georgia. It includes four main antelope, the white-eared kobof which there are some 5 millionthe tiang, the Mongalla gazelle and bohor reedbuck. The survey said some animals have increased since a more limited one in 2010. But it described a "catastrophic" decline of most non-migratory species in the last 40 years, such as the hippo, elephant and warthog. Associated Press journalists flying over the stunning migration of thousands of antelope last week saw few giraffes and no elephants, lions or cheetahs. Trying to protect the animals over such a vast terrain is challenging. In recent years, new roads have increased people's access to markets, contributing to poaching. Years of flooding have meant crop failures that have left some people with little choice but to hunt for food. Some 30,000 animals were being killed each month between March and May this year, African Parks estimated. The government hasn't made a priority of protecting wildlife. Less than 1% of its budget is allocated to the wildlife ministry, which said it has few cars to move rangers around to protect animals. Those rangers say they haven't been paid a salary since October and are outgunned by poachers. South Sudan President H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit said the country is committed to turning its wealth of wildlife into sustainable tourism. He called on the Ministry of Wildlife to prioritize training and equipping rangers to fight poaching. A woman stands near a killed bushbuck in Bor, South Sudan, Thursday, June 20, 2024. A newly paved road between Juba and Bor the epicenter of the illegal commercial bushmeat trade has made it easier for trucks to carry large quantities of animals. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga Matthew Kauffman, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey and a professor of zoology at the University of Wyoming, said the work fits a growing global effort "to map these migrations." One benefit is to be smarter when landscapes are developed to make way for these seasonal movements, he said. Villagers near the parks told AP they mostly hunted to feed their families or to barter for goods. A newly paved road between Juba and Borthe epicenter of the illegal commercial bushmeat tradehas made it easier for trucks to carry large quantities of animals. Bor sits along the Nile, about 27 miles (45 kilometers) from Badingilo Park. In the dry season, animals coming closer to the town to drink are vulnerable to killing. Officials at the wildlife ministry in Bor told AP the killing of animals had doubled in the last two years. Even when those involved in the industry are caught, the consequences can be minor. A few years ago, when wildlife rangers came to arrest Lina Garang for selling animals, she said they let her go, instead telling her to conduct business more discreetly. Garang, 38, said her competition has only grown, with 15 new shops opening along her strip to buy and sell animals. Part of the challenge is that there is no national land management plan, so roads and infrastructure are built without initial discussions about where best placed. The government's also allocated an oil concession to a South African company in the middle of Badingilo that spans nearly 90% of the park. Antelope run through a field as they migrate in national parks and the surrounding areas, South Sudan Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, Jan. 25, found about 6 million antelope. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga African Parks is trying to square modernizing the country with preserving the wildlife. The organization has been criticized in the past for not engaging enough with communities and taking an overly militarized approach in some of the nearly two dozen areas it manages in Africa. The group says its strategy in South Sudan is focused on community relations and aligning the benefits of wildlife and economic development. One plan is to create land conservancies that local communities would manage, with input from national authorities. African Parks has set up small hubs in several remote villages and is spreading messages of sustainable practices, such as not killing female or baby animals. Peter Alberto, undersecretary for the ministry of wildlife, conservation and tourism, said the government hopes the migration can become a point of pride, and reshape how the world thinks of South Sudan. As for tourism, that may take a while. There aren't hotels or roads to host people near the parks, and the only option is high-end trips for what one tour company official called a "high-risk" audience. There's fighting between tribes and attacks by gunmen in the area, and pilots told AP they've been shot at while flying. Will Jones, chief exploration officer for Journeys by Design, a UK-based tour company, charges roughly $150,000 per person for a weeklong tour in South Sudan. He said there isn't strong demand. A woman carries antelope skin outside her house in Otallo village, South Sudan, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, June 25, found about 6 million antelope. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga Locals trying to protect the wildlife say it's hard to shift people's mentality. In the remote village of Otallo on the border with Ethiopia, young men have started buying motorbikes. What had been an all-day trip on foot to cross the border to sell animals now takes just five hours, allowing them to double the number of animals they take and make multiple trips. One of them, Charo Ochogi, said he'd rather be doing something else but there are few options, and he's not worried about the animals disappearing. "The kob isn't going to finish. They'll reproduce," he said. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Gray whales have been veering off their normal routes along the West Coast and swimming under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay in unprecedented numbers. Using thousands of photographs of distinctive markings on the whales' backs to identify them, marine scientists have confirmed that at least 71 different gray whalesand possibly 84 or moreswam into the bay between 2018 and 2023, with some staying for more than two months, raising their risk of being hit by cargo ships, oil tankers or other large vessels. From 2010 to 2017, only about one or two of the giant marine mammals came into the bay every year. Last year, however, there were at least 16, and in 2019 there were at least 21. "We think it has a lot to do with the fact that the whales haven't been getting enough food," said Bill Keener, a biologist with The Marine Mammal Center, a non-profit group in Sausalito. "They may be weak and resting for a while, or they looking for an alternative food source." Some are malnourished, he said. From 2019 to 2023, 22 gray whales were found dead in or near San Francisco Bay, according to data from The Marine Mammal Center, the California Academy of Sciences and public agencies. Of those, 14 died from unknown causes. Researchers performed studies, called necropsies, on nine of the whales. Six died from malnourishment. Three died from a collision with a ship. Over the past four years, dead gray whales have been found inside San Francisco Bay off Angel Island, and near Richmond, Rodeo, Hercules, San Leandro, Mountain View, the Port of Oakland, Tiburon, the Berkeley Marina and Martinez. "They aren't just near the Golden Gate," said Keener, who said a slower speed limit for big ships in the bay may be needed. "They are way into the bay, past Angel Island, down to Treasure Island. There's a lot of ship traffic there." Wayward whales have inspired public interest for years. One lost humpback, nicknamed Humphrey, gained national attention in 1985 and became the subject of children's books, songs and a moviedrawing crowds of onlookers with binocularswhen he swam into the bay. Humphrey meandered up the Delta to sloughs 25 miles south of Sacramento, staying 26 days before finally returning to the Pacific Ocean as researchers played whale songs from speakers off boats to lure him west. In 2007, a mother humpback and her calf, nicknamed "Delta and Dawn," swam into the bay and ventured as far up the Delta as Rio Vista before scientists in boats coaxed them back into the open ocean 10 days later. There was also a jump in the number of humpback whales that swam under the Golden Gate Bridge pursuing anchovies in from 2016 to 2018. They stayed only a few days each. But the latest trend with gray whales seems different, researchers say. It could be a sign of stress in the wider population. The pattern comes amid a big drop in the gray whale numbers off the Pacific Coast in recent years. Once hunted by whaling ships in the 1800s for their oil until there were only about 1,000 or 2,000 individuals left, gray whales were protected in 1972 when President Nixon signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The last whaling company in the United States, the Del Monte Fishing Company, operated at Point Molate in Richmond. It made Kal-Kan dog food out of whales that its crews shot with mechanized harpoon cannons. The company closed in December 1971 as the law was about to take effect. After whaling was banned in the U.S., numbers of gray whales increased. By 1994, after they reached a healthy population, the Clinton administration removed them from the Endangered Species Act list in what is still considered one of the nation's major wildlife success stories. Their population jumped to 27,000 by 2016, according to estimates from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But then it fell by at least one third by 2022. Hundreds of malnourished whales began to wash up on beaches in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Mexico. Nobody knew why. Researchers said the die-off from 2018 to 2023, which NOAA called an "unusual mortality event," was likely due to a shortage of food in the Arctic linked to changes in the amount of sea ice, wind patterns and other factors. Whales eat 3,000 pounds or more of food a day, preferring small, shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods, along with worms and other tiny creatures that they scoop from the sea floor. Last year, gray whale numbers began to rebound to as many as 21,000. NOAA declared an end to the "unusual mortality event" in November. Scientists are watching carefully to see if the change is temporary or permanent. The roller coaster populationand weird detours into San Francisco Baycould be related to climate change, or it could be part of the gray whale's natural population fluctuations, said John Calambokidis, a research biologist with Cascadia Research, in Olympia, Washington. "What is a natural cycle?" he said. "Is this normal? Or something unusual? The ecosystem in the Arctic has changed very rapidly. That's one reason this has scientists' attention." One thing is clear: The gray whales coming into San Francisco Bay are heading north as part of their annual migration from Baja, Mexico where they mate and breed, and turning right under the Golden Gate Bridge instead of continuing north to Alaska where they stock up on food during the summer months. A lot is known about the latest trend because one researcher, Josephine Slaathaug, of the Marine Mammal Center, painstakingly sorted through more than 11,000 photographs of gray whales in San Francisco Bay last year. She built a database, identifying individual whales from photos taken on whale watching boats, the shoreline, and the center's boats. She showed the animals are most common in March and April, and stayed in the bay between 13 and 75 days. Slaathaug, a masters student at Sonoma State University, won a prestigious fellowship in April from the National Science Foundation as she expands the study in the coming years. One key question: Will the number of gray whales in the bay go down if their food in the Arctic recovers, and the West Coast population increases? "We don't understand all the drivers," she said. "We have preliminary data. But we do know that with all the ships, the bay is not a very safe place for the whales." 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ricardo Delgado covers the Hill Country for the San Antonio Express-News. He can be reached at ricardo.delgado@express-news.net. He previously worked for The University Star at Texas State University. 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: Human activities and climate change have made nearly half of the worlds lakes less resilient, decreasing their ability to bounce back from sudden disturbances like heat waves and floods, according to a new Geophysical Research Letters study. Here, algae blooms afflict Lake Erie. Credit: Landsat8/Stuart Rankin Nearly half of the world's large lakes have lost resilience, or the ability to bounce back after an abrupt disturbance, in recent decades, according to the first global assessment of long-term changes in lake resilience. Lakes in eastern North America and northern Europe have been hit the hardest, and dense populations and pollution are largely to blame, the study suggests. However, wealthier regions had healthier lakes, suggesting costly conservation efforts may pay off. Both people and climate can gradually shift lakes away from their natural, healthy state. Warmer temperatures can increase evaporation, decreased precipitation can lower lake levels, and persistent pollution can chip away at the lake ecosystem's health. When sudden disturbances hit, such as heat waves, droughts or floods, a "resilient" lake can recover; a vulnerable one may not be able to return to its previous state. Assessing a lake's resilience, which takes into account its structure and ecosystem functions, is crucial for scientists predicting how it will respond to climate- and human-induced changes. But long-term trends of changes in lake resilience at a global scaleand why they happenremain unknown. The new study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, fills in this knowledge gap. "Tracking lake resilience is crucial because it allows us to detect early warning signs of ecosystem degradation," said Ke Zhang, an environmental scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the study. "It enables us to do timely interventions and prevent the irreversible catastrophic collapse of lake ecosystems, which can have severe socioecological consequences." Tracking lakes from space Zhang and colleagues looked at comprehensive lake health and resilience and a mix of climate and human factors for 1,049 of the world's largest and most important lakes, looking for changes from 2000 to 2018. A suite of statistical tests allowed the scientists to look for "flickers" and longer-term changes in a lake's color, indicating changes in its health. If at least two of the statistical tests agreed, the researchers marked the lake as experiencing a change in resilience. The researchers analyzed lake area, depth and satellite-derived color in the context of each catchment's temperature, precipitation, population density, and per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Nearly half of the studied lakes worldwide significantly lost resilience over the study period, the researchers found. Most were between 30 and 60 degrees N, but the authors note that many of the world's lakes are in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere, with more growing there under climate change. On the other hand, about one quarter of studied lakes were getting more resilientmostly at higher altitudes, and mostly because of an increase in glacial meltwater. The Tibetan Plateau and the Andes had the strongest gains in resilience as a result of glacial melt. Central North America, mostly in Canada, also saw an increase in lake resilience. The researchers then divided the study period in half to see if any trends accelerated in recent years. From 2000 to 2009, roughly the same proportion of lakes experienced increasing and decreasing resilience, at 36% and 35%, respectively. But between 2010 to 2018, while 28% of lakes gained resilience, 39% lost resilience, indicating a pronounced shift in lake health. In recent years, 26.8% of lakes went from becoming more resilient to becoming less resilient between the two time periods. This pattern was particularly strong in eastern North America and northern Europe. The results took the researchers by surprise. "While we anticipated that human activities would significantly impact lake resilience, the extent of resilience declinenearly half of the studied lakeswas alarming," Zhang said. The findings could indicate many lakes are approaching irreversible ecological tipping points, the authors wrote. Africas Lake Malawi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces threats from overfishing, industrial pollutants and climate change, Zhang said. Its water levels naturally fluctuate, but it is shrinking over time, as illustrated here. Credit: USGS/Landsat What's messing up our lakes? Population density most strongly contributed to lakes' loss of resilience, the study found, most likely linked to having higher concentrations of pollutants and higher degrees of landscape alteration. Bigger lakes and lakes at higher elevations were more likely to be more resilient. In most regions, human factors were more important than climate, but high-altitude regions such as the Tibetan Plateau were the clear exception. There, warmer air temperatures lead to glacial melting, which in turn allows lakes to grow larger and clearer. And in tropical and subtropical regions, climate matters because warmer temperatures increase the risk of algae blooms, which degrade water quality and lake health. However, each of these is only an association in this study and requires further research for validation, the authors say. There is some good news. Many lakes in regions with higher GDPs are improving, which the authors posit is tied to efforts such as reforestation, sustainable land use and combating eutrophication. The pattern of more resilient lakes in high-GDP catchments suggests continued efforts focused on lake health could help, according to the authors. "This trend is concerning and underscores the urgent need for effective management and restoration efforts to mitigate these impacts," Zhang said. "But the positive correlation between higher GDP and increased resilience in some areas implies that economic development can be harnessed to invest in environmental protection and lake management." More information: Yaoyao Han et al, Human Impacts Dominate Global Loss of Lake Ecosystem Resilience, Geophysical Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GL109298 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters 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 individual fragments of the ivory pyx found in a marble shrine laid out as a panorama. Credit: University of Innsbruck Since the summer of 2016, archaeologists from Innsbruck have been carrying out excavations in a late antique hilltop settlement in southern Austria. Two years ago, they made a sensational discovery: a Christian reliquary was still hidden in a previously unknown church. It contained a richly decorated ancient reliquary box made of ivory. On 4 August 2022, a team of researchers led by archaeologist Gerald Grabherr made the spectacular discovery in an early Christian church on the Burgbichl in the municipality of Irschen in southern Austria: A marble shrine measuring around 20 by 30 centimeters was hidden under the altar in the side chapel area. The shrine contained a heavily fragmented ivory "box" (pyx) richly decorated with Christian motifsa reliquary that is normally taken away as the "holiest" part when a church is abandoned. In this case, however, it was left behind. It is the first such pyx to be found in an archaeological context in Austria. "We know of around 40 ivory boxes of this kind worldwide and, as far as I know, the last time one of these was found during excavations was around 100 years agothe few pyxes that exist are either preserved in cathedral treasures or exhibited in museums," explains the finder, Gerald Grabherr. Complex conservation Since its discovery, the 1,500-year-old, very fragile ivory reliquary has been conserved at the University of Innsbruck. "Ivory, especially ivory stored on the ground like in the marble shrine, absorbs moisture from its surroundings and is very soft and easily damaged in this state. In addition, uncontrolled drying out can lead to shrinkage and cracks and thus to damage that can no longer be repaired," says Ulrike Tochterle, head of the restoration workshop in Innsbruck. Over the past two years, she has now conserved the individual pieces of the ivory pyx to such an extent that they can be scientifically analyzed. "Due to the very high humidity of 90% in the marble shrine immediately after salvage, the risk of condensation and mold formation was very high, and the contents could not be allowed to dry out too quickly. This meant we had to ensure a very careful and prolonged drying process." Ivory fragments of the pyx arranged in the round on a white background. Credit: University of Innsbruck The larger parts are deformed, which is why the pyx can no longer be restored to its original statehowever, the researchers are working on a 3D reconstruction. While the archaeologists initially assumed that the remains of a sainti.e., a relic in the classic sense of the wordwere also found in the marble box, the layering of the fragments found in the shrine indicates that the ivory pyx was already broken in late antiquity and was buried in the altar. "The pyx was presumably also seen as sacred and was treated as such because it was in contact with a relic. The archaeological and art-historical significance of the pyx cannot be denied," emphasizes Grabherr. Close-up: Moses receives the commandments from the hand of God. Credit: University of Innsbruck Depiction of saints At one end, the pyx shows a figure at the foot of a mountainthe man depicted is turning his gaze away and a hand rising out of the sky above him, placing something between the person's arms. "This is the typical depiction of the handing over of the laws to Moses on Mount Sinai, the beginning of the covenant between God and man from the Old Testament," says Grabherr. This is followed by depictions of biblical figures. At the end, you can see a man on a chariot with two horses harnessed to itand here, too, a hand coming out of the clouds pulls this figure up into heaven. "We assume that this is a depiction of the ascension of Christ, the fulfillment of the covenant with God. The depiction of scenes from the Old Testament and their connection with scenes from the New Testament is typical of late antiquity and thus fits in with our pyx; however, the depiction of the Ascension of Christ with a so-called biga, a two-horse chariot, is very special and previously unknown." Close-up: Ascension of Christ on a biga. Credit: University of Innsbruck Further analyses A number of further investigations into the Irschen reliquary are currently underway. "On the one hand, we still need to determine the exact origin of the marble, and we also want to specify the origin of the ivory and the elephant using stable isotope analyses. Metallic componentsthe hinges of the pyx were made of metalare also still being examined, as is the glue that was used for the ivory," explains restorer Tochterle. Last but not least, wooden parts were also found in the marble box, presumably parts of the pyx's claspit cannot be completely ruled out, but it is unlikely that this could be a relic after all. "These pieces of wood are also being analyzed more closely; we are particularly interested in the type of wood and its origin, and the age is also of interest to us," says Tochterle. Context: Hilltop settlement in Irschen Irschen is a municipality in the Carinthian Drava Valley in southern Austria, where archaeologists from the University of Innsbruck have been carrying out excavations since 2016. They are investigating a late antique hilltop settlement that has been abandoned since around the year 610 and had so far been completely forgotten, covering an area of around one hectare ( 4.47 acres). So far, the researchers have found and documented several dwellings, two Christian churches and a cistern in addition to the personal belongings of the settlement's former inhabitants; a star-shaped baptismal font and a reliquary were discovered in one of the churches. Grabherr says, "Towards the end of the Roman Empire, times became more uncertain, especially in the peripheral provinces of the empire, including the area that is now Austria. For this reason, from around the 4th century, the inhabitants increasingly founded settlements on hilltops that were easier to defend and left the valley floor." The year 610 marks a turning point: In this year, the Battle of Aguntum takes place not far from the Irschen settlement, where a Slavic army meets Baiuvari armies and settlers. This battle, which the Slavs win, marks the end of the region's affiliation with the ancient Mediterranean world and also with Christianitythe Slavic settlers bring their own world of gods with them. The settlement on the Burgbichl has been abandoned since this time at the latest. The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has asked the National Park Service to change the name of the Saratoga National Historical Park to the Saratoga National Battlefield Park. The Saratoga National Historic Park commemorates the Battles of Saratoga, which were pivotal in securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. The park was originally named Saratoga Battlefield Park when it was designated a historical site in the Towns of Saratoga and Stillwater. The name remained the same when it was designated a New York State historical site in 1927. When it became a national park in 1938, the word battlefield was dropped from its name. Saratoga County is home of hallowed ground marking the Turning Point of the American Revolution and we are thankful to the National Park Service for their longstanding relationship with Saratoga County, said Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett (Clifton Park). We request the National Historical Park return to its original name, which distinguishes the park as a historical battlefield and provides a unique identifier to clearly inform tourists of the significance of the park to American independence, he said. The resolution was passed unanimously earlier in June and a copy will be sent to the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service, and the members of the United States Congress representing the County of Saratoga. To read the resolution or view the Board Meeting webcast, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov. Natasha, the wandering Russian tortoise, is home, sleeping soundly in her hollowed-out log after enjoying a bath and a feast of Romaine lettuce. I am so happy. I just cry, owner Sandie Yeaman said Monday night. Yeaman, along with throngs of volunteers who showed up from all over Omaha, Nebraska, had spent hours looking for Natasha. The tortoise had escaped her enclosure and yard Friday. Yeaman was terrified the tortoise would reach a nearby busy street. Three times Natasha was apprehended, but she kept being returned to the small lake near her home by people thinking thats where she belonged. But tortoises don't live in the water like turtles. She was spotted twice at Spare Time Bowling at their back door, Yeaman said. I know she went there because it smelled good. Friends Sondra Combs and Joyce Roll finally corralled her for good. Combs decided on a whim to join the search after reading the many comments about Natasha on her neighborhood's online app Monday after work. She called Roll and they headed to Lakeside Park. Combs had asked herself, What would a tortoise do? before checking an inlet on the south side of the small lake. There was no sign of the tortoise until she headed back toward the road. There was a bush over to the side. There she was, plain as day, Combs said. She was eating a stem of something. She just looked at me. Combs panicked for a moment, unsure whether to call 911 because she didnt want to touch the tortoise yet she didnt want her to escape. Roll then showed up with an ALDI shopping bag, bagging the turtle and bringing a happy end to Natashas breakout. Yeaman was called, and the searchers all shared a good cry. It was such an unbelievable moment, she said. Yeaman couldnt believe the effort that volunteers went to to help her find the pet shes had for 25 years. But shes been holding popup events for memory care patients at Christmas for several years, and people were eager to assist her in return. You helped us, volunteers told her, its time for us to help you. Signs were posted, one person volunteered to fly a drone and a youngster smeared strawberries along a concrete path, hoping to entice Natasha into one of the two traps around the lake. The traps contained bits of Romaine lettuce. We put little pieces like Hansel and Gretel, Yeaman said. One searcher was overcome by the stifling heat and had to be checked over at CHI Health Lakeside. Natasha was starving when she was found, Yeaman said. I can just tell by looking at her shes thinner, she said. She was a pretty chubby girl. When she wasnt checking the traps every two hours along with other volunteers, Yeaman got down on her hands and knees and discovered holes in both the enclosure and an ivy-covered backyard wall where Natasha escaped. First thing in the morning, I will be redoing her pen and put a net over the top, Yeaman said. She will never get out again. LOWER TOWNSHIP Extreme heat, along with low staff numbers, led fire crews to call out an additional alarm for a fire in the Villas section of Lower Township last week. The call came in at 1:48 p.m. Thursday for a fire on Maryland Avenue, according to details released on Monday by Villas Volunteer Fire Company Chief William Belles IV. He said on Monday that the family has had to relocate because of the damage to the home. Firefighters responding to a fire in a garage found that the blaze already reached a two-story, single-family home. Everyone in the building had already gotten out, Belles said, and no injuries were reported. Still, he reported that firefighters searched the structures and began an aggressive attack on the fire. Due to low staffing and extreme heat, a second alarm was transmitted early in the incident, reads a statement released by Belles. Companies were on scene for about four hours. The Lower Township Bureau of Fire Safety and the Cape May County Fire Marshals office investigated. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Lower Township Police and Inspira EMS also responded, as did the Middle Township Ambulance Corps. West Cape May Fire Company Cape May Court House Fire Company and firefighters from Dennis Township responded, including providing coverage in case additional calls came in. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, Belles said. ATLANTIC CITY A 19-year-old Philadelphia man was arrested on gun possession charges after a fight on the beach block of New York Avenue Friday. Joseph Miller was arrested on unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and possession of a large capacity magazine, police said. Miller is being held in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. City police responded to the beach block of New York Avenue for a report of several people fighting at approximately 9:13 p.m. on Friday. When police responded, officers spoke with Miller, who they said was allegedly involved in the fight. During the fight, a woman entered Millers vehicle and drove off, police said. She deliberately crashed the vehicle into a light pole and fire hydrant before fleeing the seen with several other unidentified people. Officers on scene learned that after the fight, Miller went to his vehicle and retrieved a rifle from the trunk, police said. Officers located a rifle inside the vehicle and arrested Miller. The individuals that fled the scene were not located. (Anyone with information about this incident or the identity of the man and woman who fled the scene is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 609-347-5766 or submit a text anonymously to tip411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD.) A San Antonio contractor was sentenced to 25 months in prison for paying $100,000 in kickbacks to a VA official to win two contracts. (File photo illustration.) SimpleImages/Getty Images A San Antonio man has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for paying $100,000 in kickbacks to a contracting officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs to get an unfair edge on a pair of contracts. Javor McCoy, 42, pleaded guilty in January to bribery and to a fraud charge for forging documents to get out of a court appearance in an unrelated case in Dallas. At a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia gave him 25 months on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. He also ordered McCoy to serve three years of federal supervision once he's released. Advertisement Article continues below this ad McCoy's lawyer, George Dombart of San Antonio, said McCoy wanted to gain an advantage for a transportation contract and initially believed he was hiring a legitimate consultant to help him. The contracting official, Glenn Dartone Johnson, told McCoy about bidding opportunities at VA facilities in San Antonio, and referred him to a person McCoy thought was a consultant, according to Dombart. The consultant turned out to be Johnson himself. Dombart noted there are many consultants who legally help companies write bids for government contracts. In the end, Dombart said, it would have been difficult to convince skeptical jurors that McCoy had acted innocently, so he took a plea deal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Yes, he was trying to get an advantage in contracting, but he didn't intend to make a straight-out bribe," Dombart said. "It's debatable whether (McCoy) knew what was going on. There were red flags, and they might not pass the smell test, so that was a reason not to go to trial." In the bribery case, McCoy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official. McCoy owned Ready 2 Go Transport Central LLC (R2G Central), a company that provided transportation for veterans. He admitted paying $100,000 in bribes to Johnson, 49, by placing the money in lockers at an AnyTime Fitness gym in San Antonio. Johnson, who worked for the VA in San Antonio, pleaded guilty Dec. 20 to conspiracy to commit bribery, admitting he rigged the bidding process so two contracts would be awarded to McCoys company. According to Johnsons plea agreement, he was a contracting specialist with supervisory authority. His responsibilities included evaluating bids from contractors for VA services and awarding contracts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad McCoy was registered with the VA as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business that provided wheelchairs and ambulance services for veterans, the plea deal said. In the summer of 2021, McCoy agreed to hire a consultant identified by Johnson to help McCoy win bids for VA transportation contracts, the plea agreement said. Although Johnson never explicitly stated to McCoy that he actually was the consultant, both Johnson and McCoy understood that Johnson would be involved in the consultant process, the plea deal states. In return for McCoy hiring the consultant, McCoy would receive private consultation regarding bids. Johnson, using his acquisition knowledge gained through his position, helped McCoy improve his chances of winning two competitive awards. On Aug. 13 and Aug. 23, 2021, McCoy paid Johnson the $100,000 in kickbacks, according to court documents. Also on Aug. 23, 2021, McCoy submitted bids for the ambulance and wheelchair contracts to the VA office where Johnson worked, according to an indictment charging the pair. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Johnson then altered the official selection criteria for the bids to match what he had told McCoy. He overrode his subordinates recommendation to select bids other than R2G Centrals bids. Johnson also directed a subordinate to choose R2G Central as the winner of the wheelchair contract, according to court documents. R2G Central got the contracts. One, for ambulance services, was worth about $1.4 million; the other, for wheelchair services, was worth about $2.6 million, the indictment said. Johnson is scheduled for sentencing in September. McCoys fraud charge stemmed from a civil case. McCoy was trying to avoid a civil court appearance in Dallas, and transmitted a criminal summons to an employee with the court in Dallas County showing he had to appear in court in San Antonio on the same day for his bribery case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the next two years, the North Family YMCA is set to vacate its long-time facility next to Davenport North High School. On Monday, the Davenport School Board voted unanimously to end a 25-year lease agreement with YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, effective June 30, 2026. District leaders cited finances and future renovations to North High School as the rationale behind the move. YMCA officials have said closing the North Family YMCA, located at 624 W. 53rd St. in Davenport, will displace nearly 7,000 members and leave a dent in the community. Several community members voiced similar concerns in Monday's open forum, many sharing personal anecdotes and urging the board to renew the North Family YMCA's lease. Pattie Flesch, a retired social worker, urged the district to continue offering senior swim lessons, saying the North YMCA provides a "multi-generational impact." Some parents spoke on behalf of their children's experiences in YMCA swim programs. One parent, Sarah Schwartz, said her three children are on the North YMCA's "Dragons" swim team. Two of her children are neurodivergent, she said, so getting them to enjoy sports or other activities has been a struggle, while the North Y Dragons have let them thrive. She said her children have even taken things they've learned from the YMCA back to school. "I understand the financials with needing the space at North for our long-range (plan), I get it," Schwartz said. "If you shut down North (YMCA), you shut down a lot of those programs these kids are using to thrive in their classrooms, with the Davenport School District." Sophomore Alexander Bethel attends Assumption High School in Davenport, but swims for Davenport North. For five years in a row, he's competed at regional and state-level swim contests thanks in part, he said, to the North Family YMCA. "Im not a big public speaker, but this is important to me," Bethel said. "It's really been a place, all my life, where I could go (to do) anything sport-related A lot of kids depend on that during the summer because their parents aren't home, and I was one of them." He said the YMCA's location is convenient for many other student athletes in northern Davenport neighborhoods, noting he often walks or bikes there. Before the vote, board director Allison Beck asked how Davenport schools and YMCA would accommodate childcare and swim programming formerly housed at the North Family facility. In response, Davenport Superintendent TJ Schneckloth said the two parties will work together on the childcare front. "The YMCA does wonderful programming, and the programming is not going to stop," he said. Board Director Kent Paustian said Davenport schools' long-range facility planning feedback called to continue three high schools in district, and a key goal is to give North students "a true high school facility," as the building was initially a junior high school. Similarly, director Kent Barnds said he appreciates community feedback and input along with the YMCA's overall community value but the board's top priority is Davenport students and "growing excellence" across the district. "Our focus should be on the future of this school district, growing this school district, keeping students (enrolled) and improving the facilities," Barnds said. Several school board members said the decision wasn't easy, but re-purposing the North Family YMCA is best path forward financially. Especially when considering needed facility upgrades to North High, notably its science classrooms. "I was a student when (North) opened as a junior high," said board vice-president Karen Kline-Jerome. "When I walked through a couple months ago, there are places in that building that have not changed at all If we don't make this move, it's going to cost us $10-20 million more to do the changes we need, (that's) not financially responsible." Following the vote, YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley CEO Brad Martell said the organization would look for ways to continue offering services in north Davenport after the lease ends. We are disappointed with the vote, but the YMCA leadership feels strongly that north Davenport needs YMCA services, Martell told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus after Mondays vote. The YMCA will start to work on solutions to keep the YMCA in north Davenport. The initial 25-year term expires in October 2025. Per Monday's vote, the YMCA is slated to vacate between fall 2025 and spring 2026. Martell said earlier this month he doesn't know what a new North Family YMCA looks like yet. "We consider (North and West) Davenport a very underserved area for a lot of services, so we fully intend to stay in that area of town We have a lot of hard work to do, myself and the board, to kind of figure that out," he told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus on June 12. Martell said roughly 80% of North Family YMCA members are district residents. Martell said they'll need "some time" to navigate this, notably as other local YMCA branches have full capacity, but thanked Schneckloth and other district leaders for giving plenty of notice. Under the lease agreement, the YMCA rented its North Family facility space from Davenport schools for $1 annually, with no monetary commitment for capital expenses. Davenport schools were responsible for all major capital improvements including roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer and electrical to the facility, while the YMCA covered general maintenance and custodial expenses, utility costs and staffing. Since 2011, the school district put more than $3 million toward the North YMCA a key figure in the board's decision. At the same time, Martell said, the YMCA saved Davenport schools $3.1 million in pool expenses over the course of the agreement, as North High's swim teams use the facility. He also noted other ways the YMCA has supported Davenport students over the last 25 years, such as its Youth Outreach Program, after-school/summer enrichment opportunities and scholarships. North students do not get free memberships, but he said many do receive scholarships. As previously reported, renovations to North High come as part of Davenport schools' long-range facility plan (LRFP), a phased initiative to upgrade, expand and enhance student programming, opportunities and facilities district-wide. With costs projected to land between $19-$22 million, the first phase of upgrades at North includes: Adding two physics classrooms, six science classrooms and a new main entry and administrative offices. Renovating existing science and offices into classrooms. Enhancing the existing 53rd Street building facade. Converting existing athletic space to career and technical education space. Phase 2 aims to reconfigure North's existing classroom and library space into new, more collaborative student spaces, expand CTE (career and technical education) classrooms and give special programs (such as dance and swim) a permanent space in the building. Moving forward, Davenport school leaders and partnering LRFP firm, Bray Architects, will bring an official "master plan" for the North High project to board for approval. Photos: Davenport North High School Commencement 2024 Nebraskas got something in common with Kentucky, and its not bourbon whiskey or bluegrass music. Nebraska has five licensed Thoroughbred tracks open or under construction, the same number of Thoroughbred tracks as Kentucky. In addition, Nebraska has more Thoroughbred tracks than any other state except California, according to a consultant hired by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to study the states horse racing market. Some Nebraskans say the states five Thoroughbred tracks, plus one quarter horse track, are more than enough. Others are eager to open new tracks and cash in on Nebraskas law that allows casinos, but only if paired with racetracks. A new market study says there are reasons for stopping at five Thoroughbred tracks. The study suggests, however, that Nebraska may have room for additional tracks for quarter horses. While Kentucky and Nebraska may have the same number of tracks, thats where the comparison ends. Kentucky is the racing capital of the United States, raising thousands of Thoroughbreds a year and hosting the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Kentucky has nearly four times as many racing days and more horses per race. The average purse for winners in Kentucky is more than 13 times the Nebraska average, according to data from a national racing clearinghouse. In addition, Kentucky is responsible for about 41% of the Thoroughbred foals born annually in North America, while Nebraska produces fewer than 1%, the Jockey Club data says. Nebraska is attempting to revive a once-vibrant racing industry, an effort kickstarted by the 2020 vote allowing casinos at racetracks. Nebraska horsemen and breeders, aided by casino revenue, aim to create a state racing circuit with a nearly seamless Thoroughbred racing season from late winter through fall. Currently, only two Nebraska tracks Fonner Park in Grand Island and Harrahs Columbus Racing and Casino in Columbus have scheduled significant race days this year: 31 at Fonner and 15 at Columbus. Combined, the other three Thoroughbred tracks are planning just seven days of racing. State law requires the tracks to ramp up their racing in the coming years. The market study by The Innovation Group of New Orleans suggests that Nebraskas five tracks may be plenty for a Thoroughbred circuit. It says that awarding a sixth Thoroughbred license would run the risk of diluting field sizes to unviable levels. Field size refers to the number of horses in a single race. Already, the study says, Nebraska faces a challenge supplying enough Thoroughbreds to meet projected needs as the number of race days and races is required to increase in the future. There would be further challenge, it says, of fitting a sixth meet into the state racing calendar. But the study indicates that Nebraska should have enough quarter horses to eventually support three quarter horse tracks if certain conditions are met. Already, it says, Nebraskas population of nearly 80,000 quarter horses is larger than Iowa and New Mexico, states with significant quarter horse racing industries. Thoroughbreds race long distances, requiring speed and stamina in races that can extend a mile or more. Quarter horses sprint distances of 220 to 870 yards. Nebraskas breeding and training infrastructure for racing must develop, the study says, and purse awards and breeding funds must be competitive with other racetracks in the region, including Prairie Meadows in Iowa and the tracks in Wyoming. Hastings Exposition and Racing is seeking commission approval to transfer its quarter horse racing license to Ogallala for the proposed Lake Mac Casino Resort & Racetrack. It would be developed on a 174-acre site south of Interstate 80 and west of the city. Hastings Exposition and Racing is partnering with Elite Casino Resorts on the project. At the commissions June 14 meeting, the panel delayed approval of the transfer and asked for more information on the business relationships between the parties that will run the casino and track. Other quarter horse tracks include one proposed in Gering, about 110 miles northwest of Ogallala, and another in Bellevue, just south of Omaha. New racetracks and casinos also have been proposed in five other communities: Norfolk, York, North Platte, Kimball and Fremont. Promoters of the Bellevue project say the study supports their case for the proposed Belle Vue Downs racetrack, which they believe would complement their proposed regional water park and could pull gambling revenues from Council Bluffs. But while the study says a Bellevue quarter horse track would likely have no effect on existing Thoroughbred tracks in Nebraska, a Bellevue casino would impact Nebraska casinos particularly gaming revenue at the WarHorse casinos in Omaha and Lincoln. In turn, that would reduce the amount of money that those casinos' related tracks Horsemens Park in Omaha and Legacy Downs in Lincoln could spend on Thoroughbred purses and breeding awards. Under state law, the commission must deny licenses for racing or a casino if approval would be detrimental to the racing or gaming market that exists. The study will help guide commissioners as they consider applications for new racing licenses, said Denny Lee, chairman of the state panel. Its not the gospel, Lee said. Its subjective. Its part of the puzzle. Lee noted that the study remains more speculative than factual because some of the already-approved casinos and race tracks are still under construction and not fully operational. State lawmakers had required the commission to obtain the study prior to Jan. 1, 2025. Until now, Lee said, the commission has been focusing on the six existing racetrack license holders. The commission is developing a new application form for racing licenses and will likely begin considering applications for new tracks next fall, Lee said. He said he anticipates the new application will seek more information about the nonprofit organization applying, such as when it was formed, its board of directors and the manager and operational staff. Pat Loontjer, executive director with the Nebraska anti-gambling group Gambling with the Good Life, said six racetrack-casinos are more than enough for Nebraska, for our population. Loontjer said she doesnt believe voters who approved expanded gambling intended for a slew of new casinos beyond those six. They were even selling it like only six, only six, she said. Now theres seven more waiting in the wings. 6 popular Kentucky Derby traditions, explained 6 popular Kentucky Derby traditions, explained The fashion Mint juleps The walkover 'My Old Kentucky Home' The winner's circle The presentation of roses Off to the west, the summer sun decides to call it a day and begins its descent into the mountain skyline. People clutching blankets and lawn chairs meander into the park, searching for the perfect patch of grass to sit on. On the stage in front of them musicians sit ready with their fingers hovering above keys and lips pressed against mouthpieces. Hugging up around the players is a colorful and patriotic arch in red, white and blue. At 8 p.m. Thursday, June 27, conductor Rob Loveridge will lead the State Capital Band in its first summer concert of its 122nd consecutive year of playing for the Helena area. The free concerts are 8-9 p.m. every Thursday in the Memorial Park bandshell through Aug. 1. Its so much fun playing and conducting it and looking back at the audience and everyone enjoying it, Loveridge said. If you go ... What: State Capital Band summer concerts When: Thursdays at 8 p.m. from June 27 through Aug. 1. *Due to the July 4 holiday, that weeks concert will be held on July 3 at 8 p.m. Where: Memorial Park Bandshell Cost: Free Contact: Rob Loveridge at 406-461-1885 Info: https://www.facebook.com/HelenaStateCapitalBand. The State Capital Band, initially named The Montana State Band, was formed in 1902 and gave its first open air concert on July 29, 1902, to 1,000 people. Today, the band perseveres in its annual tradition of serenading the Helena community during six evenings in the summer. Loveridge, who has directed the State Capital Band for 17 years, has spent most of his life immersed in the world of band music. From playing in all-state bands throughout high school to a career total of 43 years of teaching band, including 28 years at Helena High School, band music has been the steady beat guiding him. I just really loved being in band, said Loveridge. I love the music and it was something I did really well. His entrance into the world of band music, however, was a bit of a comedic accident. Its kind of a funny story, Loveridge said, chuckling. He shared that when he was growing up, he liked to play army in his backyard with his friends. One day a neighbor boy who was playing along handed Loveridge an old trumpet and told him to make bugle calls with it. From the moment his lips first buzzed against the trumpets mouthpiece and a note burst out, Loveridge was hooked. He ended up taking the old, beat-up trumpet down to his elementary school and joined the band. The band director later called Loveridges mom who was unaware her son had joined the band to tell her that the instrument he was using wasnt very good. A year later, his parents bought him a new trumpet to use instead. The rest is history, Loveridge said. Today, Loveridge uses his many years of playing and teaching band to lead one of the longest continually performing bands in the country and carry on a true Helena legacy. According to Loveridge, the band is comprised of about 60-70 players at any given time, with an average of 45-50 players participating in each summer concert. Players come from all walks of life doctors, lawyers, contractors, teachers, etc. All these people who play, theyre not former band directors some of them are but theyre just people who like to play their instruments, said Loveridge. Fortunately, we have the talent that we can do this type of thing. Glen Thomas, a clarinet player, has been with the State Capital Band for 52 years and serves as its treasurer. I like music and I like entertaining, Thomas said. For Thomas, who started playing in bands in the fourth grade and continued through college and later with the Great Falls Municipal Band for 10 years, it only seemed fitting to join the State Capital Band. Since joining, Thomas admitted he has been involved in a little bit of everything, from fundraising and inventory to membership and treasury work. Ive been a consistent cog in the organization for all these years, Thomas said. I just try to help out wherever I can to make it go. Norm Brunken, a fellow clarinet man and former State Capital Band leader for 16 years, is another long-term member, having been part of the band for 50 years. It gives people like myself an opportunity to play, Brunken said. Its a fun thing to do. Brunken shared that growing up near Edmonton, Canada, he often accompanied his parents to concerts performed by rural bands. He later asked his dad if could get an instrument, and once he started playing in the school band, he took to it like a duck to water. The bands first two summer concerts will be especially unique for Brunken as his daughter, Laura Anderson, and two grandsons, Tyler and Dylan Anderson, will travel to Helena from Virginia to play alongside him. Laura plays the French horn, Tyler plays the clarinet, and Dylan plays percussion. It will be fun, Brunken said. There will be four of us playing together and three generations. Brunkens oldest grandson, Tyler, recently graduated from high school and plans on attending the University of Michigan to study clarinet performance. According to Brunken, Tyler has spent the last six years studying with Master Sgt. Patrick Morgan, the principal clarinetist for the United States Marine Band. When it comes to the musical selections played at each concert, Loveridge said he tries to incorporate a good variety. I try to pick music that hits all generations, said Loveridge. I pick a lot of stuff from the '50s, '60s and '70s. From traditional marches and Broadway musicals to movie scores and Disney themes, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy. On July 3, the State Capital Band will hold its weekly concert a day early due to the Fourth of July holiday. That particular concert will incorporate patriotic selections like Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa and God Bless America by Irving Berlin. The final concert of the summer is known as the favorites concert because the band performs a compilation of the audiences favorite songs from all their previous concerts throughout the summer. Thomas said the programs handed out at each concert feature a ballot at the bottom asking for people to indicate their favorite two songs that night. They then place those ballots in boxes where they are later tallied up to determine the top two songs. The audience takes an active part in that, said Thomas of the voting. They take it seriously and the majority out there do vote. Rounding the corner on 122 years of making music, the State Capital Band owes its many decades of success to not only the volunteer efforts of the musicians but the community of fans who gather each summer in the park to hear them play. I like the satisfaction of people enjoying what we do and appreciating what we do, said Thomas. We have a lot of longtime fans who have commented that they really enjoy coming to our concerts and show support by donating to us. We have gotten very good support from the community, Brunken said. We run on donations. With summer finally starting to hit her stride, its time to gather your picnic baskets, coolers and lawn chairs and experience a night where Montanas history intertwines with music during one of the State Capital Bands summer concerts. Its an honor and a privilege, said Loveridge of being part of directing the band. I try to do my very best to make sure that that tradition continues. This is one of the great things about Helena. I hope to have a fun evening of listening to music outside, continued Loveridge. Thats the biggest thing is having fun and relaxing and listening to their friends play instruments. Come check us out; I think youll be surprised, said Brunken. For little ol Helena, Montana, out in the middle of nowhere, weve got a band that plays very well. Keeping this band going for 122 years is an effort and a lot of work goes on by a lot of people, said Thomas. Were lucky to have enthusiasm and support from the City of Helena, the citizens of Helena, and the musicians to keep this going. Journalists from 16 countries visit China's Xinjiang Xinhua) 09:30, June 25, 2024 Foreign journalists visit the Xinjiang Islamic Institute in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Gu Yu) URUMQI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Journalists from 16 countries on Sunday concluded a trip to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they gained first-hand knowledge about the region's development and cultural protection. The trip, which started on June 15, took the journalists to Xinjiang's regional capital city Urumqi, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture and Aksu Prefecture. The journalists said they were impressed by Xinjiang's social stability, robust economic growth and well-protected culture, which defy the negative portrayal of Xinjiang by some Western media. "The high-rise buildings, bustling streets and busy traffic in Xinjiang cities impressed me very much," said Mustafina Almira, editor-in-chief of the Angren Truth newspaper from Uzbekistan. "The development here is very rapid ... and everyone is working hard to create a better life," said Almira, who spotted goods from her hometown in a shopping mall in the city of Horgos on the China-Kazakhstan border. "In recent years, trade between us has become closer through the China-Europe freight trains and other ways, and I think Xinjiang's economy has a good future," said Levaz Didberashvili from Georgia, who works for the Rustavi 2 TV channel. Xinjiang cotton is one focus of many international media outlets. In Aksu, the journalists visited the homes of cotton farmers and production lines of textile enterprises. "In the West, what we have been reading about is the alleged forced labor and suppression of Uygur culture. What we see here is completely different," said Nathalie Benelli from Switzerland, the founder of the independent media "neue presse." "In Xinjiang, I have seen people of different cultures, ethnic groups and religions living together in harmony," said Adirek Pipatpatama from Thailand, chief senior reporter of the journal Bangkok Wealth&Biz. Pipatpatama noted their visit to the Qapqal News, a newspaper published in the Xibe language, while praising the support given to this newspaper. "This is a true reflection of the importance Xinjiang attaches to protecting the traditional culture of local ethnic groups," he said. The nine-day trip also brought the journalists to religious sites including the Xinjiang Islamic Institute in Urumqi, the Shaanxi Mosque in the city of Yining, and the Kizil Caves in Aksu, where they conversed with religious figures and believers. Their visit to the Shaanxi Mosque coincided with the Corban Festival. Faisal Said Mohammed Masood Saadi, journalist with the View newspaper in Oman, joined more than 1,300 local Muslims for a holiday prayer. "I can feel the Chinese government's support for the Muslims and ethnic minority people, and the local mosques are well-preserved and well-equipped, which is completely different from some misleading reports I've read," he said. At the end of their Xinjiang trip, many of the journalists agreed that it is important to look beyond the media stereotypes to see the real Xinjiang. "Mainstream Western media often report Chinese news with some bias, so I used to imagine that Xinjiang was poor and backward, but only after I came here did I realize that the actual situation was quite different," said Torbjorn Sassersson, editor-in-chief of Sweden-based media outlet News Voice. "I first met Xinjiang in some negative reports in the Western media. But through this trip, the allegations and lies in many reports are self-defeating," said Aidan Jonah, editor-in-chief of The Canada Files. "I've always believed that seeing is believing." Foreign journalists visit the Qapqal News, a newspaper published in the Xibe language, in Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Gu Yu) Foreign journalists visit the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Gu Yu) Foreign journalists visit the Shaanxi Mosque in the city of Yining, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Gu Yu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart is only the second general in Air Force history to be court-martialed. He's accused of raping a female subordinate. Ethan Rocke/Contributor In dramatic and often tearful testimony, an Air Force officer said she silently complied when Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart initiated a sexual encounter with her because the two had been drinking and she was "dumbfounded" and saw no way out. Although she didn't want to have sex with Stewart, who was her boss, she did not resist, the woman told a military jury Monday. I didnt really say or do anything, she said. I wasnt sure of what to do. She said she tried to put the incident behind her but could not: "The more I pretended everything's fine, the more I'm disgusted with all of it." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The woman finally told her husband about the encounter and reported it to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Weeks later, Stewart was removed as head of the 19th Air Force, the service's San Antonio-based pilot training command. The woman, a career Air Force officer, is the main witness against Stewart in a rare court-martial of a general officer. The trial is being held at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio before a jury of eight three-star generals six men and two women. Cross-examining the woman on Tuesday, defense attorney Sherry Bunn sought to elicit testimony showing that she wanted a closer relationship with Stewart for professional reasons, and that she had a shaky recollection of details of the alleged sexual encounter. Stewart is accused of sexually assaulting the woman at or near Altus AFB in southwestern Oklahoma in April 2023. He has long contended the encounter was consensual, while prosecutors asserted that given his rank, the woman had no choice but to submit. Her name is being withheld by the Express-News because she is an alleged victim of sexual assault. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The woman testified Monday that she struggled with what to do after the encounter because she was worried that disclosing it could damage both her career and her marriage. At the time, Stewart oversaw 32,000 employees and 1,530 aircraft in 17 wings across the country as commander of the 19th Air Force. Before describing the alleged encounter at Altus, the witness recounted an incident that happened a month earlier during an Air Force conference that she, Stewart and others attended in Denver. On March 7, 2023, Stewart urged her in a series of text messages to come to his hotel room, according to trial evidence. You can crash here, he wrote. I have 2 queens. She said he also told her, I had the bottle of Jack in my room. Seemed a crime to waste it. Watching the full moon now. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The woman said she was rattled by the exchange and shared the texts with a pair of non-commissioned officers who also were under Stewart's command. I was upset. I didnt know what to do with it," she testified. But she said that the next morning, she told the two airmen, Dont do anything, dont say anything. Everything went back to normal, she said. The following month, she and the general were on another business trip, to Altus, where on April 13, 2023, officers and brass celebrated the contributions made by a former general. After the event, the woman, Stewart and the two NCOs went back to the on-base guest house where Stewart was staying. The woman said that along the way, she and Stewart had a good conversation that struck her as a breakthrough of sorts. Until then, she told the jury, she had not talked much with Stewart and "did not have a close relationship" with him. "I felt like we were bonding," she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They tried to enter Stewart's guest house, but the key wouldn't work. Eventually, they realized it was the wrong unit. "It was embarrassing and funny, and the boss said, 'I'm going to have a glass of wine,'" she said. Stewart asked if she would have one as well. She said yes and they continued their conversation. She said they talked about her family, her husband and career matters. "I was in a very happy place, and the wine kept pouring and I kept drinking," the officer said, her voice thick with emotion. The lead prosecutor, Col. Naomi Dennis, asked her about the text messages from Stewart that had disturbed her only a month before. The woman said she thought that perhaps she had overreacted, and added, "I wasn't thinking about the messages at that point." The woman said she went to the bathroom and, when she emerged, saw that the two NCOs had left. Stewart, who had been sitting in an armchair, was now on the couch, she said. She sat on the couch with him, and they talked "about a mix of things." She told him she had done "real things" in the Air Force and showed him photos from a critical mission she had been involved in in Afghanistan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Initially, it was just fine," she said. "It was sharing stories, talking about lots of things. I still felt safe. Everything was fine." At some point, she said, she noticed the curtains had been closed and she realized Stewart, who was married, had put an arm around her. She thought it was "a little strange" because the conversation was not flirtatious, she said. "Things were starting to just, like, slow down," she told the jury. "I can't remember how it started. All of sudden, it started happening." He kissed her, she said. "I kissed him back. I hadn't kissed anyone but my husband in 22 years," she said. "I was dumbfounded." The officer said she wanted to stop but didn't resist Stewart. "I never told him no." She said she wanted to think her way out of the situation, but things happened too fast. "He stood up and put his hand out and said, 'Come on,'" she told the jury, adding that she clutched his hand. Stewart took her clothes off at the door to the bedroom, she testified. When the prosecutor asked what happened next, she paused before responding. She said Stewart told her: "'I want to give you oral sex. I love oral sex.'" The officer said she tried to dissuade him by saying she had not taken a shower. Stewart replied that he didn't care, she said. The woman said she wondered what her husband would say if he found out, and she worried about how a tryst with a general would affect her career. She felt trapped, she said, telling the jury, "It sounds so simple, but it's not simple. "I was not prepared to have my entire universe blown up." The woman said she and Stewart had intercourse twice that night. When she went back to her lodging, it was 3:40 a.m. on April 14. In a few hours, they would arise to make an early morning flight out of Oklahoma on a C-17 military transport. That was well short of a minimum 12-hour gap between consuming alcohol and flying a plane, an Air Force "bottle to throttle" rule. Stewart skippered the flight. A little more than a week after the encounter in Oklahoma, the woman said that she, her husband and her in-laws ran into Stewart in a restaurant in Cibolo. She said Stewart bought drinks for all of them and shook hands with her husband. Over the next few weeks, the woman wrestled with what to do. "I could barely hold it together," she said, recalling that a new airman had joined the 19th Air Force staff, "and I was thinking he would think that I'm a basket case." At one point, she suggested that coming forward about the encounter with Stewart had derailed her career. When one of the general-jurors asked the witness what her career ambitions had been before the incident at Altus, the woman said she had aspired to a command position, possible as a deputy commander at Randolph AFB in San Antonio. Then a prosecutor asked her what her ambitions were now. "I'm retiring in November," the woman replied. She stepped down from the witness stand at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, after testifying for more than six hours over two days. Before the start of testimony Monday, Stewart pleaded guilty to two lesser charges: extramarital sexual conduct and dereliction of duty, both violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The plea did not affect the more serious charges against him, including sexual assault and conduct unbecoming an officer. Stewart was a command pilot with more than 2,600 hours in the air, including more than 600 hours in combat. He flew nearly a dozen types of aircraft, including the F-15C fighter, the U-2 high-altitude spy plane and the T-38C supersonic trainer. He led the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Balad Air Base in Iraq and was commanding general of the NATO Train Advise Assist Command-Air in Afghanistan. By Tajul Islam Yet another notoriously corrupt government official and just-sacked member of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in Bangladesh, Matiur Rahman, who has been enjoying "connections" with each of the government since 2001 has succeeded in fleeing the country skipping investigations. Matiur also is known for his connections with several influential figures in the ruling government while his first wife Laila Kaniz Lucky is local leader of Awami League. Matiur captivated the nation with its twists and revelations. What began as a seemingly innocuous incident involving a "goat incident" purchase by his son has evolved into a sprawling scandal encompassing allegations of corruption, illegal wealth accumulation, and a dramatic escape from the country. The controversy erupted when Mushfequr Rahman Ifat, son of Matiur Rahman, made headlines for reportedly purchasing a goat worth BDT 1.5 million. This extravagant expenditure quickly caught the attention of social media platforms, sparking public scrutiny and debates about the financial integrity of Matiur's family. The incident not only raised eyebrows but also set off a chain of events that would expose deeper layers of financial dealings and influence within Bangladesh's bureaucratic circles. According to the investigation, Matiur Rahman is connected to Mohammad Mohsin, the managing director of the Saad-Musa Group in Chittagong, who recently came under scrutiny. Mohsin's daughter is married into the family of Taufikur Rahman Arnab, the son of Matiur's first wife, Laila Kaniz Lucky. Matiur Rahman's departure from the country allegedly received support from Mohsin, who is known as one of the country's top loan defaulters. Mohsin has reportedly built a substantial business empire both domestically and internationally, amassing loans totaling BDT 56.68 billion from various banks, under questionable circumstances that have raised allegations of fraud and default. Following the viral spread of the goat scandal, Matiur Rahman retreated from public view. Efforts to locate him at various known addresses and his workplace proved futile. His conspicuous absence, particularly after the Eid al-Adha holiday, fueled speculation about his intentions and whereabouts. Reports later emerged suggesting Matiur Rahman had left the country through the Akhaura land port, with alleged plans to travel to India en route to Dubai, purportedly aided by influential figures linked to financial syndicates. In response to mounting public and media pressure, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) swiftly initiated an investigation into Matiur Rahman's alleged involvement in corruption and illicit wealth accumulation. Matiur 's tenure as chairman of the Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal was abruptly terminated, and he was reassigned to the Internal Resources Department (OSD) of the Ministry of Finance. Additionally, Matiur was relieved of his directorship at Sonali Bank, signaling the seriousness with which the allegations were being treated. The investigation into Matiur Rahman's financial affairs uncovered a complex web of assets, predominantly held under the names of family members and close associates. Immovable properties estimated at approximately BDT 5.00 billion were traced across various locations in Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Gazipur, Savar, and Narsingdi. These assets included luxurious homes, plots of land, upscale apartments, and investments in both fixed deposits and the stock market. Matiur's financial portfolio further included a fleet of luxury vehicles and substantial stakes in manufacturing enterprises, real estate developments, and hospitality ventures. Motiur Rahman's career trajectory within the NBR was not devoid of controversy. His tenure, marked by accusations of abuse of power and favoritism, especially during his stint as Commissioner of Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) VAT, had previously come under scrutiny. Despite past investigations by the ACC into allegations of corruption, Matiur had managed to evade charges, raising questions about the efficacy of oversight mechanisms and the integrity of Bangladesh's governance structures. The ACC's renewed focus on Matiur's financial dealings and alleged misconduct underscores the gravity of the accusations and their implications for institutional integrity. A specialized investigative team has been tasked with delving into the sources of Matiur's wealth and scrutinizing potential links to illicit activities. The investigation aims to ascertain whether Matiur Rahman exploited his official position for personal gain and determine the grounds for legal proceedings under Bangladesh's stringent anti-corruption statutes. The unfolding scandal has sparked widespread public outrage and demands for accountability across Bangladesh. Social media platforms have played a pivotal role in amplifying public scrutiny and demanding transparency from public officials. The case has reignited debates on governance, ethical conduct, and the imperative of combating corruption within Bangladesh's public and private sectors. The public outcry underscores the significance of maintaining public trust and upholding ethical standards in governance. Beyond its domestic repercussions, Matiur Rahman's scandal and subsequent flight from justice have raised concerns about Bangladesh's international reputation and its ability to enforce financial regulations effectively. The alleged involvement of international syndicates and connections to prominent figures like Mohammad Mohsin highlight broader challenges in global financial oversight and cross-border law enforcement cooperation. Matiur Rahman saga serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within Bangladesh's governance framework and the critical need for enhanced transparency, accountability, and ethical governance practices. Addressing systemic weaknesses, bolstering anti-corruption measures, and fostering a culture of accountability will be crucial in restoring public trust and safeguarding Bangladesh's democratic institutions. Moving forward, the case calls for robust reforms aimed at strengthening institutional integrity and ensuring that public officials are held accountable for their actions. Matiur Rahman controversy underscores the complexities and challenges inherent in combating corruption and upholding ethical standards in governance. As investigations continue and legal proceedings unfold, Bangladesh faces a pivotal moment in its quest for justice, transparency, and systemic reform. The outcome of this case will undoubtedly shape the future trajectory of governance and accountability in the country. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Rescue workers were combing through the charred ruins of a factory building near South Korea's capital to find any more fire victims Tuesday, a day after a devastating blaze likely triggered by exploding lithium batteries killed 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers. More than 100 people were working at the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, when the fire tore through it Monday morning. Security cameras showed smoke engulfing the second-floor worksite of the factory, soon after sparks were detected from a site where lithium batteries were stored, fire officials said. One victim was pronounced dead at a hospital, and fire workers retrieved 21 bodies from the factory one by one later Monday. Eighteen victims were Chinese, two were South Korean and one was Laotian. The nationality of one of the dead was being verified. Many Chinese people, including ethnic Koreans, have migrated to South Korea to find jobs since China and South Korea established diplomatic ties in 1992. Like other migrant laborers from Southeast Asian countries, they often work in factories, construction sites and restaurants, engaging in the so-called difficult, dangerous and dirty jobs that are shunned by more affluent South Koreans. Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming visited the factory site on Monday night and reportedly expressed condolences to the victims. Police were extracting DNA samples from the dead bodies and their potential relatives to confirm their relations, according to fire officials. One factory worker remains out of contact but his mobile phone signal was detected at the building on Monday afternoon. Eight were injured, two of them in serious condition. On Tuesday, more than 50 fire officers, aided by two rescue dogs and other equipment, were mobilized to continue searching the burned factory, local fire official Kim Jin-young told a televised briefing. He said partial remains had been discovered but it wasnt immediately known if they belonged to the missing person. Kim said a separate team of fire, police and other experts were also set to examine the site later Tuesday to investigate what exactly caused the blaze. Labor officials said the government will separately investigate whether any safety issues were involved in the fire. The factory is owned by a battery manufacturer, Aricell. Most of the dead workers were daily laborers so they were not likely familiar with the buildings internal structure, senior fire officer Jo Seon-ho told reporters Monday. He said the video of the fire site showed they rushed to an area where there was no exit after failing to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers. He said the victims likely inhaled toxic smoke. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in consumer goods from laptops to cellphones. They can overheat if damaged, defective or packaged improperly, leading to fires and explosions and making them a hazard for shipment aboard aircraft. Mondays blaze is one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent years. In 2020, a fire at a warehouse being built in Icheon City, south of Seoul, killed 38 construction workers. In 2018, 46 people died after a fire ripped through a small hospital with no sprinkler systems in the southern city of Miryang. In 2008, 40 workers, 12 of them ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality, died after a fire and accompanying explosions tore through a refrigerated warehouse in Icheon city. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The United Nations chief on Monday launched global principles to combat online hate and lies and demanded that big tech companies use their power to reduce the harm they are doing to people and societies around the world. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also demanded that advertising and public relations companies stop monetizing harmful content and strengthen information integrity. He urged media outlets to raise and enforce editorial standards and governments to commit to creating and maintaining a free and independent media landscape. Guterres said the principles, laid out at a news conference, are the result of consultations with the 193 U.N. member nations, youth leaders, academia, the media and civil society including tech companies. The principles call on tech companies, advertisers, media and other key players to refrain from using, supporting or amplifying disinformation and hate speech. All parties involved in the development of artificial intelligence should take urgent and transparent measures to ensure that all AI applications are designed, deployed and used safely, securely, responsibly and ethically, and uphold human rights, according to the principles. They also call for tech companies to ensure safety and privacy and allow users greater choices and control over their online experience and personal data, and for all key parties to ensure special protections for children. Guterres stressed that big tech companies have an outsized responsibility. Take responsibility, he demanded. Acknowledge the damage your products are inflicting on people and communities. Guterres demanded that the companies take action. You have the power to mitigate harm to people and societies around the world, he said, You have the power to change business models that profit from disinformation and hate. As for advertisers and the PR industry, the U.N. chief singled out the coordinated disinformation campaigns seeking to undermine action to address the climate crisis. Creatives dont use your talents to greenwash, Guterres said. PR agencies look for clients who arent misleading people and destroying our planet. He called on the media to provide quality journalism based on facts and reality and find advertisers that are part of the solution, not the problem. And he urged governments to protect journalists, uphold human rights, refrain from internet shutdowns and other drastic measures and respect the right to freedom of expression and opinion. Guterres said all countries should have a vested interest in not promoting misinformation, because sooner or later the truth is discovered. He stressed that the principles aim to empower people to demand their rights. No one should be at the mercy of an algorithm they dont control, which was not designed to safeguard their interests, and tracks their behavior to collect personal data and keep them hooked, he said. The nine pro-Palestine protesters who in March chained themselves together and obstructed traffic on Interstate 95 in Richmond will serve jail time and probation, court records show. Eight of the protesters had pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the incident, while a ninth person had pleaded no contest. Zayneabideen Rasul Al-Murshidi, 23, of Roanoke; Charles Caines, 23, of Round Hill; Kenrick Keith Cameron Jr., 25, of Richmond; Jasmine Juliet Cuellar, 30, of Richmond; Sarah Elizabeth Milkowski Dahlgren, of Henrico County; Max Hudson Gray Holland, 24, of Henrico; Naomi Destiny Isaac, 25, of Richmond; and Connor Joris McCarty, 21, of Norfolk, were found guilty of blocking traffic and sentenced last week to five days in jail with 12 months of probation and were ordered to pay a $300 fine. Kemp Walker Barber, 25, of Richmond, pleaded no contest to charges of stopping a vehicle to impede travel and was sentenced to one day in jail and 12 months of probation. The charges stemmed from a March 11 incident during which the demonstrators wrapped themselves in chicken wire, linked themselves together with a ladder and chains and lay down in the southbound lanes of I-95 South near Exit 78 for Arthur Ashe Boulevard, according to Virginia State Police. The group was protesting against the war in Gaza. Some had pro-Palestine artwork and were wearing keffiyehs, a traditional Middle Eastern headdress. The protest, which began at around 7 a.m., lasted for hours and caused delays of up to 4 miles. VSP troopers arriving at the scene declared an unlawful assembly and guided the protesters to the shoulder of the highway, where they took them into custody. No injuries were reported, and all lanes were reopened by 10:30 a.m. PHOTOS: Recognize anyone? 30 photos from the Times-Dispatch archives Prospective mayoral candidates came together Monday night to discuss key Richmond issues at the first candidate forum of the 2024 election season. While all five hopefuls shared similar goals and approaches on how to address education, economic development, affordable housing, gun violence and how City Hall should function, all differed on who is best suited for the job. The forum, organized by the Urban League Greater Richmond Young Professionals and hosted by Virginia Union University in the campus chapel, welcomed more than 100 residents who submitted questions ahead of time for candidates. This is a start of many conversations across the city, moderator Victor McKenzie Jr., nonprofit executive and community organizer, said. McKenzie posed several questions that scratched the surface of each candidates plans for the next four years. Education When McKenzie asked if the candidates planned to fund Richmond Public Schools fully, each candidate agreed and committed to funding those goals. First District Council representative Andreas Addison and former 8th District representative Michelle Mosby referenced their experiences and voting track records on City Council to highlight their support of RPS. Addison reflected on the most recent budget, which saw the council put forth $256 million in general and capital improvement funding for the school system. Mosby pointed out that several South Side schools were built following legislation she helped champion. Additionally, she said that City Hall, the City Council and the School Board need to work together and unite under one common goal to improve schools. Danny Avula, former commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, said a lot of the ongoing problems associated with the schools come from the culture. Avula, whose wife teaches at Chimborazo Elementary School, said he would help foster better relationships within the schools if elected. Maurice Neblett, a community activist, echoed similar sentiments stating the need for more teacher support. Our teachers need to have opportunities to express their concerns without fear of backlash, Neblett said. Harrison Roday, a nonprofit executive and businessman, said he will lobby state and federal dollars to help alleviate the cost burden on City Hall. Economic development When asked about their plans for future growth, candidates weighed in on the future of economic development opportunities. Addison, who operates a small business in Scotts Addition, said the key to improving Richmonds success is to make it easier for businesses to set up shop in the city. He said it is a difficult and lengthy process for businesses to acquire the proper permitting to open. If elected, he said he would help cut through the red tape and make it easier for folks to come in and work. I dont want to see more corporate chains. I want to see more Mama Js, more Urban Hang Suites, Addison said. Mosby, Avula and Roday brought up the ongoing tax collection issues and the distrust it has caused among potential businesses. In order to see more local projects crop up, the city needs to rebuild trust and improve customer service. Neblett added that his plan includes a more holistic approach that involves everyone in the community. This includes partnering with nonprofit organizations, pulling in volunteer groups and working with other organizations to promote career readiness, so everyone is working together to find innovative solutions. Affordable housing When McKenzie asked what each candidate would do to increase affordable housing units in the city, several weighed in with varying approaches. Avula, who said the issue was one of the main reasons he decided to run, said his plan includes placing caps on property taxes and implementing policy strategies to make it easier to keep folks in their homes. Addison shared similar goals, adding that to fix the problem the city needs to facilitate more builds that will increase the housing stock. Additionally, he said that his plan includes creating incentives for developers who prioritize building affordable units. Mosby reflected on her time on council and her previous votes to fund the Maggie Walker Land Trust and the addition of development projects in underserved neighborhoods such as the South Side. I want to ensure that we are maximizing our land use and zoning to yield the best results, Mosby said. I would like to see us usher in a new era of homeownership, retaining homes, which will allow young professionals, even our seniors and low income residents, to be a part of the opportunity to be homeowners. Neblett pointed out the role exclusionary zoning has played in contributing to a lack of affordable housing. If elected, he said he would focus on addressing the root causes of evictions and work to dismantle them. Roday weighed in on the current councils priorities and said there hasnt been enough done to address the need. He said he is committed to putting forth public dollars to create more units and keep folks in their homes. Gun violence Candidates shared similar plans of addressing gun violence when asked about their approach to decreasing the number of gun-related homicides in the city. Neblett, Roday and Addison said they plan to implement the nationally recognized Group Violence Intervention plan that has been promoted by several local organizations, including Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities, or RISC. Under that plan, folks directly get involved with those recognized as at risk of committing or becoming a victim of gun violence. Roday said he would make gun violence prevention his top priority. Here are some concrete things you can expect: First, the single largest investment in GVI that has ever been done, and second is creating an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Roday said. Mosby and Avula said it is important that the city fill Richmond Police Department positions that are currently unstaffed. Additionally, they said the department needs officers who are community-minded to build trust in high-risk neighborhoods. City Hall functionality McKenzie asked for the candidates plans for improving transparent communication between City Hall and citizens, as well as increasing access to city leaders. Several candidates weighed in with bold approaches. Avula said he plans to evaluate and audit the effectiveness of every department head as well as the chief administrative officer to determine how well each role is being fulfilled. Avula said changes will be made, if need be, to ensure Richmond is hiring the best that there is to offer. We want to make decision making transparent and invite the public in, and we want to make sure that we are focused on outcomes, Avula said. Mosby, who has a background in customer service, shared similar sentiments. She said she promises to transform City Hall and ensure employees are offering the best customer service. Additionally, she said she would address the ongoing technology issues to ensure best practices. Roday added that his background includes rehauling systems, and if given the opportunity, he plans to work with every city employee to ensure their needs are met to better meet the needs of the public. Neblett said he will work to address the ongoing culture within City Hall and push for better wages and working conditions. On the campaign trail This forum was the first of many public outings scheduled ahead of the November election. Mayor Levar Stoney, who is finishing his second four-year term as mayor, cannot run for the office again. He had set his sights on the governors office, until he announced in April that he was instead seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Richmonders will cast their ballots for Richmond mayor and their council representative Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 20. The deadline to file was June 18. The Richmond General Registrars Office finalized the official ballot on June 21. Meet the candidates for Richmond mayor Andreas Addison Danny Avula Michelle Mosby Maurice Neblett Harrison Roday Out of the running Aaron Goode has been on a farm his entire 68 years of living and has seen his fair share of droughts, but he has not seen one with this strong a vengeance in quite some time. Ive seen a lot of droughts, but this one, its getting pretty bad, said Goode, the owner of Chesterfield Berry Farm in Moseley. Were just hoping that well get a rain here in the next week or so. During the ongoing heat wave in Virginia, very little rainfall has arrived to counter the high temperatures, resulting in less-than-ideal conditions for crops. Goode added that consistent winds have caused problems by taking moisture out of the ground. According to last weeks U.S. Drought Monitor Map, a section of Virginia beginning in Franklin and Pittsylvania Counties and stretching northeast to Loudoun and Fairfax Counties is experiencing a moderate drought. Most of the rest of the state has been classified as abnormally dry. On Monday, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality issued a drought warning advisory for 12 counties in the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia. Additionally, a drought watch advisory was issued for 95 counties and cities throughout the state. According to DEQ, a drought watch is meant to help Virginians prepare for potential drought, while a warning means significant drought is imminent. Amid the dry conditions, a large brush fire broke out Monday evening near New Market and Messer roads in Varina, causing two road closures. A second brush fire was reported Tuesday near Old Washington Highway and Interstate 295 in Glen Allen. Heat wave settles across U.S. The conditions come amid soaring temperatures across the country in recent weeks. Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia had record heat over the weekend. Even though the Richmond region is only under a drought watch, the weather conditions are already affecting farms in the area. At Chesterfield Berry Farm, most of the crops are in good health because of irrigation, but the eight acres of field corn that make up the farms corn maze are struggling without a watering system in place. The corn maze runs from mid-September through the end of October; after that, the grains are used for animal feed, grocery store products and ethanol. Were probably going to put pipes in and water it, Goode said. But were waiting a few days hoping well get some rain. After heavy amounts of rain during May which ironically was not good for the farms strawberries during their peak season Goode figured that the weather would balance out and go in the other direction. To maintain a healthy supply of products, the farm uses a drip irrigation system for about 70% of the crops, with the water being pulled from an adjacent lake. Other products such as sweet corn are watered with impact sprinklers. But according to Goode, the rainfall provides a needed assist to the farm. With the rainfall, you usually get the cooler temperatures when it comes in and it just seems to do more for the crops, he said. Irrigations okay, but its not quite the same as having rain. Goode added that solely relying on irrigation is more expensive and labor-intensive. It just creates that much more work, Goode said. If you can get a rain in, you can not irrigate for two or three days or something that gives you a little more of a break. And if you dont have irrigation, your stuffs suffering and you can lose your crops. Stress from lack of rainfall Alec Butner, a forecaster with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wakefield, said the NWS received reports from farmers in Emporia and Greensville County about their crops showing signs of stress from the lack of rainfall. Butner said there is potential for scattered showers and storms later in the week, but no widespread or drought-relieving rain. Goode said with the high temperatures, his crops would need at least three-quarters of an inch of rain to have any significant effect. Heat Index calculator Enter any temperature 80-112 Fahrenheit along with a relative humidity that is greater than 13. Calculate to see how the temperature feels to your body. Heat index values are for shady locations. If exposed to direct sunlight, the heat index value can be increased by up to 15F. Were irrigating a lot, but the thing is, you dont know how long its going to continue before you get rain, Goode said. It could be a really bad drought, or it could end, you just dont know. 180 dramatic weather photos from the RTD archives Noel Villarreal enters the courtroom for the start of his murder trial Tuesday. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Maya Bhakta, the owner of OYO Hotel at the time of the alleged murder and witness, was seen interacting with Abigail Hurt, the prosecuting attorney, on the stand during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Maya Bhakta, the owner of OYO Hotel at the time of the alleged murder and witness, was seen interacting on the stand during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Abigail Hurt, the prosecuting attorney, and Paul J. Smith, defense attorney, were seen interacting during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Maya Bhakta, the owner of OYO Hotel at the time of the alleged murder and witness, was seen interacting with Abigail Hurt, the prosecuting attorney, on the stand during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Maya Bhakta, the owner of OYO Hotel at the time of the alleged murder and witness, was seen reacting to the video of the alleged murder on surveillance video on the stand during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Maya Bhakta, the owner of OYO Hotel at the time of the alleged murder and witness, was seen interacting with Paul J. Smith, defense attorney, on the stand during the trail of Noel Villarreal, the defendant in a murder trail, on June 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer LaSonya Robinson, an SAPD communications custodian of records, is questioned by prosecutor Abigail Hurt at the murder trial of Noel Villarreal on Tuesday. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer A jury in the murder trial of Noel Fidencio Villarreal heard the chaotic voices of bystanders trying to help a man who had been shot multiple times at a West Side motel days before Christmas in 2022. Someones been shot! Theres a lot of shots fired, someone is on the ground, a male caller tells a 911 dispatcher. Villarreal, 43, is accused of shooting nine bullets into Ruben Martinez, 32. Because he had a prior criminal history, he also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm because he was not allowed to carry a gun at the time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Martinez was shot on Dec. 22, 2022 at the Oyo Hotel San Antonio Lackland near Sea World on SW Loop 410. Villarreal left the scene but police were able to track down his pickup. Authorities say he confessed to the shooting. Noel Villarreal confers with his attorney, Paul J. Smith, as his murder trial begins Tuesday. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer Bexar County Assistant District Attorney Madeline Flossi told jurors in her opening statement that they would see video surveillance from cameras that completely covered the motel complex, including from neighboring businesses. Noel gets into a tactical position and he fires two magazines, she said. Youll see him load and reload. At least 20 shell casings were collected later, Flossi said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ruben falls down, and as he takes his last breath, Noel shoots him again while he is on the ground, she said. The video will show Villarreal running from the scene, Flossi said, adding that the jury will hear from Villarreal himself, in police interrogation videos, telling investigators that Martinez died because he robbed my stuff. Hes a thief and robber. Defense attorney Paul J. Smith waived his opening statement until he begins presenting his case. Noel Villarreal, at right, at his murder trial Tuesday, seated with attorney, Paul J. Smith. Christopher Lee / Staff Photographer LaSonya Robinson, a San Antonio Police Department communications custodian of records, brought a recording of 911 calls that was played in court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Someones been shot in the chest, I dont know if hes breathing, said a caller, who like the others was told by a dispatcher that police and EMS were on the way. Bystanders trying to perform life-saving measures told dispatchers that Martinez was shot in the head and chest. Put pressure, a woman who called 911 was heard yelling. Hurry! The trial is being heard in the 175th District Court, Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl presiding. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cancun cargo truck and bus collide leaving nearly a dozen hurt Cancun, Q.R. An early morning two vehicle crash left nearly a dozen with non-life threatening injuries. Cancun firemen were called to the accident scene on Colosio Boulevard shortly after 5:00 a.m. Monday. Two men inside the cab of a company food truck were reported injured, one of which required the use of the jaws of life to be freed. At least nine people from the second vehicle, a bus, were treated at the scene before being transferred to various city hospitals. Cancun Transit Police began their investigation into the crash after the 45-year-old driver of the company food truck, Juan Jose N, hit the drivers side of the bus driven by 57-year-old Alfredo N. Monday morning traffic was heavily effected by the accident that left a major intersection clogged with two damaged vehicles, leaking fluids and scattered debris. Felipe Carrillo Puerto taxi driver abducted from outside home Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Q.R. Police continue their search for a taxi driver reported abducted from outside his home Monday. The man was washing his car outside his home around 1:00 p.m. when he was reportedly abducted. Felipe Carrillo Puerto police responded to the report of the mans disappearance from outside his home on 78th Street in the Emiliano Zapata II neighborhood. Neighbor witnesses told police armed men arrived around 2:00 p.m. and forced him into a blue van. The abducted taxi driver has been identified as 27-year-old Hector de Jesus M, a new driver for that taxi union. The driver was washing his car when neighbors saw armed men abduct him. Photo: June 24, 2024. Municipal police cordoned off the area while authorities began an investigation. Mayor lays first stone for new Tulum Command Centre Tulum, Q.R. Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon Trejo has laid the first stone for the municipalitys new Command, Control, Communication and Computing Center. The announcement was made Monday during a ceremony where project details were released. We began the first stage of the new Command, Control, Communication and Computing Center, a project that will transform security in our community with advanced technology. I appreciate the support of the Governor, Mara Lezama and the Federal and State Government, Castanon Trejo said in a statement. The new Command, Control, Communication and Computing Center will cost around 28.3 million pesos and benefit 33,000 residents with advanced technology for crime prevention, he explained. We appreciate the support of Governor Mara Lezama in this project that will make Tulum an example of peace and tranquility for our residents and tourists, he added. Mayor Diego Castanon Trejo laid the first stone Monday. Photo: Ayuntamiento de Tulum June 24, 2024. With technology and intelligence we will continue to safeguard the integrity and safety of the residents and tourists of Tulum, Castanon Trejo said Monday morning. The construction of the building comes on the heels of the completion of municipal security arches around Tulum. Castanon Trejo said new Command Centre will monitor more than 500 video surveillance cameras being installed around the municipality. Construction has begun and will cost around 28.3 million pesos. Photo: Ayuntamiento de Tulum June 24, 2024 He says the completed project will include real-time technology linked to Platform Mexico to identify people and vehicles involved in criminal activity. The new facilities will also have a Tourist Police area to support foreign languages. Render of the new Centre. Image: Ayuntamiento de Tulum June 24, 2024. The project is being worked on in coordination with Sedena, Navy, National Guard and the State Attorney Generals Office. The new Command Centre is expected to be operational for November. SICT submits MIA for construction of Cancun airport road to Maya Train station Cancun, Q.R. The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) has begun the process of connecting the Cancun airport and Maya Train station. Earlier this month, the Secretaria de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT) submitted the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) for the change in land use in between the two destinations. If approved, the Cancun International Airport would be successfully connected to the Maya Train station. On June 6, the agency presented the project for the connection road to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to obtain the Manifestacion de Impacto Ambiental (MIA) required for the infrastructure project. As detailed in the Ecological Gazette recently published by Semarnat, the project involves site preparation, construction, operation and maintenance of the expansion of the four kilometer the road that will connect the Cancun airport with the Maya Train. A Montgomery County man suing New River Valley Community Services for $10 million claims he was wrongfully discharged after reporting that the agency had violated state and federal law, later destroying documents recording the corruption. According to a complaint filed in Roanoke Circuit Court May 20, Jonathon Edward Taylor worked in the information technology department at NRVCS, which provides community-based behavioral health services, between December 2017 and December 2021. While employed, Taylor became aware of numerous improper activities occurring at NRVCS, the complaint reads. He reported many activities committed by NRVCS that he considered violations of federal or state law or regulations. Taylor reported that NRVCS had fraudulently applied for, received, allocated and used government funding, had used unlawful bidding, auditing and accounting procedures and had over-billed and defrauded customers. But, Taylors complaint claims, despite his reports to superiors and to the NRVCS board, NCRVS took no action. In July 2021, sickened by NRVCSs inactivity, his complaint reads, Taylor reported what he believed to be fraudulent use of federal funds to the Universal Service Administrative Co., an agency under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission that helps administer government funding. Less than a month later, his complaint continues, Taylor was summoned to his supervisors office. The man verbally reprimanded Taylor, calling him a hard-ass, a pain in the ass and an attention seeker, and informed him that his job was at risk. Later that same year, NRVCS performed a massive document and record destruction process unlike any it had ever undertaken before, Taylors complaint reads. This procedure was intended to destroy records of NRVCSs corruption and illegal activities as reported by Mr. Taylor. Over time, Taylor noticed that his superiors were increasingly hostile to him. Worried that he would get fired any day, and concerned for his role in a criminal enterprise, he submitted a resignation letter in December 2021 and was constructively discharged. Taylors complaint claims that if he had not reported NRVCSs wrongdoing, he would not have been subject to retaliation or discharged. He has retained Roanoke-area employment attorney Thomas Strelka and is asking for a trial by jury. But a hearing date had not been set as of Tuesday, according to online court records. Strelka said Taylors complaint had yet to be served on NRVCS. This matter deserves sunlight. Issues of great concern occurred during Mr. Taylors employment, Strelka said in an email Tuesday. We have photographs of the massive shredding project and other evidence illustrating great concerns of the taxpayer dollars. We do not believe the shredding was inspired by a push to go digital or go green. The documents in question were public documents subject to regulation and preservation. The attorney added that the lawsuit was filed in Roanoke to keep things quiet in Montgomery County to allow investigations of these allegations to proceed. NRVCS spokesman Mike Wade said Tuesday that our agency does not comment on litigation or personnel matters. A Northern Virginia man who threatened two credit union employees during a telephone call in which he said he would blow up Roanoke was sentenced Monday to the time he has already served in jail much of it while waiting in vain for psychiatric treatment. Last year, a federal judge took the unusual step of dismissing charges against Brandon S. Hayward after the U.S. Bureau of Prisons missed several deadlines to have him transferred to a secure psychiatric facility for an evaluation of his mental competency to stand trial. Prosecutors were given the option of refiling the charges, which they did in December after Hayward again called one of the InFirst Federal Credit Union employees who had been the target of his earlier threats in August 2022. He was convicted in May after a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. Brandons criminal conduct is almost entirely a product of his severe mental illness, which when untreated causes him to disassociate from reality and act in bizarre ways, Assistant Public Defender Benjamin Schiffelbein wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Even though he had a balance of less than two dollars in his InFirst account, Hayward voiced grandiose delusions about being a billionaire during a call in which he later became angry and made threats that he had no ability to carry out, Schiffelbein argued. But the two women were clearly traumatized by Haywards threats to rape and murder them, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Johnson. The 35-year-old has a pattern of aggression towards women that cannot be ignored, Johnson wrote in court papers. Nonetheless, the prosecutor joined Schiffelbein in asking District Judge Robert Ballou to impose a sentence of time served, noting that Hayward spent more than 16 months in jail near the top of a range recommended by sentencing guidelines. In an opinion last June, Ballou wrote that he was taking the drastic and severe step of dropping the charges, finding that prison officials violated Haywards rights by failing to have him transferred for psychiatric treatment. The Bureau of Prisons said at the time the delay was part of a nationwide problem caused by a post-COVID increase in referrals, combined with staffing and bed shortages. At Mondays sentencing, Ballou ordered Hayward, who was eventually found competent to stand trial, to live with his family in Prince William County during a three-year period of supervised release. ROCKY MOUNT A monument honoring 70 Black soldiers who served in the Union Army during the Civil War soon will be erected in Rocky Mount after the Franklin County Veterans Memorial Commission approved plans last week in a 6-5 vote. The monument will be funded through a $285,000 grant from Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, led by two Virginia Tech professors. The organization focuses on people whose stories have been silenced, denied or excluded and is funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Earlier this year the Rocky Mount Town Council voted unanimously in favor of placing a monument to honor the Black soldiers at the veterans park. The council then directed Mayor Holland Perdue to send a letter asking the Franklin County Veterans Memorial Commission to approve placing the monument. The Black soldiers were part of the United States Colored Troops which were regiments in the United States Army. They were composed primarily of Black soldiers during and after the Civil War. On Thursday, the commission voted 6-5 in favor of placing the monument at the park following a closed session meeting. A news release provided by Rocky Mount stated there was brief discussion following the vote before the meeting was adjourned, but no further details. Commission Chair Gary Solomon, Vice Chair Eddie Hawks, Vice Chair Bill Melton, and members Olyn Peters and C.B. Reynolds voted against the monument. Solomon, Hawks and Peters resigned from the commission the following day. The Roanoke Times attempted to contact Solomon and Hawks on Monday but they could not be reached for comment. The Franklin County NAACP applied for the grant last year, and it was approved in April. The group then worked with the town government to bring the monument to the Rocky Mount Veterans Memorial Park. It was a project started by them to recognize the 70 troops from Franklin County who fought on the side of the Union, said Robert Wood, Rocky Mount town manager. The 70 Black men left Franklin County and signed up to join the fight against the Confederate States Army, based on research done by Franklin County resident Glenna Moore last year. She has presented the information to the Rocky Mount Town Council and the Franklin County Board of Supervisors in recent months. Renowned sculptor Paul DiPasquale will be designing the monument for the park. He has designed several public sculptures in Virginia including the Arthur Ashe Monument on Richmonds Monument Avenue and the King Neptune on Virginia Beachs boardwalk. I think it is a great addition, Perdue said. Im hopeful it will draw more attention to the park. The monument, once erected, will stand less than a mile from the Confederate statue outside the Franklin County Courthouse. The statue was the flashpoint of considerable debate in 2020. That year, a referendum on the ballot failed to get enough votes to remove the statue. Perdue said he would like to see support for this monument honoring Black soldiers who served the Union Army. He said the community should support veterans no matter who they are. Its not a political issue, its not a race issue, its honoring veterans, Perdue said. Jorge Lara, 19, and a juvenile were arrested Monday after police said they threatened to shoot an employee while stealing Twisted Teas on the West Side. mbbirdy/Getty Images A 19-year-old and a juvenile were arrested after allegedly stealing alcoholic drinks and threatening to shoot a store employee on Monday before barricading themselves in a nearby apartment complex on the West Side. According to a police preliminary report, Jorge Lara and an unidentified juvenile were reported to be acting suspiciously before entering a store in the 1400 block of South Hamilton Avenue. Lara and the juvenile went into the store and grabbed several Twisted Tea drinks, according to the San Antonio Police Department. In response, the store employee locked the door using a button at the register. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One of the thieves pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the employee if he did not open the door, police said. The employee unlocked the door when a shot was fired in an unknown direction. The two thieves then ran into a nearby apartment complex. Witnesses pointed responding officers to where they headed after the incident. The apartment renter consented to officers searching the unit. Ten people exited the location and were detained; two of them were the alleged thieves. The weapon from the robbery was also found. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One of the thieves confessed to the crime, and they were both taken to Bexar County jail, police said. FLORENCE, S.C. Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin announced a resolution Saturday morning at the City Centers Farmers Market proclaiming June 17 23, 2024, as National Pollinator Week in the City of Florence. The resolution encouraged participation in events that support and celebrate pollinator protection. In 2006, the United States passed a resolution designating a week in June to recognize the importance of pollinators to our ecosystem, health and agriculture. The pollinator week has now grown into an international celebration promoting the value of economic ecosystem provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and other pollinators. A combination of factors including habit laws, climate change, invasive species, pests, diseases and risks from pesticides have led to a population health decline for many pollinator species. And whereas pollination plays a vital role for the trees and plants of our community, enhancing our quality of life and creating recreational and economic development opportunities, said Ervin. The City of Florence was designated as a Bee City USA affiliate in 2019 after the city council approved a resolution that made Florence one of five cities in the state to endorse a set of commitments for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators. The City Center Farmers Market hosted a Bee City Takeover event in conjunction with the mayors announcement to provide an opportunity for community members to meet local beekeepers, shop for local honey and plants, and learn more about protecting pollinators. The Pee Dee and Blackwater Beekeepers Associations, as well as many affiliated beekeepers were at the market Saturday sharing information and samples of local honey. Tom Cooke, Jr. with Blackwater Beekeepers Association stood in front of a live, bee observation hive of about 7,000 honeybees as he answered questions to shoppers Saturday. The children are wide-eyed and impressed with everything. Its so amazing to see, Cooke said. And 90% of (these) are all females. Theyre the workers. The males are just for mating in the spring, and at the end of the year they all get kicked out. Save the food for the females that are working, said Cooke who raises bees to pollinate farms in Conway. An average colony has 50,000 to 60,000 worker bees in the spring. Cooke gave samples about the size of 1/12 of a teaspoon; the amount one honeybee produces in her lifetime. Many shoppers left with a jar of local honey and full of information. A pound of honey is made by 2 million flower visits. Its estimated bees fly 55,000 miles back and forth to get that honey at a speed up to 15 miles per hour. Sound exhausting? Honeybees never sleep. One-third of the food people eat comes from insect-pollinated plants, and 80% of that is done by honeybees, according to data from the National Honey Board. Anyone can help by providing food and habitat for pollinators that can help them thrive. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends incorporating shrubs and trees such as dogwood, blueberry, cherry, plum, willow and popular that provide pollen, nectar, or both in the early spring when food is scarce for the insects. Choose a mixture of plants for spring, summer, and fall. Different flower colors, shapes and scents attract a variety of pollinators. Reduce or eliminate pesticides. For more information on bees or beekeeping, visit scstatebeekeepers.com or blackwaterbeekeepers.org. RODNEY, Iowa -- Residents of Rodney awoke to the sound of sirens in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Around 3:30 a.m., Greg Bainbridge, one of the Monona County town's 45 inhabitants, learned he and his family had to quickly leave their home. "They said the dike broke and the water was coming this way," Bainbridge said. Authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of the town after an upstream levee broke in the middle of the night Tuesday due to a surge of water from the Little Sioux River. "I got everybody up. My brother lives on the top of the hill. We all went up there and we waited and waited and were still waiting, Bainbridge said late Tuesday morning, as his family stopped by their home to retrieve some more personal belongings. Around 8:30 a.m., volunteer firefighters warned water from the breach south of neighboring Smithland was past the drainage ditch on the north side of Rodney and was moving fast toward Monona County's Peters Park on the south edge of town. Later on, a levee near the park also succumbed to the rush of water. The floodwaters swamped most of the park, including camper sites with electrical hookups, but stopped well short of the town itself. By the afternoon, residents were allowed to return home, after MidAmerican Energy restored power to the town. About two miles to the northeast, the raging Little Sioux River invaded some parts of Smithland. Floodwaters engulfed at least one home, and threatened to enter some others. After the levee broke, Woodbury County Sheriff's deputies went door-to-door to encourage Smithland residents in low-lying areas to temporarily live until the flooding subsided. "Around 3 in the morning, an officer knocked on my door and told me I could either stay or evacuate because there was a lot of water starting to come this way," Dylan Mead said. "I woke up my girlfriend and told her we might have to go and we started packing." Mead's friend, Matthew Keyser, said he was already awake when the evacuation request was made. With the Little Sioux River rapidly rising upstream, Keyser said he has had little sleep in the last 24 hours. "I'm in like, 'I don't want to lose my home mode,' " Keyser said. "I'm ready to fill sandbags mode.' The two longtime Smithland residents spoke to a Journal reporter after watching the vast lake-like flooding on the east side of town. The Smithland natives said they don't recall the river spreading out as much as it has in the last few hours. "It's flooded twice that I remember," Mead, 23, said. "It's never come way out here." Water covered the Highway 141 bridge over the river, cutting off traffic to and from Mapleton. But another major route into Smithland, Highway 31 reopened Wednesday after water receded from the bridge at nearby Oto. At Turin, 17 miles south of Smithland, the Little Sioux River peaked at 27.26 feet overnight Wednesday, over two feet short of the record 29.6 feet. The Monona County Sheriff's Office closed some roads in the southern part of the county where water covered the payment or threatened to. Residents of the flood-stricken towns battled high water as temperatures climbed into the 90s Tuesday. For much of the day, those who were able to remain in their home endured the heat without air conditioning, after over 250 customers in Oto, Rodney and Smithland lost power. The city of Onawa opened a shelter at the Community Center for displaced residents. Monona County Sheriff Kevin Ewing said authorities issued the evacuation order for Rodney out of an abundance of caution. "We wanted to be safe, rather than sorry," Ewing told the Journal from his SUV as he watched traffic driving into the town. Bainbridge, who had a daughter and three grandchildren visiting from Corpus Cristi, Texas at the time of the evacuation, said he agreed with the decision, even though the floodwaters haven't reached the town. When that dike breaks like that, you dont know whats going to happen, with all the water up there," he said. "Im glad that they did that, played it safe." In April, the world was treated to a disturbing realization: Mark Zuckerberg was wearing a chain. Not only that, it was making him sort of hot. The small silver necklace was part of Zuckerbergs glow up, which also included a mop of longer, curlier hair and a tasteful crewneck sweatera big departure for a guy who used to wear the same T-shirt every day. And though the chain did nothing more than dangle off his neck and occasionally catch the light, it also was evidence of something else: We are in a Chain Guy era, and if Zuckerbergs on board, none of us are safe. Chains, if you havent noticed, are everywhere you look. Heres one on Ryan Gosling. Heres another on Justin Theroux. Look how these chains make Barry Keoghan seem like less of a mannish boy, and more of a boyish man. In fact, chains are so popular that theyve contributed to a historic bump in the market for mens jewelry. Sales of womens jewelry still dominate the industry, but masculine designs have become a bigger growth driver for many brands, which are investing in the area like never before. Like most fluctuations in fashion, the root of the chains renewed popularity is difficult to pin down. Some trace the current craze to actor Paul Mescal and the iconic thin silver chain he wore in the 2020 miniseries Normal People. (The chain was so scintillating that it earned its own stan account.) But in recent decades, chains have been most commonly associated with hip-hop and Black fashion. Jonathan Square, a professor of Black visual culture at Parsons School of Design, told me that this association began in earnest in the 1980s and the advent of Run-D.M.C., the members of which famously sported roped-gold necklaces during the groups pioneering run on the Billboard charts. He said the full story is more complicated, and its hard to point to a single influence for the basic gold and silver chains adorning the necks of todays men. Theyre worn by those in the Black community, the Latinx community, the Italian community, and Middle Eastern cultures, Square said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Derek Guy, editor of the fashion blog Put This On and one of the foremost menswear experts on the internet, believes that beyond the obvious influences from hip-hop and Black and Latino culture, the current jewelry revival is also an appendage of a more general evolution in masculine style. Sleazy 1970s tailoring is in: Think bell-bottoms and cowboy shirts, with one or two buttons teasingly unfastened. All of those outfits work really well with a chain, Guy said. Is there a broad trend? No. My dad is not wearing a chain. But if youre super into menswear? Then yes, there is. Of all the jewelry pieces a man can wear, aside from a wedding ring and however you classify a watch, a necklace is up there for how easy it is to incorporate into a wardrobe. Advertisement Its also, as many pointed out, kind of horny. Not in a sexual sense, per se, but in the sense that it means a man is simply trying, or is merely aware of his appearance. Whereas men of other generations flourished in their soulless uniform of cargo shorts and polo shirtsinsisting they could never, as straight guys, tell when they looked hottodays fellas are adorning themselves with pride, shamelessly calling attention to themselves with eye-catching chains that just barely graze the curve of their collarbones. Its a look that suggests a man is secure and self-aware enough to be perceived; some have called it male thirst. Advertisement I have been falling behind. I am not a trendsetter when it comes to fashion, and Ive happilyand somewhat blindlystuck to the styles that passed their way through the culture of my youth. This hesitancy will likely be familiar for all millennial refugees of the skinny-jeans-and-band-shirts era. Like many 33-year-olds, my wardrobe has calcified into a staid rotation of old staples, all bearing the residue of an outmoded circa-00s hipster playbook. I own three different pairs of Doc Martens, and until the summer of 2021, I never wore shorts. So, calling attention to myself in the aforementioned horny waythrough precious metal, designed to accentuate the primacy of the selfis a foreign concept. I have always been somewhat afraid to try to look hot, or to step outside of my regularly scheduled outfit programming. Disruption to that natural rhythm would surely unleash the great terror of visibility, and Id not only have to be perceived, Id have to answer for my sudden flair. Advertisement Advertisement But alas, Chain Guy culture would inevitably hunt me down. Which is how, after Zuckerbergs moment and with some prodding from my editor, I found myself staring in the mirror, struggling to clasp a chintzy $30 gold (read: yellow-tinted stainless steel) chain around my neck. Determined to break out of my fashion habits and experience the apparent bliss of slutty dressing, Id found it on Etsy and made the purchase, primarily because it seemed the most modest and unnoticeable of all the available options. When I looked up and saw it hanging around my collar, the first thing I felt was fear. What would my friends and family think? Was I somehow trying too hard? Advertisement Advertisement Eric Thurm, a writer and an old friend, knows this fear firsthand. For as long as Ive known him, hes been draped in heavy gold chains. When he first started wearing jewelry a decade ago, he was fueled by pure id. He always wanted to go bigger, brighter, and more ostentatioushe used to walk into jewelry shops and ask to be outfitted like the gangsters in Miami Vice. Thurm savored his confection of irony and assertive swag for years, but as he delved deeper into adulthood, he began to suffer from the same modesty now poisoning me. Advertisement I really enjoy wielding masculinity as camp. And I think jewelry effectively accomplishes that, in a way that Ive found to be fun and helpful. But lately, when I look in the mirror, Ive been thinking about how my jewelry is increasingly hard to justify as a bit, Thurm said. Ive been wearing this chain as a joke for so long that it ceases to be a joke. And I think the only real antidote is to not think about it. Advertisement Thurms observation pleated into another anxiety that lingered in the back of my mind: Was I setting myself up to look like the biggest poser in the world? This displacement gripped me right up until the moment that I finally slipped that cheap little 22-inch Etsy chain around my neck. It twinkled in the amber lighting of my fiancees bathroom, half-tucked under the splayed collar of a Hawaiian shirt donned on the first warm night of summer. To my absolute horror, it looked great. The chain was the perfect accelerant to the energy of my outfita missing link, finally reclaimedwhich meant I had nowhere to hide. The red pill had been swallowed. The knowledge could not be purged. I left the apartment a Chain Guy. Advertisement Advertisement Guy, the menswear expert, likes to talk about the spotlight effect, a psychological term used to describe how our own individual mental frailties can be artificially projected outward, conjuring the feeling that everyone in the room has put you under a microscope. (If you have ever walked into a meeting late and felt the heavy indentation of leering eyes, then you are aware of this phenomenon.) Guy believes this is where so much of the uneasiness about male jewelry comes from: Its the idea that a necklace announces itself like an airhorn, pulling everything toward its gravity. Yet for my chain-curious brethren who connect to those apprehensions, let me offer some good news. When I wore my necklace, none of my friends interjected to heap attention on my latest sartorial choice. Advertisement The chain survived everything. A happy-hour dinner, an after-work round of drinks with a colleague, and a boozy book-club meeting all passed by without my necklace being nominated for a round of ball-busting. It was only after those hangs, when I asked my friends if theyd noticed what I had added to my repertoire, that we broached the topic. The chain earned a positive response across the board. Most didnt even notice it in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just thought you were being a little more sleazy than normal. It seemed like a logical addition to what you normally wear, offered a friend who tends to have a sharp eye for accessories. It looked slutty, but in a good way, added a fellow journalist and friend. I didnt think you were going for anything. Like if you showed up with a big gold earring I might have said, Are you OK? Advertisement It went on like this, day after day. Id fuss with the necklace before a night out, examining all of its sartorial permutationstucked? dangling? somewhere in between?feeling briefly intimidated by the way the jewelry augmented (and improved) my aura. And then, after being out and about for a few minutes, Id be reminded that the human race is mostly loving and merciful, and good people do not pass judgment on someone who has made the decision to, in the words of my friends, get a little slutty with it. Was it strange to watch someones eyes drift to my neckline in the middle of a conversation? Sure, a little bit, but that too can be overcome with enough repsto train your brain into understanding that drawing attention to yourself is, in fact, a feature, not a bug. Advertisement Advertisement In fact, the most winning endorsement the chain received came from an old college girlfriend of mine whoby the nature of our friendshiphas witnessed the full extent of my fashion progression, warts and all. She didnt notice that I was wearing a necklace, but she did pick up on what she described as a subtle vibe shift as a chain guy, which, she argued, is a common psychic transformation among men who take the dive. When a guy has a chain, hes added a horny accessory, she said. It reflects in his disposition. Advertisement Maybe she had identified evidence of a cerebral unlocking that occurs in the brains of men who make a jewelry pivot. Or maybe shes simply observing a trickle-down effect of the other vestiary enhancements one must make to style a chainthose extra undone buttons subsuming the soul. Whatever the case, it was good to know I was doing my $30 chain justice. The necklace, and the rest of my affectation, were marching in unison. Advertisement I often find myself wondering why straight men like myself have such a fear of adding a dash of sexuality to their appearance. There is certainly a lack of sartorial solidarity in male friendshipsthe boys are not traveling to suit fittings together with a bottle of Champagneand due to some ancient and inveterate masculine anxiety, we have a much more difficult time assuring our friends that they look hot when one of them has made an extremely vulnerable leap of faith with a chain, a signet ring, or a bracelet. All of that leads to the condition I described earlier: a feeling of unworthiness, or even shame, when considering a horny adornment. Guy, for his part, believes that attitude to be patently ridiculous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Zuckerberg wearing a chain is one step away from Bill Gates wearing a chain. Like, hes even less cool than Jeff Bezos, said Guy. This is an extremely wearable item. In other words, anyone can wear a chain. Get over it. Guy recommends that prospective Chain Guys start off with a cheap fake necklaceperhaps procured from Etsyso they can find a groove in this new fashion frontier before diving into the realm of real-deal jewelry. Personally, Im ready for graduation. In the near future, I intend to shop for a slightly more expensive chain, and hopefully, Ill continue to unlearn some of the retrograde lessons Ive internalized about manhood. First and foremost, its OK to try to look hot. When Jill Biden and her staff were planning out her calendar for 2024, its easy to imagine them landing on this month as an ideal time for the first lady to promote her new childrens book, Willow the White House Cat, which tells the true-ish story of a gray tabby cat that went from a quiet life on a Pennsylvania farm to having the run of one of the most famous homes in the world. It would be an anodyne, voter-friendly addition to an election season that would surely be heating up by now. Alas, June has turned out unlike how theyd expected, dominated instead by much bleaker circumstances, namely Hunter Bidens federal trial and subsequent conviction. Some of that could not have been foreseen, but Willowwell, Willow would have been an odd bit of White House ephemera regardless of its publication date, and now is only more so. As the Washington Post put it this month, Jill Biden has been an intensely private first lady who has exercised near-perfect control over her image during her 3 years in the White House. When she appeared at Hunters trial this month, she faced exactly the sort of scrutiny and unpredictable headlines she has sought to avoid. Her communications director reacted defensively to questions about thisshes his mother; of course she would be there as much as possible to support him, the spokeswoman said at one pointand it was hard to argue with that, even as ABC News began reporting on the steep cost to taxpayers of her trips to the courthouse. Joe Biden could not, practically or politically, risk going to court, and she did, stoically observing and comforting emotional family there. After Hunters conviction, she quickly sought to cast aside the grim spectacle, telling NBC News, Joe and I both respect the judicial system, and thats the bottom line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jill was more in her element a few weeks ago, appearing on Good Morning America and The View, ostensibly to promote her book. These were actually campaign appearances, and pretty awkward ones at that, but they were nothing compared to the book itself, which I have not quite been able to shake from my mind since peering through a digital copy this month as admittedly more consequential events played out. The juxtaposition of poor Willow against all else that has happened in June feels like a telling example of the Bidens larger comms troubles and tendency to assume that benevolent gaslighting might be a viable solution for dealing with them. In the time-honored tradition of first and second ladies releasing such books, Willow was supposed to, in addition to raising money for charities that support military dogs and inspiring young readers everywhere (?), give Jill Biden a wholesome, cant-lose talking point and be a guaranteed public relations boost for the Biden family. Its worth thinking about that for a moment. For one thing, did anyone know that the Bidens had a cat? Because all you ever hear about are the dogsspecifically how they cant stop biting people in the White House. Was writing a childrens book to draw attention to a pet with no record of violence part of the PR sleight of hand the Biden campaign had in mind here? Will anyone see a book about a White House pet right now and not think back to the multiple German shepherds that terrorized Bidens staff? Advertisement Unlike her more famous beastly siblings, Willow doesnt so much as scratch anyone during the books 48 pages. The story opens on a farm in Western Pennsylvania, where Jill is supposed to have first laid eyes on Willow while visiting for a speech. The event in question is unsurprisingly but entertainingly depicted as the most diverse gathering to ever take place on a farm in Western Pennsylvania: In the first row, we can see an interracial gay couple with a baby looking on, with a woman in a hijab right behind them. They provide an audience for Jill embracing Willow for the first time, love at first purr. That night, a farmer tells Willow that she made quite an impression on the events guest of honor, so much so that the guest wants to take her home. Was Willow even up for adoption? After the farmer tells her shes leaving, Willow doesnt seem into it at all; shes cozy and comfortable in her little spot in the barn. No matter. To the White House she goes anyway. Advertisement Advertisement It might be good news for Jill Biden that no one is paying attention to this book. A recent piece in the Cut ranking celebrity childrens books created a rubric for judging such efforts, and one of its criteria is whether the work has a plot. Though Cat moves from farm and explores exciting new home, the White House is a pretty thin plot, its a plot nonetheless, and it provides a good excuse to fill the book with fun illustrations of a cat sauntering around a famous building. As a thinly veiled pretense to vault Jill Biden into friendly television shows that will reach female voters, the book has done its job, I suppose, but it is still an interesting contrast for the Bidens in a month that started with Hunters gun trial and will end with the first BidenTrump debate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The final portion of Willow the White House Cat turns into a celebration of the many people who work in the White House: the carpenter, the executive chef, the executive housekeeper. As Jill Biden writes in an authors note, What makes this magnificent house a home are the men and women who work here. You see, because this house is actually all of ours. I guess one has to accept that a little propaganda is going to be thrown into any book by a first lady, but my goodness. Willow the cat is shown going around bothering the staff all day while they try to get their work done. Havent these staffers dealt with more than enough White House pet entitlement already? Advertisement Why dwell on this silly book? As Jill Biden has sought to reclaim control in the wake of Hunters conviction, she has returned to a role in the campaign that seems more comfortable for her: playing pickleball and bingo with seniors, who may end up being a bright spot for her husband, and giving speeches in favor of reproductive rights, about the safest political message you can deliver to rank-and-file Democrats these days. Ironically, her appearances in court have inspired perhaps the most positive mainstream coverage of her time in the White House, tributes to her selflessness and steadfast demeanor as the most senior member of her family to attend the trial. But none of that was supposed to be the storythis random book about a cat was supposed to be the story, the thing that a bunch of professional political operatives thought was the right move. Not far beneath the surface of everything else that happened this month were vestiges of the controlled campaign shes supposed to be running, and they reveal a Biden political operation with a pretty bizarre idea of a fluffy news story that might counter election-year negativity. I have discovered that the real Willow has 81,000 Instagram followers, but if her minders think shes the message voters are seeking, she has her work cut out for her. Julian Assangethe founder of WikiLeaks, who has spent the past five years in a British prison awaiting possible extradition to the U.S. for trial under the Espionage Actwill at last be set free this week. And that is a good thing. I am not a fan of Assange, who, even if he is not a Russian asset, has certainly behaved like one for more than a decade. Some of his leaks have almost certainly resulted in the deaths of American agents and allies; others have disclosed CIA hacking techniques for the benefit of U.S. adversaries; a slew of Hillary Clintons emailswhich he peddled as a middleman between Russian hackers and eager Western reporters during the 2016 presidential campaignmay have helped catapult Donald Trump to the White House. But none of these deeds were what prompted the U.S. Justice Department to hit Assange with a 19-count indictment in 2018 (with revisions in 2020). If they had been, the merits of the caseand of the request for his extraditionwould have been fairly cut-and-dried. Instead, he was charged, in the language of the Espionage Act, with obtaining and transmitting classified information without proper authorization. Specifically, he received classified documents from thenArmy Pvt. Chelsea Manning and put them out on the WikiLeaks website for the public to consume. Assange is not, by most standards, a journalist. But what he did in this case was nothing different from what many journalists do routinely. Not only that, but disclosure of some of Mannings documents was definitely in the public interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is why its a good thing the Assange case is over. If it had gone to trial and if he had been found guilty, journalists and editors of all stripes would have had reason to feel insecure about simply doing their jobs. As is, righteous cause for paranoia hasnt totally disappeared. The Assange case is over because he agreed to plead guilty to one of the 19 charges, and in turn, a judge agreed to consider the defendants five years in a British jailmuch of it in isolationas time served. In other words, history will still record that someone doing what journalists do was prosecuted under the Espionage Act. And this sort of prosecution could, under harsher circumstances, happen again. Advertisement This has almost happened before. In 2006 George W. Bushs DOJ indicted two American Israel Public Affairs Committee analysts, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, under the Espionage Act for improperly receiving classified material from a Pentagon official named Lawrence Anthony Franklin, then sharing that information with others. At one point in the trial, the presiding judge, T.S. Ellis III, noted that under the prosecutions logic, the law applies to academics, lawyers, journalists, professorswhatever. At first, Ellis agreed with the logic, but in the end, he dismissed itand with it, the casefinding enforcement of the law capricious and arbitrary. (Franklin, the official who had leaked the classified information, was prosecuted. In the same way, Manning was prosecuted for providing the information to Assangeand, since Mannings trial was in a military court, where the goal is to mete out discipline, not justice, the penalty was far more severe, though President Barack Obama commuted the sentence after an already-harsh seven years.) Advertisement Advertisement The Manning case was quite different. A disgruntled private first class with access to secret documents, Manning provided Assange with evidence of abhorrent behavior by U.S. armed forces in the Iraq warincluding video footage of helicopter pilots mistakenly killing two Reuters reporters. This was news of legitimate public interest. Years later, a senior official in the Defense Intelligence Agency told me, on background, that none of the material in Mannings cache could have been said to damage U.S. security. Advertisement One of the 19 counts against Assange involved his helping Manning break into a computer holding particularly sensitive materials. This offenseconspiring to intrude into a computer containing classified informationwas quite different from the other 18. In 2019 prosecutors dropped the 18 counts under the Espionage Act and asked that Assange be extradited simply for this one. I compared the tactic with indicting gangster Al Capone for income-tax evasion. It might have worked. But then, in 2020, for reasons never explained, they tacked back on the 18 countsa development that, rightly, gave the British authorities pause. Advertisement All this said, it gives me no pleasure to elevate Assange to the status of First Amendment icon. A savvy Australian computer technician in the internets early days, Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 in Iceland as a clearinghouse for officials to leak classified information in the public interest, regardless of their nationality or ideology. Advertisement Advertisement However, something changed in 2010. That year, Assange told a Moscow newspaper that he had obtained compromising materials about Russia, about your government and your businessmen. Whatever those materials were, this was the last anyone heard of them. From that point on, WikiLeaks circulated thousands of U.S. government documents, many of them damaging or embarrassingbut nothing about Russia or any other adversary. In 2011 a WikiLeaks staffer named James Ball resigned from the organization. He revealed, among other shockers, that a fellow staffer named Israel Shamir, one of Assanges closest friends, had recently handed raw intelligence documents to the interior minister of Belarus, one of Russias main allies. Advertisement In 2012 Assange became the host of a television show on RT, the Kremlins main propaganda network. In 2016 came the cache of files from presidential candidate Hillary Clintons emailmaterial that was provided, indirectly, by Russian hackers. WikiLeaks did not supply emails from her opponent Donald Trumps campaigneven though its servers were at least as vulnerable to cyberintruders. Advertisement Related From Slate Theres One Part of Brittney Griners Account of Life in Russian Prison That Really Stands Out Read More In 2017 Assange leaked an enormous cache of documents on U.S. tactics and strategy in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They included the names of local informants; he released the documents without first redacting those names. Even some of his friends criticized him for this carelessness, but Assange shrugged it off, telling a reporter for the Guardian, Well, theyre informants. So if they get killed, theyve got it coming to them. They deserve it. Advertisement It may also be worth noting that after Edward Snowden leaked a massive bundle of highly classified National Security Agency documents, it was Assange who arranged his escape plan. Assange bought Snowdens plane ticket from Hong Kong to Moscow; his girlfriend accompanied Snowden on the flight. The former NSA analyst was meant to catch a connecting flight to somewhere in Latin America, but Assange advised him to stay put in Moscowwhere he resides still, now as a Russian citizen, 11 years later. The Assange chronicle was complicated by an unrelated controversy. In 2013 Swedish courts requested his extradition for a case accusing him of sexual molestation. In response, he took shelter in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he was granted asylum. He stayed in the embassy for seven years, after which the Ecuadorians ousted him. British police nabbed him as he tried to leave the country and put him in jail for evading a warrant. There he stayed for five years as authorities mulled Washingtons extradition request. (The Swedish one had, by this time, expired.) Assange, age 52, will now return to his native country of Australia, where he will live with his wife and two small sons. He has stayed mum on whether he will revive WikiLeaks or what else he might do. Intelligence services of several countries still see him as a potential asset or danger. His steps, whatever they may be, will not go unobserved. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!) Justice Clarence Thomas is a master at the art of bogus historyrewriting the past to give the Constitution a new, dubious meaning that happens to align with the Republican Party platform. Even by his own lofty standards, the justice outdid himself in Moore v. U.S., last weeks major tax case. Thomas dissent is a masterwork of partisan historical revisionism, manipulating reality so seamlessly that an unsuspecting reader might actually think he is telling the truth. He isnt, not even close: Thomas goal in Moore is to eviscerate the 16th Amendment, which legalized the federal income tax in 1913. And, as is so often the case, the justice marshals his argument by diminishing a progressive constitutional amendment as some illegitimate affront to the Framers original, divinely inspired design. At this point, it is unclear whether Thomas even acknowledges the full validity of the amendments that made this nation more equal and egalitarian. He is, at a minimum, committed to reading many hard-fought postCivil War constitutional reforms out of the law altogether. Conservative attorneys manufactured Moore as a preemptive challenge to a potential future wealth tax on affluent Americans net assets, including personal property. They seized upon an obscure 2017 provision of the Trump-era tax cuts that taxed shareholders of U.S.owned corporations located overseas by collecting money on undistributed income. These lawyers argued that the tax was unconstitutional under the 16th Amendment, which allows Congress to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived. The word income, they argued, has a realization requirementmeaning that the money must reach a taxpayers pockets before the government takes a cut of it. This theory would forestall a wealth tax, since Elon Musk, for instance, hasnt yet made money on the tens of billions of dollars in Tesla stock he owns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court wound up ducking the realization issue altogether, holding simply that a companys undistributed income can be attributed to its shareholders. Thomas wrote an angry dissent chastising the majority for ignoring the larger question. He embarked upon a journey through a version of history that had not, in fact, occurred, to shrink the 16th Amendment down to a narrow meaning that only slightly altered the original Constitution. In the process, he elevated a muddy accommodation for slavery over a signal triumph of the Progressive Era. Thats business as usual for our amateur historian in chief. Thomas sleight of hand revolves around the direct tax clause of the original Constitution. This provision was part and parcel of the three-fifths compromise, which counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and certain taxes. There was, at the time, a common form of taxation that imposed a head tax on each individual taxpayer. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention called this a direct tax. In exchange for counting slaves as three-fifths of a person with regard to representationboosting its share of seats in Congressthe South agreed to count slaves as three-fifths of a person with regard to any future direct tax. The slave states demanded and received another safeguard: Any direct tax had to be apportioned among the states according to their population (with each slave counting as three-fifths of a person). This system would impose wildly disparate tax burdens on Americans and has always been seen as basically impossible. Advertisement Advertisement Thus, as professor Bruce Ackerman has definitively shown, the direct tax emerged as a sordid trade-off with the slave states, giving a fig-leaf for antislavery Northerners opposed to the explicit grant of extra representation for Southern slaves. Yes, the South got extra representation because of its slaves, but it also had to pay more taxesexcept that the delegates all knew that new direct taxes were highly unlikely, in part because of how this compromise was structured. In fact, they werent even sure what a direct tax might look like, beyond the head tax imposed on individuals. Famously, by James Madisons account, when one delegate asked the convention what was the precise meaning of direct taxation, nobody answered. In 1796 the Supreme Court clarified that a head tax was direct, as would be an express tax on land. But nothing else qualified. Advertisement Advertisement Pause here and turn to Thomas account, which elides almost all the above. According to the justice, the direct tax clause was part of a delicate constitutional balance carefully hammered out at the Constitutional Convention to protect states from an overbearing federal government. Dismissing the clauses roots in slavery, Thomas claimed that it embodied federalism principles designed to give state governments a fiscal safe haven against expanding federal authority. The limitation, by his telling, was meant to temper the destructive force of the federal taxing power, preventing unjust taxes that intrude on state sovereignty. He totally whitewashes the real basis of the clausea fierce dispute between North and South over the Constitutions accommodations for slavery. Advertisement Advertisement Somehow, it gets even worse. Turning back to actual history, the Supreme Court understood the direct tax clause in its accurate historical context until 1895, when it abruptly struck down the federal income tax in a notorious case called Pollock. As professors Joseph Fishkin and William Forbath illustrate in their book The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution, the court of this period was dead set upon enshrining the legal supremacy of wealthy individuals and corporations. To that end, it redefined the phrase direct tax to encompass income for the first time. And because it was functionally impossible to apportion a tax among the states, the decision essentially outlawed any federal income tax. Advertisement There was not much law in Pollock: Rather, the five justices in the majority based their decision on overt hostility toward a fairer tax system. Justice Stephen Field wrote that the income tax constituted class legislation that discriminated against rich people, indistinguishable from a special tax on Protestants or Jews. Field framed the tax as a violation of the equality principles enshrined in the postCivil War amendments. This claim was especially perverse because, as Justice John Marshall Harlan pointed out in dissent, the direct tax clause was rooted in slavery, and the postwar amendments were designed to rid the Constitution of the institutions stain. Advertisement Advertisement Predictably, Thomas embraces Pollock as the correct reading of the original Constitution. But Americans of the era disagreed. Progressive reformers mobilized to ratify the 16th Amendment, one of their most enduring victories, in 1913. The amendment marked a massive political repudiation of the courts oligarchical constitutionalism, overruling Pollock and handing Congress the sweeping power to tax income from whatever source derived. To Thomas, however, the 16th Amendment was barely a footnote, a narrow change that left everything else in place, including the federalism principles bound up in the direct tax clause. (These are principles that Thomas just made up.) In Thomas account, this groundswell of nationwide support for the income taxculminating in a grueling and successful crusade to amend the Constitutionwas a mere technical tweak with extremely limited effect. Advertisement Which leads to the justices final, most antidemocratic attempted move in his Moore dissent: transforming the 16th Amendment from a populist expansion of Congress taxing power into a novel restriction on that power. Recall that the amendment allows taxation of income, from whatever source derived. There is a wealth of evidence that lawmakers included this phrase to ensure that courts would not artificially narrow the definition of incomea word that was, at the time, widely understood in broad terms, encompassing both realized and unrealized gains. Yet Thomas spurned the historical record in favor of some characteristic sophistry: The word derived, he wrote (without any evidence or support), is a near-synonym for realized. It therefore points to the concept of realization as an extratextual limitation on Congress taxing power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding to Thomas opinion, the legal historian Fishkin derided this word game as an absolute classic of the genre in which Thomas excels: to read language that is quite obviously on its face intended to be as broad as possible as instead narrowing language. The purpose of that phrase, he told me, was not the word derived. It was the word whatever. It meantbecause this was a point of contention at the timethat even income from land could be taxed. It didnt matter what source the income was derived from. Thats the straightforward and obvious meaning. Fishkin added, The word derived happens to be the one hes playing games with, but really, the text doesnt matter here. Theres always a word somewhere you can use. The point is that he wants to put in a realization requirement. And Thomas, ostensibly a committed textualist and originalist, brazenly manipulated both text and history to do it. Advertisement Advertisement There is a profound irony here. The Supreme Courts 1895 decision in Pollock was obviously wrong, invalidating more than three decades of the income tax. The American people ratified the 16th Amendment to overrule Pollock. Yet the court initially refused to accept the amendment: It defied the will of the people in 1920s Eisner v. Macomber, elevating Pollocks repudiating interpretation of the vestigial direct tax clause over the 16th Amendment to limit income taxes once again. Macomber was a hallmark of the courts Lochner era, when it regularly rewrote the Constitution to favor moneyed interests. It abandoned that approach several years into the New Deal, in the face of President Franklin Delano Roosevelts court-packing threat. With Thomas Moore dissent, history is repeating itself. The justice wants to turbocharge the direct tax clause (like the Supreme Court did in 1895) and mutilate the 16th Amendment (like the Supreme Court did in 1920) to reduce the tax burdens on the ultrawealthy. Why? Legal realists can debate the impact of his billionaire friends on Thomas jurisprudence. Advertisement Related From Slate Why Brett Kavanaugh Shot Down a Fake Case That Would Have Blown Up the Tax Code Read More But theres another, more explicit bias at work: He simply does not grant constitutional amendments the same respect that he gives to the original Constitution. His jurisprudence is inspired by natural law, a theory that interprets the Constitution as, essentially, a divine revelation to the founders that codifies rights bestowed by a higher authority. Under this view, the product of the Constitutional Convention was nearly perfect, minus its accommodation for slaveryyet, as his Moore dissent illustrates, the justice is willing to downplay or write off this glaring defect when necessary. Thomas will embrace the 14th Amendments equal protection clause to outlaw affirmative action, but he otherwise gives remarkably short shrift to the Reconstruction amendments. These amendments fundamentally altered the balance of power between states and the federal government, giving Congress vastly more authority to enforce a panoply of civil rights. But Thomas routinely interprets them as marginalia at bestshooting down, for instance, Congress prerogative to stamp out race discrimination in voting. In these opinions, the justice insists on enforcing aspects of the original Constitution that, he claims, allow states to suppress civil rights and civil liberties without federal interference. The Reconstruction amendments, in his preferred narrative, fall away as an irrelevant relic rather than the radical transformation of the Constitution that they were meant to be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Moore, the 16th Amendment gets the Thomas treatment. His (misleading) account of the amendments enactment largely erases the progressive reformers who pushed it over the finish lineas if, to his mind, they have no legitimate role to play in the story of our founding charter. They are written off as interlopers who foolishly tinkered with our God-given Constitution, inserting errors that must be corrected by black-robed rulers who just know better. Its a frighteningly arrogant approach to judging, one that effectively closes off amendments as a way to fix the courts mistakes. The Constitution begins with the declaration We the People and invites future generations to help build a more perfect union. But to Thomas, the wealthy white men who wrote those words got almost everything right the first time, and the people must never be trusted to build upon their flawed work. Yelyzaveta Derevynska, or simply Liza, says that she would have gone back to Kyiv if she were not of help to refugees. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Yelyzaveta Liza Derevynska says that if she had not been working with refugees at the League for Human Rights in Slovakia, she would probably have already returned to Kyiv. What really keeps me here is being helpful, she admits. Bratislava is now her second home, and when she travels, she looks forward to coming back home. Although she still considers the capital of Ukraine her home, she now feels more like a visitor there. The war took away the feeling of Kyiv being my home, she says. Her parents, her mother Oksana and father Yuriy, made the decision for her to leave in March 2022. They said that they wanted to save my life and wanted me to leave. That convinced me. Before the war Liza had no plans to depart her native Kyiv. Decision made at night The decision concerning the then 20-year-old Liza embarking on the journey, and without her parents, was made one night. The family had a meeting at 11 oclock in the evening. The very next morning, after a night of tears, she left with her cousin and her cousins children, heading toward Slovakia. After the outbreak of the full-scale war, the family first went to their cottage near Boryspil, a small town an hours drive from Kyiv. It is primarily known for its international airport, the largest in the country. It was very dangerous there at that time, Liza recalls. It was the second week of the war, and no one knew what would happen or how things would unfold; everyone was scared. That evening, the decision was made that we were leaving. I didnt want to go, but my parents persuaded me, she adds. The trip from the cottage to the flat in Kyiv took them five hours instead of one; the roads were already full of people fleeing. There were traffic jams and cars everywhere, people in a panic. From parents darling to independent woman Liza, her cousin, her cousin's two children, and other family members travelled in two cars as a group: through Moldova and Romania, their journey to Modra, a town near Bratislava and their final destination, took three days. At that time, we all thought it would last a month and that we would return. I left with just one backpack and a few things, she says. When she left, she was studying marketing and working as a social media manager for a cosmetic studio. She enjoyed her work and dreamed of continuing. I was like mommy and daddy, we lived together, and my life was carefree, she depicts herself. Life in Slovakia turned her life upside down; she had to be independent. They moved from Modra to Bratislava with her cousin after a week. Today, she lives alone, preparing for a masters degree in marketing and managing a large Telegram channel for Ukrainian refugees at the League for Human Rights. The channel has 7,000 followers and has already helped more than 15,000 people. She admits that she sometimes feels lonely, but today she tries to find home mainly within herself. Liza says that Slovak politics concern her. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Different Kyiv My first return to Kyiv after a year was already a return to a different place, she describes. She says that it is because people have changed; they are closed off and nobody smiles. Life seems more or less normal, but rocket attacks continue along with the threat of them, and it is not safe. People try to live a normal life, but they are pretending more than actually living a normal life. Everyone feels inside that it's not normal, Liza observes. My parents have changed too, she says, holding back tears. They have aged mentally and physically; you can see it on their faces. Her mother works as a consultant in a store selling gold jewellery, while her father is a truck driver. I dont even try to persuade them. Daddy wont leave; hes convinced he has to stay, and Mom doesnt want to leave him there, she explains. Her father is already 60 years old, yet on the third day of the war, he went to the military recruitment office to volunteer for combat. Due to his age, however, they did not accept him. Hundreds of people receive help While her parents battle to survive in Kyiv, Liza directs her assistance towards Ukrainians in Slovakia. She has been working at the League for Human Rights since November 2022. In addition to managing the Telegram channel, she also handles communication with donors and initiates project collaborations. Her Telegram channel is the second largest in Slovakia. She describes it as a page where posts are visible like on Facebook, but commenting is not allowed. This feature was disabled to prevent the spread of false information. However, people can subsequently contact each other or send a message or call the League for Human Rights. She receives a high volume of messages daily, and the feedback is positive. Liza smiles as she adds that this does not surprise her because, in her opinion, the team of lawyers at the League provides quality service. Half the team she works with are Slovaks, and the other half are Ukrainians. The atmosphere is supportive and friendly. Tax returns and undeclared work While at the beginning of the war, incoming people from Ukraine primarily addressed issues such as accommodation and health care, after two years, refugees are facing different problems. Today, at the League, they help with tasks such as filing of tax returns, establishing businesses, and preventing illegal employment. Liza mentions that dealing with the war every day is demanding, even though she herself is not in direct contact with refugees. Thats the job of our lawyers. The topic of war is always on my mind, yet the fact that I'm helpful fulfils me. So, I'm involved in the theme of this war, but paradoxically, it helps me because it fulfils me, she explains. The League for Human Rights has two offices, one located on Bottova Street in Bratislava, within a large-capacity centre for refugees. Alongside non-governmental organisations, there is also the Foreigners Police, issuing temporary asylum and refugee status. Liza asserts that this centre is unique, combining multiple services in one place. Happiness in moments War will never leave the mind of anyone who has experienced it, believes Liza. She vividly remembers when they left Kyiv for their cottage in February 2022, the day after the war broke out. The first weeks in the capital were very dangerous; helicopters were flying just three metres from the windows of their flat, and they heard explosions. She recalls how her parents went to buy groceries, and there was a strong explosion a kilometre from their home. I remember clutching my cat very tightly; at that moment, you dont think, you just focus on survival, she describes the horror. On the other hand, she does not remember her first two months in Slovakia. Today, she knows that she was under tremendous stress, even though she thought she was managing at the time. Even my cousin tells me, you were crying all the time. I dont remember that at all, she says. Today, she tries not to talk to her parents about her problems and whine, understanding how challenging their situation is. She is more interested in how they are doing. They video-call each other daily. She tells them about her work experiences, and they update her on any attacks. She tries to enjoy life. When the war started, I realised that you have to enjoy every day because you never know what will happen. But at the same time, thoughts of war are always in my head, she explains. What makes her happy? Its about moments, not a continuous state. I love to travel; happiness for me also comes from simple meetings with friends over coffee or when something succeeds at work. Many things can bring me happiness, she says. We are waiting for and trusting the Ukrainian army and diplomacy to end the war as soon as possible. As for myself, I'm doing everything I can here to help the Ukrainian community, Liza resolutely says. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Support in group chat Liza also describes her communication among young Ukrainians, her university classmates. Most of the boys remained in Ukraine for logical reasons, due to mobilisation. The girls are living around Europe, in France, Germany, and Austria. Once a month, they write to a group of over 30 people. Everyone shares how they feel mentally, what is happening with them, where they are, what they are doing, and where they work. Everyone writes a text like this about themselves. We exchange information, and then we can help each other, she explains. For example, when my classmates father died in the war, we supported her, she describes the strength of their friend group. She says that requests for donations often appear in the group. I have very active classmates who contribute a lot financially and who are also volunteers, both in Ukraine and abroad, she notes. She remains in constant contact with close friends, they travel and visit each other to meet in person at least once a year. Fighting Russian propaganda I'm not tolerant, but I understand why this happened, says Liza, regarding peoples strong inclination toward Russian propaganda in Slovakia. However, she claims that this is not only a problem among Slovaks. Even in the Ukrainian community, and among people who fled here from the war, some are inclined towards pro-Russian narratives. It's a general problem that we allowed the Russian narrative to infiltrate the Ukrainian and European information space. A big mistake. Russian propaganda works very well. For some groups, it's extremely effective, even though some of it is really super stupid and crazy, she believes. Currently, she is working at the League for Human Rights on a project aimed at creating and disseminating texts to debunk myths about the Ukrainian war and pro-Russian narratives. She sees the same reasons why people, both Slovaks and Ukrainians, are willing to believe Russian propaganda nostalgia for communism and the strong positive Russian army of the past. She adds that in Ukraine, it is usually older people who lived closer to the border and who still see Russian soldiers as brothers. Its not easy to see, Liza responds to the question of how she perceives talks of peace being leveraged as an instrument for political gain. People are really dying in Ukraine every day due to Russian attacks, she says, adding that she becomes angry when politicians exploit this as a tool in Europe. I feel that it's unfair that people use the war to achieve something. To some extent, I accept it as a new reality that we are all exposed and somewhat accustomed to, even though we dont like it. People think the war will never concern them. I also hope it will never concern them, but when support for Ukraine ends, no one knows what will happen. Plans mean nothing in wartime Liza admits that she no longer tries to predict the end of the war to avoid disappointment. We are waiting for and trusting the Ukrainian army and diplomacy to end the war as soon as possible. As for myself, I'm doing everything I can here to help the Ukrainian community, she resolutely says. However, she is not formulating plans to return or for where she will stay. I dont have such long-term plans. After the war started, I realised that plans mean nothing, and reality can change very quickly. She knows that in Slovakia she lives in a bubble where she only experiences a tolerant and pleasant behaviour towards Ukrainians. When the war started, I realised that you have to enjoy every day because you never know what will happen. But at the same time, thoughts of war are always in my head, Liza explains. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Why she follows Slovak politics Liza says that Slovak politics concern her. Of course, since I live here, I try to follow and understand the situation in this country. I see that prospects are not very good at the moment, not even for our Ukrainian community, but we try to be active and support good things, she says. She attempted to support her colleagues when there were anti-government protests. I do care, concludes Liza. This story was produced with the support of UNESCO under the Support for Ukrainian Refugees Through Media programme, funded by the Japanese government. Sme Itimex also sewed for brands like Lacoste and Escada. The Itimex firm, whose major customers have included famous brands, police forces and the army, has decided to turn to courts and requested bankruptcy proceedings. (Source: TASR) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share For decades, the town of Sahy used to be one of the textile centres of Slovakia thanks to the Pleta company, which supplied the domestic and foreign market with sweaters and other knitted products back in the day. The state giant had its operations in Sahy, Banska Stiavnica, Nitra and Velky Krtis. It employed 3,500 people, writes the Index magazine. But after the Velvet Revolution and the fall of communism in 1989, the privatisation of state-owned enterprises followed, causing an earthquake that pushed many factories to the brink of collapse. The state giant Pleta was divided into three individual enterprises. Each was soon privatised. The one in Sahy was first renamed Ipelska Textilka, and its owner became the company Itimex. Instead of the Soviet Union, the company started producing goods for Western markets in Sahy. The firm, whose major customers have included famous brands, police forces and the army, managed to overcome several crises over the years. However, today, its owner has decided to turn to the courts and requested bankruptcy proceedings. https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/pojanoreze Made in Germany It was in the 1990s when the textile company entered into contracts with several multinational manufacturers. In Sahy, products were sewn for brands like Lacoste and Escada, although the labels indicated Made in Germany. I cant discuss specific brands. If I revealed them, everyone would turn their backs on me, said the owner, Dusan Weis, in a 2017 interview, noting that the companys golden years were in 2005 and 2006 when they collaborated with the luxury brand Escada. At that time, Itimex employed 500 people and had annual revenues of about 5 million. The lucrative contracts for Escada ended, and shortly thereafter, the company had to deal with other issues: gas and economic crises, the cancellation of quotas for Chinese textiles, and the transition to the euro. Weis mentioned that these issues had led the company to existential problems. Uniforms for police forces In addition to contract manufacturing for well-known brands, Itimex also began producing clothing for police, fire, and military units. Their customers included, for example, the Austrian and German police as well as the German Olympic team. Weis boasted in the interview that, in 2016, his firm supplied 17,000 caps for Slovak police officers and another 3,000 for firefighters. Shortly before the 2020 parliamentary elections, the Defence Ministry controlled by the nationalist Slovak National Party signed a contract with Itimex for a period of four years to supply the military police and the armed forces with knitted accessories, namely scarfs, gloves and caps. The ministry also turned to the firm last year, requesting the supply of knitted clothing accessories worth almost 871,000. Profits and debts In recent years, Itimex has consistently reported profits. Since 2018, it has also appeared among debtors to several insurance companies. Itimex, owned by Silvia Semancova since 2018, did not respond to Indexs request for a comment. Semancova is Weiss daughter. Weis serves as the firms executive director. Seven years ago, the textile company also had to address complaints from dissatisfied employees. An official inspection even took place at the company. Several dozen violations of legal regulations were identified, including seven undocumented workers and deficiencies in safety measures. The team at The Caffe by Mr. Espresso in Oakland, California is back with another thoughtful chef-collaboration signature beverage. This time, the team paired up with Chef Harold Villarosa. Also known as UNK The Filipino Chef, Villarosa describes growing up in the Philippines during the summer months as brutal. Sagot Gulaman was just the type of beverage that would cool you down under the shade. While I was living in the Bay Area and being able to have amazing roasted coffee from Mr. Espresso, I knew that re-creating this childhood drink while also putting my own culinary spin on it, would not only help cool things down during the summer at The Caffe, but also help bring back those childhood memories, says Villarosa. We spoke with co-owner Luigi DiRuocco to learn more. Tell us more about Chef Harold Villarosa! Chef Harold wanted to re-create this traditional Filipino drink for the Collab at The Caffe . Harold lived in the Bay Area for two years until recently locating to Austin to work on a new project. It was during his time in the Bay Area that he and Mr. Espressos Luigi DiRuocco became great friends. Harold Villarosas culinary roots were planted in the lush bukid of Iloilo City. He immigrated to the U.S. as a child, living in the South Bronx. Harold has since emerged as a force in bringing Filipino cuisine to global prominence. His journey from a McDonalds employee to becoming an accomplished chef includes pivotal experiences at Michelin-starred establishments. Chef Harolds career leaped forward after his transformative stint at Noma, where he absorbed Rene Redzepis visionary approach. This experience laid the groundwork for roles at world-renowned venues like Per Se, Aureole and Batard, where Harolds blend of hustle and culinary innovation wrote a new chapter in his story of ascent in the gastronomic world. His fusion of Filipino cuisine with a touch of New York energy has landed him features in VICEs Munchies, the title of NY1s New Yorker of the Week. His work with Bon Appetit and McDonalds, coupled with his dedication to guiding future culinary talents, underscores his influential role in culinary innovation and honoring his heritage. He has appeared on Food Networks BBQ Brawl and emerged as a formidable pitmaster, showcasing his deft hand at low and slow BBQ techniques over a fiery 10-episode run. Under the watchful eye of BBQ legend Bobby Flay, Harold clinched an impressive second place, earning the title King of Filipino BBQ and marking him as a standout in the smoky, competitive world of barbecue. Are there any unique or locally sourced ingredients used in this drink? The drinks tapioca pearls are soaked in an espresso and brown sugar simple syrup to add a deep, layered coffee flavor to the drink. The Caffes house-made ricotta cheese is added last to the drink to add a bit of Italian flair and a unexpected layer of savory-sweet creaminess. How did you work to balance the flavors and create the perfect taste profile? Chef Harold transformed this traditional beverage in a few ways: First, by adding Mr. Espressos distinctive 24-hour cold brew to the drink along with a blend of coconut cream and condensed milk. Second, by cooking the tapioca pearls in an espresso and brown sugar simple syrup to add a deep, layered coffee flavor to the drink. Nata de coco (coconut jelly) is playing the role of the jelly. Finally, theres a slather of house-made ricotta to add an additional layer of savory-sweet creaminess. What kind of coffee is used in this drink? The Caffes signature cold brew is made with Organic Dark Roast Guatemala CODECH Womens Lot How much does it cost? $6.50 As with all of The Caffes collabs, 10% of the proceeds go to Oaklands Community Kitchens, which aims to build stronger and more resilient foodways to support and uplift marginalized community members, neighborhoods and businesses in Oakland, California. Thank you! https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/assange-case-highlighted-importance-of-protecting-free-speech-free-press---congressman-1119129038.html Assange Case Highlighted Importance of Protecting Free Speech, Free Press - Congressman Assange Case Highlighted Importance of Protecting Free Speech, Free Press - Congressman Sputnik International The US government's case against WikILeaks founder Julian Assange brought to light the importance of protecting free speech and freedom of the press in the United States, Congressman Paul Gosar's office said in a statement to Sputnik on Tuesday. 2024-06-25T20:39+0000 2024-06-25T20:39+0000 2024-06-25T22:18+0000 world assange freedom of speech free press julian assange us united kingdom (uk) australia wikileaks https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0e/1112582888_0:79:3363:1971_1920x0_80_0_0_3be8b3f2b6dfe89c77fa605bbbdc2528.jpg Earlier, WikiLeaks said that Assange had been released from prison in the United Kingdom and was flying to Australia. Court documents revealed that Assange was expected to plead guilty to US espionage charges as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Gosar's office added that although Assange will be free, he spent five unnecessary years in prison in the United Kingdom. The US Justice Department expects Assange's guilty plea and sentencing to happen on Wednesday morning at a federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a court document provided to Sputnik. Assange is expected to return to Australia at the conclusion of the proceedings, the Justice Department noted. Assange, an Australian citizen, was transferred to Londons high-security Belmarsh prison in April 2019 on bail breach charges. In the US, he faced prosecution under the Espionage Act for obtaining and disclosing classified information that shed light on war crimes and human rights violations committed by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/julian-assange-released-from-uk-prison-returning-home---wikileaks-1119112840.html united kingdom (uk) australia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International julian assange, julian assange plea deal, julian assange extradiction delayed, julian assange political persecution, julian assange kidnapped, julian assange murdered, jullian assange spied on, biden julian assange, julian assange first amendment, julian assange death penalty, freedom of speech, freedom of press, free press, prosecute assange, free assange, assange freed https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/assange-plea-deal-could-leave-dent-in-press-freedom-says-whistleblowers-friend-1119120733.html Assange Plea Deal Could Leave 'Dent in Press Freedom' Says Whistleblowers Friend Assange Plea Deal Could Leave 'Dent in Press Freedom' Says Whistleblowers Friend Sputnik International The plea deal for Julian Assange that allowed him to walk out of the UK prison raises some serious concerns regarding the effects on the free press, Andy Vermaut, Editor in Chief for Belgian Indegazette.be told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T17:19+0000 2024-06-25T17:19+0000 2024-06-25T17:19+0000 analysis julian assange wikileaks joe biden hillary clinton wikileaks wikileaks founder julian assange case 'vault 7': wikileaks exposes cia's global covert hacking program in largest ever leak https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119120914_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5478e6798d0241d9c31eaebb8b354519.jpg The plea deal for Julian Assange that allowed him to walk out of the UK prison raises some serious concerns regarding the effects on the free press, Andy Vermaut, Editor in Chief for Belgian Indegazette.be told Sputnik.If Assange is forced to agree to such things, it might end up paving the way for future journalists and whistleblowers to be prosecuted, Vermaut warned.Furthermore, the plea deal can be portrayed as a shift towards the right and away from human rights and justice.If this is a ploy by the Biden administration, it may appeal to liberal voters and those who support civil liberties. But this could be counterproductive if it is perceived as a calculated move rather than a move towards the principle of justice, said the pundit.Besides Biden hoping to gain political clout from the plea deal to woo voters ahead of the looming presidential debate with Trump, other geopolitical factors may have been at play, Vermaut speculated.'A Dent in Press Freedom'The fact that Assange has been obliged to plead guilty to something he didn't do may "make a dent in press freedom," Professor Stuart Rees, Australian academic, director of The Sydney Peace Foundation and and personal friend of Julian Assange, told Sputnik.He added that it is a reminder to journalists that "they should have stood up for Assange. As for the timing of the move, he speculated:According to the pundit, the Americans feared the embarrassment of their appeal for extradition being lost.The academic doubted that the plea deal would boost president Bidens chances that much in the upcoming election campaign debate with Trump, saying:Julian Assange left the UK's Belmarsh maximum security prison on June 24 having spent 1901 days there. After he was granted bail by the High Court in London, Assange boarded a plane and departed the UK. The plea hearing is expected to take place in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US Pacific territory.According to the whistleblower's wife, Stella, the deal involves her husband pleading guilty to a single charge that concerns the Espionage Act and obtaining and disclosing national defense information."The important thing here is that the deal involved time served, that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free," she told reporters.Assange had spent years fighting extradition to the United States which sought to prosecute him. In May 2019, the US government indicted Australian citizen Assange on 18 charges over WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents. Prosecutors claimed he conspired with US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer.Bombshell WikiLeaks RevelationsA year after Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 the whistleblower site peeled back the curtain on operating procedures for the US' Camp Delta detention camp at its Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The 238-page Army manual from 2003 revealed that the US military kept prisoners from Red Cross inspectors and held new prisoners in isolation for two weeks to make them more submissive.US Army Private First Class Chelsea Manning, an intelligence analyst in Iraq, provided WikiLeaks it in early 2010 with a wealth of incriminating material about US war crimes.Dubbed the "Collateral Murder" video, footage recorded by the gunsight of a US Apache helicopter released in April 2010 revealed its crew laughing as they murdered 18 Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters journalists in a 2007 Baghdad airstrike. The US military was shown to have lied about the incident to cover it up.75,000 Afghanistan war logs were published in July 2010. Disclosures revealed numerous friendly fire incidents in the country, and instances of the murder of Afghan civilians by US and allied forces.Dubbed the Iraq War logs, a trove of 391,832 secret reports were published in October 2010. The files detail at least 109,000 deaths in the Iraq war, including over 66,000 civilian deaths - more than the US previously acknowledged. Cases of torture and other abuses by coalition forces."Cablegate" refers to some 250.000 unredacted US diplomatic cables released in November 2010. Dating from December 1966 to February 2010, the cables included: shocking revelations about civilian deaths resulting from Washingtons military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan; secret drone strikes in Yemen; unflattering comments about world leaders; proof of eavesdropping and efforts to collect "biographic and biometric" information of key UN officials, etc.The Guantanamo Files, made public in April 2011, featured 779 secret documents from the US detention camp. The leak laid bare evidence of widespread use of torture, and rampant mental illness at the facility caused by inhumane treatment. The data showed that over 150 innocent Afghan and Pakistani civilians were detained and abused for years without any charges.The Global Intelligence Files related to Strategic Forecasting, Inc. (Stratfor) were published in 2012/ 2013. Over 5 million emails documented the "inner workings" and money laundering techniques of the private intelligence company that wielded a web of informers while advising US government agencies and corporations, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Defense Intelligence Agency.Americas global hacking activities were laid bare in February 2016. The US National Security Agency (NSA) was revealed to have been spying on world leaders, including then-UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, German chancellor of the time Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the last three French presidents.In the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks published 30,000 emails from then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's personal email account. Dating to her time as Secretary of State (20102014) they revealed her gross violation of State Department rules by using a private email server to receive emails potentially containing classified information. Further leaks pulled the veil off a DNCs scheme to undercut Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders in the party nomination race. Clinton blamed her loss in the 2016 race on the leak. Insights into the fabricated "Russia hacking" hoax to allege collaboration between Donald Trump and Russia triggered an investigation by US Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. An ensuing report failed to find any evidence of Russia -Trump collusion peddled by the Hillary Clinton campaign.From 2015 to 2016 WikiLeaks published draft chapters of multinational trade agreements negotiated in secret by the US, EU, and South Pacific countries. The leak on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the Trade in Services (TiSA) showed how corporate negotiators sought to influence two thirds of the global economy.In March 2017, WikiLeaks released leaks code-named "Vault 7." The huge document dump detailed how the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) resorted to sophisticated software tools and techniques to compromise smartphones, computers, for electronic surveillance and cyber warfare. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/julian-assange-released-from-uk-prison-returning-home---wikileaks-1119112840.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240523/julian-assanges-extradition-battle-a-tenuous-path-to-justice-1118594129.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20161128/wikileaks-us-1979-1047919270.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20200122/cia-waterboarding-developer-defends-torture-in-legal-battle-at-guantanamo---report-1078099184.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20150721/1024890279.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240424/why-russia-collusion-hoaxers-hillary-clinton-and-marc-elias-are-afraid-of-2024-trump-win-1118098251.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20190411/How-Wikileaks-Peeled-Back-Curtain-Statecraft-1074051680.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko julian assange, julian assange plea deal, julian assange reprieve, julian assange extradiction delayed, julian assange political persecution, julian assange kidnapped, julian assange murdered, jullian assange spied on, biden julian assange, julian assange first amendment, julian assange death penalty, freedom of speech, freedom of press, free press https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/assange-should-have-never-been-forced-to-accept-trumped-up-charge---codepink-1119125465.html Assange Should Have Never Been Forced to Accept Trumped-Up Charge - CODEPINK Assange Should Have Never Been Forced to Accept Trumped-Up Charge - CODEPINK Sputnik International WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a "giant of journalistic integrity" who should have never been forced to accept a trumped-up charge under the US Espionage Act in exchange for freedom, co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK Medea Benjamin told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T14:57+0000 2024-06-25T14:57+0000 2024-06-25T14:57+0000 world julian assange united kingdom (uk) wikileaks us espionage act medea benjamin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/16/1116920861_0:57:3072:1785_1920x0_80_0_0_70656c345ff22214077378a3ccde27f1.jpg "While Julian pleads guilty to espionage, a trumped-up charge he should never have been forced to accept, we uphold him as a giant of journalistic integrity," Benjamin said. On Monday, WikiLeaks said that Assange had been released from prison in the United Kingdom and departed the country. Court documents revealed that he is expected to plead guilty to US espionage charges as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The trial will be held on Wednesday on Saipan island at the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a self-governing commonwealth of the United States. Benjamin pointed out that she and her organization, CODEPINK, are thrilled at the news that Assange is regaining his freedom after the 14-year torturous ordeal. "Without Julian Assanges critical journalism, the world would know a lot less about war crimes committed by the United States and its allies," Benjamin said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240523/julian-assanges-extradition-battle-a-tenuous-path-to-justice-1118594129.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International wikileaks founder julian assange, what did julian assange do, why is julian assange in jail, julian assange released, julian assange trial https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/filipino-lawmakers-want-investigation-into-alleged-us-anti-vax-campaign-1119115128.html Filipino Lawmakers Want Investigation Into Alleged US Anti-Vax Campaign Filipino Lawmakers Want Investigation Into Alleged US Anti-Vax Campaign Sputnik International Lawmakers in the Philippines are pushing for an investigation into allegations that the US ran a misinformation campaign in Asia to cast doubt on the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine and PPE from China. 2024-06-25T06:18+0000 2024-06-25T06:18+0000 2024-06-25T06:18+0000 world joe biden philippines china reuters sputnik us military covid-19 vaccination anti-vaccination https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/07/12/1083408353_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2d7d52d485afc9f7af138aa314ce7b00.jpg The undercover campaign, also first reported by Reuters citing former US military officials, reportedly started in the Philippines before spreading to other Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The US campaign reportedly used fake social media accounts impersonating locals to spread misinformation about the Sinovac vaccine and doubt the effectiveness of tests and masks coming from China.Rather than being based on any real concerns about Sinovac or the effectiveness of Chinese masks and tests, the campaign was reportedly designed to lessen Chinese influence in those countries.Just to look at the numbers, you know, when they started this campaign. Let's go back to April 2020, they had about 20 new cases a day and 315 total deaths. A year later, in the summer, they had 400 people dying every day in the Philippines and over 38,000 deaths. So, I mean, that's a death toll comparable to waging a major war, Noh argued.The Philippines was among the worst-hit countries in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic, and authorities had difficulties getting people vaccinated. According to Reuters, Filipino Senator and chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Imee Marcos and House Representative France Castro filed resolutions in the Philippine Congress earlier this week that will initiate a probe for an investigation into the allegations.According to Reuters, the inquiry will be designed to determine the ramifications of the actions of the US Military, any potential breach of international law by the United States of America, and the possible legal recourse available to the Philippines, considering that such [an] anti-vax and misinformation campaign threatens national security.The United States has been trying to strengthen its military cooperation with the Philippines, in part to challenge China in the South China Sea. In 2014, the US and the Philippines signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (ECDA), which gave the US control of five military bases in the Philippines in 2016 and another four under an expansion in 2023. In March, US President Joe Biden hosted his counterparts from the Philippines and Japan for the first trilateral US-Japan-Philippines leaders summit.It is not clear how or if the allegations will affect that relationship. The EDCA can be canceled by either party with a one-year notice.It's very similar to what happened to Nord Stream. No matter what happens to our 'ally,' we don't care about what those costs are, said Noh. The US, you know, never ceases to astound in the kind of depravity that it seems to stoop to. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240524/philippines-opens-new-surveillance-station-near-taiwan-amid-us-led-militarization-1118612217.html philippines china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino us misinformation campaign about covid, anti-vax campaign in asia, covid misinformation in the philippines, us spreading covid fud, polical bias, anti-chinese bias, anti-vaccination, anti-chinese sentiment, sinovac A 44-year-old woman in California is heading to trial for allegedly battering her ex-boyfriend to death with a frying pan, leaving his nose and eye socket "obliterated," according a report. Trista Ann Spicer is accused of smashing a frying pan into the head of 42-year-old Eric Israel Mercado, her ex-boyfriend at the time of the murder, before slitting his throat with a box cutter. On Friday, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge William Jefferson Powell ordered that Spicer, who has been in police custody since her arrest in 2022, be tried on one count of murder with an enhancement for use of a deadly weapon in the killing of Mercado, according to Law & Crime. According to San Bernadino police, Mercado had been missing since 2014, until detectives with the San Bernadino Police Department recieved a tip about human remains being hidden on a nearby property. A search warrant was immediately issued for a property in the 1400 block of E. Davidson Street, where a "makeshift tomb" was discovered on the property. Investigators determined Spicer was responsible for Mercado's death based on the evidence collected during the investigation, police said, and she was taken into custody on September 2, 2022, in Yucaipa, California. Spicer's hearing on Friday centered around the testimony of her most recent boyfriend, Waylan Gentry, who confirmed that he was the one who went to police with information regarding Mercado's whereabouts, according to Law & Crime. Gentry claimed that Spicer spoke to him about moving from California to Illinois, where she had family, but had one important matter to address before she could leave. The task he revealed was to help Spicer "get rid" of her dead ex-boyfriend. "I didn't know what she meant," Gentry said, according to court documents reviewed by the outlet. "She said he was buried under the stairs. I did not believe her." After looking to his mother for advice, Gentry decided to do the right thing by contacting the authorities. Upon searching the home, police found a hidden storage compartment that was about 8 feet wide, 6 feet high, and 3 feet deep. Mercado's body was found in the compartment wrapped inside a sliced air mattress. Perhaps the most gruesome detail comes from the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on the victim. The medical official told police that Mercado's nose and eye socket appeared to have been "obliterated" and would have left him dead "within seconds." https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/hamas-insists-that-russia-be-one-of-guarantors-of-gaza-ceasefire-1119118586.html Hamas Insists on Russia Being One of Gaza Ceasefire Guarantors Hamas Insists on Russia Being One of Gaza Ceasefire Guarantors Sputnik International The Palestinian movement Hamas insists that Russia should be one of the guarantors of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Hamas political bureau deputy head Musa Abu Marzouk told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T07:27+0000 2024-06-25T07:27+0000 2024-06-25T11:04+0000 world russia peace peace deal gaza strip israel hamas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/08/1118329569_0:160:3073:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_ab228e38509c00ed278489635dfe92cc.jpg "We still insist that Russia be the guarantor of such a ceasefire agreement, because obviously the United States is on the side of Israel ... Russia's position is fairer, more acceptable to all sides, and it is ready to act in this direction. We want to put an end to the hegemony of the United States and its one-sided influence on the Palestinian issue," Marzouk said.There is no progress in negotiations on a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian movement Hamas has not received a response to its amendments to the text of the document, Marzouk said.Hamas does not ask Russia for military assistance, Hamas political bureau deputy head Musa Abu Marzouk added."No, we did not ask for military assistance. The war is going on in Gaza, Gaza is producing its own weapons for close combat, and, so far, we believe that we can manage on our own for this kind of fighting," Marzouk said.Marzouk has arrived in Russia for meetings at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240610/unsc-adopts-us-drafted-resolution-welcoming-proposal-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-1118898188.html russia gaza strip israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International palestinian movement hamas, guarantors of the ceasefire in the gaza strip, russia be one of guarantors https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/is-netanyahu-trying-to-switch-biden-for-trump-1119112007.html Is Netanyahu Trying to Switch Biden for Trump? Is Netanyahu Trying to Switch Biden for Trump? Sputnik International US President Joe Biden has been Israel's biggest supporter on the world stage, but is he hoping someone even more supportive will be elected to the White House come November? 2024-06-25T02:00+0000 2024-06-25T02:00+0000 2024-06-25T04:01+0000 benjamin netanyahu donald trump joe biden hamas world israel rafah republican fault lines palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0e/1080160212_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_0a70cd6b9641825c329ae344452b94c4.jpg Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on his social media accounts, criticizing the White House for allegedly withholding weapon shipments to his country.During World War II, Churchill told the United States, Give us the tools, well do the job. And I say, give us the tools, and well finish the job a lot faster, Netanyahu said.Since October 7, more than 100 military aid transfers have been sent by the United States to Israel, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The administration of President Joe Biden has also supported Israel on the international stage, vetoing multiple UN Security Council resolutions on behalf of Israel and voting with Israel in the UN General Assembly.Nevertheless, Netanyahu is willing to criticize his most adamant supporter on the world stage in hope that his possible replacement, Republican candidate and former US President Donald Trump, will be even more supportive.Biden is Netanyahus lapdog will do anything he wants, explained author and journalist Robert Fantina on Sputnik's Fault Lines. [But] Netanyahu knows that Trump will do even more if he becomes president again.Biden has occasionally used language critical of Israels tactics and delayed one shipment that included 2,000lbs bombs before Israel invaded Rafah, but the vast majority of shipments continued unabated and Biden has continually stressed that he supports Israel.On the other hand, Donald Trump was extremely supportive of Israel while in office. He moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move so appreciated by Israelis that they named an illegal settlement after the former President in Golan Heights. However, Trump has occasionally criticized Netanyahu, souring on him after the Prime Minister called to congratulate Biden on his 2020 presidential election win.He has also occasionally criticized Israels tactics in Gaza, but largely focused on the perception it created, rather than the plight of Palestinians suffering under those tactics.In March, Trump told an Israeli media outlet that Israel made a very big mistake by publicizing its actions in Gaza. I wanted to call [Israel] and say dont do it. These photos and shots. I mean, moving shots of bombs being dropped into buildings in Gaza. And I said, Oh thats a terrible portrait, Trump said, adding later that Israel needs to improve its press relations tactics. Theyre being hurt very badly, I think in a public relations sense.Fantina argues that this isnt a sign that Trump would reign in Netanyahu, but rather advocate for the policy of General von Moltke of Prussia (not to be confused with his nephew of the same name who led the German army in World War I), who argued that, The greatest kindness in war is to bring it to a speedy conclusion, a philosophy that argues a brutal short war is preferred to a long war fought in a restrained way.Theyve got to finish what they started, and theyve got to finish it fast, and we have to get on with life, Trump said in another interview in April.It has been postulated by many observers that Netanyahu was in a tenuous position both politically and legally before October 7 and the war has kept his political enemies at bay, so he may not be in any hurry to finish the war. However, Netanyahu may believe he can more easily manipulate Trump. Republican voters remain far more supportive of Israel than Democrats, so while Biden has occasionally offered criticisms of Israel to pacify segments of his base, Trump would have no such hangups.[Biden] has said things like Israels bombardment has been over the top he used that expression once. I dont think Trump would ever say that, speculated Fantina. He would say this is a job that needs to be done and these terrorists need to be destroyed and wouldnt put any breaks whatsoever verbally or as far as shipments are concerned to Israel.Biden presented a ceasefire deal on May 31, claiming at the time that it was authored by the Israelis, but Israeli officials have declined to confirm that they wrote the deal. On Monday, Netanyahu claimed that Israel was "committed" to the deal but also said that there would be no permanent ceasefire, a major component of the deal seen as non-negotiable by Hamas. We are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas, Netanyahu said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240404/biden-tells-netanyahu-us-gaza-policy-to-depend-on-israel-minimizing-civilian-harm-1117744781.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/why-israel-is-unprepared-for-war-with-hezbollah--1119110100.html world israel rafah Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino netanyahu and trump, does netanyahu want biden gone, what does biden think of netanyahu, is netanyahu friends with biden, will trump support israel, genocide https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/japan-to-host-joint-military-drills-with-germany-france-spain-in-july-1119121074.html Japan to Host Joint Military Drills With Germany, France, Spain in July Japan to Host Joint Military Drills With Germany, France, Spain in July Sputnik International apan Air Self-Defense Force will host a joint military exercise with the armed forces of Germany, France and Spain from July 19-25, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said on Tuesday. 2024-06-25T12:56+0000 2024-06-25T12:56+0000 2024-06-25T12:56+0000 military asian version of nato japan germany france nato fumio kishida https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/06/14/1083192954_0:161:3069:1887_1920x0_80_0_0_04ddc46836676889c2ed5716f59c6ee6.jpg The joint drills with France will take place at an air base in the Ibaraki Prefecture, while the exercises with Germany and Spain will be held in the Hokkaido Prefecture, where separate drills with Germany will also take place, the minister said.Japan has held joint military drills with 14 countries in less than six months this year, which is twice as many as during the same period last year, with the number of drills held near Japan approaching 30. Japanese media speculate that the increased activity is due to the West's interest in Taiwan in light of China's growing power, as any conflict in the region could have a detrimental effect on semiconductor supplies. Since 2022, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to NATO summits twice. He is expected to attend this year's summit as well.Russian officials have previously stated that the United States is working towards setting up an "Asian NATO" with Japan and South Korea as its linchpin members. This scheme is being portrayed as a means to counter North Korea, however, the underlying motive behind this proposed alliance is aimed at obstructing the peaceful pursuits of both Russia and China within the Asia-Pacific region. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240619/north-korea-shunned-for-decades-welcomed-into-new-multipolar-world-1119029032.html japan germany france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International asian version of nato, japan drills, japan military, japan self-defense, deterring china, aukus, us in asia-pacific https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/julian-assange-released-from-uk-prison-returning-home---wikileaks-1119112840.html Julian Assange Released From UK Prison, Returning Home - WikiLeaks Julian Assange Released From UK Prison, Returning Home - WikiLeaks Sputnik International WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in the United Kingdom and is flying to Australia, WikiLeaks said. 2024-06-25T00:14+0000 2024-06-25T00:14+0000 2024-06-25T01:05+0000 world julian assange united kingdom (uk) us department of justice wikileaks free press freedom of press us us hegemony government surveillance https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119112683_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_b5d693a60a1129c6a8d8fddc282ba376.png Earlier in the day, court documents revealed that Assange is expected to plead guilty to a US espionage charge as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The statement confirmed reports that Assange has a deal with the US Department of Justice, which is yet to be formally finalized. Assange, an Australian citizen, was transferred to London's high-security Belmarsh prison in April 2019 on bail breach charges. In the US, he faced prosecution under the Espionage Act for obtaining and disclosing classified information that shed light on war crimes and human rights violations committed by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240521/rot-in-jail-assange-granted-appeal-hearing-while-us-drags-its-feet-1118550922.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International julian assange, julian assange plea deal, julian assange reprieve, julian assange extradiction delayed, julian assange political persecution, julian assange kidnapped, julian assange murdered, jullian assange spied on, biden julian assange, julian assange first amendment, julian assange death penalty, freedom of speech, freedom of press, free press https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/kishinev-prepares-bill-allowing-to-block-websites-social-media-accounts---opposition-1119124587.html Chisinau Prepares Bill Allowing to Block Websites, Social Media Accounts - Opposition Chisinau Prepares Bill Allowing to Block Websites, Social Media Accounts - Opposition Sputnik International Moldovan authorities are preparing a bill that will allow the blocking of websites, channels and accounts on social media, a spokesman for Moldovan opposition political bloc Podeda (Victory), Veaceslav Jukov, said on Tuesday. 2024-06-25T13:53+0000 2024-06-25T13:53+0000 2024-06-25T14:33+0000 world moldova maia sandu russia european union (eu) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/07/1110177104_0:185:2985:1864_1920x0_80_0_0_a8566915433a8e42f4a4e03b11cdcd60.jpg Earlier in the day, the countrys authorities annulled a broadcasting license held by Moldovas Media Resurse company which owned two Russian language broadcasters, Orhei TV and TV6, Moldovan news outlet NewsMaker reported. In 2023, Moldovan authorities blocked access to 31 websites, including 21 managed from Russia, saying that they had been used in an "information war" against Kishinev. Apart from the Russian information sources, Kishinev has also banned websites of Moldovan broadcasters Orizont TV, Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2, and Canal 3, among others. Earlier in 2023, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that Moldova would create a national center for informational defense and combating propaganda symbolically named Patriot, which would protect Moldovan citizens from disinformation and manipulation at a national level. The new center will counter Russia's alleged information attacks as well as deal with "traitors to the homeland" who are allegedly blocking Moldova's attempts to integrate into the European Union, Sandu added. moldova russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moldova crackdown, moldova crackdown free speech, moldova political persecution, moldova west, moldova opposition https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/north-korean-leader-to-visit-russia-when-all-conditions-are-right---moscow-1119113989.html North Korean Leader to Visit Russia 'When All Conditions Are Right' - Moscow North Korean Leader to Visit Russia 'When All Conditions Are Right' - Moscow Sputnik International North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia will take place when "all the necessary conditions are right" and the basis for signing documents will be developed, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T02:02+0000 2024-06-25T02:02+0000 2024-06-25T02:32+0000 world kim jong un vladimir putin strategic partnership russia north korea sanctions putin-kim jong un meeting https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119113829_0:0:2813:1583_1920x0_80_0_0_6e2d7005439f7f96d0fbe4533d6b12f6.jpg On June 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he expects Kim Jong Un to make a reciprocal visit to Moscow. On June 19, Putin and Kim signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement that aims to serve as a roadmap for future bilateral cooperation in all spheres. The document on comprehensive partnership provides, among other things, for mutual military assistance in case of aggression against one of the participants. The Russian president also denounced the "indefinite restrictions regime" imposed on North Korea by the UN Security Council (UNSC), which includes an arms embargo, as "orchestrated by the US" and called for it to be revised. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240622/putins-visits-to-north-korea-vietnam-show-failure-of-us-policy---ambassador-1119056881.html russia north korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International north korea, kim jong un, russia-north korea ties, russia-north korea relations, putin-kim meeting, putin-un meeting, putin-kim talks, putin-un talks, russia-north korea talks, russia-north korea negotiations, comprehensive partnership https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/pepe-escobar-brics-cities-unite-in-kazan-ushering-in-new-era-of-cooperation-1119119664.html Pepe Escobar: BRICS+ Cities Unite in Kazan, Ushering in New Era of Cooperation Pepe Escobar: BRICS+ Cities Unite in Kazan, Ushering in New Era of Cooperation Sputnik International The idea, by Kazan mayor Ilsur Metshin, was as simple as quite revolutionary. Why not profit from the year of the Russian presidency of BRICS with the first BRICS + summit taking place in Kazan next October to come up with a new association uniting BRICS+ cities? 2024-06-25T14:10+0000 2024-06-25T14:10+0000 2024-06-25T14:10+0000 russia ilsur metshin vladimir putin kazan china russia brics kremlin volga saint petersburg https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119124841_476:275:3190:1802_1920x0_80_0_0_6a258137408d6dbdbe34999f6a2684cf.jpg Mayor Metshin is a big fan of the development oh horizontal links between cities. Kazans experience in inter-municipal cooperation already spans over a quarter of a century, with places all over the world, and agreements on twinning relations struck with 71 cities.The objective of the new association is to advance closer cooperation on several fields from economy, culture and education to ecology, waste management and tourism. Like a giant city-to-city running dialogue based crucially, to quote comrade Xi Jinping, on peoples to peoples exchanges.Cue to this past long weekend in Kazan, when over 100 mayors, deputy mayors, heads of municipal associations and local government officials came to the magnificent Kazan City Hall for the first BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities forum.President Putin sent a special message to the opening ceremony, chaired by mayor Metshin, and featuring, among others, the mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavash, and Yang Dong, Vice-President of the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.BRICS members China, Iran, India, Brazil and South Africa sent the largest delegations to Kazan ranging from small cities among the Brazilians to important Iranian cities like Isfahan and Mashhad to a powerhouse like Harbin in China, the gateway to trading with the Russian Far East.The Argentina delegation whose new President, Javier Chainsaw Milei, declined to be part of BRICS included a true dissident, Juan Javier Willipan, the mayor of Moreno. The post-Soviet space was fully represented by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Azerbaijan.It was fascinating to watch interconnected interests voiced out of multiple latitudes, from the young vice-mayor of Tehran, Hamidreza Natanzi, to ultra-energetic Bernadia Tjandradevi, a native of Yogyakarta, Indonesias cultural capital and secretary-general of the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the United Cities and Local Governments.Cruisin the VolgaIt was more than fitting that the first step of a new, dynamic multilateral organization, with immense growth potential, should take place in Kazan, capital of Tatarstan, Russias window to the lands of Islam and 2024 BRICS+ capital.The rich history of the city founded in the late 13th century by Mongols/Tatars of the Golden Horde after they got rid of the Bulgar kingdom on the middle Volga spans everything from capital of an independent khanate, major trading center, and the capture in 1552 by Ivan IV (The Terrible) with the old Tatar fortress rebuilt as a Kremlin, to hosting Tolstoy and Lenin as students.So it was also fitting that the ultra-gracious, impeccably organized Kazan hosts would take the multinational BRICS+ crowd to a cruise in the Volga - the historic cradle of the Russian state.Along the way, I shared a table with Mikhail Solomentsev, an immensely cultured diplomat, African specialist and today the permanent representative of the Republic of Crimea to President Putin. Our deep dive on all things Crimea and beyond was a day before the US-guided ATACMS attack on Sevastopol.Our destination was the island town of Sviyazhsk, surrounded by rivers on all sides; the Pike, the Sviyaga and the Volga. The original settlement was founded in 1551 by Ivan IV as a fortress supporting Russian troops to advance and capture Kazan from the Golden Horde.Sviyazhsk is immensely precious starting with the Archeological Timber Museum, where the original village, preserved in mud, is now being restored, and all that coupled with a 21 meter-long mural of life in the village as it was, recreated by AI.The Assumption cathedral is enriched by fabulous 16thcentury frescoes, including a Saint Christopher with a Horses Head literally, which would have been off-limits in a Rome basilica.The icing on the Tatar cake was the Sabantuy a mix of Tatar folk holiday experience and agricultural fair: a sensorial psychedelic experience complete with the re-enactment of a Tatar epic, the Tale of Azamat, which centers on a horseback hero who cultivates the land and wins the daughter of a village head in a competition.Sabantuy in fact encapsulates classic Tatar values: land, family, hospitality, traditional customs all watched from above by Tengri, the sky god. Its all about harmony something that was instantly figured out by the BRICS+ crowd, and featured prominently when Putin, at the St. Petersburg forum, stressed the emergence of a multipolar, harmonic world.Now its up to BRICS+ cities, dozens, soon hundreds, and then thousands, to crosstalk and harmonize their development and problem-solving strategies. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240621/russias-kazan-hosts-brics-cities-forum-1119042143.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240118/how-the-west-was-defeated-1116245840.html kazan china russia saint petersburg iran brazil south africa crimea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Pepe Escobar https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101642/49/1016424943_868:0:3100:2232_100x100_80_0_0_a742038b05a1847ce42e71952e4994d5.jpg Pepe Escobar https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101642/49/1016424943_868:0:3100:2232_100x100_80_0_0_a742038b05a1847ce42e71952e4994d5.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Pepe Escobar https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101642/49/1016424943_868:0:3100:2232_100x100_80_0_0_a742038b05a1847ce42e71952e4994d5.jpg brics+ forum, brics summit, brics forum in kazan, brics enlargement, brics expansion, ethiopia joins brics, ethiopia in bricks, ethiopia becomes brics member, what countries are in brics, new brics members, what's brics, what does brics do, brics currency, brics payment system https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/putins-ukraine-peace-proposals-reasonable-assures-us-senate-hopeful-1119116308.html Putin's Ukraine Peace Proposals 'Reasonable', Assures US Senate Hopeful Putin's Ukraine Peace Proposals 'Reasonable', Assures US Senate Hopeful Sputnik International The recent peace proposals on Ukraine voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin are reasonable and not extreme, while the Ukraine summit hosted by Switzerland without Russias participation was a complete farce, independent candidate for the US Senate from New York Diane Sare told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T08:45+0000 2024-06-25T08:45+0000 2024-06-25T08:45+0000 world vladimir putin russia ukraine us peace process peace deal https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1c/1118655566_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_193aa1ed1fe0592d2635e365cb7d63d4.jpg "I think that what Putin put forward is actually rather reasonable because there were referenda in these new regions, the former Ukrainian oblasts. I know Russia has been investing a great deal in rebuilding and building to take care of the people living there," Sare said. "I was surprised, I think other people were surprised that he didn't say anything about taking Odessa. So, it's clear that his proposal is not an extreme proposal." Sare spotlighted the need for Ukraine's denazification as a reasonable request, acknowledging that it may be challenging due to the stance of certain NATO countries.Commenting on the Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine earlier this month, to which Russia was not invited, Sare called it a "complete farce." "Because you can't have negotiations without Russia. So that was really ridiculous," she stressed.In early June, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow would declare an immediate ceasefire and engage in negotiations with Ukraine once Kiev withdrew its troops from the new Russian territories and formally renounced its intention to join NATO. Putin emphasized that Russia was demanding a neutral, non-aligned, nuclear-free status for Ukraine, along with its demilitarization and denazification. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240615/putins-peace-proposals-on-ukraine-are-golden-opportunity--lifeline-1118974919.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian president vladimir putin, ukraine summit, putin's proposals https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/radiochemical-shipment-turn-ukraine-into-dumping-ground-for-hazardous-waste---mod-1119120607.html Radiochemical Shipments Turn Ukraine Into Dumping Ground for Hazardous Waste - MoD Radiochemical Shipments Turn Ukraine Into Dumping Ground for Hazardous Waste - MoD Sputnik International The radiochemical substances that Western countries continue to import into Ukraine can be used to create a "dirty bomb" with its subsequent use "under someone else's flag," Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical and biological defense troops, said on Tuesday. 2024-06-25T12:56+0000 2024-06-25T12:56+0000 2024-06-25T13:32+0000 world ukraine poland romania weapons of mass destruction (wmd) chemical weapons radiation https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107718/19/1077181976_0:107:1024:683_1920x0_80_0_0_bb46035158c287f1aba763acbb7dce6b.jpg The general said the US had created of a technical and legal framework which allows it to build up its biological-military capabilities in various regions of the world.The shipping of radiochemicals to Ukraine for disposal continues, with the main routes going through Poland and Romania, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration overseeing the shipments, Kirillov added.In 2023, the SBU asked the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences to study samples of chemical, radiological, nuclear and bioweapons and traces of their use, he added.During the special military operation, documents were obtained from the Ukrainian armed forces confirming the Kiev regime's interest in continuing work with weapons of mass destruction, Kirillov said.The organizational, logistical, and financial aspects of importing radiochemical substances into Ukraine are personally overseen by Andriy Yermak, the head of Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Kirillov said.The radiochemical substances that Western countries continue to import into Ukraine could be used to create a "dirty bomb" with its subsequent use under a "false flag," he warned.Kirillov also named new individuals suspected of working on components of weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine, including the country's chief medical officer Igor Kuzin.US military-biological presence in AfricaDocuments confirming the US military-biological presence in Africa is rapidly expanding have been uncovered, Kirillov stated, adding that the construction of a laboratory and training centre in Ethiopia has begun under a joint programme and with financial support from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).Employees of the US Army's Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a study on bat hantaviruses in Kenya in 2023, he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231128/russian-mod-fears-ukraine-may-resort-to-biological-warfare-following-counteroffensives-failure-1115260329.html ukraine poland romania Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International radiochemical shipment, ukraine into dumping ground for hazardous waste, russian armed forces, radiation https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/russia-is-going-to-start-taking-out-these-drones---analyst-1119114468.html Russia 'Is Going to Start Taking Out These Drones' - Analyst Russia 'Is Going to Start Taking Out These Drones' - Analyst Sputnik International On Sunday, five US-supplied ATACMS Missiles armed with cluster munitions targeted civilians in Sevastopol, killing two children and two adults and injuring 153 more. Later in the day, gunmen opened fire at two churches, a synagogue, and a traffic police post in Russias Dagestan Republic, killing at least 20. 2024-06-25T05:41+0000 2024-06-25T05:41+0000 2024-06-25T05:41+0000 analysis michael maloof dmitry peskov vladimir putin dagestan sevastopol ukraine cia kremlin nato https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119116637_0:0:3076:1731_1920x0_80_0_0_c73cd69d70acca479e41f467819ebf28.jpg Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. - Former US President, George W. Bush.Those words were spoken nine days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC. They were intended to unite the civilized world against the threat of global terrorism and they could never ring more hollow than they do today, following three near-simultaneous terrorist attacks on the Russian Federation, allegedly supported and funded by the same government that was attacked nearly 23 years ago.Following the Sevastopol attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused NATO nations of being behind the attack.As the attack on Sevastopol occurred, a US RQ-4 Global Hawk was flying over the Black Sea, just south of Crimea.On Monday, retired CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson told Sputnik that he suspects Western intelligence services are behind the Dagestan attacks as well. I dont think its just a coincidence that you had the attack in Sevastopol coincide with this series of attacks in Dagestan, he said. At a minimum, it would have been a CIA incitement. But you cant rule out there was actual contact training.Retired senior security analyst at the US Office of the Secretary of Defense Michael Maloof agreed that the attacks were likely connected to the West.Washingtons silence is a departure from the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack. After that event, Washington was slow to offer condemnation of the attack but eventually did. Russia also accused Ukraine and the West of being behind that attack.The use of terror is not a new tactic by the United States. The so-called shock-and-awe campaign in Baghdad targeted civilian infrastructure, killing more than 6,600 civilians in just the invasion portion of the Iraq War. Still, for decades, the US has at least publicly decried terrorism. That began to change when the US started supporting terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda*, in Syria. Suddenly, Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists, became If you are with us, you are not a terrorist.That policy has come into full force in Ukraine, where despite Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov admitting in an interview last year that Kiev was behind the terrorist assassinations of Russians, including a car bombing assassination of a Russian journalist, US President Joe Biden has continued to offer full support for the Kiev regime.The fact that a drone was there providing the intelligence and data, and the use of ATACMS missiles, which requires US participation, clearly shows the escalation by the United States now. Not only to give basically the green light in attacking civilians but also now what we saw in Dagestan, where we saw all of a sudden a rise up of terrorist activities once again in Dagestan, Maloof explained. It has a history of that, but its all calculated.Russian authorities have been reserved in their responses to previous Western escalations, but this one will require a significant response.I think its gonna be a step-by-step ratcheting up. I think were going to see a response to what happened in Crimea and even in Dagestan, now knowing where the fingerprints lie, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will probably make a decision to escalate with greater missile attacks inside of Ukraine, said Maloof, adding that he doesnt think Russia will go full blast trying to destroy Kiev.However, Maloof predicts that the Russian president will take a slow approach, ratcheting up very slowly.I think that hes also counting on [there to] be a change of government in the United States come November. So, I think hes sort of waiting that out, Maloof predicted.Now we have two [wars] within just this administration that have intensified to the point that we are on the brink of something much greater and much more serious than we have ever seen since World War II, he lamented earlier in the interview, referring to both Ukraine and Palestine.*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/us-involvement-in-sevastopol-attack-is-undeniable---russian-foreign-ministry-1119104859.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240405/terrorist-groups-ukraine-special-services-probed-for-involvement-in-crocus-attack---moscow-1117754079.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231225/russia-charges-ukraines-intel-chief-with-104-acts-of-terrorism-1115803497.html dagestan sevastopol ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino terrorist attack in russia, terrorist attack in dagestan, sevastopol attack, civilians targeted in crimea, us weapons used to bomb civilians, killings of civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilians dead, civilians die, ukraine kills civilians, civilian casualties, civilian deaths, indiscriminate shelling, indiscriminate killing, war crimes, us kills children, russian children, children die, ukraine kills children, ukraine loses, us weapons, atacms, himars, american terrorists, us-backed terrorists Human remains have been found inside a Texas wastewater collection point near missing college student Caleb Harris' apartment. There is no evidence yet that the remains are connected to the disappearance of Caleb Harris, 21, according to the Corpus Christi Police Department. CCPD Senior Officer Antonio Contreras said police responded at 3:31 p.m. after a city water employee found human remains in a wastewater collection point in Ennis Joslin, according to KIII-TV. The medical examiner will need to determine the identity of the victim, the police said. Harris was last seen by his roommates on March 4. The group, all of whom are students at Texas A&M, were at their off-campus apartment playing video games when they briefly went to the parking lot to play with a puppy belonging to the girlfriend of one of Harris' friends before returning to the apartment. By 2:20 a.m., the last of Harris' roommates had gone to sleep. Harris let them know he was staying up to place an UberEats order. Twenty minutes later, Harris sent a Snapchat video to his sister, appearing to show him walking the puppy through the apartment parking lot. He then sent a Snapchat photo of a bridge over a drainage ditch within a few hundred feet of the apartment entrance to a friend in San Antonio at around 3 a.m. By 11 a.m., Harris' roommates had discovered the unopened order at their doorstep. His pickup truck was still in the parking lot, and his keys and wallet were located in the apartment. Police said the roommates became concerned about Harris' whereabouts, noting he was a "homebody and a creature of habit," and reported him missing. Throughout their investigation, police have said there is no evidence of a struggle or foul play found within the apartment or in the immediate area. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/russia-says-expects-to-sign-comprehensive-cooperation-agreement-with-iran-soon-1119113009.html Russia Says Expects to Sign Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement With Iran Soon Russia Says Expects to Sign Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement With Iran Soon Sputnik International Russia expects to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iran in the nearest future, as the work on the text of the agreement is almost complete, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told Sputnik. 2024-06-25T00:35+0000 2024-06-25T00:35+0000 2024-06-25T00:58+0000 world russia iran cooperation russian foreign ministry military cooperation trade https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/15655/91/156559101_0:0:361:203_1920x0_80_0_0_5ef2684d59d808dfedbdfc96a04e7e3e.jpg "We expect that this agreement will be signed in the nearest future, as work on the text is already almost complete. All the necessary formulations have been found," Rudenko said. The main task for the two countries is to complete certain procedures related to the signing of such documents, the diplomat explained. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230920/russia-iran-cooperation-reaching-new-level---shoigu-1113515912.html russia iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia-iran cooperation, russia-iran agreement, russia-iran talks, russia-iran relations, russia supports iran, russia-iran trade https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/zelenskys-gamble-on-ukraine-entering-nato-distant-unlikely-pipe-dream-1119116453.html Zelensky's Gamble on Ukraine Entering NATO 'Distant, Unlikely' Pipe Dream Zelensky's Gamble on Ukraine Entering NATO 'Distant, Unlikely' Pipe Dream Sputnik International Ukraines potential future in NATO remains a distant prospect, no matter how much its leader Volodymir Zelensky might clamor for membership, underscored an article in The National Interest. 2024-06-25T06:38+0000 2024-06-25T06:38+0000 2024-06-25T07:15+0000 world ukraine nato nato enlargement russia-nato showdown vladimir putin volodymyr zelensky john kirby article 5 https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/19/1119115841_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d42b25996794db5115ab086afec26aa6.jpg Ukraines potential future in NATO remains a distant prospect, no matter how much Volodymir Zelensky might clamor for membership, underscored an article in The National Interest.Ukraine all but certainly wont be able to join the transatlantic alliance as long as hostilities with Russia continue, wrote Stavros Atlamazoglou.The very reason why Kiev has been persistently banging on NATOs door is also what stands in the way of its membership - Article 5, underscored the journalist. No matter how much support the US and its allies might extend to Ukraine, the alliance will seek to avoid immediate involvement in the ongoing hostilities, it was stressed.Despite Article 5, or the common defense clause, requiring every NATO country to come to the aid of another alliance member under attack by a state or non-state actor, it is not an automatic reaction, he clarified. The transatlantic alliance would have to assess the situation first.Article 5 of NATO's charter, which mandates collective defense, makes Ukraine's membership improbable while the conflict continues, as it would draw NATO into direct conflict with Russia, wrote the author.The neo-Nazi Kiev regime may be eyeing the upcoming NATO July summit in Washington for some breakthrough on the issue but that wont happen. It is extremely unlikely that the summit will produce concrete progress on the issue of Ukraine becoming the 33rd NATO member state, concluded the author of the publication.He also reeled off a series of remarks offered up by US and NATO officials that confirm this."The President believes firmly that NATO is in Ukraine's future at some point," US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a recent press conference. But first, Ukraine "has to win the war with Russia," he added on June 17.In fact, US President Joe Biden said he was not prepared for the NATO-isation of Ukraine, in an interview with Time Magazine recently. Peace doesn't mean NATO, he said. He also acknowledged witnessing "significant corruption" in Ukraine on visits there during his term as vice president. Instead of NATO entry, the Kiev regime will have to settle for security guarantees."In effect, a plethora of US academics, legal experts and lawmakers have underscored in a series of publications that Ukraine's potential membership in the alliance wouldn't guarantee it more assistance than it enjoys today, even if Article 5 is invoked. They highlighted that the language of the treaty specifies that it is the responsibility of NATO member states and their legislatures to decide if and how they will come to the aid of other member countries.Last June, Senator Rand Paul addressed the issue of Article 5's common defense provision to underscore that "an attack on one is an attack on all" does not automatically trigger a US military response."The Constitution grants to Congress the sole authority to determine where and when we send our sons and daughters to fight. We cannot delegate that responsibility to the president, the courts, an international body, or our allies," Paul said.Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that Moscow considers Ukraine's continued non-aligned status vital to ending the years-long conflict. Kievs stated goal of joining the US-led alliance was among the Russia's reasons for launching its special military operation in February 2022.On June 14, 2024, Putin said that Russia would halt its military operation and begin negotiations with Ukraine as soon as Kiev ordered troops out of the Russia-controlled territories and abandoned plans to join NATO. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240621/west-expects-conflict-to-end-in-ukraine-out-of-nato-russia-retaining-gains---reports-1119049701.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240623/why-article-5-wont-save-ukraine-if-kiev-joins-nato-1119079025.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko ukraine nato membership, will ukraine join nato, why does ukraine wants to join nato, ukraine nato bid, nato summit in july 2024, article 5, limits to article 5, article 5 of north atlantic treaty does not automatically trigger military response, what is article 5 of north atlantic treaty, russia, ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian conflict, war in ukraine, ukraine nato membership, russia-ukraine peace The Greenshoe Filly Youhadmeathalo went a robust mile on the 14-race Kentucky Sire Stake (KYSS) day at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday, June 24, matching the track record for three-year-old trotting fillies in the $54,795 division. Driver Marvin Luna pushed forward with Youhadmeathalo before yielding the lead to Du Maurier (Todd McCarthy) past a :27.4 first quarter. Luna found himself shuffled to third as Green Mercedes (Andy Miller) circled forward to lead the field to a :56.4 half. Moving for the backside, Luna angled Youhadmeathalo first over and came in earnest before inheriting the lead when Green Mercedes broke stride past three-quarters in 1:25.2. Youhadmeathalo extended her lead all through the lane to post a 5-1/4-length win over rallying The Roxbury (David Miller) with Du Maurier third and Bonn (Peter Wrenn) finishing fourth. Her 1:53 mile equalled the track record set in 2022 by Blue Bayou Deo and matched in 2023 by Mambacita. Dewayne Minor trains Youhadmeathalo for owner Beentheredonethat Racing. She won her fifth race from 23 tries and has now earned $79,540. Youhadmeathalo paid $14.06 to win. Two other KYSS divisions went on the card. Tove Palema (Andy Miller, 1:55 winning mile; $2.46 to win) won the opening division with a quarter-move to the lead and Woman Of Passion (David Miller, 1:53.1; $2.18) later followed suit with a similar trip to victory. Julie Miller trains Tove Palema, a daughter of Walner, for owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Patrick Hoopes and Mortgage Boys Stable. Woman Of Passion, also a daughter of Walner, is trained by Carter Pinske for owner-breeder Al Libfeld. The fastest of the three KYSS divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings came from 6-5 favourite Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy) when he bolted off a pocket trip to a 1:50 win. McCarthy secured the trail seat through a :26.2 first quarter from Courtship (Yannick Gingras) and stayed put through middle fractions of :54.3 and 1:22.3 before pouncing off the bottom corner to a 1-3/4-length win. Copperfield (David Miller) closed for third and Women Layer (Todd McCarthy) finished fourth. Tony Alagna trains Better Is Nice, a colt by Bettors Wish, for owners Alagna Racing LLC, Pryde Stables and Birnam Wood Farms. He won his eighth race from 17 starts and has now banked $641,166. Better Is Nice paid $4.44 to win. Arson (Scott Zeron, 1:50.4; $4.54) pounced off a second-over trip in the first division for sophomore pacing colts and geldings to just land a head win over Dancin Champion (David Miller). Total Stranger (Yannick Gingras, 1:52; $2.28) later went pillar to post to win by a length over Steely Knife (David Miller). Eric Patalan trains Arson for owners Thestable Arson Group and Hutchison Harness LLC while Nancy Takter conditions Total Stranger for owners Mitchell Friesen, Caviart Farms and Chuck Pompey. Lindys Coyotito (Andy Miller) got top honours from the pair of KYSS divisions for sophomore trotting colts and geldings with a 1:53.3 pocket-popping win. Securing the trip behind Naked Cowboy (Anibal Borjas) after a :27.3 first quarter, Lindys Coyotito followed suit through middle sectionals of :55.4 and 1:24.4 before striking the blow in the lane to win by three-quarter lengths over fast-closing Memorynimagination (Scott Zeron) and International Law (Atlee Bender). A colt by Chapter Seven, Lindys Coyotito won his fourth race from 10 starts and has now earned $69,589 for owners Andy Miller Stable, Panda Monium Stable and Lindy Farms of Connecticut. Julie Miller trains the $7.22 winner. Crown Monarch (Andy McCarthy, 1:54.1; $33.78) nailed tempo-setter Pick Pocket (Scott Zeron) and waded the persistent Hung Over (Marvin Luna) in the other division to score as the longest shot on the board. Per Engblom trains the Father Patrick colt for Engblom Stable LLC, Amos Lengacher and Tomas Andersson. Realmenwearblu (Yannick Gingras) rolled in the lone KYSS split for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Gingras got an easy lead and strolled unfazed through a clip of :29, :58.2 and 1:27 to win by 1-1/4 lengths over rough-gaited Got Bourbon (Todd McCarthy). Nancy Takter trains the son of Tall Dark Stranger for owners Nancy Takter, Patrick Hoopes, R A W Equine Inc. and Rojan Stables. He paid $3.18 to win. Skywalker Sea (Yannick Gingras) later demolished her competition to make a winning debut in the lone KYSS division for two-year-old pacing fillies. The filly by Downbytheseaside seized the lead after a :57 half and kicked away from her peers to a 10-length victory in 1:53 with High Proff (Todd McCarthy) holding second from a fast-closing Hip Shot (Scott Zeron). Todd Luther conditions the Greg Luther Racing LLC homebred, who paid $3.60 to win. World By Storm (Brandon Bates) won the faster of the two KYSS divisions for two-year-old trotting colts with a front-stepping win in 1:55.4. The Mike Hollenback trainee strolled to the lead past a :29.1 first quarter and coasted through a :58.4 half and 1:27.4 three-quarters before wading off the late charge of Memento Mori (Scott Zeron) by a half length. Hollenback also owns the Tactical Landing colt, who paid $7.52 to win. Goo Goo Gone (Andy McCarthy, 1:58; $7.92) won the other KYSS division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Chris Beaver trains and co-owns the Googoo Gaagaa colt with Martin Yoder. Stacking Green (Yannick Gingras) broke stride in late stretch but came to quickly enough to hold the win in 1:56.2 in the faster KYSS division for freshman trotting fillies. The Todd Luther trainee circled to the lead past a :29.2 first quarter and cruised through a :59.1 half and 1:27.4 three-quarters until making a bobble in late stretch. Losing ground and veering inside, Stacking Green regained stride in the final yards and just hit the beam a neck better than pocket-sitter Sound Judgement (Jim Oscarsson). Greg Luther Racing LLC owns the Greenshoe filly, who paid $5.34 to win. Yo Tillie (Verlin Yoder, 1:57.1; $5.92) powered first over off a pocket trip to victory in the other KYSS division for two-year-old trotting fillies. Verlin Yoder owns and trains the daughter of Tactical Landing. Live harness racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday, June 25 with a 14-race card starting at 3 p.m. (CDT). Tuesday's card features four $150,000 USD finals of the KYSS for four-year-olds. Free program pages for every race day, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available on the Oak Grove Racing website. (Oak Grove) Winbak Farm has reported that retired broodmare Sass Newton passed away on June 11, 2024 at the age of 30. A 38-time winning daughter of Storm Compensation, Sass Newton, p, 2, 2:03.4h; 3, 2:00.1f; 1:51s ($609,109) was residing at Winbak Farm of Maryland at the time of her passing. Sass Newton was a great race mare that also had an excellent broodmare career, said Joe Thomson, Winbak Farm Owner. We purchased her in 2011, after she was already a proven producer, and she produced some very nice Winbak Farm-bred performers, including millionaire Newborn Sassy. Sass Newtons offspring have earned $2,571,772. Sass Newton was the dam of 10 winners, including Adioo Volo Stakes winner Newborn Sassy, p, 2, 1:51.1f; 1:50 ($1,104,975), James Lynch Memorial winner Ideal Newton, p, 2, Q2:02.1h; 3, 1:50.2f; 1:49.4f ($629,533), Isaac Newton, p, 3, 1:53.2; 1:51.3f ($367,090), and Smart Rokker, p, 3, 1:54.1h; 1:50.1f ($300,666). Sass Newton produced four winners of $100,000, said Jack Burke, General Manager. I am glad that her legacy continues with her daughters who have already produced several winners. Sass Newtons daughter, Newborn Sassy, is the dam of Sir Issac Newton, p, 2, 1:52.4f; 3, 1:50.3f -'23 ($150,578) and Ideal Newton is the dam of Closing Statement, p, 2, 1:50.4s; 1:49.1f ($545,175) and Inverse Hanover, p, 3, 1:52.2; 1:49.2 ($366,541). Sass Newton is also the granddam of Indictable Hanover, p, 3, 1:49.4s ($346,051), So Diva, p, 2, 1:55.3s; 3, 1:52s; 1:51.3s ($227,453), and Lady Newton, p, 2, 1:54f; 3, 1:51.2f; 1:50.4f ($265,237). Sass Newton will be missed, but we look forward to continuing her strong pedigree through her daughter, Philly Sass, said Thomson. Winbak Farm owns Philly Sass in partnership with Jim and JoAnn King and we hope that she will be as great of a producer as her dam was. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Sass Newton. (With files from Winbak Farm) The grandmother of an allegedly abused girl found dead with bite marks said her granddaughter's accused killer deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison, living "with the guilt" of the 4-year-old's grisly murder. In order for a sliver of justice to be served for little Octavia Aquino, Linda Alvarez suggested 16-year-old Christian Gonzalez would need to be locked up until he dies, mulling over the painful death he purportedly inflicted upon her innocent grandchild. "He would have to live with the guilt that he took this beautiful little girl away from us and didn't give her the chance to live the life that she deserved," Alvarez told HNGN during an interview Tuesday. Gonzalez has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Octavia's death earlier this month, after she was found unresponsive at the Evansville, Indiana, home she shared with her alleged killer, his girlfriend and her mother Destiny Rhoades, 23, and three other female roommates, according to police. On June 14, officers responding to a call of a medical emergency at the residence found Octavia unresponsive and "cold to the touch" while her mom was at work, according to police. She never regained consciousness and died two days later at the hospital. "I remember seeing my little grandbaby there, and she looks like she's asleep, but she has all this stuff hooked up to her and wrapped around their head," Alvarez recalled of rushing to the hospital. "And there's bruises all over her. There's bruises on her face, there's bruises around her neck, and there's bite marks all over her arm." "Who would do this to a baby and why? What could she have possibly done to make you mad enough to do this?" the grieving grandmother cried. Gonzalez allegedly admitted to biting Octavia, but only after accusing the 4-year-old of initiating the attack. "I know that's a lie because Octavia wasn't mean at all," Alvarez said. "She was just my little ray of sunshine." Octavia died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck, according to the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office, WFIE-TV reported. Gonzalez has not yet entered a plea to the murder charge. Rhoades pleaded not guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Already on probation for distributing drugs, a Wytheville woman was convicted of three new drug crimes last week and sentenced to prison. Amanda Lee Thomas, 42, pleaded guilty on June 20 to three counts of possessing drugs (methamphetamine and cocaine) with the intent to distribute. As part of a plea agreement, Thomas was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison and will be on supervised probation for two years after her release. She also agreed to forfeit $500 and will waive her Fourth Amendment protections while on probation. The defendant in these cases has been a known drug distributor for a number of years in Wytheville and Wythe County and taking her off the streets for this period of time will undoubtedly slow down the drug trade in our area, Commonwealths Attorney Mike Jones said after her hearing. I am thankful to the Virginia State Police and Wythe County Sheriffs Office for their work in these matters. In partnership with these agencies we are making a difference by keeping these narcotics off the streets and out of the hands of those they would harm. Thomas was also convicted on June 20 of violating her probation for an April 2023 drug distribution conviction. In 2023, she was given a 10-year suspended sentence as part of a plea agreement. According to a probation violation letter, Thomas, two days after her conviction, voluntarily admitted to using meth. The letter said state police searched her residence on May 25, 2023, and seized a significant amount of suspected meth. On June 1, 2023, probation officers and Wythe County Sheriffs Office investigators searched the residence again and reported finding more suspected meth and drug paraphernalia. The offense dates in Thomas three new charges were May 25 and June 1, 2023. Online court records show Thomas also has convictions for felony embezzlement, petit larceny, credit card larceny, felony shoplifting and multiple probation violations. Held without bond while awaiting trial, Thomas is in the New River Valley Regional Jail. Nurses at six Providence hospitals across the state who walked off the job last week returned to work Sunday but they still dont have a contract and the two sides dont have any negotiations scheduled. More than 3,000 nurses went on strike Tuesday at Providence St. Vincent near Beaverton, Providence Newberg, Providence Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Providence Medford, Providence Hood River and Providence Milwaukie. The three-day walkout ended Thursday evening but the hospital chain didnt call the striking nurses back for another two days. Providence said it had promised five days of work to the replacement nurses they called in for the strike. That meant Providence nurses didnt resume their scheduled shifts until Sunday morning. We are grateful for their return, and grateful for everyone who helped us continue to provide safe, excellent care during the past week for our patients and communities, Jennifer Burrows, chief executive of Providence Oregon, said in a statement Sunday. Last weeks walkout, which the union says was the biggest nurses strike in state history, came after nine months of contract negotiations had stalled between Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association. Contracts between Providence and union members have expired at all six sites and the two sides have been unable to craft a deal over wages, benefits and how to staff hospital units. The union said in a statement Saturday that its members are ready to return to the negotiating table in good faith. But Providence and the union dont have any talks scheduled. We have not yet had any word on bargaining dates, said Myrna Jensen, spokesperson for the Oregon Nurses Association. She said a bargaining session with management at Providence Medford scheduled for Monday had been canceled because no federal mediator was available. She said the hospital wants to push talks to the second half of July. On Monday, Providence spokesperson Gary Walker said the hospital chain is working toward scheduling new mediation sessions with the goal of reaching tentative agreements with our nurses at all six ministries. Following a strike, bargaining with the help of federal mediators is standard practice, Walker said. We know from past experience that mediation helps lead to resolution, and thats certainly our goal in the weeks ahead. The nurses are seeking better compensation and affordable health insurance plans, as well as assurances that Providence will enact minimum staffing rules. Union members last week said the hospital chains proposals are far below the staffing levels they seek. Hospital executives say they have made market-competitive offers across the six hospitals that would have increased average wages by 10% in the first year and roughly 18% over three years. Providence said most of its nurses work a 36-hour week that translates to an average of more than $125,000 a year. Oregons new safe staffing law, which took effect June 1, is a particular point of contention. It sets a ratio for the maximum number of patients a nurse is expected to care for under various hospital settings. It also requires hospitals to create staffing committees for nurses and other care providers. The union has accused the health system of violating the law by submitting staffing plans without the nurses approval. Providence said it is following the law and is working on staffing plans with guidance from the Oregon Health Authority. Jensen, the union spokesperson, said nurses could choose to go on strike again if a deal isnt reached. But nurses would have to vote to authorize another strike, she said. As to when that might be, it depends on when they can all get back to the bargaining table, Jensen said. And there could be more labor unrest in the officing at other Providence sites. Last year, about 1,300 nurses at Providence Portland Medical Center, 100 at Providence Seaside Hospital and another 400 at the health care giants home health and hospice operation held a five-day strike. Those nurses eventually reached a contract with the health system that included wage increases between 17% and 26% over two years, additional paid time off and assurances that Providence would comply with the new staffing law. But those contracts are set to expire at the end of the year, according to Jensen. She said the union has been asking Providence management to begin negotiations at those hospitals; the hospital chain says bargaining typically doesnt start until 90 days before the contract expires. Last week, the nurses union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Providence Portland, accusing the hospital for refusing to bargain in good faith. Beetel Teletech announced a strategic partnership with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a French leading provider of networking, communications, and cloud solutions tailored to customers industries. Under this collaboration, Beetel will be responsible for the overall distribution of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises diverse product portfolio, including its cutting-edge networking and communication solutions such as network switches, wireless access points, routers, and Hybrid Cloud & Collaboration service. The primary vision behind this partnership is to spearhead the development of critical verticals such as telecommunications, transportation, hospitality, healthcare, education, government, and manufacturing utilities in India. By combining Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises innovative technology solutions with Beetels extensive distribution network and industry expertise, the two companies aim to empower businesses and organizations across the country with advanced digital infrastructure and services. We are excited about our partnership with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a global leader in networking, cloud, and communications technology, said Mr. Sanjeev Chhabra, Managing Director & CEO, Beetel. This collaboration perfectly aligns with our mission to offer cutting-edge solutions that fuel digital transformation for our customers. By combining Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises world-class product portfolio with our deep understanding of the Indian market, we are well-equipped to deliver unmatched value to enterprises across various critical sectors. I believe that our extensive reach, coupled with our industry-leading customer support and professional services will facilitate seamless deployment and integration of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise solutions, ensuring optimal performance and maximizing return on investment for customers. At Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, we are dedicated to providing innovative and state-of-the-art solutions to our customers throughout India. Beetels extensive distribution network through the vast enterprise partners nationwide positions us as a dependable and widely distributed brand in the IT industry. Together, we can ensure that our solutions are easily accessible to businesses of all scales. I firmly believe that this collaboration can be key towards bolstering our presence in India. said, Prasath Rao, Regional Director India & SAARC., Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. By combining Beetels deep understanding of the Indian market with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises innovative product portfolio, the two companies aim to drive digital transformation across the country. The alliance further underscores Beetels commitment to providing enterprises with cutting-edge technology solutions, paving the way for the company to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of digital infrastructure and accelerating Indias growth in the digital era. 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: Sean Parker arrives at an event on May 6, 2017, in Culver City, Calif. Stability AI announced Tuesday, June 25, 2024, what it described as a "significant" infusion from new investors including Facebook's former president and Napster co-founder Parker, who will now chair the company's board. Credit: Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File The troubled artificial intelligence company behind image-generator Stable Diffusion is looking for a reshoot with a new CEO and a surge of investment from a group that includes Sean Parker, Facebook's former president and Napster's co-founder. The arrival of Stable Diffusion and its instantly created AI artwork and photorealistic images helped spark the public's fascination with generative AI. But London-based Stability AI has struggled to capitalize on the popularity of its open-source technology, battling lawsuits, misuse and other business problems. The company announced Tuesday what it described as a "significant" infusion from new investors including Parker, who will now chair its board. Other investors include venture capital firms and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Another investor, Prem Akkaraju, is becoming CEO. He's the former CEO of film production and visual effects company Weta Digital. Stability's previous CEO and co-founder Emad Mostaque quit in March. The desktop and mobile websites for Stable Diffusion are pictured, Oct. 24, 2023, in New York. The troubled artificial intelligence company behind image-generator Stable Diffusion is looking for a reshoot with a new CEO and a surge of investment from a group that includes former top executives at Facebook and Google. Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo, File 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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: Concept of damage-free dry transfer printing using stress engineering. a, b) Schematic illustrations describing the formation of a single (a) and bilayer (b) structured Pt thin films. c) Stress distribution in the bilayer film and further stress enhancement through mechanical bending. Credit: Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01931-y Researchers at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), South Korea, have developed an innovative dry transfer printing technique for flexible electronic devices. The study is published in Nature Materials. This method, spearheaded by Prof. Kim Dae-Hyeong, Dr. Lee Sangkyu (IBS Center for Nanoparticle Research), and Prof. Kim Jihoon (Pusan University), allows for the transfer of high-quality electronic materials without damage, a significant advancement in the field. Typically, high-quality electronic materials are synthesized and processed at high temperatures to achieve the necessary crystalline structures and electrical properties. These high temperatures, however, make it challenging to process such materials directly on flexible or stretchable substrates. To build flexible/stretchable devices, the electronics must be "transfer printed" from a solid to a soft substrate. Existing transfer printing technologies have issues, such as the use of toxic chemicals and potential mechanical damage during the transfer process. To address this, various methods such as laser or thermal processes and delamination in water have been developed. However, these methods require expensive equipment, involve additional post-processing, or are limited to specific environments. It is also challenging to use conventional transfer printing for high-quality electronic materials that require high-temperature treatment to form crystalline structures. To overcome these challenges, the research team developed a damage-free dry transfer printing method that controls stress within thin films. This new method allows metal and oxide thin films processed at high temperatures to be transferred to flexible substrates without damage. By adjusting sputtering parameters, the team controlled the type and magnitude of stress within the thin film. They created bilayer structures with varying stresses to maximize the stress gradient and applied additional tensile stress through external bending deformation. This process maximizes the strain energy release rate, allowing reliable delamination by surpassing the interfacial strength between the thin film and the substrate. Transfer of the various 2D Pt thin films and their conversion into 3D architectures. a) Transfer process of the Pt thin film with the PDMS stamp. b, c) Transfer of the patterns composed of three blades (b) and four circles (c). Credit: Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01931-y Fabrication of flexible thin-film battery with the transferred LiCoO 2 thin film. a) A schematic illustration depicting the expanded view of the flexible thin-film battery. b) Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy image of the flexible thin-film battery. c) Voltage profile of the thin-film battery. d) Picture of the thin-film battery powering an LED array. e) Bending deformation of a circuit consisting of the thin-film battery and the LED array. Credit: Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01931-y "Our transfer method avoids toxic substances, minimizes device damage, and eliminates the need for post-processing, resulting in shorter transfer times," said Dr. Shin Yoonsu, first co-author. "It can transfer large areas as well as micro-scale patterns, making it highly versatile." The team demonstrated that greater stress gradients within thin films result in larger bending moments, causing them to curl and transform from a two-dimensional (2D) thin film into a three-dimensional (3D) structure. The configuration of 3D structures can be adjusted by the pattern of the adhesive layer during transfer printing, allowing for the design and fabrication of desired structures to meet various requirements. Dr. Lee Sangkyu, one of the corresponding authors, emphasized, "The key to this research is the development of a damage-free dry transfer printing technique by controlling only material properties, unlike previous studies." He added, "We plan to further research the fabrication of diverse 3D devices, leveraging the technology to transform 2D thin films into 3D structures, beyond the simple 2D flexible battery devices demonstrated in the paper." "Transfer printing technology has applications across fields such as flexible electronics, optoelectronics, bioelectronics, and energy devices. Our method offers significant advantages for producing high-density 2D and 3D functional thin film structures without damage, greatly benefiting the development of new high-performance electronic devices," remarked Prof. Kim Dae-Hyeong. More information: Yoonsoo Shin et al, Damage-free dry transfer method using stress engineering for high-performance flexible two- and three-dimensional electronics, Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01931-y Journal information: Nature Materials 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 European Commission launched a probe into Microsoft's Teams last year triggered by a complaint from Slack. Microsoft violated EU antitrust rules by bundling its Teams communications app with its popular Office suite, Brussels said on Tuesday, as the US tech giant vowed to do what it takes to address competition concerns. The charge sheet comes after the European Commission, the EU's influential antitrust regulator, launched a probe last year triggered by a 2020 complaint from Slack. The commission informed Microsoft of its "preliminary view" that it had "breached EU antitrust rules" by bundling Teams with its cloud-based Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites, which include Word, Excel and Powerpoint programs. Even before the charges, Microsoft tried to assuage the EU's concerns by untying Teams in Europe before expanding the policy to around the world in April. The EU also had worries that Microsoft may have limited interoperability between Teams' competitors and its own offerings, although the company in September 2023 introduced "improvements" to make it easier for rivals. But the commission said Microsoft's changes did not go far enough. "The commission preliminarily finds that these changes are insufficient to address its concerns and that more changes to Microsoft's conduct are necessary to restore competition," it said in a statement. The EU's competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, said "Microsoft now has the opportunity to reply to our concerns". The company will be able to offer commitments to avoid a large fine and president Brad Smith has indicated Microsoft would be willing to take further steps. "Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the commission's remaining concerns," Smith said in a statement. Slack had lodged its complaint as its market share diminished, and it has since been bought by the company Salesforce. There is no deadline for the formal inquiry to wrap up. Should the outcome of the probe go against Microsoft, it could face a heavy fine or other ordered remedies. Microsoft has come under greater European scrutiny in recent months. EU regulators are looking into Microsoft's partnership with ChatGPT developer OpenAI to determine whether it is a disguised merger. The commission also received a separate complaint in late 2022 from Amazon-backed cloud trade group CISPE against Microsoft over its cloud licensing practices. The two sides are currently seeking to resolve the issue through talks. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks with the media as he arrives for a EU Summit in Brussels, March 21, 2024. At a press conference Monday, June 24, 2024, Guterres laid out principles to combat online hate and demanded that big tech companies use their power to reduce harm to people and societies around the world. Credit: AP Photo/Omar Havana, File The United Nations chief on Monday launched global principles to combat online hate and lies and demanded that big tech companies use their power to reduce the harm they are doing to people and societies around the world. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also demanded that advertising and public relations companies "stop monetizing harmful content" and strengthen information integrity. He urged media outlets "to raise and enforce editorial standards" and governments to commit to creating and maintaining a free and independent media landscape. Guterres said the principles, laid out at a news conference, are the result of consultations with the 193 U.N. member nations, youth leaders, academia, the media and civil society including tech companies. The principles call on tech companies, advertisers, media and other key players to refrain from using, supporting or amplifying disinformation and hate speech. All parties involved in the development of artificial intelligence should take urgent and transparent measures to ensure that all AI applications are designed, deployed and used safely, securely, responsibly and ethically, and uphold human rights, according to the principles. They also call for tech companies to ensure safety and privacy and allow users greater choices and control over their online experience and personal data, and for all key parties to ensure special protections for children. Guterres stressed that big tech companies have "an outsized responsibility." "Take responsibility," he demanded. "Acknowledge the damage your products are inflicting on people and communities." Guterres demanded that the companies take action. "You have the power to mitigate harm to people and societies around the world," he said, "You have the power to change business models that profit from disinformation and hate." As for advertisers and the PR industry, the U.N. chief singled out the coordinated disinformation campaigns seeking to undermine action to address the climate crisis. "Creativesdon't use your talents to greenwash," Guterres said. "PR agencieslook for clients who aren't misleading people and destroying our planet." He called on the media to provide "quality journalism based on facts and reality" and find advertisers that are part of the solution, not the problem. And he urged governments to protect journalists, uphold human rights, refrain from internet shutdowns and other drastic measures and respect the right to freedom of expression and opinion. Guterres said all countries should have a vested interest in not promoting misinformation, "because sooner or later the truth is discovered." He stressed that the principles "aim to empower people to demand their rights." "No one should be at the mercy of an algorithm they don't control, which was not designed to safeguard their interests, and tracks their behavior to collect personal data and keep them hooked," he said. Guterres, when asked how the U.N. can ensure that tech companies and advertising and PR agencies take the U.N. principles to heart and take action, pointed to their staff who are parents, citizens and "are interested in 'do no harm.'" 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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 extra cost will be added to all flights departing from EU countries as well as Britain, Norway and Switzerland. German airline giant Lufthansa said Tuesday it would add an environmental charge of up to 72 euros ($77) to fares in Europe to cover the cost of increasing EU climate regulations. The extra cost will be added to all flights sold and operated by the group departing from EU countries as well as Britain, Norway and Switzerland, it said in a statement. It will apply to flights from January next year and, depending on the route and fare, will vary from one to 72 euros. "The airline group will not be able to bear the successively increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory requirements in the coming years on its own," said Lufthansa. The groupwhose airlines include Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlinessaid it is facing extra costs from EU regulations related to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The EU legislation requires airlines to gradually increase use of the fuel on routes departing EU airports. Carriers will need to include two percent of SAF in their fuel mix from next year, rising to six percent in 2030 and then soaring to 70 percent from 2050. The aviation sector is among the toughest to decarbonize and SAFa biofuel that produces lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel is seen as a crucial ingredient to hitting emissions targets but is currently more expensive to produce. In March, Airlines for Europe, which represents the continent's largest airline groups including Lufthansa, complained that production of the fuel in Europe is minimal and lags far behind projects launched in the United States. Lufthansa said it also faces extra costs from changes to the EU's emissions trading system, and other regulatory measures. The group aims to halve its net carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019, and to go carbon neutral by 2050. After having to be bailed out by the German government during the coronavirus pandemic, Lufthansa racked up healthy profits in 2022 and 2023 as travel demand roared back. But it was hard hit by a series of strikes at the start of this year, reporting a hefty first-quarter loss. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Structure analysis and experimental thermal conductivity of AgTlI 2 . Structural projection a along c-axis, b along [111] and focus on a [AgI 2 ] chain. Ag, Tl, and I atoms are drawn using blue, green, and purple circles, respectively. c Orange arrow: Residual electron density (red: positive and green: negative) in the area of the Ag site for a harmonic description of Ag. Red arrow: Anharmonic three-dimensional probability density function (pdf) isosurfaces of Ag (red cloud); displacements are pointing toward the faces of the tetrahedron. d Experimental thermal conductivity of AgTlI 2 from 4 to 325 K measured by Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46799-3 An engineering research team led by Professor Yue Chen from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has achieved a remarkable milestone in the realm of thermal transport in crystals. The research highlights the potential of simple crystal structures to achieve low thermal conductivity. This discovery not only underscores the importance of exploring new materials for applications in thermal insulation and thermoelectrics but also calls for further experimental investigations to expand the repertoire of materials with ultralow thermal conductivity. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications. Traditionally, efforts to lower the lattice thermal conductivity of materials have focused on complex material systems, where lower thermal conductivity is typically observed. However, the pursuit of simple crystals with ultralow thermal conductivity has proven to be a challenging task. In their research, the team identified an exceptional candidate, AgTlI 2 , which defies conventional expectations by exhibiting an extraordinarily low thermal conductivity of 0.25 W/mK at room temperaturea rarity among simple crystals. Through a combination of state-of-the-art experimental techniques, including X-ray diffraction experiments and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, coupled with advanced anharmonic lattice dynamics, the team gained comprehensive insights into the complex thermal transport mechanisms of AgTlI 2 at room temperature. Their findings revealed the coexistence of ultralow particle-like and wavelike phonon thermal transports in AgTlI 2 , elucidating the underlying nature of its ultralow thermal conductivity. Moreover, leveraging their understanding of thermal transport in AgTlI 2 , the team proposed an effective alternative approach for identifying other simple materials with ultralow thermal conductivity, promising to expand the repertoire of materials with strongly suppressed thermal transport. This interdisciplinary study was conducted in collaboration with Professor Emmanuel Guilmeau's team from CRISMAT at Normandie University in France, Professor Zheyong Fan's team from Bohai University, China, and Professor Pierric Lemoine from Institute Jean Lamour, France. The collaborative effort allowed for the integration of expertise from multiple research groups, including sample preparation, synchrotron X-ray scattering, low-temperature thermal conductivity measurement, and ab initio simulations. "The discovery of the ultralow thermal conductivity of AgTlI 2 is a result of a combined effort of both theorists and experimentalists," stated the first author of the paper, Dr. Zezhu Zeng. He is currently a Post-doctoral Fellow in Professor Geoff Thornton's group at University College London and Professor Bingqing Cheng's group at University of California, Berkeley and Institute of Science and Technology, Austria. Dr. Xingchen Shen from CRISMAT at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) also contributed as a co-first author. "This work implies the important role of simple crystals on thermal insulation, paving the way for new research directions," said Professor Chen. More information: Zezhu Zeng et al, Pushing thermal conductivity to its lower limit in crystals with simple structures, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46799-3 Journal information: Nature Communications A Texas woman should face hate crime charges ater allegedly trying to drown a 3-year-old Muslim girl, police say. The Eucless Police say Elizabeth Wolf, 42, has already been charged with attempted capital murder and injury to a child in connection with the incident. Witnesses told police that Wolf tried to drown the girl after arguing with the mother at an apartment complex swimming pool last month. The victim's mother, who is Muslim and wears a hijab, said Wolf began questioning where she was from and if the two children playing at the pool were hers. At one point, Wolf allegedly jumped into the pool to pull the woman's 6-year-old son into the deep end. He managed to pull away, but Wolf then allegedly attempted to force his 3-year-old sister underwater. The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who identified the family as Muslim and Palestinian, said in a statement that when the mother tried to rescue her daughter, Wolf allegedly "snatched off the woman's head scarf as well as kicking her to keep her away while forcing her daughter's head underwater." As Wolf was taken into custody by police officers, she allegedly shouted to a bystander who was comforting the mother, "Tell her I will kill her, and I will kill her whole family," according to the CAIR statement. "We are American citizens, originally from Palestine, and I don't know where to go to feel safe with my kids," the mother said in a statement provided by CAIR. "My country is facing a war, and we are facing that hate here," she said. The mother said her daughter remains traumatized by the confrontation. "Whenever I open the apartment door, she runs away and hides, telling me she is afraid the lady will come and immerse her head in the water again." Police first announced the case several days ago but confirmed on Monday that they were recommending the hate crime enhancement to the charges. Traffic into downtown returned to normal on Monday, May 20, 2024 as the city recovers from a severe storm that caused damage throughout last week in Houston. The city closed off streets in a six-block exclusion zone downtown, from McKinney to Polk and from Smith to Travis, as workers continued to clean up broken glass from downtown streets and windows. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Q: I have full coverage insurance on my car, and I am listed as the named insured. It says none under additional drivers. Would my policy cover any other licensed drivers I may let drive the vehicle? Am I only permitted to let people who live with me drive my car? A: Assuming your policy is a typical Texas personal auto policy, it will cover any other persons you let drive your car. These other persons do not need to live in your house to be allowed to drive your car. COVERAGE CHALLENGE: This major home insurance provider is scaling back renewing some policies in Texas Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q: My mother has a will, but her financial portfolio and insurance policies all have beneficiaries designated so they will not have to go through probate. Her house already passed to her heirs when our father died several years ago. She has two checking accounts with small balances (roughly $10,000 each) that she uses to pay her monthly living expenses. Both of those accounts have my sister and me listed as signatories. Our understanding is that those accounts will avoid probate and allow us to pay for her funeral, house maintenance costs, legal fees, etc. Is this correct, or do you have a better suggestion? A: The two bank accounts will avoid probate and will pass to you and your sister if they are held by the three of you as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. If either account is instead held as tenants in common or a convenience account, then that account will not avoid probate, and the bank may freeze it once they learn of your mothers death. You say that her house has already passed to her heirs, yet you are concerned with how you will continue to pay house maintenance costs after her death. Those two statements dont reconcile. If you are trying hard to avoid probate, you should also determine whether she is still an owner of the home and what steps might be taken to avoid probating that asset as well. An estate planning attorney can help your mother plan properly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Q: My reverse mortgage says that upon my death, my heirs will have 6 months to sell the home or refinance it, and they can get two 90-day extensions. Will the 6-month period of time, plus the two extensions, apply even though I have signed a transfer on death deed? A: Yes. The result will be the same even though you have a transfer on death deed in place. In fact, Texas law states that a beneficiary under a transfer on death deed receives the property subject to all mortgages and liens. Your mortgage company should not care how the home passes to the new owner upon your death. Their goal is simply to be sure they get paid everything they are owed. India's Kalaburagi airport receives bomb threat Xinhua) 09:34, June 25, 2024 NEW DELHI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- An airport in India's southwestern state of Karnataka Monday received a bomb threat email, prompting authorities to initiate a search operation, police said. According to police, bomb detection and disposal squads along with sniffer dogs were rushed to airport premises. However, nothing suspicious was found during the search that was underway until the last reports poured in. Kalaburagi airport is about 617 km north of Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka. A senior police official told the media the airport director received an email from an anonymous sender claiming that a bomb was planted inside the airport premises. He said the mail sender threatened to blast the entire airport using a powerful bomb. Last week, 41 airports in India and over 50 hospitals in Mumbai city received email threats warning of a bomb on their premises. However, all of them were later found to be hoax calls. In the backdrop of increasing hoax bomb threat calls to airports, India's civil aviation security body Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has proposed a five-year flying ban on those who issue such threats. Over the past two months, a series of hoax bomb threats have been sent to schools, airports and hospitals across the country including the national capital territory Delhi. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Marcus Spagnoletti poses for a photo with shoes from his line of shoes Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He uses a room at his law office to store and ship orders. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Marcus Spagnoletti boxes up a pair of shoes for a cient Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He uses a room at his law office to store and ship orders. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Marcus Spagnoletti poses for a photo with a pair of shoes from his shoe line Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He uses a room at his law office to store and ship orders. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Marcus Spagnoletti poses for a photo with items from his line of shoes Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He uses a room at his law office to store and ship orders. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A skateboard is displayed in a case in Marcus Spagnolettis office Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He said he was seriously injured while on the skateboard. He added that he is quite fortunate to have recovered. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Tucked away behind the wood-paneled law offices of the Hogg Building is a little slice of Italy. A converted storeroom is where personal injury lawyer Marcus Spagnoletti keeps his side hustle, a direct-to-consumer shoe company called Concetto Limone. Marcus Spagnoletti works fill an order Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at his law firm in Houston. He uses a room at his law office to store and ship orders. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer "When I was still in college about 20 years ago, I was invited with some friends to Capri, which is like the Beverly Hills of Italy. Down a beaten path there was this little stand where they were making raffia shoes and slapping on a sole. I bought a lace-up, wing-tip pair, without the designs, and a pair of loafers," he recalls. "I would come home from college or law school and be at the Galleria. Men don't usually come up to other men about what shoes they're wearing, but they'd ask me." Advertisement Article continues below this ad This happened to him several times over the years. Spagnoletti says he didn't wear the raffia shoes all that often, except during the summer, when the heat became unbearable. Then in 2018, during a trip to Kemah with his daughter, a man crossed the boardwalk to ask Spagnoletti where he got his shoes. "I told myself right there and then, 'I'm going to try to make this happen,'" he says. "I don't have social media. And I'm not a fashion guy." What he did have was a friend in the footwear business. Spagnoletti had watched Matthew Chevallard launch Del Toro Shoes, which sold in 2019, and become a consultant. They partnered up, spent some time on branding and trademarks, before hosting a release party in Miami, where Chevallard is based, in January 2020. Then COVID hit, and Concetto Limone went dormant. There were a few glimmers of success while the world was shut down. GQ magazine wrote a glowing review: "When your shoes like these woven Concetto Limone loafers look like they were pilfered from Hotel Il Pellicano in Tuscany, you know you're doing it right." And a number of high-profile influencers got their hands on pairs. Content creator Alix Earle recently posted her loafers in natural raffia ($450) as part of her summer 2024 travel packing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I wanted to offer to men and women, the slip-on is the unisex style," Spagnoletti says. "The idea of slides came from my very basic market research. (Women) liked the idea of not having to tie their shoes." In spring 2021, he soft-launched a coral-hue loafer during a Concetto Limone event hosted by Valobra Jewelerys. Soon after, the color became part of his backroom inventory. Female customers began requesting a black option, too. It wasn't until a well-known lawyer got involved that the brand took a more colorful turn. "I've known (Spagnoletti) and his dad for many years. They're very good people," Tony Buzbee told the Chronicle. "I became interest in the brand because I like their simple elegance. I asked if he wanted help, so I invested and joined the effort as an owner." Tony Buzbee, Marcus Spagnoletti, Andrea Remmert and Frances Moody Buzbee sporting Concetto Limone loafers. Courtesy of Concetto Limone "We partnered with Tony and decided to do some additional colorways," Spagnoletti says. "Tony got involved in the spring of last year. I was talking to him on my honeymoon about different colorways." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pink with light blue and natural with navy launched earlier this year. The latter color combo is Spagnoletti's personal favorite. While laying on the floor in his office surrounded by raffia shoes, he hints that matching belts are something he'd also like to do. Lately, men have been requesting that he make a solid green loafer, too. It's on his to-do list. As is hosting more pop-up events in Texas. Right now, most of business is generated through social media. The raffia uppers are produced in Morocco and then sent to a factory north of Naples. There, the soles are added and the shoes are assembled, boxed and shipped to the Hogg Building. Upstairs in the Spagnoletti Law Firm's tiny back office, surrounded by lemon-covered packages and the scent of straw shoes, it almost feels like that alley in Capri. Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center is waiving all its adoption fees to manage its overflowing facility. Crates are taking up every available space at the small shelter in Dickinson. Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center According to Nina Baker, the shelter's manager, the biggest challenge is that of the 76 now housed in the kennels, five are small, a few are medium-sized, but the rest are all larger breed dogs - like this pit bull mix named Tango, who has been in and out of the shelter since 2022 due to the adoptive family's circumstances, such as illness. Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center The shelter can normally accommodate between 50 and 55 larger dogs. Larger dogs come with many misconceptions, according to shelter manager, Nina Baker. Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center Fosters are needed to help ease some overcrowding at the shelter. Dogs in foster care become acclimated to being in a home environment, said Nina Baker, the shelter's manager. Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center Correction (June 25, 9 a.m.): This article has been updated to reflect that dogs are being doubled up in kennels, which are larger than crates. Large dogs are being forced to live in crates and cats have been moved into a bathroom to free up more space at Dickinson's animal shelter, which is waiving all adoption fees for the first time ever to deal with overcrowding. Shelters historically see some an increase in take-ins during the summer, according to Nina Baker, shelter manager for Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center. But with 76 mostly large dogs in a kennel that normally accommodates between 50 and 55, and another 43 in foster care, the situation at the Dickinson shelter has reached a new level of urgency. Some dogs have even had to be housed two or three to a kennel. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were hurting, Baker said. "The goal is to get the dogs out of crates because the crates are just not a livable (situation). The staff of six has been making the most of every available space of the 60 by 60 foot kennel and facility, with crates taken up room in every office and in places normally designated for other needs, like areas for newer animals. Cats, who tend to get adopted more frequently, are temporarily being kept in a restroom at the facility. Sometimes were able to double up when the dogs are already spayed and neutered and get along, but currently we dont have a lot of good options for doubling up, said Baker. Everything is full. On Wednesday, the staff was planning to have a behaviorist determine how many more of the 76 dogs can paired up in crates during a regular outdoor recreation time. HELPING HOMELESS PETS: Houston area's unwanted pets finding homes thanks to sprawling social media campaigns Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to Baker, the biggest challenge right now, even with adoption fees waived, is that almost all of the dogs are large breeds such as German shepherds, huskies, pit bulls and Labrador retrievers. Many people are hesitant to adopt a large dog, said Baker, and the shelter offers meet and greet sessions for potential adopters and fosters. Bringing a grown (larger) dog into your house can be scary for people, she said. We totally get that, and we want these dogs to meet your kids, your husbandbring the whole family to the shelter. We dont want anything unsafe to happen. In addition to the new strays coming in, at least three of the dogs at the shelter have been there for more than a year. Baker believes one reason for the overcrowding is related to breeding practices, and the shelter has been seeing a significant number of German shepherd-husky or pit bull puppies arriving in groups or one at a time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When we get a puppy in we know there are more somewhere," she said. "People need to stop breeding." Overcrowding also exacerbates the inherently high-stress environment of a shelter, Baker said. Our dogs are not getting near enough attention that they need right now, she said. Were not able to focus on enrichment, playtime or bath time because were just rushing through the day to meet basic needs: food, water, a clean place to live, a bed to sleep and meds. Bayou Animal Services is a no-kill shelter, and thats not something that will change, Baker added. Weve never killed for time and space, never," she said. Im watching these dogs live in these crates for months, and its not okay. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bayou Animal Services and Adoption Center: How to help Address: 3100 Deats Rd. Dickinson. Contact: 205-931-0554 One way to help if you can't adopt is to become a foster, an invaluable resource, said Baker. Fosters can ease some of the overflow for staff and for the dogs by giving the dogs the experience of being in a home environment, she said. That experience gets the dogs acclimated to people, and domesticity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fostering is huge because it teaches the pet how to be in a home, Baker said. They also need to take good pictures and communicate well with us what were learning about the dogs in a home environment. The shelter provides fosters everything needed to care for the animal, including a crate, 24-7 contact, medical treatment. Trial adoptions The shelter offers test adoptions where dogs can stay in a home for a period of time to see if the pet is a good fit. Its like a test drive, Baker said. One of the most heartbreaking things is when a pet is returned to the shelter after being in a home for months. We want to make sure the dog is going to be a good fit. We will take them back, we dont want people to think they are stuck with a dog if its not the right fit, thats ok. What to know about larger dogs Larger dogs often come with preconceptions, said Baker. Pit bulls, huskies, German shepherds and labs are often on restriction lists at some apartment buildings, or people may be cautious because they have children or family members. The shelter doesnt send any dogs with behavioral or health issues to homes or fosters until those issues are addressed and resolved with the help of licensed behaviorists. One dog named Tango has been in and out of the shelter since 2022 because of family issues and instability, according to Baker. Another, Luna, has been at the shelter for more than 400 days because she would work better as an only dog. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed in the U.K. and has departed the country after serving more than five years in a maximum security prison at Belmarsh for what was described by the U.S. government as the "largest compromises of classified information" in its history. Capping off a 14-year legal saga, Assange, 52, pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served in the Pacific island of Saipan later this week. According to the Associated Press, the hearing is taking place there because of Assange's "opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the court's proximity to Australia." "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations," WikiLeaks said in a statement. "This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized." Assange, who was granted bail by the High Court in London on Monday, and has since boarded a flight to Australia. He also faced separate charges of rape and sexual assault in Sweden, claims he has denied. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) in 2019 said Assange's actions "risked serious harm to United States national security to the benefit of our adversaries and put the unredacted named human sources at a grave and imminent risk of serious physical harm and/or arbitrary detention." It's believed that the DoJ accepted the plea agreement with no additional prison time because of the fact that Assange had already served longer than most people charged with a similar offense. Founded in 2006, WikiLeaks is estimated to have published more than 10 million documents related to war, spying, and corruption, including military field logs from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as diplomatic cables from the U.S. (dubbed Cablegate) and information about detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Notably, it also released a tranche of cyber warfare and surveillance tools allegedly created by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a collection cumulatively known as Vault 7 and Vault 8, and documents detailing the National Security Agency's spying of France, Germany, Brazil, and Japan. Joshua Schulte, a former CIA engineer who was accused of passing on the confidential trove of cyber weapons, has since been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Another of Assange's collaborators, Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning), was sentenced to 35 years in prison for disclosing to WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of documents that came to be known as the Iraq War Logs and Afghan War Diary before then-president Barack Obama commuted her sentence in January 2017. Update Julian Assange has returned to his native Australia a free man following a court hearing in Saipan after he pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act, two days after leaving a British prison. In return, he was sentenced to time already served. "Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information," he told the court. "I believe the First Amendment protected that." "Assange admitted to his role in the conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act and received a court-imposed 62-month time-served sentence, reflecting the time he served in U.K. prison as a result of the U.S. charges," the DoJ said in a statement. "Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission." The agency also accused Assange and WikiLeaks of failing to redact classified documents, putting individuals who had assisted the U.S. government at "great personal risk" and subjected them to "serious harm and arbitrary detention." It took almost no time at all for the ACLU and other civil liberties groups to file federal suit against the state of Louisiana after GOP Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill that would require state-funded schools at all levels from kindergarten on up display a poster of the Ten Commandments, along with a so-called context statement. Once again, its time for this song and dance, where public officials waste everyones time and judicial resources by attempting to trample the separation of church and state for none other than some political rabble-rousing. Lawyers for Louisiana will likely try to roll out a variety of highly technical arguments around why this directive is not a violation of the Constitutions Establishment Clause, probably centering around the idea that the document is being used in some permissible educational capacity. They will present this argument in court in bad faith, knowing full well it is a pretext, and we hope federal judges wont let them get away with it. Theres no need to so thoughtfully consider evasive legal maneuvers when state officials including Landry himself have been crystal clear about the religious motivation of the law, having said that respecting the rule of law requires starting from the original lawgiver, which was Moses. Well, Moses wrote in Hebrew, not English and this is not an educational effort but an ideological one, and one that clearly puts the conception of the Ten Commandments above the foundational rules of other religions, which is in exact contravention of the Constitutions requirement that the government not prioritize one religion over another. If this all seems a little bit familiar to you, it might be because the Ten Commandments in particular has become a go-to symbol for Christian conservatives to try to push the envelope. Over and over, they have tried to put up Ten Commandments displays and crosses in schools, courthouses and other public buildings, and been almost unanimously slapped down by the courts. Even with the sharp rightward turn of the U.S. Supreme Court over the past few years, this is not really an edge case. Landry and his cadre have overstepped, and are very unlikely to succeed. Even Justice Sam Alito, recently recorded agreeing that the country needed to return to a place of godliness, is unlikely to play ball here. Its a case that seems designed to be lost, and maybe thats not an accident. After signing the statute, Landry saidI cant wait to be sued, appearing to understand not only he definitely would be but that this would be excellent political fodder, not even if he wins, but especially if he loses. That will give him the ability to rail against the godless heathens and Commies who have taken over the courts and spurned this nations supposedly integral Christian character, which is of course what this is really all about. Landry doesnt care that much if the poster really ends up in schools or not; on the off chance it does, he can claim a victory for his movement, but in the much likelier scenario that it doesnt he can turn that loss into donations, Fox News hits and the energizing of an evangelical base. Theres little downside for him, unless voters show him in the only poll that matters that they dont appreciate his antics. The Texas Medical Board discusses guidance around physicians for medical exceptions to the state's abortion ban laws at the George H.W. Bush State Office Building in Austin, Texas, Friday March 22, 2024. Jay Janner/Associated Press Abril Lazaro, a University of Texas at Austin student, signals her anger at the Supreme Courts landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade while standing outside of the State Capitol, Saturday evening, June 25, 2022, Go home and get your friends out here! She yelled at people passing by. Sam Owens/Staff photographer The Texas Medical Board on Friday adopted guidance on when physicians can perform emergency abortions, loosening some paperwork requirements but adding little clarity to the state bans exceptions. The decision follows a meeting last month in which doctors, patients and lawyers criticized an earlier proposal of the rules, with many saying it only added more administrative requirements that could further delay care in emergency situations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The rules adopted Friday sought to address those concerns by giving physicians seven days to document why an abortion was necessary. The rules no longer require doctors to report whether there was adequate time to transfer the patient to another hospital. They also say a medical emergency need not be imminent for doctors to perform an abortion. The rules, however, do not include a list of specific scenarios in which emergency abortions would be allowed, a step that some other states with abortion bans have taken. We feel that this is the best we can do, giving that physician-patient relationship the most amount of flexibility and deference with the guardrails still in place, said Dr. Sherif Zaafran, the boards president. Critics of the Texas ban say its exceptions are so unclear and the penalties so steep that physicians are reluctant to act even in emergencies. Two Austin lobbyists had petitioned the board to add more clarity. The Texas Supreme Court also has prodded the medical board to issue more guidance. Zaafran said the board cannot expand the statutory definition of abortion ban exceptions, which allow doctors to perform the procedure only to save the pregnant persons life or preserve a major bodily function. He said a list of exempt medical conditions which some abortion ban critics had requested would be impractical and could create further complications for doctors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The new rules could be enforced as soon as next month. They do not prevent people from filing complaints against doctors, but rather lay out how the board will determine whether a physician should face discipline. Zaafran noted that there is nothing to prevent doctors from facing criminal charges or lawsuits under the states abortion ban. However, he hoped any entities would defer to the medical board when determining whether a patient qualified for an exception. I think that will ultimately help provide some comfort in physicians applying the standard of care as they deal with issues like this, he said. One of the medical board members who is not a health care professional, LuAnn Morgan, said she was concerned that the rules dont go far enough to ensure patients receive the care they need. In response, Zaafran noted that physicians also can face discipline for declining to act in emergency scenarios. Reports of hospital officials making decisions not to treat a patient, against a doctors judgment, is inappropriate, he added. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What were saying here, very specifically, is that there is no right for anyone other than a physician to make that judgment, Zaafran said. To do so by anyone else would be practicing medicine without a license. Another board member, Dr. Manuel Quinones Jr., a San Antonio family medicine physician, acknowledged that the board cannot completely cover every single possible scenario under every single circumstance. But the rules reflect the boards attempt to protect a doctors decision-making, he said. Somebody has to step beyond the line and try to save life or maintain quality of life, he said. Somebody has to make that decision, and thats what were trying to protect. During public comment, one of the lobbyists who petition the board, Steve Bresnen, was unhappy with the rules, saying they did not create an adequate legal standard that protects doctors from scrutiny. Bresnen, an attorney, cited a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling in Zurawski v. Texas, a case involving 20 Texas women who say abortion laws led to delayed or denied care for their dangerous pregnancies. In its ruling, the all-Republican court said in order to take legal action against a doctor, the state would have to prove that no reasonable physician would have concluded an abortion was necessary. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The medical board rules dont echo that high standard of proof, Bresnen said, leaving the door open for legal action against doctors. Molly Duane, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, in a statement described the rules as just another toothless passing of the buck. Duane, who represented the plaintiffs in Zurawski v. Texas, went on to say that the medical boards effort highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive federal protections. While we are relieved that the board removed the most objectionable documentation requirements after they were universally condemned by the medical community, these regulations fall far short of the boards stated goal, Duane said. Taylor Goldenstein contributed to this report. Taaleem Holdings, a leading provider of K-12 premium education in the UAE, has announced that it has completed the construction of its key facility, Dubai British School (DBS) Jumeirah. This is the fourth institution under the DBS brand, following the success of its sister schools in Emirates Hills, Jumeirah Park, and DBS Foundation. Catering to students aged 3 to 18, the school will provide educational facilities for students, following the National Curriculum for England and the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, said a statement from Taleem. Located in the prime real-estate area of Jumeirah along the Dubai Canal, the DBS campus will open in September. The new campus will initially offer a full primary section from FS1 to Year 6. Eventually, the school will expand to accommodate students from FS1 to Year 13 to reach full capacity and is expected to cater to approximately 1900 students. Chief Operating Officer Sam Truman expressed delight at Taaleem reaching this important milestone with the new school opening in September this year. "DBS Jumeirah highlights the execution of our strategic vision and the effective deployment of the capital raised during our IPO. With our five-year strategy firmly in place and DBS Mira scheduled to open in August 2025, we are poised to continually redefine the educational landscape of the UAE, setting new standards for excellence and innovation," stated Truman. Chief Education Officer Rebecca Gray said: "It is with a real sense of pride today that we are announcing the completion of the construction and the opening of DBS Jumeirah in September. We will be welcoming nearly 500 new students to our campus and they will soon be able to experience the world-class teaching and facilities that the DBS brand is known for in the UAE." "With DBS Mira also set to open next year, the fifth DBS school in our portfolio, I couldnt be more excited and optimistic about the future, both for Taaleem and the UAEs education landscape," she added.-TradeArabia News Service Leading industry experts as well as financial professionals from the UK and Saudi Arabia explored partnership opportunities in the sustainable city development and green energy technologies sector at a recent seminar held in London. The UK-Saudi Sustainable Infrastructure Forum, which kicked off at Plaisterers Hall, was attended by Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid Al Falih along with more than 200 high-level participants, including policymakers, industry leaders and financial professionals from both countries. The event saw experts discuss the importance and development of sustainable infrastructure projects, growing green infrastructure financing market and the future of green technologies. In his opening speech, Al Falih said Saudi Arabia was "transforming from a source of capital to a bidirectional capital market", noting that the kingdom will continue to invest globally, particularly in the UK. Among the discussion panels on the summit's agenda were "Financing sustainable infrastructure: Bridging the investment gap, and the role of public-private partnerships and innovative financing models", which, tackled financing of sustainable infrastructure. At a special session titled "Importance of UK-Saudi Collaboration in Key Sectors and Advancing the Green Transition to Net Zero", Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz highlighted the growth of debt markets and insurance companies, and that comprehensive growth is the way to achieve envisioned goals. "The environment in Saudi Arabia is highly conducive to business operations, offering significant opportunities for growth and success, thus making it a preferred destination for professionals in business and finance," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Bahrains two-month midday ban on outdoor work during the afternoon will begin on Monday, July 1, reported BNA citing the labour minister. The ban on work under direct sunlight and in open places will run from noon at 12pm until 4 pm, said Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, the Minister of Labour. Article (192) of Law 36 of 2012 promulgating the Labour Law in the Private Sector stipulates that the penalty of violating the work ban is a jail sentence not exceeding three months, and/or a BD500-BD1000 fine. According to Humaidan, the midday work ban has yielded positive results in maintaining workers health and safety, as well as enhancing productivity. The annual midday work ban aligns with Bahrain's commitment to workers' rights and safe working environments as per international labour standards. The Labour Ministry launched an awareness campaign providing employers and workers with leaflets and brochures in multiple languages that outline the health risks of heat exposure, preventive measures against heat-induced health issues and occupational accidents, and requirements for ensuring safe working conditions during the summer months. The ban aims to provide a safe working environment and protects workers from heat-related health issues and occupational accidents during the hottest months, said Humaidan. The minister highlighted Bahrain's ongoing efforts to promote occupational safety and health by implementing relevant decisions, including the ban on outdoor work during midday in the summer, reported BNA. He emphasised the importance of promoting workers' awareness on health issued caused by high temperatures, comprehensive healthcare and first aid, and implementing technical solutions to reduce exposure to heat and humidity. Crimson Education, a global leader in education and technology, has partnered with AstroLabs, the Gulf's top business expansion platform, to expand its operations to Saudi Arabia. Crimson Education seeks to serve students worldwide at various learning stagesfrom pre-primary to post-graduate levelswith a comprehensive range of online services aimed to assist and guide them, allowing them to achieve their academic and career goals. With a young, tech-savvy population, Saudi Arabia offers an exciting opportunity for Crimson, which is set to become a transformative integration into the educational landscape in Saudi Arabia. In light of the Saudization drive, there's a pressing need for high-quality education premised towards problem-solving, value creation innovation to shape the next generation of Saudi students into exceptional professionals, thus creating a brighter future for the Kingdom, ultimately supporting modernization and industrialisation of the country to achieve Vision 2030 goals," said Alex Nicholls, director of expansion at AstroLabs. Crimson Educations expansion to Saudi Arabia, marked by the launch of its new Riyadh office, demonstrates its commitment to serving Saudi students and facilitating access to top-tier education opportunities, both domestically and globally, through a comprehensive range of services including admission support, university selection, application assistance, skills development, and profile-building programs, among others. Saudi Arabia is an incredibly exciting place right now, with a sense of energy and ambition that is unparalleled. The government is leading the way with Vision 2030 and setting a palpable can-do tone for the whole country that makes it an exceptionally attractive place for a business to be, said Soraya Beheshti, Regional Director at Crimson Education EMEA. With a strong presence in 23 countries, Crimson's launch in Saudi Arabia demonstrates its dedication to provide accessible, high-quality educational opportunities to students throughout the Kingdom. With so many talented kids coming from the region, were excited to put boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia to support the growth of more students in achieving their ambitions of the Ivy League, Oxford, Cambridge, and beyond," said Jamie Beaton, CEO of Crimson Education. As part of its growth strategy in Saudi Arabia, Crimson Education is in discussions with top schools to introduce its Crimson App and other university enrichment resources. Additionally, plans are underway to launch work experience programs with leading global companies like Amazon Web Services, Adobe, Uber, PwC, Ferrari, Denton, and others, aimed at enhancing skill development among high school students across the Kingdom. TradeArabia News Service Cleveland Clinic, IBM and the Science and Technology Facilities Councils (STFC) Hartree Centre in the UK are teaming up to advance healthcare and biomedical science through advanced computing technologies. This international collaboration brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists, clinical researchers and physicians from across industry, government and healthcare, said Lara Jehi, MD, MHCDS, Chief Research Information Officer at Cleveland Clinic. The research teams will leverage high performance and quantum computing to advance life sciences, with the goal of improving healthcare and accelerating new treatments for patients around the world. Cleveland Clinic London will be a central link between innovative clinical care in the UK and Cleveland Clinics global footprint. Key role This partnership will play an important role in advancing research into the use of cutting-edge computation in healthcare and life sciences, said Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow and Director, IBM Research Zurich. We look forward to working with researchers from Cleveland Clinic London and the Hartree Centre to explore promising areas of discovery across quantum computing, AI and beyond. Two clinical research projects have been launched to kick-start the new collaboration. They will be led by Dr Jehi, an epilepsy researcher, and Charles Knowles, PhD, Chief Academic Officer at Cleveland Clinic London, working closely with teams from IBM and Hartree Centre. The projects will be supported by the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation, a collaboration between IBM and Hartree Centre. The first project, led by Dr Knowles and supported by the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation, will apply advanced AI tools to objectively quantify the impact of care on patients at Cleveland Clinic London. Researchers from IBM, Hartree Centre and Cleveland Clinic will examine how common hospital procedures affect a patient's overall health and quality of life, with the goal of enhancing patient outcomes. Clinical and advanced imaging data Initially, the team will explore clinical and advanced imaging data provided by Cleveland Clinic London BioResource, a repository which provides patients with the opportunity to consent to enhanced longitudinal data collection and analysis. The researchers plan to use this pilot study to develop larger AI models that can integrate multiple types of data for analysis across different diseases, ultimately aiming to improve understanding and patient care. Cleveland Clinic Londons BioResource is unique for a private healthcare provider in the UK in gaining research approval from the UKs National Research Ethics Service (Health Research Authority). The BioResource is one of 28 studies, including several NHS portfolio trials now open at Cleveland Clinic London with over 600 patients recruited so far. This year, Cleveland Clinic London will expand its clinical research studies and the number of patients enrolled in the BioResource. The second project, led by Dr Jehi in collaboration with IBM and the Hartree Centre, will apply quantum computing to analyse large-scale data sets to identify molecular features in the body that better predict surgical response in patients with epilepsy. The objective is to uncover novel biomarkers that can be used to personalise treatment plans and improve patient outcomes. Epilepsy is the most common chronic noncommunicable brain disease, affecting more than 60 million patients worldwide. For approximately one-third of patients, anti-seizure medications are unable to control the disease and brain surgery offers the best chance for a cure. Cutting-edge biomedical research challenges Dr Jehis project is an example of the cutting-edge biomedical research challenges now tackled at Cleveland Clinic through the organisations strategic partnership with IBM - Discovery Accelerator - which combines Cleveland Clinics renowned expertise in healthcare and biomedical research with IBMs next-generation technologies to accelerate research. Through the partnership, IBM last year deployed IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic, the first quantum computer in the world dedicated to healthcare research. Dr Jehi was a featured speaker at the third annual Economist Impact Commercialising Quantum Global 2024 conference in London on June 6. Her project on leveraging quantum for the discovery of biomarkers of epilepsy brain surgery outcomes was highlighted as an example of how quantum computing can be used to advance precision medicine.--TradeArabia News Service Negative emotions decreased globally last year for the first time in a decade, while positive emotions have returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, according to a report. Based on nearly 146,000 interviews with adults across 142 countries and regions in 2023, the Gallup Global Emotions 2024 Report provides insights into people's daily positive and negative experiences. Regions affected by conflict continue to show significant emotional challenges, the report said. Gallups Positive and Negative Experience Indexes measure lifes intangibles feelings and emotions that traditional economic indicators such as GDP were never intended to capture. Each index provides a real-time snapshot of peoples daily experiences, offering leaders insights into the health of their societies that they cannot gather from economic measures alone. On a global level, Gallups Negative Experience Index declined for the first time since 2014. All five negative emotions that make up the index fell between 2022 and 2023, but stress levels dropped the most. Thirty-seven percent of the world felt stressed in 2023, down three points from the previous year but well above where it was a decade ago (33%) and the years before that. Stress was still prevalent worldwide, but at various degrees. Stress levels were higher in Northern Cyprus (65%) and Israel (62%), but lower in Kyrgyzstan (8%). Israel led the world in increased stress, with levels rising 38 points to a new record high. Other countries experienced double-digit rises, including Latvia (17 points), Kuwait (14 points), and Egypt (13 points). Along with Afghanistan, most countries and territories that scored the lowest in the world on positive experiences in 2022 also scored the lowest in 2023. Northern Cyprus was no exception: The territorys score of 46 is its lowest on record. Lebanon and Turkiye also scored near the bottom of the rankings, as they have since 2020. However, Lebanons Positive Experience Index continued to rebound in 2023. At 47, Turkiyes score remained statistically unchanged from the previous year (45). Positive Experience Index Rebounds Further reinforcing that 2023 was a better year for the worlds emotional health, positive experiences rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels, completing the recovery that started in 2022. People younger than 30 continued to be the most positive of all age groups. Further, their positivity rebounded faster, with emotions bouncing back a year earlier than their older peers. Most of the improvement on the index in 2023 occurred among those aged 30 and older. TradeArabia News Service New Etihad Cargo service to add 200 tonnes of cargo capacity for Europe Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, is expanding its freighter network with a new route to Madrid, a report said. Starting July 15, 2024, Etihad Cargo will operate two weekly Boeing 777 freighter flights between Abu Dhabi and Madrid, adding over 200 tonnes of cargo capacity for Europe, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said. The launch of a twice-weekly freighter will increase the total number of flights to Spain to 25 per week. This new route complements Etihad Cargo's existing European freighter network, which includes six weekly flights to Amsterdam and three weekly flights to Frankfurt. With the addition of Madrid to the network, the total number of Etihad Cargo's freighter flights to Europe will increase to 11 per week. Stanislas Brun, Vice President of Cargo at Etihad Cargo, said: "Launching Madrid as Etihad Cargo's latest European freighter destination supports the growing demand for e-commerce flows between Asia and Europe. Madrid's role as a key fashion hub makes it an essential destination for the carrier's freighter network." United International Transportation Company (Budget Saudi) has announced that its shareholders have voted in favour of the acquisition of Al Jazira Equipment Company (AutoWorld) at the Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) held on June 24. This decision marks a significant milestone in Budget Saudis history and paves the way for strategic expansion in a dynamic market poised for healthy growth. Details of the transaction Following the approval of the shareholders at the EGA, seven million (7,000,000) ordinary shares paid in full will be issued by Budget Saudi to SEDCO Holding and are expected to start trading on the Saudi Exchange upon completion of the necessary procedures with the exchange and Securities Depository Center Co. The new shares represent 8.96% of Budget Saudis share capital after the capital increase. Once the new shares are issued in favor of SEDCO Holding, a Shariah Saudi institutional investor with deep experience and a strong track record of investing in national champions, it will, directly and indirectly, own 8.96% of Budget Saudi. AutoWorlds shares will be transferred from SEDCO Holding to Aljozoor Alrasekha, a Budget Saudi wholly-owned subsidiary. Fawaz Danish, President & Group CEO, Budget Saudi, said: The strategic acquisition of AutoWorld provides a robust platform for future growth opportunities, bolstered by the strong KSA real economy, structural changes in the transportation sector, and the flourishing tourism industry. This deal, the first of its kind in Budget Saudi's history, enables us to lay the groundwork for strategic initiatives that drive sustainable growth, enhance competitiveness, and create shareholder value. Market share growth With this acquisition, Budget Saudi will solidify its position as a market leader in the long-term vehicle rental and leasing market in KSA. According to a credible third-party market report, the acquisition will increase the Companys market share from approximately 12% to approximately 18%. AutoWorlds fleet size of approximately 14,000 vehicles brings Budget Saudis total car leasing fleet to 49,300 (based on FY 2023 figures), representing a strategic move to consolidate KSAs auto leasing market and enhance service quality in the evolving transportation sector. This acquisition reinforces Budget Saudi's market share in the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) segments, where management foresees significant growth potential driven by a market shift from asset ownership to usership models. Additionally, it enhances its ability to set competitive pricing, improving overall profitability in the mid to long term. Customer portfolio growth and diversification The acquisition is set to expand Budget Saudis customer base, granting access to new customers in key industry verticals such as oil and gas, among others where AutoWorld has a strong presence. By acquiring a competitor with a complementary fleet and service offerings, Budget Saudi can diversify its portfolio, catering to a broader range of customer needs and preferences. This diversification helps mitigate risks associated with market fluctuations and changing consumer preferences. Post-acquisition, Budget Saudi plans to merge its Payless brand, a short-term car rental business, with AutoWorld to tap into more price-conscious customers, including residents, business travelers, and leisure travellers, further diversifying and growing its customer portfolio. Cost synergies to be fully realised in first 3 years The acquisition will unlock significant cost synergies, reduce redundancies, and achieve economies of scale, leading to improved profitability in the mid to long term. These efficiencies extend to better fleet utilisation, optimised procurement, enhanced negotiating power with major suppliers, insurance providers, and other vendors, and consolidated administrative functions. The combined entity will benefit from optimised operations and shared resources, reducing redundant costs and enhancing overall agility and responsiveness to market demands. Based on independent third-party experts' estimates, the company anticipates achieving significant recurring cost synergies per year from year 3 onwards post-integration. Potential for EPS accretion AutoWorld is a profitable company with a healthy profitability margin in line with industry averages. This acquisition is expected to be EPS accretive post-integration. Management anticipates realising debt cost savings through better terms for AutoWorlds existing debt. Post-integration, and upon realising cost synergies, Budget Saudi expects AutoWorlds net profit to expand further, enhancing future consolidated net profit and margins. Strengthened brand and customer loyalty The integration of two well-known and reputed brands will lead to a stronger, more unified market presence. By harmonising the best practices and value propositions of both companies, Budget Saudi aims to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, contributing to long-term revenue growth.--TradeArabia News Service The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the Abu Dhabi Family Business Index. The two parties will also cooperate to strengthen the Emirates economic intelligence and research infrastructure, providing insights into economic diversification and growth. The Abu Dhabi Family Business Index, the first of its kind in the region, will measure and rank various metrics related to family-owned, as well as family-controlled, businesses in Abu Dhabi, such as performance and influence, with plans to expand the scope of the index to the wider region and world. Immense value The index will include indicators such as revenue, industry, employment, governance structures, leadership gender ratios, succession planning, longevity, and overall contribution to socio-economic development. The Abu Dhabi Family Business Index is expected to be of immense value to investors, policymakers, academics, and members of the public as it will provide an understanding of the role and impact of family businesses in the economy and society, potentially shaping future strategies and decisions. It will also support efforts to increase the contribution of family businesses to economic diversification and growth. In 2022, Abu Dhabi issued a family business ownership governance law to further enhance the legislative ecosystem by adopting a more flexible and sustainable economic model, facilitating the transition to successive generations in line with best international governance practices. Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED, said: This strategic cooperation between ADDED and UAEU is a significant step forward in propelling Abu Dhabis research and development efforts. The Abu Dhabi Family Business Index will play a pivotal role in developing the business landscape by providing valuable insights about this significant segment of our socio-economic fabric. Suitable mechanism Equipped with decades-long experience in the market, family-owned businesses in Abu Dhabi continue to contribute positively to economic diversification, job creation, and transformation to an innovation-driven economy. We believe the index provides a suitable mechanism to accelerate our growth trajectory. By combining UAEUs academic expertise and research capabilities with ADDEDs knowledge and mandate as the catalyst for economic growth and diversification, this collaboration promises to deliver impactful results that benefit the Abu Dhabi community and solidify the Emirates position as a leading centre for innovation and economic growth. Our collaboration with the UAEs national university, is key to ensuring that our future is driven by research, knowledge transfer, and cooperation, added Al Blooshi. The agreement between ADDED and UAEU also includes cooperation in evidence-based economic and financial research, exchanging experts to foster knowledge sharing, joint research activities, training, and workshops, and sharing research publications. The MoU aligns with the shared commitment of both entities to enhancing Abu Dhabis research capabilities and strengthening cooperation across the Emirates economic ecosystem.--TradeArabia News Service The Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced the establishment of the Mexican Business Council to boost bilateral trade and investment opportunities while reinforcing the ties between Dubai and Mexicos business communities. The launch reflects Dubais growing attraction among Mexican companies and investors, with the number of companies from Mexico actively registered as members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce reaching 108 by the end of Q1 2024. The business councils inaugural annual general meeting took place recently at Dubai Chambers headquarters, focussing on strengthening economic relations between Dubai and Mexico and building mutually beneficial partnerships. In addition, participants discussed the scheduled programme of events for the months ahead. Maha Al Gargawi, Vice President of Business Advocacy at Dubai Chambers, commented: We are committed to empowering Business Councils to contribute to increasing promising opportunities between the private sector in Dubai and business communities around the world. We aim to strengthen economic and investment partnerships across all sectors both locally and internationally as part of our drive to boost foreign trade and further strengthen Dubai's position as a leading global business destination. The business councils within Dubai Chamber of Commerce advocate for companies and investors from specific countries in Dubai, collaborating closely to bolster sustainable bilateral trade and investment. As part of advancing the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), the chamber is expanding its Business Councils to drive foreign trade growth and assist local companies in global market expansions. TradeArabia News Service Former Arcola police officer Hector Aaron Ruiz was a police officer with Arcola PD. Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office A former Arcola police officer was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted of two felonies in connection to the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman he pulled over in 2019. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A former Arcola police officer on Monday was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted of two felonies in connection to the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman he pulled over in 2019. Hector Aaron Ruiz, 29, was convicted of obstruction of justice by a federal jury in May 2023 and in January pleaded guilty to a count of violation of civil rights, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas. Ruiz was on duty on Nov. 16, 2019, when he stopped a 23-year-old Pasadena woman on Texas 6 as she was driving home from a night out in Houston. Ruiz, who was a rookie officer on the small citys police force, took the womans drivers license and told her to drive to an under-construction subdivision. He then sexually assaulted her inside her car, according to prosecutors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the civil rights violation charge, prosecutors alleged Ruiz acted under the color of law to deprive the woman of her due process rights and bodily integrity by assaulting her. Ruiz was not only a predator but a predator with a badge, said Alamdar S. Hamdani, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. During a traffic stop, he raped a young woman he was sworn to serve and to protect, violently breaking a fundamental promise law enforcement makes with any community. The woman came forward shortly after the assault. Ruiz was fired and then arrested and charged with sexual assault and official oppression in Fort Bend County days later. Federal charges against him were filed in 2020. Ruiz tampered with his dash camera and body-worn microphone before the assault, but he didnt account for a back-up camera in the vehicle, prosecutors said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As of Monday, the Fort Bend County charges were still listed as pending, but inactive. The federal indictment returned against Ruiz alleged he assaulted a different woman in August 2019. A jury in May 2023 found him not guilty of that charge, according to court records. However, he was convicted of the obstruction charge stemming from the November 2019 case and faced a possible retrial over the other assault. If convicted by a jury, Ruiz faced a possible life sentence. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed not to recommend a sentence of more than 25 years, according to court records. Once Ruiz finishes his 20 year sentence, he will have to complete five years of supervised release. Ruiz has been in federal custody since he was charged by the Department of Justice. Cleanova has renewed the long-standing partnership with Saudi Technic Industries (STI) as the authorised distributor of its Dollinger and Plenty filtration solutions in Saudi Arabia. The agreement means STI continues to be an official supplier of Dollinger filtration, Plenty process filtration and Plenty strainers, as well as aftermarket services. Paul Baker, Sales Director for Cleanova, says: With our aligned mission to exceed the expectations of our customers and deliver high-quality products alongside ongoing aftermarket support, we look forward to continuing to partner with STI. We can continue to combine technical expertise with local knowledge and experience to provide a comprehensive service to customers in the region. Fresh approach Since forming in October 2023, Cleanova has brought a fresh approach to the filtration sector with its customer-first focus whilst delivering innovative filtration solutions that improved efficiency, reduce emissions and minimise waste. Their filtration solutions are gaining particular traction with customers who are navigating the energy transition. STI has been providing support and services to the oil and gas industry, petrochemical, power and water markets since 1984. Their clients include major players such as Saudi Aramco, Saudi Electric Company, Saudi Chevron and Jazan Integrated Gasification and Power Company. Fawzi Aqel, General Manager of STI, commented: "The oil and gas industry plays a pivotal role in the transformation outlined in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. With over four decades of experience, STI is proud to partner with Cleanova to advance this vision. Together, we will deliver cutting-edge and innovative filtration and separation solutions, setting new standards of excellence and driving progress within the industry.--TradeArabia News Service Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) have successfully organised a promotional campaign in China to promote this years edition of Expand North Star, the worlds largest event for startups and investors. The event will be hosted by the chamber at Dubai Harbour from October 13 to 16. The chamber held a series of events in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, where it met with more than 330 companies and 19 digital business partners to highlight the benefits of participating in Expand North Star 2024, which is organised by DWTC and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. The events created impactful platforms for dialogue and networking with Chinese businesses and trade organisations. During the roadshow, the chamber continued to expand its network with new partners in the digital ecosystem and attract more Chinese participants to participate in the exhibition. Pitch competitions The roadshow also featured pitch competitions in each city for companies operating in diverse digital sectors including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, the Internet of Things, blockchain, robotics, network security, smart city technologies, cleantech, and medical technology. The winners of each competition received a fully funded opportunity to participate in Expand North Star 2024, as well entry to the semi-final stage of the Supernova Challenge, which will be held as part of the four-day event. Expand North Star plays a vital role in attracting the global technology community to Dubai and serves as a valuable platform for innovation, collaboration, and building bridges with the world's leading technology influencers. The eagerly anticipated gathering connects the worlds most sought-after startups with innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and the founders of global success stories to explore exciting growth opportunities emerging in Dubai and catalyse the future of the digital economy.--TradeArabia News Service A Think Tank in Bahrain explored the economic implications of the evolving talent landscape, the necessary infrastructure, private-public collaborations, and the educational measures required to prepare the workforce for future demands. In a collaborative effort with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), Harvard Business Schools (HBS) Club of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a non-profit organisation representing over 1,400 HBS alumni in the GCC, hosted an alumni-exclusive Think Tank. Under the title Local Talent: Global Reach Bahrain: A Hub for Talent, the event featured Hamad bin Faisal Al Malki, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, as the guest of honour in a fireside chat moderated by Maryam AlQaseer, Country Head Bahrain of HBS Club of the GCC, and Vice President of Clinical Excellence at the Eastern Health Cluster. Talent landscape The event delved into the dynamic talent landscape influenced by rapid technological advancements and the green transition, featuring a panel discussion with the participation of Professor Dr Ciaran O Cathain, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Polytechnic, Nada Al Saeed, Chief of Strategy & Research at Bahrain EDB, and Alaa Saeed, Co-founder of Array Innovation, an AI and Cloud native digital provider. It was moderated by Megha Mittal, Chartered member, HBS Club of the GCC, and CEO of MemiFriends. Saleh Lootah, President of HBS Club of the GCC said: "We are delighted to see such enthusiastic participation at this ThinkTank. This event, in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, underscores our commitment to advancing the regional business, educational, and social climate through active engagement with key stakeholders. This event highlights our commitment to providing a vibrant platform for our alumni to connect, share ideas, and contribute to the region. Our mission is to bridge the gap between stakeholders, fostering collaborations that drive innovation and economic growth. By leveraging our members' expertise, we create an ecosystem that encourages mentorship, lifelong connections, and strategic initiatives. We are proud to support Bahrain's efforts to nurture local talent and make a global impact. Together, we can drive sustainable progress and prosperity in the Gulf region." Dialogue and collaboration Nada Al Saeed, Chief of Strategy at Bahrain EDB, said: Events like these are crucial as they provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders. They enable us to share insights, address challenges, and collectively strategise on how to best equip our talent with the skills needed for tomorrow's world. By bringing together industry leaders, we can forge stronger connections and drive impactful initiatives that benefit our economy and society at large." Al Saeed added: "Bahrain is dedicated to fostering an environment where local talent can thrive and make a global impact. The kingdoms investments in education, technology, and public-private partnerships are designed to ensure that our workforce is not only prepared for the future but also poised to lead it. The event highlighted the island nation of Bahrain's strategic initiatives to nurture and leverage local talent on a global stage. The kingdom continues to invest in talent development, recognising it as a cornerstone for sustained progress, economic growth, and prosperity. Businesses operating in Bahrain benefit from a young, tech-savvy population and insight from a future-ready workforce combining highly-skilled, bi-lingual, driven Bahraini nationals and a diverse talent pool offering a global perspective.--TradeArabia News Service CEOs believe remaining competitive in the age of AI demands taking significant risk, a new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value has found. Some 68% of Middle East CEOs surveyed agreed that the potential productivity gains from automation are so great they must accept significant risk to stay competitive. Meanwhile, 46% of respondents are determined to take more risk than the competition to maintain their competitive edge. Advanced GenAI The CEOs surveyed in the study: Six hard truths CEOs must face: How to leap forward with courage and conviction are looking to disrupt their own ways of working, accelerating the pace of change. To win the future, 62% of global CEOs said they must rewrite their organisational playbook, while 56% of Middle East CEOs think competitive advantage depends on who has the most advanced generative AI (GenAI). "There is a shift in mindset among leaders, where the benefits associated with the adoption of advanced technology, such as GenAI, are seen to outweigh the risks. By embracing automation across their operations, organisations can accelerate innovation and future-proof their offerings. A long-term outlook is essential for success in this highly competitive landscape, as well as embracing risk-taking to drive innovation and maintain competitive advantage in the era of AI," said Saad Toma, General Manager, IBM Middle East and Africa. The study has identified six key capabilities and characteristics that are helping CEOs prepare for the future. These include effective strategy development, expertise-led differentiation, robust technology foundation, outcomes-focused investment, active ecosystem engagement, and actionable enterprise metrics. Six hard truths In addition, the report notes that CEOs need to tackle six hard and sometimes surprising truths to outperform their competition in the age of GenAI: *Your team isnt as strong as you think. While CEOs are generally optimistic about their organisations readiness for GenAI, hiring challenges present a warning sign. The survey shows that 60% of Middle East CEOs are convinced their team has the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate generative AI, and 63% feel their recruiting efforts deliver expertise necessary to achieve business objectives. Yet, 42% say they are having difficulty filling key technology roles. *The customer isnt always right. CEOs tend to see customer trust as a key differentiator in product innovation. While 80% of global CEOs find transparency around the adoption of new technologies critical to fostering customer trust, only 30% of Middle East CEOs identify customer experience as a key measure of their organisations enterprise transformation. *Sentimentality is a weakness when expertise is in short supply. 69% of ME CEOs say they have the right network of partners to execute their strategy, while 61% believe changing strategic priorities demand reconfiguring core business partnerships. In this context, it is sometimes necessary to make room for new growth, building symbiotic relationships while deciding when and how to let others take the wheel. *Sparring partners make the best leaders. CEOs must create a culture that encourages emphatic debate and constructive collaboration. 66% of ME CEOs agree that their organisations success is directly tied to the quality of collaboration between the finance and technology functions. However, 44% of respondents admit that competition within their C-suite sometimes impedes collaboration. *People hate progress. CEOs realise that people are at the heart of successful GenAI adoption. Globally, 64% of CEOs believe that succeeding with AI will depend more on peoples adoption than the technology itself. Nearly half (49%) of ME CEOs say their organisation must take advantage of technologies that evolve faster than people can adapt, and 69% say they are pushing their organisation to adopt GenAI faster than some employees find comfortable. *Tech shortcuts are a dead end. CEOs know that short-term targets may be shortsighted, but many continue to borrow from the future. ME CEOs view a focus on short-term performance as the top barrier to innovation in their organisations, while 66% of global CEOs are meeting short-term targets by reallocating resources from longer-term efforts.--TradeArabia News Service The UAE Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Manual, in a major step aimed at developing a policy and procedural framework to enable federal government entities to implement their developmental and strategic projects efficiently and effectively, and also enhance their benefit from the financial, administrative, and technological expertise of the private sector. The manual encourages the private sector to proactively participate and contribute to supporting the UAEs efforts to develop national and strategic projects to achieve the maximum possible benefit for society, the nation, the private sector, and the national economy. Announcing this today (June 25), Ministry of Finance said the manual defines the roles and responsibilities of relevant entities by documenting procedures related to PPP contracts, their governance, including proposals from the private sector, market studies, value-for-money assessments, project structuring, and management, in compliance with Federal Decree-Law No. 12 of 2023 on regulating federal PPPs. This initiative falls within the Ministrys efforts to create optimal conditions and support national efforts to stimulate investment in joint projects between federal entities and the private sector. The manual governs the operations and processes for designing, planning and implementing projects, as well as provides a summary guideline for federal entities and private sector partners to follow in partnership projects, ensuring transparency and clarity for all concerned parties. It also includes instructions on determining priorities for partnership projects between the federal government and private sector, studying and evaluating the proposed project after conducting a comprehensive analysis of it from various aspects, selecting partners, and procedures for submitting bids and offers to potential partners in the private sector. By providing this specific framework for organising and implementing partnership projects between the public and private sectors, the manual unifies the mechanisms, standards and conditions for implementing partnership projects. In collaboration with strategic partners, the UAE ministry has identified priority sectors for the first phase of future partnership projects, including infrastructure, energy, healthcare, social services and education. It aims to build and manage integrated and effective strategies and enhance cooperation and dialogue between the public and private sectors, given the importance of this collaboration and its impact on various aspects of economic activity. This effort also aims to enhance governance frameworks to maintain government efficiency and flexibility, and develop its relevant tools. Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, said the UAE was progressing towards empowering and enhancing its path to sustainable economic growth. "In a world where cooperation and integration between the public and private sectors are fundamental pillars for achieving the nations aspirations and strengthening its position, this cooperation aims to achieve better value in public spending," he noted. According to him, the ministry was keen on enhancing the partnership between the public and private sectors, recognising their significant role in the country's social and economic development thereby promoting sustainable economic growth and ensuring comprehensive prosperity for all members of society. "Case studies around the world have shown that public-private partnerships enhance efficiency and effectiveness, improve service levels and quality, reduce costs, and optimally utilise resources through innovation, competition enhancement, economic stimulation, and safeguarding individual interests," stated Al Hussaini. "This manual represents a practical step forward and an open invitation for active participation and positive contribution from the private sector in supporting the UAEs efforts to develop major strategic projects and support the national economy," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and enthusiasm, according to a recent research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The study reveals that 91% of UAE consumers are aware of generative AI, with 34% actively using these applications. This level of engagement surpasses many other regions globally, it said. Globally, over 80% of survey participants are aware of GenAI, with a quarter actively using it. Notably, younger individuals under 35 show higher engagement, with 86% awareness and 32% usage compared to 80% awareness and 20% usage among those over 35. BCGs research is based on a survey conducted by its Center for Customer Insight to measure the level of awareness of AI and GenAI, as well as usage and sentiment among 21,000 respondents from 21 countries across six continents. It also explored questions relevant to the use of AI in the workplace. In the workplace, 67% of UAE employees expressed excitement about AI's potential to enhance their work environment, reflecting a workforce that views AI as a tool for innovation and efficiency. The UAE government's initiatives, such as the Falcon 2 AI model, further demonstrate the country's commitment to positioning itself at the forefront of AI development, it said. However, the adoption of AI is not without challenges. While 37% of UAE consumers are excited about generative AI, 46% feel conflicted and 17% are concerned. This finding highlights the region's forward-thinking attitude towards technology and should be a wake-up call for business leaders. The high engagement levels in the UAE show the need for responsible AI frameworks that address consumers' data privacy concerns. We must continue fostering this positive outlook while addressing the concerns accompanying such seismic shifts, commented Rami Mourtada, Partner & Director at BCG. As AI applications gain popularity, business leaders must focus on people, process changes, and technological implementation. BCG recommends emphasizing transparency, piloting new ideas in receptive markets, and reassuring customers as AI offerings scale. The report also stresses the importance of change management, suggesting that 70% of efforts should focus on people-related processes like changing the management. "The enthusiasm for GenAI among UAE professionals underscores a dynamic workforce that sees AI as a tool and a partner in driving innovation and efficiency. We must continue to foster this positive outlook while addressing the concerns that accompany such transformative changes," said Mark Zaleski, Managing Partner & Director at BCG X. Implications for Leaders BCG report highlights several recommendations for business leaders to leverage GenAI successfully: Emphasise transparency and balanced sales when inventing new consumer applications. Pilot new ideas and products in markets that are more receptive to AI/GenAI and consider a tailored approach to privacy. As companies roll out new AI offerings, reassuring customers before the applications scale too fast, as it is important. It's important to remember the 10-20-70 rule when working with data and technology. Focus 10% of the effort on technology development, 20% on deploying tech stacks, and 70% on change management and other people-related processes. This means that most of the work should be focused on managing the changes that come with new systems, rather than just relying on data and technology. Trust is crucial in AI adoption. Leaders must respect consumer and employee concerns while navigating the misinformation-excitement-concern curve and capitalizing on market opportunities, the study said. TradeArabia News Service Leonard Slatkin with the Los Angeles Film Orchestra at the event The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles hosted a fusion of music and art recently with the world premiere of an extraordinary musical commission, produced by Abu Dhabi Festival in collaboration with Robert Townson Productions. The innovative musical suite, Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak, aims to bridge generations, genres and cultures to pay homage to the late Bob Peak a legendary and iconic artist whose work continues to inspire today. The event paid tribute to classic film scores, paired with Bob Peak's iconic illustrations and masterpieces. The orchestra delivered powerful performances of selections from 20th-century greats, including Leonard Bernsteins West Side Story, John Williams Superman: The Movie, Jerry Goldsmiths Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and other legendary works, vividly bringing Peaks artwork to life. This project brought together 10 esteemed composers, including Emirati artist Ihab Darwish. Darwishs composition, Curva Grande, Fastest Corners in Car Racing, highlighted the UAEs burgeoning influence on the global cultural stage. In addition to Darwish, the concert featured new works by Maria Newman, Jeff Beal, Michael Abels, Marco Beltrami, Marc Shaiman, Don Davis, Bill Conti, Mychael Danna, and Harry Gregson-Williams. Each composition offered a unique interpretation of Peaks art, such as the Time Magazine cover portrait of Mother Teresa, the 1964 New York World's Fair, and more. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, said: It is with great pride and excitement that Abu Dhabi Festival collaborates once more with Robert Townson Productions to present Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak, underscoring the international prominence of the Abu Dhabi Festival and, through the contribution of maestro Ihab Darwish, its commitment to enhancing Emirati cultural presence globally. This grand musical commission brings together the distinctive work of ten internationally renowned composers. In the spirit of Bob Peaks vibrant artworks, the concert celebrates the best of 20th-century culture, including film, architecture, sport and iconic individuals. We were honoured to present the Abu Dhabi Festival 2024 Award to Leonard Slatkin, whose leadership in this historic concert has been truly inspirational. This event not only celebrates Bob Peaks legacy but also exemplifies the power of music and art in fostering global understanding and cooperation. During the concert, Alkhamis-Kanoo presented the prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival 2024 Award to Leonard Slatkin in recognition of his Slatkins contributions to the world of music and his leadership of the Los Angeles Film Orchestra during this historic event. Slatkin, a six-time Grammy Award-winning conductor, has been a pivotal figure in the music industry, and this award highlights his significant role in promoting cultural and artistic innovation. She also presented the Abu Dhabi Festival Award 2024 to Bob Peaks family in recognition of his enduring legacy. This acknowledgement celebrates Peaks lasting impact on the art world and his significant contributions to visual storytelling. Renowned film music producer, Robert Townson, said: This concert is a testament to Bob Peaks enduring influence on the arts. Collaborating with Abu Dhabi Festival and this illustrious group of composers has been an extraordinary journey. The synergy between Peaks visual art and these new musical compositions has created an experience that is both unique and profoundly moving. By supporting new works that bridge traditional and contemporary art forms, the festival continues to foster global cultural dialogue and collaboration. TradeArabia News Service du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has entered into a partnership with DIFC Innovation Hub to support entrepreneurs and start-ups, focusing on cutting-edge programmes and initiatives that encourage innovation within the UAEs business ecosystem, a report said. The 'du Business Entrepreneurship Programme', aims to elevate SMEs by focusing on scalability and accessibility, teaching them to adapt their operations for growth with flexible telecom and workspace solutions, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said. The partnership will involve a robust framework of collaborative efforts to create synergies between the two organisations, leveraging du's capabilities as a telecommunications leader and DIFC's expertise as a global financial hub. Anchored within the DIFC Innovation Hub at 'Innovation One', the 'Entrepreneurship Hub' serves as a professional epicentre for SMEs and start-ups. A curated schedule of workshops, aligned with the aspirations of the entrepreneurial community, solidifies du's strategic position in supporting the UAE's progressive economic ambitions. The 'du Business Entrepreneurship Programme' seeks to enhance digital literacy among SMEs by providing practical training in communication, marketing and cybersecurity, thereby increasing productivity and fostering innovation. Additionally, SMEs will learn to integrate the latest technologies, such as AI, to enhance competitiveness and streamline operations. The programme also guides SMEs through the digital transformation process, covering strategic planning, technology adoption and organisational change management, to leverage technology for sustainable growth in today's rapidly evolving business environment. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority and Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Executive Officer, du; and signed by Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Innovation Hub and Karim Benkirane, Chief Commercial Officer, du. Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Executive Officer at du, said: In alignment with our strategic objectives, du is proud to cement a partnership with DIFC Innovation Hub, marking a shared commitment to fostering entrepreneurial environment in the Middle East. This initiative is a part of our mission to bolster the regional economy through the empowerment of SMEs and start-ups. The du Business Entrepreneurship Programme is primed to serve as a catalyst, offering a suite of resources, expert mentorship and dynamic networking conduits. We are poised to facilitate growth and development across the start-up ecosystem, contributing to the sustained economic diversification and innovation that characterises the UAE national vision." Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, said: SMEs and start-ups are the backbone of Dubais economy and the driving force behind innovation and job creation. DIFC is already home to over 1,000 FinTech and Innovation companies and an ever-evolving ecosystem driving the future of finance. The next generation of leaders taking part in the 'du Business Entrepreneurship Programme' will benefit from access to this growing community of world-leading talent as they come together to unleash their growth potential. Gulf Construction Company (GCC), a major infrastructure service provider for Omans oil and gas sector, has expanded its fleet by inducting large number of Fuso Canter Euro 5 trucks. The first set of trucks were delivered by General Automotive Company (GAC), the authorised Fuso distributor in Oman, at a formal handover ceremony which was attended by senior representatives from both companies. This significant fleet induction shows GCC's lasting trust in products (Fuso Canter trucks) as well as after-sales service of GAC. The Omani infrastructure company said the main factors that led to its decision to buy Fuso Canter trucks were its dependability, safety and sustainability in the tough and challenging oil field conditions of the sultanate as well as GACs nationwide after-sales network, equipped with Opal Certified workshops in oil and gas areas. Over the past few years, GCC has acquired a fleet of over 70 Fuso trucks, underscoring their trust and reliability in the Japanese brand's sales and aftersales performance as well as the cost-effectiveness. On the Fuso fleet expansion, Amur Al Mahri of GCC said: "We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with GAC. Fuso trucks have proven to be a reliable choice, offering cost-effective solutions and ensuring minimal downtime through their excellent after-sales service network and highly trained staff." "The new TF Canter Euro V trucks perfectly complement our existing fleet, offering outstanding fuel efficiency, cleaner emissions, and the latest safety features to keep our operator safe and comfortable," he stated. The TF Canter Euro V is a recent addition to the Fuso product lineup and it is powered by a 2998 cc, Turbocharged Diesel Engine that delivers outstanding performance with a maximum power output of 150 PS at 3500 RPM and a peak torque of 370 Nm at 1320 RPM. This engine is not only powerful but also clean and extremely eco-friendly. According to him, safety remains a top priority for GCC, with operations demanding vehicles that can withstand harsh conditions while maintaining high performance and comfort. "The Fuso TF Canter Euro V perfectly fits this requirement - disc brakes with ABS and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), dual airbags for driver and co-driver, and a Brake Overdrive System ensure maximum control and occupant protection. This combination of power, efficiency, and safety makes the Fuso TF Canter Euro V the ideal choice for GCC's demanding operations," stated Al Mahri. Manoj Ranade, General Manager of GAC, said: "We are proud to deliver these exceptional new-technology Fuso trucks to our long-standing business associate, GCC and are glad to be living up to their trust through our excelled sales & after-sales support." The Gulf Construction Company, known for its extensive services to Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and its contractors, has consistently chosen Fuso trucks due to their exceptional ability to operate in rugged environments. The company's decision is driven by the FUSO trucks' high uptime, excellent operational efficiency and the after-sales support, which are critical in the challenging terrain of oil and gas fields in Oman. "Their continued trust in our brand is a testament to the quality and capabilities of our vehicles as well as wide network of after-sales facilities across the Sultanate of Oman. We look forward to supporting & being a part of GCC's success for many years to come," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Bapco Supply company, a subsidiary of Bapco Energies, the integrated energy group leading the transformation of the energy sector in Bahrain, has appointed Bassima Al Mahroos as its chief executive officer (CEO). Al Mahroos has become the first woman to lead the executive management of a national energy company. She enjoys a wealth of experience spanning more than 36 years in the investment service field, project development, operations engineering, and business and trade planning. She also participated in many high administrations in the private sector in mapping out general policies to increase the companies financial benefits. Bapco Energies chief executive Mark Thomas hailed the appointment, describing it as a step forward in boosting equal opportunities and empowering women in the energy sector. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service Spring Branch ISDs board Vice President Lisa Andrews Alpe speaks during public comments as Spring Branch trustees considered a proposal to remove former Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Duncan Klussmann's name from the district's educational center, after he wrote a critical op-ed about the district's recent $35M in budget cuts during a board meeting at Duncan F. Klussmann Education Center on Monday, March 25, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led out of the courtroom after bail was set for $10 million, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Houston. Pena and another man, Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. Brett Coomer/Associated Press Houston attorney Lisa Andrews, who serves as the Spring Branch ISD school board president, was appointed by the court to represent one of the men facing trial in the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Andrews was chosen as the court-appointed attorney for the case, a school district spokesperson confirmed. She's representing Franklin Pena, 24, who is facing a capital murder charge. His co-defendant, Johan Martinez-Rangel, 22 was also charged. LAST JOURNEY OF JOCELYN: Public funeral details annnounced for 12-year-old who was slain Advertisement Article continues below this ad Andrews worked as an assistant district attorney at the Harris County District Attorney's Office for 11 years before opening her private law practice, according to her bio on the school district's website. Her law firm, the Law Office of Attorney Lisa K. Andrews, is in Houston. The U.S. Constitution, Texas Constitution and statutes guarantee the right to an attorney for those who are accused of a crime who may not be able to afford an attorney, according to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission's website. A defendant can ask the court to appoint an attorney. There's a wheel of attorneys for criminal cases from which the judge appoints the next qualified counsel to take a client, Galveston attorney Jonathan Zendeh Del said. HARDING STREET RAID: Judge tosses indictments against Houston police officers Advertisement Article continues below this ad Attorneys can pull out of a case if there's a conflict while handling the case, however, they would need to request it from the judge, he said. Zendeh Del believes most court-appointed attorneys would opt to do their jobs to represent the client. News that Andrews was Pena's attorney was met with some criticism on social media from people concerned she was representing him while holding a position on the school board. Other commenters said people are entitled to representation regardless of the crime they're accused of, and that court-appointed lawyers don't choose which clients they're assigned. "I'm not sure that it's something that you can hold against an attorney for wanting to do a job for her clients," Zendeh Del said. Andrews did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Roommates Pena and Martinez-Rangel were arrested and charged after surveillance footage showed them with Jocelyn before she died. Her body was found in the shallow water flowing toward Greens Bayou last week. Police believe the 12-year-old was strangled to death near the bridge in the 400 block of West Rankin Road. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The men allegedly asked Jocelyn for directions which led to them walking to the bridge. Prosecutors believe that's when they assaulted Jocelyn, tied her up and left her body. Prosecutors are still waiting on evidence from lab testing to determine if Jocelyn was sexually assaulted. "SWEETEST, KINDEST SOUL": Community mourns death of Jocelyn Nungaray at north Houston vigil The case has sparked debate surrounding immigration policies after U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said the men entered the country illegally. Some Republican politicians are pushing for the death penalty for people convicted of killing a child. Harris County District Court Judge Josh Hill ordered Pena and Martinez-Rangel to be held on a $10 million bond. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Both men are being held in Harris County Jail. They will be separated while being incarcerated and tried individually for their cases, a Harris County assistant district attorney said Tuesday. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is often pitched as a transition fuel that can help countries reduce coal usage amid the switch to renewable energy. However, evidence from China, the worlds largest coal consumer, shows that LNG is unlikely to materially displace coal-fired power generation, according to the latest report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Policymakers in both LNG exporting and importing countries should approach claims about the necessity of LNG as a bridge fuel with a high degree of skepticism, says Sam Reynolds, the reports co-author and LNG/Gas Research Lead for IEEFA Asia. The case of China clearly shows that LNG has played a minimal role in displacing coal in the countrys largest coal-consuming sectors. THE BIG PICTURE Arguments that LNG has supported Chinas clean energy transition ignore fundamental trends in the countrys energy sector development. China has prioritized domestic energy resources over imported LNG due to energy security and cost incentives. Chinas growing LNG imports have not reduced or slowed the growth of its coal consumption. Since 2017, coal demand has increased more than LNG imports every year. In the power sector, which accounts for 60 per cent of Chinas total coal usage, the share of natural gas generation has remained at just 3 per cent since 2015. Meanwhile, the share of wind and solar generation has quadrupled to 16 per cent. Although coal-fired power generation has increased during this time, its relative market share in the power mix has fallen from 70 per cent to 61 per cent. While coal has not been displaced in absolute terms, wind and solar have contributed more than gas to reducing coals share in the generation mix, says Christopher Doleman, report co-author and an LNG/Gas Specialist for IEEFA. Looking ahead, annual capacity additions of coal, wind, and solar will continue to exceed new gas-fired power capacity. A MATTER OF ENERGY SECURITY AND COST Chinese government policies strongly favor domestic energy sources, including coal, renewables, and indigenous natural gas, over imported fuels such as LNG. Recent policies aim to strictly control coal-to-gas switching and position coal, rather than gas, as the cornerstone of electrical reliability. For example, recent Chinese energy plans aim to retrofit 200 gigawatts of existing coal capacity to support the integration of variable solar and wind generation. Meanwhile, the countrys natural gas strategy ensures that imports do not rise above 50 per cent of total gas consumption. LNG is also too expensive to materially displace coal. Chinese customs data shows that the average cost of imported LNG is nearly three times that of domestically produced coal and gas. It is also between 37 per cent and 61 per cent more expensive than pipeline gas imports from Russia and other Asian countries. As a result, coal generation is typically US$30-40 per megawatt-hour cheaper than natural gas-fired power generation. Meanwhile, onshore wind and utility-scale solar are the cheapest power sources, costing roughly half as much as gas-fired power generation. Although LNG prices are expected to fall in the coming years, IEEFAs report finds they are unlikely to drop to levels that are competitive with coal or renewables. NON-POWER SECTORS Chinas industrial sectors, primarily iron, steelmaking, and cement, account for 33 per cent of the countrys coal consumption. However, Chinese investments in coal-based iron and steelmaking capacity still far exceed those in natural gas-based processes, and full decarbonization will require non-fossil fuel alternatives rather than a shift from coal to gas, according to Ghee Peh, report co-author and an Energy Finance Specialist for IEEFA. Efforts to replace coal-fired stoves with gas heaters in urban areas have run their course and extending them into rural areas will prove challenging. Other factors, including energy security and cost incentives, also weigh heavily against coal-to-gas switching. In the long term, Chinas non-fossil infrastructure investments will dwarf fossil energy investments. Replacing coal with clean renewable energy, rather than imported LNG, will likely enable China to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service Intero Integrity Services (Intero) has announced that Rivean Capital, a pioneer in European mid-market private equity, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company from First Reserve. Since 1982, Rivean has been supporting ambitious management teams in achieving their plans. With offices in the Benelux, DACH regions, and Italy, Rivean is known for partnership, pragmatism, and performance. This collaboration will support Interos operational excellence, expand its global energy hub presence, and fast-track technology developments with key customers. Riveans expertise and Portfolio Enhancement Program are set to deliver exceptional value creation for Intero. Intero's dedication to becoming the preferred partner for the critical infrastructure sector requires ongoing investments in the organization and the advancement of its technology and capabilities. With Rivean's support, Intero aims to maintain its international growth momentum and accelerate its strategic initiatives, including the development of enhanced technologies, global expansion primarily in North America, and assisting clients in managing their emissions and complying with current regulations. Rienk de Vries, CEO of Intero, said: "With the backing of our partners at Rivean, I am confident that Intero will accelerate growth, expand and diversify our service offerings, and become a vital partner helping drive success for our customers. We look forward to this exciting new phase for Intero, where we will continue to expand our unique blend of technological innovations, critical inspection, advanced environmental services, and industrial services. This will ensure safety, integrity, and enhanced performance of mission-critical infrastructure around the world. We would also like to thank First Reserve for their invaluable support over the course of our partnership." Maurits Boomsma, Senior Partner at Rivean Capital, commented: We are very impressed by what Interos management team has achieved in recent years with the backing of First Reserve. Rienk de Vries and the rest of the team have transformed the business into the clear technology leader in the difficult-to-inspect market and they have built a solid platform for future growth. We are very much looking forward to supporting Intero in the next phase of growth. Jeff Quake, Managing Partner at First Reserve, added: Were proud of Interos incredible growth during our ownership period. There continues to be a critical need for businesses like Intero which provide cutting-edge integrity solutions for essential infrastructure around the world. We look forward to following Interos continued success with their new partner as they continue to execute on their growth plan. Interos head office will remain in Tricht, the Netherlands, and the Company will continue to serve its customers out of its various offices in Europe including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania, Serbia as well as from its global locations in North America, South America, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia. As Interos focus is on growth, the Company plans to continue to invest in and develop its employee talent in each of its core geographies. Baird served as financial advisor and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer served as legal counsel to First Reserve. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and enthusiasm, according to a recent research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The study reveals that 91% of UAE consumers are aware of generative AI, with 34% actively using these applications. This level of engagement surpasses many other regions globally, it said. Globally, over 80% of survey participants are aware of GenAI, with a quarter actively using it. Notably, younger individuals under 35 show higher engagement, with 86% awareness and 32% usage compared to 80% awareness and 20% usage among those over 35. BCGs research is based on a survey conducted by its Center for Customer Insight to measure the level of awareness of AI and GenAI, as well as usage and sentiment among 21,000 respondents from 21 countries across six continents. It also explored questions relevant to the use of AI in the workplace. In the workplace, 67% of UAE employees expressed excitement about AI's potential to enhance their work environment, reflecting a workforce that views AI as a tool for innovation and efficiency. The UAE government's initiatives, such as the Falcon 2 AI model, further demonstrate the country's commitment to positioning itself at the forefront of AI development, it said. However, the adoption of AI is not without challenges. While 37% of UAE consumers are excited about generative AI, 46% feel conflicted and 17% are concerned. This finding highlights the region's forward-thinking attitude towards technology and should be a wake-up call for business leaders. The high engagement levels in the UAE show the need for responsible AI frameworks that address consumers' data privacy concerns. We must continue fostering this positive outlook while addressing the concerns accompanying such seismic shifts, commented Rami Mourtada, Partner & Director at BCG. As AI applications gain popularity, business leaders must focus on people, process changes, and technological implementation. BCG recommends emphasizing transparency, piloting new ideas in receptive markets, and reassuring customers as AI offerings scale. The report also stresses the importance of change management, suggesting that 70% of efforts should focus on people-related processes like changing the management. "The enthusiasm for GenAI among UAE professionals underscores a dynamic workforce that sees AI as a tool and a partner in driving innovation and efficiency. We must continue to foster this positive outlook while addressing the concerns that accompany such transformative changes," said Mark Zaleski, Managing Partner & Director at BCG X. Implications for Leaders BCG report highlights several recommendations for business leaders to leverage GenAI successfully: Emphasise transparency and balanced sales when inventing new consumer applications. Pilot new ideas and products in markets that are more receptive to AI/GenAI and consider a tailored approach to privacy. As companies roll out new AI offerings, reassuring customers before the applications scale too fast, as it is important. It's important to remember the 10-20-70 rule when working with data and technology. Focus 10% of the effort on technology development, 20% on deploying tech stacks, and 70% on change management and other people-related processes. This means that most of the work should be focused on managing the changes that come with new systems, rather than just relying on data and technology. Trust is crucial in AI adoption. Leaders must respect consumer and employee concerns while navigating the misinformation-excitement-concern curve and capitalizing on market opportunities, the study said.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) signed a cooperation agreement with the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority (ECZA), to cooperate, integrate, and coordinate in facilitating coastal tourism activities and projects. During the signing ceremony, SRSA was represented by Head of Strategic Partnership Saud Bin Turki Al Saud, while ECZA was represented by Deputy of Customer Services Abdullah Noor. The signing of this agreement aligns with SRSA's mandate to enable coastal tourism activities, attract investment, promote tourism destinations in the Red Sea, and develop the human capital in the industry by integrating with the relevant entities, in order to build a thriving and sustainable coastal tourism sector. While the agreement also entails establishing a mechanism to facilitate procedures of coastal tourism activities and projects, along with supporting their development in economic cities. Additionally, the agreement aims to improve training in the coastal tourism sector, provide community-based initiatives, as well as promoting unique tourism experiences and investment opportunities, by working with the relevant entities to enhance the quality and efficiency of the provided services. SRSA began its journey towards building and regulating the coastal tourism sector in 2021, with the objective of enhancing integration between the relevant entities by issuing licenses and permits, developing the necessary policies and strategies, determining infrastructure requirements, preserving the marine environment, enabling investors including SMEs, and promoting navigational and marine tourism activities, which will reflect as an added value to the national economy. TradeArabia News Service Bahrain has won the bid to host the 93rd Global Association of the Exhibition Industry UFI Global Congress, marking a significant milestone for the countrys burgeoning Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry Board, voted in Bahrains favour at the recent UFI European Conference 2024 held in Zurich, Switzerland. This will be the first time the annual gathering, recognised as the largest event in the exhibition industry, will be held in Bahrain, according to a Bahrain News Agency report. The UFI Global Congress is scheduled for November 2026, at the award-winning Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) in Sakhir. EWB is the current 'Worlds Leading New Exhibition and Convention Centre 2023', and the 'Middle East's Leading Large-Scale Wedding Venue 2024'. We are honoured to have been selected as the host destination for the UFI Global Congress, said Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi, the Minister of Tourism and Chairman of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). This is a testament to Bahrains commitment to the MICE industry and our ongoing efforts to drive innovation in this promising sector. We look forward to welcoming delegates from across the globe to experience the Bahraini hospitality and the many opportunities our nation has to offer, she added. After Cologne in 2024 and Hong Kong in 2025, we couldnt be more excited to announce that Bahrain will host the 2026 UFI Global Congress. Exhibition World Bahrain presented a very strong bid, making it an easy decision for the UFI leadership. After the success of the 2022 Global Congress in Oman, we are thrilled to return to the Middle East for another unforgettable event, Geoff Dickinson, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry President, said. EWB led the bid to secure this event with the support of strategic local partners. This landmark achievement aligns with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authoritys (BTEA) strategy to strongly position the kingdom as a premier destination for international events. Hosting the UFI Global Congress will also enable the kingdom to attract hundreds of industry professionals and decision-makers from around the world to exchange insights, foster collaborations, and shape the future of the sector. Bahrain's strategic location, robust business infrastructure, and supportive government policies, coupled with its rich history and cultural diversity, have made it a compelling destination for MICE events. Since its opening in November 2022, EWB has rapidly established itself as a premier destination for events of all sizes, attracting over 800,000 visitors and exhibitors across 186 local and international events in its inaugural year. With state-of-the-art facilities, innovative services, and a diverse range of multi-purpose halls, EWB has successfully hosted a multitude of events, from large-scale exhibitions and conferences to intimate meetings and grand weddings. Oman Air has the Best Airline Staff in the Middle East, Skytrax 2024 World Airline Awards has declared. The airline has earned the title for the seventh time. The prestigious accolade was received by Con Korfiatis, the airlines Chief Executive Officer, during a ceremony celebrating the awards 25th anniversary in Windsor, UK. Korfiatis said: Oman Airs consistent success in this category underscores our unwavering dedication to nurturing a service-oriented culture that is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Omani hospitality. I am extremely proud of the Oman Air family, both on board and on the ground, for proving time and again their relentless dedication to service excellence and their commitment to deliver an unmatched guest experience at every touchpoint. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are considered one of the most prestigious in the industry, with travellers across the globe taking part each year in the worlds largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the winners, a statement said. TradeArabia News Service Speaking at a post-budget panel discussion yesterday at St Marys College, Port of Spain, Sagewan said, From my research, the energy sector peaked in 2010 and has been on a downward slide since. Since 2010, we have had no major investments in the energy sector because we simply dont have the gas; and if we dont have the gas, there is no rationale for the huge company to put down a petrochemical plant that needs a guarantee of 15 years to make that investment. Students walk on campus at Texas State University on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in San Marcos. The university will no longer host its scheduled presidential debate this fall. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Texas State University will no longer host its scheduled presidential debate this fall, with the presumptive nominees axing their originally planned match-ups and announcing two different debate dates hosted by CNN and ABC News. The Commission on Presidential Debates informed the university late Monday that it was canceling all three of its 2024 dates, one of which was set to occur on Sept. 16 in San Marcos, school officials confirmed. Texas State had paused its planning and expenditures related to work on the debate after the campaigns of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump announced their new plan last month. While receiving this official news is disappointing, we understand the CPDs position, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse said in a statement. As the only Texas university to have graduated a U.S. president, we were excited to host the first-ever presidential debate in our great state. We are also proud to be the only Hispanic Serving Institution chosen to host a presidential debate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the words of our alumnus President Lyndon B. Johnson, Let no one ever think for a moment that national debate means national division, the statement continued. We remain steadfast in supporting our students and the entire university community as they continue to learn about democracy, to engage in civil discourse, and to participate in the electoral process throughout the upcoming election cycle. Texas State was set to host the first of three presidential debates ahead of the November 2024 general election. The second presidential debate was scheduled for Oct. 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., and the third debate was set for Oct. 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The debates were originally organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit that is charged with planning debates for the general election contest between the major candidates for president. The commission has sponsored all presidential and vice presidential debates in the general election since 1988. The longstanding tradition was thrown into flux after Biden and Trump announced two separate debate dates for June 27 and Sept. 10 that the two campaigns had coordinated, according to the Washington Post. At the time, Bidens campaign said in a letter to the commission that he planned not to participate in its three debates, explaining that the format was outdated and took place after early voting dates in many states, the Texas Tribune reported. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The loss of a debate at Texas State will come as a disappointment to some who hoped to show off the university to a nationwide audience. Johnson, the former president, graduated from the university then known as Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1930. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Opposition Leader cited figures that showed the official entertainment for the Office of the Prime Minister moved from a revised estimate of $240,000 in 2024 to an estimated expenditure of $30 million in 2025. This is an increase of 12,400%. Shakari Briggs is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at shakari.briggs@houstonchronicle.com. Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, she worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. Shakari comes to the Houston newsroom with experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career. Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting. Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today A Tulsa man who has been in custody since a June 9 shooting is expected to face an amended charge of murder after the 23-year-old victim died Monday, police said. Officers responded around 11 p.m. that Sunday to a residence near 41st West Avenue and Charles Page Boulevard, where Jeremy Crowder was found with a gunshot wound. Investigators learned that the shooting had taken place during a party at the home after an argument escalated among several people there, according to Tulsa police. Aidan Steel Perez, 21, was arrested the following morning and charged with shooting with intent to kill. Police indicated that they will ask prosecutors to amend the charge to first-degree murder. The Tulsa World is where your story lives Two leading Chinese businesses expressed their wishes to engage in large-scale projects for railways and renewable energy in Vietnam at their separate meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday. The meetings took place as part of PM Chinhs trip to China to attend the 15th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions and working sessions with Chinese officials from June 24 to 27. At the talks with Sun Rongkun, chairman of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC)s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. (CRRC Dalian), the Vietnamese government chief said Vietnam and China need to further promote cooperation in railway development, which is among Vietnams currently urgent needs. Vietnam now has more than 2,000km of railways with over 300 stations, but the countrys railway sector has yet to operate them in a really efficient way. He noted that the railway has advantages over other transportation types thanks to its affordable transport charges and suitability for carrying a number of goods. As part of the Vietnam-China joint statement on continuing deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future, issued in December 2023, the two sides agreed to promote standard-gauge railway connectivity across their shared border, PM Chinh told Sun. Vietnam also expects to continue developing urban train routes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Chinh added. The prime minister recommended that CRRC Dalian collaborate with the Vietnam Railways Corporation and other Vietnamese enterprises in manufacturing locomotives and carriages, transferring relevant technology, and training human resources for the Vietnamese railway sector. Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Sun Rongkun, chairman of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC)s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. in Dalian City of Chinas Liaoning Province, June 24, 2024. Photo: Doan Bac / Tuoi Tre The two sides should engage in setting up high-quality railway projects and implementing them efficiently in the spirit of harmonious benefits and risk sharing, contributing to the development of the railway industry in Vietnam. Briefing the PM on CRRC Dalian, which specializes in manufacturing locomotives, urban rail vehicles, express trains, and new-energy locomotives, Sun said the companys products have so far been present in 32 countries, including Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The company will continue providing railway products for Vietnam and wishes to join the building of railway routes to connect the two countries as well as engage in urban railway projects in the Southeast Asian nations two major metropolises, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, stated Sun. He affirmed that his company is ready to provide its Vietnamese partners with comprehensive and high-tech solutions, share experience, and support railway staff training. At his meeting with deputy general manager of Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) Wang Xiaojun, PM Chinh suggested the group maintain and expand its cooperation and investment in Vietnam in renewable energy and railway projects. Vietnam is prepared to issue a decree on the direct power purchase agreement mechanism, self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power, and the development of power projects using natural gas and liquified natural gas (LNG), the Vietnamese leader stated. He expressed his hope that PowerChina will boost cooperation with Vietnam in the field of energy, especially renewable energy, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam also welcomes and encourages foreign businesses with potential, capital, engineering, and technology resources, including PowerChina, to participate in railway projects approved by the leaders of the two countries, as well as urban railway routes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Chinh added. Wang told Chinh that PowerChina has operated in Vietnam in the sphere of energy since 2000 through many hydro, thermal, solar, and wind power projects in different locations, with a total contract value of over US$9 billion. PowerChina is interested in pumped storage hydropower, wind power, and integrated LNG projects in Vietnam. In addition, the group is also ready to join hands with Vietnamese partners in railway projects including those in urban areas, Wang stated. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Foxconn Singapore has been awarded a licence to invest $383 million in a factory to produce printed circuit boards in Vietnam, local media reported on Monday. The plant in the northern province of Bac Ninh will produce 2.79 million products a year, Cong Thuong newspaper reported. Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and assembler, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. Foxconn has invested more than $3.2 billion in Vietnam since first entering the Southeast Asian country in the 2000s. Most of its manufacturing plants are located in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang. Earlier this month, Vietnamese media said Foxconn will produce 5G AirScale equipment for Nokia at Bac Giang. Heineken, the world's second-largest brewer, has unveiled its plan to shut down its brewery in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, citing declining beer sales. The brewer from the Netherlands officially informed the Quang Nam authorities of the temporary suspension, Nguyen Thanh Phuc, head of public affairs at Heineken Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday. Heineken Vietnam did not mention how long this suspension would last. This factory was put into service in 2007 at the Dien Nam - Dien Ngoc Industrial Park in the town of Dien Ban. It has the smallest capacity among the six Heineken factories across Vietnam. Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Heineken Vietnam paid between VND1 trillion (US$39.3 million) and VND1.2 trillion ($47.2 million) in taxes to local authorities each year. The figures, however, have kept a downward trend in recent years. The Dutch brewer made its tax contribution of approximately VND20 billion ($787,200) to the local budget during the first quarter of 2024. In Vietnam, Heineken is officially employing some 3,000 people, creating 250,000 jobs in its supply chain, with its business performance accounting for 1.04 percent of the countrys GDP. It has also been among the top taxpayers in Vietnam. But the COVID-19 pandemic then triggered an economic slowdown, resulting in falling demand for a number of products and services, including beer. Besides, the implementation of Government Decree 100, which stipulates stricter driving-under-influence regulations with more severe sanctions on drunk driving, has left a negative impact on the local beer market. Therefore, Heineken decided to close its brewery in Quang Nam to optimize its business operations, Heineken Vietnam said in an announcement sent to the Quang Nam authorities. The brewer added that it would relocate employees affected by the suspension to other factories. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is attending the 15th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Chinas Dalian City until June 27, where Vietnam is expected to lure investment in various sectors. This years event has brought together some 1,600 delegates, including global leaders from business, government, civil society, international organizations, academia, and media. Under the Next Frontiers for Growth theme, the meeting is set to open new cooperation opportunities in industries, digital technology, artificial intelligence, and green growth that Vietnam is focusing on attracting investment in. Le Duy Binh, CEO at Economica Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that given the impressive achievements in Vietnams economic development over the past several years, the Southeast Asian country might be one of the new frontiers for growth to draw foreign investors. Regardless of global uncertainties, Vietnam is still maintaining its stable growth pace, highlighting the countrys strong resistance, as well as improved public and economic governance. PM Chinh has constantly offered orientations encouraging investors in new fields such as digital economy, energy transformation, and green economy, proving that Vietnam has well adapted to the shift of the global supply chain, and effectively tapped high value-added sectors. As a result, Vietnams digital economic growth rate has reached 20 percent per year over the past few years, triple the rate of its gross domestic product growth, contributing to increasing the countrys competitiveness and speeding up its economic transformation. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, deputy head of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, evaluated that Vietnams enhanced efforts in changing growth models and restructuring the economy by boosting administrative reforms, upskilling the workforce, and improving infrastructure have helped the nation raise its competitiveness in the global market. Viet said that the WEF appreciated Vietnam for its reforms to create favorable conditions for trade and investment activities. Several major firms are interested in the Vietnamese market. Notably, during the Vietnamese government leaders trip to China, representatives of many big Chinese enterprises met with PM Chinh and expressed their hope of investing in Vietnam. Leaders of Chinas Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. and Power Construction Corporation of China showed their interest in urban railway and energy projects in Vietnam as well as railway projects connecting the two countries at separate meetings with the Vietnamese premier on Monday. PM Chinh was set to have a meeting with another Chinese group and sit in on a seminar on startups and innovation on Tuesday. Dr. Viet noted that these firms interest in some fields that Vietnam is prioritizing for attracting investors such as infrastructure, railways, and energy will help Vietnam better improve the investment quality and climate to attract investors from China and other nations. Viet also expected that through the WEF annual meeting, Vietnam can remove obstacles over investment capital flows, while Vietnamese firms will have a chance to join deeply in global and regional value chains. As part of his working trip to the neighboring country, PM Chinh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on Monday. During their talks, the Vietnamese government leader proposed the two sides enhance their traffic infrastructure connection, suggesting China smooth the path for the export of more Vietnamese agricultural products. The Chinese prime minister affirmed that China would open its doors for more Vietnamese vegetables, fruits, and seafood, while bolstering bilateral ties with Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Forecast high temperatures in the Houston area on Tuesday, according to the National Blend of Models, shows readings in the mid-90s for most locations. WeatherBELL Although this weeks forecast could be considered the textbook definition of summer in Houston, daytime heat index values or the feels like temperatures that factor in humiditys effect on the body will exceed 108 degrees and trigger heat alerts for most of Southeast Texas on Tuesday. The week will feature daily highs in the mid-90s and only isolated storm chances, which is the epitome of summer weather in Houston. Last summer saw seemingly endless days without a drop of rain, but this weeks pattern may provide some relief from the heat if youre lucky. Otherwise, brace for dangerous levels of heat. Heat advisory for Houston The National Weather Service office overseeing the Houston and Galveston metro areas issues heat advisories when widespread heat index values reach 108 degrees or higher. Based on the weather services forecast Monday afternoon, heat alerts are likely to be in effect for some or all of the area through this week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Daytime temperatures through the end of the week will top out in the middle to possibly upper 90s. Whether you see a high of 94 degrees or 97 degrees will ultimately depend on how cloudy the skies are. If you happen to find yourself under a bit more cloud cover, highs may end up closer to average for late June, which is around 93 degrees. For those stuck in the sunshine most of the day, highs are likely to top out in the upper 90s. Popcorn storms possible Summertime heat wouldnt be complete without those gorgeous, towering, puffy cumulus clouds that take shape by the late morning hours. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., those cumulus clouds are likely to have evolved into cumulonimbus clouds capable of producing briefly heavy rainfall and lightning. Although the potential for a few storms exists each day this week much of the region maintains a 20% to 30% chance each afternoon most of us will see rain-free skies. But if you find yourself under a downpour, it may help take the edge off of the heat. Future weather radar for Tuesday evening in Southeast Texas, according to the National Blend of Models, shows isolated storms that might produce a quick downpour to offer brief relief from the heat. WeatherBELL We may see a more organized thunderstorm risk approach from the north Wednesday into Thursday. Models have recently trended away from that outcome, so dont hold your breath that more widespread rain will make a dent in this weeks heat. If you have plants youre trying to keep alive, you can't afford to miss a day to water them. Warm nights ahead Our afternoon highs arent going to be the only warm aspect of the forecast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Overnight lows in Southeast Texas will only fall into the upper 70s to lower 80s closer to the coast. Based on data from 1991 to 2020 collected at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houstons official climate observation site, average nighttime low temperatures peaked at 76 degrees in July and August. While this weeks forecast low temperatures are only a few degrees above normal for late June, its worth noting that the number of nights at or above 77 degrees has increased over time. This graphic shows Houstons nighttime warming trend between 1970 and 2022, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and compiled by Climate Central. Average nighttime lows have warmed nearly 6 degrees at Houstons Bush Intercontinental Airport. Houston Chronicle / Climate Central Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, compiled by the climate nonprofit Climate Central, shows that U.S. summer nighttime lows are warming faster than daytime highs. The average low temperature has increased nearly 6 degrees in the Houston area since 1970. Sweltering nights like whats ahead this week limit the bodys ability to effectively cool off and recover from the hot days of summer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Over 70 leading industry scientists and researchers from 17 countries discussed a wide range of topics regarding infectious disease modeling as part of the MIDSEA Summer School, Workshop, Symposium organized in Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam on Monday. Taking place from June 19 to 29, the MIDSEA Summer School, Workshop, Symposium is co-hosted by the scientific and educational organization Rencontres du Vietnam (Meeting Vietnam), the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), and the MIDSEA Network. The MIDSEA Network, comprising specialists working in the area of modeling infectious diseases in Southeast Asia, serves as a platform that brings leading industry experts together to exchange their ideas about this field. Their studies are expected to make contributions to controlling disease outbreaks in Southeast Asia and across the region in the upcoming time. Professor Tran Thanh Van, chairman of the 'Rencontres du Vietnam,' said that the event provided participants with basic to advanced knowledge about infectious disease modeling, as well as with opportunities to network with other modelers of different experience levels. Professor Alexander Richard Cook, vice dean at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health under the National University of Singapore, spoke highly of the organization of the MIDSEA Summer School, Workshop, Symposium at ICISE, located in the provincial capital city of Quy Nhon. The event will enable young researchers in Southeast Asia to share and exchange knowledge on their research journey, Cook said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! WASHINGTON/SYDNEY -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a 14-year legal odyssey. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2300 GMT Tuesday). The island in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Assange left Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday before being bailed by the UK High Court and boarding a flight that afternoon, Wikileaks said in a statement posted on social media platform X. "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations," the statement said. A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet with the markings of charter firm VistaJet. He will return to Australia after the hearing, the Wikileaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan. "Julian is free!!!!" his wife, Stella Assange, said in a post on X. "Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true." The only VistaJet plane that departed Stansted on Monday afternoon was headed to Bangkok, FlightRadar24 data shows. A spokesperson for Assange in Australia declined to comment on his flight plans. VistaJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing for Assange's release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. "Prime Minister Albanese has been clear - Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration," a government spokesperson said. A lawyer for Assange did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Historic Charges WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. "A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organization Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. "It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world." Long Odyssey Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in London's Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the United States. Those five years of confinement are similar to the sentence imposed on Reality Winner, an Air Force veteran and former intelligence contractor, who was sentenced to 63 months after she removed classified materials and mailed them to a news outlet. While in Belmarsh Assange married his partner Stella with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. What you need to know today in Vietnam: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Chinas Dalian City on Monday as part of the formers trip to the neighboring country for the 15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions on June 24-27. Society -- Leaders of Chinas Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. and Power Construction Corporation of China expressed their interest in urban railway and energy projects in Vietnam as well as railway projects connecting the two countries at separate meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in China's Dalian City on Monday. -- A construction hoist fell as its cable broke, killing three workers and injuring seven others in the hoist at the construction site of a kindergarten upgrade project in Hanoi on Monday. -- Two siblings drowned after the 11-year-old brother attempted to save his seven-year-old sister while they were swimming in a river in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on Monday. -- The Department of Construction in Hanoi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that it would check and handle a case in which a worker used water from a tank truck to water trees on a street while it was raining heavily in the capital city. An image of the case has surfaced on social media. Business -- Heineken Vietnam Brewery, the leader of the Vietnamese beer market, on Monday confirmed that it had shut down its brewery in Quang Nam Province in the central region. World News -- Beijing wants the EU to scrap plans to impose preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports by July 4, after both sides agreed to negotiate a possible compromise, Reuters quoted China's state-controlled Global Times as saying. -- "Regional authorities in Brazil on Monday declared a state of emergency as the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetlands, faces 'out of control fires'," AFP reported, citing a decree. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Hundreds of young people in Da Nang City, central Vietnam have collected water hyacinth to clear the water flow in a lake in the city since last weekend. They will do the job in the Bau Tre Lake in Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District until Wednesday due to the huge volume of water hyacinth, according to the municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. This is an activity of the citys summer volunteer campaign. In particular, nearly 400 volunteers who were equipped with life jackets, rakes, small boats, and ropes waded in the lake to collect water hyacinth on Sunday. They brought a large volume of water hyacinth onto the banks of the lake. Nearly 400 young volunteers collected water hyacinth in the Bau Tre Lake in Da Nang City, central Vietnam on June 24, 2024. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre The Bau Tre Lake, covering approximately 20,000 square meters, is often overgrown with water hyacinth and other plants, obstructing the water flow into rice fields. Local residents had hoped for the removal of the water hyacinth from the lake, so the young's recent efforts were met with praise. Their actions have contributed to cleaning polluted areas and protecting urban landscapes in the central coastal city. The water hyacinth collection is hard due to the large volume of the plant. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre Young people enthusiastically do the job regardless of the rain. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre Floodwater brought a large volume of garbage and tree branches into the lake. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre A lake section is cleared after tens of hours of water hyacinth and plant collection. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre Volunteers have to wade in the water to collect water hyacinth. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Wasps' nests have become a high-demand item in central Vietnam as local residents have flocked to search for them to sell to traders from various regions. Residents of rural areas in Nghe An and Quang Nam Provinces previously paid no attention to wasps nests, which lay unused underneath trees and in bushes; however, they have been selling quickly over the past few months. As traders go through these areas purchasing wasps nests, residents have rushed to find them in forests. A leader of the administration in Ky Son Commune, Tan Ky District, Nghe An Province said he did not know what traders were buying wasps nests for or where they would be sold. Many owners of grocery stores in these rural areas have also purchased wasps nests. Wasps nests without bee pupae are priced at VND1.6 million (US$63) per kilogram, while nests with bee pupae fetch VND300,000-500,000 ($12-20) per kilogram. Wasps nests are believed to be sold to China. Photo: Anh Nguyet / Tuoi Tre According to a woman buying wasps nests in Nghe An, many people called to ask her to help them purchase an unlimited volume of wasps nests two months earlier. The product was initially priced at VND200,000-300,000 ($8-12) per kilogram. The price has surged to millions of Vietnamese dong, but the supply is insufficient. Traders reached upland and rural districts in Quang Nam to buy wasps nests as well. Both buyers and sellers do not know exactly for what the product will be used. They supposed that wasps nests would be exported to China to produce medicine. Traders have rushed to buy wasps nests in central Vietnam over the past few months. Photo: Anh Nguyet / Tuoi Tre A wasps' nest buyer in Nam Tra My District, Quang Nam said that she had purchased a quintal of wasps' nests. She bought the nests at VND800,000 ($31.50) per kilogram, with those containing bee pupae priced lower. These buyers typically sell the product to larger traders and are unaware of its end use. According to oriental medicine websites, beeswax from wasps' nests is believed to help detoxify, treat ulcers, and stop bleeding. It is also used as a material to make hemostatic gauzes for treating wounds and preventing swelling. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City launched a film project at a press conference this month, which is a joint endeavor of Vietnam and India's diplomatic institutions to showcase the distinct cultural, culinary, and traditional features of the two countries' people. Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, announced the film project and laid out the consulate's goals for the next six months on June 18. Key features include the observance of the International Day of Yoga 2024 (June 21) in Vietnam, as well as the film project 'Love in Vietnam,' which India and Vietnam will co-produce. 'Love in Vietnam' is the first cinematic endeavor created as a result of the two countries' diplomatic partnership. The film tells the story of a transnational love between a Vietnamese girl and a young Indian man who met in Vietnam and experienced many beautiful adventures despite navigating various geographical, cultural, and familial norms. The film has several well-known performers, including Kha Ngan, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Avneet Kaur. The first photos from the film were presented during the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The film will also be shown at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea from October 2 to 11 and the International Film Festival of India in Goa (IFFI-GOA) in the near future. Madan Mohan Sethi, Indian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, poses for a photo with visitors and partners after a press briefing on June 18, 2024. Photo: Hoang Trang / Tuoi Tre According to Consul General Sethi, the film will showcase the distinct cultural, culinary, and traditional features of the two countries' people. Furthermore, the film characters could portray the beauty of Vietnamese women who are resilient and intelligent. "Since the film aims to connect the two countries' special relationship, I hope it will be widely screened for both Indians and Vietnamese," Sethi said at the news conference. "In addition to that, the film would be a chance for us to showcase Bollywood and Vietnam's film industry to the international community." Captain Rahul Bali, the film's director, also attended the briefing. He said that, in addition to love scenes, 'Love in Vietnam' promotes tourism by highlighting exquisite cultural qualities as well as well-known Indian and Vietnamese tourist attractions. The film crew scouted locations in south-central Vietnam, including Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, and Phu Yen, to capture incredible landscapes for the flick. The International Day of Yoga took place on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in Ho Chi Minh City, with an estimated 1,000 yoga practitioners from both countries in attendance. Yoga has developed dramatically in Vietnam over the last decade, especially in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Can Tho City. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Snobar and Sajid Raina, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: The decision by Special Judge Niyay Bindu to grant bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the citys excise policy case has ignited a substantial backlash online. Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and influential figures on X (formerly Twitter) have expressed strong opposition towards the judge. Critics argue that the judge did not thoroughly assess the extensive documentation presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before granting bail. Support TwoCircles This criticism gained momentum after the Delhi High Court halted Kejriwals release from Tihar prison a day after he was granted bail, following urgent proceedings by the ED. The decision to stay his release has triggered widespread online condemnation of Judge Bindu, reflecting deep-seated animosity regarding her handling of the case. The special judge has previously served as a senior civil judge in the Rohini court, Delhi North West district, and also held the position of senior civil judge in Dwarka. Reports indicate she possesses considerable expertise in both civil and criminal law. In the order granting relief to Kejriwal, which was issued on June 21, the vacation judge emphasized that, prima facie, guilt had yet to be established. It is possible that some individuals associated with the applicant are implicated in an offense. However, the ED has not presented direct evidence linking the applicant to the proceeds of crime, the judge stated. She also questioned the EDs failure to address Kejriwals assertion that he was arrested in the money laundering case related to an alleged excise scam without being named in the first information report (FIR) or the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered by the anti-money laundering agency. The ECIR is equivalent to an FIR. Judge Bindu remarked that the ED had not specified the timeframe required to complete tracing the full money trail. This implies that until the ED completes tracing the remaining amount, the accused must remain incarcerated without sufficient evidence against him. This stance by the ED is unacceptable. The legal principle that presumes every individual innocent until proven guilty appears to have been overlooked in this case involving the accused. Quoting Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, the judge emphasized, It is better that 100 guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer. She observed the principle not only obligates the court to prevent guilty individuals from evading justice but also ensures that no innocent person is wrongly punished. There have been numerous instances where individuals endured prolonged trials and suffering, only to be acquitted when their innocence was eventually proven. Unfortunately, the mental and physical anguish suffered by such individuals cannot be adequately compensated. If an accused person endures the injustices of the legal system until their innocence is recognized, they may never truly feel that justice has been served. The judge dismissed the EDs argument that investigation is an art and that sometimes an accused is enticed with bail and pardon assurances to reveal information about the offense. If true, this approach could allow any person to be implicated and detained based on selectively procured evidence while withholding exculpatory material. This scenario compels the court to infer bias on the part of the investigating agency, stated the judge. Judge Trolled for Bail Order Social media was flooded with criticism and hatred directed at Judge Bindu after she granted bail to Kejriwal allegedly without reviewing the extensive ED documents, citing their volume as impractical. An X user, Professor Sudhanshu Trivedi, a supporter of the Modi government with the Prime Minister Narendra Modis picture and the slogan Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar on his bio, posted in Hindi, Miliye Rouse Avenue Court ki judge Justice Niyay Bindu se. Zara theek se pehchaan lijiye judge sahiba ko. Judge Justice Niyay Bindu ne hi Arvind Kejriwal ko bail di thi, wo bhi kaise Ram hi jaane inke paas ED ke aaropon ko padhne ka samay tak nahi tha, bina document padhe inhonne Kejriwal ko bail de di. Gajab ka justice diya ja raha hai???? (Meet Judge Niyay Bindu of the Rouse Avenue Court. Take a good look at this judge. It was she who granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal. Only God knows how she did not have time to read the EDs charges. She granted bail without reading the documents. What kind of justice is this?) , ED , pic.twitter.com/SYCfu1INrg Prof. Sudhanshu Trivedi (@Sudanshutrivedi) June 21, 2024 One Arun Pudur, a self-proclaimed entrepreneur with 110.6K followers on the microblogging site and his posts filled with communal hatred, shared an image of the judge with her bail order, captioning it, Gems of Judiciary: Meet Justice Niyay Bindu of the Rouse Avenue Court, who granted bail to Kejriwal without reading ED documents, saying, Who has time to read thousands of pages? With judges like this, who needs foreign interference in our democracy? Gems of Judiciary: Meet Justice Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court, who granted bail to Kejriwal without reading ED documents, saying, Who has time to read thousands of pages? With Judges like this, who needs foreign interference in our democracy? pic.twitter.com/TkLKX0721k Arun Pudur (@arunpudur) June 21, 2024 Tathvam Asi, a pro-Hindutva and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter with 36,000 followers known for his anti-minority sentiments, wrote on X alongside a picture of Judge Bindu, This is Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court, granting bail to Kejruddin without reading ED documents, saying who has time to read thousands of pages. What does this say about our judiciary? Shouldnt she be dismissed? She is Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Courts who granted bail to Kejruddin without reading ED documents saying who has time to read thousands of pages. What does this say about Judiciary? Shouldnt she be dismissed?@rashtrapatibhvn @arjunrammeghwal @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/8JKKX03iyM Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) June 21, 2024 Another Right-wing troll, Bhiku Mhatre, who goes by the username Mumbaich Done and has 165.5K followers, commented, She is Justice Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court, who granted bail to Kejriwal WITHOUT reading ED documents. Justice Bindu said, Who has time to read thousands of pages? I agree and sympathize with her. She is burdened with heavy workload while Supreme Court judges have ample free time. Is it time to relieve her from these overloaded responsibilities? She is Justice Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court, who granted bail to Kejriwal WITHOUT reading ED documents. JUSTICE Bindu said, Who has time to read thousands of pages? I agree & sympathise with her. She is so overloaded with work & SC judges are so free. Time to relieve pic.twitter.com/ljdwpxZSF5 BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) June 21, 2024 His bio claims himself to be a professor with expertise in finance and good insights into politics and international affairs. Similarly, Desi Thug, a staunch BJP supporter with 18,200 followers and followed by Prime Minister Modi, weighed in, Judge Niyay Bindu rightly pointed out the impracticality of sifting through thousands of pages of documents. I empathize with her plight. It seems shes drowning in workload, while SC judges appear to have all the leisure. Meet Rouse Avenue Courts Judge Niyay Bindu who granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal without reading ED documents as per Media Reports.. In the judgement, the judge Nyay Bindu said that it is not possible to go through thousands of pages of documents at this juncture. pic.twitter.com/VunYFrnBMr Desi Thug (@desi_thug1) June 21, 2024 Another right-wing user, Amitabh Chaudhary, who identifies as a Rag Rag Hindu and whose posts are filled with communal rhetoric, wrote on X about the Kejriwal bail order, Meet Justice Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court. She granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal without reading ED documents, saying, Who has time to read thousands of pages? Such judges should be removed from service if they can be so ignorant in such a high-profile case. Meet Justice Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court, she granted bail to #ArvindKejriwal without reading ED documents, she said, Who has time to read thousands of pages? This is no coincidence, such judges need to be thrown out of service, if she can be so ignorant in such a high pic.twitter.com/Ds2BMvfskp Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) June 21, 2024 Notably, all tweets share identical narration, with a few sentences being verbatim copies of each other. Online Trolling Threatens Judicial Independence Abu Bakar Sabbaq, a criminal lawyer who practices at the Delhi High Court, has strongly denounced the online trolling directed at a judge, labelling it a politically motivated assault. He asserted such behaviour aims to coerce the judiciary into refraining from ruling in favour of those opposed to the current regime. He underscored the growing normalization of online trolling in India and its perilous implications for judicial independence. According to him, this cyber harassment poses serious threats to judges and their families, who lack special security and navigate the same public spaces as ordinary citizens. He cautioned that fostering animosity towards judges could escalate into physical attacks and compromise the judiciarys autonomy. Sulaiman Mohammad Khan, an advocate at the Supreme Court, emphasized that online trolling could undermine the independence and impartiality of the judiciary by potentially influencing judges decisions. He stressed that judicial rulings must solely be based on the merits of each case and the law of the land. While acknowledging the importance of judges considering humanitarian aspects in their judgments, Khan emphasized that judges should be shielded from extraneous influences. He asserted that judges should not be subjected to personal criticism, warning that sustained attacks could lead trial court judges to adopt a more cautious approach in granting bail. This, he argued, could contradict the legal principle that bail is the rule, and jail is the exception, potentially impacting judicial decisions influenced by fear of social media backlash or other forms of public criticism. People walk past a monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Capitol, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Paul Weber) Paul Weber/Associated Press Imagine a room full of kindergarteners, staring up at a canvas in which dusty blues and purples fade into the soft yellows and oranges of dawn. A burst of radiant white emanates from a central source high above. Francisco de Holandas 16th century painting, the kids are told, captures the moment when the world begins. Like many artists, he was inspired by a religious story. The story of Genesis starts in the beginning. There was only darkness, the teacher tells them. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Pop quiz: Imagine what little Mohammed will tell his mom about this lesson. Will he A) gush about the biblical story of Creation he heard from a secular perspective in order to appreciate art? Or B) proudly say his teacher taught him that on the first day, God created light? Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Texas Education Agency claims to be betting on choice A, but choice B seems far more likely. Last month, the state released more than 100,000 pages of a proposed elementary school curriculum peppered with biblical material that blurs the line between church and state. In a return to a classical education, the revamped K-5 lessons give significant weight to the Judeo-Christian tradition and its influence on Western literature, art and U.S. history. "Youre trying to build vocabulary, build background knowledge so that when kids are reading Steinbeck in high school, they get the references," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told the Texas Tribune. The religious material, Morath said, is a very small but appropriate fraction of the curriculum. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: It's not the school kids who need the Ten Commandments Yes, a working knowledge of the world's major religions is important in deciphering references in literature and poetry and understanding the inspiration behind a piece of music or a work of art. It's the same reason we still teach Greek and Roman mythology. But how to teach religion in a diverse country whose Constitution prohibits religious indoctrination through public institutions is another matter. Theres sharp disagreement even among Christian Protestants, for example, when it comes to interpreting Scripture. How can we expect an elementary school teacher to maneuver past the land mines separating fact from faith and myth from metaphor? The language in the proposed curriculum fails that test in numerous places. Mark Chancey, a Southern Methodist University religious studies professor, has reviewed several of the tens of thousands of pages. While other major religions such as Judaism, Hinduism and Islam get passing mention, if at all, hes found plenty of concerning Christian slippage material that, absent sufficient context or caveat, can easily be interpreted as fact. Advertisement Article continues below this ad First-graders, for example, are taught that the Liberty Bell reminded the Founding Fathers of how God helped free the Hebrew people in the Bible. In a unit on ancient Rome, third-graders are asked to read what appears to be an undisputed historical account of Christs miraculous birth, crucifixion and resurrection three days later. During a lesson on Leonardo da Vincis The Last Supper, fifth-graders are directed towards the New Testament. The Bible explains that Jesus knew that after this meal, he would be arrested, put on trial, and killed, the teacher is instructed to say. Lets read the story in the book of Matthew to see for ourselves what unfolded during the supper. Presenting a Bible story as straightforward history is to make a religious claim, whatever the intention, Chancey told us. And we cant expect 5-year-olds to not take those claims literally, he said. Even for Christians, that can be theologically problematic. As a person of faith, I find treating Christs resurrection as fact cheapens it, Bee Moorhead of the interfaith organization Texas Impact told the editorial board. Thats not faith if its fact. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The only people this curriculum seems intended to please are the Christian nationalists to whom our state leaders seem ever eager to kowtow. Thats a Confucian reference, by the way, to the Cantonese word for knocking ones head against the ground in a deep bow. At the GOP convention, four days before the curriculum was unveiled, the Texas Republican Party passed a platform calling on the Legislature and the State Board of Education, which has the final say on any new curriculum, to require instruction on the Bible. Its the kind of spiritual warfare the party wants to wage against what they see as Democratic indoctrination. SBOE Chair Aaron Kinsey, of Midland, assured delegates hed also fight against DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) school initiatives and any other left-leaning acronyms. "You have a chairman," Kinsey said, "who will fight for these three-letter words: G-O-D, G-O-P and U-S-A." The slow creep of religious teaching into public schools is nothing new. Conservatives have been working to put God back in schools ever since a series of Supreme Court rulings in the early 60s declared it unconstitutional for the government to include a particular prayer in a school program. But a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned six decades of precedent to allow public school officials to lead students in prayer has newly empowered the movement. Its why school districts in Texas can now hire noncertified chaplains to counsel students, with no safeguards in place to prevent proselytizing or evangelization. Its also why Texas, like Louisiana, wanted a framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every public school. Unlike in Louisiana, that bill failed. But last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowed to resurrect it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The TEA has an opportunity to put our kids education ahead of red-meat politics. They could scrap the religious references altogether. Or they could prepare kids for the pluralistic society they live in by returning to the original curriculum from which the redesign departed. Amplifys original K-5 Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum, delivered to Texas during the pandemic, gave equal weight to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, while also featuring lessons on Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Reportedly, when Texas asked for less world religions and more Christianity, Amplify opted out of bidding on the revision contract. Schools arent forced to implement the new curriculum, but a $60-per-student incentive attached to it will make it hard for many schools to turn it down. The TEA is accepting public comments on the materials until Aug. 16, after which the SBOE will take a vote. We urge you to review the materials yourself, particularly the teacher guides, on the SBOE website and to comment with your thoughts at texasresourcereview.org/public-comments. Want to stay up to date on our most recent thought-provoking editorials, columns and Letters to the Editor? Our Opinion-focused 'SaysHou' newsletter delivers our weekly highlights, directly to your inbox. Sign up now. By Yoruk Bahceli (Reuters) -For investors in France, a left-wing alliance could be a bigger risk than a far-right leadership, some analysts say. President Emmanuel Macron's shock decision to call parliamentary elections this month and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) leading the polls have exacerbated concerns about France's fiscal sustainability. The spread French debt pays over Germany surged and shares in French banks and companies slumped in the days after the election was announced. The selloff has eased but assets are far from recovering. Spending plans by the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, which is polling second behind the RN, have added to those fiscal worries. Some investors and analysts now say the risk that the NFP may perform better than expected in the second election round on July 7 due to tactical voting, and even form part of a new government, may be a bigger worry for financial markets. "The worst outcome for the market would be if the left wing would get in with the majority... that's the tail risk," said Gareth Hill, a portfolio manager at Royal London Asset Management. The NFP wants to progressively ramp up spending to an extra 150 billion euros ($160.44 billion) annually by 2027 to cover policies ranging from a 10% civil servant pay rise this year to cutting the retirement age to 60 from 64 currently. It says the spending would be fully offset by hikes on taxes ranging from inheritance to wealth and multinational corporations. While the NFP would not increase France's budget deficit if able to form a government, it also wouldn't reduce it, an official said last week. That's a worry for investors. France's deficit was at 5.5% of output last year - far above the European Union's 3% limit - already prompting the EU executive to recommend disciplinary steps. In contrast, the far-right RN's financial pointman Jean-Philippe Tanguy told Reuters in an interview published on Monday that the party won't "let the deficit run out of control" and would retain current plans to reduce it to 3% by 2027 to respect EU rules. It has also pledged an audit of public finances. While it remained to be seen what it would do if in government, the RN at least speaking of fiscal responsibility is "reassuring", said Hill at Royal London Asset Management. NEGATIVE FOR THE EURO There's no doubt the RN's costly plans have spooked markets. They include cutting value-added tax on energy and lowering the retirement age to 60 for workers, though the party now says that would only apply to those who started working before the age of 20. It says the cost of its plans can be offset by cutting red tape, closing tax loopholes and reducing welfare spending benefiting immigrants. Yet, compared to an NFP lead, an RN majority would be welcomed by financial markets, economists at Nomura said in a note distributed on Tuesday. "In our view, NFP forming the government, whether outright or as a minority, would be most adverse for financial markets and result in (French-German bond) spreads widening further,"they wrote, adding it would also be negative for the euro. "In many ways, the NFP is openly rejecting the institutions that govern fiscal prudence, akin to the UK's Liz Truss," Nomura wrote, referring to the former British Prime Minister's unfunded tax cuts that led to a UK government bond rout in 2022. Economists at investment bank Jefferies said a left-wing government would be the "worst outcome" for markets if it was the result of Jean-Luc Melenchon's far-left France Unbowed party, part of the NFP, doing well and prompting a far-left policy agenda. "We could see increased clashes with the EU," Jefferies wrote, expecting the French spread over Germany - currently around 70 basis points - to widen to as much as 120 in such a scenario, assigning it a 20-25% chance. "The negative reaction in the market could last longer, and it's not obvious to us that this scenario would be consistent with a buy the dip view," they wrote, a position they recommend for most other scenarios including an RN absolute majority. ($1 = 0.9349 euros) (Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli, additional reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Susan Fenton) By Gabriel Stargardter LA TRINITE-SUR-MER, France (Reuters) - Florent de Kersauson, a French far-right parliamentary candidate, was leafleting in Brittany when his deputy called to say reporters had found an old, antisemitic tweet by a fellow National Rally (RN) contender in a neighbouring constituency. De Kersauson, one of 27 candidates hoping to win the RN's first seat in the historically left-leaning region, was furious, mindful of the damage Joseph Martin's comments could cause his party's pursuit of power. "What was this idiot doing saying bullshit like that?" de Kersauson said of Martin's tweet. For decades, the National Rally's reputation for antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism made it a non-starter for millions of French voters, but Marine Le Pen's efforts to detoxify the party her father established in the 1970s under the National Front banner has broadened its appeal. Opinion polls show the RN winning the two-round parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7, but without an absolute majority. That would likely force centrist, europhile President Emmanuel Macron to share power with an anti-immigrant, eurosceptic government. Voter anger at the cost of living and towards Macron has made the prospect of the RN winning seats for the first time in Brittany appear possible. The RN's rise in Morbihan, a Breton district of Neolithic stone circles popular with tourists, mirrors a national trajectory. In the 2022 parliamentary election, Macron's candidates won five of its six constituencies. In the 2024 European Parliament vote, the RN won 28.57% in Morbihan, below its national tally of 31.37%, but well above the 18.05% Macron's ticket garnered there. Voters in La Trinite-sur-Mer, a handsome Morbihan seaside town were RN patriarch Jean-Marie Le Pen was born, seemed receptive to de Kersauson's pitch. The 74-year-old used to summer with Le Pen's children when they visited the town, and joined the RN in 2021 at the request of Marie Caroline Le Pen, Marine Le Pen's older sister. After he was convicted of financial crimes at two funds he ran and fined 50,000 euros, de Kersauson came fourth in the 2022 legislative vote, but was now optimistic about his chances. De Kersauson believed Le Pen and 28-year-old party leader Jordan Bardella have softened the RN's image, and said he was disgusted by antisemitism. Bardella was swift to say he no longer supported Martin's candidacy - but days later he remains on the party's ticket. Martin said his tweet, first reported last week by the Liberation newspaper and picked up widely online, had been taken out of context and was not antisemitic. He said he was "in full campaign mode" and expected to win. 'NEW RIGHT' De Kersauson said Morbihan voters were driven by cost of living concerns and anger at the president. "It's not what we propose that brings them to us, it's the rejection ... of how Macron treats this country," he said. Macron on Monday warned the policies of his far-right and hard-left opponents could lead to "civil war". He has conceded that his risky snap election call could backfire, but said it was needed to give greater clarity to French democracy. Richard Martenot, a 24-year-old chef, called the RN a "new-right" party, revitalized by Bardella. He said it wasn't hard to find a job - Macron has taken unemployment to near its lowest level since 2008 - but pay was bad, and renting or buying a house impossible. He lives with his grandparents. Charlotte Briand, a real estate agent in the nearby town of Savenay, said rental prices had more than doubled since 2018, pricing out locals. Stephanie Le Roux, who moved to Savenay from Nantes in 2018 in search of cheaper property for her growing family, said she did not want to vote for extremist parties, but was bitterly disappointed by Macron. "The far right will make promises that aren't necessarily achievable," said the teacher, 39. "But they are at least making promises. So people here think, why not?" Matthias Tavel, the candidate in Savenay for the New Popular Front, a leftist alliance polling second, is running on an anti-Macron, anti-RN ticket. He said Macron's rightward drift, ostensibly to neutralize the RN, had made it more mainstream. Also out campaigning in Savenay, Gauthier Bouchet represents the new face of the RN. The 36-year-old, who joined the party when he was 19, said he had witnessed a growing acceptance of the far right from a middle class angry at "neoliberal" Macron and wary of the "woke" left. He said Bardella had been instrumental in luring younger voters. "We represent their interests, we look like them, our candidates, most notably Bardella, speak like them, and it's quite different from what's on offer from other parties," he said. A short drive away in the shipbuilding city of Saint Nazaire, a blue-collar town that has long been a leftist bastion, the RN came second in the European elections, less than 2 percentage points behind the Socialists. In his office, covered in General Confederation of Labour (CGT) posters, union chief Damien Girard said unions were losing the battle of ideas to the far right. "The CGT has a bit of an old fashioned image. It's seen as your grandfather's union," he said. "The language of the unions isn't necessarily one recognized by young people." (Editing by Janet Lawrence) LONDON (Reuters) -Four men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's home in northern England on Tuesday, local police said in a statement. "We have arrested four people in the grounds of the Prime Ministers constituency home this afternoon. Our officers were with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds," the statement said. Campaign group Youth Demand posted videos on X of a man entering a lake on the property and defecating in what he said was an act of protest against Sunak's government. The group wants to stop new oil and gas licences being issued and also calls for a two-way arms embargo on Israel. (Reporting by William JamesEditing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) By Boldizsar Gyori BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungary's Sovereignty Protection Office launched an investigation on Tuesday into the Hungarian branch of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) and an online investigative outlet that focuses on corruption. Hungary's parliament passed a law late last year that set up an authority, the Sovereignty Protection Office, to explore and monitor risks of political interference. The law, which has been criticised by the European Union, the United States and several international organisations, bans foreign financing for parties or groups running for election and carries punishments of up to three years in prison. TI published the news of the investigation in a statement on its website, citing a letter from the country's Sovereignty Protection Office, which later confirmed that it has sent the letter and started an inquiry. In its letter quoted by TI, the Sovereignty Protection Office said its investigation was based on an allegation that the organisation was engaged in activities funded by "subsidies from abroad" and that "influence decisions by the electorate". TI Hungary said that the sovereignty protection law "serves the intention of the government to intimidate citizens and civil organisations that are critical of the government". As "an organisation fighting corruption, the success of our investigative, analytical and legal work, and perhaps even our mere existence threatens the regime of Prime Minister Viktor Orban," it said. A non-profit investigative journalism centre, Atlatszo.hu also said on Tuesday that the Sovereignty Protection Office notified it of the start of an investigation into its finances and its ties to TI. Atlatszo.hu specialises in uncovering corruption. Along with several other news outlets, it criticised the Sovereignty Protection law in December 2023, saying it "seriously curtailed press freedom". The law was criticised by the U.S. State Department, as well as by a panel of constitutional law experts from the Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog, which said it can have "a chilling effect" on free and democratic debate in the country. The European Commission launched an infringement procedure over the law in February this year, citing its potential to undermine the union's democratic values and fundamental rights. Orban, in power since 2010 and with a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his Fidesz party to change any legislation, has denied accusations he was undermining democracy in Hungary after the law passed. (Reporting by Boldizsar GyoriEditing by Alexandra Hudson and Barbara Lewis) Kyiv says any peace plan for Ukraine should be 'fair' and based on international law KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine has a clear understanding that any plan to end the war with Russia should be based on international law and the peace should be fair, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Tuesday. Commenting on a peace plan for Ukraine presented by two key advisers to former U.S. president Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, Podolyak told Reuters that the war could not end without bringing Russia to account. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the advisers presented Trump with a plan to end the war in Ukraine- if he wins the presidential election - that involves telling Ukraine it will only get more U.S. weapons if it enters into peace talks. Podolyak said that to freeze the war, which is now in its 28th month, at the current frontlines would be "strange" as Russia had violated international law and was on Ukrainian territory. "Ukraine has an absolutely clear understanding and it is spelled out in the peace formula proposed by President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy, it is clearly stated there - peace can only be fair and peace can only be based on international law," he said in an online interview. Podolyak also reiterated the Ukrainian position, dismissing ceasefire conditions announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin as absurd. Putin has said Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to hand over the entirety of four regions in the east and south claimed by Moscow. "We see Putin's plan - it is absolutely ridiculous," Podolyak said. (Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Sharon Singleton) By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The risks to humanitarian workers in Gaza are intolerable, the United Nations said on Tuesday as it pressed Israel for more effective coordination with the aid groups, approval for the U.N. to use essential security equipment and for the Israeli military to facilitate aid deliveries. "Humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. "The risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable." He said the head of U.N. safety and security met on Monday with COGAT, the Israeli military branch responsible for aid transfers, to discuss U.N. difficulties working in Gaza during the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week there is "total lawlessness" in Gaza that is impeding aid operations as famine looms. The United States said it has been working with the U.N. and Israel to try to improve the situation. "Every day, we assess the situation and look at how we can operate safely, both for our own staff, but most importantly for those who are receiving the aid," Dujarric said. "Every day we need to grab whatever opportunities we can." Israel's Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Jonathan Miller, told the Security Council earlier on Tuesday that more than 36,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza during the more than eight-month conflict. The trucks carried over 682,180 tons of aid, including food, water, shelter equipment, medical supplies and fuel. He said the problem was with the collection and distribution of that aid by the United Nations once it entered Gaza. "Nearly all U.N. requests for the coordination of humanitarian convoys have been, and are being approved, and the daily pauses in operations against terrorists continue to enable the distribution of the aid," said Miller. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Rod Nickel) By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's top diplomat for arms control said on Tuesday that Russia had made advances in nuclear deterrence that would allow it to ensure its security for decades to come even in an era dominated by advances in Artificial Intelligence. Asked at a conference in Moscow if Russia could ensure nuclear security in an era of AI competition, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it could. "In recent years, such groundwork has been done in the field of nuclear deterrence that will allow us to ensure our own security for decades to come," Ryabkov, Russia's arms control point man, said. Ryabkov also oversees relations with the U.S., which diplomats in both countries say are at their lowest point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis due to a confrontation over the conflict in Ukraine. He warned that if the West underestimated Moscow's resolve, it could lead to "tragic and fatal" consequences because the U.S. and its allies were confronting a major nuclear power - Russia. Ryabkov said the West underestimated "Russia's readiness to stand up for itself and ensure its own interests in any situation." "I don't even want to assume that this underestimation could become tragic and fatal," he said. He said Russia had the resources to convey signals to the West in the field of nuclear deterrence but there was a danger the West could make a mistake. "There is a danger, it cannot be underestimated, that their side may make a mistake. We will try not to," he said. "Our common task is to prevent the world and the multipolar world, above all, from sliding into nuclear chaos," Ryabkov said. Earlier, Alexei Arbatov, a prominent arms control expert, suggested that without dialogue on strategic stability between Russia and the U.S., then the multi-polar world could slide into nuclear chaos. Arbatov said Russia and the U.S. should resume dialogue on strategic stability after the Ukraine war ends. Arbatov suggested Russia and the U.S. should preserve New START, which expires in 2026, and agree a new arms control agreement. After that, Arbatov said, China, Britain and France could be included in strategic dialogue. (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by David Gregorio) AFP UK Top EU officials took turns assailing Hungary's Viktor Orban Wednesday over democratic backsliding and his Russia-friendly stance on Ukraine, as the nationalist leader delivered a defiant address to the bloc's parliament.As President Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union, Orban's government is at loggerheads with its partners on a host of issues -- from stalling aid for Kyiv, to what the bloc sees as weakening the rule of law at home.In Strasbourg to present the "priorities" of Hungary's norm-defying EU presidency, Orban opened by depicting a continent in turmoil. With the Ukraine war on its doorstep and an acute "migration crisis", he argued "the European Union needs to change".Lawmakers listened respectfully at first -- with occasional applause from sympathetic members -- but a rowdy rendition of the anti-fascist anthem "Bella Ciao" rang out as Orban finished. Parliament president Roberta Metsola called them to order. "This is not Eurovision," she told them.From then on the three-and-a-half hour session became a standoff between the bulk of EU lawmakers denouncing Orban's "autocratic rule" -- and a hard-right minority who joined him in rejecting the accusations as "absurd".One by one Orban's critics let fly at the Hungarian leader. The message from Green co-leader Terry Reintke summed it up: "You are not welcome here," she told him.Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, speaking right after the Hungarian premier, denounced Budapest's hampering of Western efforts to arm Ukraine against Moscow's offensive."There is only one path to achieve a just peace for Ukraine and for Europe, we must continue to empower Ukraine's resistance with political, financial and military support," she said.- 'Propaganda show' -When Hungary assumed the EU's rotating six-month presidency in July, Orban went off script: embarking on an unsanctioned Ukraine "peace mission" to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing that sparked fury in Brussels.Von der Leyen targeted Orban's eagerness to push for an early peace deal with Russia -- assailing those "who blame this war... not on Putin's lust for power, but on Ukraine's thirst for freedom".Speaking next, the leader of the conservative European People's Party Manfred Weber slammed Orban's trips as "a big propaganda show for the autocrats."Orban's rogue diplomacy prompted von der Leyen to order a de facto boycott of a string of meetings organised by Hungary's presidency, and his parliament address was twice delayed.The commission chief skewered Orban's tough talk on migration -- accusing his government of "throwing problems over your neighbour's fence". She described a Hungarian visa scheme for Russian nationals as "a back door for foreign interference".Dutch lawmaker Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy of the centrist Renew party depicted Orban as a character in a "bad movie" -- a "Mini-Me" to Putin, or former US president Donald Trump -- "who looks, talks and acts exactly like Dr Evil, but just sits on his lap".Hungarian opposition-leader-turned-MEP Peter Magyar lamented that Hungary under Orban's rule "has gone from a bright star to what is officially the poorest and most corrupt country in the European Union".- 'Political weapon' -Given a right of reply, Orban accused the EU chief of using the commission's power as a "political weapon" to attack Budapest. A Hungarian-led new group in the EU parliament, the Patriots for Europe, was being unfairly denied positions of authority, he said."We are never going to accept that European unity means that you tell us what to do and that we should keep quiet," he said.Patriots member Jorge Buxade Villalba rallied to Orban's defence, calling his speech "a breath of fresh air in this parliament".Since returning to lead his country in 2010, Orban has moved to curb civil rights and tighten his grip on power, repeatedly clashing with Brussels over rule-of-law concerns that led to the freezing of billions of euros of EU funds.But Orban has argued that hard-right electoral gains from Italy to the Netherlands and Austria -- and the rising influence of his Patriots -- show the political climate in Europe is slowly but surely shifting in his favour.And he may take comfort from the closing scene in the parliament -- where boos dominated, but Orban also received a standing ovation from the quarter of the hemicycle that has been controlled by the far right since June's EU elections.ec/raz/jj Tui corrects misleading Brexit advice on website for travel to Europe Tui has corrected misleading Brexit advice about travel to Europe after The Independent pointed out key errors. Europes biggest holiday company said the EU Etias scheme has been in operation since 2022 though the pre-registration system will not start until next year at the earliest. Tui also mistakenly added that Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania are outside the Schengen Area area. On the companys web page headed Will Brexit affect my holiday? Tui asserted: From 2022, the EU introduced a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias). This is a bit like an Esta that youd apply for when travelling to the USA. This is not a visa, but youll need to register your details before you travel via a quick and easy online form. The Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) will not begin until April 2025 at the earliest. The European Union intends to roll out the Entry Exit System in autumn 2024, with Etias following six months later. Etias is broadly modelled on the US Esta scheme, with prospective visitors being obliged to register online and make payment before they can visit the European Union and wider Schengen area. The fee will be 7 (6) for a permit valid for up to three years. Etias has been planned since 2016; the UK was involved early on in the project while still an EU member. The European Union claims it will be a simple, fast and visitor-friendly system that will save travellers time and hassle. The EU plan to introduce a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) from April 2025 at the earliest. When The Independent pointed out the error, Tui updated the information to say that Etias will not be ready until that date. Tui also claimed: You can take a holiday of up to 90 days in any 180-day period if youre travelling to a country in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Thats with the exception of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania these countries have different rules. Were this true, it would mean travellers who had already spent their 90 allotted days in other Schengen Area countries could go to one of these countries and reset the clock. But Croatia joined the Schengen Area in 2023, while Bulgaria and Romania are now part of the border-free zone for arrivals by air and sea. The only EU nations that remain outside Schengen are Ireland and Cyprus. Tui has now corrected the information. WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to be freed after pleading guilty to US espionage charge By Sarah N. Lynch and Alasdair Pal WASHINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) -WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a 14-year legal odyssey. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2300 GMT Tuesday). The island in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Assange left Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday before being bailed by the UK High Court and boarding a flight that afternoon, Wikileaks said in a statement posted on social media platform X. "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations," the statement said. A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet with the markings of charter firm VistaJet. He will return to Australia after the hearing, the Wikileaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan. "Julian is free!!!!" his wife, Stella Assange, said in a post on X. "Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true." The only VistaJet plane that departed Stansted on Monday afternoon was headed to Bangkok, FlightRadar24 data shows. A spokesperson for Assange in Australia declined to comment on his flight plans. VistaJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing for Assange's release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. "Prime Minister Albanese has been clear - Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration," a government spokesperson said. A lawyer for Assange did not immediately respond to a request for comment. HISTORIC CHARGES WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. "A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organization Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. "It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world." LONG ODYSSEY Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in London's Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the United States. Those five years of confinement are similar to the sentence imposed on Reality Winner, an Air Force veteran and former intelligence contractor, who was sentenced to 63 months after she removed classified materials and mailed them to a news outlet. While in Belmarsh Assange married his partner Stella with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Andrew Goudsward and Kanishka Singh in Washington, Michael Holden and Kate Holton in London, Lisa Barrington in Seoul and Alasdair Pal, Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis and Sonali Paul) Boeing Starliner's two astronauts are currently stranded in the International Space Station as the company scrambles to fix multiple spacecraft issues for their return voyage. Earlier this week, NASA delayed astronauts Butch Wilmore's and Suni Williams's return flight by three weeks to give enough time for engineers enough time to fix all issues on the Boeing Starliner. NASA and Boeing engineers have detected at least five helium leaks to the propulsion system and five thruster failures in its reaction-control systems shortly after the Starliner exited Earth's atmosphere. Despite emerging problems, NASA remains confident to bring Williams and Wilmore home no later than June 26. This was not the first time NASA had to resolve unexpected flight return delays in its decades of experience, many of which brought all passengers safely home. Even if Boeing failed to reach the re-scheduled flight, NASA said the astronauts could stay at the space laboratory for 45 more days. Also Read : Boeing Starliner Finally Launches Crewed Flight After Repeated Delays Boeing Starliner Mission Faced with More Delays The delay with the Starliner's return flight is only the recent setback Boeing had to overcome in its long overdue and over-budgeted space mission. Boeing had already delayed the Starliner four times before due to various technical issues in the rocket system, each adding more expenses to this costly project. Bloomberg earlier estimated that the repeated delays have ballooned the spacecraft's cost to over $1.5 billion, nearly depleting the budget NASA allotted towards the project despite still being at first leg. On the other hand, its competitor and fellow NASA grantee SpaceX is already preparing for its lunar missions as the space agency aims to launch the Artemis II flight by September 2025. It does not help that the delays continue to power growing safety concerns on the company amid other controversies it is currently facing. Safety Concerns, Legal Battles Haunt Boeing Productions Just weeks ago, the Department of Justice said it is now posing to file criminal charges against the company for potentially violating its previous settlement agreement to improve the safety of its planes. This is in addition to reports of the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacting passengers of the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 telling they could be a "victim of a crime." The federal them crackdowns follow a series of emergency landings involving Boeing planes malfunctioning shortly after takeoff. Amid controversies, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced to step down as chief executive by the end of the year. Zelenskiy welcomes ICC warrants for Russian military figures, hopes to see them jailed KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants against Russia's former defence minister and chief of general staff for strikes on Ukrainian civilians and civilian objects. "Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars," Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. "We look forward to more arrest warrants in order to deprive Russia of its sense of impunity," he added. (Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko, Editing by Louise Heavens) For Rahul Gandhi, Hate Crimes, Mob Lynching of Muslims not of any concern Tactically or possibly fearing backlash, Rahul Gandhi ignored to mention hate crimes against Muslims, mob lynching in the name of animal slaughter and razing of homes of Muslims by bulldozers that have resurfaced with renewed vigor after the 2024 General Elections Tuesday June 25, 2024 10:00 PM , Aleem Faizee, ummid.com [Rahul Gandhi talks about opening Nafrat ke Bazaar mein Mohabbat Ki Dukaan. It is time now to ask him whether Muslims too have any place in his Mohabbat Ki Dukan or not.] Mumbai: Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi Monday June 24, 2024 presented what he called the report card of 15 days of Narendra Modis 3rd term. But, tactically or possibly fearing backlash, Rahul Gandhi ignored to mention hate crimes against Muslims, mob lynching in the name of animal slaughter and razing of homes of Muslims by bulldozers that have resurfaced with renewed vigor after the 2024 General Elections. In a post on social media platform X, originally launched as Twitter, Rahul Gandhi listed 10 things to highlight the failure of the Modi led NDA government. "First 15 days of NDA! Horrific train accident Terrorist attacks in Kashmir The plight of passengers in trains NEET scam NEET PG cancelled UGC NET paper leak Milk, pulses, gas, toll and expensive Forests blazing with fire Water crisis Deaths due to lack of arrangements during heat wave Psychologically on the backfoot, Narendra Modi is busy saving his government. The attack on the Constitution by Narendra Modi and his government is not acceptable to us - and we will not allow this to happen under any circumstances. INDIA's strong opposition will continue its pressure, raise the voice of the people, and will not allow the Prime Minister to escape without accountability", Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. Of course, the issues raised by Rahul Gandhi here are important. But his social media post came as at least 04 Muslims were killed in mob lynching by the so called cow vigilantes - 03 in Chhattisgarh and 01 in Uttar Pradesh, in the last two weeks. The question is why he chose to ignore such a sensitive issue which directly relates to the security of the largest minority groups in India? The Hindutva goons, who become animal rights activist every year at the time of Eid al Adha, created ruckus in Maharashtra , Telangana and some other states in th second week of the ongoing month. In Telangana, which is ruled by Rahul Gandhis own Congress Party, a Madrasa was attacked for bringing the animals for sacrifice. In a worst display of hate crimes, the hospital where Muslims injured in the Hindutva mob attack were getting treatment, too was attacked. Dozens of homes belonging to Muslims were razed to ground by bulldozers in Akbar Nagar area of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Homes of 11 Muslims were bulldozed in Madhya Pradesh as the administration claimed they had stored beef in their refrigerators again in the last two weeks. The troll army backed by the Hindutva extremist groups are in action again. UP Chief Minister has called a meeting of his Hindu Yuva Vahini after about 07 years. The motive of this meeting is unclear but it is seen as an attempt to further communalize the already charged situation. However, for Rahul Gandhi the hate crimes, mob lynching and demolition of homes of Muslims on the pretext of one reason or the other, and the security of Indian Muslims are not case fit to highlight the Modi governments failure. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, and also all leaders of opposition parties, were afraid of even mentioning the word Muslim in their election speeches. Despite this, Muslims vehemently voted in favour of the secular candidates, including those from the Congress. In fact it is being openly alleged that the Muslims are being punished by the Hindutva goons and the BJP ruled states for voting in favour of the secular parties. The BJP leaders are calling out Muslims for voting in favour of the secular parties. We were fighting with 04 parties not 03. Congress, NCP (Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Muslims, Maharashtra Deputy CM Fadnavis reportedly told after the partys debacle in Maharashtra. There is also a section mocking Muslims for casting their votes in favour of the Congress and other secular parties. You voted for them but they dont stand by you! a social media user wrote on X after the incidents of mob lynching. The Congress and the other opposition parties must also have realized this fact. The Congress party is holding thanksgiving rallies after the election results. But, the party is afraid of publicly acknowledging the support Muslims extended to it in the elections. Not acknowledging the Muslim support in public and ignoring to mention Muslims in election speeches for political reasons can be understood. But, not speaking against hates crimes, mob lunching and demolition of homes of Muslims should not be acceptable. Muslims have played a major role in the 234 seats, including 100 seats of the Congress, the INDIA alliance has won. In return, the Muslims are not asking for any plum post. But Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should at least have the courtesy to speak up and raise the issue of the security of Muslims in the Parliament and in Public. This is high time the Muslim leaders in New Delhi and various states meet the Congress leadership, and also the leaders of other opposition parties, and seek without mincing words clarity about their stand on hate crimes, mob lynching and demolition of homes belonging to Muslims. Rahul Gandhi talks about opening Mohabbat Ki Dukaan in Nafrat ke Bazzar. It is time now to ask him whether Muslims too have any place in his Mohabbat Ki Dukan or not. [The writer, Aleem Faizee, is Founder Editor of ummid.com. He can be contacted at aleem.faizee@gmail.com.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. A NANG Cisco, a world leader in technology, has launched its country digital acceleration (CDA) programme in Viet Nam to advance the nations digitisation agenda, aligning with the Governments National Digital Transformation Programme by 2025, vision 2030. Cisco said the CDA programme, which was announced at the Cisco CXO Symposium in a Nang City on Thursday, would see the collaboration from CISCO with public and private enterprises in Viet Nam, aiming at elevating the countrys technological capabilities. It would focus on promoting economic growth, technological innovation, and cybersecurity resilience through improvements to the countrys communication and information infrastructure, it said. The CDA programme is a bridge connecting a countrys digital ambitions to the benefits of a digital society. The model is based on high degrees of trust and deep engagement across ecosystem partners in the public and private sectors, said Dr. Guy Diedrich, Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer, Cisco. We are thrilled to bring this highly successful global programme to Viet Nam and look forward to working with the Vietnamese Government and local enterprises to build sustainable, secure, and inclusive communities through co-investment in digital skills training and innovation. According to CISCO, the CDA programme in Viet Nam will undertake several initiatives, focusing specifically on three key pillars including digital transformation in National Infrastructure; Digital Transformation in Enterprises and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector. Cisco will work with local service providers to co-develop 5G capabilities and equip these companies with the necessary skills and best practices for network development and innovation. The 5G network is critical infrastructure in Viet Nams digitisation agenda and its development will boost data transmission, accelerate business productivity, and enhance connectivity within communities. Under the framework of CDA programme, Cisco will equip the financial services industry and manufacturing sectors with industry-leading technology and invest in the co-development of innovative digital solutions to accelerate industry-wide digital transformation. This will increase the competitiveness of Viet Nams financial services and manufacturing industries, propelling economic growth. Cisco said it would partner with local public sector entities to advance national digital infrastructure for the Vietnamese Government. The initiatives within this pillar would support the establishment of a digital government, enhancing municipal management and fostering more inclusive communities. It was committed to securely connect everything and bridge the digital divide as initiatives of nurturing the next generation of digital talents in Viet Nam. Alongside the delivery of new technologies and sharing of expertise, Cisco said it would also upskill local talent through Cisco Networking Academy, one of the worlds longest-running IT skills-to-jobs programs, to drive an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient digital economy in the country. The programme has trained over 90,000 students in Viet Nam since its inception through partnerships with 30 higher-learning institutions. In the Asia Pacific region, Cisco trained a record number of one million students in its fiscal year 2023, the highest in its 26-year history and aims to train an additional 6.7 million people in the region by 2032. Viet Nams economy has demonstrated strong and consistent performance in recent years with digital interactions and cloud-first models rapidly becoming the default for businesses across the country, said Jason Kalai, Interim Country Leader, Cisco Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Alongside the governments National Digital Transformation Plan, there has never been a better time for public-private partnership to accelerate the countrys digitisation agenda. At Cisco, we are committed to working together with all stakeholders in Viet Nam to drive a new era of growth, tackle cybersecurity threats and power an inclusive future for all. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese market opened the new week negatively as VN-Index decreased sharply, while market liquidity was at a four-week high. The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) finished the day at 1,254.12 points, down 27.9 points, or 2.18 per cent. On the southern bourse, the breadth was negative as 277 stocks ticked down, while 65 increased. Liquidity hovered above VN31.8 trillion (US$1.25 billion), an increase of 48.2 per cent from the previous session. The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE by market capitalisation, also dropped 30.08 points, or 2.28 per cent, down to 1,289.85 points. The number of decliners surpassed that ofgainers in the VN30 basket by 28 to one, with one stock ending flat. Large-cap stocks in the technology, banking and manufacturing sectors led the market's downturn, with FPT Corporation (FPT) posting the biggest fall in market capitalisation of 2.94 per cent, contributing to a decrease of 1.72 points in the VN-Index. It was followed by Vietnam Rubber Group - Joint Stock Company (GVR), Vietnam Airlines JSC (HVN), Hoa Phat Group JSC (HPG) and PetroVietnam Gas Joint Stock Corporation (GAS). All the stocks fell in a range of 1.2-6.97 per cent. Banking stocks also saw poor performance on Monday. Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPB) declined 3.83 per cent, Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (CTG) fell 1.17 per cent, and Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SSB) tumbled 4.84 per cent. However, losses were capped by gains in several large-cap stocks, led by PetroVietnam Power Corporation (POW), which was up 2.04 per cent. It was followed by Tan Tao Investment and Industry Corporation (ITA) posting an increase of 6.86 per cent and Hoang Anh Gia Lai Agricultural JSC (HNG) which rose 6.97 per cent. The Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) index also finished lower on Monday, declining 1.89 per cent to 239.74 points. During the session, more than VN2.4 trillion worth of shares were traded, equivalent to a trading volume of more than 117 million shares on the northern market. Foreign investors extended their net selling spree as they net sold over VN925 billion on HoSE. VNS HCM CITY One major goal for Viet Nam is that every adult in the country will have a smart phone by 2025. The target was announced at the Ministry of Information and Communications conference on information and communications infrastructure as part of the masterplan for the years to 2030, with a vision to 2050. According to Thuy Do, Country Head of Global Payments Solutions, HSBC Vietnam, the ambitious goal indicates the importance of technology application in today's world, especially in the context of the Industry 4.0. Viet Nam's is well placed to take advantage of the trends, with a current 4G network coverage rate of 99.8 per cent, surpassing many high-income nations. Demand and capacity are two factors that promote Vietnams digitalisation journey, impacting all aspects from administrative procedures, through to shopping and payments. Arising cashless payments With the convenience of online shopping and digital payment solutions, consumers are fast adopters and demand fast and safe payment methods from providers. Smartphones become a true 'e-wallet' able to handle all kinds of transactions via integrated an online banking-app. Cashless payment methods become commonplace for all consumers, especially the younger generation, via debit cards, credit cards, e-wallets, QR codes or bank transfer. Cashless payment is not only applicable to restaurants or shops, but also used by street vendors and shippers. According to the State Bank of Vietnam, over 87 per cent of the adults in Viet Nam currently have bank accounts. Some banks process more than 95 per cent of their transactions on digital platforms. During 2021-2023, both QR payments volumes and values increased, reaching over 170 per cent. In the first four months of 2024, cashless payments rose more than 57 per cent by volumes and nearly 40 per cent by values year over year. Among those mobile payments went up 59 per cent by volume and 36 per cent by value. Consumer demand has pushed businesses to adopt technology to connect with banks and payment service providers, aiming to maximise buyers convenience with advanced experience, raising their competitiveness in the market. Earlier this year HSBCs ASEAN Business Sentiment, which surveyed 600 responses from companies with annual revenues of at least US$150 million in the six biggest ASEAN economies: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam, told us that 65 per cent of businesses in Viet Nam confirmed digital payments as their focus in tech strategy or investment in 2024, the highest within ASEAN. In terms of corporate finance, cashless payments provide several potential implications. Enhance efficiency: Cashless transactions can streamline financial processes, reducing the administrative burden, cost and risk associated with handling physical cash. Digital platforms can automate payment workflows, optimise cash-flow management and minimise manual errors. Record detailed, full and accurate data: Technologies such as application programming interfaces (APIs) help centralise data management, gain real-time visibility into financial transactions. Besides, huge amounts of data generated from cashless transactions reflect valuable insights into consumer behaviour, spending patterns and market trends, supporting corporates to optimise cash allocation strategies and organisations growth objectives. Capital allocation efficiency: Digital payment platforms enable corporates to optimise working capital management, accelerate cash conversion cycles, improve forecasting and ultimately deploy surplus funds towards strategic investments. By leveraging cashless transactions, treasurers can unlock liquidity, reduce financing costs and allocate capital more efficiently to support the organisations strategic growth goals, Thuy said. Entering the new era Banking digitisation strategy has driven the industrys digital transformation, enhanced more optimal solutions to meet corporate clients diversified digital payment demands, from real-time payments, to the solution that facilitates up to 24/7 electronic payment for tax/custom obligations with direct connectivity with tax/custom authorities and omni collect solution, which offer multiple payment options in one platform. This June, HSBC also integrates the innovative dynamic QR solution. Every customer transaction will be credited directly into businesses HSBC accounts in real time, resulting in corporates liquidity improvement. Also, this solution offers real time visibility on transaction flow, auto reconciliation with consolidated settlement reports, virtual account support with simple integration. While cashless payments offer convenience, they also introduce new risk factors, such as cybersecurity threats and fraud, caused by account takeover, stolen or spoofing login information, leading to unauthorised transactions and personal information leakage. Hence, to keep up with this trend while still protecting financial transactions, both consumers and corporates need to be trained to understand thoroughly the available cashless payments, their roles and meanings in finance and how to select the most appropriate options. In addition to strengthening cybersecurity measures, fraud detection mechanisms and adopting multi-factor authentication and encryption protocols, businesses need to periodically make risk assessments. They need to stay updated on risks and emerging attack vectors, new regulations in digital payments such as anti-money laundering regulations and data privacy laws. VNS HA NOI The National Assembly on Tuesday morning ratified the UKs protocol of accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), with 94.25 per cent of votes in favour. The UKs protocol of accession to CPTPP is an integral part of the trade deal, according to Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the National Assemblys Foreign Affairs Committee. The NAs ratification is expected to contribute to enhancing Viet Nams role and position in international economic cooperation. The UK has committed to a higher level of market opening for Viet Nam than other countries in the CPTPP and higher than the commitments under the UK Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), for some important issues. Under the CPTPPs commitments, the UK will recognise that Viet Nams manufacturing industries operate under market-based economic conditions. The NAs ratification will make Viet Nam among the first six CPTPP member countries to approve the UKs accession protocol. "This demonstrates Viet Nams proactiveness and responsibility in accelerating bilateral trade and investment relations with the UK, as well as affirming the role and position of Viet Nam in the regional and international arenas, create new momentum for the countrys socio-economic development, improve the legal system and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises," Ha said. Some NA deputies, however, expressed concerns about challenges from higher requirements for trade and investment, urging solutions to be raised to bring into play opportunities from the FTAs. In response, Ha said that the focus would be on increasing communication to improve awareness and understanding of CPTPP and UKVFTA. In the draft plan for implementing the UKs accession protocol, the Government had assigned relevant ministries and agencies to review and study amendments to the existing legal documents and issuance of new ones for commitments between Viet Nam and the UK. According to the National Assemblys Standing Committee, there might be six CPTPP members who complete their ratification of the accession protocol by October 16, 2024, meaning that the protocol will come into force from December 16. Hai said that it was necessary to have plans for improving the legal framework to implement the protocol when it takes effect. CPTPP is a free trade agreement in force between 11 countries including Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam. The CPTPP came into being on December 30, 2018, with the first six countries to ratify the agreement being Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. The agreement has been in force for Viet Nam since January 14, 2019. On July 16, 2023, CPTPP parties signed an accession protocol with the UK, welcoming them as the 12th member. The CPTPP will enter into force for the UK once all CPTPP members, including the UK, complete their respective ratification processes. If all members have not ratified it by October 16, 2024, the protocol will enter into force after six CPTPP members and the UK ratify the agreement. VNS HA NOI Vietnamese exports received a sweet boost on Monday with the presence of its red and yellow-fleshed dragon fruits at the grand opening of Spinneys, a high-end supermarket chain from the United Arab Emirates. This marked the first time Vietnamese dragon fruit has hit shelves in Saudia Arabia. Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia ang Xuan Dung highlighted the growing presence of Vietnamese agricultural goods, seafood and canned beverages in Saudi Arabia. He expressed his hope that Spinneys would expand its offerings of Vietnamese products and pledged the embassy's full support in connecting the supermarket chain with Vietnamese exporters to foster stronger bilateral trade ties. Sunil Kumar, the CEO of Spinneys, outlined plans for further expansion in Saudi Arabia. Three additional supermarkets are scheduled to open in Riyadh and Jeddah this year, followed by at least four new stores annually over the next five to ten years. She said Spinneys currently operates over 150 stores across the UAE and marks its presence in Oman. It plans to establish a representative office in Viet Nam, creating a direct channel for Vietnamese products to reach Spinney's shelves across the region. According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Viet Nam's exports to Saudi Arabia reached US$615.3 million in the first five months of this year, marking an annual 48.5 per cent rise, mostly with rice, seafood, cashew nuts, pepper, wooden furniture, beverages, apparel, footwear, machinery, auto parts, electronic components, computers and phones. Meanwhile, Viet Nam's imports from Saudi Arabia decreased by 16.1 per cent to $549.7 million, primarily consisting of plastic materials, chemicals and petroleum. As a result, total bilateral trade turnover reached $1.16 billion, reflecting a 9.2 per cent year-on-year growth. VNS BAC LIEU During the summer, parents from villages and communes with a large ethnic Khmer population in Bac Lieu Province eagerly take their children to temples to learn the Khmer script. This activity aims to preserve and promote the Khmer language, while also helping children stay away from smart phones, TVs, and computers, and immerse themselves in their cultural heritage through lessons at the temple. Throughout the summer months, Son Thi Phe takes her two grandchildren to Moniserey Sophon Coson Temple in Vinh Phu Tay Commune in Phuoc Long District to learn Khmer letters and get to know the basics of the Khmer script. "Trying to get them to learn a few letters like 'Co-Kho, which are the first consonants in the Khmer alphabet over the summer is worthwhile. If they keep at it for a few summers, they will be able to read and write in Khmer," Phe said. During classes, the temple's management board and Venerable Thach Duong Trung, the abbot of Moniserey Sophon Coson Temple, encourage pupils to attend regularly and study diligently so they can read and write their ethnic language, which will serve as valuable knowledge for the future. This summer, the temple has 60 children attending Khmer script classes in three grades, from first to third. At Komphirsakor Prek Chru Temple in Vinh Trach ong Commune, six Khmer script classes have been conducted since the last week of May, including four first grade classes, one second grade class, and one third grade class. The classes are divided into two sessions per day, taught by the temple's monks. Venerable Duong Quan, the abbot of the Xiem Can Temple, said, "Teaching Khmer script during the summer at the temple has become an annual tradition, widely supported by the Buddhist followers. The students are very enthusiastic about learning. The temple's spacious, green campus is also well-suited for holding classes, helping children learn to read and write Khmer." Venerable Tang Sa Vong, deputy chairman of the Bac Lieu Provincial Committee for Solidarity of Patriotic Monks and abbot of Buppharam Temple in Hung Hoi Commune in Vinh Loi District, said that 20 out of 22 Theravada Buddhist temples in the province have opened Khmer script classes for the summer of 2024. Besides teaching Khmer language and literature, many temples in the province also offer Pali and Dharma classes for monks studying at the temple. This summer, Buppharam Temple is hosting six classes for children from surrounding hamlets. The temple is also ordering uniforms for students and preparing to install 10 additional computers for further teaching. Development Bac Lieu is home to over 17,000 Khmer households, with more than 75,000 people, accounting for 7.6 per cent of the population. Improved infrastructure has been facilitating education, trade, and travel for the Khmer community in the province, contributing to their overall development in recent years. The Khmer community increasingly values preserving their cultural traditions and passing them on to future generations, including their script. Pham Van Thieu, chairman of the Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee, said that the province's ethnic affairs and policies for ethnic minorities are given special attention, are implemented promptly and have achieved many positive results. This includes financial support for Khmer language and script teachers during the summer and allocating local funds exceeding central government requirements to implement the National Target Programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority regions. These efforts have led to significant improvements in the material and spiritual lives of the people. The appearance of rural areas in ethnic minority regions is continually improving, educational levels are rising, and cultural traditions are being preserved and promoted. Consequently, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities has significantly decreased, with only 808 poor households remaining, accounting for 3.86 per cent of the population. VNS Profile: Xue Qikun, a pioneering physicist and tireless innovator Xinhua) 09:57, June 25, 2024 Xue Qikun (front L) discusses with students at a laboratory in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 17, 2017. Xue Qikun won China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 Monday. Xue is a distinguished scientist of condensed matter physics, who has achieved multiple scientific breakthroughs. His team made the first experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. They also discovered interface-enhanced high-temperature superconductivity in the heterostructure system, which opened up a new direction of research in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. (Photo by Shi Jiadong/Xinhua) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese physicist Xue Qikun, winner of the country's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 unveiled on Monday, has dedicated his entire career to fundamental research in materials physics. Born in 1963, Xue grew up in a mountainous area in east China's Shandong Province. After studying and working in Japan and the United States for eight years, he returned to China in 1999. While working at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Xue started to focus on the quantum anomalous Hall effect, which would contribute to the development of low-power consumption electronics if verified. However, at that point, no one had yet observed it in a laboratory setting. Xue and his team were uncertain about the outcomes when they started the experiments. He likened it to racing on an unmarked course without any clear guidance. His team worked tirelessly over four years. They prepared and measured over 1,000 samples, and overcame a series of scientific challenges. "Whoever makes a breakthrough first will gain an advantage in subsequent research and applications," Xue said. One night in October 2012, Xue received a text message from his team that they had successfully observed the trace of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in the lab. They published their findings in the journal Science in 2013. Nobel laureate Yang Chen-ning called it "the first physics paper of Nobel Prize level published by a Chinese lab." The observation achievement won him the 2024 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize. "When major scientific opportunities emerge, we must seize them to strive for pioneering original achievements, thereby propelling the continuous advancement of our country's sci-tech level," Xue said. He also seized another significant scientific opportunity in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. After years of dedicated research, in 2012, Xue and his team made the groundbreaking discovery of interface-enhanced high-temperature superconductivity. It reached the highest transition temperature under normal pressure since the discovery of cuprate high-temperature superconductors in 1986. This breakthrough opened up a new direction of research in the field of high-temperature superconductivity, and prompted extensive follow-up research both domestically and abroad. "We have caught up with the golden age of scientific research. Now that the country has provided us with such excellent research conditions, we should cherish them and strive to achieve more 'zero-to-one' breakthroughs," Xue said. Xue spends most of his time in his office or the laboratory. To learn as many advanced experimental techniques as possible, he would arrive at the laboratory almost every day at 7 a.m. and leave at 11 p.m. This routine has continued ever since he returned to China. His unwavering perseverance profoundly influences the younger generation. He often encourages young researchers that achieving success in scientific research relies on one percent talent and 99 percent hard work. When encountering bottlenecks in experiments, he enthusiastically cheers on his team and works together with them to find solutions. He also points out valuable research directions for them and encourages them to explore bravely. Today, Xue continues to be at the forefront of scientific research, leading his team in tackling cutting-edge scientific challenges such as the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity, the application of high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect and the topological quantum states, and the realization of topological quantum computing. Looking ahead, Xue is brimming with confidence. "China will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the next wave of the global sci-tech revolution," he said. Xue Qikun walks in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 17, 2017. (Photo by Yuan Jie/Xinhua) This photo taken on June 17, 2024 shows a portrait of Xue Qikun in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Xue Qikun operates experimental device at a laboratory in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2024. (Photo by Li Zhou/Xinhua) Xue Qikun speaks during a collective interview at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Xue Qikun sits inside his office at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2024. (Photo by Li Pai/Xinhua) Xue Qikun stands on stairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Xue Qikun (C) communicates with students while attending a salon in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2020. (Photo by Jiang Zhiyu/Xinhua) This is a file photo of Xue Qikun. (Xinhua) This photo taken on June 17, 2024 shows a portrait of Xue Qikun in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Xue Qikun (2nd L) speaks during a collective interview at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to espionage and conspiracy charges against him in the US following his release from his UK prison sentence. According to court papers filed on Monday, Assange is offering to surrender himself for a possible plea deal that could help him return to his home in Australia. The proposal is yet to be approved by the judge. Assange's surrender to US authorities is expected to end years-long legal battles and hidings after releasing 700,000 classified US military documents on WikiLeaks. The disclosed documents detailed the US's wrongdoings in its participation in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, including the so-called "Collateral Murder" video where American soldiers were shown killing civilians in Baghdad. Assange's co-conspirator, former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning, was already charged with 35 years in prison in 2013 before being commuted by ex-President Barack Obama in 2017. Assange May Only Face 62 Months in Prison Although Assange is facing a life sentence for the 18 felony counts charged against him, CNN and NBC News expected Assange to only serve 62 months in credit to his time in Belmarsh security prison. This came after US President Joe Biden reportedly struck a deal with Australia's prime minister to finally end the extradition dispute over Assange since the US government first pursued charges against him in 2012. A court hearing over the WikiLeaks' founder is expected to start this coming Wednesday. Also Read: Wikileaks Reveals That CIA Is Using Messaging Apps To Spy On Their Owners What's Next for WikiLeaks? While WikiLeaks has celebrated Assange's freedom and upcoming return to Australia on X (formerly Twitter), the future of the biggest data leak page about classified government documents remains uncertain. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 So far, Assange has yet to disclose any plans to return to the non-profit group he co-founded in 2006 as the US government continues to crack down on the site's leakers and hackers. Earlier in February, former CIA software engineer and WikiLeaks leaker Joshua Adam Schulte was sentenced to 40 years in prison for disclosing the largest amount of confidential US intelligence documents in history. Schulte was responsible for the Central Intelligence Agency's "Vault 7" data leaks in 2017, revealing the agency's secret espionage operations on US citizens. Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Air Defence and Air Force, Deputy Head of the Law on People's Air Defence Drafting Committee, speaks to the Peoples Army Newspaper about the draft law. Why do we need a Law on People's Air Defence? People's air defence is a part of all-people national defence. Today, new combat plans in modern warfare, air attack and air attack prevention have become extremely important requirements. The Law on People's Air Defence aims to complete the guidelines and policies of the Party and State and the Constitutions provisions on protecting the Fatherland. Practical requirements of the national liberation and the cause of construction have affirmed that people's air defence is an important content of national defence and military work, proactively protect the country early, from afar and in any situation. Practical research on recent conflicts around the world has showed that air attacks are the main method, especially the use of unmanned aircraft and ultra-light aircraft. Domestically, the number of unlicensed unmanned aircraft and ultra-light aircraft is increasing and showing signs of loss of control, posing many potential threats to national defence, and aviation security and safety. Therefore, the Law on People's Air Defence is very necessary to overcome inadequacies and limitations in the new era, perfecting the legal system on military and national defence, meeting the national guard requirements in all eventualities. How are guidelines and policies on defence zones and all-people defence posture relevant to people's air defence? People's air defence is a part of the all-people national defence, placed under the leadership of the Party committee, and directed, managed and operated by the Government from central to local levels. Therefore, people's air defence is an important content of defence and military. People's air defence posture is arranging, organising and deploying forces, vehicles, equipment, people's air defence projects and necessary resources nationwide to carry out the people's air defence missions. It is an integral and inseparable part of the all-people defence posture. People's air defence operations are a unique feature of Vietnamese military art that has been effectively applied in the national liberation war. In modern warfare today, air attack and air attack prevention have become extremely important, playing a decisive role in changing the battlefield situation. People's air defence is meaningful and even in some stages of the war, it plays a key role. From there, there is a need to build the people's air defence force, setting up a strong and comprehensive national defence, promoting the country's strength to effectively handle defence and security situations. What is the relationship between national air defence forces, army air defence force and the people's air defence force? Managing and protecting the airspace is an important task, carried out by various forces, at different altitudes, from near and far, of which the core is the national air defence force and the army air defence force, along with participation of the people's air defence force. These forces are organised to have completely different functions and tasks in the posture of all-people defence and people's war. The three forces have a close and inseparable relationship in performing the task of managing and protecting the airspace. They have clearly assigned duties, without overlapping each other's functions and tasks. The national air defence force is the main and core one, equipped with modern weaponry, is responsible for detecting and notifying other forces and effectively fighting the enemy at different heights. The army air defence force is the main force of the constituting military units, with the task of accompanying the constituting military units in various types of combat operations. The people's defence force is a force that fights the enemy extensively in the local zone. It fights and overcomes the consequences of the enemy's air attacks. At its core ar local soldiers, militiamen, reserve soldiers and an extensive force mobilised from the people. The above three forces form an overall air defence force with three types of troops, creating a continuous, widespread, multi-layered, multi-directional air defence posture. It is capable of observing, detecting and attacking the enemy from near and far. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with President of Poland Andrzej Duda on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 15th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian City, Chinas Liaoning Province. PM Chinh said that Viet Nam always follows and is delighted at the socio-economic achievements that Poland has recorded over the years, affirming that it attaches great importance to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the European country and always remembers the valuable support and assistance that Poland provided during its struggle for national construction and defence. PM Chinh thanked Poland for supporting Vietnamese citizens affected by the shopping centre fire in Warsaw in May. The two sides shared the delight at the positive development of the Viet Nam-Poland relationship in many areas. Heading to the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations (1950-2025), they agreed to promote bilateral relations to a new height in the coming time. The Vietnamese Government leader proposed that the two countries continue beefing up their partnership through strengthening the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially the high level, increasing visits of officials via the Party channel, and promoting economic, trade, investment, cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange. He pledged that Viet Nam will provide optimal conditions for the import of goods of Polands strengths such as machineries and ships. The two sides should speed up the signing of a loan agreement for the project of building six new offshore search and rescue ships for which the Polish Government has committed to granting preferential credit to Viet Nam, said the leader, adding that Viet Nam hopes for Polands support in human resources training in the fields of basic training and shipbuilding. PM Chinh suggested that Poland continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Poland to settle down, integrate well into the host society, and actively contribute to the socio-economic development of Poland and the sound traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Poland. For his part, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed his impression at Viet Nam's socio-economic achievements, underlining that Viet Nam is Poland's current biggest partner in Southeast Asia. He hailed the contributions by the Vietnamese community in Poland. The Polish leader said he hopes Viet Nam will create favourable conditions for Polish firms to export goods to Viet Nam and strengthen cooperation with their Vietnamese peers in new areas such as renewable energy and tourism. VNS LIAONING Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday urged developed nations to support and collaborate with poor and developing countries in three priority areas, enhancing a market economy, infrastructure development and human capital. It was part of his keynote speech at the ongoing World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the Champions held with the theme of 'Next Frontiers for Growth' in Liaoning Province, China. In strengthening and refining the institutions of a market economy, PM Chinh highlighted the aspect of efficiently mobilising and utilising all resources and raising the effectiveness of national governance. In terms of infrastructure, the Vietnamese leader stressed the support and assistance in resources for the development of strategic infrastructure systems, with a focus on transportation, digital infrastructure and climate change adaptation and social, healthcare and education infrastructure. With regards to human capital, he urged the advanced economies to do more technology transfers and prioritise the development of high-quality human resources for developing countries. "To embark on the 'Next Frontiers for Growth' let us unite to foster trust, promote dialogue, bolster the spirit of solidarity, unity, cooperation and development," PM Chinh said. "We must effectively address regional and global issues based on principles of laws and ensure the harmonious interests of all parties involved, not politicalising and discriminating global science, technology and innovation." The Vietnamese Government leader suggested that the WEF, its partners and the business community enhance their roles in offering guidance, providing support and advocating public-private partnerships while also taking the lead in development. Viet Nam suggested that international cooperation in making, planning and implementing policies at the global level be enhanced, especially in terms of monetary and fiscal policy. PM Chinh also seeks to bolster trade and investment liberalisation to stimulate short term total demand, while also impacting positively on total supply over the longer term. The future of the globe hinges on three primary factors and is shaped and propelled by three key areas, according to PM Chinh. The three include the rapid advancement of science and technology, innovation, particularly in digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI); the profound impacts of climate change, natural disasters, resource depletion and an aging population; and the growing fragmentation and polarisation fuelled by conflicts, wars and global-scale geostrategic, geopolitical and geoeconomic competition. The three trailblazing areas include: the development of digital economy; the development of green economy and circular economy; and the development of high-quality human resources and AI and the fourth industrial revolution. The evolution of these transformative areas will usher in the "next frontiers for growth" with profound and far-reaching impacts on every person and sector all over the world, PM Chinh said. "This calls for the adoption of a new mindset and approach, which should be people-centered, comprehensive and result-oriented with a global perspective, delivering overall benefits to all, both in the immediate and over the long term." Global economy While "the world today is largely at peace, local wars persist, overall rapprochement is marred by regional tensions and the predominant stability is occasionally disrupted by local conflicts. The global economy is also marked by intertwined opportunities, risks and challenges," PM Chinh said. In his address, PM Chinh outlined the five prominent features of the global economy. First, the global economy is undergoing an unprecedented, extensive and all-round transformation driven by the rapid advancement of science and technology, innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Second, sustainable development, inclusivity, and green growth have become more urgent than ever for all countries and the globe. Third, the trend of polarised globalisation unfolds opportunities for economic cooperation and integration, while also contains underlying risks of disrupted supply and production chains and fierce competition. Fourth, developing countries' roles and voices are increasingly recognised, contributing actively and positively to shaping new global cooperation frameworks and development trends. Finally, Asia, in particular China and ASEAN, are emerging as key drivers, dynamic development hubs and engines of global economic growth. Cooperation with China "As close neighbours bound by shared mountains and rivers, Viet Nam and China are currently working together to build a 'Community with a Shared Future'" PM Chinh said, adding that "Viet Nam is pleased to witness China's strong development and rise amidst a difficult and challenging regional and world situation". China's development strides created opportunities for the advancement of and inspired many developing countries, he said. He said Viet Nam "strongly encourages China's continued commitment to working with the international community to vigorously champion multilateralism, bolster international solidarity and cooperation and safeguard a peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment for prosperous development in the region and the entire world." Viet Nam's experience In the WEF address, PM Chinh also relayed the "profound and historic achievements" of Viet Nam over the past four decades, which he attributed to the three key terms: Reform, Innovation and Integration. Viet Nam had undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging from a position of a 30 year war-torn, embargoed country to a dynamic middle-income nation, he said. "Today, we proudly stand among the world's top 40 economies and rank as one of the top 20 trade and investment partners globally. With 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) and diplomatic relations with 193 countries, Viet Nam's economy surged to US$430 billion in 2023, with GDP per capita reaching $4,300 and foreign investments registering a record $36.6 billion." In 2024, the first quarter saw a growth of 5.66 per cent, with the second quarter expected to surpass this and maintain a more positive trend in the latter half of the year. "Viet Nam is also lauded as a model for healing the wounds of war. We have closed the past, respected differences, looked to the future to forge friendships with former adversaries. All United Nations Millennium Development Goals were achieved," he said. These achievements underscore the effectiveness of Viet Nams development strategies and policies under the leadership of the Communist Party and the State, which are grounded in three key pillars: (1) Building a socialist-oriented democracy; (2) Building a socialist rule of law state; (3) Developing a socialist-oriented market economy, according to the PM. Throughout this process, the unwavering principle is to maintain political stability, with people at the centreas both subjects and the ultimate goalserving as the driving force and the most valuable resource for development, ensuring that social progress, social security, justice and environmental sustainability are prioritised alongside economic growth. PM Chinh underscored that Viet Nam had steadfastly implemented six core policies: (1) An independent, self-reliant foreign policy with multilateralised and diversified international relations; (2) A defence policy defined by the Four No's; (3) Economic development embraced as a central task; building an independent and self-reliant economy through proactive, and effective international integration; (4) Ensuring social progress, equality, social security with no one left behind and improving the living standards of the people; (5) Promoting an advanced culture infused with national identity - "culture lights the way for the nation"; (6) Establishing a transparent, robust political system, coupled with the vigorous fight against corruption, wrongdoings and wastefulness. He pledged that Viet Nam, alongside ASEAN, would deepen collaboration with China, the World Economic Forum, and other partners to champion new drivers of growth. "Simultaneously, we will make every effort to maintain and strengthen an environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world," PM Chinh said. VNS BEIJING A stronger social foundation, that was the express wish when Phan Anh Son, Chairman of Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations met Zhou Qiang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at Chinas Great Hall of the People on Monday in Beijing. Vice Chairman Zhou Qiang said he welcomed Son and other delegates to the 12th Viet Nam-China People's Forum. Qiang said this year's forum was meaningful because it was held in Hunan Province, the hometown of Chinas Chairman Mao Zedong. He also said the strong and positive development of the bilateral relationship, established and nurtured personally by Chairman Mao Zedong and President Ho Chi Minh, had been developing well and positively, with higher political trust and stronger practical cooperation. During the State visit to Viet Nam of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, the two sides reached a common understanding on building a strategically significant China-Viet Nam Future Sharing Community. He also expressed positive impressions for Viet Nam's achievements in innovation, international integration and socio-economic development as well as for the bilateral relations between China and Viet Nam in recent years. He noted that as China advanced towards its form of modernisation and Viet Nam built its modern nation, increased exchanges and shared experiences between the two nations would drive further development for both. Looking towards the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment between the two countries, he stressed the importance of aligning with shared understandings of the highest leadership of both parties and countries to contribute to building the China-Viet Nam Future Sharing Community. He also said that the Viet Nam-China People's Forum, jointly organised by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, had become a pivotal platform for people-to-people exchanges, highlighted in the 2023 Viet Nam-China Joint Declaration, contributing to "building a stronger social foundation". He proposed that the 12th forum continue to effectively implement high-level shared understandings. He encouraged active discussions among delegates on bilateral cooperation in political, socio-economic and cultural fields, aiming to make recommendations to further enhance bilateral relations in the future. For his part, Chairman of Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations Phan Anh Son congratulated the Chinese people on their achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, with President Xi Jinping as its core. Son emphasised that both General Secretaries of the two parties highly valued the role of people-to-people diplomacy, with the Viet Nam-China People's Forum being prominent in contributing to enhancing people-to-people exchanges and building a solid social foundation for bilateral relations. Son also added that the bilateral relationship was progressing strongly and reaching new heights. After the COVID-19 pandemic, exchanges between the people of the two countries had been vibrant, reflected in the significant increase in tourism, student exchanges and bilateral trade reaching US$171.2 billion in 2023, he said. Son said Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations had maintained regular exchanges with Chinese partners. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations together with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries had successfully co-organised 11 Viet Nam-China People's Forums, establishing a mechanism for sincere and constructive exchanges that contribute to the continued development of bilateral relations. In the future, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations along with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Viet Nam-China Friendship Association and the China-Viet Nam Friendship Association would enhance delegation exchanges to promote practical cooperation and contribute to increasing understanding among the people, thereby building a more solid social foundation for bilateral relations. Under the theme 'Continuing Friendship, Holding Hands and Moving Forward Together' the 12th Viet Nam-China People's Forum is taking place in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China, on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is attended by 26 experts, scholars, public figures, journalists and business representatives from both countries who have deep insights into Viet Nam-China relations. Delegates have been engaged in discussions on four main topics of political and diplomatic relations, economic and trade cooperation, local collaboration as well as media and academic exchanges, with a spirit of goodwill, openness, honesty and trust. VNS DALIAN Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised Viet Nams policy on promoting innovation-driven economic growth while attending a dialogue with the World Economic Forum (WEF)s startup and innovator community as part of the WEFs Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2024 in Dalian city, China, on Tuesday. Sharing Viet Nams measures and priorities on technology, resources, and innovation development, he said that innovation has become one of the main drivers of economic growth in every country, especially in the era of globalisation, international integration, and the fourth Industrial Revolution. It not only helps deal with regional or global difficulties and challenges but also foster sustainable development in each country and the whole world. With such awareness, he noted, over the past years, Viet Nam has taken a number of practical and effective actions to boost innovation such as building priority mechanisms and policies for facilitating innovation and startups, while creating development strategies and programmes that focus on digital economy, green economy, circular economy, sharing economy, and knowledge-based economy, particularly the sectors generating high added value like big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and hydrogen. Besides, the country has been investing efforts in developing infrastructure, including digital, electricity, water, transport, and social infrastructure, and also training human resources, especially high-quality personnel. It has also been mobilising resources, of which internal resources, including human, nature, cultural and historical traditions, form the fundamental, strategic, long-term, and decisive factor while external resources, including finance, technology, administration and human resources training, are an important and breakthrough factor. Viet Nam has used public investment to guide private investment and harnessed every social resource to facilitate innovation and startups, according to PM Chinh. He said many world-leading technology firms like Google, Apple, Intel, Synopsys, Meta, and Nvidia have been moving to invest in Viet Nam. Talking about the initiatives carried out to assist startup and innovative companies in Viet Nam, the government leader highlighted several solutions being taken such as perfecting regulations and policies to promote innovation and startups, implementing national-level programmes and projects to support the startup and innovation ecosystem, assisting students to translate their business ideas into reality, and carrying out a programme to aid businesses digital transformation efforts. Viet Nam is pressing on with improving technical infrastructure to support innovation, training innovation human resources, including a plan to develop manpower for the semiconductor industry by 2030, and mobilising international resources, he added. Replying to a question about the role of foreign startups in Viet Nams innovation-driven growth and transition to a knowledge-based economy, PM Chinh said foreign startups are an impulse for innovation as seen in their role in transferring technology and knowledge, creating competition, and enhancing international cooperation to speed up the transition to a knowledge-based economy. Therefore, Viet Nam always welcomes, encourages, and creates condition for foreign businesses to invest in the fields of agriculture, industry, and services in a green, clean, and sustainable manner, he stated. At the dialogue, the PM talked about many issues related to development plans and opportunities for young Vietnamese in emerging industries like AI, semiconductor, and big data. He also mentioned some global issues to which there should be global and people-based approaches that uphold multilateralism and reinforce international solidarity. The Vietnamese leader expressed his belief that the world will manage to surmount all difficulties and work towards shared prosperity. VNS HA NOI More than VN247 trillion (US$9 billion) is needed to upgrade 28 expressways in terms of traffic safety, according to a recent report from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). Resources will be prioritised to upgrade completed or ongoing two-lane expressway projects to four-lane roads and areas prone to accidents or traffic congestion, especially on the eastern section of the North-South Expressway. PPP (public-private partnership) projects are also eligible for an upgrade if their specific funding and investment procedures permit. The investment must align with the funding sources, balance and disbursement, in accordance with the annual and medium-term public investment plans of the State and local budgets as well as the current laws, reads the MPIs document. The 28 projects proposed for investment include public investment projects, PPP projects and projects managed by the state-owned Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC). The 23 public investment projects include expressways that are in operation (Cam Lo-La Son, La Son-Hoa Lien, Cao Bo-Mai Son, Mai Son-National Route 45, National Route 45-Nghi Son, Nghi Son-Dien Chau, Dien Chau-Bai Vot, Nha Trang-Cam Lam, Cam Lam-Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet-Dau Giay) and those under construction (Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang, Bai Vot-Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi-Vung Ang, Vung Ang-Bung, Bung-Van Ninh, Van Ninh-Cam Lo, Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon-Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh-Van Phong, Van Phong-Nha Trang). The two PPP projects in the proposal are Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh and HCM City-Trung Luong-My Thuan. The three VEC-run projects are Ha Noi-Lao Cai (at the Yen Bai-Lao Cai section), HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay and Cau Gie-Ninh Binh. According to the MPI, more than VN15.5 trillion ($608.7 million) can be deployed from the medium-term public investment plan for 2021-2025 due to increased budget revenues in 2022 and 2023. The ministry also proposed that the Prime Minister consider approving a government bond package of approximately VN165 trillion ($6.5 billion) for public transportation projects. The transport ministry should also prioritise scaling up the four-lane projects on the North-South Expressway to respond to the passenger and goods transportation demands with a long-term vision of over 20 years, the MPIs document states. VNS HA NOI Japan has suggested Vietnam revise the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for certain agricultural chemicals, according to the Office of the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam). The office on June 24 sent a document to the Plant Protection Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the proposal. Accordingly, Japan suggested increasing the MRLs of Isopyrazam, a broad-spectrum foliar fungicide; and Hexaconazole, a sterol biosynthesis inhibitor; with the specific revisions depending on products. However, for Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl, a new valinamide carbamate type of fungicide, the country said its limits should be reduced for spring onion (including leek), eggplant and other nightshade vegetables (except for tomato and sweet pepper), and yellow and green lemon. Meanwhile, the limits for spinach and herbs (except for watercress, chives, parsley stems and leaves, and celery stems and leaves) will rise from 0 ppm to 10 ppm. VNS Vientiane A ceremony was held in the northern Lao province of Xaysomboun on June 25 to inaugurate and handover four new irrigation systems funded by non-refundable aid from the Vietnamese Government. These systems are set to transform the agricultural landscape of Anouvong and Thathom districts. Viengsan Chantha, Chief of the Office of the Laos-Viet Nam Cooperation Committee, expressed his sincere thanks to the Vietnamese Party, Government and people for their support over the past years, particularly in aiding Lao localities facing infrastructure development challenges. Viengsan Chantha underscored the critical need for joint efforts to effectively utilise these irrigation systems that meets the expectations of both Parties and Governments, ultimately contributing to the continued strengthening of the special bond and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Viet Nam. Jointly managed by Viet Nam's COECCO Economic Cooperation Corporation and Xaysomboun authorities, the project costs more than VN159.2 billion (US$6.63 million), with the Vietnamese Government contributing over VN157.2 billion and Laos providing the remaining funds. Once operational, these systems will serve agricultural production in the beneficiary districts, facilitating the production of commodities to gradually eliminate poverty for local residents. VNS A vehicle destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Al-Khyara, Lebanon on June 22 .(Photo: XINHUA/VNA) Cairo The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Lebanon on June 24 warned Vietnamese citizens who are working and living in Lebanon not to travel to unsafe areas or crowded places in the context of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah force. According to the embassy, there are currently eight Vietnamese citizens living in Lebanon, mainly in the capital of Beirut and surrounding areas. The lives of the Vietnamese citizens here are temporarily unaffected by the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the outbreak of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the embassy has regularly kept in touch with the Vietnamese citizens in Lebanon and learned that their lives are still going on normally. The embassy has devised plans in case tensions escalate and is ready to coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out the evacuation or citizen protection if needed. It will continue to closely monitor, regularly contact and encourage the citizens and request the Honorary Consul to follow the situation and promptly make a report in case of emergencies. The Vietnamese citizens living in Lebanon or their relatives can contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Lebanon through the hotline 20 102 613 9869, or the Honorary Consular Office of Vietnam in Lebanon 961 70 229 300 in case they need help. Vietnamese Embassy in Israel issues warning amid escalating tension The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel on April 12 recommended Vietnamese nationals residing, studying, and working in the Middle East country to proactively take security measures amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran. Enterprises honoured at the announcement ceremony of the most innovative firms of 2024 The event aims to raise awareness of the business community about the importance of innovation and innovation in the new economic period, as well as honour and promote the innovation and creativity efforts of Vietnamese businesses. According to the announced results, Top VIE50 has the appearance of big brands such as Viettel, FPT, Vietcombank, Vinamilk, VNPT, BIDV, Vingroup, PetroVietnam, Masan Group, among others. Truong Minh Tien, CEO of Viet Research, said that innovation played an important role for businesses in Vietnam, as it not only helps improve competitiveness through developing new products and services and optimising business processes, but also supports quick adaptation to market fluctuations and customer needs. Innovation also improves the quality of human resources and strengthens brand position, ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability in an increasingly harsh business environment, Tien said. According to Le Trong Minh, VIR's editor-in-chief, the business community's interest in innovation has helped Vietnam's Global Innovation Index 2023 be ranked 46/132 countries and territories, increasing five places compared to 2022. Vietnam is one of seven middle-income countries that have achieved the most progress in innovation over the past decade. Vietnam is also one of three countries with innovation results exceeding the level of development for 13 consecutive years. Vietnam's startup ecosystem has increased from fifth to third position among the top six economies in Southeast Asia," said Minh. Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission, said that Vietnam had many policies to promote innovation with the introduction of Resolution No.10-NQ/TW and Resolution No.52-NQ/TW. Vietnam also established the National Innovation Centre, with the mission of leading and connecting to build a complete innovation ecosystem nationwide. However, the weakness is that the proposed policies have not yet been effective. There are still no guidelines related to policies to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the spirit of Resolution 10. Meanwhile, state-owned enterprises also lack legal corridors and mechanisms to promote innovation," Hien said. He added that the businesses honoured in the Top VIE50, Top VIE10, and Top 100 products of 2024 would create important motivation for the Vietnamese business community and entrepreneurs to improve production and business efficiency, create a position in the market and contribute to the overall development of Vietnam. 70 per cent of businesses seek to spend more on innovation This is the first year that a list of the Top 50 Innovative Enterprises Vietnam in Vietnam 2023 (VIE50), along with the Top 10 Innovative Enterprises in Vietnam (VIE10), has been announced by VIR based on results from Viet Research. VIR to announce the most innovative firms of 2024 The most innovative and creative businesses in Vietnam for 2024 will be recognised by VIR and Vietnam Research on June 24. Fund tweaks to help SME innovation While some businesses are ready to innovate alongside the digital transformation, many admit they do not know where to start and where to find support channels. Wealth management in Vietnam: evolution and innovation Vietnams wealth management sector has undergone significant growth, driven by rapid economic development, an expanding affluent population, and increasing sophistication in financial planning services. Dinh Thi Thu Nga, head of Internal Audit, Techcom Securities, spoke with VIRs Bich Thuy about the sectors revolution, and future innovation trends. European Union regulators accused Apple of breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as the company allegedly steered its users away from marketplace alternatives. The European Commission also opened an investigation into the tech giant's contractual terms with developers. Read Also : Apple Adds Core Technology Fee to iPadOS Apps Amid EU Rules EU Probes Apple for DMA Violation The DMA states that companies, tagged as gatekeepers, must allow other businesses to offer an alternative platform and services outside the App Store. The gatekeepers should allow other companies to promote their services, products, and subscriptions. The regulators shared that the preliminary findings ruled that Apple breached the DMA as the App Store still "prevents app developers from freely steering customers to alternative channels and content. While the tech giant implements alternative ways, outside services are still subject to several restrictions by the company. The findings added that these restrictions prevent app developers from communicating and promoting offers using their chosen distribution channel. The charging fees for developers are also "beyond what is strictly necessary" according to the regulators. Apple Defends Policy Changes Amid DMA Rules Apple quickly responded to the accusation stating that the company made appropriate changes to comply with EU's DMA. In a statement, the tech giant stated that they are "confident" that their rules comply with the law. "All developers doing business in the EU on the App Store have the opportunity to utilize the capabilities that we have introduced, including the ability to direct app users to the web to complete purchases at a very competitive rate," the company added. If the regulators find crucial evidence that Apple is breaching the DMA, the company could face fines of up to 10% of its worldwide turnover. Once operational, the new metro line will create more favourable travelling conditions for Hanoians, and contribute to easing traffic jams. At present, Hanoi has the elevated Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, which has been operating for nearly three years and has become a popular mode of public transport. According to the Ministry of Transport, the Nhon - Hanoi railway station metro line will have the elevated session operated first with a length of 8.5km out of the entire 12.5km route. This section consists of eight stations, starting from Nhon station to Cau Giay station, running through the districts of North Tu Liem, South Tu Liem, and Cau Giay. "The elevated section of the Nhon - Hanoi railway station line has completed the entire construction, equipment installation, and trial operation processes, with 57 different scenarios over the courses of seven weeks from March 11 to April 26. Currently, it is only waiting for the final inspection stages to be completed," a representative of the Hanoi Urban Rail Management Board said. A representative of the operating unit, Hanoi Metro Company, said they were actively implementing and coordinating with relevant authorities to develop procedures for train maintenance and line operations. "We are coordinating with the project owner and consultants to evaluate the system's safety as assessed by an independent consulting organisation; developing a fare policy based on the current fare policy applied for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line; and developing a detailed operation plan and temporary unit prices to place orders for operations similar to the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line," said Vu Hong Truong, general director of Hanoi Metro Company. In addition to technical aspects, over 350 personnel have also been trained and are ready for the project. Previously, 10 train sets for this rail line have been granted Certificates of Quality, Technical Safety, and Environmental Protection for Rail Transport Vehicles by the Vietnam Register. The Hanoi Urban Rail Project Management Board said that obtaining these certificates is an important milestone, ensuring that the train sets meet all quality, safety, and environmental standards, and are eligible for operation on the railway. According to the plan, the elevated section of the metro line (from Nhon to Cau Giay) will start commercial operations in July 2024. The opening of the Nhon - Hanoi railway station rail line is highly anticipated by all residents of the capital city, as it is one of the routes passing through the highest number of universities in Hanoi. This important project is expected to address the shortcomings of the existing public transportation system, meet the increasing travel needs of residents, and move towards a civilised, modern, and sustainably developed Hanoi. Cat Linh- Ha Dong metro line serves more than 2.65 mln passengers in Q1 The Cat Linh Ha Dong metro line served more than 2.65 million passengers in the first quarter of this year, skyrocketing 262% year-on-year, according to General Director of Hanoi Railway Company Limited (Hanoi Metro) Vu Hong Truong. Hanoi metro station plan hits new brakes Both the timeline and the funding policy for part of Hanois metro line is to be extended, setting back completion of the route by several years. The factory has been in operation since 2007 in Dien Nam-Dien Ngoc Industrial Park, Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province. This is the smallest of HEINEKEN's six breweries in Vietnam. The factory made a significant contribution to the local budget, an average of VND12 trillion ($39.378.6 million) per year pre-pandemic. However, this figure has plunged over the past few years. In the first three months of 2024, the Dutch brewer only contributed VND20 billion ($1.2 million) to the provincial state budget. Since the pandemic, many sectors, including the beer industry, have faced enormous challenges due to the slowdown in economic growth, which has dampened customer demand and confidence. Following the implementation of Decree No.100/2019/ND-CP stipulating heavy fines for drink-driving, customers have also changed their consumption habits. As a result, the beer market experienced a double-digit decline in 2023 and posted a mid-single digit decline so far this year. "To optimise its production and business, HEINEKEN decided to streamline operations and temporarily suspend the factory in Quang Nam," HEINEKEN said. The company will relocate some of the impacted employees from Quang Nam to other HEINEKEN breweries in Vietnam. The decision also aligns with the ambition and responsibility of Vietnam and HEINEKEN Vietnam towards the net-zero goal in manufacturing. Since 1991, HEINEKEN has been operating in the Southeast Asian country through HEINEKEN Vietnam, a joint venture with local firm Saigon Trading Group. The Dutch brewer said to have made over $1.1 billion in investments in Vietnam, and its breweries directly employ more than 3,000 people, contributing 1.04 per cent of the country's GDP. Heineken profits slide as beer price hikes curb enthusiasm Dutch brewer Heineken on Monday lowered its earnings outlook for the full year after price hikes to counter soaring costs battered beer sales, pushing down profits in the first half. HEINEKEN Vietnam continues sustainability mission HEINEKEN Vietnam has made remarkable progress towards realising the companys sustainability ambitions after a challenging couple of years. The investment announced on June 25 entails Vietnam's first blue bond and the first green bond by a private commercial bank in the country. As part of that, IFC's $25 million subscription in blue bonds will allow SeABank to expand its funding for sustainable economic activities associated with ocean and water (aquaculture and fisheries, water supply, among others). IFC's $50 million subscription in green bonds will help the bank increase financing for green assets (green buildings, renewable energy, and energy efficiency). As the implementing entity of the United Kingdom's Market Accelerator for Green Construction (MAGC) Program, IFC will provide a performance-based incentive of up to $0.48 million targeting retail borrowers to help offset the incremental greening costs associated with green housing units purchase. Additionally, IFC's $75 million loan to SeABank is aimed at promoting financial inclusion through boosting financing for SMEs, including women-owned businesses. "IFC's investment will help SeABank increase funding for initiatives that support the country's climate and financial inclusion agenda. We are proud to be issuing Vietnam's first blue bond and the first green bond by a private commercial bank. We look forward to working with IFC to further bolster our green and blue portfolio strategy," said Le Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of SeABank's Board of Directors. Alongside the investment, IFC will advise SeABank on adopting green and blue bond frameworks, while helping SeABank identify eligible green and blue assets and develop a pipeline. "Vietnam's green transition relies heavily on private capital, and the launch of innovative financing instruments such as blue and green bonds offers a new source of funding for climate-related projects," said Thomas Jacobs, IFC's country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. "With investment in a leading player, IFC is establishing new asset classes while mobilising capital and strengthening the capacity of local financial institutions to drive increased climate finance in Vietnam." The two parties have partnered since 2021 to expand small- and medium-sized enterprises lending via tailored products, increase climate finance access and international trade. With IFC's support, SeABank could develop an integrated ESG framework and prioritise funding for green projects, thereby promoting climate change mitigation and resource efficiency. Norfund grants $30 million convertible loan to SeABank The Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Norfund) on June 19 committed $30 million to Hanoi-headquartered SeABank (HSX: SSB) through a convertible loan, which can be converted into SeABank common shares within four years. IFC considers $150 million investment in OCB International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is considering investment of up to $150 million in Vietnam-based OCB. Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation (KBC) is arranging a meeting with one of Chinas largest corporations to cooperate in promoting industrial park development, attracting high-calibre Chinese investors into Vietnam. The demand for various types of industrial production, research, testing centres, and more is expanding The information was disclosed by leaders of KBC at the companys annual shareholder meeting in Bac Ninh on June 19. According to the company, many foreign investors have already registered to invest in Trang Due 3 IP in the northern city of Haiphong. Along with new investors, current partners of KBC also wish to be active at Trang Due 3 for their expansions, including LG and its satellites. CEO Dang Thi Thu Huong at the corporations AGM said, The company is eager to complete the procedures for the development of Trang Due 3 IP in Haiphong. During the last two weeks, we worked with LG and its satellites to discuss the agreement to hire land here. We completed the land clearance and compensation for 200 hectares. Many foreign investors registered to put their facilities in our expanded IP in Haiphong. During our trip to South Korea, many businesses expressed their attention to investing in Trang Due 3 IP. They plan to invest $1 billion and are waiting for Kinh Bac to solve legal procedures, said Huong. Large manufacturers continue to see Vietnam as a potential candidate in their supply chain diversification strategies. Big moves in early 2024 included the microchip project of US firm Coherent and a scheme to build warehouses for rent by Singapores SLP in the southern province of Dong Nai. In addition, Chinese automobile manufacturer Chery, Chinese tech firm Victory Giant, Hyosung TNC of South Korea, and PepsiCo of the US have leased land to build or expand factories in Vietnam. The International Monetary Fund forecasted that Vietnam will be one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 2024, on par with India, and the Philippines. Foreign direct investment into Vietnam during the first five months of the year reached $11.07 billion, a 2 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to data from the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. In terms of capital, manufacturing and processing led the pack with investment capital of over $7.43 billion, or 67.1 per cent of the sectors total investment, an increase of 11.9 per cent compared to the same period last year. The property sector ranked second with a total investment of nearly $1.98 billion, or nearly 17.9 per cent of total registered capital, and an increase of 70.8 per cent on-year. In the first quarter, CBRE Vietnam continued to record large transactions in various industries and from diverse nationalities. Statistics published by CBRE showed that in 2023, industrial parks (IPs) in the northern region leased nearly 900ha of industrial land and more than 700,000 square metres of warehouses, achieving an occupancy rate of over 80 per cent for both types. Those in the southern region leased nearly 600ha of industrial land and nearly 600,000 sq.m of warehouses, equivalent to respective occupancy rates of 90 and 80 per cent. Opening up opportunities At the end of May, through its subsidiary, Marubeni Group acquired 20 per cent of shares of Amata City Ha Long JSC, the developer and operator of Amata City Ha Long IP, from Amata Vietnam. According to Nikkei Asia, this deal is worth about $11.2 million and officially marks Marubenis participation in commitments to develop and operate IPs in Vietnam. Amata City Ha Long is located in Quang Yen town of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, and is being developed in five phases over an area of 715ha. The project has attracted manufacturers from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Europe in the electronics and electrical equipment, automobile, and machinery industries because of the advantages of easy access to Asia-Pacific markets. In March, SPX, a logistics provider for cost-effective and reliable delivery services together with Frasers Property, signed an agreement to provide a built-to-suit premium industrial space in Binh Duong IP. Also in March, VDL ETG, the high-tech arm of VDL Groep, ratified a cooperation agreement with Frasers Property for the construction of a new facility to make semiconductor manufacturing components in Vietnam. So far, Frasers Property Vietnam has more than 180ha of industrial land area, within strategic locations in both the north and south of Vietnam, with almost a million sq.m of international grade and green-certified industrial facilities that will be developed to support the countrys growing manufacturing economy. Elsewhere, over the last two weeks, leaders of Vietnam Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) arrived in the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Nam Dinh to discuss plans to develop two more VSIP facilities there. In addition, VSIP commenced construction of VSIP Lang Son on June 14, marking its 16th complex in Vietnam. This year, VSIP has plans to implement the construction of five more IPs as well as a residential project located in Binh Duong. Motivation creation At the 2024 Real Estate Finance Forum taking place in May in Ho Chi Minh City, Truong An Duong, general manager of North Vietnam and Residential, Frasers Property Vietnam said that in the past few years, industrial real estate has developed forcefully, especially new rivals in IP development. We can see that the foundations of the Vietnamese economy, especially the production, import, and export sectors, are developing very well. Along with that, the government has done a fantastic job promoting foreign investment and signing trade agreements, which has created motivation and competitive advantage for Vietnam, especially in industrial real estate development. Investment from foreign partners and foreign capital sources have continued to increase in recent times, Duong told VIR. In the past five months, we have continued to see very optimistic signals from foreign investors who are interested in utilising Vietnams advantages in production, he said. The demand for various types of production, as well as research and data and testing centres and even conference exhibition centres in IPs, will expand. We are also moving towards establishing research centres for the semiconductor industry in the next 5-10 years. Vietcombank Securities assesses that Vietnam possesses a series of significant advantages in attracting foreign funding, such as electricity prices for production being about 40-50 per cent lower than other countries in the region, competitive labour costs and Vietnams macroeconomic environment being kept stable. The recovery of exports, especially high-tech products, is creating increasing investment attraction for the IP real estate industry, encouraging more overseas funding inflows from enterprises producing high-technology products, creating added value and increasing rental prices in IPs, it added. The fourth Vietnam Industrial Property Forum (VIPF 2024) organised by Vietnam Investment Review, under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and coordinated with the Vietnam Industrial Real Estate Association, will take place at Mai House Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday, July 30. Themed Going Green for New Investment Waves, the forum will focus on assessing the growth prospects of Vietnams industrial property market and the development trends of specialised industrial real estate products. It will also address legal issues related to building standards for eco-industrial parks, converting existing parks to eco-parks, and green development according to ESG standards to attract new types of projects, especially high-tech and large-scale projects funded by global conglomerates. In the framework of this years forum, the Organising Board will implement a selection program themed VIPF Green Future Awards. The selection is to encourage and honour investors with strategies to develop eco-industrial parks, as well as secondary investors renting land in industrial parks with green development strategies, using clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, smart management of water resources and resources in the ecosystem, and contributing to promoting sustainable development trends. The deadline for receiving registration dossiers is July 10. For more information on the forum and the award, please visit www.vipf.vir.com.vn. According to Malaysias Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the six men and two women, aged between 25 and 70, were detained in Kelantan, Johor, Penang and Selangor. (Photo: Bernama.com) Kuala Lumpur Malaysias Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on June 24 said that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) arrested eight people with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) group who were purportedly planning attracks against the King and the Prime Minister. In a statement annoucned on the same day, Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said six men and two women with suspected links to IS were rounded up on June 22-23 in a coordinated campaign between four states. Initial police investigations into the suspects revealed threats against Malaysias King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and senior PDRM officials. The suspects will be detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. Saifuddin urged Malaysians to remain vigilant against new threats from extremists and terrorists, who are increasingly abusing modern technology and social media to spread dangerous ideas. The government remains firm that there will be no compromise with anyone inciting, perpetrating, supporting or sympathising with extremism, radicalism and violence in the country, he said. Malaysia, Singapore expected to become global hi-tech hubs The Malaysia-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the proposed Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) that will be finalised by both countries can have a positive impact on the relationship between the two neighbours, said economic analyst Dr. Oh Ei Sun. Malaysia, China sign deals on economic, trade cooperation Malaysia and China signed a slew of deals on June 19 renewing a five-year economic co-operation pact and allowing export of fresh durians, during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties, according to Reuters. As a subsidiary of the National Australia Bank (NAB), which is also focused on creating long-term positive impacts, NAB Vietnam is making significant strides in fostering a sustainable future for the country. Driving sustainable outcomes NAB's sustainability journey is long-standing, marked by significant milestones and global recognition over the last 20 years. This includes ranking in Corporate Knights annual Top 100 Sustainable Corporations list in 2020-2023, recognising NABs efforts to integrate sustainability into its core business operations. NABs approach focuses on understanding and managing its impact on climate change, natural capital, and biodiversity. Along with this, NAB seeks to embed this focus in its policies, standards, and management frameworks, including building design and operating standards and risk management frameworks. As a proud member of the industry-led, United Nations-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance, NAB is working towards reducing the emissions attributable to its financing, with the ultimate goal of supporting emissions reduction in the real economy and aligning with pathways to net zero by 2050. This translates into tangible actions in Australia, such as $4.5 billion in funding for new green lending activities in 2023 alone. Local impact: Green initiatives in Vietnam In Vietnam, NAB's sustainability approach includes initiatives that resonate within local communities. NAB Vietnams new 8,500sq.m office space in the Hallmark Grade A+ office building is testament to this. Achieving LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council, the office is equipped with technology and systems which aim to minimise environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency. NAB Vietnam office has achieved LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council Recognising the importance of colleague engagement in environmental and social responsibility, NAB Vietnam has introduced two annual Volunteer Leave days, encouraging colleagues to participate in charitable and environmental causes. Held in partnership with the Gaia Nature Conservation Center, the inaugural Volunteer Day took place on May 24 at the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. This initiative aligns with the Vietnamese government's ambitious project to plant 1 billion trees from 2021 to 2025. More than 170 volunteers, including NAB Vietnam employees and community members, gathered during this event to plant 500 mangrove trees. This effort sought to aid in local environmental preservation and also play a crucial role in protecting the ecosystem, preventing erosion, and safeguarding numerous species' habitats. NAB Vietnam team takes action for a greener future at their Volunteer Day in Can Gio Biosphere Reserve Howard Silby, general director of NAB Vietnam, expressed his pride in the initiative, noting that, In Australia, NAB has gained widespread recognition for its environmental initiatives, particularly in supporting natural disaster relief. I am immensely proud that we are fostering similar activities as the Volunteer Days. While there is much more to be done to fulfill NABs ambition of achieving net zero by 2050, we are dedicated to implementing many more initiatives in Vietnam to align with this mission. Investing in Vietnam's tech future sustainably NAB Vietnam's objective extends beyond environmental initiatives to fostering a thriving and sustainable tech sector in Vietnam. Recognising the country's potential, with more than 50,000 new tech graduates entering the workforce annually, NAB strategically chose Vietnam for its Innovation Centre. NAB supports this talent pool through training programmes, with over 7,000 certifications delivered in cloud technologies alone. NAB has partnered with various universities, offering 120 recent graduates opportunities to pursue tech careers, with the aim to empower the next generation of tech professionals. Beyond technical skills, NAB Vietnam seeks to foster a positive and inclusive work environment that promotes diversity and inclusion, particularly empowering women in tech through providing a targeted mentoring programme and internships for female students. Building a sustainable future, one step at a time NAB Vietnam colleagues team up to plant a mangrove sapling, helping to protect the local coastline and biodiversity NAB Vietnam's focus on sustainability goes beyond individual projects, and aims to embed continuous improvement and community engagement into the core of its operations. The annual Volunteer Day is one such example. By building on NABs approach, and tailoring initiatives to the local context, NAB Vietnam seeks to set a high bar for sustainability. ESG becoming mandatory criteria for sustainable development of business Environmental, social, and governance factors are increasingly becoming a prerequisite component in the investment decision-making process of many investors, with an initiative offered by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Sao Do Group leans on sustainable development The journey towards building eco-friendly industrial parks (IPs) to gradually reduce their carbon footprint is becoming increasingly respected by investors at Nam Dinh Vu IP. From left: Henry Nguyen, chairman of Phoenix Holdings, Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, Meir Teper and Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality The visit coincided with the announcement that Nobu Hospitality is partnering with Viet Capital Real Estate (VCRE) to build a network of hotels, restaurants, and Grade A office buildings under the Nobu brand in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Nobu Ho Chi Minh City is set to be Nobus 40th global restaurant and hotel complex, while Nobu Danang will be the first Nobu Residences project in Southeast Asia. The highlight of the visit was a panel discussion between Henry Nguyen, chairman of Phoenix Holdings, and the renowned Nobu founders. According to legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa, the combination of Japanese and Peruvian flavours creates an unforgettable culinary experience at their highly regarded restaurants. "Learning to use spices and combining traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients means putting a new cultural spin on classic dishes. In Nobu's recipes, it's easy to see the presence of a deep love for Peru beyond the ingredients and cooking techniques," said Matsuhisa. In 2017, the Peruvian government honoured the chef with the title 'Amigo del Peru' in recognition of his efforts to promote Peruvian cuisine globally a country that now serves as his second home. For Robert De Niro, the business is an extremely dynamic field, as compelling as the cinematic achievements of their career. "Nobu's success is a testament to the enduring value of knowledge, personality, and real-life experiences of its founders. More than business partners, they are true friends who have shared this great dream for over 30 years," said De Niro. The first Nobu restaurant opened in Tribeca in 1994, marking the beginning of collaboration between Matsuhisa, De Niro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper, best known for cult classics like 'From Dust to Dawn' and 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'. Today, Nobu is a chain of 77 restaurants, 41 hotels, 12 luxury real estate projects, and a global lifestyle icon with a passionate fan base and a portfolio spanning five continents. Henry Nguyen, chairman of Phoenix Holdings, a group that manages VCRE, stated that in addition to the mission as a boutique developer, VCRE has always been committed to developing premium properties that transcend Vietnams borders while building iconic destinations in the most developed regions and cities. The approach we choose involves unique designs that carry more meaning than mere aesthetic appeal. Its refined luxury that meets practical needs, making every experience worthwhile, with the best solutions across all segments, said Nguyen. Vo Thanh Lam, CEO of VCRE, confirms that real estate is not only an investment, but also a makes the lives better. "We are not only developers, but also managers and craftsmen, creating vibrant and inspiring spaces for the next generation of Vietnamese people. We chose to work with Nobu because the core values inspired by the brand's story are not outwardly focused, but are continually affirmed by the depth of feeling of our elite customer base, Lam said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said that Nobu aims to create meaningful and lasting connections with customers based on sincerity. These elite residents are not just seeking material wealth but are also pursuing enriching life experiences that completely align with their values, Horwell said. Japanese multi-sector group to expand operation in Vietnam The Japanese-based conglomerate Kyocera group considers Vietnam as one of its two most important production hubs in Asia and plans to expand its operation in the market, affirmed Yasunobu Sanda who oversees the company Japanese and Asian sections. Vietnam, Japan emphasise importance of respect for international law Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang held talks with Japanese Minister of Defence Kishi Nobuo in Tokyo on November 23, within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs official visit to Japan. As scheduled, on June 25, Vietnams National Assembly (NA) will vote to adopt a resolution on approving the UKs participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The NA has assigned the government to review all legal documents to revise, supplement, or newly enact regulations in order to ensure the consistency of the countrys law system and ensure the right roadmap for the implementation of commitments in the UKs document on joining the CPTPP, stated the draft resolution on adopting the UKs document on partaking in the CPTPP. The government also tasks relevant ministries and sectors to complete the procedures on approving the UKs document on access to the deal and announce the time of entry into force for Vietnam. The government will also have to enact a decree on a new tariff or a new legal document to guide the implementation of commitments on public procurement and services and investment. With this adoption, Vietnam will be among the first group of six nations to approve the CPTPP for the UK. Currently, Singapore, Japan, and Chile have announced their completion of procedures for passing the CPTPP for the UK. According to the National Assembly Committee for External Affairs, it is likely that New Zealand, Brunei, Malaysia, and Peru will do the same in the coming few months. By October 16, 2024, if at last six CPTPP member states announce completion of adoption procedures, the deal will take effect within 60 days following the nations passing the deal, or December 16, 2024, stated a committee report submitted to the Vietnamese legislature last week. The UK access to the CPTPP will have specific impacts on Vietnam (see box). Under the British Embassy to Vietnams study on cooperation in agriculture between Vietnam and the UK released last month, for Vietnam, the benefits have already been clear. Exports of agro-forestry-fishery exports to CPTPP member countries rose 32 per cent from $2.2 billion in 2019 to $2.9 billion in 2022. The UK is off to a strong start too. In 2022, the UK exported $63.5 billion of goods and services to the CPTPP countries (7.5 per cent of the UK total) and imported $54 billion (5.8 per cent). Under the CPTPP, tariff rates for UK imports have already fallen. Tariff rates on pork have dropped from 22-25 to 8.1 per cent, while tariffs on seafood have largely disappeared. Long-term advantages will continue to develop. Vietnam is expected to benefit from increased exports of agricultural and seafood products, while the UK should see a boost to meat exports, according to the study. UK trade commissioner for Asia-Pacific Martin Kent told VIR, As a member of the CPTPP, we see Vietnam as an important partner with a rapidly growing economy in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region (with growth of over 5 per cent last year and is predicted to grow roughly 6 per cent this year). We are committed to continuing to grow our trade relationship joining this high standards and forward-thinking trade bloc enables us to work with Vietnam and other CPTPP members to shape the trading systems of the future, for example in areas like digital trade. Emily Hamblin, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, also told VIR that boasting a combined population of half a billion people and a joint GDP expected to reach $15.2 billion or 15 per cent of global GDP once the UK joins, CPTPP membership includes some of the worlds most dynamic economies and stands as a hallmark of progressive trade. We were grateful for the support Vietnam, a founding member of CPTPP, provided to the UK throughout our negotiations, Hamblin said. Joining the CPTPP complements the existing UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, she added, offering additional preferential tariffs and setting high standards for trade. The provisions for digital trade, e-commerce, and trade in services align with the needs of modern economies, providing substantial opportunities for UK businesses and facilitating broader consumer choices. Under calculations by the British government on the impacts of the CPTPP on the UK economy, almost all British goods exports to CPTPP member countries will be eligible for zero tariffs, improving goods market access for British companies. Businesses selling key UK exports szuch as cars and machinery will benefit from the removal of tariffs. In the long run, joining the CPTPP could lead to a $2.16 billion boost to British exports to other CPTPP countries. CPTPP gains to be built on expansion Five years into deployment of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, many other economies are seeking to join the bloc which in turn could help Vietnam expand its trade and investment. (Photo : Pexels/Photo by freestocks.org) A U.S. appeals court on Monday dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit that accused Uber Technologies of utilizing a discriminatory star rating system that unfairly terminated individuals who are not white or who speak with accents. An Alleged Racial Bias Plaintiff Thomas Liu, described as Asian and from Hawaii with a slight accent, asserted he observed riders canceling ride requests after seeing his picture on booking acceptance and also encountered riders asking about his origin in a hostile manner. According to the lawsuit, Liu was terminated in October 2015 when his average star rating droppedbelow 4.6. The lawsuit aims to represent all minority Uber drivers who have been banned due to low star ratings in the app and requests the court to mandate Uber to stop using passenger evaluations as criteria for such. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer for Liu, argued in the lawsuit that Uber's reliance on this system for driver terminations amounts to racial discrimination, citing widespread acknowledgment that customer evaluations of workers often exhibit racial bias. Uber itself has acknowledged the racial bias among its customers. READ ALSO: Lyft, Uber Disappointed with Council Overriding Pay Increase Veto, Retaliates by Ceasing Minneapolis, Twin Cities' Services Uber's Denial of The Allegations According to Uber, each rider is prompted to rate their driver on a scale from one to five to enhance ride safety and identify drivers who may pose issues. The company disputes this claim as flimsy, asserting that ride-sharing has significantly reduced bias for drivers and riders, offering fairer and more equitable access to work and transportation than ever before. While an Uber spokesperson declined to discuss how passenger star ratings contribute to driver terminations, the spokesperson noted that Uber requests additional information to assess whether bias influenced the rating when riders give a low rating, NPR reported. The Dismissal of The Lawsuit Liu's legal team contended that statistical evidence supporting their claims could only be obtained during discovery, where plaintiffs can request documents and testimonies from defendants. Still, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court ruled that Liu did not present anything beyond speculation to support his argument that neither Uber's system is discriminatory nor disproportionately removed non-white drivers from its platform compared to white drivers with low ratings. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria granted Uber's motion to dismiss the case in 2022, citing a lack of a credible claim of statistical disparity among drivers of various races and had the survey conducted by Liu's lawyers flawed. Liss-Riordan expressed disappointment regarding the ruling, arguing that Uber's use of the rating system violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California anti-discrimination laws and intends to seek reconsideration from the court. Liu was backed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before filing the federal lawsuit. The EEOC cited research indicating that customer ratings, including those for Uber drivers and other gig workers, can be influenced by bias. The agency asserted in a friend-of-the-court brief that this, along with the survey conducted by Liu's lawyers, provided sufficient grounds to establish a plausible case. However, the case was dismissed in August after failing to reach a determination, permitting him to pursue the claim in court. On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this decision, highlighting that the survey failed to address the racial demographics of Uber's overall driver population. RELATED ARTICLE: Uber's Challenge to California's AB5 Law Fails, Worker Status Upheld in Court Ruling 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Marlin activists are cheering the Texas Rangers recently confirmed investigation of the Marlin Animal Shelter but say their push for answers and accountability is continuing. The statewide law enforcement agencys attention is a victory, but the job is not finished, said Dorothy Sanders, one of the main organizers of the Justice for Marlin Dogs group. The group has called for involvement from investigators outside Falls County since issues at the now-closed animal shelter gained broad public attention in January. A member of the public sparked a backlash against the shelter and city officials when he posted images on Facebook showing a dead dog at the shelter and several others appearing severely skinny and in dirty conditions. A short time later the city closed the shelter, and an animal control officer resigned. Little information has been released on the operation of the shelter or specific conditions observed there, but Sanders group and others have kept up pressure on city officials, including weekly demonstrations at the Falls County Courthouse. Sanders said she believes there was criminal conduct before and after the shelters closure. We want to see arrests, Sanders said. Those who are responsible for animal cruelty as well as tampering with evidence and attempting to cover up, they should all be held accountable. Its not often you see a city-ran shelter accused of animal cruelty like this. This is unacceptable. The Justice for Marlin Dogs group has demanded Marlin Police Chief James Hommel and former animal control Officer Nicole Grams, who resigned after the shelters closure, be arrested on charges of animal abuse and evidence tampering. We want an unbiased investigation and we do feel that the Texas Rangers will provide that, said Dorene Burlew, co-founder of Journey Home Rescue and a member of Justice for Marlin Dogs. We feel there will be justice. There will be accountability for Nicole Grams and Chief Hummel for what happened at the shelter and whoever else may have been involved or known about it. Sanders said the group initially went to Marlins local government but was unsuccessful at making a difference, so members petitioned to Gov. Greg Abbott. The Texas Rangers investigation was confirmed publicly earlier this month. A Texas DPS spokesperson said Monday there is no public update on the investigation. The city has yet to hire a new animal control officer, and the shelter is still closed. Frances Fisher, also a co-founder of Journey Home Rescue and member of Justice for Marlin Dogs, said she and other Marlin residents have noticed eye-opening animal related issues in the city. She said she was recently sitting with someone near downtown Marlin when a pack of about eight stray dogs came walking by. (They) came walking across that Lucille (Williams) Pavilion thats in downtown Marlin, and we were just sitting there looking at each other going Oh my God, Fisher said. Theyre just trotting right through there like they own the place. We were afraid to actually even move because we didnt know if they would attack us or what because theyre all just running loose. Sanders said she and the group have received records from the city showing Marlin residents are routinely making animal disturbance calls. She recounted stories that have circulated about dead animals from the shelter being found in town, a resident unable to leave her house because of a loose dog charging her when she tried to go outside, and even a pack of dogs attacking an adult horse. The Tribune-Herald was not able to verify the reports. Sanders said she and the Justice for Marlin Dogs group will continue rallying every Saturday in front of the Falls County Courthouse in Marlin until arrests are made and followed up with prosecution. A petition calling for the Falls County District Attorney to press charges against anyone responsible for the conditions at the animal shelter before its closure has more than 18,000 signatures, Sanders said. Theres only 17,000 people in Falls County, so that tells you how much public pressure outside of Falls County, outside of Central Texas, that this has gained, she said. By Jonathan McCambridge, PA The Conservative government wrecked Northern Ireland and destroyed the UKs relationship with Dublin, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said. Mr Eastwood said he believed that a Labour government would be more positive for people in the North but insisted MPs from Northern Ireland needed to take their places at Westminster to exert influence. Criticising Sinn Feins abstentionist policy, Mr Eastwood said turning up to drink coffee now and again in the canteen doesnt cut it. The SDLP, once the dominant force in nationalist politics in Northern Ireland, has had its position eclipsed by its republican rivals in recent elections. However, after losing all of its MPs in the 2017 general election, the SDLP rebounded in 2019 when Mr Eastwood and Claire Hanna won in Foyle and the former Belfast South constituencies with large majorities. In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Eastwood said the margins would be closer in the July 4th poll but added that retaining its two seats would be a huge victory for his party. He said the last time there was a Labour government, people in Northern Ireland ended up with the Good Friday Agreement. Colum Eastwood said he hoped a Labour government would be more beneficial for Northern Ireland (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) Mr Eastwood said: What we have had with 14 years of the a Tory government has been austerity, our public services being starved of opportunity, Brexit, the Legacy Act, all of those things. Of course, they happened in concert with the DUP when they had the whip hand between 2017 and 2019. He added: The reality is anybody who knows anything about Westminster, I only learnt this a few years ago, the reality is if you are not there you dont count, your voice isnt heard, its ignored. We are ignored at the best of times, we have to be there to be heard. We have actually achieved quite a lot, even under a Tory government, I think wed achieve a lot more under a Labour government. The bottom line is this election is about turning up. There is not much point in my view of running for election if you are not going to turn up after the election. Sinn Fein are entitled to do that but I think it is better that people turn up and do their jobs as they are elected to do. Weve had enough actually of people being elected to chambers here and not turning up. I think people need to be at their work with their sleeves rolled up. Mr Eastwood said his party would work to ensure Northern Irelands voice was heard by whichever party formed the next government. He said: The relationship with the Dublin government needs to be reset and massively improved because the Tories have destroyed that. We need to see the Legacy Act repealed, we need to see a better funding settlement for Stormont. Look at the state of our health service, it is either collapsed or just about to collapse. Our public services are a mess, our economy is not performing. Mr Eastwood said he believed the SDLPs historical relationship with Labour would enable it to exert some influence. He said: We are not going to make the mistake the DUP made and think their number of MPs are going to have some outsized significance. But what we have got is a sister party relationship with the Labour Party, years of developing and building on that relationship, I spend a lot of time speaking to Keir Starmer and other members of the shadow cabinet. We are there. If you are not there, if you are not seen, you just get ignored. Turning up to drink coffee now and again in the canteen doesnt cut it. I genuinely believe that the voice of the north of Ireland was silenced for two years during those mad Brexit years. We put the voice of everybody else other than the DUP back into Westminster and we will do it again. The SDLP leader said the funding of Northern Ireland needed to be re-examined (Liam McBurney/PA) The SDLP leader said the funding of Northern Ireland needed to be on the agenda of the next government. He said: The bottom line is the Tories have wrecked the place, they have wrecked the public finances, they have destroyed the economy and it isnt just going to be as simple as turning the (funding) taps back on. What weve been saying for 10 or 15 years is that the basis on which the Executive here is funded is wrong. It should be funded on the basis of need and we are getting short-changed. That argument will have to be made, it is an argument we are making, we will continue to make it if we are elected. We will make it in the chamber you cant make it if youre not there. The SDLP vote decreased in the last Northern Ireland Assembly elections as Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party in the region for the first time. However, Mr Eastwood insisted different factors would determine the Westminster election. He said: The last Assembly election was a mood election because people, particularly within nationalism, felt that Michelle ONeill was being denied her rightful place as the elected first minister of Northern Ireland. They were right, she was. It was a disgrace and it was the DUP that was doing it. People came out in large numbers to send that message. That message has been sent, its been heard. But this (election) isnt about that. This is about who are you going to send to Westminster. The SDLP is running candidates in all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland although Mr Eastwood said resources would be focused on three or four places where we are competitive. He said: We are fighting hard to retain our two seats. We are in a fight in South Down as well. We have strong support there. There are other places where we have to build back after difficult elections, that is what we will be doing. We are realistic, we know the battles that we are in and that is where our resources will go. He added: You have got to remember in 2017 we lost all three of our MPs. That was a big, big blow for this party. A huge effort went in to getting two of those back. We obviously got huge majorities (in 2019) and that is not going to happen this time. But retaining those seats after the battering we have taken over the last couple of years, I think would be a huge victory. But we are fighting for every vote. (Photo : Unsplash/Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona) Compass Coffee, a Washington-based coffee chain, is accused of engaging in union-busting activities to rig a union election scheduled for July 16th. A Rehensible Union-Busting Tactic Compass Coffee United accused the coffee chain of hiring an additional 124 baristas at cafes where unionization efforts are underway. The company manipulated worker schedules retroactively to qualify these new employees to vote in the upcoming union election. In a post on X on Saturday, Senator Bernie Sanders condemned Compass Coffee for its hiring practices. Sanders denounced the company's assertion that a lobbyist from Uber and CEOs from other companies should be classified as workers to influence a union election as completely absurd and reprehensible. Sanders expressed strong solidarity with Compass Workers and urged Compass Coffee DC to honor its workers' rights to organize and cease its efforts to undermine unionization. The Georgetown Compass Coffee store's shift supervisor, Penina Meier-Silverman, reported receiving an initial voter list showing 43 individuals listed for the Georgetown cafe and noticed that schedules were also falsified for past dates, which people had never worked for. READ ALSO: Amazon CEO Accused of Breaking Labor Law, Ordered to "Cease and Desist" Amid Anti-Union Remarks Compass Coffee Union Advocacy Union organizing efforts began over a year ago in response to ongoing concerns within the company, such as removing tips for workers, unfair disciplinary actions, and equipment maintenance issues. Workers at seven Compass Coffee locations, representing over a third of the company's stores, declared their intention to unionize in May 2024. Organizers reported that 84% of union-eligible employees across seven cafes signed authorization cards endorsing membership with Workers United, an SEIU affiliate that has organized over 425 Starbucks stores since 2021. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a union election requires signatures from at least 30% of eligible voters to proceed. A letter of intent was also delivered to Compass co-founder and chief executive Michael Haft on the same afternoon, the Washington Post reported. Penina Meier-Silverman emphasized the workers' core demands, stressing the importance of respect, safe working conditions, fair compensation, and benefits, which she described as essential elements of basic workplace decency. Meanwhile, Compass Coffee's tactics seem to be a clear response that they are actively seeking to "pack this election and kill it." The union has lodged an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Compass Coffee's behavior. Meier-Silverman indicated plans to file multiple charges related to the large number of new hires and purported retaliation workers have faced since the union campaign became public, especially since she was also reprimanded for discussing the union with a customer. The owner and CEO of Compass Coffee believes all employees at the petitioned locations are eligible to vote based on the current employee list and emphasized the ongoing communication with partners to maintain an updated list by the 14th, said in an email statement. RELATED ARTICLE: "Abuse of Power": U.S. Watchdog Accuses UAW of Withholding Information Access, Obstructing Investigation 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WATERLOO Iowas secretary of agriculture paid a visit to a Waterloo farm Friday morning, promoting a local barn tour, chatting with farmers and addressing issues such as bird flu, water quality projects and the condition of the states crops. As part of his annual visits to all 99 Iowa counties, Mike Naig spent time at the Frost Barn, 1745 E. Eagle Road, one of 11 barns on the Iowa Barn Foundations tour held over the weekend. Standing in the barn, which dates back to the 1870s and was completely restored in 2018, Naig shared stories with area farmers and barn owners who are included in this years tour. Naig grew up on a family farm near Cylinder in northwest Iowa and is still involved in its operation. He has served as ag secretary since 2018. Bird flu Naig addressed the growing threat of avian influenza or bird flu in the state. To date, 10 cases have been detected in dairy cattle herds in Northwest Iowa. The virus also has been detected in turkey flocks in Sac County. Unfortunately we continue to see some new cases, and I think were going to continue to see some additional cases, he said. Its a range from farms who have had it and getting over it to some that are just starting to break with it. So what were trying to do now is to help farmers to understand whats going on, whats causing it Were really focusing on the research, the epidemiological links between farms. really helping folks to increase their biosecurity on farms. I think well continue to see some more positive cases as we go through the next couple of weeks, but were trying to learn lessons and help farms better protect themselves. Naig said it affects farms differently. If youre a poultry farmer, unfortunately we do have to depopulate, euthanize those animals because its all about trying to prevent the spread, plus birds unfortunately dont get better. The good news is dairy cattle can get sick and then theyll get better. That does create challenges, because for one its a significant financial hit for the other its certainly an economic hit, but they will get over it. If were going to go through the pain of having this, lets make sure we learn from it to better protect farmers. Water quality Naig also spoke about the states investment in water quality projects. Hudson will receive $190,900 for a wetland park restoration project, Jesup will receive $175,000 for a storm water wetland, and Waterloo will receive $400,000 for the Sunnyside Creek Watershed water quality pond. Weve got water quality projects happening all across the state, both in rural areas and urban areas, Naig said. When we look at those, where can we get leverage with private sector resources and local governments or local entities, so we want to award the projects thatll have the maximum impact and bring the most partners together. Its a constant look at which projects are performing well, how can we expand the ones that are being effective. And how do we look at reaching new farmers. Weve set records for conservation adoption in the last two years in the state of Iowa. We want that to be a third year record, and we intend to set records every year. The only way were going to do that is by bringing more partners, more resources and just more awareness about the need to improve but also how can you incorporate more conservation into both the urban landscape and into the farms across the state. Planting Naig said planting is largely complete for the year. After 204 consecutive weeks of drought in the state of Iowa, we have finally officially ended the drought, he said. Instead, the state has had one of the top 10 wettest springs on record, which affected planting. In some cases, planting got stretched out or delayed or you had fields that had to be replanted. There could be some fields that arent able to be planted. Its a small percent. Naig said planting stretched from early April to the first part of June. Normally, youd like that to be confined to the last part of April to the first part of May to get the maximum yield. Mexico's floating gardens are ancient wonders of sustainable farming Mexico's floating gardens are ancient wonders of sustainable farming A centuries-old system One of the most productive agricultural systems in the world Chinampas could feed the city Mexico's floating gardens are ancient wonders of sustainable farming Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (24 June 2024) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. The units of the Sever Group of Forces have hit manpower and hardware of the AFU 36th Marine Brigade, the 113rd Territorial Defence Brigade, and the 13th National Guard Brigade close to Volchansk, Bochkovo, and Liptsy (Kharkov region). One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade has been repelled. The AFU losses were up to 220 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, one 155-mm German-made Panzerhaubitzer 2000 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and two electronic warfare stations. The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on 14th, 21st, 115th, and 116th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses were up to 480 Ukrainian troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, one 155-mm Panzerhaubitzer 2000 howitzer, one German-made 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, three 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one 105-mm U.S.-made M119 gun, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS. In addition, one artillery ammunition depot of the AFU has been destroyed. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line and hit manpower and hardware of AFU 46th airmobile, 79th air assault brigades near Konstantinovka and Kurakhovo (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses were over 610 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, four motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 155-mm UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle. Three electronic warfare stations and seven field ammunition depots have been eliminated. The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and also defeated 24th, 47th mechanised brigades of the AFU close to Sokol and Toretsk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Five counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 23rd, 110th mechanised brigades, and the 95th Air Assault Brigade have been repelled. The enemy losses were over 430 troops, two U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one 105-mm U.S.-made M119 howitzer. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of 115th and 123rd territorial defence brigades, and the 21st National Guard Brigade close to Oktyabr, Rovnopol, and Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). One counter-attack by AFU units of the 37th Marine Brigade has been repelled. The AFU losses were over 140 Ukrainian troops, six motor vehicles, one UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one UK-made 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and one D-20 howitzer. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Marine Brigade and the 124th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Antonovka and Ivanovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses were up to 125 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, and one D-20 152-mm howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces hit a large logistics centre of the AFU where armament, including missile weapons delivered to the Kiev regime by Western countries, were accumulated, stored, and redistributed. In addition, Russian troops have launched strikes at clusters of AFU manpower and hardware in 112 areas. Air defence systems have shot down 176 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, four U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft guided missiles, as well as 10 U.S.-made HIMARS, and Czech-made Vampire missiles. In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 26,487 unmanned aerial vehicles, 533 air defence missile systems, 16,416 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,348 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,825 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 22,893 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR Cost with all x-rays, three sessions, three canals, shots for pain and all labor. Very thorough and a very good dentist https://into-dent.ru/ *** 11,900 Russian Ruble equals 135.23 United States Dollar Jun 25, 03:46 UTC *** Still have a crown to do and we have decided to do a Zirconium Crown, yet the cost of the root canal was very reasonable and very very professionally done. They had all the tools and knowledge to do the job Today? I get the crown going and they make the crowns themselves Stay tuned WtR As the Cold war developed between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II, there began a rapid growth in scientific and military technology. The Pentagon and CIA shifted and selected Lockheed Martin Aircraft Company to engineer and build the ultimate spy plane. The Legendary, Lockheed engineer Kelly Johnson sealed the deal with his highflying 'U2' Spy Plane, and years later completed the concept and development of the SR71 'Blackbird', the highest flying and by far the fastest aircraft ever produced. The original version was the 'A12'. The airplanes were based in Area 51, Groom Lake, Nevada, Beale AFB, California, Mildenhall, England and Kadena, Japan. From these locations the Blackbird conducted secret missions of intelligence gathering globally. In order to evade new soviet missiles, the airplane called for a cruise speed of Mach 3 plus (2,200 miles per hour), faster than a speeding bullet, and an altitude in excess of eighty thousand feet. Over the past few years, the SR71 has been almost entirely declassified. 60 years have now passed since the initial test flights back in 1963. Jerry Glasser, Lieutenant Colonel Retired & Pilot of the SR71 has over 900 hours on the airplane and flew the plane for six and a half years. "I was born in the projects of New York City and all I wanted to do was graduate from high school and avoid the cops, that was my goal 31 years later I was in the front seat of the SR71, said Glasser. Pilots of the SR71 say they felt extremely lucky to get the chance to fly the plane. Its a very humbling experience knowing that you were in this unique crew group, Glasser shares. The crew members got together every two and a half years and this year was their last reunion. Those who flew the plane were sought out and nominated to fly the SR71, they say none of them could have dreamed their moment on the plane would come. John Manzi, Reconnaissance Systems Officer for the SR71's first flight was also Jerry Glasser's last. John Manzi spent four and a half years flying this airplane. He was also part of the final squadron members that closed the unit down in 1990. Even though the plane looks futuristic, it has been in retirement for more than 30 years. This aircraft was a dream assignment for those who knew about it and a very small program, so it was very competitive to get in with very small windows of opportunities for those of us who flew other airplanes before this one, Manzi says. Finding out that I was accepted was one of the highlights of my life, and a very memorable day, and after that honestly every time I flew this airplane, it was a big event," he says. "You constantly flew to the edge of its capabilities at more than three times the speed of sound, 70,000 or 80,000 feet, and every day that was a unique and wonderful experience. Going three times as high and three times as fast, the SR71 can make it across the country in one hour and go from California to England in four hours. Glasser explains how they operated the plane. The back seater is the conductor and Im the first violinist the back seater is pacing the mission hes the guy whos really important hes got all the sensors and hes keeping me on track, said Glasser. He said the back seater and pilot know one another so well they always know what one another is thinking. Youre so busy, the plane is so mentally taxing, we have a little note and every time you look outside the plane knows it says youre looking outside too much, he adds. Glasser says the sights to be seen while flying the SR71 are breathtaking. We saw three sunrises and four sunsets on one mission and the colors, I mean the indigos and the blues and the reds. It was like you get mesmerized by what you seeBut youve got to be careful. Why? Youre looking outside and the airplane says look at the airplane. Every time they flew the plane, it was extremely dangerous. The missions they flew were designed to gather intelligence from all over the world and they would go to the limits to do that. Many of my friends had some extreme circumstances like losing engines at MACH 3 and in the history of this program people had to eject at 80,000 feet, Manzi said. Many people may think they're certified astronauts, but that's not the case. However, they did fly at the top of the upper 2% of the earth's atmosphere. None of us wanted to be exposed to the elements, so we had to live in these specially designed suits to keep ourselves alive should we ever have to leave the airplane, Manzi explains. And each mission presented high risks. The longest commercial flight to date is only about 9,800 miles we were doing 15,000 miles without even blinking and going pretty far north so when were in the artic those risks were pretty high, Glasser shares. As a good friend of mine says you dont feel speed you feel acceleration, Manzi says. But the opportunity was unimaginable. None of us ever thought we would be selected for the program we didnt think we were that good and somebody thought we were good, and we proved it, Glasser says. There were 50 planes total, 15 A12's and 32 SR71's. None of them are flyable now and some are in museums. This was a highly secretive program and considered breakthrough technology in the 1950's. Decades later, missions were still kept secret but more of the nation knew the planes existed. Now that it's retired, more details of missions from the past are coming out. I think this is the greatest strength of our country. We have the ability to put resources that will make the most difference and anyone can be inspired to do anything and find the means to do that," Manzi says. No more than 85 crews in a 25-year period flew the plane. Even though crew members are sad to know this was their last reunion, they want education to go on for aerospace technology. Weve only begun. When I was young, I was flying across the country at .9 MACH. Now, Southwest is flying at .78. Theres a Kelly Johnson out there, there are engineers, they dont know theyre out there, theyre out there and were gonna find them," Glasser remarks. ASIC vs iSignthis Ltd and Nickolas John Karantzis Melbourne, June 25, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Southern Cross Payments Ltd, formerly iSignthis Ltd (the Company), announces that last Friday afternoon, the Federal Court of Australia in Victorian Registry Case No VID773/2020 handed down its decision in the proceeding brought by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) against iSignthis Ltd and its former managing director, Mr Karantzis. Following a report published by Ownership Matters in September 2019 and suspension by the ASX of the Company's shares in October 2019, ASIC commenced an investigation into the revenue earned by the Company in the six months to 30 June 2018, which resulted in the achievement of the performance milestones and consequent issue of the performance shares. At all times, the Company and its officers, including Mr Karantzis, maintained that the revenue had been earned legitimately. ASIC refused to accept this position and instead issued the proceeding making very serious allegations against Mr Karantzis for breach of his directors' duties arising from the achievement of the performance milestones. That case failed. In rejecting those allegations, the Court made the following findings: - "ASIC has not proven to the requisite standard that Mr Karantzis has made an improper use of his position in relation to the performance shares." - "it cannot be accepted that ASIC has proven to the requisite standard that Mr Karantzis failed to exercise his powers in good faith in the best interests of the corporation and for a proper purpose." The matter of the achievement of the performance milestones and consequent issue of the performance shares is now closed, with ASIC having failed to make its case. The relative significance of the issues on which ASIC failed and those on which it succeeded will be the subject of detailed legal submissions in the second phase of the proceeding. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to comment further. The Company expects to be in a position to make fuller comment when all of the issues in the proceeding have been finally determined by the Court. iSIgnthis Ltd and Mr Karantzis were represented in court by Mr Peter Collinson, Kings Counsel and Mr Justin Mereine, as instructed by law firm HWL Ebsworth of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. About Southern Cross Payments Ltd All of your payments, under one roof! We are a business-focused payments services and RegTech solutions provider, with a mission to make the onboarding, payment and transactional banking journey better and safer, for both our clients and their customers. Related Companies Global digital agency DEPT has announced two senior appointments in India as it expands and strengthens its presence in the market. Joining the agency is Monica Ledwani who comes on board as Director of Customer Experience. A management professional with a strong track record in leading digital transformation and driving high quality customer experience, Ledwani has experience of working across diverse categories including IT, BFSI, EdTech and manufacturing. Her previous stints include Edelweiss and CEAT Tyres. In her new role, Ledwani will be based out of Mumbai and spearhead all aspects of digital transformation for DEPT clients, which includes overseeing the delivery of projects related to the Adobe platform and marketing services. Meanwhile, Rishi Bhargava joins the team as the Head of Solutions Consulting. He has more than two decades of experience in managing enterprise customers across multiple verticals. In his previous roles at IBM and Adobe, Bhargava was instrumental in the adoption and implementation of customised digital experience solutions, playing a key role in user experience optimisation and customer acquisition strategies. Based out of Bengaluru, a key mandate for Bhargava at DEPT will be to expand and strengthen its Adobe practice while building newer competencies and innovating its existing practices and solution areas. Ledwani and Bhargava will both report to Yash Mody, CTO of DEPT APAC. Commenting on the twin appointments, Yash Mody said: We are delighted to welcome Monica and Rishi to the DEPT India fold. They possess a perfect blend of technical acumen, strategic insight and leadership prowess, making them an asset for our digital marketing offering. Their extensive experience in leading digital transformation and developing cutting edge solutions for clients on Adobe and other cloud platforms will be an added asset. I have no doubt that they will play an important role in strengthening our services, adding to our growth momentum in the market. DEPT was recently named Adobes Digital Partner of the Year in India, during the Best of Adobe Summit event held last month in Mumbai. This recognition acknowledged DEPTs deep expertise and nearly two decades of successful Adobe solution implementations. Actor Ranvir Shorey, known for his no-holds-barred attitude, is one the senior contestants on Bigg Boss OTT Season 3. The actor, who has been part of many successful films, chose to do the reality show since his son is going to be on vacation for a month. Before entering the Bigg Boss house, he spoke to Adgully at length about his decision to do the show, and much more. What made you say yes to the show? I get a call from Bigg Boss every year, but I am either not able to do it or not in the frame of mind to do it. This year, what was special was that my son is going for his summer holidays with his mother for a month to the US. So, I had no other major work, and I thought it fit well right now in my life. Second reason was I very badly needed a detox from screens, because nowadays everything is just a screen. I was just tired to death scrolling on social media. I thought it would be healthy for me to just not have that in my life for one and a half months. So basically, this is the mindset that Im going in with. I am hoping to get something out of Bigg Boss; and not just Bigg Boss getting something out of me! This time, instead of Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor will be hosting the show. Does it make you nervous as at the end of week you will have to face him? If Salman sir was there, I would have been happy, because I have worked with him before. I think that could have worked in my favour as a contestant. But Anil sir is a legend, a very charming person. He has great energy, is very vibrant. He brings a certain youthfulness. I am quite excited to interact with him. I am hoping he will also cut me some slack. The biggest challenge in the house at times is limited food ration. How are you going to deal with difficult situations in the house? As I said, limited food will be a challenge, that is something I am already aware of. But I am hoping that they will not starve us to death, but give us the basic 2000 calories that we need to live. I am hoping that that is up to the Bigg Boss team. I am sure they are not calling us to kill us! Some of the tasks are quite demanding in the show. How do you plan to handle them? I am not going to shave my eyebrows off, but eating chilli, I can maybe think about that if it is going to feed everyone. I am willing to make sacrifices, but to a point, after which my system will just shut down. Are you prepared to be out of touch with the outside world? Yes, that is one of the reasons why Im signing up for Bigg Boss, because my son is not there for a month and a half. So, that is one pressure off me. I am looking forward to the detox of not having a phone or screen. Both these things are not there, so I am not worried about it. I think it puts me in a place of advantage as far as the contestants go, because I am not going in there to miss my phone. I am not going in there and feel Oh, somebody I love is waiting for me. My brothers, anyway, live in the US. I have informed them that my son is away in the US with his mother for a month. So, I am pretty carefree anyway for the next month and a half. I might as well go and enjoy the house. What will be your strategy inside the house? My strategy is to keep myself busy doing the household work, doing some exercises. I can use this time to physically heal myself. That is, if we get enough food, I have some old injuries and all, which I can do some yoga and work on. So basically, from what I have seen in life, if you are occupied physically, a lot of your problems go away. So, that is the strategy. There are various reasons that push a person to lose their calm in the show. Have you thought about how you are going to manage that? I am actually a very impatient and uncool person myself. So, that will be a challenge for me, to keep my temper in check. But the good thing is that I am not going under any pressure. I am hoping that will help me stay calm. I have my own mindset and Im hoping that I will be able to help others with that also that we are here for one and a half months. Chill. Madi, watch, see. How did your family and friends react when they came to know that you will be part of Bigg Boss? I think my family and friends all had this thought that I am going to do what I got to do. I am old enough now to own up for my own decisions and my choices post this show. At times the situation in the house affects your mental health. How are you planning to manage it? Obviously, it is a stressful environment because you are cut off from the outside world. And more importantly, because you are in the same enclosed space with the same set of people for so long. So, it is mentally straining. I am aware of that; it will be a discovery for me also to see how I react to that. Television advertising volumes for Jan-Mar24 decreased by 4% compared to the same period in 2023, as per TAM AdExs quarterly report (January-March 2024) on Television Advertising. The Food & Beverages sector solidified its top position with a 26% share in Jan-Mar24, surpassing its performance from Jan-Mar23. Personal Care/ Personal Hygiene was placed second with a share of 15%. Together, the Top 10 Sectors added 90% share of ad volumes, with Food & Beverages leading the list. Also, the Top 5 Sectors maintained their respective positions during Jan-Mar24 compared to Jan-Mar23. Five out of the Top 10 Categories Milk Beverages (No. 4), Biscuits (No. 5), Chocolates (No. 8), Tea (No. 9), and Aerated Soft Drink (No. 10) belonged to Food & Beverages Sector in Jan-Mar24. Among the Top 10 categories, two of them were from Personal Care/Personal Hygiene Sector. During Jan-Mar24, Toilet Soaps and Toilet/ Floor Cleaners retained their 1st and 2nd positions, respectively, compared to Jan-Mar23. Tea upheaved its way to 9th position in Jan-Mar24, compared to its 14th position in Jan-Mar23. The top 10 categories collectively added 33% share of the ad volumes. The Top 10 advertisers together contributed 46% share of the ad volumes, with Hindustan Unilever leading the list. Hindustan Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser (India) retained their positions during Jan-Mar24 over Jan-Mar23. Pepsi Co India Holding and Glaxo Smithkline were new entrants during Jan-Mar24 compared to Jan-Mar23. The Top 10 Brands contributed 10% share of the Television Ad Volumes. Five out of the Top 10 Brands belonged to Reckitt Benckiser. Harpic Power Plus 10x Advanced dominated the brand list for Television Advertising during Jan-Mar24, followed by Dettol Toilet Soaps and Dettol Antiseptic Liquid. Overall, there were 4 new entrants present in the Top 10 brand list during Jan-Mar24. Among the Top 10 brands, three of them belonged to Toilet/ Floor Cleaners Category. Over 165+ top growing Categories witnessed positive growth. Placed at No. 1, Milk Beverages witnessed the highest increase in Ad Secondages of 27%. Among the growing categories, Mutual Funds experienced a remarkable nine-fold increase, the highest growth, in Jan-Mar24 compared to Jan-Mar23. During Jan-Mar24, GEC dominated as the most popular channel genre for advertising. GEC was the top channel genre during Jan-Mar23 as well. GEC and News together had 55% share of the Ad Volumes. The Top 5 channel genres in Jan-Mar24 GEC (30% share), News (26% share), Movies (22% share), Music (11% share), Kids (4% share) accounted for 93% share of the Ad Volumes. As the world observed International Yoga Day, WION, Indias first and only international news channel, introduced a compelling episode series titled Yoga: Celebrating India's Gift to Mankind. Bringing harmony between mind and body, this special series of episodes explored the science of healthy living and has been encouraging certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. It celebrated India's gift of Yoga and Ayurveda to the world through its episodes and continued to inspire the globe. WION embarked on a journey to unite the world through India's two rising soft powers; Yoga and Ayurveda. This visionary initiative highlighted Indias profound cultural heritage, showcasing the transformative power of Yoga and Ayurveda on a global scale. Since its debut, the episode series successfully captivated audiences worldwide, highlighting the convergence of ancient wisdom and modern science in promoting holistic well-being. Each episode engaged the wide-spread viewers into the core principles of Yoga and Ayurveda, exploring their profound impact on physical vitality, mental clarity, and the ways in which the modern world has incorporated these gifts into our lifestyle. The impactful series has also garnered acclaim for its insightful episodes covering a range of topics including Yogas emergence as a global phenomenon, Ayurvedas adaptation in modern healthcare, and Indias burgeoning wellness tourism industry, particularly in destinations such as Rishikesh and Kerala. Highlights also include exclusive visits to renowned Yoga academies, interviews with esteemed Ayurvedic practitioners, and discussions on integrating technological advancements with traditional practices. Continuing its commitment to inform and empower, WION also premiered an insightful episode on 21st June at 7:30 PM celebrating International Yoga Day. Mona Jain, Chief Revenue Officer, Zee Media Corporation Limited, emphasized on the impact of the episode series and said "At WION, we recognize the intrinsic value of Yoga and Ayurveda in fostering a harmonious balance between mind, body, and spirit.'Yoga: Celebrating India's Gift to Mankind' served as a platform to showcase India's cultural treasures and their universal appeal. This initiative transcends cultural boundaries; it catalyzed global conversations on holistic living. Through this series, we endeavoured to ignite conversations on wellness and resilience, urging viewers to explore the transformative potential of these ancient disciplines in today's fast-paced world." Johan Castell, the Showrunner of the series, highlighted further, "Through compelling storytelling and educational content, 'Yoga: Celebrating India's Gift to mankind' aimed to build bridges and foster inclusivity. This series invited audiences from diverse backgrounds to join a global conversation on wellness, promoting shared values of health, harmony, and cultural exchange." WIONs Yoga: Celebrating India's Gift to Mankind has been able to capture profound insights into Yoga and Ayurvedas transformative potential, reaffirming their pivotal role in enhancing global quality of life. Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research Dubendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 25.06.2024 - Medical products such as ointments or syringes reach their limits when it comes to delivering medication locally and above all in a controlled manner over a longer period of time. Empa researchers are therefore developing polymer fibers that can deliver active ingredients precisely over the long term. These "liquid core fibers" contain drugs inside and can be processed into medical textiles. Treating a wound or an inflammation directly where it occurs has clear advantages: The active ingredient reaches its target immediately, and there are no negative side effects on uninvolved parts of the body. However, conventional local administration methods reach their limits when it comes to precisely dosing active ingredients over a longer period of time. As soon as an ointment leaves the tube or the injection fluid flows out of the syringe, it is almost impossible to control the amount of active ingredient. Edith Perret from Empa's Advanced Fibers laboratory in St. Gallen is therefore developing medical fibers with very special "inner values": The polymer fibers enclose a liquid core with therapeutic ingredients. The aim: medical products with special capabilities, e.g. surgical suture material, wound dressings and textile implants that can administer painkillers, antibiotics or insulin precisely over a longer period of time. Another aim is to achieve individual, patient-specific dosage of the drug in the sense of personalized medicine. Biocompatible and tailor-made A decisive factor that turns a conventional textile fiber into a medical product is the material of the fiber sheath. The team chose polycaprolactone (PCL), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer that is already being used successfully in the medical field. The fiber sheath encloses the valuable substance, such as a painkiller or an antibacterial drug, and releases it over time. Using a unique pilot plant, the researchers produced PCL fibers with a continuous liquid core by means of melt spinning. In initial lab tests, stable and flexible liquid-core fibers were produced. What's more, the Empa team had already successfully demonstrated, together with a Swiss industrial partner, that this process not only works in the lab but also on an industrial scale. The parameters according to which the medical fibers release an enclosed agent were first investigated using fluorescent model substances and then with various drugs. "Small molecules such as the painkiller ibuprofen move gradually through the structure of the outer sheath," says Edith Perret. Larger molecules, on the other hand, are released at the two ends of the fibers. Precisely controllable and effective in the long term "Thanks to a variety of parameters, the properties of the medical fibers can be precisely controlled," explains the Empa researcher. After extensive analyses using fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray technology and electron microscopy, the researchers were able to demonstrate, for instance, the influence of the sheath thickness and crystal structure of the sheath material on the release rate of the drugs from the liquid core fibers. Depending on the active ingredient, the manufacturing process can also be adapted: Active ingredients that are insensitive to high temperatures during melt spinning can be integrated directly into the core of the fibers in a continuous process. For temperature-sensitive drugs, on the other hand, the team was able to optimize the process so that a placeholder initially fills the liquid core, which is replaced later on by the sensitive active ingredient. One of the advantages of liquid core fibers is the ability to release the active ingredient from a reservoir over a longer period of time. This opens up a wide range of possible applications. With diameters of 50 to 200 micrometers, the fibers are large enough to be woven or knitted into robust textiles, for example. However, the medical fibers could also be guided inside the body to deliver hormones such as insulin, says Perret. Another advantage: Fibers that have released their medication can be refilled. The range of active ingredients that can be administered easily, conveniently and precisely using liquid core fibers is large. In addition to painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and even lifestyle preparations are conceivable. In a next step, the researchers want to equip surgical suture material with antimicrobial properties. The new process will be used to fill various liquid core materials with antibiotics in order to suture tissue during an operation in such a way that wound germs have no chance of causing an infection. Empa researcher Perret is also convinced that future collaboration with clinical partners will form the basis for further innovative clinical applications. Aiming for clinical partnerships Advancing a new technology? Identifying innovative applications? Empa researcher Edith Perret (edith.perret@empa.ch) is looking for interested clinicians who recognize the potential of drug delivery via liquid core fibers and want to become active in this field. Address for enquiries Dr. Edith Perret Advanced Fibers Phone +41 58 765 7512 edith.perret@empa.ch Publisher Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research http://www.empa.ch 18th Lok Sabha Opens Up With A Lot Of Opposition Voices 2 This Lok Sabha is going to be interesting because there are a huge number of opposition party candidates in the house. So far, the BJP has strength because the opposition count is meager. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath as a member of the newly constituted lower house. On the first day, as many as 262 members took their oaths. As the leader of the House, Modi was the first to take the oath in Hindi, amid chants of Jai Shri Ram from the Treasury benches. Whereas opposition members greeted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with slogans of NEET, referring to the recent paper leak and irregularities with the NEET exam. The first day of the Parliament session began on a stormy note amid a war of words between PM Modi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over the imposition of an emergency in 1975. The opposition staged a protest march inside the Parliament complex, with MPs of the INDIA bloc raising slogans on saving democracy and displaying copies of the Constitution. The proceedings were chaired by pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, who invited the panel of chairpersons to take the oath. Opposition leaders K. Suresh (Congress), T.R. Baalu (DMK) and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress), did not turn up when their names were called out. They joined the house later. Mahtab was administered his oath as a member of the new Lok Sabha and pro-tem Speaker at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Droupadi Murmu. The Congress and the INDIA bloc had objected to Mahtabs appointment, contending that the claim of eight-term member Suresh, a Dalit leader, has been overlooked. Suresh took his oath later, when members from Kerala took their oaths. The opening session of the 18th Lok Sabha saw a total of 262 newly-elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, take oath as members of the newly constituted lower House. The remaining 281 MPs took oaths on Tuesday. With the deadline for the nomination to the post of Lok Sabha Speaker approaching, senior Cabinet Minister Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament. The opposition INDIA bloc is unlikely to contest the Lok Sabha Speakers post and the NDA nominee is likely to be elected unopposed, sources said on June 25 ahead of the filing of nominations for the key post. However, the opposition has demanded that they be given the choice to pick the deputy speaker. With the deadline for the nomination to the post of Lok Sabha Speaker approaching, senior Cabinet Minister Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament. On the second day, the BJP launched a sharp attack on the Congress on the 49th anniversary of the emergency, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying it was the biggest example of the opposition partys long history of killing democracy and harming it repeatedly. The BJP is tight-lipped about its choice for the key post, but there is a buzz that Om Birla, who served as Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, may be repeated. Birla also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning. Another post under the spotlight is that of the Deputy Speaker. This position is traditionally given to the opposition. However, the BJP appointed its ally AIADMKs M. Thambi Durai as Deputy Speaker in 2014. Since 2019, the post has been vacant. In both the 16th and the 17th Lok Sabha, there was no Leader of the Opposition, as the Congress did not have enough numbers. But this time, the opposition has posted a good show in the general election, with the Congress winning 99 seats. So, the party, backed by its allies in the INDIA Opposition bloc, will be pushing for the Deputy Speakers post. Kharge has already made it clear to Singh that the Deputy Speaker should be from the opposition benches. In 2019, Birla was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha, becoming the first MP from Rajasthan to hold the position. His selection was seen as a surprise by many, but he has been praised for his ability to take everyone along. Om Birla has been associated with the BJP since his early days as a student leader. He currently serves as an MP from the Kota-Bundi constituency in Rajasthan and was reelected for a second consecutive term in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. Previously, he served three terms as a legislator in the Rajasthan Assembly. Julian Assange Enters Plea Deal: US Espionage Charges Dropped 2 After prolonged legal battles and appeals, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has reached a pivotal plea deal with the US government, court documents reveal. Assange faced charges including computer misuse and multiple counts of espionage, linked to his work with WikiLeaks publishing sensitive US government documents provided by Chelsea Manning. The US government has frequently asserted that Assanges actions jeopardized national security. US Federal Court documents from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands indicate Assange will plead guilty to a single count under the US Espionage Act. Consequently, the remaining charges will be dismissed, and the extradition request to the US will be withdrawn. The US has yet to confirm the deal publicly. A hearing and sentencing in Saipan are scheduled for Wednesday morning, with Assange expected to appear in person. Hes been released from Londons Belmarsh prison, as WikiLeaks shared images of him traveling to Londons Stansted Airport. The UK High Court has granted Assange bail. Upon his guilty plea, Assange will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, covering time already served in Belmarsh. This resolution concludes ongoing legal actions, including the UK High Court proceedings and the UK Home Secretarys extradition order. Speculation about this plea deal had been circulating earlier this year. Many anticipated a guilty plea to a misdemeanour related to document mishandling rather than an Espionage Act charge. Initial rumours also suggested a remote completion, but Assange will now be present in court. This case holds significance as a national security offence for which Assange served over five years. This conviction will likely restrict his travel opportunities, especially to the US, which may not grant him a visa. The case sets a practical precedent, even if not a legal one, indicating that a publisher can be convicted under the Espionage Act. Journalists have long feared this outcome, worrying it could recur. There are multiple reasons why the US opted for a plea deal instead of continuing litigation. The Australian government, advocating for the cases resolution, has exerted significant pressure. The case has garnered bipartisan support in Australia. Though a plea deal hasnt been officially confirmed, a government spokesperson reaffirmed Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses stance against Assanges continued incarceration. This consistent advocacy has altered the political landscape. Growing US consensus, even among Republicans, now sees continued prosecution as against public interest. The upcoming UK general election, likely changing the government, might have affected the extradition order. These factors influenced the US to end the Assange saga. What lies ahead? Post the Saipan hearing, Assange can return to Australia. The Saipan court was chosen due to Assanges reluctance to travel to the US mainland and its closer proximity to Australia. Assange will find future travel challenging because of his serious criminal record, potentially affecting his UK travel, where he was convicted for absconding bail, receiving a years imprisonment. Looking forward, a presidential pardon in the US remains a possibility, contingent on the outcome of the November US elections. The US exhibits greater leniency in granting pardons than most nations. For now, Assanges immediate focus is the Saipan court appearance and subsequent return to Australia, albeit with a substantial criminal record. A 16-year-old boy who drowned over the weekend while swimming at Cheah State Park was easy to love, according to those who knew him. Thatcher Rigsby, of Lincoln, died Sunday morning when he became distressed while swimming in Cheah Lake. A GoFundMe has been launched to help with his burial. Thatcher was loved by so many, organizer Jenifer Peters wrote on the fundraising site. Thatcher touched so many lives in our school system and will be missed tremendously. The Cleburne County Sheriffs Office was dispatched to the lake at 11 a.m. Sunday. At the time of the 911 call, units were notified that the teen boy was swimming in the designated swimming area, became distressed, went under the water and never returned to the surface. A short time later, Thatcher was found near where he was last seen and was recovered by rescue squad units on scene and was pronounced dead on the scene by Cleburne County Coroner, Adam Downs. The coroner said Thatchers body is being sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for autopsy to determine the officials cause of death. No foul play is suspected. These types of calls are not always easy for the first responders and especially for the family and friends of the deceased, said Sheriff Jon Daniel. Our prayers are with the family of this young man and the agencies who came out and assisted today. Multiple agencies assisted in the search and recovery including Cleburne County EMS, Cleburne County Coroners Office, Hollis Fire & Rescue, Alabama State Parks Law Enforcement Division, Oxford Police Department Aviation Unit, Clay County Dispatch, Lineville Police Department, Clay County Sheriffs Department, Shinbone Fire Department, Clay County Rescue Squad, Clay County Coroners Office, Randolph County Rescue Squad, and the Cheaha State Park staff. Thatcher Ralph Rigsby was not a student any teacher would forget, one of his former teachers, Laurie Davis Mills, wrote on Facebook. He made us laugh and found so much joy in the smallest things. He was so easy to love, Mills wrote. Im so thankful I got to be his fifth-grade teacher. He will be missed by so many. Donations to the GoFundMe can be made here. A shooting in Montgomery on Monday left one man dead and another behind bars. Police and fire medics were dispatched at 12:50 p.m. to a report of a body found in the 2100 block of Plum Street. They arrived to find a man who had been shot already dead on the scene. Police on Tuesday identified the victim as Ashley Keith Fulghum. He was 42. Maj. Saba Coleman said 65-year-old Kevin Chase was quickly identified as a suspect. She did not say what led authorities to Chase, or the potential connection between the suspect and the victim, but court records show a past history of conflict between the two over an eviction issue at a Plum Street property. Charging documents against Chase state Fulghum was shot in the chest with a rifle. Chase is charged with murder. He is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Detention Facility. The victim is Montgomerys 36th homicide this year. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Montgomery police at 334-625-2831, the Secret Witness tip line at 334-625-STOP or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP. Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley said Tuesday that Alabama Democrats were wrongly denied the ability to choose their delegates to this years Democratic National Convention. Kelley, at a news conference in Montgomery, said the Biden-Harris campaign allowed only one candidate for each of 34 district delegate slots, which were on the ballot for Democratic voters in the March primary. Alabamas delegate selection plan, like those of other states, allowed presidential candidates rights of review for each delegate candidate pledged to them. In a Dec. 6 email, the Biden campaign notified Kelley that it had approved only one delegate candidate for each slot. Kelley said that meant many good Democrats who had worked hard for the party were unfairly denied a spot on the ballot. We were asked to recruit delegates for the Biden-Harris campaign, and we recruited 115 people to run, Kelley said. However, the campaign struck 81 persons who had properly qualified to run for delegates pledged to President Biden. Some of the delegates were delegates four years ago. This was done without consultation with our state party or myself, the chairman of the party. Kelley said he believes there was an effort to deny the Alabama Democratic Party the ability to pick its own delegates because the state party is about 70% Black. Kelley said he sent Biden a letter about the dispute but said he does not think the president is aware of it. Zack Buckner of Montgomery qualified to run as a delegate in the 2nd Congressional District and paid his qualifying fee. He said he did not find out he was disqualified until he saw a ballot. It wouldnt have mattered if I had lost in an election, said Buckner, who was a delegate for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 convention. But I was taken off the ballot. And thats whats unfair about this, along with others. We were just taken off the ballot. Buckner said the dispute could potentially hurt Democrats in November because many of those disqualified from seeking delegate slots worked hard for the party and might now be less willing to devote their time to those efforts. Those people that were struck were the people that work hard every day, Buckner said. The grassroots people that were on the ground, getting the vote out and all that other stuff. Kelley said he is speaking out now, months after the disagreement surfaced, because he said he has been unable to get answers. Weve talked back and forth with the national party, Kelley said. But we hadnt got answers. So thats why were having this press conference to make the public know about it. As long as its swept under the rug then this kind of behavior is going to continue to happen. AL.com sent emails to two contacts at the Biden-Harris campaign Tuesday afternoon and has not received a response. Joe Reed, a longtime party leader and chairman of the Alabama Democratic Conference, the partys most influential Black organization, said it is unacceptable and unprecedented for people outside Alabama to decide the states representatives at the Democratic National Convention, scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. Nowhere you will find where delegates were appointed by an outside committee and unknown hands, Reed said. There were some delegates in the state of Alabama, both Black and white, good, solid Democrats, worked their hearts out for the Democratic Party, Reed said. And they were denied the right to be delegates. It is rotten and its wrong. Its wrong, wrong, wrong. Friction between the Alabama Democratic Party and the national party is not new. Five years ago, then-U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, backed by the Democratic National Committee, joined with a faction of the state party to approve new by-laws and replace longtime Chairman Nancy Worley, a Reed ally, with state Rep. Chris England. Control flipped back in 2022 when the State Democratic Executive Committee elected Kelley as chairman with the backing of Reed and the Alabama Democratic Conference. This year, in addition to the 34 elected delegates allocated by Congressional district, the State Democratic Executive Committee expected to choose more delegates at a meeting on June 8. Those were to include seven Party Leader and Elected Official (PLEO) delegates, 11 at-large delegates, and four at-large alternates. But in a May 24 email, the Biden-Harris campaign designated their approved candidates for those 22 slots, again with just one candidate for each slot. Only 55 SDEC members came to the June 8 meeting, not enough for a quorum to allow the meeting to proceed. Kelley said the party is trying to redo the delegate selection process. He said ballots have gone out to members of the State Democratic Executive Committee. Kelley said those ballots include the 81 candidates who were struck from the ballot before the March primary. Kelley said he did not know when the disagreement over the slate of delegates will be resolved. I think the main thing is exposing it, Kelley said. Because this thing here has been low-profile, under the radar. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, the only Democrat in Alabamas seven-member congressional delegation and head of the partys delegation for the Democratic convention, supports the way delegates were picked. Alabamas Democratic delegates were selected in accordance with rules of the DNC and the Alabama Democratic Party as outlined in their delegate selection plan, Sewell said in a statement. We are proud of the diverse slate of delegates and look forward to continuing to work with Democrats in Alabama to support President Bidens reelection. @tizzyent Mobile, AL We need to know who this man terrorizing a family there is Creepy horror ambient(1022762) - howlingindicator A 45-year-old man was arrested for throwing tools at a home in west Mobile in an incident that generated widespread attention on social media. James Edward Kelly of Mobile was arrested Tuesday and booked into Mobile Metro Jail on one count of criminal mischief. According to Mobile police, Kelly was allegedly visiting a home in the 4400 block of Knob Hill Drive where he believed a known individual was living, but that individual was no longer living at the address. Police did not release any additional information, including motive. Kellys charges stem from a June 10 incident, occurring at 8:38 a.m. that was captured on a Ring camera. Officers discovered the unknown man throwing a wrench towards the home, shattering the glass front door. Kelly was also observed on camera leaving an object on the front porch which reads, Respect All, Fear None, before running away. The Ring camera was installed after the first incident occurred at approximately 10:42 p.m. on June 4. During this incident, an unknown person threw a tire iron through a window. The June 10 incident drew the attention of Michael McWhorter, better known to his more than 6 million followers on TikTok as TizzyEnt, who urges Mobilians to find out who is the culprit and have him arrested. More than 7,700 users have since commented. McWhorter uses the social media platform to seek justice for victims of verbal and physical harassment, as well as criminal acts. Thats a grown man who is running back to his car, McWhorter said in a TikTok post. Not a teenager. McWhorter claimed the residents were living in fear because someone is targeting them. He also said the homeowners claimed they have never displayed political flags or signage, nor anything else that could be misconstrued as a cultural or political statement that might draw vandals. Sara Tapia Franco received two life sentences after she pled guilty to two lesser counts of murder Thursday, June 20, for the 2019 killing of her two young sons. Law enforcement officers discovered the boys, ages 9 and 3, in a home near Baileyton after responding to an emergency call placed by their father in October 2019. Franco was detained and transported to receive medical treatment for what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds after she was discovered in a field near the home. In a statement posted to social media following the sentencing, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said: In October of 2019 Sarah Tapia Franco murdered both of her young children before she attempted to kill herself. There is no amount of punishment that would be enough or harsh enough for Sarah Tapia Franco. I am confident that she will never see the light of day again, said District Attorney Champ Crocker. Franco was originally charged with three counts of capital murder including a seldom invoked statute which was later dismissed which prescribes a capital offense for the intentional killing of two or more persons ... by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct. However, the defense argued Franco was intellectually disabled and that capital punishment should be barred in the case. According to court documents, Francos family and friends told the defense they believed she suffered from undiagnosed severe mental issues, and that both her mother and maternal aunt faced similar issues. In addition to Francos alleged on-scene suicide attempt, the document also reports a second possible suicide attempt on Jan., 6 2020, at the Cullman County Detention Center. After being transferred to the Bryce Psychiatric Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Franco was prescribed medication and released back to CCSO custody in 2021. The Alabama Department of Mental Health said it would be unable to conduct a court ordered mental evaluation of Franco to assist in determining whether she would be eligible for the death penalty in an email sent November 2023, due to the fact that she spoke Spanish. We do not have a Spanish speaking Certified Forensic Examiner who could administer testing in an appropriate, ethical manner. For individuals who speak Spanish, the appropriate means to assess intellectual functioning is to use a standardized intelligence test that was designed for Spanish speakers, the email said. Instead it recommended the Court consider the results from Dr. Diomaris Safi PsyD, enlisted by the defense to determine sentencing. The state also enlisted Dr. Jacqueline Valdes as an expert witness to evaluate Franco. The results of both evaluations have been placed under a court order protective seal. Cullman Circuit Court Judge Martha Williams sentenced Franco to two concurrent life sentences, meaning they will be served at the same time. Franco also agreed to deportation, if granted parole, and to begin paying $10,584 in restitution, $20,000 to the Crime Victims Compensation Assessment and $10,000 in court fines within 60 days of any release from incarceration. Franco will remain detained at the Cullman County Detention Center until she is transferred to a state penitentiary in August. ___ (c)2024 The Cullman Times (Cullman, Ala.) Visit The Cullman Times (Cullman, Ala.) at www.cullmantimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Decatur police say a man who left a hospital refusing medical treatment apparently stole a vehicle and struck a police patrol cruiser with it. Police said officers were called to the area of Decatur Morgan Hospital Saturday in search of a man who had apparently left the hospital, still with medical devices and equipment attached to his body. Hospital staff were concerned for the mans welfare, but officers did not locate him immediately. Ten minutes later, Central Dispatch received a call in reference to a reckless driver who matched the mans description. Officers located the man driving recklessly and attempted a vehicle stop. He failed to yield and led multiple officers on a vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit, the man struck a Decatur police officers patrol vehicle. Police said the man fled on foot from the vehicle before he was taken into custody, arrested for multiple traffic violations and felony attempting to flee and elude. Several hours later, police said the owner of the vehicle used in the pursuit discovered her vehicle had been stolen. Shane Lee Lepre was subsequently charged with first degree theft of property and booked into the Morgan County Jail on a $6,900 bond. A man who police say beat two north Alabama women left one with a fractured spine and left another alone only after she stopped moving as though dead. Florence police have charged Michael Kirkland Jr., 34, of Florence, with burglary, sodomy, robbery and assault, all in the first degree. He is being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center without bail. According to police, officers were called to a home in the 400 block of Howell Street at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Inside the home were two people with multiple injuries. A 79-year-old female was transported to UAB Hospital by AirEvac, and a 76-year-old female was taken to North Alabama Medical Center. Both victims remain hospitalized. Police said Kirkland was arrested after officers reviewed video from a doorbell camera of a suspect leaving the home. They also recovered evidence connecting Kirkland to the incident. According to court documents, Kirkland gained entry to the house when he knocked on the door of the 79-year-olds home and asked for a glass of water. Once inside, he knocked her to the floor, struck her in the face, and tied her hands and feet using a sash from a robe. He threatened to kill her with a knife and threw her onto a bed. He then shoved her in a closet and shut the door. A 76-year-old caregiver came into the house using a key. She discovered the woman in the closet. Kirkland, according to documents, struck her in the face with a lamp and another object, and told her he would have to kill her since she had seen his face. She gave him her vehicle keys, and he then beat her until she lay motionless. A former Alabama deputy sheriff was sentenced Monday to federal prison for beating a handcuffed inmate. Blake Hicks, a 33-year-old ex-Elmore County Sheriffs Office deputy, pleaded guilty in March to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. He was sentenced today to 29 months in prison almost 2 years which will be followed by three years of supervised released. According to documents and statements made in court, Hicks willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee, identified only in court documents T.Q. The Wetumpka Herald in 2022 attended a press conference with T.Q. and his attorneys and identified him as then-26-year-old Tristan Quinn. His attorneys released video footage of the incident, as well as a hospital photo showing him with a bruised and bloodied left eye. The indictment against Hicks alleged the deputy punched and kicked Quinn in the head while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. Quinn suffered a broken cheekbone, concussion, and lacerations from Hicks assault. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said he asked the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to investigate the police brutality claims against his deputy and said ALEA later brought in the FBI. Hicks was immediately placed on administrative leave with pay and resigned from the force one year later, which was in early 2023. The FBI in Mobile investigated the case. This defendant had a duty to respect the rights of people in his custody and to keep them safe, said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. Instead, he violently assaulted a person under arrest who was not resisting or threatening harm to the defendant or the public. We expect law enforcement officers to maintain order and ensure public safety, said Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. These are tremendous responsibilities. Fortunately, the vast majority of officers serve honorably. Hicks fell short of his obligation to protect and serve. The sentence imposed today ensures that he is held responsible for his actions, Ross said. Failure to hold Hicks accountable would discredit the noble service of other officers and weaken the publics trust in law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning over a particular type of financial crime thats linked to Mexican cartels. In an announcement, the agency said it has seen a rise in scams targeting timeshare owners. The primary victims are older Americans, particularly wealthy ones looking to recoup some of the money spent on their real estate investment. In the last five years, upwards of 6,000 victims have reported more than $300 million in losses to the agencies, the agency said. Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New Yorks Complex Financial Crimes Branch, said in a blog post. Roberts said the scams have caught the FBIs attention because its illicit proceeds are increasingly used to fund violent cartels in Mexico. Timeshare fraud has low overhead costs and minimal reinvestment, needing only a rental of small space, telecom setup, and English-speaking employees with access to resort databases, Roberts said. There is lower perceived risk of prosecution and extradition for timeshare fraud but easy cash flow that goes directly into the Mexican banking system and obfuscates funds to facilitate money laundering activities. How do timeshare scams work? Timeshare fraudsters do their homework before they target their potential victims, going as far as creating fake documents and impersonating individuals from trustworthy institutions like banks. They then use high-pressure sales tactics and phony information, such as mimicking legitimate entities email addresses and forging official documents, to convince victims that offers regarding their timeshares are real. Initial contact is generally made by phone or email with the scammer pretending to be a U.S. or Mexican-based third-party time share broker or sales representative, the FBI said. They then urge the owner to exit their timeshare, rent out their property or invest in share certificates. Fraudsters then press victims to pay upfront fees or taxes to secure the deals. After this phase, fraudsters generally reapproach the victims posing as lawyers trying to help them recoup the money they lost to the first scammers and asking for court or legal fees. Scammers dont stop there, however, and often circle back to impersonate government officials who either claim they can help recoup some of the lost money for a fee, of course- or threaten the person claiming the initial payment was suspicious and the person is being fined or prosecuted. No matter the stage, its all an effort to separate the victim from their money. Warning signs of a timeshare scam from the FBI You shouldnt be asked to pay upfront fees or taxes in advance or to provide power-of-attorney forms. If someone contacts you claiming to be a government official and talks to you about a settlement or threatens to arrest or prosecute you if money isnt paid, its a scam. If someone threatens to subpoena you to appear in a court outside of the U.S. or claims to be working for the FBI or U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Control its a scam. How to protect yourself Dont answer phone calls from unfamiliar numbers. If someone contacts you about your timeshare and requests cash upfront, stop communicating with them, and dont pay. Never sign, notarize, or send any power-of-attorney or legal documents via email. Victims can report timeshare fraud here. The Internal Revenue Service issued a rare public apology today to billionaire hedge fund director Ken Griffin and thousands of other wealthy Americans for a data breach that exposed their personal financial information. The apology came as part of a settlement between Griffin and the U.S. tax agency over a 2022 lawsuit. Griffin had sued the agency after a data breach resulted in ProPublicas revealing private data on some of the wealthiest U.S. taxpayers, including himself, former President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others, Bloomberg reported. A former IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn, pleaded guilty to stealing the returns and, earlier this year, was sentenced to five years in prison. Griffin withdrew his lawsuit Monday. The Internal Revenue Service sincerely apologizes to Mr. Kenneth Griffin and the thousands of other Americans whose personal information was leaked to the press, the IRS statement posted online noted, adding Littlejohns illegal disclosures violated the terms of his contract and betrayed the trust, of the American people. The IRS takes its responsibilities seriously and acknowledges that it failed to prevent Mr. Littlejohns criminal conduct and unlawful disclosure of Mr. Griffins confidential data. Accordingly, the IRS assures Mr. Griffin and the other victims of Mr. Littlejohns actions that it has made substantial investments in its data security to strengthen its safeguarding of taxpayer information, the statement added. As a result of the case, the agency said it was committed to taking further steps to address any security deficiencies identified during the investigation of the case. I am grateful to my team for securing an outcome that will better protect American taxpayers and that will ultimately benefit all Americans, Griffin said in a statement, according to the Wall Street Journal. Morgan County authorities have arrested a Montevallo man on charges of electronic solicitation of a child. Austin Damon Doen Carpenter, 29, was arrested and transported to the Morgan County Jail on $5,000 bond. According to the Morgan County Sheriffs Office, a report was made June 20 involving an man using Snapchat to have communication of a sexual nature with two juveniles. According to investigators, Carpenter planned to meet the juveniles on Saturday and arrived in an Alabama Search and Rescue (ALSAR) vehicle when he was arrested. Additional charges are pending, the sheriffs office stated. An early-morning shooting at a Hoover left one man with a non-life-threatening injury. Police were dispatched at 3:04 a.m. Tuesday to a call of a person shot at a house in the 4500 block of High Court Circle. The victim was found with a gunshot wound to the arm, said Lt. Daniel Lowe. He was treated on the scene by Hoover fire medics and then taken to Grandview Medical Center. Lowe said the victims brother was taken into custody at the home for questioning. Detectives began an investigation and determined the shooting victim likely experienced a severe mental health crisis during which his brother fired one round, Lowe said. Investigators presented the case to the Shelby County District Attorneys Office and have released the shooter pending further investigation. The case may be presented to a Shelby County grand jury at a later date to determine if any criminal charges are warranted against either individual involved, Lowe said. Because there have been no criminal charges filed, the names of those involved are not being released. A man fatally shot by a Birmingham police officer was armed with a knife, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Authorities on Tuesday identified the slain man as Daniel Allen Johnson. He was 43 and lived near where he was shot, which was the 700 block of 34th Street South in Birminghams Forest Park community. Senior State Trooper Vu Quang said police responding to a report of a disorderly person encountered Johnson, who presented a knife. The shooting happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday. A South Precinct officer was dispatched shortly to an apartment building in the parking lot of the neighborhood just off Clairmont Avenue. Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond said when the officer arrived on the scene, an altercation ensued and the officer fired an undisclosed number of shots, critically wounding Johnson. Johnson was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m. Daniel Johnson, 43, was shot to death by a Birmingham police officer on June 24, 2024.(Special to AL.com) No officers were injured in the incident. Court records show Johnson has previous convictions for resisting arrest and obstructing government operations. It appeared, Thurmond said, that only one officer fired shots. That officer, who will be placed on leave as part of department policy, was wearing a working body camera. The last fatal shooting by Birmingham police happened in February of 2022, when 27-year-old Keleen Rashad Connell was killed in the 4300 block of Morris Avenue in the Avondale area. That shooting was ruled justifiable by the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office. No officer wants to be involved in this situation so our officers work hard to see if theres ways to deescalate or solve issues another way, Thurmond said. Unfortunately, sometimes officers are forced into situations where there are no other options and that appears that may have been the situation tonight. Once SBIs investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office. Johnson is Birminghams 74th homicide this year. Of those, seven have been ruled justifiable and therefore arent deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 97 homicides including the 74 in Birmingham. A man was shot to death by a Birmingham police officer during a disturbance call Monday night in Birminghams Forest Park neighborhood. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Tuesday identified the slain man as Daniel Allen Johnson. He was 43 and lived in Birmingham. A South Precinct officer was dispatched shortly after 8:30 p.m. to the 700 block of 34th Street South on a call of disorderly person. That location is just off Clairmont Avenue, in the parking lot of an apartment building. Chief Scott Thurmond said when the officer arrived on the scene, an altercation ensued and the officer fired an undisclosed number of shots, critically wounding Johnson. Johnson was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m. No officers were injured in the incident. Asked if Johnson was armed, the chief said, That is one thing we are looking into. There is a possibility that is the case it is one of the things that we have heard so far. The chief said authorities are still trying to piece together the circumstances that led to police being called. A man was shot to death June 24, 2024, by Birmingham police responding to a disorderly conduct call in Forest Park.(Carol Robinson) Its very early in this investigation, he said, so its hard for us to have all the facts. Court records show Johnson has previous convictions for resisting arrest and obstructing government operations. Three young men sat on a curb outside the 700 Apartments as officers brought them water. Thurmond said there were several civilian witnesses to the deadly shooting. He said officers were also canvassing the area to see if any nearby residents also witnessed the incident. It appears, Thurmond said, that only one officer fired shots. That officer, who will be placed on leave as part of department policy, was wearing a working body camera.. The State Bureau of Investigation will lead the shooting probe, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. The last fatal shooting by Birmingham police happened in February of 2022, when 27-year-old Keleen Rashad Connell was killed in the 4300 block of Morris Avenue in the Avondale area. That shooting was ruled justifiable by the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office. No officer wants to be involved in this situation so our officers work hard to see if theres ways to deescalate or solve issues another way, Thurmond said. Unfortunately, sometimes officers are forced into situations where there are no other options and that appears that may have been the situation tonight. On the podcast below, retiring Huntsville reporter Lee Roop joins us and talks about the newspaper business through the years and covering everything from NASA to Truman Capote. Mayoral lockout The only mayoral candidate in Newbern that qualified to run in 2020 may finally be set to take that office, reports AL.coms Howard Koplowitz. Newbern, population 133, is in Hale County. Patrick Braxton has said that, he when decided he wanted to run for mayor and sought to file the proper paperwork, he was told by previous mayor Haywood Stokes that Newbern doesnt even have ballots or voting machines. Apparently, essentially the same folks have always run the city, sometimes even handing down the seats to family members. But this past election cycle, Braxton and a new set of city councilors qualified to run and, it would seem, would be setting up shop in City Hall. But Braxton said he was locked out of the town hall and denied access to the bank accounts. The old guard then held a special election -- he said without his knowing about it -- and the former council members claimed their positions back. When Braxton wouldnt meet with the old council, it declared the mayors office vacant and re-appointed Stokes as mayor. And thats where Newbern has been, with two mayors and eight councilors claiming one mayors office and four council seats. Adding to the drama: The old guard is white, and the newer folks are Black. Newbern is around 80% Black. With a federal trial looming, the parties have reached a proposed settlement that would finally instate Braxton as mayor and the new city council after nearly four years of limbo. If a federal judge signs off on the settlement, the defendants would also admit to constitutional violations and the town would pledge to hold free and fair elections beginning in November 2025. BSC buyer? Miles College has signed a letter of intent to negotiate a deal to buy the Birmingham-Southern College campus, reports Barnett Wright of The Birmingham Times. Birmingham-Southern shut down operations on May 31 after years of financial trouble. Its campus sits on nearly 200 acres in west Birmingham. Miles College is a private HBCU in nearby Fairfield. There previously were reports that Huntsville-based Alabama A&M might make an offer on the property, but nothing new has been reported recently. RIP Romay Davis Congressional Gold Medal winner and World War II veteran Romay Davis has passed away at age 104, reports AL.coms Howard Koplowitz. Davis served in the all-Black, all-female battalion known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion -- the Six Triple Eight, which is also the name of a movie starring Kerry Washington thatll be coming out on Netflix later this year. More than 800 Black women made up the Six Triple Eight. They were deployed to England in 1945 to catch up on a six-month backlog of mail to soldiers in Europe. Thats a vital role in boosting morale in the late stages of World War II, and two years ago President Biden signed a bill authorizing the unit to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Davis was still working at a Montgomery Winn-Dixie when she turned 100. More Alabama News Born on This Date In 1937, R&B singer-songwriter Eddie Floyd, who was born in Montgomery and moved to Detroit as a kid. He was a member of the Falcons, an early Detroit vocal group that at one time also included Wilson Pickett. Floyd was the guy who wrote Knock on Wood and took it to No. 1 on the Soul chart. The podcast Two veteran law enforcement officers have been appointed to help Montgomery as it battles gun violence and other crimes in the city. Mayor Steven Reed on Tuesday named Jim Graboys as interim police chief, following the April resignation of former Chief Darry Albert. He also named former Mobile Police Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety Lawrence Battiste as special public safety advisor to the mayor. Graboys is currently a senior compliance specialist with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He served as police chief at Alabama State University from 2012 through 2019 and previously served in the Montgomery Police Department for 20 years. Graboys held several leadership positions in the Montgomery Police Department during his tenure there and received both the Medal of Valor and the Medal of Merit. He left the department at the rank of major in 2011 to establish ASUs Violence Against Women program. Graboys will officially take the helm July 15, but said his work has already begun. Deputy Chief John Hall has served as acting chief since Alberts resignation, where he oversaw police, fire, and public safety communications. Chief Hall has done phenomenally well in some tough circumstances, Reed said, with some challenges not any fault of his own. We appreciate not only what he has done for MPD, but also what he has done in the community, the mayor said. Of Graboys, Reed said, Chief Graboys is a well-known and highly respected officers with the department and throughout the community. We are immensely fortunate to have someone of his caliber and experience agree to step into the role of interim chief,' the mayor said. His track record of leadership and community engagement is exactly what Montgomery needs at this juncture. Graboys spoke at a Tuesday press conference announcing his appointment. Im going to do everything within my power, everything within my ability, to leave no stone unturned to marshal every resource available to go after these offenders, to go after the people who want to make you unsafe, and to create community partnerships, Graboys said. If we marshal all of resources and we pull together, we can make this city into whatever it is we want it to be, he said. Any of these problems, whether crime is up or crime is down, one crime is too many and affects all of our neighborhoods. This is not a partisan issue, its not an us or them issues, he said. Its an all of us issue. Mayor Steven Reed named former Mobile Police Chief and Executive Director of Public Safety Lawrence Battiste as special public safety advisor to the mayor.(Carol Robinson) Reed said over the last several months as authorities have searched for a permanent police chief, Battistes name was among those brought forward. When you think about the work he has done, not only as a public safety director but as a police chiefhe comes with distinction, he comes with a level of statewide respect, and national respect for his leadership capabilities, Reed said, and for the type of person he is one of character, one of transparency, one of integrity, and one who really is about improving the community. As a special advisor to the mayor, Battiste will work with Reed to develop new strategies and tactics to decrease gun violence and other crimes, as well as make other recommendations on how the department can better engage with the community and implement preemptive measures to prevent violence. Battiste served as the City of Mobiles Public Safety Director from 2021 through 2023 where he oversaw police, fire and public safety communications. Prior to that, Battiste served as Mobiles police chief 2017 through 2021. He has been in law enforcement for decades, and previously served as police chief in Pritchard and with the Mobile County Sheriffs Office. I dont bring with me a silver bullet but what I do bring with me is the wisdom and the understanding of knowing that the men and the women that are a part of the team are your greatest assets and you have to make sure they are engaged in the process, Battiste said. He said they will work to improve trust with the community as well as trust within the department. Reed said the search for a permanent police chief continues. Romay Davis, a Montgomery woman who was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2021 as a member of an all-black female battalion that served overseas during World War II, has died. Davis, who was the oldest living member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion -- known as the Six Triple Eight was 104. She died Friday in Montgomery, according to her obituary posted by Ross-Clayton Funeral Home. Romay was a beacon of inspiration throughout her vibrant and multifaceted life, her obituary read. In 2022, the City of Montgomery honored Davis after President Biden signed a bill authorizing the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit, which is the subject of the Tyler Perry film The Six Triple Eight starring Kerry Washington and set to release later this year on Netflix. My family and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mrs. Davis, said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed. As one of Montgomerys most decorated veterans, she exemplified dedication and service throughout her life. Whether through her military honors or her contributions at Winn-Dixie, she consistently showed an unwavering commitment to her family, friends, and community. Her extraordinary life and kindness will always be remembered. Davis received a standing ovation and some in the crowd had tears in their eyes when she was given the medal citation and a wartime uniform to replace hers, which was stolen out of a car soon after she returned stateside, the Associated Press reported at the time. I never thought anything like this would happen to me, she said. Then 102, Davis told the AP that the honor also belonged to others in her unit who were not alive to receive the recognition. I think its an exciting event, and its something for families to remember, she said. It isnt mine, just mine. No. Its everybodys. Davis served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion at a time when Black women in the military were separated by both gender and race. Nicknamed Six Triple Eight, Davis and her unit were part of the largest African-American Womens Army Corps unit to serve overseas during World War II. Last year, Davis was honored at Alabama Media Groups Women Who Shape The State event. Col. Eries L. G. Mentzer, former commander of Maxwell Air Force Base and the first Black woman to hold the role, gave a keynote speech that honored Davis and two other women who also worked at Maxwell Rosa Parks and Sharron Frontiero who blazed trails that allowed greater equality for women in the armed forces and beyond. On my toughest days in command at Maxwell and there were some tough days I would say If Miss Romay can do it in far less favorable conditions than what I have, I can too, Mentzer said. Im here today because of you, because you paid my freedom to serve. Davis, a native of Virginia, enlisted in 1943, following her five brothers. Her unit, comprised of more than 800 Black women, set sail for Europe in February 1945. When they arrived in England, they were faced with a six-month backlog of mail due to a shortage of soldiers at a time when mail played a crucial role in morale. They relied on the mail for people on the frontlines, to know why they were serving, and for the people back home to know that those members that were serving on behalf of their freedom were still with us, said Mentzer, who gave the keynote speech for the event. They relied on a piece of mail. Davis and the women in her unit worked 24/7 and processed an average of 195,000 pieces of mail per day, clearing the backlog in just three months. In June, the unit moved to Rouen, France, where they served until the last members returned in Feb. 1946. They had to work sometimes in very poor conditions, sometimes in the dark so the enemy didnt know when they were asked, but they still showed up and they did their duty, Mentzer said, adding that the unit also faced racism and sexism. After serving in the Army, Davis had a career in fashion for 30 years, earned a black belt in her late 70s and later worked at Winn-Dixie in Montgomery for more than 20 years. At age 100, she was still working five days per week. The first Black mayor of a tiny Black Belt town who was locked out of town hall and denied access to the towns bank accounts by his white predecessor would be reinstated to his position under a proposed settlement with the white defendants he sued in federal court. The case filed by Patrick Braxton, a contractor and firefighter who became mayor of Newbern in 2020 after he was the only candidate to qualify, was set to go to trial in federal court in Selma in September when the parties filed the proposed settlement Friday in federal court in Selma. Under the terms of the settlement agreement with the Town of Newbern, Haywood Stokes III, Braxtons predecessor, who claimed to be the legitimate mayor, and white councilmembers appointed by Stokes, Braxton would be reinstated. U.S. District Court Judge Kristi DuBose would have to sign off on the settlement for it to become official. Braxton has been unable to assume his duties in the Hale County town of 133 people, which always had all-white leadership despite being 80 percent Black. White councilmembers held a special election, which Braxton said was not publicized to him or the Black councilmembers and they were not told how to qualify for the contest. The white council, which were the only candidates to qualify, were declared the winner. After Braxton refused to meet with the white council because doing so would lend it legitimacy, the white council declared the mayors office vacant and named Stokes interim mayor. Under the proposed agreements terms, the defendants will also admit to Braxtons allegations that they committed several constitutional violations, including provisions of the Voting Rights Act, when Stokes and the white councilmembers maintained their control of Newbern Town Hall. Newbern would also pledge to hold free and fair elections, starting in November 2025. Alabama law says municipalities must hold elections in odd-numbered years. A spokeswoman for one of Braxtons attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. Florida-based rapper Julio Foolio was shot and killed in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend after a birthday pool party, police say. Foolio, real name Charles Jones, turned 26 on Friday. Tampa police said they received a 911 call about 4:40 a.m. Sunday reporting a shooting at a hotel parking lot. The day prior, Jones had shared videos on his Instagram Story of himself hosting a party at an Airbnb, according to footage obtained by Fox 13. Lawyer Lewis Fusco, who worked with Jones, told the New York Times that police later asked the Voo Doo rapper to leave because the gathering had exceeded occupancy limits. Jones then relocated to Home2 Suites by Hilton in Tampa. When officers arrived, they found two vehicles with bullet holes, according to a news release by the Tampa Police Department. Police identified Jones as the deceased victim. Three other people were injured in the shooting. They were not identified by officers, but they are in stable condition and recovering at a hospital, police said. Police are investigating what led up to the shooting and working to identify those involved, the release said. Fusco Law Group did not immediately respond to The Times request for comment. Fusco on Sunday mourned Jones death on his Instagram Story. While most people knew him as the controversial rapper and entertainer, I was fortunate enough to know Charles Jones, the man beyond the public persona, Fusco wrote. He was a kid who grew up in challenging circumstances, determined to defy the odds by any means possible and succeed in all that he did. His journey was marked by resilience and a deep-seated desire to strive for greatness. Jones had accumulated nearly a million monthly listeners on Spotify before his death. Along with Voo Doo, he was known for the tracks Play With Me and Dead Opps Pt. 2. When Jones released his mixtape Resurrection in April, he wrote that he had survived multiple attempts on his life. He said he had lost loved ones to jail and graveyards. My tape...is a reflection of everything I been threw [sic], he said. I hope yall can relate. ___ 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The UAB Health System is set to acquire Ascension St. Vincents in north central Alabama this fall in a deal worth $450 million following a vote of approval Tuesday by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. The deal would enlarge UABs footprint in Jefferson and surrounding counties with the acquisition of the main Ascension St. Vincents Hospital in downtown Birmingham, along with St. Vincents East, St. Vincents St. Clair, St. Vincents Blount and St. Vincents Chilton. The health system will also acquire physician offices, a freestanding emergency department in Trussville, the One Nineteen campus and imaging centers. During a specially called board meeting, trustees said the deal had been in the works since 2023, when Ascension, a national system of Catholic hospitals, approached UAB about the sale. It could be finalized by the fall, pending approval by regulators and the Catholic Church. Trustees said they planned to maintain St. Vincents network of providers and hoped to provide seamless care to patients. UAB is hopeful that most if not all of Ascension St. Vincents roughly 5,000 caregivers and associates will remain in their roles, said UAB spokesperson Alicia Rohan. " UABs goal is to support fulfilling and meaningful careers in service to our patients and communities. St. Vincents Hospital in Birmingham was founded in 1898 by the Daughters of Charity and is the citys oldest hospital. The flagship hospital has more than 400 beds and has been part of Ascension Health since the systems founding in 1999. UAB and Ascension St. Vincents have had an operating agreement since 2020. Rohan said UAB Health System plans to operate the hospitals without any changes and has no plans to eliminate or consolidate services. We look forward to supporting continued operations and providing opportunities for Ascension St. Vincents caregivers and associates to essentially remain in their current positions; our goal is to support fulfilling and meaningful careers in service to our patients and communities, said UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella. At a press conference early Tuesday afternoon, Bulgarella addressed the concerns of St. Vincents patients. Todays news will not disrupt your care, Bulgarella said. On the contrary, I hope it demonstrates to you as patients that we are willing to do the difficult and innovative things to make sure you maintain access to world class care that you deserve and have come to expect. Providers who work for St. Vincents will be able to remain at their current job and will not be asked to reapply for their positions, she said. The hospitals will continue to operate with no changes to admitting privileges for doctors, she said. UAB plans to make investments in the health systems infrastructure, Bulgarella said. We consider it our duty and our honor to make sure the St. Vincents team feels secure and appreciated in this transition and beyond, she said. The U.S. surgeon general on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis, driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country. The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nations top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded. People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe, Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that thats going to put our life at risk. The announcement comes after several recent violent incidents across the U.S. and Alabama, including a mass shooting in Montgomery and several Birmingham homicides. Those incidents include a Birmingham police officer shooting a man to death in Forest Park Monday night; a mass shooting at a Montgomery party attended by more than 1,000 people that left 13 injured; a shooting that killed a 15-year-old girl and injured her 5-year-old brother at a Birmingham apartment on June 19; and a June 20 Birmingham robbery that ended with two masked men shot, one fatally, and another person injured. To drive down gun deaths, Murthy calls on the U.S. to ban automatic rifles, introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. None of those suggestions can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress, which typically recoils at gun control measures. Some state legislatures, however, have enacted or may consider some of the surgeon generals proposals. Surgeon General Murthy said there is broad agreement that gun violence is a problem, citing a poll last year that found most Americans worry at least sometimes that a loved one might be injured by a firearm. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun injuries in 2022. Doctors quickly praised Murthys advisory. The American Academy of Family Physicians, for example, has considered gun violence a public health epidemic for over a decade. Family physicians have long understood, and have seen first hand, the devastating impact firearm violence has on our patients and the communities we serve, the groups president, Steven Furr, said in a statement. Murthys advisory, however, promises to be controversial with the gun lobby and will certainly incense Republican lawmakers, most of whom opposed his confirmation twice to the job over his statements on gun violence. The National Rifle Association promptly rebuked Murthys advisory. This is an extension of the Biden Administrations war on law-abiding gun owners, Randy Kozuch, the organizations president, said in a statement on X. It was the NRA, and Republicans who enjoy the powerful gun lobbys support, that almost derailed Murthys confirmation as surgeon general a decade ago. Murthy became quieter on the issue of gun violence after his past statements almost cost him the job. He ended up promising the Senate that he did not intend to use my office as surgeon general as a bully pulpit on gun control. Then-President Donald Trump dismissed Murthy in 2017, but President Joe Biden nominated him again to the position in 2021. Murthy has published warnings about troubling health trends in American life, including loneliness and social media use. In an opinion piece in The New York Times this month, he said social media has contributed to a mental health crisis among the countrys young people and asked Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those on cigarette boxes. But he also has faced mounting pressure from some doctors and Democratic advocacy groups to speak out more. A group of four former surgeon generals asked the Biden administration to produce a report on the problem in 2022. It is now time for us to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, the way we did with smoking more than a half century ago, Murthy told the AP. It was a 1964 report from the surgeon general that raised awareness about the dangers of smoking is largely credited with reducing tobacco use and precipitating regulations on the industry. Murthy now hopes his advisory on guns will shift the conversation, too, on this issue. He has been encouraged by some developments in Congress, including the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022 that enhanced background checks for firearms. A White House report obtained by The Associated Press says that more-thorough background checks have stopped roughly 800 sales of firearms to people under age 21. Additionally, more than 500 people, including some linked to transnational cartels and organized crime rings, have been charged with gun trafficking and other crimes under the landmark gun safety legislation. Children and younger Americans, in particular, are suffering from gun violence, Murthy notes in his advisory called Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America. Suicide by gun rates have increased by nearly 70% for those between the ages of 10 to 14. Children in the U.S. are far more likely to die from gun wounds than children in other countries, the research he gathered shows. Even when children are not direct victims of a gun shooting, they may suffer from mental health blowback of gun violence, the report says. About half of teens in the U.S. worry about a school shooting. And in areas that have been exposed to a fatal shooting at a school, youth antidepressant use jumps by more than 20%. In addition to new regulations, Murthy calls for an increase on gun violence research and for the health system to promote and educate patients about gun safety and proper storage during check ups. AL.com contributed to this report. The Birmingham Water Works is spending $544,000 to resolve complaints from customers who reported that their water smelled bad and tasted like dirt. The board last week approved the funding for chemicals and equipment to address quality complaints in Hoover, Homewood, Mountain Brook, portions of Vestavia Hills and in the area near the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Six of the 11 attorneys found by a three-judge federal panel to have judge shopped their clients challenge to Alabamas ban on gender-affirming care for minors complied under protest with an order to submit their public comments on the panels ruling. All of the 11 attorneys subject to U.S. District Court Judge Liles Burkes order to turn over any public statements did so by the 5 p.m. Saturday deadline, but six said they were doing so under protest or objection. M. Christian King, one of the attorneys for two of the six lawyers who filed objections to Burkes order -- Melody H. Eagan and Jeffrey P. Doss -- said his clients had objections on 1st Amendment grounds to the order as their compliance will have a chilling effect on [their] free speech rights. King said the order was also irrelevant to Burke presiding over potential punishment for the 11 attorneys, pointing out that his clients firm, Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC, released a statement to media but his clients did not in their individual capacities. The attorneys also objected on due process grounds as production [of the statements] was ordered without notice or an opportunity to respond, he wrote in a court filing. A three-judge panel comprised of administrative judges from Alabamas three federal court districts found the attorneys intentionally attempted to direct their cases to a judge they considered favorable and, in particular, to avoid Judge Burke. Barry Ragsdale, an attorney representing three of the lawyers involved in the judge shopping allegations -- James Esseks, Carl Charles and LaTisha Faulks -- issued similar 1st Amendment-related objections to King along with other grounds for the lawyers objection, including issuing a short deadline to produce the comments. He also said while his clients employers remarked on the allegations, his clients did not issue any public statements. This Courts order provides no explanation as to why this Court has ordered this extraordinary production, the relevancy to these proceedings, the legal justification for it, or whether the demand for this information is related in any way to the potential sanctions that this Court might impose, he wrote. Robert Segall, attorney for lawyer Scott McCoy, said his client agreed with all of the other objections filed by the five other attorneys. The order seeks documents and information protected by the First Amendment; creates a chilling effect with respect to the future exercise of First Amendment rights; violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and orders the production of documents that are not, and should not be, relevant to any matter pending before the Court, Seagall wrote. McCoy, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, did not personally comment on the judge shopping allegations, Segall wrote, but he submitted an SPLC statement on the matter to Burke for the purpose of avoiding delay. Burke set hearings for Thursday and Friday in federal court in Montgomery for the 11 attorneys to explain why they should not be disciplined. CNN has already made it clear that the debate this week will be rigged in Bidens favor. So much for that we saw it last time, remember? No matter. The much-ballyhooed, speculative Trump/Biden presidential match to come has swallowed up, already, most present and critical public information as to the very present and grave state of the future of America and its citizens. And as to state of voter fraud? Nothing is clear. Neither presumed candidate has been nominated yet, and either could be replaced by politics or fate or trickery before the conventions, or later. We need to take care that we are paying as much attention to Americas immediate and crying needs as to our future, post-election, of which happenstance we know far less. As with 2020, we can expect a grueling November, post-election (how long to call it this time?) when lawyers prowl through the courts and the major medias psychotic behavior finds its autumnal groove. And need we worry about the likes of Michelle Obama, and presidential stage Left? Oh, yes. Today, there is much almost hidden detail on an impending national financial collapse, despite the complacent moderation from the Wall Street Journal and mainstream news outlets. There is terrifying but far too closeted intel on illegal immigration, farm failures and huge federal, foreign, and elite buyouts of our national resources and property; intel, again, that we cannot really access. Many, especially those who are relied upon in and by the conservative media, may not continue to be allowed to speak freely and past the censoring in the hiatus between now and the November election if it happens in any legitimate sense. Google and Microsoft have tweaked their search engines to the extent where honest information is mostly just unavailable online. What are all the national crises being back-seated, and effectively so, to the Trump/Biden scenario? Illegal immigration, coming from very hostile nations now, daily accelerates and soon we will live in anxiety and fear in our own neighborhoods all of us. Our youth and middle aged are dying from the COVID federal management mess and from prescribed and dirty illegal drugs. The futures of our piteously disregarded children are blighted by wickedly immoral sexual ideology, a rogue medical complex, corrupt social media and the states attacks on a childs own parents. Families are derided as unnecessary and even bad: tell that to the broken black families. We are not getting many real facts except for what Google and Facebook have not yet got at in dismantling the truth. The few months ahead are time enough to destroy the remnants of the American voters information sources. Google is daily tightening its search algorithms and Facebook is preparing to duplicate its past efforts to get out the vote through NGOs. Can all of the above misery can be instantly reversed by an election, even an auspicious one? We can only hope so. Yet, after all, it was the federal governments top leadership that damaged Trump with their bogus lies and slanders and is still working to do so. No apologies yet from that quarter. There is no rational expectation in thinking that, were he elected -- and God bless him for everything he has done -- they will not bring Trump down. In fact, the Democrats, in majority, are already promising to reject a Trump presidency. With the on-going Republican House and Senate resignations, heralded by such as Buck and Romney, it is clear that the RINOs are still jumping ship, or being paid off, to ease a Democratic majority into the House just in time. They already have the Senate, thanks to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, chiefly. The current Supreme Court is being threatened and has issued some weak decisions. Trumps Supreme picks have disappointed, and there are only two justices who can now be counted on to support our constitutional rights without qualification or fear. Many court issues crucial to the Nov. 6 voting outcomes remain unresolved today. All of the middle and lower courts are corrupted in part or whole, and politicized, or bought off, beyond foreseeable redemption. Lawyers are lying in court, being routinely caught, and getting away with it. Violent, abusive racism against whites is in the ascendancy and no fair voices are allowed to counter it. Women and men and children are increasingly debased and abused by gender ideologues and medical profiteers. Families and churches are being threatened and attacked; presumed innocents are being imprisoned. Many multi-year pre-trial imprisonments are effectively long sentences in themselves. Jan. 6 prosecutions are still up and running the docket. The FBI breaks into family homes, makes political arrests, and even shoots Americans dead; who investigates the FBI? Far worse than the above losses, already sustained and rapidly accelerating, of our precious freedoms, and far more dangerous, are the threats we cant vote out of office in 2024, or even, quite likely, next year, either: the entrenched, self-enriching bureaucracy, a.k.a, The Swamp; the pensioned federal departmental nabobs and quiet rule-makers, the autocrats in the IRS, DOJ, USDA, DOL, DoED, et al, and their NGO, social media and corporate co-conspirators. Corporations are compromised by greed and power and by idiocies such as DEI; public and private education, all levels, is an historic moral scandal, and we are headed towards far worse crises: as soon, we may not have enough food to eat. Our cell phones will be worthless if the towers are shut down. If the energy providers collude with the government, which we must anticipate they might, we may have no gas, electricity, or even water. The EV, windmill, gas stove, and solar climate change mini-debacles are further signs of what we may have in store. Far worse is the loss of control and ownership of our agriculture and livestock. America needs no more media-enforced distractions; we are awash with them. If we even get to the election, O.K., but it may be stolen. If it is not stolen, and if we get President Trump back in, he may be finally destroyed, by the Swamp legions and/or by the terminally, culturally crazed Left, and put down before he can do much of anything. If he is allowed to stay, what horrific resistance is in store for him from the District of Columbia? It hardly bears thinking of. If we get anyone from the Democrat ticket, it will just be as it is now and then some. We see no iota of regret or positive change from that camp. Wisdom and patriotism demand that we deal with what we see in front of our faces, today. That means, prepare to survive and to defend our American citizenship, family and faith. Everyone must participate in the election turn out, at the polls, even though our true votes may not be secure. We must turn out now, every day, each in our own way, and make our voices heard in all four of the next months. We must do everything humanly possible to secure the vote. Later, in November 2024, God willing, we might cast a vote that is legally counted. Success must be massive. Constant prayer is totally called for. Image: Thomas Crenshaw, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 During a live appearance two days ago on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on the FOX News channel, former White House physician to three presidents Ronny Jackson, M.D., who is now a Republican member of Congress from Texas, took the reporting about President Bidens obvious mental and physical deterioration a significant step further. He identified several medications that Biden may be using to mask his mental and physical deterioration and he came out in support of drug testing the two debaters prior to Thursdays prime time CNN debate. The video link to the segment is here. The transcript was provided by FOX News Media Relations. MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Well, that [video segment] was President Biden. That was President Biden on Tuesday appearing to forget the name of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the latest misstep raising concerns among voters over the president's age and mental capacity. He will be 81 years old, as the older -- oldest commander in chief in U.S. history. Among the recent public incidents are former President Obama leading President Biden off of stage during that fund-raiser in Los Angeles. He walks him completely off stage with his hand on his back, as you see from this video, just keeps it there until he gets behind stage. Then Biden wandered off during a group meeting at the G7 summit. He's supposed to be giving a thumbs-up to skydivers, but, of course, he wandered off before being pulled back by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who goes and grabs him, turns him around, and returns him to the group. And then there was this, the president appearing to freeze during a concert to celebrate Juneteenth at the White House as everybody is dancing around him. Now, after all of this, the White House is claiming that these authentic videos are cheapfakes. They are actually calling them cheapfakes, when we know that this actually happened. The National Reviews Jeffrey Blehar writes this -- quote -- "The Democrat Party today demands that you reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. And so the drumbeat from its willing foot soldiers in the media begins." Joining me now in this Sunday Morning Futures exclusive is the former physician to Presidents Trump and Obama, now, Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson. And it's great to see you, Congressman. Thanks very much for joining us. Walk us through your credentials first, your medical credentials. You were in the White House for how long? Tell us about your background, Congressman. REP. RONNY JACKSON (R-TX): Yes. Well, I am a board-certified emergency medicine physician, Maria. I was in the White House for 14 years during the Bush administration, the Obama administration and the Trump administration. During that time, I took care of all three of the presidents, and on a day-to-day basis. I also was the director of the White House Medical Unit in the appointed position of the president for both Obama and Trump. So I kind of feel like I know exactly what's required on a day-to-day basis, both mentally and physically, to do the job of president of the United States. Rep. Ronny Jackson, M.D. / official portrait Bartiromo then went on to question Dr. Jackson about the specifics of what he has observed about President Bidens physical and mental state. BARTIROMO: So you're going to -- you're going to send another letter. You have sent several letters already to the White House. You're readying to send another letter to the White House tomorrow. Tell us what you're doing. JACKSON: Yes, Maria, I don't need to tell you, I need to tell your viewers or anybody else in this country right now that we have a serious problem here. Everyone knows it now. You don't have to be a physician. You certainly don't have to be a physician to the president to see what's going on right now. So I have sent five letters previously asking for President Biden to submit to a cognitive test, very similar to the one that President Trump got while he was president, and all five of those letters have gone completely ignored. So, tomorrow, I'm sending a letter to President Biden, to his physician, Dr. O'Connor, and I'm cc'ing his entire Cabinet. And it's embarrassing that I have to do this and it's really embarrassing as a former White House physician to have to do something like this, but we don't have any choice, based on what's going on. But I'm going to be demanding on behalf of many millions of concerned Americans right now that he submit to a drug test before and after this debate, specifically looking for performance-enhancing drugs, because we see -- we have seen recently in his State of the Union address that there was a Joe Biden that came out that was not similar at all to what we see on a day-to-day basis for the last 3.5 years. And there's just really no way to explain that, other than he was on something, that they'd given him medications. I feel like this is probably what's going on over this week at Camp David. He's going to be at Camp David for a full week before the debate. Part of that is probably experimenting with just getting the doses just right, because they have to treat his cognition. They have to give him something to help him think straighter. They have to give him something to wake him up to -- for his alertness. And then he's been agitated. We see that all the time. And that's a common -- that's a common symptom or sign of this cognitive disorder that he seems to be suffering from. And so they're probably going to give him something to take the edge off that as well. They didn't get it right just last time at the State of the Union. He came out. He was obviously much more alert, but he was a yelling, angry old man. And he still didn't make a lot of sense. So I think they have got an uphill battle here, but I think that they're going to have to do something to try to wake him up and make him perform a little better during the debate. And I don't think that that's what the American people want out of their president. I think they want somebody that can do this on their own. They have to make incredible decisions. They have to multitask every day. We don't want somebody who has to be medicated to perform and potentially get the job done. So I think it's important that they prove to us that he's not doing performance-enhancing drugs of any type. BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, that State of the Union sparked so much conversation. I spoke with Dr. Greg Murphy, who is the chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus right now, as you know, and he said, Joe Biden was definitely -- quote, unquote -- "jacked up, jacked up," during the State of the Union. JACKSON: Yes. Advancing the discussion further than I have seen before in the mainstream media, Dr. Jackson next commented on some of the prescription drugs that President Biden may be using to jack himself up before major appearances. BARTIROMO: So what do you think President Biden's issues are? What drugs would they give him? JACKSON: Well, there's drugs out there. Aricept is one of the ones that you most commonly hear about, but there's all kinds of new drugs that are out there that are specifically for Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, things that that cause these cognitive issues that the president seems to be subject to. Those drugs are out there. They treat the cognition part of it. They try to make it where he can think straighter and he's not lost and confused as much. And then there's drugs that actually just increase alertness, like Adderall and other types of amphetamine-type drugs, maybe Provigil, things like that. And then there's a host of drugs that try to take the agitated edge off of most of these cognitive disorders. So I feel like they're probably giving him a little bit of all of this. They just have to get it just right. They all have different times of onset. They have different duration. They interact with each other. So it's -- it's a challenge, but I think they have no choice with what they're working with. They don't have much to work with. Bartiromo next queried Dr. Jackson on what he thinks the implications for the country are regarding President Bidens obvious impairments. BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, is that dangerous to be drugging President Biden going into the debate? This all sounds incredibly dangerous. He's the commander in chief. JACKSON: Well, yes, it's dangerous not just for him. I would say that it's dangerous for our country. I mean, we need a commander in chief, we need a head of state that can function a day-to-day basis without being medicated. And that's why this drug test is important, because if he gets up there and he looks like he did from the State of the Union, where he's all, like Dr. Murphy said, all jacked up, then the American people are going to realize that something's going on. That is not the Joe Biden that we see on a day-to-day basis. On a day-to-day basis, we see a Joe Biden that struggles to stay awake. He looks sleepy. He slurs his speech. He shuffles when he walks. BARTIROMO: Yes. JACKSON: He's having these freezing episodes now. So the American people need to know what's going on. And our adversaries and our allies see this. BARTIROMO: Yes. JACKSON: And it's a national security issue for us, Maria. BARTIROMO: Wow. JACKSON: It really is. BARTIROMO: It certainly sounds that way. Congressman, it's great to get your take on this. We so appreciate you, Dr. Ronny Jackson, the congressman. JACKSON: Thank you, Maria. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics and other topics for over five decades. His most recent interview on BBC Radio in the U.K. can be listened to here. His web page with links to his work and a bio is http://peter.media. Peters extensive American Thinker archive: http://tinyurl.com/pcathinker. His Twitter account is @pchowka. Image: Official portrait (cropped) Iran's mullah regime has stepped up its propaganda campaign of smears against Iran's democratic opposition. Tehran's media propagated the unfounded claim that Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian opposition and former Secretary-General of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), had fallen ill and was hospitalized. This rumor surfaced a day after Le Monde criticized the PMOI, a principal opponent of Tehrans regime, employing the regime's long-standing derogatory terms. The timing and details of these publications were notably promoted by "NGOs" tied to the regime's intelligence networks. But what's the reason behind this? We'll start with something going back to the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, remember him? In the 1980s, Khomeini, the Islamic Republic's founder, dishonestly accused the Mojahedin of arson on buses and farms, aiming to undermine the group that was gaining traction among the youth, especially among young women, for its robust resistance to the regime. Around that time, he also started a war with Iraq. In 1988, under pressure from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), with the Mojahedin as a central member, Khomeini had to concede to a ceasefire with Iraq, metaphorically "drinking poison" as he put it, to halt his aggressive policies. The ceasefire was embarassing to Iran and obviously fueled more discontent within his regime. In the end, it came at a high cost to the opposition: the execution of around thirty thousand PMOI inmates. This conflict, which brought untold suffering to Iran in terms of deaths, injuries, and financial costs with at least a million students sent to the front and two trillion dollars spent was used by Khomeini to justify the purge of PMOI members. Notably, the plans to eliminate PMOI prisoners were in motion well before the summer 1988 attack, confirmed by various reports including those from Amnesty International. Later on in 2021, Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, orchestrated efforts to elect Ebrahim Raisi during Hassan Rouhanis second presidential term. This is important to remember. The Mojahedin, under the campaign "Neither Charlatan nor Executioner," were pivotal in exposing Raisis role in these 1988 massacres. Rouhani leveraged this campaign to thwart Khameneis initial plans for Raisi. Anticipating a major uprising similar to that of 2009 if he pushed Raisis election, Khamenei later sought retribution by targeting Mojahedin camps in Iraq. Numerous instances highlight the religious dictatorships relentless attempts to assassinate Mojahedin leaders or orchestrate mass killings abroad. When physical elimination was unfeasible, the regime resorted to demonizing its adversaries to marginalize them from the political arena. The trial of 104 members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) resumed in Tehran after a hiatus, where the presiding judge opened the proceedings to the public before delivering the final judgment. He warned countries hosting the defendants that their presence is deemed criminal under international counterterrorism laws. He particularly called on France and Albania, urging them to reconsider their asylum policies toward those accused of terrorist activities and crimes against humanity and to collaborate with international bodies for their extradition to Iran. The article in Le Monde appears to support this judicial spectacle in Iran, part of which aims to create a pretext for executing opposition figures abroad. This mirrors the scenario in Spain where an assassination attempt was made on a former vice president of the European Parliament by an individual wanted by French authorities and linked to Tehran, with his support for the Iranian resistance being his supposed offense. Amid accusations from the Mojahedin condemning the Tehran regime's role in Middle Eastern conflicts and their call for peace devoid of the current leadership, the global community has begun to look for alternatives to this regime. Concurrently, after the NCRI declared significant resistance activities both within and outside Iran, resistance units have undertaken twenty thousand actions against the regimes oppressive measures, each action risking severe penalties including death. As a result, the regime resorts to demonization tactics. A lengthy critique in Le Monde serves this purpose well. In her book, supported by friends and family, Danielle Mitterrand, the late First Lady of France, stated that no resistance movement achieves its objectives without being maligned and slandered. Mrs. Mitterrand herself faced terrorism charges for her role in the French Resistance against Nazi occupation. This pattern of vilification is familiar to the Iranian populace. Iranian newspapers are compelled to publish distorted narratives about the Mojahedin daily. Despite decades of such propaganda, especially post the mass executions of 1988, the Mojahedin have successfully orchestrated thousands of resistance cells within Iran, under a harsh dictatorship. The question then arises: should we trust the Iranian regimes portrayal of this resistance or the judgment of the Iranian people who have firsthand experience with these activists? Image: Pexels / Pexels License China to boost protection of bird migration routes Xinhua) 10:03, June 25, 2024 BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China has pledged intensified efforts to protect the flyways of migratory birds, the country's National Development and Reform Commission said Monday. China aims to place 90 percent of important habitats along bird migration routes in the country under effective protection by 2030, according to an action plan made by the commission along with other departments. The country is home to more than 1,500 bird species, or 13 percent of the world's total, and over 800 of them are migratory. Four out of nine main flyways of bird migration on the planet pass through China. To improve the protection of 821 important habitats along the four routes, efforts will be ratcheted up to rein in pollution, curb invasive alien species, optimize data collection, and promote harmony between humans and birds. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) You are, no doubt, waking up to some unexpected news: Julian Assange is a free man. Citizen journalist Julian Assange, as you recall, founded Wikileaks in 2006 then set about publishing Americas deep state dirty laundry, especially as it related to war and diplomacy, or the lack of it. And hooooo howdy did he piss off the wrong people. As The Washington Post reported last night, early in President Obamas first term: WikiLeaks began publishing a series of bombshell disclosures. They included hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. military documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and hundreds of thousands of confidential diplomatic cables that included candid and sometimes unflattering assessments by U.S. diplomats of counterparts overseas including foreign heads of state. Image: Public domain. Somebodys halo got tarnished and didnt like it, not one bit. You know who elses nose got out of joint? The Deep States traditional allies in the fake news, er, propaganda press, er, legacy media. As Sundance at The Conservative Treehouse has amply demonstrated over the years, when the FBI wants to shape a story or get ahead of something, they use The New York Times. The CIA? The Washington Post, and oh my, you can practically hear the sniffing and huffing when reliable intel stooges Devlin Barrett and Ellen Nakashima (think Thurston Howell and Lovey) wrote this in their article last night: Assange was hardly an example of the traditional press. WikiLeaks Afghan War Logs disclosures were published with little vetting, for instance, to obscure the names of Afghan civilians who had provided information to the U.S. military an omission that dismayed human rights groups. Little vetting = Washing intel like the agencies want their laundry done. You honestly have to wonder whats in it for these reporters to spin for the people with whom theyre supposed to have an adversarial relationship. Im old enough to remember when actual reporters loved raw, unfiltered information from deep inside government agencies. Heck, I remember this very paper, The Washington Post, making some hay with it in the 1970s lets see what was that? Oh, it will come to me. Something about a gate and a throat it was deep. Anyway! When a reporter sneers and sniffs at deep tells from within the government rather than grabbing them with both hands and running with them, thats how you know journalism under someones banner is dying, and darkness has clearly fallen at The Washington Post. Heres hoping Mr. Assange stays safe, and, when he gets back to work, starts deep-telling on the rancid, rotten, corrupt pile of press we have in this country next. Lets see some fake news dirty laundry, Julian. Make it your next Wikileak. It wont be easy because there are some great choices. Based on what Ive seen, let me cast a vote for Senator Marco Rubio in the VP sweepstakes. The other side must agree because there are already articles like this one from Michael LaRosa, a former special assistant to Joe Biden and a former press secretary for Jill Biden. This is what he wrote: That sound youre hearing is the collective explosion of heads from my friends in the Democratic Party, followed by admonitions that Latinos do not vote as a monolith. Thats true: Cuban, Venezuelan, Dominican and Mexican Americans, as well as Puerto Ricans, do not vote in unison. But there is something Latino voters have in common: their Latin American roots and the pride that comes from casting a vote for someone who looks and talks like them. Mr. Rubio would break a significant cultural barrier as the first Latino on a national ticket. Weve seen how that feeling of cultural and identity pride can marshal voters and transcend ideological and partisan preferences, and it should never be underestimated. Seldom do running mates play an outsize role in our presidential contests, as most voters focus on the top of the ticket. But Mr. Rubio would give Mr. Trump something no other presidential candidate has offered: the chance for Latinos to vote for one of their own to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. As a Cuban-American, Id be very proud to vote for a son of Cuban immigrants. My vote for Rubio goes beyond that though; in other words, I would not vote for a Hispanic Democrat just to make an ethnic point. What makes Rubio a good choice for VP is that he understands the issues that matter, specifically the foreign policy mess that a potential Trump-Rubio team would inherit. He has spent years in important Senate committees dealing with exactly the issues that the new administration will face. On television, he is an effective and disciplined communicator who can talk about abortion and kitchen table issues well. Again, there are a lot of options. I am a big fan of Senator Cotton and former Secretary Mike Pompeo. Senator Scott is amiable and likable. So the choices are hard, but give me Rubio by a field goal. Last, but not least, a Trump-Rubio would be a photographers dream with a couple of ladies that the country will love to see. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. Industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots is set to go ahead after their representatives and the airline set out their respective stalls at meetings at the Irish Labour Court. A resolution to the bitter dispute over pay does not look imminent after the court told both sides it would not be intervening at the present time. Tens of thousands of passengers flights have been cancelled due to an indefinite work-to-rule due to begin on Wednesday and an eight-hour strike announced for Saturday. The cancellation of a further 50 flights, on July 1 and 2, was announced on Tuesday. They add to the 200-plus cancellations already announced by the airline. The airline and the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (IALPA), a branch of the Forsa trade union, have been involved in a heated exchange of words in recent days, with each accusing the other of not engaging. The pilots are seeking a pay increase of 24%, which they say equates to inflation since the last pay rise in 2019. Aer Lingus has said it is willing to offer pay increases of 12.5% or above if improvements in productivity and flexibility are discussed. Both sides agreed to attend separate meetings at the Labour Court in Dublin on Tuesday to provide briefings on the industrial stand-off. Ialpa president Mark Tighe arrives for a meeting at the Labour Court in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) After its meeting, Aer Lingus said it was disappointed the Labour Court had assessed that it could not currently assist to bridge the gap between the sides. Aer Lingus has made it clear that it remains available for discussions both directly and through the states industrial relations framework, the airlines statement added. Aer Lingus will continue to focus on minimising the disruption caused to customers by IALPAs industrial action. Aer Lingus is calling upon Forsa/IALPA to consider the damage that its continued industrial action is inflicting upon passengers, the company and the Irish economy. Emerging from the court, IALPA president Mark Tighe made clear the action would proceed. The actions continue as they are notified and will continue until there is a resolution, he said. Irish premier Simon Harris has asked both sides to dig deep in an attempt to come to a resolution. The Taoiseach said it was absolutely vital that both sides engage in talks to find a resolution. My challenge to the parties now is to bring that engagement forward, rather than putting people through a prolonged period of agony and chaos, and then engaging in the end anyway, Mr Harris said on Tuesday. This dispute will be settled the same way every dispute is settled: compromise, engagement, sitting around a table. Thats what needs to happen. He said there would be very little sympathy for anybody involved in cancelling family holidays and disrupting the tourism sector if they are not engaging intensively. Irish deputy premier, Micheal Martin, said the proposed industrial action has caused anxiety and stress for thousands and thousands of people. I think theres an urgent necessity now to resolve this, and to bring some peace of mind to people whove been planning all year to go on their holidays, he said. The 200 plus cancellations announced prior to Tuesday affected 35,000 passengers. Aer Lingus said the further 50 flight cancellations for next Monday and Tuesday were required to protect as many services as possible from the planned industrial action. The airline said that passengers due to travel between Wednesday June 26 and next Tuesday July 2 will continue to be given the option to change their flights for free, or to cancel their flight and claim a refund or voucher. Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety being experienced by customers given the uncertainty caused by IALPAs industrial action and is giving customers as many options as possible, should they wish to change their plans, it added. A Cabinet minister claimed to have won more than 2,000 by betting on the timing of the General Election, it was reported as the gambling row dominating the final stages of campaigning deepened on Tuesday. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack has denied breaking any watchdog rules after the BBC reported he had told the broadcaster he placed wagers on June and July polling dates. The minister is the latest figure to have become embroiled in the controversy over alleged betting on the timing of the election after Rishi Sunak pulled support from two Tory candidates amid a Gambling Commission investigation. Labour also suspended its candidate Kevin Craig, who is facing a separate probe after he placed a wager on himself losing the contest for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency to the Conservatives. And Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd, Russell George, stepped back from the shadow cabinet on Tuesday as it emerged he too was facing a probe over alleged betting on the timing of the July 4 poll. But Mr Jack, who is not seeking re-election, insisted he did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission. I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules, he said. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he has not broken any Gambling Commission rules (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets. I have nothing more to say on this matter. He is said to have claimed he placed a bet at odds of 25 to 1 and made 2,100 but later dismissed the remarks as a joke. The SNP said the minister had a duty to come forward with the full details of what he did, with the partys Scotland spokesman Tommy Sheppard saying: As a senior Cabinet member in the Tory Government, and a well-known confidant of Sunak, Jack is obviously in the loop when it comes to Conservative Party planning. The Prime Minister withdrew backing for two Tory candidates after coming under mounting pressure within the party to take a tougher stance on the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4 poll. Because nominations have closed, Craig Williams, who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, and Laura Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West, will still appear on the ballot paper. But a Conservative Party spokesman said: As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. Mr Williams, who was the Prime Ministers senior parliamentary aide, said he had committed an error of judgment, not an offence and intended to clear my name. The row has overshadowed the Tory election campaign in recent days as the Prime Minister battles to close his partys 21-point average poll deficit to Labour. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said five more officers in addition to a member of Mr Sunaks protection team who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office were alleged to have placed bets. The officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit, but none of them work in a close protection role. A Met Police spokesman said: It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation. We have, however, been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election. The Gambling Commission continues to investigate these matters. The officers have not been arrested but the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. Decisions on whether the five officers will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course, the Met said. James Cleverly, Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron at the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade, London, for the state visit of Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph) As well as the parliamentary candidates, two senior Tory officials have taken a leave of absence at a crucial point in the election campaign, after being drawn into the Gambling Commission investigation. Ms Saunderss husband, Tony Lee, the partys director of campaigning, and chief data officer, Nick Mason, have stepped back from their duties. The Prime Minister had faced demands from within the party to act on the candidates over concerns the issue was further damaging the Conservatives electoral chances. Following the decision to pull support, Tory peer and former Brexit secretary, Lord Frost, said: We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start? Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker called for those who placed bets on the election date to be suspended by the party on Monday night, saying the Prime Minister would have to answer for why he had not acted by then. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: The Conservatives who sought to line their own pockets by betting on the election date are not fit to be candidates for Parliament. Rishi Sunak now needs to come clean with voters across the country and tell them exactly how many of his Conservatives are implicated and who they are. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: This should have happened immediately when these scandalous revelations emerged, but instead Rishi Sunak has dithered and delayed. Labour administratively suspended Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Mr Craig after it emerged he was facing a Gambling Commission investigation. (PA Graphics) A party spokeswoman said: With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case. Mr Craig said he deeply regretted putting a bet on the Tories to win in the seat he is contesting but said it was done with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities. I will comply fully with the investigation, he added. Mr George, who represents Montgomeryshire in the Welsh Parliament which covers the same area that Mr Williams represented in Westminster, said he would co-operate fully with the Gambling Commission investigation. He said he had stepped back from the shadow cabinet so as not to become an unnecessary distraction. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies released a statement saying all other members of the Welsh Conservative Group had confirmed that they have not placed any bets. Welsh Labour accused Mr Sunak of delay over his decision to suspend the two Tory parliamentary candidates and asked: How long will it take Andrew RT Davies to suspend Russell George? A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said: We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation. The sands of time have drifted dramatically in the world of mens tennis since Carlos Alcaraz lifted his second grand slam title at Wimbledon last year. It took the Spaniard five electric sets to prise Novak Djokovics hands away from the trophy he had lifted four times in succession and seven times in total. The Serbian responded by dominating the sport for the rest of the season and headed into 2024 with a record 25th slam singles title appearing an inevitability. Instead, Djokovic has struggled for form, failing to claim a title at any level, and could now miss Wimbledon having undergone knee surgery following a slip at the French Open. Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner sits proudly at the head of the rankings ahead of Alcaraz, with their combined age only exceeding Djokovic by six years. Rafael Nadal already seems certain to have played his last match at SW19 having decided to skip what was set to be his final Wimbledon before retirement in favour of preparing for a last title at the Olympics. Should Djokovic miss out, it would be the first Wimbledon since 2002 featuring none of the big three of the Serb, Nadal or Roger Federer. Alcaraz insisted that will not pile on extra pressure, saying: Its going to be, for me, the same tournament. Of course, as a fan of tennis or to all the people who are going to watch the tournament, its not going to be the same, not being able to watch those players. Andy Murray, meanwhile, will desperately hope he gets the chance to say goodbye to the tournament that has defined his career, with emotional scenes guaranteed. The 37-year-old is fighting his body all the way to the finish line, with a back problem that required minor surgery on Saturday the latest problem. While Alcaraz and Sinner will be the two big favourites, both remain inexperienced on grass, and the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Alex De Minaur will hope to provide a challenge. Jannik Sinner playing on grass in Halle (Claus Bergmann/dpa via AP) New British number one Jack Draper leads the home hopes after winning his first ATP Tour title on grass in Stuttgart and beating Alcaraz at Queens. After dominating on clay yet again, Iga Swiatek will hope to continue her progress on grass at the top of the womens draw. The Pole, a former junior champion at SW19, reached the quarter-finals for the first time last year but has again chosen not to play any warm-up events. The favourite for the title is world number two Aryna Sabalenka, whose big-hitting game is very well-suited to grass. The two-time Australian Open champion, who is nursing a sore shoulder, has reached the semi-finals on her last two appearances but fallen just short both times. Ons Jabeur was distraught after losing to surprise finalist Marketa Vondrousova 12 months ago, her second final defeat in a row, and the Tunisian is sure to again be a crowd favourite. Vondrousova, meanwhile, has her work cut out just to make it to SW19 after an unfortunate slip playing in Berlin last week. Other leading contenders include former champion Elena Rybakina and US Open winner Coco Gauff, while 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva will look to make headlines again after reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros. Caroline Wozniacki back on grass in Birmingham (Mike Egerton/PA) Three former grand slam champions joined Emma Raducanu in receiving a wild card Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber. Wozniacki will be making her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2019 after having two children and then coming out of retirement last year. The Dane made her senior debut at the All England Club back in 2007, and she told the PA news agency: Obviously there are great players now and theyre young and motivated and they still have a lot that they can achieve. Its been special for me to be able to play through multiple generations. I used to be the youngest player for a long time so it feels kind of strange that Im one of the oldest players now, but I still feel young at heart. Denmark ground out the goalless draw they needed against Serbia to clinch second place in Group C and advance to the knockout stages of Euro 2024. Rasmus Hojlund missed the best chance for the Danes while Serbia who needed a win to stand any chance of qualifying left it too late and slid out of the tournament with a single point to their name. Aleksandar Mitrovic slid a late chance wide and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could only strike tamely at Kasper Schmeichel in injury time as their inevitable late surge came to nothing in Munich. Serbia were dumped out of Euro 2024 after a goalless draw with Denmark (Matthias Schrader/AP) Denmark had the best of the first-half chances, with Christian Eriksen, whose 133rd cap made him the most capped Danish player of all time, bringing a comfortable save out of Predrag Rajkovic from long range. Denmark bundled the ball into the net on 23 minutes but the referee ruled that Eriksens corner had bent out of play during its delivery. Hojlund tested Rajkovic again then missed arguably Denmarks best chance of the first half as he appeared to slip when shaping to shoot, and the Serbians looked to step up a gear at the start of the second half. Serbias Luka Jovic could not find a way through the Denmark defence (Matthias Schrader/AP) Half-time substitutes Dusan Tadic and Luka Jovic injected some pace into the Serbian front-line and thought they had combined to snatch the opener on 54 minutes, the latter timing his run perfectly to meet Tadics pass and slip past Schmeichel only for his effort to be ruled offside. As Serbia stepped things up, Mitrovic side-footed wide after Dusan Vlahovics lay-off, Vlahovic found the roof of the net with a header, then in injury time Milinkovic-Savic slid Serbias last chance straight at Schmeichel. The wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed his dramatic release from prison had been touch and go until the final few hours. Stella Assange said she was not sure 24 hours ago that her husband would leave Belmarsh prison in London where he has spent more than five years fighting extradition to the United States. He boarded a plan at Stansted airport after reaching a plea deal with US authorities which is set to be formalised early on Wednesday. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Stella Assange travelled on Sunday with her two young sons to Australia where the family is expected to live. She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: It has been touch and go. We were not sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. It has been non-stop for the last 72 hours. The agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice has to be signed off by a judge in Mariana. Once the judge signs it off it is finally real. Ms Assange said the deal was very interesting but she did not want to go into details at this stage. She said she has not told sons Gabriel and Max that their father has left prison. I told them we were going to visit their family. They still dont know no one can stop a seven year old and five year old from shouting from the rooftop. They are excited to be going to Australia. They have never seen Julian outside Belmarsh, in a single visitors room. She added that the priority now was to improve her husbands health, saying he had been in a terrible state in prison. I am just so emotional now that this is finally over. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Speaking on Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA news agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hardworking people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting his lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. The Conservatives have withdrawn support from two candidates implicated in the investigation into betting on the timing of the General Election. Gamblegate blues And so it rumbles on. With little over a week to polling day, the gamblegate affair as the opposition parties are now calling it continues to dominate the election headlines. The Met Police said it has now received information from the Gambling Commission which is investigating bets placed on the timing of the election concerning five more of its officers. It follows the arrest earlier this month of a member of Rishi Sunaks protection team on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. The Met has received information from the Gambling Commission concerning five more of its officers (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Earlier, the Conservatives attempted to draw a line under the matter, withdrawing support for the two Tory candidates caught up in the allegations over bets placed in the days before the Prime Minister announced he was calling an election. Because nominations have closed, Craig Williams, who was Mr Sunaks parliamentary aide, and Laura Saunders, who is standing Bristol North West, will remain on the ballot paper but will no longer enjoy the backing of the party. In response, Mr Williams admitted making an error of judgment but denied committing any offence, saying he was determined to clear his name. The move came amid growing exasperation among other Tories that the failure of the leadership to take decisive action was damaging their prospects at the ballot box. On Monday, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker publicly called on Mr Sunak to ring up those involved and ask them directly if they had bet on the date of the election, and to suspend them if the answer was yes. The Prime Minister would have to answer why he hasnt done it, Mr Baker said, echoing the frustration of other Tory candidates. Two senior party officials including Ms Saunders husband have already stepped back from their duties while the Gambling Commission continues to investigate, and there will be concern among Tories that it is not over yet. Picture of the day Idris Elba and Sir Keir Starmer meeting families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Join the queue It is not just Labour supporters, it would seem, who are hoping to see a new occupant in No 10 after July 4. Home Secretary James Cleverly claimed would-be migrants are queuing up in Calais ready to attempt the perilous Channel crossing in anticipation that a Labour government will scrap the Tories plans to deport them to Rwanda. He said that it was clear from comments made by some of those gathered on shores of northern France to The Daily Telegraph that there was a cohort of people just waiting for Rwanda to be taken off the table. James Cleverly and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper take part in a live immigration debate on LBC (Jonathan Brady/PA) We know that this is a digitally enabled criminal enterprise, he said during an LBC radio debate with his Labour opposite number, Yvette Cooper. The people smugglers and the people that seek to be smuggled pay very, very close attention to a whole range of things. That brought a brisk retort from Ms Cooper who accused him of clutching at vox pop straws. He should be taking responsibility for the facts, which is that the boat crossings have reached a record high this spring, and since Rishi Sunak promised he would stop them last year, the problems are getting worse, she said. Quote of the day Tories accuse Starmer on self ID With Labours opinion poll lead showing no sign of weakening, the Tories have opened up a new line of attack, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of planning to introduce self-identification for trans people by the back door. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins sought to exploit Labours difficulties on the issue, calling a press conference to claim the the party was planning to dilute womens rights further. It comes after the Harry Potter author and one-time Labour backer JK Rowling complained that Sir Keir had abandoned women and that she would now struggle to support them. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has accused Labour of planning to introduce self-ID by the backdoor (Lucy North/PA) The Labour leader has sought to clarify his position, saying he agreed with Sir Tony Blair that biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis. Ms Atkins said: Rather than listening to women in his own party, (he) chooses to quote his predecessor Tony Blair, a man, when it comes to understanding what a woman is. In response, Sir Keir said Labour had no plans to introduce self ID and would be protective of womens spaces. I think that this is a debate that needs to be conducted with the respect that it deserves, and then in that way, we can make some real progress, he added. Atkins opens door to leadership bid On Monday it was Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch who was not talking about her leadership ambitions, should Mr Sunak be on the way out after July 4. Now Ms Atkins has become the latest senior Tory to insist she is simply focused on the General Election, while pointedly not ruling out a tilt at the leadership should the vacancy arise. Im not entertaining any questions about my leadership. Come on, she said in response to suggestions from reporters that her press conference on Labours trans policies was really positioning in any battle for the Tory crown. I want to campaign at the moment. Measuring the curtains Opposition leaders scenting an election victory are always wary of being seen measuring the curtains before a vote has been cast. Sir Keir however has admitted that his two teenage children are now nervously contemplating the prospect of a move from their north London home to the unfamiliar environs of No 10. Sir Keir Starmer has said his children are worried about the prospect of moving into No 10 (Stefan Rousseau/PA) They are worried, if Im honest. They are worried about it, because, I think any parent would understand this, if you are a teenage child you dont want things to change, he told ITVs This Morning. Youve got things set up at home exactly as you want them, youve got your friends, youve got your routines and youve got your first little bits of independence, what you do after school. The Labour leader suggested they could respond by ramping up their campaign for a family dog to compensate. Staff in No 10 will no doubt be hoping any new canine arrival is better behaved than Dilyn, Boris Johnsons notoriously unruly Jack Russell terrier. Social media moment Rishi Sunak choosing his favourite players (Screengrab/PA) The Conservatives leaned into Euros fever by quizzing Rishi Sunak in a TikTok on his preferred players ahead of the England match against Slovenia on Tuesday evening. Mr Sunak was presented with two players and asked to pick his preferred star, with former Southampton player Matt Le Tissier proving a favourite of the Sotonian prime minister, choosing him over players such as Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. Jude Bellingham was eventually picked as the favoured player over Le Tissier, before Mr Sunak stated his preference for David Beckham until he chose Harry Kane over him. What the polls say Three opinion polls have been published in the past 24 hours, all of which show Labour sustaining a large lead over the Conservatives with Reform UK catching up with or overtaking the Tories. (PA Graphics) More in Common gives Labour a 16 percentage-point lead over the Tories, Redfield & Wilton puts Labour 23 points in front of Reform with the Conservatives one point behind, while Deltapoll has Labour 24 points ahead of the Tories. An average of all polls with survey work completed during the seven days to June 25 puts Labour on 41%, 21 points ahead of the Conservatives on 20%, followed by Reform on 17%, the Lib Dems on 11% and the Greens on 6%. Whats happening tomorrow The BBC stages the second and final head-to-head TV debate between Mr Sunak and Sir Keir. Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Tuesday: A royal welcome The Prime Minister is unlikely to be campaigning on Tuesday, as he is attending a ceremonial welcome for the Emperor and Empress of Japan, in addition to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in the evening. Rishi Sunak will be joined at the Horse Guards Parade this morning by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and Home Secretary James Cleverly. Lord Cameron will then host a business event with Japanese investors, trade partners, and some of the top UK businesses with operations in Japan. Mr Sunak will attend the banquet alongside Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a farm visit during the campaign trail (Ben Birchall/PA) Cleverly vs Cooper Home Secretary James Cleverly and his Labour opposite number Yvette Cooper will go head-to-head in a debate on immigration on LBC. Ahead of the debate, Mr Cleverly claimed that Labour would turn the UK into the asylum capital of the world and offer an amnesty to people who crossed the Channel in small boats. Meanwhile, Ms Cooper wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Mr Sunaks policies are clearly not working. Home Secretary James Cleverly (Lucy North/PA) Tackling knife crime Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make reducing knife crime a moral mission ahead of a visit in central London, where he will meet with families of victims. The Labour leader said he wants ministers, victims and tech giants to work together to tackle the sale of weapons online and cut crime on the streets. Sir Keir has pledged to chair an annual summit to track progress in meeting the goal of halving knife crime incidents within a decade. He said: For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home, action to end this scourge cannot wait. Far too often we hear the same stories from grieving families who have been subject to these brutal murders carried out by children. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mini-manifesto launch Liberal Democrat Layla Moran will visit Oxfordshire to launch the partys six-page mini-manifesto on care, highlighting pledges already made in the partys main manifesto. The Lib Dems leader Sir Ed Davey is not expected to be on the campaign trail. Sir Ed, who was a carer as a teenager for his mother, and more recently for his disabled son, said: We are putting forward a bold and ambitious plan to make sure everyone can get the support they need people who need care, the amazing care workers who provide it, and the unpaid family carers who provide it too. Liberal Democrat Layla Moran (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Shot of stability for businesses Labours shadow chancellor will visit a Scotch whisky bottling plant where she will pledge to give Scottish businesses stability and the tools to succeed. Rachel Reeves said the party is committed to working in partnership with businesses to break down barriers to growth. Ms Reeves will be joined by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who said: A Labour government will be pro-business and pro-worker, working in partnership with businesses to create wealth and deliver growth. Elsewhere in Scotland, the SNPs candidate for Lothian East Lyn Jardine will visit a wind farm. Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at the Prime Ministers constituency home in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire Police said. The men were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The force added that the men included one 52-year-old from London, one 43-year-old from Bolton, one 21-year-old from Manchester, and one 20-year-old from Chichester. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Jane Barlow/PA) They remain in police custody and inquiries are ongoing. A video has been released by protest group Youth Demand showing a young man entering the Prime Ministers property and appearing to defecate in a lake. The group said the action was a parting gift for the Prime Minister and the Conservative Government. In a press release, the group identified the man in the video as Oliver, 21, a student from Manchester, and included a statement from him. We have so much to thank the Tories for: from crumbling schools, shit in the rivers and a collapsing NHS; to creating a nation with more food banks than McDonalds and 4.3 million UK children living in poverty, he said. From allowing their mates to get filthy rich from selling weapons to battle-test on toddlers in Gaza, or by drilling for more oil as the world burns its quite a legacy! Youth Demand describes itself as a campaign calling for an arms embargo on Israel, as well as for the Government to revoke all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021. Earlier this year the Prime Minister condemned the group after it staged a demonstration outside the home of Labour leader Keir Starmer. The demonstrators hung a banner outside Sir Keirs house that read: Starmer stop the killing surrounded by red hand prints. It is not the first time the Prime Ministers home has been targeted by protesters. In August last year four Greenpeace protesters were arrested and charged with criminal damage after allegedly climbing on to the roof of Mr Sunaks home in Kirby Sigston. His west London home was subject to a demonstration by Just Stop Oil in November last year. Taoiseach Simon Harris has warned the Irish Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case of an Irish soldier who assaulted a woman in Limerick. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) His comments came on a day when TDs in the Dail parliament in Dublin rose to their feet to applaud Natasha OBrien the assault victim whose case has sparked protests around Ireland. Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Limerick woman Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old solider, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien, 24, was in the public gallery of the Dail on Tuesday as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the public controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of the Dail Sean O Fearghail said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit on establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action (Brian Lawless/PA) In the relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions does have to ability to make an application to have it reviewed. At the weekend, thousands of people gathered in protests across the country in solidarity with Ms OBrien, with a further protest planned outside the Dail on Tuesday evening, which Ms OBrien is expected to attend. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. He also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women (Brian Lawless/PA) They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Ms OBrien has thanked people for the support she has received. I felt completely alone after the whole ordeal in court last week but to know I have so much support, I know I have so many people behind me, that people are so proud of me for speaking up about something that I think everybody can relate to and everybody is not happy about, its great to be able to use my voice and hopefully make a difference because thats why Im talking about this, she said on Virgin Medias Ireland AM. My protest is today outside the Dail and I urge anyone that isnt happy with our society to protest with me. Later, she watched on in the Dail as Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he will examine the findings of a review by the Defence Forces (Gareth Chaney/PA) This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Women are now again making our message heard loud and clear that enough is enough, women have now had enough. The reality is in modern Ireland, violence against women and girls remains far too common. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from Government on ending violence against women. Violence against women is an epidemic and it frequently happens in plain sight, she said. Natasha OBrien was walking home with her friend, all she was doing is existing in a public space. And Cathal Crotty decided to beat her to a pulp while his friends stood there and watched. As Natasha lay unconscious on the ground and Crotty walked away he didnt display any remorse; the opposite in fact, it seemed he felt proud. Ms Cairns added: Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero-tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Protesters gather in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha OBrien (Cate McCurry/PA) Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. He said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here, if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, Tanaiste Mr Martin said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, he said. There is a process there that is meant to be followed, in respect of once the court case (has concluded), in terms of any criminal conviction, there has to be a follow-up in terms of Defence Forces dealing with that. So Ive asked in the context of further cases, Ive asked the Chief of Staff for a full report on that and when I get that report, Ill consider any further actions that will be required. In parallel with that, an audit is under way in respect of any other cases, similar to that case that may be out there. He added: The use of violence in the manner that was used in these cases is quite shocking, there is no excuse for it. And there has to be standards and values within the Defence Forces and peoples behaviour, whether one is in uniform or not, must approximate to those values and the most fundamental of all is you do not behave in such a violent manner towards women, and more generally, in society and thats the bottom line. Julian Assanges release from prison has lifted a huge burden from his family, his father said. John Shipton told the PA news agency he felt elated at hearing the news of his sons dramatic journey from the UK. He said recent court hearings in the UK had given him hope that the tide was turning in his sons favour, as well as increasing pressure from the Australian government. Speaking from Australia, he said he hoped his son will spend time walking along beaches and listening to birds in the next few weeks and months. I had an inkling that something was changing from the demeanour of the court in the last few hearings, especially with the concerns articulated by the judges, Mr Shipton said. I never gave up hope, never collapsed into despair that this day would arrive. I am absolutely elated it is as though a huge burden has been lifted. Mr Shipton praised the support of the Australian public, parliamentarians and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for ending the persecution of his son. He added there was plenty of room in Australia for Julian Assange and his family to live. Julian Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Speaking on Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA News Agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said Assanges family is elated at his release, telling Sky News: Its been very taxing. Its no secret, being so many years in a maximum security jail. Why on earth somebody who is a journalist, who never harmed anybody in his life, is locked up in a jail with the worst terrorists in the UK its very difficult for anybody to justify. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting a lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and left the UK after reaching a plea deal with US authorities. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Julian Assange has been granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison (@WikiLeaks) He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. A plane carrying Assange left Stansted Airport on Monday before landing at a Bangkok airport for refuelling at around noon local time (6am BST) on Tuesday. In a statement posted on X just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Speaking on Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA news agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting his lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty in a deal with the US authorities and return to Australia, it has been reported. According to the Associated Press, court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which included him entering the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 prior to his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting a lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. Here is a timeline of the key moments in the release of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange from a UK prison. Wednesday June 19 A plea agreement is signed by Assange and the US authorities. As part of the arrangement, Assange will plead guilty to a charge under the US Espionage Act and be sentenced to time served, according to a UK High Court order made on Tuesday June 25. Thursday June 20 A bail hearing takes place in private at Westminster Magistrates Court, the PA news agency understands. Monday June 24 Assange is released from Belmarsh Prison in the early hours, and spent several hours at Stansted before his flight left. The WikiLeaks founder is filmed boarding a chartered flight out of Stansted Airport at 5pm, according to a video released by WikiLeaks on X, formerly Twitter, early on Tuesday. He left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm, High Court judges said. Julian Assange boards a plane to leave the UK (@WikiLeaks/PA) Tuesday June 25 12.50am: WikiLeaks announces on X: Julian Assange is free. 1.10am: His wife, Stella Assange, thanked his supporters on X as she announced he was free. 6am: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tells the Australian parliament: We want him brought home to Australia. 6.30am: The charter plane carrying Assange lands in Bangkok, according to an online flight tracker. The Bombardier Global 6000 jet remains there on a layover before he travels to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Pacific Ocean, for a court hearing on Wednesday. 8.10am: Mrs Assange tells BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she is elated at her husbands release. 8.52am: Updated court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court in Saipan on Wednesday morning local time (midnight UK) to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. He is said to be expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. Julian Assange saga comes to a close after he is freed from prison WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has arrived on a remote island in the Pacific where his long-running campaign to avoid extradition to the United States will formally end and he will be a free man. Assange will appear before a judge in the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands to plead guilty to one charge after the US dropped 17 other espionage charges against him. He will then fly to his native Australia to be reunited with his wife, two young sons and other members of the family. The move follows his dramatic release from Belmarsh Prison in London where he has spent five years, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition. He will pay half a million US dollars (394,000) for a chartered flight from Stansted, accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, a representative of the Australian government and a medic to check on his health. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 WikiLeaks has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the flight. Assanges wife Stella said her relief at his release was coupled with anger that he had spent so long in prison. She told the PA news agency that she travelled to Australia with the couples two young sons Gabriel and Max on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance, with a proposed sentence of time served. Julian Assange stopped off in Thailand on his way back to Australia (Screengrab/WikiLeaks/PA) Speaking from Australia, Mrs Assange told PA: It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. Mrs Assange said her husbands release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. The public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim, she said. Things are still very sensitive. Julian is paying for the flight so we will launch a fundraising campaign. Stella Assange staged a long campaign for her husbands freedom (Lucy North/PA) She had a video call with her husband from Sydney, showing him pictures of the Opera House. Mrs Assange revealed her husband left Belmarsh in the early hours of Monday and spent several hours at Stansted before his flight left. In a High Court order, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Assange left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after the plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request. URGENT: Emergency appeal for donations to cover massive USD 520,000 debt for jet. Julians travel to freedom comes at a massive cost: Julian will owe USD 520,000 which he is obligated to pay back to the Australian government for charter Flight VJ199. He was not permitted to fly pic.twitter.com/J6sTbXij53 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a bail hearing for Assange was held in private on June 20. Details of the hearing have been shrouded in secrecy, with the CPS refusing to provide further information and court listings staff having no knowledge of it, and unable to find any record of it taking place. PA has since established the hearing took place at 4pm at Westminster Magistrates Court before the chief magistrate, senior district judge Paul Goldspring, who took a judicial decision for this to take place behind closed doors under Criminal Procedure Rules and the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This means, at present, no further information on the contents of the hearing can be made public. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPSs extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely. Simon Crowther, Amnesty Internationals legal adviser, said: We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. "The world is a little better and a little less unfair today. Julian Assange is free after 1901 days in prison. His release and return home, albeit belatedly, represent a victory for democracy and the fight for press freedom." President of Brazil https://t.co/0LBs7IK9dV WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 The fight to protect freedom of expression continues, though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Speaking about Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. GOOD NEWS: Julian Assange is on his way to freedom. Thank you to all those who have campaigned with us for #Assange over the years. The fight for press freedom continues pic.twitter.com/nkOZyzc4cp Amnesty International (@amnesty) June 25, 2024 He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as Prime Minister, that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected Prime Minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by PA, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. Mr Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks said (Screengrab/WikiLeaks/PA) The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges father John Shipton told PA he felt elated at hearing the news of his sons dramatic journey from the UK and that his release had lifted a huge burden from his family. He said recent court hearings in the UK had given him hope that the tide was turning in his sons favour, as well as increasing pressure from the Australian government. Speaking from Australia, he said he hoped his son will spend time walking along beaches and listening to birds in the next few weeks and months. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. The Australian Government has consistently said that Mr. Assanges case has dragged on for too long, and that there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. We want him brought home to Australia. pic.twitter.com/1Ju5u88cH9 Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 25, 2024 She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hardworking people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh Prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. His release from prison comes days ahead of his 53rd birthday next Wednesday (July 3). WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is travelling to his native Australia following his dramatic release from prison after five years of fighting extradition to the United States. He had to pay half a million US dollars for a chartered flight from Stansted, accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, a representative of the Australian government and a medic to check on his health. His wife Stella said her relief at his release was coupled with anger that he had spent so long in prison. She told the PA news agency that she travelled to Australia with the couples two young sons Gabriel and Max on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. He has reached a plea deal with US authorities which is set to be formalised early on Wednesday, with details expected to be released after that. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance, with a proposed sentence of time served. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Speaking from Australia, Mrs Assange told the PA news agency: It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. Mrs Assange said her husbands release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. The public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim. Things are still very sensitive. Julian is paying for the flight so we will launch a fundraising campaign. She had a video call with her husband from Sydney, showing him pictures of the Opera House. She revealed that Assange left Belmarsh in the early hours of Monday and spent several hours at Stansted before his flight left. In a High Court order, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Assange left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after the plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a bail hearing for Julian Assange was held in private on June 20. This was at Westminster Magistrates Court, PA understands. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPSs extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely. Simon Crowther, Amnesty Internationals legal adviser, said: We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. The fight to protect freedom of expression continues though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was released from Belmarsh prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Speaking about Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by PA, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges father John Shipton told PA he felt elated at hearing the news of his sons dramatic journey from the UK and that his release had lifted a huge burden from his family. He said recent court hearings in the UK had given him hope that the tide was turning in his sons favour, as well as increasing pressure from the Australian government. Speaking from Australia, he said he hoped his son will spend time walking along beaches and listening to birds in the next few weeks and months. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hardworking people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting his lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. The General Election on July 4 is fast approaching, and all the main political parties have now launched their manifestos. Here, the PA news agency looks at the key takeaways from each of their offers to voters. The Conservatives Among the most eye-catching policies in the Tory manifesto is the plan for a new form of national service, with 18 year olds either serving in the armed forces for a year or working in civil society organisations once a month. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak making a speech at an event at Petyt Hall, London, while on the General Election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The party is also promising a series of tax cuts, including reducing national insurance by a further 2p for employees and abolishing it altogether for the self-employed. A new triple lock-plus on the state pension would meanwhile protect pensioners from paying income tax. On migration, the Tories have pledged to introduce a cap on legal migration, and want to renegotiate international treaties which impact the issue, like the European Convention on Human Rights. The Tories aim to build 100 new GP surgeries in England, funded by reducing the number of NHS managers, while on housing, Rishi Sunaks party has pledged to build 1.6 million homes in the next parliament, in part by speeding up planning on brownfield land. Some 8,000 more police officers would be placed on the streets under the Conservatives plans, and the party wants to boost apprenticeship numbers, creating a further 100,000 by 2029, while scrapping what it dubbed rip off degrees. The Labour Party Labours manifesto is entitled Change, and its main aim is to create economic growth in order to improve living standards. With this in mind, Labour aims to cap corporation tax at 25%, create a national wealth fund to help deliver investment in industries including the steel and automotive sectors, and has ruled out raising income tax, national insurance and VAT. Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meeting families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London, while on the General Election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Sir Keir Starmers party will scrap the VAT exemption for private schools as a means of providing extra funding for state education and will close loopholes in the windfall tax for oil and gas companies. On health, it promises reform, pledges to deliver 40,000 NHS appointments a week, and a plan to recruit more NHS dentists in areas without services; while its housing offer is aimed at reforming planning with a promise of building 1.5 million new homes, including through creating new towns. Labour has pledged to create a state-owned energy company called Great British Energy, aimed at getting the cost of bills down by investing in UK-based sources, and also wants to slowly renationalise passenger railway companies as private contracts end. On immigration, it plans to set up a new border security command to crack down on people smugglers, while on workers rights, it aims to bolster protections for employees, including by restricting fire and rehire practices. The Liberal Democrats The Lib Dems have vowed to repair the UKs broken relationship with Europe, but Sir Ed Daveys party has stopped short of promising to rejoin the EU, instead describing this as a long-term goal. A pledge to help with the cost of living is made up of several policies in the manifesto, including a new national food strategy and a home insulation programme. Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey (Anahita Hossein-Pour/PA) The party also promises investment in the justice system, education and social housing, much of which is paid for by capital borrowing. The Lib Dems want everyone to have the right to see a GP in seven days as part of a series of measures aimed at investing in the NHS and would expand financial support for volunteer carers. Reform UK Nigel Farages party calls its offer to voters a contract rather than a manifesto. Reforms headline offer is a four-point plan for immigration including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, allowing zero illegal immigrants to settle in the UK, establishing a new Department of Immigration, and returning migrants who come over in boats to France. It also wants to simplify the UK tax code and lower a series of taxes, including scrapping inheritance tax for 98% of estates, cutting fuel duty by 20p per litre and abolishing VAT on energy bills. Nigel Farages Reform UK calls its offer to voters a contract rather than a manifesto (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Reform has vowed to scrap net-zero targets, which it claims could save 30 billion a year for the next 25 years, and proposes a patriotic curriculum in schools, which would include pairing the teaching of Britains history of slavery or European imperialism, with a non-European occurrence to ensure balance. The SNP Independence for Scotland is on page one, line one of the SNP manifesto. John Swinneys party also demands full devolution of tax powers to Scotland and vows to reform VAT, reducing it in hospitality and tourism and scrapping it altogether for on-street electric vehicle charging. Scottish First Minister John Swinneys party, the SNP, has put independence for Scotland on page one, line one of its manifesto (Jane Barlow/PA) The SNP also commits to rejoining the EU in its manifesto and wants to see the two-child benefit cap scrapped. The party is also calling for mass investment in the NHS and the green economy, urging the next UK government to invest 10 billion in the health service meaning 1 billion in consequentials in Scotland; and 28 billion in green projects. The Green Party The Greens would introduce additional tax on multimillionaires and billionaires, with the aim of raising between 30-70 billion to help fund improvements to health, housing, transport and the green economy. Co-leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer (Jonathan Hordle/PA) The party would bring water companies, railways and energy companies into public ownership, and cancel recent oil and gas licences. The Greens also want to give rights to nature itself, introduce a new English Right to Roam Act, end the emergency authorisation of bee-killing pesticides, and provide 150,000 new social homes every year. Plaid Cymru Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymrus manifesto is aimed at providing fairness for Wales. Its pledges include calling for tax and justice powers to be devolved to the Welsh Government, and extra funding for the NHS and the green economy. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth launches his partys General Election manifesto (Ben Birchall/PA) Northern Ireland parties In its manifesto, Sinn Fein states that partition has failed Ireland and says the Irish and British governments must set a date for a referendum on Irish unity. Alliance, a sister party of the Lib Dems, is pledging reform of Stormonts democratic institutions to prevent Northern Irelands government and assembly from collapsing in future. The DUPs Speaking Up For Northern Ireland manifesto vows to continue to remove trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and calls for a revaluation of the funding Northern Ireland receives. Rival Unionist party the TUV also calls for reform of post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, presenting an alternative system of mutual recognition whereby the EU and UK agree to check goods entering the others jurisdiction. Here is a timeline of some key dates spanning more than a decade of legal woes for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. 2010 August: An arrest warrant is issued for Assange over two separate allegations one of rape and one of molestation after he visits Sweden for a speaking trip. He is questioned by police in Stockholm and denies the allegations. November: Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain the WikiLeaks founder for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. An international arrest warrant is issued by Swedish police through Interpol. December: Assange presents himself to London police and appears at an extradition hearing where he is remanded in custody. He is later granted conditional bail at the High Court in London after his supporters offer 240,000 in cash and sureties. US President Donald Trump calls for the death penalty for Assange. Julian Assange speaking to the media after a year inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London (PA) 2011 February: District Judge Howard Riddle rules that Assange should be extradited to Sweden. November: Assange loses a High Court appeal against the decision. 2012 May: The UK Supreme Court upholds the High Court decision. June 19: Assange enters the Ecuadorian embassy in London, requesting political asylum. A day later, Scotland Yard confirms he will be subject to arrest for breaching his bail conditions. 2013 June: Assange says he will not leave the embassy even if sex allegations against him are dropped, because he fears moves are under way to extradite him to the US. 2014 July: Assange loses a legal bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden cancelled. 2015 August 13: Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some of the sex allegations against Assange due to time restrictions. The investigation into suspected rape remains active. Julian Assange married Stella Moris at HMP Belmarsh, south east London, in 2022 (PA) October 12: The Metropolitan Police end their 24-hour guard outside the Ecuadorian embassy. It concludes a three-year police operation that is estimated to have cost more than 12 million. 2016 September 16: Swedens Court of Appeal rejects a bid by Assange to have his sex assault warrant dropped. October: WikiLeaks publishes Democratic National Committee emails to the political benefit of Mr Trump, who remarks during his campaign: I love WikiLeaks. November 14: Assange is questioned for two days at the Ecuadorian embassy in the presence of Swedens assistant prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren, and police inspector Cecilia Redell. 2017 January 17: Barack Obamas decision to free Chelsea Manning prompts speculation over Assanges position. April 21: Americas attorney general, Jeff Sessions, says Assanges arrest is a priority for the US. May 19: An investigation into a sex allegation against Assange is dropped by Swedens director of public prosecutions. A sculpture called Anything To Say, which features life-sized bronze figures of whistleblowers (left-right) Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning was unveiled at Parliament Square, London, in 2023 (PA) August 15: Assange is allegedly offered a deal to avoid extradition in exchange for revealing the source of hacked Democratic Party emails to end speculation over Russian involvement. December: It is claimed that unnamed US figures who have been paying a security contractor to bug Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy have discussed a desperate plan to kidnap or poison him. 2018 August 9: The US Senate Committee asks to interview Assange as part of its investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. September 27: Assange steps down as editor of WikiLeaks. 2019 January: Mr Trump claims to know nothing about WikiLeaks, only that there is something having to do with Julian Assange. January 10: A legal defence fund is launched for Assange amid fears he is under increasingly serious threat. January 23: Lawyers for Assange say they are taking action aimed at making Mr Trumps administration reveal charges secretly filed against him. March: Ms Manning is jailed again for refusing to give evidence to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. Julian Assange speaks during a press conference inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London (PA) April 11: Assange is arrested after the Ecuadorian government withdraws his asylum, blaming his repeated violations of international conventions and daily-life protocols. He is found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and remanded in custody at Belmarsh Prison. May 1: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court. He continues to be held on remand in Belmarsh from September after serving the custodial sentence. May 19: Swedish authorities resume their investigation into the alleged rape. November 19: The alleged rape investigation is discontinued. 2020 January 13: Assange appears at Westminster Magistrates Court and is backed by dozens of supporters including rapper MIA. February 24: Assange faces an extradition hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, where his representatives argue he cannot legally be handed to the US for political offences because of a 2003 extradition treaty. March 25: Assange appears via video link at Westminster Magistrates Court, where he is refused bail amid the coronavirus crisis. In 2021, Stella Moris and her children Gabriel (right) and Max joined supporters for a picnic in Parliament Square, central London, to mark their father Julian Assanges 50th birthday (PA) April 11: Stella Moris, Assanges partner, who gave birth to his two children while he was living inside the Ecuadorian embassy, issues a plea for his release amid fears for his health. June 24: The US Department of Justice issues an updated 18-count indictment over Assanges alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States. August 25: Ms Moris visits Assange in Belmarsh Prison for the first time in almost six months. September 7: Assanges extradition hearing resumes at the Old Bailey. November 26: Ms Moris urges Mr Trump to pardon Assange before he leaves office. 2021 January 4: A judge at the Old Bailey rules that Assange cannot be extradited to the United States. January 6: Assange is refused bail at Westminster Magistrates Court as the US government appeals against the decision to block his extradition. August 11: The US government is allowed by the High Court to expand the basis of its appeal against the judges decision not to extradite Assange. Julian Assange and Stella Moris were married at HMP Belmarsh (PA) November 11: Sources tell the PA news agency that Assange has been given permission to marry Ms Moris in Belmarsh Prison. December 10: The US government wins its High Court bid to overturn the judges decision not to extradite Assange. December 14: Australias deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce speaks out to say Assange should not be extradited, but instead be kept in Britain and tried there or returned to his home nation. December 23: Ms Moris says Assanges lawyers have started the process towards a Supreme Court appeal over his extradition to the US. 2022 January 24: Assange wins the first stage of his Supreme Court appeal bid against a decision to allow his extradition to the US. March 14: Assange is denied permission to appeal against the High Courts decision in December 2021 to extradite him to the US, the Supreme Court confirms. March 23: Assange marries Ms Moris at Belmarsh Prison in a private ceremony lasting around three hours, with six guests including the couples two young sons and Assanges father, John Shipton. April 20: Westminster Magistrates Court formally issues an extradition order, meaning Home Secretary Priti Patel is now responsible for deciding whether to approve the extradition, with two months to make her decision. Actress Pamela Anderson leaving Belmarsh prison after visiting Julian Assange (PA) June 17: Ms Patel signs the extradition order. Assange has the usual 14-day right to appeal. June 20: Australias prime minister dismisses calls to publicly demand the US drops its prosecution of Assange after the WikiLeaks co-founders wife expressed hopes the government in Canberra would intervene. July 1: Assange lodges an appeal against a decision to extradite him to the United States. July 20: Assanges wife expresses her gratitude to Mexicos president after he repeated an offer of asylum for the WikiLeaks founder. August 15: US journalists and lawyers who visited Assange file legal action against the CIA and its former director, Michael Pompeo, over spying on Assanges visits. September 16: Assange awarded keys to Mexico City. October 8: Comedian and actor Russell Brand and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn join hundreds of protesters outside the Palace of Westminster to demonstrate against the extradition of Assange. October 11: Assange is nominated for a human rights award, The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. An image of Julian Assange is projected onto a building in Leake Street in central London in 2022, to mark three years since his arrest and detention in Belmarsh prison (PA) October 13: Assange is selected as one of three finalists for The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. November 29: Brazils president-elect voices support for the campaign to free Assange. November 30: Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he recently told US President Joe Bidens administration to end the prosecution of Assange. 2023 January 22: The campaign to free Assange steps up following support from the presidents of all major Latin American countries. February 11: About 2,000 campaigners stage a night carnival in London to call for the release of Assange. April 4: Assanges wife says the decision not to allow her husband to meet with two representatives from French group Reporters Without Borders is shameful after they were prevented from visiting Assange at HMP Belmarsh by prison staff. April 10: A letter to the US attorney general is signed by 35 parliamentarians calling for extradition proceedings to be dropped against Assange on the fourth anniversary of his detention at Belmarsh Prison. May 5: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there is nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration of Assange as he expressed frustration at the United States continuing efforts to extradite the WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen. May 5: Assange writes to the King asking the monarch to visit him in prison. Assanges high profile supporters included the late fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood who was suspended in a ten foot high bird cage outside the Old Bailey in London to protest against his extradition (PA) May 6: After attending the coronation of the King in London, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free Assange. May 17: Assanges wife describes the UK TV premiere of a film about the campaign to free the WikiLeaks founder as a hugely significant moment. June 9: Assange loses latest extradition appeal bid. June 24: The wife of Assange says it is now or never at a protest outside Parliament demanding his release. July 29: US secretary of state Antony Blinken pushes back against Australian demands for an end to Assanges prosecution, saying he is accused of very serious criminal conduct by publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. September 23: Friends of Assange call his ongoing prison detention outrageous after holding a bike protest in his name. 2024 January 10: The lawyer for Assange says the WikiLeaks founders life is at risk if his final appeal against his extradition to the US fails. February 15: Australias House of Representatives ramps up pressure on the United States and Britain to end the prosecution of Assange by passing a motion calling for the Australian citizen to be allowed to return to his home country. February 15: Assanges wife warns that the WikiLeaks founder will die if he is extradited to the US, ahead of his High Court appeal. February 20: The United States bid to prosecute Assange is state retaliation, the High Court hears, in his final bid for an appeal in the UK. March 26: Two judges at the High Court decline to dismiss or grant Assanges bid for an appeal, giving the US authorities three weeks to provide satisfactory assurances. April 17: The two judges confirm the US authorities have provided an assurance to the court, meaning a decision on Assanges appeal bid will be considered at a hearing in May. May 20: Assange is given the go-ahead to bring an appeal on the grounds he may be discriminated against and not able to rely on free speech protections in the US. June 19: A plea agreement is signed by Assange and the US authorities which includes a guilty plea on one count, with a proposed sentence of time served, according to a High Court order. June 20: A bail hearing takes place in private, at Assanges request, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. June 24: Assange is released from Belmarsh prison following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks says. He is said to have flown out of the UK from Stansted Airport later the same day. His departure time is 6.36pm, High Court judges say. June 25: Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, on Tuesday evening UK time (Wednesday morning local time) to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. He is said to be expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. Marcel Sabitzer struck a later winner as Austria claimed a stunning 3-2 win over the Netherlands to snatch top spot in Euro 2024 Group D on Tuesday. Ralf Rangnicks well-organised side were twice pegged back in an entertaining contest in Berlin but Sabitzer had the final say 10 minutes from time. A Donyell Malen own goal gave Austria an early lead with Romano Schmid putting them back in front after a Cody Gakpo leveller. Memphis Depay looked to have salvaged a draw for the Netherlands (Petr David Josek/AP) Memphis Depay scored the Netherlands second equaliser but it was not enough as Austria leapfrogged both them and France. Austria earned reward for a bright start after just six minutes as Malen turned the ball into his own net from a low Alexander Prass cross. Netherlands struggled to respond with Tijjani Reijnders slicing well wide and Malen badly spurning a chance to atone when he scuffed a shot. Austria continued to look the more dangerous with Sabitzer having an effort blocked and forcing a save from Bart Verbruggen. Florian Grillitsch also tested the keeper before Marko Arnautovic fluffed a good chance. Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman sent Xavi Simons on to reinvigorate his side after just 35 minutes and it paid off when his break lead to Gakpos fine equaliser. The Dutch were not level for long as the impressive Schmid got on the end of a fine Grillitsch cross to power in a header, via a deflection. The Netherlands pulled level again when Depay controlled a nod down from Wout Weghorst and fired in, with an initial ruling he handled being overturned by VAR. Austria were not done and hit back once again as Sabitzer found space on the left of the area and then smashed a powerful shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle. The importance of a training operation in Scotland to help Ukraine and its allies find and dispose of mines in the Black Sea cannot be underestimated, a senior Ukrainian navy officer has said. Final preparations are underway ahead of the launch of Exercise Sea Breeze 2024, which this year aims to help Ukraine and its allies to train for a post-conflict era in the Black Sea. Held every year, the exercise begins on Wednesday, will last for two weeks, and will provide the Ukrainian sailors with new skills to help detect mines underwater. Members of the US navy, the Royal Navy and the Ukrainian navy, who together form a joint mine countermeasure team, gathered at the King George V Dock in Glasgow this week ahead of the exercise. Crewmen aboard a vessel that will serve as a training hub during the operation (Jan K Valle/PA) The purpose of the exercise is to address the challenges that mines pose to maritime safety and security, global food security and commerce. Training is to take place on two former Royal Navy vessels, which have been repurposed and given to the Ukrainian navy. The operation focuses on the integration and command and control of mine countermeasure vessels and a Ukrainian task group HQ augmented by international staff officers and mentors. Commodore Dmytro Kovalenko, chief of training command of Ukrainian navy command, said: The ships are fully capable and combat ready. They have boosted significantly our efforts. They have also provided our ship crews with the opportunity to gain Nato-standard knowledge and to work according to Nato standards and procedures. Asked about what threats they are concerned about, and how things will change after the war, he said: The main danger now in the Black Sea is Russian aggression against Ukraine obviously, but after the war ends we expect to use these assets and the skills the forces gain to secure port areas to de-mine, dispose of all the mines, to provide security of the ships. This will boost not only the security of the Black Sea region but also the economy of Ukraine it will help its development. Taking into account the mine danger is a really specific one that not only threatens Ukrainian shores, we have a lot of cases of mine dangers near the Romanian and Bulgarian waters as the current works in that way. Crews aboard a vessel that will aid the Ukrainian Navy in tackling mines in the Black Sea (Jan K Valle/PA) He added: We have a wide range of courses here for training in Great Britain, the Sea Breeze gathers all these groups, all these people who were trained here and its more practical, more in field training of the mining skills, so the importance of Sea Breeze cannot be underestimated. Countries and organisations scheduled to participate, observe, or mentor during Sea Breeze include Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Japan, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Turkey. The exercise is scheduled to run from June 26 to July 5 in the Firth of Clyde near Glasgow and Loch Ewe on the north-west coast of Scotland. It is the first of three Sea Breeze exercises to be held in 2024, with another two to be held in Bulgaria later this year. Task Force (CTF) 68 commander, Commodore Captain Geoffrey Townsend, said it will require a team effort to make the seas safe in the Black Sea. He said: What I think Europes known for a long time is that once a mine is in the water, it can take a very long time to get them out. I know youre used to it here in the United Kingdom, where were still dealing with mines from the First World War. And its going to take a coalition, or a team effort, whether that be NATO or whether that just be European partners working together to make the seas safe for both personal watercraft and also for commercial industry and for shipping. He added: So theres a transition from manned to unmanned systems and I think most Nato nations and the US are transitioning from manned mine countermeasures to unmanned systems. The Ukrainian navy has unmanned systems as well, so thats the big threat, its keeping up with technology and transitioning to the technologies. The two-week training course is split into two, with the first week being mainly theory-based, and a more practical second week, which aims to simulate what real naval mine disposal is like. Admiral Thomas Wall, commander of submarines for Nato, said: I think the crews that are training here are going to experience things just like they were out at sea trying to hunt mines and Im looking forward to their results and how well they do. The University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City in 2018. Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP After 21 years of service, the University of Utahs LGBT Resource Center will close on Friday, as the second-largest public university in the state comes into compliance with HB 261, Utahs version of the anti-DEI legislation that has swept the country and gutted inclusionary programs at several public universities. As weve evaluated how best to comply with the legislation, I want to be clear that weve faced very difficult decisions, the vice-president for student affairs, Lori McDonald, said in a statement. The law and subsequent guidance require a foundational change in how we approach student support, and we will follow the law. This isnt about changing the words we use; were changing how we approach the work. The law prohibits schools and government offices from using the phrase diversity, equity and inclusion and from asking job applicants to submit statements on their beliefs in diversity, and it bars some diversity trainings. As of 1 July, when the legislation goes into effect, there will be a hotline for people to report alleged government violations of the new law. Related: California school board president who led conservative culture war loses recall vote The University of Utahs Center for Equity and Student Belonging, LGBT Resource Center and Womens Resource Center are all closing to comply with the law. Those centers student services and cultural offerings will be reorganized under two new centralized centers. Still, the university will continue to observe Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr Week, Pride Week, Womens Week and cultural heritage months, according to the school. The Utah board of higher education will now require board review of existing centers and approval of new centers. With guidance from the Utah commissioner of higher education and the Utah board of higher education, the University of Utah will create a new community and cultural engagement center focused on cultural education, celebration, engagement and awareness. In this new model, the Womens Resource Center, LGBT Resource Center and the Black Cultural Center student support services that are allowed under the law will be incorporated into the Center for Student Access and Resources, a statement by student affairs reads. The cultural and community engagement functions of the three centers will be incorporated into the Center for Cultural and Community Engagement. The Black Cultural Center building will continue to operate as a space for broader community engagement. Further, the schools American Indian Resource Center will be renamed the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement. Under the new name, the university says it will continue to work with tribal nations, including as the liaison with the Ute Indian Tribe. The Veterans Support Center will continue to exist. Unlike at campuses such as the University of Texas, at which anti-DEI legislation led to the elimination of 300 positions, the University of Utahs restructuring has, as of yet, not required any staff or faculty to lose their jobs. On Friday, the LGBT Resource Center is inviting the campus to come out for a farewell celebration, according to an Instagram post. Lets come together to honor the centers legacy of support, advocacy and resilience, as well as to honor the 21 years of commitment that went into creating a safe environment where everyone is valued, not despite of their identities, but because of them. James Corden and Anna Maxwell Martin in The Constituent at The Old Vic - Manuel Harlan James Cordens return to the London stage for the first time in 12 years could have been a showbizzy statement of intent. I had half-expected him to join the company of Guys and Dolls at the Bridge, warming the cockles as Nathan Detroit or Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Instead, for his big comeback, he has opted for a small-scale affair albeit topical to the hilt: Joe Penhalls The Constituent deals with the tussle all MPs are currently facing between serving democracy (and their constituents) and preserving their security (and sanity). In a bold (some might say credulity-testing) move, Corden, 45, plays Alec an ex-serviceman who experienced traumatic tours of duty in Afghanistan. First seen installing security equipment in the constituency office of a Leftish opposition MP called Monica (Anna Maxwell Martin), hes initially an innocuous gobby geezer (Corden on terra cognita). It turns out the pair went to the same school and grew up on the same street. Im always here if you need me, she kindly offers, when it emerges hes having domestic battles; Alec is distressed by his current divorce and separation from his children. Thats the basic compact of a good MP, isnt it? But it becomes apparent that Monica may be intensifying his frustrations. Alecs faith in his assumed ally to address his grievances (and even advance ideas about legislation to redress systemic bias, as he sees it, against men) is bound to meet a reality-check. Penhall has form in smart, compact explorations of psychological and societal pressure, and damaged males - witness Blue /Orange, his hit play about mental health and racial discrimination. Some of the material here achieves a teasing ambivalence - is Alec more sinned against than sinning, driven to extremes by being punished for his protective instincts? In his jibes about the police (his missus has thrown him over for a copper) there are bitter laughs at the expense of the forces trustworthiness and timely gags that sound like phone-in rants: The entire country is running on good-will, and billionaires are making all the rules! Penhalls script, tartly directed by Matthew Warchus so that the audience sits, democratically but overbearingly, on either side of the narrow stage nicely handles the blend of comedy and darkening aggro. My key reservation is that given how militant ideologues now swirl around our MPs, rogue fathers seem a soft target. The evening inclines to slightness as well as concision and constituent plot-elements also dont entirely stack up: despite her leniency and good intentions, Maxwell Martins figure of alert sensitivity would surely not tolerate warning-signs of unhinged behaviour for quite so long. Hats off to the returnee, even so; Corden reintroduces himself as a dialled-down funnyman, all fixed intensity and hunched affability, then moves across 90 minutes to reveal a more bellicose side to the blustering persona, before showing us a sobbing emblem of broken Britain, alienated from the system. This is a subtler description of unreliable, frayed masculinity than we saw in his calling-card One Man, Two Guvnors. It doesnt have the same kick, but maybe thats the point. Maxwell Martin delivers a sympathetic if sketchy evocation of a conviction politician and harassed mother torn between supporting strangers and safeguarding her family: clipped, legalistic, jittery, concerned. Completing the cast, but the flimsiest character, is Zachary Harts parliamentary protection officer, dispensing advice of grisly blitheness (A good stab-vest is your friend!) Whatever the outcome of the election, Penhalls depiction of MPs on the frontline looks set to remain valid and, Ill stick my head above the parapet, its good to have Corden back where he belongs, on the British stage. Until Aug 10. Tickets: oldvictheatre.com Albert Einstein, circa 1933. Photograph: Harold M Lambert/Getty Images A two-page letter written by Albert Einstein warning Franklin D Roosevelt then the president of the US that Nazi Germany might harness nuclear research to invent an atomic bomb is going up for sale at Christies auctioneers in September with an estimate value of $4m. Einsteins letter one of two the theoretical physicist drafted in a cabin on the north shore of New Yorks Long Island with a fellow scientist, Leo Szilard warned that the German government was actively supporting nuclear research and could make extremely powerful bombs like the kind that were eventually deployed by the US at the end of the second world war. He urged the US government to do the same. And Roosevelt responded by forming a committee that was a forerunner to the J Robert Oppenheimer-headed Manhattan Project which built the bombs that were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, ending the second world war and ushering in the nuclear age. The letter that the father of the theory of general relativity about space and time sent to the president is at the Roosevelt library and museum in Hyde Park, New York. But the second version signed and slightly shorter is being sold off by the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Allen, a kind of magpie collector who amassed a collection of art that was recently sold off at Christies for $1.6bn as well as almost anything pertaining to Jimi Hendrix, purchased the letter from publisher and third-party presidential candidate Malcolm Forbes in 2002 for $2.1m. The Wall Street Journal said that was the first 20th-century historical document to top $1m. Forbes had previously acquired it from the estate of Szilard. Related: Einstein on the run: how the worlds greatest scientist hid from Nazis in a Norfolk hut Christies has a history with Einstein memorabilia. It previously sold the physicists so-called God Letter in which he wrote that the word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weakness for almost $3m in 2018. But the letter is unlikely to break the $13m record set in 2021 for one of the few surviving records detailing his theory of general relativity. With the market for visual art under stress, the auction house anticipates that the market for historical artefacts could attract bidders, especially one as prescient to current concerns about a new, three-way nuclear arms race between the US, Russia and China, alongside the success of last years Oscar-winning Oppenheimer biopic. Marc Porter, chairman of Christies Americas, told the Journal that Allen undoubtedly knew it was one of the most important documents in the history of the 20th century, and thats not the kind of thing you just hang in your office. Allen, he said, had stored the letter carefully and away from sunlight. The letter, dated 2 August 1939, less than a month before Germany invaded Poland, begins, Sir: Recent work in nuclear physics made it probable that uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy. In the letter that was sent to Roosevelt, Einstein wrote: It may be possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium and this new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs. Nuclear reaction is currently on the mind of Allens Microsoft partner Bill Gates, who recently announced he was prepared to invest billions into a next-generation nuclear power plant project in Wyoming. Gates told CBSs Face the Nation that his startup TerraPower expected to complete the new reactor that uses liquid sodium instead of water as a coolant in 2030. I put in over a billion, and Ill put in billions more, Gates said. That comes as companies like Microsoft and Google have expressed interest in a new generation of nuclear power plants to meet escalating demands for power to run data-storage centers that is expected to dramatically increase. The International Energy Agency has estimated that global electricity demand from AI, data centers and crypto will at minimum rise to 800TWh, or terawatt hours, in 2026, a nearly 75% increase from 460TWh in 2022. Julian Assange Julian Assanges release from prison and departure from the UK ends one of the lengthiest legal sagas this country has witnessed. It is not one that has reflected well on the British judicial system. Assange is hardly a sympathetic figure, but his likeability is of little relevance to whether he has been properly treated. The Wikileaks founder, who once sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, spent five years in Belmarsh high-security prison even though he was never charged with a crime in this country. He was incarcerated awaiting his removal to America, accused of espionage because of his role in releasing millions of classified documents leaked by the former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, later jailed for treasonable offences. Many think Assange is a self-regarding egocentric, a would-be martyr who has seemingly managed to alienate most people, including many of his early backers. The Americans considered him an enemy of the state. His supporters see him as an anti-Establishment figure informing the public of activities the state tried to hush up. Assange was initially arraigned under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Sweden alleging rape and sexual assault. He said this was a ruse to get him into custody, whereupon he would be sought by America over the leaking of cables and other diplomatic papers connected to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. After Sweden dropped the charges against him, his fears seemed well grounded when Ecuador lifted its protection and Washington sought his extradition. The past five years have been spent fighting the US request through the courts, even though British ministers had agreed to it. Assange was accused of recklessly publishing information harmful to Western interests and to individual soldiers and agents. He maintains that he encrypted the files but the key was published by journalists, thereby permitting open access. There is also evidence that he obtained some of his information through hacking rather than leaks from whistleblowers. Moreover, Assange did not do enough due diligence about what was going to be published and his links to Russia have never been fully explained. But few can deny that exposing some US military practices was justified on public interest grounds. When states try to shut people up, we must always be prepared to ask why without fear or favour. (From left) Estonias Kaja Kallas, Ursula von der Leyen and Portugal's Antonio Costa represent a political, geographical and gender balance, but Hungarys Victor Orban says the deal sows the seeds of division. Composite: Christophe Enadimitar Dilkoffludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images Ursula von der Leyen looks likely to clinch the nomination for a second term as European Commission president under a deal by EU leaders from the three pro-European political groups that sews up the blocs top jobs. According to the agreement made by the centre-right European Peoples party (EPP), the Socialists and the Liberals, von der Leyen will be nominated for a second five-year mandate at the head of the EU executive at a Brussels summit on Thursday. The serving Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, would become the EUs chief diplomat and the former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa would take on the presidency of the European Council, making him responsible for chairing EU leader summits. The deal was struck on Tuesday by six EU leaders, including Frances Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Olaf Scholz. Polands prime minister, Donald Tusk, and his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, represented the EPP; Spains Pedro Sanchez joined Scholz for the Socialists, while the outgoing Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, spoke for the centrist Renew group alongside Macron. Together they represent three pro-European groups that won 399 (55%) of the seats in European elections earlier this month. The six men agreed the line-up in a video call on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Spanish government. As the news broke, Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, reacted with fury. The deal that the EPP made with the leftists and the liberals runs against everything that the EU was based on. Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals, he wrote on X. Orbans hard-right Fidesz party sits alone in the European parliament, since it quit the EPP in 2021, before it was pushed out over Hungarys declining democratic standards. Although Orban has long signalled he will vote against von der Leyen, he does not have the power to veto her nomination. The decision is also likely to disappoint the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who looked visibly annoyed at a dinner meeting of EU leaders last week to discuss the top jobs. Melonis nationalist European Conservatives and Reformists group has overtaken Macrons liberals to become the third largest in the European parliament, but that has so far not translated into greater influence. Diplomats suspect, however, that Meloni is angling for Italy to have a senior economic portfolio in von der Leyens new commission rather than one of the three jobs at stake this week. The top jobs puzzle appears to have been solved far more quickly than usual. Von der Leyen, a German centre-right politician, Costa, a Portuguese socialist, and Kallas, an Estonian liberal, tick the boxes of finding a political, geographical and gender balance. Related: Why is Ursula von der Leyen out wooing voters who cant vote for her? More daunting for von der Leyen will be securing the backing of at least 361 of the parliaments 720 MEPs to confirm her appointment, in a vote pencilled in for July. Despite the backing of the three groups, MEPs do not always fall into line with their national leaders. About 10-15% MEPs typically do not follow the party line in the secret ballot for European Commission president, meaning von der Leyen is likely to look elsewhere to Melonis ECR or the Greens to assure her return to office. EU diplomats expect the three names to be formally approved early on Thursday at a two-day EU leaders summit dedicated to the blocs plans for the next five years. Charles Michel, the outgoing European Council president, who chairs meetings, has been informed this morning about the renewal of the agreement announced last week, an EU official said, referring to last Mondays dinner meeting. That discussion was bumpier than expected when the EPP attempted to claim a job share on the EU council presidency. The EU council president is appointed for a two-and-a-half-year term that can be renewed once. The EPP staked a claim to take the job for one of the terms, upsetting the Socialists. Sources suggested that EPP proposal had now been dropped, which eased the way for a deal. The agreement comes after it emerged that Rutte will become Nato secretary general in the autumn. Next month the European parliament is expected to back Maltas Roberta Metsola for a second two-and-a-half-year term as its president. For someone seeking to inspire a public revolt to topple the Tories, it was no surprise that Nigel Farage took to the sea in a catamaran on Tuesday in an attempt to embarrass Rishi Sunak over his Stop the Boats pledge. With the June sunshine glinting off the becalmed deep blue waters of the Channel, the Reform UK party leader pointed from the boats deck to a small white dinghy packed with 45 migrants in the middle distance. The tally as of last night was 49,964 migrants that have come since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, said Mr Farage. But that white boat there will take us through 50,000. It was a landmark moment for which Mr Farage had flown by helicopter on Monday night from a packed open air rally in Devon to Biggin Hill and on to the coast. At 4am he was on the quayside in the port of Dover, sporting a camouflage baseball cap, green jacket, fishing trousers and scarf. With two other dinghies sighted in the bright morning light, the timing could not have been more fortuitous for his political point. Nigel Farage in the Channel on Tuesday morning - Steve Finn It means the number of arrivals so far this year have jumped to more than 13,000, a record for the first six months in any year since the boats first started crossing in 2016. Warming to his theme, Mr Farage highlighted what he (and the skipper of the catamaran) regard as the biggest scandal of the boats crisis: the way that the French Navy and, on Tuesday, a contracted vessel called the Minck, escorted the fragile white dinghy to the mid point in the Channel for a handover to a Border Force vessel. If I had a boat in Boulogne harbour for pleasure cruising and fishing, theres a whole mass of French regulations, certificates, and if we didnt have them, Id be stopped by the French coast guard, taken to court and fined, said Mr Farage. This side of the Channel is much stricter than our side of the Channel. So its ironic that an unseaworthy dinghy can be escorted by the French Navy, from 200 yards off the beach, all the way to the 12 mile line [in the middle of the Channel]. So weve got to say to the French: This is a completely unacceptable practice. You are literally aiding and abetting the criminal gangs. His political message to the Government on Tuesday was that it should cut off funding to the French including any more payments under the 490 million, three-year deal negotiated by Mr Sunak if they continued to escort migrant boats across the Channel. Rishi Sunak onboard Border Agency cutter HMC Seeker during a visit to Dover - Yui Mok/PA And, on top of that, he proposed that any migrants that made it into British waters should be returned to France, and, if necessary, picked up and taken back by the Royal Marines. The Marines are an amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. Theres no way, having paid 500 million, that we should be allowing the French to carry on the way that they are. No way, said Mr Farage. That should have been part of our negotiation. We give you the money, but you stop escorting the boats over. Once again, the Government missed that opportunity. Successive governments have insisted international maritime law bars the UK from picking up migrant boats and taking them to France. But Mr Farage said this was an incorrect interpretation of the situation. Nigel Farage: 'How has this Conservative Government been so bad at negotiating?' - Steve Finn Under maritime law, and this goes back to the 1800s, were perfectly entitled to pick them up and take them to a place of safety. And France is a safe country, he said. He believed neither Mr Sunaks Rwanda scheme nor Sir Keir Starmers new border security command would stop the boats. Mr Sunak's bid to stop the boats has been a total flop - Jason Alden/Bloomberg Instead, he said the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a key plank of Reform UKs manifesto. I dont believe there will be any solution to this while were still part of an increasingly activist European Court of Human Rights, he said. This would mean all migrants who arrived in the UK illegally could be returned to their home country regardless of how safe it was including Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. If we leave ECHR, then we can then declare as the Australians did that nobody that comes by this route will ever get refugee status. When you start with that, I suspect the boats will stop coming, he said. On Tuesday the number of illegal immigrants surpassed 50,000 - Steve Finn If necessary, yep, the Royal Marines take people back and put them on a French beach. Itll cause a hell of a row, just as Tony Abbott sending boats back to Indonesia caused a row but you do it a few times and they stop paying smugglers. Asked whether was prepared to have a big ding-dong battle with France to stop the small boats crisis, Farage said: If necessary, yes. On Tuesday, however, it was more of a cagey standoff where the French Navys contracted boat and a Border Force vessel watched and waited for Mr Farage on his catamaran to leave before rescuing the migrants and bringing them back to Dover. He blamed it on Border Force reluctance to be seen, or filmed, rescuing the migrants from their dinghy. They are trying to hide what is really happening here in the Channel, he said. This is a failure of the British government to have got to where we are. The Labor senator Fatima Payman has crossed the floor, voting in support of a Greens motion on recognising Palestinian statehood in a move that imperils her party membership. While Coalition backbenchers are allowed to cross the floor, the Labor party requires all of its parliamentarians to support collective decisions or face the possibility of expulsion. Some Labor members to have crossed the floor have been expelled from the party and others have been suspended. An Albanese government spokesperson said there was no mandated sanction in these circumstances but did not confirm if there would be any consequences. Related: Fatima Payman labels Israels strike on Rafah deplorable and calls on government to cease trade After crossing the floor, Payman, a first-term senator for Western Australia, described it as the most difficult decision she has had to make. She told reporters what would happen next was the partys prerogative, but she would like to continue serving as a Labor senator. Payman said she believed she had upheld the party ethos and called for what the partys platform has stipulated. Each step I took across the Senate floor felt like a mile, [but] I know I did not walk these steps by myself, and I know I did not walk them alone, Payman told reporters. Ive walked with the West Australians who have stopped me in the streets and told me not to give up. Ive walked with the rank-and-file Labor party members who told me we must do more. Ive worked with the core values of the Labor party equality, justice, fairness and advocacy for the voiceless and the oppressed. In advance of Tuesdays vote, there had been intense speculation that Payman was considering crossing the floor. The government tried and failed to head off the internal division by amending the Greens motion, but it lacked the numbers to do so. Payman said she crossed the floor for humanity, adding she was bitterly disappointed her colleagues did not feel the same. I am proud of what I did today, she said, pointing to the party platform to support Israel and Palestine to live side by side. We cannot believe in two-state solutions and only recognise one. Payman used her first speech to the Senate in 2022 to describe how her family fled Taliban-ruled Afghanistan shortly after her birth: I stand before you tonight as a young woman, as a Western Australian, as a Muslim devout to her faith, proud of her heritage and grateful to this beautiful country. On Tuesday night she said: I was not elected as a token representative of diversity, I was elected to serve the people of Western Australia and uphold the values instilled in me by my late father. Today I have made a decision that would make him proud and make everyone proud to err on the side of humanity. Payman, 29, said she did not inform the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, about her decision ahead of time. The government spokesperson did not rule out sanctions against Payman, saying: The senator says she maintains strong Labor values and intends to continue representing the Western Australians who elected her as a Labor senator. There is no mandated sanction in these circumstances and previous caucus members have crossed the floor without facing expulsion. The last Labor MP to cross the floor was former the Tasmanian MP Harry Quick in 2005. Prior to that, two Labor MPs who had crossed the floor Senator George Georges in 1986 and MP Graeme Campbell in 1988 were both suspended from the party for their actions. Related: Fatima Payman accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza in significant rupture with Labor party position The Greens motion was to debate, as a matter of urgency, the need for the Senate to recognise the state of Palestine. Labor proposed to add the proviso as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and enduring peace. The Greens refused to support the government amendment, with the party leader, Adam Bandt, accusing Labor of a cowardly delay tactic to water down this simple motion so it no longer immediately recognises Palestine. The deputy leader of the Greens, Mehreen Faruqi, moved the motion in the Senate and said it was a chance for Labor to finally take this bare minimum first step. You should feel embarrassed that it has come to this, Faruqi said. Wong wrote to other party leaders and crossbenchers earlier on Tuesday to appeal for them to support the governments amendment. The Australian government is working with the international community to create momentum for a lasting peace in the form of a two-state solution a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, she wrote. Australia and a number of other countries including Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada have shifted our position, so that recognition of a Palestinian state is no longer seen as being the end point of negotiations. The Coalition tried to amend the motion further by adding five preconditions for recognising Palestinian statehood, including recognition by Palestinian representatives and the Palestinian Authority of Israels right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. Essential to this pathway is the removal of Hamas as a terrorist threat, the Coalitions Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, said. However, the Coalition amendment failed to win adequate support in the chamber. After the Coalition amendment failed, the Coalition voted with the Greens to oppose the governments amendment. Payman abstained on the earlier procedural votes, sitting in the political advisers box. When the primary motion came to a vote, Payman stood up and moved to sit with the Greens and independent senators Lidia Thorpe and David Pocock. Labor and the Coalition opposed the Greens motion in the final vote, meaning that the motion was defeated 52 against and 13 in favour. In a statement on Tuesday, Alex Ryvchin, the Executive Council of Australian Jewrys chief executive, said the move was astonishing. The Greens cant be allowed to set the agenda on Israel and Australian foreign policy. They have brought antisemitism into the mainstream and have legitimised violent protests. This is what Senator Payman has now attached herself to, and she must be held accountable, he said. Payman has been increasingly outspoken in condemning Israels military operations in Gaza, saying last month: My conscience has been uneasy for far too long and I must call this out for what it is. This is a genocide and we need to stop pretending otherwise. Payman has also previously rejected claims made by Ryvchin that using the chant from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free is antisemitic. The slogan of the dispossessed, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, is not a call for the annihilation of Jews. Rather, it asserts a desire for Palestinians to live in their homeland as free and equal citizens, neither dominating others nor being dominated over, she told Guardian Australia in May. Last week, Payman called on her own government to recognise Palestine. Payman, writing for Al Jazeera, argued nations needed to take a definitive stance on Palestinian statehood because Israel continues to disregard its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and cease genocidal acts. Israel denies committing genocide in its military response to the 7 October attacks by Hamas. Russell George said he would co-operate fully with the investigation - Wales news service A fifth Conservative politician is being investigated over alleged bets on the date of the general election. Russell George, a Tory member of the devolved Welsh Parliament, has stepped back from the shadow cabinet as the Gambling Commission investigates. He is the fifth Conservative to be investigated in connection with bets on when the election would be called. In a statement, the MS for Montgomeryshire said it was the Gambling Commission, not the media that would properly probe the matter and that he would not be commenting further. Mr George said: Whilst I will co-operate fully with the Gambling Commission, it would not be appropriate to comment on this independent and confidential process. Doing so would only jeopardise and undermine the investigation. It is the Gambling Commission, not the media, that has the responsibility, powers and resources to properly investigate these matters and determine what, if any, action should be taken. Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: Russell George has informed me that he has received a letter from the Gambling Commission regarding bets on the timing of the general election. Russell George has stepped back from the Welsh Conservative shadow cabinet while these investigations are ongoing. All other members of the Welsh Conservative Group have confirmed that they have not placed any bets. The Conservatives on Monday withdrew support from Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, who had both been due to stand for election on July 4. Both were accused of betting on the date the country would go to the polls, with Mr Williams, Rishi Sunaks parliamentary private secretary, admitting he had. Tony Lee, the Conservatives director of campaigning and Nick Mason, its head of data, have both taken a leave of absence as the gambling watchdog investigates Alister Jack, the secretary of state for Scotland, was reported on Tuesday to have claimed he won 2,100 betting on a July general election. Mr Jack told the BBC last week that the comments were a joke and that he was pulling your leg. Never broken the rules But the broadcaster reported on Tuesday that Mr Jack said he had not placed any bets on the general election date in May. Mr Sunak called the election on May 22. I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules. Specifically, I did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May (the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission), he said. In a statement released about 10pm on Tuesday, Mr Jack said: Following reports today I want to be absolutely clear I have not breached any gambling rules. I placed two unsuccessful bets on the date of the general election and one successful one. I put two bets on in March of 5 each for an election to be held in May and June respectively. In April, I put 20 at 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September. I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called. As I have said previously, I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission. Rishi Sunaks constituency home at Kirby Sigston in North Yorkshire. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at the prime ministers constituency home in Yorkshire, police have said. The suspects were arrested on Tuesday in the grounds of Rishi Sunaks home in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton at about 12.40pm before being escorted off the property, North Yorkshire police said. The force said the men included a 52-year-old from London, a 43-year-old from Bolton, a 21-year-old from Manchester, and a 20-year-old from Chichester. They remain in police custody and inquiries are under way. In a statement North Yorkshire police said: We have arrested four people in the grounds of the prime ministers constituency home this afternoon. Our officers were with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds. They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The arrests are connected to a protest by Youth Demand, which describes itself as a campaign group who want the Tories and the Labour party [to] commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and to stop all new oil and gas licences. It has staged a number of actions against the government and Labours proposed policies. A spokesperson for the group said three of those arrested were taking part in the demonstration while a fourth was an independent photographer. In a separate incident, a motorist crashed into the gates of Sunaks official country residence, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, police said. The incident took place shortly after midday on Tuesday when a white Volkswagen Scirocco hit the barriers at the entrance. Sunak was not at the property at the time and was attending events linked to the Japanese state visit in London. Thames Valley police said the driver, a 44-year-old man from the county, was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and drink-driving, and was the only person in the car. A spokesperson added that the driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he remains. While we are still in the very early stages of our investigation, there is currently no evidence to suggest there was any intention to harm anyone, the force said. In 2015 Marine Le Pen (right) excluded her father (left) from the party he co-founded, after he repeated comments about Nazi gas chambers being a detail of history. Photograph: Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Political opponents of Marine Le Pens poll-leading National Rally are seizing on the far-right partys history to try to mobilise voters against it in the run-up to Frances snap election. Leftwing and centrist politicians have sought to remind voters that when Le Pens father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founded the party originally named Front National in 1972, its ranks included former members of a Waffen SS military unit under Nazi command during the second world war. Pierre Bousquet, a former member of the Waffen SS Charlemagne division, was the partys treasurer for its first nine years. Another early member had been in the paramilitary militia under Philippe Petain, leader of the authoritarian, reactionary puppet Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis and ensured the deportation of one quarter of Frances Jewish population. Sarah Legrain, of the lefts La France Insoumise party, told French TV at the start of the snap election campaign that of course the party was an heir to Vichy. Valerie Hayer, who led Emmanuel Macrons centrists in the European elections, has also called Le Pens party political heirs to the Vichy era. Related: Were everywhere now: National Rally members toast EU elections success The president himself has, however, previously cautioned against this approach. When his former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, whose father survived the Holocaust, told a radio station in 2023 that Le Pens party were heirs of Petain, Macron appeared exasperated. He warned that history and morality would no longer work to hold back the rise of National Rally (Rassemblement National RN), which was already the foremost working-class party in France, and expanding its vote among young people and public sector workers. You will never make millions of people who have voted for the far right believe they are fascists, Macron was reported to have told a 2023 cabinet meeting, suggesting that challenging the party must focus not on its past but its policy platform. We are not the heirs to Vichy, contrary to what everyone says Louis Aliot, a senior National Rally official, told Europe 1 radio at the start of the snap election campaign. Mitterrand is the heir to Vichy, not us, he said, referencing the former Socialist president whose earlier work for the Vichy regime became public in the 1990s. The Front National was co-founded in Paris in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, a former paratrooper who had served in Algeria and previously been elected to parliament in 1956 as a supporter of Pierre Poujades anti-taxation protest movement. After his stint as the national assemblys youngest MP, he founded a company that sold recordings of Nazi speeches and German military songs. The Front Nationals creation was intended to give the far right which comprised several disparate groups including neo-fascists, militants known for street violence and those nostalgic for French Algeria a more presentable, unified and electable face. At the time Jean-Marie Le Pen was seen as a comparative moderate within the broader extreme right, presenting himself as holding a nationalist-populist line, which he later called the popular, social and national right. The Front National made little impact in the 1970s but in the 1980s increased its scores, winning 10 seats in the European parliament, and, through proportional representation, 35 seats in parliament. In 1987, Jean-Marie Le Pen described the Holocaust as a mere detail of the second world war. In the decades that followed he was convicted more than 15 times for hate speech and contesting crimes against humanity as he repeated negationist comments, including saying the Nazi occupation was not particularly inhumane. In 1996, he said he believed in the inequality of the races. He was fined by a court in Nice and convicted of provoking hatred and ethnic discrimination for telling a public meeting in 2013 that Roma in the city were rash-inducing and smelly. In 2015, he defended Petain, whom he said he didnt consider a traitor of France. He said France should get along with Russia to save the white world. When, in 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen made the second round of the presidential election, it sparked mass street demonstrations and tactical voting for Jacques Chirac, who won with more than 82% of the vote. Marine Le Pen, Jean-Marie Le Pens youngest daughter, took over the anti-immigration party in 2011. She led a communications effort to try to normalise and detoxify it from the antisemitism and jackbooted imagery of the past, seeking to position it as a potential governing force, rather than a protest vote. In 2015, after her father repeated his comments about Nazi gas chambers being a detail of history, Marine Le Pen excluded him from the party, saying he was committing political suicide. In 2018, she changed the partys name to National Rally. The party recently took a case to Frances highest administrative court, the Conseil dEtat, arguing that it should no longer be labeled far-right by the interior ministry, but its case was dismissed and France officially classes the party as far-right. Marine Le Pen has kept the partys essential doctrine, which under her father was known as France for the French, or national preference, and which she has renamed national priority. It means French citizens would be given priority over non-nationals for jobs, social welfare assistance and housing a policy of putting our own before others. Rights groups and constitutionalists say the doctrine is discriminatory and anti-constitutional. Last week, a court in Nanterre heard a case for incitement to discrimination brought by an anti-racism organisation and several rights groups against four party figures over a handbook for municipal councillors published in 2014, which recommended that national priority be applied to social housing. The public prosecutor requested suspended prison sentences and large fines, saying there had been a clear incitement to commit a distinction between French people and foreigners. He added: Politicians must be particularly attentive to the defence of democracy and its principles. A verdict will be returned on 3 September. Jordan Bardella, the National Rally party president, who hopes to become prime minister if the party wins an absolute majority in parliament on 7 July, wrote on X that the case and the state prosecutors recommendations were a serious attack on the freedom of expression over what he called a commonsense measure, largely supported by the French. The party also seeks to tighten rules on French citizenship and remove the right for children born to foreign parents on French soil, who are raised and schooled in France, to later claim French nationality. It has kept its long-running hardline on law and order, arguing that crime is linked to immigration. Despite dropping calls for a return of the death penalty, Marine Le Pen, who won the vote of 51% of police and military in the 2022 presidential race, wants to introduce a presumption of legitimate defence for police officers firing weapons. Funeral ceremony for the Palestinian journalists Sari Mansour and Hasona Saliem after they were killed in Gaza in November last year. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu/Getty Images As Israels offensive in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for journalists in recent history, its military has repeatedly said it is not deliberately targeting the media. There is no policy of targeting media personnel, a senior official said, attributing the record number of journalists killed to the scale and intensity of a bombardment in which so many of Gazas civilians have died. However, an investigation by the Guardian suggests that amid a loosening of the Israel Defense Forces interpretation of the laws of war after the deadly Hamas-led attacks on 7 October, some within the IDF appear to have viewed journalists working in Gaza for outlets controlled by or affiliated with Hamas to be legitimate military targets. The investigation is part of the Gaza project, a collaboration led by the Paris-based non-profit Forbidden Stories, which has analysed the deaths of journalists in Gaza since Israel began its offensive. The Gaza project The Gaza project is a collaboration of 13 media organisations coordinated by Forbidden Stories, a non-profit continuing the work of journalists under threat. The Israel-Gaza war has been the deadliest conflict on record for journalists and media workers, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. As of June 2024, it was investigating 107 deaths, most of them Palestinian journalists. Other organisations estimate higher numbers of casualties. Foreign media are blocked from entering Gaza to cover the war. This project tells the stories of Palestinian journalists who are either unable to leave or who have chosen to stay, many of whom have been killed. The Gaza project spoke to dozens of witnesses, and used forensic and open source analysis to understand how and why so many Palestinian journalists have died. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) records at least 103 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed in the war in Gaza. Other lists suggest that number is higher. Since foreign media are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza, the work of documenting the war on the ground has fallen to Palestinian journalists in the territory, many of whom have continued to work despite grave risks to their safety. In a war in which Israel has dropped tens of thousands of bombs on a densely populated territory, it is perhaps inevitable that so many journalists have been killed. Among the dead are also doctors, teachers, civil servants, aid workers, paramedics and poets. That so many Palestinian journalists and media workers working for a wide range of local and international outlets have been killed, injured or detained by Israeli forces has raised concerns among press freedom organisations that the IDF has deliberately sought to silence critical reporting. Among those listed by the CPJ as having been killed in Gaza since 7 October, approximately 30% worked for media outlets affiliated with or closely tied to Hamas. Working with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), a Jordan-based non-profit, the Guardian identified at least 23 individuals killed since 7 October who worked for the largest Hamas-run outlet in Gaza, al-Aqsa media network. Considered to be the Hamas movements official channel, al-Aqsa employed hundreds of people and operated a widely watched TV channel and numerous radio stations until the war curtailed its output. The outlet appears to have had the highest number of journalists killed during the current war. Asked about the al-Aqsa network casualties, a senior IDF spokesperson told reporters in the Gaza project consortium that there was no difference between working for the media outlet and belonging to Hamass armed wing, a sweeping statement legal experts described as alarming. Its a shocking statement, Adil Haque, a law professor at Rutgers University in the US said, describing the position as showing a complete misunderstanding or just a wilful disregard for international law. Reporting is not direct participation in hostilities Almost as soon as Israel began its aerial bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamass assault on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage, the al-Aqsa headquarters were evacuated as executives believed the IDF would target the organisation, two sources said. Operating in a media landscape tightly controlled by Hamas, the Islamist movement that has governed Gaza since 2007, al-Aqsas programming is unmistakably pro-Hamas, anti-Israel and, at times, antisemitic. On its TV channel, which now broadcasts as Seraj, news programmes are interspersed with footage of militants attacking Israeli forces. Before the war, the channel also broadcast religious programmes and dramas such as Fist of the Free, seen as Hamass response to Fauda, a popular Israeli Netflix series about its security forces. Hamas believes the media is an important tool to approach people and deliver their message and propaganda, a veteran Gaza-based journalist said. Its media office gives instructions and appoints people in charge, they said. They defend Hamas, no matter what. In 2018, the IDF bombed al-Aqsas offices and claimed its building was used for military purposes. The following year, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, used broad legal powers to designate the media group as a terrorist organisation. The outlet, the designation claims, is a propaganda arm of Hamas and constitutes a central platform for the distribution of inciting messages by the terror organisation. Al-Aqsa has also been under US sanctions since 2010. However, such designations were made in domestic law and were not a blank cheque that allowed the IDF to kill its employees, legal experts said. Under the laws of war, a journalist can lose their civilian status if they engage in planning, preparing or carrying out combat operations. Simply working for an organisation such as al-Aqsa does not make someone a legitimate target to be killed. Reporting the news is not direct participation in hostilities, Janina Dill, a professor at the University of Oxford and expert in the laws of war, said. Even if they reported the news in a biased way, even if they did propaganda for Hamas, even if Israel fundamentally disagrees with how they report the news. That is not enough. Combatants and civilians Multiple Israeli sources said there had been a permissive approach to targeting across the IDF in a war aimed at the total destruction of Hamas. A person with knowledge of legal advice given to IDF commanders said journalists working for Hamas-affiliated media were seen to exist within a grey zone and there was a problematic view among some in the IDF that whenever theres someone getting a salary ultimately from Hamas they were considered to be a legitimate target. Hamas invests a lot of resources in its propaganda teams. They often wont do an activity if they dont have a photographer. They must document everything, a military intelligence officer said. So some will tell you: Look, a Hamasnik is Hamasnik. In an interview with Radio France, one of the Guardians partners in the Gaza project, the senior IDF spokesperson and reservist Col Olivier Rafowicz said there was no difference between the political and the military wing of Hamas. Al-Aqsa belongs to the Hamas war organisation and the people who work for it are active members of the war organisation of Hamas, he said. Numerous legal experts said this was a troubling position. While there may be particular individuals who engaged in both journalism and combat activities, they said, the suggestion that everyone working for a media organisation was a militant failed to distinguish between combatants and civilians. This is the most fundamental idea in international humanitarian law, said Haque, the Rutgers law professor. It is shocking to hear that a member of the IDF would openly and publicly reveal either their ignorance or their disregard for this fundamental principle. Attention must be paid, he said, to the differences between the activities of Hamass armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam brigades, and its political apparatus that employed tens of thousands of people in Gaza and ran schools, hospitals, courts and municipal services. If a journalist is not part of Hamass military wing, if they are not a fighter by role or function, then theyre a civilian unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities, Haque added. Killed, arrested and detained In response to a Guardian request for details about multiple al-Aqsa employees who had been killed, an IDF spokesperson said it does not target civilian objects but that the outlet employs terrorists and affords them the facade of journalists. The spokesperson listed six of al-Aqsas dead workers and alleged they were members of Hamass armed wing and assumed the disguise of journalists. The IDF refused to provide any evidence to support the claims, citing intelligence sources. Although journalists who have worked in Gaza said the way in which Hamass military wing embedded itself within civilian life did not preclude using the media and some may wear two hats, Israeli officials have repeatedly characterised journalists killed in the war as terrorists with little evidence. Irene Khan, the UNs special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, told the Gaza project Israel had spread disinformation about journalists being linked to militants and failed to meet the burden of proof to make such claims. According to al-Aqsa sources, scores of its workers have been killed and injured, with others arrested and detained by Israeli forces. One of the al-Aqsa journalists the IDF alleged were terrorists is Issam Bahar, a freelance journalist for the outlet who was killed in mid-October. A close relative told ARIJ that he did not have any political or other activity and was only a journalist and a teacher of the Quran. According to the relative and information collated by the non-profit watchdog Airwars, Bahar, 38, was sheltering at a relatives home in Gaza City when an Israeli airstrike killed him at night along with six family members. His wife and 14-year-old son were among the dead. When we went to sleep they bombed us In a war in which more than half of Gazas buildings have been destroyed according to the UN, journalists like many of the territorys population have been killed in or lost their homes. According to a survey by ARIJ of more than 200 journalists in Gaza, almost all said they had been displaced by the Israeli offensive and half said they were living in tents. Eighty-six per cent said their homes had been either partially or entirely destroyed. Its psychologically very difficult, said Mohammed Abed, a Gaza-based Agence France-Presse photojournalist. So many journalists have died while sleeping along with their families. When we interviewed the survivors, they told us they were at home. We had dinner and talked to the neighbours. And when we went to sleep they bombed us. In previous wars in Gaza, a former IDF lawyer said, targeting someone at home would require a clearcut case they had crossed the threshold to be a direct participant in hostility. In the current war, they said, there appear to have been different rules of engagement and the level of destruction has been taken to a different level. Officially the Israeli military maintains journalists have not been deliberately targeted. Many in the military attribute the record number of journalists killed to the IDFs intensive bombardment of a densely populated territory. Im sure that if you counted the number of dead teachers, the number of dead janitors, the number of taxi drivers, you will end up with higher numbers as well, a senior Israeli source said. Among the journalists caught up in the destruction was Salma Mkhaimer, a 31-year-old Palestinian freelance journalist based in Jordan, who covered womens rights and had worked for a number of Gaza-based media outlets, including al-Aqsa. Mkhaimer was visiting family in the territory with her baby boy, Ali, when the war began. Trapped at her familys home in an area the IDF said would be safe, she was on the phone with her husband on 24 October the day of Alis first birthday when an airstrike hit the building, killing her, her baby and 23 relatives. In an interview with the Guardian, Mkhaimers husband, Alaa Naser Abushawer, said that as someone who was married to a journalist it was very painful that so many others like his wife had been killed in Gaza. He said an end to war was needed for us both, Israelis and Palestinians. This, he recalled, was something his wife had told him during their final conversation: On my last call with Salma, she said: We must stop the war. Kenyan police arriving at the airport at Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, the latest in a long history of foreign interventions. Photograph: Marckinson Pierre/AP Hundreds of Kenyan police officers have arrived in Haiti as part of a US-backed security intervention aiming to rescue the Caribbean country from a criminal insurrection that toppled the prime minister and brought death and chaos to the streets. About 400 members of the Kenya-led multinational police operation stepped off a Kenyan Airways plane at Port-au-Princes international airport on Tuesday. The US president, Joe Biden, hailed their arrival as the start of an effort that will bring much-needed relief to Haitians. Rampant gang violence has killed or harmed thousands of children, women, and men. Over half a million people have been displaced The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families and enjoy democratic freedoms, Biden said in a statement. Related: The gangs are in charge: Haitis outgunned police fight a desperate rear defence It is not clear what the officers first task will be but their objective is to steer Haiti out of a security crisis that has been intensifying since the president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in 2021. Kenyan news reports suggest they will be responsible for defending key infrastructure including the airport, the port, the presidential palace, and the gang-controlled highways connecting the besieged capital with the rest of Haiti. Biden said the eventual 2,500-strong force would also count on personnel and financial support from Benin, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the UK and Spain. In recent months, Haitis crisis has reached new extremes, even for a country that has suffered devastating natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake, and centuries of foreign exploitation and dictatorial rule. The UN says more than 2,500 people have been killed or wounded this year as increasingly powerful gangs launched a coordinated uprising that paralysed the capital and forced the prime minister, Ariel Henry, to resign. Henrys replacement, a former Unicef official, Garry Conille, was appointed earlier in June and is tasked with leading the country towards its first elections since 2016. The international mission will be led by Noor Gabow, a senior Kenyan officer who studied criminology at Bramshill police college in the UK and has experience in peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone and Rwanda. There were mixed feelings in Port-au-Prince as rifle-carrying Kenyans in combat gear touched down in a passenger jet emblazoned with the slogan The Pride of Africa. Many Haitians resent relentless foreign meddling in their affairs, particularly after the 2004-2017 UN stabilisation force, Minustah, was accused of human rights violations, sexual abuse and causing a devastating cholera outbreak. The last UN mission ended disastrously, said Isaie Delson, 33, a barber forced to abandon his business in downtown Port-au-Prince by this years bloodshed. Will [the Kenyan force] create more injustices?. Delson believed the mere announcement of the deployment had already had some effect, with shootings decreasing in recent days. Some schools have reopened around here, too, he added. But he felt conflicted about seeing foreign boots on the ground, even if they had come to fight the gangsters who had destroyed his business. [The gangsters] are also Haitians like me. Im torn, he said. Evelyne Jean, 56, a vendor also displaced by the insurrection and who now sleeps in a temporary camp, was more optimistic. Oh Jesus Lord! Theyre here! she exclaimed, looking up at the sky, as the Kenyan forces landed. For me, they should have been here ages ago. The 2024 mission will be the fourth large-scale foreign intervention in Haiti since the US president Woodrow Wilson sent marines there after the assassination of the president Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915. The next big intervention, Operation Uphold Democracy, was in 1994, when the US president Bill Clinton ordered troops to return Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the presidency after a military coup. Clinton claimed that marked the beginning of a new era of hope for the people of Haiti. Three decades later, politicians in Nairobi and Washington are using more cautious words. Kenyas president, William Ruto, told officers they would bring hope and relief to communities torn apart by violence and ravaged by disorder. Biden said Haitians deserved what people everywhere deserve: security, opportunity, and freedom. He acknowledged these goals may not be accomplished overnight but said the current US-backed mission provided the best chance of achieving them. An Amazon fulfillment center on Cyber Monday in New Jersey on 2 December 2019. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters Amazon workers left unable to work by injuries on the job have resorted to online fundraising campaigns to pay their bills as they fight for compensation and disability benefits. Three current employees, injured while working in the technology giants warehouses, described a bureaucratic, terrible process while they sought financial support. One was rendered homeless. During interviews with the Guardian, they alleged the company ignored workers concerns over the strains of warehouse work, denied requests for compensation or benefits after injuries, and put productivity above all else. In response, Amazon acknowledged it had found a few problems, but claimed the workers had provided a lot of inaccurate information. The company did not specify which parts of the accounts it deemed inaccurate. Amazon one of the worlds largest employers, with 1.5 million staff across the world has long faced criticism over the working and safety conditions inside its warehouses. It has repeatedly pushed back, claiming that the company was working toward being best in class on safety as part of its declared intent to create Earths safest place to work. Over the years, however, numerous workers have come forward with troubling stories of injuries incurred on the job; being sent back to work by Amazons on-site medical care unit, Amcare; and long fights and delays in trying to obtain workers compensation, medical care, accommodations and disability benefits in the months and years that followed. This is why were homeless In August 2023, Keith Williams was loading containers by himself off a trailer on the shipping dock at Amazons SWF1 warehouse in Rock Tavern, New York. A computer desk fell onto him, hitting the back of his head. Feeling nauseous and dizzy after being struck, Williams went to Amcare, where he was given aspirin and ice. He went to urgent care, because he said they didnt know what to do for him at Amcare. Returning to work the next day, Williams said he was placed on light duty, but kept getting bothered by managers asking what he was doing sitting around despite accommodations due to his injury. They just sit you there in uncomfortable places, and youre on display like a human zoo in the middle of the warehouse, he recalled. Thats all theyre concerned about: how much you can make them, how much they can push out of you, how little they can give you, and how much they can get out of you. Just five months later, in February, Williams was injured on the job again after being tasked with repeatedly lifting heavy packages, without being rotated to less intense departments. When he tried to lift a package, all of a sudden he felt a shot of pain in his wrist and elbow, and couldnt pick it up. He went to Amcare, before heading to urgent care on his own accord after waiting for an hour at Amcare. Out of work and injured, Williams has yet to receive disability benefits. Im battling with the workers compensation insurer, they give me the runaround a lot, he said. Because I hadnt been there a full year when I got hurt in February, I wasnt able to receive my full benefits, which is why were homeless because we cant afford housing. In April, Williams and his family were evicted from their home after a dispute with a landlord. Unable to raise the funds for a new rental, they were forced to move into a motel. As Williams recovers from his repetitive motion injury, a GoFundMe campaign was started on his familys behalf while they grappled with the the financial impact of his workplace injury. I have no grip strength, he said. I cant carry things very long. Even a gallon of milk is tiring My day to day life has been hit so hard, everything has an added measure of difficulty now. Theres just no thought, or no care to, what kind of strain gets put on the body, even though we would constantly say something about it. Ive been through my savings, 401k and credit cards Two years after she began working as a picker and stower at Amazons STL8 warehouse outside of St Louis, Missouri, in August 2021, Christine Manno began experiencing severe carpal tunnel symptoms due to the repetitive motions inherent with her job. She had two surgeries, in the following October and December, and returned to full duty a few days after her second surgery. Over the course of a 12-hour shift, I do three 12-hour shifts, Manno said. I could lift thousands of pounds over the course of the shift, and my hands were still visibly swollen, so my hands started to get worse. In May 2022, when reaching for a high box, she felt pains down her back, both arms, and down into her legs. After her initial claim for disability benefits faced resistance, Manno retained an attorney. Eventually, her case was approved. In January 2023, eight months after the injury, she went to see a spinal surgeon. He agreed that it was during the course of my job that these injuries occurred, Manno said. Up to that point, I had had no type of treatment. They wouldnt allow anything. Through the course of working while injured, Manno was able to work with restrictions. She began physical therapy, but said it didnt help alleviate her pain. During this time, while driving a turret truck in the Amazon warehouse, which doesnt require lifting, Manno got dizzy and lightheaded, sostopped and informed her supervisor. She says she was told to sit down, but ordered 20 minutes later to go back to the truck and finish the job. Amazon informed her in July 2023 they would no longer accommodate her restrictions, she says, despite a doctor recommending permanent restrictions. The doctors request for a referral to a pain management specialist, according to Manno, but Amazon denied that also. With her short-term disability benefits exhausted, more recently she has struggled to persuade the firm to grant her long-term benefits. After her medical issues and inability to work left her in financial straits, she started a GoFundMe while waiting on a decision regarding the benefits. They keep telling me they need more documentation, yet workers compensation wont let me see a doctor to get more documentation, but I cant get treatment because when they know its a work injury, they wont authorize treatment through health insurance, said Manno. Ive been through my savings, 401k and credit cards. I have multiple bill collectors calling 20, 30 times a day. Its been hell, and all the stress directly affects my neck injury and I have severe sciatica and very limited use of my hands, I lose feeling and end up dropping things. My hands dont function like they should. Safety is an afterthought Back at SWF1 in Rock Tavern, last August stower Nik Moran smashed his finger. He drove himself to the emergency room, where he got stitches for the injury. I went back to work right away, because Amazons worker compensation unit doesnt pay you for the first week, he said. Its just a bureaucratic, terrible process. Shortly after the injury, he obtained a workers compensation lawyer because he was aware of the issues coworkers have experienced in trying to get medical care covered and compensation for injuries on the job, and he noted Amazon has disputed covering his medical care for the injury. Amazon talks a big game about safety, but their main priority is productivity, claimed Moran. Safety is an afterthought. Contacted by the Guardian about the three workers accounts, Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson, said: Our employees safety and health is our top priority. While we usually dont comment on employees individual circumstances, these individuals have unfortunately chosen to share a lot of inaccurate information. Each of these claims have been thoroughly investigated, and in the few cases where we found issues our team has worked to address their concerns and accommodate their needs as appropriate. Amazon did not respond to a request for clarification on which information it deemed inaccurate, and what issues were found and resolved. Earths safest place to work Amazon, which pledged three years ago to become Earths safest place to work, also said it was taking steps to cut its workplace injury rate in half by 2025. But labor advocacy and worker safety groups claim its injury rates remain dangerously high. The Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of trade unions, has annually released reports on Amazons injury rates for the past four years. Its latest report found Amazons injury rate for 2023 was 6.5 injuries per 100 workers. In 2020, the year before the company first announced plans to halve its injury rate, the SOC says it stood at 6.6 per 100 workers. Amazons injury rates remain remain very high, argued David Rosenblatt, deputy director of strategic research and campaigns at the Strategic Organizing Center. They have gone down barely at all, a couple percent over the last year. In a separate report, published last month, the National Employment Law Project claimed that Amazons injury rate for warehousing facilities was more than 1.5 times that of TJX Companies, the owner of TJ Maxx and TK Maxx, and almost triple that of Walmart. Amazon denied the allegations in the reports. These papers are full of misleading and false information, and are created by groups who refuse to accept that weve made real progress because doing so would undercut their agenda, said Vogel, the spokesperson, who claimed its overall injury rate in the US had declined by 28%. Williams, the SWF1 worker in New York, recently had some good news. After his online campaign raised thousands of dollars, his family had a rental application accepted. They hope to move into a new apartment next month. There were a lot of tears, he told the Guardian. It was a little bit of sunshine in a dark time. He is still fighting for disability benefits from Amazon. The gap between how much this company makes, and how much it gives its workers, is way too, too high, said Williams. Nigel Farage's comments about Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a row - Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Europe Peace talks should be held with Vladimir Putin to resolve the war with Ukraine before all the countrys young men are killed, Nigel Farage has said. The Reform UK leader said he was sceptical about Ukraine winning the war and said that Volodymyr Zelenskys pledge to reclaim all the territory taken by Russia could mean there were no young men left in Ukraine. He criticised the former prime minister Boris Johnsons support for such an ambition, saying that it was extraordinary when there had already been up to a million casualties during the war. Mr Farages comments came after he sparked a row by arguing the ever-eastward expansion of Nato and the European Union had given Putin an excuse to justify his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Mr Johnson, who was in office when Putin invaded, accused the Reform leader of spreading Kremlin propaganda with his comments. Asked what progress towards peace might look like in Ukraine, Mr Farage said: What it looks like is not rejecting a peace deal which Johnson very clearly did, for his own reasons. How many people have died as a result of that, I dont know. Johnson, on the Ukraine war, its as if he wants both sides to fight to the death. Given weve got up to a million battle casualties, I find it extraordinary. It may be that peace is some way away. All Ive said is that I was totally opposed to the Iraq War, vehemently opposed to the Libyan war and I just think some attempt to broker negotiations between these two sides needs to happen. Clearly, on territory, such as Crimea, that is going to be incredibly difficult. Responding to questions pointing out that Mr Zelensky has always vowed to reclaim all of the territory taken by Russia, Mr Farage said: Well, there may be no young men left in Ukraine. Ukraine introduced a new conscription law last month following months of troop and ammunition shortages. Under the new laws, the mobilisation of men was lowered from 27 to 25, with all those aged between 25 and 60 required to log their details on an electronic database so they can be called up. Asked if he would be willing to cede ground, Mr Farage added: Thats his choice. I just think some attempt, no-one is even talking about peace. All we are talking about is Ukraine is going to win. Really? Im pretty sceptical about that. Mr Farage has stood by his remarks over the eastward expansion of Nato, saying Mr Johnson was a hypocrite after suggesting the expansion of the EU caused the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2016. I predicted what happened in Ukraine, and I alone predicted what happened in Ukraine. I regret to say that I was right, he said. I have been utterly consistent, Ive never changed my view, Ive been the only British figure that had foreign policy right. These people are just not fit to govern. French economist Gabriel Zucman said valuing the wealth of billionaires would be relatively simple, as most of it was held in the form of shares. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters An international scheme to tax the wealth of the worlds 3,000 billionaires is technically feasible and could net up to $250bn (197bn) a year in extra revenue, a new report says. A study by the French economist Gabriel Zucman concluded that progress in finding ways to tax multinational corporations meant it was now possible to levy a global tax on individuals even if not every country agreed to take part. Zucman prepared the report after being invited by Brazil which now holds the presidency of the G20 group of developed and developing nations to examine ways of increasing the low levels of tax currently paid by the super-rich. There is overwhelming public support for this idea, Zucman said at the reports launch. Ten years ago nobody believed 130 countries would support a minimum tax on multinationals. It was thought of as utopian. The report said billionaires were currently paying an average of 0.3% tax on their wealth less than the rates paid by workers. Zucman said the average wealth of the top 0.0001% of individuals had grown by 7.1% a year on average between 1987 and 2024, increasing the share of global wealth of billionaires from 3% to 14%. Describing his plan as a top-up to income tax so that billionaires paid an annual tax bill worth at least 2% of their wealth, Zucman said progressive taxation was a key pillar of modern societies. International cooperation was needed to prevent a race to the bottom, he said, but it was not necessary for every country to sign up for the idea to get off the ground. The US opposes a global tax on wealth, although Zucman said Joe Bidens budget proposal to tax Americas super-rich was consistent with his plan. Zucman said valuing the wealth of billionaires would be relatively simple because most of it was held in the form of shares. His report said it could be enforced successfully even if all countries did not adopt it, by strengthening current exit taxes (levies on rich people taking their money to a non-participating jurisdiction) and implementing tax collector of last resort. This would involve extending to individuals rules that allow participating countries to tax non-participating countries undertaxed multinationals. The proposal will be discussed at next months G20 meeting of finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro. Oxfam Internationals interim executive director Amitabh Behar said: This is a sensible and serious proposal that is in every governments strategic economic interest. All G20 countries should support Brazils push to secure the first-ever global deal to tax the super-rich. Phil White, member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, said: Zucmans report shows that a coordinated, international approach to taxing the super-rich is the sensible and fair way to address the extreme concentration of wealth. Addressing billionaire wealth should be viewed as the initial step; if we aim to safeguard democracy from the corrosive effects of extreme wealth, then multimillionaires like me should also be prepared to pay more and take pride in contributing their fair share. Extending the plan to those with wealth in excess of $100m (79m) would raise an additional $100bn-$140bn (79bn-110bn) a year, Zucman said. Ultra-orthodox Jews have long been exempt from serving in the Israeli army - Amir Levy/Getty Images Europe Ultra-Orthodox Jews must be conscripted into the Israeli army, the supreme court has said, in a ruling that could fracture Benjamin Netanyahus Right-wing governing coalition. All Israeli Jews, roughly 80 per cent of the population, must serve in the military. However, the ultra-orthodox have long been exempt. Now the supreme court has ruled that the pressure for manpower due to the war in Gaza is so great that the exclusion must be scrapped. At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute, the courts unanimous ruling said. The ruling does not say how many yeshiva students will be made to enlist but the High Court of Justice has said it will roll out conscription gradually. It will begin with 3,000 this year, in addition to those who have already signed up voluntarily. All of the parties in the coalition favour the exemption, pinning Mr Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, between their hard-Right religious position and a nation which has long cried out for reform. The ruling could shatter already fragile relations between Benjamin Netanyahu and more extreme elements of the government - SHAUL GOLAN/AFP Already battling for political survival, Israels longest-serving prime minister now faces the tough job of justifying the rule change to the already volatile coalition. Religious members of Mr Netanyahus government reacted angrily to the news. Aryeh Deri, controversial chairman of the Shas party, defended the importance of those who dedicate their lives to studying religious texts, calling them Israels secret weapon. Meir Porush from United Torah Judaism also condemned the ruling, saying: There is no power in the world that can force a person whose soul longs to study Torah to refrain from it. Yitzhak Goldknopf, the minister of construction and housing, from the Agudat Israel party, said the decision was regrettable and disappointing. The State of Israel was established to be a home for the Jewish people, whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence, he said. Benny Gantz However, Benny Gantz, the former defence minister who recently resigned from the war cabinet, has long been in favour of enlisting the ultra-Orthodox. In a party statement earlier this month, he said: While IDF soldiers are fighting for the country, [Netanyahu and the coalition] are fighting to perpetuate the [Haredi] exemption from serving. It is not too late to pass a broad and comprehensive outline that will satisfy the needs of security and society. Israels coalition government consists of six Right-wing, religious and nationalist parties: Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, Religious Zionist Party, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) and Noam. Ultra-Orthodox parties are crucial to Mr Netanyahu's political survival - Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels controversial national security minister, once convicted on terror and incitement charges, leads the nationalist Jewish Power party, while Bezalel Smotrich, the nationalist finance minister who is campaigning to annex the West Bank, leads the Religious Zionist Party. The ultra-orthodox community is Israels fastest-growing minority, boosted by heavy government funding. Tax exempt, they attend private schools and are financed in social and religious institutions. Their exemption from conscription angers those who send their sons and daughters to war. Ilana Cohen, whose 20-year-old son has been in and out of Gaza since the ground invasion began, said: The question is how this will be implemented in reality. Yes, the law is changing, but there are so far no clear guidelines for the IDF and no clear indications that it will truly be put into place. Why are their sons better than mine? How are their lives more precious than those of us sending our sons and daughters to war? Exempt since 1948 Seminary students have been exempt from service since the founding of the Jewish state in 1948, while non-orthodox Jews are typically conscripted straight from school. Men are expected to serve for a minimum of 32 months and women for a minimum of 24 months. The only way to ensure they conscript is to stop funding them, said Daniella Rivlin, whose son is a reserve soldier on Israels northern front. They have no incentive to serve and all the means to avoid conscription so we need much wider change, she added, suggesting that so long as the religious schools, or yeshivas, are fully funded, she sees little hope of change. Three hundred Israeli soldiers were killed on the morning of Oct 7 2023 when terror group Hamas invaded Israel, targeting multiple bases, and around 400 more have been killed since ground operations in Gaza began shortly afterwards. Thousands of reservists have been called up to fight in the longest Gaza war since Hamas took control of the strip in 2007. Hamas claims around 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the onslaught while Israel says it has killed at least 15,000 Hamas fighters. Jeremy Hunt told Rachel Reeves: 'You have refused to rule out explicitly a range of further tax rises' - PA Video/PA Jeremy Hunt has challenged Labour to promise there will be no extra tax rises in the partys first Budget if it wins the general election. The Chancellor made the demand in a letter to Rachel Reeves, his opposite number as Labours shadow chancellor. The Labour Party has put a handful of specific tax rises, such as applying VAT to private school fees, in its election manifesto. But Labour figures are reportedly looking at bigger tax rises, such as increases in council taxes and capital gains tax (CGT), for their first fiscal event if they win office. Think tanks have also suggested that Labour as well as the Tories would need to increase tax or oversee deep cuts in unprotected government departments after the election. Mr Hunt wrote in his letter: It is vital people can plan their finances for the year ahead with certainty. Throughout this campaign, while you have consistently said that you have no plans for taxes rises beyond those set out in your manifesto, you have refused to rule out explicitly a range of further tax rises, including on peoples homes, savings and pensions. He added: Can you therefore confirm that, should Labour win the next general election, in your first fiscal event you will not include any tax rises beyond those set out in your manifesto? Mr Hunt then listed a series of taxes he wanted Ms Reeves to rule out, such as taxing the state pension, increasing the number of council tax bands or increasing stamp duty. Rachel Reeves called Mr Hunt's move 'nonsense' - Wattie Cheung A spokesman for Ms Reeves replied: It shows how desperate the Conservatives campaign has got that they have asked Jeremy Hunt to come out of hiding and put his name to this nonsense. Its time for change. The intervention is the latest attempt by the Conservative election campaign to force people to focus on the possibility of Labour tax rises. Almost every day in the month-long campaign there have been planned tax attacks, with the Tories urging people to start saving if they think Labour is going to win office. Labour is promising not to increase the rates of income tax, National Insurance, VAT and corporation tax. They have also ruled out charging CGT on peoples primary residences after the Tories alleged the move could be coming. Pledge to reduce taxes But the party has not explicitly ruled out increases in council tax or CGT. Instead there is a wider pledge to reduce taxes on working people, a phrase which remains open to definition. Whichever party forms the next government a fiscal event either a Budget or an Autumn Statement would probably be triggered within weeks. The Office for Budget Responsibility must be given 10 weeks notice by the Treasury to produce a forecast before such an event. If Labour wins the election, as opinion polls suggest, preparations are already being made by party insiders for a Budget in September 2024. Rishi Sunak could make the same challenge to Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, in the second and final head-to-head debate on the BBC on Wednesday evening. The Biden administration threw in the towel over its fight with Julian Assange because it did not believe a Labour government would extradite him, the WikiLeaks founders former legal adviser has said. Geoffrey Robertson KC, who mentored Sir Keir Starmer when he was a young barrister, told The Telegraph that American prosecutors knew they couldnt rely on a Starmer administration to put Assange on a flight across the Atlantic. Mr Robertson, the head of the legal chambers that has represented Assange in his battle with the US legal system, said other political factors were also at play, including pressure from Assanges native Australia after a change of government two years ago. Another key factor in resolving the case, Mr Robertson said, was the support for a plea bargain deal from Caroline Kennedy, the influential US ambassador to Australia. Assange was released from Belmarsh prison in London on Monday and pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act in federal court in Sapian, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, after midnight (GMT) on Wednesday. He will fly to Australia as a free man and meet up with his wife and children, due to being sentenced to time served. The deal came after Assange was granted leave to appeal the extradition order on the grounds of free speech, which was due to be heard on July 9. He was being represented by Edward Fitzgerald KC of Doughty Street Chambers. Mr Robertson, the founder and joint head of Doughty Street Chambers, represented Assange for several years and believes the US authorities sensed that even if Assange lost his latest appeal, a Labour government would have found reasons to refuse his extradition. He said: Even if America was successful, it would depend on the government of the day as to whether he was actually extradited. I think they have thrown in the towel because they know, as everyone else knows, that we are going to have a Starmer government next week and they couldnt rely on a Labour government to put him on a plane. So they have reached this deal that allows him to get time served. Mr Robertson, who holds both British and Australian citizenship, said it was significant that Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister whose Labour Party came to power two years ago, supported the release of Assange. Questions had also started to be asked in the US press supporting the idea that Assange fell under the protection of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which covers freedom of speech and freedom of the press, a potential unwelcome distraction for Joe Biden in the run-up to Novembers presidential election. Asked about dropping the prosecution in April, Mr Biden said: Were considering it. Mr Robertson said Ms Kennedy had been a key figure in the saga. Last year, she told the Sydney Morning Herald there could be a resolution to the Assange case via a plea deal, which flew in the face of comments by Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, who had rejected pleas for his release. He also said Assanges threats to kill himself if he was sent to America might have had a bearing on the case, as Sir Keir, a former human rights lawyer, might have been sympathetic to the argument that sending Assange to the US would have put his life at risk. Mr Robertson suggested the fact the US had agreed to a court appearance in an unincorporated territory of the US showed an element of capitulation by the Americans as it took into account Assanges refusal to fly over American air space. The plea deal marks the end of years of wrangling over Mr Assanges future, which has embroiled the governments of the US, UK, Sweden, Australia and Ecuador. Mr Bidens administration has been mulling withdrawing the 18 espionage charges brought by Donald Trumps administration in 2018 for some time, amid diplomatic pressure from Australia and doubt about how long he would serve in prison in the US. The total sentence could have amounted to 175 years. On Tuesday, Stella Assange, who represented the WikiLeaks founder before marrying him in prison, said he would ask Mr Biden for a presidential pardon for the one conviction he has agreed to. She told the Reuters news agency she hoped the US government would eventually wipe her husbands criminal record clean in the name of press freedom. The fact that there is a guilty plea, under the Espionage Act in relation to obtaining and disclosing National Defence information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists and national security journalists in general, she said. Mr Trump, who had previously pursued Assange in the courts, has said he is very seriously considering offering him a pardon if he wins a second presidential term in November. Assange has also launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the charter flight from the UK to the Northern Mariana Islands, and onwards to Australia after his hearing. The plane was provided by the Australian government, but Assange must now pay back the 395,000 cost. He will basically be in debt when he lands in Canberra, his wife said. Were going to launch an emergency fund to try to get this money so that we can pay the Australian government back for his freedom flight. The announcement of the plea deal reignited the debate about WikiLeaks in Washington on Tuesday. Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is running for president as an independent candidate, suggested a monument to Assange should be erected in the US capital as a civics lesson for the American public about the importance of free speech. Mr Kennedy, who is Caroline Kennedys cousin, also said Edward Snowdon should be pardoned and allowed to return to the US after spending more than a decade in exile in Russia. Mike Pence, the former vice-president in Trumps administration, said Assange should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and criticised Mr Biden for agreeing to a plea deal. The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families, he said. James Clapper, who was the director of US national intelligence when the Iraq and Afghanistan disclosures were released, said Mr Assange had paid his dues and that the plea deal was the right decision. There was a damage assessment done at the time there was concern but I dont recall direct proof that assets in Afghanistan and Iraq supporting or helping the US were exposed, he told CNN. The journalist and campaigner was accused of working with Chelsea Manning, a former US Army soldier, to obtain and release papers relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in what has been dubbed the largest leak of sensitive material in American history. The WikiLeaks website later released more documents from the Democratic National Committee and from the CIA. American officials argued that his actions endangered national security and the lives of US personnel working overseas, but press freedom campaigners said the WikiLeaks documents had exposed government wrongdoing and that he should be released. However, the case was complicated by the fact that Assange lived at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, with political asylum status, for seven years from 2012 to 2019. The Ecuadorian government refused British police access to Assange, arguing that any officer who entered the building to arrest him would be in breach of the Vienna Convention on diplomacy. The relationship between Assange and the embassy eventually broke down, and he left in April 2019 to be arrested by British police on charges of breaching his bail conditions from an earlier case in Sweden, and on behalf of the US authorities. He was sent to HMP Belmarsh, in south-east London, where his planned extradition was further delayed by a series of legal challenges. In 2021, he had a small stroke while in prison. Assanges legal team brought a variety of appeals against the extradition order, including that would likely face the death penalty if convicted in the US, in what he argued would amount to a breach of his human rights. In April, Joe Bidens administration provided binding assurances to the UK government that Assange would not face the death penalty if he stood trial. Last month, Assange fought off the threat of an immediate extradition to the US while his lawyers worked on an agreement with the American authorities. 01:45 PM BST Thats all for today Thats all for now. Thanks for following our live blog. Here is a summary of what has happened today: Julian Assange was released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia and former high commissioner to the UK said this was an appropriate way to bring the saga to an end Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia Julian Assanges wife Stella Assange told the BBC she is elated and feels a whirlwind of emotion following his release from Belmarsh Prison Assange landed in Bangkok at around noon local time Mike Pence, the former US vice president, criticised Assanges plea deal, calling it a miscarriage of justice James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence when Assange leaked documents in 2010, said the journalist had paid his dues 01:00 PM BST Assange release victory for journalists, says industry organisation Julian Assanges release from prison is a victory for journalists around the world, according to journalist organisations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) described the development as a significant victory for media freedom. A statement said: The dropping of 17 of the 18 charges that he faced avoids the criminalisation of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality. IFJ president Dominique Pradalie said: Julian Assange is free. Victory for the right to inform and to be informed. Victory for journalists around the world. IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger added: The attempted prosecution of Julian Assange cast a dark shadow over journalists, particularly those who cover national security issues. Had Assange gone to prison for the rest of his life, any reporter handed a classified document would fear facing a similar fate. 12:50 PM BST Assange released from prison after reaching plea agreement 12:12 PM BST Plea agreement signed on June 19 In a court order released on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Julian Assange had left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after a plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request. They also said that the lawyers for Assange and the US authorities would need to provide an agreed document related to the pending extradition appeal proceedings by Friday afternoon. 12:10 PM BST Assange bail hearing held in private, says Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service said a bail hearing for Julian Assange was held in private last Thursday. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: Thirteen-and-a-half years and two extradition requests after he was first arrested, Julian Assange left the UK yesterday, following a bail hearing last Thursday, held in private at his request. I am proud of the way our extradition unit has dealt with this case. They have acted with expertise and skill, under international scrutiny, to provide legal advice to both the Swedish and US authorities. This case has absorbed considerable time and resource from the criminal justice system over many years. The intended outcome of the plea agreement will be to accomplish the primary objective of delivering justice. It will also save the continuing substantial resource outlay involved in litigating this matter further in England. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPSs extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely. 11:44 AM BST Huge burden lifted following Assange release, says father Julian Assanges freedom has lifted a huge burden from his family, his father John Shipton told the PA news agency. 11:22 AM BST Telegraph readers give their thoughts on Assange deal 11:02 AM BST Comment: Assange isnt a hero, but a Left-wing dupe who damaged national security I for one will not be celebrating Julian Assanges plea deal. Assange is no hero to me and to many other veterans in this country, and the US, who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere to protect our democracy. He is but a Left-wing dupe who damaged our national security and that of our allies, putting lives at risk. Read the full article by Hamish De Bretton-Gordon here. 10:31 AM BST Assange has paid his dues, says former US director of national intelligence James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence when Assange leaked documents in 2010, said the journalist had paid his dues. Mr Clapper told CNN: I actually think this came out pretty well critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage. The law enforcement and intelligence community would not have bought into this without that. Hes paid his dues. There was a damage assessment done at the time - there was concern but I dont recall direct proof that assets in Afghanistan and Iraq supporting or helping US were exposed. 10:15 AM BST Mike Pence criticises Assange deal Mike Pence, the former US vice president, has criticised Assanges plea deal. He called it a miscarriage of justice, adding that Mr Assange should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the... national security of the United States. Ever. 10:05 AM BST Recap: Julian Assange leaves UK after plea deal Julian Assange has left the UK following his release from prison thanks to a plea deal brokered with US authorities over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Mr Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday morning and boarded a flight from Stansted Airport before landing at Bangkok airport to refuel at around noon local time on Tuesday. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. The US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. It follows WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. 09:39 AM BST Assange paying $500,000 for a flight to Australia Julian Assange is paying half a million US dollars for the flight which is taking him to Australia, his wife Stella told the PA news agency. 09:37 AM BST Assange release marks new chapter, says wife Julian Assanges wife Stella said the couple wanted to start this new chapter following her husbands release from prison. Asked what the couple plan to do now, Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: We havent even had an opportunity to have a long conversation about this and I think we dont even know. The priority now is for Julian to get healthy again. Hes been in a terrible state for five years. To just be in contact with nature, thats what we both desire for now. And to have time and privacy and just start this new chapter. Asked about her family life, Ms Assange, a lawyer who has worked on her husbands legal team, said: Its always been quite extraordinary but I am just so emotional now that this is finally over. 09:21 AM BST Assanges children are not yet aware of his release Julian Assanges wife Stella said the couples children are not yet aware that their father has been released from prison. Asked if she had told their children, Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: Not yet. All I told them was that there was a big surprise and on the morning that we left, I told them we were heading to the airport and we got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on. They still dont know - weve been very careful because obviously no one can stop a five and a seven-year-old from shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. And because of the sensitivity around the judge having to sign off the deal, weve been very careful - just gradually, incrementally telling them information. Theyre very excited to be in Australia though. Ms Assange said she would tell her children about their fathers release before they see him. She added: Theyve never seen him outside of Belmarsh. All their interactions with Julian have been in a single visitors room inside Belmarsh Prison. Its always been for a little more than an hour at a time. Its been very restrictive. He cant walk around, he cant go to the tuck shop - he wasnt able to go to the tuck shop and buy a chocolate or anything. You see, I have to change my tenses now - its been so long that Im not used to talking about Julian free in the present. 09:11 AM BST Pictured: Assange speaks from Stansted airport to wife in Australia via video call Julian Assange speaks from Stansted airport to his wife in Sydney, Australia, via video call - Stella Assange/REUTERS 09:08 AM BST Stella Assange says interesting plea deal with US will be made public Julian Assanges wife Stella said her husbands interesting plea deal with the US will be made public. Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: The deal itself will be made public and I think its a very interesting deal. Im sorry, I cant really talk about it in detail. I certainly have views about the deal but I dont want to jeopardise anything. Ms Assange added: I was having discussions with Julian about his freedom. And for me as his wife, and all of our family, the priority has always been that Julian should be able to be free - to regain his freedom. And he has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case, which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states. 09:06 AM BST Pictured: Julian Assange Interpol appeal Interpol appeal for the arrest of the editor-in-chief of Julian Assange - Getty Images 08:46 AM BST Stella Assange says husband will be a free man once deal signed off Stella Assange said her husband will be a free man once a plea deal with the US is signed off by a judge. Asked if the case involved Mr Assange pleading guilty to one charge, Stella Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: Yes, the charge concerns the Espionage Act, and obtaining and disclosing national defence information. Ms Assange, a lawyer who has worked on her husbands legal team, added: The important thing here is that the deal involved time served - that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will happen some time tomorrow. 08:44 AM BST Stella Assange says there is an agreement in principle between US DoJ and husband The wife of Julian Assange said there was an agreement in principle between her husband and the US Department of Justice. Stella Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: What there is, is an agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice. And that has to be signed off by a judge in these Northern Mariana Islands which is in the Pacific Ocean where he is going to be headed, but hes currently in Bangkok on a layover. And once the judge signs off on it, then it is formally real. So Im also a little bit limited as to what I can say right now about the agreement in principle. 08:25 AM BST Stella Assange elated following WikiLeaks founder release Julian Assanges wife Stella Assange told the BBC she is elated and feels a whirlwind of emotion following his release from Belmarsh Prison after reaching a plea deal with the US over an espionage charge. She told BBC Radio 4: Its a whirlwind of emotions. I mean Im just elated. Its just incredible. Asked about the conversations that led to his release, Ms Assange said: Well, its been so touch and go, we werent really sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. We were talking about - I dont know what he needed to do and take from his cell and I also had to pack things up, and head out to Australia 24 hours before he left. So its just been non-stop for the past, I think, 72 hours. 08:22 AM BST Pictured: Plane carrying Assange seen on tarmac at Bangkok airport Plane carrying Assange seen on tarmac at Bangkok airport - NARONG SANGNAK/Shutterstock 08:19 AM BST What did Julian Assange do? Timeline of the Wikileaks legal saga Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail in what will likely be the last legal twist of a complex and high-stakes battle with the courts that has run for more than a decade. The Australian journalist and campaigner, 52, has spent the last five years in HMP Belmarsh, attempting to avoid extradition to the United States. There, it was thought he faced espionage charges that carry a sentence of up to 175 years in prison. Read how the full story unfloded here. 08:06 AM BST Pictured: Julian Assange over the years Stella Moris outside HMP Belmarsh after her wedding ceremony inside the jail to Assange in 2022 - Yui Mok/PA Julian Assange is dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2019 Julian Assange speaking via web cast from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2015 - FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP 08:00 AM BST We want him home, says Australia prime minister Speaking on Assanges release, Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that - regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities - the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. 07:58 AM BST WikiLeaks statement announcing Assange Belmarsh departure In a statement posted on X just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. 07:53 AM BST Julian Assange released from prison after reaching plea deal with US Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Papers filed in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Monday revealed Mr Assange will plead guilty to one felony charge in exchange for his immediate freedom. Read the full story here. 07:50 AM BST Watch: Assange boards plane at Stansted airport 07:49 AM BST Assange has admitted to a very serious offence, says former foreign secretary of Australia Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia and former high commissioner to the UK, told BBC Radio 4: I think but I dont know that the Australian government has had discussions with the Americans about it and I think its probably fair to say they have wanted this saga to come to an end. And this is an appropriate way for it to be brought to an end. The plea bargain is such that Julian Assange has admitted his guilt in this case to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information which is an extremely serious offence, so hes pleaded guilty to that. And the time he has spent in jail in the UK will be taken into account in determining his release, but I dont think we should walk past the fact that it is a very serious charge that hes admitted to, so in that sense, its no doubt appropriate. He added: Hes pleaded guilty. Thats part of the plea bargain. So the fact is, we can now satisfactorily say he was guilty of a very serious offence. 07:09 AM BST Assange released on bail after plea deal Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Papers filed in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Monday revealed Mr Assange will plead guilty to one felony charge in exchange for his immediate freedom. The US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. Under the terms of the deal, the journalist will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, but the five years he has already spent incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh in the UK will count against that period. Julian Assange is expected to face no new prison time - JACK TAYLOR/GETTY IMAGES Julian Assange has reached a plea deal with the US Justice Department that will allow him to walk free and resolve a long-running legal saga that has centred on the publication of a trove of classified documents. Mr Assange left HMP Belmarsh prison on Monday and will appear in a US federal court on Wednesday at 9am local time (Tuesday 11pm, GMT) in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. He is due to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the US governments years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing. Who is Julian Assange and what is WikiLeaks? Julian Assange, 52, is the founder of WikiLeaks, a non-profit organisation set up in 2006 to publish classified information from anonymous sources. It claims to be a platform for whistleblowers and to have published more than 10 million files. Mr Assange became a skilled hacker during his teenage years and by 1996 - aged 25 - he had pleaded guilty to 24 charges of hacking and related crimes in Australia, being fined $2,100. He has described WikiLeaks as a giant library of the worlds most persecuted documents. Assange in February 2012, shortly before he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he stayed for seven years - Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Where is Julian Assange from? Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland in 1971, but moved often, living in more than 30 Australian towns and cities over the course of his childhood. What is Assange and WikiLeaks accused of? WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washingtons wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Mr Assange was indicted during Donald Trumps administration over the mass release of the documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The United States initially brought 18 charges against Mr Assange in 2018, including 17 charges related to obtaining and disclosing US defence information and one charge of conspiring with Ms Manning to hack a government system. However the US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. What will the plea deal require? Under the terms of the deal, the Mr Assange will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, but the five years he has already spent incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh in the UK will count against that period. The agreement must be approved by a federal judge before it can take effect. Julian Assange pictured in London on Monday before departing - Reuters What information did Julian Assange allegedly release? WikiLeaks has released, among other things, footage from a US military helicopter showing civilians being killed in Baghdad in Iraq, documents relating to the unreported killing of civilians by US military in Afghanistan and a manual for operations at Guantanamo Bay. It also shared US State Department diplomatic cables in 2010 and files which documented alleged spying by the US on European politicians, including Angela Merkel. In 2016, WikiLeaks shared emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the campaign manager of Hillary Clinton, which damaged Clintons run for president. The US claimed that the leaked emails were hacked by Russia, which WikiLeaks denies. The group has been criticised over its alleged ties to Moscow. The US government also claimed Mr Assange helped Osama bin Laden hunt American informants in the Middle East by publishing classified documents online, with prosecutors saying documents made public by WikiLeaks had been recovered at Bin Ladens Abbottabad compound. The US claimed that a New York Times article in 2010 proves that the Taliban was using information it found on the WikiLeaks website. The Americans also claimed that informants allegedly named by WikiLeaks have since disappeared. The US said Assange's hacking of information helped Osama Bin Laden target informants - AP How did he avoid extradition to the US? Mr Assange evaded extradition by taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy from 2012 to 2019. In 2010, a warrant had been issued for his arrest by Sweden over allegations of sexual assault, which Mr Assange denied, claiming they were a pretext to extradite him to the US. He gave himself up to British police but was released on bail within 10 days. After unsuccessfully challenging the extradition proceedings, Mr Assange breached his 340,000 bail in June 2012 to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. However, in 2019, his political asylum status was withdrawn following a disagreement with the Ecuadorian authorities and he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breach of bail conditions. Assange in May last year, after he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions - DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Then in 2021, a judge ruled that Mr Assanges detention should continue on the substantial grounds that he might abscond from future appeal hearings. The US government then unsealed their own indictments against Mr Assange, and his extradition to the US was contested in the British courts. The Swedish investigation against Mr Assange was also dropped. What was his defence? During Mr Assanges 2020 extradition hearing, his lawyers argued that the prosecution is not motivated by genuine concern for criminal justice but by politics. They also argued that the case was part of a wider assault on free speech by Donald Trumps administration and that the US wanted to make an example of the WikiLeaks founder. Mr Assange claimed that WikiLeaks only published the unredacted material pertaining to the names of informants after they had been published by others who have never faced prosecution. He also denied helping Ms Manning in accessing the leaked documents. As such, his defence team argued that the US case fundamentally misrepresents the facts in order to bring this case within the bounds of an extradition crime. His team also contended that the extradition would be an abuse of process because extradition for a political offence is expressly prohibited by Article 4(1) of the Anglo-US Extradition Treaty. Who supports Assange? Supporters of Mr Assange included Dame Vivienne Westwood, who prior to her death protested outside the court on the first day of the extradition hearing in 2020; Rafael Correa, the former president of Ecuador; and Pamela Anderson, the ex-Baywatch actress. He has also been praised by Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek economist, and John McDonnell, who said the Assange case was the Dreyfus case of our age. Dame Vivienne Westwood is a supporter of Assange - HOLLIE ADAMS/GETTY IMAGES Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europes commissioner for human rights, also criticised Mr Assanges extradition. Organisations and civil liberties groups including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders offered support to Mr Assange too, arguing the charges threaten the freedom of the press. Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Assange at the embassy in 2016 - BEN A PRUCHNIE/GETTY IMAGES What is the Russia connection? Mr Assanges barrister claimed during his 2020 extradition hearing that his client had been offered a pre-emptive pardon in exchange for helping Donald Trump find the source of the DNC leaks, known as the Russia investigation. Mr Assange claimed in Feb 2020 that Trump offered him a pardon if he denied Russian involvement in the hacking of the DNC emails. What happened inside the embassy? Mr Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex offence allegations, which he denied and were later dropped. During his time in the embassy, his supporters claimed he was subject to intimidation, threats and a breach of his human rights. Assange's supporters protested outside the court on the first day of his extradition hearing - PETER SUMMERS/GETTY IMAGES During his initial extradition hearing, an unnamed witness said the US was holding conversations about whether there should be more extreme measures contemplated, such as kidnapping or poisoning Julian Assange in the embassy. Mr Assange also claimed that he and his lawyers were secretly filmed at the embassy and that this information was passed to the Americans. He also claimed he was subject to constant surveillance and took to sleeping in a tent to retain some privacy. In December 2017, the owner of UC Global, a Spanish company contracted by the Ecuadorian Government to provide security at the embassy, allegedly directed an employee to steal the used nappy of a baby who sometimes accompanied its mother when she visited Mr Assange. The owner, David Morales, said in a court hearing in Spain that the theft was necessary to DNA test faecal matter to establish if the child was Mr Assanges. The WikiLeaks founder has claimed that this may have been part of an attempt to blackmail him. Critics of Iran, including members of the Conservative government, have often called for the IRGC to be proscribed in recent years - AFP Labour wants to proscribe Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group by changing the law if it wins the election, The Telegraph understands. Both Yvette Cooper and David Lammy, who are set to become home secretary and foreign secretary respectively if the Labour Party takes office next week, are backing the new approach. The Tories have been considering proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for more than a year but declined to act after splits between the Home Office and Foreign Office over how such a move would damage diplomatic ties with Iran. Proscription is a mechanism that allows a government to formally declare a group a terrorist organisation, after which it is a criminal offence to belong to the group or encourage support. Labour has concluded that the current approach is outdated and wants a different approach to bodies, such as the IRGC, which are closely interwoven with the state. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, and David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, are backing the move - ZUMA Press, Inc/Alamy Stock Photo The IRGC is a military group with its own air, land, naval, and special forces that sits alongside Irans traditional armed forces and protects the nations fundamentalist regime. Counter-terrorism police revealed last year that 15 plots by Iran to either kidnap or kill British or UK-based individuals had been foiled by police or the security services. Critics of Iran, including on the Tory benches, have often called for the IRGC to be proscribed in recent years, a move the US administration took during Donald Trumps presidency. Hostile states The Labour manifesto explicitly called out the IRGC, saying: From the Skripal poisonings to assassination plots by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, threats from hostile states or state-sponsored groups are on the rise, but Britain lacks a comprehensive framework to protect us. Labour will take the approach used for dealing with non-state terrorism and adapt it to deal with state-based domestic security threats. Ms Cooper and Mr Lammy have a three-point plan to change the Governments counter-terrorism approach to pave the way for proscribing the IGRC. Under one aspect, a new bespoke proscription mechanism will make it easier for state-based actors to be formally designated terror groups. In theory, any group can be designated a terror organisation under the current laws. But taking that step for one so interwoven with a foreign government brings many complications, since individuals are constricted from engaging with anyone linked to that group. Intelligence agencies Changes would be discussed with the intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism police and it is expected new legislation of some form would be needed. Labour figures close to the policy insist specifics on how bespoke proscription would be decided after careful deliberation with relevant experts. A second aspect will be updating the UKs cross-government counter-terrorism strategy, called Contest, which was introduced in the wake of the Sept 11 2001 attacks in America. A third will be a new joint cell between the Home Office and the Foreign Office to work together on how to tackle state-based threats posing a risk on UK soil. Splits between these two departments have contributed to Rishi Sunaks government not moving ahead with IRGC proscription. Diplomatic channel Both Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, argued for the move, which had been expected to happen in early 2023. However, the Foreign Office is understood to have argued firmly against the change because it would have complicated diplomatic ties with Iran. At points it was claimed that the US backed up the Foreign Offices case, saying the UK having an open diplomatic channel with Iran was helpful. The Oct 7 attack by Hamas, which was followed by Israels assault on Gaza, changed the situation in the Middle East, with the West seeking to avoid escalation in the conflict. It is unclear what the timescale for changes would be if, as opinion polls indicate, the Labour Party wins the general election on July 4 and forms the next government. If primary legislation is needed to bring in the new proscription approach, as one Labour source close to the policy suspects, a lengthy process of passing the law is likely to follow. Proscription is a legal process and therefore any move to proscribe the IRGC would involve government lawyers building up the legal case before a final decision is taken. Groups that have been proscribed recently include Hizb ut-Tahrir, a Sunni Islamist political grouping, and Wagner Group, a private military organisation which has acted as a proxy for the Russian state. graphic of ed davey and keir starmer on map Labour and the Lib Dems have been accused of forming a secret election pact after analysis revealed that the parties leaders are steering clear of each others target seats. Of the 100 constituencies with the smallest swing required for a Lib Dem victory, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has visited just two since the start of the election campaign, according to data compiled by The Telegraph. Meanwhile, Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, has been to just one of 100 seats needing the smallest swing for a Labour win, raising suspicions of a covert pact between the parties to oust the Tories. A Conservative Party spokesman claimed it proved the parties had struck an election deal. Andrew Lewer, the Tory candidate for Northampton South, said: If Starmer and Davey are teaming up and believe that a vote for one is as good as a vote for the other, then they should come right out and say so. In theory, Labour and the Lib Dems could form a pact to maximise Conservative losses by pulling resources from areas where the other is considered more likely to topple a Tory incumbent. For Labour, this would mean focusing on seats in the north of England that fell to the Conservatives in 2019, while the Lib Dems are said to have the best chance of winning in the Blue Wall, traditional Tory heartlands concentrated in the south of England and the Home Counties. By diverting their efforts away from one anothers target seats, the parties could seek to avoid splitting the anti-Tory vote in some of the Conservatives most vulnerable constituencies, giving them a better shot at inflicting a historic defeat on the Government on July 4. Both Labour and the Lib Dems have denied forming a pact, with Sir Ed publicly rejecting the prospect of any election deals with Labour last year. However, analysis by The Telegraph has found that both leaders are largely avoiding seats where the other appears to be in a strong position to beat the Tories. Of the Lib Dems top 100 target seats, defined by The Telegraph as those needing the smallest swing for a Lib Dem win, Sir Keir has visited only two as of last Friday Finchley and Golders Green, in north London, and York Outer, both Tory-held. Of Labours top 100 targets, Sir Ed had visited just one Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, in Scotland, which is held by the SNP. While Labour would win with a smaller swing, it is also a target seat for the Lib Dems, ranking 69th on their list. Sir Keir has not visited any seats currently held by the Lib Dems, while Sir Ed has been to only one with an incumbent Labour candidate. The Tories claimed Sir Keir was not bothering to challenge the Lib Dems because, no matter how many seats they win, he knows they wont oppose Labour on anything. It comes as a separate analysis by the Financial Times found that Labour was sending activists away from Lib Dem-Tory battlegrounds. The FT reported that volunteers in Somerset, a key Lib Dem target area, have been ordered to travel more than 80 miles to Plymouth, while those in London have been advised to steer clear of seats favoured by Sir Eds party in the south-west of the capital. A Conservative Party spokesman said: This pact just goes to show the Lib Dems are all too happy to go along with Labours retirement tax and 2,094 tax raid on working households. Labour isnt opposing the Lib Dems because, no matter how many seats the Liberals win, Keir Starmer knows they wont oppose Labour on anything. The only thing the more Lib Dem MPs would mean is Starmer being dragged even further to the Left. Kevin Craig says he is 'deeply sorry to the many dedicated and loyal local Labour Party volunteers who have been supporting my campaign' Labour was dragged into the election betting scandal on Tuesday after it suspended a candidate who put a wager on himself losing his seat. The party withdrew its support for Kevin Craig shortly after being informed by the Gambling Commission that he was part of its investigation. He later admitted making the bet, saying it had been a stupid error of judgement. The announcement came after the Conservatives suspended two candidates over allegations that they placed bets on the date of the snap election. In a separate investigation, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that the Gambling Commission was looking at five more police officers over election bets after one from Rishi Sunaks close protection team was arrested. The revelations will prove awkward for Sir Keir Starmer, who has repeatedly attacked Mr Sunak over the betting scandal engulfing the Tories. Labours leader acted swiftly after accusing the Prime Minister of a lack of leadership for failing to cut ties with his candidates sooner. A party spokesman said: With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour Party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case. Mr Craig said he has 'so much respect for how Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party' Mr Craig was selected by Labour to contest Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, a Tory stronghold with a majority of more than 23,000. He admitted putting a bet on himself to lose the race for the seat a few weeks ago, saying that he planned to give any winnings to local charities. In a statement, he said: While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly. I have so much respect for how Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party and I have been fighting so hard to win this seat and change the country alongside him. I deeply regret what I have done and will take the consequences of this stupid error of judgement on the chin. I am deeply sorry to the many dedicated and loyal local Labour Party volunteers who have been supporting my campaign. I will comply fully with the investigation. Mr Craig, an expert in crisis management, will still appear on the ballot paper for Labour as the legal deadline for registering candidates has passed. But if he wins the constituency on July 4 he will sit in Parliament as an independent MP. The seat was last held by Labour as it was previously represented by Dr Dan Poulter, who defected from the Conservatives in April. Mr Craig proved a controversial candidate after it emerged he had donated 100,000 to Labour, sparking accusations he had bought his selection. He separately gave 39,000 to Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, for his work in the role. Sources within the party said that it will now be giving back all of the money. The Westminster-based communications company that he founded, PLMR, previously worked on the branding for Responsible Gambling Week. It also lobbied against Sir Keirs plans to launch a VAT raid on private schools. Labour was informed by the Gambling Commission that Mr Craig was being investigated on Tuesday afternoon and suspended him within minutes. The party took action so quickly that his campaign team were unaware that he was no longer a candidate when initially contacted by The Telegraph. Sir Keir had pledged last week that if any Labour figure were found to have bet on the election their feet wouldnt have touched the ground on the way out. It is understood that he is the first and so far only candidate or official that Labour has been notified about by the watchdog in relation to election betting. Earlier in the day the Tories announced they had suspended Craig Williams and Laura Saunders after carrying out an internal inquiry into their actions. Mr Williams, who was a parliamentary aide to the Prime Minister, admitted two weeks ago that he had placed a flutter on the snap election date. He is defending a 12,000 majority in Montgomeryshire, which an MRP poll for YouGov predicted as the only seat the Conservatives were set to hold in Wales. Ms Saunders is running in Labour-held Bristol North West and is married to Tony Lee, the Tory director of campaigning who is also being investigated. Mr Sunak was under huge pressure to axe the pair including from George Osborne, the former chancellor, who suggested he was not a real political leader. He said the partys excuse for not suspending them earlier was pathetic and accused No 10 of trying to hide away and hope the scandal would blow over. Nick Mason, the Conservative head of data, is also on a leave of absence after it emerged that he is being investigated over allegedly placing dozens of bets. On Tuesday, Scotland Yard separately confirmed that five more police officers are being looked at by the Gambling Commission over election bets. Last week, a serving Met officer, who is a member of Mr Sunaks close protection team, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after allegedly placing a bet on the election date. The officer has been placed on restricted duties. The watchdogs investigation is wide-ranging and is thought to encompass hundreds of bets placed on the election by people with links to politics. Its central focus has been on Tories who may have known the date of the election, but it also covers wagers on an Autumn poll and on the outcome itself. The US surgeon general has warned that the mortality effects of loneliness are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Photograph: itanistock/Stockimo/Alamy Loneliness may increase the risk of stroke by as much as 56%, according to research that experts say explains why the issue poses a major health threat worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said loneliness is among the most significant global health concerns, affecting every facet of health, wellbeing and development. The US surgeon general has warned that its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. While previous research has linked loneliness to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, few have examined the impact on stroke risk specifically. The study, led by Harvard University, is the first of its kind to examine the association between loneliness changes and stroke risk over time. Related: WHO declares loneliness a global public health concern Researchers found that adults aged 50 and above who experienced chronic loneliness had a 56% higher risk of stroke than those who consistently reported not being lonely. Those who experienced situational loneliness but did not suffer long term did not have a higher risk of stroke, the study found, suggesting the impact of loneliness on stroke occurs over many years. The lead author, Dr Yenee Soh, research associate at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said: Loneliness is increasingly considered a major public health issue. Our findings further highlight why that is. Especially when experienced chronically, our study suggests loneliness may play an important role in stroke incidence, which is already one of the leading causes of long-term disability and mortality worldwide. The findings were published in eClinicalMedicine. The study used data from 2006 to 2018 from the University of Michigans health and retirement study. More than 12,000 people aged 50 and above who had never had a stroke were asked questions about loneliness between 2006 and 2008. Four years later, about 9,000 people who remained in the study responded to the same questions and researchers then grouped them depending on their answers across the two time points. The groups were consistently low (those who scored low on the loneliness scale at both points); remitting (those who scored high at first and low at follow-up); recent onset (those who scored low at first and high at follow-up); and consistently high (those who scored high at both baseline and follow-up). After controlling for factors such as social isolation and depressive symptoms, which are closely related to loneliness but distinct, researchers found people considered lonely at the start of the study had a 25% higher risk of stroke than those not considered lonely. But among those who scored consistently high for loneliness at both time points, there was a 56% higher risk of stroke than those in the consistently low group. Repeat assessments of loneliness may help identify those who are chronically lonely and are therefore at a higher risk for stroke, said Soh. People should be offered help based on their loneliness which relates to how people feel even if surrounded by others and not social isolation, which is different, Soh added. If we fail to address their feelings of loneliness, on a micro and macro scale, there could be profound health consequences. Under EU rules, airlines must use a blend of at least 2 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel from 2025 - Kai Pfaffenbach/REUTERS Lufthansa will add a surcharge up to 61 per flight to cover the costs of using greener fuels from next year, the German airline has said. The charges will affect flights from the European Union, the UK, Switzerland and Norway, and start from about 85p, depending on the route, the carrier said. Under EU rules, airlines must use a blend of at least 2 per cent of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2025, rising steadily to 70 per cent by 2050. The UK has even more ambitious short-term targets in place for SAF, which is created from biofuels such as used cooking oil and can cut emissions as much as 80 per cent. Lufthansa ranks second in Europe for passenger numbers - Fabrizio Bensch/REUTERS But amid rising global demand for sustainable fuels, Lufthansa said that it would need to pass on the rising costs to customers for flights from Jan 1 2025. The move by the airline, which ranks second in Europe for passenger numbers, comes after Air France and KLM announced a surcharge of up to 10 on their flights last year. Demand for waste oil used to create SAF could soon outstrip supply from China, the worlds leading producer, warned Transport and Environment, a green NGO, last week. It said that increased demand from airlines to comply with new green regulations was encouraging more imports from Asia. It warned that there was an increase in virgin biofuels being incorrectly labelled as sustainable, including potentially palm oil from Malaysia. Global targets for the use of sustainable aviation fuels in 2030 would require at least twice the used cooking oil that can be collected in the United States, Europe and China combined, the study found. Emmanuel Macron, the French president said the hard-Right and hard-Left risked setting communities against each other if they were given power in the election - Lafargue Raphael/Shutterstock Emmanuel Macron has been accused of deliberately scaring the French by evoking the prospect of a civil war if people vote for extremists in upcoming parliamentary elections. Speaking on a podcast, the French president said that both the hard-Right and hard-Left risked setting religious and ethnic communities against each other if they were given power. But opposition politicians hit back on Tuesday just five days before the country votes in the first of two polls to choose a new National Assembly. Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pens National Rally (NR) party, said: The president of the Republic should not say that. Referring to the Macron administration, Mr Bardella said: They are the ones who are scaring the French. I want to restore security for all French people. Jordan Bardella, the president of National Rally, said 'that 'millions of French people' currently felt insecure in France - FRAT Mr Bardella told the M6 news channel that millions of French people currently felt insecure in France, and he would respond to this demand for authority. The NR is currently leading opinion polls and if it wins an absolute majority following two-round elections that start on Sunday, Mr Macron would be forced to appoint Mr Bardella as his prime minister. In France, such a development is known as cohabitation, and would mean that the NR could introduce a legislative programme. Extreme Leftists also have a chance at power, thanks to the New Popular Front that is putting up a single candidate in each constituency, rather than splitting the potential vote between Socialists, Communists and other factions. Jean-Luc Melenchon, president of the France Unbowed Party (LFI) in the National Assembly, also attacked Macron for his civil war comments. Mr Melenchon another potential prime minister accused Mr Macron of setting fire to the parliamentary campaign, saying that he should turn his tongue seven times in his mouth before saying anything. Jean-Luc Melenchon, president of the Left-wing France Unbowed Party in the National Assembly, accused Mr Macron of "setting fire" to the parliamentary campaign - Alain Robert/Shutterstock Clemence Guette, another LFI MP, said: Emmanuel Macron has been organising the rise of the far-Right for seven years. The civil war is on him. And Olivier Faure, of the French Socialist Party, also said that Mr Macrons comments were completely unacceptable. Mr Faure said: Putting the Popular Front, which wants to defend an ecological and stable republic, on the same level as the extreme Right, which wants to reverse our fundamental principles such as the right to stay in the country you were born in, which even Vichy [the French government which collaborated with the Nazis] did not dare to do, is shameful. It came as a far-Right candidate in eastern France faced prosecution for unveiling an election poster reading: Lets give white children a future. The slogan is accompanied by an image of a blonde, blue-eyed boy, and is in support of Pierre-Nicolas Nups, of the Parti de la France, in the 5th constituency of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department. Pascal Schneider, the mayor of Neuves-Maisons, which is near Nancy, and one of the biggest towns in the constituency, said: This poster is nothing more or less than a rag that sullies the city, the canton, the entire department. The mayor has filed a legal complaint with public prosecutors, saying the poster whips up racist hate. In turn, Mr Nups said: I approved this poster. It is neither sectarian nor exclusive. On the contrary, it delivers a positive message, a message of hope for our youth, and nothing else. And if anyone sees anything else in it, it would be a malicious interpretation. Overweight man eating a sandwich Doctors are demanding a sugar tax increase as the NHS picks up the pieces of botched weight-loss surgeries abroad. More Britons are now having weight-loss procedures such as bariatric surgery in countries like Turkey and South Africa than are having them on the NHS. However, the patients often develop complications from the surgery, which then have to be fixed by the NHS on their return to the UK. Doctors at the British Medical Associations (BMA) annual conference in Belfast on Tuesday said an increase in the sugar tax was needed to fund more weight-management services and put an end to medical tourism. The current sugar tax on fizzy drinks means manufacturers pay 8p per litre on drinks with between 5g and 8g of sugar per 100ml, and 24p per litre on drinks with any more than that. The introduction of the sugar tax on soft drinks has resulted in a decline in obesity in children, doctors say - Lewis Whyld/PA Wire Delegates to the BMA conference spoke out as the Foreign Office revealed that six British people died in Turkey in 2023 after operations for various conditions, including obesity, went wrong. Among them was Shannon Bowe, 28, from Denny near Falkirk, who died after a vital artery leading to her heart was pierced twice during gastric band surgery. The BMA conference passed a motion to demand an increase in funding for weight management services partially paid for by an extension to the sugar tax, and to express concern that the boom in surgical tourism is leading to a rise in serious post-surgery complications and deaths. Prof David Strain, chairman of the BMAs Board of Science, said people were going to countries for procedures with lower standards than we would normally apply in the UK, and patients coming to the NHS with complications were delaying its effort to tackle the backlog of 7.6 million people waiting for treatment. Complications can arise late from any procedure, not just obesity surgery, said Prof Strain. The problem is that people come back and they are asking the NHS to pick up the pieces of procedures that were done [abroad]. Only so many NHS beds He added this was putting an extra burden on the health service because there are only so many beds. If somebody who has gone for a procedure needs to be fixed, it means that an elective procedure is likely to get cancelled, he said, adding that full bariatric surgery carried the greatest risk. As soon as people start chopping up the stomach and reorganising your insides, thats when things can go wrong, he went on. The British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) has said 5,000 Britons travel abroad for bariatric surgery every year, while 4,500 have it on the NHS. More than one in four Britons are considered obese because they have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. A further two in five are overweight. UK surgery waits up to four years Dr Samuel Parker, a GP who proposed the motion to lobby for a higher tax on sugar on behalf of the unions North East Regional Council, told delegates in Belfast that overseas clinics provide bariatric surgery far cheaper than the cost of disposable instruments used in the NHS. He said there were reports of shortcuts, inappropriate use of disposable instruments and patients suffering serious complications necessitating emergency NHS treatment. Dr Parker added that the sugary drinks tax in England had been followed by a drop in the number of cases of obesity among older primary school children. He told the conference that waiting times for bariatric surgery on the NHS are up to three to four years with some localities having no service provision. Dr Reshma Syed, a GP, said surgical tourism was a slow-moving car crash. She regularly sees patients go for procedures to places like Turkey, she added some with no issues, but others with considerable complications, which is extremely concerning. A Dana Air plane on the runway in Lagos. Aviation consultants say the industry must expand to fill over-capacity. Photograph: Sunday Alamba/AP Last Thursday the governor of Zamfara, one of Nigerias poorest states, held a ceremony to mark the start of construction on an international airport in the state capital Gusau. The economic benefits and multiplier effects are quite enormous, Dauda Lawal said. The airport will have a tremendous impact on the ease of doing business and other social interactions [here]. Barely a month before, Alex Otti, the governor of Abia state in the south-east, had thanked federal officials for approving an airstrip project and said he would be lobbying for an upgrade to a full airport in the near future. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, Otti said. Airports have been springing up around the country in recent years; for the most part absent are any concerns about the environmental impact of air travel. Nigeria already has 33 airports all but two entirely owned by the federal or state governments as well as 13 airstrips, four military airfields and 128 sites with helipads. Despite the proliferation in projects, the number of journeys taken by air fell last year to 15.89m, down from 16.17m in 2022. Passenger traffic is incredibly concentrated: just three airports accounted for 92% of all passenger journeys nationwide in 2022, according to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. For some observers the rush to build airports is less about economics and more about political prestige. The simplest answer is that [politicians] have run away from roads the way they ran away from the railways because roads are harder to fix and need more coordination, said Feyi Fawehinmi, an author and political commentator. [Airports] are also shiny and building them allows politicians to say theyve connected their state to the rest of the country and the world. In some instances state governments have opened airports only to find it hard to maintain them. Last year an airport was inaugurated in Ebonyi state that cost 36bn naira (19m). Months later, an additional 13.7bn naira was spent on repairing its barely used runway. Then, in May this year, the federal government said it was stepping in to take over the facility from the state. We have FEC [the Nigerian cabinet] approval, an official said. The only thing left is for us to refund the Ebonyi state government. Nigerias aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, defended the latest projects as a social amenity for the people. In a vast country like Nigeria that is also very sensitive in terms of geopolitical issues, ethnic balancing and all, you want to ensure that infrastructure is evenly distributed, he said. The most important thing is that airports in Nigeria go beyond commercial viability they are not only for the pleasure of those who can afford to fly. Related: Nigerian unions shut down national grid and airports as indefinite strike begins Some experts agreed that having plenty of airports could eventually be beneficial to Africas most populous country, even if the motivation for building them was sometimes questionable. Heathrow used to be a village until the airport came, said Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick, a former rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. Politicians have their own reasons for building them [but] what we should be asking is why are we not using them to their full potential, because airports are supposed to drive development wherever you put them. Part of the problem is cost: fares have doubled in the past three years in a country where more than half the population live on less than 1 a day. Multiple taxes imposed by different government agencies dont help, and nor do high service charges. In 2023 the International Air Transport Association said the $100-a-passenger service charge at Lagos and Abuja airports was the most expensive globally. How can you have such high taxes and expect to be profitable? Kamil Al-Awadhi, Iatas vice-president for Africa and Middle East, reportedly said at the time. One solution put forward at industry forums to reduce the number of ghost airports operating far under capacity is for an expansion in freight transportation by plane. Caulcrick pointed to the possibility of flying raw and processed goods to Lagos port for exportation instead of bringing them by truck. Toni Ukachukwu, the head of the Lagos-based consultancy Aviators Africa and host of ASAP, a podcast on industry sustainability, said the industry needed to expand beyond traditional commercial and business passenger aviation in large jets. In South Africa and Kenya you have your three, four and five-seater airplanes that do scenic flights, agricultural flights, game reserve flights etc, he said. We dont have that in Nigeria. Ukachukwu suggested the industry should learn from a rare domestic success story. Ibom Air is one model Nigerian operators need to look at, he said, referring to the oil-rich Akwa Ibom states carrier, which has a reputation for punctuality. State-owned but independently managed by professionals for five years, they have steadily grown to where they are now. Play is set in 2018 when Jeremy Corbyn was leader of the Opposition - BELINDA JIAO A play in which a group of Jewish people plot to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn will be staged at the Edinburgh Fringe. Revenge: After the Levoyah is a satire examining anti-Semitism, set in 2018 when Mr Corbyn was the leader of the Labour Party. It promises to blow the roof off what it means to be Jewish in the UK. Nick Cassenbaum, the writer, said that Mr Corbyn should not be alarmed by the storyline. In no way am I suggesting this is the action people should be taking, he said. He described the show as a silly, madcap, slapstick production in which two actors, Gemma Barnett and Dylan Corbett-Bader, each play dozens of characters. The lead characters are twins, Dan and Lauren, who meet an ex-gangster named Malcolm at their grandfathers funeral. Malcolm is dying and wants to do something meaningful with his remaining days, so hatches a plot to kidnap Mr Corbyn. He enlists the twins, who join a group that includes a Holocaust survivor and a liberal rabbi. Bottom twinging The play will not portray Mr Corbyn as a villain, said Cassenbaum. Instead, it will explore different responses to Corbyn from within the Jewish community, and dispel the notion that all Jewish people are anti-Corbyn. Some of the characters are fans of his. Jewish people are not a monolith, Cassenbaum said. He explained: What Im not doing is a political takedown of Jeremy Corbyn, or looking at his policies. Its more about what was happening in the broader sense within the Jewish community. People tend to want to see something that they know they are going to agree with, but I guess my intention is to create something that holds a lot of stories, a lot of characters, and may be politically confusing. In a way, Jeremy Corbyn has become a bit of a fictional being, this bogeyman, so Im playing with that. It may make peoples bums twinge. The play will examine the dangers of collective hysteria and what happens when a community feels like it is being pushed to breaking point. Asked if it would explore the cult of Corbyn, Cassenbaum said: More like the cult against Corbyn, adding that the general tone of the production just gets more and more absurd. He wrote the play in 2017 and it has been aired once before, as part of a night of new writing at Londons Kiln Theatre in 2022. The script has not been changed to reflect the events of Oct 7 or the rise in anti-Semitic incidents since then. I havent made any changes, but it may change the way people receive it. Well have to see, said Cassenbaum, whose most recent work was Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig, Britains first professional Jewish pantomime. The setting is very specific, he added: Its a big romp, which starts in Jewish Essex. I grew up in Woodford and its quite a close community there was always a sense of our great-grandparents being friends in Whitechapel. I would say Essex Jews are very funny. Cassenbaum declined to give his personal take on Mr Corbyn, although on social media he has branded UK Labour as a disgrace over its treatment of Diane Abbott, and of Faiza Shaheen, the former Labour candidate blocked from standing for the party after allegedly liking social media posts that downplayed anti-Semitism allegations. Come and see it and you will get my opinion on the situation, he said. The play will preview at the Soho Theatre on July 15-17 before running at Summerhall in Edinburgh from Aug 1-26. The Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on 4 February 2023. Photograph: Gene J Puskar/AP The National Transportation Safety Board said that Norfolk Southern and its contractors unnecessarily burned toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride from its tank cars during the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last February, unleashing hazardous fumes into the air. In a board meeting on Tuesday, the NTSB said that an overheated wheel bearing caused the derailment, adding that Norfolk Southern and its contractors misinterpreted and disregarded evidence in reaching its decision to execute a controversial controlled burn over concerns that the vinyl chloride could potentially explode. Following Norfolk Southern and its contractors decision to vent and burn the chemicals, plumes of black smoke filled the air of East Palestine for days. The derailment and fumes prompted between 1,500 and 2,000 of the towns approximately 4,900 residents to evacuate. It also triggered what residents describe as various health issues including nausea, diarrhea and headaches due to the chemical exposure. Vinyl chloride, a colorless and highly flammable gas used to make plastic, can cause a slew of health issues including drowsiness, loss of coordination, visual and auditory abnormalities, nausea, headache and, in some cases, death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At Tuesdays board meeting, the NTSB said that OxyVinyls, the manufacturer of the vinyl chloride, informed Norfolk Southern that there was no risk of explosion as the chemicals were being stored in tank cars that were sturdy enough to withstand crashes, according to Politico. The outlet further reported that the vinyl chloride had been stabilized to prevent any chemical reactions. However, Norfolk Southern and its contractors did not inform the local fire chief about not needing to burn the chemicals. Other hazardous chemicals released during the derailment included butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Paul Stancil, an NTSB hazardous material investigator, reportedly also said during the board meeting: Norfolk Southerns contractors, who were in control of the derailment scene assessment, compromised the integrity of the vent and burn decision by withholding complete information from the incident commander, as reported by Politico. Stancil added: Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent and burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusion. Pushing back against NTSBs findings, Norfolk Southern said that it did not withhold information from local officials and that they could have spoken to OxyVinyls employees who were at the scene of the derailment. There was no obstacle to them making their views known to the ultimate decision-makers, Norfolk Southern said in a statement. The company also said that OxyVinyls provided it with conflicting information. The vent and burn effectively avoided a potential uncontrolled explosion. There was no loss of life, injuries, or damage to property, and contractors took steps to manage environmental impact, Norfolk Southern added. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy noted during the meeting that the absence of fatality or injury doesnt mean the presence of safety, according to the Associated Press. In May, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay a $310m settlement with the US government over the disastrous derailment. In addition to paying a $15m civil penalty for violating clean-water laws, the company agreed to pay hundreds of millions in cleanup costs. The settlement came a month after the company agreed to pay $600m in a class-action lawsuit settlement that it said would resolve all class-action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment. Hazardous chemicals that were released into the air following the derailment spread to 16 states, according to a report released last month. We saw the chemical signal from this fire at a lot of sites and far away, David Gay, a University of Wisconsin researcher and lead author of the report, said in June. There was more than we ever would have guessed, he said, adding: That can distribute pollution a long way and it was a nasty little fire with lots of emissions. Both Ukrainian and Russian television broadcasts have been interrupted, though it is unknown whether state or independent actors are responsible - Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Russia has been accused of hacking Ukrainian television to cause violent images from the war to flash on screen, including on childrens channels. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is reviewing a series of complaints this week from Ukraine and European countries about satellite interference that have affected navigation services and television shows, the body confirmed. The interference has jammed GPS signals and could endanger air traffic control, the European Union said in a statement to the ITU earlier this month. In some cases, childrens television channels were hit, it said, and violent images of the war in Ukraine were spliced into regular programming. Ukraines complaint to the United Nations body, dated June 3, documented at least 11 cases of interference in the last three months affecting dozens of Ukrainian television programmes. Kyiv urged the ITU to take all possible measures to stop interventions of the Russian Federation. The ITU will this week review the claims. France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Luxembourg also sent complaints alleging harmful interference in their satellite networks, the ITU confirmed, without saying who was responsible. Estonia has blamed Russia for tampering with navigation devices in airspace above the Baltic states. Both Russia and Ukraine have appeared to hack each others television broadcasts since the start of Moscows full-scale invasion. On May 9, Meduza, an independent Russian news outlet, showed footage of Ukrainian and Latvian TV broadcasts interrupted by footage of Moscows Victory Day parade. It said Ukrainian providers then switched to an alternative transmission method. On the same day, Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian newspaper, reported that unknown hackers had disrupted Russian broadcasting of the parade. Instead of the Victory Day celebrations, it said Russian viewers in Omsk and Irkutsk were shown footage of the terror attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. They also saw photos of Russian soldiers in Ukraine, identified by name, with the word murderer above each one. Unverified videos posted on social media show numerous similar incidents. Russian viewers in Omsk and Irkutsk were shown footage of the terror attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow - Maxim Shemetov/REUTERS One video from March 2022 showed a scrolling subtitle on a Ukrainian news broadcast calling for Kyivs armed forces to lay down their arms. Another from Feb 2023 shows Inter, a Ukrainian TV channel, fading to black and playing the Soviet national anthem. In the Yekaterinburg and Kransnoyarsk regions of Russia, the state-run Channel One and Zvezda were reported to have broadcast images in June 2023 of Ukrainian soldiers and military equipment. This was followed by a message in Ukrainian stating the time of reckoning has come. It is unclear whether these incidents are a result of state activity or independent hackers. Old Spanish custom: jumping through a fire on St John's Eve - Valentin Sama-Rojo /Alamy I feared I might not get much sleep on Sunday night. Youd think Id have learnt by now, but I painted myself into the corner of having to stay in Barcelona, and knew the city would erupt into noise, loud music and fireworks all night. The last time I was caught like this was on my way back from Tarragona, which had already spent 10 days in September celebrating its patron St Thecla with human pyramids, amplified music, street fireworks, thunderflashes and dragons. Foolishly expecting peace in Barcelona that September night, I was ambushed by La Merce, the citys fiesta for its patron, Our Lady of Mercy. Into the night, drum parades and dragons spraying crowds with Roman candles punctuated the rock music. I am not complaining. Spain is meant to be foreign, and it is given to noisiness. Actually, St Johns Day is not a public holiday in Spain, but it is in Catalonia, which takes him for a patron. The eve counts for public riotousness, just as England once celebrated Midsummer Night on that day, it being nearer the solstice in former centuries. St John the Baptist has two days in the Church calendar. Most saints are commemorated on the day of their death, or entry into heaven, the dies natalis in that sense, their birth to a new life. St John the Baptist is unusual in having his earthly birthday celebrated too, on June 24. He was held to have been made holy, christened as it were before birth, when his mother Elisabeth was visited by her cousin Mary, who was already pregnant with Jesus. When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. John the Baptist has the structural role of forerunner to Jesus. The angel told his father Zacharias after the childs conception: He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mothers womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias. This picks up the prophet Malachis words: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The baptism John gives to Jesus when both are grown up is not to change Jesus but to recognise him publicly as the Lamb of God, the lamb having a sacrificial function, as at Passover. The baptism of Jesus here is a foreshadowing of the bloody baptism of his death. That is what Jesus refers to when he asks James and John whether they have the strength to be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with. The part of the Mass called the Agnus Dei (familiar from its musical setting by great composers from Palestrina to Vaughan Williams) daily takes up John the Baptists words the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world and addresses them to Christ at the moment in the liturgy just before Communion. The witness given by John at the Baptism of Jesus (when a voice from heaven is heard from the Father and the form of a dove stands for the Holy Spirit) is part of the epiphany of Jesus, or the theophany, the showing to the world of Jesus as God, and the revelation of God as the Trinity. It is marked by a feast of the Lord soon after the Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas. Johns witness is confirmed by his own martyrdom, marked by its own feast day on August 29. How much of all this comes to mind in the noise of St Johns Eve in Barcelona, I dont know. But on the holiday afterwards there is welcome quiet for that. The reefs around Heron Island research station and resort on the Great Barrier Reef. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian Unesco has urged Australia to set more ambitious climate targets for the Great Barrier Reef in a list of recommendations to preserve its status as a world heritage site. The report, published in Paris late on Monday, did not recommend the reef be placed on a list of sites in danger a threat that has hung over the reef for years when the 21-country world heritage committee meets next month. But the report says Australia should be asked to submit a progress report by February 2025, after which the committee could consider the inclusion of the property on the list of world heritage in danger at its 2026 meeting. Unesco also said it had high concern that rates of land clearing in catchments that flow into the reef was incompatible with targets to cut sediments and nutrients running into the reef. Australias environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said Unescos recommendations were a huge win for Queensland, for people working on the reef and for its wildlife. Unesco expressed utmost concern at the mass coral bleaching event that swept across the reef this summer, urging Australia to make public the extent of coral death as soon as possible. Unesco experts wrote: The current bleaching occurs as part of the fourth global mass bleaching, which is likely impacting at least 30% of the world heritage-listed coral reef properties, and the implications across the world heritage system will also need to be considered further. The reef remains under serious threat, and urgent and sustained action is of utmost priority in order to improve the resilience of the property in a rapidly changing climate, the report said. The Unesco report, co-written with scientific experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, includes a set of draft decisions which act like recommendations for the world heritage committees 10-day meeting in India starting on 21 July. Unesco said Australia needed to continue efforts to reduce pollution running into the reef and to control coral-eating starfish outbreaks. The federal government on Tuesday pointed to $1.2bn of funding and a list of reef conservation efforts, including its target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030. Plibersek said Australia had a duty to safeguard the reef and protect it for future generations. We also know the world is watching us, she said. Queensland this year set a target to cut emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2035. The state premier, Steven Miles, said protecting the reef was a priority for his government. Unescos recommendation comes after one of the worst summers on record for the reef with widespread and extreme bleaching hitting in the same summer as two cyclones and outbreaks of native coral-eating starfish. Almost three-quarters of reefs surveyed by government scientists saw at least 10% of corals bleached. Parts of the southern section of the reef saw the highest levels of heat stress ever recorded on the reef. The committee put Australia on notice last year, saying it would not put the reef on the in danger list but said more action was needed on climate targets and pollution. The committee asked Australia to report back on progress by February this year, but has since also considered information on the latest bleaching event. Related: I weep for the corals, but what I saw on the Great Barrier Reef gives me hope | Kerrie Foxwell-Norton Australia has previously told Unesco it is on track to have national climate targets in line with keeping global heating to 1.5C. The Coalition has said it would not back the countrys current targets if it won the next election, saying they were too ambitious. Richard Leck, head of oceans at WWF-Australia, said the world heritage committee should be asked to consider the reefs status in 2025, not 2026. He said the government needed to commit to a 90% cut to emissions from 2005 levels by 2035, end new fossil fuel projects, support a global phase-out of fossil fuels and take stronger steps to slow land clearing. Lissa Schindler, reef campaigner at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said if Australia did not improve its climate targets and do more to stop land clearing and pollution, then an in danger listing was inevitable. The reef has flirted with the world heritage in danger list for years, most recently in 2021 when the Morrison government launched a major lobbying push on members of the committee after Unesco said climate impacts and pollution from farms qualified the reef for the danger list. The committee went against Unescos advice after the Australian government, which at the time was a member of the committee, took several positions in favour of other countries and against Unescos advice, including one deal with Spain, whose Unesco ambassador said was agreed in return for Spain supporting Australias position on the reef. Police Scotland Shoplifting has been effectively decriminalised in Scotland under the SNP, it has been claimed, with cases rising by more than a third in a single year to a record high. Scottish Government figures showed overall crime levels rose by four per cent in 2023/24, with non-sexual crimes of violence surging by the same amount. The total of 71,463 violent offences was the highest level recorded in at least a decade and accounted for almost a quarter of all crimes recorded in Scotland. Crimes of dishonesty also rose, by seven per cent, with shoplifting cases up by 35 per cent in a year. The proportion of shoplifting reports cleared up by the police has declined over 10 years from around three-quarters to barely half, a record low. Angela Constance, the SNP Justice Secretary, said overall crime levels remained at a historic low and the Scottish Government had recently increased Police Scotlands funding so it could recruit more officers. But the Tories blamed the SNPs weak justice for the rise in shoplifting. Retailers warned the figures obscured the real number of cases as lack of confidence in the police meant many were not reported. It emerged in May that officer numbers had dropped to their lowest level in 15 years. Police Scotland had 16,356 full-time equivalent officers at the end of March 2024, down 259 on 2023 and the lowest level since the end of September 2008. The force previously announced it was rolling out a pilot in the northeast of Scotland whereby some minor crimes were not investigated if they were deemed to require excessive manpower. Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tories shadow justice secretary, said: The sickening rise in violence on Scotlands streets is a direct consequence of 17 years of SNP underfunding of policing and neglect of the wider justice system. Their weak justice agenda benefits criminals and betrays victims. The shocking rise in retail crime, which endangers staff, harms business and drives up prices for everyone is also due to SNP weak justice. Despairing retailers, who are at the heart of our communities, feel abandoned and unprotected with shoplifting effectively now decriminalised by John Swinneys government. David Lonsdale, director of trade body the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: Its appalling that shoplifting has soared to a 10-year high. Despite record spending by retailers on crime prevention the rate of thefts continues to rise. In fact, these figures wont even capture the full picture as many thefts arent reported by retailers as they believe little action will be taken. He urged ministers and police to give retail crimes a higher priority. Decrease during the pandemic The Scottish Government report said there had been an increasing trend in shoplifting since 2014/15, which was interrupted by a decrease during the pandemic. However, cases rose sharply in 2021/22 and 2022/24, before the 35 per cent rise to 38,674 crimes over 2023/24. This is 15 per cent higher than the previous record, in 2018/19, and means shoplifting has risen by 41 per cent over the past decade. Minor assaults accounted for 83 per cent of all violent crime. There was also an 11 per cent rise in other non-sexual violence and an 18 per cent rise in robbery. Over the past 10 years the overall number of violent crimes has surged by nine per cent to a significantly higher level than that recorded in 1971. Cyber crime has surged by almost 120 per cent in four years, with offences including online fraud, sex crimes and the deliberate spreading of computer viruses. An estimated 2,080 cases of threats and extortion were cyber crimes, 14 per cent higher than the 1,830 recorded in 2022/23 and six times more than the estimated 290 cases in 2019/20. Significant disruption to business Most of these cases relate to sextortion, where the perpetrator threatens to reveal evidence of the victims online sexual activity unless they receive some form of monetary payment. Ms Constance said: I recognise that retail crime can cause significant disruption to businesses, which is why we support the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime, led by Police Scotland, which targets enforcement activity and offers advice on preventative measures. There is always more that can be done to reduce crime, which is why Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority are working to ensure the necessary resources and expertise are in place to tackle emerging areas of crime. Police Scotland said: We work closely with partners in the retail and business sectors to deter, prevent and investigate retail crime. Where we identify businesses which are being targeted by shoplifters, we have trained officers who can attend and carry out security surveys and offer advice around prevention. Greenpeace activists go to climb onto the roof of Rishi Sunak's home in protest of his backing for a major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling - Greenpeace/Reuters The Prime Ministers home has been targeted for a second time in a year after an environmental protester pretended to defecate in his lake. Youth Demand, which opposes arms exports to Israel and oil and gas licences, said that Oliver Clegg, a university student, carried out the dirty protest at Mr Sunaks 2 million manor house in North Yorkshire on Tuesday afternoon. The stunt came 10 months after Greenpeace activists scaled the Prime Ministers Grade II-listed Kirby Sigston Manor, near Northallerton, in August last year to protest against new fossil fuel licences. Greenpeace activists on the roof of Rishi Sunak's house in Richmond, North Yorkshire - Danny Lawson/PA Clegg, 21, wore a shirt emblazoned with eat s--- Rishi on the back as he waded into the lake shortly before 1pm and appeared to defecate. A silicone stool was used instead of genuine faecal matter, Youth Demand said. Clegg was previously handed a 12-month conditional discharge and 250 in costs in February 2023 after being arrested for blocking the Esso Fuel Terminal in Birmingham in April 2022. Greenpeace eco-protesters on the roof of the Prime Minister's country mansion - Danny Lawson/PA Youth Demand said four people were detained by North Yorkshire Police at the scene after what they said was a thank you and parting gift to Rishi Sunak. The force was approached for comment. The protest group added that it was planning a week of action in London beginning on July 13. The incident is set to cause concerns about the quality of security at Mr Sunaks constituency home. In footage of the incident, the protester can be seen walking through an unlocked gate into the grounds of the house. A No 10 spokesman said: The Prime Minister thanks the police for their swift response to keep him and his family safe. Last August, the Greenpeace activists who targeted the Prime Ministers home spent no fewer than five hours on its roof. Environmentalists protest about new oil licences - Luca Marino/Greenpeace United Kingdom/AFP via Getty North Yorkshire Polices handling of the incident was criticised by a former senior officer who said the protesters could have been terrorists looking to plant a bomb. Mr Sunak was away on holiday with his family at the time of the incident. The Government ceased all contact with Greenpeace in response, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman saying they should not have a seat at the table. Nadine Mills in Supacell - PA In the streaming era of over-production, it has become difficult to encounter a drama that feels wholly original. Supacell (Netflix) is not that drama. With supernatural goings-on in the hood, enfolding drug turf-wars and time travel, its a rattling grab-bag of other scripts DNA, from Misfits to Attack the Block to Top Boy to The Lazarus Project. Theres even a conscious nod to Avengers Assemble. The idea is that five black Londoners randomly discover a superpower that makes their irises flare gold. Street dealer Rodney (Calvin Demba) can run as fast as Dash in The Incredibles. Sabrina, a nurse (Nadine Mills), moves objects telekinetically. Teenage musician Tazer (Josh Tedeku) can vanish and reappear. Ex-con Andre (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) is just really strong. Its the usual shopping list. As for delivery driver Michael (former Doctor Who companion Tosin Cole), he can suspend time. In a swift trip to the future he learns of an urgent need to rewrite the present. He can only do it by recruiting the others to help, but first he must find them. The superpower stuff is entertaining enough, and well captured in solid video-game SFX. But this is also a conscientious portrait of bustling black London its roots, its subcultures, its sociopolitics. This aint a f---ing comic book, Rodney tells a friend who recommends using his superpower for good. This is real life. The title plays on the prevalence of sickle cell disease among people of African or Afro-Caribbean origin though thats not the only reason half the cast fetch up in hospital. The script is by Rapman, whose 2019 film Blue Story depicted the pressures of gang life on young men. Inevitably that absorbs much of his focus again. Not being the target audience, I admit to using the subtitle function for some of the dialogue. I also would have welcomed more than one token woman in the quintet. The script makes a stab at sticking up for its female characters Michaels social worker girlfriend Dionne (The Responders Adelayo Adedayo) is given things to do but this is a phallocentric story. The sixth-episode finale, reached at a sprint, proves no more than a staging post for grander confrontations, and perhaps a bigger role for Eddie Marsan, who figures briefly as a sinister authority figure. This compact first season does enough to merit a second. But if Supacell has a superpower, it is that it knows how to borrow well. Southern Railway is backing Prostate Cancer UK's Boys Need Bins campaign - GTR A train company has put sanitary bins in all of its mens lavatories as part of a campaign to give men with urinary incontinence the confidence to travel. Southern Railway said it now had bins, for the disposal of pads and nappies, in almost 500 mens cubicles across its network as part of the Boys Need Bins campaign. The campaign was launched by Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness of male incontinence and is backed by multiple other charities and an all-party parliamentary group of MPs. Around one in three men over 65 have urinary incontinence problems, while one in 20 over 60 have a bowel incontinence problem. These problems are more likely to occur in men who have enlarged prostates, or are undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, the most common form of the disease among men. Previously, men had been asked to use disabled lavatories if they had needed a bin, but the campaign aims to get sanitary bins in all mens lavatories. Southern Railway said it was backing the Prostate Cancer UK campaign and had now put bins in 495 mens lavatory cubicles across 228 stations, offices and depots. Lavatories on trains are unisex and so already have anitary bins, it added. A simple trip to the loo can be a stressful experience due to lack of proper disposal facilities for incontinence products, a statement said. Were keen to reduce the anxiety experienced by male customers and colleagues with urinary incontinence, and this small but significant step aims to enhance the comfort and dignity of those who may need these facilities. It said the initiative would allow more customers to travel with confidence and would remove a significant barrier to travel. Prostate Cancer UK is campaigning to make it law for male lavatories to include bins, and has the backing of MPs on the all-party parliamentary group for bladder and bowel continence care. It has already succeeded in doing this in Jersey, which passed a law for bins to be legally required in mens lavatories across the island. In the UK, the initiative has been adopted by Winchester Council and Worthing, with Hull, Milton Keynes, Wyre and Bath and North East Somerset set to follow, according to the charity. It has also been backed by Transport for Wales, while the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the north east of England have also put bins in all its male lavatories. Virginia Woolf's statue in Tavistock Square, London - PjrTravel /Alamy A statue of Virginia Woolf has had a QR code added that explains her imperialist attitudes and offensive opinions. It is part of a scheme by Labours Camden council in London drawn up in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests to address the connections between local monuments and racism, slavery imperialism. The QR code has been attached to a statue of the author of Mrs Dalloway and To The Lighthouse in Bloomsbury. When scanned it brings up a lengthy explanation of her unacceptable views. It is part of a project, backed by National Lottery funding, to make meaningful connections between our diverse communities and Camdens public realm. A short biography of the author says: Her diaries and letters also present challenging, offensive comments and descriptions of race, class and ability which we would find unacceptable today. It adds that Woolf, and other members of her literary set, the Bloomsbury Group, dressed in blackface as Abyssinian royals for a hoax which showed her to be someone who was a product of imperialist attitudes of the time. The Noor Inayat Khan Memorial statue in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury. The Indian-heritage British Second World War agent was executed by the Nazis - Robert Evans/Alamy The overview also notes that she had negative and offensive views of Jewish people despite marrying Leonard Woolf, an author of Jewish heritage. Extracts from her work have been criticised by some for the use of racial epithets such as n-----, and her diaries include remarks labelled as racist, including a description of skin as black as a monkeys. Regarded as a modernist master, she drowned herself in 1941 aged 59. Her statue was unveiled in Tavistock Square, close to one of her London homes, in 2004. The project, RePresenting Bloomsbury, aims to ensure public memorials and the individuals commemorated are presented through multiple, diverse perspectives. This will include any discriminatory ideas or behaviours, as well as positive contributions to society. The work is designed to enable us to better understand the impact of these individuals on society, and to make new meaningful connections between our diverse communities and Camdens public realm. The Bertrand Russell statue in Red Lion Square. He changed his mind about empire and race later in life - PjrStatues/Alamy Bertrand Russell, the philosopher, has also been swept into the statue review with a QR code. His early views on empire and race, which he later repudiated, are discussed via his monument in Red Lion Square. The outline notes that he ultimately supported gay rights, womens rights and the rights of people from different races but that works written in the 1920s were suggestive of white supremacy. Noor Inyat Khan, the Indian-heritage British Second World War agent, who was executed by the Nazis after being captured in France, has also been included in the project. More will be done from 2024 to 2028 to ensure that all of Camdens commemorative works are investigated. The borough boasts numerous statues including monuments to George I, Mahatma Gandhi, Sigmund Freud and Amy Winehouse. In 2021, Camden renamed Cecil Rhodes House over concerns about the empire-building policies of the late 19th-century English mining magnate and politician. Camden Council has been contacted for comment. The Who star Pete Townshend has said he hopes that a ballet version of Quadrophenia will be a joyful reimagining of the classic rock opera. The dance production is based on the 1973 album, written by Townshend and performed by The Who, which also inspired the 1979 cult film of the same name. Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet aims to introduce a new audience to the story of young 1960s Mod Jimmy Cooper, played in the film by Phil Daniels, who escapes from his dead-end job as a post room boy by dancing, partying, taking drugs, riding his scooter and brawling. Produced by Sadlers Wells, it will be set to an orchestral arrangement of the album by Rachel Fuller and Martin Batchelar, which was first heard in concert version at The Royal Albert Hall and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Pete Townshend and the cast of Quadrophenia (Johan Persson) Townshend told the PA news agency that he felt moved and surprised by the idea of a ballet so gave the green light for the new production to go ahead. He added: It felt to me that for the first time that time had moved under the project. Not that Quadrophenia story is about the present day, but its mythic and it works in a mythic way in the present day, just like Shakespeare does, just like Greek myth, just like fairy tales do. It suddenly had a new nuance and a new moment, it felt to me, and we began about 18 months ago workshopping. Townshend hopes that the ballet brings a light way to discuss modern issues such as knife crime and anxiety in young people, despite being set in the 1960s. So if I suggest (for) you to go to Quadrophenia, that might help you take a stance on where you are today in your life, he said. I hope we can fulfil that promise that it will be entertaining, joyful, will help you to reflect and maybe give you some inspiration and hope. Phil Daniels starred in the original Quadrophenia film (Jonathan Brady/PA) Sir Alistair Spalding, artistic director and co-CEO of Sadlers Wells, added: Quadrophenia is a story crying out to be told through dance and with this talented creative team we can be sure that we can achieve its full potential. Working closely with Pete Townshend and his team and our regular collaborator Universal Music UK we can each bring our particular skills and knowledge to make this classic of The Whos discography a powerful and meaningful story for our time. The ballet, choreographed by Paul Roberts and directed by Rob Ashford, will have costumes by British fashion house Paul Smith and Natalie Pryce and will star Paris Fitzpatrick as Jimmy. Paris Fitzpatrick (Johan Persson/PA) Fitzpatrick recently won the outstanding male modern performance prize for his turn as Romeo in New Adventures production of Romeo And Juliet at the National Dance Awards. David Joseph, chairman and chief executive of Universal Music UK, said: When Rachel and Pete came to me with the idea of a Quadrophenia ballet with extraordinary new arrangements, it was probably one of the easiest were in moments Ive had. Weve had a long-standing relationship with Alistair and the Sadlers Wells team so they were the obvious next call, and they just got it immediately. Our only conditions for this project were artistic and creative excellence, which each partner has delivered in abundance. Finally, I must thank Paul Roberts, whose genius has lifted the whole production into something we are all so proud of. Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet will play at the Plymouth Theatre Royal on May 28 2025 before stops at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and the Mayflower, Southampton. It will have an official opening at Sadlers Wells Theatre in London from June 24 before visiting The Lowry in Salford from July 15. A portrait of Sir David Attenborough has been unveiled by the Royal Society to mark the broadcaster and naturalists four decades as a fellow. In the artwork by Jonathan Yeo, who painted the Kings first official portrait since the coronation, a seated Sir David holds his hands and looks towards the viewer. Artist Jonathan Yeo with his portrait of Sir David Attenborough at a private ceremony at the Royal Society in London (James Manning/PA) Sir David, 98, said: It was a tremendous honour to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society over 40 years ago, and that my portrait has now been painted by such a master as Jonathan Yeo for the societys extensive and important collection is extraordinary indeed. To spend so much of my life looking at the natural world and attempting to convey to others its amazing complexity, beauty and, increasingly, its fragility, has been a great privilege. It has only been possible thanks to the extraordinary natural history filmmakers and the many dedicated scientists who have willingly shared their work with us. Sir David and the Royal Societys president Sir Adrian Smith, attended a private unveiling on Tuesday and it was also displayed to the public on BBCs The One Show. British artist Yeo said: Its hard to imagine a public figure who has done more to engage and inspire all generations in the wonders of the natural world than Sir David. At a time when too many global leaders are failing to engage seriously in tackling threats to our climate and natural world, Sir Davids lifetime of work in communicating and sharing its wonders and importance has been a service to all humanity. Sir David has long been a personal inspiration, and so it was a huge honour to be asked to paint his portrait for the Royal Society. It has been a thrill as well as a privilege to spend so much time with someone whose wisdom is so deep and broad, and who is also such brilliant and entertaining company. Yeo, who has also produced commissions of the late Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen, Sir Tony Blair and Lord Cameron, unveiled the red-coloured painting of the King in May. His new oil work, which is 130cm x 100cm, celebrates Sir Davids career and how he raises awareness of climate change and biodiversity. Head of library and archives at the Royal Society, Keith Moore, said: Were thrilled to have this portrait of Sir David as part of our collections. The Royal Society has many pictures of great scientists, over 300 original works of art and around 10,000 engravings and photographs. Sir David Attenborough during the unveiling of a portrait of the broadcaster and conservationist painted by Jonathan Yeo (James Manning/PA) You can find so many individuals from the scientific community of past centuries here: from Isaac Newton to Charles Darwin, and from Albert Einstein and Dorothy Hodgkin. But Id defy you to find anyone who has touched as many peoples lives in explaining the ideas behind great science, and how they affect our world, as Sir David Attenborough. Hes one of a kind. The portrait will be on public display at the Royal Society from July 2 to July 7 as part of the the Summer Science Exhibition. A woman who was assaulted by a serving Irish soldier has told a solidarity rally in Dublin that she will keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women. Natasha OBrien, 24, told political leaders and the Irish Defence Forces to do your jobs and address the issues around gender-based crimes. The Limerick woman earlier watched from the public gallery of the Dail parliament as politicians discussed the controversial case. At one point, TDs on all sides of the house rose to give her a standing ovation. Natasha OBrien (left) addresses protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) Later on Tuesday, hundreds attended the demonstration outside the parliament at Leinster House. Thousands attended similar rallies across Ireland at the weekend. Ms OBrien told Tuesday evenings event: I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach (Simon Harris) and the Minister for Justice (Helen McEntee), and (thought) What are you going to do, what are you going to do? Im right here. Im going to keep doing that and theyre going to feel the pressure. Ms OBrien said she felt a little bit hopeful after receiving so much support and said she believed she had found a purpose in speaking up. I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know Im not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to, she said. Commenting on the standing ovation she received in the Dail, Ms OBrien added: I was honoured, it was incredible, however, you know, your applauses are amazing, but lets use those applauses and lets actually do something and do your job. Earlier, Mr Harris warned the Irish Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old soldier, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien watched from the Dails public gallery as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of the Dail Sean O Fearghail said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit to establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of the military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action (Brian Lawless/PA) In relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions does have the ability to make an application to have it reviewed. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. Mr Harris also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by the Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women (Brian Lawless/PA) They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Later, in the Dail, Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from the Government on ending violence against women. Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform, she said. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Protesters gather in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha OBrien (Cate McCurry/PA) Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. Mr Harris said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here, if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, Tanaiste Mr Martin said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, he said. The Scottish Conservatives hope to establish a national virtual college to help rural students learn the skills they need. Deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said the Tories want to revive Scotlands college sector after years of neglect at the hands of the Scottish Government. As well as plans for a virtual National College of Scotland which Tories say would be similar to the Open University the Conservatives also say they would work with industry to create a National Skills Strategy for Scotland. Ms Gallacher outlined the proposals during a General Election campaign visit to Ayrshire Colleges Ayr campus to learn about the apprenticeships it offers students, including those which can help learners into a career in the aerospace industry. However she said that at the moment, Scotlands college sector is in crisis due to systemic underfunding by the SNP Government. The Tory MSP said cuts to funding for the sector pose an existential threat to Scotlands colleges but also risk creating a shortage of young people with the skills that employers need. She said: The Scottish Conservatives are committed to properly funding apprenticeships and ensuring that funding is directed towards the areas of greatest workforce need. We would do this by working with industry to create a National Skills Strategy. The Scottish Conservatives are also committed to establishing a virtual National College of Scotland similar to the Open University but for further education so that those living in rural and remote areas can still acquire the skills they, and employers, need. Our plans would revive Scotlands colleges after years of SNP neglect. SNP education spokeswoman and Glasgow West candidate Carol Monaghan said: It takes a very special kind of brass neck for the Tories to claim that they have plans to fix anything, because the truth is they are the primary cause of the crisis in terms of fully funding our public services. Ms Monaghan said the Conservatives had pursued a litany of policies that have hit Scotlands higher education sector incredibly hard, not least the disasters of Brexit and 14 years of cuts. She stated: Their woeful economic mismanagement and a Westminster cost-of-living crisis have also sent costs soaring for students and colleges, and with the loss of freedom of movement they have chosen a path which limits opportunities for Scotlands young people. That is why the SNP is calling for Scotland to rejoin the EU, for an end to cuts to Scotlands public services and for a future made in Scotland, for Scotland. The SNP has also shown the difference that is made when Scotlands interests are put first in government: investing over 2.4 billion in Scotlands post-school education and ensuring the highest proportion of school leavers are in education, employment or training. A security guard accused of masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby searched on Google for how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebrities, a court heard. Gavin Plumbs online searches and messages were read to a jury on Tuesday, in which he said he would make Ms Willoughby give full permission for him and another man to do as we please to her. A jury panel was told he had discussed the deceased BBC presenter Jill Dando with another man online. Chelmsford Crown Court heard the 37-year-old had told another man on WhatsApp, who went by the name of Marc, he would track the stars movements for a simple place to strike but a home invasion is a better idea. Holly Willoughby is the alleged victim of a kidnap, rape and murder plot (Lucy North/PA) The jury heard the defendant said he had booked 10 days off work to get longer to stake (Ms Willoughby) out. Plumb also allegedly searched online for what does it feel like to be raped and where (sic) Jewish women raped in the war. The defendant is accused of attempting to live his ultimate fantasy and was described by the prosecution as someone who had an obsession with Ms Willoughby. Asked by Marc, who is believed to be from Ireland, how long he had wanted to rape the TV presenter in December 2021, the defendant replied: About three years, but people claim to want to and then back out. A few days later, a message from Plumb read: Is it wrong Im looking forward to it? Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC went through a document of communications before jurors with Detective Constable William Belsham of Essex Police in the witness box. The officer agreed with the barrister that Plumb was using a mobile phone when he was arrested on October 4 last year and that officers kept it unlocked while they filmed some of the messages on it using body-worn cameras. He said that Plumb did not initially provide a PIN for the device, but that this was later provided through his legal representatives and officers sent the phone for a full download. In one set of WhatsApp messages which appeared to address how a kidnapping her would work, the defendant wrote: Thats all I need to do got a rough idea her address so its find it track her movements for a simple place to strike but a home invasion is a better idea. A further message from Plumb, read to jurors, said: There is some blind spots to hop the wall. A voice note played to the jury also made reference to how he would tie Ms Willoughbys family up and take her. The case is being heard at Chelmsford Crown Court(Alamy/PA) Ms Morgan said Plumb and Marc also discussed Ms Dando in WhatsApp messages between them. Journalist Ms Dando was shot dead on her doorstep in 1999. In a further WhatsApp message from Plumb read to the court by the prosecutor, he said: Just the thought of finally getting her (Ms Willoughby) is turning me on Im actually looking forward to doing it. Im at the point where idc (I dont care) about the risks or consequences. Ms Morgan said in images exchanged between the pair between January 12 and January 19 2022, one image displays the words hurting women is fun across it. The prosecutor continued: Plumb and Marc also continue sexualised discussions about Ms Willoughby. Plumb states he has booked 10 days off work in February to get longer to stake (Holly Willoughby) out. Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, and the trial continues. WASHINGTON A pro-Palestinian protest outside a synagogue in Los Angeles that devolved into violence drew the condemnation of Democratic leaders including President Joe Biden, who criticized the incident as antisemitic. Biden, in a statement Monday, said he was "appalled" by the scene Sunday outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles, where opponents of Israel's war in Gaza staged a protest that turned into brawling. "Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American," Biden said. "Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship and engaging in violence is never acceptable." A supporter of Israel and a pro-Palestinian protester fight outside Adas Torah Orthodox Jewish synagogue, in Los Angeles, June 23, 2024. The protest, which took place in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood, broke into fist fights and spread into other neighborhoods, the Los Angeles Times reported. Demonstrators said they were opposing an event at the synagogue promoting the sale of stolen Palestinian land. Biden and other Democrats have faced increasing pressure from the progressive wing of their party that opposes Israel's war and from other critics who say Democrats have not done enough to call out antisemitism that has surfaced since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at an event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the East Room at the White House on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, called the violence "abhorrent" and said blocking access to a place of worship is "unacceptable." Bass called on the Los Angeles Police Department to provide additional patrols in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood and outside of houses of worship across the city. I want to be clear that Los Angeles will not be a harbor for antisemitism and violence," Bass said. "Those responsible for either will be found and held accountable." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, said he was "horrified by the antisemitic violence" outside the Los Angeles synagogue. "Violently blocking the entrance to a synagogue is unacceptable. This is violent antisemitism, plain and simple. Those responsible must be held accountable," Schumer said. A supporter of Israel with blood on his face, is helped up after clashing with pro-Palestinian protesters blocking access to the Adas Torah Orthodox Jewish synagogue, in Los Angeles, June 23, 2024. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden condemns violent protest outside Los Angeles synagogue SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California lawmakers on Monday abandoned their attempt to repeal the nation's only law requiring voter approval for publicly funded affordable housing projects, a provision added to the state Constitution more than half a century ago that aimed to keep people of color out of white neighborhoods. Most everyone in the state Capitol agrees the law needs to go, and no organized opposition has emerged to repealing it. But the measure is one of more than a dozen that have qualified for the November election, and supporters worry about raising the millions of dollars it will take to campaign for its passage. That's one reason why lawmakers voted to withdraw the measure on Monday just three days before the secretary of state must certify the ballot for the November election. While (the repeal) was one of many efforts to help address the housing crisis, the November ballot will be very crowded and reaching voters will be difficult and expensive, said Democratic state Sen. Ben Allen, who authored the bill to remove the measure from the ballot. California has a robust initiative process that lets the public bypass the state Legislature to propose and pass laws via a statewide election. Each election, there are sometimes more than a dozen measures crowding the ballot competing for voters' attention. This year, initiatives have qualified that would raise the minimum wage to $18 per hour, increase penalties for certain drug and theft crimes and require high-school students to take a personal finance course before they can graduate. Some ballot measures have been removed. The California Supreme Court last week removed a measure that would have made it harder to raise taxes. Business groups and legislative leaders reached a compromise last week to withdraw a measure that would have repealed a state law that allows workers to sue their employers for labor violations. The ballot measures that are left will require expensive campaigns to advocate for or against them campaigns that can cost as much as $20 million or more because California has some of the country's most expensive media markets. Going to the ballot is more than just expensive it's risky. Once a campaign fails, it can take years for supporters to try again. Voters have rejected attempts to either repeal or change California's housing law three times before, in 1974, 1980 and 1993. The housing law dates to 1949, when the federal Housing Act banned racial discrimination in public housing projects. A year later, voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring the government to get voter approval before using public money to build affordable housing. Decades later, California is the only state that has a law like this, and it only applies to public funding for affordable housing, which is disproportionately used by people of color. Over the years, lawmakers have found ways around the law. They changed the definition of low-rent housing project to mean any development where more than 49% of the units are set aside for people with low incomes. Anything less than that doesnt require an election. And last year, lawmakers passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that exempted housing developments that received funding from various state programs. By Nora Eckert and Nathan Gomes (Reuters) -CDK Global does not expect the cyber attack-led ongoing outage in its dealer management software, which dealers across the United States use, to be restored before the end of the month, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The car industry technology and software provider would not be able to get all dealers live before June 30, and has asked them to make alternate plans for their month-end financial closing processes, according to the memo CDK sent to dealers. The company, which reported the cyber attack last week, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment. The ongoing CDK outage has forced some U.S. auto dealers to switch back to manual paperwork as the company works to restore systems used by over 15,000 retail locations. The cyber attack has impacted about half of Volkswagen dealers and around 60% of Audi's dealers in the United States, according to a source familiar with the matter. Honda, Toyota and Hyundai said they were monitoring the situation to understand the impact of the outage. Honda added it has directed dealers affected by the outage to use alternate tools and processes that would allow them to continue to conduct business while CDK systems remain offline. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes, Nora Eckert and Abhinav Parmar; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) Two federal court judges in Kansas and Missouri have paused parts of a student loan repayment plan that the Biden administration launched last year, which lowers borrowers monthly payments and provides a faster route to debt forgiveness. Two lawsuits filed by Republican-led states argue that the Biden administration overstepped its authority when it implemented the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) repayment plan. Both judges granted partial preliminary injunctions Monday. Two parts of the SAVE plan will be on pause until the cases are fully litigated. The Biden administration cannot cancel any more federal student debt for borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan. Under the plan, borrowers qualify for debt forgiveness once they make at least 10 years of payments. To date, $5.5 billion has been canceled for 414,000 people enrolled in SAVE. The Biden administration will also be blocked from implementing further provisions of the SAVE plan. In July, millions of people were expecting to see their payments lowered but its now unclear whether those reductions will occur. Todays rulings wont stop our Administration from using every tool available to give students and borrowers the relief they need, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Monday night in which she criticized the rulings and said the Department of Justice would work to defend the plan. On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre said in a post on X that the Department of Justice will appeal both decisions. While we continue to review these rulings, the SAVE plan still means lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers - including more than 4 million borrowers who owe no payments at all, and protections for borrowers facing runaway interest when they are making their monthly payments, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement late Monday. SAVE is one of Bidens key student loan policies After the Supreme Court knocked down President Joe Bidens signature student loan forgiveness program last summer, his administration launched the SAVE plan. Like existing income-driven repayment plans, SAVE ties monthly payments to a borrowers income and family size. But the SAVE plan offers the most generous terms, especially for low-income borrowers. More than 8 million borrowers have enrolled in SAVE so far, and 4.6 million of them have a $0 monthly payment. Borrowers enrolled in SAVE may also be eligible for student debt relief in a shorter amount of time than under other income-driven plans. Those who borrowed $12,000 or less will see their debt forgiven after paying for just 10 years under SAVE. Every additional $1,000 borrowed above that amount would add one year of monthly payments to the required time a borrower must pay. Under other repayment plans, borrowers must make at least 20 years of payments before receiving debt forgiveness. The SAVE plan also prevents balances from ballooning due to interest when a borrower has a small monthly payment. If enrolled in SAVE, unpaid interest does not accrue if a borrower makes a fully monthly payment. For example, if $50 in interest accumulates each month and a borrowers full required payment is just $30, the remaining $20 would be waived. SAVE is separate from the Biden administrations efforts to cancel student loan debt for some public-sector workers and borrowers who were defrauded by a for-profit college. Whats next for borrowers Borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE can remain in the plan while the merits of the cases are heard. Their monthly payment amounts should remain the same. But theres a provision of the SAVE plan that was expected to be phased in next month that may be paused if the litigation is ongoing. Starting in July, payments on loans borrowed for undergraduate school were set to be reduced from 10% to 5% of discretionary income for those enrolled in SAVE. And borrowers who have loans from both undergraduate and graduate school were expecting to pay a weighted average of between 5% and 10% of their income based upon the original principal balances of their loans. Also, no more student debt will be canceled for borrowers enrolled in SAVE, for now, even if the required number of monthly payments has been made. What the lawsuits say Eleven states, led by Kansas, filed the first lawsuit in late March and another group of seven states led by Missouri filed one soon after. Some of the states are among the plaintiffs who sued the Biden administration two years ago over its sweeping, one-time student loan forgiveness program. In the legal challenge led by Kansas, the complaint argues that the SAVE plan transforms many or most loans into outright grants from the federal government without any appropriation from Congress. In 1993, Congress gave the Department of Education the power to create different repayment plans for borrowers with federal student loans. But the lawsuits say the Biden administrations SAVE plan goes too far. Congress never gave Biden the authority to saddle working Americans with half-a-trillion dollars in other peoples debt. A huge win for the Constitution, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said on X Monday. The estimated cost of the SAVE plan varies, depending on how many borrowers end up enrolling, ranging from $138 billion to $475 billion over 10 years, according to different studies. In comparison, Bidens student loan forgiveness program was expected to cost about $400 billion. This story has been updated with additional information and reaction. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Here's how they vary in their uses, flavor profiles, and growing practices. When most people think of corn, sweet corn comes to mindthe fresh corn on the cob we like to boil or grill and slather with butter. However, of the over 90 million acres of corn planted in the US, sweet corn makes up less than 1% of the total crop. The rest is starchy and dry field corn, which is mostly used to feed cows. Indigenous peoples originally cultivated corn's wild ancestor, teosinte, over 9,000 years ago in what is now Mexico. That corn, called maize, was more similar to field corn, as sweet corn wasnt cultivated until the mid-1700s. The revered and versatile crop shaped the regions culinary landscape and played a pivotal role in the history and development of North America. Corn is a major agricultural commodity used extensively for livestock feed, biofuels, and food products. According to the Center for Food Safety, approximately 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain some form of genetically engineered ingredients, and corn is a significant part of this statistic due to its widespread use in various forms such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, and corn oil. Serious Eats / Getty Images Though sweet corn and field corn are related, they arent the same. Sweet corn and field corn are two distinct types of corn that differ in several aspects, including their purpose, flavor, texture, and cultivation practices. To learn more about the difference between the two, I spoke with Dave Smoke-McCluskey, a Mohawk chef and owner of Corn Mafia, a micro-milling project that explores native foodways. What Is Sweet Corn? Getty Images / Everyday better to do everything you love The fresh corn we enjoy grilled at cookouts and grab canned or frozen at the grocery store is sweet corn, which carries a gene that develops twice as much sugar as starchy types. This corn has lots of natural sugars that make it delightful to eat straight off the cob or in a variety of dishes, like creamed corn, says Smoke-McCluskey. Mexican and American cuisines (especially Southern) employ sweet corn in many dishes, including elote, corn chowder, and succotash. Sweet corn is harvested in the summer while the kernels are still tender and juicy, before the sugar turns into starch. Smoke-McCluskey explains that sweet corn of the past had unstable sugar levels that converted into starch rapidly after harvest. You had to eat it right away, and it tasted pretty bad by the time it got to the supermarket, he says. Sweet corn breeders have genetically modified todays corn to produce much higher sugar levels and make it so that the conversion of sugar to starch occurs much slower, which is a practice that began in the late 1960s. This longer shelf life means super-sweet varieties stay sweet for up to 10 days after harvest. Sweet corn is available in white, light yellow, and bicolored varieties, but Smoke-McCluskey says there isnt much of a discernible difference in flavor. Theyre all sweet and delicious. When shopping for your sweet corn recipes at the grocery store or farmers market, he says to look for ears with fresh, green leaves but brown silks at the topa sign that the corn was ripe when picked. The silk inside should still be soft and the kernels should be plump, not shriveled, though peeling back the husk to check the kernels understandably aggravates many corn vendors, so we don't recommend this. Ideally, you can trust your vendor and know that the corn was harvested at its peak, but you can also feel for the full kernels through the husk. If youre growing your own sweet corn and don't mind poking a hole in a kernel, you can tell it's ready if you puncture a kernel and milk comes out. If the juice is clear, its too early; if theres no juice, its too late. Cut it when the time is right because corn doesn't continue to ripen off the stalk. Pro tip: If your sweet corn is past its prime, Smoke-McCluskey says you can soak the cobs in sugar water (1/2 cup of white sugar per gallon of water) for a couple of hours to plump them back up. What Is Field Corn? Getty Images / ithinksky Field corn can refer to any starchy variety, but most field corn in the US is dent corn, which gets its name from the dimple at the end of each kernel that forms as it dries out. Although field corn kernels start out soft like sweet corn, this variety is left to dry on the stalks in the field before harvesting in the fall once much of its sugar content has converted into starch, meaning its no longer sweet and juicy. And you wont see any field corn at the grocery store. If you grab an ear of field corn and take a bite, you'll probably chip a tooth, says Smoke-McCluskey. About 40% of US dent corn is used as a feed grain for livestock, according to the USDA. Most of the rest is funneled into making ethanol fuel, while a small portion is milled to make foods and beverages, such as cereal, tortilla chips, whiskey, and grits. The kernels of commercial field corn are often a deep yellow-orange, referred to as yellow gold. However, heirloom varieties have kernels that span the colors of the rainbow. Smoke-McCluskey likes to nixtamalize many kinds of field corn to make hominy. Nixtamalization, a.k.a. lyeing and washing, is a process in which field corn is boiled in water and hardwood ash, says Smoke-McCluskey. The alkaline quality of the mixture softens the kernels enough to peel off their tough outer hull, making the corn more digestible and its nutritional benefits more bioavailable. Among the Mohawk people of the Northeast, lyed corn is used in soups, stews, grits, mush, and cornbread. Smoke-McCluskey works with seed savers and growers, such as The Congaree Milling Company, to nixtamalize and coarsely grind hominy grits for sale to chefs and specialty stores. In Mexican cuisine, the nixtamalized mixture is ground into masa for tamales and tortillas. Other Varieties of Corn Most of the United States grows the exact same variety of corn from one seed, from one company. We're not going to get into that here, but there are still many other flavors and nuances in different varieties of corn to be found, including indigenous field, flour, and flint varieties that are as delicious and nutrition-dense as they are beautiful. The Takeaway Sweet corn is cultivated and harvested for its sweetness and tenderness, making it ideal for direct human consumptionsuch as boiling for corn on the cob or turning into chowder. Meanwhile, field corn is grown for its high starch content and versatility. Due to its tough texture and lower sugar content, its not typically consumed fresh but is commonly used as animal feed and in ethanol production. It is also nixtamalized and used to make masa, grits, mush, and cornbread. Read the original article on Serious Eats. New Orleans widow forced to sell forever home as soaring insurance costs outpace her retirement budget A New Orleans senior has been forced to put her forever home up for sale due to the soaring cost of Louisiana homeowners insurance. The math no longer made sense for Cheron Brylski, a widow trying to cover her mounting property costs on a fixed retirement income. My property taxes are high, but theyre frozen because of my age at this point. But my property insurance is very, very high, she told FOX 8. Don't miss Cost-of-living in America is still out of control use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what the US Fed does or says Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free) These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Brylski bought the 3,400-square foot property on Coliseum Street in Uptown New Orleans with her late-husband Harold in 1995. Three decades later, she now owns the home outright but still has to pay nearly $15,000 a year to insure it. In total, she pays $2,500 a month just to cover her property taxes and ever-increasing homeowners insurance premiums, which has left her struggling to live within her retirement budget. And Im not the only one in New Orleans experiencing that, she said. You can drive around this neighborhood and others and see tons of For Sale signs. Heres why home insurance in the Pelican State is so expensive. Many are suffering Homeowners in Louisiana face the second-highest property insurance rates in the county behind only Florida, according to digital insurance agent Insurify. The average annual cost of insurance in the state is $6,354, per Insurify data but the insurance experts expect that to jump another 23% in 2024, hitting a whopping $7,809 per year. Those averages really put Brylskis painful $15,000 insurance bill into context. Of course, her premium is likely higher because of the size and value of her property the couple spent years investing sweat and tears into renovating it and shes now listed it for sale at $1.1 million as well as the propertys vulnerability to extreme weather rolling in off the Gulf of Mexico. Brylski believes she is one of many New Orleans residents listing their homes for sale as a result of sky-high insurance premiums. While that belief is anecdotal, Mark Rodi, a broker and owner of RE/MAX Affiliates in Metairie, told FOX 8 hes not surprised that insurance is impacting local property sales especially among older sellers, like Brylski, with limited incomes. There are a lot of widows and widowers who are on fixed incomes or some kind or Social Security and when you have a [home] insurance policy that doubles or [more]... its going to affect your lifestyle, said Rodi, whose been in the real estate business for almost 50 years. After three years of battling with the decision of whether to sell the family home or soldier on through her financial pain, Brylski ultimately decided downsizing was her only option. She listed the 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath house for sale and is now facing an uphill battle to find buyers willing to take on the homes hefty seven-figure price tag with the added knowledge that insurance costs in Louisiana will likely continue to increase. Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how An insurance crisis Louisiana is battling similar insurance challenges to Florida and other coastal states. After a steady stream of severe storms and the influx of costly insurance claims that come with them property insurers in the Pelican State have been left with two options: charge more in order to cover their claims, or stop providing coverage in the state. In the past few years, multiple homeowners insurance companies have either gone insolvent or stopped selling policies in Louisiana, according to Insurify, which has resulted in fewer options and higher prices for consumers. As a result, the number of people turning to Louisiana Citizens the state-backed insurer of last resort has ballooned. In late 2023, it carried more than 140,000 policies, almost four times the number it held when Louisiana's insurance crisis erupted in the wake of Hurricane Ida in 2021. To manage this influx and the same weather-related property risks the private insurers are facing Citizens requested and received approval for a 63% rate increase in 2023. If youre in the same boat as Brylski, there are things you can do to improve your chances of getting a reasonable home insurance bill. For example, dont just settle for the first home insurance quote you get. Shop around and compare multiple options to find the best coverage and the best price for you. It also pays to spend a little on mitigation (if you have any spare change). Many insurers will give you a discount for installing water sensor technology to detect flooding. They will also recognize efforts to disaster-proof your home, such as installing backflow valves if your home is in a flood zone. What to read next Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month Baby boomers bust': Robert Kiyosaki warns that older Americans will get crushed in the 'biggest bubble in history' 3 shockproof assets for instant insurance now You didnt want to risk it: 80-year-old woman from South Carolina is looking for the safest place for her familys $250,000 savings. Here's Dave Ramsey's response This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defence minister, and leading Russian general Valery Gerasimov on Tuesday for alleged crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It brought to eight the number of arrest warrants issued against senior Russian suspects since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. They include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces charges over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The court's move was welcomed by Kyiv, but dismissed as legally meaningless by Moscow. The Hague-based court said Shoigu and Gerasimov were suspected of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine. Judges had found there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure" between Oct. 10, 2022 and at least March 9, 2023, the ICC said in a press release. Russia, which is not a member of the ICC, has repeatedly said Ukraine's energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. Ukraine is also not a member, but has granted the ICC jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on its territory since November 2013. Kyiv applauded move to issue arrest warrants. "Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "And we do hope to see them behind bars." Russia's Security Council said the court's action was part of a hybrid war against Moscow. "This is just shooting the breeze, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, and was made as part of the hybrid war of the West against our country," state news agency TASS quoted the council as saying. PUTIN ALLY Shoigu has been a long-standing friend and ally of Putin and played a key role in the war. He was removed from his post of defence minister last month, and appointed secretary of Russia's powerful Security Council, in the most significant changes Putin has made to his military command since the invasion. Since the ICC has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests, it is unclear if any of the Russian suspects will ever stand trial. Russia has a policy of not extraditing its nationals and the ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, has no provisions in place that would allow for in absentia trials. During the timeframe mentioned in the latest warrants Russia is suspected of having carried out strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations all over Ukraine. According to ICC judges, there were reasonable grounds to believe the strikes targeted mostly civilian objects "and for those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage", making the attacks war crimes. More specific details of the charges remain secret to protect witnesses and safeguard investigations, the court said. CONNECTED CASES In a statement ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he applied for the warrants in February and case was connected to the warrants issued in March for top Russian commanders Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov, who also face charges over attacks on the power grid. Khan said that investigations in Ukraine were continuing along multiple, interconnected lines. One of his top Ukraine investigators, Brenda Hollis, told journalists earlier this month that the ICC's Ukraine investigation is now looking into to crimes committed in detention against prisoners of war and civilians. The ICC has come under scrutiny in recent months after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for three senior Hamas officials. Some of the ICC's vocal allies for its investigations in Ukraine such as Germany, Britain and the United States, have questioned the decision to seek warrants in that case. Most ICC member states, which include all of the European Union countries, have said they respect the independence of the court. Washington, which is not an ICC member, has dismissed the move as "outrageous" and contests the court's jurisdiction over the Israel-Hamas conflict, but continues to support the ICC's Ukraine investigation. (Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Stephanie Van den Berg; Editing by Alison Williams and Alex Richardson) Lauren Boebert abandoned her old district but Ron Hanks, who is a very similar Trump-loving candidate, is hoping he can get her votes (Getty / Facebook) Khaki sleeves rolled up and safety goggles adjusted, Ron Hanks stares into the sight of a high-powered rifle before pulling the trigger on Colorados arid plains ostensibly blowing up an office copier disguised as a voting machine in a video political campaign ad. The attention-grabbing clip vaulted Hanks into headlines during his unsuccessful Senate campaign two years ago; now hes followed it up with equally hard-nosed, gun-themed and solemn campaign ads as the combat veteran vies to fill the seat being vacated by MAGA firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert. Im the only conservative in this race, former Republican state representative Hanks tells The Independent. And Im the only conservative with a proven legislative record look at my time in the state house, when I fought for the Second Amendment and I fought for election integrity and I fought for the unborn. This is the candidate endorsed by the central committee of the state GOP in the race to replace Boebert in a district she nearly lost to a Democrat two years ago and a district shes fled for a better shot at a seat across the state. The brash congresswomans antics and increasingly outrageous scandals were largely blamed for her waning support among both CD3 Republican and unaffiliated constituents. Instead of endorsing a less controversial candidate upon her departure, however, the Colorado GOP has thrown its weight behind a veritable Boebert 2.0; Hanks is a self-described pro-Trump warrior, election denier and proud attendee of the Jan. 6 rally in DC. (He says, however, that he did not enter the Capitol.) Boebert may have upped sticks to seek greener pastures eastward, but the brouhaha shes left behind is following her same fractious brand of rhetoric, drama and polarization and thats just within her own party. Despite the GOP endorsement of Hanks, the more staid establishment candidate a Grand Junction attorney named Jeff Hurd with a slew of Republican old-guard endorsements is polling far ahead. Both mens campaigns are gleefully attacking each other as the clock counts down to next weeks primary. And not to be outdone, the Democrats are accused of meddling after a series of PAC-funded reversepsychology ads declared Hanks too conservative in an attempt to appeal to the ultra-right base, secure Hanks the nomination and ultimately give Frisch a better shot in November. The strategy is presumably banking on the fact that the same voters who turned against Boebert will also find Hanks to be a distasteful choice. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert has for two terms represented Colorados 3rd congressional district, which included the town of Rifle, where she previously ran a gun-themed restaurant; she announced in December she was abandoning her re-election campaign and running across the state in CD4 (AFP via Getty Images) Colorados third congressional district, thrown headlong into the national spotlight four years ago when political neophyte Boebert unseated five-term Republican Scott Tipton in the primary, has been on a political rollercoaster ride ever since. Boebert made constant headlines heckling the president at the State of the Union; getting groped in a theater; divorcing and then fighting with her ex-husband in public before capping the drama with a surprise constituency switch. Days after the December announcement that Boebert would now be running in CD4, Hanks threw his hat in the ring for her Western Slope seat. A combat veteran with 32 years of service, he doubles down on the same far-right views as Boebert but delivers them with expressionless solemnity, not finger-pointing shouts. Like her, he plays up his common-man roots. When I wasnt working for the Air Force, I fracked in North Dakota, and I hammered iron and drove trucks with blue-collar America, he told constituents one week before the primary in a Tuesday night zoom town hall. Im telling you, we can fix all of the ills on the backs of blue-collar America: the pipefitters, the welders, the cement men you know, these are the people that are going to rebuild this country. Hanks ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California in 2010 before the failed Colorado Senate campaign, but served as a state representative in Colorados House for District 60, encompassing his home in Fremont County which is not in CD3. He, like Boebert, is carpet-bagging. Voter Roxie Geigle sits in the Mesa Count Republicans office in Grand Junction; she was sad to see Boeberts departure and feels Ron Hanks is the best candidate now for the district (Sheila Flynn) Hanks not living in the district didnt seem to matter to voters The Independent spoke with, particularly those who were sad to see Boebert go. I dont think the Republicans here care one way or the other, as long as we get the representation, Roxie Geigle, wearing a red-white-and-blue cowboy hat and matching boot-shaped earrings, tells The Independent of Hanks district switch. Hanks says that, while he may not hail originally from CD3, he won the district during his Senate attempt and was quickly fielding phone calls asking him to run when Boebert bowed out. Ten days before the primary, his supporter Geigle is sitting in the Grand Junction offices of the Mesa County Republicans, a space kitted out with Charlie Kirk pamphlets, Trump mugshot mugs for sale and God, guns and Trump paraphernalia. A lot of people want Lauren Boebert back, but weve got to move on, and so were trying to find the best candidate to fill that position, she says. I do worry about somebody replacing her enthusiasm in Congress that they wont match it. And the closest one I found is Ron. Geigle, a 72-year-old retiree, volunteers with the party and is a Republican district captain but is speaking in her personal capacity as a voter. This is the first year the state GOP committee has broken with precedent and actually endorsed candidates, further stoking tensions and resentments within the party; it also put out a heavily Trumpleaning candidate questionnaire. Party chairman Dave Williams, who is himself running for the congressional seat in yet another Colorado district, and another officer recused themselves from the endorsement choice, according to the statement leaving the decision to just three other officials, it seems. Williams did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. Its not a surprise to see a split in the party between old-guard conservatives and more MAGA types; weve seen that in a lot of places and a lot of states, Seth Masket, director of the University of Denvers Center on American Politics, tells The Independent. But Wiliams is really sort of ramping up his power as state party chair to try and influence races thats really unusual. Warring factions within the GOP both in official ranks and on the ground have made people unwilling to talk about politics even within their own circles, say Geigle and office manager Karen Kulp. We have families that are split; we have people that have been friends for years [disagreeing] .. all kinds of things happening, Kulp tells The Independent. Its been going on over here for a long time. You have your Never-Trumpers, and then you have us. Hanks, according to the GOP committees endorsement last month, will secure the border, cut out-of-control taxes and spending, protect the unborn, defend the Second Amendment, and enthusiastically support our 2024 Republican Presidential nominee, President Donald J. Trump. There are plenty of Republicans who dont embrace the Hanks style of conservativism, however and the support behind Hurd would indicate that their numbers are significant. He has outpaced Hanks in both fundraising and the polls. There is infighting within the Colorado state GOP mirroring national trends with splits between old-guard establishment Republicans and grassroots, MAGA supporters; at the Mesa County offices in Grand Junction, Trump paraphernalia is overwhelmingly on display (Sheila Flynn) A lot of the older generation is supporting kind of your Ron Hanks and America First movement, whereas young people are more, Lets take a step back, lets re-evaluate, says Mesa County Republican Austin DeWitt, 23, who supported Boebert in two elections but felt she spent too much time on national issues, not local. Right now, I know a lot of young Republicans like myself theyre saying the same exact thing: Ron Hanks just doesnt really have a young persons interest, and its more grassroots, America First, more going along the lines with the state party. My priorities are, obviously, lets put the West Slope first. He said he was supporting Hurd, whos put a plan forth and is not really engaging in any of the mudslinging. Heavyweights like former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, a former Colorado secretary of state and state treasurer, and two of Boeberts predecessors have also publicly given support to Hurd, labelled an empty suit by Hanks. We know whos running him: Its the old retread establishment Republicans that are no longer in office that are looking for influence, Hanks tells The Independent. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, in a scathing editorial last month, took aim at the state GOP shenanigans. This is ludicrous, the paper wrote. The state party shouldnt be endorsing at all allowing its party members to draw their own conclusions about who is best qualified. Instead, the party is endorsing candidates whose views most closely align with the MAGA-loving state party chairman Ever since Lauren Boebert announced she wouldnt run to represent the 3rd CD for a third time, weve looked forward to a potential matchup between Adam Frisch and Jeff Hurd on the prospect that voters would have a choice between two qualified moderates. Democrat Adam Frisch, who lives in Aspen with his wife and two children, positioned himself as a moderate in the race against Boebert and nearly beat her during the last election; he is likely to face either Hurd or Hanks (Frisch Campaign) The state GOP would rather see a matchup between Hanks and a Democrat, it wrote. It should be careful what it wishes for. The strategy, it warned, could see the seat flip to Democrat for the first time since 2011 and that matchup does seem to be exactly what the Left wants if the TV ads theyre funding are anything to go by. National Republican leaders, at least, are up in arms about them. Accusing Frisch of gutter politics, the National Republican Congressional Committee has complained that Frisch was spending $115,000 in media markets ad that Rocky Mountain Values, a group bankrolled by the same donors as House Democrats nonprofit, has already spent $636,000 meddling in the primary. One RMV-funded ad, for example, highlights how Hanks wants to crack down on immigration and laments: Ron Hanks and Donald Trump are just too conservative before finishing with a stark: Too conservative for Colorado. When you have a Democrat start meddling in Republican elections and start paying all this money into a primary to support a certain candidate, that tells me right there that they believe he is the weaker candidate in November, he could lose, voter DeWitt tells The Independent. Rocky Mountain Values did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. Hanks, meanwhile, has been the target of attack ads funded by fellow Republicans, according to him. The advertisements call him a bullseye for liberals and a misfire for Colorado, accusing Democratic mega donors of propping up his campaign. One week before the primary, Hanks huffed on Facebook about Speaker Mike Johnson and the CLF PAC ads to foolishly attack my 2A and pro-Trump creds. I was AT Jan 6th, he added, also highlighting his pro-Second Amendment legislative efforts in the Colorado House. In a zoom town hall later that night, Hanks directly addressed the divisions within the GOP and the attack ads, visibly annoyed. If it sounds like a raw nerve, its because you thought you had some allies somewhere in your own damned party, he said. And we dont; we are largely here alone. Just days before the election, Hanks tells The Independent that he feels there is a fight afoot for the heart and soul of the party, not just in Colorado but nationally. This is now a fracture in the Republican Party between grassroots, who want limited government, and the establishment, who want a seat at the Democrats table, he says. And so this is the election to break this wide open. And Trump is doing that by being in the race. At least two people are dead after severe storms and major flooding hit the Midwest, according to officials, and a dam in southern Minnesota built in the early 1900s is at risk of failing. Rapidan Dam near Mankato was in imminent failure condition, The Blue Earth County government announced in a Monday Facebook post. We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place, however, we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies, the county said. The dam which has been in a state of disrepair, according to a 2021 study was still standing Tuesday afternoon, and the county said there are no current plans for mass evacuations. During a news conference, Gov. Tim Walz cautioned: We are not out of the woods yet. Some communities have not reached peak water levels, he said. The water flow rate peaked Monday and has slightly decreased Tuesday, according to a news release from Blue Earth County emergency management officials. Authorities are continuing to monitor the dam. The flooding in Blue Earth County is threatening the family home of resident Jenny Barnes and their nearby business The Dam Store, CNN affiliate KARE reported. Itll happen. We dont know when but its going to be inevitable that the house is going to go, Barnes told KARE. The Dam Store, known for its homemade pies, has been in business since 1910 and owned by Barnes family since 1972. Thats our life, as well. Thats our business; thats our livelihood. Its everything to us, Barnes told KARE. Theres no stopping it. Its going to go where it wants to go. Its going to take what it wants to take. And everybody pray that it doesnt take The Dam Store. During the Tuesday news conference, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen highlighted the concerns for farmers. While crops dont look damaged from a road perspective, Petersen said, the aerials show the widespread difficulties our farmers face. The Rapidan Dam has been in a state of disrepair, according to a 2021 study by the county. - Mark Vancleave/AP Walz said the town of Waterville, in nearby Le Sueur County, also saw a certainly dramatic impact from the flooding, with dozens of homes flooded up to the second floor. More than 40 National Guard soldiers were deployed to Waterville pump stations to ensure they operate around the clock, protecting critical infrastructure and homes, Minnesota National Guard Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke said during the news conference. Severe flooding has wreaked havoc across the Midwest for several days, leaving at least two people dead. A man in his mid-70s died in Clay County, Iowa, while trying to drive across rapid floodwaters on Saturday, according to a spokesperson from the county sheriffs office. The same day, an 87-year-old man died in a flood-related crash in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to the state highway patrol. In Iowa, days of catastrophic flooding and severe storms prompted President Joe Biden to approve a disaster declaration for some areas, freeing up federal funding for relief efforts. A levee failure Tuesday morning on the Little Sioux River prompted the evacuation of several Iowa communities. The city of Rodney in northern Monona County has been evacuated, with roads closed off to the public, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning, noting water had breached the levee in several spots. Authorities reported the levee failure just south of the city of Smithland at about 5 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. A flash flood warning was issued for Rodney, the nearby city of Smithland and other rural areas near the river, officials said. About 30 miles north, significant flooding left the city of Correctionville closed to non-residents, according to Woodbury County Emergency Management. Further north in Sioux City, the Big Sioux River crested at 45 feet, which is 7.3 feet above historic levels, prompting homes along the river to be evacuated Monday, officials said. Water rescue efforts continued on Tuesday afternoon, said South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. The governor said one neighborhood in North Sioux City McCook Lake was in a very dangerous situation with residents attempting to re-enter the area. Whole homes have fallen into McCook Lake, which is separated from Big Sioux River by Interstate 29, Noem said. The neighborhood has uprooted trees, live power lines across roads and 100-foot drop-offs in places where roads were washed out, along with other debris, the governor said. Officials dont expect the water levels to rise any further, Noem said, but she urged residents to stay away from the area as water levels recede slowly. Its not going to be safe for several days, said Noem. If theres water, dont drive through it. If theres a barricade, dont drive around it. In Minnesota, Blue Earth County officials were first notified Sunday of accumulating debris at the Rapidan Dam. Workers from Blue Earth County Public Works, the emergency management agency and the sheriffs office are actively monitoring the dam, according to the Facebook post. The Blue Earth River has cut around the west side of the dam, emergency management said, carrying damaging debris and causing power outages. In a Monday evening update, the county noted that although there was a partial failure on the west abutment, the dam is still intact. The Rapidan Dam is at risk of collapsing, according to county officials, though there are no plans for mass evacuations at the moment. - Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune/AP Our agencies are in close contact with Blue Earth County and other local officials regarding the Rapidan Dam near Mankato, Gov. Walz said in a statement Monday. Emergency management is on the ground and acting quickly to ensure the safety of Minnesotans as the situation develops. The dam, which was completed in 1910, is owned by the county and is capable of generating 6 million watts of hydroelectric power. Its about 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Dams can break for a number of reasons, including overtopping due to flooding and structural failure, according to FEMA. A 2021 report from Blue Earth County noted that regular flooding over the years, along with the toll of time, have caused significant damage to the dam. The report identified two solutions: repair or remove the dam. The county noted that both options have significant costs. CNNs Zoe Sottile, Amanda Musa and Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Bridget Townsend was planning for the future. The Texas 18-year-old was working full-time at a resort and eagerly waiting to hear back about an application to get into nursing school. But on Jan. 14, 2001, a man named Ramiro Gonzales stole all that away and all the other moments and milestones that make up a life when he kidnapped, raped and murdered Bridget. She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," her mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY on Saturday. "Every time she was with somebody she hadnt seen in a while, she had to hug 'em ... She didnt deserve what she got. Now more than 23 years later, Gonzales is set to be executed for the crime in Texas on Wednesday, which would have been Bridget's 41st birthday. Patricia Townsend said the execution will be a "joyful occasion" for her and her family, who have been waiting so long for justice. As Gonzales' execution approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at the tragic crime, who Bridget was what her family lost. A portrait of Bridget Townsend, a young woman from Texas who was brutally killed in January 2001. A terrible night Bridget was at her boyfriend Joe Leal's house that terrible night. Leal dealt drugs and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine, finding Bridget there alone. After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Bridget started to call Leal. That's when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather's ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records. When Leal arrived home later that night, Bridget's truck, purse and keys were their usual spots but he couldn't find her anywhere and called police. For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget. One day while he was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town 40 miles northwest of San Antonio. Gonzales was convicted of Bridget's murder in September 2006. Thank God I got to see her Patricia Townsend last saw her daughter the same day she was killed. Townsend was working at a video store and had asked Bridget to drop by and return a video. Thank God I got to see her. And I told her I loved her. And I hugged her, Townsend said. Bridget left soon after, saying she was going to bed because she had to drive to work in the morning. Townsend told her daughter goodbye, reminding her that she loved her. After Townsend closed the video store and went home for the night, she said she couldnt shake the feeling that she heard Bridget call out to her: Mom. She tried to call Bridget but there was no answer. And I said, Well dont fret, Pat. She said she had to get up early and go to work so shes probably sleeping," Townsend said. "But I should have known better because always slept with her phone right next to her in case somebody called her." She thought about going to check on Bridget but talked herself out of it. And to this day I regret not going out there," she said. "Maybe I would have been there in time to stop him." Bridget Townsend, 18, was busy planning out her future, working full-time at a resort while she waited to hear back from her nursing school application before she was killed. Patricia Townsend gets worst news of her life For nearly two years, Townsend spent most of her time putting up flyers about her daughter and chasing leads. Until one night a Bandera County sheriff asked her to come to the station. Although she had been holding out hope that her daughter was alive despite the odds, she instead got the worst news of her life. The sheriff told Townsend that Gonzales had confessed to Bridget's murder, had led police to her body and that he had some things he was hoping she might be able to identify. And I walked on down the street. I couldnt hear it anymore," she said. Towsend says she didnt even have a body to bury on Oct. 16, 2002 because Gonzales "wanted to see her body decay. A young Bridget Townsend pictured at her birthday party. She was born June 26; the same day Ramiro Gonzales is set to be executed for her murder. Townsend rejected arguments from Gonzales that a childhood filled with trauma and neglect helped lead him down a path that ended in her daughter's murder. He doesn't deserve mercy," she said. "And his childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood ... He made his choice." It's Gonzales' own fault that he no longer has a life. He could be going to school or have a wife and kids," she said. "I dont feel sorry for him at all and I dont want other people to feel sorry for him. Some people I feel sorry for are his grandma and grandpa that raised him. What has also brought comfort to Townsend amid the grief is that Gonzales is set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it. When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying," she said. "Thats her birthday." Instead of celebrating her daughter's 41st birthday, she'll drive four hours from her home in San Antonio to the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville and watch Gonzales die. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mom of Texas teen killed: Ramiro Gonzales' execution will be 'joyful' FRANKFURT (Reuters) - An appeals court in the German city of Stuttgart on Tuesday rejected damage claims against a physician who was accused of not warning of alleged harm from a COVID-19 vaccine she administered. The higher regional court in the city of Stuttgart said in a statement said the verdict was the first such ruling by a German appeals court. It said that a trainee in a care facility did not succeed with her claims seeking at least 50,000 euros ($53,545.00) in injury awards plus unspecified damages claims from a physician who administered two shots by the BioNTech-Pfizer alliance. A slew of damage claims in German courts against COVID vaccine makers, citing alleged side effects, have so far not succeeded. ($1 = 0.9338 euros) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Madeline Chambers) CORRECTION: A May fundraising email by former President Trumps campaign mentioned him being tortured in the Fulton County jail. Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story included incorrect information. Former President Trumps campaign in a Monday fundraising email criticized his treatment at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, saying he was tortured while getting his historic mug shot at the jail. Trump has frequently sought to raise funds from the mug shot, and the email that mentioned the torture was sent out to promote coffee mugs featuring Trumps mug shot. I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what? I put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE! the fundraising email said. Trump surrendered last August to the Fulton County Jail, a stipulation of his criminal indictment in Georgia, where he faces 13 counts stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Upon arriving to the jail in a presidential-style motorcade, Trump was booked, fingerprinted and photographed for a mug shot. The process took about 20 minutes and made Trump the first U.S. president in history, past or present, known to have their mug shot taken. The same email for the coffee mugs was also sent by the Trump campaign in May. It also included the language on torture. Trump has repeatedly seized on his arrest and mug shot and began selling merchandise shortly after the booking. The merchandise included T-shirts, mugs, koozies and bumper stickers that featured his mug shot and the phrase Never surrender. The former president and 18 others were indicted in Georgia last August over allegations they were involved in a scheme to illegally attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Four defendants have pleaded guilty following deals with prosecutors, while Trump and others have pleaded not guilty. Trumps case in Georgia is one of four criminal cases he has been charged in, including one the former president was convicted in last month in New York. He was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with reimbursements made for a hush money payment made ahead of the 2016 election. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Older Americans are stashing thousands around the house. Here's why this practice can lead to lost wealth Adrienne Volpe almost threw out her grandmothers collection of books after she passed away a decision that could have lost her a small fortune. My grandmother had pressed thousands of dollars in single bills inside books, Volpe told the New York Times (NYT), recounting how she thought she would find autumn leaves within the pages instead. Don't miss Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger Cost-of-living in America is still out of control use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what the US Fed does or says These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Volpes grandmother had stashed about $10,000 in bills as small as $20 within her books. Children and grandchildren of older Americans report finding hidden cash and valuables in their loved ones homes after they die like under the mattress or even inside a freezer due to mistrust in financial institutions. But this practice can lead to potential wealth-building losses and complications for your loved ones after you pass. Why you risk losing money by storing it in the sofa While you might have concerns about fraudsters accessing your bank account and siphoning funds from your savings there are plenty of risks in leaving bundles of cash at home as well. Experts note that your valuables could get stolen, destroyed by a disaster, like a fire, or even pocketed or misused by a family member. Plus, you could lose out on potential wealth-building opportunities by not investing this money and benefiting from compound interest growth. The lost interest it probably would have been double, just by having it in the bank all these years versus having it in the bottom of a closet, said Patrick Simasko, an estate lawyer in Mount Clemens, Michigan, who once uncovered nearly half a million dollars in cash and gold in the home of an older client who had hired him to execute her estate. Some professionals say they often see this cash hoarding behavior among baby boomers and the silent generation particularly those who grew up during the Great Depression and the bank failures of the 1930s. However, Mark Criner III, senior trust strategist for Baird Trust in Scottsdale, Arizona, noted that some folks from certain minority communities are prone to this practice as well. Thats borne of minorities lack of access to these institutions for decades, and even when there was access, there was a lot of abuse, Crimer told the NYT. They werent always treated fairly or dealt with honestly. Read more: Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Problems for your loved ones after you pass Volpe isnt the only one whos nearly lost an inheritance to the trash bin due to a dead relatives secrecy Susan Camp told the NYT she and her brother unknowingly tossed $5,000 in cash their deceased father had packaged in aluminum foil and stored in the freezer (they later retrieved it). She also found another $6,000 in a box for cologne. Experts say hiding your valuables at home and failing to keep records of ownership or through a detailed will can create problems for your loved ones after youre gone. Your heirs might never find your stashed funds or there can be conflict over who is entitled to what. Its just messy, its unofficial and it can lead to accounting nightmares, Criner said. Its important to make financial plans for the long term including for what happens after youre gone. Try to ease the inheritance process for your loved ones who will likely be grappling with their grief as well by writing up (and regularly updating) a clear and comprehensive will. In some cases, folks facing cognitive decline, like with Alzheimers or dementia, may start experiencing paranoia and exhibiting cash hoarding tendencies. Experts recommend appointing a financial power of attorney who can take over financial decisions making when youre not able as well. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The 'Real Housewives of New York City' alum got a facelift, chin implant, and fat transfer to give her a more youthful look Jill Zarin/Instagram Jill Zarins plastic surgeon is detailing the extensive work she had done. The Real Housewives of New York City alum recently underwent a facelift, chin implant and fat transfer in order to give her a more youthful look. The 60-year-old turned to Dr. Ira Savetsky husband of former RHONY star Lizzy Savetsky to help. The plastic surgeon spoke to PageSix and revealed that the reality star reached out to him hoping to fix her jowling, sagging neck skin and more. To address these concerns, I designed a personalized facial rejuvenation plan, Savetsky told the outlet. The procedure included a dual plane lower facelift and neck lift, which involved repositioning both the skin and underlying muscles to achieve a more youthful look. To enhance her profile, I placed a small chin implant, he explained, noting that the fat transfer was then done to restore volume to her midface, temples, earlobes and hands. Related: RHONYs Jill Zarin, 60, 'Bravely' Shares That She Got a Face Lift and Other 'Minor Tweaks' Anna Webber/Getty Jill Zarin 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. Zarin has been thrilled with the results of her facial rejuvenation and Savetsky said shes recovering exceptionally well. She has minimal bruising and swelling, and I expect her results to continue improving over the next several weeks as the swelling subsides, he added. Zarin first revealed on June 4 that she had a few cosmetic procedures done, returning to Instagram with a candid video updating her followers. Im bravely sharing that I had a lower facelift and a couple other minor tweaks, she said at the time. I live my life openly and freely, thats why I did a reality show and I think its important for people who do reality shows to be honest. I just want to share my story and my journey, she added, promising to post before and after photos throughout her recovery. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) -The spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as scientists warned separately of a dangerous strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa," Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's technical lead for mpox, said in a briefing note to journalists. In a separate briefing, John Claude Udahemuka of the University of Rwanda, who has been working on an outbreak in Congo's hard-to-reach South Kivu province, said the strain spreading there - a mutated version of the clade I mpox endemic in Congo for decades - was extremely dangerous. It has fatality rates of around 5% in adults and 10% in children. This year, roughly 8,600 mpox cases have been reported in Congo, and 410 deaths, Cris Kacita, the doctor in charge of operations in the country's mpox control programme, told Reuters last week. Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild but it can kill. A different, less severe form of the virus - clade IIb - spread globally in 2022, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. This prompted the WHO to declare a public health emergency. Although that has ended, Lewis said on Tuesday the disease remained a health threat. Two people died in South Africa this month of this form of the virus after a handful of cases were diagnosed. Vaccines and treatments were used to combat the global outbreak, but they are not available in Congo. The WHO and scientists said efforts were ongoing to address that. In South Kivu, Adahemuka and other researchers said the new strain was spreading partly by sexual contact among men and women, and particularly among sex workers. He said other close contact routes needed study, with evidence of transmission at school and from caregiver to child. The disease also seemed to be causing miscarriages among pregnant women as well as a longer-term rash and other lingering symptoms, the team said. Leandre Murhula Masirika, research co-ordinator in the health department in South Kivu province, said 20 cases were arriving at hospital in the mining town of Kamituga every week. "At the rate things are going, we risk becoming a source of cases for other countries," said Kacita. South Kivu borders Rwanda and Burundi. He said 24 of 26 provinces in Congo were affected and the outbreak was the worst mpox epidemic yet. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, additional reporting by Emma Farge and Sonia Rolley; Editing by Susan Fenton and Barbara Lewis) Suspected debris from a Chinese rocket was seen plummeting to the ground over a village in southwest China on Saturday, leaving a trail of bright yellow smoke and sending villagers running, according to videos on Chinese social media and sent to CNN by a local witness. The dramatic footage surfaced online shortly after a Long March 2C carrier rocket blasted off at 3p.m. local time Saturday (3 a.m. Eastern Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The rocket sent into orbit the Space Variable Objects Monitor, a powerful satellite developed by China and France to study the farthest explosion of stars known as gamma-ray bursts. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed to establish the country as a dominant space power, ramping up missions to compete with other major world powers, including the United States. Saturdays launch was declared a complete success by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a state-owned contractor that developed the Long March 2C rocket. CNN has reached out to the CASC and the State Council Information Office, which handles press inquiries for the Chinese government, including its space agency, for comment. A video posted on Kuaishou, a Chinese short-video site, appeared to show a long, cylindrical shaped piece of debris falling over a rural village and crashed next to a hill, with yellow smoke billowing from one end. CNN geolocated the video to be filmed from Xianqiao village in Guizhou province, neighboring the launch site province of Sichuan to the southeast. The video was posted on Kuaishou from an IP address in Guizhou. Other videos circulating on Chinese social media platforms analyzed by CNN showed multiple angles of the falling debris. In one of them, villagers, including children, were seen running away while looking back at the orange trail in the sky, with some covering their ears for the crash. Some videos had been taken down by Monday afternoon. Witnesses on social media said they heard a loud explosion after the debris crashed into the ground. An eyewitness told CNN they saw the rocket fall with their own eyes. There was a pungent smell and the sound of an explosion, they added. In a now-deleted government notice reposted by a local villager shortly after the launch, authorities said that Xinba Town, near Xianqiao village, was going to carry out a rocket debris recovery mission from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. local time on Saturday. Residents were asked to leave their homes and other buildings an hour before the launch and scatter out in more open areas to observe the sky. They were warned to keep away from the debris to prevent harm from toxic gas and explosion, according to the notice. Residents were also strictly forbidden to take photos of the debris or spread relevant videos online, the notice said. There were no reports of immediate injuries from local authorities. Extremely toxic Markus Schiller, a rocket expert and associate senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the debris appeared to be the first-stage booster of the Long March 2C rocket, which uses a liquid propellant consisting of nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). This combination always creates these orange smoke trails. Its extremely toxic and carcinogenic, Schiller said. Every living being that inhales that stuff will have a hard time in the near future, he added. Such incidents happen frequently in China due to the location of its launch site, he said. If you want to launch something to low Earth orbit, you usually launch it in the easternly direction to get some extra boost from the rotation of the Earth. But if you launch to the east, there are definitely always some villages in the pathway of the boosters of the first stage. Most rockets in China are blasted from the countrys three inland launch sites Xichang in the southwest, Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert in the northwest, and Taiyuan in the north. Built during the Cold War, these bases were deliberately located far from the coast out of security concerns. In 2016, a fourth launch site, Wenchang, opened in Hainan Island, the countrys southernmost province. In comparison, NASA and the European Space Agency usually launch their rockets from coastal locations toward the ocean, said Schiller, whos also a director of ST Analytics in Munich, Germany. Western space agencies have also largely phased out the kind of highly toxic liquid propellants for their civilian space programs, which China and Russia still use, he added. Multi-staged rockets shed debris shortly after blast-off, along trajectories that can be predicted before the launch. Before each launch, Chinas civil aviation authority typically issues a notice to pilots, known as NOTAM, to warn them against the temporary danger areas where rocket debris are likely to be falling. Debris from Chinese rockets have hit villages before. In December 2023, the debris of a rocket landed in southern Hunan Province, damaging two houses, state media reported. In 2002, a boy in northern China was injured when fragments from a satellite launch fell on his village in Shaanxi province. I expect that well see something like that for quite a while, for many years to come, Schiller said. China has previously faced criticism from the international space community for its handling of debris from its out-of-control rocket boosters when they reenter Earth. In 2021, NASA lambasted China for its failure to meet responsible standards after debris from its out-of-control Long March 5B rocket plunged into the Indian Ocean just west of the Maldives after reentering the atmosphere. CNNs Joyce Jiang, Edward Szekeres and Steven Jiang contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com During a long day of hearings in Fort Pierce, Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon challenged prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smiths team to show how former President Donald Trumps repeated comments about the FBI translated into a threat against law enforcement officers. The special counsels office says that a gag order is needed because Trump has repeatedly, and misleadingly, alleged that the agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 were authorized to murder him. Cannon did not seem inclined to approve the limitations on Trumps speech but did not immediately issue a ruling. The judge also heard arguments on Trumps long-shot motion alleging that the special counsels office is being improperly funded. She did not rule on that motion either. Heres what to know from Mondays hearings: Cannon is skeptical of a gag order Cannon showed some skepticism toward prosecutors arguments, asking where they saw a call to violence in Trumps comments and saying that they had needed to show some connecting facts between what the former president has said and the threats they are warning about. Cannon said that the statute prosecutors are citing for the gag order still requires a finding related to the potential risks to others, noting that prosecutors dont need a direct cause. There still needs to be a factual connection between A and B, Cannon said of the bridge between Trumps comments and potential threats. Prosecutor David Harbach responded that other posts and comments by Trump ultimately result in all types of terrible things, including threats or harassment of law enforcement. He said that while Trump is welcome to campaign, there should be certain limits when it comes to the safety of FBI agents on the case. Judge dresses down prosecutor Cannon repeatedly sparred with Harbach, who she said was being snippy during his arguments. First, Cannon dressed down the prosecutor for his lack of decorum while addressing her. Harbach had seemingly become irritated at Cannons detailed questions. Cannon quickly stopped Harbach, telling him, I dont appreciate your tone. She added that she would appreciate decorum at all times and said, If you arent able to do that, Im sure one of your colleagues can take up arguing this motion. Yes, your honor, Harbach replied. The judge also slammed Harbach for not providing evidence of other court rulings on gag orders against Trump, despite referring to those orders in their arguments. Harbach later apologized to Cannon, saying, I didnt mean to be unprofessional. Im sorry about that. Trump accuses Smith of trying to punish him for others actions Trumps defense attorney Todd Blanche said Monday that there were no threats to FBI agents in Trumps email or social media posts cited by the government, and argued the Justice Department was trying to punish Trump for other peoples comments. The attacks, very clearly, are against President Biden, Blanche said of Trumps communications at issue. Blanche acknowledged that the DOJs deadly force policy in place for the Mar-a-Lago search was standard for the execution of such search warrants but said that It doesnt mean that it was right for agents to have been armed during the search (as they normally are). The defense attorney also said that prosecutors were trying to set a dangerous precedent by changing the former presidents conditions of release. He said that prosecutors are too vaguely defining what a threat is, making any potential new rules difficult to follow and potentially making him liable for other peoples comments. Steve Bannon making a comment is potentially the kind of thing that could send President Trump to jail, Blanche said. Cannon has tough questions on how special counsels office is funded In the morning session, though the judge was careful to say her questions shouldnt imply she was leaning one way, Cannon pushed Justice Department attorney James Pearce to explain how much money the department has used for its work in the Trump criminal cases. The judge noted that even if the office discloses its spending publicly every six months, a financial disclosure that would encompass last fall through this March was overdue. She also sought from prosecutors guidance on explaining the laws and regulations that governed past special prosecutors, at one point bringing up Watergate and the era of Janet Reno as attorney general. Cannons questions were so pointed toward Pearce that at one point the prosecutor mentioned how other courts have been overturned if they invalidated a government function in the way Cannon was probing, and said he hoped the Justice Department could provide additional written argument to the court if invalidating Smith was a serious possibility. Should Congress be more involved? Trump is also aiming to bring Congress into the conversation. Trump attorney Emil Bove advocated at Mondays hearing that Cannon should insist on more congressional oversight of the special counsels offices work, or decide that the way the office is funded is unlawful because, he says, the money is being used in a way Congress hadnt authorized. The argument is in line with other arguments the Trump team has made to the judge in recent days alleging Smith is too independent from Justice Department leadership. Bove also told the judge more congressional oversight would curb what he called extraordinary things that were happening in the documents case. Justice Department attorneys have responded in court that the special counsel operates in line with established policies, in place over several decades and administrations, and that the DOJ is committed to continuing to fund this prosecution of Trump under the attorney generals authorization. Republicans on Capitol Hill have also tried to buckle down on the DOJs use of the special counsels office and its funding. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A death row inmate set for execution in Texas this week says he is not the same man he was when he raped and killed an 18-year-old woman in 2001. Ramiro Gonzales, 41, is set to be executed Wednesday for the death of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, who was kidnapped, raped and fatally shot on Jan. 14, 2001, at a ranch in Bandera, a small town in Texas Hill Country about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio. If the execution goes forward, Gonzales will be the second inmate put to death in Texas this year and the eighth in the nation. Gonzales was previously scheduled for execution on July 13, 2022, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted it two days before it was set to occur, citing a state expert who said he gave incorrect testimony at trial. Now with his execution back on the calendar, Gonzales has been filing a flurry of appeals and a petition for clemency, asking Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant a lesser penalty or more time. Abbott, who has referred to the death penalty as "Texas justice," has overseen the execution of 73 inmates since he took office in 2015 and granted clemency in one case. As execution day approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at Gonzales' crime and what led him down a path that ended in a young woman's horrific death. 'Deep descent into addiction' began after beloved aunt's death Gonzales endured bouts of physical and sexual abuse throughout his childhood, often at the hands of relatives, and was the epitome of an unwanted child," clinical psychologist Kate Porterfield says in a clemency video submitted to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on June 4. Given up by his mother at birth, Gonzales grew up in the care of his grandparents in a small cinderblock house near Bandera, where his grandfather worked as a ranch hand. With both grandparents working long hours, Gonzales was typically left alone and unsupervised, according to the video. Loretta Gonzales, an aunt, quickly became one of Gonzales' only sources of comfort in an otherwise extraordinarily traumatic environment, with events that were some of the most toxically stressful that a child can experience, Porterfield said. "My Aunt Loretta shes the reason why I started doing better in school," Gonzales said in the video. "Shes the reason why I did homework. Shes the reason why I played sports." When Loretta was killed by a drunk driver in May 1998, things began to unravel for Gonzales. Lorettas death plunged Ramiro into inconsolable grief," his clemency petition says. "(He was) despondent and completely unequipped to deal with the loss, turning to drugs to numb his pain," the clemency petition states. A young Ramiro Gonzales pictured at his Aunt Loretta's wedding. 'Deep descent into addiction' contributed to events that unfolded What started out as self-medication rapidly became full-blown addiction to drugs and alcohol in the years that followed, leading Ramiro Gonzales to steal and forge checks to finance the addiction. He also began to run errands for Joe Leal, his drug dealer, to get more drugs and pay off his debts, according to the clemency petition. Gonzales deep descent into addiction led up to Jan. 14, 2001, the day he kidnapped, raped and killed Townsend, who was in a relationship with Leal. Gonzales went to Leal's house to get more drugs but only Townsend was there, according to court documents. After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Townsend started to call Leal. That's when Gonzales pushed her, dragged her into the bedroom, and tied her hands and feet with some nylon rope he had found in the closet, according to court documents He then drove her to his grandfather's ranch, where he raped and shot her, and dumped her body, according to court records. Townsend's disappearance remained unsolved for nearly two years only after Gonzales decided to confess to the murder, leading authorities to her remains. At the time Gonzales was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, a crime that happened more than a year after Townsend was killed. At the time, Ramiro was gripped by a serious addiction rooted in his exposure to drugs while still in the womb, compounded by the trauma and neglect that marked his childhood, according to his clemency petition. State, victim's family reject Ramiro Gonzales' explanations Gonzales' arguments haven't swayed neither Texas authorities nor Townsend's still-grieving family. "Despite admitting his guilt in both cases, Gonzales continued to deny his responsibility for these vile crimes, saying, in one case, he enjoyed the crime, and in the other that it was consensual," William Stephens, former director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, wrote in a court filing. Patricia Townsend, Bridget Townsend's mother, told USA TODAY that Gonzales' execution will be a "joyful occasion" for her and her family, who have been waiting so long for justice. She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," she said. "He doesn't deserve mercy ... And his childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood. You shouldnt feel sorry for him because of that. He made his choice." A portrait of Bridget Townsend, a young woman from Texas who was brutally killed in January 2001. Ramiro Gonzales says he's undergone spiritual transformation Gonzales says his life changed the night a preacher handed him a Bible while he was behind bars awaiting trial for Townsend's murder. I stayed awake reading through this Bible ... A couple days after that, everything in me wanted God, Gonzales says in the clemency video. The conviction was so overwhelming that I kneeled down and prayed that God forgive me for everything. Gonzales said he quickly realized that he "had to follow God." "I just know that I had to give my life to God. And that I needed him to help me get through, Gonzales says in the video. He said that he has become the person he always wanted to be, following a righteous path and working to better the lives of those around him by serving God. From the men in his faith-based group, to those who listen to him preach, to correctional officers who stop by his cell for comfort, to his friends and pen pals, Ramiro is a shining example of the redemptive power of Gods grace, and the ripple effect that power has throughout the world, the clemency petition says. Ramiro helps lead people to God, and through Gods power they are transformed. In 2022, Gonzales offered to donate a kidney in an attempt to atone for the life he took." The Texas Department of Criminal Justice rejected the request, saying it could introduce an uncertain timeline" and interfere with the execution, according to a court filing. Ramiro Gonzales, 41, says he is not the same troubled kid convicted for the murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend in September 2006. He has spent time working to atone for the life he took by dedicating his life to serving God. Gonzales apologizes to Bridget Townsend's family In 2022, Gonzales wrote a letter to Townsend's family, saying that his apologies "cannot even begin to bring you peace of mind and healing." "But I feel that I should still tell you how sorry I am for the pain and anguish you have suffered because of my actions, Gonzales wrote, according to the clemency petition. I am sorry, deeply sorry, that I took what was so precious to you ... I know theres nothing I can do or say to make it better." In a recent interview with the Marshall Project, Gonzales said he plans to use his last words before death apologizing more to Townsend's family, who can choose to witness him die. "I pray God will give me the words, and I hope its sincere enough for them to at least accept the apology," Gonzales told the Marshall Project. "I dont know that there will be any closure for them in watching me die, but I hope its enough to help them begin a journey." Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas man set to be executed says he's changed since killing teen girl Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, right, gestures as he speaks to chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov in Moscow in December 2023 (AP) The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials, accusing them of overseeing war crimes against civilians during Russias invasion of Ukraine. Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and military chief General Valery Gerasimov have been accused of directing attacks at civilian objects, causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and perpetrating the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. The statement from the ICC added that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023. It added that the court believes that where strike targets may have qualified as military objectives at the time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. The warrants come as Russia has again stepped up its long-range assault on Ukraines energy infrastructure in recent months, launching at least eight large-scale aerial assaults in recent weeks. Moscow launched dozens of drones and missiles during the latest attack, injuring numerous civilian workers and causing yet more blackouts across the country. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that Moscow had destroyed half of his countrys electricity-generating capacity since it began pummelling its energy facilities in late March. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Ukraines allies to send more air-defence systems. He has specifically requested seven sophisticated Patriot air-defence systems from the US. Russian president Vladimir Putin, centre, talks with the chief of the general staff Gerasimov, left, and defence minister Shoigu after a meeting in Moscow late last year (AP) Each winter during Russias more than two-year invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has conducted airstrikes against Ukraines energy grid, which it claims is a legitimate military target. The missile and drone attacks on power plants and other infrastructure have killed hundreds of civilians, Ukrainian officials have said, and left millions with no electricity or water for long periods. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Ukraine in March last year to investigate Russias aerial campaign. The Kremlin maintains that it does not target civilians. Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served, Mr Zelensky said. And we do hope to see them behind bars. Mr Zelenskys top adviser, Andriy Yermak, labelled the move by the ICC an important decision, adding that it was clear that Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov bear individual responsibility. Everyone will be [held] responsible for evil, he wrote on the Telegram messenger app. Ukraines human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the ICC decision meant his country was a step closer to getting justice. Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal! he said in a statement posted on Telegram. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction, and refuses to hand over suspects. Russias Security Council claimed the courts action was part of a hybrid war against Moscow. This is just shooting the breeze, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, and was made as part of the hybrid war of the West against our country, state news agency Tass quoted the council as saying. At least six Russian officials have become subject to arrest warrants since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In March last year, warrants were issued for Mr Putin and his childrens commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for their role in the alleged forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. People use torches as they leave a supermarket during a partial electricity blackout in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in May (Reuters) In March 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for top Russian commanders Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov over suspected war crimes in Ukraine, again related to missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023. The latest round of arrest warrants deals a blow to two of Russias most senior officials, both of whom have been heavily involved in Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine. Russia has denied committing war crimes in Ukraine and has accused the ICC of unfairly targeting Russian officials. Mr Shoigu served as Mr Putins defence minister from 2012 until earlier this year, before he was appointed the head of the Russian Security Council, a top role in the Kremlin that puts him in charge of the countrys domestic and international security. He was an instrumental figure in overseeing Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine. Last year, he visited North Korea ahead of Mr Putins meeting with the nations dictator Kim Jong-un, in what experts said paved the way for an eventual military deal that saw Moscow receive lethal weapons from Pyongyang that they allegedly later used against Ukraine. Gen Gerasimov, who last year was appointed operational commander of the special military operation a propagandistic phrase used by the Kremlin to describe the invasion of Ukraine has directly overseen the war since its beginning. He is both the chief of the general staff and the deputy defence minister. The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols shaped by international courts say that parties involved in a military conflict must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. The arrest warrants bar Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov from being able to visit any of the 124 signatories to the ICC, as those countries will be obliged to arrest the two officials once they arrive. It comes as Ukraine is set to officially launch membership talks with the European Union in what President Zelensky has described as a dream come true for his countrys citizens. Deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna will lead Ukraines delegation at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on Tuesday, marking the official opening of talks to align the countries laws and standards with those of the 27-nation bloc. A few hours later, Moldova, which applied to join the EU after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was granted candidate status four months later, will take part in a separate intergovernmental conference to officially launch its own accession process. Starting the talks process is sending another strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine beyond the billions in financial support the EU has provided. It is also a show of support for Moldova, which has faced its own challenges with Russia. Generations of our people are realising their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe, Mr Zelensky said in an online post after EU member states agreed on Friday to open the talks. The negotiations will likely begin in a few months time, and the membership process will take years. Ukraine wants to join by 2030, but it must notably carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms first. That daunting list is led by steps to combat corruption, and includes broad reforms to public administration and the judiciary. When it comes to the battlefield, Mr Zelensky has fired the military commander leading the charge of Kyivs troops in eastern Ukraine after Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol was accused of killing more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general. In his nightly video message, Mr Zelensky announced that Lt Gen Sodol had been replaced by Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov. The move came a day after Bohdan Krotevych, the leader of Ukraines Azov regiment, accused the general of being responsible for significant military setbacks and major losses in personnel. Without mentioning Lt Gen Sodol by name, Mr Krotevych wrote: All the military now understand what kind of person Im talking about, because 99 per cent of the military hate him for what he does. Former President Trump has largely avoided specifics about his personal stance on abortion on the campaign trail, despite Democrats blaming him for appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Trump has said the fate of abortion should be left to individual states and declined to take a stance on a potential federal abortion ban, which is being pushed by allies including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). He has criticized states with six-week abortion bans in the past and urged GOP candidates last year against taking a hard line on the issue, noting it is very difficult to win elections if they do so. The members of Trumps VP shortlist, however, have taken a harder line than the former president, either espousing beliefs or enacting laws that are unpopular among much of the electorate. Trump has said he will announce his running mate around the Republican National Convention in mid-July. Heres where the top three contenders for the job North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) stand on abortion. Doug Burgum As governor of North Dakota, Burgum signed one of the strictest abortion bills in the nation last year, banning abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. The law, which was overwhelmingly approved in the state Legislature, does not provide exceptions in cases of rape or incest. During his long-shot bid for the GOP presidency last summer, Burgum, like Trump, said he supported the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade, but that he would not sign a federal abortion ban if elected to the Oval Office. He has maintained that states should decide for themselves on their abortion policies. And whats going to pass in North Dakota is not ever going to pass in California and New York and wouldnt even pass in the state of Minnesota. I thats why Im on the record saying that I would not sign a federal abortion ban, Burgum said in July 2023 on NBCs Meet the Press. Marco Rubio Rubio, a veteran senator who ran in the GOP primary against Trump in the 2016 election, co-sponsored a bill with Graham that would ban abortions across the country after 15 weeks. Ive always been pro-life, Rubio told reporters in September 2022, explaining his support for the legislation. You need to be asking Democrats what restrictions they support. Democrats wont vote for any restriction of any kind on abortion. When questioned by CBS News in August 2022 over whether he would favor a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking, Rubio said he personally favored such a ban but realized that was a minority position. So he said he would vote for exceptions due to the political realities, and supported such a ban on a state level. The Florida senator appeared to sidestep a question last month over whether he disagrees with Trumps opposition to a national abortion ban. Well, he wont sign one [a national abortion ban] because theres no way we can pass it, he told NBC News in May. Ive never claimed we have 60 votes in the Senate and votes in the House and everything else that goes in between. In the same interview, he appeared to dodge a follow-up question over his thoughts on Trumps description of Floridas six-week abortion ban as a terrible thing, a terrible mistake. Well, again, I am pro-life, so I support laws that save unborn human life. Other people have different opinions on what our law should be, Rubio said. That law that youre referring to was passed by elected legislators in the state of Florida House members that have to go back to their voters every two years, senators that have go to back every four years. JD Vance Vance has been a steadfast supporter of abortion restrictions, while also backing some exceptions. Vance last year called Ohios move to enshrine abortion rights last fall a gut punch for anti-abortion advocates like himself. For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it, he wrote on social media last November. We have to recognize how much voters mistrust us (elected Republicans) on this issue. Having an unplanned pregnancy is scary. Best case, youre looking at social scorn and thousands of dollars of unexpected medical bills. We need people to see us as the pro-life party, not just the anti-abortion party. In 2022, Vance said he would support some minimal national standard for abortion restrictions, along with a proposal to limit abortion access after 15 weeks of pregnancy. When asked on CBS News last month what he would like for a minimum national standard for abortion, Vance deferred to Trumps belief the decision should be up to the states. I think that first of all, we have to acknowledge that political reality is, I think, really motivating a lot of these considerations. What Donald Trump has said, which is very consistent with what I said during my own campaign, is that the gross majority of abortion policy is going to be made at the state level, he said. And I actually think if you compare his view of saying, Look, this is a tough issue. We need to let people debate and decide this very tough issue in this new environment where its been kicked back to democratic legislators,' he added. I am pro-life. I want to save as many babies as possible. And sure, I think its totally reasonable to say that late-term abortions should not happen with reasonable exception. Vance has offered mixed statements on how he feels about a federal abortion ban. In November of last year, he told CNN Republicans need to embrace federal legislation, including a 15-week ban with exceptions. But the Ohio Republican has also pointed to what he calls the political reality surrounding the issue. Give people a choice between abortion restrictions very early in pregnancy with exceptions, or the pro-choice position, and the pro-life view has a fighting chance. Give people a heartbeat bill with no exceptions and it loses 65-35, he wrote last November. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The White House has issued a trio of veto threats against the first set of spending bills the House is scheduled to vote on, dismissing each proposal as partisan bills put forward by Republicans. The White House published statements of administration policy Monday addressing House spending bills for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and Department of State. Rather than respecting their agreement and taking the opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process to build on last years bills, House Republicans are again wasting time with partisan bills that would result in deep cuts to law enforcement, education, housing, healthcare, consumer safety, energy programs that lower utility bills and combat climate change, and essential nutrition services, the White House said. The administration argued the proposals also included numerous, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences for reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, climate change initiatives and diversity efforts. The administration said President Biden would veto the bills if they reached his desk an unlikely scenario, given the House legislation would also need to get through the Democratic-controlled Senate. House lawmakers will weigh in on the three government funding bills this week as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) looks to make good on his rigorous schedule for the appropriations process. The bills are set to go before the House Rules Committee on Tuesday afternoon. More than 230 amendments were filed for the Homeland Security bill, several of which focus on the border; upward of 210 amendments were put forth for the State/Foreign Operations measure, with some focusing on Ukraine; and around 400 amendments were proposed for the Pentagon legislation. The trio of bills all advanced out of the appropriations committee despite opposition from Democrats, meaning they are all but certain to languish in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Top House Republicans, however, are still moving forward with the votes, hoping the cleared legislation will put them on stronger footing during negotiations with the Senate down the road. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Sarah N. Lynch and Alasdair Pal WASHINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) -WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a 14-year legal odyssey. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2300 GMT Tuesday). The island in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Assange left Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday before being bailed by the UK High Court and boarding a flight that afternoon, Wikileaks said in a statement posted on social media platform X. "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations," the statement said. A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet with the markings of charter firm VistaJet. He will return to Australia after the hearing, the Wikileaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan. "Julian is free!!!!" his wife, Stella Assange, said in a post on X. "Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true." The only VistaJet plane that departed Stansted on Monday afternoon was headed to Bangkok, FlightRadar24 data shows. A spokesperson for Assange in Australia declined to comment on his flight plans. VistaJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing for Assange's release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. "Prime Minister Albanese has been clear - Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration," a government spokesperson said. A lawyer for Assange did not immediately respond to a request for comment. HISTORIC CHARGES WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. "A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organization Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. "It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world." LONG ODYSSEY Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in London's Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the United States. Those five years of confinement are similar to the sentence imposed on Reality Winner, an Air Force veteran and former intelligence contractor, who was sentenced to 63 months after she removed classified materials and mailed them to a news outlet. While in Belmarsh Assange married his partner Stella with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Andrew Goudsward and Kanishka Singh in Washington, Michael Holden and Kate Holton in London, Lisa Barrington in Seoul and Alasdair Pal, Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis and Sonali Paul) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has fought extradition for years to avoid facing charges of releasing an enormous trove of classified information about U.S. military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act, according to federal court records. Under the terms of the plea with U.S. prosecutors, Assange will get no more detention time than the 62 months he has already served in the United Kingdom. Assange is set to be released to Australia, his country of citizenship, after a Tuesday court proceeding is over, according to federal records. Assange agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, according to a letter accompanying charging documents filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific. The court hearing federal court in Saipan was arranged because of Assange's opposition to visiting the continental U.S. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven out of Southwark Crown Court in London on May 1, 2019, after having been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions in 2012. Assange is scheduled to plead guilty and be sentenced at the same hearing on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT, according to a letter from U.S. Attorney Shawn Anderson. Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona Manglona agreed to hear the plea. Assanges wife, Stella, posted a short video that appeared to show him boarding a plane for the court appearance. Julian is free!!!! Stella Assange posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, while thanking his supporters. The 52-year-old Assange gained worldwide attention in 2010 after revealing the biggest security breach of its kind in U.S. military history. WikiLeaks released more than 90,000 documents related to Afghanistan and later published more than 400,000 documents from the war in Iraq. The documents included information about civilian deaths, the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Iran's backing of militants in Iraq. Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning served years in prison for leaking the documents to WikiLeaks. Former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence after she served seven of 35 years. But Assanges case proved difficult to prosecute both politically and geographically. He argued that he was a journalist and that Wikileaks published secret documents as major American newspapers routinely do. A banner placed by a supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the railings outside The Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on May 20, 2024. The Justice Department under Obama didnt charge him. But during former President Donald Trumps administration, the department secured an indictment in 2019 on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. Assange's critics argued he wasnt a journalist because he didnt write stories or interview anyone or provide sufficient explanatory context to explain the raw classified documents and data that he released. "WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service," then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, said in April 2017 in his first public speech as head of the spy agency. "Assange and his ilk," Pompeo said, seek "personal self-aggrandizement through the destruction of Western values." People attend a protest outside the High Court on the day of an extradition hearing of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in London, Britain, on May 20, 2024. Journalism advocates lamented the plea agreement. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the agreement ratified Assange spending five years in prison for activities journalists engage in every day. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world, Jaffer said. David Greene, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group for free speech and digital privacy, called the plea agreement a conviction for basic journalistic acts. This sets a dangerous precedent, and all those who value a free press should work to make sure that it never happens again, Green said. Assanges lawyers argued the charges were politically motivated. He fought extradition, initially taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid charges in Sweden, which have since been dropped, because he feared Sweden would extradite him to the U.S. Assange has been jailed for years in Belmarsh Prison, first for jumping bail on the Swedish charge and later because he was considered a flight risk during his extradition fight. The United Kingdom High Court ruled in May that he would have another chance to fight his extradition in the yearslong court battle. The Justice Department reached the plea agreement because of uncertainty about the case after recent court rulings. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julian Assange agrees to admit violating Espionage Act: DOJ Hong Kong Investment Corporation announces new strategic partnership in AI Xinhua) 10:09, June 25, 2024 HONG KONG, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Investment Cooperation (HKIC) signed here Monday a strategic cooperation agreement with BioMap, a company that offers AI models for the life sciences industry. The agreement was signed at the inaugural International Bio-Computing Innovation Summit which was held on the same day in Hong Kong. Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Paul Chan said at the signing ceremony that Hong Kong has solid foundation in artificial intelligence and life science, and he believed that Hong Kong should endeavor to accelerate the development of bio-computing to seize the "first mover advantage." Chief Executive Officer of the HKIC Clara Chan said that she looked forward to the cooperation between BioMap and the HKIC in different areas to explore expanding the scope of application of BioMap's platform technology from medicine and health to green technology, industrial innovation and other fields. The International Bio-Computing Innovation Summit brought together speakers from around the world to discuss bio-computing and future applications, including accelerating new drug discovery, improving human health, and promoting green technology innovation for global sustainable development. The establishment of the HKIC was proposed by the HKSAR's chief executive John Lee in his policy address in 2022, with the aim to further optimize the use of fiscal reserves for promoting the development of industries and the economy. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A man who worked in Yosemite National Park has been indicted in the violent sexual assault of a fellow employee in Yosemite Valley last month. Nathan Baptista, 36, was charged Thursday with aggravated sexual abuse stemming in the May 30 sexual assault, the Eastern District of California said in a news release. USA TODAY was working Monday to identify Baptista's attorney but none was yet listed in court records. Baptista and the woman he's charged with assaulting both worked at a bar for Yosemite Hospitality, which manages concessions in the central California park, located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, according to a federal complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Monday. Yosemite National Park did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday. Yosemite Valley is seen in Yosemite National Park in California on April 19, 2008. What is Nathan Baptista accused of? On May 31, the woman who accused Baptista of rape told a National Park Service special agent that everything began when she and a friend were walking home the previous night, the complaint says. At some point, the two stopped at the house Baptista shared with co-workers in Yosemite Village, just around the corner from the park's famous and historic Ahwahnee Hotel, she added, according to the document. The woman and Baptista met after he invited her and her friend into the house to drink, according to the court document. At some point when the two were in the yard outside of the home, Baptista kissed the woman, who responded, "No," the complaint says. Once the woman's friend left the property, only she and Baptista were in the home, the document continued. The woman said Baptista sexually assaulted her when they were talking in the living room, according to the complaint. Although the woman told the agent she did not need immediate medical attention, she had "visible bruising," the court filing continued. Baptista is accused of beating and choking the woman during the alleged assault, according to the complaint. 'I just kept telling him to stop' A follow-up physical examination at the nearby Yosemite Medical Clinic found that the woman had bruises on her chest, bicep, and left eyelid, and a cut on her neck, the complaint says. During a subsequent interview with an agent on June 3, the woman said that Baptista "was slapping me in the face, and I was telling him to stop and he started choking me and he wouldnt stop." "I just kept telling him to stop. I told him to stop choking me," she said. "And when he stopped choking me, he just started hitting me in the face again." At one point she said that Baptista put both hands around her neck and pushed down in the middle of her throat, affecting her ability to breathe, according to the court document. Baptista is no longer employed as a hospitality employee for the park, the Fresno Bee reported, citing federal prosecutors. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yosemite employee charged in co-worker's rape, choking AI adoption will be faster than cloud adoption, and the fear of missing out and being disrupted is driving the interest in its applications, particularly from small- to medium-sized businesses (SMB), according to managed service provider (MSP) Think Solutions. A June report from Nutanix found that the ability to support AI had a considerably higher impact on Australian organisations infrastructure choices. In the sixth annual Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Index report, the AI desire led to 99 per cent of Australian respondents following a cloud-smart infrastructure strategy leveraging the best environment, such as a private data centre, public cloud, or edge, for the unique requirements of each workload compared with 90 per cent worldwide. This surge underscores the regions pivotal role in driving the next wave of AI innovation and technological advancement. While Nutanixs report sees the AI drive mainly occurring in the enterprise space, Think Solutions believes that its seeing this trend tricking down to their SMB and lower-end enterprise customers across various industries. A lot of these customers are unsure of the impacts of AI on their specific industry but are coming to us asking questions about what we are seeing, said Think Solutions sales director Pedro Duarte. Ive got a customer thats very mature around AI now; theyre leveraging GPT-style AI to improve their organisations document building and process building to drive some efficiencies around information workers. In addition, Think Solutions is looking at include the impacts of AI around security and how they can leverage that to smarten their cyber security practices. While the use cases for AI are varied, it is the one topic every one of Think Solutions clients is having. I liken this to when cloud was a terminology that was new to people. Everyone was talking about it, but no one knew quite what it meant to their organisation, said Duarte. While people are willing to have a conversation and theyre willing to explore thats where it stops for most customers. A lot of this is driven from the top down, which we saw with cloud as well when the explosion came about. It was driven from the top down, not the bottom up. He said that conversations and exploration around AI were plentiful because customers fear of missing out was present. For most customers, conversations around AI are exploratory looking at whats out there in the market and how it could potentially fit. People know that if they dont react quickly in their industry, theyre going to be disrupted, he said. I think many people are keen on doing something, but they almost like theyre waiting for a solution in the box for their specific industry. Out-of-the-box solutions However, there are some customers who are waiting for that golden nugget for someone to come up with a solution that is very specific to their industry, said Duarte. Theres no or very limited AI in a box solution now thats purpose-built for a particular industry. Its more open at this stage, he said. This has led to customers looking at various AI solutions to implement private GPTs. Duarte said this means customers need to set permissions around GPT tightly. What happens if someone requests data that they shouldnt have access to? If the rules arent set correctly in the AI engine, it can give the wrong people privileges to access data that they typically shouldnt see, he said. Duarte also said Think Solutions customers are early adopters of cloud and software-as-a-service- (SaaS) based products and dont have a large on-premises footprint, so theyre used to agile work processes. When an AI-driven product pops up, they like to copilot whats available. They are agile, so they can adopt it, trial it and turn it off if they dont like it, he added. Thinking about AI One of the main concerns Think Solutions customers have about using AI is the question of having to let staff go, although some see it as an opportunity to redeploy staff to do other tasks. This also applies to Think Solutions own journey with AI, as Duarte said the MSP was also looking for ways to become more efficient. As an MSP, you try to drive as many efficiencies as possible so that you can increase your capacity, which in turn makes you more profitable, he said. Weve already started looking at how paid-for GPT can help us with writing knowledge-based articles while driving consistency between different staff in writing templates and so forth. We also want to automate tasks and menial tasks that are repetitive via AI. Duarte said that as an MSP, its about making sure that staff understand the risks associated with using tools like GPT and only using the paid-for version. We are advising staff that were looking to leverage these in a more corporate professional manner so that we still see the productivity gains associated with [AI], he said. Sometimes that raises questions from the internal staff, concerned about their jobs and what that will mean for them. Internal communication is critical because, like any project, it needs staff buy-in to be successful. You must ensure theyre on the journey with you. Meeting industry disruptions While Think Solutions main focus has been on supporting customers through their AI and other managed services journeys, the MSP also ensures it can handle the disruption and movement around infrastructure refreshes and changes. When Broadcom bought VMware, there were a lot of changes, and thats caused a bit of disruption in the industry, he said. Our focus has been lately assisting customers in that journey, navigating from migrating from a public cloud back to a private cloud or from Broadcom by VMware to an alternative hypervisor. This has meant that Think Solutions must also look at upskilling itself internally. Our ethos has always been to promote from within, said Duarte. Our service desk is constantly hiring and evolving and hiring staff, and then we try and skill stuff up within our service desk to eventually make it into our projects team. In the past couple of years, the MSP has grown its service desk alone by 50 per cent, while its projects team has grown close to 50 per cent. Duarte said Think Solutions has established a senior leadership team as part of its restructuring. As part of that, we made sure that in that senior leadership team, we had people for each area of the business, from our service desk to projects team, sales team, finance administration and then the CEO, he said. This meant that instead of decisions being made with a subset of people, they were made across the business and based on a majority. We changed our business to become technically focused these days, he said. Our management is light, and we try to run lean. We want to have more technicians than middle and upper management and thats what we will focus on for the next 12 months. The news of the horrific death in Italy of Satnam Singh, abandoned with a severed arm while employed under a gangmaster system, has reached his home village in Punjab, an Indian state second only to Kerala in terms of emigration. What until the 1980s was the country's agricultural bread basket now offers few job opportunities to young people, who follow two paths: the most educated go to Canada, the unskilled travel to the Persian Gulf and Europe. Chandigarh (AsiaNews) The news of the death of Satnam Singh, a 31-year-old farm worker left to die by his employer, the owner of a farm in the province of Latina, Italy, has reached his home village in the Indian state of Punjab. Satnam Singh died in hospital on 19 June two days after he had lost an arm that got stuck in a machine. His employer, instead of calling for help, put Singh and his wife (also working illegally on the farm) into a van and left them in front of their home, with the severed arm in a fruit box. Harpreet Singh, the sarpanch (village chief) in Satnams home village of Chand Nawa, told the America Wire, an Indian news website, that the news was a blow to the entire community. As there are many boys from our village in Italy, they shared the details of the horrific accident and informed Satnams parents about his death gradually. It was difficult to break this news to his parents, who were inconsolable and have been hospitalised since then. They were not even in a condition to talk to someone, he said. He added that Satnam came from a Dalit community (formerly known as untouchables, who live in conditions of great economic and social deprivation in India) and that his family's financial conditions were not good, which is why he emigrated. Satnam is not alone. Punjab, where Sikhism was born, is traditionally a state with high emigration, currently second only to Kerala. In Talhan, Jalandhar district, a gurdwara (Sikh temple) is dedicated to foreign travel the faithful bring toy airplanes as gifts hoping that their wish to leave will come true. At store entrances, airplane replicas sporting the logo of the main international airliners are on display for sale. After they are offered at the temple, they are usually handed out to neighbourhood children. The most recent study on emigration from Punjab, by the Punjab Agricultural University, looked at the period 1990-2022, showing that 74 per cent of emigrants left the state after 2016. More than 13 per cent of households in rural areas said they had at least one relative abroad, but in the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Ferozepur, that figure tops 30 per cent. Several reasons explain this, but the main one, cited by three-quarters of households, is unemployment and inadequate incomes. Another study reported the same in 2021, indicating that young Punjabis are the most dissatisfied in all of India over job opportunities. Only 2 per cent described the opportunities offered by the labour market as "good", compared to 15 per cent of the national average. Until the 1980s, Punjab was considered Indias granary or bread basket, the state with the highest per capita income. A decade later it was the main "exporter" of migrants through irregular channels. How did this happen? According to various studies, the adoption of neoliberal policies, accompanied by cuts in public spending on education, deprived younger generations of opportunities to study and undergo training, making it impossible for them to seek employment in the public sector or in large companies. At the same time, the share of workers engaged in the agricultural sector dropped from 62 per cent in 1971 to 36 per cent in 2011. No more up-to-date data are available since no census was held in 2021, but it is likely that the percentage has gone down further in recent years. Yet, Punjab continues to be a rural state: 62 per cent of the population live in the countryside, compared to 37.5 per cent in cities. This generates a big difference in migration flows. Educated young people from the cities choose Canada as their preferred emigration destination, through a work visa or, much more often, to study. According to Canadas latest census (2021), Punjabis in the North American country number around 950,000 or 2.6 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, data from the Union Ministry of Education from 2021-2022 show a drop of 100,000 Punjabi students in five years. The shift is definitely there from rural to urban, from agrarian communities to business communities, from those seeking employment to those already well off with established businesses," said Kuljeet Singh Hayer, president of Punjab Travel Agents Association. The trend of remittances from abroad by the NRIs has reversed to a massive flight of finances from the state to other countries, and it would impact the economy of Punjab very severely in the coming years, Hayer added. However, those who leave often via illegal paths along the routes of traffickers are mainly peasants and labourers from the lower castes, often landless. For them, the destination of choice is the United Arab Emirates, where Indians number almost four million (38 per cent of the population), employed mainly in construction and transport sectors. Punjabi migration to Europe is more complicated. Until last year, most of those who wanted to reach Europe from Punjab could pass through Serbia, which was visa-free for Indians. Once in the Balkan country, they could cross into any Schengen area member countries. In fact, about 130,000 Indians arrived in Serbia in the first 10 months of 2022, prompting the countrys authorities to impose a visa. In other cases, Russia has been named as a point of entry with Belarus and Kazakhstan as transit countries. Conversely, those who try to get to the United States use the so-called donkey routes, which has noting to do with the domesticated equine, but refers to a Punjabi word, dunki, which means to hop, skip or jump from one place to another. In this case, migrants rely on smugglers who organise flights from one country to another (from Asia to Latin America or Europe) so that visa stamps appear on passports and migrants can pass as experienced tourists. However, last December, more than 300 Indians who had left the United Arab Emirates bound for Nicaragua (en route to the United States) were repatriated from France, where the plane had stopped to refuel. Chinese authorities approved Wegovy, by the Danish Novo Nordisk. Other pharmaceutical multinationals are also looking at Chinas increasingly profitable market. According to official studies, the country will have 540 million overweight people by 2030, almost three times as many as in 2000. Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) China is opening its doors to Wegovy, a very popular weight loss drug manufactured by Novo Nordisk, a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company. Beyond its economic implications, the decision highlights a little-known aspect of Chinese society: Like many other countries, the People's Republic of China is tackling a serious obesity crisis. The number of overweight adults in China, now the world's second-most populous country after India, is set to reach 540 million by 2030, 2.8 times higher than 2000 levels, a Chinese public health study showed in 2020. Likewise, the number of obese people is set to increase 7.5-fold, to 150 million. Given this situation, pharmaceutical companies are looking to China as a strategic market for this type of product. In March, Novo Nordisk said it would initially target Chinese patients willing to pay out of pocket for their weekly injectable drug. Recently, Raffles Hospital Beijing, a major medical facility in the Chinese capital, announced that it could place an order around September, Rose Niu Wei, the private hospital's marketing chief, told Reuters. If it moves fast, Novo might be able to make the most of its advantage as the top manufacturer in China's weight loss drug market. Timing is crucial. Its patent on semaglutide, Wegovy's key ingredient, will expire in less than two years in China, and local drugmakers are racing to develop generic or biosimilar versions. Still, the company could soon face competition from a US rival, Eli Lilly. Some analysts are predicting that its Zepound drug, which is based on another active ingredient (tirzepatide), will be approved in China this year or in the first half of 2025. Both Eli Lilly and Novo are racing to ramp up production in a weight loss market that is expected to reach at least US$ 100 billion globally by the end of the decade. by Mathias Hariyadi It will be led by Rev. Maksimus Regus, of the Ruteng clergy, until now rector of the local Catholic University of St. Paul. The territory is among the few in the archipelago where the Catholic presence is predominant (215 thousand out of a population of 276 thousand). The decision is linked to a "better pastoral service" for the community of the faithful. Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Indonesian Christians are celebrating a new diocese in the country. On 21st June, in fact, Pope Francis erected Labuan Bajo, in the Catholic-majority area of Flores Island, in the province of East NUsa Tenggara (Ntt), and appointed as its first bishop the Reverend Maksimus Regus, of the Ruteng clergy, until now rector of the local Catholic University of St. Paul. Hundreds of faithful and dozens of priests attended the announcement made by Bishop Siprianus Hormat, Bishop of Ruteng, in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Labuan Bajo, in an atmosphere of joy that involved the entire community. The new diocese of Labuan Bajo covers an area that is now a popular tourist destination, but until a few years ago, it was still a remote area in the westernmost sector of the Indonesian archipelago that was predominantly mountainous. Today, however, it is one of the most popular exotic holiday destinations, so much so that it has received comments and attention from local and international travellers. From sea trips to the booming economy, it is a driving force for the tourism sector throughout the country. The new diocese of Labuan Bajo has a territorial extension of 3141 km2, a population of almost 276,000 people of which more than 215,000 are Catholics. There are 25 parishes, 67 diocesan priests and 23 religious, plus 30 seminarians and 19 other non-priest religious. There are 78 women religious. Pope Francis appointed Mgr Maksimus Regus, born on 23 September 1973 in Woang, regency of Manggarai, in the current diocese of Ruteng, to lead the diocese. The prelate attended the Pontifical Roman Minor Seminary Pius XII and studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Major Seminary St. Petrus-Ritapiret, in Maumere. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August 2001, after which he held various positions and deepened his studies, including: parish vicar of Christ the King (2001-2007); chairman of the diocesan commission for youth pastoral work and member of the diocesan commission for interreligious dialogue (2002-2007); higher studies at the faculty of socio-political sciences at Universitas Indonesia, Depok (2007); studies in social sciences at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam and ad Doctoratum studies at the Universiteit van Tilburg (Netherlands, 201-2017); since 2018 he has been a lecturer at the Catholic University of Saint Paul, Ruteng, and dean of the Faculty of Education and Formative Sciences (2019-2023); finally, since 2020 he has been coordinator of the diocesan priests in Ruteng. The new diocese - whose formation process started three years ago on the recommendation of the local synod - borrows part of its territory from that of Ruteng, one of the few areas of the country where Catholics are predominant with over 966,000 faithful, 85 parishes and 296 priests. A request transmitted by Mgr Hormat during his ad limina visit and welcomed by the pontiff, confirming the importance of the region for the local Church. Labuan Bajo is located within the district of West Manggarai, which means that it will most likely become the pastoral territory of the new diocese. Addressing the faithful at the time of the announcement of the new diocese and its first bishop, Bishop Hormat said that the establishment of Labuan Bajo was done for 'better pastoral service', but without elaborating on this. However, with the new territory there will also be some unresolved issues to be settled on the 'management' of some 'properties', including: the Sukma Foundation with its pastoral school; the Sukmatim Foundation with the Kisol Minor Seminary; the Sukmamabar Foundation with the St John Paul II Seminary; and the Ernesto Foundation with its high schools. "From the bottom of my heart, I must admit that I am a sinner and for this I need your support and prayers," emphasised the new Bishop Maksimus Regus as he greeted the community. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. The interlocutors discussed the ongoing dialogue between the two countries as well as issues related to regional developments, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a short statement on the call. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan also touched upon the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and the implementation of agreements reached for that purpose, added the statement. One of those agreements reached in 2022 calls for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border for Armenian or Turkish diplomatic passport and citizens of third countries. Ruben Rubinian, the Armenian official who negotiated it with senior Turkish diplomat Serdar Kilic, said as recently as on June 11 that unlike Yerevan, Ankara has taken no steps to implement it. Turkish leaders have repeatedly made clear that further progress in the normalization process is contingent on the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord sought by Azerbaijan. They have also demanded that Armenia open an extraterritorial corridor to Azerbaijans Nakhichevan exclave. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed the process in a phone call on June 18. Pashinians office said they both reaffirmed their commitment to the Turkish-Armenian agreements. Three days after that call, Armenia drew rare praise from Turkey right after announcing its official recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Reacting to Yerevans unexpected move, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara will continue its efforts for more countries to recognize Palestine. 25 June 2024 12:22 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Chairman Rovshan Rustamov of "Azerbaijan Railways" CJSC (ADY), currently on a business trip to Turkmenistan, convened with Azat Atamuradov, Chairman of Turkmenistan Railways Agency, alongside a senior delegation from Turkmenistan Maritime Agency in Ashgabat, Azernews reports. ADY reports indicate substantial potential for collaboration between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in railway development and freight transport. The discussions focused on enhancing multimodal cargo movement along the Central Asia - Europe - Central Asia and China - Europe - China routes, underscoring the opportunity to introduce these services effectively into the European market. During the visit, Chairman Rustamov also engaged with key entities, including "Turkmanneft," "Turkmengas," and "Turkmenkimya," as well as officials from the State Raw Materials and Products Exchange of Turkmenistan. He provided detailed insights into ADY's initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities within the Middle Corridor. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 20:39 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan's national air carrier, AZAL, has once more secured the title of Best Regional Airline in Central Asia and CIS at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024. The Skytrax award ceremony, a prestigious event held in London, took place today, June 24. This notable accomplishment underscores the exceptional service provided by Azerbaijan Airlines, positioning it among the leading names in the global aviation industry. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of the entire Azerbaijan Airlines team, who continually strive to deliver world-class service to our passengers. We are honored that our efforts have been acknowledged with such a prestigious award, reflecting the high trust our customers place in our airline, stated Samir Rzayev, President of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC. He further emphasized that receiving this award affirms AZAL's commitment to maintaining high standards of quality and customer service, reinforcing the airline's leadership both regionally and internationally. The World Airline Awards are conferred by Skytrax, a British consulting agency renowned for its global assessment of airline and airport service quality. The rankings are based on the world's largest passenger satisfaction survey. It is also worth mentioning that Azerbaijan Airlines holds a 4-star rating from Skytrax. This rating is based on an independent audit that evaluates the quality of services provided by the airline both in the air and on the ground. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 18:55 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) has disclosed details regarding its investment in the educational institution 'GEMS Education (Global Education Management Systems), Azernews reports. SOFAZ pursues investments in alternative financial instruments to enhance profitability through long-term portfolio optimisation and monitoring of emerging macroeconomic trends. "In this context, the investment of $100 million in 'GEMS Education' was undertaken as part of an infrastructure investment and an alternative financial instrument. Currently, over 135,000 students are enrolled across more than 40 GEMS schools in the UAE. Generally, SOFAZ's investment strategy, guided by global indices and benchmarks, includes a substantial portion in developed countries. Additionally, the fund strategically allocates investments, considering regional dynamics and sectors with growth potential. The Gulf region, particularly the UAE, is a leading global hub for private secondary education, driven by a growing population and its emergence as a financial centre. The education sector, known for its stable long-term income potential, typically delivers steady returns with minimal susceptibility to economic fluctuations." "The joint investment in GEMS Education alongside prominent international partners underscores SOFAZ's recognition as a trusted investor on the global stage," the statement emphasised. Regarding the investment duration in GEMS Education, SOFAZ indicated a typical long-term approach (5-8 years) for alternative financial instruments geared towards high profitability: "Unlike stocks, investments in fixed-income securities and quoted instruments are closed and span a lengthy period. SOFAZ's alternative investments aim at promising growth prospects, with management companies employing various strategies to enhance financial performance, increase investment value, and achieve high profitability. Realising substantial growth and potential expansion necessitates several years to yield desired outcomes." "Notably, SOFAZ, as part of a consortium, invested $100 million in GEMS Education, among the world's largest private educational institutions based in Dubai. Managed by Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative investment firm specialising in infrastructure, industrial, and business services, the consortium also included reputable local and international investment institutions. Founded in 1899, Brookfield Asset Management commands significant influence in the market, managing assets totaling $900 billion." It's worth mentioning that on January 27, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev met with Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 11:04 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the country, Maksat Mamytkanov, Azernews reports. Ambassador Maksat Mamytkanov presented a copy of his credentials to Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Minister Bayramov congratulated the ambassador on his appointment, and wished him success in his future endeavours. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on various aspects of the bilateral cooperation agenda, as well as enhancing cooperation in political, economic, transport, humanitarian, and cultural domains and implementing joint projects. Touching upon the friendly relations between the two countries based on ethnic, cultural, and religious bonds that have existed for centuries, the minister emphasised the prospects for the development of these relations. Noting that there is mutual understanding between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan at all levels, FM Bayramov underscored that thanks to the contacts and reciprocal visits between the heads of the two countries, relations between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership. The parties hailed the development of cooperation between the two countries on multilateral platforms, especially the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), SPECA, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other regional organisations. They underlined great prospects for cooperation within the framework of the OTS, as well as stressed the significance of intensive contacts between the OTS member states in order to use the existing potential. In this regard, the sides expressed confidence that the extraordinary summit meeting of OTS scheduled to be held in Shusha city in July this year and the official summit to be held in Bishkek in October would contribute to the development of the organisation. During the meeting, the pair pointed out that there are great prospects for cooperation within the framework of COP29. FM Bayramov commended the support of Kyrgyzstan for the peace and construction process, noting that the high school, the foundation of which was laid in Khydyrly village of Aghdam on the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic, is a clear example of this support. Ambassador Maksat Mamytkanov said that he would spare no effort to further strengthen the relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 10:46 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The second day of the Azerbaijani NGO Cooperation Forum, jointly organised by the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations and the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan, has started at the Congress Centre in Zangilan district, Azernews reports. According to AZERTAC's regional correspondent, panel discussions on the topics "The Ecological Consequences of Armenia's Mining Industry" and "COP29 and the Solidarity Movement for a Green World" will be held on the second day of the forum, which is attended by around 200 representatives of public associations. Additionally, the "Solidarity Appeal of Azerbaijani NGOs for a Green World" will be read. Later, NGO representatives will visit the Zangilan mosque. Note that the first day of the forum was held yesterday at the Congress Centre in Zangilan district. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 11:36 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The next plenary meeting of the extraordinary session of Azerbaijani parliament, Milli Majlis, has kicked off, Azernews reports. The agenda, presided over by Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, includes 17 issues. 1. Draft law on amending the law "On the State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024" (third reading) 2. Draft law on amending the law "On the 2024 Budget of the State Social Protection Fund" (third reading) 3. Draft law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on amending the law "On the Budget of the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 2024" (third reading) 4. Draft law on approving the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco on Exemption from the Visa Requirement for Holders of Ordinary Passports" 5. Draft law on approving the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Gambia on the Exemption of Persons Holding Diplomatic Passports from Mutual Visa Requirements" 6. Draft law on amending the law "On Employment" (third reading) 7. Draft law on amending the Family Code (third reading) 8. Draft law on amending the Tax Code and the laws "On Road Traffic" and "On Motor Transport" (third reading) 9. Draft law on amending the law "On Accounting" (third reading) 10. Draft law on amending the Family Code (third reading) 11. Draft law on amending the Family Code and the laws "On the ID Card of a Citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan", "On Information, Informatization, and Protection of Information", and "On Personal Data" (second reading) 12. Draft law on amending the Land Code (second reading) 13. Draft law on amending the Labour Code, Tax Code, Penal Code, and the laws "On Compensation for Damages Caused to Natural Persons as a Result of Illegal Actions of Investigation, Preliminary Investigation, Prosecutor's Office, and Judicial Authorities", "On Social Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and Their Equivalents", "On Service in Customs Authorities", "On the Civil Service", "On the Regulation on Service in the Internal Affairs Bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan", "On Individual Accounting in the State Social Insurance System", "On Unemployment Insurance", and "On Employment" (second reading) 14. Draft law on amending the law "On Traffic" and the Code of Administrative Offences (second reading) 15. Draft law on amending the law "On the Circulation of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Their Precursors" (second reading) 16. Draft law on amending the Family Code, the Criminal Code, and the Code of Administrative Offences (second reading) 17. Draft law on amending the law "On the Perpetuation of the Martyr's Name and Benefits to Martyr's Families" (second reading) --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 12:00 (UTC+04:00) President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Slovenia Natasa Pirc Musar on the occasion of the country's national holiday, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "Dear Madame President, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Slovenia - Statehood Day. I believe that we will continue to make joint efforts towards the development of Azerbaijan-Slovenia relations in an atmosphere of friendship, and the continuation of our mutually beneficial cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples. On this festive day, I convey my best wishes to you, and wish everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Slovenia. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 22 June 2024" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 16:43 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The resolution of the long-standing Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict in the South Caucasus is of significant interest not only to regional states but also to countries worldwide. The nearly 30-year-long war claimed thousands of lives. The aggressive policies of Armenia's former government aimed to erase Azerbaijan's Garabagh region from the map and establish the so-called Republic of Artsakh. During this period, many Azerbaijani border areas were shelled, targeting civilians. In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation, resulting in the withdrawal of the Armenian army from Garabagh. Following local anti-terror operations in 2023, Armenian separatists in the region were neutralised and arrested. The 44-day war shifted the political dynamics in the South Caucasus, marking the beginning of a new historical chapter. After the liberation of Garabagh, reconstruction and repair efforts were undertaken, and Azerbaijani residents returned to their homeland. Currently, peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain outstanding. Last month's meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Almaty marked another step towards peace. However, forces seeking to disrupt stability and hinder peace in the region remain active. The Armenian lobby in the West, particularly in France, strives to create unrest within Armenia and escalate tensions with Azerbaijan. The Macron government continues to arm Armenia, while radical groups incite domestic unrest. During the peace process, there were seven instances in June alone where the Armenian army fired at Azerbaijani positionsfive times in Nakhchivan and twice in Kalbajar. The violation of the ceasefire, especially towards Nakhchivan, can be seen as an action by provocative forces within Armenia against the realisation of the Zangazur corridor and the return of the Karki village to Azerbaijan. It appears that opposition forces in Armenia or the 'Karabakh clan' are ordering their supporters in the army to fire towards Azerbaijan. For Azerbaijan, this issue may merely strain relations with Armenia again. However, for Armenia, the problem is more significant. The opposition's influence within the army could spark a sudden military coup in the country. In February of this year, when Armenian forces wounded an Azerbaijani soldier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan understood this as a provocation and made some changes within the Armenian army. This situation proves that radical forces could take control of the Armenian army and act contrary to Pashinyan's decisions. Although Pashinyan's peace-oriented actions have somewhat managed to keep these forces in check, elements aiming to overthrow the government still exist within the country. Following the recent ceasefire violation, Armenia proposed creating a mechanism to investigate these incidents in Azerbaijan. In an official statement, Yerevan emphasised the Armenian government's commitment to preventing tensions. However, Paris intervened during the ceasefire breach, expressing its "support" for Armenia with new weapons. Pour renforcer* sa defense face a l'Azerbaidjan, l'#Armenie a achete 36 canons CAESAR a la France, qui doit les livrer dans les 15 prochains mois. J-Christophe Buisson (@jchribuisson) June 19, 2024 This raises the question: If the war is over, what is France's true intention in arming Armenia and signing the delivery of nearly 40 self-propelled howitzers? Is it really to support Pashinyan's government? While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared his readiness to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, the provocative activities of the French government and revanchist forces currently hinder peace between Baku and Yerevan. It is unfortunate that the Armenian Prime Minister is struggling to contend with both the church and the army yet fails to achieve a decisive outcome. Pashinyan either cannot or does not dare to conclude this process. In any case, the increasing frequency of ceasefire violations and the West's militarization of Armenia intensify the tension in the South Caucasus, adversely affecting the negotiation process. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 14:21 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Azerbaijan has taken significant steps to ease travel restrictions with Gambia and Morocco, Azernews reports. The draft laws approving agreements to exempt holders of diplomatic passports from visa requirements between Azerbaijan and Gambia, and holders of general civil passports from visa requirements between Azerbaijan and Morocco were presented for discussion at today's session of the Milli Majlis (Parliament). MPs highlighted that these initiatives will strengthen bilateral relations. After deliberation, both drafts were voted on and adopted, marking a positive development towards enhanced diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges between Azerbaijan, Gambia, and Morocco. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 17:45 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more The participants of the Cooperation Forum of Azerbaijani NGOs, hosted by Zangilan, visited the Zangilan mosque on June 25, Azernews reports. The representatives of the NGO prayed in the mosque. Note that the foundation of the new mosque in Zangilan was laid by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on April 26, 2021, after the liberation of the city from Armenian occupation. The construction of the mosque was carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with the support of PASHA Holding LLC. During the occupation, the historic mosque in Zangilan was used as a stable. The mosque, built in the 19th century and registered as an architectural monument, was destroyed, losing up to 70 percent of its original appearance. After the liberation of our occupied territories, within the framework of the restoration projects for historical, religious, and cultural monuments in Garabagh, restoration and construction works began at the Zangilan mosque. A working group consisting of local and foreign experts assessed the existing building of the mosque, based on which it was decided to conserve the building. Additionally, a new mosque was built next to the preserved historical mosque. Representatives of the NGO also familiarised themselves with the restoration and construction works carried out in Zangilan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 June 2024 02:39 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan marks the 106th anniversary of its glorious Armed Forces. As is known, on June 26, 1918, by a decree of the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was the first republic in the Muslim East, the Muslim Corps, formed by the decision of the Special Transcaucasian Committee, was renamed the Separate Azerbaijani Corps. This decision was the legal basis for the creation of the armed forces of independent Azerbaijan. Lieutenant General Ali-Aga Shikhlinsky was appointed commander of the Azerbaijani corps. Unfortunately, the ADR existed for an extremely short period. And the reason for its fall, among other things, was precisely that the process of building a strong army was not completed. The importance of creating a powerful military elite was well understood by the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev. He understood and carried out practical, historical steps in this direction. It was thanks to Heydar Aliyev that in 1971 a special school named after J. Nakhichevansky was formed in Baku. In 1973, the school received the status of a republican one. It was a very wise, far-sighted step in the formation of a national military elite. After its return to power, already in independent Azerbaijan, it was by order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev on November 24, 1997, that the special school was renamed the military Lyceum named after J. Nakhichevansky. More than 100 graduates of the school at different times were awarded orders and medals of Azerbaijan, and 8 of them were awarded the honorary title of the National Hero of Azerbaijan. These are those who can rightly call themselves the national military elite of Azerbaijan, which was created and raised by Heydar Aliyev. And I am convinced that he would be proud now, seeing the fruits of his historical work for the benefit of our country, our people. I will add that it was by Heydar Aliyev's Decree of May 22, 1998, that June 26 was declared "Armed Forces Day" and declared a non-working day. This is how the national leader linked our past to our present and future. Thus, he demonstrated the most important priorities in the development of independent Azerbaijan. There is a well-known saying that people who do not want to feed their own army will soon feed someone else's. Regardless of who is the author of this aphorism, it is absolutely fair. For, only the presence of a strong, well-trained and armed army makes it possible to solve the most important tasks facing any state. Starting from protecting their own borders and ending with measures to force countries that have encroached on the territorial integrity of the state to peace. How all this is implemented in practice Azerbaijan has shown more than once. Our army, led by the President of Azerbaijan, and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, has a number of glorious victories over Armenia and its patrons. This happened in April 2016, during the April war. The same thing happened after the 44-day war. Azerbaijan showed the whole world what a strong army of a strong state should be, nullifying the myth about the "invincibility" of the Armenian invaders and their "omnipotence" in the minds of Armenians. They had to accept the new reality. All these achievements of the Azerbaijani army are based on the political will of the country's leadership and on the competent economic policy of the state. As President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev recently rightly noted, the successful economic policy of Azerbaijan allows the authorities to allocate the necessary state funds for the construction of the army, the purchase of new weapons, new equipment, and the creation of new combat formations. This is true. In general, our country is independent in the true sense of the word, because it is capable of pursuing an independent policy, and it is our military potential that gives us this strength in the first place. This is the main result of the huge work to strengthen the state, which was started by the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and completed by the current President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 19:20 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Georgian National University (SEU) and the Swiss University of Hotel Management (Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, EHL) are opening a joint vocational education center in Tbilisi, the Georgian Tourism Administration reported, Azernews reports. According to the information, the center will become the basis for the creation of certified bachelor's and master's degree programs in the field of hospitality in cooperation with EHL Hospitality Business School. It is reported that the recruitment of students has not yet been announced, preparations are underway, and probably the first students will be able to enroll next year. It is noted that Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, founded by Jacques Choumy in 1893, is considered the oldest school of hotel business in the world. It was opened during the tourism boom in Switzerland at the end of the 19th century to meet the growing demand for qualified personnel in the hotel business. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 21:50 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces will conduct separate exercises with the Air Forces of France, Germany and Spain in the summer, Azernews reports. According to him, the air forces of three European countries will visit Japan in July. "This demonstrates the readiness and capabilities of these states to be present in the Asian-Pacific region," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying. Since the beginning of the year, the Japanese Navy and Air Force have conducted bilateral exercises with ships and aircraft from 14 countries in the waters and airspace adjacent to the country. We are mainly talking about NATO members and other US military allies. The number of such trainings was almost 30 times more than in the same period last year. The exercises of the Japanese Armed Forces with NATO countries have been intensified since about 2021. They are connected, among other things, with the noticeable expansion of Tokyo's contacts with the North Atlantic Alliance. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida intends to attend the NATO summit in Washington in July. In previous years, he attended such meetings in Madrid and Vilnius. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 22:17 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The finance Ministers of the Republic of Korea and Japan, Choi Sang Mok and Shunichi Suzuki, discussed the weakening of their national currencies. This was announced by the Ministry of Planning and Finance of the Republic of Korea, Azernews reports. On June 25, the ninth meeting of the bilateral dialogue at the level of finance ministers was held in Seoul. Choi Sang Mok and Shunichi Suzuki said that the region's economy is recovering faster than the global average. "However, they noted the persistence of uncertainty factors, including ongoing geopolitical conflicts, a possible slowdown in the economic growth of [their] major trading partners, and increased volatility in the foreign exchange market. They also shared serious concerns about the recent sharp weakening of the Korean won and the Japanese yen," the press release said. The finance Ministers of the Republic of Korea and Japan said they were acting together in connection with the special military operation in Ukraine. According to them, it has led to an aggravation of economic risks in the field of supply chains, energy and food security. Representatives of South Korea and Japan also agreed to further facilitate the exchange of information between customs authorities in order to prevent circumvention of sanctions against the Russian Federation and the DPRK. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 22:46 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The TikTok short video app has once again found itself in the crossfire of the US authorities. This time, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against the popular video platform, Azernews reports. The charge reads: TikTok violated the US law on the protection of children's data. Negotiations between the video platform and the Federal Trade Commission have been going on for a year, but legal steps are now being taken. TikTok denies all the accusations. Especially noteworthy: As a rule, such proceedings are not made public, but the FTC sees great public interest in this topic. However, the information situation remains difficult. Neither TikTok nor the Federal Trade Commission provided more details. In parallel with the accusations of data protection, the platform is under pressure to separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. A recently passed U.S. law aims to enforce this law. TikTok has a year to make a decision. If TikTok does not separate from ByteDance, the short video app may be banned in the United States. TikTok sued the decision, citing freedom of speech. The company also stated that it is not interested in selling the app. They would rather close the app in the US market than sell it. Meanwhile, European authorities are also expanding their investigations into TikTok. In February, the EU initiated formal proceedings against the application. It is suspected that the platform promotes addictive behavior (addiction) and thus the protection of children is not sufficiently guaranteed. In the spring, an additional EU warning appeared due to the new version of the TikTok Lite app. Users receive digital coins when they watch videos. They can then be exchanged for vouchers on various online services. The new version of the app has already been launched in France and Spain. Despite the risks associated with the addictive effect, TikTok brought the new feature to the market "without effective risk reduction measures," the EU Commission notes. TikTok responded promptly and published a report on how to minimize risks, and suspended the corresponding function. The legal proceedings against TikTok are still ongoing. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU may also ban TikTok if the allegations are confirmed during the review process. Despite all the contradictions, it is obvious that the popularity of the application remains unchanged all over the world. TikTok, with millions of users in the EU alone and about a billion active users worldwide, remains one of the most important players among social networks. However, if a ban is indeed imposed in the US, competitors such as Facebook's parent company Meta or YouTube could benefit significantly from this. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 25 June 2024 23:30 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva Apple may become the first IT giant to be fined by Brussels in accordance with the new digital legislation of the European Union, Azernews reports. It is noted that the European Commission plans to accuse Apple of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is stated in the preliminary information sent by the Commission to the American company. For the first time, the EU regulator is going to introduce new rules to limit the activities of the technology giant. The actions of the European Commission can be implemented in accordance with the law, which came into force in March this year and is aimed at helping startups. By law, developers distributing their apps through the Apple App Store must provide their customers with information about cheaper content offers for free. The Digital Markets Act gives Apple the right to receive compensation through the App Store for initially helping developers attract new customers, but Brussels claims that the company is overcharging for this. If Apple is found guilty, the corporation faces a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual gross income. If a repeat violation is found, the fine can be increased to 20 percent. The Commission is due to present its results by March 2025. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code In a special election in a Parliament riding (district) in central Toronto that was considered one the safest Liberal seats in the country, the Conservative challenger Don Stewart has won an upset victory by 1.6 points. The Liberals had won the Toronto-St. Pauls riding by over 24 points in the last election. A similar 25 point swing across the country would virtually wipe out Trudeau's Liberal Party in parliament. The seat became vacant when its previous Liberal MP resigned to take an appointment as an ambassador. Conservatives had not won any national parliamentary seat in Toronto since 2011, although they do hold a number of seats at the provincial level in the Ontario parliament. The unexpected Conservative victory came just a week after the national leader of the Conservatives announced that the party intended to crack down on immigration, both legal and illegal. Stewart campaigned primarily on inflation, the cost of living, and crime. The national leader of the Conservative Party called on Trudeau for an early election for the national parliament over Trudeau's carbon tax. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-conservatives-take-toronto-riding-in-major-upset-for-liberals/ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trudeau-trouble-after-conservative-upset-toronto-must-win-special-election Canada can be prone to huge voter swings. In the last election for the provincial parliament in Ontario, in which Toronto is located, Doug Ford's Conservatives flipped a 2 to 1 Liberal over Conservative majority to a 10 to 1 Conservative over Liberal majority running on a platform of ending the Liberals green energy mania. Ford's new provincial government immediately cancelled all wind and solar permits then in the pipeline and repealed the Green Energy Act. It also indicted three wind energy companies for mulitple felonies for polluting the groundwater. The FBI is investigating three Texas Medical Center facilities over alleged violations during complicated operations, according to a June 25 report from ABC affiliate KTRK. A whistleblower alleged that surgeons at the facilities regularly performed procedures in two operating rooms at once, delegating tasks to underqualified medical residents. According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine and Surgical Associates of Texas, all based in Houston, have jointly agreed to pay $15 million to resolve the claims. From June 3, 2013, to Dec. 21, 2020, surgeons Joseph Coselli, MD, Joseph Lamelas, MD, and David Ott, MD, allegedly violated Medicare consent regulations. The U.S. attorney began investigating the facilities Aug. 7, 2019. The physicians are accused of hiding the fact that they ran two operating rooms at once by falsely attesting on medical records they were physically present for the "entire" operation. "Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve a documentation and billing matter involving compliance and billing requirements set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The DOJ claims are strictly allegations and the settlement by Baylor St. Luke's is not an admission of liability," the system told KTRK in a statement. "Baylor St. Luke's remains committed to complying with all CMS regulations." Harold Rutenberg, MD, former chief of the cardiology division at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, has died at 89, according to a June 6 report from The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dr. Rutenberg died May 14 of age-associated decline, according to the report. For 61 years, he served thousands of patients as a cardiologist and adviser. He also taught at medical schools including the University of Pennsylvania and Temple and Thomas Jefferson universities, all based in Philadelphia, and was affiliated for decades with Pennsylvania, Temple, Jefferson and Wills Eye hospitals, all of which are in the city. He directed Temple Hospital's cardiac clinic from 1971 to 1975 and served as chief of cardiology at Pennsylvania Hospital from 1975 to 1981. He "helped usher our cardiology division into the modern era," Howard Haber, MD, director of Pennsylvania Hospital's cardiac catheterization laboratory, said in a tribute. "He was the consummate physician." He specialized in coronary artery disease, chronic high blood pressure and cardiomyopathy, the report said. The American Hospital Association denounced a new report that links hospital price hikes to job loss in local communities and increased suicide rates, saying findings are based on "extremely limited and disparate data." The study, published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, indicated that for every 1% increase in healthcare prices, local employers' head count decreases by about 0.4%, and payments for tax-funded unemployment insurance grow 2.5%. The authors used data from large insurers to evaluate how hospital prices changed after more than 300 mergers between 2010 to 2015. Their analysis of how rising healthcare prices affect the local economy is based on filings with the Labor Department on premiums for fully insured employers and individual earnings and unemployment records. In a June 24 statement, the AHA criticized the report authors for excluding health sector jobs from their analysis on local economy effects and called their claims that hospital price increases push up suicide rates "preposterous." "The authors explicitly exclude health sector jobs, including the 6.4 million employees who work in hospitals," Molly Smith, AHA group vice president for public policy, wrote in the statement. "They also say nothing about how spending on hospital care supports millions of other jobs in the economy, including food service, child care, housing and retail needs of these millions of workers and their families." The findings related to suicide are "unconscionable given the lengths hospitals go to every day to save people who have attempted or are at risk of taking their own life," Ms. Smith wrote. The group called out one of the study's funding sources, Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy group that often funds research on hospital finances. The AHA has been at odds with Arnold Ventures-funded reports numerous times. Last summer, a Health Affairs study backed by Arnold Ventures found the cash reserves of nonprofit hospitals grew 68% from 2012 to 2019, while charity care spending dropped. The AHA countered the report's findings, noting the authors used a cost tool methodology that does not account for the full cost of providing care, and that the findings did not take into account community benefits provided by hospitals. On the latest study, the AHA said the philanthropy group "should have directed this finding to research on how to reduce suicide rather than a shoddy attack on those who treat behavioral health problems every day." Denver voters will decide in November whether to approve a sales tax increase that would provide a funding boost to Denver Health, The Denver Gazette reported June 24. If the 0.34% tax rate increase is approved by voters, the safety-net hospital would be able to spend the additional funds in four areas: emergency and trauma care, mental healthcare, primary care and pediatric care. The increase would provide up to $70 million annually for the system, according to the report. Denver Health has a $1.4 billion budget. Rising uncompensated care costs have been a major challenge for the system. Denver Health lost $60 million from uncompensated care in 2020, which doubled to $120 million in 2022. Uncompensated care costs reached $136 million in 2023, with $35 million of that coming from patients who live outside the city. Denver Health has 78 psychiatric, mental health and substance abuse beds but only operates 50 of them, according to the report. Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne, DrPH, said funds generated from the sales tax will help the system open the other 28 beds permanently. From finalizing designs for a new hospital to affiliating with a mental health organization, here are what three health system CFOs told Becker's they are looking forward to in the second half of 2024. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Colleen Blye. Executive Vice President, CFO and Chief Business Officer of Montefiore Medicine (New York City): We are excited about continuing our transformation work to enhance patient care and achieve long-term sustainability. A key focus has been on leveraging digital services to improve patient access and experience, and we look forward to continuing to identify sound business opportunities that support our mission of advancing clinical care and academic research. Priscilla Needham. CFO of Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial HealthCare: In the second half of 2024, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare will open a new medical office building at our Panama City Beach campus. The building will initially include primary care, urgent care, cardiology and ambulatory surgery and has been several years in the making. Its opening underscores our long-term commitment to meeting a growing need for high-quality healthcare in North Florida. We are also finalizing designs for a new hospital on this same campus with a target opening date in 2027. There is a lot of excitement not only from within TMH but from the communities who are eager for expanded healthcare options. Josh Repac. CFO of Meritus Health (Hagerstown, Md.): There will be a lot of change happening at Meritus Health in the latter half of 2024, all of it part of the organization's continued goal of improving the health of the community. The July 1 affiliation with Brook Lane, a mental health organization near our home in Hagerstown, will create big opportunities. Mental healthcare is a major part of total healthcare, and with our expansion, we will be able to serve not just our local community, but also the state. With this affiliation, Meritus Health will become one of the largest mental health providers in Maryland. It has also led us to create a bold goal for the coming year: zero suicides in Washington County. The construction of the 200,000-square-foot proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will be completed by December 2024. That means well be able to start recruiting for our first class for the fall 2025 semester. The medical school will be a game changer for Hagerstown and the tri-state region, bringing in future doctors who are more likely to stay here after graduation. That will help fill the physician gap in our region. To improve retention and vacancy rates, Meritus committed to raising its minimum wage to well above the state mandate. The current rate is $18 an hour, but the health system will raise that to $20 an hour by 2026. We've also been partnering with local higher education, beyond our own planned medical school, to fund scholarships for students seeking jobs in the medical field. We will also be bringing about 90 international nurses to work in the hospital over the next 18 months, helping to close our vacancy gap. We also are excited to watch what happens with our expanded patient transportation program. We are offering free rides to medical appointments to any patient who needs one. The idea is that transportation is no longer a barrier to accessing healthcare. We'll be expanding to include two more vans in addition to the eight we have, as well as investing in a better scheduling system. We've been seeing more than 300 riders a week since starting at the beginning of the year with expectations to increase it to 400 riders a week with the additional capacity. It is costing over $500,000 in annual operating expense to support this program. By January 2025, Type 2 diabetes therapy Ozempic might be FDA approved for kidney disease-related events. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the popular medication, said June 24 the FDA has agreed to review a label extension based on positive phase 3 trial results. The study tested if Ozempic could reduce major kidney disease events among patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In late May, the Denmark-based drugmaker published the study findings: Ozempic cut the risk of kidney disease-related events by 24%, the risk of a major heart problem by 18% and the risk of death by 20%. Michael Radin, MD, Novo Nordisk's executive medical director of diabetes, told Becker's the study was the "first ever renal outcomes trial with a GLP-1 receptor agonist" at the time. As of June 25, most GLP-1 medications are solely approved for Type 2 diabetes or chronic weight management. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, a weight loss drug, is also indicated for serious heart problems, and Eli Lilly is seeking a sleep apnea approval for Mounjaro, its diabetes drug. UT Health East Texas launched its virtual nursing program in partnership with care.ai June 24, according to a hospital news release. The first-in-the-region program is designed to support UT Health East's bedside nurses in a variety of patient care tasks, such as monitoring or providing education and discharge instructions. The health system added video communication between patients and remote registered nurses as well as in-room sensors to optimize admissions, rounding and discharge workflows. Nurses were involved in the decision-making process for standing up the new program, with the goal of bedside nurses being able to spend more time caring for patients. "Incorporating frontline nurses' expertise and opinions in vetting new technology such as virtual nursing platforms has been an essential piece of our innovation efforts," Donald Baker, regional president for UT Health East Texas, said in the news release. "We are deeply committed to leveraging technology to support our team members and help our hospitals and clinics improve the quality of care and experience provided." Prem Reddy, MD, founder, chairman and CEO of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare, founded a medical school in 2015 to address the physician shortage and serve underserved communities. Since then, the California University of Science and Medicine, based in Colton, has experienced significant growth, graduating its inaugural class in 2022 and its largest class in May. "Medicine gives you a unique and sacred opportunity to be a part of anothers life often in times of greatest need. As you embark on one of the most honorable professions, always remember the humanity at the core of medicine," Dr. Reddy, who also is chairman of the board of CUSM, told more than 170 physicians and biomedical graduates during their commencement ceremony in May, according to a news release. CUSM, a nonprofit health sciences university established through a private-public partnership with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center as its teaching hospital, San Bernardino County, the city of Colton and the Prime Healthcare Foundation, now has more than 500 medical students, with more than 90% coming from California, the release said. Dr. Reddy told Becker's he is proud of the graduates and what CUSM has accomplished in terms of opportunities for physicians. He discussed his vision behind founding the medical school, the qualities he believes set CUSM graduates apart and his aspirations for CUSM and its graduates. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: Could you share more about your vision behind founding California University of Science and Medicine and how it aligns with your broader goals in healthcare? Dr. Prem Reddy: For me, founding CUSM is the result of many years of determination and dedication to give others the opportunities that I was given. My vision and lifelong dream is to give back to the community that took me in as an immigrant to this wonderful country. The value of education was instilled in me as a child growing up in India. Being the first member of my family to go to high school and college, education was life-changing for me. As Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." I am grateful that education provided me the opportunity to accomplish and give back more than I ever thought was possible. It is a great privilege to help shape the future of healthcare. CUSM was founded with a unique mission to empower the next generation of physicians focused on health equity and community support. My journey as a physician began with a commitment to healing and caring for those in need. But as I built my practice, and then founded Prime Healthcare in 2001, I saw the lack of access to quality healthcare in underserved communities and realized that there was a unique opportunity to not only care for patients but also to improve healthcare delivery. So, I embarked on a mission to create a healthcare system that prioritized the values we physicians embrace: the values of quality, accessibility, equity and compassion. The mission of both CUSM and Prime Healthcare is to advance medicine through these fundamental values. Q: With the largest graduating class to date, how do you feel CUSM is contributing to addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly in underserved areas like the Inland Empire? PR: CUSM was founded to address the growing national physician shortage, which is most profound in underserved areas. About one-third of Californians live in areas where there is a shortage of primary care providers, based on 2023 data from the California Healthcare Foundation. The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas and in the growing Inland Empire, which has only about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people. We should strive for a benchmark of 70 to 80 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents. CUSM's mission is to inspire physicians to serve in underserved communities. We are proud that so many talented students come from these communities and many of our students have chosen to stay in the Inland Empire and California after graduation. CUSM now has 520 gifted and dedicated medical students, among the best and brightest, scoring among the top nationally in both academic achievement and Medical College Admission Test scores. In a highly selective process with thousands of applicants, more than 90 percent of students are from California and underserved areas. Through their studies and extensive community engagement, they have demonstrated that they are the kind of doctors we need in our communities. Statistics show that a majority of physicians establish their practices within 75 miles of their residency programs. And, more than 33% of this year's MD graduates have chosen to complete their residency within the Inland Empire, focused on a variety of specialties including internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine and psychiatry. These graduates are directly improving and transforming healthcare in their own underserved communities. Q: What specific qualities do you believe set CUSM graduates apart and make them well-suited to serve their communities, especially in areas with healthcare disparities? PR: CUSM graduates are among the best and brightest but extraordinarily dedicated and committed to improving the future of medicine and healthcare for underserved areas. Many of them come from underserved communities themselves and want to make a difference. CUSM is also contributing to the Inland Empire healthcare workforce of the 21st century, with the skills and knowledge necessary to improve the health of the communities and people we serve. CUSM recruits students who reflect those communities: students who grew up in the region; who are perhaps the first in their family to pursue higher education; who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and who themselves reflect the communities they hope to serve. Those students are immersed in an innovative educational curriculum that builds the skills they will use in their professional careers. With early clinical exposure, active learning, structured engagement with the communities of our region, and a focus on clinical excellence in the context of social determinants of health, CUSM provides students with a unique and focused education that allows them to engage fully with the needs of our region. This blend of the right students, with the right talent, knowledge, experience, working within communities with the right partners creates the sort of healthcare professionals ideally suited to meet the needs of our communities, which are their communities. Q: As the founding chair of the board of trustees, what do you hope graduates take away from your address regarding the humanistic aspect of medicine? PR: Medicine gives physicians a unique and sacred opportunity to be a part of another's life often in the times of greatest need. It is an intimate and profound relationship and no matter how much healthcare and the world changes, we physicians will always have a chance to make a difference in the lives of others while respecting their beliefs and dignity. With today's medical advancements, students have tools at their disposal that previous generations of physicians could never dream of. But despite how quickly medicine is evolving, the one constant will be the need for compassion, hope, humanity and goodness. Q: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for CUSM and its graduates in terms of their contributions to healthcare and the communities they serve? PR: I am proud that CUSM is part of the crucial safety net of public health institutions in the Inland Empire of Southern California, joining San Bernardino County and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center as a major healthcare entity providing critical emergency services and quality healthcare, along with the highest levels of medical education. And there is no need to stop there. As the university expands, we plan to develop programs for nursing, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and allied health. This is the legacy that we are building, a legacy that will be left for future physician leaders at CUSM, at Arrowhead Regional, across the county and throughout California. The impact of this legacy will also reach across the nation and world. CUSM was founded with a mission to address disparities and serve the underserved. There continues to be enormous inequity. My aspiration for our graduates is that they choose to create equity and serve the underserved in whatever way they can, and in return, I believe they may find their greatest fulfillment. A definitive agreement has been signed for New Brunswick, N.J.-based Saint Peter's Healthcare System to join Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System. The agreement comes after the two parties signed a letter of intent in January to bring Saint Peter's into Atlantic Health's care network. Saint Peter's patients, providers and caregivers will receive immediate benefits once the proposed transaction receives the required approvals, according to a June 25 Atlantic Health System news release. Atlantic Health will take Saint Peter's under its wing to become its single corporate member. Saint Peter's Catholic mission and identity will also be maintained under the new agreement. Once the transaction is approved, Saint Peter's will implement Epic's electronic health record to allow providers and patients to share information across Atlantic Health's network. Opportunities such as population health strategies and outpatient services will also be pursued to ensure more affordable and accessible healthcare for patients. "Atlantic Health System will provide Saint Peters physicians with the opportunity to participate in Atlantic Healths affiliated physician group practices and programs, including various quality initiatives, which are already delivering better healthcare results for patients and proven financial savings," the release said. Eight health system executives are among HealthTech Magazine's 30 healthcare IT influencers to follow in 2024. The list compiled leaders who regularly post solid insights on social media platforms such as X and LinkedIn about digital health, virtual care and artificial intelligence, according to the June 24 article. Here are the leaders who work for health systems (in alphabetical order): 1. John Brownstein, PhD, chief innovation officer of Boston Children's Hospital. 2. Gabe Charbonneau, MD, rural family physician for Providence (Renton, Wash.) and co-founder of Medicine Forward, a nonprofit working to restore the physician-patient relationship. 3. Amaka Eneanya, MD, chief transformation officer of Emory Healthcare (Atlanta). 4. Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). 5. Natalie Pageler, MD, chief medical information officer of Stanford Children's Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). 6. Matthew Sakumoto, MD, "virtual-first" primary care physician at Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.) and chief medical information officer for Sutter West Bay Medical Group (San Francisco). 7. Karandeep Singh, MD, chief health AI officer at UC San Diego Health. 8. Chris Waugh, chief design and innovation officer of Sutter Health. Houston-based Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine and Surgical Associates of Texas have jointly agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries that violated CMS teaching physician and informed consent regulations. Eight things to know: 1. Baylor St. Luke's is a joint venture between Chicago-based CommonSpirit and Baylor College of Medicine. Baylor St. Luke's operates a teaching hospital, formerly known as St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, in its medical center and the medical school employs teaching physicians and residents who perform services at the facility. 2. CMS launched an investigation in August 2019 after a whistleblower complaint alleged Joseph Coselli, MD, Joseph Lamelas, MD, and David Ott, MD three heart surgeons operating at Baylor St. Luke's regularly ran two operating rooms simultaneously and delegated key aspects of complex procedures to unqualified medical residents. 3. The surgeries at issue are some of the most complicated operations performed by any hospital, including coronary artery bypass grafts, valve repairs and aortic repair procedures, according to the Justice Department. These surgeries generally involve opening a patients' chest and placing the patient on the bypass machine for a period of time. 4. CMS regulations dictate when teaching physicians can leave the operating room for any operation, no matter how complex. The settlement resolves allegations that from June 3, 2013, to Dec. 21, 2020, Drs. Coselli, Lamelas and Ott violated these rules in various ways. 5. Prosecutors alleged that Drs. Coselli, Lamelas and Ott often ran two operating rooms at once and failed to attend the surgical "timeout" a critical moment where the entire team would pause and identify key risks to prevent surgical errors. 6. The three teaching surgeons would allegedly enter a second or occasionally a third operation without designating a backup surgeon. Prosecutors also allege the surgeons hid these activities by falsely attesting on medical records they were physically present for the "entire" operation. In addition, medical staff did not inform patients the surgeon would be leaving the room to perform another operation, according to investigators. 7. A spokesperson for Baylor St. Luke's told Becker's that the settlement, which is not an admission of liability, resolves allegations made by the Justice Department. Baylor College of Medicine told Becker's it did not engage in conduct that violates any applicable federal law or regulation and that no patients were harmed. The college being a party to the agreement is also not an admission of liability. "The college decided to amicably resolve the dispute prior to a trial on the merits after considering the cost and expense incurred by Baylor to date, and anticipated future costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees," Robert Corrigan Jr, general counsel for Baylor College of Medicine, said in a statement to Becker's. 8. The $15 million recovery is the largest settlement to date involving concurrent surgeries, according to the Justice Department. The private whistleblower who filed the complaint will receive more than $3 million of the settlement. Nurse educators are notably in high demand, but the desire to become one has been generally low in recent years. Several factors are at play: nurse educators often receive lower pay than clinical practice, and qualified nurses typically must choose between clinical practice and teaching, experts shared with Becker's. What's of even more concern is where the nurse educator pipeline is headed. A lack of competitive pay and flexible teaching and practicing models will deter some from entering the pipeline at all. If that holds true, "the question remains: who will teach them?" asked Catherine Huber, MSN, RN, a nursing professional development specialist and nurse residency program coordinator at Luminis Health in Annapolis, Md. "The shortage of nurse educators needs our full attention," she said. "In some cases, nurse educators with master's degrees are making less money than front-line nurses, which is a significant factor. To address the nationwide nurse shortage, we need to cultivate more skilled nurse educators." Ms. Huber and six other nurse educator experts resoundingly told Becker's a key to strengthening the pipeline begins with strengthening the partnerships hospitals have. Here's what else they had to say: Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. David Wyatt, PhD, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at University Hospital and UT Southwestern Medical Center in Houston: The nurse educator role is incredibly valuable in the overall strategy to address the workforce shortages in the nursing profession. Increasing collaboration between hospitals and academic institutions could provide more innovative approaches to allow dual employment. Many nurses want to continue to practice at the bedside while also teaching and receiving full-time benefits. Overall connection to the hospital setting will allow better comparison for competitive and market-based compensation. Alleviating some of the concerns around benefits and compensation may attract more qualified, experienced nurses to academics, thus helping to address the faculty shortage. Peggy Norton-Rosko, DNP, RN, Chief Nurse Executive at University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore: I believe some of the work my predecessor, Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, and the team at University of Maryland Medical System did with its Academy of Clinical Essentials program aims to solve this. The program allows our bedside nurses who have at least two years of experience and a bachelor's degree to be clinical instructors on their units with the same patient population that they work with all the time. They also have the opportunity to teach the nursing students that are coming in. This has been a very successful new model for us here at University of Maryland and the 12 schools of nursing and colleges that we've partnered with. I've just learned in the last couple of weeks since I've been here that of our nurses who are acting as clinical instructors, our retention rate for those individuals is around 90% compared to a slightly lower retention rate for some of our nurses in general, which is at about 84%. As chief nursing officers, we have to continue to look at our academic practice partnerships in different ways than we have historically, and be willing to fund things a little bit differently. The clinical instructors, of course, are our employees, and we're funding their time while they're acting as educators. I also think schools of nursing need to be open to new models of education as well. Those are two of the key things that we have to continue to work on to build that pipeline. Maja Djukic, PHD, RN, associate professor and assistant dean of research with Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston: Bottom line for expanding the nurse educator pipeline in addition to improving pay especially at these clinical educator roles and community colleges, or even on clinical tracks would be a prerequisite to recruit more people into nursing education by exposing nurses to more of what it's like to be a nurse educator. I think developing pipeline programs for nurse educators and providing opportunities to dip their toes into teaching while also providing them with skills, short courses, and simulations or apprenticeship opportunities are all good ways to expose people to what it could be like for those who are interested in it and really emphasize benefits beyond pay of being in nursing education. There has to be some sort of broader plan between academic and clinical partners to sit down and say: "Where are the vacancies? What are the specialties we need? What level of education do we need?" And then let's figure out how to mentor those nurses in clinical settings who are interested in filling those particular vacancies in their areas and bridge them over. It doesn't have to be in a full-time capacity. So having those you know, pointed conversations is critical. I do think pay is part of the conversation, but there are so many other variables that need to be addressed to match the supply to demand, and we have to plan better to make that possible. Carolyn Rutledge, PhD, RN, Executive Director of Faculty Development, Innovation and Research for Old Dominion University's School of Nursing in Virginia Beach, Va.: I think more institutions need to develop what we call academic practice partnerships. Schools need to work closely with hospitals and hospitals need to be willing to work closely with schools in their region, instead of whoever. Too often, it's the administrators that make the decision on what schools they partner with, and they don't consult the people who are actually trying to cover the floor and so forth. From a teaching perspective, working closely with the local universities, you get to know faculty at the school and their faculty positions and who can come in as a guest lecturer, as an adjunct there are a number of different opportunities there. But it has to be this partnership that goes back and forth. So if you have an undergraduate nurse in the hospital who wants to go on for a master's, ideally you would work closely with the universities that are right there locally and let them know what type of graduates your hospital needs, so they can develop the programs to meet those needs. Instead, sometimes they send them off to for-profit schools and then are disappointed with what they get back, but it's because for-profit programs are not tailored for the hospital's needs. So there needs to be many, many more academic practice partnerships where the teaching opportunities are in the school and the clinical opportunities are in the health system. Sandra Russo, PhD, RN, Chairperson and Director of The Nursing Program at Touro University School of Health Sciences in Brooklyn, N.Y.: Amidst burgeoning demand, there exists a palpable gap between the necessity for nurse educators and the attractiveness of the role itself. Addressing this disparity necessitates a comprehensive overhaul of nurse education paradigms to align with the evolving needs of both educators and students. Among the strategies for transformation is the imperative of salary augmentation. Historically undervalued, nurse educators must be remunerated commensurate with their expertise and contribution to nursing education. Advocacy for higher pay scales not only serves to attract seasoned nurses into education roles but also elevates the prestige associated with these positions within the nursing community. Flexibility emerges as a pivotal determinant of role desirability. Recognizing the dual responsibilities often borne by nurse leaders engaged in clinical practice, institutions must offer flexible work arrangements. Part-time positions and remote teaching options afford educators the flexibility to balance their teaching commitments with clinical obligations, thereby fostering a sustainable workforce. By elevating the status of nurse educators, institutions engender a sense of professional fulfillment and satisfaction, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of education roles. Mary Ellen Glasgow, PhD, RN, Dean and Professor of Nursing at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh: We need to look at ways to pay for nurses to go back and become nurse faculty, whether it's a nurse corps like [Health Resources and Services Administration] has, or expanding Nurse Faculty Loan repayments and ways to fund that. I think we need to really look at the workload and then sell the role of becoming a nurse educator to other nurses. There's such a nursing shortage, at least on the East Coast here, that some hospitals have nurse vacancies as high as 30%. We need nurse educators and nurses at the bedside. We need to look at ways to have funding from the Centers of Medicare, maybe to fund preceptors and funding for people to teach nursing students. The other thing that's critical, is that nursing faculty need to stay clinically current to teach and, importantly, to teach the right things. If they want to practice to stay current, that's in addition to their job in a lot of cases. So we need to create academic clinical partnerships where it's already part of their job to do both. Maybe they teach a course for a day and practice for a day. We should think about how we can make the nursing faculty workload reasonable and manageable, particularly for the new faculty member, who has a lot to learn. We should also consider think tanks between accreditors, educators, and others to evaluate workload standards. Catherine Huber, MSN, RN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist and Nurse Residency Program Coordinator at Luminis Health in Annapolis, Md.: There is a very high demand for nurse educators both in the hospital and academic settings. One obstacle preventing nurses from becoming nurse educators is that while most hospital organizations prefer and require a master's in nursing or higher, academia prefers a PhD or DNP. Another challenge is that not all nurses feel competent or confident enough to stand in front of a class and teach a specific topic. Front-line nurses frequently encounter obstacles that prevent them from staying updated with new knowledge, which can impact their opportunities for professional development toward becoming nurse educators. There are potential solutions. For example, allowing nurse educators to work remotely could improve their work-life balance. Providing additional time for professional development and staying updated with new technology could also reduce stress. Healthcare systems must budget more for nurse education to encourage more front-line nurses to pursue a nurse educator role. If teaching is their calling, front-line nurses should have every opportunity to be mentored by the clinical education team within the organization. Keeping nurses engaged and providing them with opportunities is empowering and ignites excitement. Cities in Ohio and North Carolina top U.S. News & World Report's 2024 ranking of the most affordable places to retire. For the ranking, the media company examined the 150 most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S. as potential retirement spots. The study included data from the Census Bureau, Labor Department, FBI and U.S. News & World Report's own internal resources about housing affordability, happiness, desirability, retiree taxes, the job market and access to quality healthcare. Here are the cities with the most affordable housing that also scored highly on the media company's 2024 best places to retire ranking. 1. Youngstown, Ohio 2. Hickory, N.C. 3. Springfield, Mo. 4. Brownsville, Texas 5. Huntington, W.Va., and Ashland, Ky.-Ohio 6. Fort Wayne, Ind. 7. Winston-Salem, N.C. 8. Mobile, Ala. 9. Toledo, Ohio 10. South Bend, Ind. The two firms have worked closely together in recent years Co Down company Energystore has bought a majority share in a Scottish flooring contractor for an undisclosed sum. The managing director of Holywood-based Energystore said the purchase of Advanced Traditional Screeding (ATS) was an easy move as the two companies had been working together closely. Energystore designs and manufactures insulation products, as well as providing installation services. ATS, based in Dunfermline, installs floors, including some that use technologies and products developed by Energystore. The company was described as an early adopter of Energystores thermal lightweight aggregate (TLA), an alternative to installation boards that uses coated beads and cement to provide insulation. ATS will continue to operate as a standalone company following the purchase, and all 17 of its staff members will retain their jobs, Energystore said. Jason Lister, managing director of ATS, is to continue as team lead. Connor McCandless, managing director of Energystore, said: We have known Jason and his team at ATS for a number of years and have been impressed by their work for tier-one construction firms across a wide range of projects. We have been looking at opportunities to grow Energystores footprint across the UK and we felt that ATSs culture, values and growth ambitions were very aligned with our own. Like us, they are a company that is committed to delivering quality work and to supporting the communities they work in. We were already working together on some exciting development opportunities, so it has been an easy move to formally join forces. Jason Lister of ATS added: Im really proud to be able to announce this partnership with Energystore at a time when ATS has been enjoying significant growth and has a very healthy order book for the year ahead. In the most recent financial year, ATS grew our turnover to a record 5m and I am confident we will increase that this year. As a customer and installer of Energystore TLA, we know they are a company committed to innovation and sustainability. ATS now has a great opportunity to expand the range of products and services we provide to our customers as part of the Energystore team. It is a very positive day for the company, our people and our customers. v has been in business for over 50 years and has six sites in the UK and Ireland. It was nominated in the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in 2024 in the medium-sized business of the year category. Mr McCandless is also a finalist in the 2024 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland programme. The Holywood firm announced a 2m investment in January to try and reach net zero carbon emissions over the next four years. ATS has existed for 10 years and is headquartered in Fife. It won medium-sized business of the year at the Fife Business Awards in 2023. There have been scandalous failings by Newry, Mourne and Down council to give financial help to business owners in the area affected by flooding last year, a business body has said. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Northern Ireland said the flooding at the end of October and beginning of November last year had been catastrophic for business owners in areas like Newry and Downpatrick. Open markets and green technologies are vital for stabilising global growth, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said, while criticising trade tensions as he opened the Summer Davos conference (Mick Tsikas/Pool/AP) Open markets and green technologies are vital for stabilising global growth, Chinas premier said on Tuesday, while criticising trade tensions as he opened a conference in north-eastern China. Li Qiang told political and business leaders attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, that China is on track to achieve Beijings growth target this year of 5%. By John Sison Northern Ireland's Grammy-nominated Christian artists Keith and Kristyn Getty are set to perform a Christmas show in Belfast for the very first time at the SSE Arena. Announcing their Home for Christmas concert for December 20, the performance will feature the New Irish Arts Choir & Orchestra alongside special guests. The duo will be taking the home stage for an unforgettable night of Christmas hymns and carols, and will also debut brand new songs for their fans. They previously held their Sing! An Irish Christmas Tour last year, their ninth-annual tour of its kind in the US, which was also broadcast internationally on public television to millions of people through the likes of the BBC and Trinity Broadcasting Network. Keith Getty from Lisburn and his wife Kristyn from Belfast have been credited with revolutionising the hymn genre since 2004, and been described as pre-eminent hymn writers, who have changed the way evangelicals worship. They gained global recognition with their hit song, In Christ Alone, which has been covered by numerous musicians such as American artists, Alison Krauss and Owl City. The Gettys have recorded 26 albums together, and have been nominated for a Grammy Award, as well as winning two Dove Awards by the Gospel Music Association. In 2018, Keith became the first contemporary Christian artist to be awarded the OBE from the late Queen for his services to music and hymn writing. They have performed at iconic venues worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Sydney Opera House, with performances in front of world leaders. Their success allowed them to start Getty Music, a record label and publishing company, enabling upcoming songwriters to create and curate hymns for the modern-day church. Through Getty Music, they established an educational program for hymn writers and worship leaders, providing resources for hundreds of concerts and gatherings to be hosted, with the aim of encouraging Christians to sing their faith through a robust catalogue of songs, albums, sheet music and education. In 2021, they also founded a non-profit charity organisation, the Getty Music Foundation, with the aim to promote gospel music, hymn writing and theology to churches and families, especially in underdeveloped Christian-dominated parts of the world. The Gettys would divide their time between Portstewart and Nashville, Tennessee, with their four daughters. Tickets are available at 10am on Friday, June 28 at ssearenabelfast.com and ticketmaster.ie Kneecap unveil a new mural in the Hawthorn Street area of west Belfast (Photo by Kevin Scott) West Belfast rappers Kneecap have narrowly missed out on the number one spot in the Irish album charts this week. The hip hop trio released their debut album, Fine Art, on June 14. The Irish language band have so far managed to reach number two just behind Taylor Swift. Although, it did reach number one on the independent artists chart. If Fine Art makes it to the top spot, it will be the first ever Irish language album to do so, but even at number two, it is believed to be the highest position for an Irish language album in the Irish charts. In the UK chart, the album is placed at number 43 currently. "We did all we could but got to number two in the charts behind someone called Taylor Swift.good luck to her," Kneecap said on social media. Was less than 100 in it in the end so massive Grma (go raibh maith agaibh) to everyone who bought Fine Art this week. As far as we know its the highest charting for an Irish language album everand we did make Number 1 on indie chart. Kneecap say that Fine Art is designed to guide the listener into their world using an imaginary pub, The Rutz, a community boozer built on a west Belfast side street. It becomes the albums setting. Across the records 12 tracks and the interconnecting moments between them, the pub comes to life, providing a backdrop for the cast of characters that join the dots throughout the album. Belfast school staff and students honoured for saving teens life: Were so happy Oliver is still with us Staff and pupils sprang into action after Oliver McGreevy collapsed following a cardiac arrest Pupils, teachers and school staff from Methodist College Belfast receive their special recognition award from James Nesbitt, Sandra Wright from sponsor Ulster Bank, and Ed McCann of Mediahuis David O'Dornan Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 14:43 The day of Friday, April 28 last year is one that the teachers and students of Methodist College in Belfast will never forget. The 2024 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in partnership with Telefonica Tech UK&I will take place on November 15 at the MAC in Belfast. The annual celebration of the achievements of IT companies is eagerly awaited by the industry. Ellen Dickson, VP, Enterprise Health at Telefonica Tech UK&I, said: Telefonica Tech is delighted to once again sponsor the Belfast Telegraph IT Awards. These awards are an incredible opportunity to shine a light on those in our ever-evolving sector and to come together as an industry on the night to celebrate the achievements of IT people, teams and businesses. "The quality of the entrants and winners is always very high and a great reflection of IT excellence in NI. Through the work that we at Telefonica Tech are involved with, particularly in health but in other areas too, we see the huge value of IT professionals and the impact their work can have on the lives of people. The industry is pivotal to our economy and society, and we cant wait to come together in November to celebrate the success, hard work and dedication of those in the IT industry here in Northern Ireland. Martin Breen, deputy editor-in-chief of the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, added: We are delighted to announce the date of the 2024 Bel Tel IT Awards, and are honoured that Telefonica Tech is supporting our awards again this year. "Were proud to be at the forefront of celebrating a hugely important sector in the Northern Ireland economy and look forward to opening the awards for entries soon. NI couple on their adoption journey: 'You have to be 100% committed or its not going to work' Natasha OBrien speaking to the media as she joins protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) A woman who was assaulted by a serving Irish soldier has told a solidarity rally in Dublin that she will keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women. Natasha OBrien, 24, told political leaders and the Irish Defence Forces to do your jobs and address the issues around gender-based crimes. The Limerick woman earlier watched from the public gallery of the Dail parliament as politicians discussed the controversial case. At one point, TDs on all sides of the house rose to give her a standing ovation. Natasha OBrien (left) addresses protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) Later on Tuesday, hundreds attended the demonstration outside the parliament at Leinster House. Thousands attended similar rallies across Ireland at the weekend. Ms OBrien told Tuesday evenings event: I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach (Simon Harris) and the Minister for Justice (Helen McEntee), and (thought) What are you going to do, what are you going to do? Im right here. Im going to keep doing that and theyre going to feel the pressure. Ms OBrien said she felt a little bit hopeful after receiving so much support and said she believed she had found a purpose in speaking up. I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know Im not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to, she said. Commenting on the standing ovation she received in the Dail, Ms OBrien added: I was honoured, it was incredible, however, you know, your applauses are amazing, but lets use those applauses and lets actually do something and do your job. Earlier, Mr Harris warned the Irish Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin (Gareth Chaney/PA) Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old soldier, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien watched from the Dails public gallery as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of the Dail Sean O Fearghail said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit to establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of the military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action (Brian Lawless/PA) In relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions does have the ability to make an application to have it reviewed. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. Mr Harris also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by the Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women (Brian Lawless/PA) They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Later, in the Dail, Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from the Government on ending violence against women. Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform, she said. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Protesters gather in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha OBrien (Cate McCurry/PA) Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. Mr Harris said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here, if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, Tanaiste Mr Martin said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, he said. Julian Assanges release is a victory for journalists, international organisations have said (WikiLeaks/X/PA) Julian Assanges release from prison is a victory for journalists around the world, according to journalist organisations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) described the development as a significant victory for media freedom. A statement said: The dropping of 17 of the 18 charges that he faced avoids the criminalisation of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content IFJ president Dominique Pradalie said: Julian Assange is free. Victory for the right to inform and to be informed. Victory for journalists around the world. IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger added: The attempted prosecution of Julian Assange cast a dark shadow over journalists, particularly those who cover national security issues. Had Assange gone to prison for the rest of his life, any reporter handed a classified document would fear facing a similar fate. The IFJ said more than 500 journalists remain in prison around the world. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Michelle Stanistreet, National Union of Journalists general secretary, said: This plea deal is a hopeful beacon for Assange and his family in a case the NUJ has condemned from the start, for its wide-ranging ramifications for journalists exposing truths through their reporting. The targeting and persecution of journalists in this way is one that underscores the need to defend journalism and the methods used daily, including when cultivating a source. Collectively, we must do all that is necessary to protect press freedom and continue to resist efforts threatening the safety of journalists. As the NUJ continues to monitor developments, I hope this juncture leads to a more concrete end to the nightmare experienced by Assange. Alister Jack is the latest figure to have become embroiled in the controversy over alleged betting on the timing of the election (Michal Wachucik/PA) A Cabinet minister claimed to have won more than 2,000 by betting on the timing of the General Election, it was reported as the gambling row dominating the final stages of campaigning deepened on Tuesday. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack has denied breaking any watchdog rules after the BBC reported he had told the broadcaster he placed wagers on June and July polling dates. The minister is the latest figure to have become embroiled in the controversy over alleged betting on the timing of the election after Rishi Sunak pulled support from two Tory candidates amid a Gambling Commission investigation. Labour also suspended its candidate Kevin Craig, who is facing a separate probe after he placed a wager on himself losing the contest for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency to the Conservatives. And Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd, Russell George, stepped back from the shadow cabinet on Tuesday as it emerged he too was facing a probe over alleged betting on the timing of the July 4 poll. But Mr Jack, who is not seeking re-election, insisted he did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission. I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules, he said. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he has not broken any Gambling Commission rules (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets. I have nothing more to say on this matter. He is said to have claimed he placed a bet at odds of 25 to 1 and made 2,100 but later dismissed the remarks as a joke. The SNP said the minister had a duty to come forward with the full details of what he did, with the partys Scotland spokesman Tommy Sheppard saying: As a senior Cabinet member in the Tory Government, and a well-known confidant of Sunak, Jack is obviously in the loop when it comes to Conservative Party planning. The Prime Minister withdrew backing for two Tory candidates after coming under mounting pressure within the party to take a tougher stance on the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4 poll. Because nominations have closed, Craig Williams, who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, and Laura Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West, will still appear on the ballot paper. But a Conservative Party spokesman said: As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. Mr Williams, who was the Prime Ministers senior parliamentary aide, said he had committed an error of judgment, not an offence and intended to clear my name. The row has overshadowed the Tory election campaign in recent days as the Prime Minister battles to close his partys 21-point average poll deficit to Labour. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said five more officers in addition to a member of Mr Sunaks protection team who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office were alleged to have placed bets. The officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit, but none of them work in a close protection role. A Met Police spokesman said: It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation. We have, however, been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election. The Gambling Commission continues to investigate these matters. The officers have not been arrested but the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. Decisions on whether the five officers will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course, the Met said. James Cleverly, Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron at the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade, London, for the state visit of Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph) As well as the parliamentary candidates, two senior Tory officials have taken a leave of absence at a crucial point in the election campaign, after being drawn into the Gambling Commission investigation. Ms Saunderss husband, Tony Lee, the partys director of campaigning, and chief data officer, Nick Mason, have stepped back from their duties. The Prime Minister had faced demands from within the party to act on the candidates over concerns the issue was further damaging the Conservatives electoral chances. Following the decision to pull support, Tory peer and former Brexit secretary, Lord Frost, said: We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start? Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker called for those who placed bets on the election date to be suspended by the party on Monday night, saying the Prime Minister would have to answer for why he had not acted by then. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: The Conservatives who sought to line their own pockets by betting on the election date are not fit to be candidates for Parliament. Rishi Sunak now needs to come clean with voters across the country and tell them exactly how many of his Conservatives are implicated and who they are. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: This should have happened immediately when these scandalous revelations emerged, but instead Rishi Sunak has dithered and delayed. Labour administratively suspended Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Mr Craig after it emerged he was facing a Gambling Commission investigation. (PA Graphics) A party spokeswoman said: With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case. Mr Craig said he deeply regretted putting a bet on the Tories to win in the seat he is contesting but said it was done with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities. I will comply fully with the investigation, he added. Mr George, who represents Montgomeryshire in the Welsh Parliament which covers the same area that Mr Williams represented in Westminster, said he would co-operate fully with the Gambling Commission investigation. He said he had stepped back from the shadow cabinet so as not to become an unnecessary distraction. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies released a statement saying all other members of the Welsh Conservative Group had confirmed that they have not placed any bets. Welsh Labour accused Mr Sunak of delay over his decision to suspend the two Tory parliamentary candidates and asked: How long will it take Andrew RT Davies to suspend Russell George? A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said: We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation. The Emperor and Empress of Japan received a ceremonial welcome of military pomp and pageantry as their state visit began. The King and Queen greeted their guests on Horse Guards Parade where some of the nations most prestigious regiments were on display. The two heads of state warmly shook hands as did their wives under a large purpose-built pavilion that shielded them from the blistering summer sun. The Prince of Wales had escorted the emperor and empress from their overnight residence, arriving almost 10 minutes late in chauffeur driven cars. Missing from the state visit is the Princess Royal, who spent a second night in hospital after suffering minor head injuries and concussion after she was reportedly kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate on Sunday. The three-day state visit comes in the midst of a General Election. During Queen Elizabeth IIs 70-year reign there were no incoming state visits at the same time as a general election. William escorted the visitors to Horse Guards Parade (Jordan Pettitt/PA) A Japanese foreign ministry official said the emperor and empresss visit would not be a political one and it was hoped it would forge friendly relations across generations between Japans imperial family and the British royal family. In 2017, a Spanish state visit by King Felipe VI was quickly rescheduled after an agreement between the late Queen and King Felipe because the date clashed with a snap election in the UK. A Palace spokesman said this weeks programme had been slightly adapted, adding: As a general principle, it has of course been adapted as a result of the current pre-election period of sensitivity. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Missing elements appear to be the usual Downing Street talks with the Prime Minister, a speech to the Palace of Westminster by the visiting head of state, and meetings with opposition leaders. Waiting on the parade ground was a guard of honour formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards who, when not performing ceremonial duties, are fighting soldiers. They were joined on parade by the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry with their magnificent Shire Drum Horses, leading four divisions of the dazzling Sovereigns Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. In the distance could be heard the low rumble of a 41-gun royal salute fired from Green Park by the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London the same number of volleys was fired by the Honourable Artillery Company. The Japanese national anthem was played, and the Emperor inspected the guard of honour, accompanied by the King, who walked a few paces behind his guest. The King and Emperor Naruhito of Japan travel together in the lead coach (Jonathan Brady/PA) The King wore a morning suit with a top hat, and he briefly removed his headwear as a mark of respect when he passed the regimental colours. Watching from the pavilion were the royal women, the Queen, wearing an Anna Valentine dress and Philip Treacy hat, and the empress along with the waiting dignitaries, including foreign secretary Lord Cameron, Home Secretary James Cleverly and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. At the end of the welcome ceremony was the traditional carriage procession to Buckingham Palace where a private lunch will be held. The two heads of state sat together in the lead coach, followed by Camilla and the empress who has an allergy to horse hair and as a precaution wore a face mask. The men were detained at around 12.40pm at the Prime Ministers constituency home in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire Police said (PA) Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at the Prime Ministers constituency home in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire Police said. The men were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The force added that the men included one 52-year-old from London, one 43-year-old from Bolton, one 21-year-old from Manchester, and one 20-year-old from Chichester. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Jane Barlow/PA) They remain in police custody and inquiries are ongoing. A video has been released by protest group Youth Demand showing a young man entering the Prime Ministers property and appearing to defecate in a lake. The group said the action was a parting gift for the Prime Minister and the Conservative Government. In a press release, the group identified the man in the video as Oliver, 21, a student from Manchester, and included a statement from him. We have so much to thank the Tories for: from crumbling schools, shit in the rivers and a collapsing NHS; to creating a nation with more food banks than McDonalds and 4.3 million UK children living in poverty, he said. From allowing their mates to get filthy rich from selling weapons to battle-test on toddlers in Gaza, or by drilling for more oil as the world burns its quite a legacy! Youth Demand describes itself as a campaign calling for an arms embargo on Israel, as well as for the Government to revoke all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021. Earlier this year the Prime Minister condemned the group after it staged a demonstration outside the home of Labour leader Keir Starmer. The demonstrators hung a banner outside Sir Keirs house that read: Starmer stop the killing surrounded by red hand prints. It is not the first time the Prime Ministers home has been targeted by protesters. In August last year four Greenpeace protesters were arrested and charged with criminal damage after allegedly climbing on to the roof of Mr Sunaks home in Kirby Sigston. His west London home was subject to a demonstration by Just Stop Oil in November last year. PPE worth an estimated 1.4 billion, which was acquired by the government in a single deal during the pandemic, has been destroyed or written off, it is understood (Victoria Jones/PA) Personal protective equipment (PPE) worth an estimated 1.4 billion, which was acquired by the government in a single deal during the pandemic, has been destroyed or written off, it is understood. Politicians have described the news as a staggering waste and colossal misuse of public funds. Figures published by the BBC showed there were at least 1.57 billion items of PPE provided by Northamptonshire supplier Full Support Healthcare that will never be used. The company struck a 1.78 billion deal with the government to supply face masks, aprons, eye protection and respirators in April 2020. According to the BBC report, this was the largest Covid-19 PPE order, accounting for 13% of the governments total spend. Responding to the news, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: We know that billions of pounds were wasted during the pandemic on corruption and incompetence by the Conservatives, but this is the worst example I have ever seen. 1.4bn on one contract, paying for PPE that was never used, and Rishi Sunaks fingerprints are all over it. That is money that could have been used to pay the salaries of 37,000 NHS nurses. It is staggering waste, and we need a full and frank account as to how so much public money was thrown down the toilet. A nurse puts on PPE on a ward for Covid patients at Kings College Hospital, in south east London (Victoria Jones/PA) Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: This is just the latest in a series of damning revelations on the Conservatives record of mishandling Covid contracts. Instead of this troubling pattern of waste, shortcuts and lack of oversight, the public deserve transparency on the true cost of these failures. The Liberal Democrats would take steps to ensure such a colossal misuse of public funds never happens again. Over the course of six months, BBC Investigations made a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act requests to NHS Supply Chain. The responses showed that of the 2.02 billion items of PPE provided by Full Support Healthcare, only 232 million items have been dispatched to the NHS or other care settings. It is understood about 749 million items have already been burned or destroyed, while a further 825 million are classified as excess stock. According to the report, the government had previously estimated about 85 million worth of PPE secured under the contract would not be used. The BBC understands that at least 100 million of additional public money has been spent on storing and incinerating the excess stock since its purchase. A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: We do not recognise the 1.4 billion quoted. Our position on PPE stock is set out in the departments annual accounts as audited by the National Audit Office. PPE was secured at the height of the pandemic, competing in an overheated global market where demand massively outstripped supply. Nearly half of all the remaining stock was sold, recycled, or donated by the department. In line with our reduction of storage and disposal strategy unused items will be turned into energy from waste which will see the department recoup further costs. Full Support Healthcare and the Conservative Party have been approached for comment. In January, DHSC accounts revealed some 9.9 billion of the 13.6 billion spent on PPE had been written off as some items were defective or not suitable, while others will not be used before their expiry date. An accountability report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said that the department plans to dispose of nearly all of its current PPE stock held in warehouses and containers. At the time, Downing Street defended the losses by stressing the circumstances the Covid-19 pandemic caused, such as PPE being in short supply leading to a hike in costs. Russian former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov are accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and inhumane acts (Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) The International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that it has issued arrest warrants for Russias former defence minister and its military chief of staff for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the third time the global court has issued warrants for senior Russian leaders. Former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov are accused of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. Judges who approved the prosecutors request for arrest warrants said the suspects are charged with inhumane acts because there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of civilians in Ukraine. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued on Monday because judges consider there are reasonable grounds to believe the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10 2022, until at least March 9 2023. During this timeframe, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the court added. Under the leadership of Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov, the Russian military has launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that have killed thousands and damaged the countrys energy system and other vital infrastructure. Moscow has insisted it only has targeted military facilities despite daily casualties in civilian areas. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The court said missile attacks covered in the warrant allegedly targeted civilian objects. They added that in the case of any installations that could have been considered military targets the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. Details of the warrants were kept under seal to protect witnesses, the court said. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. In March this year, the court also issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine that judges said happened pursuant to a state policy. Mr Putin replaced Mr Shoigu as defence minister in a Cabinet shake-up in May as he began his fifth term as president. Mr Shoigu, 69, has widely been seen as a key figure in Mr Putins decision to invade Ukraine on February 24 2022. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops. Instead, the conflict galvanised Ukraine to mount an intense defence, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counter-offensive that drove Moscows forces out of the Kharkiv region and near Kherson in the south in the autumn of 2022. Mr Shoigu, who had personal ties with Mr Putin, got a soft landing with the high-profile post of secretary of Russias Security Council. At the same time, his entourage faced purges. A long-time associate and deputy, Timur Ivanov, and several other senior military officers were arrested on corruption charges, and other senior Defence Ministry officials lost their jobs. Gen Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff since 2012, has so far kept his job. The 68-year-old career military officer has directly overseen Russian military operations in Ukraine. A group that tracks antisemitism in Germany has said it recorded an overall increase of more than 80% in incidents last year (Kay Nietfeld/dpa/AP) A group that tracks antisemitism in Germany has it recorded an overall increase of more than 80% in incidents last year, with well over half of the total coming after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in early October. The Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) said it recorded 4,782 antisemitic incidents in 2023, ranging from anti-Jewish comments to attacks, compared with 2,616 in 2022. The group said 2,787 of last years recorded incidents more than the previous years total took place after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Those incidents included a mid-October attack on a synagogue in Berlin, which caused widespread alarm. The incidents RIAS documented last year included seven cases classified as extreme violence, which did or could endanger lives or result in severe injury, 121 attacks, 329 cases of targeted damage to property, 183 threats and 4,060 incidences of offensive behaviour. RIAS director Benjamin Steinitz said: An open but above all carefree Jewish life has become even less possible in Germany as well since October 7. Of last years incidents, 1,583 took place in the street, more than double the previous years figure, and 999 on the internet an increase from 853 in 2022. RIAS recorded 471 incidents at educational institutions and 311 on public transport, both more than double the previous year. A senior official with Germanys Central Council of Jews, Daniel Botmann, said: We are not currently seeing the effect of an emigration of Jews from Germany, contrasting that with movement that has been seen from neighbouring France in recent years. Internet gambling has exploded in Indonesia, facilitated by the accessibility and anonymity of digital platforms. A gambler uses an online platform in Jakarta on June 25, 2024. Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, but millions are estimated to regularly place bets online. The horrific act of a police officer fatally setting her husband ablaze over his alleged online gambling debts has shocked Indonesia, fueling a national conversation about the devastating consequences of addiction. Rian Dwi Wicaksono, who was also a police officer in the East Java city of Mojokerto, died on June 8 after his wife, Fadhilatun Nikmah, handcuffed him and set him on fire, allegedly because he spent most of his salary on internet gambling, police said. She faces up to 15 years in prison for domestic violence leading to death in a case that has put the spotlight on an explosion of online gambling in Indonesia. The allure of quick riches and the ease of placing bets anonymously from anywhere have ensnared millions, many of whom are young and from low-income families, according to experts. When gambling is mediated by the internet, its spread becomes wider, said Derajad Sulistyo Widhyharto, a sociologist at Gadjah Mada University. What was once hidden is now open because its on everyones smartphones, he told BenarNews. Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation, but the rise of online platforms many of which have been gamified to lure new customers has made it increasingly difficult to enforce the ban. According to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Indonesias anti-money laundering agency, 3.5 million Indonesians regularly participate in online gambling, with transactions amounting to U.S. $40 billion over the past several years. The consequences are devastating and include financial ruin, broken families and increased mental health issues, officials and observers said. One woman, who identified herself only as E for privacy, said she encountered the devastating impact of online gambling four years ago when her husband took his life. Just 15 minutes before his death, E said she found out he had been gambling online. In his last record, he lost 15 million rupiah (around U.S. $1,000), E told BenarNews, highlighting the financial desperation that can accompany such addiction. Not a game The Indonesian government has shut down more than 800,000 gambling websites in recent months, but also expressed frustration that new platforms often based overseas have quickly emerged to replace them. This month, President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced the formation of a special task force to tackle the problem, led by Hadi Tjahjanto, the countrys top security minister and a former armed forces chief. The team has taken steps such as blocking internet access to and from Cambodia and the Philippines, monitoring electronic wallet transactions, and imposing penalties on civil servants caught gambling online. Online gambling platforms, which have been gamified to lure new customers, are shown on a computer and smartphone in Jakarta on June 25, 2024. [Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews] On Tuesday, the Indonesian government convened a meeting with religious organizations to discuss a united front against the issue. Muhadjir Effendy, who serves as deputy chair of the national task force against online gambling, said the government was committed to eradicating the practice. Gambling is not just a game, a lottery, but its risking your own future, your family, and your children, Muhadjir told the gathering, which included representatives from prominent religious organizations. He urged religious leaders to join the fight by raising awareness and reporting any signs of online gambling within their communities. Alfons Tanujaya, from cybersecurity firm Vaksin.com, urged the government to develop more sophisticated methods to target gambling transactions. Blocking internet access alone might not stop online gambling due to the use of VPNs to bypass restrictions, he told BenarNews, referring to virtual private networks that can mask an internet user's IP address. Devie Rahmawati, a social observer at the University of Indonesia who has researched gambling behavior, said that online gambling apps, designed to resemble games, lure people into a false sense of security. Online gambling is made to look like games. Its effortless, so people dont realize the danger, she told BenarNews, adding no social class was immune. Derajad, the sociologist, said the government must intensify public education on the dangers of online gambling alongside law enforcement. This will indeed be a tough task. Legal and security approaches are necessary, but instilling values in society is also needed, he said. Bangladeshi migrant workers come out of their dormitory in Kuala Lumpur to have their documents checked as Malaysian government agencies monitor workers living conditions and other criteria of forced labor and human trafficking, March 17, 2022. The U.S. State Department elevated Malaysia on Monday to the second tier of its worldwide standings in combating human trafficking only two years after the Southeast Asian country stood among the bottom-most ranks. The promotion was among the highlights of the departments latest annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled in Washington. At the ceremony, he also honored men from Bangladesh and the Philippines as heroes in the global fight against human trafficking. Around the globe, an estimated 27 million people are exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex. Through force, fraud, and coercion, they are made to toil in fields and factories, in restaurants and residences, Blinken said in a message posted in the report. Traffickers prey on some of the worlds most marginalized and vulnerable individuals profiting from their plight. The new edition of the report showed that Malaysia joined neighbors Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand on Tier 2 while the Philippines remained at Tier 1. The report, which moved Malaysia up from the Tier 2 Watch List in 2023 and Tier 3 the lowest in 2022 listed positive and negative efforts by the government to combat trafficking. The positives included increasing trafficking investigations, convicting more traffickers while noting the majority of whom received significant sentences, increasing public awareness and prosecuting allegedly complicit officials. Among the negatives, Official complicity and corruption undermined anti-trafficking efforts and allowed traffickers to operate with impunity; this also increased migrant workers vulnerability to trafficking, the report said. Delays in prosecution, insufficient interagency coordination and inadequate services for victims discouraged foreign victims from remaining in Malaysia to participate in criminal proceedings and continued to hinder successful anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. Al Amin Noyon of Bangladesh (left) receives a certificate from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken honoring his efforts in combating human trafficking, during a ceremony marking the release of the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, at the State Department in Washington, June 24, 2024. [Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Reuters] During the ceremony at the State Department, Blinken was joined by 10 of this years crop of heroes recognized by the government agency for their efforts against human trafficking. The honorees included Filipino Samson Inocencio Jr., vice president of the International Justice Mission Philippines Program Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, and Al Amin Noyon, manager of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Migration Center. Americas top diplomat introduced the 10 as remarkably courageous individuals who are driving change in the face of daunting obstacles, often at great personal risk. Trafficking violates that shared belief. It also undermines the rule of law. It weakens border security. It limits peoples economic opportunities, Blinken said in a speech. Turning scars into strength The secretary of state finished his address by telling Noyons story to those gathered for the ceremony. More than ever, we have to work not only with governments but along with the private sector, civil society, multinational organizations, citizens and survivors survivors like Al Amin Noyon, Blinken said. After graduating from university, he was lured away from his village in Bangladesh by a man who promised a higher-paying job abroad, Blinken recounted, adding that Noyons parents sold much of their land to cover the cost of his passport and fees. Instead, he was taken to a neighboring country where he was forced to work alongside others who were clearing a dense jungle. They were never paid. No one was allowed to leave. If we were tired or refused to work, we would be beaten, Noyon said. Seven months later, Noyon and others escaped to the Bangladesh embassy and later returned home. According to a report in the Dhaka Tribune, that was the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, a prime destination in Southeast Asia for Bangladeshi migrants. But that is not the end of his story, Blinken said, adding that Noyon had dedicated himself to helping other trafficking victims. As he put it, I turned my scars into strength, Blinken said. Years later, thousands of people thousands of people owe their freedom to his efforts. Recognized as a hero in Washington, Noyon faces controversy in Bangladesh he was arrested in 2023 and jailed for seven days on what his lawyer said was a false complaint filed by traffickers against him. At present, he is on permanent bail, Noman Hossain Talukdar told BenarNews. His boss, meanwhile, praised Noyon. The BRAC welcome center is headquartered at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. People like Al Amin Noyon, who is a victim of trafficking and dedicated to the welfare of expatriates, are rare. He has become the Noyon Bhai of the diaspora with his work, BRAC Associate Director Shariful Hasan told BenarNews. Noyon received BRACs highest honor, the Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Appreciation Award, in 2023 for his work. The U.S. TIP award will give him new energy in his work Noyon is actually our hero. Samson Inocencio Jr. of the Philippines (left) poses with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after receiving his certificate for combating human trafficking, during a ceremony at the State Department in Washington, June 24, 2024. [Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Reuters] Fellow hero Filipino Inocencio was honored for his over two decades working with the International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines, where he has contributed to 147 convictions for commercial sexual exploitation and 220 for online sexual exploitation crimes (OSEC) since 2005. After becoming national director of IJM in 2016, Sam assisted in the removal of 544 children from situations of commercial sexual exploitation and 1,237 children who were at risk of OSEC, the report said. Inocencio was recognized for his collaboration with the Philippine government in 2016 to develop a roadmap to Tier 1, the top ranking in the Trafficking in Persons report, a ranking the nation has held for eight years. Sams leadership and dedicated service have strengthened the government and civil societys response to trafficking and protected thousands, especially children, from exploitation, the report said. Country reports For 2024, the TIP report noted that the Philippine government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period. It praised efforts to investigate and prosecute more alleged traffickers and sentencing nearly all traffickers to significant prison terms. Tier 2 country Bangladesh did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, the report said. It noted that the government had adopted victim identification guidelines for front-line officials and identified more victims of trafficking. Indonesia, another Tier 2 country, was credited with increasing investigations, prosecutions and convictions for trafficking crimes along with cooperating with a foreign government to address an online scam operation based in Indonesia. Thailand initiated investigations of 20 allegedly complicit officials, the report said. It pointed out that the government failed to meet minimum standards to move up to Tier 1 in several areas including inconsistent and ineffective interviewing practices during labor inspections and victim identification interviews. Ayon Aman in Dhaka contributed to this report. The deployment of China Coast Guard ship 5901 follows a tense sea encounter between Filipino sailors and Chinese personnel. The Philippine military said Tuesday that China had deployed what is believed to be the worlds largest coast guard vessel near a rusting naval ship, which serves as Manilas outpost at a disputed South China Sea shoal. China Coast Guard (CCG) ship 5901 was spotted patrolling near Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal on Monday, Filipino military spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said. The alleged sighting came a week after a Filipino sailor lost a finger during a tense standoff between Philippine military and CCG personnel near the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded navy ship that serves as a military outpost in the shoal and is manned by marines. The presence in contested waters of the 12,000 ton-Chinese vessel dubbed The Monster by maritime security experts is part of a broader pattern of intrusive patrols aimed at asserting unlawful claims over areas within the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Trinidad said in a statement. The Philippine military said the CCG vessel was spotted near the unoccupied Sabina Shoal on Monday. On June 19, it was also seen cruising near Philippine-occupied Thitu (Pag-asa) island. Last month, it was seen near Scarborough Shoal, which lies within Manilas EEZ but has been under Beijings de facto control since 2012. China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila did not respond immediately to BenarNews requests for comment. Xerxes Trinidad said the Philippine military remained vigilant and steadfast in performing its mission to uphold international maritime laws, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We emphasize that such actions by the CCG are illegal, coercive, and contrary to the spirit of maintaining peace and stability in the region, he said. We call on all nations to respect international law and to refrain from actions that escalate tensions in the [West Philippine Sea], he added, referring to South China Sea waters that fall within Manilas EEZ. A screengrab from maritime expert Ray Powells X account shows the track of the China Coast Guard ship 5901 as it passed nearby the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal, June 23, 2024. [Ray Powell/X] Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the deployment of CCG 5901 was part of Chinas policing territorial claims that were rejected through a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. They (Chinese) would like to enforce their own version of international law, he said. The official said he did not want to speculate on the timing of the CCG vessels visit, but stressed that it was intruding into Manilas EEZ. Managing tensions Also on Tuesday, the Philippines said it was seeking talks with China to manage tensions in the South China Sea. We will pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international laws, specifically the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a Senate hearing. We have been working hard to bring back China to the table to talk with us to resolve differences on these issues, he added. The Philippines and China have an existing mechanism for dialogue on issues surrounding the South China Sea called the bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM). The next BCM meeting will be in July and they will work at some kind of confidence-building measures, Manalo said. So, we will continue to pursue these efforts, and also let me just assure the committee and the Filipino people that while we are seeking the approach for a peaceful resolution through international law and diplomacy, of course, we are not blind to the incidents which are happening, he said. We will ensure that whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will not be at the expense of the promotion of our sovereignty, sovereign rights as well as our rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, Manalo said. Jason Gutierrez contributed to this report from Manila and Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales from Davao City, southern Philippines. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. MANCHESTER Where should you go for tasty pizza in Southern Vermont? This is one in a series that answers the urgent question. If the question is pizza, then The Crooked Ram is an elegantly rustic answer. During COVID-19, while most restaurants hunkered down, The Crooked Ram expanded from a small-scale charcuterie and cheese spot. It added The Yard, a covered, outdoor seating spot for 80, practical in its early days, but now simply cozy and natural. It is home to a Valoriani pizza oven straight from Naples, which fires up to an internal temperature of 800. It is insulated enough to be 500 the next morning; stand behind it and you feel only the ambient air temperature. Under the guidance of Emily Shore, general manager, and Tiara Adorno, head chef, The Crooked Ram runs seemingly effortlessly. Waiters and staff pop over, food appears, and behind the counter, a waitress is surprised with a candle-topped vanilla cake and the staff serenading her with "Happy Birthday." It's an easy, fun, welcoming place. First off: the pizza. My friend Cathy and I try the Margherita, which features DOP San Marzano tomatoes. (DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, literally, Protected Designation of Origin) which in this case means plum tomatoes certified from San Marzano, a volcanic region which creates a sweet, intense and lightly acidic tomato flavor.) Yes, after all that, it's yummy. But we like, even more, the Bianca Roni. OK, on the menu, you'll find only the Bianca: aged provolone, ricotta, aged parmesan, garlic and onion. But the staff started adding pepperoni and the Bianca Roni appeared replete with a little cartoon figure that later popped up on our to-go pizza box, drawn by one of the chefs. The little figure, it turns out, was first created by owner Peter Campbell. It's now on T-shirts for sale at the restaurant. On the Bianca Roni, the cheese drifts to the edges of the roughly 12-inch pizza, giving the crust a buttery crispness. The crust relies on dough made from organic, Canadian flour and fermented overnight. The creamy inner parts of the pizza are offset by the spice and salt of pepperoni. The Bianca Roni is scrumptious. It comes with a side of Boorn Brook honey and garlic sauce. Originally, this sauce accompanied the cheese boards, until someone asked: "Why not try this on the pizza?" Exactly: Why not? To drink, we have a beer made for the restaurant by Mount Holly, in the Green Mountains near Okemo. Pinot noir grapes are co-fermented with the beer, tinging it pinkish. But if you were expecting overtones of a rose, you'd be wrong: its full, lush lager flavor just hints at the pinot. It pairs beautifully with the pizza and other food. In short come for the pizza; stay for the beer. We receive an assortment of dishes. The tuna crudo is luscious, Fresno chile giving it a kick that plays off a hint of sweetness, making a dish that Cathy especially loves. The Market Greens salad, sourced from Mighty Food Farm in Shaftsbury, is a version of a Caesar, the smoked pecorino cheese and crispy garlic sparked with lemon zest. The rustic housemade sausage harkens back to the origins of The Crooked Ram featuring fennel, basil and Calabrian chili. Oh and dessert. The Crooked Ram is one of the few restaurants around with a dedicated pastry chef. Alli Ford's chocolate cake on display in the small upper restaurant tall, dark and decadent had me contemplating starting our pizza tasting with cake. I suppressed that urge, but one of Ford's brilliant creations rounded off our meal: a tiramisu puff. When it arrived at our table, I confess, I wasn't sure just what it was: a Profiterole dusted with confectioner sugar. But beneath the airy cream puff surface oozed surprise a tiramisu. The filling suggested a rich Boston Cream, rather than a boozy coffee filling. Despite being full by this point, Cathy and I devoured it. In the midst of these other offerings all outstanding I don't want to lose the pizza thread of this series. Chef Adorno serves up gourmet pizzas. We found them full of flavor and entirely satisfying. For an additional flourish, a treat to yourselves and friends, try these other dishes, celebrating summer on a warm Vermont afternoon or evening. The Crooked Ram 4026 Main St., Manchester. 802-417-5049 Pizza served outdoors throughout summer. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. To avoid 3% charge on credit cards use a debit card. Pizza trivia quiz, continued (courtesy of Dogtown Pizza of St. Louis). Answers at the bottom. 1. What percentage of Americans who actually eat pizza eat it at least once per month? a. Around 22% b. Around 47% c. Around 79% d. Around 93% 2. What is the most popular day of the year to order pizza in the United States? a. Christmas b. Halloween c. New Years Eve d. Super Bowl Sunday 3. What is the technical term for the outer edge of a pizza's crust? a. Cornicione b. Flenicione c. Menicione d. Venicione 4. The most expensive pizza in the world is called the Louis XIII Pizza. It takes 72 hours to prepare. How much does a single one cost? a. $2,000 b. $9,000 c. $20,000 d. $26,000 1. d 2. d. 3. a 4. b What do you get for a $9,000 pizza? (Note: The Dogtown Pizza quiz site says $12,000, but the pizza's creator says online he'll make it for 8,300, or almost $9,000.) Chef Renato Viola in Salerno, Italy, makes the Louis XIII pizza. At 20 cm (about 8 inches), this pizza is intended for two (not-very-hungry) people. The dough takes 72 hours, but everything else is prepared onsite the day of the serving. Ingredients: Caviar Oscietra Royal Prestige, "very sweet with a faint nutty aroma;" The Oscietra Royal Prestige Caviar from the southern Caspian Sea; Beluga Caviar Kaspia "It tastes great, soft, creamy and firm;" lobsters prepared and flamed with cognac; Mediterranean shrimp; organic DOP buffalo mozzarella For such a fancy pizza, can you have beer? Or wine? Absolutely not. Only cognac, champagne and brandy will do. First, Chef Viola (who looks a little like Carmy from "The Bear") serves Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII, good enough for the pizza's name. Queen Elizabeth had this cognac in the palace of Versailles; Winston Churchill drank it to celebrate his election victory in 1951. Now, you can have it, a prelude to this pizza. Next, with the pizza itself, presumably, you have Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1995, which is described by the chef as "extremely elegant . [It] goes well [with] refined fish dishes and sauces." The meal concludes with Cardenal Mendoza Sanchez Charter Real Romate Finos brandy, "cradled by time." The price includes exclusive cutlery, plates and staff, baked in your home (presumably not in Vermont). (Note: With the right level of funding on a GoFundMe page, I'm willing to go winging off to Salerno to investigate.) BENNINGTON The mother of a man charged with an alleged repeated sexual assault of a child in Pownal, resulting in the victim giving birth last March, was herself arrested and charged with being an accessory to her sons alleged ongoing assault. Angel Varno, 54, was arraigned on one count of being an accessory to aggravated repeated sexual assault of a child. She faces a possible 25-year to life sentence if she is convicted. Levi Varno, also known as Levi Haner, 28, of Pownal, is currently charged with the aggravated and repeated sexual assault of a child over six months in 2021. He was arraigned last July at the Bennington Superior Courthouse and was released on his own recognizance after pleading not guilty to the single charge. According to a police affidavit in the accessory case, at a weight of evidence hearing in September in front of Bennington Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady, Angel Varno, Levis biological mother, testified under oath that she was aware of the relationship between her son and the 14-year-old victim and that her son and the victim had sex. She also admitted to letting both the victim and her son live together at her home for almost a year. Levi Varno was 24 at the time. According to the affidavit in Levi Varnos sexual assault case, a call came into the Department of Children and Families in July of 2021 from the Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington concerning a female minor. The alleged victim's brother had reported to an SFRC employee that his younger sister was sleeping with then-24-year-old Varno. The victim had been living inside the Varno residence for several months during the alleged ongoing assaults. A supervisor at DCF received a call that same day from a doctor alerting them that the victim was pregnant. An investigation ensued, with the victim denying Varno was the father. A baby was born to the victim in March of 2022. During an interview with a case worker in November of 2022, the victim acknowledged Varno as the father and expressed a desire to be with him when she turned 16. A subsequent DNA swab confirmed Varno as the father. Further investigation and interviews with the victim revealed that she met Varno when she was 13 when Varno would babysit her and her brother. Eventually, Varno would drive the victim out into the woods in Pownal to have sex on numerous occasions. She eventually became pregnant and promised Varno she would not say anything. Levi Varno is currently out without bail on several conditions, including having no contact with the victim or the baby, or with anyone under 16. In addition, he must abide by a 24/7 curfew at his residence as he awaits trial. He is facing a 25-year maximum sentence if hes found guilty. The 25-year term, according to Vermont statute, must be served. It cannot be suspended, deferred, or served differently. He would also have to register as a sexual offender for life. Angel Varno pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Monday morning. She was released on conditions, including no contact with the victim as her trial progresses. Levi Varno and Angel Varno can continue living together in Pownal as they await trial. So far, no further hearings have been scheduled in the case. This is a subscriber exclusive story. Subscribe today to access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Subscribe today. Cancel anytime. Subscribe now for 99 Subscriber Sign In | Return Home 17 Chinese nationals feared dead in Hwaseong battery plant fire Xinhua) 10:12, June 25, 2024 Rescuers work at the battery plant fire site in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 24, 2024.(Xinhua/Yao Qilin) SEOUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. South Korean officials said the accident has killed 22 people, 17 of them presumably to be Chinese nationals. Eight other people were injured, including one Chinese who was slightly injured, and all the injured have been properly treated. Firemen are still searching for the missing. The South Korean side deeply mourns the tragic death of Chinese citizens in the accident and will assist China in doing its utmost to rescue and deal with the aftermath. Xing urged the South Korean side to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, properly deal with the aftermath, and provide all necessary support for the families of the Chinese victims. Xing told media at the scene that the Chinese embassy is working with the South Korean side to do its best to deal with the aftermath of the accident. It is hoped that South Korean businesses will learn a painful lesson, refrain from similar incidents in the future and earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in South Korea. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Wahconah High School seniors celebrate first graduation ceremony since elementary school 124 students graduated from Wahconah Regional High School on Sunday, June 2 at the school. Salutatorian Sarah Thornton noted in her speech, this was many students first graduation since fifth grade, with other ceremonies upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The students lost out on their eighth grade graduation due to the pandemic. Another graduation season has been put to bed in Berkshire County, with the disrupting effects of the pandemic seeming to recede further into the past. In fact, its most prominent mention came at Wahconah Regional High Schools commencement, where salutatorian Sarah Thornton noted that this was the seniors first graduation ceremony since elementary school. However, its important to remember that the outbreak of COVID-19 deeply affected an entire generation of school-aged kids, including the Class of 2024 and many classes to follow. Its affected their learning outcomes, as well as the opportunities they have available to them both during and after their schooling. Its also served as a major disturbance during critical junctures in their lives. A recent New York Times editorial goes into great detail about the still-felt learning losses that occurred during the pandemic, which could have lifelong consequences for new graduates. Chief among them are decades of lost progress in math and reading and millions of students falling into chronic absenteeism (missing more than 10 percent of the school year). The Associated Press piece Millions of kids are missing weeks of school as attendance tanks across the US, which the Times cited, provides an expansive look into the consequences of chronic absenteeism, which go beyond learning outcomes. School also serves as a critical vector for socialization for students still developing social and emotional skills. The setbacks these kids have experienced go far beyond whats quantifiable. There are so many crucial crossroads you face growing up at which you might pick up a lifelong passion like a sport, hobby or art that all happen because of crucial in-person interaction. The same is also true of friendships so many of mine only happened in school because we were at the same place at the same time, where we got to know each other. I probably wouldnt be at The Eagle if I went to school remotely. I didnt go to college with the intent to pursue journalism; my career can be traced to a key inflection point in an introductory journalism class in 2014 in which I discovered I had an aptitude and love for the field. Im not sure if that would have happened over Zoom. I graduated high school 10 years ago, and in many ways it feels like I came of age in a different era than the current generation. When I went to school, technology was slowly being introduced into classrooms the most novel uses were smart boards at my high school (the old Wahconah Regional High School, which has since been demolished) and the introduction of take-home tablets my senior year. Computer access was not required for most of my assignments. During the early days of the pandemic, having access to a computer was the only way for kids to do their schooling. Those kids lives also are more ingrained with social media than mine ever was at their age. In the first month of the pandemic, I wrote a column about how I believed the pandemic would shape this generations politics, but it has also deeply affected its cohorts cultural development. For two years, they experienced major upheaval in most aspects of their lives. As an adult, its easy to dismiss how relatively brief this might feel, but for a young person, two years might as well be a lifetime. Every year growing up brings so much change and so many milestones. The Class of 2024 is the first pandemic-era class to have most of their high school or college experience in-person, as Gov. Charlie Bakers new normal was implemented at the end of their freshman year. But they are not emerging into the world as it was in 2019 it has been forever changed by myriad factors, such as the rise of remote work and the new threats artificial intelligence poses to many sectors. Its also worth noting that many schools havent fully healed from the pandemic. At my other alma mater, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, many clubs and organizations that were active when I was a student no longer exist because their membership dwindled during COVID. I dont envy new graduates who are now finding their footing in this world. They faced challenges that I and others who graduated before them never had to face, and they are coming of age in a time of constant change. To them, I have this to say: Hang tight, listen closely to yourself and the world, and never lose hope of a better tomorrow. Because as long as you persist, itll eventually come. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, Who can bring me down to the ground? Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD (Obadiah 1:3-4). Pride is self-esteem, confidence, and satisfaction in the self. Some people try to run their own lives without God, as if they do not need Him. Why is that? Because they put themselves first. Introducing and Declaring the Destruction of Edom Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament. It is labeled as The Vision of Obadiah, as it prophesies the judgment to fall on the nation of Edom. The only thing stated about Obadiah is his role as a prophet, nothing is noted about his historical or personal life. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob, which made them related to the children of Israel (Genesis 25:19-27:45). Jacob had taken his mother Rebekahs advice in deceiving his father (Isaac) into receiving the blessing of the birthright of the eldest son, which rightfully belonged to Esau. Jacob had not been a good brother toward Esau, but they were still brothers. You would have expected Esau to have been better. Although they had reconciled their differences years later, there was still some animosity between them. Although the Edomites did not initiate any attacks toward Judah/Israel, they were like mercenaries and were the reinforcements or extras in the battles. They joined in the plundering of Judah/Israel. They took whatever was available for themselves. It is not noted here why the main aggressors (Egypt, Philistines, Babylon, Assyria) are not condemned, only the Edomites. But because of Edoms defiance of God, their pride, and how they treated Judah, disaster would come unto them. The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; We have heard a rumor from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised (Obadiah 1:1-2, KJV). The Prophecy Is Authenticated by God Thus saith the Lord. It did not come from Obadiah, just through him as God used him. The prophecys focus was concerning Edom, it was not directed at the nations who were the main aggressors toward Judah/Israel. A summary of the prophecy We have heard a rumor. Obadiah includes himself. This rumor is not hearsay as the word is known today. The Hebrew translation (Shemuah) means a report. An ambassador is sent among the heathen, means a report has been sent out to outlying nations via a messenger. A summary of the declaration This concerns Edoms future ruin. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen is stated toward the Edomites to let them know how minuscule they are. Next is Edoms future appraisal. Thou art greatly despised. Because of their self-centered attitude and disdainfulness, God rebuked them. God Accuses Edom of Pride The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord (Obadiah 1:3-4, KJV). Edom was proud because of the security they now experienced, and how inaccessible they were to the outside world. Edom was the southern neighbor of Judah, and its capital was Petra, a city cut into a cliff of solid rock. It was considered impenetrable because the only way in was through a narrow canyon. The Edomites were proud of how secure they felt in their city, their self-sufficiency, their wealth, their allies, and their wisdom, but this would cause them to be brought down. They only fooled themselves. Those that have a favorable opinion of themselves are prone to think others feel the same way about them; but they will be mistaken. God can make low those that have amplified and lifted themselves up. Those with pride in their hearts talk with certainty and may even harbor a hatred of Gods decisions, as though the intensity of the Almighty could not overwhelm them (Jeremiah 49:15-16). Those with prideful hearts announce to everyone that they can live without God. Pride will destroy Christians, destroying their ability to be of service to God. They are all in it for the show. Remember the Pharisee and the Publican? The Pharisee was showing off, Look at what I am not, look at what I do, and look at what I have (Luke 18:11). Satan was proud and it was his downfall (Isaiah 14:13-15). Nebuchadnezzar was proud and look at what happened to him (Daniel 4:30-32). The Outcome of Pride The Bible declares the route to self-destruction is pride (Proverbs 16:18). The judgment on Edom was to bring about justice. To anyone that believes Who shall bring me down to the ground? God replies, I will. Just like the way the nation of Edom and the city of Petra fell, people with pride in their hearts will fall. Humility is more secure than pride. In the book of Proverbs, there are six things that the Lord cannot stand, and seven things are an abomination: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running about to cause mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sews discord among the believers (Proverbs 6:16-19). What is the first one? Pride! Pride goes against God and will bring about judgment. Satans sin was that of pride, and it was his downfall, just like Babylons. Israel tragically was too proud to even think about relying upon God, and we too are prone to that equivalent mistake (Isaiah 14:12-15). Many Christians have pride in different things: Who they are, their social standing, or even the grace they have received from Christ. But salvation should not make us proud. It is a free gift offered to everyone and it is freely given to those who are humble. The more an individual regards and fears God, the more that person cannot stand evil. Love for God and love for wrongdoing cannot coincide. Holding onto secret sins implies that we are enduring evil inside ourselves. We really need to make a total separation from transgression and submit ourselves totally to God (Proverbs 8:13). Pride brings about shame, not wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). Pride is the inner voice that murmurs, My way is the best way. It is opposing the leadership of God and thinking that we can live without his assistance. Whenever we end up wanting to do anything on our own and peering down on others, pride is pulling us. It is when we take out pride and let God assist us that will we grow into all he has planned for us (Proverbs 16:5). Other Scripture regarding pride: Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them (Proverbs 26:12). Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor (Proverbs 29:23). This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches (Jeremiah 9:23). Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16). Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves (Philippians 2:3). But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6). For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). Seek Help from God and Others to Root Out Pride Proud individuals make little assessment of their shortcomings and do not expect to encounter any stumbling blocks. They believe that they are immune to the frailties of everyday citizens. In this perspective, they are effectively entangled. Incidentally, proud individuals frequently miss their own problems with pride, even when everybody around them is very much aware of it. We ought to ask a trustworthy person to find out if smugness has dazed us to any noticeable signs. The person might assist us with keeping away from a fall (Proverbs 16:18). When we try to run our own lives, we put ourselves in the place of God. How many of us try to run our lives without God, as if we do not need Him? That is pride, which is sin, and it is fatal. We are not to let pride control us. We must recognize when pride tries to set in and push it back out the door. We must pray and ask God to help us defend against any proudness of heart. Photo credit: Getty Images/Hans Harms CCRAS hosts national consultative meet on traditional medicine research priorities setting with WHO Fostering a pioneering effort in aligning traditional medicine research with global standards and priorities, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an apex autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Ayush, has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Shri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra & Dabur, a leading Ayurvedic company in India. CCRAS has also launched its new and updated website. A first of its kind consultative meet was held, where the MoUs were signed, that brought together representatives from diverse domains of Traditional Medicine (TM) in India, including policymakers, academic institutions, researchers, patients, and industry stakeholders. The aim is to identify and prioritise key research areas across various traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy. The one-day National Consultative Meet on 'Research Priority Settings in Traditional Medicine' was held on June 24, 2024, at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, in collaboration with the WHO-SEARO (World Health Organisation South East Asia Region office) office and WHO-GTMC (World Health Organisation Global Traditional Medicine Centre) Vaidya, Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, said The objective is to ensure effective utilisation of funds and address critical areas of need within traditional medicine, including medicinal plant research, quality, safety, and efficacy studies, pre-clinical validations, rational use of traditional medicines, clinical trial monitoring, medical anthropology, and the digitalisation of ancient medical literature and thereby supporting its global acceptance and integration. Prof. (Vd.) Kartar Singh Dhiman, Vice Chancellor of Sri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, emphasised the importance of MoU and under its ambit both parties will look at fostering the path for academic and research collaborations that provides opportunity to researchers and scientists for exchange of ideas through workshops, seminars. Dr Baidyanath Mishra, Head- R&D Healthcare Research, Dabur Research And Development Centre, Dabur India highlighted that collaborations and cooperation in pharmaceutical R&D for different novel dosage forms and drug development, capacity building, knowledge sharing and training in the field of Ayurveda will be undertaken under the said MoU. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Former Aer Lingus chief executive Willie Walsh, who is now head of the International Air Transport Association, has said that the current dispute with pilots is going to have significant reputational damage for the airline and that the future does not look promising for Aer Lingus. Speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland, Mr Walsh, who started in Aer Lingus as a pilot, added that he struggled to have sympathy with the pilots. Seeking a 24 percent increase was way out of line". Advertisement The situation for Aer Lingus was extremely difficult, particularly when its financial performance was weak relative to other airlines in IAG, he said. Employee costs in Aer Lingus were already higher as a percentage of total costs. The situation for the management is simply extremely complex, and I see very little room for them to manoeuvre given the demands that pilots have made. Aer Lingus could not afford to pay anything close to the 24 percent being sought by pilots, he said. The impact that it would have on the future financial performance of the airline would seriously damage investment or any future investment in the airline". The situation for Aer Lingus was very, very risky. Advertisement I'm sure all of the employees in Aer Lingus watching what's going on will be deeply concerned, not just for the impact that it is having on customers, but also for the potential impact that it could have on the future of the airline. Aer Lingus had been doing "a good job" until the pandemic which had significantly weakened the airline. Its performance was weak relative to other airlines in AIG, he said. You have huge sympathy for customers who are planning to travel because the disruption looks like it could be significant and ongoing for some time. The prospect for future investment would be seriously undermined if Aer Lingus was to concede anything close to what the pilots are demanding. Advertisement If you look at the cost base of the airlines, I think the thing that jumps out at me is that if you combine the employee cost and fuel cost in Aer Lingus, that represents 54 per cent of their cost base, which is much higher than the other airlines in the group. And there's two aspects - employee costs are 23 per cent higher than the average of the group. "But the fuel costs, which traditionally are the highest cost element in their lowest cost base, are very much dependent on the aircraft, and if we don't get new aircraft and invest in new aircraft, well, then those fuel costs will increase as well. So the future does not look very promising if these costs are not addressed. A cost increase for pilots wouldn't just stop at pilots because you can imagine what the other employees would say. I think you could expect further disruption down the road just so other employees look to copy that. It's going to be very difficult to see how this will be resolved. You have huge sympathy for customers who are planning to travel because the disruption looks like it could be significant and ongoing for some time. Advertisement As a former pilot, Mr Walsh was asked if he had sympathy for the pilots. I would struggle to have sympathy. I think looking for 24 per cent pay increase is way out of line with anything that I've ever seen before. Meanwhile, The chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association, Clare Dunne, has warned this is going to get a lot worse about the disruptions faced by Aer Lingus customers because of the dispute with pilots. Ms Dunne told RTE radios Morning Ireland that people had been very imaginative in their efforts to continue with their holiday plans despite the cancellation of flights. Re-booking flights While Aer Lingus has been extremely helpful in assisting travel agents in getting flights re-booked, the issue remained of how those people were going to get home. Would they face the same problems on their return if the dispute was not resolved, she asked. Advertisement This is only the first tranche, this first five days of the work to rule and that eight hour strike on Saturday. But this is indefinite. So you know what we've got here it's a cumulative effect. And they say they're going to keep on going. So this is going to get an awful lot worse if they don't get around the table and sort it out. Ms Dunne said that travel agents had worked extra hours last weekend to assist people hoping to get away on their holidays. Our agents will continue to do that as long as it's necessary. *This article was corrected at 11am on July 1st, 2024 The way has been cleared by the High Court for the Dail to vote on the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Mr Justice David Nolan dismissed an application by Michelle Keane for an injunction against the Government and the Attorney General preventing the Dail from voting on the pact. Advertisement The pact includes measures on enhanced screening and security checks and faster processing of asylum applications, and a greater focus on efficient returns for unsuccessful applicants. It also provides for a mechanism that allows countries to either make a financial contribution or agree to relocate asylum seekers to other EU states. The judge held that the application was "bound to fail" and said the court could not grant such an order as it would amount to a breach of the separation of powers between the courts, the Oireachtas, and the government. The Dail vote on the pact is due to take place on Tuesday evening. The Seanad has already voted to approve the pact, the court also heard. Advertisement Representing herself, Ms Keane, from Knocknagoshel, Tralee, Co Kerry, argued the passing of the EU pact was unconstitutional, as it breaches Irish sovereignty, and said the measures should only be passed by the people of Ireland by way of a referendum. The respondents, represented by David Fennelly Bl, opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it on grounds including that the application was procedurally flawed and that it amounted to a clear breach of the separation of powers. Counsel also argued that the adoption of the measures contained in the pact by the Oireachtas was permitted under Article 28.4.7 of the Irish Constitution, which had been approved by the people in the 2009 vote on the Lisbon Treaty. Counsel further argued that the Government did not have the power to prevent the members of the Dail from voting on the measure. Counsel said this was the second such bid to come before the court in recent days seeking to injunct the Dail from voting on the pact. A similar action had been brought by barrister Una McGurk, counsel said, which the court had deemed was not properly issued and therefore could not be dealt with. Taoiseach Simon Harris has warned the Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case of a serving soldier who assaulted a woman in Limerick. Advertisement The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA His comments came on a day when TDs in the Dail rose to their feet to applaud Natasha OBrien the assault victim whose case has sparked protests around the country. Advertisement Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Limerick woman Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old solider, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien (24) was in the public gallery of the Dail on Tuesday as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the public controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail, said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. Advertisement After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit on establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Advertisement Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA In relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, the Director of Public Prosecutions does have the ability to make an application to have it reviewed. At the weekend, thousands of people gathered in protests across the country in solidarity with Ms OBrien, with a further protest planned outside the Dail on Tuesday evening, which Ms OBrien is expected to attend. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. Advertisement We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. He also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Ms OBrien has thanked people for the support she has received. I felt completely alone after the whole ordeal in court last week but to know I have so much support, I know I have so many people behind me, that people are so proud of me for speaking up about something that I think everybody can relate to and everybody is not happy about, its great to be able to use my voice and hopefully make a difference because thats why Im talking about this, she said on Virgin Medias Ireland AM. My protest is today outside the Dail and I urge anyone that isnt happy with our society to protest with me. Later, she watched on in the Dail as Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he will examine the findings of a review by the Defence Forces. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Women are now again making our message heard loud and clear that enough is enough, women have now had enough. The reality is in modern Ireland, violence against women and girls remains far too common. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from Government on ending violence against women. Violence against women is an epidemic and it frequently happens in plain sight, she said. Natasha OBrien was walking home with her friend, all she was doing is existing in a public space. And Cathal Crotty decided to beat her to a pulp while his friends stood there and watched. As Natasha lay unconscious on the ground and Crotty walked away he didnt display any remorse; the opposite in fact, it seemed he felt proud. Ms Cairns added: Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero-tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Protesters gather in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha OBrien (Cate McCurry/PA) Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. He said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of Government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, the Tanaiste said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, Mr Martin said. There is a process there that is meant to be followed, in respect of once the court case (has concluded), in terms of any criminal conviction, there has to be a follow-up in terms of Defence Forces dealing with that. So Ive asked in the context of further cases, Ive asked the Chief of Staff for a full report on that and when I get that report, Ill consider any further actions that will be required. In parallel with that, an audit is under way in respect of any other cases, similar to that case that may be out there. He added: The use of violence in the manner that was used in these cases is quite shocking, there is no excuse for it. And there has to be standards and values within the Defence Forces and peoples behaviour, whether one is in uniform or not, must approximate to those values and the most fundamental of all is you do not behave in such a violent manner towards women, and more generally, in society and thats the bottom line. A man has been jailed for attacking his wife because he wrongly believed she was filming him. The mother of his three-year-old child thought she was going to die during the assault, which Judge Dara Hayes said warranted an immediate custodial sentence. Advertisement The 32-year-old former restaurant owner pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at their family home on October 19th, 2022. The case was dealt with under the Domestic Violence Act and the man cannot be named to protect the anonymity of the victim. Garda Dean ODonnell told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that he was called to a domestic incident at about 1.40am on the day in question, where officers found the woman in an extremely distressed state, crying, sitting on the kerb. She explained her husband had thought she was recording him, but she had been texting her sister at the time. The man had demanded the phone from her, but she had refused to hand it over. Advertisement He got angry, spat on her and warned her that he would kill her if she said one more word, the court heard. She said that she was trying not to react to him, and continued texting. He threw a bottle of milk at her and spat on her again. She said he nearly broke her arm while trying to break her phone, which she was trying to keep safe. Gda ODonnell said the man then grabbed her by the hair, put her on the ground and stood over her, with his knee on her neck. She said she was struggling to breathe, and her legs were shaking. Advertisement Who would take care of my child, with me dead and her father in prison? In her victim impact statement to the court, she said that the attack had altered her life. I thought to myself that this was the end of me, she recalled. Who would take care of my child, with me dead and her father in prison? She said that the abuse had a lasting effect on her mental health, leading to PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, Advertisement I pray to God every day to keep my mind in place, she said. I am proud that I survived, and I am still breathing after all that he did to me, she concluded her statement. The court heard that her husband, who has no previous convictions, ran two restaurants at the time, where he employed about 20 people. He said he was under a lot of pressure at the time because of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that he has since sold his stake in the businesses to focus his time on family and therapy. Advertisement The woman still lives in the family home with her child, and the estranged couple are currently in a custody battle. Judge Hayes imposed a sentence of two years and three months for the assault, taking his false imprisonment of his victim into consideration. This is a case that requires an immediate custodial sentence, he said. The judge suspended the final 12 months on a number of conditions, including that the man complete a programme that helps men overcome violence, if he is deemed suitable. The man's mother cried out when her son was led away to prison, with his father and gardai assisting her from the courtroom. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Womens Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Mens Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information. Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112. A woman who was assaulted by a serving soldier has told a solidarity rally in Dublin that she will keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women. Natasha OBrien (24) told political leaders and the Defence Forces to do your jobs and address the issues around gender-based crimes. Advertisement The Limerick woman earlier watched from the public gallery of the Dail as politicians discussed the controversial case. At one point, TDs on all sides of the house rose to give her a standing ovation. Natasha OBrien (left) addresses protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Advertisement Later on Tuesday, hundreds attended the demonstration outside the parliament at Leinster House. Thousands attended similar rallies across Ireland at the weekend. Ms OBrien told Tuesday evenings event: I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach [Simon Harris] and the Minister for Justice [Helen McEntee], and [thought] What are you going to do, what are you going to do? Im right here. Im going to keep doing that and theyre going to feel the pressure. Advertisement Ms OBrien said she felt a little bit hopeful after receiving so much support and said she believed she had found a purpose in speaking up. I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know Im not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to, she said. Commenting on the standing ovation she received in the Dail, Ms OBrien added: I was honoured, it was incredible, however, you know, your applauses are amazing, but lets use those applauses and lets actually do something and do your job. Earlier, Mr Harris warned the Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Advertisement Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Advertisement Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old soldier, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien watched from the Dails public gallery as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail, said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit to establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of the military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action (Brian Lawless/PA) In relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, the Director of Public Prosecutions does have the ability to make an application to have it reviewed. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. Mr Harris also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by the Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Later, in the Dail, Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from the Government on ending violence against women. Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform, she said. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Natasha O'Brien (left), with Ruth Coppinger, joins protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. Mr Harris said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here, if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, Tanaiste said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, he said. Politics isnt usually something most children and young people enjoy, or even understand. But Alastair Campbell is on a mission to change that. Campbell, who was former UK prime minister Tony Blairs spokesman in the late 90s and early 2000s, believes young people have become so disengaged with politics that the future of democracy could be at risk. Advertisement He says: I worry that the cynicism about politics is so deep that unless we challenge it, I think weve got a problem with the future of democracy, I really do. We have a very cynical and apathetic electorate turning away from politics, and unless we reverse that trend with the younger generations, I think democracys in peril. Advertisement The key to this is political education in people taking politics more seriously, understanding why it matters, and for younger people to understand that it can be really good fun. Campbell, 67, is aware persuading children and young people that politics is fun could be a hard nut to crack, but hes using his exceptional political knowledge to convince them in his two new books Why Politics Matters, which is aimed at primary school-aged children, and Alastair Campbell Talks Politics, for older children and young adults. Alastair Campbell Talks Politics (Red Shed/PA) Advertisement The publication of both books has been brought forward so theyre available by the General Election. But how do you make a book about politics fun and interesting for a child? Speaking from France, where he says hes been dragged into the election, Campbell explains: First of all, I dont talk down to them. How Ive made the teenagers book, I hope, interesting is that everythings based on a Q&A what is politics, why should we care about politics, what skills do you need to be a politician? Ive tried to make it very clear, very simple. But although the books are aimed at children and young people, Campbell suspects adults might gain some interesting political knowledge by reading them too. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Farshore Books (@farshorebooks) Advertisement When it was first announced, he recalls, I got a message from a Labour MP whos been there a long time who said Ive read that youve written another book and this ones going to explain how politics and Parliament works can you send it to me, because I still havent got a ******* clue! I think adults will read it. Ive made it very neutral theres no Vote Labour in it, its very politically neutral. But I hope parents think children do need to know about politics, and maybe this will help them. He believes that an important way to get children and young people engaged with politics is to help them understand how it relates to them and their day-to-day lives. Ive been in dozens and dozens of schools in the last few years, and my sense is they get properly engaged when you can explain to them how it relates to their lives, he says. He uses the example of the recent teachers strike to illustrate his point he says when hes asked them about it, children will often have strong opinions about the strike which will spark a debate. And then the next time any of them says theyre not interested in politics, Ill say, Were you interested in the debate about your teachers going on strike? Because thats politics. Thats how I try to make it relevant. He continues: They ask some great questions one that really threw me today was Which person in all the world right now would you like to sit down and talk about politics with?. I was probably over-influenced by the fact that they were young people, but I ended up saying Taylor Swift, because I want to know if shes aware of how much political power she has by being such a phenomenon. When I go into schools, theres way more awareness than they get credit for. Theyve got a take on it all. A father of three grown-up children himself, Campbell is well aware that young people are more likely to not bother to vote in elections a 2022 UK parliament report said 60 per cent of 18-25 year olds think politicians dont care, and only 54 per cent of young people aged 18-24 voted in the 2019 election, the lowest of any age group. But he wholeheartedly agrees with Sir Keir Starmers belief that the voting age should be reduced to 16. Im totally in favour of it, he declares, and I have been for a long time. Its one of the few things Tony Blair and I disagree about. I support lowering the voting age I think one of the best things about the Scottish independence referendum was that 16 and 17-year-olds could vote, and it changed the nature of the debate. I would also back compulsory voting, and I think there should be proper political education in all schools, including primary schools. I think kids can cope with that. He stresses that when theyre old enough to vote its important that young people use their vote, no matter how disenchanted with politics they are. What I would say to young people is one of the reasons youre probably cynical about politics is because politicians spend too much time worrying about older people, and one of the reasons is because they know older people vote. But by not voting, young people are sending the message carry on as usual, so theyre actually becoming part of the problem. (Alamy/PA) If politicians knew every young person was going to vote, it would probably change the nature of the debate. Sunak wouldnt have kicked off with national service and pensions, hed have kicked off with something to do with mental health or education or whatever. Everything young people care about has politics attached to it. They can make a difference, their voice does count. Addressing the potential young readers of his books, he adds: When I was in primary school, I didnt have a clue what politics was. If youd told me I would work in 10 Downing Street, and be involved in big decisions that would change the country and the world, Id have wondered what planet you were from. But that happened. It could happen to you too. In fact, you could even become prime minister. Someone has to do it why not you? Why Politics Matters (Red Shed/PA) Little Experts: Why Politics Matters by Alastair Campbell is published by Red Shed on July 4th. Alastair Campbell Talks Politics is published by Red Shed, priced 9.99. Available now. A British cabinet minister claimed to have won more than 2,000 (2,300) by betting on the timing of the UK general election, it was reported as the gambling row dominating the final stages of campaigning deepened on Tuesday. Scotland secretary Alister Jack has denied breaking any watchdog rules after the BBC reported he had told the broadcaster he placed wagers on June and July polling dates. Advertisement The minister is the latest figure to have become embroiled in the controversy over alleged betting on the timing of the election after Rishi Sunak pulled support from two Tory candidates amid a UK Gambling Commission investigation. Advertisement Labour also suspended its candidate Kevin Craig, who is facing a separate probe after he placed a wager on himself losing the contest for the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency to the Conservatives. And Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd, Russell George, stepped back from the shadow cabinet on Tuesday as it emerged he was facing a probe over alleged betting on the timing of the July 4th poll. But Mr Jack, who is not seeking re-election, said he did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission. I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules, he told the BBC. Advertisement Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he has not broken any Gambling Commission rules (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets. I have nothing more to say on this matter. He is also reported to have told the broadcaster his original comments were a joke I was pulling your leg. Advertisement Mr Sunak withdrew backing for two Tory candidates after coming under mounting pressure within the party to take a tougher stance on the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4th poll. Because nominations have closed, Craig Williams, who is standing in Wales, and Ms Saunders, who is standing in Bristol, will still appear on the ballot paper. But a Conservative Party spokesman said: As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. Advertisement Mr Williams, who was Mr Sunaks senior parliamentary aide, said he had committed an error of judgment, not an offence and intended to clear my name. The row has overshadowed the Tory election campaign in recent days as Mr Sunak battles to close his partys 21-point average poll deficit to Labour. Meanwhile, London police said five more officers in addition to a member of Mr Sunaks protection team who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office were alleged to have placed bets. A police spokesman said: It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation. We have, however, been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election. The Gambling Commission continues to investigate these matters. The officers have not been arrested but the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. Decisions on whether the five officers will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course, police said. James Cleverly, Rishi Sunak and David Cameron. Photo: Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph As well as the parliamentary candidates, two senior Tory officials have taken a leave of absence at a crucial point in the election campaign, after being drawn into the UK Gambling Commission investigation. Ms Saunderss husband, Tony Lee, the partys director of campaigning, and chief data officer, Nick Mason, have stepped back from their duties. Mr Sunak had faced demands from within the party to act on the candidates over concerns the issue was further damaging the Conservatives electoral chances. Following the decision to pull support, Tory peer and former Brexit secretary, Lord Frost, said: We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start? Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker called for those who placed bets on the election date to be suspended by the party on Monday night, saying the prime minister would have to answer for why he had not acted by then. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: The Conservatives who sought to line their own pockets by betting on the election date are not fit to be candidates for Parliament. Rishi Sunak now needs to come clean with voters across the country and tell them exactly how many of his Conservatives are implicated and who they are. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: This should have happened immediately when these scandalous revelations emerged, but instead Rishi Sunak has dithered and delayed. Labour administratively suspended Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Mr Craig after it emerged he was facing a Gambling Commission investigation. A Labour Party spokeswoman said: With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case. Mr Craig said he deeply regretted putting a bet on the Tories to win here but said it was done with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities. I will comply fully with the investigation, he added. Mr George, who represents Montgomeryshire in the Welsh Parliament which covers the same area that Mr Williams represented in Westminster, said he would co-operate fully with the Gambling Commission investigation. He said he had stepped back from the shadow cabinet so as not to become an unnecessary distraction. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies released a statement saying all other members of the Welsh Conservative Group had confirmed that they have not placed any bets. People changing gender must be treated with respect and dignity, Sir Keir Starmer has said as he was challenged on his partys plans to reform the process. The Labour leader said single-sex spaces must be protected and we mustnt go down the route of self-identification when asked about the issue on The Suns Never Mind The Ballots show on Monday evening. Advertisement But he added that it was necessary to recognise the procedure or the process at the moment is not dignified. Advertisement He said: There are some people who dont identify with the gender that theyre born into, they are very distressed by that, and my rule in life is to treat everybody with respect and dignity and thats what I will do. His comments follow reports that Labour is considering reforming the process for changing gender. The current UK system requires that someone has a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, has lived in the gender they are transitioning to for at least two years, and intends to live in that gender for the rest of their life. The application must be approved by a panel of doctors. Advertisement According to reports, Labour proposals would allow applications to be approved by a single doctor and remove the requirement for someone to live as their preferred gender for two years, instead introducing a two-year reflection period after making an application. The requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria would still be necessary. (PA Graphics) Advertisement Earlier on Monday, Mr Starmer said he was not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender. Draft guidance published last month by the UK Department for Education says schools should teach the law on gender reassignment, but if asked about gender identity teachers should teach the facts about biological sex and not use any materials that present contested views as fact, including the view that gender is a spectrum. A Labour spokesperson said the party would modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. They added that the party would remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance while protecting single-sex spaces. Advertisement But at a campaign event in Chelsea on Monday evening, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said a Labour government would threaten the security and safety of women and girls because unlike the Conservatives, Labour simply dont understand that sex means biological sex. Labours position has also been criticised by author JK Rowling, who accused the party of having abandoned women. Speaking at The Suns event, Mr Starmer said he respected Rowlings view and would be happy to meet her to discuss the issue. The International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that it has issued arrest warrants for Russias former defence minister and its military chief of staff for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the third time the global court has issued warrants for senior Russian leaders. Former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov are accused of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. Advertisement Judges who approved the prosecutors request for arrest warrants said the suspects are charged with inhumane acts because there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of civilians in Ukraine. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued on Monday because judges consider there are reasonable grounds to believe the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10 2022, until at least March 9 2023. During this timeframe, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the court added. Under the leadership of Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov, the Russian military has launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that have killed thousands and damaged the countrys energy system and other vital infrastructure. Advertisement Moscow has insisted it only has targeted military facilities despite daily casualties in civilian areas. Situation in #Ukraine: #ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu and Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov. Learn more https://t.co/fEbWyOnTsC Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) June 25, 2024 Advertisement The court said missile attacks covered in the warrant allegedly targeted civilian objects. They added that in the case of any installations that could have been considered military targets the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. Details of the warrants were kept under seal to protect witnesses, the court said. Advertisement There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. In March this year, the court also issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine that judges said happened pursuant to a state policy. Mr Putin replaced Mr Shoigu as defence minister in a Cabinet shake-up in May as he began his fifth term as president. Advertisement Mr Shoigu, 69, has widely been seen as a key figure in Mr Putins decision to invade Ukraine on February 24 2022. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops. Instead, the conflict galvanised Ukraine to mount an intense defence, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counter-offensive that drove Moscows forces out of the Kharkiv region and near Kherson in the south in the autumn of 2022. Mr Shoigu, who had personal ties with Mr Putin, got a soft landing with the high-profile post of secretary of Russias Security Council. At the same time, his entourage faced purges. A long-time associate and deputy, Timur Ivanov, and several other senior military officers were arrested on corruption charges, and other senior Defence Ministry officials lost their jobs. Gen Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff since 2012, has so far kept his job. The 68-year-old career military officer has directly overseen Russian military operations in Ukraine. Julian Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there. Advertisement The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. Advertisement This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Advertisement Speaking on Assanges release, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. Advertisement He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA News Agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a Advertisement WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said Assanges family is elated at his release, telling Sky News: Its been very taxing. Its no secret, being so many years in a maximum security jail. Why on earth somebody who is a journalist, who never harmed anybody in his life, is locked up in a jail with the worst terrorists in the UK its very difficult for anybody to justify. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting a lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. Police in Kenya fired live ammunition at anti-government protesters in the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday as thousands continued to rally demanding politicians vote against new taxes proposed in a controversial finance Bill. Two people died in protests last week but there were no immediate reports of any fresh casualties on Tuesday. Advertisement Medics set up emergency response temporary shelters in different cities with supplies donated by Kenyans. KHRC has witnessed police firing their guns when protesters marched along City Hall Way. KHRC warns police against shooting protesters. To President @WilliamsRuto: the world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regimes actions is an assult on democracy. All those involved pic.twitter.com/wDBqo0az5e KHRC (@thekhrc) June 25, 2024 Advertisement The third round of protests took place as politicians vote on the finance Bill which would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy that would raise the price of goods like sanitary towels and nappies. A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry but demonstrators are still calling on Parliament not to pass the Bill. Advertisement The Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video on social media of officers shooting at protesters, and said they would be held to account. Addressing President William Ruto, the commission wrote on X, formerly Twitter: The world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regimes actions is an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting actively or passively must be held to account. Police arrests only fuel our resistance. You can't jail an entire nation fighting for its rights. @WilliamsRuto regime must release peaceful protesters now and withdraw the Finance Bill, 2024.#TotalShutdownKenya #OccupyParliament #RejectFinanceBill2024 pic.twitter.com/RYsfRFdbiu Advertisement KHRC (@thekhrc) June 25, 2024 Kenya Law Society president Faith Odhiambo said on Tuesday that 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, have been abducted by people believed to be police officers. Advertisement She said there are instances of extrajudicial killings, police abductions, torture and people kept incommunicado for several days. Some of those missing include those who were vocal in the ongoing demonstrations and were taken away from their homes, workplaces and public spaces in the run-up to Tuesdays protests, according to civil society groups. KHRC has observed the police injuring a peaceful protester along Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi. The youth demanded MPs #RejectFinanceBill2024 because it will make his cost of living unbearable. Police violence contradicts the law.#TotalShutdownKenya#OccupyParliament pic.twitter.com/ORysWD9JqV KHRC (@thekhrc) June 25, 2024 Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Tuesday directed the inspector-general of police to provide information on the whereabouts of those the opposition said were abducted by officers. On Sunday, Mr Ruto said he was proud of the young people who had come out to exercise their democratic duty and said he would engage with them on their concerns. Mr Ruto is currently attending an African Union retreat outside the capital. Relentless Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions defending the strategically important eastern city of Chasiv Yar are disrupting troop rotations and the delivery of some supplies, soldiers in the area have said. The Kremlins army is seeking to press its advantages in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukrainian forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid that is already trickling in to the front line, analysts said. Advertisement It has been hitting civilian targets just as hard, using powerful glide bombs that obliterate buildings and leave huge craters. Its months-long campaign to cripple Ukraines electricity supply aims to sap public morale and deny energy to Ukraines burgeoning arms industry. Russian soldiers fire the 152mm howitzer Msta-B in an undisclosed location in Ukraine (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/AP) Attacks on such civilian targets brought arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov for alleged war crimes. Advertisement Judges said there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of Ukrainian civilians. For Ukrainian soldiers defending the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian ground assaults and aerial barrages allow little respite after more than two years of war. We work, you could say, without rest, said a platoon commander who, in line with his brigades rules, identified himself only by his first name, Oleksandr. So no two days are alike. You always need to be ready to work day and night, he told the Associated Press on Monday. Advertisement His platoon is part of Ukraines 43rd Artillery Brigade. It rushes to positions and without delay fires a Soviet-era Pion self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions before it can be targeted itself. Holding Chasiv Yar is crucial. The town, highly sought-after due to its strategic location and elevated position but now largely in ruins, lies to the west of neighbouring Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia last year after a 10-month battle. Ukrainian soldiers from the 43rd artillery brigade ride on a 2s7 self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian positions at the front line in the Donetsk region (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) Advertisement Ukraine is racing to stabilise parts of the 620-mile (1,000km) front line after badly needed military assistance was approved by the United States in April. A six-month delay in US aid threw Ukraines military on to the defensive. Members of the artillery brigade in Chasiv Yar reported that supplies of American ammunition have now started to arrive. The US is expected to announce on Tuesday that it is sending an additional 150 million dollars (118.4 million) in critically needed munitions to Ukraine, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the first shipment of ammunition under a Czech initiative has been delivered to Ukraine. The Czechs are looking to acquire from countries outside the European Union at least 800,000 artillery shells that Ukraine badly needs. The war has drained stockpiles in Europe, the United States and Russia. Advertisement The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said it will take time for the effects of the new Western weaponry to be felt on the front line. Meanwhile, it said, Russian forces are attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains before it arrives. Elsewhere, the Kremlins forces kept up their barrages of civilian infrastructure with three aerial strikes in the north-eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday, local officials said. Nobody was injured. An apartment building in Kharkiv damaged by a Russian air strike on Saturday which killed at least three people and injured 23 others (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP) Russia has pounded Kharkiv in recent months, apparently to draw some Ukrainian forces away from the defence of Donetsk while trying to create a buffer zone to prevent cross-border Ukrainian attacks. Russian launched 42 glide bombs against the Kharkiv region in the previous 24 hours, authorities said on Tuesday. In other developments, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow has responded to the EUs decision to suspend the broadcasting activities of Russias Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta by banning the broadcasts of 81 European media outlets. The Russian side has repeatedly warned that politically motivated repressions against Russian journalists and unfounded bans of the Russian media in the EU wont go unanswered, the ministry said in a statement. Late on Tuesday, the Russian Defence Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that each side had released 90 war prisoners to the other. The exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, they said. Separately, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by phone on Tuesday with Russian minister of defence Andrei Belousov. Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said Mr Austin emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russias ongoing war against Ukraine. The last time Mr Austin, who initiated the call, spoke to his Russian counterpart was with then-minister Sergei Shoigu on March 15 2023. South Korea has threatened to restart anti-Pyongyang frontline propaganda broadcasts in the latest bout of Cold War-style campaigns between the rivals after North Korea resumed its rubbish-carrying balloon launches. On Monday night, North Korea floated huge balloons carrying plastic bags of rubbish across the border in its fifth such campaign since late May an apparent response to South Korean activists flying political leaflets via balloons. Advertisement South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol called North Koreas balloon activities a despicable and irrational provocation. In a speech marking the 74th anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, Mr Yoon said on Tuesday that South Korea will maintain a firm military readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocations by North Korea. South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear check rubbish from a balloon sent by North Korea (South Korea Defence Ministry/AP) Advertisement South Koreas military said North Korea floated about 350 balloons in its latest campaign, and about 100 of them eventually landed on South Korean soil, mostly in Seoul and nearby areas. Seoul is about 40-50km from the border. The military said the rubbish carried by the North Korean balloons was mostly papers and that no hazardous items were found. In its earlier balloon launches, North Korea dropped manure, cigarette butts and waste batteries along with cloth scraps and waste papers in various parts of South Korea. No major damage was reported. In response, on June 9th, South Korea redeployed gigantic loudspeakers along the border for the first time in six years and briefly resumed anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts. Advertisement Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters on Tuesday that the South Korean military is ready to turn on its border loudspeakers again. A written Joint Chiefs of Staff statement said officials would examine unspecified strategic operational circumstances and that resumption of broadcasts would depend on how North Korea acts. Balloon launches and loudspeaker broadcasts were psychological campaigns that the two Koreas specialised in during the Cold War. The rivals have agreed to halt such activities in recent years, but occasionally resumed them when animosities rekindled. Advertisement South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol (centre right) and his wife Kim Keon Hee salute during a ceremony in Daegu to mark the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (Ahn Young-joon/Pool/AP) North Korea is highly sensitive to South Korean border broadcasts and civilian leafleting campaigns as it bans most of its 26 million people from accessing foreign news. South Korean leafleting campaigns by civilian activists, mostly North Korean defectors, include leaflets critical of North Koreas human rights violations and USB sticks containing South Korean TV dramas, while the past South Korean border broadcasts included K-pop songs, weather forecasts and outside news. In a statement on Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called them human scum and disgusting defectors. Advertisement South Korean officials maintained they do not restrict activists from flying leaflets to North Korea in line with a 2023 constitutional court ruling that struck down a law criminalising such leafleting, calling it a violation of free speech. Many experts say the North Korean balloon campaign is also likely to be designed to deepen a debate in South Korea over the civilian leafleting and trigger a broader internal divide. South Korean protesters with a defaced image of Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally in Seoul demanding the stop of military exercises and propaganda amid rising tensions between North and South Korea (Ahn Young-joon/AP) Worries about North Korea intensified in mid-June, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a deal requiring each country to provide aid if attacked and vowed to boost other co-operation. Observers say the accord represents the strongest connection between the two countries since the end of the Cold War. The United States and its partners believe North Korea has been providing Russia with much-needed conventional arms for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance. In his Korean War speech, Mr Yoon described the Kim-Putin deal as anachronistic. South Korea, the US and Japan issued a joint statement on Monday strongly condemning expanding military co-operation between Russia and North Korea. A parliamentary candidate in the UK general election has said he is deeply sorry for betting against himself winning a seat following his suspension from the Labour Party amid an investigation by the gambling watchdog. Kevin Craig admitted making a stupid error of judgment by placing a wager on the Tories defeating him in the English constituency of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, which the rival party secured by a majority of 23,391 in 2019. Advertisement He claimed he had done so because he thought he would never win this seat and had been planning to give any winnings to local charities. Advertisement Labour found out on Tuesday that Mr Craig was being investigated by the UK Gambling Commission, and moved immediately to withdraw its backing for him, it is understood. It comes amid a wider scandal over gambling on the date of Britain's general election, with four Conservative candidates and officials facing a probe by the watchdog. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Craig said: While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly. He added: I deeply regret what I have done and will take the consequences of this stupid error of judgment on the chin. I am deeply sorry to the many dedicated and loyal local Labour Party volunteers who have been supporting my campaign. I will comply fully with the investigation. Advertisement A Labour spokeswoman said: With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case. The PA news agency understands the party has also since handed back 100,000 (118,000) in donations it received from Mr Craig. Mr Craig, who founded public affairs agency PLMR and is described on its website as an expert in political communications and crisis management, was campaigning in Suffolk earlier on Tuesday, according to his social media. The candidate posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he had attended the Ipswich Family Bank and said he hoped to work with them to bring change after (July 4). Advertisement He was standing for Labour in the constituency after Dr Dan Poulter, who won the seat as a Tory, defected to the opposition party in protest at what he described as the Conservatives rightward drift and neglect of the NHS. Throughout my life I have enjoyed the odd bet for fun whether on politics or horses. A few weeks ago when I thought I would never win this seat I put a bet on the Tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities. While I did not place this bet Kevin Craig for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (@KevinCraigUK) June 25, 2024 Advertisement Dr Poulter confirmed he would not be seeking re-election in the seat in 2024. Because nominations have closed, Mr Craig along with Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, the two Tory candidates who have been suspended over allegations of insider betting on the election will still be on the ballot paper. Rishi Sunak on Tuesday pulled support for Mr Williams and Ms Saunders after having faced days of pressure to take more robust action following claims over the use of insider information to place bets on the date of the July 4th vote. The row had overshadowed the Tory election campaign in recent days as Mr Sunak tries to close his partys 21-point average poll deficit to Labour. Mr Williams, who was Mr Sunaks parliamentary aide and is standing in Wales, says he committed an error of judgment, not an offence and intends to clear his name. As well as the parliamentary candidates, two senior Tory officials have taken a leave of absence at a crucial point in the campaign after also being drawn into the Gambling Commission probe. Ms Saunderss husband Tony Lee, Tory director of campaigning, and chief data officer Nick Mason have stepped back from their duties, while a police officer on Mr Sunaks close protection team is also being investigated. Mr Sunak had faced demands from within the party to act on the candidates over concerns the issue was further damaging the Conservatives electoral chances. In a sign of the widened scope of the Gambling Commissions investigation, the watchdog passed information to the Metropolitan Police alleging that five more officers had placed bets related to the timing of the poll. The watchdog said the probe into Mr Craig was separate from the wider inquiry into election betting. A UK Gambling Commission spokesperson said: This investigation is a separate case to the ongoing election betting investigation. This is an ongoing criminal investigation and the commission cannot provide any further details at this time. Britain's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak has pulled support from candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders over the UK General Election betting row. The British prime minister acted after coming under mounting pressure within the party to take a tougher stance on the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4 poll. Advertisement In a sign of the wider scope of the UK's Gambling Commissions investigation, the watchdog passed information to the Metropolitan Police alleging that five more officers had placed bets related to the timing of the poll. The row has overshadowed the Tory election campaign in recent days as Mr Sunak battles to close his partys 21-point average poll deficit to Labour. Mr Williams, who was the Sunaks parliamentary aide, and Ms Saunders who is standing in Bristol North West, will no longer have the support of the party. Because nominations have closed, Mr Williams who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr and Ms Saunders will both still be on the ballot paper. Advertisement But a Conservative Party spokesman said: As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said five more officers in addition to a member of Mr Sunaks protection team who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office were alleged to have placed bets. The officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit, but none of them work in a close protection role. Donald Trumps lawyers are set to ask a US judge on Tuesday to bar prosecutors from using evidence critical to the criminal case accusing the former US president of illegally holding onto classified information after leaving office. Lawyers for Mr Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, are expected to urge Florida-based US district judge Aileen Cannon to suppress evidence seized during an FBI search of Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago home and social club in August 2022 and gathered from his one-time lawyer. Advertisement The evidence is foundational to the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, and Mr Trump faces legal hurdles in excluding it. But Judge Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Mr Trump, ruled in his favour in a prior challenge of the FBI search. Mr Trumps lawyers have argued that the Mar-a-Lago search warrant violated the US Constitution because it gave agents overly broad authority to comb the property to seize potential evidence. They also argue that prosecutors did not inform the judge who approved the warrant of information helpful to Mr Trumps defence. The search turned up about 100 classified documents stashed on the property, leading to charges that Mr Trump retained sensitive national security information when he left the White House in 2021. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 criminal counts and his lawyers have mounted a flurry of legal challenges that have indefinitely delayed a trial in the case. It is unlikely to reach a jury before Mr Trump faces Democratic president Joe Biden in the November 5th election. Advertisement Prosecutors have defended the court-approved search as appropriate and necessary. The search came after prosecutors learned that Mr Trump had deliberately thwarted a legal demand to return any classified documents that remained at Mar-a-Lago, according to the indictment. Mr Trumps lawyers are also expected to ask Judge Cannon to quash evidence collected from Mr Trumps former attorney Evan Corcoran, who was compelled to testify in the investigation. That portion of the hearing will take place out of public view because it involves confidential information about grand jury proceedings and Mr Trumps conversations with his legal team. Notes from Mr Corcoran, who represented Mr Trump earlier in the documents probe, form an important part of the case that Mr Trump obstructed government efforts to retrieve the records after being told to return them. Mr Trump asked Mr Corcoran at one point in the investigation why he could not falsely tell the government that no classified documents remained at Mar-a-Lago, according to prosecutors. Advertisement Mr Trump has argued in court filings that prosecutors violated his attorney-client privilege, which generally protects conversations between lawyers and the people they represent from disclosure, when they brought Mr Corcoran before a grand jury and obtained notes on his conversations with Mr Trump. A different federal judge previously ruled that Mr Corcoran must testify because prosecutors had shown that his legal advice was used to further criminal activity. Mr Corcoran has not been accused of wrongdoing. The hearing will conclude three days of arguments before Judge Cannon on Mr Trumps challenges to the case. Mr Trumps lawyers pressed an argument on Friday and Monday that Mr Smith was unlawfully appointed and that his investigation has been improperly funded. Ukraine is set to officially launch membership talks with the European Union on Tuesday in what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has described as a dream come true for his countrys citizens more than two years into a war with Russia. Deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna will lead Ukraines delegation at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg marking the official opening of talks to align the countries laws and standards with those of the 27-nation bloc. Advertisement A few hours later, Moldova, which applied to join the EU after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was granted candidate status four months later, will take part in a separate intergovernmental conference to officially launch its own accession process. President of Moldova Maia Sandu (right) speaks during a joint press conference with European Council president Charles Michel (left) and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv in November 2023 (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Ukraine, too, sought candidate status in the days after Russia invaded. By June 2022, EU leaders had quickly made it official. But things have moved more slowly since then and membership, if it comes, might be years away. Advertisement Turkeys accession talks have lasted almost two decades without any result. Nevertheless, starting the talks process is sending another strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine beyond the billions in financial support the EU has provided. It is also a show of support for Moldova, which has faced its own challenges with Russia. Generations of our people are realising their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe, Mr Zelenskiy said in an online post after EU member states agreed on Friday to open the talks. Tuesdays intergovernmental conference marks the launch of talks but the negotiations themselves are unlikely to begin for a few months. Advertisement Candidate countries must bring their laws and standards into line with those of the EU in 35 policy areas, known as chapters, ranging from the free movement of goods through to fisheries, taxation, energy and the environment to judicial rights and security. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, left, stands next to Moldovas president Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Moldova, in October 2023 (Aurel Obreja/AP) Unanimous agreement must be given by all 27 member countries to open or close chapters, providing ample opportunity for EU nations to demand more work or to delay proceedings. Advertisement Bordering EU members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, Ukraine would overtake France to become the largest member of the bloc if it joins, shifting its centre of gravity further eastward. As a top grain producer its entry would have a huge impact on EU agriculture policy. Together with Moldova, Ukraine stands in a long line of EU hopefuls Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey which have years long membership aspirations and have felt left behind by Kyivs rapid progress. Ukraine wants to join by 2030, but it must notably carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms first. That daunting list is led by steps to combat corruption, and includes broad reforms to public administration and judiciary. The first UN-backed contingent of foreign police has arrived in Haiti, nearly two years after the troubled Caribbean country urgently requested help to quell a surge in gang violence. Around 200 police officers from Kenya landed in the capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport reopened in late May after gang violence forced it to close for nearly three months. Advertisement It was not immediately known what the Kenyans first assignment would be, but they will face violent gangs that control 80% of Haitis capital and have left more than 580,000 people across the country homeless as they pillage neighbourhoods in their quest to control more territory. Parts of the capital have been under the control of gangs (AP) The Kenyans arrival marks the fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti. Advertisement While some Haitians welcome their arrival, others view the force with caution, given that the previous intervention the UNs 2004-2017 peacekeeping mission was marred by allegations of sexual assault and the introduction of cholera. The Kenyans deployment comes nearly four months after gangs launched coordinated attacks targeting key government infrastructure in Haitis capital and beyond. They seized control of more than two dozen police stations, fired on the main international airport and stormed Haitis two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Critics say the coordinated gang attacks that began on February 29 could have been prevented if the foreign force had been deployed sooner, but multiple setbacks including a legal challenge filed in Kenya and political upheaval in Haiti delayed its arrival. The coordinated attacks achieved their objective: preventing then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti. Advertisement At the time, he was in Kenya to push for the deployment of the force, but he resigned in late April amid the surge in violence. Haiti has long called for assistance to quell the gangs (AP) Since then, a nine-member transitional presidential council was formed. It chose former UN official Garry Conille as Prime Minister on May 28 and appointed a new Cabinet in mid-June. Advertisement The UN Security Council authoriSed Kenya to lead the multinational police mission in October 2023, a year after Mr Henry first requested immediate help. The Kenyans will be joined by police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica for a total of 2,500 officers that will be deployed in phases for an annual cost of some 600 million dollars (473 million), according to the UN Security Council. So far, the UN-administered fund for the mission has received only 18 million dollars (14 million) in contributions from Canada, France and the US. The US also has pledged a total of 300 million dollars (236 million) in support. While gang violence appears to have receded from its peak earlier this year, the countrys security situation remains dire, the UN Security Council said on June 21. Advertisement More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in the first three months of this year, a more than 50% increase from the same period last year. The two oldest candidates ever to run for US president meet on Thursday for a televised debate unlike any other. One accuses his rival of being unhinged and a danger to democracy, while the other accuses his opponent of being senile and corrupt. US president Joe Biden, 81, and former president Donald Trump, 78, are essentially tied in national opinion polls with fewer than five months until the November 5th election. But many voters remain undecided, raising the stakes of a debate that will be viewed more for possible moments of drama than for policy discussions between the Democratic president and his Republican challenger. Advertisement Here is what to watch for in the first 2024 presidential debate broadcast from Atlanta on CNN at 9pm EDT on Thursday (0100 GMT on Friday). The fitness question Both candidates may face questions about their fitness to serve in ways previous presidential hopefuls have not. Mr Trump claims Mr Biden is physically and mentally unfit for office, while Mr Biden has called his predecessor "unhinged" and a danger to democratic norms. Democrats point to Mr Trump's role in the January 6th, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters, his other efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on May 30th on 34 felony counts for his involvement in a hush money scheme to keep an alleged sexual encounter with a porn star from the public. Mr Bidens mental and physical strength has been the subject of scrutiny and speculation as he seeks a second four-year term. Critics say he is slowing down and point to a series of verbal slip-ups. Allies maintain he is as sharp as ever. Mr Trump has regularly mocked Mr Biden at rallies, suggesting hes not up to the job. The presidents age is also on most voters' minds, including Democrats, and many viewers will be on alert for any sign that Mr Biden - or Mr Trump - is not up to the task. Advertisement Mr Trump has not faced the same questions about his stamina but has raised eyebrows with his tendency to go off on extended tangents and occasionally mixing up names and misidentifying Mr Biden as former president Barack Obama. The temperament test Both candidates are known for their tempers and impatience. They are used to commanding the stage and getting their way. Both have been president and likely see little reason to yield to the other. "There is a lot of bad blood," said Tevi Troy, a former George W Bush official who helped that Republican president prepare for the 2004 debates against Democrat John Kerry. Mr Biden rattled Mr Trump during their first debate in the 2020 race, leading Mr Trump into what was viewed as a poor performance as the Republican repeatedly interrupted and bickered with the moderator. Mr Biden went on to beat Mr Trump handily. Advertisement Mr Trump may try to get under Mr Bidens skin by mentioning the legal problems of the president's son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun. Mr Trump has to be careful, too, not to turn off moderate voters with a bullying approach. You cant be so aggressive that you are rude, and you seem to be trampling your opponent, said Brett ODonnell, a veteran Republican debate consultant. Both Mr Biden and Mr Trump could be rusty. Mr Trump refused to participate in the 2024 Republican primary debates, a decision that did him no harm as he easily beat all his rivals for the party's nomination. Mr Biden also has not been on a debate stage in almost four years. Advertisement Mr Trump and his team were working ahead of the debate to temper expectations over his performance, arguing - without evidence - that CNN and its moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, are biased in Mr Biden's favour. Disinformation danger Mr Trump is notorious for injecting falsehoods and exaggerated boasts into his remarks, typically requiring a legion of fact-checkers to verify his claims. Mr Biden, too, has been known to tell a few tall tales on the stump. But there is peril for the opposing candidate in trying to correct the record on stage. "You have limited time," Mr Troy said. "You have to get your points out." He said fact-checking is a task better left to campaign aides who can quickly send out statements challenging the opponent's assertions. Advertisement Many news organisations also will assess the veracity of the candidates' statements. The narrative trap There will be a strong temptation for Mr Biden to lean into Mr Trumps conviction in New York. Mr ODonnell said that would be a bad idea because it would further Mr Trumps unsupported contention that Mr Biden was involved in bringing the charges and that Mr Trump is a victim of political persecution. The Biden campaign recently launched a $50 million ad campaign highlighting Mr Trump's guilty verdict, suggesting the president's team views it as a winning issue. For Mr Trump, the danger lies in saying things that underscore Mr Bidens argument that he is a threat to democratic norms. Mr Trump, for example, has suggested he will use the Justice Department to target his political enemies. "Trump has to seem presidential, said Aaron Kall, a University of Michigan expert on presidential debates. Mr Trump may also be tempted to complain, as he frequently does on social media, about forces working against him or cast himself as a victim of a political conspiracy. But undecided voters dont care about Mr Trumps grievances, Mr ODonnell said. "Folks arent interested in the candidates problems, they are interested in their problems." Political experts said the candidates should emphasise cost-of-living issues - such as high grocery, housing and energy prices - to show they are in touch with voters' sentiments. Mr Biden has been trying to reassure voters about the economy for months with mixed results, and Reuters/Ipsos polls have shown Mr Trump with an edge over Mr Biden as the candidate voters trust to handle the economy. Democratic pollster Brad Bannon said Mr Biden needs to acknowledge that voters are still having a tough time. "He must couple his boast of accomplishments with an acknowledgement that consumers still struggle with high prices for gas and groceries," Mr Bannon said. Mr Biden, he said, "does empathy well. He needs to do much more of it." No audience feedback In a sharp departure from previous presidential debates, there will be no studio audience. That could pose problems for both candidates, but perhaps particularly for Mr Trump, who draws energy from a boisterous crowd. The candidates might be somewhat at sea, getting no real-time feedback as to how their arguments and attacks are being received, Mr Kall said. With no voters in the room to pander to, the candidates also may be more substantive and less histrionic. Another danger for Mr Trump: CNN has said a candidate's microphone will be turned off to prevent interruptions when the other is speaking. Mr Trump may decide to try to be heard anyway, risking alienating some viewers in the process. As a former reality TV star, Mr Trump has deep experience in studio settings while Mr Biden has delivered speeches from the White House without an audience. A key to debate success may be which candidate makes the format work best by connecting viscerally with viewers at home. Mr Trump will get the final word in the debate, CNN said last week. The Biden campaign won a coin toss to determine podium placement and the order of closing statements, and chose to have Mr Biden on the right side of viewers screens during the debate. The Trump campaign then opted to have Mr Trump deliver the last closing statement. A security guard accused of masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby searched on Google for how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebrities, a court heard. Gavin Plumbs online searches and messages were read to a jury on Tuesday, in which he said he would make Ms Willoughby give full permission for him and another man to do as we please to her. Advertisement A jury panel was told he had discussed the deceased BBC presenter Jill Dando with another man online. Chelmsford Crown Court heard the 37-year-old had told another man on WhatsApp, who went by the name of Marc, he would track the stars movements for a simple place to strike but a home invasion is a better idea. Holly Willoughby is the alleged victim of a kidnap, rape and murder plot (Lucy North/PA) Advertisement The jury heard the defendant said he had booked 10 days off work to get longer to stake (Ms Willoughby) out. Mr Plumb also allegedly searched online for what does it feel like to be raped and where (sic) Jewish women raped in the war. The defendant is accused of attempting to live his ultimate fantasy and was described by the prosecution as someone who had an obsession with Ms Willoughby. Asked by Marc, who is believed to be from Ireland, how long he had wanted to rape the TV presenter in December 2021, the defendant replied: About three years, but people claim to want to and then back out. Advertisement A few days later, a message from Mr Plumb read: Is it wrong Im looking forward to it? Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC went through a document of communications before jurors with Detective Constable William Belsham of Essex Police in the witness box. The officer agreed with the barrister that Mr Plumb was using a mobile phone when he was arrested on October 4th,2023, and that officers kept it unlocked while they filmed some of the messages on it using body-worn cameras. He said that Mr Plumb did not initially provide a PIN for the device, but that this was later provided through his legal representatives and officers sent the phone for a full download. Advertisement In one set of WhatsApp messages which appeared to address how a kidnapping her would work, the defendant wrote: Thats all I need to do got a rough idea her address so its find it track her movements for a simple place to strike but a home invasion is a better idea. A further message from Mr Plumb, read to jurors, said: There is some blind spots to hop the wall. A voice note played to the jury also made reference to how he would tie Ms Willoughbys family up and take her. The case is being heard at Chelmsford Crown Court(Alamy/PA) Advertisement Ms Morgan said Mr Plumb and Marc also discussed Ms Dando in WhatsApp messages between them. Journalist Ms Dando was shot dead on her doorstep in 1999. In a further WhatsApp message from Mr Plumb read to the court by the prosecutor, he said: Just the thought of finally getting her (Ms Willoughby) is turning me on Im actually looking forward to doing it. Im at the point where idc (I dont care) about the risks or consequences. Ms Morgan said in images exchanged between the pair between January 12th and January 19th, 2022, one image displays the words hurting women is fun across it. The prosecutor continued: Plumb and Marc also continue sexualised discussions about Ms Willoughby. Plumb states he has booked 10 days off work in February to get longer to stake (Holly Willoughby) out. Mr Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, and the trial continues. Pictured (L to R): Alabaster Grace's Joanie Perry and Brad Perry. (Keoni Keur photo, cover image courtesy of Alabaster Grace) | McCain & Co. Public Relations NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 21, 2024) - Husband and wife duo Alabaster Grace's new four-song EP, Our God Is Faithful, releasing today, offers listeners a collection of songs that reflect on Gods faithfulness in all things, reminding believers that He is unchanged in nature, true to His Word, and He always keeps His promises. Brad Perry, a highly decorated former NASA rocket scientist, and his wife, Joanie Perry, a long-time educator together known as Alabaster Grace believe God is faithful, He is worthy, and they are passionate about sharing that good news. Our God Is Faithful is a compilation of singles produced by multiple Dove Award-winning producer Chris Bevins (producer and keyboards for Selah, Salvador, Jaci Velasquez, and Christine D'Clario). "Brad and Joanie Perry of Alabaster Grace have poured their hearts into this music, and encourage us to stand on the solid ground of Gods promises," says Bevins. "With soaring harmonies and ringing guitars, their joyful, spirited songs help remind us of His goodness and His promises. Brad and Joanie are the real deal, sincere in their work, and bold in their faith. Join them in the song of a life devoted to following Jesus, and bring the message of His faithfulness to a world that really needs to hear it!" The songs on the new project include Heal Our Land, Wait Upon the Lord, Word of God, and their latest single, You Are Faithful. We wanted to bring these four songs together on one project," says Joanie Perry, Alabaster Grace's lead vocalist and primary songwriter. "All of the songs point to the wonder of God and His promises to us as believers. When we wait upon the Lord, He reveals His faithfulness to us through His Word. Through meaningful lyrics and thoughtfully crafted musical compositions, each song points listeners to God and His faithfulness. Even during times of spiritual warfare, we can be at peace knowing that God will show us how to fight using the armor He has given us. As Gods children, we can fearlessly trust in His Word. When we are weary, we can rest assured that God will give us the strength to mount up with wings like eagles. If we obey God's commands, He will forgive our sin and heal our land," says Brad Perry, Alabaster Grace's guitarist and arranger. "We pray that our new project will be a source of encouragement to listeners everywhere. Alabaster Grace is committed to sharing life-changing messages of hope, encouragement, and Gods faithfulness. Their new EP follows on the heels of Alabaster Grace's recent performances as the featured guest artist at the 103rd Virginia State Gideons Convention in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The duo's performances at the convention included an evening concert on opening night, as well as special music for both the Pastors Appreciation Banquet and the closing Fellowship Banquet. To stream Alabaster Graces new EP, Our God is Faithful, click here. For more information about Alabaster Grace, visit alabastergraceministries.org. Follow Alabaster Grace on Facebook and Instagram. Otis Kemp - "Meet Me in Miami" | BNM Publicity Group (Nationwide) June 21, 2024 - Celebrated Gospel artist and proud South Florida native, Otis Kemp, is making a triumphant return to the forefront of the music scene with the much-anticipated release of his new album, "Meet Me in Miami," available now as of June 14th. Following the unprecedented success of his triumphant #1 Billboard Gospel Airplay Chart hit "Daily Bread," Kemp delivers a power-packed album that is now available on all major streaming platforms. Otis Kemp's distinctive sound and soul-stirring lyrics are expected to resonate with a broader audience with the new album, marking a significant step in his musical journey and affirming his status as a trailblazing artist with a message that transcends genre boundaries. Meet Me in Miami is a celebration of life, faith, and the beautiful culture of my hometown, Kemp shares. Every track on this album tells a story of hope, resilience, and the power of God's love. Im excited for my fans to experience this journey with me. His previous single, Daily Bread, made history as the first national #1 single by a Gospel artist from South Florida, a rare accomplishment for an independent artist. The track not only secured the #1 spot on Billboards Gospel Airplay Chart but also earned the distinction of being a #1 11@11 fan favorite on SiriusXMs Kirk Franklin Praise for two consecutive weeks. As an artist carving his own path in Gospel music, Kemps unique style infuses the vivid lens of South Florida culture with a hint of Bahamian flavor. Growing up as a rowdy PK (preachers kid), Kemps smooth voice stood out in the family group he sang with as a young boy. Despite early experiences in the hip-hop industry, writing for artists like Rick Ross and Flo Rida, Kemp remained steadfast in his commitment to Gospel music. "Meet Me in Miami" further establishes Kemp as a trailblazing independent artist with the potential to crossover to mainstream success. The album includes standout tracks such as "Welcome", "Everything" featuring Lena Byrd Miles, "It's Alright", "Daily Bread" (Live Performance), "Supreme", "Celebrate" featuring Jason Clayborn, and "Blessings" featuring Brisco. Otis Kemp's unique style blends the vibrant culture of South Florida with a message of faith and resilience, making him a trailblazing figure in the Gospel music scene. You can follow Otis Kemp on his social media at: Instagram @iamotiskemp Examine, a free weekly newsletter covering science with a sceptical, evidence-based eye, is sent every Tuesday. Youre reading an excerpt Sign up to get the whole newsletter in your inbox. Dr Sandro Ataide worked alongside Professor Jennifer Doudna 15 years ago as she brewed up her Nobel Prize-winning work on CRISPR, the gene-editing technology revolutionising our world, from life-saving therapies to the first genetically modified babies. Now, working with a small but mighty team at the University of Sydney, he may have one-upped her. Dr Sandro Ataide (centre) with his colleagues Professor Ruth Hall (left) and Rezwan Siddiquee. Credit: Jessica Hromas Ataide and his colleagues have developed a gene-editing technique more flexible and precise than CRISPR that could allow scientists to make accurate and more significant changes to DNA. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cautiously welcomed the news that Julian Assange could be released, telling caucus members a court proceeding was scheduled after work by Australian government figures on the matter. Albanese said Australian diplomats including Stephen Smith in London and Kevin Rudd in Washington DC had been working with the United States administration to gain the outcome. However, he said it was not appropriate to go into full detail while proceedings were underway. The comments to the Labor caucus meeting on Tuesday morning reflected the caution inside the government about assuming the proceedings run smoothly and Assange is released. Albanese told the caucus the issue needed to be brought to a conclusion but he did not make forecasts about the outcome. Police investigations failed to reveal any suspicious circumstances or the involvement of any other person in the death of Lisa Lynn. A friend of Lisas told The Age that the marriage deteriorated when Lisa found photos of Lynn in his pilots bag that showed him having a picnic with another woman. Gregory Lynn during his trial last month. Credit: Joe Armao Despite the affair, a colleague said: Lisa would have taken him back. She wanted to be married, and she wanted to be married to Greg. There is no way she would commit suicide. She was deeply religious and would see it as a sin against God and there was no way she would leave her boys. Lisa Lynn was found in the front yard of her home that October morning. At 3am the temperature was 8.8 degrees at Melbourne Airport but at the house in Mount Macedon, the 24th coldest location in Victoria, the temperature would have been about 4 degrees. Since 2021, police have located a new witness, the familys former nanny, now living in the UK. Lisa Lynn with son Geordie when he was a child. The nanny said Lisa urged her to return to Britain for her own safety and has given an account to police of Lisas state of mind before her death. Police will ask the coroner to consider the likelihood her death was a staged suicide and that she was killed by a third person. But it is understood there is insufficient evidence to establish the identity of the alleged killer. The new developments could not be revealed until the jurys verdict in the case of missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill. It cleared Lynn of murder over Hills death but found him guilty of murdering Clay. In the missing campers murder case, police had alleged Lynn shot Hill after a dispute, then walked around and killed Clay, who was cowering behind the passenger side of their vehicle, because she was a witness to Hills death. Lisa Lynn (top row, third from right) with cabin crew colleagues. A close friend of Lisa described Gregory Lynn as charismatic, intelligent, charming, violent and opinionated. Another said he was mild-mannered and smooth until he snapped. One said she saw Lynn slam Lisa into a wall in the kitchen. She was begging him to stop. She was scared of him. She just wanted him out of her life. Loading An infamous story involving the family has also been shared with friends. After the movie Babe was released, the Lynns bought a piglet as a pet. The family named it Pig. It was like Lisas little baby, one said. Greg was into horticulture and had plants from around the world. When the piglet broke in and dug up some plants, he cut its head off with an axe and left it on the doorstep for Lisa to find. There was blood everywhere. Lisa was a beautiful girl, an angel, and Greg would just belittle her. He had threatened to kill her. She was terrified. Loading Two aviation industry sources, who asked not to be identified because of the nature of the case, said commercial pilot Lynn was gossiped about because of his relationship history. He was a bully. Junior pilots would go sick rather than fly with him. A friend of Lisas, who did Qantas cabin crew training with her in 1995, said: She was just lovely. A really easy-going person. He was just odd. Another, who knew the family well said: She was terrified of him. A lawyer for Julian Assange has told a crowd of WikiLeaks supporters he hopes the law used to convict him of an espionage offence will never again be deployed against a journalist or publisher. Barry Pollack said Assange, who returned to Australia after striking a deal with US prosecutors to plead guilty to conspiring to disclose national security information, had sacrificed his own freedom. Barry Pollack Credit: James Brickwood It is unprecedented in the United States to use the Espionage Act to criminally prosecute a journalist or a publisher. In the more than 100-year history of this law, it has never been used in this fashion. It is certainly our hope that it will never again be used in this fashion. Pollack said Assange, who spent five years in British prison, performed a tremendous public service. No-one should spend a day in prison for giving the public newsworthy and important information, and in this case, information that the US government had committed war crimes, that there were civilian casualties greater than what the US government had admitted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Julian Assanges wife and lawyers arrived to a sea of supporters as they spoke at a Canberra hotel following his return to Australia. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen It was definitely in the publics interest to have this information and Julian provided it to the public. Hopefully this is the end not just of the case against Julian Assange, but the end of the case against journalism. 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 They were the three words that made it clear Julian Assange could soon be a free man. They were also the only three words US President Joe Biden has said publicly about Assanges case since he came to power 3 years ago. It was April, a gorgeous spring day in Washington, and Biden was strolling alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida through the west colonnade of the White House. The walkway, which connects the West Wing and the executive residence, is a favoured spot for enterprising reporters to lob questions at the president in the 45 seconds it takes to get from one end to the other. President Biden, do you have a response to Australias request that you end Julian Assanges prosecution? shouted New York Post reporter Steven Nelson as the leaders walked by. At first, Biden didnt hear. Nelson asked his question again. After a pause, Biden replied: Were considering it. US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk along the colonnade of the White House after a State Arrival Ceremony in April. Credit: AP It was the strongest indication to date that six years of persistent lobbying by Assanges supporters, and more recently the Australian government, could finally pay dividends. Nelsons question seemed to come out of nowhere, but it didnt. Gabriel Shipton, Assanges brother, had made several visits to Washington in the preceding months to press the Biden administration to drop espionage charges against the WikiLeaks founder. Before becoming a tireless advocate for his brothers release, Shipton worked as a film producer on movies including Mad Max: Fury Road and Lion. Aware of the power of narrative, he made it a priority to cultivate not only US politicians and government officials but members of the White House press corps. These reporters had previously taken little interest in the Assange saga but could play an important role in raising the profile of his case. Advertisement Two months after that stroll through the colonnade, the deal was done. Assange was on his way to freedom via a stopover court appearance in, of all places, the Northern Mariana Islands, a tiny, obscure US commonwealth in the Pacific Ocean few people could locate on a map. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in his Parliament House office, holding a meeting, when the news came through just after 9am on Tuesday. The government knew a plea deal was in the works, but the story broke in the US media earlier than expected. Wary of saying too much before Assange was officially free, Albaneses office released a bland statement. Noting that Assange had upcoming legal proceedings in the US, a government spokesperson said: Given those proceedings are ongoing, it is not appropriate to provide further comment. The co-conveners of the Bring Julian Assange Home parliamentary group announced a press conference, then quickly cancelled it. No one wanted to risk saying anything that could interfere with the court hearing. Victory laps would need to wait for another day, but they will be taken and deserved. With Assanges release, Australia has achieved a hard-fought and significant diplomatic triumph. Advertisement WikiLeaks revelations stun the world Beginning in 2010, the WikiLeaks revelations about classified US military operations stunned the world and infuriated the Obama administration. Among the documents leaked to WikiLeaks by US Army soldier Chelsea Manning and published online were the Iraq War Logs, Afghan War Diaries and the Afghan War Logs thousands of pages exposing the at-times ugly way America had deployed its power. Most famously, WikiLeaks released Collateral Murder, a video showing US troops laughing after shooting dead a group of Iraqi men, including two journalists. All the men were civilians, but some were armed. In April 2010, a month after the publication of Collateral Murder, Manning was arrested. She was later charged with 22 offences including aiding the enemy, which is punishable by the death penalty. Julian Assange after being released from Belmarsh Prison in London. Credit: WikiLeaks via X The Obama administration considered whether to also lay charges against Assange, who was then entangled in a separate legal matter in Sweden, where he was accused of rape. Claiming that he feared being extradited to the US and charged over his publication of classified material, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012. Worried about the precedent it would set for press freedom, the Obama administration eventually decided not to prosecute Assange. In the final days of his presidency, Barack Obama commuted Mannings sentence, saying justice had been served. Then Donald Trump moved into the White House. Trump had previously spoken of his love for WikiLeaks, and for good reason. The sites publication of embarrassing emails from Hillary Clintons campaign, obtained via a state-sponsored Russian attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election, helped Trump squeak out a shock narrow victory. Advertisement But in 2019, Trumps Justice Department indicted Assange and sought his extradition from Britain, where he remained holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy. The US charged Assange with purportedly encouraging hackers to steal American secrets and send them to WikiLeaks, plus 17 espionage charges for allegedly soliciting and publishing American national security secrets. When Biden came to power in January 2021, the Justice Department pressed on with the charges. Loading The Morrison government took a hands-off approach to Assanges case, saying it was a matter for the US legal system. That changed when Labor won the May 2022 election. Albanese said in opposition that the Assange matter had dragged on long enough, and maintained this stance as prime minister, saying the saga needs to be brought to a close. Hands-off approach changes Albanese at first said he would not engage in megaphone diplomacy, but he became more vocal over time as Assange remained locked up at Belmarsh prison in London. He confirmed he had raised the matter in his meetings with Biden and appointed Kevin Rudd who had strongly backed Assanges bid for freedom as Australias ambassador to Washington. Behind the scenes, however, government sources continued to stress that securing Assanges freedom would not be easy. Biden came to office vowing to protect the independence of the justice system and did not want to be seen to be telling prosecutors what to do especially as they were considering charging Trump with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. During a visit to Australia last July, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Australians to understand the American view that Assange had put lives at risk through his disclosures. Advertisement Then there was Assange himself, who was resolutely opposed to stepping on US soil to face trial. By early last year, Assanges best hope of walking free had become clear: a David Hicks-style plea deal with the Justice Department. [A] solution needs to be found that brings this matter to a conclusion, and Mr Assange needs to be a part of that, Albanese said last May, indicating the Biden administration would not simply drop the charges outright. Illustration: Matt Golding US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy buoyed the hopes of Assanges supporters by meeting with his parliamentary advocates and then by telling this masthead that there absolutely could be a resolution to the matter. Meanwhile, the Free Assange campaign continued to work every angle it could think of to put pressure on the US side to cut a deal. A cross-party delegation spanning the far left to the far right of the Australian parliament travelled to Washington last September to highlight the widespread support for his release. In February, the House of Representatives passed a motion calling for Assange to be returned to Australia. Asked why the saga has drawn to a close now, Gabriel Shipton says he believes the UK general election and impending US presidential election played a role. He praises Albanese for his advocacy efforts, saying: This could not have happened without the Australian government. They played a huge role in securing this but were part of a much wider campaign. Advertisement Retirees knocking balls around the quaint Canberra Croquet Club on Tuesday didnt know that a conservative flamethrower was just metres away. But Tucker Carlson the former American Fox News host who has been floated as a possible vice president to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was riling up a sold-out local audience, including federal MPs, with a tirade against liberalism and Western hegemony. Vaccine companies, woke corporations, and non-MAGA conservatives were his targets. Tucker Carlson addresses a crowd, including federal MPs, at an event in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit: AAP The 55-year-olds provocative nationalist style has resulted in him being described as the most powerful voice in Trumps political ecosystem, although his star has waned since buddying up to Vladimir Putin. Carlson was watched by a clutch of MPs, including Barnaby Joyce, who skipped parliamentary question time, as he addressed Canberras Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday for the second-last leg of his Clive Palmer-funded Australian tour. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the United States that is set to end a years-long legal pursuit over the release of classified documents. Assange, 52, is expected to plead guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information, in a court in the Northern Mariana Islands at 9am on Wednesday (AEST). But he will avoid jail time in the US after spending several years fighting extradition from Londons maximum-security Belmarsh Prison. Why was Julian Assange released? Assange is en route to Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, which are a US commonwealth in the western Pacific. There he will face a US Federal Court judge on a single charge of breaching the Espionage Act with the mass release of secret documents leaked by former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Washington: The release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has sparked condemnation and celebration across the US, reflecting the ongoing divisions over his role in publishing classified military and diplomatic documents. And despite President Joe Biden being lobbied for months to drop prosecution proceedings against Assange, the White House says it played no role in his new plea deal, which will allow the Australian to be free after he pleads guilty to a single felony charge under the Espionage Act. Julian Assange on board the plane that took him from Britain to Bangkok. Credit: WikiLeaks This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice and there was no White House involvement in the plea deal decision, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told this masthead. As news of Assanges expected release reverberated across the US, some lashed out at the development or compared it to Donald Trumps looming trial for his handling of classified documents, while others praised the deal as long overdue. Be cautious of messages requesting personal or financial information urgently, as the ATO will never ask for sensitive data through email or SMS. On social media, look for official verification ticks on ATO or myGov accounts. Remember that the ATO does not discuss personal account details on these platforms. Also, the construction of the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital has been given the green light, with the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) approved for the project, with the investment allocation of $260m by the NSW government. The draft concept plan has also already been released for the first phase of the University of NSW Canberra campus development, on government-owned land within the Parliamentary Triangle, the report stated. Sen. Bob Menendez Faces Fresh Allegations: Accusations of Acting as a Foreign Agent (Photo: Senator Bob Menendez/wikimedia Commons/CC-BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)) A Senate staffer testified at the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, revealing that planning for the senator's 2021 trip to Egypt and Qatar took a "weird" turn after Menendez insisted on including Egypt in the itinerary. Sarah Arkin, a senior staffer with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, provided detailed testimony as a government witness, shedding light on Menendez's alleged involvement in a bribery scheme. Arkin testified that Menendez directed his staff to reach out to an unfamiliar individual at the Egyptian embassy for assistance in planning the week-long trip. Typically, such trips are organized through the State Department and U.S. authorities, making Menendez's directive unusual. "It was weird," Arkin remarked during her testimony, emphasizing that this method of trip planning was atypical for a U.S. senator. The trial centers on allegations that Menendez received hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold and cash in exchange for using his influence to benefit three New Jersey businessmen from 2018 to 2022. Among the favors Menendez allegedly provided was pressuring a Department of Agriculture official to protect a lucrative halal certification monopoly awarded by the Egyptian government to one of the businessmen. Menendez, along with two businessmen accused of paying bribes, has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, fraud, extortion, and obstruction of justice. Additionally, Menendez faces charges of acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. A third businessman involved in the case testified earlier in the trial, which has now entered its seventh week. During her testimony, Arkin described an incident where Menendez was reportedly "very upset" after learning that two Egyptian officials, including Egypt's ambassador, had complained that she had informed them that Menendez would not meet with Egypt's president during the trip "under any circumstances." Arkin vehemently denied making such a statement, calling the claim "absolutely not true." Arkin's testimony also highlighted the involvement of Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, in the trip's planning. According to Arkin, Nadine Menendez was "trying to be involved in the planning" and had "lots of opinions" about the trip's itinerary. Nadine Menendez, who has also pleaded not guilty in the case, had her trial postponed due to breast cancer surgery. Menendez, who was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when charged last fall, has since stepped down from that position. He maintained outside the courthouse that Arkin could have joined the trip if she had wanted to but chose not to go. In another instance of unusual behavior, Arkin recounted a 2018 meeting where Menendez personally drafted an invitation for the Egyptian defense attache and Wael "Will" Hana, an Egyptian American businessman from New Jersey, to visit his office. This handwritten invitation was described by Arkin as an "unusual move." During this meeting, Menendez's then-girlfriend, Nadine, also attended. Prosecutors allege that Hana, a longtime friend of Nadine Menendez, received a monopoly from Egypt on certifying beef exports and used proceeds from this arrangement to bribe Menendez and Nadine. Arkin also testified that Menendez had told her in 2019 that he wanted to be less publicly critical of Egypt and handle matters through private conversations. This shift was prompted by a letter she had drafted for Menendez to urge Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to respect human rights and honor his pledge to leave office after a second term. Further complicating the situation, Arkin revealed that she was unaware of certain interactions between Menendez and Egyptian officials. For example, Egypt's head of intelligence, Abbas Kamel, sent Menendez a letter starting with "Dear Bob," an unusually informal salutation for a senator. The trial has seen contentious moments over the scope of Arkin's testimony, with disputes between Menendez's defense and prosecutors over the limits of the constitutional "speech or debate" clause. Menendez's attorney, Avi Weitzman, has begun cross-examining Arkin, aiming to portray Menendez's actions as strategic rather than improper. The defense maintains that Menendez's meetings with foreign officials were part of his duties as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. China's Chang'e-6 Returns with Historic Samples from Moon's Far Side (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public domain) China's Chang'e-6 probe has successfully returned to Earth carrying samples from the Moon's far side, concluding a technically challenging 53-day mission. This marks the first time in history that material has been collected from this less-explored region of the Moon, potentially offering new insights into its formation and geological history. The Chang'e-6 landing module touched down at a predetermined site in Inner Mongolia at 2:07 PM local time (0607 GMT) on Tuesday, as announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The mission has been hailed as a "complete success" by the CNSA, with President Xi Jinping praising the "outstanding contributions" of the mission team, which he stated "will be remembered forever by the motherland and the people." Launched from Hainan Island on May 3, Chang'e-6 embarked on its journey to the Moon, landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, a vast and ancient impact crater. Over the course of its mission, the probe used a drill and robotic arm to collect soil and rock samples from a region that remains largely mysterious to scientists due to its rugged terrain, which has been less affected by ancient lava flows compared to the near side of the Moon. This mission's success is a significant milestone for China's ambitious space program, which has seen rapid advancements under President Xi's leadership. Over the past decade, China has invested heavily in space exploration, achieving milestones such as building a space station, landing rovers on Mars and the Moon, and becoming the third nation to send astronauts into orbit. The country's space endeavors have stirred a mix of national pride and international competition, with the United States expressing concerns over China's potential military objectives in space. The Chang'e-6 mission follows the previous Chang'e-5 mission, which collected samples from the Moon's near side. By bringing back materials from the far side, Chinese scientists hope to address fundamental questions about the geological differences between the two hemispheres of the Moon. Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the significance of the samples in a statement: "The samples are expected to answer one of the most fundamental scientific questions in lunar science research: what geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides?" In addition to geological samples, it is anticipated that the probe has also returned with material bearing traces of ancient meteorite impacts. This could provide further insights into the Moon's history and the broader solar system. The landing of the Chang'e-6 probe was a highly anticipated event, with state media providing extensive coverage. Live images from the landing site showed workers approaching the capsule, planting a Chinese flag beside it, and helicopters standing by on a broad patch of flat grassland. Local residents, including farmers and herders, had been evacuated from the area ahead of the landing. The mission has not been without controversy, however. Online misinformation spread quickly, with some social media users on China's Weibo platform seizing on the unfurling of the Chinese flag to suggest that the United States faked the Apollo Moon landings. Despite such claims, the mission has been largely celebrated within China as a testament to the country's growing capabilities in space exploration. Looking forward, China aims to continue its ambitious space agenda. Plans are underway for a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, with the long-term goal of establishing a base on the lunar surface. This vision aligns with broader international efforts, including NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2026. During pre-Budget discussions with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, industry groups called for the introduction of new schemes | Photo: Shutterstock.com The upcoming Union Budget is likely to introduce production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for additional categories such as toys, footwear, textiles, and millet-based foods, responding to demands from the industry and several government departments. Currently, PLI schemes are in effect for 14 sectors, including mobiles, drones, telecom, textiles, automobiles, white goods, and pharmaceuticals. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp ALSO READ: Budget Watch: Why Ashok Gulati thinks Budget 2024 may have a populist tinge New schemes, particularly in labour-intensive sectors, are expected to enhance domestic manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and increase employment opportunities. In the Interim Budget in February, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) proposed an allocation of Rs 3,489 crore for a PLI scheme on toys and Rs 2,600 crore for leather and footwear. However, funding was provisioned only for financial year 25, pending approval from the Union Cabinet. "An entity benefiting from any other PLI scheme of the Government of India will not be eligible for the same product," stated the Interim Budget document. Over the past year, various government departments have advocated for more PLI schemes. However, some officials have previously suggested that new schemes should be introduced only after evaluating the effectiveness of current ones. ALSO READ: Budget Watch: Will oil companies have the cushion of a mega net zero fund? During pre-Budget discussions with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, industry groups called for the introduction of new schemes. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry highlighted the need for more schemes in labour-intensive sectors such as leather, gems and jewellery, medicinal plants, and handicrafts. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recommended an employment-linked incentive scheme for sectors with high growth potential and significant labour requirements, including toys, textiles and apparel, tourism, logistics, and small retail. Allocation The forthcoming scheme, once announced and initiated, will not require additional fund approvals, as the Centre had already earmarked Rs 1.97 trillion for the 14 PLI schemes three years ago. However, of the allocated Rs 1.97 trillion, about Rs 41,000 crore remains unspent. This unutilised amount could be redirected to other government departments in need of funds for the PLI scheme, a flexibility built into the scheme's design. The unspent funds result from undersubscription, tepid responses to certain schemes, such as those for textiles, bulk drugs, and white goods, and reductions in scheme allocations. Social media platform Snapchat has announced a few additional safety features, including improved blocking capabilities, simplified location-sharing, enhanced friending protections, and expanded in-chat warnings, aimed at improving online safety for teenage users on the platform across the globe. The company on Tuesday introduced the features on the platform with the aim of making it difficult for strangers to contact people randomly. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Snapchat has always been a unique space where you can truly be yourself and connect with your real friends. Young people across India love spending time on our platform, and we are dedicated to making it a safe and positive place for everyone, especially teens. Our newest safety features are all about supporting genuine friendships, empowering teens to make smart choices, and ensuring that every Snapchatter feels secure and confident while using our app, said Uthara Ganesh, head of public policy for South Asia, Snapchat. As part of the security updates, blocking a user will now also block new friend requests sent from other accounts created on the same device. This will further limit outreach from other existing or new accounts created by the blocked account, said the company. Snapchat will also now give frequent reminders to users to check which friends they are sharing their location with on the Snap Map. Were also introducing simplified location-sharing, making it faster and easier for Snapchatters to customise which of their friends can see their location, said the company. The company earlier announced that teens will not be suggested in Quick Add or Search unless they have multiple mutual connections in common with the other person. Building on that, the platform is now adding new friend safeguards that will make it harder for strangers to find and add teens. We will prevent the delivery of a friend request altogether when teens send or receive a friend request from someone they dont have mutual friends with, and that person also has a history of accessing Snapchat in locations often associated with scamming activity. This applies regardless of whether the friend request was sent out by the teen or sent to the teen from the suspected bad actor, said the company in a release. This feature is currently available in a select few countries and will be introduced in a more localised form in India soon, said Snapchat. As part of the updates, the company will also expand its in-app warnings to incorporate new and advanced signals, wherein teens will now see a warning message if they receive a chat from someone who has been blocked or reported by others, or is from a region where the teens network isnt typically locatedsignalling that the person may be a scammer. This feature will be made available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nordics, and parts of Europe. The company didnt say anything about the India rollout. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during a meeting, at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Photo: PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, expressing her opposition to not being included in the talks about the renewal of the India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit last week. Hasina arrived in India on Saturday to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi and the two leaders discussed the management and conservation of the River Teesta and the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp PM Modi stated that an Indian technical team would visit Bangladesh soon for a mega-project to conserve and manage the waters of the Teesta. He also announced that India and Bangladesh would begin technical-level talks for the Ganga water treaty's renewal. The neighbouring countries had signed the 30-year water sharing treaty in 1996, with a provision to renew it by mutual agreement. What is the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty? The aim behind the 1996 treaty on the sharing of the Ganges waters at Farakka was to end the differences over the entitlement to water flows between India and Bangladesh, which arose after the commissioning of the Farakka barrage in 1975 to divert water from the Ganges to the River Hooghly to maintain the Calcutta port's navigability. The treaty's main objective was to determine the amount of water to be released by India. Essentially, under the treaty, the upper riparian state, India, and the lower riparian, Bangladesh, agreed to share the Ganges water at Farakka, which is a dam on the River Bhagirathi around 10 kilometres from the Bangladesh border. The treaty, which will expire on December 12, 2026, entails a schedule of flows from the Farakka barrage from January to May, the dry season months. Under the treaty, India can withdraw up to 40,000 cusecs of flow if the availability at Farakka exceeds 75,000 cusecs. However, if the availability falls below 70,000 cusecs, the flow is to be divided equally between the two countries. The treaty guarantees 35,000 cusecs to Bangladesh if the flow is in the range of 70,000-75,000 cusecs. A cusec is a unit of flow, especially of water, which is equal to one cubic foot per second. There was also an earlier agreement between the two neighbours, signed in 1977 for five years. The first arrangement was signed on November 5, 1977, between the governments of Morarji Desai in India and Major-General Ziaur Rahman in Bangladesh. The second arrangement was signed on December 12, 1996, between the governments of H D Deve Gowda in India and Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. What is Mamata Banerjee's position on the matter? In a three-page letter , Mamata wrote, "I am writing this letter in context of the recent visit of Honble Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable." The West Bengal chief minister also conveyed her "strong reservation" that no discussion regarding sharing the Teesta water and the Farakka Treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the West Bengal government's involvement. Banerjee added that the people of West Bengal would be the "worst sufferers" due to the impact of agreements on water sharing between India and Bangladesh. In her letter to PM Modi, Banerjee said, "I came to understand that Government of India is in the process of renewing the Indo Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is to expire in 2026... As you are aware it has huge implications for the people of West Bengal for maintaining their livelihood and that the water which is diverted at the Farakka Barrage helps in maintaining the navigability of the Kolkata port." "I would like to bring to your notice that river morphology has changed in the eastern part of India and Bangladesh over many years which has deprived West Bengal and negatively impacted the water availability in the state," she added. Between 2017 and 2022, Banerjee had reportedly written to PM Modi thrice, highlighting that the Farakka Barrage has caused flooding and erosion in her state. "Water flow in the Teesta has gone down over the years and it is estimated that, if any water is shared with Bangladesh, lakhs of people in North Bengal will get severely impacted due to inadequate availability of irrigation water," she wrote, adding, "... Teesta water is also needed for meeting drinking water requirements of the residents of North Bengal. It is, therefore, not feasible to share Teesta water with Bangladesh." The Teesta, which flows through India and Bangladesh, is the second largest river of West Bengal after the Ganges. In 2011, Banerjee had stalled the then Congress-led UPA government's move to sign a deal with Bangladesh on sharing River Teesta's water. Protesting the move, Banerjee had backed out from a delegation led by then PM Manmohan Singh that was going to visit Bangladesh. She had claimed that the treaty would impact West Bengal's farmers. What has the Centre said on this matter? Government sources told India Today TV on Monday that the West Bengal government had been informed about the Centre's discussions with Bangladesh on the Farakka Treaty and Teesta water sharing. Citing these sources, the report said that the Centre had written to the West Bengal government on July 24, 2023, seeking their nominee for a committee for conducting an internal review of the 1996 treaty on water sharing at Farakka. On August 25, 2023, the state government reportedly nominated the state's Chief Engineer (Design and Research), Irrigation and Waterways for the role. Chinese tourists to BiH nearly triple in first four months Xinhua) 10:15, June 25, 2024 SARAJEVO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tourists to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) nearly tripled in the first four months of this year, according to the latest data from the BiH Statistics Agency. More than 11,000 Chinese tourists visited BiH from January to April, almost a three-fold increase from about 3,800 reported during the same period last year, the agency reported. In April alone, over 4,800 Chinese tourists visited BiH, marking a rise of 166 percent compared to April 2023. China became the fifth-largest source of tourists to BiH in April, following Turkiye, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Faruk Boric, president of the association of friendship between China and BiH, described the figures as "optimistic," indicating that more tourists from China are coming to BiH after the pandemic. BiH received more than 270,000 foreign tourists in the first four months of this year, an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Xiaomi has introduced new colour variants of the Redmi Note 13 5G and Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G models. The India unit of the Chinese smartphone brand on June 25 announced that the Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone will be available in a new Scarlet Red coloured variant, which will be added to the existing palette of Arctic White, Midnight Black, and Coral Purple colours. Similarly, the standard Redmi Note 13 is getting a Chromatic Purple colour option besides Prism Gold, Arctic White, and Stealth Black colours. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 series new colours: Price and availability Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Both the Scarlet Red coloured variant of the Redmi Note 13 Pro and the Chromatic Purple colour for the Redmi Note 13 are now available for purchases on Mi online store, Mi Home, e-commerce platforms Amazon India and Flipkart, and at select retail stores. Xiaomi has also announced a price drop for both the smartphones. The Redmi Note 13 Pro will be available at Rs 24,999 onwards, which is Rs 1000 less than the launch price of Rs 25,999. Additionally, customers purchasing the smartphone can avail a discount of up to Rs 3000 on HDFC, ICICI, SBI and Axis bank cards. Similarly, the Redmi Note 13 is available for Rs 1000 less than its launch price, starting at Rs 16,999. Customers can avail a discount of up to Rs 1,500 on using HDFC, ICICI, SBI and Axis Bank cards. Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G: Specification Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED, 1.5K (resolution), 120Hz (refresh rates), 1800nits (peak brightness) Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 RAM: up to 12GB Storage: up to 256GB Rear Camera: 200MP (Samsung ISOCELL HP3) OIS + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro Front Camera: 16MP Battery: 5,000mAh, 67W fast charging Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, IP54 Redmi Note 13 5G: Specification According to its website, China Telecom has 8 American Points of Presence (PoPs) that sit at internet exchange points, which allow large-scale networks to connect to each other and share routing information. (Photo: Shutterstock) The Biden administration is investigating China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom over concerns the firms could exploit access to American data through their US cloud and internet businesses by providing it to Beijing, three sources familiar with the matter said. Authorities at the Commerce Department are running the investigation, which has not been previously reported. They have subpoenaed the state-backed companies and have completed "risk-based analyses" of China Mobile and China Telecom, but are not as advanced in their probe of China Unicom, the people said, declining to be named because the probe is not public. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The companies still have a small presence in the United States, for example, providing cloud services and routing wholesale US internet traffic. That gives them access to Americans' data even after telecom regulators barred them from providing telephone and retail internet services in the United States. The Chinese companies and their US-based lawyers did not respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment and the White House referred questions to Commerce, which declined to comment. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it hopes the United States will "stop suppressing Chinese companies under false pretexts," adding that China will continue to defend the rights and interests of Chinese companies. Reuters found no evidence the companies intentionally provided sensitive US data to the Chinese government or committed any other type of wrongdoing. The investigation is the latest effort by Washington to prevent Beijing from exploiting Chinese firms' access to US data to harm companies, Americans or national security, as part of a deepening tech war between the geopolitical rivals. It shows the administration is trying to shut down all remaining avenues for Chinese companies already targeted by Washington to obtain US data. Regulators have not yet made decisions about how to address the potential threat, two of the people said. But, equipped with the authority to probe internet services sold into the US by companies from "foreign adversary" nations, regulators could block transactions allowing them to operate in data centers and route data for internet providers, the sources said. Blocking key transactions, in turn, could degrade the Chinese firms' ability to offer competitive American-facing cloud and internet services to global customers, crippling their remaining US businesses, experts and sources said. "They are our chief global adversary and they are very sophisticated," said Doug Madory, an internet routing expert at internet analysis firm Kentik. "I think (US regulators) would not feel like they were doing their job if they weren't trying to shore up every risk." Routing through China China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom have long been in Washington's crosshairs. The FCC denied China Mobile's application to provide telephone service in 2019 and revoked China Telecom and China Unicom's licenses to do the same in 2021 and 2022 respectively. In April, the FCC went further and barred the companies from providing broadband service. A spokesman for the FCC said the agency stands by its concerns. One factor in the FCC's decision was a 2020 report from other US government agencies that recommended revoking China Telecom's license to provide US telephone service. It cited at least nine instances where China Telecom misrouted internet traffic through China, putting it at risk of being intercepted, manipulated or blocked from reaching its intended destination. "China Telecom's US operations... provide Chinese government-sponsored actors with openings to disrupt and misroute US data and communications traffic," authorities said at the time. China Telecom has previously denied the government's allegations and told US agencies that routing problems are common and occur on all networks. The telecoms company sought to reverse the FCC decision, but a US appeals court rejected its arguments, noting that the agencies presented "compelling evidence that the Chinese government may use Chinese information technology firms as vectors of espionage and sabotage." Access points, Cloud under scrutiny The Chinese telecoms companies' reach extends deep inside the US internet infrastructure. According to its website, China Telecom has 8 American Points of Presence (PoPs) that sit at internet exchange points, which allow large-scale networks to connect to each other and share routing information. China Telecom did not respond to requests for comment about its US based PoPs. According to the FCC, there are "serious national security and law enforcement risks" posed by PoPs when operated by firms that pose a national security risk. In cases where China Telecom's PoPs reside in internet exchange points, the company "can potentially access and/or manipulate data where it is on the preferred path for US customer traffic," the FCC said in April. Bill Woodcock, executive director of Packet Clearing House, the intergovernmental treaty organisation which is responsible for the security of critical Internet infrastructure, said traffic flowing through these points would be vulnerable to metadata analysis, which can capture key information about the data's origin, destination, size and timing of delivery. They also might allow for deep packet inspection, where parties can glimpse the data's contents, and even decryption. Commerce investigators are also probing the companies' US cloud offerings, the focus of the 2020 referral from the Justice Department on China Mobile, China Telecom and Alibaba that prompted the investigations, the people said. The probe was later expanded to include PoPs and China Unicom, whose cloud business was small at the time of the referral, two of people added. Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment. Regulators fear that the companies could access personal information and intellectual property stored in their clouds and provide it to the Chinese government or disrupt Americans' access to it, two of the sources said. Commerce department officials are particularly concerned about one data center that is part owned by China Mobile in California's Silicon Valley, according to one of the sources. China Mobile did not respond to requests for comment about the data center. Reuters could not determine the reason for the government's specific interest in China Mobile's data center, but ownership of one provides greater opportunity to mishandle client data, according to Bert Hubert, a Dutch cloud computing expert and former member of a board that regulates Dutch Intelligence and security agencies. He noted that ownership would make it easier to meddle with clients' servers at night, for example, by installing backdoors to enable remote access or bypass encryption. Those actions would be much tougher in a data center with strict security policies where the company merely leases space. Canada's government is investigating whether to impose a surtax on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. Photo: Shutterstock Canada's government is investigating whether to impose a surtax on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. A 30-day consultation on the issue will begin on July 2 to counter what Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday is a clear effort by Chinese companies to generate a global oversupply. Canada's move comes weeks after both the United States and the European Commission announced plans to impose higher import tariffs on Chinese EVs this summer. Our automotive sector supports nearly 550,000 good paying Canadian jobs, Freeland said. Canadian workers and the auto sector are facing unfair competition from China's intentional state directed policy of overcapacity that is undermining Canada's EV sector ability to compete in domestic and global markets. ALSO READ: Biden hits Chinese imports with tariffs to safeguard American workers The consultation will seek input on what is driving China's surging EV exports, including unfair market practices as well as labor and environmental standards. In addition to a surtax, the consultation will consider whether Canada should change which cars are eligible for the federal EV purchase rebate worth up to 5,000 Canadian dollars (USD 3,661) per vehicle. It will also look at whether to expand investment restrictions in Canada. Freeland said Canada will act in concert with its allies in the United States and the European Union. She noted North America has an integrated auto sector, and said her government would ensure Canada doesn't become a dumping ground for Chinese oversupply. US President Joe Biden has said Chinese government subsidies for EVs and other consumer goods ensure that Chinese companies don't have to turn a profit, giving them an unfair advantage in global trade. Ashoka News Summary Ashoka Innovators for the Public (India), which supports the countrys largest network of social entrepreneurs and young changemakers, has started accepting applications from India for the 2024 edition of their Young Changemakers cohort. The application deadline for this years cycle is on 30th, June, 2024. Cloud Security spending now tops all other security spending categories Nearly half (47%) of all corporate data stored in the cloud is sensitive 44% of organizations have experienced a cloud data breach with 14% having had one in past year Nearly half of organizations cite it is more difficult to manage compliance and privacy in the cloud vs. on-premises Nearly a third (31%) of organizations recognise the importance of digital sovereignty initiatives as a means of future-proofing their cloud environments Thales today announced the release of the 2024 Thales Cloud Security Study, its annual assessment on the latest cloud security threats, trends and emerging risks based on a survey of nearly 3000 IT and security professionals across 18 countries in 37 industries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625475927/en/ Thales As the use of the cloud continues to be strategically vital to many organizations, cloud resources have become the biggest targets for cyber-attacks, with SaaS applications (31%), Cloud Storage (30%) and Cloud Management Infrastructure (26%) cited as the leading categories of attack. As a result, protecting cloud environments has risen as the top security priority ahead of all other security disciplines. This comes as organizations continue to experience cloud data breaches. Forty-four percent of organizations have experienced a cloud data breach with 14% reported having an incident in the last 12 months. Human error and misconfiguration continued to lead the top root cause of these breaches (31%), followed by exploiting known vulnerabilities (28%), and failure to use Multi-Factor Authentication (17%). Growing cloud usage across enterprises has seen an accompanying growth in the potential attack surface for threat actors, with 66% of organizations using more than 25 SaaS applications and nearly half (47%) of corporate data being sensitive. Despite the increased risks to sensitive data in the cloud, the data encryption rates remain low, with less than 10% of enterprises encrypting 80% or more of their sensitive cloud data. Sebastien Cano, Senior Vice President for Cloud Protection and Licensing activities at Thales: The scalability and flexibility that the cloud offers is highly compelling for organizations, so its no surprise it is central to their security strategies. However, as the cloud attack surface expands, organizations must get a firm grasp on the data they have stored in the cloud, the keys theyre using to encrypt it, and the ability to have complete visibility into who is accessing the data and how it being used. It is vital to solve these challenges now, especially as data sovereignty and privacy have emerged as top concerns in this years research. As organizations gain more experience in using cloud computing, many have modernized their investments to meet new security challenges. For organizations that prioritized digital sovereignty as an emerging security concern, refactoring applications to logically separate, secure, store, and process cloud data was the top way they would attain or achieve sovereignty initiatives ahead of other measures such as repatriating workloads back to on-premises or in-territory. Future-proofing cloud environments (31%) was the number one driver behind digital sovereignty initiatives, while adhering to regulations came in at a distant second at 22%. For more information listen to our webinar with S&P Global hosted by Scott Crawford, Information Security Research Head and Justin Lam, Research Analyst. About the 2024 Thales Cloud Security Study The 2024 Thales Cloud Security Study was based on a global survey of 2961 respondent, aimed at professionals in security and IT management. In addition to criteria about level of knowledge on the general topic of the survey, the screening criteria for the survey excluded those respondents who indicated affiliation with organizations with annual revenue of less than US$100 million and with US$100 million-$250 million in selected countries. This research was conducted as an observational study and makes no causal claims. About Thales Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital identity. It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive. The Group invests close to 4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G. Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of 18.4 billion. PLEASE VISIT Cloud Protection & Licensing Solutions | Thales Group Cybersecurity Solutions | Thales Group View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625475927/en/ Snow White Cafe, a kitschy Disney-themed diner and dive bar located at 6769 Hollywood Boulevard, has abruptly shuttered. It had been in business for 78 years. Its interior, which was decorated with murals of characters from Disneys first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, has been gutted. There is plenty of lore surrounding the Disney murals. Some say the artwork was drawn by Disney artists who worked on the original feature and it may have been, though theres no way to prove it. The eatery was originally known as the Snow White Waffle Shop, and later became the Snow White Coffee Shop, before finally turning into the Snow White Cafe. It had been in more or less continuous operation since 1946, just nine years after the release of the Walt Disney feature film. Although the restaurant had no affiliation with The Walt Disney Company, its usage of Disney characters was almost certainly done with the companys permission. Its an arrangement that would be unimaginable today, but was likely grandfathered in due to the age of the establishment. A menu from the original 1946 waffle shop boasts a Walt Disney Productions copyright mark, suggesting that even in its earliest incarnation, the restaurant had licensed the characters from Disney. A view of the recently gutted interior, as well as some older photos can be seen below. Further interior photos of the artwork may also be found HERE. For those who want to still visit an unofficial Disney eatery, look no further than the delightfully unhinged Little Kook in Athens, which changes its decor seasonally and often includes Disney-theming. Materrup raises EUR26m funding for its circular low-carbon cement technology Peter Bell By 25 June 2024 With the decarbonisation of the cement industry and the construction sector, Materrup is raising EUR26m (US$29m) to support the roll-out of its circular low-carbon cement CCC technology based on non-calcined clay and boost the deployment of its production units in France and Europe. Eurazeo, through its Smart City fund, and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund are supporting the initiative alongside historical investors, UI Investissement, Aquiti, IRDI and Argiduna Capital. This fundraising will step up the large-scale deployment of regional plants in France and across Europe. Certified by EIC accelerator and Frenchtech2030, Materrup aims to accelerate transition in the European cement market (estimated at 130Mt in 2022) through its structural and certified cement offering, a real alternative to conventional carbonated cements thanks to a low-cost, low-carbon technology that can be deployed immediately. Materrup has already sold over 10,000m3 of MCC1 cement-based low-carbon concrete for precasting and ready-to-use concrete applications (foundations, floorings and walls). Materrup is a major player in low-carbon cement and claims to be the inventor of a disruptive cement technology based on non-calcined clay. This mature and easy-to-deploy solution provides its industrial partners with a market advantage. With the commissioning of its first scale plant in France (Landes) in 2022, Materrup already commercialises its MCC1 cement in France. This transaction will allow Materrup to deploy a further 10 plants in France and across Europe, through co-investment with existing manufacturers. Materrup has already entered into several key partnerships with public and private entities, including the Vicat group, Vinci, Demathieu Bard, Edilians, the Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), the Fehr and Duhalde groups, BNP Real Estate, Bouygues Immobilier and Domofrance. This fundraising will be used to extend this ambitious partnership strategy with European industrial players and deploy small modular cement plant (SMCP) technology and production units. Published under PPC FY23-24 results bolstered by strong Zimbabwe performance Suzanne Starbuck By 25 June 2024 PPC has reported revenue of ZAR10,058m (US$551.8m) in FY23-24 (ended 31 March 2024), marking a 20.6 per cent increase from ZAR8339m in the same period a year earlier. According to the company, this was primarily driven by the strong performance in its Zimbabwean operations. EBITDA over the same time frame improved 38.6 per cent from ZAR896m to ZAR1242n, with the EBITDA margin up 1.6 percentage points to 12.3 per cent in FY23-24. In the South Africa and Botswana business, cement revenue in FY23-24 came in at ZAR6080m, an expansion of 5.2 per cent from ZAR5782m in FY22-23. The increase was mainly due to price rises and higher sales of clinker to Zimbabwe, which positively offset the 5.8 per cent decline in cement volumes seen over the same period. According to the company, competition remains stronger in the inland region where sales volumes have declined, especially since January 2024. Coastal volumes have fallen at an even higher rate due to poor demand, resulting from a depressed construction sector. Clinker sales from inland to Zimbabwe have more than doubled in the current year, supplementing the revenue increase in the South Africa and Botswana cement business. PPC achieved an average cement selling price increase of 9.7 per cent in FY23-24, compared to an eight per cent improvement in FY22-23. However, EBITDA advanced just 1.5 per cent from ZAR674m in FY22-23 to ZAR684m in FY23-24 with price increases insufficient to offset cost increases. Profit before tax in the South Africa and Botswana business increased to ZAR233m in FY23-24, versus a loss of ZAR126m in FY22-23, while profit after tax stood at ZAR88m in FY23-24, compared to a loss of ZAR328m in the previous year. PPC Zimbabwe, meanwhile, posted a 90.9 per cent YoY leap in revenue to ZAR3346m in FY23-24, compared to ZAR1753m in FY22-23. According to the company, Zimbabwe delivered a strong recovery in the current year off a low base following the extended maintenance shutdown of the kiln in the first half of the prior year. It also won back the market share it had lost with demand across both residential construction and government-funded infrastructure projects. Zimbabwean cement volumes advanced 36.6 per cent YoY in FY23-24 although growth has softened as the effect of the stronger base in the 2HFY22-23 starts to come through. Revenue in the materials business contracted six per cent YoY in FY23-24. Ready-mixed concrete volumes fell 18.2 per cent YoY in FY23-24 with aggregates volumes down 8.8 per cent over the same period. Total group capex for FY23-24 increased to ZAR400m, up from ZAR368m in the prior year. In January 2024 PPC sold its 51 per cent shareholding in CIMERWA for a total selling price of US$42.5m. PPC received the full selling price and paid the capital gains tax in Rwanda of US$372,000 in February. No further capital gains tax is reportedly payable in South Africa. According to the company, approval by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was expected within 120 days of the filing on 8 February 2024, but COMESA have requested and been granted an extension to 12 July 2024. Published under Hamilton County School Superintendent Dr. Justin (Dr. J) Robertsons school system budget passed the School Board and now goes to the Hamilton County Commission for approval. In response, our Little Prince lambasted the school boards budget and threatened an immediate tax increase. Both Dr. J and our Little Prince presented a school budget to the Hamilton County Commission in May. Dr. Js school budget calls for a $20 million increase from last year. Never in 20 million years would the County Commission fund that ask. But you have to ask. Our Little Prince offered the school system only a $5 million increase over last year. And that was that. No more conversations. Take it or leave it. Our Little Prince has spoken. Just not to Dr. J or any member of the school board.Is this the state of dialogue in Hamilton County government? You would think that something as important as education funding for our children, the mayor and school superintendent would have more dialogue than each of them giving a power-point presentation to the County Commission.Instead of communicating, our Little Prince chose to lie in wait and see what budget the School Board would present to the County Commission. No surprise it was the same school budget Dr. J proposed in May.Also not surprising, Mayor Wamp lambasted that budget. Instead of lambasting now, our Little Prince should have been communicating back then.After all, our Little Prince has created two new positions for situations like this: Hamilton County Chief Operating Officer and Hamilton County Chief Financial Officer. No other county mayor has delegated important county operations and financials to unelected individuals, costing the taxpayers almost $1 million per year. Our past county mayors did the job they were elected to do. However, hiring these individuals did improve our Little Princes quality of life. He now has more time for social media posts (Weston is a great father and husband) and photo ops, the fun stuff about being county mayor.Our Little Prince just doesnt like the hard part of being county mayor: the daily grind. True, he has hired others more willing to work the grind instead of him. But even those million dollar minions were not enlisted to talk to the School Board about the budget. To be successful as a county mayor, it takes a desire to communicate and compromise, instead of an attitude to dictate and destroy. This self-centered mindset has plagued our Little Prince from day one.And now our children may suffer.C. Mark Warren * * * Can anyone play C. Mark Warrens silly name calling game? If so, I would like to join in. "C" seems to think name calling in a public forum is a clever political attack, an erudite insult but, in fact, is nothing but a showcase for waning intellect and a sad education. "C", who hides behind his desk and lobs school ground insults, no doubt thinks he is fighting the brave fight, but alas, all he is doing is exposing himself as the shyster that he is. Is he an ambulance chaser? I don't know but what does that matter? "C" doesn't exercise common restraint when bellyaching about a policy or action he doesn't agree with, so why would he deserve the same care and attention. Leah Garaghty * * * I admit that I was incorrect about my belief that accident lawyer C. Mark Warren had realized most of the readers had grown weary of his drivel regarding his hatred of the Wamp family. What troubles me the most is his completing lawyer school and then passing the bar exam. I have no idea how many times he had to take it, and frankly, I dont care. What I do care about is his redundancy of the use of the little Prince, perhaps because he believes we are too stupid to understand his disdain. If he kept up with current events he would have read that County Mayor Wamp and Superintendent Robertson have met and tried to work out a budget that would work for both our schools and our county taxpayers. After all, County Mayor Wamp wanted a pay increase for our teachers. I learned a long time ago that snipers can just find a target, even if its the wrong target. Well trained snipers know better. County Mayor Wamp has a staff of assistants so that he can do an effective job serving this county. Lawyer Warren has assistants who chance ambulances to help him reel in more clients. His thinking the pot can call the kettle black only adds to the plethora of pity I feel for him. I have no expectations that he will learn better. Just keep exposing yourself because it provides me with early morning humor. J. Pat Williams * * * I would think that the two positions the county mayor has hired are nothing compared to the 500 (superintendent's words) new positions the superintendent has hired. The HCDE has not increased in enrollment enough to justify hiring 500 new positions. Also, the super hired a person to help with coordinating the recruitment of security staff. What? Super says the Central Office only represents 8 percent of the overall positions in the district. Well, if you increase the staff by 500 then the number in the Central Office has increased by 40. Warning, anytime you get percentages about certain facts you better take a closer look at what is going on. Super also stated that the adult to student ratio was 1:10. So, if your student has more than 10 students in their class, call the super. We all know that this statement is not true. Unless he is counting the Central Office positions as people that teach your child or the unknown number of SEED teachers or the unknown number of Lead teachers and supervisors walking around with a cup of coffee. I think he is. I didn't vote for County Mayor Wamp, but I will next time. He may not be perfect, but he is doing a good job, in my opinion. I like him. I don't know all of his staff, but I do know David Roddy and Cory Gerrin. They are both hard workers and the citizens of Hamilton County will get their money's worth from them. They will do a good job. I bet the rest of the county mayor's staff are hard workers also. He has surrounded himself with good people. Go county mayor and little sis, our attorney general. Ernie McCarson * * * One might expect a lawyer to exhibit greater resolve and decorum than Mr. Warren. His posts frequently involve name-calling, particularly targeting Wamp. If there is a personal grievance, it would be more mature to address it directly with Wamp. Resorting to playground taunts gives an 'I know you are, but what am I?' vibe is unbecoming, especially at an advanced age. This behavior is indicative of the current political climatefull of vitriol and one-upmanship, with little actual progress. Do better. Christopher Cooper The city of Red Bank will host a Mini Farmers Market on Saturday, where local vendors will feature their offerings at Red Bank City Park on 3817 Redding Road. The Mini Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m.-noon. Shoppers can purchase goods from vendors such as Baklanooga, Bee Creek Farm, Community Helps Itself CHI Markets, Fresh-Tech Growers, Folk Flowers, The Happy Thistle, Harrison Bay Honey Farm, Hernandez Farms, New Terra Compost, Quail Run Farm, Rev Up, Shelby Anns Fresh Baked Breads, Spill the Beans and more. Live music will be provided at the market by the Randy Kiles Band, with 70s rock and country hits to modern pop and soul music. "We are very excited to have our second Mini Farmers Market this Saturday, said Jeffrey Grabe, Red Bank Parks and Recreation manager. The first Mini Farmers Market was a real treat and we really enjoyed listening to Nina Ricci while shopping. This week we have expanded with a few more vendors as well as having Spill the Beans coffee truck on site. So come on down to Red Bank City Park this Saturday to purchase some locally grown food and enjoy the music of the Randy Kiles Band." For more information about Red Banks Mini Farmers Market, contact Jeffrey Grabe at 654-8836 or go to the citys website at https://www.redbanktn.gov or on Facebook @redbanktn. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to news@chattanoogan.com) ACOSTA, GABRIEL MONTER 1117 36TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Hwy Patrol DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE BALL, JIMMY C 1136 COUNTY ROAD 800 FLATROCK, 35966 Age at Arrest: 42 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DISORDERLY CONDUCT PUBLIC INTOXICATION BREWER, ADAM JACKSON 5006 NEWPOINT DR CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 40 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OPEN CONTAINER LAW FAIL TO YIELD FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BROWN, LAMONICA JAMELLE 51 YESTER OAKS APT 36 LAFAYETTE, 30747 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BUTLER, TABITHA KAREN 57 W26TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37408 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD THEFT OF PROPERTY CABRA, CHRISTIAN DIANE 105 PARADISE COVE EASLEY, 29640 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CARMICHAEL, DAYMOND MARCELL 933 EAST AVE Chattanooga, 374112006 Age at Arrest: 49 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CONNER, MONICK MONA 810 W 44TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 47 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE CRUTCHER, KOURTNEY RENA 1707 S BEECH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DOMESTIC ASSAULT DAVENPORT, CAYLAN BREY 1745 BROWN AVENUE CLEVELAND, 37311 Age at Arrest: 29 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FAILURE TO APPEAR ETHERIDGE, CANDACE DIANE 9133 PLEASANT LN OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 55 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff THEFT OF PROPERTY FINLEY, GREGORY ROBERT 658 S MCDONALD RD SW MC DONALD, 37353 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION (UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AUTOMO FLINN, NOAH GRANT 1154 GREEN GROVE DRIVE HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) FLOWERS, MATTHEW 2041 CRESCENT CLUB DR Hixson, 373434020 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DOMESTIC ASSAULT FREEMAN, WILLIAM CORNELIUS 125 EAST FRONTAGE RD CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 53 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED BURGLARY GABRIEL GONZALEZ, DARVI JACOB 1804 S WILLOW CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: Dept of Cons. Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) GONZALEZ GONZALES, FIMENCIO SILVERIO 33RD ST CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 53 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF PROBATION (ASSAULT) HARNEY, JENNIFER NICOLE 8786 MILLER LEE LANE CHATTANOOGA, 37416 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION HARPER, WILLIAM CHARLES 727 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 374033104 Age at Arrest: 43 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD AGGRAVATED ASSAULT VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF CONTRABAND IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA HAWTHORNE, JERRICO LAMONT 3003 E 34TH ST APT# 4 CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HERNANDEZ CELIS, CARLOS DANIEL 707 BEAUTIFUL PL., APT 105 RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 42 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD LEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT W/DAMAGE TO VEHICLE DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE HILL, TENISHA Y 3401 CAMPBELL ST APT 1011 HIXSON, 37406 Age at Arrest: 30 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD THEFT OF PROPERTY HUGHES, BRADISHIA 2510 OAK ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 18 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD CRIMINAL TRESPASSING JOHNSON, RANYSHIA LYNAE HOMELESS , Age at Arrest: 21 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD THEFT OF PROPERTY JOHNSON, TYRAENA LABRIESHA 727 E 11TH STRET HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 374063105 Age at Arrest: 23 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD VIOLATION OF PROBATION (PROSTITUTION) LYLES, CHRISTOPHER MARCUS HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 37 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FUGITIVE (CATOOSA CO GA) MALLETT, CHRISTOPHER JACOB 8786 MILLARD LEE LANE CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MCCONNELL, RODRICK BLAKE 1350 LEARNING LN CHATTANOOGA, 374111705 Age at Arrest: 42 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DOMESTIC ASSAULT MCGINNIS, TROY DALE 5313 GREENBRIER RD EAST RIDGE, 37412 Age at Arrest: 40 years old Arresting Agency: TWRA Game/Fish BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE MOORE, JENNIFER LILLYMAY 5867 RILEY RD OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) MOORE, JIMMY LEE 3106 SAINT PAUL ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 51 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REGISTRATION, SUSPENDED MURRAY, HARVEY KENT 4642 SABLE DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37416 Age at Arrest: 68 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF VULNERABLE ADULT THEFT OF PROPERTY MYLES, RICKEY RICARDO 265 W 37TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37410 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PARTIN, HEATHER REBECCA 3 TAYLOR STREET ROSSVILLE, 30741 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge POSS.OF FIREARM WHILE IN COMMISSION OF FELONY POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA POSSESSION OF FENTANYL FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING)POTEET, MITCHELL EUGENE1201 BLUNT DRIVE APT 907 CHATTANOOGA, 37412Age at Arrest: 61 years oldArresting Agency: Soddy DaisyFAILURE TO APPEARRABON, MARCUS ALLEN1818 SKYLINE DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37421Age at Arrest: 37 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)RAMIREZ LOPEZ, ANIBAL1542 BURNS AVE EAST RIDGE, 37421Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffSTATUTORY RAPE BY AUTHORITY FIGUREINCESTSOLICITATION OF A MINORREDDICK, BRENNEN MCCLAIN3301 HAYWOOD AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37415Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)REEVES, HOLLY TAYLOR209 N SEMINOLE DR CHATTANOOGA, 374112647Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDASSAULTCRIMINAL IMPERSONATIONRODDY, TIMOTHY LEE1310 PHILS DR CHATTANOOGA, 374214037Age at Arrest: 55 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)SLEDGE, RAYVON CHRISTOPHER1138 MISSISSIPPI AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTTAYLOR, KIMBERLY RENEE609 SNOW STREET APT B104 CHATTANOOGA, 374112113Age at Arrest: 36 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffAGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSEAGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSEAGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSEAGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSEAGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSEAGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENTAGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENTAGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECTAGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENTAGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECTAGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECTAGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTTROTTER, JUSTIN EUGENE3111 WHEELER AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374063949Age at Arrest: 46 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDAGGRAVATED ASSAULTAGGRAVATED ASSAULTRECKLESS ENDANGERMENTPOSSESSION OF PROHIBITED WEAPONUNDERWOOD, REYSHONDRIA DTAYSIA2600 CANNON AVE APT A CHATTANOOGA, 37404Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffTHEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE)WASHINGTON, CURTIS DEWAYNE802 INDIAN SPRINGS RD RINGGOLD, 30736Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffTHEFT OF PROPERTYFAILURE TO APPEARWHITLOCK, LEONARD EDWARD2303 Green Forest Dr Chattanooga, 374062611Age at Arrest: 23 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTWITCHER, DEVYNE DEJUAN2709 CITCO AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 24 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVIOLATION OF PROBATION POSS OF FIREARM WITH PRIOR Here are the mug shots: BREWER, ADAM JACKSON Age at Arrest: 40 Date of Birth: 02/24/1984 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OPEN CONTAINER LAW FAIL TO YIELD FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BROWN, LAMONICA JAMELLE Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 04/30/1991 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BUTLER, TABITHA KAREN Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 11/05/1990 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY CABRA, CHRISTIAN DIANE Age at Arrest: 25 Date of Birth: 12/11/1998 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CARMICHAEL, DAYMOND MARCELL Age at Arrest: 49 Date of Birth: 07/04/1972 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CONNER, MONICK MONA Age at Arrest: 47 Date of Birth: 10/31/1976 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE CRUTCHER, KOURTNEY RENA Age at Arrest: 22 Date of Birth: 06/27/2001 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT DAVENPORT, CAYLAN BREY Age at Arrest: 29 Date of Birth: 05/10/1995 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): FAILURE TO APPEAR ETHERIDGE, CANDACE DIANE Age at Arrest: 55 Date of Birth: 04/18/1969 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY FINLEY, GREGORY ROBERT Age at Arrest: 25 Date of Birth: 04/27/1999 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (UNAUTHORIZED USE OF AUTOMO FLINN, NOAH GRANT Age at Arrest: 22 Date of Birth: 02/22/2002 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) FREEMAN, WILLIAM CORNELIUS Age at Arrest: 53 Date of Birth: 04/16/1971 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): AGGRAVATED ASSAULT GABRIEL GONZALEZ, DARVI JACOB Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 02/03/1989 Arresting Agency: Dept of Cons. Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) GONZALEZ GONZALES, FIMENCIO SILVERIO Age at Arrest: 53 Date of Birth: 06/20/1971 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (ASSAULT) HARNEY, JENNIFER NICOLE Age at Arrest: 39 Date of Birth: 06/11/1985 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION HAWTHORNE, JERRICO LAMONT Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 06/25/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HERNANDEZ CELIS, CARLOS DANIEL Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 03/14/1982 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): LEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT W/DAMAGE TO VEHICLE DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE HILL, TENISHA Y Age at Arrest: 30 Date of Birth: 02/23/1994 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY HUGHES, BRADISHIA Age at Arrest: 18 Date of Birth: 09/12/2005 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): CRIMINAL TRESPASSING JOHNSON, RANYSHIA LYNAE Age at Arrest: 21 Date of Birth: 06/23/2003 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY JOHNSON, TYRAENA LABRIESHA Age at Arrest: 23 Date of Birth: 10/27/2000 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION (PROSTITUTION) LYLES, CHRISTOPHER MARCUS Age at Arrest: 37 Date of Birth: 07/09/1986 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): FUGITIVE (CATOOSA CO GA) MALLETT, CHRISTOPHER JACOB Age at Arrest: 34 Date of Birth: 05/25/1990 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): SCHEDULE II DRUG VIOLATION POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MCCONNELL, RODRICK BLAKE Age at Arrest: 42 Date of Birth: 02/20/1982 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT MCGINNIS, TROY DALE Age at Arrest: 40 Date of Birth: 06/04/1984 Arresting Agency: TWRA Game/Fish Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE MOORE, JENNIFER LILLYMAY Age at Arrest: 34 Date of Birth: 12/18/1989 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) MOORE, JIMMY LEE Age at Arrest: 51 Date of Birth: 02/10/1973 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE REGISTRATION, EXPIRED FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REGISTRATION, SUSPENDED MURRAY, HARVEY KENT Age at Arrest: 68 Date of Birth: 07/01/1955 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF VULNERABLE ADULT THEFT OF PROPERTY MYLES, RICKEY RICARDO Age at Arrest: 31 Date of Birth: 12/20/1992 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PARTIN, HEATHER REBECCA Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 05/16/1982 Arresting Agency: East Ridge Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): POSS.OF FIREARM WHILE IN COMMISSION OF FELONY POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA POSSESSION OF FENTANYL FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING) POTEET, MITCHELL EUGENE Age at Arrest: 61 Date of Birth: 08/21/1962 Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): FAILURE TO APPEAR RABON, MARCUS ALLEN Age at Arrest: 37 Date of Birth: 03/24/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) RAMIREZ LOPEZ, ANIBAL Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 04/06/1991 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): STATUTORY RAPE BY AUTHORITY FIGURE INCEST SOLICITATION OF A MINOR REDDICK, BRENNEN MCCLAIN Age at Arrest: 30 Date of Birth: 03/08/1994 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) REEVES, HOLLY TAYLOR Age at Arrest: 28 Date of Birth: 08/07/1995 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): ASSAULT CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION RODDY, TIMOTHY LEE Age at Arrest: 55 Date of Birth: 04/19/1969 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) SLEDGE, RAYVON CHRISTOPHER Age at Arrest: 35 Date of Birth: 11/22/1988 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT TAYLOR, KIMBERLY RENEE Age at Arrest: 36 Date of Birth: 08/20/1987 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT AGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT AGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECT AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT AGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECT AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AGGRAVATED CHILD NEGLECT AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT UNDERWOOD, REYSHONDRIA DTAYSIA Age at Arrest: 25 Date of Birth: 11/19/1998 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) WASHINGTON, CURTIS DEWAYNE Age at Arrest: 33 Date of Birth: 09/11/1990 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): THEFT OF PROPERTY FAILURE TO APPEAR WHITLOCK, LEONARD EDWARD Age at Arrest: 23 Date of Birth: 12/15/2000 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): DOMESTIC ASSAULT WITCHER, DEVYNE DEJUAN Age at Arrest: 24 Date of Birth: 03/31/1999 Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Last Date of Arrest: 06/24/2024 Charge(s): VIOLATION OF PROBATION POSS OF FIREARM WITH PRIOR Hamilton County Schools (HCS) students showed consistent performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), with notable gains among middle school students across subject areas. This success underscores Hamilton County Schools' ongoing commitment to Every Student Learns as outlined in the districts strategic plan, Opportunity 2030. "We are incredibly proud of our students' achievements and the unwavering dedication of our educators," said Dr. Justin Robertson, HCS Superintendent. "These results affirm our strategic approach and commitment to providing opportunity by design for every student. District-Wide Performance HCS has shown improvement across all tested subjects since 2021. Students gained substantial increases in every subject during the 2022-2023 school year and have maintained those scores throughout the 2023-2024 school year. Middle School Gains During the 2023-2024 school year, middle school students in the district showed significant academic progress across almost every grade level and subject. These results highlight the district's dedication to the commitment to 'Every Student Learns' and 'Every Student Belongs.' During the depression years and WWII, FDR used radio fireside chats to reassure Americans of his working for them. Joe Biden cant reassure us of anything so he says watch me. What we see is so disturbing his team had to fabricate a scenario of dont believe what you see, its cheap fakes. Safety is a top concern with voters. So we see the Biden DOJ do a plea deal with Julian Assange who posted 750,000 classified military and diplomatic documents. They were given to him by Chelsea Manning, a military analyst convicted of the Espionage Act but had his sentence commuted by Barrack Obama. So how suspect is it that Biden, who willfully disclosed classified documents, is prosecuting his opponent for retaining classified documents? (PBS 2/8/24) We also see the border isnt secure as Biden brazenly proposes amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegals while there is an explosion of migrant crime: Queens, NY; Athens, Ga.; Hartford County, Md.; Lake Worth, Fl; Enterprise, Al. and Kenner, La., where an illegal is charged with a series of violent crimes. Are all these murders and rapes just cheap fakes? Biden has been hiding for days with at least 16 aides and trainers who are apparently needed to prepare this elderly man with a poor memory for the debate with Trump who is out on the campaign trail speaking to thousands. With the bar so low, if Joe is still upright after 90 minutes, will his media pals declare him the winner when he really merits a little participation trophy? Ask yourself, has Joe Biden been the uniter as he promised? Do you feel safe for your family with Joe Bidens policies? Now are you prepared to give Joe Biden four more years of the same thing? Ralph Miller * * * Once again, Mr. Ralph Miller is much like the felon/candidate. Neither appears too much concerned about truth. Ill start with his comment What we see is so disturbing his team (Biden) had to fabricate a scenario of dont believe what you see, its 'cheap fakes.'" No scenario was fabricated. Mr. Miller is criticizing are cheap fakes produced for the felon-candidates campaign. Those cheap fakes were not produced by the Biden campaign. (APNews.com; 6/21/2024) Mr. Miller next attempts to tie a snippet from the Justice Departments Hur Report to his unfounded opinion that it is President Biden who directed prosecution of the felon/candidate; this felon/candidate stole many, many classified documents from the White House, all the while denying possession of those documents. That report alleged private citizen Biden willfully retained and disclosed highly classified materials. However, to spin his opinion, Mr. Miller did not disclose (pun intended) that the report details the reasons why now President Biden should not be charged with a crime. Mr. Miller references the President Obamas commutation of Officer Mannings sentence for espionage. An Israeli citizen, Aviem Sella, was indicted in March 1987 on charges he recruited convicted American spy Jonathan Jay Pollard to collect U.S. military secrets for Israel. The now-felon/ex-President granted a full pardon and his request was supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and the U.S. ambassador to Israel. A full pardon is far more beneficial that a commutation of a sentence. I doubt Mr. Miller criticized the ex-President and Netanyahu for that pardon. (Newsweek) Mr. Miller continues by painting a distorted view of President Bidens amnesty plan. I infer that he is brazenly trying to link an explosion of migrant crime to the amnesty plan, thereby implying that crime problem will become worse. However, by citing only six cities where illegal migrants committed crimes (and, yes, I know there are more crimes by illegal migrants), Mr. Millers comparison of an unknown number of crimes to an unknown number of illegal migrants with no numbers to support, does not constitute an explosion of migrant crime. He says hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants, but cites no reference for that claim. Does the truth matter? However, had Mr. Miller actually read about and understood the amnesty plan, he would have learned the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that only U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together. Not for just any illegal immigrant. From The White House Fact Sheet on the plan, published 6/18/2024, or from nearly any other media except Fox, NewsMax, et.al., he would have learned: In order to be eligible, noncitizens must as of June 17, 2024 have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years. Those who are approved after DHSs case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible. This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen. Mr. Miller continues his harangue by stating Biden has been hiding for days with at least 16 aides and trainers who are apparently needed to prepare this elderly man with a poor memory for the debate with Trump . . . Sure, the felon/candidate, also an elderly man, was campaigning for hate, bigotry, and Fascism, putting on display all of his negative traits that unequivocally prove he is no Christian. I guess that Mr. Miller thinks the felon/candidate needs no preparation for the debate. (Rollcall) Closing his harangue were questions asking if Biden has been the uniter he promised, if you feel safe for your family and are you prepared to give Biden four more years of the same thing. Ill answer them. No. Biden has not been the unifier. Thats because of the hatred of MAGAs for anything not MAGA, their continuing belief in a stolen election, and their ignorance and condescension of facts. I feel safe despite illegal immigrants. I do not feel safe because of the MAGAs insurrection. They will be violent if not winning the Presidency. I could be a victim of that violence. Yes, Im prepared to give Biden four more years. This country will be the laughingstock of the world if a convicted felon is elected President. Joe Warren The Tennessee Arts Academy has announced The Bright School as its 2024 Arts Rich Elementary School of the Year. This recognition distinguishes The Bright School as the top elementary school in the state of Tennessee for supporting arts education and acknowledges the vision of the schools founder Miss Mary G. Bright for creating a school that develops the whole child. In its notification to Bright School about this award, TAA Foundation President Stephen Coleman said, Your school's commitment to fostering creativity and expression among your students has been nothing short of inspiring. The Tennessee Arts Academy's Arts Rich School Program and Awards was established to celebrate and recognize innovative and resourceful schools that provide arts rich educational curricula and programming for their students and the communities in which they live. Applications from schools across Tennessee were evaluated based on criteria including program breadth, student participation, access to high quality staffing, and community involvement. A diverse committee of educators designed the assessment and scoring rubric to allow all schools, regardless of the grade levels, numbers of students, or communities in which they reside to be assessed impartially, equitably and fairly. The selection process took place over several weeks during the spring of 2024. A ceremony honoring Bright School will be held on Wednesday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m. CT at Belmont University. Bright Schools commitment to arts education spans decades since its founding over 100 years ago. Miss Bright integrated fine and performing arts in her curriculum, including music, visual art, theater and manual training (woodworking), all of which are still part of the schools curriculum today. She once stated that Bright School would be "a happy place to which the children gladly come." It is - and the arts experiences we offer spark happiness and contribute to the academic achievement of our students. Former '19 Kids and Counting' star Josh Duggar will remain in prison after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. Ex-reality TV star Josh Duggar will remain behind bars after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal of his conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material. Josh Duggar will remain in prison after appeal rejected Josh Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images Duggar appeared with his parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and his many siblings on TLCs 19 Kids and Counting from 2008 to 2015. In May 2021, Duggar was arrested following a 2019 investigation where authorities found material depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, on a computer at the Arkansas car dealership he owned. He was found guilty in December 2021. In May 2022, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. This verdict demonstrates that no person is above the law, Clay Fowlkes, U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes for Western Arkansas, said after Duggars conviction. Regardless of wealth, social status, or fame, our office will continue to seek out all individuals who seek to abuse children and victimize them through the downloading, possession, and sharing of child pornography. Duggar is currently serving his sentence at a federal prison in Texas. In his appeal, his attorneys argued that during his trial they should have been allowed to ask one of Duggars former employees about his previous sex offense conviction, the AP reported. The Supreme Court rejected Duggars appeal without comment. Lower courts had previously upheld his conviction. Josh Duggar will be released from prison in 2032 With his latest appeal shot down, Duggar, 36, will continue to serve out the rest of his prison sentence. He is currently incarcerated at FCI Seagoville in Texas and is scheduled for release in October 2032. After he completes his prison sentence, Duggar will be subject to an additional 20 years of supervised release. He will not be permitted unsupervised contact with any children. That includes the seven children he shares with his wife, Anna Duggar. Duggars family has had a mixed response to his conviction. His parents and wife, Anna Duggar, have stood by him. But several of his siblings, including Jinger Duggar and Jill Duggar, have said the jury made the right call when finding their brother guilty. (Jill has come forward as one of several siblings Duggar molested when he was a teen.) Recently, Duggars cousin Amy Duggar King expressed doubt that he could ever be rehabilitated. I dont really know what I want [him to get] out of prison, she told People in April 2024. I want him to stay as long as he can because he cant hurt children. He cant view that disgustingness and his kids hopefully are safe as well. He deserves every second in there, and I hope he gets a longer term, she added. I hope he messes up again. How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. Interview: Dutch auto dealer optimistic about Chinese NEVs in European market Xinhua) 10:32, June 25, 2024 ALKMAAR, the Netherlands, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A Dutch auto dealer has expressed optimism about the prospects of Chinese new energy vehicles (NEVs) in Europe. Kjeld Riegen, head of China's NEV brand Voyah at Gomes Noord, shared his enthusiasm for the business prospects of working with Voyah, a high-end division of the Chinese Dongfeng Motor Corporation. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the opening day of Voyah's first store in the Netherlands last week, Riegen emphasized the technology and reliability of the Chinese NEVs, noting their high cost-effectiveness and appeal to European consumers. "The general picture of Voyah in the Netherlands is looking good," said Riegen, adding that Gomes Noord plans to open three more Voyah stores in the Netherlands. "In September, we will start in Belgium as well. So it looks very promising. We have a nice model lineup, and the quality of Voyah is great," he said. Gomes Noord, which also represents Germany's leading luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz in the Netherlands, has divided its new showroom into two sections showcasing both Voyah and Mercedes-Benz vehicles side by side. During the store opening, several Dongfeng Motor NEV models made their Dutch debut, including the Voyah concept car i-Cozy, Mhero 1, Dongfeng Box, and Dongfeng 007. Riegen highlighted that extensive testing had been carried out to ensure the quality of Voyah vehicles. "We have the utmost trust in the quality of Dongfeng products," he said. Having recently traveled to China, Riegen was impressed by the progress he witnessed firsthand. He attended a global event of Dongfeng Motor in April, and visited the Beijing auto show. "It's very impressive. We saw autonomous cars driving in Wuhan and new models from various Chinese brands. The electrified traffic was quiet, giving a glimpse of what we can achieve in the future as we electrify our cars more in Holland," he said. Riegen highlighted the rapid advancement of Chinese brands' technology, particularly in autonomous driving systems. Confident in the growing popularity of Chinese NEVs in Europe, Riegen noted the high level of technology, as well as the reliability, battery capacity, luxurious feel, and affordability of these vehicles. "We have a total range to offer our customers," he said. "I think it's suitable for most countries." He is also a strong advocate for the future of NEVs and intelligent mobility. "The Netherlands is leading in adapting to new mobility trends, and I believe we have a bright future ahead with smart mobility and autonomous driving," he said. Riegen shared his own experience: "I really love the Voyah Free. It drives tremendously, with great power and all options." "The Mhero is another impressive model, a dream car with immense power. The quality of the smaller Dongfeng Box is also remarkable. Overall, I am impressed by multiple models of the brand," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) At an ancient Roman cemetery in Italy, archaeologists uncovered a vampire burial of a 10-year-old child. This example points to the extent that ancient Romans went to in order to ensure that the deceased would not rise from the grave and haunt the living. Archaeologists from the University of Arizona, Stanford University, and Italy found the childs remains at the La Necropoli dei Bambini, also known as the Cemetery of Babies, in Lugnano, Italy. When the archaeologists came across the childs body, which was lying on its side, they saw that a rock was placed in his or her mouth. They believe that the placement of the rock was meant to prevent the child from coming back to life. Ive never seen anything like it, David Soren, an archaeologist and professor from the University of Arizona, said. Its extremely eerie and weird. Locally, theyre calling it the Vampire of Lugnano.' Soren has been overseeing archaeological excavations in the area since 1987. Until now, experts thought the cemetery was reserved for fetuses, infants, and young toddlers, but the discovery of the 10-year-old suggests that older kids may have been interred at the cemetery as well. The Italian cemetery dates back to the middle of the fifth century when a deadly outbreak of malaria devastated the population of vulnerable infants and children in the surrounding region. The vampire burial was not an uncommon practice during this time, as the ancient Romans believed it was a way to safeguard themselves against evil, such as disease like malaria. Aside from the 10-year-old, five other burials were previously found in the cemetery. For instance, a three-year-old had stones pinning her hands and feet down to keep her in her grave. Additionally, items related to witchcraft were unearthed during previous excavations at the cemetery. These objects included toad bones, raven talons, and the remains of sacrificed puppies. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. In 2020, a 44-year-old man named Garrison Kenneth Courtney was sentenced to seven years in prison for an elaborate ruse during which he defrauded at least 12 companies of over $4.4 million by pretending to be a spy. He went to great lengths to maintain the lie that he was an undercover spy. Courtney grew up in a broken household in Great Falls, Montana, and had had a rough childhood, according to his ex-wife, Andree Pierson. He was in the Armed Forces before attending the University of Montana. Later, he landed a job as a weatherman. By 2005, he took a job as a DEA spokesperson in Washington, D.C. Eventually, he decided to move on to defense and intelligence contracting. He got a job with a high-stakes project that involved working to release Kuwaiti prisoners who were being held in Guantanamo Bay. He made promises he couldnt keep, such as reaching out to President Obama to get the prisoners freed. As a result, he was fired. In 2012, he began setting up his scheme. He approached several private companies with a fabricated story, saying that he had a lot of combat experience in the military during the Gulf War. He earned hundreds of confirmed kills and damaged his lungs after inhaling toxic fumes from oil fires in Kuwait. According to court documents, Courtney falsely claimed to be a covert CIA officer involved in a top-secret program that aimed to improve the United States governments methods of gathering intelligence. He declared that once the companies hired him, they would need to pay him for commercial cover. The salary payments would obscure his association with the CIA. He also told the companies that they would be reimbursed by the United States government for their payments to him in the future through lucrative contracts. So he was able to collect salaries from multiple companies at a time. To pull off the scam, Courtney made the companies sign fake non-disclosure agreements from the United States government, prohibiting anyone from the companies from talking about the program he was involved with. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. A man looks as smoke rises over the Golan Heights after a Hezbollah rocket attack on Northern Israel. With tens of thousands displaced from the northern border with Lebanon, believers balance their Palestinian and Israeli identities in pursuit of peace with all. Amir Levy / Stringer / Getty One Friday evening, a young woman sat her toddler on her lap at Christ the King Evangelical Episcopal Church in Maalot-Tarshiha, a mixed Arab-Jewish town in northern Israel five miles from the border with Lebanon. Like mothers everywhere, she clapped her hands and beckoned a response. What does the cow say? Moo, the child replied. What does the dog say? Woof, came the answer. What does the bomb say? Boom, and they both laughed. Only a few hours earlier, with Hezbollah rockets flying overhead, intercepted sometimes by Israels Iron Dome defense system, church elders had debated meeting at all. When the siren sounded during the service, members wondered if they should enter the concrete basement shelter. The playful mimicry belies the seriousness of the less reported conflict in the Galilee region, but it also reveals its everyday normalcy. By now the bombs have faded into the background, said Talita Jiryis, the 28-year-old volunteer youth leader at Christ the King. Dark humor is our mechanism to cope with fear and the uncertainty of tomorrow. That is, for the northern citizens who remain near the border. But a different uncertainty pains the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes. Arab Israeli Christians offered different assessments to CT, but all pray for peace in the land of their citizenship. The war in Gaza affects them too. On October 8, one day after Hamas crossed the border into southern Israel and killed 1,200 Israelis, Hezbollahthe Shiite Muslim militia similarly aligned with Iranlaunched its support front from Lebanon. Daily exchange of rocket strikes and retaliatory fire has continued since. But compared to Gaza, the casualties have been far fewer. In Lebanon, more than 450 people have been killed, mostly Hezbollah and other militant fighters but including over 80 civilians. In Israel, at least 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed. Within weeks, Israel ordered 42 northern communities neighboring Lebanon to evacuate, displacing between 60,000 and 80,000 residents with financial compensation provided. An additional 90,000 Lebanese have also fled the fighting, generally restricted to a stretch of land a few miles on either side of the border. The violence has steadily escalated and expanded, though both Israel and Hezbollah have appeared reticent to engage in an all-out war. Maalot-Tarshiha was not ordered to evacuate; neither was nearby Rameh, where Jiryis was born and raised. Mentioned in Joshua 19:29 as a border town of the tribe of Asher, Rameh lies a mere eight miles from the border. Yet the historically Christian village, populated also by Muslims and Islams heterodox Druze community, sits on a hill facing away from Lebanon. During the last outright conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, rockets struck only the peak or the valley below. But it is not the relative safety that keeps Arab residents from evacuating. Jiryis said that many in Rameh are originally from nearby Iqrit, where in the 1948 Israeli war of independence, villagers were forced by Jewish soldiers to vacate. A promise they could return within two weeks was not honored; neither was the 1951 Israeli Supreme Court ruling on their behalf. The following Christmas, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) demolished each home. Seventy-three years and one day later, a Hezbollah rocket struck Iqrits Greek Catholic church compound, the only building left standing. The rocket injured the 80-year-old caretaker, and nine IDF soldiers were wounded in subsequent fire as they sought to evacuate him. Aware of the widespread grievance, Israeli authorities have issued only recommendationsnot ordersfor Arab communities to evacuate, Jiryis said. In the Christian village of Fassuta, women and children left while the men stayed behind, fearful that history might repeat itself. Christ the King church, however, represents modern cooperation: Its land was donated three years ago by the Israeli government, and its bomb shelter is open to the public. Services are on the Israeli weekend in advance of the Sabbath, as many from the village work in the Jewish sector. Samaritans Purse, she added, helped the poor with a $130 food coupon, a first-aid kit, and battery-charged lamps. Jesus is the light of the world, leaders stated during the distribution. The churchs average attendance is about 80 people, including a dozen youth, mostly teens. Jiryiss father is the pastor, and she extended his regional Maranatha family conference ministry with an interdenominational youth gathering planned for April. About 70 signed up from northern Brethren and Nazarene congregations, only for all to be thrown into disarray by Irans unprecedented missile barrage against Israel a few days prior to the event. They held the conference anyway. We had to fully activate our faith, she said. Christians quote, I will fear no evil. But this time, we couldnt afford to pretend. Yet many are mentally exhausted, Jiryis said, and bury their fears rather than turn to God. During the week, she lives in the port city of Haifa, 25 miles southwest of her village, where she works as a psychologist in a government hospital. She has applied her skills through arts and crafts for the village children and insisted the adults continue to meet for mutual fellowship. Breathing exercises and emotional awareness are essential, Jiryis tells them. Yet as she looks at the war, she is angry at injustice from both sides. Jiryis knows the history at the heart of Jewish fear. Her mother is German; her great-grandfather was forced to fight in World War II. There are no winners in war, only losers was the mantra instilled in his son. This grandfather passed away when she was seven years old, but the sentiment has filtered into her identity today. Her paternal grandfather was Palestinian, but like many young people of her generation, Jiryis said she struggles with how to define herself. Although she calls herself a Christian Arab citizen, she doesnt feel fully Israeli because she is not Jewish, nor does she serve in the IDF. With many Arab and Jewish friends, as a rule she avoids politics and says instead, Call me Switzerlanda neutral nation where her father did biblical studies. Yet as an evangelical, she is a minority of a minority of a minority. Her internal conflict is tangible, but she finds a solution. I focus on my heavenly identity, Jiryis said. But it is difficult here because you have to belong to something. She sees the surrender to community narratives even in the body of Christ. Some Messianic Jews admit they will not pray for the future terroristsPalestinian childrenwho are dying in Gaza. Some Palestinian evangelicals say they cannot pray for a government committing genocide. While tension was always under the surface, relationships everywhere are getting worse. But some, even apart from Jesus, are still praying together. A Land of Life Jiryiss church is an example of believers praying together, having held joint meetings with Messianic Jews. But the identity issues she described are not uncommon in her community. A 2015 survey of local evangelical leaders conducted by Nazareth Evangelical College (NEC) found that 75 percent called themselves Arab Israelis, deemphasizing any Palestinian linkage. A wider poll by the University of Haifa lowered the tally to 47 percent of Christians who identified as Israeli/non-Palestinian. Only 29 percent identified with both. But the war in Gaza has increased Arab solidarity with their nation of citizenship. Last November, the Israel Democracy Institute found that 70 percent feel that they are part of Israel, an increase from 48 percent before the war and the highest total in 20 years of polling. Yet only 27 percent were optimistic about the future of Israel, compared to 72 percent of Jews. Azar Ajaj, president of NEC, had some of his fears confounded. The Iran attack forced a northern Israel interfaith gathering onto Zoom, where he was the only evangelical alongside a handful of Christians and several dozen Jewish leaders. He began his remarks by condemning Hamas and grieving with the families of the hostages. Yet he decried the violence and the death of innocent Palestinianswith some inner trembling, since such statements are often interpreted as being anti-Israel. A ceasefire, he insisted, was necessary. The reaction was above my expectations; no one justified what has happened to the people of Gaza, said Ajaj, who calls himself a Palestinian citizen of Israel. It gave me hope that they want to live together in respect and dignity. Several reached out to him afterward to invite his participation in a joint Prayer for Peace, offered through the interfaith Spirit of the Galilee forum that includes rabbis from all Jewish traditions: God, Allah, Hashem, Strengthen the hands of those who strive for peace in our region. May they know and feel that they are not alone; Behind them we all stand, People of all faiths, ages, gender, who pray for peace and quiet in our land. May all the hostages return to their homes. We pray for the end of this vicious bloody cycle. May this be a land of life to all its inhabitants from here and on, And let us say: Amen. Slightly more than half of Israels 2 million Arabs live in the Galilee area. It is essential for peacemakers to speak face to face, Ajaj said, to cultivate and sustain good relations. And though the academic gathering was forced online, the Spirit of the Galilee forum has been able to meet a few times in person since the war began. Ministry continues, as does outreach. Despite the war, NEC was able to publish a small booklet for churches to address Muslim concerns about how Jesus could be both fully God and fully man. Ajajs colleague has continued to quietly but publicly conduct discussion groups with about 20 open-minded inquirers in Jerusalem. And NEC has even grown because of the war. Since 10 of its 35 students live near the border, the college decided to move to hybrid education. Another 20 students then enrolled online. Those in dangerous crossfire areas appreciate the chance to stay near their families. And others can save on the cost of commuting, as the collapse of tourism has pinched many budgets. Ajaj, speaking in a personal capacity, expects things to only get worse. Gaza is messy but not complicatedit can be solved, he said. But bad leaders on both sides are more concerned for their political interests. The ceasefire he longs forattempted to be brokered by US president Joe Biden and demanded by the UN Security Councilhas yet to be accepted by either Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Hamass Yahya Sinwar. Even if implemented, the final plan might not spare his northern region. Hezbollah has stated that it would respect a truce in Gaza, as it did during the first pause in late November. The Israeli defense minister, however, stated that the fight to push the militia off the northern border would continue if peaceful negotiations do not succeed. They might. In 2022, Israel and Lebanon demarcated their maritime border. Yet land issues are thornier, with 13 points of disputed territory for the two nations, including areas of the Golan Heights. For instance, the UNs 2000 Blue Line armistice divided the village of Ghajar in half and increased tensions over nearby Shebaa Farms, which is occupied by Israel. UN Resolution 1701 ended a month-long conflict in 2006 and called for the disarmament of all militias and a buffer zone of 1218 miles south of Lebanons Litani River, with no unofficial armed presence permitted. Today Hezbollah continues its deployment, while Israeli planes regularly violate Lebanese airspace. Fearful that Hezbollah could launch its own version of October 7which it publicly signaled in military exercises five months before the Hamas attackIsrael is insisting on implementation of the resolution. Threatening rhetoric has steadily increased over the past week, as Netanyahu announced troops would be transferred to the north. The Israeli prime minister previously warned that in an all-out war, Israel would turn Beirut into Gaza. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated he turned down offers for Iran-backed regional factions to come to Lebanon and join the fightwhich would be waged without rules. He boasted enlistment of over 100,000 fighters, and it is estimated that the US-designated terrorist group possesses 150,000 missiles, many with precision guidance. The situation is very complicated and scary, said Ajaj. I hope for a political solution, but I dont know how. How Forefathers Felt Neither does Yasmeen Mazzawi. But she is ready to help. The 25-year-old Catholic from Nazareth is a volunteer paramedic with the Red Crossaffiliated Magen David Adom (MDA), which translates in Hebrew as the Red Shield of David. Her full-time job as an analytics business consultant has her in Tel Aviv, 65 miles south; however, she is now working from home in case the northern front explodes. There is never a good outcome from war, Mazzawi said. But our heavenly Father will not leave us, and there are good people around to protect us. Her safety net is three-fold. Her family and community provide the main support that she needs. The second source is MDA, with her strong sense of belonging to the 30,000 volunteers dedicated to national service. The third is the IDF, where she has several friends. She identifies as an Arab Israeli Christian, with each part equally important. For Mazzawi, family values learned from her parents have encouraged the integration of her Christian faith and Jewish environment. But it is not so for many others, she said. Many Arabs grow up without an understanding of Israeli national holidays. And when she missed classes to take a trip with MDA to Auschwitz in high school, several schoolmates shamed her. Through conversation, some came around and even joined her in paramedic service. She is not out to change anyones mind but desires less separation between the communities. She feels that the shared values of all faiths are needed to build a future without conflict, rooted in love and compassion. October 7 showed us that history can repeat itself, Mazzawi said, drawing from her experience in Germany. Arabs and Jews see each other but do not know each other, and we have to bridge this gap. Another Christian making an effort is Neveen Elias, an Aramean from Jish, three miles from the border with Lebanon. Last year, at age 39, she enlisted in the army. And along the way, she adopted a further term for her personal identity. I am a Zionist, Elias stated. We hope that all the Christians [will] serve in the IDF. Israel requires two years of national service for all females who are not religiously practicing, with eight additional months for men, at age 18. Except for Druze, Arabs are exempted, along with ultra-Orthodox Jews. The IDF does not differentiate between Christians and Muslims, for whom enlistment is voluntary. But sources said that consistent with the Arab community overall, few evangelicals participate. But Elias said the IDF wants her to be an example. In 2014, her community became eligible to change their ID cards from Arab to Aramean, but anecdotal evidence suggests that by 2022, some 4,500 were in processless than 2 percent of Christians in Israel. The government initiative sparked tension as a tactic to separate Arabs by faith and increase Christian enrollment in the IDF. Only a few hundred Muslims volunteer to serve in the military, although the number has recently grown. Eliass son is one such Arab who joined the troops in combat. Her desire for more people to enlist is buttressed by an Israeli pre-military academy in the Galilee region, where Jews and Christians share barracks for six months. Founded by a fellow Aramean from Jish, the academy has graduated 315 men and women since its founding in 2017. Among Jews, the IDF is considered a great equalizer, uniting Israels diverse Hebrew communities under the national umbrella. The hope at the academy is much like Mazzawis: Arab students learn the Zionist story while Jews become familiar with Christian holidays and beliefswhich Elias said are not taught in public schools. Her decision to join the IDF is highly controversial, but Elias has not neglected her roots. She cited her ancestral hamlet of Biram as a reason Jish remains populated; like Iqrit, Biram was a Christian village where people were not allowed to return. Many question how she could join the Israeli army that displaced them. But as she keeps watch over evacuated kibbutzim, her Jewish friends, still evacuated seven months later, lament their newfound understanding: Now we know how your forefathers felt when told to leave and unable to return. She is pessimistic about their chances. The IDF is waiting to finish in Gaza before it gets busy in the north, Elias said. We feel like it will be soon. In the Same House At least on the southern border, one Arab evangelical is hoping so. You need to protect your people, so you need to clean this virus, stated Saleem Shalash, pastor of Jesus the King Church in Nazareth. Israel need[s] to continue finishing Hamas so the people of Gaza can live in peace. Outspoken in his support for Israel, he wants his ministry to answer Nathanaels question in John 1:46: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? And seeking to build bridges between communities, he aims to get Isaac and Ishmael into the same house. October 7, Shalash said, threatened the reconciliation work of many years. His church has supplied aid to 900 families displaced from both north and south, but it still took months to regain the trust of Jewish partners. The Arabs did this, they told him. The ice was finally broken at a gathering with the mayor, when a fellow Arab pastor prayed for the victims. Afterward, many wept and embraced him. Shalash, who once disliked Jews, centered his call in the story of the Prodigal Son. His interpretation was always that the Jews were those who lost their way, but he came to see the churchthough grafted into the people of Godas the older brother angry that welcome is still extended to them. The parable is unusual in that it remains open-ended. The Lord told me, It is your choice, Shalash stated. But what I am saying is not very popular among Israeli Arabs. Survey data has shown that most of this community prefers life in Israel to that in any future Palestinian state. But grievances run deep. Comprising about 20 percent of Israels population today, Arab citizens are descended from the original 150,000 who remained after the 1948 war. More than 700,000 refugees fled or were driven from Israel around the time of the war and were not allowed to return. Throughout Israel today, Arabs are less well-off than their Jewish neighbors. Prior to COVID-19, about 45 percent of Arab families lived below the poverty line, compared to 13 percent for Jews. Education levels are also lower, with 15 percent holding an academic degree, compared to 33 percent for Jews. Christians are 8 percent of the Arab community and 2 percent of the Israeli population overall. Given the tensions in the region, manybut not allprefer to keep silent. Some want only to pray, others to make statements, said Toumeh Odeh, a lawyer from Kafr Yasif, a Christian-majority village 10 miles from the border. We generally prefer to be on the safe side. But as believers, we must have a say against injustice. He has done so in his profession, helping Israeli Arabs married to West Bank Palestinians obtain their legal residency in Israel, as a 2003 law ceased the automatic granting of citizenship. And he gives credit where credit is due: Living also in Maalot-Tarshiha, he praised the police for containing an anti-Arab incident sparked by anger from October 7which he thoroughly condemns. But there is nonetheless a disparity. Israel is strong and has the power over Palestinians, said Odeh. We must speak about the wrong done by the state, while not neglecting the wrong done against Jews. His statement reflects his four-fold identity: Arab, Palestinian, Christian, and Israeli citizen. He laments the bygone days when the government sidelined Jewish extremist groups from parliament; today they occupy key posts in the cabinet. The situation is only growing worse, Odeh said, but his faith provides the answer: the Good Samaritan. Jesus crafted the parable in response to a lawyer, rebuking all who neglect mercy. In contrast, Odeh praised the Council of Evangelical Churches in Israel (CECI) for raising $13,000 to provide shelter to the displaced and assist those affected by the economic downturnboth Arabs and Jews. Representing the 35 congregations among local Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Nazarene, and Christian Missionary Alliance churches, CECI had previously sent money for pandemic relief in the West Bank; for victims of the 2020 port explosion in Beirut; and for damage suffered in last years earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We try to help everyone in need, said Odeh. Hatred only brings more hatred, and only light can drive out darkness. Such is his vision for Israel and the region. Peace must first come through governments, he said, citing Egypt and Jordan as partial examples. If rights are honored and prosperity follows, within a generation it will take hold among the people. True peace with the Palestinians will take away any animosity for Hamas or Hezbollah to exploit, he believes. And separating the conflict from religion will help, as Odeh expressed frustration with the actions of Israeli settlers and Islamist ideologues alike. Polling Home News Are Hispanics becoming more Republican? Pollster says it's unclear if rightward shift is 'durable' While exit polls from the 2022 midterm elections indicate a double-digit swing in Latino voters from Democrat to Republican since 2020, many pollsters and election experts have looked into the possibility that Hispanics, a traditionally strong voting bloc for Democrats, could be shifting in their political support. Exit polling from last Tuesday shows a slight improvement in Republicans' performance with Latinos, with 39% of Hispanics saying they voted for Republican candidates, an increase of 7 percentage points from the 2020 presidential election. While 65% of Latino voters voted for Democrats in 2020, only 60% said the same in 2022, representing a 12-point swing in Latinos' net support for Democrats dropping from 33% in 2020 to 21% in 2022. In some local and state races, the shift is even more dramatic. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe One example of this is Florida. According to exit polls reported by ABC News, Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis garnered 57% of the Hispanic vote last week after losing the Hispanic vote by 10 percentage points in 2018. Republican Monica De La Cruz made history by becoming the first Republican elected to represent Texas' 15th Congressional District. She defeated Democrat Michelle Vallejo by 8.5 points in a once-blue majority-Latino district that has swung to the right in recent years. Her victory came months after Republican Rep. Mayra Flores became the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress after winning a June special election in another historically blue South Texas district. Exit polling on the demographic has been contradictory at times. Exit polls from Virginia's 2021 gubernatorial race were conflicted on the status of the Latino vote, with Associated Press' VoteCast indicating that Republican Glen Youngkin won Hispanics by a dozen percentage points, while Edison Research reported Democrat Terry McAuliffe won the voting bloc by 34 percentage points. To examine the question of whether Latinos are shifting from Democrat to Republican, The Christian Post spoke with polling experts to gauge their insight on the matter. Mark Hugo Lopez, director of Race & Ethnicity Research at Pew Research Center, told CP that there "has been a shift underway in Latino voters' support for Republican candidates for a few years now." "From 2016 to 2020, the share of Latino voters who voted for Donald Trump grew from 28% to 38%, according to a Pew Research Center verified voter study," he said. Lopez cited "preliminary results based on exit polls," which suggest Republican candidates won about as much Latino support in 2022 as they did in 2020. Lopez says there are "many factors that may be contributing to these changes," including the context of certain elections and outreach. "First is the candidates themselves and the national and local context of recent elections. Who is running and how things are going in the nation can affect voters' choices," he said. "Second, how campaigns reach out to voters can make a difference too. For example, what issues are campaigns focusing on as they do voter outreach?" Nevertheless, Lopez says it's "important to note" that there have been "similar shifts in Latino voters' support for Republican candidates in the past," including during the 1980s and among Latino voters between 2004 and 2012. "What remains unknown is whether this shift will be durable," Lopez added. Robert Cahaly, the senior strategist and pollster with The Trafalgar Group, believes a shift is ongoing in the Latino community. He attributed it partly to "the Democrats' departure from traditional faith-based values." Cahaly contends that if Democrats want to combat this trend, they would have to make "a fundamental change" to their proposed policies and "reject the very secular notions" that he believed underpinned them. "They would have to just completely reject that element of the party that is moving them away from faith-based values to secularism," he said. Cahaly suggests Republicans should "keep treating Hispanic voters like regular people" and "reject any notion that they're monolithic." "Treat them like they are individuals whose votes you must earn every two years," continued Cahaly. "Show them that respect." Questions about the state of the Latino vote come as the results of the 2022 midterm elections continue to trickle in, showing that the expected "red wave" only resulted in modest gains for Republicans, including taking control of the House of Representatives. Poll results have varied leading up to the midterm elections. A survey conducted in April by Marist University in conjunction with NPR and PBS NewsHour found 52% of Latinos said they support the Republican candidate for Congress compared to 39% who would vote for the Democrat. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, told CP earlier this year that many Latinos are "abandoning the Democratic Party or leftist ideologies" because of their opposition to abortion. He pointed to South Texas as an example of a region where Latinos are voting more Republican than before. Congressional districts based in South Texas swung heavily toward the Republican Party in 2020. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the 15th Congressional District in 2016 by a margin of nearly 17 points, but the district only supported Biden by less than 2 percentage points in the 2020 election. The shift culminated this year in the Republican De La Cruz's victory in a once-blue district. "The districts that used to be blue are now red," Rodriguez said of South Texas. "These are districts with 87%, 89%, 90% Latino populations, and now they're becoming all red." Home News Episcopal Church bishops reject resolution declaring Israel an 'apartheid' state The Episcopal Church House of Bishops has rejected resolutions that would have labeled Israel an apartheid state and endorsed divestment efforts against the Middle Eastern nation while approving measures calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. At the 81st General Convention held in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, the bishops voted down four resolutions tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel's war against the terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. These included a resolution labeling Israel's legal system apartheid, a resolution expressing solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement, a resolution identifying the Palestinians as "Indigenous peoples of the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River," and a resolution condemning Christian Zionism, reported Episcopal News Service. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The bishops passed Resolution D013, a measure that condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The resolution also condemned Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 attack while also advocating for a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. The resolution's author called it a "a degree of Anglican moderation and pragmatism" on a hot-button issue. The Episcopal bishops also passed Resolution D009, which called on the United States to contribute to the "long-term rebuilding of Gaza," and Resolution D007, which championed "Peace Through Equal Rights in Israel/Palestine." The three approved resolutions will next go to the Episcopal House of Deputies for consideration. During the discussion on the apartheid resolution, Southeast Florida Bishop Peter Eaton objected to the measure, saying that "it has long been discredited in most academic circles to use the word 'apartheid' with respect to the government and people of Israel." "There is a distinction that needs to be made," Eaton continued. "It is perfectly reasonable to criticize the actions of any particular government. It is not reasonable to characterize a government by a word like 'apartheid.'" "I do not think that this House or this Convention wants to pass any resolutions, particularly in this very difficult time, that could be reasonably interpreted as anti-Israel resolutions." Northern Indiana Bishop Edward Little also opposed the resolution, arguing that the measure, if approved, would "forever end our ability to stand between Israelis and Palestinians as mediators, it would make us advocates of one side of the conflict over the other, and our Israeli and Jewish friends would see us as relentlessly hostile to them." On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a series of attacks in southern Israel. In addition to killing approximately 1,200 people, extremists abducted around 250 individuals hostage, including several American citizens. In response, Israel launched an air and ground offensive on Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip with the goals of destroying the Islamic terrorist group, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and freeing the hostages. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 37,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began but doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israel Defense Forces has accused Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group of using minors for military purposes. The most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis reports that nearly the entire population of Gaza will likely face high levels of acute food insecurity through September 2024, stating that one in five Gazans go day and night without eating. "About 96 percent of the population in the Gaza Strip (2.15M people) face high levels of acute food insecurity through September 2024," the report states. "While the whole territory is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), over 495,000 people (22 percent of the population) are still facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 5). In this phase, households experience an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion of coping capacities." Home News Hispanics tout efforts to combat 'lack of faith in churches,' get Latinos to 'vote biblical values' Editors' note: This is part 7 of The Christian Post's year-long articles series "Politics in the Pews: Evangelical Christian engagement in elections from the Moral Majority to today." In this series, we will look at issues pertaining to election integrity and new ways of getting out the vote, including churches participating in ballot collection. We'll also look at issues Evangelicals say matter most to them ahead of the presidential election and the political engagement of diverse groups, politically and ethnically. Read other articles in the series by clicking here. Conservative Hispanic Christian activists warn that the lack of faith in churches has led to greater Hispanic support for Democrats and progressives even though their beliefs align with biblical values embraced by conservatives and Republicans. The Christian conservative political advocacy group Faith & Freedom Coalition hosted its Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C., last week. The second full day of programming on Saturday featured a panel titled Hispanic Voices for Faith and Freedom," where Hispanic activists discussed efforts to advance the conservative cause within the Hispanic community. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Moderated by Faith & Freedom Coalition National Hispanic Director Nilsa Alvarez, the panel included activists based in both the United States and Latin America. They spoke about their efforts to intertwine faith and politics as they push back against the infiltration of progressive ideology in education and culture. Adianis Morales, the Florida and Puerto Rico Hispanic director for the Faith & Freedom Coalition, who has a background as a pastor, cited the lack of faith in churches where were not voting our biblical values as the reason why she joined former President Donald Trumps campaign in 2020 and became involved in political activism. "It was pertinent to have a pastor that will defend biblical values and will go to churches and spread the news so Christians will vote their biblical values," Morales said. Morales also elaborated on her activism against what Alvarez described as radical sex education in her school district. We started getting together, we started doing protests, we had children protesting what they were doing, and hundreds of parents were coming to [the] school board. At every single meeting, I was there as a pastor praying before we started and holding the school board accountable for what they were doing, she recalled. Morales detailed how the Faith & Freedom Coalition launched a chapter of the organization in Puerto Rico in January. Until Puerto Ricans understand that we are being used by the Democrat Party, that just because we come from Democratic countries doesnt mean that were Democrats here, she said. We are conservatives, Morales insisted. We are people that believe in God. We believe in family; our values are very important, our families are the best things. So until we get the Puerto Ricans to come here and register correctly and they understand that they are not Democrats, that they are Republicans, conservatives, thats the only way that were going to change the nation. Dorcas Hernandez, who founded an organization in Peru that translates to Dont Mess With Our Kids in English, described what motivated her to launch the advocacy group. At the moment, the government of Peru was a progressive government coming after our [children], she said. They were implementing laws in the justice system with gender ideology and sexual orientation in the education system. We, the citizens, took a stand, she asserted. We gathered the church, the citizens, the faith leaders, the mamas and papas and grandparents to make a commitment before God to take a stand for life, children and freedom. From that moment on, the movement [grew] and [grew] by the millions. We took the nation by storm, peacefully gathering 1.5 million people in the public square to tell the government, Enough is enough. Youre not coming after my children; youre not coming after our generation. We were able to oust the prime minister, to oust the secretary of education, Hernandez added. We have to be obedient, and we have to take a stand in faith because God is with us. Hernandez said that over 30 nations around Latin America have chapters of the "Don't Mess With Our Kids" movement, including Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay. We just launched it here in the United States a year ago, she said. Were getting ready to get all our 50 states, 51 locations, and to take back America, to protect our children ... and more important, to take [the] United States back to God. While conservative-leaning faith-based advocacy groups have made convincing the Hispanic community to vote for Republicans a top priority ahead of the November election, exit polling shows the majority of Hispanics support Democrats at the national level. In the 2020 presidential election, exit polling showed that 65% of Latinos backed Democrat Joe Biden, while 32% voted for Republican Donald Trump. Two years later, in the 2022 midterm elections, exit polling showed 60% of Latinos backed Democrats, while 39% voted for Republicans. Home News Historic NY church added to Harriet Tubman Pilgrimage Trail A historic church in New York that helped runaway slaves has been added to a trail honoring 19th century abolitionist Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Binghamton recently unveiled a new marker noting their status as being one of 13 locations on the Binghamton Freedom Trail. The Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity, founded in 2019 and based at Binghamton University, placed the first markers of the Freedom Trail in March. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Tubman Center Director Anne C. Bailey told The Christian Post that the church was added to the Freedom Trail because of its significance in the Underground Railroad network. The Trinity AME Zion technically received two markers, according to Bailey, with one being placed at the churchs original downtown Binghamton location and one at its current campus to signify that the church is alive and well and still active in community issues. Members of the church welcomed runaways and helped them get settled. This was a well-known destination for those seeking refuge and safety from the institution of slavery, she said. Pastors and elders of the church over the years before the end of the Civil War were courageous individuals who not only helped runaways get settled, but as in the case of the Rev. Jermain Loguen, sometimes called The King of the Underground Railroad, also preached to an integrated congregation, which in and of itself was groundbreaking. Bailey also told CP that churches played a very important role in the Underground Railroad network, and that the concept of Christian brotherhood influenced the anti-slavery movement. In fact, the abolitionist motto and emblem Am I not a man and a brother referred to this idea that there was a brotherhood or should be a brotherhood a common humanity shared by all Christians, regardless of their color, she added. The Rev. Damond Wilson, pastor at Trinity AME Zion, told station WBNG 12 that his church was honored by the marker. Not everyone can say that they have been around for 185 years, Wilson said. Everyone cant say that they were a member of the Underground Railroad. Everyone cant say that Harriet Tubman actually passed by on her way leading others to freedom. So when were able to come together to celebrate an occasion like this, it means something. Home News Kevin Costner reveals how faith shaped narrative of 'Horizon,' says 'church has always been part of my life' While creating "Horizon: An American Saga," a sweeping Western epic exploring America's frontier history, director Kevin Costner was keenly aware that he couldn't depict the settlers' stories without highlighting the crucial role faith played in their often-tumultuous journeys. Faith is what guided people out there to the unknown, the 69-year-old Oscar-winning actor and director told The Christian Post. They just leaned on it. There was this promise, but the promise was not enough. You had to go on faith. And people brought the religion with them west. I grew up a Baptist and church has always been a part of my life, my grandmother, the whole thing, so I don't mind it bleeding into a movie, the actor said. I don't force it in. But when I think about why people went west, when they said goodbye to people back east, they never saw them again, there was some kind of trust that people needed to lean on, because they were often times in situations where they didn't even know what they were doing. They were out of control, they needed faith. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Costner, a veteran of the genre, stars in Horizon alongside Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Luke Wilson, and also directed, produced and co-wrote the three-hour film, the first of a four-part series. The first installment debuts in theaters on June 28 and "Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2" will be released six weeks later, on August 12, while the third is expected to be released in 2025. Filmed in Moab, Utah, and set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, Horizon captures the intense emotional landscape of a nation divided, viewed through the interconnected lives of families, friends and adversaries striving to define what it means to be the United States of America. Its a passion project for Costner, who has been working on the franchise since the 80s and even invested $38 million of his own money into it. The actor told CP that the prolonged creation process required a steadfast belief that the film would come to fruition in its own time. I've had hands over me, for sure, in my life, and I'm like anybody, I try to force it, the Yellowstone actor said. I try to force things through force of will, and I've been able to do that a lot in my life. But I've also found that things come in their own time. I think that's how my career's gone, to be honest. Everything in its own time, I didn't burst onto the scene as a teenager. It took me a while. So, I trust my journey. Rated R for violence, nudity and sexuality and not a faith-based project Horizon doesnt shy away from portraying the violence and struggles of the Old West and the settlers often-bloody relationship with Native Americans. There is no shortage of blood and gore in the film. Despite this, Costner stressed the profound influence faith and family had on the narrative. Scripture verses are subtly infused throughout the film, often quoted by characters in times of trial. In one scene, a settler quotes Psalm 23:5 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. I wanted [Scripture to] obviously relate to the situation, Costner said. The film also highlights the nobility and strength found within families and the vital role they play in creating a thriving society. Costner, a father of seven, told CP the theme is close to his heart; his youngest son, Hayes, 15, appears in his father's film as Nathaniel Kittredge. Anybody can make a movie about a gunfight, and I'm going to get you to those gunfights, and those gunfights are going to be terrifying, and they're going to be loud, he said. But I think just a woman trying to bathe because she feels so dirty, or a mother and daughter who realize that some hell is going on above them and the only way they're going to survive is if they share breath, I feel the closeness. I feel like that really has an important part in Westerns. Rooted in the belief that violence and humanity can go together, Costner said he hopes that audiences, despite the films R rating, will feel compelled to share the story with younger generations. I think a lot of people are going to say, I'm going to bring my son and daughter because they need to understand what their great-great-grandmothers and grandfathers went through, he said. This does have violence, but it also has a nobility, a sense of why family is important. When she says goodbye to her son, she has the faith that she will be with him again. Violence and humanity can go together. That's my hope that while it's an R, a lot of people will say, I feel like my daughter should see this. Costner, who won two Oscars for his 1990 frontier saga "Dances With Wolves and a Golden Globe for his role as John Dutton in the long-running TV series "Yellowstone, said that through Horizon, he hopes to contribute to the legacy of American Westerns and offer a nuanced understanding of Americas historical narrative. I hope that it stands on its own. I'm not looking to reinvent the West or set the record straight, he said, adding that the film tries to acknowledge the harsh realities and cultural clashes of the era while celebrating the resourcefulness and courage of those who ventured west. This was hard fought for, he said. The resourcefulness it took for the people that came out, not even being necessarily equipped to be in the West, is something that I admire. But I also understand the great clash that happened between cultures and what we lost. There were people that were displaced. So I don't ignore any of it. I just go after it. I hope I land on the side of behavior and authenticity. Home News Lance Wallnau slams Rick Warrens tweet on Robert Morris as political dig at Trump Evangelical thought leader Lance Wallnau, who predicted Donald Trump would become president prior to his election in 2016, has accused Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren of using the child sexual assault allegations against Gateway Church founder Robert Morris to take a political dig at the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. Morris recently resigned from Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, after 54-year-old grandmother, Cindy Clemishire, alleged that he sexually abused her over multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12. Prior to the scandal, the megachurch leader was also a spiritual advisor to the former president and featured prominently on Trumps Evangelical Executive Advisory Board. Since the allegations were made public, a spokesperson for Trumps 2024 presidential campaign has said Morris no longer has a role in Trumps advisory board. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Last Thursday, as the Evangelical community reeled from the news of the allegations against Morris, Warren expressed his outrage about the allegations. Im angry & disgusted to hear of Robert Morris sexual abuse of a child & heartbroken for Cindy Clemishire. To sexually use a 12 yr old child, then continue it for yrs, is not merely an inappropriate relationship. Its a crime. Sexual child abuse is an evil punishable by law. One cant just confess when caught & move on with no consequences. For the integrity of Christs Body, God insists Expel the wicked person out of your church! 1 Cor. 5:13, Warren wrote on X. Perpetrators are to be publicly fired, not allowed to resign. Child abuse STILL enrages Jesus: If anyone offends one of these little ones, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and drowned in the sea. Matt.18:6, he added while pointing to his wifes own experience as a survivor of child sex abuse. Until the Church realizes the soul-destroying trauma of sexual abuse, the pattern will continue. Kay still remembers the horror of being molested in church as a little girl. Prov. 31:8, Warren added. On Saturday, Wallnau, who called Warren a never Trumper Bible thumper, said in a statement on X that the Saddleback Church founders outrage is selective. The Truth About Rick Warren- His outspoken outrage is uncharacteristic for the man who prefers to avoid hot divisive topics, ever since helping Obama become President, Wallnau charged. He urges his pastors to avoid Trump and electoral politics even at the moment their disengagement will cost them their nation. So why the outrage? Robert Morris was the counterpart to his position. People challenged him to stand like Gateway because Morris was an outspoken supporter of Trump. It agitated Rick, the Evangelical thought leader added about Warren. His sudden gush of oratory and outrage is fueled by his own personal axe which he can now grind with justification in public. He further noted that: Rick is consistently silent when he should speak up and speaks up when he should be silent. He is outraged by sins in pulpits but not outraged by the same sins in his district. Theres an odd symmetry to all this. Shane Idleman, founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California, had the same assessment of Warren. Lance, I was thinking the same thing. @RickWarren where were you the last decade when many of us pastors were speaking out against all types of atrocities from the LGBTQ agenda to political correctness to open borders and abortion? Rick, where were you honestly, Idleman asked on X. When one commenter replied to Wallnau that she didnt see Warren as a jealous or vindictive person, Wallnau admitted he is a good man, but flawed. I don't see Warren as jealous, or vindictive. Christians ought to discuss things openly and honestly and not be labeled. Warren is not concerned about politics but about purity of kingdom. Two separate things, the commenter asserted. Wallnau revealed that Warren was once a mentor in ministry, but they went their separate ways due to ideological disagreements. Warren was once a mentor to me in ministry. We parted when he failed to discern Obama and then told us pastors not to get involved with the raging culture wars (especially Trump and his saving America platform) while using his platform to sympathize with BLM talking points. Hes a good man, but flawed, Wallnau replied. Pastor A. Jackson of The Door Christian Church of Hemet, California, insisted, however, that Wallnau is right about Warren in a statement on X. Morris is in trouble this isnt going away, and Rick Warrens tweet is not going to speed that process up nor bring justice to the situation. Warren knows it, Jackson said. So I agree its actually fake outrage. How do I know? I didnt see any tweets from him about the child molesting Lincoln Project. Child sexual trafficking at the border. Nothing about trans activities involving kids etc. Home News Latino voters rejecting 'anti-Christian, 'anti-religious liberty' Democratic Party policies: pastor Latinos are expected to continue moving away from the Democratic Party in the upcoming midterm elections because the party has become anti-Christian and anti-religious liberty, according to the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, a leader in the faith community. Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, weighed in on the political realignment of Latino voters in an interview with The Christian Post. He attributed Latino voters' abandoning the Democratic Party or leftist ideologies to their commitment to life, referring to their opposition to abortion. That commitment to life stems primarily out of our faith, he said. Citing every single survey from The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets, Rodriguez proclaimed that Latinos are abandoning the Democratic Party in droves. A Journal poll released in March revealed Latinos supported the Republican congressional candidate over the Democratic contender by 9 points in this years midterm elections. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Another poll conducted in late April by Marist University in conjunction with NPR and PBS NewsHour found 52% of Latinos supporting the Republican candidate for Congress in the upcoming midterm elections compared to 39% who would vote for the Democrat. Exit polling conducted by CNN following the 2020 presidential election revealed that Latinos supported President Joe Biden, a Democrat, over former President Donald Trump, a Republican, by 33 points. If the polls taken thus far end up reflecting the actual political preferences of Latinos, it would constitute a massive shift. Rodriguez pointed to South Texas as a screenshot of this phenomenon, noting that the districts that used to be blue are now red. He told CP that these are districts with 87%, 89%, 90% Latino populations, and now theyre becoming all red. What does that tell you? It tells you the Democratic Party is not the party of Bill Clinton, its not the party of Jimmy Carter, its not even the party of Barack Obama in 2008, he added. The Democratic Party is no longer that party. Rodriguez characterized todays Democrats as a new progressive, socialist, anti-right, anti-Christian party that completely ignores the rights of individuals and the idea that we are created in the image of God, with God-ordained rights. He maintained that Latinos are not going to stand for that because we are a people of faith. Speaking about the Democratic Partys policy positions, Rodriguez described the Biden administrations engagement with faith leaders as terrible. He contrasted the Biden administrations approach to dealing with faith issues with his Democratic predecessor, former President Barack Obama: The secret sauce behind President Obama was the fact that he invited people who disagreed with him, especially as it pertains to faith leaders. He would invite them in and hear them out and wasnt intimidated by different opinions. Rodriguez contended that the Biden administration has a very myopic and rigid tunnel vision worldview, which is if you dont agree with 100% of all of my policies, you cannot sit at my table. Under this approach, he added, there is absolutely no way you can engage the faith community in any viable or sustainable way. The Biden administration completely disavowed the Evangelical community, it disavows the conservative Catholic community. So who are they engaging? They are engaging just an echo chamber of mutual affirmation. Rodriguez defined the Biden administrations embrace of the most liberal, progressive, red letter of Gospel, pro-abortion people instead of hearing individuals who may have a dissenting opinion that can chime in and agree on certain areas as evidence of a lack of maturity and limited bandwidth. He asserted that former President Trump had 5G faith outreach, President Obama had 5G faith outreach, and President Biden has analog, not even LTE, not even 3G, not 4G, were back to flip phones. According to data compiled by the Democrat progressive blog the Daily Kos, which keeps track of presidential election results at the congressional district level, the congressional districts based in South Texas swung heavily toward the Republican Party in the 2020 presidential election. Texas 15th Congressional District, which supported Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump in the 2016 presidential election by a margin of nearly 17 points, only supported Biden by less than 2 percentage points in the 2020 election. Texas 28th Congressional District went from supporting Clinton by nearly 20 points in 2016 to backing Biden by only 4 points in 2020. Texas 34th Congressional District backed Clinton by almost 22 points in 2016. By 2020, Biden only carried it by 4 points. Redistricting has altered the composition of all three districts ahead of the 2022 elections, with the 15th District becoming more Republican and the other two districts becoming more Democratic. The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has included all three of them on its list of seats it hopes to flip in this years election. Rodriguez predicted that a Republican takeover of the U.S. House and Senate could result in the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform package. He also outlined his priorities for such legislation, including the protection of our borders, which means securing our borders, stopping all illegal immigration. It means finishing the wall, if not physically through infrared technology, satellite imaging, using our drones, using every single resource in the proverbial arsenal in order to stop all illegal immigration, he stressed. After advocating for the reinstatement of the Trump-era policy requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated, Rodriguez called for the granting of citizenship to the dreamers, immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. However, Rodriguez insisted that their parents who came here illegally should never be granted citizenship. He remained open to the possibility of granting dreamers parents a permanent green card, reiterating that they have completely disqualified themselves from ever becoming citizens because there is a price to pay for coming to this country illegally and that should be the price. Addressing the topic of abortion, Rodriguez suggested that the pro-life movement continues to thrive due to the demographical shifts of America associated with a growing Latino population, adding, The pro-life movement is healthier than ever before. He also condemned the leaking of the draft majority opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health as egregious and criminal. Rodriguez emphasized that if the draft opinion in Dobbs, which is not final, becomes the final opinion and ruling, abortion will not become illegal in America. Instead, the issue will go back to the states and then what we will see will be states making modificationsto their abortion laws. He expressed hope that, at the very least, U.S. abortion laws would become more in line with those of the rest of the world, where it's legal in the first trimester and then afterwards only under very, very specific circumstances. Not that I agree with that. I am pro-life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural departure from this planet, but it is more in mind with the rest of the world instead of aligning us with North Korea and China and other regimes that have no concern whatever for life. Speaking about the Biden administrations decision to ease sanctions on Venezuela, Rodriguez said it was completely counterintuitive and antithetical to accomplishing the goals in Venezuela, specifically to establishing a free and democratic Venezuela. Classifying the situation in the Latin American country as one of the most tragic flips of a script that we have ever seen in a nation, he recounted how it was a very prosperous nation back in the 1970s and '80s before Chavez took over and turned it into an authoritarian, totalitarian, socialist regime. We have Venezuelan people in our churches, he said. Because of that, we know firsthand the humanitarian crisis taking place in Venezuela. Rodriguez slammed the easing of sanctions on Venezuela as illogical, incoherent and I would even argue immoral. In addition to criticizing the Democratic Partys policy positions, Rodriguez described the Biden administrations engagement with faith leaders as terrible. He contrasted the Biden administrations approach to dealing with faith issues with his Democratic predecessor, former President Barack Obama: The secret sauce behind President Obama was the fact that he invited people who disagreed with him, especially as it pertains to faith leaders. He would invite them in and hear them out and wasnt intimidated by different opinions. Home News Franklin Graham hails Meghan McCain for warning that Biden is doing grave spiritual harm over abortion Franklin Graham expressed his support for Meghan McCain who warned that President Joe Biden is doing grave spiritual harm to himself and the country by walking a fine line by supporting abortion despite being a member of the Catholic faith, which considers abortion a cardinal sin. On Monday's episode of The View, McCain, a co-host on the daytime talk show and daughter of the late Republican Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, said Biden must choose between his Catholic faith and stance on abortion. If he is for the federal funding of abortion as far as Im concerned, abortion is murder. And as far as government funding of [the] killing of the unborn we have to as pro-lifers, fight for the rights of the unborn. And thats a doctrine thats as old as the Catholic Church itself, so [Biden] has to choose, she asserted in a debate with her co-hosts, all of whom are supportive of abortion. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe CATHOLIC BISHOPS PLANNING REBUKE OF BIDEN? American Bishops voted to move ahead with guidance that could deny Pres. Biden from receiving Holy Communion because of his presidential support of women having the right to choose @sunny, @MeghanMcCain, and @SaraHaines discuss. pic.twitter.com/CsRjcn4XCf The View (@TheView) June 21, 2021 Catholic bishops voted last week to move forward to draft a document that would advise Catholic politicians who support abortion, like Biden, to refrain from taking communion. McCain further argued that Bidens official stance is contradictory because he's personally opposed to it but is politically supportive of it. For someone who claims to be pro-life, I never understand this argument. Its like saying, Im personally opposed to murder, but if you want to murder a little bit its fine and its not my problem. It doesnt register with me, she said. I dont get it. So its ultimately up to the Church, so hes walking a very fine line here. And all of these issues are literally life and death for Catholics, for devout Christians, and hes just going to have to ultimately talk to his Creator when the time comes, as we all do, and reconcile his politics with his personal faith, she maintained. And I believe hes doing grave spiritual harm to himself and harm to this country," McCain declared. Graham, who's president of Samaritans Purse, posted a statement on Facebook showing his support for McCains comments and said his hope is that Biden will reconsider his stance on abortion. I have disagreed with Meghan on a number of political issues, but I think she is absolutely right on this issue, Graham said in a post on Tuesday regarding McCain who is a pro-life Republican but does not always align herself with socially conservative views. ... I appreciate that Meghan isnt afraid to state the truth and that she is willing to defend life even if it isnt politically correct to some, Graham said. I pray that President Biden will reconsider his position on abortion in this country. As part of her comments on Monday, McCain added: When it comes to the separation of Church and State, the onus is on the government, not the Church. The Church is always going to try and impede in every possible way they can and influence in every possible way they can. Everybodys spiritual journey is their own personal journey, and I dont try to proselytize my spirituality on other people, but if you are a devout Catholic, as President Biden claims to be, abortion is a cardinal sin that can do deep spiritual harm to you. McCain also mentioned Bidens stance of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal tax dollars from paying for abortions. Biden was once supportive of the Hyde Amendment until he decided to run for president in 2019. Nearly two dozen Republican attorneys general have called on congressional leaders to reject Bidens proposal that excludes the Hyde Amendment from the federal budget, Fox News reported. "But because one cannot move to avoid federal taxes," the letter from the GOP attorneys general read, "there would be nowhere for a pro-life, or even a moderately pro-choice, American to go to avoid violating the moral or religious conviction that their hard-earned dollars not be used to fund abortions. The administrations decision here is merely the most recent illustration of its having lost all sense of accountability to the taxpayer." Home News Obama, Trump doctor demands Biden be drug tested before CNN debate Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former White House family physician to both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has called for President Joe Biden to undergo drug testing before and after his upcoming debate with Trump on CNN. Speaking on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Jackson said he plans to send a formal request to Biden, his physician Dr. Kevin OConnor, and will CC the entire Cabinet. Im going to be demanding, on behalf of many millions of concerned Americans right now, that (the president) submit to a drug test before and after this debate, specifically looking for performance-enhancing drugs, Jackson said. Its embarrassing that I have to do this, and its really embarrassing as a former White House physician to have to do something like this, but we dont have any choice, based on whats going on. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Jackson indicated that this demand was prompted by suspicions surrounding Bidens enhanced performances, which some speculate might be due to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The call for Bidens drug testing follows claims by some Republicans who suspect that the president might be using drugs to boost his performance before public appearances. These suspicions intensified after Bidens dynamic display during this years State of the Union address, which was well-received by Democrats, The Daily Wire noted. The White House, however, has dismissed such claims. White House spokesman Andrew Bates said last month, Its telling that Republican officials are unable to stop announcing how intimidated they remain by [the] presidents State of the Union performance. Bates added, But after losing every public and private negotiation with President Biden and after seeing him succeed where they failed across the board, ranging from actually rebuilding Americas infrastructure to actually reducing violent crime to actually outcompeting China it tracks that those same Republican officials mistake confidence for a drug. In a detailed accusation, Jackson noted his concern specifically regarding the use of drugs that might be used to treat cognitive disorders such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons, which he suggests might be affecting Biden. Theres just really no way to explain that, other than he was on something, that theyd given him medications, he remarked. Jackson also mentioned drugs like Adderall and Provigil, which are known to enhance alertness. Amid preparations for the upcoming debate, Biden is scheduled to spend a week at Camp David, which Jackson suspects might include trials to optimize drug dosages to enhance cognitive performance. Hes going to be at Camp David for a full week before the debate, Jackson noted. Part of that is probably experimenting with just getting the doses just right, because they have to treat his cognition. Jackson has previously sent multiple letters to the White House requesting that Biden undergo a cognitive test similar to the one Trump took during his presidency. Trump has been a supporter of Jackson, including endorsing his congressional campaign in 2020. Jacksons credibility has been questioned in the past, The Hill noted. He was demoted from his rank of rear admiral to captain after an Inspector Generals report found that he had become intoxicated and mistreated subordinates while serving as physician to the president. Home News Hezbollah strikes Messianic aid center; relief group serving Jews, Arabs warns of growing threat A humanitarian organization that serves Jews and Arabs displaced by terrorism is raising awareness about the threat of Hezbollah as the Iran-backed terror group escalates its attacks against Israel, with the terrorist organization striking a Messianic relief center. The Joseph Project is a ministry of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, with locations in the United States and Israel. The relief group is named after Joseph in the Bible, who advised the Egyptian Pharaoh to stockpile grain due to an impending famine. The ministry distributes various forms of aid to Israeli families, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, including healthy food, clothing, medicine and toiletries. The Joseph Project works with various organizations, including Samaritans Purse and Israeli Flying Aid, to provide assistance in times of crisis. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe According to the organizations website, the Joseph Project has distributed $16.1 million in humanitarian aid since Oct. 7 to people in Israel displaced by terrorism. Israels war with Hamas began after the terror group attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and massacred at least 1,200 individuals. In addition to Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah has launched attacks at communities and military outposts in northern Israel, resulting in many people leaving their homes or struggling to secure basic necessities. Suzie Salway, a project manager for the aid group based in Jerusalem, told The Christian Post in an interview that the group immediately began supplying civilians and soldiers with supplies after Oct. 7. The Joseph Project had already been keeping the supplies in a large storehouse located around 20 to 30 minutes from Jerusalem. What we do is unconditional, Salway said. We give to anybody, and it doesnt matter what his faith is. Despite the groups ties to a Messianic organization, the project manager said the Joseph Project doesn't receive any pushback from Israel or other religious communities because it doesn't evangelize. While many in Israel know what the Joseph Project is, the aid the group provides is not dependent upon people accepting Jesus. The project manager also told CP that the aid group understands how to navigate barriers to importing products into Israel, which Salway noted has strict regulations regarding shipping. The Joseph Project team was able to help speed up the process of importing over 1 million diapers from China into Israel, according to Salway. Regarding the threat of Hezbollah, the project manager said there are sirens in the north almost every hour warning of attacks from the terror group. As All Israel News reported, Hezbollah struck a Messianic Jewish worship and aid center in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona on May 24. The aid center is affiliated with the Joseph Project, which supports the center all year round, according to Salway. While no one was killed by the attack, the strike resulted in significant damage to the aid center. They have a kitchen that they use to cook daily for the soldiers, Salway told CP. People still live in that town and are maintaining some kind of a normal life there. They got hit, and now they need to renovate. Political leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly fear a wider conflict could spread in the Middle East as Hezbollahs strikes continue to intensify, according to Reuters. The Biden administration sent a special envoy this week for diplomatic purposes, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly warned Israeli officials to avoid escalation in Lebanon. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, declared during a televised address last Wednesday that "there will be no place safe from our missiles and our drones" in Israel if a war breaks out between the Jewish State and the terrorist group. Home News Supreme Court rejects Josh Duggar's appeal of child porn conviction The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former reality TV star and Christian conservative activist Josh Duggar, who is serving over a decade in prison for possessing child pornography. In an orders list released Monday, the Supreme Court denied certiorari in the case of Joshua Duggar v. United States, doing so without comment and allowing his 2021 conviction to stand. Duggar was part of the large conservative Christian family at the center of the popular TLC reality program "19 Kids and Counting" and briefly worked for the social conservative activist organization Family Research Council. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Allegations also surfaced in 2015 that Duggar had sexually molested four of his sisters and a babysitter years earlier, prompting TLC to cancel "19 Kids and Counting." In August 2015, Duggar also confessed to being unfaithful to his wife when reports surfaced that he had created an account with Ashley Madison, a dating website that specialized in extramarital affairs. "I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have been unfaithful to my wife," stated Duggar in 2015. "I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him." In April 2021, Duggar was arrested after authorities accused him of having more than 200 images of child porn on his devices, with some of the kids being as young as 18 months. According to prosecutors, the images were found on a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned and downloaded in 2019. Duggar denied any wrongdoing, claiming that someone else had downloaded the materials. A federal jury found Duggar guilty in December 2021 of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. He was sentenced in May 2022 to over 12 years in prison. He was ordered to pay fines totaling $50,100. In March 2023, reports surfaced that Duggar had been placed in solitary confinement for having a contraband phone and had his prison sentence extended by a couple of months. Once he has served his sentence, Duggar will be on parole for 20 years and will not be allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors, including his own children. Duggar will also have to attend sex offender treatment. Home News Ten Commandments law requiring display in public classrooms faces legal challenge A group of secular legal organizations is suing Louisiana to stop a law passed this month that would make it the only state requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a legal complaint on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on behalf of a religiously diverse group of individuals with minor children enrolled in Louisiana public schools. The defendants include Christian, Jewish, Unitarian and nonreligious parents. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "There is no longstanding tradition of permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms in Louisiana or the United States more generally. Indeed, for nearly half a century, it has been well settled that the First Amendment forbids public schools from posting the Ten Commandments in this manner," reads the complaint, in part. "For these reasons, Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the Act is unconstitutional and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent Defendants from (i) implementing rules and regulations in accordance with the Act, (ii) otherwise seeking to enforce the Act, and (iii) displaying the Ten Commandments in any public-school classroom." The Rev. Jeff Sims, a plaintiff affiliated with the mainline denomination Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), believes "the government is intruding on deeply personal matters of religion." "This law sends a contrary message of religious intolerance that one denomination or faith system is officially preferable to others, and that those who don't adhere to it are lesser in worth and status," stated Sims in a statement released by FFRF, a Wisconsin-based advocacy group. "As a pastor and father, I cannot, in good conscience, sit by silently while our political representatives usurp God's authority for themselves and trample our fundamental religious-freedom rights." Last week, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 71, which mandates that public school classrooms display a copy of the Ten Commandments that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches in size by next January. The bill also allows schools to display other historical documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance. "If you want to respect the rule of law you've got to start from the original law given, which was Moses," said Landry at a signing ceremony last week. As the legal groups threatened legal action last week, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill championed the new law on social media, explaining that she would be honored to defend the legislation in court. "The 10 Commandments are pretty simple (don't kill, steal, cheat on your wife), but they also are important to our country's foundations," she tweeted. "Moses, who you may recall brought the 10 Commandments down from Mount Sinai, appears eight times in carvings that ring the United States Supreme Court Great Hall ceiling. I look forward to defending the law." In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 per curiam opinion in the Stone v. Graham ruling that Kentucky could not require public schools to display the Ten Commandments because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Home News Trump rejects Franklin Graham's request that he not curse in speeches Former President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters that he intended to reject a prominent evangelists request that he refrain from cursing during speeches, although he suggested he was making an effort to take his advice. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States, addressed a crowd of supporters at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A clip of the speech shared on X shows the former president praising Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the charitable organization Samaritans Purse, as a man I like, adding that he admired him so much before recalling how he wrote me a letter. He said, President, I love your speaking. Your ability to speak is incredible. Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didnt use foul language, Trump said as he reflected on the content of the letter. Trump responded to the plea by declaring, hes wrong. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Trump insisted, however, that I have been working so hard not to swear during his rallies. Yet, he contended that the length of the events made it almost impossible for him not to curse at least once or twice: Im only talking about one or two times during an entire speech. You know, these speeches go on for two hours, one or two. Give me one or two words, he added in an informal request to Graham. If you dont, you dont get the emphasis. Trump touted his efforts to abstain from swearing at a speech he gave earlier in the day at the Faith & Freedom Coalitions Road to Majority Conference, a gathering of conservative Christian activists that took place in Washington, D.C.: I was really good. I didnt interject. Could have been better if I used a couple of bad words. When I see people start to walk out, then well stop, he vowed. A full video of the rally shows Trump assuring the crowd that Im not going to use the word bull---- as he recited the word out loud while maintaining that its not that bad a word. Trumps brief remarks about his language came as he pledged to undo President Joe Bidens mass amnesty executive action. He used the first half of the swear word to denounce the policy while reciting the profane part of the term in a barely audible voice, citing Grahams letter as the reason why he declined to more forcefully annunciate the word at first. The former presidents comments about Grahams suggestion lasted for about a minute as he talked about the religious leader before transitioning back to the substance of his rally, which consisted of outlining his goals for a second term. While Graham asserted in an interview with The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that he didn't officially endorse presidential candidates and told Christian Today that I was strong for his policies but I did not campaign from him, not in 2016 or 2020, he has emerged as one of Trumps strongest defenders in recent years. After members of the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Graham compared the 10 Republicans who joined all Democrats in supporting the effort to Judas Iscariot, who has achieved infamy as the man who betrayed Jesus Christ. Graham praised all that he has done for this country as he expressed disappointment with the Republicans who voted in favor of his impeachment. We never had a president like him in my lifetime, Graham said at the time. He gave us lower taxes, a strong economy, and low unemployment. He made NATO take notice and pay their own way. He had the guts to take on North Korea and meet with their leader personally. He didnt let China walk all over us. Just his Mideast peace in the last couple of months deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. Additionally, Graham decried what he described as the politically motivated charges against Trump, proclaiming that the media and the left manipulated the last election, and they are scared to death of Donald Trumps possible return. Home Opinion Speaker Johnson on Trump-Biden debate: CNN is going to rig it as much as possible Getting President Biden ready for any public appearance these days is time consuming. But its nothing compared to prepping him for a high-stakes debate with former President Donald Trump that could decide the November elections. Desperate to convince voters that the 81-year-old is mentally fit, aides and strategists are hunkering down for days of debate camp before the showdown with his predecessor. This is the entire election, as far as Im concerned, former Obama advisor Van Jones warned. If Biden goes out there and messes up, its game over. As far as most Republicans are concerned, the presidents policies should already spell disaster for Bidens reelection chances. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who was just with Trump in Mar-a-Lago, said the 45th president is chomping at the bit to call out Bidens last three years of White House failures. Ill tell you what, the Louisianan told Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, hes excited to get on that debate stage. And I think its going to be a serious mismatch, Johnson predicted. President Biden has not done well in his public appearances and speeches in recent months, and weve all seen that. And President Trump, clearly, hes on his A game. I mean, hes sharp as ever and as anyone is. Even in his hay day, no one is quite sure how Biden could possibly explain away the crises hes created on the border, on the global stage, and in the economy, with his LGBT indoctrination wreaking havoc on schools, sports, workplaces, and business. And unfortunately for Biden, his challenger already has an impressive track record putting out the fires sparked by the Democrats extreme agendas. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe He cant wait to talk about these issues, Johnson said on Saturdays This Week on the Hill, how hell improve our world stage by projecting strength again. We have plans and answers for all the great challenges facing the country, and hes looking forward to laying a lot of that out to the American public. I expect everybody will be watching. I also expect that CNN is going to rig it as much as possible and make it as favorable as they possibly can for President Biden, but I dont think its going to work. One of the more interesting things about this match-up, Perkins pointed out, is how few undecided voters there are. So we are going into what is [turning out to be] a base election Nearly every national presidential poll has the candidates within the margin of error meaning, its a dead heat. Thats bad news for the Left, who thought their sustained lawfare against the former president would have a bigger impact on voters. And yet, the FRC president explained, The outlandish trial and conviction of former president Trump in Manhattan did not have the impact the Left had hoped. It didnt move his support. Overall, the speaker believes, I think people see this as a battle between two worldviews [and] competing visions of what America is and will be and also the records of these two candidates. Thats whats different about this presidential cycle than any one in recent memory You can see what the [two administrations] actually produced and you can see which ones better for you and your family. But at the end of the day, it doesnt matter what the polls say. It matters who shows up to vote. And part of the problem is that too many people look at the news or read the paper and decide their candidate doesnt need them to show up. Thats not true, activists say. If every Christian in America voted, Scott Presler told Breitbart, we would never lose another election. And for 30% of those Evangelicals, he explains, its not that they dont even vote 30% are not registered to vote. People of faith, Presler declared, are going to be a very important coalition in this election. It comes down to the intensity factor, Perkins said. That intensity has increased as candidates draw clear contrasts. In Atlanta, theres no shortage of issues where Trump can paint himself as counterweight to the Lefts radical policies on the economy, foreign policy, and Big Government. But he must, once again, draw the contrast on core issues of moral values, just like he did in 2016, Perkins underscored. I was at the last presidential debate in Las Vegas when Donald Trump took on Hillary Clinton over her position on abortion in the last month of pregnancy and said: I think its terrible. If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby. Now, you can say that thats OK and Hillary can say that thats OK. But its not OK with me, because based on what shes saying, and based on where shes going, and where shes been, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month on the final day. And thats not acceptable. That was the exact moment Donald Trump ignited pro-life voters, Perkins recalled. [And] not to just vote but to believe that a pro-life America was possible. He needs to do the same on Thursday night. Post-Roe, the Democrats position on abortion has only become more extreme. The Republicans cannot abandon their decades-long campaign for the sanctity of human life. If America is to be great again, it has to first be good, and it starts with the recognition that all life is valuable because it is created in the image of God regardless of what zip code it is conceived in or the state it is born into. While rumors continue to swirl that moderates are planning an attack on the pro-life planks of the Republican platform next month in Milwaukee, conservatives continue to argue that the best way to shore up Trumps support is leaning into those issues not away from them. GOP candidates, Johnson assured listeners, are talking about these things not only with the right message, but in the right tone These are policy choices [that] got the country in the mess that were in right now, and its policy choices that will get us out of it. And so when we can sit down and explain [our agenda] well have a big effect on election turnout and the outcome in November. Were excited about that. Originally published at The Washington Stand. Home Opinion 7 false gods in the present age The study of the fall of civilizations is believed to be a complex phenomenon considered by sociologists, historians, archaeologists, and other academics using a variety of theories and methodologies. These academics study economic, political, social, environmental, external, cyclical, and technological dynamics. By examining these various factors, scholars aim to understand the multifaceted processes that lead to the fall of civilizations. However, the Bible gives a much simpler answer for the reason cultures fail and end up on the ash heap of history. Understanding the fall of civilizations In his book, Idols of Destruction, Dr. Herbert Schlossberg contends: Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In place of these analogies [by academics] the biblical explanation of the end of societies uses the concept of judgment. It depicts them [civilizations] as either having submitted themselves to God or else having rebelled against him [T]he Old Testament portrays Israel as having become an evil nation, fully deserving the judgment God meted to it. Its rebellion against God was accompanied by a turning to idols, and this idolatry brought the nation to its end. With silver and gold, said the prophet Hosea, they made idols for their own destruction (Hosea 8:4). Idolatry in its larger meaning is properly understood as any substitution of what is created for the Creator. People may worship nature, money, mankind, power, history, or social and political systems instead of the God who created them all. The New Testament writers, in particular, recognized that the relationship need not be explicitly one of cultic worship; a man can place anyone or anything at the top of his pyramid of values, and that is ultimately what he serves. The ultimacy of that service profoundly affects the way he lives. When the society around him also turns away from God to idols, it is an idolatrous society and therefore is heading for destruction. [1] A biblical perspective on societal decline The first commandment in Gods Big Ten is, You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). This commandment does not acknowledge the existence of other gods as real entities. Instead, it emphasizes the exclusive worship and devotion to the one true God. Nothing must ever come before him or be first in ones heart or life. The Lord is to be loved supremely because he is Supreme and worthy of being supremely adored and obeyed. John Calvin, the 16th-century theologian, and reformer, has said, Mans mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind, it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain. [3] This insightful observation rings especially true today. The Western world, long shaped by the precepts of Christianity, now finds itself in what many describe as a post-Christian era. This shift is evident in societys increasing turn to modern idols, placing faith in various temporal and unreliable constructs rather than in the eternal truths of God. As the foundational values of Christianity are set aside, the guiding light that once led the West through centuries of profound moral and cultural development dims with each passing day. This situation challenges us to reexamine the sources of our deepest convictions and the true nature of our ultimate allegiance. Idols of modern society Consider these seven pervasive idols in todays society, which people often prioritize over spiritual values. While these are indeed significant, others might suggest different influential idolatrous forces, depending on their perspective. However, these seven seem the most prominent in Western cultures, and other potential idols mentioned would likely fall under one of these categories. Humanism Definition and beliefs: Humanism is an approach to life that focuses on human rationality, ethics, and justice, without reference to the divine. This worldview advocates for the preeminence of reason, scientific discovery, and a human-based morality. While most often humanism is secular, it may at times wed itself to religious beliefs, but the approach, nevertheless, is still man-centered, denying the Sovereignty and power of God. Impact on society: Progressive Christianity is a solid example of the integration of humanism with religion, more specifically, the Christian religion. Generally speaking, Progressive Christians see the Bible as simply a collection of historical and moral writings rather than the inerrant and infallible Word of the Almighty. They typically prioritize contemporary human experience and rational thought when interpreting the Scriptures, downplaying and reinterpreting aspects of the Bible that proclaim Gods dominion and miraculous ability. In contrast, a Biblical worldview stresses Gods authority and his incomparable capacity nothing is impossible with God. It emphasizes the Bible as the unfailing standard for truth, against which all truth claims are to be measured. Although humanity is created in the image of God with inestimable value and dignity, mankind is fallen and broken on every level, spiritually dead in sin, and desperately in need of redemption through Christ. Human abilities are finite, while Gods are infinite. This perspective encourages individuals to reject relying on their own flawed reasoning, acknowledging that human intellect, no matter how high its quotient, is seriously defective because of sin, and therefore not the ultimate source for discerning truth. Instead, true human welfare and moral responsibility are rooted in a personal relationship with an omniscient God and adherence to his commandments, directed through prayer and the Scriptures. The Bible says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6). Destructive example: Perhaps the most destructive example of the humanist perspective is their advocacy for so-called reproductive rights through the practice of abortion. They base their arguments on principles of individual autonomy, bodily integrity, and gender equality, asserting that women should have the right to make decisions about their bodies without interference from the state or religious influences. Humanists emphasize the importance of abortion access for womens health and socioeconomic stability, rejecting religious objections based on scriptural teachings. Instead, they believe moral decisions should be based entirely on reasoned considerations. This perspective, however, dismisses the sacred contentions that human life possesses intrinsic value from the moment of conception and disputes the assertion that God alone holds the keys to both life and death. Eve was the first humanist. She believed the secular argument, You will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). In other words, she thought she could attain wisdom and carry out her life without God or true religion. Eve was the first to succumb to self-worship, and Adam quickly followed her in the same error. Every form of suffering known to mankind physical, emotional, social, and spiritual flowed from this initial act by Adam and Eve, who chose to trust in their own understanding rather than acknowledge God and his benevolent directives. Unfortunately, humanism is a monstrous and deadly idol of today. Schlossberg has written: When once a man lavishes theological distinctions upon himself, he is less likely to suspect that there exists a standard of behavior more exacting than his own or that a righteous judge is observing his actions. [2] Historicism Origins and development: Historicism is the belief that history has a discernible direction and that events unfold according to specific patterns and logic. Historicism evolved over several centuries, positing that historical events, cultures, and values are products of their time, shaped by distinct contexts and processes. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who lived during the 18th and 19th centuries, profoundly influenced historicism with his philosophy of history. Hegel viewed history as a dialectical process, where the unfolding of the World Spirit (Geist) ultimately leads to the realization of human freedom. Historicism continues to intensely influence various ideologies and movements today. Marxism: Marxism is fundamentally rooted in historicism through its theory of historical materialism. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels proposed that history progresses through stages driven by class struggle, leading ultimately to a classless society. This view sees economic and social developments as following a predictable and inevitable path based on material conditions and class relations. Although not a dominant ideology, Marxism continues to exert influence in the United States, particularly within academic, cultural, and political spheres. In universities, Marxist theory is prevalent in the humanities and social sciences curricula, where it informs critical approaches to literature, sociology, and cultural studies. Culturally, Marxist critiques of capitalism are reflected in various media, art, and literature. Politically, progressive movements and some left-leaning politicians today draw on Marxist ideas to advocate for economic justice, labor rights, and wealth redistribution. Debates about income inequality, labor rights, and economic policies are often framed within a Marxist critique of capitalist structures. Marxist thought remains a significant undercurrent in discussions about social and economic issues in the U.S. From a biblical worldview, however, Marxisms focus on class struggle and economic conditions as the primary drivers of societal change reflects a historicist perspective that sees history progressing through unstoppable stages. This contrasts with the Bibles teaching that human nature is inherently sinful and that true transformation comes only through spiritual renewal in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17), rather than through social or economic restructuring. While Marxism, influenced by historicism, advocates for the abolition of private property and collective ownership, the Bible upholds the legitimacy of private property and emphasizes responsible stewardship and generosity (Exodus 20:15; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Additionally, Marxism envisions a state-controlled economic and social system to achieve equality, which is a historicist belief in the deterministic progression of society. In contrast, the Bible supports limited government that maintains order and justice, warns against excessive power, and advocates for personal responsibility and charity (Romans 13:1-7; Micah 6:8). Finally, whereas Marxisms materialistic focus on economic conditions aligns with historicist views, the Bible prioritizes spiritual wealth over material possessions, teaching that the pursuit of material goods can lead people away from God (Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Timothy 6:10). LGBT rights movement: The LGBT rights movement can also be seen through a historicist lens. The legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries, increased recognition of transgender rights, and broader societal acceptance of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are considered milestones in an inescapable historical progression toward inclusivity and human rights. In 2020, Netflix featured a documentary titled Miss Americana. In the film, superstar Taylor Swift discussed her decision to speak out on LGBT issues, despite concerns from her management team and her father about potential backlash and risks to her singing career. Swift passionately insisted on showing support for the LGBT movement, expressing her desire to be on the right side of history. When activists and supporters of LGBT rights use this oft-repeated phrase, they are drawing from the well of historicism, which suggests that history bends towards justice, equality, and greater freedom. This statement implies that supporting LGBT rights is part of this inevitable progress and that those who oppose these rights will be judged negatively by future generations, much like past opposition to civil rights or womens suffrage. However, the Scriptures, despite contradictions by the false prophets (clergy) of Progressive Christianity, teach that God will judge unbridled sexual sin sex outside the marriage of one man and one woman. Those who live sexually pure may suffer the perverted judgment of men, but ultimately, it is God who will judge the sexually immoral and reward the righteous. Environmental movement: Even the current environmental movement incorporates historicist thinking by framing the climate change crisis as part of a historical trajectory of industrialization and environmental degradation. The shift towards green energy and other eco-friendly practices is seen as a necessary response to something that history has predestined. Nevertheless, there is considerable evidence that many objectives of the environmental movements agenda may do more harm than good. Historicism is a wicked idol to which the masses bow down an idol that discounts Gods providence in history. It is an affront to Gods control of the past, present, and future. As someone has said, History is, His Story, and this is most definitely the case. Nothing ever takes God by surprise. Each event in history is part and parcel of a divinely directed plan. So, whether its Marxism on the move, LGBT activism, or the environmental crusade, the Bible teaches that true equality, justice, and stewardship of the earths resources must align with Gods unchanging Word, not deceptive narratives of historical inevitability. If people really want to get on the right side of history, they should get on Gods side. Those things that do not align with Gods revelation will be judged by him, as will the people who practice them. God will have no rival over history. History belongs exclusively to Him. The Lord declares in the Scripture, Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, and what is still to come (Isaiah 46:9-10). Evolutionary science Prevalence and acceptance: Evolutionary science, which speaks to humanitys origins, is highly prevalent and widely accepted nowadays. It is the very backbone of the biological sciences taught in universities and colleges worldwide. A tremendous amount of research funding is allocated to evolutionary studies, and numerous peer-reviewed journals regularly publish their conclusions in this field. Educational standards, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the U.S., include evolution as a fundamental concept for K-12 education. Leading scientific organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), endorse evolution as a crucial framework for understanding life on earth. The late Dr. John N. Moore, once a natural science educator at Michigan State University, wrote about how widely evolutionary thinking has been adopted: Today, evolutionary thinking has been adopted without question in every major discipline of human knowledge. This condition is the reverse of the intellectual climate when Charles Darwin was preparing for his famous voyage around the world on the H.M.S. Beagle, which began in 1831. At that time the predominant belief regarding origins was in favor of special creation. The modern synthetic theory of evolution (a modification of Neo-Darwinism, which in turn was a modification of Darwinism) has been unquestionably adopted in economics, psychology, education, theology, philosophy, American history, political science, literature, and science. The enormity of this capture of the minds of such a wide range of intellectuals is seen as even more colossal when a candid inspection reveals the fact that mega evolution (amoeba to man) is without any observational foundation. [4] Evolutions impact: In the last chapter of his book, Questions and Answers on Creation/Evolution, Moore precedes to show how evolution has deeply impacted every major discipline of knowledge he mentioned. Moore goes on to explain why the question of origins is so important. He says: Fundamentally, the issue involved in the creation-evolution controversy is a spiritual question. Is the individual in right relation with God the Creator with Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Savior? For if Jesus Christ is not known personally as Lord, Master, and Creator of all things, then evolution, as amoeba to man, is the only basic substitute. Science began as an intellectual pursuit as a result of those men like Kepler, Newton, Clerk-Maxwell, and others who believed in God, the Creator. If humankind is not a special creation of God, then an animal origin is the only logical alternative. Nowhere does Scripture contain even a hint that God chose some anthropoid, some near man, and breathed the breath of life into it. With God all things are possible, and he breathed the breath of life into the dust of the earth. Naturalistically oriented atheists will not have God, so they must believe that humankind evolved. [5] In other words, Moore rightly contends that atheism logically follows from the findings and advocacy of evolutionary science. Theistic evolution? Some argue against this claim, pointing out that many people today identify as theistic evolutionists. Theistic evolutionists believe that God used evolutionary processes to bring the universe, the earth, and various life forms into existence. Several years ago, a reporter from Seed Magazine read an article I wrote about evolution and requested an interview. During the interview, she asked how a good Christian should respond if evolution were proven true, as many scientists insist it is. [6] I responded that it is impossible and will remain impossible to scientifically prove the theory of evolution, regardless of how many scientists claim otherwise. Scientists who assert that evolution has been scientifically proven are spreading false teachings. Evolution operates too slowly to be measured within a human timeframe. Observing the transmutation of one organism into a higher form would presumably take millions of years, making it beyond the realm of empirical science. Although there is evidence of small variations within species today, there is no way to conclusively prove that these changes can eventually lead to different and higher kinds. Furthermore, I told her that evolution poses an insurmountable difficulty for any Christian serious about their faith. Evolution is neither scientific by strict definition nor is it good theology. The God of the Bible is not a God of chance, confusion, random combinations, natural selection, and survival of the fittestcore doctrines of evolution. God is sovereign over all matters of His creation. Evolution, by definition, denies this sovereignty and repudiates the full scope of Gods work in Jesus Christ, from creation to consummation. Clergy and church leaders who fail to recognize this end up presenting a gospel of randomness and uncertainty. By embracing evolution as part of their faith, they inadvertently lead people away from a God of creative purpose to a god of chance. Evolutions harms: Evolutionary science might be the most beloved god of modern times. It promises a better understanding of humanity but bitterly betrays its followers. By promoting a naturalistic worldview that excludes God, evolution contributes to moral relativism, which undermines humanitys ability to experience genuine unity. Without belief in divine creation, even the sanctity of human life is weakened. If humans are merely products of random processes and natural selection, rather than beings uniquely created in the image of God with inherent dignity and purpose, then what becomes the basis of human worth and ethical standards? Is it simply one animals thinking over others? God help us if that is the case! Social concepts born out of evolutionary science have unquestionably been associated with harmful ideologies such as social Darwinism, which applies the concept of survival of the fittest to human societies, justifying eugenics, racism, and inequality. The Scripture says, They traded the truth about God for a lie. So, they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen (Romans 1:25). What a cruel and heartless god is the god of evolutionary science. Resources: [1] Herbert Schlossberg, Idols of Destruction (Nashville, Camden, New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), 6. [2] Ibid. 40. [3] Brainy Quote, John Calvin Quotes, BrainyQuote, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_calvin_182879 (accessed June 20, 2024). [4] John N. Moore, Questions and Answers on Creation/Evolution (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), 82. [5] Ibid. 91-92. [6] Mark Creech, Seed Magazine Writes About The Clergy Letter Project, Crosswalk, April 4, 2006, https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/seed-magazine-writes-about-the-clergy-letter-project-1386980.html (accessed June 21, 2024). Home Opinion The secret to no scandals in my pastoral ministry Moral failure amongst leaders has recently come in like a flood not just in the past week, but, sadly, on a regular basis. Our hearts are broken whenever we learn of a pastor of a big or small church who gets involved in immoral behavior. After 53 years in ministry, sans scandals, I am happy to report that there is an antidote to the poison of moral failure. A prophylactic antidote that is practical, regular and non-negotiable. Its called one-on-one, man-to-man accountability. Being a pastor myself, the regular practice of accountability has kept me from any kind of moral failure these past 53 years. On Sunday, June 27, 1971, I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The following Friday night, I was invited to and attended a Bible study for military men stationed in San Diego. The man who was leading the study afterward came to me and firmly stated, Devlin, until you leave for the war in Vietnam, youre going to be here at this study and youre going to be accountable to me. As a newborn baby Christian and 19-year-old heading off to war, this man taught me the value of accountability. Once in Vietnam, in a unit of 250 me, there was only one other follower of Jesus: Smitty. For the next two years, Smitty and I met every week, and I was accountable to this first-class petty officer in my unit. My one-on-one accountability relationship to other men, non-negotiable for one hour a week, has continued to this day, June 2024. As a Christian leader and pastor, people often ask me, What is the recipe for your godly success in your marriage, your family, your children and grandchildren and pastorate to the Persecuted Church? I respond, The grace of God and long-term accountability. My current accountability prayer partner is brother Jeff Howe whom I meet with for an hour, every Friday morning at 8 am. For my life and ministry, accountability is defined by a non-negotiable hour with a trusted brother. In other words, out of 168 hours a week, I will spend one hour every week with brother Jeff, and I am accountable to him for what I call the 5 Fs: Family, Faith, Finance, Fitness and Fasting. Each of those Fs have a meaning that is practical, measurable and objective. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Am I loving my wife of 45 years as Christ loves the church? Am I continuing to disciple by example and by my words our five children, their spouses, and our five grandchildren? Is my faith in Jesus on the cutting edge? Is my faith fresh, exciting, and relevant in the midst of a spirit of brokenness as I minister to the Persecuted Church? Are my finances in my personal life, our marriage, and in ministry always above board? Am I working hard to be in compliance and accountable with finances to my ministrys investors/donors and to the reports the government requires of me? Am I staying healthy by eating the right foods and keeping my weight at a level where I can run fast for Jesus? And because God requires His people to privately and publicly fast from food, do I have a regular discipline of fasting? Jesus reminds us we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and then, follow Him. Pastor, what is your accountability structure? Are you living out the 5 Fs? Family, Faith, Finance, Fitness, Fasting? Run, dont walk live-out those 5 Fs. Blasphemy law wielded against Christian in Pakistan Police in Pakistan on Sunday arrested a Christian under blasphemy laws as part of his siblings' effort to retaliate against him over a property dispute, sources said. The arrest came the same day a key government minister admitted on the floor of the National Assembly that the state has failed to protect religious minorities in Pakistan against false blasphemy accusations. Officers from the Okara A-Division Police Station arrested Chand Shamaun, 26, from his home in Christian Colony in Okara District, Punjab Province, in response to a dispute he had with his siblings over his share in their ancestral house the previous night, said area Christian leader Younis Chauhan. Chauhan said that he was present with other Christians when Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mehr Yousaf arrived with other officers. "The police asked us if we knew anything about a Quran desecration incident in the colony," Chauhan told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "When we told them that no such incident had occurred, DSP Yousaf told me to take them to Chand Shamaun's house. On reaching the place, the police arrested Chand's elder brother Zeeshan Shamaun, who was sleeping at the time." Chand Shamaun arrived and he was also taken into custody, he said. Chauhan said that when area residents asked police why they were arresting the two brothers, Yousaf said they had received information that Chand Shamaun had desecrated the Quran. "We told the police that though the siblings often quarreled over their share in property, no blasphemy had been committed," Chauhan said. "The DSP assured us that the brothers would be prosecuted under sections 147 and 151 of the Pakistan Penal Code for disturbing public peace, and they could obtain bail from the court on Monday." A few hours later, however, they were surprised when eight to 10 police vehicles arrived and cordoned off the streets leading to Chand Shamaun's house, he said. "It was then we came to know that police had registered a First Information Report [FIR] against Chand under Section 295-A [of Pakistan's blasphemy statutes] and Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997," he said. Section 295-A prescribes imprisonment of up to 10 years for "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs." Section 9 of the ATA 1997 relates to "acts intended or likely to stir up sectarian hatred" and is punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years. Chauhan said that several Christian families upon seeing the police deployment locked their homes and left the colony, fearing that the blasphemy allegation could provoke violent protests by Islamist groups. "Fortunately, there were no protests in the city, and residents have started returning to their homes," he said. Chand Shamaun works as an ambulance driver and has two minor children, he said. His brother Zeeshan was still in police custody at this writing. Their family members could not be reached for comment. Abraham Daniel, bishop of the Baptist Church in Sahiwal, criticized police for registering a false FIR against the Christian. "The FIR registered on the complaint of a police Sub-Inspector Haider Ali states that he and five other policemen were standing outside the District Headquarters Hospital Okara when Chand Shamaun came there and started shouting that he would burn the Quran because of his differences with Zeeshan and his sister Zunaira, who had converted to Islam some time ago," Daniel told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. According to Ali, when the police tried to arrest Chand Shamaun, he fled on foot to Christian Colony, he said. "I believe that the allegation brought against Chand is based on police mala fide," Daniel said. "They turned a family dispute into a religious incident when in fact no blasphemy had been committed." He said he regretted that blasphemy laws were being blatantly misused against Christians in Pakistan. "False blasphemy allegations and cases have become a norm here," he said. "The situation has reached the point where entire neighborhoods are abandoned merely on the basis of accusation. The case against Chand is a cause of concern because the complainant is not a private individual but a police officer who apparently concocted the incident." 'Minorities Unsafe' Also on Sunday, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in an address to a special session of the National Assembly that he regretted surging incidents of mob violence against religious minorities in Pakistan. "Minorities are being murdered daily," Asif said. "No religious minority is safe in Pakistan. Even the smaller sects of the Muslims are not safe." The minister said treasury members wanted to bring a resolution in the House in support of the religious minorities. "Our Constitution provides protection to the minorities, but practically we are seeing them being murdered in Swat, Sargodha and Faisalabad," he said. "This is a matter of concern and embarrassment [for the nation]." One June 20 a mob in the Madyan police station in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province lynched a Muslim resident of Sialkot. Police had detained Muhammad Suleman for alleged desecration of the Quran. The mob not only killed him but set his body on fire, along with the police station and an official vehicle. On May 25, a frenzied Muslim mob, including women and children beat a 74-year-old Christian, Nazeer Masih Gill, with stones and sticks after a local rival accused him of burning pages of the Quran. The mob also set fire to Gill's shoe factory and house. He underwent two head surgeries but succumbed to his wounds nine days later, on June 3. Blasphemy charges were not proven against any of those people, Asif told the House. "We must ensure the safety of our minority brothers and sisters," he said. "They have as much right to live in this country as the majority. Pakistan belongs to all Pakistanis, regardless of whether they are Muslim, Christian, Sikh, or of any other faith. Our Constitution guarantees full protection to minorities." Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar later read a resolution emphasizing that "the right to life is the most cherished right enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan." "This House takes serious notice of the recent mob lynching of our citizens accused of offenses in Swat and Sargodha," Tarar read. "It is noted that such incidents have recently increased in different parts of the country." The resolution further urged the federal and provincial governments "to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including religious minorities and other vulnerable segments of society." The National Assembly thus specifically called for "the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to take immediate and necessary measures to identify, investigate and prosecute those involved in these incidents under the relevant laws." "Furthermore, the House expressed the expectation that the courts would ensure immediate and speedy justice in these cases, underscoring the need for swift legal action to prevent future occurrences of such tragic events," the resolution concluded. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. Christian Daily International-Morning Star News Pride and Catholic schools We are living through an intense culture war. The aim of one side is to overwhelm our Christian civilisation, upon which so much of our human flourishing depends. The determination of the other is to defend it. The chosen battlefield by the progressives has become sex, and in particular the sexualization of our children. The strategy behind this slow, careful strategy to corrupt our children is usually to appeal to our pity and compassion for people supposedly marginalized by their erotic preferences. This worked very well for a while. But as all observers of ideological movements from the Left will know, the process begins with a plea for inclusion, and then turns rapidly into an exercise of power, enforcing compulsion. Which is where we are now with LGBTQ+ 'rights'. Those who don't subscribe to them currently face a serious range of sanctions from social excommunication to unemployment and de-banking. Who is being bullied now? One of the few organisations and philosophies to resist this is the Catholic Church. So it's no surprise that whenever a Catholic diocese or school has the effrontery to choose to teach and preserve its own values in a way that is consistent with the faith, the stormtroopers of DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) - or as it would be better to refer to it, DIE - take to the streets to intimidate them back into line. And this is exactly what has just happened in Nottingham. Bishop Patrick McKinney recently broke ranks with more quiescent episcopal colleagues, and directed his board of education to offer clear guidance that Catholic schools were under no compulsion to inflict the celebration of 'Pride month' on their children. The guidance even discouraged the self-identification of children suffering from gender dysphoria. It disallows children who want to change their gender from insisting on their preferred pronouns in almost every instance, insists they wear uniforms consistent with their biology, and refuses them access to the other sex's changing rooms, showers and toilets. As you might expect, the National Educational Union immediately ordered a picket and a demonstration outside the diocesan offices. Hoping that no one would notice the complete reversal of power relations, they offered a loud public lament - a kind of velvet glove designed to hide the iron fist. David Pike, their regional officer, claimed, "This guidance has banned Pride, massively restricted the role of LGBT student groups and reduced the support teachers can give to the most vulnerable. I went to a very religious school as a child and was bullied for being gay - my teachers did nothing about it." Any bullying is to be called out and lamented, but Mr Pike's personal history, sad as it is, doesn't help us in our need to formulate a policy for helping children negotiate the complexities of sexuality during adolescence. The people who are most vulnerable today are in fact parents who resist the sexualisation of their children at the hands of a state promoting a propaganda that sets out to expose children even before adolescence, and inflict an unquestioning obedience to a worldview of relativism and hedonism. Anyone following social media will know that 'coming out' as gay no longer courts victimhood but has become a badge of social honour. Anyone claiming the status of 'trans' today attracts immediate affirming attention. Councillor Cheryl Bernard, Nottingham City Council's cabinet member for children, young people and education, warned she would write a letter to the diocese to demand a change. It's worth considering her arguments, such as they are. "Nottingham is trying to be a child-friendly city that listens to what children want and makes sure that LGBT+ children are recognised, as well as being included as equals," she said. But it is not 'child-friendly' to withdraw the ethical teaching of familial faith and the culture our civilisation has been built on. It's not child-friendly to leave children in a vacuum of moral principles that promotes sex as a recreation without consequences. It's not child-friendly to turn to the abortion of conceived children in the womb. It is in fact harmful to children. In what other areas of life do we simply 'listen to what children want' and do it without question? Adults, parents and teachers have to play a role in protecting children from themselves, where their appetites, judgement and experience present a danger to their own wellbeing. The abandonment of guidance, guidelines, moral teaching and boundaries constitutes a form of reprehensible abandonment of adult responsibility. And of course, the stance is wholly hypocritical. If a Christian child preferred to maintain Christian morality and Christian ethics, the Left-wing teaching profession would abandon this pretense of neutrality in favour of 'what children want' and suddenly become aggressively absolutist in pursuit of their demands for conformity to their ethical preferences. The plea to treat LGBTQ+ children as equals is another example of pleading victimhood where it doesn't exist. Apart from anything else, Catholic teaching could not be clearer that all human beings are made in the image of God and all categorisations of preference are to be wholly resisted. Ms Bernard protested, "This a regressive step that has been done without any consultation at all." Postponing the question of what constitutes progress and decadence and who decides it, this shows profound disrespect for Catholic culture and identity. No one is forced to choose a Catholic education for their children. The Church does not have to 'consult' atheist teachers about its values. But it represents a sense of shock that a Catholic bishop decided to defend Christian ethics and the children entrusted to the care of the Catholic educational vision. Ms Bernard continued, "The pope himself is less hardline than what the bishop has said in this guidance. This leaves children with nobody to talk to if they can't talk to their parents, as teachers are worried they might be sacked if they say anything. Children's mental health and wellbeing is at an all-time low after the Covid pandemic and this is not going to help LGBT+ children at all." Leaving aside for a moment the ambiguity and difficulties that Pope Francis' public (in Catholic ecclesiology 'fallible') pronouncements have caused, and what constitutes 'hardline' rather than faithful, the threat that children have no one to talk to "if they can't talk to their parents" and that "teachers are worried they might get sacked if they say anything" is wholly misleading. Not celebrating 'Pride', whose marches are celebrations of unrestrained adult rampant sexuality, is unlikely to cause a sudden and devastating repression with no one to talk to. Instead it will provide children with a little more space than they might otherwise have had, freer of the propaganda of hedonism and aggressively suggestive sexual anarchy. If they chose to expose themselves to Pride, they would do so because their parents support it and that would be their business. But it is not the business of the state or of left-leaning unions to overturn Catholic ethics, virtue and vision to enforce their own decadence. At the heart of this conflict lies two wholly different assessments of how our culture manages and relates to sex. The progressives relegate it to recreation and assume that practising sexual intimacy has no consequences for either children or adults. Catholics, in particular with their ethical stance on contraception, see sexual intimacy as flourishing best within the permanent context of marriage between a man and a woman, with having children together featuring centrally. One preference leads to decadence, and the other leads to stable, flourishing family unions. Each of us should be free to choose which we prefer for ourselves, our schools and our children, without being bullied. Tony Evans' son says he'll be there for his father after admission of past sin The son of Pastor Tony Evans says it is "an honour" to be there for his father in his hour of need after his recent decision to step away from ministry because of a past sin. The admission from Evans senior has sent shockwaves through the Christian community. He has not reveal specific details about the sin but said it happened in the past and that he did not commit any crime. He has now started a process of healing and recovery overseen by elders at his church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. His son, Jonathan Evans, who is associate pastor of Oak Cliff's NextGen Ministry, preached the Father's Day sermon over the weekend in place of his father. He said he only found out about the sin three days before his father's public confession and that he had been told "the exact same thing" as the congregation. "No more. No less," he said. Preaching from Psalm 46, which extols God's victory, Evans junior said he was confident that his father would return to ministry in victory. "Let me tell you, let me put it this way, my dad has been there for all of my challenges," said Jonathan Evans. "Yes sir, he's been there for a lot of y'all challenges, whether it's counselling, whether it's preaching, radio, some of y'all YouTube, whatever medium [it] has been, he's been there, so it's an honour for me to return the favour." He said that people have been asking him how he feels about what has happened. He believes the victory has already been won and his father will return to the pulpit. "Let me tell you, I feel like we've already won. I feel like we're on offence, not defence," he continued. "I feel like we already have victory. I feel like His word is true. I feel like He's going to finish the work that He started. I feel like, if it's not good yet, God's not done yet. I feel like all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes. I feel like just because it's a shock to you, doesn't mean it's a shock to Him." He said he would not base his response on current circumstances but "the reality of the Saviour, because His Word is true". "So what are we going to do? We going to play offence," he said. "We're going to go and do and be what God has called us to go and do and be. And when he returns, when my dad returns, when that time comes, we going to celebrate a victory we already knew beforehand that we had." We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form ICT is a key driver in Asia Pacifics digital economy, with a strong CAGR of 13% from 2020 to 2025, ahead of other regions. This has sparked not only lifestyle changes and new businesses, but also has impacted social welfare and daily life in Asia Pacific countries. Think of reduced unemployment rate (the regional average stands at 3.1% in 2024, much lower than the global rate of 5.2%), the emergence of new types of labour (15% of Indonesias urban population are new types of labour, according to Huaweis insights), asset appreciation, low carbon emissions, and rural revitalization (Thailand is doing live streaming to sell its agricultural products), to name a few. This progress is made possible thanks to the development of ICT infrastructure. The digital economy also generates huge demands for cloud services in this region. In the case of Hong Kong and Singapore, the governments are addressing the growing needs by actively promoting the construction of intelligent infrastructure, including large-scale intelligent computing centers, DCI, and submarine cable landing pointsmaking them twin stars in the regions intelligent development. Its clear how ICT has played such a foundational role in the development of the digital economy. And to sustain its high economic growth, Asia Pacific must continue building higher-quality ICT infrastructure. The telecoms industry is at a crossroad As the digital economy wave sweeps our shores, telecom operatorssuppliers of ICT infrastructureface equal measures of challenges and opportunities. With the rise of digitalization, users have higher demands for network coverage and experience, intensifying competition among operators. Leading operators will have a greater advantage in the competition for high-value users, potentially creating a divide where they expand and seize new opportunities while their lagging counterparts struggle to balance profitability and investment. Currently, many Asia Pacific countries are undergoing large-scale construction of 5G and fiber broadband, posing network investment challenges for operators looking for pathways to commercial success. On the other hand, the digital economys increasing demand for ICTin tandem with trends like the circular economy and enterprise cloud adoptionoffers operators new business opportunities and scenarios. In the digital era, operators opportunities increasingly come from high-value digital services, high-value connections in enterprise scenarios, and the massive demand for the Internet of Things (IoT), which form the second growth curve of operators. Asia Pacific operators must actively transform during this critical period to overcome challenges and seize the benefits of the digital age. At the forefront of the regions digital economy development is China. Operators not only have many successful experiences in digital transformation, optimizing income structures, and enhancing revenue, they also have been strategically investing in ICT infrastructure alongside the Chinese government, building high-quality ICT infrastructure and nurturing new productivity. Chinas development of 5G and fiber broadband excels in all fronts. In the consumer markets and home markets, it is greatly improving peoples convenience while also driving a robust wave of industry digitalizationrapidly advancing Chinas digital economy to account for 41.5% of the overall economy. During this process, operators have achieved remarkable results on their second growth curve, with B2B enterprises and cloud businesses accounting for 24.4%, becoming strong growth drivers. This experience is worth learning for Asia Pacific operators to create a unique path for digital transformation and commercial success in the region. Three Key Recommendations for Operators Digital Transformation When it comes to modernizing a telecoms operations, we highlight three ways: Strengthen ICT infrastructure through technological innovation This is the foundation for the digital economys takeoff. To develop rapidly, the infrastructure must be robust. 5G, fiber broadband, and high-density low-carbon data centers are the pathways for ICT. Only by expanding these pathways can the digital economy develop without limitations. With more powerful network capabilities and better network experience, more and more services are carried on carriers networks, which naturally brings more profits to carriers. For instance, Hong Kong Telecomm has announced 5G-Advanced network and related new use casesthink of AR, glass-free 3D, and RedCapserving as success stories in Asia Pacific for operator-built advanced ICT infrastructure based on end-user access to bandwidth-intensive applications and services. 2. Co-create with industry partners to become incubators This is especially relevant for the development of new applications and scenarios through the breadth of ICT, cloud, and AI to achieve a win-win in this digital era. The significant dividends of the digital economy require the collective creation of all industry parties, including operators, equipment providers, content providers, and upstream and downstream industry chains. Together, they can open new blue oceans, accelerate the supply and demand cycle of the digital age, and drive the digital economy forward at high speed. For instance, AIS launched Fiber-To-the-Room service in Thailand, accompanied by 1Gbps downlink speed experience across every householdcollaborating with the existing ecosystem to offer smart home services to win over the market. 3. Fully leverage the local resource endowments of operators Think of telecom infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and trusted security advantages, that can help put you on the path of digitalization with unique regional characteristics. Asia Pacific is inclusive and dynamic, with rich localized applications such as Grab, Lazada, and Shopee. The local OTT players cooperate with local operators to offer customization to end users. In Thailand, Huawei supported the government in releasing a Thai large language model. Meanwhile in Indonesia, Huawei worked with operators to reduce fiber optic laying costs through its innovative Air-PON solution, extending electronic payments and online shopping to rural areas. Huawei and local operators work together to digitally transform various government sectors and improve peoples livelihoods, better serving and contributing to the local community. One recent example is that AIS, China Unicom, Huawei, and Midea have jointly implemented the first 5G fully connected factory in Southeast Asia, setting a new standard for smart manufacturing in the region. Digital transformation is no longer just a simple application of technology but a deep integration of technological innovation with economic, technological, and social systems. As Asia Pacific moves towards a golden period of digital economic development, Huawei is committed to being a technological innovator, industry leader, and local contributor in this region. By collaborating with local ICT industry partners through technological innovation, Huawei aims to build a solid ICT infrastructure, jointly promote the development of the regions digital economy, and contribute to its prosperity. Simon Lin President, Asia-Pacific, Huawei Technologies Linkedin Simon Lin serves as the President of Huawei Asia Pacific region. With over 20 years of international experience in the telecoms industry, Simon is a highly experienced ICT executive with a proven track record of achievements in business strategy, developing strategy to execute, organizational development, operation management, business environment and talent development. Simon joined Huawei in 2002. Prior to his current role, he has assumed several key roles in the company including the President of Huawei Deutsche Telekom Key Account Department and Vice President of Huawei Latin America. Simon holds a bachelors degree in wireless communication from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and a masters degree in economic management from Wuhan University. UN Women Moldova Country Office is looking for a Communication Officer. The Communications Officer ensures the timely and quality formulation and implementation of the communications and advocacy plans to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media and the public. The Communication Officer will support advocacy efforts, maintenance of media relations, and organizational outreach efforts, in order to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media and the public. The Communications Officer collaborates closely with other Country Office colleagues, as well as the Regional Office counterparts, to ensure communications activities and organizational outreach efforts are aligned with corporate communications policies and initiatives and follow innovative approaches and good practices. The Communications Officer promotes a client-oriented approach in UN Women. Interested candidates are invited to submit their online applications by 03 July 2024 to UN WOMEN Jobs - 116359- Communications Officer - Local post for Nationals (undp.org) , with the following documents: Motivation letter; Duly filled UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc . Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Note: In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment. Diversity and inclusion: At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Womens policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. By Chalabala, Adobe The founder and a former trustee of a childrens charity in Essex have been jailed after stealing 315,000 from the organisation, which was spent on online gambling and household bills. Ruksana Khan, 68, set up the charity Kidz Come First in 2011 with the aim of supporting children with terminal illnesses or disabilities. Khan set up the charity in her former home in Clacton which she shared with James Donovan, 58, who was a trustee of the organisation from its launch. Essex Police said that they stole 315,000 from the charity between 2011 and 2015. Khan pleaded guilty to fraud in 2021 and was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison this month. Meanwhile, Donovan denied three counts of fraud but was jailed for three years at Chelmsford Crown Court on 13 June. Background A police investigation was launched into the activity surrounding Kidz Come First in 2017 after complaints were received by the Charity Commission. Essex Police said that Donovan opened Kidz Come Firsts bank account and statements show that thousands of pounds were paid to Khans personal account, and the money was used on online gambling sites. Large sums were also paid to Donovan between 2013 and 2016 and some of the funds were spent on gambling websites. The charity was dissolved in 2016 and removed from the register the same month. Commission: Took advantage of public generosity A Charity Commission spokesperson said: We expect anyone working on behalf of a charity to do so with integrity. These individuals took advantage of public generosity and diverted much needed funds away from causes people care about. The verdict sends a strong warning to anyone seeking to misuse public goodwill for their own benefit, that they will be held to account. Most fundraising is genuine but on rare occasions when it isnt, the Commission will intervene. Our work was instrumental in putting a stop to this fraudulent operation. Working with the police and other law enforcement agencies is essential to detecting, deterring and preventing financial abuse so the British public can feel confident their charitable donations are being put to the intended use. Essex Police: Set up the charity with clear motive to steal funds Lead investigating officer, detective constable Claire March, said: This has been a complex investigation. Khan and Donovan have shown no remorse throughout this case. Khan set up the charity with a clear motive from the beginning to steal funds for their gambling addictions and lifestyle. To steal 315,000 from a childrens charity where the money should have been spent on disabled and terminally ill children for equipment, healthcare and respite holidays is absolutely shocking. They have both received the sentences they deserve. Police are in the process of applying for confiscation orders to recoup some of the money stolen. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Nonprofit news organizations including ProPublica, The Marshall Project, and The 19th have transformed the American media landscape in the past decade. But the Associated Press has been at it far longer. Throughout its 178-year history, the AP has been run as a not-for-profit cooperative. And talk about impact. The AP has been the backbone of the American news industry, providing coverage of global and national events, feeding local stories to the national press, reporting on elections, and declaring the victors. Unlike the current crop of nonprofits, the AP has been funded not by donations and grants, but by its members, news organizations across the country and around the world that license content. But thats changing. The news deserts that have spread across the US are not only bad for democracythey are bad for the APs business model. Fewer news organizations mean fewer AP members and therefore less revenue. Today, its national and international broadcasters who rely on the AP for content, especially video, that keeps the lights on. The AP has responded by seeking new funding to support coverage of key issues. Donations and grants from philanthropic organizations have helped underwrite AP reporting on democracy, science, religion, climate, and health. Additional philanthropic support has come from foundations with a media focus, particularly the Knight Foundation. All told, the AP has raised more than $61 million in philanthropic funding in the past seven years. While grants from foundations still represent a small percentage of the APs overall income, its a stream that is growing and, according to AP executive editor Julie Pace, could grow some more. Pace is particularly focused on attracting expanded support for coverage of state and local issues in the US. Theres just a very clear need for more news, and I would say high-quality, nonpartisan, independent news, Pace told me. Were going to try to raise money to address exactly this crisis. To achieve that goal, the AP plans to create a new sister organizationa 501(c)(3) nonprofit that Pace and others believe will make it easier to attract and manage an increasing flow of contributions. The new entitywhose structure and mandate are still being definedwould be a conduit to philanthropic investment in the AP and would support improvements to the local news and information ecosystem. The new entity will be governed by an independent board of directors and administered by the APs vice president of philanthropic development, who is being recruited. That position was held until recently by Lisa Gibbs, who left the AP to take on a new role as chief executive of the Pulitzer Center, which supports independent journalism through grants and educational programming. In 2017, Gibbs helped secure the APs first foundation grants, which were used to support health and science reporting. She negotiated partnerships with the nonprofit Report for America, which allowed the AP to bring on seventeen new statehouse reporters, and with Frontline, which later produced with the AP the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol. In May 2020, at the outset of the COVID pandemic, Gibbs hosted a virtual summit that connected the AP with major foundations. Several agreed to fund coverage in areas of particular concern, including climate and education. According to Gibbs, they were drawn to the APs enormous global reach, as well as its nonpartisan approach to news. I mean, Fox News uses AP and so does MSNBC, Gibbs noted. Sign up for CJRs daily email With the focus now on attracting philanthropic funding to support local news, Pace said the strategy is to survey the national landscape and fill in the gaps. One area where Pace believes the AP can contribute is the nuts and bolts of state government coverage, particularly as it relates to accountability. In March, in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election, the AP announced new content sharing agreements with a range of local nonprofits, from Cal Matters and Honolulu Civil Beat to The Texas Tribune, allowing the AP to bring their reporting to a national audience. In states where there is a robust local news organization, Pace envisions building on such effort. In other states, where AP reporters are often the only ones there, Pace hopes to bolster the APs own reporting. Pace believes that local news organizations across the country can benefit from the APs data journalism and analysis, along with access to visual journalism and robust election coverage. There is an understandably deep concern about the future of local news in this country, and of the industry as a whole, beset with layoffs, consolidation, and scandals. But there is also reason for optimism. Nonprofit news outlets across the country are producing outstanding journalism, and some are finding a critical audience. The funders supporting this partial renaissance are understandably proud of their efforts. Via a new effort called Press Forward, a coalition of funders led by the MacArthur Foundation, they have pledged more than $500 million to support local media in the coming years. But the AP also has a role to play in strengthening state and local news. Its not easy, and its not going to be fast or simple, Pace said. But we see this as very much the next step and the continuation of that mission that weve had for so long. Joel Simon is the founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest restaurant operator in the Philippines, is investigating an alleged data breach that may affect millions of its customers. We take this matter seriously and have launched an investigation to better understand the scope of the incident, Jollibee said in a statement on Saturday. The company, famous for its fried chicken and one of Asias biggest fast-food chain operators, said its e-commerce platforms are unaffected and remain operational. Cyber security group Deep Web Konek reported the alleged data breach on June 20, saying a user in a cybercrime forum claims to possess personal data of 32 million customers and 650 million records related to Jollibees food delivery operations. The compromised data included names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of customers, it said. We have implemented response protocols in addition to enhanced security measures to further protect data against threats, Jollibee said in a statement. Parallel to these efforts, we are working closely with relevant authorities and experts. Earlier this week, Philippine health maintenance organization Maxicare reported an alleged unauthorized access to the information of about 13,000 members, or less than 1% of its clients. Top photo: A service assistant prepares a customers take-out order at the Jollibee Foods Corp. restaurant in Taguig City, Manila, the Philippines, on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Jollibee will boost capital spending by a fifth to open 450 new stores mostly overseas, as the Philippines largest restaurant operator foresees a return to profit this year following its first annual loss in nearly three decades. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Ford Motor said Tuesday it is recalling 668,000 F-150 pickup trucks worldwide from the 2014 model year because vehicles can unexpectedly downshift into the first gear causing a loss of driver control or rear-wheel lockup. A loss of signal can cause a transmission downshift, regardless of vehicle speed, the company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software in the trucks. The Ford F-series pickup truck has been the best selling vehicle in the United States for more than 40 years. This is the latest recall by the automaker over the issue since 2016 and comes after NHTSA in March opened an investigation into whether 2014 model trucks needed to be recalled after receiving complaints about trucks unexpectedly downshifting without warning. The new recall covers 552,000 vehicles in the United States. Ford said it is aware of 300 warranty reports, 96 field reports and 124 customer complaints covering 482 vehicles related to unexpected transmission downshifting on 2014 F-150 vehicles, including two injury reports and one crash that may be related to the recall issue. NHTSA said one owner said he experienced an unexpected downshift causing his vehicle to crash into a concrete barrier and another vehicle, injuring both him and the driver of the other vehicle. Ford in 2016 recalled 153,000 2011-2012 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions to address the downshift issue. NHTSA opened a probe into the issue in December 2017 and in February 2019 Ford expanded its recall to cover 1.48 million F-150 trucks in North America, including 2013 models. Later in 2019, Ford issued a recall for 107,000 2013 F-150 vehicles due to an issue with the fix. Since March of this year, Ford and NHTSA have met on several occasions to discuss the issue before Ford agreed to the latest recall but Ford said the rate of unexpected downshift reports remains lower for 2014 vehicles than the 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles previously recalled. (Reporting by Shepardson in Washington Kaur and Tiwary in Bengaluru; editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Jason Neely) Apple Inc. unfairly fired an employee for making racist comments that were part of a toxic workplace culture at one of its London stores, according to a UK court ruling. Apples investigation, before firing Timothy Jeffries who worked as a genius at its store in White City, was poor and incomplete, an employment tribunal judge said. Apple didnt have a zero tolerance policy in place around discrimination and harassment, which it wanted to impose for the dismissal, according to the ruling published this week. In this case there was ample evidence that there was a culture in the repair room which embraced explicit language and some jokes which may be considered inappropriate, whether they referred to race or other sensitive issues, the judge said. Jeffries was not the only person who made inappropriate comments and Apple was investigating the repair room culture at the time. See you in nine months, Jeffries said bidding farewell to an employee when he turned to a female colleague of Chinese heritage and added, as long as you lot dont release another deadly disease on the world, according to the judgment. The employee made an official complaint over the incident. He was fired last year after an investigation and a disciplinary hearing at Apple. His comment was contrary to Apples expectations around standards of behavior, according to evidence given at trial. The judge said there was evidence that his colleagues, including the woman, took it as a joke and were not offended. No reasonable employer would dismiss somebody by relying on the application of a zero tolerance policy, which does not exist, he said. The UKs legal regime encourages employers to aim for a zero tolerance of race discrimination, which can attract the most severe punishment for any breach. Apple must clearly set out a zero tolerance policy and the consequences of its violation in order to implement it, the judge said. Im very happy with the outcome, Jeffries said after the ruling. Its important to read the judgment as a whole to understand the case in context. An Apple spokesperson declined to immediately comment. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Many more properties, including hundreds of thousands of homes across Florida and other parts of the Southeast, will be required to purchase flood insurance after July 31, due to revisions in federal flood maps. For some of the most exposed and populous parts of the region, south Florida, the changes means about 138,800 more structures in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties are now considered to be in the special flood hazard area, a significant increase from previous flood maps, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For properties with mortgages, most owners will be required to buy flood coverage, bringing opportunity to insurance agents and private flood insurers, but more costs for insureds. The maps for some parts of Florida have not been updated in 20 years, said Trevor Burgess, president and CEO of St. Petersburg-based Neptune Flood, one of the largest private flood insurance providers in the country. Neptune now writes more than 191,000 policies, and Burgess expects that number to grow with the Federal Emergency Management Agencys flood map revisions. The water levels are much higher now, the population has grown, and there have been a lot of changes to the landscape, Burgess said. The map revisions put about 252,015 structures in Miami-Dade County into the special hazard area, an increase of 45,420 structures from previous maps, FEMA data show. In Palm Beach County, some 34,154 properties are now in the flood zone, an increase of 5,800. In Broward County, home of Fort Lauderdale, almost 89,000 parcels that were previously in a low-risk area are now in a higher-risk flood zone, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. An agency official did not provide an estimate of the number of properties nationwide or across the Southeast, but people familiar with the maps said many parts of the region will be affected. The FEMA map revisions came out this month, just as a tropical disturbance dumped as much as 20 inches of rain on parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The flooding is expected to trigger thousands of claims on cars, homes and businesses, with insured losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Aon reported last week. The changes also come at a time when many vulnerable residents and businesses in parts of the Southeastern United States have backed away from flood insurance. In Texas, the number of National Flood Insurance Program policies has dropped by 6% in the last 12 months, according to Neptune, which analyzed the NFIP data. Louisiana, which has 440,000 flood policies, also has seen the number of policies shrink by 6% in the last year. Burgess pointed out that while FEMA has revised its maps, its partly up to communities to enforce the rules and disallow rebuilding in flood hazard areas. Many local jurisdictions have failed to do that. In Lee County, Florida, where Hurricane Ian brought heavy storm surge and flooding in 2022, FEMA this spring stripped local governments of community-wide flood insurance discounts after the federal agency determined that many structures were allowed to rebuild without elevating or taking other flood-damage prevention measures. Local officials are continuing to work with FEMA on lightening the penalties. A FEMA analysis of Hurricane Ian flood losses can be seen here. FEMA Last Year Released New Flood Insurance Rates by ZIP Code Top photo: Flash flooding in mid-June brought water into homes and cars in North Miami and elsewhere in south Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Councilman-at-Large Justin Tisdale -- a Notre Dame College graduate who has been working to try to save the recently closed college -- told council Monday (June 24) that there may be an opportunity for him and other college supporters to speak with lender Bank of America about keeping the college viable in some form. Notre Dame College (NDC), which has been located off South Green Road for nearly 100 years, closed following the recent spring semester, citing large debt and low enrollment. BATON ROUGE, Louisiana A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Louisiana challenging the states recently passed law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every classroom in public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union, representing parents of Louisiana public school children, confirmed in a post on social media that it was involved the lawsuit. The New York City law firm Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation are also are plaintiffs, according to CBS News. Public schools are not Sunday schools, the ACLU says in its post on social media. Louisiana public schools must remain welcoming to all students, regardless of their faith. Under the legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry last week, all public K-12 classrooms and state-funded universities will be required to display a poster-sized version of the Ten Commandments in large, easily readable font next year. There is no longstanding tradition of permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms in Louisiana or the United States more generally, the lawsuit says. Indeed, for nearly half a century, it has been well settled that the First Amendment forbids public schools from posting the Ten Commandments in this manner. The lawsuit cites the 1980 Supreme Court decision striking down a similar law passed in Kentucky. It also argues that Louisianas law unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the states favored religious scripture. It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that H.B. 71 requires schools to display do not belong in their own school community and should refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the states religious preferences, the lawsuit says. And it substantially interferes with and burdens the right of parents to direct their childrens religious education and upbringing. The lawsuit filed Monday seeks a court declaration that the new law, referred to in the lawsuit as HB 71, violates First Amendment clauses forbidding government establishment of religion and guaranteeing religious liberty. It also seeks an order prohibiting the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill has said she is looking forward to defending the states law. She issued a statement saying she couldnt comment directly on the lawsuit because she had not yet seen it. (The Associated Press contributed to this story.) Alex Jones speaks to reporters at the court house as he faces a second defamation trial over Sandy Hook claims in Waterbury, Connecticut, September 22, 2022. A federal bankruptcy court trustee appointed to oversee the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' estate is asking a judge to temporarily block families and other creditors from seizing assets related to his media company, as he readies "an orderly wind-down process" and sale. Trustee Christopher Murray "seeks this Court's intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course," according to his emergency filing Sunday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The move came after families who won a 2022 defamation lawsuit in Texas against Jones asked a state district court judge to compel his Free Speech Systems, which operates the Infowars platform, to turn over "all money," including "money held in any bank accounts or being controlled by any other third parties at the direction" of the media company. But Murray said in his request that the "specter of a pell-mell seizure of FSS's assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment of the interests of the chapter 7 estate for which the Trustee is responsible." The trustee's challenge is only the latest in the legal saga involving Jones, who broadcasts in the Austin area. He was sued in Texas and Connecticut by families who claimed he defamed them and inflicted emotional distress by repeatedly suggesting on his show that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax. A gunman killed 20 first-grade children and six adults at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. The families were awarded $1.5 billion in total in their lawsuits, but they have been unable to collect any of the money from Jones, who has claimed he can't afford that massive sum and filed for bankruptcy in the wake of the verdicts. During a court hearing this month, federal Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez agreed to allow Jones to convert his bankruptcy filing into a liquidation of his personal assets in order to help pay off the suits. But, in a decision that Jones had favored, the judge dismissed a separate bankruptcy case involving Free Speech Systems. By doing so, that has allowed Jones to continue broadcasting although the future of his show on Infowars remains uncertain and he had suggested for weeks that it could come to an end. At his defamation trial in Texas in 2022, Jones generally blamed "corporate media" for twisting his words and misportraying him, but didn't specify how. Jones' lawyer, Vickie Driver, said at this month's bankruptcy hearing that there is money that can go to the trustee in the form of the sale of Jones' $2.8 million Texas ranch. Court filings indicate Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems holds about $6 million in cash with more than $1 million in inventory. Neither Driver nor lawyers for the Sandy Hook families immediately responded to requests for comment Monday. A lawyer for the families in the Connecticut lawsuit against Jones had said they supported liquidating Free Speech Systems because they worry it would lead to individual families battling over the company's assets in state courts. Murray wants the court to impose a 90-day pause on any collection action by creditors against Free Speech System. It's unclear when the judge may rule. LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Julian Assange gestures as he speaks to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador on May 19, 2017 in London, England. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) WASHINGTON WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a British prison and on his way to a remote Pacific island on Tuesday where he will plead guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, according to court documents. The agreement will free Assange and end the yearslong legal battle over the publication of a trove of classified documents. Assange was charged by criminal information which typically signifies a plea deal with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, the court documents said. Wikileaks posted footage to X of Assange boarding a plane at Stanstead Airport near London at 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET) on Monday. A letter from Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie said Assange would appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S.-controlled territory north of Guam, at 9 a.m. local time Wednesday (7 p.m. ET Tuesday) to plead guilty. A plane believed to be carrying Assange landed early Tuesday in the Thai capital Bangkok to refuel. He will later arrive for what could be a final court hearing after spending five years in a British jail. The islands are 3,400 miles north of Australia, Assange's country of citizenship, where the Justice Department expects he will return following the proceedings. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that "the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia." Assange's mother, Christine Assange, said in a statement widely reported by Australian media: "I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy." His wife, Stella Assange, is currently in Australia with the couple's two children, aged 5 and 7, waiting for his arrival, she told BBC Radio 4. "He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge," she said, adding that she wasn't sure the deal would happen until the last 24 hours. She said she was "elated." Stella Assange, a lawyer, also told the Reuters news agency that she would seek a pardon on her husband's behalf. She said that accepting a guilty plea on an espionage charge created a "very serious concern" for journalists across the world. U.S. charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during President Barack Obama's first term. Starting in late 2009, according to the government, Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to use his WikiLeaks website to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of reports about the war in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of State Department cables and assessment briefs of detainees at the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Court documents revealing Assange's plea deal were filed Monday evening in U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Assange was expected to appear in that court and to be sentenced to 62 months, with credit for time served in British prison, meaning he would be free to return to Australia, where he was born. "This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice and there was no White House involvement in the plea deal decision," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday evening. The Chang'e-6 probe being successfully launched from China's Wenchang Spaceport in Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, on May 3, 2024. China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe returned to Earth on Tuesday, bringing back the first-ever samples from the unexplored far side of the moon. The re-entry capsule landed in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia at 2:07 p.m. local time, according to a Google-translated update from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), which declared the mission a "complete success." Chang'e-6 returned to Earth with soil collected from the South Pole-Aitken Basin a massive crater in the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth. The probe landed on the moon on June 2, took off again on June 4 and then spent 13 days in the moon's orbit before returning to Earth. In total, Chang'e-6 mission took 53 days from its May 3 departure from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan, an island off China's south coast. The probe will be airlifted to Beijing where its cabin will be opened and sample container removed. The return of Chang'e-6 comes within months of India landing its Chandrayaan-3 mission safely on the moon's unexplored south pole in August last year. The so-called "dark side" of the moon has long captivated attention it is always secluded from Earth's view because it is tidally locked and finishes one complete rotation in the same time it takes to circle Earth. The far side of the moon was first captured in images in 1959 by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft. Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed his congratulations to the CNSA for "another landmark achievement in my country's efforts to build a space power and a scientific and technological power," according to a Google translation of the leader's message, shared by the space institute. Chang'e-6's predecessor, Chang'e-5, successfully returned in 2020 after unfurling the first Chinese national flag on the moon. It had set out to collect roughly 2kg of lunar regolith. The feat turned China into just the third country after the U.S. and Soviet Union to achieve lunar sampling at the time, although it is not yet exactly known what it successfully brought back. Beijing's ambitions span wider, with China previously outlining plans to land an astronaut-crewed mission by 2030. National space programs have long served as symbols of international prestige, culminating in the 20th century race between Cold War rivals the U.S. and Soviet Union to pioneer and evolve spaceflight capabilities. Washington scored a critical victory when astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon in July 1969. Space programs have remained fixtures of substantial public interest and expenditure, with world government financing for such initiatives hitting a record $117 billion in 2023, according to Statista data. Despite this, the U.S.' renowned NASA has had to tighten its budget requests. China's Premier Li Qiang speaks during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Denis Balibouse | Reuters DALIAN, China Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday defended the country's technological development while criticizing efforts to restrict global cooperation. His remarks, at the opening of the World Economic Forum's "Summer Davos" meeting in Dalian, China, came amid rising tensions with the EU over imports of Chinese electric cars. "The rapid rise of China's new industries is rooted in our unique comparative advantages," Li said via an official English translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. He noted the country's large market, industrial network, labor force, diverse application scenarios and receptive consumers. "That is how China's emerging industries get their competitiveness," Li said. Earlier this month, the EU announced plans for tariffs on imports of Chinese electric cars. The U.S. has said it will raise duties on the vehicles to 100%. China and the EU have reportedly agreed to discuss the potential tariffs. "In many ways the depth of international cooperation determines the height of human development, so it's essential that we embrace each other with open arms," Li said, noting the need to "reject" confrontation. Andrzej Duda, president of Poland, and Pham Minh Chinh, prime minister of Vietnam, gave remarks after Li. The Chinese premier held state-level meetings in China with the two leaders ahead of the "Summer Davos." Li had said in his meeting with Duda that China hoped the EU would view the country's development objectively and create a fair market, according to state media. Poland is part of the EU. At the Forum's annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Li had said in a speech that technological innovation shouldn't be used as a way to restrict other countries. Beijing has repeatedly asked Washington to remove restrictions on Chinese companies that prevent them from buying advanced technology from U.S. firms. Economic outlook DALIAN, China Cisco is "very optimistic" about its growing business with Chinese electric car companies as they expand overseas, the company's Greater China head told CNBC on Tuesday. The EV segment is the U.S. tech giant's second-largest for the region Cisco generates most of its revenue in Greater China from manufacturing companies, and within that, electric cars form the largest category, said Ming Wong, vice president and CEO of Cisco Greater China. Chinese EV-makers have ramped up their global expansion in the last year as domestic competition intensified. However, trade tensions have escalated, with the U.S. and likely the European Union, increasing tariffs on imports of Chinese electric cars. That doesn't necessarily restrict their growth. Chinese automakers, such as BYD, are investing in local factories. Cisco, which provides networking equipment and software for businesses, is working with at least 10 electric car customers as they build factories, offices and research and development centers overseas, according to Wong. "At least as of now, we don't hear anything from the [EV] customers saying that, 'Oh, because of this, we need to stop investing, or we need to slow down,'" he added. "It's actually the other way around. A lot of things happening. They will keep pushing, going forward, and we'll see how this will evolve." Crude oil futures fell about 1% Tuesday as the recent rally took a breather, with traders watching for summer fuel demand and tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border. U.S. crude oil and global benchmark Brent are ahead by 4.9% and 4.1%, respectively, for the month as prices have bounced back from May doldrums on a more optimistic outlook for summer fuel demand. But the oil market slipped Tuesday as prices failed to maintain upside momentum, with funds liquidating recently acquired long positions, according to Ryan McKay, senior commodity strategist at TD Securities. Prices fell as consumer confidence slightly weakened in June, and the Richmond Federal Reserve's manufacturing index fell to -10 this month, down from zero in May. Here are Tuesday's closing energy prices: Though the rally has taken a breather, geopolitical tensions should prevent another rout in oil prices, as tensions between Israel and Lebanon raise the risk of a disruption to crude supplies, according to McKay. Israel and the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah have threatened war in recent days after trading fire across the Lebanon border for months. Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, the top U.S. military officer, warned Sunday that OPEC member Iran "would be more inclined to support Hezbollah" if Israel launched an offensive in Lebanon. "A renewed increase in our energy supply risk indicator can support price action in the near term, but ultimately we still argue the upside is likely capped by increasing global supply and potential OPEC+ increases, which puts 2025 balances in question," McKay said in a Tuesday note. Oil prices hit annual highs in April as Israel and Iran teetered on the brink of war, stoking fears that a wider conflict could engulf the Middle East and disrupt crude supplies. Prices subsequently pulled back as tensions eased. In this article DAL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The bar at the Delta One lounge at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Delta Air Lines' most exclusive airport lounge opened this week to travelers flying on the right ticket. The Delta One lounge at the carrier's hub at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport is available to customers departing or arriving in the Delta One cabin, the airline's highest tier of service. It's the latest effort by a U.S. airline to win over top-paying customers. CNBC got a peek inside before opening day. The more than 39,000-square-foot space features a high-end, sit-down restaurant, as well as a quick-bite bakery and walk-up food counter. It also features a full bar and a terrace overlooking the airfield. Leslie Josephs | CNBC The lounge, Delta's largest, is a step up from its more accessible Sky Club lounges, with new areas to relax. Travelers are offered complimentary spa treatments for the eyes, hands and arms and what it calls "recovery remedy," a 10-minute shoulder, scalp and temple massage. There are eight shower suites complete with robes and slippers, and travelers can leave their clothes out to be steamed by staff within minutes, Delta says. Amenities in bathroom and shower stall at Delta One lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Leslie Josephs | CNBC For travelers who want to continue to work, the space includes eight soundproof booths. In total, the lounge seats 515 people. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Delta is taking a page from the playbooks of American Airlines and United Airlines , which already offer dedicated lounges for travelers in their long-haul business or first-class cabins, but the carrier hopes the new amenities will attract more flyers to its Delta One cabin. Delta One lounge's dining area at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport Leslie Josephs | CNBC Delta last year said the average age of its SkyMiles members has dropped from 44 in 2017 to 39 in 2022, and the carrier wants to capture travelers' loyalty early. "It's important to note that not every new member starts out as a Million Miler," Dwight James, Delta's senior vice president of customer engagement and loyalty, said in an interview. "This notion of premium that we talk about is also aspirational." James declined to say how much Delta is investing in the lounge. Bar at Delta One lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Delta has struggled with overcrowding at some of its other Sky Clubs, even long lines to get in to some of them. Last year, it unveiled more restrictive entry requirements, only to walk some of them back weeks later after a customer uproar. "I feel really confident that the line issue will be addressed once this lounge opens," James said. In addition to travelers on Delta One tickets, the lounge will also be open to travelers with the secretive, invite-only "360" status Delta hands out to a select few. Travelers on Delta's partner airlines' equivalent cabins will also have access. A walk-up food counter at the new Delta One lounge at JFK Airport. Leslie Josephs | CNBC Finland has a history of being the happiest country in the world, and it's also among the most successful at advancing gender equity. A lot of that has to do with the laws and social policies it has in place. Many Nordic countries have generous paid leave policies, government-subsidized child care, free college (which can level access to high-paying jobs), pay gap reporting requirements and pay transparency policies. Businesses take pay equity seriously, too. At Framery, a Finnish manufacturing company with roughly 400 employees, the difference between what men and women get paid is roughly 1%. That's better than Finland's overall gender pay gap of 16%, according to OECD data. Anni Hallila, Framery's head of people and culture, explains three strategies that helped effectively close the gender pay gap at the company. 1. Salary reviews happen twice a year Framery's compensation team does a pay audit for their workforce twice a year, Hallila says. The company's workforce is split between those who work in manufacturing and office settings. Last year, there was a 1% pay gap among genders in the manufacturing workforce, with women being paid 1% more than men on average; meanwhile, among office workers, men were paid roughly 1% more than women. Routine pay audits are important to account for periodic promotions, raises and other salary adjustments to "make sure that we are not creating unjustified salary differences between men and women," Hallila says. 2. Salary gaps are made public In 2023, the European Parliament and Council approved the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which requires employers in European Union countries to review their compensation practices (including base pay, benefits, bonuses and other incentives) and publish their results to ensure gender equity. The directive also requires that employers communicate salary ranges on job ads or to candidates before the interview stage. The measures are set to go into effect in 2026. Meanwhile, at Framery, the company currently publishes its pay ratios between men and women in annual sustainability reports. The company began this practice in 2022 "to make sure people actually know this is an important thing for us, and that we are working actively toward ensuring an equitable pay for women and men," Hallila says. 3. Men and women are promoted at the same rates Freelance marketplace Upwork has long been documenting the most popular skills and specialties on its website. Among those that made the list this year are data analytics, social media marketing and accounting, according to its Most In-Demand Work Skills in 2024 report. These are the tasks, or groups of tasks, that were "more in demand year over year versus less in demand and what was up and coming," says Margaret Lilani, vice president of talent delivery at the company. Upwork groups its popular skills according to field, such as coding and sales. This year, it also included a list of its most in-demand customer service and admin support tasks, some of which don't necessarily require much experience. Here are its top five in the category. General virtual assistant "Imagine how much better the life of everyone you know would be if they had a virtual assistant to do their calendar, to help out with email, to spruce up some presentations," says Lilani. That's the sort of admin work general virtual assistants pick up and why they're so in demand. "And they can do it for multiple clients," says Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster. Their work can truly vary and some can specialize in tools like Microsoft Copilot or tasks like social media. "But the generalist nature also allows them to be nimble," if that's the route you're interested in, says Lilani. You do not necessarily need a bachelor's degree to become a virtual assistant, but it doesn't hurt to have one. General virtual assistants charge as much as $65 per hour on Upwork. Data entry This skill is all about inputting information into programs like Microsoft Excel or updating existing records. It can be tedious but it's necessary for all kinds of business functions, from customer tracking systems to applicant tracking systems. "It's a skill that's not going away," says Lilani. "We have to get the information into the right places, and we have to get it in there correctly." Many employers only require a high school diploma. Data entry specialists charge as much as $100 per hour on Upwork. Digital project management If a company wants to roll out a new branding campaign or redo their website, they'll often hire a digital project manager for that. "That project manager is going to keep that digital project on track," says Lilani. They'll design the scope, manage deadlines, "they're going to deliver on time and they're going to deliver at the quality that they promised to their clients," she says. The role encompasses many administrative tasks, hence its categorization under admin and customer service. Many of these roles will require a bachelor's degree and some work experience. Digital project managers charge as much as $200 per hour. General research services Research comes in handy in solving a myriad of business problems. It's "a critical component when we're discovering customer problems and deciding what to build next," for example, says Lilani. But it requires work. "There's so much information," she says. "You have to wade through it, you have to get to the right pieces of it and then you have to synthesize and derive insights from that." That's where researchers come in. They find that information, sift through it and help businesses reach conclusions to solve their problems. They can be generalists or experts in a particular field. Many employers will require a bachelor's and some experience. Some may even require a master's degree or a doctorate. Researchers charge as much as $175 per hour. Dropshipping and order processing Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri have temporarily halted significant parts of President Joe Biden's new student loan repayment plan, putting debt relief for millions of Americans in jeopardy. The Monday evening rulings stop the U.S. Department of Education from implementing major provisions of the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. Until the cases are decided, the Biden administration is prevented from forgiving any more debt under the new income-driven repayment plan and from further reducing borrowers' payments in July, as it planned to. More than 8 million borrowers have enrolled in the SAVE plan since it launched in August. Those enrolled were less than a week away from seeing their monthly bills drop by a half or more. "Borrowers will be disappointed [and] angry that financial relief was yanked away from them at the last minute," said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. More from Personal Finance: These are the least difficult areas in U.S. to buy a home How TikTok's viral 'no-spend month' could come back to bite you IRS will deny billions in 'improper' pandemic-era small business claims The preliminary injunctions are a result of lawsuits filed earlier this year by Republican-led states, which hoped to upend the Biden administration's creation of what it called the most affordable student loan repayment plan in history. Under the plan, many borrowers pay just 5% of their discretionary income toward their debt each month, and anyone making $32,800 or less has a $0 monthly payment. The states argued that the Biden administration was overstepping its authority and trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked its sweeping plan last year. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona vowed to fight for the relief. "Republican elected officials and special interests sued to block their own constituents from being able to benefit from this plan even though the Department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans," Cardona said in a statement Monday. "The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan," he added. Mattel aims to make 80% of its games colorblind accessible by the end of the year, before raising that amount to 90% in 2025, the company announced Tuesday. Mattel said the move is part of an inclusivity effort and will target some of its most popular products, including Uno, Phase 10, Dos, Blokus and Tumblin' Monkeys games, according to a press release. The toy manufacturer's portfolio-wide changes will ensure that classic colors are not the only way to differentiate cards or components for the majority of their games. Mobile versions of the card games will be updated with new symbols for colorblind identification, such as squares and triangles, according to the release. The new 'Beyond Colors' mobile decks are being led by Mattel163, Mattel's joint mobile game developer and publisher venture with NetEase . Mattel, citing the Cleveland Clinic, said that approximately 300 million people experience some form of colorblindness, and it is working to break down barriers to gameplay. "At Mattel, we are proud that our portfolio of games continues to bring people together transcending languages and cultures and this initiative to offer more colorblind accessible games is another proof point on our inclusivity journey," Vice President and Global Head of Games Ray Adler said in the announcement. Mattel said it will donate colorblind accessible products to local YMCA summer camps to celebrate this milestone. The European Union on Tuesday accused Microsoft of breaching antitrust rules with the "abusive" bundling of its Teams and Office products. "The European Commission has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules by tying its communication and collaboration product Teams to its popular productivity applications included in its suites for businesses Office 365 and Microsoft 365," the European Commission the EU's executive arm said in a Statement of Objections, which is sent to inform companies of concerns raised against them. If the commission decides that an infringement has taken place once companies have responded, it can ban the conduct and fine the charged company up to 10% of its global revenue. Microsoft took the preemptive step to unbundle Teams from Microsoft 365 in an effort to quash antitrust concerns by the EU. However, the commission said in its Tuesday statement that the changes were "insufficient to address its concerns and that more changes to Microsoft's conduct are necessary to restore competition." Microsoft said it would work to find solutions to address the commission's additional concerns. "Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today," Microsoft's vice chair and president, Brad Smith, said in a statement Tuesday. The company's shares were broadly unchanged in premarket trading Tuesday. The EU opened its investigation into Microsoft which remains ongoing in July 2023 after a complaint by Salesforce -owned Slack, which has a rival chat service to Teams. The commission's concerns are centered around the fact that, starting in around 2019, Microsoft tied Teams with its software as a service or SaaS applications, such as Office. It notes that Microsoft is "dominant worldwide" in the SaaS market for professional productivity applications. "In particular, the Commission is concerned that Microsoft may have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice whether or not to acquire access to Teams when they subscribe to their SaaS productivity applications," EU regulators wrote, noting that the tech giant's advantage may have been exacerbated by limitations of interoperability the ability of two or more systems to work together between Microsoft's offerings and Teams' competitors. "The conduct may have prevented Teams' rivals from competing, and in turn innovating, to the detriment of customers in the European Economic Area," the commission said. Novo Nordisk said Tuesday that its Wegovy weight loss treatment has been approved in China for long-term weight management, opening up the blockbuster drug for sale in the world's second largest economy. China's National Medical Products Administration "recently" approved the weekly injectable drug, Novo Nordisk said in a press release on the Chinese version of its website, according to Google translate. The drug will initially be available to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 the threshold for obesity and at least one weight-related comorbidity, it added. Weight-related comorbidities refer to additional medical conditions that someone with obesity can develop due to their weight. Novo Nordisk did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for further information on the proposed pricing and rollout timeline of the drugs. The Danish pharmaceutical giant said in March it would initially focus on patients paying out-of-pocket, Reuters reported. Novo Nordisk shares were up 1.8% as of 9:18 a.m. London time. The approval comes as the patent on the drug's active ingredient, Semaglutide, is set to expire in China in 2026 and as competition heats up from domestic drug makers in the market. More than half of China's 1.4 billion population are overweight or obese, according to a 2020 report from the country's National Health Commission. Meanwhile, clinical trial records show around 15 generic versions of Ozempic and Wegovy are currently being developed in China, Reuters reported last month. The company's Ozempic diabetes drug was approved in 2021 and saw sales in the greater China region double last year. Novo Nordisk and competitor Eli Lilly have been struggling to keep up with surging demand for their obesity treatments. On Monday, Novo Nordisk announced it is investing $4.1 billion to expand its manufacturing in the U.S. Extra capacity from a new manufacturing plant in Clayton, North Carolina is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2029. A select group of stocks might be primed to offer investors an appealing combination of unexpected income and price appreciation, according to Morgan Stanley. Special dividends one-time payments companies make to shareholders outside of their regular dividend cycle tend to result in higher share prices, according to Todd Castagno, a strategist at Morgan Stanley. There are a range of drivers behind these nonrecurring dividends, including the distribution of excess cash or a change to a company's capital structure. Earlier this month, Six Flags announced a special dividend of $1.53 per share, payable on July 1, the same day it is expected to close its merger with Cedar Fair. "Committing to a consistent, ordinary dividend sends a positive signal to the market, conveys management's confidence in the business, and opens the stock to income-oriented investors, while special dividends are a bonus implying optimism attributable to M & A synergies, secular tailwinds, and/or an extraordinary series of events," Castagno wrote in a June 14 report. Indeed, companies that have distributed these special dividends have seen their share price beat the market by 4.1% in the six months following the announcement, Morgan Stanley found. That outperformance grows to 7.8% in the 12 months after the special dividend news. To that effect, Castagno's team highlighted a group of "special dividend hopefuls" companies that seem to have the ability to offer these one-time payments. They currently pay ordinary dividends and have a net cash position as a proportion of market cap above 1%. Alphabet made Morgan Stanley's list. Earlier this year, the tech giant authorized its first dividend of 20 cents per share, along with a $70 billion share repurchase. The Google parent's shares are up more than 30% this year, and they offer a modest dividend yield of 0.4%. On June 12, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak highlighted the company as a leader in artificial intelligence, noting Alphabet's "improved multi-modal model capabilities" and its "integrations into search and the smartphone ecosystem." The stock is also beloved by Wall Street, with 45 out of the 54 analysts covering Alphabet rating it a buy or strong buy, per LSEG. Payroll provider Paychex was also on Morgan Stanley's list of potential special dividend payers. The company currently offers a dividend yield of 3.1%, though shares are up a modest 5% in 2024. Paychex is expected to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. Just last month, it announced a 10% dividend hike to 98 cents a share. Nevertheless, Wall Street is largely lukewarm on the name, with 16 out of 20 analysts covering the stock rating it a hold, according to LSEG. EOG Resources was another name that made the cut. The energy stock offers a dividend yield of 2.9%, and it is up 3% in 2024. Bank of America analyst Kalei Akamine this month reinstated coverage of EOG with a price target of $151, suggesting more than 20% upside from Monday's close. "In our view, EOG is undervalued for its deep inventory of drilling locations and compressing multiple," the analyst wrote on June 14. In all, 17 of the 32 analysts covering the stock deem it a buy or strong buy, according to LSEG. Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks to speak to the media after being found guilty following his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 30, 2024. A New York judge on Tuesday lifted parts of a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump in his criminal hush money case, but kept some restrictions in place until Trump is sentenced. The decision from Judge Juan Merchan came two days before Trump is set to face off against President Joe Biden in the first of two presidential debates. Merchan struck parts of the gag order that barred Trump from making public statements about witnesses or jurors in the Manhattan Supreme Court trial, which ended on May 30 in Trump's conviction on 34 criminal counts. But Merchan ruled that Trump is still bound by the order's restrictions on speaking about lawyers and staff for the Manhattan District Attorney's office and the court, plus any of their family members, if those statements could interfere with the case. Trump is allowed to speak about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The speech limitations "were overwhelmingly supported by the record," Merchan wrote, noting that two appellate courts in New York rejected Trump's efforts to appeal the gag order. "However, circumstances have now changed," the judge wrote. "The trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged." Merchan wrote that his "strong preference" was to extend protections for members of the jury, adding that "there is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors." While he lifted that piece of the gag order, the judge ruled that a prohibition on disclosing juror information will remain in effect until further notice. The trial centered on accusations that Trump falsified business records as part of a scheme to cover up a hush money payment made shortly before the 2016 presidential election to porn star Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump years earlier. Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11. Each of the felony counts against him carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, though many experts expect Merchan will deliver a much lighter sentence that includes no time behind bars. Trump raged against the gag order when it was first imposed on March 26, about three weeks before the trial began. Merchan expanded the gag order less than a week later, after Trump repeatedly targeted the judge's adult daughter over her work for a Democratic political firm. Trump violated the gag order 10 times during the historic trial. Merchan repeatedly held Trump in contempt of court and warned him that future infringements could land him in jail. The judge also ordered Trump to pay the maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung in a statement Tuesday criticized Merchan for declining to lift the entire gag order. "This is another unlawful decision by a highly conflicted judge, which is blatantly un-American as it gags President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election during the upcoming Presidential Debate on Thursday," Cheung said. Trump's legal team "will immediately challenge" the order, Cheung said. Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy The firm named Nvidia to its best-of-breed list. "BoB [best-of-breed] stocks have strong management, balance sheets, EPS growth, cash flow; the highest quality companies generate the best relative returns long term and protect against volatility short term." Goldman Sachs initiates Disney as buy Goldman said it's bullish on shares of Disney. "Against the backdrop of these risks, we prefer media stocks with deep competitive moats and high visibility into growth, generally avoiding potential value opportunities that may also have less visibility and higher risks." Goldman Sachs reiterates Microsoft as buy Goldman said it's sticking with its buy rating on the stock. "We reiterate our Buy rating ($515 Price Target) on Microsoft as we see the company yielding strong returns on its Gen-AI investments." TD Cowen upgrades Credo Technology to buy from hold TD Cowen said the software company is well positioned. "However, with the model likely to inflect beginning F2H25 (JanQ), we come off the sidelines we upgrade to Buy, and name Credo our Best Smidcap Idea as revenue accelerates and broadens across programs and products." RBC initiates Zeta Global as outperform RBC said the software company is well positioned. "We view Zeta as well positioned to benefit from recent trends emphasizing the science over art of demand procurement and the overlapping of ad and mar-tech." Raymond James downgrades Penn to market perform from outperform Raymond James downgraded the gaming company mainly on valuation. "We are downgrading PENN to Market Perform after recent activist pressure and M & A rumors have pushed shares up 21% since our May 20 initiation of coverage." Wells Fargo upgrades Capri to overweight from equal weight Wells said investors have "lost sight of the value" of the company's portfolio as challenges mount for Tapestry's proposed takeover of Capri. "With ample concern around the FTC's challenge to the proposed acquisition of CPRI by TPR (trading ~45% below deal price), investors have lost sight of the value in the CPRI portfolio. We upgrade to OW (PT to $43) and see multiple ways bulls can win." UBS reiterates Exxon as buy UBS said Exxon is well positioned for the next five years. "We view XOM as the best stock to own across our coverage for the next 5 years." Deutsche Bank initiates Carpenter Technology as buy Deutsche Bank said the alloy solutions company has pricing power. "We are initiating on Carpenter Technology (CRS) with a Buy rating and $144 target price (47% upside potential)." Wells Fargo reiterates Tesla as underweight Wells said it's sticking with its underweight rating on shares of Tesla. "We expect TSLA to be impacted by another sub 400K delivery quarter & lower pricing driven by financing promos." Piper Sandler reiterates Uber as overweight Piper called Uber a "sleeping giant." "Like all two-sided marketplaces, Gig Economy names have a high-margin Advertising opportunity that AMZN has proven out. We see this already in CART's lofty unit profitability. But, UBER's scale makes it a sleeping giant." Loop upgrades Honest to buy from hold Loop said investors should buy the dip in shares of the consumer goods company. "We are raising our rating from Hold to Buy and maintaining our $3 price target on shares of HNST. " TD Cowen upgrades Gap to buy from hold TD Cowen said the clothing retailer has "potential upside." "We upgrade GPS to Buy and raise our PT to $30 based on potential upside to FY24 Street estimates given solid topline momentum combined with margin expansion on continued inventory & expense management." Morgan Stanley reiterates Ford as a top pick Morgan Stanley said the automaker is still a top idea. "Prior to 2024, GM or F outperformed the other by > 40%-points over a 6m time period just twice (once each), during the height of EV-optimism in 2021/22. We see an opportunity for Ford narrow the gap by moving the needle toward capital discipline." Evercore ISI adds Fiserv to the tactical outperform list Evercore said it's bullish heading into the financial services and tech company ahead of earnings in July. "Adding FI to TAP Outperform before 2Q/CY24 earnings in late July." Truist upgrades Ball Corp to buy from hold Truist said shares of the glass lid jar company are attractive. "Upgrade BALL to Buy; Good Execution Post-Aero Sale; Focus on Cost, Oper. Excellence; Valuation Attractive." Wells Fargo upgrades Marqeta to overweight from equal weight Wells said in its upgrade of Marqeta that the financial services company has a slew of positive catalysts ahead. "While our PT ($7) is unchanged we see the recent share weakness as a compelling buying opportunity and upgrade to OW." Guggenheim initiates Rivian as buy The firm said Rivian has a "compelling catalyst path." "We are initiating coverage on Rivian Automotive, Inc. (RIVN) with a BUY rating and $18 PT." Evercore ISI reiterates Apple as outperform Evercore said it sees more upside for Apple shares. " Apple stock has seen a nice increase since WWDC, but we still think there is more room to run as we see potential for material upside to current iPhone revenue expectations." Evercore ISI reiterates C.H. Robinson to outperform from in line Evercore said the transport company has upside. "Brokerage is still a late-cycle business, but if CHRW can manage an eventual upturn with less spread pressure than in prior cycles, its ability to leverage the upturn in the later stages would appear enhanced." Maxim initiates MicroStrategy as buy Maxim said the bitcoin company is well positioned. " MSTR's long-standing position delivering analytics software to enterprises makes it a unique platform to integrate artificial intelligence (AI)." Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday at the urging of several Republican-led states blocked President Joe Biden's administration from further implementing a new student debt relief plan that lowers payments. A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred the Education Department from allowing additional loan forgiveness under a key component of President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. The judge's order halted the cancellation of federal student loans under the income-driven repayment plan known as SAVE after several states sued over the program. The Biden administration is "preliminarily enjoined from any further loan forgiveness for borrowers under the Final Rule's SAVE plan until such time as this Court can decide the case on the merits," U.S. District Judge John A. Ross wrote. The SAVE plan came about after the Supreme Court last year rejected the Biden administration's broader effort to address debt under its pandemic-era relief plan, which aimed to erase up to $20,000 in federal student debt for about 43 million borrowers. Ross also rejected an effort by the Biden administration to dismiss the case, saying the states that brought the lawsuit had standing and "are likely to succeed on the merits of their argument that the early loan forgiveness provisions ... were promulgated in a manner exceeding the Secretary's statutory authority," referring to the secretary of education. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing one of the seven states that brought the lawsuit, lauded the ruling. "By attempting to saddle working Missourians with Ivy League debt, Joe Biden is undermining our constitutional structure," Bailey said in a statement. "Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the President. Today's ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else's debt." Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said: "With Independence Day fast approaching, another court has reminded President Biden that he is not a king. He can't go around Congress and unilaterally cancel student loans. He should have learned that from Schoolhouse Rock!" The other states involved in the lawsuit are Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma. In their lawsuit, the states had asked the judge to declare that the program violated the separation of powers under the Constitution. Ross said other aspects of the program, such as lowering monthly payments and limiting interest accrual, are benefiting borrowers and can continue, adding that the states that sued "have not shown that these provisions harm them." In another blow to the administration's student debt relief plans, a federal judge blocked the Biden administration Monday from implementing parts of the program that are set to go into effect July 1. U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree found that while Kansas and 10 other states that sued over the SAVE plan had not demonstrated irreparable harm from provisions already in effect, they had shown irreparable harm from forthcoming provisions. He granted their request for a preliminary injunction of aspects that have not yet been implemented. His order is set to go into effect Sunday night, allowing time for any appeals. The 11 states had argued in their March lawsuit that the program violated the Constitution and the Administrative Procedures Act and that many of them suffered losses of state tax revenue because of the plan's provisions about student loan forgiveness. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted the court rulings on Monday. "We strongly disagree with today's rulings on our SAVE Plan and the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan," she said in a statement. "It's unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness and that courts are now rejecting authority that the Department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans." In a separate statement, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona added that his department "has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans." The Justice Department declined to comment on the rulings. The Biden administration has forgiven significant amounts under the SAVE plan. Last month officials announced the approval of an additional $613 million in debt to be canceled for more than 54,000 borrowers under the plan. The administration said last month that overall, 4.75 million people have benefited from debt cancellation actions and that it had approved $167 billion in loan forgiveness. The figures pertained to all administrative actions, not just the SAVE plan. A Waymo rider-only robotaxi is seen during a test ride in San Francisco on Dec. 9, 2022. Waymo robotaxis are now open to all users in San Francisco, expanding the self-driving ride-hailing service, which has been available in the city to a limited number of riders. In a blog post on Tuesday, Waymo said nearly 300,000 people have signed up for the service, called Waymo One, since the Alphabet-owned company opened its waitlist. The company began commercial passenger operations in August after a period of testing. "We're committed to growing our service gradually and responsibly," Waymo said in the post. "We work closely with city and state officials, first responders, and advocates for road safety to ensure our service helps local communities gain access to reliable, safe, environmentally friendly transportation and has a positive impact on mobility." It is the second citywide rollout for Waymo, following Phoenix in 2020. Waymo One also operates in limited capacity in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. As of February, the company had approximately 700 vehicles in the Waymo One fleet, including about 300 cars as part of its San Francisco service. Driverless vehicles have faced some public backlash in recent months following collisions and other accidents. In October, General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit paused all driverless operations after collisions led to investigations and a suspension of its licenses in California. However, Waymo has experienced less controversy. The company has a large public affairs operation and communicates closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and local first responders. In total, the 15-year-old project, which became Waymo in 2016, has driven about 20 million fully autonomous miles and nearly two million paid ride-hail trips, Waymo said. The company said it has logged 3.8 million rider-only miles in San Francisco as of the end of March. The company promised to spend $10 billion and hire 13,000 new employees for a new campus in Mount Pleasant, about 30 miles south of Milwaukee. At a groundbreaking the following year, Trump said the new facility would be "the eighth wonder of the world." In 2017, then-President Trump and Wisconsin's governor at the time, Scott Walker, announced that Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn had chosen Wisconsin for a huge manufacturing and technology complex, designing and building giant video displays. It is not the first time that an announcement from Washington has inspired dreams of turning America's Dairyland into a tech mecca. "We're projecting 30,000 jobs within 10 years, and then also $9 billion of economic development," said Harris, now regional innovation director for BioForward Wisconsin , the umbrella organization for Wisconsin's Tech Hub. The leader of Wisconsin's effort, former GE Healthcare engineer Wendy Harris, has high hopes as a result of the Tech Hub designation. Really high hopes. "The 'and science' part of the bill, the tech hubs, is about staying ahead and making sure that we can produce, in the United States of America, biotechnology, quantum, EVs, AI, everything for the future," she told CNBC. While most of the attention to the CHIPS and Science Act has focused on the effort to restore U.S. semiconductor capacity, the science component of the law is crucial, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. "It will make us even more impactful for patients be able to move faster, and to scale up," Scholz said. "It's all about scaling up to be able to treat more patients earlier, faster." On Tuesday, the Commerce Department announced it was awarding the Wisconsin hub $49 million in funding, part of a $500 million pool of money Congress authorized to get the Tech Hubs off the ground. More important than the money, Wisconsin officials say, is the fact that the designation formalizes a consortium of companies, including GE Healthcare Technologies which has a major presence in the Milwaukee suburbs and institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Madison supporting each other and smaller companies like Northstar. Northstar has been doing this work for 20 years, with occasional setbacks. Last year, the company blamed government-subsidized foreign competition for the layoffs of 93 employees more than a quarter of its workforce at its facilities in Beloit and Madison. But now, Scholz believes the company is on the verge of really taking off. It is not just because of the technology, which is generating interest from all around the world. It is also because Wisconsin is now home to of one of 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs or "Tech Hubs" for short designated under the federal CHIPS and Science Act . Wisconsin's hub focuses on bio-health. "This is an emerging field, very promising, to make a real difference in patients' lives and the lives of their families, because we all are affected by cancer," he said. Northstar Medical Radioisotopes, a biotech startup building a rapidly growing campus of buildings just off the interstate, is developing cancer diagnostics and treatments that use radioactive materials. CEO Frank Scholz says it is the most exciting technology out there. Not long ago, Beloit, Wisconsin, was a largely rural community, mostly known for being the first stop in Wisconsin for travelers coming over the border from Illinois. Today, they're trying to cure cancer here. Within months, Foxconn began scaling back its plans, citing labor costs. As the company missed hiring target after hiring target, Walker, a Republican, lost his reelection bid in 2018 to Democrat Tony Evers. Evers' administration renegotiated the Foxconn incentive package, but not before the state and local governments spent hundreds of millions of dollars on infrastructure improvements and land acquisition, displacing more than 100 homes in the process. Wisconsin pledged more than $3 billion in state and local subsidies by far the biggest such deal in the state's history and Walker proclaimed that the region would henceforth be known as "Wisconn Valley." But it soon became clear that most of that was hype. President Joe Biden speaks about his Investing in America agenda, at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, on May 8, 2024, highlighting a major investment by Microsoft in Racine, Wisconsin. Today, the company has created just 768 jobs in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. It is a far cry from the 13,000 high-paying tech jobs it promised. Instead of spending $10 billion in Wisconsin, Foxconn said it had spent about $1 billion as of the beginning of last year. The company built three buildings on the site, but they have seen limited use. So, the company is offering 44,000 square feet in one of the buildings for rent as industrial or office space. Another building, which includes a dramatic glass sphere that was supposed to be a data center, has been marketed as an event space. "People are still really, really angry," said Mount Pleasant resident Kelly Gallaher. She became a community activist as the Foxconn saga unfolded, and now chairs the Racine County Democratic Party. "Everybody felt like they were lied to, and that is such a hard thing to come back from," she said. Microsoft brings AI to Mount Pleasant There are some glimmers of hope in Mount Pleasant. In May, Microsoft announced it was increasing its investment in Mount Pleasant. The company announced last year it would spend $1 billion to build a data center on land that had been set aside for Foxconn. Now, the company said it would more than triple that investment to $3.3 billion, and that the data center would focus on artificial intelligence, adding more than 2,000 permanent jobs. Racine County Board Chairman Tom Kramer, who came into office after the Foxconn deal was signed but dealt with much of the fallout, said the Microsoft deal proves that all the spending on infrastructure was not such a bad idea after all, even though the site was built for a massive factory but will get a much smaller data center instead. "It's kind of like the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come," he said. The infrastructure improvements, he said, gave Racine County the edge in winning the project. "There's 72 counties in this in this state. Seventy-one of them would like to have this in their backyard." As for the Tech Hub designation, it won't help Mount Pleasant initially. But backers of that effort believe it will soon have a ripple effect throughout Southeast Wisconsin, including Mount Pleasant, in the same way high tech firms and research universities fueled Silicon Valley. "It attracts workforce into the industry and attracts companies into that area," Harris said. "That's what we're attempting to do." Gallaher bristles when people suggest that all's well that ends well in Mount Pleasant. "We've watched our village go through a few years of desperation," she said. "One of the worst aspects is the cynicism that it has caused among people." She said that cynicism extends to both Microsoft and the Tech Hub. "The idea that we're going to put our faith in our future in one company, I think should make every community pause," she said. A new kind of economic development Raimondo, who was a two-term governor of Rhode Island and a venture capitalist before she became Commerce Secretary, said the Tech Hub program is nothing at all like the Foxconn deal. She said it is a different approach to economic development. "This is not about giving money to any particular company. That's a big way in which this Tech Hub program is different," she said. "It's really not about picking winners and losers at all. It's about investing in underlying expertise that these communities have." Harris, of BioForward Wisconsin, said that unlike Foxconn, all the entities involved in the Tech Hub are already well-established in the state. In fact, she said, many of them had been talking for years about working more closely together, but it took the Tech Hubs competition to finally focus those discussions. "These are companies that are here, that are successful, and are bonding together," she said. Political calculations in battleground state This being an election year, and Wisconsin being the ultimate battleground state, political questions have permeated all of the economic development issues. Raimondo said politics had nothing to do with Wisconsin's Tech Hub designation. "I personally am not even involved in making the decisions," she said. "We have a panel of experts who just evaluate the underlying asset in the community." But when it comes to Microsoft, President Biden made a point of coming to Wisconsin to celebrate the announcement, even though his administration had little to do with it, and to make fun of Trump's Foxconn groundbreaking 6 years ago. "They dug a hole with those golden shovels," he said. "And they fell into it." Trump did not mention Foxconn when he held a rally in Racine last week. But his supporters did not seem to hold the episode against him. "I don't think Foxconn is dead," said Everett Jenks of Franksville, Wisconsin. "I think it got delayed." For that, Jenks blamed Gov. Evers for reducing the incentives. But in a 2021 statement following the renegotiation, Foxconn praised the Evers administration for giving it "the flexibility to pursue business opportunities in response to changing global market conditions." In fact, even before Trump and Walker's golden shovel ceremony in 2018, Foxconn had already scaled back the plan unveiled at the White House less than a year earlier. By the time Foxconn and the Evers administration renegotiated the incentives in 2021, video display manufacturing had long since been removed from the plan. "Original projections used during negotiations in 2017 have at this time changed due to unanticipated market fluctuations," the 2021 statement said. Just the same, Wisconsin is continuing to pay serious incentives for its high tech aspirations. According to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Foxconn has already been approved for nearly $44 million in subsidies under the scaled back incentive deal. The company is eligible to increase that amount to $80 million if it hires 1,454 people by 2026. The state has agreed to pay up to $7.5 million in matching funds for the Tech Hub. And Microsoft stands to collect millions of dollars in tax breaks under a sales and use tax exemption for qualified data centers that Evers signed into law last year after Microsoft's original announcement. Microsoft is expected to be the first company to take advantage of the tax break. The software giant is paying $50 million to acquire its site in Mount Pleasant. But according to the official fact sheet about the agreement, because Foxconn had the right of first refusal on the property under its original deal, the proceeds of the sale will not go to the taxpayers. They will go to Foxconn. Chinese premier addresses opening plenary of Summer Davos Xinhua) 10:54, June 25, 2024 DALIAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Tuesday. Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, is gathering some 1,600 leading figures from the public and private sectors across nearly 80 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Browser Compatibility Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks. We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Doctors have issued a health warning following an unusual incident where a man tore his throat after attempting to stifle a sneeze. The incident involved a Scottish man in his 30s, who, while driving, pinched his nose and closed his mouth to suppress a sneeze. The force generated from the sneeze resulted in a tear measuring 0.08 inches in his windpipe, causing him to seek urgent medical attention. Medics diagnosed him with surgical emphysema, a condition where air becomes trapped in tissues beneath the skin. According to the Mirror, CT scans revealed a tear located between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae, with air accumulating in the mediastinum, the space in the chest between the lungs. While the man did not require surgery, his case has become significant for medical research. Published in BMJ Case Reports, the case shed light on the dangers associated with attempting to stifle sneezes, particularly among individuals with conditions such as allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever. Dr. Rasads Nisirovs of the University of Dundee pointed out the risks, stating, "Everyone should be advised not to stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed as it can result in tracheal perforation." Hay fever, affecting approximately a quarter of British adults, induces symptoms like sneezing, nasal congestion, and itchy eyes. The increased air pressure during sneezing can exacerbate such conditions. The patient, who experienced swelling and limited neck mobility, was hospitalized for two days for observation. He was treated with pain relief and hay fever medication, and the tear healed within five weeks under careful monitoring. Dr. Nisirovs recommended conservative management for similar cases, emphasizing the importance of monitoring stable patients closely, particularly those not requiring mechanical ventilation. With current pollen levels categorized as "very high" across much of England and Wales, experts advise hay fever sufferers to use nasal sprays appropriately for relief. The Los Angeles Unified School District has decided to ban the use of cellphones and social media by students during the school day. The Ban Details The Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District voted 5-2 in favor of developing a policy that will prohibit student use of cellphones and social media platforms during the entire school day. The policy, scheduled to take effect in January, aims to benefit the district's 429,000 students. Board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution, believes this policy will positively impact both students and the broader community. Why Los Angeles Schools Want to Ban Cellphones Educators have long struggled with the issue of cellphone distractions in classrooms. A Pew Research Center survey from fall 2023 revealed that one-third of K-12 teachers in the United States consider phone distractions a major problem. This ban is intended to reduce distractions and protect students' mental health. California Governor Gavin Newsom supports these efforts and has previously signed legislation that allowed districts to limit or ban smartphone use in schools. Newsom, echoing US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, highlighted the mental health concerns linked to social media, calling it a mental health emergency for young people. Implementation Challenges Implementing the ban will require practical solutions for cellphone storage during school hours, such as locked pouches or lockers. The policy must also consider age-appropriate guidelines and exceptions for students with learning or physical disabilities. The current policy, adopted in 2011, already prohibits cellphone use during school hours, excluding lunch and nutrition breaks. The new ban will expand on this, covering the entire school day. Mixed Reactions The ban has elicited mixed reactions from administrators, parents, and students. Concerns include student ownership, safety, communication, and the practicalities of enforcement. Board members George McKenna and Scott Schmerelson voted against the resolution, citing concerns about its restrictiveness and enforcement challenges. Schmerelson noted that managing this policy could become a full-time job for school staff. However, supporters argue that similar policies have improved learning environments in other schools within the district. Broader Context Nationally, there is growing concern over the impact of cellphones on young people's mental health and learning environments. Over 76% of K-12 public schools prohibited cellphone use in non-academic settings as of the 2021-2022 school year. Several states, including Florida, Indiana, and Ohio, have passed legislation restricting cellphone use in schools. Lawmakers in at least eight other states are considering similar measures, reflecting a broader trend to address the influence of smartphones on student well-being and academic performance. Security teams are having great difficulty keeping pace with the risks posed by organizations dependency on modern applications the technology that underpins all of todays most used sites, according to a report released Tuesday by connectivity cloud company Cloudflare. The State of Application Security 2024 report reveals that the volume of threats stemming from issues in the software supply chain, an increasing number of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks such as the recent takedown of French state services by Russia-aligned hackers, and malicious bots often exceed the resources of dedicated application security teams. Based on what Cloudflare described as aggregated traffic patterns observed across its network from Apr. 1, 2023, until March 31, 2024, key findings revealed that: The new plan makes the BQE a little less visible. Photo: Courtesy DOT It is safe, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi told the Daily News when discussing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway late last week. It is the most highly monitored piece of bridge infrastructure we have in the city [and] weve done a lot of interim work on it. That assertion itself tells you something about the dreary and fragile state of Brooklyns central elevated artery, worn out and carrying triple its design load, growing more expensive to maintain every year. The city knows this, of course, and has laid out an array of upgrade plans, including the new one that occasioned Joshis comments. Its the fourth proposal in recent years, and just a preliminary one that might change or get scrapped altogether after the environmental review finally begins in 2025. The renderings show the triple cantilever the stacked section that wraps around the Brooklyn waterfront near the Brooklyn Bridge, above the park and below the Promenade replaced and rearranged. The new structure replaces the old wedding-cake tiers, instead pushing the southbound lanes inward and stacking them on top of the other, taking over some space now used for MTA power cables. The replacement highway will have wider lanes (the federally mandated 12 feet instead of the unsettling ten-footers we have now) and large outrigger girders supporting a reconstructed Promenade. (They also hide the highway from the waterfront somewhat.) These are incremental improvements, especially if the city can commit to not adding any more lanes (although DOT commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the scheme could work with a three-lane design as well as the current two). Construction wont begin for five years in any case, and it isnt clear where the $5 billion needed to do the work would come from. As for the actual building of the thing, Joshi, if anything, understated the case to the News when she said youre doing construction in the eye of the needle because youre sandwiched in between a beautiful promenade and a beautiful park. The current, triple-tier BQE. Photo: Shutterstock/Shutterstock / rblfmr What shes conveying, it seems, is that this is all a dramatic demonstration of fine logistics and engineering amid the gridlocked, visionless politics that have accomplished almost nothing over the past 20 years, when the warnings about the precarious future of the BQE began sounding. In terms of long-term planning, we should be going with one of the many alternatives to reconstructing the BQE including ripping it down or burying big portions of it not tinkering with its triple-cantilever section and giving further concessions to the truck pollution and car congestion currently choking the roadway and harming the health of neighborhoods both north and south of Brooklyn Heights. These plans have been studied, theyre good ideas, and were not doing any of them. New Yorkers and their leaders have become so vision-averse, and headache-averse, and spending-averse (although this reconstruction will cost billions), and internal-combustion-engine-focused, that we cant even get a funding stream in place that has been tested and proven in London for 20 years (and one that would have reduced the traffic on the BQE by as much as 13 percent). Digging up half of Brooklyn for the once-in-a-century chance to finally fix the BQE and, in turn, build a better city, would require a level of misery tolerance that has come to seem unimaginable. Even the most trivial change involved in taking down the highway disrupting the Promenade, originally Robert Mosess sneaky way of getting his highway through by topping it with a garnish that made it palatable to its affluent neighbors brought out the howls. In the absence of true vision, what we do is simply reconstruct. Even though its anything but simple. A storm has engulfed Nigel Farage's election campaign ever since the BBC reminded the Reform party leader in an interview last week that he once said he 'admired' Vladimir Putin. His angry response was to claim that the West had provoked the Russian dictator's invasion of Ukraine by expanding Nato and the European Union eastwards, a critique of Western policy he has made before and on which he doubled-down as the row swirled around him. It is a curious feature of the populist Right, which has put down such strong political roots on both sides of the Atlantic this past decade or so, that it has a soft spot for Russia in general and President Putin in particular. Farage, of course, was peddling well-worn Kremlin propaganda in blaming the West for Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine. But he's far from alone in spreading such nonsense. It's long been a common view among Farage's ideological soulmates in other countries, including those even further to the Right than him. His American mentor, Donald Trump, has long been a Putin fanboy ('He liked me. I liked him. I got along with him great.') and some of this has no doubt rubbed off on The Donald's British protege. Nigel Farage claimed that the West provoked Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine by expanding Nato and the European Union eastwards As Russian tanks roared into Ukraine in February 2022, Trump opined that Putin was a 'genius' and 'pretty savvy'. While showering the tyrant with praise, Trump has disparaged American's closest allies, saying earlier this year that he'd encourage Russia 'to do whatever the hell they want' to any Nato nation that was not, in Trump's view, spending enough on defence. It gave new meaning to the phrase 'giving comfort to the enemy'. Granting the Kremlin the benefit of the doubt while undermining Nato is almost the default position of the populist Right. Across the Channel, Marine Le Pen, leader of the Right-wing National Rally which is likely to emerge as the largest party in France's upcoming National Assembly elections, is a long-time Kremlin apologist and no friend of Nato. A French parliamentary inquiry last year concluded that she regularly resorted to the 'official language of the Putin regime' when taking the Kremlin's side and should be regarded as a 'communication channel' for Russian propaganda. Her party once borrowed campaign funds from a Kremlin-friendly Russian bank. She supported Putin's illegal annexing of Crimea, describing it as merely a 'reattachment'. It was only after Putin attacked Ukraine that her love-in with the Kremlin cooled. But it didn't put off Hungary's hard-Right strongman, Viktor Orban, perhaps Putin's most reliable ally in the West. A few weeks before Russia unleashed its onslaught on Ukraine, he was in Moscow for a friendly summit with Putin. Only pandemic restrictions stopped them from hugging each other, but the camaraderie was still palpable. Orban's support has never wavered since, no doubt reinforced by a long-term energy deal with Russia which has kept Hungary's gas supplies cheap and plentiful. Compared with others on the populist Right, Farage's sympathy for Russia is clearly less full-throated. But those who see him as a return to the 'proper' conservative values of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan could not be more wrong, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Far from being Kremlin apologists, Thatcher and Reagan stared the Soviet Union down, winning the Cold War and freeing all of Eastern Europe in the process. They would never have 'admired' a despot like Putin. Or repeated Kremlin propaganda. Or made excuses for anything like the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. And they stood shoulder to shoulder in recognising Nato as our best defence against tyranny. Farage's posturing would have been anathema to them. Ironically, Farage has more in common with the Corbynista Left than he does with Thatcher or Reagan. The far-Left shares a soft spot for Russia. It might no longer be communist but it's still anti-West and that's what matters to the far Left. That's why Jeremy Corbyn was always ready to give it the benefit of the doubt, even when the Putin regime was trying to kill people on British soil. It's why France's very own Corbynista, Jean-Luc Melenchon, whose Left-wing Popular Front could soon be the second largest grouping in the French National Assembly, shares Farage's view of why Russia invaded Ukraine. Perhaps the most telling example of this strange Left-Right symbiosis came when our very own Left-wing firebrand, George Galloway, interviewed Farage on Russia Today, the Kremlin TV mouthpiece, in 2016. Galloway repeated the familiar Kremlin complaint, which Farage shares, that the EU had incited Putin to annex Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, adding: 'I respect Putin and I think he's very popular in Russia.' To which Farage, instead of knocking this back as any proper conservative would, merely responded in agreement with: 'Of course.' So what is it that drives Farage and the populist Right to end up aping the far-Left? In seems strange until you realise they often see the world through the same lens. For a start, they share a dislike of so-called global capitalism, which in reality is no more than the rules-based environment which the US created, with important British support, after World War II and which has given us 75 years of the greatest economic growth and prosperity the world has ever known. But on the populist Right, as on the populist Left, it is synonymous with sinister globalism in which the world is dominated by shady, secretive characters and dodgy institutions, like Nato, the EU, the IMF, the OECD, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. There's plenty wrong with all these organisations, but the idea they're all part of some great global conspiracy against the rest of us is the kind of paranoid nonsense best confined to the madder parts of the Twitter-sphere. But Putin is against 'globalism', standing for national sovereignty, not multilateral cooperation and so worthy of populist adulation. Even more important is the populist penchant for a strongman. Trump has never met one he didn't like: Putin (of course), but also China's Xi, the Saudi Crown Prince, Turkey's Erdogan, Brazil's former leader Bolsonaro, even North Korea's Kim Jong Un (Trump's Rocket Man). It is a curious feature of the populist Right that it has a soft spot for Russia in general and Vladimir Putin in particular, writes Andrew Neil Populist leaders of the Right often fancy being something of a 'caudillo' (as they call military and political strongmen in Spain and Latin America) themselves. So it's only natural they rather admire the real thing. The populist Right also hates the perceived decadence of the West. They see Putin as a champion of traditional, Christian values, a social conservative who stands up to the woke, gay, trans, ethnic, even feminist lobbies. He represents a return to supposedly traditional cultural values after which Right-wing populists also hanker. Of course he's a tyrant without a shred of Christian compassion in his body. But walk down a boulevard in Moscow and almost everybody is still white, just like Britain in the 1950s. Though they'd never admit it in public, many Right-wing populists wish Britain was still like that. Putin, they think, stands up for what we've supposedly lost. It's not so much a conservative view of the world as a deeply reactionary one, a pining for a past that can never return. It leads to absurd claims, like the West provoked Russia into invading Ukraine by expanding the EU and Nato. True conservatives need to take this nonsense head-on. As Reagan and Thatcher would. For a start, countries don't join Nato because they want to annoy Russia. They do so because they feel threatened by Russia, with good reason. Just ask Finland and Sweden, neutrals throughout their modern existence who felt compelled to join the alliance because Russia had become dangerously revanchist under Putin. Second, it was the new democracies of Eastern Europe which clamoured to be members of Nato and the EU. Were we to deny them? Having thrown off the Soviet yoke they wanted to consolidate their democratic future by joining institutions that would guarantee it. This is why, above all, Nato expanded. It was for the protection of democracy, not a threat to Russia. Farage must realise that, even if Moscow doesn't. It is to his shame that he knowingly peddles the lies of an evil dictator, like so many on the populist Right, rather than standing up for the defence of democracy, on which all our futures depend. Let us imagine how we will feel in two weeks' time. Just two weeks. If the polls are to be believed, there'll be a Labour Government with an enormous majority. One poll by Savanta last week suggested that the Tories could be reduced to a rump of 53 seats a few more than the Lib Dems with Labour winning 516 seats. That would give it a Commons majority of 382. No political party has ever enjoyed such dominance since the dawn of the democratic age. Other than a few Labour diehards, there can't be many people who would welcome such an outcome. I find the prospect terrifying. Perhaps you do too. Sir Keir Starmer is a cautious man. But who can doubt that, with a lead of this magnitude, he would feel emboldened to introduce hitherto concealed policies that would transform our country? He would rule unchecked. He could do whatever he pleased. The extraordinary thing is that it's voters of the centre-Right people such as myself, and possibly you who are about to hand the Labour leader carte blanche to govern Britain in whichever way he chooses. It's the centre-Right - people like you and me - who are about to hand Sir Keir Starmer carte blanche to govern Britain in whichever way he chooses, writes STEPHEN GLOVER I, too, am exasperated by the Tories. They have in many ways wasted 14 years. They have been shambolic, timid and sometimes dishonest. This latest betting scandal is shameful. In failing to suspend suspected miscreants, Rishi Sunak has been characteristically indecisive. Irony of ironies, when the PM is decisive he often makes the wrong decision for example, his calling of the election when good news about the economy was only a trickle. Why not wait until November, by which time it could be a gurgling stream? Perhaps he'll tell us in his memoirs. So, yes, I can understand the frustration that so many feel with Mr Sunak and the Conservative Party because I share it. If the Tories were closer to Labour in the polls, it would be perfectly reasonable for voters on the centre-Right to say that Rishi and Co have had their chance, and it's time to let someone else have a shot. But it's not like that. We're facing the impending disintegration of the Conservative Party and the possible installation of Labour as the permanent party of government. This is almost entirely the consequence of the emergence of Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Some of my friends say they'll vote Reform, and most give similar reasons. Like me, they're furious that the Tories should have raised tax to its highest level since the war, while allowing welfare payments to balloon. Like me, they are amazed that this Conservative Government could have let legal immigration soar to record levels didn't it hear one of the loudest messages of Brex-it? and failed to stem the boats crossing the Channel. And, again like me, my friends are disappointed that Brexit should have so far proved a damp squib and is plainly regarded by many ministers as an embarrassment, not to be discussed during the campaign. Yet surely it's clear to everyone, including, I believe, Nigel Farage, that in each of these areas a Labour government would be far, far worse than the Tories. I can understand the frustration felt by many at Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party, but a Labour government would be far, far worse than the Tories Labour is now scarcely bothering to hide its intention to increase capital gains tax and property taxes, which will disproportionally affect older people thinking of voting Reform. (As it gets closer to its expected landslide victory, Labour is more confident in letting slip its true plans: witness its new disclosure that it will make it easier to change gender.) Meanwhile, Labour's proposals to control legal and illegal immigration are laughably vague. It has indicated in recent days that it will make overtures to Brussels, which will doubtless mark the start of our slow, humiliating return to the EU. In other words, however great the anger of many centre-Right voters about Conservative failures, they should recognise that Labour would drive them to new heights of fury. The Tories in opposition might learn the errors of their ways. Labour is a pro-high tax, pro-mass immigration, pro-EU party at its heart, and always will be. As I say, Nigel Farage knows that Labour stands for everything he abhors, and yet he is facilitating its huge majority. He is pulling down the pillars of the Temple like Samson, on the assumption that he will be able to rebuild it. But what if he can't? Even the most optimistic of polls optimistic, that is, for Reform envisage the party having only a handful of MPs despite taking millions of votes from the Tories. The same polls suggest that the Conservatives would be reduced to an ineffectual remnant. It would be a party deprived of most of its best and brightest MPs (there are some) with a brain that has been lobotomised. For the Right to recover from such a rout could take a generation. A word about Farage. I admire him for his bravery. Brexit wouldn't have happened without him. But who can deny that there is an element of arrogance and vanity about the man, and that he takes a very broad brush to some issues? When it was revealed last week that Reform contains more than its fair share of nutcases and extremists, the response of its irrepressible leader was to blame poor vetting by others. But it's his party! In fact, rather oddly, he legally owns 55 per cent of it. As for his remarks about Vladimir Putin, he had a point when he said last week that Russia had felt encircled by Nato and the EU. But that doesn't begin to justify the invasion of Ukraine and the killing of thousands of civilians. Instead of condemning Putin's war crimes, the ever bumptious Farage boasted of having been right ten years ago in predicting war. Nigel Farage sees himself as the saviour of the British Right. I don't. How could he be when he's hellbent on destroying the Conservative Party which, for all its recent mistakes, has achieved great things for our country? While I admire Farage's bravery, who can deny there is an element of vanity and arrogance about the man? There are dozens of constituencies in which Tories and Labour are neck-and-neck, and Reform candidates, though having no chance of winning, could hand victory to Sir Keir Starmer. According to a recent YouGov poll, Labour is on course to win 425 seats and the Tories 108. But if Reform were to receive only the proportion of votes won by Ukip in 2015 and the Brexit Party in 2019, Labour would have 334 seats and the Conservatives 224. That wouldn't be a wipeout. The Tories could recover, find themselves a new leader, and get their act together. But they can only do this if millions of those thinking of voting Reform think again. I can understand people wanting to punish the Tories. I can see that they are irritated with Rishi. What I can't appreciate is how anyone on the centre-Right could wish to be involved in the creation of a Labour one-party state. Viewed in this context, the gambling scandal, though disgraceful, is a relative sideshow. My belief is that Labour will fail in government, and fail soon. Millions will be disenchanted. But Sir Keir Starmer's failures won't count against him they will scarcely register unless there is a strong Conservative opposition able to stand up to him. Mean and narrow minds quickly sought to moan today about the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from his long cruel years in his Belmarsh dungeon. That is only reasonable, given the huge amounts of official time and money this country has devoted to making his existence a misery. As the Wikileaks founder began his journey towards a free life in Australia, joy was not as universal as you might have expected. Lord Hague spoke for the establishment, delivering his verdict on Times Radio this morning. Hague, whom I remember long ago as a witty, irreverent and thoughtful person, now gargles reliably in the conventional wisdom choir. He grumbled that he did not see Julian Assange as any kind of hero, nor as somebody you want around. And he regurgitated the standard case against Mr Assange that he leaked national security secrets of the free societies hes always taken advantage of. Julian Assange looks out of a plane window today as he prepares to arrive in Bangkok, Thailand, following his release from a British prison Then he recalled Mr Assanges period in the Ecuadorean embassy where, after a few years, they wondered how on earth they were going to get him out. Yes, it was inconvenient that Ecuador had offered him asylum and then, after a change of government, went back on its promise. But the rescuer who then throws the man he has rescued back to the sharks is bound to feel a little annoyed with the person he has treated so badly. It is only human, and so much more comforting than feeling bad about yourself. I am no friend of Julian Assange. If the intolerant, cruel behaviour of the American government, and the pathetic poodling to Washington of the British state had not brought us together, we would remain foes to this day. We differ especially on the subject of drugs about which we once had a severe public disagreement. But I was brought up to think that an Englishman stands up for liberty in all cases, especially if the person whose freedom is threatened is somebody he does not much like. And I came to the conclusion that most of what was being said about Julian Assange by the governments in Washington and London was bilge. The secrets he published (which he obtained as journalists do, from a source) were the sort which embarrass politicians. This was especially the case with his revelations about the appalling attack on innocent civilians by a US helicopter hovering over Baghdad. Far from being an intelligence loss to the USA, it was a gain for freedom, democracy and accountability. The Wikileaks trove of documents was profoundly awkward for a government that had engaged in catastrophic and ill-advised adventures in Iraq and elsewhere. Assange, pictured today before leaving Britain, is expected to plead guilty to one charge under the US Espionage Act The Wikileaks founder's wife Stella with their children Gabriel and Max in 2021 outside Belmarsh Prison where her husband was held It most closely resembled a similar event 50 years ago when the courageous Daniel Ellsberg published the Pentagon Papers. These revealed that President Lyndon Johnsons White House had systematically lied its head off about the Vietnam war. Mr Ellsberg became a national hero after the US government responded by trying to smear and then jail him. And until his recent death he was one of Julian Assanges most fervent defenders. The sad truth is that newspapers were bigger and stronger, and judges perhaps braver, in those times. Many attempts have been made to suggest that Mr Assange was rash about what he released. Well, his supporters insist, with credible evidence, that in fact he was very careful, and strove to redact potentially dangerous material. It is ceaselessly alleged that he endangered US government servants. But I have yet to see any evidence that this ever happened. It is lucky for the British Government that the complex (and not fully disclosed) deal between Australia, the US and (presumably) the UK has now led to Mr Assanges release from HMP Belmarsh. It gets them off a nasty hook. Mr Assange should never have been prosecuted or imprisoned in the first place. As the US Justice Department more or less admitted in the Obama era, he was protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. This absolutely guarantees freedom of the press. But the weird swirling politics of the Trump White House changed all that. Mike Pompeo, when he was President Trumps CIA chief, declared: Julian Assange has no First Amendment freedoms. Mr Pompeo also made a personal denunciation of Mr Assange and WikiLeaks. And this behaviour (by itself) made it quite clear that Washingtons pursuit of Mr Assange was political. Yet, though the notoriously unequal extradition treaty between Britain and the USA specifically prohibits political extraditions, neither our courts nor any of the Home Secretaries involved ordered the cruel procedure to stop. And it was cruel. Mr Assange was imprisoned for years in the forbidding Belmarsh jail, in whose grim precincts his wife and small children were allowed to visit him. Ive seen inside enough prisons to be able to guess how horrible, humiliating and distressing this must have been for that small family, compelled to try to act as normal, kindly humans amid a concrete and steel fortress designed to hold gangland murderers, armed robbers and terrorists. I could never find out what the justification was for this, as there are other prisons in the London area which are quite secure, but nothing like as severe as Belmarsh. I can only conclude that it was spite, made worse by our Governments pathetic toadying to our mighty ally. Good heavens, I would not even want an ally so subservient and sycophantic. Surely, you want a bit of spirit among your friends, or they wont be much use to you if it comes to a fight. Theres another worrying part of all this, which is that the deal appears to involve Mr Assange pleading guilty to one charge under the notorious US Espionage Act. Horribly, this may be some sort of precedent. I think anyone on the dangerous edge of journalism, the bit where people send you secret documents to expose wrongdoings, will now be haunted by the fear that they are in danger of the worst the US Federal prison system can throw at them. Julian Assange addresses the media outside the Ecuadorian embassy, where he was granted political asyum, in London in 2016 Well, this chapter is over now, though no doubt there will be others. I can stop my futile efforts to get other media commentators to join me in trying to rescue Mr Assange. And I can pay tribute to my Daily Mail colleague Andrew Neil for bravely taking the right side in this, where so many others hesitated and mumbled. He needed no encouragement from me to do so. As a proper journalist, he knew in his bones that the treatment of Assange was wrong. Will we learn anything from all this? Probably not. In every generation these battles must be fought over again, and each time the side of freedom loses, things will get worse. I wish Stella Assange a joyful reunion, in freedom, with her husband. Her bearing in this ordeal has been wholly admirable and rather inspiring. That at least is an unmixed delight. Regular readers of this column and, indeed, the Mail will know that I am all in favour of free speech. But theres free speech and then theres just being a mean, opportunistic troll. A case in point: Katie Hopkins, whose latest online diatribe on the subject of Jay Slater, the 19-year-old lad who has gone missing in Tenerife, is a masterclass in turning someone elses tragedy into an opportunity for self-serving self-aggrandisement. Some people have been saying that I shouldnt say anything about Jay Slater because, ooh, his poor mother, she begins. Quick message to you people: Ill say what I bloody well like. My opinions are my opinions, I didnt ask you to agree with them. And if you want to take the moral high ground you carry along. I never said I was on the moral high ground, and the thing about you being up there is that when I look up I see youre wearing no knickers. Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished on Tenerife last week She goes on to suggest that maybe if someone shouted Domini-oes! (as in the pizza) over the mountains in Tenerife he would come running, and mocks people donating to his Go Fund Me page, saying Crack on, you do what you want to do with your money, I guess, just like Jay does with his, which seems to be mostly Class A drugs. Well, the first thing to say is that I am wearing knickers. The second is I dont care how many tickets Hopkins needs to flog for her one-woman show, or how many extra followers or shares this kind of thing gets her, it is not only a pretty irresponsible thing to say in a case that may yet turn out to be more serious than we know, its also incredibly cruel to make jokes about someones missing kid, however troubled he may be. But perhaps most of all, it encourages countless others to do the same. Hopkins has millions of followers across a variety of social media platforms, which means that jumping on something like this is a golden opportunity for monetisation. The more provocative she is, the more attention her posts get, and therefore the more revenue she will make. If she went online and said kind things about Jay, no one would take a blind bit of notice. Its the bear-baiting that people like. And she along with many others has made a career out of it. There are plenty more who would love to do the same. That is why when cases like Jays come along, there is a corresponding explosion of conspiracy theories and keyboard sleuths. They dont give two hoots about the person concerned; theyre just hoping to cash in. Its the dark side of human nature, enabled as ever by social media. The most recent victim was the late Dr Michael Mosley, a much-loved colleague at the Daily Mail, whose tragic disappearance in Greece earlier this month sparked a frenzy of ill-informed online speculation, some of it utterly vile and hurtful to his poor widow Clare and their family. Katie Hopkins issues an online diatribe on the subject of Jay Jay with his mother Debbie Duncan, who has been compared by trolls to Karen Matthews, who orchestrated the fake kidnap of her daughter Shannon in 2008 The 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife A similar thing happened in the case of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, who had her entire character including highly confidential medical information - dragged through the mud after she disappeared last January. Even after the coroner ruled that her death had been accidental, most likely the result of slipping down a steep bank into a cold river where she sadly drowned, the vultures kept going, picking over the bones of her case to the point where her distraught family had to issue a statement begging them to stop. The reaction to Bulleys disappearance was described as a carnival of hysteria, as hordes of influencers, psychics and general cranks descended on the Lancashire village where she lived, posting updates to their social media feeds. It got so bad that police had to issue dispersal orders. Even the Princess of Wales, absent temporarily from the limelight for cancer treatment, has been targeted. And it goes beyond mere concern for the persons welfare or whereabouts its an active desire to stir things up or put forward toxic gossip as truth. In the case of Jay, people are doing very nicely out of his increasingly worrying situation. The fact that the hunt is now entering its tenth day, while no doubt a source of distress to his worried family, only means more opportunities for people to jump on the bandwagon and potentially cash in. As well as Hopkins, David Icke has piped up, suggesting hes been trafficked. A Facebook page, Jay Slater Missing, has already racked up over half a million followers. Ching, ching. Jays chequered past he was recently convicted for his part in a violent, drug-related assault on another teenage boy in 2021 has also triggered personal attacks on his family. His mother Debbie has been compared to Karen Matthews, who orchestrated the fake kidnap of her daughter Shannon in 2008, and has received various threats, online and to her mobile. The late Dr Michael Mosley's tragic disappearance in Greece earlier this month sparked a frenzy of ill- informed online speculation A similar thing happened in the case of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, who went missing last year God only knows whats happened to the lad. Clearly, hes no angel but to be perfectly honest, neither are most kids his age, especially when theyre on a night out at a rave. They think they can handle themselves, but often they cant. They succumb to all sorts of temptations which can make them do very stupid things. And a lot of them just dont realise the dangers. Every year, as the holiday season gets under way, there are more and more reports of young Britons being targeted by gangs abroad, especially in places such as Spain, where recent anti-tourist sentiment has reached troubling levels and where lads like Jay are seen as sitting ducks for criminal gangs. I wrote about this last year, after a British man was allegedly beaten to death by bouncers in Cyprus and a 21-year-old died after he tried to break up a fight in Ibiza. Young, naive holiday-makers with rather too much swagger are easy prey, as I know from personal experience. Last year, my son (who is also 19) went to Croatia with a group of friends to celebrate the end of their A-levels. Around half-past two one morning, I was woken by a persistent buzzing of my phone. It was my son, somewhat worst for wear and hysterical. He had become separated from his friends in a nightclub and had ordered a cab back to their shared house. But the guy then demanded an extra 60 euros on top of the fare, and when he refused, locked the doors and drove him to another part of town. After a frankly terrifying set of exchanges, I managed to transfer the necessary funds, and my idiot boy (never get separated from your mates, its the golden rule) was set free to sleep off his ordeal. I was livid with him for being so irresponsible not least because the whole thing almost gave me an aneurism. But it was a very useful life lesson for him. Hes not half as reckless now as he was then. I hope and pray that young Jay is as lucky, and that he is found safe and sound having, hopefully, learnt a lesson or two. One things for sure, though. If he is, it will be no thanks to the likes of Katie Hopkins and the armies of big-mouthed trolls that march under the banner of free speech but who are really just grubby profiteers in other peoples misery. The Reaction is available now, wherever you get your podcasts or on Youtube. A certified nail tech has revealed 18 little-known secrets about salons - from sneaky tactics they use to keep customers coming back to a common practice that's actually illegal. Content creator Abby, who did not disclose her last name, shared a three-part TikTok series in which she shared 'some things' she learned 'that nail salons don't want you to know.' The nail tech also stressed that regulations varied state by state. Abby, who is based in Ohio, admitted that one secret includes nail salons purposefully over-filing 'your callus to keep you coming back to the salon.' Further, she confessed that nail techs were not licensed or certified to do eyebrow waxes - and that it's against the law in her state to cut cuticles. A certified nail tech named Abby has revealed 18 little-known secrets about salons - from sneaky tactics they use to keep customers coming back to a common practice that's illegal Abby, who did not provide her last name, shared a three-part TikTok series in which she shares 'some things' she learned 'that nail salons don't want you to know' Abby started off her video with the first secret, sharing: 'If you are prone to having callused feet, nail salons will actually over-file your callus to keep you coming back to the salon. 'So if you ever feel like they're doing a little too much work, and your calluses are not getting better - it's a tactic some of the chop shops use to get you to come back.' Next, she revealed: 'SNS, or dip, or whatever you want to call it, and acrylic, are chemically almost identical - they are just applied differently. 'So when nail techs tell you that SNS is better for your nail or whatever, it most likely means that they are either wanting to do it because it's easier, or they are more confident in their ability to apply, and remove it without damaging your natural nails, but chemically, they're the same product.' The third secret that Abby shared was: 'No nail tech is licensed or trained or certified to remove your ingrown toenail - go to the doctor.' In addition, she dished: 'It is illegal for nail techs to cut your cuticles, or really any living skin for that matter. 'But if you're wanting them to completely erase your cuticles, or [if] you start bleeding, they've cut too much, and that is actually out of our scope of practice, and could lead to an infection.' Her fifth secret was that it's 'against sanitation protocols to have each client dip their finger in the big jar of dip.' Her three videos combined got more than 1.3 million views, and raked in thousands of likes and comments Former nail tech reveals 18 salon secrets Nail techs often over-file your callus to keep you coming back SNS or dip are chemically almost identical - just applied differently No nail tech is licensed or trained or certified to remove ingrown toenail It is illegal for nail techs to cut your cuticles, or any living skin, in some states It is unsanitary to have clients dip their finger in a big jar of dip Nail tools can be sterilized using barbicide liquid, therefore, it doesn't have to be packaged to be safe Cheese-grater filers are illegal to use in many states Every worker's license must be displayed Nail techs are not licensed or certified to do eyebrow waxes Nail techs need to sanitize the pedicure tub despite using a liner Nail techs are supposed to pour out an individual amount of paraffin wax into a bag, and then have customers dip their feet and hands inside, instead of using just a bucket Each nail tech performing services in a salon must be licensed Files are not reusable If the nail tech is using an e-file or a drill on your natural nail, they must use a soft grit file If you get indentations where the enhancement was on your nail, that is referred to as 'rings of fire' and it means your natural nails are damaged If you have an open wound, a salon has the right to deny you service to prevent the spreading of bacteria If you are pregnant, let you nail tech know because pedicures can stimulate contradictions due to massaging certain pressure points If you have diabetes, let your nail tech know, so that they can adapt to your specific medical needs during a pedicure Advertisement 'You are supposed to have your own poured out into a smaller dish for each client so that it's clean,' she added. 'Another one that is a huge misconception among clients is that if your nail tools don't come out in a little baggie, you think that they were not sterilized, which is not true,' Abby also shared. 'You can still sterilize tools just in barbicide, which is the liquid that they are soaked in. 'They don't have to be put into a plastic baggie and a sterilizer.' The seventh secret was: 'Last one for this video is back to the foot filing. The cheese grater-looking [filers] are also illegal in many states, and can lead to an infection because of how deeply they cut into your skin.' In a follow-up video, Abby shared eight more 'coveted' nail salon secrets. 'All licenses must be displayed. This is how it is in my state at least, if you are a licensed nail tech, your license must be displayed where people can see it, and if you ask your nail tech for their license, they should have one that they can show you,' she said. 'Nail techs are not licensed or certified to do eyebrow waxes. 'So many chop shops in my area have nail techs that will also wax your eyebrows. They are not licensed to do that at all.' For her 10th unknown nail salon fact, Abby revealed: 'If you go and get a pedicure, and they use a liner in the pedicure tub, they still need to sanitize the tub after they remove the liner. 'So just because a nail salon uses a pedicure liner, does not mean that the tubs don't need to be sanitized in between clients, because they do.' Another rule that she shared that some people may not know was that 'if you go to a salon and they have paraffin wax that you can dip your hands or feet into, you must not dip your hands straight into the bucket.' 'They are supposed to pour out an individual amount into a clear baggie [and then] you dip your hands into the baggie, or dip your feet into the baggie, but it is not a community paraffin wax pot,' Abby explained. 'You are supposed to have individual servings poured into each individual bag for each client.' Abby also explained that each and every nail tech 'performing services in a salon must be licensed.' 'I saw a lot of comments on my last video saying that you've gone to a nail salon, where there is one license, and everybody has the same name and operates under that license,' she said. 'That is illegal and every single nail tech must have their own license from the state board of cosmetology - no matter what their name is. One of Abby's secrets was that each and every nail tech 'performing services in a salon must be licensed' and that 'all licenses must be displayed' 'If you go to a salon that has 30 nail techs, and you only see one license - red flag. Whoever is working on you is probably not licensed to be doing your nails.' Abby shared her last set of nail salon secrets in one final video. First, she explained that nail files were not 'reusable,' and that it was 'not allowed' for nail techs to a drill on your 'natural nail.' 'If they are using an e-file or a drill on your natural nail, they must use a soft grit file,' she said. 'So if you get acrylics done, and they file the top of your acrylic, and then they use that same grit-file to file your natural nail - that is not allowed.' If you've ever noticed 'indentations' on your nail after taking acrylic or gel off, Abby said it was likely because your nail tech used 'too much pressure.' 'If you have indentations where the enhancement was on your nail - that is called "rings of fire," and it means that your nail tech used too much pressure, too high of a grit of a nail file, or they just totally went to town on your natural nails, and it is actually damaged,' she shared. 'You should never [have] indentations where your enhancement was.' Abby also dished on some reasons you might get turned away from a nail salon - like if you have an 'open wound' that's not 'scabbed over.' 'If you have an open wound, meaning its not scabbed over, or a wart on your fingers or toes, some salons will deny you service, because whatever you have could be transmitted to somebody else, even with proper sanitation and sterilization,' she explained. 'So if you ever go to a salon, and you have an open wound from shaving on your legs, or feet, and your nail tech says, "I'm sorry, I can't service you," that is probably why, and you should be thankful because you are not spreading something to other people.' For secret number 17 she explained: 'What a lot of people don't know is that if you are pregnant, you should avoid getting pedicures, unless you go to somebody who knows exactly what they're doing, because pedicures can actually stimulate contractions due to the pressure points that they use when they give you a foot massage.' Abby's final secret was: 'This one goes back to the health-related aspect, but if you have diabetes, you should obviously let your nail tech know that because there are things that we have to do differently, especially [for] pedicures on people who have diabetes. 'I do want to stress that every state does have different laws for nail techs so, some of the stuff might not apply to the state that you're in. 'So if you're always curious about something, you can always call your state board of cosmetology, or ask your nail tech directly.' In Abby's third video, the former nail tech said that if you are pregnant, let you nail tech know because pedicures can stimulate contradictions due to massaging certain pressure point Abby concluded: 'I do want to stress that every state does have different laws for nail techs so, some of the stuff might not apply to the state that you're in' (stock image) Her three videos combined got more than 1.3 million views and raked in hundreds of thousands of likes. Many salon visitors took to the comment section, where they admitted that had experienced some of the nail salon red flags that Abby had mentioned in her videos. One person wrote: 'Ive never had them pour out a single portion of dip for me. Its always the big container.' A second user commented: 'I knew dipping my nails in that container was unsanitary because they dont even have me wash my hands to ensure cleanliness beforehand.' 'Yeah Ive gotten grossed out because every salon I go to [has] you dip your nails straight in the big container,' a third added. 'The last dip manicure I got, she cut my cuticles ragged and every single finger was bleeding. She then dipped my bleeding cuticles into the powder,' someone else revealed. 'I was so shocked and they hurt for days.' Abby replied: 'Bleeding cuticles is torture.' 'For the dip they pour it in another little cup, but then they pour the rest back in the big jar, so how is it sanitary,' another comment read, to which Abby responded: 'That's really gross. It's supposed to be disposed of once each client is done with their own jar.' A different person commented: 'Wait, so it's illegal for them to cut the cuticles, and trim off the excess skin around the nail?' Abby told the commenter: 'In my state, yes. To elaborate, cuticles are dead skin that flake off the nail plate. The living skin surrounding is what can't be cut. If it bleeds, it's alive.' Someone else wrote, 'I wonder why the nail industry isn't more regulated like how restaurants are,' and Abby responded, 'There are "secret shoppers" that go into salons, but I'm not sure how often that happens.' Some nail techs agreed with Abby's helpful insight. One person wrote: 'As a nail tech, yes, yes, yes to all of this! Hate dip to my core and refuse to do it. The misconception with clients is real.' A second commented: 'I'm a nail tech, and have worked in a chop shop. All of this is 100 per cent facts.' Other nail salon enthusiasts mentioned that the laws vary state-by-state when it comes to nail salon regulations and rules. 'Yes, but regulations are different in each state,' one pointed out. A different person revealed: 'In Michigan we were trained to cut the cuticle.' A third added: 'Texas no longer requires any license/certification for any cosmetology/esthetician services, but most (reputable) salons will not hire you without one.' 'In Utah, the license has to be displayed as well. Ours were all on a wall in the back (nail/hair/spa/salon),' someone else said. A former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldier has shared her story of leaving her ultra-strict religious life in Israel behind to pursue a porn career in America. Mia Ventura, 25, grew up in a Orthodox Jewish family in Jerusalem and was forbidden from wearing revealing outfits or even speaking to men. She now lives what she calls 'the American dream' of making money on OnlyFans in Los Angeles, but as a child growing up in Israel, Mia attended an all-girls boarding school, prayed three times a day, and observed Shabbat. When she turned 18, Mia enlisted in the IDF, where she was trained to use a gun and taught various survival techniques. 'I wouldn't call it a positive experience for young people because war is not fun,' she told Holly Randall's Unfiltered podcast. Mia Ventura, 25, grew up in an ultra-strict Orthodox Jewish family in Jerusalem but is now a successful OnlyFans star in Los Angeles When she turned 18, Mia enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces, where she was trained to use a gun and taught various survival techniques 'It's very traumatizing to live in a country where there's constant war,' she added, explaining that at one point she was tasked with watching the border of the Gaza Strip. Once she completed her mandatory military service, Mia hightailed it for the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she found work as a flight attendant. But it didn't take long for Mia to start exploring her sexuality once she arrived in the US. 'I wanted to try out things I had never tried,' she said. 'It's like you go to the mall and you have endless possibilities for shopping - that's how I felt when I moved here. 'Everyone is available [to be] sexually involved with me if they like me. It's not like that in Jerusalem.' Mia quickly discovered that she was bisexual, and she and her boyfriend, fellow porn star Nick Strokes, started inviting women into their bedroom for threesomes. She eventually began meeting up with other women for sex without Nick - who she says is fully supportive of her liaisons. Mia shared her story on Holly Randall's Unfiltered podcast, where she opened up about being bisexual and having threesomes with her porn star boyfriend, Nick Strokes Mia says that she's 'proud' of her finances now and loves working in the sex industry, where women out-earn men by a large margin She also has a small army of eager 'slaves' on hand to fulfil her every financial desire, from shopping sprees and beauty appointments to flights and food 'Nick was very open-minded about it, he was like, "Do whatever you want," which was very surprising, because where I'm from men control their women,' she said. 'We're in a super open relationship, we're not monogamous. And it's just so healthy in my opinion.' Mia first joined OnlyFans during the COVID pandemic, and at first did nothing more than post suggestive photos of her feet. However, her content quickly progressed, and now the brunette beauty has done everything from golden showers and group sex to working as a dominatrix. She also has a small army of eager 'slaves' on hand to fulfil her every financial desire, from shopping sprees and beauty appointments to flights and food. 'At the beginning I felt kind of bad, like, "I don't want to take his pay check!" But then I started realizing that if I don't take his money he'll go and give it to someone else, 'cause that's his fetish,' she explained. Mia said that one on her slaves was a 'super religious' Hasidic Jew who forked out $8,000 to meet her in person and 'sniff' her feet. 'He was a virgin, 42 years old, he never had sex before,' Mia said. 'He loved my story and thought I was so brave and he just wanted to see me.' Since then, Mia has graced the cover of Playboy and Penthouse - baring all in racy pictorials for the magazines. Despite being barred from speaking to men by her religious parents growing up, Mia has done everything from golden showers and group sex to working as a dominatrix The brunette beauty has also covered Penthouse and Playboy magazine Despite her success, Mia admits that the only time she ever feels ashamed of her X-rated career is when she returns to her home country of Israel Mia says that she's 'proud' of her finances now and loves working in the sex industry, where women out-earn men by a large margin. 'I'm proud of being so independent where I can own stocks, I can own crypto, I can buy a house, I can buy a car, I can buy jewelry,' she gushed. 'I don't need to struggle for money. I can pay my bills on time. 'If you treat your money right and invest in the right investments from doing OnlyFans, I think it's a really respectful job.' Mia admits that the only time she ever feels ashamed of her X-rated career is when she returns to her home country of Israel. 'I feel that tug of shame every time I return to my hometown because everyone saw me naked on camera, going down on a woman, showering with people, and having full sex on camera on my OnlyFans, so that's where I feel shameful,' she confessed. 'But here, especially in cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Vegas where I go to the most and get booked the most by photographers... I don't feel weird about it and I don't feel ashamed about it,' she continued. 'Moving to the U.S. was the best decision I've ever made in my life. I love this country, I love living here, I love the freedom. 'I love the American dream and I love the possibility of making money.' A woman has complained after noticing underwear sold in Australia appears to be 'shrinking' and inconsistently sized. The bargain shopper took her frustration to Reddit, saying she was struggling to understand why her regular underwear size no longer fits, despite her remaining the same weight. The petite woman, who is ordinarily an Australian size 6-8, claimed clothing in her size made by an Aussie budget brand is now too large for her to wear, but the underwear she is used to buying in size 10 is now too small. 'Is it just me?' she wrote, explaining that she now has to wear a size 12 in some brands. Others were quick to agree, saying they had the same issues. One woman commenting said the sizes have always been off with Australian underwear One woman said that sizes have always been unreliable with Australian underwear, asking for someone to simply 'make it make sense'. Another shopper said she had experienced the same frustrating problem when shopping between Australian brands, and also between different designs of underwear in Australia . 'Yes Im actually really annoyed because... I bought some 12s recently and they feel a bit tighter than I would like. Shame because I bought a few too. And some are okay - little bikini briefs for example, but the high rise ribbed ones seem quite small for a 12,' she said. Many were left out of pocket due to the understandable no-return policy on underwear. Another angry customer claimed they had wasted money after buying a size 14 from one brand which turned out to be so small she had to check whether they were a 14 ladies and not a 14 children's. After deciding to then purchase a size 14 from a different Australian retailer in the hopes of a better fit, the new underwear then turned out to be too big. One woman said she has started to purchase her underwear online, opting to buy American brands because the sizing is more consistent than in Australia 'Wow I have never related to something SO much,' said one Redditor. 'This is so validating! I thought I was the only one thank you!' said another. One woman, who claimed to be at her wits end with Australian underwear sizing, said she has started to purchase her underwear online. She opted to buy American brands noting 'the sizing is more consistent than in Australia'. A 63-year-old grandmother who married a man 37 years her junior has given a candid update as the couple prepare to welcome their first child via surrogacy. Cheryl McGregor, from Rome, Georgia, is already a mother-of-seven and grandmother-of-17. But since tying the knot with 26-year-old husband Quran McCain the unlikely couple have become TikTok sensations after sharing updates about their journey into parenthood together. The lovebirds, who wed in 2021, recently revealed they will soon be welcoming their first child together via surrogacy - since Cheryl's age meant she was unable to carry a baby. They have since taken to social media once again to excitedly share a sonogram with their 4.7 million followers as the pair dished the details on the latest addition to the family. A 63-year-old grandmother who married a man 37 years her junior has given a candid update as the couple prepare to welcome their first child via surrogacy Cheryl McGregor, from Georgia, is already a mother-of-seven and grandmother-of-17 - but has since tied the knot with 26-year-old husband Quran McCain The lovebirds, who wed in 2021, recently revealed they will soon be welcoming their first child together via surrogacy - since Cheryl's age meant she was unable to carry a baby Giving the latest update about their first child together, Quran began: 'We're back with another update and...' Cheryl interrupted: 'We got pictures of our baby and that is starting to develop now. It looks like a baby now and it is so adorable.' The pair, who sat side-by-side on a park bench, could not control their smiles as Quran continued: 'The best part is our baby is forming. It's healthy... 'We find out the gender next week and it's pretty amazing. I'm ready, like y'all just don't know.' Remarking on reaching the second trimester, the father-to-be explained: 'We made it past that big milestone of risk and all that. Y'all will be seeing our surrogate soon.' The couple uploaded the clip alongside a caption that read: 'Our baby is healthy and were going into the second trimester.' It was soon flooded with messages of support as one viewer wrote: 'CONGRATULATIONS! I know you're gonna be a great mom and dad.' Another commented: 'You guys are gonna be the best mom and dad ever. I literally wish you guys were my parents.' The unlikely couple have become TikTok sensations after sharing updates about their journey into parenthood together Someone else shared: 'I'm so happy for you guys! I know people may hate, but as long as you two are happy, that's all that matters! Congratulations!' And another added: 'Congratulations. [Age] doesn't matter, regardless of what people say about you guys. The fact is that you both keep it real, and you don't care what people say. You guys will be awesome parents.' The pair first met in 2012 - when Quran was just 15 years old - while they were working at the fast food chain Dairy Queen. But romantic feelings didn't blossom until much later. They lost contact but reconnected in 2020 when caretaker Quran saw Cheryl working as a cashier at a convenience store. Sparks instantly flew between the pair and they started dating. They got married in 2021 after Quran proposed on a live stream to 20,000 people. Soon after the couple started dating, they began posting videos of themselves on TikTok and they have now become viral sensations on the platform because of their nearly four-decade age difference. The pair also set up an Only Fans account for their saucier content. Cheryl already has seven children and 17 grandchildren already but the couple said they 'feel they deserve children of their own.' The clip was soon flooded with messages of support as one viewer wrote: 'CONGRATULATIONS! I know you're gonna be a great mom and dad' Addressing their age gap, she previously shared: 'We understand that I may not be there for as long as Quran is, but I have faith in him. 'If I am not here, he can do it. He's gonna be a great father - he's a responsible adult. I had every bit of faith that he could raise our child, and do it very well. 'Our family is also very supportive of our decision to have children. At first they were hesitant for the same reasons. 'However, now five of my children have come to accept the idea, and my mother-in-law and I make videos together.' The couple have regularly come under fire from trolls online due to their unconventional relationship - but that doesn't phase them. Quran said: 'People on social media have a lot of hate for us. They say I'm dating my grandmother. 'I am not. She is younger than my grandmother. We are no different from any other couple - love is love. 'We get a lot of hate, but it doesn't phase us. At the end of the day, we still got each other, and that's all that matters. 'No matter what they say or do, it can't hurt us. We know the stuff that they say isn't true, and they believe it. We feel sorry for them. 'We're happy and no matter what they say, we're not going to deflect on that.' If you've ever hoped to eat lobster in the peace of your home in front of the TV, then your wish is about to come true thanks to Deliveroo's exclusive subscription service. The food delivery group is set to launch an 'invite-only' Diamond Plus subscription for 19.99 a month. The new subscription will offer exclusive access to some of London's hottest restaurants, with customers able to order the likes of wagyu steak and caviar with a few taps. Brits hoping to level up their takeaway will also be able to buy from luxury delis, gain priority delivery and even get a full refund if items are more than 10 minutes late. They will also gain exclusive access to premium events throughout the year, including pasta making classes with Pasta Evangelists and an evening with chef John Javier. These are some of the items that could be available on Deliveroo's exclusive new subscription service Deliveroo has launched an ultra exclusive 'Diamond Plus' subscription service, which will include Mayfair's Hedonism Wines (pictured) The service has been 'designed with our top customers in mind', according to Deliveroo, although it's not clear how people will receive an invitation to join. Deliveroo has so far signed deals with restaurants such as Holland Park's Vori, Marylebone's Lavo, IZAKAYA at Dreams in Notting Hill and Min Jiang in Kensington, with more expected to be on their way. The deal will also include Mayfair's Hedonism Wines, and The Black Farmer deli in Brixton. Lavo - which offers sophisticated Italian cuisine - lists items such as oysters with caviar, yellowfin tuna tartare, artichoke gratin, handmade burrata, grilled octopus and beef carpaccio on its menu. It offers one large meatball made from wagyu and Italian pork sausage with marinara sauce and fresh whipped ricotta for 30. Even the pizzas are posh, with a black truffle pizza coming in at 35, while a salt-baked seabass for two costs 95 - which even dine-in customers have to wait 60 minutes for it to arrive. Meanwhile IZAKAYA has a 'chef's selection box' for 135 and Chinese restaurant Min Jiang offers a native lobster dish for 90, and a wood-fired Beijing duck for 95. As well as restaurant-quality food, customers will also gain access to premium delis, such as The Black Farmer in Brixton Lavo London offers 'sophisticated Italian cuisine' with many delicacies on their menu 35 may seem like a lot for a pizza but the one from Lavo comes with black truffle Diamond plus customers will also get 10 per cent of their basket total refunded in credit on orders over 30. Deliveroo first launched its loyalty schemes in 2017 and currently has gold and silver subscription options. Deliveroo Plus Silver costs 3.49 a month and offers free delivery on orders over 15 from restaurants and 15 from stores. Deliveroo Plus Gold is 7.99 a month and offers free delivery on orders over 10 from restaurants and 15 from stores, as well as 5 credit back on late orders. The company hopes to become 'plus first' by 2026, with most of its customers being subscribers. The food selection from IZAKAYA at Dreams, which has also signed a deal with Deliveroo Min Jiang in Kensington also makes the list as a swish Chinese restaurant in a high-end hotel Will Shu, chief executive of Deliveroo, said: 'Diamond is our most exclusive subscription yet and provides our top customers with a whole host of fantastic benefits from premium delivery and a direct line to dedicated customer care agents, to credit back and bespoke events. 'Put simply, it will be the best way to get the most out of Deliveroo.' In February Deliveroo announced its best takeaways in the UK, with a family-run Greek restaurant taking the top spot. Yeeros topped the list of Independent Restaurant of the Year with judges praising the establishment for authentic Greek street food. The Diamond plus feature launched in the UK on May 1. A former Palace press secretary has opened up about Princess Diana's 5am crisis call and the advice he gave her after Andrew Morton's biography was published. Dickie Arbiter, 83, worked for the Royal Family from 1988 to 2000 and served the late Queen, King Charles and Princess Diana. Speaking to The Telegraph, the royal expert explained how he was sent to Charing Cross station on the day the bombshell book Diana: Her True Story was published to pick up the morning newspapers and said he was 'gobsmacked' by what the Princess had said. In the book, which sold more than five million copies that year, Diana detailed her mental health struggles and the breakdown of her marriage to King Charles. The expert recalled how the late Princess of Wales had been anxious of the press coverage of the book. Pictured: The late Princess of Wales seen breaking down in tears as she leaves Ashworth Hospice in Liverpool in June 1992, days after Andrew Morton's biography was published Dickie said: 'Diana called me at 5am asking what she should do, and I told her it couldnt be undone now.' What's more, Dickie recalled how he told the Princess to keep a low profile ahead of her visit to Ashworth Hospice in Liverpool a couple of days later. He continued: '[I told her to] just to keep schtum, not answer her phone, and I would accompany her on her next engagement two days later to keep people at bay.' When visiting the Liverpool hospice in June 1992, Princess Diana was visibly distressed and broke down in tears as she returned to her car. The Tampa Bay Times reported Diana arrived at a nearby hospital half an hour later, where she was greeted by a fan holding a sign reading: 'We love you Diana.' The revelations - condemned by many as sensationalist - were so damaging for the royals' public image that many book shops and supermarkets banned it, totally unaware that Diana was the main source behind the work. Five months after the book was published, former Prime Minister John Major announced that the Prince and Princess of Wales had formally separated. The couple's divorce was finalised in 1996. Elsewhere in the Andrew Norton book, Princess Diana detailed confronting Camilla about her relationship with Charles at her sister's 40th birthday party. Dickie Arbiter (pictured in November 2019) has opened up about Princess Diana 's 5am crisis call and the advice he gave her after Andrew Morton's biography was published In the book (pictured), which sold over five million copies that year, Diana detailed her mental health struggles and the breakdown of her marriage to King Charles The late royal said: 'Nobody expected me to turn up to the party [thrown by Lady Annabel Goldsmith in February 1989 for Camillas sisters 40th birthday], but a voice inside me said: "Go for the hell of it." So I psyched myself up something awful.' Ahead of time, Diana explained how she had decided to shake Camilla's hand instead of kissing her on the cheeks, which she dubbed a 'big step'. During the party, Diana recalled finding her husband in conversation with Camilla and another man - and detailed how she sent the men away because she 'wanted to have a word' with Camilla. During their conversation, Diana claimed Camilla said to her: 'Youve got everything you ever wanted. Youve got all the men in the world falling in love with you, and youve got two beautiful children. What more could you want? The late royal claims to have replied: 'I want my husband [...] Im sorry Im in the way. Andrew Morton (pictured in 1992) capitalised on his bestselling work by releasing Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words just months after her death in 1997 'I obviously am in the way and it must be hell for both of you, but I do know what is going on. Dont treat me like an idiot. In recordings Diana made for her biographer, the Princess of Wales spoke of her 'ridiculous' wedding to Charles in 1981. Diana said: 'It was so grown up. Here's Diana, a kindergarten teacher. I mean the whole thing was ridiculous.' The biographer capitalised on his bestselling work by releasing Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words just months after her death in 1997. The book featured the transcripts of their conversations, officially outing her as the main source. This was followed by Diana: In Pursuit of Love in 2004, which detailed her affairs with the likes of soldier James Hewitt, heart surgeon Hasnat Khan and property developer Christopher Walley. The family of a 21-year-old who vanished after buying a one-way ticket to Japan - and leaving without telling anyone - have made a plea to social media as they admit they're still looking for answers after 16 years. Skye Budnick, from Connecticut, alarmed loved ones when she went missing in April 2008 - having taken little to nothing with her as she left. Despite nearly two decades of disappearance, her mother Susan and sister Megan have 'been met with bureaucratic roadblocks leaving them with more questions than answers', as described in a GoFundMe page to help the family seek answers. 'We refuse to give up hope and remain determined to uncover the truth behind her disappearance,' Megan penned. Since taking to social media - with TikTok, Instagram and even a podcast, titled Surviving Skye - Skye's family has managed to raise the profile of her mysterious case despite it not being largely covered in the media. Skye Budnick, from Connecticut (pictured in her missing person's poster), alarmed loved ones when she went missing in April 2008 - having taken little to nothing with her as she left Videos from Megan, sharing updates on the latest progress, now rack up millions of views - as online sleuths demand answers and posit their own theories. And thanks to money raised online, she and her mother were also this week able to travel to Japan and submit additional DNA samples. Last week, ahead of their trip, Megan took to the fundraising page - which was set up to help cover the trip - to update followers and open up about how the ordeal has been for her family. 'We are still very much in the dark as to what may be in store for us,' she admitted. 'We are as prepared as one could be in this type of situation but the truth is we are scared, anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, and above all ready for anything. 'I never imagined ever getting to this point when I started talking about Skyes disappearance on TikTok. It was during Covid and it felt like we were all collectively in the dark as the world was changing right before our eyes 'When I opened up about the struggles of having a missing family member and the toll it took on my life, I found people who took the time to understand and who cared. I lived too many years feeling so alone. 'But now we are here, together, for Skye, as we move forward towards another unknown, but its an unknown that may give us answers.' Speaking to WAFB9 earlier this year, her mother revealed that Skye 'did not let anyone know, even her very best friends' that she was leaving. 'She took very little with her, very little, and she left,' Susan added. 'And she took her car, she left it at the airport.' Since taking to social media - with TikTok , Instagram and even a podcast, titled Surviving Skye - Skye's family has managed to raise the profile of her mysterious case. Pictured, her sister Megan Thanks to money raised online, she and her mother were also this week able to travel to Japan and submit additional DNA samples (pictured) Susan - who branded Skye as 'shy' and 'very quiet', also expressed that she believes her daughter, who was studying Japanese at college, met someone online. The mother also told the outlet that she and Meghan went to Japan themselves, where they filed police reports and handed out posters - but admitted that they faced many hurdles, including the language barrier. On her podcast, Megan opened up about the first ten days following Skye's disappearance - recounting that despite the first 48 hours of a missing person's case being famously seen as 'crucial', no one had realized she was gone for days after her flight to Japan. Admitting that her memories from the time period are clouded by trauma, it is understood that her mother thought Skye - who was 21 at the time - was staying over at a friend's house on March 31, 2008. Meanwhile, on April 1, Megan - who was 24 at the time but living at home - worked at a blood drive, but began to feel lightheaded and ill during a shift. While dealing with Megan's ordeal, which saw her go to hospital and ailing medical issues, the family got swept up in worry for her and 'lost track of time'. By April 4, it had become apparent that no one had heard from Skye for days. In 2008, Meghan and Susan (pictured) went to Japan themselves, where they filed police reports and handed out posters - but admitted that they faced many hurdles, including the language barrier Megan explained that her sister - who was 'alienated in middle school and high school' thanks to her interest in Japanese culture - finally 'found people she could relate to in college', which was a relief for Skye's loved ones. However, Megan also felt that Skye was 'still kind of an outsider' to her very 'new' friends in college. She said this is part of the reason they wanted to leave Skye alone - to create connections and find friends - and not pester her with phone calls. But it quickly became apparent that, as Susan rang her daughter's friends, Skye had told different people varying stories about who she was allegedly staying over this. To complicate matters, Skye didn't have her own cellphone. That same day, in an attempt to look for clues, Skye's brother looked on his computer, where Skye sometimes checked her emails - and was able to access her inbox. There, the family was shocked to discover a flight itinerary for April 1 - which at that point, was three days ago - showing that she had made plans to go to Japan. They made their way to the airport, where they discovered Skye's car, which only contained a few of her belongings. Megan has said that the family has faced roadblocks in investigation since, and are no closer to finding answers regarding her sister. Since starting up campaigns on social media however, she has felt encouraged to see more interest in the case. In a recent podcast episode - which aired on the day Skye turned 37 - Megan said, in a message dedicated to her sister: 'Today in 2024, you're 37 and yesterday I got some news. 'That's the most actionable thing that we're able to do in a very, very, very long time. 'The Southington Police, with the help of Interpol, was in communication with the Japanese government and we were informed that in order to submit new DNA we have to go to Japan. 'My mom and I have to physically go to Japan and I got this news right before your birthday. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is. Susan - who branded Skye (pictured in an old photo) as 'shy' and 'very quiet', also expressed that she believes her daughter, who was studying Japanese at college, met someone online 'So for your 37th birthday sometime in 2024, when I can iron out all the logistics, I think we're going to be able to do like one of the last most actionable things that we can do in your disappearance. 'And we can check the databases in Japan, check any Jane Does, check any other cold case files that they have access to, and maybe get some answers. 'It's the weirdest birthday gift ever. I don't think anybody ever wished for that. But this is good news. This is really good news.' In a recent TikTok, Megan - who has more than 179,500 followers and 3.2 million likes on the app - shared in a video: 'It feels good to have gotten this far, to submit the DNA... to know that it happened.... 'It was nice to experience the humanity and empathy from others that it felt like I wasn't getting from the beginning because I was getting blinded by the stress and the trauma. 'This has been the most insane journey of my life...' Wim Hof teared up as he explained how cold water therapy helped him cope with the death of his wife - amid claims he is promoting 'dangerous' practices. The Dutch motivational speaker and athlete, who is renowned for promoting cold water therapy, appeared on Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO podcast. The 65-year-old repeated his claims that breathing, meditation and cold water can fix trauma and boost your health while recalling the tragic loss of his wife Olaya in 1995. Mother-of-four Olaya took her own life by leaping from the eighth floor of a building. 'My wife took her own life and that led to depression, and I was not able to do anything,' Hof said. Looking at a photograph of Olaya, he said: 'Sweetheart, an amazing soul, very expressive, very talkative to everybody, very open and then she went into the shadows of her own mind and dysfunctioning of brain functioning and that led to her depression and then becoming manic and schizophrenia, it got worse and worse and worse.' Wim Hof teared up as he explained how cold water therapy helped him grieve the death of his wife- amid claims he is promoting 'dangerous' therapies The grandfather, who spend 15 years with Olaya, said he found out her mental health was deteriorating 'too late' and he had 'no means of control.' During the early days of their marriage, she suffered from what he thought was mild depression. By the time their four children had arrived, she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He went onto explain she wanted to have a fifth child, and a month before she took her own life, she acknowledged that she needed to get better first. He explained: 'I was not able to do anything, so it turned into a defeat, it turned into me being hopeless, it turned me into being depressed, but I had no time to be depressed, I had to take care of four children on my own, with almost no money. 'So, that's where the cold came in. The cold is stronger than your mind, than your thinking.' He went onto reveal the grief he felt after the death of his wife was 'an inexplicable burden' and 'traumatised' himself and his four children. Hof, who is nicknamed the 'The Iceman' went on to discuss how he used ice water therapy and breathing to control grief and anxiety. He said: 'These breathing exercises were capable in 2014 to show scientifically, looking at the nervous system ... we were able to tap into the autonomic nervous system and innate immune system which was considered to be impossible in science and now it is there. The grandfather, who spend 15 years with Olaya (pictured) said he found out her mental health was deteriorating 'too late' and he had 'no means of control' The Dutch motivational speaker and athlete, who is renowned for promoting cold water therapy, appeared on Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett 's (pictured) The Diary of a CEO podcast Hof said that, working with cardiologists, it has been shown that if you hold your breath after breathing out five times more oxygen flows to the brain and heart 'It's also the ability to solve, naturally, what is deeply stored up in our tissue, which could not be processed in the moment when it happened. Trauma.' Hof said that, working with cardiologists, it has been shown that if you hold your breath after breathing out five times more oxygen flows to the brain and heart. He said: 'We are able through these breathing techniques to change our blood's chemistry. Bring up pH levels - way up.' Hof demonstrated the technique. A short, sharp intake of breath, followed by a slower exhalation (breathing out), which you should repeat 30 times. He said the system is similar to the sharp intake of breath you take when you are scared or cold - and the breathing your body uses when you have exercised. He added that these breathing techniques, done on a bed or sofa, help you 'go past your conditioned mind'. 'I want you to take over the steering wheel. I want you to be conscious. Go into the deeper consciousness of the breathing and suddenly your trauma, your deeper feelings are able to come to the surface.' 'Traumas are a stored-up chemistry. It's unprocessed. It's when experience happens and you can't deal with it. It's been stashed away and it becomes biochemical - the stored up capacity of the body is simply there in our deeper tissue. Hof also explained how to deal with stress, which he did through ice baths after the death of his wife to 'get emotional agony out of the way' Hof, who is nicknamed the 'The Iceman' went on to discuss how he used ice water therapy and breathing to control grief and anxiety 'But our conditioned mind and body is not able to get into that.' He added: 'We are thinking too much. We know something is wrong inside but we cannot connect with that. Now if we change the patterns we normally go into with our breathing and thinking ... then suddenly we are able to get into this thought to regulate our mood.' Hof also explained how to deal with stress, which he did through ice baths after the death of his wife to 'get emotional agony out of the way'. He said: 'Stress can come in many ways - emotionally, physically, spiritually. It can come in many ways. In the end it is biochemical stress. It turns into biochemistry. 'Neurotoxins etc that accumulate, that get in the body, that create blockages, it drains and you don't know what to do with it and then medicines come in and pills and it only deteriorates. It gets worse.' 'I used the cold back when I was with my [wife], who died, to get my emotional agony out of the way. It was the doorway to open my healing, my spiritual healing of me as a Papi of my children just to be happy with them and to provide energy and wellbeing without this traumatising darkness around us.' He said: 'We should be able to control our emotional state of wellbeing whenever we feel bad.' The 65-year-old revealed how he first embraced the unusual method in a bid to conquer his grief following his wife's death in 1995 The Dutch motivational speaker is noted for his ability to withstand low temperatures and is determined to teach as many as possible about cold therapy Hof met Olaya, whose full name was Marivelle-Maria, in 1982 when he was living a carefree, hippy-style life in a squat in Amsterdam. Originally from Pamplona in Spain, she had just finished her studies and loved his bohemian kookiness; he thought she was the most amazing woman he'd ever met. They got married and started their family, having four children Enahm, Isa, Laura and Michael over the next six years. The family were living in an apartment by this point, which meant compromising on his bohemian lifestyle. He took a series of jobs from tour guide to postman to pay the bills. Yet by the time their family was complete there were serious problems. What he thought were depressive tendencies in his wife were becoming something else. The Wim Hof Breathing Method 30-40 deep breaths (inhale deeply through the nose or mouth and exhale without force). After the last exhalation, hold the breath for as long as possible. When the urge to breathe becomes strong, take a deep breath in and hold it for about 15 seconds, then let it go. Claimed benefits: Improved Immune Function: Some studies suggest that the Wim Hof Method can enhance the body's immune response, potentially reducing the incidence of illness. Increased Energy: The breathing exercises can increase oxygen flow in the body, which may lead to heightened energy levels. Stress Reduction: The method is believed to help manage stress through the combination of breathing techniques and cold exposure, which can trigger a relaxation response. Enhanced Mental Clarity and Focus: Practitioners often report improved concentration and mental resilience. Advertisement He believes the stress on the body and hormonal balance that pregnancy exerts affected her mind. He said he was the main carer for the four children long before Olaya died, saying she would go to stay with her parents in Spain for lengthy periods. Having eventually received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, there were appointments with psychiatrists. Pills were administered but they only made things worse. Previously speaking to the Mail Online Hof said: 'If I'd known then what I know now, I could have done something. But I was powerless. I felt completely alone. We didn't know as much about mental illness then as we do now.' Olaya was staying with her parents in Spain on that fateful night in 1995 when she eventually took her own life, aged just 35, having kissed her children goodbye only moments before. He was leading a tour party when he received a message to call his wife's family in Spain urgently. She had leapt to her death at 2am. Although cold water therapy and breathing methods have helped Hof and many others through anxiety and depression, he has recently been accused of promoting 'dangerous' therapies after a string of families claimed their loved ones died after performing the breathing method. The Sunday Times reports the unusual method is alleged to have led to people dying - accusing Wim of acting recklessly by failing to warn of the risks. The newspaper reported that Kellie Poole, a mother-of-three, collapsed and died in a river in Derbyshire after embracing the trend. In April 2022 the 39-year-old joined her friend Victoria Fielding at the River Goyt in the Peak District for a two-hour class on the method. Soon after entering the cold water she began complaining of a headache before collapsing. She was pulled from the water and another member of the class desperately tried to resuscitate her but she tragically died at the scene. Her inquest heard that she had an undiagnosed heart condition and the cold water 'might have had an effect on cardiac function and might link to sudden death'. A prevention of future deaths report was issued to warn that some people may 'experience an adverse physiological reaction to cold water immersion' which could potentially threaten their life. The Sunday Times used coroners' reports and interviews as well as public statements from families, to identify 11 deaths in which the victim is believed to have tried to copy the Hof method or a similar technique. In August 2022, 17-year-old Madelyn Metzger drowned in the family swimming pool in California trying, her father believes, to copy Hof's method. Raphael found his daughter face down in water and he dragged her out, tried to perform CPR and called paramedics but she sadly passed away. He later discovered Maddie had been researching the method since 2020 and had downloaded his app the month before the incident occurred. Her father has filed a 67 million lawsuit and is seeking an injunction that would ban Hof and his businesses from promoting his breathing method in California. Mr Metzger argues Wim is negligent in promoting his technique and caused death by failing to properly warn people of the risk of drowning. What is the the Wim Hof Method? The Wim Hof Method claims to be a form of meditative therapy and a practical way to become healthier, happier and stronger. It consists of three components - deep breathing, exposure to cold water, and a focused mindset. He previously sat down with Femail to chat about the 'tremendous benefits' from the method that starts with a reconnect with nature. 'We're always in this state of weakening warmth, covered up in layers of clothing, and never exercising the cardiovascular system. So a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away,' Wim said. Wim claims you can even treat depression with cold therapy, with complete submersion leading to a 540 per cent increase in adrenaline and a 250 per cent in dopamine - both of which are known to help moderate symptoms. 'What you will see is that your heart rate goes down during the day, reducing your stress levels. You feel more energised. The improved blood flow delivers better nutrition to your cells. You find you don't get sick anymore,' Wim said. The breathing 'activates the adrenal access to the brain, reduces inflammation, alkalises the blood, and regulates the body'. Then, the cold 'makes you strong from the inside out' because millions of tiny muscles, veins and capillaries become stronger. 'The muscles contract which allows for better blood flow, a slower heart rate and more energy,' Wim said. Mindset and focus is also a significant component that contributes to unlocking the health benefits by letting go of personal ego and send attention to your body instead. 'We all have this power. When you go into the cold, you're not thinking anymore, you're just doing,' Wim said. Advertisement Hof and his business deny the allegations, arguing they had no duty of care over Maddie. They said: 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and extend our sympathies to all who have lost loved ones. The safety and wellbeing of everyone practising the Wim Hof Method is of utmost importance to us. 'That is why we consistently emphasise safety across all our platforms, products and in every aspect of our training,' the Times reported. They said warnings and disclaimers are used anywhere the Wim Hof Method is advertised. But a spokesperson added: 'It's important to note, however, that we advise against practising the Wim Hof Method for those with certain health conditions and always recommend consulting a doctor if you're unsure.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support The Soham Murder Trial documentary airs on 27 June, at 9pm on Channel 5 Forensic scientists have revealed how their discoveries led Ian Huntley to be found guilty of murdering 10-year-old schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. The 50-year-old school caretaker killed the 10-year-old girls at his home in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002, in a case that shocked Britain. Holly and Jessica had been at a family barbecue when they went to walk to a nearby shop for sweets - and their bodies were found nearly a fortnight later in a ditch. Now, a new Channel 5 documentary has delved into the work of Professor Patricia Wiltshire and Dr Andrew Mocrieff, which led to Huntley's lifelong incarceration for the double murder. Discussing his work on The Soham Murder Trial, Andrew said: 'I have never worked on a case that was lucky enough to produce such a clear, simple, and incontrovertible answer as this enquiry.' A new Channel 5 documentary explores the work of Professor Patricia Wiltshire (pictured right) and Dr Andrew Mocrieff (pictured left) that helped prove Ian Huntley guilty of double murder One of the first people on the scene when police found Jessica and Holly's bodies was Professor Patricia Wiltshire. Patricia arrived at the scene to see if there was evidence that Ian Huntley had been at the scene, a place known as the drove. She recalled: 'I could see footmarks going in sideways going down a bank, so I thought, "those are the footprints I'll take my sample from". Patricia found intricate details from the soil and the surrounding plants. She said: 'If you tread on that, you will have that profile on your foot, and by picking up all these different profiles, we can work out where you've been.' 'When they identified Ian Huntley as the main suspect, I had three pairs of shoes, clothing, and we had petrol cans. She continued: 'And when those were analysed, low and behold, they resembled the drove.' Patricia gave evidence about the work she carried out at the Old Bailey. 'It was packed to the ceiling, but it was so silent, and you could hear our feet as you walk in, it's quite disconcerting,' she recalled. Unsatisfied with just one forensic expert, the prosecution called in another to give additional evidence in front of the jury - Dr Andrew Moncrieff. Holly Wells (left) and her best friend Jessica Chapman (right) pictured in their Manchester United shirts shortly before they disappeared in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002 School caretaker Ian Huntley (pictured), 50, was sentenced to two life terms over the double murder Huntley's girlfriend Maxine Carr (pictured) was jailed for three-and-a-half years for her role in the case Andrew was hired to assist with the case one year after the murders. 'I was driven to where the bodies were left,' he recalled. He continued: 'That's the most telling moment because when you find that the place where the crime happened is actually quite unusual with some really good, distinctive properties, then the pulse starts racing.' 'Later that day, I was taken to examine the red Ford fiesta [Huntley's car], and what I could see there was very, very, exciting. 'I could see that there were lumps of chalk, which I had already identified from the track [at the drove]. 'It was something of a cornucopia... there was a large amount of material lodged in and around the car.' Once Andrew had found evidence, he presented his findings in court. 'The actual process of giving evidence on the day is quite intimidating, everybody is staring at you,' he recalled. Huntley got new tyres put on his old Ford Fiesta car, which aroused suspicion and led to police investigating the vehicle. He is pictured sitting in his car outside his home on August 8, 2002 'The point that I was trying to get across to the jury was extremely simple. That car got these fragments of soil from the drove and nowhere else. 'I have never worked on a case that was lucky enough to produce such a clear, simple, and incontrovertible answer as this enquiry.' Andrew's evidence led to a shocking revelation in the case. For the first time, Huntley admitted that he was in the house with the girls when they died. 'I've never come across a situation like this, before or since,' Andrew said. He added: 'I do find myself thinking about the case quite often...it's probably one of the most important things I've ever done, and I'm pretty sure that it'll stay that way'. Huntley's girlfriend Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls' school, was also jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of perverting the cause of justice. In 2018, Huntley pleaded for forgiveness, claimed he thought about the girls every day and apologised for the pain he caused his family and those of the victims. The new Channel 5 documentary uses transcripts from the trial, first-hand testimony of those who were in the courtroom, and reconstruction of key moments, to reveal the prosecution's strategy to prove that Huntley was guilty. The Soham Murder Trial, Thursday 27th June, 9pm on Channel 5 Queen Letizia of Spain looked radiant as she stepped out in dusky blue dress to attend a meeting at Netflix headquarters in Spain on Tuesday. The 51-year-old joined members of the FAD Youth Foundation (Help for Drug Addiction Foundation), of which she is Honorary President, at Netflix headquarters in Tres Cantos, Spain. The Spanish royal looked majestic in a stone blue gown that featured a statement ruffled waist and an elegant skirt that fell down below the knee. Her sophisticated dress offered the Queen some respite from the bright morning sun with its mid length sleeves and and flowing hemmed skirt. Letizia wore casual sandals and let her glossy brunette hair fall loose around her shoulders. She accessorised with a large beige purse held between well-manicured fingers. Pictured: Queen Letizia of Spain looked radiant today as she stepped out in dusky blue dress to attend a meeting at Netflix headquarters in Spain Queen Letizia smiled for the cameras as she donned a glamorous stone blue dress and glowing summer make-up The Spanish Queen opted for summery make-up with glowing eye shadow and a shimmering pink lip to accentuate her features. Letizia posed for a picture with the film producer, Diego Avalos, who serves as the Vice President of Content for Netflix in Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics. Also in attendance was Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri, who is chairman of the Spanish bank, CaixaBank. It comes just a week after Letizia joined her husband, King Felipe VI, to mark 10 years since he ascended the throne on June 19, 2014. The 56-year-old succeeded his father, Emeritus King Juan Carlos, who was the head of state for 39 years before famously abdicating in 2014 when his popularity plummeted amid corruption allegations and affair rumours. More recently, the King and Queen of Spain's marriage was rocked when Queen Letizia faced with unproven accusations of an affair with her ex-brother-in-law, Jaime del Burgo. The queen appeared at a number of events last week to mark the special occasion. During her appearance at the Royal Collections Gallery on Wednesday, the mother-of-two donned a striking cream suit and relaxed white plimsolls, mixing and matching formal and casual styles. The look marked a recently emerging occurring theme with Letizia's recently sartorial choices, with the European royal recently opting for laid-back black sandals with her evening attire for a family night out at a concert to mark the 10th anniversary of King Felipe's proclamation. To complement her smart-casual look, Queen Letizia wore her brown hair down, skimming her shoulders with a sleek blow dry, subtle makeup and understated gold jewellery for a relaxed overall look. Letizia shook the hand of one of the members of the FAD Foundation at the Netflix headquarters at Tres Cantos in Spain Letizia pictured smiling as her her thick brunette hair was caught in the morning breeze at the FAD Foundation meeting Diego Avalos (left), Queen Letizia of Spain (middle), Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri (right) posed for a picture together at the FAD meeting The Spanish Queen opted for summery make-up with glowing sunset heavy shadow and a golden pink lip to accentuate her eye catching features The queen smiled as she shook hands with other members. The event took place a week after Letizia joined her husband, King Felipe VI, to mark 10 years since he ascended the throne Letizia and Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri pictured in the midst of conversation at the event in Tres Cantos At the Wednesday event, the King and Queen's two teenage daughters, Princess Leonor, 18, and Princess Sofia, 17, also appeared looking as glamorous as their mother. The two stunned at a number of glamorous events last week in Madrid to celebrate their father's 10 year tenure. Princess Leonor, the future Queen of Spain who is currently completing her military training at Zaragoza Military Academy in Northern Spain, looked striking in a beaded pale blue two-piece and black slingbacks for the gallery visit. Her younger sister Princess Sofia, who is currently a student at UWC Atlantic college in Wales, looked elegant in white wide-leg trousers and a matching white top with a subtle shimmer. Both young women opted for a soft blow-dry hairstyle reminiscent of their mother's polished looks and subtle, fresh makeup with glowing skin and glossy lips. Sir Timothy Laurence has given an update on Princess Anne as she continues her treatment for 'minor head injuries' following a suspected horse incident. The Princess Royal, 73, suffered minor head injuries on Saturday when she was walking on her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire and was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Due to the injuries she sustained, the royal reportedly is unable to recall exactly what happened - but is believed to have been struck on the head by a horse. Sir Timothy - who is Anne's husband of 32 years - visited her in hospital today and was pictured through the hospital's main entrance carrying a blue bag containing some goodies. As he left the main entrance at around 2pm after a two-hour lunchtime visit, he said: 'She's doing fine - slow but sure.' Sir Timothy Laurence said Princess Anne is 'doing fine' as he brought her 'a few little treats from home' in Southmead Hospital Pictured: Princess Anne's husband Sir Timothy Laurence seen arriving at Southmead Hospital in Bristol this afternoon Asked if he brought anything for the Princess Royal, Sir Tim, 69, said: 'Just a few little treats from home.' Sir Laurence - Anne's second husband who she married in 1992 - was dressed smartly in some beige trousers, blue checked shirt and navy blazer for the visit. As he left the building Sir Tim shook hands with and spoke to Tony Hudgell, North Bristol NHS Trust's director of operational estates and facilities. He waved to reporters outside the hospital and put the bag in the rear seat of the Range Rover, before getting into the driver's seat and driving away. Buckingham Palace said in a statement yesterday that Princess is conscious and is set to remain in hospital until later this week as a 'precautionary measure'. Following the accident, an air ambulance was called to Gatcombe Park and Princess Anne received treatment on the scene. Sir Timothy later accompanied Princess Anne to hospital. The mother-of-two's engagements have been cancelled, including a visit to Canada this Thursday, However, the royal is said to be conscious and comfortable and is expected to make a 'full and swift recovery'. Horses were nearby at the time of the accident and her medical team say her wounds are consistent with a 'potential impact' from being headbutted or kicked by an animal or animals. The couple - who have been married for 32 years - attended Royal Ascot with Lady Sarah Chatto last week After parking up, Sir Laurence was pictured walking through the hospital's main entrance carrying a blue bag Pictured: Sir Timothy Laurence seen driving into the hospital car park. Princess Anne's husband accompanied her to the hospital on Saturday Sir Tim waved to reporters outside the hospital and put the bag in the rear seat of the Range Rover Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence leaves Southmead Hospital in Bristol where the Princess Royal is being treated Sir Timothy (pictured) is Anne's second husband. The couple married in 1992 As a result, Buckingham Palace officials have concluded a 'best working assumption' of how Anne's injuries were sustained. It is the major trauma centre for the region, a sign of how serious the incident was treated. Her accident is the latest health concern to affect the Royal Family, following the King and Princess of Wales' cancer diagnoses. Already one of the hardest-working royals, even into her 70s, she has lately played an even more significant role. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. 'Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. 'The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery.' An air ambulance was despatched but the decision was taken to transfer her to hospital by road. Locals said they saw the air ambulance land at around 9.15pm. One said: 'I thought 'oh my goodness, I hope it's not Anne'.' A list of Princess Anne's cancelled engagements. Ailsa Anderson-Cole, Queen Elizabeth's former press secretary who also worked with the Princess Royal, told the Mail: 'She will be livid at not being able to fulfil her commitments... and loathes letting people down' The King, Queen, Prince of Wales and Anne's other siblings, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York, were all informed immediately. A spokesman also confirmed that, on doctors' advice, Her Royal Highness's engagements for the week ahead will be postponed. She had eight engagements across the country before she was due to leave for Canada on Thursday. 'Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,' the palace said. Ailsa Anderson-Cole, Queen Elizabeth's former press secretary who also worked with the Princess Royal, told the Mail: 'She will be livid at not being able to fulfil her commitments... and loathes letting people down.' On Monday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer broke away from election campaigning to send the princess their best wishes for a speedy recovery. It is understood the princess was walking within the protected perimeter of Gatcombe Park estate when the incident occurred, and no other individual is believed to have been involved. Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, and son, Peter Phillips, were also on the estate at the time, but it is not known who raised the alarm. Gatcombe Park In Gloucestershire - Home Of Princess Anne. An air ambulance was called and she received treatment on the scene before being taken by road to hospital. Her husband Sir Tim Laurence accompanied her She is a key member of the King's slimmed-down working monarchy, and has played an important role as she stepped up in support of Charles amid his condition. The princess, often dubbed the hardest-working royal, is known for her no-nonsense approach and her commitment to royal duty. At Trooping the Colour earlier this month, she was pictured expertly keeping her horse under control when it appeared agitated. Anne won the individual championship at Burghley in 1971, and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 1976, she took part in the Montreal Olympics as a three-day eventer with the British equestrian team. The princess survived an attempted kidnapping in 1974 when a gunman tried to abduct her and then-husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. She kept her cool, and when the gunman, Ian Ball, told her to 'come with me for a day or two' because he wanted 2million, she replied it was not 'bloody likely, and I haven't got 2million'. A bodybuilder has opened up about his whirlwind life story, including being jailed in Thailand for his 'crazy' behaviour to now converting to Islam and giving up alcohol. TV presenter Vogue Williams speaks to mothers and fathers and their adult children to discuss subjects theyve rarely, if ever, talked about in The Mail's new podcast, The Apple & The Tree. These are deep, intimate, and revealing conversations that move through love, grief, shame, sexuality, religion, addiction, identity and so much more, recorded in guests' own homes, with Vogue unpacking what's been shared at the end of each episode. In the latest episode, Jamie Morton speaks to his mother Jacqui in Tunbridge Wells in Kent about his 'brutal' and 'shocking' experience in a Thai jail several years ago. Jamie is an online fitness instructor and global body-building competitor who wanted to talk to Jacqui about his decision to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim woman. Listen to the full episode with Jamie and Jacqui on the Apple & The Tree podcast: Bodybuilder Jamie Morton has opened up about the time he spent in jail in Thailand From a young age, Jamie had obsessive tendencies, he hated school and became a heavy drinker. Jacqui wanted to know if he recalled his youthful mania for magic tricks, how terrified she was when she discovered his body-building drugs, and how welcome she was made to feel by Jamies wifes family. Jacqui initially found out Jamie, now 30, was taking steroids when she tidied his room, discovering his stash - making her fear for his health. But Jamie's troubles were set to get worse: while visiting Thailand, he says he took his behaviour 'too far' and got into a 'big pickle'. Sharing his story in a bid to motivate others not to misbehave abroad when it comes to drugs and alcohol, Jamie revealed he ended up jail. He said: 'I was stuck in a jail as the only white English guy. It was raw and it was happening right in front me and I'm in a whole world of trouble here. 'The things that were going on in there were brutal, abhorrent, disgusting and shocking and I will never forget those and I will take them to the grave. 'Things that you have to do in there, otherwise you're in a whole world of trouble. And you just get eaten up because it's all run by gangs.' Jamie was speaking to his mother Jacqui, 58, for the latest episode of Vogue Williams' podcast, The Apple & The Tree Jamie, who has now converted to Islam, admitted his behaviour had spiralled out of control He added that the maximum security prison was surrounded by barbed wire, guards with guns, and even a moat. Among the criminals in the jail were those who'd been convicted for crimes like murder. 'You're kind of like, "am I ever getting out of here?'", he said. The fitness fanatic says he was working illegally in the country after overstaying his tourist visa and hanging around with some 'unsavory' characters. Even after getting out of jail, Jamie was handed a five-year ban on travel to Thailand, which only ends next month. However, he has managed to keep out of trouble, and has changed his life considerably in recent times. Jamie met his wife Faaizah in October 2022. After they had a break up, Jamie asked if they could reunite, and the couple decided to wed. TV presenter Vogue Williams candidly speaks to parents and their adult children to discuss subjects they've rarely, if ever, talked about in her new podcast Apple & The Tree The Apple & The Tree Podcast: listen wherever you get your podcasts Jamie then embarked on another life changing move: he began to research Islam, reading more and more about it. He had already given up alcohol, had cut out pork for health reasons and did intermittent fasting for bodybuilding. 'I thought, I'm basically doing this anyway', said Jamie, and went on to visit a couple of mosques in London. Last April, he converted to Islam. He said: 'I'm in very very early stages. I take it at my own pace and my wife is very understanding of that. 'Currently I just adhere to no drink, no pork and we've got Ramadan coming up, which we're both going to be doing and practicing.' Listen to the latest episode of our podcast The Apple & The Tree, hosted by Vogue Williams on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. New episodes released every Friday. The Royal Family has shared a behind-the-scenes clip of staff setting up tonight's lavish state banquet for the Emperor and Empress of Japan at Buckingham Palace. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who arrived in the UK on Saturday, will enjoy dinner with King Charles and Queen Camilla in Buckingham Palace's Ballroom this evening. Since 1914, these special events have traditionally been held in this particular room, which is the largest of the State Rooms. The Palace's official X (formerly Twitter) account shared a video of staff preparing for the state banquet, showing them setting gold cutlery and preparing elegant place settings. Employees dressed in vibrant red uniforms were filmed putting on their white gloves before plating canapes on silver platters. Finishing touches are applied to tables in the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace ahead of tonight's state banquet The State Banquet will be held in the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace, in-keeping with tradition The Japanese royal couple, who arrived in the UK on Saturday, will enjoy dinner with King Charles and Queen Camilla in Buckingham Palace's Ballroom this evening. Above: The group earlier today with Prince William Empress Masako of Japan and Queen Camilla attend the Ceremonial Welcome These included chunky cuts of salmon dressed with various green vegetables and miniature strawberry and cream tartlets. Staff at the Palace also loaded golden plates with luxurious chocolates truffles and fruit jellies, for guests to nibble on. The Royal Chef is responsible for planning the menu for a State Banquet, which traditionally consists of four courses. There are two savoury courses, followed by pudding and dessert, which is usually fruit-based. The Clerk of the Royal Cellars and the Yeoman of the Royal Cellars, in conjunction with the Head of Government Hospitality, then choose the wine once the final menu has been approved. Last year, the King started putting his own stamp on the royal tableware used for state banquets. Charles's CIIIR cypher has been added to the small white China plates that guests will first see upon sitting down at their allocated space on the grand table. Charles's CIIIR cypher has been added to the small white China plates at the banquet Queen Camilla inspects the place setting for the banquet at Buckingham Palace Miniature strawberry and cream tartlets were delicately placed on plates Chunky cuts of salmon dressed with various green vegetables will be served Queen Camilla and King Charles look happy ahead of the State Banquet today Every time there is a State Banquet, the Monarch will likely use the Grand Service, a dining set made from silver coated in a thin layer of gold. George IV first purchased the set in the early 1800s for 60,000 and used it at a banquet in 1811. The staff at Buckingham Palace will have likely been preparing for this event for many weeks, as it takes eight people some three weeks to clean and polish the dining set. Usually at Buckingham Palace, the table is arranged in a horseshoe shape, with the Monarch and their guests of honour seated at the top table. The clip showed the grand room decorated with numerous candles in regal candelabra, along with colourful fresh flower arrangements in centrepieces, aptly demonstrating how Charles and Camilla are avid fans of plants. Queen Camilla was seen wearing the white Anna Valentine dress and silver diamond brooch she wore for appearances earlier today ,as she was caught on camera looking at the table settings. The King looked in high spirits as he was filmed laughing and smiling with employees ahead of the special occasion. Both he and the emperor will give speeches at the banquet. Buckingham Palace staff get out the the best cutlery for the occasion today Usually at Buckingham Palace, the table is arranged in a horseshoe shape, with the Monarch and their guests of honour seated at the top table Colourful fresh flower arrangements in centrepieces were placed on the table Mr Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were both listed among the guests for the state banquet, which takes place just over a week before the General Election. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the emperor and empress's visit would not be a political one and it was hoped it would forge 'friendly relations across generations' between Japan's imperial family and the British royal family. Missing from the event will be Princess Anne, who is currently recuperating after suffering minor injuries to her head and a concussion when she was reportedly kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate. The Princess Royal, a skilled horsewoman who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, was walking on her Gloucestershire estate on Sunday evening when the incident happened. After being given medical care at the scene, she was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by road for tests, treatment and observation. The 73-year-old will miss several engagements this week, including an overseas tour to Canada which was due to start this weekend. George IV first purchased the dinner set used for banquets in the early 1800s for 60,000 and used it in 1811 The King looked in high spirits as he was filmed laughing and smiling with employees ahead of the special occasion The emperor and empress will spend seven days in the UK after arriving at Stansted Airport in Essex on Saturday to carry out private engagements before the official state visit. On Thursday, they will bid farewell to the King and Queen and privately visit St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen, before taking a private visit to Oxford on Friday. The event marks King Charles's first incoming state visit since his cancer diagnosis. It previously had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The King was presented with Japan's highest honour - the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum earlier today. In return, the emperor was appointed to the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry in the UK. Gifts were also exchanged, with Charles presenting the emperor with a bottle of artisanal, small batch release, single malt scotch whisky from the Japanese-owned Aberdeenshire distillery, Glen Garioch. The clip showed the grand room decorated with numerous candles in regal candelabra To accompany the whisky was a pair of silver and gold beakers by British goldsmith House of Benney, commissioned to feature both the Imperial Seal and the King's cypher. The Queen presented Empress Masako with a handmade bespoke fan incorporating both Japanese and British good luck symbols. It featured the Empress's crimson 'Ramanas' rose and the Queen's cypher and was made with wood from the branch of a fallen British plane tree in St James's Park, close to the Palace. The guests also received a signed photograph of the King and Queen in a silver frame, and vice versa. The empress presented Camilla with a Saga Nishiki brocade handbag. The staff at Buckingham Palace will have likely been preparing for this event for several weeks Every time there is a State Banquet, the Monarch will likely use the Grand Service, a dining set made from silver coated in a thin layer of gold The Royal Chef is responsible for planning the menu for a State Banquet, which traditionally consists of four courses Saga Nishiki is a Japanese traditional craft that was exhibited at the 1910 Japan-British Exhibition in London. The King received a Wajima lacquerware Box from the emperor, who chose the gift in honour of those affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake which hit Japan at the start of the year. A spokesperson for the Embassy of Japan in the UK said: 'The Wajima lacquerware box presented to His Majesty The King was selected with His Majesty The Emperor's thoughts on those affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.' Wajima-nuro is a traditional lacquerware method which originated around Wajima. Wajima was one of the worst hit communities when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on New Year's Day 2024. More than 200 people were killed and 49,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. Queen Camilla wore King Charles III's new 'Family Order' for the first time at tonight's glittering state banquet. Each sovereign commissions a special badge to be worn by female members of the Royal Family, which is personally bestowed by the King or Queen. The tradition dates back to King George IV in the 19th Century, more than two hundred years ago. The order normally features a portrait of the monarch surrounded by diamonds and suspended from a silk bow. It is worn from the left shoulder on state evening occasions. Although he acceded the throne more than 18 months ago, the King has not issued his order, until now. King Charles III, (R), Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Queen Camilla (L), pose for a group photo ahead of the State Banquet The order normally features a portrait of the monarch surrounded by diamonds and suspended from a silk bow And, as expected, he has eschewed the now controversial tradition of using ivory in favour of having his portrait painted on a synthetic material called polymin - a translucent treated plastic sheet similar in texture to ivorine, a synthetic ivory. His tiny oil portrait was painted by talented miniaturist Elizabeth Meek MBE. It is based on a 2023 portrait taken by photographer Hugo Burnand, showing him in the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet with the shape of the Royal Victoria Order, Garter Star, Thistle Star, Garter Collar and Neck Orders of the Order of the Bath and the Royal Victoria Order. It has been stunningly mounted in a diamond-set white and yellow gold frame, with the King's crowned cypher on the yellow gold rear. The mount is suspended from a gold and enamel Tudor crown, which was decorated in enamel by goldsmith and jeweller Fiona Rae who established her business in 1990 with a loan from Charles' charity, The Princes Trust. Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby designed and constructed the Family Order, with the pale blue silk bow created by Camilla's favourite milliner, Philip Treacy. The colour of the ribbon was personally selected by The King and is based on the ribbon used by his great-grandfather, King George V. Camilla wore her new Family Order, along with the one she was given by the late Queen Elizabeth The colour of the ribbon was personally selected by The King and is based on the ribbon used by his great-grandfather, King George V The brilliant-cut diamonds used have been taken from the existing collection of 'loose stones' in the royal collection and weigh 10.41 carats. The gold used also comes from existing stores. Camilla wore her new Family Order, along with the one she was given by the late Queen Elizabeth, on a cream silk crepe embroidered dress by Fiona Clare, along with the Burmese ruby and diamond tiara, a diamond necklace, ruby and diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. The second most senior female royal present, the Duchess of Edinburgh, had been lent the Lotus Flower Tiara and diamond necklace by Queen Camilla with a dress by Suzannah. Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer are expected to take a break from the campaign trail to attend the state banquet at Buckingham Palace, just over a week before the General Election. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the emperor and empress's visit would not be a political one and it was hoped it would forge 'friendly relations across generations' between Japan's imperial family and the British royal family. The dinner, in the ballroom of the Palace, will see Mr Sunak and Sir Keir dress in white tie, process in and take their seats around the horseshoe-shaped table to hear speeches and toasts by Charles and the emperor. A prime minister usually sits near the head of the table, with the leader of the opposition positioned further down. Queen Camilla and Empress Masako are pictured walking along Buckingham Palace, followed by Prince William Missing from the event will be Princess Anne, who is currently recuperating after suffering minor injuries to her head and a concussion when she was reportedly kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate. The Duchess of Edinburgh had been 'promoted' to the top table, featuring the King, Queen, Prince of Wales and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Other notables included artist Samuel Chatto, 27, the grandson of the late Princess Margaret, for the first time, Britain's first female 'sushi master', Miho Sato, composer Lord Lloyd Webber , YouTuber Chris Broad, who specialises on travel in Japan, and a Japanese astronaut. The emperor and empress, who arrived in the UK on Saturday, will spend seven days in the UK after arriving at Stansted Airport in Essex on Saturday to carry out private engagements before the official state visit. On Thursday, they will bid farewell to the King and Queen and privately visit St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to lay a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen, before having a private visit to Oxford on Friday. The key event in the royal calendar is Charles's first incoming state visit since his cancer diagnosis. The visit previously had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A man's long-winded advertisement offering 'free sensual massages' to 'women of any age' has left locals feeling uneasy and on the lookout for creeps. The note, which urged women to 'not be shy', was taped to an electricity pole on the main street of Murwillumbah, a small town near Byron Bay. One woman's protective partner noticed it and tore it down. The note read: 'Hi, my name is (redacted), I am a mature male offering free sensual massage to women Monday to Thursday. 'I am very experienced and discreet, can make myself available during the day if required. Age doesn't matter.' This ad was taped onto a pole in a small town's main street He detailed how a shower and towels would be available and added he is happy to meet up for a coffee or send a photo to make inquiring women feel more comfortable. 'I'm curious and playful, I love sensual touch and giving long, slow massages,' he wrote. He said he was seeking quality over quantity. 'If you are feeling stressed and tired or would just love a full body massage please call or text me... please take me up on my free offer,' he wrote. Murwillumbah is just north of celebrity and tourist hotspot Byron Bay and has a population of about 10,000. The note became hot gossip in the town before it was posted online. Those who saw it were quick to remark on the man's 'giant red flags'. 'Stay tuned for next weeks episode of Criminal Minds,' one woman wrote on the post. 'At first I was like oh yeah could be a business but further I read the more speechless I got like,' another said. 'Probably uses embalming fluid for massage oil,' added a third. One claimed the note was simply a 'disguised escort service' but people slammed that idea. 'Wrong. Escorts don't work for free. He is just a creepy guy trying to fulfil a fet/kink he has,' one said. But some seemed keen. 'Honestly my back is so freaking sore that part of me is like...' one woman joked. 'Ive only been to Murwillumbah like 10 times and absolutely loved it. Might be back sooner that I thought, thanks,' wrote another. And for some the ad hit a little too close to home. 'Not me reading this and realising my boyfriend has the same name and is from Murwillumbah,' one woman wrote. A man who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years experienced a rare complication stemming from his habit that saw him grow hair deep inside his throat. The patient visited doctors in 2007 complaining of a hoarse voice, trouble breathing and a chronic cough. He told doctors he had begun smoking in 1990 at 20 years old and already had reported one instance of having coughed up a hair. Based on his symptoms, doctors performed a procedure that allowed them to guide a small camera down the patient's airway and they discovered several hairs growing from an area in his throat he had previously had surgery on. While the medical team was able to remove the hairs, they continued to re grow and the patient would return to the hospital every year for the next 14 years with the same symptoms. The condition was only treated once the now-52-year-old stopped smoking and doctors burnt the hair cells in his throat in 2022, which stopped them from coming back. Shown above is a scan of the individual's throat, with the arrows pointing to places where the trachea - or windpipe - has been constricted The above images show hairs that were in the man's throat. Doctors would pluck these out every year for 14 years. Doctors finally stopped the hairs once the man quit smoking The man, from Austria, was diagnosed with endotracheal hair growth, or hair growing in the throat. The condition is extremely rare, with only a handful of cases recorded in medical literature. The causes are unclear and authors of the case report said this was only the second instance of this kind. Doctors claimed, however, that in this case the growth had been triggered by smoking. The experts said smoking can cause inflammation to the tissue in the throat, which may cause stem cells to turn into hair follicles or a hair-growing group of cells and structures. Typically, there were six to nine two-inch hairs in the man's throat, with some having managed to pass through his voice box and grow up into his mouth. Revealing the case in the American Journal of Case Reports, doctors said: 'We hypothesize that the onset of hair growth was triggered by the patients cigarette smoking. '[This] may have induced and stimulated endotracheal hair growth. [But], of course, this assumption cannot be proven due to the rarity of such cases.' The doctors also noted the patient had nearly drowned at the age of 10, which had led to his trachea the part of the windpipe below the voice box being cut open to allow an air tube to be put in place so he could breath. The opening was later closed using cartilage and skin from his ear, with hair growth detected around the site transplanted into the throat. About 28.3million Americans smoke or one in 10 people although it is extremely rare for the habit to lead to hair growing in the throat. The patient reported his symptoms began in 2006, about 16 years after he began smoking. He complained of struggling to breathe at night, hoarseness, snoring and chronic coughing. When he initially sought medical help in 2007, doctors also found inflammation in his throat and scabs that had formed. Along with removing them, he was treated using antibiotics as doctors had found the hairs were covered in bacteria. For the next nearly 15 years, the man revisited doctors for rechecks and repeated removals. Every time the hair was removed, they said the patient was immediately relieved from their symptoms. Despite the chronic condition, doctors did not want to perform the curative procedure until the man had quit smoking, which he did in 2020. Hair regrowth was eventually stopped after doctors performed an endoscopic argon plasma coagulation the burning of the root from which the hair is growing when the patient was 49. One year after this procedure, two hairs were removed from the throat and another coagulation was performed. Since then, no hairs have grown back. Unless there is a dramatic change of events, this Thursday will be the start of the 11th round of junior doctor strikes. The lack of resolution is damaging for all and there seems no end in sight; indeed, the resolve of the junior doctors is hardening with 98 per cent backing further strikes in the latest ballot. Yes, the strikes are about pay. But it's also about conditions you only have to note the endless stories of junior doctors heading off for 'better lives' in Australia to see this. And as well as resolving the issues of pay, what will also make a real difference is the way junior doctors are rostered. I know this because in my hospital in Brighton, junior doctors aren't leaving to move overseas they're joining us. Professor Rob Galloway (pictured) argues that the way to resolve the junior doctor strikes is through a more flexible rota system The resolve of the junior doctors is hardening with 98 per cent backing further strikes in the latest ballot (stock picture) Junior Doctors attend their picket line at St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster on February 26, 2024 We are not paying them more, we can't, that's a national decision. And this is not about giving them special treatment over providing the best possible patient care. It's about our rota system bear with me, this is not an HR lesson but something that makes a difference to patients. Currently, junior doctors are often not told where they will be working until a few weeks before they start the job. And even then they're often treated as rota 'fodder', put on rolling rotas of endless weekends and nights, with no thought for the needs of their own lives. This is what happened to me as a junior, missing one of my best friend's wedding. Boo-hoo, you might say. But I know of junior doctors who've been rostered to work the night of their wedding day, or being unable to take holiday with their children during the school holidays instead being told to organise their own swaps with a colleague, if they can find one to do this. This is not an urban myth, but a reality of an unacceptable way of managing staff. These highly trained junior doctors often leave medicine in its entirety or work as a doctor abroad. The upshot is patients suffer, the doctors suffer, and billions are wasted in agency fees. In my hospital we have developed a new way of managing our staff which is transformational. Student doctors in their training go round the wards at a teaching hospital Junior doctors committee members who are in dispute with the government over salary arrangements carried out their 10th strike in a year on February 26 The number of hours each doctor needs to work in each rotation (junior doctors often do four to 12 months in a specific area such as A&E, before rotating to another specialty) is calculated and then they work those hours across that rotation. They can choose when they will not work before the rota is made. With the rota compiled eight weeks before they start their job, it means they need to be organised in planning their leave, but then they have the work-life balance they want. As long as we can cover the needed shifts, they are allowed to be off when they want to be. And if requests were made after the rotas were compiled, the rota teams are there to help as needed. After we introduced this scheme in 2016, we had one junior doctor who only did every other weekend and occasional full weeks because of childcare commitments. Without our flexible rota, she would have left the NHS. But she did a part-time job knowing the hours she was committed to for three years, before continuing with her formal training. She now works as a GP. Many others who would normally have left the NHS and worked as an agency doctor stayed working for us for an average 18 hours a week. They could go off travelling for a few months and then come back full-time for a few months, all within their contracted hours. All this is just common sense. But the main barrier to implementation of these ideas was that the standard NHS rota system, which most hospitals use, is not designed for this degree of flexibility. So when I was managing our departmental rotas, I ignored the rules and collaborated with an independent group of computer geniuses who set up a new system called healthrota. The system, using algorithms, plus sensible thinking, helped create rotas which worked for staff and patients and with fewer gaps in cover, so reducing expensive locum costs. Junior doctors hold placards as they stand at a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster in London, Monday, March 13, 2023 In April, the chief executive of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, wrote to hospital leaders saying that they need to 'improve rota management' We then went on to roll this out to all doctors at the trust where I work this system has now won multiple awards, had scientific papers showing its effectiveness and been shown off as a vanguard of good practice by the NHS. In April, the chief executive of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, wrote to hospital leaders saying that they need to: 'improve rota management by exploring the opportunities technology offers to move towards greater self-rostering, so doctors have greater control over their lives while meeting the needs of the service'. But the bad news is that most hospitals are not adopting this new way of working. And the NHS team which, over the past few years, has been helping hospitals adopt new ways of rostering staff was disbanded last year. Unless this is sorted, even if the pay dispute is resolved, I don't think we will solve our junior doctor crisis. And yet again, ultimately it's patients who will lose out. A mum-of-two has told how she is making the most of the life she has left having been dealt the devastating blow of a terminal breast cancer diagnosis. Roisin Pelan, 42, was told she had just three years to live six years ago. Since then, the entrepreneur from Preston in Lancashire has defied the odds and fulfilled a string of ambitions, from trekking in the Alps to writing a children's book and, most remarkably, adopting a baby boy. Ms Pelan, who also started a cancer charity, says she has written a 'living list', which is stuck to her wall and has 'lots' she still wants to do. She hopes her story will give strength others in seemingly bleak situations. Roisin Pelan, 42, was told she had just three years to live six years ago. Since then, the entrepreneur from Preston in Lancashire has defied the odds and fulfilled a string of ambitions, from trekking in the Alps to writing a children's book and, most remarkably, adopting a baby boy Ms Pelan, who also started a cancer charity, says she has written a 'living list', which is stuck to her wall and has 'lots' she still wants to do. She hopes her story will give strength others in seemingly bleak situations. Pictured, Roisin Pelan, 42, husband Michael, 39, daughter Ivy, 10, and little boy Bill Ms Pelan first realised something was wrong when she discovered a lump in her left breast in 2014, when she was pregnant with her daughter. After a GP referral, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and chemotherapy saw the disease put into remission. Four years later, however, she saw her oncologist regarding pain she'd been experiencing in both arms and behind her breasts. Pictured, Roisin Pelan with her daughter Ivy in 2018 Given her cancer could be treated but not cured, Ms Pelan had already created a 'living list' of everything she wanted to do before she died. The term is a spin on 'bucket list' so-called because it refers to things a person wishes to accomplish before they 'kick the bucket'. Despite ticking a number of goals off, Ms Pelan insists she still got 'lots' she wants to do including 'manifesting an Oasis reunion so I can go to their gig' Ms Pelan first realised something was wrong when she discovered a lump in her left breast in 2014, when she was pregnant with her daughter. After a GP referral, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and chemotherapy saw the disease put into remission. Four years later, however, she saw her oncologist regarding pain she'd been experiencing in both arms and behind her breasts. She was told initially it may have been nerve damage. But three days, she found a lump. Scans later showed her cancer had returned and spread, meaning it was now incurable. However in 2022, thanks to further treatment, she was told she had 'no evidence of the disease'. Given her cancer could be treated but not cured, Ms Pelan had already created a 'living list' of everything she wanted to do before she died. The term is a spin on 'bucket list' so-called because it refers to things a person wishes to accomplish before they 'kick the bucket'. Despite ticking a number of goals off, Ms Pelan insists she still got 'lots' she wants to do including 'manifesting an Oasis reunion so I can go to their gig'. She hopes to camp in a treehouse, go to New York at Christmas and swim in Bora Bora. She said: 'I made a "living list" after I was diagnosed it's so much more fun than a bucket list. 'I've managed to tick so much stuff off already I can't even remember everything. 'I wrote a children's book, called "Shiny Happy Horace". I trekked the Alps, the Highlands and in Yorkshire. 'I helped to form a charity with 20 others there are only 13 of us now. I've got my list on the wall.' She added: 'I started a little business, Flighty Pants, which is a gift shop for people with cancer aimed at getting them through treatment. She said: 'I made a "living list" after I was diagnosed it's so much more fun than a bucket list. 'I've managed to tick so much stuff off already I can't even remember everything. I wrote a children's book, called "Shiny Happy Horace". I trekked the Alps, the Highlands and in Yorkshire' One in seven women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime around 56,000 a year making it the most common cancer in the UK. The figure stands at roughly 300,000 annually in the US Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple 'We've done a road trip to the south of France. 'But I still want to road trip around Canada and New Zealand in an RV. I want to take the glass train in Switzerland.' One in seven women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime around 56,000 a year making it the most common cancer in the UK. The figure stands at roughly 300,000 annually in the US. Between 85 to 90 per cent of women diagnosed with primary breast cancer survive more than five years. Am I eligible for a mammogram? Women aged 50 to 71 are advised to have a breast screening every three years. Women who are registered with a GP will be sent a letter inviting them. At the appointment, X-rays called mammograms check the breasts for signs of cancer. Results will be sent out in a letter, usually within two weeks. It will set out whether there is no sign of cancer or if further tests are needed. Breast screening saves around 1,300 lives each year in the UK. The chance of getting breast cancer increases with age and most are diagnosed in women aged over 50. Advertisement However, secondary breast cancer or stage four which accounts for around 16 per cent of all breast cancers in the UK and US, is far more difficult. It means the cancer, that started in the breast has spread to another part of the body, commonly the liver, lungs, brain or bones. Around a quarter of women with secondary breast cancer will survive their cancer for five years or more after they are diagnosed, according to Cancer Research UK. Recalling her heartbreaking 2018 diagnosis, she said: 'I felt utter despair I couldn't accept that I would have to leave my baby girl. 'I remember saying over and over, "I can't leave Ivy, I can't." 'It was the worst pain and most desperate time in my life I was heartbroken.' Over the course of 10 years, Ms Pelan has undertaken more than 60 rounds of chemotherapy and five types of medication like vinorelbine and paclitaxel. At the time of her diagnosis in 2018, she and her husband, Michael, 39, an illustrator, were already planning on adopting a second child. But she claimed her oncologist couldn't give social services clearance until he was more confident in her prognosis. Ms Pelan said: 'We'd been approved to adopt before I was diagnosed. 'We were waiting to match, but after my cancer was confirmed, the oncologist said it wasn't going to be possible. 'All my treatment happened carboplatin, taxotere, paclitaxel [three types of chemotherapy medication], surgery and radiotherapy. 'I did all I could to help myself naturally with herbal remedies, including hyperbaric chamber therapy which felt like being in a submarine.' After her oncologist was pleased with her progress in 2019, she claimed social services were given clearance to allow her and her husband adopt. Over the course of 10 years, Ms Pelan has undertaken more than 60 rounds of chemotherapy and five types of medication like vinorelbine and paclitaxel. At the time of her diagnosis in 2018, she and her husband, Michael, 39, an illustrator, were already planning on adopting a second child. Pictured, Roisin Pelan with daughter Ivy While her cancer remains incurable, as long as she's able to 'thrive', Ms Pelan said she intends to complete her list, which is expanding every day. Pictured, Roisin Pelan in hospital with new born Ivy Checking your breasts should be part of your monthly routine so you notice any unusual changes. Simply rub and feel from top to bottom, in semi-circles and in a circular motion around your breast tissue to identify any abnormalities She said: 'I was walking up a mountain, when social services rang. 'I couldn't hear them properly and I ran all the way down just so I could hear them say they were approving me for adoption.' Roisin brought six-month-old Bill home in September 2019, and continued writing her 'living list'. While her cancer remains incurable, as long as she's able to 'thrive', Ms Pelan said she intends to complete her list, which is expanding every day. She also intentionally doesn't ask about her prognosis anymore. However, she claims her oncologist is confident she'll see Ivy and Bill into adulthood. Ms Pelan added: '[The list] is a way for me to remind myself to always seek out the fun and adventure in my one, and wonderful, life. 'I want to look back one day and say to myself, "what a wonderful life you had".' 'Big Food' brand Nestle has pivoted to selling collagen and protein powders to counteract the side effects of weight loss drugs after a slump in snack sales. Despite their undeniable slimming effects, injections of GLP-1 drugs, such as, Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to a catalogue of side effects including muscle loss, hair loss and 'Ozempic face'. The maker of KitKat, Yorkie bars and Haagen-Daz ice cream brand is predicting that patients taking GLP-1 drugs will start to shun chocolate bars in favour of meals that are nutritious and not too filling. In response the Swiss food giant launched the website GLP-1Nutrition this week designed for consumers taking the slimming injections, selling them vitamins, collagen and protein powder for as much as $59.92 (47.21). Nestle also plans to start selling its 'Vital Pursuits' food line this year, which contains 12 portion-controlled frozen meals that are high in protein and fibre, Bloomberg reports. Nestle has launched a website GLP-1Nutrition this week designed for consumers taking the slimming injections, selling them vitamins and protein powder The new GLP-1Nutrition website shows curvy models and sells the ideas that Nestle's products will help 'nourish your gut' and help you 'lose fat, not muscle' Nestle's new products include a supplement for hair growth, electrolyte tablets with strawberry-lemonade flavor, plus collagen peptides to boost skin elasticity The website shows curvy models and sells the idea that Nestle's products will help 'nourish your gut' and help you 'lose fat, not muscle'. It's not just fat patients taking drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic lose, it can also make you lose muscle. That's because the weight-loss injections don't target fat specifically, instead, triggering weight loss by affecting appetite. The result is that patients can also lose muscle mass by not eating as much protein, the building block of muscle, as before taking the drug. Fat also drops off the face, not just the belly, making many people look gaunt, known as 'Ozempic face'. Since the fat in our face helps gives smooth plump cheeks and wrinkle free foreheads, rapidly losing it can make people rapidly look much older. Semaglutide, as well as rival drugs liraglutide and tirzepatide, have been hailed as monumental breakthroughs in the war on obesity. But a spike in demand for the jabs, fuelled by celebrity endorsements, has also seen global stocks run low Your browser does not support iframes. Multiple patients have reported hair loss while taking semaglutide, experiencing their hair thinning to an astonishing degree or even falling out in clumps. Original clinical trials of Wegovy did spot this effect among those taking the drug. Hair loss reportedly affected 3 per cent of those taking the drug, compared to just 1 per cent in the placebo group of the study. Balding or thinning of hair is not listed as an official side effect of semaglutide drugs, in part because it was rarely reported in trials and it isn't, from a medical emergency standpoint, serious. But eating less can lead to a lack of nutrition, this side effect coupled with hair loss and the gaunt look of 'Ozempic face' are set to be counteracted by Nestles new products. These new weight-loss friendly products include a supplement for hair growth, electrolyte tablets with strawberry-lemonade flavor, plus collagen peptides to boost skin elasticity. The maker of Smarties is shifting to help its customers in 'Preserving lean muscle mass, managing digestive upset and assuring an adequate daily consumption of micronutrients,' Anna Mohl, chief executive officer of Nestle health science, told Bloomberg. Nestle isn't the only company shifting to selling GLP-1 friendly products, healthcare company Abbott is also offering nutrition shakes to customers of weight-loss treatments. A quarter of older adults are still taking a drug that could cause them to suffer from internal bleeding, a study has found. Aspirin was once recommended for people over 60 in the US as a way to prevent a heart attack or stroke. But in 2018, medical organizations began to dial back the advice, saying that for those who hadn't suffered from the conditions before, any benefits were outweighed by the risks which include bleeding in the intestines or the brain. While the study found use of aspirin did fall in the age group after the change in recommendation, it also revealed that 18.5million seniors were still using it in 2021, the latest date available. Of these, 3.3million or nearly five percent of the over 60s population were doing so without any medical advice. Aspirin should not be taken by those over 60 years old to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, doctors say Aspirin is still recommended for people over 60 who have already suffered from a heart attack or stroke because it can slash the risk of a second by approximately 25 percent. It is an inexpensive drug costing as little as nine cents per tablet and works by thinning the blood, reducing the risk of clots forming. This helps decrease the risk of a stroke or heart attack because patients are less likely to have clots that could cause blockages in the brain or heart. But doctors have warned the medication also raises the risk of internal bleeding by reducing the ability of factors in the blood to clump together to form clots and stem a potentially serious bleed. These bleeds typically occur in the stomach or intestines and can be life-threatening because patients may suffer from severe loss of blood, which could lead to shock, damage critical tissue or interrupt the supply of nutrients and oxygen to vital areas of the body. In some cases, they also occur in the brain. Doctors say these bleeds can prove fatal in rare cases. In the study, published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed data from 180,000 patients aged 40 and older who were asked about their aspirin use between 2012 and 2021. The data was collected from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a yearly survey of 35,000 adults on their health habits. Researchers at Creighton University, in Nebraska, and Houston Methodist University, in Texas, analyzed the data to estimate aspirin use among people in their 60s and beyond. They found 18.5million people without cardiovascular disease were using preventative aspirin in 2021, with 3.3million of those using the pills without a recommendation from their doctor. They noted limitations of the study included it was likely that doctor-recommended use of aspirin in the age group was also included in the estimates. The drug is still recommended for those over 60 who have already suffered from a heart attack or stroke because it can reduce the risk of a second. Some doctors will also recommend the drug for select individuals who have evidence of significant plaque in their arteries, raising the risk of clots. Studies have also previously found among people over 60 the benefit of reducing the risk of a first heart attack or stroke was not outweighed by the risk of a brain bleed. About seven percent of adults over 60 have had a stroke, or 5million people. Separate figures show that 14 percent of people aged 65 to 74 years old have also had a heart attack, or 4.6million people. Doctors slowly began to stop recommending using the drug to prevent a first heart attack or stroke in 2018 after three clinical trials warned over potential risks. The American College of Cardiology changed its guidelines in 2018 and the American Heart Association shifted them in 2019 to suggest senior over 70 who had not yet suffered from a heart attack or stroke should not take aspirin. In 2022, the US Preventive Services Task Force followed suit saying those over 60 years old should not take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack. Carlsberg has upped the pressure on the board of UK soft drinks group Britvic to engage on a 3.1billion-plus takeover offer. Britvic provides bottling facilities for PepsiCo, which has waived a change-of-control clause that could have been a stumbling block to a future deal. Among the reasons why trade and private equity buyers for UK companies have, in the recent past, been so triumphant in capturing FTSE 350 firms is the vulnerability of non-executive directors to persuasion. It required a rigorous financial response, such as that put up by Stuart Chambers at Anglo American, to see off predator BHP. Mining giant Anglo was more prepared than most for the fight because of an earlier skirmish about releasing value with activist Elliott Advisors. Takeover threat: Britvic provides bottling facilities for PepsiCo, which has waived a change-of-control clause that could have been a stumbling block to a future deal with Carlsberg In executing takeovers, investment bankers in this case Nomura often target non-executive directors. A lack of quality and less-than-robust attitudes of independent directors is a weakness exploited by buyers. When it comes to deals, one will hear the target company mouthing all kinds of waffle about fiduciary duty. There is very little attention to duties enshrined in company law towards all stakeholders, including the workforce, consumers, suppliers and the ill-defined public interest. Presentations by those propagating the bid focus heavily on director responsibilities. The analysis can be deeply misleading. UK companies are grotesquely undervalued when compared to American counterparts. London shares have been on something of a tear, rising 44 per cent over the last five years. That may sound glorious but over the same period, S&P 500 returns are up 114 per cent. There is a huge valuation gap. Better prepared companies will be armed with a sum-of-the-parts valuation, plus often-ignored brand values (critical in the case of Britvic), which demonstrate the would-be buyer is chancing its arm. It requires a tough non-executive chairman and board to withstand an assault when the bankers and other advisers hammer away about duty to accept a deal. In Ian Durant, formerly of Greggs, Britvic has an experienced chairman. Simon Litherland, a refugee from Diageo, has been chief executive for more than a decade. It is their task to see the Danish threat off the field of combat. Carlsberg has had a serious setback in Russia. Its current goal is to win control of Britvic brands, non-alcoholic beverages and an opening to the valuable Brazilian market on the cheap. Breath taking Glaxo chief Emma Walmsley is a huge advocate for UK pharmaceuticals and courageously makes the case for preventative medicine in the NHS. So it is a blow to find that the Government has chosen Pfizer over Glaxo in the battle to protect vulnerable mothers and the elderly from respiratory disease using an RSV vaccine. GSK has been trumpeting the prospects of its RSV vaccine as the next big thing after its blockbuster jab for Shingles. It has regulatory approvals on both sides of the Atlantic. GSK already supplies two-thirds of its RSV protection to the much larger and more remunerative US market. Losing out in the firms home territory is disappointing. If the NHS were serious about eradicating disease and making sure its patients receive only the best inoculation, it would have chosen the GSK vaccine, which is 10 per cent more efficacious. Pfizer, in seeking to muster support for its alternative RSV treatment, came in with a much cheaper tender. It is only right that there is competitive bidding for any product. But it is about time Whitehall and an ill-functioning NHS recognised a broader responsibility to provide only the very best treatments to UK citizens. The NHS also needs to put muscle behind British R&D, science and innovation. The RSV decision is an own goal for UK plc. Mind the step High Street stalwart Frasers and online shopping platform THG may be terrific businesses. But they dont win many prizes for transparency. So making head or tail of their multi-year partnership, without providing financial data to investors, is tricky. Frasers appears delighted to have acquired access to THGs much scrutinised Ingenuity platform. And Frasers is taking designer clothing site Coggles (bought out of administration) off THGs hands. The mind boggles. It might seem like just yet another electric SUV launch to the public, but for Ford there's much hinging on the success of the Explorer EV. Not only is it Ford's first electric car designed with European customers in mind, its arrival comes at the expense of a staple of Britain's roads - the Fiesta. Ford's popular small car - bought by 4.8million drivers in the UK during its 47 years on sale - last year became collateral damage when it was axed so that Ford could turn its Cologne production site into a state-of-the-art EV-only assembly line, with the Explorer its debut battery-powered product. It means there's a great weight of pressure on the haunches of the electric family SUV. With this in mind, we travelled to Slovenia to drive it before it arrives in UK dealerships to find out if it can deliver. We tested the new Ford Explorer out in Slovenia to see if it's the car that will set the bar in the crowded electric SUV market Ford's new direction - 'make electric iconic' Peter Zillig, director of marketing at Ford of Europe, says the company wants to cement itself in Europe in during this 'EV revolution'. He said: 'Ford's the last American brand left in European (if you discount Tesla which is a Silicone Valley brand)'. And the Explorer signals a new direction for the brand, which as Ford itself admitted, had 'plateaued for the last 10 years'. Amko Leenarts, design director Ford of Europe, added that Ford's research found the words most associated with the brand were; 'good value, reliable and boring'. Ouch. But the Explorer is the car to bring about 'the reset', Peter says, with Amko wanting the new EVs rolling off Ford's production line to be associated with the words 'bold, iconic design and friendly'. Ford's going to be playing on the iconic nameplates of the past, while electrifying them with 'rebellious, can do spirit: Freedom machines and get it done machines'. That's why we are set to see a new Capri enter showrooms very soon - though a totally different prospect to the model name we grew to love in the sixties, seventies and eighties. Ford's passenger and commercial lineup will be fully electric by 2035. Adventurer Lexie Limitless (Lexie Alford) - pictured right - became the first person to circumnavigate the world in an electric vehicle with Ford's all-new Explorer SUV The Explorer marketing and launch campaign has certainly been unique and no expense spared: The first sighting of the car and its official 'test drive' was a road trip around the globe with adventurer Lexie Limitless behind the wheel. Setting a new record as the first EV to circumnavigate the world, Lexie and the Explorer followed in the tracks of pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell, who drove a Model T around the world at the start of the 20th century. EVs can 'charge around the globe' was the message, with no range anxiety and a forward look to the EV brand Ford wants to be in another 120-years time. How does the Ford Explorer drive? It's smooth, handles all bumps with ease and motorway acceleration is very spritely with the dual motor hitting 0 to 62mph in 5.3 seconds Slovenia's mountain roads, motorways and small towns showed off the Explorer in a great light as it was very easy to drive, smooth and handled the mountain curves with aplomb We test drove both the rear-wheel and all-wheel drive variants in Slovenia with the sun shining and sensational scenery - and the Explorer was showed off in its very best light. The team were fanatical about balance and for a family SUV it hugged those Alpine-esque mountain roads brilliantly well. You can flick between drive modes, which slightly stiffens up the steering in Sport, and the direct-response is great across the board. It doesn't drive like an Volkswagen ID.4, even though it shares the same MEB platform. But this doesn't handle like a VW. Thanks to the ingenious team spending time tuning the dampers, suspension and roll bars, the Explorer drives like a Ford. It's incredibly smooth, handles all bumps with ease and motorway acceleration is very spritely with the dual motor hitting 0 to 62mph in 5.3 seconds. And it's easy around town thanks to the small turning circle. The one big downside is the pillars and huge wing mirrors - these do hamper visibility for shorter people a bit. Some visibility was hindered by the large windscreen pillars and huge door mirrors, but taller people will find that less of an issue Ford Explorer's battery range and charging For everyday, there's really not enough in the drive difference between RWD and AWD. The single-motor 77kWh Extended Range RWD manages around 374 miles of range (drops to 354 with the Premium spec), while the 79kWh Extended Range AWD manages 329 miles. A 52kWh model is coming later in 2024 with 239 miles - more of a suburban daily driver probably. The 77 and 79kWh versions can charge up to 185kW, delivering a very impressive 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes. The 52kWh will charge up to 135kW and 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. Home 7kW charging will take around 13 hours (and under nine for the 52kWh version). A 7kW home charger will full charge the Explorer 52kWh in under nine hours, while the big battery versions will take more like 13 hours. Ford Explorer's interior and practicality The mega console is the highlight of interior storage - it's a multi-layer 17-litre centre console with removal partitions and removable cupholders You can fit a MacBook Pro in easily - as I discovered when I left mine in there and had to be reunited with it at the airport The Explorer doesn't have the best boot space - it's only 450 litres, which isn't that much for family holidays and explorations. For comparison the Skoda Enyaq iV has 585 litres, and VW ID.4 has 543 litres, but to be fair they are bigger cars The mega console is the highlight of interior storage. It's a multi-layer 17-litre centre console with removal partitions and removable cupholders. It's big enough to fit a laptop in along with other bits and bobs, bottles (three 1.5 and one 1-litre), snacks and a handbag. The moveable screen with a hidden compartment is a genius idea - it's the new glovebox I left my laptop in the console while demonstrating the console's spaciousness and had to be reunited with it at the airport. While there's plenty of cubby storage in the cabin, the Explorer doesn't have the biggest boot space, unfortunately. At only 450 litres, it might not be sufficient for family holidays and explorations. For comparison the Skoda Enyaq iV has 585 litres, and VW ID.4 has 543 litres - but to be fair to Ford they are both slightly larger EVs. The benefit of this for Explorer is better maneuverability thanks to its smaller size - swings and roundabouts, it seems. And then there's the moveable touchscreen, which has a safe deposit behind it; push the screen back 45 degrees and there's a handy little hideaway. It's a clever idea, and a tech feature that's not at all gimmicky. Plus these smart storage solutions help to balance out the boot. Rival design teams are likely kicking themselves for not thinking of this hideaway - it's basically the new glovebox. If Ford could find a way to actually lock it - with a Mach-E-style keypad - then it really would be a proper safe. They're welcome to that idea. The Explorer is undeniably extremely comfortable and spacious, but there are a lot of hard plastics for a 40-50k car The panoramic roof on the premium trim makes the spacious cabin even nicer to ride in Passenger space is abundant - this is a five-seater that actually fits five people with ease. Head room is plentiful and long-legged passenger will be able to handle extended journeys without getting cramped. And the seat comfort is sublime. Especially with the panoramic roof (available on higher spec models), it's a lovely cabin to road trip in. Ford Explorer's tech and safety features If you were waiting to find a big criticism of the Explorer, here it is. Its 14.6-inch infotainment screen isn't intuitive to use, plus the multi-colour buttons look a bit like Connect 4. The shortcut menu buttons are small and fiddly, and finding your way around the other menus requires too long with eyes off the road. More steering wheel buttons or physical buttons would have sorted this out. The navigation was probably the main infotainment let down - it requires dragging a panel across from the right hand side of the screen to get time checks, final destination and range. And the map doesn't calibrate properly to the car's real time position, requiring you to manually keep clicking the calibration nodule to get it to keep up. You can avoid this by using Apple CarPlay which we'd recommend, so it's not the end of the world. The 14.6-inch touchscreen has been designed to avoid glare and reflection but it's not intuitive to use and fiddly. The navigation is particularly difficult to use, but you can use Apple CarPlay instead Ford has designed the screen to be anti-glare and reflection though which is much appreciated - especially for sunny driving adventures. Despite there being only two trims to choose from [thank you for that, Ford], both are choc-a-bloc with safety assistance features, including cameras, parking assist, lane keep and departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking and more. The Bang and Olufsen audio on the premium trim is also worth getting, and the dash-top soundbar is a youthful cool look. Pricing and warranty Prices will start from 39,875 for the forthcoming 52kWh select model, but for now you're looking at paying just under 46,000 for the 77kWh model and around 54,000 for the top level AWD. It's not cheap, and rivals go from less - the Renault Scenic starts from 37,495 (which is a lot less exciting a proposition). You also have to pay extra for the heat pump - this optimises temperatures inside the car. which the Scenic has as standard (as do many rivals). As such, the price rises to Tesla Model Y levels. However, range is better than rivals including the Tesla and you get more generous kit than on most similar-size alternatives; the base trim has heated and massage seats as standard, 12-way electric seats, the already mentioned cameras, parking and lane assists, as well as traffic sign recognition, active braking and exit warning. The mirrors are even heated on the select models. Plus the infotainment system on both trims has wireless charging. The car's warranty is three years and 60,000 miles, while the battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles. While the Explorer is pricey it does deliver great real world range and class-leading comfort, along with an abundance of standard safety kit and clever storage options The Cars and Motoring Ford Explorer verdict There's no denying that the Explorer cost will be a hurdle to some EV-ready buyers, especially loyal Ford customers. And is it perfect? No, there is definitely room for improvement in some of the interior materials, navigation usability and boot space practicality, but the innovative direction Ford wants to go in is all there in the ingenious storage details. And it gives a bit of life and refreshing unexpectedness to the EV SUV market, something I think buyers will really enjoy. The Explorer isn't totally bold but it certainly isn't boring, and if you want a family EV with range and maximum comfort to do a proper European road trip, then it should be among the top of the list. The Government has snubbed a British drugs giant by choosing a blockbuster respiratory vaccine from an American rival. GSK lost out to Pfizer in a deal that will see the US group provide 4.9million Abrysvo jabs to older adults and pregnant mothers across England and Northern Ireland over the next two years. The vaccine rollout will start next month to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes cold-like symptoms but can be dangerous for the elderly and vulnerable as well as newborn babies. Rebuff: GSK boss Emma Walmsley (pictured)is pushing ahead with her turnaround strategy at the FTSE 100 group The jab has the potential to prevent thousands of hospital admissions each year. But the Governments decision to back Pfizer is a bruising setback for GSK amid a battle to dominate RSV protection. GSK appeared to steal a march on its rival last year when its RSV vaccine Arexvy became the first in the world to be approved. Having won approval from US regulators, Arexvy brought in some 1.2billion of sales in 2023, well ahead of the 699million that Pfizers rival drug generated. The GSK jab also made up around two-thirds of all RSV vaccines administered. The success of Arexvy up to now has been a major boost for GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley as she pushes ahead with her turnaround strategy at the FTSE 100 group. Her plan saw GSK offload its consumer healthcare division Haleon as she re-focuses the pharma giant on vaccines and infectious diseases. The pivot came after GSK fell behind rival Astrazeneca and Pfizer to create a Covid vaccination during the pandemic. But the Governments decision to award the lucrative RSV contract to Pfizer has significantly undermined GSKs ascendancy. A GSK spokesman said the group was disappointed by the result but remained very confident in its jab. The Department of Health and Social Care did not explain why Pfizer came out on top, but it is understood the US firm offered an extremely competitive price. The Pfizer drug is also approved for both the elderly and pregnant women. GSKs only has approval for the elderly. Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreavess Lansdown, said that while GSK may have been hoping for a home side advantage the Pfizer jabs wider approvals are likely to been the deciding factor. The contract setback will add to concerns for GSK investors. This month the company was plunged into crisis after a US judge opened the floodgates for 70,000 lawsuits claiming the heartburn drug Zantac causes cancer. This wiped more than 7billion off GSKs value in just one day. The group has also come under pressure for its pipeline of new drugs. This has held back its share price in recent years as it struggles to replicate the success of shingles vaccine Shingrix. In a separate update, GSK announced it has received approval from Japanese regulators for its Omjjara treatment for myelofibrosis, a type of bone marrow cancer and revealed the European Medicines Agency accepted its application to expand the use of cancer medicine Jemperli. GSKK shares rose 0.6 per cent, or 9.5p, to 1608.5p yesterday. A company that wants to turn Second World War tunnels under London into a major tourist attraction will list in Amsterdam, in the latest blow to the City. The London Tunnels confirmed yesterday that it has abandoned plans to float on the London stock market in favour of the Euronext exchange. The Mail on Sunday revealed the U-turn was coming after the firm appointed Dutch investment bank ABN Amro to handle the flotation. The snub comes as the stock market grapples with an exodus of companies and a dearth of listings. Tunnel vision: London Tunnels wants to turn Second World War tunnels under London into a tourist attraction to rival the London Eye London Tunnels chief executive Angus Murray said a Euronext listing is in the best long-term interests of the company, its shareholders and the future ambitions for the development. It signalled a change of tone after Murray previously said it should be listed in London when it announced plans to float in the City in January. The company is planning to turn the capitals Second World War tunnels into an attraction to rival the London Eye, saying it aims to welcome up to 3m visitors a year. It wants to open the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels in central London to tourists in 2027. The mile-long network of tunnels was built under Chancery Lane tube station in the early 1940s as a shelter big enough to protect 8,000 Londoners from German bombs during the Blitz. During the war, it was used as offices for the London Civil Defence Region and Ministry of Works. The network was later used by Winston Churchills Special Operations Executive, the forerunner to the MI6 intelligence service. The tunnels are thought to have been the inspiration behind Ian Flemings description of Q-Branch in his James Bond novels. Later, after expansion, the underground site was used as a secure government communications centre. After the war the tunnels were transferred to the General Post Office in 1949 and in 1956 became the termination point for the first transatlantic telephone cable. Ownership of the site was transferred to BT and for many years they housed telephone switches and equipment. The London Tunnels has received planning approval for the project from the City of London Corporation and is waiting for a decision from Camden Council, which is expected by September. Shares will start trading on Thursday under the ticker symbol TLT, and The London Tunnels is eyeing a market capitalisation of 130million. The company is planning to raise up to 30million through the listing, and has already received commitments from 15 investors for nearly 25million. The firm said it will need to raise additional funding of around 120million between 2025 and 2027 to complete the project. Murray said: We believe a public listing of The London Tunnels is the logical next step, improving our ability to raise further capital over the coming years to support the companys growth strategy and create long-term value. He added: The London Tunnels can now take advantage of the size and scale of both the equity capital markets and debt capital markets of Europe. Activist threat: Magners Cider maker C&C also owns Scottish beer Tennents and Irish cider Bulmers An activist investor has demanded a shake-up at Magners Cider maker C&C that could see it sold. In a letter to the board, hedge fund Engine Capital urged it to launch a strategic review and find a potential buyer, with private equity seen as an option. It said the drinks group which also owns Scottish beer Tennents and Irish cider Bulmers has been a perennial underperformer. Shares have halved in value in the last five years. Engine Capital, which owns just under 5 per cent of the manufacturer, took a swipe at succession missteps, strategic mistakes, execution blunders, and an inability to return to its higher historical earnings profile for stifling its valuation potential. In response, C&C said it welcomes feedback from all shareholders and has a clear focus on creating shareholder value. US prosecutors have called for criminal charges to be brought against Boeing relating to a settlement over two fatal crashes. Two accidents within six months involving the firms 737 Max aircraft resulted in the deaths of 346 passengers. A flight run by Indonesias Lion Air crashed in October 2018, killing 189. That was followed by an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019, in which 157 people died. Campaign: Victims' families (pictured) have urged prosecutors to seek a record 14.6bn fine against Boeing Investigators found that flawed flight control software caused the deadly accidents, after which all 737 Max planes were grounded for 20 months. In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay a 2billion settlement and prosecutors asked the court to drop criminal charges after three years if the firm met certain criteria. But last month the US Department of Justice said Boeing had breached the terms of the deal. Victims families have urged prosecutors to seek a record 14.6billion fine against Boeing and pursue criminal charges. Prosecutors have recommended the DoJ pursue charges. Boeing has previously denied violating the agreement. Australians are in for another chilly week as a cold front brings below-average temperatures to parts of the southeast, and Western Australia, with damaging winds and thunderstorms forecast. The front will bring icy conditions to WA on Wednesday before moving over to the southeast later in the week. Parts of South Australia and Melbourne are set to be hit the hardest by the miserable weather, while Sydneysiders can expect a dry but cool week ahead. Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist, Christie Johnson, said southwestern WA and the Pilbara region could cop heavy rain between 15mm and 40mm this week. 'That system is expected to be reasonably strong and will bring showers, thunderstorms, possibly even some severe thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts and fairly widespread rainfall across much of western and southern WA,' she said in a weather update on Monday. Ms Johnson also confirmed Tuesday night would be a frosty one for much of the country. 'We are expecting a cold night,' she said. 'We could see the risk of frost through many states overnight.' Australians are in for another chilly week as a cold front brings below average temperatures to Western Australia and parts of the southeast, with damaging winds and rain also on the forecast (pictured is weather around Australia at 8am on Tuesday) Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Christie Johnson talks about the new cold front set to hit WA. Picture: BOM She said minimum temperatures would likely be down in the low single digits for much of the country. Fellow meteorologist Dean Narramore said there would be showers and gusty winds across Tasmania, Victoria and southern parts of SA on Tuesday. 'Snow will also develop about the alpine areas. Elsewhere will remain dry,' he said. Mr Narramore said welcome rain is forecast for parts of the country as the week progresses, except of most of New South Wales which will for the most part escape the showers. 'Showers, gusty winds and cooler conditions will continue across Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia on Wednesday, with snow above the alpine areas,' he said. 'Showers and patchy rain will also develop across northern and eastern Queensland, as a trough deepens there.' Widespread rain and icy conditions are also expected in WA. 'Thursday will see this widespread rain, isolated thunderstorms and strong winds spreads across much of WA as the front moves eastwards,' the meteorologist said. 'Rain will also continue across eastern Queensland and will move into northern east NSW. Aussies are being urged to rug up for the week ahead 'In the southeast of the country, conditions will ease and a high pressure system moves in.' Perth will cop some heavy rainfall this week, with up to 15mm forecast for Wednesday and 25mm for Thursday. The rain is set to ease in the WA capital by Friday. Sydney is set to miss the worst of the bad weather, with a dry and sunny week ahead. Tuesday will see tops of 19C while Wednesday is set to be warmer with a maximum of 21C forecast. Those living in Melbourne are in for a colder week with a top of just 15C forecast for Tuesday and 14C for Wednesday. Rain is expected later in the week in the Victorian capital. Adelaide will be drenched with heavy rainfall this week, with up to 25mm possible to fall on Tuesday alone. Up to 15mm is expected on Wednesday, with the rain to continue well into the weekend. Canberra is in for an icy week with lows of -1C forecast on Thursday and Friday, with the nation's capital to stay relatively dry and sunny. Hobart will be mostly dry this week with maximum temperatures to linger around the low teens. Up north in Brisbane, conditions will be much warmer with tops of 24C forecast for Wednesday and 22C on Thursday. Darwin will be dry and hot with temperatures to stay in the early 30s. Clooney fears Amal could get swept up in US sanctions of the ICC, source says George Clooney's love and die-hard support for his human rights lawyer wife Amal may not only strain his relationship with the White House, but his friendships with his closest Hollywood pals as well, sources tell DailyMail.com. The 63-year-old A-lister, who has been married to the mother of his seven-year-old twins for nearly a decade, has suddenly found himself caught in the middle of a dispute over the International Criminal Court's decision to prosecute Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. International human rights attorney Amal, 46, was revealed last month to have played an instrumental role in calling for the arrest of Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, for the series of 'war crimes' committed in the ongoing conflict. George Clooney and fellow actor Julia Roberts posed with President Joe Biden and Barack Obama during a campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday, where his wife Amal was noticeably absent But while she's in favor of taking action, the Biden administration continues to support Israel in the war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas, that has already lead to more than 37,000 deaths in Gaza following the group's October 7 attack on Israel. Earlier this month the Republican-led House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to sanction the court if it made good on its promise to prosecute Netanyahu, and now the Hollywood actor fears this could result in his British wife being swept up in the sanctions and subsequently being denied entry into the United States. Clooney recently took the situation in hand and made a call to the White House on Amal's behalf, reportedly speaking with the Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, to express concern that she could face penalties under the sanctions bill. Amal Clooney, a renowned human rights lawyer, was named as one of the six legal experts who recommended chief prosecutor Karim Khan seek arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and Hamas leaders last month He further took issue with Biden's comments related to the arrest warrants and his administration's initial openness to slapping sanctions on ICC officials, the Washington Post reported earlier this month. Now a source tells DailyMail.com: 'George was scheduled to host the recent Biden fundraiser alongside longtime friends Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel, and Barack Obama. It was a star-studded gala held to raise campaign funds for Biden's re-election. 'And while Amal usually would attend such an event with her husband, her recent part in the International Criminal Court's decisions would have made for an awkward and uncomfortable situation. 'George has always been a person who honors his commitments,' the insider added. 'So, he did his part and attended the event, going it alone.' The event, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, raised a whopping $28million. Lebanese-born Amal was one of six legal experts who wrote an opinion stating International Court prosecutor Karim Khan had 'reasonable grounds to believe' that the Israeli leaders had committed war crimes, in a May 20 report. Amal signed off a bid by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last month seeking the arrest of Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside Hamas leaders for war crimes a move the President denounced as 'outrageous' The arrest warrants were being sought for three Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar She wrote on the Clooney Foundation for Justice's website that she believes in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives. 'The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict,' she wrote. 'As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child's life has less value than another's. I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law. 'So I support the historic step that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has taken to bring justice to victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine.' The source says not only is George head over heels in love with Amal he considers her one of the smartest women he knows. He feels her knowledge of the law, and human rights is vast, and he supports her work 100%. But not only is George's relationship with the White House at risk, he may also be putting some of his friendships in jeopardy because many of his longtime friends are Jewish and they and others support Israel's stance. 'Before he met Amal, George lived a very different lifestyle,' the source added. George Clooney visited the White House where he was honored by the President in 2022 The actor was recently reported to have called the White House on Amal's behalf, to express concern that she could face penalties under the sanctions bill passed with bipartisan support this month Clooney visited then vice-president Biden in the White House in 2009. The pair have been friends for years but Amal's stance on the issue could potentially strain his relationship with the White House which has continued to express support for Israel 'He dated a bevy of beauties, but none of the relationships proved serious. He preferred spending time with his guy friends, who he felt he could trust much more than some of the women he hooked up with. The insider continued: 'George was a super-generous friend.' 'He was always treating his pals to fun-filled vacations, whether it was taking off on a boy's only holiday in Italy riding motorcycles and dining at expensive restaurants or jetting off to his place in Cabo with his pals. 'And of course, he would always foot the bill! 'A year before marrying Amal, George decided to surprise 14 of his pals with $1million each,' said the source. 'He says it was to pay them back for the years they let him bunk in with them when he first came to LA, and the times they loaned him money so he could continue to pursue his Hollywood dream. 'Many of those pals are Jewish.' While Clooney had a large group of loyal friends, most often he would go off with actor Thom Matthews, comedian Richard Kind, actor and producer Grant Heslov and close friend Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford. 'These were George's ride or die pals,' says the source. 'And while Thom isn't Jewish, Richard, Rande and Grant are. And while they like Amal, they have to be bothered by her stance on what's going on in Israel. 'George is walking a fine line,' added the source. 'His allegiance to his wife and twins will always come first. But he still values his close friendships and his relationships with the people currently in the White House.' MAGA Inc, a pro-Trump Super PAC, is offering stickers to promote new policy Allies of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday is launching 'No Tax on Tips' stickers to turn every restaurant receipt into a campaign billboard. Trump unveiled his campaign pledge earlier this month during a rally in Las Vegas as he tries to woo workers in service industries, promising that tipped workers would no long pay taxes on gratuities if he wins reelection in November. The idea has caught hold among supporters who have been writing 'no tax on tips' on their receipts. Now MAGA Inc.the primary Super PAC supporting Trump's 2024 campaignis offering to make it easier with stickers Taylor Budowich, the group's chief executive, said: 'It's simple: President Trump wants hardworking American to keep more money in their pocket, Joe Biden wants to take it to give to illegal immigrants. MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump Super PAC, are offering stickers to promote Donald Trump's new pledge to lift taxes on tips. It comes after diners shared receipts on which they had written in support of the policy to help workers who rely on gratuities 'President Trump's plan is brilliant, and our sticker campaign will make sure it's known far and wide.' The plan would eliminate taxes on tips through cash, credit and debit cards by allowing such taxpayers to claim a 100 percent deduction. The federal minimum wage has stayed stagnant at $7.25 since 2009, but tipped workers can make as little as $2.13 before tips. Under current tax law, tipped wages are treated the same as regular payroll wages, and workers are expected to pay tax. The stickers are available at a new No Tip Taxes website. The idea was inspired by people writing on their receipts and posting them on social media. Trump referred to a particularly famous example during a speech to Turning Point USA Action in Detroit recently. 'Tips for restaurant workers and hospitality workers and anyone else relying on tips no more taxes on tips,' he said. 'No taxes on tips. None. None. None. 'In fact on your receipt, when you get your receipt for a restaurant, you know who sent me one? Kid Rock, how good is Kid Rock? Isn't he crazgreat.' KidRock shared a receipt on X, on which he wrote: 'A vote for Trump is a vote for no tax on tips' Trump unveiled the pledge during a speech in Nevada, which tops the list of states he hopes to win back from Biden in November The musician posted a receipt showing that he tipped $400 on a $1143.20 bill. 'A vote for Trump is a vote for no tax on tips,' he wrote on the slip. Trump's promise is part of an effort to show low-wage workers they will benefit from lower taxes not just the wealthy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are 2.24 million waiters and waitresses that depend on tips for income across the country. Nevada has the highest concentration of tipped workers in the country, with about 25.8 waiters and waitresses per 1,000 jobs, followed by Hawaii and Florida. Trump launched his proposal during a speech in Nevada, which tops the list of states he hopes to win back from Biden in November. 'For those hotel workers and people that get tips you are going to be very happy, because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips,' he said as the audience cheered. The idea would need legislation to go into force. A surveillance video shows the disturbing moment an unruly, drunken passenger attacked an airline worker on Sunday. Luana Otoni got into an argument with an Azul Brazilian Airlines operations manager after she was told she could not board the flight at Belo Horizonte International Airport. The 39-year-old lawyer showed the gate agent her boarding pass and fell to the ground while approaching the airplane, according to a police report. One of the workers who aided Otoni filed a report indicating that she showed signs that she was drunk and was then told to disembark from the plane by the airline manager. Otoni was explained that she was being removed from the airplane due to civil aviation guidelines and was told that she would have to take a different flight. Luana Otoni, a 39-year-old lawyer, was caught on video assaulting a Black man, who is an Azul Brazilian Airlines operations manager, after she was removed from an airplane because of unruly behavior at Belo Horizonte International Airport in Confins, Brazil on Sunday Luana Otoni was still under arrest as of Monday, a day after she assaulted an operations manager for Azul Brazilian Airlines because she was not allowed to remain on a flight because she was being rude to the staff She became upset when the manager took her belongings out of the airplane and verbally assaulted him, telling him he was 'monkey, a bum, an idiot and a piece of s***.' At one point, Otoni made fun of the victim's line of work and told him, 'You're happy to have a preppy girl off the plane' Video footage showed her repeatedly slapping, punching and kicking the worker while a male employee failed to restrain her. Otoni was interrogated by cops on the scene and said that she respected the employee's instructions and that she tripped as she was walking into the airplane. Cops talk to Luana Otoni after she was kicked out of an Azul Brazilian Airlines flight on Sunday Luana Otoni lunges at a Azul Brazilian Airlines operations manager moments after calling him a 'monkey' and punches him "Azul emphasizes its strong condemnation of any form of offense or aggression towards its Customers and Crew members, and appropriate measures will be taken," the airline said in a statement to DailyMail.com. Otoni's incident was the second violent incident involving an passengers in South America in less than a week. Last Thursday, two Colombian sibling were removed from a flight due to unruly behavior and then placed under arrest after they assaulted two cops. One of the men was filmed berating a police officer and then slapping him in the face onboard an Avianca flight. His brother attempted to stop the officers from taking him out of the aircraft by going after the cop who was assaulted. Mallorcan tourists have been told to go home by their neighbours in upmarket Minorca after thousands of them visited for a festival at the weekend. The residents of Mallorca, where ironically a series of protests have been held against British and other foreign tourists, got a taste of their own medicine yesterday when around 20,000 people made the short ferry journey to Minorca. The island-hoppers were greeted by Minorcans wearing tee-shirts emblazoned with Mallorquins [the Spanish name for the islands inhabitants] Go Home and others saying Catalans [Catalonia is the nearest part of mainland Spain] Go Home. The protest came as a video emerged in a local newspaper showing Mallorcans balconing in Minorca, the dangerous craze of leaping from hotel balconies into swimming pools which has killed and injured many young British tourists in recent years. The Mallorcans visited Minorca for the annual Festival of St John the Baptist in the mediaeval port of Ciutadella, which attracted thousands of people. Mallorcan tourists have been told to go home by their neighbours in upmarket Minorca after thousands of them visited for a festival at the weekend The residents of Mallorca, where ironically a series of protests have been held against British and other foreign tourists, got a taste of their own medicine yesterday The highlight of the festival is the Caragol del Born, when more than 100 elegantly-suited enter the huge Placa des Born and ride among the crowd, rearing up on their hind legs to symbolise power and nobility As well as the teeshirts, protesters from an organisation called Salvem Sant Joan (Save St John) hung a huge banner saying Saint John is not a business, it is a feeling. Enough overcrowding. The highlight of the festival is the Caragol del Born, when more than 100 elegantly-suited enter the huge Placa des Born and ride among the crowd, rearing up on their hind legs to symbolise power and nobility. In yesterdays event, one person was injured, which is not uncommon in the overcrowded square, especially as revellers traditionally try to slap the horses rumps as they pass. Earlier, a resident in the Minorcan resort of Cala en Blanes filmed young Mallorcan tourists leaping from the balcony of a holiday chalet into the pool below, reported Ultima Hora. She told the newspaper the youths were around 15 or 16 years old and she called police, who told her they were powerless as the villa was private property. She also tried herself to dissuade them from jumping but was unable to do so and expressed her fear that the situation would get out of hand if the authorities did not act. The latest incidents come after the Mayor of Magaluf pledged a zero tolerance approach to drunken behaviour by Brits or other tourists, but welcomed them if they behaved. Anti-tourist protests have been held in Mallorca by locals frustrated at being priced out of the property market and fed up of overcrowded resorts and beaches. Joan Antonio Amengual, Mayor of the Calvia district, incorporating Magaluf, told MailOnline in an exclusive interview: In your country, you cannot urinate in the street, walk around with alcohol, drinking as if there is no tomorrow or being half naked, and the message is that its the same here. Of course, all tourists are welcome to Majorca, but we are asking them to behave like they do at home. Take care of our people and the environment. Tourists have been coming to Mallorca for the last 60 years. Its our main industry, and we want to serve and to give our best face to the tourists. And the tourists will be always welcome to Majorca. But he stressed that the island prefers quality to quantity when it comes to tourists, hinting that, in line with most Spaniards, they would prefer to host well-behaved families with children rather than marauding groups of stag- and hen-parties who have earned the resort the nickname of Sh*galuf. The street is not a bar, he said. If you want to drink, you go to a bar, not the street. A former NYPD officer pleaded guilty to shooting her ex-girlfriend and killing the woman's new lover with her police-issued gun. Yvonne Wu, 34, admitted to the double-shooting in Brooklyn Supreme Court after she opened fire on her ex-girlfriend Jenny Li, 34, and her lover, Jamie Liang 24, on October 13, 2021. Wu, who was off-duty at the time, injured Li and killed Liang, according to the New York Attorney General's Office. Wu, a five-year veteran of the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park fatally shot Liang in Li's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn home after sneaking in the backdoor and waiting for the pair, according to prosecutors. After firing her gun, Wu waited in the home until police arrived and calmly confessed to the crimes, cops said. Liang died in the hospital 50 minutes later while Li survived. Yvonne Wu (pictured), 34, admitted to the double-shooting in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday after she shot Jenny Li, 34, and her estranged lover, Jamie Liang 24, on October 13, 2021 Liang (pictured) died in the hospital 50 minutes later while Li survived Neighbors previously described a scene of 'absolute pandemonium' to DailyMail.com the morning after. 'It was pandemonium. Chaos. Two bodies being brought out on stretchers... one having compressions on her chest.' The disgraced cop was officially 'dismissed from the police department' on Monday, an NYPD spokesperson told the New York Post. Days after the fatal shooting, Wu was suspended without pay pending the outcome of her case. Sources previously said that Wu and Li split about a month before the murder, and that the former cop believed that she and her ex were going to get back together. Friends said the shooting was preventable and that Wu was a 'psychopath.' It's unclear how Wu and Li came to know each other, but public records indicated Wu was living in a home eight blocks away from Li's family. Liang's heartbroken family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Wu and New York City 2022. The suit alleged that Wu was 'psychologically unfit and a danger to others.' Sanford Rubenstein, the victim's family attorney, said the case is still pending. Wu fatally shooting Liang in Li's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn home (pictured) after sneaking in the backdoor and waiting for the pair 'The guilty plea has a significant impact on the liability of the city of New York and the NYPD for what happened,' Rubenstein said. 'We look forward to deposing [Wu] under oath.' Friends previously said the shooting was preventable and that Wu had already gotten into an altercation with the two women weeks before the shooting. Li didn't report the altercation to the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau - which deals with allegations against NYPD cops and corruption within the system - because she thought she could 'handle it on her own,' her friend told the Daily News. 'It should have been prevented,' he added. 'The cop was already stalking them... [Jenny] didn't want the police involved. She wanted to handle it on her own. She thought she could handle it.' Liang allegedly wanted Li to report the altercation to the Bureau, but Li talked her out of it, a friend of Liang's reported. Wu reportedly told police she wanted to kill herself following the shooting, but was reported by neighbors to have appeared calm. She was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn for a mental health evaluation. Friends set up a GoFundMe for Liang's family and shared kind words about the dental school student, who was was due to graduate in 2024 Neighbors previously described a scene of 'absolute pandemonium' to DailyMail.com the morning after '[Wu] was never a good person,' the friend told the Daily News. 'She went to these great lengths to get in-between Jamie and Jenny. Wu pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted murder Friends set up a GoFundMe for Liang's family and shared kind words about the dental school student, who was due to graduate in 2024. The page has raised a total of $45,025 for the grieving family. 'She was loved by so many and filled every room with her kindness and lively spirit. We live to honor all the joy that she brought to the lives of her family and friends.' Elaine Zhao, the page organizer, said. Another loved one said: 'I miss you so much. I love you so much. You deserve the world and more. You were my person for every adventure - boring or crazy.' Liang's father, Ying Liang, told the Daily News: 'She was caring, loving, always considerate.' 'She worked hard and got good grades but still had time to come home every weekend.' After firing her gun, Wu waited in the home until police arrived and calmly confessed to the crimes. (pictured: One of the victims is wheeled away from the scene on a gurney) More than anything, he wants Wu to be held accountable for her gruesome actions. 'She killed someone in cold blood. I'd like to see that outcome, I'd like to see she gets the max,' he said. NYPD sources previously told DailyMail.com that Wu was a high performer in the force and rated as 'exceeding expectations' in her recent evaluations. She pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted murder. Wu will be held without bail until she appears in court for sentencing on August 28, Attorney General Letitia James said. She agreed to the recommended 27 years behind bars- 22 for murdering Liang and five years for attempting to murder Li. The bodies of a California couple killed in a hiking accident were found at a scenic waterfall near Yosemite. James Hall, 35, and Monica Ledesma, 34, were located by the Madera County Sheriff's Office at Angel Falls on Wednesday. Now their devastated families have revealed Hall likely fell in the water while attempting to rescue Ledesma, a mom-of-two. Both of their bodies were found after police received a frantic phone call about a woman floating in the water. 'James died a hero trying to save his girlfriend Monica. Unfortunately, they both were taken from us,' his family said in a GoFundMe for his funeral expenses. James Hall, 35, and Monica Ledesma, 34, died in a tragic hiking accident on Wednesday at Angel Falls Friends described the couple as 'family by heart' and Ledesma leaves behind an 8-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter Rescuers identified Ledesma and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Crews noticed items that indicated another person might be missing, and they began the desperate search for Hall. Search and Rescue teams, along with USFS, Madera County Fire & CALFire, Sierra Ambulance and the California Highway Patrol H-40 helicopter were called to the scene. 'Deputies located items which led them to believe an adult male may also be missing. Search efforts to confirm and locate him were then initiated,' Madera County Sheriff's Office said. 'During recovery efforts, a male was subsequently recovered from the water as well.'. The couple are being remembered as 'kind, loving and goofy.' Ledesma leaves behind an 8-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. '[Monica] was a loving mother sister and daughter who left a daughter and son behind,' a GoFundMe for Ledesma's family said. The Madera County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene at Angel Falls (pictured) after receiving a frantic phone call about a woman floating in the water After identifying Ledesma, rescuers noticed Hall's belongs and began desperately searching for him, only to discover his body in the water nearby A vigil was held at the Chukchansi Pow Wow grounds for the couple on Friday. 'Monica and James were important here, they were important because were family. Not related except by heart. Kindness is something that run thru all of them and they were examples,' friend Nancy O'Hara told KFSN. 'Not only were they kind and considerate, and took care of us old folks, took care of the young folks.' 'Their sense of humor. Especially those are things when we you get older, you really need in your life,' O'Hara said. The family said Hall died while trying to save Ledesma during the tragic accident The sheriff's office is warning hikers to take extra precautions while out on the trail. They advised that rocks can be slippery even when they are not wet and the water can become extremely swift and cold. Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said, 'Our hearts go out to the families of those who were lost at Angel Falls today. 'We would like to thank our allied partners for their outstanding support and response to today's events, whose simultaneous occurrence stretched resources.' 'I applaud the efforts of the rescue and recovery teams, who performed their duties diligently and respectfully.' Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as voters head to the polls in New York for the Democratic primary. The far-left Squad member is locked in a contentious primary against George Latimer, and polls show he is hanging on by a thread. The primary will test whether his support for Palestinians, his furious criticism of Israel and his progressive policies will lead to his downfall in his Bronx and Westchester district. Bowman is seeking a third term in a primary that has seen historic levels of spending, and could be the first member of the progressive Squad booted from Congress if defeated. The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has poured $15 million into the campaign against him. Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as voters head to the polls in New York for the Democratic primary. He campaigned with fellow Squad members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley in Mount Vernon on Monday 'We are going to show f***ing AIPAC, the power of the motherf***ing South Bronx!' Bowman yelled Saturday at a rally with fellow progressive 'Squad' member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Bowman has long been critical of Israel - even more so since the Hamas attack on October 7, despite his district having a large Jewish constituency. The former principal who once pulled the fire alarm in the Capitol during votes has lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., came out in support of Latimer on Monday. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also jumped into the race on Latimer's side. A survey from earlier this month by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill released Tuesday found Latimer leading Bowman with 48 percent support to 31 percent, with 21 percent of respondents undecided. Bowman opposed funding for Israel and has deemed the nation's attacks in Gaza a 'genocide.' Squad member Bowman is seeking a third term in a contentious primary against George Latimer, above, and the full forces of AIPAC are coming out against him - their super PAC has invested $15 million in the race In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is black, went after Latimer for his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he slow-walked desegregation as Westchester County executive. 'He claims to be a Democrat, but he is supported by racist MAGA Republicans who support taking your voting rights gutting your abortion rights,' Bowman said. 'This is an example of using race as a weapon,' Latimer shot back. 'What we need to do is bring people together.' Last week Bowman came under fire for a new report claiming he asked a Jewish leader to send him photos of them together to prove he has Jewish friends. A private text between Bowman and an unidentified Jewish leader from when Bowman first ran for re-election in 2022 was published by Jewish Insider on Tuesday. Bowman visited the Edenwald neighborhood of the Bronx in the pouring rain to beg residents to back him in the primary Bowman has the backing of progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders The former principal who once pulled the fire alarm in the Capitol during votes has lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., came out in support of Latimer on Monday 'Do you have pics of us? So I can show the world I'm friends with Jewish People,' Bowman wrote, according to the report. The leader did have a photo with Bowman, but did not share it with the congressman. 'I was uncomfortable,' the Jewish leader said of the awkward message. 'I kind of joked around with him about it. I said, 'Oh, I'm sure you guys have it. Don't worry about it.' 'I was like, 'I don't want to be his court Jew,' he said. 'That wasn't what I signed up for.' In a new district and swamped in controversy, Rep. Lauren Boebert faces off in a crowded primary on Tuesday. The fiery Colorado Republican switched from the 3rd to the 4th congressional district to run in former Rep. Ken Buck's more reliably Republican seat in the upcoming election after barely prevailing over her Democratic opponent Adam Frisch in the last election. On Tuesday she will face off against state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf, conservative activist and talk radio host Deborah Flora, Logan County Commissioner and former state Senate President Pro Tempore Jerry Sonnenberg and banking executive Peter Yu. Recent polls show she has a comfortable lead against her rivals, but a large number of voters are still undecided and could make the race a far closer contest. She has the biggest war chest, with $680,000 as of June 5. The next highest is you with $272,000, $250,000 of which he loaned his campaign. In a new district and despite being swamped in controversy, Rep. Lauren Boebert is still poised to sail to victory in a crowded primary on Tuesday The Colorado residents who haven't made their choice - and may pay more attention to the controversies surrounding her - could be crucial to Boebert's survival in Congress. Here's a look back at some of Boebert's biggest scandals she heads into her vital primary: Groping a date and vaping at Beetlejuice In September of 2023, Boebert was thrown out of a Beetlejuice performance in Denver after audience members complained that she was vaping near a pregnant woman, talking and singing too loudly, taking flash photographs and groping her date, Aspen bar owner Quinn Gallagher. DailyMail.com later revealed that she had been dating Gallagher for months and that he came from a Democrat background. Just weeks later, DailyMail.com reported that Boebert had used campaign funds to watch a cycle race that her partner from that night, Aspen bar owner Quinn Gallagher was competing in. Some wonder if she can hang on to power after facing everything from an infamous ejection from a theater performance of Beetlejuice (pictured) to a nasty divorce to her son's legal troubles have kept her in the news for all the wrong reasons Boebert, 37, and her mystery man quickly made their way through the lobby and out the front doors Legal issues with ex-husband Boebert's ex-husband Jayson had originally claimed that Lauren punched him during an altercation when they met up to try to get on better terms in January when he was arrested for a domestic violence incident. He later recanted that claim. In a separate incident, Jayson Boebert was accused of assaulting their 18-year-old son and taking out a gun as the son moved to call the authorities in a fight over laundry. Boebert, 43, accepted a deal from the 9th Judicial District Attorney's Office on Wednesday that saw him plead guilty to one count of reckless endangerment. The Boeberts got married in 2005 and split in 2023, but have continued to make headlines with their rocky separation and legal woes. Rep. Boebert - who became a grandmother at 36 - had asked for a restraining order to be be placed on Jayson in February after the altercations in order to protect her children. She told a judge in March she wanted the order extended, saying she knows her four children miss their father, but said 'I am afraid his anger for me will be taken out on [their sons].' But she later wanted it dropped after they came to a 'strict agreement'. Lauren Boebert's ex-husband Jayson has pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment as part of a plea deal with Colorado prosecutors Son faces legal troubles over shoplifting Boebert's son 18-year-old son Tyler, became a father in April 2023 and made her a 37-year-old grandmother. He is also awaiting trial after he was arrested on a string of shoplifting charges in late February. The teen is facing four counts of criminal possession of a financial device, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of theft of under $300. He is also facing four felony counts of criminal possession of ID documents of multiple victims, one felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses. Each of Tyler's parents had messages of support for him to DailyMail.com in response to the arrest. Jason told DailyMail.com: 'I know my son is a good-hearted child and still has his whole life ahead of him.' Rep. Boebert, in a statement to DailyMail.com, said that her son should face consequences but she ultimately loves and supports him. 'I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for,' she said. Boebert is pictured with her son 17-year-old Tyler who is now expecting a baby with his girlfriend She was forced to apologize after insinuating Ilhan Omar is a terrorist In November 2021, Boebert told a crowd of supporters: 'One of my staffers, on his first day with me, got into an elevator in the Capitol. And in that elevator, we were joined by Ilhan Omar,' Boebert told the crowd in September. 'It was just us three in there and I looked over and I said, well, lookey there, it's the Jihad Squad. 'She doesn't have a backpack, she wasn't dropping it and running so we're good,' Boebert added. Boebert later posted her apology on X: 'I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.' The Barefoot Investor has slammed a couple in their 60s who will not share their fortune with their seven children because they do not trust any of the kids to look after them in old age. Self-proclaimed 'grumpy boomers' Donna, 68, and Steve, 69, penned a letter to Scott Pape last week seeking advice on appointing a person to manage their finances. The retired pair have an asset base of about $7.5million and a total annual income of about $350,000. Many retirees with that level of wealth would begin sharing it with their children, but this couple fears the kids will not be willing to spend any of it on looking after their elderly parents. 'Chances are we will probably die not having spent all we own. But heres my problem. 'We have seven kids between us and would not trust any of them to look after us in an unselfish and humane way when we cant look after ourselves anymore. 'Too many times we have seen kids treat elderly parents badly in order to protect their inheritance. Any suggestions while we still have control,' they asked. A boomer couple who are enjoying their retirement with $7.5million in assets, claim they can not trust their seven children with controlling their money (stock image) The Barefoot Investor told the couple their predicament did not reflect well on the family. 'What are the chances you have seven kids and they are all horrible,' Mr Pape joked. He explained each state and territory have regulations for appointing a power of attorney, a person to manage finances, or someone to make health and medical decisions known as an enduring guardian or medical treatment decision-maker. Mr Pape highlighted the importance for older people to choose the right person to manage their finances and health. 'I discussed the options with my estate planning lawyer Dr Brett Davies who emphasised the importance of choosing someone trustworthy,' Mr Pape wrote. 'It could be a professional like an accountant, financial planner, or lawyer, but these professionals charge fees and often hand off tasks to junior staff.' Scott Pape (pictured) said it was important the couple choose someone trustworthy and advised them to use their time and money to rebuild trust with their children However Mr Pape advised Donna and Steve that their best path for the couple would be to repair the relationships with their kids. 'Your safest option may still be your children. Yet that means that when you lose your mental capacity youll likely be under the control of your children. And thats the rub,' Mr Pape wrote. 'You may have seven bricks in the bank, but you arent wealthy if you cant trust them to look out for you as you get older. 'If I were in your situation Id spend as much time and money with my kids and grandkids as I could, trying to rebuild the trust and relationships you have with them. Thats where true wealth lies.' It's estimated about 2.1 per cent of older Australians have experienced financial elder abuse a year, according to the 2020 AIFS National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study. The study found 64 per cent of that financial elder abuse was perpetrated by a family member. It comes as the Older Persons Advocacy Network received almost 1,300 calls regarding elder abuse in the six months to March 2024 - ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. A popular Gold Coast night spot was evacuated after a young man collapsed while on the dance floor from a suspected drug overdose. The man, aged in his 20s, was at Cocktails and Dreams nightclub at Surfers Paradise at about midnight on Sunday when emergency crews were called. Police emptied the club as a precaution so paramedics could work more easily on the man. He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital where he remains in a coma. The man is suspected to have suffered a drug overdose, with friends telling officers he had consumed cocaine earlier in the night. Popular Gold Coast nightclub Cocktails and Dreams (pictured) was evacuated after a clubber collapsed on the dancefloor 'It was reported by security there that the male had been dancing on the floor, had collapsed (and) had actually stopped breathing,' acting superintendent Scott Knowles said on Monday. Supt Knowles said: 'As a result, assistance had been rendered to recommence his breathing, so CPR had commenced.' The man was revived and rushed to hospital but remains in a coma. Supt Knowles said it is understood the man had been 'consuming cocaine during the evening, prior to attending the nightclub'. 'It appears that's what's contributed to him collapsing on the dancefloor,' he said. 'With illicit drugs, there's no way you can determine the purity of a drug, if it's been mixed with other chemicals. 'You're taking your life into your own hands by taking illicit drugs, and unfortunately this man has experienced that.' Qantas has been dealt another blow after slumping further down the rankings of the best airlines in the world and dropping from 17th to 24th place. The rankings were announced at the 2024 World Airline Awards at the Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel, London, on Monday. Qatar Airways was crowned the world's best airline, making it the eighth time the carrier has been awarded the top honour ever. Singapore Airlines was knocked down to second, after winning last year, while Emirates placed third and Japanese-owned All Nippon Airways came in at fourth. The rankings are determined by passengers from 100 countries who take part in online customer satisfaction surveys carried out by Skytrax. The awards are known as the 'Oscars of the aviation industry' and rank airlines on aspects such as catering and inflight services. Qantas has previously been ranked as high as number four and came in at number five in 2022. Jetstar fell from 69th to 75th place while Virgin Australia tumbled from 46th to 54th with Rex the only Aussie airline to go up in the rankings from 56th to 50th. Qantas has fallen from to a new low of 24 from 17th place in the latest world airline rankings (stock image) Middle Eastern and Asian airline carriers dominated the top ten of the rankings. Qantas still managed to pick up five awards including best business class and best premium economy class among airlines in the Australia/Pacific region. The other awards included cleanest airline and the best on-board catering in premium economy and economy. A Qantas spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the airline is committed to making changes to their operations to ensure customers have a better experience. 'We have been listening to our customers and our people and have been acting on this feedback with significant investment already underway,' the spokesman said. 'We want our customers to feel the difference from the changes that we have put in place and in recent months we have seen customer satisfaction levels improve.' Qantas has endured a turbulent period in recent months with the airline dogged by growing consumer dissatisfaction. Qantas still managed to pick up five awards including best business class and best premium economy class among airlines in the Australia/Pacific region (stock image) THE WORLD'S TOP 10 AIRLINES ARE REVEALED 1. Qatar Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. Emirates 4. ANA All Nippon Airways 5. Cathay Pacific Airways 6. Japan Airlines 7. Turkish Airlines 8. EVA Air 9. Air France 10. Swiss International Airlines Advertisement Alan Joyce resigned as CEO in September last year after 15 years in the top job. Mr Joyce was forced to front a Senate inquiry over a federal government decision to block Qatar Airways from introducing more flights to Australian cities. He was grilled over conversations he had with key government ministers who ultimately decided against the proposal by the Gulf carrier. Qantas was also forced to pay $100million to settle a dispute with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission after the competition watchdog accused the airline of selling tickets for 8,000 flights that had been cancelled. Vanessa Hudson replaced Mr Joyce as CEO and said customer loyalty, employee engagement, and fleet renewal were among her top priorities to revive the airline. Chinese premier urges efforts to deepen scientific and technological exchanges, cooperation Xinhua) 11:01, June 25, 2024 DALIAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called on countries around the world to deepen scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation. Li made the remarks when addressing the opening plenary of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian. The exploration for next frontiers for growth should not be a zero-sum game but a common growth for all, Li said. "The 'small yard and high fence' policy cannot stifle the development of opponents, but only shackle the hands and feet of themselves," the premier added. Li urged countries to create a level-playing, fair, and nondiscriminatory environment for scientific and technological innovation on the basis of intellectual property rights protection. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Wild footage shows the moment a good Samaritan tried to wrestle an erratic man to the ground before he broke the hold and allegedly coward-punched a bystander. Emergency services were called to the Nambour bus interchange on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane, about 3pm on Sunday afternoon after reports of two men being assaulted, leaving one with severe head injuries. Adam Morton, 39, was rushed him to hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Police allege the attacker king hit Mr Morton and then stomped on his head repeatedly, inflicting severe injuries. James William, 31, witnessed the attack and stepped in to detain the attacker, losing a tooth in the process. Footage taken by a bystander showed the jujitsu trained-Mr William wrapping his body around the man, but he slipped away and fled the scene. An ju-jitsu-trained good Samaritan has recounted how he almost stopped an unprovoked attack at a bus station on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Sunday (pictured) Mr William said the man was 'going crazy' and he felt he had to protect others around him. 'If I hadn't known any jujitsu (a martial art based on grappling and subduing), I would have been in big trouble,' he told 9News. 'He targeted some poor guy, king hit him, and before I could turn around and get over there, he's already stomped on his head, probably like 10 times.' Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said police were 'concerned' about the condition of the attacker who appeared to be 'under the influence of some substances'. 'It was seemingly random attacks on these two victims and appears to have been unprovoked at this stage,' he told reporters. 'It was a brutal attack.' James William was able to wrestle the man to the ground (pictured) before he slipped the hold and allegedly coward punched a man, leaving him fighting for his life in hospital Police arrived at the Nambour bus interchange (pictured) to find two men but the alleged attacker had already fled the scene and is yet to be found Mr Mansfield confirmed no weapons were involved in the attack but warned the public against confronting the man. 'He has assaulted two people randomly so is potentially dangerous to approach,' Mr Mansfield said. The alleged attacker was described as white and wearing a grey jumper, dark shorts and thongs. Anyone with information or footage of the fight has been urged to contact police. Rishi Sunak warned disaffected Tory supporters last night they risk letting Labour in for years - as analysis of polling figures showed a small number of Reform voters could prevent Sir Keir Starmer winning a supermajority. In a speech to Tory activists, the Prime Minister acknowledged public anger with the Conservatives but urged voters to think what a Labour government would mean before risking a protest vote for Reform that could help hand unchecked power to Labour. Analysis of one major poll yesterday suggested that just 34,000 swing voters in key seats could halve Labours projected 200 majority. The YouGov data suggested Labour could lose its notional majority entirely if only 132,000 voters in the tightest races opted for the next-placed party. Analysis of a separate mega poll suggests the Conservatives are neck and neck with Labour in dozens of seats. The More in Common think-tanks poll forecast Labour to be on course for a landslide majority of 162, with the number of Conservative seats slashed by more than half to 155. But it found there were 96 seats in which the Conservatives were within five points of Labour. If the Tories won all of them, the total number of Conservative seats would jump to 203, cutting Sir Keirs majority. Analysis of one major poll yesterday suggested that just 34,000 swing voters in key seats could halve Labours projected 200 majority Even former home secretary Dame Priti Patel could face trouble unless centre-Right voters unite behind her in the Essex constituency of Witham In Theresa Mays old seat of Maidenhead, Tory candidate Tania Mathias is only one point ahead of the Lib Dems. Veteran Tory Ian Liddell-Grainger is three points behind the Lib Dems in Tiverton and Minehead, where Reform has support of almost nine per cent Polling has found that Reform are now the second place party to Labour in some seats Yesterday the Daily Mail published details of 30 seats where Sir Keirs march towards a supermajority could be held back if centre-Right voters come together. Today this newspaper publishes another 30 seats where a small change in voting intentions could help prevent a Labour landslide. In seats such as Welwyn Hatfield, where Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is fighting to hang on, and Bournemouth West, where former trade minister Conor Burns is in a dogfight with Labour, the Tories are a handful of points behind. In a speech to Tory activists, the Prime Minister acknowledged public anger with the Conservatives but urged voters to think what a Labour government would mean Even former home secretary Dame Priti Patel could face trouble unless centre-Right voters unite behind her in the Essex constituency of Witham. Elsewhere, in seats like West Suffolk and Beverley and Holderness, a narrow Tory lead could be hauled in by Labour with only a tiny swing unless Conservative supporters lending their votes to Reform return to the fold. In other areas, the Conservatives need to claw back support from Reform to win against other pro-EU parties such as the Lib Dems. In Theresa Mays old seat of Maidenhead, Tory candidate Tania Mathias is only one point ahead of the Lib Dems. Veteran Tory Ian Liddell-Grainger is three points behind the Lib Dems in Tiverton and Minehead, where Reform has support of almost nine per cent. A woman sunbathing in New York City's Central Park was forced to fight off a man who tried to sexually assault her in broad daylight on Monday. Police say the 21-year-old victim was tanning by herself in the Great Hill section of the park when an unidentified man approached her shortly after 1.25pm and 'exposed himself.' 'She screams and gets up to run,' NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a news conference Monday evening. 'He tackles her from behind [and] she is able to fight him off.' The suspect - described as a black man who is about six feet tall - then fled southbound down West Drive, police said. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell described how a suspect 'exposed himself' to a victim at Central Park on Monday Police say a 21-year-old woman was forced to fight off the unidentified suspect Police say they have divided up the park and are trying to identify witnesses Watch as NYPD executives provide an update on an ongoing investigation in Manhattan. https://t.co/2FnOvon27p NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 24, 2024 He is described as having curly hair, and was last seen wearing light-colored shirts and shorts. He is also believed to be in his 30s. The victim was not injured in the attack, and canvassed the area with police in a cruiser to help look for the suspect, ABC 7 reports. She is now at a local hospital in an abundance of precaution, as officers from the Special Victims Unit ask her about what she experienced. She is also expected to work with a sketch artist to get an image of the suspect released to the public. The victim was tanning by herself in the Great Hill section of the park when the man exposed himself to her Officers scoured the area searching for the suspect after he fled the scene The victim canvassed the area with police officers to help try to track down the suspect Police say park-goers can expect a larger police presence at the park in the coming days Meanwhile, police are reviewing nearby surveillance footage in hopes of tracking down the man, and have deployed more officers to the park. 'Right now, we're searching every part of the park for witnesses or any evidence we might find,' Chell said. 'We're cutting the park in pieces and everyone's got a piece, and they're going out getting witnesses.' As the investigation continues, police say park-goers can expect to see drones flying overhead and an increased police presence. But, officers say, they do not believe the incident is part of any larger criminal patterns. Economics is known as the dismal science because its forecasts frequently prove woefully off the mark. In recent years, political predictions haven't fared much better. Not only have the pollsters failed to anticipate a string of general election results, they were spectacularly wrong on Brexit too. But even a stopped clock is right twice a day. If we believe the current polls, Labour is set for a 'supermajority' on July 4. Given their understandable disenchantment with the Government, millions of traditional Tories intend to vote for Reform UK in protest or simply stay at home. If we believe the current polls, Sir Keir Starmer's Labour is set for a 'supermajority' on July 4 Tories who switch to Reform will merely enable a government who will give them the opposite of what they want in every imaginable respect Yet in about 130 seats, Labour's vote share is lower than the Tories and Reform combined sufficient for the Conservatives to retain the constituency. This could halve Sir Keir Starmer's landslide. Tory voters must weigh the desire to punish their own party against the consequences of propelling a socialist into power with virtually no checks and balances. Under a Labour government, we will get higher taxes, higher public spending, higher immigration. Sir Keir's team has let slip they want to make it easier for men to self-identify as female, undermining the safety and privacy of women and girls. They want to rip up rules barring schools from teaching children gender ideology. And they will begin to dismantle Brexit. Even the most optimistic polls give Nigel Farage's party no more than a tiny handful of seats. Tories who switch to Reform will merely enable a government who will give them the opposite of what they want in every imaginable respect. While there is a place for Physician Associates (PAs), they are no substitute for more doctors Prioritise patients When ministers unveiled plans to expand the use of 'physician associates' to tackle a shortage of doctors, the Mail expressed concern it could endanger patients. Ten years on, there is growing evidence we were right to worry. The original idea was that medics with just two years' healthcare training would assist doctors in their daily duties freeing up time for extra appointments. Yet with the NHS increasingly stretched, they have taken on more clinical responsibilities. Patients don't always know they are not seeing a doctor or GP. Now the British Medical Association is taking legal action. The union claims that doctors are being stealthily sidelined. But with waiting lists colossally high, and doctors retiring or doing lucrative private and locum work instead, it's hardly surprising PAs are used to plug workforce gaps. And if the BMA truly cared about patient safety, wouldn't it spend less time on strike? Of course, while there is a place for PAs, they are no substitute for more doctors. Yes, the NHS must reform to survive. But the aim must always be better outcomes for patients and nothing else. Get well soon, Ma'am If not quite an annus horribilis, this has so far been a most challenging year for the Royal Family. Dedicated to duty, stoic and likeable, Princess Anne, who is now recovering after an incident involving a horse, is one of the monarchy's most popular members The King and Princess of Wales are both being treated for cancer, and now Princess Anne is in hospital after an incident involving a horse at her home. Thankfully, she's expected to make a full and swift recovery. With her relatives recuperating, the indomitably hard-working Anne has stepped into the breach, uncomplainingly carrying out as many engagements as possible. Dedicated to duty, stoic and likeable, she is one of the monarchy's most popular members. The Mail joins every decent Briton in urging: 'Get well soon, Ma'am.' A popular brewery has announced it will be closing its doors in the latest of a series of craft brewers to be driven out of business by the soaring costs of beer. Alchemy Brewing Co announced on Monday that it would be shutting up shop on Lygon Street in Melbourne's East Brunswick on Friday. 'It's with a heavy heart I'm announcing Alchemy Brewing will close at the end of the month,' owner Pim Muter wrote in an Instagram post. 'I am incredibly proud of the venue I built but we've had a rough ride and it's time to call it quits. We are having a big farewell party on June 29 please come down for a final beer or two.' The brewery was first opened in December 2019 - just months before Melbourne entered the first of six Covid lockdowns. Alchemy Brewing Co announced on Monday that it would be shutting up shop on Lygon Street in Melbourne's East Brunswick on Friday (the brewery is pictured) The brewery was first opened five years ago in December 2019 - just months before Melbourne entered one of a six Covid lockdowns Alchemy Brewing Co sold takeaway beer to locals in order to stay afloat during the pandemic and received grants from the Victorian government. Mr Muter told Beat in 2022 he was optimistic the venue would recover. 'I have high hopes for the coming summer season, Melbourne has had an arduous few years and I feel this is the first real summer since Covid hit, it's certainly the first summer for Alchemy Brewing without heavy restrictions,' he said. The venue had a tap room, a micro-brewery, bar and a restaurant. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Alchemy Brewing Co for comment. It comes just weeks after a popular brewery that played a 'pivotal' role in the craft beer movement announced it will close its doors for good after more than three decades. Lion, one of the largest beverage companies in the world, will close the Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney's Camperdown by the end of August. Lion, one of the largest beverage companies in the world, will close the Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney's Camperdown by the end of August The brewery is responsible for crafting a series of popular beers including Eumundi, Little Creatures, New Belgium and James Squire. The Malt Shovel Brewery was first opened in 1988 by independent brewer Chuck Hahn and was acquired by Lion in 1993. That closure came just weeks after Asahi, Lion's biggest competitor, closed their Matilda Bay brewpub in Victoria's Yarra Valley on May 19 - citing high costs. A string of independent breweries have collapsed in recent months following a series of hikes to alcohol taxes and operational costs. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, high inflation, rising mortgages and rents, the soaring price of beer and hospitality in general has severely reduced demand. Small and medium breweries Deeds Brewing, Big Shed, Hawkers and Golden West have all entered administration since the start of the year. They followed other outfits such as Ballistic, Parched, Wicked Elf and Running With Thieves who collapsed during 2023. The Met Police has been accused of leaking the identities of Tories who are alleged to have betted on the date of the general election. So far, four Tory candidates and officials are being probed by the Gambling Commission over allegations they placed money on when the election would be taking place. Prime minister Rishi Sunak's top parliamentary aide and the candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, Craig Williams, Tory candidate in Bristol West, Laura Saunders, her husband and the party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee; and the party's chief data officer, Nick Mason, have all been pushed into the limelight since the scandal first broke. Sources told the Telegraph that it was Scotland Yard that leaked their names to the press in the run-up to the general election. A source close to the Cabinet Office told the newspaper that the Met was informed of the date of the election before it was announced in order to allow the force enough time to make logistical and security arrangements. The Met Police has been accused of leaking the identities of Tories who are alleged to have betted on the date of the general election (File image) Tory candidate in Bristol West, Laura Saunders (pictured, left) and her husband and the party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee (pictured, right) are accused of making bets on the election The Gambling Commission also passed on the names of the suspects to the Met before they were made public, with a source claiming that the Gambling Commission had been ruled out as the source of the leak. They said: 'We know that the Met was made aware of the election date in advance of it being called by Rishi. We are also pretty sure these leaks are not coming from the Gambling Commission. 'But the commission has passed on names to the police of people suspected of betting irregularities and we believe that the identities are going into the public domain after that has happened.' The source added: 'The commission is telling the Met and then almost instantly these names are finding their way to journalists. The suspicion very much is it's the Met [that's leaking].' Alongside the Tory officials, one of Sunak's close protection officers has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegedly placing bets on the timing of the election, with the Met bracing for further arrests. Five more police officers have also been placed under investigation by the Gambling Commission. The party's chief data officer Nick Mason (pictured) is also being investigated The highest profile person caught up in the scandal is Rishi Sunak's top parliamentary aide Craig Williams (pictured) The use of confidential information to gain unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence of cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act. Those convicted face and unlimited fine or up to two years in jail. On Thursday night, Mr Sunak admitted he was 'incredibly angry' after the bombshell that the gambling watchdog is investigating several senior Conservatives. Appearing on the BBC's Question Time election special, Mr Sunak was grilled on the claims. 'I was incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. If anyone's found to have broken the rules, not only should they face the full consequences of the law, I'll make sure they are booted out of the Conservative Party,' he said. The Tories' political opponents have jumped on the chance to eviscerate the party on light of the scandal. Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, said: 'Sunak must personally intervene to order a Cabinet Office inquiry and suspend all those under investigation.' Reform leader Nigel Farage accused the Conservatives of being 'corrupt'. MailOnline has contacted the Met Police for comment. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to plead guilty this week to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that could end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia. U.S. prosecutors filed criminal paperwork against Assange, 52, that is typically a preliminary step before a plea deal. In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition to the U.S. The plea deal still needs to be approved by a federal judge - but if approved, it would give him credit for time served, allowing Assange to immediately return home to his native Australia. In recent months, President Joe Biden has hinted at a possible deal being pushed by officials in the Australian government to return Assange to back to his homeland. The deal outlines a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to plead guilty this week to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that could end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to Australia In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition to the U.S. Assange is pictured in April 2019 WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Assange had faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his alleged role in the data breach. It carried a maximum of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Officials in the U.S. had alleged that Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables. The cables were not only embarrassing but more importantly potentially endangered confidential sources. Many contained top secret information regarding Iraq war-related activity reports and information related to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Belmarsh Prison in London, where Julian Assange has been held since April 2019 Stella Assange, wife of Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, speaks during a protest in Castello square in Milan last week He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in London's Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the United States. While in Belmarsh he married his partner Stella with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. Illegal migrants are 'queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government' so they can come to Britain and stay here, Rishi Sunak said last night. The Prime Minister claimed the Labour leader would reverse his Rwanda policy if elected and did not have a plan to deal with the boats. 'Those illegal migrants will not be on planes to Rwanda,' he told the Sun's Never Mind the Ballots election debate. 'They will be out on our streets putting pressure on public services. And by the way, I can tell you now they are queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government so they can come here and stay here.' Illegal migrants are 'queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government' so they can come to Britain and stay here, Rishi Sunak said last night It came as Home Office figures showed the number of Channel migrants has hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year at 12,901 The Prime Minister claimed the Labour leader would reverse his Rwanda policy if elected and did not have a plan to deal with the boats It came as Home Office figures showed the number of Channel migrants has hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year at 12,901. The previous record for arrivals in the six months from January to June was 12,747 in 2022. In the past six-and-a-half years, 127,246 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel. Downing Street insisted that the Government continues to 'bear down' on small boat crossings. Nigel Farage was yesterday condemned by a former Nato boss for 'cuddling up to the Kremlin'. George Robertson hit back at the Reform UK leader after he claimed that the ex-Nato chief backed his comments that the West was to blame for provoking Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Mr Farage claimed during a rally in Maidstone, Kent, that the Labour peer was one of several high-profile people who agreed with him. But Lord Robertson, who headed Nato from 1999 to 2003, accused Mr Farage of talking 'total nonsense'. It came as an exclusive poll shared with the Daily Mail found that Mr Farage has placed his party on the wrong side of the debate among voters who backed the Tories in 2019. The More In Common survey found that fewer than one in five (19 per cent) trusted Reform more than the Conservatives on the issue of the war in Ukraine. Mr Farage claimed that the Labour peer was one of several high-profile people who agreed with him. But Lord Robertson, who headed Nato from 1999 to 2003, accused Mr Farage of talking 'total nonsense' George Robertson hit back at the Reform UK leader after he claimed that the ex-Nato chief backed his comments that the West was to blame for provoking Russia's invasion of Ukraine Meanwhile, more than half (53 per cent) trusted the Conservatives more. An earlier poll found that the public think it's important that Ukraine wins the war by a margin of 74 per cent to 9 per cent. Mr Farage again doubled down on his claim that the West was to blame for provoking the Russian invasion, telling a crowd of hundreds that 'we gave him (Vladimir Putin)... a reason for doing so'. He claimed that Lord Robertson 'said a few months ago that the European Union's accession agreement to Ukraine was a mistake that was used by Putin'. But speaking to LBC, the Labour peer said this was 'simply dishonest'. Asked if he believed the West provoked Russia into invading Ukraine by allowing more eastern European countries to join the EU and Nato, he said: 'That is total nonsense, and sort of typical of the far Right, of which Farage is part, cuddling up to the Kremlin with their propaganda. 'The EU and Nato enlarged because individual countries wanted to join. Each one of them took a decision 'Now of course, having a democratic country next door to Russia, is not going to be happy for Vladimir Putin, given the dictatorial style that he's got. But that isn't any reason why he should invade and try to destroy that neighbouring country. 'After all, Bosnia, Albania, North Macedonia, are all applying for membership of the European Union. They want to be in the European Union. 'Does that mean to say that we're provoking Russia into invading them as well? The logic is completely nonsensical.' He was quizzed about an interview he gave to The New Statesman magazine last month in which he said 'the whole Ukraine crisis started off with the offer of an EU accession agreement [to later become a full member] to Ukraine in 2014'. Mr Farage appeared to be citing the interview as proof that Lord Robertson agreed with his position. Mr Farage again doubled down on his claim that the West was to blame for provoking the Russian invasion, telling a crowd of hundreds that 'we gave him (Vladimir Putin)... a reason for doing so' Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson waded into the row by accusing Mr Farage of being 'morally repugnant' for 'parroting Putin's lies' about Ukraine But the peer denied this, saying: 'The government of Ukraine at that time wanted an association agreement, but were told by the Kremlin that they had to reject it. So it was a decision at that point by Ukraine it wasn't the European Union foisting itself on Ukraine. 'It was responding to the desire by the Ukrainians to be inside the European Union. So to claim that I'm supporting Nigel Farage at this point is simply dishonest.' He went on to say that Mr Farage's call for Ukraine to start peace talks with the Kremlin was 'going down the road of appeasement so I certainly don't agree with that'. This is because negotiations would likely lead to a partitioning, with Russia potentially holding on to the territory it has gained in eastern Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula. Lord Robertson added: 'He's simply parroting the Kremlin line, which is that somehow, you know, he (Putin) was being encroached on by an ever-expanding Nato and European Union, when in fact it's countries themselves who make the decision and there's no provocation intended. 'You know, one of my successors at Nato crisply summed it up if Russia stops fighting, there will be peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. That sums it up and I think Nigel Farage should listen to that.' It comes after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson waded into the row by accusing Mr Farage of being 'morally repugnant' for 'parroting Putin's lies' about Ukraine. And yesterday Rishi Sunak said of Mr Farage's comments that 'appeasement is dangerous to Britain's security' and that his words will 'only embolden Putin'. The More In Common poll also found that, while Reform is more trusted on immigration and small boat Channel crossings, the Tories are more trusted on most other issues by 2019 Conservative voters, including the NHS and cost of living. A primary school's move to chop down five protected trees has led to anger among parents, despite birds nesting in them and pooing on their children's play equipment. Gordon Primary in Eltham, south east London, is planning to fell five trees which are all healthy and 120 years old after droppings from pigeons began covering apparatus in the school playground. Teachers at the school have blamed a 'higher rate of sickness and absences' among both pupils and staff on the poo which continues to fall from the three lime trees and two London planes and onto equipment. The primary school has also argued that some windows on the premises can no longer be opened thanks to the extensive build-up of droppings. It is now seeking permission from Greenwich Council to axe the trees 'as a last resort' on the grounds of health and safety, The Sun reports. But parents have angrily asked the school why the trees, which have grown next to the reception playground since the school was built in 1904, now need to be felled, with close to 500 signing a petition to save them. Protected trees pictured outside Gordon Primary School. The school's plan to fell the trees has been opposed by parents The trees were set to be axed after teachers blamed poor attendance on droppings falling from the trees and onto playground equipment The primary school has also argued that some windows on the premises can no longer be opened thanks to the extensive build-up of pigeon droppings (Stock Photo) One wrote: 'Reception children catch every bug going when they start school. They are not made more ill by bird poo.' Meanwhile, Cass Farrar said that the plans did not make any sense and that the trees contrasted with the concrete surroundings of south east London. Local Labour MP Clive Efford said: 'The felling of healthy, mature trees is an extreme solution and should only be something considered when all other avenues have been exhausted.' In a letter to parents, assistant head Hannah Cuesta wrote: 'For the sake of our children's health . . . the only course of action left is to remove five of the 12 trees along our boundary.' She added that 'seven impressively tall trees' would remain. Cock-up on the communications front, Reggie. The nation's political media went schlepping off to a swanky office block next to London's Shard to report on the latest debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. All the latest internet gizmos were on parade. We reporters were not actually allowed in the TV studio good grief no, that would be far too sensible and democratic for a modern general election. We were instead ushered into a nearby viewing suite to watch on a whizzo live feed. Which promptly went kronkkk and clank and finally phutt, amid screams of quite a few naughty words from its audience. The machine did what my telephone sometimes does in the wilds of Wales and started pixellating and buffering and blipping until we got the pizza wheel of doom and finally a tech bod in a black T-shirt came lumbering in and turned it off and back on. Eventually he logged into his YouTube account. Classico. The day began with a whipped-looking Sunak making a speech in Scotland. At the start of this evening debate he still seemed low-energy. Then some sort of inner-switch seemed to drop and he became animated and defiant, whacking Labour hard on tax and its threat to pensioners Sir Keir Starmer's past support for Jeremy Corbyn also came in for some aggro. Just a few days ago he said Mr Corbyn would have made a better PM than Boris Johnson. Now, as happens with the nasal knight, he changed his tune and said that Boris had shown real leadership on Ukraine. Different day, different views Figures on the screen rematerialised like characters being beamed up on the Star Trek transporter and we heard the debate's presenter, Harry Cole of The Sun, asking Mr Sunak, 'do you know how this sounds to the voters, Prime Minister?' To which the answer was 'yep, it sounds like a malfunctioning android'. The headline news, as we say on rolling TV: Mr Sunak was skewered on the gambling scandal before roaring back strongly, insisting migrants were 'queuing up in Calais' in case Labour won the election. The day began with a whipped-looking Sunak making a speech in Scotland. At the start of this evening debate he still seemed low-energy. Then some sort of inner-switch seemed to drop and he became animated and defiant, whacking Labour hard on tax and its threat to pensioners. The opening section of his half-hour of questions was about the gambling scandal. Mr Sunak declared himself 'incredibly angry' about this but he sounded deflated. Then his left eye started throbbing, his voice doubled in volume and he started bellowing about Labour's policies. Popeye had finally digested some spinach. Leaning forward in his chair, he declared that Labour wanted to release all the migrants who have been locked up pending removal to Rwanda. Labour would tax every household at least 2,000. 'All of you are going to face higher taxes,' he roared at the studio guests, and they recoiled a bit at this hot blast from the oven door. Blimey. Little Rishi was cookin'! Cole asked if he felt 'any responsibility for inflicting Liz Truss on the country'. Mr Sunak: 'I was right!' Two summers ago Sunak predicted that Liz Truss's economic plans were disastrous. Everyone had told him it would lose him the Tory leadership election which it did Two summers ago he predicted that Ms Truss's economic plans were disastrous. Everyone had told him it would lose him the Tory leadership election which it did. 'But I kept going because I felt I was right and I'm telling you again now. It all seems a bit familiar! That's why I'm still going. I believe in what I am saying!' After weeks of hesitant Rishi it was pleasantly jolting to see him so peppery. Then it was Sir Keir's turn. He was biffed on his immigration policy, with heckling from the studio guests. His past support for Jeremy Corbyn also came in for some aggro. Just a few days ago he said Mr Corbyn would have made a better PM than Boris Johnson. Now, as happens with the nasal knight, he changed his tune and said that Boris had shown real leadership on Ukraine. Different day, different views. He's like that. A show of hands on the two men's performances was, let us put it like this, far from a landslide for the lumpen Starmer. Sunak possibly edged it. Then came the spinning. Labour was represented by Bridget Phillipson. The schools killer! I couldn't bring myself to listen to her spiel. Her Tory opposite number, Gillian Keegan, spared us the political baloney. She just had a bad joke. 'How does Sir Keir Starmer energise a room? By leaving it.' Keir Starmer has failed to dismiss the prospect of raising taxes in at least a dozen areas, a leading think-tank claimed yesterday. Labour's manifesto promises a 'tax lock' on the main rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT, while Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also insisted she will not raise corporation tax. But analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) yesterday identified at least 12 sectors in which Labour had refused to rule out increasing taxes, including fuel duty, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and stamp duty. The party has said its published plans do not require additional tax rises. However, the IFS believes the incoming government will face a 'stark choice' between raising taxes and cutting spending. The think tank said it would be a 'considerable surprise' if Labour does not hike taxes beyond those outlined in its manifesto if it wins next week's election. The IFS identified yesterday at least 12 sectors in which Labour had refused to rule out tax rises, including fuel duty and capital gains tax. Pictured: Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves And it accused both main parties of a 'conspiracy of silence' over the true state of public finances. Labour has outlined 8.5 billion a year in tax rises, while the Conservatives have pledged 17 billion in tax cuts. But the IFS said neither party wanted to talk about a further 10 billion of tax rises already baked in due to the six-year post-pandemic freeze on tax thresholds. Yesterday it warned voters they were likely to face five more years of tax rises or spending cuts. Director Paul Johnson said UK taxes were at the 'highest level ever' yet public services were struggling. Sir Keir Starmer's party insists its published plans do not require additional tax increases, but the IFS warned that the incoming government would face a 'stark choice' between hiking taxes and cutting spending He added: 'Regardless of who takes office following the General Election, they will they might get lucky, but unless they get lucky soon face a stark choice: raise taxes by more than they have told us in their manifesto or implement cuts to some areas of spending or break their fiscal rules and allow debt to rise for longer.' He dismissed Labour's vow not to raise taxes on 'working people', adding: 'At face value, Labour's promise of 'no tax increases on working people' rules out essentially all tax rises. 'There is no tax paid exclusively by those who don't work. Who knows what this... is really supposed to mean?' Advertisement Joe Biden's student debt relief plan suffered a major hit Monday as two federal judges partially blocked a measure of a plan that is costing the nation $160 billion. Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday sided with several Republican-led states and stopped the Democrat from moving forward with a key student debt relief initiative. In total, the Administration has already approved almost $160 billion in relief for nearly 4.6 million borrowers. U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Wichita, Kansas, blocked the U.S. Department of Education from proceeding with parts of a plan set to take effect July 1 designed to lower monthly payments and speed up loan forgiveness for millions of Americans. He ruled shortly before U.S. District Judge John Ross in St. Louis, Missouri, issued a preliminary injunction barring the department from granting further loan forgiveness under the administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. Joe Biden 's student debt relief plan suffered a major hit Monday as two federal judges partially blocked a measure of a plan that is costing the nation $160 billion The SAVE plan is meant to tie monthly payments to the income and family size of a borrower. This measure has already been used by eight million people, with over half with payments down to $0, according to CNN. The plan was hatched by the Biden administration after their initial loan forgiveness program was stopped by the Supreme Court. As part of the rulings, the White House must stop canceling federal student debt for those enrolled. Biden and the Department of Education is yet to comment on the rulings. The lawsuit reprises a courtroom showdown between the Biden administration and Missouri, which was a central figure in the Supreme Court case that overturned the Democratic presidents first try at loan cancellation last year. In that case, the Supreme Court found that loan cancellation would harm Missouri because of its affiliation with a quasi-state loan servicing company, MOHELA, that stood to lose revenue generated by federal student loans. The new lawsuit makes a similar argument. Bidens new SAVE Plan speeds up an existing path to loan cancellation, which the suit says would deprive MOHELA - the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority - of 'up to 15 years in servicing fees.' Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday sided with several Republican-led states and stopped the Democrat from moving forward with a key student debt relief initiative Biden has so far provided $160 billion in student loan forgiveness for 4.6 million borrowers Also joining the suit were Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma. Congress created income-driven repayment plans in the 1990s to help borrowers who were struggling to make payments on student loans. Those plans capped payments based on a borrowers income and promised to cancel any remaining debt after 20 or 25 years. Along with the harm to MOHELA, the lawsuit alleges that Bidens plan makes it harder for states to hire and retain employees. The repayment plan is so generous, according to the suit, that it undermines the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which allows borrowers to get student loans canceled after 10 years of work in public service jobs. Its an important recruiting tool for states, according to the lawsuit - out of 13 law school graduates hired by the Missouri attorney generals office last year, almost all said Public Service Loan Forgiveness influenced their decision to work in the public sector. 'Once the Final Rule takes effect, however, PSLF will not be nearly as attractive compared to other income-driven repayment programs,' the suit says. 'Its comparative advantage will shrink or disappear entirely.' The states note that more than half of borrowers in the plan are paying nothing. 'This is not a student loan program. It is a grant program that Congress never authorized,' according to the suit. U.S. District Judge John Ross in St. Louis, Missouri, issued a preliminary injunction barring the department from granting further loan forgiveness under the administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Wichita, Kansas, blocked the U.S. Department of Education from proceeding with parts of a plan set to take effect July 1 designed to lower monthly payments and speed up loan forgiveness for millions of Americans Combining student loans into one big one federal debt consolidation loan is a required step for graduates with private loans to qualify for forgiveness programs. In addition, a key factor in determining forgiveness is how many years Americans have been actively paying off their loans. Depending on the program, this might be ten or 25 years - so having a full history can bring them closer to the threshold for forgiveness too. 'The Department is working swiftly to ensure borrowers get credit for every month they've rightfully earned toward forgiveness,' said US Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. As college costs soar, more students turn to loans to fund their degrees. But millions struggle to pay them back in the face of interest that keeps the total high even as payments are made. This is a developing story. World-famous art works by Picasso have been hung in the ladies' toilets after a tribunal ruled men were allowed access into a female-only exhibition. Tasmanias Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart had been displaying the artworks in Ladies Lounge, a women's-only exhibition and area. The space had been created by artist Kirsha Kaechele, the wife of MONA's billionaire owner, David Walsh, and opened in 2020. The lounge was made for women only as an artistic statement about females historically being excluded from public places, with Ms Kaechele wanting men to have a similar experience. The artist said 'the rejection of men is a very important part of the artwork' and that the ladies lounge is 'titillating, it's fun, it's exciting it's naughty'. But in April, the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) ruled that the Ladies Lounge was discriminatory after a man lodged a complaint. Jason Lau said when he visited the MONA in 2023, he was not told he could not go into the women's-only exhibit. TASCAT's deputy president, Richard Grueber, said in his ruling that he was 'not satisfied that the discrimination experienced by Mr Lau is designed to promote equal opportunity for women'. Art by Picasso now hangs in the female toilets (pictured) at Hobart's MONA, after a Ladies Lounge exhibition was closed following a discrimination ruling by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Woman can now exclusively see the Picasso paintings (pictured) when they visit the toilet at the museum Mr Grueber gave the museum 28 days to start allowing men into the exhibition - but the Ladies Lounge has been closed ever since. On Monday, Ms Kaechele posted a video to her Instagram account showing some of the artwork that was originally in the Ladies Lounge now adorning the walls in toilet cubicles. 'A new exhibition at Mona. Just for ladies' she wrote. '(We never had female toilets at Mona before, they were all unisex. But then the Ladies Lounge had to close thanks to a lawsuit brought on by a man. And I just didnt know what to do with all those Picassos). The Ladies Lounge at MONA was made for women only as an artistic statement about females historically being excluded from public places, with Kirsha Kaechele (pictured, left) wanting men to have a similar experience 'Well get the Lounge open again as a church / school / boutique glamping accommodation / facilities / etc under Section 26 of the Anti Discrimination Act, but in the meantime, enjoy! (ladies).' Section 26 of Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 allows for a person to discriminate against another person in a way that 'promotes equal opportunity for a group of people who are disadvantaged or have a special need because of a prescribed attribute'. Mr Lau argued against this statutory defence of the Ladies Lounge, saying Section 26 'was designed to permit positive discrimination and not negative discrimination'. 'This exhibit is clearly designed to reject all men I would argue that it's not in the spirit of section 26,' he said. In the April ruling, the museum was given 28 days to start allowing men in to the Ladies Lounge but instead, it was closed and some of the artwork was moved to the female toilets (pictured) Artist Kirsha Kaechele, the wife of MONA's billionaire owner, David Walsh, opened Ladies Lounge in 2020 (pictured, MONA in Hobart) Following the announcement, the artist's followers showed support for moving the Picassos to the toilets. 'Genius. Absolutely love your work,' one wrote. 'Love his work and thank you for making art accessible for us to view in this way.' another wrote. Ms Kaechele announced on May 7 that the museum would be appealing TASCAT'S decision in the Supreme Court. Labour last night refused to rule out dragging Britain back under the jurisdiction of the European Courts in order to get a better deal with Brussels. The party's business spokesman Jonathan Reynolds said Labour won't 'give away our negotiating hand entirely' when asked if they would accept a role for the European Court of Justice. Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to revisit Boris Johnson's Brexit deal through negotiations with Brussels, while Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves suggested a Labour government would seek closer alignment with EU rules in some areas. Senior Tories have pressured the Labour leadership to reveal what concessions they would make. And the bloc's former chief negotiator Michel Barnier has warned Sir Keir that the price for revisiting the deal may be a return to free movement. Labour's business spokesman Jonathan Reynolds said the party won't 'give away our negotiating hand entirely' when asked if they would accept a European Court of Justice role Sir Keir Starmer pledged to revisit Boris Johnson's Brexit deal by negotiating with Brussels Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves suggested a Labour government would seek closer alignment with EU rules in some areas Asked if a Labour government 'would accept a role for the ECJ', Mr Reynolds said yesterday: 'We're not giving away our negotiating hand entirely but the argument on food and agricultural products is: do you want lower standards than the European Union?' Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch branded Mr Reynold's comments on opening the door to the ECJ as 'astonishing'. 'What would they have to give up in order to get that?' she said. 'We cannot allow any kind of oversight from the ECJ that's not something that you should be keeping in your back pocket. 'That's something that you need to be honest about with the British public.' A video posted online shows the dramatic moment a family ride at a Texas theme park appeared to malfunction. The video, posted on TikTok Sunday, shows four rafts piled up on the Roaring Rapids ride at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Within moments, another raft comes crashing onto the scene, prompting terrified riders to try and climb back on the pier to safety. As a park employee desperately tries to hold onto one of the rafts, it is pulled away, leaving riders no choice but to fall into the water in an effort to get back to the pier. In one heart-stopping moment, a young boy who enters the river struggles to swim to safety and is pulled up against the rushing water by another man as someone could be heard yelling 'get the kid'. Video posted online shows the Raging River ride at Six Flags Over Texas apparently malfunctioning Riders were forced to jump off their raft and swim to safety The child and two adults then had to climb up onto the pier, their clothes soaking wet, while the other rafts make their way back the other way. As they are safely back on the dock, an employee could be seen running out with floatation devices. A Six Flags spokesperson confirmed one of the rafts at Roaring Rapids became stuck. 'Guests were told to remain seated in the raft while the ride was restarted. All guests safely exited the ride and there were no injuries,' she said. Some viewers claimed it is not unusual for the ride to malfunction like that. 'That happened to us on the same ride,' user Megan Burnett commented. 'We sat there while they drained the water, and we had to walk out.' Another user wrote that the ride is 'known for this, if you're from [Dallas-Fort Worth] you know,' while a third claimed the ride 'is a death trap once it flips' adding that he is 'not getting on this.' The Roaring River ride boasts rafts that can fit up to 12 family members, and will leave guests 'soaked' The same ride at an amusement park in Iowa killed an 11-year-old boy and his older brother when their raft capsized and trapped them underwater in July 2021. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Adventureland water park claiming it is responsible for the young boy's death. In Australia, four adults were also killed on a similar ride when its conveyor belt malfunctioned, causing the six-person raft to flip. It then crushed and drowned two men, aged 38 and 35, and two women, aged 42 and 32. Two people have died and nine others are being treated for injuries after a minibus crash closed a major highway. Emergency services were called to the Calder Highway at Carwarp in Victoria's north-east after a minibus rolled onto its side and struck a tree about 7:45am. Ambulance Victoria dispatched an air ambulance helicopter, advanced life support and mobile intensive care paramedics to the scene. Two passengers were declared dead while another passenger is expected to be airlifted to Melbourne in a critical condition. The critically injured driver and remaining seven passengers were also taken to hospital, three with serious injuries and the other four under observation. Two people have died and nine others are injured after a bus rolled onto its side and crashed into a tree on the Calder Highway on Tuesday morning (pictured, police at the scene) Victoria Police confirmed the Calder Highway is expected to be closed between Kulkyn Way and Brownport Road for 'several hours'. The highway is a major truck route for the state's north-west as it stretches from the NSW border near Mildura through Bendigo and into Melbourne. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash remain ongoing. Anyone who witnessed or has dashcam footage of the crash has been urged to contact police. More to come. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange flew out of the UK on Monday apparently a free man after reaching a plea deal with US authorities over spy charges that have dogged him for more than a decade. In the coming hours, Assange, 52, is expected to plead guilty to a single espionage charge in a court appearance on a tiny US-controlled Pacific island and prosecutors will seek a sentence equivalent to time served. WikiLeaks published footage of Assange being driven from Belmarsh jail in London, where he has been detained for five years, to Stansted Airport. He then boarded a private jet that landed in Bangkok, Thailand to refuel. Assange has been a wanted man since 2010 when WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swathes of diplomatic cables. In 2012, as authorities circled him for that and over 'credible and reliable' sex crime allegations from a woman in Sweden, he fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy where he remained for seven years in often farcical circumstances. After falling out with the South American nation's rulers he was dragged out of his bolthole in 2019 and locked up in Belmarsh while the US attempted to extradite him. But that legal process ended abruptly yesterday, and WikiLeaks broke the news with a post on X reading: 'Julian Assange is free!' In a pre-recorded video filmed outside Belmarsh prison, Assange's wife Stella and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: 'If you're seeing this, it means he is out.' Assange, who has been sought for over a decade over allegations he hacked the US government, today left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm today While he has reportedly been allowed to leave the country to go back to his native Australia, British officials have not yet confirmed his release He spent the last 12 years years in prison or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London A plane, understood to be carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the tarmac at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok today Stella Assange and WikiLeaks chief Kristinn Hrafnsson speaking outside Belmarsh prison in a pre-recorded video WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq According to a document filed in federal court (pictured), Assange will plead guilty to the single charge of hacking Assange is expected to appear in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9am local time (pictured) A plane matching the type Assange was pictured boarding was tracked as it headed from Stansted Airport north of London to Bangkok in Thailand. It was unclear if it is the one Assange was on board On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday The group said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars.' Assange married Stella, a South African-born lawyer who he met when she joined his legal team in 2011, while locked up in Belmarsh in 2022. Last night she posted on X: 'Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' The couple have two children together, conceived while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy. On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday. While he has apparently been allowed to leave the UK to go back to his native Australia, British officials have not yet confirmed his release. MailOnline has contacted the UK's Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice for comment. Reacting to the plea deal, Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia, told BBC Radio 4 Today on Tuesday morning: 'This is an appropriate way, I think, for it to be brought to an end. 'The plea bargain is such that Julian Assange has admitted his guilt in this case to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, which is an extremely serious offence.' The former high commissioner to the UK added: 'I don't think we should walk past the fact that this is a very serious charge he's admitted to so in that sense it's no doubt appropriate. 'He's admitted his guilt now... that's part of the plea bargain. So the fact is we can now satisfactorily say he was guilty of a very serious offence.' When asked about how some people will give him a heroes welcome in Australia, he responded: 'Most people don't in Australia [think that he fought to get the truth as a journalist]. A tiny minority of very vocal people see that he was a journalist, their claim is... that he was just reporting information. But he has been found guilty of a much more serious offence than that. 'And I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it. 'Governments have to have some degree of privacy in their communications... and by the way, he didn't just release information relating to Iraq and Afghanistan... but he released a huge amount of information, much of which was very embarrassing and some of which endangered lives. 'So what he did was a criminal offence and it was a terrible thing to do morally as well, endangering people's lives in that way, is just completely inappropriate. I don't think many Australians have sympathy for him, no. Just because he was Australian doesn't mean he's a good bloke.' The Assange circus is now expected to shift to the tiny US-controlled Pacific island of Saipan, 1,500 miles east of the Philippines, where Assange is listed to appear in court at 9am local time on Wednesday (12am London, 7pm Tuesday in New York, 9am Wednesday in Sydney). Matthew McKenzie, deputy chief of counterintelligence and export control at the US Department of Justice, and Shawn Anderson, the US Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said they expected Assange to return to Australia after the proceedings have concluded. A plane matching the one Assange was purportedly seen flying out on is heading to Bangkok. Assange's family and friends welcomed his release this morning. His mother Christine Assange said: 'I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first.' His father John Shipton added: 'It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia. My thanks and congratulations to all his supporters that have made that possible, and of course, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.' Mr Shipton said he was 'energised' by the news. 'I don't fade easily, you know. And neither does Julian. It must be a family trait,' he said. He has been supported by his wife Stella (pictured) for years Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speec The artwork 'Anything to say?' by Italian artist Davide Dormino portraying Edward Snowden (L), Julian Assange (R) and Chelsea Manning (R), is displayed in the Piazza Dante in Naples, Italy, 01 June 2024 The plea deal emerged yesterday when US prosecutors filed criminal paperwork against him in the US Commonwealth of the North Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The filing says Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in Belmarsh high-security prison while fighting extradition to the US. The plea deal still needs to be rubber-stamped by a federal judge - but if approved, it would give him credit for time served. He would then be officially released from US custody and would be able to make the 3,500-mile journey south to Sydney. In recent months, President Joe Biden had hinted at a possible deal being pushed by officials in the Australian government to return Assange to back to his homeland. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today said there was 'nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him [brought] home to Australia'. He added: 'I have been a very clear... that regardless of the views that people have about Julian Assange and his activities, the case has dragged on for too long'. An Australian government spokesperson said: 'Prime Minister Albanese has been clear - Mr Assange's case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration.' MailOnline has contacted the embassies in London for the US, Sweden, Ecuador and Australia for comment on Assange's release. Assange was eventually forced to leave the embassy after relations between him and officials broke down Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican, and jailed for skipping bail 'Julian Assange is free': WikiLeaks' post in full JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom. Advertisement Assange had faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his role in the WikiLeaks data breach. It carried a maximum of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over the mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Officials in the US had alleged that Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables. US prosecutors claimed that the cables were not only embarrassing but more importantly potentially endangered confidential sources. Many contained top secret information regarding Iraq war-related activity reports and information related to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters journalists in a video that was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. But is was for alleged sex crimes that he was first arrested, in Britain in 2010. Officials in Sweden obtained a European arrest warrant after two women accused him of offences, one of rape and one of molestation, following a speaking trip to the country. Assange spent years fighting against extradition to Sweden. His supporters alleged the allegations were drummed up to enable his detention so he could be extradited to America over the leaks. So in 2012 when his final appeals were exhausted, instead of fighting to clear his name, he breached his UK bail and fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy to seek asylum. In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition to the US Assange is pictured in April 2019 Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Belmarsh Prison in London, where Julian Assange has been held since April 2019 Stella Assange, wife of Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, speaks during a protest in Castello square in Milan last week He stayed there for seven years, until Sweden dropped the rape charge against him. Swedish prosecutors said in 2019: 'The reason for this decision is that the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question.' Eva-Maria Persson, the deputy director of public prosecution at the time, said: 'I would like to emphasise that the injured party has submitted a credible and reliable version of events. 'Her statements have been coherent, extensive and detailed; however, my overall assessment is that the evidential situation has been weakened to such an extent that that there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation.' Assange was eventually forced to leave the embassy after relations between him and officials broke down, with one even accusing him of smearing faeces on the walls - a claim which was stringently denied by his supporters. His team alleged that throughout his time at the embassy, he was subjected to inhumane conditions. Dr. Sondra Crosby, an associate professor of medicine and public health at Boston University and an expert on the physical and psychological impact of torture, was tasked with assessing Assange in 2018. According to the Intercept, she wrote in an affidavit she gave to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: 'Mr. Assange's situation [inside the embassy] differs from a typical prisoner in a conventional prison. 'In fact, his position is worse than a conventional prison in many respects. His confinement is indefinite and uncertain, which increases chronic stress and its myriad of chronic physical and serious psychological risks, including suicide.' Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican, and jailed for skipping bail. But at the same time, US authorities were indicting him over the WikiLeaks data breaches. One of the deceased is a 17-year-old boy Four people, including a teenage boy, have been found dead at a property in Melbourne's north overnight. Two men, aged 32 and 37, a 42-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were found dead in the loungeroom of a unit in Bicknell Court, Broadmeadows, shortly before 2am on Tuesday. The bodies were first discovered by 'Corey', the uncle of the teenage boy, who smashed a window of the unit after seeing his nephew lying on the floor. The four people were last seen alive by a neighbour at about 2am on Monday. The teenager is understood to be the father of an 18-month-old baby girl. Corey, who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead, told 7News he believes the deaths were caused by a drug overdose, but police have not confirmed this. 'I've come home to find family members in the house deceased and it just tortured me, shocked me,' he told Nine's Today show. 'I think (it was) an overdose but I'm not too sure exactly.' Family members including 'Corey' (left), the uncle of the deceased teenager, gathered outside the unit in Broadmeadows on Tuesday morning Corey (pictured left), who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead, said he believes the deaths were caused by a drug overdose Forensic officers are seen arriving at the cordoned-off property Corey smashed one of the windows at the unit after seeing his nephew lying on the ground Corey was joined by other family members outside the home who were seen embracing each other just after 8.30am on Tuesday. It's understood he lives in a neighbouring unit. Police have taped off the property and forensic officers are at the scene. Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said police believe one of the deceased was a resident and the three others were visiting. He said police are investigating the possibility of an overdose. Distraught loved ones are seen hugging each other at the scene of the deaths in Broadmeadows Police and forensics are seen at the unit in Broadmeadows in Melbourne on Tuesday Police say they haven't ruled out the deaths may be related to a drug overdose 'There's nothing at this stage to suggest there's been any acts of violence but there are some injuries that we need to be able to account for,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 'At this stage we don't believe there's been any form of violence.' Detective Inspector Thomas said the four people are understood to be known to each other but are yet to be formally identified. The teenager, the 37-year-old man and the woman were all known to police, it's understood. Detective Inspector Thomas added items from the property will be taken from the scene and examined but would not confirm if there was drug paraphernalia. 'It is unusual to find four people deceased at the one property potentially from a drug overdose, but we've got to keep an open mind and until we confirm that's the case, it could be anything,' Detective Inspector Thomas said. Police are treating the deaths as non-suspicious at this stage of the investigation. 'We keep an open mind as to what the cause of death is at this stage,' Mr Thomas said. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Anyone with information has been asked to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. Police and family members were at the scene of the deaths early on Tuesday morning Tributes are pouring in for a much-loved cafe owner and mother-of-two who locals describe as a 'beautiful soul'. Lizelle Viljoen, who along with husband TJ Viljoen owns the popular Pasture of Balmoral cafe which overlooks family-friendly Balmoral Beach in the northern Sydney suburb of Mosman, passed away on Monday after succumbing to bone cancer. Michela Crispino, who is the general manager of that cafe plus the couple's recently opened second venue Pasture of Kirribilli - also in north Sydney - said Ms Viljoen treated her 'like a daughter'. 'I have known her for six years since I moved to Australia,' Ms Crispino told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'When I moved into the restaurant the first day they opened she was there with open arms. 'She was always smiling, she always had kind words for everyone, for all our staff, all our customers, so everyone knew her since the first day we opened. 'She was an angel, she was always calm, she always treated me like another daughter.' Ms Crispino, who is better known to locals by her nickname of Mika, said messages were coming in from around the world from those who had worked at the cafe saying it was 'a privilege to work with her'. Much loved Sydney cafe owner Lizelle Viljoen has passed away at the age of 54 after a battle with cancer 'Most of the staff of Balmoral are the same since we opened,' Ms Crispino said. 'It's more like a family restaurant. Customers are coming and asking about her and everyone is crying, everyone is sad for the loss, It's a hard time for everyone at the moment. 'They (the owners) are special for us. They would always be here for us, they always take care of all the staff.' Ms Crispino said Ms Viljoen had been battling cancer for a few years. 'She did really well until December and then in January, she got really sick again,' Ms Crispino said. 'She always kept doing everything, she always came in the cafe, always with a kind word.' The Pasture of Balmoral cafe has been in mourning following the death of the much-loved owner Ms Viljoen's last hours were spent surrounded by family. 'She was in peace,' Ms Crispino said. 'I saw her on the Friday because she asked to see me. 'Her first words to me were 'thank you Mika and please say thank you to all the staff at Balmoral and Kirribilli'.' Ms Viljoen and her husband moved to Australia from the South African city of Johannesburg in 2009. After working as a teacher for the Northern Beaches Christian School in north Sydney, Ms Viljoen convinced her husband, who was a CEO for the Australia-Pacific region of a global company, it was time to make a life change. Ms Viljoen came to Australia from South Africa in 2009 and is survived by two adult daughters and twin grandchildren 'Lizelle was worried that I was burning out in the corporate world,' TJ told Mosman Living in 2019. 'So after a lot of soul searching I decided to change things up and we threw ourselves headlong into the equally challenging world of hospitality!' It was the fulfilment of dream the couple had when they first set eyes on Balmoral Beach, where Mr Viljoen spied the cafe on The Esplanade and mused he would like to open something similar. A decade later the couple took over the venue from the La Repubblica. 'We always had this vision to create a sustainable restaurant that works with local producers and suppliers,' Ms Viljoen told Beanscene magazine in 2022. 'Human connection is one of the most important things in life, and hospitality really allows you to create these relationships.' Pasture of Balmoral put out a statement on social media to announce Ms Viljoen's death. 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Lizelle,' the post said. 'Lizelle was not just a pillar of our restaurant; she was the heart and soul of our community. Her radiant smile, kind words, and genuine warmth touched everyone who had the pleasure of meeting her. 'Her spirit and love for life will continue to inspire us all. 'Lizelle, you will forever remain in our hearts and be deeply missed by the entire Pasture team and all who knew you.' Regulars at the cafe added their condolences and tributes. 'She was such a lovely human being and brought life and light everywhere she went. God bless you all,' one tribute said. 'God comfort everyone's heart in this moment. God bless you all, Amen,' wrote another. 'So so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful soul,' another comment read. Ms Viljoen is survived by two adult daughters and also twin grandchildren. The dramatic moment an 'agitated' drunk driver was arrested still clutching a wine bottle after causing a crash on a busy road has been captured on police bodycam. Curtis Owen was behind the wheel of the car when he ploughed into two other vehicles at an intersection in Strathpine, north Brisbane, in June last year. The crash made headlines after a bystander captured footage of an officer rushing to the side of the car and punching Owen before using a Taser. Owen was arrested and pleaded guilty to nine charges, including driving under the influence and drug offences, before he learned his fate in court on Friday. New bodycam footage was released to 9News on Monday and showed Owen kicking and throwing a wine bottle at the officer while he was still behind the wheel of the smoking wreck. Owen had a BAC of 0.18 - more than three times the legal limit - and was seen in the footage being told to remain in the car and hand over the bottle. But Owen swigged the remaining alcohol and threw the bottle at the officer before he tried to climb out the window. He kicked the officer so hard his glasses and bodycam were dislodged and fell to the ground. Previously unreleased footage shows driver Curtis Owen swigging wine behind the wheel minutes after causing a crash on a major Queensland road In different footage filmed by a bystander, the officer punches the 'aggressive' man repeatedly in the vision (pictured) The driver ignored the repeated directions of the officer which led to him punching the man when he continued to climb out the window and then deploying his Taser. Minutes earlier Owen had careened through an intersection before swerving across a traffic island and smashing into two cars, including a red four-wheel-drive, that was stopped at the lights. Owen also pleaded guilty to spitting on an officer, assaulting two officers, and obstructing a firefighter who was first on the scene. His lawyer told the court on Friday he had been drinking heavily following the death of a friend. The court also heard he had a criminal history including dangerous driving, trafficking drugs, and a 2016 offence for assaulting a police officer. He was sentenced to 15 months jail but walked free after he was granted immediate parole. Owen was also ordered to pay $750 compensation to the officer he spat at and another $500 in fines. An investigation by police ethical standards command into the actions of the officer filmed punching him remains ongoing. A fundraising email from Donald Trump's election campaign claims the former president was 'tortured' when he turned himself into a Georgia jail last August. Last August, when Trump was booked into the Fulton County jail in Georgia on election fraud charges, Trump's campaign profited off his mugshot image to the tune of over $4 million. They splashed his glowering image across campaign merchandise including t-shirts, mugs, beer koozies and more. Ahead of Trump's first debate with Biden and in the wake of his convictions in Manhattan, they're using it again in a campaign mailer sent out Monday. The email writes: 'I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what?' A fundraising email from Donald Trump 's election campaign claims the former president was 'tortured' when he turned himself into a Georgia jail last August The email writes: 'I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what?' He says that their response was to 'put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE' complete with a photo of the mug He says that their response was to 'put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE' complete with a photo of the mug. The campaign is offering the item for a donation of $47 to Trump's 2024 election effort. A report in February from WinRed, Republican's online fundraising platform, confirmed Trump raised a whopping $4.2 million the day after his mugshot was released. Trump still faces sentencing in the Manhattan business fraud case, on which he was convicted for 34 counts of falsifying documents. He is also under indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, home. It has done little to slow down his campaign's momentum as he enters the first debate with Joe Biden Thursday. Trump got a five point boost in general election polling taken before his felony conviction in the hush money trial compared to after. When Trump, Joe Biden and other third party candidates were taken into consideration, the former president came back with a whopping 10 percent lead over the current president. The Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where Trump turned himself in A report in February from WinRed, Republican's online fundraising platform, confirmed Trump raised a whopping $4.2 million the day after his mugshot was released The jump is likely caused by the results of the Manhattan trial, which saw Trump become a convicted felon with 34 guilty charges for falsifying records related to his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. In the poll conducted on June 20 by Rasmussen Reports, 46 percent say they would vote Trump compared to 36 percent who say they'd cast their ballots for Biden. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took 9 percent, 2 percent for Cornel West, 1 percent for Jill Stein and the remaining 7 percent chose other candidates or were undecided. The same poll taken by Rasmussen May 28-30 before the jury verdict in Trump's trial showed the former president ahead by 5 percent. Forty-four percent of voters surveyed last month said they's chose Trump compared to the 39 percent who said they would vote for Biden if the election were held today. In that poll RFK Jr. earned 8 percent while West and Stein each earned 1 percent. While the latest results are not the largest margin of victory Rasmussen shows for Trump, it was a massive jump month-to-month. This is largely attributed to the first criminal trial against Trump. Multiple polls showed Trump with a polling and fundraising boost after the verdict was handed down at the end of May. One poll after the verdict showed 27 percent of voters were more likely to cast their ballot for Trump following the convocation. Anthony Albanese has an unlikely ally in his bid to hike incoming Governor-General Sam Mostyn's salary by 40 per cent to $709,000 - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The Greens on Tuesday morning revealed they would vote in the Senate against the bumper package for Ms Mostyn. Senator Larissa Waters argued that the $709,000 annual salary for a largely ceremonial role was 'not a good look' at a time when most Australians were struggling financially. The Greens' opposition meant the government had to rely on support from Dutton's Coalition in order to muster the numbers to pass the bill through Parliament. Party sources Mr Dutton had given his colleagues in the Senate the go-ahead to support the bill, despite public backlash at a time of cost of living crisis. This opens Mr Dutton up to the same criticism as Labor, which has copped intense heat over the past 24 hours for approving the bumper pay. Ms Mostyn's salary must be approved by the Parliament this week, given she starts as Australia's 28th Governor-General on July 1. Mr Dutton has given his colleagues in the Senate the go-ahead to support the bill, in spite of public backlash over the proposal given the current cost of living crisis Anthony Albanese 's bid to hike the incoming Governor-General's salary by $214,000 will go ahead - despite the Greens vowing to vote against her pay rise in the Senate The new salary is a 43 per cent increase on the current Governor-General David Hurley's, with the government arguing that Mr Hurley's salary was reduced because he already received military pensions from the Commonwealth. They also argue it is convention for the Governor-General to earn the estimated average of the Chief Justice of the High Court's salary during their term - which would be just over $700,000. Greens Senator Larissa Waters said: 'Can't believe I have to say this (in a cost-of-living crisis) but a $200k pay rise for the GG is not a good look. Until all low paid workers (mostly women!) get a 43% pay rise, the GG shouldn't either. 'Whilst the Greens strongly believe we should be a republic, if we must have a GG, Sam Mostyn is an inspired choice. However, we will oppose the GG payrise Bill and move amendments in the Senate for wage increases for all low paid workers.' Mostyn's role will be largely ceremonial, serving as the King's representative in Australia for a five-year term. She will live rent-free in the luxury of Yarralumla in Canberra and Admiralty House on Sydney Harbour. Mr Dutton offered Ms Mostyn well wishes when she was offered the job, and she was praised by senior members of the Coalition as a great choice for the role. Ms Mostyn's salary must be approved by the Parliament this week, given she starts as Australia's 28th Governor-General on July 1 She was a staunch Voice advocate during the referendum campaign, describing herself as 'completely untethered' when it was resoundingly defeated, and had also described Australia Day as 'invasion day' in a now-deleted social media post unearthed by Daily Mail Australia. Daily Mail Australia previously revealed how Ms Mostyn advocated the Voice to her 22,000 followers on X, before suddenly disabling her account. The 58-year-old also previously made statements in favour of Australia becoming a republic. Her commitment to that cause has not stopped her taking the job as the Crown's highest representative in Australia. Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman said the higher salary for Ms Mostyn reflected her not receiving other Commonwealth entitlements, compared to her predecessors in the role. 'The constitution prevents the governor-general's salary from being altered during their term of office,' he told parliament. 'As such, it is necessary to set the next governor-general salary at a level appropriate for the duration of this term.' Greens Senator Larissa Waters said: 'Can't believe I have to say this (in a cost-of-living crisis) but a $200k pay rise for the GG is not a good look. Until all low paid workers (mostly women!) get a 43% pay rise, the GG shouldn't either' A government spokesman added: 'The Governor General's salary has not been adjusted since 2019. 'It has been a long standing convention since 1974 that the Governor General's salary has been based on the Chief Justice of the High Court's salary, which is set by the independent Renumeration Tribunal. 'In cases where the Governor-General has not been the recipient of other Commonwealth entitlements such as a military pension the annual salary has been adjusted accordingly. 'Ms Mostyn is not a recipient of any such entitlements.' EXCLUSIVE The shattered mother of a teenage dad who was found dead alongside three other people inside a suburban unit has broken down while visiting the scene of the tragedy - as detectives investigate two theories behind the sudden deaths. Abdul El Sayed, 17, two other men - aged 32 and 37 - and a 42-year-old woman were found dead in the loungeroom of a unit in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne's north, shortly before 2am on Tuesday morning. One of the men was Mr El Sayed's relative, and the other two were neighbours visiting the property. Mr El Sayed's uncle Cory Lewis, who lives nearby, was the first person to find the group, seeing them through a window. When they did not respond, he smashed the window to gain access and then contacted emergency services. Detectives investigating the baffling case are exploring all possibilities, including whether the group overdosed by a drug like fentanyl or were poisoned by carbon monoxide leaking from a gas heater. Mr El Sayed's devastated mother, Jessica Lewis, visited the scene of the tragedy on Tuesday morning, supported by her siblings. Cory could be seen rubbing his sister's back as they shed tears out the front of the unit block, which was taped off by police as a possible crime scene. Mr El Sayed leaves behind a partner and an ten-month-old daughter. Abdul El Sayed (pictured) was found dead inside a Broadmeadows unit during the early hours of Tuesday Cory Lewis (left) consoles his older sister Jessica Lewis (second from the left) outside the unit in Broadmeadows on Tuesday morning Another relative could be seen hugging Ms Lewis as she broke down at the scene Photos posted on social media show Mr El Sayed cradling his partner's baby bump as they prepared for the birth of their child. In another post, his mother gushed about their close relationship. 'Aww gotta love my son shine,' she wrote. 'Such a mama's boy.' A neighbour last saw the four people alive at about 2am on Monday. Cory, who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead men, told 7News he believed the deaths were caused by a drug overdose. 'I've come home to find family members in the house deceased and it just tortured me, shocked me,' he told media. 'I think (it was) an overdose but I'm not too sure exactly.' Cory said the tragedy was the latest of many to hit his family. 'We haven't had a break,' he said. 'We've just lost mum and dad too. Mum in November last year and dad on his own birthday.' Aside from the drug speculation, Cory said his family remained in the dark as to the precise cause. 'We're just as clueless as you guys. We don't know what, but it looks like an overdose,' he said. 'The kid doesn't even take drugs, that's what gets me,' Cory's brother Brendan said. 'Bit of choof (marijuana) here and there but that's it.' Mr El Sayed is pictured with his mother Jessica Lewis during happier times Cory (pictured left), who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead, said he believes the deaths were caused by a drug overdose Forensic officers are seen arriving at the cordoned-off property Cory said he believed his nephew had fallen under bad influences, but said 'he wasn't on meth. He's no junkie'. Police on Tuesday continued to use oxygen tanks while accessing the property, amid concern the group could have been killed by a leaking gas. Cory said 'I went straight in there and I didn't smell anything' but carbon monoxide is odourless. Cory was joined by other family members outside the home who were seen embracing each other just after 8.30am on Tuesday. It's understood he lives in a neighbouring unit. Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said there was no suggestion of 'any acts of violence' but there were some injuries 'that we need to be able to account for'. Cory smashed one of the windows at the unit after seeing his nephew lying on the ground Police say they haven't ruled out the deaths may be related to a drug overdose It's understood that the four were known to police. Detective Inspector Thomas said items from the property would need to be taken from the scene and examined but would not confirm if there was drug paraphernalia. 'It is unusual to find four people deceased at the one property potentially from a drug overdose, but we've got to keep an open mind and until we confirm that's the case, it could be anything,' Detective Inspector Thomas said. 'I cannot say definitively whether (fentanyl) is involved,' he added. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Anyone with information has been asked to contact police immediately. A property mogul has been charged with drink-driving following a four-car crash that left a pregnant woman injured. Housemark director Jonathan Fraser Bell, 28 was driving in his Lamborghini Urus along Kent Street in New Farm, Brisbane, at 7.40pm on Friday. He allegedly crossed over onto the opposite side of the road before his luxury SUV collided with a Toyota Corolla. A Mazda CX-3 and a Toyota Yaris were also damaged with the crash bringing down surrounding powerlines. The passengers who were travelling in the other three vehicles suffered several injuries including cuts to the head, a broken arm and chest and abdominal pain. The passengers inside Bell's SUV managed to crawl their way out of the wreckage before they were rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. A young woman who was travelling in the Lamborghini is understood to have met Bell just hours before the crash, the Courier Mail reported. Johnathan Fraser Bell, 28 (pictured) is a young businessman who is the managing director of property management company Housemark The Lamborghini Urus (pictured) crashed into a sedan on the opposite side of the road along Kent Street, in New Farm, Brisbane on Friday around 7.40pm Bell was charged with low-range drink-driving. He will front the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 5. Bell founded Housemark in 2019 and the property management company now looks after more than 2,000 properties across south-east Queensland. Its website describes Bell as a motivated and committed director of 'south-east Queenslands fastest growing property management company.' 'Jonathan doesnt do things by halves, holding himself and his team to a very high standard,' it reads. 'It was this approach and work ethic that led him to realise and capitalise on a huge gap in the market for quality property management.' Bell is also the founder of the Wingman Group, a consultancy firm that provides outsourcing services to businesses. He also teaches a four-week management course and shares his insights into running a successful real estate business. The 28-year-old is understood to be paying $1,800 a week to rent a property in Clayfield. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Housemark for comment. A prominent forensic pathologist has determined that a pregnant Massachusetts woman who claimed she was groomed and sexually abused by three cops was murdered - and did not commit suicide as the state Medical Examiner reported. Sandra Birchmore, 23, was found dead in her apartment on February 4, 2021, with Massachusetts State Police Trooper Matthew Dunne saying he found no signs of physical abuse or indications of a struggle. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner then ruled in May 2021 that Birchmore - a former participant in the Stoughton Police Department youth program - killed herself by hanging. But former New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden has since determined that Birchmore was actually murdered, according to the Boston Globe. 'Ms. Birchmore did not die of suicidal hanging,' he wrote in a June 18 letter to a lawyer for Birchmore's estate. 'The cause of Ms. Birchmore's death is "strangulation" and the manner of death is "homicide."' A prestigious former medical examiner determined that Sandra Birchmore, 23, was murdered and did not commit suicide as the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office reported Baden - who previously led a US House Committee investigation into the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and who has conducted autopsies on George Floyd - cited the extent of Birchmore's injuries and the placement of a ligature as factors for his determination. He noted that Birchmore had fractured her right hyoid bone - a small U-shaped bone in the neck - which fractures 'rarely, if at all, in suicidal hanging' but does occur in 'half of homicidal strangulation of women.' The doctor also pointed to autopsy photos, which showed a piece of a ligature was found entangled in Birchmore's hair - which, Baden said, 'occurs when there is resistance during homicidal strangulation.' He concluded that Birchmore would have lost consciousness 'within seconds' after the ligature was fastened around her neck, and died 'within a few minutes.' Baden also wrote that the ligature was found tied to a doorknob, adding that he believes that was done to 'give the appearance of a suicidal hanging' even though she was happy about her pregnancy and didn't leave a suicide note. Birchmore's estate has filed a wrongful death suit against former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, whom she claimed fathered her child The wrongful death suit also names former officers William Farwell and Robert Devine as defendants, claiming they groomed and sexually assaulted her The former medical examiner was asked to review the records of Birchwood's death by attorney Steven J. Marullo, who is representing her estate in a wrongful death suit. Marullo said he examined the autopsy himself and 'saw certain things in the autopsy report that didn't gel with the conclusion that it was a suicide. 'I decided at that time we needed to hire our own expert pathologist,' he said. The bombshell report comes as Birchmore's family is suing Matthew G. Farwell, 38, his twin brother William, and Robert C. Devine, 52, accusing them of grooming and sexually assaulting Birchmore from the time she entered the youth Explorer's program at the age of 13. It claims they 'undertook to engage in inappropriate relationships with [Birchmore], who was a minor when the sexual relationships were initiated, abusing her trust and adoration of law enforcement, which through their inappropriate and undue influence, ultimately led her to allegedly take her own life,' according to the Globe. Sandra Birchmore joined the Stoughton Police Department's Explorer's Program at the age of 13. She is pictured with former Officer Robert Devine The wrongful death suit said she admired law enforcement officers, and claimed the former cops took advantage of that Prior to her death, Birchmore reportedly told her friends that Matthew Farwell was the father of her unborn child - a claim he has repeatedly denied. But he was also the last person to see Birchmore alive. Farwell was caught on surveillance footage entering Birchmore's apartment on February 1, 2021. His wife would give birth to a boy the next day. During an ensuing investigation with the State Police, Farwell said he told Birchmore that night he wasn't the child's father, 'it was all over' and he was 'blocking her from all forms of communication,' according to the Globe. 'Matt said that Sandra was upset, but she did not make any suicidal statements at all,' State Police Lt. John Fanning wrote in his report at the time. 'Matt said that he left, and Sandra was standing in the kitchen.' As the investigation continued, police found hundreds of explicit messages sent between Birchmore and Matthew Farwell over the course of several years, NBC Boston reports. His twin brother is also accused of sending explicit text messages while on duty. By 2023, Fanning even wrote in an affidavit that investigators looked into whether Matthew Farwell could be charged with aggravated statutory rape, as evidence showed that he began a relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was 27. And in a decision in the wrongful death suit earlier this year, Superior Court Judge Brian A Davis wrote that Devine and William Farwell had sex with Birchmore in their patrol cars when she was an adult, citing an unredacted copy of a Stoughton police internal affairs report. Birchmore was found dead in her apartment on February 4, 2021 But Baden noted in his letter this month that the state medical examiner 'apparently did not send fetal tissue for DNA analysis to determine who the father was.' State Police records show that investigators asked Farwell in 2021 to provide DNA samples, but he refused. Swabs from Birchmore's body, hair and fingernails, and the clothing she was wearing, were taken for a sexual assault kit - but Baden said it 'appears' the evidence was not tested. He now believes the kit and fetal tissue could still be examined. But in a statement to the Globe, David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey said 'DNA testing has been done on items with the potential to produce evidence of the potential crimes being investigated, and other items have been preserved.' He declined to give any more details 'while multiple agencies continue to investigate.' Multiple law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate her death The officers have never been charged with any wrongdoing, but the Stoughton police department announced that its internal affairs investigation found the officers violated their oaths and rendered them 'unfit to serve.' All three officers then resigned from the police department in 2022. In March, the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission also approved an agreement with Matthew Farwell that prohibits him from working as a cop in Massachusetts and added him to a national database of sanctioned officer. As part of the agreement, Farwell did not admit to any wrongdoing. The commission is also seeking to decertify William Farwell and suspend or decertify Devine. Those proceedings are still pending. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara vowed to continue to work with investigators In the meantime, Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara has called for Birchmore's cause of death to be re-examined. 'I was profoundly disturbed and troubled by what I read,' she said of Baden's letter in a statement posted to the police department's website Monday. 'While I am not a trained medical examiner, and I am not qualified to draw any direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further examination at the highest level.' She vowed to continue working with investigators - noting that she previously released information about 'the horrific injustices, including grooming and sexual abuse inflicted upon Sandra Birchmore at the hands of one rogue and corrupt former police officer and additional inappropriate sexual relationships by other former police officers. 'Sandra received not so much as a sliver of justice during her life, and we will not cease in our efforts to ensure our duty to administer justice, and she is not forgotten in the aftermath of her death.' McNamara said every 'good and decent police officer' should be aware and angry about the injustices inflicted on Birchmore. She added: 'Sandra idolized police officers and what policing stood for in America, and she was victimized as a result. 'The only mantra of good cops must be: Never again, and never, ever on my watch.' A primary school student has been rushed to hospital after his leg got stuck on the base of a fence. Emergency services were called to Annandale North Public School, on Johnston Street, in Sydney's inner west, at 10am on Tuesday. The male student was found stuck with his lower leg under the fence. A young boy has been rushed to hospital after his leg became impaled under a fence at Annandale North Public School (pictured), in Sydney's inner west on Tuesday Paramedics freed the boy and he was taken to Sydney Children's Hospital in a stable condition where he was treated for a cut. A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the boy fell over and his leg became hooked on the fence. Daily Mail Australia understands the student tripped over before he got his leg stuck under the fence. Paramedics arrived at the scene and freed the boy before he was rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital in a stable condition (stock image) More to come. A lavish Hamptons town demolished a millionaire homeowner's private walkway after waging a legal battle to protect the sand dune it covered. The Town of East Hampton destroyed the wooden structure that connected 88 South Emerson Avenue in Montauk to the beach after winning a court order to do so. Attorneys for the town argued the property owner, Myfour Realty, a limited liability company controlled by Roy Tuccillo Sr., constructed the walkway without a permit after an environmental agency had cleared an accessway. In a drastic move, the glitzy New York hamlet took their case to the the Suffolk County Supreme Court and got an order to tear down the wooden structure he had built after claiming they issued multiple warnings to Tuccillo. 'In the three years I've been out here, we've never demolished a structure. That's uncommon. Usually, we get compliance at some point,' Kevin Cooper, the town's director of code enforcement, told The East Hampton Star. The Town of East Hampton destroyed the wooden structure that connected the $2 million home (pictured) at 88 South Emerson Avenue, owned by Roy Tuccillo Sr., to the beach 'They made a path for him,' said Cooper. 'He disregarded it and did his own thing.' Tuccillo constructed the robust walkway at his nearly $2 million beachfront mansion after the federal Army Corps of Engineers created out a sand pathway with beach grass along the dune as part of the Fire Island to Montauk Point beach replenishment project. Only the town, county, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps are permitted to make changes to the dune. 'We have made every effort to work with the property owner to resolve this matter amicably,' Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said. 'However, the integrity of our dunes is critical to our community's safety and environmental health. We will not hesitate to enforce our laws to ensure the well-being of our residents and the protection of our coastline.' Cooper said Marine Patrol caught Tuccillo building the walkway and he told them he had permission. By the time the town learned of his project, it was already built. The town obtained a court order from the Suffolk County Supreme Court to demolish the walkway after Tuccillo built it without a permit and ignored their orders This prompted the town to go to the Suffolk County Supreme Court to get a court order which granted the town board permission issue a resolution to destroy the structure. 'The Town Board's resolution, and the easement itself, gives the Town the authority to take action,' Town Attorney Robert Connelly told Long Island Life & Politics. 'The Town has proceeded with the removal of the illegal structure to uphold the conditions set forth in the agreement easement. This is essential to maintaining the effectiveness of the Town's storm damage reduction measures.' The beach replenishment project is aimed at preserving the sane dunes and preventing erosion. 'Preserving our dunes and beach systems is vital for protecting Montauk's coastline from erosion and storm damage,' said Town Councilmember David Lys. 'The Easement area plays a crucial role in these efforts, and any unauthorized structures compromise its function. The Town's action is a necessary step to safeguard our natural resources.' DailyMail.com reached out to Tuccillo for comment. Tuccillo built the structure after an approved environmental agency cleared an accessway along the dune with beach grass Tuccillo has a track record of ignoring orders from the town and even previous run-ins with the law. Property records show Tuccillo bought the beachfront property in 2014 for $1.2 million. In February 2022 the homeowner was caught building retaining walls, a first story addition, a second story addition and a second story deck without a permit, according to records obtained by The Star. On three separate occasions he was found in violation of a stop-work order and one time refused to identify himself to authorities after being caught by town enforcement. In 2019, Tuccillo and his son Roy Tuccillo Jr. pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for falsely labeling giant squid from Peru as octopus and selling it to grocery stores across the country. Locals are up in arms over what is being called a 'secretive' land grab after an Indigenous corporation bid for freehold ownership of the two main townships on south-east Queensland's K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). The Butchulla people, who hold native title over most of K'gari along with freehold lease on 30hectares, have lodged the claim to five square kilometres of Eurong and Happy Valley transferred to them as 'inalienable freehold' under the Aboriginal Land Act. Locals claim they were only told the transfer was 'definitely happening' at a meeting last week with the Department of Resources, Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation and Fraser Coast Council. Fraser Island Association president David Anderson said the move only comes because of an apparent administrative blunder in the 1960s that failed to gazette the township reserves for Eurong and Happy Valley. Native Title can only be claimed on vacant Crown land that is not gazetted for another purpose. Mr Anderson said there were fears non-Indigenous residents and tourists could be locked out of the new area after the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation allegedly said they would be viewed as 'trespassers'. 'We believe that's going to be the attitude for all of their land,' Mr Anderson told the Courier Mail. 'They want land. They've got Native Title over the rest of the island and now they want even more freehold than they've already got. It's just a gimme. I mean, how much do you want?' An Aboriginal corporation has made a claim for freehold ownership of the K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) township areas of Happy Valley and Eurong Happy Valley Community Association secretary Scott Bell accused those involved of making a 'secretive deal' and said it only came to light by 'accident'. 'They (the Butchulla) made a claim on our police reserve, our education reserve and the esplanade which effectively denies us access to the beach,' he said. 'What people don't realise is that the block of land next door where you go to exercise or walk your dog, you may not be able to do that in the future.' A Department of Resources spokesman denied a deal had been made and said the meeting last week was to keep the community informed. 'The department continues to work with the Butchulla people, the Fraser Coast Regional Council and the community on the proposed transfers,' the spokesperson said. Aerial view of the beach at the township of Eurong, over which the traditional owners are making a freehold ownership claim Mr Bell said if the transfer goes ahead his association was ready to mount a legal challenge. On Sunday the Queensland government announced it would challenge a Native Title claim for exclusive ownership and use of Great Keppel Island. Traditional owners the Woppaburra people submitted a fresh claim to the region off the Capricorn Coast in Central Queensland. The claim - which is in its pre-notification stage - petitions for the exclusive possession of nine lots and one partial lot totalling just over nine square metres. In 2021, the Woppaburra people were formally recognised as the traditional owners and Native Title holders of 570sq m of land and sea off the coast of Yeppoon. The recognition also granted the Woppaburra people exclusive use over parts of Great Keppel Island. However, the native title did not include the resort on the island, which was run by Contiki and was under a private lease held by Tower Holdings. Happy Valley Community Association secretary Scott Bell said his group was ready to mount a legal challenge The resort, which was a popular tourist attraction, was abandoned in 2008 and subsequently demolished 10 years later. The Queensland government then cancelled Tower Holdings' lease in 2023 over unpaid rent owed by the operator in the amount of almost $900,000. The termination of the lease allowed the Woppaburra people to submit a second native title claim which included the area covered by the resort and its airstrip. It is understood the area may not be considered vacant land but rather as a strategic land management reserve under the Department of Resources. .' Westpac exposed its customers to a 'high risk of harm' when it suddenly closed an outback branch, leaving hundreds of people to rely on a local charity to access cash, a banking watchdog has found. The bank closed its branch in Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory, in September 2022, at first telling the community the closure was temporary. After three weeks, Westpac issued letters, emails and text messages to advise the closure would be permanent and direct customers to alternative services. An industry watchdog on Tuesday released its investigation into the closure, sanctioning Westpac for 'serious and systemic' breaches of its obligations under the Banking Code of Practice. The investigation found Westpac did not comply with the Australian Banking Association's branch closure protocol by failing to provide customers with adequate information about the shutdown. The bank closed this branch in Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory, in September 2022 Westpac exposed customers to a 'high risk of harm' by closing the branch, a watchdog found It also failed to properly support Tennant Creek residents in accessing other services, the Banking Code Compliance Committee report found. The committee sanctioned Westpac by publicly releasing the details of its breaches. 'In this case, Westpac has fallen short of their promise to customers,' chair Ian Govey said in a statement. 'Their actions have had a significant and detrimental impact on many people within the Tennant Creek community.' The finding comes one month after a long-running Senate inquiry recommended tougher regulation of bank closures, after nearly 800 shutdowns across country Australia in the six years to June 2023. A Westpac spokesman said the Tennant Creek closure occurred outside its usual processes after damage to the branch and the ATM, which posed safety threats. 'We recognise more could've been done to fully support our customers during the closure,' the spokesman said. 'As a result, we have reviewed and strengthened our branch closure protocols.' The watchdog said there were 3398 branch customers when it shut. 'The breaches posed a high risk of harm to customers,' the report said. Charity CatholicCare NT told the inquiry it was inundated by hundreds of older Indigenous people after the shutdown, as they were left without cash 'The members of the community who were most affected, or at risk of being most affected... were those potentially experiencing vulnerability and were not equipped to handle the transition with no notice or assistance.' The closure was also a major focus of the earlier Senate inquiry. Charity CatholicCare NT told the inquiry it was inundated by hundreds of older Indigenous people after the shutdown, as they were left without cash or having to quickly adjust to digital services. The Senate committee recommended a banking regulator have veto power over closures. 'The committee has been struck by the depth of community concern, the feelings of disappointment and anger, and the consistency of the messages from regional Australia,' its final report said. 'People feel abandoned and disrespected by the banks.' Alex Jones was defiant as the infamous Infowars founder is set to see his media empire shut down to help a bankruptcy court trustee pay the $1.5 billion he owes Sandy Hook families. The 50-year-old conspiracy theorist posted a video to social media Monday calling Infowars 'hard to kill' as he reacted to the news that the trustee is preparing to give the money in lawsuit judgments Jones owes for repeatedly calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax. 'Everything you've been told by corporate media is a lie,' Jones told his 2.4 million followers on X. 'What you're seeing in the news is not accurate and I'll just leave it at that.' Jones - who said this was 'not a fun process' - called his enemies 'desperate' for the money the judgement has asked for from him and promised his fans they would find out the real news soon and says he will 'make lemons out of lemonade.' In an 'emergency' motion filed Sunday in Houston, trustee Christopher Murray indicated publicly for the first time that he intends to 'conduct an orderly wind-down' of the operations of Infowars' parent company and 'liquidate its inventory.' Alex Jones was defiant as the infamous Infowars founder is set to see his media empire shut down to help a bankruptcy court trustee pay the $1.5 billion he owes Sandy Hook families Alex Jones Responds To Reports of Infowars Imminent Closure pic.twitter.com/lKsvdieGnR Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) June 24, 2024 Murray, who was appointed by a federal judge to oversee the assets in Jones personal bankruptcy case, did not give a timetable for the liquidation. Jones has been saying on his web and radio shows that he expects Infowars to operate for a few more months before it is shut down because of the bankruptcy. But he has vowed to continue his bombastic broadcasts in some other fashion, possibly on social media. He also had talked about someone else buying the company and allowing him to continue his shows as an employee. Murray also asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez to put an immediate hold on the Sandy Hook families' efforts to collect the massive amount Jones owes them. Murray said those efforts would interfere with his plans to close the parent company, Free Speech Systems in Austin, Texas, and sell off its assets - with much of the proceeds going to the families. On Friday, lawyers for the parents of one of the 20 children killed in the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, asked a state judge in Texas to order Free Speech Systems, or FSS, to turn over to the families certain assets, including money in bank accounts, and garnish its accounts. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble approved the request, court records show, prompting Murray's emergency motion. The parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was killed in the shooting, won a $50 million verdict in Texas over Jones' lies about the shooting being a hoax staged by crisis actors with the goal of increasing gun control. In a separate Connecticut lawsuit, Jones was ordered to pay other Sandy Hook families more than $1.4 billion for defamation and emotional distress. Alex Jones speaks to the media after arriving at the federal courthouse for a hearing in front of a bankruptcy judge, June 14, 2024, in Houston The lawyers representing the families of the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary speak to the media in Waterbury, Connecticut, Oct. 12, 2022 Referring to the families' collection efforts, Murray said in the Sunday court filing that 'The specter of a pell-mell seizure of FSSs assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment' of his duties in Jones' personal bankruptcy case. 'The Trustee seeks this Courts intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course,' Murray said. Murray also asked the judge to clarify his authority over Jones' bank accounts. As part of Jones' personal bankruptcy case, his ownership rights of FSS were turned over to Murray. Jones has been continuing his daily broadcasts in the meantime. It was not immediately clear when the bankruptcy judge would address Murray's motion. Bankruptcy lawyers for Jones, Heslin and Lewis did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said they supported the trustee's new motion. He also said the families were disappointed with the motion filed Friday in the Texas court by Heslin and Lewis, which he said would 'undercut' an equitable distribution of Jones' assets to all the families. 'This is precisely the unfortunate situation that the Connecticut (lawsuit) families hoped to avoid,' Mattei said. The 50-year-old conspiracy theorist posted a video to social media Monday calling Infowars 'hard to kill' as he reacted to the news that the trustee is preparing to give the money in lawsuit judgments Jones owes for repeatedly calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax The families in both lawsuits, who have not received anything from Jones yet, appear likely to get only a fraction of what Jones owes them. Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, according to the most recent financial filings in court. Free Speech Systems has about $6 million in cash on hand and about $1.2 million worth of inventory, according to recent court testimony. On June 14, Lopez, the bankruptcy judge, approved converting Jones' personal bankruptcy case from a reorganization to a liquidation, which Jones requested. Lopez also dismissed the reorganization bankruptcy case of FSS, after lawyers for Jones and the Sandy Hook families could not agree on a final bankruptcy plan. The bankruptcy cases had put an automatic hold on the families' efforts to collect any of the $1.5 billion, under federal law. The dismissal of the FSS bankruptcy meant the families would have to shift those efforts from the bankruptcy court to the state courts in Texas and Connecticut where they won the legal judgments. Jones and Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022, the same year that relatives of many victims of the school shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators won their lawsuits. The relatives said they were traumatized by Jones hoax conspiracies and his followers actions. They testified about being harassed and threatened by Jones believers, some of whom confronted the grieving families in person saying the shooting never happened and their children never existed. One parent said someone threatened to dig up his dead sons grave. Jones is appealing the judgments in the state courts. He has said that he now believes the shooting did happen, but free speech rights allowed him to say it didn't. Almost two years ago, Jones was ordered to pay the $1.5billion in damages to Sandy Hook victims' families, after he which he offered to pay the families of Sandy Hook victims $55 million over 10 years. Meanwhile, Jones has yet to fork over any of the more than billion-dollar sum to any of the victims of the mass shooting, which occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-five of the 26 victims are pictured Jones has faced criticism in the past for playing an amped-up version of himself not only on the air but in public - a persona that has gotten him in hot water in the past, However, as many have pointed out, it has also gotten him views - and a multimillion dollar media empire - in the process, one that continues to draw eyes months after the talking head was reinstated on Elon Musk's X. Meanwhile, Jones has yet to fork over any of the more than billion-dollar sum to any of the victims of the mass shooting, which occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. There, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people, including 20 kids aged between six and seven years old, and six adult staff members. Lawyers for the right-wing conspiracy theorist have previously claimed he is a 'performance artist' - one whom is merely 'playing a character' on his Infowars show. The program, started in 1999, has since burgeoned into a full-fledged network, despite shilling a steady stream of disputable stories and claims. 'He's playing a character,' his attorney, Randall Wilhite, said at a pretrial hearing where Jones's ex Kelly Jones attempted - successfully to get custody of their three children. 'He is a performance artist.' Kelly obtained custody of the kids after citing her husband's 'unstable' character and possibly illegal remarks. In early June, a more stable Jones offered an update to his alleged face-off with federal agents - in which he advised viewers to refrain from getting physical with the government. admitted that even he wasn't sure if the supposed operation was actually happening On Sunday, a more stable Jones offered an update to his alleged face-off with federal agents - in which he advised viewers to refrain from getting physical with the federal government. He also told Newsweek that he spotted 'guards looking at me weird' at the entrance of the Infowars building in Downtown Dallas, and believed his company was going to be shut down. Despite the emotion exhibited in the Saturday segment, Jones admitted in an ensuing post to X that even he wasn't sure if this was actually happening. 'There's a 50 percent chance this is happening right now,' Jones wrote on the site formerly known has Twitter, which famously scrubbed him for unfounded, harmful remarks. 'They want us shut down because in bankruptcy and what was happening we have a path with the judge to continue on for years, and the judge has signaled that. 'Different groups involved in the bankruptcy that will be exposed soon have literally made a move to shut this place down and end my show.' As of Monday morning, Infowars appears to still be up and running. No other reports of federal agents near the studio's premises have been received. EXCLUSIVE A respected multimillionaire philosophy professor who wrote extensively about morality and ethics plunged to his death while being investigated over historic sexual assault allegations. Oxford University alumnus Dr John Forge, an honorary professor at the University of Sydney, dedicated his life to researching human morality and won various awards, including the 2010 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics. But behind closed doors, the 77-year-old was secretly living under a cloud with a police investigation under way into sexual assault claims and allegations swirling that he was living a double life. On May 2, Dr Forge was found dead at the base of Cataract Gorge, in Launceston, Tasmania - just hours after a detective knocked on his door to request he attend a police station for questioning. Daily Mail Australia understands he was informed by police he was facing allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman, aged in her 30s, between 2019 and 2022. The claims made against Dr Forge related to alleged incidents that took place in NSW and Tasmania - with the esteemed ethics expert having moved from Sydney to Launceston in January 2022. Philosophy professor John Forge (pictured) died on May 2 while under investigation over historic sexual abuse allegations A Tasmania Police spokesperson confirmed a person was found dead at Cataract Gorge on May 2 under circumstances that were not considered suspicious. The alleged victim's mother told Daily Mail Australia the detective working on the case rang her at 3pm on May 2 to say she had just attended Dr Forge's home, having asked him to go to the police station to make a statement. But just hours later, the woman said she received a call from police to reveal that officers had found him dead at the bottom of the gorge. 'A member of the public found his ID, phone and keys on a pathway and phoned police, who then went and found him,' she said. 'It happened within an hour-and-a-half after the knock. 'He was living a double life and it was about to be uncovered.' The alleged victim's mother said Dr Forge groomed her daughter and then began sexually assaulting her almost five years ago, when she was 30. 'He was absolutely obsessed with her. It was creepy,' she said. Police were called to Cataract Gorge (pictured) after a concerned member of the public found his belongings abandoned on a footpath 'It took a lot of guts to go to police and make her statement. [The alleged victim] has a strong sense of justice.' While she was relieved her daughter would not have to go through a daunting court case, the news was bittersweet. 'She said to me, "He is never going to have his day in court. He is never going to have to pay for what he has [allegedly] done."' Dr Forge, who was named an honorary professor at the University of Sydney in the early 2000s, focused his research on the moral responsibilities of scientists, in particular in using and developing weapons. His impressive list of tertiary accomplishments included stints studying at several prestigious institutions, including Oxford, Cornell and University College London. On top of the Eureka Prize, his book, The Responsible Scientist: A Philosophical Inquiry, earned him the 2009 David Harold Tribe Philosophy Award. According to his website, Dr Forge defined morality as 'the way moral persons ought to behave towards others'. 'To cause harm unnecessarily, gratuitously, is to do moral wrong,' he wrote. Skylar Silverstein, a Sydney-based sex worker, met Dr Forge when he became one of her clients in January last year. Dr Forge is pictured with Sydney-based sex worker Skylar Silverstein last year She said she felt 'sick to the stomach' after learning about his alleged actions. 'He seemed charming, he was well-respected in various circles academically, he was an author, he wrote so many books,' she said. 'But underneath, there were many skeletons in his closet that were about to be exposed. 'It is ironic he wrote a book about the morals of weapons, but yet where was his moral obligation to this girl?' Dr Forge's death has gone unannounced in public, except for his Facebook page being been switched to a memorial template. The University of Sydney was concerned by the allegations against Dr Forge. 'We are deeply committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone in our community,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia. 'We have a zero-tolerance policy to any form of intimidating or abusive behaviour, including sexual misconduct. 'If any of our community experiences or witnesses such behaviour we urge them to get in touch so we can provide appropriate support and follow up.' A report into Dr Forge's death will be prepared for the Coroner. For confidential crisis support 24/7, call Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or 1800 RESPECT Hopes have been dashed for the early release of an Australian grandmother languishing in a Japanese jail - with her lawyers claiming she is the victim of a romance scam. Perth woman Donna Nelson, 57, will spend at least another six months in a Tokyo prison after her trial for importing 1.9kg of meth into Japan was delayed indefinitely on Monday. The delay was announced just two days before her scheduled trial, with Ms Nelson having already spent 18 months behind bars in Chiba Prison cell where she claims she is kept in isolation for 23 hours a day. It's understood the prosecution submitted last-minute evidence on Monday to cause the latest delay, a tactic objected to by Ms Nelson's legal team. Defence lawyers also questioned the competency of a court-provided translator to enable the trial to proceed in both Japanese and English. Members of Ms Nelson's family said they only found out about the postponement while on a plane from Perth to Tokyo to attend the trial. 'At this time, as a family we are still trying to come to terms with the news of the trial delay,' the family said in a statement. 'It's deeply upsetting for us as her family but we can't even begin to imagine how devastating the news will be for our darling Mum.' Ms Nelson has already spent 18 months in a Tokyo jail and now faces the bleak prospect of at least another six months wait to be tried The prominent Indigenous community leader has not spoken directly to her family since her arrest at Narita International Airport in January 2023 with methamphetamine allegedly hidden in a tampered suitcase. The family believe Ms Nelson, who is also chair of a West Australian Aboriginal health service, was either forced or tricked into carrying the suitcase, which was not part of her luggage when she left Australia. They said Ms Nelson had been talking with a Nigerian man online for two years before she was arrested. Ms Nelson had travelled to Japan to meet the Nigerian man, known as 'Kelly', who she met two years earlier through an online dating site called AfroIntroductions. According to Nelson's lawyers, her suitcase was fitted with a false outer lining to create a hidden cavity in which around two kilograms of methamphetamine was found. 'Kelly' claimed to be the owner of a high-end fashion brand. Ms Nelson's daughters told The Sydney Morning Herald the pair had messaged back and forth for months and had discussed talking a trip to Brazil. The daughters also said the pair had planned to marry in Nigeria, donning traditional African attire. They said the man had gained Ms Nelson's trust by sending her an image of a document he claimed was his Japanese residency card and offering to fund trips overseas for some of her daughters. After successfully convincing Ms Nelson to visit him in Japan, 'Kelly' bought business class tickets to fly her to Tokyo via Singapore, Laos and Vietnam. The family believes Ms Nelson met with an associate of 'Kelly' during a three-day stop in Laos, where she came to be in possession of the bag that led to her airport arrest. Prominent Western Australian woman Donna Nelson, 56, allegedly took a suitcase containing 1.9kg of 'illegal stimulants' into Japan in January 2023 Donna Nelson (second from right) was the Greens candidate for the Western Australian seat of Pearce at the 2022 federal election Ms Nelson's lawyers will argue that the drugs were planted and she was the victim of a Nigerian love scam. A new trial date is yet to be scheduled but Ms Nelson's lawyers have been advised it won't be before January 2025, marking two years since her arrest. Ms Nelson was the Greens candidate for the Western Australian seat of Pearce in the 2022 federal election. Journalist Antoinette Lattouf's unfair dismissal claim against the ABC will go to trial after mediation talks failed following her sacking over an anti-Israel post. Lattouf called Tuesday's failed mediation efforts with the public broadcast 'incredibly disheartening', but she said she would not stop in her campaign. 'Despite how hard this has been on me and how unfair it is, let me be clear - I WILL NOT STOP,' she said in a statement posted on social media. 'I will not stop fighting for press freedom. I will not stop fighting for human rights. 'I won't stop fighting for a brave and independent ABC, a public broadcaster that doesn't bow to lobby groups.' Presenter Antoinette Lattouf is suing the ABC for unfair dismissal (pictured arriving at the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney) Ms Lattouf claims she was unlawfully terminated from her role at the ABC after sharing a post on social media by Human Rights Watch that read: 'HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war' Lattouf was contracted by the ABC for a fill-in position on the Sydney mornings radio program between December 18 and 22. But she was dismissed three days into the contract after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on her Instagram page alleging the Israeli government used starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. She subsequently lodged cases for unfair dismissal against the broadcaster in the Federal Court and with the Fair Work Commission. In a statement of claim presented to the court, Lattouf alleged the ABC contravened its own enterprise agreement and fair work laws for terminating her contract when she had not engaged in misconduct. She claimed she was told by an ABC manager that the broadcaster had received 'a large number of complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists' about her being on air before her dismissal. The journalist said she was advised at the meeting she should 'keep a low profile on Twitter' but could post information from reputable sources such as Amnesty International. Previous attempts by the ABC to argue Lattouf was not 'terminated' within the meaning of the relevant law due to her being on a casual contract were dismissed by the Fair Work Commission. The ABC declined to comment on the case. A Minnesota family living on the edge of a failing dam fear the worst as they recall the startling moment they had to flee their decades old home. The Rapidan Dam on the on the Blue Earth River is in 'imminent failure condition' after heavy flooding following abnormally high levels of rainfall. Aerial footage shows the Rapidan Dam Store teetering on the edge of the river as flood waters rush through the eroded earth. The owners of store, known for its homemade pies, have been afraid of this moment. 'There's no stopping it. It's going to go where it wants to go. It's going to take what it wants to take. And everybody pray that it doesn't take The Dam Store,' owner Jenny Barnes told KARE. Aerial footage shows the Rapidan Dam Store teetering on the edge of the river as flood waters rush through the eroded earth Citizens in low-lying areas of the Minnesota River Valley have been told to evacuate - as officials continue to monitor whether the 114-year-old dam will fully collapse The store has been in open since 1910 and owned by Barnes family since 1972. Her father still lives at the family business. 'That's our life, as well. That's our business; that's our livelihood. It's everything to us,' Barnes told Fox 9. 'It'll happen. We don't know when but it's going to be inevitable that the house is going to go.' Barnes recalled the moment she heard loud bangs and saw flashes of light at 2 a.m. Monday and knew it was time for her family to evacuate. 'We had to evacuate this morning, get as much as we could out,' she told WCCO. The explosion Barnes witnessed was the Xcel Energy substation, located at the dam that was actually washed away. Debris started accumulating there on Sunday following abnormally high levels of rainfall. It left the century old dam 'in imminent failure condition,' officials said. By 10:36 a.m. Monday, the river had eroded earth around the west side of the dam near the south side of Mankato to the point where water was sent cascading over the concrete, with accumulating flooding now putting the city of 45,140 at risk. Rapidan Dam Store owner Jenny Barnes (pictured) recalled the moment she heard loud bangs and saw flashes of light at 2 a.m. Monday and knew it was time for her family to evacuate The home Barnes father still lives in is at risk of being swept away in flooding after the dam entered 'imminent failure condition' due to abnormally high levels of rainfall In an alert issued Monday as footage showed parts of the dam in ruins, Blue Earth County Emergency Management stated, 'We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place. 'However,' the agency added, 'we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies.' In the meantime, debris knocked loose by the torrent of water continues to rush downstream, as power outages have also been reported in surrounding areas. Pieces of county infrastructure are among of the debris currently being sent downriver, officials said In their own statement, the National Weather Service described how the failure is set to cause the portion of river that cuts through Mankato to crest just below major flood state Tuesday morning. Citizens in low-lying areas of the Minnesota River Valley have now been told to evacuate - as officials continue to monitor whether the Rapidan Dam will fully give in. An Xcel Energy substation was turned into debris and washed away in the flooding Twenty other cities - such as Fairmont - also sit in the flash flood radius, as water has already washed out a large portion of the dam, which for years has spurred questions about its structural integrity. Gov. Tim Walz and state emergency response officials cited such scrutiny upon issuing their own statement Monday morning, as nearby roads are in danger of being overflowed. 'I know the structural integrity of the dam has been a question for a long time,' Gov. Walz said of the longstanding structure, constructed in 1910 by the Ambersen Hydraulic Construction Company. The Rapidan Dam was constructed between 1908 and 1910. It measures in at 87 feet high and 475 feet long, and is made entirely of concrete. Officials are currently implementing the opening stages outlined in the Rapidan Dam Emergency Action Plan, a guidance outlining how to respond to such a failure and help potentially affected people kept on the backburner. MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend accused a conservative guest of using the rape and murder of a Texas girl by two illegal migrants to 'smear 11 million people.' Sanders-Townsend was speaking with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts on Saturday alongside co-anchors Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele about the killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and his roommate, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, who both came to the U.S illegally from Venezuela, are accused of raping and killing the preteen, and disposing of her body in a Houston bayou. Roberts was speaking about the crime anecdotally amid a larger discussion of what a Trump presidency would look like should he beat Joe Biden in November, which would include deporting millions of migrants. Steele - a former RNC chair who has found a long-term home at MSNBC - took exception and asked: 'So what do these people do, what are they doing now? The folks, the 11 million, 20 million, whatever you want to deport?' MSNBC host Symone Sanders accused a conservative guest of using the rape and murder of a Texas girl by two illegal migrants to 'smear 11 million people' Roberts answered: 'A lot of them are committing crimes like murdering the 12-year-old girl in Houston.' 'So that's one, that's one, out of 11 million,' Steele retorted. 'We could take the remaining time of this segment and I could give you a lot of examples,' Roberts replied. Sanders-Townsend, a former press secretary for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, butted in and said illegal immigrants were less likely to be convicted of crimes. Roberts asked: 'Tell that to the survivors of these people... What do you tell the parents of those people, those young girls that were killed? 'What you're saying is because you have this instance of individuals behaving badly that that's a reflection of every individual in that community and that's just not the case,' said Steele, unsatisfied with Roberts' question. Eventually, Sanders-Townsend interjected: 'You are weaponizing a horrific murder to smear 11 million people.' Roberts was offended by the suggestion and responded that the real fault came at the hands of the current president. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts was speaking about the crime anecdotally amid a larger discussion of what a Trump presidency would look like should he beat Joe Biden in November, which would include deporting millions of migrants Franklin Jose Pena Ramos (pictured right), 26, and his roommate, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez (pictured left), 21, who both came illegally from Venezuela, are accused of raping and killing the preteen , and disposing of her body in a Houston bayou 'That is a laughable assertion. What Joe Biden is doing is weaponizing the entire government against every American.' Ramos was the first of the two accused to appear in court Monday, as horrific new details about her death emerged. Prosecutors say that the two men, who lived in the same apartment complex as Nungaray, followed her to a nearby 7/11 shortly after she snuck out of her house on June 16, and asked her for directions. While at the convenience store, Nungaray called her 13-year-old boyfriend - who later reported he heard her talking to two adults. The suspects then allegedly lured Nungaray under a bridge, where they stripped her naked to the waist and sexually assaulted her for two hours, according to court documents obtained by Fox 26. Ramos and Martinez also allegedly bound Nungaray's hands behind her back during the assault, then strangled her and dumped her body in the bayou. She would be found by a passerby hours later, with her feet also bound and her back covered in cuts, Click 2 Houston reports. Ramos later confessed to police that he had kissed Jocelyn that night, but blamed other parts of the assault and her death on his roommate, Harris County Assistant District Attorney Megan Long said in court. Michael Steele - a former RNC chair and anti-Trump Republican who has found a long-term home at liberal friendly MSNBC - took exception and asked: 'So what do these people do, what are they doing now? The folks, the 11 million, 20 million, whatever you want to deport?' Ramos and Martinez allegedly assaulted Nungaray (pictured) for two hours before strangling her and disposing of her body She and other prosecutors now claim Rangel grabbed Jocelyn around the neck, got on top of her and put his hands over her mouth in an apparent effort to stop her from screaming. Martinez allegedly shaved his beard to avoid detection in the aftermath, and just two days after Nungaray's body was found, police say Ramos cut off an ankle monitor he was fitted with when he crossed the border illegally at El Paso on May 28. The discarded ankle monitor was found last Wednesday NewsNation reported. He also allegedly asked his employer at a construction site for extra cash so he could skip town. But the boss instead contacted police, and Ramos was arrested, according to the Houston Chronicle. In court on Monday, Judge Josh Hill set Ramos' bond at $10 million - double what prosecutors recommended and 10 times the amount sought by the defense The judge declared that Ramos was an 'astronomical' flight risk, and the chances of him returning to court with a lower bond would be 'near zero.' He noted that, as a new migrant to the area, Ramos had no ties to Houston. Ramos was the first of the two accused to appear in court Monday, as horrific new details about Nungaray's death emerged Martinez, another Venezuelan migrant, is due to face his own bond hearing on Tuesday He was released into the country after telling border patrol officials he feared for his life if he was to be sent back to Venezuela, and claimed he was going to live with a cousin in Houston, sources told The Post. Instead, Ramos became roommates with Martinez - who also entered the country illegally on March 14 and was fitted with an ankle monitor. His was removed in May, after Border Patrol determined he had no known criminal history. Both men are now facing capital murder charges, and could be sentenced to the death penalty if the ongoing investigation reveals evidence that Nungaray was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, District Attorney Kim Ogg said. Martinez is due to face his own bond hearing on Tuesday, and prosecutors are once again urging the judge to set his bail at $10 million as well, according to Local 21. Nungaray's mother, Alexis, has blasted the accused killers as 'monsters' who took away her daughter's future. 'She was amazing, I still see her face in the back of my head everyday, all day,' Alexis said of her child at a news conference following the bond hearing on Monday. 'I keep getting little signs about her throughout the day, and it's been a very, very hard time for me and my family. 'She had such a bright future ahead of her, and I knew she was gonna go very far, and those monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family,' she said. Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn's mother, slammed the suspects as 'monsters' The Nungaray family is pictured comforting one another at the hearing on Monday Shockingly, both men were released into the country despite being intercepted by border agents. Ramos was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent after he crossed at El Paso in Texas on May 28, but he had cut it off by the time the pair were arrested for killing Jocelyn Nungaray. Martinez was also released after being intercepted by border agents on March 14, little more than three months before Jocelyn's body was found floating in a creek near her Houston home. Ramos told agents he planned to live with his cousin in Houston, but the tracker was only set to monitor his movements for 21 days, and he was sharing an apartment with Martinez when he was arrested. A teenager who was found covered in dried blood after crashing his pick-up truck while 'intoxicated' has police scrambling to work out what happened. Aaron Richard, 18, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after police responded to a major accident on FM 2871 near I-20 in Tarrant County, Texas, about 1:55 a.m. Monday. Officers who responded to the accident immediately noticed Richard was covered in a large amount of dried blood, which was also splattered across his vehicle. Aaron Richard, 18, was found with a large amount of dried blood on him, following a crash Streaks of blood could be seen along the side of the white pickup truck The vehicle was said to have been involved in a 'major crash' in the early hours of Monday Investigators noticed blood streaked along the driver's side of Richard's white single-cab 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck and across different areas of the exterior. Officers also found dried blood on the inside of the truck. When asked about where the blood came from and how he came to be covered in it, TSCO say Richard refused to explain. Authorities are now asking anybody who might have seen Richard or the truck to contact the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office. The driver refused to say where the blood might have come from or how it got on him The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office are still looking into the accident the truck was involved in The Sheriffs Office did not say if investigators believe anybody is in danger or has been killed. Richard was previously serving a six-month probation sentence on a charge of disorderly conduct in Haltom City. He posted $500 bond on the driving while intoxicated charge according to the Tarrant County Jail. A charge of driving while intoxicated could possibly impact his probation. Police are asking anyone with information on the case to call their Criminal Investigation Division on 817-884-1305. A former soldier who says she suffered a debilitating heart condition as a result of the Moderna COVID vaccine has shared explosive documents in which the military ties the shots to health conditions. Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, told NewsNations Chris Cuomo and former CBS reporter Catherine Herridge, she did not have any heart conditions prior to receiving the vaccine under the Department of Defense's vaccine mandate in 2021. She has since been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, according to a US Army memo, which ties the vaccine to the syndrome. Some 17,000 soldiers refused the shots, flouting the Biden administration's mandate with the support of many conservatives who agreed with their concerns over the pace at which it was produced. The military eventually reversed the rule in January 2023. She claims she was released from active duty in 2022 while suffering from symptoms - costing her her medical benefits and her salary Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, said she suffered a 'debilitating heart condition' as a result of the COVID vaccine BREAKING: Army and National Guard accused of abandoning 24-year-old soldier with debilitating heart condition that internal memo linked to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. New military records confirm the soldier's heart injury was "In Line of Duty, and details her account of pic.twitter.com/nbZgbDA6v3 Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) June 24, 2024 In Stancik's documents, military officials note a link between either a COVID infection or a COVID vaccine with the 'debilitating heart condition'. Doctors have fought that narrative, insisting that the condition was only worsened by the vaccine among individuals who already had pre-existing conditions. 'The only thing that would have changed was the COVID vaccine, and that's when everything flipped upside down for me,' Stancik told Herridge in a sit-down interview posted to X. She said that after she received the first vaccine, she started to experience cough, chest pain, sinus pressure and headaches. But after getting the second dose one month later, Stancik said her symptoms became worse, and she started to experience a fast heart rate, neuropathic pain and difficulty breathing. 'It felt like [a] burning sensation throughout my whole body,' she shared, noting that she also felt extreme chest pain. 'It felt like a balloon was building up in my chest.' As she suffered through these symptoms, Stancik said she was released from active duty in 2022 - costing her her medical benefits and her salary. 'I was neglected, and the medical care that I needed to get was not happening,' she said. Stancik claims she then spent three weeks driving around the country trying to get medical care as she continued to suffer. At times, she said, the effects were so debilitating that she even considered suicide. Stancik said she has had three heart attacks, a mini stroke and is now getting a pacemaker 'She was discarded as trash,' USJAG Veterans Advocate Jeremy Sorenson told Herridge. She did not get her medical benefits back until October 2023, when the US Army ruled that she was injured in the line of duty, Herridge reports. In the meantime, she said she racked up more than $70,000 in medical debt. 'I have had three heart attacks, a mini stroke and I am now getting a pacemaker,' Stancik said. But, Sorenson said Stancik's case is not unique - and instead represents a larger trend of the Department of Defense removing benefits for injured soldiers as a cost-saving measure. 'They have the money,' said Sorenson. 'They choose to spend the money on other things. 'The Department of Defense chooses to spend its money not on its people, not on injured servicemembers, they have other priorities.' Stancik denied that she is trying to spread anti-vaccine propaganda He also suggested that other servicemembers may have suffered adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine. 'The leadership in the Defense Department did not want to address that - and still does not want to address- that maybe we hurt our own people' with the vaccine mandate,' he said. Now, Stancik and Sorenson say they hope her case will help other servicemembers who suffered side effects of the COVID vaccine get the benefits they need. At the same time, Stancik denies that she is spreading anti-vaccine propaganda, noting: 'My story, my health, is my own.' In a statement to Herridge, a US Army spokesperson reportedly said that Stancik could have remained on active duty while receiving treatment. However, Stancik denied ever being counseled on that option. In a statement to DailyMail.com, a Virginia National Guard spokesman also said it is focused on 'making sure Spc. Stancik has the information and resources she needs to continue to work through her medical situation. 'Since January 2024, the VaARNG G1 Personnel Directorate has dedicated one of their most senior officers who checks in with Spc. Stancik multiple times each week to ensure pay, benefits and any other concerns are resolved as quickly as possible,' spokesman Alfred Puryear said. 'The VaARNG G1 Personnel Directorate has worked closely with U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the U.S. Army G1 and the National Guard Bureau to ensure SPC Stanciks medical treatment has been expedited since the LOD was approved in November 2023.' He added that the Virginia National Guard Personnel Directorate has coordinated directly with the National Guard Bureau and Department of the Army 'to facilitate an expedited Army Board of Corrections for Military Records to address Spc. Stanciks concerns regarding backdated orders and whether her condition warranted continued orders.' 'The team will continue to prioritize assisting Spc. Stancik as she works through the process to address her medical situation.' A wave of San Diego beaches have been shut down following a disgusting discovery in the water. City health officials released an updated advisory and closure list of beaches due to sewage creating frighteningly high levels of bacteria in the open waters. Water contact closures were issued for Silver Strand Shoreline, Imperial Beach Shorelines, and the Tijuana Slough Shoreline, along the U.S, Mexico border. Advisories were issued for the La Jolla, Children's Pool, Coronado, Coronado Lifeguard Tower, the Ocean Beach, Dog Beach, the San Diego River outlet, Mission Bay, North Cove, and Vacation Isle. In Imperial Beach, the number one dirtiest beach in the country, bright yellow warning signs have been placed on the sand as sewage has been flowing in from Tijuana, Mexico, KGTV reported. Water contact closures were issued for Silver Strand Shoreline, Imperial Beach Shorelines (pictured), and the Tijuana Slough Shoreline, located along the US, Mexico border Heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and bacteria detected in the water are being released into the air and lingering in the soils. (pictured: The Tijuana Slough Shoreline) 'The level of stress when you smell the stench, when you get sick and you worry about your children, and the level of stress and the depression is real,' Dr Marvel Harrison said during a press conference on Monday. 'Its difficult to measure, but its there.' Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced that they plan to work on obtaining state and federal funding to fix the century-old sewage problem in the city. 'We need our state and federal governments to declare a state of emergency,' she advised. 'Our community deserves clean air and clean water, and we will not rest until this is resolved.' The Surfrider Foundation tested thousands of water samples across the nation and every sample recovered from Imperial Beach turned up bacteria counts that exceeded the state's health standard for recreational waters. A map showing the 56 miles stretch of beautiful southern Californian coastline that's polluted To establish the funding, the city officials plan to gather all necessary data to try and fix the unsanitary problem that has taken over the beach city. 'We also are going to be pursuing additional funding and support to discuss the public and economic impacts of the sewage crisis,' Lawson-Remer said. California is home to three of the most polluted beaches in the country, according to the activist network. The Surfrider Foundation also found that 64 percent of the 567 sites tested had at least one sample with unsafe bacteria levels. A quarter of the samples came from sites in California, with three beaches in The Golden State among the ten most polluted. The other heavily polluted California locations are Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, where the survey found more than half the samples had unsafe bacteria levels. The mouth of the San Luis Obispo Creek, in San Luis Obispo, saw 35 percent of samples yield high bacteria levels. Imperial Beach has been closed for over two years due to toxic untreated water from the Tijuana River Watershed flowing into the Pacific Ocean before reaching the town. Advisories were issued for the La Jolla, Children's Pool, Coronado, Coronado Lifeguard Tower, the Ocean Beach, Dog Beach and North Cove public beach (pictured) California is home to three of the most polluted beaches in the country, according to a recent survey conducted by the Surfrider Foundation Aguirre previously told the LA Times: 'People in my community are getting sick left and right. 'We cannot afford to continue to punt the responsibility across the border because we have a dire situation here on United States soil, on California soil, that is harming California constituents.' Residents living near the beach say they are experiencing health issues as a result of the cross-border sewage problem. In March, resident Shannon Johnson, who has lived a few blocks from the beach since 2010, said that her and her kids don't step foot on the sand anymore. Johnson told CBS: 'Every time we go by the beach they're asking, "Is it going to be clean? When are they going to fix it?"' Despite Imperial Beach seeing over 700 consecutive days of beach closures, residents continue to endure the daily effects of pollution. Johnson mentioned that her young children have also been exposed to the foul smell, as they attend school near the river valley. According to a study by San Diego State University, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and bacteria detected in the water are being released into the air and lingering in the soils. 'I'm more frustrated than ever since we found out that it goes into the air. So it's not just the water,' another resident told CBS. Another resident who wrote a letter calling for action said the smell is 'akin to being trapped in a portable toilet,' so strong that it wakes them up at night. Typically ocean water tends to be clean except after it rains when runoff and storm water end up at the beach. San Diego's Beach and Bay Program have created a handy chart to help residents determine warning levels at their local beaches. Black and yellow signs stand for sewage advisories, blue and orange signage informs people of warnings, and a bright yellow and red sign means that beaches are closed due to sewage issues. A former cop and private investigator has said there is still 'quite a way to go' following the outcome of the murder trial over the deaths of Carol Clay and Russell Hill. Ex-Jetstar pilot Gregory Lynn was on Tuesday found guilty of the murder of Ms Clay, 73, but not guilty of the murder of Mr Hill, 74, at Victoria's Supreme Court. The 57-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the murders of the two campers in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, on March 20, 2020. The jury has been deliberating over the murder charges against Lynn since June 14. Speaking after the verdict on Tuesday afternoon, Duncan McNab, a former police detective, said the case wasn't over yet and the prospect of appeal 'is very real'. 'What I think about in these cases is the poor bloody family and the investigators and those around them, this is not over by a long chalk,' he told Seven News. 'But this entire case has been very strange from the outset, so many different components, all bloody unusual. Ex-Jetstar pilot Gregory Lynn (pictured) was on Tuesday found guilty of the murder of Carol Clay, 73, but not guilty of the murder of Russell Hill, 74, at Victoria's Supreme Court 'It's not over yet, there's quite a way to go.' Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina added there was the exception to the double jeopardy rule which could come into play. Double jeopardy means a person cannot be tried for the same crime twice, however an exception can be made if fresh and compelling evidence appears. 'If any new or compelling evidence comes out any time in the future, unlikely, but if it does he can certainly face being charged again for the alleged murder of Mr Hill,' Mr Bezzina said. 'Let's just see what progresses from this day forward.' Lynn claimed the two deaths were accidental, but admitted burning the crime scene and destroying their bodies. Forty-nine witnesses were called during the trial, including national park rangers, weed sprayers, campers, deer hunters, police forensic and ballistics experts and the families of Mr Hill and Ms Clay. Lynn had pleaded not guilty to the murders of the two campers in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, on March 20, 2020 (Carol Clay is pictured left and Russell Hill is pictured right) Mr Hill was married and the pair were having a secret affair together when they disappeared. Lynn, Mr Hill and Ms Clay were the only people who stayed at Bucks Camp that evening, on March 20, 2020. Lynn said he had been out deer hunting when he returned to threats from Mr Hill that he had drone footage of Lynn hunting too close to the campsite that he would turn into police. Later that evening, he said Mr Hill took a shotgun and ammunition from Lynn's car. Lynn claimed he went to get his gun off Mr Hill, who shot off a few warning shots before turning the gun on Lynn. Lynn and Mr Hill struggled over the gun, Lynn claimed, when another shot went off and hit the side of Mr Hill's ute mirror, which ricocheted off and went into Ms Clay's head. Shot fragments were later found, proving that Ms Clay died in a shooting. Mr Hill then charged at Lynn with a knife, the pilot claimed, with a second struggle ensuing. Lynn said he was trying to defend himself when the knife went into Mr Hill's chest and there was no evidence shown to the jury about how Mr Hill died. Lynn admitted to burning the couple's campsite, putting their bodies in a trailer and driving to the Union Spur Track where he unloaded their bodies and covered them with sticks. He returned twice, including in November 2020 when he set fire to Mr Hill and Ms Clay's remains. He was arrested a year later, where he told his story to police and led investigators to the couple's bodies, which were discovered to be broken down into 2,100 bone fragments. Speaking after the verdict on Tuesday afternoon, Duncan McNab, a former police detective, said the case wasn't over yet and the prospect of appeal 'is very real' Lynn maintained he was innocent of murder and admitted to the jury his actions in covering up the crime, including repainting his 4WD used to dispose of the bodies, were 'despicable'. He had offered to plead guilty to destruction of evidence charges before the trial began, his defence team said. But the prosecution said Lynn's story was a work of fiction and his conduct after the killings proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to murder the couple. Lynn, wearing a suit and blue jumper, remained silent as the two verdicts were read aloud, raising his eyebrows after learning his fate. He waved to his son Geordie, who was seated in front of him inside the court room, after the jury left the court. He spoke to his lawyers before he was escorted from the court flanked by custody officers and will be sentenced at a later date. The maximum penalty for murder is life in prison. Lynn will return to court on July 19 for a mention where dates will be set. A calm and collected pilot trained in making quick decisions under pressure, Greg Lynn knew how to act in an emergency. He would help Jetstar aircrew clean up the cabins of the planes he flew. 'Most of the pilots just take off and leave the cabin crew to do that, but I always grab some gloves, go through and help them clean up,' Lynn said during his murder trial. In the witness stand he confidently answered every question about his gruesome, yet systematic, disposal of two people's bodies using those Jetstar gloves. 'The scene was horrendous,' Lynn explained. Greg Lynn used his Jetstar gloves to dispose of the bodies Lynn was found guilty of Carol Clay's murder, and not guilty of Russell Hill's. They were in a secret relationship He admitted dumping the bodies of Russell Hill and Carol Clay on a bush track in March 2020 and months later returning to burn them. But first he had to clean the scene - a campsite in the middle of the wilderness. A blood-soaked tent and camping furniture with splatters scattered across Mr Hill's ute, inside the seats and across the passenger door. 'I wiped all of that off,' Lynn told a jury. 'And there was a very large pool of blood on the ground in between the LandCruiser and the tent, where Carol Clay was.' Alone in Victoria's high country, he burned the couple's campsite to the ground and moved their bodies into his trailer, taking cash, two mobile phones and a drone. Lynn dropped the bodies off along the Union Spur Track, putting sticks on top to keep the animals away, but not to disguise them. 'I didn't hide the bodies. I placed them there. I expected them to be found,' he said. Lynn drove home to Melbourne, but returned twice to the remains. Once at midnight, at the end of Victoria's first COVID-19 lockdown, where he found the bodies decomposed but still in the same position next to the track. On his second trip back, half a year later, he burned them. He also sold his trailer, re-painted his Nissan Patrol from grey-blue to brown, and removed the awning. Greg Lynn burned the couple's campsite. (HANDOUT/SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA) The Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, where Russell Hill and Carol Clay were allegedly murdered Lynn feared he would lose his licence to fly planes if found to have been involved in what he claimed were two accidental deaths. That was why he had to get rid of the evidence. While the prosecution and defence agreed on this part of his story, what happened to cause Mr Hill and Mrs Clay's violent deaths is where the two sides differ. Lynn said he exchanged pleasantries with Mr Hill at Bucks Camp and then noticed a drone flying over him while he was out deer hunting. Mr Hill told him he had footage of Lynn shooting close to camp, which he was going to turn in to police. Lynn decided to blast loud music from his car stereo to annoy Mr Hill, and then heard a rustling. He saw Mr Hill walking away from Lynn's car with a Barathrum shotgun. He went to Mr Hill's campsite and fired a few warning shorts before turning the gun on Lynn. Lynn grabbed the barrel and the pair wrestled over the shotgun when it discharged, went through the LandCruiser side mirror and killed Mrs Clay. Mr Hill turned on Lynn with a knife, swinging at him, and 'the knife went into his chest'. 'From here I panicked and thought: 'That's my shotgun, there's one person dead and he's dead as well now. I'm going to be found guilty of this,'' he told police. Evidence was found among the remains that proved Mrs Clay died from a shot in the head, however there was no evidence about how Mr Hill died. Twelve jurors did not believe much of his story and returned with a split verdict on Tuesday. They found him guilty of murdering Mrs Clay and not guilty of Mr Hill's killing. It was a trial rife with scandal, intrigue and at times absurdity, much of which the jury was not told but can now be revealed. Two elderly people go missing together, one of them married, and it's revealed they were childhood sweethearts who have been engaging in a decades-long secret affair. Before the trial began, prosecutors said they were speaking with Australia's defence force to borrow a Chinook helicopter - one of only two in the country - to transport the jury to the remote location of the campers' deaths. Defence barrister Dermot Dann joked: 'I take it Mr Lynn is not required to fly the plane?' The plan did not go ahead. Lynn's wife Melanie, who attended every day of the weeks-long trial, blew kisses and made heart shapes towards her husband from the upstairs public gallery. Defence barrister Dermot Dann (pictured) ridiculed some of the evidence Melanie Lynn, with son Geordie, attended every day of the trial. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) She and Lynn's son Geordie were moved to be seated in front of the jury in the final days, his head resting on her shoulder and their hands intertwined. Donning a suit and reading glasses, Lynn diligently scribbled notes into a journal every day of the trial. Media outlets were banned from taking photos of him next to custody officers. Zoomed in versions of Lynn were permitted, cropping out the guards, after a rare verbal ruling was made because his lawyers argued it would be 'very prejudicial' despite the jury seeing him seated next to officers in court each day. Prosecutors almost did not get to play Lynn's police interview to the jury. He was probed over four days, maintaining his right to silence for two-and-a-half days before telling his story. Officers tried to convince Lynn that confessing would be good for his mental health, even offering to go camping with him as if to suggest he'd be free once he told his story, pre-trial hearings were told. Police admitted pressuring Lynn to tell them where the bodies were in order to provide closure for the families, offering a helicopter to get him to the remote bush. Officers claimed they'd pushed for a confession and made a hasty arrest out of concern for Lynn's mental health, although once in custody he was not offered psychological support. Justice Michael Croucher made a pre-trial ruling to ban prosecutors from using the interview against Lynn, due to 'oppressive' police conduct, but the jury was shown parts of that video. Prosecutor Daniel Porceddu closed the case by labelling Lynn's story 'a series of very unfortunate events' - and like the book series of that name 'also a complete fiction'. He tried to introduce a number of theories he claimed proved Lynn's version of events to be untrue, including that there was a rope tied to Mr Hill's car which 'ruins the whole account' as the men would've become entangled during the struggle. Justice Croucher lambasted the prosecutor once the jury left for the day, saying he 'winced' and was 'flabbergasted' by Mr Porceddu's closing address, calling one of the theories he put forward 'frog***'. In Mr Dann's closing, he labelled the prosecutor as 'Inspector Clouseau' - the inept detective from The Pink Panther - and called police blood splatter expert Mark Gellatly 'gelati given the way he melted in the witness box like an ice cream in the sun'. The judge lashed crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu's (pictured) closing address. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) Mr Gellatly was accused by defence of lying under oath and colluding with the prosecution by introducing a 'half-baked' vacuum theory during week three of the trial - that blood could be sucked into the barrel of the gun if a person was shot at close-range. But he conceded he did not know much about the theory as he was not a ballistics expert. Leading Senior Constable Paul Griffiths - the prosecution's ballistics expert - was not asked about the theory. He held up the shotgun Lynn used in court, at one stage pointing it in the direction of media, leading Justice Croucher to tell him 'you're frightening the journalists'. Sen Const Griffiths admitted he had no idea what angle the gun would have been facing when it discharged towards Mrs Clay due to a lack of information from investigating police. 'I wish I knew,' he said. Furious his client had not been given the opportunity to respond to the prosecution theories, Mr Dann said he breached legal fairness rules and asked the judge to rectify it. Justice Croucher agreed and, before sending jurors away, told them they could reject the prosecution's closing arguments and accept Lynn's evidence. Sunseekers flocked to beaches before England fans pack out pubs to enjoy the 31C (88F) heatwave today after bosses were told to brace for staff calling sick ahead of tonights Euro 2024 football clash. Summer has finally arrived in Britain with the hottest day of the year so far yesterday, which is set to be beaten again today as temperatures climb before cooling down. Photographs showed Brighton and Bournemouth beaches looking packed as people made the most of the weather, while others cooled off in outdoor swimming pools. And companies fear a wave of workers could call in sick amid the long-waited heat as the Three Lions play Slovenia at 8pm tonight in their final Euro 2024 group match. England are guaranteed a place in the last 16 after last night's results - but millions will be watching to see whether the team finish top, second or third in their group. And HR experts said the likelihood of employees wanting to have the day off had increased given the match in Cologne is coinciding with the excellent UK weather. Farzana Parkar, founder of Face2FaceHR based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, told the Guardian: 'Generally, most people are sensible, I would say. But obviously you cant control everyone. So especially if its the hottest day of the year, then it wouldnt surprise me if some people decide to take a day off. The start of a likely heatwave, where the temperature reaches a certain threshold for three days, began yesterday. The Met Office said the highest reading was 28.3C (82.9F) in Wisley, Surrey, making it the UK's warmest temperature of 2024 to date. London recorded a high of 27.4C (81.3F) at St James's Park - while the mercury hit 27.3C (81.1F) in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, which was also Scotland's hottest day so far. In addition, a temperature of 25.8C (78.4F) at Castlederg in County Tyrone made it Northern Ireland's highest temperature of the year. Wales got to 24.8C (76.6F) at Hawarden yesterday, but its 2024 high remains 25.3C (77.5F) at Usk on May 12. With the blast of warm air set to peak at 31C (88F) tomorrow in the capital, health warnings were issued - running for four days between yesterday and Thursday. Students from Southampton, all 18, cheer for England on Bournemouth beach this afternoon Sunbathers enjoy the warm weather on Brighton beach in East Sussex today amid a heatwave Hundreds of people flock to the beach in Bournemouth today to make the most of the heat A woman jumps into the water at Plymouth Hoe in Devon this morning amid the hot weather People swim at Banbury Lido at Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Oxfordshire today A woman relaxes in the hot weather at Hyde Park in Central London this morning Sunbathers enjoy the warm weather on Brighton beach in East Sussex today amid a heatwave Blue skies over the Oxfordshire countryside today as a cyclist goes out in the sunshine The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued a yellow heat alert for most of England, with all but the North East included, prompting some critics to say the warning smacked of the nanny state. Hottest day of the year in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland Three of the four UK nations had their hottest day of 2024 so far yesterday: England - 28.3C at Wisley, Surrey Scotland - 27.3C at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire Northern Ireland - 25.8C at Castlederg, County Tyrone Wales got to 24.8C at Hawarden, but its high remains 25.3C at Usk on May 12 Advertisement The London Fire Brigade warned the public to be on guard against wildfires breaking out due to discarded cigarettes and barbecues in the hot weather. Pollen levels nicknamed a 'pollen bomb' has been plaguing hay fever sufferers with 'very high' levels, particularly of grass pollen in the warm, dry weather, accompanied by nettle, dock and plantain pollen too. Oli Claydon, a Met Office forecaster, said London and surrounding counties of Essex, Kent and Surrey were among the hottest in the land. He said: 'With 28C (82F) on Monday, 30C (86F) on Tuesday and 31C (88F) on Wednesday, London is likely to reach heatwave criteria, as are surrounding areas that have a slightly lower threshold.' 'It's not guaranteed but this will likely be towards the South-East of England, particularly London, Essex and Kent.' The scorching weather has been labelled the 'Iberian plume' of high pressure coming up from Spain and Portugal - although it is only expected to last until Thursday, when cooler weather will arrive. Mr Claydon added that the heat is only expected to last until tomorrow with heavy showers, thunderstorms and persistent rain possibly returning in the west as the week goes on. Three women on Brighton beach yesterday as they enjoy the hot weather on the Sussex coast People go swimming in the sea at Bournemouth in Dorset yesterday to enjoy the weather Three-year-olds (from left) Sam Gallagher, Henry Clapham and Oliver Healy at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside yesterday People enter the water and enjoy the warm weather on Crosby Beach in Merseyside yesterday A woman reads a book at London Fields in East London in the sunshine yesterday A Cavalry Guard is believed to have fainted on The Mall in London during rehearsals yesterday To be defined as a heatwave, the temperature has to meet a threshold temperature - that varies across the country according to local conditions - ranging from 25C (77F) in Scotland to 28C (82F) in London. The sunshine came as a welcome boost to the hospitality sector after a drizzly spring. The licensed trade predicted sales of drinks could be boosted by as much as 20 per cent. One veteran ice cream seller, Katy Alston known to her customers in West Sussex as Mrs Whippy, welcomed the 'wonderful' news of warmer weather. She said: 'What we notice, once the weather's good, is everyone goes into holiday mode - so they eat ice cream, they come out, they spend longer out. 'The footfall for just a takeaway cone goes from probably 1 per cent to 100 per cent,' the former Ice Cream Alliance president added. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said she hoped the trade would get a boost from sunshine and the warm weather. She added: 'The last period of sustained warm sunnier weather way back in September last year saw average increased sales of almost 20 per cent.' Glastonbury festivalgoers can expect mostly warm, dry, settled and temperatures of 25C (77F) to 27C (81F) with cooler temperatures on Thursday and the possibility of occasional showers from Friday to Sunday. Friday through to Sunday are forecast to be dry days, with sunny spells and light winds, although there is some uncertainty still and so the odd shower is possible. The week's heat marks a break from the rainy spring, which saw 32 per cent more rainfall than the average in England and Wales according to the Met Office, and hampered businesses reliant on tourism or high street foot traffic. The yellow heat health alert for England, with all but the North East included in the warning Meanwhile the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) issued a safety warning yesterday, reminding people heading to coastal areas to take precautions. Sam Hughes, water safety education manager at the RNLI, said: 'We are expecting the coast to be extremely busy with this burst of warm weather. 'We want everyone to enjoy being around the water but we also want to make sure people stay safe and know what to do in an emergency. 'Always visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. 'Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then, once you are through the initial shock, call for help to or swim to safety if you can. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the coastguard.' Fatima Payman has voted against her own party to support the Greens motion calling on the government to recognise the state of Palestine - opening her up to potential expulsion from the ALP. The extraordinary decision comes after the 28-year-old first-term Labor senator diverged from the party line last month to describe the ongoing crisis in Gaza as a 'genocide' and demand more from her colleagues and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Firebrand Greens senator Lidia Thorpe seized upon the high-stakes moment, which attracted a crowd of journalists, to lash out at politicians from both major parties for voting against the motion. She said doing so made them 'complicit in genocide'. Ms Payman chose to abstain from a series of initial votes on Tuesday afternoon, defiantly sitting in the back - behind the action but in full sight of journalists - while the debate raged on. But when push came to shove and the final vote on the motion moved by Greens senator Nick McKim for 'the Senate to recognise the State of Palestine' went ahead, Ms Payman was approached by crossbencher David Pocock. After a short discussion, the pair walked toward the Greens together. There was a brief moment where it was unclear whether Ms Payman was leaving the chamber entirely or had decided to vote, but then she took a seat beside Mr Pocock and directly in front of Senator Thorpe. Ms Payman faces expulsion from the party for choosing to cross the floor. The last time a Labor politician chose to do so from government was 1986 - before Ms Payman was even born. Fatima Payman faces expulsion from Labor for choosing to cross the floor But when push came to shove and the final vote on the motion moved by Greens senator Nick McKim for 'the Senate to recognise the State of Palestine', Fatima Payman (right) was approached by crossbencher David Pocock (left). After a brief discussion, the pair walked toward the Greens together Prior to her decision to cross the floor, Fatima Payman abstained from several rounds of votes. She did so visibly, and watched on as Senator Thorpe shouted at Labor for being 'complicit in genocide' Minutes earlier, it looked as though she had come to the chamber to be a silent bystander, sitting at the back behind Ms Thorpe as the outspoken senator shouted 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'. 'Complicit in genocide, all of you,' she shouted, pointing at the gathered Labor and Coalition senators opposing the Greens motion. 'Shame on you all. Have a good night's sleep.' When Senate President Sue Lines attempted to intervene to call for order, Ms Thorpe carried on: 'You're complicit too, President.' Greens leader in the Senate David Shoebridge also interjected, arguing the major parties had teamed up to 'gag' debate on the matter. 'They gagged it,' he said. 'Disrespectful is ignoring a genocide. They have gagged debate.' Throughout all the chaos, Ms Payman hardly lifted her head. She had the option to not come to the Senate at all during the vote, making her decision to appear and yet visibly abstain all the more noticeable. Firebrand senator Lidia Thorpe seized upon the high-stakes moment, which attracted a crowd of journalists, to lash out at politicians from both major parties for voting against the Greens motion Lidia Thorpe said doing so made them 'complicit in genocide' She held a brief media conference after the vote opening up about her decision, telling the gathered crowd she 'still has the core values of the Labor party' and hopes to continue serving as a Labor senator. 'What you just witnessed was the first Labor member to cross the floor in almost 30 years. My decision to cross the floor was the most difficult decision I have had to make. 'Each step I took across the Senate floor felt like a mile. I know I did not walk these steps by myself, and I know I did not walk them alone. 'Ive walked with the West Australians who have stopped me in the streets and told me not to give up. Ive walked with the rank and file Labor Party members who told me we must do more.' Ms Payman said she was 'bitterly disappointed' that more of her colleagues did not join her in supporting the motion, noting Labor's official policy platform 'recognises both Israel and Palestine'. 'We cannot believe in two state solutions and only recognise one. 'I was not elected as a token representative of diversity, I was elected to serve the people of Western Australia and uphold the values instilled in me by my late father. Today I have made a decision that would make him proud and make everyone proud to err on the side of humanity.' Fatima Payman has defied Anthony Albanese and her party to stand with the Greens in recognising the state of Palestine Greens leader Adam Bandt issued a damning statement after the vote slamming Labor senators who refused to cross the floor despite saying they 'care about the plight of Palestinians'. 'What Senator Payman's action shows is that every Labor MP who said they care about the plight of Palestinians are utterly cowardly and full of nothing but hollow words,' he said. 'Senator Payman's courageous actions now show up every Labor MP who has refused to cross the floor and to vote to do the right thing.' Ms Payman, whose family fled Afghanistan when she was eight, last month asked the Prime Minister what the 'magic number... of international rights laws Israel must break for us to say enough'. 'They are gaslighting the global community about the rights of self-defence,' she said, and described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a 'genocide'. 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' The Coalition and Labor united to condemn that phrase, agreeing on a motion urging senators to 'refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments, both inside and outside the chamber at all times'. Ms Payman said she was 'bitterly disappointed' that more of her colleagues did not join her in supporting the motion, noting Labor's official policy platform 'recognises both Israel and Palestine' Ms Payman joined the Labor Party because she felt aligned with the traditional working class values, having watched her parents be taken advantage of as they raised her in Australia. 'I witnessed the struggles my parents went through to put food on the table, to pay for our education and to provide a roof over our heads,' she previously told the Senate. 'From discrimination and abuse to job insecurity and low wages, my father endured those hardships without complaining or seeking compensation. 'Like many hard working Australians this came as second nature to my parents who just wanted the best future for their four children.' The crisis in the Middle East has exposed fractures within the Labor Party over the issue. Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza after the Palestinian paramilitary group Hamas - designated by Australia as a terrorist organisation - killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages on October 7. Israel's retaliatory action in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people and injured 77,000 others, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Israel has emphatically rejected the use of the term genocide, saying its war was against Hamas militants in Gaza, not civilians, and precautions were being taken to reduce casualties. But Ms Payman plainly described the conflict as a genocide, saying: 'Instead of advocating for justice, I see our leaders performatively gesture defending the oppressor's right to oppress.' She said they are 'gaslighting the global community about the rights of self-defence. 'My conscience has been uneasy for far too long and I must call this out for what it is,' she said. 'This is a genocide and we need to stop pretending otherwise. 'The lack of clarity, the moral confusion, the indecisiveness is eating at the heart of this nation. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' Hot and bothered Brits have taken to social media to share their sleepless nights as the UK basks in high temperatures. Parts of the UK saw temperatures as high as 28C on Monday but Brits have still maintained their sense of humour to get through it. Sweating sponges and a half naked man with a hosepipe are just some of the hilarious memes and funny reactions to the hot spell. It comes as the Met Office said central London could see a peak of 30C today with high 20s more widely in south-east England as fine and sunny spells continue. One X/Twitter user posted a photo of a half naked guy washing himself with a hosepipe on his front drive, writing: 'Morning - too hot too sleep.' Brits have been sharing their funniest memes as the UK is in the midst of a heatwave Another person posted a funny photo of a guy leaning out of his bedroom window showing some plants and wrote: 'Can't sleep bc it's too hot but can't stand the idea of not sleeping bc hayfever is getting my eyes good.' A third person shared an image of an angry guy with his head in his arms, writing: 'It's so hot I can't sleep and I hate sleeping naked.' One X/Twitter user shared a hilarious sweating sponge meme, and said: 'Awake early AGAIN as it's 'too hot to sleep!' 'Another day ahead, after weeks of 'is summer EVER going to start?' saying 'I like it warm but this is too warm!' 'I love the hot weather but not when I'm at work!, wish we had a summer uniform', #BritishSummer.' Social media users have been posting their funniest memes to express just how hot they are Another said: 'Nah it's way to hot to sleep tonight' while another posted several crying emojis and wrote: 'I hate the summer, it's too hot to sleep.' Posting a cheeky devil emoji, one individual said: 'We're at the point of summer in the UK where it's too hot to sleep. And I love it.' Meanwhile, temperatures in London are forecast to hit peaks of 31C on Wednesday, with much of south-east England basking in the mid-20s for the first half of the week. While Scotland and Northern Ireland will be slightly cooler and are likely to see some showers on Tuesday, further very warm or hot spells of sunshine are predicted elsewhere across the country. Early forecasts are also looking positive for those attending Glastonbury Festival, with largely sunny spells from Wednesday to Sunday and temperatures averaging the low 20s by the end of the week. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for most of England, warning the warm conditions could pose a risk to vulnerable individuals. Members of the public enjoy the summer sun in Green Park in London on Monday Swimmers cool down in the sea at Bournemouth Beach on Monday Bright sunshine and temperatures around 23C brings lots of people out to enjoy the warm weather, seaside and sunshine in Southend on Sunday The heatwave threshold is met when a location records at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding a designated value, according to the Met Office. This is 25C for most of the UK, but rises to 28C in London and its surrounding area, where temperatures are typically higher. It marks a break from the rainy spring, which saw 32 percent more rainfall than the average in England and Wales, according to the Met Office, and hampered businesses reliant on tourism or high street foot traffic. However, the heat is only expected to last until Wednesday with heavy showers, thunderstorms and persistent rain possibly returning in the west as the week goes on. Oli Claydon, a Met Office spokesman, said 'it won't be sunshine for everyone' but will still be warm even where there is cloud cover during the week. A dog cools off in the River Thames at the South Bank in London on Monday Members of the public interact with a mounted police officer and her horse next to the Mall on Monday 'We might see the occasional shower in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, where there will be a little bit of cloud through (Tuesday), but otherwise clearer skies in the South East and that's where we're going to see the highest temperatures,' he added. 'There will be a little bit of rain and cloud through Thursday,' Mr Claydon said. 'But it'll actually be quite pleasant, although temperatures will still be a little cooler and closer to average, the weather will still be fine and there will be a lot of dry weather around.' The hottest temperature on Monday was recorded at 28.3C in Wisley, Surrey, making it the hottest day of the year so far, the forecaster said. London saw a peak of 27.4C at St James's Park, while temperatures rose to 26.9C in Aberdeenshire and 25C in Northern Ireland. The heatwave which started on Monday is expected to last for several days The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) issued a safety warning on Monday reminding people heading to coastal areas to take precautions. Sam Hughes, water safety education manager at the RNLI, said: 'We are expecting the coast to be extremely busy with this burst of warm weather. 'We want everyone to enjoy being around the water but we also want to make sure people stay safe and know what to do in an emergency. 'Always visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. 'Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then, once you are through the initial shock, call for help to or swim to safety if you can. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the coastguard.' Sandra Sully has weighed in on Peter Dutton's son's 'white powder' picture after critics accused her of scoring a 'cheap shot' on the Opposition Leader. The veteran Channel 10 newsreader shared a news article which showed Tom Dutton, 18, facing the camera and holding the clear bag on a balcony in Surfers Paradise. 'Birthday day treat. Hello how you goin,' the photo caption read. Sully initially made no comment on the piece beyond quoting the article's headline to her 120,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter. But one follower accused her of scoring a 'cheap shot' and lacking 'class'. 'NO cheap shot,' Sully responded. 'Just retweeting the story from it's source.' That response did not satisfy everyone, however. Channel 10 news presenter Sandra Sully (pictured) shared a news article which showed Tom Dutton, 18, facing the camera and holding the clear bag on a balcony in Surfers Paradise Sandra Sully initially made no comment on the piece beyond quoting the article's headline to her 120,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter. Pictured is the screenshot in question of Tom Dutton 'And you think that's going to help his son or hurt his son?', one follower replied. 'You could have easily chosen to ignore that, but you didn't!' Sully hit back, saying: 'What and pretend the story isn't in a major newspaper? #Fool.' The photo of Mr Dutton's eldest son was first shared on Snapchat before it was screenshotted and leaked to the Herald Sun on Monday. The photo has since been deleted. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the white substance was drugs. The Opposition Leader's office has refused to comment on the matter, releasing a one-sentence statement that it is a 'private matter for the Dutton family'. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek previously defended Mr Dutton's son. Sandra Sully hit back at her critics, saying: 'What and pretend the story isn't in a major newspaper? #Fool Ms Plibersek expressed empathy for the families of public figures after she was asked about the matter on Channel Nine's Today show on Tuesday morning. 'I've got no comment at all. Peter Dutton's a public figure, but his son's not,' she said. Host Karl Stefanovic continued to quiz her on the photo. 'Can you imagine the embarrassment from the poor kid?' he said. 'I mean, already his dad is the Opposition Leader... he's a former cop... and (Tom) ends up on the front page of the paper. 'Kids have to suffer with high profile parents, don't they?' Ms Plibersek, who is a mum-of-three and formerly served as the Opposition Deputy Leader, conceded it wasn't 'an easy life' for the children of politicians. 'There's nothing more embarrassing than being out with your mum and being stopped at the shops for people wanting to have a chat,' she said. 'It's not an easy life. We go into public life and we choose it. Our families don't choose it, that's for sure.' Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek reframed from commenting on the matter, stating: Peter Duttons a public figure, but his sons not. National Victorian Senator Bridget McKenzie also appeared on the Today show on Tuesdau but hadn't yet spoken to Mr Dutton since the photo scandal. She reiterated it was 'an issue for the Dutton family'. Labor Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth also refrained from making political capital out of the incident, saying 'Families are conscripts to politics'. Snapchat is popular among young people because posts usually disappear after they have been read. Recipients can screenshot posts, but the person who shared it will be notified. Mr Dutton has two sons - Tom and Harry - with his wife Kirilly, as well as daughter Rebecca from a previous relationship. He told the ABC's Kitchen Cabinet last year about how being a police officer before entering politics had influenced his parenting style, admitting that he was stricter than most. 'Even in the way that you bring up your children... You know, not letting them out of your sight because you've seen some horrific cases where kids have been abducted or assaulted,' he told Annabel Crabb during an interview at his home. As part of that vigilance, he would not let his children use public toilets when they were out. Nearly a year before former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was arrested over the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, police had begun listening to him through covert recording devices. These captured him talking to himself and saying things such as 'They're sitting on a beach in f***ing Queensland. Nudist beach. Butt naked.' Police had placed a tracker and listening devices on his Nissan Patrol, and bugged his home in Caroline Springs, while they drip fed details on Mr Hill and Ms Clay's disappearance to the media, hoping to catch him speaking about the case. Following extensive pre-trial hearings, Justice Michael Croucher barred significant portions of evidence, including these recordings, from being put to the jury, finding it had been obtained through 'reprehensible' conduct of some officers. 'In my view, these failures are inconsistent with the minimum standards which a society such as ours should expect and require of those entrusted with powers of law enforcement,' he wrote in a scathing judgement three days before Christmas. Following the jury's verdict on Tuesday, where Lynn was found not guilty of the murder of Russell Hill and guilty of the murder of Carol Clay, his utterances can now be revealed. Driving alone on May 4 2021, after a radio story about the couple's disappearance, Mr Lynn said to himself; 'They're sitting on a beach in f***ing Queensland. Nudist beach. Butt naked. Playing on his f***ing drone. 'Running up and down the beach. Taking pictures of the young people. Who's got the biggest d***?' Nearly a year before former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn (pictured) was arrested over the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, police had begun listening to him through covert recording devices Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was pictured changing the colour of his 4WD vehicle Another story about the couple had played on the radio earlier that day as he was driving. The court had heard Lynn then turned up the volume on his radio and said: 'I put a f***ing trigger lock on it. You've gotta get a second set of trigger lock f***ing keys and stick them in there. ... They've just got to keep pushing all the time, don't they?' The police had scoured through hours of recordings to find instances where they believed he was talking about Mr Hill and Mrs Clay. Lynn appeared to discuss the couple several times between December 15 and 16 2020, while on a solo camping trip near Howitt Plains. Speaking to himself, he said the following things: 'Let's see if the cops turn up. If they do, we know that they can put a tracker on it.' 'F***ing white people, that's all it is who can we annoy now. Who can we annoy?' 'Who decides what's right and what's wrong? That's the thing, judgment, judge does, the law does, the community does.' 'Ballistics, you'd think they would want samples of my ammo, you would. Until that.' Justice Croucher said each of the Howitt Plains utterances and the recording about the trigger lock had not been proven relevant to the case. 'I consider it rationally impossible safely to construe any of these remarks as related to Mr Hill and Mrs Clay,' he said. 'The only way to do so is via speculation.' He found Lynn's comments about the nude beach could be rationally linked to the couple. However, the recording was ruled inadmissable because, as the prosecution case would be that he allegedly killed the pair 14 months earlier, it would force the jury to speculate on his sanity, and because the references to taking photos and anatomy 'risks unfairly blackening Lynn's character for no rationally probative reason'. The judge heard Lynn had been first identified by Victoria Police's missing person squad less than three months after Russell Hill and Carol Clay vanished in March 2020. (Left to right) a courtroom sketch of former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn at the Supreme Court of Victoria, and campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill Melanie Lynn (left), wife of Greg Lynn and Geordie Lynn (right), son of Greg Lynn arrive at Supreme court Melbourne Four automatic licence plate recognition cameras, set up on either side of the Hotham Alpine resort to ensure visitors paid entry fees, had captured him leaving the valley. When police swooped in November the following year, the avid camper had been the only suspect in the couple's disappearance for about 16 months. Aside from a short visit by detectives in July 2020, Lynn had no idea he was under surveillance. 'Yeah, mate, you're not in any strife or anything,' Detective Sergeant Brett Florence told him on July 14, explaining they were 'chatting' with everyone in the region. 'We've sort of expanded our search zone for possible witnesses. So I just wanted to just ask you a few questions to see if you can help us.' The then-Jetstar captain provided a statement about his trip, including the dates he'd been camping and the routes taken. He claimed at the time not to have met Mr Hill and Mrs Clay during the trip. But detectives believed he was not telling the full story about his movements, and noticed he had repainted his car which Mr Lynn said was a 'Covid project' with his children. He would later tell police he may have 'appeared calm', but inside he was panicking during the exchange. By the end of the year his phone, car and home were bugged as investigators collected thousands of recordings. Heavily armed officers from the Special Operations Group arrived by helicopter and arrested Lynn in the afternoon of November 22, 2021, at a campsite in Moroka Junction. When detectives arrived on scene, he asked if the whole show was 'really necessary'. Last year, investigators from the Missing Persons Squad told the Victorian Supreme Court they had no plans to arrest him at the time, but his conduct on the drive up made them fear he planned to take his own life. 'I have a bad feeling about what I've just listened to,' former Detective Senior Constable Passingham said after he raised the alarm. Police believed Lynn's self-talk was 'concerning' and it appeared he was crying, but would later tell Justice Croucher perhaps they misunderstood. The shotgun used to murder Carol Clay is pictured. Greg Lynn was found guilty of her murder Greg Lynn (pictured) claimed Russell Hill attempted to steal his shotgun when he was forced to intervene in what became a deadly struggle Much of what occurred as he was repeatedly questioned over the next four days, was kept from the jury after the judge found the investigators had at times engaged in 'reprehensible' oppressive conduct. After a two-hour drive from the remote camping spot to Sale Police Station, Lynn spent nine hours over the following four days sitting in an interview room with two detectives. They repeatedly peppered him with questions about the deaths and pushed him to answer the questions. After a phone call with a lawyer in the morning of November 23, he repeatedly declined to answer their questions but became increasingly desperate as time went on. 'My lawyer is telling me to say "no comment" to every single (thing) that you ask me. And yet you come back and keep asking question after question after question,' he said. 'Can we please do it the way (the lawyer) recommended to me? She's the cavalry and I'm in over my head.' Both Sergeant Florence and Senior Constable Passingham were found by the court to have engaged in deliberate efforts to undermine his lawyer's advice. In one example, Senior Constable Passingham compared the lawyer to a 'flight attendant'. 'Yeah, but I wouldn't say she's the expert. It'd be like be like a flight attendant telling the captain something,' he said. 'The way I look at it, this is the rest of your life. So please help me help you.' Detective Acting Sergeant Brett Florence is pictured at the Supreme court of Victoria The Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, where Russell Hill and Carol Clay died Each of the detectives would later tell Justice Croucher the arrest was 'rushed' and they had not planned the interview, claiming they simply made bad choices in how they framed the questions. 'The questions are bad and I should have stopped and reassessed,' Sergeant Florence conceded. Mr Lynn's lawyer, Dermott Dann KC, argued the detectives had 'flagrantly abused' his client's rights. After 45 hours in custody, over two and a half days, Lynn broke, saying he was going to 'ignore my solicitor's advice and tell you what happened right from the start'. He provided an account of how both Mrs Clay and Mr Hill died with Mrs Clay supposedly accidentally shot in the head as the two men wrestled over a gun. Mr Hill, he said, attacked him with a knife a short time later, leading to his accidental death as the two men fell to the ground. Lynn told police he feared he would be blamed for the deaths and 'panicked', torching the camp site and disposing of the bodies. 'Look, the assumption is that I'm the villain. In fact, ah, I think I'm the victim of all of this,' he said. 'I'm innocent of murder. I've I haven't behaved well, I've made some poor decisions. But murder, as I understand it, I'm innocent of.' On the fourth day, he led the two detectives to where he had dumped and incinerated the bodies, with forensic officers later finding some personal items and more than 2,100 bone fragments. Investigators believed his account, which amounted to accidental deaths and self-defence, was untrue and he was charged with two counts of murder. 'He gave that account, Your Honour, and there were some things within that account that I felt were incorrect,' Sergeant Florence said. Before Lynn's trial, Victoria's Supreme Court held extensive pre-trial arguments over several months about the admissibility of much of the evidence prosecutors intended to rely on. Ultimately, Justice Croucher ruled against police and barred significant portions of evidence from being put to the jury, finding it had been obtained improperly by their 'oppressive' conduct. He found Lynn's first statement to police on July 14, and a secret recording of the conversation, were inadmissable because any 'competent rational detective' would have considered him a suspect at the time. A witness has claimed Greg Lynn was camped in the area circled. Mr Hill's vehicle was found about 30 metres from the river displayed An image supplied during the Greg Lynn trial by the Supreme Court of Victoria is pictured Police, therefore, should have cautioned and informed Lynn of his rights but failed to do so. Both detectives present at the time told the court they considered Lynn a person of interest, not a suspect, but Justice Croucher found this was 'untruthful'. 'This evidence also adds to my grave concern about the approach of the Missing Persons Squad during this investigation to their obligations to caution and to advise suspects of their rights, and about their inaccurate and misleading note-taking vis-a-vis suspects and persons of interest,' he wrote. 'If this approach has not ceased already, it should be stopped immediately. 'In my view, these failures are inconsistent with the minimum standards which a society such as ours should expect and require of those entrusted with powers of law enforcement.' Similarly, Justice Croucher ruled prosecutors could not include the parts of Mr Lynn's interview they hoped to rely on after Sergeant Florence and Senior Constable Passingham admitted they'd 'ridden roughshod' over his rights. Senior Constable Passingham, the judge heard, quit the force soon after he was grilled during the pre-trial hearings. Justice Croucher found the two detectives had deliberately and egregiously undermined the solicitor's advice through a 'withering barrage of oppressive and improper inducements' to influence Lynn's decision to make admissions and reveal the location of the remains. 'I have no doubt that Detective Florence and Detective Passingham are decent, capable and hard-working members of Victoria Police who were under great pressure to give some comfort to the families of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay,' he said. 'The difficulty, however, is that the manner in which they pursued those aims must have significant consequences.' The ruling also barred prosecutors from using portions of evidence that flowed from the interview as fruit of the poisonous tree, including the discovery of the remains and forensic testing. Ultimately parts of the case were allowed back in after Lynn decided he wanted his account of the deaths to go before the jury. Pictured is an image obtained by police upon the initial search for the missing campers An image supplied by the Supreme Court of Victoria during the Greg Lynn trial is pictured Victims' families' full statement on the trial verdict Russell Hill and Carol Clay's families are both relieved and devastated at the verdicts in the trial of Gregory Lynn for the murder of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, delivered today. The jury have only decided murder in one case, that of Carol Clay. The verdict of guilty was the only charge. The possibility of a verdict of 'manslaughter' was ruled out. We thank the jury for their verdict of guilty in the murder of Carol Clay. It was an extremely difficult task given that the accused destroyed so much evidence. The verdict of not guilty in relation to the murder Russell Hill is devastating. There was not enough evidence to be sure of how he died. Our families were always aware that the prosecutor had an enormous burden of proof as there were no eyewitnesses. The accused was the only person who saw and experienced what happened. He was also the only person who emerged alive. We thank the crown prosecutors wholeheartedly for their diligent effort in presenting the pretrial and the trial. They had an enormous job putting a case together with limited evidence. They fought hard to keep all their evidence allowed in court, so the jury could make an informed decision, but this was not the case. We also thank the Victoria Police Missing Persons Squad, particularly Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper and Sergeant Brett Florence for their tireless investigative work over four and a half years. They have gone above and beyond in their duties to solve this case and we sincerely thank them for their time, effort, persistence, care and professionalism to bring us answers. For the wider Victoria Police involvement, thank you, we appreciated the efforts of you all and are extremely grateful for your expertise, your hard work and support. Plus, we thank all the wonderful volunteers who spent weeks searching for our loved ones. Finally, Carol Clay and Russell Hill's families would like to thank all our friends and family who have given their support throughout this harrowing experience, over the last four years. We are heartbroken at the loss of our loved ones. It will take time to absorb the verdicts, put this behind us and set about healing and getting on with our lives. Right now, we ask you to respect our privacy while we do this. On behalf of both, The Hill Family and the Clay Family Advertisement Hours of the interview were cut from the record, including Mr Lynn's claim to not have seen the campers, and an almost four-hour video was played to his jury in early June. Justice Croucher also barred any material from the listening devices from going before the jury, finding each failed 'the test of relevance' and posed a danger of unfair prejudice. 'I consider it rationally impossible safely to construe any of these remarks as related to Mr Hill and Mrs Clay,' he wrote. 'For example, if the references to cops, trackers, judges, ammo and little old people are considered together, a juror might be able to speculate that this all has something to do with the present case, but speculation is all it could be.' This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Julian Assange's brother has revealed the WikiLeaks founder could move 'to the Australian bush' to 'rest and recover' following his release from Belmarsh prison. Gabriel Shipton says 'now is the time' for his sibling to rest and 'have a bit of quiet life for a while' in the backwoods or hinterland areas in his native country. A plea deal with US authorities over spy charges means the 52-year-old is apparently a free man. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. WikiLeaks published footage of Assange being driven from Belmarsh jail in London, where he has been detained for five years, to Stansted Airport. He then boarded a private jet that landed in Bangkok, Thailand to refuel. Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton has revealed the WikiLeaks founder could move 'to the Australian bush' to 'rest and recover' following his release from Belmarsh prison Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper Assange has been a wanted man since 2010 when WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swathes of diplomatic cables. Mr Shipton told Sky News: 'I think now is the time for him to rest and really recuperate, be with his family and have a bit of a quiet life for a while.' Pressed on where that quiet life would be and where home is, he added: 'Hopefully somewhere quiet and out of the way where he can go outside and feel the sun on his face and be in the Australian bush or something like that. 'So that he can have a chance to really rest and recover and spend some time with us. It will just be nice to enjoy a meal with him when he is back home in Australia.' Assange will return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for tomorrow morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. The official WikiLeaks account said Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison yesterday morning 'after having spent 1,901 days there'. Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Stella Assange and WikiLeaks chief Kristinn Hrafnsson speaking outside Belmarsh prison in a pre-recorded video On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday Assange, who has been sought for over a decade over allegations he hacked the US government, today left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm today A plane, understood to be carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the tarmac at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok today Speaking on Assange's release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nation's parliament on Tuesday 'we want him brought home to Australia'. He said: 'I've been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that - regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities - the case has dragged on for too long. 'There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.' A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA news agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. The WikiLeaks statement also thanked 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom'. It said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. 'WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. 'As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom.' In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: 'Julian is free!!!! 'Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU.' Assange's mother, Christine Assange, told Australia's Sky News that she is 'grateful' her son's ordeal is 'finally coming to an end'. She said: 'This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first. 'The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy.' Reacting to the plea deal, Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia, told BBC Radio 4 Today on Tuesday morning: 'This is an appropriate way, I think, for it to be brought to an end. 'The plea bargain is such that Julian Assange has admitted his guilt in this case to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, which is an extremely serious offence.' WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq He spent the last 12 years years in prison or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London According to a document filed in federal court (pictured), Assange will plead guilty to the single charge of hacking The former high commissioner to the UK added: 'I don't think we should walk past the fact that this is a very serious charge he's admitted to so in that sense it's no doubt appropriate. 'He's admitted his guilt now... that's part of the plea bargain. So the fact is we can now satisfactorily say he was guilty of a very serious offence.' When asked about how some people will give him a heroes welcome in Australia, he responded: 'Most people don't in Australia [think that he fought to get the truth as a journalist]. A tiny minority of very vocal people see that he was a journalist, their claim is... that he was just reporting information. But he has been found guilty of a much more serious offence than that. 'And I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it. 'Governments have to have some degree of privacy in their communications... and by the way, he didn't just release information relating to Iraq and Afghanistan... but he released a huge amount of information, much of which was very embarrassing and some of which endangered lives. 'So what he did was a criminal offence and it was a terrible thing to do morally as well, endangering people's lives in that way, is just completely inappropriate. I don't think many Australians have sympathy for him, no. Just because he was Australian doesn't mean he's a good bloke.' After spending the last 12 years being either holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy or held in a 2x3m cell in Belmarsh Prison, Julian Assange yesterday strutted along the tarmac at Stansted Airport as the sun beamed down to board a private jet a 'free man'. The WikiLeaks founder is now set to retreat to the peaceful calms of the Australian bush in his native country for a 'quiet life' once his plea deal with US authorities over spy charges is signed off by a judge. It is a stark contrast from the more than decade-long circus that has followed the 52-year-old - fraught with fears of the death penalty, rape allegations and a mass following of fans including Pamela Anderson. The computer programmer first gained notoriety in his teens as a skilled hacker under the name Mendax. By 1995 he was in court in Australia facing more than 30 hacking offences. Facing more than 10 years in prison he struck a plea deal to escape being sent behind bars having promised not to do it again. After spending the last 12 years being either holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy or held in a 2x3m cell in Belmarsh Prison, Julian Assange is now a 'free man' He yesterday strutted along the tarmac at Stansted Airport as the sun beamed down to board a private jet after his release from Belmarsh Prison The private plane that carried Assange seen on the tarmac at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper Fifteen years later he would play a part in the largest security data breach of its kind in US military history. In 2010, WikiLeaks, a website he co-founded four years earlier, published a trove of classified US military documents about the Afghanistan conflict from 2004 to 2009. The more than 700,000 confidential papers, provided by then US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, included 5,000 documents relating to the war in Afghanistan and approximately 390,000 army field reports relating to the Iraq war. The most stark of which was a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters journalists. He faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his role in the WikiLeaks data breach. It carried a maximum of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over the mass release of secret US documents. Officials in the US had alleged that Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables. US prosecutors claimed that the cables were not only embarrassing but more importantly potentially endangered confidential sources. 2010 -- Assange holds up a copy of The Guardian newspaper which front page reports on WikiLeaks' release of the Afghan war secret files 2010 -- WikiLeaks, a website Assange co-founded in 2006, published a trove of classified US military documents about the Afghanistan conflict from 2004 to 2009 The more than 700,000 confidential papers were provided by then US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning (pictured) Manning was known as Bradley Manning when she worked as a US military analyst 2011 -- Assange faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his role in the WikiLeaks data breach. It carried a maximum of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. 2011 -- Assange holds up his Sydney Peace Prize after receiving the award at the Frontline Club in London Within the documents was a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq Pilots gunned down 12 civilians in Baghdad, including two Reuters journalists Many contained top secret information regarding Iraq war-related activity reports and information related to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Manning was jailed for 35 years in 2013 but her sentence was commuted in 2017 by Barack Obama in one of his last acts as US president. Two years later she was back behind bars for refusing to testify against Assange before a grand jury. Manning was released in March 2020. But it would be an allegation of sex crimes months after the massive data dump that Assange had his first run-in with the authorities. Swedish prosecutors obtained a European arrest warrant in 2010 to bring in him for questioning after two women accused him of offences, one of rape and one of molestation, following a speaking trip to the country in August. His lawyers described it as a 'smear campaign' while Assange labelled the allegations as 'without basis'. In December of that year he was arrested in London while being accompanied by both his British lawyers, Mark Stephens and Jennifer Robinson, having 'negotiated a meeting with police'. He was granted bail soon after when his supporters put up 240,000 in cash and sureties and he spent years fighting against extradition to Sweden. His supporters alleged the allegations were drummed up to enable his detention so he could be extradited to America over the leaks. So in 2012 when his final appeals were exhausted, instead of fighting to clear his name, he breached his UK bail and fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy to seek asylum. 2012 -- Assange urged President Barack Obama to end the US 'witchhunt' against his website 2016 -- Assange holds up a copy of the United Nations human rights council as he stands on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy 2017 -- Assange raises his fist as he speaks to the media from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy 2017 -- Assange speaking from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy Lady Gaga posted a picture of herself with Assange on her Little Monsters website after going to visit him at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London 2016 -- Pamela Anderson would bring Assange vegan treats for 'one of my favourite people' 2017 -- The former Baywatch star and Playboy model was another frequent visitor 2016 -- Assange looking out of the Embassy window in London where he had been living for more than three years at the time 2012 -- He fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy to seek asylum when allegations of sex crimes in Sweden were made against him. They were later dropped 2012 -- Believing he would be extradicted to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he left the building, he stayed holed up in the building for seven years 2019 -- Vivienne Westwood was another high profile visitor. She is seen here outside Westminster magistrates' court where Assange was due to face a trial 2019 -- A bearded Assange is dragged from the Embassy by police after being arrested In August that year he stood on the embassy's balcony and gave a rambling speech, frequently disrupted by police helicopters, in which he accused the US of a 'witch-hunt' that threatened freedom of expression. Assange claimed he had heard police inside the mansion block building and said a core of protesters who have maintained a vigil outside the embassy had protected him. He told them: 'On Wednesday night, after a threat was sent to this embassy, and the police descended on the building, you came out in the middle of the night to watch over it, and you brought the world's eyes with you. 'Inside the embassy, after dark, I could hear teams of police swarming up into the building through the internal fire escape. But I knew there would be witnesses. And that is because of you. 'If the UK did not throw away the Vienna Conventions the other night, that is because the world was watching. And the world was watching because you were watching.' Scotland Yard denied officers had entered or attempted to enter the building. Believing he would be extradicted to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he left the building, he stayed holed up in the building for seven years, until Sweden dropped the rape charge against him. Swedish prosecutors said in 2019: 'The reason for this decision is that the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question.' His stay at the embassy is thought to have cost taxpayers 13.2million and brought a raft of high profile visitors that included Vivienne Westwood, Lady Gaga, American actors John Cusack and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Yoko Ono and her son Sean, and even former Manchester United star Eric Cantona. 2019 -- Met Police officers carried him out of the embassy during Operation Pelican when his asylum was revoked 2019 -- Assange is seen as he leaves a police station in London 2019 -- Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago The former Baywatch star and Playboy model Pamela Anderson was another frequent visitor, bringing vegan treats for 'one of my favourite people'. While holed up inside he secretly fathered two sons - Gabriel and Max - with his lawyer Stella Moris. Assange watched both children being born in London hospitals via live video link and met Gabriel when he was smuggled into the embassy. 'I was in the embassy every day and Julian became a friend,' Moris told the Mail on Sunday in 2020. 'Over the years he went from being a person I enjoyed seeing to the man I wanted to see most in the world.' She described him as 'a generous and tender loving partner' adding: 'He asked me to marry him in 2017 [when they were engaged] and I chose a diamond ring, which I showed him online, that we both loved. 'We even hoped we'd find a way of marrying in the embassy.' By 2019 Assange's relationship with the Ecuador Embassy had soured with accusations the country's government was carrying out 'extensive spying' on him. One official even accused him of smearing faeces on the walls - a claim which was stringently denied by his supporters. Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno said the country had 'reached its limit on the behaviour of Mr Assange'. Mr Moreno said: 'The most recent incident occurred in January 2019, when WikiLeaks leaked Vatican documents. 'This and other publications have confirmed the world's suspicion that Mr Assange is still linked to WikiLeaks and therefore involved in interfering in internal affairs of other states.' He also accused Assange of blocking security cameras at the embassy, accessing security files and confronting guards. MARCH 2022 -- Assange married his lawyer Stella Moris inside the high-security Belmarsh Prison in a small ceremony The wedding was attended by two guests and two prison guards - with a guard acting as the wedding snapper A wedding cake brought by supporters of Assange to celebrate his wedding Moris cuts a wedding cake given by supporters outside Belmarsh prison Moris departs HMP Belmarsh prison after her wedding Moris wore a full-length wedding dress with one of designer Vivienne Westwood's signature corsets Her floor-length tulle veil was embroidered with with messages from their friends and family They included words such as 'valiant, wild, relentless and free enduring love' Their engagement was announced in November 2021 with the couple secretly having two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy The cake topper showed a white-haired groom holding the hand of his dark-haired bride Moris arrives at HMP Belmarsh alongside their two sons, Julian's brother Gabriel Shipton (third from left) and her mother Assange's team alleged that throughout his time at the embassy, he was subjected to inhumane conditions. Dr Sondra Crosby, an associate professor of medicine and public health at Boston University and an expert on the physical and psychological impact of torture, was tasked with assessing Assange in 2018. According to the Intercept, she wrote in an affidavit she gave to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: 'Mr. Assange's situation [inside the embassy] differs from a typical prisoner in a conventional prison. 'In fact, his position is worse than a conventional prison in many respects. His confinement is indefinite and uncertain, which increases chronic stress and its myriad of chronic physical and serious psychological risks, including suicide.' Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican when his asylum was revoked, and jailed for skipping bail. But at the same time, US authorities were indicting him over the WikiLeaks data breaches. Assange was taken to HMP Belmarsh maximum security prison where he would spend the next five years being kept in a 2x3m cell in isolation for 23 hours a day. In February 2020 he began facing a series of a extradition hearings while held at Belmarsh, which is home to former Metropolitan Police officer and serial rapist David Carrick, who is serving 32 years for 24 counts of rape over two decades. Several years of consequent legal to-and-fro resulted in Assange appealing multiple decisions to extradite him. He would later tie the knot with human rights lawyer Moris in March 2022 in a ceremony inside the prison walls in which she wore a full-length wedding dress with one of designer Vivienne Westwood's signature corsets. Her floor-length tulle veil was embroidered with with messages from their friends and family which included words such as 'valiant, wild, relentless and free enduring love'' 2019 -- Assange arrives at court in London in May to be sentenced for bail violation Assange had spent the last five years inside a 2x3 metre cell in Belmarsh Prison (pictured) where he was isolated for 23 hours a day MARCH 2024 -- Supporters of Assange hold up posters showing an American flag over his mouth as they gather at the Royal Courts of Justice MAY 2024 -- Supporters hold up placards calling to 'Free Julian Assange Now' as they wait the outcome of his appeal against his extradition to the US A filing from the US Department of Justice to the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands describes a plea deal regarding Assange Assange wore a specially made tartan kilt by the designer in honour of his Scottish roots. The couple married inside the high-security southeast London prison in a small ceremony attended by two guests and two prison guards - with a guard acting as the wedding snapper. Speaking in an op-ed for the Guardian ahead of the ceremony Moris said of the dress: 'I am honoured to be wearing their beautiful creation. It is a symbol of our love and defiance in the face of this cruel situation.' The prison refused permission for journalists or a photographer to be present as witnesses on security grounds. After a civil ceremony and a blessing by a Catholic chaplain in the presence of their two young sons the new Mr and Mrs Julian Assange were escorted back into the prison's general visiting hall. Moris made claims in February this year that his health was declining as he awaited a decision on his extradition. 'He's not doing well, he wasn't even attending these hearings and this is the decisive hearing,' Stella told Tucker Carlson during an appearance on his X show. 'If he hadn't been kept in Belmarsh prison during the past five years he wouldn't be in this state of deterioration and decline. Every day he spends in prison is a day that his health deteriorates.' She addressed a Yahoo News report that claimed the CIA planned to assassinate Assange after Wikileaks published sensitive agency hacking tools online, with Carlson asking how she felt that 'Mike Pompeo tried to murder her husband.' 'Julian is under enormous pressure... he knows the US is a country that has plotted his assassination's. The stakes could not be higher,' Stella said. 'If the UK decides in favor of the US, the it will put Julian on a plane to the US, that is how imminent it is. Really, it's a very high-risk moment for Julian.' Pompeo allegedly led the crusade against Assange in 2017 when WikiLeaks continued publishing classified government documents. 'He's a dangerous individual,' Stella said of Pompeo. 'The CIA is a rogue organization that everyone on every level of US politics is terrified of, they are trained to assassinate, to fabricate information and place it in the media and conduct propaganda warfare and to overthrow governments and so on.' Carlson also accused the British government of degrading 'their own system and history on behalf of the US government'. 'It's the default state of affairs - the UK views itself as a lapdog,' she replied. But yesterday Assange appeared to be full of vigour as WikiLeaks celebrated its former editor's release from behind bars declaring on X: 'Julian Assange is free!' In a pre-recorded video filmed outside Belmarsh prison, Assange's wife Stella and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: 'If you're seeing this, it means he is out.' WikiLeaks published footage of Assange being driven from Belmarsh jail in London, where he has been detained for five years, to Stansted Airport. He then boarded a private jet that landed in Bangkok, Thailand to refuel. The group said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars.' Last night she posted on X: 'Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' A 14-year-old who went missing from Canterbury in the company of an 'unknown older male' has been found 'safe and well'. Lily Wright, who is more widely known as Kalia, was thought to have boarded a train from Canterbury West railway station accompanied by the male, Kent Police said. But the force said on Tuesday morning that she had been 'found safe and well'. 'Officers wish to thank all those who assisted in the search to find her', they added. Missing: Lily Wright is white, around 5ft 5ins tall, slim and has shoulder-length blonde hair A fresh political row has broken out following the release of Julian Assange from Belmarsh Prison after the WikiLeaks founder reached a plea deal with the US over the spy charges that have dogged him for more than a decade. Assange, 52, was driven from the London prison to Stansted Airport yesterday, where he boarded a private jet that 'left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm' and landed in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday morning. He will continue on to the Northern Mariana Islands, a tiny US-controlled territory in the south Pacific, where he is expected to plead guilty to a single espionage charge which will pave the way for him to return to his native Australia and be reunited with his wife Stella as a free man. It's understood prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of 62 months in custody in return for the guilty plea but Assange would not spend any time in a US prison because of the five years he spent jailed in the UK. Stella - who said she is feeling a 'whirlwind of emotion' - has revealed they are seeking a pardon following the 'outrageous' 14-year case. The release of Assange has divided politicians, with Australia's former foreign secretary Alexander Downer declaring: 'Just because he's Australian doesn't mean he's a good bloke.' In stark contrast, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was looking forward to welcoming Assange 'home'. Assange has been a wanted man since 2010 when WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swathes of diplomatic cables. In 2012, as authorities circled him for that and over 'credible and reliable' sex crime allegations from a woman in Sweden, he fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy where he remained for seven years in often farcical circumstances. After falling out with the South American nation's rulers he was dragged out of his bolthole in 2019 and locked up in Belmarsh while the US attempted to extradite him. But that legal process ended abruptly yesterday, and WikiLeaks broke the news with a post on X reading: 'Julian Assange is free!' WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is pictured approaching Bangkok Airport on a private jet following his release Assange, 52, is seen leaving the private jet after touching down in Bangkok Assange, who has been sought for over a decade over allegations he hacked the US government, today left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm on Monday Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) said there was 'nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him [brought] home to Australia' Former foreign secretary Alexander Downer said: 'I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it.' Stella Assange (pictured) said it has been a 'whirlwind of emotions' but that she is 'elated' that her husband could be a free man While he has reportedly been allowed to leave the country to go back to his native Australia, British officials have not yet confirmed his release He spent the last 12 years years in prison or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London A plane, understood to be carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the tarmac at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok today Stella Assange and WikiLeaks chief Kristinn Hrafnsson speaking outside Belmarsh prison in a pre-recorded video WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq According to a document filed in federal court (pictured), Assange will plead guilty to the single charge of hacking Assange is expected to appear in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9am local time (pictured) A plane matching the type Assange was pictured boarding was tracked as it headed from Stansted Airport north of London to Bangkok in Thailand. It was unclear if it is the one Assange was on board On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday Mr Downer told BBC Radio 4 Today on Tuesday morning: 'I don't think we should walk past the fact that this is a very serious charge he's admitted to so in that sense it's no doubt appropriate.' The former high commissioner to the UK said that most people in Australia do not believe he is a hero who was fighting for the truth as a journalist. Legal Q&A: How has Assange managed to suddenly secure his release from prison, and why is he being taken to a tiny island? Why was Assange in prison in the UK? Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019, jailed for skipping bail and has been in Belmarsh ever since, latterly fighting extradition to the United States to face 18 charges relating to the mass leak of US secret intelligence files that were published on his website, WikiLeaks. On May 20, Assange was given the go-ahead by British judges to bring an appeal against his extradition on the grounds he may be discriminated against and not able to rely on free speech protections in the US. Why has he now been released? Plea bargaining, which is banned in the UK but common in the US, sees the accused negotiate with prosecutors for a lesser sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to some charges. Assange's deal is expected to see him plead guilty to a single espionage charge. Prosecutors will then ask the judge to sentence him to five years. He has already served this time in the UK, meaning he is likely to be set free immediately. The precise reason US prosecutors decided to strike the deal is unclear, but Assange's family said today that the end of his 'ordeal' was down to 'quiet diplomacy' - with his father John Shipton thanking Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Why is he going to a Pacific island? The hearing is taking place in the Northern Mariana Islands due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the American mainland and their proximity to his home, Australia. What else does the plea deal say? Will Assange be subject to any other restrictions? Julian Assange's wife Stella said her husband's 'interesting' plea deal with the US 'will be made public' - before then it is unclear exactly what it says. Mr Shipton said today that it appears 'Julian will be able to enjoy an ordinary life with his family and his wife, Stella'. Advertisement He added: 'A tiny minority of very vocal people see that he was a journalist, their claim is... that he was just reporting information. But he has been found guilty of a much more serious offence than that. 'And I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it. 'Governments have to have some degree of privacy in their communications... and by the way, he didn't just release information relating to Iraq and Afghanistan... but he released a huge amount of information, much of which was very embarrassing and some of which endangered lives. 'So what he did was a criminal offence and it was a terrible thing to do morally as well, endangering people's lives in that way, is just completely inappropriate. I don't think many Australians have sympathy for him, no. Just because he was Australian doesn't mean he's a good bloke.' Australian PM Mr Albanese said in Parliament on Tuesday said 'the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia'. 'We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership,' he said. Australian Labour Party MP Julian Hill also waded in, saying: 'No one should judge Julian for accepting a deal to get the hell out of there and come home. His health is fragile. Whatever you think of Assange he is an Australian and enough is enough.' Assange's wife Stella - who has travelled to Sydney in advance with their two sons - told BBC Radio 4 Today: 'It's a whirlwind of emotions, I'm just elated frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real. 'As his wife and for all of our family, the priority has always been that Julian should be able to free to regain his freedom. 'He has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states.' She added: 'He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will be some time tomorrow.' Assange married Stella, a South African-born lawyer who he met when she joined his legal team in 2011, while locked up in Belmarsh in 2022. The couple have two children together, Gabriel and Max, who were conceived while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy. On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday. Stella said her husband is paying half a million US dollars for the flight which is taking him to Australia. Asked about the conversations that led to his release, Stella said on Radio 4: 'Well, it's been so touch and go, we weren't really sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. 'We were talking about - I don't know what he needed to do and take from his cell and I also had to pack things up, and head out to Australia 24 hours before he left. So it's just been non-stop for the past, I think, 72 hours. 'What there is an agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice and that has to be signed off by a judge in these Northern Mariana Islands... where he is currently heading... he is in Bangkok for a layover. 'Once the judge signs off on it, it is formally real. I'm also a bit limited as to what I can say right now about the agreement in principle.' She confirmed the 'charge concerns the espionage act and obtaining and disclosing national defence information', adding: 'The important thing is the deal involves time served. If he signed it, he will be able to walk [free].' Stella continued: 'The deal itself will be made public and I think it's a very interesting deal. I can't talk about it in detail, I certainly have views about the deal but I don't want to jeopardise anything.' She said that she took a flight to Sydney with their two children on Sunday - but that she has not told them about their father's possible freedom yet. Stella said she has told them they are going to visit family, adding: 'We've been very careful because no one can stop a five and seven-year-old from shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. 'Because of the sensitivity of the judge having to sign off the deal, we have been very careful, just gradually telling them information. They are very excited to be in Australia though.' She said she would tell her children about their father's release before they see him. She added: 'They've never seen him outside of Belmarsh. All their interactions with Julian have been in a single visitors room inside Belmarsh Prison. It's always been for a little more than an hour at a time. It's been very restrictive. 'He can't walk around, he can't go to the tuck shop - he wasn't able to go to the tuck shop and buy a chocolate or anything. You see, I have to change my tenses now - it's been so long that I'm not used to talking about Julian free in the present.' Stella said that she and Assange have not had the opportunity to speak about the future yet. But she revealed: 'The priority is for Julian to get healthy again. He has been in a terrible state for five years. 'Just to be in contact with nature, that's what we both desire for now. To have time and privacy, and start this new chapter.' Choking back tears, she said: 'It's always been quite extraordinary, but I am just so emotional now. This is finally over.' In a pre-recorded video filmed outside Belmarsh prison last night, Stella and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: 'If you're seeing this, it means he is out.' The group said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars.' Last night Stella also posted on X: 'Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' He has been supported by his wife Stella (pictured) for years Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speec The artwork 'Anything to say?' by Italian artist Davide Dormino portraying Edward Snowden (L), Julian Assange (R) and Chelsea Manning (R), is displayed in the Piazza Dante in Naples, Italy, 01 June 2024 Meanwhile, WikiLeaks editor Mr Hrafnsson also spoke of his huge relief that Julian Assange has left prison after a lengthy campaign to gain his freedom. He was one of the last people to visit Assange in Belmarsh prison in London earlier this month before the dramatic development. He said that the campaign had gathered momentum in recent weeks following the growing involvement of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The outcome of a High Court decision in May allowing the WikiLeaks founder to appeal against being extradited to the United States was also 'tremendously important', he said. He told PA: 'This is the result of a long, long process which has been going on for some time. It has been a tough battle, but the focus now is on Julian being reunited with his family. 'The most important thing is that Julian is free and he is finally able to enjoy the big blue sky. Details of what will happen now will come out in the next 24 hours. 'His family will be waiting for him in Australia.' The Assange circus is now expected to shift to the tiny US-controlled Pacific island of Saipan, 1,500 miles east of the Philippines, where Assange is listed to appear in court at 9am local time on Wednesday (12am London, 7pm Tuesday in New York, 9am Wednesday in Sydney). Matthew McKenzie, deputy chief of counterintelligence and export control at the US Department of Justice, and Shawn Anderson, the US Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said they expected Assange to return to Australia after the proceedings have concluded. A plane matching the one Assange was purportedly seen flying out on is heading to Bangkok. Assange's family and friends welcomed his release this morning. His mother Christine Assange said: 'I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first.' His father John Shipton added: 'It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia. My thanks and congratulations to all his supporters that have made that possible, and of course, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.' Mr Shipton said he was 'energised' by the news. 'I don't fade easily, you know. And neither does Julian. It must be a family trait,' he said. The plea deal emerged yesterday when US prosecutors filed criminal paperwork against him in the US Commonwealth of the North Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The filing says Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in Belmarsh high-security prison while fighting extradition to the US. The plea deal still needs to be rubber-stamped by a federal judge - but if approved, it would give him credit for time served. He would then be officially released from US custody and would be able to make the 3,500-mile journey south to Sydney. In recent months, President Joe Biden had hinted at a possible deal being pushed by officials in the Australian government to return Assange to back to his homeland. In a court order released on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Julian Assange had left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after a plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was 'anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request'. They also said that the lawyers for Assange and the US authorities would need to provide an agreed document related to the pending extradition appeal proceedings by Friday afternoon. MailOnline has contacted the embassies in London for the US, Sweden, Ecuador and Australia for comment on Assange's release. Assange was eventually forced to leave the embassy after relations between him and officials broke down Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican, and jailed for skipping bail 'Julian Assange is free': WikiLeaks' post in full JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom. Advertisement The Crown Prosecution Service said a bail hearing for Julian Assange was held in private last Thursday. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: 'Thirteen-and-a-half years and two extradition requests after he was first arrested, Julian Assange left the UK yesterday, following a bail hearing last Thursday, held in private at his request. 'I am proud of the way our extradition unit has dealt with this case. They have acted with expertise and skill, under international scrutiny, to provide legal advice to both the Swedish and US authorities. 'This case has absorbed considerable time and resource from the criminal justice system over many years. The intended outcome of the plea agreement will be to accomplish the primary objective of delivering justice. It will also save the continuing substantial resource outlay involved in litigating this matter further in England.' John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: 'This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPS's extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. 'This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely.' Assange had faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his role in the WikiLeaks data breach. It carried a maximum of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration over the mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Officials in the US had alleged that Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables. US prosecutors claimed that the cables were not only embarrassing but more importantly potentially endangered confidential sources. Many contained top secret information regarding Iraq war-related activity reports and information related to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters journalists in a video that was released in 2010. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. But is was for alleged sex crimes that he was first arrested, in Britain in 2010. Officials in Sweden obtained a European arrest warrant after two women accused him of offences, one of rape and one of molestation, following a speaking trip to the country. Assange spent years fighting against extradition to Sweden. His supporters alleged the allegations were drummed up to enable his detention so he could be extradited to America over the leaks. So in 2012 when his final appeals were exhausted, instead of fighting to clear his name, he breached his UK bail and fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy to seek asylum. In the agreement, prosecutors will look for a 62-month sentence - the same amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while fighting extradition to the US Assange is pictured in April 2019 Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Belmarsh Prison in London, where Julian Assange has been held since April 2019 Stella Assange, wife of Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, speaks during a protest in Castello square in Milan last week He stayed there for seven years, until Sweden dropped the rape charge against him. Swedish prosecutors said in 2019: 'The reason for this decision is that the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question.' Eva-Maria Persson, the deputy director of public prosecution at the time, said: 'I would like to emphasise that the injured party has submitted a credible and reliable version of events. 'Her statements have been coherent, extensive and detailed; however, my overall assessment is that the evidential situation has been weakened to such an extent that that there is no longer any reason to continue the investigation.' Assange was eventually forced to leave the embassy after relations between him and officials broke down, with one even accusing him of smearing faeces on the walls - a claim which was stringently denied by his supporters. His team alleged that throughout his time at the embassy, he was subjected to inhumane conditions. Dr. Sondra Crosby, an associate professor of medicine and public health at Boston University and an expert on the physical and psychological impact of torture, was tasked with assessing Assange in 2018. According to the Intercept, she wrote in an affidavit she gave to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: 'Mr. Assange's situation [inside the embassy] differs from a typical prisoner in a conventional prison. 'In fact, his position is worse than a conventional prison in many respects. His confinement is indefinite and uncertain, which increases chronic stress and its myriad of chronic physical and serious psychological risks, including suicide.' Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican, and jailed for skipping bail. But at the same time, US authorities were indicting him over the WikiLeaks data breaches. A video shows Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon's right hand man telling cops 'you've pulled over the wrong person' and getting arrested after police in Asuza, California pulled over his then-fiance for driving under the influence while driving back from a wedding in 2021. Joseph Iniguez, who has since been promoted to chief deputy district attorney and won a $10,000 payout from cops, was riding shotgun when he and his then-fiance were pulled over on suspicion of public intoxication. Iniguez, who was DA Gasco's chief of staff at the time, can be heard saying in a video: 'You've pulled over the wrong person, let me tell you'. He also urges officers to run his number plates, as they would indicate his connection to the LA County DA office. 'This is not right...This is why when they talk about law enforcement and like our interactions with law enforcement - he did the right thing tonight, and drove me. We were at a wedding'. Pictured: Fiance of Jospeh Iniguez gets arrested after being pulled over by cops on suspicion of driving under the influence. Iniguez, the LA District Attorney's right hand man, films cops as he tells them: 'You've pulled over the wrong person'. Iniguez is then arrested on a public intoxication charge and for interrupting police officers. However, in July 2023, Iniguez managed to settle his lawsuit with Azusa police following his 2021 arrest He is also heard telling his fiance repeatedly to not speak with the officers, while one cop tells him: 'Just let him do his job'. As an officer attempts to interview the driver, Iniguez shouts: 'FST's are completely voluntary and not required by law'. This is in reference to field sobriety tests, which police conduct to determine a driver's alcohol intake levels. Under California law, prosecutors are not allowed to assist in the defense of any suspected criminals, according to FindLaw. After his fiance is put in handcuffs, a police officer approaches Iniguez and arrests him too on a public intoxication charge. Still from a jailhouse surveillance video shows an Azusa, California, police officer escorting George Gascon's right-hand man Iniguez into a cell after a 2021 stop for public intoxication A still image taken from jailhouse surveillance video shows Los Angeles Chief Deputy District Attorney Joseph Iniguez making a phone call from lockup after a 2021 arrest for public intoxication 'Sir, you're currently in public, and you're intoxicated...You're being placed under arrest right now,' the officer can be heard saying. The video was recorded by Iniguez on his cellphone. Still images taken later from a jailhouse surveillance video show Iniguez making a phone call from a cell following his arrest. Last year, Iniguez received an $10,000 settlement from Asuza, after he sued over the incident, alleging a federal civil rights violation in July last year. Commenting on his settlement victory, he said: 'Bad policing is a scourge on our community and must be called out. 'While I took this action to hold them accountable, many people with less knowledge of the system have bad experiences with police that impacts their trust for some of our most important public servants.' He said he planned to donate the settlement to the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a nonprofit organisation that advocates for criminal justice reform. As reported by the LA Times, Iniguez's fiance was pulled over for making an illegal U-Turn, and officers were trying to determine whether his driving was impaired. The arresting officer had said that Iniguez was arrested for being combative, slurring his words and having 'bloodshot' eyes. The couple, who are now married, were returning from another prosecutor's wedding. He claimed he stepped out of the car to film the interaction because he was worried about his fiance. Gascon is a progressive prosecutor who has been vocal about his belief that the criminal justice system needs to focus more on intervention and rehabilitation, blasting 'tough on crime' policies as racist and a failure. According to Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Iniguez is a 'strong advocate for bringing modern approaches to public safety' and believes in 'sensible reforms that focus on community safety and is passionate about addressing the school to prison pipeline through alternatives to incarceration'. According to his Instagram he is the first gay DA elected in LA County's DA office. A judge has sparked fury in Italy for clearing a man of groping an air hostess because the 20 seconds it took her to react to the alleged attack was 'too long'. Raffaele Meola, who was a trade union official at the time, was accused of sexually assaulting the woman in March 2018. The airline worker reportedly went to Mr Meola's offices in Malpensa, northern Italy, to seek help with an industrial dispute. The Milan Court of Appeal acquitted Mr Meola of the alleged sexual violence after a previous trial in 2022 also cleared him on similar grounds - with the verdict then suggesting that the woman's reaction to the alleged assault was not quick enough. Women's rights campaigners and the woman's legal team have slammed the outcome as putting the clock back decades, and have vowed to fight it. The airline worker reportedly went to Raffaele Meola's offices to seek help with an industrial dispute Her lawyer said following the verdict: 'We will appeal to the Supreme Court because this sentence takes us back 30 years. They added that it went against Supreme Court precedent which 'for over ten years stated that a sexual act, carried out in a sudden manner without ascertaining the woman's consent, is a crime of sexual violence and must be judged as such.' The president of the judging panel, Nicoletta Guerrero, said that 'the victim was believed' but that there had been insufficient evidence to prove the allegations. During the alleged assault, the previous trial reportedly heard, Mr Meola was standing behind the woman when he put his hands on her. He was said to have touched, kissed and massaged her while the woman, for some thirty seconds, 'continued to browse and read the documents without expressing dissent'. The court heard that the woman's 'reaction time' would have led Mr Meola to 'misperceive his colleague's will,' il Fatto Quotidiano reported at the time. The Milan Court of Appeal acquitted Mr Meola of the alleged sexual violence after a previous trial in 2022 also cleared him. Pictured: File image shows Milan Court of Justice Attorney Teresa Manente responded to the 2022 verdict saying it was 'imbued with sexist prejudices, once again placing the responsibility for the crime on the woman'. Speaking with Corriere Della Sera, the alleged victim responded to the previous verdict: 'Doesn't a woman have the right to remain petrified and paralyzed in the face of harassment?' Elisa Ercoli, president of women's rights group Differenza donna, said the most recent verdict proves that Italy's sexual assault laws 'cause serious and continuous institutional violence' and called for an 'urgent' overhaul of them. So-called comedian John Oliver was today told to keep his nose out of British politics after he urged the UK to 'wash itself clean of 14 miserable years of Conservative rule' as he soaked himself on TV. The 47-year-old talk show host, who has not lived in Britain since 2006 and became an American citizen in 2019, said July 4 will be the UK's 'Independence Day' if Rishi Sunak loses power. In a swear-filled rant aimed at the Tories and their past five prime ministers, Oliver tacitly backed Sir Keir Starmer's Labour to take power in nine days. 'F**k off into the sun, you c***s, f**kpigs and weirdos. You t**sers, w*****s, d**k-splashes and c**kwombles', he said. One Tory MP defending his seat told MailOnline that Oliver had not been funny for a long time. 'Hes the t**ser,' they said. Oliver's production team soaked him with a fake rain showers, mocking Mr Sunak's rainy speech when he called the election last month. Cheered on by his audience in New York, Oliver, who last lived in Britain when Blair's Labour ran the country and is famous for calling Trump a 'f***ing Idiot', was drenched as he ranted: 'On July 4, Britain has a chance to wash itself clean of 14 miserable years of Conservative rule, and it's a chance it simply must take. 'If I may quote Bill Pullman yelling about aliens, if we do this the 4th of July will no longer be known as just an American holiday, but also as the day when Britain looked at the Conservatives who've driven the entire country into a ditch and said in one voice, loud and clear: If Britain stands together this July the 4th, it will finally celebrate its Independence Day'. John Oliver calling on UK to vote Labour and throw out the Tories in a segment that may have baffled US viewers The Brit, who is now a US citizen, said in a shower of water in the studio, urged the UK to 'wash itself clean of 14 miserable years of Conservative rule' Last night's Last Week Tonight will not be broadcast in Britain until after polling day - but it has now been viewed more than 100,000 times on Twitter in just a few hours. It his delighted his left-wing followers but upset many, who pointed out that he will soon have lived longer in the US than he did in the UK. One said on Twitter: 'The insufferably smug berk should keep his nose out of British politics'. Oliver, who was opposed to Brexit, was born in Birmingham and educated at Cambridge. He moved to the US full time in 2006 and is married to an American, living together in New York. He became and American citizen in 2019 but kept his British citizenship. Last night he turned on the Tories as Britain is just over a week until from going to the poll. Sparking whoops and cheers from the American audience, he accused the Conservatives of causing 'unremitting cruelty' that has 'stained the last decade and a half of British life'. First he slammed David Cameron, who he said made 'brutal cuts to government services' and blamed them 'not to the 2008 financial crisis, but to years of frivolous spending under Labour'. He then called his successors Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak 'weirdos'. He said: 'Its objectively fun to look back on what a collection of weirdos ran for Britain for years. But it gets considerably less fun when you look at what they did to the country', citing Brexit. Slamming the NHS he said: 'Its got to the point where significant numbers of British people are now going to Europe and paying out of pocket to get treatment'. British talk show host John Oliver prompted outrage after making a sick joke about the Princess of Wales , saying she 'could have died 18 months ago' He than claimed that they 'starved' Britain. 'It is pretty hard for conservatives to say they are working toward the future growth of Britain when its future generations are quite literally shrinking', he said. Oliver caused outrage earlier this year after making a sick joke about the Princess of Wales, saying she 'could have died 18 months ago'. The Last Week Tonight host made the comments in an appearance on US network Bravo's Watch What Happens Live - despite the Princess being seen in public days earlier. 'There is a non-zero chance that she died 18 months ago,' the British comedian said sarcastically on his show. 'They might be 'Weekend at Bernie's-ing' this situation,' Oliver added, referencing the 1989 film. It is not the first time Oliver has made barbed comments about the royals. In 2018 he called them 'fundamentally flawed' 'and 'emotionally stunted' as he urged Meghan Markle not to marry into the family. Oliver continued his latest skit alongside Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen, who noted the Royal Family's moto of 'Never Complain, Never Explain.' 'I'm not saying it happened, but I'm saying it's non-zero until proven otherwise. Until we see her sitting there with a copy of the day's paper,' Oliver said. Oliver added that he had ignored the speculation about Kate until 'the photoshop thing', a reference to the furore over the release of an edited Mother's Day family photo. 'That feels, like, you're almost handling it badly in an impressive way at this point,' the HBO star claimed. Oliver made his comments in 2018 on Stephen Colbert's Late show. When asked by Colbert if he was excited to watch Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding, he said: 'I would not blame her if she pulled out of this at the last minute. 'I don't think you need to have just seen the pilot episode of The Crown to get a basic sense of... she might be marrying into a family that could cause her some emotional complications.' When Colbert said the current royals 'seem like nice people', Oliver added: 'Yeah... I mean, they're an emotionally stunted group of fundamentally flawed people doing a very silly pseudo-job. That's what she's marrying into.' Oliver began his career as a stand-up comedian in the UK before moving to the US and becoming the 'senior British correspondent' on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2006. He continued the role until 2013. The following year he began hosting Last Week Tonight. A Labour frontbencher has risked deepening Labour's gender chaos by suggesting pre-op trans women should use women's toilets. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson argued that female facilities were the right place for people with gender recognition certificates. GRCs currently require doctors to sign off and two years' evidence of living in a different gender - although Labour proposals could see that downgraded to a two-year 'cooling off' period. However, there is no requirement for people to have had reassignment surgery, or be planning to do so. Speaking on Times Radio, Ms Phillipson insisted that single-sex provision was important for women's 'dignity and safety'. But she stressed that there needed to be 'provision for trans people'. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson argued that female facilities were the right place for people with gender recognition certificates GRCs currently require doctors to sign off and two years' evidence of living in a different gender - although Labour proposals could see that downgraded to a two-year 'cooling off' period. However, there is no requirement for people to have had reassignment surgery, or be planning to do so Presenter Kait Borsay confronted Ms Phillipson with a scenario, asking: 'I am someone who is biologically a male, but I have changed my gender. 'I've got a certificate to prove it, and I'm now a trans woman. Where would I go to the toilet? The men's toilet or the women's toilets?' Ms Phillipson replied: 'So you don't police how people use toilets in that sense, but I would expect that if you were someone that had gone through that formal process of recognition, that you are, to all intents and purposes, for legal purposes, regarded as being in a different gender regardless of the sex into which you were born.' Borsay said: 'So where do I go? The men's toilets or the women's toilets?' Ms Phillipson said: 'I would think that in those cases people would be using female toilets.' Told that wasn't 'protecting a woman's space', Ms Phillipson said: 'I'm talking about people who have gone through a process... quite an extensive process.' Meanwhile, it has emerged that Labour would introduce a full ban on conversion 'therapy' if it wins the election. The party is supporting a full ban on such techniques to suppress a person's sexuality or gender identity, which critics say amounts to abuse. The move comes despite fears that legislation could inadvertently prevent parents and therapists from talking to children about gender identity. Speaking at a Sun hustings last night, Sir Keir said protecting single-sex spaces was 'very, very important'. Sir Keir also insisted he is ready to meet JK Rowling, who has condemned the party for 'abandoning' women. The Labour leader said: 'She's made some really important points. I'd welcome that discussion because I do think that we've made huge progress on women's rights under Labour governments... ' JK Rowling has condemned Labour for 'abandoning' women over gender identity rules Conservative Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said while conversion therapy in the context of sexuality 'is dreadful and must be stopped', there must be 'thoughtful conversation' on whether any further legislation is needed. She stated care must be taken not to criminalise 'those who are doing their best to support people with gender distress'. Speaking at a press conference this morning, she said: 'Today it has seeped out that Labour not only wants to introduce self ID by stealth, but also wants to stop parents, teachers and therapists from comforting and counselling children and adults who are in gender distress.' She added that this is 'ripe territory for the law of unintended consequences'. A ban on conversion therapy, which aims to suppress or change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, was first promised in 2018, by former Conservative prime minister Theresa May. It was later downgraded to not include transgender people by Boris Johnson but the Conservative Government under Rishi Sunak said in January 2023 that it would ban conversion therapy for 'everyone', including transgender people. The Conservative manifesto said while it deems conversion therapy to be 'abhorrent', legislation around such practices 'is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections'. The Tory party said it is 'right that we take more time before reaching a final judgment on additional legislation in this area'. Illegal migrants are 'queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government' so they can come to Britain and stay here, Rishi Sunak said last night. The Prime Minister tried to create a clear dividing line with Labour on immigration, claiming Sir Keir would reverse his Rwanda deportation flight policy if elected and did not have a plan to deal with Channel boats. It came as migrants themselves admitted they were waiting in northern France for the election to take place before attempting the perilous journey across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. One, a former anti-Isis fighter from Iraq, told the Telegraph that 'we need to wait until the new government has arrived'. Last night Mr Sunak used a hustings to question what would happen to migrants if the Tories lose on July 4 'Those illegal migrants will not be on planes to Rwanda,' he told the Sun's Never Mind the Ballots election debate. 'They will be out on our streets putting pressure on public services. And by the way, I can tell you now they are queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government so they can come here and stay here.' The audience applauded his response. But this morning Sir Keir Starmer hit back, saying: 'They're not queuing up in Calais, they're getting in boats and coming over. Illegal migrants are 'queuing up in Calais waiting for a Starmer government' so they can come to Britain and stay here, Rishi Sunak said last night It came as Home Office figures showed the number of Channel migrants has hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year at 12,901 The Prime Minister claimed the Labour leader would reverse his Rwanda policy if elected and did not have a plan to deal with the boats Immigration cropped up repeatedly during the Sun event. Mr Sunak defended his migration policy and said a Labour government would 'release everyone we've detained' and 'leave them out on the streets'. Sir Keir said the backlog of asylum claims would double by the end of the year if the Conservatives were re-elected. 'There are 50,000 people not being processed. If we carry on with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister it will get to 100,000 by the end of the year,' the Labour leader said. He added that it was 'outrageous' to pay hotel bills to accommodate people who are not being processed. Mr Sunak acknowledged 'the numbers were too high' when discussing legal migration, but declined to say who was responsible. He said: 'So we've got on and delivered lower migration. I'm not going to defend the levels that I inherited because they were just too high.' It came as Home Office figures showed the number of Channel migrants has hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year at 12,901. Asked who was to blame for the figures, Mr Sunak said 'I've been Prime Minister for 18 months'. He was then asked if it was Liz Truss or Boris Johnson's fault, and replied: 'The numbers were too high.' It came as Home Office figures showed the number of Channel migrants has hit a record for the first six months of a calendar year at 12,901. The previous record for arrivals in the six months from January to June was 12,747 in 2022. In the past six-and-a-half years, 127,246 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel. Sir Keir hit out at the record numbers on a campaign visit in London this morning, where he was joined by Luther and Thor star Idris Elba. 'The Prime Minister really needs to answer for that. Under his watch, we have had record numbers, record numbers coming by boat, we've got record numbers of migrants coming to work in this country,' the Labour leader said. 'So that's the situation - we intend to stop that by taking down the gangs that are running this bar trade in the first place. And if the Government had done that, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all.' Asked what his numerical target is for reducing net migration, the Labour leader said: 'We want to bring it down substantially. I'm not going to put an arbitrary number on it.' He added: 'That means working with businesses on this to make sure we've got the skills in place so that the skills are available in this country, don't have to always be recruited from abroad. What I've said to business, because they've asked me the same question, is, I want you to work with me to bring it down with the skills strategy. I'm not going to cut your legs off.' Sir Keir hit out at the record numbers on a campaign visit in London this morning, where he was joined by Luther and Thor star Idris Elba. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said record numbers of migrants were continuing to arrive in the UK before the election Downing Street insisted that the Government continues to 'bear down' on small boat crossings. Home Office minister Michael Tomlinson said the fact that migrants are waiting for Labour is 'evidence of the deterrent effect' of the Rwanda plan. He told Times Radio: 'The deterrent is not fully in place, but we're already seeing the effects of that deterrent, and we've seen overnight the breaking news from the Telegraph on the front pages, where there are those who are in northern France, who are waiting, delaying their journey because they do not like the Rwanda scheme, they do not want to be deported to Rwanda. 'And people have been asking me for weeks, for months, where is the evidence of the deterrent effect? Well, there it is, writ large. 'We saw last month when the Rwanda Act was passed, we saw migrants moving from the United Kingdom into Ireland, we've got the evidence literally overnight, from those in northern France. 'And then, of course, if we vote for the Conservative Party on the fourth of July, the planes are booked, the airstrip is ready, and the planes will take off, and that's when the full deterrent effect will kick in.' President Joe Biden's decision to reach a plea deal with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is being slammed as a 'miscarriage of justice' as the infamous leaker was released from a British jail and allowed to return home to Australia. Assange is expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, according to the U.S. Justice Department in a letter filed in court. Donald Trump's former vice president Mike Pence railed against the agreement in a post on X. 'Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' the former Indiana governor wrote. 'The Biden administration's plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.' 'There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever.' A screen grab captured from a video shows a vehicle carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as he is being released from a UK maximum security prison The news of Assange's release was largely celebrated by anti-establishment figures in US politics including independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. RFK Jr called the news that Assange pleaded guilty to his crimes 'bad news' and a 'big blow to freedom of the press' while saluting the Australian as a 'generational hero.' 'Julian Assange struck a plea deal and will go free! I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero,' RFK Jr. wrote. The Kennedy family member said that if elected as president, he would build a statue of Assange and fellow leaker in Edward Snowden in Washington DC. Meanwhile broadcaster, Tucker Carlson, who interviewed Assange in November tweeted a photo of the activist with the caption: 'A good man, finally free. The tide is turning.' In a follow-up message, Carlson urged his supporters to celebrate Assange's release by acquiring his branded crypto-currency. Far-right activist Jack Posobiac wrote on TruthSocial: 'Julian Assange just entered the election.' Controversial Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also celebrated the news posting a video of Assange's car headed to London's Stansted Airport with the message: 'What an incredible sight.' It wasn't just figures on the right who were in celebratory mood following the news. 'My dear brother Julian Assange is free! We struggled, fought, and prayed for many years for this wonderful moment,' Professor Cornell West tweeted. 'He also should be pardoned immediately because he committed no crime.' 'He simply exposed the barbaric crimes of the American empire! We must free all of our other political prisoners such as my dear brothers Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier and Jamil Abdullah al-Amin.' Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr has called for a statue of Assange to be built in Washington DC Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the sight of Assange leaving prison an 'incredible sight' Tucker Carlson also celebrated the news, he interviewed Assange back in November 2023 Left-wing activist Dr. Cornel West was also in a celebratory mood on X after news of Assange's release was made public Medea Benjamin of the 'left-wing' protest group Code Pink greeted the news with joy. 'After being deprived of his freedom for 14 years, Julian Assange will FINALLY be free. His "crime" was exposing state crimes, including US war crimes . His immense sacrifice was for all of us who care about truth and freedom and an end to war.' However, Pence's viewpoint was echoed by former CIA analyst Gail Helt who explicitly stated: 'Folks. Julian Assange is not a hero.' 'He is a despicable Russian asset who harmed hundreds of people and dismissed them like they didn't matter.' 'I'm okay with the plea agreement because I hope it means I'll see his name in my social media feeds a lot less, but let's not venerate the man. He caused great harm.' In a statement posted on X, WikiLeaks said Assange boarded a plane and departed Monday after leaving the British prison where he has spent the last five years. WikiLeaks applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.' 'WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know,' WikiLeaks said. Many in the US greeted the news of Assange's release with joy Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been lobbying for the United States to end its prosecution of Assange, told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. 'Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There's nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia,' Albanese added. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Department's indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. Prosecutors said in a charging document filed in connection with the plea agreement that Assange conspired with Manning to receive and obtain documents, notes and other writings related to the national defense and to 'willfully communicate' those records. Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 The document takes care to note that Assange was 'not a United States citizen, did not possess a U.S. security clearance, and did not have authorization to possess, access, or control documents, writings, or notes relating to the national defense of the United States, including classified information.' The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. The White House was not involved in the decision to resolve Assanges case, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Assange made headlines in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that years election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Despite the allegations of horrific treatment at the hands of the Ecuadorian embassy, he was dragged out by the Met Police in 2019 during Operation Pelican, and jailed for skipping bail During the Obama administration, Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assanges arrest a priority. Assanges family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange had remained in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. It may look like this Sydney train carriage full of sandbags has been trashed before it has even had the chance to enter service - but there is a very innocent explanation. The 1,500 sandbags packed inside a light rail tram in Parramatta in the city's west were being used to simulate the equivalent weight of 400 passengers a full tram. The sandbags covered almost every inch of the the tram's floor and seats. It's all part of a comprehensive testing regime to get Parramatta Light Rail ready to welcome passengers aboard within months. 'It helps our drivers test how these trams perform when full rain, hail or shine,' NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen explained. She shared another photo of the sandbags being ready to load onto the tram one by one and later reassured that the sand will have further uses down the track. 'When testing is complete, this sand won't go to waste. We'll use it to fill the tram's sand reserves, which it then uses to get grip on the tracks when it's raining,' Ms Haylen said. But not everyone agreed it was a good way of seeing how a tram full of passengers would operate, though. It may look like a Sydney train carriage full of sandbags (pictured) has been trashed before it has even had the chance to enter service - but there is a very innocent explanation Around 1,500 sandbags (pictured) are being used to simulate the weight of 400 passengers - a full tram 'This would not test the full dynamics of what I think is called 'a live load',' one person commented. 'People move like water would slosh around in a big fish tank sitting in the same carriage. 'I'd suggest something like a large drum not filled right up (to the same weight as a person), to allow for sloshing and movement at least like someone standing and holding to a rail.' Another believed that the centre of gravity with the sandbags was too low. 'It's like comparing this on EV and implementing on similar weight petrol car. They are just not the same,' they added. The sandbags help 'drivers test how these trams perform when full rain, hail or shine,' NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen (pictured) said A third dismissed the notion of such testing and suggested it was a waste of taxpayers' money. 'Who ever came up with that idea could only work for the government,' they wrote. Others saw the funny side 'You've heard of snakes on a plane and now beach on a train,' one quipped. Another joked: 'Bring your plastic bucket and shovel and make some sand castles'. The Reform UK candidate in Salisbury - the Wiltshire city where Russian spies deployed a deadly nerve agent - has told local voters Vladimir Putin is 'very good'. Julian Malins KC, who is hoping to be elected to the House of Commons on 4 July, made the 'deeply offensive' remarks at a hustings event on Sunday night. According to the Salisbury Journal, the leading barrister was booed after he praised the Russian president - who he also compared favourably to Adolf Hitler. The row came as Reform leader Nigel Farage also faced a backlash over comments about Mr Putin's regime. He claimed that NATO and the EU 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while saying he 'admired' Mr Putin as a 'political operator'. Reform UK candidate Julian Malins KC made the 'deeply offensive' remarks at a hustings event in Salisbury on Sunday night The leading barrister was booed by local voters after he praised the Russian president - who he also compared favourably to Adolf Hitler The row came as Reform leader Nigel Farage also faced a backlash over comments about Mr Putin's regime In March 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, while a third victim - Dawn Sturgess - later died after coming into contact with the nerve agent In March 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, while a third victim - Dawn Sturgess - died in July of that year after coming into contact with the nerve agent. Two Russian military intelligence officers are suspected to have carried out the nerve agent attack. During Sunday's hustings event at St Thomas' Church in Salisbury, Mr Malins was quizzed about whether Reform would continue support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion. As reported by the local newspaper, the 74-year-old said: 'We support diplomacy. 'We support every possible effort to reach a compromise and a settlement over the issues in Ukraine. 'That is what the adults in the room do. Stop the killing and negotiate a proper settlement.' He added: 'War is not about as it were punishing or in some way running over thousands of young men in tanks and blowing them up because one person takes points of view which you disagree with. 'I have actually met Putin and had a 10-minute chat with him and he seemed very good. He is not the Austrian gentleman with a moustache come alive again.' Respondoing to Mr Malins' comments, Cabinet Office minister John Glen - the Conservative candidate in Salisbury - told MailOnline: 'Having seen how Putin personally ordered the Novichok attack on Salisbury and the death and devastation this caused to our city I know most people who live here disagree with the Reform candidate. 'Putin is a danger to the West and we must stand up to him not appease him' Labour candidate Matt Aldridge said: 'As an Army veteran and serving Reservist, I've lived the realities of combat and I have worked with Ukrainian soldiers. 'The reason we are supporting our allies in Ukraine is because Putin rolled his tanks over the border in an act of unprovoked aggression, instantly creating a war resulting in deaths, devastation and displacement. 'To hear a political candidate try to argue that Putin 'seems good' is deeply offensive - not just to me personally, but to the Ukrainian people fighting for their country and to the people of Salisbury who have suffered Putin's aggression firsthand. 'Labour's commitment to UK defence and NATO is unshakeable and we will stand by our allies in Ukraine.' Liberal Democrat candidate Victoria Charleston said: 'When Mr Malins made his statement there was collective shock across the church. 'No one in Salisbury can condone Putin after the horros of Novichok and apologists for him should have no place in British politics. 'The Reform candidate has proved he is on the side of Putin, not the side of freedom.' Andrew Murrison - the Tory candidate in the South West Wiltshire constituency - said: 'Oh, good grief - this guy standing for Reform in Novichok'd Salisbury expressing his admiration for butcher Putin.' Mr Malins told MailOnline: 'The quotation elides several things which I said. 'First I said that Putin was a good 'Russian president' i.e. the kind of president who enjoys majority support of the Russian people. This has been demonstrated even by Western-funded polling agencies. 'As such the West has to deal with him on a diplomatic level in order to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. 'This is hardly controversial, Nigel Farage has done this election a great favour by causing the Ukraine conflict to become now a matter of debate. 'I did say that I had met President Putin, which I have, and that to describe him as the new Adolf Hitler is mistaken. 'You may not be aware of this but many media outlets worldwide have ceased referring to Hitler by name in order to keep him out of peoples minds and instead refer to him, as I did, as the 'Austrian with a moustache'. 'The clarity of my response was prematurely interrupted by the over-exuberant 'boos and hisses' of the warmonger elements in the crowd, as described by the Salisbury Journal.' Graham Ford rushed to the scene where the hounds were mauling his livestock A dog lover has been ordered to pay 3,160 in compensation after her two German pointers went berserk and savaged 15 sheep to death on a walk in the Peak District. Care assistant Ellie Blake, 60, was taken to court after the wirehaired hounds were said to have 'worked together', in cornering and then fatally attacking the ewes and lambs in a farmer's field in the national park. Blake lost sight of the dogs walking through Pym Chair, Kettleshulme, in Cheshire, and minutes later other walkers watched in horror as they systematically moved onto each ovine victim. Farmer Graham Ford, who owns the flock, dashed to the scene following a call from a neighbour before contacting a colleague to shoot the hounds saying they looked 'fixated' with mauling as many sheep as possible. One of the rampant dogs ignored warning shots and both were killed to prevent further damage. Dog lover Ellie Blake, 60, has been ordered to pay 3,160 in compensation after her two German wirehaired pointers went berserk and savaged 15 sheep to death on a walk in the Peak District Pictured: Blake, who lost sight of the dogs walking in Cheshire before other walkers watched in horror as they systematically moved onto each ovine victim. One of the rampant dogs (breed pictured in a stock image) ignored warning shots and both were killed to prevent further damage Ten sheep including lambs and ewes were killed at the scene, while a further five had to be put to sleep on account of their wounds. Blake knew nothing of the horror until she went home without the two dogs and police subsequently arrived to speak to her. When quizzed she said she was 'shocked' at what happened and had never anticipated her dogs would behave in such a way. She said both were professionally trained and there had never been any issues with them before. She agreed that it was right that the farmer shot them. At Chester magistrates court, Blake, from Macclesfield, pleaded guilty to being the owner of two dogs worrying livestock and being owner of dogs dangerously out of control. She was fined 400, ordered to pays 460 in costs and a victim surcharge and 3,160.80 in damages to the National Farmers Union which compensated Mr Ford for his lost sheep. She was spared a ban from keeping animals. The incident occurred on October 14 last year when Blake was taking the dogs out with a friend. Michael O'Kane, prosecuting, said: 'They were in fact with three German wirehaired pointers, two of which during the walk had run off. 'The defendant made attempts to find the dogs and used a whistle to call them but the dogs did not return to her. She then returned home with the other dog before she and the friend returned to try and locate them. 'Mr Ford has been farming for over 30 years and has 1,000 ewes in his flock.' The prosecutor then described how the farmer got to the field to find 'several sheep lying on the floor motionless and covered with blood' as the dogs worked as a team to kill the livestock. 'One dog would corner the sheep and the other would attack,' he said. 'They were totally out of control and appeared to be fixated and attacking as many as possible. They ran them down. When the sheep had fallen to the floor and became motionless they would move on to another. The sheep had no chance. 'Mr Ford wanted to drive his vehicle towards the dogs to distract them. But that was not possible due to the wet ground.' The farmer had no firearm's licence so contacted another nearby who had a gun which he used to control vermin at his farm. Mr O'Kane added: 'The other farmer, Mr Baker, then attended and could see one of the dogs running towards a lamb and cornering it against the wall. He fired two warning shots over the dog's head in the hope that it would stop the attack but the warning shots had no effect and the only option to Mr Baker was to shoot the dog. There were two shots in quick succession and the dog died instantaneously. 'One of the males who was at the scene was able to capture the other dog but it was continuing to try and break free from that male's grasp. Mr Baker was concerned that the dog would break free and attack not only livestock but possibly the people in attendance also so he took the decision that there was no alternative unfortunately to shoot that dog also. 'He confirms the distress that was caused to him by having no alternative to dispatch both dogs in the fashion that he did. 'There were a number of ewes and lambs that were killed as a result of the incident, six lambs and nine ewes. Five of those ewes needed to be put down by Mr Baker due to the level of injury that they sustained during the attack. 'That compounded the distress to Mr Baker who was not only forced to deal with the dogs, but he had to survey the field to dispatch sheep also. 'Mr Ford was also caused a great deal of distress. He prides himself in looking after livestock to the highest possible standard. To see them being attacked was a very distressing situation for him. Fifteen animals were killed as the result of the defendant's failure to manage her dogs whilst out for a walk.' In mitigation Blake's lawyer Isabel Thomas said: 'She has always expressed her shock and horror at the way that two dogs behaved. When interviewed by police she said if the dogs had behaved in such a way then the farmers did the right thing. 'She never foresaw her dogs behave in such a way and never expected them to do so. She has owned dogs for many years and she has always ensured that her dogs are well trained. She is extremely sorry for what the farmer in this case has had to go through. 'Like him, she is devastated that harm has come to any animal. She continues to express her apologies and sincere remorse for what the farmer had to go through. She is a responsible dog owner and she has taken pride in the way that she looks after her animals. The third dog is with her partner and she has no dogs now.' Sentencing Blake, District Judge Jack McGarva told her: ' I speak as someone who loves dogs and wildlife when I say this whole thing is tragic. 'The picture of nine ewes and six lambs, dying in horrific circumstances is very distressing. But also the two dogs which you must have loved and cherished were dispatched as well. It is an awful situation. 'The dogs must have been off the lead or slipped their leads but when you have got a large powerful dog, 30kg each, there is a very strong responsibility on you as the keeper to make sure that it is under control at all times. It requires particular vigilance. 'I own springer spaniels, they are not as big but they can also cause a lot of damage to sheep. They can run after them and sheep can be killed from heart attacks just from the shock. When walking in the countryside you have to be extra vigilant and it is your responsibility when you take dogs out that they are under control. 'We do not know why the dogs ceased to be under your control but this awful incident occurred and I found it particularly stressful to read about it for everybody's sake and that includes you. I just hope that the whole incident has been a kind of real warning to make you realise what dogs are capable of. We all heard and know that dogs can act in an unexpected way.' According to the Kennel Club, the German wirehaired pointer is a medium sized hunting dog, with characteristics of being a 'powerful, strong, versatile hunting dog' which 'excels in both field and water' and 'loyal, intelligent, [of] sound temperament.' Regarding temperament, it is said to be 'gentle, affectionate and even tempered,' as well as 'alert, biddable and very loyal'. At least ten family members of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh have been killed in an Israeli airtstrike, including his sister, according to officials in Gaza. The strike hit the Haniyeh family home in Al-Shati refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, said Mahmud Basal, a spokesman for the civil defence agency said. Pictures show how the building was reduced to rubble, with rescuers working at the scene. The victims were extracted and taken to the local hospital, where white body bags were laid out on the ground and distraught mourners seen gathering. The attack came just weeks after Haniyeh lost three sons and four grandchildren in an Israeli airstrike on their car nearby. Before their deaths, Haniyeh was believed to have had 13 sons and daughters. The Qatar-based Hamas leader said at the time said that about 60 members of his family had been killed since the war with Israel broke out on October 7. Bodies of ten people, including the sister of Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh, are brought to al-Ahli Baptist Hospital after the Israeli attack on the Al-Shati refugee camp A man stands in the rubble of the house of the sister of Ismail Haniyeh after it was razed by Israeli bombardment Ismail Haniyeh is the political bureau chief of Hamas and is based in Qatar Haniyeh previously appeared calm when he was told news of the deaths of his three sons, Hazem, Mohammed and Amir, along with four of their children The Gaza civil defence agency confirmed today's attack had killed ten of the political bureau chief's relatives, including his sister Zahr Haniyeh. He said a number of bodies were likely still under the rubble but 'we do not have the necessary equipment' to extract them. Civil defence crews transferred the bodies to Al-Ahli hospital in nearby Gaza City, Basal added, also reporting 'several wounded' in the attack. The Israeli military said it 'was aware of the reports but we cannot confirm' them. Haniyeh previously appeared calm when he was told news of the deaths of his three sons, Hazem, Mohammed and Amir, along with their children. The family members were killed in a strike which near the al-Shati refugee camp. Israel claimed Mohammed and Hazem were Hamas military operatives, while Amir was a cell commander. Their father, 61, later confirmed the news to Al Jazeera, telling the broadcaster: 'I am grateful to God for the honor he has given me in the deaths of three of my children and a few of my grandchildren.' Men search through the rubble of the house, with rescuers saying they lacked the equipment to retrieve all the victims The strike is said to have hit the Haniyeh family home in Al-Shati refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip Distraught relatives of the deceased look at body bags of the victims of an airstrike Bodies of ten people, including the sister of Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh, are brought to al-Ahli Baptist Hospital 'My sons were awarded this honor. They remained with our Palestinian people in Gaza, did not leave and did not run,' he said, adding: 'The blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of our people.' The terror leader hit out at Israel, stating they were 'driven by the spirit of revenge' and claimed around 60 members of his family had been killed since the start of the war. Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel which on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's blistering air, land and sea campaign since then has killed at least 37,626 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and left the UK after reaching a plea deal with US authorities - where he faced espionage charges over the leaking of thousands of classified US intelligence documents. However, one person has been by his side since his ordeal started nearly 14 years ago - his wife Stella Assange. The South African-born lawyer first met Julian in 2011 at London's Frontline Club when her friend Jennifer Robinson, WikiLeaks' lawyer, put out a request for help fighting a Swedish arrest warrant. Stella stood by her husband even after rumours spread that he had had a romance with actress Pamela Anderson, who developed a friendship with him in 2014. Pamela visited the Wikileaks founder in exile regularly but dispelled speculation they were romantically involved. Meanwhile, Stella had an international upbringing with her theatre director mother and urban planner father. Julian Assange secretly fathered two sons while holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Pictured: The WikiLeaks founder with son Gabriel Mother-of-two Stella (pictured in 2022) when she married Julian at Belmarsh prison South African-born lawyer Stella (right) fell in love with the WikiLeaks founder nine years ago while visiting him to work on a legal bid to halt the extraditions Pamela Anderson visited Julian at Belmarsh high security prison in London in May 2019 In 2011, an arrest warrant was issued for two separate allegations - one of rape and one of molestation - after Julian visited Sweden for a speaking trip. He was questioned by police in Stockholm at the time and denied the allegations which have now been dropped. Stella's family spent time in Sweden meaning she was a fluent Swedish speaker and able to help defend Julian against the allegations which were rescinded in 2019. Stella is also a fluent Spanish speaker, a skill which would become equally critical when Julian sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. She has a degree in law and politics from London's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies and took her MSc at Oxford where she was a noted scholar. She became a member of Julian's inner circle in the embassy, officially changing her name from Sara Gonzalez Devant to Stella Morris so she could maintain a lower profile while researching and drafting legal documents for WikiLeaks. Stella later began a relationship with Julian in 2015 before getting engaged to him in 2017. They have two children - Gabriel and Max - who were conceived while their father was hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to the United States. Pamela has been a fierce defender of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange since 2014 Stella has stood by her husband. (Pictured: Outside the High Court on the final day of his appeal hearing in February) Julian gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven out of Southwark Crown Court in London on May 1, 2019 The wedding in 2022 took place inside Belmarsh, where some of Britain's most notorious criminals, including child murderer Ian Huntley, have served sentences. After a civil ceremony and a blessing by a Catholic chaplain in the presence of their two young sons - the couple were escorted back into the prison's general visiting hall. Outside the prison, Julian's supporters gathered for an impromptu wedding reception not attended by the groom. He was held in Belmarsh prison after the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum in 2019, blaming his 'repeated violations' of 'international conventions and daily-life protocols'. Shortly after this time, he was found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and remanded in custody at the prison. Stella said on Tuesday after Julian was released from Belmarsh Prison: 'The priority now is for Julian to get healthy again. He's been in a terrible state for five years' He was sentenced to 50 weeks' imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court and continued to be held on remand after serving the custodial sentence whilst fighting extradition to the US. Speaking on Tuesday, Stella said she was not sure 24 hours ago that her husband would leave Belmarsh. However, he boarded a plane at Stansted Airport on Wednesday morning after reaching a plea deal with US authorities which has been formalised. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Stella said the couple wanted to start 'this new chapter' following her husband's release from prison. Asked what the couple plan to do now, she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'We haven't even had an opportunity to have a long conversation about this and I think we don't even know. Gabriel, who was conceived when Julian was in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London The couple's second son Max, who had only seen his dad while he was in Belmarsh prison 'The priority now is for Julian to get healthy again. He's been in a terrible state for five years. To just be in contact with nature, that's what we both desire for now. 'And to have time and privacy and just start this new chapter.' She added: 'I was having discussions with Julian about his freedom. 'And for me as his wife, and all of our family, the priority has always been that Julian should be able to be free - to regain his freedom. 'And he has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case, which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states.' She spoke of her love for Julian in 2019, telling the Mail on Sunday: 'I love Julian deeply. Stella, a fluent Swedish speaker was able to help defend Assange against the Swedish rape and sexual assualt allegations, which were later dropped Julian did not meet his newest son until May 2020 when Stella was allowed into Belmarsh with both boys 'Over the past five years I have discovered that love makes the most intolerable circumstances seem bearable but this is different I am now terrified I will not see him alive again. 'Julian has been fiercely protective of me and has done his best to shield me from the nightmares of his life. 'I have lived quietly and privately, raising Gabriel and Max on my own and longing for the day we could be together as a family. 'Now I have to speak out because I can see that his life is on the brink. 'Julian's poor physical health puts him at serious risk, like many other vulnerable people, and I don't believe he will survive infection with coronavirus. 'Mentally, I do not think he will survive further enforced isolation either. Stella has said she wants 'her boys' to 'have their father back' (Pictured: Julian appearing on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in 2016) At the time that Gabriel was conceived in 2016, Julian had been inside the Ecuadorian embassy, close to Harrods, for four years and was believed to be under constant surveillance by American security services. Pictured: Julian with Gabriel as a baby 'He is effectively in solitary confinement, in a cell for up for 23 and a half hours a day with no access to us, his family, or the psychiatric help he needs.' Meanwhile, in August 2014, the late fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood introduced Pamela and Julian after the actress sought advice from him about her nascent animal charity. Speaking in 2023 about the regular visits, he recalled drinking mescals 'through the night' with him. She said: 'He's so passionate about life and about everything. There's just nothing that he says that isn't fascinating. 'So there was definitely a connection. We would just talk through the night and drink mezcal and laugh and tell stories.' Stella spoke to protesters outside of court in February, having previously warned her husband 'will die' if he is extradited to America Max and Gabriel are pictured with her sons at a hotel in London, ahead of their wedding in 2022 Julian had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said he should not be sent to the US, citing a real and 'oppressive' risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Julian's extradition. Julian was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judge's dismissal of parts of his case. Julian has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting his lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. The distraught parents of a 12-year-old Jewish girl who was raped in Paris have broken their silence to share their fears their child was attacked 'because of her religion' in what they believe was an 'imitation' of Hamas' October 7 attacks in Israel. 'For me, it is a clearly anti-Semitic attack which is linked to the importation into France of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,' the girl's bereft father told Le Parisien on Monday. The girl's mother added that they understood one of the attackers asked their daughter 'What religion are you?' before the attack. 'He had learned that our daughter was Jewish and he deduced that she was necessarily "pro-Israel" and anti-Palestinian. The reality is very different since our daughter, like ourselves, is for the peace camp,' she said. In a candid first interview, the girl's mother said her daughter had suffered 'harassment' at school since the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated last October, that peers started with fascist salutes in November, drew swastikas on desks and made jokes about the Holocaust. Urging people to distinguish between the conflict in the Levant and the blight of anti-Semitism festering in France, she acknowledged: 'We are not experiencing residual anti-Semitism but a heavy, visible, palpable anti-Semitism'. The girl from Courbevoie said she went to the Henri Regnault square (pictured) with her boyfriend when three teenagers grabbed her and took her to an abandoned hangar on the site of an old nursery nearby People attend a demonstration against anti-Semitism in front of Paris City Hall after three teenagers aged 12 to 13 indicted in Courbevoie, accused of rape and anti-Semitic violence against a 12-year-old girl, in Paris on June 19. Slogan reads: 'It could have been your sister' Protesters hold placards which read "Anti-Semitism is not residual", "+1000% in anti-Semitic acts, these aren't just figures", "Our lives are worth more than the imported conflict" and "Raped Jewish girl, Republic in danger" as they gathered to condemn the alleged anti-semitic gang rape of a 12 year-old girl, during a rally on Lyon Terreaux square in Lyon on June 18 The young girl, named only as 'A.' to protect her identity, was kidnapped and assaulted by two boys in a park in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, on June 15. The victim said she knew one of her attackers, and she was reported to have been issued death threats before their arrests two days later. The girl's parents claimed the attackers were incensed that A. lied about her religion and questioned her on her background. 'Obviously, this F. [suspect] couldn't stand the fact that she could have lied to him about her religion,' the girl's mother said. Since the attack, little more than a week ago, the victim remains in shock, closed off to speaking about her experience and suffering flashbacks at night. 'It's a pretty painful daily life,' her father told the French outlet in an exclusive first interview. An investigating source said after the attack: 'The girl went out with her parents' permission on Saturday at 3 p.m. to meet her current boyfriend. 'She was approached by two teenagers and dragged by force into a shed connected to a disused nursery, as she was returning home through a park near her parents' house in a tower block in La Defense. 'A third minor then joined them, and insulted the young girl about her religion, calling her a dirty Jew.' The girl was beaten, thrown to the ground and photographed using mobile phones, according to the victim's initial witness statement. The boys allegedly said they would use the images to blackmail her, before saying they would burn her, while placing a lighter by her face. It later emerged the girl's boyfriend was sent a video of her sobbing during the ordeal. Various sex acts were performed on the girl, and she was allegedly told she 'would be killed' if she spoke to police. One of the attackers is said to have asked the girl to return the next day to give him 200 euros about 170 as part of a blackmail plot. A gynecological examination confirmed the girl had been repeatedly raped, and soon afterwards the accused were arrested. According to reports in French media, the boys all come from the neighbouring suburb of Rueil-Malmaison. Two, aged 13, have been indicted for 'gang rape, death threats, and insults and violence of an anti-Semitic nature'. If found guilty, they could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in a youth section of an adult prison, Nanterre prosecutors have indicated. A third suspect, aged 12, was given the status of 'witness to rape' and charged with connected offences. The parents expressed concern their daughter's 'affair' could be used for political purposes, but linked the rise in anti-Semitism in France to the conflict in Gaza 'several thousand kilometres away'. 'In our opinion, there is a mimicry between the acts perpetrated by Hamas terrorists in the kibbutz and what our daughter suffered just down the street from us in Courbevoie,' the girl's mother acknowledged. Reports of anti-Semitic attacks in Europe have risen in a number of states since the conflict erupted in October. In November, more than 200 paintings of the Star of David appeared to mark buildings in Paris an act the Union of Jewish Students of France said was designed to mirror the public identification of Jewish people with armbands in Nazi Germany. Little more than a month after Hamas' attack in Israel, the French Interior Ministry said 1,247 anti-Semitic incidents had been reported since October 7, nearly three times the total for all of 2022. Protesters hold a banner during a rally against antisemitism in Paris, France, on June 20 as hundreds gathered following the rape of a girl near Paris on June 15 A protester holds a placard reading 'anti-fascists equal against antisemitism' during a rally in Paris on June 20 In April, a Jewish woman was allegedly raped and threatened with murder by a man who sought to 'avenge Palestine' in France. A 32-year-old man was charged with issuing 'death threats due to religion' and use of narcotics following his arrest in Gennevilliers. Police sources said the suspect had taken the woman's phone and texted her mother and ex-boyfriend after taking her captive in an apartment on avenue Chenard-et-Walker. To her parents he wrote: 'Good luck, you will never find your daughter again, you will never see her again, I will desecrate your daughter.' To the former boyfriend he wrote that he wished to 'avenge Palestine'. The victim was able to alert police when she recovered her phone and called her mother for help, prompting the geolocation of her call and an arrest later that day, initially suspected of kidnapping. The Israel-Palestine conflict is complex and multi-faceted, but flared up in October with Hamas' deadly incursion into southern Israel. Hamas is the de facto authority in Gaza, a Palestinian enclave on the Mediterranean coast. Hamas gunmen, joined by allies, swept through kibbutzim - small villages - in Israel and killed an estimated 1,170 people, mostly civilians. Around 240 people were also taken back into Gaza as hostages. Protests have erupted worldwide in the months since, with attention falling on Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive in Gaza, killing more than 37,600 people, according to the local health ministry. The war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and basic goods to Gaza, which is now totally dependent on aid. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a 'plausible risk of genocide' in Gaza - a charge Israel strongly denies. Many Palestinians believe they were pushed out of their homeland in 1948 with the creation of Israel as the British ceded their mandate, struggling to manage local uprisings. Repeated failures to find a workable solution, and the building of illegal Israeli settlements in the years since, has fomented distrust in Western governments and seen support rise for violent revolutionary tactics. The United Kingdom has proscribed Hamas' military wing as a terrorist organisation since 2001, extending the proscription to in November 2021 to the group as a whole. Palestinian women make their way past destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis on June 20 An Israeli army main battle tank operating in Rafah in the southern the Gaza Strip Relatives of the hostages light flares and hold portraits of those taken during a protest calling for their release, in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on June 22 Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on June 21, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah The unprecedented conflict in Gaza has seen European nations take steps to recognise a Palestinian state, with mediators seeking a permanent peaceful resolution. Israel has vowed not to stop fighting until Hamas is vanquished, and will not risk its security by allowing Hamas to stay in power. Hamas has said it would accept a return to pre-1967 borders, but has previously promised 'no concession on an inch of land'. 'Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north,' Khaled Mashaal, a leader in exile, reflected in 2012. 'We will never recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation, and therefore there is no legitimacy for Israel. We will free Jerusalem inch by inch, stone by stone. Israel has no right to be in Jerusalem.' Prior to the British mandate and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Jews and Arabs lived together in the region. A convicted child molester has been accused of serving human flesh to his neighbors and telling them it was deer meat. Nathaniel Bar-Jonah, from Worcester, Massachusetts, served neighbors what he called 'little boy pot pie' and 'French fried boy' during barbecues at his home in 1999, police discovered. He is believed to have served the human meat in pies, burgers, casseroles, chilli and spaghetti, and when told his dishes had a 'peculiar taste' he told friends he had made them using deer meat, which he had 'hunted, killed, butchered and wrapped' on his own. Bar-Jonah was arrested a year later and during a search of his house, police discovered recipes that included child body parts. The man allegedly had been fascinated by the taste of human flesh since the age of six, and according to Metro, he would pick at his scabs until he bled. Nathaniel Bar-Jonah, 43, is shown in this undated Cascade County Sheriff's file photo. Prosecutors on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2000 charged jail inmate Bar-Jonah with kidnapping and killing 10-year-old Zachary Ramsay in Great Falls, Mont., in 1996, saying evidence suggests the suspect butchered the child and fed his body to neighbors Nathaniel Bar-Jonah, from Worcester, Massachusetts, is accused of having served neighbors what he called little boy pot pie and French fried boy during barbecues at his home He was also described as a 'voracious eater' who weighed in excess of 300 pounds. At just the age of seven, he lured a five-year-old girl into his basement and attempted to choke her. As a teen, he initiated horrific offenses, which included impersonating a police officer to abduct an eight-year-old boy who he sexually assaulted and choked. For the next 20 years, he frequently would pose as a police officer to lure children back to his home. In 1996, a schoolboy named Zachary Ramsay disappeared on his way to school, around the same time Bar-Jonah was hosting barbecues for his neighbors and plating up 'deer meat'. Zachary Xerxes "Zach" Ramsay (born December 18, 1985) was a boy who went missing while on his way to school in 1996.He is believed to be a victim of suspected serial killer Nathaniel Bar-Jonah. Bar-Jonah was charged with his abduction and murder, although the case was later dismissed due to Zach's mother believing that her son was still alive. Despite this, Bar-Jonah is still widely believed to be responsible for his murder, and Zach has been declared legally dead Janice Kathryn Pockett disappeared in 1973 at the age of seven, in Tolland, Connecticut. Investigators believe Bar-Jonah may have been involved in her disappearance, as he lived in Webster, Massachusetts in 1973, when she went missing Amanda Dawn Gallion was last seen aged 14 on the morning of October 13, 1997 when she left for school in her Gillette, Wyoming neighborhood. Bar-Jonah arrived in Gillette on the night of October 12, and is believed to have been involved in her disappearance Andrew John Amato was only four years old when he went missing in 1978. Bar-Jonah was investigated for possible involvement in the young boy's case It was later discovered, however, that the man did not own a rifle and financial records indicated that he had not made any significant grocery purchases following Ramsay's disappearance. During the time-frame of Ramsay's disappearance, Bar-Jonah also held a part-time job in the kitchen at Malmstrom Air Force Base and another at a Hardee's fast-food restaurant in downtown Great Falls, Montana. It is believed he might have used his position at these two jobs to get rid of evidence by feeding it to unsuspecting servicemen and women on the military base and to customers at the fast-food restaurant. However, in Bar-Jonah's apartment, detectives found a number of recipes using children's body parts with titles such as 'little boy pot pie,' 'french fried kid,' and phrases such as 'lunch is served on the patio with roasted child' and 'Barbecue bee sum young guy.' In his journals, Bar-Jonah also referenced serving these recipes to neighbors. Although Bar-Jonah was never convicted of Ramsay's abduction and murder, he is still believed to have been responsible and is also suspected to have committed additional homicides in Montana because of the findings made in his residences by police. Some of his suspected victims include Janice Kathryn Pockett, who vanished aged seven in 1973 in Tolland, Connecticut, 15-year-old James Teta, who disappeared in 1973, four-year-old Andrew John Amato, who was last seen on September 30, 1978, and 14-year-old Amanda Dawn Gallion who went missing in 1997. After his arrest in 2000, he was sentenced to 130 years in prison without the possibility of parole for the kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual assault of several minors. He died in prison in 2008. A man and woman have been rushed to hospital in critical conditions after they were exposed to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning from burning charcoal. The couple, aged in their 50s, were discovered unconscious and unresponsive inside the bedroom of their Westminster home in Perth's north by their teenage children at about 12.45pm on Tuesday. At least five ambulances rushed to the home where the pair were treated by paramedics, including a critical care team. The couple were transported to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where both are now fighting for their lives. It's understood charcoal had been burning in an unvented bedroom where the couple had been sleeping and trying to keep warm. It's also understood the family had recently moved into the home. Department of Fire and Emergency Services acting district officer Luke Miles said the pair were exposed to potential carbon monoxide poisoning 'for a long period of time.' 'They were using (the charcoal) as a heating source in the bedroom ... where both of the casualties were located,' he told reporters. A man and woman aged in their 50s were rushed to hospital suffering suspected carbon monoxide poisoning from burning charcoal. The scene is pictured Neighbour Misty Simpson (pictured) said 'there was a horrible smell' when she went outside Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause a range of symptoms including headache, nausea and vomiting, while exposure to very high levels of it can cause loss of consciousness, seizures and death. The incident is a timely reminder a sad reminder for families to be vigilant when using heat devices to keep warm during winter. 'The important safety message surrounding that is obviously the burning of any material within an enclosed space, (you) must make sure that you have a well-ventilated area,' Mr Miles said. Shocked residents told Seven News there was was no indication of anything suspicious until ambulances arrived in Reddy Court on Tuesday afternoon. Neighbour Misty Simpson noticed a 'horrible smell' when she went outside to find out why multiple emergency crews were in the street. Firefighters conducted searches of the home, which was later taped off by police. The incident isn't being treated by authorities as suspicious at this stage. Temperatures in the area had plummeted to 3.4C about 5am Tuesday and it was just 2.4C 24 hours earlier. Rishi Sunak today finally moved to suspend two Tory candidates after allegations of betting on the election date. Craig Williams and Laura Saunders will no longer be 'supported' by the party 'as a result of ongoing internal enquiries'. A Conservative spokesman said: 'As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as Parliamentary Candidates at the forthcoming General Election. 'We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing.' The move comes after Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker broke ranks to criticise the PM's response, saying he would have been tougher on alleged 'disreputable' behaviour. Mr Williams, Mr Sunak's former parliamentary aide and the candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, has admitted to a 'huge error of judgment' in placing 'a flutter' on the election date Laura Saunders is a candidate in Bristol North West and the wife of the party's director of campaigns Tony Lee. Because nominations have closed, Mr Williams and Ms Saunders will both still be on the ballot paper. The party's chief data officer, Nick Mason, is also being probed and denies wrongdoing. Mr Sunak had insisted only yesterday that it was 'proper' to wait for the outcome of investigations by the Gambling Commission, the police and the Conservative Party itself. Rishi Sunak today moved to suspend two Tory candidates after allegations of betting on the election date Tory candidate in Bristol West, Laura Saunders (pictured, left) and her husband and the party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee (pictured, right) are accused of making bets on the election The highest profile person caught up in the scandal is Rishi Sunak's top parliamentary aide Craig Williams (pictured) Kier Starmer swiped: 'Why didn't that happen a week ago?' The developments emerged after Scotland Yard flatly denied being the source of leaks about betting probes, which have been threatening to send the Conservative election campaign deeper into turmoil. Alongside the Tory officials, one of Mr Sunak's close protection officers has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegedly placing bets on the timing of the election, with the Met bracing for further arrests. The use of confidential information to gain unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence of cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act. Those convicted face an unlimited fine or up to two years in jail. Mr Sunak has previously said he is 'incredibly angry' about the allegations, vowing to 'boot out' anyone found to have broken trust. Speaking on ITV's Peston show last night, Mr Baker said: 'I would call them up and ask them, 'Did you do it?' And if they did it, then they are suspended. 'But the Prime Minister would have to answer why he hasn't done it, I haven't got inside information on why the Prime Minister hasn't done it.' Mr Baker was joining other Conservatives such as former defence minister Tobias Ellwood in calling for the suspension of the four Tories alleged to have placed bets on the election date. The Tories have been trying to turn to the issue of immigration in an attempt to make a dent in Labour's persistently large poll lead. Home Secretary James Cleverly and his Labour opposite number Yvette Cooper went head-to-head in a debate on immigration on LBC. The party's chief data officer Nick Mason (pictured) is also being investigated and denies wrongdoing Labour is focusing on knife crime, with Keir Starmer saying reducing such offences will be a 'moral mission' if he enters Number 10. The party has promised a five-step plan to tackle the problem, including guaranteed sanctions for young people carrying knives, and Sir Keir has pledged to chair an annual summit to track progress towards his goal of halving knife crime within a decade. Sir Ed Davey will launch the Liberal Democrats' six-page mini-manifesto on care, highlighting pledges already made in the party's main policy document. The Lib Dems have already put care 'right at the centre' of their campaign and the issue is close to Sir Ed's heart, having been a carer as a teenager for his mother, and more recently for his disabled son. Sir Ed said: 'We are putting forward a bold and ambitious plan to make sure everyone can get the support they need people who need care, the amazing care workers who provide it, and the unpaid family carers who provide it too.' Julian Assange may head for a remote family home in Australia where he will 'rest and recuperate' and lead 'an ordinary life' if he walks free following a court date with a US judge on Wednesday, family members have claimed. The WikiLeaks founder, 52, is currently en route to the Northern Mariana Islands, a tiny US-controlled territory in the south Pacific, where he is expected to plead guilty to a single espionage charge tomorrow. Prosecutors are understood to have recommended a prison sentence of 62 months in custody in return for the guilty plea. But Assange would not see the inside of a US prison on account of the five years he has already spent behind bars in the UK. If the court hearing proceeds as expected, Assange will be free to return to Australia with no restrictions after a 14-year ordeal that saw him shelter for almost a decade in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London before being incarcerated. His wife Stella Assange said that the exact details of the plea deal will not be released until the judge signs off on it - but declared her husband 'will be a free man'. He is expected to live in his native land with no restrictions, with his father John Shipton claiming: 'Julian will be able to enjoy an ordinary life with his family and his wife'. Meanwhile, Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said the WikiLeaks founder could move 'to the Australian bush' to 'have a bit of quiet life for a while'. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is pictured approaching Bangkok Airport on a private jet following his release Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, has said her husband will be a 'free man' once he has struck a plea deal on Wednesday Father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, John Shipton (L) and Assange's half-brother Gabriel Shipton have said Assange will be a free man and will lead an 'ordinary life', but will need to 'rest and recuperate' Assange, who has been sought for over a decade over allegations he hacked the US government, today left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm on Monday While he has reportedly been allowed to leave the country to go back to his native Australia, British officials have not yet confirmed his release The life Assange plans to lead after his release is unclear - but he is expected to spend a significant amount of time recuperating from a five-year-stint in Belmarsh, where is health is said to have suffered considerably. He will also undoubtedly dedicate much of his time to his family. Assange's wife Stella has been fighting his case for several years, and their two kids have never seen their father outside of prison visitations. Stella, who has travelled to Sydney with their two sons to await Assange's arrival following the court hearing tomorrow, told BBC Radio 4 Today: 'It's a whirlwind of emotions, I'm just elated frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real. Legal Q&A: How has Assange managed to suddenly secure his release from prison, and why is he being taken to a tiny island? Why was Assange in prison in the UK? Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019, jailed for skipping bail and has been in Belmarsh ever since, latterly fighting extradition to the United States to face 18 charges relating to the mass leak of US secret intelligence files that were published on his website, WikiLeaks. On May 20, Assange was given the go-ahead by British judges to bring an appeal against his extradition on the grounds he may be discriminated against and not able to rely on free speech protections in the US. Why has he now been released? Plea bargaining, which is banned in the UK but common in the US, sees the accused negotiate with prosecutors for a lesser sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to some charges. Assange's deal is expected to see him plead guilty to a single espionage charge. Prosecutors will then ask the judge to sentence him to five years. He has already served this time in the UK, meaning he is likely to be set free immediately. The precise reason US prosecutors decided to strike the deal is unclear, but Assange's family said today that the end of his 'ordeal' was down to 'quiet diplomacy' - with his father John Shipton thanking Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Why is he going to a Pacific island? The hearing is taking place in the Northern Mariana Islands due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the American mainland and their proximity to his home, Australia. What else does the plea deal say? Will Assange be subject to any other restrictions? Julian Assange's wife Stella said her husband's 'interesting' plea deal with the US 'will be made public' - before then it is unclear exactly what it says. Mr Shipton said today that it appears 'Julian will be able to enjoy an ordinary life with his family and his wife, Stella'. Advertisement 'As his wife and for all of our family, the priority has always been that Julian should be able to free to regain his freedom. 'He has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states.' She added: 'He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will be some time tomorrow.' Assange's mother Christine Assange said: 'I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first.' His father John Shipton said: 'It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia. My thanks and congratulations to all his supporters that have made that possible, and of course, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.' Shipton said he was 'energised' by the news, adding: 'I don't fade easily, you know. And neither does Julian. It must be a family trait.' Assange's brother Gabriel told Sky News: 'I think now is the time for him to rest and really recuperate, be with his family and have a bit of a quiet life for a while.' Pressed on where that quiet life would be and where home is, he added: 'Hopefully somewhere quiet and out of the way where he can go outside and feel the sun on his face and be in the Australian bush or something like that. 'So that he can have a chance to really rest and recover and spend some time with us. It will just be nice to enjoy a meal with him when he is back home in Australia.' Assange is an Australian journalist, computer programmer and the founder of WikiLeaks, which gained global attention in 2010 for publishing a trove of US classified documents he obtained from US Army Intelligence officer Chelsea Manning. The leaks, which among other things exposed military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan, triggered a huge debate over press freedom. His supporters see Assange as a hero for press freedom and free speech who held the US government to account for abuses of power, while critics paint him as a criminal who threatened national security. For the past five years, he had been incarcerated in Britain's Belmarsh prison, fighting extradition to the US to face charges on conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and some 17 counts under the Espionage Act for publishing classified documents. Prior to that, he had been sheltering in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after he lost his appeal to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual misconduct charges that surfaced in 2010 - though Swedish prosecutors ultimately dropped the case in 2019. Stella Assange (pictured) said it has been a 'whirlwind of emotions' but that she is 'elated' that her husband could be a free man Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton has revealed the WikiLeaks founder could move 'to the Australian bush' to 'rest and recover' following his release from Belmarsh prison On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday Stella Assange, the wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Gabriel Shipton, brother of Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Ambassador Joseph Farrell and Editor in Chief of WikiLeaks Kristinn Hrafnsson walk outside the high court on the day Assange appeals against his extradition to the United States, in London, Britain, February 21, 2024 WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Stella Assange, Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton and WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief Kirstinn Hrafnsson take part in a march from the Royal Courts of Justice to Downing Street, 21 Feb 2024 Assange married Stella, a South African-born lawyer who he met when she joined his legal team in 2011, while locked up in Belmarsh in 2022. The couple have two children together, Gabriel and Max, who were conceived while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy. On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday. Stella said her husband is paying half a million US dollars for the flight which is taking him to Australia - a huge bill they are planning to rely on crowdfunding to help pay off. Asked about the conversations that led to his release, Stella said on Radio 4: 'Well, it's been so touch and go, we weren't really sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. 'We were talking about - I don't know what he needed to do and take from his cell and I also had to pack things up, and head out to Australia 24 hours before he left. So it's just been non-stop for the past, I think, 72 hours. 'What there is an agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice and that has to be signed off by a judge in these Northern Mariana Islands... where he is currently heading... he is in Bangkok for a layover. 'Once the judge signs off on it, it is formally real. I'm also a bit limited as to what I can say right now about the agreement in principle.' She confirmed the 'charge concerns the espionage act and obtaining and disclosing national defence information', adding: 'The important thing is the deal involves time served. If he signed it, he will be able to walk [free].' Stella continued: 'The deal itself will be made public and I think it's a very interesting deal. I can't talk about it in detail, I certainly have views about the deal but I don't want to jeopardise anything.' She said that she took a flight to Sydney with their two children on Sunday - but that she has not told them about their father's possible freedom yet. She added: 'They've never seen him outside of Belmarsh. All their interactions with Julian have been in a single visitor's room inside Belmarsh Prison. It's always been for a little more than an hour at a time. It's been very restrictive. 'He can't walk around, he can't go to the tuck shop - he wasn't able to go to the tuck shop and buy a chocolate or anything. You see, I have to change my tenses now - it's been so long that I'm not used to talking about Julian free in the present.' Stella said that she and Assange have not had the opportunity to speak about the future yet. But she revealed: 'The priority is for Julian to get healthy again. He has been in a terrible state for five years. 'Just to be in contact with nature, that's what we both desire for now. To have time and privacy, and start this new chapter.' Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) said there was 'nothing to be gained by [Assange's] continued incarceration and we want him [brought] home to Australia' Assange has spent the last 12 years years in prison or holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London He has been supported by his wife Stella (pictured) for years Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has in recent months campaigned strongly for Assange's release. He told parliament today that the journalist's case 'dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia'. 'We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership,' he said. Albanese's office told MailOnline that the Prime Minister would reveal more details about the case after the court hearing concludes on Wednesday. Australian Labour Party MP Julian Hill also waded in, saying: 'No one should judge Julian for accepting a deal to get the hell out of there and come home. 'His health is fragile. Whatever you think of Assange he is an Australian and enough is enough.' Other politicians have been less supportive, with Australia's former foreign secretary Alexander Downer declaring: 'Just because he's Australian doesn't mean he's a good bloke.' Downer told BBC Radio 4 Today on Tuesday morning: 'I don't think we should walk past the fact that this is a very serious charge he's admitted to so in that sense it's no doubt appropriate... 'I think most people in Australia would agree that it's not appropriate to steal national security information and publish it. 'Governments have to have some degree of privacy in their communications... and by the way, he didn't just release information relating to Iraq and Afghanistan... but he released a huge amount of information, much of which was very embarrassing and some of which endangered lives.' A notorious bank robber who gained nationwide infamy after staging a series of armed heists over a 10-year spree is reportedly about to fulfil his dying wish to commit legal suicide. The 'Bicycle Bandit', Kym Allen Parsons, 73, is in a health facility near the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, where he is expected to end his life with a South Australia Health-approved voluntary assisted dying (VAD) kit. The development comes a day after Supreme Court Judge Justice Sandi McDonald sentenced Parsons to 35 years behind bars for his 'morally reprehensible' actions. Parsons was originally due to be sentenced this Friday but the hearing was brought forward four days as Parsons is gravely ill with late stage terminal cancer and expected to die within days. Parsons was reportedly transferred in a white corrections van from the Adelaide Remand Centre to the hospital, where he was surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday night, Nine News reported. Authorities were tight-lipped on the operation, citing security reasons. After years of denials, Parsons finally pleaded guilty this month to 10 counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery and firearms charges for offences committed between 2004 and 2014. He tearfully read out a statement admitting to being the masked the gun-wielding bandit and pledged to repay the $358,976.90 he had stolen, putting his actions down to 'illogical and irrational' thinking. The 'Bicycle Bandit', Kym Allen Parsons (pictured), 73, is in a health facility near the Flinders Medical Centre where he is expected to end his life with a SA Health-approved voluntary assisted dying kit The development comes just days after Parsons, a former police officer and firefighter, was handed a 35-year sentence for his robberies But his defence lawyer's pleas for mercy did not wash with some of his victims. One of the traumatised victims of Parsons' robbing spree called for him to remain behind bars for the rest of his life, saying not doing so would be 'getting away with it'. The former bank worker, who herself has stage four cancer and may have less than a year to live, said Parsons should spend the rest of his life, however short that was, behind bars. 'People can say I'm inhumane, I don't care the law is the law, a sentence is a sentence, and he has to be held accountable,' she told the Advertiser. 'He did wrong and not just once it was 10 bloody times, almost 11 he is where he belongs, and he should not have access to his VAD kit while there. 'Parsons pleaded guilty but he's not going to serve his full term if he has his kit, then he's got a way to give himself an out and basically get away with it.' Parsons would rob banks by parking a bicycle outside and walking in with his face concealed by a helmet or balaclava If the teller did not pass over the cash Parsons would become more threatening on on occasions fired shots Parsons was first caught on bank security cameras in the South Australian town of Mannum in 2004, and he struck 10 banks in the state over the next five years before disappearing from view. In 2011, it is suspected that the same man reappeared suddenly robbing banks in Sydney. He would cycle to the branch he intended to rob, park his bike at the front - even sometimes bringing it inside with him - and enter the bank wearing sunglasses, a bike helmet or hat to obscure his face. Once at the counter he would point the gun, usually a semi-automatic rifle in the style of a Russian AK-47, at the bank clerk and presents the bag for them to fill. If those demands were not met he would grow increasingly threatening and fired shots at least three times. During a robbery at Balaklava in 2008 Parsons used the rifle to threaten a police officer who responded to the hold-up alarm. Altogether, Parsons stole some $358,000 across his decade-long crime spree. Justice McDonald said some of Mr Parsons' victims had suffered trauma and PTSD from his acts. 'In sentencing you, what is important is that there is a public denunciation of your conduct,' she told Parsons on Monday. She said she could see 'no real explanation' for his crimes, but accepted his guilty plea was driven by 'remorse'. 'You have made a choice, to attempt in some way, to atone for your behaviour in the plea of guilty. 'You have attempted to give your victims some answers, some closure, in circumstances in which, in all likelihood, you would have passed away long before there was any real prospect of a trial taking place.' South Australia passed its VAD laws in 2021 and eligible patients with terminal illnesses have been able to access the procedure since 2023. The procedure is available to prisoners. A man who pulled his pants down and slapped his bare buttocks to antagonise a neighbour has been convicted of outraging public decency after it was seen by a young girl. Kieron Dowell, 38, claimed he did not see the child when neighbour Daniel Shepherd walked out of a house to his car, at which point Dowell pulled down his trousers and flashed his backside in the middle of the street. He later admitted that he wanted to 'get a reaction' out of Mr Shepherd so he would be able to report him to police. The girl who happened to witness the vulgar act was left 'pale and shaking'. Weymouth Magistrates' Court heard there was history between the two men with Dowell having already complained to police about Mr Shepherd beforehand. Kieron Dowell, who pulled his pants down and slapped his bare buttocks to antagonise a neighbour, has been convicted of outraging public decency after it was seen by a young girl The 38-year-old claimed he did not see the child when neighbour Daniel Shepherd walked out of a house to his car - at which point Dowell pulled down his trousers and flashed his backside in the middle of the street Weymouth Magistrates' Court heard there was history between the two men with Dowell having already complained to police about Mr Shepherd beforehand On February 28 this year, Dowell spotted Shepherd in the street outside his house. Prosecuting, Victoria Hill said: 'As he opened the front door he [Mr Shepherd] could see the defendant walking along the road on the opposite side in the direction of his address at the time. 'The defendant started to cross in the victims' direction. As far as they were concerned, there was no need for him to do that, he was already on the correct side of the road for his home. '[The child] made a noise and appeared to be distressed and Mr Shepherd noticed the defendant had his back towards them, had pulled his trousers and underpants down and was exposing his bare buttocks. 'He made a two-handed slapping motion on his buttocks. 'The victim said "Kieron, what the f*** are you doing?" 'He alleged Mr Shepherd had threatened him, he said that's clearly not the case, he was simply disgusted the defendant committed that act in front of [a child]. '[The child] was very shocked, pale in the face and shivering as a result of what they had seen.' Dowell admitted to police he had exposed his backside and said he 'wanted a reaction' from Mr Shepherd so he could report him to the police. Ms Hill added: 'That's curious behaviour, there does appear to be a history between the parties.' Dowell had admitted outraging public decency at a previous hearing. On that occasion the court heard Dowell did not see the girl and that he would not have done it had he done so. Patricia Sheehan, defending, said: 'He has certain mental health diagnoses that make him very literal, very black and white. 'He had made complaints to the police about the complainant. By the time this incident happened, the situation had become very strained. 'He's a very easy target, he's very easy to upset and finds it difficult to walk away. Clearly things were out of hand that day.' The court heard he had 10 convictions for 13 offences but had not been in trouble for four years and had no sexual offences. Magistrates said they would take the unusual step of giving him a 12-month conditional discharge. They also ordered him to pay 85 costs and 26 victim surcharge and made him the subject of a 12-month restraining order not to contact the victims or go to the street where the incident happened. Magistrate Michael Harris said: 'This is a serious offence, it should not have happened, you should not have done it when a child was present. 'You know what you did was wrong, unusually we are going to deal with this by means of a conditional discharge. For the next 12 months you are going to have this hanging over you, you do really have to be on your best behaviour.' Residents had to stay indoors and close windows after a huge fire broke out at an industrial estate. Fire crews were called to the blaze in Paisley on Sunday evening when massive plumes of smoke could be seen across Glasgow. The pall obscured the sky some seven miles away in Partick. Emergency services were alerted to the fire in a commercial building on the Linwood Industrial Estate just after 9pm, and five fire crews remained at the scene yesterday morning. It is not known how the inferno started, but waste solutions company Enva said it broke out at its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Solutions e-waste facility. A thick plume of smoke could be seen engulfing the sky just after 9pm tonight 'There are no reported casualties at this time. Crews remain in attendance', Scotland's fire service said In a statement, Enva apologised to local residents and businesses and thanked the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the police. The Fire Brigades Union yesterday raised concerns about the regulations for electric vehicles and battery storage. Gus Sproul, chairman of the FBU, said: We know there are many hazardous materials contained in the kinds of devices stored at this site. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that it received a call about the fire at 9:12pm. 'At its height, Operations Control mobilised 10 fire appliances to the scene to tackle and contain a well-developed fire affecting a commercial building in an industrial area. 'There are no reported casualties at this time. Crews remain in attendance.' While the site is just four miles away from Glasgow Airport, which last year saw more than seven million passengers, a spokesperson said there was no disruption to flight. Analysis of drone footage and videos posted to social media suggests the blaze has centre-most set of buildings on the industrial estate A thick plume of smoke could be seen engulfing the sky just after 9pm tonight It is not currently known how the fire at the Linwood Industrial Estate, which lies west of Glasgow between Johnstone and Paisley and south of Glasgow Airport , began Eyewitnesses said they could see the plume for miles around The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said tonight that it received a call about the fire at 9:12pm Data from FlightRadar, however, shows that several planes had to make swooping arcs through the sky to avoid the massive bloom. Video on the ground back the data up, with one showing a plane banking to escape the plume. Eyewitnesses said they could see the plume for miles around. One said: 'Starting to hear loud bangs now too, like fireworks. The smoke cloud is heading towards Glasgow.' Another, commiserating Scotland's loss against Hungary tonight in Euro 2024, joked: 'Linwood fire - thank you. Took my mind off that last second goal.' Another said: 'Glasgow commiserates itself by setting the sky on fire.' This is the moment police escorted a 'drunk' passenger off a flight to Dalaman after having to do a U-turn on the runway at Manchester Airport. Passengers on the flight on June 22 watched on as Jet2 staff had to abandon take off and return to the gate where police removed the allegedly drunk man from the plane. Video footage posted on social media shows three police officers inside the cabin. The passenger, who sported black sunglasses and a neck pillow, was originally sat down and stood up as the policeman asked him: 'Have you got any cabin bags?' A flight attendant responded: 'Yes, I'll get them out for you in a second.' The officer looked at the man about to be ejected from the flight and said: 'We might be needing them.' As the police and flight attendant headed to get the man's cabin baggage, he turned to face the disgruntled passengers and appeared to hold up his hands. Police pictured on the Jet2 plane as they escorted an allegedly drunk man off the flight this weekend The man, pictured, turned to face the disgruntled passengers and appeared to hold up his hands and apologised The man said: 'Sorry, everyone, sorry.' However, his apology was not welcomed by everyone and one person can be heard saying, 'You're not sorry at all mate.' The man quickly replied: 'I am sorry, I am.' A woman who appeared to be with the holidaymaker stood up and turned to accompany him off the flight, which was then supposedly delayed by 24 hours according to social media. In April, a passenger reportedly drank a bottle of Disaronno on a Ryanair flight and caused it to make an emergency landing. Video footage of the flight from Manchester to Alicante showed a police officer in black uniform suddenly appear on the plane to the collective gasps of dozens of holidaymakers. Police pictured on a Ryanair flight as a passenger was removed from the plane for reportedly 'drinking a bottle of Disaronno' A member of the cabin crew pointed out the offender and the male passenger stood up, put his rucksack on his back and walked off the plane. Another then appeared to get his bag from the overhead compartment and follow him off as people start speculating about the reasons for the pair's ejection. A spokesperson from Ryanair previously said: 'This flight from Manchester to Alicante (5 Apr) diverted to Barcelona due a disruptive passenger onboard. 'The passenger was removed, and this flight continued to Alicante.' Two other passengers were escorted off an easyJet flight last month by Sussex Police on a flight from Tenerife South to London Gatwick. Witnesses claimed the pair were 'rowdy' throughout the flight after boozing on duty-free vodka. A spokesperson for easyJet previously confirmed officers boarded the plane upon landing back in the UK due to disruptive people on board. They added: 'easyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. 'Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority.' Two other passengers were escorted off an easyJet flight last month by Sussex Police on a flight from Tenerife South to London Gatwick Witnesses claimed the pair were 'rowdy' throughout the flight after boozing on duty-free vodka In a separate occasion, an unruly passenger on a flight from Manchester to Turkey on April 9 caused chaos on board. The SunExpress flight was destined for Dalaman, but circled over Serbia and ultimately landed in the capital Belgrade following the mid-flight disturbance. Footage captured by shocked customers showed how one man appeared to yell at another passenger, pointing his finger and shouting expletives. A woman can be heard barking back and the pair went back and forth, with the volume and aggression increasing as other passengers tried in vain to calm the situation. It is unclear to what extent the argument escalated but another clip filmed once the plane was on the tarmac in Belgrade showed how police burst into the cabin to haul one of the passengers away. A struggle ensued and footage shows how the police officers bundled the unruly passenger to the floor before dragging them out of the cabin door. A spokesperson for easyJet confirmed that officers did have to meet the plane due to disruptive people on board SunExpress previously said: 'Our flight XQ505, which was scheduled from Manchester to Dalaman on April 9, had to divert to Belgrade due to an unruly passenger. 'Upon arrival, the passenger was removed from the aircraft by local police and the aircraft continued to Dalaman after the passenger's disembarkation. 'The safety and security of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority to SunExpress.' MailOnline has contacted Jet2 and Greater Manchester Police for comment. Germany saw an 'alarming' rise in anti-Semitic incidents with a dramatic 80 per cent increase in 2023 fuelled by the fall-out from Hamas' October 7 attacks in southern Israel. The shocking statistics were published in a report by the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS). The bombshell document revealed that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany soared by more than 80 per cent, from 2,616 in 2022 to 4,782 in 2023, with 46 per cent of all documented cases happening on streets, in public buildings, or in transportation. These chilling numbers tally out at an average of 13 incidents recorded per day last year. This disturbing rise has positioned Germany among the top countries in Europe for anti-Semitic incidents, ranking third behind France and the UK. Germany has seen an 'alarming' rise in anti-Semitic attacks following the October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel. Pictured: Dramatic bodycam footage shows a Hamas terror squad wearing khakis as they ride motorbikes in a convoy on October 7, 2023 Pictured: Hamas militants rounded up people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and took them back to Gaza where some remain held as hostages Pictured: The aftermath of an attack on the Supernova music Festival by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023 It is particularly linked to the events following October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror attacks in Israel sparked a wave of anti-Semitic reactions in Germany. Bianca Loy, Co-author and Research Associate at the Bundesverband RIAS said the results are 'alarming'. 'Antisemitism shapes the daily lives of Jews, forcing many to conceal their Jewish identity. This situation is alarming and unacceptable.' Here RIAS documented that 58 per cent of the year's anti-Semitic incidents in Germany occurred after this date, with daily incidents jumping from an average of 7 in 2022 to 13 in 2023. In the three months following the October 7 terror attacks, a staggering 2,787 incidents were reported. These episodes included extreme violence, threats, and property damage, creating an environment of fear and insecurity for Jewish communities. 'The anti-Semitic massacres and terrorist attacks in Israel motivate people in Germany to engage in anti-Semitic behaviour' said Loy. 'Many well-known anti-Semitic stereotypes have been updated and applied to the Hamas massacres and the war in Israel and Gaza. With this, violence against Jews has been justified, trivialised, or denied.' Comparatively, the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany outpaced increases in other European countries. In France, for example, the number of incidents rose by 30 per cent, while in the UK, they increased by 25 per cent. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a significant portion of these anti-Semitic incidents were politically motivated. Incidents categorised under anti-Israel activism made up 12 per cent of all cases, a substantial increase from previous years. Dashcam footage showed Hamas militants who attacked an all-night music festival in southern Israel shot and killed revelers at point-blank range, then looted their belongings Smoke and flames billow after Israeli forces struck a high-rise tower in Gaza City, October 7, 2023 Meanwhile the amount of anti-Semitic incidents in Germans schools, universities, and other educational institutions is also going through the roof, spiralling from 184 in 2022 to 471 in 2023. Daniel Botmann, Managing Director of the Central Council of Jews in Germany said of the report: 'Hostility, assault, and a feeling of constant threat are a reality for many Jews. 'Many are also worried about whether a free and safe life as Jews in Germany will be possible in the future. Jewish community life can only take place under conditions of maximum security.' 'Anti-Semitic ideology spans from the far left to the far right and into the middle of society. Only if we name this with complete clarity can we fight against it. The work of RIAS makes an important contribution to this.' Attacks on Muslims also spiked following October 7 according to a separate report released this week. Four attempted murders are among the 1,926 incidents recorded in Germany in 2023 by the CLAIM network of NGOs monitoring Islamophobia. CLAIM's report revealed that incidents rose a staggering 114 per cent last year with over five anti-Muslim attacks taking place every day. These attacks included discrimination, verbal and physical abuse, or damage to property. Some 90 attacks on religious places of worship such as Mosques, cemeteries, and Muslim-marked places were also recorded. Children were documented among those physically and verbally assaulted, while women appeared to be the most common targets of these attacks. Rima Hanano, head of CLAIM, said: 'The massive increase in anti-Muslim attacks and discrimination in 2023 is more than worrying. 'At the same time, this threat has so far hardly been noticed. For Muslims and people who are perceived as such, the street, the bus or the mosque are no longer safe places. 'Anti-Muslim racism has never been as socially acceptable as it is today and it comes from the middle of society. The consequences for those affected are often serious and many people feel that they are not worthy of solidarity.' A top-secret US submarine drone weapon dubbed the 'Manta Ray' has been spotted by hawk-eyed online users on Google Earth and remains visible to the public. Satellite images showing the vessel docked at Port Hueneme naval base in California went viral on Sunday, before some social media users said the satellite images were removed, and replaced with what people believed were edited boats. As it stands, however, satellite images of the vessel can be seen on Google Earth. The vessel - named after the sea creature due to its diamond-shaped body and wing-like fins - is used for underwater threat detection and was designed by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The aerospace group's futuristic underwater drone is part of a US navy project to develop a new class of underwater drones which are capable of carrying out much longer missions. The futuristic looking top-secret vessel is plainly visible on both Google Maps and Google Earth. Picture shows a satellite image of the 'Manta Ray' The vessel is docked at Port Hueneme naval base in California The unmanned, underwater craft, has been designed to move through the ocean without human supervision or the need to refuel, and it is also able to hibernate on the seabed in a 'low power mode'. The ultimate goal is allowing soldiers to continue their mission on land without being interrupted to power, maintain and refuel an underwater machine. Northrop Grumman also says that due to its modular design, it can be dismantled and transported in standard shipping containers for rapid deployment. The military machine is the first in a new class of long duration, long range and payload-capable unmanned undersea vehicles, which carry out missions without the need of human interference. Until recently, its pioneering design, which allows it to stay submerged for long periods of time, had been kept secret. Pictured: The Manta Ray prototype completing full-scale testing off the coast of Southern California. The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) is designed for long-duration undersea missions Manufacturer Northrop Grumman say they completed full-scale testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March. Manta Ray was built through the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program But when the underwater vessel was released into the sea for testing, and captured on Google Earth over the weekend, internet users were quick to spot the top-secret US drone weapon. Just last week, Northrop Grumman revealed more details on its robotic 'Manta Ray' submersible in some newly-released videos. In these, footage shows a tour of the first test dive and a rundown on the project never-before-seen clips. Northrop Grumman announced that it had completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March this year. With the underwater vehicle undergoing recent testing, questions have been raised over the emergence of advanced sea drones in reshaping naval combat, as Ukrainian forces have been using smaller, more affordable technology to sink Russian ships. DARPA program manager Dr. Kyle Woerner (right) talks with a member of the Northrop Grumman team while standing atop the Manta Ray vehicle. The Manta Ray prototype completed full-scale testing off the coast of Southern California Some defense analysts have speculated that the US navy ants to develop a drone capable of carrying out long missions to search the seas for Russian and Chinese submarines, according to The Telegraph. This comes after it was first announced four years ago that a new class of 'extra-large Manta Ray' underwater drones would be built by Lockheed Martin after the Pentagon awarded the firm $12.3 million. The leader in global security and aerospace had been awarded the contract to start the first phase of the Manta Ray program from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - the U.S. Department of Defense's experimental research arm By harnessing marine organisms' ability to sense even the most minute disturbances in their environments, DARPA said it could be able to preemptively discover even the smallest autonomous vehicles. A gambler collapsed in front of horrified guests at a Singapore casino while reportedly celebrating a win. The unnamed victim fell to the floor of the Marina Bay Sands casino near a baccarat table, video shows. A crowd of horrified bystanders gathered as some rushed to help the man, sprawled out on the floor surrounded by what appeared to be game chips. A woman screamed out as medics attempted to resuscitate the man on the spot. Footage of the ordeal circulated on social media, prompting concern for the victim. Industry insiders casino.org reported the man was in hospital having suffered cardiac arrest and was recovering from the incident, disputing claims on social media he had died at the venue. The man was seen collapsed near a baccarat table at the Marina Bay Sands resort The casino later clarified via casinos.com that the guest 'had fallen unconscious in the casino, but he is alive and in recovery', but disputed reports he had won sums of up to $4mn. The victim appeared to be collapsed near a baccarat table at the iconic casino in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District. Bystanders were seen filming on their phones as others rushed in to help the victim. A female companion was seen visibly upset at the distressing scene in front of her. The casino is owned and operated by Las Vegas Sands, a Nevada-based company pulling revenues of $10.4bn last year. Marina Bay Sands is a sprawling complex, host to more than 2,300 slot machines over four levels, with various restaurants and suites for guests. In February, it became the most valuable gambling brand in the world, worth $6.2bn. Only in April, a gambler suffered similar misfortune in the United States after going into cardiac arrest at a Las Vegas blackjack table. David A. Jagolinzer, a trial lawyer from Miami, was staying at the Wynn Resorts hotel in Nevada on April 6 when he 'began convulsing' before he 'collapsed and became slumped over on the blackjack table with his head down', the Miami Herald reported. Jagolinzer died six months later, age 48, causing his family to raise concerns casino staff had ignored him, worsening the impact of the episode. A lawsuit alleged wrongful death and negligence - claims Wynn Resorts denies. 'Wynn Resorts will strongly defend itself against the false claims made in this lawsuit,' a spokesperson told Newsweek. Jagolinzer was allegedly left slumped on the table for 'over 20 minutes' as the blackjack dealer continued dealing out cards, the lawsuit alleges. During this time he 'sustain[ed] traumatic brain injury from lack of oxygen to his brain,' it claims. Court papers state the house dealer was more 'focused on the economic accounting of money and gaming chips and not his physical wellbeing.' The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russia's chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu - who was recently sacked from the position by Vladimir Putin. Warrants were issued for the alleged war crimes of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of 'inhumane acts' in Ukraine, the ICC said in a statement. ICC judges said there were 'reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.' The court said these strikes were 'directed against civilian objects' and even when targets could be considered military, civilian damage 'would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage.' The court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in March last year, a ruling that Moscow called 'void'. Russia levelled its own warrant against the ICC's president in response. File image shows Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, speaking to Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov Firefighters work to put out a fire at energy infrastructure facilities, damaged by a Russian missile strike in October 2022 Sergei Shoigu was recently sacked by Vladimir Putin from his post as Russia's defence minister Ukraine's presidential chief of staff applauded the ICC's move to issue the arrest warrants, saying it was 'an important decision'. 'Shoigu and Gerasimov bear individual responsibility... [They] will held be responsible for evil,' Andriy Yermak said on Telegram. The ICC, based in The Hague, does not have its own police force for enforcing the arrest warrants. It relies on the justice system of its 124 members to carry them out. In theory, anyone under a warrant is prevented from travelling to an ICC member state for fear of arrest. Putin has travelled abroad, notably to Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - not ICC members. However, he did skip a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in South Africa, which would have been expected to carry out the warrant. It comes after Shoigu was ousted in the most significant reshuffle of Russia's military command since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russia 's chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu (pictured with Vladimir Putin) The move appeared to be an astonishing snub to Shoigu, a close ally and friend of Putin's and Russia 's longest serving minister. Putin replaced him with little-known civilian economist Andrey Belousov, who has been described by commentators as a 'puppet'. His appointment has been seen by many as a signal that Putin aims to take a greater personal role in war tactics. Russia renewed a campaign of aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in March, which Kyiv says knocked out half of its power generating capacity and forced Ukraine to introduce rolling blackouts in the capital and across the country. Russia says energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. The attacks have spurred concerns about the resilience of Ukraine's ailing power system in the cold winter months after a series of harsh winters in the war-torn country. The Kyiv School of Economics estimates Ukraine's energy sector has sustained $16.1 billion in direct losses since Russia's February 2022 invasion. A Labour frontbencher has hinted at bigger tax hikes if the government's books are 'even worse' than thought. Nick Thomas-Symonds raised the prospect of the party's plans shifting during a round of interviews this morning. But the remarks drew a withering response from the respected IFS think-tank, which has been condemning the lack of honesty in the main parties' plans. Director Paul Johnson suggested it was an 'old' trick and 'wouldn't wash' as an excuse. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves (pictured) are adamant that Labour's plans do not require additional tax rises. However, the IFS believes the incoming government will face a 'stark choice' between raising taxes and cutting spending Nick Thomas-Symonds raised the prospect of Labour's plans shifting during a round of interviews this morning The remarks drew a withering response from the respected IFS think-tank, which has been condemning the lack of honesty in the main parties' plans Speaking on Times Radio this morning, Mr Thomas-Symonds highlighted that the Office for Budget Responsibility will give an update on the fiscal position before the next Budget - likely in the Autumn. He said: 'Obviously the Government is in a very different position from us, because, as the Institute for Fiscal Studies set out, there are no specific departmental spending plans beyond March of 2025 that's because the Government hasn't conducted a spending review. 'We obviously can't do that from opposition, and we've also been open, always that we may open the books and discover the situation is even worse than it is at the moment. We've never hidden from that.' Pressed if that meant Labour would have to raise taxes, cut spending or borrow more, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'We will put that plan on the table, of stability, of investment and of reform. 'The Office of Budget Responsibility will then look at it so it will be robust, and the snapshot in the autumn will be different. It will then be about growth. 'And that is why, by the way, so that we don't have to make these trade-offs. We don't have to get into this doom loop that the Conservatives have been in.' Labour's manifesto promises a 'tax lock' on the main rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT, while Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also insisted she will not raise corporation tax. But analysis by the IFS yesterday identified 12 sectors where Labour had refused to rule out increasing taxes, including fuel duty, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and stamp duty. Sir Keir is adamant that its plans do not require additional tax rises. However, the IFS believes the incoming government will face a 'stark choice' between raising taxes and cutting spending. The think tank said it would be a 'considerable surprise' if Labour does not hike taxes beyond those outlined in its manifesto if it wins next week's election. It accused both main parties of a 'conspiracy of silence' over the true state of public finances. The IFS said it would be a 'considerable surprise' if Labour does not hike taxes beyond those outlined in its manifesto if it wins next week's election Labour has outlined 8.5billion a year in tax rises, while the Conservatives have pledged 17billion in tax cuts. The IFS said neither party wanted to talk about a further 10 billion of tax rises already baked in due to the six-year post-pandemic freeze on tax thresholds. Mr Johnson said UK taxes were at the 'highest level ever' yet public services were struggling. He added: 'Regardless of who takes office following the General Election, they will they might get lucky, but unless they get lucky soon face a stark choice: raise taxes by more than they have told us in their manifesto or implement cuts to some areas of spending or break their fiscal rules and allow debt to rise for longer.' He dismissed Labour's vow not to raise taxes on 'working people', adding: 'At face value, Labour's promise of 'no tax increases on working people' rules out essentially all tax rises. There is no tax paid exclusively by those who don't work. Who knows what this... is really supposed to mean?' The mother of a 15-year-old girl who died after an allergic reaction to a Pret sandwich onboard a British Airways flight today blasted a new Snickers advert that shows a man eating the nutty snack on a plane. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, from Fulham in West London, suffered a severe reaction to sesame seeds baked into an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she bought at Heathrow. At the time shops did not have to list allergens on foods that had been freshly made on the premises. In Snickers' new 'Hungry Skies' commercial, travellers are shown enduring a chaotic atmosphere in the economy cabin before calm is restored when the chocolate bars are handed out. Hungry Skies will first appear on TV, digital and social channels in the U.S. and Australia before spreading to over 30 countries in the first quarter of 2025, including across Asia, Africa, the EU, China and the Middle East. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse with her brother Alex and parents Nadim and Tanya, who spoke out today to condemn a new Snicker's advert In Snickers' new 'Hungry Skies' commercial, travellers are shown enduring a chaotic atmosphere in the economy cabin before calm is restored when the chocolate bars are eaten The advert spoofs the unruly atmosphere on flights, with two passengers seen here having a makeover The ad drew the ire of Natasha's mother, who insisted the brand - owned by Mars - should not be encouraging aeroplane passengers to eat snacks containing nuts in case other people onboard were allergic to them. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, told MailOnline: 'We are shocked and surprised to see that Mars is using an aeroplane setting in their new campaign to promote Snickers bars which contain nuts. 'For people with food allergies, travelling by plane can be fraught with anxiety. Encouraging people to eat a nut snack on a plane is insensitive and insulting to the millions of people living with food allergies. 'At this time of year, when people are getting ready for their summer holidays, we would urge people travelling by plane to be understanding of those with food allergies, so that everyone can travel safely and without fear of a severe allergic reaction.' The advert will first appear across TV, digital and social channels in the US and Australia before being introduced in Asia, Africa and the EU through the first quarter of 2025. Following her tragic death in 2016, Natasha's family successfully lobbied for 'Natasha's Law', which makes allergy information a requirement for food made on site. They have continued to be vocal campaigners, and earlier this year backed calls for the first drug found to protect against food allergies to be made available in the UK. Xolair was shown to drastically slash the severity of reactions endured by patients allergic to foods like peanuts and cashews. Researchers said the drug could revolutionise the lives of sufferers, even though it can't guarantee they won't suffer life-threatening anaphylaxis. Instead, Xolair means they just need to worry less about consuming tiny amounts such as what they might accidentally be exposed to in a restaurant. Natasha suffered a severe reaction to sesame seeds baked into an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she bought at Heathrow The drug has been given as an injection to asthma patients for two decades, but is not yet ready for the tens of thousands of Brits battling food allergies. After news of the Xolair trial in February, Mr Ednan-Laperouse told Good Morning Britain: 'There is no price on a child's life for a parent, you'd do absolutely anything.' He added that the drug might have even saved his daughter had it been available at the time. 'It could have worked for Natasha had it been available,' he said. Mr Ednan-Laperouse urged the drug makers to make the medication affordable for the cost-conscious NHS saying their drug had the potential to stop 'the worst from happening'. Following her tragic death in 2016, Natasha's family successfully lobbied for 'Natasha's Law', which makes allergy information a requirement for food made on site 'On behalf of the families, millions in this country, who would say 'this is fascinating, can this help us', I would make a somewhat impassioned appeal to the drug company here. 'To the firm that makes the drug, they've made the money for 20 years and they've had the payback for all of their research and development and everything, the costs. 'This is a chance for a pharmaceutical company to perhaps do the truly right thing by this country and the population of food allergic people and make this drug available at a fair and reasonable price and not at the cost we are seeing in the USA, currently for asthma which is about 4,000 per month.' He also said that, beyond helping stop potentially life-threatening emergencies, such a drug would lift a massive burden of worry from many families who currently live in a state of constant hypervigilance. 'The idea you can live a safer life, with less worry, less stress, on a day-to-day basis itself has a huge value,' he said. A Mars spokesperson said: 'We agree that everyone should be able to travel safely, which includes listening to cabin crew instructions to avoid consuming peanut products around people with allergies. 'We take allergens seriously, and all allergen information is clearly displayed on our product packs. 'Mars is also a member of Anaphylaxis UK, an organization that supports allergy research and those at risk from serious allergic reactions. The safety and wellbeing of our consumers is and will always be our number one priority.' A professor from Harvard Business School discussed the reasons why one trait can help anyone reach their full potential earlier than expected. Professor Joseph Fuller, co-founder of the Managing the Future of Work initiative, spoke with CNBC Make It this week about what sets high achievers apart from their other, less successful counterparts. 'They're not wedded to some predetermined career path that they set when they were a student or starting their first job,' said Fuller. 'They're open to unexpected opportunities and embrace change instead of fearing it.' That 'soft skill,' which a LinkedIn blog post said was adaptability, it's the top trait that is 'increasingly in demand.' Professor Joseph Fuller, co-founder of the Managing the Future of Work initiative, explained to CNBC Make It that there could be danger in setting career goals and completion deadlines According to a 2024 LinkedIn blog post, adaptability is the 'skill of the moment' and it's a top trait that will benefit successful individuals Professor Fuller is a Harvard Business School alumni who teaches the Becoming a General Manager course in the second year of the school's MBA program. The professor explained to CNBC Make It that setting career goals and completion timelines is great until it's not. According to Fuller, setting career goals and timelines for achieving them can be dangerous if one becomes closed off to an unexpected route or path. This would be the case where adaptability is needed to help successful individuals fulfill options that could benefit their careers. Adaptability is the ability or willingness to adjust to new conditions in any location. Fuller told CNBC Make It that adaptability in the workforce is 'a skill that can be rare to find.' 'People are afraid to try new things and fail. But you can't grow without moving beyond your comfort zone,' said Fuller. Adaptability is the ability or willingness to adjust to new conditions in any location. According to Fuller, it's 'a skill that can be rare to find' Researchers studied adaptability's effect on careers after they decided to focus on various micro-trends in the workforce. They took a 2022 six-month period and compared it to the same period in 2023 to see which skills grew the quickest. 'Adaptability is the best way to have agency right now,' said LinkedIn Vice President Aneesh Raman. 'At the core of managing change is building that muscle of adaptability.' This skill is considered to be critical for employees and organizations and could help workers remain capable and calm during potential changes in the work environment. Although adaptability is the number one trait in the eyes of highly successful employees, it's not the most in-demand skill. Researchers studied adaptability's effect on careers after they decided to focus on various micro-trends in the workforce LinkedIn Vice President Aneesh Raman said in a blog post: 'Adaptability is the best way to have agency right now' The February 2024 LinkedIn post about this year's most in-demand skills claimed that there's more value in increasing specialization in communication, collaboration and leadership. Other top in-demand skills include customer service, leadership, project management, analytics, teamwork, sales, problem-solving, and research. 'I believe we are in the early days of a world of work that is more human than before,' said LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. Roslansky added that this gives individuals 'the chance to do more fulfilling work, and to do that work more easily and effectively with others.' A group focused on exposing liberal bias of government officials is planning to release a list of names this summer of those that could be hostile towards Donald Trump's border agenda. The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) received a $100,000 grant from the conservative Heritage Foundation in May to investigate the backgrounds, social media posts and commentary of high-ranking government employees. Tom Jones, a seasoned political operative and former Republican Hill aide, leads AAF in building the database of 'bureaucrats' that the organization feels 'can be expected to obstruct any future president's effort.' The goal of AAF's Project Sovereignty 2025 is to publish online a list of 100 government workers in late summer that a new administration might look at for reassignments or firings. Former President Trump has vowed to take a wrecking ball to the so-called deep-state bureaucracy if he wins a second term in 2024 and its likely lists like this could provide a roadmap. American Accountability Foundation President Tom Jones is leading an effort to investigate the backgrounds and social media posts of government officials to expose their liberal and anti-Trump bias ahead of the 2024 election 'Americans saw how deep state bureaucrats made every effort to obstruct Donald Trump's agenda during his presidency, and we must ensure that that never happens again to any future conservative president,' Jones said in a statement provided to DailyMail.com. Specifically, the group is focused on exposing those in the Department of Homeland Security and other related agencies that might serve as roadblocks toward addressing the southern border crisis. 'For now we are looking at folks involved with immigration, mostly at DHS, but also in other agencies,' the AAF president said. He added: '[W]e are looking at the Department of Homeland Security because it has a large number of rotten bureaucrats.' The border remains at the top of right-leaning voters' minds ahead of November and Republicans are looking to capitalize on this ahead of the presidential election. Since President Joe Biden took office, nearly 8 million migrants were apprehended crossing the southern border illegally. Biden reversed nearly all of Trump's policies on illegal immigration when he took office in January 2021 and the implementation of more lax borders led to the House impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Jones and his group are relying on tips from conservative contacts, including government workers, to investigate left-leaning employees. The effort is focused on career officials who are not appointed by partisan administrations but are fixtures within the government and oftentimes transcend changes in presidencies. The decision to publish the findings online in a sort of Republican blacklist is alarming some who feel it is a sort of doxxing that pro-Trump fanatics can use to attack government employees with liberal biases. AAF is focused on exposing liberal employees at DHS and other agencies that might cause roadblocks in addressing the southern border crisis. '[W]e are looking at the Department of Homeland Security because it has a large number of rotten bureaucrats,' said Jones The published list of 100 names to come later this summer could serve as a road map for a future Trump administration for firings and reassignments 'It just seems as though their goal is to try to menace federal employees and sow fear,' American Federation of Government Employees Policy Director Jacqueline Simon told the Associated Press. Simon's union backs President Joe Biden's reelection effort. Conservatives have long felt that the federal workforce has grown too large and oftentimes oversteps its authority. This concern only heightened under Trump when multiple agencies and their highest officials came under fire. Specifically the Justice Department and FBI came under scrutiny for launching investigations that many claimed were a personal vendetta against the former president. 'AAF's team is composed of campaign staffers who use the traditional tools of opposition research to educate the public about senior leaders in government, and the same tools we've been using to expose Biden cronies,' Jones detailed. 'We are looking for indications that these senior bureaucrats will put their own personal leftist ideological agenda ahead of the policies of the elected president of the United States, thereby posing a threat to democracy.' A record-breaking dog from Iowa, who Guinness World Records recently announced was the tallest dog in the world, has died. Kevin, a three-year-old Great Dane from West Des Moines who stood seven feet tall when on his hind legs, died earlier this week after becoming suddenly ill. Tracy Wolfe, the male dog's owner, was among the first to break the news about Kevin's unexpected death. 'Our whole family is devastated about Kevin. He was just the best giant boy,' she told Guinness World Records this week. 'We are so glad that he was able to break the record and have that light on him.' Kevin, a three-year-old Great Dane from West Des Moines, Iowa, died earlier this week after suddenly becoming ill, according to his owners, the Wolfe family 'We are deeply saddened to learn that Kevin suddenly passed away after unexpected health complications,' said a spokesperson for the Guinness World Records. 'Tracy and the team at the vet clinic she works in did everything they could to save Kevin after he became ill. Our thoughts and support are with the Wolfe family as they navigate this difficult time.' The Wolfes were proud of all that Kevin managed to accomplish before his death. 'He absolutely loved the attention,' the Wolfe's statement said. 'I wish these giant breeds, and all dogs, could live longer than they do. Its never enough time.' The Wolfe's confirmed in a statement to Guinness World Records earlier this week that Kevin suddenly became ill and passed away during surgery The Wolfes were proud of what Kevin managed to accomplish before his death The Wolfe family adopted the three-foot, two-inch Great Dane, who named him Kevin after a famous film line. 'When we got him, he'd been watching Home Alone,' Tracy said in a Guinness World Records video posted on June 13. She added that the family kept yelling the Home Alone line, 'Look what you did Kevin,' which ultimately stuck. Before his death, Kevin enjoyed spending time with Tracy, along with her husband, Roger, and their children, Alexander, 12, and Ava, 10. When Kevin wasn't playing with his owners, he was likely taking naps or as Tracy said, 'holding the couch down.' Tracy described Kevin as 'funny' and 'overly friendly' and that everybody loved seeing him as long as they didn't get 'whipped by his tail.' The owner revealed that Kevin's bad behavior would usually be related to food but that he was a 'pretty good kid.' The Wolfe family adopted the three-foot, two-inch Great Dane, who named him Kevin after a famous line from the movie Home Alone During the video, Kevin, who had the average height of a three-year-old boy when on all four legs, was nearly as big as a miniature horse. 'Whatever he does, he doesn't put on a lot of weight. He still stays really thin, but he does eat anywhere from six to 10 cups a day of food,' Wolfe said in the June 13 video. Despite Kevin towering over most animals, he still acted friendly toward smaller animals, including cats. Tracy revealed that Kevin was always gentle with small dogs and that he occasionally chased cats around the house. She added that Kevin loved the kids and seemingly enjoyed that Alexandra and Ava were 'exactly his height.' Alexander, who Tracy said trained Kevin and took him to obedient classes, showed off his skills with the late Great Dane during the video. The Wolfe family may not have been surprised by his record-breaking height since they noticed his rapid growth over the years. Kevin was the average height of a three-year-old boy who enjoyed playing with Alexander Wolfe, 12, and Ava Wolfe, 10 Alexander had trained Kevin and would participate in obedience classes with him. He showed off his enthusiasm in a June 13 video posted by Guinness World Records 'As a puppy, we just kept thinking "He just keeps growing" and we would say, "He's the tallest dog I've ever seen,"' said Tracy. That was proven to be the case less than three months ago after Kevin was verified as the world's tallest dog on March 20. Kevin claimed the title of world's tallest dog from Zeus, a Great Dane who died after contracting pneumonia during his cancer battle in 2023. Like the Iate Iowa Great Dane, Zeus was three years old when he died. Zeus was 3 feet, 5 inches prior to his death, and would tower over his owners in Texas when he stood on his hind legs. Kevin's passing now means that Guinness World Records will need to figure out which canine is currently the tallest dog in the world. Daily Mail has reached out to Guinness World Records for comment. A 20-year-old Tennessee driver who 'smokes marijuana every day' allegedly caused the death of his pregnant wife in a horror crash after driving into oncoming traffic while high on the drug. Jonathon Jones of Luttrell, was driving on Raccoon Valley Road in a Nissan Sentra when he crossed into the westbound lane and hit a Ford Expedition on June 21, according to court records. Emergency crews who were quick to arrive at the scene discovered that five people were trapped and had to be 'cut from the wreckage'. They were immediately rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. His wife Casandra Jones, 28, was the only passenger in his car. Casandra and her unborn child were declared dead by officials, according to court records. Jonathon Jones of Luttrell allegedly caused the death of a pregnant mother after crashing his car into another while rash driving Virginia Brooks, who was one of the people rushed to the hospital, died the next morning. Officials clarified that two other people and the accused have only sustained injures and will recover. Jonathon has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, improper passing and three counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication. Authorities also said that while speaking to the young adult in the hospital, he told them that he smoked marijuana every day. Jones was driving on Raccoon Valley Road in a Nissan Sentra when he crossed into the westbound lane and hit a Ford Expedition on June 21 The pair got married in October 2023 She announced in December 2023 that the pair were expecting their first child together Cassandra is survived by by her parents, Chad and Christine Fritts; husband, Jonathon Jones; brother, Cain Fritts Wallace; grandparents, Dwaine and Brenda Fritts, Gary and Susie Wallace Out of those injured, the only passenger in the accused's car, Casandra Jones and her unborn child were declared dead by officials The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. A court date for Jonathon has not been set yet Witnesses also told officials that Jonathon was supposedly been driving in a reckless manner and was passing other cars on a double yellow line before the crash. Cassandra is survived by by her husband; parents, Chad and Christine Fritts; brother, Cain Fritts Wallace; grandparents, Dwaine and Brenda Fritts, Gary and Susie Wallace. She was described as a 'beautiful girl loved by everyone' who would be 'dearly missed' in her obituary. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. A court date for Jonathon has not been set yet. A bizarre, ring-shape UFO that appeared in the skies above Venezuela was recorded by a pair of stunned friends. The now-viral video shows the dark, circular spot hovering in the clouds over Valencia, a city in the northern Venezuelan state of Carabobo. 'A flying saucer,' one of the young men shouts as they drove down a rode on a sunny afternoon. He then asks one of his pals for the time on the clock to document the recording. 'Bro, look here: 4:54 pm on the 17th of June in 2024,' he says. 'Look at what is here in the sky in Valencia, Carabobo.' A bizarre, ring-shape UFO that appeared in the skies above Venezuela was recorded by a pair of stunned friends Pictured: A poster for Jordan Peele's Nope released in 2022 The excited man then asks one of his friends to share the video with another person. Although Venezuelan authorities have not made any public statements, local meteorologist Luis Vargas rained on their parade with several theories that ruled out a possible UFO sighting. 'This could be a smoke vortex or black ring that occurs after an explosion through a circular structure such as an industrial chimney or something similar,' he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He also indicated that the circular shape may have been produced by a volcano. 'They are also more common in volcanic activities as can be seen and are known as ring clouds,' Vargas said. Venezuelan meteorologist Luis Vargas downplayed a video filmed in the northern city of Valencia on June 17 that showed a ring-shaped UFO figure in the sky and took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to share two pictures (left and right) explain that it was most like smoke that was produced by an explosion from a chimney The meteorologist also mentioned that circular shape that was spotted in the sky may have been produced by volcanic activity (seen here) One user on X linked the odd-looking shape to military exercises that had taken place at a camp ahead of Monday's commemoration of the Battle of Carabobo, the 1821 fight for independence between fighters led by Venezuela General Simon Bolivar and the Spanish. The victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuelan and the creation of the Republic of Gran Colombia. Another social media user linked the ring-shaped clouds to smoke from a cigar. 'It was me who was smoking a cigar, and I started making figures with the smoke,' Jose Perez said. 'But yes, his explanation is the most coherent and valid. I don't think UFOs will arrive in Valencia, because we never have electricity, water and there are always lines for gasoline.' Another joked that the UFO arrived ahead of next month's presidential election to remove President Nicolas Maduro and his regime. 'It is a UFO hired to search for those who leave on July 28,' Alba Ferrero said. Wilmer Palacios joked: 'Those from Valencia are the chose ones.' Serial child killer Lucy Letby has insisted in court she has 'no recollection' of a baby girl's near-fatal collapse. The convicted murderer was accused today of 'trying to hedge her bets' in police interviews because she knew she had been 'caught cold' by the senior consultant on her neonatal unit. She maintained throughout almost an hour of intense cross-examination her insistence that she could not recall the collapse of Baby K on February 17, 2016. Letby, 34, from Hereford, is currently serving 14 whole life orders after being convicted last August of murdering seven babies in her care and attempting to murder a further six between June 2015 and June 2016. She is now on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of Baby K and has pleaded not guilty. Serial child killer Lucy Letby insisted at Manchester Crown Court today she has 'no recollection' of a baby girl's near-fatal collapse (picture by court artist) Letby, 34, is currently serving 14 whole life orders after being convicted last August of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder a further six while working as a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital The jury in her original trial could not reach a verdict on the case. After spending almost a full day in the witness box yesterday, she returned to her seat in the well of Court 7 to field more questions from prosecutor Nick Johnson. Letby maintains that she never harmed a baby during her time at the Countess of Chester Hospital including the infants whose deaths form part of her convictions. For her latest appearance Letby had tied up her hair and changed her outfit to a navy jacket and blue blouse with white spots. As before, she was sitting next to a woman prison officer. She told Mr Johnson she had 'no recollection' of Baby K's collapse, nor of Ravi Jayaram walking in to Nursery 1 and seeing her 'doing nothing' as the infant desaturated to a critical level. Officers referred to the consultant's allegation during police interviews, and in response she had tried to 'fill in the gaps', adding: 'I was relying on what Dr Jayaram was saying.' Mr Johnson suggested she was 'filling in the gaps' for an infant whose name she had been searching for on Facebook 10 months before the first police interview. He also highlighted the agreed evidence of an expert nurse Elizabeth Morgan, who said normal practice with a baby of 25-week gestation would have been to intervene in such a situation rather than wait to see if she self-corrected. Letby told the jury: 'That's her opinion. I just know what our policy was in Chester for any baby.' Mr Johnson said: 'But we're talking about a 25-week gestation baby'. Letby was questioned today in the dock at Manchester Crown Court by prosecutor Nick Johnson (both pictured here court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook) Letby, formerly of Hereford, denies attempted murder of a premature newborn, Baby K Letby replied: 'There isn't a full policy, but I'd worked at Liverpool Women's Hospital and we would want to see if a baby self-corrected'. When Mr Johnson told her, 'You're lying, aren't you?', she said: 'No.' She repeated the same answer when he went on: 'You're lying because you know you were caught cold by Dr Jayaram.' She also rejected the barrister's suggestion that this 'fundamental' part of her case had not featured in her 28-page defence statement and that in police interviews she had been 'hedging your bets' to see what emerged. He put it to her, 'You dislodged the tube', to which she answered: 'No.' Mr Johnson said, 'You silenced the alarms and you intended to kill her', and she replied: 'No, I did not.' Mr Johnson went on, 'Thereafter you tried to create the impression that she was habitually desaturating and dislodging her tube', to which she again said 'No'. Letby and the prosecutor clashed again on the issue of whether, in the lead-up to her collapse at 3.50am, Baby K had been active or inactive while being handled. Mr Johnson asked: 'She wasn't active at 3.30am, was she?' Letby did not reply, so he repeated the question and this time she replied, 'No', before repeating it when he followed with: 'Not at 3.45am?' Mr Johnson questioned: 'Or were you handling her, and were you moving the tube?' Letby was 26 at the time the alleged murder attempt in February 2016 (court artist drawing) She was accused today in court of 'trying to hedge her bets' in police interviews because she knew she had been 'caught cold' by the senior consultant on her neonatal unit Letby replied: 'I can't recall the events of that night.' The barrister then moved on to the baby's third collapse that night, referring to nursing colleagues saying Letby had been in Nursery 1 at the time, performing certain duties. Letby said: 'I have no recollection of it myself.' Mr Johnson asked: 'Do you accept that they are telling the truth?' Letby said: 'That sounds like actions I would have been taking, if it was happening. I don't think I can comment on whether someone is telling the truth or not. I only know what I know.' She denied being anxious to extend the time she says it took her to feed a baby in her care so it created the impression she had not been in Nursery 1 when Baby K collapsed. Referring to one of her own medical notes, the killer said: 'I wouldn't write something that didn't happen.' Mr Johnson asked: 'Like you wouldn't kill babies?' Letby said: 'No.' She denied the barrister's allegation that she had been trying to attack Baby K at the time she desaturated for a third time. Mr Johnson reminded her that it was not an alarm that had alerted a fellow nurse, but a call for help from Letby, and asked whether she accepted that. A doctor at the Countess of Chester Hospital (pictured) has said he had caught Letby 'virtually red-handed' attempting to murder a very premature baby known as Baby K She replied: 'I don't know how I can accept it. It could have happened, but I don't have any direct memory.' Mr Johnson said: 'K was well sedated by this stage, wasn't she?' Letby said: 'She was on morphine, yes.' The barrister said the infant's ET tube had gone in a further 20 per cent - adding: 'Relatively speaking a long way, and that's because you pushed it in, didn't you?' She said, 'No', as she did to the prosecutor's final questions: 'You tried to kill Baby K, didn't you? Like you tried to kill six other babies and succeeded in killing seven?' In re-examination Letby's barrister Ben Myers asked her to read out some of the content of her defence statement. This included her observation that she did not accept the 'good faith' of either Dr Jayaram or his fellow consultant Stephen Brearey. She said both men had been 'set against me for some time', adding: 'That's obvious from their witness statements, as well as some of their conduct towards me in 2015 and 2016 and after.' She again told Mr Myers that she did not recall the events of February 17 and would have said so if she had remembered. Letby was the only witness to be called in her defence, with Mr Myers telling the court: 'That will be the case for Miss Letby.' The trial resumes on Monday when the prosecution and defence are expected to give their closing speeches. Listen to The Trial of Lucy Letby: Baby K, wherever you get your podcasts now. A 60-year-old Florida dentist has been charged with sending death threats to Donald Trump critics online, telling more than 40 victims 'we are going to kill you.' Richard Glenn Kantwill, a US army veteran turned dentist from Tampa, could spend up to 15 years in jail if convicted on three counts of interstate transmission of a threat to injure. Kantwill allegedly sent 100 threats to 42 victims between August 2019 and July 2020, claiming he would rape, murder and torture victims who criticized 'The Great Donald Trump'. One message read: 'Cannot wait to shoot your ghetto (expletive) in the streetyou will die like every other [redacted] piece of s***.' Father of two, Reverend Chuck Currie, from Oregon, identified himself as one of the victims, saying: 'People like Kantwill may make threats, but Donald Trump inspires them.' Richard Glenn Kantwill, a US army veteran from Tampa, could spend up to 15 year in jail if convicted on three counts of interstate transmission of a threat to injure Kantwill allegedly started his campaign of harassment in August 2019, and sent 'approximately 100 threats and various other disturbing messages' to 42 victims over the next year. The targets included politicians, celebrities, authors and other non public figures, including Rev Currie. In one message he allegedly told the victim: 'You, sir, are a degenerate piece of s***. I read your article about The Great Donald Trump. 'You are gay... I can tell. F*** you. Hire extra security... you're gonna need it. I plan on f***ing you up... just for the fun of it.' Rev Currie was forced to spend $4,500 on security cameras for his home after receiving the threats. The message labelled him an 'anti-Christian piece of s***' and told him, 'we are going to kill you. Torture first, then death.' It added: 'You will deny Christ, just like Judas because you are a coward. Either way... prepare to die.' Father of two, Reverend Chuck Currie, from Oregon , identified himself as one of the victims, saying: 'People like Kantwill may make threats, but Donald Trump inspires them.' The message to Rev Currie labelled him an 'anti-Christian piece of s***' and told him, 'we are going to kill you. Torture first, then death.' Rev Currie told DailyMail.com he had never met Kantwill. He added: 'As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I will always speak out against the racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamaphobia embodied in Mr. Trump's MAGA movement.' In a message to a different victim, Kantwill allegedly wrote: 'Take note because liberal [redacted] like you get raped in alleys, by really big black guys that serve our cause. 'So, you [redacted] are going to get raped by at least 5 [redacted] and do nothing. You are the number 1 target, you degenerate [redacted].' According to court documents, Kantwill 'blamed the Government, minorities, and other entities for being the reason he had been speaking out.' He is an army veteran with no criminal history, but court documents said he had bragged about 'enjoying the violence' of war on Facebook before. He reportedly once wrote online that he 'loved creating widows and orphans' and boasted about the weapons he owned. Kantwill also tested positive for Marijuana during a pretrial test. In one message Kantwill allegedly told the victim: 'You, sir, are a degenerate piece of s***. I read your article about The Great Donald Trump' The FBI originally warned Kantwill to stop his threatening messages in October 2019, when one of the victims came forwards. He refused and sent over a hundred messages over the following ten months. When the FBI confronted him again in July 2021, he said he was not 'doing anything illegal' and then sent two middle finger emojis to an FBI agent writing 'f*** you', according to the Miami Herald. Kantwill was arrested on June 18 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He reportedly told the court, against his lawyer's advice, that his statements were 'empty threats'. His attorney wrote in a court memo seen by the Atlanta Black Star that Kantwill experiences depression and post-traumatic stress disorder due to his time in the military, and has 'struggled with alcoholism.' Police hunting for missing Briton Jay Slater today called in reinforcements from Madrid, with sniffer dogs joining the operation after officers increased the search area. Officers from the Spanish city jetted in to Tenerife with hounds from the Civil Guard who specialise in searching for people 'over large swathes of land'. Scent dogs trained in 'smaller areas' had already been scouring the island for the apprentice bricklayer, 19, as efforts are ramped up on the ninth day of the agonising search to locate the missing teen. Jay has not been seen since he vanished last Monday after he had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends. The area teams have been tasked to comb was described today as 'immense' with the Civil Guard saying it had no plans yet to extend the land and air search to the sea. It comes after officers yesterday confirmed new areas to the north of the Masca Gorge where Jay's phone is last thought to have pinged from were now being searched. A spokesman for the force said: 'The Civil Guard is continuing with the search operation for the young British man who went missing near the Masca area of the municipality of Buenavista del Norte in which different units are participating. The last confirmed sighting of Jay (pictured) was at around 8am last Monday by a woman who had told him the bus was due at 10am when he asked The hunt for missing teenager Jay Slater has taken a new turn after Madrid reinforcements were called in 'In addition today several dog trainers and their expert dogs who have transferred from Madrid have joined the search. 'These dogs are specifically trained in searching for people over large swathes of land.' He added: 'The difference is that specialisation in large expanses of land. 'The dogs that were already taking place in the operation were trained for searches in smaller areas.' A spokesman for the Civil Guard described the area as 'immense', saying: 'Officers involved in the search are going over old ground in the gorge but teams are also looking at other areas such as forest trails and tracks in other parts of Buenavista del Norte. 'We're talking about an immense area. 'We're not going to go into every little new detail of the search or give a running commentary but everything possible is being done to find this missing man and we continue to keep an open mind with regards to what could have happened to him. 'It remains a land and air search and hasn't yet been extended to the sea.' The force confirmed earlier this morning the search operation involving mountain rescue experts, scent dogs, a helicopter and drones was currently limited to the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, which Masca forms part of. They are not commenting on other aspects of the police investigation over and above the ground and air search. A mutt from the Civil Guard takes part in the search for missing Jay in the Masca ravine last week JUNE 22 -- A team member with a search dog near to the village of Masca where the hunt to find the missing teen continues A search team near the last known location of Jay Slater, near to the village of Masca Search and rescue are out in force last night with man power and drones surveying the scene Search teams take a break for water as they comb through the rugged mountains in Tenerife The number of reinforcements that have been brought in has not been revealed. The walk from Mr Slater's last known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot. A fundraiser set up by the last person to speak to Mr Slater hit its target of 30,000 on Sunday. The GoFundMe created by Lucy Law to 'get Jay Slater home' had received 33,000 in donations by Monday morning. A post on the page from Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, confirmed the fundraiser was 'approved by our family'. The post, published on Sunday, said: 'We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves. 'The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page. 'We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay.' A GoFundMe spokesperson said: 'We are in touch with Jay Slater's mother, Debbie, and working with her to keep everyone updated on how their donations will be used in the search. Warren Slater (pictured with Jay's brother Zack) said although some officers had been 'brilliant', he was becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication from others as he desperately tries to find his 19-year-old son Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished on Tenerife on Monday June 17 This is the CCTV image the family of Jay Slater are hoping and praying is him - a week after he mysteriously vanished on Tenerife Video taken at Papagayo nightclub in the notorious Veronica's strip at Playa de las Americas before Jay went missing A picture of missing teenager Jay Slater shows the 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife Jay's mother Debbie Duncan (pictured) flew to Tenerife on Tuesday, the day after he vanished in Tenerife Jay's friend Lucy Mae Law (pictured), 18, has blasted Spanish police for rejecting an offer from British officers to help The mountain range in Rural de Teno near the village of Masca where police were searching 'For now, the money is with GoFundMe as we work through the next steps.' Ms Law said her friend told her in a frantic phone call last Monday at 8.30am that he was 'lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%'. Search teams in Tenerife narrowed their efforts over the weekend on small buildings close to where his phone last pinged. Officers from the Guardia Civil in the Canary Islands could be seen circling two structures at the bottom of a ravine in Rural de Teno Park on Sunday. Efforts appeared to be solely focused on the one area after days of searches in the village of Masca and the surrounding landscape. The efforts come after the teenager's mother issued a direct plea to her missing son, saying: 'We just need you home.' Debbie Duncan said she had 'not slept' since the 19-year-old disappeared. Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and carrying a black bag. On Tuesday, officers on the island revealed they had rescued a second lost Briton who went missing on a hike close to where the teenager's phone last pinged. The 'tired and disoriented' Scottish hiker was rescued from a ravine in the Los Carrizales neighbourhood, near the Rural de Teno national park. It is not thought that the hiker was looking for Jay at the time, but was on a separate outing. Kenya's capital city has been plunged into chaos amid riots over tax hikes, forcing the government to call in the army after a blaze erupted at the country's parliament and cops shot dead at least ten people. Thousands of anti-tax demonstrators broke through barriers erected by the police outside the parliament building in Nairobi, forcing legislators to urgently evacuate. Ten people have been killed in the violent clashes, with police firing live rounds at the anti-government protesters. Paramedics have reported that the gunfire has left at least 50 people injured. Video shows smoke rising from parts of the government building as crowds swarmed through its gates, with projectiles also seen being thrown. Demonstrators streamed into the complex where lawmakers were debating contentious tax hike proposals that have sparked widespread anger. The violence was so pronounced that Kenya'a defence minister, Aden Duale, said that he has deployed the army to respond to the 'security emergency.' Kenya's president, William Routo, vowed to 'provide a full, effective and expeditious response to todays treasonous events' during a brief televised address to this nation's citizens. Kenya Police officers and security personnel take position to protect the Kenyan Parliament A protester lobs back a teargas canister at police during a strike to protest against tax hikes in Kenya Flames rise from a parliament building on the day of a demonstration against Kenya's proposed finance bill in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25 A masked demonstrator holds an empty ammunition shell used by police during a protest against proposed tax hikes Protesters are perched on a police water cannon as it attempts to repel them with chemically treated water jets next to an advertisement featuring a photo of Kenya's President, William Ruto Protesters run to take cover outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building during a nationwide strike A torched military vehicle burns outside of the Parliament during a protest against tax hikes in Nairobi Protesters were pictured storming the senate after making their way into the parliament building Medics set up emergency response temporary shelters in different cities with supplies donated by Kenyans. Two people died in far smaller-scale protests last week. The latest round of protests today took place as lawmakers vote on the finance bill that would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy that would raise the price of goods like sanitary towels and diapers. A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry but demonstrators are still calling on Parliament not to pass the bill. The Kenya Human Rights Commission on Tuesday shared a video of officers shooting at protesters and said they would be held to account. The commission wrote on X addressing President William Ruto: 'The world is watching your descent into tyranny! The Kenya Human Rights Commission said of Ruto's handling of the protest: 'Your regime's actions is an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting - actively or passively - must be held to account' Protesters scatter as Kenya police spray a water canon at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi A protester gestures at police use a water canon to disperse demonstrators during a nationwide strike A protester is arrested by Kenyan police officers during a protest against the finance bill on June 25, 2024 The violence was so pronounced that Kenya'a defence minister, Aden Duale, said that he has deployed the army to respond to the 'security emergency' 'Your regime's actions is an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting - actively or passively - must be held to account.' The Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo on Tuesday said 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, had been 'abducted' by people believed to be police officers. She said there were instances of extrajudicial killings, police abductions, torture and people kept incommunicado for several days. Some of those missing included those who were vocal in the ongoing demonstrations and were taken away from their homes, workplaces and public spaces in the run-up to the Tuesday protests, according to civil society groups. Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. A joint statement issued by embassies in Kenya, including the UK's, condemned the violence wrought on protesters by security forces. Kenyan police officers wearing riot gear charge during a protest against the finance bill The Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo on Tuesday said 50 Kenyans, including her personal assistant, had been 'abducted' by people believed to be police officers Protesters hide behind a banner as police fire tear gas at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes It read: 'We are deeply concerned by the violence witnessed in many parts of the country during the recent protests, and are especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament. 'We call for restraint on all sides, and encourage all leaders to find peaceful solutions through constructive dialogue.' Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Tuesday directed the inspector general of police to provide information on the whereabouts of those the opposition said were abducted by police. Ruto on Sunday said he was proud of the young people who had come out to exercise their democratic duty and said he would engage the youth on their concerns. Ruto was outside the capital attending an African Union retreat. Protesters react as a Kenyan police vehicle burns in front of parliament during a protest against the finance bill on June 25, 2024 Kenyan riot police operate near the country's parliament during a protest against proposed tax hikes Protesters run inside the Kenyan Parliament compound during deadly clashes with police Demonstrators react as police use a water cannon during a protest against proposed tax hikes A demonstrator uses a broom to repel a tear gas cannister Thousands have attended today's demonstration in Nairobi Thousands of protesters made it through police barricades and into the parliament compound Police prepare to fire tear gas at demonstrators during a protest against proposed tax hikes Angry protesters slammed the country's President William Ruto Unrest has persisted in the country over the controversial tax bill despite some of the proposed increases being scrapped. Among the scrapped tax hikes was a proposed 16 per cent VAT on bread, as well as proposed taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil and mobile money transfers, the chairman of Kenya's Finance and National Planning Committee. 'When we started the public participation in the finance bill of 2024, we did make a promise that public participation would not be an exercise in futility. We have listened to the view of Kenyans,' Kuria Kimani said in a speech last week. Changes to the finance bill were driven by a 'need to protect Kenyans from increased cost of living,' Kimani said. But the dramatic scenes today highlight how many have been left far from satisfied by the governments' actions. The measures have failed to allay fears that the tax hikes will worsen the cost-of-living crisis in the country. The dramatic scenes today highlight how many have been left far from satisfied by the governments' actions The mass outbreak of violence comes just a day after US president Joe Biden designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally A Kenya Police officer kicks a tear gas canister during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes A police officer fires teargas at demonstrators during a protest against proposed tax hikes An anti-government protester waves a Kenyan flag as police fire teargas at them A demonstrator holds a Kenyan flag as police use water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters The mass outbreak of violence comes just a day after US president Joe Biden designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally. While this doesn't automatically mean a defence pact between the two nations has been agreed, it does mean that Kenya now has access to special military and financial advantages that other nations do not. Biden said in a memo to Congress last month: 'Kenya is one of the United States Governments top counterterrorism and security partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and the designation will demonstrate that the United States sees African contributions to global peace and security as equivalent to those of our Major Non-NATO Allies in other regions.' State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US condemned the violence in Nairobi, telling reporters at a news conference in Washington DC: 'We mourn the loss of life and injuries sustained and offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones. We urge restraint to restore order and provide space for dialogue.' A British hiker found by search teams hunting missing raver Jay Slater on the Spanish island of Tenerife has insisted he 'didn't need rescuing' after being tracked down by MailOnline. David Larkin, 51, was discovered by police and mountain rescue teams on Friday as they scoured a remote gorge for Jay, 19, who hasn't been seen for more than a week. Posting on Facebook, local police described how they had 'successfully' found Mr Larkin after locals reported seeing him wandering into mountains a mile from where they were looking for the teenager. The area around Masca has been a hive of activity since Jay went missing on June 17 with a vast area of the Parque Rural de Teno being searched using helicopters, drones and dogs. It was during these searches that according to local authorities, a 'tired and disorientated' Mr Larkin was found by search teams and 'helped out of the ravine' in the Asomada Canyon. David Larkin, 51, was discovered by police and mountain rescue teams on Friday Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished on Tenerife on Monday June 17 Casa Rurales in Carrizales, the house that David Larkin is staying at overlooking the trail where he was rescued Spanish police rescued the 51-year-old Scottish hiker who got lost near the same national park that they are searching for Jay in Police said: 'Tired and disoriented, he was located by the agents and the rescue team who helped him get out of the ravine' The 51-year-old Scottish hiker was located in a ravine near the Rural de Teno National Park after getting into a 'difficult' area that is not 'suitable for travel'. Pictured: Police search near Jay's last known location But Mr Larkin said:' I can tell you now, I wasn't tired and I wasn't disoriented, and I didn't need rescuing. Jay Slater timeline: What do we know so far? Sunday June 16: Jay and his friends, including Lucy Mae Law, party at the final day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo night club in the resort of Playa de las Americas, Tenerife. Monday June 17: - Between 3am and 6am BST, Jay goes back to an Airbnb with two men after they leave Playa de las Americas in a car. - 7.30am: Jay shares a photo on his Snapchat account, which shows him standing at the doorway of a house with the location Parque Rural de Teno. Between 8.30am and 9am: Jay calls Lucy and says he is 'lost in the mountains with one per cent battery and no water' and has missed a bus back south and was attempting to walk. It would take 11 hours. The call cuts out and the phone's last location is a path in the rugged Rural de Teno national park, which is popular with hikers. Grainy CCTV, released on June 24, shows a possible sighting of Jay at Santiago at around 6pm - nearly ten hours after his mobile phone last pinged in the Rural de Teno Park at around 8.50am. The CCTV is taken close to a church, San Fernando Rey, where Jay's mother told MailOnline a man has come forward to say he saw someone matching her son's description sitting on a bench with two men. Tuesday June 18: Friends search the area but there is no sign of Jay and he does not return to his accommodation. Local police and mountain rescue teams start hunting for Jay - and his mother Debbie flies to Tenerife. Wednesday June 19 - Spanish police use drones, dogs and a helicopter but Jay is not found. They change their search to Los Cristianos because of a possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno. Thursday June 20: Guardia Civil, mountain rescue, firefighters and volunteers continue to search the national park. Friday June 21: Lancashire Police offer support but it is declined by the Spanish police. Saturday June 22: Search teams continue scouring the national park and Debbie says: 'We just need you home.' Sunday June 23: Police examine outbuildings at the bottom of a ravine where his phone last pinged. Monday June 24: MailOnline learns Spanish police are investigating whether Jay's past is relevant. Jay's family focus on the area of Santiago de Teide - where the grainy CCTV they think is Jay was taken. Advertisement 'I think there was a lot lost in translation when they saw [me] and I explained to them I had water, I was wearing layers, I had my rucksack with food and I'm an experienced hiker. 'I went into the canyon and I saw the helicopters looking and thought they were looking for the lad but I didn't for one minute think they would end up picking me up. 'I think they want to show how good they are, but I certainly didn't need saving. I feel so sorry for the boy's family and hope he's found soon. 'I'm actually embarrassed about this, I had my poles and I know what I'm doing and I knew that if it could get windy I would take shelter in a cave. 'I know these trails, I've been coming here for years, so I know what I'm doing.' Mr Larkin, who is originally from Northern Ireland but lives in Scotland, is a former director of a housing project based in Hackney, and has worked with the capital's Fijian community. He arrived in Tenerife earlier his month and has based himself in a remote one-bedroom hut on the edge of a cliff while going on treks across the park and was eventually taken back by police from Buenavista del Norte, in northern Tenerife. Mr Larkin added:' It really is stunningly beautiful round here and I know the place well because I've been coming here so often. 'You have to treat Tenerife with respect, as it can be quite isolated but I know what I'm doing. 'The mountain rescue people took my picture and then dropped me off, and I'm very grateful but I didn't need helping and to be honest it extended my day. 'I did go in through a difficult path, and the trail isn't that well marked but I do know the way, I managed it and when they came towards me I did explain I was OK. 'It should have been a two-hour trail and I left just after lunch but didn't get back until nearly 7pm because they took me the long way. 'I'm slow and I hike for solitude, but I was fine, I take my time and they ended up rushing me at a pace I found uncomfortable. 'Like I said I had all the equipment and I think the language barrier was an issue and then the penny dropped they were looking for the missing boy. 'I don't want to appear ungrateful, and I thanked them for their concern but I was fine.' Police said that when the 51-year-old man failed to return to the start point of his walk after several hours, locals alerted mountain rescue teams who were 'at those moments in the search for the missing young man, Jay Slater'. A spokesman for the Policia Local Buenavista del Norte said the hiker was found in a 'difficult' area that is 'not suitable for travel' on Friday, adding: 'Tired and disoriented, he was located by the agents and the rescue team who helped him get out of the ravine. 'We want to thank these neighbours for giving alert to this situation because due to the difficulty and lack of communication in the area, this hiker would not have managed to get out by his own means without the help received.' Meanwhile, Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished on Tenerife last Monday after going back to an Airbnb with two British men he had met while partying on the last night of the three-day NRG music festival. The last confirmed sighting of Jay was in the village of Masca at around 8am by a woman who had told him the bus back to his accommodation was due at 10am when he asked. She saw him set off on foot for a journey and later drove past him 'walking fast'. The teenager was last heard from at around 8.30am when he called his friend Lucy Mae Law to say he was walking back to his accommodation after missing the bus. He told her he was 'lost in the mountains with one per cent battery and no water'. The walk from where Jay's phone last pinged in the national park to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot. He has not been seen or heard from since but hopes were raised yesterday by a new CCTV image of what the family believe could be Jay in Santiago de Teide last Monday at around 6pm - nearly ten hours on from his phone's last live location. A dog from the Civil Guard takes part in the search for missing Jay in the Masca ravine last week Search and rescue are out in force last night with man power and drones surveying the scene Choking back tears as he investigated a possible CCTV sighting of Jay, Warren Slater said: 'I'm his dad, I'm supposed to be able to do something for him' The grainy CCTV is taken close to a church, San Fernando Rey, where Jay's mother told MailOnline on Saturday that a man has come forward to say he saw someone matching her son's description sitting on a bench with two men. The sighting has not been confirmed by local police, who say 'nothing has been ruled out and nothing has been ruled in', as they continue to focus their efforts on a ravine near where he was last seen. A source close to the family said: 'It looks like him and is certainly a man's shape but we just don't know. It was taken near the church where a witness says he saw him so we have to keep hoping.' The church of San Fernando Rey is around 15 miles from the rave venue Jay was partying at and 3.5 miles from where his mobile phone last pinged in the rugged Rural de Teno park, where search efforts have been concentrated. It comes as Jay's father accused the Spanish police of keeping the family in the dark over the search for the missing British teenager. Warren Slater said that although some officers had been 'brilliant', he was becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication from others as he desperately tries to find his 19-year-old son. 'Nobody's told us,' he told reporters. 'The mountain police [have been] brilliant... but I don't know how the other police [force] works. 'They could be doing everything but if they are doing [something], they're not telling us what they're doing, if you understand what I'm saying.' Choking back tears as he investigated a new possible CCTV sighting of Jay, he later told Sky News: 'I'm his dad, I'm supposed to be able to do something for him.' It comes as Jay's mother says she's at her wits' end with worry - as his friends flew to Tenerife to help with the search for him. Speaking as the hunt for the apprentice bricklayer entered its ninth day, Debbie Duncan revealed how among those who had travelled to the Spanish holiday island was her son's former girlfriend, Jessica Ingham. School finance officer Debbie, 55, told MailOnline last night: 'It's been a week now and it's been awful. I've barely slept and I'm at my wits' end. 'The Spanish police are doing a good job and we are getting updated from the consulate so we just put our faith in them. 'I know people in the UK have come forward as well who were at the festival and they are giving details of what they know but I'm not being told about that. 'Jay's very good friends from home have also been over and have put up posters. They are good kids and like me just want him home.' The friends who were happy to speak to the MailOnline also lashed furiously at online speculation and said: 'Imagine if he was your son or brother, think about his poor mum.' Despite an extensive search by police and mountain rescue teams with dogs, drones and a helicopter there has been no trace since he vanished following a rave in Playa de las Americas in southern Tenerife. The hunt for missing teenager Jay Slater has taken a new turn after another Briton was dramatically rescued MailOnline has spoken to four of his closest pals including Jessica - after they flew out to the Spanish island to help look for him and support his frantic mother. The group spent the weekend combing the harsh and unforgiving terrain of the Masca gorge where his mobile phone 'pinged' for the last time seven days ago after he had left a rave with two mystery men. Engineer Jessica, 19, said: 'What really gets me is all these online detectives who have got nothing better to do than spread malicious rumours and gossip, it's not helping the situation. 'People need to remember he is a missing person, and his mother is absolutely sick with worry and she doesn't need to read all kinds of rubbish that are being written about him. 'It's really awful and these keyboard warriors need to take a step back and think about how Debbie is feeling and imagine if it was their son or brother that was missing, some people have been really hurtful. 'He's my ex boyfriend but we still keep in touch and he means a lot not just to me but all of us.' Sources told MailOnline that Debbie was in such a state she was 'on the verge of a breakdown' after nine days with no news and no leads about her son who disappeared after a rave after party at Playa de las Americas in south Tenerife. Jay's best friend warehouse worker James Currie, 19, said: 'We have just got to keep on hoping that he is out there somewhere. We can't give up on him. It's as if a piece of us is missing. 'We came out here to look for Jay because he is our friend, we've known him since primary school, he is our mate and he's one of us. 'But we are also out here to support Debbie and his dad and brother. They are in pieces, and they don't need to read some of this wild speculation that's out there. 'He's my best friend. I love him to bits, we all do and I can tell you if it was one of us missing he would be out there looking for us. 'This sort of thing doesn't happen to a lad from Lancashire. It's like something from Netflix. He's on his first holiday with his friends and he goes missing, it just doesn't make sense.' A search team near the last known location of Jay Slater, near to the village of Masca Bartender Aaliya Duxbury, 19, said: 'We all just want him home as quickly as possible. He is somewhere on this island and that's why we came out here to find him. 'James is right, a piece of us is missing, he makes everyone smile and is such a happy guy, we couldn't just stay at home and do nothing. He has to come home he just has to. 'It's just not the same within him. It just doesn't seem real, it's just a nightmare that we want to end and as the others say we don't need all this awful speculation. 'These people need to show some empathy and compassion, a person is missing and his mum is worried sick.' All four spent hours searching the Masca gorge, looking in abandoned shepherd huts and joined Jay's father Warren, 58, and his brother Zak, 24, when they paid an emotional visit to the scene. Petrol station attendant Saul Wilkin, 19, said: 'That was tough to watch. They were in pieces, crying and it set us all off as well when we were up there. 'Seeing the terrain for ourselves we realised just how harsh it is up there but we have to keep hoping that he is out there somewhere. 'The place is covered in cactus and the paths are slippery and rocky, we were falling when we were up there and to think our friend is up there is just so upsetting.' When asked about the possibility of Jay being taken, Jessica immediately said: 'I'm convinced of it. I don't see how there has been no sign of him. It makes me think someone has him. 'The area is busy with hikers and holidaymakers, it's broad daylight and so someone would have seen him but they haven't so it can only mean someone has him. 'I don't see why he would have come off the road and walked into the ravine it doesn't make sense and Jay would never let his mobile go down to 1 per cent. 'There are things that don't add up but he knows what he's doing and he wouldn't go wandering off in the mountains with no battery on his phone. 'I really do think he's been taken and whoever has him needs to let him go and get home to his family and friends. We miss him and love him to bits.' Jessica added: 'When we met Debbie she was devastated and she gave us all a big hug and it made us feel better and her as we were all together. 'But no mother should have to go through what she is going through. It's not fair on her and it wouldn't be fair on anyone in that position. 'This was his first foreign holiday, he should be back home at work now with his friends, it's just awful.' This is the CCTV image the family of Jay Slater are hoping and praying is him - a week after he mysteriously vanished on Tenerife Warren Slater (pictured with Jay's brother Zack) said although some officers had been 'brilliant', he was becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication from others as he desperately tries to find his 19-year-old son It emerged on Monday that Spanish police are investigating Jay's background to determine whether it is 'relevant' to his disappearance. Detectives on the holiday island are trying to determine whether Jay's disappearance is linked to his criminal past after the Spanish press revealed that he was previously involved in a machete attack that left a man fighting for his life. Jay was part of an eight strong gang who split the skull of Tom Hilton after he was attacked with a machete, golf clubs and an axe. Mr Hilton was left with injuries to his head which left his skull exposed as well as wounds to his shoulders and legs in the 2021 attack when he was 17 in Rishton, Lancashire. In court he described the gang as a 'pack of wolves' and he was forced to run for his life through nearby woods before being set upon. Details of the attack have been posted on social media sites appealing for help in tracking Jay down and many have described his disappearance as 'karma'. But in a Facebook message the gang's victim, Mr Hilton said: 'Whoever is writing on these TikToks, give it a rest. This young lad's missing and his family's heartbroken. Search teams take a break for water as they comb through the rugged mountains in Tenerife 'Put yourself in their shoes. Stop talking nonsense on social and get this lad found, mentioning my name all this and that. 'Have some respect and help find this boy and get him back to his family.' A report of the attack in the Manchester Evening News from last August describes how throughout the case all eight laughed and joked with Judge Philip Parry telling Preston Crown Court they had found the trial 'amusing'. Passing sentence Judge Parry said: 'Many of you have found these proceedings amusing throughout the trial and yesterday and today, showing disrespect to the court. 'I hope for the sake of all your families, the public and the people who have offered you jobs and apprenticeships and the sort that you all grow up. 'Every one of you deserves to be sent to youth detention. 'Some of you played a more active role in the violent disorder than others, some of you carried weapons, some wore balaclavas but the seriousness of the this is the group nature of it. 'As a group you were all more threatening than you would have been as individuals.' Video taken at Papagayo nightclub in the notorious Veronica's strip at Playa de las Americas before Jay went missing He added that if they had been convicted of the more serious charge of section 18 wounding, they would all have gone to youth custody. However, he said he took the rehabilitative approach when sentencing them for violent disorder and further offences including witness intimidation, attempted robbery and conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Jay was given an 18-month community order with 25 days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work for violent disorder - and he went on holiday to Tenerife last week after completing most of his sentence. Details of his criminal past were reported by El Dia, a local newspaper for the Canary Islands. The headline read 'The past of the young British man who disappeared in Tenerife. Slater beat up a teenager along with seven other people.' They went on to describe in detail the court case adding that he had a 'black mark in his past'. Jay's conviction has led a number of amateur sleuths and psychics spread wild, false and even malicious theories about his disappearance on social media - including the sick idea that he has faked his disappearance to pocket the GoFundMe cash. Some cruel trolls have even made the unfounded claim that he has been kidnapped after a drugs deal went wrong with criminal enforcers holding him to pay back the debt. Others have alleged that he lost the drugs or pocketed the money himself and is lying low until the heat dies down. The speculation was fuelled when, shortly after he vanished, Jay's mother, school finance officer Debbie Duncan, 55, was sent a menacing Snapchat message that read: 'Kiss goodbye to your boy, you're never going to see him again, he owes me a lot of money.' Jay's friend Lucy Mae Law, 18, has blasted Spanish police for rejecting an offer from British officers to help The mountain range in Rural de Teno near the village of Masca where police were searching Spanish police say they are not 'ruling anything out' and a source told MailOnline: 'In cases of missing people it's natural to investigate their background in case it's relevant to the hunt. 'This case is unusual as it's been a week and there has been no sighting or leads on him at all and searches have thrown up no clues. 'We have to consider the possibility of something else happening.' His mother Debbie is convinced he has been 'taken' and appealed to anyone who was holding him to let him go. She said: 'What happened in court is irrelevant, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What matters more than anything is that my son is missing and we need to find him.' Jay is known to have left an end of festival afterparty at around 5am and headed off to the rural village of Masca, 19 miles from Playa des Los Americas in south Tenerife, with two British men. From there he sent Lucy and his mother two pictures on Snapchat showing him outside the white washed two bedroom farm house and he said he was going to try and make an 11 hour walk back after missing the bus. The two men who hired the Airbnb have been questioned by Spanish police but have since returned to Britain, much to the amazement of family and friends. Lucy told MailOnline that when she tracked the house down and asked the men where Jay was they seemed 'startled and surprised' that she had found them and told her he had left to try and catch bus back. Jay's mother Debbie Duncan flew to Tenerife on Tuesday, the day after he vanished in Tenerife On Saturday Lucy - who set up the GoFundMe page for Jay asking for the specific sum of 30,000 - was questioned at length by police although there is no suggestion that she has any involvement in his disappearance. However, questions have been raised about the donations and where exactly they are going - especially as Debbie has been added and then removed as a beneficiary several times since the page was opened last Thursday. One woman named as Charlotte C wrote: 'Unfortunately I have to donate the minimum of 5 in order to leave a comment. However, I feel this is important to highlight the concerns regarding this GoFundMe. 'It is essential that all funds going towards Jay Slater's GoFundMe page are put on hold until further details or evidence from the police are released and pending a thorough and meticulous investigation.' Another donor Andy S, who also contributed 5, said: 'I echo Charlotte C's concerns. I have raised these on numerous platforms (as have many, many others) and no action has been taken. 'I understand that advice may have been given not to interact but there has not been one update on this GFM to address such concerns. It is not difficult to update the bio. A picture of missing teenager Jay Slater shows the 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife The last confirmed sighting of Jay was at around 8am last Monday by a woman who had told him the bus was due at 10am when he asked 'The media have even highlighted the public's concerns in this respect. Common sense tells me that Organisers/Beneficiaries would have responded to this on this platform at least. 'The general public have raised almost 30k for this cause which has obviously touched the nation. Therefore, please, please address the points raised. My thoughts remain with those concerned.' Meanwhile in a Facebook post early on Monday Debbie addressed the concerns over the GoFundMe Page set up for him as which has attracted more than 32,000 in donations. She said: 'I really am saddened by all your comments. You seem to be so bothered about this GoFundMe page. I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag. 'The funds are not released and won't be if not needed. I really cannot believe the British public are not supporting me in trying to find Jay. 'This may happen to any of you one day. Very let down by you all.' She later updated the post and said: 'Update!! Sorry that you have taken this the wrong way. I am overwhelmed with the generosity. 'What I meant was VERBAL support. I really hope I don't need this money. If it's not needed it all gets refunded to the people who really did care.' The church in Santiago del Teide where it is believed that Jay was spotted sitting on a bench with two men Firefighters are seen searching near to the village of Masca, Tenerife, on Saturday as the hunt for the missing teen continues Search teams in Tenerife narrowed their efforts over the weekend on small buildings close to where his phone last pinged. Officers from the Guardia Civil in the Canary Islands could be seen circling two structures at the bottom of a ravine in Rural de Teno Park on Sunday. Efforts appeared to be solely focused on the one area after days of searches in the village of Masca and the surrounding landscape. The efforts come after the teenager's mother issued a direct plea to her missing son, saying: 'We just need you home.' Debbie Duncan said she had 'not slept' since the 19-year-old disappeared. Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and carrying a black bag. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available The unsolved murder of a young model has come under renewed scrutiny after a close friend made a bombshell new claim that she was having affairs. On the afternoon of July 4, 1997, Adelaide woman Corinna Marr, 25, was shot dead execution style - with bullets to her head and chest - in her suburban unit. Her killer has never been brought to justice. There was no sign of forced entry, and the way Ms Marr was murdered suggested she was comfortable with whoever was in her home that day, according to a retired crime detective and ballistics expert. The real estate worker and part-time model's close friend and boss Colin Todd has now claimed that she told him she was having affairs before her death. 'I was giving her advice as a friend, a close friend, in regards to certain activities that she was involved in with affairs with other people,' Mr Todd told Channel Nine's Under Investigation on Tuesday night. 'And I actually indicated, 'You're doing situations too close to home with people you shouldn't'.' Mr Todd was on the way to pick up Ms Marr to take her to a job that evening when he called ahead to say he was running late. He was told by Ms Marr's husband Robert that Corinna was dead. The 1997 murder of part-time model Corinna Marr (pictured) remains unresolved Colin Todd (pictured) claimed that his close friend Corinna Marr told him she was having affairs before her death Mr Todd recalled Corinna being in a good mood and appeared to be not worried by anything when he last saw her. Channel Nine's Liz Hayes put it to Mr Todd that he was under suspicion at the time. 'I arrived at the scene and I knew that anyone that's at a murder scene early in the piece becomes a suspect,' he replied. 'You know, you've got to put yourself in that boat.' He said the police interviewed him later that afternoon and accused him of killing Ms Marr. Hayes asked him straight out if he killed Corinna. 'No, I didn't,' Mr Todd replied. Corinna Marr is pictured on her wedding day. Next month marks 27 years since Corinna Marr was shot dead inside her Adelaide home Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Mr Todd or Mr Marr were involved in anyway in Corinna's death. Almost three decades after his daughter was murdered, Ms Marr's now elderly father Trevor King is desperate for answers. 'Who did it? Why did they do it? You don't take a beautiful girl out of the equation,' he said. 'There's no reason for it to happen. She wasn't in any criminal activity or anything like that. 'We just want closure really. Hopefully something will come up. Hopefully before I die.' From 2004 to 2012, barrister Paul Heywood-Smith KC, who was representing a never-charged alleged suspect in the case, was not allowed access to secret documents in the police file on the case. 'And as a result of that, we don't know a lot,' Mr Heywood-Smith said. Trevor King is still fighting for answers as to what happened to his beloved daughter Corinna Marr (pictured) Police argued that revealing the information 'was not in the public interest' - which Under Investigation said could mean they did not want to reveal their methods or interfere with the continuing investigation. 'We are now 27 years after the murder. Police methodology would have changed so much ... that any methodologies back (then) will be of no interest,' Mr Heywood-Smith said. Former Adelaide news executive Graham Archer said that 'in an open investigation, police are entitled to say, 'We don't want to release this information.' 'But in saying that, I would've thought it was in the police's interest to demonstrate that they were following other leads,' he said. 'I happen to know, speaking to senior police, that they actually are concerned about this case but when I asked whether the (suppression) would be lifted, they said that will never happen.' The investigation into Corinna Marr's death can be watched on 9Now. A vulnerable 12-year-old was killed on his first night at a 'cruel' troubled-teens camp when he was sealed up and left to suffocate in a faulty sleeping bag-like tent, or bivy, in what coroners have now ruled was a homicide. Troubled pre-teen Clark Harman was already in rigor mortis by the time he was found dead by staff at the Trails Carolina wilderness camp on the morning of February 3, the coroner's report states. The boy, who the report says suffered from ADHD, migraines and social challenges, had arrived at the Lake Toxaway site hours earlier after being transported from his New York home by two escorts hired by his well-to-do parents. Staff at the camp strapped him into what has been described by former Trails campers as a 'burrito-style' bivouac lying on a thick plastic tarp which they wrapped around the bivy, sealing the contraption with a lock and an alarm to stop him escaping. With the bivy's mesh door broken, staff chose to seal up the whole thing by its outer layer, restricting the airflow and leaving them unable to see Harman as he died in the night, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded in its just-released findings. Jeremy Whitworth has been the co-executive director of Trails Carolina camp since 2013 Clark Harman, 12, was found dead in a bivy bag 'burrito,' similar to the one above, wrapped in a plastic tarpaulin and sealed with a lock and alarm on his first night at Trails Carolina in February this year The North Carolina Attorney General is now considering charges against the camp, which had its license revoked last month and has faced a string of lawsuits alleging neglect and abuse. Former camp attendees have said they were lucky to escape with their lives after being pinioned in the camp's sleeping devices. 'I immediately went through a list in my head of the ways that I was treated that could have caused his death,' former camper Vic Mitterando, who spent three months there in 2017 and 2018, told local outlet WRAL. 'I was on burrito for two weeks and I remember not being able to sleep because I could not move, I could not breathe very well, it was just like a cocoon,' he said. 'We would lay on a tarp and then they would wrap it over us,' said another former resident, who attended as a 14-year-old. 'When I heard about the death at Trails my first reaction was, "I made it out but he didn't",' the girl, who did not want to be identified, told the station. Staff told investigators that they initially took Harman out of the bivy after seeing he was 'restless and mumbling in his sleep', the coroner report states. But when he fell asleep outside, they woke him up and made him get back in, securing it once more with an alarm. He was seen moving inside the bivy within two hours of being placed back in, and 'routine checks' were performed during the night. Vic Mitterando, who spent three months at the camp in 2017 and 2018, said he was confined to the 'burrito' for two weeks One former 14-year-old camp inmate said some had been lucky to escape with their lives The camp in an isolated area of North Carolina is a 13-hour drive from the fated victim's home in New York Harman's 'burrito' was inside a lodging and an initial medical report noted he had been found frothing at the mouth and stiff with rigor mortis 'The counselors could not check on him as they should due to the opaque nature of the outer panel, preventing them from potentially noting the problem and delivering aid before he died,' the coroner wrote. 'It should be noted that a common warning on commercially available bivy products indicates that the outer, weather resistant opening should not be fully secured as it may lead to condensation and breathing restriction,' he added. 'This information was obtained on basic web search.' When counselors unsealed the bivy the next morning they found Harman lying with his head at the tight foot of the bag. They tried to resuscitate him but emergency medical providers told them he had probably been dead for hours by the time they arrived. The camp which charges more than $700 a day, hit the headlines in 2014 when Alec Lansing, 17, was found dead in a nearby stream where he had lain for two weeks after running away. A week after Harman's death, Trails was hit with a lawsuit from a former camper, Gertrude Siegel, who said staff dismissed her pleas for help after she was sexually assaulted by a fellow inmate as a 12-year-old in 2016. She alleges she was ordered 'not to tell anyone else about the assault', and that 'she was equally at fault'. 'It felt like they didn't care about what was happening,' she told NBC, 'that they didn't believe me.' Former Trails Carolina worker Jonathan Hyde said undertrained staff are unable to cope with children whose needs they cannot meet 17-year-old Alec Lansing, seen here, spent almost two weeks dead in a stream after running away from Trails Carolina on an excursion in November 2014 Earlier this year former staffer Jonathan Hyde also told the outlet that he worked at the camp in the summer of 2020, and raised issues over the training of staff to deal with the children. 'I had kids that were vocally suicidal. I had kids that tried running away. I had kids that would try and fight you,' he said. 'One of the issues of the place is that the people that spend the majority of the time with them are not trained therapists.' A spokesperson for Trails Carolina told FOX Carolina it was 'shattered' by the 12-year-old boy's Day 1 death. 'Our priority is to acknowledge and respect the unfathomable impact on their lives and maintain the integrity of the investigation into the cause,' a spokesman said in February. 'We are cooperating fully with investigators and have retained outside professionals to assist us in conducting our internal investigation.' But a spokesman for the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office said back then that 'Trails Carolina Camp has not completely cooperated with the investigation', before securing two search warrants for separate locations of the camp. According to the camp's website, its mission is to give children the confidence, coping mechanisms, and communication skills that will help them become the best version of themselves. Glossy websites paint a picture of rural bliss offering extensive therapy for conditions including depression , eating disorders, addictions, low self-esteem, behavioral problems, stress, trauma, anxiety and hopelessness A primitive hut with plastic sheeting for windows is the basic accommodation at Trails Carolina, but campers say conditions are even harsher elsewhere Led by co-executive director Jeremy Whitworth, it offers wilderness therapy programs for preteen boys (10-13), preteen girls (10-13), teen boys (14-17) and teen girls (14-17). A Change.org petition has gained more than 2,000 signatures demanding the camp not be allowed to reopen. 'These are kids,' Mitterando told WRAL. 'These are kids who are depressed and anxious and suicidal and they don't want to be there. 'What you're doing is hurting people. In some sick way you might think you're helping them because of the amount of money. but you're just hurting children.' Dailymail.com has reached out to Mr Whitworth and to Trails Carolina for comment. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Idris Elba joined Sir Keir Starmer on the campaign trail today as the Labour leader pledged to ban the online sale of zombie knives 'straight away' if he becomes prime minister. Hollywood star Mr Elba and Sir Keir spoke to the families of knife crime victims in west London, including the mother of a young man killed by a single stab wound. Labour has announced a five-step plan to tackle the issue, including guaranteed sanctions for young people carrying knives, and Sir Keir has pledged to chair an annual summit to track progress towards his goal of halving knife crime within a decade. Mr Elba backed a cross-party effort to tackle the violent crime epidemic after the election. He said young people had suggested solutions in his conversations with them. 'I've had conversations which are difficult, like ''Idris, you're telling people to put away our knives, but what am I going to hold?''. 'And I feel like I don't know what to say to them, because they're literally holding these out of fear. But they have solutions,' he said. Some say tougher sentences would be a deterrent, while others say there are too many loopholes when it comes to obtaining knives, he added. 'They know all the loopholes, so let's just use your creative minds and go, OK, let's find ways to help. You know, use your creative minds to help us, help this whole-society issue.' Hollywood star Mr Elba and Sir Keir spoke to the families of knife crime victims in west London, including the mother of a young man killed by a single stab wound. Labour has announced a five-step plan to tackle the issue, including guaranteed sanctions for young people carrying knives, and Sir Keir has pledged to chair an annual summit to track progress towards his goal of halving knife crime within a decade. Mr Elba backed a cross-party effort to tackle the violent crime epidemic after the election. He said young people had suggested solutions in his conversations with them. Pastor Lorraine Jones told Sir Keir, and actor and anti-knife crime campaigner Elba, at a meeting in Hammersmith, west London, that she saw her son, Dwayne Simpson, killed with 'one jab wound' that 'went straight through his heart'. Pastor Lorraine Jones told Sir Keir, and actor and anti-knife crime campaigner Elba, at a meeting in Hammersmith, west London, that she saw her son, Dwayne Simpson, killed with 'one jab wound' that 'went straight through his heart'. She said she had continued to live in Brixton, south London, since her son was killed ten years ago, because it is 'like a battlefield I can't retreat from'. She said: 'We want to be around the table with you, because we do have the answers right now. We've got patrols, Idris, volunteers that are patrolling before school and after school, because we haven't got enough police officers. 'We haven't got enough people in the community, we are desperate. 'And the most brutal thing is we're saying it's becoming the norm. 'We don't want it to become the norm. 'It's not normal for us to be burying our children, or five-year-olds seeing dead bodies and shrines in our neighbourhood.' Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, in 2022, as he walked home from a friend's house, said that if a ban on zombie knives had been introduced after Dwayne's death, it could have saved her son. 'If there was a ban two years ago my son would be living,' Ms Kanda said. Mr Elba said in an Instagram video later that it was a 'very important' meeting families of victims and campaign organisations to discuss 'what we need to do as a country to fight this'. He said it was a non-political issue. Sir Keir said it was 'difficult to hear' stories from the knife crime campaigners. He added: 'And it should be difficult to hear, and it's very important that it is heard from beginning to end.' A University of California Davis employee was briefly detained after she was seen aggressively confronting drag performers at a resort in Hawaii. Beth Bourne, a program director at UC Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies, was filmed raging at drag queens after she spotted them at the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki, where they were to perform for a pride event. Bourne, who is a leader for the conservative group Moms for Liberty, became enraged after she spotted the drag queens in the lobby, and accused the hotel of failing to provide a safe environment for her son. Beth Bourne, a program director at UC Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies, was filmed raging at drag queens after she spotted them at the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki 'I'm sorry but I paid to be a customer at a hotel where I thought you believe that women were for real,' the activist yelled as she held her phone up to record the drag queens. 'Because you put on make-up, you're wearing high heels, you have a Barbie outfit on - you don't think this is degrading. She added: 'This is misogyny... if you give me back my money right now, I will leave the hotel, but I'm not going to have my children come down from the 30th floor and see what's happening here.' Bourne then asked the performers their names, saying she wants to know who they are as a hotel employee attempts to escort her away. 'Are you a man?' she asked one of them. 'What do you think about my son who might think that he can put on make-up and fancy clothing and high heels and have his penis cut off and take estrogen so he can grow fake boobs?' One of the performers, who goes by Marina Del Rey, shared video of the incident on social media, saying Bourne attacked his group. One of the performers, who goes by Marina Del Rey, shared video of the incident on social media, saying Bourne attacked his group He said on Instagram: 'There was prior dialog from her ahead of what I filmed and ultimately she was taken off the property by the police. 'I would like to say a huge THANK U to the resort for your care and concerns during and after, to all of us. those within witness - guest or staff - many extended compassion of which I'm very very grateful... 'We are all okay. A little shook & saddened but grateful to the people we were in the company of and everyone who reached out. and still keeping faith in humanity.' Marina Del Rey explained the group was in the lobby to film a video that saw them playing roles as hotel staff. 'This woman saw us filming and came to a slow burn and then she popped off. Her rant went on and on - possibly with the attempt to get a riled angered response,' the performer added. Bourne became an anti-trans activist following the rupture of her relationship with her nonbinary eldest of two child DailyMail.com has reached out to UC Davis and the Alohilani Resort for comment on this story. Many social media users have demanded that Bourne be fired from UC Davis following her recorded actions. Elaine Vinton said on Facebook: 'To all of my CA friends, I am urging you to contact UC Davis Human Resources, and lodge a complaint for their employment of Beth Bourne, the chairwoman of Moms For Liberty, Davis CA. 'She is harassing students and staff, quoting UC Davis's practice of cutting of the penises of male children, among other practices. She is an unhinged bigot threatening the LGBTQ+ Community. Please make a call!' Bourne is a controversial figure and claims without evidence on her social media accounts that '1/22 kids is trans' at UC Davis. Responding to the video on X, Bourne wrote: 'I am not okay with children being exposed to drag queens. The performers were at the hotel to participate in a brunch for Pride month 'Several other Alohilani hotel guests told me they also found it offensive so I spoke up to the manager yesterday. I was briefly detained by police, refunded my hotel charges, and have no regrets for speaking up. 'If we can be heard, this will end.' Bourne became an anti-trans activist following the rupture of her relationship with her nonbinary eldest of two child. Lily, 18, came out as nonbinary five years ago, moving out of Bourne's home in their junior year of high school after clashes over their gender identity, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. Sir Keir Starmer today admitted his teenage children are 'worried' about the prospect of moving into Downing Street next week. The Labour leader, who could become Britain's next PM at the upcoming general election, revealed his concerns about the impact on his family of entering No10. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, Sir Keir said he and his wife Victoria would 'fiercely protect' their children's privacy should he win power on 4 July. He conceded that his 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son were likely to be fearful of the possible disruption to their normal routines. But Sir Keir joked that they would probably 'ramp up their campaign' for a family dog to make up for the changes to their lives. The Labour leader met with puppy 'Buddy', who is being trained to help children with autism, while in the studio. 'Look away!,' the politician told the cameras, in a message to his family. Sir Keir Starmer today admitted his teenage children are 'worried' about the prospect of moving into Downing Street next week The Labour leader met with puppy 'Buddy', who is being trained to help children with autism, while in the studio 'Look away!,' the politician told the cameras in a message to his children - who have a n ongoing 'campaign' for a family dog Sir Keir and his wife Victoria recently attended a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium with their children Sir Keir said: 'We've got a cat, a cat called Jojo but my kids are on a campaign to get a dog. They'll take any dog but a German Shepherd is what our daughter wants.' He and Lady Victoria have tried to shield their children from the public eye by keeping them out of photographs and never naming them in public. The Labour leader said he and his wife's 'guiding star' had been ensuring their son and daughter were 'happy and confident'. He added: 'As long as they are happy, as long as they are confident, then I'm smiling and that guides us in the decisions we make for them. 'But I wouldn't be being straight for them if I didn't say I'm worried about the impact and, inside, I think they are.' On a possible move to Downing Street, Sir Keir said: 'They are worried, if I'm honest. 'They are worried about it, because, I think any parent would understand this, if you are a teenage child you don't want things to change. 'You've got things set up at home exactly as you want them, you've got your friends, you've got your routines and you're got your first little bits of independence, what you do after school. 'It may not be a big thing but it's the first (time), you can do what you want with your friends after school for a limited amount of time, whatever it may be. 'All of that, I can see deep down they are worried this could change.' Sir Keir confirmed his family would all live together in Downing Street if he became PM. The betting watchdog has passed information to police alleging five more Met officers put money on the date of the election before it was announced, it was revealed today. The Gambling Commission's move came after Rishi Sunak suspended two Tory candidates caught up in the scandal over wagers on the vote being held in July. Craig Williams and Laura Saunders will no longer be 'supported' by the party 'as a result of ongoing internal enquiries' by the Conservative Party. One of Mr Sunak's close protection officers has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but the latest individuals are not part of the same team. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation. We have, however, been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election.' Labour also suspended Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig, who is also being investigated by the Gambling Commission, although that is understood not to relate to bets on election timing. It came as Mr Williams this afternoon admitted he had 'committed an error of judgment, not an offence' and vowed to clear his name and win election in his Welsh seat. Rishi Sunak today moved to suspend two Tory candidates after allegations of betting on the election date Tory candidate in Bristol West, Laura Saunders (pictured, left) and her husband and the party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee (pictured, right) are accused of making bets on the election The highest profile person caught up in the scandal is Rishi Sunak's top parliamentary aide Craig Williams (pictured) In a video statement the candidate in Montgomeryshire and and Glyndwr said: 'I am committed to my campaign to be elected as your Member of Parliament and your staunch champion.' Scotland Yard said the five officers newly implicated in the scandal were from the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit. None of them work in a close protection role as a political bodyguard. Announcing support was being withdrawn from the candidates earlier, a Conservative spokesman said: 'As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as Parliamentary Candidates at the forthcoming General Election. 'We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing.' The move comes after Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker broke ranks to criticise the PM's response, saying he would have been tougher on alleged 'disreputable' behaviour. Mr Williams, Mr Sunak's former parliamentary aide and the candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, has admitted to a 'huge error of judgment' in placing 'a flutter' on the election date Laura Saunders is a candidate in Bristol North West and the wife of the party's director of campaigns Tony Lee. Because nominations have closed, Mr Williams and Ms Saunders will both still be on the ballot paper. The party's chief data officer, Nick Mason, is also being probed and denies wrongdoing. Mr Sunak had insisted only yesterday that it was 'proper' to wait for the outcome of investigations by the Gambling Commission, the police and the Conservative Party itself. Keir Starmer swiped: 'Why didn't that happen a week ago?' The developments emerged after Scotland Yard flatly denied being the source of leaks about betting probes, which have been threatening to send the Conservative election campaign deeper into turmoil. The use of confidential information to gain unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence of cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act. Those convicted face an unlimited fine or up to two years in jail. Mr Sunak has previously said he is 'incredibly angry' about the allegations, vowing to 'boot out' anyone found to have broken trust. Speaking on ITV's Peston show last night, Mr Baker said: 'I would call them up and ask them, 'Did you do it?' And if they did it, then they are suspended. 'But the Prime Minister would have to answer why he hasn't done it, I haven't got inside information on why the Prime Minister hasn't done it.' Mr Baker was joining other Conservatives such as former defence minister Tobias Ellwood in calling for the suspension of the four Tories alleged to have placed bets on the election date. The Tories have been trying to turn to the issue of immigration in an attempt to make a dent in Labour's persistently large poll lead. Home Secretary James Cleverly and his Labour opposite number Yvette Cooper went head-to-head in a debate on immigration on LBC. A far-Right election candidate in France is facing prosecution for unveiling an election poster reading: 'Let's give white children a future.' The slogan is accompanied by an image of a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy, and is in support of Pierre-Nicolas Nups of the Parti de la France (Party of France). Pascal Schneider, the mayor of Neuves-Maisons near Nancy and one of the biggest towns in the constituency, said: 'This poster is nothing more or less than a rag that sullies the city, the canton, the entire department.' Mr Schneider said he had filed a legal complaint with public prosecutors, claiming the poster whips up racist hate. But Mr Nups, who is standing in the 5th constituency of the eastern Meurthe-et-Moselle department, said in retort: 'I approved this poster. It is neither sectarian nor exclusive. 'On the contrary, it delivers a positive message, a message of hope for our youth, and nothing else. And if anyone sees anything else in it, it would be a malicious interpretation.' It comes as France prepares for one of the most divisive polls in its history, with even President Emmanuel Macron warning that a civil war is a possibility should either the far-Right National Rally party or a far-Left coalition led by the France Unbowed party. A far-Right election candidate in France is facing prosecution for unveiling a poster with an image of a blonde, blue-eye boy and the slogan: 'Let's give white children a future' The poster is in support of Pierre-Nicolas Nups of the Parti de la France (Party of France), who is standing in the 5th constituency of the eastern Meurthe-et-Moselle department The far-Right National Rally (RN) is currently ahead in the polls, despite a history soiled by racism, including Holocaust denial. Its founder, Jean Marie Le Pen, is a convicted anti-Semite, but his daughter Marine Le Pen has insisted that she has cleaned it up and made it fit for government. The Parti de la France is an offshoot of the Front National, founded by supporters of Jean Marie Le Pen, but candidates such as Mr Schneider are not being endorsed by the RN. If the RN wins an absolute majority following two-round elections that start on Sunday, President Macron would be forced to appoint Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, as his prime minister. Such a development is known as Cohabitation in France, and would result in the RN being able to introduce a legislative programme. Extreme leftists also have a chance at power, thanks to a New Popular Front that is putting up a single candidate in each constituency, rather than splitting the potential vote between Socialists, Communists and other factions. On Monday, Mr Macron said on the podcast 'Generation Do It Yourself' that the RN manifesto was based on 'stigmatisation or division'. He claimed: 'I think that the solutions given by the far right are out of the question because it is categorising people in terms of their religion or origins and that is why it leads to division and to civil war.' Mr Macron also had tough words for France Unbowed (LFI), a party that leads the New Popular Front, saying: 'But that one as well, there is a civil war behind that because they are solely categorising people in terms of their religious outlook or the community they belong to, which in a way is a means of justifying isolating them from the broader national community, and in this case, you would have a civil war with those who do not share those same values.' If the RN wins an absolute majority following two-round elections that start on Sunday, President Macron would be forced to appoint Jordan Bardella, president of the RN (pictured), as his prime minister French President Emmanuel Macron said a victory for either the hard-Left or hard-Right could lead to 'civil war' Marine Le Pen at an RN press conference on June 24, 2024, ahead of legislative elections Unsurprisingly, the leaders of both parties quickly condemned the President's comments. When asked about Macron's comments, Bardella replied to M6 TV: 'A President should not say that. 'I want to re-establish security for all French people.' Marine Le Pen - who is gunning to succeed Macron as president in 2027 - said his argument was 'weak' and showed 'he thinks he's lost this election'. LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon also slammed the president's comments in an interview with France 2 TV, saying it was Macron's own policies that were bringing about civil unrest, such as in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. French politics were plunged into turmoil when Macron called snap legislative elections after his centrist party was trounced by the RN in a European vote earlier this month. Weekend polls suggested the RN would win 35-36% in the first round on Sunday, ahead of a left-wing alliance on 27-29.5% and Macron's centrists in third on 19.5-22%. A second round of voting will follow on July 7 in constituencies where no candidate takes more than 50% in the first round. The private plane carrying Julian Assange landed in Bangkok hours after he was released from a maximum security prison in the UK ahead of his planned guilty plea to crimes of espionage, due to take place on the island of Saipan. The Wikileaks founder was granted bail Monday by the High Court and freed in a deal that involved the US Department of Justice. Assange will appear in a court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory on Wednesday where he will plead guilty to a single charge and then be allowed to return to Australia. Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed that her husband's plane landed in the Thai capital around 6:30pm local time. She later added that his private jet will fly into US airspace on the night of June 25. Stella asked supporters to follow along with Assange's flight on Flight Aware 'in case something goes wrong.' The $500,000 fee for the private plane will be covered by a crowd funding effort, she said. Julian Assange pictured stepping off of his private jet in Bangkok Assange was met by two men as he arrived in Thailand Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed that he would fly to Saipan, a US territory later today In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today show presenter Mishal Husain, Stella said that she and the couple's two sons have traveled to Australia in preparation for her husband's arrival. 'All I told them was that there was a big surprise and the morning that we left I told them we were heading to the airport. We got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on. And they still don't know.' 'We've been very careful because, obviously, no one can stop a five and a seven-year-old from, you know, shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment.' 'And because of the sensitivity around the judge having to sign off the deal, we've been careful, just gradually, incrementally telling them information.' 'They're excited to be in Australia though,' she added.' Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, has said that the former hacker will possibly live in the 'Australian brush.' Meanwhile his father, John, said: 'Julian will be able to enjoy an ordinary life with his family and his wife.' The life Assange plans to lead after his release is unclear - but he is expected to spend a significant amount of time recuperating from a five-year-stint in Belmarsh, where is health is said to have suffered considerably. He will also undoubtedly dedicate much of his time to his family. Assange looking out over the Thai capital as he comes in to land Since Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in 2019, Stella has lived in the London-area, fighting various extradition warrants. She says that she was given 24 hours notice that her husband was being released. 'He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge,' she said, adding that she still didn't think it was real. She told Britain's PA news agency that the flight was costing Assange $500,000 and they would start a fundraising campaign to help pay for it. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, said the deal for Assange came about after the growing involvement of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 'This is the result of a long, long process which has been going on for some time. It has been a tough battle, but the focus now is on Julian being reunited with his family,' Hrafnsson told the PA news agency. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, WikiLeaks said Assange boarded a plane after leaving the high-security London prison where he has spent the last five years. WikiLeaks applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.' Albanese told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. 'Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long,' Albanese said. 'There's nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.' The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him additional prison time. He is expected to be sentenced to the five years he has already spent in the British prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. to face charges, a process that has played out in a series of hearings in London. Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Last month, he won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided 'blatantly inadequate' assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by the rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Department's indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. He has been supported by his wife Stella (pictured) for years The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. The White House was not involved in the decision to resolve Assange's case, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Assange made headlines again in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that year's election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. During the Obama administration, Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assange's arrest a priority. Assange's family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuador's government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange had remained in London's high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. A 'rip-off' event billed Monster Truck Mayhem has been compared to another Willy Wonka-style fiasco after it featured only one monster truck - which broke down. Angry petrolheads are demanding refunds after saying the 'shambolic' show in Worcester was also marred by traffic chaos, overpriced food and lack of attractions. Organisers have since been flooded with complaints after the 20-a-ticket event was held at Worcester Pitchcroft on Sunday. Monster Truck Mayhem had promised epic stunts to 'leave you on the edge of your seat' - but families were left disappointed by a 'brief five-minute show'. Some customers compared the debacle to Glasgow's Willy's Chocolate Experience, which went viral due to its shoddy quality. Smoke rises from the bonnet of a monster truck, with punters calling the event 'disgraceful' The monster truck approaches five parked cars to undertake a daring jump for the crowd Organisers have since been flooded with complaints about the quality of the 20 event The truck got some impressive air, but many viewers were left unimpressed with the show One harsh commentator said the truck looked to be 'struggling' to complete the stunt And they said the it descended into farce when the only giant truck on display broke down for a long period with steam billowing from the bonnet. Many gave up and went home after struggling in the heat before the 'grande finale' which featured the sole green monster truck 'struggling to get over five cars'. Customers could also pay to have a ride on the truck but say they were left waiting in queues for up to two hours at the 'disgraceful' and 'overcrowded' event. Organiser David Bailey has defended the event by saying that it was always billed as a monster truck show [singular] and not a monster trucks show. But disgruntled spectators have since demanded refunds while a Facebook group called 'Victims of Monster Truck Mayhem' has more than 1,500 members. One customer Georgina Jantu said: 'It was an absolute disgrace. 'There was just one queue for entry so even if you had booked in advance everyone was in the same queue. 'We stayed long enough to watch the only monster truck there giving people rides, the queue for this was also over an hour's wait, and the monster truck caught fire. 'We had been looking forward to this event for months and I can honestly say it is the worst event we have ever been to. 'I have emailed the organisers requesting a refund.' Mum-of-two Katie Binnell said the show was billed to begin at 1.30pm but was delayed for 45 minutes until 2.16pm - before finishing at 2.21pm. In a moment of jeopardy, two of its wheels slid onto the ground but the truck still carried on Unaware of the crowd's anger, the truck completed its rooftop run with a fair amount of style People could also pay to have a ride on the truck but queues lasted for up to two hours Katie, 38, said: 'We were really disappointed as it was billed as a monster trucks event. The word trucks appears in plural on the ticket. 'We were stood for 40minutes waiting for the stunt show to start. We was told that it was because they were waiting for gas. 'When it started one truck drove around the arena then 'jumped' the cars three times. After five minutes the show was over. 'It was billed as a Monster Trucks show but after this five minutes all that was left was an over priced fairground (5 a ride) and over priced fast food (14 for sausage & chips 7 for cheesy chips) so we left. 'Once there everything was extra to pay for and completely overpriced.' Pat Wilkes said his family spent 50 on ice creams which were 5 each, and added: 'This event was complete mayhem from start to finish going as part of a larger family group we were all so disappointed. 'We left with hot, tired, and very disappointed children.' Lesley Riach Phelps told the BBC: 'We thought we were going to see several big shiny trucks with giant wheels parked up in a big arena that would drive around and show off a bit.' Instead she said her and family only got to see 'a small Viking re-enactment and two boys on motorbikes jumping over ramps'. Others compared it to the infamous Glasgow Willy Wonka experience shambles earlier this year. Kirsty Brookes wrote: 'willy wonka exprience part 2, pure greed...I've sent my complaint.' Andy Fearn commented: 'It was like an outdoor version of the Willy Wonka event in Scotland. One monster truck in a field for 5mins...an absolute joke.' Others joked the only mayhem they saw was traffic gridlock and when the toilets ran out of loo roll One person commented: 'Mayhem is probably the only thing that describes the event accurately, it was hands down the worst planned event I have ever been to.' Another wrote: 'Poorly managed with traffic and parking, toilets ran out of loo roll and hand sanitizer at 1pm and the main event of the monster trucks was one real monster truck that was broke, started late and then was only on for 10 mins before broke down again. No water stations either even on a hot day.' Organiser David Bailey said the delay was caused when they had to re-gas the monster truck when a shocker burst and the vehicle got stuck in traffic. He also blamed people not using public transport and added: 'People will complain - it's a British way of life.' He said: 'They were late getting back and the show went one hour late. 'The show wasn't cancelled. It has been a success. People will complain - it's a British way of life. 'We have taken on board what people have said. We will take constructive criticism. 'It's people not listening to what we were saying - 'please use public transport where possible and walk if you can and please use city centre car parks, please use infrastructure in the town and try to avoid Pitchcroft'. 'But people don't listen - and we're the bad people.' Extreme Express Monster Ride Truck, which provided vehicles but did not organise the event, said: 'We carried out more than what was agreed and went over the cars three times on each occasion. 'We fully understand that the ride truck was very popular and queues were long, but we did everything we could to inform the people in the queue of their estimated wait time. 'The team were amazed at how long people queued up for, and it was uplifting when people told the team members what a great time they had on the ride truck.' A former North Dakota Senator is set to plead guilty to a federal charge that he traveled to Europe to have sex with minors on taxpayer-funded flights. Senator Ray Holmberg, 80, signed a plea agreement last week that was filed on Monday in North Dakota U.S. District Court. The disgraced Republican senator had traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic with the intent to 'engage in illicit sexual activity with minors' from around June 2011 to November 2016,' InForum previously reported. Holmberg was also accused of receiving or attempting to receive child porn between the dates of November 2012 and March 2013. He initially pleaded not guilty in October and was indicted by a grand jury. His trial is set for September. The charges carry a up to a 30-year prison sentence, and a $250,000 fine. Disgraced former North Dakota Senator Ray Holmberg pictured speaking on the Senate floor at the state Capitol in Bismarck, North Dakota in November 2021 Senator Ray Holmberg, 80, signed a plea agreement last week that was filed on Monday in North Dakota U.S. District Court Prosecutors said in a statement that Holmberg, who served for 45 years in the chamber, repeatedly traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic from June 2011 to November 2016 for the purpose of paying for sex with a person under 18 years old The grandfather of five said he would not seek re-election and resigned in Spring 2022. He cited stress and 'a weakened ability to concentrate on the matters at hand and effectively recall events,' for his resignation. However, a report alleged he had exchanged approximately 72 text messages in August 2021 with suspect Nicholas James Morgan-Derosier, who was in prison on child pornography and sex abuse crimes, The Forum of Fargo-Moorehead reported. Morgan-Derosier, was the owner of a patio and yard care business called Team Lawn, and at the time was in custody at the Grand Forks County jail. Holmberg told The Forum the messages were about 'a variety of things,' including patio work by Morgan-Derosier. Law enforcement searched Holmberg's Grand Forks home in November 2021, seizing video discs and additional items. In May, Morgan-Derosier was sentenced to 40 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Fargo in connection with child sexual abuse images, the Associated Press previously reported. According to the Holmberg's plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend the low end of the sentencing guideline range, and move to dismiss Holmberg's other charge, receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material, Yahoo News reported. Holmberg's attorney Mark Friese said prosecutors will likely recommend a prison sentence of three to four years. Under the plea deal, Holmberg would also have to register as a sex offender. The court will schedule a plea hearing and order a presentence investigation report, according to Holmberg's attorney. The travel offense his client is facing does not carry a mandatory sentence, and the receipt charge has a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, Friese explained. Holmberg, served on the senate from 1976 through 2022, and was the longest-serving state senator in the U.S. He was also the former chairman of the Legislative Management Committee, and chaired the influential Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes budgets. The grandfather of five resigned in April 2022 after a report alleged he had exchanged dozens of text messages with suspect Nicholas James Morgan-Derosier, who was sentenced last month to 40 years in prison in connection with child sexual abuse images, the Associated Press previously reported Nicholas James Morgan-Derosier pleaded guilty in federal court to six counts of possessing images depicting child sexual abuse and one count of receiving and distributing such images. In May, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison Since 1999, Holmberg traveled to more than 30 states and other countries, including, Canada, Puerto Rico and Norway, The Associated Press reported. Travel records showed Holmberg used public funding for trips in 2011, 2018 and 2019 to Prague in the Czech Republic and to other cities, including Amsterdam and Berlin. The trips were arranged through the Germany-based Global Bridges teacher exchange program, which received funding from the North Dakota Legislature. Approximately $142,000 was returned to the state by The North Dakota School Boards Association, as per the news outlet. It remains unclear in any wrongdoing alleged by authorities occurred during any of those trips. The family of missing Brit Sarm Heslop have spoken of their anger after the police chief overseeing the investigation into her disappearance quit amid allegations of corruption. Relatives of the Southampton-born flight attendant said they were shocked but not surprised to learn that US Virgin Islands police commissioner Ray Martinez had quit. Martinez resigned after being told he was the target of an investigation by US prosecutors which reportedly relates to a cyber-security contract awarded to his force. Sarms family said that Martinez has routinely ignored our pleas for a meeting about the disappearance of Sarm, who was last seen in 2021 in the USVI. They demanded that the territorys governor Albert Bryan show his commitment to finding Sarm by agreeing to meet with them. Heslop, 41, was last seen alive three years ago after her and her boyfriend Ryan Bane were spotted leaving a restaurant in the US Virgin Islands Ryan Bane, the US boat captain boyfriend of missing British woman Sarm Heslop, is seen here in a police mugshot in 2011 after attacking his ex-wife Sarm was 41 when she vanished without a trace on the USVI island of St John on March 8th 2021. She was last seen with her boyfriend Ryan Bane, who was arrested and convicted for domestic violence in 2011 after he attacked his ex-wife Corie Stevenson, at a restaurant near to where his yacht was docked. Police in the US territory did not prosecute Bane, 45, who hired one of Ghislaine Maxwells lawyers to represent him and is now apparently back on the American mainland. According to a report in the Virgin Islands Daily News, Martinezs resignation was confirmed by Richard Motta Jr, the communications director of Government House, the government of the island nation. He said: The administration has been informed that Ray Martinez, the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department, is implicated in an ongoing federal investigation. Bane had been dating Heslop for eight months seen here sitting aboard Siren Song, his yacht - and was on holiday with her when she went missing in March 2021 Ryan Bane's luxury 47-foot catamaran, named Siren Song, sits in Frank Bay on St. John in the US Virgin Islands Adhering to our zero-tolerance policy against corruption, the Governor has accepted Mr Martinezs resignation to ensure the integrity of our law enforcement efforts. The Virgin Islands Consortium reported that a company which was awarded a contract with the USVI police department later gave Martinez some money to finish a restaurant project he was working on. In a statement, Sarms family and friends said: We are shocked but not surprised to learn that VIPD Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, who has routinely ignored our pleas for contact in relation to Sarm's case, has resigned amid accusations of corruption. The statement said that Sarms family now have an understanding as to why their correspondence with Ray Martinez may have gone unanswered. They said: Since 2022 all involved #JusticeForSarm have been requesting the release of the CCTV footage showing Sarm and her boyfriend Ryan Bane walking back to their dinghy hours before her disappearance but requests go ignored leading all to think that the footage has been destroyed. Bane (above) is the only person of interest in the case. He is pictured here on his boat in March 2021 A missing poster is seen here after Heslop went missing on March 8 2021 on the Virgin Islands It has been evident that the USVIPD have no interest in addressing the crime on the island, they dont want any outside agencies reviewing their investigations, they dont want to release CCTV footage and are clearly not being held accountable for their actions, until now. We hope. Sarms family and friends said they want USVI governor Albert Bryan to meet with David Johnston QPM, a former Commander of Homicide and Serious Crime at Metropolitan Police, who is working with them. Martinez refused to meet with Johnston for the last 18 months and a meeting with the governor would demonstrate his zero-tolerance stance towards crime. The investigation into Sarms disappearance stalled after Bane refused to let the US Coast guard board his yacht, the Siren Song. Bane has said he was asleep on the boat when Sarm disappeared and was woken at 2am by the boats anchor alarm, which sounds when the vessel has drifted too far. Three years on from Heslop's disappearance, her mother still looking for answers from the police But he waited nine hours before calling the US Coast Guard, despite being told by police to do so. Sarms family has repeatedly demanded that the investigation be changed from missing person to murder. Of particular concern to Sarms family is Banes violent past. He served 21 days in jail in 2011 after breaking one of his ex-wifes teeth when he assaulted her. She has said that he flipped like a switch and became a monster after their 2008 wedding. In March Bane was seen working out at a gym in a Michigan town near where his parents live. He was chased out after being recognised. MailOnline has contacted the USVI police department for comment. A lawyer for Bane has previously denied he did anything wrong. Julian Assange's flight from Bangkok to a US-controlled Pacific Island has taken off - as the WikiLeaks founder prepares to plead guilty to a single spy charge in return for his freedom after 14 years. Assange, 52, was released from Belmarsh Prison in London on Monday after reaching a plea deal with the US authorities. The Wikileaks founder arrived in the Thai capital early Tuesday where he departed the plane and was driven away. He was driven to Stansted Airport yesterday, where he boarded a private jet that 'left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm' and landed in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday morning. His flight, under the call sign, VJT199 left Bangkok around 9:20pm local time, bound for Saipan, part of the US-controlled Northern Mariana Islands in the south Pacific. His wife, Stella Assange, asked supporters to follow along with Assange's flight on 'in case something goes wrong.' WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is pictured approaching Bangkok Airport on a private jet following his release from Belmarsh prison Julian Assange's flight from Bangkok to a US-controlled Pacific Island has taken off has taken off Assange's flight takes off from Bangkok for the six hour flight to Saipan Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed that he would fly to Saipan, a US territory later today In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today show presenter Mishal Husain, Stella said that she and the couple's two sons have traveled to Australia in preparation for her husband's arrival. 'All I told them was that there was a big surprise and the morning that we left I told them we were heading to the airport. We got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on. And they still don't know.' 'We've been very careful because, obviously, no one can stop a five and a seven-year-old from, you know, shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment.' 'And because of the sensitivity around the judge having to sign off the deal, we've been careful, just gradually, incrementally telling them information.' 'They're excited to be in Australia though,' she added.' Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, has said that the former hacker will possibly live in the 'Australian brush.' Meanwhile his father, John, said: 'Julian will be able to enjoy an ordinary life with his family and his wife.' The life Assange plans to lead after his release is unclear - but he is expected to spend a significant amount of time recuperating from a five-year-stint in Belmarsh, where is health is said to have suffered considerably. He will also undoubtedly dedicate much of his time to his family. The long journey that Assange has embarked on since his release from Belmarsh on Monday Assange pictured in Stansted Airport in prior to his departure from the UK on Monday Since Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in 2019, Stella has lived in the London-area, fighting various extradition warrants. She says that she was given 24 hours notice that her husband was being released. 'He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge,' she said, adding that she still didn't think it was real. She told Britain's PA news agency that the flight was costing Assange $500,000 and they would start a fundraising campaign to help pay for it because he was forbidden from traveling on commercial aircraft. It later emerged that the flight was paid for by the Australian government at a cost of $520,000, with the understanding being that money will be raised to pay them back. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, said the deal for Assange came about after the growing involvement of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 'This is the result of a long, long process which has been going on for some time. It has been a tough battle, but the focus now is on Julian being reunited with his family,' Hrafnsson told the PA news agency. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, WikiLeaks said Assange boarded a plane after leaving the high-security London prison where he has spent the last five years. WikiLeaks applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.' Albanese told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. 'Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long,' Albanese said. 'There's nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.' The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him additional prison time. He is expected to be sentenced to the five years he has already spent in the British prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. to face charges, a process that has played out in a series of hearings in London. Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Last month, he won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided 'blatantly inadequate' assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by the rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Department's indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. Assange's plane preparing to depart from Don Mueang International Airport The White House was not involved in the decision to resolve Assange's case, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Assange made headlines again in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that year's election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. During the Obama administration, Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assange's arrest a priority. Assange's family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuador's government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange had remained in London's high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. Donald Trump has taken out a five-point poll lead over Joe Biden in Georgia two days ahead of the pivotal first presidential debate, which is being held in the state. Trump is on 43 per cent and Biden on 38 percent, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll. It comes as the two candidates make final preparation for what could be one of the most consequential showdowns ever in presidential politics. CNN is hosting the debate in Atlanta on Thursday night. The poll is a setback for Biden who became the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to win the Peach State in 2020 on his way to the White House. Donald Trump speaks at the Road to Majority Conference in Washington DC on June 22 Biden's support has plummeted among young voters in Georgia with only 12 percent supporting him. Overall, 70 percent said the country is on the 'wrong track,' according to the poll. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got 9 percent in the poll, and 8 percent were undecided. It comes as Trump and Biden prepare to duel in Atlanta on Thursday, the first time they will appear on stage together in four years. Trump has requested that Biden take a drug test ahead of the showdown, stating that he will agree to one in return. The ex-president's request comes after his former White House doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who served under both President Obama and Trump, asked Biden to take a drug screening ahead of the televised event. According to a letter Jackson sent to Biden and his top White House doctor obtained by DailyMail.com, the Republican requested drug tests for the president before and after Thursday's debate. 'I demand that you submit to a clinically validated drug test in order to reassure the American people that you are mentally fit to serve as President and not relying on performance enhancing drugs to help you with your debate performance or on a day-to-day basis to assist you in performing your duties as President of the United States.' 'This drug test should be administered both immediately before and after the debate and should include, but not be limited to, performance enhancing drugs,' Jackson continued in his letter to Joe Biden and his top White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. Ratcheting up the pressure, Jackson specifically includes Biden's main White House physician Kevin O'Connor in the note to the president and his entire cabinet, telling the doctor how he has a duty to the American people to complete the drug test. Despite claims on the left that the move by Trump is a stunt, focus groups are continually citing Biden's age as a cause for concern after a series of recent freezing episodes. Almost half of likely voters expect Biden to make gaffes during the debate, according to a recent poll by J.L. Partners. President Joe Biden speaks at an event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the East Room at the White House on June 18 Some 49 percent think he will forget where he is and 41 percent said they expect him to walk off the wrong side of the stage, according to the poll. Another 40 percent think he will trouble standing up during the CNN debate in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27. In contrast, voters expect a domineering performance from his Republican rival, and overwhelming expect him to emerge the winner. Some 79 percent expect Trump to interrupt Biden and 54 percent think his microphone will be cut off at some point. The debate is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. and it will last for 90 minutes. A Youth Demand activist wearing an 'Eat s*** Rishi' shirt has staged a vile 'dirty protest' at the Prime Minister's 2million mansion in Yorkshire in a major security breach. Oliver Clegg, a 21-year-old student protester from Manchester, appeared to carry out a disgusting act at Mr Sunak's Grade-II listed Georgian manor house in Richmond, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday afternoon. The property, which was built in 1826, was purchased by Mr Sunak after he became the Conservative MP for the Richmond constituency in 2015. Police have arrested four men within the grounds of the PM's home on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The trespassers, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester all remain in police custody for questioning. Clegg was filmed walking through a garden gate wearing wellies and a yellow coat, before taking it off to reveal the 'Eat s*** Rishi' shirt as he waded into the lake and squatted down. This was the shocking moment an activist targeted the lake at Rishi Sunak's mansion He waded into the lake at the Prime Minister's mansion in North Yorkshire and staged a vile protest Oliver Clegg (pictured) is a 21-year-old student from Manchester He was wearing a shirt which said 'Eat s*** Rishi' Youth Demand, who uploaded the footage to social media in an attempt to go viral, said that four people were detained by police after they targeted the mansion in the picturesque village of Kirby Sigston at around 12.50pm. The protest group, which describes themselves as 'a youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide', said the 'political system is broken' and called for activists to join them for a week of action in London from July 13. In a puerile press release, they made cringe-inducing jokes about 'making a splash' at the Prime Minister's property and the Government leaving the country 'up s*** creek'. They also released photographs of Clegg being caught by a police officer. The horrific stunt comes just nine days before the July 4 general election, which Mr Sunak is in the midst of campaigning for. Do YOU know Oliver Clegg the dirty protester? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk Advertisement It marks another concerning security breach at Mr Sunak's home, which was targeted less than a year go by four Greenpeace protesters who climbed the property and draped it with black banners while the PM was away on a family holiday. Just last week, three Youth Demand protesters were found guilty of public order offences after a demonstration outside the home of Rishi's rival, Sir Keir Starmer. Leonorah Ward, 21, Zosia Lewis, 23, and Daniel Formentin, 24, were found guilty of offences under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and breaching court bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The activists hung a banner outside the Labour leader's London house that read: 'Starmer stop the killing', surrounded by red hand prints, while rows of children's shoes were laid in front of the door on April 9. Lady Starmer had just returned from a shopping trip with her son when they spotted the protesters, the court heard. She drove around the corner before contacting Sir Keir's office because she 'didn't want to stop and be obvious', she told the court. The group said four of their number were detained by police Section 42 powers cover the harassment of a person at their home address if an officer suspects it is causing alarm or distress to the occupant. The protesters were handed a six week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. They were also prohibited from entering the London postal district of NW5 for any reason at all. They were also ordered to pay 200 towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of 154 each. North Yorkshire Police were contacted for comment about Tuesday's vile stunt. Four Greenpeace activists are still awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to causing criminal damage to the roof of the Prime Minister's mansion during an anti-oil protest last year. In March, Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, Alexandra Wilson, 32, and Michael Grant, 64, appeared at York Magistrates' Court over the demonstration which saw black sheets and 'No new oil' banners draped over Rishi Sunak's house in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, on August 3. A fourth protester, Mathieu Soete, 38, appeared via videolink for the hearing. The four defendants denied the charge of damaging roof slates to a value of less than 5,000. At the time of the protest, Greenpeace said that no damage was caused to the property and they had chosen to carry it out when the Prime Minister and his family were on holiday in California. District Judge Adrian Lower set a date of July 23 for the start of the two-day trial. Ningxia makes continuous efforts to strengthen public cultural services 11:22, June 25, 2024 By Qin Ruijie ( People's Daily On the loess slope of Xiaohe village, Xiaohe township, Xiji county, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Su Zhanshan, a cattle farmer, was rushing towards the village library under the blazing noon sun and a cloudless sky. His herd's sudden loss of appetite caused him great concern. When asked by a fellow villager about what he planned to do, he answered with just two words: "Finding books." Villagers read books in a reading room established by the Ningxia Library in Yuanzi village, Liangtian township, Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (Photo provided by Ningxia Library) He found a book on beef cattle breeding techniques at the village library, from which he identified that the main reason for his cattle's sickness was a problem with the ratio of silage to salt in their feed, causing digestive issues. "I always go to the library right away whenever there's an issue with cattle farming," said Su. Su's story is not unique in Xiji county, as Ningxia has made strides in improving rural public cultural services in recent years. In 2017, comprehensive cultural service centers were set up in every one of the 295 administrative villages in Xiji county. In particular, the county has built village libraries and set up cultural activity rooms, providing villagers with access to cultural activities and learning opportunities. "We have worked to ensure that each village library has no less than 1,000 books, with over 60 percent related to agricultural technology to accommodate rural settings," said Chen Lixia, head of the bureau of culture, tourism, radio and television in Xiji county. By scanning a QR code on a book-borrowing machine at a library in Xiaohe township with his smartphone, 19-year-old Su Zhanhu instantly obtained an electronic version of a book on basic welding techniques. Fascinated by the savable and editable charts in the book, he ended up spending half a day at the library. After graduating with a degree in automotive repair, Su started working at a local garage, but struggled to catch up. He was shocked to come across books on automotive repair at the library when he returned to the township for the Spring Festival. "With just a scan, I can access the latest e-books, making it much easier to browse and save information," he said. "Digital systems and book circulation are essential for the development of modern rural libraries," said Ma Youguo, head of the Xiji county library. An art performance is staged in Shilipu village, Xingjing township, Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (Photo from the WeChat public account of the Yinchuan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television) Ma said that the library has introduced a "borrow anywhere, return anywhere" system across all townships to improve book circulation, given the limited book collections and difficulties in keeping books up to date. "This has not only increased the flow of books, but also allowed us to make targeted purchases based on borrowing trends, thus better meeting people's needs," noted Ma. "These days, the reading rooms of the libraries are taking on more and more functions," said Wang Zhijie, Party head of Xiaohe township, explaining that they are not just for reading anymore, but offering a place for people to study and hold cultural activities. "In the past, villages only had a small room of about over 10 square meters, used solely for reading. Now, after renovating the bookshelves, and adding desktop computers, reading tables and chairs, these reading rooms become more spacious and user-friendly. We are seeing more people and a wider range of activities," said Wang. In recent years, Xiji county has transformed small-room libraries into spacious areas housing books, cultural supplies, and audio-visual equipment. Bathing the warm sunlight through the window of the newly built library, Su Zhanshan said that the library-turned cultural activity room has become the villagers' favorite spot. During the off-season, they would gather in the room to play Chinese chess and dance, and they have even formed a Qin opera troupe, added Su. "When we all unite with such enthusiasm, it's hard not to feel hopeful about the future," said Su. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) A woman has been given a prison sentence in Germany for making 'harmful comments' towards a gang-rapist after learning of his heinous crime. The man was one of nine attackers who were found guilty of brutally raping a 15-year-old girl in a city park in Hamburg - with all but one of the convicted men and teenagers allowed to walk free. Anger grew online and his name and number were leaked - with a 20-year-old woman among those who messaged him to share their disgust at his horrific act. 'Without thinking twice,' the woman decided to vent her anger at him because she felt he deserved it, labelling him a 'dishonorable rapist pig' and a 'disgusting freak'. Judges have since found her guilty of a hate crime and have sentenced her to 48 hours in a juvenile detention facility. Nine attackers - who were aged between 16 and 20 - were found guilty of raping a girl in a Hamburg park in 2020. Pictured: The defendants stand next to their lawyers at the rape trial The woman, who had no connection to the victim or attackers, said she had been so horrified by the rapes that she contacted one defendant on WhatsApp after his identity began to be circulated on Snapchat. When she contacted him in 2021, prosecutors said, she warned he would never be able to go anywhere 'without being punched in the face'. She has since apologised. Police are also investigating 140 other people over similar 'hate' comments about the rapists, including death threats, torture fantasies and racist remarks, Hamburger Abendblatt reports. The investigation and woman's sentence have sparked further fury online, with many slamming the judge's decision - particularly in light of what they consider to be a lenient sentence for the rapists. At the trial, eight of the attackers - who were aged between 16 and 20 years old - were put on probation without serving any jail time at all. All nine that were in court were located because of DNA evidence that proved they had sex with the teenager during a festival in Hamburg's Stadtpark in September 2020. But while one of them, reportedly a 19-year-old, was sentenced to two years and eight months in a youth prison, and a tenth was acquitted, the rest walked free from Hamburg District Court where half were sentenced to up to two years' probation. At the rapists' trial, the court heard how the 15-year-old was abused by one group of men after another until a passerby called the police The other four got off even more lightly and had their sentences deferred for six months, for the rape of the schoolgirl. None of the defendants have been named publicly but local media reports that five were from Hamburg while the other five were from outside of Germany. At the rapists' trial, the court heard how the 15-year-old was abused by one group of men after another until a passerby called the police. A gang of human traffickers who ran a string of brothels in Scotland have been jailed after the stories of their desperate victims emerged. Several women - mainly from East Asia - were exploited by a sophisticated crime mob to work as prostitutes in Glasgow and Edinburgh, including one just yards from Edinburghs famous Royal Mile. Chinese nationals Qin Huang, 31, Guolei Huang, 25, and Xiao Min, 38, were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today for their part in the criminal operation. Min was jailed for eight and a half years after he earlier pleaded guilty to a charge under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act which included the aiding and abetting of prostitution. Brothel madam Qin Huang was sentenced to eight years after she admitted to the same crime. The charge spanned between December 2018 and September 2021. Guolei Huang was locked up for four years and three months. He had previously pleaded guilty to being involved in the management of a brothel at three of the flats. Brothel madam Qin Huang sobbed heavily as she was lead handcuffed to the cells Guolei Huang was jailed for four years after admitting being involved in the management of a brothel Sentencing them, judge Lady Poole blasted the trio for their part in a criminal enterprise that involved the deliberate degrading of fellow human beings. Callous Qin Huang, who came to Britain on a student visa, was said to be a failed asylum seeker and had been living off 140 per-week benefits. She sobbed heavily as she was lead handcuffed to the cells. Guolei Huang, who was said to have worked as a minder, shouted loudly in his native language as he was taken down. The gangs activities came to light in Februaury 2020 when police learned a flat in Glasgows Dennistoun area was being run as what was described as a Chinese brothel. Guolei Huang was found there along with one of the trafficked women when officers carried out a raid months later. The court heard the flat had been equipped and set up for the provision of sexual services, including having a bed with towels on it and a side table with condoms, wipes and baby oil on display. Another two brothels were discovered in the citys Garnethill and Port Dundas - with another in Edinburghs Old Town - just yards from popular tourist destination the Royal Mile. In May 2021, it was then found that Qin Huang was operating from a new premises for sexual exploitation in Glasgows Townhead. There was a further sex-for-sale flat in the citys Kelvinbridge. The court heard the stories of five women who were brought to the UK by the gang. Two were in debt in China, another was recruited having been approached in a casino while a fourth had her passport taken from her before being helped to establish as a sex worker. A fifth woman said she arrived in England in 2019, had been working illegally there before being recommended to travel to Scotland. During the trial, prosecutor Greg Farrell said police had uncovered a sophisticated and significant criminal network who were arranging, recruiting and facilitating prostitution. He had added: This also involved the transporting and harbouring of women working as prostitutes. Mr Farrell said the crime clan raked in significant financial proceeds with the help of fake identifies to rent flats used as brothels. The court heard how 200,000 had been spent on adverts on the Viva Street adult site by a so-called business agency firm. Mr Farrell: There is no evidence to suggest any of the three provided the financing for these. He said Qin Huangs was involved in the daily management of the women and the sex for sale properties. She also helped organise the online adverts. Min, who had a supervisor role in the renting of the properties, was said to have entered the UK illegally and had been living in South London. His KC Thomas Ross said he had got involved in the crime having got himself into debt. When the crimes came to light Qin Huang claimed she believed a number of the women involved had consented to what they were doing. But, Huangs lawyer Mark Moir KC said she understood this charge was serious. She also owed money to others in China. The court heard Guolei Huang had come to Britain in 2018. He had been arrested in a brothel in Liverpool. Iain McSporran KC, defending, said it appeared he did not see the women involved as victims and that they were ladies engaging in this work voluntarily. Mr McSporran added Guolei Huang maintained he does not know the other two who appeared in the dock with him. Xiao Ming pleaded guilty to the 'aiding and abetting of prostitution' Sentencing the three criminals, Lady Poole stated: Brothel keeping and trafficking women for prostitution involves the deliberate degrading of fellow human beings. Prostitution is a dehumanising experience. Women often end up being deprived of the ability to act in their own interests. They are valued not as people, but as a potential source of profit. When such offences do come to light, it is the practice of the courts to impose substantial sentences. The participation of all three of you played an important and significant role of the operation of the criminal network operating in Scotland. Prosecutors have moved for Serious Crime Prevention Orders - known as a super-Asbo - to be made against all three. These are designed to tackle and monitor the activities of criminals once they back on the streets. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last year promised to step up people-to-people contacts between their countries. But the U.S. ambassador to China has delivered an extraordinary rebuke to his hosts, saying Chinese authorities have interrogated citizens who visit American-organized events, whipped up anti-U.S. feelings and even pulled the plug literally on a concert arranged by his embassy. Nicholas Burns accused China of scaling up restrictions on the embassy's social-media posts and undermining diplomacy, in the clearest sign yet that the Biden administration believes Beijing is not sincere in its promise to improve ties. 'They say they're in favor of reconnecting our two populations, but they're taking dramatic steps to make it impossible,' the 68-year-old veteran diplomat said. Biden and Xi met in San Francisco in November last year as part of an attempt to improve all but frozen relations. Ambassador Nicholas Burns said Chinese authorities had interrogated citizens who visit American-organized events, whipped up anti-U.S. feelings and even pulled the plug literally on a concert arranged by his embassy They agreed to resume high-level military contacts and cooperation to combat the illicit trade in fentanyl. 'The two leaders reiterated the importance of ties between the people of the United States and the Peoples Republic of China, and committed to work towards a significant further increase in scheduled passenger flights early next year, in parallel with actions to restore full implementation of the U.S.-China air transportation agreement, to support exchanges between the two countries,' the White House said in a read-out of the meeting. Xi even said he hoped 50,000 American exchange students would visit China during the next five years. But that detente has not gone according to plan, Burns told the Wall Street Journal. He detailed 61 events since then when China's Ministry of State Security or other bodies tried to prevent people attending or intimidated those that did. Some attendees had even been interrogated. 'What they tell us and what they tell the world is they want people-to-people engagement, and yet this is not just episodic. This is routine. This is nearly every public event,' he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. 'This is a serious breach and we hope that the [People's Republic of China will reconsider.' On one occasion, he said a venue told the embassy there would simply be no electricity on the day of an event. Yet, it had allowed events there the day before and the day after without any apparent problems. In one case, he said, a venue pulled the literal plug on a concert organized by the U.S. Embassy without explanation, saying there would be no electricity on the day of the event and effectively scuttling it. The venue hosted an event the prior night and then another one the night afterward with no apparent issue, embassy officials said. Chinese paramilitary policemen march past the U.S. Embassy in Beijing Joe Biden and Jinping met for the first time in over a year for high-stakes talks in November to try to bury the hatchet amid dangerously escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing 'It's not the sign of a confident government,' Burns added. He said he had repeatedly raised the issues in private meetings with senior Chinese officials but that nothing had been resolved. 'I've been concerned for my two-plus years here about the very aggressive Chinese governmentefforts to denigrate America, to tell a distorted story about American society, American history, American policy,' he said. 'It happens every day on all the networks available to the government here, and theres a high degree of anti-Americanism online.' Yet there have been other signs of improvement. Senior Biden administration officials from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have visited, along with more junior figures. And China has promised to send panda bears to zoos in Washington, San Francisco, and San Diego. Anyone who is looking for travel during the July 4th holiday period may need to find ways to stay busy at an airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on June 24 that their agency screened 2.99 million fliers on June 23, breaking the record for the most travelers screened in a day. TSA is now expecting to screen more than 32 million jetsetters from June 27 through July 8. The holiday's peak travel day is expected to be this Friday, June 28, as the TSA prepares to screen more than three million fliers. While the Fourth of July travel will be busy, the TSA reminded travelers in its news release about what to do so that your Independence Day plans go smoothly. TSA announced on June 24 that its agency screened 2.99 million fliers on June 23, breaking the record for the most individuals to be screened in a day TSA confirmed in a June 24 news release that it is expecting to screen more than 32 million individuals from June 27 through July 8 The government agency advised travelers to start packing their things in a completely empty bag so that no prohibited items that were in your luggage before you added your vacation outfits are found by security personnel. TSA also suggested that travelers get to the airport two hours before their scheduled flight's departure time. However, fliers may need to get there earlier if they traveling by plane sometime in the next few days due to the holiday time period. The TSA also recommended travelers review guidelines for traveling with children, ask for assistance, double-check luggage tags and check for TSA PreCheck. And on top of all that, the TSA stressed that travelers should respect frontline aviation workers while they're checking in and getting screened - for their own sake. Uncalled for behavior or violence during your security screening could result in delays at checkpoints. 'We expect this summer to be our busiest ever, and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,' said TSA Administrator David Pekoske, after the agency said seven of the top 10 busiest travel days ever have occurred over the past month. 'The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes.' TSA's announcement comes just four days after AAA projected that 70.9 million individuals will travel 50 miles or more between June 29 to July 7 TSA's announcement comes just four days after AAA projected that 70.9 million individuals will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the Independence Day holiday period. The AAA Independence Day holiday travel period this year lasts from June 29 to July 7, which is a first for the organization in terms of its lengthy duration. According to AAA, this year's travel number is a 5 percent increase compared to 2023. 'With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,' Senior Vice President of AAA Travel Paula Twidale said. 'We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.' Around 3.51 million travelers flew out of airports during Memorial Day Weekend this year and United Airlines expected more than 500,000 fliers each day TSA advised travelers to review guidelines for traveling with children, ask for assistance, double-check luggage tags, and check for TSA PreCheck The Fourth of July airport mayhem comes after around 3.51 million travelers flew out of airports like LAX and Pittsburgh International during Memorial Day Weekend. United Airlines even said over three million travelers to flew with them between May 23 and May 28, making it the airlines' busiest Memorial Day weekend in history. Around three million travelers flew with Delta, while American Airlines had nearly 3.9 million fliers. According to ABC News via Hopper, the busiest Memorial Day weekend days for flying were on May 23, May 24, and May 27. A wealthy white West Virginia couple have been accused of forcing their adopted black children to work as slaves and live inside a locked barn. Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62 of Charleston, West Virginia, plead not guilty on Tuesday to multiple new charges after their kids were found locked in a dilapidated shed after allegedly laboring on the surrounding farmland. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers said the couple targeted their five kids - aged 16, 14, 11, nine, and six - because of their race and they were 'used basically as slaves.' According to the original arrest report in October, the 16 and 14-year-old children were locked in the squalid 20x14 shed with no lights, food or running water - with a camera planted in the top left corner of the room. The children, who smelled of body odor, were found wearing dirty clothes with sores on their feet after a wellness check was performed on the outhouse on Cheyenne Lane - which had no way of being opened from the inside. The shed sat on the grounds of the couple's five-acre, three-bedroom $295,000 Sissonville property. They also owned an 80-acre $725,000 home in Tonasket, Washington, which they sold after their arrest in October. Pictured: The backyard shed where two of the couple's teenage adopted children were found. There was no way to open the door from the inside, and cops found the kids without food or water. The kids were also forced to do manual labor on the surrounding farmland, its alleged Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62 of Charleston, West Virginia , plead not guilty on Tuesday to the new charges they are facing. The couple were first arrested in October 2023 after their adopted children were found locked in a shed on their property Whitefeather stated that the barn where the girl, 16, and boy, 14, were found was a 'teenage clubhouse,' and they were not held against their will. The mother told deputies the children - who were all homeschooled - actually 'liked' the shed they were locked in. However, the teenage girl told deputies they had been locked in the building for approximately 12 hours and were last given food at 6am. The building only had a small RV porta-potty and no running water, according to images from inside and descriptions from the initial police report. The children were also forced to sleep on the hard concrete floor, they said. The criminal complaint stated: 'If there was a medical emergency or fire, the children would be unable to exit the locked room to safety.' Court documents said neighbors reported that the children were forced into farm labor and were not allowed inside the main house. Filings also state that the teenage boy found inside the outhouse smelled of body odor and had 'open sores on his bare feet.' Three hours after finding the older children in the locked shed, deputies found a nine-year-old girl holed up in a loft inside the family's locked main house. Lantz came home with the 11-year-old boy, while Whitefeather surrendered their six-year-old girl to authorities, who has been with friends from the couple's church. Pictured: Photos from inside a Sissonville shed where two teenagers were allegedly found locked inside on October 2, were shown during a bond hearing for Jeanne Whitefeather in October 2023 The children were found by authorities with an array of health problems - and the photos were taken by Whitefeather's brother about a week following the arrests Child Protective Services were called at the time, and took custody of the children. The new charges the couple are facing include human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect creating substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. Their bond has now been set to $500,000 each - which is $300,000 more than each of their original bonds. The latest indictment outlining the upgraded charges claims the couple is guilty of human rights violations, alleging that the couple forced their children into hard labor because of their race. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers told MetroNews that this case is the first of its kind that she has seen in her career - and that the couple's original bond of $200,000 was insufficient compared to the severity of their crimes. 'Along with human trafficking and neglect was serious risk of bodily injuries or death, I don't find the bond to be sufficient,' Akers said. 'It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor.' The West Virginia couple are seen pictured at one of their previous court hearings Donald Ray Lantz, 63, is pictured in court in June Jeanne Kay Whitefeather is seen in court in June 'Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges.' The minors involved were aged 16, 14, 11, nine, and six. The indictment suggests that three of the adopted children were black. Prosecutors previously raised concerns that the couple's joint $400,000 bond money in February might have come from their alleged human trafficking activities. Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak reported that the couple, who previously claimed to have no assets or income, sold their 80-acre ranch in Tonasket, Washington for $725,000 on February 2. Three days later, Whitefeather's brother Marcus Hughes posted two $200,000 bonds to get the couple out of the jail cells they were being held in. Then on March 28, Krivonyak noted that they had also sold their home in Sissonville, where they were arrested, for $295,000. Prosecutors concluded that despite whether or not the money was obtained legally, it was originally intended for human trafficking. Deputies say there are no prior criminal records of the two adults in West Virginia. Pictured: Outhouses on the property on Cheyenne Lane, where the children were found Pictured: Outhouses on the property on Cheyenne Lane. The couple sold the home in December 2023, after they had been initially arrested Kanawha County Sheriffs deputies previously said that a complaint was made back in May 2023 about the couple - and a second complaint was made in September. The nature of those complaints were similar to the charges the pair now face. In both cases last year, deputies said that they did not find any wrongdoing when they made a trip to the West Virginia home. They said they saw the children inside the home, and on one occasion, they were eating dinner. CPS was also called on the family, according to their neighbor Stacy Miller. Miller told West Virginia Watch that she witnessed the kids out in the yard with their 'heads down and forced to stand in a straight line.' She described what she saw as forced manual labor. Neighbor Miller said that she never heard back from CPS about the worries: 'Im supposed to do the right thing and call. For a government entity that us taxpayers fund to not feel like I was listened to at all, thats heartbreaking for me.' The couple's initial bond money is now in the custody of the court, which Krivonyak said should be transferred to the children in the form of a trust fund. Whitefeather's attorney, Mark Plants, said at a hearing in February: 'The main allegation is that these children were locked in a shed. 'The evidence is going to show that there was a key inside. This case, on its face, sounds atrocious. However, there are two sides to every story.' Their next court appearance is set for September 9. Five Just Stop Oil activists paid over 1,000 for four nights in an AirBnB as a safe house while they attempted to bring the M25 to a standstill, a court heard. The protesters caused over 500,000 worth of damage and delayed 480,000 rush hour journeys by scaling gantries over the motorway. While creating mayhem, the demonstrators rented accommodation through Airbnb, with one letting in south east London costing them 1,034.93. Extinction Rebellion co-founder, Julian Roger Hallam, 58, plotted the chaos between 7 and 10 November 2022, with Daniel Shaw, 38, teacher Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker-De-Abreu, 34 and Cressida Gethin, 22. The plan was to have 16 JSO protesters climbing onto the gantries over the M25 every day. Five days before the protest took place, Scarlet Howes, a reporter at The Sun, attended a JSO Zoom meeting and recorded it all. Extinction Rebellion co-founder, Julian Roger Hallam, 58 (pictured) plotted to bring the M25 to a standstill in November 2022, including renting accommodation through Airbnb The protest groups planned to have 16 JSO demonstrators climbing onto the gantries every day. The action caused over 500,000 worth of damage and delayed hundreds of thousands of journeys In the call, it was clear that Shaw was running the meeting, before handing onto Hallam, then Whittaker-De-Abreu, then Lancaster and then lastly Gethin. Only Whittaker-De-Abreu and Gethin were intending to climb the gantries. The rest were involved in the planning of the demonstration and recruiting 64 protesters to scale the gantries. During the call, Hallam said: It is almost impossible to stop. We have overwhelming evidence that this in the ballpark of what we need to do. It has the potential to create gridlock. It makes it absolutely impossible for this government to ignore. It has to be done, it has to be done, that is what I have got to say. Whittaker-De-Abreu added: We do want to essentially bring the whole motorway to a standstill - that is the vision. The activists organised height training and rehearsed and the blue lights policy which was to avoid closing off the hard shoulder so the police could get past. It emerged that Airbnbs were booked near to the gantries and were used as safe houses where the activists would go two days before their climb. Lancaster booked one of these Airbnbs, a house in southeast London, paying 1,034.93 for the house from 4-7 November. The protesters contacted National Highways on November 6 2022 by email both to announce they were taking action the next day and to ask that National Highways impose a 30mph speed limit. That request was refused and they were urged not to protest. Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward, KC, said: Clearly that warning went unheeded. On Monday 7 November 2022, that was the first day of protesting. Timings were seemingly deliberately staggered to cause mass disruption. In total, 14 climbed up different gantries across the M25, between the hours of 7:30am and 11:48am. On the first day alone, some 240,000 vehicles were affected, with an estimated cost of over 250,000. Among those delayed were children with special needs, people attending funerals and students attending exams. The protesting continued over the following days, with 12 climbers arrested on November 9 and a further 8 arrested on November 10, with the disruption causing several people to miss flights and cancer appointments. The total cost to the Metropolitan Police was over 1million. Ms Ledward continued: The activity was coordinated, it was persistent, the equipment recovered was virtually identical. The activity as revealed by findings on arrest, involved a high level of awareness of police methods and efforts. Those who planned to climb, such as two of these defendants, had every expectation that they would inevitably be apprehended by the police. What the conspirators did not know was that the police had received other information of their plan before it reached its final day. Enough to identify those who were part of the conspiracy to mass climb the gantries. That information came from Ms Howes, who is due to give evidence. Each of these defendants had their roles, added Ms Ledward. They all took an active part in that agreement. Some of them may have joined later than others, it matters not. Teacher Louise Lancaster was among protestors who helped block rush-hour traffic on the M25. She booked an Airbnb 'safe house' for 1,034.93 The prosecution say they would have been guilty even if they had managed to intercept every single climber. As Mr Hallam said, it cannot be stopped, and it was successful to a large extent. You may or may not consider the ultimate aim of these defendants to be a noble cause. We all have the right to protest, but we live in a democracy and there are very many ways in which a person can do that, committing a crime is not one of them, nobody, no matter how noble their cause is above the law. In total, 47 people were arrested at the Gantries, including Gethin and Whittaker-De-Abreu, while Hallam, Lancaster and Shaw were also arrested. Hallam, of Macleod Street, Southwark, Shaw, of Adams Avenue, Northampton, Whittaker-De-Abreu, of Arthur Street, Derby, Lancaster, of Burnt Close, Cambridge and Gethin, of Cambridge all deny one count of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance. The trial continues. Canada has long faced criticism for its ultra-permissive euthanasia system, with 4.1 percent of all deaths aided by doctors. Now, it faces fresh outrage from woefully sick people who say it's easier to get lethal injections than it is to access the 'medicine' they need. In two bombshell moments this month, sufferers of cognitive problems said they'd struggled to get the 'magic mushroom' cures that ease their suffering. Meanwhile, they bemoaned how euthanasia is only getting easier to access. First, a judge ruled that Jody Lance should be able to access psilocybin, the active ingredient in the fungus, to stop his crippling headaches. Kelsi Sheren was just 19 when she enlisted in the Canadian military. The government offers traumatized veterans suicide more readily than the plant medicines that can actually help them More than 99.9 percent of Canada's assisted suicides are carried out by a doctor with a needle Then, the noted veteran Kelsi Sheren went public with a call for easier access to plant therapies for traumatized ex-combatants. 'Why is it that we can access death care, but we can't access a genuine treatment that can help us become a functioning healthy, taxpaying part of society?' said Sheren. Sheren is CEO of Brass and Unity, a jewelry firm that works to fight high suicide rates among veterans. Psilocybin, ayahuasca, and other plants helped her get over a traumatic brain injury sustained while serving as an artillery specialist in Afghanistan, she says. Poll Should psychedelics be used as a mental health medicine in your state? Yes No Not sure Should psychedelics be used as a mental health medicine in your state? Yes 332 votes No 48 votes Not sure 55 votes Now share your opinion Once back in Canada, she languished with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and even contemplated suicide, she says, as conventional treatments were not helping her. Plant medicine 'solves a significant amount of psychological issues,' she said, but the government bans these cures and leaves sufferers with 'our hands tied behind our back.' 'How do you expect us to heal?' she said. Sheren had to hire lawyers, stump up cash and wait months to get the treatment she needed under a special program, she said. All the while, fellow veterans like her were offered MAiD as a way to end their suffering, she adds. Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program has gone off the rails, she says. 'We have a predatory behavior of telling individuals that they can't heal, they can't get better, and the solution to their problems is death,' she told True North. Psilocybin has been used as a recreational drug for years, but is now showing some promise in treating a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cluster headaches. Still, it's illegal to grow, sell or possess magic mushrooms in Canada, even as they're sold in a growing number of stores in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and other hubs. Lance, a 50-year-old Calgary resident, earlier this month won a costly and laborious legal fight to access medical grade psilocybin to treat his debilitating condition. He suffered from rare and painful 'cluster' headaches, which attack suddenly, can recur multiple times a day and come on in groups lasting weeks, even months. A container of hallucinogenic mushrooms alongside the final product in pill form. When taken in a safe setting under the guidance of therapists, it can yield powerful insights and disrupt harmful patterns of thought and behavior Jody Lance's lawyer Nicholas Pope complained in court that it was easier to qualify for euthanasia in Canada than it is to access novel therapies for headache relief. A researcher places hallucinogenic mushrooms into liquid nitrogen at a lab in British Columbia, Canada. The former Alberta land surveyor was left unable to work, on long-term disability, and even contemplating MAiD due to the intense and seemingly endless pain. Legal and conventional therapies did not help. A neurologist suggested psilocybin in tiny, non-hallucinogenic doses, and it has provided relief. But he could only buy it illegally, risking impurities and inconsistent and unreliable doses. Health Canada initially refused to let him have the drug under its Special Access Program, but u-turned after a federal judge scolded the agency for its 'unreasonable' and 'unintelligible' decisions. Sheren's harrowing ordeal is detailed in her book 'Brass and Unity' Lance told DailyMail.com that he was 'happy about the ruling' and called it a 'first step in the right direction.' 'This whole process has been a long and unnecessarily difficult journey,' he added. Health Canada's assessors argued in court that Lance did not qualify for access to psilocybin because other treatments had not been ruled out. But Lance's lawyers countered that it was easier to qualify for euthanasia in Canada than it is to access novel therapies for headache relief. In order to qualify for MAiD, people don't have to first exhaust all available treatments options. Lance said he hoped that his legal victory would make it easier to access psilocybin. 'I hope that going forward, others will be able to get the treatment they need a lot more easily,' he said in an email through his lawyer, Nicholas Pope. Advocates say compounds such as psilocybin and Ayahuasca, when taken in a safe setting under the guidance of therapists, can yield powerful insights and disrupt harmful patterns of thought and behavior. Experts are still trying to understand their therapeutic value, but psychedelics are believed to promote neural plasticity, a rewiring of the brain that affords users new perspectives on deep-seated problems. Psychedelic therapy could help tackle the alarmingly high suicide rate among veterans across North America, advocates say. Veterans frequently complain about the shortcomings of state care, which typically involves talk therapy to help 'wounded warrior' PTSD sufferers, as well as drugs to fight anxiety and depression. Restrictions on the drugs are increasingly called into question in a country where assisted suicides become routine. Canada has among the highest rates of assisted dying in the world Hundreds and perhaps thousands of veterans have travelled to South America to take part in psychedelic Ayahuasca retreats, as the ceremonies are typically not available in the US MAiD helped a staggering 13,102 Canadians end their lives in 2022 an increase of 30 percent on the previous year. Some 44,958 people have received assisted deaths since the federal MAiD law was introduced in 2016. 'It is crazy that people who served our country are being offered death rather than treatment to live,' said Alex Schadenberg, from the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. 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. Officials in February delayed plans to expand MAiD access to those with mental illnesses, kicking a decision back to 2027. There are also efforts to make euthanasia available to 'mature minors.' Euthanasia is legal in seven countries Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain plus several states in Australia. 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. Vauxhall's owner has warned it may stop production in the UK unless the Government encourages more people to switch to electric cars. Stellantis UK managing director Maria Grazia Davino revealed a decision on the future of its factories in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and Luton, Bedfordshire, could come in 'less than a year'. Under the zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 22 per cent of new cars and 10 per cent of new vans sold this year by every manufacturer in the UK are required to be zero emission, which in most cases means pure electric. The threshold will rise annually. Under the rules of the mandate, manufacturers risk being required to pay the Government 15,000 per polluting vehicle sold above the limits. Vauxhall's owner Stellantis UK has warned it may stop production in Britain unless the Government encourages more people to switch to electric cars. Pictured: The company's factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Under the zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 22 per cent of new cars and 10 per cent of new vans sold this year by every manufacturer in the UK are required to be zero emission (file pic) But ministers do not expect any businesses to face fines this year, as they will be able to use flexibilities such as purchasing credits from rival companies. Speaking at an event hosted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in central London, Ms Grazia Davino reportedly said: 'In the UK there will be consequences (from the policy) for sure. 'Stellantis UK does not stop, but Stellantis production in the UK could stop.' She added that the next government must 'respond' to the need to increase demand for electric vehicles, adding: 'I want to keep the production (in the) UK.' Stellantis started electric-only van production at its Ellesmere Port factory in September 2023, and intends to transition its Luton plant to build electric vans from the first half of next year. Labour has pledged to reinstate the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars if it wins the General Election. This would reverse the decision of Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last September to delay the measure by five years to 2035. A car has smashed into the entrance of Rishi Sunak's country estate Chequers as police seal off the area. The mangled white vehicle appears to have smashed into the bollards outside the gates to the 16th Century estate with the police and fire service called to the scene. Thames Valley Police tonight revealed the driver of the car had been arrested on suspicion of drink driving and criminal damage. The force confirmed the driver was a 44-year-old man from Buckinghamshire, who suffered serious injuries in the crash and has been taken to hospital. Passerby Ian Longthorne was enjoying a day off visiting a friend who was showing him the entrance to the manor house in Buckinghamshire, when they stumbled across the scene of the crash at 2.30pm today. 'We'd gone for a walk and stopped at a nearby pub,' the 54-year-old said. Dramatic photos show the wrecked remains of a car after it crashed into the entrance of the Prime Minister's country residence Chequers 'We saw an ambulance car, a fire engine and then an unmarked police car go past, but didn't think much of it. 'We carried on with our walk and my friend showed me a public path that goes through Chequers where you can look back to the entrance. 'We could see the car and I took a couple of shots from there, before I left and took some from outside the front entrance. 'It's always a shock to see a crash and this was one was quite an unusual one.' Chequers is Rishi Sunak's official country residence and has been that of all British Prime Ministers since 1921. In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: 'Thames Valley Police is investigating a road traffic collision on Missenden Road, Aylesbury, today. The mangled white vehicle appears to have smashed into the bollards outside the gates to the 16th Century estate 'A white Volkswagen Scirocco hit the barriers at the entrance to Chequers shortly after midday. 'The driver, a 44-year-old man from Buckinghamshire, who was the only occupant, suffered serious injuries and has been taken to hospital, where he remains. 'He has also been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and drink-driving. 'While we are still in the very early stages of our investigation, there is currently no evidence to suggest there was any intention to harm anyone. 'Anyone with information should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43240298901.' Jocelyn Nungaray's heartsick family heard how the young girl fought with her dying breath as migrants raped and strangled her before disposing of her body in a Houston bayou. Jocelyn Nungaray's body was found floating in a creek near her Houston home after she was lured under a bridge and sexually assaulted for two hours by Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, last week. While prosecutors and police both believe the young girl was raped, the alleged assailants have not yet been charged with sexual assault and the results of the victim's rape kit are still pending. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said on Tuesday, 'the evidence is clear that a sexual assault likely happened. But since neither defendant has actually admitted that, circumstantial evidence will have to prove it.' Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn's mother, pictured center, with other heartsick family members during a news conference on Monday after one of the accused, Franklin Jose Pena Ramos appeared in court Monday 'We are waiting on lab tests now to see if the capital murder charge can be upgraded to one where they are death penalty eligible,' Ogg told Fox News. If charged with the sex crimes, the prosecutor will be able to seek the death penalty in this case. During dramatic court scenes on Tuesday, one of Jocelyn's family members shouted 'Murderer,' to Rangel-Martinez, who was reported to have two children of his own, ages 5 and 2, Click2 Houston reported. She said in Spanish: 'I hope they kill your children,' as the shackled suspect walked out of the Harris County courtroom. Jocelyn, 12, was lured under a Houston bridge last week and sexually assaulted for two hours before she was strangled to death by two illegal migrants During the court hearing, prosecutors said Martinez-Rangel had bite and scratch marks on his arm. He also had shaved his facial hair after the murder to avoid being discovered. Assistant District Attorney Megan Long and lead prosecutor said in court that Pena Ramos told cops he reportedly tried to convince Rangel Martinez to stop, but he allegedly refused and climbed on top of Jocelyn and strangled her. She also said that Rangel Martinez reportedly said to his accomplice that he had to 'finish what he started,' as he covered the young girl's mouth during the brutal attack. Rangel Martinez admitted to tying Jocelyn up, and tossing her body in the bayou, but claimed he did not kill her, The New York Post reported. On Monday, Pena Ramos, also accused of killing the 12-year-old, claimed he only kissed Jocelyn, and denied any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, NewsNation Now's Robert Sherman reported that Rangel-Martinez's bail was set at $10 million. The judge labeled both suspects as potential flight risks. Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, 21, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies on Tuesday Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led out of the courtroom on Monday. His bail was set for $10 million Jocelyn's grief-stricken mother, Alexis appeared in court overcome with grief. She called the two men, who took her daughter from her, 'monsters.' 'She was amazing, I still see her face in the back of my head every day, all day,' Alexis said. 'I keep getting little signs about her throughout the days and it's been a very, very hard time for me and my family,' as per the news outlet. 'She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was gonna go very far and these monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family.' Jocelyn's mother Alexis hugs family members in the Harris Count courtroom District Court Judge Josh Hill presides over a hearing for Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, one of the two men accused of killing the preteen Prosecutors said that the two men, lived in the same apartment complex as Nungaray, followed her to a nearby 7/11 shortly after she snuck out of her house on June 16, and asked her for directions. While at the convenience store, Nungaray called her 13-year-old boyfriend - who later reported he heard her talking to two adults. The suspects then allegedly lured Nungaray under a bridge, where they stripped her naked to the waist and sexually assaulted her for two hours, according to court documents obtained by Fox 26. Pena Ramos and Rangel Martinez also allegedly bound Nungaray's hands behind her back during the assault, then strangled her and dumped her body in the bayou. Deputies comforting family members in court on Tuesday during the harrowing event She would be found by a passerby hours later, with her feet also bound and her back covered in cuts, Click 2 Houston reports. Just two days after Nungaray's body was found, police say Pena Ramos cut off an ankle monitor he was fitted with when he crossed the border illegally at El Paso on May 28. The discarded ankle monitor was found last Wednesday NewsNation reported. He also allegedly asked his employer at a construction site for extra cash so he could skip town. But the boss instead contacted police, and Pena Ramos was arrested, according to the Houston Chronicle. In court on Monday, Judge Josh Hill set Pena Ramos' bond at $10 million - double what prosecutors recommended and 10 times the amount sought by the defense. The grief-stricken mother called the two men who took her daughter from her 'monsters' The judge declared that he was an 'astronomical' flight risk, and the chances of him returning to court with a lower bond would be 'near zero.' He noted that, as a new migrant to the area, Pena Ramos had no ties to Houston. He was released into the country after telling border patrol officials he feared for his life if he was to be sent back to Venezuela, and claimed he was going to live with a cousin in Houston, sources told The Post. Instead, Ramos became roommates with Martinez - who also entered the country illegally on March 14 and was fitted with an ankle monitor. His was removed in May, after Border Patrol determined he had no known criminal history. Both men are now facing capital murder charges, and could be sentenced to the death penalty if the ongoing investigation reveals evidence that Nungaray was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, District Attorney Kim Ogg said. Police have confirmed that a body found in a Scots river is that of a missing grandmother who was swept away in floods 18 months ago. Hazel Nairn, 71, disappeared after she lost her footing while out with her dog and fell into the River Don at Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, as heavy rain battered the country in November 2022. The grandmothers body was finally discovered last month in the river near Kemnay, just a few miles from where she went in. Hazel Nairn fell into the River Don near her home in Monymusk during heavy rains in November 2022 Police Scotland yesterday confirmed that the remains recovered from the river on May 7 have now been formally identified as Ms Nairn. A spokesman added her family has been informed and the death is not suspicious. Ms Nairn is understood to have parked her car in Monymusk after discovering the Don had burst its banks and blocked the road to her house. Carrying her West Highland terrier, Rory, to keep him out of the water, she set off on the 10-minute walk home but lost her footing due to the strong current. Specialist search teams searching the Don in September last year Her daughter Anneka Gray spoke to her mother on the phone less than an hour earlier asking her to message her when she got home. The body of Ms Nairns dog was found days later. Initial police searches covered 30 miles of the Don as well as coastal areas in challenging conditions after a months rainfall fell in just 24 hours. Volunteer divers with specialist sonar equipment from Lancashire group Beneath the Surface were later drafted in after police search teams and kayakers failed to find her. Family members also organised their own searches along the riverbank. Ms Gray said three weeks after the remains were found that they were waiting anxiously for a postmortem and DNA test to be done to confirm if it was her mother. Police said a report will now be sent to the procurator fiscal. A Liberal Democrat candidate was today accused of 'reinforcing derogatory stereotypes' after being caught on a doorbell camera making an anti-Liverpool slur while canvassing for votes. Lisa Smart, 45, is standing for Parliament in Hazel Grove, where the Lib Dems have attacked the Tories for picking a Liverpool-born candidate to stand against her as 'yet another insult'. But while knocking on doors and speaking to voters in the Greater Manchester constituency, the would-be MP encountered a woman with a Liverpudlian accent who was visiting family. After the woman explained she was registered to vote in Liverpool, a smirking Ms Smart replied: 'Ah, understood so you've just been nicking stuff while you're here.' Shocked, she told her relative who was horrified to watch the insult recorded on his doorbell camera. Liberal Democrat candidate Lisa Smart, 45, was today accused of 'reinforcing derogatory stereotypes' after being caught on a doorbell camera making an anti-Liverpool slur while canvassing for votes After the woman explained she was registered to vote in Liverpool, a smirking Ms Smart replied: 'Ah, understood so you've just been nicking stuff while you're here' Ms Smart with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey at a primary school on January 12, 2024 'It's a totally unacceptable comment for a politician to make,' he told Mail Online today. 'There was already an anti-Liverpool tone to their local campaign it feels like a cheap tactic to whip up rivalry between neighbouring cities.' Hazel Grove is one of the Liberal Democrats' top-ten Tory-held seats, with Ms Smart a local councillor winning almost 39 per cent of the votes at the 2019 general election. William Wragg won with a 4,423 vote majority, but is not standing again having resigning the Tory whip after admitting handing over phone numbers for fellow MPs after falling victim to a suspected Westminster honeytrap plot. Instead the party has selected Paul Athans, who spent 12 years in the regular Army, reaching the rank of Major. After being alerted to the video, Mr Athans who transferred to the Army Reserves after being selected for the seat told Mail Online: 'This supposed "joke" reinforces derogatory stereotypes and is completely unacceptable. Shocked, the resident told her relative who was horrified to watch the insult recorded on his doorbell camera William Wragg (pictured) won with a 4,423 vote majority, but is not standing again having resigning the Tory whip after admitting handing over phone numbers for fellow MPs after falling victim to a suspected Westminster honeytrap plot 'I hope the voters of Hazel Grove will see this incident as just the tip of the iceberg that has been a nasty, negative, and misleading Lib Dem campaign.' The encounter came after the Lib Dems highlighted that Liverpool was his birthplace in a pre-election leaflet headlined 'Yet another insult'. It read: 'People in our communities have been left angered by the latest insult from the Conservative Party. 'Our Conservative MP is quitting at the next election. And Conservative Party bosses have picked a candidate from Liverpool to replace him! 'The Conservative Government have abandoned the North West crashing the economy, failing our health services, and most recently cancelling HS2. 'Now they expect people here to vote for a candidate even they describe as 'Liverpool's own'.' After being alerted to the video, a Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: 'Lisa is genuinely mortified that she unintentionally caused offence: she has since returned to the address and given a fulsome apology.' Vice presidential frontrunner J.D. Vance has some advice for Donald Trump ahead of the first debate on Thursday: Show your heart. 'He loves families. He sort of just likes people,' the Ohio senator told Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on his podcast. 'And I think if we can get that to sort of shine through, then that's going to help him more than any like particular policy debating point.' But at the same time, he followed other Trump loyalists in warning that a Trump victory was not guaranteed, playing down expectations and warning that CNN hosts, the absence of a studio audience and the use of medications could all help President Joe Biden. It marks a significant change in tactics among Republicans who have long portrayed Biden as a feeble invalid incapable of coherent thought. Sen. J.D. Vance urged former President Joe Biden to show his human side in Thursday's debate Now they fear that even a modest performance by the 81-year-old could surprise viewers and give him a lift in the polls. Vance followed Trump himself in talking up Biden's chances and trying to reset expectations. 'Trump is a better debater, sure. He certainly has better ideas, he's able to communicate them much more effectively,' he said. 'But we also have to realize the deck is fundamentally stacked against Trump in a very profound way for this debate.' There will be no studio audience, he said, which would hobble Trump. 'There's no interaction and we know that Trump is much better at interacting with people than Biden. So that's a huge advantage to Biden,' he continued. He also accused the moderators of being biased toward the Democratic president and claimed his campaign was negotiating to keep the two debaters seated (a claim denied repeatedly by the CNN hosts) to neutralize Trump's energy and imposing figure. 'And then finally, Charlie, we have no idea what kind of medication they're going to give to Joe Biden. And you can't drug test the guy before the debate, and so they may very well be able to get the 90 best minutes that Joe Biden has,' he said, offering no evidence for the theory. Vance has become one of Trump's most loyal defenders, catapulting himself into the reckoning for running mate. Biden and Trump are due to face off in their first debate on Thursday night Biden and Trump with their wives after the first presidential debate of 2020 He is one of about eight possibles being vetted by Team Trump and is the pick of the MAGA base. He said Trump could show a different side, his human side during the debate. 'That's one of the things I don't like about the fact that there's no audience there as you don't get that interplay,' he said. 'But I do think that Trump can show his heart in the debate despite that ... and if he does, it'll be very effective. it'll resonate a lot.' Aides have frequently advised Trump to show more of the human side they see behind the scenes. He has never taken that advice, sticking to a more pugilistic, cantankerous style. The two will face off in Atlanta, Georgia, at a debate hosted by CNN and moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The agreed rules mean there'll be no audience and that microphones will be cut off when the other candidate is talking. However, a poll by J.L. Partners revealed that viewers have extremely low expectations for Biden, fueling fears in team Trump that anything short of a blowout win will in effect be a loss. J.L. Partners polled 500 likely voters from June 10 to 11 and asked them what they expected to happen when Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off in their first presidential debate So Trump allies have stopped joking that simply staying upright would be a victory for Biden. Instead, they are now talking up his debate prowess or hinting that a strong performance could be down to chemical assistance. 'He's gonna be so pumped up. He's gonna be pumped up,' Trump, 78. told supporters at a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday, before hinting that cocaine would be the secret to an energized performance. 'You know all that stuff that was missing about a month ago from the White House? What happened? 'Somebody didn't pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cocaine. I wonder who that couldve been. I don't know. Actually, I think it was Joe.' The London townhouse where Princess Diana first met Dodi Al Fayed and would later embark on an ill-fated romance that ended in her tragic death is up for sale with a price tag of 10.95m. The Mayfair property was owned by the late Countess Raine Spencer, stepmother to Princess Diana. Diana attended a lunch party thrown by Raine at the house in 1996 and was introduced to Dodi and his father, Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed. It was the first time the Princess and Dodi had met and over the coming months the pair were often seen together, including on Al Fayed's yacht in the south of France. The friendship ended on August 31st 1997 when both Diana and Dodi were killed in a car crash in a Paris underpass, an event that shocked the world. The London townhouse (centre) where Princess Diana first met Dodi Al Fayed and would later embark on an ill-fated romance that ended in her tragic death is up for sale with a price tag of 10.95m Diana attended a lunch party thrown at the house in 1996 and was introduced to Dodi and his father, Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed. Pictured: Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in Saint Tropez, France in August 1997 Diana became a frequent visitor to the property and guests remember her sitting in the library (pictured), her late father's favourite room Dodi, 42, also died in the speeding Mercedes that slammed into a concrete pillar as they sped away from the Ritz hotel in the French capital. Raine was at the Georgian townhouse when she was told her stepdaughter had died at the age of 36. Five years after Diana's death in 2002 she sold the five-bedroom property to a couple who ran an art gallery in Mayfair and downsized to a smaller home in near the American Embassy. The listing for the stucco fronted home is the first time it has been on the market in 22 years. Raine had inherited the house following the death of her husband Earl Spencer in 1992. She took up residence after Diana and her brother Charles threw her out of the family estate at Althorp in Northamptonshire after their father's death. Five years after Diana's death in 2002 her stepmother Countess Raine Spencer sold the five-bedroom property to a couple who ran an art gallery in Mayfair and downsized to a smaller home in near the American Embassy The listing for the stucco fronted home is the first time it has been on the market in 22 years The stepmother-daughter relationship improved following Diana's divorce from Prince Charles and stepping back from royal duties. Pictured: The late Princess of Wales lunching with her stepmother at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair in March 1997 In 1973, after 25 years of marriage to the Earl of Dartmouth, Raine began a relationship with Earl Spencer (pictured together), Diana's father Raine Spencer pictured alongside Princess Diana during Earl Spencer's funeral in Great Brington in April 1992 The Spencer children famously did not get on with their stepmother with the Diana and Charles referring to her as 'acid raine'. The stepmother-daughter relationship improved following Diana's divorce from Prince Charles and stepping back from royal duties. She became a frequent visitor to the property and guests remember her sitting in the library, her late father's favourite room. Raine, whose mother was the Queen of Romance Barbara Cartland, died in 2016. Art collectors Alan and Mary Hobart, founders of Pyms Gallery in Mayfair, 24 Farm Street on its first sale and used it as their home and a private gallery. The couple hosted many glittering parties, attended by many Irish celebrities' including Bono and Terry Wogan and the house was adorned with pieces of art worth millions. Pictured: Diana and Dodi in 1997 in France Romance: Diana on the Al Fayed yacht Jonikal off Portofino, Italy, in August 1997 Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in the back of the car before the accident The car crash that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed Alan died three years ago aged 81 and Mary passed away earlier this year leading to the house being put up for sale by Wetherall and Chestertons estate agents. Danis Arif, head of Mayfair sales at Chestertons, said the home's royal connections will attract interest from overseas buyers. He said: 'With its aristocratic and royal connections we anticipate significant interest in this house from discerning buyers around the world.' The house boasts two reception rooms, a library and drawing room. Spread over three floors the house also has a lift and two outside patios on the ground and lower ground floor. A 26-year-old Pennsylvania nurse drowned to her death in a waterfall at a Montana park - days after sharing a final Facebook picture from the site. Gillian Tones was hiking at the Glacier National Park when she fell into the Virginia Creek between St. Mary and Virginia Falls, about 200 yards above the trail bridge on June 24. Unable to keep her balance, the young nurse was swept up by the cold and fast moving water and ended up going over a series of smaller waterfalls. Gillian was unable to emerge due to the rapid currents and ended up being pinned underwater by a log for several minutes until help arrived. Gillian Tones posted a picture on Facebook from the Glacier National Park just days before her fatal fall. The young nurse was swept up by the cold and fast moving water and ended up going over a series of smaller waterfalls Bystanders were able to ultimately pull her from the water and administered CPR until emergency responders arrived. Park rangers and ambulance personnel from Babb, Montana as well as a ALERT helicopter landed nearby to assist with resuscitation efforts but to no avail. The National Park Service confirmed: 'Resuscitation efforts were terminated at about 7 pm and ALERT personnel pronounced the woman deceased.' Days before her untimely death, the young woman had posted a final picture of herself standing next to a waterfall. Her grandmother praised Gillian and wrote: 'Looks like you are seeing some beautiful scenery. Nice to be young and observing Gods creation. Love you. Nana Davis.' She had recently celebrated Nurse's week with a picture of herself in graduation robes with her parents. She had recently also celebrated Nurse's week with a picture of herself in graduation robes with her parents Father Mike Tones expressed how proud he is of her and said: 'You are doing great things as a nurse G. Mom and I are so incredibly proud of you!' Along with her father, her grandmother once again expressed her love for the young nurse. 'Gillian, I know you are a gentle, compassionate nurse who truly cares. I love you always and pray for you. Love Nana Davis,' she wrote. In October 2022, Gillian was honored by the Daisy Foundation for her 'compassion and care.' A patient described: 'Gillian showed compassion and care that should be mimicked by all nurses. She took the time when applying the topical pain gel to massage the area as well. Gillian took time to explain everything and to listen. She makes you feel important. Gillian truly is an exceptional nurse that stands out in a crowd.' The website also explains that the temperature of most lakes never gets above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface The park is a 1,583 square miles wilderness area in Montana's Rocky Mountains. Due to past ice-ages, Glacier has lots of water which can be considered the headwaters of the entire continent. According to its website, 'from Triple Divide Peak, a droplet can theoretically split three ways and eventually make it to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Hudson Bay watersheds.' The website also explains that the temperature of most lakes never gets above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface. The death is under investigation and additional details are still being gathered, according to the NPS. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has once against been taken into police custody, after she spoke as an Extinction Rebellion protest in Helsinki this afternoon. The mass of people gathered in front of Finland's Parliament House at around 3pm local time (1pm London time) during the first of three demonstrations organised by Elokapina, XR's Finnish branch. Thunberg, speaking at the massive rally while wearing a keffiyeh, a piece of clothing associated with Palestinian resistance, was taken to a police bus, according to local media, after she spoke. It is not currently known why she was removed from the scene. But according to Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Heikki Porola, while the protest was peaceful, arrests were made after protesters refused to leave the area. Earlier today, the protest's organisers said they had made plans to block a major roundabout near the Finnish parliament, but added that they would make room for trams and emergency vehicles. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg (pictured) has once against been taken into police custody Thunberg was speaking at an event in Helsinki organised by XR The famous climate activist told the estimated 1,000-2,000 people who attended the rally: 'Climate disasters, wars and inequalities continue to further intensify killing and displacing countless people. 'The last 12 months have [seen] the highest-ever recorded average temperatures for every corresponding month. 'And the same machinery that's driving the climate crisis and environmental destruction, is also fuelling injustices, oppression and genocides. How many times do we have to repeat this same message? 'How many times do we have to put our lives completely on hold to show the people in power that we are serious. And how many people have to suffer, die, lose their lives, livelihoods and loved ones for them to understand?' Thunberg was arrested earlier this year at the Hague, after she joined hundreds of marchers demanding an end to fossil fuel subsidies. It is not currently known why she was removed from the scene According to Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Heikki Porola, while the protest was peaceful, arrests were made after protesters refused to leave the area The famous climate activist told the estimated 1,000-2,000 people who attended the rally: 'Climate disasters, wars and inequalities continue to further intensify killing and displacing countless people' Protesters carried environmental group flags and placards saying 'Stop fuel subsidies now!' and 'The planet is dying!'. The chanting protesters were then locked in a tense standoff with police who formed a wall of law enforcement. Thunberg joined in with the chants and slogans during the protest. 'It's important to demonstrate today because we are living in a state of planetary emergency,' Thunberg told AFP as police blocked marchers. 'We must do everything to avoid that crisis and to save human lives,' she said. Some activists, however, found another route and blocked a main road close to the highway where they - including Thunberg - sat down on the tarmac. Asked whether she was concerned about police action and arrest, Thunberg said: 'Why should I be?' But shortly afterwards, Thunberg herself was arrested and dragged away by police to a waiting touring bus where she was detained with other activists. She told the ANP national news agency by telephone that her arrest had proceeded 'calmly'. 'It's not about the arrest. I am here for the climate,' she said. Almost seven years after Charles Mansons death, a Los Angeles court is being asked to determine if a will purportedly written by the notorious killer is genuine or fake. Memorabilia collector Michael Channels, 57 - one of three men fighting to be awarded Mansons $1 million estate - claims the will leaves everything to him and disinherits the cult leaders children and other relatives. And new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show that the two-page will, dated February 4 2002, has just been transferred from the jurisdiction of Kern County, CA where Manson died in jail in 2017, to LA County where the inheritance court battle is being waged. On July 25, LA Superior Court Judge Ruben Garcia will be asked at a contest of will hearing to rule on the authenticity of the Manson will which is typewritten except for a hand-written note at the end that includes the words, Im not in the best spot to rest in peace. Almost seven years after Charles Mansons death, a Los Angeles court is being asked to determine if a will purportedly written by the notorious killer is genuine or fake. (Pictured: the notorious killer in 1980) Memorabilia collector Michael Channels, 57 (pictured) - one of three men fighting to be awarded Mansons $1 million estate - claims the will leaves everything to him and disinherits the cult leaders children and other relatives On July 25, LA Superior Court Judge Ruben Garcia will be asked at a contest of will hearing to rule on the authenticity of the Manson will (pictured) which is typewritten except for a hand-written note at the end that includes the words, Im not in the best spot to rest in peace' Channels, from Newhall, CA, says he became friends and pen pals with Manson in the 90s and after visiting him in Corcoran State Prison, CA in early 2002. He claims that Americas most hated murderer wrote a will leaving him everything he owned, including lucrative rights to his music, art and writings. The purported will which Channels claims was signed by Manson, also states, I have disinherited both known sons and any unknown children in the present and in the future. The other two contenders claiming sole inheritance rights - ex-mixed martial arts fighter Jason Freeman, 48, from Bradenton, FL and LA realtor Daniel Arguelles, 64 - both insist that the will is phony. Freeman - who claims to be Mansons grandson - has attacked Channels assertion that hes the sole beneficiary, saying it should be denied because it was a direct result of undue influence exercised by Channels over Manson and is not, and never was, the will of Manson. Arguelles - who say hes Mansons love child and sole heir - also blasted Channels so-called will, saying the signature of Manson is forged and accusing Channels of witnessing the will with his own signature two days before Manson allegedly signed it. In addition, Arguelles has accused Channels of using duress, menace, fraud or undue influence to get the will from Manson who had mental issues, including schizophrenia and paranoid delusional disorder, according to a 1997 parole hearing. In March last year, Judge Garcia threw out a bid by Arguelles to force his two rivals to give him samples of Mansons DNA to try to prove his claim of being Mansons illegitimate son. Pictured: Chained cult leader Charles Manson, whose hippie group is connected with the Sharon Tate murders, being led from a courthouse after a hearing on charges of possessing stolen property and then being arraigned in December 1969 Pictured: Charles Manson is escorted to his arraignment on conspiracy-murder charges in connection with the Sharon Tate murder case in 1969 Memorabilia collector and Manson pen-pal Michael Channels claims to have a 2002 will that leaves everything to him Arguelles attorneys argued that since Freeman was given possession of the killers body by a judge after his death in 2017, He is in the unique position of providing DNA evidence.including but not limited to remains, hair, skin, ash (Manson was cremated), teeth or other samples from decedent..that could be tested against the DNA of Arguelles. The lawyers also said that Channels may have secured DNA evidence of the decedent during his unsuccessful 2019 legal effort to force Freeman to take a DNA test. But Judge Garcia refused to compel Freeman and Channels to surrender any Manson DNA samples they may have and he also turned down Arguelles additional demand for the Kern County County Coroner to give up any Manson DNA it has on file. Two years ago, the contest to inherit Mansons estate was only a two-horse race with Freeman looking like the front-runner over Channels. But in August 2022, on the eve of a court hearing Freeman was confident hed win, Arguelles, stepped into the fray, filing 11th-hour legal papers saying hes the mass murderers biological son, thanks to a one-night stand his mother had with Manson back in 1959. In his court petition, Arguelles said, There is clear and convincing evidence that he is the biological son of Manson and he is entitled to an equal share of Mansons estate. After Manson was released from a five-year jail stint at Terminal Island in San Pedro, California in late 1958, says Arguelles, he met up in Los Angeles with Arguelles mother, Darlene Large Pons, also known as Darlene Large Whitt. His mother and Manson conceived him (Arguelles) in a one-night encounter on or around January 25 1959, says Arguelles, who was born November 1 1959. He contends that his mother - who died in 2020 - had always told him his father was James Arguelles - until 1981 when his mother informed him that James Arguelles was not his father and that she did not know who his real father was. Jason Freeman, 46, is a former mixed martial arts fighter from Bradenton, Florida, who claims to be Charles Manson's grandson A judge said last year that he accepted that Freeman is the son of Charles Manson Jr (pictured), based on an Ohio court's 1986 finding that Manson Jr was ordered to pay child support to Freeman's mother Fast forward to July 2015 and Arguelles tried to locate his biological father by sending a DNA sample to Ancestry.com. The results, said Arguelles, showed a close relative match with Michael Brunner - who was one of the original claimants in the long-running fight over Mansons estate, declaring that he also was a biological son. The DNA evidence showed that Brunner and Arguelles have a 99.99998% probability that they share the same father, he added. Freeman has challenged Arguelles claims, saying in court documents that:- *Arguelles was adopted, meaning he is not an heir of (Manson) and has no standing; *Manson informed third parties that Arguelles was not his biological child; *Manson was not named on Arguelles birth certificate; *Any biological relationship with Michael Brunner does not prove any relationship (with Manson). The assertion that hes Brunners half brother poses a major problem for Arguelles case - since Brunner himself dropped out of the race to be declared Mansons offspring, asking the court more than three years to dismiss his claim. Judge Garcia decided in 2022 that he was satisfied Freeman is the son of Charles Manson Junior, based on an Ohio courts 1986 finding that Manson Jr. was ordered to pay child support to Freemans mother. But the judge said he still needed proof that Manson Jr. - who committed suicide in 1993 - was actually the offspring of Manson Senior, leader of the cult that killed eight-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in a brutal and bloody rampage through LA in 1969. Almost seven years after Charles Mansons death, a Los Angeles court is being asked to determine if a will purportedly written by the notorious killer is genuine or fake Freeman now runs a building contracting business and has been seeking Manson's fortune for nearly five years Some of Manson's belongings - like his guitars, clothes and other personal jailhouse property that currently sits in boxes at a storage facility - could fetch thousands, perhaps more Lawyers supporting Freemans claim later produced what the judge was asking for - Manson Jr.s birth certificate that they said proves his father was the infamous criminal. The birth certificate states that Manson Jr. was born April 10 1956 in Los Angeles to Manson Sr., then 21, and 18 year-old Rosalie Jean Willis. Charles Manson died of natural causes on November 19 2017 at Corcoran State Prison where he spent 47 years on death row. Some of Mansons belonging - like his guitars, clothes and other personal jailhouse property that currently sits in boxes at a storage facility - could fetch thousands, perhaps more, from collectors who get a kick out of owning something once handled by a mass-murderer. But likely worth more - up to $1 million according to some estimates - are the rights to his art, journals and stories and the royalties on the songs he wrote, including Look at Your Game, Girl which was recorded by Guns n Roses on their platinum 1993 album The Spaghetti Incident. The Beach Boys and Marilyn Manson also recorded songs written by Manson. Four people originally filed petitions proclaiming their right to the estate. Two of them, Brunner and Matthew Lentz - who also asserted he was Mansons kin - had their claims dismissed in 2019, leaving just Freeman and Channels. Then, in April 2021, Nancy Claasen, - who announced she was Mansons half-sister - threw her hat into the ring, insisting she was sole heir-at-law and disputing the claims of both Freeman and Channels. Judge Garcia dismissed her case in 2022. Freeman was the very first to stake an inheritance claim. He said he learned about his relationship with Manson when he was eleven but his grandmother, Rosalie Willis, who was apparently married to Manson in the 1950s, never spoke about his grandfather. Freeman has always maintained that his father was Charles Manson Jr. who couldnt live with his shameful name so changed it to Charles White, and eventually blew his own brains out in 1993. Channels filed a court motion in 2018 demanding that Freeman submit to a DNA test to prove if hes related to Charlie Manson. The judge in the case at that time granted the motion - but Freeman appealed and the CA Court of Appeals overturned the judges ruling so Freeman never underwent the DNA test. Freemans case stating hes sole heir to Mansons estate was supported by a March 2018 court decision in Kern County that awarded him possession of his grandfathers corpse. Kern County Commissioner Alisa Knight, in Bakersfield - 100 miles north of LA - ruled: Freeman is hereby determined to be the surviving competent next of kin of (Charles Manson). No sufficient probative evidence was provided to the court to refute Freemans claim. Five days later, Freeman was one of the speakers at a memorial service at a funeral home in Porterville, 50 miles north of Bakersfield, where some 30 people - including Mansons ex-fiance Afton Burton and former Manson Family cult member Sandra Good - filed past the open coffin. Manson - whose body had been in cold storage since his death at age 83 - was cremated the same day and Americas most feared and despised killers ashes were strewn along a creek bed in a nearby forest. Less than 72 hours before the first debate of the US presidential election, Joe Biden's White House is bumbling. On Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown made the extraordinary claim that America will not protect Israel in a war with Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorists. 'The U.S. won't likely be able to help Israel defend itself against a broader Hezbollah war as well as it helped Israel fight off an Iranian barrage of missiles and drones,' Brown told reporters. By Monday, U.S. officials were backtracking, reportedly issuing a rare warning through intermediaries to the Iranian-backed terror group. Two U.S. officials told Politico that Hezbollah cannot count on America to stop Israel from launching an attack on Lebanese soil. The officials said, the terrorists 'need to understand that Washington will help Israel defend itself' against any counter-aggression. Reasonable enough. After all, we don't negotiate with terrorists. President Biden in Washington, August, 2021. Hezbollah training exercises in southern Lebanon on May 21, 2023. Israeli artillery unit fires during a military drill near the border with Lebanon on November 2, 2023. But the bungling of officialdom is inexcusable. This is not the time for the White House to be sending mixed signals. This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that his defense forces will soon wind down the 'intensive' phase of their offensive in Gaza and ramp up operations in the country's north, on the border with Lebanon. For seven months, Hezbollah terrorists have been raining thousands of rockets and missiles on communities in northern Israel forcing some 60,000 residents to evacuate. Meanwhile, new reports suggest Tehran's mullahs are shipping more weapons directly into Lebanon on flights from Iran to fuel their terror proxy. Hezbollah is now equipped with thousands of high-tech drones and mortars, and an arsenal of more than 200,000 additional rockets and missiles. That's ten times the munitions that Hezbollah had during its last major war with Israel in 2006. The Shia Muslim extremists also have an army of at least 20,000 men, though some experts say the true figure could be five times when reservists are included. In contrast, Hamas was thought to have fewer than 25,000 fighters at the start of its war with Israel. Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in southern Lebanon, last May. So make no mistake: The Middle East is now closer to all-out regional war than it was when Israel traded direct strikes with Iran in the months after Hamas's October 7 terror attacks. And if this primed Lebanon-border powder keg explodes, it will make the current conflict in Gaza seem like a walk in the park. War with Hezbollah would result in thousands of both Israeli and Lebanese casualties. Iran would likely intervene, firing its missiles and drones directly at Israel, as it did in April. The Islamic Republic would also have the power to unleash its other terror proxies from Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the West Bank against Israel. Despite its enviable 'Iron Dome' technology, Israel doesn't have sufficient air defenses to defend all of its borders simultaneously. And with so much activity in the skies, key energy, military and transportation sites would likely be prioritized over, say, civilian communities. Left undefended, Israelis throughout the country would be forced to spend months in shelters as their cities and towns were pounded daily. Much of Lebanon its communities far more affluent and better-developed than Gaza's crumbling cities and town would be utterly destroyed. The IDF would likely level neighborhoods, hunting Hezbollah's massive weapons caches and rooting out terrorist foot soldiers hidden among civilians. A clash has been a long time coming. Israeli strikes on Beirut, Lebanon, amid 2006 war. Hezbollah fighters in 2023. In September 2004, the United Nations passed a resolution demanding the 'disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias,' as part of its call for the national government to exercise control of all armed groups within its territory. Then in August 2006, in the wake of a Hezbollah-precipitated war with Israel, the UN pathetically reiterated that there be, 'no weapons [in Lebanon] without the consent of the Government of Lebanon and no authority other than that of the Government of Lebanon.' But nearly two decades later, Hezbollah's horde has mushroomed into the equivalent of a mid-sized European army. Indeed, despite some 10,000 UN peacekeepers, drawn from 49 nations, lining the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah is more emboldened than ever. Why? Because neither UN forces nor the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) backed by $2.5 billion in US security assistance since 2006 will risk a confrontation with this Iranian-backed proxy. But after waiting twenty years for the international community to follow through on its resolutions mandating the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel may not be able to wait any longer. As Iran musters its regional proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen to enact its ultimate goal of eliminating the Jewish State, Israel is fast reaching a point where it has no choice but to fight for its survival. Mark Dubowitz is chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. In 2019, he was sanctioned by Iran for his advocacy. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at criticisms of her high-energy appearance at a Bronx rally ahead of fellow squad Rep. Jamaal Bowman's primary. The firebrand New Yorker was seen jumping around and waving her fists on stage as she tried to pump up the crowd at the Saturday event. 'Are you ready to fight?' she shouted into the microphone as rapper Cardi B played in the background. On X Ocasio-Cortez quoted an image of a chyron from Fox News that read, 'AOC stomps around stage to Cardi B song at rally.' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at criticisms of her high-energy appearance at a Bronx rally ahead of fellow squad Rep. Jamaal Bowman's primary 'Fox News is big mad that we're for the many, not the money,' Ocasio-Cortez shot back. 'We rallied 1200 people in the Bronx to take on dark money, get fired up, and send busloads of volunteers to canvass and phone bank. It's called organizing. And it's fun as hell.' Ocasio-Cortez, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is backing Bowman in his contentious primary where he faces opposition from some big-name Democrats. Bowman is locked in a contentious primary against George Latimer, and polls show he is hanging on by a thread. Fox News is big mad that were for the many, not the money. We rallied 1200 people in the Bronx to take on dark money, get fired up, and send busloads of volunteers to canvass and phone bank. Its called organizing. And its fun as hell. Get into it: https://t.co/KhvvokqBG6 https://t.co/xJpJIi2HhM pic.twitter.com/bBx3HhjsLH Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2024 The firebrand New Yorker was seen jumping around and waving her fists on stage as she tried to pump up the crowd at the Saturday event 'Are you ready to fight?' she shouted into the microphone as rapper Cardi B played in the background Bowman is seeking a third term in a primary that has seen historic levels of spending, and could be the first member of the progressive Squad booted from Congress if defeated. 'We are going to show f***ing AIPAC, the power of the motherf***ing South Bronx!' Bowman yelled at Saturday's rally The primary will test whether his support for Palestinians, his furious criticism of Israel and his progressive policies will lead to his downfall in his Bronx and Westchester district. Bowman is seeking a third term in a primary that has seen historic levels of spending, and could be the first member of the progressive Squad booted from Congress if defeated. The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has poured $15 million into the campaign against him. 'We are going to show f***ing AIPAC, the power of the motherf***ing South Bronx!' Bowman yelled at Saturday's rally. Other Democratic New Yorkers like Rep. Ritchie Torres and former Rep. Mondaire Jones have soured on Bowman over his anti-Israel stances. Bowman said the race would boil down to who shows up at the polls on Tuesday. 'This is a turnout race, y'all. This is not about persuasion,' he said. 'We got our people; they got their people.' A lawyer held up a flight for almost an hour after he discovered that the airlines company Avianca had overbooked his seat. The passenger, who identified himself as Juan Manuel in a recent video chat with the TikToker who filmed the incident, had purchased a roundtrip fare from Bogota, Colombia, to Los Angeles before he was shocked to find out that there was a child sitting in his seat. Manuel recalled arriving two and a half hours ahead of his trip at El Dorado International Airport for the first leg of his journey, before making a connection in El Salvador. Although he was in listed with group three to enter the aircraft, he decided to wait out the boarding process while the other passengers filed in front on him. Once he saw that there were about 10 passengers remaining, Manuel made his way to the counter and showed his boarding pass and was told, in an alleged rude manner, to step to the side. After waiting for 15 minutes, he was allowed to proceed into the airplane. However, his trip took a turn when he reached his row and was surprised to find a child sitting on the window seat, which has been assigned to him on the ticket. Juan Manuel, a lawyer from Colombia, had to abandon his recent flight to Los Angeles with a connection in El Salvador because Avianca had overbooked his seat. The attorney revealed he had purchased his ticket three months ago for a meeting in Los Angeles with lawyers representing three jailed Colombian nationals and that he missed the appointment Manuel told a TikToker who filmed the airplane incident that Avianca provided him a meal voucher for 26,000 Colombian pesos, to slightly over $6, and then gave him an $80 flight voucher after they oversold his flight After comparing boarding passes with the woman, an Avianca agent approached Manuel and told him that he had to leave the airplane. 'She tells me, "Oh, Juan Manuel, it turns out that your ticket was resold; get off, get off the plane, do me the favor,"' he recalled. He followed the agent's instructions until he reached the exit door near the pilot's cabin and lost his cool, as seen in the now-viral video. 'Let a cop come. I hope the prosecutors come. Because I will report you for not being serious. It's just that you can't be playing with people's agendas,' he can he heard telling the Avianca worker. 'What if I had arrived late? I don't give a damn about your options,' he went on to say. He noticed a passenger was filming the incident and turned around and said, 'And if you want to, record it,' before facing the agent and telling her, 'Your options don't interest me at all. I have to go on this flight. I don't have to work with you.' During the tense argument, a passenger approached Juan Manuel to tell him that he was traveling to El Salvador for an urgent medical appointment. A female passenger later told him that there were children in the plane and a woman told the Avianca agent that she had no issues flying with her daughter on her lap if it meant that he could have the seat. After assessing the situation, Manuel told the passengers that he was disembarking because of them and not the airline. Although he was set to board the flight with group three, Manuel decided to wait because he was not in a rush, but when he reached his seat he discovered that a child was occupying his window seat, leading to the viral showdown with an Avianca agent An Avianca agent (right) asked Manuel to exit flight for Los Angeles with a connection in El Salvador because they airline had overbooked the trip. What followed was a heated argument that was captured on video Avianca rebooked Juan Manuel on a different flight to Miami, where he made a connection to Chicago. Once in the Windy City, he waited nearly five hours because of a delay and landed in Los Angeles around 10 pm. The airline provided him a food voucher for 26,000 Colombian pesos, a little over $6, and an $80 flight voucher. The seat confusion caused Juan Manuel to miss a meeting with Los Angeles attorneys, whom we was going to meet with to discuss the legal situation involving three Colombian nationals who are in custody. DailyMail.com reached out to Avianca for comment. Kate Forbes was yesterday accused of giving islanders a slap in the face after failing to give a straightforward answer to concerns over even more delays in the ferry fiasco. The Deputy First Minister was asked at Holyrood to provide an update on the two massively overdue and over-budget ships being built at the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde. The Glen Sannox is years late and massively over budget Deputy Minister Kate Forbes was attacked by Tories over her response when asked to give an update on project Ms Forbes pointed to a letter from interim chief executive John Petticrew sent last month and said the project was still on track for the end of next month. But her reference to a weeks-old letter from the yard and her failure to pick up the phone to the chief executive for an update was branded not good enough by Tory MSP Jamie Greene. He added: She couldnt offer a straightforward answer when asked if there will be further delays to the Glen Sannox a slap in the face to islanders who face constant disruption to lifeline services. It comes after a senior staff member at the Port Glasgow yard was sacked as a result of a breakdown of trust, the Deputy First Minister said. Reports emerged over the weekend that the delivery director at the yard had his secondment terminated and would return to his original employer the Government-owned ferry procurement body Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited. Ms Forbes said: The Scottish Government was informed on June 19 by Ferguson Marine that the ship delivery directors contract had been terminated as a result of a breakdown in trust. This is wholly a decision for Ferguson Marine. The Deputy First Minister refused to go into detail about what had caused the relationship breakdown. Both ships are six years late and will cost 360million compared to the original price of 97million. Mr Greene went on to question Ms Forbes on the upcoming decision on a contract to replace smaller ferries. A campaign has been launched for the tender to be directly awarded to Ferguson Marine, but the Scottish Government has been lukewarm on the idea over fears such a move could breach state aid rules. Ms Forbes, however, indicated the pre-election period has held up the announcement. The member will know that I said just a matter of days into office that we expected that decision to be announced imminently, she said. A few days later, his boss the Prime Minister called an election and we have been tied up with purdah, unable to make public announcements, so we would hope to be in a position to make a public announcement as soon as we are permitted. Nicola Sturgeons cabinet awarded the ferry contract to Ferguson Marine in August 2015 after millionaire industrialist Jim McColl rescued the business from administration. Concerns the yard had no experience in building vessels of the same size or of the dual-fuel variety were dismissed. Building work started in early 2016 but the simultaneous construction was soon abandoned with Mr McColl blaming a flawed design concept. The yard later went into administration again before being nationalised by the SNP government in 2019. This is the moment police questioned a smirking Youth Demand activist who trespassed into the grounds of Rishi Sunak's Yorkshire mansion today. Police arrested four men who protested on the land of the Prime Minister's 2million constituency home. Oliver Clegg, a 21-year-old student protester from Manchester, carried out an apparent 'dirty protest' in the property's lake, footage of which was uploaded to social media in an attempt to go viral. A clip shows Clegg, wearing a shirt with the message 'eat s*** Rishi', being approached by an officer who asks him to leave the private grounds. The police officer says: 'If you are aware you are on a private property, can you please leave please. Youth Demand activist Oliver Clegg was arrested by police after carrying out a disgusting act as a protest in the grounds of Rishi Sunak's 2million Yorkshire mansion North Yorkshire Police said it had arrested four men on suspicion of aggravated trespass 'You are committing an offence by being on this land.' The officer proceeds to question the demonstrator of his intentions. Rinsing out his wellington boots, Clegg cheekily replies: 'Well I think our intentions are carried out.' He then asks the officer: 'Is this something for which you are intent on arresting me now?' The 21-year-old student from Manchester, staged the 'dirty protest' at the PM's constituency home in Yorkshire Clegg waded into the lake at the Prime Minister's mansion in North Yorkshire to stage the vile protest The officer assured the activist that 'at this time' he was only interested in taking his details and those of other people involved in the stunt. North Yorkshire Police said four trespassers, including a photographer, had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, a man aged 52 from London, one aged 43 from Bolton, one aged 21 from Manchester, and another aged 20 from Chichester. All four men remain in police custody for questioning. A Conservative Senedd Member has 'stepped back' from his role as he is investigated for gambling on the date of the election. Welsh cabinet member Russell George is being investigated by the Gambling Commission 'regarding bets on the timing of the General Election'. He has since stepped back from his role while the investigation is carried out, the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives said. Mr George becomes the fifth Conservative politician to be drawn into the ongoing betting scandal which has overshadowed Rishi Sunak's election campaign for the past few weeks. It came after the Prime Minister today suspended two Tory candidates who are also alleged to have placed bets on the election date. Conservative Senedd Member Russell George (pictured) has 'stepped back' from his role as he is being investigated for gambling on the date of the election Mr George becomes the fifth Conservative politician to be drawn into the ongoing betting scandal which has overshadowed Rishi Sunak's (pictured) campaign for the past few weeks Mr George told the Guardian he would 'co-operate fully' with the investigation, adding that he had stepped back from the shadow cabinet 'as I do not wish to be an unnecessary distraction to their work'. Andrew RT Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: 'Russell George has informed me that he has received a letter from the Gambling Commission regarding bets on the timing of the General Election. 'Russell George has stepped back from the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet while these investigations are ongoing. 'All other Members of the Welsh Conservative Group have confirmed that they have not placed any bets. 'I will not issue further comment on this ongoing process, recognising the Gambling Commission's instruction for confidentiality to protect the integrity of the process.' It comes after Mr Sunak today suspended two candidates over the alleged betting scandal. Craig Williams and Laura Saunders will no longer be 'supported' by the party 'as a result of ongoing internal enquiries' by the Conservative Party. Tory candidate in Bristol West, Laura Saunders (pictured, left) and her husband and the party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee (pictured, right) are accused of making bets on the election The highest profile person caught up in the scandal is Rishi Sunak's top parliamentary aide Craig Williams (pictured) Mr Williams this afternoon admitted he had 'committed an error of judgment, not an offence' and vowed to clear his name and win election in his Welsh seat. Amid a deepening scandal five more police officers are also being investigated by the GC over betting behaviour around the date of the election before it was announced, Scotland Yard revealed this afternoon. One of Mr Sunak's close protection officers has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but the latest individuals are not part of the same team. In a video statement Mr Williams, the candidate in Montgomeryshire and and Glyndwr, said: 'I am committed to my campaign to be elected as your Member of Parliament and your staunch champion.' Scotland Yard said the five officers newly implicated in the scandal were from the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit. None of them work in a close protection role as a political bodyguard. Labour also became embroiled in the growing political betting scandal today as the party revealed it had suspended an election candidate who bet on himself to lose. Kevin Craig, who is standing in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, is being investigated by the Gambling Commission over a bet he said he placed weeks ago when he did not think he'd win. Labour candidate Kevin Craig (left) is being investigated by the Gambling Commission over a bet he said he placed weeks ago when he did not think he'd win The seat had a 23,000 Tory majority in 2019 but recent polls put him neck-and-neck with Conservative candidate Patrick Spencer. In a statement this afternoon Mr Craig, who is also a major Labour donor, said: 'While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly. 'I have so much respect for how Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party and I have been fighting so hard to win this seat and change the country alongside him. 'However, it is right that the party upholds the highest standards for its Parliamentary candidates - just as the public expects the highest standards from any party hoping to serve in government. I deeply regret what I have done and will take the consequences of this stupid error of judgement on the chin.' A party spokeswoman said after being contacted by the Gambling Commission the party acted immediately to administratively suspend him pending investigation. She added: 'With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case.' An Arizona Republican threatened to 'lynch' a Jewish GOP County Recorder while speaking at a local gathering - causing fierce backlash from the Anti-Defamation League. Shelby Busch, the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee was addressing a crowd when she compared the county's recorder Stephen Richer to a 'good, Christian man' in the audience. In a video uploaded by Richer on X, Busch said she could find 'unity' with someone who agrees to 'run a good Christian foundation campaign.' 'But if Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him. I don't unify with people who don't believe in the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country,' Busch warned her audience. Shelby Busch, (pictured) the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee was addressing a crowd when she would hurt the county's recorder Stephen Richer In a video uploaded by Richer (pictured) on X, Busch compares the recorder against a man in the audience who she says is a 'good Christian man that believes what we believe' Later, Richer responded to her threat and questioned why she used the word 'lynch'. 'This is Shelby Busch. She is second-in-command for the Maricopa County Republican Committee (@MaricopaGOP). She was the county party's 2023 "volunteer of the year". She's an advisor to Kari Lake and others. 'She also runs an "election integrity" group called "We The People AZ" that receives funding from Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne, and Mike Flynn. 'Interesting choice of words. Not, "I'd kick his butt" or "I'd kill him". 'But 'lynch.' Why does that word roll off her tongue given its historical context? She says this after talking about good Christian values. 'And while some in the room laugh, nobody shouts out in protest. Nobody says, 'that's too far.' 'This isn't healthy. And it's not responsible. And we shouldn't want it as part of the Republican Party,' the man wrote. After the video went viral and the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix released a joint statement saying they were 'appalled at these vile remarks.' 'Not surprisingly, the extremists on X enthusiastically amplified her Jew-hatred. 'ADL Desert and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix are appalled at these vile remarks. We urge Ms. Busch to retract and apologize, and the Maricopa County Republican Party to stand against such rhetoric,' the statement read. The groups have also urged Busch to retract her statement, apologize and asked 'the Maricopa County Republican Party to stand against such rhetoric'. But this is not the first time Richer has been threatened or insulted by his own party. This is not the first time Richer has been threatened or insulted from his own party In the last two years, Richer has received numerous death threats related to the 2020 election. Back in 2021, the Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors slammed the 'sham' recount of the 2020 presidential results, calling it 'political theater' backed by 'grifters and con-artists.' The members of the board didn't hold back when it came to expressing their disgust for the audit, which is examining 2.1 million ballots in Arizona's most populous county during the election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. It has become subject to numerous conspiracy theories including one that state elections officials shredded ballots, fed them to chickens, and then had the chickens incinerated to cover up the evidence. Richer, who is in charge of maintaining files on the country's 2.6 million registered voters, blasted that claim. 'I mean, that chickens one is probably pretty top of the charts,' he told CNN about the birdfeed conspiracy claim. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a GOP official, blasted a conspiracy theory that officials shredded ballots, fed them to chickens, and killed chickens to cover up evidence as 'pretty top of the charts' The audit was ordered by the Republican-controlled state Senate in Arizona and is being paid for with a combination of tax payer money and private donations. In a public meeting and in a letter to state Senate President Karen Fann, who ordered the recount, the Maricopa county board criticized the audit as a 'spectacle' that is causing Arizona to be a 'laughing stock' and encouraging people to distrust elections. In a show of bipartisan unity Richer signed on to the letter, as did the county's Democratic sheriff. 'We express our united view that your 'audit', no matter what your intentions were in the beginning, has become a spectacle that is harming all of us. Our state has become a laughingstock. Worse, this 'audit' is encouraging our citizens to distrust elections, which weakens our democratic republic,' they wrote. Residents of a tiny Idaho town fought to stop their first Pride festival, but its LGBTQ organizer won out as he declared the 'gays are here!' Real estate agent Tom Wheeler, 27, did not expect any opposition when planned the family-friendly celebration of diversity and inclusion in Canyon County for June 9. But two weeks before the festival, Mayor Debbie Kling, released a statement claiming the event 'does not reflect the personal beliefs and convictions of myself, the Nampa City Council, and many living in Nampa.' She said although she had received requests to cancel the event, she had been advised to allow it to go ahead because of the First Amendment. Furious locals banded together with national far-right groups to protest the celebration, according to The Washington Post, forcing Wheeler to hire security and build protective fencing around the park. Real estate agent Tom Wheeler, 27, planned the family friendly event in Canyon County on June 9 but was met by fierce opposition from locals Wheeler (pictured center) met with local police, hired a private security team, and installed security cameras in his house After the mayor's statement, Wheeler reportedly received a threatening phone call. A man mentioned that he knew where he lived and then told him: 'My familys been here since 1901. This is Gods country. Youre not welcome here.' When a local news station shared information about the event it quickly received 2,500 comments, promising God would punish Wheeler in hell. Meanwhile a local bar announced they were running a concurrent 'Heterosexual Awesomeness Month' with special drinks deals for straight men and couples. Despite the hate online from the rightwing groups and a hostile environment in the town, Wheeler refused to be daunted. He met with local police, hired a private security team, and installed security cameras in his house. On the day of the festival - while his mother urged him to wear a bulletproof vest - he opted to wear a bright pink t-shirt and a cowboy hat. He danced and waved his rainbow fan as he announced to the crowd: 'It's official, the gays are here, Canyon County!'. While thousands of people flocked to the park to celebrate, a small crowd of armed protestors from right wing group The Liberty Dogs gathered outside. Mayor Debbie Kling, slammed the event, saying it 'does not reflect the personal beliefs and convictions of myself, the Nampa City Council, and many living in Nampa' After the mayor's statement, Wheeler (center) reportedly received a threatening phone call. While thousands of people flocked to the park to celebrate, a small crowd of armed protestors from right wing group The Liberty Dogs gathered outside One of them blew a whistle while another shook the barricades. Local police told them to keep their distance and they had left by the middle of the afternoon. The event was a huge success, with even a conservative councilor admitting to Wheeler it was 'family friendly', according to The Post. The Canyon County protests are part of a national trend that has seen pride events across the country increasingly targeted by extreme groups in recent years. Armed militias have violently protested drag queen story times and someone even firebombed a doughnut shop after two drag queens appeared there. Sopranos star Drea De Matteo revealed on national television that Tinseltown is 'full' of closeted Trump and RFK Jr voters. The beloved actress, known for playing Adriana La Cerva, the long-time girlfriend and, fiancee of Tony Soprano's disciple, Christopher Moltisanti, in the hit crime drama, appeared amused during her appearance on Jesse Waters Primetime show on Fox Monday night, Mediaite reported. When Watters asked her 'if there are quiet Trump voters out there in Hollywood.' De Matteo responded, 'there are a lot of quiet Trump supporters, there are a lot of Kennedy supporters.' Sopranos star Drea De Matteo revealed that Hollywood is 'full of closeted Trump and RFK Jr voters' The pair spoke about President Biden's recent Hollywood fundraiser that raised millions, and brought out celebrities including late night host Jimmy Kimmel and actor Jack Black. During the show, Watters showed a clip of Robert DeNiro, who has been open about his criticism for Trump, and support for Biden, speaking outside of Trump's hush money trial last month. DeMatteo hit back and spoke about how 'mortified' she was by her people particularly 'Italian men' referring specifically to DeNiro, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. The beloved actress, known for playing Adriana La Cerva, the long-time girlfriend and, fiancee of Tony Soprano's disciple, Christopher Moltisanti, played by actor Michael Imperioli 'I don't understand what we are doing here,' she said. Watters appeared to get a kick out of De Matteo's statements as he was intermittently showing clips of De Matteo during a few scenes from her days on the Sopranos. The actress who admitted that she was never into politics 'until this moment' pondered if the actors are getting paid to endorse Biden. 'And wow, I wonder how much the actors got paid to endorse Biden at this point, she said. 'Im curious, because that seems I wonder if DeNiro got paid a locations fee because he had to travel to the courtroom to do that,' she said. Former President Donald Trump and Republican presidential candidate engages with the crowd during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 22 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pictured at a campaign stop in Brooklyn on May 1 DeMatteo, who poked fun at herself on the broadcast, calling herself an 'outcast' said that she doesn't really know very much about celebrities involved with campaigns. 'I dont really maneuver inside that industry. I never have. First of all, Sopranos, we were the outcasts, even though we were critically acclaimed, we still were outcasts,' she said. 'So Im still an outcast, here I am.' She joked: 'Theyre going to take me out into the woods and shoot me for not endorsing Biden.' Donald Trumps presidential campaign continues to double down on accusations President Biden will be hepped up on stimulants during Thursdays debate, as they try to raise expectations by comparing him to a superhero. Hes probably going to filled with Adderall like he is the night of the State of the Union. Itll provide a great contrast, said Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita on a call with reporters, without providing evidence. We know that Joe Biden that after taking an entire week off, he's going to be ready for this now. I don't know if it's quite going to be at the level of Steve Rogers walking in and coming out Captain America. But his team is going to have him ready, said senior advisor Jason Miller. Those comments come after Trump at a campaign rally suggested Biden might be using stimulants to get 'jacked up' for the debate, and questioned what happened to cocaine discovered at a White House entrance. 'So, a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the a** they want to strengthen him up so he comes out, he'll come out, okay, I say he'll come out all jacked up, right? All jacked up,' Trump said at a Philadelphia campaign rally Saturday. Former President Donald Trump has been talking up President Biden's abilities after previously mocking him as the two prepare to face off in a Thursday night debate Miller complained on the call about expectations setting in the media, saying Biden shouldnt get a participation trophy for showing up. But it is Trump who spent months arguing Biden cant put two sentences together' prompting questions about whether Trump and his allies are seeking to reset expectations in the event Biden is more coherent than they have led millions of viewers to expect he will be. It comes in a race where the president and former president set to meet on stage are tied in a new New York Times polling average. Miller dug up old headlines from Biden's prior debates against former House Speaker Paul Ryan and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Barack Obama's running mate, with one calling it an 'Alpha male' display and another citing a poll that determined he won. One question the campaign wasnt able to answer was whether former first lady Melania or other Trump family members would be with the candidate in Atlanta. I would expect we probably make our announcement at the debate, said Miller. The Trump campaign continues to talk up President Biden's State of the Union performance Trump has made a splash in the past by bringing high profile guests that might rattle his opponent. That has included Bill Clinton rape accusers in 2016, and a former Hunter Biden business partner in 2020. Asked if Trump would bring family members of Americans killed by immigrants who came here illegally, Trump's team said the debate format without an audience wouldn't allow for that, although his advisors liked the idea. They wouldn't answer directly when asked if family members would make an appearance in the 'spin room' for media after the debate. 'I would expect that we probably make our announcements for who all will be joining President Trump at the debate probably Thursday, if not before,' said Miller. Chilling new details have emerged about the 'unusual' deaths of four people inside a Melbourne home, as a second of the victims is identified. Michael Hodgkinson, 32, was one of four people discovered in the loungeroom of the unit in the northern suburb of Broadmeadows just before 2am on Tuesday. Abdul El Sayed, 17, was also killed along with an as-yet unidentified 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman inside the Bicknell Court home. Mr al-Sayed's uncle Cory Lewis discovered the group when he looked in one of the windows. When he saw them motionless and they did not respond to his knock, he smashed the window to gain access and then contacted emergency services. Victoria Police will investigate whether an overdose of fentanyl - an opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin - caused their deaths. The synthetic opioid prescribed for chronic pain is the main cause of overdoses in the United States, and there are fears the drug will wreak similar havoc if it becomes widespread in Australia. Detectives will also probe whether the group overdosed from another synthetic opioid called nitazene, or from carbon monoxide leaking from a gas heater. Officers on Tuesday donned full hazmat suits and oxygen tanks while accessing the property as emotional family members grieved just metres away. 'We don't know what has caused their death,' Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said. Michael Hodgkinson, 32, was one of four found dead in the loungeroom of the unit in Broadmeadows, 15km north of the CBD, just before 2am on Tuesday Abdul El Sayed, 17, (right) leaves behind a partner and an 18-month-old daughter Mr El Sayed is pictured with his mother Jessica Lewis during happier times Officers donned hazmat suits and oxygen tanks as they entered the property on Tuesday 'We have to keep an open mind, it is unusual that we find four people deceased in the one property, potentially from a drug overdose, but we've got to keep an open mind and until we confirm that is the case it could be anything. 'I cannot say definitively whether [fentanyl] is involved.' Detective Inspector Thomas said while there was no suggestion there had been any 'acts of violence' there were some injuries that needed to be accounted for. He added that items from the property would be taken from the scene but stopped short of confirming if any drug paraphernalia had been collected. Mr El Sayed's devastated mother Jessica Lewis visited the scene of the tragedy on Tuesday morning, supported by her siblings. Cory could be seen rubbing his sister's back as they shed tears out the front of the unit block, which was taped off by police as a possible crime scene. Mr El Sayed leaves behind a partner and an 18-month-old daughter. Mr El Sayed's devastated mother Jessica Lewis (second from left) visited the scene of the tragedy on Tuesday morning, supported by her brother Cory (left) Family members, detectives and officers are seen outside the home on Tuesday Cory, who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead men, told 7News he believed the deaths were caused by a drug overdose. 'I've come home to find family members in the house deceased and it just tortured me, shocked me,' he told media. 'I think [it was] an overdose but I'm not too sure exactly.' Cory said the tragedy was the latest of several to hit his family. 'We haven't had a break. We've just lost mum and dad too. Mum in November last year and dad on his own birthday,' he said. Cory, who is also brother-in-law to one of the dead men, told media he believed the deaths were caused by a drug overdose. Aside from the drug speculation, Cory said his family remained in the dark as to the precise cause of the deaths. 'We're just as clueless as you guys. We don't know what, but it looks like an overdose,' he said. Cory's brother Brendan said Mr El Sayed 'doesn't even take drugs'. 'Bit of choof [marijuana] here and there but that's it,' he said. Cory agreed that while the teenager may have fallen under bad influences, he insisted Mr El Sayed 'wasn't on meth' and 'was no junkie'. A life-long racing enthusiast dubbed the 'Silver Fox' died seconds after winning his final race in front of a crowd of horrified spectators. Dave Sattem, 77, left a wife and son when he was killed after his 1933 Willys Coupe crashed at the finish line at the Woodburn Drag Strip in Oregon on Saturday. The Air Force veteran, who was days away from his 48th wedding anniversary, had just triumphed in the track's 'Oldies but Goodies' event when he lost control of the vehicle at high speed. 'One second, my dad and I were cheering him on as he won the finals in his class,' spectator Brennen Hankins wrote on Facebook. 'And the next, he was over the wall and the first responders were hauling up the lanes to help him.' Dave Sattem, 77, had just crossed the line after winning his final race when tragedy struck The avid car fan was driving his 1933 Willys Coupe at the Woodburn Drag Strip on Saturday Wife Linda was at home in Stayton when she heard of the crash and has been inundated with offers of support from her husband's many friends in the racing community. 'He liked to help people. If they were just new to drag racing, he would try to give them advice,' she said. 'He was laughing, joking with people. He was always trying to keep people safe and enjoying the sport that he loved so much.' Many took to Facebook to share their recollections of the man who acted as a mentor to generations of younger racers. 'Our hearts are broken,' wrote the strip in a post. 'As most of you know by now, we lost a true champion. Our Track family is deeply saddened by the loss.' 'Linda we are all thinking of you and your family at this most difficult time,' wrote Vicki Shepherd. 'Dave was a legend, loved and respected by us all. I think we all have stories to tell of racing with Dave.' The racer's widow said that her husband had raced motorbikes before graduating to drag racing, 'so he had a love of speed'. 'I wake up in the morning now, and I'm thinking, 'I don't know. What should I do? What do I need to do',' she told kptv.com. 'There's been so many people that have come out to help me, called me, brought me food, and I'm still trying to deal with all the paperwork that goes along with death,' she added. 'I think I'm doing okay.' 'He was a very outgoing person. He had a great smile.' The racetrack plans to hold a service for Dave at 8 am on Saturday morning as the Marion County Sheriff's Office investigates his death. Wife Linda said her husband was 'always trying to keep people safe and enjoying the sport that he loved so much'. 'He was a very outgoing person. He had a great smile.' 'Our hearts are broken,' wrote the strip in a post. 'As most of you know, we lost a true champion' 'We have lost a lot of Old School Good Ol guys and gals racers in recent years,' wrote Neal Rankin. 'There will be upcoming new generation good people but we will never replace the wisdom and school of hard knocks these Old Schoolers brought to us.' 'Dave will always be the true definition of fierce competitor and humble mentor,' added Timothy Davis. 'His legacy will endure and his love for his family, friends and fans, will be an Eternal testimony and inspiration to all. 'Prayers for all who mourn, that you will find comfort in knowing Dave left thus world, doing what he loved.' Julian Assange's flight has landed on the US-controlled island of Saipan ahead of his plea hearing. The WikiLeaks founder has arrived on the remote island in the Pacific where his long-running campaign to avoid extradition to the United States will formally end and he will become a free man after 14 years. The 52-year-old's flight, under the call sign VJT199, arrived on the island at 6:14am local time and within hours he will appear before a judge to plead guilty to one espionage charge against him. He will then fly to his native Australia to be reunited with his wife, two young sons and other members of the family. The move follows his dramatic release from Belmarsh Prison in London where he has spent five years, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition. Julian Assange is pictured looking out of the window of a plane while approaching Bangkok A plane believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lands at Saipan International Airport after a stopover in Bangkok in Saipan The 52-year-old's flight, under the call sign VJT199, arrived on the island at 6:14am local time Vehicles in a motorcade believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leave from Saipan International Airport Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed he arrived in Saipan earlier this evening The United States District Court in Saipan where Assange is set to attend his plea hearing The long journey that Assange has embarked on since his release from Belmarsh on Monday Assange will pay half a million US dollars (394,000) for a chartered flight from Stansted, accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, a representative of the Australian government and a medic to check on his health. WikiLeaks has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the flight. Assange's wife Stella said her relief at his release was coupled with anger that he had spent so long in prison. She said she travelled to Australia with the couple's two young sons Gabriel and Max on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance, with a proposed sentence of time served. Speaking from Australia, Mrs Assange told PA: 'It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this. 'Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian.' Mrs Assange said her husband's release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is pictured approaching Bangkok Airport on a private jet following his release from Belmarsh prison Assange's plane preparing to depart from Don Mueang International Airport Assange's flight takes off from Bangkok for the six hour flight to Saipan 'The public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim,' she said. 'Things are still very sensitive. Julian is paying for the flight so we will launch a fundraising campaign.' She had a video call with her husband from Sydney, showing him pictures of the Opera House. Mrs Assange revealed her husband left Belmarsh in the early hours of Monday and spent several hours at Stansted before his flight left. In a High Court order, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Assange left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after the plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was 'anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request'. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a bail hearing for Assange was held in private on June 20. Details of the hearing have been shrouded in secrecy, with the CPS refusing to provide further information and court listings staff having no knowledge of it, and unable to find any record of it taking place. PA has since established the hearing took place at 4pm at Westminster Magistrates' Court before the chief magistrate, senior district judge Paul Goldspring, who took a judicial decision for this to take place behind closed doors under Criminal Procedure Rules and the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This means, at present, no further information on the contents of the hearing can be made public. Assange pictured in Stansted Airport in prior to his departure from the UK on Monday Julian Assange pictured stepping off of his private jet in Bangkok John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: 'This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPS's extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. 'This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely.' Simon Crowther, Amnesty International's legal adviser, said: 'We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. 'The fight to protect freedom of expression continues, though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage.' In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning 'after having spent 1,901 days there'. The statement continued: 'He ... was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. 'This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. 'This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised.' Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Assange left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm on Monday Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Speaking about Assange's release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nation's parliament on Tuesday 'we want him brought home to Australia'. He said: 'I've been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as Prime Minister, that - regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities - the case has dragged on for too long. 'There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.' Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces 'have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome', which he took up early in his role after being elected Prime Minister in 2022. He added: 'I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time.' A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by PA, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. The WikiLeaks statement also thanked 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom'. It said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. 'WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. 'As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom.' In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: 'Julian is free!!!! 'Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' Stella Assange (pictured) said it has been a 'whirlwind of emotions' but that she is 'elated' that her husband could be a free man On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday Stella Assange, Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton and WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief Kirstinn Hrafnsson take part in a march from the Royal Courts of Justice to Downing Street, 21 Feb 2024 Assange's father John Shipton told PA he felt 'elated' at hearing the news of his son's dramatic journey from the UK and that his release had 'lifted a huge burden' from his family. He said recent court hearings in the UK had given him hope that the 'tide was turning' in his son's favour, as well as increasing pressure from the Australian government. Speaking from Australia, he said he hoped his son will spend time 'walking along beaches and listening to birds' in the next few weeks and months. Assange's mother, Christine Assange, told Australia's Sky News that she is 'grateful' her son's ordeal is 'finally coming to an end'. She said: 'This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hardworking people who put Julian's welfare first. 'The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy.' Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh Prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and 'oppressive' risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assange's extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judge's dismissal of parts of his case. His release from prison comes days ahead of his 53rd birthday next Wednesday, on July 3. While the world celebrated the rescue of Noa Argamani, the Israeli hostage's return is still tarred with sadness. Although she made it back in time to see her terminally ill mother, her boyfriend from whom she was cruelly torn on October 7 remains in captivity. Now the brother of Avinatan Or has issued an emotional plea to let them 'dance again' as he demands a ceasefire deal to bring the 30-year-old home. Moshe Or, 33, told the Daily Mail that he still sends WhatsApp messages to his brother's disconnected phone as a way to stay close to him. The father of three also revealed he feels no bitterness about Noa being released first saying her freedom has given him 'stronger energy' to fight. Now the brother of Avinatan Or has issued an emotional plea to let the couple (pictured together) 'dance again' as he demands a ceasefire deal to bring the 30-year-old home This picture of Noa - her arms outstretched toward her boyfriend as she screams for help - became one of the most recognisable images of the atrocities after it was published by The Mail on Sunday on October 8 Her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, distraught and helpless, was also seen on video being kidnapped on October 7 Moshe Or (pictured), 33, told the Daily Mail that he still sends WhatsApp messages to his brother's disconnected phone as a way to stay close to him Appealing to world leaders, Moshe said: 'I was so happy to see Noa get back home now it's time to bring Avinatan and all of the other 120 hostages back home. 'We all know that the only way to bring all of them home is by a deal, and we need to do it now. They should dance again, and they should live their life, and they should celebrate their love.' Noa and Avinatan met at a party while studying at Ben Gurion university in Tel Aviv and had been together for more than two years. Moshe said she brought 'young energy', a 'joy for life' and 'silliness' to the hard-working electrical engineer. They had planned to move in together and meet his family before October 7. That day, those images of Noa, 26, screaming, 'Don't kill me' as she was kidnapped at the Nova music festival made headlines around the world. But little attention has been paid to the man she was calling out to. As she was taken away on a motorbike, the camera turned to her tall, muscular partner, forced to watch helplessly as he is mobbed by Hamas thugs. There has been no word of Avinatan since. Noa Argamani, then 25, was seen kidnapped on the back of motorbike during the horrifying terrorist attacks Sickening footage showed the moment Israeli hostage Noa was seized by Hamas and driven to Gaza on the back of a motorbike (pictured) on October 7 A photograph taken in 2023 of Avinatan Or, who was also abducted from the Nova festival Avinatan Or's face features on a tower exhibiting the faces of hostages in Israel on May 26 Noa smiles while having a drink of coke with her father Yakov after being reunited on June 8 When Noa was rescued, his family hoped she might have some answers but she was just as desperate for clues as them. While devastated here was still no sign, Noa's freedom was overwhelming for Moshe, his parents Ditza and Yaron and his five other siblings. 'We couldn't believe it, it was awesome it was such a miracle,' said Moshe. He texted Noa's father, Yaakov, and told him he would like to meet her 'when she is comfortable and ready' before he got a reply saying: 'Noa really wants to see you.' Moshe, who lives with his wife Yael and their children Harel, Segev and Shai, said: 'It was really exciting. I didn't know what would be her reaction. Would she be happy? Or maybe she would be a little bit distant? 'But when I saw her, I was just very happy for Avinatan. I was so happy to see what an incredible woman she is.' Three days before Moshe met Noa, his 57-year-old mother also met her. 'My mother said that was very powerful and she feels this strong connection with Noa,' Moshe said. Noa, who is 26, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7 and taken into Gaza Noa was one of just 19 women that are still being held by the terror group While in captivity Noa appeared in a chilling Hamas hostage video in January The Mail On Sunday front page after the October 7 attacks - featuring Noa's plea 'Don't kill me' 'Imagine if you fight for someone for eight months and suddenly you see her. It's like seeing a superstar.' Hit with elation, Moshe sent a WhatsApp to Avinatan's disconnected number one of dozens he has sent over the past eight months which he has vowed to keep private. 'When I have all these thoughts in my head, I send them to him via WhatsApp,' says Moshe, who lives in the settlement of Alei Zahav in central Israel. 'Beyond that I always send him positive energy. I would want him to know that we are fighting for him.' But, most importantly, he just wants to see his brother and Noa together again. 'It would be the most amazing love story.' Police chiefs were at the centre of a storm last night after refusing to specify a rapist's biological sex. Bosses at Wiltshire Police announced that Lexi Secker, 35, had been found guilty of rape following a trial at Swindon Crown Court last Friday. In a statement, police said that 'at the time of the offence Secker was living as a man' and the crime was 'recorded as being committed by a male'. But the statement also said that Secker went on trial 'as a woman' and referred to 'a person' being convicted of the rape. It read: 'A person from Melksham has been found guilty of rape following a trial at Swindon Crown Court. 'The court tried Lexi Secker, 35, of Lowbourne, as a woman for the offence committed on April 23, 2021, after a night out in Blunsdon. In a statement, Wiltshire Police (headquarters pictured) said that 'at the time of the offence Secker was living as a man' and the crime was 'recorded as being committed by a male' Bosses announced that Lexi Secker, 35, had been found guilty of rape following a trial at Swindon Crown Court (pictured) last Friday 'At the time of the offence Secker was living as a man. The relevant offence was recorded as being committed by a male. 'Secker was found guilty following a four-day trial on Friday and was remanded in custody. She is due to be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on September 27.' Wiltshire Police refused to clarify Secker's biological sex last night, and furious campaigners accused the force of 'pandering to the feelings of trans-identifying males'. Fiona McAnena, of the charity Sex Matters, said: 'This person is a man. Why don't the police say so? Do they think they have to pretend, because he now says he's a woman, even though he has committed the ultimate male crime of rape? 'It is very concerning to see the police pandering to the feelings of trans-identifying males. It does not give confidence that they are policing without fear or favour.' Heather Binning, of the Women's Rights Network, said: 'This violent criminal is male. Fiona McAnena, of the charity Sex Matters, said: 'This person is a man. Why don't the police say so? Do they think they have to pretend, because he now says he's a woman, even though he has committed the ultimate male crime of rape?' Heather Binning, of the Women's Rights Network, said: 'This violent criminal is male' 'He was when he committed the crime, when he was charged with the crime, and will be when he is sentenced. He remains male and should serve his sentence in the male estate.' It is the latest in a series of cases where trans offenders have been referred to as women for crimes committed as men. Biological male Scarlet Blake who was convicted of murder in February was logged as a woman by Thames Valley Police after identifying as female, causing outrage. And in May last year a trans rapist was sentenced to nine years in prison at Bristol Crown Court after attacking a friend with 'her penis'. Lexi-Rose Crawford started identifying as a woman after being released on licence from a four-year jail term for a child sex offence. Crawford was referred to as 'Miss' throughout the trial and was found guilty of rape and sexual assault. A fraudster hairstylist has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in jail for swindling millions of dollars from a mentally-ill but wealthy Malibu eye surgeon. Anthony David Flores, also known as Anton David, pleaded guilty last year to nine felony charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and conspiracy for his role in a scheme to befriend Dr. Mark Sawusch and manipulate him into taking over his finances. He and his then-girlfriend, yoga instructor Anna Rene Moore, 40, kept the doctor drugged as they drained his accounts and lived in his waterfront Malibu mansion. In addition to the jail sentence, US District Judge Percy Anderson last week ordered Flores, 47, to pay $1million in restitution. He cited the Fresno hairstylist's 'cruel disregard for human suffering' and the 'lack of value he placed on human life' in his decision, The Los Angeles Times reports. Antony David Flores, also known as Anton David, left, was sentenced last week to nearly 16 years behind bars for his and his ex-girlfriend's scheme to defraud Dr. Mark Sawusch, center He and his then-girlfriend, yoga instructor Anna Rene Moore, 40, kept the doctor drugged as they drained his accounts and lived in his waterfront Malibu mansion 'What this defendant did erodes core values that we, as a people, have of empathy, compassion and kindness,' the judge said in court last week. 'This conduct was solely driven by greed,' he added, claiming Flores 'became lost... in the glitz and glamour, the cars and the jewelry, living at the beach.' Flores also admitted he 'let temptation and greed get the best of me' as he stood before Anderson and pleaded for a lighter sentence. 'I'm ashamed of myself,' he said, claiming he and Sawusch - who was worth $60million when they met in 2017 - were 'like brothers.' He said he loved Sawusch, a 57-year-old retired ophthalmologist and successful investor, and would never forget him. But Anderson didn't seem to buy it, according to the LA Times. 'Your brother? Your friend?' he scoffed. 'What is so galling and so disturbing is you knew exactly what you were doing,' the judge continued. 'You knew it was wrong and you knew it was immoral, and it simply didn't matter to you.' Flores, 47, and Anna Rene Moore, 40, first met Sawusch at an ice cream parlor off Venice Beach in 2017 Prosecutors have said that Flores, and his then-girlfriend, yoga instructor Anna Rene Moore, 40, first met Sawusch at an ice cream parlor off Venice Beach in June 2017. Sawusch was already suffering from bipolar disorder at the time, and had lost the ability to care for himself, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Within a few days, Flores and Moore moved into the doctor's beachfront Malibu mansion - where they lived rent-free - and pretended to be his caretakers and new best friends. They lived there for three weeks before Sawusch kicked them out in a fit of rage - describing them as 'white collar tax fraud criminals who tried to steal my Tesla and home,' according to the LA Times. But soon after, Sawusch experienced a severe mental breakdown and was arrested multiple times on charges including public intoxication and vandalism. Flores then convinced Sawusch he grant him power of attorney so he could withdraw enough money from his accounts to post his bail. He told the doctor in recorded jail calls that he would only have a 'very limited' power of attorney, but the authority was never revoked after Sawusch's release. Flores then used that to open bank accounts in Sawusch's name and gain access to his $60million fortune. Sawusch, a 57-year-old retired ophthalmologist and successful investor, was already suffering from bipolar disorder at the time He invited the couple to live rent-free at his waterfront Malibu mansion At the same time, the newly-freed Sawusch invited the couple back to his beach house. There, Flores hired a raft of massage therapists and more than 20 housekeepers, handymen and other staff to work at Sawusch's 1,200-square-foot home, telling them he wanted it to be like a five-star spa, sources told the LA Times. By early 2018, the doctor was getting up to six massages a day lasting around two hours each, with talking discouraged. Assistants worked in an office where they ran the medical, legal and financial affairs of Sawusch as well as Flores and Moore's window-washing business in Fresno, the records show. One of half a dozen therapists who was commanded to provide Sawusch, who was a successful investor with a $60million fortune, with up to six massages a day told The LA Times that the couple 'just kept him drugged'. The couple kept the doctor drugged, and instructed masseuses to give him six massages a day while they swindled millions of dollars from him The couple started to take Sawusch to a doctor for weekly infusions of ketamine to treat depression and back pain - and provided him with marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and LSD, prosecutors said. One day while Sawusch was under the influence, Flores changed the two-factor authentication on Sawusch's brokerage account to ping his own phone - and initiated two $1million transfers into his and Moore's bank accounts. Some of that money fueled their taste for LA nightlife and they threw an Oscars viewing party at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. It also funded the couple's 'shopping sprees', according to testimony from massage therapist Dora Peterson. All the while, the couple prohibited his friends and county case workers from making visits and told his mother not to try to contact her son, authorities said. The couple prohibited Sawusch's family and his county case workers from visiting Two weeks before Sawusch died, prosecutors said Flores and Moore invited a shaman, Alan, into his home for a Mother's Day acid trip. He supplied liquid LSD in a vial with a dropper for doses under the tongue, Flores testified. Sawusch then evicted the couple from his home again after the LSD caused his mental state to deteriorate further, prosecutors said. He spent several days disoriented, 'flipping out' and in a 'manic state', according to staff who worked there and texts from Flores - who was using surveillance cameras inside the home to watch from a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, along with Moore. Sawusch wound up dying alone on Memorial Day weekend 2018. The LA County coroner found it was an accidental death caused by ketamine and alcohol intoxication. But a pathologist who did an autopsy found that ketamine and alcohol 'did not significantly contribute to the immediate cause of death' and that Sawusch died as a result of two heart conditions: dilated cardiomyopathy and a congenitally narrow coronary artery. Flores and Moore used the money they swindled from Sawusch to fund an extravagant lifestyle They hit up some of Los Angeles' priciest clubs and went on shopping sprees, prosecutors said Still, prosecutors said Flores and Moore continued to withdraw money from Sawusch's accounts until the doctor's mother and sister eventually sued. His funds were frozen amid the litigation, but Flores and Moore kept trying to get a hold of it by funneling money through different accounts, according to Fox 26. They also claimed in late 2018 that Sawusch had promised them his mansion and one-third of his estate, but was unable to change his will before his untimely death. The ensuing litigation ultimately resulted in the couple withdrawing their claims and agreeing to repay the estate $1million. But in court on June 17, Judge Anderson said the judgment is still unpaid - and some of the money from Sawusch's account remains unaccounted for. Sawusch died alone on Memorial Day weekend 2018, while Flores and Moore watched on security cameras Still, Flores' attorney argued that the Fresno hairstylist should only be sentenced to no more than 33 to 41 months in prison - noting that his client took responsibility by pleading guilty and had no prior criminal history. He also pointed to more than a dozen family members and friends that had congregated in the courtroom to support Flores. 'This is not a person who has created a life of crime,' attorney Ambrosio E. Rodriguez said, according to the LA Times. 'He has created friends and families that are here to support him.' Assistant US Attorney Andrew Roach also acknowledged that Flores had friends and family to support him, but noted Sawusch 'was really targeted because he didn't have that support.' 'That allowed [Flores] to get control and take control of his life,' Roach argued. Following the sentencing, Rodriguez said he and his client 'accept the judge's sentence, but we're disappointed.' Meanwhile in a statement to reporters, Sawusch's family said they were 'finally finding some comfort in knowing these relentless criminals have [pleaded] guilty, confessed to their widespread web of deceit and lies, and are facing the consequences. 'There is nothing worse than those who prey upon the highly vulnerable.' Moore pleaded guilty last year to seven felony charges for the scheme, and is due to be sentenced on October 28. A caravan and a car have been destroyed by a fire that later spread to the adjacent home, with the blaze being treated as suspicious. Three QFES crews rushed to the property on Kokoda Street in Darra, 20km southwest of Brisbane's CBD, just after 2am on Wednesday. Firefighters battled three separate fires for at least 30 minutes after flames from the car spread to the caravan and then to the home. Nearby residents said they were woken by a series of explosions. 'Challenges that we faced were multiple exposures, being with the car and the van on fire and also a forklift in the nearby vicinity,' a firefighter at the scene said. 'There were also multiple chemicals stored around the premises.' The fire is being treated as suspicious and a crime scene has been established. No injuries have been reported. The fire spread from a car to a caravan (pictured) to a neighbouring home in Darra, Brisbane Firefighters battled three separate fires for at least 30 minutes at about 2am on Wednesday The home has been taped-off by police, who have interviewed nearby residents. Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage that could assist investigations has been urged to contact police. Daily Mail readers were right to reject Labour in 2019, Sir Keir Starmer said last night. In a frank interview with this newspaper, the Labour leader insisted he had worked 'ruthlessly' to change the party since Jeremy Corbyn's era. Directly echoing Sir Tony Blair's speech on the steps of Downing Street in 1997, he said: 'We have campaigned as changed Labour and we will govern as changed Labour.' In a wide-ranging interview, Sir Keir confirmed he will lower the voting age to 16. However he refused to match the Tory pledge to ensure the basic state pension is never taxed. He also insisted he doesn't have a woman problem after author JK Rowling criticised the party for its record on trans issues. In a frank interview with this newspaper, the Labour leader insisted he had worked 'ruthlessly' to change the party since Jeremy Corbyn 's era In a wide-ranging interview with political editor for The Daily Mail Jason Groves (pictured), Sir Keir confirmed he will lower the voting age to 16. However he refused to match the Tory pledge to ensure the basic state pension is never taxed Sir Keir served in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet for four years and once even claimed he would make a 'great prime minister' Sir Keir served in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet for four years and once even claimed he would make a 'great prime minister'. But yesterday he suggested voters had been right to reject him. He said: 'What I would say to any of your readers that voted other than Labour last time around was that I took the strong view. 'When you lose like that you don't say to the electorate or to the voters or Daily Mail readers: "What were you doing?" You look at your party and say: "It's our party that needs to change". 'That's why, from day one of my leadership, I said, "we're going to change this party", and set about ruthlessly changing it to make sure that this time around I can put a changed Labour Party before your readers that absolutely understands it is country first, party second.' Sir Keir Starmer previously refused to take back his controversial claim that Jeremy Corbyn would have made a better prime minister than Boris Johnson His comments came as: Mr Corbyn yesterday said Sir Keir had not indicated he was unhappy with his authority at the time. The former Labour leader told LBC: 'He said he wanted me to be the prime minister. 'He said he wanted to support me as leader of the Labour Party. He said he supported the manifesto... and I think people should just own up to that.' But days after suggesting Mr Corbyn would have made a better PM than Boris Johnson Sir Keir told the Mail: 'We're a completely changed Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn has been expelled that's never happened in the history of the Labour Party before a former leader expelled by the current leader of the Labour Party.' Sir Keir previously defended serving as a shadow minister under his predecessor as Labour leader, claiming he felt a 'responsibility' to take on a senior role in the party Keir Starmer with Jeremy Corbyn when Corbyn was leader of the Opposition in 2019 Asked about a potential lurch to the Left if Labour wins a supermajority, he said: 'I'm not going to be deflected. 'I'm absolutely clear that it's wealth creation, making sure that we grow the economy, making sure that across Britain, your readers are better off is the number one mission in terms of what we do as a party.' Sir Keir confirmed that Labour would not raise the headline rate of income tax, National Insurance or VAT. But he refused to rule out taxing the basic state pension, saying he was 'not going to make commitments that aren't fully funded and sustainable'. The combination of a six-year freeze in tax thresholds with the impact of the pensions triple lock has led experts to warn that the state pension will be taxed at some point during the next parliament for the first time in history. The Conservatives have pledged a higher tax allowance to ensure it does not happen. Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at a pro Palestine protest in London) is running against Labour as an independent candidate in Islington North But Sir Keir said he could not responsibly match the pledge. He said he would 'absolutely take on the challenge of reducing the burden on pensioners' by working to lower bills, but added: 'I'm not going to say before the election that I can do something unless I know for sure it's sustainable. And it's fully funded.' Sir Keir dismissed Tory claims he wants to 'rig' the electorate in Labour's favour as 'completely wrong'. But he confirmed he would look to lower the voting age as 16-year-olds should 'have the right to vote to determine what you think your taxes should be spent on.' The Labour leader said he would not press ahead with a previous pledge to give EU citizens in this country the vote during Labour's first term, saying his 'absolute focus' would be on ensuring 'a decade of renewal'. He also suggested he would be 'very happy' to meet former Labour donor Ms Rowling after she attacked the party for its stance on gender identity and women's rights. Although he suggested his position was often misunderstood, he refused to confirm specific policies. Federal judge Aileen Cannon appeared to side with prosecutors when lawyers for Donald Trump raised issues with the warrant that justified the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. Emil Bove, a lawyer for Trump, who nominated Cannon to her lifetime appointment, raised objections to the warrant at a hearing in Cannon's courtroom, on the third day of arguments over the classified documents case. Without the material, prosecutors would be denied use of a trove of information that agents found scattered in rooms around Trump's private club. 'I have a hard time seeing what more needed to be included,' Cannon said when Bove complained that the warrant was overbroad and gave agents entree to the sprawling building. (Prosecutors also reportedly questioned witnesses about a locked closet and a 'hidden room' that they did not examine during the August 2022 search). Bove argued that the warrant wasn't sufficient to cover the massive property in West Palm Beach, for a search that agents carried out while Trump was away. 'Were not talking about the search of a single-family home in the suburbs,' he said, CNN reported. Judge Aileen Cannon appeared to express satisfaction with a warrant that justified the Mar-a-Lago search Cannon didn't issue an immediate ruling, but made comments skeptical of the claim by Trump lawyers that the warrant, which was approved by a magistrate judge, was unconstitutional. On the issue of whether the warrant was 'particularized' enough, she said it 'seems like it is.' But there was yet another clash with prosecutor David Harbach, who accused Trump's team of 'hijacking the hearing,' something Cannon called 'not fair.' The nod from Cannon toward the warrant came a day after a Harbach, a top prosecutor who has taken on some of the nation's top political corruption cases dramatically apologized to the judge as Jack Smith's team battled over a proposed gag order Monday. Harbach, who led cases against former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell issued the stunning statement inside Cannon's courtroom Monday, in a case where Trump critics complain she has repeatedly ruled against the government. 'I just want to apologize about earlier, Harbach said following a contentious courtroom exchange. I didnt mean to be unprofessional. Im sorry about that. It came after he appeared to bristle at questions from Cannon, a U.S. district judge in Florida, in response to her questions about the prosecution's claims of threats to law enforcement personnel and Trump's language about the FBI that fed into the government's request to modify his terms of release. 'I dont appreciate your tone,' the judge snapped at one point. The judge told him she would 'appreciate decorum at all times,' then warned, 'If you arent able to do that, Im sure one of your colleagues can take up arguing this motion.' The Harvard Law-trained prosecutor once worked for former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime Trump target. Prosecutors want to modify Trump's conditions of release to prohibit public attacks on law enforcement. It comes after Trump accused the FBI of planning for his assassination based on documents spelling out use of force protocols during the raid at Mar-a-Lago that uncovered documents marked classified at his Florida home. 'Crooked Joe Bidens DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE 25TH AMENDMENT!' Trump posted. Trump also wrote in a fundraising email to supporters: 'Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.' Prosecutors used those threats to justify their request for a gag, saying it created a 'grossly misleading impression' and accusing Trump of 'smearing' federal agents who executed the search. 'These deceptive and inflammatory claims expose the law enforcement professionals who are involved in this case to unjustified and unacceptable risks,' they wrote. Prosecutors cited the threat to law enforcement of people who might be inspired to carry out physical attacks, prompting questions from Cannon about a linkage. The clash came as Cannon heard more challenges to special counsel Jack Smith's authority on Monday this time asking if there was any limit to the congressional funding that supports his office. The Trump-appointed judge made the comment at a hearing in her Fort Pierce, Florida courtroom as Trump's lawyer argued that Smith's funding is contrary to the rules governing congressional appropriations. It is one of multiple challenges Trump's team have challenged to the prosecutor leading the classified documents case against him. (Smith is also heading the January 6 case based in Washington, D.C. that is on hold while the Supreme Court considers Trump's immunity claims.) The judge's comment came at a hearing where Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued that Smith's funding has been against laws governing funding from the get-go. 'Is there any cap to the funding?' Cannon asked him. Trump's lawyers want to disallow boxes of evidence seized from Mar-a-Lago during an FBI raid Trump's team argued special counsel Jack Smith's appointment was unconstitutional. On Monday they argued his funding violated appropriations statutes 'There is no check on the scope of what's going on here,' Bove responded. She also called the amounts the Justice Department spent on special counsels 'significant.' Speaking for Smith's office, assistant special counsel James Pearce said it is the 'full commitment of the DOJ' that the special counsel's office has the funding to continue the prosecution. Cannon asked Pearce to clarify if the budget for the case so far was $9 million. 'But when it's limitless, there is a separation of powers concern,' Cannon said. Pearce said DOJ had $1 billion at its disposal even if the current funding stream got changed. Prosecutors and defense lawyers were back in court after facing off in Cannon's courtroom on Friday, where she grilled defense lawyers and asked that they explain an 'ominous' argument after they challenged Smith's appointment. Bove said the law was being applied in a way to grant AG Merrick Garland 'the power to appoint a shadow government.' Cannon's willingness to grant Trump lawyers time to argue their motions in open court, while also hearing 'amicus' pleas by outside parties, has prompted outside criticism that she is allowing Trump's team to stall the case. The government has allowed the use of special prosecutors in one form or another for more than a hundred years, and defense lawyers for Hunter Biden failed in a similar effort against the use of the authority by special counsel David Weiss. David Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County and a Democrat, called it 'mind-boggling.' Cannon postponed a May trial date and has not scheduled a new one, raising the likelihood Trump won't face trial in his classified documents case before the November elections. He also will hear arguments in her courtroom Monday about Smith's renewed request for a gag order, after Trump accused FBI agents of having a plan to assassinate him based on a boilerplate passage from a document listing preparations for a search on Mar-a-Lago. Trump has called the gags on his speech in other cases unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a narrow gag order in the D.C. case, and New York Jude Juan Merchan imposed one in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. Wealthy residents of the Santa Monica Mountains are outraged that scenic acres of land bought by the Trust for Public Land have sat stagnant for years and turned into an infamous dumping ground. The nearly 1,300 acres of land along Deer Creek Road in Ventura County was acquired by the Trust for Public Land for the Santa Monica Mountains National Reserve almost two years ago, reported the Thousand Oaks Acorn. Since then it has sat untouched and turned into a makeshift landfill where people throw out hundreds of pieces of trash. Video shows empty beer bottles, plastic cups, cardboard boxes and graffiti covering the once immaculate hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 'This is the last of the pristine area of the Santa Monica Mountains. And this is what you see - mattress dumps, construction dump, human feces, and we keep calling and nothing is happening,' one furious resident told ABC7. Residents of the Santa Monica Mountains are outraged that once pristine acres of land have become a dumping ground Video shows empty beer bottles, plastic cups, cardboard boxes and graffiti covering the once immaculate hillside Nearly 1,300 acres of land along Deer Creek Road was acquired by the Trust for Public Land for the Santa Monica Mountains National Reserve have sat still and become an impromptu landfill 'This trash over here, you can see, it was dumped six months ago. It hasn't been removed.' Outraged neighbors, many of whom live in multimillion dollar mansions, said they have complained to the city but nothing has been done. 'The Deer Creek Beach property is a remarkable 1,241-acre expanse of oceanfront hillside with two miles of coastal beachfront along Highway 1, but when Trust for Public Land took over title and temporary stewardship to the Deer Creek Beach property in late 2022, TPL inherited several areas affected by illegal dumping,' Alex Size, TPL Southern California Conservation Director told DailyMail.com. 'In 2023, TPL invested over five-figures to clean up these areas, which involved the removal of a double-wide trailer, multiple abandoned cars, an RV, various trash and what appeared to be an illegal farming operation.' 'In that time, 2023, TPL partnered with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) to become co-owners of the Deer Creek Beach property. Together, TPL and MRCA have been diligently monitoring the property and conducting regular debris removal efforts to maintain the site,' Size said. The local news station captured evidence that showed the remains of a fire, which has many concerned if they are not properly contained could set the whole area ablaze. 'If you'll notice some of the brush is non-indigenous. It catches fire real fast... It's just a matter of moments when somebody throws a cigarette out,' the resident said. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes as wildfire spread outside Los Angeles last week. Neighbors said they have complained to the city but nothing has been done and garbage sits in the area for months at a time The local news station captured evidence someone had started a fire in the area and many are concerned that could lead to the whole neighborhood going up in flames The devastating wildfire, named the Post Fire, ignited on June 15 just 65 miles northwest of LA, and scorched over 14,000 acres. An alarming number of Californians perish from wildfires long after firefighters have tackled the blazes, new research shows. Scientists are sounding the alarm about PM2.5 tiny smoke particles that emanate from wildfires and can travel deep into people's respiratory tracts. Particles from wildfires are among the finest types of pollution in the air, and measure 2.5 microns or less in diameter, according to the California Air Resources Board. Due to their small size roughly one-thirtieth of a human hair they can cause a range of health issues that may not immediately show Police are hunting a gunman after he opened fire on a home with nine people including four children inside. Emergency services rushed to a home on Cabramatta Road in Cabramatta, Sydney's south-west, shortly before 11.45pm following reports the home was peppered with bullets. The gunman, who was inside a white Toyota Corolla which mounted the footpath outside the home, opened fire before fleeing the scene. Five adults and four children who were inside the home escaped uninjured. Police launched an investigation into the incident and declared the home a crime scene. A white Corolla was later found on fire in the neighbouring suburb of Mt Pritchard. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, however the vehicle was destroyed. The gunman opened fire on a home at Cabramatta, in Sydney's south-west There were nine people, including five adults and four children, inside the home Police have launched an urgent manhunt for the gunman after the white Toyota Corolla he was in was found on fire in a neighbouring suburb Investigators confirmed the Corolla was the same vehicle involved in the shooting and is subject to a forensic examination. Police have urged anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. READ MORE: Shocking new footage emerges of teenage altercation that sparked a lockdown Three teenagers have been arrested after an incident at a shopping centre where one of them was allegedly seen brandishing a knife. Police were called to the Westfield shopping centre in Liverpool, in Sydney's southwest, at about 8.40pm on Tuesday after a teen was allegedly spotted with a knife. The teenager was among six others walking through the centre who were then spoken to by police. A 15-year-old boy was searched by officers where a knife was allegedly found. Police were called to the Westfield shopping centre in Liverpool, in Sydney 's southwest, at about 8.40pm on Tuesday after a teen was allegedly spotted with a knife Another 15-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested over alleged breaches of bail. All three teens were taken to Liverpool Police Station. One of the 15-year-olds was charged with custody of a knife in public place. The other two teens were charged with breach of bail, with all three refused bail and due to face the Children's Court on Wednesday. Julian Assange has walked free from court and will soon fly home to Australia after pleading guilty to a single espionage charge. The WikiLeaks founder has just been released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan. However, he is banned from entering the US ever again without permission from American authorities. A plea deal with American prosecutors paved the way for him to return home without fear of arrest after 14 years as a wanted criminal suspect. Assange was wanted for espionage since 2010 after WikiLeaks released thousands of classified US military documents, and for unrelated rape charges in Sweden. Julian Assange has walked free from court and is flying home to Australia after pleading guilty to a single espionage charge The WikiLeaks founder has just been released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan He fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 when he lost his appeal against extradition to Sweden, and spent seven years hiding there until he was kicked out and locked up in a top-security prison since April 2019. Judge Ramona V Manglona accepted his guilty plea and debated whether to fine Assange up to US$150,000 or order probation or supervised release. After discussion with Assange's lawyer Barry Pollack and US Attorney Matthew McKenzie, she decided against either and let him walk out a free man. 'You will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. I hope there will be some peace restored,' Manglona declared. 'Given the factual basis that accounts the whole saga of events that constitutes the basis for this very serious espionage charge against youI am in fact sentencing you to a period of time served,' she said. 'I am not imposing any period of supervised release.' The judge noted that the island was soon to celebrate 80 years of its own freedom. 'Now there is some peace, you need to restore with yourself when you walk out and pursue your life as a free man,' she said. An emotional Assange could barely speak as he said 'I do' after being asked if he understood the details of the agreement. US Attorney Matthew McKenzie then said the US would withdraw its extradition request for Assange in the UK. Assange walks through the doors of the court flanked by lawyers and minders, receiving a huge cheer from his supporters A plea deal with American prosecutors paved the way for him to return home without fear of arrest after 14 years as a wanted criminal suspect Assange stood as the judge wrapped up proceedings and declared the case over. 'With that... Mr Assange its apparently an early happy birthday to you, I understand your birthday is next week. I hope you will start your new life in a positive manner,' she said. Assange moments later walked out of the court to huge cheers from his supporters, giving them a wave but not saying anything before getting into a waiting car. He was driven directly to the airport where he flew out on Flight VJT199, which departed at 1pm on Wednesday, local time. The flight was delayed from its original 12.10pm departure time, likely to accommodate Assange arriving from the courthouse. Assange will land in Canberra, Australia, at 7.39pm local time, where he will be reunited with his wife Stella and two children. The US Justice Department issued a lengthy statement announcing Assange's guilty plea, and revealing he was banned from entering the country. 'Following the imposition of sentence, he will depart the United States for his native Australia. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission,' it said. The WikiLeaks founder wore a suit and tie as he arrived at the US District Court about 8am local time on Wednesday (11pm Tuesday London time, 6pm Tuesday New York time), ahead of the hearing, which began at 9am local time. Local media reported that almost all of the seats in the public gallery of the court, the smallest, youngest and furthest from the capital, have been filled for the case that has been more than a decade in the making. When asked why he believed he had been charged with the crime, he told the court: 'Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information. 'I believe that the First Amendment protected that activity.' 'I believe the First Amendment and the espionage act are in contradiction with each other but I accept that it would difficult to win such a case given all the circumstances.' Assange was wanted for espionage after WikiLeaks released thousands of classified US military documents, and for unrelated rape charges in Sweden He fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2010, where he spent nine years until he was kicked out and locked up in a high-security prison since April 2019 Once he was read the charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US documents, he said he pleaded guilty to the crime. He denied that anyone tried to bribe, intimidate or coerce him into his plea. Assange said he pleaded 'guilty to the information' and said 'yes' when asked by Manglona if he meant he was admitting to the sole charge. 'It is the finding of this court... that the plea of guilty is now accepted. The defendant is found guilty,' Manglona declared. After the judge asked him whether he was satisfied with the proceedings so far, Assange quipped that it would depend on the outcome. His lawyer quickly added: 'No pressure, your honour.' After a 20-minute recess, Manglona began deliberating on Assange's sentence, which could include a one to five year probation, and a fine of US$15,000 to US$150,000. 'It appears this case ends with me here in Saipan,' she said. Assange's lawyers argued he could not afford such a fine, and the plea agreement with the US recommended not imposing a fine. Prosecutors told the judge that they were not seeking any forfeiture from Assange, who spent the last 12 years fighting for his freedom. Assange's journey from London to Saipan, where he faced court, and his scheduled flight to Canberra - the Austrslian capital - after the hearing Assange is taken to the airport in time to catch Flight VJT199 to Canberra, which departed at 1pm on Wednesday, local time The plane carrying Assange to Canberra takes off from Saipan The judge said Assange would be credited the entire 62 months he spent in the high security Belmarsh Prison in the UK after his arrest on April 11, 2019. However, there was discussion about how the entire '14 year ordeal' Assange and his lawyers described would be applied to the sentence. Assange has been a wanted man since 2010 when WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swathes of diplomatic cables. In 2012, as authorities circled him for that and over 'credible and reliable' sex crime allegations from a woman in Sweden, he fled into London's Ecuadorian embassy where he remained for seven years in often farcical circumstances. Ecuador eventually tired of him being there, revoked his asylum, and kicked him out - leading to his immediate arrest and imprisonment in the UK while he fought extradition to the US. The US Government only counts the five years he spent in Belmarsh as being Assange's time served, but his lawyer argued the whole 14 years counted. 'Well stand on the record in this case. This is an unprecedented prosecution [and] I think the court is aware Mr Assange has already suffered significant consequences, including... his time in Belmarsh,' his lawyer said. 'We believe given the guidelines, the lack of criminal history, and the nature of the conduct, that no further incarceration is warranted and time served is appropriate.' Assange waves to the many supporters who cheered for him after he left the courthouse Assange did not say anything before getting into a waiting car outside court Manglona ultimately agreed, but warned she would not have been so lenient if the case was brought before Assange was imprisoned. 'If this case was brought before me some time near 2012, without the benefit of what I know now, that you served a period of imprisonment... in apparently one of the harshest facilities in the UK,' she said. 'Theres another significant fact the government has indicated there is no personal victim here. That tells me the dissemination of this information did not result in any known physical injury. 'These two facts are very relevant. I would say if this was still unknown and closer to [2012] I would not be so inclined to accept this plea agreement before me. 'But its the year 2024,' she said, and noted the seven-year sentence for Chelsea Manning, who leaked the data to WikiLeaks, was relevant. 'It appears your 62 months... was fair and reasonable and proportionate to Ms Mannings actual prison time.' Lawyers of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Barry Pollack and Jennifer Robinson look on, outside United States District Court following a hearing, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Island The 52-year-old's flight, under the call sign VJT199, arrived on the island at 6.14am local time Pollack said outside court after the hearing that WikiLeaks would continue and 'Mr Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government'. He said Assange would not be taking any questions, but gave a statement on his behalf. 'The prosecution of Julian Assange is unprecedented in the 100 years of the espionage act, it has never been used by US to pursue a publisher, a journalist, like Mr Assange,' he said. 'Mr Assange revealed truthful, newsworthy information, including revealing that the United States had committed war crimes. 'He has suffered tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom of the press, and to ensure that the American public and the world community gets truthful and important newsworthy information. 'We firmly believe that Mr Assange never should have been charged under the espionage act and engaged in [an] exercise that journalists engage in everyday and we are thankful that they do. 'It is appropriate for the judge, as she did today, to determine that no additional incarceration of Mr Assange would be fair, appropriate, and it is time for him to be reunited with his family. 'Mr Assange is grateful for all of the support that he has received and looks forward to reuniting with his wife and his children and getting back home to Australia.' The WikiLeaks founder was seen wearing a suit and tie as he entered the US Federal Courthouse at around 8am local time on Wednesday (11pm Tuesday London time, 6pm Tuesday New York time) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has just been released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan Pollack claimed the prosecution of Assange set a 'chilling precedent' and the court determined no harm was caused by him making the documents public. 'We know that they were newsworthy, we know that they were quoted by every major news outlet on the planet and we know that they revealed important information. That is called journalism,' he insisted. 'That is what has a chilling effect the US pursuing journalism as a crime. I hope this is the first and last time this ever occurs.' Jennifer Robinson, another of Assange's lawyers, also insisted her client was doing journalism when he dumped the documents online. 'The US is seeking to exercise extraterrestrial jurisdiction over all of you without giving you constitutional free speech protections, and anyone who cares about free speech and democratic accountability should stand against it,' she said. 'I hope that the fact that we have been able to free Julian Assange today against all of the odds and against one of the most powerful governments in the world will give hope to all journalists and publishers who are imprisoned around the world. 'We encourage everyone who stood to fight for Julian to continue the fight for him, and for all of those others in the hope that we can secure their future freedom too.' Assange walks into the court alongside Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd - who was Australian Prime Minister during the early days of Assange hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy His flight, under the call sign VJT199, arrived on the island at 6.14am local time. After falling out with the South American nation's rulers he was dragged out of his bolthole in 2019 and locked up in Belmarsh while the US attempted to extradite him. But that legal process ended abruptly yesterday, and WikiLeaks broke the news with a post on X reading: 'Julian Assange is free!' In a pre-recorded video filmed outside Belmarsh prison, Assange's wife Stella and WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: 'If you're seeing this, it means he is out.' The move follows his dramatic release from Belmarsh Prison in London, days ahead of his 53rd birthday on July 3, where he has spent five years, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition. Assange will pay half a million US dollars (394,000) for a chartered flight from Stansted, accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, a representative of the Australian government and a medic to check on his health. The United States District Court where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is expected to enter a guilty plea to an espionage charge ahead of his expected release WikiLeaks today said that he is expected to fly to Canberra, Australia, from Saipan WikiLeaks has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the flight, which the Australian government reportedly fronted, according to the Telegraph. Hrafnsson told the Guardian of Assange's flight out from Stansted Airport yesterday at 5pm: 'He was brought into a transport vehicle and put in a tiny box there, where he basically sat for three hours. 'There were up to 40 policemen guarding the outside. There was a helicopter hovering overhead, six police vehicles in a convoy to the airport, when they knew they were driving him basically out of the country in accordance to the agreement that has been drawn up. 'It begs the question: why on earth? What on earth did they envision? That he will abscond on his way to freedom?' Assange's wife Stella said her relief at his release was coupled with anger that he had spent so long in prison. Assange has been a wanted man since 2010 when WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq She said she travelled to Australia with the couple's two young sons Gabriel and Max on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. Speaking from Australia, Mrs Assange told PA: 'It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this. 'Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian.' Mrs Assange said her husband's release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. 'The public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim,' she said. Julian Assange arrives at Saipan international airport for his court hearing pic.twitter.com/usvQTCBlcN Karli Bonne (@KarluskaP) June 25, 2024 Julian Assange is pictured looking out of the window of a plane while approaching Bangkok A plane believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lands at Saipan International Airport after a stopover in Bangkok in Saipan Vehicles in a motorcade believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leave from Saipan International Airport Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed he arrived in Saipan earlier this evening The United States District Court in Saipan where Assange is set to attend his plea hearing 'Things are still very sensitive. Julian is paying for the flight so we will launch a fundraising campaign.' She had a video call with her husband from Sydney, showing him pictures of the Opera House. Mrs Assange revealed her husband left Belmarsh in the early hours of Monday and spent several hours at Stansted before his flight left. In a High Court order, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Assange left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after the plea agreement was signed on June 19. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is pictured approaching Bangkok Airport on a private jet following his release from Belmarsh prison Assange's plane preparing to depart from Don Mueang International Airport Assange's flight takes off from Bangkok for the six hour flight to Saipan The judges added that it was 'anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request'. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a bail hearing for Assange was held in private on June 20. Details of the hearing have been shrouded in secrecy, with the CPS refusing to provide further information and court listings staff having no knowledge of it, and unable to find any record of it taking place. But it has since established the hearing took place at 4pm at Westminster Magistrates' Court before the chief magistrate, senior district judge Paul Goldspring, who took a judicial decision for this to take place behind closed doors under Criminal Procedure Rules and the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This means, at present, no further information on the contents of the hearing can be made public. Assange pictured in Stansted Airport in prior to his departure from the UK on Monday Julian Assange pictured stepping off of his private jet in Bangkok John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: 'This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPS's extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. 'This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely.' Simon Crowther, Amnesty International's legal adviser, said: 'We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. 'The fight to protect freedom of expression continues, though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage.' In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning 'after having spent 1,901 days there'. The statement continued: 'He ... was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. 'This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. 'This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised.' But while Assange's allies claimed this was a victory for press freedom, sources told the Telegraph the Biden administration simply 'threw in the towel' as it did not believe a Labour government would extradite him. Geoffrey Robertson KC, the WikiLeaks founder's former legal advisor who once mentored Sir Keir Starmer when he was a young barrister, told the newspaper that US prosecutors simply believed they 'couldn't rely on' Labour to deliver on the extradition they've fought for for years. 'Even if America was successful, it would depend on the government of the day as to whether he was actually extradited. 'I think they have thrown in the towel because they know, as everyone else knows, that we are going to have a Starmer government next week and they couldn't rely on a Labour government to put him on a plane. 'So they have reached this deal that allows him to get time served.' Video posted to X by WikiLeaks showed Assange, seated and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, discussing the text on a sheet of paper. He is then shown walking up steps onto a Vista Jet aircraft. Assange left HMP Belmarsh in London and flew out of the country on a flight from Stansted at 5pm on Monday Assange has been detained in one of the UK's most high-security prisons since April 2019. He is pictured here in May 2019 Speaking about Assange's release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nation's parliament on Tuesday 'we want him brought home to Australia'. He said: 'I've been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as Prime Minister, that - regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities - the case has dragged on for too long. 'There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.' Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces 'have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome', which he took up early in his role after being elected Prime Minister in 2022. He added: 'I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time.' The WikiLeaks statement also thanked 'all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom'. It said: 'After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. 'WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. 'As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian's freedom is our freedom.' In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: 'Julian is free!!!! 'Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.' Stella Assange (pictured) said it has been a 'whirlwind of emotions' but that she is 'elated' that her husband could be a free man On Tuesday morning, Stella shared an image on X of her husband video-calling her from Stansted airport on Monday Stella Assange, Julian Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton and WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief Kirstinn Hrafnsson take part in a march from the Royal Courts of Justice to Downing Street, 21 Feb 2024 Assange's father John Shipton said he felt 'elated' at hearing the news of his son's dramatic journey from the UK and that his release had 'lifted a huge burden' from his family. He said recent court hearings in the UK had given him hope that the 'tide was turning' in his son's favour, as well as increasing pressure from the Australian government. Speaking from Australia, he said he hoped his son will spend time 'walking along beaches and listening to birds' in the next few weeks and months. 'Doing cartwheels is a good expression of the joy that one feels that Julian is [returning] home,' he said. Assange's mother, Christine Assange, told Australia's Sky News that she is 'grateful' her son's ordeal is 'finally coming to an end'. She said: 'This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my son's situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hardworking people who put Julian's welfare first. The artwork 'Anything to say?' by Italian artist Davide Dormino portraying Edward Snowden (L), Julian Assange (R) and Chelsea Manning (R), is displayed in the Piazza Dante in Naples, Italy, 01 June 2024 Julian Assange, the 40-year-old WikiLeaks founder, arrives at the Supreme Court in London, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. After falling out with the South American nation's rulers he was dragged out of his bolthole in 2019 and locked up in Belmarsh while the US attempted to extradite him 'The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy.' Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh Prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and 'oppressive' risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assange's extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judge's dismissal of parts of his case. More to follow. A doctor who drove his kids off a cliff in a failed murder-suicide bid during a mental health episode will not stand trial. Dharmesh Patel, 42, pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his wife Neha and their two children, aged 4 and 7, on January 2. The deranged father intentionally drove their Tesla off a 330ft cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway in Devil's Slide in San Mateo, California. His hospitalized family allegedly told paramedics, 'he tried to kill us', but his wife later begged authorities to let him come home. Judge Susan Jakubowski agreed to this request due to his actions being caused by a mental health episode, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office said. Dharmesh Patel, 42, drove his wife Neha and two kids, aged 4 and 7, off a cliff in a failed murder-suicide bid during a mental health episode on January 2 Patel was charged with attempted murder. He is seen arriving at San Mateo County Superior Court on May 10 'Weighing all factors, the court determined the defendant was suitable and granted the defense request for mental health diversion,' judge Jakubowski ruled. She told San Mateo County Superior Court that Patel's major depressive disorder 'has the required nexus to the criminal conduct', after hearing from psychologists. Patel must follow a strict two-year treatment plan by a team of psychologists led by James Armontrout, director of the Stanford Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship, to avoid criminal prosecution. He and will stay in jail several more weeks as a 'bridging period' and then be released to live with his parents in Belmont. Patel must stay under house arrest for two months except for treatment and court dates, and every move he makes will be tracked by an ankle monitor. He must appear in court every week for progress reports and be tested twice a week 'to show medication compliance' with his treatment plan. He will be banned form drinking alcohol or taking any drugs, must surrender his driver's license and passport, and cannot drive or possess weapons. Patel will face court on July 1 to iron out the details of his release and treatment plan. Psychologists testified Patel appeared increasingly delusional in the days before the crash, culminating in a one-time psychotic episode. The wreckage of the Tesla is pictured at the bottom of the cliff The wreckage of the Tesla at the bottom of the cliff. His family survived the crash with barely a scratch The court heard Patel said he drove his children off the cliff because he feared they would be sex-trafficked. He was spiraling into a psychotic break with worries about Russias invasion of Ukraine, the fentanyl crisis, child sex trafficking, and Jeffrey Epstein. Neha said he often sent her news articles about those topics and struggled to sleep at night. 'It was paranoid and kind of delusional thinking that he acted on at the time to protect his family from a worse fate,' expert witness Dr Mark Patterson told the court. 'He was concerned that his children were at risk of being kidnapped, possibly for sexual molestation There were concerns surrounding the explosion of fentanyl in this country and the war in Ukraine.' The psychologist said Patel's psychosis peaked in the days before the car crash, adding that he had been hearing footsteps and thought he was followed. Patterson said he believed the 42-year-old was qualified for treatment under the mental health diversion law. 'I see him as someone who is very motivated and amenable to treatment,' he said. He stopped having delusions while being held without bail at the San Mateo County jail, Patterson testified, adding, 'he still feels a lot of remorse'. Lawyers have argued the Mental Health Diversion will address all of his issues, receiving intensive outpatient treatment from a mental health team that will report back to the court on a weekly basis Several of his relatives arrive in court on May 10 for the last of three hearings to determine whether Patel should be admitted into a program. Pictured, l to r: Patel's sister, his wife's dad, his his sister-in-law, and wife's mom, with his brother in the back Patel's wife begged for his release - stressing that she and her children 'need him in our life.' As Patel's attorney made their case, members his wife's family sat in to show their support. 'Mr Patel is a good man,' Patel's attorney, Joshua Bentley, said during a hearing on May 10 - the last of three to determine whether Patel should be admitted into a program that would have all of his criminal charges dismissed. He acknowledged the 'incredibly serious' nature of the charges, but stressed Patel was a perfect candidate for the program. The medical treatment would entail group and individual therapy sessions, as well as sessions with a psychotherapist. The psychologist was one of several to diagnose Patel with major depressive disorder in the wake the crash near Half Moon Bay, after which every member of the family survived but were left seriously injured. While making his argument, Bentley produced 47 letters of support portrayed as signs that Patel was 'beloved by his community', as Patel's parents and siblings and members of his wife's family sat in court offering support. Patel's sister is seen at left, along with his wife's mother and father, outside court last month The two years of treatment would be presided over by team of psychologists led by James Armontrout, director of the Stanford Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Under the plan, Patel would spend at least two months in an intensive outpatient program at El Camino Health, a non-profit hospital with 420 beds in scenic Mountain View. He would also attend weekly therapy sessions with at least two clinicians while being allowed back home, on the condition he be outfitted with a GPS monitoring device and largely barred from leaving San Mateo County. He would also be barred from practicing medicine, as well as driving. Prosecutors, who charged Dharmesh Patel with three counts of attempted murder, argued the two-year program would leave both his family and the community in danger from a man who long masked his symptoms and showed a reluctance to take antipsychotic medication. Patel's parents and siblings, and members of his wife's family sat in court offering Patel support, as the judge weighed his fate. 'As his wife and two children were plunging form that cliff, what is most frightening is that nobody saw this coming,' Deputy District Attorney Dominique Davis told San Mateo Superior Court Judge Jakubowski during proceedings in Redwood City. She said the risk of releasing him was the 'total annihilation of his entire family'. In June last year, the doctor was banned from practicing medicine after being called 'an alarming danger to the public,' by the medical board First, he would spend at least two months in an intensive outpatient program at El Camino Health, a non-profit hospital with 420 beds in Mountain View. It has a 41 acre campus Two months after the near-fatal crash, while in jail awaiting prosecution, 'he was already asking why he had to take medications all the time', Davis added. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe aired similar arguments. Bentley, sitting beside his client who was wearing red prison fatigues and sandals with both hands cuffed, acknowledged that there is 'no question this is an incredibly serious case, that the charges are very, very serious, that the actions are very, very serious'. But Bentley said his client had no criminal history and described him as a loving family man. After calling Patel 'a good man,' Bentley further asserted: 'This was not him. This was 100 percent a mental health episode.' He said doctors only later discovered he suffers major depressive disorder with psychotic features, which 'came on quick' and that 'nobody saw coming.' During earlier hearings, experts who met with Patel said he had been hearing footsteps and thought he was being followed in the weeks before the crash, San Francisco Chronicle reported. Patel, 42, accused of purposefully driving his Tesla off the Devil Slide's cliff thought he was protecting his family, one psychologist testified - as the defense attempts to paint the incident as a onetime ordeal But the prosecution cited its own expert who diagnosed him a more severe schizoaffective disorder, which can be treated with psychotropics. They said that despite being described by his family as generally even-keeled and stable, he'd expressed paranoid, delusional thoughts for over a year, obsessing over the war in Ukraine, the fentanyl crisis, and concerns that his children would be sex trafficked. After his arrest, he initially talked about having a flat tire and said the car skidded out of control on a narrow road, and only started discussing mental issues when speaking with a doctor for the defense. Bentley said the Mental Health Diversion will address all of his issues, receiving intensive outpatient treatment from a mental health team that will report back to the court on a weekly basis. 'He has been in remission for over a year,' Bentley tried to assure the judge. The prosecutor countered that Patel has a history of being 'unreliable in reporting symptoms,' and tells people 'whatever he thinks will help him at the time.' Patel's wife blamed the crash on 'a mental health episode beyond understanding.' Dharmesh Patel (pictured in February 2023) stands in an orange jumpsuit in a San Mateo County courtroom In court last month, his wife begged prosecutors to drop the charges in favor of the diversion program. 'We need him in our life,' she said, before blaming the crash on 'a mental health episode beyond any of our understanding or control,' Mercury News reported. She also promised that 'things will be different' if her husband is allowed to return home to their family. Patel's wife said his return will not only 'restore him back to himself, but it will restore the health and wellness of our entire family.' Emphasizing the importance of the 'health and safety' of her family, she said that she 'will not hesitate to seek help when needed.' 'We need we need him in our life,' Patel's wife added. 'We're not a family without him.' Heathrow Airport has been left in chaos after an IT allocation failure in British Airways' systems last night left passengers stranded on planes and facing hours of delays collecting their luggage. The UK's busiest airport revealed passengers travelling from Terminal 5 'may be impacted' by the failure in BA's Allocation systems, adding that no other airline has been affected. Video from the Terminal last night showed massive queues of stricken travellers forming across the airport, as passengers struggle to correctly find their luggage. Footage from inside the transport hub showed enormous queues forming outside BA's baggage claim area in the terminal, as well as the customer assistance desk in the arrivals' area. And as the problems dragged on into this morning customers unleashed their fury as they shared horror stories about trying to calm children having panic attacks and waiting for hours, with one branding the UK a 'third world country'. Earlier tonight, British Airways sent a text to affected passengers that read: 'We're sorry to inform you that, due to a technical issue with our baggage allocation system at Heathrow, we can't guarantee that your bags will have travelled with you on your flight today.' Are YOU stranded in Heathrow? Email lettice.bromovsky@mailonline.co.uk The UK's most popular airport said tonight on X that passengers travelling from Terminal 5 'may be impacted' by the failure in BA's Allocation systems Video from the Terminal taken tonight shows massive queues forming across the airport, as passengers struggle to correctly find their luggage The airline continued, saying that it had sent out emails with further information to passengers. Heathrow added that it is supporting the airline with their technical issue. They are advising passengers to check with BA before travelling to the airport. They said that passengers in their flagship Terminal 5 may be impacted by the faults. One passenger told MailOnline that she had been waiting for two hours at Heathrow as she returned from her wedding and honeymoon - but other passengers had been around for much longer. She said that their delays are ongoing, with as many as 30 flights of people packing the baggage halls. The beleaguered bride said: 'I am returning from my wedding/honeymoon with my Husband. A less than fabulous end to what is meant to be a trip of a lifetime. 'BA cancelled our flights home yesterday with 1.5 hours notice. They tried to put us on a six hour flight via Madrid but we refused this. 'We re-booked onto a flight this evening which was delayed two hours. Now two hours waiting in baggage claim without clear timeline or communication on when things will be resolved. Staff here are trying their best and it's clearly not their fault. One passenger, Izzy Dixon, told MailOnline that she had been waiting for two hours at Heathrow as she returned from her wedding and honeymoon - but other passengers had been around for a lot longer. Pictured: The scene in Heathrow Brits returning from dream holidays have been left stranded in Heathrow as they wait for their bags to be delivered Sharing a photo of an empty desk, she added that there has been: 'No customer service beyond two poor ladies dealing with lots of angry customers!' 'Long time flyer with BA and use them as a more 'premium' carrier to avoid the classic air carrier tropes but clearly huge issues systematically with their customer support, staffing levels and IT systems.' Sharing a photo of an empty desk, she added that there has been: 'No customer service beyond two poor ladies dealing with lots of angry customers'. Despite Heathrow's claims that no other airline has been affected by BA's IT failure, analysis of FlightRadar data showed that almost all the flights that departed from Heathrow this evening were delayed significantly, with many being cancelled outright. Just 11 out of the 174 flights that were due to leave the airport since 6pm tonight left on time, data showed. And as they were forced to wait, passengers were left furious with the delay. One took to Twitter to say: 'Shambles at Heathrow Airport, no bags arriving. No info just told to go home. but need the bag for a wedding tomorrow and you're telling me 48 hours for by bag!!! NO INFO' Another social media user called the situation 'disgraceful.' Phil Beck added that he had been waiting for his flight for more than four hours. He said: '8pm flight from Aberdeen to LHR tonight. It's now past midnight. I'm waiting for bags at Heathrow that may never come. Third world airline in a third world country.' And Rob, who is stuck coming back from Spain, said: 'My family have been stuck on a plane that landed from Madrid 90mins ago. Absolute disgrace. 'My daughter is having a panic attack and the pilot is not being given any updates.' Another passenger begged BA: 'Can you please get my and hundreds of other passengers' bags delivered to us in Nice from London Heathrow? Why did absolutely no bags make it onto our flight?' A Heathrow spokesperson said: 'We are supporting British Airways with a technical issue with their Allocation System. 'We advise passengers to check with BA before travelling to the airport. BA passengers in Terminals 5 may be impacted, and are advised to contact BA for assistance. 'No other airline is impacted.' A BA spokesperson has said: 'We've apologised to those customers who were unable to travel with their luggage due to a temporary technical fault that was outside of our control. 'This issue has been resolved and we've brought in additional colleagues to support our teams in getting bags back to our customers as quickly as possible.' The severe delays come just a day after a ground vehicle caught on fire by a BA place parked at Heathrow's Terminal 5. A former sub-postmistress who was sent to jail while pregnant during the Post Office IT scandal broke down yesterday after a Horizon engineer who had testified against her said he was 'truly sorry'. Seema Misra wept as she refused to accept Gareth Jenkins's apology, saying it had come too late 14 years after she was wrongly convicted of stealing 70,000 from her branch. Mr Jenkins, 72, was giving evidence to the public inquiry into the scandal, which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted based on faulty financial records from the Horizon software system. The engineer, who helped to design Horizon but denies he was its 'chief architect', said Mrs Misra's conviction was 'tragic' and apologised to her and her family. However, he added that the prosecutions had been conducted 'in panic mode' and claimed the Post Office and its lawyers 'tried to put words into my mouth'. Former sub-postmistress Seema Misra, who was sent to jail while pregnant, wept as she refused to accept expert witness Gareth Jenkins's apology, saying it had come too late 14 years after she was wrongly convicted of stealing 70,000 from her branch Mr Jenkins, 72, who helped to design Horizon but denies he was its 'chief architect', said Mrs Misra's conviction was 'tragic' and apologised to her and her family He mounted an astonishing defence of Horizon, despite growing evidence that bugs and errors in the software led to one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history. Mr Jenkins said he did not accept a High Court judge's finding that the system was 'not remotely robust'. He acknowledged it had 'discrete bugs' that had caused accounting flaws, but said they were 'well controlled and managed at the time'. The Cambridge graduate told the inquiry the bugs 'could cause discrepancies in branch accounts but not at the sort of levels that are being talked about'. Mr Jenkins, from Berkshire, is under police investigation for perjury in relation to the scandal and was reminded at the start of his evidence that he did not have to answer questions if he felt he would incriminate himself. In a written witness statement, he said he had wanted to give evidence because of the impact of the scandal on sub-postmasters. Mr Jenkins agreed he oversaw the part of the software that produced accounts for sub-postmasters to sign off on. The pair gave evidence to the public inquiry into the scandal, which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted based on faulty financial records from the Horizon software system When flaws in the system suggested that tens of thousands of pounds had gone missing from branch accounts, he was approached by the Post Office to give evidence in prosecutions as an expert witness. Mr Jenkins told the inquiry he had not understood that expert witnesses had a legal duty to disclose evidence to the court, which in his case would have included evidence about a bug that had affected dozens of branch accounts. This was not disclosed. He said he assumed that lawyers for the Post Office 'were acting properly and professionally and with the legal knowledge and insight that I did not have'. Mrs Misra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, Surrey, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2010 and put on suicide watch after collapsing in court. She started her term while pregnant and served four-and-a-half months before giving birth wearing an electronic tag. Her conviction was overturned in 2021. Mrs Misra said Mr Jenkins should have apologised 'ages ago'. Fighting back tears, she added: 'Nothing is going to change what they put me through.' Mr Jenkins worked at International Computers Limited, which became Fujitsu, throughout his career from 1973 to his retirement in 2015. His evidence continues. Former pilot Greg Lynn was on trial for murder Critical pieces of evidence for the prosecution were ruled out before the trial, but former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was still found guilty on one of two murder charges. It can now be revealed the case against Lynn hit a major hurdle after a judge agreed Victorian detectives had ignored his legal rights over the suspected murders of secret lover campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Lynn, 57, was today found guilty in the Supreme Court of Victoria of murdering Ms Clay - but not guilty of murdering Mr Hill. Lynn had been behind bars since November 2021 when Special Operations Group officers arrested him near Arbuckle Junction in Victoria's rugged mountain wilderness. The prosecution case was thrown into turmoil months ago when Justice Michael Croucher ruled out Lynn's epic four-day police record of interview on the grounds it had been illegally obtained. Daily Mail Australia can now reveal police had made some mistakes from the start, leaving the crime scene under a tarp for nearly a month before the Missing Persons Unit even took over the case. Police had been duped into thinking the couple had either been lost in the bush or vanished to elope, allowing the initial crime scene where the couple's burnt campsite was found to be repeatedly disturbed. Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn is taken away from court in handcuffs after he was found guilty of the murder of Carol Clay, but not guilty of Russell Hill's Carol Clay and Russell Hill had been camping secretly in the Victorian wilderness when they went missing THE INTERVIEW The shattered remains of Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73 were only located after Lynn directed detectives to their location in remote bushland in Wongungarra. Detectives had missed Lynn's return trip to the area to destroy what was left of the bodies in November 2020 despite him being their only suspect. A statement he made to detectives in July that year was also dumped for the trial. While Lynn strategically allowed the jury to see sections of his official interview, the majority of it was dumped along with a swag of evidence the court ruled had been illegally obtained from it. What the jury did see was a small portion of video of Lynn providing police with the very same story they had repeatedly heard in court since the trial opened in May. What they weren't told is that the section of interview they saw only came after Lynn had denied any wrongdoing for the previous three days. The Crown case against Lynn had much riding on his record of interview to Victoria Police's Missing Persons Squad detectives Brett Florence and Daniel Passingham. The two seasoned detectives had grilled Lynn at Sale Police Station for days despite his repeated attempts to follow his lawyer's advice and offer 'no comment' answers. At its conclusion, the officers had fired-off 3,000 questions over a gruelling nine hours and 18 minutes conducted under bitterly cold conditions. During secret pre-trial hearings in October and November, the court heard Sergeant Florence and Leading Senior Constable Passingham would stop at nothing until Lynn told them what they wanted to hear. The hearings were held to ascertain what could and could not be put to a jury at Lynn's murder trial, which had been scheduled to begin in February. During secret pre-trial hearings, the two officers were grilled by both the Office of Public Prosecutions' barrister John Dickie and Lynn's top silk Dermot Dann, KC. Greg Lynn enters the court during the last day of his trial last week Police initially believed Russell Hill's camp site (pictured) had been destroyed by a faulty mobile phone charger and the pair had vanished to elope in secret Police released an image of what they claimed to be Greg Lynn driving away from the murder scene EVIDENCE DUMPED FROM TRIAL A search of Greg Lynn's home turned up a treasure trove of deadly weapons. The jury never heard a word about them. a) 1x .45 Automatic 'Shooters Arms' model 1911A1 Semi-Automatic Pistol with 10x Magazines b) 1x .45 Long Colt Calibre 'Ruger' Model New Vaquera 6 Shot Revolver S/N 513-33691 c) 1x .45 long Colt Calibre 'Ruger' Model New Vaquera 6 Shot Revolver S/N 513-33920 d) 1x 308 Winchester Calibre 'Oceania Precision' Model SP25-TAC Semi-Automatic Rifle S/N SPT00038 and 1 Magazine e) 1x 12 Gauge 'Barathrum Arms' Model S/P 12 Semi-Automatic Shotgun S/N FXF2839 f) 1x 12 Gauge ER 'Amantino' Model A-680 (Boito) Side by Side Shotgun S/N C873299-18 g) 1x 357 Magnum Calibre 'Chiappa Arms' Lever Action Rifle S/N 16E03954 h) 1x 45 Long Colt Winchester Lever Action Rifle i) Numerous metal cases containing ammunition of various calibres Advertisement The court heard the officers made no secret of their desire to locate the bodies of the missing campers, which stirred the ire of Justice Croucher more than once. 'On reflection, do you think you might have ridden roughshod over those rights?' Justice Croucher asked Senior Constable Passingham. 'Absolutely,' came the response. Justice Croucher had been stunned by what he would later rule to be a violation of Lynn's legal rights at the hands of the two detectives. 'I've no doubt that you, as dedicated police officers, were doing your best to try and solve this missing persons matter. To find what you think, at that point, are the bodies and that's your job. I understand that,' Justice Croucher told the policeman. 'But you do understand, don't you, that an accused person in custody has rights too?' When asked similar questions by the respected judge, Sergeant Florence too struggled to provide adequate answers, 'At no point was I trying to undermine his rights, some of my questions may appear that way,' the detective said. The court heard Lynn had been allowed a brief conversation with a Victorian Legal Aid lawyer before sitting down to conduct what he believed would be a short interview. 'I just feel like you're allowing your lawyer to dictate your desire,' Sergeant Florence told Lynn. 'But it's just like, this is you. It's just like she's telling you just you might as well just tell lies.' Sergeant Florence conceded he should have phrased some of his questions 'a lot better'. 'But my whole purpose at that point was, as I've said, it was recovery of those bodies,' he told the judge. Greg Lynn and his wife Melanie. The court heard she 'cackled like a hyena' upon seeing a car on 60 Minutes that turned out to be her husband's. It was another fact the jury was never presented Melanie Lynn had been a flight attendant. She attended everyday of her husband's trial, waving and blowing him kisses HOW PROSECUTION ALMOST HAD JURY DISCHARGED Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann KC savaged Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, whom Mr Dann compared to the bumbling fictional Inspector Clouseau. Behind the scenes, Mr Dann contemplated having the jury discharged after he counted 25 breaches of the rules of evidence during his closing address. 'The state of play is that we've counted 25 items that weren't put to Mr Lynn. '(We'll) tally them all up and see what our position is, whether we ask for a discharge of the jury or we don't. 'But if we don't, we'd be making it clear and going through the list that each time it's done, it's a breach of the rule it's broken the rule. ' When Mr Dann gave his closing address, he described the prosecution as 'half-baked, bumbling and a disgrace'. 'But objectively, where you just have zero confidence in any submission they've made to you,' he told the jury. 'You wouldn't be confident buying a used car, given the conduct from these people, given the conduct of this case, the way it's been presented.' Advertisement Mr Dann had been scathing of the officers' behaviour, demanding they both admit what they did to Lynn had been outright wrong. 'You must have realised you must have realised when you asked that question, that it was wrong, it was inappropriate. You must have realised that at the time?' Mr Dann put to Senior Constable Passingham. 'Yep, it's not a very well phrased ... expression at all,' the detective responded. 'It's nothing to do with phraseology. It's completely wrong to suggest that his lawyer, "Is it's like she's telling you tell lies". That's just completely wrong, isn't it?' Mr Dann continued. 'I've said that,' came the response. The court heard the detectives had used tactics against Lynn designed to make him talk despite his legal advice to remain silent - something referred to in police circles as the 'peace method'. 'You're just trying to pump up his tyres, you know, "You can overcome this"... "you can get through this, start answering questions, you'll overcome this problem". That's what that tactic is, isn't it?' Mr Dann asked. 'Yeah, it's again an effort to get his side of the story,' Senior Constable Passingham said. The court heard the detective had laid on the 'mates tactic' so hard, he at one stage suggested he and Lynn go camping together. 'You might be able to come camping with me. I'll show you how to go stalking, deer hunting, you understand?' Senior Constable Passingham told Lynn. 'I don't hate you. I'd be quite happy to go camping with you, sitting around the campfire, but I don't drink light beer.' Sergeant Florence (left) and Leading Senior Constable Passingham leave court after a preliminary hearing in January 2023. Top Melbourne barrister Dermot Dann, KC, fought to have Greg Lynn's record of interview scrapped When Mr Dann accused Senior Constable Passingham of doing anything possible to stop Lynn from responding with 'no comment' answers, the detective did not disagree. 'I suppose so,' he said. Lynn had been arrested amid fears he was about to commit suicide on the mountain. Police had been listening to him for months via devices in his car, phone and home. But when taken into custody, he was not even seen to by a doctor after enduring the four-day interrogation. Lynn's interview had piqued the interest of Australia's legal minds as it dragged on into its fourth day without any charges being laid. Australian Lawyers Alliance Victorian representative Robert Starry said in his 40 years of criminal law practice he couldn't remember a suspect being held for that long in Victoria. 'It's unusual to arrest someone and hold them for so long in custody. The question is whether it's reasonable to hold him for so long, and the only people that can answer that are the police involved and the people advising him,' he told The Age at the time. Greg Lynn was subjected to a flawed investigation that 'trounced' his legal rights, but was found guilty of one murder The shotgun used to shoot Carol Clay A vintage Ghurkha Kukri Knife similar to that owned by Greg Lynn No closure for Russell Hill's family The not guilty verdict will come as tragic news to the family of Mr Hill, who will now likely never see someone convicted over his death. Lynn had maintained his innocence throughout his years in custody, maintaining he acted in self defence against a rampaging Mr Hill, who the jury heard accidentally shot his lover in a struggle with Lynn. Lynn claimed Mr Hill died moments later after he came at him with a knife, falling on the blade and stabbing himself in the chest. In January 2023, Sergeant Florence told Daily Mail Australia he had worked tirelessly on the case since it landed on his desk in April 2020 - just weeks after the lovers vanished. He had just endured his first grilling by Mr Dann over the Lynn interview during a preliminary committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. Mr Dann is regarded as one of Australia's best criminal barristers and has been defending accused crooks for almost as long as Sergeant Florence has been locking them up. The KC has represented everyone from 'Australia's most hated man' Richard Pusey to wife killer Borce Ristevski. It can now be revealed Sergeant Florence knew his case was in trouble from the moment Mr Dann took on the case, but he maintained his job was to find the missing bodies. 'I sleep okay at night knowing that,' he said then. Russell Hill's daughters Debbie and Colleen said they were unable to properly grieve for their father without knowing what happened to him TIMELINE OF DEATHS * March 19, 2020: Russell Hill, 74, leaves his Drouin home and picks up Carol Clay, 73, from her Pakenham home * March 20, 2020: Mr Hill makes a call via high frequency radio saying he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps. It is the last time anyone hears from either of the pair * March 21, 2020: Campers find Mr Hill's fire-damaged Toyota Landcruiser at their campsite near Dry River Creek Track * March 26, 2020: When Mr Hill planned to leave the region * March 28 to 29, 2020: When Ms Clay told friends she expected to return * March 30, 2020: Police make public appeal for information amid search * April 6, 2020: Initial search called off * March 5, 2021: Police appeal for information about 'mystery vehicle', described as a 'white dual cab ute' seen in the area * March 9, 2021: Drone handed into police ruled out as Mr Hill's * April 4, 2021: Cadaver dogs join search at Wonnangatta Valley * April 14, 2021: Two shovels found near the Great Alpine Rd at Mount Hotham, about 100km drive from where the campers went missing * November 8, 2021: Image released of blue four-wheel drive seen in the area * November 22, 2021: Police arrest 55-year-old man from Caroline Springs * November 25, 2021: The 55-year-old man is charged with two counts of murder * November 30, 2021: Police find human remains during search for missing campers Advertisement Lynn's barrister claimed Sergeant Florence had botched the investigation from the get-go, beginning with a statement Lynn made to him just months after the campers went missing. Under the law, a person suspected of committing a crime must be issued with a caution before answering any questions police might have for them. But Sergeant Florence claimed Lynn had been merely a 'person of interest' and not a real suspect. During that first interview, Sergeant Florence had noted Lynn had painted his car brown since it passed by CCTV cameras in the mountains a distinct blue colour. Recordings of conversations Lynn had with the detectives after his arrest were also scrapped, as was the contents of evidence obtained by police from a search on his property. When the matter moved to the Supreme Court in September, Justice Croucher made it clear he had concerns about the prosecution case. 'I should have thought, and I'll be told if I'm wrong, that if you succeeded with all of the arguments that you've put, or at least most of them in your defence response... I should have thought that would be the end of the Crown case. But is there something I'm missing?' he asked Mr Dann then. 'That's not for me to speak of really,' Mr Dann responded. 'But that's how I see it, yes.' Campers' final moments On the day police believed they died, Mr Hill and Ms Clay had visited a graveyard in the remote wilderness and buzzed other campers with a drone. Weed sprayer Robert Williams told the trial he believed he had seen Mr Hill in the wilderness in the days before he was allegedly murdered. He described Mr Hill as a 'grumpy old bugger' who later buzzed him with a drone. 'I was getting droned out,' he told police. Mr Williams said he saw the drone hovering over other people's campsites, which he believed were being filmed. Carol Clay and Russell Hill had been secret lovers for years Greg Lynn's car went from white, to blue to brown over a number of years Four police blunders that damaged the case 1: Police pretended Lynn wasn't a real suspect when they interviewed him at his home months before his actual arrest 2: They arrested Lynn due to mental health concerns but then failed to provide any health checks on him at the station 3: Justice Croucher ruled police obtained an interview 'improperly and illegally as a result of failures by police'. 'Before any questioning commenced, [police failed] to caution Mr Lynn and advise him of his right to contact a legal practitioner when they were required to do so, and... I am not satisfied that the desirability of admitting the evidence outweighs the undesirability of admitting the evidence in the way it was obtained,' he said. 4. The ruling meant any 'consequential evidence ' obtained from that interview was also struck out, including a swag of deadly weapons found at Lynn's house Advertisement Mr Hill had taken a drone with him on the trip, but it has never been found. The court heard deer poachers were known to hunt in the area, with gunshots routinely echoing through the night. Campers Damir Javor and Goran Miljkovic had seen the couple as they parked their vehicle at a camp site believed to be shared by Lynn. He described the move as 'strange' given there was plenty of room for them to park elsewhere. What happened next is only known by Lynn. Secret relationship The pair had been carrying out a secret affair for years behind the back of Mr Hill's wife Robyn, who described Ms Clay as a 'long-time family friend'. While detectives probed the couple's relationship, it was quickly ruled out as a likely reason for their mysterious disappearance. Mr Hill's Toyota four-wheel-drive had been found by local police next to his burnt-out tent, but the pair were gone without a trace. The vehicle itself had also sustained damage in the fire, but was still able to be driven away from the scene. At the time, police had believed the fire was probably started by a dodgy phone charger and that the couple had simply been lost in the forest. Victorians were about to be placed into a COVID-19 lockdown that would continue for months on end. Map of how Russell Hill and Carol Clay are believed to have met their fate Mr Hill's use of a drone in the remote wilderness may have got him killed. Forensic experts were only able to identify one bone belonging to him Mr Hill had left his Drouin home on March 19 for a camping trip along the Dargo River in Victoria's northeast and planned to leave the region on March 26. Ms Clay, meanwhile, had told friends she was going away for a few days and expected to be home by March 28 or 29. Mr Hill had been a keen amateur radio enthusiast and made his last broadcast from the bush in the days before his disappearance. Police initially believed that perhaps the couple had died after Mr Hill lost his drone in the bush and the pair tried to retrieve it. Mr Hill had been a seasoned camper and avid outdoors-man who wasn't known to wander too far from where he set up his campsite. Ms Clay's belongings were found in the locked Toyota, which was partially burnt, and her car was later found at her Pakenham home. Mrs Hill had no idea police were treating her husband's disappearance as a murder until her daughter saw it on TV. In April 2020, Mr Hill's shattered wife of 50 years had lost all hope that he would return home and had started packing up his belongings. 'I don't think that he will still be alive,' she said from the couple's Drouin home at the time. 'He's always been on the radio. He didn't call for quite a few days and then I started to get worried and thought "I've got to do something now".' Mrs Hill said her husband would routinely broadcast at the same time every night when his other radio chums were on the air. 'They all get on at the same time and once I heard Russell I knew, on the Friday, that he was fine. But then I didn't hear him again,' she said. When the parents of Greg Lynn's estranged ex-wife heard she was dead, her mother immediately suspected it was his fault, court documents have revealed. Lisa Lynn was found dead in October 1999 after consuming a lethal cocktail of booze and sleeping tablets. It was information that was not before the Supreme Court of Victoria jury that on Tuesday acquitted Lynn of the murder of Russell Hill, but found him guilty of the murder of Carol Clay. The two secret lovers pitched a tent near Lynn when they died in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, on March 20, 2020. There is no suggestion that the explosive information about Lisa Lynn could have led to a guilty verdict in Hill's case, if admitted before the jury, or that Lynn was responsible for the death of his ex-wife. Daily Mail Australia can now reveal shocking allegations made against Lynn by the parents of his first wife and mother of his two children while living in Mount Macedon, north-west of Melbourne. It was information provided by the prosecution to Justice Michael Croucher after Lynn's barrister suggested he was going to call witnesses that would give evidence backing his client's 'good character'. 'Before their separation, Lisa had told me that Greg had been making very serious death threats against her and that these continued through to her death,' Lisa's father told the coroner in a statement withheld from the trial. Lisa Lynn lived in fear of her ex-husband Greg Lynn and ultimately took her own life, according to court documents. The information was not before the Victoria Supreme Court jury 'Greg had been verbally abusing Lisa since their marriage began. Lisa kept a diary from the day Greg left their marriage. The diary details the abusive phone calls and death threats and verbal abuse to their children made by Greg.' In a series of statements provided to Coroner Graeme Johnstone at the time, Lynn's alleged torment of his ex-wife was revealed. Lisa had left no suicide note and had not indicated to anyone that she might have been suicidal. During pre-trial argument in the Supreme Court, it was revealed Lynn was found not responsible for his ex-wife's death, with the coroner ruling it a suicide. Greg Lynn was accused of murdering two elderly campers Coroner heard Greg Lynn admitted to being violent toward his ex-wife Lisa Lynn WHAT THE CORONER FOUND Coroner Graeme Johnstone said Lisa Lynn was believed to have been deeply depressed at the time of her death. However, the Coroner was left with outstanding questions over whether she had intended to take her own life or not. Forensic doctors later revealed her blood alcohol content was a whopping 0.2 - more than three times the legal limit to drive a car. They also found traces of antidepressants in her system. Lisa was found in the foetal position out the front of the family's home in Macedon, north-west of Melbourne, while the couple's two children, aged one and three, were asleep inside. Advertisement The Coroners Court heard Lynn accepted via unsigned statements he had been violent toward his ex-wife including breaking into the family home, stealing keys and taking the car. In court documents provided to the Coroner's Court, Lisa's father, who was not named in court, claimed he had become aware of Lynn's verbal abuse against his daughter since the marriage began. 'I'm also aware... of the abuse and the fact that Greg broke into the house and took the car, leaving Lisa with two children and no form of transport,' he told the coroner. 'He refused to bring the car back and he left her with no money.' Lisa's dad told the coroner Lynn had bullied and intimidated her after the breakdown of their marriage. 'I know from speaking to Lisa that she was not prepared to press charges against Greg for fear of repercussions. 'She took his threats very seriously. She was absolutely petrified and lived in terror,' he claimed. Lisa's mother, who would travel from Tasmania to help her struggling daughter, painted an even more disturbing portrait of her former son-in-law while giving evidence, including accusations of animal cruelty, violence and 'bizarre' behaviour. 'In addition to not gaining any support from Greg, he would subject her to physical and mental abuse on a regular basis,' she told the coroner. 'These events happened too frequently to remember, specifically but things like losing his temper for no reason and blaming Lisa for anything that went wrong. 'He then would yell and throw things at her and push her around. I felt very uncomfortable when these events occurred because I was not inclined to interfere and Lisa would plead with me not to interfere.' Greg Lynn was described in the Coroner's Court as acting bizarre and allegedly killed helpless animals Carol Clay and Russell Hill died in the remote Victorian wilderness. Lynn was found guilty of Clay's murder, but not Hill's Greg Lynn remarried Melanie Lynn, who stood by him during his Supreme Court of Victoria trial Lisa's mum told the coroner her daughter told her any interference from her would result in further pain and misery at home. 'Greg's behaviour in general would be described as bizarre. In my opinion, he has a warped mind,' she told the coroner. 'He has done things in the past like killing animals and a neighbour's pet, refusing to feed the children when he was supposed to be looking after them and on one occasion, he exploded into a fit of uncontrollable rage when we went for dinner at the Macedon Hotel.' Lisa's mum told the court Lynn verbally attacked a man in the bar after he made the mistake of speaking to Lisa. He then flew into a 'rage' at his then wife after leaving the hotel, she told the coroner. 'The only thing that I would like to add is that as far as I'm concerned, Greg is responsible for my daughter's death by mental torture inflicted by him,' Lisa's mum told the court. 'I know that she was living in absolute fear of Greg. I accept from what (I'm told) regarding the circumstances in which she died that she was alone on the night. 'Greg was not there however her actions were a culmination of the fear and terror that she lived under.' The court heard Lisa had kept a detailed journal and diary of her fractured relationship with Lynn. Lynn's defence chose not to present any 'good character' evidence to the jury. Lynn will face court at a future date for a pre-sentencing hearing over Clay's murder. When Carol Clay rekindled her relationship with childhood sweetheart Russell Hill she believed fate had decided they ought to be together. So when the couple vanished in the Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Alpine region in March 2020, those closest to the couple believed it possible they had faked their own disappearance to live their best lives together a world away. In reality, their fates were sealed the moment they made the mistake of pitching their tent next to former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, who was found guilty in the Supreme Court of Victoria of Clay's murder - but not guilty of Hill's. Lynn was found guilty of Carol Clay's murder, and not guilty of Russell Hill's. They were in a secret relationship Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn pleaded not guilty to murdering the elderly campers. He was found guilty of Clay's murder, but not Hill, on Tuesday In closing the prosecution case, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu glanced over the relevance of the elderly couple's secret relationship and whether it did or did not contribute to their deaths. Lynn's own barrister Dermott Dann, KC later told the jury: 'It's not irrelevant.' The former pilot claimed Ms Clay was dressed in her pyjamas when Mr Hill made the mistake of stealing his shotgun from the back seat of his Nissan Patrol. He told the court the ensuing fight for control of the weapon led to the deaths of the elderly couple. Lynn told police he had turned up his stereo to annoy Mr Hill after a previous confrontation about his drone. 'He's trying to have fun in bed and I was playing the music up loud and he's lost his temper,' Lynn said. During the trial, Mr Hill's long suffering wife Robyn Hill explained what she knew about her husband's sordid relationship with his mistress. Part of that story delved into Mr Hill's own personal struggles with depression. She told the jury Mr Hill came to be placed on anti-depressants after an incident in the mid 1970s in the bush where he worked in the logging industry. 'I'd have to say when he did go to hospital he had a very enlarged penis and it wouldn't go down and that was part of the depression apparently,' she told the jury. The court heard Mr Hill remained on and off anti-depressants in the years that followed up to the day he was allegedly murdered. Robyn Hill fronted the Supreme Court of Victoria where she was grilled about her husband's secret life Russell Hill was about 187cms tall and weighed about 93kgs at the time of his death Ms Hill told the court her husband had long lied about his relationship with Ms Clay, who Lynn claimed was shot by Mr Hill in a tragic accident before he died by falling on a knife in the following struggle. The jury heard Mr Hill was Ms Clay's first boyfriend, but they had hooked-up again in the early 2000s. Ms Hill told the court she and her husband would go on holidays to Phillip Island with Ms Clay and her then husband oblivious to their secret relationship. She told the court she had known Ms Clay as long as her husband, who had told her Ms Clay was her first cousin. It was a lie Ms Hill only learned after she observed Mr Hill and Ms Clay behaving in 'strange ways', such as going on walks together on those trips away. The secret relationship was finally brought to a head when a neighbour of the Hills threatened to expose Mr Hill's behaviour to his wife. The court heard Mr Hill confessed to the relationship, but assured his wife he would end the affair immediately - a lie he maintained up until his alleged murder. Ms Hill said she believed her husband was alone when he set off on his final camping trip into the bush. The jury heard Mr Hill had told his entire family he would be alone. The court heard Ms Hill had bought her husband a fresh box of anti-depressants along with cans of bourbon and coke and a bottle of Bundaberg rum for the trip. Greg Lynn claims Russell Hill attempted to steal his shotgun when he was forced to intervene in what became a deadly struggle Police later found a label for the erectile dysfunction pill Viagra belonging to Mr Hill in the bathroom bin of Ms Clay. Ms Hill broke down in tears as she recalled how her husband continued to lie about his relationship with Ms Clay. Ms Hill said her husband enjoyed sitting by the campfire at night enjoying a few drinks. She told the court she had married him in 1969 and initially lived in Lilydale before moving to a flat in Nayook, east of Melbourne. Mr Hill had worked his life in the logging industry, where he hauled logs out of the bush with a bulldozer. He had helped make some of the very tracks he last drove upon in the Wonnangatta Valley where he died. Ms Hill said she too would camp with her husband in the same rugged areas where he took Ms Clay. 'When Debbie was very small we used to camp in a caravan up there around Christmas because he'd be putting tracks in,' she said. Robyn Hill and her daughter Debbie both gave evidence during the trial Ms Hill had lived with him in Drouin, in Melbourne's south-east, at the time of his death. The court heard Mr Hill had taken up flying a drone during retirement where he liked to get an aerial view of the landscape below. She also spoke of his love for amateur radio and how he would talk to friends on it everyday. The court heard she briefly listened in on radio calls Mr Hill made in the two days before he died. 'A lot of the time I didn't listen to all that because it was just men's business,' she said. Ms Hill said her husband appeared jovial before heading out on what would be his final adventure. 'He was happy because he liked going up there. It's a lovely place,' she said. Mr Hill's daughter Debbie Hill told the jury she knew of her father's relationship with Ms Clay 'a long time ago'. Like her mother, she remembered her father telling her he would end the relationship in the mid-2000s. Images obtained by police upon the initial search for the missing campers A witness has claimed Greg Lynn was camped in the area circled. Mr Hill's vehicle was found about 30 metres from the river displayed The Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's Alpine region, where Russell Hill and Carol Clay were allegedly murdered Mr Dann told the jury the couple's relationship remained an enigma to many of those who knew them. 'He'd been living a double life for a long, long time,' Mr Dann said. He told the jury Mr Hill, who was described as a tall and fit man, was likely drunk and agitated when Lynn claimed he stole his shotgun. 'It was late at night. We say the inference is that Mr Hill was fuelled by alcohol,' Mr Dann said. 'He'd only been there a couple of nights or one night before. He's got the alcohol. He's in the tent with Ms Clay and he's got this person playing this loud music.' Mr Dann reminded the jury about what Lynn told police about what he thought the couple were up to when he annoyed them that night. 'Mr Lynn says in his record of interview he thought they were having fun in bed. Now, is he making that up? Is he just making that up for the sake of it?' Mr Dann said. 'It coincides with (what another witness) said that was his impression of the relationship. It was an intimate relationship. 'We have again to support Mr Lynn's account, not that he could know, possibly know anything about this, we have the Viagra records that (a police officer) saw the prescription in the bin, obviously a recent prescription. 'There's some lighting still on at their campsite so they're not asleep for the evening.' On Tuesday, a jury could not conclude beyond reasonable doubt Lynn murdered Mr Hill, but found him guilty of killing Ms Clay. Lynn's family thought it 'comical' when seeing his 4WD on TV His wife Melanie Lynn had no idea of his secret life The wife of former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was notably absent from court when a jury found him guilty of murder. Hand-in-hand with Lynn's son Geordie - from the now convicted killer's ill-fated first marriage - Melanie Lynn had been a constant beacon of support throughout her husband's six week trial. Day after day the flight attendant would march past the waiting media pack to take her seat within courtroom three of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Ms Lynn would blow kisses at her shackled husband as he entered the courtroom and wave at him furiously from the top tier. Towards the end of the trial, Ms Lynn and Geordie sat themselves directly in front of Lynn, who sat in the prison dock just metres from them both. But on Tuesday, as the verdict sealing Lynn's fate was announced, only Geordie braved the packed courtroom. Alone, he was forced to face the media horde that descended upon him as he left the Supreme Court. The jury heard Ms Lynn and her stepsons had no idea Lynn had been living a secret double life directly under their noses until police charged him with two murders. Melanie Lynn was not in court as her husband was found guilty of murder Greg Lynn leaves the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne on Thursday Melanie Lynn and son Geordie attend court together during Greg Lynn's trial Lynn, 57, was on Tuesday found not guilty of the murder of Russell Hill, 74, but guilty of murdering Carol Clay, 73. He had managed to convince his family he had nothing to do with the camper mystery, which the jury heard had been the subject of widespread media reports for more than a year before the pilot's arrest. When a car matching the description of Lynn's was shown on 60 Minutes, the court heard his wife couldn't contain her laughter such was the similarity. 'She's cackling like a hyena, it might be said,' Justice Michael Croucher observed while the jury was safely tucked away. The audio had been captured on secret police listening devices in Lynn's Caroline Springs home and was never played to the jury. Wrapped in a doona within the ice-cold interview room of the Sale police station, in Victoria's Gippsland region, Lynn told detectives his wife was clueless about what he had been up to since his fateful run-in with the elderly campers. While Lynn had always denied murdering the couple, the jury repeatedly heard he freely admitted to cleaning up the alleged crime scene and destroying the evidence. When Lynn was arrested in November 2021 in Victoria's rugged wilderness, his wife was caught completely by surprise. Geordie Lynn navigates past reporters outside the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Tuesday Greg Lynn used a roller and ordinary house paint to disguise his Nissan Patrol 'The car in the images did look a lot like my car,' Lynn explained to the jury while in the witness box. 'It, um, it was my car. My family still didn't believe that it was my car. Um, they thought that was quite comical that it looked so familiar. 'But it certainly did look like my car and removing the awning made it look less.' Video of Lynn removing his 4WD's awning was also played to the jury. It showed Lynn pull into the driveway of his home with a gas tank before returning to remove the distinct awning that was attached to the vehicle in the image shown on 60 Minutes. Lynn had already gone to the effort to change the colour of his vehicle and sell the trailer that featured on the program. An image shown to the jury captured Lynn using an ordinary roller to paint his vehicle in June 2020 - just months after police allege he murdered the campers. His wife had taken the supposed happy snap later used in evidence against him. 'Well, she's seen me paint it many times before,' Lynn told police during his record of interview. Lynn said he used Dulux Metal Shield to perform the paint job, with a 'sandbank' colour he had previously bought for the intention of painting his Jayco Hawk campervan. 'So, you know, "Oh, here he goes again, he's painting his car",' Lynn told police. At the time, Lynn had been stood down from his job as a pilot due to the first of many Covid lockdowns. Melanie Lynn makes her way into the Supreme Court of Victoria past a waiting camera man Greg Lynn removed the awning from his car after watching a 60 Minutes report that featured his 4WD Melanie Lynn had been a flight attendant when her husband allegedly killed the campers Lynn told police his wife had been preoccupied with Victoria's first lockdown when he returned from his fateful trip into the wilderness. 'When I came back from that one, the whole world was just falling apart. Yeah. That was on Sunday,' he told police. 'I'd spoken to her on the Saturday, and she told me, "Greg, the whole country is going into lockdown, this is absolute pandemonium". 'I said, "I could tell something was up, 'cause of all the cars just driving every which way".' Lynn told police his wife was more worried about obtaining basic supplies during the Covid lockdown than what he had been up to out in the bush. 'And she said, "You can't buy toilet paper, you can't buy cleaning stuff 'cause the stores are just empty",' Lynn said. 'When I arrived, she took me to the refrigerator, and she had up there a Covid plan that she'd taken from the paper, and spent the whole afternoon telling me what I missed the past week as the world was unravelling. 'So that was how that day was spent - she didn't ask anything about my trip.' Taking to the witness box, Lynn told the jury he still hadn't talked to his family about what went on in the wilderness. Geordie, Melanie and Elliott Lynn enter court on May 16 Carol Clay was shot in the head. What happened to Russell Hill is only known by Greg Lynn, who claims he fell on his own knife during a struggle An image of Lynn's vehicle as it appeared on 60 Minutes. Police already knew who it belonged to and were listening to Lynn on secret recording devices He claimed he did not tell his wife out of fear of making her an accessory to the crime of destroying evidence. 'I lied to my wife,' Lynn said. 'It would be involving her in a problem that was nothing to do with her... I lied to my wife to protect her... If I told her, then she would then be involved in it.' Lynn told the jury he had been placed into financial difficulty by the Covid-19 lockdowns directly after the alleged murders. 'At that time I was living with my wife and we still had a mortgage on our house. She had part-time work as a flight attendant, which is not well-paid, and it would have caused severe financial hardship for us, for I still had two boys living at home at that stage; one in high school,' Lynn said. At the time of his arrest, Lynn had been working as a pilot for 36 years. 'I picked asparagus once during one period of unemployment,' Lynn claimed. 'I've been retrenched several times and I've done menial jobs. I worked as a river guide once in Tasmania, but I have no formal qualifications for anything.' Lynn maintained the campers died as a result of a tragic accident, claiming Mr Hill shot Ms Clay dead before falling on his own knife moments later in a deadly struggle. The jury didn't believe him. As Japan's first piece of Western-made jewellery, the the Meiji Tiara could well get an outing this week. Because on Saturday, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Empress Masako arrived in Britain for a state visit that formally begins today. And although Empress Masako came wearing a pearl necklace and similar earrings, she has a host of imperial jewels that she could call on for tonight's State Banquet. There is the Meiji Tiara, the Pearl Sunburst Parure and a host of other majestic jewels. What will have definitely stayed at home are the Imperial Regalia, which are perhaps the most mysterious royal jewels in the world. Read on below to find out more. On Sunday, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Empress Masako arrived in Britain for a state visit that formally begins today. And although Empress Masako came wearing a pearl necklace and similar earrings, she has a host of imperial jewels that she could call on The Imperial Regalia The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword. The regalia are so mysterious that not even Japanese monarchs have seen them in person - they are kept in boxes that are never opened. Legend has it that the Three Sacred Treasures (Sanshu-no-Jingi) were brought to earth by the Shinto god Ninigi-no-Mikoto, who was grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu and a forefather of Emperor Jimmu - Japan's legendary first emperor. He is said to have been sent by his grandmother to bring peace to Japan. Respectively representing wisdom, benevolence and valour, the objects are kept in three different locations. The jewel and the sword are brought to the enthronement of a new emperor, who has no imperial crown. The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword respectively representing wisdom, benevolence and valour; and kept in three different locations. The Imperial Regalia comprises of a mirror, a jewel and a sword. The regalia are so mysterious that not even Japanese monarchs have seen them in person - they are kept in boxes that are never opened Yata no Kagami, the sacred mirror, is kept at the Ise Grand Shrine in Mie on the main island of Honshu. The most highly guarded, the original is thought to have been destroyed in a fire in 1040. Yasakani no Magatama is thought to be the only remaining object from the original regalia. As its name suggests, the jewel is a green jade in the shape of a magatama - a prehistoric bead. It is kept at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The sword, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, is an 800-year-old replica of an original that is thought to have been lost at sea in the 1100s. It is kept in the Atsuta Shrine in Aichi, Honshu. The Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara The Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara is, in my opinion, the most spectacular of the tiaras. Set solely with diamonds and designed around the Imperial Seal of Japan, it is only worn by the Empress. Empress Michiko wears the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara, with a pair of matching earrings, (and a spectacular diamond riviere necklace) at the Guildhall, London, alongside the Duchess of Gloucester during a visit to the UK in 1998 Empress Nagako of Japan wears the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara alongside her husband, Emperor Hirohito, 1975 The tiara was made for Empress Teimei in 1917 by jewellers Mikimoto, the firm famous for creating cultured pearls. It is set with thousands of diamonds and incorporates several chrysanthemum brooches between sprays of diamond leaves. Former Empress Michiko - who since 2019 has been the Dowager Empress of Japan - often wore this tiara, particularly on state visits at home and abroad. Meiji Tiara Although Japan may have the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world, between 1192 and 1867 the real rulers of Japan were shoguns of a military dictatorship. Until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, under Emperor Meiji, the emperors of Japan were puppets controlled by the shogunate and were not allowed to leave Kyoto. Empress Masako waved to the crowds during his enthronement parade from the Imperial Palace to the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo in 2019 Empress Masako will most likely wear this tiara during the State Visit at the end of the month The country was feudal and isolated, meaning no Western influence permitted. That included art, music, clothes and of course jewels. When power was restored to the Imperial Throne in 1868, Western clothes started appearing - particularly within the aristocracy, as did jewellery. In 1885 the Emperor commissioned from French jeweller Chaumet an exquisite tiara for his wife, the Empress Haruko. What became known as the Meiji Tiara was the Imperial family's first piece of Western jewellery. With elaborate scroll work, its diamond-set design is typical of the era. The tiara's height can be raised by attaching nine round brilliant diamonds, or nine diamond-set stars along the top. It is possibly the most important of the jewels in the vaults and also only worn by the current Empress. Empress Masako will most likely wear this tiara this week, perhaps at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace. The Pearl Sunburst Parure In 1959, Prince Akihito married Michiko Shoda and for her wedding, the new Crown Princess received several exceptional parures - sets of matching jewels. The then Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako arrive at the Imperial Palace to attend a state dinner put on for the visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, 2014. Masako was wearing the Pearl Sunburst Parure The Parure comprises of a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. Above: Masako in the Parure at the state dinner Japanese Empress Michiko and Crown Princess Masako during a state dinner at the Imperial Palace for the Dutch King and Queen in Tokyo, Japan, October 2014 The Pearl Sunburst Parure comprises of a tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. Its design is mostly Art Deco, with the sun's rays created with channel-set diamonds. After every fourth 'ray' is a line of round diamonds topped with a pearl. This design is repeated in the necklace in a mirror image of the tiara. Here the pearls are suspended from the round diamonds. The brooch repeats many of the stylistic elements of the pearl and diamond settings. The Honeysuckle Tiara In 1937 Prince and Princess Chichibu represented the Imperial Family at the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The princess, who was born in Surrey in 1909, wore her Honeysuckle Tiara. It is similar in design to Queen Mary's tiara of the same name. The flower had been popular in jewellery designs since the early 1800s. In 1937 Prince and Princess Chichibu represented the Imperial Family at the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The princess, who was born in Surrey in 1909, wore her Honeysuckle Tiara. Above: Princess Chichibu wears the tiara and her gown for King George VI's Coronation, 1937 Empress Michiko of Japan wearing the Honeysuckle Tiara at the tercentenary birthday celebrations for Carl Linnaeus in Sweden, 2007 Queen Mary wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara in 1930. The Japanese version is of similar design King Carl Gustaf of Sweden with Empress Michiko of Japan during her visit to his country in 2007 The Japanese version is delicately designed with pave set diamond honeysuckles interspersed by pave loops. In each loop is a vertical line of four diamonds: a pear-shape, a cushion-cut and two small rounds. The Princess left the tiara to her nephew Emperor Akihito in 1995, when it became one of Empress Michiko's favourites. Diamond parure on 20th birthday When imperial princesses turn 20 years old, they each receive a diamond parure. They will then wear the sets at all state banquets, including the one for New Year's Eve. When princesses get married these jewels are returned to the palace jewellery vaults. Princess Mako of Akishino received a five piece parure by Tokyo-based jeweller Wako in 2011. She it wore for her official visit to the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor and Empress as a 'working princess'. However when she controversially married lawyer Kei Komuro in 2021, she lost her Imperial status - and her parure. The 20th birthday present for her younger sister, Princess Kako, was made by Mikimoto. Japan's former Princess Mako had to hand back the Wako Parure set when she married Kei Komuro in 2021 and lost her Imperial status. Above: Mako wearing the set in 2011 Advertisement King Charles and Queen Camilla have greeted Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako as they embark on a three-day state visit to the UK. The Japanese ruler has received a ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade with a carriage ride up the Mall before a state banquet tonight at Buckingham Palace. Prince William is among the royals who will meet the Emperor later but the Princess Royal will be absent from the banquet after she was admitted to hospital with injuries caused by a horse at her home on the Gatcombe Park estate. Our live coverage has now ended but for a full recap see below A Russian-linked gang has allegedly hacked the US Federal Reserve and is threatening to release America's backing secrets if they don't receive a ransom. The group, known as LockBit, warned that it will expose '33 terabytes of juicy banking information' if their demands are not met by 4:27pm ET today. The ransom amount is unknown, but LockBit shared a statement on the dark web that suggested a 'negotiator' offered it $50,000 - which was allegedly refused. The Federal Reserve has not commented on the alleged hack, but previously stated that 'a cyber event could be extremely damaging.' A Russian-linked gang has allegedly hacked the US Federal Reserve and is threatening to release America's backing secrets if they don't receive a ransom The group, known as LockBit , warned that it will expose '33 terabytes of juicy banking information' if their demands are not met by 4:27pm ET today The timing of the alleged attack could also cause far greater implications, Carlos Perez, the Director of Security Intelligence at TrustedSec, told DailyMail.com. 'This happening in an election year and given the ties of these groups to Russian intelligence agencies, one cannot ignore that any data leaked may be tampered and not be accurate, allowing for fear, uncertainty and doubt to be spread as part of a influence operation,' Perez warned. DailyMail.com has been in contacted with the Federal Reserve, but the central bank has refused to provide comments on the claims. LockBit revealed the central bank had become its latest victim on Monday evening, sharing a statement on the dark web with a countdown until it releases the supposed stolen data. 'Federal banking is the term for the way the Federal Reserve of the United States distributes its money,' reads the announcement. The Reserve operates twelve banking districts around the country that oversee money distribution within their respective districts. 'The twelve cities which are home to the Reserve Banks are Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta, Dallas, Saint Louis, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco.' '33 terabytes of juicy banking information containing Americans' banking secrets. You better hire another negotiator within 48 hours, and fire this clinical idiot who values Americans' bank secrecy at $50,000.' For comparison, 6.5 million documents can be stored on one terabyte. 'What caught my eye was a reference to negotiations,' Alex Holden, the founder and chief information security officer of Hold Security, LLC told DailyMail.com. Holden said he has personally dealt with a number of ransomware negotiations and the gang's response 'suggests that Federal Reserve is not only aware of the situation but that they actually have a negotiator representing them.' 'This is not a first time when a ransomware gang publicly shames negotiators over their approach,' he continued. The Federal Reserve oversees the country's monetary policy and regulates banks and financial infrastructure. A cyberattack of this magnitude could leave citizens vulnerable to identity theft relating to their social security and bank account numbers and other personal information. If the information is released, any misinterpretation in market reports could cause stock values to crash and be leveraged by competing banks, both within the US and internationally. 'This information may even be altered causing further panic and damage,' Perez said. However, other experts have suggested that LockBits claims are empty threats. Cybersecurity analyst and security researcher Dominic Alvieri, who regularly reports on ransomware groups, said there's 'no proof' that the gang hacked the Federal Reserve, adding that LockBit is 'probably just blowing off steam.' Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, told the Daily Dot that 'LockBit's claim was likely complete and utter nonsense, and a tactic designed to get its ailing RaaS [Ransomware-as-a-Service] back into the limelight.' The US Department of State unmasked the leader of LockBit in May, offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to Dmitry Khoroshev's arrest. Pictured: Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev While other cybersecurity experts stated that if the Federal Reserve was hacked 'it would be DEFCON2' and officials would need to be more concerned about a drone strike. 'For now, the time is ticking down for us to find out the impact of this event or if it is a hoax,' Holden said. LockBit has carried out attacks on more than 2,500 victims worldwide since 2020, 1,800 in the US alone, which earned them as much as $150 million in total ransom. LockBit is a 'double extortion' gang that not only encrypts user data but threatens to release it if their ransom demands, which can run in the millions, are not met. The alleged attack comes after LockBit previously staged an attack on Boeing mere days after it carried out a cyberattack on the US Treasury in November. LockBit claimed to have obtained 'a tremendous amount' of sensitive data from Boeing in October and warned it would release the information if the aerospace giant didn't pay a ransom by November 2. A Boeing spokesperson told DailyMail.com at the time that 'elements of Boeing's parts and distribution business' were impacted by the cyberattack and the hackers had released the information. 'We've seen back-to-back attacks against a massive defense contractor and a massive financial institution. It's concerning,' Callow told DailyMail.com at the time. 'Sooner or later, an attack will impact something totally critical and cause a serious meltdown,' he added. The US Department of State finally unmasked LockBit's leader in May, identifying him as 31-year-old Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev. The revelation came after the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) seized and shut down the cybercriminal's site in February 'which represents one of the most prolific ransomware variants across the globe,' FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said. In a report last year, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro called the group 'one of the most professional organized criminal gangs in the criminal underground.' In sci-fi films like Alien, humanoid robots are so lifelike that it's almost impossible to tell them from a real person. Now, scientists in Japan are on their way to creating real-life versions of these realistic machines. The experts from the University of Tokyo have created a robotic face out of lab-grown human skin. Creepy video shows the bizarre pink creation attempting a cheesy smile. According to the scientists, robots with real skin not only have an 'increasingly lifelike appearance' but could heal themselves if damaged. Creepy: Experts made special perforations in a robot face, which helped a layer of skin take hold In sci-fi films like Alien, humanoid robots are so realistic that it's almost impossible to tell them from a real human - at least until you see their innards. Pictured, Ian Holm as Ash in 'Alien' (1979) The research has been led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo and detailed in a new study in Cell Reports Physical Science. Professor Takeuchi's lab has already created mini robots that walk using biological muscle tissue, 3D printed lab-grown meat and engineered skin that can heal. 'We managed to replicate human appearance to some extent by creating a face with the same surface material and structure as humans,' said Professor Takeuchi. The 'engineered skin tissue' is made by taking a sample of human skin cells and growing them in the lab similar to how cultured meat is developed. Study co-author Michio Kawai at Harvard University told MailOnline: 'These human skin cells are mainly harvested from excess skin obtained during surgeries. 'Cultured skin has the same composition as human skin and is also used as a graft material for people with severe burns or injuries.' The engineered skin tissue and the way it adheres to the underlying complex structure of the robots features were inspired by skin ligaments in human tissues Creepy new video shows the bizarre pink creation attempting a cheesy smile. The silicone layer is pulled at the corners of the mouth by external mechanical actuators While engineering living skin from cell cultures has its own challenges, the trickiest bit was getting the skin to attach to a robotic face, made of acrylic-based resin. Previous methods involved mini anchors or hooks, but these limited the kinds of surfaces that could receive skin coatings and could cause damage during motion. So instead, the team used a special collagen gel for adhesion and made special perforations in their robot face, helping the layer of lab-grown skin take hold. By carefully engineering small perforations, essentially any shape of surface can have skin applied to it, they say. Although there's a long way to go until talking humanoids that look just like us, Professor Takeuchi and colleagues believe living skin can bring a range of new abilities to robots. There's still a long way to go before robots look like those in the Alien franchise, set mainly in the 21st and 24th centuries. Pictured, Lance Henriksen as Bishop in 'Aliens' (1986) Robots with skin on their face boast self-healing abilities, embedded sensing capabilities and an 'increasingly lifelike appearance'. 'This research introduces an approach to adhere and actuate skin equivalents with perforation-type anchors, potentially contributing to advancements in biohybrid robotics,' they say in their paper. 'Unlike other self-healing materials, which require heat or pressure to trigger adhesion at cut surfaces, skin equivalent can regenerate defects through cellular proliferation without any triggers.' The next challenge will be is creating a range of humanlike expressions by integrating sophisticated actuators, akin to muscles, inside the robot. A uranium mine has dumped nine million gallons of toxic water out of the shaft near Arizona's Grand Canyon since opening last year, a new study has revealed. Pinyon Plain Mine, located 10 miles from the park, claimed its project would not contaminate the pristine landscape when it began operations in December 2023. But a new investigation revealed Monday found high levels of uranium, arsenic and lead in an evaporation pond at the site that feeds into others - potentially contaminating local drinking water used by thousands. Grand Canyon Trust, a non-profit dedicated to safeguarding the park, discovered lead levels were 812 times the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit, arsenic levels were 243 times the limit and uranium levels were six times the limit. The chemicals in the evaporation pond could potentially seep into the ground water that feeds into the park's aquifer springs, the Grand Canyon Trust claimed. However, Pinyon Plain Mine has pumped 66 million gallons of toxic water the pond since 2016. Environmentalists argue that uranium mining contaminates groundwater and pollutes the air Energy Fuels, the mine's owner, claimed there isn't drinking water for the mine to impact, the report found that the mine's contaminated floodwater can seep from one aquifer to another, ultimately polluting the local drinking water. When Energy Fuels proposed the mine, 'at first, they promised they wouldn't strike groundwater,' Amber Reimondo, the energy director for Grand Canyon Trust told DailyMail.com. 'That evolved over time, and they said maybe they'd hit a little bit of water. 'Then they said a drill test showed that layers of the mine were going to be saturated with water. 'But we've never seen them acknowledge that the story changed.' Energy Fuels had pitched the project in 1986 as being a dry mine, which manually removes ore from the site and extracts uranium at a nearby conventional mill. An environmental report submitted by the mining company that year claimed: 'The possibility of significant ground water contamination from the mine is remote. 'Ground water flows, if they exist, are likely to be at least 1,000 feet below the lower extremities of the mine. 'This, plus the low potential for encountering groundwater in the mine, effectively eliminates the possibility of contaminating the Redwall-Muav aquifer.' While Energy Fuels told DailyMail.com that 'there have been no accidents, or anything unexpected.' The Center for Biological Diversity found the company pierced the Coconino Aquifer in 2016, flooding the shaft with groundwater and causing the water pumped from the mine to spike to 1.4 million gallons from 151,000 gallons the previous year. The increase was due to groundwater coming into the shaft, combined with the water being pumped out. That amount has increased to nine million in 2023 and 66 million gallons overall since 2013. 'Nine million gallons over the course of a year is not much, and 66 million total gallons over the course of eight years is not much either,' Curtis Moore, SVP of Marketing and Corporate Development at Energy Fuels, which owns the mine, told DailyMail.com. He called the reports shared by the Grand Canyon Trust 'hysterical nonsense, on the part of the wackos.' Grand Canyon Trust's report pulled publicly available data from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality's publicly available data. 'The Grand Canyon Trust is just twisting the data on things we are required to report to our regulators which is all publicly available,' Moore said. 'We are required to provide monitoring data to the State of Arizona on water quantity and quality at the mine.' Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that has been mined and used for its chemical properties for over a thousand years. The US was the world's leading producer from 1953 to 1980 when the government offered incentives to discover the mineral in American soil. It is now primarily used as fuel for nuclear reactors that make electricity, but how the process is done can pose health and ecological hazards. Since 2016, the mining company has continuously pumped toxic water out of the mine shaft that contains dangerous levels of arsenic, lead and uranium far exceeding levels considered safe for drinking. 'Everything being reported is completely expected and planned by us and our state and federal regulators, and being done in the normal course of mining. There have been no accidents, or anything unexpected,' Moore said. Grand Canyon Trust reported that Pinyon Plain Mine's water contained uranium that was six times the maximum contaminant level considered safe for drinking - while lead was 243 times the allowed amount and arsenic was 812 times the limit The official data showed that uranium in the mine's water increased by 150 percent in 2023, but the major jump was arsenic which increased by 4,700 percent since 2022 and lead rose by 8,100 percent. The EPA's screening limit for lead is 200 parts per million, uranium is 30 micrograms per liter and the maximum arsenic contaminant level is 10 parts per billion. 'Yes, there are high levels of various metals completely expected because it is (you know) a mine,' Moore said. 'Would anyone drink untreated water directly from any mine, not just a uranium? No way. 'You need to mention that the levels of those metals exceed EPA drinking water limits, which is no cause for concern in the least.' Although the mine sits roughly six miles from the Redwall-Muav Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to locals, the faults and fractures in the rock allow the contaminated water to trickle down from the upper Kaibab and Coconino Aquifers to the natural spring, claimed Dr. Laura Crossey, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of New Mexico. Crossey conducted a study in February, which looked how the Grand Canyon's aquifers were connected to the surrounding faults to transport groundwater and found the aquifers feed water into each other. 'What this demonstrates is that this whole time, they're exposing uranium ore to water and increasing the likelihood that contaminated water finds its way out of the mine because you're increasing the amount of contaminants in the water,' Reimondo said. The Canyon Plain Mine opened in December and extends across 17 acres Energy Fuels previously told DailyMail.com that 'there is no 'radioactive waste' from uranium mining at the mine, nor is there any drinking water to impact.' 'According to a recent interview with scientist Dr Crossey, there are so many faults and fractures in the rock in the region that it's just not realistic to say water can't migrate downward,' a Grand Canyon Trust spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'The importance of the faults is that they provide a vertical pathway for water to move to seek a lower level because ultimately, water is searching for sea level,' Crossey said in an interview on Monday. Energy Fuels senior associate Sam Stookesberry previously told DailyMailc.com that the reports are nothing more than 'fear-mongering' and a 'coordinated scare campaign being waged by activists.' However, after studying the natural tracers of the rock, Crossey found that 'there is a risk of downward migration through faults' within less than 10 years. 'The more mineralized rock that is exposed during mining operations, the greater long-term risk emerges that contaminated groundwater could find its way into surrounding aquifers, especially when the mine closes and the company is no longer present to manage the inflow of water,' Reimondo said. 'The mine is depleting precious groundwater and the risks to vital water sources, especially for the Havasupai Tribe, are poorly understood. This is the wrong place for a uranium mine,' she added. The company has previously denied accusations that the mine will contaminate springs, calling them 'unscientific' and claiming people should not be concerned about the effect the mine will have on the environment. 'There is no 'radioactive waste' from uranium mining at the mine, nor is there any drinking water to impact,' Moore claimed in January. The Grand Canyon hosts 1.3 percent of the U.S.' uranium reserves 'Despite the unscientific claims of the anti-nuclear NGOs, there is truly nothing to be concerned about from this small, low-impact mine,' he added. Reimondo warned that 'the biggest risk is when the mine stops operating' the groundwater will still be exposed to the dangerous minerals inside the abandoned mine space. '[Energy Fuels] will say they'll plug off the groundwater that flows into the hole, but that's impossible,' she continued, clarifying that water will always find a way to seep into the faults and fissures in the surrounding rocks. 'When that happens, they won't be there anymore to actively pump groundwater out, so the water will flow through the exposed rock and become more contaminated over time.' Even if the Pinyon Plain Mine closed tomorrow, the contaminated mine water is already a perpetual problem, according to the Grand Canyon Trust. 'It would be impossible to clean up the aquifers if they became contaminated,' Reimondo said. 'You have to know what you're dealing with and be able to control the environment. 'But you can't do that if you don't know where the groundwater is flowing to.' The only solution is to perpetually pump the groundwater out of the mine and into the evaporation pond which is 'a huge waste of valuable groundwater and immensely costly,' she said. The mine sits on 17 acres of land and has distributed 66 million gallons of contaminated water since 2016 The Havasupai Tribe protested against the Pinyon Plain Mine, saying it would contaminate local drinking water and harm their religious sites 'The water referenced in this report is part of normal mining operations and is not cause for concern,' Moore said. 'It is contained within the mine site and is safely stored in a lined impoundment. It poses no threat to ground water or drinking water. 'These systems are subject to strict regulatory oversight and are in place to capture and store water that is encountered during normal mining operations. ' He added that there are no homes in the area, however, 11 tribes live nearby and rely on the aquifers for drinking water. The Havasupai Tribe has repeatedly tried to prevent the Pinyon Plain Mine from opening, arguing that it would contaminate local groundwater and threaten cultural and spiritual religious sites. 'Our tribal community's only source of water is fed by aquifers, which unfortunately sit directly below the Pinyon Plain Mine,' the Havasupai Tribe told DailyMail.com in January. 'The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the federal EPA claim there is no danger to us, that no harmful effects will come our way from this alleged 'clean energy' source,' the tribe continued. 'But how can they so confidently make such a claim when Energy Fuels has already contaminated one of the two aquifers while digging the mine shaft?' 'I don't think that a reasonable response is to say, 'let's wait and see,' Crossey said, 'because cleaning up an aquifer that's kilometers deep in the earth is simply not going to happen. It's a one-way street.' Advertisement Delta Air Lines has opened its hotly anticipated business and first class lounge at JFK, as part of its $1.5 billion investment at the New York airport. DailyMail.com gained access to the Delta One Lounge in Terminal 4 before its official opening to the public, and the size of it is set to impress even the most seasoned of lounge goers. The space, which measures almost the same as three Olympic-sized swimming pools at 39,707sqft, has been broken down into different areas, with the offerings including a sprawling food court, an atmospheric fine dining restaurant, a swanky bar area, a lounge complete with a fireplace and a year-round covered terrace looking out over the runway. To help travelers unwind before their flight, there is also a mini spa, with five state-of-the-art massage chairs from Human Touch (which retail for more than $10,000), a treatment room and sleeping booths with reclining chairs. To book a treatment, there are touch screen kiosks around the lounge where visitors can select a time slot using their email or phone number. Delta Air Lines has opened its hotly anticipated business and first class lounge at JFK, as part of its $1.5 billion investment at the New York airport DailyMail.com gained access to the Delta One Lounge in Terminal 4 before its official opening to the public, and the size of it is set to impress even the most seasoned of lounge goers The space measures almost the same as three Olympic-sized swimming pools at 39,707sqft There is a year-round covered terrace in the lounge looking out over the runway, complete with manicured planters While the food court in the Delta One Lounge serves up fresh pastries, salads, cheese plates, desserts and a small selection of hot dishes, the restaurant offers an elevated a la carte menu Leading off from the 'wellness room,' there is a 'serenity lounge' with soft lighting and spaced out seating to further aid relaxation and then from there, another impressive feature of the lounge are the shower suites. To prevent queues from forming, there are eight shower rooms which have a hotel-like feel, with attractive marble and herringbone tile detailing, a backlit mirror and products from luxury body care brand, Grown Alchemist. A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines told DailyMail.com that the majority of customers who fly Delta One were business travelers. For this reason, the shower suites have closets next to them, where travelers can leave shirts they would like to be steamed and pressed by a member of the valet team. There is also a shoe shine service on offer. The lounge is only open to travelers flying in Delta One, which is the airline's equivalent of a business and first class. This class is only available on long-haul international flights and in select long-haul domestic markets. For this reason, Delta Air Lines 'does not anticipate the lounge ever reaching full capacity.' In total, there are 515 seats in the premium facility and for travelers to take calls in private, there are eight soundproof booths. The restaurant serves up 140 covers and it has a polished feel, with eye-catching light fixtures and the option of countertop or table seating. While the food court in the Delta One Lounge serves up fresh pastries, salads, cheese plates, desserts and a small selection of hot dishes, the restaurant offers an elevated a la carte menu. There are three courses for lounge goers to indulge in and one member of staff told DailyMail.com that the standout dishes were the steamed Prince Edward Island mussels in a green curry sauce to start, while the wagyu steak with fries was a 'must-try' from the mains. The lounge is only open to travelers flying in Delta One, which is the airline's equivalent of a business and first class The restaurant serves up 140 covers and it has a polished feel, with eye-catching light fixtures and the option of countertop or table seating To prevent queues from forming, there are eight shower rooms which have a hotel-like feel, with attractive marble and herringbone tile detailing, a backlit mirror and products from luxury body care brand Grown Alchemist To help travelers unwind before their flight, there is also a mini spa, with five state-of-the-art massage chairs from Human Touch (which retail for more than $10,000), a treatment room and sleeping booths with reclining chairs All of the massage chair booths in the spa area have curtains for added privacy Appointments for wellness treatments in the lounge can be made via touchscreen kiosks In total, there are 515 seats along with eight soundproof booths (pictured) for travelers to take calls in private Completing the swanky feel, Delta has partnered with the high-end fashion house Missoni on the interiors with accent pillows, snazzy vases and coffee table books among the designer touches Leading off from the 'wellness room,' there is a 'serenity lounge' with soft lighting and spaced out seating to further aid relaxation and then from there, another impressive feature of the lounge are the shower suites For dessert, the current offerings are a dark chocolate souffle, an upside down orange olive oil cake, a New York cheesecake and a brownie accompanied by a chocolate mousse and dollop of marshmallow fluff. On the drinks side of things, the lounge beverage menu has been curated by a sommelier and mixologist, with the tipples ranging from a champagne to an espresso martini. For health conscious travelers, there is also a unique offering in the form of a 'wall of waters.' Next to the spa, there are several gold taps on the wall, with each offering a different drink, including beetroot juice, an orange and ginger juice blend and a strawberry infused water. Completing the swanky feel, Delta Air Lines has partnered with the high-end fashion house Missoni on the interiors with accent pillows, snazzy vases and coffee table books among the designer touches. Missoni has also partnered with the airline to offer branded amenity kits. Touching on Delta's mission when it came to the lounge's design Claude Roussel, who is the vice president of Sky Club and lounge experience, said: 'We want each of our guests to receive a highly personalized and dedicated level of service. 'It's not enough to have beautiful spaces and exceptional offerings. Premium lounge customers should feel welcomed and known when they walk in the door, just as they would at their favorite hotel or restaurant. 'We look forward to providing that warm welcome and making "premium" feel personal for each guest.' Along with the exclusive Delta One Lounge at JFK, there is a Delta Sky Club lounge which is open to travelers who either have a Delta Sky Club membership or a premium cabin ticket with Delta or a partner airline. American Express Platinum cardholders previously could use the lounges but in January, Delta Air Lines announced that it would be tightening its restrictions on lounge access in a bid to reduce overcrowding. Now those who book basic economy tickets are no longer allowed entry into the lounge, regardless of holding an American Express Platinum card or any other premium credit card. Delta Air Lines, which is headquartered in Atlanta, currently offers the most flights and seats of any carrier at JFK with more than 200 total peak-day departures to more than 90 domestic and international destinations. Jill Zarin's plastic surgeon is opening up about the work she recently had done to her face. According to Dr. Ira Savetsky the husband of former Real Housewives Of New York star Lizzy Savetsky Jill underwent a facelift, chin implant and fat transfer to obtain a 'more youthful look.' On Monday, the plastic surgeon spoke with Page Six, detailing how the 60-year-old reached out to him in hopes of fixing her 'jowling, sagging neck skin,' among other superficial issues. 'To address these concerns, I designed a personalized facial rejuvenation plan,' Dr. Savetsky revealed. 'The procedure included a dual plane lower facelift and neck lift, which involved repositioning both the skin and underlying muscles to achieve a more youthful look.' He added, 'To enhance her profile, I placed a small chin implant.' RHONY alumna Jill Zarin 's plastic surgeon is opening up about the work she recently had done on her face. Dr. Ira Savetsky told Page Six she had a facelift, chin implant and fat transfer The surgeon, who's the husband of former RHONY star Lizzy Savetsky, helped Jill, 60, fix her 'jowling, sagging neck skin,' among other superficial issues The doctor also explained that the fat transfer was performed in order to 'restore volume to her midface, temples, earlobes and hands.' As for how the RHONY alum's recovery has been going, Dr. Savetsky said Zarin was doing 'exceptionally well.' 'She has minimal bruising and swelling, and I expect her results to continue improving over the next several weeks as the swelling subsides,' he shared. Jill took to Instagram earlier this month to given an update on her post-surgery progress. With her head wrapped in a bandage, she told followers, 'I've been a little bit of MIA, although I'm trying to post here and there. And I'm bravely sharing that I had a lower facelift and some other minor tweaks.' Jill continued, 'I live my life openly and freely and that's why I did a reality show and I think its important for people who do reality shows to be honest.' She explained that she is opening up on social media because 'I just want to share my story and my journey. 'I have no filter on. I'm at The Ritz-Carlton. It's drop dead. If you're going to recover, recover in a nice hotel,' the GOAT star revealed before giving a shout-out to Dr. Savetsky. 'I have the most incredible doctor who has visited me one or two times a day, including the first night of surgery, which is like unheard of, just to make sure I am okay.' 'To address these concerns, I designed a personalized facial rejuvenation plan,' the surgeon revealed. 'The procedure included a dual plane lower facelift and neck lift, which involved repositioning both the skin and underlying muscles' Jill noted that she had a fat transfer from her leg to her hands, which she said she previously 'hate[d]' Jill also told fans, 'I had drains. They've been removed. I look more human. If I took this off, I would look a lot more human. But I just wanted to share my story and my journey. I will show the evolution of the real before, the day of, and the following days.' One qualm about her recovery was that she was 'very tired' after her procedure. 'The other thing is I had fat transplant put into my hands because I hate my hands. And the worst part was the lipo coming out of my leg to fill my hands,' she added. 'Believe it or not, that's the most pain I've had.' She concluded by telling her fans: 'If you don't do that, you're fine. No real pain. But I am tired could be from the anesthesia.' Jill dove into why she opted for extensive plastic facial rejuvenation in her video caption. 'Im back! Sort of? After watching myself on The GOAT on Amazon video, ( by the way I killed it this week!!) I decided I needed a lower face lift,' she wrote. 'I also hated my hands and he added fat from my legs. They look amazing ! My Dr. visited me the first night post op which made me feel 1000 times better and then 8am and 8pm Saturday and 8 AM Sunday to remove the drainage so I dont have to go to his office until Friday to remove most of the stitches.' Comparing her doctor to others, Jill added, 'Every surgeon has different techniques, medications and bedside manner. All of them are critical to ask about to have a successful outcome. I will continue to share updates.' Dr. Saventsky took to the comments section to praise his patient, writing, 'You look amazing just days after surgery! And love your transparency! And thank you for your kind words.' The RHONY alum explained she underwent surgery after seeing herself on Amazon's The GOAT and deciding it was necessary The reality star told her fans that the worst part of her procedures was liposuction on her leg in order to transfer fat to her hands. She said it was the only part that hurt significantly On Monday, Jill shared a new post-op photo of herself made up after she had time to heal. '3 weeks post op and not so bad!,' she wrote. Former housewives also shared their love, with Orange County alum Kelly Dodd commenting, 'Holy s*** you look good,' while former RHONY star Aviva Drescher wrote, 'Brave on every level my friend.' On Monday, Jill shared a new post-op photo of herself with her boyfriend Gary Brody. She was fully made up and had had some time to heal, which revealed some of the changes to her face. '3 weeks post op and not so bad!,' she wrote. Christie Swadling's fiance Joel Price has disappeared from her social media after he was served with a restraining order and charged with domestic violence-related common assault. Price, 38, was served an interim Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) by NSW Police on behalf of Swadling, 27, in April. He has pleaded not guilty to the assault charge. The pair began dating in 2020 before Price got down on one knee and proposed the following year. But Swadling, who overcame an eating disorder and now promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, is understood to have wiped all recent content related to her gym influencer partner from her Instagram account. The matters were last mentioned in court on Tuesday, May 14 and will be heard in the same court on August 6. The couple would often post videos and pictures together as they worked out at the gym and during lavish holidays, sometimes featuring Price's 12-year-old son Kaden. Swadling has removed most recent images and videos of her partner from her Instagram account, but they are understood to still be following each other. The Lake Macquarie-based gym influencer has since embarked on a new business venture with friend Courtney Princic, setting up a podcast titled Voice The Difference. Christie Swadling's fiance Joel Price has disappeared from her social media after he was served a restraining order and charged with a domestic violence-related common assault. Both pictured It replaces Swadling's Yo Balance Co Podcast, on which her fiance occasionally appeared. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Christie Swadling with a request for comment. Meanwhile, almost a month after Price's court appearance, Swadling shared footage of her Price driving dangerously, using his knees to steer the wheel of his car while air drumming with his hands. The pair were singing and dancing to the song Sail by Awolnation when Price let go of the steering wheel and began to air drum. It is not suggested that any contravention of the AVO took place during the events that were being filmed. Price, 38, was served an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) by NSW Police on behalf of Swadling, 27, in April after being charged with assault. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge Attempting to keep the wheel straight, Price used his knees to steer the large vehicle. According to Transport for NSW, drivers must always have proper control of a vehicle and failing to do so could land them a $481 fine and three demerit points. Swadling also failed to wear her seat belt correctly - with the sash under both of her arms. Swadling is understood to have wiped all recent content of her partner on social media. Pictured: The fitness influencer's Instagram account on Tuesday In NSW, there is a penalty of up to $2,200 for drivers and passengers over the age of 16 years who fail to wear their seat belt properly adjusted and fastened if the vehicle is moving or stationary, but not parked, unless reversing. In 2022, Swadling filed for bankruptcy after racking up a pile of debt she can't pay back. Documents leaked online in February 2023 showed the social media star was in financial strife, even though she projects a lavish lifestyle on social media. It was revealed Swadling was bankrupt after an anonymous user on the Tattle Life forums paid $15 to obtain the paperwork on her bankruptcy filing. It was revealed in February that Swadling was bankrupt after an anonymous user on the Tattle Life forums paid $15 to obtain the paperwork on her bankruptcy filing (pictured here) The Instagram model listed her job as an 'advertising and marketing professional' in the publicly available document filed on December 29, 2022. The status of her bankruptcy was filed as 'undischarged', which means she will still need to pay back particular debts and she won't be able to borrow again from financial institutions without the disclosure of her bankruptcy. While the release of the debtor's petition did not specify the outstanding debts, the Australian Financial Securities Authority says a creditor must be seeking $10,000 or more to apply to make you bankrupt. On April 20, Swadling attended court for a financial examination to evaluate her property and financial circumstances as a means of satisfying the judgement debt. She carried a Louis Vuitton handbag worth a jaw-dropping $2,840 as she prepared for the examination to determine her ability to repay her debts. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit their website. In an emergency, call 000. Kim Kardashian was dragged once again for her hairstyle. The makeup mogul, 43, sparked social media backlash on Sunday after sharing several Instagram photos showcasing her platinum hair styled into intricate basket-weave pigtails. Critics were quick to liken the look to the powdered periwigs worn by Americas Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. 'What in the constitution is going on here?' one follower wrote, as another added, 'It's giving... founding fathers'. Another posted, 'She getting ready to write the declaration of independence.' Kim Kardashian was dragged once again for her hairstyle The makeup mogul, 43, sparked social media backlash on Sunday after sharing several Instagram photos showcasing her platinum hairpiece styled into intricate basket-weave pigtails, with some comparing it to the Founding Fathers Yet another chimed in with a reference to Kim's bar exam studies, writing, 'Did you steal a judge's wig from law school.' The relentless trolls also drew comparisons between her hairstyle and objects like a picnic basket, and some even drew parallels to fictional characters including Elsa from Frozen and Queen Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. The stunner, however, found many fans in support of her look, with one saying, 'This is actually so cool. I need a tutorial of this.' Another shared, 'Wooow so unique! Loved it,' as yet another follower gave a shout out to her longtime hairstylist Chris Appleton, writing, 'Whoa love this Chris. seriously beautiful my dear.' This isn't the first time Kim has faced backlash for her braids. In 2020, she was accused of cultural appropriation after she sported a tight braided hairdo at her then-husband Kanye West's Paris Fashion Week show. Kim, who is half Armenian, faced criticism when she shared a snap of her look on Twitter with users accusing her of appropriating black culture. Critics were quick to liken the look to the powdered periwigs worn by Americas Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams 'What in the constitution is going on here?' one follower wrote, as another added, 'It's giving... founding fathers' The relentless trolls also drew comparisons between her hairstyle and objects like a picnic basket, and some even drew parallels to fictional characters including Elsa from Frozen and Queen Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones Kim previously hit out at backlash when she sported what she called 'Bo Derek' braids back in 2018. Yet, a number of her followers rushed to defend her at the time, and claimed fans were making a big deal out of a playful post. One wrote: 'Whats the problem with Kim Kardashian having braids? Stop making nothing into something.' While others chimed in: 'I actually like Kims braids lol' and 'You look so good with braids!!!! Haters gonna hate.' Shannen Doherty gave fans insight into where she's at in her divorce and cancer journey on the latest episode of her podcast Let's Be Clear. The 53-year-old actress opened up on the Monday, June 24 show and confessed that her past year has been 'really hard.' Discussing her split from Kurt Iswarienko, 49, she said: 'Obviously, divorce is not easy, especially when you really loved someone. And I did love my husband. 'And when you get so hurt by their actions that you just feel betrayed and like a sucker, it's really hard.' Doherty also revealed she would be starting another round of chemotherapy 'probably a couple of days after this episode is out.' Shannen Doherty gave fans insight into where she's at in her divorce and cancer journey on the latest episode of her podcast Let's Be Clear The 53-year-old actress opened up on the Monday, June 24 show and confessed that her past year has been 'really hard'; pictured in March The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star expressed, 'To just be walking into the unknown I just feel like my life has been unknown for over a year now, between divorce and cancer.' It comes after last year Doherty announced that her cancer had spread to her brain in an Instagram post that showed her undergoing radiation therapy. She teased the episode by sharing a snippet on her podcast's official Instagram account. The caption described the latest installment as 'a powerful solo episode where @theshando shares her updates, in her own words, in her own way.' The note continued, 'Listen now to the NEW episode of Lets Be Clear everywhere you get your podcasts!' The Hollywood vet referred to the divorce proceedings as 'not the most pleasant thing' and said she may 'never be ready to discuss the full details' of the dissolution of her marriage. 'There's so many different nuances that people will never understand,' she opened up, adding, 'I don't understand why people find it so fascinating.' Shannen said plainly, 'I'm going through stuff. And when I wanna share it, I will share it.' An Instagram caption described the latest installment of her podcast as 'a powerful solo episode where @theshando shares her updates, in her own words, in her own way' Discussing her split from Kurt Iswarienko , 49, she said: 'Obviously, divorce is not easy, especially when you really loved someone. And I did love my husband'; pictured in 2012 In a recent court filing, Doherty criticized her ex Kurt's spending habits in a request for spousal support. She filed paperwork in Los Angeles on Friday, June 14, according to Us Magazine. In the documents, the actress requested $15,343 in monthly support 'retroactive to June 1, 2024.' She also asked that Kurt contribute $9,100 to her legal fees. The longtime entertainer stated, 'As a result of my recurrent health issues, I have been largely unable to work and have no future employment prospects. Today, virtually all of the income I earn is residual income from work that I performed prior to marriage.' She continued in the filing: 'The majority of my residual income is from a television show called Charmed. 'I recently learned that Charmed will no longer be streaming on any major streaming platform after June 30, 2024. As a result, my future residual income will dramatically decrease.' It was also noted that the television star has not worked since 2022. The Hollywood vet referred to the divorce proceedings as 'not the most pleasant thing' and said she may 'never be ready to discuss the full details' of the dissolution of her marriage; the exes pictured in June 2010 Doherty revealed she would be starting another round of chemotherapy 'probably a couple of days after this episode is out' She believes her ex is intentionally delaying the legal process to avoid paying her. 'It is simply not right that Kurt be permitted to prolong our divorce in hopes that I die before he is required to pay me while he continues to live his life and shirk his responsibilities to his dying wife of more than 11 years,' she stated in filed paperwork. Iswarienko's attorney Katherine Heersema fired back, stating that Shannen was offered a settlement deal in October 2023 but denied it. 'Kurt is not "simply wait[ing] for Shannen to die." He wants the best for Shannen and he wants both of them to be able to put this case behind them and move forward,' she said. In response, Doherty said she denied the proposed settlements because they 'skirted around the issues of his original works created during marriage' and 'his earning capacity.' Jennifer Garner spent weeks constantly weeping uncontrollably as she prepared for her daughter Violet to graduate from high school. The Elektra actress, 52, who has the 18-year-old girl with her actor ex-husband Ben Affleck, 51, was seen in a series of photos of the teen's graduation ceremony crying in an auditorium. And she has now admitted she spent weeks bursting into tears at the prospect of the event. She told Hoda Kotb and Sheinelle Jones on Today with Hoda and Jenna: 'I was a wreck the whole month leading up to it. 'Every awards ceremony, every final, everything, I just cried and cried at everything,' she said. 'Then, the day of (graduation) was so happy that there was nothing to be other than just so proud and happy.' Jennifer Garner spent weeks constantly weeping uncontrollably as she prepared for her daughter Violet to graduate from high school The Elektra actress, 52, who has the 18-year-old girl with her actor ex-husband Ben Affleck , 51, was seen in a series of photos of the teen's graduation ceremony crying in an auditorium. And she has now admitted she spent weeks bursting into tears at the prospect of the event Jennifer appeared on the show alongside her mother Patricia 'Pat' Ann Garner, who said she was also an emotional wreck when her three daughters left home. She added: 'Oh, graduation was fine, but when they went to college, that's another thing, and when Jennifer went, I just howled.' Pat added she was hit by the feeling Jennifer would 'never come home again' Jennifer and Ben also co-parent children Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, and threw Violet a graduation party in Los Angeles in May. Jennifer shared a series of images on social media showing herself weeping at Violet's graduation along with a message about how she was struggling not to be overwhelmed at the event. She said on Instagram she didn't know how she's 'gonna make it' after seeing Violet mark the milestone. Jennifer added: 'Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate. (Mortarboard emoji) bless our hearts (amazed face, red heart and crying with laughter emojis.)' Jennifer and Violet arrive at the White House to attend a state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron, in Washington, DC, in 2022 Garner shares Violet, Fin, 15, and 12-year-old Samuel with ex-husband Ben Affleck, to whom she was married from 2005 to 2018; seen in 2014 She told Hoda Kotb and Sheinelle Jones on Today with Hoda and Jenna : 'I was a wreck the whole month leading up to it. 'Every awards ceremony, every final, everything, I just cried and cried at everything,' she said Garner added, 'Then, the day of (graduation) was so happy that there was nothing to be other than just so proud and happy' Jennifer's first two photos of the set at Violet's graduation showed her tearfully clapping, and she asked fans what she was 'gonna do' and how she would 'make it' before adding an image of herself in oversized '2024' sunglasses. Her post prompted a flood of posts in the comments section from her famous friends and fans. Actress Reese Witherspoon, 48, told her: 'Oh honey I know. (Crying face and red heart emojis.) Meanwhile, Ben's wife Jennifer Lopez was seen at the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 24 in Paris 'You have done a great job , mama! I will be here for support and lots of hugs.' 'Cruel Intentions' actress Reese sent her daughter Ava, 24, to college in 2019 and son Deacon, 20, three years later. Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, whose 20-year-old daughter Apple attends a New York City-based university, commented: 'I'm sooooo with you (bandaged heart emoji.)' More than four decades after John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, Jodie Foster revealed how that event resulted in her never doing another play ever again. Hinckley Jr. admitted at his trial that he was obsessed with Foster, 61, after seeing her playing a teenage prostitute in the 1976 classic Taxi Driver. He also admitted that the assassination attempt was carried out in hopes of impressing Foster, stating it was, 'the greatest love offering in the history of the world.' The actress opened up in an interview with another famous Jodie - Jodie Comer - for Interview Magazine - where she talked about how the assassination attempt ultimately ended her career in theater. 'Im finally able to admit that the one bit of theater I did when I was in college, there was so much trauma involved in itwell, just quickly, the play happened in two weekends, and I did the first weekend, and in between the first weekend and the second weekend, John Hinckley shot the president,' Foster began. More than four decades after John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, Jodie Foster revealed how that event resulted in her never doing another play ever again Hinckley Jr. admitted at his trial that he was obsessed with Foster, 61, after seeing her playing a teenage prostitute in the 1976 classic Taxi Driver 'Im finally able to admit that the one bit of theater I did when I was in college, there was so much trauma involved in itwell, just quickly, the play happened in two weekends, and I did the first weekend, and in between the first weekend and the second weekend, John Hinckley shot the president,' Foster began 'It was a huge moment. It was a long time ago. You probably dont even know, but he shot him in order to impress me, and he had written letters to me, so it was a big moment in my life,' Foster added. 'The world fell apart, there were Secret Service people everywhere, I had bodyguards, and I had to be taken to a safe house,' she detailed. 'I was in the middle of these two weekends of this play, and I had the dumb idea of the show must go on. So I was like, I have to do that second weekend,"' she said. She added that during that second weekend, there was a rather scary incident that ultimately traumatized her enough to swear off theater for life. 'Yeah, Id just turned 18. There were people everywhere, cameras everywhere, and there was a guy in the front row, and I had noticed that it was the second night that hed been there, and I decided to, the whole play, yell, F**k you, motherf***er! I just decided that I was going to use this guy,' she said. 'And then the next day, it was revealed that this particular guy had a gun, and he had brought it to the performance, and then he was on the run, and I was in a class, and the bodyguard guy came and threw me onto the ground while I was in the class, which was really embarrassing, because there were only 10 people there,' Foster said. She added, 'It was a traumatic moment, and Ive never admitted that maybe that has something to do with how I never wanted to do a play again.' Foster admitted she ultimately, 'talked myself into loving theater and going to theater, but somehow feeling like I couldnt make that commitment to ever do it again.' 'It was a huge moment. It was a long time ago. You probably dont even know, but he shot him in order to impress me, and he had written letters to me, so it was a big moment in my life,' Foster added 'The world fell apart, there were Secret Service people everywhere, I had bodyguards, and I had to be taken to a safe house,' she detailed 'Yeah, Id just turned 18. There were people everywhere, cameras everywhere, and there was a guy in the front row, and I had noticed that it was the second night that hed been there, and I decided to, the whole play, yell, F**k you, motherf***er! I just decided that I was going to use this guy,' she said He was given an unconditional release in June 2022 and expressed remorse for his actions in a CBS interview where he apologized to the Reagan family, the family of John Brady (who was paralyzed in the shooting) and Foster herself Comer - who has starred in plays on both London's West End and on Broadway - asked if she could 'sway' Foster to going up on stage. Foster joked, 'I'll be the first 80-year-old person to go onstage with my walker, perhaps.' Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982, which changed the way the insanity defense was used, leading to the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984. Hinckley was confined at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington D.C. after the trial, where he remained until 2016, where he was released with many stipulations. He was given an unconditional release in June 2022 and expressed remorse for his actions in a CBS interview where he apologized to the Reagan family, the family of John Brady (who was paralyzed in the shooting) and Foster herself. Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne were spotted at the airport in New York City on Monday. The Oscar-winning actress, 49, looked effortlessly stylish modeling a chic travel look as she and her 15-year-old daughter arrived at JFK to catch a departing flight. The Eternals star made the airport terminal her runway as she strutted through wearing a warm beige trench coat and slouchy suede boots. She also carried a large, woven YSL tote bag and sported a pair of oversize, round sunglasses. This comes shortly after Jolie's estranged father Jon Voight made a rare comment about her and said he's 'proud' of her as well as granddaughter Vivienne. Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne were spotted at the airport in New York City on Monday The Oscar-winning actress, 49, looked effortlessly stylish modeling a chic travel look as she and her 15-year-old daughter arrived at JFK to catch a departing flight. Following his comments about them, the three-time Golden Globe winner and her daughter were seen going through airport security ahead of their flight. Jolie showcased her barefaced beauty and wore her hair in a slicked back, chic bun. She accessorized with a few dainty gold jewelry pieces including huggie earrings and a slim bangle bracelet. At her side, Vivienne also looked casual-chic as she sported a taupe T-shirt, matching her mom's outfit, as well as a muted blue zip-up hoodie. She sported cuffed jeans, high-top sneakers and toted a black backpack as they made their way through the airport. At the star-studded Tony Awards, Jolie and her daughter one of six she shares with ex Brad Pitt were the biggest winners of the night as they took home four awards. They also received the top honor of Best Musical for their stage production of The Outsiders. Jolie notably took on the role of a producer for the Broadway musical, The Outsiders, which officially premiered earlier this year in April. The Eternals star made the airport terminal her runway as she strutted through wearing a warm beige trench coat and slouchy suede boots. She also carried a large, woven YSL tote bag and sported a pair of oversize, round sunglasses At her side, Vivienne also looked casual-chic as she sported a taupe T-shirt, matching her mom's outfit, as well as a muted blue zip-up hoodie. She sported cuffed jeans, high-top sneakers and toted a black backpack as they made their way through the airport The three-time Golden Globe winner and her daughter were seen going through airport security ahead of their flight She further accessorized with a few dainty gold jewelry pieces including huggie earrings and a slim bangle bracelet Jolie showcased her barefaced beauty and wore her hair in a slicked back, chic bun At the star-studded Tony Awards on Sunday night, Jolie and her daughter one of six she shares with ex Brad Pitt were the biggest winners of the night as they took home four awards. They also received the top honor of Best Musical for their stage production of The Outsiders On Sunday, Jolie's estranged father Jon Voight said that he was proud of them after they stole the spotlight with their remarkable victory Vivienne also had the chance to be a producer's assistant on the critically-acclaimed project. In addition to Vivienne, Jolie and Pitt, 60, share biological children Shiloh as well as Vivienne's 15-year-old twin Knox as well as three adopted children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19. On Sunday, Jolie's estranged father said that he was proud of them after they stole the spotlight with their remarkable victory. 'I'm very proud of Vivienne,' Voight, 85, told TMZ on Sunday. 'I'm really proud of Angie because she really tries to encourage each of the kids to be what they want to be.' 'I'm sure Angie contributed with the actors and Angie's a great director,' he gushed over Jolie, with whom he had been estranged from for years. The Midnight Cowboy star also revealed how Vivienne got her mother involved with the production. 'Vivienne read the book and then went down to see the pre-Broadway play version down close by San Diego and she went down four times and she said "Mom, you got to see this,"' he explained to the outlet. Pregnant Georgia May Jagger displayed her growing baby bump as she took a sunny stroll with her three dogs in LA on Monday. The model, 32, whose parents are Mick Jagger, 80, and Jerry Hall, 67, announced last week she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Cambryan Sedlick, 24, after sharing the first glimpse of her blossoming belly to Instagram. Georgia cut a casual figure on the stroll in a form-fitting green vest which she teamed with a black lace skirt. Shielding her eyes behind dark shades she slipped her feet into a pair of comfy flat shoes while manoeuvring the dogs on their leads. Earlier in the day she shared a slew of adorable Instagram snaps and looked glowing and radiant in a red and black floral dress as she cradled her bump. Pregnant Georgia May Jagger, 32, displayed her growing baby bump as she took a sunny stroll with her three dogs in LA on Monday The model, whose parents are Mick Jagger , 80, and Jerry Hall , 67, announced last week she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Cambryan Sedlick , 24, after sharing the first glimpse of her blossoming belly to Instagram In one snap, Georgia struck a pose as she captured a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower during a recent trip to Paris. Georgia was all smiles in her sweet round-up photo album as she enjoyed the first months of her pregnancy. She captioned her post: 'This past month [hen and egg emoji] A day after their announcement, the couple enjoyed a hike in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles as they were joined by their two dogs and Cambryan's friend. Meanwhile her pro skater boyfriend Cambryan opted for some simple denim jeans, a blue T-shirt and Converse. Georgia shared the happy news that she is expecting her first child as she took to social media with the caption: 'Patiently waiting for our new best friend @cambryans.' Georgia looked incredible as she lifted up her blue vest top to reveal her tummy which she gently cradled. Wearing jeans, a second image showed her playfully leaning against skateboarder Cambryan who was swinging from his garage door as she smiled while barefoot. Georgia cut a casual figure on the stroll in a form-fitting green vest which she teamed with a black lace skirt Shielding her eyes behind dark shades she slipped her feet into a pair of comfy flat shoes while manoeuvring the dogs on their leads Earlier in the day she shared a slew of adorable Instagram snaps Georgia looked glowing and radiant in a red and black floral dress as she cradled her bump for a photo In one snap, Georgia struck a pose as she captured a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower during a recent trip to Paris Georgia was all smiles in her sweet round-up photo album as she enjoyed the first months of her pregnancy In another snap, the expectant parents shared a passionate kiss in a field, while Cambryan embraced her bump. The happy couple were inundated with comments after she announced the news on social media. Georgia's famous friends flooded her comments to congratulate the pair after seeing the smitten pictures. Her half-brother Lucas wrote: 'Georgieeeeee ' Uncle Chris Jagger also cheekily commented: 'Looking quite full already!!!' Meadow Walker added: 'Angel' Poppy Delevingne penned: 'Awwwww G may mama bear!!! LOVE these & love YOU so much. ' Last week, Georgia announced the happy news that she is expecting her first child as she took to social media with the caption: 'Patiently waiting for our new best friend @cambryans' Georgia announced the joyful news with a slew of bump snaps with boyfriend Cambryan Sedlick, gushing: 'Patiently waiting for our new best friend @cambryans' Wearing jeans, a second image showed her playfully leaning against Cambryan who was swinging from his garage door as she smiled while barefoot Georgia looked incredible as she lifted up her blue vest top to reveal her tummy which she gently cradled In another snap, the expectant parents shared a passionate kiss in a field, while Cambryan embraced her bump The happy couple perched their stomach's up against one another The happy couple were inundated with comments after she announced the news on social media Georgia's relationship with skateboarder Cambryan, from Texas, was first reported in July 2021 Georgia and Cambryan, who originates from Texas, were first linked in July 2021 and have been more than loved-up since. She was previously in a relationship with restauranteur Louis Levy, 31, but the pair 'quietly split'. 'They loved living together in New York, but when Georgia decided to split her time between there and LA, it put a strain on the relationship that turned out to be too much,' a friend said at the time of their split. 'Louis owns two restaurants in New York, so he has to be there. It's his home.' Georgia quit Britain to move in with her then-boyfriend, Louis Levy, in the States. She swapped London for New York in 2019, moving to the Big Apple to be with her restaurateur beau. Footy WAG Tayla Damir has opened up on the challenges of living away from her family in Melbourne after revealing plans to relocate back to her hometown in Western Australia. The former Love Island Australia star, 27, admitted on Monday, she 'hates' not having her family in the Victorian capital, where she currently lives with her Richmond Tigers AFL star husband Nathan Broad and their daughter Samara. During an Instagram Q&A, one fan asked: 'Does it upset you not having your mum around 24/7 with Samara?' 'Yes I hate it. It's upsetting having absolutely no family in Melbourne, but it is what it is,' Tayla responded. 'We just count ourselves lucky that they are in a position that they can come visit us a lot.' Tayla Damir has revealed the challenges of living away from her family in Melbourne after revealing plans to relocate back to her hometown in WA Tayla's confession comes after she recently revealed the reason why she and Nathan, 30, are moving back to Western Australia. She announced in October that they will build a new home in Perth for their family. In February, Tayla gave an insight into the big decision during another Instagram Stories Q&A session. The former Love Island Australia star admitted on Monday, she 'hates' not having her family in the Victorian city, where she currently lives with husband Nathan Broad and daughter Samara One fan asked her: 'Will you ever move back to WA?', to which Tayla simply replied: 'Yes,' alongside a snap from a lavish building overlooking the Perth cityscape. Of her building plans, another fan asked: 'Why are you building a house in WA when Nathan plays for Richmond?' Tayla responded: 'He won't play footy forever.' 'It's upsetting having absolutely no family in Melbourne but it is what it is,' Tayla revealed to fans during an Instagram Q&A Late last year, Tayla revealed an update on construction of their new Perth home. 'Sharing the process of our Perth build. Excited is an understatement,' she captioned alongside a recent image of an interior. Tayla and Nathan, who tied the knot in October 2022, welcomed their first child together - a daughter named Samara - in August. Whoopi Goldberg has come to Prince William's defense after his dance moves during Taylor Swift's Shake It Off went viral over the weekend. The 42-year-old Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne took two of his children, 10-year-old Prince George and 9-year-old Princess Charlotte to the Friday night show at London's Wembley Stadium. Video from the concert showed William, who celebrated his 42nd birthday that night, dancing the night away, which many online have bashed. During Monday's episode of The View, Goldberg, 68, came to William's defense of the online criticism. 'Some fans were roasting his moves, but my goodness, it's the guy's birthday, lighten up! It's the guy's birthday, let him do what he does!' Goldberg exclaimed. Whoopi Goldberg has come to Prince William 's defense after his dance moves during Taylor Swift 's Shake It Off went viral over the weekend Video from the concert showed William, who celebrated his 42nd birthday that night, dancing the night away, which many online have bashed During Monday's episode of The View , Goldberg, 68, came to William's defense of the online criticism Sunny Hostin added, 'I was wondering why they were roasting his moves because he was moving,' as she tried imitating his moves. Ana Navarro added, 'I thought it was incredibly sweet. I loved it because he took two of his kids. I wish he had taken Prince Louis because Prince Louis is the bomb,' referring to William's six-year-old youngest child. Goldberg joked that Prince Louis, 'doesn't know how to behave outside,' as Ana added, 'These kids have gone through so much. Their mother is dealing with cancer, their grandfather is dealing with cancer, I loved it.' Navaro also poked fun at another celebrity at the concert - Tom Cruise - who was seen in the box with his Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie. He was seen attempting to 'bop' along to the music, as Navarro said, 'He did the least amount. He was like me at the Beyonce concert pretending I knew the lyrics.' Goldberg joked, 'Watch it. Don't mess with my Tom.' Sunny Hostin added, 'That was pure, unadulterated joy for a man whose wife is suffering from cancer. Cant we enjoy that for him? Come on.' Sara Haines added 'Im a big believer in dance like no ones watching. Thats the time, even if you have to close your eyes when youre dancing.' Sunny Hostin added, 'I was wondering why they were roasting his moves because he was moving,' as she tried imitating his moves Ana Navarro added, 'I thought it was incredibly sweet. I loved it because he took two of his kids. I wish he had taken Prince Louis because Prince Louis is the bomb,' referring to William's six-year-old youngest child Goldberg joked that Prince Louis, 'doesn't know how to behave outside,' as Ana added, 'These kids have gone through so much. Their mother is dealing with cancer, their grandfather is dealing with cancer, I loved it' 'There are a lot of times when I wouldnt want anyone to see me dance. Everyone is watching him,' she added. Alyssa Farah Griffin was also impressed with Prince William's moves, adding, 'Go off, future king. I loved it. I wasnt expecting big moves out of William, so I like that he gave them,' she added, while commenting on the Eras Tour phenomenon. 'The Eras Tour is such a moment. This had everything. You had Travis Kelce in a top hat on stage. You had Prince William dancing. Hugh Grant admitting to doing shots with Travis Kelce afterward and saying hes a Swiftie,' Farah Griffin said. Strictly Come Dancing star Lauren Oakley has shown her support for co-star Giovanni Pernice amid his departure from the BBC show. The professional dancer took to social media on Sunday to show her support to Giovanni after he recently came under fire as a dancer. Lauren attended Giovanni's new show with Anton Du Beke, which is currently touring the UK. She shared a picture from the audience as she watched the show at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. She wrote: 'Shine beauties shine'. Strictly Come Dancing star Lauren Oakley has shown her support for co-star Giovanni Pernice amid his departure from the BBC show The professional dancer took to social media on Sunday to show her support to Giovanni after he recently came under fire as a dancer It comes days after the Strictly Come Dancing cast have reportedly been banned from discussing the Giovanni Pernice 'bullying row'. Bosses are said to be worried the family-friendly reputation of the show is tainted and want to do everything they can to stop people from talking. The BBC launched an investigation after Giovanni was accused of 'bullying behaviour' while working with celebrity contestants on the dancing show, including Amanda Abbingdon, Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore. The show celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and executives are hoping the focus can be on that, rather than Pernice saga. The crackdown from executives comes after head judge Shirley Ballas defended the professional dancer when she appeared on ITV's Lorraine calling him a 'perfect gentleman'. A source told The Sun: 'We're just a few weeks away from the 2024 cast reveal and bosses are worried the scandal is now dangerously close to overshadowing the new series. 'A lot of work has gone into it as its the 20th anniversary, and now - still - all anyone talks about is Giovanni. 'Shirley launching such a passionate defence of him was far from helpful and stoked the flames. Bosses hope gagging the cast will help.' Lauren attended Giovanni's new show with Anton Du Beke which is currently touring the UK She shared a picture from the audience as she watched the show at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells It comes after the Strictly Come Dancing cast have reportedly been banned from discussing the Giovanni Pernice bullying row They added that all professionals have been trained on how to handle questions and sidestep difficult topics. Since the accusations - which Giovanni strongly denies - the pro dancer has quit the show. Shirley defended the Italian dancer earlier in the year, calling him an 'absolute gentleman'. Speaking about the bombshell revelations, Shirley said on Lorraine: 'I've known Giovanni for many years and he is an absolutely splendid teacher. 'My only ever experience with him is he is an absolute gentlemen. He gives 100%. 'Strictly and shows like that they are tough shows so you know when you sign up for that kind of thing. It's quite difficult to do the show.' Giovanni's former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington has claimed the show left her with PTSD and reportedly demanded footage of the pairs rehearsals together, presumably hoping the video footage could 'back up' her claims. Three women, including actress Amanda, have also reportedly hired 700-an-hour lawyers at leading London law firm Carter Ruck. The dancer launched a fightback by hiring rival law firm Schillings. His case is being handled by Joelle Rich, 39, who represented Johnny Depp in his libel trial in 2020. Despite requesting the video footage, Amanda will reportedly not be given the tapes. The BBC launched an investigation after Giovanni was accused of 'threatening and abusive behaviour' while working with celebrity contestants on Strictly Come Dancing, including Amanda Abbingdon (pictured) After head judge Shirley Ballas described the Italian pro as a 'gentleman' a source said it was 'far from helpful' and 'stoked the flames' which is why bosses are wanting to quiet things down Speaking about the bombshell revelations, Shirley said on Lorraine that Giovanni was 'a splendid teacher' and added 'he is an absolute gentlemen' It appears it may be the BBC can't give her the tapes because they feature a third person, Giovanni, not just her. He is therefore entitled for private information or content about him not to be disclosed without his authorisation. The Sherlock actress, 51, previously rubbished reports Giovanni had asked the BBC to record his rehearsals with the actress over what he claimed were his growing concerns about her 'behaviour' - claiming she had requested their dance practices to be filmed, not him. She told The Daily Mail: 'I asked for them to be recorded, it was me. It comes after Amanda reportedly 'called the police after receiving death threats from trolls' as the bullying controversy continues. According to reports, Amanda had already been bombarded by 'unspeakable and incredibly threatening' messages from troll fans of Giovanni. Amanda Abbington has claimed the show left her with PTSD and that she had requested their dance practices to be filmed, not him (pictured together in October 2023) Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan confirmed they are working on a new project on Monday. The former MasterChef Australia judges, who left the Network Ten cooking competition series in 2019, reunited at Channel Seven offices in Sydney. While it's unclear exactly which project the food critic, 62, and chef, 57, may have been discussing with Seven, Gary's rep confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they have many new projects in the works. 'Gary and Matt are doing several projects together. One being for Luxury Escapes, a series of travel tours,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'First two sold out in 24 hours, India and Vietnam, and the Sri Lanka tour is about to go on sale, with several more in the planning pipeline now.' Matt Preston, 62, (right) and Gary Mehigan, 57, (left) appeared to be on top of the world on Monday as the former MasterChef Australia judges reunited at Channel Seven offices in Sydney The spokesperson went on to say Matt and Gary had recently 'filmed an episode for a series in India called the Ultimate HomeChef Competition'. Appearing on the finale of the series, the pair went back to their roots and acted as judges for the episode which 'aired on NatGeo India last weekend'. The duo were all smiles after what appeared to be a fruitful meeting with Seven, with Gary wildly gesticulated during a joyful conversation with their entourage. The English-Australian chef and restaurateur donned a pair of beige slacks beneath a black jumper and khaki jacket to protect against the cold. After the food critic and chef left the Network Ten cooking competition series in 2019, the duo appeared to have turned to rival Seven to work on a rumoured new project He then accessorised with a matching pair of boots and trendy black frames as he carried a large black bag and wrapped a scarf around his neck. Meanwhile, co-star and friend Matt was garbed in a simple pair of blue jeans with a black button-up tucked into them. He polished off his smart look with a khaki vest and brown dress shoes before draping a scarf over his shoulders. Notably absent was George Calombaris, who once made up one-third of the famous trio after working together for ten years on MasterChef Australia. While it's unclear exactly which project Matt and Gary may have been discussing with Seven, a representative of Gary confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they have many new projects in the works together However, the spokesperson confirmed Matt and Gary would be teaming up with their former co-star again soon. 'They are also working on a tour in India in August with George for a company called Conosh. A series of dinners and masterclasses,' they said. Matt, Gary and George were seen working together as recently as May when they reunited to support a very worthy cause. The veteran TV judges took over the kitchen at Hotel Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula for the Friends of George event to raise funds for Bowel Cancer Australia. The spokesperson also confirmed Matt and Gary will be teaming up with their former MasterChef co-star George Calombaris, 45, (centre) for another project soon The three former reality stars agreed to reunite for the cause, in support of George's late father Jim, who died of the disease in November last year. George, 45, admitted he felt an instant connection with his former colleagues upon reuniting with them. 'It's really nice, it's like riding a bike with these guys. We have some great memories together,' he told the Herald Sun at the time. 'The old cliche of being like family is true. George's dad was a big part of our family, the whole thing is a community,' Matt added. Sean Penn is 'thrilled every day' to be single and has vowed to remain 'free' even if he gets into a relationship so that he'll never have his 'heart broken by romance again.' 'I'm just free. If I'm going to be in a relationship, I'm still going to be free, or I'm not going to be in it,' the thrice-divorced 63-year-old declared to the New York Times last Saturday. 'I'm not going to be hurting. I don't sense I'll have my heart broken by romance again.' Sean stressed that 'relationships don't have to be dramatic or draining' and he avoids 'unnecessary drama and visits from "the trauma gods."' In the past, Penn lamented that 'the first thing I see in the morning are eyes wondering what I'm going to do to make them happy that day. Rarely reciprocated.' Sean Penn is 'thrilled every day' to be single and has vowed to remain 'free' even if he gets into a relationship so that he'll never have his 'heart broken by romance again' (pictured June 13) The thrice-divorced 63-year-old declared to the New York Times last Saturday: 'I'm just free. If I'm going to be in a relationship, I'm still going to be free, or I'm not going to be in it. I'm not going to be hurting. I don't sense I'll have my heart broken by romance again' The two-time Oscar winner - who hasn't been pictured with girlfriend Olga Korotyayeva since October - was last spotted canoodling with Peruvian-Australian 39-year-old actress, Nathalie Kelley, in Miami last December. Sean dated his third wife - Australian actress Leila George - for four years before officially ending their 15-month marriage in 2022. The odds were stacked against the May-December couple considering Penn is about the same age as the 32-year-old nepo-baby's famous father, Emmy nominee Vincent D'Onofrio. 'On one of my marriages, the background noise of life was a [Real] Housewives of Beverly Hills or another thing called Love Island,' groaned the Malibu native, hinting it was Leila. 'Not even being in the room I'm not saying this to be cute I was dying. I felt my heart, my brain shrinking. It was an assault.' But back in 2015, Sean revealed he loved watching ABC's The Bachelor with then girlfriend, Charlize Theron. 'I don't really want to hear the conversations. I want to know the decisions. Is he gonna decide on this one or this one?' Penn explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live! 'And I wanna see somebody cry, and then see somebody get ecstatic and then see them cry.' Sean stressed that 'relationships don't have to be dramatic or draining' and he avoids 'unnecessary drama and visits from "the trauma gods"' In the past, Penn lamented that 'the first thing I see in the morning are eyes wondering what I'm going to do to make them happy that day. Rarely reciprocated' The two-time Oscar winner - who hasn't been pictured with girlfriend Olga Korotyayeva since October - was last spotted canoodling with Peruvian-Australian 39-year-old actress, Nathalie Kelley (pictured June 14), in Miami last December Sean dated his third wife - Australian actress Leila George (R, pictured in 2020) - for four years before officially ending their 15-month marriage in 2022 The odds were stacked against the May-December couple considering Penn is about the same age as the 32-year-old nepo-baby's famous father, Emmy nominee Vincent D'Onofrio (R, pictured in 2022) The Malibu native groaned: 'On one of my marriages, the background noise of life was a [Real] Housewives of Beverly Hills or another thing called Love Island. Not even being in the room I'm not saying this to be cute I was dying. I felt my heart, my brain shrinking. It was an assault' But back in 2015, Sean revealed he loved watching ABC's The Bachelor with then girlfriend, Charlize Theron (R, pictured in 2015) Penn explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at the time: 'I don't really want to hear the conversations. I want to know the decisions. Is he gonna decide on this one or this one? And I wanna see somebody cry, and then see somebody get ecstatic and then see them cry' The Asphalt City producer-star famously split from his second wife - eight-time Emmy nominee Robin Wright - four times during their 21-year relationship - in 1995, 2007, and twice in 2009 - before finally ending their 13-year marriage in 2010. Sean and his 58-year-old Crossing Guard leading lady are proud parents of 33-year-old daughter Dylan Frances Penn and 30-year-old son Hopper Jack Penn, but this was a point of contention during the divorce. By contrast, Penn remains amicable with his first wife - seven-time Grammy-winning pop diva Madonna - whom he divorced in 1989 after three years of marriage. 'It turns out it's a lot quicker to repair a friendship after divorce if there are not kids involved,' the CORE co-founder noted. 'It took Robin and I quite a while. There was a lot of drama. Much more important to repair it if there are kids involved, but no easy swing, right?' Sean has also reportedly romanced Elizabeth McGovern, Susan Sarandon, Brigitte Nielsen, Emily Lloyd, Jewel, Petra Nemcova, Jessica White, Scarlett Johansson, and Shannon Costello. Penn has been hard at work promoting his role as a philosophizing New York City cab driver called Clark opposite Dakota Johnson's Girlie in Christy Hall's critically-acclaimed, two-person drama Daddio - which will be released in limited US theaters this Friday. Earlier this year, the Use Me actor reunited with his Licorice Pizza director Paul Thomas Anderson to shoot an untitled Warner Bros. 'event film' alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Alana Haim. The contemporary IMAX movie is said to be the 53-year-old filmmaker's 'most commercial' film to date and it's already scheduled to be released August 2025. The Asphalt City producer-star famously split from his second wife - eight-time Emmy nominee Robin Wright (L, pictured in 2005) - four times during their 21-year relationship - in 1995, 2007, and twice in 2009 - before finally ending their 13-year marriage in 2010 Sean and his 58-year-old Crossing Guard leading lady (M, pictured in December) are proud parents of 33-year-old daughter Dylan Frances Penn (R) and 30-year-old son Hopper Jack Penn (L), but this was a point of contention during the divorce By contrast, Penn remains amicable with his first wife - seven-time Grammy-winning pop diva Madonna (L, pictured in 2016) - whom he divorced in 1989 after three years of marriage The CORE co-founder noted: 'It turns out it's a lot quicker to repair a friendship after divorce if there are not kids involved. It took Robin and I quite a while. There was a lot of drama. Much more important to repair it if there are kids involved, but no easy swing, right?' Michelle Bridges was spotted driving off with the boot of her Range Rover wide open on Friday. With her mind elsewhere, the fitness guru, 53, completely forgot to close up her boot as she sped off down a Sydney road with all her personal items out in the open. Thankfully, the television personality quickly noticed her mistake and jumped out to close the trunk completely before driving off again. Sharing the footage to social media, the former Biggest Loser trainer issued a very honest response to the blunder on Tuesday. Reposting a clip of the moment to Instagram, the I'm A Celebrity! Australia 2024 star penned: 'When Menopause brain fog hits hard.' She also advertised her upcoming health plan called The Menopause Method, which gives 30-minute exercise plans and recipes in a bid to aid menopause symptoms. Friends and fans were quick to share their similar experiences as they heaped praise on Michelle for her honesty. Michelle Bridges was spotted driving off with the boot of her Range Rover wide open on Friday, leaving her personal items out in the open, before noticing and pulling over to close it Sharing the footage to social media, the former Biggest Loser trainer issued a very honest response to the blunder on Tuesday, writing: 'When Menopause brain fog hits hard' 'Ohhhhh weve all been there! Also I think baby brain never quite leaves either,' one user wrote. 'My speciality is driving off without putting the roller door down. Leaving full access to garage and house,' another commented. 'If I had paps following me, they could make a doco on my menopause brain fog moments,' a third wrote. While AFL WAG Bec Judd commented: 'I do this every week WITHOUT FAIL.' Friends and fans were quick to share their similar experiences as they heaped praise on Michelle for her honesty Despite the embarrassing moment, Michelle looked very glamorous on her day out as she donned a full face of make-up and added a soft wave to her long tresses. She accessorised her monochrome ensemble with a white Yves Saint Laurent bag worth an eye watering $2,550. Michelle elevated the look with a simple gold bangle and a stunning watch, while she also sported a thin gold necklace. A surprising twist from the Taylor Swift-Dave Grohl controversy has emerged, with Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear spotted at one of Swift's concerts in London. Both Swift and the Foo Fighters were performing in London over the weekend, with Swift singing in a trio of sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium and the Foo Fighters playing at London Stadium. After the Foo Fighters' show on Saturday - where Grohl insinuated that Swift doesn't sing live - Smear, 64 (born Georg Albert Ruthenberg), was spotted at Swift's Sunday show. Smear was spotted in actress Salma Hayek's Instagram story at the concert, alongside fashion designer Stella McCartney. While the guitarist doesn't have a verified social media account, Hayek tagged the Foo Fighters Instagram in the post. A surprising twist from the Taylor Swift-Dave Grohl controversy has emerged, with Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear spotted at one of Swift's concerts in London After the Foo Fighters' show on Saturday - where Grohl insinuated that Swift doesn't sing live - Smear, 64 (born Georg Albert Ruthenberg), was spotted at Swift's Sunday show Both Swift and the Foo Fighters were performing in London over the weekend, with Swift singing in a trio of sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium and the Foo Fighters playing at London Stadium While neither Swift nor Grohl have spoken publicly about the comments, Swift seemingly acknowledged it on Sunday. The controversy started Saturday when Grohl told the crowd at London Stadium, 'We were joking about the Taylor Swift tour earlier. I know that she's on her Eras Tour.' The crowd started to boo at the mere mention of Swift, as Grohl added, 'I'm telling you man, you don't want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift.' 'So we like to call our tour the Errors Tour. We've had more than a few eras, and more than a few f***ing errors as well. Just a couple. That's because we actually play live. What?' Grohl said. 'Just saying. You guys like raw live rock 'n' roll music right? You came to the right f***ing place!' Grohl said before continuing the band's set. During Swift's Sunday performance, she seemingly addressed Grohl's comments, when introducing her band before the three and a half hour set. 'What you just did is an unforgettable moment in not just my life, but every very single one of our crew. The band that's going to be playing live for you for three and a half hours tonight,' Swift said, without specifically mentioning Grohl. 'They deserve this so much and so does every one of my fellow performers, and you just gave that to us so generously. We'll never forget it,' she added. While neither Swift nor Grohl have spoken publicly about the comments, Swift seemingly acknowledged it on Sunday The controversy started Saturday when Grohl told the crowd at London Stadium, 'We were joking about the Taylor Swift tour earlier. I know that she's on her Eras Tour' The crowd started to boo at the mere mention of Swift, as Grohl added, 'I'm telling you man, you don't want to s uffer the wrath of Taylor Swift' Many were surprised by Grohl's comments, since he and Swift appeared to be on good terms in the past. Grohl was performing at the Cannes Lion Festival in 2016 when he told a story about how Taylor Swift saved him from embarrassment in front of Paul McCartney. Grohl said he was high at gathering where McCartney was at alongside Swift, and after McCartney finished playing a song, everyone turned to Grohl to play. 'It was kind of like one of those nightmares where youre running backwards and always late for whatever you got to go to,' Grohl said. 'All of a sudden, Taylor Swift stands up and is like, "Ill play a song," and Im like, "Ugh, thank God Taylor Swifts here. Like fing Batman when you need him.' Both Swift and Grohl then played the Foo Fighters song Best of You, as Grohl added, 'As if I werent high enough, that fing blew me into outer space.' Grohl also praised Swift back in a 2021 Rolling Stone piece for her re-recording her original albums after she was denied the ability to reclaim her master recordings. 'Like, f**k yeah, girl. Hell hath no fury. Now Im scared of her! I would be so nerdy and into it. I think its so much fun,' Grohl said at the time. Many were surprised by Grohl's (seen in London on Thursday with Pat Smear to his right) comments, since he and Swift appeared to be on good terms in the past 'All of a sudden, Taylor Swift stands up and is like, "Ill play a song," and Im like, "Ugh, thank God Taylor Swifts here. Like fing Batman when you need him' It remains to be seen if Grohl will clarify his remarks or apologize, or if Swift will elaborate on his comments. Swift fans - dubbed Swifties - were quite unpleased with Grohl following the comments in London. Some fans suggested that Grohl's attack was partly fuelled by abuse faced by his daughter from Swifties - Taylor Swift's fans. Violet Grohl criticised Swift for flying between concert stops in a private jet. Lara Worthington turned heads as she joined her husband Sam at the premiere of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 in Los Angeles on Monday. The 37-year-old model went braless as she walked the red carpet in a semi-sheer off-white dress and a pair of shiny black boots. She completed her edgy look with a black chain choker and large silver earrings. Lara let her natural beauty shine by opting for a neutral makeup palette and slicked her locks back. Her actor husband Sam, 47, who stars in the series, looked dapper at the premiere in a black blazer and matching coloured pants. The Avatar star finished his look with a black buttoned shirt and a pair of shiny black shoes. The Australian actor wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close as they posed for photos on the red carpet. The couple married in 2014 and shares three sons - Rocket, eight, Racer, six, and River, three. Lara Worthington turned heads as she joined her husband Sam at the premiere of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 in Los Angeles on Monday The model went braless as she walked the red carpet in a semi-sheer off-white dress and a pair of shiny black boots Horizon Chapter 1 is set to be released in the United States on June 28, 2024, while Chapter 2 will be released on August 16, 2024. The first part of the series is currently projected to make around $12 million after it debuts, according to tracking numbers calculated by one major service, The Hollywood Reporter reports. The four-part series had a budget of $100 million and director Kevin Costner contributed $38 million of his own money into the project, according to the outlet. Horizon earned a 10-minute standing ovation from the audience following its premiere screening at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month. It has a star-studded ensemble cast in addition to Costner and Worthington with Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Giovanni Ribisi, Ella Hunt, Danny Huston and Luke Wilson also sharing the screen. Her actor husband Sam, 47, who stars in the new film, looked dapper at the premiere in a black blazer and matching coloured pants Cat lovers have issued a word of warning to influencer Olivia Mathers after she was reunited with her Bengal cat more than two months after the animal mysteriously disappeared. The Gold Coast model broke down in tears in a video shared on Friday as she cuddled her beloved feline Haukie, who she believes was 'stolen' by someone she knew. Social media users have since weighed in on the drama and shared their advice to avoid her cat going missing again. Taking to the comments on @influencer.updates.au's post, fans encouraged Olivia to keep her cat indoors. 'Wow I did not expect this reunion! I thought it was long gone or killed! I hope she never lets it outside ever again,' one wrote. 'Can she really claim the cat was stolen when she let it roam and it went missing? I'm glad it's been found, but the whole situation could have easily been avoided if she had done the responsible thing from the start,' another added. 'This should be a lesson to all cat owners that your cat should never roam!' One follower commented: 'It's a Bengal, they are worth lot's of money and unfortunately people steal them all the time.' Cat lovers have issued a word of warning to influencer Olivia Mathers after she was reunited with her Bengal cat more than two months after the animal mysteriously disappeared 'Maybe she has learnt her lesson no keep her cat indoors from now on,' said another. Olivia believed she knew who was involved with the disappearance of Haukie, though there is no solid evidence other than screenshots of text exchanges to suggest Haukie was 'stolen'. In a post shared to her Instagram account on Friday, Olivia said she couldn't be more grateful for those who helped in the search for the feline. 'SHE'S HOME !!!! After 2 helpless months a beautiful couple not far from home posted about a bengal visiting frequently. The photo was undeniably Haukie,' she captioned her post. Taking to the comments on @influencer.updates.au 's post, fans encouraged Olivia to keep her cat indoors 'We hit the ground running over the last 3 days, walking the streets, staking out the house, clinging to new hope. Tonight she followed our voices and ran back to me!!!!' Olivia added: 'Turns out the lady that spotted her was our kindy teacher (and the kindest soul you could imagine) a heart warming coincidence that made the reunion so much more surreal. 'Thank you to everyone that helped/kept her relevant while we searched for answers.' Last month, Olivia issued a desperate call out to her 763,000 followers on Instagram asking to keep an eye out for the feline. Speaking with Daily Mail Australia at the time, Olivia said she simply wanted answers and for her 'family member' to be returned home. Last month, Olivia issued a desperate call out to her 763,000 followers on Instagram asking to keep an eye out for the feline named Haukie 'Malibu (my dog) and I are missing 3kgs of sass at home and can't wait to have her back,' she said. Olivia shared several photos of the four-year-old Bengal cat she has owned since she moved out of home on Instagram, revealing she was 'taken' on Saturday, April 27. 'Haukie has been admittedly taken,' she wrote alongside two photos of her pet. 'We believe they're trying to sell her. Please keep an eye out marketplaces/in general.' Shortly after, Olivia revealed she had 'found' the people who stole her pet. She said the alleged thieves, who claimed to have 'found' the cat, have been changing their story. 'We have a timeline of events and substantial evidence that they've done something with her,' she said. Olivia shared several photos of the four-year-old Bengal cat she has owned since she moved out of home on Instagram 'They deflect, refuse info and are awfully inconsistent with their story upon any direct attempt to get answers.' Olivia shared a text exchange between a person who said they dropped Haukie off at a pound in Coombabah on the day she was missing. But when the model arrived at the pound, staff had no record of her being dropped off. 'Can you confirm what day she was dropped off and when she was dropped off?' Olivia asked the person via text, before asking for confirmation she had the right pound. The person replied confirming it was the right location, claiming their father dropped the cat off and a lady working there said staff would 'scan for a chip to contact the owner'. The Gold Coast model said her Bengal cat was 'taken' on Saturday, April 27 In a later message, the person claimed the cat never made it inside the pound and escaped from the car before their father dropped it off. 'I've talked to my father and he didn't tell me but as he went to take the cat out of the car, it escaped and he freaked out and didn't tell me,' the person wrote. In her post, Olivia called on her followers and Queensland residents to be on the lookout for her beloved family pet. 'Please reshare to keep the word up while her disappearance is still fresh,' she pleaded in her caption. She also said Queensland Police had been notified 'but no action has been taken yet'. Olivia also offered a reward for 'any sufficient information' as well as for Haukie's return. Purebred Bengal cats cost upwards of $2000 and are a popular breed known for their high intelligence, loyal personality and thick, spotted coats. Pregnant influencer Em Davies has received surprising support after reportedly trying to flog her filthy white couch online. The Perth-based social media star, 30, who is expecting a baby girl with her fiance Joel Gambin, took to Facebook Marketplace to share the furniture advert. She attached a $900 price tag to the second-hand linen couch, with pictures showing the item of furniture looking stained, according to the Outspoken podcast. A photograph allegedly taken from the advert showed the couch looking heavily discoloured and encrusted with black marks. After online sleuths came across the advert, sisters Amy, Sophie & Kate Taeuber discussed the state of the couch on their podcast and gave their candid thoughts. They explained that many social media users were left 'shocked' and criticised Em for the state of the couch, which they said was 'not looking its best'. However, the sisters rallied behind Em in a surprising show of support as they praised her for her 'honesty' about the couch's well-worn condition. 'Em was very honest in the ad about it she didn't try to conceal the marks, she did have them on full display,' they said. Em Davies has received surprising support after reportedly trying to flog her filthy white couch online The Perth-based social media star, 30, took to Facebook Marketplace to share the furniture advert, with pictures of the couch looking stained, according to the Outspoken podcast They also pointed out that the Em left a message for potential buyers that explained that the stains would come out with a 'professional clean'. The presenters insisted she did the 'right thing' but went on to admit that $900 is 'expensive' for a second-hand item of furniture. 'Its ridiculous what people are charging these days,' they added. They also speculated that Em might be getting rid of the couch to replace it with a more 'kid-friendly' item of furniture ahead of the arrival of her first child. Em and her fiance Joel are set to welcome their baby girl in August and she recently teased her favourite baby names. After she copped criticism from fans, sisters Amy, Sophie & Kate Taeuber showed their support for her as they praised her for her honesty, but admitted the $900 price tag was high Last month, Em shared a video in which she revealed that she has already decided on a name for her daughter, but refused to reveal what it is. She went on to reveal that she likes the names Delilah, Romy and Eloura and the boy names Carter, Ki and Blu, but insisted she won't be using any of them. 'We really loved Maeve but it just didn't work for the middle name we want to use,' she added. She also revealed she 'loved gender neutral names like Stevie', before teasing: 'But the name we have chosen is not gender neutral at all.' Em and her fiance Joel are set to welcome their baby girl in August and she recently teased her favourite baby names, but refused to reveal which one she plans to use Em and Joel announced their engagement in March last year after Joel popped the question in New York after two years of dating, and they are set to tie the knot on February 22, 2025 Of her list, she continued: 'These are really like basic names in my opinion. I don't really like different weird names.' She also revealed that she has other baby names for girls she loves, but would not reveal them in case she uses one in the future. Online personality Em announced her engagement to Joel last March, after two years of dating. Their daughter is due to August 20, while they are due to tie the knot in a wedding ceremony on February 22, 2025. Hayley Vernon has been forced to defend herself after she called out a major bank sharing an LGBTQIA+ pride message in one of their branches. The former Married At First Sight star, 37, who previously said she identified as bisexual, took to Instagram on Tuesday with her scathing post. She first shared a photograph of a pride message on a screen behind one of the tellers at her local bank, and wrote alongside the image: 'How about just focusing on customer service?' But the OnlyFans star came under fire from fans and quickly returned to Instagram to slam the critics who branded her as 'homophobic' as she doubled down on her opinion. 'Quit with the homophobic bulls**t. My sister is gay, I have gay friends and have had messages of support with my stance,' she wrote. 'My opinions are just that, my opinions. I updated my iPhone and the first thing that came up was a LGBTQ update option. I go to the bank, it's there. 'There's stickers on shops. It's all over TikTok and while you call me homophobic, I know where I stand. 'I support people... I don't support a sexuality being promoted so heavily to every man and their dog when there are so many "marginalised" groups.' Hayley Vernon, 37, (pictured) has been forced to defend herself after she called out a major bank sharing an LGBTQIA+ pride message in one of their branches After hitting out at a bank's pride message, she came under fire and later returned to Instagram to slam the critics who branded her as 'homophobic' Hayley finished her lengthy message with: 'We should be focusing on people, all people, and not segregation based on preference.' Her verbal lashing didn't end there as she was forced to clarify it is her 'older sister Bianca' who is gay, not her sister Lauren, as she slammed the 'uneducated bogans'. 'Also, my sister Lauren would like to remind you all that she is not gay, she is happily married and is worried that uneducated bogans will ask her any way,' Hayley said. 'It is our older sister Bianca. Should said uneducated bogans have an issue with my life, can they please ask me and refrain from disrupting Lauren's "energy".' Hayley, who was 'married' to truck driver David Cannon on season seven of MAFS, self-identified as bisexual back in 2021. Her verbal lashing didn't end there as she was forced to clarify it is her 'older sister Bianca' who is gay, not her sister Lauren, as she slammed the 'uneducated bogans' Hayley, who was ' married' to truck driver David Cannon on season seven of MAFS, self-identified as bisexual back in 2021 She revealed in March 2021 that it was 'only after' leaving the dating experiment she felt 'confident enough to explore' her sexuality. The reality TV star-turned-adult film entertainer revealed she was bisexual during an Instagram Live fan Q&A at the time. The question posed by a fan was whether she got 'turned on more by the women or men' in her OnlyFans videos. The former labourer disclosed that she 'dated two women after MAFS but learnt there [SIC] harder to handle than most men'. New Zealand's national radio broadcaster RNZ has fallen victim to a stunt pulled by influencer Caleb J Greaves. The Kiwi-born social media personality, who now lives in Australia, took to Instagram to share how he convinced the station to play a sexually explicit song called 'Good Lookin'. The song was recorded by U.S. country star Jake Hill as 'Dixon Dallas' in 2023 and describes two men having intercourse. A video of the song has since gone viral on Tik Tok amassing an eye-watering 20 million views. In a video posted to his stories, Greaves describes his prank as 'potentially the funniest thing to ever happen on New Zealand radio'. He also went on to share the announcer's surprising reaction. New Zealand 's national radio broadcaster RNZ has fallen victim to a stunt pulled by influencer Caleb J Greaves. Pictured The Kiwi-born social media personality, who now lives in Australia, took to Instagram to share how he convinced the station to play a sexually explicit song called 'Good Lookin'. The song was recorded by U.S. country star Jake Hill as 'Dixon Dallas' (pictured) in 2023 and describes two men having intercourse That was probably a good lesson to us to lyric check songs for the jukebox,' the RNZ DJ said. Greaves describes RNZ, which is similar to Australia's ABC, as very 'serious' and very 'newsy'. A video of the song has since gone viral on Tik Tok amassing an eye-watering 20 million views Followers of Greaves gave their enthusiastic support for prank. 'Im so glad my tax dollars paid for this,' wrote one Kiwi fan. Added another fan: 'Classic stitch up. Really brought us all together.' 'Single greatest thing the New Zealand government has ever paid for,' added another. When in Sardinia, do as the Sardinians appeared to be the motto as Gemma Arterton visited a local beach on the Italian island during her latest working holiday. The British actress is currently overseas for the seventh annual Filming Italy Sardegna festival, a curtain-raiser for the country's summer season of TV and cinema. But the glamorous red carpet gowns were left at home on Monday as Arterton, 38, unwound in a canary yellow swimsuit during her trip to Sardinian capital Cagliari. The actress, who found fame as doomed secret agent Strawberry Fields in James Bond thriller Quantum Of Solace, showed off her physique as she paddled in the Mediterranean with a female friend. With temperatures soaring across the Italian peninsula, Arterton protected herself from the searing heat beneath a large, wide-brimmed hat. When in Sardinia, do as the Sardinians appeared to be the motto as Gemma Arterton visited a local beach on the Italian island during her latest working holiday Arterton unwound in a canary yellow swimsuit during her trip to Sardinian capital Cagliari The Filming Italy festival will showcase more than 70 international and Italian films, TV series, documentaries before its conclusion on June 25. Arterton, who has been a regular red carpet fixture at the event, flew to Italy after filming scenes for new film Funny Woman 2 in Manchester. She was dressed in 1960s raincoat on the set of Funny Woman 2 as she filmed demonstration scenes in Manchester. Arterton wore a shiny blue double breasted vinyl mac, while her dark hair was hidden under a bright blonde wig, which she covered with a vintage green baker boy hat. Arterton plays the lead role of Barbara Parker in Funny Woman 2, which is a Sky TV adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling novel Funny Girl. The first series followed Barbara's journey as she went from a Blackpool beauty queen to comedy star, named Sophie Straw, while dealing with the male-dominated sitcom industry present in 1960s London. Series two sees her on a high as she is the nation's favourite TV comedy star, with a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just round the corner as Dennis's divorce will take three years, Sophie's new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret. With temperatures soaring across the Italian peninsula, Arterton protected herself from the searing heat beneath a large, wide-brimmed hat The British actress is currently overseas for the seventh annual Filming Italy Sardegna festival, a curtain-raiser for the country's summer season of TV and cinema The actress appeared to be in high spirits as she waded into the Mediterranean Arterton travelled to Italy after filming scenes for new film Funny Woman 2 in Manchester She was accompanied by a female friend during her trip to the beach in Cagliari Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heart-throb. The film is a hit and Sophie's slick new American agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood. But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life, challenges outdated cultural conventions and proves that she and her mates are Funny Women. Speaking about series two, Morwenna Banks, the writer and executive producer on the show said: 'It's a thrill to dive back into the world of 1960's London - with the extraordinary cast and crew of Funny Woman series two. 'Thanks to the genius of Gemma Arterton as Nick Hornby's heroine Sophie Straw - a whole host of new guest stars have joined us. Arterton became a household name after starring alongside Daniel Craig in James Bond thriller Quantum Of Solace She is married to actor Rory Keenan, best known for his starring role in Peaky Blinders. The couple are parents to an 18-month old son The actress appears to be without her family during her current stay on the Italian island She was seen towelling herself off after making her way back onto the beach following a dip in the Mediterranean on Monday The actress is expected to return to work on the set of Funny Girl 2 following her return to the United Kingdom 'We welcome stellar performances from Steve Zissis, Marcus Rutherford, Tim Key, Gemma Whelan, Roisin Conaty and many more Tune in Turn On and don't Drop Out'. Arterton opened up about how she felt an instant affinity for the role to MailOnline last year, saying: 'Barbara is such a great character and it was an iconic time for comedy, for culture. 'More edgy working-class humour started to come through, and for a woman to be in that world was unusual at that time. 'I could hear her voice in my head, so when I was sent the script for the pilot episode it felt serendipitous.' Arterton spoke about how hard it was for women, especially those with working-class backgrounds and northern accents to break through in the comedy industry. Arterton looked incredible as she walked the red carpet on day two of Filming Italy Sardegna festival in Santa Margherita di Pula on Friday She explained: 'In America they had I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but we didn't have any women leading their own shows until the 70s and 80s when Victoria Wood and Jennifer Saunders started coming through. 'Comedy was particularly sexist, and women were just accessories. The roles they got were the sexualised Benny Hill or Carry On parts. It was quite extraordinary for a woman to make it in comedy in the UK in the 60s.' Speaking about her own struggles, she admitted: 'People judge you by how you talk. There have been times I've not got jobs because it was thought I wasn't posh enough. 'Sometimes there are characters you have an affinity with, and Barbara is one of them. It felt natural to play her, and there's a lot of stuff in there that I got to let out. 'Things are way better than they were but there's still an undercurrent of the things Barbara was up against, because oldschool people still work in this industry. 'Hopefully lots of people will be able to relate to that because it's not just this industry that's affected. 'One of the things Barbara struggles with is people judging her physically rather than on what she can do, and that happens a lot with women in the workplace.' Simon Cowell has signed a huge deal with streaming giant Netflix for a new show in his bid to find the 'next One Direction'. The music mogul, 64, said recently that he thought there had not been a band as successful as One Direction since, and had set about on a quest to replicate their fame. It has now been revealed that he has signed a deal with Netflix for his new show and - clearly not afraid to shout about his talent scouting prowess - has called it Simon Cowell: Midas Touch. A source revealed to The Sun that Simon is in the end stages of finalising the deal with the streamer. They said: 'Netflix is the perfect place for his new show and Box To Box, who are producing the series, have worked with them before. Simon Cowell has signed a huge deal with streaming giant Netflix for a new show in his bid to find the 'next One Direction' (Pictured in February) It has now been revealed that he has signed a deal with Netflix for his new show and - clearly not afraid to shout about his talent scouting prowess - has called it Simon Cowell: Midas Touch (Pictured with Sharon Osbourne in 2005) 'Simon and his team have been working so hard on getting the show off the ground and a final deal is so close now.' The name of the show has amused people behind the scenes, it has been said. The source added: 'Simon knows he is the best at what he does and calling his show Midas Touch gives a new meaning to blowing your own trumpet.' Simon's search will consist of X Factor boot camp style auditions starting on July 4 and 5 in Newcastle, before he moves on to Liverpool, Dublin and London. It was revealed on Saturday that Simon fears the UK is not finding enough breakthrough talent, saying record labels are not signing enough new stars, who face too much competition online. Simon, who had global success with One Direction and Westlife, is determined to change that with a new project in which he holds auditions for a new band. He told the Daily Mail: 'Right now record labels aren't signing enough new talent. 'So the amount of UK artists who are breaking worldwide has literally fallen off a cliff because I think there is too much competition online. 'People don't knock on your door saying, "I've got a new band". It doesn't happen. You've got to go out there yourself and do it. So that's what we are doing.' Simon was seen putting up a giant billboard of his own face in a bid to drum up publicity for his new show earlier this month. The music mogul, 64, said recently that he thought there had not been a band as successful as One Direction since, and had set about on a quest to replicate their fame (Pictured with One Direction in 2010) Simon, who had global success with One Direction and Westlife, is determined to change that with a new project in which he holds auditions for a new band (Pictured with Westlife in 2004) He surprised passersby in London as he erected the mammoth poster to launch his nationwide hunt for the next big boyband. Simon decided his star presence was needed to plug his next project after Britain's Got Talent received the worst ratings in its 17-year history on Sunday night - despite the head judge claiming it was the best final he has seen in a long time. Dressed in dungarees, the head judge got to work with a bucket and brush in hand. He left Londoners shocked as he proceeded to smooth out a giant poster of his own face alongside the words 'Simon needs you. Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No time wasters.' The last British pop act to find global success was Dua Lipa, who was signed by Warner Records in 2014. Simon was seen putting up a giant billboard of his own face in a bid to drum up publicity for his new show In contrast, in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s there was no shortage of world-beating musical acts such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Wham! and Take That. Music industry insiders said this was a contributing factor behind Glastonbury organisers' struggle to find big enough headliners for this year's festival. Ms Lipa, 28, is top of the bill at the Pyramid stage on Friday, with Coldplay being the Saturday headliners for the fifth time. The American artist SZA will headline on Sunday night. The Irwins recently headed off to Tasmania for a family holiday. But one American magazine mistook the Australian island state for a country in Africa, leading to an embarassing gaffe. Robert, mum Terri, sister Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell all went to Tassie with Bindi's little girl, Grace. The family shared a series of photos to Instagram taken at Cradle Mountain, an iconic landmark in the state. US Magazine mistook Tasmania for Tanzania, in Africa, writing about the 'family vacation in the East African country' and said the group tagged 'the resort where they stayed, Cradle Mountain Lodge'. Some Aussies were amused by the error, not least of all the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania. Amy Hills, from the council, told the ABC in a statement that Tasmania was happy to accept the promotion, even if it came at the expense of an error. 'While it appears this an unfortunate mistake, as clearly Tasmania is a long way from Tanzania, in an odd way it gives us an ability to create even more buzz about our iconic Cradle Mountain,' Hills said. The Irwins recently headed off to Tasmania for a family holiday (pictured) Robert, mum Terri, sister Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell all went to Tassie with Bindi's little girl, Grace. All pictured The family shared a series of photos to Instagram taken at Cradle Mountain, an iconic landmark in the state 'When influencers like Bindi Irwin share snapshots of our island, especially while enjoying it with friends and family, it has great reach and potential impact. 'Hopefully those reading the article will visit Bindi's actual post and see those snow-capped mountains and the iconic cradle landscape, sparking them to investigate their own trip to Tassie, during the winter months.' Many commenters on Facebook found it funny too, with one writing: 'In the '80s a tourists mistakenly flew to Tasmania instead of Tanzania. I remember reading it in The Mercury at the time.' 'When I was studying in the US, almost everyone I met thought Tasmania was Tanzania. They also thought of our NZ classmate as Australian,' another said. US Magazine (pictured) mistook Tasmania for Tanzania, which is an East African country The article described the 'family vacation in the East African country' and said the group tagged, 'the resort where they stayed, Cradle Mountain Lodge' Some Aussies were amused by the error, not least of all the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania. Amy Hills, from the council, told the ABC in a statement that Tasmania was happy to accept the promotion, even if it came at the expense of an error 'While it appears this an unfortunate mistake, as clearly Tasmania is a long way from Tanzania, in an odd way it gives us an ability to create even more buzz about our iconic Cradle Mountain,' Hills said 'Takes me back to the time when I told the in-laws we were moving to Tasmania, Mother-in-law nearly passed out thinking we were moving to darkest Africa,' one more wrote. Yet another said: 'It still amazes me that Austria has a "I meant to fly to Australia" service desk. It could always be worse'. Someone else commented: 'People often come into my shop in Burnie asking where they can get Tanzania souvenirs'. 'I remember being in USA 30 years ago, constantly had to explain "TASMANIA" and that a "Tasmanian Devil" wasn't a Disney cartoon character!! Seems nothing has changed!' one more added. Commenters on Facebook found it funny too, with one writing: 'In the '80s a tourists mistakenly flew to Tasmania instead of Tanzania' It comes after Robert revealed his two favourite places to holiday around his home country of Australia. The 20-year-old conservationist said that he likes to head to either Far North Queensland or Tasmania to relax. 'I know what you're thinking two of the most polar opposite places, but they both have such rugged and raw natural beauty,' he told news.com.au this week. When in Tasmania, he loves to visit Cradle Mountain, an iconic site rife with natural beauty. Robert revealed his two favourite places to holiday in Australia. The 20-year-old said that he likes to head to either Far North Queensland or Tasmania to relax. Cradle Mountain is pictured In the Far North Queensland (pictured) he likes to visit the mangroves and estuaries, as well as taking various mountain biking trails 'There are so many stunning hikes and incredibly friendly wildlife,' Robert explained. 'I also enjoy the Tasman Peninsula, Launceston, Swansea and the stunning Tarkine Wilderness just to name a few spots.' In the Far North Queensland he likes to visit the mangroves and estuaries, as well as taking various mountain biking trails. 'At a good distance away from the water's edge of course,' he joked, referring to the many crocodiles in the area. Constance Hall has shared her good fortune with her extended family and says she is proud to do it. As Australia suffers from a housing crisis, the mummy blogger and influencer says she was able to move a cousin's family into the home she shares with her seven children and partner Denim Cooke in Western Australia. 'Due to the relentless housing crisis Denz and I received the welcomed surprise of my cousin and her family in need of somewhere to stay,' the 40-year-old wrote on Facebook this week. Because it was a tight fit, her partner and her cousin got their hands dirty while hitching an old wagon Constance had sitting in a driveway to the side of their house to create an extra space. 'Today while painting the door green I said to Denz, "Do you realise we are living our dream? Remember the OG dream was to build a commune with tree houses and cabins, water falls and skate ramps?"' she wrote. 'Sure it's not on acreage but we are using my design and your skills to turn this little home into a commune that can fit everyone who needs it? And he put his tools down and came to high-five me.' Constance concluded: 'Someone once said to me, "While there is a roof over my head there is a roof over yours" it was a really kind thing to say and I never forgot it. 'I can only hope that our home turns the lemons of life into lemonade for those who need it for rest of our lives.' Constance Hall (right) was able to move a cousin's family into the home she shares with her seven children and partner Denim Cooke (left) in Western Australia It comes after the blogger gave fans an update on her relationship with Denim and said in an Instagram Stories video that they grow stronger all the time. 'Yes it was getting better, they dip and then they get better again,' she said. 'The thing I love most about Denzy is that his heart is kind, really kind and he's always prepared to change and grow and listen,' she continued. 'Like for example, I was saying to him the other day, I don't want to keep telling you what the f**k to do because I need to focus on what I'm doing and I had a go at him and we fought,' Constance went on. 'Then he went off and he thought about it, he comes back and he goes 'I think it is because I never saw my dad doing this' and he was vacuuming and he was like I really want to get better, I want to be a better husband.' Because it was a tight fit, her partner and her cousin got their hands dirty while hitching an old wagon Constance had sitting in a driveway to the side of their house to create an extra space Constance had been living apart from her partner after he almost died falling off a motorbike, but he has since moved back in. 'He just completely checked out of life after the accident,' she said. Denim was involved in a horror motorbike crash in August, 2020. The 48-year-old was airlifted to a trauma ward at Royal Perth Hospital suffering seven broken ribs, punctured lungs, multiple infections and a brain injury after skidding off his bike. 'I think when he woke up from the accident, I was very excited. And there was this sort of false hope,' Constance said. 'I spoke to the doctors, and they said Denim doesn't have motivation anymore. The frontal lobe damage has taken any of that away that he might have had before. Constance concluded: 'Someone once said to me, "While there is a roof over my head there is a roof over yours" it was a really kind thing to say and I never forgot it' 'His psychiatrist said really recently, and it was really clever, "He loves you. He loves his family. He needs to work for you rather than just getting you and all the things you do and provide... and that's not gonna happen unless he's removed from the family home."' The couple began to look into an assisted care facility to get a few nights away from each other and heal but Constance was reminded constantly that he was 'becoming a shell of a man'. Denim went to stay with 'his bestest friend' who lives in Esperance, a 10 hour drive away from Constance's home in Margaret River. 'I spoke to him the next day, and there was just this light in his face... like he was just his old self again. He was clear. He was awake and alive and around lovely people,' she said. Her empathy, compassion and desire soon returned and Constance thanks her partner's psychiatrist for stepping in when he did to 'help them'. Constance and Denim met in 2017, they 'married' and had their son Raja in 2018 bringing the total 'kid count' to seven. The controversial mummy blogger explained up until recently, she was still legally married to her first husband, British carpenter Bill Mahon, because she couldn't cope with the red tape involved with getting a divorce, hence she and Denim are not legally married at this time. Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt has revealed she is pregnant with her first child. The Downton Abbey star, 43, shared the happy news by debuting her baby bump on the red carpet at the Into Film Awards on Tuesday at the Odeon Luxe in London's Leicester Square. The star looked gorgeous in a red mini dress as she posed at the event, cradling her bump. Joanne hasn't confirmed the identity of the father but she was spotted walking hand in hand with a mystery man in August 2023, with friends of the star saying at the time that they were 'excited' for her and felt he may be The One. The actress was left heartbroken when her eight-year marriage to James Cannon ended shortly before the pandemic in 2020. Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt has revealed she is pregnant with her first child The actress hasn't confirmed the identity of the father but she was spotted walking hand in hand with a mystery man in August 2023, with friends saying that they felt he may be The One In August 2023 it was revealed that Joanne had been seeing the man she was pictured with, whose name is Mark, for several months and she was said to be 'besotted' with him. Joanne introduced Mark to her friends last year, and she took him to a party with her group of pals at The Greyhound Italian restaurant in Marylebone, Central London. One source close to her revealed: 'Joanne is having a great time with Mark.' It is the first time that she has been publicly linked to a love interest since she split from IT consultant Cannon in February 2020. Joanne, who played maid Anna Bates for the full six series of Downton Abbey, announced the split just weeks before lockdown. She said: 'We've been separated for a little while. I'm looking to the future. I'm just going to embrace this year and see what happens.' A year on, in 2021, she admitted the divorce from her long-term partner had thrown her life into a state of flux. She said: 'I didn't think I'd be divorced, I didn't think we'd be going through a pandemic, I didn't think my life would be in flux in the way it was. But I'm OK with that. The Downton Abbey star, 43, shared the happy news by debuting her baby bump on the red carpet at the Into Film Awards on Tuesday at the Odeon Luxe in London's Leicester Square The star looked gorgeous in a red mini dress as she posed at the event Joanne looked happy and relaxed as she mingled with guests inside the event after announcing her baby news on the red carpet Her garment commanded attention at the event as it featured a floor-length scarf which hung from her left shoulder For the glitzy evening she added inches to her frame and slipped into some red stilettos She looked radiant as she graced the red carpet for the first time since announcing herprgnancy She looked every inch the doting mother as she cradled her blossoming bump for some red carpet snaps For the star-studded event she kept it simple and wore her blonde tresses in a relaxed bob Joanne posed with Caireen Ferguson with Tobie Donovan after their Frog Flight won Best Animation 12 and Over 'I'm so grateful for my friends and family, for my health and to have been working so much during this past year. You realise, when it comes down to it, how many positives you have in your life.' Joanne, who was engaged to DJ Phil Vane at 19, married Cannon in 2012 in a private church ceremony in Oxfordshire attended by her fellow Downton Abbey cast members. In an interview in 2015 she described her marriage to Cannon as 'perfect'. She added: 'He's passionate about film and theatre, so we have a common interest and he's not in the business, so it's perfect.' While they were together she and Cannon owned a production company called Run After It, however the actress now manages the business on her own, and said that being in charge 'feels like an exciting new chapter'. The baby news comes after it was revealed Joanne is set to return to Downton Abbey as production gets underway for the period drama's third film. The news comes after it was revealed Joanna is set to return to Downton Abbey as production gets underway for the period drama's third film (pictured with Brendan Coyle as Mr Bates in series two) The actress was left heartbroken when her eight-year marriage to James Cannon ended shortly before the pandemic in 2020 (the former couple are pictured together in 2018) The actress starred as Anna Bates, the maid of Lady Crawley, in the series from 2010 until the finale in 2015 and the first two films. The third instalment was first let slip early by actress Imelda Staunton, who unashamedly announced that there would definitely be a 'third and final' film. It was later confirmed by the show runners, who announced that there would be a 'third film in the beloved Downton Abbey franchise'. However, while producers have 'tried to reunite the cast' some stars will be unable to return. A TV insider told The Sun: 'This will be welcome news for fans of the drama, because Anna was a particular favourite but none of the cast members were guaranteed to return. 'Although the producers have tried to reunite most of the Downton stars, not all of them have been able to commit, even if they did appear in the first two films.' In February, The Mail revealed the period drama would be making a surprise comeback for a seventh series. Robert Irwin has taken to Instagram to share some thrilling news with his fans and followers. The young conservationist, 20, posted an adrenaline-pumping photo of himself feeding a massive crocodile, accompanied by an exciting announcement. In the photo, Robert is seen in mid-action, throwing a chunk of meat into the wide-open jaws of the reptile at Australia Zoo's famous Crocoseum. His caption captioned the image with an exciting announcement. 'I'm joining my whole family here at Australia Zoo to feed our beautiful crocodiles in the Crocoseum these school holidays - from now until July 7!' he wrote, before adding, 'It's gonna be EPIC We'll see you here!!!' The news generated a buzz among wildlife enthusiasts and fans of the Irwin family. Mum Terri was quick to comment underneath the snap, writing: 'So. Much. Fun.' Earlier this week, Robert become one of the youngest ever to be considered for the Gold Logie Award, which recognises the best in the Australian TV industry. Robert Irwin has taken to Instagram to share some thrilling news with his fans and followers. Pictured The young conservationist, 20, posted an adrenaline-pumping photo of himself feeding a massive crocodile, accompanied by an exciting announcement Robert previously had fans doing a double take after he shared a video of himself feeding a crocodile as he re-created an iconic photo of his father from 2004. In the video, Robert entices the giant crocodile with food before jumping back as it lunges towards him, narrowly missing his arm. The wildlife photographer was sporting his iconic Australia Zoo uniform and had a microphone on. Robert previously had fans doing a double take after he shared a video of himself feeding a crocodile as he re-created an iconic photo of his father from 2004 In the video Robert, enticed the crocodile with food, before jumping back as it lunged towards him, narrowly missing his arm Fans couldn't believe how much the teenager looked like his late father Steve in the clip. 'You looks so much like your dad right there!!! Nice croc feeding,' one commented on the video. Another wrote: 'Man. I see your Dad all in this!' Meanwhile, a third echoed: 'So much like your Dad. I was a big fan of his and his passion for these beautiful creatures.' Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Kourtney Kardashian lovingly cradled her baby son Rocky, seven months, as she and her husband Travis Barker posed for a heartwarming snap. The picture was taken by Travis' 18-year-old daughter Alabama Luella Barker, whom he shares with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler. Alabama, who enjoys a warm rapport with her stepmother, posted the shot to her Insta Stories Monday night and glowingly wrote: 'My favorite people.' She and her family were traveling through Texas ahead of Travis' Tuesday evening concert in Fort Worth with his band Blink-182, in which he plays the drums. Travis, 48, and Kourtney, 45, held their wedding in Portofino, Italy over the summer of 2022 and then welcomed their little boy this past November. Kourtney Kardashian lovingly cradled her baby son Rocky, seven months, as she and her husband Travis Barker posed for a heartwarming snap The sweet picture comes a week after Kourtney revealed the medical condition that forced her to have emergency fetal surgery while pregnant with Rocky. 'Baby Rocky had to have fetal surgery for fluid in his lung,' she said on last week's episode of The Kardashians on Hulu. 'And it's super rare, that this [is] the condition that he had but it's also super rare and lucky that we caught it,' she explained in a confessional. 'And thank you, God, for this successful surgery. I'm honestly just so grateful, I have no words.' She bared her soul about her anxiety, saying: 'I was definitely filled with fear after the surgery and the fluid in his lungs.' The reality superstar said: 'Actually it did start coming back and then I watched this documentary called Heal that was all about the power of positive thinking and how our thinking can really affect our health.' She candidly reflected on the way she coped with the ordeal, saying that 'I started talking to the baby every day, saying my prayers, and after I had that mindset shift, the fluid was completely gone and we had not one single problem after.' Kourtney - who shares her older children Mason, 14, Penelope, 11, and Reign, nine, with her ex-fiance Scott Disick - first went public with the surgery last September. 'As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasnt prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery,' she shared at the time. The picture was taken by Travis' 18-year-old daughter Alabama Luella Barker, whom he shares with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler; Travis pictured with Alabama Travis, 48, and Kourtney, 45, held their wedding in Portofino over the summer of 2022 and then welcomed their little boy this past November The sweet picture comes a week after Kourtney revealed the medical condition that forced her to have emergency fetal surgery while pregnant with Rocky 'Baby Rocky had to have fetal surgery for fluid in his lung,' she said on last week's episode of The Kardashians on Hulu Alabama's mother is Playboy cover girl Shanna Moakler 'I dont think anyone who hasnt been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear,' Kourtney added on Instagram. When the operation took place, Blink-182 hurriedly postponed some of their European tour dates so that Travis could fly home to his wife's bedside. 'Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States,' the band announced on their social media. Travis then fired up his own social media and cryptically posted pictures of the prayer room at the Glasgow Airport. Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted looking chic while on the set of And Just Like That... in New York City on Tuesday. The 59-year-old wore two dresses. One was a white long-sleeve collared dress. The other was a mini black tank dress that she added on top. Sarah donned matching white-and-black closed-toed pumps while styling her platinum-blonde hair down. The Sex and the City alum had on dainty earrings and kept her makeup to a minimum as she flashed a closed-mouth smile and held a white tote. Sarah also took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes pictures from filming. Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted looking chic while on the set of And Just Like That... in New York City on Tuesday The Sex and the City alum donned matching white and black closed-toed pumps while styling her platinum-blonde hair down In one shot, the star posed looking down at her feet as her hair blew in the wind, while she walked down a set of steps in another. Sarah donned a huge smile as she was photographed outside of her trailer looking off into the distance. She captioned the Instagram post, '@justlikethatmax Lost count of shooting day. X, SJ.' Sarah officially began filming season three of the revival series in May and opened up about what viewers can expect shortly after on Today with Hoda & Jenna. The Hocus Pocus actress said that season 3 'has a sort of souffle quality to me this year.' 'It just feels really lovely,' Sarah continued. 'I do know what's ahead, so there will be layers and complexities and complications as there always are - certainly in Carrie's life.' As fans patiently wait for the next season to drop, they can also expect new cast members to join in on The Big Apple fun, including Rosie O'Donnell. In May, the comedian announced she was set to appear on the HBO show. 'Here comes mary #andjustlikethat @hbo,' Rosie captioned an Instagram post of her script. The 59-year-old wore a white long-sleeve collared dress with a mini black tank dress on top The icon was also spotted with co-star Kristin Davis on Tuesday Parker wore a low-cut grey top and sweatpants as she enjoyed a sun-soaked stroll with her pal Kristin wowed in a pink floral print dress by La DoubleJ as she filmed a scene of And Just Like That with Parker The actress enjoyed an iced tea while Parker opted for a chill beverage as well Parker slung a chic bag over her shoulder The shot showed her character's name, Mary, and the episode title, 'Outlook Good.' Followers flocked to the comments section to share their excitement, with one user writing, 'Ive never watched the show but now I have a reason!' while another chimed in, 'Goodbye Che and hello Mary!!!' During Sarah's interview on Today, she shared that despite not being in any scenes with Rosie, she did sit in on a table read with her. The Divorce star also gave a glimpse at her own table read, posting a picture to Instagram of two scripts alongside a place card that read 'Carrie,' the shows title, and 'season 3.' 'Here. We. Go. X, SJ,' Sarah captioned the shot. The actress tagged costars Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, who play Charlotte and Miranda, Nicole Ari Parker (Lisa), Sarita Choudhury (Seema), Katerina Tannenbaum (Lisette), and Mario Cantone, who has played Anthony since the OG series. The Hollywood icon also took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes pictures from filming She captioned the Instagram post, '@justlikethatmax Lost count of shooting day. X, SJ' The Hocus Pocus actress said that season 3 'has a sort of souffle quality to me this year' Season three was renewed ahead of the show's season two finale, with executive producer Michael Patrick King expressing his excitement in a press release. 'We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex and the City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors,' he shared. 'And Just Like That Here comes season three.' However, along with new faces comes the departure of Sara Ramirez(Che Diaz) and Karen Pittman (Nya Wallace). Costar Sarita expanded on the news while speaking to Radio Times in April. Parker was also seen filming on June 21 in New York City She said, 'It's so new, the news, and we haven't started shooting, so I don't know what it's gonna be like. But it's definitely hard to imagine just because it takes a while to meld as a group. But also, I know they're doing other things now, so I'm happy for them.' Although Sarita didn't film with Sara or Karen, their presence will still be missed. 'My storyline is so hooked in with Sarah Jessica's character, so I've never been able to act with them anyway,' she confessed. 'I'll miss them in the hallways.' Despite claims that Sara was axed from the show due to their pro-Palestinian Instagram posts, production sources told the Daily Mail that their character's journey on the show was always supposed to end. 'Sara was not fired because they support Palestine and the ceasefire,' an insider told the outlet. 'Sara was fired because Che brought nothing to the show anymore. After Che split with Miranda, the character really held no value anymore, and fans found them annoying.' Whoopi Goldberg was visibly disgusted with herself on Tuesday's episode of The View after she accidentally said Donald Trump's name live on-air during a discussion about the upcoming presidential debate on June 27. Voicing her support for current President Joe Biden, Goldberg, 68, said: 'I think it would be remiss of us to not say, "Joe Biden knows how to do this." He knows how to do this, he's quite good at this.' Turning her attention to Trump - who has demanded that Biden take a drug test ahead of the debate - Goldberg continued: 'You can't refute anything with him because he just... when I say him I mean...' as her cohost Joy Behar chimed in and said: 'Trump,' prompting Goldberg to repeat her. The Sister Act star, who always refuses to say the former President's name and usually refers to the 78-year-old as 'you know who,' immediately leaned over and imitated spitting on the floor in disgust when she realized what she had said. A shocked Sunny Hostin then asked: 'Did you say his name?' to which Goldberg replied: 'I said his name, it was a trick and it made me do it. I'm just saying that Biden knows what not to do. You can't refute that man, because he just spins and spins and spins. All you can really do is talk about what you do and how you do what you do.' Whoopi Goldberg accidentally said Donald Trump's name on The View on Tuesday The Sister Act star imitated spitting on the floor in disgust live on air after saying 'Trump' Behar, 81, then suggested how Biden should make his points on June 27 and said: 'But he should do it like this... "while Trump was gargling Lysol, whatever he was drinking, I was fixing infrastructure. While Trump was doing A,B and C, I was doing this". That way he gets to diss Trump and say what he did.' Former White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin, who previously worked for Trump, then said: 'Let's also not forget that Donald Trump's out here saying Joe Biden needs to take a drug test. 'But I was with him in 2020, he lied to the American public, the debate commission, the Biden campaign, and to senior White House staff and withheld that he tested positive for Covid and showed up to the debate while having Covid,' the 35-year-old added. Goldberg replied: 'Listen, I'm sick of this guy, I really am. I'm just sick of him,' as comedian Behar agreed and said: 'We all are.' Goldberg continued: 'All I want to know is what can we expect in the years coming up, because, quite honestly, I can't take any more of the BS, I don't want to take any more of the BS. It's too easy to prove the lies, the stuff is there. 'And all these other clowns who sit with him, I don't know if you're going to be here next year, I don't want to think about you anymore. I just want to know, what are we going to do? Coz I'm sick of trying to explain to my ten-year-old great granddaughter what she has to be worried about. I don't want to do that anymore.' Joe Biden (left) and Donald Trump (right) will meet on the debate stage in Atlanta on June 27 Sunny Hostin (left) was shocked that Whoopi said Trump's name while Alyssa Farah Griffin spoke about her time working at the White House Joy Behar shared some suggestions for how she thinks Biden should tackle the debate The EGOT winner's comments come just two months after she lashed out at Trump live on The View after feeling 'enraged' by a comment he made about America being 'anti-White.' Trump had recently given an interview to Time magazine, in which he said 'there is a definite anti-white feeling in the country' and 'that can't be allowed.' Speaking about Trump's comments, Goldberg slammed his remarks and said: 'Im going to tell you before I say it that it enraged me. There is a definite anti-white feeling in the country right now.' 'Nobody in your family was hung. Nobody in your family was chased because of the color of their skin. How dare you? Theres no anti-white issue here. You are perpetrating anti-humanist issues here,' she ranted. It's certainly not the first time that Goldberg has mocked the former President live on air, and last year in September, she even compared Trump supporters to cult members. More recently, Goldberg branded him a 'snowflake' after Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform that featured an image of her, in which she had been edited to look bigger alongside the caption: 'I'm moving to Canada for sure this time!' During a May episode of The View, Whoopi told the panel: 'You know what Im a little agitated about? That man has something to say to me. He saw a meme, you know who saw a meme that I was leaving the country. 'People always see these crazy memes that Im going to leave the country if he gets in there. Somebody else thought I was leaving, was sending suggestions for people to take my place.' Trump, pictured here on June 22, recently posted a meme featuring Goldberg and claimed that Canada 'doesn't want' her #WhoopiGoldberg reacts to former Pres. Trump attacking her on social media: "I'm not going anywhere...it's not for the reason, snowflake, it's not for the reason you might think." pic.twitter.com/Y7Rw4L8Spu The View (@TheView) May 13, 2024 Trump shared the meme of Goldberg after a follower sent it to him, and he added his own caption which read: 'Canada doesn't want you Whoopi, NOBODY DOES!!!' 'Look Im not going anywhere,' Goldberg said in response. 'And its not for the reason, you little snowflake its not for the reason you think. He said nobody wanted me. 'Honey... you know what, it wouldnt matter if no one here wanted me. But I know where Im going to be cause I got a contract. So Im going to be where Im wanted for the next couple of years,' she added. Advertisement Rosario Dawson unveiled multiple new tattoos on her thighs and legs at the beach while enjoying a PDA-filled getaway with her hunky boyfriend Adama Sanneh at the beach in Sardinia. As she took a dip in the ocean, the Sin City star, best known for portraying Ahsoka Tano in the second season of The Mandalorian and original series Ahsoka, debuted some striking body art, including black lines across her hip and rear, which resembled tiger stripes. Some of the seemingly new additions to her ink collection included floral designs on her knees and a geometric design on her upper thigh. Last month, on her 45th birthday, the New York native shared footage of herself getting tattooed, but admitted the pain was not for the 'faint-hearted.' She got the tats done at Grit N Glory in New York City from tattoo artist, Janice Danger, who describes herself as a 'professional body decorator' on Instagram. Rosario Dawson unveiled multiple new tattoos on her thighs and legs at the beach while enjoying a PDA-filled getaway in Sardinia Previously, Dawson, who stated back in 2014 that she didn't have any tattoos yet, divulged that she got inked at a South by Southwest film festival afterparty in 2022. She made the revelation on The Late Late Show With James Corden that she got a black star on her knee, in honor of David Bowie's last album The Gouster. 'I got a star, it's not in a good place right now,' she joked to the audience. 'It's in the bleedy, scabby place right now. So I'll save it, you'll see it eventually.' Dawson appeared proud to show off her new look in an animal-print one-piece as she enjoyed a romantic trip with her man, who could be seen holding her hand as they waded through the Mediterranean Sea together. The happy couple, who attended Filming Italy Festival in Sardinia earlier this week, couldn't keep their hands to themselves as they embraced in the water and she stood smiling as he placed his hands around her waist. Before stripping down to her bathing suit, the bombshell walked along the shore in a long white lace cover-up, fedora and oversized black shades. For their relaxing afternoon, Sanneh showed off his washboard abs and only visible tattoo, a sun, permanently etched into the middle of his back, as he went shirtless in a pair of black board shorts. After selecting their beach chairs, located feet away from the ocean, the pair placed their belongings down. Dawson seen in 2011 before getting any tattoos while attending the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival As she took a dip in the ocean, the Sin City star, best known for portraying Ahsoka Tano in the second season of The Mandalorian and original series Ahsoka, some striking body art, including black lines across her hip and rear, which resembled tiger stripes Some of the seemingly new additions to her ink collection included floral designs on her knees and a geometric design on her upper thigh Dawson looked at peace in Sanneh's arms The duo appeared inseparable Sanneh gazed adoringly at his partner before they made their way into the water. Dawson's latest sighting comes after attending the Filming Italy Festival in Sardinia at the swanky Forte Village Resort on Saturday. The actress made a fashion statement in a pink, purple and red multicoloured co-ord featuring an oversized blouse and figure-hugging maxi skirt. The Unstoppable star - who is an ambassador for the annual Italian film event - displayed her sense of style accessorizing with just one maxi pendant earring which matched her outfit's palette. In December, Dawson announced she was set to become a grandmother in 2024. Her daughter Isabella, who was 11 when Rosario adopted her out of foster care, is now 21 years old and has her own baby on the way. In an interview with Page Six, Rosario broke the news of Isabella's impending motherhood, which she called 'very exciting.' Last month, on her 45th birthday, the New York native shared footage of herself getting tattooed as she admitted getting inked was not for the 'faint-hearted' She got the tats done at Grit N Glory in New York City from tattoo artist, Janice Danger, who describes herself as a 'professional body decorator' on Instagram Pictured getting inked last month in a video uploaded to her Instagram on her birthday Previously, Dawson, who stated back in 2014 that she didn't have any tattoos yet, divulged that she got inked at a South by Southwest film festival afterparty in 2022 She made the revelation on The Late Late Show With James Corden that she got a black star on her knee, in honor of David Bowie's last album The Gouster 'I got a star, it's not in a good place right now,' she joked to the audience. 'It's in the bleedy, scabby place right now. So I'll save it, you'll see it eventually' Before stripping down to her bathing suit, the bombshell walked along the shore in a long white lace cover-up, fedora and oversized black shades She added that she hopes the baby will eventually refer to her as 'Glamma,' which is presumably a portmanteau of 'glamorous grandma.' A few years ago, Rosario relayed the story of adopting her daughter and rhapsodized that she was 'meant to be' Isabella's mother. 'With my daughter, I didn't go to an adoption center or anything like that,' the Rent actress revealed in a 2021 interview with Health. 'My family knew her biological mom, and when we found out she was in foster care, we looked for her. It wasn't even a question; it was clearly meant to be - she's my kid.' Rosario herself was born to a 17-year-old single mother called Isabel, who then married construction worker Greg Dawson. Greg adopted little Rosario, who was one year old at the time of the marriage, and as a result Rosario longed to continue the tradition. Six years before she brought Isabella home, Rosario told Latina magazine: 'I always wanted to adopt kids cause my dad adopted me. That idea has stayed in the back of my head, but lately, Ive been thinking about it more.' The pair looked relaxed as they placed their belongings on beach chairs Sanneh showed off his washboard abs in a pair of black board shorts As they walked by the ocean, Dawson and Sanneh held hands Sanneh showed off his only visible tattoo, a sun, permanently etched into the middle of his back Sanneh gazed adoringly at his partner before they made their way to the water Dawson looked chic in her eye-catching cover-up In December, Dawson announced she was set to become a grandmother in 2024 She explained that her 'mother and grandmother are extraordinary women, and theyre getting older,' which had given the subject a new urgency. 'It struck me recently that one day I might be sitting around with my children, going: "Your grandma was an amazing woman; I really wish you couldve known her."' Rosario said: 'That makes me sad cause it would be a waste to not have these people know each other. Whatever time I have, I want it.' Six years later, in 2014, multiple sources revealed to Us Weekly that Rosario had brought Isabella home and achieved her dream of adopting. Her daughter Isabella, who was 11 when Rosario adopted her out of foster care, is now 21 years old and has her own baby on the way In an interview with Page Six , Rosario broke the news of Isabella's impending motherhood, which she called 'very exciting' She added that she hopes the baby will eventually refer to her as 'Glamma,' which is presumably a portmanteau of 'glamorous grandma' A few years ago, Rosario relayed the story of adopting her daughter and rhapsodized that she was 'meant to be' Isabella's mother 'With my daughter, I didn't go to an adoption center or anything like that,' the Rent actress revealed in a 2021 interview with Health 'My family knew her biological mom, and when we found out she was in foster care, we looked for her. It wasn't even a question; it was clearly meant to be - she's my kid' 'Shes always been family oriented and knew that she wanted to raise a child,' one of the insiders explained to the magazine. 'She wants to have a relationship with her daughter like she has with her mother.' When Isabella was 17 years old, Rosario covered the March issue of Health and reflected in the magazine on her relationship with her daughter. ''I'm grateful for her development, our maturation and our connection...' said Rosario, who at that point was still dating Senator Cory Booker. 'To have a young person move in with you and to have to really consciously work through triggers and that kind of stuff is a really different thing than being pregnant and having your baby grow up in front of you - to be able to see how we're getting closer and closer. We are a family, and it's beautiful.' Rosario divulged: 'My daughter has had therapy most of her life through foster care and stuff. I've done weekly therapy with her starting at the age of 11. I have had it in my life, but it hasn't been specific to me and my personal needs.' Cate Blanchett exuded glamour in a low-cut strapless jumpsuit as she attended the Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The actress, 55, stunned in the plunging black ensemble as she struck a pose before watching the Fall/Winter 2024/2025 catwalk. She flaunted her ample cleavage in the statement tailored number, adorned with glitzy embellishments. Cate styled her blonde tresses in a wet look and later shielded her eyes with black-rimmed sunglasses. Cate was joined by model Jodie Turner-Smith, French actress Eva Green and British model Wallis Day. Cate Blanchett, 55, exuded glamour in a low-cut strapless jumpsuit as she attended the Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday Eva Green stunned in a blue and black mermaid-inspired gown, adorned with a metallic detailing Cate was joined by model Jodie Turner-Smith, who stunned in a blue and black floral jumpsuit with a dramatic sheer cardigan Cate stunned in the plunging black ensemble as she struck a pose before watching the Fall/Winter 2024/2025 catwalk Model Jodie stunned in her flowing black ensemble as she struck a pose outside the venue. Eva, 43, wowed in a mermaid-inspired black gown, adorned with blue and green metallic embellishments. The actress blew a kiss for the fans in the crowd before she entered the star-studded runway. Wallis Day turned heads in a vibrant pair of blue trousers, teamed with a glitzy long-sleeve blouse. Also attending the PFW show, Naomie Harris looked effortlessly chic in a silver tailored suit. The Skyfall star flashed her toned torso in a black bandeau top underneath the stylish two-piece. It comes after Cate abandoned some building plans at her 5million (AU$9.6m) holiday home in Cornwall following backlash from neighbours over 'noisy' renovations. The Aussie actress and her husband Andrew Upton bought and demolished a cottage in Mawgan Porth in 2020 to make way for their four-bedroom eco-home. She then purchased an additional plot of land in the hopes of turning it into a driveway and parking for the home, leading to accusations of a 'blatant land grab'. The additional parking plans sparked a row with some neighbours, with one accusing her of 'destroying' holidays with the 'noisy' building works in a complaint. Now, Cate is said to have ditched her plans to turn the field, which is being used as a construction compound during renovations, into a new access and parking area. The Tar actress has formally withdrawn the additional plans in a letter to Cornwall Council, which gave no reason for the decision, according to The Sun. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cate's representatives for comment. She flaunted her ample cleavage in the statement tailored number, adorned with glitzy embellishments Cate styled her blonde tresses in a wet look and later shielded her eyes with black-rimmed sunglasses She elevated her frame with towering black court heels Cate looked nothing short of sensational in her glamorous ensemble Jodie stunned in her flowing black ensemble as she struck a pose outside the venue Eva, 43, wowed in a mermaid-inspired black gown, adorned with blue and green metallic embellishments The actress blew a kiss for the fans in the crowd before she entered the star-studded runway Wallis Day turned heads in a vibrant pair of blue trousers, teamed with a glitzy long-sleeve blouse The Skyfall star flashed her toned torso in a black bandeau top underneath the stylish two-piece Naomie stunned in her elegant suit, accessorising her outfit with a chic black clutch bag The beauty displayed her toned frame as she walked up the steps into the venue Cate's proposed driveway and car park was designed to give her and her guests level access into the hilltop pad from the rear, saving them from trekking up flights of steps at the front. In a past statement, her planning agent said: 'The proposed re-development of [the house] and its replacement was driven by the desire to make a more efficient use of this unique site, and to provide a sustainable dwelling that can be enjoyed by the applicant's multi-generational family. 'The applicants purchased the field site separately and subsequent to the purchase of [the house] specifically to ensure that the land was not developed with housing that could potentially encroach upon the amenities of their new home, which is sat within a comparatively constrained plot area when compared with others in the area. 'The driveway and parking area has been designed sensitively to minimise visual impact from surrounding vistas, helping the wider field to remain as a key landscape feature with every attempt made to blend the access seamlessly into the landscape. 'Within the wider landscape, the proposed access and parking area would not have a significant landscape impact and would not result in an unacceptable change in character of the land.' The now-withdrawn application exasperated long-term residents, who claimed they were priced out of the area and are forced to endure constant building works. Karen Burgess, who owns a neighbouring holiday let, alleged that 'noise' from the construction 'destroyed' the holidays of her guests across the past year. Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools renewed their vows once again as they celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The celebrity chef, 49, and his long-time wife Jool's tied the knot in 2000 and renewed their vows for the first time in 2023 during a family trip in the Maldives. And saying 'I do' once again, took to Instagram to share an album of snaps from their impulsive day out to celebrate their anniversary. Jamie and Jools, also 49, share five children; Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 12, and River, seven. The couple tied the knot once again in a casual ceremony, in front of a tribute to Jool's favourite hitmaker of all time, Elvis Presley. Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools, both 49, renewed their vows once again as they celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas on Tuesday The couple tied the knot once again in a casual ceremony, in front of Jool's favourite hitmaker of all time - an Elvis Presley tribute Jools arrived to the chapel wearing denim jeans, a white blouse and cowboy boots, while Jamie opted for a smarter ensemble and wore a tailored suit. The couple each shared a slew of snaps on their social media accounts to document their memorable day. Jools wrote: 'Happy 24 crazy married years together. I love you so much, thank you for indulging my LOVE for Elvis. 'I know this marriage has 3 people in it... but you get me like NO other! 'Just you wait and see what I have planned for our 25th @jamieoliver' While Jamie penned: 'Happy 24th wedding anniversary. 24 years!!! Love you - Las Vagas baby!! big love really good fun, jamie xxx' Last year, the couple decided to get married again, as they renewed their vows on a stunning beach in the Maldives. Speaking about the ceremony on The Graham Norton Show in December 2023, Jamie said the vow renewal meant more to him than his actual wedding day. The celebrity chef and his long-time wife Jool's tied the knot in 2000 (pictured on their wedding day) Jamie and Jools renewed their vows for the first time in 2023 during a family trip in the Maldives And saying 'I Do' once again, took to Instagram to share an album of snaps from their impulsive day out to celebrate their anniversary Jamie and Jools share five children; Poppy, 21, Daisy, 20, Petal, 14, Buddy, 12, and River, seven Jools, who idolises Elvis Presley, was walked down the aisle in the Las Vegas chapel - 23 years after they wed in 2000 (pictured on their wedding day in 2000) He said: 'It was my wife's idea and I thought I'd go along with it. 'Saying the vows a second time around actually meant something more you've earned it rather than just saying it, and I loved it. It was actually a very nice thing to do, very romantic, and I ended up enjoying it more than anyone else.' For the special occasion, Jamie looked dapper in a blue blazer and matching trousers, teamed with a crisp white shirt and a lapel flower. Meanwhile Jools looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder wedding dress, complete with a ruffled design and a thigh-high slit. Jamie later shared snaps of the ceremony on Instagram, writing: 'Morning all, Me & @joolsoliver got married again! 'Yep After 23 years together, we thought it would be a special moment to celebrate renewing our wedding vows before the kids all start leaving the nest. 'It was really special, funny and romantic with the words in the ceremony making more sense having come this far together. 'It seems like a blink since the first wedding which we kept very privet apart from the paparazzi at the village church we thought it would be a happy and joyful moment to share with you all this Easter. 'Weve always dreamed of going to the Maldives and it was just as you would have dreamed, simply amazing ! a massive thank you to all the team at @discoversoneva for blowing our minds and making this moment so special and memorable big love guys Jamie x' The cause of death of Angus Mitchell has been revealed more than five months later. Angus, who was the son of the famous hairstylist and John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder, was found dead on the morning of January 3, 2024, when his body was discovered at the bottom of his pool at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii. Angus, who was a co-owner of the John Paul Mitchell Systems haircare empire that his late father had co-founded, was determined to have died of accidental drowning, according to the medical examiner's report obtained by TMZ. He was 53, the same age his father Paul was when he died in 1989 from pancreatic cancer. The publication also obtained the police report into the circumstances leading up to Angus' death, which paints a picture of a totally normal evening spent with friends just before his shocking death. Angus Mitchell's cause of death has been revealed in a medical examiner report obtained by TMZ. He was found dead at his Hawaii home on January 3, 2024; pictured in LA in March 2020 Angus' father Paul Mitchell co-founded the massively successful John Paul Mitchell Systems hair-care company, as well as the Paul Mitchell line of products. He died in 1989 from pancreatic cancer; Angus and Paul are pictured together In fact, Angus had been posting photos from the shindig to social media the night before his body was found, suggesting that he was having a good time and was in high spirits. According to the police report, witnesses said the entrepreneur had some of his friends over to his Honolulu home on the night of January 2. Police interviewed the friends Angus had been partying with the night before his death, and they reported last seeing him as he headed out to his pool area by himself, though it's unclear if it was obvious that he planned to go swimming. However, those interviewed indicated that he didn't appear to be under the influence of drugs when he headed toward the pool, and they didn't notice anything odd about his demeanor. They said he wasn't known to be on any medications that might have played a part in his death, and the guests on his final night thought he was fairly healthy and fit. However, witnesses did say that he had been drinking that night, though they didn't indicate that they found it to be a concerning amount of alcohol. Although the medical examiner's report says Angus died of accidental drowning, it reportedly doesn't include references to a toxicology report. However, TMZ notes that the report has been heavily redacted, though it's not known why the redactions were made or what information they may obscure. The report determined that Angus died at age 53 of accidental drowning. He was discovered lifeless at the bottom of his Honolulu home's pool; seen in West Hollywood in September 2021 He had friends over the night before, and they said nothing seemed amiss, and he didn't appear to be under the influence of drugs, though he had been drinking Angus (L) was pictured celebrating the New Year with friends in a post shared by his friend Kaori Kawabuchi Even though there is now clarity about how Angus died, what led up to his untimely death doesn't appear to be known. Footage from his security camera system shows Angus heading out to his pool alone and apparently getting into it, according to still images included in the reports. It's unclear if any of his friends were still at his home at the time of his death, or when they left. However, it was early the following morning that his body was discovered. On January 3, a driver who was supposed to be picking Angus up arrived at his home to take him to the airport. After Angus didn't appear, the driver checked around the house, which is when he spotted his body at the bottom of the pool. According to the police report, the driver dove in to the pool and pulled him out, before calling 911 and attempting CPR. First responders continued the CPR and used a defibrillator in hopes of reviving Angus, but to no avail, and he was then declared dead at the scene. Following his father Paul's death in 1989, Angus had followed his footsteps into the beauty industry by opening his own establishment, the Angus Mitchell Salon, in 2010 in Beverly Hills. Angus appeared to have posted about his evening with friends on Instagram the night before his death Security camera footage appears to show Angus getting into his pool alone, and his friends told police they saw him heading out to the pool on his own, but nothing seemed amiss He was also involved in John Paul Mitchell Systems' men-focused line, MITCH, for which he served as a model and spokesperson. Angus was married to wife Mara Gourdine at his time of death. He had previously been married to Michelle Raab, and before that Sian, with whom he shared his son Dylan. On his final Instagram post from three days before he was found dead, he posed in a family shot with his mother Jolina Mitchell, his wife and his son as he wished his followers a happy new year. 'Whos ready to wrap 2023 and head into the new year?! Cheers to 2024 from my family to yours #nye #celebration #kobeyear,' he captioned the post. A number of people chimed in with condolences in the comment section in the wake of his death. One person said, 'Rest In Peace Angus. Thoughts and prayers with his loved ones.' Another person said, 'Happy heavenly new year, Angus,' with a broken heart emoji, while another person described Angus as 'one of kindest souls.' Angus's father Paul was born Cyril Thomson Mitchell in Carnwath, Scotland, in 1936, according to a biography on the Paul Mitchell brand's UK website. He took after his mother and enrolled at the Morris School of Hairdressing, located in Londons West End. When a driver arrived in the morning to take him to the airport, he found Angus' body at the bottom of the pool. He attempted CPR, and first responders used a defibrillator before declaring him dead at the scene; pictured with Stephanie Kocielski and John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder John Paul Dejoria in 2008 He changed his name to Paul Mitchell a nickname from his boss when he began working at the Mayfair salon The Park Lane. Paul would go on to work with the late hair-care icon Vidal Sassoon, who said of his then-apprentice: 'He had great style. He had something terribly special. He could inspire people.' Paul would go on to work at Crimpers Salon at the New York Citybased department store Bendels, according to the biography. In 1970, he and his wife welcomed Angus, and in 1971, he formed a friendship with the businessman John Paul DeJoria, with whom he would subsequently form a lucrative business partnership. While some bridegrooms brace themselves for an overbearing mother-in-law, Thomas Brodie-Sangster faced an even more daunting prospect when he exchanged vows with actress Talulah Riley at the weekend. I hear that Elon Musk, to whom Talulah was married, and divorced, not once but twice, attended the wedding in Anstey, Hertfordshire. 'He flew in by private jet for the wedding,' claims a source. 'He'd been in the South of France, attending a conference in Cannes.' The presence of the Tesla billionaire, 52, who has a very colourful love life, highlights how close he's remained to Talulah, 38, whom he divorced for the second time in 2016. She has described him as the 'perfect ex-husband'. Elon Musk , to whom Talulah was married, and divorced, not once but twice, attended the wedding in Anstey, Hertfordshire The St Trinian's star announced her engagement last year to Brodie-Sangster, 34, on Musk's social media site X, formerly Twitter The St Trinian's star announced her engagement last year to Brodie-Sangster, 34, on Musk's social media site X, formerly Twitter. The South African-born tycoon responded with a post offering his congratulations. Thomas, who found fame at the age of 13 as lovesick Sam in Love Actually, wrote on Instagram: 'Happy to announce Talulah and I are engaged. Love is all around X' a reference to the Troggs' ballad that featured in the romantic comedy. The couple met in 2021 on the set of Disney+ mini-series Pistol, about punk group the Sex Pistols. Talulah, who grew up in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, had met Musk in Mayfair nightclub Whisky Mist while he was on a business trip. She revealed in 2012 that she was still a virgin of 22 when she met the tycoon, saying: 'I've never slept with anyone apart from Elon. Which is nice.' In a BBC documentary about him, Talulah revealed: 'My first impressions were that he was very sweet, he seemed quite shy. He said, 'May I put my hand on your knee?' and I said, 'OK, go on then'. I thought it was quite sweet that he asked.' Her father, Doug Milburn, a senior policeman turned screenwriter, did not approve. She recalled: 'He Googled 'Elon + rocket + electric car' and exclaimed angrily that Elon was married with five children. He replied, 'You've been picked up by a playboy. Text that man that you're not going for dinner with him and he's a b*****d'.' The couple met in 2021 on the set of Disney+ mini-series Pistol, about punk group the Sex Pistols Musk had, though, filed for divorce from his first wife, Justine. He and Talulah were married in Dornoch Cathedral, Scotland, in 2010 but divorced two years later. They remarried in 2013, with Talulah later saying they had 'got back together at the divorce filing'. Musk initiated their second divorce in 2014, before withdrawing the lawsuit months later. In 2016, Talulah asked that proceedings begin again and they split for good. She reportedly received a 12.5million settlement. Musk, who is known to be concerned over population decline, is now the father of 12 children. Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin has marked 100 days without alcohol. Deciding to give the 'no alcohol lifestyle' a try in March, the former bikini model, 32, has 'never felt better.' Davina took to social media to document the major milestone. 'I've never been so productive, seen so much expansion in my businesses, felt so 'ON' easily, I literally jump out of bed at 4:45 everyday ready to tackle life,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I always thought I needed a social drink in order to feel comfortable at events or around others but I've been able to sit up and speak in front of hundreds of women in this time without needing 'Dutch courage' at all!' 'I feel like my vibration is so high I'm so happy and I enjoy people so much that without drinking I actually feel like I'm able to engage so deeply and take so much out of my interactions,' she added. The single mother-of-one confessed she relied 'heavily' on alcohol to relax at social events. 'I relied so heavily on social drinking, to 'relax', to 'celebrate', to 'numb'. But now I'm so happy within my skin I don't feel like it's necessary at all!' Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin, 32, (pictured) has marked 100 days without alcohol Speaking on her Who Me? podcast, the former bride also admitted she is unsure if she'll ever drink again. 'There's too much of tomorrow that I want to live. I've got too much to do, I'm pumped about my job, I'm pumped about taking my daughter to the park and not feeling like I'm a sack of s--t,' she said. 'Now I'm like, I don't want to compromise my time with that.' It comes after the wellness entrepreneur lifted the lid on her mental health battle after splitting from husband Jaxon Manuel. Deciding to give the 'no alcohol lifestyle' a try in March, the former bikini model admitted she's 'never felt better' The former bikini model shocked fans in May last year when she and Jaxon announced their divorce after just one year of marriage. Posting to Instagram earlier this month, Davina shared a lengthy about how she coped with the breakdown of her marriage and has since finally found happiness once again. 'The last few months have been filled with so much connection, love, travel, joy, opportunity, bliss & expansion,' she wrote next to a video montage documenting her travels to locations like Fiji and Bali. 'It wasn't all too long ago that I honestly felt like my whole world was falling apart. I had no idea what I wanted to do career wise - I woke up every single morning with the worst anxiety of my life after the breakdown of my marriage,' she admitted. The single mother-of-one confessed she relied 'heavily' on alcohol to relax at social events 'I had lost touch with my spirituality - I felt super lost, embarrassed, sad and basically like I was just failing - massively.' At the time, the single mother-of-one said things were looking up and reminded her fans that sometimes starting afresh can lead to a better life. 'Sometimes what seems like rock bottom can honestly be the best thing that could ever happen to you. Sometimes things have to completely burn to the ground so you can start fresh, and create something even more spectacular,' the podcaster wrote. It comes after the wellness entrepreneur lifted the lid on her mental health battle after splitting from husband Jaxon Manuel. Both pictured 'I can wholeheartedly say my life FEELS SO BEAUTIFUL. All the things that felt so hard before have worked themselves out in perfect alignment.' Davina, who in January hit a year of celibacy, said it is 'truly incredible what can happen when you pour all your energy into yourself for a while'. She concluded by telling her fans that she had 'stopped pushing' and had instead 'started flowing and following her heart'. Davina rose to fame on Married At First Sight in 2018, during which she married Ryan Gallagher. Both pictured Davina rose to fame on Married At First Sight in 2018, during which she married Ryan Gallagher and was involved in a cheating scandal with groom Dean Wells. Shortly after the show she began dating Jaxon, and the couple welcomed their daughter Mila-Mae in November 2019. They married in 2022 but announced they had split a year later in May 2023. KFC has joined the fast-food value meal war, and its attempt to take down the competition has seemingly backfired. The restaurant chain released a video ad on TikTok this month that promoted its Taste of KFC Deals, which start at $4.99. The less than 20-second video ad showed viewers how to swiftly pack a KFC $4.99 Meal for One, which comes with a drumstick, a thigh, mashed potatoes with gravy and a biscuit. The $4.99 Meal for One is one of three meals that are part of the Taste of KFC Deals, which became available at its restaurants last April. Although the video ad was used to bring in good publicity, it instead received negative comments from TikTokers who criticized KFC and its meal. KFC released a video ad on TikTok this month that promoted its Taste of KFC Deals, which start at $4.99 The video ad showed viewers how to swiftly pack a KFC $4.99 Meal for One, which comes with a drumstick, a thigh, mashed potatoes with gravy and a biscuit. '5.00$? That's for two small chickens, one biscuit, and one scoop of mashed potatoes. Not worth it,' a TikToker wrote on the June 7 video. More than one commenter even criticized the meal packing, with some of them questioning why the packer didn't put coleslaw in the box. 'You forgot the paper/wax paper at the bottom of the box,' a TikToker who claimed to be a former KFC employee wrote. Some users requested the restaurant chain bring back menu items like potato wedges, while others trashed KFC in general and claimed to remember the deal being $1.99 in the past. 'KFC is crap now. Every time I get it, the chicken is hard and dry and looks old as f***. Potatoes and gravy are on point though,' a TikToker wrote. The $4.99 Meal for One is one of three meals that are part of the Taste of KFC Deals, which became available at its restaurants last April TikTok users have criticized the packaging methods and food included in the video ad. Others have dissed the restaurant chain in general KFC is the second-largest restaurant chain in the world, the first being McDonald's. Today, participating McDonald's restaurants started offering a limited-time $5 value meal nationwide. The $5 meal allows a customer to choose between a McDouble and a McChicken and it comes with a four piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries and a small soft drink. 'We're committed to winning the value war,' Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's US, said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Customers in states like New York, California, and Hawaii may be disappointed because McDonald's restaurants in those states charge them $6 instead of $5. However, the return of McDonald's' app-only "Free Fries Friday" that allows customers get a free medium fry with any $1 minimum purchase may make up for it since it will be offered at participating restaurants for the rest of the year. The McDonald's $5 meal allows a customer to choose between a McDouble and a McChicken, and it comes with a four piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries, and a small soft drink KFC and McDonald's are joined by Burger King, which also offers its own $5 value meal. Burger King confirmed in May that it would be re-releasing its $5 value meal called the $5 Your Way Meal. The meal, which has been available for Burger King customers since June 13, comes with a choice between Whopper Jr., Bacon Cheeseburger and Chicken Jr, fries, a four-piece chicken nuggets and a soft drink. The Wendy's $3 breakfast has also been going strong since it became available at select locations in May. The deal includes an English muffin with either bacon, egg and cheese or sausage, egg and cheese, and a small portion of seasoned potatoes. Donald Trump ran up the national debt by almost twice as much as Joe Biden has during his presidential term, according to fresh analysis of their fiscal spending. Former President Trump approved $8.4 trillion of new 10-year borrowing during his full term in office, according to a nonpartisan public policy think tank. Meanwhile, President Biden has given the green light to $4.3 trillion of the same type of borrowing with seven months remaining in his term. Even when excluding pandemic-era relief spending from the tally, Trump still contributed more to the national debt while in office, the report found. The winner of November's presidential election faces a grim fiscal outlook, with the national debt on course to reach a record share of the economy under the next administration. The debt passed over the $34 trillion mark at the beginning of this year, and is poised to top $56 trillion by 2034, according to projections earlier this month. Former President Trump approved $8.4 trillion of new 10-year borrowing during his full term in office The report by the non-profit organization, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, points out that both candidates bear a share of the responsibility for adding substantial amounts of new borrowing in their first term. However it found Trump's spending was much higher - thanks in part to the significant tax reform he introduced in 2017. Aside from Covid relief, Trump added $4.8 trillion in borrowing over a ten-year window. His biggest additions to the debt were the tax cuts, which added $1.9 trillion in additional borrowing, and bipartisan spending packages which added $2.1 trillion. Trump added $3.6 trillion in Covid relief, the analysis shows, including $1.9 trillion with the CARES Act brought in at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Biden, meanwhile, has added $2.2 trillion in non-Covid spending in the three years and five months since he took up office. This has been made up of 2022 and 2023 spending bills - which added $1.4 trillion - student debt relief programs - which added $620 billion in debt - and changes to SNAP benefits and Medicaid. In terms of Covid relief, the President added $2.1 trillion in debt through his American Rescue Plan Act, which gave a slew of funding to state and local governments, health care providers and public health agencies. According to the analysis, roughly 77 percent of Trump's approved 10-year debt came from bipartisan legislation, while 29 percent of the ten-year debt President Biden has approved thus far came from bipartisan legislation. 'The next president will face huge fiscal challenges,' Maya MacGuineas, the president of the fiscal watchdog, told Axios. 'Yet both candidates have track records of approving trillions in new borrowing even setting aside the justified borrowing for COVID, and neither has proposed a comprehensive and credible plan to get the debt under control,' she said. 'No president is fully responsible for the fiscal challenges that come along, but they need to use the bully pulpit to set the stage for making some hard choices.' Warnings from non-profit organizations and economists about the impact of soaring debt on the US economy are growing louder as the election approaches. Donald Trump ran up the national debt by almost twice as much as Joe Biden has during his presidential term, according to fresh analysis of their fiscal spending The national debt crossed over the $34 trillion mark at the beginning of this year Federal debt is at a historic high, and interest payments on this debt are now the fastest growing part of the federal budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Interest payments jumped above Medicaid last year, and will rise above defense and Medicare later this year. The former is health coverage for people with limited income, and the latter is mostly for over-65s. It means by the end of 2024, interest payments will be the second largest government expenditure. Only Social Security will be a bigger cost. The Social Security trust fund is also heading toward depletion in 2033, when just 79 percent of scheduled benefits would be payable. If Congress does not ensure these programs have the resources to continue paying full benefits, this would mean millions of Americans would see their monthly benefits cut. Earlier this year legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones said that a 'debt bomb' is on the verge of exploding in the US - due to 'unsustainable' government borrowing. The billionaire investor said that the economy appears strong - but under the surface it is actually on 'steroids' that are masking major problems. Real estate experts have revealed the states where Americans should avoid buying property in the next five years. While some states may have beautiful scenery, vibrant cities or a strong job market, other factors may make them an unwise destination for prospective homebuyers. Escalating insurance costs could be a problem in some states, while buying a home in others may simply be unaffordable for most Americans. Whether you are saving to buy a house or waiting for mortgage rates to fall, researching the market now can help you decide where to invest in the future, said real estate agent Yawar Charlie. 'While no one can predict the market with absolute certainty, the patterns we're seeing now offer some valuable clues,' the director of the estate division at Aaron Kirman Group in Los Angeles told GoBankingRates. Experts warned against buying in California due to sky-high property prices The first state that experts highlighted is California. Los Angeles-based broker Charlie, who also stars in CNBC's Listing Impossible, said affordability is a key issue. The average California home value is $786,938, according to Zillow, compared to a nationwide average of $360,681. 'The tech boom, especially in areas like the Bay Area, has driven housing prices to astronomical levels, pushing many to seek refuge in more affordable states,' he said. 'And it's not just the high cost of living here that's a problem,' he added. 'The state also struggles with issues like wildfires and droughts, which can make homeownership even more challenging and expensive.' The intensifying risk of climate disasters in the state has meant that a growing list of insurance companies have limited or even stopped doing business entirely in the Golden State - pushing up the price of customer premiums. Rachel Stringer, a realtor at North-Carolina based Raleigh Realty, told the outlet: 'Demand continues to outpace supply in California, keeping inventory tight. 'This supply crunch, coupled with slow wage growth, raises affordability concerns over time. As costs rise faster than incomes, keeping up with mortgage payments could become increasingly difficult.' Florida is the second state the real estate agents highlighted - largely due to the impact of extreme weather. 'The state's location makes it extremely vulnerable to hurricanes and rising sea levels driven by climate change,' Stringer said. 'Serious considerations include rebuilding costs, disruptions and escalating insurance premiums due to storm damage. Coastal properties may lose substantial value if they become uninhabitable due to rising sea levels.' Homeowners in Florida already pay the highest premiums for coverage in the US, at an average of $10,996 a year in 2023, according to Insurify. And projections from the insurance comparison company say this will increase a further 7 percent this year, hiking the typical premium in the state to a staggering $11,759. Experts also warned against buying property in Illinois over the next five years. Illinois, and Chicago specifically, is facing significant financial woes, Charlie said. 'The state has some of the highest property taxes in the country, and Chicago is grappling with a high crime rate and budget deficits, leading to cuts in essential services and increased taxes. 'These financial strains make it difficult for residents to justify staying when they could find a safer and more financially stable environment elsewhere.' Tony Mariotti, founder of luxury real estate company RubyHome, told GoBankingRates that Americans also might want to rethink making real estate investments in Louisiana. He also pointed to climate change and high costs of home insurance as one of the key issues. 'Louisiana is highly susceptible to climate change impacts, such as hurricanes and flooding. These risks can lead to higher insurance costs and potential property damage,' he said. While the state is famous for its rich culture and history and delicious food, he pointed to other issues which could be a deterrent for prospective homebuyers. 'The state also struggles with lower job growth and economic diversification, making it less attractive for long-term investments. Infrastructure issues add to the challenges of property ownership here,' Mariotti said. Experts also flagged New Jersey as a state to steer clear of when buying property. 'Besides the high property taxes, New Jersey is dealing with an exodus of major corporations, which impacts job availability,' Charlie explained. 'The state also has some of the highest health insurance premiums in the country, adding another layer of financial stress for residents. He also added that congestion and traffic, especially for anyone commuting into New York City, can be a daily frustration for residents. Charlie also warned buyers from looking for property in Jersey's infamously expensive neighbor state - New York. Experts have warned against buying property in climate disaster-prone states such as Florida (Pictured: Destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022) Experts also warned against buying property in Illinois over the next five years 'Besides the high property taxes, New Jersey is dealing with an exodus of major corporations, which impacts job availability,' Charlie said When it comes to New York City, he warned that there is an issue of ageing infrastructure - alongside a soaring cost of living and high property taxes. 'The subway system, for example, has been notorious for delays and breakdowns, making daily commutes a headache. 'Plus, the pandemic has shifted many jobs to remote work, reducing the need to live in or near the city and prompting many to relocate to suburban or even rural areas.' Stringer, from Raleigh Realty, also flagged West Virginia as among the worst states to invest in property over the next five years. She noted that the declining coal industry in the state has 'economically devastated' many parts. 'As jobs dry up, the population drains in these small towns, leaving little demand for housing. Homeowners may struggle to find buyers willing to pay a fair price,' she said. The Govt's decision to extend the tenure of Chief of Army Staff by 30 days, instead of announcing the new appointee has sparked controversy and conjecture It is intriguing why the appointment of Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was not announced on 26 May but on 11 June which would have obviated a 30-day extension to COAS Gen Manoj Pande and the unnecessary speculation that followed. Government would not have been deterred by Model Code of Conduct for election as it had already appointed VAdm Dinesh Tripathi as Chief of Naval Staff on 19 April. That a supersession was contemplated but not implemented as the '400 paar' goal , even 272 mark were missed probably led to discretion superseding valour . Further NDA allies had already flagged the Agniveer issue! Strange are the ways of the government. Just six days before Pande's superannuation- bringing the appointment down to wire- it ordered an extension after he had been feted out by his successor on 21 May. The extension was quite baffling. Government officials like Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others (including Director ED) who run government for politicians get extensions as a matter of routine. In the case of ED's Sanjay Mishra, Supreme Court had to intervene to issue a deadline. But bureaucrats have made themselves indispensable like the repetition of NSA shows. The extension to COAS triggered extensive speculation: The last extension was given to COAS Gen Gopal Bewoor who succeeded Field Marshal Manekshaw. This extension ensured that Lt Gen PS Bhagat, a Victoria Cross winner was denied the post of COAS, opening the path for Lt Gen Tappy Raina, a Kashmiri, to get the coveted job. Incidentally, both Bewoor and Bhagat were Rimcollians (studied at RIMC Dehradun) and good friends. Appointments of CDS and COAS have got highly politicised but their stature diminishing- as their most conspicuous relegation in the seating plan during PM's oath taking ceremony demonstrated. No one but they are to blame. Equally unusual was Defence Minister Minister Rajnath Singh being welcomed back to MOD by CDS Gen Anil Chauhan holding a bouquet. A soldier's salute is the highest tribute. A month's extension in the armed forces is a first, though in one case, extension was given for one day. The extension will affect the line of succession beyond the present contenders. VCOAS Lt Gen Dwivedi was the seniormost followed by Lt Gen Ajai Singh GoC-in-C Southern Command. Both were batchmates but the tyranny of 'order of merit' while graduating from IMA dictates seniority. Both were to retire on 30 June. Next senior was Northern Army Commander. Lt Gen Suchindra Kumar followed by Lt Gen Raja Subramani of Central Command. Interestingly all the Generals named except the outgoing COAS who is an Engineer officer are Infanteers. Pande is the first Sapper officer to break the glass ceiling. On 1 July the new Army Commanders will be Lt Gens Raja Subramani VCOAS, Devu Sharma AARTRAC, Dhiraj Seth Southern, Sengupta South Western and Manjinder Singh Central. Traditionalists hold that extensions in the military are not par for the course as they disrupt the line of succession and officers should refuse to accept extension. It is the government's prerogative to choose a Service Chief by seniority, merit and deep selection superseding officers or even recalling the selected from retirement. But service rules should not be tweaked whimsically . In 2014 after BJP won the elections it tried to prevent the ruling UPA from appointing the senior most Gen Dalbir Suhag as COAS. The thing is, Governments must not be seen breaching the sacrosanct service rule book or inventing new rules . Instances of supersession are rare: the most recent being the appointment of late Gen Bipin Rawat as COAS who overtook two senior Generals. Supersessions have happened in the Navy and Air Force also. Admiral Robin Dhawan in 2014 and Admiral Karambir Singh in 2019 superseded their senior VADM's Shehkar Sinha and Bimal Verma. Superseded officers have generally resigned but some continued to serve. So why the one-month extension to Gen Pande. The government wanted to be back in power (as it was on 9 June) before taking any unusual step like deviating from seniority principle . Remember all three - Incumbent Pande, next senior Dwivedi followed by Singh - were all to retire on 30 June. If government had wanted to appoint seniormost Lt Gen Dwivedi as COAS, his name could have been announced on 26 May as it had announced appointment of VAdm Tripathi as CNS on 19 April while moral code of conduct was on . Instead, the government preoccupied with election extended service of Gen Pande giving itself more leeway in naming new COAS. Choices were A) appoint the seniormost Dwivedi. B) retire both Dwivedi and Singh and appoint either Suchindra Kumar or Raja Subramani or . And C) Supersede Dwivedi and appoint Singh by tweaking the rulebook (one day extension for Singh ) or deep-select from other eligible Army Commanders. In the Air Force, service rules were tweaked by MoD in 1988. Air Chief Marshal Polly Mehra retired on 31 July. Air Marshal Nimmi Suri who was to retire on 31 July was given one day extension and appointed Air Chief Marshal and Chief of Air Staff, superseding Air Marshal MM Singh. In another case I believe the forenoon/ afternoon tweak was applied which is being replicated now - retiring Gen Pande F/N and appointing Gen Dwivedi in A/N. The extension merely created a storm in a tea cup, the El Nino effect! (The writer, a retired Major General, was Commander, IPKF South, Sri Lanka, and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the Integrated Defence Staff. The views expressed are personal) With a strong emphasis on prevention, awareness, and eliminating stigma, the UN champions a holistic approach to tackling drug abuse Annually observed on June 26, The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987 to combat drug abuse globally. The day serves to highlight the challenges posed by drug abuse and illicit trafficking, stressing the need for international cooperation. The 2024 campaign, "The evidence is clear: invest in prevention", focuses on raising awareness about the importance of providing help and treatment to individuals struggling with drug use. It advocates for a compassionate approach, emphasizing empathy and care over punitive measures. This shift, aims to promote understanding of the negative impacts of drugs on personal, social, and spiritual well-being. The campaign also calls for treating people who use drugs with respect and without judgment, aiming to change societal attitudes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) underscores the significance of eliminating stigma and adopting a people-centered approach based on human rights and evidence-based practices to effectively combat drug abuse globally. Besides, the primary objective is to address the multifaceted issues of drug abuse and trafficking by raising public awareness, promoting preventive measures, and advocating for robust policies and programs. Educating communities about the severe dangers and consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking is essential. Fostering international cooperation is crucial for a comprehensive approach, emphasizing global partnerships and collaboration among law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug trafficking networks. Addressing these objectives will create a more informed, prepared, and united front against the global drug crisis. Going by the 2024 theme - "The evidence is clear: invest in prevention", the message of the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres is pertinent in which he reiterated that drugs inflict profound suffering, deteriorating health and wellbeing, with overdoses claiming countless lives annually. To him, the rise of more lethal synthetic drugs and record-breaking illicit drug production fuels crime and violence globally, impacting the most vulnerable, especially youth. Those struggling with substance abuse face repeated victimization from the drugs, societal stigma, and harsh responses. To break this cycle, 'we must invest in evidence-based prevention programs that safeguard individuals and communities, disrupt illicit economies, and prioritize rehabilitation, education, and harm reduction'. He cited the example of Portugal saying that prevention is effective. Antonio Guterres said, "As this year's theme reminds us, breaking the cycle of suffering means starting at the beginning, before drugs take hold, by investing in prevention." But what does Drug Abuse actually mean? Drug abuse can be defined as the improper or excessive consumption of illegal drugs or prescription medications for non-therapeutic purposes. Drug abuse severely impacts physical health, manifesting in serious conditions. Reports point that chronic cocaine or methamphetamine abuse leads to cardiovascular issues, including heart disease and stroke. Smoking drugs like crack cocaine can cause lung cancer, while intravenous drug use increases HIV risk. Other risks, as medical reports point, include nasal damage from snorting, liver and kidney disease from prolonged substance use, and oral cancer from smokeless tobacco. Contaminants in illicit drugs are linked to leukemia, and severe weight loss is common among stimulant addicts. Besides, mental health issues include depression, anxiety, memory and learning problems, insomnia, violent behaviour, delusions, paranoia, confusion, extreme mood swings, and substance dependence. Some report also suggests that the relationships between drug-related crime, crimes that affect the environment, and convergent crime are complex and evolving. Drug cultivation and trafficking and crimes that affect the environment are surging in the Amazon Basin. Also, the 'UNODC World Drug Report 2023' highlights social and economic inequalities driving drug problems and their environmental and human rights impacts and rising conflicts. Treatment coverage remains low, with only one in five affected receiving help, notably lacking in some regions. Recent data from the Government of India reveals alarming statistics: more than 10% of the population grapples with psychiatric disorders such as depression, neurosis, and psychosis. A substantial segment, comprising 15 individuals per 1000, engages in drug use, while chronic alcohol addiction affects 25 per 1000 people. The availability of psychiatric and de-addiction beds starkly contrasts with demand, with only 20% of the required facilities accessible nationwide, leaving an alarming 80% shortfall in inpatient care capacity. Following a tailored treatment plan involving detoxification, counseling, and possibly medication is crucial. Lifestyle adjustments such as adopting healthy habits and avoiding triggers support recovery. The way out is, facing the problem, discussing and treating it with experts' guidance, but not being the escapist. (The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti; views are personal) The ruthless exploitation of natural endowments and that too when resources are being put to misuse is unconscionable The gravity of water crisis facing Delhiites has forced the Delhi government to approach the Supreme Court (SC) seeking its intervention to direct neighboring states Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh (HP) to provide additional raw water supply to the national capital. Initially, the SC directed HP to release 137 cusecs of raw water which translates to 70 million gallons per day (MGD) of more water for the city. It also asked Haryana to make arrangements for ensuring its free flow to Delhi. But, now with HP claiming that it can't release more than what it is already giving (70 MGD), the top court has directed 'the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) to convene a meeting with all parties and take a decision expeditiously'. The mandate of UYRB is to inter alia regulate the allocation of available water flows amongst the beneficiary States and also monitoring the return flows. Is Delhi really short of water? According to Delhi's Economic Survey Report 2023, the overall water requirement of the city is 1,290 MGD, with an increase in the summer months. Against this, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) which has the mandate to manage the water supply in the city (including procurement of raw water from various sources, its processing in water treatment plants or WTPs and its distribution) had said on April 3, 2024 in a written statement that water production in the capital stood at around 990 MGD on average between March end and start of April. The DJB actually produced 1,002 MGD on June 7, 2024. Further, the Economic Survey of Delhi, 2023-24, says, "As per Outcome Budget (Q2 of 2023-24) of DJB, the total distribution losses are at about 52.35 percent". Distribution losses is a sophisticated nomenclature for pilferage of water supplies by tanker mafia and industries. The pilferage is happening at all stages of the water supply chain viz. the WTPs, conveyance systems and distribution systems. This couldn't have happened without the connivance of the authorities. Deduct 52 percent pilferage or 520 MGD from production of around 1000 MGD, the quantity available for consumption by households in Delhi would be 480 MGD. This is barely 37 percent of the demand estimated at 1290 MGD. It sounds bizarre! If, that were the case, nearly 2/3rd of Delhiites would have been without drinking water; a complete disaster. That hasn't happened even as we see people chasing water tankers in several parts of Delhi. So, what are we missing? There is something fundamentally wrong with the way mandarins in the government estimate the requirement. Ideally, this should be done from the demand side which involves conducting household survey, collecting data on how much each unit needs, aggregating and so on. Instead, they look at the total supply in the past say 2023-24, presume that that much quantity was consumed and apply an incremental factor/percentage increase to arrive at the requirement for 2024-25. In this process, they end up including even the pilfered quantity in the requirement. It means that 1290 MGD also includes 520 MGD of water plundered by dubious operators from the system (assuming that 52 per cent pilferage has continued in the current year). Minus this, the requirement of households was 770 MGD. This being higher than the net availability of 480 MGD, Delhiites are feeling the stress. Unambiguously, plunder of water by tanker mafia is at the root of Delhi's water woes (last year, Delhiites were spared as the HH demand being muted, the net supply after accounting for the greed of the tanker mafia was sufficient to meet it). But, for this, the entire production of 1000 MCD would have been available for HH consumption resulting in a surplus of 230 MCD (1000-770) forget any shortage that we are experiencing today. A sustainable solution to Delhi water woes requires that the State government addresses pilferage on a war footing. Yet, its overwhelming focus has been on getting more raw water from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, HP etc. While, making the demand it is oblivious of the fact that all its nine WTPs are already operating above their installed capacities (yielding a total of around 1000 MGD which is around 47 MGD more than the combined capacity of all nine WTPs) and that the DJB won't be able to deliver more even if it gets more raw water from the neighboring states. As for addition to the processing capacity, last year, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had approved an action plan to increase water production by 131 MGD in the short-term and by 380 MGD in the long-term. It involved construction of a new plant at Chandrawal, with a capacity of 105 MGD and completion of another plant at Dwarka, which has the potential to increase production by 50 MGD. That plan hasn't made much headway. While, work on Chandrawal plant is yet to start, even the Dwarka project which was to come up by March 2024 is running behind schedule. Unable to manage water supplies from the rivers viz. Yamuna, Ravi-Beas, Ganga and so on, the Delhi government is now increasing its dependence on groundwater which currently contributes a little more than 10 percent - almost 100 percent increase over the level five years ago. According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWD), over 41 percent of Delhi's total area is overexploited even as it has been drawing more groundwater than it recharges. The total annual groundwater recharge decreased from 0.41 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2022 to 0.38 bcm in 2023, while the annual extractable groundwater resource available decreased from 0.37 bcm to 0.34 bcm. This is not a healthy trend. The ruthless exploitation of natural endowments and that too when resources are being put to misuse (read: diversion of water meant for HH consumption to industrial use) is unconscionable. Apart from the huge imbalance between the demand and supply, the gross mismanagement and irregularities in running Delhi's water supply systems is also pushing DJB to the brink of financial bankruptcy. Pilferage of more than half of water supply means the Board doesn't get any revenue on that much quantity. Then, you have Kejriwal's free scheme that involves no payment for consumption up to 20,000 litres a month per household. Even for HHs who get the bills and haven't paid for years, the Chief Minister has been trying to get a one time settlement package cleared by the Lieutenant Governor which will tantamount to the State exchequer foregoing thousands of crore. Finally, there are reports of payments having been made by the households albeit to private entities (authorized to collect the money) but never reached the revenue department. All this has led to a pathetic situation whereby DJB which until a decade back was making profit today has an accumulated debt of over Rs 70,000 crore. The Board is able to run its operations solely because it can borrow money from banks and other financial institutions (FIs) backed by sovereign State guarantee. Left to fend for itself, it would have collapsed long ago. One shudders to think of what this would entail for water supply to the capital city. The water crisis as also seriousness of problems on other infrastructure fronts such as electricity etc and overall governance issues in Delhi calls for some drastic action by the Centre. (The writer is a policy analyst; views are personal) NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he advised his allies in the INDIA bloc that the Lok Sabha Speaker should be elected unopposed, but the Opposition must get the deputy Speaker's post which has been a parliamentary convention. Traditionally, the Speaker's post went to the ruling party and the deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition, but this did not happen in the last ten years of the Narendra Modi government, the veteran leader told reporters here. "In Parliament, non-BJP leaders sought my opinion and I advised them to tell the government that we agree to hold the Speaker's election unopposed. "Simultaneously, the deputy Speaker's post must go to the Opposition," the former Union minister added. The BJP-led NDA fielded Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the crucial parliamentary position again, but its bid for consensus was thwarted by the Opposition which forced an election by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate. The opposition's last-minute decision to go for the rare contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to its precondition that the INDIA bloc must be offered the post of Deputy Speaker in return for supporting Birla. BJP president JP Nadda reminded the Congress on Tuesday of the "dark days of Emergency" as he slammed the opposition for fielding K Suresh against the NDA's Om Birla in the election for Lok Sabha speaker. Addressing an event at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975, Nadda accused the Congress and its allies of "hypocrisy and doublespeak" on the issue of the Lok Sabha speaker's election and said there is no space for democracy in the "mindset" of the main opposition party. Nadda asked if there had been any election for the Lok Sabha speaker where the opposition put a condition that the deputy speaker be decided first before reaching a consensus on the chair's position. Congress MP Suresh is the opposition's candidate for the Lok Sabha chair against Birla of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has a majority in the Lower House. Nadda said the Congress, which was vying for the deputy speaker's post in the name of tradition, itself did not follow the norm in states governed by it. The Congress has its speaker and deputy speaker in the assemblies of Telangana and Karnataka while INDIA bloc constituents the Trinamool Congress (TMC), DMK and the Left have their own speakers and deputy speakers in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala assemblies, respectively, he said. Nadda said it was the Congress government under the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi that had "throttled" democracy by imposing the Emergency on June 25, 1975, and carried out immense atrocities on those who protested just to hold on to power. "Those who insulted and ignored the Constitution several times have declared themselves as protectors of the Constitution," he charged. "It was the Congress that toppled elected governments 90 times (when it was in power at the Centre) and today it talks about democracy and the Constitution." Nadda recalled the days of the Emergency and said the country's democracy is standing firm today due to the sacrifices that people made to protect it at that time. "About 9,000 people were picked up at night and put in jail. Not a single prominent leader was spared. There is a long list of leaders, including Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, who were in jail for more than 19 months. Their only fault was that they raised their voices to strengthen democracy. Every effort was made to gag the media," he said. Those with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also joined the struggle, which began in 1974, to save democracy as well as end poverty, corruption and nepotism, he said. "About 1.40 lakh people were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and the Defence of India Rules (DIR). Of them, 75,000 to 80,000 people were those who followed our ideology," he said. Nadda said democracy was "restored" in 1977 when a "dictatorial government" of the Congress was unseated from power in the Lok Sabha elections. "Rahul Gandhi does not know how democracy was throttled during those days. He doesn't know much about the (country's) history as he has inadequately studied the subject. Perhaps he doesn't even have much interest in studying. I don't know how many degrees he has got," the BJP chief said, taking potshots at the Congress leader. "These days, these leaders roam around carrying copies of the Constitution. They should apologise to the country and also Mahatma Gandhi (for imposition of Emergency) by visiting his memorial at Raj Ghat," he added. Nadda said the BJP will organise similar events on the "dark days of the Emergency" for one week around the country to expose the "real face" of the Congress by apprising people about its "black deeds and undemocratic intentions". On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi made the announcement of the imposition of Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to a Allahabad High Court verdict declaring her election to the Lok Sabha as null and void. The 21 months was known for forced mass sterlisations, censorship of the press, suspension of constitutional rights and centralisation of power. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi Tuesday hailed a conflict-hit West Asian country after taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches that led to the Chair ordering that the remarks be expunged. Owaisi, however, justified his slogans after he came out of the House and told reporters there was nothing wrong in him saying "Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine". Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, said he has received complaints from some members about the mention of Palestine. Asked about his remarks, Owaisi told reporters, "Other members are also saying different things... How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution? You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine". Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, "They are oppressed people." The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader, who has been elected from the Hyderabad seat for his fifth term, took oath in Urdu. He also recited a prayer before taking oath. After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM's slogan for Muslim, along with the West Asian country. His remarks led to uproar in the Lower House. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, assured the members that anything apart from the oath will not go on record. The uproar continued for few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab returned to the Chair soon, and said that only oath or affirmation is being recorded. "I have said earlier please avoid invoking anything other than oath or affirmation. That is only to be recorded... That should be adhered to," Mahtab said. Talking to reporters outside Parliament later, Rijiju said he will check the rules regarding remarks. "We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. The only issue is, while taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules. Some members have come to me and complained about raising of Palestine slogan at the end of oath," Rijiju said. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, took a jibe at Owaisi, questioning if he could say "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" (hail mother India). He said Owaisi's remarks are "totally wrong and against the rules of Parliament". "Living in India, he cannot say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', but he can hail Palestine. Such people are doing anti-Constitutional work in the name of Constitution, that should be understood," BJP leader Amit Malviya, meanwhile, objected to the prayer said by Owaisi. "Palestine apart, is invoking religious idioms kosher, while taking oath in secular India? Is Owaisi guilty of infusing religion and communalising a solemn occasion?" Malviya said in a post on X. Fighter jets take off for training China Military Online) 13:09, June 25, 2024 A fighter jet attached to a regiment of the PLA Naval Aviation University takes off for a flight training exercise on June 8, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yinglong) A fighter jet attached to a regiment of the PLA Naval Aviation University takes off for a flight training exercise on June 8, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yinglong) A pilot assigned to a regiment of the PLA Naval Aviation University flies a fighter jet in the sky during a flight training exercise on June 8, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yinglong) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Al-Dbaiba, has issued instructions for the opening of the coastal road and to complete the procedures for reopening the Ras Jedir border crossing, in accordance with the government's organizational plan, and to implement the agreement signed between the Libyan and Tunisian Interior Ministers New York, US (PANA) - The United Nations launched new Global Principles for Information Integrity on Monday, emphasising the need for immediate action to address the harms caused by misinformation, disinformation and hate speech YES, Irelands first cross-border, all women, multi-arts festival inspired by the work of James Joyce and his most famous female character, Molly Bloom, looks set to become an annual event as it welcomed around 20,000 festival goers across four days at various venues across Irelands north-west last weekend (13-16 June). The eighteenth and final destination of a 3m European Commission funded project, ULYSSES European Odyssey 2022-2024, YES saw 117 performances featuring 684 homegrown and International artists, including musicians, actors, writers, dancers and politicians, all celebrating female creativity in the name of Molly Bloom. Among the many highlights of the festival which spread from the city of Derry into the beaches and ancient forts of north Donegal was a historic launch event to open the No Ordinary Women conversation series featuring First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle ONeill MLA and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. There was an immense public art installation, The Molly Bed, in Ebrington Square the former British Army military barracks alongside the River Foyle at the end of the Peace Bridge created by local designer Tracey Lindsay, while SIRENSCIRCUS enjoyed a joyous, mesmerically cacaphonous sonic world premiere in St Columbs Hall, in which over 100 musicians and performers conjured a 21st century, ever-changing collaboration between Joyces Ulysses Sirens episode and American avant-garde composer (and huge Joyce fan) John Cage. Yes, also saw the world premiere of five short films -The Molly Films, a fresh presentation of a literary masterpiece, directed by young London based Ukrainian filmmaker, Sophie Muzychenko and featuring Dame Harriet Walter, Fiona Shaw, Adjoa Andoh, Siobhan McSweeney and Eve Hewson. The Molly Films are available now to stream online at www.yesderry.com until midnight on Tuesday 25th June. On the final day of YES (16 June), festival goers were treated to an epic 18-hour event, as Bloomsday, the annual celebration of Joyces masterpiece Ulysses, became Molly Bloomsday for the first time ever as the famed Dublin locations of Ulysses were reimagined in venues and locations across Derry~Donegal. Molly Bloomsday kicked off with an unforgettable, early start as Donegals The Henry Girls sang and played at the centre of Iron-Age sun-fort An Grianan of Aileach with a birdsong backing and the watery backdrop of spectacular views across the estuary of Lough Swilly sweeping northwards into the Atlantic Ocean while Mollys Parade - an unprecedented and exhilarating event, bringing together parading bands from both traditions and from across the border providing an immense city soundtrack, inspired by Molly Blooms love of marching military bands. Laila el Bazi and Jolanda Bazzi of The Sixteen Nations programme, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, performing at the inaugural YES. Sean Doran, Artistic Director of Irelands Arts Over Borders (producer of YES and Lead Artistic Partner of the overall ULYSSES European Odyssey project), said, Last week, we finally arrived for the four days of YES in Irelands historical and spectacularly beautiful north-west. "This was after a long exhilarating two-year 18 European city odyssey that commenced in Athens in September 2022 and zigzagged through Berlin, Paris, Lisbon, Budapest, Istanbul, Trieste and Zurich before reaching Ireland for the grand finale of Ulysses last Episode, Penelope, in Derry~Donegal. Our designated theme was The Future: A Female Vision, for which our female curators Shauna Kelpie, Margaret Kelly, Martina Devlin and Tracey Lindsay garnered a resounding public response for their bounteous programme of events. "These wonderful public plaudits seem now to have set the course that the future will indeed be a female vision for an annual all women multi-arts YES event in the north-west. We all owe a big thanks to Creative Europe, the Department for Foreign Affairs, the NI Executive and Urban Villages, Derry & Strabane District Council, Shared Island and Creative Ireland for helping this new future vision to be born. The unique story of the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company has been told in a newly-published book. The new 50-page paperback publication is a collection of colour and black and white photographs, many of which have not been published in book form before. It tells the story of the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway and its bus services which once operated across north Donegal and into Derry. The book offers new material celebrating this important part of Donegals heritage, with all profits going towards continuing to tell the story of the railways and buses that once operated across County Donegal. Dougherty got to know the Swilly railway and buses while on holidays in Donegal as a teenager in the 1960s. A proud member of the Glasgow-Donegal diaspora, he contributes to transport magazines and local and national media, including the Irish papers in Scotland. As a father of four grown-up children and a grandfather of five, he lives with his wife, Patricia, who has suffered, patiently, for the last 48 years, from his life-long fascination with all things Donegal train and bus-related, including building a working, 4mm scale model of the railway, and its buses in their Glasgow home. Hugh is also an Honorary Life Member of the Donegal Railway Museum. The 50-page paperback publication is a collection of colour and black and white photographs The new book follows on from the success of his previous book, The County Donegal Railways Bus Services. The official launch of Seeking the Swilly by Transport journalist Hugh Dougherty is taking place on Saturday, June 29 at the Donegal Railway Museum. The book is available through the museum website and at the museum directly. The official launch of the new book will take place at the Donegal Railway Museum on Saturday, June 29 at 3pm. This event will both be ticketed for those attending the event in person and streamed live on the museum YouTube channel. Entry is by donation at the door on the day of the event. Tickets are limited to two per person. The Foyle Civic Trust is celebrating its 35th anniversary by launching a Built Heritage Project. The group works to promote high standards of planning and architecture, and promotion of features of public and historic interest in the North West. The Built Heritage Project will held over the next 18 months to develop a membership model to support the preservation of built heritage assets in Derry. It will set up a model to support historic building owners through provision of advice, guidance, training and assisted management planning, procurement for key measures such as inspections and maintenance. The Foyle Civic Trust will be working closely with a consortium of four founding historic building owners Saint Columbs Hall, The Playhouse, An Culturlann and The Verbal Arts Centre. A first of its kind in the North, the project fosters collaboration between arts organisations that own historic buildings, supported by the heritage sector. The four members of the consortium, with reference to the six buildings in their care, will help to inform the structure of the project for best benefit to users. The model will welcome additional members, with potential to scale to help more historic building owners in Derry and further afield. The Foyle Civic Trust will also be working with other partners Derry City & Strabane District Council and the Historic Environment Division to develop the project. Subject to funding, the project will proceed to full roll out over the next 3-5 years. At the group's AGM, the new Project Manager, Nikki McVeigh highlighted the stitch in time approach. She said: Most of the damage that occurs to historic buildings can be avoided by small scale regular maintenance. Inevitably, defects start as a small problem and grow in scale, cost and urgency if not fixed. Maintaining an historic building with simple, minor works: clearing gutters and drains; fixing slipped slates or tiles; or painting windows or replacing missing putty around glass will avoid deterioration of the building fabric and costs of large scale repair. Nikki also highlighted the need for more frequent maintenance in the context of climate change with the most widespread risk being increased intensity of wind, rain, affecting the condition of historic building fabric. Owners will inevitably face additional responsibility and more frequent need in caring for their buildings. The Built Heritage Project is well placed to support owners to address this need. Peter Tracey, the Chair of The Foyle Civic Trust led the celebrations of the AGM and welcomed the new project: Following on from sterling work of the Walled City Partnership which involved the refurbishment and restoration of over historic 30 buildings within and contiguous to the Walled City from 2004 to 2018 and which culminated in the Foyle Civic Trust winning the National Heritage Angels award, we see the Built Heritage Project as the next stage in encouraging and enthusing the citizens of Derry in taking pride in the unique sense of place which Derry has to offer. The built environment - and in particular our historic buildings- play a central role in shaping our city and making it a safe place where people enjoy working , living and visiting. We aim to encourage all to appreciate the small historic details and craftsmanship around us be it the simple sliding sash timber window, the sandstone window cill, the granite kerbstones on our pavements (whats left of them), the cast iron decorative street lamp - all which when added together create the whole and gives our city its unique identity and authenticity. We also wish to encourage young people in learning traditional building skills skills which are in danger of dying out as a generation grows older - to repair and restore historic details through working together with a number of building owners to create an affordable model through an economy of scale. We are delighted to have Nikki McVeigh as the new Foyle Civic Trust Project Manager to help spearhead the Built Heritage project and are indebted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the confidence shown in our organisation to deliver this important and exciting work for the people of this city. If you would like to find out more about The Foyle Civic Trust, and to keep up to date on the Built Heritage Project please go to www.foylecicivtrust.org or email: info@foylecivictrust.org. Foyle Network Foundation, part of the Trussell Trust network, is calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to reinstate the School Holiday Food Grant, which was axed in 2023. The grant, in place from July 2020, of 27 per child each fortnight was to help 93,000 pupils entitled to free school meals and their families during the school holidays. This funding supported the families of about 28% of all school pupils in Northern Ireland. The withdrawal of the grant now means that Northern Ireland is now the only part of the UK where there is no support available during the school holidays. 8,843 emergency food parcels were provided by Foyle Food bank to people facing hardship across Derry in the past 12 months. Alarmingly 3,835 of these parcels were for families with children. This demonstrates the scale of the challenge facing families in Foyle this summer. Karen Mullan, Director at Foyle Network Foundation said: We saw the impact of these cuts here at the Foyle food bank. During the summer months of 2022 and 2023, we saw an increase of 23% of families with children needing to use our foodbank. "It's vitally important that our children and families are supported during what will be difficult summer months. A local parent who has lost the School Holiday Food Grant mentioned how hard it has been since the cuts were introduced: I should be able to look forward to the summer when the kids are off school. For many parents like me, summer has now become a time of stress and worry. "This grant was a lifeline to me over the summer and now I really feel the loss of the extra support. Jonny Currie, Northern Ireland Network Lead at the Trussell Trust, said: Families on the lowest incomes across the Foyle area are being faced with impossible choices this summer. The added pressure of providing more meals for children, as well as back to school costs, has the potential to plunge people further into poverty. While the reinstatement of the School Holiday Food Grant will provide much-needed reassurance to families this summer, it is not a long-term solution. Going forward, we need the NI Executive to petition the next UK Government for the introduction of an Essentials Guarantee. This would mean everyone on the lowest incomes had enough to afford food, bills, clothing, and other essentials. Without the work of the team at Foyle Network Foundation, the community would be facing even more hardship. If you can support their work, visit their website to find out what food they are most in need of at this time. As well as reintroducing the School Holiday Food Grant, Foyle Network Foundation is urging the NI Executive to: Local vendors say their ability to trade at this weekends Maritime Festival has been severely impacted due to temporary amusements being set up on Strand Road. A number of local businesses, under the LegenDerry Food Group umbrella, were set to make up the Food Village at this eagerly awaited festival. However, the traders say that Xtreme Funfair (Fundamania) has restricted access to the Food Village location along the quay at Rockmills. Co-chair of the LegenDerry Food group, Emily McCorkell, has been working to find a solution for the traders. She said: The council is trying to alert people, but they dont want panic. The council is really supportive and brilliant. They are doing everything they can at the moment. Mrs McCorkell is worried about the impact the funfair will have on the businesses set to take part in the festival. She said: We have paid 1,500 to be there at the Maritime Festival. What they have done is they have parked a lorry in a space, and it is taking up approximately three traders slots, and there are safety concerns about how the traders fit in. There are safety concerns that if you have traders that are too close together, there is a fire risk because of fuel tanks and things like that. Everything had been planned pretty meticulously to make it a great safe event for everybody and hopeful economically prosperous for traders, and by them putting their lorry there, they have said, it is broken down and we cant move it; we have to have a mechanic come up from Dublin due to insurance reasons yet I've got friends that are mechanics, and they have said that insurance companies dont do that. They dont seem to have any desire to move. This is not the first time they have done this; I have gotten messages from people in Belfast, Lisburn, Castlereagh, and Ballycastle. In all these places, they have done something like this before, so it is not like it is an innocent thing that they have done once. If they were to move food traders due to this regarding safety concerns, the only place they could put them would be either the top or tail of the stretch on the Maritime Festival. The festival is so heavily planned right now; with the shape of the festival, you cant just send someone as a lone wolf away to the edge of the train. Mrs McCorkell said she had been aback by the level of support given by the people of Derry. Right now we are so desperate to make noise and get this fixed because, as co-chair of LegenDerry Food, it is my job to advocate for our traders. It is what I love about Derry and the council. The people will band together. The support throughout Derry so far after this has been great. A spokesperson for the council provided a statement regarding the situation. They said: Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that the temporary amusement facility on a vacant site adjacent to Rock Mills on the Strand Road is not part of Councils Foyle Maritime Festival programme but is being operated and managed by a private operator. Neither the landowner nor the operator have engaged with Council prior to arriving on site, and the amusement provider did not take part in the Councils open procurement process to provide these services. While Council actively encourages the private sector and local businesses to be creative and innovative and to look at ways to enhance festival and events, it is extremely disappointing that this operator chose not to be part of the formal procurement process for amusement services at the festival. The Council has been in contact with the operator since the amusements have been set up and site inspections in relation to environmental health, planning, and health and safety regulations have been carried out. As part of the engagement with the landowner and the amusement operators, Council has also been in contact with the HSENI who is the regulator, to express its concerns. While there is currently no breach of legal obligations, Council does have serious concerns about the current location of this temporary amusement facility and the impact it is having on local residents, businesses, commuters, and members of the public attending the Foyle Maritime Festival this week. The Council-appointed amusement provider will be operating as planned but have raised significant concerns with Council. Officers are also having to engage with local food producers who had signed up to be part of the Legenderry Food stalls at the festival to inform them that this private amusement facility may also have an impact on Councils ability to provide the food stalls in the agreed location. Council will continue to monitor and assess the facility over the coming days to minimise the negative impact it is having on residents, businesses, and the wider community. In the meantime, the Council would encourage the public to be mindful that this facility is not part of the Councils Foyle Maritime Festival programme and responsibility for any activity on this site lies solely with the landowner and the amusement operators. Council will, however, continue to monitor and assess the facility over the coming days, and every effort will be made to minimise any impact on the Foyle Maritime Festival. The Police Service of Northern Ireland provided comment on the situation. It read: "Police are aware of the funfair; however it has been set up on private land. Engagement with local partners is ongoing." Eight men charged in relation to the largest seizure of drugs in the history of the State after a Panamanian cargo ship was dramatically stormed by an elite special forces unit off the southeast coast last year have been given a trial date at the Special Criminal Court. The men face drugs and organised crime charges after some 2.25 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more than 157 million was seized from the Panamanian-registered large bulk carrier MV Matthew in Irish waters in September 2023. At the three-judge court today, Mr Justice Tony Hunt fixed a trial date of January 13, 2025, and told the accused men that a guilty plea would only be considered an early one in mitigation if it is entered before December 13. Defending barrister Mark Lynam SC said the case was a very complicated one. John Berry BL, for the State, said a vast amount of disclosure had already been provided by the prosecution. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the matter to October 21 for mention by videolink. READ NEXT: Irish dog stayed by dead owner's side for a month before being rescued The eight men charged are Ukraine nationals Vitaliy Lapa (61) of Rudanka, Regina Stn, Bendyousk, Ukraine; Mykhailo Gavryk (31) and Vitaliy Vlasoi (31) both with unknown addresses; Jamie Harbron (31) of South Avenue, Billigham, UK; Soheil Jelveh (49), address unknown; Philippines national Harold Estoesta (30), Iran national Saeid Hassani (38) and Cumali Ozgen (49) of Delftselaan, Den Hag, Netherlands. Vitaliy Lapa and Jamie Harbron are accused of an offence contrary to Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 on dates between September 24, 2023 and September 26, 2023, both dates inclusive for possession of drugs within the State. Vitaliy Lapa is also charged with an offence under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 that between July 15 and September 25, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, he contributed to an activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such activity could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation. Mr Harbron is also charged with the same Section 72 offence on dates between September 21 and September 25 2023. Soheil Jelveh, Mykhailo Gavryk, Vitaliy Vlasoi, Harold Estoesta, Saeid Hassani, Cumali Ozgen face similar Section 72 charges and are further charged with an offence under the Criminal Justice (Illicit Traffic by Sea) Act 2003 and the Misuse of Drugs Act on dates between September 24 to September 26, both dates inclusive. On September 26, 2023, a joint task force, comprising members of the Revenue Customs Service, Naval Service and An Garda Siochana interdicted and detained the MV Matthew, which was on a course originating in South America. After Army Rangers secured the vessel, members of the navy, the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Revenue were transferred to the cargo vessel and the ship was then escorted into port. Last month, State solicitor Ciara Vibien successfully applied to have all eight mens cases heard at the non-jury court, which deals with terrorism and organised crime-related offences. The Special Criminal Court can hear certain cases where the Director of Public Prosecutions certifies that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice and the preservation of public peace and order. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Parts of the UK are expected to see even hotter temperatures on Tuesday as charities urge sun-seekers to be responsible amid safety warnings. The Met Office said central London could see a peak of 30C with high 20s more widely in south-east England as fine and sunny spells continue. It comes after the hottest temperature on Monday was recorded at 28.3C in Wisley, Surrey, making it the hottest day of the year so far, the forecaster said. Temperatures will rise in a few places across the UK over the next few days Highest will be in the southeast, peaking around Wednesday with highs of 30 Celsius pic.twitter.com/XdwPvSWwKp Met Office (@metoffice) June 24, 2024 London saw a peak of 27.4C at St Jamess Park, while temperatures rose to 26.9C in Aberdeenshire and 25C in Northern Ireland. While Scotland and Northern Ireland will be slightly cooler and are likely to see some showers on Tuesday, further very warm or hot spells of sunshine are predicted elsewhere across the country. Temperatures in London are forecast to hit peaks of 31C on Wednesday, with much of south-east England basking in the mid-20s for the first half of the week. Early forecasts are also looking positive for those attending Glastonbury Festival, with largely sunny spells from Wednesday to Sunday and temperatures averaging the low 20s by the end of the week. It marks a break from the rainy spring, which saw 32% more rainfall than the average in England and Wales, according to the Met Office, and hampered businesses reliant on tourism or high street foot traffic. Oli Claydon, a Met Office spokesman, said it wont be sunshine for everyone but will still be warm even where there is cloud cover during the week. We might see the occasional shower in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, where there will be a little bit of cloud through (Tuesday), but otherwise clearer skies in the South East and thats where were going to see the highest temperatures, he added. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) issued a safety warning on Monday reminding people heading to coastal areas to take precautions. Sam Hughes, water safety education manager at the RNLI, said: We are expecting the coast to be extremely busy with this burst of warm weather. We want everyone to enjoy being around the water but we also want to make sure people stay safe and know what to do in an emergency. Always visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then, once you are through the initial shock, call for help to or swim to safety if you can. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the coastguard. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for most of England, warning the warm conditions could pose a risk to vulnerable individuals. The heatwave threshold is met when a location records at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding a designated value, according to the Met Office. This is 25C for most of the UK, but rises to 28C in London and its surrounding area, where temperatures are typically higher. However, the heat is only expected to last until Wednesday with heavy showers, thunderstorms and persistent rain possibly returning in the west as the week goes on. There will be a little bit of rain and cloud through Thursday, Mr Claydon said. But itll actually be quite pleasant, although temperatures will still be a little cooler and closer to average, the weather will still be fine and there will be a lot of dry weather around. The Northern Ireland Assembly is facing a 2.4 million bill to repair the leaking roof in Stormont. SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone expressed his concern at seeing buckets of water in the middle of corridors in Parliament Buildings, describing the situation as not ideal. On Tuesday, the Assembly Commission faced questions from DUP MLAs Harry Harvey and Keith Buchanan over plans for repair work. Answering on behalf of the commission, DUP MLA Trevor Clarke said they understand it will cost an estimated 2.4 million to repair. He told MLAs that work had been delayed while legal proceedings were issued against firms, and stressed they are taking the matter extremely seriously. Until recently, the Assembly Commission has refrained from undertaking a full range of remedial works based on advice that this could prejudice legal position of the commission, he told MLAs. The Assembly Commission received advice in February this year due to the ongoing deterioration and associated health and safety concerns, and following the exchange of expert architect and engineer reports with the two defendants, the legal position had changed, and that the Assembly Commission could now undertake remedial work to address all of the defects. As a result, the Assembly Commission is now moving forward to appoint contractors under a construction and procurement delivery framework to undertake immediate health and safety repairs and to scope out the full range of remedial repairs required. The initial health and safety works will be carried out over the summer. The full remedial works will prevent any further deterioration, address the issues related to the damage to stonework, and will resolve the ongoing issues of water ingress within Parliament buildings. The Assembly Commission will continue its legal action to recover the full costs of these repairs. Mr Clarke said 2.4 million is the indicative cost for the necessary remedial work, but accurate costings will only be known when scoping requirements is finalised and tendered. He said he hopes the full work will start as soon as possible after the summer recess. 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Various PC manufacturers showcased related solutions, and major processor players like AMD, Intel, and Arm emphasized the importance of AI PC applications. As one of the earliest companies to implement AI functions on PCs, Synaptics brought even more advanced solutions with Edge AI technologies to the event this year. Their latest innovations build upon its three technology pillars: sensing, processing, and connecting. "At the demos you saw, even for things like a PC touchpad, there are techniques such as accidental contact mitigation (ACM), which uses AI algorithms," said Satish Ganesan, Synaptics' SVP & GM of Intelligent Sensing Division and Chief Strategy Officer. "Our goal is to infuse more and more AI features into PCs, smartphones, and automotive at the sensing edge where the user interacts with the device." "The other side is our processing solutions with our newly announced Astra family of processors, where we are uniquely positioned. We are building processors that go after markets wherever computer vision, voice, or any form of edge AI is required, like in smart home, industrial automation, and so on," he added. "Some of the same elements are then used in the PC space where you saw user presence detection techniques which implements vision AI algorithms to enhance overall user experience." In a demo at Computex 2024, Synaptics showed how the intelligent sensing solution with its new Edge AI chip enhances the PC user's experience. The demo focused on practical, everyday use cases in office environments. Features include Human Presence Detection (HPD), head pose tracking, and gesture control, which allow for automatic adjustments such as waking up the computer, locking it, and managing battery and privacy settings. For instance, users can mute their microphone or switch focus between monitors effortlessly using gestures. Integration of vision AI algorithms and PC cameras provides seamless interaction, ensures user privacy and security, saves power, and improves overall productivity by recognizing user identity and preferences, thus illustrating the real-world benefits of AI-enhanced PCs beyond just technological advancements. Ganesan emphasized that many talks about AI PCs from major companies at Computex 2024 focused on the computational power of processors, but "We're not going to compete with those main processors, we're not doing LLM processing or things like that, our value proposition will be in other areas, where we provide chipsets in the touchpad, fingerprint and so on. Of course, we're doing it on Astra for other markets as the main processor." Synaptics Astra was launched at Embedded World with the debut of the SL-Series, a new family of edge AI processors described as "AI-native SoCs" capable of running the Linux and Android OS. The series uses Arm Cortex-A cores, scales from 2 to 8 TOPS performance, and targets multi-modal consumer, enterprise, and industrial IoT workloads. The upcoming SR-Series MCUs with tiered inferencing were also demonstrated. Together with the SL-Series, the MCUs make context-aware computing a reality across the smart home, the factory floor, and at work. According to Synaptics, the SL-Series and SR-Series of Astra SoCs deliver a unified experience combining standards-based open software frameworks, rapid prototyping kits, full-featured AI/ML toolkits, and Synaptics' Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity solutions. The SL-Series is also supported by the Astra Machina Foundation Series development kit, which allows easy and rapid prototyping. Beyond hardware, Synaptics' solutions emphasize optimizing AI algorithms to operate efficiently at the edge, "So we can work with a smaller memory footprint and lower speed processors," Ganesan mentioned. "Right now, the take rate of AI PCs is still pretty small, but I think it is going to be pretty explosive. We focused on AI early, and the biggest thing in AI is about basically the software and the framework." Synaptics' AI software accepts commonly used input frameworks such as TensorFlow, TFLite, TLFM, ONNX, CAFFE, and PyTorch. For clients with varying levels of AI expertise, the company can provide comprehensive support, including the compiler, tools, and resources like predefined models and libraries for different use cases, such as vision and audio. "That is where we will differentiate in the market," said Ganesan. "Most companies only focus on hardware or software; we are the only ones who deliver an end-to-end solution. That would help our customers bring products to market faster because they don't need to learn from scratch. we have done all the learning for them." Advances in Docking, Enterprise Headsets, and Fingerprint Sensors Beyond the intelligent sensing technology applications for PCs' HPD functions mentioned above, Synaptics also showcased a range of other solutions at Computex 2024, including Docking Station Solutions supporting the latest DisplayPort (DP) 2.0 standard and with the ability to add virtual displays and enhanced user guides for troubleshooting. Low-latency wireless video was also shown, along with audio solutions that enable ultra-low-power Enterprise Headsets that support simultaneous audio streaming with BT Classic, BLE, DECT, and USB-connected devices. Regarding the touchpad and fingerprint solutions for PCs, the fingerprint market is shifting away from traditional palm rest placement towards integration on the keyboard. This change offers a more streamlined and reliable integration. The touchpad sector is witnessing a significant increase in size to match larger screens, emphasizing the importance of advanced palm rejection technology. Synaptics AI-based algorithm can improve palm rejection, addressing common complaints about accidental cursor movements during typing. The algorithm enhances accuracy when distinguishing between fingers and palms, especially at the touchpad edges. Additionally, the integration of Zoom and Teams functions directly into the touchpad was introduced. This allows users to control mute and video settings without moving the cursor, thus simplifying the user experience during online meetings. This customization provides flexibility based on OEM preferences. And, the haptic force touchpad is poised to become dominant in flagship PCs, offering a larger touch area and integrating touch and force using a single chip. This technology allows clicks anywhere on the pad and provides a consistent tactile response, enhancing user experience. The development of piezo technology, combining thin piezo disks with touch sensors, promises even more precise and localized haptic feedback, potentially simulating different textures and offering advanced notification patterns. Taiwan's Pivotal Role Due to the boom in AI PCs, this year's Computex gathered numerous top executives from major companies and garnered worldwide attention. Ganesan also acknowledged Taiwan's pivotal role in the global PC market and ecosystem, "Taiwan is a big center for PCs, almost all the PC makers and ODMs are here. We're going to see a lot of developments here focused on AI PCs and things like that. It plays a very important role in the hardware ecosystem that supplies worldwide. That is why Taiwan is one of Synaptics' biggest R&D centers." Although the local team is already significant, as the market for AI PCs and other Edge AI applications grows, Ganesan did not rule out the possibility of further expansion, with more investment and the recruitment of more local talent. Synaptics plans to enhance its support and infrastructure in Taiwan, leveraging the country's central role in both implementation and innovation. In a demo at Computex 2024, Synaptics showed how the intelligent sensing solution with its new Edge AI chip enhances the PC user's experience. Taiwan leverages AI supercomputers for medical and life science breakthroughs The ASUS Group has joined hands with Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) to advance supercomputer-powered medical research. The official says the strategic collaboration will focus on three areas: computing power, data, and next-generation medical information. They aim to create a model similar to the UK's "Cambridge-1" in Taiwan. AI-powered research According to the NHRI, it first collaborated with ASUS in 2022 to establish "NHRI-1," applying AI technology to smart healthcare. In June 2024, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on "Medical Information Technology and Biomedical Big Data Research and Application". The joint initiative will focus on using medical big data, marking another big step in public-private partnerships in the AI age. Supercomputers combined with AI are already widely used for weather forecasting, drug development, and disease diagnosis. However, some experts note that supercomputers face significant challenges in biochemistry, optimization problems, and cryptography, which may require multifunctional large-scale quantum computers. In other words, until quantum computing matures, supercomputers will continue to play a vital role. Cambridge-1 v. Taipei-1 According to Nvidia, the UK's "Cambridge-1" is dedicated to accelerating healthcare research across medical imaging, genomics, and drug development. Established by Nvidia in 2021, "Cambridge-1" was hailed as "the UK's most powerful supercomputer" at the time, offering over 400 petaflops of AI performance and 9.68 petaflops of Linpack performance. Its main purpose is to facilitate drug research, train models to understand chemical syntax and process digital pathology images. Nvidia has established the "Taipei-1" supercomputer in Taiwan. 25% of its computing power will be allocated to academia and 75% to commercial use. Meanwhile, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has commissioned the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) to build "Forerunner 1." The supercomputer will have the optimal performance of approximately 3.5 petaflops. The machine, operational from June 24, 2024, is dedicated to research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, atmospheric science, engineering applications, and life sciences. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Samsung poised to overtake Apple in Taiwan's mobile market by June In a surprising shift within Taiwan's competitive mobile phone market, Samsung Electronics is anticipated to outpace Apple in monthly sales as early as June 2024. Industry insiders cite two key factors driving this change. Firstly, Taiwan's 3G network is scheduled to shut down on June 30, sparking a surge in demand for mid-to-low-end smartphones. Secondly, the impending release of Apple's next iPhone model in September is prompting consumers to delay their purchases, shrinking the shipment gap between the two tech giants to a mere 1.1 percentage points in May. This sets the stage for Samsung to potentially claim the top spot in June. As of the end of February 2024, approximately 2-3% of mobile subscribers with the three major telecom operators in Taiwan were using phones that do not support VoLTE services. With the discontinuation of 3G network services looming, a wave of existing 3G users has already begun upgrading their devices. This trend boosted Taiwan's mobile phone shipments to nearly 430,000 units in May, an 18% increase from April and up from about 390,000 units in May 2023. Samsung has emerged as a primary beneficiary, with its Galaxy A55 model outperforming the iPhone 15 series to become Taiwan's top-selling smartphone. This success has narrowed Samsung's shipment gap with Apple to just 1 percentage point. Meanwhile, Oppo, Vivo, and Redmi have also experienced a resurgence, capitalizing on the increased demand for budget-friendly devices. Oppo achieved a 14.5% market share in May, its highest in a decade. Retail analysts predict that the momentum from the 3G network shutdown will sustain high shipment volumes into June, bolstering the overall performance of Android manufacturers. Conversely, Apple's market share in Taiwan slipped to 30.9% in May, down two percentage points from April, as potential buyers await the September iPhone launch. This trend is expected to continue, with a strong possibility that Samsung will surpass Apple in June. However, analysts caution that Samsung's ascension is not guaranteed and hinges on two critical variables. While the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains a bestseller, it faces intensifying competition from Sony's new flagship Xperia 1 VI and Google's latest models. Samsung's ability to fend off challenges from mid-to-low-end rivals such as Oppo, Vivo, and Redmi will be crucial. As the battle for supremacy in Taiwan's mobile market heats up, all eyes will be on the June sales figures to see if Samsung can dethrone Apple. Facilitating the developments of artificial intelligence, silicon proliferation, and software-defined systems, Synopsys enables pervasive intelligence innovation Synopsys Users Group (SNUG) Taiwan 2024 demonstrated the state-of-the-art EDA innovations and Artificial intelligence (AI) driven solutions for the chip design community. With the theme of "Our Technology, Your Innovation," this annual event took place on June 19, 2024, and showed how Synopsys uses its advanced technology to help customers forge success with innovation. Joachim Kunkel, Synopsys General Manager of Solutions Group, delivered a keynote titled "Powering Innovation in the Era of Pervasive Intelligence." Kunkel said, "AI technology has brought unprecedented new opportunities to the industry. All of this will drive an explosion of intelligent systems and smart applications. But this is also pushing the limits of computing and energy resources. Synopsys' solutions will support customers to cope with these challenges." The Pervasive Intelligence era is coming Synopsys highlights three key paradigms driving the era of Pervasive Intelligence. That is the rapid advancement of AI, silicon proliferation, and software-defined systems. These days, more electronic products are now driven by sophisticated software. The rapid acceleration of AI technology is empowered and embedded in various smart devices and systems. A huge number of AI chips will be required to achieve these benefits. These efforts will increase the proliferation of silicon, which is powering AI acceleration, bringing it to multiple applications controlled by sophisticated software. This will lead to the burst of Software-Defined Systems. Together, these three paradigms are shaping the new era of pervasive intelligence, where AI and smart technologies are seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. Whether it is PCs, smartphones, autonomous driving cars, or industrial automation systems and robots, behind these systems are the technological foundations of AI chips and integrated software that will help us find better ways of doing things to achieve better outcomes. All these efforts support the exponential growth of the semiconductor industry. However, three key challenges immediately arise including silicon complexity, productivity, and software-defined system capabilities. To respond to these challenges, Synopsys provides solutions ranging from New AI-driven EDA tools, IP offerings and Systems Design Solutions. AI across the entire EDA flow from Synopsys.ai to Synopsys.ai Copilot Solving the silicon complexity challenge, the engineering team is dealing with projects such as trillion transistor counts in a single chip. Considering performance, Power Performance and Area (PPA) improvements, Synopsys provides the AI-driven EDA suite Synopsys.ai for a chip design spanning implementation, verification, testing, and simulation to manufacturing processes. These autonomous AI-driven full-stack EDA suite launched in 2020 and has achieved hundreds of successful tape-outs that supported customers' gaining project goals. In 2022, Synopsys also implemented a set of AI-driven data analytics solutions that allow insightful analysis of the vast amount of data collected on the customer side and released the Synopsys.da product line. In addition, with the introduction of Synopsys.ai Copilot, Synopsys is harnessing the power of generative AI to help design teams with new levels of productivity. Integrated into the full Synopsys EDA stack, Synopsys.ai Copilot allows design engineering teams to be more flexible in the use of customized data sets and facilitates internal deployment of physical isolation to meet data security requirements. The integration of generative AI capabilities is just the latest step in the journey to drive greater productivity for solving silicon complexity challenges. These AI-assisted tools will continue to evolve, and new tools will bring continuous design creativity. Synopsys Expands Silicon IP Portfolio to help customers to drive productivity In addition to providing full stack of AI-driven EDA solutions, Synopsys further reduces customers' chip design burden through the offering of silicon intellectual property (IP). Synopsys is a leading provider of silicon-proven semiconductor IP solutions for SoC designs and partners with customers and collaborators to enhance their next-generation designs, incorporating new features to reduce the complexity of large-scale chip design. It is worth mentioning that Synopsys continues to expand its IP product portfolio with a design team of 2,000 engineers. After 2020, the offerings further expand to use subsystems as an extension of IP products to help customers' AI chip projects enhance the standard architecture for their next-generation designs, incorporating new features now available with the latest specifications, which will further shorten the design process. As part of its efforts to drive mainstream adoption of multi-die design, Synopsys has successfully demonstrated the first silicon-proven UCIe-connected and a result of collaboration between Synopsys and its foundry partners. UCIe's high-speed data transmission features will continue to assist in the design of multi-die systems in the future. This is an important foundation for High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI chips that require large amounts of data transmission and processing capabilities. Synopsys helps customers to stay competitive in a market where new standard developments are already being adopted. The development of 2.5D, 3D, and even 3.5D multi-die heterogeneous integrated chips will continue to evolve. Moreover, a broad IP portfolio, an end-to-end, AI-driven EDA platform, and the most advanced multi-die solutions will boost the development and enable the march to trillions of transistors IC innovation. Digital twins of electronic devices enhance software-defined systems prototyping With software-defined systems, taking the example of the modern car with its 500 million lines of code, in which operations and enablement of new features are primarily managed through software, verification, and validation of these systems are dominating the cost of product development. For these products, digital twins enable a dramatic reduction in cost and design risks. In response to the design requirements of software-defined systems, software simulation, and verification have become important requirements. For faster, higher capacity emulation and prototyping, Synopsys provides system-level design and simulation tools to verify the real software execution to ensure the correct operation and use of software-defined systems. The HAPS-100 12 virtual prototyping solution is targeting high-capacity FPGA-based prototyping with a mix of fixed and flexible interconnects and a rack-friendly design, particularly useful for prototyping big designs that require many FPGAs, such as multi-die systems and large SoCs. Meanwhile, the ZeBu EP2 hardware simulation system is the latest version in the Synopsys ZeBu EP family of unified emulation and prototyping systems with the fastest emulation and prototyping platform for AI workloads, making it ideal for software bring-up, hardware validation, and power performance analysis. Both systems can help customers reduce design risks and provide automotive engineering teams with digital twin applications of vehicle electronic systems to facilitate automotive software and ensure that increasingly complex semiconductor designs and high-function software systems can be integrated and operated smoothly as expected. Kunkel pointed out that AI-driven EDA tools are developing rapidly to assist engineers in solving problems. By automating tedious repetitive tasks and optimizing design process flow, AI can free up the mental bandwidth of design engineers for the creative work that drives growth. His advice to engineers is: By continually analyzing data and learning optimal approaches through AI-driven EDA solutions, engineers still need to go back to the role of a designer to focus on design and creative work that drives innovation and growth. Learning more about application areas and system architectures will help engineers understand how to design things and make your work more fun. The total number of Ukrainian refugees living in Louth under the Temporary Protection Directive now stands at 2386 according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. This compares to a figure of 2478 in February this year. Nationally, 107,406 Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) were given to arrivals from Ukraine by 2nd June 2024. Broken down by area; the figures reveal the Drogheda Urban area has 894 Ukrainians living locally while Dundalk-Carlingford has 428; Dundalk South has 671; Ardee has 227 while Drogheda Rural has 166. The figures mark an increase in numbers in three out of five areas in Louth compared to February last year. Those figures, (for February 2024) were: Drogheda Urban area had 868 Ukrainians living locally while Dundalk-Carlingford had 708; Dundalk South had 511; Ardee had 235 while Drogheda Rural had 156. Dundalk- Carlingford saw a huge drop in the number of Ukrainian refugees living in the are with the numbers falling from 708 to 428, a drop of 280. Additionally the CSO report showed that there were 586 hosts in Louth currently in receipt of Accommodation Recognition Payment and arrivals from Ukraine living in accommodation provided by these hosts. The figures also reveal that there are currently 246 Ukrainian children enrolled in primary schools in Louth, a decrease of 6; while there are 204 enrolled in secondary schools in the county, an increase of 4. Commenting on the release, Laura Carter, Statistician, said: "There are two maps in this release based on mapping 102,879 individuals, or 96% of arrivals, to a location within Ireland. These maps are based on the local post office address as per the process through which arrivals were seeking assistance from the Department of Social Protection or, if available, the arrivals' residential address where an Accommodation Recognition Payment is payable to the host of the residence. The first map is a count of arrivals by Local Electoral Area (LEA), and the second is the rate of arrivals by LEA (per 100 of the Census 2022 de facto population). Kenmare in Co. Kerry had the highest number of associated arrivals from Ukraine at 2,844. Our analysis also shows that the rate per 100 of the population ranges across all LEAs in the country from 0.28% to 12.38%. The LEA with the highest rate was Ennistimon in Co. Clare." Louth County Council is celebrating the success of the Lu Festival of Light, which has been honoured with the Best Arts and Culture award at the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) Awards ceremony held in Glasgow. The accolade recognises the festival's profound impact on the community, its innovative use of heritage assets within the town, and the extraordinary animations and storytelling over the eight-day event. The festival is a collaborative partnership between Louth County Council, Love Drogheda BID, Visual Spectrum and Failte Ireland, underpinned by story development by Anthony Murphy, Mythological Ireland. The Lu Festival of Light has captivated the hearts and minds of residents and visitors alike, transforming the town into a mesmerizing canvas of light, art, sound and creative illustrations on wonderful canvasses. This recognition is a testament to the festival's unique approach to celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Louth while infusing it with contemporary artistic expressions. "We are immensely proud of what the Lu Festival of Light has achieved," said Colette Moss, Senior Executive Officer, Louth County Council. "Winning the Best Arts and Culture Award at the ATCM Awards is a true reflection of the dedication, creativity, and hard work of everyone involved". Trevor Connolly, CEO of Love Drogheda BID said: "The collective team efforts have turned dreams into reality, creating a magical experience that has left an indelible mark on the community of Drogheda. "This partnership exemplifies the power of working together to achieve extraordinary results. Lu Festival of Light has brought further prominence and acknowledgement of stories from our past and an appreciation of our culture and heritage in a new way. Announcing the award, Ojay McDonald Chief Executive of ATCM said: Best Arts and Culture Scheme is always a difficult category with plenty of commendable submissions. However, the way the partnership created an audio-visual experience against a backdrop of Irish Mythology meant a clear winner for 2024. "The 'The Lu Festival of Light' captivated audiences with a fully immersive experience. Telling stories from the past by using the newest and most captivating audio-visual experience could be groundbreaking in the way towns maximise their history and heritage in the future. The Lu Festival of Light continues to grow in popularity, drawing visitors from far and wide, providing a tangible boost to the local economy. This award highlights the festival's success and sets a benchmark for future cultural events in the region. Last year, the town of Drogheda welcomed over 70,000 visitors over the festival period with a plethora of activities and activations across the streets and venues with an estimated 6.1million direct uplift. For more information about the Lu Festival of Light and future events, please visit www.lufestivaloflight.com. Figures released this week by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on the population of the country in 2022, have given some insights to the breakdown of the population of Louth, at a local authority level and also at a local electoral area (LEA) level. Among the figures relating to Louth in the release, it estimates that in 2022 Dundalk South was the most populated LEA and had more males than females; there were 64,955 people at work; and 14,341 were students or pupils, while the average age in the county was 37.5 and the population of the county was 148,932. The CSO release, Irish Population Estimates from Administrative Data Sources (IPEADS), 2021, is a CSO Frontier Series Research Paper, that the CSO says, may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example new administrative data sources. It adds that particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in the release. IPEADS 2022 does not produce population statistics for households. However, improved inclusion of Eircodes across a number of key administrative datasets has led to over 90% of records containing an Eircode up from 80% in 2021 and 60% in 2020. Looking at the LEAs in Louth, in 2022 the population was estimated as follows: Dundalk- Carlingford , Louth - 29,261 Dundalk South, Louth - 39,669 Ardee , Louth - 27,719 Drogheda Rural, Louth - 20,672 Drogheda Urban, Louth - 31, 611 The figures also give details on the Principal Economic Status of all the people in the area covered by Louth County Council. It reveals that there was 118,871 people aged 15 and over, 59, 272 male and 59,599 female. 64,955 were at work; 14,341 were students or pupils; 7,659 were looking after home/family; 16,312 were retired; 3,909 unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability; 11,213 were unemployed; and 482 were not in the Labour Force. Commenting on the release, Cathal Doherty, Statistician in the Life Events and Demography Section, said: This Research Paper, as the third iteration of Irish Population Estimates from Administrative Data Sources (IPEADS), continues to demonstrate the policy-relevant research projects the CSO is developing as part of its leadership role in the National Data Ecosystem. While serving primarily as a means of demonstrating the potential of administrative data for delivering new classes of statistical products, IPEADS also demonstrates an evolving platform for the development of population estimates. As part of the CSO's Frontier Series that uses experimental methodology, it must also be emphasised that IPEADS' estimates must be interpreted with caution and are not comparable with official CSO population estimates such as Census data." Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Maynooth University (MU) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) confirming joint strategic engagement on future collaborations over the coming years. MU President Professor Eeva Leinonen today welcomed Dr Diarmuid OCallaghan, President of DkIT, to Maynooth University for the signing event. In August 2023, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Maynooth University (MU) entered informal discussions regarding future collaborations. At the time, both Presidents stated their vision of future collaborations to enhance and expand higher education opportunities for students, staff and communities. A potential partnership would have shared objectives to ensure any collaboration respects the roots of both institutions whilst bringing innovation and best practices to meet future needs. Welcoming the signing of this letter of intent Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick ODonovan TD said: The signing of todays letter of intent by Maynooth University and Dundalk Institute of Technology is a positive move, signifying the intention of these two fine higher education institutions to build on their individual strengths and explore together how they can strategically develop to better serve the regions in which they are based. It is this kind of commitment to regional partnership and collaboration that will lead to sustainable and resilient development and better opportunities for all. Support from my Department, allocated by the HEA to DkIT through the Technological Sector Advancement Fund, has enabled today's signal of intent. Remarking on the importance of the partnership, Professor Leinonen added: "I am delighted to advance this strategic engagement with Dundalk Institute of Technology. This partnership builds on our longstanding relationship and is a milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance higher education in the region. By working together, we will explore new ways to collaborate, focusing on innovative research and academic initiatives that benefit our students, our staff and the wider community. Dr OCallaghan added: Over the last twelve months we have identified our shared values and aspirations for both our institutions, and today is the next logical step in forging a strategic engagement founded on the principles of mutual respect, benefit and collaboration. By joining our interests, we seek to create an environment whereby we can exchange knowledge covering such areas as teaching and learning, research and innovation, engagement and organisational development, in a way that is of mutual benefit to the wider region served by our two institutions. In the coming months, DkIT and MU will actively explore and develop the nature, scope and scale of a strategic engagement between the two institutions. The activities supported by this LoI will include, but are not limited to: Developing detail of a possible agreement between MU and DkIT on strategic engagement for consideration within a defined time window by the institutions Establishing a Regional Research Graduate Academy for the joint registering and training of postgraduate research students within our shared region, including developing an agreed and aligned sustainable model of delivery Scoping of potential provision of MU awards for NFQ level 8 and 9 students in DkIT in the context of quality assurance, market and financial implications Enhancing research collaborations including successful application for at least two joint research and innovation funded projects Investigating opportunities for development of new joint academic programmes Supporting strategic development in both MU and DkIT in areas of mutual benefit aligned to the strategic direction of both institutions Implementing a joint communications plan relating to the strategic engagements between MU and DkIT. The work listed as part of this LoI is financially supported through the Technological Sector Advancement Fund (TSAF; January 2024 to June 2026). This is a HEA-managed fund which provides targeted support for initiatives that are critical to the strategic development of the technological higher education sector. This LoI is initially effective from signing until June 2026, and will be reviewed annually, unless replaced in the interim. IdeasLab, the entrepreneurial and innovation hub at University of Galway, has announced the winners of its student entrepreneur Start100 competition. Most Engaging Pitch went to Dundalk student Claudine Mulihano, a first-year Podiatric Medicine student and her idea StepWise, a smart insole designed to tackle the foot condition plantar fasciitis using Bluetooth technology to transmit real-time biomechanics data to healthcare practitioners. Damien Delaney, a first-year Psychology student from Birr, Co Offaly and the owner of Hology Photography secured the top prize and a 5,000 award for his visual-based app called FocusZen which enables individuals to use photography as a form of meditation and a way of enhancing their wellbeing. Final year Bachelor of Commerce student David Garvey from Glenamaddy, Co Galway, received the One to Watch award and a prize fund of 1,000 for Arclo, an innovative clothing brand bringing t-shirts to life using augmented reality technology. Alongside the three main prize winners, one of the Start100 judging panel, Paul Merriman, chief executive of Fairstone, pledged to give student Emily Donellan from Maree, Co Galway 2,000 in funding for her podcast Start Right, a by-student, for-student podcast that offers tailored advice and guidance to young people transitioning from secondary school to college. Start100 offers students an intensive six-week programme, where ten teams refine their business model and present at a special showcase, bringing their innovative business ideas to a panel of judges from the worlds of academia, research, and enterprise. The competition is designed to empower early-stage student startups. During the process the teams are introduced to speakers from different industries, experts in entrepreneurial development both regionally and nationally, and Start100 alumni who have successfully started their own businesses. Each team is matched with a mentor in a relevant field, ensuring they receive the advice and the support they need to take their idea to the next level. Professor Peter McHugh, University of Galways Deputy President and Registrar, said: University of Galway plays an important role in nurturing innovation and growth within our region and beyond. Start100 is an example of how the connections we foster with industry cultivate innovative leadership skills in our students, and provides them with the space and supports to develop ideas with the potential for broader societal impact. Meabh Conaghan, Regional Director for the West and North-West Regions, Enterprise Ireland, said: "Programmes that encourage and support student entrepreneurship at all levels are crucial to a vibrant start-up ecosystem. The Start100 series of incubation supports is to be applauded as it helps students to explore, develop and validate their ideas in a structured and safe environment. Enterprise Ireland West region is delighted to collaborate with Ollscoil na Gaillimhe and its IdeasLab team on Start100 2024. Enterprise Ireland warmly welcomes Start100, recognizing it as an avenue for future enterprise success and is happy to support this worthwhile initiative." Throughout the programme students visited CREW, ComWorks in Loughrea, Platfrom 94 and the Portershed and had guest speakers from Enterprise Ireland, Westbic, the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and Start100 alumni. They were given workshops on intellectual property, tax, presentation skills and more, and speakers from successful enterprises such as Mbryonics and Tribe Hospitality. The judging panel for the final event were Dr Helen McBreen, Partner Atlantic Bridge; Paul Merriman, CEO Fairstone; Meabh Conaghan, Regional Director for the West and North-West Regions, Enterprise Ireland; and John Brennan, CEO WestBic, and the prize fund sponsored by AskPaul for the second year in a row. Dr Natalie Walsh, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at University of Galway, said: "Start100 is more than a programme; it is a bridge that connects our student entrepreneurs with our vibrant regional ecosystem and beyond. By fostering these connections, we empower our students to leverage the wealth of knowledge, expertise, and resources available right here in our region. The collaboration with local industry leaders, visits to innovation hubs, and insights from successful Start100 alumni, all contribute to a rich network of supports that helps our young entrepreneurs turn their innovative ideas into viable businesses with global impact. Finance minister Michael McGrath is set to be Irelands next EU commissioner. The nomination of Mr McGrath by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was discussed at meeting of the three Government coalition leaders on Monday evening. The move is expected to be confirmed at a meeting of the full cabinet in Dublin on Tuesday. Mr McGrath will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. The departure of the Cork South Central TD from Government will necessitate at least a mini-reshuffle of the Fianna Fail-held portfolios. Earlier on Monday, it was confirmed that the Government is to support the nomination of Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president. Mr Martin said that a high-level agreement had been reached between three political groupings in Europe in the wake of the EU elections in June. As a result, Ms von der Leyen will emerge as the European Councils single candidate for European Commission president. Under the EUs complicated division of powers, the presidents and prime ministers get to nominate the next head of the blocs powerful executive branch, the European Commission, which is responsible for drawing up EU policy on everything from climate to the colossal shared budget. Under the EUs treaties, their choice should take into account the results of the election. Ms von der Leyen looks likely to stay on as president for another five years after a strong showing for her centre-right European Peoples Party parliamentary group. This is despite being deeply unpopular in some corners of the EU Parliament, where she will need the support of 361 of the 720 legislators to hold on to her job. In the 2019 vote on whether to approve her as president, she won just nine votes more than the required threshold. Ms von der Leyen has also been criticised in Ireland for her handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7 attack, which has led to calls for Irish government MEPs not to support her bid for a second term. Asked whether he would be urging his partys four MEPs to vote for Ms von der Leyen, Mr Martin said further discussions would need to take place before the vote in July. Well take it step by step. I think in the first instance, Government will be supporting the candidature of Ursula von der Leyen, he said. Ursula von der Leyen will emerge as the single candidate from the EU Council for president of the Commission. He said it would be some time after that before a vote is held in the European Parliament and that there will be ongoing engagement and discussions with a number of parties in that respect. After his re-election to Ireland South, Fianna Fail MEP Billy Kelleher said he would not support Ms von der Leyen. He added: Ive been very clear throughout this election, Ive stated it in advance of the election, Ive stated it during the election, Im stating it after the election, that I will not be supporting the nomination of Ursula von der Leyen. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he is not satisfied with how the Irish Defence Forces have handled the fallout from the case of an Irish soldier who viciously assaulted a woman. He said he wants to know if there are other members of the Irish military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin said the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces is carrying out an audit on any serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The Defence Forces confirmed that Lieutenant General Sean Clancy is carrying out a thorough review across all brigades and formations to ensure military regulations are being adhered to. It also emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a Defence Forces member, but it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Natasha OBrien. The 22-year-old, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms OBrien in Limerick in 2022. At the weekend, thousands of people gathered in protests across the country in solidarity with Ms OBrien, with a further protest planned outside the Dail on Tuesday evening, which Ms OBrien is expected to attend. Ms OBrien has thanked people for the support she has received. I felt completely alone after the whole ordeal in court last week but to know I have so much support, I know I have so many people behind me, that people are so proud of me for speaking up about something that I think everybody can relate to and everybody is not happy about, its great to be able to use my voice and hopefully make a difference because thats why Im talking about this, she said on Virgin Medias Ireland AM. My protest is today outside the Dail and I urge anyone that isnt happy with our society to protest with me. Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Harris said he wants to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. He also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he said. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Mr Martin said the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces is carrying out an audit on any serving members with convictions for sexual or gender-based violence. He said there are members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light. There is a process there that is meant to be followed, in respect of once the court case (has concluded), in terms of any criminal conviction, there has to be a follow-up in terms of Defence Forces dealing with that. So Ive asked in the context of further cases, Ive asked the Chief of Staff for a full report on that and when I get that report, Ill consider any further actions that will be required. In parallel with that, an audit is under way in respect of any other cases, similar to that case that may be out there. He added: The use of violence in the manner that was used in these cases is quite shocking, there is no excuse for it. And there has to be standards and values within the Defence Forces and peoples behaviour, whether one is in uniform or not, must approximate to those values and the most fundamental of all is you do not behave in such a violent manner towards women, and more generally, in society and thats the bottom line. Weather forecasters have veered away from their glorious heatwave forecasts of last week and replaced them with far more typically Irish weather. Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel described the weather outlook for Ireland as "terribly disappointing" after a couple of fine summer days. Temperatures hit the low 20s on Sunday and Monday but the further outlook dampens any hopes of a real kickstart to our summer with the possibility of some grass frost. Cathal said: "Once the current warmer temperatures break on Thursday, Ireland will find itself again under the influence of a cooler Atlantic airmass as west to northwest winds feed in cooler air across the country. "This cooler air will see temperatures dropping below average for this time of year, with daily minimum values no better than 14-16 degrees Celsius generally, with a risk of grass frost at night as temperatures drop to low single figures. "With high pressure across the Azores and a ridge of high pressure extending north eastwards there wont be much in the way of rain, but rather simply disappointing summer conditions with plenty of cloud about and limited sunshine. "All in all, its terribly disappointing conditions," he concluded. Met Eireann have said the outlook is rather "changeable with occasional spells of rain mixed with dry and bright periods. Quite warm at first but turning fresher and a bit cooler for a time later in the week." READ NEXT: Met Eireann pinpoint day for 24C sun blast but there's a big heatwave catch Their forecast for the week reads: "Generally cloudy to begin on Tuesday with patchy light rain and drizzle slowly moving eastwards, and just limited bright or sunny intervals. Drier, brighter and sunnier conditions will gradually extend from the west through the afternoon and evening. Highest temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees, coolest along northern and northwestern coasts, in a light northerly breeze. "Patchy rain and drizzle in the east will clear into the Irish Sea early in the night [Tuesday] and it will turn dry then with clear spells. A few mist or fog patches will form. Lowest temperatures generally of 7 to 11 degrees, in a very light southeast or variable breeze. "A generally dry start with sunny spells [on Wednesday]. Showery outbreaks of rain will develop during the day especially in parts of the north and west. The southeast may stay dry. Cloud cover will vary in the afternoon. Another warm day with highest temperatures of 19 to 23 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds, freshening along the west coast. "Thursday will see showery outbreaks of rain push in from the west, though the midlands and southeast will see a lot of dry weather. It'll be breezy in the northwest too, with moderate westerly winds elsewhere. A cooler fresher day with highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees. "During Friday scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle will gradually die out and it will become dry with variable cloud. Highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees." The Met Eireann outlook into the weekend predicts "patchy drizzle in places on Saturday but good dry periods too. Winds will be light southwest. A little warmer with temperatures in the mid to high teens." By SA Commercial Prop News Atterbury, the main company behind Gautengs Waterfall City, has broken new ground with the commencement of the internal works at Richmond Park in Milnerton, Cape Town. Construction work has finally begun on a multi-billion rand mixed-use property development located in an industrial node of Milnerton, Cape Town. Atterbury, the main company behind Gautengs Waterfall City, has broken new ground with the commencement of the internal works at Richmond Park for the first of two property developments on the site of the biggest land restitution in the Western Cape. Were thrilled to announce the first two developments at the park, will be for CTM and Cape Fruit Coolers, says Gerrit van den Berg, who heads Atterburys Western Cape operations. Also read: Steyn City raises mixed-use development to new Heights The mixed-use property development is owned by major shareholder Atterbury, and partners the Richmond Park Communal Property Association (CPA), Qubic 3 Dimensional Property and Bethel Property. While Atterbury is the major shareholder, the company is undertaking this development in Cape Town in association with local partners the Richmond Park Communal Property Association (CPA), Bethel Property and Qubic 3 Dimensional Property One of the largest property developments in Cape Town, Richmond Parks 300,000sqm of greenfields development rights are on an 84ha site that is part of the milestone land restitution settlement. Also read: Pretoria to get Multi-billion rand Property Development According to developer, the land is owned by the Richmond Park Community who were forcibly removed from it between 1972 and 1984. In 2014, the land transferred back to the Community, some 401 families representing 5,300 people spanning five generations. The Richmond Park Community leased the land to the Richmond Park Development Company and has a 25% shareholding in the development company. Job creation is just one of the ways the Richmond Park community will benefit. Over the next five to 10 years, during its construction, the development should create some 15,000 jobs. Atterbury is part-owned by capital-growth focused listed property fund Attacq. Historically Atterbury developed assets that Attacq then brought into its investment portfolio. Also read: Kwazulu-Natals Cornubia attracts Property Investors Meanwhile in Gauteng, Insurance magnate Douw Steyn and long-time developer friend Giuseppe Plumaris ambitious R6.5bn bet on turning what was once a sprawiling informal settlement into an upmarket 'live, work and play' lifestyle estate, appears to be paying off. Steyn City, sandwiched between swanky Dainfern and low-income Diepsloot in Johannesburg north, is rapidly taking shape with the developers now forging ahead with the second phase. Since launching a year ago, in March 2015, Steyn City has achieved sales of more than ZAR1.5 billion for its sectional title apartments, clusters, freehold homes and stands. Added to this, homes have already appreciated significantly in value: properties are now fetching as much as 20%-30% more than they did at launch date a year ago. Currently one-bedroom apartments were now selling for R1.9m, the two-bedroom apartments for R2.7m and the three-bedroom apartments for R3.8m. Cluster homes, which were mainly 350 square metre four-bedroom units that were priced at launch at between R6.2m and R8.4m, had all been sold. The estate has also lured a number of high-profile buyers, which includes Graca Machel, widow of former president Nelson Mandela, and a member of anti-apartheid activist Steve Bikos family. Steyn, the billionaire founder of Auto & General, is of course also a resident of Steyn City. His lavish Tuscan mansion, named Palazzo Steyn, was completed in early 2014 at a cost of R250m, which at the time was believed to be the most expensive house ever built in SA. The value of Palazzo Steyn even pipped that of Jacob Zumas Nkandla. Two young Cork people have been recognised by Gaisce, the Presidents Awards, for their participation in an annual Defence Forces challenge. Earlier this month, 28 Gaisce Bronze and Silver Award participants from across Ireland took part in four days of outdoor pursuits, boating, obstacle courses, hiking, and survival skills as they participated in the annual Gaisce Defence Forces Adventure Challenge. Among the young people taking part were Anthony Geraghty from Passage West, and Katie Cronin from Ballingeary. Both participants received special recognition awards, Anthony for embodying the Defence Forces value of esprit de corps, and Katie for the value of physical endurance. The Gaisce Award participants, all of whom are aged between 15 and 17, were put through their paces by the team from Custume Barracks, Athlone, which led them through a host of adventure challenges, training, and team-building exercises. The Gaisce Defence Forces Challenge aims to provide a unique, challenging, and memorable experience that creates strong bonds between participants and provides the opportunity to develop self-sufficiency and leadership skills. The event offers a rare opportunity for young civilians to get a taste of what life is like for members of our Defence Forces and challenge themselves in a unique way. The week kicked off for the young people with activities at Custume Barracks, before taking a rib boat to Carnagh, Co Roscommon, where they took part in fieldcraft and survival workshops. On Friday, the participants completed their final challenge and conquered the Slieve Ban Mountains on a 10km hike. The event has been taking place for 36 years, with Gaisce and the Defence Forces working together to provide an unforgettable and unique experience for participants. Speaking at the challenge conclusion ceremony, Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce, said that thanks to the generosity of the Defence Forces, participants from all over Ireland had experienced a taste of what life is like in the Defence Forces. Funeral details have been announced for former lord mayor, minister of state and TD for Cork North-Central, Bernard Allen, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 79. Mr Allens remains will repose at Jerh OConnors Wilton Funeral Home, Sarsfield Road, from 4pm today, with Requiem Mass at 11am tomorrow in the North Cathedral. He will be laid to rest in St Finbarrs Cemetery tomorrow afternoon. Book of condolence Meanwhile, a book of condolence has been opened at Cork City Hall to mark Mr Allens passing. A former Fine Gael junior minister, Mr Allen began his political career in 1979, when he was first elected to the then Cork Corporation, in what was then the north-central ward. In the 1981 general election, Mr Allen was elected to Dail Eireann as a Fine Gael TD for Cork North-Central, and he retained his seat at every subsequent election until his retirement, after 30 years in the Dail, in 2011. In 1988, he served as lord mayor, and in 1994, when Fine Gael returned to government, then taoiseach John Bruton appointed Mr Allen minister of state with special responsibility for youth and sport, a portfolio, it was widely noted, he thoroughly enjoyed. Between 2007 and 2011, Mr Allen served as chair of the Public Accounts Committee. Tributes Leading tributes to Mr Allen, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said his Dail career had been marked by an unwavering commitment to his constituents. Bernard was a man with endless reserves of wisdom and wit, who knew the perfect time to deploy the right amount of either. He was a beloved colleague in Fine Gael and beyond, a proud Corkman and a good friend, he said. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he had served with Mr Allen for many years on Cork City Council and Dail Eireann and he had been deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Bernard and I got on very well. We enjoyed the cut and thrust of local and national politics and worked together on a bipartisan level, Mr Martin said. He put the interests of Cork first, whether in the council or in the Dail during his 30 years as TD. True advocate Colm Burke, minister of state and Fine Gael TD for Cork North-Central, said Cork had lost a most accomplished public representative and a true advocate. He was pivotal in the development of lasting and sustainable sporting infrastructure in Cork city and served on the board of Sport Ireland. Additionally, he played an important role in the creation of Munster Technological University, Mr Burke said. Mr Allen is survived by his wife Marie (nee Dorney), daughters Lorraine, Audrey, and Deirdre, grandchildren Aria, Kayla, and Maria, sons-in-law Cathal and Gordon, Lorraines fiance Thomas, family, relatives and a large circle of friends. How PM Modi as RSS yuva pracharak resisted Emergency, 50 years ago June 25 marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, a dark chapter in India's democratic history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflecting on this period, continues to remind the nation about the "black spot" inflicted on democracy by Congress. Before taking oath as a member of the Lok Sabha on Monday, PM Modi vowed to prevent such "dark days of Emergency" from ever happening again. He emphasised the need to safeguard democracy from any form of oppression, Modi Archives posted on X. The story of the Emergency did not start on June 25, 1975. It was preceded by widespread student-led agitations against Congress' corruption, with Gujarat being no exception. During the 1974 Navnirman Andolan in Gujarat, PM Modi witnessed the power of student voices in driving change. As a Yuva Pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he was deputed to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), where he passionately supported the youth movement. Once the Emergency was imposed, Modi actively joined the protests. Despite peak censorship, he and other volunteers organised meetings and disseminated underground literature. Collaborating with senior RSS leaders like Nath Zagda and Vasant Gajendragadkar, he found innovative ways to spread information. He loaded materials related to the Constitution and the Congress government's excesses onto trains departing from Gujarat, ensuring messages reached remote places with less risk of detection. Following the RSS going underground, the Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti was established. At just 25, Modi quickly rose to become the RSS General Secretary. His articles and correspondence were crucial in sustaining the revolt against the Congress government, even as key movement leaders were arrested under the MISA Act. Modi also reached out internationally, sending underground publications to amplify global resistance. Modi's colleagues abroad sent photocopies of newspapers that featured anti-Emergency articles. He ensured these copies were delivered to jails. To avoid detection, Modi adopted various disguises, sometimes as a Swamiji or a Sikh, effectively evading recognition. After the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Modi's activism gained national recognition. He was appointed 'Sambhag Pracharak' of South and Central Gujarat, preparing official RSS articles. In 1978, at the age of 27, Modi authored his first book, 'Sangharsh Ma Gujarat', chronicling his experiences and the collective resistance during the Emergency. The book, launched by then-Chief Minister Babubhai Jasbhai Patel, received praise for its comprehensive and objective approach. Patel himself acknowledged the book's "wealth of information." Reflecting on this period, Modi described the Emergency as "aapda mein avsar" (opportunity in difficult times), which allowed him to collaborate with diverse leaders and ideologies. He stressed the importance of consensus in governance, stating, "A majority is required to run the government, but to run the country, consensus is of utmost importance." BLARNEY residents are being encouraged to have their say on plans for a major housing development which, if approved, would see the delivery of close to 250 new homes in the village. Clockstrike Ltd has lodged an application with Cork City Council seeking permission for 246 residential dwellings a mix of houses and apartments at Ringwood, Shean Upper, Blarney. The area is a greenfield site, immediately east of Barney town centre. The application proposes the construction of 101 apartments in four part three and part four-storey blocks, along with 30 duplex dwellings in three three-storey buildings and 115 two-storey and three-storey houses. It further proposed the construction of a creche with capacity to accommodate 61 children, the provision of car parking, EV charging points, bicycle parking, motorcycle parking bays, and the provision of an area reserved for future resident car parking to the rear of Woodville Terrace on Station Rd. The proposed development would additionally include: The provision of private, communal, and public open spaces; internal roads and pathways with potential for future links to adjacent lands; pedestrian and cyclist routes; a new signalised access onto Station Rd, road and footpath improvement works on Station Rd and the R617 road; along with other associated site development works. A planning statement submitted that the proposed development would not adversely affect the residential amenity of adjoining properties, or the character of the area. An image of the proposed LRD in Blarney comprising 246 homes. Image CCK via www.ringwoodphase1lrd.ie. The statement said it is intended that subsequent to this first application, further planning applications will be made regarding the delivery of a proposed access road through lands at Ringwood, as well as the delivery of a second large-scale residential development in the form of around 307 residential units, including sheltered housing units, on the northern portion of the residentially zoned lands. Additionally, proposals for a primary care centre at Ringwood are being advanced, the statement said. These future phases of development are current at pre-planning stage and will be subject to further discussion with Cork City Council. Local Fine Gael councillor Damian Boylan, who was re-elected onto Cork City Council during the local elections earlier this month, encouraged Blarney residents to have their say on the plans. I would encourage everyone in Blarney, anybody who think that they have an opinion on it, to engage with the planning process, Mr Boylan said. Im of the opinion, as are most people, that we require housing. I understand the misgivings that people will have and everybody will talk about the fact that there arent enough facilities. Everybody will talk about the fact that the infrastructure isnt up to it and I dont disagree in some cases but we do need houses. So, we need to take a practical look at this and see the best way of delivering it. Elsewhere in the North West ward, Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald, who was also re-elected onto Cork City Council, similarly encouraged locals to familiarise themselves with the plans. The proposed development will address the long term housing needs of the city, Mr Fitzgerald said. I would encourage local residents to engage in the planning process by submission to ensure the development supports the local community and environmental needs. A decision on the application is expected in the first week of August. THERE is a problem in Ireland with speeding rather than with speed limits, the newly elected Independent councillor Peter ODonoghue suggested at yesterdays Cork County Council meeting. His comments were made during an item relating to speed limit adjustments on local roads as part of a national scheme aimed at decreasing road deaths. The approval of councillors was being sought to amend county wide speed limit bye laws to uphold two speed limit appeals for roads in West Cork as well as addressing issues around the reclassification of roads due to the Macroom bypass. The specific issues centred on the R600 in Clonakilty, where the proposal was to reduce the speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h, while it was also being proposed to increase the speed limit in Durrus from the village to the GAA pitch from 50km/h to 60km/h. Another issue arose, as part of the Macroom bypass was included in the former Urban District Council remit and as such the maximum speed limit would be 50km/h. However, the speed limit for the bypass had been set as 100km/h and permission was being sought from the councillors to reclassify the road. While there was some initial agreement with the proposals regarding the speed limit appeals, questions arose about proposals to introduce lower speed limits on routes classified as local roads in the county. Following a debate, it was decided to defer the matter for consideration at a meeting next month. Expressing his opposition to the reduction of speed limits on local roads, Mr ODonoghue said: Enforce the existing speed limits that are already there. The existing speed limits are not being enforced at this moment in time. Niall Healy, council roads director, said that the issue of enforcement was one for the gardai. He also agreed with a suggestion from councillor Ted Lucey that traffic calming measures would be considered for the former N22 road. Mr Lucey also pointed out that the proposals regarding the reduction of speed limits across the different road types would take several months to implement in full. Independent Ireland councillor, Danny Collins, also expressed his opposition to reducing the speed limits on local roads and went as far as to suggest that beds would need to be provided for councillors travelling from West Cork to council meetings as the journeys both ways would take considerably longer. A medical report is awaited on the injured party in the case against a Welsh farmer accused of assaulting another man at Reardens in Cork city in the course of a visiting stag weekend. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said yesterday the directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions were to the effect that the case could proceed at Cork District Court. The allegations in the case were then outlined for Judge Mary Dorgan to decide if she was accepting jurisdiction. In the absence of a medical report on the injured party, Judge Dorgan said she would not make a decision on jurisdiction yet. They are taking longer than a wet week, defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said of such reports. Sgt Davis agreed that it was taking some time for medical reports in such cases. The judge adjourned the case until October 9 to decide on the issue of the court where the case should be heard. The Welsh man was not required to be in court yesterday for the brief hearing and will not be required on the next occasion either. During his bail application following his initial arrest, he stated that he needed to get home to look after his 200 cattle and 450 sheep back in Pembrokeshire. Alun George, 35, of Llanferran, St Nicholas, Goodwick, Wales, was arrested by Garda Kevin ONeill and charged with assault causing harm to another man at Reardens on Washington St, Cork, shortly before midnight on Saturday, February 24. It was alleged that the injured party had some teeth dislodged. Mr Buttimer suggested at the time that it was a suitable case for bail and that the defendant was never in any kind of trouble and would return from Wales to Cork to meet the case when required. This is a co-operative, contrite individual who did not set out to cause trouble. He has no previous convictions here and nothing in Wales, he said. Regarding any possibility that Mr George would not be free to look after his farm, the solicitor said it would be a bit of a disaster. Judge Mary Dorgan granted bail in the sum of 5,000, with 1,000 cash to be lodged by Mr George. Three friends of the accused who remained in Cork with him came forward as independent sureties, each of them in the sum of 2,500, of which 500 had to be lodged. A FEASIBILITY report on potential future uses of the former Cork Prison facility is due to be completed in September, the Justice Minister has confirmed. Earlier this year, in response to a parliamentary question (PQ) submitted by Fianna Fail TD Padraig OSullivan, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said given the current trend in prisoner numbers and the pressure on the prison capacity across the estate, the site of the former Cork prison remains of significant strategic interest to the Irish Prison Service. In late 2023, engineering consultants were engaged by the Irish Prison Service to carry out a detailed assessment of the old Cork Prison facility and to provide a feasibility report on the site with various options for its use. This report is expected to be completed later in 2024, she added. In a follow up PQ in recent days, Mr OSullivan sought an update on the report. The Cork North Central TD also asked if the minister would commit to ensuring that any works recommended progress expeditiously in light of capacity issues. Ms McEntee said the report is not yet completed, but is on track to be finalised this year. The Irish Prison Service is engaged in reviewing all its buildings at present to maximise accommodation and see if any might provide a feasible option to help with overcrowding. This includes a review of the old Cork Prison. The Irish Prison Service expects to receive the final report in September 2024, she said. However, this is only one of a number of options being examined and, in fact, the Irish Prison Service have already identified a significant number of spaces that can be brought online relatively quickly, during 2024 and 2025. These are separate to the medium and longer term projects for which I have secured capital investment, and which have the potential to deliver additional accommodation for up to 860 people between 2026 and 2030. A high level working group is being established to look at future prison capacity requirements beyond whats outlined, and I can assure the deputy that my department will look to progress the most appropriate and suitable options identified as a priority, she added. The old Cork Prison facility was built in the early 1800s and operated as a prison up to 2016 when it was deemed no longer suitable for use due to the condition of the facilities, the size of the cellular accommodation and the lack of in-cell sanitation. It was closed in February 2016, following the construction and opening of the new prison. THE Community Employment programme (CE Scheme) is designed to help people who are long-term unemployed (or otherwise disadvantaged) to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities. Its a great opportunity to learn new skills and build up your confidence as you re-enter the workforce. If you are a participant in the CE scheme, you can take up other part-time work during your placement. After the placement, you are encouraged to look for permanent jobs elsewhere, based on the experience and new skills you have gained while on the scheme. Community Employment sponsors are the voluntary organisations or public bodies that manage CE schemes at a local level Am I eligible for the CE scheme? How you qualify for a CE scheme depends on your age and personal situation. If you are aged between 21 and 55 years: In general, you must be unemployed. You must also be getting any combination of the following payments for at least 12 months: Jobseekers Benefit (JB) Jobseekers Allowance (JA) Jobseekers Transitional payment (JST) One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) Deserted Wifes Benefit Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partners Non-Contributory Pension or Farm Assist Other schemes count towards the qualifying period - PUP, SWA, Carers Allowance for example. To check if you are eligible, please contact your local Cizitens Information Centre or social welfare office. If you are aged 55 and over You must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment for 12 months - as outlined above. You can stay on CE for a maximum of 3 consecutive years. It may also be possible to re-qualify for CE after a further 12 months on a qualifying payment. If you are aged 60 and over CE participants who meet the eligibility requirements may stay continuously on CE up to the age at which they qualify for a State pension, providing there are places available. The current qualifying age for all State pensions is 66. Other ways to qualify for CE Including Qualified Adult Pilot Under the Qualified Adult (QA) on a Community Employment Scheme: Pilot - if you are a QA on your spouse, partner, civil partner or cohabitants Jobseekers Allowance claim and they meet the eligibility for CE, you may be eligible to participate in CE. Please note that this CE eligibility option is open to QAs as part of a pilot scheme since January 1, 2023. If you do not qualify for CE under the eligibility criteria for your age group, you may still be eligible for the scheme if you are aged 18 years and over and you are: A member of the Traveller or Roma community, unemployed and getting Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance for any length of time or One-Parent Family Payment for at least 1 year A person with refugee status and getting any DSP payment for any length of time, or Referred following an appropriate assessment according to the National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework protocols, an ex-offender who has been referred by the Probation Service or other designated service, or an ex-offender not referred by a designated service who has been getting JA or JB for 12 months. How long can I stay on the CE scheme? If you are aged 21-55, your CE placement generally lasts a year. However, if you are working towards a major education award, your CE placement can be extended by up to two years to complete this award. You wont get an extension beyond three years (or four years for people on a disability-linked social welfare payment). If you are over 55, you can stay on CE for three consecutive years. If you are 60 years and over and meet the CE eligibility requirements, you can stay continuously on CE until you qualify for a State pension, once you meet the terms and conditions of the scheme and providing that there are places available. Working on a CE scheme You must work for 19.5 hours per week (excluding breaks) for your sponsor to be eligible for a grant towards the cost of wages. You are paid weekly by your sponsor and have certain statutory employment rights including annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave and a written statement of your terms and conditions of employment. Tax may be deducted from your pay, if applicable, but your CE pay is exempt from the Universal Social Charge. CE participants pay PRSI at Class A8/A9, which counts as a full Class A contribution. If your CE payment is less than 352 a week, you do not pay any employee contribution. If your CE payment is over 352 a week, you pay an employee PRSI contribution. Training and development This is a key aspect of the CE scheme. You will get training as part of your scheme to help improve your ability to get a job when it is over. Everyone on a CE scheme must have an individual learning plan where training is identified. You must be allowed to join in any approved training that has been identified on your individual learner plan. A range of recognised QQI Awards and qualifications are available to CE participants. If you are aged 21-55 you must be working towards a QQI Award on the NFQ Framework of Qualifications or an industry equivalent, to be eligible for up to an additional two years on CE (maximum total of three consecutive years). If you are 55 or over you should be given access to training and development, and be supported with any issues you have accessing employment (you can stay on CE for three consecutive years). Extra benefits of the CE scheme You will keep your medical card when you are on CE. You will also keep your entitlement to extra benefits you were getting immediately before going onto CE, provided you continue to satisfy the conditions for these. Rate of Payment Since January, 2024 the, minimum weekly payment for new participants based on 19.5 hours worked is 259.50. If the actual social welfare payment (including dependants) you were getting was 232 a week or less, then you will get the minimum CE weekly rate of 259.50 (that is 232 plus 27.50). If your actual weekly social welfare payment (including dependants) was 232 or more, then you will get the same rate as your social welfare payment plus 27.50. If you have any additional income If you have additional income, for example, from part-time work, it will not affect your CE payment. However, the rules on change of circumstances that apply to your original social welfare payment also apply to your CE payment. For example, if your qualified adult gets a job, their income will be assessed as means and your CE payment may be reduced. However, your CE payment cannot be reduced below the current minimum rate of 259.50 How to apply for the CE scheme Register at your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. A large citizen science survey of rivers in Britain the Great UK WaterBlitz Report has found that 75 percent are ecologically unhealthy due to agricultural runoff and pollution from water companies. Monitored by Earthwatch Europe volunteers, the survey found that waterways in the basin of the famed River Thames as well as other rivers in the East Anglia and southeast regions of England were in the worst shape, reported The Guardian. In those parts of the country, 89 percent were found to be in poor ecological health. The picture around London and the Thames river basin is particularly dire, said Dr. Sasha Woods, Earthwatch Europes director of science and policy, as The Guardian reported. The worst water quality was found in the counties of Cambridgeshire, with 89 percent of rivers having unsatisfactory nutrient pollution levels, and Hertfordshire with 91 percent. Unsurprisingly, counties in the Thames region Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and counties in the Anglian region Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire are some of the counties with the highest percentage of unacceptable water quality measurements, the report said. Gwent and Northumberland had the lowest levels of nutrient pollution with water quality of 100 percent. The results of the report back up Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) findings that the countrys waterways are not in an acceptable state and that the government is not on course to satisfy the European Unions Water Framework Directive (WFD), which has been incorporated into British law, reported The Guardian. Since the 2016 Brexit vote, the United Kingdoms Environment Agency (EA) has only been testing the water quality of rivers every three years instead of annually. The results of the survey have been given to the EA. The WFD requires all rivers to have good ecological quality by 2027. However, Parliament lowered the requirement to 75 percent of waterways, which experts think is unlikely to be achieved without drastic measures. The citizen science monitoring conducted from June 7 to 10, 2024 involved thousands of volunteers collecting more than 1,300 samples. They measured levels of phosphates and nitrates, nutrients commonly found in sewage both untreated and treated and in fertilizers from agricultural runoff. Elevated nutrient levels can lead to uncontrolled plant and algal growth, high bacteria levels and lower water oxygen levels, all of which can kill plants and animals such as fish, mammals and insects. These results are truly disturbing there are no parts of the UK unaffected by nutrient pollution our rivers have been historically stressed by farming, and were seeing this being made worse by inappropriate or limited sewage treatment, Woods said, as The Guardian reported. There is a pressing need for both improvements to wastewater treatment processes and reductions in agricultural pollution to reduce threats to vulnerable freshwater systems. The government has committed to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 that will be meaningless if the rivers and streams running through the land, the arteries of life, are diseased. Jane Stewart, a citizen scientist born in Colchester who participated in the study, recalled growing up near the River Colne. I played on the banks of the young river, upstream in Halstead as I grew up in the 70s, using river clay to make pinch pots and catching minnows and sticklebacks in the shallow river with my friends. More recently I lived on the estuary of the river in both Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe, known for herrings and boat building. I have gone from seeing the river running clear and full as a young person, to now, in my old home town the river being clogged with plants and algae due to the run-off of nitrates. Old mills are sold on for luxury properties and the river has lost its purpose, Stewart said in the report. Woods emphasized that the report was only possible because of the support of citizen scientists across the UK, reported The Guardian. This event has enabled people to better understand the health of their local rivers and catalysed grassroots action, Woods said. We want to see more citizen science testing and better use of this data by bodies such as the Environment Agency to help build a more positive future for our rivers. Families of Lisbon Maru survivors visit Zhoushan, E China's Zhejiang People's Daily Online) 13:09, June 25, 2024 Descendants of the Lisbon Maru survivors scatter white petals into the sea. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) As the passenger ship made its way towards the islands of Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province, Denise Wynne from the U.K. and other passengers solemnly scattered white petals into the sea, a Chinese ritual for mourning the dead. The petals were gently carried away by the rolling waves, evoking memories of 1942. The Lisbon Maru was a Japanese cargo ship converted into an armed troop carrier. In 1942, it was carrying over 1,800 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong to Japan. As it passed near Zhoushan, a U.S. submarine struck it with a torpedo. Fishermen from Dongji Island go out to sea in small boats to rescue British prisoners of war. (Photo courtesy of Hong Xiaomin) At the critical moment, the prisoners of war jumped into the sea to escape. Braving Japanese gunfire, Chinese fishermen from Dongji Island sailed their fishing boats to come to their rescue. In the end, 384 British prisoners of war were saved. Wynne's father, Dennis Morley, was the last survivor among the 384 rescued British prisoners of war and passed away three years ago. After attending the premiere of the documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) in Shanghai earlier this month, Wynne came to the part of the sea where the Lisbon Maru sank near Dongji Island to pay tribute to her father and meet friends from Zhoushan whom she had never met before. Denise Wynne shows a picture of her father, Dennis Morley. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) "Without the kind-hearted fishermen who saved my father, I wouldn't be where I am today. Finally, my wish has come true," said Wynne. This was her first visit to China. Ever since her father passed away, she had always longed to come to Zhoushan to pay her respects. Through regular communication between her father and the Chinese fishermen, Wynne formed a close bond with Wu Sizhen, organizer of commemorative activities for the Lisbon Maru incident. They frequently communicated across the ocean, sharing photos of their children as they grew up, and exchanging birthday and New Year gifts. Denise Wynne and Wu Sizhen exchange gifts. (Photo/Chen Peipei) "In your letter, you mentioned the arrival of your great-grandson, so I've brought a special gift for him - a set of traditional Chinese tiger-head hat and tiger-head shoes. May they bring him safety and success," Wu said as she presented the gift to Wynne. In 2022, Wynne wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping in which she recalled the rescue with gratitude, expressing solid support for an ever-lasting friendship between the British and Chinese people. In his reply to Wynne, Xi wrote that the touching story of heroic Chinese fishermen from Zhoushan coming to the rescue is "an important testimony" to China and the U.K. fighting shoulder to shoulder as allies against fascist aggression during World War II, and it is also a historical episode epitomizing the profound friendship forged between the peoples of the two countries. Xi said he knows this part of history well, as he mentioned it during his state visit to the U.K. in 2015. The Chinese President said he looks forward to more British friends contributing to China-U.K. relations. Descendants of Lisbon Maru survivors watch a model of the Lisbon Maru inside the Lisbon Maru Rescue Event Memorial Hall on Dongji Island, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) An exhibition hall covering an area of nearly 200 square meters in the Dongji History and Culture Museum on Dongji Island keeps a record of the great rescue. Inside, visitors can see preserved items used by British prisoners of war on the Lisbon Maru. Liang Yindi (first from left), a guide at the Lisbon Maru Exhibition Hall in the Dongji History and Culture Museum on Dongji Island, recounts the remarkable tale of the rescue to visitors. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) Over the years, various commemorative activities for the Lisbon Maru rescue have been held in China and the U.K., attracting an increasing number of participants. Wu Xiaofei, the descendant of one of the fishermen involved in the rescue, invites the descendants of Lisbon Maru survivors to join in creating paintings. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) Hand in hand, people sing the song Auld Lang Syne. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) BJP MP Om Birla is set to run for the Lok Sabha Speaker post for the second consecutive time after the ruling BJP finalised the name of new Speaker of the Lok Sabha after consulting with all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties. Om Birla picked as NDA's candidate for LS speaker again New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) BJP MP Om Birla is set to run for the Lok Sabha Speaker post for the second consecutive time after the ruling BJP finalised the name of new Speaker of the Lok Sabha after consulting with all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties. Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held discussions with opposition parties to build consensus for the Speaker's position. Before the commencement of Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday, Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Prime Minister's office in the Parliament building. Here, the Prime Minister held a meeting with MP Om Birla, Union Ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda. However, the government's discussions with the opposition parties regarding the position of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are still underway. Meanwhile, a meeting of NDA leaders convened in Rajnath Singh's office in the Parliament building to finalise the nomination process. Key leaders present included Union Ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lalan Singh), Chirag Paswan, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Anupriya Patel, among others. --IANS stp/sd/ Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held discussions with opposition parties to build consensus for the Speaker's position. Before the commencement of Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday, Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Prime Minister's office in the Parliament building. Here, the Prime Minister held a meeting with MP Om Birla, Union Ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda. However, the government's discussions with the opposition parties regarding the position of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are still underway. Meanwhile, a meeting of NDA leaders convened in Rajnath Singh's office in the Parliament building to finalise the nomination process. Key leaders present included Union Ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lalan Singh), Chirag Paswan, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Anupriya Patel, among others. (Photo: Peter Kenny)Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. A series of attacks on churches and synagogues in Dagestan, a mainly Muslim region in Russia, has killed 20 people, including an Orthodox priest, after gunmen rampaged in two of the republic's most important cities. Carrying automatic weapons, the gunmen burst into a Russian Orthodox Church and a synagogue in coordinated attacks on the ancient city of Derbent on the evening of June 23 and also on Makhachkal. The attacker set fire to an icon at the church and killed a 66-year-old priest, Nikolai Kotelnikov, Reuters news agency reported. At least 16 people were taken to hospitals with injuries, the BBC reported. The attacks came just three months after fighters from the Islamic State group killed more than 140 people in a Moscow concert hall, the deadliest attack on Russia for almost 20 years, triggering renewed questions about security. - Mainly Muslim republic Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim republic in southern Russia that neighbors Chechnya, has declared three days of mourning. The coordinated attacks targeted Derbent and Makhachkala on the Orthodox festival of Pentecost. The head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, later identified the priest as Father Nikolai Kotelnikov, who spent more than 40 years serving in Derbent. In the city of Makhachkala, about 125 kilometers (75 miles) north on the Caspian Sea shore, attackers shot at a traffic police post and attacked a church. Gun battles erupted around Makhachkala's Assumption Cathedral, and automatic gunfire was rife during the night, AFP reported. TV footage showed residents running for cover as plumes of smoke rose above the city. Some footage posted on social media showed people wearing dark clothes shooting at police cars before an emergency service convoy of vehicles arrived. Derbent is also home to an ancient Jewish community, and gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church, setting them on fire. Dagestan has, in the past, faced Islamist attacks. Although the latest assailants have not been officially identified, Russian media reported that among the gunmen were two sons of the head of the Sergokalinsky district near Makhachkala - Magomed Omarov, Osman, and Adil. Police detained Omarov. However, in a video post on Telegram, the republic's head, Sergei Melikov, suggested Ukraine had been involved in the attack and that Dagestan was now directly involved in Russia's war in Ukraine, according to the BBC.. "We understand who is behind the organization of the terrorist attacks and what goal they pursued," Melikov said. The head of the Russian State Duma's international affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, advocated similar claims, saying that the Dagestan attacks and a missile strike that killed four people in Russian-occupied Sevastopol on June 22 "could not be a coincidence." "These tragic events, I am sure, were orchestrated from abroad and are aimed at sowing panic and dividing the Russian people," Slutsky said. Russian authorities blamed the attack on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow in March, which left 147 dead, on Ukraine and the West, even though the Islamic State group claimed to have carried it out. The macOS ChatGPT desktop app is now available to everyone. That is, provided youre running an Apple Silicon Mac (sorry, Intel users) and your computer is on macOS Sonoma or higher. OpenAI rolled out the app gradually, starting with Plus subscribers last month. ChatGPT now has an official macOS client before it has a Windows one. (In case you havent heard, Microsoft is its most crucial partner.) Of course, Windows 11 has the OpenAI-powered Microsoft CoPilot baked into its OS, which likely explains the omission. OpenAI and Apple are also teaming up on Apple Intelligence, which arrives later this year (unless youre in Europe). The Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut (option-space by default, but its customizable) for typing chatbot queries from anywhere in macOS. Otherwise, the app mirrors the ChatGPT websites appearance and functionality (including custom GPTs), except in native app form. You can also upload files, photos and screenshots. You can download and install ChatGPT for macOS from OpenAI. Opposition fields K Suresh for LS Speaker post, Rahul Gandhi says govt didn't agree to demands Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh from Kerala has been nominated as the opposition candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post. On Tuesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said in the Parliament premises that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had contacted the opposition to discuss the Lok Sabha Speaker position. He said that the opposition was willing to support the ruling party for the Lok Sabha Speaker position. "We had talked to everyone. The entire opposition said that we would support the candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker position, but the condition was that the Deputy Speaker position should be given to the opposition," Rahul Gandhi said. This has been the tradition, and it happened in previous governments as well, he added. Rahul Gandhi said that this was conveyed to Rajnath Singh and he said that he would call Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding this subject but no call has come since. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the opposition should constructively support the government. However, Rajnath Singh not calling Mallikarjun Kharge "is an insult to our leader." "Their intentions are not clear. PM Modi does not want any constructive cooperation. The Deputy Speaker position should have gone to the opposition," said the Raebareli MP. Stressing that the Prime Minister does not follow what he says, Rahul Gandhi said this is their formula and their strategy. He said that the Prime Minister's words have "no meaning." Meanwhile, after meeting Rajnath Singh in Parliament, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said, "The government is saying that they will consider the Deputy Speaker position later while asking to sign the nomination form for the Speaker position now. The opposition does not agree to this. Hence, we are fielding our candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker position." Chinas rock samples from the far side of the Moon have returned to Earth The first-ever samples from the far side of the Moon have touched down on Earth. Chinas Change 6 capsule landed on Tuesday in Inner Mongolia, carrying rocks that could confirm or debunk scientists current theories about the Moons origin. The samples could help scientists confirm the current hypothesis about the Moons origin: that molten Earth collided with a body around the size of Mars, ripping off material that took orbit next to us and created the Moon. Think about the geology of the Earth: If you only landed in North America, youd be missing a big part of the story, right? Richard Carlson, director emeritus of the Earth and Planets Laboratory at Carnegie Science, told NPR. Researchers believe that if Chinas rock samples show the same age as what NASAs Apollo program brought home last century, it would confirm the hypothesis. If it doesnt, it would throw a wrench into the works, forcing us to revise our understanding of the Moons birth. Its pretty clear that the far side and the near side have many, many differences, Jim Head, a planetary scientist at Brown University, said to NPR. Its a really critical issue. You cant understand the origin of a planet with one hemisphere. Change 6 landed on the Moons far side early this month, only the second successful mission to the end of Earths neighbor that always faces away from it. The pair rotates synchronously, keeping one side perpetually hidden from our view. This makes landings difficult because Earth has no direct line of communication with the far side, forcing Chinas space program to rely on a satellite relay instead. China has offered to share some of the samples with American scientists in a sign of cooperation during otherwise tense times between the two nations. NASA has given the green light for US researchers to submit proposals to study the historical samples. It has been nearly a year since the European Commission opened its investigation into Microsoft and there's finally a preliminary finding. The European Union's executive body announced its "view" that the tech giant violated antitrust laws by tying Microsoft Teams to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 business suites. Last October, Microsoft unbundled Teams for users in the European Union and Switzerland, but the European Commission's Statement of Objections calls it "insufficient." The European Commission used its statement to detail its concern "that Microsoft may have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice whether or not to acquire access to Teams when they subscribe to their SaaS productivity applications. This advantage may have been further exacerbated by interoperability limitations between Teams' competitors and Microsoft's offerings. The conduct may have prevented Teams' rivals from competing, and in turn innovating, to the detriment of customers in the European Economic Area." Microsoft faces a fine equal to 10 percent of its annual worldwide turnover if the EU confirms its preliminary findings, so it's no surprise the company is being cordial. "Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the Commission's remaining concerns," said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, in a statement shared with Engadget. This ordeal began in 2020 when Slack now owned by Salesforce filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft, claiming it broke the EU's competition rules in bundling Teams to its suites. In April 2023, Microsoft declared its intention to offer Teams on its own (albeit without a clear plan), but the European Commission still formally opened an investigation just three months later. Following October's unbundling, Microsoft announced this past April that Teams would be available separately from Microsoft 365 and Office 365 to customers worldwide current users could also switch plans. The European Commission's Statement of Objections also mentions a complaint by Alfaview, another video-conferencing software, which filed a similar grievance to Slack in July 2023 and notes it has open proceedings based on that complaint. Google is reportedly building new AI-powered chatbots based on celebrities and YouTube influencers. The idea isnt groundbreaking startups like Character.ai and companies like Meta have already launched products like this but neither is Googles AI strategy so far. Googles celebrity chatbots will be powered by the companys Gemini family of large language models according to The Information, which broke the story on Monday. The company is trying to strike partnerships with influencers as well as celebrities, and is also working on a feature that will let people create their own chatbots simply by describing their personalities and appearance something that Character.ai already lets you do . A fun fact: Noam Shazeer, one of the co-founders of Character.ai, is a former Google engineer and one of the creators of transformers, the fundamental tech that made todays generative AI possible. It isnt yet clear which celebrities or influencers Google might partner with. Metas chatbots, for instance, are based on personalities like TikTok star Charli DAmelio, YouTube phenomenon Mr. Beast, Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady and Paris Hilton among others, while Character.ais characters include politicians, philosophers, fictional characters, and even objects like a block of cheese that talks. Googles project is reportedly being led by a longtime executive called Ryan Germick who works on Google Doodles, and a team of ten. It also sounds like Googles bots could be just an experiment according to the report, the bots might only show up on Google Labs, the companys website for experimental products, instead of being available more broadly. It isnt clear why Googles doing this. Metas AI chatbots based on celebrities never really took off despite the company stuffing them in every product it makes. As The Information pointed out, the companys chatbot based on Snoop Dogg has only 15,000 followers on Instagram compared with 87.5 million followers who follow the human rapper. This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Typically, Google shows off its next generation of devices in the fall. But this year it seems that time frame has moved up: the company's next Made by Google event will be August 13 at 1PM ET. While Google didn't share any specific details regarding upcoming announcements, the invite says the company will "showcase the best of Google AI, Android software and the Pixel portfolio of devices." In another break from tradition, this year's event will take place at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, CA instead of New York City, which has been the typical host location for Pixel launches. Based on rumors and the release cadence of Google's existing devices, we're expecting to learn more about the Pixel 9, the next version of the Pixel Fold, a new Tensor chip, a third-gen Pixel Watch and possibly an update to the Pixel Buds. And based on the amount of attention the company gave to AI during Google I/O earlier this spring, it's basically a guarantee that we'll see some new machine learning-based features as well. While it remains unclear what prompted Google to move its next product launch up to August 13, between this event and rumors of an upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, it's shaping up to be a busy summer for gadget fans. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . The original Razr was always sort of a style icon. It was super thin (almost to a fault) and looked more like a prop from a sci-fi movie than all its brick-shaped rivals at the time. And with the launch of a new generation of its signature flip phone later this summer, it feels like Moto is trying to recapture some of that magic with the 2024 Razr family. Just like last year, the Razr line is split between two devices: the flagship Razr+, which starts at $1,000, and a more affordable non-plus model that starts at $700. That said, Motorola has made some significant changes to help close the gap between the two phones. Both of them feature a 6.9-inch flexible OLED interior display with a 165Hz refresh rate for the Razr+ and a 120Hz panel on the standard version. Meanwhile, on the outside, Moto created a new hinge it claims is 30 percent smaller, while also increasing the size of the front display (which is covered by Gorilla Glass Victus for added durability). Both versions of the 2024 Razr have larger exterior displays. The easiest way to tell them apart is that the standard Razr (left) has a small body-colored strip below its screen while the Razr+ (right) has a larger 4-inch panel. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget) The Razr+'s exterior OLED screen now measures 4 inches across, which is up from 3.6 inches on last years model. However, the basic Razr has made an even bigger jump by replacing the tiny 1.5-inch panel on its predecessor with a new 3.6-inch display. But Moto didnt stop there. Thanks to an update to its Panels UI, you can open basically any app on the Razrs front display, with the only exceptions being apps that require specific (i.e. larger) resolutions. But perhaps the biggest improvement for overall usability is that both handsets now also feature IPX8 ratings for water-resistance (up from IP52), which is tested to withstand dunks of up to 5 feet for 30 minutes. Of course, it wouldnt be a Razr without some fashionable color options and for 2024, Motorola is definitely delivering on that. The Razr+ will be available in Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Hot Pink (which is an homage to the vibrant magenta version of the OG Razr) and Peach Fuzz, with the latter being Pantones 2024 color of the year. Meanwhile, the standard Razr comes in three colors: Koala Gray, Beach Sand and a particularly eye-catching hue that Moto is calling Spritz Orange. Notably, every one of those options features a vegan leather back aside from the gray model. That comes in vegan suede instead, which sort of feels like silicone but with an ever softer finish. Whichever finish you choose, both options are a nice departure from the glass backs you get on pretty much every other phone these days. 2024 Motorola Razr and Razr+ hands-on photos The standard Razr comes in three colors: Koala Gray, Beach Sand and Spritz Orange. For snapping photos, both devices feature a 32-MP punch-hole selfie camera on the inside along with a 50-MP main camera on the outside and either a 2x telephoto cam on the Razr+ or an ultra-wide lens on the standard Razr. Moto says it also updated the Camcorder feature so that it automatically activates when you bend the screen and rotate the phone 90 degrees, which should make switching between photo and video a bit more seamless. As for software, Moto is jumping on the AI bandwagon with its own series of AI-powered features. The Razr supports Google Gemini (including three free months of Gemini Advanced with purchase) along with the companys own Moto AI tools. This includes things like Magic Canvas, which allows you to generate images using text prompts and the nifty Style Sync mode, which lets you take a photo of your clothing so you can create a matching wallpaper for use on the device, which feels like a small but thoughtful addition for fashionistas that dont want their phone to clash with their outfit. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Later this year, Moto is adding even more AI tools including Catch Me Up which can summarize all your notifications so you dont have to swipe through everything individually after being away for a while. But the feature that might have the most impact is Remember This. With it, you can ask Moto AI to record a photo, screenshot or audio and then repeat important details back to you later when you ask. That said, you have to first prompt the Razrs to do this, and unlike Microsofts Copilot feature Recall, the phones only save what you tell them to instead of saving and tracking everything you do. Finally, powering the Razr+ is a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip along with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a 4,000 mAh battery, the latter of which is slightly larger than the 3,700mAh cell in a Galaxy Z Flip 5. Meanwhile, the vanilla Razr features still solid but less impressive specs, including a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It does come with a slightly larger 4,200 mAh power pack, though. First impressions of the Moto Razr and Razr+ Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget While I only had a short while to play around with both devices, I really like what Moto has done with the Razrs design and software. The exterior feels more luxurious thanks to that vegan leather/suede back and the larger front display supports a wider range of apps and makes better use of space. And while AI has become a bit of a buzzword these days, it feels like Moto is taking a more considered approach with features like Style Sync and Remember This, which are fun or helpful additions that dont feel too intrusive. However, I do have some small complaints as well. I wish the Razrs main cameras were positioned on the left instead of the right. The reason is that if youre right-handed (which accounts for around 90 percent of people), the way the lens housing protrudes can sometimes get in the way of your thumb. I also think the Razrs hinge could be a touch stiffer, as its screen doesnt feel quite as stable as rivals like the Z Flip 5. And while Motorola says the phone will receive three major Android OS upgrades and four years of software support, thats still way short of the seven years you get from recent Samsung and Google phones. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Lastly, while there is still a crease in the internal display, its so faint that its really more of a shallow ripple that you only see at acute angles. Motorola says the Razrs new hinge creates more of a waterdrop-shaped fold when closed, which helps reduce the appearance of creases. After seeing the devices up close, I have to say its not distracting at all. But the best part is that with the basic Razr starting at just $700 and the flagship model going for $1,000, were getting more foldable phones with solid water resistance and good builds for a reasonable price. The Razr and Razr+ will be available for pre-order starting on July 10 with official sales slated for July 24. The European Union isnt entirely happy with Apples approach to its Digital Markets Act and there could be financial consequences. In preliminary findings of its investigation, the European Commission says the company breached Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules by failing to let App Store developers freely tell users about alternate payment options outside of Apples ecosystem, what it calls anti-steering rules. It has been investigating Apples behavior since March. Regulators added that although Apple is entitled to receive a payment for helping developers find new customers through the App Store, the fees charged by Apple go beyond what is strictly necessary for such remuneration. Apple told Engadget in a statement, We are confident our plan complies with the law and estimate more than 99 percent of developers would pay the same or less in fees to Apple under the new business terms we created. There are wider repercussions: Apple is reportedly planning to withhold those intriguing new AI features in Europe due to regulations and the possibility that they could affect privacy rules. Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed Paramount+ is raising prices again for all of the Tulsa King fans out there Google is reportedly building AI chatbots based on celebrities and influencers Uber is locking New York drivers out of its apps and blaming a city pay rule New difficulty mod in Stardew Valley will purge your saves if you use a guide You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The US government has issued a warning to employees with Pixel phones, mandating a security update by July 4. Its a high-severity firmware vulnerability in the Android operating system that could open up devices to limited, targeted exploitation. Government employees who do not install the security update by July 4 must discontinue use of the product. However, patch notes and comments arent specific about how it works. Continue reading. The deal will be finalized in a US court on June 26. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act. According to a letter from the US Department of Justice obtained by The Washington Post, Assange is specifically pleading guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States. He will return to Australia, his country of citizenship, right after the proceedings. The Justice Department prosecutors are reportedly recommending a sentence of 62 months, and as Assange already spent more than five years in a UK prison, he wont be spending any time behind bars in the US. Continue reading. Pantomime horse plus death. FromSoftware Elden Rings giant Shadow of the Erdtree expansion dropped on Friday, and the first big bad youll face is the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, a fearsome creature that uses wind, lightning and ice attacks. But its not really a lion. Its two giants in a costume, a la traditional Chinese dance lions. That information, however, probably wont help you beat it. The DLC is even more punishing than the base game. Continue reading. Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university's award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet's first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he's not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Scottish farm leaders have called for a new land reform bill to deliver balance between the rights of tenants and landlords in Scotland. The Scottish government's new Land Reform (Scotland) Bill proposes a raft of changes affecting the ownership and letting of land in Scotland. Large landholdings of over 1,000 hectares represent more than 50% of Scotlands land. The legislation relates to these, such as management and transfer of ownership, as well as to the leasing of land and the provision of agricultural tenancies. The bill is currently at stage 1 in the parliamentary process, with farming groups giving evidence today (25 June) to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport (NZET) committee. In its evidence, NFU Scotland stressed the need for balance between the rights of landlords and tenants, urging the Scottish government not to implement provisions that could introduce more complexity to the issue. The union also highlighted the need to consider the availability of land for future letting by the next generation of Scottish farmers. Speaking after the evidence session, NFU Scotland's head of policy Gemma Cooper said the union believes in a 'healthy and vibrant' tenanted sector. She said: A key point for NFU Scotland is that let land is a vital entry point for the next generation of farmers but the amount of it available to those who want to get a start in our industry continues to decline. That must be tackled. Much of the bill is focussed on addressing issues around secure tenancies and this is an important step forward for tenants and landlords involved in these types of agreement. We also took the opportunity to express concern that some of the proposals, as drafted, do not have the correct balance or clarity. Ms Cooper said the union believes that workable solutions can be achieved if the Scottish government works with stakeholders through the Tenant Farming Advisory Forum (TFAF). The right balance on provisions such as this will be critical to ensure that let land is available in the future," she concluded. The bill also seeks to give communities more opportunities to own land through introducing advance notice of certain sales from large landholdings. Legal responsibilities will be placed on large landowners to show how they use their land and how that use contributes to policy priorities, such as addressing climate change. These landowners will have to engage with local communities about how they use the land, the Scottish government said. And the bill includes a number of measures to reform tenant farming and small landholding legislation. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the legislation would allow the benefits and opportunities of Scotlands land to be more widely shared. We do not think it is right that ownership and control of much of Scotlands land is still in the hands of relatively few people," she said. We want to be a nation where rights and responsibilities in relation to land and its natural capital are fully recognised and fulfilled. Too often, people and communities feel powerless when the land they live on is sold with no prior warning this bill will help to change that." A Northern Irish farmer has been ordered to pay out over 1,000 following a river pollution incident in Co Tyrone. David Kenwell, 38, was convicted and fined at Omagh Magistrates Court earlier this week in relation to farm effluent pollution. The court heard that in August 2022, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency received a report of effluent entering a tributary of the Owenreagh River. When they visited the farm, agency inspectors discovered that an unlined sump had been constructed from permeable gravel. The court was told that this construction was allowing silage effluent to escape and enter the waterway via a concrete pipe. The pollution incident was classified as of medium severity where 1.5km of waterway was impacted by this discharge of silage effluent. A tripartite statutory sample was collected from the discharge pipe and analysed. The material represented by the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway. Mr Kenwell pleaded guilty and was fined 1,000 with a 15 offenders levy for an offence under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999. San Jose police are asking for the public's help in identifying the victim of a fatal shooting near an Interstate-280 off-ramp last month. The victim had this trident tattoo on his right arm, police said. San Jose Police Department San Jose police are seeking the publics help in locating a suspect accused of fatally shooting a man near a freeway off-ramp last month. The suspect is identified as Joseph Jo Jo Martinez and a warrant has been obtained for his arrest, police said. Martinez is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and around 115 pounds, with a teardrop tattoo on his face, according to police. He is suspected in the shooting that occurred May 9 near an Interstate 280 off-ramp in San Jose. Officers responded to the scene around 5:46 p.m. to find the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound at a homeless encampment near the off-ramp and McLaughlin Avenue, police said. The man was transported to a local hospital where he died as a result of his injuries, according to police. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Martinez allegedly fled the scene before police arrived. Police are asking the publics help in identifying the victim, who they said was known in the area as Kumar and had a tattoo of a trident on his right arm. Authorities said the victim was between 30 and 34 years old and is thought to have attended school in San Jose between 2006 and 2010. Police also said detectives believe the victim was unhoused. Anyone with further information regarding the shooting is asked to contact the San Jose Police Department at 408-277-5283. Eddie Murphy thinks 'Beverly Hills Cop' marked a turning point for the movie business. Eddie Murphy has reprised the role of Axel Foley The 63-year-old actor played Axel Foley, a street-smart detective, in the 1984 action comedy film, and Eddie believes the movie was a landmark moment for Hollywood. Speaking to 'Extra', Eddie explained: "Before 'Beverly Hills Cop', there had never been a movie that starred a black man, black person, that was successful all around the world. Even still, to this day, when black folks, we, make movies, most of the time they work in the States and outside of the country they don't work." Eddie suggested that his success has paved the way for the likes of Will Smith and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The comedian-turned-actor said: "'Beverly Hills Cop' started it, all around the world - thats where you get Will and The Rock, they do it now, but Beverly Hills Cop is the first one that did it." Eddie has enjoyed huge successes during his career. However, whenever he travels overseas, he's still best-known for playing Axel in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films. The actor - who has reprised the role for 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' - recently told 'Today': "Beverly Hills Cop' was my first movie that I'm the lead in. If I travel overseas they call me Axel Foley." Eddie hailed Axel as an "everyman" and he believes that fans love the relatable personality of his on-screen character. The movie star - who enjoyed huge success as a stand-up comedian, before he switched his focus towards acting - said: "Axel is an everyman. He's not a superhero or a super-cop, he's the everyman that rises to the occasion. I think that's why people like it. And more than anything, he's funny." Jeremy Renner lacks the "energy" required for "challenging" roles. Jeremy Renner feels his energy levels have dropped The 53-year-old actor was seriously injured in a snowplough accident in January 2023, and Jeremy now admits that it's changed the face of his career. The Hollywood star - who is, perhaps, best-known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - said on the 'Smartless' podcast: "I just dont have the energy for it. I dont have the fuel. "I have so much fuel to put into this reality, this body, all this stuff. I cant just go play make-believe right now. Because that takes a lot of time to get right here every day just so I can have a positive thought, so I can progress, so I can always keep growing." Jeremy returned to acting to shoot season three of 'Mayor of Kingstown', the crime thriller TV series. And the actor suggested that it was the ideal way to make his return to work. Jeremy - who plays Michael 'Mike' McLusky, the show's central character - explained: "I still struggle with it sometimes to, like, I dont take it super seriously. Im in a character that I can do very well and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to kind of slide back into it. "But if it was a very challenging role, I couldnt have taken it. Not challenging in the sense that - because the shows challenging, but its if I had to go play Dahmer or something, something so far from me." Meanwhile, Jeremy previously suggested that the public see him in a different light following his accident. He told 'Extra': "This is everyone's story as much as it is mine and so I found, I feel more connected to people. I feel that they see me as the man that I am and not the famous guy, what I'm famous for." Noah Wyles nurse mother scolded him for his unrealistic acting in ER seconds after his episodes aired. Noah Wyles nurse mother scolded him for his unrealistic acting in ER seconds after his episodes aired The actor, 53, played Dr John Carter in the hit emergency room drama from 1994 to 2006, and told Steve Kmeto on his Still Here, Hollywood podcast his mum Marjorie who worked for 10 years in operating rooms and another decade as an orthopaedic nurse would call him as soon as the shows ended to review how medically accurate his actions were. He said: She would call 11:01(pm when the show ended on TV) and say, You never touch your face with bloody gloves! What? Do you wanna get AIDS? Ive gotta go to the hospital tomorrow and answer for that. And I said, Okay. Okay. Noah also joked there was a fine line between his mothers advice and criticism, saying: At least she had an interest before joking: A vested interest. He also said he used to tell his mother what was going to happen during each episode. Noah went on: She would know what was coming up on the storyline, so she was very in the know. The actor said even though his mother didnt always rate the realism of his ER work, his time in the medical drama did come in useful in real life. He added: You learn enough to know how little you know and how much you could do wrong and how you could really make a huge mistake. Ive been the first on scene in a car accident twice. I knew enough to be helpful and supportive didnt do anything that caused any harm. But it was very funny when the paramedics showed up, (saying when they recognised me), Whoa oh, yeah. We got a fake! Sir Roger Moore's gravesite has reportedly been vandalised. Sir Roger Moore's gravesite 'has been vandalised' A 'James Bond' fan visited the Cimetiere de Monaco - an intimate and exclusive cemetery in La Colle, Monaco - last week and tried to find the late 007 actor's resting place by looking for a large family crest which marked the tombstone. However, TMZ reports that the man found the grave only to discover the shield representing the star's family "has been ripped off". The fan as "equal parts shocked" and angry that someone do something like this, while it's said local authorities - and the cemetery itself - had no idea the apparent crime had occurred. Both parties told the outlet that no one had "reported the vandalism" until now. Moore died in 2017 aged 89, and is fondly remembered by Bond fans after taking over the iconic role from Sean Connery. He played Ian Fleming's fictional spy in seven films, beginning with 'Live and Let Die' in 1973, before appearing as 007 for the final time in 1985's 'A View To A Kill', after which Timothy Dalton portrayed the character. Other actors who played the role include George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, who has left the franchise after his version of Bond was killed off in 'No Time To Die'. Producers are now on the hunt for the next star to take up the mantle, with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taron Egerton, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and more all linked to the part. Moore's son Geoffrey - who is also known as Jaffa - previously hit out at the "ridiculous" idea of an American actor playing Bond. Asked if the role could be played by an American, Jaffa told Express.co.uk: "I mean, there's a lot of talent out there, but he has to be English. "It's ridiculous to consider Bond being an American. "You know, even if he's got a flawless accent, he's got to be British. It is an English franchise. It's butterscotch and red telephone boxes and 'His Majesty the King.' " Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor, film producer, and activist. Vietnams National Assembly today ratified the United Kingdoms accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The United Kingdom has pledged a higher level of commitment on market opening with Vietnam than other countries in the CPTPP, said Vu Hai Ha, chairman of the Assemblys foreign affairs committee. Vietnam's National Assembly today ratified the UK's accession protocol to the CPTPP. The UK has pledged a higher level of commitment on market opening with Vietnam than other member countries, said Vu Hai Ha, the Assembly's foreign affairs committee chairman. It has also offered a higher level of commitment in several fields than those in the UK-Vietnam FTA. It has also offered a higher level of commitment in several fields than those in the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) that came into force in January 2021. The United Kingdom will now recognise Vietnams manufacturing industries operating according to market economy criteria, Ha was cited as saying by a domestic media outlet. The CPTPP is a free trade agreement in force between 11 countriesCanada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The United Kingdom officially applied for CPTPP membership on February 21, 2021. Accession negotiations concluded on March 31, 2023. The UK signed the Protocol of Accession on July 16, 2023. Vietnam is the seventh CPTPP member to ratify the trade pact alongside Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Pacific Gas and Electric Co. cameras detected several new fires in the Sierra Nevada foothills on Monday afternoon after thunderstorms and lightning swept Central California. Courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. More than a dozen small fires started in the Sierra Nevada foothills on Monday after thunderstorms and lightning swept through Central California. Cal Fire incident maps logged at least 12 new wildfires in the foothills of the Sierra on Monday afternoon. The fires appeared soon after the area was struck by lightning storms that dropped little to no rain, indicating that they were likely sparked by lightning, Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Anthony Edwards said. The fires are especially concerning given that a spate of thunderstorms and dry lightning are expected to arrive in the Sacramento Valley and Bay Area this week, Edwards said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lightning-sparked wildfires are not uncommon during California summers, but the quantity in 2024 so far outpaces that of recent years. Over 61,000 acres have already burned so far this year in the state, a rate that is well ahead of normal and among the highest in the past three decades, data shows. The National Weather Services Bay Area office warned that lightning strikes cause spark grass fires beginning overnight Monday and into Tuesday. In an online forecast, agency meteorologists cautioned that any new blazes could explode when onshore winds arrive later in the week. While all of the new Sierra foothill fires were smaller than 100 acres as of 5 p.m., dry weather and windy conditions expected to sweep the state in the coming days raised the specter of more lightning-sparked wildfires. Wildfires caused by lightning accounted for about half of the acreage burned in Northern California from 2001 through 2022, according to research from the National Interagency Fire Center. This weeks thunderstorm threat is not expected to rival the August 2020 outbreak, when thousands of lightning strikes sparked wildfires around the drought-stricken Bay Area. Nana Patekar recently revealed the reason he rejected Akshay Kumars Welcome 3. The actor added why Anil Kapoor too joined him in rejecting the film primarily due to no storyline in the film. He says, But it wouldnt have been complete if Anil and I werent doing it together. If Anil and I are there, then only Welcome is possible. If you remove me, then he alone cant make Welcome and vice-versa, speaking to a leading media portal. Nana Patekar portrayed the role of Uday Shetty along with Anil Kapoor who played the character of Majnu Bhai in Anees Bazmees iconic comedy drama Welcome. The film starred Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif too. The joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, through its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure II K/S, and Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor, has divested full ownership of UK biomass power plant, Kent Renewable Energy Plant, to Greenvolt - Energias Renovaveis, S.A. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners ("CIP"), via its Flagship Fund Copenhagen Infrastructure II K/S ("CI II"), and Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor ("BWSC"), have signed an agreement to divest the UK biomass heat and power plant, Kent Renewable Energy Plant, to Greenvolt - Energias Renovaveis, S.A. ("Greenvolt"), a Portugal-based renewables company. The transaction is expected to close by October 2024. CI II, BWSC and original developer Estover took a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Kent Renewable Energy Plant in August 2016. The plant was constructed on budget and ahead of time and went into commercial operation in September 2018. The plant is qualified for the Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) regime and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) regimes, for power and heat respectively, as one of the last biomass projects in the UK, and performance has continuously improved since operation started. The divestment of Kent Renewable Energy Plant marks the fourth exit of biomass investments in the UK since 2019 within CIP's Flagship Funds. The four plants have an aggregate installed capacity of 150MW, generating power to 350,000 households and offsetting 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Florian Kuster, Partner at CIP, said: "Divestments are an integral part of the CIP business model and play an important role in the continuous rebalancing and optimising of our portfolio. We are pleased to announce the divestment of Kent Renewable Energy Plant in a transaction that recognises the value generated so far by CIP and our co-shareholder BWSC during the development, construction, and operation of the plant." Benny Lynge Srensen, CFO of BWSC and Board member of Kent Power Corporation Limited, said: "BWSC is pleased with the divestment of the Kent Renewable Energy Plant after our active involvement in both the successful development and construction of the plant. We look very much forward to working together with Greenvolt as the new owner, in our role as operator of the plant, aligning with our strategy of being an independent service provider for sustainable energy solutions." Rothschild & Co acted as the financial advisor and Herbert Smith Freehills as the legal advisor to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the world's largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. CIP manages 12 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 28 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 160 international institutional investors. CIP has approximately 500 employees and 12 offices around the world. More information, visit www.cip.com About Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) specializes in servicing, upgrading, operating, and maintaining energy systems for renewable power plants. BWSC assists its customers in increasing the reliability and availability of energy production, enhancing the efficiency and performance of their power plants, designing, and integrating future-proof technologies, and reducing maintenance costs. With a history of designing and building hundreds of plants worldwide, BWSC possesses the flexibility and expertise to tackle almost any limitation or challenge. BWSC has its roots in the stationary engine division of Burmeister & Wain (B&W), which has been building and installing diesel engines since 1904. Established as a separate specialist company in 1980, BWSC was acquired by Mitsui E&S Holdings Co., Ltd., a Japanese corporation, in 1990. About the Greenvolt Group The Greenvolt Group operates in three strategic pillars: Utility Scale projects, Distributed Generation, and Biomass. In utility scale, the Group has a portfolio of 8.6 GW in wind, solar photovoltaic and BESS projects across 16 countries globally. In Distributed Generation, the Greenvolt Group continues to grow its pan-European self-consumption platform, already present in 11 regions, including the UK and Ireland through its subsidiary Enerpower. In the biomass electricity production segment, it is present in Portugal and England, owning six plants before the acquisition of the Kent plant. Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2024) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (FSE: M1C1) (the "Company" or Metals Creek) announces that it has repriced the non flow-through portion of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of flow-through and non flow-through units (the "Private Placement"). The Private placement is expected to close on or before 31 July 2024. The Company now intends to issue up to 10,000,000 non flow-through units at a price of $0.02 per unit (the "NFT Units") for aggregate proceeds of up to $200,000. Each NFT Unit will consist of one non flow-through common share and one non flow-through common share purchase warrant (the "NFT Warrants"). Each NFT Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional non flow-through common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.05 per common share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The Company also intends to issue up to 8,000,000 flow-through units at a price of $0.025 per unit (the "FT Units") for aggregate proceeds of up to $200,000. Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through common share (the "FT Shares") and one non flow-through common share purchase warrant (the "FT Warrants"). Each whole FT Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional non flow-through common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.06 per common share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The FT Shares will entitle the holder to receive the tax benefits applicable to flow-through shares, in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada). In connection with the private placement, the Company may pay finders' fees in cash or securities or a combination of both, as permitted by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period. The Private Placement is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. About Metals Creek Resources Corp. Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont Corporation, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF). In addition, Metals Creek owns and/or has option agreements in place to acquire a 100% interest in claims in the Shabaqua Corners area of North western Ontario. Metals Creek also has multiple quality projects available for option which can be viewed on the Company's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Company at the number below. Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO Metals Creek Resources Corp telephone: (709)-256-6060 fax: (709)-256-6061 MetalsCreek.com Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes Facebook.com/MetalsCreek To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214256 SOURCE: Metals Creek Resources Corp. Perth, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 24, 2024) - Golden Horse Minerals Limited (TSXV: GHML) ("Golden Horse" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicholas Anderson ("Nick") as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Nick's appointment as CEO has an effective date of June 1, 2024 and his appointment as a director commenced on June 20, 2024. Nick is a finance executive and chemical engineer with extensive experience in the resources sector. He is an experienced director and leader, focussed on business growth and accretive M&A across the mining, infrastructure and renewables sectors, and has structured and funded complex transactions to multiple listed and private businesses. Following Nick's appointment, Mr Graeme Sloan who is currently Interim CEO and Executive Chairman, will step away from his Interim CEO role however will continue as Chairman of the Company and Mr Jonathan Lea ("Jon") steps down as a non-executive Director, effective June 20, 2024. Graeme Sloan, Golden Horse's Chairman said: "The restructuring of these key roles is critically important as we prepare Golden Horse for the next stage of this journey we put in place in early 2023. We are extremely pleased to have secured someone of Nick's broad expertise in capital markets and strong corporate and operating experience, especially around emerging resource companies, to lead the Company. With Nick joining the Company's Board, Jon will move to the role as Principal Geologist, which will allow him to focus on growing the gold and lithium potential at our Southern Cross project. Jon's tenure on the Board although relatively short, was exceptional and on behalf of the Board and shareholders, I would like to thank Jon for his contribution." The terms of Nick's engagement include a fixed component of AUD300,000 per annum (excluding superannuation), together with eligibility to participate in the Company's equity incentive plan. For and on behalf of the Board Graeme Sloan Chairman For more information contact: Nicholas Anderson Managing Director & CEO E: nicholas.anderson@goldenhorseminerals.com.au Josh Conner Chief Operating Officer E: josh.conner@goldenhorseminerals.com.au Investors Adam Davey Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited +61 8 9225 2811 Email: ADavey@cgf.com Mason Brown Email: mpbrown@cgf.com +61 8 9225 2862 Media David Tasker Chapter One Advisors Email: dtasker@chapteroneadvisors.com.au +61 433 112 936 Disclaimer This release may include forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements regarding targets, estimates and assumptions in respect of metal production and prices, operating costs and results, capital expenditures, mineral reserves and mineral resources and anticipated grades and recovery rates, and are or may be based on assumptions and estimates related to future technical, economic, market, political, social and other conditions. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements inherently involve subjective judgement and analysis and are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Golden Horse. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Golden Horse's present and future business strategies and the political and economic environment in which the Golden Horse will operate in the future, which are not guarantees or predictions of future performance. Actual results and developments may vary materially from those that may be contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements in this release. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All information in respect of Exploration Results and other technical information should be read in conjunction with Competent Person Statements in this release (where applicable). To the maximum extent permitted by law, Golden Horse and any of its related bodies corporate and affiliates and their officers, employees, agents, associates and advisers: disclaim any obligations or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to the information in this release to reflect any events, circumstances or change in expectations or assumptions after the date of this release; do not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information in this release, or likelihood of fulfilment of any forward-looking statement or any event or results expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement; and disclaim all responsibility and liability for these forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, liability for negligence). To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214257 SOURCE: Golden Horse Minerals Limited Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Heavy traffic moves along Highway 101 in Los Angeles in November 2022. In California, there were 965 traffic deaths in the first quarter of this year, up from 919 during the same period in 2023, according to preliminary National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Mario Tama/Getty Images A sign along Interstate 5 warns motorists of an upcoming storm in Orange County in January 2023. Bad weather making roads more dangerous is one contributor to the increase in traffic fatalities in California during the first quarter of 2024. Mindy Schauer/Associated Press In the first quarter of 2024, traffic fatalities in California grew by approximately 5%, contrasting with a national decline of 3.2%, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency reported on Monday that an estimated 8,650 individuals died in traffic crashes nationwide during the years first three months, down from 8,935 in the same period last year. In California, there were 965 traffic deaths in the first quarter of this year, up from 919 during the same period in 2023. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This marks the eighth consecutive quarterly decline in overall U.S. traffic fatalities, despite a 0.6% increase in vehicle miles traveled. Were encouraged to see traffic fatalities continue to decline, but more work must be done to reduce these preventable tragedies on our roads, Sophie Shulman, deputy administrator of the NHTSA, said in a statement. California is among 19 states projected to have increased fatalities, while 30 states showed declines and one remained unchanged. Nationally, the fatality rate dropped to 1.13 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 1.18 a year earlier. In California, the rate was higher at 1.31 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the first quarter of 2024, up from 1.28 in the same period last year. While the NHTSA is the most reliable source for this data, the agency excludes fatalities that occur off public roadways and comes with other disclaimers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A spokesperson for the California Office of Traffic Safety told the Chronicle that the preliminary data should be taken cautiously. The preliminary numbers released by NHTSA are for the first quarter of this year and are projections. NHTSA previously reported a promising 9.4% decline in traffic deaths in California for 2023 compared to 2022, the statement said. The decrease was significantly higher than the 3.6% decline in traffic deaths nationally in 2023. Several factors may contribute to the rise in traffic fatalities in California, including increased distracted driving due to smartphone usage and infotainment systems, higher speed limits, and substance abuse, particularly driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to various traffic studies, police reports and data analysis. Those sources also indicate that population growth and urban development have made traffic heavier and driving conditions more complicated. After the pandemic, people started driving more recklessly, and bad weather like wildfires and heavy rain make roads more dangerous. The lack of improvements to roads and an increase in accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists add to the problem. Traffic fatalities spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and continued to rise into early 2021, particularly in California. In 2021, there were 4,475 reported deaths statewide, the highest in recent data, compared to 3,750 in 2019, according to Caltrans. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Office of Traffic Safety emphasized that the numbers represent thousands of people taken from loved ones, and more is required to make roads safer. Much more work must be done to reach zero deaths and serious injuries, the only acceptable number. We need all the tools at our disposal to reduce crashes infrastructure that better protects people outside of vehicles, equitable traffic safety enforcement that addresses the most dangerous and reckless driving behaviors, vehicle safety features that add layers of protection for everyone on the road, and emergency response, the statement said. Rhode Island experienced the largest decline in traffic deaths at 62.5%, followed by Wyoming (51.5%), Delaware (31.4%), Arkansas (26.4%) and Idaho (24.4%). Conversely, Maine saw the largest increase at 107.1%, followed by Minnesota (69.4%), Vermont (50%), Nevada (38.6%) and New Jersey (35.3%). Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com HANOI, Vietnam, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To catalyze a viable blue finance market, foster green bonds and support smaller businesses in Vietnam, IFC is providing a financing package of $150 million to Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank, stock code: SSB). The investment entails Vietnam's first blue bond and the first green bond by a private commercial bank in the country. As part of that, IFC's $25 million subscription in blue bonds will allow SeABank to expand its funding for sustainable economic activities associated with ocean and water (aquaculture and fisheries, water supply, etc.). IFC's $50 million subscription in green bonds will help the bank increase financing for green assets (green buildings, renewable energy, and energy efficiency). As the implementing entity of the UK's Market Accelerator for Green Construction (MAGC) Program, IFC will provide a performance-based incentive of up to $0.48 million targeting retail borrowers to help offset the incremental greening costs associated with green housing units purchase. Additionally, IFC's $75 million loan to SeABank is aimed at promoting financial inclusion through boosting financing for SMEs, including women-owned businesses. "IFC's investment will help SeABank increase funding for initiatives that support the country's climate and financial inclusion agenda. We are proud to be issuing Vietnam's first blue bond and the first green bond by a private commercial bank. We look forward to working with IFC to further bolster our green and blue portfolio strategy," said Le Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of SeABank BOD. Alongside the investment, IFC will advise SeABank on adopting green and blue bond frameworks, while helping SeABank identify eligible green and blue assets and develop a pipeline. "Vietnam's green transition relies heavily on private capital, and the launch of innovative financing instruments such as blue and green bonds offers a new source of funding for climate-related projects," said Thomas Jacobs, IFC Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. "With investment in a leading player, IFC is establishing new asset classes while mobilizing capital and strengthening the capacity of local financial institutions to drive increased climate finance in Vietnam." Two parties have partnered since 2021 to expand SMEs lending via tailored products, increase climate finance access and international trade. With IFC's support, SeABank could develop an integrated ESG framework and prioritize funding for green projects, thereby promoting climate change mitigation and resource efficiency. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446268/SeABank_1__3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ifc-supports-seabank-to-issue-vietnams-first-blue-bond-boost-climate-finance-302180539.html PUBLICATION AND POSTING OF AMENDED AND RESTATED OFFER DOCUMENT AND UPDATE TO THE OFFER TIMETABLE NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24 May 2024, Meridian Bidco LLC ("Bidco") made an offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MariaDB plc ("MariaDB") (the "Offer") with the terms and conditions of the Offer set out in the offer document despatched and filed by Bidco as Exhibit (a)(1)(A) to the Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement filed on Schedule TO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on 24 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"). Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meaning given to them in the Offer Document (as amended and restated). On 17 June 2024, Bidco announced that it had exercised the Rollover Withdrawal Right to withdraw the Unlisted Unit Alternative from the Offer in accordance with the terms of the Offer Document. Bidco today announces that an amended and restated Offer Document has been filed with the SEC to reflect the exercise of the Rollover Withdrawal Right, the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative and certain updates to disclosures. Other than the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative, no changes have been made to the terms and conditions of the Offer. The amended and restated Offer Document will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ). Updated Offer Timetable Bidco further announces the following updates to the expected timetable for the Offer: Event Time and/or Date Acceptance Cut-off Time 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 9 July 2024 (unless extended) Acceptance Unconditional Time/End of the Pre-Acceptance Unconditional Period 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 9 July 2024 (unless extended) Expiration Time/End of the Post-Acceptance Unconditional Period 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 23 July 2024 (unless extended) A full version of the updated expected timetable is included in the amended and restated Offer Document. For the avoidance of doubt, the Acceptance Unconditional Outside Time (being 23 July 2024) has not changed. To the extent that further changes are required to the expected timetable, the revised dates and/or times will be the subject of a further announcement, which will be made available on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ). Enquiries Lazard (Financial Advisor to K1 and Bidco) Adrian Duchini, Keiran Wilson, Charles White Tel: +44 20 7187 2000 Haven Tower Group (Public Relations Advisor to K1) Donald Cutler, Brandon Blackwell Tel: +1 424 317 4850 Important Notices The K1 Responsible Persons (being the investment committee of K1), the Bidco Officers and the Topco Officers accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the K1 Responsible Persons, the Bidco Officers, the Topco Officers, (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this Announcement for which they have accepted responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, together with its affiliate Lazard & Co., Limited (which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority) ("Lazard"), is acting exclusively as financial adviser to K1 and Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than K1 and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this Announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise. Disclosure requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of MariaDB or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Dealing Disclosures must also be made by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with them in accordance with Rule 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules. In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. Details of the offeree company in respect of whose relevant securities Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020. Further Information This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. In particular, this Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offer of securities shall be made in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this Announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland. Overseas Shareholders The laws of certain jurisdictions may affect the availability of the Offer to persons who are not resident in Ireland. Persons who are not resident in Ireland, or who are subject to laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility and liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or K1 or required by the Irish Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance from within a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, K1, the K1 Group and Bidco disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person. MariaDB Shareholders who are in any doubt regarding such matters should consult an appropriate independent professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document. If you are a resident of the United States, please read the following: This Announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer (including the Offer), invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any acquisition or disposition of the securities referred to in this Announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable Law or regulation. This Announcement is not a substitute for the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance or any other document that Bidco may file with the SEC in connection with the Offer. An offer to buy MariaDB Shares has been made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule TO that Bidco has filed with the SEC. MariaDB has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. MARIADB SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER. SUCH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. Investors and MariaDB Shareholders are able to obtain free copies of these materials (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about MariaDB and the Offer once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to the Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that may be different from those typically applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. In addition, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Irish Takeover Rules and Irish disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in the United States. MariaDB is incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Some of the directors on the MariaDB Board at the date of this Announcement are resident in a country other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for United States holders of MariaDB Shares to effect service of process within the United States upon MariaDB or some of the directors of MariaDB or to enforce against any of them judgements of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue MariaDB or its officers or director(s) in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. In addition, US holders of MariaDB Shares should be aware that, if K1 and Bidco elect to proceed pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (as described herein), the federal securities laws of the United States may not be applicable. Publication on website A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published pursuant to Rule 26 of the Irish Takeover Rules will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, will be made available on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Neither the content of any such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882948/4780372/K1_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/recommended-cash-offer-for-mariadb-plc-by-meridian-bidco-llc-which-is-an-affiliate-of-k1-investment-management-llc-k1-as-manager-of-k5-private-investors-lp-302181083.html The Appointment underscores the company's continued commitment to pioneering future-ready financial management that bridges traditional and crypto finance globally. SINGAPORE, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MetaComp Pte Ltd,Singapore's leading Digital Payment Token Service Provider, licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the MVGX Holdings (MVGXH), welcomes Ms Tin Pei Ling on board as its Co-President. MVGXH is a licensed Singaporean fintech group with four subsidiaries focusing on digital and green sectors: MetaComp, a Major Payment Institution offering Digital Payment Token Service and Cross-border Money Transfer Service; MVGX Tech, providing end-to-end Carbon SaaS with a unique Scope 3 and advanced carbon emission factor database; Metaverse Green Exchange (MVGX), licensed by MAS with Recognised Market Operator (RMO) and Capital Market (CMS) License, focusing on Securities/Tokens backed by increasingly digital and green asset classes such as voluntary carbon credits or hash rate, as well as providing other CMS financial services such as custodian; and the Asia Green Fund (AGF), a venture capital fund managing over USD 2.8 billion in assets, investing in green impact and sustainability industries driven by green and digital technology. Commencing on 24th June 2024, Ms Tin's portfolio will focus on strategic partnerships and corporate development. Her appointment is expected to significantly strengthen MetaComp's strategic partnerships, driving momentum and advancing MetaComp's position as a leader in bridging traditional and crypto finance, paving the way for new partnerships and the growth of our client offerings. Ms Tin brings a distinguished blend of digital and financial acumen plus industry experience in payment platforms and the financial technology space. With a MBA from Chicago Booth School, she brings both practical and theoretical understanding. Dr Bo Bai, Chairman and Co-Founder of MetaComp, says, "In today's bustling fintech space, MetaComp is at the forefront of driving financial solutions that help our customers navigate money management between traditional finance and crypto finance. Technology and innovation are only part of the equation, and at MetaComp, we emphasise that our people are our DNA, serving as the compass for our clients." Dr Bai adds, "We are delighted to welcome Pei Ling to the MetaComp family. Her extensive experience, coupled with her expertise in strategic development, makes her an invaluable asset to our leadership team. Her vision and drive perfectly align with our aspirations at MetaComp, and I am confident she will significantly contribute to our continued success." Before her tenure with MetaComp, Ms Tin held several key corporate positions, including Managing Director for Strategic Partnership & Business Development at DCS Card Centre and Chief Executive Officer of Business China, an organisation that harnesses the support of public sector and private enterprises to strengthen the ties between Singapore and China, so as to sustain and grow the global connectivity of Singapore. Ms Tin affirmed, "Sustainability is a global imperative and there is still much that can be done in the fintech sector to enable this. Hence, I am delighted to accept the opportunity to join MetaComp, given it being a part of the MVGXH conglomerate, a licensed fintech group specialising in green and digital assets. I look forward to doing my part in supporting sustainable finance by driving growth through partnerships and bridging traditional finance with digital assets alongside my fellow Co-President, Mr Eddie Hui." Eddie Hui, Co-President, and Chief Operating Officer of MetaComp, brings over twenty years of experience in the financial services sector. Formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Societe Generale for Proprietary Trading, Fixed Income, Credit and FX, Prime Services, and Equity Market Making desk in Asia, Eddie oversees the ideation and execution of MetaComp's business strategy and drives service excellence. The two Co-President's leadership and expertise will be instrumental in driving MetaComp's success. With the addition of Ms Tin Pei Ling, MetaComp, together with its parent company MVGX, aim to secure and launch a wide range of initiatives bridging traditional finance with digital assets. For more information, please visit www.mce.sg About MetaComp Pte Ltd MetaComp is a leading Singapore-based digital asset platform licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019. Operating under a P2B2C (platform-to-business, partners-to-clients) model, MetaComp provides its clients with an integrated end-to-end suite of services, empowering them to confidently enter the digital asset market with the much-needed safety, security, and compliance. Together with its parent company, Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd. (a MAS-licensed CMS holder permitted to carry out, inter alia, brokerage and custody services), MetaComp introduces its suite of services through CAMP by MetaComp, a regulated Client Assets Management Platform, allowing businesses to develop and scale their digital asset offerings through OTC and exchange trading services, fiat payment, digital asset custody and prime brokerage. About MVGX Holdings Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore, MVGX Holdings (MVGXH) is a leading digital green fintech group that provides regulated financial services and end-to-end Carbon SaaS (software as a service solution) for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Compliant by design, MVGXH's subsidiaries hold licenses from the Monetary Authority of Singapore including the Recognised Market Operator License, Capital Market Services License and Major Payment Institution License. Enabled by its proprietary carbon SaaS software and products, its digital green exchange for voluntary carbon credits and asset-backed securities and tokens, and an impact investment arm for green technologies and infrastructure, MVGX Group strives to be a key partner for its client's decarbonisation journeys through the stages of define, measure, mitigate, offset, certify, and finance. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447082/Ms_Tin_Pei_Ling_Co_President_MetaComp_Pte_Ltd.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2389449/METACOMP_Main_Logo_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447083/MVGX_Holdings_Pte_Ltd_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ms-tin-pei-ling-joins-metacomp-as-its-co-president-to-grow-its-partnerships-across-asia-pacific-302181118.html In 2023, Ukraine was engulfed in war, while a new clash erupted between Israel and Hamas in the European sphere of influence. The Gallup Global Emotions 2024 report reveals the emotional toll of these conflicts. The report offers a snapshot of Gallup's latest measurements of people's positive and negative daily experiences. The findings are based on nearly 146,000 interviews with adults in 142 countries and areas in 2023. While global negative emotions dipped for the first time in a decade and positive emotions rebounded to their pre-pandemic highs, many of the world's conflict zones remained bleak. After Oct. 7 Attacks, Israel Vaulted to Top 10 in Negative Emotions Israel, surveyed by Gallup two weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, made the top 10 list of countries with the worst Negative Experience Index scores for the first time, at 47. In 2022, Israel ranked among the countries with the lowest scores in the world on this index. Fueling this low score, Israelis saw massive increases in feelings of sadness (up 39 percentage points to 51%), stress (up 38 points to 62%), anger (up 23 points to 36%) and worry (up 37 points to 67%). Ukrainian Negative Emotions Remained at Post-Invasion Record Highs As Ukraine continued to fend off Russian offensives within its borders in 2023, Ukrainians reported record-tying levels of sadness (39%), stress (32%), anger (22%) and worry (53%). Negative Emotions Dropped in Azerbaijan After Ceasefire Following the signing of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan led the world in declining stress levels dropping from 40% to 14% in the span of a year. In addition to less stress, Azerbaijanis reported significant decreases in feelings of daily anger, worry and sadness. About the Indexes Gallup's Positive and Negative Experience Indexes measure life's intangibles feelings and emotions that traditional economic indicators such as GDP were never intended to capture. Each index provides a real-time snapshot of people's daily experiences, offering leaders insights into the health of their societies that they cannot gather from economic measures alone. Negative Experience Index Dipped in 2023 On a global level, Gallup's Negative Experience Index declined for the first time since 2014. All five negative emotions that make up the index fell between 2022 and 2023, but stress levels dropped the most. Thirty-seven percent of the world felt stressed in 2023, down three points from the previous year but well above where it was a decade ago (33%) and the years before that. Positive Experience Index Rebounded Post-Pandemic Further reinforcing that 2023 was a better year for the world's emotional health, positive experiences rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels, completing the recovery that started in 2022. People younger than 30 continued to be the most positive of all age groups. Further, their positivity rebounded faster, with emotions bouncing back a year earlier than their older peers. Most of the improvement on the index in 2023 took place among those aged 30 and older. About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. About the Gallup World Poll The Gallup World Poll is the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world. The survey connects with more than 99% of the world's adult population through annual, nationally representative surveys with comparable metrics across countries. The Gallup World Poll is used to measure and track progress on several U.N. sustainable development goals and is the official statistic for work and life for more than 55 indexes and metrics associated with the most important aspects of individuals' lives, their communities and their countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240624491362/en/ Contacts: kristjan_archer@gallup.com DUBAI, UAE, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wego, the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership with MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid as part of their "Only in Madrid" campaign. This initiative aims to boost awareness about the vibrant culture and unique attractions of Madrid, inviting travelers from the GCC to explore the Spanish capital like never before. This collaboration sheds light on Madrid's history, stunning architecture, and dynamic cultural scene. The campaign will emphasize Madrid's blend of traditional charm and modern sophistication, presenting it as a premier travel destination for GCC residents and visitors. It aims to showcase the best of Madrid, fostering a deeper connection between the Spanish Capital and the Gulf region. "Wego is excited to bring the diverse and vibrant experiences of Madrid to travellers from the Gulf region," said Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer of Wego. Our partnership with MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid will enhance travel opportunities and highlight the best of Madrid to Gulf travelers. Madrid's unique blend of historical richness, cultural vibrancy, and modern appeal makes it a perfect destination for our audience." Travellers can embark on an unforgettable adventure tailored to their individual interests. History buffs can delve into iconic landmarks and UNESCO sites, while art lovers will be captivated by the world-renowned Triangle of Art. Foodies will rejoice in Michelin-starred restaurants (28 establishments boasting an impressive 36 stars!) and vibrant neighbourhoods overflowing with culinary delights. MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid said: "By highlighting the destination's unique offerings, Wego and MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid aim to inspire more travellers to experience the magic of Madrid, fostering lasting memories and enriching cross-cultural connections." Travelers get to experience the birthplace of Flamenco Tablao and immerse themselves in the captivating spirit of Spain. For a touch of tranquillity, they can venture beyond the city to explore charming towns and villas. From historical immersion to cultural experiences, Madrid caters to every desire. About Wego Wego is the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites. Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website. The company was founded in 2005 and is dual headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Riyadh, Cairo, Lahore, and Kuala Lumpur. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446211/Wego.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/explore-madrid-like-never-before-new-partnership-between-wego-and-madrid-turismo-by-ifema-madrid-302180396.html Kuros Biosciences AG / Key word(s): Study results/Scientific publication Kuros Biosciences Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication of MagnetOs MAXA Level 1 Study Outcomes in Spine, Indicating Superiority Over Autograft 25.06.2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland, June 25, 2024 - Kuros Biosciences, a leader in next generation bone healing technologies, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed manuscript that details the clinical data of its MAXA Level 1 prospective, multi-center, randomized, intra-patient controlled clinical study in Spine1. Published clinical results of "Efficacy of Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Ceramic with a Needle-shaped Surface Topography Versus Autograft in Instrumented Posterolateral Spinal Fusion: A Randomized Trial" include fusion data on 91 patients and 128 segments with 1-year follow-up after surgery. As previously reported and now detailed in the peer-reviewed publication, the data demonstrates: MagnetOs TM effectiveness as a standalone* alternative to autograft in challenging posterolateral fusions (PLF); effectiveness as a standalone* alternative to autograft in challenging posterolateral fusions (PLF); Nearly double the fusion rate as compared to autograft in PLF, showing a 79% overall fusion rate with MagnetOs as independently measured with fine-cut CT, compared to 47% for autograft, which included difficult-to-treat patients of current and former smokers (n=19 and 35 respectively); and Noninferiority of MagnetOs versus autograft per study design, with primary outcome analysis even indicating MagnetOs superiority. "We are extremely pleased to share the results of the MAXA study with the medical community," said Moyo C. Kruyt, MD, PhD, lead researcher in the MAXA study. "The MAXA study demonstrates for the first time that an advanced synthetic bone substitute likely performs better than the current gold standard autograft in a challenging posterolateral fusion location." Chris Fair, Chief Executive Officer of Kuros, said, "Kuros is committed to supporting clinical research and providing evidence-based solutions for next generation bone healing technologies. This study's acceptance and publication in Spine is proof of that commitment." Fair continued, "We commend Professor Kruyt and his team for their independent efforts and their desire to provide the spine community and their patients with a robust level 1 study that supports the use of MagnetOs for difficult to treat patients and highlights a viable alternative to autograft." The publication, which includes additional details such as study design, patient demographics, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and complications reported in the study, can be accessed on the Spine website and is also available on the Kuros Biosciences website. 1. Stempels, H. et al., "Efficacy of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic with a needle-shaped surface topography versus autograft in instrumented posterolateral spinal fusion: A randomized trial." Spine. June 17, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000005075 2. Van Dijk, et al. eCM. 2021; 41:756-73. 3. Duan, et al. eCM. 2019; 37:60-73. 4. Van Dijk, et al. Clin Spine Surg. 2020;33(6): E276-E287. 5. Van Dijk, et al. JOR Spine. 2018; e1039 6. Van Dijk, et al. J Biomed Mater Res. Part B: Appl Biomater. *MagnetOs was mixed with venous blood Results from in vivo laboratory testing may not be predictive of clinical experience in humans. For important safety and intended use information please visit kurosbio.com. MagnetOs is not cleared by the FDA or TGA as an osteoinductive bone graft. MagnetOs has been proven to generate more predictable fusions than two commercially available alternatives in an ovine model of posterolateral fusion. About the MAXA Trial The MAXA study is a 100-patient multicenter, observer blinded, randomized, intra-patient controlled, non-inferiority trial with intra-patient comparisons. Adult patients qualifying for instrumented posterolateral spinal fusion of one to six levels in the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral region (T10-S2) with the use of autograft were included and posterolateral lumbar/thoracolumbar fusion was assessed by fine-cut CT-scan 12 months after surgery. According to a randomization scheme, MagnetOs was implanted on one side of the spine and the gold standard autograft (consisting of at least 50% bone harvested from the iliac crest mixed with local bone) was implanted on the other side of the spine. The investigators were blinded to the side assigned to the grafts until just prior to graft application. Thereby, each patient serves as its own control. More details can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03625544). Fusion performance of MagnetOs was tested with a noninferiority margin of 15%. The MAXA clinical trial was funded via an unrestricted research grant from Kuros Biosciences. Unrestricted research grants provide funding to clinical investigators with an interest in advancing the knowledge and understanding of certain technologies. These grants are donations in the form of flexible funding that can be directed toward whatever program, project, or expense the investigator chooses. About 'Spine' As the leading international journal in spine surgery, Spine publishes high-impact, peer-reviewed original research manuscripts. Spine is one of the top referenced journals in the field and is recognized for featuring new technology and innovative procedures and techniques. About MagnetOs MagnetOs is a bone graft like no other: thanks to its NeedleGripTM surface technology, it enables bone formation without added cells or growth factors. This surface technology provides traction for our body's vitally important 'pro-healing' immune cells (M2 macrophages). This in turn, unlocks previously untapped potential to stimulate stem cells - and form new bone throughout the graft. The growing body of science behind NeedleGrip is called osteoimmunology. But for surgeons and their patients it means one thing: a more predictable fusion. 2-6 Indications statement Please refer to the instructions for use for your local region for a full list of indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions. About Kuros Biosciences Kuros Biosciences is on a mission to discover, develop and deliver innovative biologic fusion technologies. With locations in the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands, the company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company's first commercial product, MagnetOsTM, is a unique advanced bone graft that has already been used across three continents in 25,000 fusion surgeries. For more information on the company and its products, visit kurosbio.com . Forward Looking Statements This media release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "will" or "expect" or the negative of those words or other similar words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements include scientific, business, economic and financial factors. Against the background of these uncertainties, readers should not rely on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility for updating forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments. For further information, please contact: Kuros Biosciences AG Daniel Geiger Chief Financial Officer Tel +41 44 733 47 41 daniel.geiger@kurosbio.com Investors Gilmartin Group Vivian Cervantes Tel: +1 332.895.3220 vivian.cervantes@gilmartinir.com End of Media Release BenevolentAI ("BenevolentAI" or the "Company") (Euronext Amsterdam: BAI), a leader in applying advanced AI to accelerate biopharma drug discovery, announces that AstraZeneca has added a novel target for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to its discovery portfolio through its collaboration with BenevolentAI. Second target to be selected this year from the extended collaboration with AstraZeneca, highlighting continued positive progress in the field of target identification Novel target for SLE was discovered using BenevolentAI's AI-drug discovery platform and experimentally validated by AstraZeneca BenevolentAI's strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca began in 2019 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic kidney disease, with the collaboration expanded in January 2022 to include heart failure and SLE. The success today in the extension phase of the collaboration follows the announcement last month that AstraZeneca had selected a novel heart failure target to enter its portfolio and further demonstrates how the Benevolent PlatformTM can be applied across multiple therapeutic areas. The strength of the collaboration in the identification of novel and robust targets is due to its innovative structure combining AstraZeneca's scientific and disease-specific expertise with BenevolentAI's AI-driven drug discovery platform and biomedical knowledge. As with the initial collaboration with AstraZeneca, the 2022 extension included an upfront payment on signing, as well as research funding alongside discovery, development and commercial milestones, in addition to tiered royalties on net sales of any commercialised products. SLE, or lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly identifies the body's own tissues as foreign. In people with lupus, the immune system creates autoantibodies to attack the body's own tissues. These autoantibodies form immune complexes causing inflammation, pain and damage often affecting the organs and joints in severe cases. Extreme fatigue and cognitive issues are also common, along with comorbidities including cardiovascular disease. Lupus disproportionately affects females and people of Asian, Black African and Caribbean heritage. Dr Anne Phelan, Chief Scientific Officer of BenevolentAI, said: "Following our recent success in the area of heart failure, I'm delighted that AstraZeneca has selected a novel target for SLE to enter its portfolio. The continued, fruitful efforts of our two companies working in collaboration will help bring potential new therapeutic options to lupus patients, whose quality of life is often severely limited by the disease." Prof Maria Belvisi, SVP and Head of Research and Early Development Respiratory and Immunology at AstraZeneca said: "Our aim is to lead in lupus by continuing to discover and develop novel treatments that push the efficacy ceiling for patients, allowing more people to achieve remission. By combining our immunology disease area expertise and BenevolentAI's AI-driven discovery platform, we are increasing our ability to identify new targets based on patient insights, complementing our portfolio of potential treatments for this debilitating disease." Category: non-regulatory About BenevolentAI At BenevolentAI (AMS: BAI), we serve patients by leveraging our proprietary and validated Benevolent Platform that integrates AI and science to uncover new biology, predict novel targets and develop first-in-class or best-in-class drugs for complex diseases. By applying proprietary advanced AI tools, in combination with in-house scientific expertise and wet-lab facilities, BenevolentAI is well-positioned to identify and accelerate novel drug discovery. The Company's business model presents multiple routes for value creation including discovery collaborations with pharma companies like AstraZeneca and Merck and advancing in-house pipelines to inflection points. Headquartered in London, with wet labs in Cambridge (UK), BenevolentAI is at the forefront of reshaping the future of drug discovery and delivering innovative medicines. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240624367158/en/ Contacts: Investors: Catherine Isted Chief Financial Officer investors@benevolent.ai T: +44(0) 203 781 9360 Media: James Osborn Communications Lead press@benevolent.ai T: +44(0) 203 781 9360 FTI Consulting: Ben Atwell Simon Conway Victoria Foster Mitchell BenevolentAI@fticonsulting.com T: +44 203 727 1000 Appointment of Mr. Pierre Bastid as Chairman of the Board of Directors to succeed Mr. Alexandre Conroy, who has resigned for personal reasons Retirement of Mr. Andre Muller, independent director, following his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Idorsia Regulatory News: CARMAT (FR0010907956, ALCAR), designer and developer of the world's most advanced total artificial heart, aiming to provide a therapeutic alternative for people suffering from advanced biventricular heart failure (the "Company" or "CARMAT"), announces the appointment of Mr. Pierre Bastid, Director, as Chairman of the Board of CARMAT, replacing Mr. Alexandre Conroy, who has resigned for personal reasons; and the retirement of Mr. Andre Muller, Director, following his appointment as CEO of Idorsia. A seasoned industrialist and entrepreneur, Mr. Pierre Bastid knows CARMAT very well, having served on its Board as a director since 2018. He is also one of the Company's main shareholders via the LOHAS and Les Bastidons entities, which he controls, and which together hold 13.5% of the Company's share capital. Since taking a stake in CARMAT back in 2016, Mr. Pierre Bastid has participated in each of the capital increases carried out by the Company. Following these changes, CARMAT's Board of Directors, now chaired by Pierre Bastid, consists of 10 members, including 5 independent. Pierre Bastid, Chairman of CARMAT's Board of Directors,comments: "I'm delighted to take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of CARMAT, whose Aeson artificial heart is absolutely unique and carries immense potential. The entire Board and I are fully mobilized alongside the CARMAT teams, and determined to pursue and accelerate the Company's commercial development over the coming months. We are all driven by a common goal: bring a solution to the ever-increasing number of patients suffering from advanced biventricular heart failure." Stephane Piat, Chief Executive Officer of CARMAT,concludes: "I would like to thank Alexandre Conroy for accompanying CARMAT during a particularly intense period for the Company, as well as Andre Muller for giving us the opportunity to benefit from his experience and advice for over 4 years. I am also delighted that Pierre Bastid, whose support has been unfailing since 2016, is taking over as Chairman of CARMAT. His many entrepreneurial successes, industrial expertise and commitment will be invaluable assets for our Company." About CARMAT CARMAT is a French MedTech that designs, manufactures and markets the Aeson artificial heart. The Company's ambition is to make Aeson the first alternative to a heart transplant, and thus provide a therapeutic solution to people suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure, who are facing a well-known shortfall in available human grafts. The world's first physiological artificial heart that is highly hemocompatible, pulsatile and self-regulated, Aeson could save, every year, the lives of thousands of patients waiting for a heart transplant. The device offers patients quality of life and mobility thanks to its ergonomic and portable external power supply system that is continuously connected to the implanted prosthesis. Aeson is commercially available as a bridge to transplant in the European Union and other countries that recognize CE marking. Aeson is also currently being assessed within the framework of an Early Feasibility Study (EFS) in the United States. Founded in 2008, CARMAT is based in the Paris region, with its head offices located in Velizy-Villacoublay and its production site in Bois-d'Arcy. The Company can rely on the talent and expertise of a multidisciplinary team of circa 200 highly specialized people. CARMAT is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris (Ticker: ALCAR ISIN code: FR0010907956). For more information, please go to www.carmatsa.com and follow us on LinkedIn. Name: CARMAT ISIN code: FR0010907956 Ticker: ALCAR Disclaimer This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, nor a solicitation of an order to buy or subscribe to CARMAT shares in any country. This press release may contain forward-looking statements by the company regarding its objectives and prospects. These forward-looking statements are based on the current estimates and anticipations of the company's management and are subject to risk factors and uncertainties such as the company's ability to implement its strategy, the pace of development of CARMAT's production and sales, the pace and results of ongoing or planned clinical trials, technological evolution and competitive environment, regulatory changes, industrial risks, and all risks associated with the company's growth management. The company's objectives mentioned in this press release may not be achieved due to these elements or other risk factors and uncertainties. The Company's material and specific risks are those described in its universal registration document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) under number D.24-0374. Readers' attention is particularly drawn to the fact that the Company's current cash runway is limited to mid-August 2024. Readers' and investors' attention is also drawn to the fact that other risks, unknown or not considered material and specific, may or may not exist. Aeson is an active implantable medical device commercially available in the European Union and other countries recognizing CE marking. The Aeson total artificial heart is intended to replace the ventricles of the native heart and is indicated as a bridge to transplant for patients suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure (INTERMACS classes 1-4) who cannot benefit from maximal medical therapy or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and who are likely to undergo a heart transplant within 180 days of implantation. The decision to implant and the surgical procedure must be carried out by healthcare professionals trained by the manufacturer. The documentation (clinician manual, patient manual, and alarm booklet) should be carefully read to understand the features of Aeson and the information necessary for patient selection and proper use (contraindications, precautions, side effects). In the United States, Aeson is currently exclusively available as part of an Early Feasibility Study approved by the Food Drug Administration (FDA). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240624394741/en/ Contacts: CARMAT Stephane Piat Chief Executive Officer Pascale d'Arbonneau Chief Financial Officer Tel.: +33 1 39 45 64 50 contact@carmatsas.com Alize RP Press Relations Caroline Carmagnol Tel.: +33 6 64 18 99 59 carmat@alizerp.com NewCap Financial Communication & Investor Relations Dusan Oresansky Jeremy Digel Tel.: +33 1 44 71 94 92 carmat@newcap.eu The adoption of cloud computing solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform and increase in the development of smart real estate infrastructure drive the growth of the global property management software market. NEW CASTLE, Del., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Property Management Software Market by Solution (Rental and Tenant Management, Property Sale and Purchase Solution, Accounting and Cash Flow Management Software, Marketing and Advertising, Legal and Insurance Consultancy, and Others), Deployment Model (On-Premises and Cloud Based), and Property Type (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Special Purpose): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033". According to the report, the property management software market was valued at $3.2 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach $7.8 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2024 to 2033. Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities The property management software market is expected to witness notable growth owing to the adoption of cloud computing solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, increase in the development of smart real estate infrastructure, and growth in dependency on one platform approach. Moreover, a rise in consumer demand for sustainable living and working space is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market during the forecast period. On the contrary, lack of awareness regarding optimal software solutions limits the growth of the property management software market. Request Sample Pages: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5972 Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2032 Base Year 2023 Market Size In 2023 $3.2 Billion Market Size In 2032 $7.8 Billion CAGR 8.9 % No. of Pages in Report 279 Segments Covered Solution, Deployment Model, Property Type, and Region Drivers Adoption Of Cloud Computing Solutions and Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) Platform Increase In the Development of Smart Real Estate Infrastructure Growth In Dependency on One Platform Approach Opportunities Rise In Consumer Demand for Sustainable Living and Working Space Restraints Lack Of Awareness Regarding Optimal Software Solutions Buy this Complete Report (279 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/property-management-software-market/purchase-options The marketing and advertising segment is expected to lead the market By solution, the marketing and advertising segment accounted for more than one-fourth of the global property management software market share in 2023 and is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period, owing to increase in the use of digital marketing channels, including social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing, to reach and engage target audiences effectively. Property management software providers are leveraging these platforms to showcase their solutions, share industry insights, and provide valuable resources to potential users. However, the accounting and cash flow management software segment is expected to witness the highest growth of 12.0% in the upcoming years, owing to increase in the adoption of cloud-based solutions, which offer greater accessibility, scalability, and real-time collaboration capabilities. Cloud-based platforms enable property managers to access financial data from anywhere, streamline workflows, and ensure data security and compliance. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies, which automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, invoice processing, and expense categorization, thereby reducing manual errors and improving efficiency. The cloud segment dominated the market in 2023 By deployment model, the cloud segment accounted for more than three-fourths of the global property management software market share in 2023 and is expected to witness the fastest growth rate in the upcoming years, owing to increase in the adoption of mobile-friendly solutions, allowing property managers to access their software and manage their properties from anywhere with an internet connection. This mobile accessibility enhances flexibility and productivity, enabling real-time decision-making and communication. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies into cloud-based platforms, enables advanced functionalities such as predictive maintenance, automated tenant screening, and personalized customer service through chatbots. The commercial segment dominated the market in 2023 By property type, the commercial segment accounted for nearly one-third of the property management software market share in 2023 and is expected to remain dominant by 2032, owing to rise in demand for integrated solutions that cater to the unique needs of commercial property managers and tenants. This includes features such as lease management tools, tenant tracking functionalities, and financial reporting capabilities tailored specifically for commercial properties. However, the residential segment is expected to display the fastest CAGR of 10.7% throughout the forecast period, owing to increase in demand for tenant-centric features and functionalities that enhance the residential tenant experience. This includes self-service portals for online rent payments, maintenance requests, and lease renewals, as well as communication tools such as messaging and notifications to facilitate seamless interactions between property managers and tenants. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth rate in 2032 Region-wise, the property management software market was dominated by North America in 2023 and is expected to retain its position during the forecast period, owing to the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into property management software, enabling predictive analytics, automated workflows, and personalized tenant experiences. These AI-powered features empower property managers to make data-driven decisions, optimize processes, and deliver enhanced services to tenants, ultimately driving operational efficiency and revenue growth. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to rise in the adoption of SaaS platforms across various industries such as educational facilities, industrial units, retail supermarkets, and IT hubs. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on localization and customization in property management software for the Asia-Pacific market, with providers offering features and functionalities tailored to the specific requirements and preferences of local property managers and landlords. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5972 Leading Market Players- IQware Inc. Microsoft Corporation Oracle Corporation PropertyMe Pty. Ltd. REI Master Pty. Ltd. AppFolio, Inc. Yardi Systems, Inc. Entrata, Inc. Alibaba Group Holding Console Australia Pty. Ltd. The report analyzes these key players in the global property management software market. These players have adopted various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report helps determine the business performance, operating segments, developments, and product portfolios of every market player. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/property-management-software-market-to-reach-7-8-billion-globally-by-2033-at-8-9-cagr-allied-market-research-302181279.html ENGYS' new HPC cluster at Verne's Nordic data center ensures maximum results at minimum environmental cost Verne, provider of sustainable data center solutions for high intensity computing, has today announced the successful deployment of a new high-performance computing (HPC) cluster in Iceland for open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software provider, ENGYS, in collaboration with HPC expert OCF. CFD is vital to optimise engineering design in a myriad of industries, from automative companies like Formula One, to construction, aerospace, and academia. But this complex technology takes a lot of energy to run, and therefore comes at a carbon cost. With ENGYS' on-premise cluster with OCF in the UK reaching end-of-life, the company realised it had an opportunity to move the compute to a more sustainable and efficient location. Verne's Icelandic data center was the optimal choice. Iceland's access to 100% renewable energy resources feeds the country's notoriously stable grid, meaning collocating compute here is a reliable and cost-effective investment. Access to 100 percent renewable hydroelectric and geothermal energy as well as free air cooling due to the naturally temperate climate in Iceland means that compute runs at a vastly reduced carbon cost which was a priority for both ENGYS and OCF. OCF designed, configured, and put a Supermicro solution into production for ENGYS, and, together with Verne, ensured ENGYS' Icelandic deployment went smoothly. What's more, Verne and OCF were able to complete the deployment remotely, without the need for OCF or ENGYS to physically travel to Iceland further improving the energy efficiency of the whole operation. "At ENGYS, sustainability is important to us and to our customers, who often utilise CFD to drive efficiency gains within their own operations," said Andrew Jackson, Head of Development at ENGYS. "With our new Icelandic cluster, we can achieve our sustainability goals, while also taking advantage of a more stable and predictably priced energy grid. Furthermore, as Verne's data center campus is designed to support high intensity compute at scale, we can rest assured that our services will always run as efficiently as possible, even as we continue to grow." "Sustainability is at the core of OCF's business, so we were thrilled to work with Verne to support ENGYS' transition to a more sustainable and cost-effective computing solution," said Robert Prior, Marketing Manager at OCF. "As we do not have a physical presence in Iceland, we completed the installation remotely from Sheffield, further reducing the deployment's environmental impact." "Verne is committed to driving the future of sustainable computing," said Alex Picchietti, Vice President, Alliance and Partnerships, Verne. "Our collaboration with OCF in deploying ENGYS' new HPC cluster in Iceland shows how businesses can achieve outstanding performance while adhering to true sustainability and environmental responsibility." ENGYS' new cluster in Iceland ensures the organisation can continue to deliver world-class consulting services and resolve customer issues quickly, without undue environmental impact. The company has plans to expand capacity with more dense clusters in Iceland in the future. About Verne Verne delivers sustainable data center solutions that enable organisations to cost-effectively scale their digital infrastructure while reducing their environmental impact. The company's four Nordic data centers located in Iceland and Finland are all powered by predictably-priced, 100 percent renewable energy and are engineered for high intensity workloads, while its hyper-connected central London data center is the optimal location for latency and connectivity sensitive applications. Verne's on-site experts provide unparalleled support to ensure optimised operations for customers from all industries. About OCF For over 20 years, OCF has delivered brilliance in High Performance Computing. Taking a consultative role between client and technology vendor, we combine technical expertise with trusted partnerships to develop cutting-edge solutions that help forward-thinking organisations break boundaries. About ENGYS ENGYS develops, supports, and delivers best-in-class, enterprise CFD software solutions based on open-source technologies. Its main software products include HELYX and ELEMENTS, along with specialized add-on modules for adjoint-based optimization and advanced flow simulations. ENGYS operates globally through a network of offices and distributors, serving engineers and researchers worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625037909/en/ Contacts: Michelle Edge Claire Ayles Eleven Hundred Agency T: +44(0)20 7688 5202 E: eha@verneglobal.com Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is headed to the Bay Area. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press Hillary Clinton is headed to the Bay Area as part of her five-city book tour. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state plans to visit San Franciscos Davies Symphony Hall on Oct. 7 to promote her new compilation of essays, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty, which is set for release on Sept. 17. Clinton explores topics from her marriage with former President Bill Clinton to her views on politics and faith. Her publisher, Simon & Schuster, describes it as her most personal work yet. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This cover image released by Simon & Schuster shows Clintons newest book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty. The book will be released Sept. 17. Associated Press According to the tour announcement, Clinton and a moderator will discuss similar topics during her live appearances. I cant wait to hit the road and talk about Something Lost, Something Gained with you in person. I hope you can join me for wide-ranging conversations that go behind the scenes and include never-before-told stories, Clinton said in a statement. Well discuss the state of our politics and creating the future we want for our children and grandchildren and, most of all, have some fun while were at it! With the presidential election several months away, Hillary Clinton wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times on Tuesday, June 25, coinciding with the announcement of her forthcoming book and tour. In her article, Clinton argued that it would be a waste of time to refute former President Trumps debate arguments. Drawing on her experience as the only person to have debated both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, she criticized Trumps incoherent debate style and mentioned its decline over the years. Clinton recommended Biden remain direct and forceful against his nemesis. She also advised viewers to assess each candidate on a fundamental level, noting that the election presented a choice between a convicted criminal seeking revenge and a president delivering results, or between chaos and competence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad RoslinCT, a leading cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Sir Peter Mathieson MB BS (Hons), PhD, FRCP, FRCPE, FMedSci, FRSE, FRSA and Alexander Vos as new Non-Executive Directors. Professor Sir Peter Mathieson brings an exceptional wealth of experience in higher education, medical research, and organisational leadership. Currently serving as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh since 2018, Sir Peter also holds Honorary Professorships in Medicine at the Universities of Edinburgh, Hong Kong, and Bristol. His illustrious career includes notable roles such as President of the University of Hong Kong (2014-18) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Dentistry at the University of Bristol (2008-14). Sir Peter was knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for his services to higher education, reflecting his significant contributions to the field. Additionally, Sir Peter has held numerous non-executive and trustee roles, including positions with the Renal Association, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Scottish Funding Council, and Newbattle Abbey College Trust. His career highlights also include tenure as an honorary consultant nephrologist with a clinical interest in autoimmune diseases and renal transplantation. He has led a significant research group in Bristol and contributed extensively to medical education and clinical research, particularly in Africa. His publication record includes 327 works, covering clinical trials, laboratory research, and societal matters, and he has been a driving force in academic careers both in the UK and internationally. Alexander Vos is a biotech leader with 30 years of experience, specializing in biopharmaceuticals and cell gene therapy. He started at McKinsey Co. and held executive roles at Genzyme Therapeutics Europe. He was CEO of MediService AG, PAION AG's Deputy-CEO and COO, and led PharmaCell BV to a successful sale to Lonza. Vos also served as CEO of VarmX and VectorY, setting strategy and raising significant funds for these companies. Currently, he sits on several biotech boards and is a Venture Partner at BioGeneration Ventures. He holds an MS in Pharmacy and Pharmacology and an MBA from Stanford University. Alexander Vos's proven leadership in advancing innovative therapies and achieving successful exits for investors will be invaluable to RoslinCT. His skills in biotech strategy development, operations, and M&A will complement the existing strengths of the board. "We are excited to welcome both Professor Sir Peter Mathieson and Alexander Vos to our Board," said Geoffrey Hamilton Fairley, Executive Chairman of the RoslinCT Group. "Sir Peter's extensive experience in academic leadership and his proven track record in advancing medical research and education, combined with Alexander's strategic insight and wealth of experience in biotech and cell and gene therapy, align perfectly with RoslinCT's mission. Their combined expertise will be instrumental as we continue to develop and manufacture cutting-edge cell and gene therapies." "I am honoured to join RoslinCT at such an exciting time for the company and the field of cell and gene therapy," said Sir Peter Mathieson. "I look forward to contributing to RoslinCT's innovative efforts to bring life-saving therapies to patients worldwide." Alexander Vos added, "I am excited to be part of RoslinCT's journey and to support its mission to advance cell and gene therapies. The company is at the forefront of groundbreaking science, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success." About RoslinCT RoslinCT is a leading global contract development and manufacturing services organization (CDMO) focused on Advanced Cell and Gene Therapies. Established in 2006 and built upon the ground-breaking technology cloning of Dolly the Sheep at the Roslin Institute in 1997, RoslinCT has harnessed cutting-edge science to advance the development of human medicines. With a remarkable heritage in the field, the company has achieved significant milestones. These include being among one of the first in the world to produce clinical-grade human pluripotent stem cells. In collaboration with the partners, RoslinCT also developed the first CRISPR-edited cell therapy product for a major inherited disorder, taking it from early development to commercialisation. Equipped with 22 purpose-built cGMP cell therapy processing suites in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Hopkinton, Massachusetts, RoslinCT provides innovative process and analytical development, cGMP clinical and commercial manufacturing for a range of cell types for both autologous and allogeneic processes, and cGMP iPSC cell line development, gene editing, and differentiation. With tailored CDMO solutions, RoslinCT enables partners to efficiently progress from development to commercialisation and deliver life-saving Cell and Gene Therapies worldwide. RoslinCT is a GHO Capital portfolio company. Discover more about our services at www.roslinct.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625300790/en/ Contacts: For Media Enquiries: Katerina Tsita Senior Marketing Manager, RoslinCT E-mail: katerina.tsita@roslinct.com High-quality audio recorders combined with AI technology for automatic recording transcriptions, summaries, action lists and insights launched Philips Speech by Speech Processing Solutions, a globally leading innovator in voice technology, has announced that they are taking their cooperation with Sembly AI further by extending their audio recorder range with another three new products. Each new recorder is designed to cover different consumer needs and is equipped with Sembly vouchers for users to experience Sembly's new AI capabilities with a free trial version. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625566533/en/ Philips VoiceTracer Audio Recorders (Photo: Business Wire) Excellent audio recording paired with AI technology "We are delighted to announce that our partnership with Sembly AI opens up new market opportunities by combining the best of both worlds. By providing top-of-the-line audio recorders paired with an AI meeting assistant, we can offer automatic transcriptions, summaries, and action lists for every recording, whether it's a lecture or a meeting," explains Dr. Thomas Brauner, CEO of Speech Processing Solutions. "Our innovative solutions enable busy professionals to save time and conduct meetings more efficiently than ever," he adds. The new Philips VoiceTracer Audio Recorder DVT4115 and DVT6115, designed for students, boast 3MICs for long-distance recording, ideal for capturing lectures and interviews. Sembly can then transcribe and summarize these recordings. The new Philips VoiceTracer DVT8115, equipped with a 360 microphone, is perfect for recording meeting minutes, with Sembly's easy share function to promptly distribute minutes and action steps to team members. These devices are part of a broader Philips product range, designed to meet diverse recording needs. Sembly AI offers more than just meeting minutes The Sembly AI tech startup, founded in 2019, has expanded to offer a wide range of features, including automatic transcription with speaker separation, meeting notes, summaries, and action points. One of the newest innovations is that Sembly AI can now also offer professional AI insights into meetings and conversations, enabling efficient collaboration and streamlined decision-making. "Our latest AI technology seamlessly integrates with Philips products, adding value whether customers are in the office or on the go. Sembly AI now offers much more than just meeting minutes and we are fully committed to offer new AI services in the coming weeks and months," explains Gil Makleff, CEO and Co-founder of Sembly AI. "We are proud to collaborate with Philips to enhance the customer experience, empowering users to unlock the full potential of their audio recordings and maximize productivity," he adds. These new devices join Philips' existing portfolio of audio recorders and conference microphones, all compatible with Sembly AI's software. To discover the entire range of Philips Sembly products, visit: www.voicetracer.com About Speech Processing Solutions (SPS): Speech Processing Solutions (SPS), the global leader in professional dictation solutions, is active in 50+ countries, with over 4 million users and a worldwide network of 1,000+ partners. It develops and markets industry-leading dictation and transcription solutions, automated documentation workflows with speech recognition, as well as award-winning dictation devices, sold under the Philips brand. SPS's mission is to empower every user to be more productive by simplifying their work with smart, voice-based solutions. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, SPS has regional offices in Australia, Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Follow Us: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/speech-processing-solutions YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/philipsdictation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philipsdictation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philips_dictation/ About Sembly AI Sembly AI is a voice and conversation analytics technology company, focused on bringing the power of natural language processing to professional meeting environments. Sembly's products can simplify the work life of distributed teams while providing powerful analytics to help teams attend less while getting more done. Sembly AI was founded by CEO Gil Makleff and CPO Artem Koren in 2019. Gil Makleff was CEO of UMT Consulting Group which was acquired by Ernst Young. Artem Koren was a Senior Manager at Ernst Young and CTO at Visual Trading Systems. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625566533/en/ Contacts: Speech Processing Solutions Lea Pachta Senior Marketing Manager Email: lea.pachta@speech.com Tel: +43 (1) 60529-1744 Website: www.philips.com/dictation SpeechLive website: www.speechlive.com Lantronix will preview Percepxion's seamless integration with the Qualcomm AI Hub IRVINE, Calif., June 25, 2024Edge AI Solution prototype's seamless integration with the Qualcomm AI Hubat Qualcomm's AI Analyst and Media Workshop being held on June 25, 2024. Together, this integrated solution delivers a robust platform for optimized model performance, supporting the rapid development, deployment and acceleration of edge AI solutions for industries such as smart city, transportation and connected healthcare. "We are excited to preview the innovative integration of the Percepxion platform with the Qualcomm AI Hub," said Mathi Gurusamy, chief strategy officer for Lantronix. "This solution highlights our mutual commitment to delivering advanced, scalable AI solutions that meet the evolving IoT needs of industries seeking to be on the leading edge of AI technology, and our integrated approach streamlines AI development processes for the creation of reliable, high-performance AI-driven applications." Percepxion, integrated with the Qualcomm AI Hub, helps developers deploy applications to the edge, which can reduce decision latency and data costs while providing robust cloud connectivity. Percepxion helps ease the complexity of integrating edge AI in IoT applications and simplifies the process of optimizing and deploying AI models. "Qualcomm Technologies has made it easier for developers to start deploying AI-optimized models within the Qualcomm AI Hub," stated Ashish Syal, senior director of Engineering, AI/ML at Lantronix. "The Getting Started page is straightforward; the APIs are clear, and the Slack community is responsive and supportive. The Qualcomm AI Hub is an excellent first step for any developer or company looking to move into AI development." Real-life solutions include smart city applications, such as traffic management, public safety monitoring, environmental monitoring, smart utilities, infrastructure management and smart parking. The Percepxion prototype was designed with the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor. About Lantronix Lantronix Inc. is a global leader of compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth industries, including Smart Cities, Automotive and Enterprise. Lantronix's products and services empower companies to achieve success in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that address each layer of the IoT Stack. Lantronix's leading-edge solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing. For more information, visit the Lantronix website . "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including without limitation statements related to Lantronix's Percepxion Edge AI Solution Protype as well as our expectations concerning the Company's prospects for strategic growth and market expansion and leadership. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, future business, financial condition, or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; our ability to mitigate any disruption in our and our suppliers' and vendors' supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other outbreaks, wars and recent tensions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, or other factors; future responses to and effects of public health crises; cybersecurity risks; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to successfully implement our acquisitions strategy or integrate acquired companies; difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; and any additional factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Sept. 12, 2023, including in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Part I of such report; in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on May 2, 2024, including in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Part II of such report; as well as in our other public filings with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in our future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. 2024 Lantronix Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Qualcomm-branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Lantronix Media Contact: Gail Kathryn Miller Corporate Marketing & Communications Manager media@lantronix.com 949-212-0960 Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact: Jeremy Whitaker Chief Financial Officer investors@lantronix.com 949-450-7241 Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg - Pre-Stabilisation Period Announcement PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, June 25 25 June 2024 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau /ISIN DE000A383B10 Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg (contact: Lea-Marie Reich; telephone: +49 711 27091) hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014). Securities Issuer: Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (Aaa/AAA/AAA by Moody's, S&P & Scope) Guarantor(s) (if any): Federal Republic of Germany Aggregate nominal amount: EUR Benchmark Description: 01 October 2027 EUR BMK, RegS, Bearer, off the Issuer's EMTN ProgrammeListing: Frankfurt Stock Exchange (regulated market) Offer price: [XX.XXX] Other offer terms: NA Stabilisation: Stabilisation Manager(s): BNP Paribas, BofA Securities, Credit Agricole CIB and LBBW Stabilisation period expected to start on: 25 June 2024 Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law Stabilisation trading venue(s): Over the counter (OTC) In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom. If and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation") (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State. This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. READY FOR 2024 SUMMER DRILL PROGRAM Troy Minerals Inc. ("Troy" or the "Company") (CSE:TROY)(OTCQB:TROYF)(FSE:VJ3) is pleased to announce that a program of soil sampling on its 100% owned REE Lac Jacques project in Quebec has been completed. The soil program expanded upon the 2023 soil geochemistry survey by extending the sampled area eastward from the Western Grid (and site of the 2023 drilling program), eastward toward the Eastern Grid, following the assumed strike of the dyke toward the eastern anomaly (figure 2). 312 B-Soil samples were collected and are being submitted to ACT Labs for analysis. "We are anxious to receive the analytical results for these newly collected soils at Lac Jacques" said William Cronk, Chief Geologist for Troy Minerals. "Last year's soils results were outstanding and clearly defined drill targets that we are ready to drill as soon as our drill permit is in hand in the coming weeks. This infill program between the West and East Grids will further show the potential veracity of the REE system here and allow us to focus drilling on key targets for a follow-up program at Lac Jacques," he added. According to the International Energy Agency, demand for rare earth elements is expected to reach three to seven times current levels by 2040. "Without access to rare earth elements we wouldn't have today's consumer technology ranging from cell phones, computer hard drives, flat screen TVs and electric cars to defense applications such as lasers, radars, sonar and guidance systems for missiles," said Rana Vig, President and CEO of Troy Minerals. "And with China being the dominant producer of rare earths, some nations, including Canada and the United States, are increasingly worried about whether the supply of these elements will remain stable. So much so that last week the Canadian government diverted a $3 million rare earths sale being made to a Chinese firm to the Saskatchewan Research Council, a Treasury Board Crown corporation overseen by the provincial government of Saskatchewan," he added. LAC JACQUES PROJECT - QUEBEC, CANADA The 100% owned Lac Jacques property is located approximately 250 km north of Montreal Quebec, Canada and approximately 40 km northeast of the town of St. Anne du Lac. Figure 1: Location Map PREVIOUS WORK Work through 2023 consisted of an initial soil geochemical survey, a drone-supported airborne magnetics survey and 4-hole diamond drill program. 2024 EXPLORATION The Company submitted an application for a drilling permit earlier this year. Final approval is pending and is expected in the next few weeks. The proposed drill plan for 2024 is eight holes totaling 3200 meters. Figure 2: Total REE+Y soils on regional geology QUALIFIED PERSON The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Cronk, B.Sc., P.Geo., who is a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Rana Vig | President and Director Telephone: 604-218-4766 Email: rana@ranavig.com Forward-Looking Statements Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Troy Resources Inc. (the "Company") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include results of exploration activities may not show quality and quantity necessary for further exploration or future exploitation of minerals deposits, volatility of commodity prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, permitting and other approvals, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Troy Minerals Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com NEURIED, Germany, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AMSilk GmbH ("AMSilk"), a global leader in advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins, today announces that it will be making its first appearance at Premiere Vision Paris, the largest textile trade show in Europe, from the 2-4 July 2024. Premiere Vision Paris, an international event for creative and eco-responsible fashion professionals, attracts the industry's leading decision makers from the most successful brands and designers in Europe and beyond. This gives AMSilk the opportunity to showcase its advanced biofabricated yarns to a targeted audience of key stakeholders in the textile industry. As the only Company to have succeeded in producing continuous filament yarns from spider silk proteins, AMSilk is now ready for commercialisation and the fair provides an important opportunity to showcase how the Company is redefining the boundaries of bio-based materials. AMSilk's participation in Premiere Vision Paris follows on from its trade show debut at Pitti Immagine Filati in Florence, Italy. Benoit Cugnet, Head of Fiber Business at AMSilk, commented: "Premiere Vision is the largest textile fair in Europe and it functions as a launch pad for those companies and innovators attempting to shape the future of the textile industry. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to contribute to these discussions and exhibit our industry leading advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins." Members of AMSilk's team will be at Premiere Vision Paris, please reach out to set up a meeting or come along to its stand to learn more about its advanced biomaterials. Premiere Vision Paris, Paris, France 2-4 July 2024 Attending: Benoit Cugnet, Romy Straeng, Lucille Wepierre Exhibition Location: PARIS NORD VILLEPINTE Exhibition Section: SMART CREATION/ 6S6 About AMSilk AMSilk is a frontrunner in advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins. Using a patented technology platform, protected by a best-in-class patent portfolio, we are pushing boundaries in the field of bio-based materials. At AMSilk, we turn man-made proteins into formulations, including fibers and yarns, hydrogels and silk powder. The high-performance qualities of our material enable a wide range of applications in the textile, homecare, biomedical, and automobile industries and bring breakthrough benefits for products and customers. AMSilk's materials go beyond earlier bio replacements; they can be tailored to specific market or product requirements, are biodegradable according to international standards and have a significantly lower CO2 greenhouse gas emission and less land and water use compared to many other protein fibers. The Company has already collaborated with industry-leading global companies and plans to continue partnering with enterprises worldwide to pursue the vision of enabling true change through intelligent biotech materials. For more information, please visit www.amsilk.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amsilk-to-showcase-its-biofabricated-yarns-at-europes-largest-trade-show-premiere-vision-paris-302180495.html Learnosity's new AI Labs project to create over 20 new jobs within the AI education technology space Learnosity committed to developing AI expertise in Ireland while democratising access to emerging technologies. DUBLIN, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dublin-based edtech leader Learnosity has today announced the launch of its new AI Labs initiative, aimed at driving world-leading innovation in the education technology space. This ambitious project will see Learnosity, who provide industry-leading assessment technology across a range of high-stakes industries, create over 20 new, high-value, R&D job roles for the next generation of data scientists, product managers, prompt engineers and full stack software engineers focused on operationalising the promise of AI to benefit all. Learnosity co-founder and CEO Gavin Cooney emphasised the organisation's commitment to developing home-grown AI talent. "We want to nurture the next generation of Irish AI experts who can lead the charge in revolutionising edtech. Through this initiative, we're creating Irish-based jobs for the next generation of Irish talent and helping to make Ireland synonymous with AI innovation." Central to the AI Labs's mission is furthering access to emerging technologies. Gavin continues "We see this as an opportunity to lead by example - to show how AI can create opportunities when guided by an ethical compass. Too often, the benefits of new technology advancements are only truly available to the largest companies and never make it into the hands of educators and students who need them most. We plan to change that." Thomas Byrne, Minister for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht and TD for Meath East, warmly welcomed the announcement saying, "This is fantastic news for Ireland. I warmly welcome this investment of 20 new positions in the cutting edge digital assessment solutions and EdTech sector. It is a wonderful vote of confidence in Ireland's tech sector and the attractive environment that the Government has created. I commend co-founder of Learnosity, Gavin Cooney, for basing these 20 new jobs in Ireland. I wish Learnosity every success and congratulate them on their many achievements across the globe, to date." Learnosity, which serves over 40 million users globally, was recently ranked 16th on TIME Magazine's inaugural list of the World's Top EdTech Companies. Ranking 1st for Irish EdTech business and 3rd across European organisations on the list which recognises the top 250 leading forces in the EdTech industry. Applications for the new job roles are now open and prospects are invited to submit their applications via the Learnosity website, here . To find out more about Learnosity visit learnosity.com About Learnosity Learnosity is the global leader in assessment solutions. Serving over 750 customers and more than 40 million learners, its mission is to advance education and learning worldwide with best-in-class technology. Learnosity's assessment APIs make it easy for modern learning platforms to quickly launch fully featured products, scale on demand, and always meet fast-evolving market needs. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/learnosity-announces-major-ai-investment-and-workforce-expansion-in-dublin-302180620.html RIO DE JANEIRO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The inaugural three-day Latin America FII PRIORITY Summit, powered by FII Institute, commenced on Tuesday at the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. Convening global officials, along with business leaders from various sectors, the event will tackle pressing issues under the theme "Invest in Dignity." The Summit welcomed over 1,500 delegates, who attended 66 sessions featuring more than 190 speakers. The opening ceremony included remarks by the CEO of FII Institute, Richard Attias; His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund, Chairman of Saudi ARAMCO, and Chairman of the Board of FII Institute; and the President of the Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In his opening remarks, Attias said, "Today, we gather with a shared mission: to invest in dignity. Dignity is not just a concept; it is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to every individual, regardless of their background, economic status, or social standing." He added, "In this room, we have the collective power to drive meaningful change. Our collaboration, innovation, and determination can transform lives and communities." A fireside chat with Al-Rumayyan highlighted the rising role of Brazil in global investment and economic growth. "There are 12,000 new start-ups, and 12 or 16 unicorns were created here. The potential in Brazil is really big," he said. When asked about why FII Institute brought the summit to Rio, His Excellency said, "Why did we host the FII in Rio? The question is: Why not? This is one of the greatest cities not only in Brazil, but the world. At the same time, we will have the G20 and COP30." For his part, President Lula said, "We all want to make the world capable of welcoming all its inhabitants with dignity-and not just a privileged minority." The President also highlighted Brazil's evolving economic and investment landscapes, saying, "The choice to host FII in Rio shows that this is a sign of trust in our country from over 1,000 participants. I'm here to show that Brazil is worthy of this trust." The Summit's flagship Board of Changemakers session featured several notable speakers, including H.R.H. Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States; Magda Chambriard of Petrobras; Marcelo Claure of Claure Group and SHEIN; Bernard Mensah of Bank of America and MLI; Secretary Mike Pompeo, 70th Secretary of State of the United States and Executive Chairman of Impact Investments; and Sir Martin Sorrell of S4 Capital Group. During the session, Princess Reema stressed the importance of dignity as a collective responsibility, further underscoring the theme of the summit. She said, "We all have a responsibility for the way we speak, think, and engage with people. Dignity is an individual concept, but it is a collective responsibility." For her part, Ms. Chambriard noted Brazil's role in the broader global context in maintaining citizen dignity, saying, "The idea is to exercise the power of using all the Brazilian resources and investing based on the respect of the Brazilian society." Visionary Brazilian entrepreneur and media personality Luciano Huck and Cecilia Attias, who is Senior VP of Public Affairs and Board Member, RA&A, and Founder and President of the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women, covered the intersection of media, politics, and responsibility towards both. During the Titan of Industry session, Huck stressed that "The privilege of speaking to 35 million people on global TV is the freedom of speech. I do not treat it as power, but a tremendous responsibility." Executives from Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, Morgan Stanley, and Patria Investments set the tone for the rest of the day in a session tackling global market volatility and disruptions and the impact on investors. Exploring a range of approaches, from backing national champions to diversifying across asset classes, the discussion centred on ways to build resilient portfolios, with key insights shared by prominent industry leaders. Among the notable announcements of the first day of FII PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro, Richard Attias, CEO of FII Institute, announced the Institute's latest flagship initiative, FII Institute TV. Set to launch fully in the coming months, FII Institute TV is a 24/7 platform offering enhanced content curation, in-depth interviews with global leaders, and expert analysis. Furthermore, FII Institute's strategic partner, THIQAH, made a significant announcement for BRICS+ countries, launching their "Certificate of Origin" platform in Brazil in collaboration with CICIBAS. The platform enables exporters and manufacturers to issue and track the status of certificates of origin for manufactured products through a single electronic platform, contributing to a transformation in the commercial and industrial sectors. E-mail: media@fii-institute.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13c76081-cfa1-42b5-af6f-3edc96d21d1b Effortlessly build and run your IoT applications on a single platform, offering seamless global connectivity and highly accurate GNSS tracking. ISTANBUL, June 25, 2024, one of the first truly 'IoT-ready' cellular module manufacturers, proudly announces the launch of the new C17QS Cat 1bis cellular IoT module in the Turkiye market. This latest addition to the renowned C-Series line leverages advanced LTE Cat 1bis technology and optional GNSS tracking to deliver seamless global connectivity and tracking solutions. Designed to meet the growing demand for affordable low-power LTE smart connectivity solutions in the region, the C17QS sets a new standard for efficiency and versatility in the industry. The Cavli C17QS Cat 1bis cellular IoT module has been engineered to perform the role of a spiritual successor of our earlier Cat 1bis module, the C16QS. The C16QS was developed to solve one of the long-standing problems within the IoT landscape, merging the high speeds of LTE networks within low power hardware. Capitalizing on advanced LTE Cat 1bis technology, C16QS enabled OEMs to develop cost effective low power IoT solutions that could leverage the higher bandwidths of LTE networks with ease and the module has proven to be an industry benchmark, finding applications across a variety of use cases. Cavli aims to further push the boundaries of innovation with C17QS by engineering greater hardware and software capabilities into such a small, power efficient and versatile option for OEMs to incorporate into their future-proof connectivity solutions. Visit this link to watch the full module reveal video. The Cavli C17QS Cat 1bis module is designed with an ARM Cortex M3 processor operating at up to 306MHz clock speed, running on the FreeRTOS platform. With an iSIM variant under development, the module's extensive interface options include UART ports, USB 2.0, USIM, SWD, network status and power-on status indicators, ADCs, I2S, I2C, SPI, and GPIO pins. The C17QS iterates upon the earlier foundation laid by C16QS and offers upgraded hardware that includes 2MB of RAM and increased ROM capacity up to 8MB. Combining these upgrades with all new comprehensive SDK support ensures that OEM's across the globe can build and scale connected solutions with use-case specific coding. Features like these are the key reason why C17QS is set to revolutionize Low Power IoT and reduce the time-to-market for IoT OEMs. Supporting a wide range of LTE bands, the C17QS module is equipped for global deployment, providing peak download speeds of up to 10Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5Mbps. The module features a compact LGA form factor with dimensions of 26.5 x 22.5 mm and is integrated with a more capable GNSS chipset, enabling support for multi-band (L1 and L5) GNSS constellations, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, BDS, QZSS, and SBAS. Designed to operate in various temperature ranges, the C17QS module is suitable for diverse environmental conditions and remote applications. Its low power consumption and power-saving modes ensure prolonged device lifecycles, making it ideal for both battery-powered and externally powered use cases. The Cavli C17QS Cat 1bis module is designed to power a wide range of IoT applications across various sectors. In agriculture, it enables remote monitoring and management of farming operations, improving efficiency and productivity. In healthcare and e-health, the module facilitates real-time patient monitoring and advanced telemedicine solutions, ensuring better health outcomes. The C17QS offers a distinct advantage in scenarios where power or space constraints necessitate a combined host controller and connectivity chipset solution, surging ahead of competitors. The module has hardware powerful enough to handle the compute operations required in these applications, while simultaneously providing LTE connectivity, placing itself as a versatile and all-in-one solution to IoT OEMs. Retail applications benefit from the C17QS module's robust connectivity for inventory management, smart shelves, and enhanced customer experiences. For smart home applications, the module provides reliable connectivity and tracking for home automation systems, security devices, and energy management solutions. Its small form factor and low power consumption make it ideal for these space and power-constrained environments, ensuring seamless and efficient operation. John Mathew, CEO & Chief Technology Architect of Cavli Wireless, expressed: "The C17QS Cat 1bis module represents a significant advancement in our IoT solutions portfolio. By integrating LTE Cat 1bis technology with SDK, and Hubble management platform support, we are delivering a product that can effectively compete neck to neck with our own range of LPWAN modules. This module is designed to meet the growing demands of various IoT applications in the Turkish market, ensuring efficiency, reliability, and longevity in even the most challenging environments." With its exceptional global connectivity, advanced GNSS tracking, and efficient power management, the C17QS is set to revolutionize various IoT applications across industries. Cavli Wireless, as pioneer in cellular IoT, continues to lead innovation by supporting the digital transformation of Turkish companies. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with partners and customers in Turkiye, offering seamless and affordable smart connectivity. Dedicated to fostering growth in Turkiye's IoT sector, Cavli aims to advance the region's engineering leadership and realize the full potential of IoT innovation to improve lives nationwide. Explore the C17QS and experience the future of IoT connectivity today. About Cavli Wireless Cavli Wireless designs and manufactures IoT-Ready cellular modules that improve device reliability and expedite development processes for various applications. Cavli's smart cellular modules are equipped with global cellular connectivity through integrated eSIM functionality that provides users with affordable international data pricing, simplified device management, and centralized subscription management through the proprietary cloud-based platform Cavli Hubble. Contact Information: Abhinand Dinesh Associate - Corporate Marketing abhinand.dinesh@cavliwireless.com Very Mulberry says its the largest commercial Himalayan mulberry farm in North America. Thomas Sawano / The Chronicle/The Chronicle One-year-old Aashana Gajula couldnt seem to stop stuffing mulberries into her mouth. She grabbed the long, purple berries off the tray in front of her with pudgy hands, staining her face red as she ate. Her family kept supplying her with fruits they were picking off the nearby shamrock-green trees. Ripe mulberries fell into their hands at a light touch. Nearby, berries lay scattered across the ground, adding pops of color to the grass and straw at Very Mulberrys farm in Brentwood. Aashanas parents, Mayuri and Saikant Gajula, grew up eating mulberries in India. So when they heard about Very Mulberry, a farm where they could pick their own, they knew they wanted to take their kids. Aashana loved them, and shes hardly alone: Mulberries are growing ever more popular in the Bay Area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Aashana Gajula, 1, enjoyed mulberries picked by her family. Thomas Sawano / The Chronicle/The Chronicle In the past few years, farms around San Francisco have begun to grow more and more of the fragile berries. None has celebrated them more than Very Mulberry, Habitera Farms brand that claims to be the largest commercial mulberry farm in North America. The farm opened for self-picking last year, encouraging tens of thousands of people to try their Himalayan mulberries. I wanted to just bring this fruit to everybody, said Anil Godhwani, one of the farms co-owners along with his brother Gautam and Smita Sadana. Though the mulberry season is ending now, local farms like Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood will continue selling frozen berries throughout the year. Very Mulberry's U-Pick will be open once more for white mulberries on Saturday, June 29. The distinctive Himalayan mulberry looks like someone stretched out a blackberry into the shape of a finger, with drupelets clinging to a long and slightly crunchy stem. It tastes like a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry: honeyed, earthy, mild. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Longer than typical mulberries, the Himalayan purple mulberry are abundant at Very Mulberry in Brentwood. Thomas Sawano / The Chronicle/The Chronicle Godhwani has loved them since he was too short to pick them off the trees in Delhi, India, throwing stones at the branches in the hope of encouraging ripe mulberries to fall to the ground. Their sweetness, he said, never left his mind, even when he was working in Silicon Valley as an entrepreneur and investor. That memory spurred him to plant a few mulberry trees in his yard. They thrived, and he realized he might be able to grow them at a large scale here in California. So in 2018, he and his co-owners bought Habitera Farms. They planted the trees two years later. Now, with 10,000 trees on-site, Godhwani guides visitors around his orchard with expertise. His advice to pickers never ends: Pick out the darkest mulberry you can find and try it. There are some amazing ones all around this tree. Literally, look at how many there are! When it comes to tasting the mulberries, Godhwani puts on a show. He tilts his head back, opens his mouth and dangles a ripe mulberry above his head. He takes one slow bite. Then another. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The way you want to eat this is how the kings used to eat grapes in the past, he said. Anil Godhwani eats a freshly picked Himalayan mulberry. Thomas Sawano / The Chronicle/The Chronicle Over the next four years, general manager Luis De la Garza said he expects the trees will yield steadily more berries. But even last year, in the farms first commercial season, Godhwani was stunned by the harvest that appeared in May. Looking for help dealing with all the berries, Godhwani called his friend Julie Craft, whom he knew from his early days working at AT&T. He said, Get on a plane. I need you, Craft recalled. Shed semiretired to Florida, but she got on that plane. Now, shes Very Mulberrys chief revenue officer, managing distribution of berries through the U-Pick as well as to farmers markets and stores like Costco. Last year, 40,000 people picked berries at Very Mulberry, where 8-ounce boxes cost $8 each. For a fledgling business, that was intimidating and this year, closer to 75,000 visited during May and June, peak mulberry season. Next year, as the trees yield increases and awareness of the farm grows, Godhwani expects to see over 100,000 visitors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For some, like the Gajula family, the farm offered a chance to remember a taste from childhood. But many of Very Mulberrys visitors first tried the fruit there. Mulberry picker Peter Tse said he hadnt heard of mulberries until his wife suggested they visit last year. Now, hes a repeat customer. Anil Godhwani, co-owner of Very Mulberry, drives his farm car. Thomas Sawano / The Chronicle/The Chronicle As mulberry newbies and veterans alike flock to Very Mulberry, other Bay Area businesses have seen interest in the fruit pick up, too. At East Bay Nursery in Berkeley, several varieties of mulberry trees are sold out a new phenomenon, according to sales associate Doris Roth. Similarly, Frog Hollow Farm chef and co-owner Rebecca Courchesne said shes been selling Pakistani mulberries another name for Himalayan mulberries since 2018. At markets, the farms salespeople try to teach people who arent familiar with the fruit about its appeal. Now, Courchesne said theyre seeing that work begin to pay off. This summer, its starting to catch, she said. I wouldnt say were there yet completely. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Godhwani agreed: Interest in mulberries is mushrooming. He credited that to social media, but as an enthusiastic mulberry proselytizer, he certainly does his part as well. Last Friday, for instance, he passed a fellow farmer driving on a path around the farm. Godhwani started chatting with him before picking up a clamshell box filled with fresh-picked berries. Wanna have some mulberries? he asked. The farmer demurred, but Godhwani persevered. Confident in his produce, certain of the mulberrys appeal, he insisted. Just try one. SYDNEY, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. ("Zoomlion", 01157.HK), a leading manufacturer of advanced equipment, recently attended the ISO/TC 96 (International Standardization Organization, Technical Committee of Cranes) serial meetings held in Sydney, Australia, from April 10-19, 2024, where several international standards led by Zoomlion made important progress. Over 40 crane experts, scholars, and corporate representatives from 12 countries were in attendance. Dr. Fu Ling, vice president & CTO, Mr. Yu Lihu, assistant general manager of Zoomlion Tower Crane, along with three other attendees represented Zoomlion at the meetings. Dr. Fu Ling reported to the ISO/TC 96 Plenary on the secretariat's work and reviewed the progress of the working groups and nine subcommittees under ISO/TC 96. Among the projects led by Zoomlion, ISO 12480-1 Cranes Safe Use Part 1: General has progressed to FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) stage. This standard details crane safety principles to ensure safe operations. This standard covers five main aspects: safe system of work, personnel responsibilities, crane activities (planning, crane selection, installation, disassembly), remote control, and maintenance and inspection requirements. It also provides safety guidance for other crane applications. The project ISO 4302 Wind Load Assessment has been formally accepted and will incorporate a figure of storm wind speeds in China. Zoomlion will also lead the development of a derivative technical report that studies the impact of the interference factor caused by surrounding buildings. Dr. Fu Ling, vice president & CTO of Zoomlion, commented: "Zoomlion's active role in ISO/TC 96 meetings showcases our technical expertise and contribution to global construction machinery safety standards. The progress achieved highlights our commitment to international cooperation and opens new opportunities for industry safety and efficiency. Zoomlion will continue to engage in international standardization efforts to advance the global construction machinery industry." About Zoomlion Founded in 1992, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (01157.HK) is a high-end equipment manufacturing enterprise that integrates engineering machinery, agricultural machinery, and financial services. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zoomlion-drives-international-standards-to-promote-safety-and-efficiency-improvements-in-global-construction-machinery-industry-302181422.html ISTANBUL, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Roborock, a global leader in ultra-intelligent home robotics engineered to simplify daily life, today unveiled the Roborock Qrevo S, its latest breakthrough in robotic vacuum technology. Designed for streamlined household cleaning, this new model combines powerful performance with user-friendly features for the ultimate convenient cleaning experience. Key features include: Multifunctional Dock: Offering an all-in-one automated solution with self-washing, air drying, dust emptying, and tank refilling Offering an all-in-one automated solution with self-washing, air drying, dust emptying, and tank refilling 7,000Pa HyperForce Suction Power: Extracts hair and debris from floor crevices and deep within carpets Extracts hair and debris from floor crevices and deep within carpets Dual Liftable Spinning Mops: Designed to effectively tackle stubborn stains on both smooth tiles and rough surfaces, mimicking manual mopping Designed to effectively tackle stubborn stains on both smooth tiles and rough surfaces, mimicking manual mopping Reactive Tech Obstacle Avoidance: Using structured light to effortlessly detect and navigate around obstacles in cluttered environments Ultimate Convenience: Multifunctional Dock Maximizes Efficiency The Roborock Qrevo S revolutionizes home cleaning with its fully automated, multifunctional dock. This advanced dock manages routine tasks efficiently, allowing you to focus on the more important aspects of life. It features a three-stage mop washing process - slow pre-wash, medium rinse, and high-speed spin drying, similar to that of a washing machine. The dock dynamically adjusts speed and water flow, ensuring high efficiency and convenience with minimal effort. The dock also features a warm air-drying system that operates with minimal noise, making it hardly noticeable in a household setting. It meticulously rotates the mop every 15 minutes to ensure uniform drying throughout. For added peace of mind, the dock is equipped with advanced safety features, including thermostat control, a fuse, and continuous software monitoring, ensuring each operation is safe and dependable. The intelligent auto-dust emptying system of the dock adjusts based on hair accumulation, eliminating the need for manual emptying for up to seven weeks. It features 99.9% pollen filtration for a cleaner environment. The automatic water refill system covers up to 330 square meters on a single clean water tank, reducing the frequency of manual refills and streamlining your cleaning process. Easy maintenance is assured with a detachable base and an advanced filter designed to prevent clogs. Equipped with 30% faster charging, the Roborock Qrevo S minimizes downtime, maintaining readiness for efficient cleaning. Essential Power: 7,000Pa Suction and Dual Spinning Mops for Superior Cleaning The Roborock Qrevo S pairs 7,000Pa HyperForce suction with dual liftable spinning mops, elevating home cleaning efficiency. Its powerful suction effectively removes hair and debris from carpets and floor crevices, enhanced by a 10% increase in brush speed at full power for deeper dust extraction. The device features an all-rubber, anti-tangle brush designed with spiral blades that transport hair to the ends for easy removal. Its floating design ensures optimal contact with uneven surfaces, maximizing cleaning effectiveness across all floor types. The dual spinning mops, rotating at up to 200 RPM, tackle tough stains on both smooth and rough surfaces, mimicking the effectiveness of manual mopping while preventing moisture damage on short pile carpets. They are equipped with a lifting feature to prevent cross-contamination and promote air circulation, which helps prevent mold and eliminate odors during charging and storage. The mops also feature 30 adjustable levels of water flow, allowing precise dampness control for different flooring types and conditions. This comprehensive design keeps the Roborock Qrevo S ready for efficient cleaning, effortlessly maintaining a clean home environment. Smart Mobility: Reactive Tech Obstacle Avoidance The Roborock Qrevo S features Reactive Tech Obstacle Avoidance, powered by structured light, to seamlessly detect and navigate around obstacles, ensuring uninterrupted cleaning. This advanced technology empowers the vacuum to smoothly maneuver through tricky areas, such as under chairs and tables. It intelligently identifies and recommends these spots as 'No-Go Zones,' preventing jams. The smart mobility function makes the Roborock Qrevo S an efficient and dependable tool for keeping your home clean without hassle. Pricing and Availability You can buy Qrevo S for 33.999? in Roborock Turkiye website. ENDS About Roborock Roborock is a leading smart cleaning brand renowned for its intelligent cleaning solutions. With a steadfast dedication to becoming a global leading smart appliance player, Roborock enriches lives with its innovative line of robotic, cordless, wet/dry vacuum cleaners, and washer-dryers. Rooted in a user-centric approach, our R&D-driven solutions cater to diverse cleaning needs in over 15 million homes across 170+ countries. Headquartered in Beijing and with strategic subsidiaries in key markets, including the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and South Korea, Roborock is dedicated to elevating its market presence worldwide. For more information, visit https://tr.roborock.com. For more information: Roborock Turkiye https://tr.roborock.com Yagmur Bilge Cekic / yagmurcekic@roborock.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447301/12.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447302/24.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447318/Roborock_Logo_Horizontal_Lockup_RGB__Full_Color_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/roborock-introduces-roborock-qrevo-s-robust-robotic-performance-meets-comprehensive-self-cleaning-302181434.html Lavoix, major European player in the Intellectual Property (IP) industry, announces the acquisition of Italian IP firm Giambrocono. After opening offices in Munich in 2008 and Milan in 2016, Lavoix thus strengthens its pan-European expansion. As of 20 June 2024, Giambrocono will become a subsidiary of Lavoix Hub, alongside Cabinet Lavoix. Giambrocono will maintain its name and governance structure. Lavoix is located in the most industrialised European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The firm has an office in every city where the Unified Patent Court is present. In addition to our organic growth in Italy through the opening 8 years ago of the Milan office, this external growth transaction via the acquisition of an Italian firm benefiting from an established history and a strong reputation enables us to achieve critical mass, ensuring the quality of matter handling for our clients. Giambrocono celebrated 100 years of business in 2021. Managed by Fabio Giambrocono, the firm relies on an 18-consultant team with a recognised expertise in trademarks designs and patents, as well as in litigation in relation with copyright and intellectual property in general. The firm counts a staff of around fifty at four locations: one main office in Milan and three secondary offices in Bergamo, Reggio Emilia and Macerata. "We are delighted to be joining forces with Fabio Giambrocono and his teams. Their reputation in the Italian and European IP market is firmly established, and the proximity of our structures in terms of organisation and values has greatly facilitated this transalpine marriage. At a time when the UPC is announcing the opening of its central division in Milan, we are offering our clients a truly pan-European strike force," comments Philippe Blot, Chairman of Lavoix "Joining a major group like Lavoix means joining an important player in IP in France and internationally," adds Fabio Giambrocono, managing partner of Giambrocono. "Thanks to this transaction, our clients will continue to benefit from our in-house management style and client care, while enjoying a wide range of innovative services and tools. The dynamism, reliability and sustainability of our firm are thus assured View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625005093/en/ Contacts: Media contact: sophie.rousset@ekno.fr Hardman & Co Research Hardman & Co Insight: Survival of the UK life sciences sector 25-Jun-2024 / 09:43 GMT/BST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Hardman & Co Insight: Survival of the UK life sciences sector For two years running, the Hardman & Co Healthcare index has declined, underperforming both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE All-Share indices. This is quite unusual for healthcare stocks. Apart from the general economic influences, which have made institutions more risk-averse, there was a common knowledge that several companies were in need of additional working capital; so, share prices were marked down in anticipation of equity raises. However, the small- and mid-cap life sciences sector has always been capital intensive, so has anything changed? Consolidation within investing institutions and pension funds has created a much smaller number of groups with enormous funds under management that are much less interested in small, capital-intensive companies. Consequently, the pool of institutions interested in such investments has diminished significantly. Because valuations commanded by several large London-listed companies are well below their international peers, rumours are circulating constantly about an exodus to overseas markets, particularly the US. It is no different for the life sciences sector. Among the small caps, three have already delisted from London this year over poor valuations, with at least one of them expecting to relist in the US when the time is right. Things need to change. Institutional investors in the London market must be more supportive of its life sciences industry, which, historically, has offered them very good returns, otherwise, we fear that the sector could disappear within a few years. But low valuations do throw up opportunities. We highlight Tissue Regenix, which has two regulatory approved tissue technologies that are in much demand; barriers to entry are enormous because of the regulation and controls involved in the processing of human tissue, with customers preferring to leave these technicalities in the hands of a specialist. Following investment in manufacturing capacity expansion, TRX is showing consistent, above-average sales growth, is cash generative and profitable. Yet the market values it at only $57m compared with the $150m spent to get it where it is today. Please click on the link below for the full report: https://hardmanandco.com/research/corporate-research/11260/ To contact us: Hardman & Co 9 Bonhill Street London EC2A 4DJ www.hardmanandco.com Follow us on Twitter @HardmanandCo Contact: Martin Hall mh@hardmanandco.com Hardman & Co Research can still be accessed for free after MiFID II. Please click here to read the statement. About Hardman & Co: Hardman Research Ltd, trading as Hardman & Co, is an appointed representative of Capital Markets Strategy Ltd and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; our FCA registration number is 600843. Hardman Research Ltd is registered at Companies House with number 8256259. Attention is drawn to the important disclaimers at the end of the report. Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Bengaluru, India--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - India's first Cardano Hackathon CardanoCodex returns with a renewed vision and expanded scope for 2024. Following a highly successful debut, the Hackathon has evolved from a small competition to an expansive platform for developer engagement within the Indian Web3 landscape. This year's event is set to build upon its strong foundation, fostering extensive partnerships and collaborative efforts to further drive the development of Cardano in India. About CardanoCodex Figure 1: CardanoCodex 2024: Year 2 of India's Premier Hackathon Series CardanoCodex began last year as a three-month initiative aimed at uplifting and engaging India's vast and diverse developer community. The inaugural event successfully engaged over 2,000 students and 800 developers. Building on this success, the 2024 edition aims to reach even more minds and nurture groundbreaking ideas, furthering Cardano's adoption and development in India's web3 sector. Vision for CardanoCodex 2024 Powered by Cardano funding engine Project Catalyst and moderated by Nucast Labs, CardanoCodex 2024 is set to run from July to September. The event invites developers across India to get engaged with Cardano, to innovate and to showcase their development skills to help drive the Cardano ecosystem forward. Despite being one of the largest developer bases globally, the Cardano ecosystem in India was still in its early stages until last year. We saw a significant level of interest in last year's Hackathon. The ultimate vision is to propel Cardano to the forefront of this rapidly growing developer community, establishing it as a key player in the Indian tech landscape. New Opportunities for Web3 Developers The Indian web3 developer community is growing at a rapid pace. Competition in the EVM space is increasing and developers in India are not getting the opportunities they deserve. Cardano introduces a new alternative with an evolving landscape. The ongoing introduction of comprehensive developer tooling is simplifying the process of building in the ecosystem which makes it attractive to developers looking for a new environment. Additionally, Cardano's governance phase, Voltaire, is about to unlock a $1.5 billion ADA treasury which will foster even more growth and innovation within the ecosystem. Furthermore, developers can code in any major language such as Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, etc., removing any major learning curve hurdles. What's New This Year This year's expanded Hackathon will encompass an ambitious India-wide tour featuring partnerships with some of the prominent Cardano companies, developer guilds such as Google developer groups, India's leading exchanges and DAOs in 5 cities to host events, workshops, and networking sessions. Roadshows will be hosted in five major cities: Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. The event will culminate in Bangalore with the presence of some of India's leading Web3 Venture Capital firms. Figure 2: CardanoCodex 2024: Year 2 of India's Premier Hackathon Series Prizes and Opportunities Participants have much to look forward to, with attractive prizes for the top three teams: 1st Place: 8 Lakhs INR 2nd Place: 3 Lakhs INR 3rd Place: 1.5 Lakhs INR *Prizes will be distributed in ADA, the below conversion is based on an average rate of 0.40 USD Additionally, the top 10 teams will have opportunities for mentorship and potential funding from the $15 million USD Project Catalyst Fund, The largest decentralized innovation funds in the world. Mentor Network and Partners Participants will benefit from a vast network of strong Cardano mentors such as IOG, Emurgo Academy, NMKR, CardanoSpot, TrivolveTech and DCSpark. These mentors will bring extensive knowledge and experience to support developers throughout the Hackathon. We are also collaborating with leading Indian cryptocurrency exchanges like WazirX, CoinDCX, Coinstore, and more than six local Web3 DAOs across India. CardanoCodex 2024 will be one of the most impactful Cardano events and it's being made possible thanks to the vision and support from some of the most key businesses within the Cardano Ecosystem and the Indian Web3 Community. CardanoCodex 2024: Year 2 of India's Premier Hackathon Series "Cardano Codex Hackathon aims to support Indian developer communities through workshops across various cities. EMURGO remains committed to growing Cardano adoption within India through robust infrastructure, engaging hackathons, comprehensive education, and strategic investments.", stated Nikhil Joshi, COO, EMURGO. "We are excited to partner with Cardano to support the next wave of web3 developers in India. As firm believers of educational initiatives and experiential learning, we are looking forward to the event and the ideas of potential developers." - Rajagopal Menon, VP, WazirX Sricharan G., Founder and CEO of Nucast Labs, remarked, "We are thrilled to bring Cardano to the forefront of the Indian Web3 ecosystem. Our goal is to empower developers and startups to create groundbreaking solutions leveraging Cardano that can revolutionize industries and improve lives. This Hackathon is a testament to our commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian Web3 space." Timeline and Registration The Hackathon timeline is structured to maximize engagement and productivity, moving from the application stage to submission, workshops, mentorship, and culminating with the announcement of results. Innovators are invited to register now to be part of Cardano Community. For registration and more information, visit cardanocodex.xyz. PR Contact: ZEX PR WIRE info@zexprwire.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214281 SOURCE: ZEX PR WIRE Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus. Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential. In diesem kostenlosen Report geben wir Ihnen Favoriten an die Hand, die aufgrund von Sondersituation die Chance auf eine Kursvervielfachung besitzen. Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. Relativity aiR for Review brings the future of AI document review to users across nine regions LONDON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal technology company, today announced during the opening keynote of its EMEA-focused annual legal data and tech conference, Relativity Fest London, updates around general availability for its AI-powered review solution, Relativity aiR for Review. "On top of the speed-to-insights that Relativity aiR for Review brings to its users, it is also its precision that makes this solution a game changer," said Phil Saunders, CEO of Relativity. "We're excited to bring these capabilities to EMEA and radically transform the review process, elevating quality and impact to an unprecedented degree." Relativity aiR for Review Available in Q3 Relativity announced that aiR for Review will launch for general availability in Q3. The generative AI-powered document review solution will be available to customers using RelativityOne in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. Since its launch for limited availability in January, 40+ customers have used the solution to conduct hundreds of discrete relevance, issue and key document analyses on over 100 cases, achieving more efficient, consistent and higher-quality document review. "Generative artificial intelligence is introducing the next generation of technology to affect the legal field," said Jon Chan, Senior Managing Director at FTI Technology. "Our e-discovery and innovation teams are excited at the potential of Relativity aiR and other such tools to improve workflows alongside our consultants' expertise in disputes and investigations. With industry-leading technology and AI-powered analytics, we're helping clients effectively tap into technological advancements and deploy the right tool to solve each challenge." The keynote address also highlighted Relativity aiR for Privilege and Relativity aiR for Case Strategy. aiR for Privilege, which uses generative AI to accelerate first-pass privilege review through automation, launched for limited availability in the U.S. in April. aiR for Case Strategy, which makes it faster and simpler for attorneys to extract facts, craft case narratives, and prepare for depositions and trial, is currently in advanced access with a limited number of customers. Unlocking the Future of the EMEA Legal Industry Relativity's EMEA community continues to play an integral role in setting the pace against growing market demand in the region. Over the past year in EMEA, there has been an 85% expansion of RelativityOne data under management, five Relativity partners expanded their RelativityOne offerings to the region and the number of RelativityOne customers increased by 24%. The EMEA community is also driving the evolution of AI within the legal industry. This year, Relativity named three EMEA AI Visionaries: Malik Kheribeche, Director, Discovery & Data Management Lead at Deloitte Switzerland, Ana Orantes, Legal Tech Product Manager (AI & Document Review) at CMS, and Linda Sheehan, Head of IntelligENS at ENS. The list recognises and celebrates individuals who have explored, promoted or experimented with AI in novel ways in legal applications. The closing keynote at this year's conference will introduce a new model and approach to the EMEA community, ushering in a shift in the landscape of the industry - Legal Data Intelligence. Legal Data Intelligence is a model that communicates the value legal professionals can bring to their organisations through the power of data analysis. Three Legal Data Intelligence founding members will take the stage to demonstrate how the model works across various use cases, explore AI's role in its application and highlight emerging opportunities. Powering the Pursuit of Justice in EMEA The EMEA community is also expanding its social impact footprint by pursuing racial and social justice within their communities through RelativityOne. Since the launch of the Justice for Change Programme in EMEA at last year's Relativity Fest London, Justice for Change has procured five approved matters, contributing to its mission of closing the gap in access to justice across demographics worldwide by equipping organisations with the technology they need to do so. One matter, highlighted in the keynote, seeks to provide ongoing support for justice in Syria through a partnership between Relativity Partner FRP Advisory, a UK-based, specialist business advisory firm, and Mnemonic, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to archiving, investigating and memorialising digital information documenting human rights violations and international crimes. About Relativity Relativity makes software to help users organise data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product, RelativityOne, manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organisations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit www.relativity.com for more information. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/445801/4777232/new_Relativity_logo_Logo_v2.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/relativity-announces-general-availability-date-for-its-generative-ai-powered-review-solution-at-relativity-fest-london-302179712.html Faraday Copper Corp. ("Faraday" or the "Company") (TSX:FDY)(OTCQX:CPPKF) is pleased to announce the results of nine drill holes from its ongoing Phase III drill program at the Copper Creek Project, located in Arizona, U.S. ("Copper Creek"). Two holes were drilled to test near-surface mineralization potential in the American Eagle area and five reconnaissance holes were drilled to test previously undrilled breccias near Area 51 outside of the recent Starship and Eclipse breccia discoveries. Two holes were drilled in the Bald area between Area 51 and American Eagle. Paul Harbidge, President and CEO, commented "The first two drill holes that Faraday has completed at the American Eagle area, which is situated above the underground resource, have confirmed our thesis that there is significant near-surface mineralization present. This area offers the potential for a substantial increase in open pit resources that could enhance the scale of the project. Current drilling is ongoing in the American Eagle area, where we continue to target near-surface mineralization with the vision of a new high tonnage open pit resource being defined." Highlights At the American Eagle area, two holes were drilled to test the potential for a new open pit mineral resource to be defined above the current American Eagle underground resource. Intersected 20.07 metres ("m") at 1.20% copper , 0.0997% molybdenum and 6.8 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver from 406.58 m in drill hole FCD-24-064 (~230 m below surface). This intercept is within 100.29 m at 0.42% copper, 0.0223% molybdenum and 1.84 g/t silver from 395.41 m. This drill hole ended in mineralization. Intersected 22.92 m at 0.58% copper from 227.34 m in drill hole FCD-24-065 . This intercept is within 142.69 m at 0.31% copper from 219.26 m (less than 150 m below surface). The results from this hole represent the discovery of significant copper mineralization at the previously undrilled SK-3 and Prada breccias. two holes were drilled to test the potential for a new open pit mineral resource to be defined above the current American Eagle underground resource. Reconnaissance drilling at Area 51 confirmed prospectivity at depth. Several recently mapped breccias near Area 51 intercepted short intervals of copper mineralization and elevated silver. Geochemical and mineralogical data suggests the drilling intersected the upper portion of a potentially mineralized system. Follow-up drilling is planned to test the potential at depth. Several recently mapped breccias near Area 51 intercepted short intervals of copper mineralization and elevated silver. Geochemical and mineralogical data suggests the drilling intersected the upper portion of a potentially mineralized system. Follow-up drilling is planned to test the potential at depth. Exploration upside with many untested breccias and porphyries that have been emplaced along the principal controlling fault structures in the district. As targets are tested and either advanced or removed from the exploration plan, a continuous pipeline of targets for drill testing is being developed. (For true width information see Table 1.) The American Eagle area has dimensions of approximately 800 m by 1,000 m and is a host to numerous prospective breccias and porphyries that have been mapped at surface and have a strong copper geochemical signature. These surface expressions locate above the large underground porphyry resource, which is approximately 500 m to 1,100 m depth below surface. The near-surface mineralization was not adequately tested historically as previous drilling was vertical to steeply inclined. Mapped geology, isolated historical drill intercepts and historic small scale mining highlight the potential for near-surface mineralization. Approximately 54,000 metric tonnes at 3.78% copper were historically extracted from a series of narrow stopes to 90 m depth at the American Eagle breccia (Higgins, 1911) 1. The first two drill holes Faraday has completed in this area have confirmed the potential for significant near-surface mineralization, with mineralized intercepts in the two drill holes approximately 190 m apart laterally. Drilling continues in this area. Drill hole FCD-24-064 was collared south of the SK-3 breccia and drilled to the north. It intersected granodiorite and several hydrothermal breccias as well as zones of high-density early halo veins. Breccia intervals occur from 46 m to 159 m, from 183 m to 201 m, from 347 m to 362 m, and from 407 m to 422 m. Shallow breccia intercepts are pyrite cemented but below 183 m downhole, chalcopyrite is significant and increases with depth. The vertical sulphide zonation highlights the potential for copper mineralization below the pyrite cemented breccias. Besides chalcopyrite and pyrite in breccia cement, mineralization also occurs in vein zones; molybdenite is abundant from 407 m to 422 m. The drill hole ends in mineralization hosted in veinlets. Sericite is the dominant alteration mineral in breccias whereas sericite and kaolinite are associated with vein zones hosted in granodiorite. was collared south of the SK-3 breccia and drilled to the north. It intersected granodiorite and several hydrothermal breccias as well as zones of high-density early halo veins. Breccia intervals occur from 46 m to 159 m, from 183 m to 201 m, from 347 m to 362 m, and from 407 m to 422 m. Shallow breccia intercepts are pyrite cemented but below 183 m downhole, chalcopyrite is significant and increases with depth. The vertical sulphide zonation highlights the potential for copper mineralization below the pyrite cemented breccias. Besides chalcopyrite and pyrite in breccia cement, mineralization also occurs in vein zones; molybdenite is abundant from 407 m to 422 m. The drill hole ends in mineralization hosted in veinlets. Sericite is the dominant alteration mineral in breccias whereas sericite and kaolinite are associated with vein zones hosted in granodiorite. Drill hole FCD-24-065 was collared south of the SK-3 breccia and drilled to the northwest. The hole intersected igneous cemented breccia from surface to 52 m and quartz-pyrite and tourmaline cemented breccia with short intervals of granodiorite from 52 m to 304 m. Chalcopyrite appears together with pyrite around 140 m depth downhole and increases downward. The hole ends in mineralization hosted in granodiorite cross-cut by veinlets. Sericite-kaolinite is the dominant alteration affecting the breccia domains and the granodiorite at the end of the hole. Area 51 was identified as highly prospective by integrating airborne versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) geophysical data and short wave infrared spectral data together with geological mapping and sampling. Area 51 encompasses a porphyry intrusion with nine mapped breccia bodies over an area of approximately 400 m by 400 m, including the Starship and Eclipse discoveries (announced on January 16, 2024 and March 4, 2024). The breccias are interpreted to have been emplaced at a shallow crustal level in the hanging wall of the northwest trending Holy Joe thrust fault, which brought Proterozoic metamorphic rocks in contact with younger sedimentary rock units to the east of Area 51. East to northeast striking extensional faults have down dropped Area 51, which is manifested by the preservation of shallow features such as Glory Hole volcanic host-rocks, epithermal alteration assemblages and pyrite together with specular hematite as breccia cement. Three reconnaissance holes were drilled into breccias outside the known mineralization. To date, 13 holes have been drilled into this area, testing six breccias, and confirmed that two breccias contain significant mineralization starting at surface. An additional two breccias show prospectivity at depth. Data is currently being interpreted and modeled for follow up drilling. Drill hole FCD-24-057 was collared near the Starship breccia and drilled to the north-northeast. It started in granodiorite and intersected breccia from approximately 31 m to 42 m and approximately 59 m to 93 m. Breccia intervals are variably cemented by quartz, pyrite, specular hematite and tourmaline. From 93 m to 141 m, the hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics and entered basement rocks (Pinal Schist) below that depth. Dominant alteration is sericitic throughout the hole. was collared near the Starship breccia and drilled to the north-northeast. It started in granodiorite and intersected breccia from approximately 31 m to 42 m and approximately 59 m to 93 m. Breccia intervals are variably cemented by quartz, pyrite, specular hematite and tourmaline. From 93 m to 141 m, the hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics and entered basement rocks (Pinal Schist) below that depth. Dominant alteration is sericitic throughout the hole. Drill hole FCD-24-058 was collared near the Starship breccia and drilled to the northwest. The hole started in granodiorite, which includes igneous cemented breccia domains from 24 m to 100 m. Pyrite-cemented breccia is present from 100 m to 121 m and the remainder of the hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics. The dominant alteration is sericite and kaolinite to 121 m, after which alteration intensity decreases. was collared near the Starship breccia and drilled to the northwest. The hole started in granodiorite, which includes igneous cemented breccia domains from 24 m to 100 m. Pyrite-cemented breccia is present from 100 m to 121 m and the remainder of the hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics. The dominant alteration is sericite and kaolinite to 121 m, after which alteration intensity decreases. Drill hole FCD-24-061 was collared north of the Nebula breccia and drilled to the southeast. The hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics for the first 149 m, except for a short interval of breccia from 21 m to 25 m. From 149 m to 219 m, it entered quartz-pyrite cemented breccia and short intervals of granodiorite porphyry. The hole ended in Proterozoic quartzite. Alteration in and adjacent to the breccia is sericitic with some kaolinite and localized occurrence of dickite and pyrophyllite. The breccia intervals have some samples exceeding 0.3% copper and up to 1.34 g/t silver over 16.39 m, suggesting mineralization potential at depth. The Titan breccia was identified through geological mapping, along with several other previously unidentified breccias, in an area approximately 400 m northwest of Area 51. The Titan breccia extends over 100 m in an east-west direction. Two reconnaissance holes were drilled into this breccia and suggest copper mineralization at depth, warranting follow up drilling. Drill hole FCD-24-059 was collared south of the Titan breccia and drilled to the north-northeast. The hole started in Glory Hole volcanics and entered quartz-pyrite cemented breccia from 15 m to 45 m. From 45 m to 91 m, the dominant lithology is Glory Hole volcanics crosscut by two granodiorite dykes. From 91 m to 137 m, the hole intersected variably pyrite-specular hematite-tourmaline and quartz cemented breccia, followed by Glory Hole volcanics. Granodiorite was intersected from 171 m to the end of the hole at 176.91 m. Alteration associated with breccia intervals is sericite-kaolinite. Chalcopyrite is locally present as breccia cement resulting in 2.16 m at 0.27% copper and 1.93 g/t silver from 112.87 m. was collared south of the Titan breccia and drilled to the north-northeast. The hole started in Glory Hole volcanics and entered quartz-pyrite cemented breccia from 15 m to 45 m. From 45 m to 91 m, the dominant lithology is Glory Hole volcanics crosscut by two granodiorite dykes. From 91 m to 137 m, the hole intersected variably pyrite-specular hematite-tourmaline and quartz cemented breccia, followed by Glory Hole volcanics. Granodiorite was intersected from 171 m to the end of the hole at 176.91 m. Alteration associated with breccia intervals is sericite-kaolinite. Chalcopyrite is locally present as breccia cement resulting in 2.16 m at 0.27% copper and 1.93 g/t silver from 112.87 m. Drill Hole FCD-24-060 was collared at the same location as FCD-24-059 but drilled to the northwest. The hole intercepted hydrothermal breccia from Surface to 111 m with variable amounts of pyrite, specular hematite, tourmaline and quartz cement. From 111 m to 131 m, the hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics and entered granodiorite thereafter. Alteration associated with the breccia is sericite and chlorite. Bald is an area approximately 230 m south of the SK-3 breccia and includes breccias and porphyries exposed at surface. Two holes were drilled to test for shallow mineralization. Drill Hole FCD-24-062 was collared at Bald and drilled to the northeast. The hole starts in Glory Hole volcanics and a short intercept of hydrothermal breccia, followed by granodiorite porphyry from 15 m to 27 m. Sulphides in this zone are oxidized. Pyrite and quartz cemented breccia is the dominant lithology from 27 m to 91 m, after which granodiorite was intersected. Modest chalcopyrite occurs from 27 m to 60 m. Alteration associated with breccia is sericite-tourmaline. was collared at Bald and drilled to the northeast. The hole starts in Glory Hole volcanics and a short intercept of hydrothermal breccia, followed by granodiorite porphyry from 15 m to 27 m. Sulphides in this zone are oxidized. Pyrite and quartz cemented breccia is the dominant lithology from 27 m to 91 m, after which granodiorite was intersected. Modest chalcopyrite occurs from 27 m to 60 m. Alteration associated with breccia is sericite-tourmaline. Drill Hole FCD-24-063 was collared south of Bald and drilled to the northeast. The first 108 m intersected porphyry and igneous cemented breccia which locally hosts elevated silver grades. From 108 m to 140 m, pyrite, tourmaline, specular hematite and quartz cemented breccia is present. Alteration associated with the hydrothermal breccia is sericitic. Below 140 m granodiorite is dominant. The granodiorite is cross-cut by veins containing pyrite and lesser chalcopyrite. Next Steps Phase III drilling continues and is focused on three objectives: Reconnaissance and follow-up drilling on new targets; Expanding the MRE; and Better delineating high-grade mineralized zones. The current focus of drilling is on near-surface mineralization in the American Eagle area. Drill holes FCD-24-064 and FCD-24-065, reported herein, have demonstrated the potential for an open pit resource to be defined. As part of the Phase III program, 32 drill holes have been completed and results for 28 have been released. Thirteen holes were drilled in Area 51, three in the Copper Prince-Copper Giant area, eleven in the Bald-American Eagle area, three near Old Reliable and two in the Titan breccia. Figure 1: Plan View Showing Surface Geology and Location of Drill Holes Note: The open pit shells are based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the report titled "Copper Creek Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment" with an effective date of May 3, 2023 (the "Technical Report") available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Figure 2: Cross Section Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-064 at American Eagle Note: The underground footprint is based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the Technical Report available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Figure 3: Section showing drill hole FCD-24-065 and SK-3 breccia Note: The underground footprint is based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the Technical Report available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Figure 4: Isometric View Showing Drill Holes FCD-24-064 and FCD-24-065 at the American Eagle Area Note: The open pit shells and underground footprint are based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the Technical Report available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Figure 5: A core sample from drill hole FCD-24-064 (approximately 409 m to 411 m) Table 1: Selected Drill Results from Copper Creek Drill Hole ID From To Length True Width Cu Au Ag Mo (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) FCD-24-064 184.80 217.20 32.4 28 0.15 N/A 0.57 0.0005 and 348.66 364.27 15.61 14 0.25 N/A 0.90 0.0006 and 395.41 495.70 100.29 87 0.42 0.02 1.84 0.0223 including 406.58 426.65 20.07 17 1.20 0.07 6.81 0.0997 FCD-24-065 148.22 160.18 11.96 11 0.13 0.01 0.41 0.0002 and 219.26 361.95 142.69 124 0.31 0.01 0.95 0.0058 including 227.34 250.26 22.92 20 0.58 0.01 0.85 0.0015 and including 282.38 303.52 21.14 18 0.51 0.02 1.83 0.0004 FCD-24-062 0.00 43.03 43.03 43 0.13 N/A 0.62 0.0004 FCD-24-063 304.30 316.53 12.23 12 0.17 N/A 0.54 0.0008 FCD-24-061 9.02 25.41 16.39 16 0.05 N/A 1.34 0.0002 FCD-24-057 No significant intercepts FCD-24-058 No significant intercepts FCD-24-059 No significant intercepts FCD-24-060 No significant intercepts Note: All intercepts are reported as downhole drill widths. Mineralization includes bulk porphyry style and breccia mineralization true widths are approximate due to the irregular shape of mineralized domains. N/A: Not analyzed. Table 2: Collar Locations from the Drill Holes Reported Herein Drill Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Target Depth Depth (m) () () (ft) (m) FCD-24-064 549157 3623132 1353 330 45 American Eagle 1510.9 495.70 FCD-24-065 549157 3623132 1353 316 62 SK-3 Breccia 1103.2 361.95 FCD-24-062 549219 3622924 1358 060 58 Bald 741.4 243.23 FCD-24-063 549157 3622842 1357 030 57 Bald 982.9 322.48 FCD-24-061 549701 3622677 1355 155 45 Nebula Breccia 749.1 245.76 FCD-24-057 549750 3622353 1386 023 45 Area 51 585.3 192.02 FCD-24-058 549747 3622350 1386 328 45 Area 51 594.2 194.95 FCD-24-059 549291 3622554 1304 016 55 Titan Breccia 539.2 176.91 FCD-24-060 549290 3622554 1304 333 55 Titan Breccia 716.2 234.97 Note: Coordinates are given as World Geodetic System 84, Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 12 north (WGS84, UTM12N). Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's geologists and the chain of custody from Copper Creek to the independent sample preparation facility, ALS Laboratories in Tucson, AZ, was continuously monitored. The samples were taken as core, over 2 m core length. Samples were crushed, pulverized and sample pulps were analyzed using industry standard analytical methods including a 4-Acid ICP-MS multielement package and an ICP-AES method for high-grade copper samples. Gold was analyzed on a 30 g aliquot by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish. A certified reference sample was inserted every 20th sample. Coarse and fine blanks were inserted every 20th sample. Approximately 5% of the core samples were cut into core and submitted as field duplicates. On top of internal QA-QC protocol, additional blanks, reference materials and duplicates were inserted by the analytical laboratory according to their procedure. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Faraday's VP Exploration, Dr. Thomas Bissig, P. Geo., who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Reference 1 Higgins, E., 1911: Copper Creek basin, Arizona: The Engineering and Mining Journal, vol. 91, p.270-273. About Faraday Copper Faraday Copper is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing its flagship copper project in Arizona, U.S. The Copper Creek Project is one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in North America with significant district scale exploration potential. The Company is well-funded to deliver on its key milestones and benefits from a management team and board of directors with senior mining company experience and expertise. Faraday trades on the TSX under the symbol "FDY". For additional information please contact: Stacey Pavlova, CFA Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications Faraday Copper Corp. E-mail: info@faradaycopper.com Website: www.faradaycopper.com To receive news releases by e-mail, please register using the Faraday website at www.faradaycopper.com. Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements Some of the statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking statements" and are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Faraday to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information specifically include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the exploration potential of the Copper Creek property. Although Faraday believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include without limitation: market prices for metals; the conclusions of detailed feasibility and technical analyses; lower than expected grades and quantities of mineral resources; receipt of regulatory approval; receipt of shareholder approval; mining rates and recovery rates; significant capital requirements; price volatility in the spot and forward markets for commodities; fluctuations in rates of exchange; taxation; controls, regulations and political or economic developments in the countries in which Faraday does or may carry on business; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, competition; loss of key employees; rising costs of labour, supplies, fuel and equipment; actual results of current exploration or reclamation activities; accidents; labour disputes; defective title to mineral claims or property or contests over claims to mineral properties; unexpected delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of Indigenous peoples and other groups; risks, uncertainties and unanticipated delays associated with obtaining and maintaining necessary licenses, permits and authorizations and complying with permitting requirements, including those associated with the Copper Creek property; and uncertainties with respect to any future acquisitions by Faraday. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental events and hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks as well as "Risk Factors" included in Faraday's disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedarplus.ca. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. This press release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, a prospectus, an offering memorandum, an advertisement or a public offering of securities in Faraday in Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction. No securities commission or similar authority in Canada or in the United States has reviewed or in any way passed upon this press release, and any representation to the contrary is an offence. SOURCE: Faraday Copper Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Q Precious and Battery Metals Corp. ("QMET" or the "Company") (CSE:QMET) is pleased to announce that diamond drilling has commenced on the La Corne South project located north of Val d'Or, Quebec. The first drill hole of this current campaign is positioned to test a TDEM conductive target and magnetic high that is coincident with sulphide mineralization intercepted in historic diamond drilling, containing significant copper, silver, with some zinc and gold values returned from core sampling (Falconbridge report GM 62134, also see QMET news releases dated April 16 and June 20, 2024). The current drill program is expected to involve 7-9 drill holes of average 120-150 metres depth to test a number of targets on the property. The holes are generally designed to test geophysical anomalies for massive sulphide potential. The drill hole planning will advance dependent upon the results from each drill hole. The geologic team, including Explo-Logik Inc. located in Val d'Or, will monitor the drilling to identify and sample mineralized intercepts, and to continue interpretation for targeting of future drill holes. Drill core logging and sampling will take place at the Explo-Logik facility in Val d'Or. Q BATTERY METALS CORP Q Battery Metals exploration programs undertaken in Quebec are supervised by Dr. Mathieu Piche, OGQ, with office located north of Val d'Or. He is also a Q Battery Metals company director. The company has 100% interest in mineral claims within Quebec, targeting critical and precious metals. Projects include the La Corne South VMS + Pegmatite Lithium Project, McKenzie East Gold property, and the recently acquired Pontax Lithium and Versant rare earth elements (REE) properties. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. On behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Penn CEO (778) 384-8923 SOURCE: Q Battery Metals Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Elena Kadvany has been a reporter on the Chronicles Food & Wine team since 2021. She covers the ins and outs of the Bay Area food industry, from breaking news about the latest restaurant openings to investigative stories into wage theft and workers rights. In 2024, her food writing portfolio won second place in the Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features awards. Previously, she covered restaurants and education for the Palo Alto Weekly; her work has also been published in Bon Appetit and the Guardian, and her reporting has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She can be reached at Elena.Kadvany@sfchronicle.com. Multi-Year Full-Stack IT Migration and Professional Services Will Increase Automation, Accelerate Application Development, Centralize Processes, Lower Costs and Improve Customer Experience Netcracker Technology announced today that 4iG, a Hungarian convergent communications group, has launched a transformation program to migrate all retail customers of its subsidiary companies Vodafone Hungary and DIGI onto Netcracker's full IT stack, which includes Netcracker Digital BSS and Netcracker Digital OSS, part of the flagship Netcracker Digital Platform. The multi-year project to bring all operating companies on a single cloud-ready IT stack will help Vodafone Hungary and DIGI increase their use of automation and centralized processes, as well as improve customer experience by creating an integrated operation. 4iG's subsidiaries and their customers will also benefit from a new far-reaching application development engagement, allowing the companies to support an expanding retail customer base and wide range of business requirements and processes. The operator will continue leveraging Netcracker's extensive managed service offerings to support existing deployments while targeting the highest levels of service stability. A robust Agile culture, reinforced with powerful DevOps automation processes and tools, will help deliver new functionality, operational enhancements and solution updates for faster time to delivery. "Throughout our partnership with Netcracker, we have experienced continuously improving operational stability and development quality," said Tamas Banyai, CEO at Vodafone Hungary. "Now that we are bringing our partners onto our network, that relationship will become even more critical, and we look forward to these new projects and additional success." "As 4iG grows its business and customer base, Netcracker is honored to continue its journey as the group's IT partner of choice," said Benedetto Spaziani, GM at Netcracker. "We are excited to be part of such a critical migration project that includes application development to help 4iG streamline its operations and deliver the best experience for its customers." About Netcracker Technology Rapid digitization is disrupting the status quo of today's communications markets. Constantly evolving customer needs and behaviors require service providers to adapt quickly and diversify their businesses to deliver the outcomes that their customers expect. Building digital ecosystems, anticipating customer requirements and delivering a digital-first experience are essential for service providers to accelerate innovation, expand into new markets and become the disruptors in the 5G era. Netcracker Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has the expertise, culture and resources to help service providers around the world transform their businesses to thrive in a digital economy. Our innovative solutions including our flagship cloud-native Netcracker Digital Platform value-driven services and unbroken delivery track record of three decades help service providers to achieve their digital transformation goals, drive the telco to techco evolution within their organizations and realize business growth and profitability. For more information, visit www.netcracker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625995031/en/ Contacts: Media Anita Karve Netcracker Technology MediaGroup@Netcracker.com CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Grease Market by Base Oil (Mineral, Synthetic, Bio-based), Thickener Type (Metallic Soap, Non-soap, Inorganic), End-Use Industry (Automotive, Construction, General Manufacturing, Agriculture, Mining, Power Generation) - Global Forecast to 2029", Grease Market size is estimated to be USD 6.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 7.4 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 4.2%, between 2024 and 2029. The market is projected to grow because of the evolving lifestyle across globe. The increasing emphasis on equipment reliability, efficiency, and longevity is leading industries to invest in high-quality lubricants like grease to minimize downtime and maintenance costs. Furthermore, stringent regulations and standards regarding equipment maintenance and environmental protection are pushing industries to adopt greases that offer superior performance and environmental sustainability. Lastly, advancements in grease formulations and technologies, such as synthetic and bio-based greases, are also driving market growth by offering enhanced performance characteristics and meeting the evolving needs of various applications. Collectively, these factors are contributing to the robust demand for grease in the global market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Grease Market" 150 - Tables 100 - Figures 250 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=88373349 "Synthetic oil segment is projected to register the highest CAGR, in terms of value, of the global grease market during the forecast period." Synthetic greases are gaining popularity due to their superior performance characteristics compared to conventional mineral oil-based greases. Synthetic oils offer advantages such as higher viscosity index, better resistance to oxidation and thermal degradation, wider temperature operating range, and improved lubrication properties. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing are increasingly turning to synthetic greases to meet the demanding requirements of modern machinery and equipment. "Non-soap thickener is estimated to be the second-largest thickener type of grease market, in terms of value, during the forecast period." In the grease market, non-thickener additives represent a significant and growing segment, often considered as the second largest after metallic soap thickeners. These additives play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and functionality of grease formulations. Non-thickener additives include a wide range of components such as antioxidants, anti-wear agents, corrosion inhibitors, friction modifiers, and viscosity index improvers. "Construction is estimated to be the second-largest end-use industry of grease market, in terms of value, during the forecast period." Construction indeed ranks among the top end-users for grease, often considered as one of the significant contributors to the demand for lubricants in various forms. Grease plays a pivotal role in the construction industry, where heavy machinery and equipment are subjected to rigorous and demanding operating conditions. In construction applications, grease is utilized to lubricate critical components such as excavators, bulldozers, cranes, loaders, and dump trucks. These machines operate in harsh environments characterized by high loads, extreme temperatures, dust, dirt, and moisture, making effective lubrication essential for their performance, reliability, and longevity. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=88373349 "Asia Pacific is estimated to be the largest market for the greases market, in terms of value, during the forecast period." Asia Pacific region is experiencing a high demand for automotive products which is driven by various factors. Asia's growing middle class and rising disposable incomes have led to increased vehicle ownership, driving the automotive grease market. The presence of numerous manufacturing hubs and the continuous expansion of industries such as construction, mining, and transportation also play a crucial role. As a result, Asia's diverse and dynamic market landscape makes it the largest and one of the most vital regions for the global grease industry. The key players profiled in the report include ExxonMobil Corporation (US), TotalEnergies SE (France), Shell Plc. (UK), Chevron Corporation (US), BP p.l.c. (UK) Fuchs Petrolub SE (Germany), Valvoline Inc. (US), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (China) among others. Browse Adjacent Market: Bulk Chemicals and Inorganics Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Lubricants Market - GLOBAL FORECAST TO 2029 Industrial Lubricants Market - GLOBAL FORECAST TO 2029 Small-Scale LNG Companies - Market Leaders Lubricants Companies - Market Leaders About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. 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To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/grease-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/grease.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/grease-market-worth-7-4-billion-by-2029--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302181355.html RIO DE JANEIRO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The third and final day of the FII PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro Summit concluded with pivotal discussions on global economic growth and sustainability. Organised by the FII Institute, the summit attracted nearly 1,500 global leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs who participated in over 65 sessions. Delegates attended solution-focused conclaves, and observed FII Institute's first Innovators Pitch, setting the stage for the final series at FII Institute's 8th flagship Future Investment Initiative (FII) in October. The day began with a fireside chat with His Excellency Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President of Brazil, who addressed foreign direct investment and the global energy transition. He remarked, "Brazil received the second-highest foreign investment in the world during 2023, trailing only the United States. Our recent tax reforms are expected to enhance this further," he told the audience, setting a collaborative and forward-looking tone for the day. Another highlight was the session titled 'Message to the G20', featuring a thought-provoking discussion with five former Latin American leaders, moderated by FII Institute CEO Richard Attias. H.E. Felipe Calderon, Former President of Mexico; H.E. Laura Chinchilla, Former President of Costa Rica; H.E. Alberto Fernandez, Former President of Argentina; H.E. Jorge Quiroga, Former President of Bolivia; and H.E. Juan Manuel Santos, Former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient, encouraged attendees to be the change they want to see in the world, emphasising the importance of collective effort in combating climate change and upholding the rule of law for a prosperous future for all. Marcelo Claure of Claure Group and SHEIN emphasised the importance of equitable access to AI, noting, "AI is the great equaliser. We can bridge the divide between emerging and developed markets in education and healthcare." Commenting on the future of AI and its integration within various industries, Claure added "with the internet, the cost of information went down to zero and disrupted the advertising business. Then, ecommerce disrupted the retail space. My vision of AI is that it will disrupt all, other untouched industries." In a session titled 'Rulebreakers: What Global Megatrends Are Influencing the World's Top Investors?', Claure was joined by Sir Martin Sorrell of S4 Capital, who discussed the need for adaptation to technological advances, stating, "Henry Ford created the five-day working week. COVID-19 accelerated the shift to remote working. Now, technologies like AI and the Metaverse will push this evolution further." In keeping with Rio de Janeiro's entrepreneurial spirit, the summit saw FII Institute's first-ever Innovators Pitch Competition. Nine startups presented solutions to pressing global issues in AI & Robotics, Education, Healthcare, and Sustainability. Hera Health Solution emerged as the main winner, a startup focusing on an AI-enabled drug delivery platform, with Aravita securing the People's Choice award. The startup offers an optimised fresh food ordering service with AI, reducing waste and stockouts to boost grocer profits. Throughout the summit, FII Institute convened industry experts to address critical global issues in its conclave series, covering topics such as AI, ocean regeneration, energy transition, and ESG. Industry leaders advocated for a collaborative approach to sustainability, the deployment of AI in emerging markets, and ESG's focus on climate resilience. Emphasis was placed on inclusive policies, targeted investment, and mentorship to empower entrepreneurs in developing regions. With the closing of FII PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro Summit, FII Institute will now shift its focus to the forthcoming 8th FII in October, where the momentum generated in Rio will continue to drive impactful discussions and initiatives. The conference is slated for 29 to 31 October 2024, under the theme 'Infinite Horizons'. E-mail: media@fii-institute.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aa4962dc-9bf3-47d8-987d-0ab8074d1f1b VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (the "Company" or "Calibre") is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Caldwell St-Onge to the Board of Directors (the "Board") effective immediately. Paula Caldwell St-Onge, B.Sc., MBA, ICD.D is an accomplished ambassador with over 30 years of experience working in the Canadian Government. She has significant experience in government administration, international relations, political risk, sustainable development, international trade, economic development and environmental sciences. Paula is the recipient of the Head of Public Service Award for Excellence in Public Policy and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. Ms. Caldwell St-Onge began her career in Public Service in 1989 and held progressively more senior positions in the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office, the Privy Council Office and Environment Canada. At Environment Canada she was the Director General for Environmental Assessment and Emergency Security Preparedness and Chief Enforcement Officer. In her tenure with Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Caldwell St-Onge held a range of senior positions including Canadian Ambassador to Haiti, Director General Pan-African Bureau, Minister Counsellor Trade for the Canadian Embassy in Mexico and Brazil and Head of Mission-Consul General for the South-Central USA (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana). Paula's expertise includes bilateral trade, community relations, environmental and social impacts of major projects, and governance (ESG). Paula Caldwell St-Onge holds a B.Sc. from Queens University and an MBA from Cumbria University, UK. Blayne Johnson, Chairman of Calibre stated: "On behalf of the Board of Calibre Mining, I am very pleased to welcome Paula Caldwell St-Onge to the Calibre Board of Directors. Paula brings decades of experience in international business, government affairs, and environmental assessment. She has a track record of being a strong advocate for Canadian mining interests in Latin America, Mexico and Africa and she has won a public service award for streamlining Canadian mining regulations. Paula's experience, insight and international network will be of great value to Calibre as the Company advances towards becoming a mid-tier gold producer in the Americas." About Calibre Calibre is a Canadian-listed, Americas focused, growing mid-tier gold producer with a strong pipeline of development and exploration opportunities across Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada, Nevada and Washington in the USA, and Nicaragua. Calibre is focused on delivering sustainable value for shareholders, local communities and all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth. With a strong balance sheet, a proven management team, strong operating cash flow, accretive development projects and district-scale exploration opportunities Calibre will unlock significant value. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Blayne Johnson" Blayne Johnson, Chairman For further information, please contact: Ryan King SVP Corporate Development & IR T: 604.628.1012 E: calibre@calibremining.com W: www.calibremining.com (http://www.calibremining.com) Calibre's head office is located at Suite 1560, 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3L6. X (https://twitter.com/CalibreMiningCo) / Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CalibreMining) / LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibre-mining-corp-cxb-/?originalSubdomain=ca) / YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@calibreminingcorp) The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Alongside accolades for staff service and business class comfort, the carrier also celebrates a major safety milestone and expanded service offerings LONDON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 24, SKYTRAX, the global airline and airport service evaluator, unveiled the World Award 2024 in London, UK, with Hainan Airlines receiving the prestigious SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline accolade for its exceptional services and products for the thirteenth consecutive year. The carrier also triumphs in three categories: Best Airlines in China, Best Airlines Staff Service in China, and Best Business Class Comfort Amenities. Ding Yongzheng, Chairman of HNA Aviation Group, attended the World Award Ceremony. Edward Plaisted, Chairman of Skytrax said: "We congratulate Hainan Airlines on the fabulous achievement of winning the Best Airline in China award for a remarkable thirteenth time. Their success in winning the Best Airline Staff Service in China award is a great reward for both the management and front-line staff of Hainan Airlines. Their final award for the Best Business Class Airline Amenities underlines the importance they place upon providing business class customers with the highest comfort levels onboard flights." Mr. Zhu Tao, Chairman of Hainan Airlines said,"We are deeply honored to receive three prestigious awards at the 2024 World Award. This recognition is not only for Hainan Airlines' consistent efforts in product innovation, but also for our staff. With forward looking concepts, Hainan Airlines works on innovative service models by technology and strives for eco-friendly operations. In the future, Hainan Airlines will promote this honor through five-star service, continuously pursuing excellence to provide travelers with safer, more convenient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly travel experiences." Since joining the Liaoning Fangda Group, Hainan Airlines has begun a new chapter in its growth trajectory. By the end of February 2024, the airline had achieved a significant milestone of 10 million consecutive safe flight hours, earning the prestigious "Flight Safety Diamond Award" from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Hainan Airlines has also intensified its route recovery efforts, expanding its route network and enhancing its service offerings. Its commitment to safe, efficient, and high-quality aviation services has garnered widespread praise and favor among travelers. Hainan Airlines continues to bolster the recovery of international routes and to broaden its network. For the 2024 summer and autumn seasons, the airline will operate nearly 500 domestic routes and over 40 international and regional routes, providing service to multiple cities across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and beyond. The airline has consistently prioritized the utilization of cutting-edge technologies to facilitate hardware upgrades, enhancing its service capabilities through travel intelligence. Initiatives include the introduction of a nationwide baggage tracking system across 14 airports, the deployment of a 787-9 fleet with air-ground interconnection services that surpass the 3,000-meter altitude limitation for seamless network connectivity, and the launch of an intelligent customer service robot powered by big data and artificial intelligence technology. These innovations have enabled travelers to benefit from a range of enhanced services, including baggage inquiries, air-ground connectivity, and intelligent customer support. Hainan Airlines and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have partnered to introduce a new range of Chinese meals for Business Class passengers. The collaboration leverages the expertise of both companies in meal research, development, and in-flight catering. Additionally, Hainan Airlines has integrated Sofitel Hotels' exclusive MyBed bedding experience into its Business Class, a move that has contributed significantly to the airline's multiple victories in the Best Business Class Comfort Amenities category worldwide. To further streamline the travel experience, Hainan Airlines has enhanced its "Simplified Business" service, offering passengers greater convenience through self-service check-in, online check-in, and baggage tracking features. Moreover, the airline has launched its Pet Cabin Care service on select domestic flights departing from 23 cities, including Beijing, Haikou and Xi'an, among others. The service enables passengers to travel with their pets in the cabin, subject to certain restrictions. Hainan Airlines is intensifying its commitment to environmental sustainability, viewing it as crucial for its strategic growth. In February 2024, the airline's initiative, "Green Aviation, Dream Flight - Hainan Airlines Green Aviation Construction," was recognized as a model project under the Belt and Road Initiative, reflecting its efforts to contribute to a low-carbon economy. The airline continues to focus on innovation in its services and products, aiming to ensure a travel experience that aligns with its five-star rating-prioritizing safety, comfort, and convenience for its passengers. Through these efforts, Hainan Airlines not only seeks to enhance its customer offerings but also to position itself as a leader in sustainable aviation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447420/Photo_Ding_Yongzheng__Chairman_of_HNA_Aviation_Group__attended_the_World_Award_Ceremony__2024_in_Lon.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hainan-airlines-holds-five-star-rating-for-13th-year-secures-triple-win-at-world-award-2024-302181528.html Sidel, a leading provider of equipment, services and complete line solutions for packaging liquids, foods, home, and personal care products, established a new office in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 12 June 2024. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625089064/en/ Sidel establishes a new office in Almaty, Kazakhstan (Photo: Business Wire) The strategic decision aims to bring Sidel's expertise closer to its customers and best support their growth in the region. Sidel has been serving the Central Asia and Caucasus (CCA) region for more than 10 years. The region is a significant market with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Armenia exhibiting growing GDP and disposable income levels. Building upon the strong relationships Sidel has already developed with fast moving consumer goods producers in CCA, the company will continue to significantly invest in this region, providing its high standard solutions and services while supporting the local market needs. "Being closer to our customers will enable us to better understand the evolving market and consumer trends, helping to provide even more tailor-made solutions to local businesses and support our customers' growth as the region continues to develop," comments Marina De Barros, EVP Customer Management ECA at Sidel. On-hand regional Sidel team supporting customer growth The new office will give producers direct access to Sidel's regional expertise, including local project management, advanced engineering solutions and on-the-ground support services that understand and respond to local market nuances. "Delivering top value to our customers is the primary aim for Sidel. By combining our global expertise in advanced packaging solutions with our local expertise and presence, we will continue to bring innovation to the region from packaging design and blowing to filling, labelling, packing, palletising and a wealth of services to optimise the performance of our customers' lines" adds Gilles Bouvier, Services VP for ECA at Sidel. "We are eager to contribute to the economic development of the region to grow sustainably and responsibly. By expanding our footprint, we re-affirm our commitment as a trusted partner for growth for our customers across the area," comments Guillaume Rolland, VP Sales Beverages ECA at Sidel. Find out more about the Kazakhstan expansion and how to access support for your business on the Sidel website The images within this document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be used for reproduction. Click here to access images. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625089064/en/ Contacts: For enquiries, contact TALA: Jessica Friend Bartlett Account Director +44 (0) 7791 741725 Jessica.friendbartlett@teamtala.com London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - The international jury for Design Your Climate Action has evaluated all the entries over the categories of Raising Resilience and Adaptation, Energy of Change, and Solutions Offered by Nature, and named the winners of the First, Second and Third Prizes. Design Your Climate Action is the latest international competition developed by philanthropic educational initiative BE OPEN and its partners. It is open to all students, graduates and young professionals who specialise in the fields of design, architecture, engineering and media globally. The competition aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by younger creatives, for the more prosperous and sustainable future; the focus of this competition is the United Nations' SDG13: Climate Action. Design Your Climate Action To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8871/214149_29dc75df1446a8ca_001full.jpg In 2023, the United Nations announced the Climate Action programme which encourages governments, businesses, and financial institutions, centres of innovation, communities and non-profit organizations like BE OPEN to take a joint action to come up with new technologies and accelerate the shift towards sustainable infrastructure. BE OPEN strongly believes that creativity is integral in the shift to sustainable existence. To attain the UN SDGs we need to think out of box. Therefore the scholars from all over the world were asked to reflect on "What can be done to combat climate change and its effects on all the levels of our lives: from introducing new national policies to adopting new technologies by industries and switching to greener practices at home?" Elena Baturina, Founder of BE OPEN comments on the finalization of the project: "I am certain that involving young people into the conversation centered on the SDG agenda is a very wholesome way of not simply raising awareness about sustainability, but encouraging the creation of actual solutions able to contribute to achieving sustainable future. We are continuously impressed by the level of submissions we receive every year for the SDG-focused competitions. We see hard work and intelligence, commitment and creativity, and can't help but believe that younger generations can make an actual difference and inspire change for all of us." The First Prize of 5,000 goes to Darcy Rincon and Michelle Aljure, the students of Biodesign at Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, for their Inspira System. This project aims to introduce and promote the cultivation of spirulina in low-income neighborhoods in Bogota. The initiative targets combating malnutrition, creating new income opportunities, and enhancing environmental sustainability within vulnerable communities. The Second Prize of 3,000 goes to Granny Mmantho Lesiamang and the Clauseph BioFuels startup in Botswana, for the Clean Cooking Project. Its focus is on designing, manufacturing and distributing low-cost, energy-efficient biomass stoves that can reduce biomass fuel consumption, lower the smoke inhalation and carbon emissions. The projects also includes developing clean solid biomass fuel with wood derived from invasive bush trees, rampant across Botswana's farmlands. The Third Prize of 2,000 goes to Emilia Ziolek, a Product Design and Technology student from University of Limerick, Ireland, for the Tidal Energy Turbine Form Redesign with Biomimicry concept. It is the first step to a new design of bladeless turbines with hydrofoils. Their streamlined design reduces the impact on marine life by eliminating rotating blades and enhances efficiency in energy conversion. Emilia suggests that hydrofoils operate by harnessing lift generated from water flow, allowing them to capture energy with reduced drag and increased effectiveness. The Founder's Choice prize will soon be allocated by the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina. The Public Vote prize winner will be decided upon by the majority of votes in an online open vote from the same. Design Your Climate Action is the fifth competition of the SDG-dedicated programme developed by BE OPEN. Every year the foundation chooses to focus on one particular goal, and have so far covered SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG2: Zero Hunger, and SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Contacts details: Lynn Balevsky +971585142301 press@beopenfuture.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214149 SOURCE: PRNews OU Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Lavras Gold Corp. (TSXV: LGC) (OTCQX: LGCFF) ("Lavras Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to release the results from seven new drillholes testing the Butia Gold Deposit, located at the western edge of the LDS Project in southern Brazil. Gold mineralization was intersected in all seven holes reported in this news release at the Butia Gold Deposit ("Butia" or "Butia Gold Deposit)", which hosts a NI43-101 compliant measured, indicated and inferred gold resource of approximately 0.5 million ounces. Three of these seven new holes returned more than 200 metres of continuous gold mineralization characterized by higher-grade subintervals. The purpose of these drillholes was two-fold: several holes were infill holes designed to increase the confidence in the Butia resource (converting the Inferred Resource into the Measured & Indicated categories) and other holes were drilled to potentially increase the gold endowment as explained below. These new results continue to move Lavras Gold toward its short-term corporate goal of defining an economically feasible gold resource on the LDS Project, focused on the Butia Gold Deposit and the adjacent Fazenda do Posto gold target. HIGHLIGHTS Drilling Hole 23BT019 returned: 236.0 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from surface and including: 199.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 37.0 metres , and including: 74.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 75.0 metres, and including: 0.7 metres grading 44.4 g/t gold from 83.3 metres (visible gold), 1.0 metres grading 48.3 g/t gold from 94.0 metres (visible gold), and 20.00 metres grading 2.4 g/t gold from 195.00 metres. Hole 24BT023 intersected: 228.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from surface and including: 100.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 35.0 metres, and including: 60.0 metres grading 2.3 g/t gold from 72.0 metres, and including: 5.0 metres grading 3.3 g/t gold from 72.0 metres "We are very excited by the results that we are seeing at Butia, with these new drilling results continuing to demonstrate the excellent near-surface gold grade and continuity of the Butia Gold Deposit," commented Lavras CEO Michael Durose. "Long continuous intervals of gold mineralization over more than 200 metres depth and beginning at surface confirm the bulk-tonnage nature of Butia. The presence of visible gold in cross-cutting stockwork-style quartz veinlets in 24BT019 highlights multiple gold mineralizing events, locally enhancing gold grade. This style of mineralization has been seen property wide in other targets that we have drilled including Zeca Souza, Galvao, and Matilde. Laterally, a higher-grade core of mineralization has been defined over at least 100 metres of strike length within the Butia Gold Deposit, starting at surface. This has potentially positive implication for a future open pit mine." Click here for commentary from CEO Michael Durose on today's drilling results. An update of drilling results for Fazenda do Posto target is expected as soon as final assay results are received and the geological interpretation is completed. Drilling is on-going in this area after a short delay related to recent unusually heavy rain in the area. [* Footnote: Butia hosts an NI 43-101 compliant near-surface gold resource of about 500,000 ounces, as detailed in the NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource for Butia Gold Prospect dated and effective January 25, 2022. The report was prepared by VMG Consultoria e Solucoes Ltda. for Lavras Gold Corp. and is available on the Company's website and www.sedar.com under Lavras Gold's issuer profile.] Discussion of Drill Results - Butia Deposit Figure 1 indicates the location of the mineral showings on the LDS Project. Butia is the most advanced gold deposit on the LDS Property consisting of approximately 0.5 million ounces of gold, located 150 metres east of the recent Fazenda do Posto gold discovery. The purpose of the current drilling program at Butia is to increase the geological confidence of the existing gold resource by converting a significant portion of inferred geological resources into the measured and indicated categories and to increase the gold endowment of the existing gold resource. Recent drilling results from Butia were disclosed in the Lavras Gold News Release dated February 06, 2024. Details of the locations of the new drillholes relative to existing resource categories can be found in the plan view in Figure 2. A long section looking northeast is shown in Figure 3. Table 1 summarizes assay results including newly disclosed results in this press release, and results disclosed earlier this year. Table 2 tabulates drillhole information including collar coordinates and drillhole depths. Note that the collar coordinates for Butia have been updated to reflect a recently completed detailed land survey of all drill collars versus the GPS coordinates previously disclosed. Drillhole 23BT019 was collared about 100 metres northwest of drillhole 23BT016 and 23BT018 in the north-central portion of the Butia Gold Deposit (see Figure 2). The hole was designed to test the lateral continuity of higher-grade mineralization encountered in hole 23BT016 that included 109.0 metres grading 1.40 g/t gold from surface. 23BT019 was drilled vertically (see Figure 3) for the purpose of characterizing the vertical continuity of mineralization and defining the mineral deposit at depth. A long interval of continuous bulk-tonnage disseminated gold mineralization was encountered from surface to a depth of 236.0 metres within mineralized episyenite with minor subintervals of perthitic granite as detailed below. Intersected 236.0 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from surface (0.0 metres) and including: 199.00 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 34.0 metres 29.0 metres grading 2.9 g/t gold from 25.0 metres , and 75.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 74.0 metres 0.7 metres grading 44.4 g/t gold from 83.3 metres (visible gold in quartz stockwork veinlet), and 1.0 metre grading 48.3 g/t gold from 94.0 metres (visible gold in quartz stockwork veinlet); and 20.0 metres grading 2.4 g/t gold from 195.0 metres Drillhole 23BT019 confirms continuous gold mineralization to a depth of 239.0 metres and lateral continuity of a higher-grade core of gold mineralization starting at surface over an extent of about 100 metres. There are many higher-grade subintervals encountered in 23BT019, including areas with higher concentrations of sulphides within episyenite and/or perthitic granite, and two zones of narrow cross-cutting quartz veinlets hosting visible gold (see Figures 4, 5 and 6). These cross-cutting veinlets with visible gold are very high-grade (greater than 40 g/t gold) and highlight a later-stage gold mineralizing event that was superimposed on the original disseminated gold event associated with episyenite and perthitic granite host rock. The cross-cutting visible gold veinlets appear similar to those seen at the Zeca Souza and Galvao gold discoveries located about 1.5 kilometres north of Butia (see News Releases dated September 7, 2022 for Zeca Souza and May 9, 2023 for Galvao) where visible gold in cross-cutting stockwork veins was encountered. Late-stage visible gold associated with glassy quartz has also been encountered at the Matilde gold discovery in the southern portion of the LDS Project (see Figure 1). Note that if the two high-grade gold intervals in 23BT019 are cut back to 10 g/t gold (from 44.4 g/t gold and 48.3 g/t gold respectively), then the composite interval becomes 239.0 m grading 1.1 g/t gold from surface. Nevertheless, it is possible that future "sweet spots" will be found at Butia with future drilling related to the quartz-stockwork style of gold mineralization. Drillhole 24BT023 was collared about 50 metres northwest of drillhole 23BT016 and 23BT018 in the central-west portion of the Butia gold deposit and drilled vertically (see Figure 2 & Figure 3). The purpose of this hole was to better understand the nature, grade and continuity of gold mineralization in this portion of the deposit. Continuous gold mineralization was encountered over long intervals in episyenite and mineralized perthitic granite. Higher-grade subintervals have been observed within zones of episyenite hosting pyrite +/-arsenian pyrite. A summary of assay composites is as follows: 228.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from surface including: 100.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 35.0 metres ; including 60.0 metres grading 2.3 g/t gold from 72.0 metres ; and including 5.0 metres grading 3.3 g/t gold from 72.0 metres Hole 24BT023 provides a clear indication of long continuous gold mineralization vertically to depths of more than 200 metres, and laterally in a northwest-southeast direction as it is located midway between 23BT019 and 23BT016. Drillhole 23BT018 was positioned in the southwest-central portion of the Butia gold deposit, slightly south of the currently interpreted measured portion of the gold resource and drilled vertically (see Figures 2 and 3). The purpose of this hole was to better grasp the nature of the geology and mineralization vertically in this portion of the deposit. A continuous bulk-tonnage and disseminated style of mineralization consisting mainly of disseminated pyrite +/- arsenian pyrite within episyenite +/- perthitic granite occurred from surface to a depth of 221.0 metres having an average grade of 0.8 g/t gold. This included several higher-grade subintervals as detailed below: 130.0 metres grading 1.2 g/t gold from surface and including: 10.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 32.0 metres 10.0 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from 47.0 metres 8.0 metres grading 3.5 g/t gold from 117.0 metres Gold mineralization occurs within mineralized episyenite and perthitic granite. Higher grade subintervals are associated with elevated concentrations of sulphide minerals. Drillhole 24BT020 was collared along the southeastern edge of the Butia mineralized footprint and drilled on an azimuth of 200 degrees and inclined 60 degrees (see Figures 2 and 3). The purpose of this hole was to test the southeastern extension of the deposit. Only one minor interval of gold mineralization consisting of 1.0 metre grading 1.2 g/t gold was encountered within perthitic granite. Drillhole 24BT021 was positioned along the southeastern edge of the Butia Gold Deposit and drilled along an azimuth of 020 degrees at an inclined angle of 60 degrees (see Figures 2 3). The hole encountered 77.0 metres of continuous gold mineralization grading 0.4 g/t gold from 22.0 metres, including several moderately higher-grade subintervals including 40.0 metres grading 0.6 g/t gold from 59.0 metres, and 24.0 metres grading 0.7 g/t gold from 72.00 metres. Drillhole 24BT022 was designed to test the southeast extension of Butia and encountered several narrow low-grade intervals of gold mineralization within predominantly fresh rock (perthitic granite). Drillhole 23BT017 was collared along the northwestern edge of Butia and was positioned to test the extension of the Butia Gold Deposit to the northwest (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). The hole encountered 53.0 metres grading 0.5g/t gold in mineralized episyenite from 80.0 metres. This included two higher grade subintervals including 5.0 meters grading 1.5 g/t gold from 119.0 metres, and 2.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 130.0 metres. Drillhole 23BT017 was successful in extending the mineralized footprint at Butia about 65.0 metres northwest of previous drilling. Correction to Press Release dated May 30, 2024 The Company clarifies that it granted 97,242 Restricted Share Units to officers of the Company instead of 101,419 as disclosed in its press release dated May 30, 2024. Table 1. Summary of Drillhole Composites from the Butia Gold Deposit Drillhole From To Interval Gold grade Comment (metres) (metres) (metres) (grams/tonne) 23BT005 0.00 37.00 37.00 0.74 Episyenite/Perthitic Granite including 4.00 23.00 19.00 1.17 Saprolite 97.00 99.00 2.00 0.32 Perthitic Granite 101.00 103.00 2.00 0.27 Perthitic Granite 23BT009 54.00 58.00 4.00 0.61 Episyenite 73.00 89.00 16.00 0.63 Episyenite including 74.00 81.00 7.00 1.14 Episyenite 121.00 186.00 65.00 0.51 Episyenite/Perthitic Granite including 141.00 159.16 18.16 0.99 Episyenite including 127.00 131.00 4.00 0.80 Episyenite including 141.00 149.00 8.00 1.49 Episyenite including 142.00 145.00 3.00 2.10 Episyenite including 168.00 172.00 4.00 1.29 Perthitic Granite including 177.00 178.00 1.00 0.76 Perthitic Granite/Episyenite including 182.00 186.00 4.00 0.65 Episyenite/Perthitic Granite 208.00 220.00 12.00 0.89 Perthitic Granite including 208.00 210.00 2.00 1.22 Perthitic Granite including 214.00 219.00 5.00 1.50 Perthitic Granite 239.00 242.00 3.00 0.45 Perthitic Granite including 239.00 240.00 1.00 0.81 Perthitic Granite 23BT010 0.00 46.00 46.00 0.48 Episyenite Including 0.00 9.00 9.00 1.15 Episyenite Including 17.00 19.00 2.00 1.18 Episyenite 40.00 42.00 2.00 0.58 Perthitic Granite 45.00 46.00 1.00 0.81 Perthitic Granite 61.00 63.00 2.00 0.44 Perthitic Granite 68.00 73.00 5.00 0.30 Perthitic Granite 96.00 100.00 4.00 0.46 Perthitic Granite including 96.00 97.00 1.00 1.23 Perthitic Granite 110.00 111.00 1.00 0.51 Episyenite 23BT011 12.00 22.00 10.00 0.76 Perthitic Granite including 13.00 15.00 2.00 2.64 Perthitic Granite 23BT012 67.00 74.00 7.00 0.51 Episyenite 136.00 246.00 110.00 0.71 Episyenite Including 142.00 147.00 5.00 1.27 Episyenite Including 142.00 144.00 2.00 2.68 Episyenite Including 154.00 174.00 20.00 1.59 Episyenite Including 154.00 157.00 3.00 4.20 Episyenite Including 163.00 166.00 3.00 6.06 Episyenite Including 179.00 182.00 3.00 2.77 Episyenite Including 191.00 193.00 2.00 4.08 Episyenite Including 205.00 206.00 1.00 0.90 Episyenite Including 218.00 220.69 2.69 1.12 Episyenite Including 227.00 229.00 2.00 0.83 Episyenite Including 231.50 233.51 2.01 0.80 Episyenite Including 240.18 242.02 1.84 1.27 Episyenite Including 243.30 244.00 0.70 1.11 Episyenite 253.53 255.37 1.84 1.59 Perthitic Granite 313.00 332.00 19.00 0.60 Perthitic Granite Including 325.00 327.00 2.00 1.73 Perthitic Granite Including 329.00 331.00 2.00 1.43 Perthitic Granite 23BT013 4.00 5.00 1.00 0.44 Perthitic Granite 15.00 19.00 4.00 0.30 Perthitic Granite 53.00 55.00 2.00 0.35 Perthitic Granite 56.00 57.00 1.00 0.26 Perthitic Granite 61.00 62.00 1.00 0.44 Perthitic Granite 71.00 72.00 1.00 0.60 Perthitic Granite 107.00 109.00 2.00 0.34 Perthitic Granite 119.00 192.00 73.00 0.74 Episyenite including 136.00 171.00 35.00 1.18 Episyenite including 136.00 139.00 3.00 1.00 Episyenite including 146.00 158.00 12.00 1.54 Episyenite including 146.00 149.00 3.00 2.21 Episyenite 200.00 201.00 1.00 0.91 Episyenite 202.00 203.00 1.00 0.32 Episyenite 207.00 210.00 3.00 0.59 Episyenite 215.00 217.00 2.00 0.34 Episyenite 218.00 221.00 3.00 1.88 Perthitic Granite 225.00 228.00 3.00 0.46 Perthitic Granite 231.00 233.00 2.00 0.40 Perthitic Granite 236.00 237.00 1.00 0.25 Perthitic Granite 245.00 246.00 1.00 0.25 Perthitic Granite 248.00 249.00 1.00 0.34 Perthitic Granite 257.00 258.00 1.00 0.35 Perthitic Granite 23BT014 43.00 47.00 4.00 0.45 Perthitic Granite 84.00 85.00 1.00 0.32 Perthitic Granite 182.62 185.00 2.38 0.72 Perthitic Granite 215.00 216.00 1.00 0.36 Perthitic Granite 250.00 260.00 10.00 1.45 Episyenite, visible gold, galena 23BT015 161.33 162.45 1.12 0.27 Perthitic Granite 182.00 184.00 2.00 0.29 Perthitic Granite 242.00 243.00 1.00 0.24 Perthitic Granite 269.00 274.00 5.00 0.62 Perthitic Granite including 272.00 273.00 1.00 1.73 Perthitic Granite 23BT016 0.00 160.00 160.00 1.04 Episyenite including 0.00 109.00 109.00 1.36 Episyenite including 25.00 54.00 29.00 2.90 Episyenite including 29.00 34.00 5.00 4.65 Episyenite including 30.00 48.00 18.00 3.22 Episyenite 183.00 187.00 4.00 0.34 208.00 224.00 16.00 1.03 Episyenite including 208.00 214.00 6.00 2.06 Episyenite 256.00 257.00 1.00 0.25 Episyenite 263.00 264.00 1.00 0.29 Episyenite 266.00 267.00 1.00 0.28 Episyenite 270.00 287.00 17.00 0.43 Episyenite 292.00 293.00 1.00 0.28 Episyenite 316.00 323.00 7.00 0.35 Episyenite 23BT017 80.00 133.00 53.00 0.54 Episyenite including 107.00 115.00 8.00 0.99 Episyenite including 119.00 124.00 5.00 1.48 Episyenite including 130.00 132.00 2.00 2.53 Episyenite 23BT018 0.00 221.00 221.00 0.81 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 0.00 130.00 130.00 1.15 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 32.00 42.00 10.00 1.60 Episyenite including 47.00 57.00 10.00 1.42 Episyenite including 117.00 125.00 8.00 3.53 Perthitic Granite + Episyenite 23BT019 0.00 236.00 236.00 1.35 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 1.00 2.00 1.00 1.57 Saprolite including 37.00 236.00 199.00 1.56 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 75.00 149.00 74.00 2.45 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 83.31 84.00 0.69 44.40 Visible gold in QV including 94.00 95.00 1.00 48.30 Visible gold in QV including 161.00 176.00 15.00 2.09 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 185.00 187.86 2.86 3.66 Episyenite including 195.00 215.00 20.00 2.35 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite 24BT020 71.00 72.00 1.00 1.18 Perthitic Granite 24BT021 0.00 3.00 3.00 0.63 Saprolite 22.00 99.00 77.00 0.37 Perthitic Grante +/- Episyenite including 22.00 25.00 3.00 0.59 Perthitic Granite including 22.00 23.00 1.00 1.25 Perthitic Granite including 59.00 99.00 40.00 0.55 Perthitic Granite +/- Episyenite including 59.00 60.00 1.00 0.54 Perthitic Granite including 66.00 67.00 1.00 1.04 Metasomitite including 72.00 96.00 24.00 0.69 Perthitic Granite 108.00 110.00 2.00 0.25 Perthitic Granite 24BT022 34.00 39.00 5.00 0.23 Perthitic Granite including 34.00 35.00 1.00 0.69 Perthitic Granite including 38.00 39.00 1.00 0.32 Perthitic Granite 24BT023 0.00 228.00 228.00 1.03 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 35.00 135.00 100.00 1.64 Episyenite including 72.00 228.00 156.00 1.30 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite Including 72.00 213.00 141.00 1.37 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 72.00 170.00 98.00 1.71 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 72.00 132.00 60.00 2.31 Episyenite +/- Perthitic Granite including 72.00 92.00 20.00 2.58 Episyenite including 72.00 77.00 5.00 3.25 Episyenite including 77.00 82.00 5.00 3.15 Episyenite including 87.00 92.00 5.00 3.00 Episyenite Assumes 0.25 g/t gold cut-off grade, no top cut. The Company has been targeting larger intersections of greater than 0.25 g/t gold. Intersections lower than this threshold may provide exploration insight and may therefore be disclosed. Intervals represent drill core interval; true widths have not been determined at this time. Table 2. Butia Drillhole Coordinates Drillhole Easting Northing Elevation (m) Azimuth (Degrees) Dip (degrees) Start Depth (metres) Final Depth (metres) 23BT005 217984 6586490 387 20 -60 0 230.19 23BT009 218119 6586240 407 20 -60 0 252.95 23BT010 217984 6586486 387 200 -60 0 159.79 23BT011 218022 6586572 382 20 -60 0 200.55 23BT012 218043 6586240 407 20 -60 0 358.13 23BT013 218095 6586397 400 0 -90 0 317.87 23BT014 217999 6586257 410 20 -60 0 331.33 23BT015 218125 6586212 404 20 -60 0 294.37 23BT016 218152 6586454 393 200 -60 0 357.66 23BT017 217973 6586670 383 200 -60 0 253.74 23BT018 218152 6586456 393 0 -90 0 256.36 23BT019 218102 6586534 385 0 -90 0 276.54 24BT020 218187 6586357 398 200 -60 0 76.35 24BT021 218171 6586366 397 20 -60 0 125.93 24BT022 218222 6586349 396 20 -60 0 78.72 24BT023 218126 6586494 389 0 -90 0 275.96 Figure 1. Regional Soil Geochemistry Anomalies versus Geology of the Lavras do Sul Intrusive Complex and Known Mineral Showings To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_002full.jpg Figure 2. Plan View of 2023 and 2024 Butia Drillholes Relative to Resource Categories To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_003full.jpg Figure 3. Long-Section Looking Northeast of 2023 and 2024 Butia Drillholes Relative to Resource Categories To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_004full.jpg Figure 4. Episyenite from Drillhole 23BT019 showing Vugs (Open Spaces) in Matrix and 1-2% Disseminated Pyrite with Iron-rich Chlorite. The Vugs Created Permeability and Porosity in the Original Granodiorite Followed by a Subsequent Gold Mineralization Event. This Sample from Drillhole 23BT019 Spans the Interval 36.0 m to 37.0 m and Grades 0.72 g/t Gold. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_005full.jpg Figure 5. Milky White to Glassy Quartz Stockwork Style Veinlet with Dark Chlorite +/- Sericite, Disseminated Sulphides and Visible Gold Cross-Cutting Original Episyenite Host Rock at Butia Gold Deposit. The Visible Gold is Shown in the Blue Circle on the Far Right-Hand Side of the Diagram Associated with Glassy Quartz. This sample from Drillhole 23BT019 is from Interval 83.31 m to 84.00 m and grades 44.4 g/t gold. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_006full.jpg Figure 6. Episyenite with Iron-Rich Dark Chlorite and Sulphide Minerals in Matrix Shown on Left-Side of Photo Transitioning to Perthitic Granite on Right-Hand Side of Photo Characterized by Milky Quartz and Lessor Amounts of Iron-Rich Dark Chlorite and Sulphides in Matrix. The Transition is Postulated to be Related to a Change in the Chemistry of the Original Mineralizing Fluids that Switch from Alkaline to Acidic Respectively. This Sample is from Drillhole 23FP019 from 187.86 metres to 189.00 metres. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10429/214245_ca38856e94637ba1_007full.jpg About the LDS Project The LDS Project is centred on the town of Lavras do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is approximately 320 kilometres, or a 4.5-hour drive, from the state capital of Porto Alegre. The Company, through its subsidiary, holds directly or indirectly, contractual interests over 29 mineral rights covering 22,000 hectares. The LDS intrusive complex is a multiphase intrusive centre that is surrounded by coeval volcanic rocks to the east. Geologically, LDS is in the far south of the Neoproterozoic Mantiqueira Province, a 2,700-kilometre-long belt of tectonically and magmatically accreted terrains that stretch as far south as the coastline of central Uruguay and north into southern Bahia State in Brazil. The most advanced targets are the Butia and Cerrito gold deposits, which have consolidated NI 43-101 resources of approximately 1 million ounces. About Lavras Gold Corp. Lavras Gold Corp. (TSXV: LGC) (OTCQX: LGCFF) is a Canadian exploration company focused on realizing the potential of a multi-million-ounce gold district in southern Brazil. Its Lavras do Sul Project is located in Rio Grande do Sul State and is primarily an intrusive hosted gold system of possible alkaline affinity. More than 24 gold prospects centred on historic gold workings have been identified on the property, which spans more than 22,000 hectares. Follow Lavras Gold on www.lavrasgold.com, as well as on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Michael Durose, President & CEO for Lavras Gold Corp., is the qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. On Behalf of Lavras Gold Corp. "Michael Durose" President & CEO For further information, please visit the Lavras Gold Corp. website at www.lavrasgold.com, or contact: Michael Durose, President & CEO or Naomi Nemeth, VP Investor Relations Phone: +1-289-624-1343 or +1-289-624-1377 Email: investor@lavrasgold.com Instagram: lavrasgold Website: www.lavrasgold.com X (Twitter): @LavrasGold Additional Technical Notes: Quality Assurance & Quality Control: For the Butia Gold Deposit, sample handling, preparation, and analysis are monitored through the implementation of formal chain-of-custody procedures and quality assurance/quality control programs designed to follow industry best practices. All drill hole samples in this drilling program consist of split NQ diamond drill core. Drill core is logged and sampled in a secure facility located in Lavras do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Drill core samples for gold assay are cut in half using a diamond saw and submitted to ALS Laboratories Inc. in Goiania, Goias State, Brazil for preparation by crushing to 85% passing 1.0 mm, riffle splitting to obtain 500 g aliquots, and pulverizing to 85% passing 75 microns. Pulps are shipped to ALS Laboratories Inc. in Lima, Peru and analyzed by a 50g fire assay and AAS finish. Three 50g aliquots are taken for samples in the mineralized zone and one aliquot is taken in fresh rocks. The average grade of the three aliquots is used to determine the final grade of the mineralized sample. Certified standards, non-certified blanks and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream at regular intervals, so that QA/QC accounted for about 10% of the total samples. Results are routinely evaluated for accuracy, precision and contamination. Lavras Gold has been targeting larger intersections of greater than 0.25 g/t gold. Intersections that are lower than this threshold may provide exploration insight and may therefore be disclosed. The Company maintains a robust QAQC program that includes the collection and analysis of duplicate samples and the insertion of blanks and standards (certified reference material). Disclaimer: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's further 2024 drill plans and future results at the LDS Project are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214245 SOURCE: Lavras Gold Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has initiated diamond drilling on its 100% owned Aberdeen Project (Figure 1). Forum plans on drilling approximately 10,000 metres (25-30 drill holes) largely within the Tatiggaq anomaly, as well as drill approximately 10 drill holes on other highly prospective areas - the Ned, Bjorn, and Qavvik targets. HIGHLIGHTS Approximately 25-30 holes are planned to extend and infill known mineralization at Tatiggaq West, expand Tatiggaq Main, and/or discover additional zones to the northeast along the Tatiggaq Fault. The 2023 processed and modelled Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) survey data have been used to refine and outline high-priority drill targets as we move away from the known mineralization at Tatiggaq West and Main. The processed ANT data on Ned has outlined the unconformity depth (Thelon Formation sandstone) as well as potential faults and alteration that will be targeted in the upcoming drilling program. Approximately 10 drill holes are planned to test the Ned, Bjorn and Qavvik anomalies. Dr. Rebecca Hunter, Forum's VP, Exploration stated, "I am very excited to be launching the first large-scale uranium exploration program in the Thelon Basin since 2012. We have numerous high-priority targets to test this summer that have globally significant deposit potential." The current understanding of uranium mineralization within the Tatiggaq deposit consists of two zones - the Main and West Zones - and is located at depths between 80 and 180 m. The mineralization is hosted in a series of high-grade subparallel, steep, south-dipping fault zones that sit within a 50 m wide area (Figure 2). Targeting in 2024 is focusing on extending the Tatiggaq West and Main zones and evaluating the mineralization potential along trend within the 0.7 km wide by 1.5 km long Tatiggaq gravity anomaly (Figure 3). Forum has 3D modelled several ENE-trending, subvertical faults, using the ANT data, including the uranium-hosting Tatiggaq Fault, and are using the fault traces, and areas of abrupt velocity contrast to refine drill targeting. The ANT data is being used to refine targeting at the Ned and Bjorn grids, which has allowed for modelling the Thelon sandstone - basement contact, as well as possible zones of fault development and hydrothermal alteration. Rebecca Hunter, Ph.D., P.Geo., Forum's Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. Figure 1 The Thelon Basin is a geologic analogue to the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan. Orano's uranium deposits are along the same controlling structures as Forum's Tatiggaq deposit and over 20 other targets are present within the project, which could host additional uranium deposits similar to the Athabasca Basin. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/214272_d27105274419fbdc_003full.jpg Figure 2 The Tatiggaq Main and West zones are interpreted to be a series of near vertical, uranium- bearing lenses that trend for 1.5 km. The width of the mineralized section is interpreted to be approximately 50 m but its total width is not yet determined. TAT23-002 only intersected two of these lenses that were intersected in near vertical holes by Cameco's previous drilling (for example 0.85% over 13.7m in hole TUR14A). Proposed future drill holes will target mineralization to intersect the true width of the zone and its strike extent. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/214272_d27105274419fbdc_004full.jpg Figure 3 Tatiggaq gravity anomaly and 2023 drill holes. 2024 targeting will focus expanding the known uranium mineralization to the west-southwest and the east-northeast along the Tatiggaq Fault. The modelled sub-parallel east-northeast-trending faults will also be targeted. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/214272_d27105274419fbdc_005full.jpg About Forum Energy Metals Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is focused on the discovery of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and the Thelon Basin, Nunavut. For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo. President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO mazur@forumenergymetals.com Tel: 604-630-1585 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214272 SOURCE: Forum Energy Metals Corp. Gov. Gavin Newsom, pictured speaking in Larkspur in April, delivered his State of the State speech in a prerecorded video posted on his social media channels. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press Gov. Gavin Newsom has a few years left as Californias chief executive, but judging from his State of the State speech on Tuesday, hes already mentally checked himself into the White House. We are presented with a choice between a society that embraces our values and a world darkened by division and discrimination, Newsom proclaimed early on in his address which he opened by harking back to California Gov. Culbert Olson, who led the state during the first years of World War II and issued stark warnings about the dangers of fascism. Once again, our state and this Legislature are called upon to show America that an agenda of freedom over fear is not only achievable, its inevitable, Newsom said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What do these flowery, dramatic statements do for the more than 6 in 10 Californians who, in a Public Policy Institute of California survey released this month, said the state is heading in the wrong direction? Not much because the prerecorded speech, which aired across the governors social media channels Tuesday morning, isnt really intended for them. Rather, its intended for a national audience particularly the California haters, Republicans and lawmakers in red states, whom Newsom accused of wanting to tear us down because they know our success is a spotlight on their own failures. Clearly, there are grave national issues to be addressed. But Newsom runs the risk of focusing on those problems at the expense of Californias own. In so doing, the governor is displaying his biggest political flaw: hubris. Californians didnt elect Newsom to solve the countrys problems. They elected him to solve Californias problems. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And, judging by Newsoms lackluster approval rating just 47% of likely voters approved of his job performance in this months Public Policy Institute of California survey, down from 57% in March 2023 hes leaving a lot to be desired. When weve heard more about the state of the state of Louisiana in recent weeks than we have California, it just becomes a bit obvious that youre running for president instead of governing, Rob Stutzman, a veteran Republican political consultant who worked in Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggers administration, told me referring to Newsoms X feed, which is dominated by posts lambasting policies in red states. Indeed, it appears increasingly clear that Newsom is moving on literally from his job in Sacramento. The governors office confirmed this week that Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom are moving their family back to Marin County the wealthy Bay Area area where the governor and his wife grew up to enroll their four kids in school there. The move, a spokesperson said, will ensure continuity in their childrens education. The Newsoms will still be keeping their home in the Sacramento suburbs. But its difficult to imagine that the move doesnt represent a shift in focus that Newsom, who often refers to himself as the future ex-governor of California, is increasingly thinking about what comes after the state Capitol. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The timing of his speech was also questionable. The governor originally planned to deliver the State of the State in March. But his office decided at the last minute to postpone it due to uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Proposition 1, his signature measure to overhaul Californias behavioral health system and issue $6.4 billion in bonds for treatment facilities and supportive housing. Although Newsom put significant political muscle behind the initiative, the vote was so close that it took weeks to ascertain that it had passed. Newsom could presumably have rescheduled the speech not long after Prop 1s approval became clear. Instead, he chose to wait until the week that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to have their first debate essentially priming the country for a showdown between Democratic-led and Republican-led states. Newsom is expected to attend Thursdays debate in Atlanta and serve as a surrogate for the Biden campaign. Newsoms office said that releasing pre-recorded virtual remarks allowed the governor to speak directly to the people of California on their preferred platform and a time of their choosing. The office also partly attributed the timing to scheduling challenges with the Legislature. But the idea that scheduling conflicts would hold back a man as determined as Newsom is laughable. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After all, Newsom and his team managed to coordinate the complex logistics of his Fox News debate last November with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. They also managed to reschedule the timing of Newsoms May budget proposal so that the governor could travel to the Vatican for a climate summit, meet with Pope Francis and spend a few days vacationing in Italy. And Newsom managed to wrangle lawmakers together for a private reception Monday evening. Its not a huge deal that Newsom chose to deliver the State of the State in an unconventional format. As Democratic state Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda told me, The message should match the moment. The setting is ancillary. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies Newsoms message may meet the national moment, but it falls far short of meeting Californias. Residents here want a governor who shows up for them, not for DeSantis. They want a governor who addresses their everyday concerns about homelessness and the cost of living, not just disturbing policies in red states. And they undoubtedly would have appreciated less commentary on the homicide rates in Memphis and Jacksonville and more on the crime debate in Sacramento over whether and how to reform Prop 47. These arent California haters. These are just Californians who want their governor to focus on them for a change. Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! Casal Garcia, the renowned Portuguese wine brand, is proud to announce a remarkable milestone this year its 85th anniversary! As the best-selling Portuguese wine in the USA and the number 1 Vinho Verde wine in the world, Casal Garcia holds a special place in the hearts of wine enthusiasts nationwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240613853655/en/ Casal Garcia digital giant twins screens at Times Square (Photo: Aveleda, S.A.) To commemorate this significant occasion, Casal Garcia is lighting up New York City's iconic Times Square with a spectacular advertisement in the giant twins' screens. From June 10th to July 7th, Times Square will be illuminated with the vibrant colors and rich history of Casal Garcia, showcasing its longstanding commitment to quality winemaking. "We are excited to celebrate this milestone as the first Portuguese wine featuring in times square iconic screens," said Isabel Barbosa, Senior Brand Manager of Casal Garcia. "This billboard in Times Square is a tribute to our heritage, our commitment to quality, and our passion for creating exceptional wines." **Event Highlights:** **Date:** June 10th July 7th - **Location:** Times Square, New York City - **Feature:** Spectacular digital giant twins screens celebrating Casal Garcia's 85 years of winemaking excellence We invite media outlets and wine enthusiasts to witness this iconic display and join us in celebrating this momentous occasion. The Times Square display is designed to captivate and inspire, reflecting Casal Garcia's dedication to its craft and its global reach. If you're interested in publishing or would like more information, please don't hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to provide you with further details and answer any questions you may have. Thank you in advance. We look forward to the possibility of working together to share the story of Casal Garcia's 85th anniversary celebration with your audience. **About Casal Garcia:** Casal Garcia is a prestigious Portuguese wine brand known for its high-quality Vinho Verde. For 85 years, Casal Garcia has been dedicated to crafting wines that reflect the vibrant culture and tradition of Portugal. As the best-selling Vinho Verde in the USA, Casal Garcia continues to be a favorite among wine enthusiasts for its refreshing taste and exceptional quality. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240613853655/en/ Contacts: For further information or to schedule an interview, please contact the Public Relations Manager. Maria Manuel Ferreira Public Relations Manager maria.ferreira@aveleda.pt +351 935 863 612 UK private jet charter firm celebrates 100 flights successfully booked via cryptocurrency as High-Net-Worth Individuals choose safe and simple payments for private air travel LONDON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading international cryptocurrency brokerage service Instacoins today marked a major landmark in its partnership with UK-based private jet charter firm Sandbanks Jets, with more than 100 private flights booked successfully via cryptocurrency. It is a significant moment for the crypto industry as it looks to offer a viable alternative to traditional banking methods. Its increased popularity and legitimacy has led to many individuals opting to embrace its ease of access and transfer. For companies, crypto can offer solid and clear benefits by helping to reduce costs, increasing efficiency, and attracting a whole new demographic of clientele. Sandbanks Jets has been delivering an exceptional experience to its clients for many years, and recently introduced cryptocurrency as a method of payment in response to increasing demands from the market. They did this by teaming up with Instacoins, a cryptocurrency brokerage service that enables businesses like Sandbanks to simplify crypto payments. This strategic decision by Sandbanks has led to a consistent year-over-year increase in bookings, with the significant milestone of 100 flights successfully booked via cryptocurrency payments bringing an increase in revenue, client acquisition and client retention across the board. "As a provider of private jet charter services, being able to pay with cryptocurrency is something a lot of our high-net-worth clients are looking for as a payment option," says Jules Coughlan. Head of Financial Operations, Sandbanks. "Using an exchange like Instacoins makes the process very simple, and low risk for us as we receive the required amount in fiat currency, rather than cryptocurrency which can be volatile." Crypto becoming the payment method of choice for HNW Individuals For many years, cryptocurrencies were dismissed as just another speculative bubble that would eventually burst. In recent times however, digital currencies have not only proved they are here to stay but have rapidly established themselves as a legitimate asset class in their own right. Since 2018, Instacoins has been bridging the gap between traditional finance and crypto, enabling people from all walks of life to buy, send, and store cryptocurrencies. But high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) in particular have embraced crypto as one of their preferred methods of payment, leading to a rise in demand in areas such real estate, luxury travel, private jet leasing and air charter services. This steady upward trend is particularly evident for premium services where cryptocurrencies provide a secure way for HNWIs to make a payment quickly and securely while eliminating cross-border transfer fees and exchange rates. The ongoing success achieved in the collaboration between Sandbanks and Instacoins demonstrates just how far cryptocurrencies have come in a short space of time, and offers a blueprint for crypto payment models in the luxury goods market moving forward. "Sandbanks has been an incredible partner for us," says Kris Farrugia, Head of Operations, Instacoins. "What started out as a few transactions has steadily climbed and taken off! The team at Sandbanks insists on the highest standards of excellence, and this has been a great help as we continually refine our personalised services." To find out more about Instacoins, visit https://www.instacoins.com. About Instacoins At Instacoins, we envision a world where everyone can access and control their financial wealth, and you can invest or send money at the click of a button. Our mission is to remove barriers and reduce friction by providing a financial crypto service that is secure, accessible, fast, and easy to use-enabling everyone to invest in cryptocurrency without any prior knowledge or experience. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446367/Instacoins_Sandbank_Jets.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446366/Instacoins_Logo.jpg For further information, please contact: otc@instacoins.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/crypto-payments-via-instacoins-fuel-revenue-growth-for-sandbank-jets-302181565.html Green Bridge Metals Corporation (CNSX:GRBM)(OTCQB:GBMCF)(FWB:J48, WKN:A3EW4S) ("Green Bridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its exploration plan at its South Contact Zone ("SCZ") and Chrome Puddy ("Puddy") projects in Minnesota and Ontario respectively for the next 12 months (Figure 1). The focus of the work will be to expand upon the known mineralized systems and realize the exceptional exploration potential on both projects. The primary focus of the Company will be on the South Contact Zone group of properties (Figure 2); to prioritize drill ready, and permit additional, target areas, and broaden airborne geophysical coverage. At Chrome Puddy, targeting will focus on enhancing targeting near the historical resource through the acquisition of high quality electromagnetic airborne geophysical survey (Figure 3). A Message from David Suda, CEO of Green Bridge Metals "As capital markets re-awaken to the prospect of value creation in the mining space and in particular for the "critical metals" of copper and nickel, Green Bridge provides several highly prospective opportunities in North America in mining jurisdictions with proven world class endowment. We feel our timing is excellent with the imminent start-up of fully funded field programs in both Minnesota and Ontario. Our shareholders will see a catalyst rich set of work programs through for the next 12 months as plans tabled today have been designed by a seasoned, successful technical team. We are excited to have the opportunity to build on projects that have clear and demonstrated mineralization in copper, nickel, titanium, vanadium and look forward to executing on the Company's growth plans for each of the projects in our portfolio. We look forward to updating our shareholders with additional details of the strategic work plan with programs beginning this summer." 12 Month Exploration Plan Exploration Growth South Contact Zone: The Company believes that the presence of Oxidized Ultramafic Intrusions (OUIs) that are associated with copper-titanium nickel mineralization represent a new style of exploration target that has been underexplored. Disseminated copper and/or nickel mineralized OUIs are present at the Skibo, Titac, and Boulder properties and will represent the primary target of the Company's exploration plans. nickel mineralization represent a new style of exploration target that has been underexplored. Disseminated copper and/or nickel mineralized OUIs are present at the Skibo, Titac, and Boulder properties and will represent the primary target of the Company's exploration plans. The Company's initial efforts will be at the Titac property that has a NI43-101 Inferred Resource of 45.1Mt of 15% TiO2 (Cardero Resources Corp., 2012) hosted within an OUI that also contains significant disseminated copper mineralization. Historical intercepts from surface including 462m of 0.4% copper and 571.5m of 0.2% copper (including 145m of 0.4% Cu). Green Bridge plans to initially drill into Titac's mineralized system to expand upon the known resource and realize the full potential for copper mineralization. The Company will conduct a Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetics (VTEM) geophysical survey over the Titac-Boulder property to fingerprint the signature of Titac mineralization and apply that to Boulder, which has recognized titanium and copper mineralization within an OUI similar to Titac. The Company will also prioritize drill ready targets in the Wyman/Siphon property that has a historical Ni-Cu resource characterized by disseminated mineralization similar to that of the world class Mesaba and Maturi deposits. Exploration Growth Chrome Puddy: The Company plans to fly an airborne VTEM geophysical survey over the entire property to fingerprint the signature of the historical resource of 30Mt of 0.27% Ni (Commerce Nickel Mines Ltd., 1966) over a known mineralized trend over 2km; The Company believes there is potential for a 100Mt exploration target within the 2km trend that will be the primary focus of the first drill campaign at the project; The VTEM survey will help prioritize future drill targets based on the presence of conductors. Figure 1. Regional location map showing The South Contact Zone and Chrom-Puddy projects. Other large Ni, Cu-Ni deposits are highlights (magenta ovals). Figure 2. Regional geological map of the South Contact Zone showing individual target properties (Wyman, Skibo, Titac, and Boulder) within the project portfolio. Other large Ni, Cu-Ni, or Ti-Cu occurrences are shown. Figure 3. Chrome-Puddy project area with electromagnetics survey overlay showing the area of the inferred ultramafic host intrusion (dashed blue line) for nickel mineralization, as well as historic significant drill intercepts and surface samples. The Chrome Puddy mineral resource estimate is not current and should be considered "historical estimates" under National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource or reserve, and the Company is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resources or reserves. The Company would need to conduct an exploration program (including drilling) in order to verify these historical estimates as current in accordance with NI 43-101. There can be no certainty, following further evaluation and/or exploration work, that these historical estimates can be upgraded or verified as mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with NI 43-101. As such, these historical estimates should not be relied upon. All scientific and technical information, and written disclosure in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Ajeet Milliard, Ph.D., CPG, Ajeet Milliard is and independent consultant and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. ON BEHALF OF GREEN BRIDGE METALS, "David Suda" President and Chief Executive Officer For more information, please contact: David Suda President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: 604.928-3101 investors@greenbridgemetals.com About Green Bridge Metals Green Bridge Metals Corporation (formerly Mich Resources Ltd.) is a Canadian based exploration company focused on acquiring 'battery metal' rich mineral assets and the development of the South Contact Zone (the "Property") along the basal contact of the Duluth Intrusion, north of Duluth, Minnesota. The South Contact Zone contains bulk-tonnage copper-nickel and titanium-vanadium in ilmenite hosted in ultramafic to oxide ultramafic intrusions. The Property has exploration targets for bulk-tonnage Ni mineralization, high grade Ni-Cu-PGE magmatic sulfide mineralization and titanium. Forward Looking Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to: the exploration and development of the South Contact Zone Properties. Although management of the Company believe that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: the exploration and development of the South Contact Zone Properties may not result in any commercially successful outcome for the Company; risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting mining concessions); and other risk factors as detailed from time to time. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Certain figures and references contain information supported by public and corporate references that may have been updated, changed, or modified since their referenced date. The Company has not reviewed any resources and cannot comment on their accuracy. References Farrow, D., Johnson, M., (2012), January 2012 National Instrument 43-101Technical Report on the Titac Ilmenite Exploration Project, Minnesota, USA. SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. SRK Project Number 2CC031.004. Cardero Resources Corp. SOURCE: Green Bridge Metals Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West-African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has increased the size of its previously announced offering of units of the Company (the "Units") on a non-brokered private placement basis. The Company now expects to complete the Offering for aggregate proceeds of up to C$1.2 million (the "Offering"), a 20% increase from the original target of up to C$1.0 million. The Company completed an initial closing of the Offering for gross proceeds of approximately C$302,000 on May 23, 2024 and expects to complete a second closing in the coming days, with additional closings to follow as necessary. Completion of additional closings remains subject to the receipt of all necessary TSXV approvals. Offering Terms In connection with the Offering, the Company intends to issue up to 1,200,000 Units at a price of C$0.10 per Unit (the "Issue Price"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.20 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to continue exploration and drilling at its flagship Todi Gold Project in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa and for working capital purposes. Finders Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company may pay finders' fees to certain eligible finders of up to 7% in cash of the gross proceeds raised in the Offering from subscribers introduced to the Company by such finders and up to 7% in finders warrants (the "Finder Warrants") of the aggregate number of Units placed by such finders. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Unit at the Issue Price and will be exercisable for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. Each Finder Warrant will be comprised of one Common Share and one Warrant. Hold Period The securities issued pursuant to the Offering shall be subject to a four-month plus one day hold period commencing on the day of the closing of the Offering under applicable Canadian securities laws. Insider Participation Certain directors of the Company have acquired Units under the Offering. Such participation is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under the policies of the TSXV and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the minority shareholder approval and formal valuation requirements applicable to the related-party transactions under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the Units acquired by the participating directors nor the consideration to be paid by such directors exceeds 25 percent of the Company's market capitalization. About Zodiac Gold Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV:ZAU) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Project situated in Liberia-an underexplored, politically stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets and high-grade gold intercepts. For further information, please visit the Zodiac Gold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact: David Kol President & CEO info@zodiac-gold.com Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214253 SOURCE: Zodiac Gold Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") is excited to announce the commencement of its diamond drilling program at the uranium-bearing Loranger property adjacent to the renowned Athabasca Basin. The goal of this program is to target favorable geophysical indicators intersecting the Tabbernor Fault system, with the primary objective of discovering conductors and alteration halos that may lead to uranium mineralization. The program will include up to 1,000 meters of drilling across 3 to 4 drill targets. Stephen Burega, President of Appia, commented: "With the commencement of the Loranger drill program, Appia reconfirms its commitment to moving our uranium assets in Saskatchewan forward. Following the completion of a successful ground reconnaissance program on our Eastside property last month (see June 5th 2024 Press Release), we now have a drill testing a number of intriguing conductors at the Loranger property aimed at uncovering uranium mineralization and key geological indicators to further our understanding of the project's potential." The crew will be based at Points North, Saskatchewan, and operations are efficiently staged 59 km south near the property to optimize ground and airborne helicopter transportation throughout the program. The program is expected to be completed within an 18-day timeline. The Loranger drill program marks a significant step forward in Appia's exploration endeavors in northern Saskatchewan, enhancing the potential of the property amidst a favorable economic climate. Figure 1 - Operating Loranger Diamond Drill, Wollaston Lake, SK To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/214269_346484f834135bb9_001full.jpg About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia) Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario. Appia has 136.3 million common shares outstanding, 145 million shares fully diluted. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, visit www.appiareu.com As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages. To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here. Contact: Tom Drivas, CEO and Director (c) (416) 876-3957 (f) (416) 218-9772 (e) tdrivas@appiareu.com Stephen Burega, President (c) (647) 515-3734 (e) sburega@appiareu.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214269 SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR)(OTCQB:AXREF) is pleased to announce that it has recommenced drilling at its 100% owned DUKE porphyry copper-gold ("Cu-Au") district ("DUKE District" or "District") in British Columbia ("BC"). The current drill program follows the 2024 winter delineation drilling of the DUKE Deposit. The initial focus of this summers drilling is the SVEA Cu-Au Deposit Target and the new JO porphyry Cu-Au discovery identified by the Company's comprehensive surveys across the prospective 722 km2 District. Ground and airborne geophysical surveys are also currently underway with up to 30 crew members onsite. The Svea Deposit Target shares many attributes with some of the premier deposits and occurrences within the prolific Babine Porphyry Cu-Au Region (the "Babine"). Svea is defined by a 7 km2 Induced Polarization chargeability ("IP") anomaly indicating a large sulphide mineralized system. Widespread and strong Cu-Au-Mo-in-soil geochemical anomalies and favorable biotite-feldspar porphyry ("BFP") intrusive rocks are co-incident with the IP chargeability anomaly. In addition, results from short historical drill holes[1] suggest excellent potential for important Cu-Au mineralization, for example, DDH 69-3 returned 0.36% Cu and 0.18 g/t Au over 23.7 m (see Amarc release January 19, 2024). Another new target, the JO discovery is characterized by coincident IP chargeability and magnetic geophysical anomalies. Initial grab sampling of outcrop within the target returned 0.18% Cu, 0.52 g/t Au, 16 g/t Ag and 55 ppm Mo (see Amarc release April 16, 2024). Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), under the DUKE District Mineral Property Earn-in Agreement is continuing its earn-in during 2024 with a further $10 million of budgeted expenditures (see Amarc release December 13, 2023). Amarc continues as project operator. "The Amarc team is excited to be back on the ground commencing the summer drilling program at Svea and JO and plans to complete twelve holes between these Targets," said Amarc President and CEO Diane Nicolson. "In addition to current exploration drilling on the Svea and JO, nine drill holes were completed during the winter drilling at the DUKE Deposit. These drill holes further defined the Cu-Mo mineralization in the central portion of the DUKE Deposit as well as identifying potentially important volumes of mineralization to the south and north of the main Deposit which remain to be fully drill delineated." [1] Copper assays for nine 1969 Texas Gulf drilling are from copies of original drill logs, accessed at https://propertyfile.gov.bc.ca/showDocument.aspx?docno=830869 (BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources ("BC MEMPR") Property File Document 830869), and for gold in from Carter, 1992, Geological and Geochemical Report, Sampling of Diamond Drill Cores and Soil Sampling, on the Trail Mineral Claim, 31 pages, BC MEMPR Assessment Report 22719. Assay summaries are available for some of these historical drill holes, but much of the assay data, along with drill logs, is not available. These results are historical in nature and at the time of this release have not been verified by Amarc or its Qualified Person, as the drill core, and original sample material are not available, however, the Company intends to verify this information through drilling during its summer 2024 campaign. DUKE Deposit Drill Results and Key Implications During the winter of 2024, two rigs continued with delineation drilling of the DUKE Cu-Mo Deposit and testing the DUKE Offset (Figure 1). Nine core holes were drilled, totalling some 4,828.2 m. Assay data and drill hole information are provided in Tables 1, 2 and 3. Seven of the 9 drill holes intersected Cu-Mo mineralization above an approximate grade of 0.15% CuEQ* over widths of 104 m to 385 m (Tables 1 and 2). Highlights from the 2024 winter drilling at the DUKE Deposit include: 71 m of 0.45% CuEQ* (0.35% Cu, 0.016% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag) and 104 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.29% Cu, 0.016% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag) in hole DK24033 110 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.25% Cu, 0.028% Mo, 0.04 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) and 30 m of 0.39% CuEQ (0.26% Cu, 0.025% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.4 g/t Ag) in hole DK24034 30 m of 0.44% CuEQ (0.35% Cu, 0.013% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) within 203 m of 0.28% CuEQ (0.2% Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.03 g/t Au, 1.0 g/t Ag) in hole DK24035 48 m of 0.34% CuEQ (0.26% Cu, 0.010% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag) in hole DK24036 15 m of 0.69% CuEQ (0.52% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.11 g/t Au, 1.9 g/t Ag) and 29 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.31% Cu, 0.030% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.7 g/t Ag) within 208 m of 0.26% CuEQ (0.19% Cu, 0.013% Mo, 0.04 g/t Au and 1.0 g/t Ag) in hole DK24037 The 2024 ongoing DUKE Deposit delineation drilling results complement those returned from the 2022-2023 drilling program which included: 183 m of 0.43% CuEQ* (0.31% Cu, 0.019% Mo, 0.07 g/t Au,1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22009** 217 m of 0.45% CuEQ (0.33% Cu, 0.018% Mo, 0.08 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22010** 30 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.36 % Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Ag) in hole DK23012** 30 m of 0.43% CuEQ (0.31% Cu, 0.014% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag), and 33 m of 0.44% CuEQ (0.20% Cu, 0.053% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag) in hole DK23015** 82 m of 0.41% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) in hole DK23022** 36 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.34% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23024** 33 m of 0.40% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23026** * Copper equivalent (CuEQ) calculations use metal prices of: Cu US$4/lb, Mo US$15/lb, Au US$1,800/oz and Ag US$24/oz and conceptual recoveries of: Cu 85%, Mo 82%, Au 72% and 67% Ag. ** Holes DK22009 to DK23026 were previously reported in Amarc releases dated January 26, 2023, February 15, 2023 and June 15, 2023. Figure 1: On-going Delineation Drilling Continues to Expand DUKE Deposit A new and positive structural element, the South Graben Fault ("SGF") was recognized principally from the results of drill hole DK24036. The SGF, like many other mineralized corridors in the Babine, likely has a spatial relationship to the development of significant Cu-Mo mineralized zones. Notably, recognition of the SGF indicates the possibility to expand the DUKE Deposit over a potential strike length of 700 m. A few short historical holes drilled in the 1970's cut the shallowest portions of this targeted volume. In most cases the holes were well mineralized, for example, 70-02 returned 113 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.29% Cu, 0.012% Mo 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) including 12 m of 0.51% CuEQ (0.41% Cu, 0.010% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag) (see Amarc DUKE Project 2020 Technical Report available on the website at https://amarcresources.com/projects/duke-project/technical-report). Using orientated core drilling and changing drilling orientations to along north-south sections (from previous east-west sections) (Figures 1, 2 and 3) has provided valuable information for the modelling of the Deposit. This knowledge is also being applied to the drill testing of deposit targets in the DUKE District. Figure 2: Significant Volumes of Cu-Mo-Ag-Au Mineralization Being Drill Delineated at the DUKE Deposit, Section A-A' Figure 3: DUKE Deposit Remains Open to Expansion, Section B-B' DUKE Offset Drill Results Drill holes DK24038 and DK24040 returned important Cu-Mo intercepts (Figure 1, Table 2) and with a previously reported intercept in DK18004 (see Amarc release June 12, 2018), are outlining a newly recognized volume of mineralized rock to the west of the DUKE Fault which represents a portion of the DUKE Deposit that was displaced some 450 to 500 m northwards (Figure 1). The initial drilling suggests that this new target has a strike length of approximately 500 m and an estimated true width of around 120 m. It remains to be fully drill delineated. Importantly, the new accurate determination of the displacement along the DUKE Fault permits targeting - for the first time - the location of the fault-offset portion of the Cu-Mo-Au mineralization intersected in hole DK 17001 (see Amarc release see Amarc release June 12, 2018). The last 93.5 m of this drill hole cut 0.31% CuEQ (0.23% Cu, 0.001% Mo, 2.7 g/t Ag, 0.12 g/t Au), including a significant Au intersection of 0.68 g/t Au over 9 m from 509 to 518.5 m at the bottom of the hole. Table 1: DUKE Deposit 2024 Assay Results Table 2: DUKE Deposit Offset Drill Holes Notes: Widths reported are drill widths, such that true thicknesses are unknown. All assay intervals represent length-weighted averages. Some figures may not sum exactly due to rounding. Copper equivalent (CuEQ) calculations use metal process prices of: Cu US$4/lb, Au US$1800/oz., Ag US$24/oz. and Mo US$15/lb and conceptual recoveries of: Cu 85%, Mo 82%, Au 72% and 67% Ag. Conversion of metals to an equivalent copper grade based on these metal prices is relative to the copper price per unit mass factored by conceptual recoveries for those metals normalized to the conceptualized copper recovery. The metal equivalencies for each metal are added to the copper grade. The general formula for this is: CuEQ% = Cu% + ((Au g/t * (Au recovery / Cu recovery) * (Au $ per oz./31.1034768 / Cu $ per lb. * 22.04623)) + ((Ag g/t * (Ag recovery / Cu recovery) * (Ag $ per oz./ 31.1034768 / Cu $ per lb. * 22.04623)) + ((Mo% * (Mo recovery / Cu recovery) * (Mo $ per lb.) / Cu $ per lb.)). The collar locations in UTM NAD83, Zone 9N coordinates for drill holes are listed in Table 3. Corporate In other news Amarc regrets to report that Dr. Paul Johnston has had to step down as VP Exploration for personal reasons. The Company thanks Dr. Johnston for his contributions and wishes him well. About Amarc Resources Ltd. Amarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry Cu-Au mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its exploration and development-stage assets. Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry CuAu Districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each District represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry CuAu deposits. Importantly, each of the three districts are located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail. Freeport-McMoRan Mineral Properties Canada Inc. ("Freeport"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. at JOY and Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), an entity within the Boliden Group of companies at DUKE, can earn up to a 70% interest in each District through staged investments of $110 million and $90 million, respectively. Together this provides Amarc with potentially up to $200 million in non-share dilutive staged funding for these Districts. In addition, Amarc intends to solo drill the higher grade Empress Deposit in the IKE District allocating funds from its successful 2023 financing. Amarc is the operator of all programs. Amarc is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a 35-year history of porphyry Cu deposit discovery and development success. Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC's and the world's most important porphyry deposits - such as Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North, Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino, Sisson, Maggie, IKE, PINE and DUKE. From its head office in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral projects. Amarc works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly, and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and social performance. Qualified Person Mark Rebagliati, P.Geo, a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved all technical and scientific information related to the Duke Project contained in this news release. Mr. Rebagliati is not independent of the Company. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program Amarc drilled NQv (48.1mm) size core in the winter of 2024. All drill core was logged, photographed, and cut in half with a diamond saw. Half core samples from the DUKE drilling were sent to ALS Canada Ltd., Kamloops, Canada, for preparation and to North Vancouver, Canada for analysis. Surface rock samples from the 2023 program were sent to either Kamloops or North Vancouver for preparation and were also analyzed in North Vancouver. Both facilities are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited. At the laboratory, samples were dried, crushed to 70% passing -2mm, and a 250 g split pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were analyzed for Au by fire assay fusion of a 30 g sub-sample with an ICP-AES finish, and for 60 elements including Cu, Mo and Ag by a four-acid digestion, multi-element ICP-MS package. As part of a comprehensive Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QAQC") program, Amarc control samples were inserted in each analytical batch of the core samples at the following rates: standards one in 20 regular samples, in-line replicates one in 20 regular samples and one coarse blank per hole. For surface rock samples, at least one standard was inserted in each analytical batch. The control sample results were then checked to ensure proper QAQC. For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114, or Kin Communications, at (604) 684-6730, Email: AHR@kincommunications.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES LTD. Dr. Diane Nicolson President and CEO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exploration plans and plans for enhanced relationships are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Table 3: 2024 Drill Hole Information Figure 1: On-going Delineation Drilling Continues to Expand DUKE Deposit Figure 2: Significant Volumes of Cu-Mo-Ag-Au Mineralization Being Drill Delineated at the DUKE Deposit, Section A-A' Figure 3: DUKE Deposit Remains Open to Expansion, Section B-B' SOURCE: Amarc Resources Ltd. View the original press release on accesswire.com ORCA Computing, a leading quantum computing company, has announced it is spearheading a collaborative R&D consortium to develop market changing multiplexing technologies to advance quantum networking for use in quantum computing and data centers. In collaboration with other top quantum experts, including Toshiba Europe, Ltd., Bay Photonics, Ltd., Imperial College London, and University College London, the consortium will develop advanced multiplexing and switching technologies for large-scale quantum data transfer to scale quantum computing to levels necessary for commercial application. "As with classical networking, quantum networking is essential for the transmission and sharing of quantum information. Multiplexing and switching are foundational techniques in the telecommunications industry, enabling ultra-high data transmission rates," explained Bob Sorensen, Senior VP of Research at Hyperion Research. "In order for enterprise use-cases to fully benefit from quantum computing, effective quantum networking will be needed to facilitate the scaling up of quantum systems beyond the limits of individual quantum processors. The development of advanced components for large-scale quantum data transfer is a critical next step for the industry and could drive significant market advancements," added Sorensen. Building from ORCA's extensive experience in quantum control of photons, the project sets the stage for a significant advancement in quantum networking capabilities, with broad implications for high performance computing and cloud data centers. For the first time ever, a suite of technologies will be delivered and operated in tandem: quantum memories, frequency shifters, and spatial switches. This will allow the networking that takes place within and between quantum computers to exponentially scale to performance levels necessary for industrial scale quantum computing and networking. "This advancement will mark a significant step forward in current multiplexing and switching technologies, fostering the growth of quantum networking and advancing telecommunications," said Josh Nunn, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at ORCA Computing. "The anticipated result of this project will be a world-first demonstration of three high-performance quantum communications technologies used together. Combined with ORCA approach to modular system design, users can benefit from both superior performance and upgradability." ORCA Computing's Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Josh Nunn, will discuss aspects of the project during his presentation titled: "Networking technologies for effective scaling of quantum computers." at the Quantum for International Workshop (Q4I Workshop) in Rome, NY on June 27, 2024. Learn more here. About ORCA Computing ORCA Computing, headquartered in London, UK with offices in the United States and Canada, is a leading developer and provider of full-stack photonic quantum computing systems. Established in 2019 and originating from the University of Oxford, the company provides an innovative approach to photonic quantum computing. Anchored in a modular optical fiber-based architecture, ORCA's proprietary methods of manipulating the time, frequency and switching of single photons paves the way for quantum computing using significantly fewer components. ORCA Computing has successfully delivered numerous on-premises quantum computers to leading customers including the UK Ministry of Defense and the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center. For more information, please visit www.orcacomputing.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625264275/en/ Contacts: ORCA Computing Media Contact Juliet McGinnis juliet@ajllmarketing.com Leading a New Era of Market Intelligence with Expana Rebrand LONDON, June 25, 2024. This shift consolidates a diverse portfolio of products and brands under one dynamic identity, marking a pivotal moment in the industry. The launch of Expana reflects their mission to provide an integrated solution that brings together its diverse capabilities under one brand. Expana emerges as the leader in providing comprehensive agrifood commodity market intelligence to businesses worldwide. By integrating renowned brands like Mintec, Urner Barry, Tropical Research Services, Feedinfo, and Strategie Grains, Expana sets a new standard for innovation and insight delivery. "Our journey to Expana embodies a commitment to innovation, and unparalleled market intelligence," said Spencer Wicks, CEO of Expana. "This rebranding reflects the transformation we have made in the business. Expana is now a common banner for an unrivalled group of food industry experts. That expertise will soon be available in a groundbreaking common platform to seamlessly integrate the strengths of our diverse legacy products. This solution for our customers, whether they are buyers, sellers or investors, will meet all their data and forecast requirements for managing and negotiating their commodity and finished goods contracts." Expana offers depth and breadth across all food commodities with an expansive and comprehensive solution that boasts the largest global database of pricing information, going back decades with proprietary prices that underpin many of the food industry's contracts. In addition, Expana provides advanced and reliable price forecasts, in-depth analysis, market insights, weather analytics and proprietary crop fundamentals. It also delivers a diverse portfolio of industrial pricing information, packaging, energy, and transport data. While honoring its legacy, Expana leads in modernization of the data industry, embracing cutting-edge techniques and processes with machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. The essence of Expana's transformation is reflected in its striking new visual identity, inspired by the product's unique ability to connect data, insights, and expertise, with its design elements reflecting sophistication, confidence, and growth. "Our new brand is not only a culmination of our heritage but a testament to our unwavering dedication to our clients' success," remarked Spencer. "Through Expana, we are empowering businesses to make informed decisions that drive growth and resilience in an ever-evolving environment. We are your market intelligence partner, guiding the decisions that feed our world." Experience the power of Expana and join us in shaping the future of market intelligence. For more information about our transformative solutions, visit www.expanamarkets.com. About Expana: At Expana we provide the critical market insights, so our clients can make informed decisions with confidence. We bring clarity to the world's data. Our intelligence spans over 28,000 price series and 600+ price forecasts, so our clients have full visibility of the whole supply chain. This enables businesses to manage volatility, navigate strategically and improve margins. For more than 200 years, we have built trust and credibility in the market through our deep specialist knowledge and constant innovation. We are industry experts. And we are part of the bigger picture. We feed the world with the data it needs. Our intelligence is integral to our clients' businesses and the entire supply chain. Our clients play a vital role in the world. Their decisions have a huge impact on people, communities and industries. And our data enables this. Every single day. We are Expana, and our market intelligence delivers a more resilient, a more transparent and a more sustainable supply chain. Contact: Reanna Mardinger VP of Marketing, Expana reanna.mardinger@expanamarkets.com Children's books top copyright export deals at Beijing Int'l Book Fair Xinhua) 13:10, June 25, 2024 BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,426 agreements and statements of intent for book copyright exports were reached at the 30th Beijing International Book Fair, which closed on Sunday, with children's books ranking first in the number of export deals. During the five-day book fair, Chinese publishers introduced a number of children's picture books and literature works available for copyright sale for publishing in other languages. Lin Yun, head of the China Peace Publishing House, which introduced a series of Chinese children's picture books at the fair, said good children's books serve as a bridge for cultural exchanges. She said the company hopes to "bring informative and distinctive works to children in different countries and introduce China to them." Official data shows that children's books make up the largest segment of China's book retail market, accounting for around 27 percent of the market share. The book fair also featured cooperation between Chinese publishers and overseas institutions on the production and publication of children's books. Ahead of the fair, the 21st Century Publishing Group and the Embassy of Italy in Beijing jointly held a press conference on the release of a new book in the Italian classic children's book series "Geronimo Stilton," titled "Adventure of Marco Polo." The book series, first published in simplified Chinese in 2009, has sold 17 million copies on the Chinese mainland. Wu Shulin, chairman of the Publishers Association of China, said China had become a powerhouse in children's book publishing. He said the Chinese children's book industry has been improving content production and overseas promotion while learning from successful foreign experiences. "The path for Chinese children's books to reach the world is becoming increasingly broad," he said. Founded in 1986, the Beijing International Book Fair is among the world's largest book fairs and has become one of China's key international book fairs and copyright trading platforms. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A flare burns natural gas at an oil well in Watford City, N.D. American workers own one-fifth of U.S. fossil fuel stocks through their 401(k)s. Matthew Brown/Associated Press 2021 As the world grapples with the devastating effects of climate change, from floods to wildfires to biodiversity loss, climate-conscious employees want to work for companies that take the climate crisis seriously. We do what we can as individuals, but we know we wont be successful at tackling the climate crisis unless large corporations actually make, adhere to and achieve ambitious climate commitments. Were proud to work at Google and its sister companies under the Alphabet Inc. umbrella because our employer has been a leader in so many areas, including climate and sustainability. Googles public climate commitments include goals to achieve net-zero emissions across all of our operations and value chain by 2030 and advancing carbon-free energy. But we now know that theres a big gap in Googles climate efforts, which poses big financial risks for us, and for Google itself: our Vanguard 401(k) plan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unbeknownst to many Google employees, including us until recently, Googles Vanguard retirement plan has more than $2 billion in fossil fuel investments. Vanguard as a whole has nearly $268 billion invested in fossil fuels, making it the worlds largest fossil fuel investor. American workers as a whole own one-fifth of U.S. fossil fuel stocks through their 401(k)s. As workers save for our future, we are simultaneously funding environmental and social damage while putting ourselves in increased financial risk from fossil fuel investments. Just imagine the collective positive impact we could bring about by addressing this self-sabotaging investment pattern. Someone needs to lead the way. Why not Google? Climate-safe investing is a critical part of achieving our companys commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. It also offers a means of strengthening Google employees financial well-being: Researchers at the University of Waterloo, in partnership with As You Sow, found that Google employees could have earned an estimated $1.15 billion in additional returns if Google had divested from the fossil fuel energy sector 10 years ago. And the gap in returns will grow during the next 10 years as regulators, businesses and financial markets navigate the growing, widespread impacts of climate change including the projected precipitous drop in the value of stranded assets as oil consumption approaches its peak. The numbers dont lie: Climate risk is a material risk, not just for us but for our families and our future. Employees like us are concerned about our children, too: Are we doing everything we can to ensure them a safe, prosperous and happy future? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unfortunately, we arent, as long as $2 billion of our funds are held in fossil fuels most of them in Vanguards Target Retirement Fund series, the default investment vehicle offered by our plan. Googlers should not be forced to build their portfolios from scratch to avoid the material financial risks from climate change. We are not investment experts, and like any other investor, we should be entitled to trust our professional investment managers to make responsible decisions on our behalf. This gives Google a major opportunity to become a next-level climate leader by partnering with Vanguard to provide Googlers with a fossil-free 401(k). Google has always been at the forefront of innovation. By pioneering the creation of a resilient retirement plan to meet the needs of the 21st century, Google would stay true to its bold, innovative roots, contribute to its ability to achieve its climate goals, improve its bottom line and provide what more employees want: The ability to invest our money in alignment with their values and avoid the financial risks of fossil fuels. This shift could also open the door for many other corporate retirement plans to follow. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies This is why over 1,000 Googlers have signed a petition asking our leadership team to lead the tech industry forward by offering a 401(k) that excludes companies that own fossil fuel reserves in thermal coal, oil or gas, including in target-dated funds. As one of us reminded leadership and shareholders at Alphabets June annual meeting about the resolution we introduced, These investments undermine the companys climate goals, expose employee savings to financial risk, harm the companys reputation on climate and could expose the company to litigation risk. This is an opportunity for a winwinwin: for Google, its employees and our planet. We can no longer overlook the financial, environmental or social risks of fossil fuel investments in our 401(k) plans. The time is right but we need to act now before we expose our planet, our investments and our future to even more risk. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has secured a financing package totaling US$750 million (equivalent to over C$1 billion) with Orion Resource Partners ("Orion") for the development, construction, and general working capital required to advance the Company's 100%-owned Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project ("Eskay" or the "Project"). This complete funding package significantly de-risks the Project and provides Skeena with optionality, flexibility and stakeholder alignment as the Company progresses Eskay towards production in the first half of 2027. The package provides a significant portion of financing prior to Skeena's receipt of required permits in respect to the Eskay project and therefore, allows the Company to advance the project on the most efficient and expedient schedule to production. Financing Package Highlights: The total financing package of US$750 million is comprised of an equity investment, gold stream, senior secured loan, and a cost over-run facility: US$100 million equity investment priced at a meaningful premium to the Company's five-day volume weighted average share price. US$200 million gold stream with option to buy back up to 66.7% for 12-month period after start of commercial production (the " Gold Stream "). "). US$350 million of committed capital available from a senior secured loan with 1% standby fee and no break fee (the " Senior Secured Loan "). "). US$100 million cost over-run facility in the form of an additional gold stream subject to the same standby terms as the Senior Secured Loan (the "Cost Contingency"). Walter Coles, Executive Chairman of Skeena, commented: "This complete financing package is a result of a competitive and comprehensive process undertaken to find the best financing solution for the Company. The result is certainty of funding to advance Eskay into production while balancing attractive cost of capital, flexibility, and optionality. We welcome Orion alongside existing shareholders as an aligned and committed stakeholder, further validating the merits of the project." "We designed the financing package to provide the Company with important strategic flexibility and significant funding prior to final permits, while maintaining optionality as we continue working to maximize stakeholder value by advancing the Project. On the back of our positive definitive feasibility study released in November 2023, this financing package lays the foundation on which we build Eskay - unlocking value for all our stakeholders as we progress through this stage of growth." Equity Investment - US$100,000,000 Orion has committed to purchase US$100 million of Skeena's common shares with a portion of the equity commitment priced and closing immediately and the balance (US$25 million) closing at a later date. Orion was the back-end buyer of a C$100 million development flow-through private placement transaction in which Skeena issued 12,021,977 shares at a price of C$8.32 per share, which closed on June 24, 2024. Orion also purchased 3,418,702 common shares priced at C$6.65 per share (C$22.75 million / US$16.6 million) which closed on June 24, 2024. The balance of Orion's equity investment commitment into Skeena is expected to close later this year with pricing to be set at the time of the investment. Upon completion of the full US$100 million equity investment, Orion will own less than 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. Orion will have the right to participate in any future equity or equity-linked offerings by Skeena up to the level of its ownership at the time of the offering provided that Orion continues to own at least 5% of the basic shares outstanding of the Company. The shares of Skeena issued in connection with the equity investment are subject to customary 4-month hold period under applicable securities law in Canada. In addition, until the earlier of (i) 12 months after the Closing Date; or (ii) the termination of the Senior Secured Loan or Gold Stream, Orion has agreed to not transfer its Skeena common shares without approval from Skeena's board of directors. Gold Stream - US$200,000,000 Gold Stream agreement to be drawn in five tranches The initial tranche of US$5 million is anticipated to close on June 26, 2024. The second tranche of US$45 million will be available after receipt of the Technical Sample permit. The next three tranches of US$50 million are available as needed to support the project construction schedule. Once the stream is fully drawn, Orion will be entitled to receive 10.55% of payable gold produced from the mine ("Stream Percentage") at a price equal to 10% of the LBMA AM gold fixing price three days prior to the delivery day for the life of mine of the Project. The silver production is not subject to the stream agreement. For a period of 12 months following the project completion date, Skeena may, at any time, reduce the Stream Percentage by 66.67% by repaying Orion the proportional deposit plus an imputed 18% IRR. The area of interest for the stream is constrained to 500 meters around the existing mineral reserves and resources currently delineated at the Project. Senior Secured Loan - US$350,000,000 Term: 5.75 years from the first drawdown. Availability period: Drawdowns will be in four equal tranches of US$87,500,000. Availability fee: 1.0% per year on the undrawn portion. Coupon: 3-month US$ SOFR (subject to a minimum of 1.5%) plus 7.75% margin, calculated based on the number of days elapsed in the quarter divided by 360 days. In the case of default, the margin will increase by 2%. Interest and principal repayment: Interest to be paid quarterly until the maturity date. Commencing 3 months following the planned project completion, the principal shall amortize and be payable in 15 quarterly installments. Skeena may prepay the loan and any accrued unpaid interest in full or in part at any time without any penalty. Original issue discount: 2.0% of the Senior Secured Loan Amount, which shall be paid pro-rata upon the funding of each tranche. No break fee: Skeena may terminate the Senior Secured Loan at any time without incurring penalties. Cost Over-run Facility - US$100,000,000 Skeena may request an additional $100,000,000 deposit with the same pro-rata terms as the Gold Stream other than being subject to a 2% original issue discount and a 1% availability fee. Conclusion: Fully Funded The Company's definitive feasibility study released in November 2023 estimated Eskay's pre-production capital expenditures to be US$528 million (C$713 million), including a US$36 million (C$49 million) contingency. The total financing package of US$750 million, combined with US$44 million (C$59 million) of cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2024, provides Skeena with approximately US$794 million of available capital towards the Project, which is substantially more than the remaining estimated capital expenditures required to bring Eskay back into production. With no precious metals hedging or concentrate off-take requirements, the Company retains excellent upside to increasing metals prices. Eskay Timeline The Skeena Management team is focused on advancing the Project in a disciplined manner. With project financing committed, the Company is now working to finalize the 2024 early works programs and detailed engineering plans. Proceeding with the early works program will mitigate timing pressures as Skeena completes the environmental assessment and permitting process. Upcoming development milestones target dates include: Impact Benefit Agreement with the Tahltan Central Government, expected in H1 2025. Receiving all remaining permits required for full scale construction and operation of the mine anticipated by the end of 2025. Initiating full scale construction in 2026, subject to receiving all the required permits and following construction. Projecting initial production at Eskay Creek in H1 2027. Community Benefit Skeena has always prioritized community engagement and collaboration as crucial elements for ensuring the success of the Project. Skeena acknowledges that its social license to operate must be strongly supported by collaboration and investment in its partnership with the Tahltan Nation. During 2023, Skeena continued investing in the social and economic well-being of the local communities: Within British Columbia, C$75 million was invested, with over 58% towards wages, services providers, and small businesses in the northwest of the province. Employment totaled 431 full-time jobs in British Columbia with projections to significantly increase the workforce as development ramps up. The workforce is 12% indigenous with representation at nearly all levels of the organization. Tahltan affiliated businesses received C$43 million in contracts. To date, the Project has created over C$180 million in wages, contracts, and community contributions for Tahltan-related companies and organizations. Skeena is projecting a further potential C$700 million in contracts to Tahltan businesses throughout the life of the mine. This mine will provide significant long-term value for both the national and local economies. The Company always prioritizes hiring local employees and local suppliers wherever possible. The Project will create over 800 direct jobs and potentially 2,000 jobs for outside service and contract organizations. The Project is expected to contribute roughly C$1.5 billion in direct tax revenue to British Columbia and Canada over the life of the mine. The Company is confident that through further exploration on Skeena's vast property package, the mine life for Eskay will likely be extended beyond the current estimated mine life of 12 years, providing steady employment and long-term jobs to be filled by members of the local communities of northwestern British Columbia. About Skeena Skeena is a fully financed leading gold developer that is focused on advancing the Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project and the Snip Gold Project - two past producing mines located in the renowned Golden Triangle in British Columbia, Canada. Eskay Creek represents one of the highest-grade and lowest cost open-pit precious metals mines in the world, with substantial silver by-product production that surpasses many primary silver mines. Skeena is committed to sustainable mining practices and maximizing the potential of its mineral resources. In partnership with the Tahltan First Nation, Skeena strives to foster positive relationships with Indigenous communities while delivering long-term value and sustainable growth for its stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Randy Reichert Executive Chairman President & CEO Contact Information Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725 Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified Persons In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the progress of development at Eskay, including the construction budget, schedule and required funding in respect thereof; the timing for and the Company's progress towards commencement of commercial production; the Company's capital structure; the Company's ability to buy back the gold stream in the future; amounts drawn and the timing of and completion of conditions precedent in respect of the Senior Secured Loan, gold stream agreement, additional equity investment and the cost over-run facility, the availability of the Senior Secured Loan as a source of future liquidity; andthe results of the Definitive Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 28, 2024. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 28, 2024, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Cautionary note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources Skeena's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources included or incorporated by reference herein have been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") as required by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. The terms "Mineral Reserve", "Proven Mineral Reserve", "Probable Mineral Reserve", "Mineral Resource", "Measured Mineral Resource", "Indicated Mineral Resource" and "Inferred Mineral Resource" are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" adopted by the CIM Council (as amended, the "CIM Definition Standards"). These standards differ significantly from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (the "SEC Modernization Rules"). Skeena is not currently subject to the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, Skeena's disclosure of mineralization and other technical information may differ significantly from the information that would be disclosed had Skeena prepared the information under the SEC Modernization Rules. In addition, investors are cautioned not to assume that any part, or all of, Skeena's mineral deposits categorized as "Inferred Mineral Resources" or "Indicated Mineral Resources" will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and a great amount of uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "Inferred Mineral Resources" that Skeena reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "Inferred Mineral Resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or prefeasibility studies, except for a Preliminary Economic Assessment as defined under NI 43-101. For these reasons, the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates and related information presented herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited View the original press release on accesswire.com New suite of services significantly enhances the customer experience delivered through Microsoft Teams. ANNAPOLIS, MD / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / SIPPIO, the global leader in enabling external calling on Microsoft Teams & Zoom, has today announced the general availability of SIPPIO CX. This suite of services, which significantly enhances the customer experience delivered through Microsoft Teams, was first showcased at Channel Partners Expo in March. SIPPIO CX is now fully available through a strategic partnership with Tollring, utilizing the cutting-edge Analytics 365 platform. SIPPIO CX empowers organizations to monitor, analyze, and gain actionable insights in optimizing their customer engagement strategies with Microsoft Teams. The SIPPIO CX suite comprises SIPPIO Reporting, SIPPIO Recording, and SIPPIO Recording + AI. Each service is engineered to provide unique solutions tailored to elevate customer experience and ensure compliance within Microsoft Teams. "Our mission at SIPPIO is to make technology fast, easy, and flexible. With the general availability of SIPPIO CX, we continue to go beyond voice to meet and exceed the demands of organizations of all sizes," said Adam Cole, CEO of SIPPIO. "By integrating Analytics 365 into our solutions, we are empowering channel partners and service providers with the tools that their customers need to gain deeper insights and a more robust analytics framework." Tollring, a renowned leader in communication analytics, brings its expertise in actionable insights and data-driven decision-making to the partnership. Analytics 365 will power the underlying data handling and visualization in SIPPIO CX, providing users with advanced tools to monitor, analyze, and gain actionable insights in optimizing customer engagement strategies. "The collaboration with SIPPIO demonstrates our dedication to advancing communication technologies through sophisticated analytics," stated Tony Martino, CEO of Tollring. "With Analytics 365, we're providing organizations with the means to fully leverage their data, enhancing both strategic decision-making and operational efficiencies. We're eager to see how these tools will help SIPPIO's customers achieve new levels of productivity." The availability of SIPPIO CX represents a crucial expansion for SIPPIO as the company continues to innovate beyond traditional voice solutions, offering comprehensive tools designed to enhance the Microsoft Teams experience. To explore how SIPPIO CX can benefit your organization, visit sippio.io. About SIPPIO SIPPIO is an award-winning voice enablement platform that offers the easiest and fastest way to enable PSTN calling in Microsoft Teams Phone and Zoom Phone. Available in 79 countries, organizations worldwide trust SIPPIO to keep their people connected, productive, and engaged. As an accelerator for Microsoft Operator Connect and Zoom Provider Exchange, SIPPIO also enables carriers and service providers to build and launch customer-focused voice experiences using its future-proof infrastructure, software, automation, and API layers. Learn more: www.sippio.io About Tollring Tollring is a market leading software developer providing data visualization and business intelligence tools that help manage, understand, and control a wide array of communications information, resources and assets. Tollring specializes in business communications analytics, call recording solutions, telecoms expense management and fraud management systems. Contact Information Prolific PR sippio@prolificpr.com +44 (0) 161 806 0220 SOURCE: SIPPIO View the original press release on newswire.com. As spending on home improvement products remains strong, the leading distributor of kitchen and bath furnishings announces the initiative to make renovation dreams an affordable reality. PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / More than half of Americans plan to renovate their homes this year - and will spend $451 billion to do it, according to a new Harvard University study. AAA Distributor, one of the nation's largest distributors of flooring, kitchen and bath products, announces a new initiative that can bring down that price tag. This month, AAA Distributor announces the introduction of new financing options for its valued customers. The company now provides flexible payment plans that can make home improvement products affordable and accessible to homeowners at any budget level. "We are committed to helping our customers bring their visions to life with convenient financing options. This will allow people to achieve their dream kitchens and bathrooms without financial strain," said Prajakta Maniyar, Vice President of AAA Distributor. Spending on home renovations will remain near all-time highs in 2024, according to a report released in mid-April by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The researchers' projection of $451 million in renovation spending is down slightly from 2023, but "the remodeling downturn is poised to be fairly modest and short-lived with market expenditures steadying at near-record levels," program director Abbe Will said. Another study suggests that homeowners can benefit from AAA Distributor's financing plans. More than half of homeowners (52%) plan to renovate in 2024, their projects are getting more expensive, and more are using credit cards to pay for their projects, according to the 2024 Houzz and Home Study, from the Houzz Research group. The report found that home renovation budgets are trending higher, with more than half (51%) of budgets now $25,000 or more, compared to 44% three years ago. And now, more than one-third (37%) of homeowners are using credit cards for renovation projects, up from 28% a year earlier. AAA Distributor's new initiative will help homeowners who might use credit cards or borrow money to fund their projects. To date, the company has offered 0% financing options for the first 12 months. Now, AAA Distributor is introducing new flexible financing options, with plans designed to suit various customer budgets. AAA Distributor will roll out the new flexible financing plans online as well at its physical locations. The company has served the Philadelphia area since 1990, with its main location a 120,000-square-foot freestanding building on Grant Avenue in the city's northeast section. AAA Distributor also has a Dallas location, a 150,000-square-foot warehouse, which celebrates its 13th anniversary this year. The store began offering high-quality cabinets and other products from Fabuwood and J&K Cabinetry in the branch and online as of March this year. With a specialty in doors, Dallas homeowners can have a custom-made door crafted for the house of their dreams in the warehouse all while they browse the showroom's vast selection. AAA Distributor also recently launched a new showroom in Atlanta in the boutique historic town of Roswell. Its other location in Spokane, Washington, formerly the Ugly Duck Warehouse, was acquired by AAA Distributor last August. AAA Distributor also had the privilege of donating $1,500 to Habitat for Humanity during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In combination, the four AAA Distributor locations have more than a half-million square feet of in-stock products open to the public. Michael Neal, President of AAA Distributor, believes that the new financing options will make all of that inventory more accessible to people seeking to renovate their homes. "We want people to be able to achieve their home improvement dreams, so AAA Distributor is making quality products more affordable, more convenient, and adding top-notch service to help them make their projects a reality." About AAA Distributor AAA Distributor is a distributor, wholesaler, and retailer of kitchen, bathroom and flooring home improvement and remodeling products. Headquartered in Philadelphia, its large showroom (120,000 square feet) in Philadelphia offers samples, displays, and free 3D design services with the assistance of 12 full-time interior designers.?AAA designs and imports its own proprietary product line, LessCare, which includes cabinetry, vanities, bath furnishings, plumbing supplies, flooring and fixtures.?AAA Distributor also has locations in Atlanta, Dallas and Spokane. Contact Information Buse Kayar Media and Content Manager buse.kayar@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: AAA Distributor View the original press release on newswire.com. PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Uptime.com, a leading website monitoring service provider, is excited to announce the latest enhancements to their mobile app, designed to provide users with an enhanced mobile user experience. The new updates bring a range of improvements, including a refreshed UI, accessibility enhancements and streamlined check management features that now allow users to create, edit and delete checks directly from their mobile device. UI Enhancements: Enjoy a refreshed visual UI design that supports both dark and light modes, featuring a completely new and redesigned Uptime bar for better user interaction. Accessibility Enhancements: They have adjusted color selections and fonts to meet accessibility standards, ensuring the mobile app is more user-friendly for everyone. Check Creation and Deletion: Users can now effortlessly create or delete basic HTTPS, DNS, PING and SSH checks directly within the app, simplifying on-the-go monitoring. Uptime Percentage: The checklist now includes uptime percentage, providing a quick overview of your website's performance. Timezone Display: Timezone information is now displayed in the alert log, helping users better understand their alerts in context. Access Control Options: A new option on the web dashboard allows users to enable or disable who has access to login via Uptime.com mobile apps, giving users greater control over their account security (enabled by default). "At Uptime.com, we understand the importance of accessing website monitoring data across multiple devices and platforms. That's why we are dedicated to providing a seamless and intuitive mobile experience for users of the Uptime.com platform to monitor their websites. We are continually enhancing our mobile apps to ensure a streamlined and efficient user experience, meeting the needs of our users wherever they are." - Tom Crocker, Technical Product Manager Additionally, users can now select either U.S. or EU regions for RUM (Real User Monitoring) during sign-up or from within their accounts to change their storage regions for RUM data. Although Uptime.com is fully GDPR compliant, this new option enables customers to choose the EU region as an alternate storage location and further extends and improves compliance with regional data residency regulations and enhances customer trust. This option also reduces latency by storing data closer to end users, improving performance and responsiveness when viewing RUM data. "I am thrilled to extend our platform and be able to provide the option for our customers to store RUM data in the EU region. We heard from our customers loud and clear that they need to improve their data residency when it comes to RUM data. Although we are fully compliant with GDPR regulations, we want to make it easier for our customers to consume all the benefits that our RUM feature has to offer. We have more enhancements coming for our EU customers to ensure we continue to make our service as easy as possible to consume as the leading website monitoring service in the EU." - Jonathan Franconi, CEO & Head of Product Uptime.com These enhancements are part of Uptime.com's ongoing commitment to providing the best monitoring solutions for their 2 million+ users. These updates will significantly improve the ease of use, accessibility and overall functionality of Uptime.com's mobile app along with providing their EU customers with improved compliance. Explore the latest Uptime.com mobile app enhancements today and experience monitoring like never before by downloading their free mobile apps: iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uptime-com-website-monitoring/id1176754968 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apppartner.uptime.uptime&pli=1 For more information, visit www.uptime.com or contact their support team at support@uptime.com. About Uptime.com Uptime.com provides peace of mind to thousands of customers like Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Palo Alto Networks, Kraft and BNP Paribas, who trust the company to monitor the performance, health and downtime of their websites. Contact Information Jessica Lombao jessica.lombao@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: Uptime.com View the original press release on newswire.com. CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Logicbroker, a modern multi-vendor commerce platform for operating marketplaces and dropship programs, has released a full slate of product innovations focusing on core enhancements to the Connected Commerce Network (CCN), a newly launched Partner Management Center, and several key native integration updates including expanded Shopify and Squarespace connectors. These innovations signify a continuing focus at Logicbroker on providing robust supplier engagement tools for retailers and commerce program operators. Logo Logicbroker Logo With these enhancements, Logicbroker allows retailers and brands to find new suppliers through the Connected Commerce Network, efficiently manage entire ecosystems with additional integrations into Shopify and Squarespace, and orchestrate the ongoing relationship for years to come with the Partner Management Center. "This wave of innovation began in our customer advisory board (CAB) meetings," said Logicbroker President Mark Detelich. "There has been an increasing need to expedite onboarding and quickly expand product assortment through accessing a trusted network of top-performing suppliers. Our latest integration enhancements into Shopify and Squarespace, along with the Partner Management Center and Connected Commerce Network, are already helping customers increase sales, expand into new categories, and operate at a more efficient level." The Enhanced Connected Commerce Network The Connected Commerce Network is Logicbroker's network of qualified, vetted, and integrated suppliers who have opted in to be discovered by retailers and marketplace operators. This newly redesigned network allows Retailers and Marketplaces to search and connect with thousands of suppliers who can quickly help expand their assortment. Through numerous native integrations, suppliers can quickly connect, sell, and manage their commerce program through the Logicbroker portal or whatever platform they so choose. The Partner Management Center One of Logicbroker's core tenants is to provide retailers and marketplace operators the visibility and control needed to efficiently manage their commerce programs while providing exceptional customer experiences. To help facilitate this, the organization has launched its Partner Management Center (PMC). This latest management tool is built directly in the Logicbroker portal and allows operators to manage partners effortlessly via information sharing and data storage. With PMC, operators can activate & suspend partner selling relationships, map roles and manage contacts for their various supplier groups, find local warehouses, and more. This level of granular partner visibility allows Logicbroker clients to efficiently and quickly manage all aspects of their commerce program to deliver the experiences their customers demand. New Native Shopify and Squarespace Integrations To simplify seller integrations and speed time-to-value, Logicbroker also launched its native Squarespace connector and enhanced Shopify connector in Q2. In addition to Logicbroker's many native connectors, Squarespace and Shopify give Logicbroker customers unmatched flexibility in the way they operate their eCommerce program, connect with new partners, and fulfill orders. Logicbroker's newly enhanced Shopify connection gives suppliers the power to remain on their Shopify platform throughout the entire order fulfillment process. Logicbroker's native Squarespace connector gives retailers and suppliers the ability to accept orders while providing acknowledgments, shipments, inventory, and product catalogs through Squarespace and the Logicbroker portal. Setup for both of these connectors takes just a few button clicks and, in most cases, under a minute. Learn More Online To learn more Logicbroker's modern multi-vendor commerce platform, visit www.logicbroker.com. About Logicbroker Logicbroker provides modern dropship and marketplace solutions that connect retailers and brands to Connect, Orchestrate, and Grow their commerce platform to take control of their customer experience through curated expanded assortment, flexible integration tools, and automated onboarding procedures. We work with mid-market and enterprise organizations and service brands such as Samsung, Victoria's Secret, and more. Contact Information Becca McCarthy Director, Marketing bmccarthy@logicbroker.com SOURCE: Logicbroker View the original press release on newswire.com. Prebiotic drinks may be the craze, but All-In Nutritionals founder Lindsey Duncan, CN, ND, offers a healthy alternative. SPRINGFIELD, OH / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / All-In Nutritionals LLC, creators of highly effective and potent natural supplements such as Ancient Energy and Jungle Greens, announced today the addition of Gut Revival, an exciting and high-demand product. Gut Revival is a prebiotic daily supplement product in powder form, with the intended purpose to support the rebuilding and refeeding of the gut microbiome with good, beneficial bacteria. Gut Revival is offered through Agape Herbals LLC, a division of All-In Nutritionals. Prebiotics have become a recent buzzword due in part to a lawsuit with a popular functional beverage company. The lawsuit alleges that consumers purchased the beverage believing it would make their gut healthier due to the company's slogan. However, with only 2 grams of prebiotic fiber per can, and 4-5 grams of cane sugar, some argue that the amount of prebiotic is too low, and the sugar content is too high to have any kind of meaningful healthy impact. Head of Research and Development and Scientific Affairs at All-In Nutritionals, and Agape Herbals founder, Weston Horne, BCSI, NH, stated that it can be difficult to find a credible source of prebiotic fiber. "Gut health has become a massive industry, which unfortunately leads to questionable products entering the market claiming to promote improved gut function. The claims made by these companies have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and few have actual clinical evidence or research to support their claims. This is exactly why we created Gut Revival." Horne went on to say, "Consumers desperately need a reliable prebiotic product that provides two critical elements. First, one or more of the ingredients in the product has been clinically studied and validated with actual trials, and secondly, the dosage levels are consistent with these clinical trials." The functional beverage industry is booming, making a reported $153 billion in 2023, demonstrating a massive consumer interest in gut-healthy drinks and other functional beverages. Many of these products are marketed with gut-healthy language to make consumers think they are consuming a gut-healthy beverage. All-In Nutritionals founder and CEO Lindsey Duncan stated, "We aren't hopping on the latest gut health beverage trend. We are more concerned about delivering a product with solid clinical evidence that consumers can trust and depend on. This is the foundation that every Agape Herbals and All-In Nutritionals product is built upon, and this is what sets us apart from the industry standard." Duncan went on to explain, "As an example, one of the 14 ingredients in Gut Revival is a branded ingredient called Solnul. This ingredient alone is backed by three completed clinical trials, eight issued and pending patents, and two peer-reviewed publications with many more in progress." What are prebiotics? Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber and food ingredients that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in our intestinal tract. They are critical for gut health. They feed bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which maintain intestinal integrity and become a source of fuel for the gut. Prebiotics also influence the diversity of gut bacteria, encouraging and feeding the growth of healthy microbes. Horne said, "There are far too many to mention here, but a simple internet search will surprise most people in regard to the numerous benefits of prebiotics." Most Americans do not consume enough prebiotics or enough fiber. Prebiotics are predominantly found in whole plant food fibers such as lentils, beans, asparagus, seaweed, barley, and more. According to the American Society for Nutrition, only 5% of men and 9% of women meet the basic FDA requirements for fiber, which is about 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women. Horne states that with Gut Revival, getting the recommended daily value of prebiotic fiber will be easier for the average person. "Gut Revival contains 7 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving. This is 25% of what we should be consuming daily. In addition, our prebiotic tastes great and is in powder form, meaning you can easily mix it into your favorite juice, smoothie, coffee, tea, or even water." All-In Nutritionals also leaves out the added sugar, which many other "gut healthy" products contain. Horne said, "High sugar consumption has been shown to harm gut health over time, so it does not make sense to create a 'gut healthy' product with so much added sugar." Gut Revival contains 0 grams of added sugar and less than 1 gram of natural sugar, which comes from two of the prebiotics, Yacon Root and Lucuma powder. "Many people believe that a product promoting gut health provides an adequate daily intake of important prebiotics," said Duncan. "Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. We encourage all consumers to do their own research and look for good, solid, clinical evidence to support what the company is promising with their gut health beverage or supplement to make sure that their claims can be backed up with credible, clinical studies. We pride ourselves in passing this test with our prebiotic products as well as with all of our products." About All-In Nutritionals Founded and created by Master Formulator, Herbalist, Doctor of Naturopathy, and Certified Nutritionist, Lindsey Duncan, All-In Nutritionals is the leading provider of all-natural, pure, clinically studied and ingredient-tested supplements to aid people in nourishing, balancing, cleansing, and supporting the human body. All-In Nutritionals uses organic, wild-harvested, non-GMO ingredients that are grown and harvested in their natural state and are masterfully formulated for both long-term and short-term success. All products are manufactured in All-In Nutritionals' pristine and FDA-registered, cGMP and NSF-certified manufacturing facility. Contact Information Ellie Flores Manager of Domestic & International Sales support@neuronutritionals.com 937-471-4801 SOURCE: All-In Nutritionals View the original press release on newswire.com. The podcast crafted with the product manager in mind. CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Evergreen Podcasts (Evergreen) expands its offerings to tech product professionals with their new partner podcast, Rocketship.fm. Recognized as a top business podcast by Forbes, The Muse, TheNextWeb, and more, Rocketship.fm is produced in partnership with Product Collective. Rocketship.FM Rocketship.FM podcast cover art The Rocketship.fm podcast began with a mission to bring together the best minds in product management to share insights that help leaders, and founders build better products. By joining forces with Evergreen, Rocketship.fm will reach an even wider audience of product professionals, continuing to deliver top-notch, actionable content. Host Mike Belsito, Co-Founder of Product Collective and Organizer of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference, knows that product makers are often time-deficient yet have an intrinsic need to stay ahead of the curve. That's why Belsito created this quick 30-minute weekly podcast to break down essential concepts for entrepreneurs and product managers working in tech. From product management to growth, sales to funding, Belsito brings stories and insights to inspire innovation and change how you think about products and business. "Rocketship.fm has always been about community and conversation," Mike Belsito explained. "By teaming up with Evergreen, we'll be able to tap into their vibrant network of shows and listeners, creating even more opportunities for product leaders to connect, learn from each other, and ultimately, build better products." Located near Evergreen's Cleveland studios in Lakewood, Ohio, Mike is the newest local podcaster to join the network. As a neighbor, Evergreen looks forward to having Mike join them in the studio, further growing a community of creators. "As a millennial in an ever-changing industry, I rely on business podcasts to stay updated on the latest trends and learn new tricks to the trade," asserted Samantha Maloy, Marketing Director for Evergreen Podcasts. "That's why adding Rocketship.fm to our network is particularly exciting. Evergreen is dedicated to continuously seek out and grow niche genres, providing innovative resources for our listeners." Rocketship.fm is available now on Evergreen's website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts. Product Managers, Product Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and individuals in the tech industry are encouraged to subscribe to Rocketship.fm for new episodes every week! Press inquiries: If you are interested in speaking with Mike Belsito, or members of the Product Collective or Evergreen Podcasts, please contact Samantha Maloy. About Evergreen Podcasts Evergreen Podcasts is one of the world's largest independent podcast networks with a premier catalog of over 300 entertaining and thought-provoking shows. A full-service podcast production, brand marketing, and sales organization, Evergreen is rooted in high production values and artistic integrity. With a diverse roster of storytellers from true crime, pop culture, comedy, and beyond, Evergreen Podcasts connects listeners with content that informs, entertains, and inspires. For more information, visit evergreenpodcasts.com. Contact Information Samantha Maloy Director of Marketing smaloy@evergreenpodcasts.com SOURCE: Evergreen Podcasts View the original press release on newswire.com. GRENOBLE, France & MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UroMems, a global company developing innovative, implantable mechatronics technology to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI), today announced it has raised $47 million in its Series C financing, the largest fundraising round to date for the company. The capital will support large-scale U.S. and European pivotal clinical trials of the UroActive implant, paving the way for regulatory submission in multiple countries. UroActive is the first smart automated artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) to treat SUI. The financing round was led by Credit Mutuel Innovation and joined by the European Innovation Council as well as the existing investors Wellington Partners, Bpifrance, Supernova Invest, Hil-Invent, b-to-v Partners and Financiere Arbevel. "We are thrilled to lead this record round for UroMems," said Jerome Feraud, Head of Health Division at Credit Mutuel Innovation. "Based on very positive data and feedback from patients and physicians in the pilot clinical trials, we strongly believe that the UroActive smart implant has the potential to become the standard of care as the next-generation SUI treatment." Under the strong and steady leadership, energy and guidance of co-founders Chief Executive Officer Hamid Lamraoui and Chief Medical Officer Professor Pierre Mozer, UroMems has successfully surpassed critical milestones in research and development, clinical outcomes and building the organization. The funding comes on the heels of exceptionally strong results from the first-in-man multicenter clinical study six-month endpoint, and successful six-month primary endpoint for the first-ever female patient to receive the UroActive System. For all study patients the devices are operating as expected for over one year now with no need for revision nor explant. In addition, extremely positive follow-up was received on secondary outcomes measures, including leak rate values and patient quality of life questionnaires. "We've invested in UroMems from the start and our confidence that the UroActive System will improve patients' lives continues to grow as the company reaches one major milestone after the other," said Dr. Johannes Fischer, Partner at Wellington Partners. "We look forward to continue supporting the company as they move closer to bringing this promising technology to both women and men suffering from SUI." "On behalf of our entire exceptional team and the patients whose lives have been restored thanks to our technology, we are grateful to our investor partners for their continued support as we approach the critical milestone of launching our pivotal clinical trial," said Lamraoui. "The confidence of our new and existing investors combined with the strength of our compelling results and tremendous physician interest shows the high potential of our technology. This brings us one step closer to delivering on the massive unmet need for men, women and physicians desperately seeking a better SUI treatment option." SUI, or involuntary urinary leakage, affects an estimated 40 million Americans and 90 million Europeans. SUI significantly impacts quality of life, as it can be debilitating, and often leads to depression, low self-esteem and social stigma. About UroActive UroActive is an active implantable electronic artificial urinary sphincter that is being developed to compensate for sphincter insufficiency in patients, both men and women, with SUI. It is based on a unique bionic platform using embedded smart, digital and robotic systems which, based on data collected from a patient, create a treatment algorithm that is specific for each patient's needs. The UroMems technology platform is protected by more than 150 patents and is designed to overcome the limitations of current solutions by optimizing safety and performance, patient experience and surgeon convenience. UroActive has not received marketing authorization from the FDA and is not available for sale in the United States or in the EU. For more information, please visit www.uromems.com. Media Contact: Shelli Lissick shelli@bellmontpartners.com 651-276-6922 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2094261/UroMems_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/uromems-raises-record-47-million-44-million-in-series-c-financing-to-fund-pivotal-clinical-trials-of-the-uroactive-system-the-first-smart-automated-implant-to-treat-stress-urinary-incontinence-302177310.html MUNICH, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dyness, a global innovator in energy storage solutions, made waves at Intersolar Europe. They have once again proven the value of innovation by unveiling their latest commercial & industrial (C&I) product, DH100F, and the residential product, Powerbox G2. Notably, the brand has gained new European clients on-site, reinforcing their commitment to strengthening collaborative partnerships. At this stage, Dyness has newly launched its low-voltage residential product Powerbox G2 and DH100F designed for small-scale C&I application to supplement their comprehensive solution matrix. Dyness Residential Solution: enhanced efficiency, simplified installation, intelligent management For residential segment, Dyness launched high-voltage and low-voltage products for different electricity demands. They feature high system efficiency of up to 1C charge and discharge rate, and easy installation through OTA upgrade and modular design. Furthermore, Dyness Smart Cloud Platform also supports intelligent energy optimization management to enhance system performance and revenue. The new-release Powerbox G2 uses the shortest power cord path design and temperature control mechanism to ensure higher system efficiency and lower system cost, optimizing the user experience. Dyness C&I Solution: ultimate safety, high energy density, full-scenario application Dyness C&I solutions rely on flexible configuration and the ability to connect multiple units in parallel to meet the needs of different application scenarios. With their All-In-One design and rapid on/off switching, they allow for flexible expansion and various operation modes. The brand-new DH100F boasts an energy density of up to 35.2kWh/m, and its preventative fire strategy with three-level detection and TMG function can also ensure ultimate safety of the system. The flexible expansion of the DH100F enables it to achieve MW-level capacity, excelling in all scenarios. During the exhibition, Dyness awarded the Golden Partner accolade to clients from countries such as Germany, UK, and Spain, and signed contracts with distributors from the Netherlands and Bulgaria, showing its commitment to these markets through firm partnerships. Moreover, both KOSTAL and KACO, Dyness's inverter partners in Germany, took the stage at the brand's booth to deliver engaging speeches. Andreas Schmalenberg, Product Manager at KOSTAL, introduced the connection of KOSTAL inverters and Tower Series, which offers customers a premium solution. It is highlighted that the Tower T14, combined with the Kostal PLENTICORE plus G2 10 inverter, achieved a 94.2% system performance index, according to the Stromspeicher-Inspektion 2024 by HTW Berlin. Arvid Burkle, Head of Product Lifecycle Management at KACO, also emphasized, "We are proud of the compatibility between KACO blueplanet hybrid inverters and Dyness Tower and Tower Pro series, which provides users with more reliable storage options ". With a global presence spanning 13 branches worldwide, Dyness has established a strong local service system in Europe, through full after-sales tracking service and prompt hotline response, to ensure quality and reliability of services. Serving over 500,000 users in 100+ countries, Dyness is collaborating with 90+ partners worldwide, to make renewable energy more affordable. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447529/Dyness_exhibits_Intersolar_Europe_2024.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dyness-ignites-at-intersolar-europe-with-expanded-products-and-partnerships-302181662.html California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference in Sacramento on May 10. Newsom delivered a prerecorded State of the State speech Tuesday. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press Gov. Gavin Newsom must have gotten his dates mixed up. Instead of delivering his annual state constitutionally mandated State of the State speech to the Legislature on Tuesday, he dropped a partisan speech better suited for the prime-time speaking slot hell likely have at Augusts Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Newsoms speech didnt contain any news. Instead, it was a full-throated defense of the California way of life including its weak spots of affordability, homelessness and crime aimed at a national audience. Newsoms target: Republicans and delusional California bashers. Newsom mentioned Republicans six times in his speech and red states five. He didnt mention Donald Trump by name, but he railed on cable news, congressional Republicans and wall-to-wall right-wing media coverage about lawless blue cities and blue states. (T)he California way of life is under attack, Newsom said. For conservatives and delusional California bashers, their success depends on our failure. They want to impeach the very things that have made us successful, as a tactic to turn America toward a darker future. They do so in the name of liberty and freedom. What followed was a fiery defense of Democratic values that many Democrats wish President Joe Biden would deliver Thursday during his debate against Trump. Or be capable of delivering on the stump. Its another example of how Newsom, who has been fearless about going on Fox News and tangling with Trump stenographer Sean Hannity and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is one of the Democratic Partys strongest national voices. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And, yes, it will be good to keep a copy of this speech on hand, as you might see Newsom cribbing portions of it while campaigning in the South Carolina primary in 2028 after he and the next president are termed out of office or disinterested in running again. In terms of a national political message, it was strong. But this is the State of the State speech. The state being the one where Newsom was presumably standing when he recorded his speech in lieu of delivering it live, as is typically the custom. Huge chunks of this speech were framed as national issues, albeit through a California lens. On securing the border, Newsom said Republicans in Congress have chosen cynicism, partisan politics, and the dangerous path of chaos instead of doing their job. Think of this: For all their talk of securing the border, they rejected the opportunity to add 1,500 new border agents, 4,300 asylum officers and new immigration judges and personnel, and hundreds of millions of dollars to support local communities impacted directly by the border. He touted how deploying the California National Guard has resulted in the seizure of more than 62,000 pounds of fentanyl in 2023. On homelessness, Newsom referred to Americas homelessness problem, noting that Californias detractors have similarly offered nothing but rhetoric, moaning and casting blame. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And then Newsom cast blame on his predecessors, including without naming him Gov. Jerry Brown. No state has done as much as California in addressing the pernicious problem of homelessness that too many politicians have ignored for too long. Let me remind you that when I became governor in 2019, there was no state homeless strategy, no state plan, Newsom said. Unmentioned was that there was not enough accounting of where all that money was going, according to an April state audit that found the state failed to adequately track whether $24 billion in homeless funding over the last five years has actually improved the situation on California streets, something previous audits have also faulted the state for. The 2023 point-in-time homeless count released in December tallied roughly 180,000 people who were experiencing homelessness in California, up 6% from the previous year. On abortion rights, Newsom touted the Legislature for creating Californias strongest-in-the-country protections, as opposed to Californias detractors in other states telling a woman shes not in charge of her own body. When it came to talking about crime, Newsom pushed back on the narrative right-wing media flog on about, claiming higher crime rates in blue cities, noting that Eight of the 10 most violent murder states in America are red states. Cities like Jacksonville and Memphis have significantly higher homicide rates than San Francisco and Los Angeles and Californias gun homicide rate is 33 percent below the national average because of our gun safety laws. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But in a rare moment of near-vulnerability, he acknowledged that we will do more to go after professional theft rings more forcefully. We look forward to advancing a package of reforms this year, a nod to the battle over how to reform Proposition 47 that is reaching a fever pitch in Sacramento. He also acknowledged in a passing reference the insurance crisis, which has resulted in thousands of Californians losing coverage and countless others being unable to buy a home because they cant obtain a policy. While Newsom bragged that California is the tentpole of the American economy 16 percent of all national job creation last month came right here in California, he said costs are still too high for too many people. An added stressor these days is the cost and availability of home insurance. Were tackling that with more urgency than ever moving reforms and new laws quickly to stabilize the insurance market. Part of the reason to focus on national issues is that an increasing number of Californians dont feel good about their state. When Newsom took office in January 2019, 40% of Californians thought the state was going in the wrong direction. Now, 62% do, according to a June survey from the Public Policy Institute of California. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Newsoms brand has been sinking too. The survey found that 52% of likely voters disapprove of Newsoms job as governor, spiking from 43% a year ago. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher of Yuba City said Tuesday that Newsom sounded kind of unhinged and not willing to take responsibility for being the top leader of this state. Did you hear anything really about the state of the state? Let me tell you what the state of the state is right now. Its a husband and wife sitting around the kitchen table, head in hands, trying to figure out how to pay the bills, Gallagher said. Instead we hear Gavin Newsom whining about Fox News. We hear Gavin Newsom complain about Republican states. We want to know about California. Wheres the results? California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson, who has mocked Newsom for months for not delivering this speech earlier, said Tuesday that its no wonder he chose the cowards way out by giving a prerecorded message 99 days late rather than face Californians in a live address. Gavin Newsom has been an absolute disaster for our state whose main accomplishment is putting us at the top of all the wrong lists while refusing to take any accountability, she said. Newsom should take a look in the mirror and realize he and the Democrats are the cause of countless hardships for Californians throughout our state. The state of our state is struggling under Democrats failed one-party rule, but California Republicans will never stop fighting to turn California around. Newsoms speech was centered on countering that framing: Anyone who really knows California knows that the state of our state is strong and resilient a beacon to the world, he said. But Newsom and the Legislature just closed a hole in the state budget through a series of cuts that included $16 billion worth of spending cuts and using $12 billion of Californias rainy day fund. Whats particularly painful is that the cuts included $1.1 billion for affordable housing programs, targeted at what Newsom has long referred to as Californias original sin: not building enough housing. Yet Newsom again reframed the question to the states detractors: If California is a failed state, why are four of the seven most valuable companies in the world based here? Why does the Bay Area remain the top-ranked region for venture capital? CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Offshore Support Vessel Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $25.6 billion in 2024 and is poised to reach $36.3 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The global Offshore Support Vessel Market is anticipated to grow at a higher level. There are various drivers responsible for the growth of the market such as government policies and incentives and technological advancements among others. The rising global demand for energy, particularly from developing countries, pushes the need for increased offshore exploration and production, subsequently driving the OSV market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1212 Browse in-depth TOC on "Offshore Support Vessel Market" 260 - Tables 70 - Figures 300 - Pages Offshore Support Vessel Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $25.6 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $36.3 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% Market Size Available for 2019-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) / Volume (Units) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Offshore support vessel Market by materials used, fuels used, type, application, end-user and region. Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increased ultra-deepwater exploration activities, especially in Arctic region Key Market Drivers Increasing investments in offshore wind and oil & gas projects Shallow water, by application, is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period. Maintenance and refurbishment of aging offshore infrastructure in shallow waters are critical activities that heavily rely on the support of offshore support vessels (OSVs). Over time, offshore installations such as oil platforms, pipelines, and production facilities deteriorate due to harsh marine conditions, necessitating regular upkeep to ensure their safety, efficiency, and compliance with environmental regulations. OSVs play a crucial role in these operations by providing the necessary transportation, logistical support, and specialized equipment needed for maintenance tasks. These vessels are equipped to handle a wide range of activities, including inspection, repair, and replacement of structural components, as well as the deployment of divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater work. Additionally, OSVs offer essential services such as supply runs, waste removal, and crew transport, ensuring that maintenance operations proceed smoothly and without interruption. The presence of reliable OSVs ensures that aging infrastructure can be effectively managed, reducing the risk of accidents and prolonging the operational lifespan of offshore assets. This ongoing demand for maintenance and refurbishment services drives the growth and development of the OSV market, particularly in regions with extensive shallow water installations. Offshore Oil & Gas, by end-user industry, is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period. The expansion of exploration and production activities in emerging offshore markets, particularly in deepwater reserves and Arctic regions, is creating significant new opportunities for offshore support vessel operators and manufacturers. These frontier areas are attracting substantial investments from oil and gas companies seeking to tap into previously unexplored or underexplored hydrocarbon reserves. Deepwater reserves, often found off the coasts of countries like Brazil, Guyana, and West Africa, present unique challenges and opportunities. The complex and demanding nature of deepwater drilling operations necessitates specialized support vessels equipped with advanced technology and capabilities. These vessels must be able to operate in harsh conditions, provide reliable support for drilling rigs, transport personnel and supplies, and ensure safety and efficiency in deepwater environments. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1212 North America is expected to be the fastest growing region in the Offshore Support Vessel Market. The relentless global demand for energy continues to drive significant growth in offshore exploration and production activities, especially in resource-rich regions like the Gulf of Mexico. This area's abundant oil and gas reserves attract major energy companies and independent operators, making it a prime target for exploration and production initiatives. Offshore support vessels (OSVs) play a crucial role in these ventures, providing essential services such as transporting supplies, equipment, and personnel, as well as performing specialized functions like anchor handling and subsea construction support. Technological advancements in OSV design, including dynamic positioning systems and automated tools, have enhanced operational efficiency and safety, further boosting their importance in offshore operations. Key Market Players of Offshore Support Vessel Industry: Some of the major players in the Offshore Support Vessel Market are A.P. Moller-Maersk (Denmark), Tidewater Inc. (US), BOURBON (France), Edison Chouset Offshore (US), and Deltamarin Ltd (Europe). The major strategies adopted by these players include new product launches, acquisitions, contracts, agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, investments, and expansions. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=1212 Related Reports: Marine Engines Market by Engine (Propulsion and Auxiliary), Type (Two Stroke and Four Stroke), Power Range (Up to 1,000 hp, 1,001-5,000 hp, 5,001-10,000 hp, 10,001-20,000 hp, and Above 20,000 hp), Fuel, Vessel and Region - Global Forecast to 2029 Offshore Wind Market by Component (Turbines (Nacelle, Rotors & Blades, Tower), Substructure, Electrical Infrastructure), Location (Shallow Water, Transitional Water, & Deepwater) and Region (North America, Asia Pacific, & Europe) - Global forecast to 2026 Get access to the latest updates on Offshore Support Vessel Companies and Offshore Support Vessel Industry Growth About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/offshore-support-vessel-market-worth-36-3-billion-by-2029--marketsandmarkets-302181385.html Rising investments in construction projects, the expanding e-commerce and warehousing sector in the region, and growing industrial activities contribute to the demand for autonomous forklifts in Asia-Pacific. These forklifts are extensively deployed on-site for transporting materials and loading/unloading products and commodities. NEWARK, Del., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Automation trends in industries across sectors all over the world, especially in developed countries like Germany and Italy, have fuelled the adoption of autonomous forklifts. The autonomous forklift market is valued at a staggering USD 5,300.9 million in 2024. Advancements in engineering technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have further made these forklifts more efficient, reliable, and affordable so that even small businesses can afford them. The adoption of autonomous forklifts has also been driven by the Industry 4.0 drive in various economies that rely on manufacturing industries such as automotive, engineering, and construction. Owing to the current market trends, the autonomous forklift industry is very likely to register a CAGR of 8.9% through 2034. These units utilize the full potential of autonomous forklifts for improving efficiency and productivity. The cost of acquiring these forklifts, however, is substantial, which has made it difficult for smaller businesses with limited financial resources to enter the industry. The investments needed to train or hire skilled professionals to operate these machines are also cost-intensive, making it challenging for businesses to afford them. Despite these challenges, the market valuation is slated to surpass USD 12,450 million by the end of 2034. Request a Sample Report! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-19613 "Companies in the autonomous forklift market should focus on enhancing safety features, improving navigation systems, and integrating advanced AI technology for better efficiency and productivity," says Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.).. Key Takeaways from the Market Study: The indoor segment dominates the autonomous forklift market, with a share of 69.2% in 2024. Based on tonnage, the 5 to 10-ton segment leads the autonomous forklift market, with a share of 35.1% in 2024. The autonomous forklift market in India is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% through 2034. The autonomous forklift market in Japan is estimated to rise at a 9.3% CAGR through 2034. The autonomous forklift market in South Korea has the potential to increase at 9.5% CAGR through 2034. The United States autonomous forklift market is predicted to rise by 8.6% CAGR through 2034. The autonomous forklift market in the United Kingdom is very likely to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% through 2034. Competitive Landscape The autonomous forklift market is highly competitive with, several companies vying for international dominance. Established companies with vast experience have gained a loyal consumer base and have a marketing reach across borders. Collaborations with local manufacturers have enabled these companies to expand their products and technology to developing and underdeveloped countries. The industry is currently dominated by prominent players such as Amazon Robotics, Toyota Industries Corporation, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., KION Group AG, and Daifuku Co., Ltd. Get in Touch with Our Sales Team to Secure Your Copy of the Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/19613 Leading Autonomous Forklift Brands Amazon Robotics Toyota Industries Corporation Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. KION Group AG Daifuku Co., Ltd. Seegrid Corporation Vecna Robotics BlueBotics SA Balyo Inc. AGV International Clearpath Robotics Inc. E&K Automation GmbH Fetch Robotics, Inc. Geek+ Robotics Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. JBT Corporation Kollmorgen Corporation Locus Robotics Corporation Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) Swisslog Holding AG Recent Developments: In May 2024, KION North America and Fox Robotics partnered to manufacture FoxBot autonomous trailer loader/unloaders in South Carolina. FoxBot enhances safety and productivity with automation. In April 2024, Walmart successfully deployed 19 autonomous forklifts across four distribution centers developed by Fox Robotics, complementing their automated storage and retrieval system. In March 2024, ArcBest deployed Nvidia's AI technology on its autonomous forklifts, improving object recognition and safety in freight handling. Isaac Perceptor enhances efficiency with 3D mapping. Key Segments of Market Report: By Tonnage: Based on tonnage, the industry is trifurcated into less than 5 tons, 5 to 10 tons, and more than 10 tons. By Navigation Technology: Depending on the navigation technology, the industry is segmented into three categories: laser, vision, and magnetic. By Type: By type, the industry is bifurcated into indoor and outdoor categories. By Sales Channel: Autonomous forklifts are sold through multiple sales channels including in-house purchase and leasing. By Application: The segmentation by application includes four categories: manufacturing, warehousing, material handling, and logistics & freight. By Region: As per region, the industry is divided into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Report Preview: Author by: Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries. His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making. Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times. Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Automotive Domain: The automotive seating market is expected to be valued at US$ 71.48 billion in 2024. The automotive seating is predicted to rise at a sluggish CAGR of 3.7% from 2024 to 2034. The global market is anticipated to reach US$ 102.8 billion by 2034. The global automotive remote diagnostic market size is anticipated to be worth US$ 108,163.40 million by 2034. According to the estimates, the market is projected to clock a staggering 17.40% CAGR until 2034. In 2024, the automotive remote diagnostic market size is valued at US$ 21,747.60 million. The automotive carbon ceramic brake market is expected to rise from a valuation of US$ 588.93 million in 2024 to US$ 1,568.26 million by 2034. From 2024 and 2034, sales of automotive carbon ceramic brakes are likely to advance at a CAGR of 10.29%. The automotive heat exchanger market size is estimated to be USD 26,485.6 million in 2024. Displaying a CAGR of 5.9% through 2034, the sector is slated to be worth USD 46,986.1 million by the forecast period. The global automotive platooning system market size is anticipated to reach USD 5374 million in 2024. The industry is anticipated to attain a value of USD 39577.9 million in 2034. It is projected to showcase a CAGR of about 22.1% in the assessment period 2024 to 2034. The global automotive oxygen sensor market size is projected to reach USD 6628.7 million in 2024. The industry is anticipated to showcase a CAGR of 6.4% in the assessment period from 2024 to 2034. It is set to attain a value of around USD 12326.7 million by 2034. The global automotive test equipment market is projected to reach USD 5.2 billion in 2034 from USD 3.3 billion in 2024. The industry is anticipated to showcase 4.4% in the estimated period 2024 to 2034. The global automotive active safety system market size is anticipated to reach USD 45.69 billion by 2034. The industry is projected to witness a CAGR of about 11.3% in the assessment period 2024 to 2034. Automotive active safety system sales are projected to attain a value of USD 15.8 billion in 2024. The automotive interior leather market is set to develop at a CAGR of 4.90% during 2034. Starting at an estimation of US$ 23,074 million in 2024, the market is expected to rise to a valuation of US$ 37,258.90 million by 2034. This growth trajectory can be attributed to several key factors driving demand for automotive interior leather. The automotive camshaft market value is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.7% over the assessment period. In 2024, the market is expected to generate a revenue worth US$ 10,662.70 million. By 2034 end, the market size is forecasted to reach US$ 11,056.49 million. About Future Market Insights Inc. (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/will-technological-integrations-lift-the-autonomous-forklift-market-heres-what-future-market-insights-inc-has-to-say-302181610.html NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New Street Research is pleased to announce that Peter Vogel has joined Pierre Ferragu's team as a Global Tech Product Specialist to deliver a new product, 'Asia Tech: Navigating the Noise'. In this newly created role, Peter will enhance the exceptional long-term research of our Tech team with his expertise in the Asian supply chain. We will conduct multiple global tours every year, meeting with relevant companies in the supply chain, organize virtual calls, and host Non-Deal Roadshows (NDRs). The new product is aimed at helping our clients connect the dots, navigate the noise, and stay focused on the long-term themes driving tech. Our unique, customized tours will uncover under-followed names, providing new perspectives on multiple themes. "Peter brings to our research team deep knowledge of the tech supply chain and a remarkable ability to synthesize information across sectors and geographies. We are thrilled to welcome him; He will make our research more relevant and actionable for a broad range of investors." - Pierre Ferragu, Managing Partner, New Street Technology Infrastructure. Peter has over 20 years of experience covering the technology sector, with the past 14 years focused on Asia, and spans senior roles at Raymond James, JNK Securities, CLSA, and The Boston Company Asset Management. Our first Asia tour will take place from September 9th to 20th, visiting Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. We will have a formal invitation with the schedule available shortly. Please reach out to us or GlobalSales@newstreetresearch.com for more information. We are excited for Peter to join New Street Research and our Global Tech team to bring this new differentiated product to our clients. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/asia-tech-navigating-the-noise--welcoming-peter-vogel-to-the-new-street-research-team-302181827.html The United States automotive refinishing coatings industry is expected to grow at a 2.9% CAGR from 2024 to 2034. Rising Popularity of Water-based Coatings Injects Growth in the Automotive Refinish Coatings Market. FMI Spots Trends and Opportunities in 35+ Countries. NEWARK, Del., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The automotive refinish coating market is estimated to be valued at USD 11,544.3 million in 2024. By 2034, it is predicted that the market value will have hit USD 19,352.3 million by 2034, progressing at a CAGR of 5.3%. Various factors propelling the demand for Automotive Refinish Coatings are: The market for automotive refinish coatings has grown significantly in recent years. Automotive is one of the largest industries across the globe. Thus, the market for automotive refinish coatings has enormous potential in the long run due to its demand for high-quality corrosion protection. Due to the growth of this sector, numerous new automakers now provide a variety of distinctive models every year. Additionally, businesses frequently create eco-friendly models and charge reasonable costs for their vehicles. Furthermore, emerging automotive refinish coatings market trends and the demand for improved infrastructure, logistics, and so on have pushed the automotive refinish coatings market to directly produce end-use products to meet the needs of such industries. Technological advances, combined with ongoing product development to improve the performance of refinish coatings, will drive market growth in the coming years. Furthermore, government efforts to reduce VOC emissions through the deployment of eco-friendly technology will create new market opportunities during the forecast period. Request a Sample Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-413 How is Focus on Sustainability Affecting Automotive Refinish Coatings Market? Growing environmental concerns among consumers are compelling them to prefer eco-friendly products over conventional products. Restrictions imposed by governments over the use of various environment-degrading products also have resulted in the consumer base of the market shifting to eco-friendly refinish coatings. In North America, governments have imposed strict regulations on the use of solvent-based coatings as these coatings emit VOCs and fumes, which cause diseases and pollute the environment. This is expected to hamper the growth of the automotive refinish industry in the region Contrary to this, the sales of water-based coatings are expected to grow. Being eco-friendlier, water-based coatings are expected to become the most preferred product type in the automotive refinish coatings market over the forecast period. Key Takeaways from the Automotive Refinish Coating Market The automotive refinish coating market is anticipated to total USD 11,544.3 million in 2024. in 2024. Expoxy-based segment is expected to lead the material type category in 2024 with a share of 51.9% . . Base coat is the top product type for 2024, with an anticipated share of 35.8% in the same year. in the same year. Africa automotive refinish coatings market size is predicted to increase from US$ 108.9 million in 2023 to US$ 165.4 million by 2033 India is set to see progress at a CAGR of 7.9% over the forecast period. over the forecast period. Automotive refinish coating demand is likely to progress at a CAGR of 5.9% in China in the estimated period. in China in the estimated period. The market is anticipated to progress at a CAGR of 2.1% in the United Kingdom. "The growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) supports the automotive refinishing market. Many EV owners want to enhance the distinctiveness of their vehicles with new coatings, further fueling market growth. As the automotive landscape evolves, the refinishing coating market is set to expand, driven by consumer preferences for customization, protection, and technological advancements," says a Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) Get Full Access of this Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/413 Competitive Landscape To increase their market position, major players in the market are concentrating on merger and acquisition strategies along with product development. To boost their yearly turnover, they are still boosting their production capacity. For instance: AkzoNobel recently decided to expand its presence in Africa by signing a contract with Kansai Paint and starting its coatings-related operations there on June 1, 2022. With Kansai Paints, AkzoNobel will be able to build a foundation for future market expansion and generate 280 million euros in sales. Additionally, this partnership will emphasize commitment to innovation and sustainability, leading to the expansion of products and the provision of appropriate solutions for clients. Tikkurila and its activities in the areas of governance, social responsibility, and the environment have been acquired by PPG Industries. This gave PPG access to additional growth opportunities due to an expanded selection of coatings products and emerging new technologies. With this acquisition, PPG has moved closer to its goal of reducing emissions by 15% by 2025, which has expected to open up more opportunities for the coatings sector. Axalta Coating Systems, a major supplier of liquid and powder coatings, announced in September 2021 that it had acquired "U-POL" Holdings Limited. Since the acquired firm assisted them in offering accessories, coatings, aerosols, and products for the automobile industry, the acquisition of this company has produced a substantial advancement in the expansion strategy. The advantages of this acquisition and these products will enable Axalta to broaden its target market base into the refinish coatings sector, which has anticipated experiencing rapid growth over the forecast period. Recent Developments in the Automotive Refinish Coating Market In April 2024, BASF SE launched a new line of eco-friendly undercoats. Some of the Leading Companies Operating in the Automotive Refinish Coatings Market are Axalta Coating Systems, LLC 3M Company AkzoNobel N.V. PPG Industries, Inc. The Sherwin-Williams Company Dow Inc. Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. Covestro AG KAPCI Coatings NOVOL Sp. Z o.o. KCC Corporation Bernardo Ecenarro S.A. SEM Products, Inc. Sheboygan Paint Company Cresta Paint Industries Ltd. Alps Coating Sdn. Bhd. NOROO Paint & Coatings Co., Ltd. DSM Coating Resins B.V. WEG SA The Lubrizol Corporation Guangzhou Zhenroumei Chemical Coating Limited HMG Paints Ltd. James Briggs Limited Reichhold LLC TOA Performance Coating Corporation CO., Ltd. Yashm Paint & Resin Industries Allnex Group Samhwa Paints Industrial Co. Ltd. The USA Paint Corporation BASF SE. Report Preview: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-refinish-coatings-market Key Segments of Market Report By Material Type: Based on the material type, the automotive refinish coating market is divided into epoxy, polyurethanes, acrylics, and alkyd. By End-use: Based on end-use, the automotive refinish coating market can be segregated into OEM and aftermarket. By Technology: Based on the technology, the automotive refinish coating market is segmented into solvent-borne and water-borne. By Vehicle Type: Based on the vehicle type, the automotive refinish coating market is divided into passenger cars, compact, midsize, and luxury. By Product Type: Based on the product type, the automotive refinish coating market is divided into the primer, base coat, top coat, and clear coat. By Commercial Vehicles: Based on commercial vehicles, the automotive refinish coating market is bifurcated into LCV and HCV. By Region: The sector has been analyzed with these regions covered: North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East and Africa. Heightened Demand from Automotive Sector to Steer Africa Automotive Refinish Coatings Market Past US$ 165.4 Million by 2033 Author By: Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries. His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making. Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times. Explore Future Market Insights, Inc. Extensive Coverage in Chemicals & Materials Domain: The coatings and application technologies for robotics market is poised to achieve an impressive valuation of US$ 38,925 million by 2033 featuring a promising CAGR of 7.9% from 2023 to 2033. The coating additives market is anticipated to flourish at a healthy CAGR of 4.8% between 2023 and 2033. The market is expected to hold a market share of US$ 17.77 billion by 2033 The wood coatings market is anticipated to garner a modest strength with a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2032. The global chlorine disinfectant market size is anticipated to reach USD 3159.1 million in 2024 and is expected to attain a value of USD 5145.8 million by 2034. The global textile auxiliary market size is estimated to reach a value of USD 11,058.6 million in 2024. Recording a 5.2% CAGR in the assessment period. The global conductive fiber market size is projected to reach USD 2259.6 million in 2024. The sector is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period. The global flat steel industry value reached USD 558 billion in 2023. Over the forecast period, the value is anticipated to rise at 5.9% CAGR. The global green fertilizer industry value reached USD 2145.7 million in 2023. Over the forecast period, the value is anticipated to rise at 4.5% CAGR. The global diketene market size is projected to reach USD 432 million in 2024. The industry is further expected to surge at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. The global epoxy paint market size is estimated to reach USD 38754 million in 2024. The industry is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 5% in the assessment period 2024 to 2034. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/automotive-refinish-coating-market-to-reach-usd-19-352-3-million-by-2034-as-demand-for-personalization-in-cars-soars--future-market-insights-inc-302181640.html WESTFORD, Mass., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As per SkyQuest, the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) Market size was valued at USD 20.15 Billion in 2022 and is poised to grow from USD 26.24 Billion in 2023 to USD 246.04 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 32.5% in the forecast period (2024-2031). Artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) market is supported by the increasing digitization of the BFSI sector and advancements in AI technology. Growing emphasis on reducing transaction costs and increasing emphasis on resource utilization are also projected to help artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) market development going forward. The global artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) market is segmented into component, application, and region. Download a detailed overview: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/ai-bfsi-market Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Banking, Financial Services, And Insurance (BFSI) Market Overview: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 26.24 billion Estimated Value by 2031 $ 246.04 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 32.5% Forecast Period 2024-2031 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Component, Application, Technology and End User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Enhanced Customer Experience Key Market Drivers Operational Efficiencies and Cost Reductions Segments covered in Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Banking, Financial Services, And Insurance (BFSI) Market are as follows: Component Hardware, Software, Service Application Chatbot, Cyber Security, Risk Management, Predictive Analytics, Data Collection & Analysis, Others Technology Machine Learning, Natural Learning Processing, Generative AI, Computer Vision, Others End-User Banking, Financial Services, Insurance Request Free Customization of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/ai-bfsi-market Risk Management Takes Precedence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Banking, Financial Services, And Insurance (BFSI) Market As the BFSI industry goes digital, they are more prone to the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, and this has bolstered the demand for better risk management. High emphasis on compliance with modern risk management and data privacy mandates is bolstering the adoption of artificial intelligence in the BFSI industry. A growing number of digital transactions and the expansion of complex financial products are also estimated to promote the demand for AI-powered risk management solutions in BFSI companies over the coming years. As the number of digital transactions increases in the BFSI industry so does the need for better customer service as well. This is why the use of artificial intelligence to enhance customer experience and deliver better service is projected to increase rapidly in the BFSI space across the forecast period and beyond. AI chatbots and IVR systems powered by artificial intelligence are projected to help artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) market expand through the customer service application sub-segment in the future. View report summary and Table of Contents (TOC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/ai-bfsi-market AI Solutions and Services to Remain Equally Crucial for AI in BFSI Market Growth in the Future High use of AI-powered tools such as fraud detection, chatbots, risk management tools, etc. in the BFSI industry is allowing the solutions sub-segment to hold sway over the global market. Increasing modernization and digitization of banks and financial institutions is also estimated to boost the demand for AI solutions and tools over the coming years. High emphasis on improving the efficiency and security of transactions in this increasingly complex BFSI landscape is estimated to help the solutions sub-segment bolster market development through 2031. High demand for integration of AI solutions in the banking and financial sector is projected to help the services sub-segment expand at a rapid pace in the future. The requirement of training, maintenance, and consulting for various AI tools and solutions being used in the BFSI industry will help the services sub-segment grow rapidly. The need for specialized support and consultation for artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) is also expected to augment market growth in the long run. To conclude, the global artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) market will witness bright growth from all segments as AI adoption is still in its initial stages. Efforts to reduce operating costs and high investments in the adoption of AI tools will also favor market growth in the long term. Developing novel AI solutions for BFSI industry and concentrating on providing improved risk management will help artificial intelligence (AI) in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) companies expand their market share going forward. Related Reports: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) Market Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Mobile Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robots Market About Us: SkyQuest is an IP focused Research and Investment Bank and Accelerator of Technology and assets. We provide access to technologies, markets and finance across sectors viz. Life Sciences, CleanTech, AgriTech, NanoTech and Information & Communication Technology. We work closely with innovators, inventors, innovation seekers, entrepreneurs, companies and investors alike in leveraging external sources of R&D. Moreover, we help them in optimizing the economic potential of their intellectual assets. Our experiences with innovation management and commercialization has expanded our reach across North America, Europe, ASEAN and Asia Pacific. Contact: Mr. Jagraj Singh Skyquest Technology 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 USA (+1) 351-333-4748 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-banking-financial-services-and-insurance-bfsi-market-projected-valuation-of-usd-246-04-billion-by-2031--skyquest-technology-302181435.html WESTFORD, Mass., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As per SkyQuest, the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robots Market size was valued at USD 12 billion in 2022 and is poised to grow from USD 14.58 billion in 2023 to USD 69.24 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 21.5% in the forecast period (2024-2031). Artificial intelligence (AI) robots can operate autonomously through artificial intelligence technology. Advancements in robotics technology and the growing integration of artificial intelligence with the same are slated to primarily drive AI robots market growth. Surging demand for automation is slated to bolster sales of AI robots across the forecast period and beyond. The global artificial intelligence (AI) robots' market is segmented into component, deployment, technology, robot type, application, and region. Download a detailed overview: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/artificial-intelligence-robots-market Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robots Market Overview: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 14.58 billion Estimated Value by 2031 $ 69.24 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 21.5% Forecast Period 2024-2031 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Component, Application, Technology, Deployment and Robot Type Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities High Adoption of Automation Key Market Drivers Advancements in AI and Robotics Segments covered in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robots Market are as follows: Component Hardware, Software Application Manufacturing, Transportation, Security, Healthcare, Energy, Others Technology Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Context Awareness, Natural Language Processing Deployment Cloud, On-premises Robot Type Service Robots, Industrial Robots, Other Request Free Customization of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/artificial-intelligence-robots-market Hardware Plays a Crucial Role in Artificial intelligence (AI) Robots Market Development Hardware is of the utmost importance for any good artificial intelligence robot, and this is why this sub-segment brings in the most revenue. The rising use of advanced sensors and hardware components to increase the functionality of AI robots will help this segment bolster market growth in the future. Advancements in artificial intelligence will bolster the demand for advanced software to run these robots and the need for customization will also drive market development going forward. The demand for AI robot services is slated to increase at a robust CAGR owing to the growing need for maintenance and repair of robots. Machine Learning Plays a Vital Role in Training AI Robots Machine learning is estimated to be the most utilized technology in AI robots as it is being used to train robots for different applications. The development of advanced machine learning algorithms for specific robotic applications will also help this sub-segment bolster market growth in the future. Context awareness technology is predicted to help AI robots function better by correctly interpreting and assessing situations to improve efficiency. Emphasis on improving machine-machine collaboration is forecasted to help promote the adoption of context awareness technology going forward. High demand for better human-machine collaboration is estimated to promote the adoption of natural language processing technology in artificial intelligence robots over the coming years. Computer vision is another key technology that is projected to uplift the global artificial intelligence (AI) robots market development in the long run. View report summary and Table of Contents (TOC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/artificial-intelligence-robots-market Industrial Robots Take the Crown When it Comes to Artificial Intelligence Robots Industrial robots are estimated to account for a substantial share of the global artificial intelligence (AI) robots market owing to the high adoption of robotics in the manufacturing sector. The growing use of automation in the industrial sector and the rising adoption of the Industry 4.0 trend are also forecasted to help sales of industrial robots. Meanwhile, service robots are estimated to increase worldwide. An increasing number of companies opting for robots for different services that are usually risky or dangerous for humans. From personal service robots to custom-application-focused service robots' integration of artificial intelligence is projected to increase all kinds of robots to promote their functionality and operational efficiency. To sum it up, the global artificial intelligence (AI) robots' market is rife with opportunities from multiple industry verticals. Artificial intelligence (AI) robot providers should target the development of novel service robots to amplify their business scope across the forecast period and beyond. Incoming artificial intelligence (AI) robot companies should focus on machine learning and natural language processing technologies to create unique AI robots that stand out in the market. Related Reports: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chipsets Market Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform Market Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cybersecurity Market Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Computer Vision Market About Us: SkyQuest is an IP focused Research and Investment Bank and Accelerator of Technology and assets. We provide access to technologies, markets and finance across sectors viz. Life Sciences, CleanTech, AgriTech, NanoTech and Information & Communication Technology. We work closely with innovators, inventors, innovation seekers, entrepreneurs, companies and investors alike in leveraging external sources of R&D. Moreover, we help them in optimizing the economic potential of their intellectual assets. Our experiences with innovation management and commercialization has expanded our reach across North America, Europe, ASEAN and Asia Pacific. Contact: Mr. Jagraj Singh Skyquest Technology 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 USA (+1) 351-333-4748 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/artificial-intelligence-ai-robots-market-on-track-to-hit-usd-69-24-billion-by-2031--skyquest-technology-302181514.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / GoDaddy Originally published in GoDaddy's 2023 Sustainability Report Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Cybersecurity and data privacy are a top priority for GoDaddy as an operator of large internet infrastructure. We take our commitment to cybersecurity and data privacy seriously. We maintain enterprise-wide cybersecurity and data privacy programs designed to manage the risks to GoDaddy's information systems, customer data, and personal information of our customers and employees from cyber threats, and to comply with our regulatory obligations. Our approach to management of cybersecurity risk and data privacy obligations includes: Board Oversight: Our Board oversees the company's cybersecurity risk management program through its Audit and Finance Committee. The Audit and Finance Committee receives regular reports from GoDaddy's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) regarding the state of the company's cybersecurity program. These reports are shared, at least quarterly, with the Board of Directors. In addition, our Corporate Audit Services team audits our privacy practices, and the results of those audits are presented to senior leadership and discussed with the Audit and Finance Committee. Updates on privacy and cybersecurity matters are also included as part of the Audit and Finance Committee's review of the Company's enterprise risk management efforts. Our Board oversees the company's cybersecurity risk management program through its Audit and Finance Committee. The Audit and Finance Committee receives regular reports from GoDaddy's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) regarding the state of the company's cybersecurity program. These reports are shared, at least quarterly, with the Board of Directors. In addition, our Corporate Audit Services team audits our privacy practices, and the results of those audits are presented to senior leadership and discussed with the Audit and Finance Committee. Updates on privacy and cybersecurity matters are also included as part of the Audit and Finance Committee's review of the Company's enterprise risk management efforts. Cybersecurity Risk Management: Our management is responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing the company's material cybersecurity risks on an ongoing basis; establishing processes designed to help ensure that potential cybersecurity risk exposures are monitored; putting in place appropriate mitigation and remediation measures; and maintaining the company's cybersecurity programs. GoDaddy's CISO has primary responsibility for the company's programs for identifying, assessing, and managing the company's cybersecurity risks. The CISO reports directly to the company's Chief Technology Officer and regularly provides reports and updates to the company's Chief Executive Officer on significant cybersecurity-related matters relevant to the company's cybersecurity risk. Our management is responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing the company's material cybersecurity risks on an ongoing basis; establishing processes designed to help ensure that potential cybersecurity risk exposures are monitored; putting in place appropriate mitigation and remediation measures; and maintaining the company's cybersecurity programs. GoDaddy's CISO has primary responsibility for the company's programs for identifying, assessing, and managing the company's cybersecurity risks. The CISO reports directly to the company's Chief Technology Officer and regularly provides reports and updates to the company's Chief Executive Officer on significant cybersecurity-related matters relevant to the company's cybersecurity risk. Privacy Program Management: Our Privacy Officer manages our Data Privacy Office and global privacy program. Our Data Privacy Office is responsible for day-to-day operations of our privacy program, including but not limited to conducting privacy impact assessments, providing training to employees, responding to data subject requests, and responding to inquiries from data protection authorities. Other personnel and departments at GoDaddy also assist the Data Privacy Office, including but not limited to the company's Legal and Information Security teams. Cybersecurity We're committed to protecting customer information from cybersecurity threats. Our information security team uses a variety of controls to protect our systems and customer information from cybersecurity threats. Some of their efforts include: Proactive Monitoring and Assessment: We use monitoring and detection tools designed to identify and mitigate threats before they impact GoDaddy or our customers. We also regularly scan our environment to identify potential vulnerabilities. We use monitoring and detection tools designed to identify and mitigate threats before they impact GoDaddy or our customers. We also regularly scan our environment to identify potential vulnerabilities. Security by Design: Our developers are encouraged to consider cybersecurity from the initial design phase of our products to completion. We also have designed and implemented risk-based processes and procedures to conduct security reviews on new or updated applications prior to launch. Our developers are encouraged to consider cybersecurity from the initial design phase of our products to completion. We also have designed and implemented risk-based processes and procedures to conduct security reviews on new or updated applications prior to launch. Security Frameworks: Some parts of our business are required to align with specialized frameworks, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) for handling payment card data. Where required by our customer or other agreements, we align our practices and controls with other recognized standards such as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001. Some parts of our business are required to align with specialized frameworks, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) for handling payment card data. Where required by our customer or other agreements, we align our practices and controls with other recognized standards such as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001. Incident Response: We have a dedicated incident response team that works with our business units and other internal and external subject matter experts to respond to potential cybersecurity incidents. In 2023, we updated our policies and procedures for reporting cybersecurity threats internally to strengthen our overall response capabilities. Employee Training and Education GoDaddy employees receive annual data security and privacy training through our Do The Right Thing (DTRT) compliance training. We also send alerts to employees to keep them updated on the latest security threats and host regular workshops for specific teams on privacy topics. Data Privacy We take a proactive approach to managing our data privacy obligations. Some of our efforts include: Establishing Core Data Privacy Practices: We empower our customers, employees, and individual data subjects to manage their privacy preferences and exercise their privacy rights when visiting our websites, using our services, communicating with us, or working with us. Our core privacy practices are set forth in our Global Privacy Notice and related privacy policies. We apply our core practices to all individuals with whom we interact. Global Regulatory Compliance: While we maintain a global privacy program where we apply a core set of common principles to how we handle personal data, we are mindful of local requirements and restrictions in many of the jurisdictions where we do business and have developed jurisdiction specific data privacy notices for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. From time to time, we have also adjusted our privacy practices to meet local requirements in other jurisdictions where we do business. We also follow jurisdiction-specific privacy practices relating to handling of personal data relating to our employees and job applicants. International Data Transfers: In 2023, the U.S. and E.U. reached agreement on a new framework to allow lawful transfers of personal data from Europe to the United States (the "U.S.-E.U. Data Privacy Framework"). GoDaddy certified its compliance with this framework, as well as its compliance with the U.S. and U.K. extension to the U.S.- E.U. Data Privacy Framework. Where the Data Privacy Framework does not apply to transfers from the U.K. and E.U., we use other recognized transfer mechanisms, including standard contractual clauses. Data Processing Agreements: In addition to our responsibilities for handling the personal data of our customers, employees, and other data subjects with whom we interact directly, we also handle personal data on behalf of our customers. In this capacity, we act as a data processor, and our customers retain primary responsibility for safely and lawfully processing personal data. Where required by our agreements or applicable laws, we enter into data processing addendums that regulate our rights and responsibilities for processing personal data on behalf of our customers. In addition to our responsibilities for handling the personal data of our customers, employees, and other data subjects with whom we interact directly, we also handle personal data on behalf of our customers. In this capacity, we act as a data processor, and our customers retain primary responsibility for safely and lawfully processing personal data. Where required by our agreements or applicable laws, we enter into data processing addendums that regulate our rights and responsibilities for processing personal data on behalf of our customers. Service Providers: Whether acting as a data controller or processor, we use service providers to process personal data when necessary or appropriate to provide our services or conduct our business. When we provide personal data to a service provider or other third-party acting on our behalf, those service providers and third parties are required to comply with our instructions and contractual restrictions in processing personal information on our behalf. Whether acting as a data controller or processor, we use service providers to process personal data when necessary or appropriate to provide our services or conduct our business. When we provide personal data to a service provider or other third-party acting on our behalf, those service providers and third parties are required to comply with our instructions and contractual restrictions in processing personal information on our behalf. GDPR Independent Assessment: In 2023, TRUSTe independently assessed GoDaddy's compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and validated that GoDaddy provided evidence and other support showing that it implemented program-level measures that are designed to meet TRUSTe's 40 GDPR Privacy Program Validation Requirements. In 2023, TRUSTe independently assessed GoDaddy's compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and that GoDaddy provided evidence and other support showing that it implemented program-level measures that are designed to meet TRUSTe's 40 GDPR Privacy Program Validation Requirements. Privacy by Design: Our Data Privacy Office also consults with our business teams on day-to-day privacy issues, ranging from conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs) on new business practices to participating in the earliest phases of new product designs to ensure that privacy concerns are addressed during product development. In 2023, we rolled out a new technical solution to streamline the PIA review and more closely integrate privacy reviews with engineering reviews. Ambitions for 2024 We saw significant changes in the global privacy and cybersecurity landscape in 2023, as many jurisdictions rolled out new rules and regulations that may affect our business in the coming year. We also have seen rapid technological change as new AI and ML tools have been deployed that allow processing of personal information in new ways. In 2024, we aim to continue to adapt our privacy program and cybersecurity practices to meet evolving legal requirements and business needs in this rapidly changing environment. To learn more, read our 2023 Sustainability Report. ### About this Report The GoDaddy 2023 Sustainability Report details our progress toward our corporate sustainability goals, strategies, and initiatives in support of our overarching corporate mission and values. Unless otherwise noted, this report reflects our corporate sustainability performance across our global operations covering the fiscal year period from January 1 to December 31, 2023. To demonstrate our commitment to transparent communication regarding our sustainability progress, we routinely share updates through our website and our annual Sustainability Report. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on this report by contacting ESG@GoDaddy.com. This report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector. We also disclose our contributions and progress toward priority UN SDGs. For additional information on how we align with these frameworks and key indicators demonstrating our sustainability performance, please review the Frameworks and Metrics section. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from GoDaddy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: GoDaddy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/godaddy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: GoDaddy View the original press release on accesswire.com Margaret K. (She/Her)- Manager, Operations, Taco Bell Canada Taco Bell blog Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Today, celebrations include parades, picnics, parties, workshops and more - unifying millions of participants around the world for a month of solidarity. Not only is Pride Month a time to celebrate diverse backgrounds and unique experiences, but also a time to recognize the worldwide impact and accomplishments that LGBTQIA+ individuals have had and continue to have. This year's NYC Pride theme is "Reflect, Empower and Unite". To honor this month and our people, we're amplifying the voices of those in the LBGTQIA+ community who are growing their careers at Taco Bell. Margaret got her start with Yum! 34 years ago when she was hired as an assistant general manager at Taco Bell's sister brand, Pizza Hut. "After carrying out my responsibilities as General Manager for many Pizza Hut locations, I was placed at the busiest restaurant in Canada at the time located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It was here where I won an award for the highest volume sales in Pizza Hut Canada and the runner up for the profitability award." Onto the next adventure, Margaret made her way to KFC (another sister brand to Taco Bell) Canada where she took care of all their license restaurant locations, which are usually those in movie theaters, gas stations and grocery stores. She made some fond memories as she experienced new cultures while opening KFCs in the country. "One of the coolest places I got to travel to was Northern Canada where the Inuit tribal community lives. Chicken was very popular with the community and they often asked people flying to the bigger cities to bring buckets of chicken to them via plane. It was a no brainer to open a location there!" After changing roles and working as a KFC Franchise Operations Consultant for 12 years, Margaret then made her way over to Taco Bell in 2016 to work in Operations. Now, as Manager of Operations, Margaret primarily supports the field a.k.a. restaurants, above restaurant leaders and franchisees. "The Canadian Taco Bell team wears several hats. My field-facing role revolves around making sure restaurants continue to meet the Brand standards and drive sales. At the same time, I have a corporate-facing role where I oversee the data behind the programs we take part in, such as Golden Bell. The unique thing about my job is that I get to collaborate with different departments. From being part of marketing campaigns (doing voiceovers for TikTok) to looking at new restaurant development drawings, I'm in touch with all parts of the business." Not only does Margaret find Taco Bell to be a place where she can do what she loves, but also a place where she can be herself, once she figured out what that meant. "My journey of finding myself was not as simple. I was married to my ex-husband for seven years and then engaged to another man before realizing my true feelings. Then, in September 2009, I married my beautiful wife, Nadine. I was scared and nervous to tell my parents, but the great news is that they ended up accepting us. The same way Taco Bell welcomed me with open arms when I joined the Brand." In 2009, Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was another challenge she had to overcome. "I am proud of my journey, for it led me to who I am today. Cancer made me realize that yesterday is gone, tomorrow is never promised and to live for today. This means being the best version of yourself every day. [It] was tough, but I could not have done this without the support of my wife." Now, Margret continues her professional and personal journey with the support of her wife, sister-in-law, and transgender nephew. So, when asked about her legacy, Margaret says the following: "I just want people to be inspired to do what's right and have integrity and trust. I want to motivate those around me to be their authentic self, no matter how they identify or love. And when it comes to Yum!, I hope I'm remembered for the positive impact I had on the people I worked with, because it's not the title on your business card that matters, it's the legacy you leave at the Brand." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Yum! Brands on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Yum! Brands Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/yum-brands Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Yum! Brands View the original press release on accesswire.com TAIPEI, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of June 25, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) hosted "CHEF'S TABLE: A Culinary Adventure with Taiwan Halal Ingredients" at the Howard Plaza Hotel, Taipei. This cooking show featured renowned chefs from Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, who utilized Taiwan's Halal-certified products to create exquisite dishes. The event underscored Taiwan's dynamic approach to the global Halal market through culinary innovation and cultural exchange. The culinary lineup included notable figures such as Chef Kuan-Min Chen from the Howard Plaza Hotel, Chef Adie Miartadi from Indonesia, and Malaysian Chef Fikree. Together, they showcased their culinary expertise using Taiwanese Halal-certified ingredients like camellia oil, winter melon tea, bread crumbs, local dried fruits, and other unique products. These ingredients were masterfully incorporated into dishes that blended Taiwanese flavors with Southeast Asian culinary styles. Additionally, in collaboration with the Howard Hotel, a unique Middle Eastern-inspired honey cake enhanced with Taiwanese longan honey and dried red guava was crafted as a special souvenir for the event. The event attracted numerous representatives from various countries stationed in Taiwan and international buyers. The famous Taiwanese Chef, James, was also invited to the event to review and taste the food. James said that he experienced a variety of Taiwanese halal ingredients presented in different ways during the event which gave him some new ideas.. In addition to the culinary demonstrations, the event highlighted the potential of Taiwanese Halal products in international markets. Chef Fikree expressed optimism about the prospects of Taiwanese Halal spicy sauce in the Malaysian market, appreciating its unique flavor and potential appeal to Malaysian consumers. Meanwhile, Chef Adie was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of Halal products available in Taiwan, noting the variety and quality as exceptional. This event also featured a Halal product showcase area, displaying a series of oils such as camellia oil, black sesame oil, and pumpkin seed oil, as well as a variety of Halal foods such as seasonings, chili sauce, frozen hamburger buns, vegetarian chicken pieces, vegetarian meatballs, fish floss, and winter melon tea bricks. There were also Halal cosmetics such as facial masks and lotions, attracting the attention of Muslim representatives and buyers present at the event. The president and CEO of TAITRA, Simon Wang said, "Taiwan has a variety of high-quality halal ingredients. We hope to take this opportunity to introduce these ingredients to Muslim consumers. Through continuous efforts and innovation, we can expand Taiwan's visibility in the global halal market." This year, Taiwan has also proudly maintained its position as the third top non-OIC destination in the 2024 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) published by Mastercard and Crescent Rating, highlighting its commitment and appeal as a Muslim-friendly destination. The entire event was live-streamed online, allowing an international audience to witness the versatility and appeal of Taiwanese Halal products. This event precedes the upcoming Food Taipei, where TAITRA will continue to promote Taiwanese Halal products through one-on-one business meetings scheduled for June 26th. This continuous effort underscores Taiwan's commitment to becoming a prominent player in the global Halal market. Furthermore, this November, the Taiwan Halal Center under TAITRA is set to target Halal-certified businesses for its first trade mission to Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East, aiming to expand business opportunities and deepen connections within the global Halal community. (Ad by TITA) Through these strategic initiatives, Taiwan is poised to expand its footprint in the Halal market, continuously innovating and adapting to meet global needs. Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/8ypc-EuoK9U Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447659/Photo_TAITRA_collaborates_with_domestic_and_international_chefs_to_promote_Taiwan_s_excellent_Halal.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/taiwan-hosts-chefs-table-a-culinary-adventure-with-taiwan-halal-ingredients-to-promote-halal-certified-products-302181878.html One of San Franciscos most influential moderate political groups has told its supporters to vote for mayoral candidates Mark Farrell, left, and Daniel Lurie, right over incumbent London Breed in November. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle One of San Franciscos most influential moderate political groups has told its supporters to vote for mayoral candidates Mark Farrell and Daniel Lurie over incumbent London Breed in November, a blow to the mayor as she struggles to keep her job. The board of Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy, a billionaire-backed group thats spent heavily to shape recent city elections, said in an email to members Monday that Farrell and Lurie are its top choices in the upcoming mayoral election. Board members said supporters of the Neighbors group should vote for Farrell, a former supervisor and interim mayor, or Lurie, a nonprofit founder and Levi Strauss heir, as their first and second choices in either order under San Franciscos ranked-choice voting system and list Breed third. City voters can rank up to 10 candidates in order of preference; if no one receives a majority on the first round, the candidates with the least votes are eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to their voters next-highest choices until someone has a majority. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Neighbors endorsement is a setback for Breed, a moderate whos trying to consolidate support behind her bid to win reelection over four serious challengers. Its also the most telling sign yet that some of the citys wealthy donors plan to make a major push against Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, the leading progressive candidate. Neighbors directors said in their email that Peskins ideological extremist policies have caused many of the problems that plague our city today. The group made no mention of the fifth major candidate, Supervisor Ahsha Safai, who is also trying to court progressive voters. It is our recommendation that our members vote for all three leading moderate candidates. Under no circumstances should you vote for Aaron Peskin anywhere on your ballot, the directors said in their email. To vote for less than all three candidates will increase the likelihood Aaron Peskin could win, which we consider the worst possible outcome for San Francisco. Neighbors directors expressed serious doubts about Breed, saying they ranked her third because we do not believe she has demonstrated an ability to govern with the degree of persistence and consistency necessary to solve San Franciscos problems. Nevertheless, she is a far preferable candidate to Aaron Peskin and (ranked-choice voting) requires us to vote for all three moderates to make certain Aaron Peskin does not win, the directors said. Peskin scoffed at the Neighbors directors characterization of him, particularly in light of the fact that Neighbors backer William Oberndorf, a conservative billionaire, has donated to various Republican candidates over the years. Im a New Deal, Great Society progressive who believes that government exists to help people that need help, Peskin said. Quite frankly, these are the extremists, not me. Peskin also disclosed Monday that he wont join an upcoming debate hosted by a public safety group that he said had deep connections to Neighbors. He said the event would be moderated by Stop Crime SF/Stop Crime SF Action, which would now presumably endorse the same candidates as Neighbors, making the debate moot. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Breeds reelection campaign said it wasnt surprised by the endorsement and pointed to the Chronicles reporting on Friday that Oberndorf had given $45,000 to a ballot measure committee controlled by Farrell. The committee simultaneously disclosed about $57,000 in shared expenses with Farrells mayoral campaign, raising eyebrows because direct contributions to candidate campaigns are capped at $500, but political action committees can accept unlimited donations. Farrells campaign said the pooled costs for payroll and other items were legitimate expenses related to canvassers educating voters about the ballot measure. We appreciate their #3 endorsement, but its hard not to think that the fix was already in for Mark Farrell, given his campaigns collusion with Neighbors, Breed campaign spokesperson Joe Arellano said in a statement. Neighbors has spent millions of dollars to influence San Francisco politics over the last several years, most notably in 2022, when it was the top donor to the successful recall of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin. The group was the subject of controversy this year after the Chronicle reported that its leader, Jay Cheng, told a political insider they could land a job on Farrells campaign. Cheng also faced renewed scrutiny of a 14-year-old incident in which he was accused but not charged after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, which he denied. While directors stood by Cheng on both fronts, his discussion of a job on Farrells campaign could have been a problem if Neighbors tried to set up a political action committee to boost Farrell. Such committees are not allowed to directly coordinate with the candidates they support. But Neighbors has opted not to launch a political action committee in the mayors race. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This Novembers election is critical for the path we want to set San Francisco down, Cheng said in a statement Monday. While we are not running an independent expenditure in the Mayors race this cycle, we will be laser focused on helping voters understand the importance and process of ranked-choice voting. Luries campaign had no comment on the Neighbors endorsement when contacted by the Chronicle. Farrell campaign manager Jade Tu touted the results of a recent Neighbors-commissioned poll that showed him getting the most first-choice votes, though his lead was within the margin of error and the pollster called the race a statistical tie. Recent polls from the Chronicle and the Farrell campaign found similar results. It is clear that voters want change in the Mayors Office and a leader who is experienced and deeply understands the challenges our City faces, Tu said. Marks background, experience, and bold policies and vision for San Francisco are resonating with voters across every neighborhood. We are right where we want to be as we prepare to enter the homestretch of the campaign. Editors Note: This story has been updated to correct the poll referenced by Mark Farrells campaign manager. Strategic Acquisition Expands the REVOLVE and FWRD House of Brands, Enhancing REVOLVE's Fashion Offerings with Alexandre Vauthier's Timeless Haute Couture Craftsmanship LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- REVOLVE Group, Inc. (NYSE: RVLV), the fashion destination for the next-generation consumer, announced it has acquired a majority stake in the esteemed luxury fashion brand, AlexandreVauthier. The strategic move further differentiates REVOLVE Group, Inc. in the premium and high-end fashion market, taking a significant step forward in its mission to redefine the fashion landscape. "We are thrilled to partner with Alexandre Vauthier, a distinguished name in haute couture. By integrating our impactful brand marketing strategies and operational excellence with Vauthier's visionary designs, we are set to ignite a new era of fashion influence in luxury to build an iconic French maison" - Michael Mente, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of REVOLVE Group, Inc. Renowned for its couture designs and impeccable craftsmanship, Alexandre Vauthier has carved out a distinguished position within the luxury fashion sphere. With a successful track record in FWRD's luxury brand portfolio and a strong resonance with its sophisticated customer base, Alexandre Vauthier embodies elegance, innovation and luxury. This exciting partnership between REVOLVE Group, Inc. and Alexandre Vauthier presents an opportunity to leverage each other's strengths. By integrating REVOLVE and FWRD's cutting-edge marketing strategies, data-driven merchandising techniques, and renowned operational infrastructure with Alexandre Vauthier's iconic brand identity and exceptional craftsmanship, the collaboration aims to propel Alexandre Vauthier to new heights within the luxury fashion landscape. "When I first met with the REVOLVE team, I immediately felt their understanding in growing a haute couture business for today's consumer and a support for all the specialized techniques and effects necessary to conceptualize a collection in this very special corner of fashion, as well as to develop it into a high quality ready-to-wear and accessories offering every season. I look forward to this new chapter for my house with the added metier which REVOLVE offers." - Alexandre Vauthier REVOLVE, FWRD, and Alexandre Vauthier are set to host an exclusive, invite-only dinner during Paris Fashion Week, marking the commencement of their exciting partnership. Consumers can anticipate a fresh interpretation of Alexandre Vauthier's creations, soon to be accessible on FWRD and AlexandreVauthier.com in the upcoming fall season, followed by a show during Paris Couture Week in January 2025. As REVOLVE Group, Inc. continues to expand its portfolio and cater to the evolving preferences of its global consumer base, this acquisition underscores the company's commitment to drive growth, innovation, and excellence in the fashion world. The brand is excited to further integrate into the luxury space that aligns seamlessly with REVOLVE and FWRD's ethos of championing emerging and independent brands, fostering natural and authentic relationships through partnership and acquisition. As part of the transaction, Revolve Group, Inc. will contribute purchased assets to a newly formed entity and will invest 6 million euro over three years. Additional terms were not disclosed. REVOLVE Media Contacts: REVOLVE@walkerdrawas.com Jennifer@walkerdrawas.com Alexandre Vauthier Media Contacts: Melissa Wiggins mwiggins@bpcm.com Adam Vossen adam@bpcm.com Sammy Bizenov sbizenov@bpcm.com @REVOLVE About Revolve Group Revolve Group (RVLV) is the next-generation fashion retailer for Millennial and Generation Z consumers. As a trusted, premium lifestyle brand, and a go-to online source for discovery and inspiration, we deliver an engaging customer experience from a vast yet curated offering of apparel, footwear, accessories, and beauty styles. Our dynamic platform connects a deeply engaged community of millions of consumers, thousands of global fashion influencers, and hundreds of emerging, established, and owned brands. We were founded in 2003 by our co-CEOs, Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas. We sell merchandise through two complementary segments, REVOLVE and FWRD, that leverage one platform. Through REVOLVE, we offer an assortment of premium apparel and footwear, accessories, and beauty products from emerging established and owned brands. Through FWRD, we offer a highly curated assortment of iconic and emerging luxury brands. For more information, visit www.revolve.com . About Alexandre Vauthier Passionate about cut and devoted to the search for new fabrics, Alexandre Vauthier learned the secrets of haute couture working alongside Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. In 2009, he decided on a whim to launch his own brand to express his own need for independence and his respect for the craftsmanship discovered throughout his career. Since 2014, the House has been the 14th member of the Chambre syndicale de la Haute-Couture and is now showing in the official calendar of this unique Fashion Week. The fundamentals of his style include innovative fabrics and techniques showcasing the very best of couture and an innate sense of fit. Alexandre Vauthier's dresses showcase the female body - and all women. The couturier-designer's passion and flair have attracted icons as unique and varied as Madonna, Roisin Murphy, Beyonce, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and Alessandra Ambrosio; celebrated actresses including Kate Bosworth, Emma Roberts, Fanny Ardant, Isabelle Huppert, Sofia Loren, Noomi Rapace, Sylvie Testud, and Juliette Binoche, artists such as Kesh and it-girls like Poppy Delevigne. Alexandre Vauthier is carried in 150 retailers worldwide. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871430/Revolve_Group_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/revolve-group-inc-acquires-a-majority-stake-in-french-couture-house-alexandre-vauthier-302181240.html The Italian Consultancy Group, with over 45 global branches, invests in artificial intelligence: establishing a new department and a strategic partnership for a cutting-edge and responsible future PQE Group, a leading consultancy in the Life Science sector, announces the consolidation of its new Regulated Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics division operating since the initiation of AI based tools in the industrial space. This marks a pivotal step in the company's evolution, positioning the Italian Group, comprised of more than 2000 employees, at the forefront of technological innovation in Life Sciences. The new division is designed to enhance business process efficiency and effectiveness while ensuring regulatory compliance. Leveraging advanced technologies, PQE Group offers services like AI-driven decision optimization, risk reduction, and accelerated innovation, all adhering to industry regulations. The 2024 Stanford Report on AI highlighted AI's significant role in accelerating scientific discovery in 2022, with further strengthening in 2023. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625598895/en/ Danilo Neri Partner Vice President Executive at PQE Group (Photo: PQE Group) "Regulators have started addressing the expectations for these solutions, but there is still much to do, since regulated companies need detailed guidance on documentation required to ensure explainability and performance of each tool," emphasized Danilo Neri, Partner Vice President Executive of PQE Group. "Just a few weeks ago, the final approval of the AI Act in the European Union was granted, representing the world's most advanced regulation on artificial intelligence, requiring documentation to address explainability. It is an important step, but it is equally important that penalties are effectively applied to offenders to not compromise consumer, worker, and citizen protection at the expense of innovation and market competitiveness. The full establishment of this division will allow us to consolidate our position as a leader in the sector, offering exceptional compliance approaches and tailor-made solutions to our clients that meet regulatory expectations and the increasingly complex market needs." PQE Group's dedicated validation approach has been designed to meet the current regulatory expectations for machine learning-based tools and for Generative AI solutions. PQE Group's partnership with the Canadian company GenAIz will further boost service capacity. GenAIz, focused on the use of AI for supporting humanity, has developed a platform to speed up decision-making and execution with better business insights. This collaboration will enhance PQE Group's ability to offer innovative solutions and the necessary validation packages required by GxP regulations and by incoming industry wide rules (e.g., European AI act). Led by Catherine Lunardi, CEO of GenAIz and a spokesperson at the G7 on AI and wellbeing, GenAIz's AI platform will leverage PQE Group's global presence, which includes more than 45 offices worldwide. The Regulated Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics division will be presented in a panel discussion and networking event in Rockville, MD, on July 17, 2024. Experts will discuss AI regulations and the future of life sciences, marking a significant innovation for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. The press and readers are warmly invited to the event. Please confirm attendance and find more information by registering here: https://hubs.ly/Q02CMQrj0 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625598895/en/ Contacts: PQE Group Press Office Michela Lijoi press@pqegroup.com m.lijoi@pqegroup.com Tel: +39 328 6353044 This study marks a historic milestone as the first ever Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to demonstrate success in a non-pharmacological home therapy for Treatment Resistant Major Depression. TAMPA, Fla., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurolief, a leading developer of innovative brain neuromodulation technologies, announces the groundbreaking topline results from its pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of its revolutionary brain neuromodulation therapy for patients suffering from Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD). Neurolief's non-invasive medical technology, designed for clinic and at-home treatment, marks a significant advancement in the management of TRD, offering new hope for millions of patients worldwide who have previously not responded, or not sufficiently responded, to pharmaceutical treatments. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center clinical trial enrolled 124 participants across leading medical centers in the United States and Israel. The study's primary endpoint was a reduction in depression severity as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17). Key findings from the trial include: Significant Reduction in Depression Symptoms : Patients receiving Neurolief's brain neuromodulation therapy showed a statistically significant reduction in HDRS17 scores compared to the control group. : Patients receiving Neurolief's brain neuromodulation therapy showed a statistically significant reduction in HDRS17 scores compared to the control group. High Remission Rate : A substantial proportion of patients achieved full remission from depression symptoms (HDRS17 score =7), demonstrating the therapy's profound impact. : A substantial proportion of patients achieved full remission from depression symptoms (HDRS17 score =7), demonstrating the therapy's profound impact. Favorable Safety Profile : The therapy was well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events related to the treatment, underscoring its safety. : The therapy was well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events related to the treatment, underscoring its safety. High Adherence to the Treatment Protocol: Approximately 95% of patients fully complied with the daily treatment regimen throughout the 16-week treatment period. Dr. Linda Carpenter, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and the principal investigator of the trial, stated, "So many of my patients do not get relief from their antidepressant medications and struggle to find effective treatment options for their depression. I want them to get better without adding more medications to their regimen, but many of them simply cannot manage daily trips to the clinic for other offered treatments. I am thrilled that I will soon be able to prescribe Neurolief's therapy for my patients to treat at home! The results of this clinical trial not only show this technology is safe and effective for relieving depression symptoms, but also that patients can self-administer their therapy in a time and place when it is convenient for them and get better! This will have a tremendous impact on the approach for treating major depressive disorder." Dr. Mark George, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neuroscience and Director of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Brain Stimulation Division, who was an investigator in the study, commented, "This is such an important study as it shows that patients with depression can effectively treat their depression using Neurolief's brain stimulation technology at home, under a doctor's supervision. This will greatly expand access to therapy for people who live far away from medical centers, who are working, have children or cannot travel long distances to the clinic. This non-medication medical technology has no drug-drug interactions or other side effects common with medications. This is a great day for patients with depression!" Scott Drees, CEO of Neurolief, added, "We are dedicated to addressing the unmet needs of patients and their families affected by the debilitating impacts of depression. The success of this pivotal trial not only brings us closer to making this groundbreaking therapy widely available but also highlights the transformative potential of our technology in revolutionizing depression treatment." Neurolief's technology treats major depression by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters in the brainstem and modulating brain networks associated with mood regulation. Utilizing three adaptive output channels, the device non-invasively transfers electrical pulses to the brainstem via major neural pathways in the head. These pathways conduct the electrical stimulation to the brainstem and higher brain regions involved in depression. Designed for at-home treatment, the system incorporates a patient mobile app and a physician interface with cloud-enabled data-tracking features and AI integration. This setup allows physicians to monitor patients, analyze their data, and personalize treatment, thereby enhancing therapy outcomes. Neurolief previously received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for its technology targeting Major Depression. The company plans to submit the pivotal trial results to regulatory authorities in the coming months, with the goal of securing approval and moving towards commercialization. About Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) Major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment resistant depression (TRD) exert a profound global impact, affecting millions and significantly contributing to disability, economic burden, and reduced quality of life. MDD is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and the challenge is exacerbated in TRD, where patients fail to respond to standard treatments, leading to prolonged suffering, higher healthcare costs, and increased risk of comorbid conditions such as anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. The lack of adequately accessible therapies for TRD highlights a critical gap in mental health care, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative and effective treatment strategies to alleviate the global burden of these debilitating disorders and improve patient outcomes. About Neurolief Neurolief is a neuromodulation company dedicated to bringing relief to patients suffering from mental health and neurological disorders. The company consists of highly experienced professionals with a proven track record in neuroscience, neuromodulation technology, and the neurotech industry. Neurolief has developed a disruptive platform technology, the world's first and only non-invasive, multi-channel brain neuromodulation system designed to concurrently neuromodulate major neural pathways in the head and thereby affect brain regions involved in the control and modulation of mood and pain. Neurolief's technology is currently approved by the FDA and CE for the treatment of migraine, and the company is presently seeking regulatory approvals for the treatment of Resistant Major Depression. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446992/Neuroloef_Product_PR_3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/neurolief-announces-breakthrough-results-from-pivotal-clinical-trial-of-brain-neuromodulation-system-for-treating-major-depressive-disorder-302181937.html EQS-News: European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. / Announcement of the Results of the General Meeting General meeting of shareholders of European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. adopts all resolutions 25.06.2024 / 17:29 CET/CEST Announcement of the Results of the General Meeting, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. General meeting of shareholders of European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V.adopts all resolutions Amsterdam, 25 June 2024 European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. ("EHC"), a Dutch operators-led special purpose acquisition company listed on Euronext Amsterdam aiming to acquire one or more companies in the European healthcare sector, announces that its annual general meeting of shareholders has adopted all resolutions at the annual general meeting of shareholders held today at 14:00 CEST ("AGM"). The adopted resolutions include the adoption of the financial statements for the financial year 2023 and the discharge from liability of the directors. The voting results from the AGM will be published on the website of EHC in the 'Investor Relations' section under 'Shareholder Meeting': www.ehc-company.com . The minutes will be made available on the Company's website in due course. European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. General Enquiries +49 (0) 89 4523240 info@ehc-company.com Media Enquiries Finsbury Glover Hering Kai Peter Rath +49 211 43079-209 kai.rath@fgh.com Disclaimer This press release may include forward-looking statements, which are based on EHC's current expectations and projections about future events and speak only as of the date hereof. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future whether or not within or outside the control of EHC. Such factors may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. accordingly, no undue reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statements. EHC operates in a rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor to assess the impact that these factors will have on EHC. Forward-looking statements speak only as at the date at which they are made and EHC undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. This press release contains information that may qualify as inside information within the meaning of Article 7, paragraph 1, of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. 25.06.2024 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Clinical results and new findings of mechanism of action indicate evenamide would be uniquely effective in patients with treatment resistant schizophrenia Leading schizophrenia experts predict earlier use of evenamide would benefit patients with inadequate response Evenamide's unique mechanism of action targets the core abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and reduces hippocampal dopaminergic activity, improving symptoms of psychosis, social interactions and cognition Long-term benefits of evenamide as an add-on therapy were presented: 25% of treated patients met the criteria for remission suggesting evenamide may positively affect the long-term course of schizophrenia in TRS patients Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. ("Newron") (SIX: NWRN, XETRA: NP5), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system (CNS), welcomed investors, analysts and media today to its well-attended investor day in New York City. The event focused on the Company's clinical, scientific and commercial plans for evenamide, its investigational drug candidate in Phase III clinical development for the potential treatment of patients with chronic and TRS. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625283272/en/ Newron Pharmaceuticals 2024 Investor Day The event featured three leading schizophrenia experts who presented on the unmet medical needs in schizophrenia, as well as new concepts and recent neurobiological findings for treating poor responders and patients with TRS. An outline of Newron's Phase III clinical development plan in TRS was also presented. Breakthrough pre-clinical data supporting evenamide in the treatment of TRS Anthony Grace, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, stated, "The hippocampal hyper dopaminergic activity in patients with schizophrenia contributes to the development of symptoms of psychosis, loss of functioning, decreased social interactions and deterioration of cognition." Dr. Grace further stated, "Evenamide's glutamate modulation has produced dramatic effects in the MAM model of schizophrenia, which closely mimics the changes observed in patients with schizophrenia. In this model, evenamide reversed abnormal hippocampal neuronal activity, normalized dopamine neuron population activity, improved cognition and normalized social interactions. Its effects on neuronal firing, which persisted well beyond its half-life, indicated that it induces neuronal plasticity and may help with neuronal repair. Furthermore, by acting at the site of pathology, evenamide might also be effective for negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction." Data from first evenamide placebo-controlled randomized study John Kane, M.D., Co-Director and Professor, Institute of Behavioural Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, and Professor of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell stated: "A substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia do not respond well to first-line medications, and this is true even at the onset of illness. This may be because there are biological changes in the brains of patients that show reduced benefit and non-response to treatments, compared with patients who respond adequately to treatment." "Patients who are poor responders are likely to relapse more than patients who respond to medication," stated Kane. "To date, there are no studies which have demonstrated that the addition of one antipsychotic to another, or switching antipsychotics, has produced any benefit to inadequate responders and TRS patients." Dr Kane continued, "The evenamide 008A study is unique in demonstrating a significant benefit in patients who were moderately to severely psychotic, while being compliant with their antipsychotic medication. This therapeutic benefit may derive from evenamide's glutamate modulation activity. The drug was extremely well tolerated, without any of the usual side effects of available antipsychotics." Results from an open label, long-term study of evenamide as add-on therapy in TRS Stephen R. Marder, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Semel Institute of Neuroscience Human Behavior, and Director, Section on Psychosis, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute stated: "One-third of patients with schizophrenia are treatment resistant and the only drug available, clozapine, is used in less than 5% of patients. The use of higher doses, the addition of another antipsychotic, or switching to another drug is unsuccessful in patients with TRS." Dr. Marder continued, "The one-year results from studies where evenamide was added to antipsychotics are noteworthy, as the sustained and continuous improvement across all efficacy measures is virtually unknown in patients with TRS. Similarly, the conversion of TRS patients to a non-resistant state, as well as the finding that 25% of patients met criteria for remission, is remarkable and unprecedented." A new placebo controlled, one-year trial in patients with TRS who are receiving other antipsychotics is in planning with Dr. Marder as the Principal Investigator. An outline of the late-stage clinical development for evenamide in TRS Ravi Anand, MD, Newron's Chief Medical Officer, provided an update on evenamide's clinical program, outlining that evenamide's promising results will be evaluated in a Phase III randomized, double-blind, one-year trial. The trial will compare evenamide to placebo as add-on treatments in at least 400 TRS patients. The primary efficacy endpoint will be change from baseline in PANSS1 scores at 12 weeks. Following this initial period, subjects will continue on their assigned treatment until week 26, for the second, maintenance efficacy endpoint, and then on to 1 year for read-out of the third (one-year, long term) efficacy endpoint. The long-term extension will also serve to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of evenamide. Stefan Weber, Chief Executive Officer of Newron Pharmaceuticals, commented: "As highlighted by the three world-leading KOLs, evenamide has enormous potential, if approved, in addressing the significant unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and treatment-resistant schizophrenia. We continue to explore all options, including partnering, that could enable us to complete the Phase III clinical development of evenamide, which we believe could have blockbuster potential." A replay of the event is available on the Company's website for one month after the date of the event: https://www.newron.com/investors/reports-and-presentation/year/2024reports,-presentations-&-webcasts About evenamide Evenamide, an orally available new chemical entity, specifically blocks voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and is devoid of biological activity at >130 other CNS targets. It normalizes glutamate release induced by aberrant sodium channel activity (veratridine-stimulated), without affecting basal glutamate levels, due to inhibition of VGSCs. Combinations of ineffective doses of evenamide and other APs, including clozapine, were associated with benefit in animal models of psychosis, suggesting synergies in mechanisms that may provide benefit in patients who are poor responders to current APs, including clozapine. About Newron Pharmaceuticals Newron (SIX: NWRN, XETRA: NP5) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The Company is headquartered in Bresso near Milan, Italy. Xadago/safinamide has received marketing authorization for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the European Union, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada, Latin America, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and South Korea, and is commercialized by Newron's Partner Zambon. Supernus Pharmaceuticals holds the commercialization rights in the USA. Meiji Seika has the rights to develop and commercialize the compound in Japan and other key Asian territories. Newron is also developing evenamide as the potential first add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with symptoms of schizophrenia. For more information, please visit: www.newron.com Important Notices This document contains forward-looking statements, including (without limitation) about (1) Newron's ability to develop and expand its business, successfully complete development of its current product candidates, the timing of commencement of various clinical trials and receipt of data and current and future collaborations for the development and commercialization of its product candidates, (2) the market for drugs to treat CNS diseases and pain conditions, (3) Newron's financial resources, and (4) assumptions underlying any such statements. In some cases, these statements and assumptions can be identified by the fact that they use words such as "will", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "project", "intend", "plan", "believe", "target", and other words and terms of similar meaning. All statements, other than historical facts, contained herein regarding Newron's strategy, goals, plans, future financial position, projected revenues and costs and prospects are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, such statements and assumptions involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections and other outcomes described, assumed or implied therein will not be achieved. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set out in, contemplated by or underlying the forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors. These factors include (without limitation) (1) uncertainties in the discovery, development or marketing of products, including without limitation difficulties in enrolling clinical trials, negative results of clinical trials or research projects or unexpected side effects, (2) delay or inability in obtaining regulatory approvals or bringing products to market, (3) future market acceptance of products, (4) loss of or inability to obtain adequate protection for intellectual property rights, (5) inability to raise additional funds, (6) success of existing and entry into future collaborations and licensing agreements, (7) litigation, (8) loss of key executive or other employees, (9) adverse publicity and news coverage, and (10) competition, regulatory, legislative and judicial developments or changes in market and/or overall economic conditions. Newron may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements and assumptions underlying any such statements may prove wrong. Investors should therefore not place undue reliance on them. There can be no assurance that actual results of Newron's research programs, development activities, commercialization plans, collaborations and operations will not differ materially from the expectations set out in such forward-looking statements or underlying assumptions. Newron does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable regulations of the SIX Swiss Exchange or the Dusseldorf Stock Exchange where the shares of Newron are listed. This document does not contain or constitute an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities of Newron and no part of it shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with any contract or commitment whatsoever. ________________________________ 1 Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is widely used in clinical trials of schizophrenia and is considered the "gold standard" for assessment of antipsychotic treatment efficacy (Innvo Clin Neurosci, 2017: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788255/) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625283272/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: Newron Stefan Weber CEO +39 02 6103 46 26 pr@newron.com UK/Europe Simon Conway Ciara Martin Natalie Garland-Collins FTI Consulting +44 20 3727 1000 SCnewron@fticonsulting.com Switzerland Valentin Handschin IRF +41 43 244 81 54 handschin@irf-reputation.ch Germany/Europe Anne Hennecke Caroline Bergmann MC Services +49 211 52925222 newron@mc-services.eu USA Paul Sagan LaVoieHealthScience +1 617 374 8800, Ext. 112 psagan@lavoiehealthscience.com Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma(EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to enhancing survival of patients with cancer, announces the initiation of coverage of its stock by Stifel, a US-based investment bank. With a research report published today, Stifel initiated coverage of MaaT Pharma with a Buy recommendation and a Target Price of EUR 16. Stifel is a US-based full-service investment bank offering securities brokerage, trading, research, underwriting, and corporate advisory services globally. Stifel is the largest global provider of small-cap equity research, with specialist life-sciences and medical technology expertise (Source: Stifel Institutional Global Coverage). This new coverage strengthens the visibility of MaaT Pharma among international and especially American institutional investors. It also adds to the ongoing coverage by the brokerage firms, Gilbert Dupont/ Groupe Societe Generale, Kepler Cheuvreux, KBC Securities, Kempen and Portzamparc/Groupe BNP Paribas. They all have a Buy recommendation, with a consensus target price of EUR 15.20. About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has launched, in March 2022, an open-label, single-arm Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD, following the achievement of its proof of concept in a Phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, enables the identification of novel disease targets, evaluation of drug candidates, and identification of biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625897949/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Guilhaume DEBROAS, Ph.D. Head of Investor Relations +33 6 16 48 92 50 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline RICHAUD Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 14 06 45 92 media@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Desmond JAMES +49 151 7441 6179 maat@trophic.eu PRESS RELEASE Paris, June 25, 2024, 5.45 p.m. Eramet continues its economic contribution to its main operating territories and confirms the impact of its corporate commitments Eramet's contribution to the economies of the regions in which it operates remained virtually stable at 3.1 billion in 2023, despite a 29% fall in sales (down 26% at a constant scope and exchange rates) over the year. This contribution to local economic vitality includes a policy of support and guidance for local communities, in line with the Group's CSR roadmap, entitled "Act for positive mining 2024 - 2026". Over 270,000 people have benefited from the Group's social initiatives, with a total investment of more than 8 million. The Group's economic contribution across all the territories in which it operates reached 3 billion in 2023. Over the same period, Group sales totalled 3.8 billion. Local purchasing accounted for two-thirds of this contribution, and salaries for around one-sixth. Taxes and dividends paid in the various territories in which the Group operates amounted to 687M in 2023, compared with 480M in 2022. Community investment for local communities totalled more than 8M in 2023, benefiting more than 270,000 people, particularly young people and women, who are the priority target groups for the Group's social initiatives. This amount includes all proactive community spending on sites where Eramet is a shareholder, as well as significant support for development initiatives. This amount does not include spending on managing the negative environmental and social impact of the Group's operations. Today, Eramet is also publishing its annual report, using EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) methods, on payments to governments in territories where the Group's subsidiaries are active in the extractive industry1. This "Report on the Group's financial transparency at December 31, 2023" is available on the Group's website. Breakdown of economic contribution by area of operation Eramet has a presence in Gabon, where community investment in the country reached more than 4M in 2023. The subsidiaries Comilog and Setrag continue to support the development of local infrastructure: public lighting, electricity, secondary roads in Moanda, station access, etc. These initiatives benefited 226,441 people. In addition, to support local economic development, 80 women benefited from the Lastourvillle community market (Ogoouee-Lolo province). The seed fund for entrepreneurs in Haut-Ogooue, provided as part of the CSR Fund co-managed with the Gabonese government, created 208 jobs through low-interest loans. Lastly, the Femmes d'Avenir (Women of the Future) programme, run in partnership with Women In Africa and the Gabonese government, supported throughout the year nearly 26 Gabonese women entrepreneurs at the Hub dedicated to female entrepreneurship in Libreville. In Gabon, the Group paid nearly 340M in taxes and dividends to the State in 2023, and spent nearly 480M on local purchasing and subcontracting. The total payroll reached 119M, representing more than 8,000 direct jobs2, 80% of which were in the local area. In total, Eramet contributed almost 940M to Gabon's economy over the year. In Senegal, community investment totalling 400,000 enabled 2,000 people to benefit from well-drilling and Eramet supported more than 100 women entrepreneurs via the Femmes d'Avenir programme launched this year in Senegal, following its success in Gabon. The Group's total economic contribution in the country was 149M. Through its subsidiary GCO, the Group paid 25M in taxes and dividends and spent over 90M on local purchasing and subcontracting in 2023. The payroll reached 3M in 2023 and direct employment represented 1,847 people, 50% of whom were employed in the local area. In Indonesia, the company financed several ambulances as well as road, education and health infrastructure, benefiting 25,000 people. These actions were carried out with the help of community investments in excess of 1M over the year. PT Weda Bay Nickel paid 217M2 in taxes and dividends to the State, and conducted 266M3 in purchasing and subcontracting in 2023. Payroll costs amounted to 12M4. Weda Bay's activities generate 14,000 direct jobs. In total, Eramet's local economic impact in Indonesia amounts to almost 500M5 over the year. In Argentina, in 2023, Eramet stepped up its support for the local entrepreneurial ecosystem with a 300,000 investment in the "Triple Impact" project. This programme is based on three pillars: education via schools and universities, capacity-building for entrepreneurs (access to finance and support) and the ability to choose a business sector (agriculture, livestock farming, etc.). More than 1,100 people benefited from this initiative. In 2023, Eramet also paid 73M in taxes and dividends. Local purchasing and subcontracting amounted to 256M, and payroll stood at 10M, with 2,517 direct jobs6. Eramet's contribution to Argentina's economy totalled 340M over the year. In New Caledonia, over the period, 2M of community investment provided 1,500 beneficiaries with access to drinking water in the three communes of Thio, Kouaoua and Poum, which are home to mining sites. 2,500 inhabitants benefited from education projects in the commune of Houailou and a tribe in Thio benefited from a reforestation programme set up following forest fires. SLN paid 12M in taxes and dividends to local authorities in 2023 and spent 339M on local purchasing and subcontracting. Total payroll stood at 154M in 2023. The number of direct jobs totalled 3,330, 95% of which are in the local area. In total, Eramet's contribution to New Caledonia's economy was 507M over the year. In Norway, the company continues to support local cultural and sporting events through an annual community investment of 147,000, benefiting more than 10,000 people in the region. In total, Eramet's contribution to Norway's economy amounted to almost 271M. Local purchasing totalled 206M, while the company paid 12M in taxes in 2023. 737 people work for ENO, almost all of them from the region where the site is located, representing a total payroll of 54M. In the United States, Eramet in Marietta supports local health and education initiatives, in particular scholarships for students and public health initiatives, for a total of 33,000. For example, the company directly supports 60 people with reduced mobility to enable them to access necessary medical care. The subsidiary paid 383,000 in tax and dividends and spent 123M on purchasing and subcontracting, in 2023. Payroll costs amounted to 20M. The plant provides 198 direct jobs, 96% of which are in the local area. In total, Eramet's contribution to the United States' economy amounts to more than 140M over the year. In France, the French entities paid 9M in tax in 2023. Total payroll amounted to 112M. In total, these entities spent 162M on purchasing and subcontracting in the country. The Group employs 902 people across all its French entities. The French entities invested 438,000 in corporate philanthropy. In 2023, these efforts made it possible to support the Femmes d'Avenir (Women of the Future) programme created at Group level, whose first actions were in Gabon in 2022 and in Senegal in 2023. This pilot programme is part of a more global contributory programme called Eramet Beyond For Contributive Impact, launched in 2024 as part of the "Act for Positive Mining" Roadmap. In total, Eramet's contribution to France's economy was more than 280M over the year. Lastly, in Cameroon, the Group announced in October 2023 that it would terminate the feasibility studies for the rutile production project in Akonolinga. Eramet finalised the rehabilitation of a study site and returned the exploration permits to the Cameroonian government, while providing social support for the teams. In 2023, 610 pupils in the Akonolinga region benefited from a programme to improve access to education by supplying equipment. More generally, 600 villagers now have access to water thanks to the Kane borehole and the Ngoubou water source. These initiatives required an investment of 23,000. At the end of 2023, the Group decided to launch a programme to support local development by setting up a plantain purchasing centre in the Akonolinga area as part of its Eramet Beyond For Contributive Impacts programme. The Group paid 400,000 in tax and dividends in 2023, and spent 4M on local purchasing and subcontracting, while payroll totalled 600,000, with 40 direct jobs. In total, Eramet's contribution to Cameroon's economy amounted to more than 5M over the year. Details of the economic contributions in each region are available on our website. Virginie de Chassey, Director of Sustainable Development and Corporate Commitment at Eramet, said: "In 2023, we maintained our commitment to promoting a positive and sustainable impact in the areas where our production and research sites are located. These contributions reflect our commitment to strengthening local economies and improving the quality of life in our communities. We are determined to build on this momentum in line with our ambition to process mineral resources responsibly, and to become a benchmark CSR player in the mining sector." Summary of economic contributions in the main countries of operation Indicators Indicator Group Gabon 2023 Eramine 2023 GCO 2023 SLN 2023 ENO 2023 EMI 2023 France 2023 Weda Bay 2023 ERACAM 2023 Payments to the government Taxes, dividends etc. ( million) 687.4 339.0 73.0 24.7 11.9 11.9 0.4 9.1 217.1 0.4 Local Content Payroll ( million) 515.6 119.4 10.1 34.0 153.7 53.6 20.4 112.2 11.6 0.6 Local Content Direct employees (Dec 31, 2023) 32,437 8,866 2,517 1,847 3,330 737 198 902 14,000 40 Local Content Recruitment in 2023 from the local employment area (%) 80% 76% 50% 95% 100% 96% Local Content Amount of purchasing and subcontracting in the country ( million) 1,924.7 477.2 255.7 90.4 339.3 205.6 123.4 162.4 266.3 4.4 Local Content Estimated indirect workforce in the country 25,664 6,500 900 6,000 1,120 Not Estimated 24 11,120 NA Community investment Community investment expenditure ( million) 8.7 4.0 0.3 0.4 1.9 0.1 0.0 0.4 1.4 0.0 Community investment Estimated number of beneficiaries 270,091 226,441 1,170 2,000 4,000 10,000 70 25,000 1,410 Total Total economic impact ( million) 3,136.4 939.7 339.1 149.5 506.8 271.1 144.2 284.2 496.4 5.4 Timetable 07.25.2024: Publication of 2024 half-year results 10.24.2024: Publication of Q3 2024 sales ABOUT ERAMET Eramet transforms the Earth's mineral resources to provide sustainable and responsible solutions to industrial growth and the challenges of the energy transition. Its employees are committed to this through their civic-minded and contributory approach in all the countries where the mining and metallurgical group operates. Manganese, nickel, mineralised sands, lithium and cobalt: Eramet values and develops the metals that are essential for building a more sustainable world. As a privileged partner of its industrial customers, the Group helps to make infrastructures and buildings robust and resistant, means of mobility more efficient, healthcare tools safer and telecommunications equipment more effective. Fully committed to the metals era, Eramet is aiming to become a benchmark in the responsible processing of the Earth's mineral resources for the benefit of all. www. eramet. com INVESTOR RELATIONS Director of Investor Relations Sandrine Nourry-Dabi Tel. +33 1 45 38 37 02 sandrine.nourrydabi@eramet.com PRESS CONTACT Media relations manager Fanny Mounier Tel. + 33 7 65 26 46 83 fanny.mounier@eramet.com 1 This overview, drawn up in accordance with EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) methods, mainly concerns taxes and duties paid to national and local governments, as well as dividends paid to public shareholders of the parent company and subsidiaries. 2 These figures are given prorated to Eramet's indirect stake in PT Weda Bay Nickel (38.7%). 3 Same. 4 Same. 5 Same. 6 This figure corresponds to direct employment during the construction phase. BH Macro Limited - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, June 25 BH Macro Limited (the "Company") (a closed-ended collective investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 46235) Transaction in Own Shares 25 June 2024 BH Macro Limited (the Company) announces today it has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange from J.P. Morgan Securities plc: Ordinary Shares: - Share Class Sterling Date of purchase: 25 June 2024 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 48,447 Lowest price per share (pence) 364 Highest price per share (pence) 365 Trading venue LSE Aggregate volume per date per trading venue: 48,447 Weighted average price per day per trading venue (pence): 364.9999 The Company intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury. Following the above share transactions of the relevant US Dollar and Sterling Shares, the total number of shares in issue in each share class of the Company will be as follows: Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding Treasury) Ordinary Shares held in Treasury 356,434,651 Sterling Shares 18,208,099 Sterling Shares 28,506,709 Dollar Shares Nil Dollar Shares From 25 June 2024, the total number of voting rights in the Company (rounded up to the whole number) is 545,997,574. Enquiries: Company website: www.bhmacro.com William Simmonds JPMorgan Cazenove Tel: 020 7588 2828 The Company Secretary Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Tel: 01481 745001 HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / illumiPure, a leader in innovative LED solutions, is proud to announce the successful completion of its initial healthcare installations of CleanWhite LED lighting systems at Glendale Surgical Associates in Glendale, California, and West Chase Houston Hospital in Houston, Texas. These groundbreaking installations significantly advance healthcare lighting technology, bringing unparalleled benefits to healthcare providers and their patients. Doctors office CleanWhite Installations illumiPure installation crews installing CleanWhite at two separate medical locations CleanWhite LEDs provide superior illumination while incorporating advanced disinfection capabilities and removing harmful blue light. This innovative solution enhances the visual environment and contributes to a safer and healthier setting for patients and staff. Dr. Jeffrey Hammoudeh, a renowned surgeon at Glendale Surgical Associates, expressed his satisfaction with the CleanWhite installation, stating, "After the CleanWhite installation, I realized I bought more than a specialty lighting component. I bought a new way for myself and my patients to experience our facility. Our waiting rooms and operatories are brighter, my staff is happier, my clients feel safer, and my colleagues can't believe we didn't do this sooner." Similarly, West Chase Houston Hospital is proud to be the first healthcare facility in Houston to utilize illumiPure's CleanWhite white light disinfection fixtures. The hospital's Quality Coordinator, Tresa, highlighted the significance of this upgrade: "It is incredible how the partnership with illumiPure immediately improved the health of our staff and indoor environment. Our staff has reported less eye strain since the installation of CleanWhite, and our patients have commented that, unlike their experiences in other medical facilities, CleanWhite is easier on their eyes." John Higgins, CEO of illumiPure, emphasized the strategic importance of CleanWhite in the healthcare sector: "Now that our CleanWhite fixtures are price comparable to traditional LED lighting solutions, it is no surprise that healthcare systems are rapidly adopting this technology. As healthcare facilities struggle to deal with antimicrobial diseases, light-based solutions are leading the way to prevent superbugs. And if that light also reduces harmful blue light, that's even better." With the successful installations at West Chase Houston Hospital and Glendale Surgical Associates, illumiPure continues demonstrating its commitment to improving healthcare environments through cutting-edge lighting solutions. The CleanWhite system is poised to set a new standard for medical lighting, offering a blend of enhanced visibility, safety, and well-being. For more information about illumiPure and the CleanWhite lighting system, please visit illumipure.com or contact chrisr@illumipure.com. About illumiPure illumiPure, The Healthy Buildings Company, is a pioneer in developing LED technology to build healthier environments. Founded in 2017 and rated as the fastest-growing private business in Houston in 2022, illumiPure thrives as one of the last remaining semiconductor manufacturers in the United States. Contact Information: Chris Romani Director chrisr@illumipure.com 12816383534 SOURCE: illumiPure View the original press release on newswire.com. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / According to McKinsey, in the US alone the data center market is expected to reach 35 gigawatts by 2030, which is a 48% increase over the 17 gigawatts the market had in 2022. The US accounts for approximately 40% of the global data center market, and similar growth is expected across the global market. To meet demand, existing data center providers are building new data centers with new data center companies entering the market each year. Data centers were historically owned/operated by one enterprise who was responsible for health and safety*. The boom of 3rd party data centers, especially with multiple tenants, has resulted in a complex multi-employer work environment. The recognition of safety hazards associated with these complex multi-employer spaces has only emerged over the past 5-7 years. Implementing company-wide health and safety programs designed to mitigate multi-employer risks has been challenging, as these data center businesses have been in a rapid growth cycle since 2020. The rapid growth has resulted in a large data center industry, in which many companies are less than six years old, safety programs that are not fully mature, and limited numbers of safety professionals with data center experience. Collective Industry Action to Address Safety Gaps In August 2023, 25 data center H&S professionals representing 12 companies gathered to discuss H&S challenges and share best practices across the industry. Recognizing the opportunity for industry leadership, a group of data center companies founded the Data Center Safety Council Council, an industry consortium dedicated to developing collaborative solutions to some of the data center industry's most pressing H&S challenges. Sarah Kasper, Senior Director, Environment, Health and Safety at EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, eloquently articulates the "why" for the formation of this consortium at this critical time in the industry. Consistency and Uniformity The primary motivation for establishing the Data Center Safety Council is to achieve consistency and uniformity in safety protocols. Different data centers often have varying safety practices, which can lead to confusion and communication breakdowns. By standardizing safety expectations, the council ensures that all workers, regardless of their location or the company they work for, adhere to the same protocols. This uniformity reduces confusion, enhances communication, and fosters a unified approach to safety in all data centers. Enhanced Safety Performance Standardized safety expectations help to establish a baseline for safety performance, which is essential for minimizing accidents, incidents, and injuries. With clear, consistent guidelines in place, data centers can more effectively safeguard their employees by creating a safer working environment for all employees involved in commissioning, operations, and maintenance activities. This not only protects workers but also contributes to a safer, more reliable operation. By establishing these standards, the council aims to significantly improve safety performance across the board. Risk Mitigation A proactive approach to safety is critical in the high-stakes environment of data centers. Standardized safety expectations help in identifying and mitigating potential hazards before they become issues. Clear guidelines and procedures allow for a systematic approach to risk management, promoting a culture where safety is a continuous priority. This proactive stance is essential for preventing accidents and ensuring the well-being of all employees. By setting clear guidelines and procedures, the Safety Council can help in preventing potential hazards and promoting a culture of safety consciousness among workers. Regulatory Compliance Compliance with safety regulations and industry standards is non-negotiable in the data center industry. Standardizing safety expectations helps ensure that all data centers operate within legal requirements, avoiding potential penalties and demonstrating a commitment to high safety standards. This not only protects the companies legally but also enhances their reputation as responsible and conscientious operators. Efficiency and Productivity When safety protocols are standardized, workers can perform their tasks more efficiently, knowing that they are protected and procedures are clear. This reduces the likelihood of disruptions caused by safety incidents, thereby enhancing overall productivity. The Safety Council's efforts to minimize risks directly contribute to smoother, more efficient operations across multiple data centers. Industry Leadership Establishing a Safety Council focused on standardizing safety expectations showcases industry leadership and a commitment to excellence in safety practices. This collaboration showcases the dedication to setting high standards and leading by example. It enhances the reputation of data center owners within the industry as responsible and safety-conscious organizations willing to work together for the greater good. Continuous Improvement The Data Center Safety Council can serve as a platform for continuous improvement in safety practices by fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and implementing feedback mechanisms from workers. This iterative approach can lead to a culture of learning and improvement in safety standards. A Step Forward In the rapidly growing data center industry, safety is paramount. There is a need for collaboration and standardization of best practices due to the unique hazards present across the data center industry and the rapid surge of infrastructure development. Prioritizing health and safety is crucial to manage operational complexities and worker safety across the industry and ensure sustained success of the data center industry. The formation of the Data Center Safety Council demonstrates leadership from key industry stakeholders coming together to standardize safety expectations, enhance the experience of workers, and foster a culture of safety across the industry. About the Data Center Safety Council Established in January 2024 by founding members EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure , Salesforce, STACK Infrastructure, Vantage Data Centers, and Yondr Group, the Data Center Safety Council was created to establish a unified approach towards ensuring safety and wellbeing of personnel in data center operations. The vision is to create a forum where health and safety professionals work collaboratively as an industry group to improve data center worker safety wholistically. Together, member companies will address common issues and seek long-term solutions with vendors and suppliers for the benefit and safety of data center workers. For more information, please contact Kate Asleson at kate.asleson@anteagroup.us * "Safety" throughout this article considers the whole occupational health and safety agenda. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Antea Group on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Antea Group Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/antea-group Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Antea Group View the original press release on accesswire.com A Waymo car drives down the Embarcadero, past Pier 39 Fishermans Wharf, where tourists and the public now have the ability to call and ride in the autonomous vehicles, Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in San Francisco. Camille Cohen/Special to the Chronicle Anyone can now hail a driverless Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco. The autonomous vehicle company announced Tuesday that its driverless ride-hailing service in the city is no longer limited to people whove been approved off a waiting list. Users can hail a Waymo robotaxi through the companys Waymo One app like they would an Uber or a Lyft ride-hail. Waymos black-and-white robotaxis and their spinning lidar lids have become common in the streets of San Francisco, as well as tourist attractions. The autonomous vehicles transport tens of thousands of riders in the city each week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Since August, Waymo has been permitted to operate paid driverless ride-hailing in San Francisco at all hours with no restrictions on geographic area or fleet size. Until Tuesday, the Alphabet-owned company had been gradually making its service available to users whove been approved off a company waiting list. Its unclear how much Waymos decision to open up its service to the public will fuel demand. The company says that nearly 300,000 people in San Francisco had signed up for its waiting list before Tuesday. While its hard to determine if interest in Waymos increased on Tuesday, at least half a dozen of the autonomous taxis dropped off visitors at the tourist attraction Pier 39 on Tuesdays sunny afternoon. Passersby appeared awestruck by the autonomous vehicles, snapping photos and videos on their cellphones of the empty drivers seats as the robotaxis dropped off passengers. Josh Trowbridge and his stepson, Christopher Re, celebrated Christophers 10th birthday by taking a their first Waymo ride, an experience Re said was awesome. I wasnt scared. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trowbridge had downloaded the Waymo One app two days prior when the company was still requiring users to first sign up on a waiting list but didnt have to wait long. Tuesday morning, he received a notification that the app was now open to everyone. Trowbridge was impressed by the vehicles driving skills after it avoided a pedestrian who stepped out as if they were going to cross the street. The Waymo went around, he said. It felt very safe. Asked if they would hail a ride again, Trowbridge immediately said yes. I recommend it, he said. Im sure taxi drivers are not a fan, but they werent a fan when Uber came out, too. Lady Gorospe, her husband, Paul, and their two children were greeted by family members snapping a video of them as they got out of a Waymo vehicle. The couple wanted to experience riding in a Waymo after seeing them driving around on Monday. As Tesla owners, Gorospe said theyve experienced aspects of self-driving vehicles before but with a person in the drivers seat so you kind of feel secure, but (Waymo) was pretty safe, she said, adding that she would request a ride again. It definitely makes you realize how far weve come technology-wise. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco becomes the second city where anyone can hail a driverless car. Waymos robotaxi service has been open to the public in metro Phoenix since 2020, and the company recently expanded its service area there to cover 315 square miles, including the regions largest airport. Waymos expansion in San Francisco could come with challenges for the company and its users. Demand for Waymo robotaxis has surged in San Francisco since last fall, with much of the companys ride-hailing activity occurring in dense downtown neighborhoods. Removing the waiting list requirement will likely further increase demand. That could lead to higher wait times for Waymos San Francisco users if the company doesnt increase its robotaxi fleet. The company told the Chronicle that its San Francisco fleet totals about 300 cars up from roughly 250 robotaxis the company had registered in January. Waymo says that its latest robotaxi count wont change much in the near future. Weve been operating in San Francisco for years now, deliberately scaling our service over time, the company said in a blog post. With tens of thousands weekly trips, our Waymo One service provides safe, sustainable, and reliable transportation to locals and visitors to the city alike. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its especially common to see Waymo robotaxis in neighborhoods like Hayes Valley, South of Market, Mission Bay, the Mission District and Financial District. Those dense and busy neighborhoods have recorded the most paid Waymo trips since the company began commercial service in late August. About two-thirds of riders use the robotaxis to commute to work or school, according to Waymo. Waymo is the only autonomous vehicle company commercially operating in California, and plans to continue expanding in the state. General Motors Cruise remains suspended after one of its robotaxis dragged a jaywalking pedestrian in San Francisco last October. The California Public Utilities Commission ordered Cruise to pay a $112,000 fine and report more incident data for allegedly misleading state regulators. The PUC granted Waymos unrestricted expansion in 22 Peninsula cities and Los Angeles in March. Last week, the commission, which regulates robotaxi ride-hailing, rejected a request from local officials to relitigate its March decision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad OURA to receive payments from Circular on an ongoing basis OURA, the leader in smart ring technology, and Circular today announced that the companies entered into a settlement agreement to resolve ongoing patent litigations between the parties in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and the International Trade Commission. OURA has granted Circular a multi-year license to continue selling Circular smart rings and associated app, subject to royalty payments. The terms of the agreement are confidential between the parties. "Innovation is core to our culture and long-term strategy," said Tom Hale, chief executive officer of OURA. "The licensing agreement with Circular validates the strength of OURA's patents and is only possible because of the significant investment OURA has made in research and development. This agreement is a meaningful outcome for our investors, as well as our scientists, developers, and product teams, and all of those at OURA who innovate every day to ensure that Oura Ring provides accurate, actionable insights for our Members." "OURA revolutionized wearable technology over ten years ago with the introduction of Oura Ring," said Amaury Kosman, co-founder and chief executive officer of Circular. "We recognize the strength and utility of the fundamental patents that have been awarded to OURA, and this agreement rightfully compensates them for their pioneering innovation in smart rings." In exchange for a licensing agreement, OURA has agreed to dismiss its claims against Circular for infringing upon several of its patents related to the Oura Ring form factor and the Readiness Score-OURA's proprietary, data-driven mechanism to provide members with insight into the impact of physical and mental stressors on their overall health. About OURA: OURA is the company behind Oura Ring-the smart ring that delivers personalized health data, insights, and daily guidance. With sleep as its foundation, Oura Membership fosters healthy habits to make wellness and recovery a mindful, daily practice. Validated against medical gold standards and driven by continuous monitoring of individual biometrics, the lightweight and comfortable Oura Ring is one of the most accurate wearables available. For organizations, Oura For Business connects individual well-being with collective outcomes by making performance measurable, actionable, and attainable. Founded in Finland with offices in Oulu, Helsinki, San Francisco, and San Diego, OURA has raised more than $350 million and is valued at $2.55 billion. For more information, please visit http://ouraring.com/. Oura Ring is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions/illnesses. About Circular: Founded in 2019, Circular is a high-tech company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of wearable technology. Circular specializes in developing a cutting-edge, multi-feature smart ring designed to enhance both physical and mental performance for its users. Circular's driving vision is to craft the ultimate wearable experience, aiming to provide the ultimate accessory that innovates and seamlessly integrates into the way people sleep, live, and work. Circular is a privately held company based in France. For more information, visit: https://www.circular.xyz/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625430381/en/ Contacts: Press Contact: Ali Deasy, OURA alison.deasy@ouraring.com press@ouraring.com Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, June 25 For immediate release 25 June 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announce that it has today purchased 214,632 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 848.36 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 46,491,350; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 178,499,953. The figure of 178,499,953 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / After close but conclusive voting results tabulated over the last week, Defending Main Street, the super PAC affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), is pleased to congratulate John McGuire for winning the Republican nomination for Virginia's 5th district. McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, defeated incumbent Representative Bob Good, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, in the Commonwealth's Republican primary. Over the course of the spring campaign season, Defending Main Street has invested $452,000 in support of John McGuire's candidacy through a series of television, radio, and digital advertisements featuring endorsements from Mike Brown, retired Bedford County Sheriff of over twenty years. In total, Defending Main Street is investing $25 million nationwide to support candidates committed to conservative governance on behalf of the American people. Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of Defending Main Street, has released the following statement: "We are thrilled to congratulate John McGuire for winning the nomination as the Republican candidate for Virginia's 5th District. This race was a battle, and McGuire showed incredible determination against an incumbent with deep pockets. McGuire represents the Main Street values that can sustain a majority, and his election to Congress is crucial for us to keep this majority for Speaker Johnson and deliver on policies for middle class Americans." ABOUT DEFENDING MAIN STREET: Defending Main Street (DMS) is one of the nation's most effective independent-expenditure organizations. DMS supports dynamic candidates and incumbents in key, contested districts across the country that are crucial to ensuring a Republican Majority in Congress. The path to the Majority runs directly through Main Street America, and DMS wins in the toughest races in the country. Once elected, Main Street members are committed to getting things done for the American people, enacting commonsense, conservative legislation in Congress. ### For more information or to set up an interview with Sarah, please contact Elizabeth Aucamp at elizabeth@javelindc.com or (704) 249-1430. Contact Information Elizabeth Aucamp Director of Business Development elizabeth@javelindc.com (704) 249-1430 SOURCE: Republican Main Street Partnership View the original press release on newswire.com. Regulatory News: Orpea (Paris:ORP): Guillaume Pepy, Chairman of the Board of Directors: "With a renewed shareholder base, a restructured balance sheet and a new identity, we have opened a new page. Today, with the Board of Directors and the Executive Management team, we are particularly proud to announce that our Annual General Meeting has enabled us to introduce the Company's mission statement (raison d'etre) Together, let's stand as a strength for the vulnerable among us" into its Articles of Association. The Group now has everything it takes to ensure that together, united, our employees, experts and professionals in care and support for our patients, residents, their families and loved ones, and players in civil society, can meet the major challenges facing our society, mental health and the elderly". Laurent Guillot, Chief Executive Officer: "At the same time as our financial restructuring, we laid the human and medical foundations for the Group, and embarked on an in-depth overhaul. emeis continues its transformation by strengthening the operational management and performance of its facilities. Our new identity, emeis, and our mission statement (raison d'etre) are vectors of performance. They are the expression of the support offered to our patients, residents, beneficiaries and their families, and require us to excel and innovate in the quality of care and support provided every day in our facilities. The proposed transition to a mission-driven company in 2025 will mark a new stage in our transformation, a new challenge that together with the Board of Directors and the determination of all the Group's teams, which I would like to salute, we are ready to take up. With all the humility that our businesses inspire, we remain more determined than ever. Determined to make emeis a resolutely human business model". Summary of voting results for other resolutions During the General Meeting, the required majority of Company shareholders approved the resolutions relating to: the approval of the 2023 financial statements, the appropriation of profit and the approval of the Auditors' report on regulated agreements; - the reappointment of Mireille Faugere, independent director; - the remuneration and benefits of corporate officer for the 2023 financial year; - the remuneration policy for corporate officer for the 2024 financial year; - the renewal or grant of financial delegations and authorizations to the Board of Directors; - the granting of delegations to the Board of Directors to issue the Groupement share warrants and the SteerCo share warrants (the Board of Directors will implement this delegation in order to issue the Groupement share warrants and the SteerCo share warrants over the next few days)1; - amendments to the Company's articles of association, in particular to incorporate the Group's new identity and mission statement (raison d'etre); - the power for formalities. The detailed results of the votes are available on the Company's website at the following address: www.emeis-group.com/en/shareholders-investors/shareholders/shareholder-meeting Finally, Ms Noria Charef was appointed as director representing employees by the Company's Central Social and Economic Committee during its meeting on 11 June 2024, with effect from the close of the General Meeting. About emeis With nearly 78,000 experts and professionals in healthcare, care, and supporting the most vulnerable among us, emeis operates in around twenty countries with five core activities: psychiatric clinics, medical care and rehabilitation clinics, nursing homes, home care services, and assisted-living facilities. Every year, emeis welcomes around 283,000 residents, patients, and other beneficiaries. emeis is committed and taking action to rise to a major challenge facing our society, i.e, the increase in the number of people placed in a vulnerable position as a result of accidents, old age, or cases of mental illness. emeis is 50.2% owned by Caisse des Depots, CNP Assurances, MAIF, and MACSF Epargne Retraite. It is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (ISIN: FR001400NLM4) and is a member of the SBF 120 and CAC Mid 60 indices. Website: www.emeis.com ___________________ 1 It should be noted that the shares of the beneficiaries of the issuance of share warrants without pre-emption rights for shareholders under 16th to 20th resolutions were excluded from the vote on the corresponding resolutions pursuant to applicable regulations. It is planned to issue 1,170,888 share warrants to the Groupement (522,795 to Caisse des Depots et Consignations, 345,650 to Mutuelle Assurance des Instituteurs de France, 129,619 to CNP Assurances and 172,824 to MACSF Epargne Retraite) and 1,162,279 share warrants to the SteerCo, giving a total of 2,333,167 share warrants. Each share warrant will entitle its holder to subscribe, for a period of six months from the date of settlement/delivery, to one new ordinary share with a par value of 0.01 each, at a price of 0.01 per share, with no issue premium. Once issued, they would entitle their holders to subscribe for shares representing around 1.4% of the Company's capital on a fully diluted basis. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625405368/en/ Contacts: Press Contacts Isabelle HERRIER NAUFLE Medias e-reputation Director +33 7 70 29 53 74 isabelle.herrier@emeis.com IMAGE 7 Charlotte LE BARBIER // Laurence HEILBRONN +33 6 78 37 27 60 // +336 89 87 61 37 clebarbier@image7.fr // lheilbronn@image7.fr Investor Relations Benoit LESIEUR Investor Relations Director benoit.lesieur@emeis.com Toll-free number for shareholders (from France Only) 0 805 480 480 NEWCAP Dusan ORESANSKY +33 1 44 71 94 94 emeis@newcap.com Berlin, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Motointegrator, a leading expert in automotive spare parts and accessories, has unveiled the results of a comprehensive study on road safety trends across Europe. Conducted in collaboration with data research firm DataPulse, the study analyzes shifting traffic safety patterns and identifies key trends in road fatalities post-pandemic. Motointegrator initiated this study to understand the evolving landscape of road safety in Europe and to identify critical areas that require attention for improved safety measures. The goal was to provide valuable insights to policymakers, automotive industry stakeholders, and the general public to help reduce road fatalities and enhance safety protocols across the continent. For a deeper dive into the data and analysis, please visit the full report here: https://motointegrator.de/blog/road-safety-eu/ Points of interest As some European countries grapple with a resurgence in road fatalities while others enjoy historic road safety success, the continent as a whole must work to adapt to a new normal of post-pandemic travel. In this shifting landscape, both broad, historical context and granular insights revealed in Motointegrator's analysis are crucial for understanding the complexities of road safety and the multifaceted approach needed to address it. What to expect from the Study: Change in road fatalities worldwide Road fatality numbers in Europe over the years Road fatality rates and changes in Europe, with a special focus on pre- and after-pandemic Anna Ganska, Motointegrator's CEO, said: "The pandemic created an unprecedented situation that offered a glimpse into a world with fewer road collisions. Now, we are starting to see what road fatality rates could look like as we transition into post-pandemic norms." "The recent uptick in road fatalities across certain countries signals a concerning reversal of hard-won progress. This data is a stark reminder that reducing auto-related fatalities is an ongoing battle, and we will need to be vigilant and adaptive in order to maintain Europe's status as a beacon of traffic safety." Figure 1: Global map showing the trends in road safety leading up to the pandemic. The European continent had the greatest success in the world in reducing traffic-related fatalities. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10627/214328_98535f94d40e09fd_001full.jpg Figure 2: A timeline showing how the EU had success in reducing road deaths before progress stalled in the years before the pandemic. Then, fatalities plummeted during the pandemic years due largely to lockdowns and limited mobility. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10627/214328_98535f94d40e09fd_002full.jpg Figure 3: A close look at how countries have fared coming out of the pandemic. The matrix shows each country's 2023 road fatality rate from low (left) to high (right) and whether the number of fatalities is higher (red) or lower (blue) than it was in 2019. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10627/214328_98535f94d40e09fd_003full.jpg Please credit and link to Motointegrator.de when using any part of this content. About Motointegrator With over a decade of expertise, Motointegrator.de is a trusted name in automotive spare parts and accessories. The online shop offers an extensive range of products for cars, trucks, motorcycles, agricultural machinery, and boats, featuring over five million spare parts. Contact For media inquiries please contact Nicolas Carmella. Email: press@datapulse.de Telephone: +49 30 710 78847 Web: https://www.datapulse.de/ Address: Schonhauser Allee 149, 10435 Berlin, Germany To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214328 SOURCE: DataPulse GmbH STRONGSVILLE, OH / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Foundation Software, LLC has been named a 2024 Top Workplaces winner by The Plain Dealer. This is the 10th year in a row and overall 13th time Foundation Software has won this award. The Top Workplaces Awards are nationally recognized honors determined by Energage who distributes an anonymous employee feedback survey to the workplace of each nominated organization. To earn the recognition, the survey must display that employees feel energized and engaged in the company and that the company puts in effort to make employees feel valuable. "We're devoted to making our employees feel appreciated, so it's a great honor being named a Top Workplace for the 10th year in a row," said CEO of Foundation Software Mike Ode. "We value the dedication of our employees, and it is important to me that they feel recognized in their efforts. There are many benefits to cultivating a healthy workplace and this award highlights that." Foundation Software has spent years creating and fostering a culture of support and welcome by sponsoring company-wide benefits like wellness programs, in-office perks and catered lunches. Over the course of 17 years, Foundation has won 12 other "best" workplace awards including Top Workplace USA. "We will continue to prioritize a happy working environment," Ode said. "When good employees feel supported and valued, the work takes care of itself." To learn more about Foundation Software, visit foundationsoft.com. Contact Information Tracie Kuczkowski VP of Marketing tak@foundationsoft.com (800) 246-0800 SOURCE: Foundation Software View the original press release on newswire.com. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Viral Vault, a leading e-commerce education platform, has announced its acquisition by Auto DS, a prominent company in the e-commerce automation industry. The acquisition, finalized this week, marks a significant milestone in the growth and expansion of both companies. Founded in 2018 by Jordan Welch, Viral Vault has been instrumental in helping over 10,000 individuals start their own e-commerce stores and achieve their first sales on Shopify. Over the years, Viral Vault has built one of the largest education companies in the e-commerce sector, offering invaluable resources, community support, and software solutions to aspiring entrepreneurs. Jordan Welch is an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and founder of Viral Vault, a platform designed to help people build and scale their e-commerce businesses, particularly through dropshipping. He has gained significant attention for his expertise in e-commerce and digital marketing, sharing his knowledge through online courses, tutorials, and his YouTube channel. Welch's content often focuses on business strategies, personal development, and financial independence, making him a notable figure in the online business community. Auto DS plans to integrate Viral Vault's comprehensive education programs, vibrant community, and advanced software into its existing operations. This strategic merger aims to enhance Auto DS's ecosystem by providing a more holistic approach to e-commerce success, leveraging the strengths and expertise of both companies. "The acquisition of Viral Vault by Auto DS represents a significant step forward for our community and our mission," said Jordan Welch, founder of Viral Vault. "Our goal has always been to help as many people as possible start their first online store. With Auto DS, we can now provide even more robust support and resources to our users." Despite the acquisition, Viral Vault will continue to operate as usual, maintaining its mission to empower e-commerce entrepreneurs. Jordan Welch will remain actively involved in the business, focusing on running the community and supporting users through their entrepreneurial journeys, while Auto DS will oversee the company's operations. For more information or media inquiries, please contact: maria@influencerpress.com About Viral Vault: Viral Vault is an e-commerce education platform founded in 2018 by Jordan Welch, dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs start their own online stores and achieve their first sales. With over 10,000 success stories, Viral Vault offers comprehensive educational resources, community support, and software solutions. About Auto DS: Auto DS is a leading company in the e-commerce automation industry, providing tools and solutions to streamline online store operations and maximize efficiency. Auto DS aims to support e-commerce entrepreneurs by offering innovative automation services and now, with the acquisition of Viral Vault, expanded educational resources. For further details or updates, visit our website at https://www.tryviralvault.com/ Media Details: Company Name: Viral Vault Media Contact: Ulysses Osuna Email: maria@influencerpress.com Website: https://www.tryviralvault.com/join SOURCE: Viral Vault To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/213458 SOURCE: Ascend Agency NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Bacardi Limited Colin Asare-Appiah Honored by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) To be a visionary, you need to be bold and fearless. That captures the essence of Colin Asare-Appiah, Trade Director of Culture and Lifestyle at Bacardi, who is the 2024 recipient of the Tales Visionary Award by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF). The honor is part of the 18th annual Spirited Awards which recognizes beverage professionals, products, and establishments across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale. In partnership with Forbes, the Spirited Awards official media partner, TOTCF will honor recipients during the Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) conference taking place in July in New Orleans. Read more. To be honored with this award, one must have: Made unique and lasting contributions to the accessibility and intersectionality of the global drinks community Shaped the beverage landscape Served as a leader and mentor Colin has done all that and more as an advocate for inclusivity including co-authoring the book, Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology, sharing coveted drink recipes from the world's top mixologists - plus true stories of the historical impact of Black people in Mixology. Colin Asare-Appiah Receives Tales Visionary Award View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi Limited on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Bacardi Limited Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Bacardi Limited View the original press release on accesswire.com Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - College of DuPage alumnus Jacques LaCour is the recipient of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association's 2024 Pacesetter Award. The annual honor recognizes the accomplishments of a recent community college graduate who has overcome life's obstacles, focused on humanitarian service, and continued supporting education and community colleges. LaCour earned the Cybersecurity and Defense Associate in Applied Science and currently works as a senior analyst at United Airlines. He said receiving the ICCTA Pacesetter award is both exciting and surprising. "I am always striving to put in another 10 percent and work a little harder to keep up," he said. "This has shown me just how hard work and passion pays off. I hope that my story and this award can inspire others." When LaCour originally attended COD, he earned a degree in Automotive Service Technology and completed several business classes. In December 2016, LaCour and his wife were expecting their first child when he noticed something was wrong with his eyesight. "Computer screens became harder and harder to read," he said. "I always had 20/20 vision, so I knew something was off." Doctors conducted an array of tests but could not diagnose what was happening. One of LaCour's nurses had a family member who went to Northwestern Medicine's eye clinic in downtown Chicago, so LaCour checked into it and eventually was seen by the head of ophthalmology. At one point after an MRI, LaCour was sent to the ER and spent six days in the hospital. But no diagnosis could be found. Finally, a test that could only be processed at one lab in the entire country revealed that LaCour had one of three mutations of a rare genetic condition causing the optic nerve to die from the inside out. After three to six months, the condition stabilizes but the damage is irreversible. "I remember one day being with someone who was like a second mom to me, and I had a horrible moment because I was terrified I would never see my son's face. In June 2017, when the doctor called with the diagnosis, he told me that there was no treatment and nothing more to do, but that there would be no more changes to my vision. I remember thinking, 'I'm good now.' I knew what was wrong and I knew where I could go." When he stopped working due to his vision, LaCour began playing with a Raspberry Pi Zero, an inexpensive computer meant to help someone learn Linux. He had received it as a gift and connected to it from his iPad, which he held up to his face. In doing so, he rediscovered his love for computers and returned to COD for another degree. He found success in the classroom with help from the College's Access and Accommodations office and the Computer and Information Technology program faculty. "Professor Tony Chen was the first person I met with at COD. I was in a very unique situation in that I couldn't drive, so my brother would pick me up in the morning and drop me off, and I would usually spend the whole day at COD, even if I only had one class." Both Access and Accommodations and the CIT faculty did everything they could to help LaCour succeed, from discussing needs with him at the beginning of each semester to providing large monitors in the classrooms. "It worked out phenomenally," he said. "Everyone was always asking, 'Can we do more?'" LaCour earned his second degree and transferred to Dakota State University for a master's in cyber defense. He continued his association with COD and worked as a tutor and a lab aide for the CIT program, managing all of the equipment and running open labs. When Wheaton-Warrenville South High School started a cybersecurity club, Chen suggested that LaCour-who graduated from the school-work with them. LaCour mentored cybersecurity students and, for his efforts, was named American Airforce Association CyberPatriot XIII Mentor of the Year in 2021. "The club started with eight or 10 students and is now up to 40, and I still help when I have time available. I owe being named mentor of the year to all the kids and the faculty." LaCour knows he needs a sense of humor regarding his vision as well as a desire to search for solutions. "My advice for people facing an uncertain future due to a health issue is acceptance of the situation and a willingness to figure out how to get where you want to go," he said. "Once I realized what was available, I actually had more requests to help me than I could sometimes handle. "College of DuPage was instantly supportive. Faculty members were always there and a big part of my journey, while people everywhere at the College-including other students-were always willing to lend a hand. Later when I was brought on as a lab aide and asked to mentor students, I knew how much I wanted to help others, thanks to COD." # # # Jacques LaCour To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9467/214249_3229151b847db8e5_001full.jpg Contact: Brian Kleemann kleeman@cod.edu (630) 942-2370 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214249 SOURCE: College of DuPage Funding Supports LanzaJet Global Growth and Establishes MUFG's Interest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer, today announced an investment from MUFG, one of the world's leading financial groups with total assets of approximately $2.9 trillion. The investment enables LanzaJet to continue building its capability and capacity to deploy its proprietary ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) process technology. "We continue to build a leading team of investors along the SAF value chain who believe in LanzaJet's ability to decarbonize aviation, which will both address climate change and enable the global economy," said Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet. "The investment from MUFG further enables LanzaJet's efforts to scale SAF production, with one of the world's leading financial groups enabling the development of infrastructure globally." MUFG's investment is part of LanzaJet's current $100 million growth equity funding round, with support from leading companies across industries and around the world. In the last few months, LanzaJet has announced investments from Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Groupe ADP, and now MUFG. While SAF production continues to scale, LanzaJet maintains its role in developing the industry by continuing its work building the ecosystem required to decarbonize aviation through SAF. LanzaJet continues to be at the forefront by commercializing its next generation ethanol-to-SAF technology and opening its fully-funded LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels biorefinery - the world's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF plant. Located in the United States, the historic plant will produce SAF and renewable diesel from low-carbon and sustainable ethanol and achieve International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). "MUFG is deeply committed to redefining the future of finance by prioritizing innovative and sustainable industry solutions. Our strategic support for LanzaJet is a prime example of this commitment, signifying our belief in the critical role of sustainable fuels for the economic and environmental well-being of the businesses we serve," said Koichiro Oshima, Managing Executive Officer, Head of Financial Solutions Group, MUFG Bank, Ltd. "This partnership not only aligns with our mission to drive progress but also showcases our dedication to catalyzing positive change. By investing in sustainable pathways, we aim to ensure the resilience and success ofour stakeholders, paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all." In addition to MUFG, LanzaJet's portfolio of investors and funders includes All Nippon Airways (ANA), Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Mitsui & Co., Shell, Southwest Airlines, and Suncor Energy. ABOUT LANZAJET LanzaJet is a leading sustainable fuels technology company dedicated to accelerating the clean energy transition. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by catalyzing the deployment of SAF and other clean energy critical to addressing the climate crisis and transforming the global economy. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/ ABOUT MUFG Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world's leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,100 locations in more than 40 countries. MUFG has nearly 120,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to be "the world's most trusted financial group" through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447793/LJ_MUFG_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lanzajet-announces-strategic-investment-from-mufg-japans-leading-financial-group-302182088.html Kiwi insurer Tower (NZX/ASX: TWR) announces it has entered into a referral agreement for general insurance products with Kiwibank for its retail banking customers. The agreement is for an initial term of five years. Under this arrangement, Kiwibank customers choosing to insure with Tower will insure their assets directly with Tower via Tower branded policies. Tower CEO, Blair Turnbull says, Were thrilled about the opportunity to welcome Kiwibank customers to Tower and to be joining forces with another Kiwi born and bred business. This referral agreement presents a strategic opportunity for Tower and aligns with our focus on growing our home insurance portfolio. Kiwibank Chief Executive Steve Jurkovich says, Were excited about entering this new partnership with Tower and to be able to support our customers to have the right protection in place which goes to the heart of our purpose of Kiwi making Kiwi better off. Tower has referral agreements in place with several other New Zealand organisations, including the Kiwi Adviser Network, New Zealand Financial Services Group and Trade Me, among others. These relationships have introduced more New Zealanders to Tower products. No regulatory approvals are required to proceed under the agreement. 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Related News: TRU - WHO Agency UNITAID Features TRU in Tech Landscape Report PaySauce Quarterly Market Update - September 2024 October 2nd Morning Report Rua Releases Annual Report for Year Ended 30 June 2024 SCL - Settlement of orchard sales The Warehouse Group 2024 ASM and Director Nominations AIR - Update on Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Comvita Limited - Annual Report 2024 September 27th Morning Report Spark announces departure of Finance Director Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. (CSE: AUEX) ("AUEX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement through the issuance of up to 25,000,000 flow-through units (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of $0.025 per FT Unit, and up to 4,000,000 non-Flow-Through units (each, a "NFT Unit") at a price of $0.025 per NFT Unit for a combined aggregate gross proceeds of up to $600,000 (the "Offering"). Each FT Unit shall be comprised of one Common Share, issued on a flow-through basis ("FT Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant, issued on a non-flow-through basis (each whole, a "FT Warrant"). Each FT Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. The FT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada), which also qualify for the Canadian government's Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit. The Company may pay finder's fees in accordance with the rules and policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Each NFT Unit shall be comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada). The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Mr. Jim Atkinson, CEO of AUEX, remarks, "With the increased interest in copper being expressed in the world we are focusing our attention on our copper property at Buck Lake. We intend to use the funds raised to initiate a comprehensive exploration program on that property in the coming days." In addition, the Company announces that Ms. Carly Burk has resigned as the Corporate Secretary of the Company effective the date hereof. Ms. Burke remains as corporate counsel to AUEX. Radovan Danilovsky, a Director and the CFO of the Company has assumed the position of Corporate Secretary of the AUEX. The Company also announces that Dr. Andrew Ramcharan has resigned as the President of the Company effective July 1st, 2024. The Board of Directors and management would like to thank Dr. Ramcharan and Ms. Burk for their contributions to the Company and wishes them every success in their future endeavors. About Buck Lake The Property is located approximately 62 linear km northeast of Sault Ste. Marie in the Province of Ontario. The Property consists of a total of 180 single-cell mining claims that covers 3,886 hectares located in Lunkie and Gapp Townships. The Property is located in the Wawa-Abitibi Subprovince within of the Superior Province of Canada. The Property is situated within the Batchawana Greenstone Belt ("BGB") that comprises a small portion of the Wawa-Abitibi Subprovince. The BGB is an arcuate-shaped, expansive belt located in the southern-central part of the Wawa-Abitibi Subprovince on the eastern shore of Lake Superior. This BGB is an Archean-aged greenstone belt consisting of a thick succession of supracrustal rocks. The property is situated in the Batchawana Volcanic Domain which hosts prospective sequences of felsic and mafic volcanics. The Technical Report Prepared by Mr. Mike Kilbourne in 2023 states that the geological environment of the Property is favourable for the presence of Archean volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits ("VMS"), iron deposits and orogenic gold deposits, namely banded iron formation ("BIF") hosted gold deposits due to the fact that BIF's are present on the Property. The focus of exploration has historically been on VMS-type deposits, but other deposit model types should not be dismissed. The Property contains at least 8 areas of potential based on the presence of Base Metal Mineralization based on historical or recent activities. Including areas of copper and zinc mineralization. An extensive stripping and channel sampling program over one of the zones in (the Noranda Trend) in 2022 identified several mineral horizons and provided invaluable clues to the geological environment of Cu-Zn mineralization. Highlights of the channel sampling include 4.94% Zn, 367 ppm Cu, 0.77% Pb and 45.6 g/t Ag over 1.0 m at trench G and <0.01% Zn, 1.58% Cu and 27.4 g/t Ag over 1.1 m. These programs were followed-up by diamond drilling in 2022 consisting of 15 diamond drill holes totaling 2,545 m. The objective of the drilling was to test sulphide mineralization documented on surface at depth and along strike of the Noranda trend. The VLF anomalies outlined along the Noranda trend in 2022 were also tested. Highlights of the drill program include 1.51% Cu over 11.75 m in hole BL-22-06 and 2.38% Cu over 2.95 m in hole BL-22-15. The success of this program prompted the expansion of the property to cover known airborne anomalies and other areas of past drilling which had identified base metal mineralization. Mr. Jim Atkinson CEO of AUEX notes that "The Author of the 43-101 Technical Report has reviewed the available information on the property and has stated in the Report 'the following salient features of the Buck Lake Property makes this a property of high merit for VMS-type Cu-Zn deposits: A greenstone belt hosting supracrustal Archean-aged rocks within the metal endowed Wawa-Abitibi Subprovince. A geological environment consistent with other VMS deposits of the Wawa-Abitibi Subprovince which includes felsic to intermediate volcanics, dacitic flows, tuffs and breccias and sediments in an extensional arc environment. Confirmed Cu-Zn bearing massive sulphide mineralization in surface channel sampling and diamond drilling. Cu-Zn bearing +/- massive pyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization stratigraphically proximal to cherty exhalative horizons and BIF (Figure 8.1, right-hand side) (Photo 7). Limited modern-day VMS-deposit model exploration.' This is very positive for the project. The author of the Technical Report goes on to say. "It is of the Author's opinion that the Property be continued to be explored for VMS-type massive sulphide deposits as indications are favorable for success." About Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. Advanced Gold Exploration (Formerly Advance United Holdings Inc.) brings an entirely different approach to the mining industry. We don't mine. Rather, we've acquired a portfolio of undervalued gold properties and are increasing their value through the application of modern technology. We have a growing pipeline of similar properties that we are looking to acquire. We are involved exclusively in the acquisition and advancement of past projects - with no intent to bring them back into production or to mine them ourselves. Our expertise is in identifying and acquiring undervalued properties with significant historical work, which were uneconomic at the time, but we believe have economic value at today's prices. We fund the re-working historic data and applying modern technology to underwrite new qualified reports, document quantifiable resources and reserves to current standards, thereby recognizing the current value. Our purpose is to bring immediate and long-term value to our partners and shareholders while seeking to eliminate exploration risk, so that we can all advance in the shortest possible time frame. For additional information about us, our projects, or to find out how we can assist in the advancement of your project contact our CEO. Qualified Person James Atkinson M.Sc., P. Geo., a Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify all historic information on the Property, particularly with regards to historical sampling, drill results, and technical work provided by others. The Qualified Person assumes that sampling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results. Contact Information James Atkinson, M.Sc., P. Geo., CEO Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. Email: Jim@AdvancedGoldExploration.com Tel: (647) 278-7502 Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the trading of the Company's securities and the focus of the Company's business. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "contemplates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Company's ability to increase the value of its current and future mineral exploration properties and, in connection therewith, any long-term shareholder value, the Company's ability to mitigate or eliminate exploration risk, and the Company's intention to develop a portfolio of historic gold properties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue its business as described above. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and other periodic filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances or actual results unless required by applicable law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214378 SOURCE: Advanced Gold Exploration Inc. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Gina Corena & Associates, a leading personal injury law firm in Las Vegas, is proud to announce its participation in last weekend's 2024 Nevada Justice Association (NJA) Annual Summer Gala. This prestigious event, which brings together legal professionals from across the state, took place in Las Vegas on June 21, 2024, at Durango Casino & Resort. Community involvement is an integral part of Gina Corena & Associates' mission, and the law firm is committed to participating in events that serve both the legal industry and beyond in the state of Nevada. NJA Annual Summer Gala 2024 Attorney Gina M. Corena and her staff attend the Nevada Justice Association Annual Summer Gala at Durango Casino & Resort on June 21, 2024. The NJA Annual Summer Gala is a cornerstone event for the Nevada legal community, offering networking opportunities and celebrating the achievements of legal professionals who have made significant contributions to justice in Nevada. Gina Corena & Associates would like to congratulate this year's Trial Lawyer of the Year, Marjorie Hauf, and all Nevada honorees. It is an honor for the firm's attorneys and full staff to be surrounded by so many successful legal professionals celebrating accomplishments. "We are honored to be part of this important event," said Gina Corena, founding member and managing partner at Gina Corena & Associates. "We are more than just a law firm. We are part of the community. Our firm is committed to fighting for the rights of accident victims, and the NJA Gala provides an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and stay at the forefront of legal developments in our field." Gina Corena & Associates has established itself as a leading personal injury law firm in Las Vegas, and the firm is known for its dedication to advocating for clients with an impressive track record of successful case results. The firm's attendance at the gala emphasizes its ongoing commitment to excellence and community engagement within the Nevada legal landscape. The firm's power team has a vision of experience, competence and ethics put into action for Nevada clients every single day. "My mission is you," says founding member attorney Gina Corena. For more information about Gina Corena & Associates and their legal services, please visit Gina Corena & Associates' website or call (702) 680-1111. Contact Information Gina M. Corena Founding Member & Managing Partner press@corenalaw.com 702-680-1111 SOURCE: Gina Corena & Associates View the original press release on newswire.com. SkyCell, a Zug, Switzerland-based technology company empowering the pharmaceutical supply chain, raised $116M in Series D funding. The round consisted of US$59M from Tybourne Capital Management and CCI and a US$57M equity investment from Catalyst. The company intends to use the funds for the continued expansion of its global footprint with a key focus on growth across the US and Asia. Led by CEO Richard Ettl, SkyCell is a technology company innovating the pharmaceutical supply chain through a combination of proprietary software, hardware, and big data. It is a manufacturer of temperature-controlled door-to-door container solutions that allow pharma companies to optimise their supply chain by reducing, and even predicting, the risks associated with delivering sensitive drugs by air. Its proprietary software solution combines simulation data with operational data (S+O data), enabling pharma companies to have real-time, end-to-end oversight of every shipment around the world getting drugs to consumers. Its technologies protect healthcare systems by reducing in-transit failure rate to a market-leading low of less than 0.05% temperature excursions and reduce the CO2 impact of each shipment by almost half the average rate. SkyCell is a climate-neutral company (Scope 1 & 2 compensated) and has committed to the goal of end-to-end net-zero by 2040. FinSMEs 25/06/2024 TwoStep Therapeutics, a Palo Alto, CA-based biotechnology company developing new targeted therapeutics for solid tumors, raised $6.5m in seed funding. The round was led by NFX, with participation from other investors including 2048 Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Cooleys affiliated fund GC&H Investments, and the family office of the founder of Arcadia Investment Partners. The company intends to use the funds to advance its therapeutic pipeline of solid tumor-targeting therapies, with an initial focus on targeted cytotoxic drug delivery and immunotherapy. Founded by CEO Caitlyn Miller, and Stanford professor-entrepreneurs Jennifer Cochran, Ronald Levy, and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, TwoStep Therapeutics provides a delivery platform built around a tumor-targeting polyspecific integrin-binding peptide (PIP) that can selectively bind several targets that are highly expressed on solid tumors. This multi-targeting feature enables the agents broad applicability to a wide range of tumor types and patient populations, overcoming the limitations of single-antigen targeting approaches. Development of TwoSteps solid tumor-focused platform was driven by the combined expertise of its founding team in chemical biology, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and immuno-oncology. The founders established in vivo proof of concept of its multi-targeted agent using various therapeutic payloads and fusion proteins in the academic labs of its co-founders, and later within the Stanford Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA). It is the first company to emerge from the IMA entrepreneur-in-residence program. FinSMEs 25/06/2024 Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal tied the knot on 23rd June and while their beautiful pictures from the special moment has taken all over the internet, a fringe organisation called Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena organised a protest at Shatrughan Sinhas residence in Patna, Bihar and called the marriage love jihad'. The legendary actor-turned-politician strongly reacted to trolls and urged them to not spread the negativity. Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, said the Aan actor to Times Now. Advertisement He added, A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors I say go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say). When asked Shatrughan what he felt on the day of his daughters wedding, he replied, Yeh bhi koi poochne ki baat hai? Every father waits for this moment when his daughter is given to her chosen groom. My daughter looks most happy with Zaheer. Unki jodi salamat rahe. The newlyweds shared the amazing pictures of their wedding on social media and wrote, On this very day, seven years back (23.06.2017) in each others eyes, we saw love in its purest form and decided to hold on to it. Today that love has guided us through all the challenges and triumphs leading up to this moment where with the blessings of both our families and both our gods we are now man and wife. Heres to love, hope and all things beautiful with each other, from now until forever. Sonakshi Zaheer 23.06.2024. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is currently headed to a courtroom on the Pacific island of Saipan, where he is anticipated to enter a guilty plea on Wednesday for a single criminal charge. This plea deal is expected to result in his release, allowing him to return to Australia, his home country, after a lengthy legal journey spanning 14 years read more WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a document at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released on 25 June, 2024. X/wikileaks via Reuters A plane, thought to be transporting Julian Assange, touched down in Bangkok on Tuesday. The WikiLeaks founder is en route to enter a plea deal with the US government, which is expected to secure his release and conclude a prolonged legal battle that has spanned multiple years and continents due to the publication of a vast collection of classified documents. The chartered flight, VJT199, landed shortly after noon at Don Mueang International Airport, situated north of the Thai capital. It remains uncertain whether the plane was merely refueling or what the subsequent travel arrangements for Assange entail as he proceeds to Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, where he is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday morning local time. Advertisement According to a letter filed by the US Justice Department, Assange is anticipated to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge for conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information Why Saipan? The US commonwealth of Saipan is in the western Pacific, and lies about 70 kilometers north of Guam and consists of 14 islands. Saipan, like other US territories such as Guam or Puerto Rico, is part of the United States but lacks full state status. Its residents are US citizens but cannot vote in presidential elections. Crucially, it hosts US district courts, which makes it a suitable location for Assanges legal proceedings. According to US prosecutors, Assanges preference for a court close to his home in Australia, yet not on the continental United States, led to the selection of Saipan. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released on 25 June, 2024. X/wikileaks via Reuters He has to front up to charges that have been brought under US law, Emily Crawford, a professor at the University of Sydneys law school told Reuters. It had to be US territory but it had to be the US territory closest to Australia that wasnt a US state like Hawaii. What is the plea deal? The US Justice Department has confirmed that Assange will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. He will be sentenced to 62 months, which he has already served. If the judge approves his plea, Assange is expected to return to Australia after the hearing. Advertisement WikiLeaks confirmed Assanges departure from the British prison where he has spent the last five years. The organisation expressed gratitude for the support during his fight for freedom. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know, WikiLeaks said in a statement. This court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of barrister Edward Fitzgerald, centre, standing, Julian Assanges father John Shipton, second left, and Julian Assanges wife Stella Assange at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, 20 May, 2024. AP Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been lobbying for the US to end its prosecution of Assange, stated, Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assanges activities, the case has dragged on for too long. Theres nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Advertisement How did the legal saga begin? Assanges legal troubles began in 2010 when WikiLeaks released a series of posts that included nearly half a million documents related to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This disclosure led to an international arrest warrant issued by Swedish police in November 2010. Assange surrendered to police in London in December 2010 and was detained pending an extradition hearing. The High Court granted him bail, but a district court in Britain ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden. A car with a message in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange drives in front of the High Court, on the day of an extradition hearing of Julian Assange, in London, UK, 20 May, 2024. File Image/Reuters In June 2012, Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after failing to appeal the extradition ruling. He was granted political asylum by Ecuador in August 2012. Assange remained in the embassy until April 2019, when Ecuador revoked his asylum status, leading to his arrest by British police. Advertisement Over the years, Assange faced numerous legal battles. In 2019, the US government indicted him on 18 charges related to WikiLeaks publication of classified documents. The charges accused Assange of conspiring with US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files. Prosecutors argued that Assanges actions damaged national security and aided US adversaries. Assanges supporters have long argued that his actions were those of a journalist exposing wrongdoing. They pointed to the publication of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack video by WikiLeaks, which showed American forces killing 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. However, his reputation was also marred by rape allegations in Sweden, which he has denied. Advertisement What next? The plea deal is expected to bring an end to a complex and prolonged legal saga. Assanges family and supporters have highlighted the toll these years have taken on his physical and mental health. His attorney, Barry Pollack, emphasised that Assange has endured more than a decade of legal battles and severe confinement conditions. It is high time for this ordeal to end, Pollack said. Also Read | WikiLeaks Julian Assange to be freed: How did he avoid US prison time? The case against Assange has been a contentious issue among press freedom advocates and legal experts. While some argue that his actions were in the public interest, others contend that he broke laws meant to protect national security. The plea agreement reflects a compromise, allowing Assange to admit guilt while sparing him further prison time. With inputs from agencies A digital lock system was introduced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 2019 to protect NEET papers from leaks. However, these locks failed to open at some examination centres this year read more The investigation into the alleged NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) paper leak case has revealed several shocking details. From the distribution of question papers and answer sheets to candidates willing to pay lakhs before the medical entrance examination to malfunctioning digital locks, glaring gaps are coming to light almost every day. Reports have surfaced that digital locks on some boxes containing 2024 NEET UG question papers did not open on the day of the exam on 5 May. But what are these? Why has the malfunctioning of digital locks further fuelled the NEET controversy? Advertisement Lets understand. What are digital locks? A digital lock system on the boxes storing the NEET question papers is meant to protect them from leaks. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the medical entrance test, introduced digital locks in 2019 to hold the exam in a smooth and fair manner and with technological advancements, as per a Times of India (TOI) report. These digital locks are supposed to automatically open before the NEET exam commences. Candidates wait to enter an examination centre for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in Chennai on 7 May 2023. File Photo/AFP Officials told Indian Express that metal boxes containing question papers have two locks one manual and the other digital. There is a key and cutter to open the manual lock, while the digital one is programmed to open 45 minutes before the examination. ALSO READ: Who is Sanjeev Mukhiya, the kingpin of NEET paper leak case? Digital locks failed to open The digital locks did not open before the NEET exam at some centres, including at a school in Jharkhands Hazaribagh. Ehsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh, told Indian Express that a digital lock on two boxes containing question papers failed to open at 1.15 pm on the day of the NEET examination. Haque, who is also the Hazaribagh district coordinator of the NTA, said when he called the NTA asking what to do, he was told to cut the digital lock with the cutter. Advertisement Speaking to the newspaper, NTAs observer Vishwa Ranjan said, Digital locks were also used in the previous NEET-UG exams, and there was a beep that indicated they were open. This year we were surprised when they didnt unlock. We alerted our city coordinator Ehsanul Haque, he contacted the NTA, and we were told that we should cut it using a cutter. At Vijaya School in Haryanas Bahadurgarh, one box opened at 1:15 pm on May 5, but three failed to open. When the NTA was contacted, it directed officials to manually open the boxes, reported India Today. The malfunctioning of these digital locks led to the delay in the distribution of question papers at some centres. The Bihar Polices Economic Offences Unit (EOU) investigation has found that the postponement was a direct result of the digital lock failure, the India Today report added. Advertisement The NTA had awarded grace marks to 1,563 candidates due to loss of exam time. Due to this, a record number of 67 toppers were declared in NEETs history, creating a massive row. Tampering allegations surface Haque, the principal of Oasis School, has claimed the Bihar Polices EOU has raised tampering concerns during the investigation into the alleged paper leak. On June 21, the EOU investigating the case noticed the tampering of the seven-layer packaging of the NEET question paper, he told NDTV. Haque said the tampering was detected in the seventh and innermost layer while checking the unused papers at the school. NSUI members stage a protest demanding re-examination of NEET-UG Entrance Exam 2024 over alleged irregularities in its results, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, on 13 June 2024. File Photo/PTI The outermost layer consists of cardboard boxes inside which there are aluminium boxes with question papers, as per reports. Advertisement This aluminium box (which has two locks) contains another cardboard box that has a seven-layered plastic envelope, which has the question paper, Imtiyaz Alam, the centre superintendent at Oasis School told Indian Express. The entire unpacking process happens in front of officials and two students who are selected randomly, he said. Alam further told the newspaper, We were told by EOU officials that the stickers around the aluminium boxes were not uniform, and the patterns of latches also differed. Also, the seven-layered envelope had a breach at one end and appeared to have been cut. Speaking to NDTV, Haque said the courier service in charge of transporting the question paper apparently did not follow the proper procedure, as hinted by the investigating officers. Advertisement The Blue Dart courier is tasked with delivering the question papers from Jharkhands Ranchi to Hazaribagh and then to the State Bank of India (SBI). These papers are kept in lockers at designated SBI banks. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the alleged NEET paper leak case. It remains to be seen what details will emerge as the central agency proceeds with its investigation. With input from agencies BJPs Om Birla will go up against Congress candidate K Suresh for the position of Lok Sabha Speaker. MPs will cast their votes in a secret ballot in todays election read more BJP MP Om Birla, NDA candidate for Speaker post, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and others at the Parliament House complex during the first session of 18th Lok Sabha, in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI Today (26 June) is a crucial day for the 18th Lok Sabha. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDI Alliance are going up against each other in a battle for the Speakers post many call it one of the most important positions in a parliamentary democracy. The election for the Speaker will be held today and will see a battle between the NDAs pick of Om Birla, who has served as Speaker previously, and INDI Alliances Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP from Keralas Mavelikara. Advertisement Notably, this is the first election for the Speaker; the last ever such election was held decades ago. But if you are still wondering how a Speaker is chosen, we have you covered. How is the Speaker elected? The Speaker is elected from among the members of the lower house of the Parliament. Rules regarding the election of the Speaker is governed by Article 93 of the Constitution. It states: The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be. On the day of the election this time its on 26 June the MPs will cast their votes in a secret ballot and the candidate who secures the majority of votes becomes the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. There are no other criteria listed for the position. However, seniority, experience and impartiality are considered when choosing a candidate for the position. Historically, most candidates for the Speaker are elected without any contest. In the 16th and 17 Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan and Om Birla both BJP MPs were elected as Speakers of the Lok Sabha without any opposition. Advertisement The Speaker holds the position until the House is dissolved or he/she resigns or is removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha. Why is there an election for Speaker this time then? While in the past, the Speakers position has been decided unanimously without an election, its not to be this time around. While the NDA has put forth Om Birlas name, the opposition has put forth K Sureshs name from the Congress. The reason for this is, as K Suresh explains, is that conventionally the Speaker is of the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker is of the opposition. Speaking to news agency PTI, he said: Last two Lok Sabhas, they denied us Deputy Speakers post because they said you are not recognised as the opposition. Now we are recognised as the opposition, deputy speaker post is our right. But they are not ready to give us. Advertisement Reports have stated that the opposition has been combative on the issue, since its strength has increased in the House and are insisting that the government give a commitment on giving the post of Deputy Speaker to the opposition. Congress leader K Suresh files nomination for Lok Sabha Speaker as INDI bloc candidate. Image Courtesy: @PTI_News/X In fact, reports state that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to Congress Mallikarjun Kharge for the partys support to Birla. However, the Congress has remained adamant that it wants the Deputy Speakers post. Earlier too, Rahul Gandhi had said that the opposition was willing to support the NDAs choice for the position of Speaker if the government followed convention and gave them the Deputy Speakers post. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the Govt constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire pic.twitter.com/yR5CzlagEx ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 However, BJPs Piyush Goyal was quoted as saying: The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also said: We had a conversation with all the floor leaders of the opposition regarding the post of the Speaker. The Speaker is not for a party; it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for the Speaker. No election has ever taken place for the post of the Speaker. Congress put this condition that if they get the post of Deputy Speaker they will support our candidate for the Speakers post. This give and take of posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right. Responding to the BJPs claims, Congresss KC Venugopal, as per an Indian Express report, said that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, they had given the Deputy Speaker position to the NDA for 10 years. When UPA was in power, we gave the Deputy Speaker to the NDA for 10 years. The convention is so in the Lok Sabha that the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge yesterday. Mallikarjun Kharge said we are happy to support your candidate but we want the post of Deputy Speaker to which Rajnath Singh told him that we will consult PM Modi and revert, he said. Home Minister Amit Shah with other NDA leaders during the nomination filing in support of BJP MP Om Birla for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, in New Delhi. PTI When was the last time Speaker election was contested? A contest between Om Birla and K Suresh for the Speakers post wont be the first such instance. The last such election was in 1976, as per the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Bali Ram Bhagat was elected the Speaker of the Fifth Lok Sabha in January 1976 after securing 344 votes vs Jagannath Rao who got 58. Prior to that, in 1952, GV Mavalankar of the Congress became the Speaker, defeating Shankar Shantaram More of the Peasants and Workers Party of India. Mavalankar won comfortably owing to the Congresss majority in the Lok Sabha. Pre-Independence, the election for the post of Speaker took place six times between 1925 and 1946. In 1925, elections for the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly were won by Swaraj Party leader Vitthalbhai J Patel against T Rangachariar. In 1930, Sir Muhammad Yakub won the Speakers election with 78 votes against Nand Lals 22 votes on July 9, 1930. Three years later, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola won the election against Hari Singh Gour. Then in 1935, Sir Abdur Rahim was elected as the Speaker against TAK Sherwani. And in 1946, Congress leader GV Mavalankar won against Cowasjee Jehangir by a margin of just three votes. With inputs from agencies West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has shot off a letter to PM Narendra Modi expressing strong reservation over talks he held with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the River Teesta and the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty last week. However, the Centre has rebuffed her claims of exclusion read more West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has expressed anguish over water-sharing talks between PM Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. PTI File Photo A row has erupted between the Centre and the West Bengal government over water-sharing talks with Dhaka. The rift stems from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit to New Delhi last week during which she held bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on River Teesta and the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty. On Monday (24 June), West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed anguish for not being included in the discussions with Bangladesh. However, the Centre has rebuffed her claims of not being consulted over the issue. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. Mamata Banerjees letter to PM CM Banerjee wrote a letter to PM Modi expressing strong reservation over the alleged exclusion from the talks with Bangladesh on Teesta water sharing and the 1996 Farakka Treaty. I am writing this letter in the context of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable, she said in a three-page letter. She urged the PM not to hold such discussions with Dhaka without involving the West Bengal government. Banerjee also highlighted Bengals close ties to Bangladesh geographically, culturally, and economically. She said that the people of her state would be the worst sufferers of any pacts on water sharing. I would like to bring to your notice that river morphology has changed in the eastern part of India and Bangladesh over many years which has deprived West Bengal and negatively impacted the water availability in the state, she added. On Saturday (22 June), Hasina and Modi held talks on the conservation and management of River Teesta and the continuation of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty. Glad to have welcomed PM Sheikh Hasina to Delhi today. Over the year, we have met about ten times but this visit is special because she is our first state guest after our Government returned to power for the third term. Be it the Neighbourhood First, Act East or SAGAR policy, pic.twitter.com/qi4q3FRNDO Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2024 Advertisement The Indian premier said a technical team would visit Bangladesh soon to explore the conservation and management of the Teesta River. He also said the two countries will kickstart technical-level talks for renewing the Ganga water treaty. India and Bangladesh signed the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty in 1996 on the sharing of the Ganges waters at Farakka. The pact is set to expire on 12 December 2026. Advertisement Centre rejects CM Banerjees claims The Central government has denied Banerjees claim of being excluded from the water-sharing talks with Bangladesh. Central government sources told News18 that the state government was notified about the discussions with Dhaka. According to the sources, the West Bengal government was part of the review process regarding the Ganga water treaty. Last July, the Centre asked Bengal for a nominee for the panel tasked with reviewing the 1996 India-Bangladesh Treaty. In August of that year, Banerjees government nominated the Chief Engineer (Design and Research) at the Irrigation and Waterways Directorate for the committee, sources told Times Now. As per News18 sources, the West Bengal government was an active participant in the discussions and provided important data needed for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty. In April, they said, Biplab Mukhopadhyay, Joint Secretary of the Irrigation & Waterways Department, kept forward West Bengals demand for domestic and industrial water for the next 25-30 years. Advertisement These actions unequivocally show that the Government of West Bengal was kept well-informed and actively involved in the treaty review and renewal process, News18 cited the Central government sources as saying. ALSO READ: India offers support for Teesta river reservoir in Bangladesh amid bilateral talks Why a Teesta water-sharing treaty remains elusive India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers flowing from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. The Ganga and the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh) are the largest rivers the two countries share. The Teesta is a tributary of the Brahmaputra, cascading from Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh. Talks between the two countries over the sharing of Teesta waters went on for decades, without much progress until 2011. Advertisement Tourists enjoy a boat ride at the Teesta river in Jalpaiguri district, some 25 km from Siliguri, on 7 February 2021. AFP File Photo According to the pact, discussed under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, India would get 42.5 percent of the Teestas waters and Bangladesh 37.5 percent during the dry season. Bangladeshs farmers have long flagged the shortage of water in the winter months. However, the 2011 agreement had to be shelved after Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee refused to sign, saying the pact would be against the interest of her states farmers, reported Outlook. As her Trinamool Congress (TMC) was a key coalition partner of the UPA government and water is a state issue, the deal fell through due to Banerjees disapproval, according to an Observer Research Foundation (ORF) article. The Teesta water-sharing agreement between India and Bangladesh has been waiting to be signed since 2011. The renewed talks on Teesta assume significance amid China showing interest in the river. As per Outlook, Beijing had proposed to dredge and embank a portion of the Teesta river but New Delhi opposed the project due to security concerns. Bangladeshs Hasina has not given a nod to Chinas plans yet. With input from agencies Pakistan has initiated a new anti-terrorism military operation, seemingly influenced by Beijings guidance. Named Azm-e-Istehkam, the military operation aims to eradicate terrorism throughout the nation read more Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a high-level meeting to a new military campaign aimed at curbing escalating violence in the country on June 22, 2024. Pakistan PMO Pakistans top leadership has approved a new military operation named Azm-e-Istehkam, meaning Resolve for Stability in Urdu, aimed at quelling a surge in violence and terrorism. This initiative follows Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs review of the countrys counterterrorism operations, particularly focusing on the National Action Plan adopted after the December 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack, which resulted in over 140 deaths, mostly students, claimed by the Pakistan Taliban (TTP). What does the military operation aim to do? Advertisement The operation seeks to address domestic security threats and armed fighters crossing over from Afghanistan amidst rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Sharifs office announced plans to intensify efforts against terrorists through regional cooperation. The campaign will also include socioeconomic measures to address the populations concerns and create an environment discouraging extremist tendencies. This comprehensive strategy integrates military, legislative, and diplomatic efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. The campaign will be complemented by socioeconomic measures aimed at addressing genuine concerns of the people and creating an environment that discourages extremist tendencies, stated a release from the prime ministers office (PMO). The military campaign will also ensure legal support from all law enforcement agencies, addressing voids that hinder prosecution and award exemplary punishments to terrorists. Protests across Pakistan were held condemning the school attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. File Image/Reuters The renewed and full-blown kinetic efforts of the armed forces will be augmented by full support from all Law Enforcement Agencies, empowered by effective legislation to address legal voids that hinder effective prosecution of terrorism-related cases and award of exemplary punishments to them, according to the Pakistan PMO statement. The operation also emphasises socioeconomic measures to address the populations genuine concerns and discourage extremist tendencies. The information space will be leveraged to promote a unified national narrative supporting the campaign. How is Afghanistan involved? The announcement comes amid a dramatic increase in violent incidents over the past 18 months, mostly claimed by the TTP. The TTP ended a ceasefire in November 2022, and Pakistan has accused Kabul of harbouring TTP members, a charge the Taliban government denies. Analysts predict potential escalations if Pakistans operation extends into Afghanistan. Advertisement Also Read | Balochistan on boil: Why situation is turning bleak for Pakistan and its army In March, Pakistan even conducted cross-border strikes in Afghanistan against suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts, which were publicly confirmed by the foreign office, Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst told Al Jazeera. Tipu added that Islamabad views kinetic military actions as the most effective approach to counter armed violence. Is Pakistan following Chinas command? The operation also addresses concerns from China, a key ally and investor in Pakistans infrastructure through the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The security of Chinese nationals and projects has become critical following multiple attacks, including the death of five Chinese engineers in March 2024. Advertisement We need to improve security and the business environment. In Pakistans case, the primary factor shaking the confidence of Chinese investors is the security situation, stated Liu Jianchao, a senior Chinese official, during his visit to Pakistan. Happy to receive Mr. Liu Jianchao, Minister, International Department of Communist Party of China (CPC) & his delegation. Congratulated him as well as Pakistani political leaders on success of 3rd JCM meeting held today. Discussed the All Weather Strategic cooperation between pic.twitter.com/OYMvhzlzDD Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 21, 2024 However, Asfandyar Mir, a South Asia expert at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), suggests that while Chinese concerns likely influenced Pakistani leadership, the timing of the new operation may be driven more by domestic politics and economic considerations. What are the domestic factors? Last year, Pakistan faced a near-default and underwent a contentious election amid significant domestic political turmoil. A large-scale military campaign was not feasible under those circumstances, Mir noted. With the election done and a government in place, and the economic situation stabilising, at least relatively, Pakistani leadership probably feels confident that it has sufficient domestic political space and a modicum of economic stability now to pursue a vigourous campaign to address the deteriorating security situation, he told Al Jazeera. Advertisement A police officer holds a machine-gun with thermal binoculars attached to it, in the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, February 9, 2023. File Image/Reuters Pakistan faced near-default in the previous year and political turmoil during elections, making a large-scale military campaign unfeasible. With relative economic stability and a new government, Pakistani leadership feels confident to pursue this campaign. Can the military operation succeed? Despite the robust plans, there are concerns about the operations potential success. Abdul Sayed, a researcher on armed groups, pointed out that armed groups target security forces to undermine government interests while maintaining public support. Lack of public support in violence-affected provinces could hinder the operations effectiveness. The Pakistani Taliban do not have permanent bases in Pakistan; instead, they operate from makeshift ones, frequently changing locations. If Pakistan conducts cross-border operations in Afghanistan, it could escalate tensions between the two countries, said Tipu. Also Read: Pakistan arrests Ahmadis saying Eid rituals violation of constitution. Why its not With a blend of military action, legislative support, and socioeconomic initiatives, the operation aims to restore stability and security in the country while addressing regional and international concerns. With inputs from agencies From serving as minister of state in the second Manmohan Singh government to being the Kerala Congress chief, Kondikunnil Suresh has spent 29 years in politics. He is an eight-time MP from Kerala and is now up against NDAs Om Birla in the Lok Sabha Speaker election on June 26 read more In a historic first, the Lok Sabha will witness an election for the Speakers post. While the ruling NDA has picked Om Birla again, the INDIA bloc has fielded Congress MP Kondikunnil Suresh as their candidate for the coveted post. The eight-time MP had recently been in the spotlight for the role of Pro-tem Speaker, given his status as the senior-most parliamentarian of the 18th Lok Sabha. However, tensions soared and the atmosphere in the Lok Sabha turned vicious when the BJP opted for seven-term Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab over Suresh, sources in the opposition camp told The Indian Express. Advertisement Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju explaining the reason behind Mahtabs selection said, it was in accordance with the Westminster system, emphasising his consecutive tenures, unlike Sureshs terms, which included breaks in 1998 and 2004. Now, Congress MP K Suresh has filed his nomination papers on Tuesday and is set to challenge BJPs Kota MP Om Birla on June 26. But who exactly is K Suresh, and what has his journey been like? Lets delve deeper. Background Hailing from Keralas Kodikunnil in Thiruvananthapuram district, K Suresh got his pre-degree from Mar Ivanios College in the city. Further, he graduated from the Government Law College in Thiruvanathapuram and obtained a degree in LL.B. Suresh began his political journey in 1989 after he was elected as an MP from Keralas Adoor constituency and subsequently won in the 1991,1996 and 1999 general elections. Rise in Congress After winning from the Adoor constituency four straight times, Suresh in this election contested for the eighth time in his 29-year-old political career. He defeated CPIs young turk C A Arun Kumar from Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 10,000 votes, among the lowest margins in the state, in a constituency where the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) contests on all the seven Assembly segments. So far, Suresh has only lost twice in general elections. One in 1998 and another in 2004. Advertisement However, his prominence in the party has only risen. In 2009, the Kerala MP served as Union Minister for State for Labour and Employment in the second UPA government led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Once considered a frontrunner for the Kerala Congress chief position in 2021, Suresh now holds significant influence as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the partys top decision-making body. Additionally, Suresh has served as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary. Since 2018, the veteran parliamentarian has been serving as the president of the Congresss Kerala unit, cementing his pivotal role within the partys leadership. Advertisement But its not all merry, Sureshs extensive political journey has had a fair share of controversies too. The controversies In 2010, the Kerala High Court disqualified Suresh, who is also a prominent Dalit leader, over his caste status. The court was acting upon a plea filed by his opponent R S Anil of the CPI who contended that Suresh belonged to the OBC Cheramar Christian community and not the Cheramar Hindu community that is categorised as a Scheduled Caste and thus was ineligible to contest from the SC-reserved Mavelikkara seat. Suresh alleged that the case was a political conspiracy by some rivals in his party and the opposition. I have fought seven elections and won five times. There were no cases filed in court, he said in The Indian Express report_._ Advertisement He then moved to the Supreme Court, which overturned the High Courts order and confirmed his eligibility to contest. Not only this, the Kerala MP, who declared assets worth Rs 1.5 crore in the Lok Sabha polls, has had several run-ins with the law. He has been booked in six criminal cases that include charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, and obstructing a public servant from discharging duty, which is a non-bailable offence. He was booked alongside prominent Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, in connection with the violence during the police headquarters march last year. With input from agencies Israels Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a unanimous ruling stating that ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must serve in the army and that government funding for yeshivas should be contingent on student enlistment. This decision is being seen as a blow to PM Benjamin Netanyahu and is expected to massively influence his ruling coalition read more Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the state memorial ceremony for the Altalena martyrs at the Nachalat Yitzhak cemetery in Givatayim, Israel, on June 18, 2024. File Image/Reuters Israels Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous ruling, mandating that the military begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men for compulsory service. This decision overturns a long-standing system that granted broad exemptions to ultra-Orthodox men while maintaining mandatory enlistment for the secular Jewish majority. The ruling, which ends a decades-old practice, has the potential to destabilise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition amidst ongoing conflict in Gaza. What is the exemption controversy? Historically, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from military service, a policy that has caused significant resentment among the secular public. Advertisement This divide has become more pronounced during the ongoing war in Gaza, as the military has mobilised tens of thousands of soldiers and suffered over 600 casualties since Hamas attack on October 7 last year. Critics argue that the exemptions create an unfair burden on the secular population, who are required to serve. The courts ruling struck down a 2017 law that codified these exemptions, citing invalid selective enforcement and a serious violation of the rule of law. The court stated that all individuals should be equal before the law, and thus, the military draft should apply to ultra-Orthodox men like any other citizens. Ultra-Orthodox Jews line up at an Israeli draft office to process their exemptions from mandatory military service at a recruitment base in Kiryat Ono, Israel, March 28, 2024. File Image/Reuters The ruling did not specify how many ultra-Orthodox should be drafted, but the military has indicated it could enlist 3,000 this year. Currently, around 66,000 ultra-Orthodox men are eligible for enlistment. Why is this ruling a blow to Netanyahu? The decision has significant political implications. Netanyahus coalition relies heavily on support from ultra-Orthodox parties, who vehemently oppose ending the exemptions. If these parties withdraw their support, it could lead to the collapse of the government and trigger new elections at a time when Netanyahus popularity is waning. During court arguments, government lawyers warned that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist could tear Israeli society apart. Advertisement A statement from Netanyahus Likud party criticised the ruling, suggesting that a bill in parliament backed by Netanyahu could address the issue, although critics argue it falls short of meeting Israels wartime needs. Israeli education minister Yoav Kisch expressed hope for a compromise, highlighting that unity is crucial during the ongoing conflict: Not in a civil war, not in a fight that will tear apart Israeli society in the middle of a tough war. Its possible to do it together. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against attempts to change government policy that grants ultra-Orthodox Jews exemptions from military conscription, in Jerusalem, April 11, 2024. File Image/Reuters As the government scrambles to navigate this new landscape, the potential for political upheaval looms large. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has advocated for ending the special exemptions, stating, The army is in need of manpower now. Its not a matter of politics, its a matter of mathematics. Advertisement This sentiment is echoed by a large majority of Israelis, with a March poll indicating that 70 per cent of Israeli Jews support scrapping the exemptions. Also Read: Why are protesters calling for fresh elections in Israel? Are Netanyahus days numbered? Netanyahus coalition, with a slim majority of 64 seats in the 120-member parliament, faces significant pressure to address this issue promptly. The government could attempt to draft a new law to restore exemptions, but this would be politically challenging given the courts ruling. As the legislative clock ticks down with the Knesset soon to leave for summer recess, the military may be compelled to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men before any new law is enacted. Advertisement How does the ruling affect the ultra-Orthodox community? Ultra-Orthodox men typically attend seminaries focused on religious studies, often to the exclusion of secular subjects like math, English, or science, leaving them ill-prepared for military service or the secular workforce. Security forces operate as Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest after Israels Supreme Court convened to discuss petitions to change government policy that grants ultra-Orthodox Jews exemptions from military conscription, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, near Israels Supreme Court in Jerusalem, June 2, 2024. File Image/Reuters The conscription waiver has also contributed to economic challenges, keeping a significant portion of the ultra-Orthodox community out of the workforce and placing a welfare burden on middle-class taxpayers. The ultra-Orthodox community, which makes up about 13 per cent of Israels population and is growing at a rate of 4 per cent annually, is expected to reach 19 per cent by 2035. Each year, approximately 13,000 ultra-Orthodox males reach conscription age, but less than 10 per cent currently enlist. Advertisement How have Israeli leaders reacted? Ultra-Orthodox leaders and politicians have expressed disappointment and concern over the impact on their traditions and way of life. Yitzhak Goldknopf, a Cabinet minister and leader of one of the ultra-Orthodox parties, called the ruling very unfortunate and disappointing, while ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Moshe Gafni lamented the lack of understanding of Torah studys value among the judges. On the other hand, opposition parties and secular Israelis have welcomed the ruling. Former Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman stated, Theres nothing Jewish about dodging military service. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which has been at the forefront of challenging the exemptions, called for the immediate drafting of all eligible seminary students, citing the urgent need for personnel in the army. Protesters bring donkeys to a demonstration, as they insist that they are not the donkeys of the country, and demand equality in Israels military service during a protest near the Israeli Prime Ministers office, in Jerusalem, March 26, 2024. File Image/Reuters The ruling sets the stage for growing friction within the coalition and heightened tension between secular and religious communities. Shuki Friedman, vice-president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, told AP that while ultra-Orthodox leaders understand they lack a better political alternative, their constituents are increasingly questioning their representation: Why did we vote for you? Also Read: With no clear exit strategy in Gaza, Netanyahu is trapped in a Chakravyuh This historic ruling not only challenges the existing social contract within Israel but also forces a reckoning with long-standing issues of equality, duty, and national service in the country. With inputs from agencies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty in a US court, which ends his long-running legal drama and allows him to finally return home to Australia as a free man. As part of the plea deal he struck with US authorities, he will be sentenced to 62 months, which is the time he has already served in UK prison read more WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be a relieved man today. The 52-year-olds long-running legal saga over leaked documents comes to an end after he reached a plea deal with US prosecutors, which will now allow him to walk free after years of incarceration and confinement. Shortly after the deal was revealed, Assange left London, making his way to Saipan, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth north of Guam. He is expected to return to Australia after the court appearance on Wednesday morning. Advertisement Assanges parents and wife expressed deep satisfaction over the turn of events with his mother, Christine Assange, saying: I am grateful that my sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Assanges father John Shipton thanked the Australian government. It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia. My thanks and congratulations to all his supporters that have made that possible, and of course, the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, he told ABC News. He also added, I dont fade easily, you know. And neither does Julian. It must be a family trait. We take a closer look at what was the case that Assange was embroiled in and how he struck a deal with the US for his freedom. What was the case against Julian Assange? Assange, an Australian editor and publisher, gained notoriety in 2010 when his organisation, WikiLeaks, released almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the US government, he conspired with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to use his WikiLeaks website to disclose tens of thousands of reports, which exposed the US military misconduct in foreign countries. The Trump administration then charged him with endangering national security and of conspiring together to crack a Defence Department password. John Demers, the then top Justice Department national security official had said at the time: Julian Assange is no journalist. No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers. Advertisement WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a document after it was reported that he had entered into a plea deal with the US that allows him to be freed after pleading guilty to a felony charge. Reuters So, why wasnt he arrested then and imprisoned? Until now, Assange has been in the high-security Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London for five years, fighting US extradition efforts to be transferred across the Atlantic. Prior to that, he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, fighting an investigation by Swedish authorities on claims of sexual misconduct. That investigation was later dropped. At the Belmarsh prison, Assange was confined to a cell for 23 hours a day, eating his meals off a tray alone, surrounded by 232 books and allowed only an hour a day for exercise in a prison yard, according to an account published in The Nation this year. Advertisement Whats the deal now? Now, after years and years of fending off attempts to be extradited to the US and stand trial, Assange has managed to strike a deal with authorities that will grant him freedom. How? The 52-year-old WikiLeaks founder will have to plead guilty to the felony charge under the Espionage Act of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, according to a Justice Department letter filed in federal court. As part of the deal then, he will be sentenced to 62 months, which corresponds to the time he has already served in UK prisons. Advertisement The guilty plea has to be approved by a judge for which Assange is now travelling to Saipan capital of the Mariana islands a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane heading to Saipan, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth north of Guam. He is expected to return to Australia after the court appearance on Wednesday morning. Reuters The case is being heard here as Assange had earlier refused proceedings in the US and also the areas proximity to his home in Australia. While the turn of events may be surprising for many, as the New York Times reports, it wasnt completely unexpected. Australian politicians have been lobbying for his release. In fact, last October, Australias Anthony Albanese had raised the issue on a visit to the White House, saying enough was enough its time it was brought to a conclusion. Advertisement US president Joe Biden had also said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the US push to prosecute Assange. After his court appearance in Saipan, Assange is expected to return to Australia. The same has been confirmed by WikiLeaks. A supporter of Julian Assange wears a facemask outside of the Royal Court of Justice in London, Britain. Many celebrated his release that caps an end to a dramatic legal saga. File image/Reuters How has the world reacted? Assanges parents and wife are overjoyed that the 14-year-long saga comes to an end. Stella, the wife, thanked his supporters for their years of advocacy. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, she said in a post on X. However, while supporters and friends celebrate Assanges release, there are others who arent happy. Former US vice president Mike Pence, called the plea deal, as per The Guardian, as a miscarriage of justice which dishonours US troops. He wrote on X: Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever. On the other hand, Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr hailed Assanges release, calling him a generational hero. He, however, pointed out that by agreeing to a guilty plea, the US security state succeeded in criminalising journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens. With inputs from agencies Instead of opting to dissolve the Lok Sabha and announce a fresh parliamentary election and keep the option of democracy alive, Indira Gandhi decided to impose National Emergency, curtailing all democratic rights that the Constitution gave to Indians on June 25, announcing the same on June 26 read more The intervening night of June 25-26 is remembered in India as the night when democracy died. Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invoked Article 352 to impose National Emergency in India. A hastily drafted Ordinance was sent to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who signed the document just before midnight on June 25. Indira Gandhi announced it on All India Radio a little after midnight on June 26. The formality was complete. Democracy plunged into disarray. Advertisement The development was pictorially cast in stone in the iconic cartoon, The Emergency, by Abu Abraham in The Indian Express in December 1975, showing President Ahmed signing ordinances from his bathtub. Whether Ahmed signed the Emergency Ordinance while taking his bath or not, the image captured the imagination of the nation. How President Ahmed signed Indira Gandhis Top Secret firman Though most commentators call President Ahmed pliant, historian Gyan Prakash says in his Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracys Turning Point that the President had reservations about the Emergency order. However, those proved inconsequential. Prakash writes that President Ahmed summoned his secretary, K Balachandran, at around 11:15 p.m. on June 25. When Balachandran arrived 10 minutes later, he met Ahmed, who was pyjama-clad and waiting in the private sitting room of his official residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Ahmed showed a one-page letter from Indira Gandhi marked Top Secret to Balachandran and also told him about his conversation with Indira Gandhi earlier in the day about her receiving information about internal disturbances that posed an imminent threat to Indias internal security. Prakash writes that Ahmed wanted Balachandran to advise him on the Presidents constitutional power on the matter of the proclamation of Emergency. Balachandran and another official went through the provisions and told Ahmed that if the Council of Ministers advised him to do so, his own opinion became irrelevant. At this point of time, Prakash says, Ahmed told Balachandran that he wished to speak to the prime minister. Balachandran leaves to return later that night. Advertisement On his return, Ahmed informed Balachandran that Indira Gandhis emissary RK Dhawan had come over with a draft Ordinance for Emergency proclamation, which he had signed. Prakash writes that President Ahmed then swallowed a tranquiliser and went to bed. In India After Gandhi, historian Ramchandra Guha writes that West Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray, a trained barrister, helped draft the Ordinance to declare the state of Emergency. Indira Gandhi goes public, capital plunges into darkness Post midnight, Indira Gandhi announced on All India Radio: The President has declared a state of Emergency. There is no need to panic. But these words spelt doom for the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. All rights except the right to life were suspended. Advertisement That night the power supply to all of Delhis newspaper offices was switched off, so that there were no editions on the 26th. Police swooped down on the opposition leaders, taking JP [Jayprakash Narayan], Morarji Desai and many others off to jail, writes Guha. Since most papers couldnt print, the news was broken to the rest of India by BBC World Service broadcast at 7.30 am on June 26. Its Hindi morning bulletin was hugely popular across north India. BBC reported about the large-scale arrests that had taken place during the night. What forced Indira Gandhi to subvert democracy that her father had arduously crafted Advertisement Indira Gandhis father and Indias first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a pivotal figure in Indias march from a British colony to a constitutional democratic republic. This came as a surprise to many that Nehrus daughter, who did her apprenticeship in his PMO, opted for Emergency and not election when faced with severe political reverses. India of 1975 was battling a string of problems poverty, rising prices, joblessness and corruption in the rank and file of the government. Voices of dissent emerged in Gujarat in the west and Bihar in the east. Youths were first to take to the streets. Narayan, known popularly as JP, who had retired from politics after India won freedom in 1947, agreed to give leadership to the youth and the political opposition, but was firm on not joining any government after the fall of Indiras. Advertisement June of 1975 June 12 to be precise was particularly worse for both Indira and India. The 12th of June was a very bad day for Mrs Gandhi. Early in the morning, she was told that her old associate DP Dhar had died during the night. A little later came the news from Gujarat, which was also grim the Janata front was heading for a majority in the state election. Then, finally, came this last and most telling blow, from her own home town, Allahabad, writes Guha. That day, on a petition filed by socialist leader Raj Narain, whom she had defeated in the 1971 Lok Sabha election, the Allahabad High Court found her guilty of electoral malpractices and cancelled her election as the Member of Parliament. Over the next two weeks, the Opposition led by JP and Desai mounted pressure on her to resign. Her close associates, including SS Ray, advised her not to give in to the pressure from her rivals. An appeal was filed in the Supreme Court, which on June 24 gave a stay on the high court ruling. The top court allowed her to stay as the prime minister and continue to attend Parliament as and when required but denied her the right to vote in Parliament as an MP. The next day, June 25, the Opposition leaders held a mega rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. It ended at around 10 pm with a rebellion call by JP. The course of history took a sharp turn in the next couple of hours. Was the imposition of Emergency a decision taken in the spur of the moment? This question is up for a debate. But researchers point to a note written by Bengals SS Ray, a confidante of Indira Gandhi, on January 8, 1975, to her. Ray had advocated imposing Emergency in India to deal with Indiras detractors under the prevailing political situation. The Delhi High Court said that the trial court did not discuss the vicarious liability of Arvind Kejriwal under Section 70 of the PMLA read more In a major jolt to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial courts order that granted him bail in the now-scrapped excise policy case. This Court has decided that the vacation judge did not appropriately appreciate the material on record and the averments of ED. Accordingly, the application is allowed and the operation of the impugned order is stayed," Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said. The Delhi HC took objection to the trial judges observation that the entire voluminous material cannot be perused. Such an observation was totally unjustified and it showed that the trial court has not applied its mind to the material, the High Court stated. Advertisement The Delhi High Court also accepted the EDs submission that adequate opportunity was not granted to it by the trial judge to argue bail application. There was a strong argument that the twin condition of Section 45 PMLA was not deliberated by the vacation judge. This court is of the opinion that Section 45 PMLA has not been properly discussed by the trial court, the order said. Trial court has not dealt with the argument of Section 70 PMLA as well, the Delhi HC order said, adding that the trial court should not have given any finding which was opposite to the finding of the High Court. Interim bail was granted for elections. Once the arrest and remand of Kejriwal was declared valid by the coordinate bench, it cant be said that the personal liberty of the applicant (Kejriwal) was curtailed in violation of the law, Justice Sudhir Kumar says while reading out from the order. On June 20, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by the trial court. The next day, on June 21, the ED moved the Delhi High Court challenging the grant of bail to him. In the interim, the central probe agency moved urgent application seeking stay of the impugned order. On Friday, vacation judge Justice Kumar heard EDs plea. While reserving judgment in the stay application, the High Court ordered that the impugned order shall remain stayed till the pronouncement of the order. Advertisement The Delhi CM then moved the Supreme Court challenging the interim stay granted by the High Court. The matter was heard on Monday (June 25) by a vacation bench headed by Justice Manoj Misra which adjourned the hearing to June 26. Also Read: Wont prejudge: SC says will wait for Delhi HC order on Arvind Kejriwals bail plea The apex court, however, orally said that the Delhi High Courts approach to reserve order on EDs stay application against Kejriwals bail was a bit unusual. It also commented that in the usual course, stay orders are passed on the spot immediately after the hearing and are not reserved. Advertisement The SC adjourned the hearing saying it does not want to pre-judge the issue when the Delhi High Courts order is awaited. Kejriwal was granted bail on June 20 by Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court. The Delhi CM was arrested by the ED on March 21. In May, he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1 to campaign for his party for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He surrendered on June 2. The Bombay High Court said that the juvenile accused in the Pune Porsche crash case should be handed into the care of his paternal aunt since his parents and grandfather are presently behind bars read more The Porsche car that hit a motorcycle at Kalyani Nagar in Pune on Sunday, which killed two people. ANI The Bombay High Court, on Tuesday, ordered the release of the 17-year-old boy accused in the Pune Porsche crash case from an observation home. The court declared the remand order illegal and set it aside. It also said that the juvenile accused in the Pune Porsche crash case should be handed into the care of his paternal aunt since his parents and grandfather are presently behind bars. Must treat him as any child in CCL Advertisement We allow the habeas corpus and order his release. We are bound by law. The aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act and must treat him as any child in conflict with law (CCL) separately from adults, despite the seriousness of the crime, a division bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande said. The court further said amid the immediate reaction to the accident, the kneejerk reaction and the public outcry, the CCLs age was not considered. Granting relief to the minor accused in the Pune accident case, the high court said that though the accident was unfortunate, he cannot be kept in an observation home. The CCL is under 18 years old. His age needs to be considered. CCLs are to be considered differently, the court said. We must, however, clarify that this is the rehabilitation and reintegration of the child, which is the primary object of the act and he is already referred to a psychologist and is undergoing therapy with de-addiction centre and he shall continue participating in such sessions, the High Court observed. The court was hearing a plea filed by the accuseds aunt against alleged illegal remand of the minor in an observation home and sought that he be released. The HC also declared the impugned remand orders passed by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) illegal and without jurisdiction. Advertisement Juvenile in trauma, says HC Justices Dangre and Deshpande, last week, observed that remanding the minor to an observation home after granting bail nullifies the purpose of bail. Two people have lost their lives. There was trauma but the child (juvenile) was also in trauma, give him some time, the court had said. Whats the Pune Porsche crash case? On June 19, the juvenile, a son of a prominent builder in Pune, allegedly driving his Porche Taycan under the influence of alcohol, ran over a motorcycle in the Kalyani Nagar area, killing two young techies. The vehicle reportedly dragged one of the two people on the bike and finally came to stop after hitting another two wheeler and a car. Advertisement The minor, who did not have a valid driving licence, was booked for rash and negligent driving and causing harm by endangering safety of lives and death by negligence under sections 304A, 279, 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with provisions of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Act. The boy was granted bail on May 19 within 15 hours of police detention. After protests and uproar, he was later remanded to an observation home. A lot of wrongdoing were done by the accuseds family to prove their ward innocent. They tried to showcase that their family driver was driving the car at the time of the accident, but were caught as the police had adequate CCTV footage to prove that the minor was driving the Porsche. Advertisement The boys father even bribed the doctors to swap his sons blood samples to show that he was not drunk at the time of the accident. The minors parents, as well as his grandfather, were arrested in various cases registered against them in connection with the accident, including destroying evidence, coercing the family driver to allegedly take the blame that he was the one driving the car instead of the minor. The CBI examined Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on Monday and recorded his statement related to the excise policy case. The CBI also got permission for Kejriwals production before the concerned trial court on Wednesday. He will be produced before the court Wednesday. read more The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Tihar Jail on Tuesday night in connection with the alleged excise policy scam ahead of the Supreme Courts hearing on his bail in the EDs money laundering case, sources said. AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged on Tuesday that the BJP has hatched a conspiracy with CBI officers to frame Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a fake case. There was no immediate reaction to the allegation from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Advertisement In a video message on X, Singh wondered how would one get justice when such things are happening. We have learnt from reliable sources that the BJP-led Centre has hatched a conspiracy with CBI officers at a time when there is a huge possibility of Kejriwal getting bail from the Supreme Court. They have planned to frame him in a fake case by the CBI and get him arrested. The entire country is watching the atrocities of the BJP. How will one get justice in such circumstances? People will stand up against this, the Rajya Sabha MP of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. VIDEO | "At a time when there is a cent per cent possibility that Arvind Kejriwal will get bail from the Supreme Court, sources have informed me that the Centre is conspiring to register a fake CBI case against the Delhi CM and get him arrested by the CBI. The entire nation can pic.twitter.com/gzUSQ1AOVG Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 25, 2024 Earlier today, the Delhi High Court stayed the trial court order granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while allowing the Enforcement Directorate plea seeking a stay on the trial court order in the excise policy money laundering case. The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court properly. The meeting comes days after a U.S. Congressional delegation met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Dharamshala. After the meeting, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul said that Tibetans have the right to self-determination and should be allowed to practise their religion freely. read more The appointment of Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong comes after an unusually long delay of 18 months amid strained relations between the two countries over the Ladakh military standoff. Photo/X/@DrSJaishankar Amid strained ties in over the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong on Tuesday with a focus on the bilateral relationship and the common interest in its stabilisation and progress. The meeting comes days after a U.S. Congressional delegation met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Dharamshala. After the meeting, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul said that Tibetans have the right to self-determination and should be allowed to practise their religion freely. Advertisement Received Ambassador of China Xu Feihong this evening. Discussed our bilateral relationship and our common interest in its stabilization and progress. Wished him a successful tenure, the external affairs minister said on X. Received Ambassador of China Xu Feihong this evening. Discussed our bilateral relationship and our common interest in its stabilization and progress. Wished him a successful tenure. pic.twitter.com/JTbYUs0N1e Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 25, 2024 Following his meeting with Jaishankar, the Chinese ambassador said he was looking forward to working with the Indian side to push forward the development of China-India relations towards the right direction. Honored to call on External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar today. We exchanged views on China-India relations and other issues of common interest, the envoy said on X. Thanks for his best wishes. Look forward to working with the Indian side to push forward the development of China-India relations towards the right direction, he said. His appointment comes after an unusually long delay of 18 months amid strained relations between the two countries over the Ladakh military standoff. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. Advertisement As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. With inputs from agencies. Delhi High Court to decide on the Enforcement Directorates plea seeking a stay on Arvind Kejriwals bail in the alleged excise scam today, following the trial courts decision granting bail which the ED argues was based on perverse findings read more The Delhi High Court will pronounce its verdict today on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a stay on the trial courts order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam. The order is scheduled to be pronounced at 2:30 pm. A vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain had reserved the order on June 21 after the ED challenged the trial courts decision and put it in abeyance until the pronouncement. Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 by the ED, could have been released from Tihar jail if the High Court had not granted interim relief to the ED. Advertisement The trial court granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20, ordering his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and imposing conditions, including that he will not hamper the investigation or influence witnesses. However, the ED argued that the trial court order was based on perverse findings and did not consider material demonstrating Kejriwals involvement in the offence. In its written note, the ED contended that the order suffers from a jurisdictional defect as it was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case. It also said the trial judge did not record satisfaction that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty as per section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). On June 21, the high court put an interim stay on the trial court order as it reserved its verdict on the EDs plea. The ED claimed that the bail order failed to consider evidence demonstrating Kejriwals involvement in money laundering and his role as the national convenor of AAP, which allegedly benefitted from the proceeds of the crime. The ED also stated that the trial court did not properly consider its arguments and that the bail order was uploaded late, curtailing its legal remedies. It argued that the trial court could not deviate from the high courts findings in another case involving an AAP leader. Advertisement The Supreme Court on Monday termed as unusual the High Courts decision to reserve the order while granting an interim stay on the trial courts bail order. A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti noted that normally, stay applications are decided on the spot, and fixed June 26 for hearing Kejriwals plea against the interim stay. During the Supreme Court hearing, Kejriwals counsel argued against the High Courts procedure and contended that Kejriwal was not a flight risk and would return to jail if the order was reversed. The bench decided to wait for the high courts order before making any decision. Advertisement The high court had on Friday paused Kejriwals release after the trial court granted him bail on June 20. It also issued a notice to Kejriwal seeking his response to the EDs plea challenging the trial courts order and listed it for hearing on July 10. The trial court had held that Kejriwals guilt was yet to be established and the ED had failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi has been on an indefinite fast since June 21 to protest against the alleged reduced supply of water in Delhi by the Haryana government read more Delhi Water Minister and AAP leader Atishi admitted blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 am on Tuesday. Source: X/@AamAadmiParty The health condition of Delhi Water Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi is very bad and she was admitted to LNJP Hospital at 3:48 am on Tuesday, said the hospitals medical director Suresh Kumar. Atishi has been on an indefinite fast since June 21 to protest against the alleged reduced supply of water in the national capital by the Haryana government. Her health deteriorated on the fourth day of her fast on Monday and on early Tuesday, she was rushed to the emergency ward of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital after her blood sugar level dropped to 36 mg/dL. Advertisement At the time of admission, she was drowsy, her blood sugars were very low and ketones were present in the urine, Medical Director of LNJP Hospital, Suresh Kumar, further said. In the morning (on Tuesday), she was shifted here in the Emergency ICU. Right now her vital parameters, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and blood sugar is normal and she is also taking oral fluids. Right now she is stable, Kumar added. #WATCH | Delhi: On Delhi Minister Atishi's health, Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of LNJP Hospital says, "Atishi was brought to the hospital at 3:48 AM and her condition was very bad. At the time of admission, she was drowsy, her blood sugars were very low and ketones were pic.twitter.com/qq9sndSY5R ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 In a statement, AAP said that Atishis weight and blood pressure were decreasing rapidly, which doctors from LNJP Hospital said was concerning and dangerous. Water Minister Atishis weight is also decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on hunger strike on June 21, her weight was 65.8 kg, down to 63.6 kg on the fourth day. That is, her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in just 4 days, the statement mentioned. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi Water Minister Atishi brought to LNJP Hospital as her health deteriorates. Atishi has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last four days claiming that Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water. pic.twitter.com/Txv2IrKfZI ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2024 On Monday evening, a team of doctors from LNJP visited the site where Atishi was fasting. They did all the vital parameters and blood tests, and it was found that her blood sugar was very low. Advertisement She was advised admission to the hospital but she refused, but we took the IV sample and in the report, it was found that her blood sugar was very low, her Sodium level was 127 and she was feeling weak and drowsy, Kumar said. Why is Atishi on indefinite fast? Atishi began her indefinite hunger strike on June 21 in South Delhis Bhogal to press the demand for more water from neighbouring Haryana state. The Delhi minister claimed that Haryana for the past couple of weeks has been releasing 100 million gallons per day less water to Delhi against its share of 613 MGD and this has been affecting around 28 lakh people in the capital city. Advertisement In a video message from her Jal Satyagrah venue, Atishi said she will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people of Delhi. Atishis health deteriorated after being on fast for nearly five days, said AAP MP Sanjay Singh, adding that her blood sugar level dropped to 36 mg/dL read more Delhi Water Minister Atishi ended her indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday after her health deteriorated and she was hospitalised, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said. Atishi was on hunger strike since June 21 demanding the Haryana government to increase its water supply to Delhi. Addressing a press conference in the national capital on Tuesday, Singh said Atishis health deteriorated after being on fast for nearly five days. Her blood sugar level dropped to 36 mg/dL and she was admitted to the LNJP Hospital around 3:45 am. Advertisement The AAP MP further said that the doctors insisted on her hospitalisation and also warned that her life could be in peril. She is now admitted to the ICU and tests are being conducted, so the indefinite hunger strike has been stopped, Singh informed. Also Read: AAP minister Atishis health condition very bad, admitted in ICU of Delhis LNJP hospital Singh also said he will be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide Delhi with its rightful share of water from Haryana. The issue will also be raised by AAP and its political allies, he added. In the last three weeks, Delhis share in the Yamuna was reduced by Haryana by 100 MGD. However, it has started increasing over the last two days and the shortfall is only 90 MGD now, he said. With inputs from PTI Describing IndiaAfrica ties as deeprooted, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said Africa will be at the top of our priorities, and New Delhi looks forward to a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a Vishwa Bandhu. read more Jaishankar also underlined that Prime Minister Modi has "redefined our engagement" in Africa by outlining its "ten guiding principles". Image Courtesy ANI Describing India-Africa ties as deep-rooted, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said Africa will be at the top of our priorities, and New Delhi looks forward to a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a Vishwa Bandhu. In his address at an event held here to celebrate Africa Day, he also said India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa with the total number of Indian missions in that continent now standing at 45. Advertisement #WATCH | While addressing an event celebrating Africa Day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says, "We value the participation of African nations in the international solar alliance, the global bio-fuel alliance and the coalition for a disaster resilient infrastructure...I pic.twitter.com/guqPQRrw0N ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 The Union minister shared some data and information related to India-Africa ties in multiple sectors, from education to infrastructure, and said for all these reasons and more, India and Africa must engage and must work together very closely. He recalled the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 when he said Indias priority is not just Africa; Indias priority is Africans every man, woman and child in Africa. Our partnership with Africa is beyond strategic concerns and economic benefits. It is based on the emotional bonds we share and the solidarity we feel. I assure you that Africa will be at the top of our priorities. We look forward to a mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a Vishwa Bandhu, Jaishankar said. Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Advertisement #WATCH | While addressing an event celebrating Africa Day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says, "Defence relations among us our strong and they are evolving. African Defence Ministers have already held multiple meetings in India...India has also contributed to the setting pic.twitter.com/Vfo0GXMhWH ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 Africa, we all know, is today undergoing very rapid changes. These span from being the cradle of human civilisation to becoming the land of the future, Jaishankar said. It is a continent with the youngest demographies, one with vast natural resources, expanding capabilities, growing markets and most of all rising ambitions, the external affairs minister said. India, the most populous country in the world and currently the fifth largest economy looks at Africa as a natural partner. Anchored in trust and mutual respect, it is focussed now on value addition within Africa, with production, research, localisation and local employment, he asserted. The minister said the India-Africa relations are deep-rooted and go back in history. Advertisement As we gather to mark the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, I express our historical solidarity, underline our shared interests and reiterate our common aspirations, he added. In his address, he also emphasised the people-to-people ties between India and Africa. People-to-people relations are an important dimension of our relations with Africa, and we have extended e-visa facilities to 33 African countries. We have also expanded our diplomatic footprint in Africa with the opening of 16 new diplomatic missions, taking the total number of Indian missions in the continent to 45, the minister said. Jaishankar also underlined that Prime Minister Modi has redefined our engagement in Africa by outlining its ten guiding principles. Advertisement These include our commitment to liberate Africas potential by building local capacity and creating local opportunities, keeping our markets open, sharing Indias experience with the digital revolution to support Africas development, improving the delivery of public services, extending education, spreading digital literacy in Africa, improving Africas agriculture, addressing the challenges of climate change and working with African nations to keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations, among others, he said. The external affairs minister said, We are proud of our long-standing educational ties with Africa and added that several African leaders have studied in educational or training institutions in India. It is also a matter of pride for India that over 23,000 African students live and study in India, he said. We have also established Indian educational institutions in Africa, the India Institute of Technology in Zanzibar, Tanzania; the National Forensic Science University in Uganda, the Entrepreneurship Development Centres in Rwanda, the various centres of information technology in several countries, he added. In keeping with our spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam that the world is a family, India has also been at the forefront of providing capacity building and training African candidates under the India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, the minister said, adding, almost 40,000 Africans have been trained in India under ITEC in the last 10 years. India has also launched the second phase of tele-education and telemedicine projects. Since 2019, more than 15,000 youths from 22 African countries have been provided scholarships, for various degrees and diploma courses in disciplines like computer application, business administration, commerce, social sciences and humanity, the minister said. Om Birla is set to enter the record book as only the second Lok Sabha Speaker to return for a consecutive term after completing his full tenure. Here are the factors that worked for the Kota MP read more BJP MP Om Birla at the Parliament House complex during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, in New Delhi. PTI Of the 17 Members of Parliament who have occupied the chair of the Lok Sabha Speaker, only four have returned to the chair. Of them, three returned to the chair for consecutive terms, but only one served two full-terms as the Lok Sabha Speaker. If elected, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla will become only the second Lok Sabha Speaker to return to the chair after serving a full-term after Balram Jakhar. Advertisement Jakhar also holds the record for serving as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the longest term nine years and 329 days between 1980 and 1989. Others to return to the chair were MA Iyengar (six years and 22 days between 1956 and 1962), Gurdial Singh Dhillon (six years and 110 days between 1969 and 1975) and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, who served two non-consecutive terms as the Lok Sabha Speaker for two years 124 days during 1969-71 and 109 days in 1977. The return of Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker had become uncertain after the BJP failed to win a majority of its own in the Lok Sabha election, falling 32 short of the 272-mark. Reports suggested that its allies, particularly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, pressured the BJP leadership for the Speakers post in exchange for the continued support to the Modi government in its third term. The demand emerged from a similar arrangement between the BJP and the TDP when the two shared power in New Delhi with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the prime minister and his party having no majority of its own in the Lok Sabha. However, through the government formations at the Centre and Andhra Pradesh, it became clear that the BJP leadership was having its way even in Modi 3.0, despite speculation that the party might be forced to give up some of the key posts in the Council of Ministers and Parliament. Advertisement So, what worked for Om Birla? Continuity, the message that PM Modi has emphasised in his third term It is well-known in the BJP circle that Prime Minister Narendra Modi prefers to work for a long time with the same set of people he has once reposed faith in. This was reflected in his allocation of portfolios to the newly sworn-in Council of Ministers earlier this month. Modi did not alter the face of his Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the most powerful panel in Indias national government. The top ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari were given the same portfolios that they had in the previous government. This was viewed as Modis way of emphasising continuity in his government. Advertisement In his first meeting with the newly National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs, Modi said, It was said [by the Opposition] that we have lostYou can ask any child whose government was in power before the Lok Sabha elections? They will say the NDA. Then ask who formed the government after 2024, and they will say the NDA. So how did we lose? It was an NDA government in the past, still is and will be. The indication was clear that Modi would strive hard to give out the message of continuity, not only to the foreign nations but also to domestic political stakeholders. Om Birla fits the bill after having worked in close coordination with the parliamentary affairs ministry, a key responsibility of the Lok Sabha Speaker. Advertisement Om Birla, the first Speaker to win LS polls in 26 years Birla won the Kota parliamentary seat, becoming the first presiding officer in the 21st century to be re-elected to the Lower House. The last Lok Sabha speaker to get re-elected to the House of People was PA Sangma, the presiding officer of the 11th Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. Sangma won the Tura seat in Meghalaya in the 1998 Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate. His successor in the Lok Sabha Speakers chair was TDP member GMC Balayogi. He could not contest the next election as he met a tragic end in a helicopter crash in 2002. The next Lok Sabha Speaker, Shiv Senas Manohar Joshi, lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election from the Mumbai North Central constituency. Advertisement Next in line was CPI-Ms Somnath Chatterjee, the Bolpur MP from West Bengal. He retired from politics and didnt contest the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Congress leader Meira Kumar, presided over the 15th Lok Sabha but lost the parliamentary polls in 2014, and also in 2019. BJP leader and Indore MP Sumitra Mahajan was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker in 2014, but retired from politics and did not contest the 2019 election. This makes Birla a rare politician who somehow maintained a connection with his voters while doing his job as the guardian of the House of People of the worlds largest democracy. Birlas victory from Rajasthan stood out as his party suffered a jolt losing 11 of the 25 seats after having won all in 2014 and 2019. Birla, an RSS loyalist who is close to Modi and Shah Having been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his formative years, Birla rose through the ranks of the BJPs youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and made a mark as an organisation strategist during the 1990s. In the 2003 Rajasthan Assembly election, Birla emerged as a giant-killer defeating Congress stalwart Shanti Dhariwal in Kota South. Biral was actively involved in the Ram Mandir movement and went to jail multiple times for it. Steadfast in his loyalty to the RSS, Birla was reportedly handpicked by Amit Shah to lead BJPs organisational revamp in Rajasthan ahead of the 2018 state polls as the party fought hard to beat anti-incumbency against the Vasundhara Raje government. The BJP, however, lost the polls. But Birla got the credit for restricting the damage to the party. Those in the know of things say that Birla continues to enjoy the confidence of the RSS, which made him a suitable candidate to earn the BJPs nomination for the Lok Sabha Speakers post. Meanwhile, a second contest for the Speakers post since Independence Given that the BJP and its NDA allies enjoy a comfortable majority in the House, Birlas election as the Lok Sabha Speaker now looks a mere formality, despite the Congress-led Opposition bloc fielding K Suresh, the Kodaikanal MP from Tamil Nadu. This makes it the second electoral contest for the top parliamentary post in India. In Independent India, Lok Sabha Speakers were generally elected through consensus. The first contest for the post of the Speaker happened when the Lok Sabha was in the form of the Central Legislative Assembly Speaker. That election was held in January 1946. GV Mavalankar defeated Cowasjee Jehangir polling 66 votes against 63 by his rival. Mavalankar went on to become the first Speaker of the Constituent Assembly and the first Lok Sabha Speaker. The second contest happened during the Emergency years, when Bali Ram Bhagat (344 votes) defeated Jagannath Rao (58 votes) in the 1976 electoral contest. Though the outcome of the Speakers election looks a foregone conclusion, a political tussle may, however, be seen if the government decides to have a deputy speaker, which remained vacant throughout the tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha. By convention, the Opposition lays claim to the post. The government cites rules that are silent on which side should get the deputy speakers post. As Russia and NATO escalate military posturing over Ukraine, the unthinkable looms nuclear conflict. With both sides conducting drills and bolstering arsenals, the question isnt if, but when a miscalculation could trigger catastrophe read more The protracted war between Russia and Ukraine is heading towards a Russia-NATO nuclear showdown. If this occurs, it can be stated that World War III may take place very soon, which will have a ripple effect on global geopolitics. NATO is using the ongoing war as a pretext to expand its leverage in post-Soviet Eurasia. Therefore, what is required is a pragmatic engagement on the part of Russia and Ukraine to resolve all outstanding disputes and achieve a sustainable peace. Advertisement Introduction The recent flare-up of war between Russia and Ukraine, after a brief lull over the last couple of months, raises many pertinent points that need serious attention. This is especially significant as the United States is approaching a presidential election, and President Biden will seek to salvage his image before the election. It is a fact that the Biden administration is one of the key supporters of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is quite keen to complete his unfinished agenda of unifying the eastern part of Ukraine with Russia, which actually propelled the present war. The Ukraine Peace Summit, which took place between 15-16 June 2024 in Switzerland, failed to address these concerns. In this context, there is a need to look at the future of the Russia-Ukraine war and its ramifications in the form of a wider conflict between Russia and NATO. The G7 countries, in their latest summit meeting in Italy, called for an onslaught against Russia, both militarily and economically, from Western countries. However, this might only fuel the fire and aggravate the situation. What inferences can one draw from the above strategic developments and their consequences on the future of the Russia-Ukraine war? In this context, there may be three inferences one can draw: Russia may make its presence felt in the captured territories of Ukraine under its control. Ukraine will get adequate support from NATO to circumvent Russia in its own strategic backyard. There is a chance that the war may extend beyond the post-Soviet space and engulf European territories. All these developments will give a new direction to the future of Russia-Ukraine relations and Russia-NATO relations. NATOS move The escalation of conflict between Russia and NATO over Ukraine was visible when US President Biden, during his visit to Paris, gave a statement which explicitly highlighted the Wests forthcoming move against Russia. As Biden stated, All of Europe will be threatened, we are not going to let that happen. He further underlined that Putin is not going to stop at Ukraine. Bidens statement on Russia can be seen in the backdrop of NATO Chief Jens Stoltenbergs statement that every time NATO allies are providing support to Ukraine, President Putin is trying to threaten us not to do that. To bolster its defence preparedness, NATO has also engaged with its allies in Europe, including the Baltic countries, as they have a long-standing dispute with Russia. Stoltenberg, on June 11, speaking at the newly formed B9 Summit of NATO in Latvia, stated, I expect that we will be able to agree for a NATO stronger coordinating role in supporting Ukraine, providing training and security assistance. Earlier, the NATO chief had also stated that Ukraine has the right to self-defence. One may recall that NATO strengthened its war effort and encircled Russia after Finland acceded to the NATO grouping. Similarly, Sweden, which has recently joined this military grouping, will also help NATO to pose a considerable threat to Russia. The full membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO only confirms the statement given by Stoltenberg way back in 2022 that if the Kremlins aim is to have less NATO on Russias borders, it will only get more NATO. Some of the statements emanating from NATO were reflected on the ground as this Western-sponsored military body conducted its largest-ever military exercises, stretching from January to May 2024. Known as Steadfast Defender 2024, all 32 NATO countries participated in these exercises. According to the NATO website, this is the largest military exercise the organisation has ever conducted. The NATO website further states that this exercise is aimed at demonstrating NATOs ability to defend every inch of its territory, and the commitment of NATO Allies to protect each other from any threat. Along with Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO also carried out another naval military exercise, BALTOPS 24, in the Baltic Sea region, which lasted until June 20. Although it is an annual naval exercise, this years exercise had special significance due to the critical phase of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Along with military exercises, NATO is also planning to deploy sophisticated weapons, including nuclear ones, against Russia. Earlier, some of these weapons were exported to Ukraine by NATO authorities. The deployment of nuclear warheads against Russia was more or less confirmed by the NATO chief in an interview with the British newspaper Telegraph. During the interview, Stoltenberg reportedly stated that he wont go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. Thats exactly what were doing. The above statement by the NATO chief indicates that the Russia-Ukraine war is heading to the next step. Meanwhile, NATO is also reportedly beefing up its land operations against Russia by stationing around 300,000 soldiers. Thus, it can be stated that NATOs move is certainly aggravating the security situation on the ground. This has also led to a strong response from Russia. Russias response Russia is also not far behind in matching the war of words with NATO over the Ukrainian crisis. However, the war of words may turn into a real war if the present escalation persists for a few more months. As discussed, the joining of both Finland and Sweden in NATO sends a strong warning signal to Russia. By bringing these two countries as front-line allies of NATO against Russia, this Western military bloc has succeeded in its game plan of encircling Russia. In this context, one can notice a sense of apprehension from Russia. This apprehension was manifested when Maria Zakharova, a high official from the Russian foreign ministry, made a statement after Sweden joined the NATO bloc. Zakharova stated, We will build our response with retaliatory steps of a military-technical and other nature. Similarly, the Russian Embassy in Sweden remarked, At the same time, the countrys [Sweden] entry into a military bloc hostile to Russia will negatively affect the level of stability in Northern Europe, in our common Baltic Sea region. The above statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry clearly suggest a strong response to NATOs actions. It indicates that Moscow is ready to pursue a full-scale war if necessary. President Vladimir Putin outlined Russias policy response to NATOs inclusion of Finland and Sweden during his interview with RIA Novosti in March 2024, stating, This is an absolutely meaningless step (for Finland and Sweden) from the point of view of ensuring their own national interests We didnt have troops there (at the Finnish border), now they will be there. There were no systems of destruction there, now they will appear. Regarding Russias policy on using nuclear weapons against NATO, Putin made it clear that, Its not necessary we still need to think about it, but I dont rule out that we can do the same. This demonstrates that Russia will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons in response to any aggressive move by NATO. To counter NATOs actions, Russia began military exercises in May 2024. The Russian Defense Ministry stated, A military exercise involving preparation and use of tactical nuclear weapons started in the Southern military district. Russia conducted the second phase of these exercises in collaboration with its closest military ally, Belarus, in June 2024. Additionally, in the Barents Sea, Russia conducted exercises with its nuclear-powered submarines under the Northern Fleet, which also carried out naval exercises in the Atlantic Ocean. Through these exercises, Russia sent a clear message to NATO, indicating that it is well-prepared to meet any threats posed by NATO. Another important point that needs to be underlined here is that to thwart NATOs military adventure, Russia is also entering into a closer collaboration with Iran and China. The same was evident when these three countries carried out trilateral naval exercises in the strategically important Gulf of Oman, known as the Maritime Security Belt 2024. This exercise demonstrates that Iran and China may join the Russian side, in case of a war between NATO and Russia. It can be stated that a new kind of balance of power is emerging in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war to counter NATOs moves. This creates a new security dilemma in global geopolitics. Similarly, President Putins recent visit to North Korea can also be seen as a move by Russia to broaden the anti-West alliance. The timing of Putins visit to North Korea in June 2024 is quite significant in the context of NATOs planned offensive against Russia. The visit is important as Russia considers North Korea an important ally in the fight against the West, led by the US. During Putins visit, Russia and North Korea signed an important strategic agreement called the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. After signing the agreement, President Putin observed that Russia and Korea conduct an independent and autonomous foreign policy and do not accept the language of blackmail and dictate. We are against the practice of applying politically motivated sanctions and restrictions. These illegitimate actions can only shatter the worlds political and economic system. One may recall that President Putin undertook a similar visit to China in May 2024. Like NATO, Russia also plans to create an anti-NATO and anti-West alliance. One of the ideological premises which brought Russia, Iran, and North Korea together is that all of them have been under Western sanctions for years and, given the opportunity, are interested in forming an anti-Western coalition. Although China maintains very good trade relations with the West, it also has disputes with the US on a number of strategic issues. Russia considers this a significant opportunity to create an anti-West coalition. Russian policymakers are also envisioning the creation of a new form of global order, distinct from that perceived by the West. Thus, it can be noted that Russia is using its war against Ukraine as a pretext to fight against the US-led Western order by mobilising like-minded countries. Even in the post-Soviet space, Russia is revitalising the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to checkmate any Western advancement in the Eurasian space. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated, Together with our allies, we are strengthening the potential of the CSTO as a key regional defensive structure responsible for ensuring the security of the Organisations Member States and maintaining stability in Eurasia. However, the CSTO is facing a crisis as Armenia plans to leave this body after the Nagorno-Karabakh fiasco. Thus, Russia is also preparing itself fully to meet any eventuality in case of NATOs aggression. One can observe from Russias and NATOs strategies that although an actual war between the two has not broken out, it cannot be ruled out in the near future. It is important to highlight that if such a war occurs, it would be World War III. Multilateral initiatives The war between Russia and NATO is heading towards a final showdown, as evident from both sides attempts to mobilise support against each other. This may have a catastrophic impact on global geopolitics. Although some multilateral approaches are being initiated at the global level, such as the Ukraine Peace Summit and the G7 declaration, in a nutshell, both summits failed to achieve any tangible result that may de-escalate the situation. For instance, the Global Peace Summit in mid-June 2024 in Switzerland failed to make much headway in addressing the war. Though the Peace Summit brought out its own declaration and emphasised that We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties, it fell short of meaningful progress. As expected, the Western countries supported Ukraine at the summit, but the Global South countries, led by India, refused to endorse the declaration. In this regard, the Global South countries took a different position and emphasised an inclusive peace process in which Russia would be a party. Thus, it can be added that the Western countries wanted to achieve a sense of legitimacy for NATOs involvement in the stalemate. Similarly, the G7 countries, in their declaration in Italy, proposed punitive sanctions on Russia, which might further aggravate the situation. The declaration stated, We decided to make available approximately $50 billion leveraging the extraordinary revenues of the immobilised Russian sovereign assets, sending an unmistakable signal to President Putin. We are stepping up our collective efforts to disarm and defund Russias military-industrial complex. Examining the declaration further, it can be argued that it set the stage for the further escalation of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin responded to the G7 Declaration by stating, Western countries have frozen some of Russias assets and currency reserves. Now they are trying to invent some legal justification for their irreversible appropriation. On the other hand, despite all the crooked lawyerism, [legal means] theft will obviously remain and will not go unpunished. At the same time, Putin has also offered his model for a peace plan to resolve the lingering dispute between Russia and Ukraine. One precondition is that Ukraine should cut off its relations with NATO and withdraw its troops from the eastern part of Ukraine. Putin posited this as a move to negotiate with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Though this proposition by Putin failed to elicit any response from Ukraine, there is a need to arrive at a consensus to bring an end to the fratricidal war for the sake of humanity. Indias policy options One may recall here that since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, India has consistently advocated that only through bilateral negotiation the war will be resolved. In this regard, it is pertinent to mention the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Indias approach to the Russia-Ukraine war at the SCO Summit, Tashkent, which took place in September 2022. During his interaction with President Putin, PM Modi categorically stated, Todays era is not of war and emphasised that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue are such things that touch the world. Similarly, at the Jeddah Summit in August 2023, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval highlighted the need to resolve disputes through bilateral negotiation. At the Ukraine Peace Summit, India refused to sign the declaration, as previously mentioned. Speaking at the summit, Pavan Kapoor, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Indias representative, highlighted that a sustainable resolution of the conflictacceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace. Thus, it can be stated that India took the right position by advocating the need for Russias involvement in the peace process to ensure sustainable peace. Conclusion The existing distrust between Russia and Ukraine appears further aggravated by NATOs entry. NATOs major aim is to use Ukraine as a base for its further enlargement into the post-Soviet Eurasian space. This is the major flashpoint between NATO and Russia. What is worrisome is that both sides are preparing for a nuclear showdown, which may have a larger impact on global geopolitics. In this context, there is a need for pragmatic engagement between Russia and NATO to resolve the disputes. NATO should exercise greater caution in its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. It should realise that in case of a nuclear war, other NATO member countries will also suffer. Russia and Ukraine should pursue acceptable negotiations to achieve sustainable peace in the post-Soviet Eurasian space. The author teaches at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. In 1969, Sanjay Gandhi was 23 years old and had been trained at the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe in the UK. Though he did not complete the course, Sanjay was one of several applicants to seek a licence to manufacture a small and cheap car in India. In 1970, he was the lone applicant to have been granted the licence. The Haryana government, under Bansi Lal, handed over three hundred acres of land for Sanjays Maruti factory; some fifteen thousand farmers were evicted to free the land. P.N. Haksar, who was principal secretary to prime minister Indira Gandhi till 1973, was dropped from his post for opposing the Maruti project. Advertisement Indira Gandhi was charged with nepotism. She made little effort to deny the charge. Each time the matter was raised in Parliament, Indira would shrug off the criticism. This period also saw the emergence of Jai Prakash Narayan, a freedom fighter who was living quietly in Bihar till then. JP, as he was popularly called, was a young man in 1921 when Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad spotted him. To keep him away from the freedom struggle, JPs family had packed him off to the US, where he spent seven years in various colleges. But JP could not resist joining the Congress and the freedom movement. In 1930, he met Nehru and joined the party. After spending considerable time in various prisons, JP was finally released in 1946, but soon after Independence, he developed differences with Nehru and joined the Congress Socialist Party which was also known as Socialist Party (India) or Praja Socialist Party. On 25 June 1975, the entire opposition showed its strength when Jai Prakash Narayan appealed to the police and armed forces to disobey any illegal orders of which their conscience did not approve. The following morning, a cabinet meeting was called. Instead of the established practices of discussion and consultation, Indiras colleagues were merely informed that Emergency was being imposed under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution. The Emergency effectively bestowed upon Indira the power to rule by decree, suspending elections and civil liberties. A declaration of Emergency was not unusual in developing countries like India. Even in the UK, the Edward Heath government had called for it five times in the four years of its existence. In Australia, the governor general had dismissed the prime minister in 1975 and called for fresh polls. In India, too, there had been a declaration of external emergency during the 1962 and 1971 wars. But in the summer of 1975, there was nothing urgent for which to call an Emergency. The political scientists and scholars of that era felt that if individual states such as Bihar had some problems, a presidential decree would have sufficed. In 1978, the Shah Commission, which went specifically into the Emergency and its excesses, found that there was no evidence of a threat to the Constitution or law and order in the country that warranted the declaration of Emergency. Advertisement Indiras colleagues kept mum, perhaps recalling that discretion was the better part of valour. Only defence minister Sardar Swaran Singh made a feeble attempt to ask if such a drastic action was necessary. Minutes later, Indira was heard announcing on All India Radio the merits of the Emergency and Swaran Singh found himself replaced by Bansi Lal. Subsequently, during the emergency, 42nd Amendment in the constitution of India was introduced and enacted in November 1976 when the life of Lok Sabha had expired beyond five years. The amendment purported to reduce the power of the Supreme Court and the high courts to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws. It also declared India to be a socialist, secular republic and laid down the duties of Indian citizens to their government. Advertisement The main author of this amendment was Dev Kant Barooah, who, as Congress president, had immortalized himself by coining the slogan, India is Indira, Indira is India. A.R. Antulay was another prime mover behind the amendment. When the bill was placed in parliament, Antulay, a barrister from Lincolns Inn, outdid Barooah in praising Indira and called for a fresh look at the existing constitutional provisions, among them the five yearly parliamentary polls. Antulay praised Indira for driving out Congressmen who were not in the Nehruvian mould. Next he was heard saying, It has been left to Nehrus proud daughter, the daughter of the Indian nation, the daughter of India, ancient, present and future, to bring into effect what Nehru had visualised. Advertisement Defence minister Bansi Lal tried to outdo both Barooah and Antulay when he told Indiras cousin, B.K. Nehru, Get rid of all this election nonsense Just make our sister (Indira) president (of India) for life and there is no need to do anything else. Once again, Sanjay was seen as the moving spirit behind all this. With friends like Bansi Lal, Sanjay found ballast for his ride up, but found himself overloaded as he came down. Sanjay stood for five things: People should have planned families; slums should be cleared and people in slums rehoused; literacy; tree plantation; and womens rights. These were all good ideas, but Sanjay and his men tried to implement them with powerful force. The young man had no experience, but he went ahead and made his mother and himself targets. Sanjays biggest drawback was that each time he realised he had made a blunder, he chose to turn it into a bigger disaster. Advertisement The office of the defence minister was the highest that the small-time lawyer from Golagarh Bhiwani in Haryana achieved during his long career, which saw him chief minister of Haryana four times. The son of a Jat farmer, Bansi used to walk barefoot for many miles to go to school each day. He rose to become a lawyer in the court of the nawab of Loharu, but gave up his legal practice to become a bus conductor. His detractors said his skill in using foul language was acquired during his tenure as a bus conductor and those of sycophancy and furthering his personal interest during his time at the nawabs court. Throughout his long career, Bansi Lal was obsessed with power. As defence minister, he became first in post independent India to meddle with promotions and transfers of defence personnel and taking personal interest in purchase of defence equipment. General Tapishwar Narain Raina had a difficult time putting his foot down whenever possible to stop Bansi Lals interference in routine matters of armed forces. It was said that when Bansi Lal tried to sound General Tappy Raina about armys role in quelling oppositions agitations, the general bluntly him that the army would not be allowed to be used to further her ends but obey only those orders which are legally construed. When Jagjivan Ram returned as defence minister under Janata party rule, he reportedly reversed several cases where decisions taken by his predecessor Bansi Lal were described as taken not in the best interest of the country. Bansi Lal also holds a dubious record of putting a ban on press correspondents interacting with service chiefs. Bansi Lal became the chief minister of Haryana for the fourth time in 1996, when he floated the Haryana Vikas Party. He won on the plank of prohibition. One of the first orders passed by him on assuming the top post was introducing prohibition in the state. Ironically, he paid the price for the prohibition the Haryana Vikas Party was able to win just two seats in the 2000 assembly elections when the Congress, with Sonia at its helm, was his ally. Bansis humiliating defeat in 2000 saw his opponents once again singing an old limerick that used to do the rounds in the 1950s, when he had just entered politics. It went like this, Bhiwani mein the ek phateechar vakil, na qanoon jaane na jaane daleel; Woh karte the jo bhi vakalat ki baatein, woh hoti thi sab jehalat ki baatein. Jo boya tha so hi kaata, ab to hai bas ek sawaal, kahan gaye woh Bansi Lal? (In Bhiwani, there was a ragged lawyer, who knew neither law nor legal arguments. Whatever he did talk of law and legal arguments were signs of his ignorance of law. As he sowed, so did he reap. Now there is only one question, where is that Bansi Lal?) However, Bansi Lal did display some flashes of brilliance during his chequered career. He was responsible for electrifying all of Haryanas villages during his tenure as chief minister in the late 1960s and 1970s. He was also seen as a pioneer of highway tourism in the state a model adopted later by a number of other states. Indira, however, had a different take on Sanjay. After the defeat of 1977, writer and filmmaker Khwaja Ahmad Abbas sought an appointment with the former prime minister. He gave specific instances of excesses during the Emergency, ranging from forced sterilizations to violence, but Indira made no attempts to defend herself or Sanjay. Sanjay is a very simple, sincere boy, she said in a voice in which Abbas noticed a tremor, as if she was pleading for her son. He does not drink or smoke and does not take tea or coffee. Indira blamed her partys chief ministers, the CWC and the AICC office bearers for the entire Sanjay build-up. Apparently as prime minister, Indira had written numerous letters to the chief ministers of the party ruled states asking them not to accord state receptions for Sanjay, but they continued to do so. Indira described Sanjay as a doer. You see, he isnt a thinker. He is a doer. I mean a cent per cent doer. When he wants something done, he gets it done, she told her biographer, Dom Moraes. Maneka Gandhi, a senior BJP MP now, continues to defend her husband, Sanjay and the Emergency. According to her, the Emergency was something that brought about order and discipline in the country. There were no power failures, no strikes or lockouts, citizens went about without the fear of being mugged, robbed or raped, everything was available at reasonable prices, the slums had been cleared, the stench of open sewers abolished and, instead, clean, wholesome and cheap housing complexes raised in the suburbs, the arid desert of sand and rock turned into lush green, parks and woodland. These were only some of the things that Sanjay did for his city. Forget rote learning and outdated models. National Education Policy 2020 prioritises critical thinking, adaptability, and real-world skills, building a generation ready to shape the future, not just join the workforce read more Education serves as the bedrock of any society, shaping its future and driving both personal and societal progress. In India, the value of education has long been recognised since the Vedic period. A significant recent development is the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, presenting a comprehensive and contemporary vision for Indias educational landscape, particularly higher education. Contrary to critics perspectives, the NEP heralds a revolutionary approach to higher education in India, emphasising flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, and skill augmentation. This comprehensive framework aligns with 21st-century demands, significantly enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education. The NEP broadens perspectives and ensures holistic education, preparing students for complex real-world challenges by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and applied skills. Advertisement It aims to create a dynamic and inclusive educational ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of individuals and society, signifying a paradigm shift in how education is conceived, structured, and delivered, meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving world where knowledge, skills, and adaptability are crucial for individual and national growth. The NEPs credit-based eight-semester format represents a progressive approach to higher education, fostering flexibility and mobility in an interconnected world. This system allows students to transfer credits across institutions, promoting interdisciplinary studies and diverse learning experiences essential for all-inclusive education. The seamless transfer of credits is particularly beneficial for students who may need to relocate due to personal or professional reasons. For instance, a student studying in Delhi can transfer to a University in Bengaluru without losing academic progress. This mobility ensures that education is not hindered by geographic limitations and encourages students to experience diverse cultural and academic environments, enriching their learning experience. Academic Bank of Credits and other recent UGC notifications support multiple entry and exit points in higher education, allowing students to earn a certificate after one year, a diploma after two years, a degree after three years, and an honors degree after four years. This flexibility caters to diverse student needs and life circumstances. Moreover, NEP promotes interdisciplinary education by allowing students to take courses across various disciplines. A student majoring in engineering, for example, can opt minor courses in economics, psychology, environmental science or literature. This broadens their perspective, enabling them to understand and tackle complex real-life problems that require knowledge from multiple fields. Advertisement NEP 2020 aims to create a student-centric educational ecosystem that balances innovative teaching methods with traditional knowledge systems. This approach nurtures creativity and respects cultural heritage. Paradoxically, invoking traditional gurukuls to criticise the policy contrasts sharply with the typical stance of left-liberal colleagues who oppose the revival of Indian knowledge traditions and systems. The NEPs emphasis on decolonising Indian mind and Indianising education, along with integrating traditional practices, creates a culturally rooted yet modern framework. Critics overlook the NEPs success in merging valuable aspects of Indian education with contemporary, flexible, and inclusive approaches. By fostering interdisciplinary learning and adaptability, the NEP prepares students for a competitive global job market, balancing traditional values with contemporary needs to develop well-rounded, innovative thinkers. Traditional gurukuls emphasised steady minds for academic engagement, and the NEP builds on this by accommodating diverse learning styles and promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities. Advertisement The leftist view that this model merely caters to the market economy and reflects an American view of education oversimplifies the National Education Policy and its goals. It is often fashionable, especially among left-liberals, to criticise the American view of education, yet they eagerly pursue the American dream. This reflects a classic paradox between their rhetoric and actions. Critics might envision a dystopian future where students, burdened with degrees, are trained solely to survive in the marketplace. However, the NEP prioritises skill development to bridge the gap between knowledge and employability. By integrating courses on communication, digital literacy, critical thinking, and vocational training, it equips students with essential life skills. Courses on entrepreneurship and innovation encourage creative problem-solving and self-reliance. Multidisciplinary subjects and skill enhancement courses, like those at University of Delhi, foster comprehensive development. Advertisement Courses such as Life Skill Education and Social Media Marketing enhance students critical thinking and cultural awareness by providing practical knowledge and understanding of modern societal dynamics. Meanwhile, courses like Communication in Everyday Life and Personality Development and Communication improve soft skills, equipping students with essential interpersonal abilities and effective communication strategies. This alignment places Indian graduates on par with international counterparts, enhancing global employability and higher education opportunities. Further, NEPs shift towards continuous and comprehensive assessment (CCA) over high-stakes exams represents a progressive change. The credit-based system and frequent assessments foster consistent study habits and deeper understanding, effectively moving away from cramming for a single final exam and thereby reducing reliance on rote learning. This approach reduces exam pressure and promotes ongoing engagement with the subject matter. Advertisement The University of Delhis adoption of CCA supports flexible and reflective evaluation methods. These methods, including projects, presentations, and regular assignments, offer a more accurate and all-round evaluation of students abilities. For instance, in economics, continuous assessments could include real-time market analysis projects and policy critiques, providing practical insights and deeper understanding. While there may be initial challenges, such as the need for additional academic engagement of faculty and infrastructural requirements, these hurdles can be overcome with proper planning and resources. The long-term benefits of a more engaged and well-rounded student far outweigh these initial logistical challenges. Contrary to the belief that the credit-based system truncates content, the NEPs streamlined syllabi emphasise depth over breadth, allowing for a thorough exploration of key concepts and themes. For instance, studying selected lines of Walt Whitmans Passage to India in-depth can lead to a nuanced appreciation of its themes and literary techniques. This focused approach fosters critical thinking and analytical skills. The NEP promotes digital learning by integrating online courses into the curriculum, allowing for greater flexibility, accessibility, and inclusivity in education. This enables students from various backgrounds to access high-quality resources and education from anywhere. While its true that some subjects can be self-learned via the internet, structured learning in a university setting offers guided expertise, peer interaction, and academic rigor that self-study cannot match. The structured environment ensures that students not only acquire knowledge but also develop the ability to apply it effectively, collaborate with peers, and engage in meaningful discussions, all of which are vital for personal and professional growth. NEP places significant emphasis on practical and experiential learning to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and everyday application. Practical courses and internships are integral to the curriculum, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in their fields of study. For example, engineering students might engage in projects involving prototype building or collaborating with industries on existing problems, thereby enhancing their practical skills and employability. Internships provide students with practical work experience and exposure to professional environments, further bridging the gap between theory and practice. Despite initial challenges in implementing practical exams for non-core arts subjects, the NEPs intention is to enrich the curriculum with hands-on learning and practical application. Criticising value-added courses (VAC) like The Art of Being Happy is restricted, as these courses, designed by University of Delhi, are important, interesting, innovative, and tailored to meet specific learner needs. They aim to create responsive citizens and better human beings by addressing personal development, mental well-being, and social responsibility, extending education beyond traditional academic boundaries to encompass essential life skills and encompassing growth. The NEP aims to make education more inclusive and accessible. Key initiatives include promoting regional languages in education, providing scholarships for economically disadvantaged students, and developing infrastructure in far-flung areas. These measures ensure that quality education is available to all, broadening the talent pool and fostering equity in educational opportunities. This inclusivity is crucial for national development, as it helps to create a more equitable society where all individuals, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to succeed and contribute meaningfully. The policy emphasises collaboration between educational institutions, society, and industries to ensure education remains relevant and responsive to societal needs and industry demands. This approach fosters innovation, community engagement, and practical learning experiences, helping students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts. By integrating industry insights and societal challenges into the curriculum, the NEP aims to produce graduates who are well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to the economy and address the pressing issues of our times. While defining the true purpose of higher education is essential, the National Education Policy (NEP) already addresses this by emphasising both knowledge creation and dissemination, alongside practical skill development. The NEP promotes an approach that balances knowledge production with application and dissemination. This dual focus prepares students to be both creators of knowledge and adept practitioners, ensuring they are equipped for future challenges. By balancing these elements, the NEP positions itself as a forward-thinking framework capable of evolving with academic and societal needs. Ultimately, the NEP aims to revolutionise Indias higher education system, making it more flexible, inclusive, and aligned with global standards. By emphasising holistic development, practical skills, and interdisciplinary learning, the NEP seeks to cultivate not just job seekers but innovators, leaders, and lifelong learners who can contribute meaningfully to society. Implementing and refining the 2020 policy will naturally require time, especially in a diverse country like India, and within prominent institutions such as the University of Delhi. Given the challenges, stakeholders should focus on the NEPs principles, undertaking necessary reviews and enhancements for optimal implementation. Rather than outrightly rejecting the NEP, initiating constructive dialogue for its reform and revision is crucial. Open discussions will help identify areas for improvement, ensuring the policy evolves to meet future needs. Collaboration and constructive feedback from all stakeholders can strengthen the NEP, making it a robust framework that truly transforms Indian education system. Through these efforts, India can aspire to become a global knowledge economy and realise the dream of becoming Viksit Bharat. The author is a Professor at Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. As Europe turns unabashedly to the right and the US elections are likely to throw up more divisions than democratic unity, India will continue to come under the jealous scrutiny of Western media, which wont be impartial read more Being popular has its own costs, as any high school captain will tell you. At the international level, those costs tend to multiply mightily. This seems to be the case with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently being polled as the most popular leader in the world. Hes made it to the cover of most international magazines, with Foreign Policy being the most recent. With that has come a hail of criticism, with special nomenclatures being dug out of the woodwork to make a point against not just him but against India. Advertisement Transnational repression is the new game There are allegations against India regarding the murder of Hardeep Nijjar, a terrorist designated as such by Indian agencies, and whos killing allegedly at the hands of Indian agencies causes a furore in relations with Canada. That case is widely cited as an instance of transnational repression (TNR), a terminology that has unknown origins and is unclear in the legal sense. Canada, which recently shamed itself by holding a two-minute silence for Nijjar, has recently put together legislation on foreign interference". That, of course, has a wider field than TNR, encompassing national defence and security. Meanwhile, there is no published definition in Britain, the US, or Europe, even as it has suddenly become a catchword across continents. In earlier years, much of this referred to activities by Russia and China, with Freedom House documenting 854 direct, physical incidents of TNR committed by 38 governments in 91 countries. China accounted for the largest number of incidents, but Turkey, Egypt,and Rwanda are among the top ten offenders. India was not mentioned at all. Apparently, Delhi did nothing at all from 20142022. It suddenly sprung into action only in 2023, becoming a top threat the very next year. This is a really tall order for any intelligence agency wanting to spread its wings. The 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudis was a rallying point for human rights defenders for a while, but it eroded against the rock of realpolitik. The Saudis were too important to sanction, lecture, or ignore. But experts of all hues soon came up, and the issue was soon being examined in Congress and other state bodies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Advertisement Recent testimonies by these experts raised the issue from a human rights one to not only a matter of national security, but is arguably more serious than some aspects of modern terrorism. It also warns against fake counter terrorism, where repressive states issue red corner notices against (presumably) innocent people who fear extradition. Sensitive ground indeed, especially when states are not judged equally when it comes to addressing their national security concerns. What is justifiable for the United States in its global War on terrorism launched after 9/11 is apparently completely unwarranted for others. No one raised the issue of transnational repression then, possibly because it was not repression at all but outright murder. True, many deserved it, and the world is better off without them. But many didnt, and some of them were women and children. Advertisement India came into the picture after the outrageous allegations in Parliament by Trudeau on Nijjar, immediately after he was given the coldest of shoulders at the Delhi G20 meet, after Ottawa did nothing at all to stop a series of outrageous incidents by so-called Khalistanis including a float that depicted a blood-stained effigy of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Most recently, Delhi also lodged a strong protest on a citizens court where K-extremists burned an effigy of the Indian PM. Even as the fracas continued, matters came to a head. A bipartisan National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliament was asked last year to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections. Advertisement The heavily redacted report seems to accuse politicians across the spectrum of being paid by not just China and India but also three other countries whose names have been redacted. Thats interesting, because these are clearly close allies. Ottawa would hardly hesitate to name others. The report has raised political temperatures, with each party pointing its finger at others on charges that include relationships with foreign intelligence officers and knowingly or otherwise accepted financial recompense for influencing colleagues. Given the serious incapabilities of Canadian security officials, which are systemic, the veracity of the report is a question. An inquiry into the incident in May 2006, 22 years after the Kanishka bombing, roundly castigated the agencies for an inexcusable series of errors. According to experts, nothing much has changed since, in terms of empowering agencies and holding them accountable. Advertisement Revenge journalism Hard on the heels of these comes the most mischievous report of all. Avani Dias of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation alleged that she was abruptly asked to leave, though this was denied by Indian officials. What followed was revenge journalism at its worst, with a report on Indian infiltration into Australia by the Friends of BJP, a fan club that exists in almost all major countries, and holds car rallies and the like, and which has registered itself in the US. Like all ethnic groups abroad, it does vie for political representation quite openly. To call it infiltration is beyond understanding. It jumps thereafter to a Khalistani member of the Sikhs for Justice who was warned by Canada (who else?) that he was in danger, whereupon he arrives in Australia. The most abhorrent part of the report? While it traces the world wide Khalistani movement for self determination, and castigates Indira Gandhi for attacking its temples, it completely skims over her assassination and subsequent terrorist actions over the years. The Khalistanis are painted as a peaceful group. It does rake up the 2020 report that India had a nest of spies operating to monitor the diaspora. It may be remembered that Khalistani funded the murders of Manohar Lal in Bathinda as a follow-up, and the Ludhiana bomb case in December of the same year. In other words, the Khalistan issue, which stoked primarily from Canada, Pakistan and even Germany had become a live issue. That Indian concerns were justified is more than apparent, as the Khalistanis have inexplicably gained in strength and transitioned into a violent group that doesnt hesitate to vandalise Hindu temples and beat up those who oppose it. The reality and the image conjured up by Dias are very different. And heres the thing: To expect that any country would ignore such violent threats to itself and its diaspora is unthinkable. Then are the series of articles in major journals such as Foreign Policy or Foreign Affairs, all of which have warnings about an illiberal democracy in India, are just a few on the barrage of criticism that follows predictable lines, including inevitably criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a virtual para-military organisation and an extremist base. The fact that the RSS describes Hinduism as a way of life rather than a religion is ignored, as is the fact that it works with all other religions, asking only that they put India first. As Europe turns unabashedly to the right and the US elections are likely to throw up more divisions than democratic unity, India will continue to come under jealous scrutiny. Thats no bad thing, as long as it remains an impartial examination. The trouble is, it wont. Expect more mud-slinging in a game of realpolitik played for specific ends of national interests. Meanwhile, the bottom line is that Indias intelligence agencies cant afford to throttle back in the face of this pernicious campaign. Rather, its time to go in chin-up, but with the leaven of shrewd diplomacy. Both are two sides of the same coin of national security, which puts the dignity and safety of the country first. Meanwhile, brace yourself. Theres more to come. The writer is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Microsoft reported in August 2022 that RedJuliett, which it tracks under the name Flax Typhoon, was targeting Taiwanese organisations. Chinas increased cyber activities complement its military drills around Taiwan and its economic and diplomatic pressure on the island read more A suspected Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, known as RedJuliett, has significantly increased its cyberattacks on Taiwanese organizations, particularly those in government, education, technology, and diplomacy, according to a report by cybersecurity intelligence company Recorded Future. Relations between China and Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory, have worsened in recent years. These tensions have escalated into the cyber realm, with RedJulietts attacks observed between November 2023 and April 2024, coinciding with Taiwans presidential elections in January and the subsequent change in administration. Advertisement Uptick in cyberattacks RedJuliett has targeted organizations in Taiwan as well. However, the recent surge is the first time such activity has been observed at this scale. A Recorded Future analyst, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns, reported that the group targeted 24 organizations. These included government agencies in Taiwan, as well as in countries like Laos, Kenya, and Rwanda. In addition, RedJuliett hacked into the websites of religious organizations in Hong Kong and South Korea, a US university, and a university in Djibouti. Although the specific organizations were not named, the report highlighted the groups use of vulnerabilities in the SoftEther enterprise virtual private network (VPN) software to access servers. RedJuliett attempted to breach the systems of over 70 Taiwanese organizations, including three universities, an optoelectronics company, and a facial recognition company with government contracts. Recorded Future observed these attempts to identify network vulnerabilities but did not confirm whether the breaches were successful. The hacking patterns of RedJuliett align with those of Chinese state-sponsored groups. Based on IP geolocations, Recorded Future believes the group operates out of Fuzhou in Chinas southern Fujian province, which is geographically close to Taiwan. Given the close geographical proximity between Fuzhou and Taiwan, Chinese intelligence services operating in Fuzhou are likely tasked with intelligence collection against Taiwanese targets, the report stated. Advertisement Surveillance through attacks The attacks are likely aimed at collecting intelligence to support Beijings policy-making on cross-strait relations. RedJuliett is likely targeting Taiwan to collect intelligence and support Beijings policy-making on cross-strait relations, the report concluded. Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on the report. In contrast, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed the allegations, accusing Recorded Future of fabricating disinformation about Chinese hacking operations. There is absolutely no professionalism or credibility to speak of in what the company does, spokesperson Mao Ning said. Microsoft reported in August 2022 that RedJuliett, which it tracks under the name Flax Typhoon, was targeting Taiwanese organizations. Chinas increased cyber activities complement its military drills around Taiwan and its economic and diplomatic pressure on the island. Advertisement The situation further deteriorated after the election of Taiwans new president, Lai Ching-te, in January. Beijing labelled Lai a separatist following his inauguration speech, where he asserted that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other. Like his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, Lai maintains that there is no need to declare Taiwanese independence as it is already a sovereign state. Global Cyberespionage and Defensive Measures China, like many other nations, has been known to engage in cyber espionage. Earlier this year, the US and Britain accused China of a widespread cyberespionage campaign affecting millions. Beijing consistently denies these allegations, claiming instead that China is a major target of cyberattacks. Advertisement Chinese state-sponsored groups will only continue to grow, especially the ones that target Taiwanese government agencies, believes Recorded Future. Even universities, and private companies that work on critical technology will face an increasing number attacks through public-facing devices like open-source VPN software The Change 6fi lunar mission is the first time any country has collected and returned samples from the moons dark side. Previous missions by the United States and the Soviet Union focused on the near side, which is always visible from Earth read more Chinas Change 6 lunar probe has made history by returning to Earth with rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon, a region that has remained largely unexplored until now. The probe successfully landed in the Inner Mongolian region of northern China on Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant milestone in space exploration. This mission represents the first time any country has collected and returned samples from the moons far side. Previous missions by the United States and the Soviet Union focused on the near side, which is always visible from Earth. The far side, in contrast, faces away from our planet and features a rugged landscape with mountains and impact craters, unlike the relatively flat plains of the near side. Advertisement Scientific significance of the samples Chinese scientists at China National Space Administration are eagerly anticipating the analysis of the returned samples, which are expected to include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other materials. These samples could provide crucial insights into the geological differences between the moons near and far sides. Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the scientific potential of these samples in a statement published in the journal Innovation Monday. The samples are expected to answer one of the most fundamental scientific questions in lunar science research: what geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides? Yue said. The mission to the dark side of the moon The Change 6 probe was launched on May 3 and spent 53 days travelling to the moon and back. During its mission, the probe drilled into the lunar surface and collected core samples, providing a deeper understanding of the moons composition. This mission not only demonstrates Chinas growing capabilities in space exploration but also underscores the countrys commitment to advancing lunar science. Over the past decade, China has invested heavily in its space program, aiming to catch up with the United States and Russia. The successful Change 6 mission is a testament to these efforts. Beijing has set its sights on sending a crewed mission to the moon by 2030 and eventually establishing a base on the lunar south pole. Advertisement The New Space Race The United States also has ambitious plans for lunar exploration. NASAs Artemis 3 mission aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2026. Analysts believe that the next phase of the space race will go beyond simply landing on the moon. It will focus on the ability to stake claims and control lunar resources, which could have significant strategic and economic implications. The successful return of samples from the moons far side by Chinas Change 6 probe marks a significant achievement in space exploration. It opens up new avenues for scientific research and sets the stage for future missions that could further our understanding of the moon and its potential resources. Advertisement As the competition in space exploration intensifies, the focus will likely shift towards sustainable and strategic goals, such as resource utilization and long-term human presence on the moon. Chinas successful mission demonstrates its readiness to be a key player in this new era of space exploration. (With inputs from agencies) EU officials began investigation Apple in March 2024. By June, the findings seemed quite damning, prompting the EU to formally inform Apple of its preliminary conclusions about how it limits competitors on its App Store read more The EUs report criticizes Apples new business terms, suggesting that they still do not allow developers the freedom to steer customers effectively. Image Credit: Reuters The European Union (EU) has announced that Apple may be violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by restricting its competitors and charging them unfair fees. This development follows an investigation that began in March 2024. By June, EU antitrust executive Margrethe Vestager called the findings very serious, leading to an official notice to Apple regarding these preliminary conclusions. EUs tightening noose Today is a very important day for the effective enforcement of the DMA, said Vestager in a statement. Our preliminary position is that Apple does not fully allow steering. Steering is key to ensure that app developers are less dependent on gatekeepers app stores and for consumers to be aware of better offers. Advertisement EU officials began scrutinizing Apple in March 2024 after receiving complaints about the companys compliance with the DMA. By June, the findings seemed quite damning, prompting the EU to formally inform Apple of its preliminary conclusions about how it limits competitors on its App Store. One of the core issues is steering, which refers to app developers directing users to alternative payment options outside of Apples App Store. The EU argues that Apples current practices do not allow for proper steering, imposing multiple restrictions even when it permits some form of it. Apple responds In response, Apple denied the accusations in a statement to AppleInsider. The company emphasized that it has made several changes to comply with the DMA and believes its current business terms align with the law. Apple stated that over 99 per cent of developers would pay the same or less in fees under the new terms. The Cupertino-based highlighted new business terms introduced to make compliance easier for developers, including the ability to direct users to the web to complete purchases at a competitive rate. Apple also asserted that these changes ensure compliance and that it has been in continuous dialogue with the European Commission. What the preliminary investigation found The EUs report criticizes Apples new business terms, suggesting that they still do not allow developers the freedom to steer customers effectively. The Commission found that Apple imposes too many restrictions on steering and charges excessive fees for in-app purchases made within a week of a user following a link in the app. Advertisement Another significant issue is the Core Technology Fee. This fee, 50 euro cents ($0.53) per app installed after the first million, is now under investigation by the EU. The Commission plans to scrutinize this fee and other rules related to third-party app stores and sideloading. This latest accusation follows a previous EU fine of approximately $2 billion against Apple for allegedly favouring its own Apple Music service over rivals like Spotify. The EU is also looking into whether this fine has prompted any changes in Apples practices. Whats next for Apple The preliminary report gives Apple an opportunity to present its case against these findings. If the European Commission ultimately rules against Apple, it could impose substantial fines. The DMA allows for daily fines based on a percentage of Apples global income, potentially reaching up to $1 billion per day. The EU expects to make a final decision by March 25, 2025. Advertisement In the meantime, the EU will continue its investigation into Apples practices. This includes a separate examination of the rules Apple imposes on alternative app stores. Apple must prepare a robust defence to counter these serious allegations. The Union IT ministry will soon issue instructions to device manufacturers mandating the adoption of USB-C ports for smartphones and tablets. Basic phones, headphones, and smartwatches are currently exempt from this requirement read more One of the primary goals of this initiative is to reduce electronic waste. With a universal charging solution, fewer chargers will be discarded, contributing to environmental conservation efforts. Image Credit: Pexels The government of India is set to follow in the footsteps of the EU, and start mandating USB-C as the standard charging port for smartphones and tablets starting from June 2025. Essentially, once the policy goes into effect, all new smartphones and tablets sold in India must have USB-C charging ports. While the government of India has been saying that they would impose similar legislation, every since the EU passed its law, India has postponed implementing its mandate. Initially, India was supposed to implement this by March 2025. Advertisement In comparison, the EUs regulation, which goes into effect by the end of 2024. It aims to enhance consumer convenience and reduce electronic waste by eliminating the need for multiple types of chargers. Apple, for instance, has complied with this mandate by switching from its proprietary Lightning port to USB-C for its iPhone 15 lineup. The EUs regulation aims to enhance consumer convenience and reduce electronic waste by eliminating the need for multiple types of chargers. Apple, for instance, has complied with this mandate by switching from its proprietary Lightning port to USB-C for its iPhone 15 lineup. India, back when the EU had passed the legislation, had new regulations aims to simplify charging solutions, reduce electronic waste, and align with global standards. The rule, set to extend to laptops in 2026, excludes basic phones and wearables for now, according to a report by Mint. Implementation and compliance The Union IT ministry will soon issue instructions to device manufacturers mandating the adoption of USB-C ports for smartphones and tablets. Basic phones, headphones, and smartwatches are currently exempt from this requirement, though manufacturers may choose to implement USB-C ports for these devices as well. The regulation grants manufacturers in India an additional six months to comply compared to similar rules in the European Union, providing more time to transition to the new standard. How does this benefit for consumers and manufacturers USB-C ports offer significant advantages due to their versatility and convenience. They are reversible, making them easier to use, and support faster data transfer and charging speeds compared to older port types. Advertisement For consumers, this means fewer chargers and cables, leading to cost savings and reduced clutter. For manufacturers, standardizing charging ports can streamline production processes and supply chains, potentially lowering costs and improving efficiency. Tackling e-waste One of the primary goals of this initiative is to reduce electronic waste. With a universal charging solution, fewer chargers will be discarded, contributing to environmental conservation efforts. This move aligns with global trends toward sustainability and reducing the ecological footprint of electronic devices. As India moves towards implementing this regulation, the broader tech industry is likely to experience a push towards greater compatibility and sustainability. The standardization of charging ports could lead to more seamless interoperability between devices from different manufacturers, fostering a more user-friendly and environmentally responsible ecosystem. If the initial deployment of the 25 robotic MULES proves successful, the Indian Army may place a larger order. This would significantly enhance the armys capability to conduct surveillance and transport supplies in difficult terrains read more The Indian Army is preparing to integrate its first batch of robotic MULES (Multi-Utility Legged Equipment) designed to resemble dogs. These advanced machines will be used for surveillance and to transport light loads across challenging terrains. The induction marks a significant step in modernizing the armys operational capabilities through technology. According to a report by The Print, which quotes sources in the defence establishment, the Indian Army placed an order for 100 Multi-Utility Legged Equipment, or MULE robotic dogs in September last year under an emergency procurement scheme, which permits contracts up to Rs 300 crore. Advertisement A pre-dispatch inspection of 25 MULES was completed recently, and these units are expected to join the armys ranks shortly. What are MULE dogs capable of and why does the Indian army want them? The MULE robotic dogs are equipped with thermal cameras and various sensors, allowing them to conduct surveillance in diverse environments, particularly in steep and uneven terrains. They are designed to enhance the armys surveillance capabilities without risking human lives. The MULES can also carry small loads to frontline soldiers, ensuring supplies reach those in critical positions. The MULES are primarily intended for surveillance in mountainous regions or areas where targets are suspected to be hiding. Using robotic dogs minimizes the risk to human soldiers or canine units in dangerous situations. The MULES also boast advanced surveillance and reconnaissance features, including high-resolution cameras and sensors that provide real-time data. This technology offers strategic advantages by improving situational awareness and allowing the army to monitor enemy movements and assess hazardous situations from a safe distance. Additionally, these robotic dogs can be equipped with small arms, enabling them to engage enemies if necessary. This capability underscores their potential to support combat operations, adding a new dimension to how the army can confront threats. If the initial deployment of the 25 robotic MULES proves successful, the Indian Army may place a larger order. This would significantly enhance the armys capability to conduct surveillance and transport supplies in difficult terrains, further integrating robotics into its operational framework. Advertisement Is this a new arms race? Although many defence experts have been claiming that the traditional battlefield has been on its last leg and that most warfare will be fought in the cyberworld, in reality, the traditional battlefield simply refuses to die. Instead, it becomes even more complex and complicated with the increasing deployment of robotics and AI. China, possibly the biggest military threat to India, has already integrated robotic dogs into its military operations, unveiling gun-toting robotic dogs earlier this year. During a joint military exercise with Cambodia, China demonstrated two versions of these robots: one weighing 50 kg equipped with an assault rifle, and a lighter 15 kg model for reconnaissance missions. Advertisement Given the geopolitical tensions between China and India, the induction of robotic MULE dogs is in line with what the Indian Army sees as its broader strategy to incorporate artificial AI and robotics into its operations. By leveraging these advanced technologies, the army aims to enhance operational efficiency, improve the safety of its personnel, and maintain a technological edge in modern warfare. These new generation of dolls often feature sophisticated sensors and AI, allowing them to move and converse, thus providing a more engaging and lifelike experience compared to traditional sex dolls read more Critics warn that AI companions could blur ethical lines, perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and diminish genuine human connections. Furthermore, the rapid development of AI technologies often outpaces existing legal frameworks, creating regulatory uncertainties. Image Credit: Reuters Artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize various aspects of our lives, and China is now exploring its application in creating AI-powered sex dolls. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, several AI and robotics companies in the country are launching AI-powered companion bots as a quick way to make some good money. Moreover, existing sex doll manufacturers see AI as a major pivot, a new element that can revive slumping sales. Advertisement One of them, Shenzhen-based Starpery Technology, a leading producer of sex dolls, is developing advanced AI companions that can interact both verbally and physically with users. Evan Lee, CEO of Starpery, another sex doll manufacturer told SCMP that their next-generation sex dolls are designed to talk and respond to touch, with prototypes expected by August 2024. These new generations of dolls often feature sophisticated sensors and AI, allowing them to move and converse, thus providing a more engaging and lifelike experience compared to traditional sex dolls. Starpery aims to foster emotional connections with these AI companions, striving to overcome significant technical challenges such as battery capacity and mimicking human muscle flexibility. However, the production of these advanced robots is costly, particularly due to expensive components like reducers, which account for 30 per cent of the robots cost. Starpery plans to make these AI dolls more affordable, with current prices around $1,500, significantly lower than high-end models like Abyss Creations Harmony doll, which starts at $6,000. Despite the excitement surrounding these advancements, ethical considerations are plentiful. Critics warn that AI companions could blur ethical lines, perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and diminish genuine human connections. Furthermore, the rapid development of AI technologies often outpaces existing legal frameworks, creating regulatory uncertainties. Starpery has ambitious plans. By 2025, the company aims to develop robots capable of performing household chores, assisting people with disabilities, and providing elderly care. By 2030, they envision robots that can protect individuals from hazardous jobs. Advertisement The future of AI-powered companions is indeed intriguing, promising a new kind of interaction that blends technology and emotional connectivity, while also posing important ethical and societal questions. BBC listed it as one of the books that changed the world, the post-World War II world in which we live. The author was a teenager. All of 16 she lived. Heres the story of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl read more If you are reading this, theres every possibility that you already know who Anne Frank was. A Jewish girl whose family fled Germany to the Netherlands to escape persecution by Adolf Hitlers Nazi wrath. But it wasnt to be. During her hiding years, who could live only in her teens, wrote down her feelings in an autograph book that her father had gifted her on her 13th birthday. Exactly 77 years ago, her diary was first published on 25 June 1947 and quickly became a beloved bestseller around the world. Her autobiographical book has been translated into 70 different languages. Advertisement In her diary, Anne Frank wrote, I want to go on living after my death. She could not get to live the life she wanted, but she has gone on living after her death. So, whats her story? Anne Frank was born on June 12,1929, in Frankfurt, Germany to Otto and Edith Frank. Soon the political situation of Germany underwent a radical change. Hitler, a soldier-turned-politician, had gained prominence in German politics fanning hate against the Jewish community, whom he blamed for the loss his nation suffered in the First World War, and a humiliated, economically struggling and emotionally agitated public believed him. Of the millions Jewish people who faced persecution at the hands of Hitler and his followers was the family of Anne Frank. Her father, Otto Frank, sensed the trouble early and left Frankfurt in 1933 for Amsterdam in the Netherlands. But as luck would have it, after Hitler consolidated his position in Germany and thrust whats now known as the Second World War, he ordered invasion of the Netherlands in 1940. Annes father Otto had sensed the trouble again. But his efforts to emigrate to the US just couldnt bear fruit in time. Bureaucratic hurdles and an unending paperwork meant that Hitlers forces came before Otto could get his family out of the Netherlands. The US closed its consulates in 1941 in territories occupied by Hitlers forces. Advertisement Persecution of Jews continued in the Netherlands. They faced curfews, business restrictions, and were asked to wear yellow stars for easy identification in public. Anne Frank, the writer is born in hiding In July 1942, Annes elder sister Margot received a call-up notice to report to a German labour camp. The Franks went underground in a secret annex they had above Ottos business premises. They hid there for two years, along with another family and a friend, enduring the stifling conditions and constant fear of discovery. During their time in hiding, having little to keep oneself engaged, Anne turned to writing. She documented her thoughts and experiences in her diary, often writing to an imaginary friend named Kitty. She detailed her longing for normalcy, her irritation with those she lived with, and the oppressive silence they had to maintain. Advertisement Her last entry was on 1 August 1944. Three days later, the Gestapo raided their hideout, leading to their arrest. The cause of their discovery or the chain of events leading to their discovery remains uncertain. The end and the discovery of a writer The Frank family was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps that Nazi Germany operated in occupied Poland, where Otto was separated from his wife Edith and daughters Margot and Anne. Edith perished in Auschwitz, while Anne and Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen, another Nazi concentration camp in todays northern Germany. Both Anne and Margot died of typhus in March 1945, merely weeks before the Allied Forces liberated the camp. Advertisement Otto Frank was the sole survivor of the annex. After the war, he returned to Amsterdam and learned of his familys fate. Some of his friends had visited the secret annex where the Franks hid themselves and recovered Annes diary. They preserved it during the Nazi occupation and returned it to him. Initially too grief-stricken to read it, Otto eventually found the strength to delve into his daughters writings. He discovered Annes poignant reflections on adolescence, her strained relationship with her mother, her changing body, and her deep sense of isolation. The diary also revealed Annes moments of joy, her observations of nature, and her romantic feelings for Peter van Daan, another resident of the annex. Otto was struck by Annes maturity and her evolving self-awareness. Advertisement In a 1976 interview with BBC, Otto said, I only learnt to know her really through her diary. Having copied Annes diary entries and corrected language mistakes, Otto shared the document with his friends, who convinced him to get it published for its sheer literary merit and human significance. The girl becomes an author, an immediate best-seller Otto was also guided by her wish to go on living after my death and decided to honour it by publishing the diary on 25 June 1947 The Secret Annexe. Among Ottos editorial decisions was omitting certain personal and sensitive passages. The book was an immediate success and has gone on to be translated into numerous languages. In 1952, it was published in English as Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. It inspired a Pulitzer Prize-winning play in 1956 and a film in 1959. Annes words have continued to resonate globally, offering a personal perspective on the Holocausts atrocities. Anne Franks diary remains to-date a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity, ensuring that her voice continues to be heard across generations. Hangman Shahjahan Bouya, who is believed to have conducted at least 26 executions, with some estimates suggesting as many as 60, led a complex and controversial life read more Bangladesh hangman Shahjahan Bouya shows a snip of manila rope used for hanging condemned prisoners. Source: AFP. Shahjahan Bouya, Bangladeshs most infamous executioner, known for hanging both serial killers and politicians, has died at the age of 74. He was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka on Monday after experiencing chest pains but passed away before treatment How Shahjahan Bouya became a hangman? Hangman Bouya, who is believed to have conducted at least 26 executions, with some estimates suggesting as many as 60, led a complex and controversial life. A former revolutionary, Bouya became a hangman while serving a 42-year prison sentence for robbery and murder. Advertisement Why did Shahjahan Bouya decide to become a hangman? Bouya decision to take on the role of executioner was driven by a desire to reduce his jail time, a move that saw him released in 2023, 10 years early. Who all did Shahjahan Bouya hanged to death? According to a report in BBC, throughout his career, Bouya executed a number of high-profile individuals. These included military officers convicted of assassinating Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh and father of the current prime minister. He also carried out the executions of politicians Ali Ahsan Mujahid and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who were both convicted of war crimes, and the notorious serial killer Ershad Shikder. Bouya consistently defended his work as a hangman, reportedly stating, If I didnt hang them, someone else would. Shahjahan Bouya wrote a book sharing experiences as a hangman Earlier this year, he published a book detailing his experiences and explaining the execution process, which garnered significant attention. According to a report by AFP, since his release from prison last June, Bouya, wrote a best-selling book detailing his experiences as a hangman, and recently gained popularity on TikTok with short clips featuring teenage girls. On Monday (June 24), Bouya experienced chest pain at his home in Hemayetpur, an industrial town near Dhaka, and was rushed to Suhrawardy Hospital in the capital, police said. Advertisement He was brought in dead doctors havent ascertained the actual cause of his death, Sajib Dey, a police station chief in Dhaka, was quoted as saying by AFP. The agency quoted Abul Kashem, Bouyas landlord as saying that the hangman was having breathing difficulties and that he had rented one of their rooms only 15 days ago. Bouya had been serving a 42-year prison term for murder. However, the dozens of executions he carried out in jail helped reduce his sentence, leading to his release from Dhakas top prison. After his release, Bouya briefly married a woman 50 years his junior, a relationship that led to legal complications, a report by the Dhaka Tribune said. China is facing pushback over its electric vehicle exports, which some governments fear will flood markets and hurt domestic producers. The European Union and Canada among others are mulling surtaxes on Chinese EVs. read more Chinese Premier Li Qiang issued a stark warning at the World Economic Forum in Dalian on Tuesday, saying that economic decoupling among nations could lead to dire global consequences. Hitting back at criticism that his nations industrial policy has led to overcapacity, Li said that such regressive actions would drag the world into a destructive spiral where intense competition for a larger share of diminishing resources would ultimately harm all parties involved. Advertisement Addressing the forum, Li defended Chinas industrial policies against accusations of overcapacity and dumping cheap goods into the global market. He said that Chinas advancements in science and technology, which he claimed provide a platform for enterprises to innovate and enhance their products. Exploration should not be seen as a zero-sum game, Li said while highlighting the need for cooperative rather than adversarial international relations. The statements come amid heightened tensions over trade practices. Canada recently announced measures to restrict imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), aligning its policy with the Biden administrations move to significantly increase tariffs on such imports. The US plans to raise tariffs on Chinese EVs to as much as 102.5%, while the European Union is also considering tariff hikes up to 48% on certain vehicles. According to a report by Bloomberg, China has suggested it might lower existing tariffs on large-engine cars from Europe if the EU backs down on the planned levies on EVs. Lis remarks came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinpings call for enhanced innovation to overcome foreign dominance in crucial technologies. Speaking at a science and technology conference in Beijing on Monday, President Xi Jinping stressed the need for China to overcome critical challenges in several key areas. Xi called for concentrated efforts to achieve breakthroughs in what he described as bottleneck technologies, specifically highlighting integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, basic software, advanced materials, scientific research instruments, and seed sources. Advertisement Despite challenges such as a prolonged property downturn, weak consumer confidence, and rising local government debt, Li expressed optimism about Chinas economic outlook. He reaffirmed Chinas goal to achieve approximately 5% growth for the year, a target set earlier. With this decision, Rahul Gandhi finally bites the bullet in taking up this role, as he would now get the status of a cabinet ministers rank. This will also enhance his position in the protocol list and could be a natural claimant to the post of prime minister of the opposition bloc. read more Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said on Tuesday after a meeting with opposition party floor leaders. AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal told the media that CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written to the Pro-tem Speaker about the decision of the Congress party. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Venugopal told media after the meeting. Advertisement VIDEO | "CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab informing that Rahul Gandhi will be Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha," says Congress leader KC Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) at a press briefing after a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Mallikarjun pic.twitter.com/9hhTaIicz1 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 25, 2024 Venugopal said the decision on other appointments will be decided later. The floor leaders of opposition INDIA bloc had got together at the Congress chiefs residence to discuss the Speakers election and sources said they were informed about the good news. I am receiving enthusiastic calls from @INCIndia workers and leaders, thrilled that @RahulGandhi Ji will serve as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Rahul Ji has always been the most influential, vocal, and fearless voice among the opposition. As the official Leader pic.twitter.com/tlHMmNVxDj Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) June 25, 2024 Advertisement Gandhi as the LoP of Lok Sabha would also be a member of important panels on key appointments of Lokpal, CBI chief, Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, besides the selection of Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission and the NHRC chief. The prime minister heads all such panels. Kharge hailed the decision, saying in the 18th Lok Sabha, the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Rahul Gandhi becoming their voice. Advertisement As Congress President, I am confident that a leader who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people especially the marginalised and the poor, he said in a post on X. The Congress party is strongly committed to protect Democracy and the Constitution, by upholding its eternal principles of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, Kharge also said. Several leaders lauded and thanked Rahul Gandhi for accepting the position and hoped he would remain the voice of people in Parliament by raising their issues. We are confident that as LOP, Rahul ji will be a bold voice for the common people of India and ensure that the NDA government is held firmly accountable at all times, Venugopal later said in a post on X. Advertisement Earlier, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the grand old party, had passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to take up the position of Leader of Opposition, saying he is the right person to hold the post. Rahul Gandhi, who turned 54 last week, is the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi. He took oath as an MP on Tuesday while holding a copy of the Constitution. Though he won from two constituencies - Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he resigned from the Wayanad constituency, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would now contest. Advertisement Rahul Gandhi entered politics in 2004 when he won for the first time from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, being the single largest opposition party, gets the post of opposition leader after a gap of 10 years. It had failed to get the 10 per cent members required in the Lok Sabha to secure the post in the 2014 and 2019 elections. The Congress had contested this Lok Sabha election with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge as its key campaigners and the party emerged a strong force this this winning 99 seats. Bilateral creditors account for 28.5 percent of Sri Lankas current outstanding foreign debt of $37 billion, according to treasury data at the end of March. China is the largest single bilateral lender, accounting for $4.66 billion out of a total of $10.58 billion borrowed from other countries. Japan is second, with $2.35 billion, and India is third with $1.36 billion. read more A treasury delegation is on its way to France to sign agreements with creditors on Wednesday, government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said. Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt in April 2022 after running out of foreign exchange, and the unprecedented economic crisis forced the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down. The government had expected a debt deal with all its creditors before the end of 2022, but negotiations dragged. Bilateral creditors account for 28.5 percent of Sri Lankas current outstanding foreign debt of $37 billion, according to treasury data at the end of March. China is the largest single bilateral lender, accounting for $4.66 billion out of a total of $10.58 billion borrowed from other countries. Japan is second, with $2.35 billion, and India is third with $1.36 billion. Advertisement Sri Lankas commercial borrowings include $12.55 billion raised through International Sovereign Bonds (ISB), and another $2.18 billion from the China Development Bank. Talks with ISB holders are still ongoing, Gunawardana said, adding that the debt deal with bilateral creditors was an important achievement for the island. He said President Ranil Wickremesinghe will disclose details of the deal with official creditors in a speech to the nation on Wednesday evening. While the cabinet of ministers has approved the terms of the agreements with creditors, Gunawardana declined to provide detail, saying that would be announced by the president on Wednesday. The International Monetary Fund gave Sri Lanka this month the latest tranche of $336 million out of a $2.9 billion rescue package designed to help repair the island nations ruined finances over four years. Sri Lanka is due to hold a presidential election this year and opposition parties have vowed to renegotiate the terms of the IMF bailout. IMFs Sri Lanka mission chief Peter Breuer said they were willing to listen to alternative proposals from rival political parties, but said it was necessary to stick with the benchmarks set in the bailout. Sri Lanka had made good progress, but the country was not out of the woods yet, he said. Last month, the Asian Development Bank has forecast Sri Lankas economy to record moderate growth of 1.9 per cent in 2024 and 2.5 per cent in 2025 following two consecutive years of contractions. The Asian Development Banks (ADB) growth forecast hinges on the continuation of reforms and better consumer and business sentiment along with the timely completion of external debt restructuring that will also support Sri Lankas debt sustainability efforts. Sections of Kenyas parliament were on fire on Tuesday as protesters overwhelmed police to storm the compound where lawmakers had just passed a contentious bill that would introduce a raft of new taxes read more Protesters carry the body of a man who was shot during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June. 25, 2024. Photo- AP At least 13 protesters reportedly killed and dozens wounded after Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenyas legislature on Tuesday. The head of the Kenya Medical Association told Al Jazeera that at least 13 people had been killed in the protests on Tuesday, 12 of them in Nairobi. Two of the public hospitals in Nairobi had been overwhelmed with casualties, and that ambulances had been taken over by MPs to leave Parliament, which led to some ambulances being attacked by protesters, he told Al Jazeera. Advertisement The government has deployed military to assist police to contain protests, Kenyas Defence Minister Aden Duale announced on Tuesday. The military was deployed to support the police in response to the security emergency caused by the ongoing violent protests across Kenya resulting in destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure, Aden Bare Duale said in a statement. Protesters scatter as Kenya police spray water canon at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June. 25, 2024. Photo- AP Thousands of protesters against a new finance bill reportedly entered the parliament building and set the sections of on fire as lawmakers inside passed legislation to raise taxes. Protesters had demanded that legislators vote against the bill imposing new taxes on a country, East Africas economic hub, where frustrations over the high cost of living have simmered for years. The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared a video of officers shooting at protesters and said they would be held to account. Hundreds of Kenyas police officers, long accused of abuses by human rights watchdogs and others, arrived Tuesday in Haiti to lead a United Nations-backed multinational force against the powerful gangs who have the country in its grip. The deployment faces a legal challenge in Kenya but the government of President William Ruto has gone ahead, with the thanks of U.S. President Joe Biden. A finance bill is usually presented to parliament before the start of a financial year that runs from July to June, laying out the governments fiscal plans. In the 2024/25 bill, the Kenyan government aims to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing. Kenyas public debt stands at 68% of GDP, higher than the 55% of GDP recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Advertisement Protesters attend a demonstration against Kenyas proposed finance bill in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25. REUTERS Grappling with acute liquidity challenges amid uncertainty over its ability to access capital from financial markets, Kenya has turned to the IMF - which has urged the government to meet revenue targets to access more funding. Protesters want the government to abandon the planned tax hikes, which they argue will choke the economy and raise the cost of living for Kenyans who are already struggling to make ends meet. Clashes also broke out in the coastal city of Mombasa and demonstrations took place in Kisumu, on Lake Victoria, and Garissa in eastern Kenya, where police blocked the main road to Somalias port of Kismayu. Advertisement Protesters scatter as Kenya police sprays water cannon at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Photo- AP In Nairobi, people chanted Ruto must go and crowds sang in Swahili: All can be possible without Ruto. Music played from loudspeakers and protesters waved Kenyan flags and blew whistles in the few hours before the violence escalated. With inputs from agencies. Teenage girls and young women arrested by the Taliban for wearing bad hijab have reported instances of sexual abuse during their time in custody, which resulted in suicides and attempted suicides among the arrested women, according to a report read more Teenage girls and young women arrested by the Taliban for wearing bad hijab have reported instances of sexual violence and assault during their time in custody. According to The Guardian report, citing journalists from the Afghan news service Zan Times, multiple cases of arrests and sexual abuse earlier this year resulted in suicides and attempted suicides among the detained women. In one of the cases, the body of a woman was allegedly found in a canal several weeks after being taken into Taliban custody. A source close to her family claimed she had been sexually abused before her death, The Guardian reported. Advertisement The UN has documented numerous detentions of women by the Taliban for not adhering to strict hijab rules between December 2023 and January 2024. This followed a Taliban decree mandating full-body coverings, with only their eyes visible. At the time the UN called the arrests concerning and girls and women told The Guardian they had been subjected to beatings and intimidation while in detention. According to the report, now the girls and young women are coming forward to report that they also faced sexual violence and abuse by the Taliban police, with devastating consequences_._ Distressing cases One such case pertains to 16-year-old Zahra (name changed), whose family said that their daughter and another teenage girl were arrested from a shop in west Kabul in December 2023. Zahra mother said that her daughter along with her friend were detained for two weeks and when Zahra came back home she was not the girl who had left home two weeks before. I ran and hugged her, but she cried and said, I am dishonoured. For the rest of that day, Zahra didnt eat or talk, her mother was quoted as saying. She only sat in a room and cried. I couldnt dare to ask about what had happened, said Zaharas mother. In another case, a 22-year-old medical student Amina (name changed) recounted spending three nights in a Taliban prison after her arrest in January 2024. During her interrogation, she was questioned by an older man who inquired about her menstruation cycle and marital status. Advertisement I fell at his feet and begged him, Please, kill me but dont harass me, she said. He said: Since you are keen to die, I will kill you, but before that, let us have fun with you. Then he started touching my private parts, Amina said. I fainted twice during the interrogation, but every time, he poured cold water over my head, he added. Amina said what happened to her happened to every girl taken to that interrogation room and left alone with the man. [Now] I cant sleep at night, I am so scared, and every time I see the Taliban soldiers, I faint, she said. I have tried to kill myself twice. Once I took all of my mothers medication, but my family took me to hospital. Every time I remember that they touched me, I cant bear living, Amina said. Advertisement For Zahra, the ordeal she had faced in prison proved too much for her to bear, her family said. In the middle of the night I woke up and noticed Zahra was not there. I woke up my husband and we started looking for her in all the rooms. My husband found her dead body, said Zahras mother. She had hanged herself. Deaths linked to Taliban arrests Zahras death was not the sole tragedy linked to the Talibans arrest of women over hijab. In December 2023, another distressing incident came to light when the Taliban reportedly detained a 23-year-old university student from the same neighborhood. Marina Sadat, on her way to the Farabi Institute of Health Sciences where she was pursuing midwifery, the only educational avenue open to women under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, was arrested. Advertisement Twenty-two days later, people close to her family disclosed that Marinas severely beaten body was discovered inside a sack in a canal in Kabuls Paghman district. According to The Guardian report, citing Zan Times reporters, she had been subjected to sexual assault. On January 4, a spokesperson from the Talibans ministry of vice and virtue told the Associated Press that women who were arrested violated Islamic values and rituals and encouraged society and other respected sisters to go for bad hijab in every province, those who go without hijab will be arrested. Following widespread condemnation both within Afghanistan and internationally, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid later refuted claims of arrests related to bad hijab. Advertisement Addressing allegations of sexual assault against detained young women, another Taliban spokesperson denied any arrests for bad hijab and asserted, The issue of rape is not at all possible because there is not just one or two people [in the room with a prisoner] and when there are three people, such a crime would not happen [this is] a very sensitive issue for the Taliban. I am sure such a thing did not happen. These reports of sexual violence and assault against women and girls in custody surface as the Taliban prepare to participate in a UN conference on Afghanistan scheduled for June 30 in Doha. The UN has confirmed that Afghan women will not be represented, and discussions on womens rights are excluded from the agenda. With inputs from agencies June 24, 2024: EW (Electronic Warfare) in Ukraine, the Middle East and northwestern Russia as a result of military operations has caused significant problems for ships, aircraft and cross country vehicles in roadless areas that depend on satellite navigation systems to get where they need to go. The electronic interference is worst for aircraft operations over the Black Sea area from Turkey to Azerbaijan; the Mediterranean Sea extending from Cyprus to Libya; the Baltic Sea near Poland and Latvia; and the Arctic near Finland and Norway. In 2023 commercial airliners reported thousands of incidents where their aircraft had problems because of jamming. This was four times more than the problems encountered in 2022 and twentyfold increase since 2018. Most of this jamming was meant to interfere with battlefield UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). In the Middle East, there have been reports of false signals telling pilots their aircraft were directly above the airport in Tel Aviv despite being far away. In nearby countries like Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon airline pilots reported that the jamming caused their electronic navigations systems so that onboard instruments indicated that the aircraft were over an airport when the pilots could look out the windshield and see that this was not the case. Pilots alert to the false signals taking them off course could take action to get back on course and reach their destination. Pilots have to be alert because some jamming is done in the form of spoofing, where a signal is jammed in such a way that it takes the aircraft off course while trying not to reveal that this is the result of jamming. Spoofing is hard to distinguish because the signal appears legitimate. Of the several satellite navigation systems available only Europes Galileo incorporates an authentication system that can verify when a signal is from its satellites. Galileo, which currently is the most accurate and precise navigation satellite system, plans to introduce an even stronger level of authentication, according to the European Commission. Some companies in the regions affected have developed equipment that protects GPS signals from jamming and spoofing. An Israeli firm, InfiniDome, has been in business for seven years developing inexpensive equipment to deal with jamming. This equipment is sold online for $100. InfiniDome says it has successfully protected trucking, UAV operations and others in Israel and around the world with its InfiniDome GPSdome-1 and GPSdome-2 anti-jam products. While the jamming and spoofing has a significant impact on commercial airline travel to and from Israel while current hostilities with Iran and its proxy Hamas, this has prompted commercial firms to develop long-term solutions for the intense jamming that has been present in the region for years. The recent outbreak of electronic jamming and spoofing is nothing new. During World War II the allies non-electronic used chaff along with several electronic countermeasures to deal with German air defense systems during the 1943-45 aerial bombing campaign against German cities. Chaff, also known as Window, involved releasing thin strips of aluminum-coated paper from the aircraft. These strips created false radar echoes, confusing German radar operators and making it harder for them to track the bombers accurately. The Allies developed radar jamming devices to disrupt German radar systems. These devices emitted radio frequency interference, interfering with enemy radar signals and reducing their effectiveness. Bombers used DF (Direction Finding signal) jamming to interfere with German radio navigation systems. By transmitting false signals or noise, they disrupted the accuracy of German fighter direction finding equipment. Spot jamming targeted specific German radar stations. Bombers transmitted jamming signals directly at these stations to disrupt their operations. Britain also pioneered the use of Electronic Warfare Aircraft in the form of Mosquito light bombers. Some were equipped with electronic warfare systems. These aircraft flew ahead of the bomber formations, jamming German radar and communication frequencies. Mosquitoes were unique in that they were made largely of wood, which radar could not detect. The metal components in Mosquito aircraft were insufficient to show up as an aircraft on German radar. All these were a significant factor in protecting Allied bombers operating over Germany. Sixty years after World War II the rapid development of electronic jammers, to shut down wireless detonators for roadside bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq, also brought about more unanticipated disruption of friendly electronics. Iraqi civilians are well aware of this problem, as they quickly learned that their cell phone service tends to disappear when an American military convoy approaches. Other wireless gadgets tend to go haywire as well. The list of items affected grew as the American jammer, mainly the Warlock series, added more frequencies to its repertoire. This problem was first noted back during the 1990 campaign to liberate Kuwait. It was discovered that certain combinations of airborne jammer frequencies could trigger an involuntary launch of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, as well as some less catastrophic, but equally unexpected events. Investigation of these incidents revealed something electronic warfare experts have been warning of for a long time. With so much exotic new gear, capable of putting out so many different signals, and in a huge number of combinations, which creates even more new electronic signals, there was no way to know what kind of impact this would have on existing military, and civilian, electronics. Throughout the 1990s, the problem only got worse. This became obvious as there were increased incidents of military electronics tests trashing, or playing with, nearby civilian electronic devices. The military is eagerly seeking some solutions, because it's important for military equipment, especially communications and control systems, not to suffer from electronic interference. Warlock jammed some military equipment, including some radios. This was not good. Work is underway on some solutions, but none looks particularly promising. As a result, the most likely source of hostile jamming is the force with the greatest number of transmitters. For American troops, that comes down to, we have met the enemy, and it is us. While antisemitism has been on the rise worldwide, it is a particularly sensitive subject in Germany, where Jewish institutions are under heavy police protection. Critics including prominent Jewish-German intellectuals say this has led to German authorities and media failing to differentiate sufficiently between antisemitism and criticism of Israel and as a result curbing freedom of speech read more Antisemitic incidents in Germany, from graffiti to attempted arson, rose around 83% last year, watchdog RIAS said on Tuesday, surging after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israels military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Around half the 4,782 recorded antisemitic incidents were linked with anti-Israel activism, with many involving a relativisation or denial of the Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were killed, RIAS said. While antisemitism has been on the rise worldwide, it is a particularly sensitive subject in Germany, where Jewish institutions are under heavy police protection. Advertisement Critics including prominent Jewish-German intellectuals say this has led to German authorities and media failing to differentiate sufficiently between antisemitism and criticism of Israel and as a result curbing freedom of speech. In the week after the Hamas-led attack on Gaza, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated the idea of Israels security as a reason of state or matter of national interest for Germany. In its antisemitism report, RIAS cited incidents such as the destruction of an Israeli flag hung in solidarity with Israel after Oct. 7. In another incident, Free Palestine from Zionists was scrawled on a toilet door and the words Save Israel and Star of David scratched off. Felix Klein, the government official charged with coordinating the fight against antisemitism, has said antisemitism was already on the rise before Oct. 7, in part driven by the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). The AfD has said Germany, which has a Jewish population of about 225,000, should move on from atoning for its past crimes, with members accused - and in some cases convicted - of using Nazi language. Klein said many incidents since then could be traced back to Germanys growing Muslim community, and urged Muslim associations to speak up more against this. Anti-Muslim incidents registered in Germany also rose last year, the CLAIM network of NGOs monitoring Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred said on Monday. Advertisement Israel says around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages seized in the Oct. 7 attack. The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation in Gaza has killed more than 37,600 people, Palestinian health authorities say. The court accused former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts read more Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, gestures as he speaks to Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov prior to a meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin with the top military brass in Moscow, Russia, on December 19, 2023. AP File The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday for Russias former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. The court is accusing former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued because judges considered there were reasonable grounds to believe that the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10, 2022 until at least March 9, 2023. Advertisement During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the court added. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Urquiza received eight votes against two for Britains candidate Stephen Kavanagh and one for Mubita Nawa from Zambia. His election must be ratified by Interpols general assembly in November, the Brazilian government said in a statement read more Director of the Federal Police's International Cooperation department and Interpol Vice-President for the Americas, Valdecy Urquiza, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Brasilia, Brazil February 2, 2024. REUTERS Interpols executive committee on Tuesday for the first time elected a police officer from a developing nation to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil. Urquiza, currently head of international cooperation at the Brazilian federal police, will succeed Juergen Stock of Germany to lead Interpol from 2025 to 2030. Urquiza received eight votes against two for Britains candidate Stephen Kavanagh and one for Mubita Nawa from Zambia. His election must be ratified by Interpols general assembly in November, the Brazilian government said in a statement. Advertisement This is recognition of Brazils neutrality, Urquiza told reporters after his election at the agencys headquarters in Lyon, France. Interpol has much to gain from diversity and the experience of other countries, he said. Interpol is the worlds largest police organization with 196 member countries. In its 100 years, Interpol has been run by men from just five developed Western countries, four in Europe and the United States. The organization runs the risk of losing credibility and legitimacy if it isolates itself. What we need for Interpols success is plurality. We need all countries to feel included, for all regions to be served, Urquiza told Reuters in an interview in February. The ultra-Orthodox parties part of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ruling coalition are opposed to including ultra-Orthodox Jews in mandatory military service read more Israeli soldiers walk near tanks, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza Border, in southern Israel. Reuters Israels Supreme Court has ruled that the ultra-Orthodox Jews must be drafted into military services and there cannot be any exemption for them. The issue is contentious in Israel as many ultra-Orthodox Jews are opposed to the countrys mandatory military service and the ultra-Orthodox parties part of the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are opposed to including them in the mandatory military service. The Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that no law in Israel allows for the exemption of ultra-Orthodox from being drafted into military and the Israeli government must stop instructing the military and the defence ministry to not draft them. Advertisement In the absence of a law that distinguishes between ultra-Orthodox Jews, called Haredi Jews in Israel, and other Israeli citizens, the countrys mandatory military service must apply to ultra-Orthodox Jews like it would apply to any other citizen, ruled the Supreme Court. There are around 67,000 Haredi Jewish men who are eligible to be drafted into military service. Under the current set-up, they are exempt from the draft, which has long been a subject of anger among other Israelis. Such an anger has increased since the outbreak of the war. The judges during the hearing were emotionally disturbed at the idea that asking the Haredi Jews to serve mandatorily just like any other citizen at a time when so many of Israelis had died in the ongoing war was being dubbed as oppression of the community, according to The Jerusalem Post newspaper. The ultra-Orthodox parties have sought the passage of a law that calls for the blanket exemptions for Haredi Jews from mandatory military service. Assange was indicted by a US federal grand jury in 2019 on 18 counts stemming from WikiLeaks publication of a trove of national security documents read more WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty in US court to revealing military secrets in exchange for his freedom, ending his years-long legal drama, according to court documents released Monday night. Assange left a British prison on Monday and will appear later this week in the U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Hes expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. Advertisement The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. governments years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, by contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the countrys national security at risk. Julian Assanges wife Stella on Tuesday thanked campaigners for their support as the WikiLeaks founder was released after five years in British custody. Julian is free!!!! she wrote on the social media platform X following confirmation that he had left Belmarsh high-security prison in southeast London. Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soonpic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 Words cannot express our immense gratitude to everyone who had backed the global push for his release, she added. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday morning local time in the US territory. Assange is expected to be sentenced to 62 months in prison, with credit for the five years he has served in prison in Britain. This means he could return to his native Australia. The publisher now aged 52 was wanted by Washington for publishing hundreds of thousands of secret US documents from 2010 as head of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks. During his ordeal, Assange became a hero to free speech campaigners around the world and a villain to those who thought he endangered US national security and intelligence sources by revealing secrets. Advertisement US authorities wanted to put Assange on trial for divulging US military secrets about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This plea bargain agreement will presumably end Assanges nearly 14-year legal drama. Assange was indicted by a US federal grand jury in 2019 on 18 counts stemming from WikiLeaks publication of a trove of national security documents. The announcement of the deal came two weeks before Assange was scheduled to appear in court in Britain to appeal against a ruling approving his extradition to the United States. Assange has been detained in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London since April 2019. He was arrested after spending seven years holed up in Ecuadors London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced accusations of sexual assault that were eventually dropped. Advertisement The material he released included a video showing civilians being killed by fire from a US helicopter gunship in Iraq in 2007. The victims included two Reuters journalists. The United States has accused Assange under the 1917 Espionage Act. Supporters have warned this means he could be sentenced to 175 years in prison. The British government approved his extradition in June 2022. In the latest twist to the saga, two British judges said in May that he could appeal against his extradition to the United States. The appeal was to address the question of whether, as a foreigner on trial in America, he would enjoy the protections of freedom of speech accorded under the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Advertisement The plea deal was not entirely unexpected. President Joe Biden had been under growing pressure to drop the long-running case against Assange. In February the government of Australia made an official request to this effect and Biden said he would consider it, raising hopes among Assange supporters that his ordeal might end. With inputs from agencies Court documents say the Northern Mariana Islands was chosen in light of the defendants opposition to travelling to the continental United States as well as their proximity to Australia read more WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is headed to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands to plead guilty in a deal with US authorities that will leave him a free man. Here are five things to know about the US territory in the Western Pacific: Closer to Australia Surrounded by the vast Pacific Ocean, the Northern Mariana Islands is a tiny, remote outpost of the worlds largest economy.Its closest large neighbours are Japan, the Philippines and, most notably in this case, Australia Assanges home country, where he is expected to return after the plea deal is completed. Court documents say the Northern Mariana Islands was chosen in light of the defendants opposition to travelling to the continental United States as well as their proximity to Australia. Advertisement US territory Assange will appear before a US judge at a court in Saipan the archipelagos largest island where 90 percent of its population of 51,000 live, according to the CIA World Factbook. The 52-year-old has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information. He is expected to be sentenced to five years and two months in prison, with credit for the same amount of time he spent behind bars in Britain. People from the Northern Mariana Islands are US citizens but hold different rights to people from the 50 states. They cannot vote in presidential elections, for example, as is the case in other US territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. Wartime history The archipelago was colonised by Spain in 1668, with war and disease wiping out most of the indigenous population. The United States won Guam in 1898 after the Spanish-American War but sold the neighbouring Northern Mariana Islands to Germany. The islands were administered in the early 20th century by Japan, which brought in thousands of labourers and invaded Guam from there in World War II. The United States captured the territory in 1944 in the Battle of Saipan. Tropical destination The islands are dependent on energy imports but have a growing tourist industry, especially from China and South Korea, the CIA says. Holidaymakers come for surfing and scuba diving, or simply to enjoy year-round temperatures of around 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit). Advertisement It is also close to and shares a name with the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point in the worlds oceans and which has long fascinated scientists and explorers. Natural disasters There are 14 islands in the Northern Mariana Islands chain, which runs roughly north-south for around 600 kilometres (370 miles). They are dotted with active volcanoes and typhoon season runs from July to January. The territory was ravaged by Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018, the strongest typhoon ever to hit the Mariana Islands and the second strongest ever to strike the United States, according to the US government. Whistleblower Julian Assange of WikiLeaks had also urged New Delhi to grant asylum to whistleblower Edward Snowden read more After more than 12 years of being holed up in an embassy in London and five years in a British prison, Julian Assange walked free on Tuesday. While Ecuador granted him asylum, the country was not his only choice. He had also said that he also applied to other countries including India. In 2023, Assange said India was among the first countries he had applied for asylum but was denied. He said he had applied for asylum via the Indian High Commissioner but he never heard back. Advertisement I was disappointed and saddened that India, known for upholding human rights, never got back despite several requests by me for asylum. Indians are also great supporters of WikiLeaks. I therefore contacted the foreign office through the Indian high commissioner. I wrote to them but they never responded, said Assange in an interview with The Times of Inda in 2013. India shouldnt be afraid Assange has said that India should not be afraid of standing up for human rights. If a small country like Ecuador could give him asylum, then India too should have the guts to stand up for human rights, said Assange. Assange told the ToI that India is a country with a billion-plus population and should not be afraid of standing up for human rights. I have never been to India. But I have lots of friends there. WikiLeaks has a big support base in India. But the government should show more courage, said Assange. At the time, Assange was making the case for India granting asylum to Edward Snowden, another whistleblower who eventually moved to Russia under the protection of Vladimir Putins regime. Assange said that it was only because of Snowdens work that India learnt that the United States was spying on India. Advertisement It was because of Snowden that India came to know how US was snooping on them. It is an obligation for India to protect Snowden. India is a super power and does not have to fear other nations. Now is the time for India to show it stands up for human rights, said Assange. The Ministry of External Affairs at the time said that it had no records of Assange applying for asylum. During 2012-19, Assange was in the Ecuadorian embassy in London as the authorities would have arrested him if he left the premises. In 2019, Ecuador revoked the asylum and the British authorities arrested him. He spent the next five years in a British prison until he struck a deal with the United States this week in which he walked free in lieu of pleading guilty. Kenyas capital Nairobi and other cities across the country witnessed violent clashes and demonstrations after Kenyan parliament passed a controversial bill that proposed to increase taxes. read more Protesters scatter as Kenya police sprays water cannon at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Photo- AP The Indian high commission in Kenya on Tuesday advised Indian nationals to exercise utmost caution in view of prevailing tense situation arising out of violent protests in the African nation. The Indian high commission in an advisory said In view of the prevailing tense situation, all Indians in Kenya are advised to exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up,. Advertisement Around 20,000 Indians are currently living in Kenya, according to an official estimate. Kenyas capital Nairobi and other cities across the country witnessed violent clashes and demonstrations after Kenyan parliament passed a controversial bill that proposed to increase taxes. Part of Kenyas parliament building was burned Tuesday as thousands of protesters against a new finance bill entered and legislators fled, in the most direct assault on the government in decades. Journalists saw at least three bodies outside the complex where police had opened fire, and medical workers reported five others killed. Clashes spread to other cities. Kenyas defense minister said the military had been deployed to support police during the security emergency and breaching of critical infrastructure. Protesters had demanded that legislators vote against the bill imposing new taxes on a country, East Africas economic hub, where frustrations over the high cost of living have simmered. Youth who had voted President William Ruto into power with cheers for his promises of economic relief have taken to the streets to object to the pain of reforms. Advertisement But lawmakers voted to pass the bill, then fled through a tunnel as protesters, many of them youth, outmaneuvered police to enter. The fire was later put out. At least five people were shot dead while treating the wounded, the Kenya Medical Association and other groups said in a joint statement. It said more than 30 people were wounded, at least 13 with live bullets. One person shot dead was wrapped in a Kenyan flag and carried away. Another lay on the sidewalk, their head in the gutter. With inputs from agencies. Some 400 officers left Nairobi at 10:50 pm (1950 GMT) aboard the national carrier, Kenya Airways, en route to Haitian capital Port-au-Prince read more This aerial view shows a camp built by US contractors and meant to house the Kenyan troops that are expected to land in Haiti in the coming days. AFP A Kenyan force to lead a UN-backed multinational mission to tackle gang violence in Haiti departed Nairobi late Monday, interior minister Kithure Kindiki said, despite a court case against the deployment. The East African nation offered to send 1,000 police to stabilise Haiti, alongside forces from several other countries, but the deployment has run into persistent legal troubles. Some 400 officers left Nairobi at 10:50 pm (1950 GMT) aboard the national carrier, Kenya Airways, en route to Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Advertisement Honoured to see off the first batch of the contingent of the National Police Service officers who are part of the historic United Nations Mission to Haiti, Kindiki said in a statement, accompanied by images of the officers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The group comprises elite officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit, General Service Unit, Administration Police, and Kenya Police. The deployment came hours after President William Ruto an enthusiastic backer of the mission bid a ceremonial goodbye to the officers on Monday. Media was not invited to the ceremony in Nairobi where Ruto prayed for the officers and handed them a Kenyan national flag, according to the footage shared by the presidency. This mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity, Ruto told the officers in quotes shared by his office. Your presence in Haiti will bring hope and relief to communities torn apart by violence and ravaged by disorder, he said, adding that the rest of the force will join their colleagues soon. Circumventing the law The deployment was approved by a UN Security Council resolution in October, only to be delayed by a Kenyan court decision in January. The court said Rutos administration had no authority to send officers abroad without a prior bilateral agreement. While the government secured that agreement with Haiti in March, a small opposition party, Thirdway Alliance Kenya, filed a fresh lawsuit in another attempt to block it. Advertisement The partys leader, Ekuru Aukot, told AFP on Monday that he intended to seek an injunctive order against the deployment. There is an active ongoing court case. So William Ruto is circumventing that because he does not believe in the rule of law, he said, describing the Kenyan leader as a slave of America. Hopes and concerns The United States had been eagerly seeking a country to lead the mission and is supplying funding and logistical support. But President Joe Biden flatly ruled out US boots on the ground in Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas, where Washington has a history of intervention. Advertisement With the arrival of the Kenyan force, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: We hope to see further measurable improvements in security, particularly with respect to access to humanitarian aid and core economic activity. We stand with the international community in supporting this historic effort to support the Haitian National Police in their fight for Haitis future, he told reporters in Washington. But Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the Haiti mission and doubts over its funding, while watchdogs have repeatedly accused Kenyan police of using excessive force and carrying out unlawful killings. A senior police official defended the forces record, saying they were an elite team that had gone through extra training. Advertisement They have all undertaken a rigorous training for this exercise on top of their prior training of handling complex situations and are ready for the mission, he told AFP. Please lets not doubt their capacity. Other countries that have expressed willingness to join the mission include Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad. Haiti has long been rocked by gang violence but conditions sharply worsened at the end of February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, saying they wanted to overthrow then prime minister Ariel Henry. Henry announced in early March that he would step down and hand over executive power to a transitional council, which named Garry Conille as the countrys interim prime minister on May 29. Advertisement The violence in Port-au-Prince has affected food security and humanitarian aid access, with much of the city in the hands of gangs accused of abuses including murder, rape, looting and kidnappings. Hours after Julian Assange was released from a British prison and was heading back to his home country Australia, WikiLeaks founders wife Stella Assange has said that she hasnt revealed the news to her children yet but told them that there is a big surprise waiting for them in Australia read more Hours after Julian Assange was released from a British prison and was heading back to his home country Australia, WikiLeaks founders wife Stella Assange has said that she hasnt revealed the news to her children yet but told them that there is a big surprise waiting for them in Australia. According to a Guardian report, citing BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Assanges wife revealed she and her sons have already travelled to Australia in anticipation of her husbands release. Advertisement She said that as arrangements for Assanges release had been touch and go over the last 72 hours, she and their two children had packed with barely any notice to head to Australia, flying on Sunday. All I told them was that there was a big surprise on the morning that we left. I told them we were heading to the airport. And we got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on, she was quoted as saying. And they still dont know. Weve been very careful because obviously no one can stop a five and a seven-year-old from, you know, shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. And because of the sensitivity around the judge having to sign off the deal weve been very careful, just gradually, incrementally telling them information. They are very excited to be in Australia though, she added. Meanwhile, Stella also informed that Julian Assanges flight had landed in Bangkok for layover and will soon take off again and fly into US airspace where he will appear before a US judge. Julian Assanges flight VJ199 landed in Bangkok and will soon take off again and fly into US airspace where he will appear before a US judge. Please follow #AssangeJet, we need all eyes on his flight in case something goes wrong, she wrote on X. Julian Assanges flight VJ199 landed in Bangkok and will soon take off again and fly into US airspace where he will appear before a US judge. Please follow #AssangeJet, we need all eyes on his flight in case something goes wrong.https://t.co/N56dysEr0h https://t.co/Uvnmz9f1BI Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 Advertisement Stella said that their children, Gabriel and Max, had never seen their father outside of the visitors room at the London prison and confirmed that they would be told about their fathers release before they meet him. The family was reportedly informed less than 24 hours before Assanges release from Belmarsh prison, where he has spent over five years resisting extradition to the United States following his departure from the Ecuadorian embassy. Advertisement Having struck a plea deal with US authorities, which is anticipated to be finalised early on Wednesday, Assange was permitted to board a plane at Stansted Airport. He is expected to plead guilt to charges under the Espionage Act related to acquiring and revealing nationally significant information. Following a plea and sentencing session scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, he is set to return to his homeland of Australia. With inputs from agencies June 24, 2024: Noting the success of the Switchblade loitering munition in Ukraine, the U.S. has ordered thousands more sent to Ukrainian forces. At the same time the American army and marines are planning to issue more of these lightweight weapons to their own troops for use as a standard weapon, like existing rocket launchers and portable anti-tank weapons. Ukrainian forces found Switchblade less effective than UAVs developed and built locally. The Ukrainians were dealing with a resourceful enemy and the Russian were already using several forms of jamming against Ukrainian UAVs. The $1,300 Switchblades needed several upgrades to be competitive with existing Ukrainian UAVs. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are using cheap, about $500 each quadcopter UAVs controlled by soldiers a kilometer or more away, who use FPV (First Person Viewing) goggles to see what the day/night video camera on the UAV can see. Adding night vision doubles the cost for each UAV, so not all of them have that capability. Each of these UAVs carries half a kilogram of explosives, so it can instantly turn the UAV into a flying bomb that can fly into a target and detonate. This is an awesome and debilitating weapon when used in large numbers over the combat zone. If a target isnt moving or requires more explosive power that the UAVs can supply, one of the UAV operators can call in artillery, rocket, or missile fire, or even an airstrike. A major limitation is the need for trained UAV operators. These troops need over a hundred hours of training before they are able to start operating these UAVs, and another hundred hours of actual use before they are able to make the most out of the system. These UAVs are difficult to shoot down until they get close to the ground and the shooter is close enough, as in less than a few hundred meters, away to successfully target a UAV with a bullet or two and bring it down. Troops are rarely in position to do this, so most of these UAVs are able to complete their mission, whether it is a one-way attack or a reconnaissance and surveillance mission. The recon missions are usually survivable and enable the UAV to be reused. All these UAVs are constantly performing surveillance, which means that either side commits enough UAVs to maintain constant surveillance over a portion of the front line, to a depth, into enemy territory, of at least a few kilometers. This massive use of FPV-armed UAVs has revolutionized warfare in Ukraine and both sides are producing as many as they can. Not having enough of these to match the number the enemy has in a portion of the front means you are at a serious disadvantage in that area. These UAVs are still evolving in terms of design and use and becoming more effective and essential. Currently most of the battlefield casualties in Ukraine are caused by armed UAVs. One countermeasure that can work for a while is electronic jamming of the UAVs control signal. UAV guidance systems are constantly modified or upgraded to cope with this. Most UAVs have flight control software that sends UAVs with jammed control signals back to where they took off from to land and await. The jammers are on the ground and can be attacked by UAVs programmed to home in on the jamming signal and detonate their explosives on the source of the jamming signal. As a result, even countermeasures can be overcome and the side that can do this more quickly and completely has an advantage. That advantage is usually temporary because both sides are putting a lot of effort into keeping their combat UAVs effective on the battlefield. The more expensive Switchblade loitering munition has much less combat experience and, until Ukraine, none against an enemy like Russia with similar development and manufacturing capabilities. Switchblade 600 entered service in 2020. While the original Switchblade 300 weighed 2.7 kg, Switchblade 600 was ten times heavier at 23 kg, could stay in the air for 40 minutes and be controlled up to 80 kilometers from the operator. Top speed is 180 kilometers an hour and more economical cruise speed is closer to 150 kilometers an hour at altitudes of under 100-150 meters. The heavier warhead could destroy most tanks, although some modern tank designs include protection from top attack. Switchblade 600 was requested by the U.S. Army for longer range surveillance missions and the option to hit specific small targets, like a building or enemy position. Unlike the earlier Switchblades, the 600 uses a tablet controller with more options, including manipulating the more powerful video camera. Video transmitted back to the operator could be saved and passed on. The operator also had a wave off feature in which a quick tap on the controller screen can cause the 600 to abort an attack and be available for another try. The 600 can also be programmed to carry out a mission without operator control. This means there is no control signal for enemy electronic warning systems to detect or jam. In this case when time is up the 600 self-destructs. The 600 can be carried into a remote area and used quickly. This is what Ukrainian troops discovered and they used their Switchblade 600 very successfully and requested a lot more of them. This also persuaded the U.S. Army to issue Switchblade 600s to troops as a basic item of equipment and instruct soldiers on how to use these UAVs for reconnaissance and combat. The marines were also early and enthusiastic users of Switchblade and found that it could be launched from the rear ramp of an MV-22 tilt-wing transport and carry out aerial reconnaissance for the marines as well as for attacking targets. The original Switchblade was a small UAV fired, like all Switchblades, from its shipping tube container. Switchblade was sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for secret field testing. This was very successful and the troops demanded more, a lot more. Switchblade completed development later in 2009 and was initially thought useful only for special operations troops. In 2011, after a year of successful field testing, the army ordered over a hundred Switchblades for general troop use and since then has ordered thousands more. While Switchblade was developed for the army, the marines apparently noted the success that soldiers and SOCOM (Special Operations Command) had with this system and ordered them as well. Switchblade was very popular with troops in Afghanistan and with SOCOM in all sorts of places they wont discuss in detail. Switchblade is still used and thousands have been ordered and many of them used. There have been several upgrades The original Switchblade was a lightweight, used only once UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) that could also be equipped with explosives. The Switchblade was launched from its shipping and storage tube, at which point wings flip out, a battery-powered propeller starts spinning and a vidcam begins broadcasting images to the controller. The Switchblade is operated using the same controller as the larger two kg Raven UAV. A complete Switchblade 300 system, with a missile, container, and controller weighed 5.5 kg. Moving up to a kilometer a minute, the Switchblade could stay in the air for 20-40 minutes, depending on whether or not it is armed with explosives. Switchblade can operate up to ten kilometers from the operator. The armed version can be flown to a target and detonated, having about the same explosive effect as a hand grenade. Thus, Switchblade enables ground troops to get at an enemy taking cover in a hard to see location. Technically a guided missile, the use of Switchblade as a reconnaissance tool encouraged developers to refer to it as a UAV. But because of the warhead option, and its slow speed, Switchblade also functions like a rather small cruise missile. The troops were particularly enthusiastic about the armed version because it allowed them to more quickly take out snipers or a few bad guys in a compound full of civilians. Switchblade has been so successful that the army ordered several upgrades and this updated Switchblade was renamed Switchblade 300. The new version appeared in 2016. It was a heavier 2.7 kg UAV with 15 minutes endurance and a 10-kilometer range. The sensor has night vision and is stabilized. The 300 could lock onto a target and track it. The 300 came with optional accessories, like a six-pack launcher that is used as part of base defense. This was first used for base protection in 2019 and proved useful. One or more of these six packs are placed near the base perimeter and power is maintained with a solar panel. The base security commander could order a Switchblade to be launched from the six-pack and control it as it searches for a potential target. Switchblade 300 was also capable of being used from a helicopter or larger UAV and controlled from the helicopter or by the operator of the larger UAV like a MQ-9 Reaper. To our east, the relationship with India has historically remained troubled. Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Dar said read more Pakistans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sending a positive message to India on Tuesday said his country does not believe in perpetual hostility and urged the new government in New Delhi to do a sober reflection on its future ties with Islamabad. Addressing a seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), the 74-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said Pakistan always sought good neighbourly relations. To our east, the relationship with India has historically remained troubled. Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Dar said. Advertisement The foreign minister said while Pakistan had always been receptive to constructive engagement through dialogue that includes all outstanding issues, Pakistan would never agree to unilateral approaches or attempts to impose Indias will or hegemony. Pakistan downgraded its ties with India after the Indian Parliament suspended Article 370 on August 5, 2019, a decision that Islamabad believed undermined the environment for holding talks between the neighbours. India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility for such an engagement. Pakistan will also take every step needed to maintain strategic stability in South Asia and would respond effectively and decisively to any ill-considered military misadventure by India, he said. Dar also urged the BJP-led government to have a reflection of ties with Pakistan. In our view, as the BJP-led NDA government starts a new term, it is time for a sober reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations and the cross-cutting issues affecting the entire region, Dar said. He said, Indias illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, had adversely affected the environment of bilateral relations. The onus remains on India to take necessary steps to create an enabling environment for purposeful engagement and result-oriented dialogue on all issues, he stressed. South Asia is home to more than one-fifth of humanity. The region is beset by daunting challenges, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and effects of climate change, he further said. Advertisement Rather than fight with each other, it would be prudent for the South Asian nations to combat these challenges. We are not only the least economically integrated region, but also one with the lowest rankings on almost all indices of human development, the minister said. He claimed that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the only viable platform for regional cooperation and tackling these myriad challenges, remains stymied due to obstinacy of one member state. The political leadership in South Asia owes it to its peoples and future generations to act with prudence and turn a new page in regional relations and mutual cooperation, he maintained. Advertisement Dar said Pakistans approach was conceptualised in the peaceful neighbourhood policy. Pakistan has consistently strived to have peaceful, cooperative and good-neighbourly relations with all countries in our immediate and extended neighbourhoods, Dar claimed. Despite challenges and even setbacks in certain instances, Pakistans approach remains steadfast, he said. A peaceful, stable, united, and prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistans vital interest. There are no other two countries in the world that share so much as Pakistan and Afghanistan do from history and geography to faith and culture to language and literature to cuisine and music, according to Dar. He said since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Pakistan has followed a pragmatic approach focused on practical cooperation aimed at averting any humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and facilitating the wellbeing of the 40 million Afghan people. Advertisement Pakistan has also prioritised regional cooperation to ensure that our actions remain in sync with the broader international community. Apart from emphasising inclusive governance and respect for the rights of all Afghans, Pakistan stresses the imperative need to ensure that Afghanistans soil is not used for terrorism against any state, he said. He said Pakistan earnestly hoped the Afghan Interim authorities would see that it is in their own enlightened self-interest to heed this call and take the practical steps needed to address our serious concerns. Talking about China, he said Pakistan has its most trusted and reliable friend, China. Our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China is the cornerstone of Pakistans foreign policy. It is also a factor of stability in the region and beyond. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a transformational project contributing both to Pakistans economic turnaround as well as regional prosperity, Dar said. Advertisement He talked about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to China. Upon successful completion of 10 years of CPEC, we have jointly agreed to pursue its upgraded version in the coming years. Essentially, our focus would be on industrialisation, digitalisation, green transition, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges, he said. He also said Pakistan would do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan. Pakistans Punjab government has disclosed that it has arrested nearly 4,800 supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan under a public security order since the unprecedented protests of May 9 last year, a step described as a black chapter of Pakistans history by his party. read more Reacting strongly to the state government's severe action against Khan's supporters, the PTI said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrest of around 5,000 citizens under a public security order is a black chapter of Pakistan's history. File Photo of Imran Khan -Reuters Pakistans Punjab government has arrested nearly 4,800 supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan under a public security order since the unprecedented protests of May 9 last year, a step described as a black chapter of Pakistans history by his party. The Punjab government on Monday told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it arrested 4,770 miscreants under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) in the province since the May 9, 2023, riots and later released 3,511 of them. Advertisement Following the arrest of Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party, in a corruption case in May last year, riots erupted in the country in which dozens of state and military installations were attacked. According to the PTI, the law enforcement agencies had arrested over 10,000 workers and leaders of the party following the violence. Over 100 PTI leaders and workers have been handed over to the army for their trial under military courts. The Punjab government, however, did not tell the court how many PTI workers were detained under different charges of terrorism or the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for attacking the state and military installations. The government told the LHC that it had released 3,511 out of 4,770 supporters of Imran Khan detained under the MPO. The Maryam Nawaz government of the Punjab province was prompted to file a reply following a petition of PTI leader Zainab Umair challenging the detention of thousands of Khans supporters through abuse of powers by the deputy commissioners in the province. The petitioner told the court that the government issued wholesale detention orders of PTI leaders and workers under sections 3 and 16 of the MPO in the wake of the May 9 violence. LHC Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq adjourned the hearing till June 28 and sought the personal appearance of the advocate general of Punjab. Advertisement Reacting strongly to the state governments severe action against Khans supporters, the PTI said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrest of around 5,000 citizens under a public security order is a black chapter of Pakistans history. The PTI said under the guise of the false flag operation of May 9, brutal atrocities and human rights violations were committed against the citizens of Pakistan. A time will come when all those involved in these brutalities will be brought to justice, the PTI said. Czech government officials said last month that Ukraine would receive up to 100,000 155-millimetre shells in June via the drive joined by countries across the world. The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on X on Tuesday read more Local residents react near a residential building destroyed by an aerial bomb explosion in the centre of Kharkiv, on June 22, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP The first lot of ammunition bought outside Europe under an initiative led by Prague has reached war-ravaged Ukraine, the Czech Republics prime minister said Tuesday. The EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people is spearheading an international fundraising drive to buy ammunition for the Ukrainian army, which has been battling a Russian invasion since February 2022. Czech government officials said last month that Ukraine would receive up to 100,000 155-millimetre shells in June via the drive joined by countries across the world. Advertisement The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on X on Tuesday. Tomas Kopecny, the Czech government envoy for Ukraine reconstruction, said in May that Kyiv could get millions of shells bought outside Europe if allies managed to collect the money. As of the end of May, he said some 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) had been raised to buy 500,000 shells in the first phase. Kopecny said Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal had contributed. Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said recently that 18 countries had signed up to the initiative as of mid-June. Czech media have mentioned the Baltic states, Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway and Slovenia among countries willing to join the drive. European Union nations had promised one million shells by the end of March but have fallen well short in deliveries as their production capacities are limited. The Czechs have turned to markets in third countries, battling Russia for available ammunition supplies there. Kopecny said Ukraine would need 200,000 shells a month in the next two years just to make the balance vis-a-vis Russia. While Singapore retained the title as worlds most expensive city to live extremely well, increased spending by Hong Kongs wealthy residents pushed the city one notch higher to make it the worlds second-most expensive metropolis, according to a report read more Singapore retained the title as the worlds most expensive metropolis in terms of the cost of living extremely well, according to a Julius Baer report. AFP File While Singapore retained the title as worlds most expensive city to live extremely well, increased spending by Hong Kongs wealthy residents pushed the city one notch higher to make it the worlds second-most expensive metropolis. According to a South China Morning Post report, citing the Julius Baer report released on Tuesday, London and Shanghai are in third and fourth place, respectively, with Monaco rounding out the top five. Shanghai dropped one spot from last year while London climbed one place, added the report. Advertisement The other cities making it to the top 10 include Zurich (6), New York (7), Paris (8), Sao Paulo (9) and Milan (10). According to the report, the fourth annual global wealth and lifestyle report by Swiss bank analysed the cost of a basket of goods and services across 25 cities from November 2023 to March 2024. The study focused on consumption patterns among high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), defined as those possessing at least US$1 million in investible assets. According to The Edge Singapore, citing Julius Baer, Singapore is also the most expensive place in the world to own a car. The city continues to attract the ultra-wealthy by maintaining its reputation for political and economic stability alongside a pro-business environment, it added. How have the top 10 cities changed since 2022 Credit: Julius Baer Singapore was placed at fifth position behind cities like London and Taipei in the 2022 version of the annual report, which is now in its fifth year. Hong Kong, now the runner-up, has climbed one position this year to become the second-most expensive city for property prices, replacing Shanghai in the rankings. Hong Kong is also the most expensive place to engage a lawyer. Hong Kong also saw an increase in the prices of many other luxury items. The price of a hotel suite surged by 22.9 per cent and ladies shoes by 12.7 per cent. However, the price of whisky declined by 18.8 per cent. Advertisement Meanwhile, Shanghai, now ranked fourth, faced real estate market challenges last year that Julius Baer believes affected consumer confidence. Despite this, it remains the most expensive city to indulge in a degustation dinner. Taipei, which placed eighth last year, has dropped out of the top 10. Bangkok and Jakarta also fell from 11th to 17th and 12th to 14th respectively. Tokyo, which placed eighth in 2022, dropped out of the top 10 to place 15th last year. Japan, in 23rd place this year, saw swings only when prices were converted to US dollars. Weaker currencies made a big impact According to Julius Baer, this year, many of the biggest jumps up and down the index were a result of currency fluctuations. Advertisement Index prices are converted to US dollars to allow for global comparison, and the strength of currencies such as the Swiss franc and, conversely, the poor performance of currencies such as the Japanese yen are clearly seen in the performance of these cities in US dollar terms, the report said. Many Asian cities saw their rankings fall because of weaker currencies. Tokyo was hit the most, slumping to 23rd from 15th, as the yen sank to the lowest in three decades. Zurich saw the biggest improvement in ranking, climbing to sixth place from 14th because of a stronger Swiss franc. This years report shows that currencies matter a lot, South China Morning Post report quoted Christian Gattiker, the head of research at Julius Baer, as saying. Advertisement Asia making strides in development journey Asia ranked as the second-most expensive region because of its economic growth after Europe, Middle East and Africa, which was consolidated as one region by the Swiss bank. Mark Matthews, head of research for Asia-Pacific at Julius Baer, told South China Morning Post that Asia is making significant strides in its development journey, showing the potential of innovation and collaboration. The technological advancements of China and India, along with the robust economies of Southeast Asia, contribute to the regions resilience and growth, Matthews was quoted as saying. Singapore, located in this dynamic environment, is leading the digital transformation, he added. Advertisement According to the report, for HNWIs, healthcare was their top priority, with more than 63 per cent of respondents in Asia citing health and well-being as their main concerns. Wealthy individuals are planning to increase investments and indulge more in travel and fine dining now that pandemic-related travel restrictions have eased. In Asia, 74% of respondents increased spending on luxury hotels this year, while 71% spent more on fine dining, according to the report. Seventy per cent of wealthy individuals achieved substantial returns on investments in the past year, with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles guiding their decisions, added the report. With inputs from agencies An investigation found that Dr. John Hlophe, the prominent judge of the Western Cape province, attempted to sway justices at South Africas highest court in a case associated with former President Jacob Zuma. read more Duduzile Zuma, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma along with members of the new political party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), reacts after they are sworn into the South African parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, June 25, 2024. Photo- Reuters Members of South Africas uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party were sworn in as lawmakers in parliament on Tuesday after boycotting the first sitting of the National Assembly nearly two weeks ago. Another prominent MK member - former Western Cape judge president John Hlophe, impeached by the previous parliament for misconduct, including for using his position to try to influence judges in a Zuma corruption case, was also sworn in. An investigation found that Dr. John Hlophe, the prominent judge of the Western Cape province, attempted to sway justices at South Africas highest court in a case associated with former President Jacob Zuma, according to reports. Advertisement MK lawmakers had stayed away on June 14 after filing a complaint at the countrys top court alleging vote-rigging in the May 29 election, which the court dismissed as without merit. MK, the party of former South African president Jacob Zuma, exceeded opinion poll expectations by coming third in the election in which the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority. MK has declined to join a government of national unity. All of its 58 lawmakers, including Zumas daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, took the oath, allowing parliaments lower house to start its business. Among them were former finance minister Des van Rooyen, a surprise appointment by Zuma in 2015, who was dismissed after four days in favour of Pravin Gordhan when the rand currency collapsed. MK is part of a broader coalition of smaller opposition parties that has lost traction as many gravitate towards the ANC and Democratic Alliance-led coalition government which has the collaboration of 10 parties so far. Former ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa was also sworn in on Tuesday, drawing criticism from the COSATU labour federation, which has supported the former ruling ANC party as part of a triumvirate alliance including the SA Communist Party since 1994. With inputs from agencies. According to the union, Swedish law dictates that companies need to keep unions regularly informed about their financial situation. Employers who have not signed a collective agreement which is the case for the American giant must still inform the unions who have members working for them read more Swedens metal workers union, which is locked in battle with Teslas over a collective wage agreement, said Tuesday it was taking the carmaker to court over its refusal to disclose its financial health. Tomas With, vice-president of IF Metall, told AFP that the necessary documents were ready and would be filed with the court next week at the latest. According to the union, Swedish law dictates that companies need to keep unions regularly informed about their financial situation. Advertisement Employers who have not signed a collective agreement which is the case for the American giant must still inform the unions who have members working for them. In late October, IF Metall launched a strike against Tesla over its refusal to sign a collective wage agreement, and some 130 mechanics at 10 Tesla repair shops in seven cities walked off the job. IF Metall then extended the strike to include work on Teslas at other repair shops which served multiple brands. The strike has since grown into a larger conflict between Tesla and almost a dozen unions seeking to protect Swedens labour model, including postal workers, dock workers and even spreading to neighbouring Nordic countries. Since March, IF Metall has been organising meetings with Teslas Swedish repair shops to obtain information about the companys financial affairs. In recent months, management has generally emphasised the need to make savings Will they reduce the number of employees or not? With asked. While most of the workshops provided this information, one in Uppsala, north of Stockholm, refused, arguing that it was in conflict with IF Metall. Negotiated sector by sector, collective agreements with unions are the basis of the Nordic labour market model. Guaranteeing wages and working conditions, they cover almost 90 percent of all employees in Sweden and 80 percent in Denmark. Advertisement Despite the fact that many of Teslas employees in Sweden are union members, they cannot benefit from the collective bargaining agreements unless Tesla signs on to them. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has long rejected calls to allow the companys 127,000 employees worldwide to unionise. Businesses call for elevated economic cooperation between China and Poland despite external complexity 13:52, June 25, 2024 By Ma Tong ( Global Times China and Poland have substantial potential for economic cooperation in both traditional and emerging high-tech industries given the two economies' strong complementarity, business leaders said, expressing hopes for stable and continuously boosted bilateral relations, and more pragmatic and deeper economic and trade cooperation, amid Polish President Andrzej Duda's state visit to China. Chinese businesses operating in Poland highlighted the two countries' steadily growing trade in recent years. However, they said there is still significant potential to enhance trade cooperation, calling for strengthened mutual political trust and deepened cooperation across all sectors to foster enduring, high-quality opportunities for businesses and individuals from both nations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Polish President Andrzej Duda is currently on a state visit to China. Economic and trade cooperation is part of the focus of the high-level visit, according to Polish media reports. The Polish leader said on Sunday that the two countries are poised to sign several economic agreements during the visit, highlighting ongoing efforts to access the Chinese market for Polish poultry and beef, while also aiming to attract increased Chinese investment, the Polish Press Agency reported. "Despite external uncertainties, I believe both sides will prioritize economic interests," Han Baohua, the president of the Chinese-Polish Chamber of Commerce, told the Global Times in a recent interview, saying access to the vast Chinese market is of great importance to the Polish government and enterprises. "Poland excels in agricultural exports and has developed advanced food processing technologies. Local enterprises are keen to collaborate with China in these areas of strength," Han said, adding that cosmetics, machinery, manufacturing, and the new-energy sector also hold promise for trade expansion. In the first five months of 2024, bilateral trade grew 5.2 percent year-on-year to 126.06 billion yuan ($17.37 billion). China has been Poland's second-largest trading partner for several years, and Poland is China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, according to official data. As an EU member state and a leader in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland serves as a pivotal gateway for Chinese enterprises seeking European access under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sun Tianping, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. China has always valued its economic relations with Poland, which stands as an important economic partner for China in Central and Eastern Europe, Sun said, adding that the high-level visit is expected to foster political trust between the two countries amid the volatile international landscape, thereby facilitating pragmatic cooperation in the economic sector. "We hope that Poland can fully utilize its advantage as a key hub along the China-Europe Railway Express and a gateway to the EU, fostering cooperation with China in various sectors including electric vehicles, batteries, energy storage, smart energy management, e-commerce and high-quality agricultural products to enhance the potential for bilateral trade cooperation," said Shi Liren, chairman of the Chinese Business Association in Poland. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) June 25, 2024: Palestinian terror group Hamas is an unusual group that mainly raises money from foreign, usually Arab, donors and uses that cash to maintain the luxurious lifestyle of the Hamas leadership, pay for weapons to arm new recruits and the ongoing propaganda campaign portraying Hamas as a champion of the Palestinian people and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Hamas has been doing this since the 1990s. Hamas has consistently failed to achieve any of its goals but remains viable by describing each failed operation as another costly victory on the path to establishing the Palestinian State. This state is supposed to eliminate Israel but the Israelis have consistently defeated Hamas attacks. The problem is that Hamas cannot be destroyed because it thrives on defeats. As long as it continues to portray itself as the champion of Palestinian statehood, the many unemployed Palestinian men will join. Being a Hamas member means you get paid, armed and often killed in another hapless Hamas offensive. The Hamas leadership currently lives in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, where they direct disbursement of cash to Hamas groups and arms merchants who can supply smuggled weapons to wherever Hamas members are active. Hamas is largely about appearances, not reality. Hamas suffered heavy losses since its October 2023 offensive in Gaza, a Palestinian controlled territory between Israel and Egypt. Israeli forces prevented Hamas from entering Israel in the north and Israel and Egypt prevented Hamas from entering Egypt in the south. By June 2024, Israel and Hamas were trying to agree on a ceasefire for the fighting in Gaza where Israeli troops are seeking to eliminate the remaining Hamas fighters. This has been going on since the initial Hamas offensive in October 2023. Hamas used surprise, deception, and frequent use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. This is what Hamas is currently doing as Israeli troops attack the Rafah border crossing. This is the only crossing between Egypt and the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. Until Hamas decided to start another war in October 2023, over two million Palestinians lived in the Gaza Strip and their two main supply routes were Rafah and the Erez crossing with Israel. Hamas failed to penetrate either of these crossings. The Erez crossing is not a practical option for Hamas because it is guarded by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). The Rafah crossing is guarded by Egyptian forces, who will not allow Palestinian civilians but will allow supply trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt. Israel wants Hamas to hand over the remaining Israeli hostages and other foreign hostages they hold. Some of these hostages are dead and Israel wants their bodies. At the same time Israel wants to kill all the remaining Hamas members in Gaza. Most of these Hamas members have hidden their weapons and present themselves as Palestinian civilians. Israel has biometric (fingerprints and photos) data on many Hamas members and that makes it difficult for Hamas members to try leaving Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Hamas members have to cross an Israeli checkpoint and then an Egyptian checkpoint. Hamas could only use these crossings in peacetime so now they are trapped in Sinai and hunted by the IDF. The problem is that most Hamas members are Palestinian men who accept weapons from Hamas and take orders in return for regular pay. Hamas is a financial and terrorist scam that gets lots of Palestinians killed and accomplishes nothing. Most Palestinians recognize Hamas as a problem that does nothing for the Palestinian people. Hamas threatens to retaliate against any Palestinians who openly criticize them The United States considers Hamas a terrorist organization and so do many other countries that have encountered Hamas. The American government uses its OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) to identify bank accounts used by Hamas and donors who raise money for Hamas. These accounts are shut down and the money in them is often seized. Since October 2023 Hamas has suffered a string of defeats but has found new ways to cause mischief. Hamas launched a surprise October 2023 offensive from Gaza against Israel. The IDF easily defeated the Hamas attack but Hamas continued attacking with help from the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon and parts southwestern Syria. Hamas described its attacks on Israel as an effort to create a Palestinian state. The problem is that Hamas considers a Palestinian state one that occupies all the territory Israel is composed of. Since Israel is the wealthiest and most militarily powerful state in the region, Hamas efforts to eliminate Israel are fantasy. Currently Hamas has gained a lot of media recognition and even some support for their Palestinian state plan. Despite that, Hamas leaders, who live and work in Persian Gulf sanctuaries, are trying to make the most of the current Hamas Palestinian state fantasy, which has gained a lot of media coverage and public support. Among the Palestinians, who live in the West Bank and, until late 2023, Gaza, Hamas was considered a menace that is more interested in power than providing any benefits to the millions of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Currently Hamas gunmen are using Palestinians in Gaza as human shields as they continue to fight Israeli troops sent in to restore order and establish safe routes for foreign aid to get to over two million Palestinians who need it. Hamas not only disrupts aid deliveries but seizes much of the aid that does get through, diverting the aid to Hamas controlled locations so that Hamas can sell the aid on the open market to obtain money to pay for Hamas operations. This is how Hamas operates and a major reason for the unpopularity of Hamas among Palestinians. These Hamas operations put the growing number of Moslem states that have established diplomatic and trade relations with Israel in an awkward position. Hamas, for all its faults, knows how to manipulate the media temporarily to portray Hamas as the good guys. Arab states in the regions, especially Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, have to put up with Hamas activities until Hamas runs out of support. This doesnt take long but until the media and diplomatic support fades there is not much that can be done. One of the temporarily disrupted efforts is the growing tendency for Israels Arab neighbors to establish valuable economic, diplomatic, and military ties with Israel, and gain an ally against common enemies like Shia Iran and Islamic terrorism like Hamas. Israel is also the only nation in the region with nukes and reliable ballistic missiles, which are also used to put Israeli spy satellites into orbit. It is also the worst of times because Iran has personnel operating on Israeli borders and an increasingly effective Cyber War effort against Israel. There is growing dissatisfaction in the West and the Middle East with the Palestinian leadership failures and rampant corruption. The current Hamas activities are the latest example. Many Palestinians support Hamas because they are convinced that Israel has no right to exist and pretending to negotiate a peace deal is useful for obtaining foreign aid and not much else. Arabs in general are now telling the Palestinians to take whatever peace deal they can because cash and other aid from Arab nations will continue to disappear unless the Palestinians solve their own problems with corruption and fixation on destroying Israel. Many Palestinians are willing to change but their corrupt leaders are not and use their war on Israel as an excuse to violently suppress any Palestinian opposition to the current suicidal strategy. This played a role in Hamas from launching a major attack out of Gaza into southern Israel in October 2023. Over a thousand Israelis and hundreds of foreigners died or were taken as hostages. Hamas planned to overthrow and replace the current corrupt West Bank Palestinian government. That effort failed because the Israeli military was able to counterattack and put Hamas on the defensive while West Bank Palestinians saw no gain in replacing their current corrupt leaders with the even more corrupt and much more violent Hamas. The current Hamas crisis stems from the 900,000 Palestinian refugees who fled Gaza to escape the Hamas inspired violence. The refugees fled to the Egyptian border and the Egyptians will not let them in for the same reason Israel wants to control aid going to these refugees and search the refugees to find and capture or kill Hamas members. News Democrat sees opportunity in GOP's sheriff trouble in Galveston County STUART VILLANUEVA/ The Daily News Democratic candidate Mark Salinas is running for Galveston County Sheriff. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Democratic candidate Mark Salinas is running for Galveston County Sheriff. The odds of Democrat Mark Salinas capturing a marquee office in reliably red Galveston County were, and maybe still are, about as long as odds get. But Salinas, the partys nominee for sheriff in the November general election, sees trouble ahead for the GOPs candidate and an opportunity to roll back the political clock, he said. Most assumed the Republican Partys April primary would decide who would replace longtime Sheriff Henry Trochesset; but the race changed June 3 when the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement recommended its board revoke the peace officer license of GOP nominee Jimmy Fullen. Commission staff members assert Fullen filed false or untruthful personal history statements with the commission. That recommendation from a highly respected state commission cast the November election into uncertainty because Fullen cant hold the office without a peace officers license, officials said. Salinas, a 46-year-old Galveston native and Ball High School graduate, argues the commissions action will force even partisan voters to consider which side of the law theyre on, he said. When it comes down to the brass tacks, the citizens are going to have a soul-searching moment to think about who they want leading this agency. Galveston County residents deserve a leader in office who has no issues on his resume that might put the county at risk, said Salinas, an investigator with Harris Countys Precinct 1 Constables Office. Salinas also served 17 years at the Galveston County Sheriffs Office. Fullen rolled into the Republican Party primary with endorsements from several high-level state politicians and was funded in part by at least $25,000 in campaign contributions from island native and billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the politically influential head of Landrys Inc. Fullen defeated Ray Nolen, a sheriffs office major, in the GOP primary and is set to face Salinas for the $156,000-a-year job in November. But Salinas said hes confident of his chances because the county hasnt always been deep red. If we rewind the clock 12 or 14 years, this entire county was blue, Salinas said. We had one county commissioner who was a Republican. With whats going on right now in this race, there could be a lot of scrutiny coming to the office. I dont have those issues, Salinas said. Fullen during the GOP primary and since has made the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border a major theme of his campaign. Salinas agrees there are problems with immigration and the border, but he asserts those arent core issues for Galveston County. I commend them for the job theyre doing down there, Salinas said. Our U.S. government hasnt done enough to solve that problem. But that problem has existed since the beginning of this country. Im not saying we dont have a problem at the border, Salinas said. But in all honesty, the issues we have here are here in Galveston County not 600 miles away. And, last time I checked about a month ago, there were only 19 people on I.C.E. holds at the county jail, out of the 1,000-capacity jail. The county has known drug and gun-violence problems, and the sheriffs office should be focused on tackling those and other issues in Galveston County, Salinas said. As sheriff, Salinas would would focus on retaining deputies with pay incentives, he said. We need to have more robust recruitment efforts, Salinas said. We have to get officers who want to come here and build a career here. One way to do that is by increasing the stipend for deputies who have criminal justice degrees, Salinas said. The Harris County constables office where Salinas works offers more than $5,000 a year for officers who have a master criminal justice degree, he said. Many deputies who live in north Galveston County find it more lucrative and cost-effective to work for a Harris County law enforcement agency than for the sheriffs office, Salinas said. Solutions would cost more money, which Salinas would have to get from a mostly-Republican county commission. I would use every effort I can to secure the safety of the citizens in a nonpartisan effort to show the need for this increase, Salinas said. Fullen did not respond to requests for comment on this story. The Republican Party has not answered how it would act if the commission does revoke Fullens license ahead of the election. Im trying to be sheriff for every single person here, Salinas said. Because if you limit yourself to just serving your party, youre going to fail. I have to cross that line and work with everybody. Explore the rich history and architectural beauty of Trinity Episcopal Church in this captivating tour given by Reverend Jimmy Abbott. Join J.R., Lisa, Erika, and Reverend Jimmy in uncovering the layers of history, from its founding in 1841 to its role in wartime and natural disasters. After todays primary election, and possibly even by this evening, voters will know the candidates for the Mesa County commission and the 3rd Congressional District. At stake for Republicans is who will go on to face Democrat Adam Frisch in the November election to replace U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who ended her reelection bid to run for the GOP nomination in the 4th Congressional District on the other end of the state. The winner of the race for Commissioner District 3 will be the de facto winner in November because there are no other opponents. That means that either Commissioner Janet Rowland will win a second term, or Palisade businessman James J. Fletcher will get elected to the three-member panel. (Rowland served two four-year terms previously, but was able to run again in 2020 under the states term-limit laws to the same office, but only after being out of that office for at least four years.) Commissioner Cody Davis is on todays GOP primary ballot for reelection to another term, but faces no challenger. The same is true for Democrat Thomas Acker on the Democratic primary ballot. The two men will face off in November, where an unaffiliated candidate Jiayi Liu also will be on the ballot. In the 3rd CD, six Republicans are vying for the nomination: Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd, former state Rep. Ron Hanks, Colorado State Board of Education member Stephen Varela, Carbondale resident Russ Andrews, Durango resident Lew Webb and Delta real estate broker Curtis McCrackin. Frisch, who narrowly lost to Boebert in 2022 by 546 votes, is running unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination. The only other contested race on the ballot is for the at-large seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. There, Elliott Hood is running against Charles Johnson for the Democratic Party. That winner will face Republican Eric Rinard in November, who is running unopposed for his partys nomination. The ballot also shows former state Sen. Ray Scott running against Kristine Sposato for the GOP nomination for the CD3 seat on that board, but Sposato has since withdrawn from the race. Scott will go on to the fall election to face Democrat Robert Logan, who is running unopposed for that seat. There also are a slew of other candidates on todays ballot, all of whom are running unopposed for their partys nomination. They include Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein for the GOP nomination, who would have no opponent come November. The same for Reps. Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, who both are running for reelection to House Districts 54 and 55, respectively. Sherri Wright is the only Republican running for the CD3 seat on the State Board of Education, to replace Varela, and will face Democrat Ellen Angeles, who also is running unopposed in todays primary, in the fall. Polls close at 7 p.m. China's Ministry of State Security warns passengers against unauthorized photographing at military-civilian airports Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 24, 2024 08:51 AM China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) warned on Monday that passengers on civilian flights are required to comply with regulations and are prohibited from taking unauthorized photographs of sensitive military areas and equipment. This warning followed the circulation of an online video showing a foreigner suspected of illegally photographing a military-civilian airport in China, which garnered widespread public attention. On a flight from Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang to Beijing on June 12, a foreign passenger allegedly used their phone to covertly photograph a military-civilian airport by wedging it outside the window shade, Sichuan Guancha, a new media outlet of Sichuan Radio and Television, reported in a Weibo post on June 16. A vigilant passenger in the rear seats reported the incident. Yiwu airport staff later responded that taking photos on the runway at a military-civilian airport is prohibited and that the matter would be reported to the police, the media report said. The incident has attracted public attention and sparked online discussions. The relevant Weibo post has been read over 85 million times. Some netizens applauded the vigilant passenger who reported the incident, while others speculated that the foreign passenger could be a spy. The MSS raised another similar incident in a Weibo post on Monday, stating that not long ago, at a military-civilian airport in the southeast coastal region, a passenger surnamed Liu ignored in-cabin broadcasts and flight attendants' reminders during taxiing and takeoff. Liu placed his phone, with the video recording function on, between the window shade and the window, repeatedly opening the shade to record surrounding airport facilities, buildings, and military aircraft, intending to show off on social media. The airport observed that a passenger on the flight had not closed the window shade as required. They immediately instructed the plane to return to its parking position. Only after thorough checks by the relevant departments and national security agencies confirmed there was no risk of information leakage was the flight allowed to take off again. Liu's actions not only caused a delay for his flight, affecting the travel plans of other passengers, but he was also subjected to a seven-day administrative detention for disrupting public transportation order, according to the MSS. Nearly one-third of the airports currently in operation in China are military-civilian airports. These airports are mostly located in coastal and border areas, holding strategic positions and significant military value, the MSS said. To ensure national military security and prevent passengers from "unintentionally" acquiring or leaking national military secrets, passengers should close the window shades as instructed by the cabin crew and refrain from taking photos or videos, or uploading such content online, when civil aircraft are taking off, landing, or taxiing at military-civilian airports. This is also a common practice worldwide for maintaining the confidentiality of military facilities, it noted. Unauthorized photographing of military facilities and equipment is a serious threat to national security, the MSS said. Every passenger is responsible for cooperating to ensure the security and confidentiality of military-civilian airports. Whether due to negligence or intentional violation of relevant confidentiality regulations, unauthorized photographing at military-civilian airports can pose risks to national military security, it added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 23 U.S. Central Command Update U.S. Central Command Press Release | June 23, 2024 USCENTCOM June 23, 2024 Release Number 20240623 - 01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. -- Iranian-backed Houthis struck the M/V TRANS WORLD NAVIGATOR, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned, and operated bulk cargo carrier in a suspected uncrewed aerial system (UAS) attack. Today, at 4:00 a.m. (Sanaa time), the crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the ship, but the vessel has continued underway. M/V TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR most recently docked in Malaysia and was en route to Egypt. This marks the fourth attack by Iranian-backed Houthis on the M/V TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR. There were no injuries on U.S. or coalition vessels. This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. CENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 24, 2024 Transcript Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary, Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Happy Monday. Just a few things and then I'll get to your questions. So, you probably saw over the weekend we announced that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group departed the U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility on Saturday. It will remain briefly in the U.S.-European Command AOR before returning home. As you guys know, it's been deployed more than seven months. Now, following completion of a scheduled exercise in the Indo-Pacific, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group will depart the Indo-Pacific AOR en route for CENTCOM's AOR, where they will continue to promote regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region. Looking into this week, Secretary Austin will host Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon tomorrow morning for a bilateral meeting to discuss the ongoing security developments in the Middle East region. And as you may recall, the minister last visited the Pentagon in late March, and he and Secretary Austin have spoken via phone on an almost weekly basis since Hamas's attack on October 7th. The Secretary does look forward to welcoming Minister Gallant into the discussion. And per standard will issue a readout following the meeting, so we'll have more to provide then. Also tomorrow, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will conduct a scheduled visit to Headquarters U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. While she's there, she will meet with the CENTCOM Commander General Kurilla and senior staff to discuss the implementation of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2, and receive briefs on CENTCOM's innovations, efforts -- innovation efforts, and threat assessments, among other topics. She'll return back to D.C. the same day. And then finally, as you may have seen, we issued a statement this morning announcing that Derek Chollet will start in July as Secretary Austin's Chief of Staff. And if you haven't seen that, the statement is on the DOD website. Mr. Chollet has served in senior policy roles at the White House, the Pentagon, and the Department of State, including his current role as Counselor of the Department of State. And as previously announced, Kelly Magsamen, the current Chief of Staff, will depart this week after three and a half years in the position since the very first day of this administration. And as Secretary Austin said in his June 5 statement, he's deeply grateful for her tremendous service over three and a half federal years to him, the Department, and the country as the Chief of Staff. So, we all, of course, wish her the very best as she takes some time off before her for some other opportunities. And with that, I'll take your questions. Any questions to this? All right. Q: Yeah. How long -- how long is the gap between the IKE coming off station and the TR arriving in EUCOM? GEN. RYDER: I'm not going to get into specific days other than, again, you saw the IKE leave on Saturday into the EUCOM AOR. And as I mentioned, next week after completing its exercise in the Indo-Pacific, it will make its move to the CENTCOM AOR. Q: Does the Pentagon have any concerns about not having a carrier on station specifically as Houthi attacks seem to continue? GEN. RYDER: Well, we still have capability in the region. As you know, we have destroyers in both the CENTCOM and EUCOM AORs that have been very active in providing those kinds of defenses, as well as other capabilities to include aircraft and ISR capabilities. So, you know, we'll continue to work very closely with our international allies and partners toward that end when it comes to safeguarding the flow of commerce and safety of mariners in the Red Sea and CENTCOM. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Q: Thanks. How long is the USS Eisenhower going to remain in the Eastern Mediterranean? And what's the reason for it being there? GEN. RYDER: Again, I'm not going to get into specifics in terms of dates. We just don't -- when it comes to naval operations, we don't get into it other than it'll just be a brief period as it gets ready to transit home. Q: Is it at all related to Lebanon and what's happening, the potential for Israel? GEN. RYDER: Again, I'm not going to go beyond what I provided in the statement. We've maintained a robust variety of capabilities throughout the region to both provide force protection capabilities, but also serve as a deterrent, and enable us to respond to a multitude of contingencies, and so that won't change. Carla? Q: Can you give us an update on the pier and how much it's delivered? And there's also been a little bit of confusion. Some debris washed ashore. I think the Israeli government said that it was the pier. And I think there are reports saying that the Pentagon saying it's not pier. GEN. RYDER: Yeah. So, my understanding that no. No part of the pier washed ashore. There was something that washed ashore. I don't know what it is, but it's not part of the pier is what I got from CENTCOM. I believe they've just issued an update or will today, but operations have continued on the pier since it re-anchored on June 19th. They will be taking a scheduled maintenance pause today to do some maintenance activities, so there will be no aid flowing over the causeway today, but it will resume normal operations tomorrow. Over the weekend, they delivered 1,000, approximately 1,380 metric tons or 3 million pounds of aid to the shore of Gaza. And that also includes movement of 720 metric tons or 1.5 million pounds of aid on Sunday, which is the largest single day delivery of aid to date, on a day, a single day delivery aid to date. And so, cumulative total so far since May 17th, more than 6,200 metric tons or 13.6 million pounds of aid have been delivered to the marshalling area for onward delivery. So, again, we'll continue to keep you posted. But I believe CENTCOM will be, like I said, if they haven't already, they'll be posting that later today. Q: And then just one on Niger. Now that the U.S. is down to 600 troops, where are those troops going? And what's the plan after the withdrawal? Is AFRICOM just going to be 1,000 short? Or are they going to be redeployed in other parts of the country? GEN. RYDER: Yeah. I mean, the way to think of it, Carla, is, you know, oftentimes for deployments, it just depends on the units, right? So, there's not 1,000 -- there's not per se a unit that's like the Niger unit. Those forces will be reabsorbed back to their home stations. Oftentimes, you know, speaking from my own experience, you're deploying in support of a joint task force, so you go back to your home station. So, those forces will flow back to wherever their home stations are to be, you know, focused on their home station missions or other taskings. But I wouldn't think of it as they all just pick up and go do that Niger mission somewhere else, because there's no mission there, right, as they draw down. And so, all that to say, as you've heard General Langley and others in AFRICOM say, to include, you know, Secretary Austin, we'll continue to work with partners in the region when it comes to counterterrorism and addressing those kinds of threats, just doing it in a different way, recognizing that, you know, we won't be able to do that from Niger. Q: Just so I understand, so they'll be flowing back to home station. Is AFRICOM going to get temporarily smaller? Are they...? GEN. RYDER: You need to think of it in terms of mission, right? So, AFRICOM has a core number of folks. But as, you know -- in the same way that folks deploy to CENTCOM to do missions there, those numbers will ebb and flow depending on what mission requirements are. The combatant commanders, you know, ultimately at the end of the day, depend on the services to be the force providers for whatever missions may be coming up. So I - it's not an issue of, are they smaller or bigger. It's an issue of what are the mission requirements and we will flow forces to support that as required. Let me go to Laura and (inaudible). Q: Thanks, Pat. Can you tell me would the U.S. support on Israeli invasion of Lebanon? GEN. RYDER: I'm not going to get into hypothetical questions, Laura. Again, we've been very clear that we're focused on a diplomatic solution as it relates to the tensions that we see on the border. Q: Would the U.S. be able to help defend Israel against Hezbollah? GEN. RYDER: Again, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. We've been very clear, as well, that we support Israel's inherent right to defend itself. And that's not going to change. But again, I'm not - what we're focused on, understandably, is preventing a wider regional conflict and on resolving diplomatically the tensions along the border. And so, we'll stay focused on that. Helene? Q: Hi. Thanks. What message will Secretary Austin be delivering to Yoav Gallant tomorrow? GEN. RYDER: Yes, so, you know, as I highlighted, they're going to be discussing the situation in the Middle East, you know, no doubt there will be discussions about the situation in Lebanon. But we'll have much more to say, you know, post-meeting and we'll have a readout to provide that. So, more to follow. Q: Russia is accusing the United States of - well, they're blaming the United States for Ukrainian ATACM attack over the weekend that killed civilians. Do you have any comment on that? They said the U.S. was responsible for providing targets and intelligence information. GEN. RYDER: Yes, so, you know, ultimately I'd refer you to Ukraine to talk about their operations. You know, they make their own decisions when it comes to operations and targeting. We don't have any information to indicate whether or not civilians were killed. Certainly, you know, as I understand it, that's something that we will talk to the Ukrainians about. It's - we've been very clear about, you know, we don't want to see civilian casualties. I will say that, you know, it's important to take a look back at how we got to where we are today, which was Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and if they're concerned about casualties among their forces then they should stop this war immediately and return Ukraine's sovereign territory versus throwing their forces unnecessarily into this. Q: Did you provide intel support and targeting data for this strike? GEN. RYDER: Again, Idris, I'm going to refer you to them to talk about their operations. I'm not going to get into... Q: But the Russians are accusing you, not the Ukrainians for this. GEN. RYDER: Again, I'd refer you to them on any of their operations. And again, Russia is responsible for conducting its invasion of Ukraine and leading to the death and destruction of thousands of innocent Ukrainians. And so, (crosstalk). Q: Okay, just following up on Tony's Helene's question. What is Secretary Austin's view on the statements that Prime Minister Netanyahu made over the weekend that suggests that he would potentially want to continue the war after a ceasefire and hostage deal, which is sort of undermining the goal of the whole proposal that President Biden put out a couple of weeks ago. Is that something that he'll bring up with Minister Gallant this week? GEN. RYDER: Yes, so I'm not going to comment on the prime minister's remarks, you know, it - I'm just not going to do that. You know, again, from a DOD standpoint we've been working very closely to prevent the wider conflict from happening at the same time, you know, ensuring Israel has what it needs to defend itself, but also looking at what we can do to ensure that aid is getting into the people of Gaza, and also, you know again, to echo what President Biden and others have said, the need to reach a ceasefire so that we can ensure - Q: But as his state- cease - the lasting ceasefire, right? That would not then immediately revert into conflict? GEN. RYDER: Again, I mean, what the White House has said, I think, stands for itself. So, okay, take a few more. I'll go to Oren and then (inaudible). Q: Pat, two questions first. The aid that went in over the weekend, into Gaza through the pier, without World Food Program - without the World Food Program, is that just piling up in the marshalling area or is that being distributed in some other way? GEN. RYDER: So, as I understand it, the aid is going into the marshalling area for onward delivery. Again, I'd have to refer you to USAID and World Food Program, in terms of what they're plans are to further distribute that. As we've talked about before, you know, there is a coordination cell that is working with all stakeholders to take security concerns into account, so that they can find a way forward. But again, at the end of the day, that's something that World Food Program needs to address. Q: And then, does the U.S. military continue to carry out shipments of military aid to Israel? And has there been any slowdown in those shipments? GEN. RYDER: Yes, so I appreciate the question. So again, just to clarify, we have paused one shipment to Israel. Other security assistance continues to flow as normal. Q: Just a follow up on those questions. Normal - it sounds like Israel is saying that they're - that U.S. assistance has definitely diminished from the days immediately following the October 7 attack. Can you characterize at all the size of the shipments and how they compare now to where they were in October 7? GEN. RYDER: Yes, again, you know, I'll just be very clear here. We paused that one shipment. Everything else continues to flow on schedule as normal. It is not diminished . Q: And then when Austin meets with Minister Gallant tomorrow, will they bring up the idea that without security for these convoys nothing's getting out of the marshalling yard just because all of the people that are attacking the convoys? GEN. RYDER: Again, you know, we'll have a readout post meeting and I don't want to, you know, preview too much. But security assistance - or excuse me, humanitarian assistance, I'm sure will be a topic of discussion. It's something they talk about every single time they speak, you know, and the importance of ensuring that aid can get into the people of Gaza. So again, and that's not just the Department of Defense. That's across the U.S. government writ large. Q: Would there be any role for the military in assisting with security? Not boots on the ground, but is there anything that DOD could do to help those convoys safely get to their final point of delivery? GEN. RYDER: Again, right now, our focus is on getting aid to the shore for humanitarian organizations to deliver it. And again, you know, when it comes to security for those humanitarian organizations, that is something that they drive and that's something that, you know, they need to talk to right now. I'm not aware of any plans for U.S. military to conduct any kind of a security assistance onshore, nor would we be putting any boots on the ground. So, let me go to Fadi. Q: Thank you, General. Since we talked, I believe, last Thursday during the briefing, has your assessment of the situation between Israel and Lebanon have changed? Is the tension still at that same level? Have you seen any indication that there might be some escalation? GEN. RYDER: So, I would say right now have not seen a change. Again, I mean, to your point, there does, obviously, continue to be tension. We continue to see, you know, the language being used by both Israeli and Hezbollah stakeholders. But our focus will continue to be on working with regional partners to find a diplomatic solution. Q: And is - I know you said there's going to be a readout from the meeting, but is one of the objectives of the secretary with Minister Gallant to maybe get that point through to (inaudible) or with Lebanon is that a top priority for him? GEN. RYDER: Again, you know, I'm not going to - I'm not really in a position right now, Fadi, to, again, preview the meeting before the meeting's happened other than to say, again, you know, I'm certain Lebanon will be a topic. You've heard Secretary Austin say publicly before that our focus is on trying to find a diplomatic solution to the situation there, again, with the understanding that, you know, our primary focus here is on deterring a wider regional conflict. Q: And then finally on the civilian casualties. The secretary has been, you know, voicing his concern about the toll, civilian toll. Does he have something new to put on the table in terms of kind of emphasizing that idea again? Is he - does he want to hear something new from Minister Gallant in terms of planning? GEN. RYDER: Yes. Again, I'll have more for you tomorrow, but, you know, the secretary, he's been clear both publicly and privately at how important it is to protect the civilian population, again, recognizing the threat that Hamas poses, recognizing the challenge that it presents in terms of them embedding amongst the civilian population, but that it's important not to have tactical victory and strategic defeat because you're essentially, you know, not safeguarding civilians or not ensuring that they have the assistance that they need. So, again, that will be a point that I'm confident he'll continue to make. Wafaa? Q: He asked my question, but... (Laughter.) Q: So on the... (CROSSTALK) (Laughter.) Q: So do you still have - I mean, the level of... GEN. RYDER: It's the same answer. Q: No, no. (Laughter.) Q: I want to know if the level of concerns about imminent operation, large-scale operation is still the same as last week? GEN. RYDER: Well, you know, I think - I - you know, I think we are concerned. We do remain concerned that there's a potential there for miscalculation in this very tense region. And so, again, we see not just, you know, what's here at DOD but across the U.S. government, efforts to look at resolving this diplomatically. And so that will continue to be our focus. Q: Do you think Israel will more likely or less likely carry out a large-scale...operation? GEN. RYDER: Yes. Again, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals respectively. Our focus is going to be on trying to reduce the tensions and drive towards a diplomatic solution. So I'll take one more. Yes, sir? Q: Yes. Can you explain in more detail on why Kelly Magsamen stepped down? Did it have anything to do with the secretary's hospitalization earlier this year? GEN. RYDER: Yes. Not at all. She has been in the position, as I mentioned, since the very first day of this administration. Three and a half years. You've all been working in the Pentagon for a very long time. And, I mean, just by virtue of the issues we're discussing today, it's an incredibly demanding place to be and job. And so, she's looking forward to just taking some time before she pursues other opportunities. And for those of you that have had the opportunity to work with Kelly Magsamen, you will not find someone who works harder or who's more dedicated to the department than her. So, you know, like I said, we wish her all the best. And, you know, I know she's going to appreciate getting a little bit of downtime. Q: So it's completely for personal reasons? GEN. RYDER: Yes, exactly. Q: OK. GEN. RYDER: And, all right. Fine. Last two. Q: I just wanted to check were any attacks over the weekend on U.S. forces in Iran or Syria? GEN. RYDER: I'm not tracking any. Q: Thank you. With the - with the IKE being held, should we read that as any kind of preparation for evacuation, or at least having it there available if needed? GEN. RYDER: Dan, I don't have anything to read out to you today. Again, I think the statement speaks for itself and I'll just leave it at that. All right, I hope you all have a great Monday. Stay cool. Stay classy. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3815559/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 24, 2024 By Joseph Clark, DOD News DOD Serves as Key Interagency Partner in Whole-of-Government Response to Climate Change The Defense Department remains committed to ensuring operational resilience and maintaining the United States' warfighting edge amid the rising challenges posed by climate change. From rising sea levels to the increasing occurrence of weather-driven natural disasters, climate change is reshaping the strategic landscape and introducing new risks to U.S. and allied interests throughout the globe. "Climate change is a national security issue, and for the national security community, that declaration is not controversial it's fact," Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said last summer in her address during the Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience and Climate Consortium at the U.S. Military Academy. The magnitude of those challenges has continued to increase year by year, and officials warn that failing to meet them head-on would have far-reaching impacts on military readiness. "You can't train for combined operations with allies and partners if the training facilities are flooded," Hicks said. "You can't run an installation without water because you're in a drought and you can't adequately prepare for future threats if you're occupied with urgent crises." In order to train, fight and win in this increasingly complex environment, DOD has taken broad steps to address climate related risks at every level of the enterprise. Those efforts align with President Joe Biden's framework for building a whole-of-government effort to address climate change including a directive to federal agencies to develop climate adaptation plans as well as annual progress reports in meeting those plans. On Friday, the White House released updated climate adaptation plans from several federal agencies that highlight efforts across the government in response to climate change. "As communities face extreme heat, natural disasters and severe weather from the impacts of climate change, President Biden is delivering record resources to build climate resilience across the country," Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said. "By updating our own adaptation strategies, the federal government is leading by example to build a more resilient future for all." DOD adaptation efforts continue to be driven by five key lines of effort established in the department's 2021 Climate Adaptation Plan: Making climate-informed decisions to ensure DOD can meet national defense requirements. Preparing combat forces to operate under the most extreme and adverse weather and terrain conditions, equipping the force to face emerging conditions that differ from the range of environments known today. Building resilient infrastructure that enables DOD to execute its mission, sustain its forces and maintain mission readiness. Achieving supply chain optimization, innovation and resilience, lessening the vulnerability of missions, installations and operations to the effects of a changing climate. Enhancing adaptation and resilience through collaboration with allies and partners. DOD is building upon these efforts in its 2024-2027 climate adaptation plan, to be released later this summer. This update outlines further steps to ensure the department can operate under changing climate conditions while preserving operational capability and enhancing the natural and human-made systems essential to its success. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "King" of Violent Haitian Gang Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Gun Smuggling and Money Laundering Monday, June 24, 2024 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs "Queen" of the Gang Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was sentenced today to 420 months in prison for his role in a gunrunning conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, and the laundering of ransoms paid for U.S. hostages held by the notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo. Eliande Tunis, 46, of Pompano Beach, Florida, who styled herself as Germine's "wife" and was described at trial as the "Queen" of 400 Mawozo, was sentenced on June 5, to 150 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Two other defendants in the conspiracy were also sentenced to jail time for their involvement. The conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least 24 firearms, including weapons designed for the military and close-quarters combat such as AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti to further their criminal activities. Those firearms were bought using funds laundered from the proceeds of the hostage taking for ransom of U.S. citizens in Haiti in 2021. "A leader of the Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo will now spend 35 years in prison for a scheme to smuggle guns from the United States to Haiti using the proceeds extorted from kidnapping American citizens," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "The leaders of violent gangs in Haiti that terrorize Americans citizens in order to fuel their criminal activity will be met with the full force of the Justice Department." "Joly Germine is being held accountable for his role in smuggling weapons into Haiti using funds laundered from the ransoms of kidnapped American citizens," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "The 400 Mawazo gang not only wreaks havoc in its own communities but targets innocent Americans living and traveling in Haiti. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to target the leadership and take down any violent criminal group who preys upon Americans abroad and uses unlawful and dangerous tactics like weapons-trafficking and kidnapping to further their criminal enterprise." "Firearms smuggling is not a victimless crime," said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). "Just like these weapons, many guns smuggled to Haiti end up in the hands of violent gangs. Those gangs use them to harm both Haitians and American citizens. As this sentence demonstrates, ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners both at home and internationally to hold gun smugglers responsible." "Mr. Germine, a leader of a notorious Haitian gang, admitted to an illegal gun-running scheme to arm fellow gang members with U.S. firearms in support of the group's violent crime spree across Haiti, including the alleged 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors and their criminal enterprises." "Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence," said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. "These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led." "As Joly Germine and Eliande Tunis have just learned, the FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs who undertake hostage-taking of U.S. Citizens anywhere," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. "This includes taking away their ability to wreak violence on the innocent using smuggled firearms." "Today's sentencing sends a strong message: the Diplomatic Security Service is committed to making sure that those who commit transnational crimes face consequences for their criminal actions," said Assistant Director Paul Houston of the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for Threat Investigations and Analysis. "DSS' strong relationship with the U.S. Attorney's Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world continues to be essential in the pursuit of justice." According to court documents, Germine, pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, to the 48-count second superseding indictment, which charged him with conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes. Germine's plea came at the end of the government's case at trial, which included the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence. Germine's co-defendant Tunis, who had a supervisory role in the conspiracy, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on Jan. 17, to the same 48-count indictment, and was sentenced on June 5 to 150 months in prison. Other co-defendants, Jocelyn Dor, 31, and Walder St. Louis, 35, who acted as a straw gun purchasers for Germine and Tunis, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 60 months and 36 months, respectively, for their roles in the gun-smuggling and money laundering scheme. According to evidence presented at trial, from at least March through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Germine directed the gang's operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang. Germine then provided Tunis and the two other U.S.-based co-defendants, all Florida residents, specifications for firearms and ammunition that Germine and other gang leaders wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis and the two co-defendants then purchased at least 24 rifles, handguns, and a shotgun at Florida gun shops while falsely stating that they were the "actual buyers" of the firearms, when they were in fact acting as straw purchasers for Germine. In approximately May 2021, Tunis smuggled firearms and ammunition to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods. In October 2021, Tunis attempted to ship additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, again by smuggling the firearms, but those firearms were seized by the FBI before they left the United States. 400 Mawozo is a violent Haitian gang that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. From at least Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed hostage takings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. The victims have generally been forced from their vehicles at gunpoint and kept in various locations by armed gang members while their relatives and colleagues negotiate payment for their release. At trial, the government presented evidence that the gang received ransom payments from the hostage taking of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021, who testified at trial, and the cash ransom proceeds were commingled with the gang's funds and transferred via MoneyGram and Western Union from the United States to Haiti to buy more firearms. In the fall of 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for taking 16 U.S. citizens hostage, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. The gang demanded a ransom of $1 million for each hostage. The hostages were all released or had escaped by on or about Dec. 16, 2021. While Germine has been charged in a separate indictment in relation to that hostage-taking incident, today's sentencing does not address those charges, which are lodged in case number 22-cr-161 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF and the Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, particularly the Haitian National Police, the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Special Prosecutions Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. Topics: Firearms Offenses National Security Components: Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Criminal - Office of International Affairs Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - District of Columbia Press Release Number: 24-802 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the meeting European External Action Service (EEAS) 24.06.2024 Luxembourg EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! We had important exchanges on Ukraine, on Gaza and [the] Middle East, on Georgia, [and] on the Western Balkans, mainly. We adopted sanctions against actors of the internal conflict in Sudan, against some cyber criminals for actions against Member States and Ukraine and we adopted the 14th package of sanctions against Russia. With this package, we will have over 100 listings and a dozen of economic measures to help counter circumvention and to cut Russia's revenues - mainly in the field of trade with gas, LNG. We reviewed our military support to Ukraine. This is mainly the most important issue today in concrete terms, because we need to supply Ukraine with more air defences, more ammunition and more support to the development of their own industrial capacities. You know that Putin continues attacking, targeting mainly the energy infrastructure. It is clear that Putin wants to prove that Ukraine is vulnerable, and we have to prove that we will support Ukraine. This weekend, Kharkiv suffered [from] aerial attacks, [resulting in] numerous casualties and big infrastructure damage. Targeting critical energy infrastructure, damaging facilities. Ministers today agreed on a legal framework for the use of windfall profits from immobilised Russian assets to be allocated to the European Peace Facility. Unhappily, we came went out of the Council exactly as we came in from the point of view of the seven legal acts [intended] to deblock the European Peace Facility. We still have one country blocking the use of about 6 billion from the European Peace Facility. But as I commented this morning, the windfall profits coming from Russian assets frozen in Europe - not the assets themselves - will be used in the swiftest possible manner for the benefit of Ukraine. 1.4 billion will be available in the course of the next month, and another 1 billion by the end of the year. This will be allocated to Ukraine, but for these three purposes: air defence, ammunition and supporting the Ukrainian industry - overcoming or circumventing this structural difficulty that we have had in the last year and a half. We understand that legally, since one Member State did not participate in the decision to use these assets, it has not the right to participate in deciding to which purpose they are allocated. Work will now speed up without having this blockage that we still have to solve on the European Peace Facility. The leaders will discuss about it at the next European Council. We are finalising our security commitments with Ukraine. I hope that the work will be completed very soon in order to be able to sign these security commitments maybe still this month, maybe in the margins of the next European Council. With these security commitments, we send a clear message to Russia about our will to continue supporting Ukraine. On the other hand, you know that tomorrow the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) with Ukraine and Moldova will start the Ukraine accession and membership, which is the ultimate security guarantee. On the Middle East: three weeks after President Biden's proposal, and despite the strong international support, in particular, the European Union support, we are nowhere. We are nowhere in terms of ceasefire. And [Prime Minister of Israel, Benyamin] Netanyahu's press conference - I think it was yesterday or this morning - shows clearly that neither side, nor the other is willing to implement this proposal. If they ever had this intention, now it is clear that there is no ceasefire at all. The humanitarian situation is just disastrous. Yesterday, together with Commissioner [for Crisis Management, Janez] Lenarcic, we issued a joint statement. The well-respected Cindy McCain, the director of the World Food Programme, has said it loud and clear: there is no progress at all on the humanitarian support entering into Gaza. Hostages are still being held, thousands of trucks are waiting to enter into [Gaza]. In the meantime, inside, the famine is looming. More than 8,000 children below five years old are facing severe malnutrition. There is no point to continue sending more food to the border, if they cannot come into [Gaza]. It is only a way of questing, because they cannot stay there forever. This is a real concern for all Member States. Certainly, we have to continue our pressure in order to make the humanitarian support to be able to enter into Gaza. But this is not going to happen without a ceasefire. It is clear now. What is also a serious concern, is the spillover in the region. We support the active mediation efforts, especially by the United States and France, in order to avoid a confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon can count on our support, and also [can] Cyprus. We agreed to pursue and intensify our cooperation with our Arab partners to relaunch the political process towards the Two-State solution. And we confirmed that we will have an Association Council with Israel, since I have a positive answer [from the Israeli Foreign Minister]. This will not be a 'business as usual' Association Council meeting. We are not calling this meeting to discuss the Erasmus implementation. It is clear that we have very grave topics to put on the table. I announced to the Member States that they will receive an assessment of the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank, gathering together, compiling all the information that United Nations agencies have been issuing in the last days or weeks, or even months, about the situation and the humanitarian crisis, and the responsibilities that the United Nations have been denouncing, and in particular in the last report produced by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr [Volker] Turk. I want to recall that the Association Council is managed from the European Union side by the High Representative, not by the rotating Presidency [of the Council of the European Union]. In order to hold this meeting, we need a common position that has to be agreed by Member States, by the Council. So, as long as we do not have a common position, we will not be able to hold an [Association] Council, but we will start working on that - on the agenda and on our common position. And in order to build this common position, I sent to the Member States a complete inventory of our relationship with Israel and Palestine, and they will receive more information about the situation of human rights in Gaza and in the West Bank. Everybody agreed to accompany the Palestinian Authority in the implementation of reforms, to make sure they have stability in their finances, including from tax revenues, being withheld by Israel, as requested by G7 leaders recently. There has been a political agreement on proceeding on the sanctions against Hamas and also violent Israeli settlers. This political agreement will be converted into concrete measures to be adopted soon by written procedure. All Member States reiterated their support to UNRWA, which is being considered as essential as a life-saving service to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and the region. We do not know exactly what is the end goal of the Netanyahu government. They continue saying that they will continue the war until total victory. On the other hand, there are voices coming from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) themselves questioning this purpose. The fight against Hezbollah [in Lebanon] can bring the whole region into a serious crisis. And that is why, we have to continue our diplomatic efforts in order to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza and stop the spillover of the war in the region. This is the summary of what we have to do, apart from continuing engaging with our Arab friends and the United States in order to look for a political solution to a war that does not have a military solution. We support not only UNRWA, but all United Nations agencies. Any attack against a United Nations agency is destabilising, and we are supporting this institution everywhere, all the time. Then, we had a lunch and a meeting with the Western Balkans to discuss our strong common engagement on foreign and security policy. We are ready to further deepen the gradual integration and expand our support to the Western Balkan partners. We expect them to stand together with us in defence of the rules-based international order, and in particular of Ukraine, and in particular on the measure taken in order to counter the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The alignment of the Western Balkans countries with our Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is considered an expression of their strategic choice and commitment to [EU] membership. Maintaining close ties with Putin's regime is not compatible with building a common future with and within the European Union. In the afternoon, after the lunch, we had a lively debate on Georgia. It is the second time in a row - after the May Foreign Affairs Council - that we have discussed worrying political developments in Georgia, including the adoption of this law on "transparency of foreign influence". We have to [express] regret that there is a widespread disinformation about the European Union and its values - coming also from official actors. We heard Georgian voices at the highest level surprisingly stating that this law is bringing the country closer to the European Union. I want to be clear: No. No, this law and all the negative developments around it are pushing Georgia away from the European Union. I cannot be more clear and more concise [on this]. This is pushing Georgia away from the European Union. This statement is being supported by 26 out of 27 Member [States]. There is no unanimity, but we do not need unanimity to make a political evaluation of the situation. We understand that these dynamics go against the will of the overwhelming majority of the Georgian population. The overwhelming majority of the [EU Foreign] Ministers today has been very clear about that the Georgia government is bringing the country away from the European Union. And if the government will not change the course of action, Georgia will not progress on its European Union path. I can say that louder but not clearer. If the government does not change the course of action, Georgia will not progress on the European Union path. In parallel, we will increase our support to civil society and media. We will counter disinformation and increase support to the electoral process. I distributed an options paper, and we will continue monitoring the situation and adapt our measures as necessary. We will downgrade our political contacts in reaching out to Georgia. We will reconsider putting on hold our financial assistance to the government, and we will reconsider our support from the European Peace Facility. This can be done immediately, but we will continue looking at the situation and take more measures in case of further deterioration. I want to stress that we stand with the Georgian people and their overwhelming choice in favour of democracy and of Georgia's future inside the European Union. We discussed about the situation in the Great Lakes region and in Tunisia. Tunisia is a very important and longstanding partner for the European Union. In light of the recent internal and external developments, we needed to collectively assess the situation and second, [to discuss] how to manage our partnership with Tunisia and uphold our support to the Tunisian people, and avoid some events that have been creating some concerns. In particular, the drive closer to Russia, Iran and China that we are perceiving in the country - not in the country, in the government. But this is a first discussion. We will consider more elements about it and about the situation in the Great Lakes, where we will soon nominate an [EU] Special Representative to implement our strategy [on the Great Lakes]. Q&A Q. My question is on Georgia. You said, High Representative, the word "immediately". So, should we expect the decisions and the measures that you mentioned, this week? Can you confirm that leaders will decide about all these measures? And what are the measures which do not need unanimity, as you said that one country was against? One country considers that this kind of law does not jeopardise at all the European path of Georgia. Q. Can you tell us what was this country? You can imagine. You do not have to force your imagination too much in order to [guess]. Yes, some measures require unanimity. A political assessment does not require unanimity. To decrease the level of political outreach does not require unanimity - everybody will do it, if they like it. I suppose that the 26 [Member States] will do [it]. To hold the financial assistance to the government is something that once there are two thirds of the Council supporting it, it is for the Commission to implement it. To not continue with the plan of supporting Georgia from the European Peace Facility does not require unanimity either. It requires unanimity to do it, but not to do it is a different question. Other issues could require unanimity but for the time being, they need further reconsideration. Q. So, what measures will be on the table during the Summit [European Council]? Some additional measures? The ones that I explained to you, the ones that can be taken immediately. The others will depend on the development of the situation. Q. Madame Hadja Lahbib, your colleague, [Minister] for Foreign Affairs of Belgium said this morning that she or Ministers are supporting your idea about a Joint Task Force with the Arab countries. Could you elaborate on this idea or instrument that you are suggesting - or you suggested already - to the Arab countries? I have a question about maybe your own feeling, en ame et conscience as we say in French: do you believe that the war in Gaza is going for months and months ahead or will it be stopped one day soon, let's say in the summer? Or do you feel personally that it is going to be a long war there? I am going to jump to Spanish. El Consejo sigue decidido a hacer que nuestra cooperacion con nuestros amigos arabes continue y se profundice. Para eso no necesitamos crear mas estructuras de las que ya tenemos. Al menos no de forma inmediata. Tenemos un enviado especial para el proceso de paz en Oriente Medio [Sven Koopmans], que hace su trabajo y va a continuar haciendolo. El objetivo es coordinarnos con ellos, con los amigos arabes que nos visitaron y tambien con Estados Unidos, para conseguir el objetivo fundamental, inmediato, urgente, de aumentar la ayuda humanitaria, el alto el fuego y la liberacion de los rehenes. Garantizar que cuando las hostilidades acaben la situacion en Gaza no derive hacia una 'somalizacion'. Que alguien se encargue de mantener un minimo de orden civil - sin lo cual no hay esperanza de conseguir no ya una paz militar, sino una situacion minimamente estable, con dos millones y medio de personas privadas de todo en medio de un campo de ruinas. Porque esto es lo que va a quedar de Gaza: un campo de ruinas con dos millones de personas privadas de todo, con una crisis alimenticia que no somos capaces de evitar. Por lo tanto, alguien tiene que tomar las riendas de la situacion - que es el segundo objetivo. El tercero es la perspectiva politica para conseguir una paz estable y duradera. Estos tres objetivos, en el tiempo. El primero es acabar con las hostilidades - liberar a los rehenes y aportar ayuda humanitaria. Lo urgente, lo inmediato. Lo segundo es quien toma el control de un campo de ruinas habitado por dos millones y medio de personas privadas de todo, para garantizar un minimo de funcionamiento de una sociedad que habra sido destruida en sus elementos basicos de funcionamiento. Lo tercero es buscar una solucion politica. Los tres vienen uno detras de otro, pero se superponen - no hay que esperar a acabar con el segundo para empezar el tercero. Eso es la base de nuestro dialogo con los amigos, nuestros partners, arabes. Lo estamos haciendo, lo seguiremos haciendo. El objetivo es llegar a alguna clase de palanca de accion - llamele usted reuniones politicas al alto nivel, llamele usted conferencia, llamele usted como quiera. No nos vamos a entretener, al menos esta es mi opinion, en crear infraestructuras. Estamos demasiado acostumbrados a discutir sobre el proceso mas que sobre el output. Lo que me interesa es el output. A traves del trabajo de nuestro enviado especial para el proceso de paz [en Oriente Medio, Sven Koopmans], el mio mismo y el de todos los ministros, estamos en condiciones de avanzar si existe la voluntad politica para hacerlo. La guerra va a durar? Pues parece que si. Pues parece que si, desgraciadamente. [Es] una guerra que va a poner a prueba la supervivencia de los palestinos en Gaza. De la misma manera que lo que esta pasando en el West Bank tambien va a poner a prueba el derecho internacional - porque todo parece indicar que existe una voluntad clara de anexionarse el West Bank a pequenos trozos. Poco a poco, trocito a trocito. Eso, naturalmente, no va a conducir a la paz, sino todo lo contrario. Q. I would like to ask you two questions. First, about the Western Balkans ministers meeting. The Serbian Foreign Minister [Marko Juric] stated that for Serbia it is first, membership, then foreign policy alignment. I would like you to comment on that. Is that even possible? The second thing is: why did you call Aleksandar Vucic [President of Serbia] and Albin Kurti [Prime Minister of Kosovo] for a Dialogue in Brussels? What do you expect? Are you not afraid that there can be a little bit of a debacle again? El compartir la misma politica exterior es una de las condiciones para la membresia. El camino hacia Europa pasa por alinear las posiciones en materia de politica exterior. No se puede pretender ser un Estado miembro y ser un spoiler de la politica exterior comun. Bastantes tenemos ya, no necesitamos mas. La tarea de construir un acuerdo en materia de politica exterior necesita que los nuevos Estados miembros compartan los principios basicos de esta politica exterior. Y eso lo sabe de sobra Serbia. Es una de las condiciones en el camino hacia la membresia en la Union Europea. Naturalmente me sigo esforzando en hacer que el dialogo entre Serbia y Kosovo llegue a alguna solucion operativa. Ya tenemos un acuerdo, tenemos los acuerdos de Ohrid. El problema de los acuerdos [es que] hay que aplicarlos. No han sido las partes capaces de aplicarlos por una razon o por otra. Creo que era necesario volver a retomar las reuniones de alto nivel para saber donde estamos, sobre todo en un momento en que los Estados miembros estan discutiendo mi propuesta de levantar las sanciones contra Kosovo. Si estas sanciones se levantan - espero que si, al menos esta es mi propuesta, aunque sea de una forma gradual pero rapida - eso puede crear un escenario en el que el dialogo, no digo yo que vaya a retomarse, pero por lo menos no cerrarlo de una forma abrupta. Hace mucho tiempo que los dos lideres no se reunen en el marco del dialogo, y no quiero darlo por terminado antes de que termine mi mandato. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-258750 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell upon arrival European External Action Service (EEAS) 24.06.2024 Luxembourg EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! As you can suppose, it is going to be a long, intense and difficult Foreign Affairs Council. On the table - first, as always - [is] Ukraine. After the Summit [for Peace in Ukraine] in Switzerland, where a diplomatic track has been opened. And the answer from Putin travelling to North Korea, travelling everywhere where he can get arms, he is clearly preparing for a long war. From our side, the diplomatic track has to continue working, but we have to increase our support to Ukraine. We have these revenues coming from the frozen assets, and we have to look for a way in order to use them, avoiding any kind of blockage. We have a process in order to make this work quickly. The first tranche of money will come next week, in July. The second will come some months later. This money cannot be stopped. It has to be used, and we have a legal procedure in order to avoid any kind of blockage. We have discussed about it, but as you know we still have six legal decisions that cannot be implemented due to one Member [State] refusing it. We have to avoid this happening for the Russian revenues. We have a solution and we put it on the table today. Ukraine needs more help - and needs more help now. Now, before the summer. And I hope that the ministers will support the proposal that we have tabled in order to make this support increase using the Russian revenues. Second, certainly, it will be the situation in Gaza, and in the Middle East. I am asking you to pay attention to the Joint Statement that we issued yesterday, Commissioner [for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Janez] Lenarcic and myself. It was a cry of alarm. I think [that] everything that can be said, is said in this statement, where we say that the delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible. And despite all the tactical pauses announced, the situation is that no help is entering into Gaza. The help is stockpiling out of the border, some of these goods are perishing, they will be destroyed, not used, lost. But the important thing is not the financial value of the things that will be lost, but the fact that they cannot come into [Gaza]. And if they come into [Gaza], it is not possible to distribute them because the lack of any kind of organisation. The social fabric - not the buildings - has been destroyed. The civil society is unravelling. On the other hand, the [President of the United States, Joe] Biden['s] Plan. We support it, and we [will] continue supporting [it]. Certainly, [it is] not being implemented, by lack of will from both sides. The last declaration from Prime Minister [of Israel, Benyamin] Netanyahu confirms that, unhappily, this plan is not going to be implemented. But we will continue supporting these kinds of ideas. We need desperately a ceasefire that could allow humanitarian help to enter into Gaza. Otherwise, the tragedy will be incommensurable. It is already inconceivable. This weekend has been one of the bloodiest days - more than 100 Palestinians being killed by attacks that included distribution centres of UNRWA and other UN organisations. Then, you see, there has been this report from the [High Commissioner for] Human Rights of the United Nations [Volker Turk] explaining the violations of human rights - by both sides. But the consequences are inconceivable for the civilian people in Gaza. The risk of this war affecting the South of Lebanon and spilling over is also every day bigger. We are strongly concerned. I hope that the ministers will support our initiative and continue reaching out to our partners in order to continue to look for a strong international support for a ceasefire. Then, there is Georgia. Do not forget about Georgia. We are going to discuss the situation in Georgia and one thing is clear: the door for Georgia to become member of the European Union is open. But if the government continues on the same track, continues doing what they are doing, this door will be closed. And the Georgian people will pay the consequences, will suffer the fact that the European perspective will be diminished or even cancelled. We are talking about serious things. If things continue like this, the door to the European Union will not be open. And today, I [will] present an option paper to the ministers, explaining the different things that we can do in the short and medium term in order to make this not to continue in Georgia. I also distributed an analysis of all the relationship that we have with Israel and Palestine, in order for ministers to look at and see what they can do in order to put pressure on both sides. Q&A Q. What measures you will discuss today [regarding] Georgia? What measures are on the table, and should we expect decisions today? Decisions - operational decisions - today, no. Because today is an orientation debate. As I said, I put on the table a full analysis of what we can do, and the ministers will debate about it. So, do not expect concrete decisions today, it is political orientation debate. But in the short term, there are measures that can be taken, for example: stopping the support through the European Peace Facility; or stopping the high-level political contacts; or considering to stop a part of the financial support that goes directly to the government. We do not want to affect civilians. We do not want to put more pain on the civilian people, but there are decisions - and they are listed - and at the end of the day, I can tell you what has been the reaction of ministers to my proposals. Q. The diplomatic efforts you did yourself during the last days, towards the Lebanese and others, and your Cyprus colleague. Do you believe that these days you contained the crisis, you are less worried? No, I am more worried, much more worried. Much more. Every day, the crisis is spilling over. Every day there are more bombings on both sides of the border with Lebanon. Unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding. Q. Hungary [inaudible] is slamming the door, saying that they are not opening any chapter on the accession talks [with Ukraine]. Does it make sense then to open the accession talks tomorrow? Let's see, I cannot anticipate the result of the debate. Q. Can you explain a little bit the details. How will you use frozen assets without Hungary blocking it? Well, the Treaty provides legal ways in order to advance, even if some Member State does not want to participate. And we consider that, since Hungary did not participate in the decision [previously], it is not necessary that they could participate on the implementation of the decision. The decision is clear: the revenues coming from the frozen assets - Russian frozen assets - will be used to increase our military support to Ukraine. The first tranche of money will come [in the] next weeks. We cannot have this money on our side, we need to use it. We have a legal procedure in order to advance avoiding any blockage from some Member State who are not part of the decision. This has to be discussed, certainly, with the Ministers. Q. Can you explain us this 1.4 billion [of] EU money for Ukraine? Is it new money, the frozen assets? It is fully new money. Q. But coming from the [proceeds from the] frozen assets? Yes. Q. Are you going to decide that today or how does it work? Today, we are going to approve the method in order to use this money. This money is already here. We decided to take this money - we are not going to reconsider a decision which has already been taken. Now, we have to implement this decision: the money will come next week. I cannot have this money in my pocket, this money is for military support to Ukraine. The decision has to be taken immediately, avoiding any kind of blockage. This is what we are going to decide today. Q. What is the amount, 1.4 [billion]? 2.5 [billion]. Q. Next week? No, next week, one part of this 2.5 [billion]. The other part will come some weeks later. Q. How will you make sure that the EU is not driven into the Lebanese conflict with Cyprus - already having one at its border? Nothing is sure here. We are doing everything we can in order to avoid it. But I cannot be sure. I cannot control the events, I do not have a magic wand. What we can do is to continue our diplomatic efforts, reaching out to partners and to put pressure in order for this to happen. But certainly, I cannot be sure that this will not happen. I will tell you after the meeting. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-258895 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah targets Israel's al-Motellah base IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 24, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement says it has targeted the Israeli regime's al-Motellah base in northern occupied Palestine. Hezbollah's anti-armor missile hit an Israeli target and killed or wounded all in a military vehicle, Palestinian news agency Samaa reported on Sunday, citing a Hezbollah statement. The Zionist regime's news outlets also confirmed the attack as they reported the occurrence of a complicated and dangerous security incident in the Motellah settlement. The news outlets reported that five Israeli forces were seriously wounded. Hezbollah's attack on al-Motellah occurred while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking at a press conference. In a related development, Al Mayadeen reported on Monday that the Israeli regime's fighter jets have bombarded Khiam city in southern Lebanon. The news TV channel says no possible casualties have been reported yet. According to reports, the strike was carried out after Hezbollah launched the missile attack on the Zionist regime's military base. Regional resistance groups, including Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Yemen's Ansarullah, have declared that they will continue their attacks on the Israeli military bases in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the Israeli regime's genocidal war in the enclave last October. 1483**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen confirms attacks on two ships bound for occupied Palestine IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 24, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces, has confirmed the missile attacks on two ships heading to occupied Palestine. According to Al-Masirah, Saree said that "Transworld Navigator" was targeted in the Red Sea by unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) of the Yemeni army for the second time. The Yemeni army announced that the missile unit targeted another ship named "STOLT SEQUOIA" in the Indian Ocean with a missile. He added that both vessels were targeted because they belonged to companies that had violated the embargo of the Zionist regime to enter the ports. In another part of the statement, the Yemeni army referred to the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower from the Red Sea as the result of the Yemeni army's operation. The Yemeni army once again warned foreign companies that their ships would be attacked if they cooperated with the Zionist regime. It also expressed gratitude to the companies that have stopped shipping to the ports of occupied Palestine. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Al-Qassam ATGM strikes Israeli vehicle for first time ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 24 June 2024 / 11:18 Palestinian Resistance fighters carried on their confrontation with Israeli occupation forces on multiple fronts in the Gaza Strip, as fighting concentrated in the southern areas of Rafah on Sunday. Tehran -ISNA- For the first time since the invasion of Rafah was launched in early May, Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, announced that its fighters fired an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) at an Israeli target. The announcement marks a rare incident in the Gaza Strip, which has seen little use of ATGMs against Israeli targets. Al-Qassam's Military Media Unit said that the fighters fired an ATGM at an Israeli armored vehicle, Ofek, in Tal Za'arab in the southern part of Rafah. The statement added that the vehicle caught fire after being hit by the missile. The Ofek armored personnel carrier (APC) is a heavily armored vehicle used primarily by occupation officers to command and control battlefield units. Although this is its primary use, the vehicle was introduced recently and could be used for other purposes such as an onfield hospital. After the vehicle was hit by the Resistance's missile, an Israeli military rescue force was deployed to the area. Al-Qassam fighters fired a barrage of locally-produced Rajoum 114 mm rocket artillery shells at the force. Other operations conducted by the Palestinian Resistance included a heavy shelling of Israeli occupation positions around Rafah and the Netzarim Axis. Al-Qassam mortar units jointly attacked, with al-Quds Brigades fighters, Israeli occupation forces in southern Rafah with barrages of mortar shells on Sunday. The brigades also conducted another shelling operation against Israeli occupation forces in the Tell al-Sultan neighborhood in southwest Rafah. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lebanon denies Telegraph claims, invites officials for airport tour ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 24 June 2024 / 11:15 Following an unfounded report that Hezbollah receives and stores weapons at the airport of Beirut, the Lebanese Air Transport holds The Telegraph responsible for the safety of the civilian infrastructure. Tehran-ISNA- The Air Transport Union in Lebanon (UTA) denied in a statement The Telegraph's report in which it claimed that "Hezbollah stores missiles and explosives at Lebanon's main airport," saying that these claims were made without any proof offered. The UTA called The Telegraph's unfounded claims "mere illusions and lies aimed at endangering Beirut Airport and its civilian workers, as well as travelers to and from it, all of whom are civilians." Moreover, the Air Transport Union held the media outlet, as well as "those who report on it and spread its falsehoods" responsible for the safety of those who work at Beirut Airport in all its facilities, "including the passenger terminal, departure and arrival, the apron, maintenance, and civil air cargo." Additionally, in its statement, it called on all Lebanese, Arab, and foreign media outlets to come to Beirut Airport "with their camera crews and verify for themselves, otherwise, we consider what is being promoted by suspicious media outlets as incitement to kill us." On his part, Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, proclaimed, in a press conference, that "Beirut Airport has been subjected to disinformation for years," adding that instead of publishing a "ridiculous" and baseless report citing anonymous sources, the British daily "should have opted for checking in with the British Department of Transport, which conducted a field visit of the airport on January 22, 2024." "This is the primary authority responsible for transportation matters at the airport," he stated. Questioning the paper's credibility, Hamieh asked, "Is it conceivable that a reputable newspaper would change its sources within an hour?" Additionally, the caretaker minister called on all media outlets and all ambassadors or their representatives to visit the airport tomorrow at 10:30 am for a tour of all airport facilities to make sure that the airport is strictly a civilian infrastructure and that no weapons are being smuggled through it. "We have nothing to hide," he maintained. Moreover, Hamieh informed the press, "We are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the newspaper and we will announce the details later." In a similar vein, Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Information, Zaid Makary, accused The Telegraph's article, in a post on X, of contradicting the principles and ethics of journalism and called on all media outlets not only to denounce the article but also to expose the goals behind its publication under today's circumstances. The goals behind this article are "not innocent", he stressed. Furthermore, he reiterated Minister Hamieh's invitation for a tour at the airport to verify first-hand the falsity of The Telegraph's allegations. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Resistance front will give harsh response to Israel if Lebanon invaded: Iran's top commander ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 24 June 2024 / 11:12 The commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Force says the resistance front will not remain indifferent and will give a harsh response to the Israeli regime if starts a new war on Lebanon. Tehran-ISNA- Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari made the remarks in response to Israel's latest rhetoric that it will launch a full-blown war against the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. He said Iran's April 13 punitive measure -- called Operation True Promise -- against Israel's attack on the Islamic Republic's diplomatic premises in Syria changed the conditions and equations in the West Asia region. The operation changed many old formulas and led to a new situation in the region, he added. The top commander emphasized that Iran, as an emerging power in the region, has succeeded in revealing its capabilities to the world by conducting missile attacks on Israeli targets in the occupied territories. On April 1, the Israeli regime carried out terrorist airstrikes on the consular section of Iran's embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus, which killed two generals of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers. In retaliation, the IRGC targeted the occupied territories on April 13 with a barrage of drones and missiles. The retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise, inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied Palestinian territories. Heidari further pointed to Israel's crimes in Gaza over the past nine months and said the regime has been stuck in a quagmire in the Strip. "The regime's threats against Lebanon's Hezbollah are not a new issue," the commander emphasized. The Israeli regime began waging sporadic attacks against Lebanon after it launched the ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, prompting a firefight with Hezbollah. The exchange of fire has intensified since the Israeli assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Sami Taleb Abdullah. The movement has retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets into the northern parts of the occupied territories. On Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had approved plans for an attack on Lebanon, raising concerns that the regime might try to realize threats that it will turn Lebanon into another Gaza. In a recent speech, however, Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, asserted that "in case an inclusive war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, without limits." End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Excerpt from PM Netanyahu's Knesset Remarks Israel - Prime Minister's Office Events and Speeches The 37th Government 24.06.2024 Following are remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, at the Knesset: "Mr. Speaker, Members of Knesset, 'Hold your head high, don't stop until we win.' That's what Oren Smadja said last Friday at the funeral of his son, Omer, who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip. Lily Deri said at the funeral of her son, Saadiya, who fell in battle alongside Omer, 'The great sacrifice we made will not be in vain. We demand absolute victory and a clear conclusion.' This is the self-sacrifice of the fighters of Israel. This is the self-sacrifice of the people of Israel. We are not willing to compromise on less than a total victory over the murderers of Hamas. We have struck down thousands of them. We are hounding their leaders. We will continue to do so until we eliminate Hamas's military and governing capabilities. Until we return our 120 hostages, both living and deceased. Until we ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat against Israel. And until we return the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes. Nothing will stop us. We are in a fight for our existence, a fight being conducted on seven fronts. The attack against us is being led by Iran, which openly seeks to destroy us. Iran and its proxies have been scheming to do this through missile attacks against Israel and by invading our territory. The more we deepen the war in the Gaza Strip, the more we discover additional evidence of the scope of the multi-front campaign against us. We will thwart this campaign. We will thwart it because Iran has completely misjudged us. It did not take into account our strength, our capabilities, our determination to defend ourselves and to impose a destructive cost on our aggressor. I say to you, Members of Knesset, and to the citizens of Israel, we are faced with great challenges and we face difficult decisions. They will require sacrifice, courage and internal unity. I promise you three things. First, we will not end the war until we return all of our hostages - 120 hostages, the living and the deceased. We are committed to the Israeli proposal, which President Biden has welcomed. Our position has not changed. Second, which does not contradict the first, we will not end the war until we eliminate Hamas and until we return the residents of the south and the north securely to their homes. And third - at any price and in any way, we will thwart Iran's intentions to destroy us. I would like to tell you one more thing: During wartime, I have no intention of discussing commissions of inquiry. I said previously that now is not the time for this. But I will tell you that the decisions I made regarding the submarines and ships were and remain vital for ensuring our security against Iran's axis of evil. Some already were proven during the present war. The ships that we brought intercepted the drone attack directed at the State of Israel during the present war. They saved many lives. What would have happened if I had not made the decision to bring these ships here? You speak to me of bureaucratic processes? I am talking about Israel's security. My decision was vital to Israel's security. Reality has already proved this and history will prove it even more strongly. And no commission of inquiry appointed by the previous government for a clear political purpose will change that. And if we are speaking about ships, unfortunately there are some people who are drilling holes in the ship of state during wartime. While our heroic soldiers are fighting courageously for the security of the entire nation, some people are trying to weaken our spirit. They repeatedly insist that the IDF cannot win. They scorn, incite and deride, they normalize violence. But this is only a vocal minority. The majority of the country rejects this extremism. The majority of the country is united in the profound understanding that we cannot ease our war efforts. They are united in the knowledge that we must win, that we must unite and not be divided, that we must remember that the enemy is without and not within. And the majority of the country is right. They are right. We must fight together for our existence. We must fight together against our enemies. Together we will fight and with G-d's help, together we will win." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President and the King of Spain visited the Air Force Base President of the Republic of Lithuania June 24, 2024 On Monday, President Gitanas Nauseda, together with King Felipe VI of Spain, visited the Lithuanian Air Force Base, where they met with the Spanish contingent participating in the Baltic air policing mission. The Head of State and the Spanish monarch met with the troops of the Baltic air policing mission, and were briefed on the capabilities and equipment. The President thanked the King for Spain's contribution to the security of the Baltic region, highlighting Spain's participation in the Baltic air policing mission for the eleventh time, its active involvement in NATO's forward presence, and the deployment of NASAMS medium-range air defense systems in Latvia. The President and the King of Spain were also briefed on the host nation support provided by the Lithuanian Air Force and on the operations of the Baltic air policing mission. During the meeting, members of the Spanish Air Force contingent leading the Baltic air policing mission presented their tasks, activities, equipment, and fighter jets. As part of the implementation of NATO's decisions and the strengthening of air defense in our region, the Head of State made a proposal to consider contributing to the practical implementation of NATO's rotational air defense model by deploying air defense capabilities in Lithuania. According to Gitanas Nauseda, the Baltic air policing mission demonstrates NATO solidarity. The commitment of allied countries is currently supported by fighter jets and troops from Spain and Portugal conducting air policing duties. The NATO air policing mission in the Baltic States was launched at the end of March 2004, following Lithuania's accession to NATO. The mission aims to safeguard the airspace of the Baltic States, thus ensuring the integrity of NATO's European airspace. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for attacking 2 cargo ships People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:29, June 24, 2024 SANAA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking two cargo ships in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean. "The naval forces of our armed forces carried out a second targeting operation for the ship TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR in the Red Sea with an unmanned boat, which resulted in a direct hit on the ship," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. "The missile force of our armed forces carried out an operation targeting the ship STOLT SEQUOIA in the Indian Ocean with several cruise missiles, and the operation achieved its objectives successfully," he said. The attacks come in response to what Houthi claimed their owner companies' violation of the group's entry ban into Israeli ports, according to the spokesman. Speaking of the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower, which had just left the region, Yahya claimed that a series of Houthi attacks drove the vessel away. He reiterated that his group's attacks would continue until Israel stops its war in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip. Earlier in the day, a Yemeni government official told Xinhua that the merchant vessel TRANSWORLD NAVIGATOR, flying the Liberian flag, was struck twice by the Houthi group successively on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden, and on early Sunday, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah. The official said the ship was damaged but was still proceeding to its destination with no injuries reported from the crew. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving a report of an incident approximately 65 nautical miles west of Hodeidah. The UKMTO's statement indicated that the master of a merchant vessel reported an impact from an uncrewed aerial system, which resulted in ship damage. All crew members were reported safe, and the ship was said to be proceeding to its next port of call. These attacks are part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, which began in November 2023, targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The group claims to be targeting vessels associated with Israel or en route to Israeli ports, citing the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip as justification. The ongoing conflict along the vital shipping lanes of the Red Sea and surrounding waters continues to raise concerns about maritime security and global trade implications. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH: China harassment in Ayungin 'aggressive, illegal use of force' Philippine News Agency By Darryl John Esguerra June 24, 2024, 3:50 pm Updated on June 24, 2024, 4:55 pm MANILA -- The recent harassment by Chinese vessels on Philippine boats in Ayungin Shoal was an "aggressive and illegal use of force," the Philippine government said Monday. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said the government made the conclusion following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s visit to the Western Command (Wescom) on Sunday where he met with the soldiers involved in the rotation and resupply (RORE) mission hijacked by the China Coast Guard (CCG). "We see the latest incident in Ayungin not as a misunderstanding or an accident. It is a deliberate act of the Chinese officialdom to prevent us from completing our mission," Teodoro said in a Palace press briefing. "After our visit to our troops in Palawan yesterday, where the President personally talked to the troops involved in the RORE, we have now come to a conclusion that it was not a misunderstanding or an accident. We are not downplaying the incident. It was an aggressive and illegal use of force," he said. On June 17, CCG boats rammed a Philippine government supply ship, brandished bladed weapons, and seized disassembled rifles during the country's RORE mission in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). During the confrontation, one Filipino soldier had his thumb cut off after it got caught between Philippine and Chinese boats. Marcos visited the troops involved in the RORE mission at the Wescom headquarters in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and expressed his admiration and all-out support to them. Known as the "Defenders and Patriots of the Last Frontier," the Wescom has jurisdiction over the country's maritime territory, particularly the WPS. READ: PBBM on WPS tension: Calm, peaceful disposition not sign of submission Teodoro also echoed Marcos' statement that the Philippines, as a responsible state, continue to find peaceful solutions to the WPS issue. He said the government's policy on the WPS will not change despite the incident. No announcement of RORE schedule Meanwhile, Teodoro said the Philippines will continue in carrying out RORE missions on a regular basis, but will no longer announce its schedule. "We reiterate that we seek neither permission nor consent from anyone in performing our sworn duties in the West Philippine Sea," he said. "In this regard we will continue our rotation and resupply missions on a regular basis, the welfare of our troops in the BRP Sierra Madre being a matter of utmost importance. The President has reiterated that we will not publish schedules of any RORE," he said. No convening for National Security Council yet National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Ano said he is not recommending the convening of the National Security Council "as of the moment." He said the National Maritime Council is the one managing the issue. "At this moment, the situation in Ayungin and issues in the West Philippine Sea are effectively being managed by National Maritime Council. In fact, the National Maritime Council has already convened and acting on the direction of the President." "So, at this moment, we are not recommending for the convening of the National Security Council. However, the President has the discretion to convene the full council or the executive committee anytime," he said. Commendable On Monday, the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) also lauded the professionalism of Navy troops and enlisted personnel despite China's harassment during the June 17 rotation and resupply mission in the Ayungin Shoal in the WPS. "In spite of escalatory actions of China seagoing elements in the WPS, our Navy personnel exercise extreme caution and unequalled patience to successfully complete their mission amidst undue harassment and risk of physical harm," AGFO president and chair, retired Vice Adm. Emilio Marayag said in a statement. Marayag said China's actions violate several United Nations protocols and called these piratical, escalatory and "considered unchivalrous in the honorable profession of arms." "AGFO supports and trusts the government's stand to assert our sovereign rights in the WPS and exhorts the Armed Forces of the Philippines in protecting and take care of our frontline troops," he said. (with Priam Nepomuceno/PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi resistance to fight Israel 'at zero distance,' official warns Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 11:05 PM An Iraqi official has warned that the country's resistance fighters would engage the Israeli regime "at zero distance" if the latter realized its threats of waging a war against Lebanon. The comments were made on Monday by Abu Alaa al-Walae, secretary-general of the Sayyed Al-Shuhada Brigades. The brigades is a component of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a coalition of resistance movements in the Arab country. It is also part of Iraq's Islamic Resistance, which is an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters. The Islamic Resistance has been staging numerous strikes against targets lying across the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023 when the Israeli regime began waging a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. So far, the Iraqi fighters have been "striking the Zionist enemy's strongholds from a distance of over 800 kilometers (497 miles)," Walae said. The "geographical barrier will [however] be removed if the Zionist entity commits the folly of waging war on Lebanon," he added. "In that case, the fighting will be at zero distance, and all types of the resistance's military arsenal will be usable and capable of hitting their targets with extreme precision." The Israeli regime began launching sporadic attacks against Lebanon following the onset of the Gaza war, prompting a firefight with the country's resistance movement Hezbollah. The exchange of fire has intensified since the Israeli assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Sami Taleb Abdullah. The movement has retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets into the northern parts of the occupied territories. Last Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had approved plans for an attack on Lebanon, raising concerns that the regime might try to realize its recurrent threats of turning Lebanon into another Gaza. Speaking recently, though, Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah asserted that "in case an inclusive war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, without limits." "Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it," the Hezbollah leader noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas fighters confront Israeli forces in Rafah Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 5:02 PM Palestinian Resistance fighters have confronted Israeli military forces on multiple fronts in the Gaza Strip, with their military capacity remaining intact after eight months of Israel's genocidal war on the besieged territory. Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a Monday statement that the fighters fired an anti-tank guided missile at an Israeli armored vehicle in southern Rafah. Al-Qassam's mortar units jointly with al-Quds Brigades' fighters also attacked the regime's military forces with barrages of mortar shells on Sunday. The resistance fighters, it said, conducted another shelling operation against Israeli forces in the Tell al-Sultan neighborhood in southwest Rafah. Al-Quds Brigades fighters also targeted Israeli soldiers in the Netzarim Axis with a salvo of rockets. The development came after the head of the regime Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the "intense phase" of fighting with Hamas fighters is nearly over in Rafah. Netanyahu, however, said, "It does not mean that the war will be over." Israel launched its bloodiest-ever military campaign in Gaza in early October. Ever since, the regime's military forces have killed more than 37,600 Palestinians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestinian factions demand cessation of Israeli aggression, withdrawal of forces, as Netanyahu opposes Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 3:41 PM Palestinian factions have demanded a cessation of Israeli aggression and the withdrawal of the regime's forces from the Gaza Strip. "The position of the resistance factions is clear and steadfast in demanding a complete cessation of aggression and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip," read a statement run by Palestinian media center on Monday. In a statement on Telegram social media platform, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said, "Any agreement for a prisoner exchange deal will not happen without an end to the Zionists genocide war, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, lifting the blockade, and reconstruction." "Any ceasefire must include a comprehensive halt to hostilities, a complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Strip, the return of all displaced persons to their homes, reconstruction, breaking the siege, and opening all crossings without conditions. It also reaffirms that the American position favors the occupation and its ceasefire efforts are dubious and suspicious," it added. Americans claim to be pursuing a truce and captives deal between Israel and the Palestinian government in Gaza aimed to end the conflict. US President Joe Biden has even said that there is "every reason" to draw the conclusion that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political gains. In contrast to public demand, Netanyahu says there will be no Gaza ceasefire until Israelis' war objectives are achieved. The Israeli prime minister has stressed his plan is to continue the months-long genocidal war until the complete eradication of the ruling Palestinian Hamas resistance movement in Gaza. However, giving in to international pressure, Netanyahu said he is ready for what he has referred to as a "partial deal" with the Palestinian Hamas. Netanyahu announced after the prisoner swap was done, the genocidal war would be resumed until the total annihilation of Hamas. The Hamas resistance movement denounced the announcement saying it's in opposition to a proposal suggested by the Biden administration for a three-phase ceasefire deal. The proposal by Washington includes a permanent end to the aggression in exchange for the release of all Israeli captives held in Gaza, the Hamas resistance movement said, adding, that the decision by the Israeli prime minister is in clear rejection of the ceasefire resolution adopted by the United Nations. "War criminal Netanyahu unequivocally confirms he does not want to stop the war due to narrow calculations and rejects Biden's proposal contrary to American claims," the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) said in its statement on Telegram social media platform. The PLFP affirms that Netanyahu's declaration "that he does not want to stop the war, and that he seeks a partial agreement followed by renewed hostilities" is a clear confirmation that he does not want to halt the war. He rejects Biden's proposal specifically, contrary to American claims. This stance articulated by Netanyahu proves he is the primary obstacle to a ceasefire agreement and suggests there is an American-"Israeli" game to impose a ceasefire and prisoner exchange without guarantees, allowing the occupation to resume aggression. Regarding Netanyahu's remarks about "the failure of plans for tribal management of Gaza, and his undisclosed alternative plans," the PLFP emphasizes that no Palestinian individual or entity agrees to play such a suspicious role. There is a national consensus to thwart this plan and determine the future of the Strip. Netanyahu's statements confirm his relentless prolongation of the war for narrow political gains, even at the expense of Zionist prisoners, disregarding facts on the ground, appeals from Zionist prisoner families, or advice from Zionist political and military leaders confirming the inability to achieve any objectives in the Strip. Netanyahu's statements confirm that Biden's card is nothing but a trap set for the resistance factions by the criminal American administration, the PLFP added. Netanyahu's statements affirm that the Zionist enemy is desperate and confused, with few options to confront the resistance and its axis. All attempts by the entity to create alternatives in Gaza have failed, and any new attempts are destined to fail as well. They are mere illusions that will sink the entity and its leaders. The PLFP also urged the international community to exert continuous pressure on the Israeli regime and its main backer, the United States, for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. "We call upon our Arab and Islamic peoples, all free people around the world, university students, and boycott movements to rise up and continue supporting and endorsing our people and their resistance. Expose the crimes of genocide, starvation, massacres, and slaughters committed by the Zionist-American enemy against our people in Gaza," it said in a statement posted on Telegram social media platform on Monday. Since October, the Israelis' genocidal attacks on Gaza -- exacerbated by the blockade of clean water, food, and medicine -- have killed close to 40,000 Palestinians. Also, months of relentless Israeli attacks from land, air, and sea have reduced more than half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip to dust. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netahyahu dismisses ceasefire proposal, threatens to continue Gaza genocide Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 3:40 PM Benjamin Netanyahu of the Israeli regime says the military will continue its offensive in Gaza, even if Tel Aviv agrees to some aspects of a truce deal to return some captives held by Hamas in the Palestinian territory. In a TV interview Sunday night, the prime minister of Israel claimed that the "intense phase" of fighting with Hamas fighters is nearly over in the southern town of Rafah. "But that does not mean that the war will be over." Once the intense phase of the Gaza war was over, he said, Israeli forces would "face north." He said that the redeployment of the regime's forces to the border with Lebanon would be "first and foremost for defensive purposes." Netanyahu also claimed that he is "willing to make a partial deal [with Hamas], which will bring some of the people back to us. That is no secret. But we're committed to continuing the war after the truce." Around 250 people were taken captive during Hamas's unprecedented operation against the occupied territories on October 7. The total number of Israeli captives still held by Hamas is now 116, of which at least 41 are dead. Netanyahu has once again threatened that the regime's goal is "to uproot" the Hamas resistance movement in Gaza. In a statement on Monday, Hamas described Netanyahu's comments as a "clear confirmation of his rejection" of the US-supported truce deal, which also received the backing of the United Nations' Security Council. Hamas reiterated that any such deal must include a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) also denounced Netanyahu's remarks. It said that the intention of the head of the "Israeli" fascist regime to declare "a victory" over the resistance in the Gaza Strip is actually an admission of the defeat suffered by the military. The regime, it said, has so far failed "to achieve all its objectives," in the Palestinian territory. "Netanyahu's claim that he succeeded in undermining the capabilities of the resistance to prevent a recurrence of Al-Aqsa Flood battle on October 7th is nothing but a big lie, which even his military leadership does not believe." The Israeli regime's military spokesperson Daniel Hagari had earlier acknowledged that Hamas cannot be eliminated. "To say that we are going to make Hamas disappear is to throw sand in people's eyes," Hagari said. He said Hamas is an ideology and "we cannot eliminate an ideology." After Hamas launched its surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the regime on October 7, Netanyahu ordered Israeli military forces to attack the besieged Gaza Strip with a force "like never before." The regime's military has so far killed more than 37,600 Palestinians in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 23: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 12:40 PM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 37,600 Palestinians so far, including around 17,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Sunday, June 23, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on June 23: Targeted the gatherings of Israeli forces penetrating south of the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, with several mortar shells. Targeted and destroyed an engineering vehicle of the "Ovik Carpet" type with a guided missile west of the Tal Zorob area in Rafah City, southern Gaza Strip. In a joint operation with Al-Quds Brigades, targeted a group of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in Yibna Camp in Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, with mortar shells. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on June 23: In a joint operation with Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades, bombed the "Kissufim" military site with heavy-caliber mortar shells. Targeted a group of Israeli forces stationed at Dahleh Al-Tur and Kashikeh Street in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus with live bullets and a highly explosive device. Targeted a position of Israeli soldiers on Al-Rashid Street in the "Netzarim" axis, south of Gaza City, with a rocket barrage. In a joint operation with Al-Qassam Brigades, targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the axis of advance south of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of mortar shells. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on June 23: Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces that invaded the occupied West Bank city of Nablus from multiple axes, using machine guns and explosive devices. Targeted an Israeli infantry patrol in the "Netzarim" axis with a 107mm rocket. Targeted the positions of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles with a barrage of regular-calibre mortar shells, in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on June 23: Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces stationed in the "Netzarim" axis with a rocket barrage Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on June 23: In a joint operation with the Al-Quds Brigades, targeted Israeli military gatherings positioned on Al-Rashid Street in the "Netzarim" axis, south of Gaza City, with a rocket salvo. Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on June 23: Targeted a group of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles infiltrating the middle of Al-Shaboura Camp in Rafah city, south of the Gaza Strip, with mortar shells. Hezbollah's operations on June 23: Israeli soldiers in the Sahel Battalion in the Beit Hillel barracks were targeted with drones. Israeli soldiers in the new 91st Division headquarters in Ayelet Hashahar were targeted with drones. The Ramtha site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba was targeted with missiles. The Al-Samaqa site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba was targeted with missiles. The Ruwaisat al-Qarn site in Lebanon's Shebaa was targeted with missiles. A military vehicle at the Metula site was targeted it with guided missiles. Yemeni military's operations on June 23: Targeted the ship Transworld Navigator in the Red Sea, using a naval drone, the second time in less than 24 hours. Targeted the ship STOLT SEQUOIA in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, hitting it precisely. Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on June 23: Launched a drone at a vital military target in Umm Al-Rashrash (Eilat). In a joint operation with the Yemeni military, targeted four ships in the port of Haifa In a joint operation with the Yemeni military, targeted the Shorthorn Express in the Meditteranean Sea while it was on its way to the port of Haifa, with a barrage of drones. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah: All sensitive Israeli targets within range; Tel Aviv seeks to make up for losses Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 11:10 AM Amid the Israeli regime's repeated threats of waging a war against Lebanon, Hezbollah says launching such military action against the country would not help Tel Aviv make up for its defeats. Deputy Chairman of Hezbollah's Executive Council Sheikh Nabil Qaouq made the remarks on Monday, Lebanon's Arabic-language online newspaper Elnashra reported. "Lebanon will not serve as a place for Israel, where it could make up for its defeats. The country will rather remain an arena for the Zionist enemy's defeat and a place for victory and deterrence against it (the Israeli regime)," he said. "The resistance's missiles and drones are capable of reaching their sensitive targets wherever it (the resistance) wants," the Hezbollah official added. The Israeli regime began waging sporadic attacks against Lebanon following the onset of Tel Aviv's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, prompting a firefight with Hezbollah. The exchange of fire has intensified since the Israeli assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Sami Taleb Abdullah. The movement has retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets into the northern parts of the occupied territories. On Tuesday, the Israeli army said it had approved plans for an attack on Lebanon, raising concerns that the regime might try to realize its recurrent threats of turning Lebanon into another Gaza. Qaouq, however, said the frequent nature of the Israeli threats pointed to the regime's "desperation and weakness, not [its] power." 'A sea of fear' "These threats do not [serve to] lend assurance to the regime, but rather drown them (the enemy) in a sea of fear," he said, adding, "The enemy's senior officials threaten [war], but [in reality, they] are trembling with fear." Lebanon is strong and does not depend on any foreign party for its security, the official noted and attributed the country's security to "the resistance's equations and surprises." Qaouq pointed to resistance fronts in Iraq and Yemen -- which have vowed to spring to Lebanon's defense in case of war with the Israeli regime -- noting that the interconnected nature of the resistance fronts "has changed the face of the region." "The enemy has ignored all international resolutions, but cannot ignore the resistance and various resistance fronts' drones, missiles, strength, and [ability to] surprise." The Hezbollah official's remarks echoed those made by the movement's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who asserted in a recent speech that "in case an inclusive war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, without limits." "Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it," the Hezbollah leader noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over 17,000 Palestinian children orphaned by war as 21,000 kids missing Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 10:10 AM The Government Media Office in Gaza says more than 17,000 children have been orphaned since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on the Palestinian territory more than eight months ago. The media office released the figure on Monday, adding that 3 percent of the orphaned Gaza children have lost both of their parents. Meanwhile, Save the Children, a leading humanitarian organization for children, said in a statement that up to 21,000 Palestinian children are estimated to be missing in Israel's Gaza onslaught. The figure, it noted, includes at least 17,000 children, who are believed to be unaccompanied and separated from their families, and approximately 4,000 children, who are likely missing under the rubble. The charity further said that an unknown number of children are in mass graves while others have been forcibly disappeared, including those detained and transferred out of Gaza. "Families are tortured by the uncertainty of the whereabouts of their loved ones. No parent should have to dig through rubble or mass graves to try and find their child's body. No child should be alone, unprotected in a war zone. No child should be detained or held hostage," said Jeremy Stoner, Save the Children's regional director for the Middle East. He further stressed that a ceasefire is needed "desperately" in Gaza to help "support the missing children who have survived and to prevent more families from being destroyed." Israel unleashed its brutal Gaza offensive on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out its historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 37,598 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 86,032 others in Gaza. The Israeli aggression is having a catastrophic impact on the Gaza children, causing mental harm to them. Many are losing their lives due to Israel's imposed starvation on the besieged Palestinian territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Seven, including children, killed as over 100 abducted in gunmen attack in northern Nigeria Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 8:58 AM Gunmen have attacked a village in northwestern Nigeria, killing at least seven people and abducting more than 100 others, residents and police say. The attack took place in Nigeria's northwestern Katsina state on Saturday night, residents and police said. According to residents, gunmen on motorbikes arrived in Maidabino village in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina, and began firing sporadically, forcing residents to flee. Hassan Aliyu, one of the residents, told Reuters by phone that the attack took residents by surprise and dozens of women and children were confirmed missing. "They killed seven people, including burning two children," he said, adding, "They spent more than six hours destroying our properties." Auwalu Ismail, another resident, said the gunmen first blocked all roads leading to the village before the attack. "They burned down our shops, vehicles, and took away our livestock. They also kidnapped my wife and more than 100 women and children," he said. State police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the attack and the seven deaths. But he refrained from commenting on the news of missing people, saying investigations are underway. "The remaining men who did not flee are living in fear ... and waiting to hear news about their abducted loved ones," Muhammad Sani, whose sister was kidnapped, said. Nigeria's northwest and central regions have seen the largest mass abductions for ransoms in recent years. In March, Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped more than 250 school children, including at least 100 children aged 12 or under, after raiding a school in a town in the northwestern state of Kaduna. Last year, gunmen took over 80 students in a raid on a school in the northwestern state of Kebbi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN deplores Israel 'lawless behavior' as EU says Gaza crisis at 'breaking point' Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 6:29 AM The UN human rights office has decried the Israeli regime's "lawless behavior" in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank amid a genocidal war and incessant aggression by the regime. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued the condemnation in a statement on Sunday. It singled out for criticism a recent Israeli raid against the al-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, which killed at least 24 Palestinians. Such "attacks appear to be disproportionate in that they would be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, and damage to civilian objects excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated," the office said. Nearly 37,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed and over 86,000 others sustained injuries in the Israeli war against the coastal sliver that began on October 7 following a retaliatory operation staged by the territory's resistance groups. The UN office also mentioned an incident in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, during which Israeli forces had tied an injured Palestinian man to the hood of an armored vehicle, apparently using him as a human shield. The OHCHR condemned "continued and flagrant violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law binding on Israel as the occupying power." "Such actions constitute serious violations of Israel's obligations under occupation law concerning protected persons and under international human rights law concerning individual rights to life and health, the absolute prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." EU: Gaza crisis has reached another breaking point The UN statement came following one by the European Union, which warned that the crisis in war-torn Gaza had reached "another breaking point." The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic had released the statement on Sunday. "The delivery of any meaningful humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become almost impossible and the very fabric of civil society is unraveling," they had said. "Starving civilians are resorting to desperate measures to access the limited aid that trickles in." Concomitantly with the war, the Israeli regime has been enforcing a near-total siege on Gaza, which has reduced the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory into a trickle. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US official on Vietnam visit warns of 'irresponsible' China US Assistant State Secretary Kritenbrink visited Vietnam amid heightened tensions between China and Philippines. By RFA Staff 2024.06.24 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has visited Vietnam for talks with senior officials on bilateral relations and regional issues including the disputed South China Sea where, he said, China had been engaging in irresponsible and "deeply destabilizing" behavior. Kritenbrink's visit comes just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin spent a day in Vietnam meeting top leaders but Kritenbrink denied that his trip on the weekend had anything to do with that. Tensions have been rising sharply in the South China Sea, in particular between China and U.S. ally the Philippines, whose vessels have been confronting each other near the Second Thomas Shoal in Philippine waters, which China also claims. The Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard of ramming and boarding Philippine navy boats during a June 17 confrontation, causing severe injuries to Filipino personnel. China disputed that saying its personnel had acted lawfully. "We think that China's actions, particularly its recent actions, around the Second Thomas Shoal, vis-a-vis the Philippines have been irresponsible, aggressive, dangerous, deeply destabilizing," Kritenbrink told a press briefing in Hanoi on Saturday. The assistant secretary of state said that "many of China's actions ... should be of great concern, we think, for the entire region," according to a recording of the briefing reviewed by RFA. "We think every country in the region, including China, needs to respect international law and needs to behave responsibly in the maritime domain," Kritenbrink added. He reaffirmed that the mutual defense treaty obligations that the U.S. has with the Philippines are "ironclad." "We are going to continue to stand with our Filipino allies," Kritenbrink said, while declining to engage in discussion of any hypothetical situation. 'Deeply concerned' The U.S. assistant state secretary met with Vietnam's minister of foreign affairs, Bui Thanh Son, and one of his deputies, vice minister Ha Kim Ngoc. The Vietnamese government reported on its website that Son and Kritenbrink stressed the importance of resolving disputes, including in the East Sea, Vietnam's name for the South China Sea, through peaceful measures, in accordance with international law. Earlier, a Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson said that her country was "closely monitoring and deeply concerned about the incident on June 17." Pham Thu Hang said Vietnam urged China and the Philippines to show restraint and act appropriately in accordance with international law, respecting the sovereignty and jurisdiction rights over the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of coastal nations, which are established in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. That call for respect of international law was until now the most explicit expression of support for the Philippines from Vietnam, which has always been careful not to antagonize its big neighbor China. China claims historic rights over more than 80% of the South China Sea, more than any other claimant. Philippine officials on Friday said Manila has not considered invoking the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. which obliges the United States to come to support it if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea. Giving a platform Asked about Putin's less than 24-hour visit to Russia's old ally Vietnam on Thursday, Kritenbrink said: "Only Vietnam can decide how best to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its interests." Prior to Putin's arrival, the U.S. embassy in Hanoi said in a statement that "no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities." Both the United States and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of Vietnam. While Russia is Vietnam's main supplier of weapons and other military equipment, the U.S. has become its largest export market, worth US$97 billion in 2023, according to official statistics. Kritenbrink said on the social platform X that during his visit, he discussed with Vietnamese partners "how our nations can continue to implement the critical U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and bolster strong supply chains, high tech partnerships, educational ties, and bilateral investment." The senior diplomat, who served as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam from 2017 to 2021, insisted that trust between the two former enemies was at an all-time high and the U.S.-Vietnam partnership "has never been stronger." Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Megaprojects Back In Fashion In Central Asia's Poorest States By Chris Rickleton June 24, 2024 ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- For most of the last two decades, China has been the most obvious source of foreign direct investment for the countries of Central Asia. But for the two poorest countries of the region -- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan -- truly strategic investment from Beijing appeared to peak in the middle of that period. That was when Chinese companies agreed on deals to overhaul the transport and energy infrastructure in the two mountainous countries, build or modernize power plants in their respective capitals, and acquire lucrative mineral deposits along the way. These deals were most often backed with loans from Chinese state banks and carried the logic of Beijing's mammoth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), despite some of them predating Chinese leader Xi Jinping's 2013 unveiling of that vision. But more recently there has been something of a lull -- or at least an absence of eye-catching deals by Beijing for major projects. Recent official rhetoric suggests that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are eyeing fresh investment splurges from China, with one of those projects -- the multibillion dollar China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway -- rivaling some of Beijing's largest projects in the region. That is all positive, but can they enjoy a new wave of investment and avoid the "debt trap" that has become part of the BRI narrative in other countries around the world? CKU Railway Finally On Track? In the years immediately after Kyrgyzstan's second revolution in 2010, hundreds of millions of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into the country. One of the most obvious successes of this drive was the Datka-Kemin power transmission line, a $400 million project unifying the country's northern and southern electricity grids that was completed in 2015. After that, there was a drop off. While some analysts blamed this on chronic security issues in Kyrgyzstan -- a particular drag on the mining sector -- it is also true that Chinese investment had fulfilled many of the government's top priorities in terms of national-level projects. One idea that remained little more than a discussion since it was first conceived in the 1990s was the CKU railway, which supporters see as a game changer in intercontinental overland trade. The link has the potential to become an even faster rail route connecting Chinese and European markets than the routes that go through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus. In an interview with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service this month, Central Asia-focused researcher Davide Cancarini argued that CKU's urgency for Beijing has grown notably as the more traditional route loses its appeal due to the increased sanctions risk connected to Russia's war in Ukraine. Although the route remains operational for the moment, "for China, it has become important to find routes between East and West that don't traverse Russia," Cancarini noted. This same logic has also seen a boost in interest and investment in the so-called Middle Corridor, a route connecting China though Kazakhstan to the Caucasus and onto the large European Union single market. Still, the roughly 300-kilometer Kyrgyz leg of the railway has always looked rather expensive due to the extreme technical challenges through mountainous territory. And that is why the latest three-way meeting with the heads of state of the three countries present -- via video link -- in Beijing on June 6 had the feel of a breakthrough. "The transport ministers of [Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan] and the chairman of the State Committee for Development and Reform of China have signed [the agreement], financial models are approved, money has been found, and we plan to begin construction in August," trumpeted Akylbek Japarov, chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers one week after the meeting. But the idea that "money has been found" deserves further scrutiny. The agreement reached in Beijing and subsequently disclosed by Kyrgyzstan's unicameral legislature, the Jogorku Kenesh, is significant in that it offers details about the divisions of financial responsibility. According to the document, the three trio will form a joint company in which China will hold a 51 percent stake while Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will be responsible for 24.5 percent each. The conundrum lies in the fact that even official Kyrgyz estimates for the cost of its part of the track vary from $4.5 billion to $8 billion, with Japarov himself voicing the upper figure. Moreover, the agreement states that the project will operate under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) structure to be agreed to between Kyrgyzstan and the joint company where China has full control. The BOT principle should -- in theory -- protect Kyrgyzstan from excessive debt exposure but it may have to forfeit at least part of the revenue the railway generates from transit fees until it has covered its own building costs. And those could well increase further, given that the project will involve building around 50 tunnels and 90 bridges, in some cases at altitudes of 3,000 meters. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (no relation to Akylbek Japarov) said at the June 6 event that transit could bring $200 million annually into his country's coffers. Official estimates for Kyrgyzstan's contribution begin at almost $600 million. That is most likely to be met in the form of a Chinese loan, whose conditions are unknown. But at least Beijing's political will is clear. Kyrgyz media reported this month that China's Foreign and Commerce ministries had lowered the Central Asian country's risk rating to medium, leaving only "high-risk" ratings for two of the country's seven provinces that the track will not go through. The CKU railway is by far the largest and most intriguing potential project involving China and Kyrgyzstan. But an increasingly confident administration in Bishkek is also hopeful that Beijing will revive others. In October, Akylbek Japarov said Bishkek was hoping for Chinese assistance in building Kambarata-1, a $3 billion, 2,000-megawatt hydropower project on the Naryn River. He also mentioned the much smaller-scale Upper Naryn hydropower cascade, priced at more than $700 million over a decade ago. Both projects were originally slated for Russian investors before Bishkek tore up the deals, citing a lack of progress. Speaking on June 20 in parliament, Akylbek Japarov said that projects like Kambarata-1 and the China-led railway would put Kyrgyzstan's development on "a different trajectory," and likened President Japarov to Russia's visionary monarch Peter the Great. The cabinet chief also denied that either project would increase the state debt, since they are being carried out "as part of a public-private partnership," but offered no further details. In August, Japarov held talks with China's ambassador to Bishkek, Du Duwen, over Beijing's potential investment in yet another hydropower facility on the Sary-Jaz River in the eastern province of Issyk-Kul. The idea for that six-bloc, 1,100 megawatt facility dates back to the Soviet period. Tajikistan's Billion-Dollar Solar Savior? Chinese investments are very much in the news in Tajikistan these days, too. On June 21, Chinese investors at a forum in Dushanbe made pledges of over $500 million, according to the State Committee for Investment and Property Management of Tajikistan. They included promised investment for an iron-ore processing plant in the northern city of Khujand, the modernization of one of the capital's main stadiums, and the purchase of Chinese electric cars for local taxi services. This is standard fare for a country that the U.S. State Department called "saturated in opaque loans connected" to China's BRI and dependent on Beijing for more than "99.8 percent" of FDI in a 2023 investment climate statement. More eyebrow-raising is the apparent $1.5 billion commitment of a Chinese company to building a solar power plant near Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan. The investment revealed in late May by Tajikistan's Economic Development Ministry is envisaged in four stages, with the first costing a mere $150 million with a capacity of 150 megawatts. But if completed it would dwarf the investments made by China in other Tajik plants, such as the Dushanbe-2 power plant, commissioned in 2016, that cost $350 million. The power needs in Tajikistan -- where severe brownouts are common -- are well known. The World Bank estimated in 2013 that winter energy shortages alone cost the country more than $200 million -- 3 percent of gross domestic product -- each year. They remain chronic. Yet the latest round of Chinese investment comes at a time when Tajikistan's debt repayments are increasing. Dushanbe's obligations to the Export-Import Bank of China are the largest to any single creditor, standing at $900 million, down from nearly $1.4 billion in early 2022, while the grace period for a series of loans from this bank ends in 2025, according to the Tajik Finance Ministry. Combined with the expected full repayment of a $500 million Eurobond issued at a rate of more than 7 percent in 2027, this means that the cost of servicing the country's multibillion dollar external debt will more than double in the coming years. The proceeds from the Eurobond sale were earmarked for the Roghun megadam, a major weight on the national budget that officials estimate will require another $5 billion to finish. And China, too, is backing this project -- set to be the tallest in the world -- albeit via a financial institution where it has a privileged role. In May of last year, Tajikistan's presidential administration said the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, where Beijing holds more than 30 percent of the shares and has a voting stake of at least 26.5 percent, had pledged its own $500 million loan for Roghun. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan-megaprojects- central-asia-belt-road/33007345.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Committed to Ceasefire Plan in Gaza Strip Announced by Biden - Netanyahu Sputnik News 20240624 TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel remains committed to the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, announced by US President Joe Biden, but will not stop the war until it eliminates the radical Palestinian movement Hamas and returns all hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday. "I promise three things. First of all, we will not end the war until we return all the 120 abducted, both alive and dead. We are committed to the Israeli proposal, which was welcomed by President Biden. Our position has not changed," Netanyahu said in a speech to lawmakers. Israel will not stop the war "until it eliminates Hamas" and returns the inhabitants of the south and north safely to their homes, Netanyahu said. "Thirdly, at any cost and in any way, we will prevent Iran's intentions to destroy us," the prime minister concluded. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On the Acquittal of Philippine Former Senator De Lima on All Charges US Department of State Press Statement Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson June 24, 2024 The United States welcomes the acquittal of former Philippine Senator Leila de Lima on the final criminal charge against her. This decision follows her release on bail in November 2023 after nearly seven years of detention and her acquittal on two separate politically motivated criminal charges. The United States remains committed to working with the Philippines to strengthen democracy and human rights around the world. We continue to urge the Philippines to resolve politically motivated cases, including those against journalists and civil society, in a manner consistent with its international human rights obligations and commitments. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We urge Somalia to continue its efforts on security sector reform: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Somalia. 24 June 2024 First, I congratulate Somalia on its election to the UN Security Council for the term 2025 to 2026. Somalia's return to the Council after more than 50 years is a significant milestone. The UK looks forward to working closely with Somalia on the Council. Second, the UK notes progress on Somalia's constitutional review with the completion of the first four chapters. We encourage increased consultation and collaboration with all stakeholders in Somalia to ensure an inclusive process on political and constitutional reform moving forward. Third, we are at a critical moment in Somalia's security transition, as we reach the final stages of the ATMIS' drawdown. We welcome the African Union Communique on the joint strategic assessment for the post ATMIS security arrangements for an AU-led mission in Somalia. We also welcome the significant progress so far and urge the federal government of Somalia to continue its efforts on security sector reform. It is vital that security gains are not lost. Continued support from, and coordination with, international partners is critical, including the UN, AU, and troop contributing countries. We urge Somalia and the African Union to continue to work with the UN to progress the design of a follow-on mission. Fourth, the UK welcomes consultations between the UN and Somalia on next steps, including agreement on the timeline and modalities for UNSOM's transition. President, we do not take the progress made in Somalia for granted. The UK remains committed to working with the Somali authorities, UN and Council members to ensure progress is sustained. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speech by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the University of Nairobi UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 24 June 2024 Dear Vice-Chancellor, Dear Principal Secretary, Dear students, Ambassadors, Colleagues: from the UN and Resident Coordinator from the aid community from UNHCR, Ladies and gentlemen: What a privilege and a great pleasure to be here today! I have been looking forward so much to this event. I think you all know and can imagine that I speak in many places. But I specially value opportunities to speak at universities. For the ideas and the energies which universities generate. For your enthusiasm and willingness to innovate. And we cannot talk about "solutions" you will hear this word many times in the next half hour! without considering the critical role that the academic community has to play. And allow me to start by thanking the University of Nairobi. Thank you, both Vice-Chancellor and Principal Secretary, for your very kind and important words. And of course, thank you all for being here and to all of you who are listening online. I also understand that the school term has just ended and I appreciate those students who are here and who stretched school time a bit to come today: very special thanks to you, because what I want to talk about concerns also our common future, and that future is yours. You all know (I hope!) what I do I have a rather grand and a bit old-fashioned title, "high commissioner for refugees", sorry about that! It means essentially that I lead UNHCR, the main refugee institution of the United Nations and indeed of the international system. UNHCR is the custodian of fundamental refugee rights, as enshrined in important legal instruments; like the Refugee Convention. It is a big humanitarian agency, helping states respond to refugee crises; but it is also an organization tasked to work with governments, and other stakeholders, to find sustainable, rightful solutions sometimes temporary, sometimes durable ones to the problems of people who are forced to flee because of war, persecution and many forms of violence, and of course of those who are generously hosting them like you have done for decades here in Kenya. And there are many such forcibly displaced people in our troubled world: 120 million at our latest count, including refugees and people who seek refuge within their own country, whom we call internally displaced. 120 million: more than double, if I am not mistaken, the population of Kenya! You may be asking yourselves how are refugees an issue of common concern to me, to you? Well, in recent years and in many countries, especially in some countries of the so-called "global North", the issue of forced displacement refugees, other displaced people has been at the centre of the political debate. Unfortunately, very often, this is not the result of healthy politics which should look at solutions for this challenge but of political manipulation which aims mostly at gaining votes and winning elections. Earlier this month, at Georgetown University, in Washington, DC, I spoke of large-scale movements of people a big problem in the Americas - of refugees and migrants together (we call these "mixed movements") across continents, along routes that are literally "hemispheric", in search of safety or opportunity. I spoke of the very real dangers that these people face violence, extortion, torture, even death as they travel over seas, or through deserts and jungles. Often at the mercy of criminals, smugglers, traffickers. You may remember the terrible images of refugees and migrants languishing in abusive detention centres in Libya, broadcasted by media a few years back, sending waves of outrage across the world especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, we continue to see desperate people literally selling their lives to criminal traffickers. And they are just the tip of the iceberg of the "forced displacement" phenomenon. This is why, at Georgetown University, I set out the concrete actions that can be taken to address root causes, stabilize population flows, protect forcibly displaced people as they move and provide them with opportunities. Because we must recognize that opportunities exist. That solutions here is that word again exist. And they do not concern only the people on the move. They concern all of us, whether we are refugees or not. Forced displacement and irregular migration are global issues, as important for our future for your future as climate change, pandemics or peace and security. And that's what I want to reflect on today. Instead of repeating flawed recipes from the past, can we address this global challenge in new ways? In Kenya and beyond, what are the opportunities for stability and genuine solutions that we can create for people on the move, and for the communities hosting them, when we combine the right ingredients - the right policies, the right vision, the right leadership, and yes, the right international support? Now, I am not naive. In the world today one has few reasons for hope. War is what forces most refugees to flee, and the world seems to be unable to stop let alone prevent conflict. Or maybe and that is much worse it has become unwilling to make peace. The very institutions created to prevent war are broken. The United Nations' Security Council is fractured, paralyzed. Regional institutions in Europe certainly, but also in Africa are being severely tested by anti-democratic forces, by nativist and xenophobic ideas. And the price of this dysfunction is there for all to see. In Sudan, in the Sahel, in Ukraine, in Gaza. When you add the devastating effects of climate change felt so tragically in Kenya and across the region when you add economic crises and pandemics; when you add new and unregulated technologies that are distorting our sense of reality and, sometimes, undermining our shared values; when you add it all up the challenges seem overwhelming. The temptation is to turn inwards. To surrender to what I call the "narrative of impossibility". In many places, that narrative - "it's impossible" - has come to define the response to forced displacement. The unprecedented numbers of uprooted people are used to fuel resentment and the false statement that nothing can be done to address the problem. That the only choice possible is to adopt brutal, and frankly ineffective, policies: building walls, stopping boats, making it impossible to seek refuge, or countless other cynical political slogans that may attract votes but that fail to address the issues. People do not flee their homes in a vacuum. Allow conflicts to fester, and forced displacement rises. Do nothing about climate change, and forced displacement will rise. Condemn refugees to destitution, and they will remain refugees for longer. Deny them safety and opportunities, and criminal networks will lose no time to fill the void. Of course many in Kenya, in Africa and beyond are familiar with what forced displacement entails. Sometimes as people who had to escape war and persecution, sometimes as hosts to refugees and displaced people; and sometimes from both perspectives. Mercifully in Africa, and you should be proud of that, the prevailing narrative remains one of solidarity. I see examples of this time and again in my travels. But we must not take that generosity for granted. And how could we? Because, and I repeat this often, contrary to what we are told by many, most forcibly displaced people 75% according to our latest report are in countries of the "global South" like your country. People only flee their homes when they have no choice. In fact, more displaced people stay within their countries are internally displaced than cross international borders. Something we tend to forget. And of those who are forced (and able) to seek safety outside their homeland, and who therefore become asylum-seekers or refugees, more than two-thirds live in countries neighbouring their own often countries with limited resources. Therefore it is important for me to thank you, Kenya, for your generosity in hosting refugees decade after decade, because we know that it comes at a cost. And it is important to thank all other host countries and communities in Africa and beyond. I just arrived in Nairobi couple of days ago after spending time in Sudan and South Sudan. I talked to many fleeing the devastating Sudan war. I saw the generosity of communities offering them hospitality. But I also saw the pressures on infrastructure, on public services, on institutions. These pressures weigh particularly heavy, for example, on a country as young and fragile as South Sudan, but the same holds true wherever you look Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda... and further afield, in places like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Colombia, Lebanon, Jordan. And of course, here in Kenya. Hosting large numbers of refugees is difficult and comes with a high cost. So, by all means, let's be clear-eyed about the size and complexity of the challenge. If we want to be able to design responses that are effective, we must accept reality as it is, as uncomfortable as that may be. And the reality is that, indeed, forced displacement is on the rise. And by the way if the trend of the last decade holds, these numbers will continue to rise. We know that, in the absence of opportunities for people to return, forced displacement lasts longer. That much is clear. And it is equally clear that there are no quick solutions, no silver bullets. So, what can we do? What is the narrative of possibility, rather than impossibility? First, let me state the obvious. Peace. There is no substitute for peace. Peace is more effective than any amount of humanitarian assistance. We must add our voice to others in the call for peace - urgently - in Sudan, in Gaza and so many other places around the globe. Forcibly displaced people long to return home. And provided there is peace, even imperfect peace, they will. I must underline here that return must always remain the choice of refugees and displaced people themselves. Returns must be voluntary. They must respect the dignity of those who choose to return. Returns cannot be imposed any more than peace can be artificially decreed when politically convenient. Unfortunately peace fails too often these days. And so, situations of forced displacement endure - stagnating for years, sometimes decades. During that period, it remains important to uphold the safety and rights of those displaced, while in parallel searching for solutions to their plight. For proof that this is what happens, you only need to look at situations in this region in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya itself. Large return movements have proven elusive. So, once an emergency is less acute, and while waiting for as long as refugees or displaced people cannot return home, there is space to act. We must look for better ways to sustain the necessary commitment to protection "international protection", as we call it, in the case of refugees, who have lost the protection of their own state; but also protection of the internally displaced. This is where it becomes complicated. Responding to emergencies, quickly reaching the people affected, staying and delivering is vital- these are essential humanitarian functions which must continue to be carried out and supported. And in the first days and weeks of a crisis, when humanitarian needs are most acute, the focus is on life-saving activities. As it must be. But as we set up and scale up humanitarian responses, we must avoid getting stuck in a loop of recurrent short-term solutions. We simply cannot afford and I mean this literally afford not to think beyond the first phase of a crisis. In the last three years, UNHCR has declared 118 emergencies worldwide. That's an emergency every 10 days. Traditionally, responding to one of these crises has involved setting up infrastructure where none or little existed. Clinics, schools, latrines and so on. And as the humanitarian response shifts away from the initial emergency phase, some of these activities soon get locked in. More than half of the 120 million people I have mentioned earlier have been displaced for five years or more. And meanwhile more people continue to arrive. Needs continue to grow. And it becomes difficult if not impossible to move away from these short-term activities, what we sometimes call the "care and maintenance" model. Almost half of our budget, of UNHCR's budget in the past three years has been spent propping up these systems what I call almost refugee or displacement "bubbles". Humanitarian systems that often run parallel to national systems. That sometimes even drive a wedge between displaced populations and the communities that host them - especially when services are available to some but not the others. Maintaining such systems year after year is inefficient. It is risky. It diverts resources away from core activities. It does not bring advantages to host communities. "Care and maintenance," as we call it, is subject to the unpredictability of humanitarian funding, which has become very volatile. And what do we do when that funding runs out? As happens all the time. We have seen these dynamics, if I may say, play out here in Kenya too, in Dadaab for example: a protracted refugee situation addressed through "care and maintenance" literally for decades, resulting in misery for refugees, tensions with host communities, and insecurity for all. This is when refugees become a true burden on the host nation. This is when also some of the displaced decide to move on and create those complex movements I mentioned earlier. The last few years have taught us that, from the very first days of a humanitarian response, we must work closely with development actors. Always with governments in the lead, and always involving forcibly displaced people and the communities that host them. We have learned that there is no such thing as a humanitarian-only response. We have learned that the only solution is to bring host communities and forcibly displaced people closer together. We started to promote this shift a few years ago. We agreed with some of the governments hosting large number of refugees that rather than creating parallel systems, we should invest in inclusion. Including refugees or internally displaced people in national and local services, like health and education. Including them in economic terms by allowing them to work, to produce, to contribute. Giving them the necessary legal status to achieve this. Including them to sum up in national planning. And at the same time, a number of donor countries agreed that they should support host communities often as fragile as the displaced themselves and contribute to those services, to that infrastructure and to that economic development of host countries. Uganda, for example, allows refugee children to attend its schools and we have promoted investments in the Ugandan education system to support that inclusive policy. That way, everybody benefits. This shift to inclusion is one of the most powerful tools we have in the search for solutions. The Global Compact on Refugees which the United Nations adopted in 2018 is built on the idea of inclusion. And yet I have often seen how that word - inclusion - can make some governments uncomfortable. Particularly in some countries that have hosted refugees for a long time. Countries that, when they hear "inclusion", hear the indefinite hosting of refugees coupled with a lack of political and financial interest from the international community. Countries that fear, with some justification, that they are being left to carry the responsibility for refugees alone. This is why it is important to clarify what inclusion means. First, it does not prevent the return of refugees or displaced people to their places of origin. Not at all. The Global Compact on Refugees is clear on that issue. Its objectives in fact include both building refugee self-reliance and creating conditions for safe and dignified returns. And you all understand that self-reliant refugees are better equipped to go back to their countries, they have better skills and tools to do that. Second, inclusion is an investment in refugee self-reliance. But also in the communities hosting them much more so than the traditional model based on short-term humanitarian aid. In fact, the refugee compact articulates a vision for inclusion where all stakeholders can benefit refugees, host communities, governments, civil society, the private sector, and, yes, universities too. Third, inclusion is also about internally displaced people. This should be less complex they are nationals in their own country but at times it can prove challenging, and needs attention. The United Nations Secretary-General two years ago launched an initiative to promote solutions for internally displaced people, which is being rolled out. Naturally, all of this needs substantial investment. I have been making this case with donors including governments of countries in the global North worried about those "mixed movements" I mentioned earlier. I have been advising them stop focusing so obsessively on making your borders more difficult to cross; or on building exclusively control systems along the routes taken by people on the move. Instead, invest more in countries hosting large numbers of refugees, or even in countries in conflict with large internal displacement. This would accomplish two things: help those countries better manage population movements; and give people on the move more opportunities in the places they have settled. It would in turn help stabilize population movements and, as I said, pave the way for returns or other solutions. I was encouraged to see, in the final statement of the G7, a few days ago, references to whole-of-route migration and refugee strategies. I admit, the overall focus, by the G7, remains skewed toward controls. But there is also a welcome understanding that effective solutions must look obviously at root causes, at peace and security and solving conflict but also at aid and investments in the places where vulnerable populations on the move are most present, like here. The shift to inclusion and to strengthening host countries and communities means also working more effectively with development partners. We have witnessed the transformation that development action, concrete development action can bring when smartly joined up with humanitarian responses. It is not about "bridging the gap" between humanitarian and development work, but rather bringing in development aid right at the outset of emergencies, in lockstep with humanitarian aid. We are learning to work with international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank, just to mention these two, but also with bilateral development organizations like the Japanese JICA or German BMZ, and many others. We are learning to work with the private sector as a development partner, with great support from the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. A more predictable role by development actors in direct support to governments is the only way to make the initial response sustainable. Today, I can point to the fruit of that labour. In Kenya alone, the World Bank has mobilized US$230 million out of US$4 billion allocated globally in the past few years through a special fund for countries hosting large numbers of refugees; and the International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank) has been working with us and the Government of Kenya on creating business investment opportunities in an otherwise unlikely place like Kakuma, in Turkana County. In southern Ethiopia, thanks to the IKEA Foundation you all know IKEA we have planted the seeds of a development programme centered around a Somali refugee camp to the benefit of the entire community, nationals and refugees alike. The inclusive model is premised on a simple truth: that refugees and displaced people have agency. That, given the opportunity, they contribute. They add, build and enrich. When we include and invest in them, they return that investment many times over. And not only in economic terms as important as that is but also socially, culturally, in peaceful coexistence, and in so many other ways. Now, there are some who might argue that none of this is new. That the inclusion model, and more generally the architecture of the so-called humanitarian-development-peace nexus, is not a new endeavour. That only the terminology changes. This is partly true but surely, at least in some refugee contexts, we have advanced now much more than in the past. Humanitarian agencies are trying to change. The UNHCR of today is not the UNHCR of 10 years ago. Our systems went through an intensive modernization process. We have invested heavily in data. To measure and build evidence, including on aspects of forced displacement that have not been traditionally our areas of expertise. On the socio-economic impacts of hosting refugees and internally displaced people. On access to labour markets. On the effect of forced displacement on public finances. Research and data that we publish and make available for collaboration. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent work of the World Bank and UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement. I encourage you to reach out to them with your ideas. And I am happy that earlier today we launched the Refugee Resource Centre here at the University of Nairobi. All this progress has enabled us to acquire a wealth of knowledge about what is effective and sustainable. Equally if not even more critically, it has enabled us to understand what doesn't work. What is not sustainable. And if I may speak on your behalf, so have you, here in Kenya. Bringing displaced people and host communities together: that is the essence, the soul of the new plan for refugees and host communities called Shirika, "working together" in KiSwahili which the government of Kenya has embraced and is leading, with our full support. Shirika was born out of some fundamental elements on how to address a long-standing refugee crisis in a novel way. A response based on some simple, but fundamental approaches: To live together by integrating refugee settlements into new municipalities. To learn together by opening up schools to everyone, whether displaced or not. To heal together at clinics that serve everyone. To be stronger together by creating communities that are more resilient to climate impacts. To work and grow together by promoting economic investment. Opening up market opportunities for the private sector and creating employment for all. And all of this, and much more obviously, led by government, at the central and county level. And supported by development banks, bilateral donors, the United Nations system and hopefully the private sector. It is a bold plan. It is an ambitious plan. But it is also a rational plan. Rational because as we have seen in this region and beyond in Rwanda, in Ethiopia, but also in Colombia, Brazil, Turkiye refugee inclusion spurs economic growth. It broadens the tax base. It generates trade. It recognizes the skills and talents of forcibly displaced people and puts those skills to use for the benefit of all. Sudanese refugees now work as doctors, teachers, or engineers in South Sudan, improving the wellbeing of all that country's residents. The economic argument is clear. But it is not always sufficient. Inclusion will always require political courage. It might mean challenging the established narrative or disrupting the status quo. It requires effective policies that enable inclusion for example laws that grant greater freedom of movement and expand the right to work. And inclusion certainly cannot succeed without giving a voice to the communities themselves refugees and their hosts at the local level. Allow me to leave you with three simple prescriptions. First, all of you have a role to play. The management of refugees and displaced people can no longer be seen as the preserve of one ministry, or one authority alone. Creating the right policy environment; developing the right legal frameworks; finding the right words to communicate these changes to the public opinion will require the involvement of all stakeholders. We speak of whole-of-government and whole-of-society: for once, I think, UN language is quite effective in describing the concept. Second, efforts towards inclusion and self-reliance the efforts I have described will take time, and will need to be supported financially, especially when host countries, countries like Kenya, take political risks. Donors have a critical role to play in mobilizing additional development funding. We at UNHCR will advocate for these approaches. We will support them by bringing development actors with us from the beginning of a crisis, as I mentioned earlier. And we will support you by making the business case for investment to companies and employers. We will be the staunchest allies of countries like Kenya, which embrace this new approach. But, and that is my third and final point, if this shift is to succeed everybody must be brave. So I say: To the policy makers in the room today and beyond. To my colleagues. Be bold. Be determined. Do not be defeated by the scale of the challenge and let us write together a narrative of "possibility"! To the students you are the leaders of tomorrow. Help us learn. Help us innovate. Indeed, with your knowledge and enthusiasm, do that. And to all displaced people thank you. For inspiring us. For teaching us about humility and resilience. For showing us hope which we must help you make sustainable. We will not disappoint you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chief of key UN agency in Gaza warns 'entire generation' could be lost 24 June 2024 - The head of the main UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, issued a stark warning on Monday that it "will crumble" unless funding is found quickly, with an "entire generation" of children at risk of being condemned to "poverty...hatred, resentment and future conflict". In a plea for political and financial support from Member States, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini underscored that the agency was "staggering under the weight of relentless attacks in Gaza", after nearly nine months of intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations. "The pressures on the agency today are greater than ever before," he insisted. In addition to the 193 UNRWA personnel killed since Hamas-led terror attacks and hostage-taking sparked the war, Mr. Lazzarini detailed the sheer scale of the destruction to UN premises. More than 180 installations have been damaged or destroyed since 7 October and "at least 500 people" have been killed seeking protection under the UN flag, he explained. "Our premises have been used for military purposes by Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups," the UNRWA chief told a meeting of the Advisory Commission in Geneva. "Our convoys have come under attack despite coordinated movement with Israeli authorities in the West Bank...operational space is shrinking." Highlighting how Gaza is now "a living hell" for more than two million people there, the senior humanitarian official noted that children continue to die of malnutrition and dehydration, "while food and clean water wait in trucks" outside the enclave. And amid increasing reports of a collapse in law and order, Mr. Lazzarini pointed to rampant looting and smuggling now happening, delaying the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Among Gaza's most vulnerable, children are among the worst-affected by the ongoing war, he insisted, with more than 625,000 "deeply traumatized" youngsters "living in the rubble" and without access to education. "Some 300,000 of them were enrolled in nearly 290 UNRWA schools before the war but those who are now out of school "are at risk of violence and exploitation, child labour, early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups", the UNRWA chief insisted. "Without decisive intervention to resume education, we will condemn an entire generation to poverty and sow the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict." West Bank chaos While Gazans repeatedly displaced by the war "are clinging to life", the UNRWA chief issued an equally bleak assessment of the situation in the occupied West Bank, where some 500 Palestinians have been killed since October. "Daily attacks by Israeli settlers, military incursions, and the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure are part of a well-oiled system of segregation and oppression," the Commissioner-General said. Lebanon alert Intensifying clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border also threaten a "full-blown war", Mr. Lazzarini continued, as he pointed to millions of "anxious and afraid" Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan watching events in Gaza and the West Bank unfold. "Most have been living in camps for generations, often with limited rights and in grinding poverty, waiting for a political solution that will bring an end to their plight. Today, they are witnessing the greatest Palestinian tragedy since the Nakba," he said, in reference to the 1948 events that led to the uprooting of some 750,000 Palestinians from their homes. "As they have done for 75 years, they are looking to UNRWA for protection and the fulfillment of basic human rights." In an appeal for support to scale up UNRWA's assistance to Palestine refugees, Mr. Lazzarini raised the possibility of the agency not being operational "beyond August". This depended on UNRWA receiving both planned financial donations and new contributions, he explained, adding that $1.2 billion was needed to cover critical humanitarian needs until the end of the year. To date, the appeal is only 18 per cent funded. UN missions hampered The UN aid coordination office OCHA warned on Monday that access constraints and security concerns continue to hinder efforts to scale up food and nutrition assistance in Gaza, affecting hundreds of thousands in need. The inability of humanitarian agencies to consistently and safely transport aid from the Kerem Shalom crossing, combined with the continued closure of the Rafah crossing due to the Israeli offensive, has compounded the challenges. As of Sunday, fewer than half of the 86 coordinated missions to northern Gaza planned for this month were facilitated by Israeli authorities. One mission returning to southern Gaza after delivering fuel and medical supplies to Gaza city in the north was delayed for more than 13 hours at an Israeli military checkpoint. OCHA says planned humanitarian missions requiring coordination to areas in southern Gaza also continue to face impediments and access denials. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan: WHO appalled by horrific attack on El Fasher's maternity hospital 24 June 2024 - Heavy fighting in Sudan hit a new low over the weekend when a maternity hospital in besieged El Fasher city came under attack, killing a pharmacy worker and prompting new calls on Monday from the head of the UN health agency for the violence to stop. The attack on the only maternity hospital in the town in Sudan's western state of North Darfur is "shocking and appalling," the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, calling on warring parties to "protect mothers and children at all times and allow them safe access to healthcare" in the war-torn African country. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the Saudi Maternity Hospital was "the only one that has been providing maternal and child healthcare" in El Fasher. The development comes after more than 14 months of fighting between rival militaries in Sudan. Media reports pointed to "a Rapid Support Forces bombing" of the hospital in El Fasher, which is the capital of the Darfur region and home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war. Killed on the job UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami released more details on the death of pharmacist Amna Ahmed Bakhit: "Killed on the job, prescribing and administering medicine to women, men and children in a place that should have been safe," the top UN official in the country said in a post on X. "From bullets or bombs, starvation or disease, each soul lost to this senseless war takes Sudan another inexorable step away from what we all want. Peace," Ms. Nkweta-Salami added, calling for an end to the brutal fighting. "Mothers and babies must be protected at all times and allowed safe access to healthcare. Healthcare workers must be able to work in safety", WHO's Tedros emphasized adding that despite the attack, the hospital continues to function thanks to the dedication of its staff working in dire conditions. Since 10 May, the city of El Fasher has been the scene of intense fighting between the former allies who went to war with each other 14 months ago. Calls from the UN and the international community have grown in recent weeks to prevent Sudan from falling into a humanitarian catastrophe that could push millions into starvation, due to food shortages caused by fighting that has spread to 12 of the country's 18 states. WFP steps up aid People in parts of Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan states continue to be deprived of food and health assistance, and child malnutrition in Sudan is reaching emergency levels according to UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Around nine million children are facing acute food insecurity. The World Food Programme's (WFP) food security analysis has identified 44 hunger hotspots in Sudan - mainly in areas of active fighting such as Khartoum, Kordofan, Darfur and Gezira - where 2.6 million people are at high risk of falling into the extreme phase five of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC 5). Against this backdrop, the UN emergency food assistance agency is scaling up its operations to stave off famine. WFP is prioritising these areas and has provided food assistance to 22 of the hunger hotspots since January. The UN agency says it has reached more than three million people and plans to reach an additional five million through general food assistance, nutrition, school meals and resilience activities throughout the year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Guterres condemns terror attacks in Dagestan, call to end 'war on drugs', women Heads of State 24 June 2024 - The UN Secretary-General has condemned Sunday's terror attacks against several churches and synagogues in Russia's mainly-Muslim Dagestan region, with the death toll now rising to at least 20, according to latest reports. In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Monday, Antonio Guterres conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, the people and Government of Russia, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Gunmen using automatic weapons reportedly opened fire inside a Christian Orthodox church and synagogue in the city of Derbent on Sunday evening, killing an Orthodox priest. In what appeared to be coordinated attacks, terrorists also shot at traffic police who were on post in the city of Makhachkala, north of the Caspian Sea, and attacked another church nearby. Gun battles There were reported gun battles around the Assumption Cathedral in the city lasting for several hours. At least 15 police officers were among the dead together with four civilians. Authorities in Dagestan said that at least six militants were also killed following the attacks, although no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The assault came just three months after an ISIL terrorist group affiliate known as ISIS-K, carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks on Russia soil in recent years, at the Crocus City Hall, in Moscow, killing more than 140. Russian authorities said they were investigating if so-called sleeper cells were involved in coordinating the attacks, and Dagestan has reportedly declared three days of mourning. Time to end war on drugs, Human Rights Council hears In a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, a top independent rights expert has called for an end to the so-called war on drugs - after describing it instead as a war on people. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur to health, insisted that punitive approaches to drug use and drug control affected society's most vulnerable people. Ms. Mofokeng said that the lack of a human-rights based approach to addressing drug use has particularly harmed those facing homelessness, poverty and mental health problems, along with other marginalized individuals including sex workers, women, children, LGBT persons, Black and indigenous peoples. The rights expert insisted that the criminalization of drug use was the single most extreme option within a raft of other regulatory options available to governments. Meanwhile the lack of access to harm reduction services for drug users in prisons "lead to a high prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis", she said. Full decriminalisation call In support of the "full decriminalisation" of drug use, the rights expert insisted that evidence from authorities that took this approach "demonstrates that adopting less punitive policies does not result in an increase in drug use, drug-related harms or other crimes. Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed rights experts are independent of any government, receive no salary for their work and serve in their individual capacity. Vast majority of countries yet to have a woman Head of State In what is the biggest electoral year ever, 113 countries have still never had a woman Head of State and only 26 are led by a woman today, new figures from gender equality agency UN Women revealed on Monday. The new data comes as the world celebrated the International Day for Women in Diplomacy, recognizing the different ways women are breaking barriers and making a difference in the field of diplomacy. "As many countries head to the polls this year, we all must put women first, at the pinnacle of power, where and when it matters the most," said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. As of 1 January 2024, women make up less than a third of Cabinet ministers in 141 countries. In seven countries, there are no women represented in Cabinets at all. Meanwhile, only 23 per cent of Ministerial positions are held by women. Male bastion Women are also underrepresented as Permanent Representatives to the UN. As of May 2024, women held 25 per cent of senior ambassador posts in New York, 35 per cent in Geneva, and 33.5 per cent in Vienna. "Our work is guided by the belief that when women lead, the world is better for all people and the planet," Ms. Bahous said. "Women's equal participation in governance and leadership is key to improving lives for all," she added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General at the Meeting of the Advisory Commission (AdCom) UNRWA 24 Jun 2024 24 JUNE 2024, GENEVA - Checked against delivery Excellencies, Dear Members of the Advisory Commission, Welcome to the Palais des Nations, for the first in-person meeting of the Advisory Commission since the start of the war in Gaza. I would like to thank the United States for its efforts as Chair of the Advisory Commission, as well as Egypt and the European Union for their efforts as Vice-Chairs. I would also like to thank Canada for serving as SubCom Chair, and Jordan and the European Union for serving as SubCom Vice-Chairs. *** We are convening at a time of seismic change in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the broader region. In the last nine months, we have witnessed unprecedented failures of humanity in a territory marked by decades of violence. Palestinians and Israelis have experienced terrible losses and suffered immensely. Gaza has been decimated. For more than two million Gazans, it is a living hell. A nightmare from which they cannot wake. Catastrophic levels of hunger across the Gaza Strip are the result of human action. Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and clean water wait in trucks. The breakdown of civil order has resulted in rampant looting and smuggling that impede the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Gazans are clinging to life, displaced repeatedly across a ravaged territory. In the shadow of Gaza, another tragedy is unfolding in the West Bank. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since October. Daily attacks by Israeli settlers, military incursions, and the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure are part of a well-oiled system of segregation and oppression. On the Israel-Lebanon border, clashes are intensifying, threatening full-blown war. Millions of Palestine Refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan are anxious and afraid. Most have been living in camps for generations, often with limited rights and in grinding poverty, waiting for a political solution that will bring an end to their plight. Today, they are witnessing the greatest Palestinian tragedy since the Nakba. And, as they have done for 75 years, they are looking to UNRWA for protection and the fulfillment of basic human rights. Members of the Advisory Commission, UNRWA has been a driver of human development for Palestine Refugees since its creation. It has upheld the rights to education and health, while providing protection and assistance, in the absence of a full-fledged State. By doing so, the Agency has been a force for stability across the region and a beacon of hope for Palestinians. Today, however, UNRWA is staggering under the weight of relentless attacks. In Gaza, the Agency has paid a terrible price. 193 UNRWA personnel have been killed. More than 180 installations have been damaged or destroyed, killing at least 500 people seeking United Nations protection. UNRWA personnel have been detained alongside other Gazans by the Israeli Security Forces and report mistreatment and torture. Our premises have been used for military purposes by Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. Our convoys have come under attack despite coordinated movement with the Israeli authorities. In the West Bank, UNRWA's operational space is shrinking. Israeli security forces have deployed inside some UNRWA facilities during military operations in Palestinian refugee camps. Arbitrary measures imposed by Israel severely restrict the presence and movement of staff. Increasingly violent protests outside our premises in East Jerusalem recently culminated in arson attacks. These are grotesque, irresponsible and dangerous actions. In 30 years of humanitarian work, I have never encountered such blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, facilities and operations under international law. Turning a blind eye to these attacks sets a dangerous precedent - it compromises future humanitarian work and the rules-based international order in other conflict situations. In addition to these attacks, we are witnessing a concerted effort to dismantle UNRWA with the aim of changing the established political parameters for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory. This effort includes legislative proposals that seek to undermine our operations by threatening eviction from our compound and labeling UNRWA as a terrorist organization. The Agency is targeted because of its role in safeguarding the rights of Palestine Refugees, and because it embodies an international commitment to a political solution. Israel has long been critical of the Agency's mandate. But it now seeks to end UNRWA's operations, dismissing the Agency's status as a United Nations entity supported by an overwhelming majority of Member States. If we do not push back, other UN entities and international organizations will be next, further undermining our multilateral system. Members of the Advisory Commission, Amid these extraordinary challenges, I received serious allegations that several UNRWA personnel in Gaza were involved in the abhorrent attacks against Israel on October 7. If proved true, these allegations would constitute an appalling betrayal of Palestine Refugees and UNRWA's critical mandate. I immediately terminated the appointments of the accused individuals. The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is seized of the matter, and the Secretary-General launched an independent review of how UNRWA upholds neutrality in its work. The OIOS investigation is ongoing. Of the 19 cases referred for investigation, one has been closed and the staff member has been reinstated. Four cases are suspended, requiring additional evidence. 14 investigations are ongoing. Separately, the independent review led by the former French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, concluded that UNRWA has established policies, mechanisms, and procedures to ensure compliance with the principle of neutrality. The review confirms that the Agency has systems to address alleged neutrality breaches, including through disciplinary sanctions. Importantly, it recognizes the complexity of the environment in which UNRWA works. The report also makes recommendations to reinforce neutrality and underscores that upholding neutrality is a shared responsibility. UNRWA welcomes the recommendations and commits to implementing them, with your active engagement as hosts and donors. The Agency has published an updated policy directive on outside and political activities for local and international personnel. The policy reiterates that while staff have a right to their personal views and convictions, they cannot represent a government or a political party, nor hold any high or public office. Membership in any militant or armed group or entity is prohibited. You will hear more from my Deputy for Operational Support about implementation of the Colonna recommendations later today. Members of the Advisory Commission, I have warned repeatedly in this forum that UNRWA's funding model is incompatible with its mandate to provide public-like services. More than a decade of chronic underfunding has depleted our financial reserves. Together with severe austerity measures, this has eroded the quality of our services. Palestine Refugees now have shorter medical consultations, with UNRWA doctors seeing an average of 72 patients per day. UNRWA classrooms are more crowded, with more enrolments and less funding to open new classes or hire more teachers. The Agency is increasingly less able to support the poorest and most vulnerable Palestine Refugees requiring food and cash assistance. A strong resistance to change - stemming from the lack of any progress towards a viable political solution - has not allowed the Agency to adapt to its financial reality. Weakened by snowballing financial deficits carried from one year to the next, the Agency nearly imploded earlier this year. In the wake of the allegations against individual staff members, 16 Member States temporarily suspended funding to the Agency, amounting to half the expected funding for the year. We have worked tirelessly with partners to restore confidence in the Agency. Almost all partners have resumed funding - I am immensely grateful for your trust and support. However, the fundamental fiscal challenge remains - UNRWA lacks the resources to deliver its mandate. The Agency's ability to operate beyond August will depend on Member States disbursing planned funds and providing new contributions to the core budget. For the humanitarian emergency in the occupied Palestinian territory - driven primarily by the war in Gaza - we are appealing for $1.2 billion to cover critical humanitarian needs until the end of the year. As of today, the appeal is only 18 percent funded. Meanwhile, the emergency appeal for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan remains less than 20 percent funded. Members of the Advisory Commission, UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. The Agency will remain essential for a viable transition from ceasefire to "day after". It will play a key role in providing essential services - notably primary healthcare and education - to a shattered population. Before the war, UNRWA met 70-80% of primary healthcare needs in Gaza. Throughout the war, at least six out of 22 UNRWA health centers have operated continuously, in addition to nearly 100 mobile health teams. Our extensive network and deep integration into the community allow us to rapidly introduce and scale-up services such as mental health and trauma care, which are crucial in the transitional phase. Education is another priority in Gaza, where every second person is a child. Palestinian communities value education highly, evidenced by a 98% literacy rate. Education was the only investment from which they could not be dispossessed. Gazan children have now lost almost three of the last four school years to the conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, more than 625,000 deeply traumatized children are living in the rubble without access to education - 300,000 of them were enrolled in nearly 290 UNRWA schools before the war. Children who are out of school are at risk of violence and exploitation, child labour, early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups. Without decisive intervention to resume education, we will condemn an entire generation to poverty and sow the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict. Together with partners including UNICEF, UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority, we have put together a plan to resume learning in Gaza. The plan starts with the systematic provision of mental health and psychosocial support services; transitions to fostering literacy and numeracy in informal settings like shelters; and culminates in the return to formal education in rebuilt schools. Members of the Advisory Commission, UNRWA was created 75 years ago as a temporary agency. A stop-gap measure, pending a political answer to the question of Palestine. The Agency exists today because a political solution does not. It exists in lieu of a State that can deliver critical public services. If the international community truly commits to a political solution, UNRWA can resume its intended role supporting a time-bound transition, delivering education, primary healthcare, and social support. It can do so until a Palestinian administration takes over these services, absorbing UNRWA's Palestinian personnel as civil servants. Members of the Advisory Commission, Let me conclude with three requests: First, I urge you to safeguard UNRWA's critical role both now and within the framework of a transition. The notion that the Agency can be dismantled without triggering the collapse of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and causing chaos in its fields of operation is naive at best. As members of the Advisory Commission, you know UNRWA's value and the indispensable role it plays in the lives of millions. The Agency must be allowed to continue providing services until a political solution is at hand. Second, we must scale up and enhance our service delivery to Palestine Refugees. For this, we must cultivate and maintain strong partnerships. These partnerships must build on our respective strengths, and complement UNRWA's mandate, not undermine it. These efforts to meet overwhelming needs must be matched by adequate, predictable and flexible funding from Member States. Third, I seek your support as donors and hosts in implementing the recommendations of the Colonna Report. Upholding neutrality is indispensable for the survival of this Agency and the continuity of its vital work. It is a shared responsibility - the Advisory Commission must play its part if we are to succeed, including by implementing the recommendation directed at the Advisory Commission. In closing, I appeal to hosts and donors to engage fully in strategic discussions about the future of this Agency. The region and the world have changed drastically since we last met. The pressures on the Agency today are greater than ever before. If the status quo is maintained, the Agency will crumble and millions of vulnerable children, women and men will pay a heavy price. I hope that our discussions at this meeting of the Advisory Commission will reflect the urgency and significance of the existential crisis we are confronting. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Background Information: UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on. UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. 6th Fleet and Royal Navy Kick Off Exercise Sea Breeze 2024-1 US Navy 24 June 2024 From Courtesy Story GLASGOW, Scotland -- U.S. 6th Fleet and the Royal Navy commenced the 23rd iteration of Exercise Sea Breeze 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland, June 24, 2024. This marks the first of three serials of Exercise Sea Breeze, scheduled to run from June 26 to July 5, 2024 in the Firth of Clyde Sea near Glasgow and Loch Ewe, Scotland. Sea Breeze 2024 is a joint mine countermeasure exercise between the U.S. Navy, Royal Navy and Ukrainian Navy. The exercise was first held in 1997. "Sea Breeze 2024 provides an opportunity for Allies and partners to improve interoperability and train for a post-conflict era Black Sea region," said Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 Commodore Capt. Geoffrey Townsend. "It is crucial for Allies and partners to have a venue to work side-by-side on mine countermeasures, especially with the great threat floating mines pose to maritime safety and security in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine. Sea Breeze brings together NATO Allies and partners to conduct maritime, air and land command and control and security operations, improving readiness and responsiveness." The purpose of the exercise is to address the challenges that mines pose to maritime safety and security, global food security and commerce. "Our ability to train and rehearse, whilst growing the capability of the Ukrainian Navy, will support the globally shared long-term goal of creating a safe and prosperous maritime environment in the Black Sea," said Royal Navy Commodore Steven Banfield MBE, Co-Chair of the Maritime Capability Development Coalition for Ukraine. "This activity will be essential to support the economy of Ukraine through ensuring the free flow of maritime trade. I have been hugely impressed and inspired by the crews of the Chernihiv and Cherkasy. The amount they have achieved in such a short period of time is truly remarkable." Sea Breeze 2024-1 focuses on the integration and command and control of Mine Countermeasure Vessels and a Ukrainian task group HQ augmented by international staff officers and mentors. "There is a huge need to train with NATO and our partners throughout the European theater," said Commodore Dmytro Kovalenko, Chief of Training Command of Ukrainian Navy Command. "The Black Sea is a major hub for imports and exports, and training for a post-conflict era Black Sea is key to preserving security and stability. Participating in exercises like Sea Breeze supports maritime security and our fight for democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity." Countries and organizations scheduled to participate, observe, or mentor during Sea Breeze 2024-1 include Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Japan, NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM), Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkiye, Ukraine, U.K. and U.S. U.S. participation in Sea Breeze 2024-1 includes 10 exercise support personnel from 6th Fleet's CTF-68 and four personnel from a U.S. Expeditionary Warfare Training Group (EWTG). U.S. 6th Fleet and Bulgarian Naval Forces will co-host Sea Breeze 2024-2 and 2024-3 in Bulgaria later this year. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. 6th Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IKE Carrier Strike Group Arrives in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea US Navy 24 June 2024 From Courtesy Story MEDITERRANEAN SEA -- Components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean after an eight-month deployment in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO), June 22, 2024. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) entered the Eastern Mediterranean after departing the Red Sea, June 22, 2024. "After an eventful seven months in the Middle East region, the IKE strike group is back in the U.S. 6th Fleet, ready as always to demonstrate our flexibility and capabilities where needed," said Rear Adm. Kavon Hakimzadeh, commander, Carrier Strike Group 2 (CSG-2). "We are prepared to operate anywhere, whenever we are tasked." On May 30, while in U.S. 5th Fleet, IKECSG led a coalition strike on 13 Houthi targets in Yemen. On June 15, IKECSG Sailors rescues the crew of M/V Tutor that was attacked by Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea. IKECSG is commanded by Carrier Strike Group 2 and comprised of flagship Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVW-3 with its nine squadrons, Philippine Sea, and DESRON-22 with Gravely and USS Mason (DDG 87). IKECSG units departed their homeports of Norfolk, Virginia, and Mayport, Florida, on Oct. 13 and 14 for a scheduled deployment. For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Departs From Guam US Navy 24 June 2024 From Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Stanton SANTA RITA, Guam -- The U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), departed Naval Base Guam following a scheduled three-day port visit, June 22. Ronald Reagan arrived in Guam on June 19, following its participation in Valiant Shield 2024, a multinational, joint field training exercise focused on integration between U.S. and allied forces in a multi-domain environment. The carrier was joined in Guam by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62). "We extend our gratitude to the people of Guam for their welcome and their hospitality during our visit. Each time we return, we grow closer," said Capt. Daryle Cardone, Ronald Reagan's commanding officer. "I'm glad the crew had the opportunity to engage with the local community, in addition to experiencing all the beautiful sights, history, and culture Guam has to offer." The ship's command religious ministries department (CRMD) and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) teams provided several opportunities for Sailors to learn about the country, offering guided tours and chances to volunteer in the local communities. One of the volunteer opportunities organized by the ship's CRMD involved Sailors visiting Manuel Ulloa Lujan Elementary School. They were able to interact with students at the school and share their experiences in the Navy. "I hope we're able to have some impact, and they listen to what we have to say," said Logistics Specialist 1st Class Josue Reyna, assigned to the Saberhawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77, embarked aboard USS Ronald Reagan. "We talked about our different backgrounds and what each of us does on the ship. We all have different jobs, but each one is important." The Sailors' stories helped the students learn more about the military on the island, and it opened up a window into each individual service member's life. "[This volunteer opportunity] was really important and it helped show that we can be who we want to be and we give back to the community, helping everybody see who we are as individuals," said Yeoman 3rd Class Layla Scott, assigned to the USS Robert Smalls. According to Mariquita Fegurgur, the summer school coordinator, the Sailors visit was a rare opportunity for the students to interact with military personnel. "It's important that [the children] know that you have an impact on all their lives," said Fegurgur. "They have to understand that Guam is important to the world, especially the U.S. You come here, and you're giving part of what you do to our community." The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, including USS Robert Smalls and the embarked Carrier Air Wing 5 and staff members of Destroyer Squadron 15, are forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BALTOPS 24 Concludes In Kiel, Germany US Navy 24 June 2024 From U.S. 6th Fleet & Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO Public Affairs BALTIC SEA -- Twenty NATO Allies concluded the 53rd iteration of exercise Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS-24) in Kiel, Germany, June 20, 2024. During their time in port, Allies gathered to reflect on the accomplishments and success achieved throughout the 21-day Baltic Region exercise involving more than 50 ships, 85 aircraft, and approximately 9,000 personnel. Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, Commander of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) and U.S. 6th Fleet, reflected on the critical nature of the NATO Alliance in the region, and how integral BALTOPS-24 is in advancing Allies' shared objectives in the Baltic. "BALTOPS-24 is not only the largest iteration in its 53-year history, but the first in nearly 30 years that all participants are NATO Allies," Vice Adm. Ishee said. "NATO Nations account for nearly all 8,000 km of Baltic coastline. That's eight of nine Baltic Sea Nations who share values for Freedom of Navigation and the legitimate use of the Baltic Sea. The exercise began with a pre-sail conference June 4 in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where exercise staff and senior leaders met to finalize the scenario and operations, and discuss the unique maritime challenges and opportunities of the Baltic Region. "Beginning in 1972, BALTOPS continues to build trust, foster understanding and enhanced interoperability across the maritime, air, land, and space domains," said Vice Adm. Ishee. "But more importantly, the gathering of so many nations demonstrates our collective strength, resolve and commitment to Baltic Sea regional security." June 8 marked the beginning of the underway portion of exercise, with 30 NATO warships sailing alongside each other in one of the largest maritime formations in the region's history. This year saw the largest assembled coalition of amphibious forces in the Baltic Sea, with four Amphibious Task Groups (ATG) and Multinational Task Units exercising amphibious capabilities in Skrunda, Latvia; Gotland, Sweden; Utska, Poland; and Putlos, Germany. Each area presented unique challenges to integrated amphibious operations, which were leveraged by the multinational amphibious assault teams to practice competencies together. At-sea, the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I (L 61), and the French Navy amphibious assault ship FS Mistral (L 9013) were central to the integration of BALTOPS-24 amphibious capabilities. On land, armed forces from more than eight NATO nations conducted urban warfare training; tactical recovery of personnel; aerial insertions; beach landings; forest navigation; deployment of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System; free-jumping into simulated contested territory and full-scale amphibious assaults on an opposing force. "[BALTOPS-24] is a multidisciplinary exercise, comprising several warfare domains. specifically, amphibious operations, which is a very important part of LHD Mistral," said French Navy Capt. Olivier Roussille, commanding officer of the FS Mistral. "The objective [of the exercise] is to contribute to NATO reassurance in the area, and build a sustainable legacy to the benefit of collective defense, while strengthening our ties and interoperability with the Allied navy sailors." This iteration of BALTOPS-24 also hosted the largest assembled coalition of mine countermeasure (MCM) forces in NATO, leading to a robust docket of MCM activity throughout the 21-day exercise. Deploying more than 700 personnel, 20 surface ships, 20 unmanned systems, and two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters, Swedish, French, Norwegian, Dutch, and U.S. forces scanned the seabed to develop an operating picture, practiced locating mines with surface assets, deployed the Airborne Mine Neutralization System for aerial mine recovery, and finalized their multinational MCM collaboration with an MCM combat rehearsal. "BALTOPS allows us to sharpen the sword of our MCM capabilities, but also brings together all of the NATO partners that may go in and remove that mine threat," Capt. Scott Hattaway, director of Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), and lead for all MCM activity during BALTOPS 24. "No one country goes into an MCM operation by themselves. We practice now as an international cohort in order to prepare for when we do it for real." At sea, NATO warships conducted tactical maneuvering drills, anti-submarine warfare training, gunnery and small caliber live fire events, and air defense exercises. Of significant note, the alliance practiced the integration of medical capabilities, with the USS Wasp, USS New York, the Royal Netherlands Navy Rotterdam class landing platform dock ship HNLMS Johan de Witt (L 801), and the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I (L 61) simulating a mass casualty drill and patient transfers between vessels. In addition to medical readiness, the NATO team also practiced the integration of its spiritual readiness staff. Seventeen chaplains, Religious Program Specialists, and assistants from 10 NATO nations participated in a conference aboard the USS Mount Whitney to learn about NATO Spiritual Support Interoperability (SSI) initiatives. Later, Dutch, Finnish and U.S. chaplains would meet aboard the HNLMS Johan de Witt to discuss how multinational chaplains could support a multinational force. Also at-sea, Royal Navy, Lithuanian Navy, and U.S. Navy service members conducted joint personnel recovery operations. During the operation, a Royal Navy small craft placed both a mannequin and a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) specialist into the Baltic Sea. After receiving a simulated recovery request, Lithuanian Navy Ship LNS Skalvis (P14) recovered the dummy, a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter attached to HSC-28 deployed a rescue swimmer into the water and recovered the live survivor, who then was dropped off onto one of the Royal Navy vessels, HMS Example. All of these events - whether at-sea, ashore, or in the air - were planned and coordinated by a substantial multinational coalition of liaison officers and augmentees operating out of the STRIKFORNATO headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal. These liaison officers were the conduit through which directives, intelligence, and requests flowed, bridging the gap between command levels, operational units, and supporting elements, and acting as the beating heart of exercise BALTOPS-24. Of special significance, for the first time in BALTOPS history, nearly all of the 8,000 kilometers of the Baltic Coastline is safeguarded by NATO Allies. This is only possible due to the accession of Finland in 2023, and the more recent accession of Sweden on March 7, 2024. "Since we joined three months ago, it's important for Sweden to show that we, as a nation, contribute to the security and stability in the Baltic Sea region as it is our home turf as well," says Lt. Tobias Irebro, liaison officer with the Swedish Navy. "It also lets us show that we are a willing contributor as a newly joined ally. It's also very important for the Baltic countries to exercise security and stability in the region as they depend on the sea as a main logistics asset for importing and exporting." Looking towards the future, preparations have already begun for next year's exercise, which will take into account the valuable lessons gleaned from BALTOPS-24 and aim to expand upon its achievements in BALTOPS-25. STRIKFORNATO, headquartered at Oeiras, Portugal, is a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters, under the operational command of SACEUR, capable of planning and executing full spectrum joint maritime operations including maritime Ballistic Missile Defence, primarily through integration of U.S. and other nations' carrier and amphibious forces into NATO operations to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defence for the Alliance. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and combined naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blinken warns Israel against wider war By Carla Babb June 24, 2024 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday warned Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant against allowing the conflict with Hamas in Gaza to expand to include Lebanon and Hezbollah. Blinken "underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes," according to a statement from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Blinken also pressed Gallant to take more steps to protect aid workers in Gaza. The Israeli defense minister will meet with other U.S. officials during his visit to Washington this week, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Earlier Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg that the risk of the war spilling over was growing bigger every day. "I think that, unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding," Borrell said. He also said a cease-fire in Gaza was desperately needed to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, saying "delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible." A temporary pier that was built for delivering aid into Gaza via a sea route paused deliveries Monday because of "scheduled maintenance," Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters. Sunday marked the U.S.-built pier's largest delivery day to date, with 720 metric tons of aid moved to the Gaza beach that day. Since the pier operations began on May 17, the U.S. military has delivered more than 6,200 metric tons of aid via the sea route to the Gazan coast for delivery to Palestinians, according to Ryder. However, aid organizations say corridors intended to funnel that aid from the Gazan shore to Palestinians in need are unsafe and unusable. Ryder also told reporters Monday that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group would "remain briefly" in the Mediterranean Sea before returning home. The aircraft carrier left the U.S. Central Command region after being deployed for more than seven months. The USS Theodore Roosevelt will leave the Pacific region in the coming days to deploy to the Middle East "to promote regional stability, deter aggression and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," he added. The top U.S. military officer warned Monday that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon would raise the risk of a broader conflict that draws in Iran to aid Hezbollah. Israel has been battling Iran-backed Hamas in its offensive in the Gaza Strip for months while also engaging in daily skirmishes with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Air Force General CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that Iran would be "more inclined to provide greater support to Hezbollah," describing the militants as having more resources than Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the "intense phase" of fighting against Hamas in Gaza would be ending "very soon." But he added that Israel would likely shift troops to the border with Lebanon. In an interview with Israel's Channel 14, Netanyahu said moving troops north would bolster the country's defensive posture against Hezbollah and allow Israelis who fled the fighting near the Lebanon-Israel border to return home. He added that while he hoped a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah could be found, Israel could "fight on several fronts, and we are also preparing for it." The war is now in its ninth month with no immediate end in sight. President Joe Biden has outlined a cease-fire that would halt fighting for six weeks and facilitate the release of Hamas-held hostages. Hamas has said any agreement must result in an end to the war, a demand Israel has rejected. The war was triggered by a shock Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians but also thousands of combatants, according to the territory's Health Ministry. VOA's Chris Hannas contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban tout UN invite to Doha meeting as proof of regime's rising importance By Ayaz Gul June 24, 2024 Afghanistan's Taliban are touting a United Nations invitation to an international conference in Qatar later this month, viewing it as an acknowledgment of their administration's growing significance globally. The two-day U.N. meeting between the Taliban and international envoys on Afghanistan is set for June 30 in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state, amid sharp criticism from human rights groups for excluding Afghan women representatives. It will be the third session of what is known as the "Doha process," and the fundamentalist de facto Afghan rulers have agreed to attend for the first time. "The Doha meeting will be held in the coming days, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been officially invited to attend," Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced in a video statement released by his office on Monday. The Taliban returned to power nearly three years ago and established their hardline male-only government in Kabul, named the Islamic Emirate, which has yet to be recognized by the international community. "We have developed good relations with neighboring and regional countries and are also actively pursuing positive and cordial ties with Western and U.S. governments," Muttaqi said while addressing his ministry staff in the Afghan capital. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the Doha process a year ago to establish a unified international approach to engagement with the Taliban, who have banned Afghan girls from education beyond the sixth grade and many women from public and private workplaces. Guterres did not invite de facto Afghan rulers to the first Doha conference in May 2023, and they refused to take part in the second this past February, citing the participation of Afghan civil society representatives and human rights activists. U.N. officials have defended the upcoming rare dialogue with the Taliban, promising that special envoys from about 25 countries at the meeting will "forcefully" raise restrictions on women's and girls' rights, among other human rights concerns. On Friday, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, emphasized the importance of the world community opening a direct dialogue with the Taliban, suggesting it could create opportunities for Afghan women to participate in future talks. "They would tell them [the Taliban] that, 'Look, it doesn't work like this, and we should have women around the table and also provide them with access to the business,'" she told reporters in New York after briefing a U.N. Security Council meeting on the Afghan situation. Speaking at the meeting, Otunbayeva said that her mission had met with hundreds of Afghans, especially women, around the country in the run-up to the third Doha meeting. "These consultations revealed a broad agreement that it was important for the de facto authorities to attend the meeting but that there should also be no recognition of the de facto authorities until the issues of women's rights, girls' education, and an acceptable constitution were broadly addressed," the UNAMA chief said. Otunbayeva stated that the U.N. would consult Afghan civil society and rights representatives in Afghanistan and abroad before the June 30 meeting. She noted that U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo and envoys from various countries will meet separately with Afghan rights activists in Doha on July 2, a day after the meeting with the Taliban ends. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have sharply criticized the U.N. for inviting the Taliban to the Doha talks rather than holding them accountable for "crimes" against Afghan women and girls. "Excluding women risks legitimizing the Taliban's abuses and triggering irreparable harm to the U.N.'s credibility as an advocate for women's rights and women's meaningful participation," Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch, said of the third planned Doha meeting. Otunbayeva said the Doha meeting would mainly focus on private sector business, the Afghan banking sector, and counternarcotics, issues she attributed to women's rights in the country. The Taliban have vehemently defended their governance, claiming it is aligned with Afghan culture and their harsh interpretation of Islamic law. The hardline group seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of engagement in the war with the then-insurgent Taliban. Guterres chaired the previous Doha meetings, but the coming session will be hosted by DiCarlo. She traveled to Kabul in May and invited Muttaqi to attend the talks. The Taliban have not yet confirmed whether their foreign minister will lead the delegation at the meeting. "We are trying to establish a process and preserve an important mechanism of consultation. We must be realistic about how much each meeting in this process can deliver, especially at this early stage where confidence and trust are insufficient," stressed Otunbayeva in her speech to the U.N. Security Council on Friday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kenyan police officers may deploy to Haiti Tuesday, reports say By Mariama Diallo June 24, 2024 Kenyan police officers may be set for deployment to Haiti on Tuesday, according to local reports and the French news agency, AFP. Multiple inquiries to the government of Kenya for confirmation of such reports were not answered. This development comes after numerous delays and court challenges, including the newest lawsuit that accused Kenyan President William Ruto of contempt of court. Last year, a United Nations Security Council resolution approved the Kenyan-led mission, but earlier this year the High Court of Kenya ruled against the deployment, saying it was unconstitutional. Issues cited by the court include the lack of a "reciprocal agreement" between the countries. The Kenyan government eventually secured that agreement but the same people who sued the government in the first place filed another lawsuit seeking to block the deployment. From a legal perspective, the legitimacy of the agreement is still in question, lawyer Wallace Nderu told VOA. "The ground for this application is that when the then-prime minister of Haiti was signing this agreement with Kenya, there was no known government in Haiti. The president had been assassinated; there were no elected leaders in Haiti. So where does he drive the mandate to negotiate an agreement on behalf of his country Haiti comes into question," said Nderu, a lawyer and a program officer at ICJ Kenya, the International Commission of Jurists, a non-governmental, non-profit, member-based organization. Nderu also said Kenyans feel the agreement was hastily put together, noting its content has not been shared with the population. "Part of the provisions in the law ... indicates that these agreements, after being signed, have to be gazetted in the official Kenya Gazette," Nderu said. "So, concern is raised that this particular agreement is very secretive. We are not aware of the content of the agreement ... it raises the legitimacy of the government deploying the police to Haiti." The Kenya Gazette is an official government publication that contains legal notices, government appointments, and other official announcements. A new commander for the police force was appointed Monday by the inspector general. President Ruto has maintained that stabilizing the troubled Caribbean nation is "a mission for humanity ... a mission for solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Haiti." In addition to Kenya, other nations including Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados and Chad said they will join the mission. While some Kenyans support the mission in Haiti, others have wondered why their country wants to lead the multinational force, given that nations more powerful and better equipped have not been willing to step forward. The reported deployment will take place on the same day that protests against proposed tax increases that have rocked Kenya in the past week are to resume. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address How the presidential candidates see top foreign policy issues By Anita Powell, Tatiana Vorozhko June 24, 2024 An aggressive Russia, an emboldened China, a tempestuous Middle East and the fragile global relationships needed to confront these challenges are major foreign policy issues neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump can dodge if either wins November's election. As the two men hold their first presidential debate on Thursday, they'll likely use their talking points to paint a picture of the role they want the United States to occupy on the world stage. The difference couldn't be starker, said Jeremi Suri, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin. "Biden's approach is a combination of liberal internationalism and forceful realism, echoing the Cold War," he said. "Trump's approach is a combination of isolationism and unilateralism, echoing the United States before World War II." Here's a look at how they view major foreign policy hot spots. Russian aggression Biden's administration sounded the alarm ahead of Russia's February 2022 invasion and has vowed to support Ukraine "as long as it takes." But that support faltered this year, when congressional Republicans stalled for six months on a $61 billion aid package. At the NATO summit in Washington in July, Biden will seek to boost allies' support for the conflict while passing Ukraine coordination duties to allies in Europe moves seen as insulating the conflict from a hostile U.S. Congress or future president. Trump's view of the conflict is complicated, contradictory and colored by his own experience with that nation's leader. It was, after all, a July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that sparked his first impeachment. A majority of the Republican-dominated Senate acquitted him of the charges that he improperly sought help from a foreign power to boost his reelection chances by asking Zelenskyy to help him discredit Biden politically. On the war, Trump told a recent interviewer, "I will have that settled prior to taking the White House as president-elect." Analysts say he hasn't made clear how. "He advocated only for the need to start some types of talks and negotiations, and he said that he could be willing to engage in these negotiations between [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Zelenskyy, but he never specified the design of the future outline of this peace agreement," said Sergiy Kudelia, an associate professor of political science at Baylor University. Biden recently assured Zelenskyy that their new 10-year bilateral security agreement serves as "another reminder to Putin: We're not backing down. In fact, we're standing together against this illegal aggression." But this tough stance is not limited to Biden, analysts say. "We do know that Trump perceives himself as a strongman and does not want to be associated with foreign policy failure," former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told VOA." And a Russian victory in Ukraine, if Trump is president, would look very much like a foreign policy failure." Chinese ambition Biden's mantra on Beijing is "competition, not conflict" and economic statecraft is Washington's tool of choice in this high-stakes game. This narrowed view of the relationship with China ties into what a consistent majority of Americans identify as a top election priority: the economy. In May, Biden highlighted the risks he believes China poses, by imposing steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment. "American workers can outwork and outcompete anyone as long as the competition is fair," Biden said. "But for too long, it hasn't been fair. For years, the Chinese government has poured state money into Chinese companies. ... It's not competition, it's cheating." And Trump, a self-professed fan of tariffs, recently proposed a tariff on all imported goods and another levy of 60% or more on Chinese imports. On China, professor Konstantin Sonin of the University of Chicago said, both men are aggressive. Biden, analysts note, has not reversed many of the Trump administration's tough tariffs on China. "Eight years ago, it sounded as if he would be a very different kind of U.S. president," he said of Trump. "But actually, he was not that different. And a lot of things that Trump did were then continued by the Biden administration." But on Taiwan, where the policy of American "strategic ambiguity" comes into play the idea that Washington refuses to signal how it would react if Beijing were to invade Taiwan this hits different, depending upon who's in charge, Sonin said. "I think that these are still very different presidents," he said. "For example, if it escalates around Taiwan, then perhaps Donald Trump would react differently." But, he added, further emphasizing Trump's rhetoric, "In foreign policy, sometimes he sounds harsher than he acts. And this is true in respect to China, not only China [but] with respect to Mexico, as well." Middle East malaise Trump's ambivalence and use of superlatives come wildly into play when it comes to the Middle East. While Biden has publicly styled himself as Israel's strongest supporter yet increasingly publicly letting slip that he is often annoyed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the war in Gaza rages on Trump's personal relationship with the Israeli leader seems to shape his view of the region. "I had a bad experience with Bibi," Trump said, using the prime minister's nickname, in a wide-ranging April interview with Time. "And it had to do with [the U.S. strike that killed Iranian military officer Qasem] Soleimani, because as you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack. ... And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something." But then in May, when Biden pledged to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces were to launch a major ground assault on the highly populated Gaza city of Rafah, Trump fired back. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump described Biden's words as "taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses." Here, Trump uses a particular rhetorical trick: using one issue in this case, Israel to bring up a keyword "terrorism" that polls say is a top voter concern, and then using that to reach back to domestic issues. In this case, he noted growing campus protests over the war in Gaza with loaded language that appeals to voters' feelings. Americans' top foreign policy issues, as documented by the Pew Research Center, appear to be focused through the same, particular lens that also seems to motivate voters: fear. "The majority of Americans say preventing terrorist attacks (73%), keeping illegal drugs out of the country (64%) and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (63%) are top priorities," the group said in its most recent roundup of Americans' foreign policy priorities. But then, Pew says: "Even with these priorities, foreign policy generally takes a back seat to domestic policy for most Americans." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 24 June 2024 - Day 852 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 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 one year ago, on 24 June 2023, the late Yevgeny Prigozhin led over 8,000 Wagner personnel on a 'march for justice against the Russian military's high command, accusing them of corruption and dereliction of duty. Russia has subsequently arrested several high-profile military leaders on accusations of corruption. Whilst a particular target of Prigohzin's scorn, the ex-Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, has been been replaced. Although Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a 23 August 2023 plane crash, his 'Wagner Group' Private Military Company has survived he now directed by his son Pavel Prigozhin and commanded by Anton "Lotos" Yelizarov. The Wagner Group withdrew from the frontlines in Ukraine during May 2023, being replaced by Chechen and Russian MOD Volunteer Corps irregular forces. Whilst in Africa, the Russian MOD's Africa Corps replaced Wagner's deployments in Syria and Libya in late 2023 and early 2024 respectively. Wagner nevertheless maintains independent deployments in Belarus, Mali and the Central African Republic. Prigozhin pioneered the practice of recruiting prisoners to serve in Ukraine. From July 2022 until February 2023, when the Russian MOD took over the practice, Wagner recruited over 48,000 prisoners, over 17,000 of whom were subsequently killed in action. Since February 2022, Russia's total prison population has decreased by at least 150,000. It is likely that a majority of these prisoners were released in exchange for agreeing to fight in Ukraine. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that so far, there have been 135 combat clashes. The hottest situation today during the day remained in the Pokrovsky direction. During the day, Russian forces launched three missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, using six missiles, 52 aviation strikes using 70 KABiv, 510 kamikadze drones. Russian forces almost 2,700 times shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons. In the Kharkiv direction during the day of success, there were no six attempts by occupiers to attack the positions of the Defense Forces in the areas of Vovchansk and Liptsi. In the Kupans komu direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled seven Russian attacks near synkivka, stelmahivka and sand. At the moment, there are still three clashes near the stepovoi novoselivka. The situation is under the control of Defense Forces. Direction to Lyman. During the day, the Russian enemy's activity was concentrated near the settlements of Kopanka, Grekivka, Makiyivka, Nevske, Terni, Torske and in the Serebryansky Forest. Ukrainian defenders repelled over 20 attempts of zagarbnikiv to approach Ukrainian defensive positions. In the Lyman direction since the beginning of the day, Russia has already lost 92 people dead and wounded, as well as five units of armaments and military equipment. In the Siversky direction, the number of battles increased to 22. Russian forces attacked the Defense Forces in the areas of Bilogorivka, Verkhnyokamans kogo, Viiymki and Rozdolivka. 20 attacks knocked down, 2 fights still ongoing. Situation is tense, but under control. According to the available information, the loss of the Russian occupiers in this direction was 84 persons. In addition, an infantry fighting vehicle and a car were destroyed. Impressed two blinders with personnel. Ukrainian defenders repelled nine assault actions by Russian invaders in the Kramatorsky direction in the areas of Kalinivka, Chasovoy Yar, Ivanivsky and Klishchievka. The situation is under the control of Ukrainian defenders. The direction of Toriec. Here, Russian forces tried to infiltrate Ukrainian defense nine times near the Southern, Northern and Toretsk. Eight attacks have been repelled, one is ongoing. The situation is intense. The hottest today in the pokrovs komu direction where the Russian aggressor does not leave trying to break through Ukrainian defense. For today, the Russian occupiers attacked 45 times in the areas of settlements Oleksandropil, Evgenivka, Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvizhenka, Falcon, Novoselivka First and Umanske. 33 Russian assault actions have been repelled, 12 clashes are still ongoing. Defense Forces are taking measures to exhaust Russian occupation troops and prevent them from advancing deep into the territory of Ukraine. According to available information, within a day Russian forces here lost 185 occupiers killed and wounded. In the kurakhivs komu direction Russian assault actions did not have success in the areas of karlivka, krasnogorivka and paraskoviivka. The situation is under the control of Ukrainian defenders. In the Shakhtars komu direction, the Russian aggressor four times tried to break through in the area of Urozaynogo. The three assault actions were unsuccessful, the battle is ongoing. The situation is under control. In the Pridnipro direction, Russian forces made five attempts to push out Ukrainian defenders on the left bank of the Dnieper. Three assault operations successfully completed, two are ongoing. In the rest of the directions, there were no significant changes in the environment. Ukrainian Air Force and Missile and Artillery units have been conducting raids in three personnel concentration areas, weapons and military equipment concentration area and the Russian forces' ammunition depot earlier this afternoon. The soldiers of the 36th separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Michael Bilinsky should be noted for the effective combat work during the day, who were distinguished in restraining the Russian aggressor and inflicting it irreparable losses. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the units of the Sever Group of Forces have hit manpower and hardware of the AFU 36th Marine Brigade, the 113rd Territorial Defence Brigade, and the 13th National Guard Brigade close to Volchansk, Bochkovo, and Liptsy (Kharkov region). One counter-attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade has been repelled. The AFU losses were up to 220 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, one 155-mm German-made Panzerhaubitzer 2000 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and two electronic warfare stations. The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on 14th, 21st, 115th, and 116th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 480 Ukrainian troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, one 155-mm Panzerhaubitzer 2000 howitzer, one German-made 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, three 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one 105-mm U.S.-made M119 gun, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS. In addition, one artillery ammunition depot of the AFU has been destroyed. The units of the Yug Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line and hit manpower and hardware of AFU 46th airmobile, 79th air assault brigades near Konstantinovka and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses were over 610 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, four motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 155-mm UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one 122-mm Grad MLRS combat vehicle. Three electronic warfare stations and seven field ammunition depots have been eliminated. The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation and also defeated 24th, 47th mechanised brigades of the AFU close to Sokol and Toretsk (Donetsk People's Republic). Five counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 23rd, 110th mechanised brigades, and the 95th Air Assault Brigade have been repelled. The enemy losses were over 430 troops, two U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one 105-mm U.S.-made M119 howitzer. The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have taken more advantageous lines, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of 115th and 123rd territorial defence brigades, and the 21st National Guard Brigade close to Oktyabr, Rovnopol, and Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk People's Republic). One counter-attack by AFU units of the 37th Marine Brigade has been repelled. The AFU losses were over 140 Ukrainian troops, six motor vehicles, one UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one UK-made 152-mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and one D-20 howitzer. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Marine Brigade and the 124th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Antonovka and Ivanovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses were up to 125 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B 2A65 howitzer, and one D-20 152-mm howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces hit a large logistics centre of the AFU where armament, including missile weapons delivered to the Kiev regime by Western countries, were accumulated, stored, and redistributed. In addition, Russian troops have launched strikes at clusters of AFU manpower and hardware in 112 areas. Air defence systems have shot down 176 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, four U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft guided missiles, as well as 10 U.S.-made HIMARS, and Czech-made Vampire missiles. In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 26,487 unmanned aerial vehicles, 533 air defence missile systems, 16,416 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,348 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,825 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 22,893 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU imposes first ever sanctions on leading cybercriminals Government of the Netherlands - Ministry of Foreign Affairs News item | 24-06-2024 The Foreign Affairs Council has adopted sanctions against six Russian individuals responsible for serious cyber operations that have caused widespread damage in the EU, including bank hacks and ransomware attacks on the healthcare sector. Two of them are leading figures in the cybercrime circuit. Thanks to close cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and Security, the Public Prosecution Service and the police, they can now be sanctioned by the EU. With these sanctions the EU has taken an important step towards a safer cyber domain. Because alongside cyber espionage and cyber sabotage, for the first time the EU is now also tackling cybercriminals who cause serious damage to our society for the sake of financial gain. Not only will these criminals now have to suffer the personal consequences of their malicious behaviour, but individuals and entities that do business with them are also targeted. Through effective expertise and knowledge sharing between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Public Prosecution Service and the police, the Netherlands has been able to make a unique and important contribution to sanctioning within the EU. The Netherlands hopes that this approach will also inspire other member states, so that the EU can be even more effective in fighting cybercrime. As a result of the sanctions, these individuals' assets in the EU will be frozen, they will no longer be able to enter the EU, and transactions with them will be prohibited. This means that it will be against the law for EU citizens and companies to cooperate and do business with these prominent cybercriminals, directly or indirectly. The purpose of these measures, aimed at both the individuals concerned and their clients, is to deter and combat cybercrime. These sanctions will also send a clear signal to states that provide safe havens to cybercriminals, allowing them to operate without impunity. Under the cyber sanctions regime established in 2019, sanctions have been imposed on 14 individuals and four entities from Russia, China and North Korea since 2020. These individuals and entities are responsible for cyberattacks on such institutions as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the German Bundestag, banks and hospitals. The sanctions regime currently explicitly targets individuals and entities, not states. The Netherlands considers it important that the EU also has the tools to take more effective action against states that exhibit malicious cyber behaviour. That's why the Netherlands is working with other member states to explore how the EU's cyber sanctions toolbox can be strengthened further. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Release of the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Benjamin Franklin Room Washington, D.C. June 24, 2024 AMBASSADOR DYER: Good morning, everyone. My name is Cindy Dyer, and I have the privilege of serving as the ambassador-at-large for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Thank you all for joining us today to mark the release of the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report or TIP Report. This is a particularly exciting year as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of our TIP Report Heroes program, as highlighted in the video we just watched. We extend our deepest thanks to Mira Sorvino, UNODC goodwill ambassador in the global fight against human trafficking, for supporting this effort and lending her voice to the video. Since 2004, the department has recognized more than 170 TIP Report Heroes from around the world. These individuals have made significant contributions to the antitrafficking movement. It is both an honor and a humbling experience to share this stage with the 2024 heroes we are recognizing here today. During today's program, Secretary Blinken will deliver remarks on the 2024 TIP Report. Next we will honor the 10 TIP Report Heroes for their outstanding efforts in combating human trafficking in the face of hardships and challenging environments. We will also hear from one of the heroes who will speak on behalf of this year's honorees. After the ceremony, we invite you to visit state.gov to read this year's report and learn more about these extraordinary individuals. To those gathered here, we invite you to join us for a reception in the Delegates' Lounge. The TIP Report stands as a key cornerstone of our collective global efforts to fight human trafficking. This year's - the report introduction focuses on the intersection of technology and human trafficking. As traffickers exploit technological advancements to conduct their crimes and obscure their identities, we must also take advantage of new innovations while continuing to strengthen traditional methods and practices to identify victims, disrupt criminal networks, and hold traffickers accountable. This year's report also explores creative practices used in the field, developed in consultation with survivors that result in more victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches. For instance, you will find information on innovative strategies in human trafficking investigations and prosecutions that can reduce reliance on victim testimony. As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand how employing these strategies provides greater protection and support for victims, strengthens the criminal case, and enhances accountability and justice. Innovative partnerships can help us build prevention and protection efforts that are responsive to ever-evolving challenges. Our office recently launched the first ever Partnership to Prevent Trafficking in Persons, or P2P - it's D.C., it's got to have an acronym - P2P with Zambia. The P2P program is based on the successful Child Protection Compact program and utilizes a co-developed multi-year action plan to strengthen government efforts and civil society collaboration to combat trafficking. We plan to launch future P2P agreements to draw on the best practices gleaned from the CPC program but which will benefit all human trafficking victims no matter their age. Many adult human trafficking victims were first exploited as children but never identified and never assisted, and we shouldn't stop caring about victims just because they turn 18. I am also thrilled to announce that our office is planning to make an award in September to an organization that will provide technical assistance to support foreign governments and partners in their efforts to establish survivor partnership structures and engage survivor leadership. It is essential that antitrafficking advocates continually and intentionally connect and partner with communities who are most impacted by trafficking, especially those from historically marginalized populations who are often excluded during the development of policies directly affecting them. To this end, the United States continues to prioritize establishing a new and innovative ways to incorporate survivor input into federal antitrafficking policy and programs, primarily through the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and the department's Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network. Engaging with individuals who have lived experience of human trafficking and incorporating their knowledge and expertise ensures our antitrafficking initiatives benefit from diverse perspectives and insights and leads to survivor-informed policies that are more effective. These innovative partnerships and methods are crucial in our fight against human trafficking, and fortunately we have a leader who shares that vision and commitment. Thank you, Secretary Blinken, for hosting today's events and for your continued leadership in advancing efforts to combat human trafficking both in the United States and globally. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. (Applause.) SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Very good to have you here today at the State Department, in the Benjamin Franklin Room, especially with our very honored guests. To Cindy, thank you. To everyone involved, I'm so glad we're coming together today. The 2024 Trafficking in Human Persons Report is a comprehensive, objective assessment of the state of antitrafficking efforts across 188 countries and territories, including the United States. For more than two decades, this report has documented emerging trends, highlighted areas of progress and setback, identified effective initiatives combatting human trafficking. Let me start by saying how grateful I am to Ambassador Dyer and the entire team. I'd also like to thank our colleagues at posts across the world for your work in gathering the information, meeting with host governments, engaging survivors to enrich the report and further our missions. As always, our diplomacy - American diplomacy - is at its best when it reflects strong, bipartisan support. That's why we're also grateful for the partnership from both sides of the aisle in Congress on this crucial and, alas, enduring issue. And thank you to the Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network and the U.S. Advisory Council, who ensure that our policies are centered where they belong: on the experiences and on the perspectives of the survivors. We're honored to be joined today by these 10 TIP Report Heroes, remarkably courageous individuals who are driving change, driving change in the face of daunting obstacles - often at great personal risk. Each hero bring a unique approach to tackling this challenge, but their efforts, like those of our government, are rooted in a shared belief - a shared belief in the fundamental rights and freedoms of all people. Trafficking violates that shared belief. It also undermines the rule of law. It weakens border security. It limits people's economic opportunity. And while trafficking is as old as humanity itself, perpetrators continue to evolve their methods. The 2024 report examines in depth one of those emerging practices, the growing role of digital technology in trafficking, and I commend it to you for that reason among many others. Around the world, trafficking networks target and recruit victims online - through social media, through dating apps, through gaming platforms. Perpetrators conduct financial transactions in opaque cryptocurrencies. They use encryption to make it harder to detect their activities or ascertain the countries where they're operating. And increasingly, traffickers coerce their victims into participating in online scams. Let me give you just one example of this. Traffickers used fake job listings to lure individuals away from their homes with the promise of well-paying jobs. Instead, they were taken to an isolated, guarded compound in Burma, where their phones were confiscated. There, captives were forced to swindle people online, including American citizens - swindling them into investing in fake cryptocurrencies, typically through romance scams. One trafficking survivor, a chemical engineer from India, told a reporter that he was locked in a cell and starved until he agreed to take part in the scams. This practice of combining human trafficking with cyber scamming is becoming more and more common. Now, social media can reinforce stereotypes about who can be a victim of trafficking - including along lines of gender, race, ethnicity, and class - like the false but widely held notion that trafficking only affects women and girls. These misconceptions limit the ability of communities, of authorities, and even victims themselves to recognize abuse as it's happening. At the same time, this year's report shows how some of these same technologies can be deployed to uncover and disrupt trafficking - and can help us better hold perpetrators accountable. Civil society and the private sector are collaborating to create and apply AI-enabled tools that detect trafficking operations. Here again, an example. Tech Against Trafficking, a coalition of leading tech companies and antitrafficking NGOs, is developing machine learning initiatives that address emerging trafficking trends and tactics. This allows advocates and governments to identify and share new vulnerabilities, as well as to more effectively track down and prosecute trafficking schemes, all the while preserving the anonymity of the victims. Civil society groups are rolling out mobile apps to provide vulnerable individuals and groups with information about their rights, as well as about the wages, the labor conditions offered by potential employers. Other digital tools empower workers to document and report trafficking. In Brazil, the State Department assisted a trade union that represents millions of rural coffee workers to set up a help line on WhatsApp where laborers can report abuses and get the support they need. Governments are integrating digital technology into their antitrafficking efforts. Canada, for example, worked with major financial institutions through Project PROTECT, a public-private partnership that reviews suspicious transactions to identify the potential laundering of money from trafficking. Trafficking is the very definition of a problem that no one nation can solve alone. More than ever, we have to work not only with governments but along with the private sector, civil society, multinational organizations, citizens, and survivors who understand the complex challenge and how we can confront it, and they know this better than anyone - survivors like Al-Amin Noyon. After graduating from university, he was lured away from his village in Bangladesh by a man who promised a higher-paying job abroad. Noyon's parents sold much of their land to cover the cost of his passport and fees. Instead, he was taken to a neighboring country, where he was forced to work alongside others who were clearing a dense jungle. They were never paid. No one was allowed to leave. "If we were tired or refused to work, we would be beaten," Noyon said. For seven months, he worked in these brutal conditions - until he and others waged a dangerous escape. Eventually, Noyon made his way to the Bangladeshi embassy - and finally, back home. But that is not the end of his story. Having escaped, Noyon decided to dedicate himself to helping those who found themselves victims of trafficking. As he put it, "I turned my scars into my strength." Years later, thousands of people - thousands of people - owe their freedom to his efforts. Today, we honor Noyon as one of our TIP Heroes. His story is a testament to the extraordinary resilience of the survivors - and all that they contribute to this shared movement. So I wanted to highlight the report to you, but I especially now want to get out of the way so that you can appreciate and applaud the extraordinary individuals who share this stage with us - our TIP Report Heroes. To them, to all of you here who are working on this vital mission: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Cindy, back to you. (Applause.) AMBASSADOR DYER: Thank you, Secretary Blinken. I am excited to indeed now turn our attention to the 2024 TIP Report Heroes. Please join me as we recognize and honor this year's 10 heroes. First, Al-Amin Noyon, from Bangladesh, in - (applause) - in recognition of his exceptional efforts managing a migration information center, using his professional and personal experience to provide survivor-centered support to an estimated 35,000 trafficking victims and migrants returning to Bangladesh. (Applause.) Marcela Martinez from Bolivia, in recognition - (applause and cheers) - in recognition of her extraordinary leadership in the antitrafficking movement in Bolivia, spurring antitrafficking legal protections, increasing the visibility of searches for trafficking victims, and providing social and economic reintegration support to survivors. (Applause.) Maria Werlau from Cuba - (applause) - in recognition of her persistent and courageous efforts to amplify the voices and stories of survivors of forced labor and exploitation in Cuba's labor export program, including its medical brigades. (Applause.) Mustafa Ridha Mustafa al-Yasiri, from Iraq - (applause) - in recognition of his many years of courageous antitrafficking work, increasing identification of trafficking victims, and continuously improving support and services provided to Iraqi and foreign trafficking victims. (Applause.) Edith Murogo, in recognition of her decades - (applause) - spent fighting against human trafficking and labor exploitation; in particular, her advocacy on behalf of domestic workers, pushing for coordination among service providers to improve shelter provision and lobbying government for strengthened protections. (Applause.) Oumou Elkhairou NiarA SamakA from Mali - (applause) - in recognition of her tireless efforts to reinvigorate Mali's antitrafficking efforts, leading the development of a national action plan to combat trafficking in persons, and advocating for the passage of laws that have provisions for higher punishments for trafficking in persons and hereditary slavery offenses. (Applause.) Samson Inocencio from the Philippines - (applause) - in recognition of his courageous leadership and distinguished career in partnering with the Philippine Government to enhance the public justice system and civil society's response to human trafficking, leading to the identification of and assistance to over a thousand survivors, the convictions of hundreds of traffickers, and the protection of many children from exploitation. (Applause.) Marijana Savic from Serbia - (applause) - in recognition of her acclaimed antitrafficking work in Serbia, relentless push for sustainable policy solutions, insistence on the provision of victim-centered approaches, prioritization of vulnerable survivors, and innovative work promoting long-term economic integration for survivors to prevent revictimization. (Applause.) Rosa CendAn from Spain - (applause) - in recognition of her influential role in antitrafficking advocacy in Catalonia, her pivotal role in the design of national victim protection policies, contributions to the development of detection and intervention tools, and advocacy for the establishment of an NGO network to support refugees and integrate antitrafficking measures into the asylum reception system. (Applause.) And Letitia Pinas - (applause) - in recognition of her dedicated efforts as head of the Suriname police force's TIP unit in the absence of any antitrafficking NGOs in the country to improve the unit's work investigating suspects, identify and serve victims, while strengthening community outreach and the public's trust in the unit. (Applause.) Congratulations again to the 2024 TIP Report Heroes. Now we have the honor to hear from one of our heroes this morning. Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Edith Murogo. (Applause.) MS MUROGO: Good morning, everyone, and jambo from Kenya. I am Edith Murogo, working with the Center for Domestic Training and Development, and a member of a very robust CSO network in Nairobi that works on fighting trafficking, smuggling of migrants, and child labor. I'm also very happy and excited to see someone I met almost 10 years ago, former ambassador Mr. C.deBaca. Thank you so much. We were very encouraged by your visit, and I'm very happy to see you here this morning. Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, fellow awardees, and distinguished members of the U.S. Government, it is a profound honor to represent my fellow Trafficking in Persons Report Heroes today. We are humbled and grateful for this recognition of our efforts to eradicate human trafficking, a scourge that continues to plague our global community. We have dedicated our lives to restoring the rights, dignity, and humanity of those affected. Our heroes today exemplify the spirit of grassroots advocates who have dedicated their time and risked their lives to combat this heinous crime. Our journey as heroes has been driven by the firm conviction that change is possible. By coming together, we can dismantle the structures that enable trafficking and build systems that protect and empower the vulnerable. This ceremony validates the efforts of our colleagues around the world who are courageously confronting human trafficking. So it's not just for us who are here. This event reminds us of the challenges ahead. Working alongside victims and survivors, I have witnessed how this abhorrent crime festers in the shadows. As composer Du Yun observed, when we think of human trafficking, we always think that it's far away from us, yet the reality is trafficking permeates our communities. This begs the question: Why does human trafficking continue to thrive? A confluence of factors: poverty, political instability, systemic inequalities, and social injustices create fertile ground for this crime, which is fueled by ignorance, corruption, and greed. What can the global community do? As Condoleezza Rice said, defeating human trafficking is a great moral calling of our time. I propose five actions. The first one is to raise awareness. Our first step is to educate the public on indicators of trafficking, and the grim realities victims face, so communities can take proactive measures. Number two: We need to support survivors. We need robust support systems for survivors, including safe shelters, legal advocacy, medical care, and psychological support. The NGOs leading this effort require sustained financial backing. Strengthen legislation: Our governments must adopt and enforce laws that ensure severe penalties for perpetrators. Given the transnational nature of trafficking, international collaboration is critical. Promote economic opportunities - and this is very important: Tackling the root causes of human trafficking requires addressing the economic disenfranchisement and educational deficits that traffickers exploit. Build partnerships: We have an African proverb that says if you want to go far, go alone. If you want to go far, go together - sorry. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We cannot win the fight against trafficking alone. Let us partner in a global network of support. For now, I leave you with an urgent call to uphold our core values: freedom, justice, and human dignity. As Martin Luther King, Jr. asserted, the time is always right to do what is right. In conclusion, let us heed the words of former President Barack Obama: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Together we can be the change that eradicates human trafficking. Thank you so much to all of you. (Applause.) AMBASSADOR DYER: Thank you so much, Mrs. Murogo, for your thoughtful remarks on behalf of all of the TIP Report Heroes this year. And to you to all of our TIP Report Heroes for the amazing work that you all do. Before we depart today, I would like to thank the staff of the Trafficking in Persons Office, and our colleagues across the State Department, for your commitment and dedication to producing the TIP Report. I have often told my staff that when I took this job, I knew it was my dream job, but I didn't know that the dream job came with the dream team. (Laughter.) It does. They are the dream team. Also, a special thanks to our counterparts in the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau who continue to serve as close partners for our office, including in production of the report and in the planning of the annual TIP Report Heroes IVLP program. Lastly, I want to express our gratitude to our partners around the world in government, civil society, and those with lived experience for the strong collaboration in informing the TIP Report. Your insights guide our understanding of human trafficking in all its forms and the promising practices being used to combat and prevent it. Again, I invite you to visit our website, state.gov, to read this year's TIP Report. Thank you again for your commitment and partnership, and please join us for a reception in the Delegates' Lounge. Thank you. (Applause.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US moves Brunei, Sudan to blacklist on human trafficking report By VOA News June 24, 2024 The U.S. State Department moved Brunei and Sudan to Tier 3 on the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released Monday, which could subject the countries to sanctions or cutbacks in U.S. assistance. The U.S. deems the countries in Tier 3 to not be doing enough to act against human trafficking and not compliant with the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). "Around the globe, an estimated 27 million people are exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a message to readers of the report. "Through force, fraud, and coercion, they are made to toil in fields and factories, in restaurants and residences. Traffickers prey on some of the world's most marginalized and vulnerable individuals a profiting from their plight." Brunei is reported to not have convicted any traffickers for seven consecutive years, with the U.S. alleging that the country may have punished victims of trafficking via prosecution or deportation. In the department's 2023 report, Sudan was in Tier 2, meaning that it was not in full compliance with the TVPA but was making "significant efforts" to do so. In the same 2023 report, Brunei was on the Tier 2 watch list. Tier 1 implies that a country is complicit in the TVPA and is making efforts to combat trafficking. Countries on the Tier 3 list may be subjected to U.S. sanctions or restrictions on assistance, such as non-humanitarian related support, if authorized by the U.S. president. The State Department named 13 countries with "a documented 'policy or pattern''' in state-sponsored trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Turkmenistan. The report noted prevalent human trafficking issues within the Western Hemisphere, saying that there are "broad commonalities in trafficking trends." This includes governments falling short on targeting forced labor, inconsistencies in victim protection, and faults in criminal justice responses. Global law enforcement data, which the U.S. requires foreign governments to submit as a minimum requirement for Tier 1 consideration, listed 18,774 prosecutions of human traffickers in 2023. The 2024 report outlines how digital platforms can be used to take advantage of victims of human trafficking, using online programs such as dating apps or social media to lure potential victims. "In online scam operations, traffickers largely recruit victims through deceitful job listings online, confine them in gated compounds, and force them to engage in online criminal activity under threat of serious harm," the report says. The report additionally highlights the role of government, law enforcement, the financial sector, nongovernmental organizations, the technology industry and anti-trafficking stakeholders in human trafficking. It also describes steps that each sector could take to further prevent the issue. In terms of governments, "efforts to legislate and regulate tech companies to better prevent and address human trafficking will have broader impacts in areas such as privacy, security, and innovation, so careful consideration with a wide range of stakeholders will be needed," the report states. Since 2004 the State Department has honored individuals from across the globe who have worked to combat human trafficking, deemed TIP Report Heroes. The 10 TIP Report Heroes for 2024 were honored at the release of the annual report. Founder and Executive Director at the Center for Domestic Training and Development Edith Murogo was named a 2024 Tip Hero and spoke on behalf of her fellow recipients. She proposed five actions to combat human trafficking: Raise awareness, support survivors, strengthen legislation, promote economic opportunities and build partnerships. "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time, we are the ones we've been waiting for," she said. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on EU sanctions against cyber criminals for malicious activities against the EU Ukraine Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 25 June 2024 Category: International relations Australia expresses its strong support for the EU's decision to issue sanctions against cyber criminals for malicious cyber activity targeting the EU and Ukraine. Australia stands in solidarity with the EU in taking this important step in the fight against cybercrime and commends the EU for this action, its first use of sanctions against cyber criminals. Cybercrime is a global scourge, and it is important to stand together in efforts to combat it, to end the anonymity and impunity with which cyber criminals believe they operate. Sanctions serve as a deterrent for those who would engage in such illegal activity. Australia has also used its autonomous cyber sanctions framework in recent months to disrupt and deter the perpetrators of malicious cyber activity, such as ransomware. Australia will continue to use sanctions to deter and respond to malicious cyber activity, consistent with our national interests. Australia is proud to stand with the EU in this effort. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Baiba BraAe calls for rapidly adopting sanctions against Belarus and agreeing on the next sanctions round against Russia Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24.06.2024 On 24 June 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba BraAe, took part in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Luxembourg, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers took decisions on approval of sanctions against Russia as well as discussing future support to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggression, as well as the situation in the Middle East, the Western Balkans, Georgia, and the Great Lakes region. "Significant progress has been made with restricting Russia's capabilities, ensured by an increased military and other support to Ukraine as well as by the 14th round of EU sanctions on Russia approved today and the use of windfall profits from immobilised Russian assets for the purchase of military equipment for Ukraine. The sanctions package contains vital decisions, including a ban on exports and transit of manganese ore to Russia and targeting of the Russian "shadow fleet" vessels. The new round of sanctions against Russia is in the security interests of the EU as a whole," the Latvian Foreign Minister underlined. At the same time, Minister Baiba BraAe called on those present not to stop at that, urging them to continue work on measures restricting Russia, which includes countering hybrid attacks and getting started on devising yet another round of sanctions. The minister stressed in particular that "sanctions should immediately be strengthened on Belarus to prevent the circumvention, through that country, of sanctions imposed on Russia". Looking back at the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland, the Latvian Foreign Minister called for achieving a global political will in support of Ukraine's peace plan. The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, underlined at the opening of the ministerial discussion that support for Ukraine remains crucial. Accordingly, EU Foreign Ministers exchanged opinions on channelling windfall profits from immobilised Russian assets towards strengthening Ukraine's military capabilities and restoration of infrastructure. Ministers also highlighted the need to agree in the near future on a framework document on the EU's commitments in support of Ukraine. Minister Baiba BraAe said she was pleased that increasingly more EU Member States supported Ukraine's attacks on military targets on Russian soil. The EU Foreign Affairs Council discussed the development of the situation in the Middle East and, in particular, the need to find a long-term solution and address the severe humanitarian crisis. The Council followed up on the EU Foreign Ministers' discussion of 27 May about a future dialogue with Georgia. Baiba BraAe emphasised that "the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the targeting of civil society diverts Georgia from its goal of joining the EU and is incompatible with the status of an EU candidate country. EU support for Georgian civil society is now of particular importance. Further steps taken by the Georgian Government will be decisive in the future dialogue with the EU." The Member States expressed their interest in strengthening a dialogue with the Western Balkans region, which plays an important role in ensuring European security and stability, including in preventing illegal migration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi meets Duda as two countries to push ties to higher level Global Times By Yang Sheng Published: Jun 24, 2024 11:40 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two countries signed a series of bilateral cooperation documents in trade and agriculture, and the two leaders also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Noting Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained steady progress since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 75 years ago. Since China and Poland decided to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have expanded and deepened in an all-round way, benefiting the two peoples, he added. Xi said that "The key to the success of China-Poland relations is that both sides have been able to draw wisdom and strength from the historical and cultural traditions of their respective nations and adhere to independent development of bilateral friendly relations." China has decided to implement a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens, Xi noted. Duda said at the meeting that Poland is willing to keep close multilateral communication and coordination with China, push for further development of the Polish-China comprehensive strategic partnership and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and stability. Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, and is willing to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and continue to promote cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) and China, said the Polish president. A key to peace Xi stressed at the meeting with Duda that "China's stance on the Ukraine crisis is to encourage peace talks and seek a political resolution. At present, efforts should be made to prevent the conflict from escalating, and to create conditions conducive to peace talks. This aligns with the interests of the international community, including Europe." "China opposes those who use normal China-Russia trade relations as an excuse to deflect focus and smear China. China encourages and supports all efforts conducive to a peaceful resolution of the crisis and promotes the establishment of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security framework. China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis in its own way," Xi noted. Poland is a country with long-standing tensions with Russia, and is a key member of NATO that is deeply involved in the Ukraine crisis. Duda's visit to Beijing proves that some voices from the West, especially the US, who claimed that the development of China-Russia ties would damage China's relations with European countries, are far from correct, said experts. The facts prove that China is a responsible and neutral major power that can withstand disruption from a few countries like the US and effectively communicate and develop ties with conflicting parties of the Ukraine crisis at the same time, analysts noted. "China is a country that can independently develop ties with other countries without targeting any third party, so China can develop ties with Poland and other EU members, and can also develop ties with Russia," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for Shanghai Cooperation Organization International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday. Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday that the Ukraine crisis and security of Europe are complicated issues that require engagement with all kinds of countries, not only major EU members like France and Germany, or the conflicting parties like Russia and Ukraine, but also countries that are directly concerned and that have influence like Poland. "China-Poland ties or China-EU ties and China-Russia ties do not necessarily affect each other, because we have broad common interests that need to be developed and we have the wisdom to avoid meddling in the situation in Europe, while also playing a constructive role to help the relevant parties find a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine," Cui noted. Ahead of his visit, Duda said in an interview on Radio Zet on Friday that "I am trying to maintain friendly relations with China. Poland has always had decent relations with China and I would like that to be continued," the AP reported on Monday. The Polish leader told the station that peace in Ukraine will be discussed. Asked if he believes that China holds the key to peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Duda said: "I think that to a large degree, yes," the AP reported. Bilateral cooperation China and Poland share broad common interests on economic cooperation and trade, and the two countries are also seeking more people-to-people exchanges. Xi said at the meeting with Duda that the two sides should jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality, ensure and advance cooperation on major projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, digital economy, green industry and clean energy. "China welcomes more high-quality Polish agricultural and food products to enter the Chinese market, supports the expansion of two-way investment and hopes that Poland will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises," Xi remarked. For years, China has been Poland's second largest trading partner and Poland has been China's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past five years, bilateral trade between China and Poland has registered an average annual growth rate of more than 10 percent, and bilateral trade in 2023 hit $42 billion, Sun Linjiang, the Chinese ambassador to Poland, said in his article published in the People's Daily on Sunday. Sun said Poland was one of the first countries to sign the intergovernmental memorandum of understanding with China on the Belt and Road Initiative. There is a growing presence of Chinese businesses in the Polish market, and their direct investment in the European country has totaled more than $4 billion, wrote the ambassador. Polish beef and blueberries have been on Chinese families' dining tables since an agreement for the products to enter the Chinese market was signed last year, Sun said. The state visit by the Polish president sends a positive signal that China and Poland are committed to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and are working together to address challenges, Sun noted. "We believe that the meeting between the two heads of state will give new impetus to the development of relations between the two countries and between China and Europe," said the Chinese ambassador. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US condemned for attempting to sow discord between China and Russia, N.Korea Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Jun 24, 2024 10:34 PM Experts have rebuked the US for trying to sow discord between China and Russia, and North Korea, noting that the closer relationship between the two Chinese neighbors is based on current realities, as their mutual support can break through Western blockades. The remarks came after US Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during an overseas trip on Sunday that the newly-signed strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea could create friction with China, according to Reuters. Reuters, citing anonymous analysts, claimed the pact, signed on Wednesday, "could undercut Beijing's leverage over its two neighbors and any heightened instability could be negative for China's global economic and strategic ambitions." Chinese experts refuted the claims. "In fact, China is pleased to see strengthening friendly cooperation between these two neighboring countries," said LA Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula issue at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. He believes the mutually supportive ties between Russia and North Korea are expected to contribute to regional security and the peace and stability of Northeast Asia. China's relations with both Russia and North Korea share a common goal of maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia, and their comprehensive cooperation is reasonable, LA said. The top leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following their summit in Pyongyang on Wednesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday. Russia and North Korea have agreed on mutual support in the event of external aggression, Russian media reported on Wednesday, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia does not rule out military-technical cooperation with North Korea in accordance with a newly signed comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, RIA Novosti reported, citing Putin at a press briefing following talks with North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. In response to the development, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a Thursday press conference that "the agreement between the DPRK and Russia is related to their bilateral cooperation. I have no comment on it." The closer relationship between North Korea and Russia is based on current realities, Chinese experts pointed out. Currently, both Russia and North Korea face severe pressure from the US-led Western clique, including economic sanctions. In this situation, it is natural for the two countries to come together, especially since they have mutually beneficial aspects, such as Russia's assistance in energy and food supplies to North Korea, according to LA. At the same time, some US and other Western politicians and media outlets are hyping "some kind of military alignment or military bloc" in Northeast Asia. Such rumors also were debunked by Chinese experts. The US is determined to implement its so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy in the region, creating a camp confrontation mentality, they said. "China opposes any trend towards regional camps. But the US is fabricating this division," LA remarked. He warned that the Western portrayal of a camp formation could further exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The expert explained that China has always advocated a fair and just stance on the Korean Peninsula issue, maintaining a fair and just position towards both North and South Korea, which has been widely recognized. Lin said that on the Korean Peninsula issue, China's position is consistent. "We always believe that upholding peace and stability on the Peninsula and advancing the political settlement of the Peninsula issue serve the common interests of all parties and hope various parties will make constructive efforts to this end," Lin said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Horn of Africa countries set to push forward bilateral cooperation Global Times By Shan Jie Published: Jun 25, 2024 12:13 AM The second Senior Officials Meeting of the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference convened in Beijing on Monday, with officials from China and African countries vowing to push forward bilateral cooperation to achieve more new results and benefit the people of both sides. The event was attended by Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs Xue Bing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, and senior officials and diplomats from the foreign ministries of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. "Since the Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa was proposed more than two years ago, China has worked hand in hand with countries in the Horn of Africa, focusing on the three main goals of 'security, development, and governance,' to support regional peace and development through concrete actions," Chen said. China is willing to continue to be a partner on the path to peace with the Horn of Africa countries, guided by the Global Security Initiative, to build a 'comprehensive security' framework with a broad vision of peace, and to be a pioneer in maintaining peace, Chen noted. "We will also continue to be partners on the path to development, guided by the Global Development Initiative, and work together to build the Belt and Road with high quality, striving to be leaders in shared development. Furthermore, we will continue to be partners on the path to justice, actively participating in the reform and construction of the global governance system, safeguarding international fairness and justice, and the common interests of developing countries, striving to be forerunners in upholding justice. China is willing to work with the countries in the Horn of Africa to turn the region into a horn of peace, development, and prosperity, building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," Chen added. Participants positively evaluated China's proposals and thanked China for its contributions. They also engaged in in-depth and frank exchanges on the next steps to promote regional peace and development. All parties agreed to focus on the five areas of peace, security, development, cooperation, and governance, to push forward bilateral cooperation to achieve more new results and better benefit the people of both sides. The Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa is a Chinese solution proposed by China at the beginning of 2022 to assist the peace and development process in the Horn of Africa. It aims to support regional countries in achieving long-term stability and development prosperity through unity and self-strengthening. With the joint efforts of both sides, the implementation of the initiative has progressed smoothly, effectively helping regional countries to coordinate their responses to the three major challenges of security, development, and governance, and has been widely welcomed by the countries in the region, the Global Times learned. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address : ... MOFCOM deplores US government plan to curb outbound investment in Chinese technology firms Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 24, 2024 01:21 PM China's Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) on Monday hit back at the US' plans to curb new US investment in critical Chinese tech industries, saying China firmly opposes the US' coercive move and reserves the right to take counter measures. The US has repeatedly stated that it has no intention to pursue a "decoupling" from China nor stop China from growing its economy, but in reality, the US government continues to announce restrictive rules to block outbound investment in China and stymie the normal development of Chinese industries, a spokesperson with the MOFCOM said in a statement seen on its website on Monday. The ministry said this is typical abuse of national security, violates the consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco, impacts normal economic and trade cooperation between companies from the two countries, harms international economic and trade environment as well as the safety and stability of global supply chains. "We express deep concerns and firm opposition [to the US move], and reserve the right to take corresponding measures," the spokesperson said. The Chinese side urged the US to respect market rules and the principle of fair competition, and stop politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues. "The US should remove restrictions on investments in China and build a sound environment for China-US economic and trade cooperation," the spokesperson noted. The comments came after the US Treasury Department published the proposed rules and a raft of exceptions after an initial comment period following an executive order signed by US President Joe Biden last August, Reuters reported earlier. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Paul Rosen was quoted as saying in the Reuters report that the proposed rules aim to "protect US national security." Multiple forms of investment are set to be placed under further scrutiny, including US-managed private equity and venture capital funds, as well as some US limited partners' investments in foreign managed funds and convertible debt. In October 2023, the Biden administration announced a set of measures to block China, among other countries, from buying high-end AI chips designed by Nvidia and other American companies, the BBC reported. There are more than 4,400 AI firms currently in China, with the industry reaching 500 billion yuan ($68.87 billion) in size as AI has becomes an important driving force and strategic technology for a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, a report shared with the Global Times revealed. Bian Yongzu, a senior industry research fellow, told the Global Times on Monday that the US move to suppress China has failed to achieve its desired result. Bian said that China's technological advancements in areas such as aerospace, telecommunications and semiconductors have not slowed facing US pressure but instead accelerated. "US companies face a dilemma on whether to follow the government, as abandoning the market in China will mean losing significant opportunities," Bian said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on June 24, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2024-06-24 18:13 Beijing Daily: China announced Peruvian President Boluarte's visit to China. How does China view the current China-Peru relations? Could you share with us the program and China's expectation of the visit? Mao Ning: Peru is an important country in Latin America. Our two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership. Since establishing diplomatic ties over half a century ago, bilateral relations have grown steadily with fruitful cooperation in various fields, delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples. The visit will be President Boluarte's first state visit to China. President Xi Jinping will have talks with her, and Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji will have separate meetings with her. China stands ready to work with Peru through this visit to further consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and advance the China-Peru comprehensive strategic partnership toward more good outcomes and greater benefits to the two peoples. AFP: My question is about the South China Sea. Several incidents have happened recently between the vessels of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Philippine President Marcos said yesterday that the Philippines "will never be intimidated or oppressed by anyone." He also pledged to "continue to exercise our freedoms and rights in support of our national interest, in accordance with international law." Do you think these comments target China? What is China's response? Mao Ning: The merits of the maritime disputes between China and the Philippines are very clear. We have spoken on what actually happened and what our position is many times. The Philippinesaif it would truly act in accordance with international lawashould first and foremost observe the treaties that define its territory, including the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, and abide by the DOC. Our message to the Philippines is very clear: stop infringing on China's rights and making provocations, and stop misleading the world. Bloomberg: Just one more question on the Philippines. The Philippines has said that the encounter on June 17 in the South China Sea was a "deliberate act" by China and its Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro called the incident "an aggressive and illegal use of force." How does the Ministry respond to that?aa Mao Ning: China has stated what actually happened and made clear its position on the illegal intrusion by Philippine vessels into the adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao. Ren'ai Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. It is Chinese territory. The Philippines should stop making provocations and infringing on China's sovereignty, return to the right track of properly settling maritime differences through negotiation and consultation as soon as possible, and work with China to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea. TASS: According to Germany's Die Welt, last Saturday, China didn't arrange a meeting between the visiting German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Chinese leader. Does the Foreign Ministry know the reason? How does China comment on Vice Chancellor Habeck's visit and outcomes?a Mao Ning: We are not aware of the meeting mentioned by the German media outlet. Relevant ministry has released information about German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck's visit to China, which you may refer to. What I can tell you is that this year marks the 10th anniversary of China-Germany all-round strategic partnership. Since early this year, China and Germany have had frequent dialogues and exchanges at various levels and in a wide range of areas, which sends a positive message of China and Germany engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly opposing trade protectionism. We stand ready to work with Germany to continue to uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and seeking common ground while shelving differences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation by showing more confidence and openness, and provide more positive energy for the sound and steady growth of China-Germany relations and China-EU relations. Al Jazeera: According to what was announced after the first round of talks between Fatah and Hamas in Beijing at the end of April, the second round of talks are expected to be held in mid-June in Beijing. Can you confirm that and what's the expected outcome? Mao Ning: I have nothing to offer on that. CRI: We noted that the first Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Committee between China and Nigeria was held last Friday in Beijing. What's the special significance of the meeting? What's the influence on China-Nigeria and China-Africa cooperation? Lin Jian: The China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee is the first intergovernmental committee mechanism established between China and an African country. The mechanism speaks to the political consensus between China and Nigeria on deepening strategic partnership as two important emerging markets and major developing countries. It is also yet another vital step to advance strategic cooperation across the spectrum. Over the past five decades and more since our two countries established diplomatic ties, our relationship has made solid progress and our practical cooperation has been a pacesetter for China-Africa cooperation. Our two countries are strategically important to each other, for we respect, trust and support each other politically. Economically, our two countries have pioneered in cooperation, playing a demonstrative role and achieving coordinated progress in various fields. In the past three years and more since the committee was established, competent authorities of the two sides have fully worked together and achieved extensive cooperation outcomes. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar co-chaired the first Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Committee, where they reached important common understandings on delivering on the outcomes of the leaders' meetings, enhancing political mutual trust, deepening cooperation across the board, and making full use of the committee mechanism. The meeting is yet another first in China-Nigeria and China-Africa cooperation. It helps strengthen China-Nigeria exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and sets a new example for and injects new impetus into China-Nigeria and China-Africa relations. The next meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing this autumn. China stands ready to work with Nigeria and other African countries to hold a successful FOCAC and make new contribution to building an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future. CCTV: It was reported that the foreign affairs office of the Taiwan region released a statement on June 20, criticizing the recent Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and Malaysia on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership towards China-Malaysia Community with a Shared Future, which reiterates Malaysia's commitment to the One China Policy, and says that "Taiwan is an inalienable territory of the People's Republic of China," and Malaysia "will not support any call for the independence of Taiwan." Taiwan's statement claims that this undermines the "sovereignty" of Taiwan. The Taiwan side also trumpeted once again that Taiwan "is a sovereign and independent country. Neither it nor the PRC is subordinate to the other." What is the Foreign Ministry's comment on this? Mao Ning: The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and a prevailing international consensus. It is the political foundation for China to establish and grow diplomatic relations with all countries in the world, including Malaysia. In the 1974 joint communiquA between China and Malaysia on establishing diplomatic relations, the government of Malaysia unequivocally acknowledged the position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Malaysian side reiterated this position in the recent high-level exchanges with China. This fully shows that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the right thing to do. The Taiwan authorities' statement advocating Taiwan's so-called "country" status further exposes their "Taiwan independence" agenda. That, however, will only be rejected and disdained and will not shake the abiding commitment of the international community to the one-China principle. Hubei Media Group: It was reported that on June 23, two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent in Russia's Republic of Dagestan were attacked. At least 15 people and at least six gunmen were killed. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan has launched a terror investigation into the attacks. What is China's comment?a Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports. China opposes all forms of terrorism and condemns violence and attacks against civilians and law enforcement personnel. We deeply mourn for the lives lost and extend heartfelt sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. CCTV: On June 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a decision on its website on countermeasures against Lockheed Martin's entities and senior executives. Do you have any further comment? Mao Ning: The US arms sales to China's Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiquAs, interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In accordance with the law, China took countermeasures against relevant company's entities and senior executives that are engaged in arms sales to Taiwan. Let me stress that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. No country, organization or individual shall underestimate the strong determination, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity, or be under the illusion that they could tread or even cross the line on the Taiwan question without any consequence. AP: A report released today from the cybersecurity firm Recorded Futures has claimed that Chinese hackers have stepped up cyberattacks and attempted hacking of dozens of Taiwanese organizations, including government and critical technology companies. These attacks were observed between November 2023 and April 2024. The report also states that these hacks are likely "state-sponsored." Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on the report? Mao Ning: I am not aware of the specifics you mentioned. What I can tell you is that this is not the first time that the company you mentioned has fabricated disinformation on so-called "Chinese hacking operations." There is absolutely no professionalism or credibility to speak of in what the company does.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China changes names of 630 Uyghur villages in Xinjiang: report It's another way of erasing Uyghur religion, history and culture, a human rights group says. By Gulchehra Hoja for RFA Uyghur 2024.06.24 -- China has changed the names of about 630 Uyghur villages to Mandarin words such as "Harmony" and "Unity" to promote ethnic harmony in Xinjiang, a report by a human rights group found, The move is "part of Chinese government's efforts to erase the cultural and religious expression" of the more than 11 million predominantly Muslim Uyghurs living in China's far-western Xinjiang region, New York-based Human Rights Watch, or HRW, said in its June 18 report. "How these village names are being kind of erased and replaced shows how dystopian the whole project of the Chinese government in the Uyghur region is," Maya Wang, acting China director at HRW. "It's about repressing people and ... the past, and erasing the future, and erasing what they can imagine as a possibility for their own children or grandchildren," she said. The results came after HRW and Norway-based Uyghur Hjelp scraped names of villages in Xinjiang from the website of China's National Bureau of Statistics. All told, China hanged the names of 3,652 of 25,000 Uyghur villages in Xinjiang between 2009 and 2023, but most of these changes have been mundane, such as correcting numbers or the way the names were written, they found. But 630 of the changes were more dramatic and religious, cultural or historical in nature. And most renamings occurred between 2017 and 2019, when the Chinese government's repression escalated in the region, the report said, but they appear to be continuing. 'Erasing symbols' For example, Aq Meschit, or "White Mosque," village in Akto county, Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, was renamed Unity village in 2018. The same year, Hoja Eriq, or "Sufi Teacher's Creek," village in Aksu Prefecture was rechristened Willow village. And Dutar, a village named after a Uyghur musical instrument, in Qaraqash county of Hotan prefecture, was renamed Red Flag in 2022. The Chinese government has used the village renamings along with other tactics, including the banning of hijabs for women, beards for men, and Muslim names for children, to wipe out Uyghur culture and to humiliate the ethnic group, Wang said. "On a very fundamental level, erasing the symbols of people, the language and culture is about erasing who they are and teaching them to fear," she said. The village renamings are also part of the greater set of serious rights abuses and crimes against humanity involving the detentions of an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic people in "re-education" camps, torture, forced labor, sexual violence and the forced sterilization of woman, Wang said. Campaign for Uyghurs, a Washington-based Uyghur advocacy group, condemned the village renamings. "The names, which have now been changed to empty CCP [Chinese Communist Party] slogans, once reflected our long history and rich culture and have been in our homeland for hundreds of years," said Rushan Abbas, the group's executive director, in a statement. "Although the CCP appears to celebrate Uyghur culture by showcasing elements like our music and dance, these displays are nothing but hollow propaganda masking the regime's ongoing and systematic suppression of cultural and religious expression," Abbas said. In response to such measures, foreign governments, especially those in Muslim-majority nations, can put pressure on the Chinese government to stop its abuses involving religious and ethnic minorities and condemn such behavior, said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcom Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kongers in UK 'feeling nervous' over ID card changes Some fear security laws could be used to target them for their overseas social media activity, if they return. By Matthew Leung for RFA Cantonese 2024.06.24 -- Hong Kong residents will need to replace their ID cards over the next two years, authorities say, which could force those living in the United Kingdom or elsewhere to choose between going back and risking possible arrest, or being unable to return indefinitely. Smart ID cards issued before Nov. 26, 2018, will be invalidated in two phases in 2025, the government said on June 18. Cards belonging to people born in or after 1970 will expire on May 12, 2025, while cards issued to people born in 1969 or before will expire on Oct. 12 next year. Anyone outside of Hong Kong will be given a 30-day grace period to allow them to replace their old ID card on their return, the statement said. But overseas Hong Kongers who fled a political crackdown on dissent in the wake of the 2019 protest movement said they could be forced to choose between risking arrest on their return, and losing the ability to return to the city in future, where many still have families and property. Many Hong Kongers who settled in the United Kingdom on the British government's lifeboat program for holders of the British National Overseas, or BNO, passport also hold a Chinese passport that is specific to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. But anyone seeking to renew their Chinese passport without traveling back to Hong Kong could be stymied by a lack of valid ID card, a prerequisite for passport renewal applications. When the British government launched the BNO visa program, offering a pathway to long-term residency and citizenship, China reacted angrily, and announced it would no longer recognize the BNO passport. The catch While permanent residents won't lose their right of abode in Hong Kong, and can get back into Hong Kong with a valid ID card alone, once the card expires returning Hong Kongers will effectively need a Hong Kong-issued SAR passport or another country's passport to be allowed in through the immigration checkpoint. "There are always worries about going back to Hong Kong," a said Hong Konger in the U.K. who gave only the nickname Ringo for fear of reprisals. "Some people weren't planning to go back, while others may be waiting until after naturalization [as a British citizen]." "But now they're going to feel a lot more nervous if they need to go back to Hong Kong before their ID cards expire," she said. "And it's more expense because they'll need to spend money on a flight back to Hong Kong in the next year or so, which they might not have counted on doing," Ringo said. A former Hong Kong immigration assistant who gave only the surname Chan for fear of reprisals said the announcement was likely an attempt to intimidate people who had fled the crackdown. "It's obvious that they're using the ID card replacement scheme to intimidate some Hong Kongers who emigrated to the U.K., making them feel as if they could face further difficulties if they go back to Hong Kong to renew their ID cards," Chan said. The Hong Kong government slammed last week's report from RFA Cantonese on the move, saying that the replacement of ID cards was part of measures to combat fraud and identity theft, and not to suppress or intimidate Hong Kongers. "The invalidation of old ID cards will not affect one's right of abode in Hong Kong and they could still travel in and out of Hong Kong as long as holding a valid travel document," the government said in a June 21 statement. But the statement didn't address the status of BNO passport holders whose Hong Kong SAR passports had expired. Passports revoked Exiled Hong Kongers also told RFA Cantonese that they are also concerned that the authorities have the power to revoke a person's Hong Kong SAR passport at any time. Earlier this month, the city government announced it had revoked the Hong Kong SAR passports of six U.K.-based activists including former pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law, imposing financial sanctions on them and hitting back at the British government for "deliberately discrediting" the city with spying charges against one of its officials. Secretary for Security Chris Tang revoked the Chinese passports of U.K.-based activists Christopher Mung and Finn Lau, former pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law, former British consular employee Simon Cheng, who co-founded the advocacy group Hongkongers in Britain, and overseas YouTube hosts Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. And many overseas Hong Kongers fear that they could be arrested under national security laws for social media activity carried out overseas. Last November, a Hong Kong court handed down a two-month jail term to former overseas student Yuen Ching-ting, 23, after she pleaded guilty to "publishing online speech with seditious intent" to social media starting in September 2018, before the national security law took effect. The case against her was based on her posting of "inflammatory remarks" to social media platforms, including the banned 2019 protest slogan "Free Hong Kong! Revolution now!" while she was studying in Japan. Yuen was arrested in March after returning to Hong Kong from Japan, where she was studying. Local media outlets reported that she was in the city to change her Hong Kong identity card. She was initially arrested on suspicion of inciting secession, a crime under the national security law. At least 191,000 people have applied to the BNO visa program so far, according to British government figures released in November. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Decline of American students in China could mean fewer experts By Bo Gu June 24, 2024 The number of Americans studying in China has dropped dramatically in recent years from around 11,000 in 2019 to 800 this year, and the slump is so bad that some China scholars worry the United States could lose a generation of "China experts" as a result. David Moser, an American who has lived and worked in China for more than three decades and is the former academic director of China Educational Tours (CET) in Beijing, said that "I haven't seen an American student in years." CET, which was launched in 1982, is a Washington-based organization that recruits American students for short-term language and culture studies in China. Moser said that his position as academic director recently went away and that the organization continues to struggle to get more students to return to China. CET once carried out short-term study-abroad programs in several cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin and Hangzhou. Now, the program is only available in Beijing and Shanghai. Harbin's page on the website shows that programs are "suspended until spring 2025." "We have already lost a very crucial generation who would need to be continuing right now in China with studies or whatever," Moser said, "so that 10 years from now, they would already be ... very experienced China hands [experts]." During the 2011-12 school year, the number of American students in China was around 15,000. Since then, with Xi Jinping's rise as China's leader and growing frictions between the two countries, the number has declined, dropping dramatically after the pandemic to about 200 at its lowest point. Loss of understanding Moser said the lack of talented people who understand China is undoubtedly a huge loss for the United States. "You really need people who understand the two academic systems, the two college systems, and the way these things work in order to not make a huge mistake," he said. Compared with China, however, CET's projects in Taiwan are in full swing. Moser said CET started its first summer study abroad program at National Taiwan University in 2022, which attracted more than 120 American students. He said a program was set up in Taiwan because too few American students wanted to go to China. He said he believed that starting around 2008, when Beijing held its first Olympics, China's pollution and human rights violations turned some American students away, and that the trend has not reversed. China's strict lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic was also a crucial turning point. At that time, many foreigners, including American students, left China. After the Chinese government suddenly lifted the lockdown at the end of 2022, most foreigners did not immediately return. China's increasingly aggressive posture on the international stage under Xi, and its hostile propaganda against the West at home, is likely to have prevented foreign talents from visiting China for cultural and business exchanges. A revised counterespionage law that took effect on July 1, 2023, has also made many Americans hesitant to travel to China, let alone study there. As U.S.-China relations deteriorate, official academic exchanges have also been coldly received. Former U.S. President Donald Trump suspended all Fulbright exchange programs to China and Hong Kong in July 2020. After the counterespionage law negatively affected China, the Chinese government sought to extend goodwill at the level of people-to-people exchanges. Xi announced during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco in November 2023, "In order to expand exchanges between the people of China and the United States, especially the younger generation, China is willing to invite 50,000 American young people to come to China for exchanges and studies in the next five years." High school students visit In January 2024, more than 20 students from Muscatine High School in Iowa visited Beijing, Hebei and Shanghai. In March, 24 students from Lincoln High School and Steilacoom High School in Washington state also boarded a plane from San Francisco to Beijing. Wenzhou University and Kean University in New Jersey signed an agreement to jointly establish Wenzhou-Kean University in May 2006. At the time, Xi was the party secretary of Zhejiang, home province of Wenzhou, and he attended the signing ceremony in 2006. In a letter to Kean's president on June 7, Xi encouraged universities in the two countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation. However, three days later, four American teachers who were giving short-term courses at Beihua University in Jilin, China, were stabbed by a Chinese man. Chinese officials quickly deleted the relevant content on social media, and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson called the incident an "accident" that would not affect relations between the two countries. Meghan Burke, a former sociology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, said that although the attack on American teachers was a shocking and unexpected incident, she still hoped that it would not affect Americans' confidence in studying and traveling in China. "I think it's always been there, but I think with the pandemic, there was some really racially loaded misinformation and fears that I wouldn't be surprised if that came into play in some students' and some families' decisions about where they were willing to go abroad," she said. Asked about the 800 American students in China today, Burke said that was a big regret for the United States. "Language is key to understanding culture. So, any limitations on learning Mandarin or other Chinese languages only hold back our ability to have a broader and more complex intercultural understanding and international perspective that I think benefits everyone who is involved in those conversations," Burke said. In contrast, 300,000 Chinese students are studying in the United States. "Asymmetry is bad for China, but it's much worse for the United States because asymmetry is in one direction, which is towards us," Moser said. "The Chinese have very good knowledge of the U.S., of its culture, of its government, everything." Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement by Senior Officials of the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan on DPRK-Russia Cooperation US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson June 23, 2024 The below text is a joint statement on behalf of U.S. Senior Official for the DPRK Jung Pak, ROK Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae, and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Namazu Hiroyuki following their June 24 call to discuss recent developments in DPRK-Russia relations. Begin Text: The United States, ROK, and Japan condemn in the strongest possible terms deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including continued arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia that prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe. The advancement of the DPRK-Russia partnership, as highlighted by the signing of the "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" during Russian leader Vladimir Putin's June 19 visit to Pyongyang, should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal aggression. The United States, ROK, and Japan reaffirm their intention to further strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation to counter the threats the DPRK poses to regional and global security and to prevent escalation of the situation. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad. The United States, ROK, and Japan also reaffirm that the path to dialogue remains open and urge the DPRK to cease further provocations and return to negotiations. End Text NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Statement of Vice Minister of National Defence of DPRK Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Kang Il, vice-minister of National Defence of the DPRK, Monday made public the following press statement "The DPRK strongly denounces provocative action of hostile forces with all possibilities of demonstrating deterrence": We are witnessing the reckless option and action of the U.S. once again. It means the fact that the nuclear carrier Theodore Roosevelt task force called at an operational base in Pusan on June 22. It is as clear as noonday why the U.S. dispatched the nuclear carrier and who is its aim at present. The deployment of the nuclear carrier across the ocean from the opposite side of the earth, tens of thousands of ri (10 ri equal to 4 kilometers) away from the Korean peninsula, on the doorstep of the DPRK will be by no means aimed at "repairing and readjusting" the carrier aircraft and "celebrating" the ROK-U.S. alliance. Recently, the U.S. and its stooges, who have malignant hostility and doubt as a congenital disease, hurled abusive language with their furred tongues and are again conducting dangerous visible action, while showing symptoms of epileptic state on the normal development of relations between the friendly sovereign states. A drill of dropping a precision guided bomb from the U.S. strategic bomber B-1B was conducted on June 5, the "guidelines on nuclear strategic plan and its operation" examined at the ROK-U.S. nuclear consultative group (NCG) on June 10 and the special joint air drill staged by the U.S. and the ROK on June 17-20. Those are common examples showing well why the regional situation is getting worse. It is a very dangerous play and adventure for the U.S. and the ROK to resort to the armed demonstration before the DPRK. The DPRK bitterly condemns the provocative attempts of the U.S. and the ROK, the heinous confrontation maniacs with the most powerful rhetoric and with all possibilities of demonstrating its overwhelming and new deterrent force. The U.S. and the ROK should immediately stop their dangerous attempts and be prudent. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea's 'Deepening Military Cooperation' With Moscow Condemned By RFE/RL June 24, 2024 The United States, South Korea, and Japan have condemned the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, while a top North Korean military official has reiterated Pyongyang's support for Moscow's war against Ukraine. The three Western allies said in a joint statement on June 24 that the increasing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, including arms transfers that aid Russia's war in Ukraine, serve to "prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe." The statement also said that the recent signing of a strategic partnership treaty between Russia and North Korea during Russian President Vladimir Putin's June 19 visit "should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia's brutal aggression." The three allies reaffirmed their intention to strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation to counter threats posed by North Korea to regional and global security, the statement said. Washington and Seoul have accused Russia and North Korea of violating international law by trading arms, including the provision of North Korean missiles and munitions used on the Ukrainian battlefield. The Washington Post reported on June 22 that Russia may have received about 1.6 million artillery shells from North Korea, while military analysts have said that North Korean missiles have been fired by Russian forces at Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied any such arms transfers. The pact signed last week by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un commits each side to provide immediate military assistance if either state comes under armed aggression. On June 24, a top North Korean military official criticized Washington for its military assistance to Ukraine and reiterated Pyongyang's support for Moscow in the war, according to state media. Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea's top military officials, said that Russia had the "right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike" should it be attacked, and warned that Washington could provoke a "world war" should it continue pushing Ukraine into a "proxy war" against Russia. Last week, Washington said that Ukrainian forces had the green light to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike Russian forces anywhere across the border into Russia. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-north-korea-japan-us- south-korea/33006836.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea relaunches balloons, likely to drop trash in South By VOA News June 24, 2024 North Korea resumed launching balloons filled with trash toward South Korea on Monday night, marking a renewed phase in their ongoing Cold War-style campaign on the Korean Peninsula. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the balloons from North Korea, likely carrying debris, are drifting southeastward toward South Korean territory. The military has cautioned citizens not to handle any fallen objects and to promptly report sightings to authorities. "The launches came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a major defense deal," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The recent solidification of the defense pact between Kim and Putin has raised concerns among international observers about potential provocations from Pyongyang. In a joint statement, South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned the growing military collaboration between North Korea and Russia, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing regional security. "The U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan remain ironclad," it said. North Korea's balloon campaign started in May, when it sent more than 1,000 balloons filled with materials such as manure, cloth scraps, and discarded batteries into South Korea. Pyongyang claims these actions are retaliation against South Korean activists who send anti-regime leaflets and cultural materials northward. In response, Seoul has redeployed large loudspeakers along the border to broadcast anti-North Korean propaganda, including K-pop music and criticism of Pyongyang's policies. In response to the heightened tensions, the United States has deployed a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to South Korea for upcoming joint military exercises. North Korea has criticized this move as provocative, accusing the U.S. of using military drills as preparations for an invasion. Amid these developments, experts caution about the potential for further escalations and unpredictable actions from North Korea, given its increased confidence following the defense pact with Russia. "We also can't rule out the possibility that North Korea might take more drastic provocative actions," said Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Signs emerge North Korea-Russia defense pact making China anxious By Nike Ching June 24, 2024 The United States is carefully studying a new mutual defense pact between Russia and North Korea, which Washington believes could aid Pyongyang in its nuclear and long-range missile development programs. There are also signs of tensions between North Korea and its longstanding ally, China, following the signing of the agreement. China anxious In a keynote address on sustaining U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific at the Council on Foreign Relations Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said China is probably worried that North Korea will be encouraged to take provocative steps that could lead to a crisis in Northeast Asia. "I think it is fair to say that China is somewhat anxious about what's going on between Russia and North Korea. They have indicated so in some of our interactions, and we can see some tension associated with this," Campbell said. Campbell said he had a call with South Korean officials Sunday night to discuss next steps to enhance deterrence more clearly. "We believe that that there are discussions about what North Korea gets in exchange [from the deal with Russia] and they could be associated with its nuclear, long range missile development plans," he said. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang for the first time in more than 20 years. U.S. officials have said while there are limits to their partnership, it cannot be ignored. The State Department's second-ranking diplomat also voiced concerns over China and North Korea's support for Russia's efforts to rebuild its defense industrial base since the start of its war on Ukraine. South China Sea tensions Campbell said Washington has "significantly dAmarched Chinese interlocutors" following what he called "Beijing's military provocations" in the South and East China Sea and near the waters around the Second Thomas Shoal, known as RAnA i Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines. According to an international tribunal's legally binding decision issued in July 2016, the Second Thomas Shoal is located within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, and China has no lawful maritime claims to the waters around this low-tide feature. Beijing has rejected the ruling. "The Philippines are very cautious at this juncture. They do not seek a crisis with China. They are seeking dialogue," Campbell said. "They're seeking discussion, and they want the United States to be purposeful with other allies and partners about our goals to maintain peace and stability and to send a very clear message of deterrence and reassurance." However, he stopped short of stating whether Washington would invoke a mutual defense treaty with Manila. "I'm not going to speculate in public. I will say we have continually reaffirmed its significance and relevance to these situations at the highest level," he said. In a phone call with Philippine Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro last week, Campbell reaffirmed that Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft a including those of its coast guard a anywhere in the South China Sea, according to the State Department. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese envoy urges parties in Somalia to put interests of country, people first Xinhua) 14:13, June 25, 2024 UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on all parties in Somalia to prioritize the interests of the country and its people, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. "The international community should adhere to the Somali-led and Somali-owned principle and avoid external pressure and interference or imposing any governance model," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council briefing on Somalia. The envoy highlighted the importance of advancing the political process in Somalia. He welcomed the National Consultative Council meeting held by the federal government of Somalia with the federal member states government in May this year, where they discussed significant issues such as constitutional review and the electoral system. The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has made substantial efforts over the years to support Somalia in advancing political transition and security sector reform. "China supports UNSOM in formulating as soon as possible a scientific and reasonable transition timetable that corresponds to the development of the situation and in accordance with the requirements of the Somali government," Dai said. Addressing the security situation, Dai noted the challenges posed by recent terrorist attacks by Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu and other places, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. "The international community should continue to support Somalia in building up its security forces, carrying out counter-terrorism operations, and gradually taking over security responsibilities independently," he said. Dai acknowledged the significant contributions of the African Union (AU) to peace and stability in Somalia. He mentioned the recent communique by the AU Peace and Security Council on the future arrangement of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and supported the Security Council in making appropriate adjustments to the drawdown plan of ATMIS. The ambassador called for proactive exploration on how to continue providing support to Somalia to avoid a security vacuum and highlighted the funding shortages faced by ATMIS and follow-on arrangements. "China hopes that the traditional developed country donors will respond to the Secretary-General's appeal and actively close the funding gap," he said. Dai also underscored the importance of maintaining overall regional stability. He pointed out that Somalia is a crucial country in the Horn of Africa, and peace and stability in Somalia and good neighborly relations among regional countries serve their interests. "We have consistently advocated upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and supported the efforts of the federal government of Somalia to safeguard national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," he said. In support of regional stability, China introduced the initiative of peaceful development in the Horn of Africa in 2022. "China is ready to work with the countries of the Horn of Africa to jointly make the Horn of Africa an area of peace and cooperation with development and prosperity," Dai said, referencing the senior officials meeting of the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference held in Beijing on Monday. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Fellow Africans, there is a new scramble for Africa, and it is between the Western Countries or the developed first world countries and the East and the global South led by the BRICS countries. In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the BRIC group. South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS. The group was designed to bring together the worlds most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe. The Western countries are mostly our former colonial masters and are led by the United States of America and Western Europe. The strength of the Western countries is their control of the United Nations with its agencies, the International Monetary Fund IMF, World Bank and International Rating Agencies. The three biggest Credit Rating firms are in the US and dominate 80 per cent of the international market. The scramble for Africa has been playing itself out in South Africa, the most industrialised African country. This battle of minds has been unfolding through the recent national elections. On one hand, we have the African National Congress of President Cyril Ramaphosa signing a grand coalition with the right-wing Democratic Alliance (DA), which represented the white moderates and former opposition to the dreaded national party the official architects of the apartheid regime. On the other hand, we have the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) a newly-formed left-wing progressive Political Party coming together with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) a youth-based progressive political party representing the Eastern Block. The battle of ideologies. Ideologically the ANC and DA are miles apart. It just boggles the mind how they could find themselves working together. Their leader President Ramaposa is a capitalist through and through, building a well-established successful business network. Rob Harzov a well-respected white South African was at pains promoting the ANC/DA coalition as the only hope to pleasing the markets and getting the country back on track, as he put it. The reality is that they have been free to operate for 30 years post democracy in SA, but the lives of the black people have not changed. They have continued to enjoy supernormal profits. Lets talk about the markets. Moodys Investor Services, Standard and Poors (S&P), and Fitch Group are all tools of the Western capitalist cooperation and conglomerates that have their loyalties to their super-rich shareholder, who do not care one bit about the black Africans in South Africa or anywhere they operate. They are the remnant of the colonial masters and do not care about the lives of any locals they work with, but the locals are useful as long as they continue to give them profits. Conglomerates Yes, the general perception within the developing world is that we cannot do without foreign direct investment and that we should bend over backward to attract and keep these conglomerates. For years African Countries gave tax holidays to big businesses only to have them exploit their people and leave at the end of the tax holidays. Unions were blocked and minimum wages were discouraged along with all workers rights. They had the audacity to tell the African government what tax they were willing to pay, and the governments agreed to ridiculous teams. The Coca-Cola concentrate company Conco Ltd in Eswatini does not pay the same tax as any other company. These Conglomerates will leave their own country the United States, close factories, and render fellow Americans jobless just to make more profits exploiting other nations. The African National Congress ANC was a progressive left-wing movement whose ideology was to fight the apartheid regime that had the full backing of neoliberal capitalist Western nations including the United States, the UK and a large part of Europe. America and Britain refused to impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa, but were very quick to impose sanctions on Libya and Zimbabwe when their interest was threatened. The ANC had to seek assistance from Cuba and the East including Russia to liberate South Africa. The ANC/MK/EFF/IFP and PA coalition Say whatever you wish to say about communist China, but the reality is that it has pulled millions of its citizens out of poverty and has industrialised rapidly. It has grown its economy to become a superpower in the last five decades. Asia had developed its poor countries without the help of foreign direct investment but with inter-trade among its people. The ANC and South Africa have lost the opportunity to come together as brothers and say we need to put our differences aside and work together for our people. The ANC failed to realise that the time has come to introduce radical economic transformation to benefit the black men in particular and the African in general. The ANC /MK/EFF/IFP and PA coalition would have had the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution to favour the black man. The blame falls not only on the ANC but on Zuma and Malema too for endless conditions. This progressive party coalition would have had to endure serious punishment from the Western countries, but they would have been able to regain the means of production including idle land. The repatriation of land without compensation laws could have been introduced with some form of qualification not just a blanket law. For example, there are vast tracks of farmland that have been left unused for decades. The white owners moved back to England and the children dont care or need it anymore. There are vast farmlands that are idle when black families and their chiefdoms need land. Laws that seek to force mining companies to invest in manufacturing within the community they mine in. For example, the iron ore company must be forced to bring in steelmaker factories so that at least 10 per cent of the iron ore is processed locally employing locals. Diamond mining must invest in diamond processing locally. They will argue, asking why the mining company bothers with manufacturing employment when it is already an employer and is paying taxes. The answer would be its that law. In many cases, these big mining companies never provide quality jobs and never pay the actual tax they are to pay. They hire tax consultants mainly to help them pay as little as possible. Comment: septembereswatini@gmail.com Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Receives Message of Thanks from Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, June 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, received a message of thanks from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation. The president of the Russian Federation in his message expressed his sincerest thanks to Kim Jong Un for warmly welcoming him and the Russian delegation and according them heartfelt hospitality during their stay in the DPRK. He said that his recent state visit to the DPRK was of special significance as it raised the relations between Moscow and Pyongyang to an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership. Noting that a new prospect has been opened for the two countries to achieve beneficial cooperation in various fields, he said in the message that he is pleased with the continued bilateral constructive dialogue and joint undertaking based on close cooperation. The message hoped Kim Jong Un would not forget that he is an honoured guest Russia always waits for. Sincerely wishing Kim Jong Un good health and success in his state activities, it hoped that everything would go well for him. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Bahrain agree to start talks aimed at resuming diplomatic relations IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 24, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Republic of Iran and Bahrain have agreed to establish the necessary mechanisms to discuss how to resume political ties. Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani arrived in Tehran on Sunday to take part in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit which is being held on June 23-24. Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with Bahrain's top diplomat Al Zayani on the first day of the two-day summit. Following the meeting, the two countries released a statement reaching an agreement to begin talks aimed at restoring political relations between the two countries. The bilateral talks took place within the framework of the historical fraternal relations between the kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the statement read. The two sides met in line with religious commonalities, neighborliness, common history, and mutual interests, it added. Foreign ministers and diplomats from more than 30 Asian countries are in Tehran to participate in the summit, which is focused on ways to promote cooperation among member states. The ACD was established in 2002 in Thailand and is headquartered in Kuwait. A fundamental goal of the alliance is to consolidate Asia's strengths and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage. 7129**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Bahrain agree to start talks on resuming relations ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 24 June 2024 / 11:09 The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Bahrain have agreed to start negotiations on the resumption of political relations between the two countries after a hiatus of more than eight years. The announcement was made in an early Monday joint statement by the two countries. According to the statement, the agreement was reached following a meeting between Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Bahraini foreign minister is currently in the Iranian capital to take part in the ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). The statement noted that the two countries' top diplomats held a bilateral meeting "within the framework of fraternal and historical relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and [in view of] religious [and] neighborly ties [as well as] the common history and mutual interests between them." "During the meeting, the two sides agreed to create necessary mechanisms to start negotiations between the two countries on how to restart political relations" between Tehran and Manama, the statement concluded. The announcement came after in early June, Mohammad Jamshidi, the deputy chief of staff for political affairs to the Iranian president said Bahrain had sent a message to Iran through Russia to normalize relations. A week earlier, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had said during a state visit to China that his country was working to restore diplomatic relations with Iran. "We believe in the principle of good neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs," he stressed, adding, "We are working to restore diplomatic relations with Iran as a neighbor." Bahrain followed suit with Saudi Arabia to sever diplomatic relations with Iran on January 4, 2016, after Iranian protesters, enraged by the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi government, stormed its diplomatic mission in Iran. Tehran and Riyadh reached an agreement in the Chinese capital city of Beijing in March 2023 to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on May 23, King Hamad said Bahrain looked forward to improving its relations with Iran. He added that there was no reason to postpone the restoration of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Iran. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani recently visited Tehran to offer condolences on the passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who lost his life alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19. End item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran opens $3 billion worth of petroleum industry projects Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 6:10 PM Iran has launched 17 major petroleum industry projects with an investment worth $3 billion as the country moves ahead with plans to expand its oil sector despite sanctions affecting its access to foreign investment and technology. Acting President Mohammad Mokhber attended a ceremony in the Iranian Oil Ministry headquarters on Monday to remotely inaugurate the projects that were scattered in seven provinces across Iran. The projects covered oilfield development, refineries and petrochemical plants, fuel pipelines and flared gas recovery systems. The official IRNA news agency said in a report that the projects will increase Iran's flare gas recovery capacity by 4 million cubic meters per day while boosting the country's capacity for production of Euro 5 gasoil by 5.7 million liters per day. Petrochemicals production capacity will increase by 3 million metric tons per year as a result of the new plants launched on Monday, said the report, adding that some 222 kilometers of pipelines had also been inaugurated to increase the ability of refiners to transfer products to various parts of the country. Most of the projects were in southern oil-rich provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan and Fars, it said. Iran has relied on domestic expertise and investment to develop its petroleum sector in recent years despite the fact that the country has been struggling with a series of unprecedented sanctions imposed by the United States. Oil exports and production have increased as a result of the policy with Oil Minister Javad Owji saying earlier this week that total oil output in Iran will reach around 4 million barrels per day by the end of the calendar year to late march. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defense Ministry ready to equip Iranian airports with indigenous systems: Official Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 8:09 AM Iran's Defense Ministry is ready to help the country's aviation industry and equip all the airports with fully indigenous systems, the chief executive officer of Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) says. Brigadier General Amir Rastegari said Sunday that ground should be prepared for young Iranian scientists and experts to produce systems. He added that Iran Electronics Industries has succeeded in producing more than 800 systems and products to be used in space, air, sea and land by relying on young experts. All these systems have been installed and are in use on all space platforms, the Iranian deputy defense minister explained. Rastegari noted that Iranian firms active in the aviation industry have designed and produced various air-based and ground-based products used in many military airports in Iran and even some other countries. Despite all the enemies' acts of malice and sabotage as well as cruel sanctions, Iran's Defense Ministry is improving its offensive and defensive capabilities by relying on Iranian experts, he emphasized. The official added that Iran's successful punitive measure -- called Operation True Promise -- against Israel's attack on the Islamic Republic's diplomatic premises in Syria and its fight against Daesh terrorists, which vanquished the terror group, are clear examples of the country's trust in its own capabilities. Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient. Iranian officials have made clear that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never open for negotiations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran and UN Security Council Resolution 2231: E3 Joint Statement The UK, France and Germany (E3) have issued a joint statement following the UN Security Council meeting to discuss the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2231. 24 June 2024 Today, the Security Council discussed the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2231, which underpins the Iran nuclear deal and sets out Iran's nuclear commitments. This resolution is due to terminate in October next year. The next 16 months will therefore be pivotal in finding a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear crisis. Very concerningly, the IAEA Director General's recent reports again show that Iran is moving in the wrong direction by continuing to escalate its nuclear activities far beyond the limits of the Iran nuclear deal - the so-called JCPoA. Iran's nuclear advances, some of which are irreversible, have hollowed out the JCPoA and will continue to make a return to a negotiated solution more difficult. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have issued statements about its capacity to assemble a nuclear weapon and a potential change of its so-called "doctrine", that are explicitly contrary to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran's total stockpiles of enriched uranium now stand at more than 30 times the JCPoA limit. Iran is growing its stockpile of high enriched uranium to levels unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. Such activity has no credible civilian justification. Most recently, Iran has followed through on installing and operating thousands more advanced centrifuges across multiple sites, including the deep underground facility at Fordow. Under the JCPoA, Iran committed not to install or operate any of these centrifuges, and not to use this site for enrichment purposes. We reiterate our call on Iran to cease its ongoing escalation and return to compliance with its JCPoA commitments. Iran's lack of cooperation with the IAEA over many years undermines global non-proliferation. It also prevents the Agency from carrying out vital work to assess the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran's agreements with the IAEA and its legal obligations must be pursued in full, without further delay, as repeatedly requested by the Director General and the Board of Governors. It is especially concerning to see Iran flatly deny its legal obligation to under Modified Code 3.1 to declare new nuclear facilities to the IAEA. Our governments have diligently pursued a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue over many years and would continue to support diplomatic efforts that ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, but Iran must seriously and urgently honour its commitments to diplomacy and legally binding obligations in the remaining 16 months before the expiry of this resolution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Effort to restore Iran nuclear deal 'remains elusive', Security Council hears 24 June 2024 - Restoring the Iran nuclear deal to its full and effective implementation "remains elusive", the UN's top political affairs official said on Monday, adding that participating countries remain at odds with each other. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was updating ambassadors in the Security Council. The United States has not returned to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the deal is formally called, nor has it lifted or waived the unilateral sanctions it reimposed after its withdrawal in May 2018. Neither has Washington extended waivers over oil trading with Iran. As for Tehran's policies, the Government has not reversed any of the steps it has taken since May 2019 which are inconsistent with its nuclear-related commitments. The 2015 JCPOA lays out the rules for monitoring Iran's domestic nuclear programme and paved the way for US sanctions to be lifted. It was agreed by Iran, the five permanent members of the Council (China, France, Russia the United Kingdom and the United States) plus Germany together with the European Union. Unable to verify Ms. DiCarlo also referred to May's report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in which the nuclear watchdog "observed again that, regrettably, its verification and monitoring continues to be, and 'seriously affected by the cessation of Iran's implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA'." While the IAEA had not been able to verify the total stockpile of enriched uranium in the country since February 2021, "it estimated that Iran maintains a total enriched uranium stockpile thirty times the amount allowable under the JCPOA," she said. This includes increased quantities of uranium enriched to 20 per cent and 60 per cent. "Such a stockpile of enriched uranium and level of enrichment remain very concerning," she added. Pursue dialogue Further in her briefing, Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the call for JCPOA participants to the Plan and the US "to pursue all possible avenues for dialogue and cooperation". "In the current climate, it is crucial to prioritize multilateralism and diplomacy, and to set a course that promotes peace and security," she highlighted. Iran nuclear deal: a summary What is the Iran nuclear deal? The 2015 "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA), sets out rules for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme, and paves the way for the lifting of UN sanctions. The 2015 "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA), sets out rules for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme, and paves the way for the lifting of UN sanctions. Which countries are involved? Iran, the five members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, UK, US), plus Germany, together with the European Union. Iran, the five members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, UK, US), plus Germany, together with the European Union. What is the UN's involvement? A UN Security Council resolution to ensure the enforcement of the JCPOA, and guarantee that the UN's atomic energy agency, the IAEA, continues to have regular access to and more information on Iran's nuclear programme, was adopted in 2015. A UN Security Council resolution to ensure the enforcement of the JCPOA, and guarantee that the UN's atomic energy agency, the IAEA, continues to have regular access to and more information on Iran's nuclear programme, was adopted in 2015. Why is the deal at risk? The Trump Administration pulled out of the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions. In July 2019, Iran reportedly breached its uranium stockpile limit, and announced its intention to continue enriching uranium, posing a more serious proliferation risk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council Hears Briefings on Non-Proliferation, Calls for Return to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Meetings Coverage Security Council 9666th Meeting (PM) SC/15742 24 June 2024 (Note: A complete summary of this afternoon's Security Council meeting will be made available upon completion.) NON-PROLIFERATION (S/2024/435) Briefings Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs , noted that, as UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres stated in his report, restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and resolution 2231 (2015) to their full and effective implementation "remains unfortunately elusive". The United States has not returned to the Plan, nor has it lifted unilateral sanctions it reimposed after its withdrawal in May 2018, nor extended waivers regarding the trade in oil with Iran; nor has Iran reversed any of the steps inconsistent with its nuclear-related commitments taken since May 2019. She recalled that, in a joint letter dated 3 June, the representatives of France, Germany and the United Kingdom stated that Iran's nuclear escalation had "hollowed out the JCPOA significantly reducing its non-proliferation value" a restating their concerns about Iran's increasing stockpile of enriched uranium and manufacture and use of advanced centrifuges. The current state of Iran's nuclear programme is especially concerning given the expected termination of resolution 2231 (2015) in October 2025. She recalled that the representative of Iran responded in a letter dated 5 June that his country's reduction of nuclear-related commitments following the United States withdrawal complied with the terms of the Plan of Action. Further, France, Germany and the United Kingdom had failed to uphold their sanctions-lifting commitments related to Transition Day, while their concerns regarding the termination of resolution 2231 (2015) were "misleading" and "provocative". The Secretary-General also received communication from Iran, China and the Russian Federation that the United States' withdrawal from the Plan and reimposition of unilateral sanctions were the cause of the Plan's ongoing deterioration, affirming their collective efforts to restore it. She noted that in the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 27 May report, the Agency voiced regret that its verification and monitoring continues to be "seriously affected by the cessation of Iran's implementation of its nuclear related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action." Further, while the Agency had not been able to verify the total stockpile of enriched uranium in the country since February 2021, it estimated that Iran maintains a total enriched uranium stockpile 30 times the amount allowable under the Plan of Action a including increased quantities of uranium enriched to 20 per cent and 60 per cent. "Such a stockpile of enriched uranium and level of enrichment remain very concerning," she stressed. The Agency also issued an ad hoc report in which it described Iran's intention to commence previously declared enrichment activities in excess of its limits under the Plan of Action. Turning to restrictive measures set out in annex B of resolution 2231 (2015), she emphasized that "at this juncture the only restrictive measures that remain in effect pertain to nuclear activities and transfers. These measures will remain in place until October 2025, unless otherwise directed by the Council." No information regarding actions alleged to be inconsistent with paragraph 2 of annex B was brought to the attention of the Secretariat during the reporting; meanwhile, there were no new proposals submitted to the Procurement Channel in the last six months in this reporting cycle. However, she recalled that the Council received 14 notifications regarding the nuclear-related restrictive measures for certain activities consistent with the Plan. She echoed the Secretary-General's call for Plan participants and the United States to pursue all possible avenues for dialogue and cooperation. STAVROS LAMBRINIDIS, Head of Delegation of the European Union , speaking on behalf of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in his capacity as Coordinator of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, said that a key security priority for the Union is ensuring that Iran does not acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. The risk of a nuclear proliferation crisis in the region is increasing due to Iran's nuclear trajectory, he warned, adding that "diplomacy is the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme". Expressing strong concern about Iran's lack of cooperation with the IAEA, he pointed to the "alarming" accumulation of high-enriched uranium by Iran, its growing enriched-uranium stockpile, and the expansion of its nuclear-enrichment infrastructure. These actions pose significant proliferation risks, he said, noting that Iran's lack of cooperation with IAEA hampers its monitoring duties. Highlighting Iran's announcement to increase its enrichment capacity, as reported by IAEA on 13 June, he noted that this would "constitute a significant escalation by Iran" and urged Tehran not to proceed, as it "undoubtedly put at risk any future nuclear diplomacy". Also pointing to Iran's military support to the Russian Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine, to non-State armed groups in the Middle East, as well as attacks on Israel, he reminded that, on 14 May, the European Union expanded restrictive measures on unarmed aerial vehicles to include missile transfers. "We call on the Government of Iran to stop military cooperation with a country that is violating the UN Charter," he emphasized, warning that "any ballistic-missile transfer from Iran to Russia will be met with a strong reaction". In light of the "deeply troubling situation in the Middle East", he called on all remaining parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the United States to sustain dialogue and address without delay the Iranian nuclear programme. "Nuclear diplomacy must be restored," he underscored. Urging Iran to fully cooperate with IAEA and adhere to the Plan of Action commitments to rebuild trust, he reminded that the compromise text, put forward by the European Union's High Representative, remains a potential starting point. The text lays down the necessary steps for the United States to return to the Plan of Action and for Iran to resume the full implementation of its commitments. VANESSA FRAZIER (Malta), speaking in her capacity as Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) , reported that the seventeenth Facilitator's report was approved by Council members on 19 June. Thanking all such members for their cooperation and constructive engagement in that process, she said that the report provides a factual account of the activities that occurred relating to the Council's "2231 format" from 15 December 2023 to 19 June 2024. It includes five sections: relating to summaries of activities; monitoring implementation of the resolution; relevant communications; the workings of the procurement channel; and transparency, outreach and guidance. She also reported that, during the reporting period, one Council meeting in the "2231 format" was held on 18 June; 22 notes were circulated within that format; 16 official communications were sent to Member States and the Coordinator of the Procurement Working Group of the Joint Commission; and 15 communications from Member States and the Coordinator were received. Among those communications, she went on to say, were two regular quarterly reports by IAEA a issued in February and May 2024 a along with ad hoc Agency reports in December 2023 and June 2024. Underlining IAEA's important role in the verification and monitoring of nuclear activities in Iran, she said that the Agency's work "provides confidence for the international community" that Iran's nuclear programme "is for exclusively peaceful purposes in accordance with the modalities set out in the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]". She added that no new proposals were submitted to the Council through the procurement channel during the reporting period, emphasizing that the channel represents a "key transparency and confidence-building mechanism" under the Plan. It remains operational, and the Procurement Working Group is ready to receive review proposals. "As stated by the speakers before me, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as endorsed by this Council through resolution 2231 (2015), is the best available option to ensure that the Iranian nuclear programme remains exclusively peaceful," she emphasized. While recognizing the "challenging environment the '2231 format' is facing", she said that dialogue and multilateralism can ensure that the Plan and the relevant resolution are implemented effectively "while building on mutual trust and cooperation". Statements The representative of the United States said Iran is obstructing IAEA efforts to resolve outstanding safeguards issues and willfully hampers its verification and monitoring activities. "We should not be shy about condemning this kind of destabilizing and dangerous conduct," he said, calling on that country to take actions that build "international confidence". Affirming commitment to resolving concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear programme through diplomacy, he said the international community will face an "inflection point" in October 2025 when the Council could close consideration of Iran's nuclear issue under resolution 2231 (2015). "Given Iran's actions, we are far from this point," he said, adding that the country "continues to fuel conflict and instability in the Middle East," by providing weapons to its regional proxies, including in Yemen and Lebanon. Iran's own State-affiliated media have "touted" its supply of missile technology to the Houthis, he said, while its Government sends letters to the Secretary-General rejecting this as unfounded. This undermines the credibility and authority of the Council, he said. The representative of Ecuador stated that transparent dialogue and cooperation in good faith is "always the best way for obtaining results, ensuring accountability and the potential revitalization" of the Plan of Action a the implementation of which continues to be the best option for the treatment of the Iran nuclear issue. Reaffirming support for the integrity, impartiality, objectivity and independence of IAEA's technical teams, he noted that its oversight will restore confidence to the international community in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. Iranian authorities, he stressed, have the responsibility for full and effective collaboration under the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its Safeguards Agreement. He further highlighted the "NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran" resolution approved on 5 June by IAEA's Board of Governors. The representative of Japan expressed deep concern about the impact of Iran's cessation of its commitments under the Plan of Action on IAEA verification and monitoring activities. Highlighting alarming developments, including the loss by the Agency of continuity of knowledge regarding centrifuge production and inventory in Iran, he voiced alarm about Tehran's increasing stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and the installation of infrastructure for advanced centrifuge cascades. Iran must ensure its nuclear programme is solely peaceful, he said, adding that the Agency's verification and monitoring activities are "essential" for this. Welcoming the efforts by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to engage with Iran, he expressed hope that the planned technical consultations will take place soon and that Iran will seriously engage with the Agency's proposals. Cautioning against further escalation in the Middle East, he urged all parties to "to seriously explore more avenues for diplomacy to restore the deal for the sake of international peace and security". The representative of China urged resumed negotiations to restore implementation of the Plan of Action, which would "bring new hope to a conflict- and crisis-ridden Middle East and a world rife with uncertainties and instability". Encouraging the European Union to maintain its vital coordinating role, he said that the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Plan a along with its ongoing policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran a have "perpetuated the Iranian nuclear crisis to this day. Further, unilateral sanctions imposed by that country against Iran undermine international law and relations, and he urged the United States to lift its "illegal" sanctions against Iran along with its long-arm jurisdiction measures against third-party entities. "Pressuring Iran will not help the matter," he stressed, stating that safeguarding the Plan contributes to regional peace and stability. Additionally, regional countries must uphold the concept of common security and certain countries should stop exploiting the Iranian nuclear issue to advance their own geopolitical agendas. The representative of Sierra Leone , expressing concern that the prospect of restoring the Plan of Action remains elusive because the relevant party has not reversed its steps, also noted that "some unilateral sanctions that were reimposed in 2018 by one party have neither been lifted nor waived". The Agency has not been able to verify the total stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran since February 2021, but estimates a huge excess which far exceeds the limits set out in the Plan. Further, Iran has yet to reverse its September 2023 decision to withdraw designations for several experienced Agency inspectors, he added. A return to full implementation of the Plan will require "a mature political will," he said, urging the United States and the other participants to pursue all available avenues for dialogue. He also commended the Joint Commission and the participants in the Procurement Working Group for continuing their work even after the withdrawal of the United States and echoed the facilitator in advocating for the full utilization of the procurement channel. The representative of Mozambique voiced regret that since the last time the Council address the topic on 18 December 2023, no substantive progress has been made on implementing the Plan of Action. This "denotes the need for the participants in the Plan of Action, as well as the international community, to renew and redouble their efforts aimed at a return to full and effective implementation of the Plan" and Council resolution 2231 (2015), he stressed. Reiterating a call on all signatory parties to recommit themselves to the "noble cause" of the Plan, he underscored the importance of effective use of every single diplomatic channel, constructive dialogue and multilateral engagement, with the United Nations at the centre of these efforts. He emphasized that "for almost eight decades after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the international community has been able to uphold the norm against deploying weapons of mass destruction". The representative of Switzerland expressed disappointment about the state of implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which have become "a monument to a bygone era". He deplored the fact that, despite the willingness shown by most of the parties to negotiate a rapid return to the Plan in 2021, no progress has been made. Warning about the risk of "a regional conflagration", he stressed that maintaining this important element of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime would be "in common interest". Highlighting the recent IAEA report, which indicates expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, he urged Tehran to cooperate "fully and transparently" with the Agency to reassure the international community of its peaceful intentions. Substantiated indications of Iran's transfer of drones and ballistic missiles to third countries, which violates resolution 2231 (2015), is particularly concerning. Urgent diplomatic efforts are needed to prevent the Plan of Action from collapsing, he emphasized. The representative of Slovenia expressed concern that "the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme is becoming increasingly challenging to confirm". He also noted that Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium "drastically exceed" limitations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "We lack an explanation on how this highly enriched uranium can be used for civilian purposes," he observed. Calling on Iran to reverse these actions, he stressed that Iran's full cooperation with IAEA remains crucial. The Plan is "perhaps the most substantial achievement of multilateralism of the past decade", he stressed, as it proved that multilateral diplomacy can provide solutions to major international security challenges. However, since the United States' withdrawal and Iran's subsequent "remedial measures", he noted that the Plan "has taken some hard hits". While adding that it is impossible to say what shape a new solution to the Iranian nuclear issue will take, he underscored: "What we do know is that we will need it very soon." The representative of France said Iran has continued its enrichment activities at rates that clearly exceed the threshold set under the agreement. The country continues to hollow out the accord, he said, adding that the continued restrictions it imposed on the IAEA's verification activities have resulted in the Agency's loss of continuity of knowledge about entire sectors of the Iranian programme. Expressing concern about a possible shift in Iran's supposed nuclear doctrine, he said recent statements by its Government run counter to its commitments under the Plan, as well as its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Recalling how his country, along with United Kingdom and Germany, activated the dispute resolution mechanism stipulated under the Plan, he said: "Iran has chosen to reject these opportunities by raising demands which run counter to the scope of the agreement." The representative of Algeria recognized the Plan of Action "as a significant multilateral diplomatic achievement and an important contributor to regional peace and security" a calling it the best available option to ensure Iran's adherence to its nuclear-related commitments in exchange for the comprehensive lifting of all sanctions against the country. Urging all parties to engage constructively, show flexibility and work towards a swift return to the implementation of the agreement, he stressed the need to refrain from actions that may escalate tensions, including refraining from provocative rhetoric. A fully implemented Plan of Action is in the interest of regional and global security, he stated. The representative of the United Kingdom warned that Iran's "unabated nuclear escalation" brings it closer than ever to developing a nuclear weapon, making the region and the world far more dangerous. Despite the Security Council attempts a through resolution 2231 (2015) and the Plan of Action a to give Iran the opportunity to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, Tehran has repeatedly exceeded limits, with its enriched uranium stockpile now over 30 times the Plan's limit. Noting that, in October 2025, resolution 2231 (2015) is due to expire a and with it the right to reimpose sanctions on Iran a she underscored that "this situation should be of grave concern for the Council", given Iran's dangerous advances. The United Kingdom, Germany and France remain committed to diplomatic solutions, she said, including triggering United Nations' snapback before October 2025. The representative of Guyana expressed concern that implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action "remains elusive". She stressed: "Given the current precarious situation in the Middle East, it is imperative to redouble efforts towards peace and security in the region." In that context, she stated that full implementation of the Plan and resolution 2231 (2015) is "still critical" for promoting such peace and security. Such implementation is also important for confidence-building, and she urged all parties concerned to return to the Plan. Further, Iran must re-commit to its nuclear-related commitments under that instrument. "We are of the view that the success of the Plan is still possible before the termination of resolution 2231 (2015) in October 2025," she said, therefore calling on all concerned parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy in pursuit of its full and effective implementation. The representative of Malta , speaking in her national capacity and describing the Plan as "a great diplomatic achievement and a crucial instrument for nonproliferation efforts," said Iran's expansion of its enrichment capacity at two nuclear facilities is a concerning development which violates the commitments that it accepted. Urging Iran to downblend its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent and immediately cease all production of highly enriched uranium, she also highlighted the loss of continuity of knowledge at the Agency. Iran must fully cooperate with the Agency and return to the full implementation of its commitments under the Plan, she said, expressing support for all diplomatic solutions in this regard. The representative of the Russian Federation questioned the capacity in which Mr. Lambrinidis was speaking a as a coordinator of the Joint Commission or the representative from Brussels a "on the basis of his politicized remarks". While affirming that there is "no alternative" to the Plan of Action, he said that the root cause of the problems remains the unilateral decision by Washington, D.C., in 2018 to renounce compliance and impose illegitimate unilateral sanctions against Iran. This context also includes attempts by the United States and European participants to "pollute" the information landscape and create the illusion of Iran's non-compliance with resolution 2231 (2015). Despite unfounded attacks and speculation from the West, he noted that the Iranian nuclear programme remains under constant control by IAEA, with which Tehran continues dialogue and practical interaction. The United States and European countries bear the key responsibility for the failure to implement the "nuclear deal" a while Iran regularly signals its readiness to return to the agreed parameters of the Plan of Action. It is high time, he stressed, for Americans and Europeans to "overcome their innate bias towards Iran", and abandon their policy of unilateral restrictions as soon as possible. The representative of the Republic of Korea , Council President for June, speaking in his national capacity, said that IAEA's verification and monitoring activities are "crucial for ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme". Expressing concern about escalation of Iran's nuclear activities beyond the limits of the Plan of Action, he added: "It is difficult to find a credible civilian justification for such a large amount of highly enriched uranium." Noting with concern that the Agency has lost important knowledge about Iran's nuclear programme due to that country's suspension of the Plan's commitments, he called on Tehran to "reverse its decision" to withdraw the designations for several Agency inspectors. "We call on Iran to fully and immediately cooperate with the IAEA in the spirit of the 4 March Joint Statement and abide by its commitments under the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]," he said. Likewise, all parties to the Plan should to find a way back to mutual compliance at the earliest date. The representative of Germany said that his country remains committed to remove, through diplomacy, existing doubts about the exclusively civilian nature of Iran's nuclear programme. "But, this task is getting more difficult," he observed, stating that Iran's nuclear activities have been "completely inconsistent" with its obligations. Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is now likely to be more than three times the amount of fissile material needed to build a nuclear explosive device, and further, Iran is producing highly enriched uranium in the underground facility at Fordow. Equally disturbing is Tehran's lack of cooperation with IAEA. He therefore urged Iran, inter alia, to immediately halt its nuclear escalation, return to the limits imposed by the Plan and immediately and fully cooperate with IAEA. Iran's actions since rejecting a proposal made in August 2022 a in particular, installing thousands of advanced centrifuges and enriching uranium to unprecedented levels a "raise legitimate doubts about Iran's genuine interest to return to the negotiating table", he stressed. The representative of Iran said the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, are again unsuccessfully attempting to shift blame to his country. However, they are disregarding the underlying cause of the current situation, namely, the unilateral and unlawful withdrawal of the United States from the Plan. "The JCPOA was not perfect, but it remains the most viable option," he said, adding that restoring the Plan is in everyone's best interest. His country engaged in nine rounds of negotiations in Vienna and was willing to reinstate the Plan based on the understanding reached in August 2022, but the United States, E3 [France, Germany, Italy] and the European Union lacked sincerity. Their failure to implement their sanctions-lifting commitments is one of the latest examples of their non-compliance, he added. Noting that they proposed a politically motivated resolution at the recent Board of Governors meeting, he said his country has taken remedial measures in full conformity with its rights under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the Plan, according to which, in the case of re-introduction or re-imposition of sanctions, Iran has the right to cease performing its commitments. Stressing that Iran's nuclear activities, including enrichment at various levels, are for peaceful purposes, he said his country continues its constructive cooperation with the Agency under the Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement. His country's decision to enrich uranium in Fordow was a remedial measure, while its space and missile programmes have always been outside the scope and competence of Council resolution 2231 (2015), he pointed out. The main threat to peace in his region, he added, is the Israeli regime's occupation and brutal systematic crimes. Also pointing to the United States' massive military build-up in the region, he condemned all armed attacks by that country and United Kingdom against Yemen. "The JCPOA is a hard-won multilateral diplomatic achievement that effectively averted an undue crisis," he said, adding that his country has never walked away from the negotiation and is willing to resume talks. "But, pressure, intimidation, and confrontation are nonstarters and will ultimately lead to a dead end," he stressed. ... NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev June 24, 2024 14:50 President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a telephone call to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to express deep condolences and solidarity with the Russian people over the tragic aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Dagestan. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev strongly condemned the barbaric missile attack on civilians in Sevastopol as well. Vladimir Putin thanked him for the words of support. Both sides emphasised willingness to build up cooperation in fighting terrorism. The Russian President informed his counterpart about the results of his recent visits to Pyongyang and Hanoi. Several aspects of further continued expansiondevelopment of Russia-Kazakhstan cooperation in the energy sector were also touched upon as well. The leaders agreed to maintain personal contacts, including at the SCO summit in Astana on July 3-4. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethnic rebels seize airport in Myanmar beach town The Arakan Army took control of the site in Rakhine state on Sunday after a month of attacks. By RFA Burmese 2024.06.24 -- Ethnic rebels seized the airport that serves one of Myanmar's premiere resort beaches in Rakhine state on Sunday, as thousands of civilians fled fighting between the military and rebel forces in embattled Thandwe township, according to residents. The takeover is the latest win for the Arakan Army, or AA, since November, when it ended a peace treaty that had been in place since the military's February 2021 coup d'etat and embarked on an offensive in Rakhine state. The AA took control of the airport, which serves the Ngapali resort beach in Thandwe, after junta troops withdrew from the site, a township resident told RFA Burmese on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "The junta troops stationed at the airport retreated and the AA took control," he said. "Artillery fire can still be heard and fighter jets are flying over the area amidst the sound of bombing, but the targets remain unknown." The AA began attacking Thandwe on April 22 and have been trying to take the airport since early June. Armed conflict began about 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of the seat of Thandwe and is now within 8 kilometers (5 miles) of the urban center. The military has responded by reinforcing its local battalion, the town and its prison, while using airstrikes and naval vessels to defend its positions. Clashes are now underway near the military's No. 566 Infantry Battalion, which is located near the airport, and the military's No. 55 Light Infantry Battalion, some 3 kilometers (2 miles) away. As of Monday, neither the AA or the junta had released any statement on the airport takeover. Attempts by RFA to reach AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha and junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun went unanswered. Pro-junta channels on the social media network Telegram claimed that the airport was still under military control, but said fighting in the area remained intense on Monday. 'Thousands' of civilians flee Meanwhile, "thousands" of civilians from Thandwe township have fled the fighting to Gwa township and other areas in neighboring Ayeyarwady region, said another Thandwe resident, who also declined to be named. "The fighting is getting closer to the town [center] where we live and some locals have been trapped," the resident said, adding that none of his family members had been able to leave. "We plan to flee 24-32 kilometers (15-20 miles) to the south of Thandwe township and do whatever we can to live normally." Pe Than, a veteran ethnic Rakhine politician and former Lower House MP, told RFA that the Thandwe area is "the strategic key to controlling southern Rakhine state," which is why the AA is trying to seize the entire township. "The junta can no longer rely on its ground troops, while its navy vessels are too large to enter the creeks and rivers, so they can only fire ineffectively from a distance," he said, adding that the military could be "totally removed" from Rakhine state "by the end of 2024." In the meantime, civilian casualties have increased in Thandwe amid the military's use of artillery fire and airstrikes, residents told RFA. At least 23 civilians were killed by airstrikes and artillery in Thandwe township in May, they said, while 22 civilians were killed and 32 injured since the start of June. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar airstrike on monastery where villagers were sheltering kills 17 activists The air force apparently bombed a monastery under the control of junta forces by mistake. By RFA Burmese 2024.06.24 -- Myanmar junta forces killed 17 people in an airstrike on a monastery where people were taking shelter from fighting after insurgents battling to end military rule attacked a nearby army camp, members of anti-junta militia groups told Radio Free Asia on Monday. The junta's air force launched the attack on Saturday night on a monastery in Nant Thar village in the central region of Sagaing, killing a monk and 16 other people including three members of the same family, they said. Sagaing has seen unprecedented levels of violence since a 2021 military coup triggered an insurgency by pro-democracy activists who formed People's Defense Forces around the country to confront the military. Junta forces have been accused of razing villages, carrying out mass shootings and bombing villages indiscriminately as they hunt for members of the People's Defense Forces. The airstrike in Indaw township followed an attack on a junta camp carried out by an alliance of fighters including members of the Indaw People's Defense Force, the Kachin Independence Army, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front, and other groups, activists said. Nant Thar has two monasteries, one under the control of rebel forces and another occupied by junta forces, said an official of the anti-junta Indaw Revolution group, who declined to be identified for security reasons. "People were called to the monastery and locked down by the junta troops when fighting erupted and the jet then bombed the monastery at midnight while people were locked down," the group official said. "They must have wanted to bomb the monastery on the mountain," he said, referring to the monastery controlled by anti-junta forces. "They dropped the bombs on their own monastery by mistake." The military has not released any information about the incident and calls to Sagaing region's junta spokesperson, Nyunt Win Aung, for more information went unanswered. Junta troops have cut communication links to the village, a frequent tactic after big attacks. More than 10 people, including children, were wounded, the Indaw Revolution official said, adding that some were in critical condition. The dead were cremated on Monday, he said. The village has been largely empty since April last year when anti-junta forces repeatedly attacked the military camp in Nant Thar, which is on a major road, residents said. But junta troops had prevented remaining residents from leaving, including those killed on Saturday, they said. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Activists accuse 2 Chinese companies of helping junta control the internet Justice for Myanmar linked Geedge Networks and a state-run company to the architect of the 'Great Firewall.' By RFA Burmese 2024.06.24 -- Two Chinese companies are helping Myanmar's military junta to limit citizens' access to the internet, a covert group of activists opposed to military rule said. Justice for Myanmar linked the two companies, Geedge Networks and the state-owned China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation, or CEIEC, to scientist Fang Binxing, who was instrumental in creating China's "Great Firewall" that controls access to the internet. "Leaked plans show two products from the Chinese company Geedge Networks for the junta's surveillance and censorship system," Justice for Myanmar wrote in a Facebook post June 19. The group said CEIEC has been involved in "a proposed location tracking system for the junta controlled communications ministry." Since the end of May, the junta has blocked Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, which mask the location of the devices people use to access the internet. This has coincided with a crackdown by police and soldiers on pedestrians to check their smartphones for VPN software. Myanmar is the second-worst among 70 countries included in the Freedom on the Net report released in October 2023 by the U.S.-based Freedom House group. China was in last place. Aiding crimes against humanity Justice for Myanmar also accused a Myanmar-based conglomerate, Mascots Group of Companies, of acting as an intermediary between the junta and the Chinese companies. The Mascots Group includes around 30 companies operating in Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand, Justice for Myanmar said. The activist group's spokeswoman Yadana Maung said in a statement that providing surveillance and censorship technology to the junta will cost lives. "The junta is killing, torturing and arbitrarily detaining people across Myanmar and this new Chinese technology will further aid and abet the junta's crimes against humanity as it seeks to track down those who oppose the military's illegitimate coup attempt," she said, while accusing the junta of being a terrorist organization. RFA attempted to contact all three business entities, as well as the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the junta's spokesperson, but received no response. Other activist organizations echoed Justice for Myanmar's call for sanctions. "The VPNs are now closed, and the internet is shut down, websites are blocked. Internet usage is also limited," said Thinzar Shun Lei Ye, campaign leader for the Acting Committee for Democracy Development. " Many townships have no access to the internet." She said that blocking off the internet in this manner is a violation of the public's right to access information. "That's why, at the same time as trying to take action against the military, these companies are helping to control the Internet," she said. "We need to take action on the participation of companies and countries." A technology expert, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the support of Chinese companies could lessen security of information of VPN users in Myanmar. "If the personal Information is not safe. People could be using free VPNs where their data may not be secure," he said. "When we use free VPNs, if we can't provide enough protection, our data can be accessed through (the junta's) intercepted firewalls. Locations andIP addresses can be detected by detecting these." He also said that information from accounts could be easily stolen when security is weak. A former army officer, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said the government is trying to control the Internet to prevent leaks of military information. "Although our country is at war, our government is very generous with allowing the public to get internet access in the country where photos of military aircraft taking off are immediately uploaded online," he said. "The junta did it to prevent information leaking." He said that the actions by the junta to regulate internet use would likely not cause a nationwide outrage. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar junta chief issues rare apology for shooting death of Buddhist abbot But Min Aung Hlaing said troops fired on his car for 'security reasons' when it failed to stop. By RFA Burmese 2024.06.24 -- Myanmar's junta chief issued a rare apology on Monday for last week's fatal shooting of a senior Buddhist monk, but claimed that military troops fired on his vehicle for "security reasons." Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa, the 77-year-old abbot of Win Neinmitayon Monastery in Bago region, was shot dead in his car as it left an airport in central Mandalay region on the morning of June 19. Television broadcaster MRTV announced initially that the abbot's car was caught in a firefight between junta troops and guerillas from the rebel People's Defense Forces, or PDF, a grassroots militia formed by citizens opposed to the military's February 2021 coup d'etat. But on Monday, junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing published a letter of apology for the shooting, which Tin Oo Lwin, the junta's minister of religion and culture, read to monks presiding over the abbot's funeral. In the letter, Min Aung Hlaing expressed "deep regret" for Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa's death, but noted that the shooting occurred "for security reasons" because the abbot was "in a civilian vehicle with closed windows" that failed to stop at a checkpoint. A senior monk presiding over the funeral on Monday said during the ceremony that he would never forget the incident. "We know they apologized, and we feel a mixture of sadness and heartbreak," he said. "It's something that will be impossible to forget." While the junta initially claimed that the PDF was responsible for Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa's death, on June 20, another monk involved in the incident named Baddanta Gunikabhivamsa - the abbot of the Kanthonsint Pariyatti School in Yangon - said that it was military troops who fired on the car. The following day, junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun issued a "clarification," admitting that the military was responsible and vowing to investigate the incident. The spokesperson said junta troops providing security in Bago "are facing many difficulties" and that "it is difficult to verify immediately whether they [passengers] are enemies or civilians." Several Buddhist institutions have issued statements expressing their condolences over the death of Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa, while a monk association in Mandalay condemned the shooting, labeling it an act of terrorism. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU expands sanctions against Russia and tackles sanctions circumvention Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Press releases, 24.6.2024 The 14th EU sanctions package deploys significant new measures to prevent the circumvention and evasion of sanctions imposed on Russia. Among a slew of new measures the package addresses issues related to aviation and the shadow fleet, expands export bans, imposes additional restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) revenues, and increases the obligations of businesses to tackle sanctions circumvention. The list of individuals subject to asset freezes and travel bans will also be significantly extended. Announced in the context of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the EU's 14th sanctions package significantly increases restrictive measures targeting the Russian war of aggression. The EU is expanding its import and export bans and restrictions related to sensitive technologies and products required for offensive warfare, and imposing limits on Russian LNG revenues. The EU is also listing a number of representatives of the Russian armed forces, political operators, information influencers, opinion-formers, and business influencers who support or benefit from the Russian government. Officials of the Russian occupation administration and individuals who participated in the forced relocation of Ukrainian children in Russia and Belarus will also be added to the list. The EU is tackling the shadow fleet that seeks to circumvent the oil price cap mechanism. The 14th package includes a new list of shadow vessels and bans the provision of services to these vessels within the territory of the EU. The EU will also limit the ability of Russian entities to conduct air freight and road haulage operations in EU territory. Russian entities will no longer be eligible to seek protection of patents and other intellectual property rights within the EU. The new sanctions package also stresses the duties and responsibilities of EU businesses in complying with EU sanctions law. EU businesses must ensure that sanctions are not circumvented through undertakings that they own or control in third countries. They must also apply adequate due diligence measures and know-your-customer (KYC) procedures. The ability of businesses to claim and pay compensation for terminating business operations related to Russia will be expanded. A growing number of Western and like-minded countries implement sanctions in a uniform way. Uniform measures are being applied by the USA, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland. The list of individuals subject to personal sanctions and the export ban list will be significantly expanded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Telephone conversation with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev June 24, 2024 15:50 In a telephone conversation with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed deep condolences over the deaths of civilians and law enforcement officers in the terrorist attacks in Daghestan. The presidents discussed continued expansion of mutually beneficial Russia-Uzbekistan cooperation in the context of implementing the agreements reached following the President of Russia's recent state visit to Tashkent. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gunmen Kill At Least 20 In Attacks In Russia's Daghestan By RFE/RL's Russian Service and RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service June 24, 2024 At least 20 people were killed, including civilians and police officers, when gunmen opened fire at two Orthodox churches, two synagogues, and a police station in separate attacks in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan. Investigators earlier said that four civilians were killed, with 15 police officers reportedly killed in the June 23 attacks. At least 46 people were injured, according to Russian officials. Regional Governor Sergei Melikov, in a video statement posted on Telegram early on June 24, said that among the civilians killed was 66-year-old Father Nikolai, who served for more than 40 years in the Orthodox church in Derbent. Melikov said that six "bandits" were "liquidated" by security forces. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee declared the security operation over by the morning of June 24. Among those detained was Magomed Omarov, the head of the central Sergokala district and secretary of the local branch of the United Russia party, whose home was searched. Omarov was expelled from the party for actions discrediting the organization, United Russia's press service in Daghestan said. Three of the attackers who were killed have been identified, according to Interfax, which quoted an unidentified source as saying two of Omarov's sons and one of his nephews were among the slain attackers. The attacks came just three months after 145 people died and hundreds were injured when Islamic State (IS) extremists opened fire in a crowded concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia's worst terrorist attack in years. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by IS or any other groups for the attacks in the volatile North Caucasus region on June 23. "This is a day of tragedy for Daghestan and the whole country," Melikov said after officials announced three days of mourning for the region. According to a local religious organization in the majority Muslim region, the attacks occurred on a religious holiday in the Russian Orthodox Church. "The radicals want to pit us against each other with all their might and burn interfaith bridges. But they won't succeed," the organization said. The chairman of the public council of Russia's Federation of Jewish Communities, Boruch Gorin, said on Telegram that synagogues in both cities caught fire during the attacks. "Two are killed: a policeman and a security guard," Gorin said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the synagogue in Derbent was burned to the ground and shots had been fired at a second synagogue in Makhachkala. Derbent is home to an ancient Jewish community and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The attack on the police station occurred in Makhachkala, the capital of Daghestan, 125 kilometers north of Derbent. Unknown assailants attacked a traffic police post, and according to the Interior Ministry of Daghestan, two assailants were killed in Makhachkala, whose airport in October was shut down for several days when a mob shouting anti-Jewish epithets stormed it after the arrival of a flight from Israel. Anti-Jewish protests broke out in several cities in the region after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Months later, after the deadly March 22 massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained four people in Daghestan suspected of providing financing and weapons to participants. Responsibility for that attack was claimed by an offshoot of IS known as Islamic State-Khorasan. Russian investigators said the assault was carried out by four men, all Tajik nationals. Russian authorities arrested 11 Tajik citizens and a Kyrgyzstan-born Russian citizen in connection with the attack, Russia's worst terrorist attack in two decades. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/daghestan-synagogue- church-shooting-derbent-makhachkala/33005911.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daghestan Attacks: What Happened And Why By Current Time and Robert Coalson June 24, 2024 Details are still emerging about the June 23 violence in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan. At least 20 people were killed, including 15 police officers, according to Russia's Investigative Committee, when gunmen attacked a synagogue, two Russian Orthodox churches, and police targets in the regional capital, Makhachkala, and the city of Derbent, some 120 kilometers to the south. Five gunmen were reportedly killed, while 16 people -- including 13 police officers -- were reportedly injured. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The incident came in the context of Daghestan's decades-long simmering unrest, with fuel thrown on the fire by Russia's war against Ukraine. Vilayat Kavkaz The Russian authorities have not released the names of the five slain gunmen. However, Caucasus-related Telegram channels have identified two of them as sons of Magomed Omarov, a local district head and ruling United Russia party official who was promptly expelled over the incident. Another of the killed attackers was said to have been Omarov's nephew. Omarov has reportedly been detained on suspicion of abetting terrorism. The Telegram channel Baza, which has ties to law enforcement, claimed that Omarov said under questioning that he knew his sons and nephew were extremists and had not been in contact with them "for the last few years." There was no way of verifying that account or a report by the Telegram channel Mash that one of the sons, Osman Omarov, had returned in April from spending 18 months in Turkey. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on June 23 that the attack may have been coordinated by the North Caucasus branch of the extremist group Islamic State, which is known as Vilayat Kavkaz. A media channel tied to a broader regional IS affiliate issued a statement praising their "brothers from the Caucasus," which ISW analysts interpreted as a strong indication that Vilayat Kavkaz had carried out the attack. Russia's counterterrorism agencies have been cracking down on people they claim are members of Vilayat Kavkaz since the March 22 attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow that killed 145 people and was claimed by IS, though most of the suspects in that attack were Tajiks and there was no known connection to the North Caucasus. Accusing Ukraine And The West Without providing evidence, several Russian officials quickly placed responsibility for the attacks on Ukraine and NATO, just as they did after the Crocus City Hall attack. "Today we find ourselves participants in those events that are happening around the world," Daghestan head Sergei Melikov said on June 24, seemingly seeking to lay blame outside his region and outside Russia. "We must understand that war has come to our house." Magomed Gadzhiyev, a member of Russia's lower parliament house from Daghestan, claimed without evidence that the attacks were "in one way or another tied to the secret services of Ukraine and NATO countries." They were, he added, an "attempt to destabilize the situation in our country" against the backdrop of "the successes of our forces" in Ukraine. Dmitry Rogozin, prominent former diplomat and a member of the upper parliament house, cautioned against such conclusions, saying that blaming NATO for every such incident could prevent Russia from identifying internal threats and "lead to big problems." Likewise, a North Caucasus analyst who asked not to be named out of security concerns for speaking to RFE/RL said that Russia should seek the root causes of the radicalization of youths in Daghestan. "They need to figure out what motivates them, rather than trying to hush up the incident by citing 'the influence of Ukraine or the West,'" the analyst told RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities. Simmering Discontent Daghestan, with a population of more than 3.1 million, is the largest region of Russia's North Caucasus. It is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse areas in the world, a mountainous patchwork with 14 official languages and a dozen major ethnic groups. More than 80 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim. There is a significant conservative Salafi minority that has long been accused of extremism by the Russian authorities and targeted for repression. One of Russia's poorest and least-developed regions, Daghestan regularly reports one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. It played a role in the wars in neighboring Chechnya in the 1990s and 2000s and was embroiled in an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus that stemmed from those conflicts. The June 23 violence was the first major incident of its type in the region in about 15 years. However, unrest has been on the increase since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Daghestan is one of a number of impoverished, non-ethnic-Russian regions that has disproportionately contributed troops to the war. After President Vladimir Putin announced a massive military call-up in September 2022 amid battlefield setbacks in Ukraine, Daghestan became a locus of anti-mobilization protests. Separately, in October 2023, a mob of more than 1,000 people shouting anti-Semitic slogans stormed the airport in Makhachkala amid inflammatory social media reports that the region was accepting Israeli refugees from the Gaza War. Russian officials sought to blame the West for that violence as well. As has been the case across Russia since the Ukraine invasion, analysts say, security forces in Daghestan have been primarily occupied with suppressing dissent over the war, compounding anger among restive citizens and leaving the country more vulnerable to potential extremist attacks. Written by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson based on reporting by Current Time. RFE/RL's Russian Service and Caucasus.Realities also contributed to this report. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-terrorism-daghestan-war- security/33007237.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Belarus to Contribute to Formation of New Security Architecture - Statement Sputnik News 20240624 MINSK (Sputnik) - Minsk and Moscow are considering contributing to the formation of a new sustainable international security architecture, the parameters of which should be the rules of conflict-free coexistence, the joint statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik, published on Monday, read. "Minsk and Moscow consider promoting the formation of a new sustainable architecture of international security as one of the key foreign policy objectives... The parameters of such a system should be the product of open and inclusive negotiations on the rules of conflict-free coexistence based on the principles of equality and indivisibility of security, as well as recognition of the realities of multipolarity and mandatory mutual consideration of the interests of all parties involved," the document read. Russia and Belarus condemn West's actions to escalate the situation in Europe, the joint statement read. "We strongly condemn the actions of Western states aimed at escalating the military-political situation in Europe. We confirm our readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on the basis of full consideration of the interests of Belarus and Russia. Bulks of weapons supplied by the EU and NATO countries are used by Kiev to destroy civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure, commit terrorist attacks on the Russian territory," the statement said. In addition, Minsk and Moscow are in favor of promoting the initiatives in UN aimed at countering sanctions as a way of political blackmail, the joint statement said. The two countries are also seeking to improve the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) foreign policy coordination and promoting the organization's observer and partner status. "We are aimed at further improving foreign policy coordination within the Organization, expanding its interaction with other international organizations, as well as actively promoting the status of an observer and partner of the CSTO," the ministers' joint statement read. Minsk and Moscow are making efforts to improve the mechanisms to counter new threats to the security of CIS countries, the statement said. "We are making efforts to improve mechanisms for jointly countering traditional and new challenges and threats to the security of the CIS member states in the face of unprecedented levels of international tension," it read. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Autocracy not democracy is the crime,' Lai says to China ROC Central News Agency 06/24/2024 04:18 PM Taipei, June 24 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (ea) said Monday that autocracy, not democracy, is deserving of punishment in response to the recent threat by Chinese authorities to impose the death penalty on "diehard" advocates of Taiwan independence. In a press event, Lai said "I want to stress that democracy is not a crime, whereas autocracy is," when asked for his views on a new set of guidelines in China that permit the death sentence for those deemed to be "diehard" advocates of Taiwan independence. China has no right nor jurisdiction to punish Taiwanese people for expressing their opinions or stances, Lai added. "According to China's logic, not supporting unification equates to supporting Taiwan independence. So whether you are for Taiwan, the Republic of China, or the Republic of China, Taiwan, in their eyes these all mean supporting Taiwan independence," Lai continued. "There is only one party in Taiwan that is not for Taiwan independence [according to China's logic], and that is the Chinese Unification Promotion Party," he said, adding it is for this reason that the ruling and opposition parties should all work together and demonstrate solidarity. Lai called on China to accept the existence of the Republic of China and engage in exchanges with Taiwan's legal government democratically elected by the Taiwanese people. "This is the only way to protect the welfare of those on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Any other path means the relationship between Taiwan and China will deteriorate," the president said. The president also expressed condolences to those impacted by the deadly rain in southern China and said he hopes post-disaster reconstruction goes well. (By Alison Hsiao) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lai to seek ruling on whether passed amendments are constitutional ROC Central News Agency 06/24/2024 03:39 PM Taipei, June 24 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te () said that although he signed recent controversial amendments that will strengthen the Legislature's power into law on Monday, he will soon seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court. Lai said he supports legislative reforms, but not the unconstitutional expansion of legislative power. "Reforming the Legislature must comply with the law and the Constitution," he underlined. The Legislative Yuan's investigative powers must not infringe upon judicial power and the power of the Control Yuan, "let alone infringe upon people's basic rights such as privacy, business secrets, and the freedom from compelled speech," he said. The president said he would therefore seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court to safeguard constitutional order and uphold people's basic rights. Lai added that he would also apply for "a preliminary injunction ruling" by the court to stop the amended laws from being implemented before the court's ruling is made. Regarding the president being "obligated" by the amendments to deliver an annual state of the nation address to the Legislature and respond to lawmakers' questions there and then, Lai said it was an "attempt to change the constitutional design of responsible government." Currently, the constitutional order deems that the president is not accountable to the Legislative Yuan and is therefore not required to deliver an address to the Legislature. However, the president may choose to do so voluntarily. Lai pointed out that the amendments also conflate the Executive Yuan delivering policy reports -- as they are accountable to the Legislative Yuan according to the constitutional order -- with the president's address to the Legislature. The Constitution and the existing law governing legislative power already have a mechanism for the Legislative Yuan to "listen to" the president's state address. "But I have said before I am willing to deliver it in the Legislature under an arrangement in compliance with the Constitution," Lai said. The president said he would therefore deliver the address to the Legislature only after a ruling to do so by the Constitutional Court was made. Lai called on the opposition parties not to make "rash decisions" before the ruling. In response to the opposition's claims that Constitutional Court grand justices were appointed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's administration and so are likely to rule in favor of the current government, Lai said they were appointed by different administrations and have made a range of rulings. "They have made the rulings to safeguard Taiwan's democratic constitutional order and to move the country forward. I believe they will do so this time as well," the president stressed. The Legislative Yuan last Friday voted down the Cabinet's request for it to reconsider the recently passed amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power and the Criminal Code. Both the Cabinet and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party have stated they will seek rulings from the Constitutional Court. Lawyer Hung Wei-sheng () explained that as the amendments involve newly instituted legislative powers regarding questioning public officials, undertaking investigations, and holding hearings, the president will not be the only one to seek a Constitutional Court ruling. "We will call on the Constitutional Court to review the cases together if there are petitions from other agencies," Hung said. (By Alison Hsiao) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MBABANE The High Court has found the Director of Ncamase Investments (Pty) Ltd, Issufomia Calu and his company, to be in breach of a court order. The order in question was issued on May 17, 2024, and it interdicted Ncamase Investments and Calu from removing Galp Eswatini (Pty) Ltds fuel tanks, canopy and other assets from the filling station at Big Tree Complex in Matsapha. It was argued on behalf of Galp that Calu and Ncamase did not comply with the court issued by Judge Titus Mlangeni, directing him and his company to restore Galp Eswatini (Pty) Limiteds assets at Big Tree Filling Station. Ncamase purchased Big Tree Complex recently. The filling station was operated by Nur and Sam (Pty) Ltd, trading as Big Tree Filling Station, which is a company owned by Calus father. Last week, Galp filed an application at the High Court, seeking an order declaring Calu and Ncamase Investments to be in contempt of a court order of Judge Mlangeni, order of May 31, 2024. Galp also wanted the court to order Calu and his company to comply with the court order within 24 hours of the service of the order. Galp further prayed that Calu be directed to show cause by Thursday why he should not be sentenced to direct imprisonment not exceeding 30 days for contempt of Judge Mlangenis order. The sentence, prayed Galp, is not to be suspended, on condition that the applicants (Calu and his company) comply with the order of Judge Mlangeni. The Managing Director (MD) of Galp Eswatini, Bruno Marques, in light of the alleged unlawful removal of Galps property by Ncamase Investments, launched an application at the High Court under Case No. 566/2024. Marques submitted that on May 17, 2024, in response to the alleged unlawful removal of Galps property by Ncamase Investments, Galp launched an ex parte application, whereby an interim order was sought. The ex parte application (filed without Ncamases knowledge) was successful and culminated in an order granted by Judge Mlangeni in favour of Galp. The order was made returnable on May 31, 2024. Marques told the court that the net effect of the order was that it inter alia, interdicted Ncamase from removing any further property from the leased premises until the return date of May 31, 2024. On May 20, 2024, Ncamase filed a notice of appeal against the order. According to Marques, Ncamase adopted the stance that, the operation and execution of the order was suspended, through its filing of a notice of appeal. This stance was adopted by the first respondent (Ncamase), notwithstanding that it is clear from the order that it is of an interim and ex parte nature and is not final in effect with the result that it is not suspended by the service of a notice to appeal or subsequent appeal. As a result, the respondents (Ncamase and Calu) failed to comply with the order dated May 17, 2024, notwithstanding being served with the order. The failure on the part of the respondent to comply with the order of May 17, 2024, caused the applicant (Galp) to launch another application in the High Court on May 22, 2022, whereby it sought an order declaring the respondents to be in contempt of court. The order of May 22, 2024 declared Ncamase to be in breach of the order of Judge Mlangeni, dated May 17, 2024. Galp is represented by Kenneth Motsa of Robinson Bertram in this matter. According to Marques, in October 2020, his company entered into a lease agreement with Ncamase, as directed by Moses Motsa. He said pursuant to the above, Galp entered into a franchise agreement with Nur & Sam (Pty Ltd (Big Tree) for a period of three years. However, when the three-year period expired, Big Tree brought a legal challenge before the High Court, seeking a declaratory order and was successful in the Supreme Court on review. He said in 2019, the applicant (Galp) and the respondent (Ncamase), as represented by Theo Hlophe, (a representative of the shareholder Libuya Properties (Pty) Limited) entered into another lease agreement for the initial period of five years. Marques told the court that in October 2020, Galp and Ncamase entered into an addendum to the lease agreement in terms of which the lease period was to run from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2025. Marques submitted that the lease agreement still subsists. According to the MD, around July 2023, the respondent advised that Libuya Properties had sold its shareholding and that Calu (Big Tree director) was now the contact person. Pursuant to this letter, I then held a meeting with Mr Calu and asked for formal documentation confirming that either himself, or Big Tree was now the shareholder of the respondent, but this was not forthcoming. KMT, TPP slam Lai over plan to seek constitutional ruling on reform bills ROC Central News Agency 06/24/2024 08:25 PM Taipei, June 24 (CNA) Taiwan's opposition parties on Monday slammed President Lai Ching-te's () plan to seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on the recently passed legislative reform amendments despite signing them into law. Speaking at a press conference, the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus called on the court to remain impartial in its ruling. The remark came in response to President Lai's decision to seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the amendments and also apply for "a preliminary injunction" from the court to stop the amended laws from being implemented before a final ruling is made. At the event, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi () urged Lai to "bravely face the parliament and the people" and appealed to the court to show judicial conscience by not opposing the reform bills. "The Constitutional Court is the guardian of the constitution, and should not be a watchdog for any political party," KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang () said, claiming that the court's grand justices were appointed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and so are likely to rule in favor of the current government. When the DPP was still the opposition party it recognized the need for legislative reform, but now opposes it, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Mong-kai () said. Before the Constitutional Court issues its ruling, there should be basic respect and adherence to laws passed by the Legislature, as in any democracy, Hung explained, referring to President Lai's earlier statement that he would deliver an annual state of the nation address to the Legislature only after a constitutional ruling. On Monday, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) expressed regret over the matter, saying that parliamentary reform was the expectation of the ruling and opposition parties and the people. The reform bills passed by the Legislature should be respected and Lai should stand with public opinion, the TPP said in a statement. During the election campaign, Lai mentioned there was an obligation to present a state of the nation address to the Legislature, but has deliberately distorted the reform bills since being elected, the TPP noted. The president is unwilling to face legislative oversight and is holding tightly onto his executive power, the party added. In a separate radio interview Monday, DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang () responded that his party has no predetermined position, adding that the constitution is the fundamental law of the country and so anything that violates it cannot become law. (By Fan Cheng-hsiang, Yeh Su-ping, Chen Chun-hua and Ko Lin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily PLA flights near Taiwan island see major increase over past week Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jun 24, 2024 11:43 PM The defense authority of the island of Taiwan has reported consecutive double-digit numbers of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft operating around the island over the past week. This comes as the mainland intensifies regular drills and patrols amid attempts by "Taiwan independence" secessionists to resist reunification by force. Some 23 PLA aircraft and seven PLA vessels operating around the island of Taiwan were detected over the past day, the defense authority on the island said in a press release on Monday morning. Since June 18, when the island's defense authority detected 20 PLA aircraft and seven PLA vessels operating near the island, the number of PLA aircraft has remained in the double digits. The PLA regularly conducts exercises and patrols around the island of Taiwan, but recent figures were significantly higher than average compared to the past few years, observers said. In addition, media reports from the island of Taiwan indicated that a Type 09IV nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine of the PLA Navy surfaced in the Taiwan Straits on June 18. The PLA's intensified exercises and patrols have come as the US approved military sales of Switchblade 300 and ALTIUS 600M-V Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, as well as equipment and training manuals, to the island of Taiwan at an estimated cost of $360 million. In a separate event, a senior defense official on the island of Taiwan said that the island's annual Han Kuang exercises, scheduled to start on July 22 this year, will be as close as possible to actual combat, no longer just putting on a show to score points but aiming to simulate real fighting given a rapidly rising "enemy threat" from the Chinese mainland, Reuters reported on Sunday. The PLA's routine drills and patrols around the island of Taiwan aim to deter "Taiwan independence" secessionists and external interference forces, and enhance combat readiness to defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday. It is normal for the PLA's exercises and patrols to increase in scale and become closer to real combat scenarios, the expert said. Purchasing weapons from the US and conducting exercises taking the Chinese mainland as an imaginary enemy are attempts by Taiwan secessionists to resist reunification by force, which are doomed to fail, the expert said, stressing that the PLA has overwhelming advantages over the armed forces on the island, and is prepared to block external military interference, as demonstrated by previous exercises. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 24, 2024 By Defense Innovation Unit Battlefield Realities, Pace of Innovation at Center of NATO-Ukraine Defense Innovators Forum Since the outset of Russia's war of aggression, Ukraine has skillfully orchestrated a whole-of-society approach to develop innovative technology to defend itself. In this spirit, operational end users, technologists, investors, entrepreneurs, academics, researchers and defense officials from 17 countries gathered at AGH University in Krakow, Poland, earlier this month to bring together innovation ecosystems on real-world challenges a including live flight testing for drone software. The Defense Innovation Unit organized the event in partnership with NATO, Ukraine's Brave1 and the Polish Ministry of National Defense. The multi-stakeholder forum comprised panel discussions, keynote addresses, an educational series, and a hackathon, all focused on building partnerships between technology partners from across the Euro-Atlantic community to help solve operational problems in the near and long term. It included an extensive discussion of the pace of innovation required on modern battlefields, techniques for building feedback loops that constantly improve military technologies, ideas to improve procurement and training, and other ways armed forces can adapt and change. "The confluence of bright minds, collected resources, an urgent problem set, and a common vision creates amazing possibilities," said DIU Deputy Director of Commercial Operations Liz Young McNally. "DIU's commercial efforts do not stop at our own borders, but are coordinated with our international initiatives to create, expand and deepen the commercial and investor network, implement programming for partner nation startups and non-traditional companies, and catalyze private investment in new capabilities." The forum broadly recognized that knowledge must be shared and turned into actionable solutions as well as the continued need to find ways to quickly and efficiently distill knowledge in real time. For example, DIU is currently executing a project focused on the emerging and persistent challenges of electronic warfare interference gleaning from the continuously evolving EMI landscape in Ukraine. Leadership and partnerships are critical to this feedback loop. In a keynote address, the executive director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Air Force Maj. Gen. Edward "Hertz" Vaughan reflected on the criticality of partnerships throughout history and on the importance of constantly improving "people, ideas and things," a theory first popularized by U.S. military strategist John Boyd, to prevail in modern war. Maj. Gen. Vaughan also note that Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish military engineer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later led a Polish uprising against Russian rule, is one of the earliest American military innovators. "Shared interests bring coalitions together, but what makes those partnerships enduring are shared values," said Vaughan. "At the top of that list is freedom and the [unified] global defense of countries that seek it." Another key focus of the forum was attributable military systems such as drones, an area where Ukraine has unique, hard-earned expertise. Lessons from Ukraine are driving the pace of innovation, and the need for an innovation pathway and resilient industrial base to best employ attributable systems. Battlefield realities are informing DOD concepts of operations a or CONOPS. These systems are meant to put fewer people in the line of fire, and can be changed, updated or improved with substantially shorter lead times. Ukraine has shown the importance of constant iteration in the use of attributable systems to keep them working despite countermeasures employed by adaptive adversaries. "We believe that Ukraine is a central hub for defense technology innovation, said Chief Operating Officer of Brave1, Nataliia Kushnerska. "Ukrainian experience in technology and warfare, combined with Allied expertise, has the potential to be the technological foundation for a safer and more secure Europe." Brave1 is the united coordination platform created by the government of Ukraine to promote collaboration between all stakeholders of the defense tech industry by providing them with organizational, informational and financial support for defense tech projects in Ukraine. Discussions also addressed the criticality of identifying and channeling trusted capital. For the first time, Ukrainian innovators could access some of the accelerator work developed for the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic and get real-time feedback from NATO Innovation Fund personnel. In addition to candid dialogue, the forum featured an unmanned aerial system automated visual guidance hackathon geared toward improving the capability of low-cost, light-weight drone systems to navigate to an object of interest hosted in part by the National Innovation Security Network component of DIU. In total, 13 teams and 75 participants from around the globe competed for $100,000 USD in prizes in a 48-hour design sprint to develop a solution to a real-world challenge. Teams delivered working software solutions, capable of successfully navigating to a set desired terminal point with the winning team being a collaboration between Ukrainian and Norwegian developers, Sensorama Lab and KEF Robotics. Working against the two-day timeline, results proved the ability to innovate and iterate at the speed of need in the software space a and demonstrated the collaborative ingenuity fostered by the event. Rapid iteration is required to be successful on the modern battlefield, and the hackathon proved that it can be done. "The energy for more collaboration between Ukrainian and allied innovation ecosystems was contagious, and is exactly why allies and Ukraine are working together on a new innovation agreement in the NATO-Ukraine Council," said David van Weel, NATO assistant secretary general for innovation, hybrid and cyber. This event built on the success of an earlier forum on "Ukraine and the Future of Unmanned Aerial Systems" that DIU convened in Warsaw in October 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 14th package of sanctions on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: EU lists additional 69 individuals and 47 entities European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 24 June 2024 12:15 As part of the comprehensive fourteenth package of sanctions adopted earlier today, the Council decided to impose restrictive measures on an additional 69 individuals and 47 entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Today's new listings target several businesspersons, propagandists and public figures, members of the army and the judiciary, persons responsible for deportation of Ukrainian children, as well as members of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) involved in religious persecution in illegally annexed Crimea, and of the government. Among the listed companies, there are some actively involved in circumventing EU sanctions through financial transactions and delivery of prohibited EU goods, and a company operating the Vostochny port that was used to ship weapons and ammunitions from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea into Russia. The list then includes several Russian military and defence industry companies, companies providing vital dual-use technologies used in the battlefield, and companies transporting weapons and military personnel towards the war zone. Additionally, the EU designated Volga Dnepr Group and its subsidiaries for their role in providing services to the Russia's military-industrial complex, as well as its shareholders. Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company specialising in the transportation of liquefied gas, crude oil, and petroleum products, is also listed, together with its CEO, and other leading companies in the energy sector. The EU sanctioned the 'International Children's Center Artek', which organises camps for children from Ukraine, including in the illegally occupied territories, the Kadyrov Foundation carrying out re educational programmes for Ukrainian children and teenagers, and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, which is active in the deportation of Ukrainian children from the illegally occupied territories. Some of their notable representatives were also blacklisted. Altogether, EU restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine now apply to over 2200 individuals and entities. Those designated today are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them. Natural persons are additionally subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories. The relevant legal acts, including the names of the listed individuals and entities, have been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Background In its conclusions of 17 and 18 April 2024, the European Council reiterated its full unwavering support to Ukraine, its people and its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. In its previous conclusions, the European Council also called for further steps to weaken Russia's ability to continue waging its war of aggression, including by strengthening the sanctions, and implementing existing sanction fully and effectively. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: comprehensive EU's 14th package of sanctions cracks down on circumvention and adopts energy measures European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 24 June 2024 09:00 The Council adopted today a 14th package of economic and individual restrictive measures dealing a further blow to Putin's regime and those who perpetuate his illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. These measures are designed to target high-value sectors of the Russian economy, like energy, finance and trade, and make it ever more difficult to circumvent EU sanctions. Our sanctions have already significantly weakened the Russian economy and prevented Putin from accomplishing his plans to destroy Ukraine, although he still continues the illegal aggression targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The 14th package of sanctions demonstrates our unity in supporting Ukraine and seeking to limit Russia's criminal activities against Ukrainians, including efforts to circumvent EU measures. - Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Today's package includes restrictive measures on additional 116 individuals and entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as the following sectoral measures: Energy In order to ensure that EU facilities are not used to tranship Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) to third countries, and thereby reduce the significant revenues that Russia derives from LNG sale and transport, the EU will forbid reloading services of Russian LNG in EU territory for the purpose of transshipment operations to third countries. This covers both ship-to-ship transfers and ship-to-shore transfers, as well as re-loading operations, and does not affect import but only re-export to third countries via the EU. The European Commission will monitor the implementation and development of this decision and may propose mitigating measures if necessary. Furthermore, the EU will prohibit new investments, as well as the provision of goods, technology and services for the completion of LNG projects under construction, such as Arctic LNG 2 and Murmansk LNG. Import restrictions are introduced on Russian LNG through EU terminals not connected to the natural gas system. Anti-circumvention The EU is equipping itself with additional tools to crack down on circumvention. First of all, EU parent companies will be required to undertake their best efforts to ensure that their third-country subsidiaries do not take part in any activities resulting in an outcome that the sanctions seek to prevent. Second, in order to help counter the re-exportation of battlefield goods found in Ukraine or critical to the development of Russian military systems, it was decided that EU operators selling such battlefield goods to third countries will need to implement due diligence mechanisms capable of identifying and assessing risks of re-exportation to Russia, and mitigating them. In addition, EU operators transferring industrial know-how for the production of battlefield goods to third-country commercial counterparts will now have to include contractual provisions to ensure that such know-how will not be used for goods intended to Russia. Finance The Council decided to outlaw the use of the 'System for Transfer of Financial Messages' (SPFS), a specialised financial messaging service developed by the Central Bank of Russia to neutralise the effect of restrictive measures. EU entities operating outside of Russia will be forbidden from connecting to the SPFS or equivalent specialised financial messaging services. In addition, EU operators will be barred from making transactions with specifically listed entities using SPFS outside of Russia. Furthermore, the Council is introducing a ban on transactions with targeted credit and financial institutions and crypto assets providers established outside of the EU, when these entities facilitate transactions that support Russia's defence-industrial base through the export, supply, sale, transfer or transport towards Russia of dual-use goods and technology, sensitive items, battlefield goods, firearms and ammunition. Funding of political parties and other organisations In view of the continued Russian attempts to interfere with the democratic processes in the EU and undermine its democratic foundations, including through influence campaigns and the promotion of disinformation, the Council decided that political parties and foundations, non-governmental organisations, including think tanks, or media service providers in the EU, will no longer be allowed to accept funding coming from the Russian state and its proxies. In line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the measures agreed today will not prevent media service providers and their staff from carrying out other activities in the EU, such as research and interviews. Transports For the first time, the EU has adopted a measure targeting specific vessels contributing to Russia's warfare against Ukraine, which are subject to a port access ban and ban on provision of services. These vessels can be designated for various reasons such as the transport of military equipment for Russia, the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain, and support in the development of Russia's energy sector, for instance through the transport of LNG components or transshipments of LNG. This measure also targets tankers part of Putin's dark fleet which circumvent the EU and Price Cap Coalition's caps, while adopting deceptive shipping practices in complete disregard of international standards. 27 vessels were targeted today on these grounds. Furthermore, in order to avoid other forms of circumvention, the Council decided to widen the EU flight ban . The prohibition to land in, take off from or overfly the territory of the EU will also apply to any aircraft used for a non-scheduled flight, and where a Russian natural or legal person, entity or body, is in a position to effectively determine the place or time for its take-off or landing to reach, for instance, a holiday destination or a business meeting. Furthermore, operators must provide any information requested by member states' national competent authorities about non-scheduled flights, including ownership of the aircraft and possibly passengers . The prohibition to land in, take off from or overfly the territory of the EU will also apply to any aircraft used for a non-scheduled flight, and where a Russian natural or legal person, entity or body, is in a position to effectively determine the place or time for its take-off or landing to reach, for instance, a holiday destination or a business meeting. Furthermore, requested by member states' national competent authorities about non-scheduled flights, including ownership of the aircraft and possibly passengers broaden the prohibition on the transport of goods by road within the territory of the EU, including in transit, so as to cover EU operators which are owned 25% or more by a Russian natural or legal person. Import-export controls and restrictions The Council added 61 new entities to the list of those directly supporting Russia's military and industrial complex in its war of aggression against Ukraine. They will be subject to tighter export restrictions concerning dual use goods and technologies, as well as goods and technology which might contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia's defence and security sector. Some of these entities are located in third countries (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, TArkiye, and the United Arab Emirates) and have been involved in the circumvention of trade restrictions and engaged in the procurement of sensitive items used for example in the production of drones, or providing material support for Russian military operations. Furthermore, today's decision expands the list of restricted items that could contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia's defence and security sector by adding certain machine tools and certain "All Terrain Vehicles". The EU also introduced further restrictions on exports of goods which contribute in particular to the enhancement of Russian industrial capabilities (e.g. chemicals, including manganese ores and compounds of rare-earths, plastics, excavating machinery, monitors and electrical equipment), as well as further restrictions on the import of helium from Russia, which is a source of significant revenues for the regime. Liechtenstein is added to a list of partner countries which apply a set of restrictive measures on imports of iron and steel from Russia, and a set of import control measures that are substantially equivalent to those of the EU. Protection of EU operators The package also includes measures to allow EU operators to claim compensation from damages caused by Russian companies due to sanctions implementation and expropriation. It also creates the instrument to draw up a list of company subject to a transaction ban for meddling with arbitration and court competence. Other measures Today's package will impose restrictions on accepting applications for registrations in the EU of certain intellectual property rights by Russian nationals and companies, with the aim of offsetting the actions of the Russian government and courts illegitimately depriving EU intellectual property rights holders of their protection in Russia. Lastly, it will be forbidden to purchase, import, transfer or export Ukrainian cultural property goods and other goods of archaeological, historical, cultural, rare scientific or religious importance, where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the goods have been unlawfully removed from Ukraine. The relevant legal acts will soon be published in the Official Journal of the EU. Background In its conclusions of 17 and 18 April 2024, the European Council reiterated its full unwavering support to Ukraine, its people and its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. In its previous conclusions, the European Council also called for further steps to weaken Russia's ability to continue waging its war of aggression, including by strengthening the sanctions, and implementing existing sanction fully and effectively. On 21 May 2024 the Council greenlighted the use of net profits stemming from unexpected and extraordinary revenues accruing to central securities depositories in the EU, as a result of the implementation of the EU restrictive measures, for further military support to Ukraine, as well as its defence industry capacities and reconstruction. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU adopts 14th package of sanctions against Russia for its continued illegal war against Ukraine, strengthening enforcement and anti-circumvention measures European Commission Press release 24 June 2024 Brussels The Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of a 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The new package responds to the needs and findings on the ground, and tackles enforcement issues. As the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, the EU remains determined to keep acting to further reduce Russia's sources of revenue and capacity to wage war. Today's measures send a clear and strong signal of EU unity and of our support to Ukraine and its people. The package contains important new energy-related measures targeting liquified natural gas (LNG), and measures targeting vessels which support Russia's war. As regards LNG, the package prohibits all future investments in, and exports to, LNG projects under construction in Russia. It will also prohibit, after a transition period of 9 months, the use of EU ports for the transshipment of Russian LNG. Moreover, the package prohibits the import of Russian LNG into specific terminals which are not connected to the EU gas pipeline network. For the first time, the EU has adopted a measure targeting specific vessels contributing to Russia's warfare against Ukraine, which are subject to a port access ban and ban on provision of services. These vessels can be designated for a broad array of reasons such as their support through the transport of military equipment for Russia, the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain and support in the development of Russia's energy sector, for instance through the transport of LNG components or transshipments of LNG. This measure also targets tankers part of Putin's dark fleet which circumvent the EU and Price Cap Coalition's caps, while adopting deceptive shipping practices in complete disregard of international standards. In this first round of listings, the EU has placed 27 vessels on this list. This list can be updated as regularly as needed to address the ever-evolving involvement of those vessels helping Russia to wage war against Ukraine. Moreover, the package introduces new listings targeting individuals and entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. A total of 116 additional listings of 69 individuals and 47 entities are subject to asset freezes, and - in the case of individuals - also to travel bans. Today's package significantly strengthens our financial sanctions by introducing a ban for EU banks outside Russia to use the financial messaging system SPFS, which is the Russian equivalent of SWIFT. It also allows the Council to draw up a list of non-Russian third country banks connected to such system; those banks will be banned from doing business with EU operators. Last, it introduces a ban on transactions with banks and crypto assets providers, in Russia and third countries, that facilitate transactions supporting Russia's defence-industrial base. These new sanctions will curb the ability of the Kremlin to channel funds to finance its war machine. One of the key objectives remains to continue limiting Russian revenues, and to reinforce export restrictions on industrial goods and advanced technology. The package restricts export of nine additional dual-use and advanced technology items (e.g. microwave and aerial amplifiers, flight data recorders and All-Terrain Vehicles) and extends the export bans on certain types of industrial products chemical, plastics, vehicle parts and machinery goods (EUR 5 billion of EU exports prior to the invasion, in 2021). In addition, the export as well as the transfer of manganese ore are now prohibited. The package also imposes stricter restrictions for the export of dual-use and advanced technology items to 61 entities - established in Russia (28) and in third countries (33) - which are directly or indirectly associated to Russia's military complex and thus contribute to supporting the Russia's war of aggression. In addition, the package also extends the import ban to helium which generates significant revenues for Russia. As Russia is constantly looking for ways to circumvent sanctions, the EU has reassessed and adjusted its strategies. To further limit Russia's ability to access restricted goods and technology, this package contains several measures meant to boost private sector compliance, support enforcement by national competent authorities, and hamper sanctions circumvention, including by keeping in check the foreign subsidiaries of EU operators. It moreover includes specific initiatives to protect EU operators from expropriation and to respond to other illegitimate actions of the Russian state, including the theft of intellectual property. The package also finetunes the import ban on Russian diamonds already agreed in the 12th sanctions package. It clarifies that the ban does not apply to diamonds that were located in the EU or in a third country (other than Russia), or were polished or manufactured in a third country, before the ban on Russian diamonds entered into force (so-called 'grandfathering'). It also allows temporary imports or exports of jewellery, for example for trade fairs or repairs. Furthermore, the package prolongs by six months (until 1 March 2025) the sunrise period after which the full-traceability scheme for imports of rough and polished natural diamonds will become mandatory. In addition, it postpones the ban on jewellery incorporating Russian diamonds processed in third countries other than Russia until the Council decides to activate the ban in the light of action taken within the G7 to pursue that measure. Furthermore, the new package includes measures that protect our democratic processes and combat Russian interference, such as prohibiting political parties from receiving funding from the Russian state. It also includes measures strengthening existing transport restrictions, and in particular the flight ban and the road transport prohibition. A complete overview of the package is available in our Q&A. Background The EU stands firmly with Ukraine and its people, and will continue to strongly support Ukraine's economy, society, armed forces, and future reconstruction. EU sanctions are at the core of the EU's response to Russia's unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, as they degrade Russia's military and technological capability, cut the country from the most developed global markets, deprive the Kremlin from the revenues it is financing the war with, and impose ever higher costs on Russia's economy. In this respect, sanctions contribute to fulfilling the EU's key objective, which is to continue to work for a just and lasting peace, not another frozen conflict. Their effects grow over time as the sanctions erode Russia's industrial and tech base. The EU also continues to ensure that its sanctions do not impact energy and agrifood exports from Russia to third countries. As guardian of the EU Treaties, the European Commission monitors the enforcement of EU sanctions by EU Member States. Anomalous, growing trade figures for some specific products/countries are hard evidence that Russia is actively attempting to circumvent sanctions. This calls for us to redouble our efforts in tackling circumvention and to ask our neighbours for even closer cooperation. EU Sanctions Envoy David O'Sullivan continues his outreach to key third countries to combat circumvention. The first tangible results are already visible. Systems are being put in place in some countries for monitoring, controlling, and blocking re-exports. Working with like-minded partners, we have also agreed a list of Common High Priority sanctioned goods to which businesses should apply particular due diligence and which third countries must not re-export to Russia. In addition, within the EU, we have also drawn up a list of sanctioned goods that are economically critical and on which businesses and third countries should be particularly vigilant. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Questions and Answers on the 14th package of restrictive measures against Russia European Commission Questions and answers 24 June 2024 Brussels CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE What does the 14th package consist of? The 14th package includes the following elements: ENERGY-RELATED MEASURES Prohibition on providing goods, technology or services to LNG projects under construction in Russia , such as new terminals like Arctic LNG 2 or Murmansk LNG. This limits the future expansion of Russian LNG capacities. , such as new terminals like Arctic LNG 2 or Murmansk LNG. This limits the future expansion of Russian LNG capacities. Prohibition on the transshipment of Russian LNG through EU ports: this important restriction prohibits Russian LNG from being transhipped via EU ports, as well as the provision of related technical services. A derogation can be requested for transshipment of LNG when the destination of the cargo is another Member State. This will increase costs for Russia, which will no longer be able to use EU infrastructures to optimise the transport of its LNG across the world. The measure includes a 9-month wind-down. this important restriction prohibits Russian LNG from being transhipped via EU ports, as well as the provision of related technical services. A derogation can be requested for transshipment of LNG when the destination of the cargo is another Member State. This will increase costs for Russia, which will no longer be able to use EU infrastructures to optimise the transport of its LNG across the world. The measure includes a 9-month wind-down. Prohibition on the import of Russian LNG into specific terminals which are not connected to the EU gas pipeline network. This will complement the measures under the Decarbonised Gases and Hydrogen package which allow Member States to limit the import of Russian gas into their national network, in line with the REPowerEU objectives. This will complement the measures under the Decarbonised Gases and Hydrogen package which allow Member States to limit the import of Russian gas into their national network, in line with the REPowerEU objectives. Listings of vessels supporting the Russian warfare: these vessels are prohibited from accessing ports and receiving services (see more in the section on transport measures). ANTI-CIRCUMVENTION MEASURES Best efforts obligation concerning foreign subsidiaries : EU companies will have to undertake their best efforts to ensure that their subsidiaries in third countries do not take part in any activities undermining EU sanctions. : EU companies will have to undertake their best efforts to ensure that their subsidiaries in third countries do not take part in any activities undermining EU sanctions. "No Russia" clause for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) transfers, to ensure that industrial know-how transferred outside the Union is not used to manufacture Common High Priority (CHP) goods intended for Russia. for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) transfers, to ensure that industrial know-how transferred outside the Union is not used to manufacture Common High Priority (CHP) goods intended for Russia. Due diligence requirements for CHP goods: EU companies will have to perform due diligence to prevent CHP goods from reaching Russia, and to ensure that their foreign subsidiaries trading in CHP goods do the same. ADDITIONAL LISTINGS A total of 116 additional listings of 69 individuals and 47 entities subject to asset freezes, and - in the case of individuals - also to travel bans. Listings touch upon various sectors of the Russian state, including military companies, companies active in space engineering, in the chemical sector or in the explosives sector and leading Russian energy companies. The listings include actors involved in disinformation/propaganda activities, in support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. FINANCIAL SECTOR MEASURES Prohibition for EU banks outside Russia to connect and carry out transactions using the Financial Messaging System of the Central Bank of Russia (SPFS). SPFS is an initiative of the Central Bank of Russia aimed at avoiding international sanctions. Currently around 160 banks in the world are connected to SPFS. The measure is expected to contain the development of this system, curb Russia's capacity to wage war and prevent our sanctions from being undermined. SPFS is an initiative of the Central Bank of Russia aimed at avoiding international sanctions. Currently around 160 banks in the world are connected to SPFS. The measure is expected to contain the development of this system, curb Russia's capacity to wage war and prevent our sanctions from being undermined. Prohibition on transactions with third-country banks using SPFS to increase Russia's financial resilience and to support the circumvention of our sanctions. It will be prohibited for EU operators to engage with any of the listed third-country banks. It will be prohibited for EU operators to engage with any of the listed third-country banks. Prohibition on transactions with banks and crypto assets providers, in Russia and third countries, that facilitate transactions supporting Russia's defence-industrial base. It will be prohibited for EU operators to engage with any of the listed banks and crypto assets providers. TRADE-RELATED MEASURES EXPORTS Extension of the export restrictions on dual use/advanced technology items (e.g., "quadbikes", microwave and aerial amplifiers and digital flight data recorders), aiming to further weaken Russia's military capabilities. (e.g., "quadbikes", microwave and aerial amplifiers and digital flight data recorders), aiming to further weaken Russia's military capabilities. Reinforcement of the current export bans on industrial goods focusing on four sectors which are key to Russia's war economy: chemicals, plastics, vehicles parts and machinery ,worth EUR 5 billion of annual exports prior to the invasion (2021). focusing on four sectors which are key to Russia's war economy: ,worth EUR 5 billion of annual exports prior to the invasion (2021). Addition of 61 Russian and third-country entities to the list of entities associated to Russia's military-industrial complex (including 33 entities registered in third countries: 19 in China/Hong Kong, 9 in TArkiye, 2 in Kyrgyzstan, 1 in India, 1 in Kazakhstan, 1 in UAE). IMPORTS Import ban on helium : Russia is substantially investing in its (energy-intensive) production of this component, which is key for the semiconductor and health industries. The aim of the ban is to avoid new dependencies and to create revenue potential for Russia. : Russia is substantially investing in its (energy-intensive) production of this component, which is key for the semiconductor and health industries. The aim of the ban is to avoid new dependencies and to create revenue potential for Russia. Finetuning of the import ban on Russian diamonds : clarifying that the ban does not apply to diamonds that were located in the EU or in a third country (other than Russia), or were polished or manufactured in such third country, before the ban on Russian diamonds entered into force (so-called 'grandfathering'). Allowing temporarily imports or exports of jewellery, for example for trade fairs or repairs. Prolonging by six months (until 1 March 2025) the sunrise period after which the full-traceability scheme for imports of rough and polished natural diamonds will become mandatory. Postponing the ban on jewellery incorporating Russian diamonds processed in third countries other than Russia until the Council decides to activate the ban in the light of action taken within the G7 to pursue that measure. : clarifying that the ban does not apply to diamonds that were located in the EU or in a third country (other than Russia), or were polished or manufactured in such third country, before the ban on Russian diamonds entered into force (so-called 'grandfathering'). Allowing temporarily imports or exports of jewellery, for example for trade fairs or repairs. Prolonging by six months (until 1 March 2025) the sunrise period after which the full-traceability scheme for imports of rough and polished natural diamonds will become mandatory. Postponing the ban on jewellery incorporating Russian diamonds processed in third countries other than Russia until the Council decides to activate the ban in the light of action taken within the G7 to pursue that measure. Extension of the Common High Priority (CHP) list: the CHP list, compiled by the EU and its international partners, was updated to include five HS codes concerning computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools used for weapons production. This update is now reflected in EU legislation. TRANSPORT MEASURES Aviation: prohibition on non-scheduled flights if a Russian person decides the origin or destination (regardless of ownership and control over the aircraft); introduction of uniform obligation to provide information about non-scheduled flights upon request of national authorities regarding aircraft ownership, passengers etc., also to avoid circumvention of the flight ban. (regardless of ownership and control over the aircraft); introduction of uniform obligation to provide information about non-scheduled flights upon request of national authorities regarding aircraft ownership, passengers etc., also to avoid circumvention of the flight ban. Road: tightening the existing prohibition to transport goods by road in the EU , including transit, to EU-companies owned 25% or more by Russian persons. Current EU road transport undertakings owned 25% or more by Russian persons would no longer be allowed to transport goods. In addition, companies owned 25% or more by Russian persons would no longer be allowed to become EU road transport undertakings. , including transit, to EU-companies owned 25% or more by Russian persons. Current EU road transport undertakings owned 25% or more by Russian persons would no longer be allowed to transport goods. In addition, companies owned 25% or more by Russian persons would no longer be allowed to become EU road transport undertakings. Maritime: prohibition on port access and services for listed vessels. In the 14th package, 27 vessels are placed on this list, for their contribution to the Russian warfare in various sectors such as the transport of military equipment for Russia and the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain, participation in the dark fleet transporting Russian oil while conducting deceptive shipping practices, and support in the development of Russia's energy sector, for instance through the transport of LNG infrastructure components or LNG transshipments. PROTECTION OF EU OPERATORS Legal basis for compensation claims in Member States courts : creation of a legal basis for EU operators to claim compensation in the EU for damages caused by Russian companies linked to sanctions implementation and expropriation. This will enable EU companies to recover such damages from the Russian counterpart's possible assets in the EU. : creation of a legal basis for EU operators to claim compensation in the EU for damages caused by Russian companies linked to sanctions implementation and expropriation. This will enable EU companies to recover such damages from the Russian counterpart's possible assets in the EU. Transaction ban to protect arbitration: this new measure allows imposing a transaction ban on those Russian companies that meddle with arbitration and court competence rules. MEASURES PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) Prohibition on the acceptance, by EU and Member States' intellectual property offices and authorities, of applications for registration of, among others, new trademarks and patents requested by Russian persons and persons resident in Russia. MEASURES COMBATTING RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE Prohibition on accepting financing from the Russian state and its proxies by political parties, NGOs and media service providers in the EU. This measure will help safeguard the integrity and independence of EU political processes, protect EU citizens from manipulation and defend the EU's internal affairs from malign interference, against the background of increasing evidence of coordinated disinformation and interference campaigns in the EU linked to Russia. ADDITIONAL MEASURES Prohibition on EU and Member States funding to all Russian entities - and not only state-owned ones as was previously the case. This would align with already existing restrictions on public procurement. This would align with already existing restrictions on public procurement. Import ban on stolen Ukrainian cultural items: for cultural heritage products stolen from Ukraine. ENERGY-RELATED MEASURES How will the transshipment ban hurt Russian revenues from LNG? Russia is currently using EU port facilities to unload Russian liquified natural gas from its large ice-breakers to smaller, cheaper vessels thereby optimising the transport of its gas to the rest of the world. The EU should no longer be facilitating the transport and sale of Russian LNG by allowing Russia to reduce its logistical costs. It will need to find alternative transshipment facilities, thereby increasing its costs. How will the prohibition on investments and exports to LNG facilities under construction in Russia affect Russia's LNG production? Despite extensive export bans already in place, in particular in the energy sector, Russia still relies on key components manufactured by EU companies to finalise the construction of its new LNG terminals, such as Arctic LNG 2 and Murmansk LNG. EU high value products and technology should no longer serve the expansion of Russian LNG production and exports. EU operators will need to conduct their due diligence in order to verify that the goods and services they are exporting are not for use in Russian LNG facilities under construction. Will the LNG-related measures impact the security of gas supply of the EU? Will they trigger a price increase for EU consumers? The LNG-related measures are designed to continue ensuring the security of gas supply to the EU. The transshipment ban only affects Russia's logistic costs to export LNG, but it does not prohibit (or target in any way) imports into the EU or anywhere else. LNG supplies to the EU will remain unaffected. At the same times, prices are not expected to be affected as LNG is a global market where prices are determined by the interplay between demand and supply globally, and global supply would not be affected by this transshipment ban. DESIGNATION/LISTING OF VESSELS Why are vessels listed? This provision empowers the EU to list vessels that are supporting Russia's warfare against Ukraine. Such vessels can be listed on the basis of criteria such as the transport of military equipment, the transport of stolen Ukrainian goods such as grain, their participation in the dark fleet transporting Russian oil and their support to the exploitation or development of the Russian energy sector such as the transport of LNG infrastructure or transshipment of Russian LNG. Which vessels are affected by this measure? Vessels subject to this measure are listed in Annex XLI. In the 14th package, for the first time the EU has listed 27 vessels for their involvement in the transport of military equipment and stolen Ukrainian grain, their participation in the dark fleet transporting Russian oil and their support to the development of the Russian LNG sector. What is the scope of the measure against vessels? A vessel listed in Annex XLI is subject to a port access ban, and a prohibition to provide a broad array of maritime services and others services such as financing and financial assistance including insurance and brokering flag registration, technical assistance, bunkering, ship supply services, crew changes services, other services including bunkering, ship supply services, crew changes services, cargo loading and discharge services, fendering and tug services. This means that such services cannot be provided by EU operators, in ports or outside of territorial waters. It is also prohibited to charter, operate or crew such a vessel, as well as to engage in ship-to-ship transfers or any other transfer of cargo with, or procure any services from, such a vessel. The full list of services is accessible in Article 3s of Council Regulation 833/2014. ANTI-CIRCUMVENTION MEASURES Is the Council extending the reach of sanctions beyond EU territory? EU sanctions are not extraterritorial. At the same time, it is important that the foreign subsidiaries of EU companies do not engage in activities that go against the purpose of our sanctions, weakening their impact. It falls on the parent companies to work in this direction, through the leverage they have over their foreign subsidiaries. The legislation adopted as part of the new package requires them to undertake their "best efforts" in doing so. Moreover, it requires them to ensure that their subsidiaries are particularly careful when it comes to trade in specific types of sensitive goods, by using the "no Russia" clause in their contracts, and by conducting appropriate due diligence. Have any changes been made to the "no Russia" clause provision? A few elements have been added in order to reduce the implementation burden for EU operators: First, for contracts concluded before the adoption of the 12th package, the deadline to ensure compliance was extended from 20 December 2024 to 1 January 2025. Second, an exemption was added for contracts concluded as part of public procurement in third countries. Such contracts will still need to be notified to the national competent authorities; Third, Iceland and Liechtenstein have been added to the list of partner countries. The Commission will assess the impact of the "no-Russia clause" in order to understand its impact on deterring circumvention. The Commission will also consider other appropriate actions to curb Russia's access to sensitive goods, including the possibility of requiring Union operators to ensure that their subsidiaries in third countries also use the "no-Russia clause". How does the "no Russia" clause for intellectual property rights work? The 11th sanctions package prohibited the transfer to third parties of industrial know-how, such intellectual property rights and trade secrets, if that was to be used, for instance, to manufacture goods intended to Russia which are subject to export restrictions. This measure addressed the practice of certain EU companies of delocalising production of restricted goods to third countries, so that manufacturing could take place locally and export to Russia could be done avoiding any control. The new measure adopted in this package requires EU companies to include in their contractual arrangements with third-country parties an obligation that their transferred intellectual property right will not be used, by them or their sublicensees, for manufacturing CHP goods destined to Russia. What are the new due diligence requirements about? The new requirements focus on Common High Priority (CHP) items. Union operators selling, supplying, transferring or exporting such items to third countries, other than partner countries, will be required to have due diligence mechanisms capable of (i) identifying and assessing the risks of re-exportation to Russia and (ii) mitigating such risks. This will help combat the re-exportation of CHP goods to Russia. Moreover, Union operators will need to ensure that their foreign subsidiaries that deal in CHP items also implement these requirements. These measures will serve to further restrict Russia's access to CHP items. How was the road transport prohibition tightened? There was increasing evidence that the current road transport prohibition was at risk of being circumvented through the establishment or purchase by Russian persons of EU road transport undertakings. The 14th package therefore introduces an additional measure preventing EU companies which are owned 25% or more by Russian natural or legal persons from becoming EU road transport undertakings. Current EU road transport undertakings which have 25% or more Russian ownership will also no longer be allowed to transport goods. Any EU road transport undertaking may be requested by its national authority to provide information on its ownership structure. ADDITIONAL LISTINGS Who have you targeted? The 14th package of EU sanctions adds 69 individuals and 47 entities to the list of natural and legal persons subject to asset freezes and the prohibition to make funds and economic resources available to them. What entities have been targeted and in which countries? The new listings touch upon various sectors of the Russian state, including military companies, companies active in space engineering, in the chemical sector or in the explosives sector and leading Russian energy companies. The listings also include key players involved in propaganda and disinformation activities in support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. FINANCIAL SECTOR MEASURES How is the SPFS ban going to work in practice? The new package prohibits transactions using the Financial Messaging System of the Bank of Russia (SPFS). SPFS is the Russian equivalent of SWIFT. The system is an initiative of the Central Bank of Russia, aimed at neutralising the impact of EU sanctions. The new measure prohibits the Union entities which operate outside of Russia from directly connecting to this system. The new measure also allows for the listing of specific third country operators (e.g., foreign banks) that use SPFS in a transaction ban. Since the EU long-standing stance is that its sanctions against Russia do not target in any way the trade in agricultural and food products, including grain and fertilisers, between Russia and third countries, the wholesale exemption for agri-food trade in the transaction ban is maintained also for entities using the SPFS. The measures have a dual approach. First, they prohibit the direct connection of EU banks, which operate outside of Russia to the SPFS. The proposal provides for exceptions, such as for energy payments or repayment of debt. Second, to impose a transaction ban on certain entities in third countries that are using SPFS. Those entities (e.g., third country financial institutions) would be listed in an annex. This is expected to significantly curb Russia's capacity to wage war and prevent the frustration of our sanctions. Again, specific exemptions are provided, for example on agri-food transactions or humanitarian assistance. TRADE-RELATED MEASURES What are the "improved export bans" introduced with the 14th package of sanctions? The 14th package introduces new bans that do not concern "new" categories of products, but rather reinforce current sanctions: this focuses on chemicals, plastics, vehicles parts, machinery. This is to deny Russia additional technology and inputs for its war economy. The measures are broadening several of the existing 6-digit bans to full 4-digits. This will make it easier for customs officials to check compliance of exports with sanctions. This concerns in particular: Products of the chemical industry , including manganese ores, silicon dioxide, chlorides, carbonate, as well as compounds of rare-earths, refractory cements, chemicals for batteries. , including manganese ores, silicon dioxide, chlorides, carbonate, as well as compounds of rare-earths, refractory cements, chemicals for batteries. Products of the plastic industry : this would cover the full scope of cellulose products and their derivatives. : this would cover the full scope of cellulose products and their derivatives. Vehicles parts, incl. replacement parts for trucks ; engines for all types of vehicles; and a limited number of car parts. ; engines for all types of vehicles; and a limited number of car parts. Machinery and appliances like boring/excavating machinery, appliances for pipes; electrical equipment; monitors, radios, and video/audio equipment. Why do you need a finetuning of the import ban on Russian diamonds? Overall, the proposed sanctions on Russian diamonds are part of a concerted G7 effort to introduce an internationally coordinated diamond ban, that aims at depriving Russia of this important revenue stream estimated at EUR 4 billion per year, of which approximately EUR 1.5 billion are annual imports into the EU. To finetune the ban already agreed in the 12th sanctions package, we need a grandfathering clause for stocks of diamonds held in the EU and in third countries (but outside Russia). These stocks no longer provide revenue to Russia, so this is not a "concession". The 14th package clarifies that diamonds that were physically located in the EU or a third country other than Russia, or were polished or manufactured there, before the import ban on Russian diamonds entered into force, are not subject to the ban. We are also introducing the possibility to temporarily import or export jewellery, for example for trade fairs or repairs. To allow more time to set up the G7 traceability scheme, we are prolonging by six months (until 1 March 2025) the sunrise period during which the G7 certification mechanism is still recommended to facilitate importation but optional and importers of diamonds may continue providing documentary evidence for importation of both rough and polished natural diamonds into the EU. On 1 March 2025 the full-traceability scheme for imports of rough and polished natural diamonds will become mandatory. Finally, we are postponing the ban on jewellery incorporating Russian diamonds processed in third countries other than Russia, which was foreseen to enter into force on 1 September. The Council may decide to activate the ban at a later stage when partners within the G7 pursue that measure. PROTECTION OF EU OPERATORS Why do we need a legal basis for EU operators to claim compensation for damages caused by Russian companies? Currently, EU companies that, for instance, end a contract with a Russian firm to comply with sanctions are shielded by possible claims in the EU. However, they can be sued in Russia for that and have their assets there seized. The new instrument establishes a specific legal basis for EU companies to recover such damages from the Russian counterpart's possible assets in the EU. An additional provision was also adopted to allow EU companies to recover damages from those who benefit from the illegitimate temporary management imposed by the Russian Government on certain EU companies that are located in Russia. How is the transaction ban to protect arbitration going to work in practice? An amendment to the Russian Commercial Procedural Code enabled Russian companies to have a Russian-court "order" EU-companies to stop arbitrations or proceedings outside Russia, against Russian entities, under the threat of seizure of their assets in Russia. Today's measure allows imposing a transaction ban on those Russian companies that by doing this meddle with arbitration and court competence rules. MEASURES PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) Why has the EU imposed a ban on accepting applications for registration of certain intellectual property rights? Russia is on the offensive on depriving protection of intellectual property rights of our companies in Russia. Russia wants to get hold of Union industrial know-how, which is the result of R&D investments. It does that to localise production and cut economic dependency on the EU and ultimately neutralising sanctions. The new measure requires Union Intellectual Property Offices and other competent institutions not to accept new applications for patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights from Russians. Russians can still use their new trademarks and technology in the Union. They will simply not be protected against the use by a Union company or exchanges as a property title. Their existing registered intellectual property rights will not be cancelled. OTHER MEASURES What do the new aviation measures consist of? Two provisions have been included with the aim of tackling circumvention of the flight ban and ensuring its full implementation: Ban on non-scheduled flights decided by Russian persons The flight ban applies not only to Russian airlines and to aircraft owned or controlled by Russian persons or companies but also to any aircraft where a Russian person or company decides origin or destination of the flight. It is also specified that the flight ban does not apply to smaller aircraft when used for recreational or training purposes. Obligation to provide information on non-scheduled flights Introduction of a uniform obligation to provide in advance information about non-scheduled flights upon request of national authorities, including with respect to: (i) the actual ultimate beneficial owner of the aircraft and the person or company ultimately chartering the aircraft; and (ii) (where are reasons to suspect circumvention) the passengers of the flight, including documents such as a general declaration, passenger manifest and other official documents. Why has the prohibition on public financing been extended? EU sanctions on Russia already included a prohibition to provide any public support, including financing to publicly owned entities in Russia. This is now broadened to all entities established in Russia. Limited derogations apply, in particular for Member States cultural and educational centres or civil society organisations still operating in Russia. Political parties, NGOs and media service providers will now be prohibited from accepting financing from the Russian state. How is this justified? The 14th package introduces a prohibition on certain EU entities from accepting donations, economic benefits or other financing from the Russian state, state-owned entities or its proxies. European and national political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media service providers in the EU will be prohibited from accepting this financing. This is done to combat Russian interference in the EU's democratic processes and attempts by the Russian state to undermine our democratic foundations and public opinion forming processes, including through influence campaigns and the promotion of disinformation aiming to justify and support its war of aggression against Ukraine. This also complements the objectives the EU's Defence of Democracy Package, which introduces common transparency standards to protect the EU democratic sphere, promote institutional trust and protect open public debate from interference. GENERAL What is the added value of imposing such sanctions? EU sanctions fulfil the EU's key objective, which is to continue to work for a just and lasting peace, not another frozen conflict. The EU stands firmly with Ukraine and its people, and will continue to strongly support Ukraine's economy, society, armed forces, and future reconstruction. EU sanctions are at the core of the EU's response to this unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, as they aim at concrete and measurable results linked to the weakening of Russia's economic capacity, thereby limiting its ability to finance the war. The data available at this stage show that the sanctions have already imposed an immediate, high, and growing cost on the Russian economy. This is not only about EU exports to Russia, which have decreased by 60% between 2021 and 2023. This is also about Russia not being able to replace these exports. Sanctions need to be properly implemented. Ensuring an effective and diligent implementation of sanctions is key to prevent circumvention. This is primarily the responsibility of Member States. In this process, the European Commission is fully committed to assisting national authorities and ensuring a consistent implementation across the Union. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Over 1,700 Ukrainian forces killed in 24 hours: Russia Iran Press TV Monday, 24 June 2024 11:00 AM Russia's Defense Ministry says more than 1,700 Ukrainian forces were killed in 24 hours as fighting intensifies between the warring sides. In a statement issued on Sunday, the ministry said 1,710 forces were killed in 24 hours, according to Russia's Sputnik news agency. The ministry said Ukraine lost some 570 military personnel in clashes with the southern group of the Russian armed forces, which also left four ammunition depots destroyed. Kiev also lost 500 others in clashes with the western group of the Russian armed forces. According to the statement, the northern group inflicted heavy casualties and damage on Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region, leaving 210 forces dead. That comes as Russia launched a major operation against the Kharkiv region, which sits across the border from Belgorod, earlier last month. President Vladimir Putin said the operation was conducted in order to create a buffer zone to protect Russian frontier villages from Ukraine's fatal attacks. Meanwhile, the central grouping thwarted six Ukrainian attacks, leaving 430 forces dead. In February 2022, Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine partly to prevent NATO's eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an "aggressive line" against Moscow. The Western countries have been fueling the flames of the war with their unchecked delivery of weapons to Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned that such a flow of weapons to Kiev will only prolong the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With Elections Clouding Future Of Aid, West Extends Ukraine's Fighting Capability Deep Into 2025 By Todd Prince June 24, 2024 WASHINGTON -- When the U.S. Congress approved $61 billion in aid for Kyiv in April after a six-month delay that cost Ukraine territory and a large chunk of its energy system, a nagging question immediately emerged: Was this the last major support package for a country fighting a massive Russian invasion? With U.S. public backing for Ukraine withering after more than two years of full-scale war, especially among Republican voters, would there be enough will in Congress to pass another large aid package in 2025? Would there be any U.S. aid package if former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican contender in the November 5 election, returns to the White House in January? Over the past two weeks, the United States and European governments have taken some of the urgency out of the answers to those questions, approving steps aimed to ensure that Ukraine remains financially afloat and able to defend itself well into 2025 regardless of election outcomes. Meeting in southern Italy on June 13-15, the Group of Seven nations agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion that will be paid down by the interest income and profits generated from the $260-300 billion in Russian central bank reserves frozen in the West as punishment from the invasion. Ukraine will begin receiving the money this year; it will be used for military procurement, budget needs, and reconstruction -- particularly of its energy infrastructure, which has been devastated by Russian attacks. On the sidelines of the summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, echoing similar pacts that other Western allies have concluded with Kyiv. Under the agreement, the United States will encourage U.S. defense companies to set up joint ventures with Ukrainian companies and co-produce critical weapons and ammunition inside the country, reducing its dependence on Western aid. "Putin's strategy is to wait out the West and wait out Ukraine and eventually to win" by turning it into a failed state, Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, told RFE/RL. "The allies made it clear to Putin that it wouldn't happen. It is an extraordinary message to send," he said. Additional Western support for Ukraine may be on the way. At a July 9-11 summit in Washington, NATO is expected to announce an agreement by member states to continue military support, further buttressing Ukraine through 2025. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is seeking a $40 billion commitment and is also due to announce plans by NATO to take the reins of coordinating allied military aid from the United States. Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced on June 20 that it had agreed with allies to ship Patriot and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) rolling off the production lines and initially destined for other nations to Ukraine to help repel Russian attacks. Ukraine will begin receiving the Patriots and NASAMS later this summer, and the supply will be sufficient to cover the country's needs through late 2025, the White House said. They will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian jets and intercept missiles aimed at its energy sector, among other targets. A major reduction or end to U.S. aid could be severely detrimental to Ukraine's war effort, as evidenced by the setbacks it suffered as ammunition and air defense ran low while Republican lawmakers with Trump's support were blocking the $61 billion package proposed by Biden in October. The United States is Ukraine's largest backer, having allocated about $175 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid to the country since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and has played the lead role in coordinating military support from NATO allies. In a June 20 report, Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at London-based research firm Capital Economics, said the $50 billion loan "may help to safeguard support for Ukraine over the coming years against potential changes in political winds in the West including a victory for Donald Trump in the U.S. election." The amount is slightly greater than Ukraine's budget deficit for 2024. Kupchan cautioned that large-scale Western support through 2025 and beyond is not etched in stone, with Trump and European right-wing leaders vying for power. French President Emmanuel Macron, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, this month called snap parliamentary elections after France's right-wing party had a strong showing in EU elections. "Is this a full-proof plan? Absolutely not, because we don't know who is going to win the U.S. election and the French election. If you have governments ready to turn off the spigot of aid, then things get a lot more complicated," he said. Trump has not said clearly what he would do about aid to Ukraine if elected. At a campaign rally on June 16, two days after the West announced the $50 billion loan, he said Zelenskiy's lobbying for aid "never ends." Trump also repeated a claim that he would end the war quickly, saying he would "have that settled" within weeks if he wins the election. He has not said how he would do that, and there is no sign that the sides are close to negotiations. Steven Pifer, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 1998-2000 and now an analyst with the Brookings Institution, told RFE/RL the $50 billion loan to Ukraine and NATO's greater role going forward in organizing assistance to Ukraine represents "a sort of a hedge against a Trump victory" in November. Pifer said he would not expect Trump to request another aid package for Ukraine in 2025 if he wins. A Biden victory, on the other hand, might make passage a bit easier even if the Republicans still control the House of Representatives, he said. Kupchan said he thinks Trump would approve an aid package next year if elected in November. "Trump's default position will be to very significantly diminish foreign aid across the board with assistance to Ukraine being at the top of his list," he said. But it wouldn't go to zero next year, he predicted, because "Trump doesn't want to go down in history as the American president who threw Ukraine under the bus and who handed Ukraine to Vladimir Putin." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-russia-war-weapons- aid/33006681.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU Approves New Sanctions To Limit 'Russia's Criminal Actions Against Ukraine' By RFE/RL June 24, 2024 The European Union's 27 members agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the target being "high-value sectors" including energy, finance, and trade. The package, the bloc's 14th against Russia, also seeks to make it more difficult for third parties to circumvent all of the measures put in place against Moscow since February 2022, when Russian troops poured over the border, setting off Europe's worst conflict since World War II. "Our sanctions have already significantly weakened the Russian economy and prevented Putin from accomplishing his plans to destroy Ukraine, although he still continues the illegal aggression targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure," said Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief. "The 14th package of sanctions demonstrates our unity in supporting Ukraine and seeking to limit Russia's criminal activities against Ukrainians, including efforts to circumvent EU measures." The package includes restrictive measures on additional 116 individuals and entities "responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," the bloc said, adding that it was also "equipping itself with additional tools to crack down on circumvention." Since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, the United States, Britain, the European Union, Australia, Canada, and Japan have imposed thousands of sanctions on Russia. The main target of the measures has been Russian finances, especially the networks that fund Moscow's war effort. Moscow dismissed the new measures, saying the sanctions are ineffective and will actually hurt the European Union. The West is not looking at the consequences for its own economy or for the prosperity of people in the EU, said Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko in Moscow. "The purpose of the sanctions was to strangle the Russian economy and destroy the cohesion of society. The EU has achieved the opposite," said Grushko. The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that it banned additional people from politics, business, and institutions from entering Russia. No details were given. Amid the grinding conflict that's claimed tens of thousands of lives, the companies, entities, and individuals connected to Russia's defense and security sector have been added to ever-growing lists compiled by Brussels, Washington, and their partners meant to curb Moscow's capacity on the battlefield. But as the war enters its third year, a growing body of evidence shows Moscow can circumvent many of these sanctions and get key items for its military from third countries despite Western attempts to stop those efforts. The EU's sanctions list now includes more than 2,200 entities and individuals. In the energy sector, the bloc said reloading services for Russian LNG in EU territory for the purpose of transshipment operations to third countries is banned. The new package outlaws the use of the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), a specialized financial-messaging service developed by the central bank of Russia to neutralize the effect of restrictive measures. It also forces EU operators transferring industrial know-how for the production of battlefield goods to third-country commercial counterparts to include contractual provisions to ensure that such know-how will not be used for goods intended for use in Russia. Earlier this month, the United States issued new sanctions targeting hundreds of individuals and companies for helping Moscow circumvent Western blocks on obtaining key technology, including seven Chinese-based companies. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-sanctions-russia-criminal- actions-ukraine/33006775.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry statement on the terrorist attack at Sevastopol 24 June 2024 13:59 1187-24-06-2024 On June 23, the Kiev regime, with support from the United States and its satellites, committed yet another heinous terrorist crime against civilians in Russia by firing missiles at Sevastopol. For their terrorist attack, they specially chose a day - Holy Trinity Sunday - one of the most important holidays celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Four persons were killed, including a two-year-old boy, who was playing on the municipal beach, and a nine-year-old girl. One hundred and fifty-one people applied for medical assistance; 82 persons - 55 adults and 27 children - were hospitalised, many of them in a grave condition. All patients are receiving skilled medical aid. According to the Defence Ministry of Russia, the attackers used US ATACMS operational missiles with cluster warheads for greater kill ability. All flight data were entered by US military crews based on US reconnaissance satellite inputs. A Global Hawk US reconnaissance drone was on duty off Crimea. The Investigative Committee of Russia has promptly started an investigation into this crime. All those implicated in this and other terrorist attacks in the territory of the Russian Federation will incur inevitable punishment. There is no doubt that the United States is involved in this ominous crime. Washington and its satellites have created and nurtured the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. They are cherishing and supporting their Ukrainian puppets, using them to wage a war against Russia, and encouraging them to commit acts of international terrorism and kill Russian civilians, including with the use of cluster munitions, one of the most terrible types of inhumane weapons. A response to this crime will inevitably follow. The Western capitals continue to criminally hush up the Zelensky regime's barbarous actions. There are no denouncements from international organisations either. The Russian Federation is again urging them to give a proper assessment to yet another outrage perpetrated by the Kiev regime and the West. Russia expresses its sincere gratitude for the condolences conveyed by officials from friendly states and by members of the European and US public. The words of commiseration continue to come in. We commiserate with Sevastopol, where a day of mourning has been announced today. We express condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish an early recovery to the wounded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Macron Rules Out Sending French Troops to Ukraine in Near Future Sputnik News 20240624 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he did not plan to send French soldiers to fight in Ukraine in the near future. "I don't think that a war will come to our land ... [I also don't think] that we'll go and engage on Ukrainian soil tomorrow," Macron said in the "Generation Do It Yourself" podcast. The French president added that he "understands well" the fear and concerns of the French in this regard. Earlier in June, Macron said that Paris was planning to finalize the formation of a coalition of countries that were open to sending military instructors to Ukraine. Macron suggested sending European troops to Ukraine at a European leaders' conference in Paris in February, but the idea was dismissed by his allies. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lavrov Accuses West of Issuing Ultimatum to Russia in Peace Efforts Sputnik News 20240624 Most moves by the West since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine resemble an ultimatum to the Russian Federation, including Moscow's attempts to settle the conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference following a meeting with his Belarussian counterpart. Russia's foreign minister has accused the West of giving Moscow an "ultimatum" on Ukraine. "Virtually everything the West does, what it declares, what it implements in practice since the beginning of the special military operation, is part of an ultimatum to the Russian Federation across all areas," Lavrov said. That includes "the prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement, which were sabotaged on the orders of the Anglo-Saxons in April 2022," along with "the creeping expansion of the range of weapons that the West itself allows to deliver to the Kiev Nazi regime," Lavrov told a press conference with Belarussian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik. Russia is not holding any "undercover" talks with the West on the situation in Ukraine, the foreign minister stressed. "We are not conducting any undercover negotiations with anyone," he told reporters. Lavrov also stated that Russia and Belarus will strengthen military-technical cooperation. "Special attention was paid to the formation of a common space of the Union State in the areas of defense and security," he told the press conference in Minsk. "We analyzed the progress of work on the drafts of the Union State security concept and the bilateral interstate treaty on security guarantees. We spoke in favor of strengthening military-technical cooperation." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Involvement in Sevastopol Attack is Undeniable - Russian Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 20240624 The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that US involvement in the missile strike on Sevastopol is beyond doubt, claiming that Washington and its allies have established a neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. "On June 23, the Kiev regime, with the support of the US and their satellites, committed yet another monstrous terrorist crime against the peaceful population of Russia," the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "Sevastopol was targeted. The attack was deliberately timed to coincide with one of the most significant Orthodox holidays a Trinity Day," the statement on the ministry's website continued. "According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, American ATACMS tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads were used to enhance destructive capability." The ministry stressed that all targeting for ATACMS missiles programmed by US specialists using their own country's satellite reconnaissance data, while a US RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drone was operating near Crimea that day. "The involvement of the US in this sinister crime leaves no room for doubt," the Foreign Ministry charged. "Washington and its satellites created and nurtured a neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, actively fostering and supporting their Ukrainian puppets, leading them in a war against Russia, and inciting them to commit acts of international terrorism and the murder of peaceful Russian citizens, including using one of the most inhumane types of weapons a cluster munitions," it said. "A response to this crime will surely follow," the ministry assured. Ukraine fired five US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads at the Crimean port city early on Sunday afternoon. Four missiles were shot down while the fifth exploded over the city, killing at least four people, including two children, and injuring 153 others. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin's Peace Proposals for Ukraine Remain Valid Despite Sevastopol Attack - Kremlin Sputnik News 20240624 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Peace proposals for Ukraine voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin remain in force and the time frames have been announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. "Yes, the president himself answered this question, if you remember, he answered at a press conference in Hanoi, where he explained the time frame," Peskov told reporters when asked whether peace proposals for Ukraine remain, given the terrorist attack in Sevastopol over the weekend. On Sunday, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked Sevastopol, using US-made ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads, four of which were shot down and one deflected and exploded over the city. Earlier this month, Putin said that Russia would immediately cease fire and begin negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdraws troops from the territory of Russia's new regions and officially abandons plans to join NATO. However, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the proposal, slamming it as an ultimatum. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Foreign Ministry Summons US Ambassador Over Attack on Sevastopol Sputnik News 20240624 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had summoned US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy to express a demarche in connection with Kiev's missile attack on Sevastopol. "During a conversation at the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 24 with the summoned head of the US diplomatic mission in Russia, Lynne Tracy, a demarche was made in connection with the new bloody crime of the Kiev regime, sponsored and armed by Washington, which launched a targeted missile attack on the civilian population of Sevastopol, accompanied by numerous casualties, including children," the ministry said in a statement. Washington's actions encouraging the pro-Nazi authorities of Ukraine to take military action will not go unpunished, the ministry said, adding that there will be response measures. The United States bears equal responsibility with Kiev for the missile strike on the civilian population of Sevastopol, the statement read. On Sunday, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked Sevastopol, using US-made ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads, four of which were shot down and one deflected and exploded over the city. The attack killed at least four people and injured more than 150 others. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Fully Aware Who is Behind Sevastopol Missile Attack - Kremlin Sputnik News 20240624 On Sunday, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked Sevastopol using US-made ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads, four of which were shot down and one deflected and exploded over the city in Crimea, Russia. The attack killed at least four people and injured more than 150 others. The Kremlin considers a missile attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on Sevastopol "barbaric" and knows who stands behind it, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. "We clearly see who is behind this. Just last week, the President talked about who targets these technologically complex missiles and who ensures their launches. It's not the Ukrainians," Peskov told reporters. "Here, you could turn to your colleagues in the media," he added. "Simply ask my colleagues, the press secretaries [of state leaders] in Europe, and especially in Washington, why their government is killing Russian children." He warned that US involvement in the conflict resulting in Russian civilian casualties will inevitably have consequences. "Of course, the involvement of the United States in hostilities, direct involvement in hostilities as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, this, of course, cannot but have consequences," Peskov said. On June 23 at 12:15 PM local time, Sevastopol was deliberately targeted by five US-made ATACMS (Army TACtical Missile System) rockets armed with cluster bomblets. Russian air defenses intercepted four of the missiles, but the explosion of the fifth missile's cluster warhead in the air caused numerous civilian casualties in Sevastopol. According to the latest reports, 151 people sustained varying degrees of injuries, with 82 hospitalized, including 27 children, six of whom are in critical condition. Four people died, including two children. Monday has been declared a Day of Mourning in Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea. Peskov was also asked if the Crimea missile attack and a terrorist attack in Dagestan were connected. The spokesman replied that it is too early to discuss this. "The president [Vladimir Putin] offers deep condolences to all those who lost their relatives both in Crimea as a result of the missile attack and to the relatives and loved ones of those killed in Dagestan," Peskov said, adding that Putin "continues to receive information" about assistance to those injured in both attacks. Russia has not received messages of condolences from unfriendly countries after the attack, the spokesman said. "Russia is different now, society is absolutely consolidated. And such criminal terrorist manifestations as we saw in Dagestan yesterday are not supported by society neither in Russia, nor in Dagestan," Peskov said, adding that there are currently no plans for a special address by Putin. Unknown gunmen opened fire at two churches, a synagogue and a traffic police station in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, prompting authorities to launch a counterterrorist operation on Sunday evening. Fifteen police officers and four civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were known to be killed in the terrorist attacks in Dagestan, the Investigative Committee of Russia said on Monday. Police eliminated six gunmen involved in the attacks, Dagestan head Sergei Melikov said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Pummel Odessa Warehouse Holding Western-Made Missiles Sputnik News 20240624 The airstrike occurred in the area of Krayan, a heavy crane factory, where there was a warehouse with Western-made missiles, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, Sergei Lebedev, told Sputnik. "The strike took place in Odessa, at the site of the Krayan heavy crane factory. The plant had a warehouse with new missiles supplied by Western countries. The strike was carried out around eight in the morning, Odessa residents reported a powerful blast and a plume of black smoke," Lebedev said. He also provided photographic and video evidence of a large, dark column of smoke. \ About ten foreign mercenaries were hit by Russian forces near the factory in Odessa, Lebedev added. He noted that the attack was carried out by two Kalibr missiles, while Ukrainian air defenses failed to respond. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address You Are Rightfully One of the Best Combat Units in Ukraine - The President Congratulated the Warriors of the Center of Special Operations "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine on the 30th Anniversary of the Unit's Establishment President of Ukraine 24 June 2024 - 17:05 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the warriors of the Center of Special Operations "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine on the 30th anniversary of the unit's establishment, presented state awards, conferred military ranks on their leaders and presented them with shoulder boards. The President noted that the Center of Special Operations "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine is an indispensable and one of the best combat units in Ukraine. "Your combat results had a positive impact on all the strategic battles of this war - from defending Kyiv to clearing the Black Sea of the enemy, from battles in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions to special operations in the strategic depths of enemy territory," he emphasized. Among the results of the Center of Special Operations "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine is the destruction of Russia's economic potential working for the war through strikes on oil infrastructure: more than 30 Russian oil refineries, terminals and bases were hit. "For the SSU drones, a distance of 1,500 kilometers is no longer a problem. Together with the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our intelligence, these are very significant results that bring about a just end to this war for Ukraine, ensure real, tangible, painful accountability of Russia for everything it has done against Ukraine and our people," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The President honored the warriors with state awards, including the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star, the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky II-III class, the Orders "For Courage" I-III class, and the Order of Princess Olga III class. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented the shoulder boards of Major General to the Head of the Center of Special Operations "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine Yevhen Khmara and the shoulder boards of Brigadier General to the First Deputy Head of the Center Denys Kylymnyk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US expected to announce $150M in new military aid for Ukraine By Carla Babb June 24, 2024 The U.S. is expected to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine valued at up to $150 million as soon as Tuesday, two U.S. officials tell VOA. The package is being provided to Kyiv under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which pulls weapons, ammunition and equipment from U.S. military stockpiles to fulfill Ukraine's short-term needs. One of the officials a who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the package ahead of its planned announcement a said the latest round of aid would include munitions for HIMARS and other critical munitions. It does not include cluster munitions, according to the official. Asked whether the aid package includes long-range missiles known as ATACMS, the official replied, "For operational security reasons, we aren't going into further details." ATACMS have a range of up to 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) and nearly double the striking distance of Ukraine's missiles. When asked by VOA on June 12 if the United States had provided Ukraine with more ATACMS since mid-March, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown said, "We're working through the ATACMS piece, and we continue to provide that capability through our PDAs." Russia has accused Ukraine of using some of the U.S.-provided ATACMS in deadly strikes this week inside Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and in Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine. Russia summoned the U.S. ambassador in Moscow on Monday to protest the use of the missiles. This week's aid package for Kyiv will dip into the $61 billion in Ukraine funding signed into law by President Joe Biden in April. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MATSAPHA Unapologetic! Amid widespread criticism on social media platforms, emanating from utterances which some believe were hurting the dignity of women, Prophet Vusumuzi Major V Dlamini remains fearless and apologetic. Video clips of the clergyman, where he was seen kissing his newly-wed wife Nolwazi Mhlanga and making utterances which were considered as unpalatable by others, flooded the internet, especially social media platforms since the weekend, attracting widespread criticism aimed at the man of the cloth. Civil society groups, especially those with an interest in gender issues, added to the criticism as well. However, the well-known cleric has come out to defend his actions, saying he has nothing to be sorry for. I cant even imagine people are complaining about that. It is my life and right; I also have choices to make. These things happen in wedding ceremonies every time, and I wonder what is giving people problems now that its me doing it, he said.The man of God was unapologetic about his actions, saying people should stop being jealous about his newly-found love. It does not mean she was attracted to me because of my new role or the money that comes with it. I have been with this woman for years. I can count four, five years now, he said. The prophet was recently appointed as a member of His Majesty King Mswati IIIs advisory body, Liqoqo. It is because of this public office that some people felt the man of God had to be reined in, for his latest behaviour. Chairman of Eswatini National Standing Committee or Liqoqo Paul Dlamini, chose to play his cards close to the chest when queried about the behaviour and utterances attributed to the advisory body member. Conduct Well, I havent had the opportunity to see or watch the videos. So, I cant be in a position to specifically comment about them. But generally speaking, as a traditional body, we have our own code of conduct, which all members have been initiated on, he said, briefly.This comes after video clips taken from the prophets church, Mountain of Salvational Christian Church in Matsapha, over the weekend, flooded the internet and social media platforms. This was during a church service to introduce to the congregants the prophets new wife. This was after he married Mhlanga through the traditional kuteka custom. It is during this service where the man of the cloth declared his undying love for his wife. Mhlanga came to church clad in a shweshwe dress (sidziya). The woman is the prophets second wife, following his failed first marriage. The clergyman opened up for the first time to fellow congregants about his first marriage, which he described as rocky and toxic. He said he decided to walk away, because of alleged abuse, including unwarranted accusations of infidelity. He said the pressure was so much that at some point he was tempted to find consolation in the bottle. Ukraine fires US missiles on Crimea; Russia vows retaliation against US By VOA News June 24, 2024 Russia promised retaliatory measures on the United States Monday when it summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy to the Foreign Ministry and blamed the U.S. for a strike on Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia claims the attack was carried out with U.S.-supplied missiles. "Retaliatory measures will certainly follow," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. It did not provide further information. Russia said U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, was used in the strike that killed at least four people and wounded 150. John Bass, the State Department's acting undersecretary for political affairs, told VOA he was not aware of the strike's death toll, but he said there has been a marked contrast in the way Ukraine and Russia execute their attacks. He said Ukraine seeks to minimize civilian casualties, while Russia's strikes have been brutal from the beginning. Last week, the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles inside Russia but only for self-defense. Western countries have been reluctant to let Ukraine use their weapons in Russia because they do not want to provoke Russia and escalate the conflict. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world has rejected. Russia, however, continues to consider Crimea part of Russia. New EU sanctions The European Union approved Monday its 14th round of sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The package includes a ban on the practice of reloading Russian liquefied natural gas containers in an EU country, which is then sent to a third country. There are sanctions targeting 116 people and entities, and increased measures to ensure companies do not circumvent existing sanctions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he stressed the importance of the new sanctions "to further strangle Putin's war economy," as he addressed a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday. "Separately, I emphasized the need to expedite military aid deliveries, especially air defense, and expand defense industrial output," Kuleba said on X. "We can and must defeat Russian aggression on Ukrainian soil to ensure long-term peace and stability throughout Europe." Ahead of Monday's council meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg, "Ukraine needs more help, and needs more help now." Borrell pointed to the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland earlier this month, contrasting what he said was the opening of a diplomatic process to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea to try to secure more weapons for Russia's war effort. Borrell said Putin "is clearly preparing for a long war." Ukrainian officials reported a Russian missile attack Monday on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa that injured at least three people. Ukraine's military said Russia used two cruise missiles in the attack, with Ukrainian air defenses preventing one of the missiles from reaching its target. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor of Odesa, said on Telegram the attack hit civilian infrastructure and caused a fire. Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed four Ukrainian aerial drones over the Rostov region. Regional Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram that falling debris from a downed drone hit an industrial site, but there were no reports of injuries. Some information for this story was provided by Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Announcing Support for Ukrainian Children's Education Following Russian Attacks June 24, 2024 Russia is waging a war not just against the Ukrainian military, but also against the Ukrainian people. On May 23, 2024, a Russian strike destroyed the Faktur-Druk printing house in Kharkiv, one of the largest printing houses in Europe. This is part of Russia's ongoing destruction of printing houses in Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. Kharkiv's printing houses produce a significant percentage of all books in Ukraine, including textbooks for Ukrainian children. By striking these printing houses, Russia is attacking Ukraine's education system. We will not let Russia succeed. Today, we are announcing that the United States government, through USAID, is providing assistance to print more than three million textbooks for Ukrainian elementary school students ahead of this school year. These textbooks will be produced in Ukraine and delivered to more than 12,000 schools across the country. Our message is clear: We will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they defend against Russia's barbaric war of aggression. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chicago, June 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CV depot charging market size for chargers of new vehicles was USD 4.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 30.7 billion in 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 28.2%, as per the recent study by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the CV depot charging market is influenced by various factors such as adoption of electric commercial vehicles, development and manufacturing of fast and ultra-fast charging points, monetization of depot charging business models and trends related to used cars. Browse in-depth TOC on Future of CV Depot Charging Market 90 - Tables 90 - Figures 90 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=251320576 List of Key Players in Future of CV Depot Charging Market: ABB (Switzerland) Blink (US) Bosch (Germany) bp pulse (UK) ChargePoint (US) EVgo (US) Heliox (Netherlands) Kempower (Finland) Shell Recharge (US) Siemens (Germany) Wallbox (Spain) Drivers, Opportunities and Challenges in Future of CV Depot Charging Market: Driver: Rapid adoption of commercial electric vehicles for public transportation Restraint: Slow speed of AC chargers Opportunity: Growing adoption of fast chargers Challenge: Availability of electric supply Key Findings of the Study: By Vehicle type, eLCV segment is estimated to account for the largest market during the forecast period eLCV segment is estimated to account for the largest market during the forecast period Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest market in 2024 Get Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=251320576 The CV depot charging market size for chargers of new vehicles was 4.7 $billion in 2023 and is projected to reach 30.7 $billion in 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 28.2% from 2024 to 2030. In addition, the global number of chargers for new vehicles in depot setting is expected to reach 1.1 million units in 2030, whereas as the global number of chargers for Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECV) parc in depot setting is forecasted to reach 5.3 million units. Further, within the regional market Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than half of the market share in both new vehicles and ECV parc segment. While the AC chargers held the major share in ECV parc in depot setting segment, the DC chargers will hold the largest share in new vehicle in depot segment. The report also includes the analysis of number of chargers for new vehicles in depot setting, number of chargers for ECV parc in depot setting, cost of chargers (including installation cost) for new vehicles in depot setting, energy demands and cost of energy. The years 2022 and 2023 saw change in charging technology of cars wherein ultra-fast chargers have been introduced in the market to enhance the speed of charging the electric vehicles. OEMs such as Ford and Tesla have partnered with the charging infrastructure solution providers to cater the ultra-fast charging needs. Moreover, the hardware and software manufacturers have come up with different business models to monetize the commercial electric vehicles depot charging market. However, the type of chargers installed at the depot charging vary from AC to DC at various levels. The AC chargers are low costing chargers however they require a lot of time to charge the battery of the EV. On the contrary, the DC type of chargers have the capability of fast charging but are costlier. The depot charging setup has a mix installation of AC and DC chargers. Further, the light commercial vehicles such as cars require fast charging setup as they need minimum charging downtime. The heavy commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks have large batteries and need considerable fast charging speed even if they are set for overnight charging. Therefore, the slow chargers in the depot charging station increase the downtime of the vehicles acting as a restraining factor to the growth of ECV depot charging market. Asia Pacific region hold the major share in the new ECV sales, contributing over 50% in the market. The major factor for this is the intensive manufacturing and export of vehicles in China. The Chinese market is the worlds largest market in terms of vehicle sales as well as production. Moreover, the Chinese market has significantly grown post COVID halt. The recovery effect of the economy in China has led to intensifying of the manufacturing sector. One of the key trends/strategies followed by the Chinese EV makers is expansion to the European market for EV sales expansion. Moreover, countries such as India, Singapore and South Korea significantly contribute to the growth of the ECV sector in the Asian region. In addition, the depot charging trends is rapidly developing in the Indian market with adoption of different types of business models. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=251320576 Recent Developments: In 2023, Ford partnered with Xcel Energy to provide 30,000 for home, public & depot charging points by 2030 in the US. In 2023, Total Energies launched an in-depot electric truck charging service at the SOLUTRANS road and urban transportation trade show. The new solution will help in installation and supervising charging infrastructure adapted to fulfil transporters' needs. In 2023, Siemens acquired Heliox, a specialist in e-Bus and e-Truck fast charging solutions and for depot and fleet solutions. Related Reports: NEWARK, Del, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global titanium dioxide color market is forecast to expand at 3% CAGR over the estimated period, as per FMIs analysis. The industrys size is predicted to surge from USD 34 million in 2023 to USD 44.9 million by 2033. Titanium dioxide color is incorporated to elevate the color and sheen of some specific foods. The element is also used for food safety applications. A growing proclivity toward brighter-looking food items is anticipated to push market growth. Surging preference for pastries and candies among children is projected to lead the market demand. Processed food items are added with titanium dioxide color to impart a whitening effect to the food. Request Your Sample Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-14299 In Germany, food products like dressings, savory sauces, cheese, and soft drinks are being increasingly consumed. A high intake of these food items is projected to propel market development. Titanium dioxide color has aroused safety concerns regarding its consumption. However, FDA has usually perceived titanium dioxide color as safe for consumption. Furthermore, a large proportion of the population does not consume it enough to pose any potential health harm. The European Food Safety Authority, nevertheless, does not agree with this scientific opinion regarding the use of titanium dioxide color. The agency concluded on May 2021 that titanium dioxide color (E171) cannot be considered safe for human consumption. Consequently, suppliers of food colors are receiving inquiries regarding the replacement of this white agent. The titanium dioxide color market is projected to stay undeterred in the face of such challenges. This is further supported by the limited alternative options for opacifying food items. As a result, the titanium dioxide color is projected to continue being a ubiquitous solution for whitening effects in confections. Top Highlights from the FMIs Analysis of the Titanium Dioxide Color Industry: The titanium dioxide color industry in the United States is projected to dominate the global market by attaining a 32.9% market share. In 2023, the market is projected to reach a market valuation of US$ 11.2 million. In the European region, Germany held a market share of 9.9% in 2022. Going forward, the German titanium dioxide color industry is projected to achieve US$ 3.4 million by 2023. Japan is a substantial market in the Asia Pacific titanium dioxide color industry. The country holds a 3.3% market share. By 2023, Japan is estimated to be worth US$ 1.2 million. Two other crucial markets in the Asia Pacific market are China and India. China is anticipated to expand at 4.7% CAGR and India is projected to expand at 3.9% CAGR . and India is projected to expand at . Both China and the United Kingdom are anticipated to register a 4.7% CAGR over the forecast period. over the forecast period. Based on application, the candy or confectionery segment is expected to hold a 24.5% market share. Up-to-date with Recent Developments in the Titanium Dioxide Color Industry Key players in the market are establishing their operational facilities across the globe. Some commonly adopted strategies by key participants include product launches, strategic acquisitions, and long-run agreements with the customers. Take, for example, Lomon Billions procured Yunnan Metallurgical Xinli Titanium Industry Co. With this acquisition, the company aims to enhance its production capacity of sponge, titanium slag, and TiO2. Market participants, however, are being threatened by the introduction of titanium dioxide color alternatives. For instance, in March 2022, ADM revealed its new offering of PearlEdge proprietary white color solutions. With this new launch, the company filled a vital white space in the industry. These new inventions are assisting manufacturers to phase out titanium dioxide (E171) from their formulations. Key Companies in the Market Tronox Incorporated DuPont Huntsman Evonik Industries Millennium Chemicals Kronos Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd. The Chemours Company Lomon Billions Group Drive Your Business Growth Strategy: Purchase the Report for Key Insights! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/14299 Titanium Dioxide Color Market Analysis by Category By Application: Beverage Bakery, Snacks, & Cereal Candy / Confectionery Dairy Fruit Preparations / Fillings Meat, Poultry, Fish, & Eggs Potatoes, Pasta, & Rice Sauces, Soups, & Dressings Seasonings Pet Food By Region: North America Latin America The Middle East and Africa Europe Asia Pacific Authored by: Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Have a Look at Related Research Reports on Food and Beverage The market for food grade titanium oxide is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecasted time period. Global demand for free-from titanium dioxide is expected to reach a market valuation of USD 15 billion by the year 2023, accelerating at a CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast period (2023 to 2033). The synthetic food color market is expected to record a value of USD 678 million in 2024. The industry is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% in the ten-year time frame. The food fortification industry, with a current valuation of USD 106.7 billion in 2024 and USD 286 billion by 2034 with 10.4% CAGR. By 2034, the food and grocery retail market could reach a valuation of US$ 17.1 trillion, representing a sluggish CAGR of 3.3%. The food color market is forecasted to advance at a moderate CAGR of 5.8%, promising to reach USD 8.46 billion by 2034. The global natural food colors market is expected to reach a valuation of USD 1.7 billion in 2023. From 2023 to 2033, it is projected to accelerate at a positive CAGR of 7.2%. In 2033, the markets value is likely to surpass USD 3.3 billion. The curcumin food color market is expected to reach a market valuation of nearly USD 106 Million by the year 2022, accelerating with a CAGR of 10.3 % between 2022 to 2032. The global plant-based food colors market is forecasted to be appraised at USD 15.80 billion by 2032, up from USD 9.42 billion in 2022, advancing at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period. The global aluminum-free natural food color market is forecasted to be appraised at USD 4.08 billion by 2032, up from USD 2.17 billion in 2022, advancing at a CAGR of 6.88% during the forecast period. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of ~400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Electronic Warfare Market by Platform (Ground, Naval, Airborne, Space), Capability (Electronic Support, Electronic Attack, Electronic Protection), End-Use, Product (Electronic Warfare Equipment, Operational Support) and Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Electronic Warfare market is valued at USD 10.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 19.4 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 12.5% from 2023 to 2028 The report will help the market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall electronic warfare market. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the market pulse and provides information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. The electronic warfare (EW) market is undergoing rapid expansion, driven by the increasing complexity of the global security environment and the continuous evolution of threat spectrums. This growth is underpinned by significant technological advancements in electronic attack, protection, and support capabilities across air, land, naval, and space domains. Innovations in signal processing, stealth technologies, cyber warfare, and electromagnetic spectrum management are crucial in this expansion. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning for enhanced threat detection and response further propels market growth. Additionally, the demand for network-centric warfare and the demand for interoperable, multi-domain EW systems highlight the critical role of EW in modern military strategies, ensuring forces maintain a competitive edge in electronic dominance. This strategic priority reflects the importance of EW in countering advanced threats and protecting communication and information systems in contested environments. Based on end use, the OEM segment is estimated to have the second largest market share in 2023. The OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) segment, recognized as the second largest market within the electronic warfare sector, is driven by the demand for cutting-edge, integrated electronic warfare systems. This segment's growth is fueled by the continuous need for modernization and enhancement of military platforms with advanced electronic warfare capabilities directly from the production phase. OEMs are increasingly focusing on the integration of sophisticated electronic warfare technologies, including advanced signal processing, electronic protection measures, and cyber-electronic systems, into new military assets. This strategic focus not only ensures that new platforms are equipped with the latest electronic warfare technologies but also enhances the overall effectiveness and survivability of these platforms in highly contested environments. The commitment to integrating state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems at the OEM level underscores the critical importance of electromagnetic spectrum dominance as a cornerstone of modern military strategy. Based on capability, the electronic attack segment is estimated to have the second largest market share in 2023. The electronic attack capability segment, as the second-largest market within the electronic warfare sector, is marked by its focus on offensive operations aimed at degrading, disrupting, or destroying adversary electronic systems. This segment's growth is propelled by the escalating need for advanced electronic warfare solutions that can effectively counter and neutralize a wide range of electronic threats, including sophisticated enemy radar and communication systems. Innovations in this domain are increasingly centered around the development of new jamming technologies, cyber-electronic tactics, and directed energy weapons that offer precise and effective electronic attack capabilities. These advancements are critical for achieving dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum, thereby enabling military forces to disrupt enemy operations while protecting friendly communications and sensor networks. The continuous evolution and enhancement of electronic attack technologies are essential for maintaining strategic advantages and operational readiness in the face of rapidly advancing electronic warfare threats and tactics. Based on Platform, the Naval segment is estimated to have the second-largest market share in 2023. The naval segment, as a platform within the electronic warfare market, is experiencing significant growth, driven by the strategic necessity to safeguard maritime assets and maintain superiority in maritime operational theaters. This growth is underscored by advancements in electronic attack, protection, and support capabilities tailored for naval forces. Investments are heavily focused on developing and integrating sophisticated electronic warfare systems on surface ships, submarines, and unmanned marine vehicles. These systems are designed to counter and neutralize a broad spectrum of electronic threats, including anti-ship missile systems, through advanced jamming techniques, electronic countermeasures, and signal interception capabilities. The emphasis on enhancing naval electronic warfare capabilities reflects the critical importance of electromagnetic spectrum dominance in ensuring the security and operational effectiveness of naval forces in increasingly contested and technologically advanced maritime environments. Based on regions, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to have the second largest market share in 2023. The Asia-Pacific electronic warfare market is rapidly growing, fueled by increased defense spending and a push for military modernization to address evolving security threats. The focus is on advancing electronic attack, protection, and support capabilities, with significant investments in jamming technologies, electronic countermeasures, and cyber-electronic operations. Countries in the region are also investing in research and development to incorporate cutting-edge technologies like directed energy weapons and advanced jammers. This drive aims to counter sophisticated threats and maintain dominance in electronic warfare, highlighting the strategic importance of technological superiority in modern and future conflicts. Reasons to buy this report: Market Drivers: Market Drivers such as Significant government investments in electronic warfare systems, incorporation of electronic warfare capabilities onto unmanned platforms, growing adoption of modern warfare tactics, enhanced focus on cognitive electronic warfare technologies and other drivers covered in the report. Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on electronic warfare offered by the top players in the market Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the electronic warfare market Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the electronic warfare market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the electronic warfare market Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the electronic warfare market Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 377 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $10.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $19.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.5% Regions Covered Global Companies Featured Bae Systems Raytheon Technologies Corporation Lockheed Martin Corporation Israel Aerospace Industries L3Harris Technologies, Inc. Northrop Grumman Thales Leonardo S.P.A. Elbit Systems Ltd. Saab General Dynamics Corporation Cobham Limited Bharat Electronics Limited Hensoldt Indra Aselsan A.S. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Limited Tata Advanced Systems Limited L&T Defence Shoghi Communications Ltd. Radioelectronic Technologies Jsc Data Patterns Pvt. Ltd. Sierra Nevada Corporation Textron Inc. HR Smith Group For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rdomob About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Until June 30th, it will be possible to pre-register for the course EU Law in the Face of Two Sustainable Development Goals, which will be held on July 15th and 16th. The courses are organized by the University of Jaen and the International Baltasar Garzon Foundation (FIBGAR). MADRID, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As highlighted by the academic directors of the course Ramon Ruiz Ruiz, Professor of Philosophy of Law at the University of Jaen, Juan Manuel de Faraminan Gilbert, Emeritus Professor at the University of Jaen, Maria Garzon, and Alessia Schiavon, respectively President and Executive Director of the International Baltasar Garzon Foundation (FIBGAR), this edition aims to provide a high-quality deepening and updating on the main novelties adopted by the latest European legislature, with a practical emphasis on human rights and sustainable development. Sustainable development is a priority objective of the European Union's policies, which has become a fundamental promoter of the SDGs through various strategic initiatives. In the latest legislature, significant steps have been taken, for example, with the adoption of the first EU Directive on gender-based violence, as well as the reform of the Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. Additionally, important advances have been promoted concerning Goals 13 (climate action), 15 (life on land), and 16 through the revised Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law, recently approved in February 2024, and the Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. In 2024, significant progress has also been made with the approval of the anti-SLAPP Directive, the Media Freedom Act, and the Digital Services Act, the world's first regulation in the digital field establishing obligations for digital platforms. Additionally, the European Parliament and the Council have reached a provisional agreement on the anti-money laundering package, which includes the so-called Sixth Directive, and have advanced discussions on a new Directive to combat corruption. All these topics will be addressed by professionals with extensive experience, such as the professors from the University of Jaen, Ma Del Carmen Munoz Rodriguez, Esther Pomares Cintas, and Ignacio Benitez Ortuzar; the lawyer and communicator specializing in climate and human rights, Irene Rubiera de Felipe; and the professor of Public International Law at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Maria Marques Banque. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to learn from the experience of professors from the University of Seville, Maria Libia Arenal Lora and Jesus Ignacio Delgado Rojas; Juan Manuel de Faraminan Fernandez-Figares, lawyer and Doctor of Philosophy and Law; and Lisardo Garcia Rodulfo, lawyer and member of the Board of Directors of the Anti-Money Laundering Group of the Granada Bar Association. The course will conclude with practical workshops led by Alessia Schiavon. The program can be downloaded here. The initiative is intended for students in legal or related fields, public officials, and professionals from various disciplines who need to stay updated on European Union affairs and are interested in gaining more tools for understanding and addressing current issues related to human rights. Click here to register. This eighteenth edition is organized by the Center for Continuing Education and Supplementary Training of the University of Jaen, in collaboration with the International Baltasar Garzon Foundation (FIBGAR), and is funded by the Jaen Provincial Council with the support of the Torres City Council. For further information, please contact: Alessia Schiavon, Director of FIBGAR: aschiavon@fibgar.org comunicacion@fibgar.es LAKE MARY, Fla., June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SimplyIOA, brought to you by Insurance Office of America (IOA), announced its collaboration with Pennymac, a top national mortgage lender and servicer with over 4.8 million lifetime customers, to offer home, auto, life and other personal lines of insurance to the lenders customers. Backed by Insurance Office of America, the fourth largest privately held insurance brokerage in the United States, I am excited that SimplyIOA is working with Pennymac to help their customers purchase the appropriate coverage at a competitive rate, said Brian McDowell, CEO of SimplyIOA. The relationship between home buying and home protection positions SimplyIOA and Pennymac to offer solutions to the homeowner in a changing and challenging market. By teaming up with Pennymac, SimplyIOA is offering insurance solutions to support Pennymacs customers who will now have the option to compare, quote and purchase select insurance policies from national A-plus rated carriers, streamlining the homebuying process. "Pennymac is leveraging Simply IOA's expertise to further support our customers in their homeownership journey by better enabling them to navigate the complexities of insurance," said Abbie Tidmore, Senior Managing Director and Chief Revenue Officer at Pennymac."This collaboration will provide Pennymac customers the ability to access a variety of insurance options, ensuring that they have the right protection for any circumstance." For additional information regarding SimplyIOAs complete list of services please visit https://www.simplyioa.com/pennymac . SimplyIOA media contact: Jason Butts Email: media@simplyioa.com Tel: 727-643-3600 SimplyIOA partnership contact: Michelle Sipe Email: partnerships@simplyioa.com Tel: 301-751-5757 ABOUT SIMPLYIOA SimplyIOA is a national omnichannel personal lines insurance agency brought to you by Insurance Office of America (IOA). SimplyIOAs industry-leading technology, supported by experienced licensed advisors, enables customers from 48 states to compare and purchase 20 different insurance products online or over the phone in minutes. For more information, visit: partners.simplyioa.com ABOUT PENNYMAC Founded in 2008, Pennymac has earned the position as one of the most respected lenders within the mortgage industry. As one of the top lenders in the country today, Pennymac has helped over 4 million lifetime homeowners achieve and sustain their aspirations of home. Pennymac is guided by the companys core values of being Accountable, Reliable and Ethical in all business practices. Pennymac is committed to making positive contributions and promoting long-term sustainable growth and environmental stewardship. The organization has been recognized for various notable awards, including: Newsweek Americas 100 Most Loved Workplaces, Forbes 2023 Financial All-Stars, 2023 Military Friendly Employer, Mortgage Women's Magazine 2023 Top Employer for Women, NMP Magazines 2023 Best Military Lender. For more information visit: PENNYMAC.COM. ABOUT INSURANCE OFFICE OF AMERICA Insurance Office of America (IOA) is the fourth largest privately held insurance brokerage in the United States. Founded in 1988, IOA is a recognized leader in providing property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal lines insurance and risk management solutions as well as insurtech innovation. Headquartered in Longwood, Florida, part of the greater Orlando community, IOA has more than 1,300 associates located in over 60 offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ioausa.com . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/980c226c-5bc1-4c5c-ba3f-5ed47883a138 Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Pain Management Devices Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pain management devices market is projected to witness a compounded annual growth rate of 12.38% to reach US$13.217 billion by 2029, up from US$5.843 billion in 2022. Rising chronic diseases and the geriatric population are the key factors influencing the global pain management devices market. To manage pain, a precise combination of medicines or equipment is used. Pain management devices include transcutaneous electrical nerve triggers, neuro-triggers, the absence of pain mixture siphons, and radiofrequency ablators. A large portion of these devices blocks the pain entryway component to impede the section of pain signs to the mind. Radiofrequency ablators obliterate nerves by creating warmth to impede the pain signals. Similarly, neuro-trigger devices utilize gentle frequencies of current to obstruct the entry of pain signals. These devices offer assistance in treating distinctive painful conditions like the growth of malignant, musculoskeletal damage, and neuropathic torment. Pain management instruments offer assistance to diminish the threat of long-haul sedatives, non-steroidal calming drugs, and other pain-mitigating medicines. The market for pain management devices is appealing as technology, wearables, and gadgets become more integrated into customers' daily lives, and consumer interest in these products shifts from novelty to more widely used pain management techniques. Market Driver: The growing geriatric population is anticipated to surge the market growth. People are living longer than ever before worldwide owing to better healthcare facilities and fewer wars. Longer lifespans correspond to a higher occurrence of pain; thus, there is an increasing need to prevent and reduce this discomfort. The rising number of individuals that over 65 is anticipated to contribute to the pain management devices market expansion. According to the World Bank, in 2021, 9.54% of the population was above 65 years of age. Further, as per the United Nations (UN) statistics for World Population Prospects 2019, the world-population is anticipated to rise in the next 30 years, from 7.7 billion in the year 2019 to 9.7 billion in 2050, and the global elderly population is also rising. Thus, with rising elderly population suffers from chronic back pain and arthritis which will lead to a rise in the market. For instance, in December 2023, SPR Therapeutics completed enrollment in the RESET Clinical Trial of the SPRINT PNS System for chronic low back pain (LBP), the largest prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial to date. The trial compares percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) with standard interventional treatments for chronic LBP. Increasing the number of surgical procedures carried out will bolster the market growth. The market for pain management devices is being driven altogether by the rise in surgical operations. The rising rate of long-term sicknesses such as cancer and neurological issues has raised the requirement for surgical methods, which has, in turn, raised the requirement for pain alleviation innovation. The requirement for pain management instruments has also been extended by progresses in innovation and the appearance of negligibly intrusive methods. Also, it is expected that the market will rise due to the developing accentuation on early illness discovery and treatment, rising awareness of healthcare management among the public, growing healthcare services access, and an increase in government programs to bolster healthcare, will drive the market. Market Restraints: Side effects associated with using painkillers as a first resort for pain management Pain medications are frequently the primary line of treatment due to potential side effects such as sickness, drowsiness, constipation, and nausea. Addictive medications can further complicate the situation. Alternative pain management methods, such as pain management devices, can reduce pain without medication. These devices can be used alongside physical therapy or as standalone treatments, reducing side effects and improving pain management. North America is expected to dominate the market share. North America has a significant place in the pain management devices market due to its expansive healthcare sector, prominent investment in healthcare, innovative technology, rising chronic pain incidences, environment regulations, and accessibility to healthcare administrations for all regions. The US is also known for its progressed and advanced infrastructure of healthcare and accentuation on advancement in technology. The predominance of persistent pain due to an elderly populace and wrong lifestyle issues may drive the rising demand for pain administration devices in North America. The regulatory initiatives in North America, especially the US, assist the advancement, endorsement, and commercialization of medical devices that manage pain, cultivating innovation and expansion. This accessibility to healthcare services contributes to the higher adoption rate of pain management devices. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 116 Forecast Period 2022 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $5.84 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $13.22 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.3% Regions Covered Global Company Profiles NeuroMetrix, Inc. Medtronic Boston Scientific Corporation Zynex Medical BioElectronics Corporation Pain Management Technologies SPR Therapeutics Becton, Dickinson, and Company Abbott Nevro Corp Market Segmentation: By Devices Electrical Stimulators Neurostimulation Devices Analgesic Infusion Pumps Ablation Devices By Application Facial & Migraine Pain Neuropathic Pain Cancer Pain Musculoskeletal Pain Others By Geography North America USA Canada Mexico South America Brazil Argentina Others Europe UK Germany Italy France Others Middle East and Africa Israel Saudi Arabia Others Asia Pacific China Japan India Australia South Korea Taiwan Thailand Indonesia Others For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oud65m About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cellular IOT Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The cellular IoT market was evaluated at US$4.264 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 19.69%, reaching a market size of US$15.006 billion by 2029. The cellular IoT (Internet of Things) market is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast period. Cellular networks are the mode of connection that can be utilized by the internet and connected over various devices. Devices like mobile use the network to connect to the internet. The evolution in the field of telecommunications and upgradation in technologies like 5G IoT solutions are reliable and adoptable in various modes of connectivity. These upgraded technologies establish a connection through satellite and can be used in the form of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting various devices. This technology is capable of remote sensing and data collection for a variety of applications, including industrial devices, smart meters, and wearables. Industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare rely on these technologies to increase process efficiency, track assets, and detect problems remotely. For power solutions, options such as NB-IoT are available. Increasing adoption of IoT, advancements in cellular technology, and demand for IoT solutions in the automotive industry are fueling the cellular IoT market growth. Increased adoption of IoT, growing progress in cellular technology, and increased demand for IoT solutions in the automotive sector are driving the cellular IoT market Growth. Cellular IoT Market Drivers Increased adoption of IoT propels the cellular IoT market growth. The expansion of Internet of Things devices over the different industries is the driving factor behind the cellular IoT market growth. With more interconnected devices, which include sensors in factories that track the containers, there will be an increased demand for these types of devices for their connectivity to the internet. Cellular IoT is an electronic solution that offers safe and assured connections for the devices to transfer data from one end to the other. This further helps industries for the automation purpose where one can collect and analyze the data fed by these sensors for future endeavors. For instance, in March 2024, Eclipse published an article on IoT Edge Landscape, which states that there is an increased demand for IoT adoption in 2023, which is 11 %, where 64% of individuals are presently using IoT solutions. These growing data say that there is a growing demand and significant growth for IoT technologies will be seen in various sectors in upcoming years Growing progress in cellular technology drives cellular IoT market growth The technological advancement in the cellular field is driving the market by offering various alternatives to connect plenty of devices using the internet. One of the technologies called Narrow Band IoT (NB - IoT) and long-term evolution for machines (LTE- M) are changing the landscape of the industry. Narrow Band IoTs and LTE-Machines have unique features when compared with one another. Where NB- IoT is energy efficient and has less data transfer capacity, which is a preferable option for small amounts of data, such as devices for tracking assets and sensors that can be operated from a distance. As LTE offers rapid data transfer this technology is helpful in industry machinery. These are the advancements driving the unique technology and propelling the cellular IoT market growth. For instance, in January 2024 Ericsson stated that there is an upgradation of 5G network with wireless technology in collaboration with 3rd generation partnership project which is called (3GPP). As this emerging technology offers speed and improved dependability. Increased demand for IoT solutions in the automotive sector boosts the cellular IoT market growth. Growing demand for IoT in the automobile sector increases the demand for IoT solutions, with the output result of interacting and operative devices which can offer the feature to over watch the car environment. As the demand is attached to various factors. People are more aware of the safety features of cars these days, and advanced features like driver assistance are propelling IoT solutions in the market. As these solutions are capable of collecting real time data from the installed sensors around the cars, systems that alert the driver when changing lanes are the innovative and emerging technologies where IoT solutions help them to operate. Furthermore, the advanced features like tracking the car that is stolen and providing the exact location where the driver is heading or leading are propelling the IoT solutions market. For instance, General Motors and Google partnered to establish an operating system that is specifically operated for automobiles in future General Motors vehicles. This will enhance the level of connectivity towards the cars and propels the IoT market. Cellular IoT Market - Geographical Outlook Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow significantly. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow in the upcoming days significantly due to favorable factors like growing demand for digitalization, smart city development projects, and strong automobile manufacturing hubs over the region which enhances the implementations and usage of IoT solutions. The region has seen a favorable amount of investment with respective 5G technology, and the development of infrastructure will drive the cellular IoT market growth. For instance, in 2023, GSMA published an article stating that China presently has 2.3 million 5G stations by the end of 2022, of which 887,000 stations were constructed in 2022. It is anticipated that China will be a 1 billion 5G connectivity country by 2025. These remarkable developments are driving the cellular IoT market growth. Cellular IoT Market Restraints Safety issues with a vast amount of connections curb the cellular IoT market growth. Numerous devices connected over the Internet make them vulnerable to security flaws. Taking advantage of vulnerabilities in cellular networks or device firmware may compromise the security of data, interfere with operations, or even lead to physical damage (such as manipulating industrial controls). Integration complexity hinders the cellular IoT market growth. The complexity of integrating cellular IoT solutions with existing infrastructure and data management systems can pose challenges, requiring specialized technical expertise and potentially causing disruptions to daily operations. It is crucial to have efficient integration tools and procedures in place. Cellular IoT Market Key Industry Developments February 2024: the product called Digi IX40, offered by Digi, is a cellular router that is specifically designed for Industry 4.0. The product is prebuilt with 5G technology, which gives real-time data after processing the information, which can be used in industrial equipment. The device is capable of holding harsh environments, where this system acts as a remote controller and management tool to solve the issues with a designated location January 2024:Telit Cinterion partnered with FloLive and Skylo to provide cellular IoT connections throughout the globe. As both companies use cellular as well as satellite networks to provide seamless connections to devices, they can be reached over the globe. Cellular IoT Market Major Players and Products OPTIGAT Connect IoT: the product offered by Infineon, eSIM Solution, is fully designed for embedded SIM cards. As this innovative product enables the devices to connect with cellular based networks around the globe. Its pre-installed and pre-assembled features provide a broader range of network connectivity that can be used for various applications. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 142 Forecast Period 2022 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $4.26 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $15.01 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 19.6% Regions Covered Global Company Profiles Infineon Technologies AG NXP Semiconductors Continental AG Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. AUTOCRYPT Co., Ltd. Commsignia Lear Yunex Traffic Autotalks HARMAN International Market Segmentation By Type 2G 3G LTE - M Others By Component Hardware Software By End - Users Agriculture Automotive and Telecommunication Consumer Electronics Energy Retail Others By Geography North America United States Canada Mexico South America Brazil Argentina Others Europe United Kingdom Germany France Italy Spain Others Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Others Asia Pacific Japan China India South Korea Taiwan Thailand Indonesia Others For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b2g4ec About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Energy Meter Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The energy meter market has demonstrated a robust growth trajectory, with projections revealing a substantial leap from US$27.244 billion in 2022 to US$49.193 billion by 2029. This growth, representing a CAGR of 8.81%, is largely attributable to increasing global energy demand spurred by population growth and economic advancements. Energy meters, known for their pivotal role in energy management, are gaining significant momentum as a result of heightened global awareness of the need for energy optimization. A notable trend within the sector is a shift towards smart gridsan advancement that not only represents strides in energy consumption efficiency but also underpins the movement for smarter urban development. Smart meters, in particular, stand out for their ability to provide near real-time consumption data. These advancements herald an era of improved electricity grid performance, heightened affordability, and enhanced consumer empowerment. Policies and regulatory frameworks conducive to smart grid and smart meter adoption are increasingly becoming a focal point for governing bodies worldwide. Emerging economies are also embracing these innovations, with large-scale smart meter projects coming into play, thereby bolstering the market's dynamics. Rapid Advancements and Regulatory Support Driving Smart Meter Adoption The introduction of smart meters has been further supported by legislative initiatives, with tangible progress evident in the rising household penetration rates in numerous European countries, among others. The proactive support of government schemes and regulatory bodies has been instrumental in promoting the transition towards modern and efficient energy utilities. Consequently, the integration of smart meters is accelerating, with substantial plans for deployment spanning across the globe from the US to Asia Pacific. North American Market Exhibits Strong Growth, Led by the United States North America's energy meter market has seen substantial growth, particularly in the United States where advanced metering infrastructure is on the rise. The American market, characterized by escalating smart meter adaptations and augmented by government initiatives, represents one of the fastest-growing sectors in the region. This expansion is a testament to the industry's commitment to modernization, as seen in the ongoing smart meter installations across the nation. Through purposeful investments and strategic partnerships, various organizations are striving to upgrade infrastructure to meet contemporary needs. Innovative projects, such as FortisBC's Advanced Gas Meters project in British Columbia and JCP&L's smart meter rollout in New Jersey, exemplify the sector's dedication to enhancing customer experience and service. This press release delineates the profound changes underway within the energy meter market, highlighting the cross-sector cooperation and technological advancements that are steering the sector towards a bright and efficient future. Market Segmentation and Key Developments The market segments into various categories such as smart energy, electronic energy, and electro-mechanical induction type energy meters. These segments cater to a diverse range of applications, from household appliances and power substations to EV chargers. By end-users, the market is bifurcated into residential and industrial sectors. Geographically, the market spans regions including North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and South America, each demonstrating unique growth prospects. Several notable developments have captured the industry's attention, indicative of a collaborative effort toward a sustainable future. Key players are focusing on enhancing their offerings and expanding their reach, resulting in market growth and technological breakthroughs across various regions. As we advance, the energy meter market stands at the cusp of a new era, characterized by innovation, efficacy, and an unwavering commitment to sustainable development. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2022 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $27.24 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $49.19 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.8% Regions Covered Global Companies Featured Honeywell International Arcel Co. Ltd Accuenergy Inc. L&T Electrical Automation Schneider Electric ABB Electro Industries/GaugeTech Inc (Hubbell Incorporated) SATEC Ltd. Landis+Gyr (Toshiba Corporation) Delta Electronics Inc. (Delta Group) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tmebu7 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment New Delhi, June 25 (UNI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday extended till July 10 the stay it had imposed on the bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case by the trial court on June 20. A Vacation Bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain continued the stay and posted the matter for further hearing by a regular bench after the vacation on July 10. The high court accepted Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking suspension of Kejriwal's bail order from the lower court. In effect, the AAP leader would continue to remain in Tihar Jail for now. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court is likely to take up Kejriwals plea which he had filed earlier challenging the High Courts June 21 decision to stay his bail. UNI RC ING NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Resonance is a leading advisor in tourism, real estate and economic development, and its annual Americas Best Cities rankings quantify and benchmark the relative quality of place, reputation and competitive identity of U.S. metropolitan areas. The Best Cities data is lauded as the worlds most thorough annual city rankings, based on original methodology that analyzes key statistics, user-generated reviews, social media and online activity. The ninth annual Americas Best Cities rankingpowered this year by a new partnership with Ipsosis an important, timely analysis of the urban regions that are leading the country in the areas most important to attracting workforce, visitors and businesses. Download the 2024 Americas Best Cities Report and all 100 city profiles at WorldsBestCities.com. Learn more about how Resonance Consultancy can help your city and community at ResonanceCo.com. Resonance once again analyzed the principal cities of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas with populations of more than 500,000, says Resonance President & CEO Chris Fair. Our goal in producing these reports is to create the most comprehensive and holistic approach to measuring and benchmarking both perception and performance of cities available. This years rankings are more revelatory than ever, powered by Resonances new partnership with Ipsos to incorporate perception-based data for the first timethe results of which also demonstrate that Americans still very much aspire to live, visit and work in the countrys largest cities. The overall Americas Best Cities rankings are determined by analyzing this public perception, combined with a wide range of factors that have demonstrated moderate-to-strong correlations with attracting prime age population (age 25 44), visitor expenditure, and/or business formation. The phrase perception is reality is often used when developing reputation management strategies for companies, but the same holds true for destinations, says Jason McGrath, Executive Vice President at Ipsos. By merging the top-of-mind destinations where people tell us they want to live, work and visit, with the rigorous evaluation of place that Resonance has been conducting for nearly a decade, we have created a more comprehensive evaluation of cities and can better advise destinations on how to strengthen their reputation. Based on each citys performance for livability, lovability, and prosperity, these are Americas Top 10 Best Cities for 2024: 1. New York, New York 2. Chicago, Illinois 3. Los Angeles, California 4. Miami, Florida 5. Las Vegas, Nevada 6. San Francisco, California 7. Boston, Massachusetts 8. Washington, D.C. 9. Seattle, Washington 10. Houston, Texas The full ranking and extensive profiles of all 100 Americas Best Cities are available at WorldsBestCities.com. About Resonance Consultancy Resonance creates transformative strategies, brands and campaigns that empower destinations, cities and communities to realize their full potential. As leading advisors in real estate, tourism and economic development, Resonance combines expertise in research, strategy, branding and communications to make destinations, cities and developments more valuable and more vibrant. ResonanceCo.com About Ipsos Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. Game Changersour taglinesummarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD). ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com About Worlds Best Cities Best Cities is the home of Resonances exclusive rankings of the worlds top urban regions. The data is used by leading news outlets, trusted by city leaders, and is widely considered to be the worlds most comprehensive annual city ranking. Bloomberg calls it, The most comprehensive study of its kind; it identifies cities that are most desirable for locals, visitors, and businesspeople alike, rather than simply looking at livability or tourism appeal. WorldsBestCities.com | BestCities.us | #BestCities Attachments Lexington, MA,, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation, a leading provider of diagnostic and enterprise imaging solutions, announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new compact, 128-slice computed tomography (CT) system, the FCT iStream. The system employs four core proprietary Fujifilm technologies, including HiMAR Plus (High image quality Metal Artifact Reduction), Intelli IPV, SynergyDrive and IntelliODM to enhance the sharpness of images, streamline workflow through AI automation, and significantly reduce patient dose. There is a clear need to decrease patient radiation dose as much as possible during imaging, including CT scans. The FCT iStream CT system comes equipped with several technologies that drive down patient dose, including Fujifilms IntelliODM, an-organ based dose modulation reduction technique which modulates radiation dose in angular and/or slice directions based on patient attenuation. Additionally, Fujifilms IntelliEC feature helps further reduce patient dose for all CT scanning, including cardiac imaging. Intelli IPV, Fujifilms proprietary iterative progressive reconstruction with visual modeling (IPV) method, is another innovative technology that enhances sharpness by reducing noise by up to 90% and provides up to 83% reduced patient dose.* To streamline technologist workflow, the system captures 60 images per second and leverages Fujifilms SynergyDrive technology to automate, simplify and accelerate the scanning process. SynergyDrive helps streamline the entire image capture process, assisting with automating positioning of the patient inside the CT system, mapping imaging parameters on where to scan, and scanning and archiving the images. Staff shortages, increased financial pressure and escalating patient demand are driving radiology departments to look for ways to streamline workflow, avoid repeat scans and ensure they are maximizing throughput, said Shawn Etheridge, executive director, modality solutions, FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation. Weve designed FCT iStream to reduce the pain points these high-volume departments face by engineering an intelligent, reliable, imaging solution that will help automate clinicians most time-consuming steps. Scanning patients with metal implants can distort CT images, making it difficult to clearly visualize details in and around them. To help clinicians obtain clear, high-quality images for patients with metal implants, FCT iStream leverages HiMAR Plus (High image quality Metal Artifact Reduction) technology to detect and correct corrupted data from the metal in the images. Unlike traditional methods, it combines both projection-based and image-based correction. This results in improved image quality throughout the anatomy, while clarifying metal implants and surrounding tissue. To learn more about the FCT iStream, please visit the product page. * Iterative Reconstruction Intelli IPV About Fujifilm FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation is a comprehensive healthcare company that has an extensive range of technology and expertise in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Fujifilms innovative portfolio includes solutions spanning diagnostic imaging, enterprise imaging, endoscopic imaging, surgical imaging, and in-vitro diagnostics. The company is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit healthcaresolutions-us.fujifilm.com. FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, leverages its depth of knowledge and proprietary core technologies to deliver innovative products and services across the globe through the four key business segments of healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging with over 70,000 employees. Guided and united by our Group Purpose of giving our world more smiles, we address social challenges and create a positive impact on society through our products, services, and business operations. Under its medium-term management plan, VISION2030, which ends in FY2030, we aspire to continue our evolution into a company that creates value and smiles for various stakeholders as a collection of global leading businesses and achieve a global revenue of 4 trillion yen (29 billion USD at an exchange rate of 140 JPY/USD). For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com. For further details about our commitment to sustainability and Fujifilms Sustainable Value Plan 2030, click here. TORONTO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX-V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) (the Company or Emerita) has intersected significant new mineralization in drilling at El Cura deposit area, part of Emeritas wholly owned Iberian Belt West project (IBW or the Project; Please see Figure 1 below). IBW hosts three previously identified Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits: La Infanta, La Romanera and El Cura. Results contained in this news release are from El Cura deposit area only. All three IBW deposits are open for expansion along strike and at depth. Drill Hole EC013 intersected 10.6 m grading 1.7% copper, 0.95 g/t gold and 35.46 g/7 silver. This is the deepest and thickest intercept to date on El Cura area at approximately 300 m vertical depth. Hole EC012 intersected 3.4 m grading 1.7% copper, 3.09 g/t gold and 49.3 g/t silver. Hole EC008 intersected 2.6 meters grading 1.8% copper, 1.51 g/t gold and 73 g/t silver. Mineralization has been intersected from near-surface to approximately 300 m vertical and appears to be getting thicker at depth. Follow up drilling in progress. Intercepts are more than 600 m west of the historic El Cura mine workings. Figure 1: IBW claim block and locations of Romanera, El Cura and Infanta deposits. View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e2a85b8-91e7-48d2-8439-78cd630c81dc Emerita Work at El Cura Emerita has completed detailed geological mapping, as well as geophysical and geochemical surveys across the property, culminating in an initial scout drilling program (see news release dated January 31, 2024) in El Cura deposit area. This widely spaced core drilling intersected significant mineralization over approximately 400m x 300m (strike x dip-length), within a mineralized corridor of at least 600m of strike length. One of these initial drill holes, EC007, intersected 2.2m grading 2.9% Cu; 2.3% Pb; 4.6% Zn; 2.81 g/t Au and 82.5 g/t Ag in the western portion of the drilled area (Figure 2). Figure 2: Plan map showing drill hole traces of the El Cura drilling, in red color holes in this NR. View Figure 2 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e91766d-db1c-43d1-9ba3-442d5efda6c2 An additional 2,300m in 8 diamond drill holes was subsequently budgeted to follow up this result. Approximately 220m of strike length was tested, focusing on the westernmost 200m of the 600m corridor, in the area of drill hole EC007. Massive to semi-massive sulfides were intersected down to 340m down hole (hole EC013) and remains open at depth and along strike to the west and east at this level (Figure 3 and 4; Table 1). Figure 3: Geology map of El Cura area showing drill hole locations and location of historical mine workings. View Figure 3 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eaaf9e9d-0c07-401a-bc1d-ce8e7b51ebf9 Figure 4: Vertical long section projection showing drill hole pierce points (new holes in red). View Figure 4 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e46b5a2-bf0b-4d7f-b4bc-ae79537470fc Table 1: Assay results from recent drilling at El Cura DDH Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth (m) FROM TO Width (m) Cu % Pb % Zn % Au g/t Ag g/t EC008 649834 4171569 126 178 -48 300.5 283.8 286.4 2.6 1.8 1.2 1.9 1.51 74.00 EC009 649834 4171569 126 145 -45 344.4 319.7 320.9 1.2 0.8 0.8 1.4 1.08 41.00 EC010 649834 4171569 126 159 -55 455.3 Possible faulted Main Zone EC011 649685 4171500 127 159 -45 368.7 243.3 245.2 1.9 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.31 10.42 EC012 649685 4171500 127 159 -58 437.2 262.8 266.2 3.4 1.7 0.8 2.8 3.09 49.03 incl. 264.3 266.2 1.9 3.1 1.5 5.0 5.47 86.95 EC013 649685 4171500 127 159 -70 422 328.8 339.4 10.6 1.7 0.6 1.0 0.95 35.46 incl. 333 337.1 4.1 3.1 1.1 1.6 1.76 62.29 Discussion Results of the Companys investigations to date at El Cura show a high-grade massive sulfide body, that strikes WNW-ESE, dips steeply to the north and plunges to the west characterized by high grades in copper and gold (EC012: 3.4m grading 1.7% Cu, 3.09 g/t Au, and EC013: 10.6m grading 1.7%, 0.95 g/t Au). The true thickness is approximately 75 to 85% of the intercept length. Recoveries are good, 98% average. Figure 5 below shows core photos of drillholes EC012 and EC013. Chalcopyrite, Galena and sphalerite can be appreciated as part of the massive sulfide mineralization. Figure 5: core photos of drillholes EC012 and EC013 with abundant presence of Chalcopyrite, Sphalerite and Galena. View Figure 5 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06fdbdad-d0d5-45b5-a130-394aeec1595b Further into the footwall there is a second mineralized zone which is highly siliceous and sericitic with disseminated sulfides up to 25% in volume characterized by moderate Zn and Pb grades (EC006: 2.8m grading 1.9% Zn, 0.9% Pb; EC010: 1.3m grading 2.1% Zn, 0.6% Pb). The mineralization is hosted in a series of shales and volcaniclastic rocks, between two prominent ridges of felsic to intermediate subvolcanic intrusives or flows, lavas and agglomerates. This package has been overturned, folded and thrust to the south as is typical across the Iberian Pyrite Belt. As defined thus far, El Cura appears to be higher grade to the west and thickening with depth. Conversely, it appears to shallow and thin to the east, presumably daylighting where it was worked by the Romans. In the mid-20th century, underground exploration encountered massive sulfide of 1.5m thickness and 3% Cu 60m below surface in the same (Pinedo Vara). These workings are located approximately 600 meters east of the area presently being drilled. Additional drilling and interpretation has not yet been done to fully characterize the deposit to the east of these workings. Drilling on section 9750E shows El Cura body located near to the contact between the upper shales and jaspers of the PTS Group and dacitic-rhyodacitic volcanics. The deposit dips approximately 75o to the north, with approximately 275m of down-dip extent defined thus far between EC007 and EC013. (Figure 6). Figure 6: Interpretive geological cross section 9750E. View Figure 6 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e45c7e9-3e47-42bd-a3b2-6fb751767b9b It is noteworthy that the EC013 intercept is the thickest to-date at El Cura, as well as the deepest. Hole EC014 is in-progress, designed to cut the deposit further down dip at a step out distance required for establishing an Indicated Mineral Resource drill spacing. Joaquin Merino, Emeritas President states "These six new drill holes have demonstrated the continuity of the El Cura massive sulfide body with high grades, especially in copper and gold. They transform El Cura into a very exciting target for the ongoing drill program. Importantly, this area is adjacent to potential planned underground infrastructure and close to the conceptual mill plant location and drilling is still shallow in this area. Next Steps Given the strong results, additional drilling is being accelerated at El Cura. With the high-grade, near surface character of the El Cura mineralization, good potential exists to quickly outline significant tonnage near to envisioned development and processing facilities for the Romanera and Infanta deposits (Figure 5). Accordingly, a second rig was mobilized to El Cura and is expected to collar its first hole before months end. The two drills will then work to complete an additional 3,500m of drilling representing 13 to 15 additional holes, doubling the drill database for subsequent mineral resource estimation. The Company has the required drill platforms permitted to complete this program. Figure 7: Conceptual underground infrastructure and surface facilities for IBW development. Note the central location of El Cura between Romanera and Infanta deposits and proximity to proposed haulageway. View Figure 7 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85dbbb15-9cce-4445-b19b-8de581277bea Background The IBW project and El Cura deposit is located at the westernmost extent of the Spanish Iberian Pyrite Belt near where the belt extends into Portugal. El Cura is mid-way between Emeritas La Romanera and La Infanta Deposits. It lies along the southern of two mineral trends that have been located within the Companys IBW exploration permit, along strike of the Infanta deposit 4km to the east. The Southern Trend continues westward from El Cura for at least another 2km as evidenced by old Roman-era workings and surface mapping and prospecting, parallel to the Northern Trend that hosts La Romanera deposit (Figure 1.) Quality Assurance/Quality Control Drilling at El Cura is HQ size and core is placed into core trays at the drill site and transported directly from the site to Emeritas coreshack (15Km) from El Cura. Once the cores are received at Emerita's coreshack they are photographed and geotechnical logging is performed. Geological, mineralogical and structural logging follows and mineralized zones are identified. The samples are marked every 1m or less, and respecting lithological contacts, with most of the samples 1.0m long. The zone immediately above and below the mineralized zones are also sampled. Core samples are sawed in half and half of the core is returned to the core tray for future reference. Once the core samples are cut, bagged and tagged, they are shipped to the ALS laboratory in Seville by Emerita personnel where sample preparation is done. In Seville, ALS performs the mechanical preparation of the samples and then the pulps are sent to ALS Ireland (ICP) and ALS Romania (fire assay). The analysis at ALS Lab corresponds to the ME-ICPore (19 elements) package, together with the Au-AA23 fire assay (Gold). 10% of the analyzed samples correspond to control samples (fine blanks, coarse blanks, high, medium and low grade standards). In addition, 10% of pulps are reanalyzed at a second independent certified laboratory (AGQ Lab Sevilla). When the analysis is completed, the certificates are received from the laboratory and the QA/QC protocol identifies any deviation or anomaly in the results and the entire batch is reassayed in such case. Once the data is approved by the QA/QC protocol assays are entered digitally directly into the database. Qualified Person Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. About Emerita Resources Corp. Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Companys corporate office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto, Canada. For further information, contact: Ian Parkinson +1 647 910-2500 (Toronto) info@emeritaresources.com www.emeritaresources.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the prospectivity of the IBW project and El Cura, the mineralization and the IBW project and El Cura, the economic viability of the IBW project, the Companys ability to establish a mineral resource estimate at El Cura, the Companys future exploration plans and the Companys future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brixton Metals Corporation (TSX-V: BBB, OTCQB: BBBXF) (the Company or Brixton) is pleased to announce that it has started its maiden drill program at the Cirque Copper Porphyry Target which is located 3km east from the Camp Creek Porphyry discovery on its wholly owned Thorn Project. Highlights of the Cirque Copper Target Cirque is a multi-kilometer copper porphyry target on the Thorn Project Surface exposures of copper mineralization (vein-hosted and disseminated chalcopyrite) have been identified over a 1km by 2km area. Rock and soil geochemistry contain elevated copper, molybdenum and MDRUs Porphyry Index (MPIx) anomalies The target is supported by a large, near-surface magnetic and coincident conductivity geophysical anomaly VP of Exploration, Christina Anstey stated, We are thrilled to launch Brixtons first drill campaign on the Cirque Porphyry Target. Given that porphyry deposits often form in clusters, the proximity of favorable mineralized intrusions to the known Camp Creek Porphyry makes this area particularly promising. The significant intervals of chalcopyrite mineralization observed on the surface, along with coincident geophysical signatures, is very encouraging. Figure 1. Thorn Project, Copper Geochemistry and 2024 Target Areas. Figure 2. Surface Rock Samples from the Cirque Target, assays pending. Sample D132719 showing breccia hosted chalcopyrite mineralization and associated silica-potassium-feldspar alteration. Sample D131511 showing sericite and potassium-feldspar alteration of Windy Table intrusive. Figure 3. BQ sized core from Julian Minings 1965 Cirque Program. Select unanalyzed core containing chalcopyrite and molybdenite in quartz vein. Figure 4. BQ sized core from Julian Minings 1965 Cirque Program. Select unanalyzed core containing disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite. About the Cirque Copper Target Cirque is a copper porphyry target located 3 kilometers east of the Camp Creek Porphyry Target and immediately north of the Outlaw Sediment-hosted Gold Target. The target is defined by a 2km by 1km northwest trending surface copper anomaly with a large portion of the target area covered by glacial alluvium material masking the underlying geology. Late Cretaceous Windy Table volcanic rocks and associated Windy Table Suite Intrusions are host to porphyry-style mineralization and alteration at Cirque. Using the MDRU Porphyry Index (MPIx) on the local soil geochemistry data, a ratio of proximal and distal elements in a copper porphyry system ([(Cu/10) +Mo+(10xW)+(20xSn)]/[ (5xSb)+(20xTl)+Ag+As+Li]), Brixton Metals has outlined a 1km by 2km anomalous area coincident with the Cretaceous intrusion centers, jarosite and goethite anomalies, and mapped pyrite-chalcopyrite occurrences. Quartz-chalcopyrite veins sampled in the area to the northwest of this historic drilling returned 1.6% Cu, 0.11 g/t Au, and 12.75 g/t Ag. Disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization is observed throughout windows of surface outcrop within the overburden and is hosted in both Windy-Table volcanics and associated intrusions. Mineralization coincides with widespread silica-sericite-pyrite alteration zones as well as localized zones of potassium-feldspar and sericite alteration. The broad occurrences of copper mineralization and associated alteration in conjunction with favorable magnetic signatures and anomalous porphyry-index indicators suggest that a potential Cu-Mo porphyry system at Cirque remains untested. Historic drilling in the Cirque area by Julian Mining in 1965 intercepted sporadic copper mineralization throughout thirteen shallow holes where limited select sections of core were analyzed for copper and molybdenum only. Some of the unsampled core hosted disseminated and vein hosted chalcopyrite. Qualified Person (QP) Mr. Corey A. James, P.Geo., is a Senior Project Geologist for the Company who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. James has verified the referenced data disclosed in this press release and has approved the technical information presented herein. About Brixton Metals Corporation Brixton Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on the advancement of its mining projects. Brixton wholly owns four exploration projects: Brixtons flagship Thorn copper-gold-silver-molybdenum Project, the Hog Heaven copper-silver-gold Project in NW Montana, USA, which is optioned to Ivanhoe Electric Inc., the Langis-HudBay silver-cobalt-nickel Project in Ontario and the Atlin Goldfields Project located in northwest BC. Brixton Metals Corporation shares trade on the TSX-V under the ticker symbol BBB, and on the OTCQB under the ticker symbol BBBXF. For more information about Brixton, please visit our website at www.brixtonmetals.com . On Behalf of the Board of Directors Mr. Gary R. Thompson, Chairman and CEO For Investor Relations inquiries please contact: Mr. Michael Rapsch, Senior Manager, Investor Relations: email: michael.rapsch@brixtonmetals.com or call Tel: 604-630-9707 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, and intend, statements that an action or event may, might, could, should, or will be taken or occur, including statements that address potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size and expansion of a mineralized zone, proposed timing of exploration and development plans, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in the annual information form of the Company or other reports and filings with the TSXV and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Links: https://brixtonmetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-10.png https://brixtonmetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-11.png https://brixtonmetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-12.png https://brixtonmetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-13.png Technologically advanced factory will increase production of Furse earthing and lightning protection solutions, used in more than 20 countries Expands ABBs manufacturing capabilities in Europe to help meet demand for electrical protection systems that safeguard buildings, wind turbines, data centers and critical infrastructure ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightning strikes and electrical surges disrupt critical operations and cause billions of dollars in damage to structures and equipment each year. With growing reliance on electronics and data centers, ABB is investing more than $35 million (27 million), in a greenfield facility in Nottingham, United Kingdom, to meet increased demand for Furse earthing and lightning protection solutions. The new state-of-the-art site is expected to open in early 2025 and will integrate advanced technology, flexible automation, R&D and testing, and digital processes to boost production capacity and enhance efficiency and sustainability. More than 100 employees will relocate to the new 9,500 m2 facility from the existing 6,300 m2 ABB Installation Products Nottingham foundry, which has continually operated for over a century in the area where Furse originated in 1893. In addition to an expanded footprint, the site will be constructed in line with the BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainable building standards and include efficient equipment and technology, photovoltaic rooftop cells, electric vehicle charging stations, and processes centered on reducing waste and energy. The space will be designed to support collaboration and training, accelerate R&D, and drive automation to serve European customers and increase available inventory globally. Worldwide, an estimated 1.4 billion lightning flashes occur annually, equal to over 42 strikes each second. Even indirect lightning strikes up to a kilometer away can create transient overvoltages and have devastating consequences such as fire, shock hazards, equipment damage and costly outages, resulting in downtime and financial losses. Furse solutions from ABB Installation Products are engineered to provide reliable earthing, lightning risk, and electronic systems and surge protection, helping safeguard structures and the electrical systems within. The products are used in more than 20 countries across a broad range of applications and environments, from data centers and medical facilities to essential infrastructure, utilities and renewable energy. This important investment builds on 130 years of Furse technology, enabling us to remain at the forefront of earthing and lightning protection and deliver solutions that improve safety and reliability for our customers. As part of our global growth strategy, we continue to expand our capabilities and capacity, further strengthening ABBs manufacturing footprint and supply chain and regionalizing production of high-demand electrical solutions customers, installers and distribution partners need, said Khalid Mandri, President, ABB Installation Products Division. Building this site in Nottinghamshire further reinforces our commitment to the industries we serve and to the community where we have operated for more than a century and want to continue to be a leading employer. The U.K. investment adds to more than $165 million in ABB Installation Products global expansions and improvements since 2020 to increase manufacturing capacity, drive innovation and sustainability, and bring needed products closer to customers. ABB Installation Products currently has six locations in Europe in Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K. where it employs more than 100 associates in Nottingham who develop, test and produce a broad range of Furse solutions. The new campus will occupy nearly five acres in Fairham Business Park, within close proximity of ABBs existing Wilford Road site and is accessible for employees, customers, suppliers and distribution partners. We are continually advancing solutions across electrification, and the earthing and lightning protection lifecycle. Our new facility is a leap forward in design and technology, positioning us for the future while enabling us to preserve resources and reduce energy and water consumption aligned with circularity and sustainability priorities across ABBs operations, stated Andrea Castella, Europe Region Leader, ABB Installation Products. Building on its long history of pioneering in electrification, ABB Installation Products creates solutions to safely connect and protect electrical systems that power businesses, cities, homes and transportation. With more than 200,000 products under 38 premium brand names, ABB Installation Products, formerly Thomas & Betts, solutions are found wherever electricity is used around the world and in space. ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The companys solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on over 140 years of excellence, ABBs more than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com Attachment Charleston, SC, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new revenge thriller, Collective Vengeance, brings readers of political suspense and mystery a tantalizing mix of dark secrets, high stakes, and shocking twists. A web of conspiracies, unexpected alliances, and a dash of romance await readers in this gripping piece of contemporary fiction. Samantha Mieras, a New York private equity specialist, seeks to expose the sinister motives of a privilege-minded organization, Aegis, and thwart the swearing-in of their Supreme Court nominee, David Jaymes. Together with a pardoned felon, Jack Gallagher, Samantha accuses David of raping and impregnating her when she was a sixteen-year-old minor, more than 27 years previously. Taking down David and Aegis proves to be a dangerous enterprise, and enemies lurk in the shadows. Samantha and Jack must confront their own demons, as well as their growing attraction to one another. Will their pursuit of vengeance cost them their lives? Collective Vengeance will appeal to fans of James Pattersons fast-paced and character-focused style. Readers who enjoy fiction that initiates intriguing discussions about current events and controversial topics will enjoy Collective Vengeances bold venture into political discourse. Collective Vengeance is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of his social media platforms. Facebook: @JosephStanleyWrites Website: http://www.stanleywrites.com/ About the Author: Joseph Stanley was born in January 1946. He served five years in the army, with two years in Vietnam, and is proud to have come home in one piece and of sound mind. After completing his military service, he worked in medical sales and sales management, eventually becoming an independent entrepreneur who established a nationwide consulting company. He spent 35 years conducting seminars throughout the country. After retirement, he battled depression, which started his journey into writing fiction. Attachment BOCA RATON, Fla., June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xeriant, Inc. (OTCQB: XERI) (Xeriant or the Company), a company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of aerospace technologies and advanced materials, provided an update on the production and certification of its eco-friendly NEXBOARD construction panels. Over the past several months, Xeriant executed its second successful pilot production run of its full-size 4x8 panels using a U.S. contract manufacturer, which was designated for testing and to provide samples to national homebuilders. Following dozens of internal and third-party tests, the Company has greatly improved the panels properties, and is now finalizing critical modifications to the filler composition to improve the panels weight and rigidity. The third NEXBOARD pilot production run of its full-size 4x8 panels, scheduled for mid-July, will be monitored and documented by one of the leading accredited testing and certification agencies. The next major milestone, which the Company has been diligently working toward, will be passing the 15-minute NFPA 286 corner room test, an extremely demanding fire test used to evaluate fire safety performance related to flame spread, smoke production and heat release. Pending NEXBOARDs NFPA 286 certification, the Company will begin the commercial phase of production via a contract manufacturer followed by the financing and buildout of multiple large-scale manufacturing centers strategically located throughout the U.S. to meet the needs of its current clients. A couple of weeks ago, our quarter inch thick 4x8 NEXBOARD construction panels completed an 11-minute NFPA 286 trial test that was requested by a national homebuilder who was pleased with the results. This first 286 test provided valuable data needed to refine the panels composition to meet specific code requirements and achieve certification. We are confident that NEXBOARD will meet the highest building standards in the U.S. for their prescribed applications, commented Keith Duffy, CEO of Xeriant. A top White House economist recently announced the federal governments goal of creating two million affordable homes in an ambitious program to address the national housing crisis. With Xeriants eco-friendly NEXBOARD on the verge of certification, production, and commercialization, the Company is well-positioned to play a leading role in this national effort. NEXBOARD is at the forefront of the rapidly growing green construction materials market, projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2032 according to Fortune Business Insights. The robust development of next-generation building products is driven by the need for eco-friendly alternatives that address unsustainable environmental trends, as well as the pursuit of greater durability and longevity compared with current conventional products. The construction industry uses about 60 percent of all natural resources, either directly or indirectly (The Constructor), while contributing about 33 percent of waste (International Solid Waste Association) and 40 percent of CO2 emissions (World Economic Forum). About Xeriant, Inc. Xeriant, Inc. is a holding and operating company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of advanced materials and technology related to next generation air and spacecraft, which can be successfully integrated and commercialized for deployment across multiple industrial sectors. We seek to partner with and acquire strategic interests in visionary companies that accelerate this mission. Xeriants advanced materials line is marketed under the DUREVER brand, and includes NEXBOARD, an eco-friendly, patent-pending composite construction panel made from plastic and fiber waste, designed to replace products such as drywall, plywood, OSB, MDF, MgO board and other materials used in construction. Xeriant is located at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida adjacent to the Boca Raton Airport. For more information, please go to www.xeriant.com SAFE HARBOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS In connection with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Xeriant, Inc. is hereby providing cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements (as defined in such act). Any statements that are not historical facts and that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, indicated through the use of words or phrases such as will likely result, are expected to, will continue, is anticipated, estimated, intends, plans, believes and projects) may be forward-looking and may involve estimates and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, our expectations concerning our ability to attract investors. We caution that the factors described herein could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make, and investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale. Xeriant, Inc. Investor Relations Dept. (561) 491-9595 IR@xeriant.com Xeriant.com CALGARY, Alberta, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iON United Inc. (iON), a leading cybersecurity solutions provider in Canada, is pleased to announce the launch of iON Guardian, an innovative platform designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with comprehensive and streamlined cybersecurity management. This launch marks iONs significant expansion into the SMB market. "We recognize that small businesses face unique challenges such as limited budgets and access to technical expertise, making it difficult for many to implement effective cybersecurity measures and leaving them vulnerable," said Kevin Banks, Chief Operating Officer at iON. "Were proud that this new multilayered security platform, iON Guardian, will address these challenges, providing SMBs with effective and affordable protection." iON Guardian is based on the unified, AI-powered cybersecurity solution from Guardz. This exclusive partnership with iON marks the expansion of Guardz into the Canadian market. Partnering with iON represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to empower MSPs and IT professionals with innovative cybersecurity solutions, said Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz. Were excited to combine our innovative, AI-powered technology with iON's local network and market understanding to help ensure a safer digital world for Canadian small businesses. With 40% of Canadian businesses having fallen victim to cyber-attacks, the necessity for robust, effective cybersecurity measures for SMBs is more pressing than ever. Utilizing innovative technology, iON Guardian simplifies and streamlines security operations with nine security controls to safeguard digital assets, users, email communications, endpoints, and cloud environments all in one platform. The platform is built around an AI-powered incident management and remediation workflow to maintain a low total cost of ownership, while using all of the available protection. "Over the past 21 years, iON has earned the trust of Canadas largest enterprises as a premier cybersecurity partner. With the launch of iON Guardian, we are leveraging our extensive experience to better serve the cybersecurity needs of the small businesses that are essential to Canadas economy," Banks stated. "We are proud to equip these businesses with proactive cybersecurity measures that safeguard their digital assets, providing them with peace of mind." About iON iON United Inc., a Fulcrum IT Partners Company, is one of Canadas most trusted cybersecurity solution providers. Founded in 2003, our experienced team delivers best-in-class advisory, technology, and managed services for securing IT, OT, and cloud environments. With consecutive year-over-year growth, we cultivate deep, impactful relationships by enabling organizations to make informed risk management decisions through our collaborative approach. Recognized by Canadian Business magazine six times and The Globe and Mail in 2021, iON continues to build and support a customer community on the leading edge of technology. Our commitment to cultivating a culture of performance and accountability has earned us a renowned reputation and continues to attract Canadas best talent while working alongside the nations top clients. Our focus on cybersecurity allows the organizations we partner with to maintain their focus on growing the business, We protect the brands you know. To learn more about iON, visit ionunited.com . About Guardz Guardz is an AI-powered, unified cybersecurity platform that empowers MSPs to secure and insure SMBs against ever-evolving threats such as account compromise, phishing, ransomware, data loss, and user risks by leveraging AI in a multilayered approach. The solution streamlines cybersecurity with its automated detection and response capabilities across users, emails, devices, data, and cloud apps, all from a single pane of glass. By combining robust cybersecurity technology and deep insurance expertise, Guardz ensures that businesses security is consistently monitored, managed, and optimized to prevent the next attack and mitigate the risk. Guardz was founded by Dor Eisner and Alon Lavi along with a team of cyber and insurance experts who combine innovation, experience, and creativity to create a safer digital world for small businesses. For media inquiries, please contact: Nicole Waffle, Director of Marketing iON United Inc. nicole.waffle@ionunited.com 1.587.770.1307 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5eb743b9-eaa1-4ac4-a1d3-f0e8ade14faa TORONTO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beaver Bitcoin, Canadas fastest growing Bitcoin-only company, is celebrating a phenomenal year of growth. In its second year of operation, the company has already achieved $1.6 million in bitcoin sales and is on track to hit $3.6 million by the end of the year, marking a potential 200% increase compared to their first year. This remarkable success underscores Beavers mission to make Bitcoin accessible to more Canadians. Were content with the growth but our vision is bigger, said Aubrey Jesseau, CEO and founder of Beaver. Our engineers are world class and weve built this platform to scale. Jesseau adds, Beaver is here for all Canadians. We believe everyone should be learning about money and learning about Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a solution, but only if you understand the problem. Our dollars are broken and no one is coming to save you. A key driver of the companys growth has been the expansion of Beaver Bitcoin's premium offering, Beaver Plaid, a service for Canadians making larger bitcoin purchases . Beaver Plaid now includes an option for an in-home visit, offering two hours of Bitcoin education, a Jade hardware wallet from Blockstream, a steel seed phrase backup, wallet setup and walkthrough, and payment method recommendations tailored to the client's bank and purchase amount. This personalised service is available to clients in southwestern Ontario, from Toronto to London, ensuring they receive comprehensive support on their Bitcoin journey. The company has seen additional growth in the form of organic website traffic as a result of their focus on Bitcoin education. Resources such as an educational Bitcoin price page for tracking the Bitcoin price in CAD , a guide on how to buy Bitcoin in Canada , and recommendations for the best Bitcoin wallets have been instrumental in driving traffic to the Beaver website . To further enhance user engagement and expand its customer base, Beaver Bitcoin recently launched a new referral program . This program, which pays out via Bitcoins Lightning network, is open to everyone, regardless of location, and does not require a Beaver account. Looking ahead, Beaver has an ambitious roadmap, including nationwide expansion of its in-home Plaid offering, support for Bitcoins layer two Liquid and Lightning networks, the ability to sell Bitcoin, and a robust affiliate program for enterprise partners. To learn more, visit beaverbitcoin.com. About Beaver Bitcoin Beaver Bitcoin is an easy way for Canadians to buy bitcoin. Bitcoin purchases can be made instantly via Interac e-Transfer or set up as a recurring buy order from a bank account. Large bitcoin purchases can be made seamlessly via multiple payment methods with personalised guidance from Beaver. Media inquiries For media inquiries please contact press@beaverbitcoin.com. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d1481e0-9c46-4da4-934e-5cc7c2779d6a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8c1ac00-05e6-483d-93c6-613d4b544961 Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Allergic Conjunctivitis Market Report by Disease Type, Drug class, Distribution Channel, Countries and Company Analysis, 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Allergic Conjunctivitis Market is expected to reach US$ 2.40 Billion by 2032 from US$ 1.96 Billion in 2023, with a CAGR of 2.27% during 2024-2032. Allergic conjunctivitis is an often under diagnosed and undertreated health problem because very few patients with allergic conjunctivitis symptoms seek medical attention, whereas most patients manage with over-the-counter medications and complementary no pharmacological remedies. The rising incidence of hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is expected to drive the demand for conjunctivitis treatment, thereby contributing to market growth. Increase in patient population of allergic conjunctivitis worldwide and escalating demand for healthcare services is expected to majorly drive the market growth. In addition, many key market players are focusing on R&D activities to develop drugs for allergic conjunctivitis as patient population is increasing, which also drives the allergic conjunctivitis market growth. As per the Nature article published in April 2022, approximately 10% of the sample population had allergic conjunctivitis. In India, the prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis was 12.22% among those aged between five and 15 years. Also, the NCBI article published in January 2021 mentioned that more than half of the patients report daily symptoms as seasonal or perennial and around 75% consider their symptoms to be severe. The same source also mentioned that there were between 1.2 and 10.6 cases of vernal keratoconjunctivitis per 10,000 individuals in Europe. Such incidence of allergic conjunctivitis is expected to drive the demand for effective treatment, contributing to the growth of the studied segment. Furthermore, rise in exposure to pollutants and chemicals causes allergic conjunctivitis and is also expected to propel the allergic conjunctivitis market forecast. However, adverse reaction of allergic conjunctivitis medications can impede the growth of the market. Conversely, increase in awareness about the disease creates allergic conjunctivitis market opportunity for the key players to invest. North America allergic conjunctivitis market North America is expected to dominate the market, owing to factors such as the easy availability of effective treatment products and high awareness among consumers regarding conjunctivitis in the region. As per the National Library Medicine article published in February 2020, conjunctivitis affects more than 6 million people across the United States every year. The estimated cost for the disease is around USD 377 million to USD 857 million per year. Conjunctivitis is found to be the most frequent disease in the country and affects 15% to 40% of the population, and is seen frequently in spring and summer. Also, the NCBI article published in January 2021 mentioned that seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis is the most prevalent form of allergic conjunctivitis, with more than 95% of ocular allergy cases in the United States. It is observed in both sexes and affects between 15% and 40% of the population. Such prevalence of conjunctivitis in the United States is expected to drive the demand for effective treatment, thereby contributing to the market's growth during the forecast period. Due to better healthcare services and the high number of people suffering from conjunctivitis in the United States, the market is expected to hold the largest share shortly. Also, the high prevalence of conjunctivitis in Canada is expected to contribute to the market's growth over the forecast period. As per the BMC article published in October 2022, it is estimated that 21% of Canadians have dry eyes. Such prevalence of conjunctivitis is expected to contribute to market growth in Canada. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 200 Forecast Period 2023 - 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.96 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $2.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.2% Regions Covered Global Allergic Conjunctivitis Competitive Analysis The Allergic conjunctivitis competitive landscape includes an analysis of global and local companies which hold market shares and are well known, including Ajanta Pharma Limited Akorn Operating Company LLC Alembic Pharmaceutical Ltd. Cipla Inc. Indoco Remedies Ltd. Johnson & Johnson Novartis AG Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Disease Types - Global Allergic Conjunctivitis Market is divided into 2 viewpoints Seasonal ALLERGIC Conjunctivitis (SAC) Perennial Allergic Conjunctivitis (PAC) Drugs Class - Global Allergic Conjunctivitis Market is divided into 3 viewpoints Antihistamines & Mast Cell Stabilizers Corticosteroids Others Distribution Channels - Global Allergic Conjunctivitis Market is divided into 4 viewpoints Hospital Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies & Drug Stores Others Countries - Market is divided into 25 country Allergic Conjunctivitis Industry North America United States Canada Europe France Germany Italy Spain United Kingdom Belgium Netherlands Turkey Asia Pacific China Japan India Australia South Korea Thailand Malaysia Indonesia New Zealand Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3r3i72 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Javelin Strategy & Research released the 2024 editions of its annual Mobile Banking Scorecard and Online Banking Scorecard, with U.S. Bank earning Best in Class in both scorecards and ending Bank of Americas six-year reign atop both scorecards. The 2024 Scorecards highlight the growing importance to consumers of an intuitive experience and secure digital access to manage their accounts. Together, ease of use and security drive the majority of consumers satisfaction with digital banking, according to Javelins analysis of 10,119 consumers surveyed in May. U.S. Bank had been gaining on Bank of America for several years, and steady upgrades to its digital experiences resulted in the banks first Best in Class designations. The runners-up were the same in both channels, with Bank of America finishing second and Wells Fargo capturing third. A growing functional gap among leading banks demonstrates the importance of paying attention to security and ease of use in digital banking. Consumer sentiment is clear: An app loaded with features wont cut it if it isnt secure and makes it hard to find to find what you need, said Emmett Higdon, Director of Digital Banking at Javelin. Even top financial institutions have a long way to go to deliver. Javelins scorecards evaluate more than 230 criteria in each channel at 20 of the largest retail financial institutions in the United States, providing the industrys most detailed and strategic benchmark of evolving digital banking experiences. Key takeaways that Javelins analysts noted in this years scorecards include: Banks continue to struggle with high-engagement basics, including improving transaction ledgers for quick oversight, providing timely insights into accounts, and encouraging deeper exploration through search or chat bots. Top FIs are more proactively engaging customers in the fight against fraud, exemplified by the development of prominent, feature-rich security centers and recurring email marketing campaigns. While chatbots have become a default in mobile banking, with all but three top 20 banks now supporting one, few are supporting more than simple FAQ-like responses to customer inquiries. Consumers complain loudly about mobile deposit functionality that continues to suffer from three lingering issues: deposit limits that are too low, delayed access to funds, and uncertainty about when funds will be available. Financial Fitness remains the industrys weakest-performing category because half of top-20 FIs are essentially watching from the sidelines and missing opportunities to evolve from do-it-yourself to help-me-do it engagement. Javelins scorecards focus on six functional categories: Ease of Use, Security Empowerment, Money Movement, Financial Fitness, Customer Service, and, new this year, Relationship Deepening. Every bank and credit union is hunting for ways to turn glance-and-go digital activity into deeper relationships, said Mark Schwanhausser, Director of the Digital Banking. This new category underscores the importance of engaging customers beyond transactions with features that boost awareness and usage of digital features, build loyalty, and continually bolster primary-FI status long after the account is opened. For more information on the Mobile Banking Scorecard and Online Banking Scorecard, visit javelinstrategy.com. About Javelin Strategy & Research Javelin Strategy & Research, part of the Escalent family, helps its clients make informed decisions in a digital financial world. It provides strategic insights to financial institutions including banks, credit unions, brokerages and insurers, as well as payments companies, technology providers, fintechs and government agencies. Javelins independent insights result from a rigorous research process that assesses consumers, businesses, providers, and the transactions ecosystem. It conducts in-depth primary research studies to pinpoint dynamic risks and opportunities in digital banking, payments, fraud & security, lending, and wealth management. Learn more at javelinstrategy.com. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e9ed568b-d67b-4eb3-912b-35f93ef0cbab OKLAHOMA CITY, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) today announced it will report second-quarter 2024 results on Tuesday, Aug. 6, after the close of U.S. financial markets. The earnings release and presentation for the second-quarter 2024 results will be available on the companys website at www.devonenergy.com. On Wednesday, Aug. 7, the company will hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time), which will consist primarily of answers to questions from analysts and investors. A webcast link to the conference call will be provided on Devons website at www.devonenergy.com. A replay will be available on the website following the call. ABOUT DEVON ENERGY Devon Energy is a leading oil and gas producer in the U.S. with a premier multi-basin portfolio headlined by a world-class acreage position in the Delaware Basin. Devons disciplined cash-return business model is designed to achieve strong returns, generate free cash flow and return capital to shareholders, while focusing on safe and sustainable operations. For more information, please visit www.devonenergy.com. Investor Contacts Media Contact Scott Coody, 405-552-4735 Brooke Baum, 405-552-3448 Chris Carr, 405-228-2496 TAMPA, FL, USA, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BST Global, a provider of AI-powered project intelligence solutions for the architecture, engineering and consulting (AEC) industry, announced new products and product enhancements during their BST Global PowerUp 2024 Users Conference, which took place in Clearwater Beach, FL, May 2024. The announcement included: BST Insights: BST Global announced that its industry-first, predictive insights tool for project and operations managers, which is powered by AI and machine learning, is now available for BST11 and can complement ERP systems like Deltek, Oracle and others. BST Global also demonstrated how it plans to leverage BST Insights in concert with the generative AI capabilities of Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft Power BI. Audere: The leading cloud-based and consumer-grade resource management tool for the AEC industry introduced a premium offering, which allows users to seamlessly connect not only with BST11, but also with ERP systems such as Deltek, Oracle and others. This new premium offering complements Auderes team-based offering and will be released later this summer. BST Connect: A new product in BST Globals project intelligence portfolio, BST Connect empowers citizen and professional developers to seamlessly connect business applications with Azure Logic Apps, drive process automation and efficiency with Power Automate, and embrace low-code/no-code development with Power Apps. BST11 has embraced the Microsoft Azure Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), allowing users to easily connect BST Global products to other common business applications. BST11 ERP & BST11 Work Management: BST Global introduced the latest iterations of their BST11 ERP and BST11 Work Management offerings with updated features and capabilities. Besides enhancing the overall BST11 ERP experience, these new functionalities allow BST11 Work Management to seamlessly connect to leading ERP systems, mitigating change management while empowering project teams: The Project app for both offerings now includes Earned Value Management (EVM), so project managers can plan projects, adjust budgets and update earned value all in a consumer-grade experience, improving visibility of project performance and driving better outcomes. Both offerings now integrate with Resource Management powered by Audere. The cloud-based offering allows project managers, resource managers and project team members to collaborate on the delivery of projects, and is now fully integrated with BST11 to drive efficiency and visibility across the entire project team. Both offerings now leverage BST Connect: Our standard offering enables citizen developers using BST11 ERP to connect, automate, and develop business apps and streamline business processes using low-code/no-code Microsoft Power Automate and Power Apps. Building on the capabilities of the BST Connect standard offering, our premium offering empowers professional developers to integrate directly with BST11 ERP and BST11 Work Management in real-time using Microsoft Logic Apps, REST APIs, webhooks and Azure Service Bus. The new BST11 ERP Billing app lets project managers review and approve prebills on their mobile phones, tablets and desktop environments in a consumer-grade experience, driving efficiency across the billing process and improving cash flow. This app will officially be released later this summer. This product announcement is part of BST Globals broader vision to deliver project Intelligence to the global AEC industry by complementing existing ERP system investments. BST Globals strategy is as follows: AI-Powered Data + Insights for All Connect It All Automate It All Development for All Embraced by All, by Design Im thrilled to bring these new products and capabilities to the AEC industry as part of our ongoing commitment to help consultancies around the world thrive, said Debbie Preacher, BST Globals Chief Product Officer. We are confident that these new offerings will help firms embrace AI and leverage leading technology to advance their digital transformation journey. The BST Global PowerUp 2024 Users Conference was the perfect opportunity for BST Global clients to come together from all over the world to learn, connect and get inspired. Hosted at the beautiful Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL, this event featured dozens of educational breakout sessions, hands-on labs, operations forums, networking opportunities and more. The agenda included a wide range of topics like BST10, BST11, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, future product releases and capabilities, and new product announcements like this one. BST GLOBAL BST Global designs, develops and deploys the AEC industrys first suite of AI-powered project intelligence solutions. Beyond our flagship ERP offering, we provide work management, predictive insights and resource management solutions to complement a firms existing ERP. More than 120,000 architects, engineers and consultants in 65 countries across six continents rely on BST Globals solutions each day to successfully manage their projects, resources, finances and client relationships. With unrivaled industry knowledge, BST Global serves as a trusted partner to its loyal clients and remains at the forefront of innovation. For more information, visit www.BSTGlobal.com. Attachment Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Thailand Legal Cannabis Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Source (Hemp, Marijuana), Derivatives (CBD, THC), Cultivation (Indoor Cultivation, Greenhouse Cultivation), End-use (Industrial Use, Medical Use), and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Thailand legal cannabis market size is expected to reach USD 7.10 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 32.5% from 2024 to 2030 Factors such as cannabis legalization and its growing usage for medical purposes are driving the market growth. Furthermore, growing CBD-related R&D activities by government organizations, NGOs, private companies, and universities and rising government initiatives to boost the incorporation of cannabis into various industries further fuel market growth. Cannabis extracts are generally used for the treatment of various conditions, such as mental disorders, cancer, pain management, & nausea, and for recreational purposes, such as vaping. Moreover, the demand for cannabis oils and tinctures for medical uses is increasing owing to social stigma related to the smoking of cannabis buds. For instance, in January 2020, in a suburb of Bangkok, approximately 400 patients, including cancer patients, were provided cannabis oil at a flagship clinic for free at the Public Health Ministry. Furthermore, a surge in social acceptance of CBD for its therapeutic applications, an increasing number of product launches, rising disposable income of the country, and increasing healthcare expenditure are key factors fueling the business growth. For instance, in June 2022, Lifestar Company Limited, a Thai firm and subsidiary of RS Group, launched a CBD Krill Oil supplement for knee pain, which includes essential vitamins and minerals. Thailand is experiencing a rising demand for cannabis tourism, leading to an increase in the availability of cannabis-themed tours and activities. These tours allow tourists to understand about the history, cultivation, and processing of cannabis in the country. From visiting cannabis farms and exploring traditional Thai herbal medicine to attending cannabis cooking classes, there are plenty of opportunities for tourists, which drives the market growth. Thailand Legal Cannabis Market Report Highlights By source, the hemp segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2023 due to its high nutritional value and increased usage in the textile and non-textiles industries. By cultivation, the indoor cultivation segment dominated the market in 2023, owing to technological advancements & innovations, rising investments, favorable government initiatives, and regulatory framework. By derivatives, the CBD segment dominated the market with the largest revenue share in 2023 and is expected to register the fastest growth over the forecast period owing to the use of CBD to treat various conditions, such as cancer, mental disorders, and arthritis. By end use, the industrial use segment held the largest market share in 2023 due to increased usage of cannabis in oil production, personal care, food & beverages, and animal feed industries and paper, building materials, and home insulation materials. Industry Dynamics Market Driver Analysis Growing Adoption of Cannabis for Treatment of Chronic Diseases Growing Demand for CBD-based Products Increasing Preference for Cannabis Extracts such as Oils and Tinctures Rising Number of Cannabis Farms or Cultivators in Thailand Due to Legalization Rise in Business Expansion Strategies to Enter Thailand Cannabis Market Structured Regulatory Framework and Supportive Reimbursement Policies Market Restraint Analysis Introduction of a Bill to Amend the Current Cannabis Legislation to Ban Its Recreational Use Business Environment Analysis Industry Analysis - Porter's Five Forces PESTLE Analysis Regulatory Landscape Companies Featured PharmaHemp Tilray Brands Canopy Growth Corporation Medipharm Labs Epic Systems Corporation Cresco Labs Extractas BOL Pharma Elixinol Dr. CBD Innovation Center SAPPE Osotspa Public Company Limited For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2pxjlc About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. New York, NY, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that highly regarded white-collar lawyer Andrey Spektora former Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New Yorkhas joined its New York office. A partner in the firms regulatory, investigations, securities and compliance practice, Andrey arrives with senior associate Ashley Spechler in New York and associate Jamison Winters in St. Louis. Andrey represents companies, boards of directors and individuals in criminal actions, government inquiries, civil enforcement proceedings, complex commercial litigation and appeals. He helps clients navigate criminal and civil investigations, including those initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state authorities, or those stemming from whistleblower complaints and workplace misconduct. Andrey also works with clients to design, enhance and implement risk-based compliance programs. Last month, Andrey obtained an unprecedented resolution for a subsidiary of an international biopharmaceutical company. The DOJs National Security Division issued a first-ever declination, imposing no fines, penalties or disgorgement for a long-running, multimillion-dollar scheme perpetrated by one of the companys employees. The public declinationannounced by the Deputy Attorney General through an exclusive interview with the Financial Times and subsequent DOJ press releasehas been widely covered by national news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal. Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Managing Partner, said: Our investigations team has grown significantly over the last four years, assembling an impressive roster that uniquely positions us to advise clients on regulatory issues in the US and globally. Andrey is an accomplished litigator with a track record of elite client service, and I am pleased to welcome him and the team to the firm. Sandeep Savla, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Co-Head of Regulatory, Investigations, Securities and Compliance, commented: Andrey has notable courtroom credentials and valuable government experience that we know our clients appreciate. I am delighted by the recent outstanding additions to our regulatory, investigations, securities and compliance practice, which now has more than 60 lawyers in the US, and I look forward to collaborating with Andrey, Ashley and Jamison. In his former role as Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, Andrey conducted nine jury trials, proving allegations of bribery, tax fraud, wire fraud, making false statements and racketeering. He also argued 15 appeals to the US Court of Appeals. Andrey is particularly familiar with the healthcare, financial services, energy, securities and technology industries and has significant experience in investigations involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), cryptocurrency-related offenses and alleged financial crimes. Andrey, who joins from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, said: The breadth of Norton Rose Fulbrights investigations practice is impressive and I am excited to join such a talented group of lawyers. I have deep roots in New York and also advise clients in jurisdictions all over the world, so the firms New York strength and global reach will be greatly beneficial to my practice. Andrey joins after the recent addition of a 12-lawyer investigations team from the same firm, including partners Jeff Kalinowski, Eric Martin and Jeff Ziesman in St. Louis and Laura Perlov in Denver. The firms regulatory, investigations, securities and compliance practice has roughly doubled in the US over the last four years to 62 lawyers, with 12 of its 24 partners joining since 2021. Licensed in New York, Andrey received his law degree from the University of Michigan and his bachelors degree from Cornell University. Norton Rose Fulbright Norton Rose Fulbright provides a full scope of legal services to the worlds preeminent corporations and financial institutions. The global law firm has more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across more than 50 locations worldwide, including Houston, New York, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg, covering the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. With its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its client service in key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. For more information, visit nortonrosefulbright.com. Attachment Dublin, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. Ambulatory Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Primary Care Offices, Outpatient Departments, Emergency Departments, Surgical Specialty, Medical Specialty), and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The U.S. ambulatory services market size is anticipated to reach USD 417.8 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 5.38% from 2024 to 2030 Ambulatory services are generally more cost-effective than inpatient care, making them an attractive option for patients and insurance providers. Advances in medical technology have enabled the development of minimally invasive procedures, point-of-care diagnostics, and telemedicine, which have significantly improved the accessibility and quality of ambulatory care services. Ambulatory services often prioritize patient-centered care, focusing on the individual's needs, preferences, and overall well-being. This patient-centric approach has gained popularity among patients and healthcare providers alike, driving the growth of the market. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, has created a need for ongoing ambulatory care services to manage these conditions effectively. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in May 2023, Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. that in turn, drives the market growth. U.S. Ambulatory Services Market Report Highlights Based on type, primary care offices dominated the market with more than 48% share in 2023 owing to improved quality of care and application of advanced technologies involved in the segment The surgical specialty segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period Sedentary lifestyle, increasing incidences of chronic disorders and the increase in the aging population are contributing to the growing demand of ambulatory services Market players operating in U.S. ambulatory services market include Envision Healthcare Corporation, Surgery Partners, NueHealth, Terveystalo Healthcare, Aspen Healthcare, AQuity Solutions In May 2022, USA Health announced the start of the construction of USA Health's ambulatory surgery center in Baldwin County. This resulted in making patients receive outpatient surgery more efficiently. Company Profiles Envision Healthcare Corporation Surgery Partners NueHealth (Nueterra Healthcare) Terveystalo Healthcare Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Management Services, L.P Aspen Healthcare Healthway Medical Group Medical Facilities Corporation AQuity Solutions Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 80 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $289.5 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $417.8 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.3% Regions Covered United States Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. U.S. Ambulatory Services Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook 3.1.2. Related/ancillary Market Outlook 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.3. U.S. Ambulatory Services Market Analysis Tools 3.3.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's 3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis Chapter 4. U.S. Ambulatory Services Market: Type Estimates & Trend Analysis 4.1. Type Market Share, 2023 & 2030 4.2. Segment Dashboard 4.3. U.S. Ambulatory Services Market by Type Outlook 4.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 4.4.1. Primary Care Offices 4.4.2. Outpatient Departments 4.4.3. Surgical Specialty 4.4.3.1. Ophthalmology 4.4.3.2. Orthopedics 4.4.3.3. Gastroenterology 4.4.3.4. Pain Management 4.4.3.5. Plastic Surgery 4.4.5. Medical Specialty Chapter 5. Competitive Landscape 5.1. Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, by Key Market Participants 5.2. Company/Competition Categorization 5.3. Vendor Landscape 5.3.1. List of Key Distributors and Channel Partners 5.3.2. Key Customers 5.3.3. Key Company Heat Map Analysis, 2023 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dvc8up About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dallas, Texas, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parker University leads the way in patient-centric collaborative and conservative healthcare education, clinical practice, research, and service and is known worldwide for its prestigious chiropractic, graduate, undergraduate programs, and professional training. Parker University students confidently pursue successful careers in higher health as industry leaders. Throughout 2024, Parker University will proudly continue to introduce several new programs, certificate opportunities, and professional training. Master of Science in Interprofessional Spine Management (online) The Parker University Master of Science in Interprofessional Spine Management is designed for health professionals who already have a bachelors degree and are interested in coordinating spine care from primary care to the specialty level. This curriculum includes courses in epidemiology, neuroscience, advanced imaging including CT and MRI, principles of interventional pain management, and surgical techniques, with an emphasis on the coordination of non-operative spine care. EKG Technician Professional Training (online/on campus) Parker Universitys courses in electrocardiography educate students to be a vital part of a real-life cardiovascular healthcare team. An EKG technician specializes in conducting tests to evaluate a patients cardiovascular health by employing specialized equipment to measure the hearts electrical activity. EKG technicians perform diagnostic tests and aid physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac conditions. Students will be able to take advantage of a focused curriculum with personalized instructor attention to obtain this certification. Master of Science in Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health and Performance (online) Parker Universitys Master of Science in Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health and Performance is designed for current and future health professionals seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in the evaluation, assessment, and interventions related to musculoskeletal concerns in the pediatric population. The degree focuses on pediatric physiology, biomechanics, evidence-based interventions for acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, nutrition-related concerns, and health trajectories in pediatrics. Please visit parker.edu to learn more about Parker University and obtain enrollment details for these exciting new programs. About Parker University Parker University, the fourth-fastest growing college in Texas and the fastest-growing college in Dallas, was founded in 1982 by Dr. James William Parker (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic). Today, Parker University has more than 2,100 students and more than 35 academic programs, including its famed chiropractic program, as well as masters degrees in clinical neuroscience, strength and human performance, and functional nutrition. Currently, Parker Universitys chiropractic cohort is the second largest of any campus in the world. Parker University has been recognized as an Honor Roll Institution by Great Colleges to Work For, one of the 25 Fastest-Growing Colleges in the U.S., as a recipient of the FutureEdge 50 Awards, and as a Best Texas Online College by Forbes. Attachment Telluride, Colorado, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Between the Mountain and the Sky, a documentary featuring nonprofit BlinkNow Foundation and its Co-Founder and CEO Maggie Doyne, premiered in May at Mountainfilm festival, in Telluride, Colorado, earning critical acclaim and clinching both the Audience Choice Award and Student Choice Award. The premiere was attended by BlinkNow Co-Founders Doyne and Tope Malla, Director Jeremy Power Regimbal, and young adults who have graduated from BlinkNows Kopila Valley School in Nepal. Early reviews have praised Doyne, Regimbal, Malla, and their work while also hailing the uniqueness of this humanitarian story. Telluride Inside calls the film "an intimate documentary spanning nearly two decades, traversing the landscapes of Nepal, the Netherlands, America, and Canada." Stephen Saito on MoveableFest.com highlights the intimacy of watching Doynes struggle with grief and her tension between two cultures, calling it "unusually refreshing when it doesnt linger on the selfless work that Doyne has done, but provocatively asks at what point she needs to protect herself from giving too much to be useful. BlinkNow has long been known for its focus on quality relationships with those people it serves in Nepal, as well as with supporters, volunteers, and donors across the globe. This was evidenced by a large number of BlinkNow extended family who traveled to Telluride to watch the film premiere and celebrate its release with the founders. Director Jeremy Power Regimbal, who is also featured in the film and married to Doyne, was overwhelmed with the outpouring of excitement and attendees from the BlinkNow supporter base and Mountainfilm audiences, who traveled from across the U.S. and globally to attend the premiere. I am just so grateful without humans that are taking risks and living the way that Maggie and Tope live, theres no film. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and feel so blessed to be part of this family. Doyne expressed her gratitude as well as her hopes for the future at a premiere party hosted by BlinkNow. We have the best people in the world who have walked us through this story of love and are standing here today. I hope the world will see that loss is not the end, that the hard parts of life are not the end. I want people to be reminded that love is the greatest healing force we have. And if we take care of children, children take care of the community, the country, and the world. ### More information: Between the Mountain and the Sky follows Maggie Doynes journey from a childhood in New Jersey to a high school gap year and world travels, which led her to volunteer in India alongside eventual Nepalese Co-Founder Tope Malla, and to visit Nepal. Doynes life was changed by meeting the children of Surkhet, Nepal, and she began to pursue a compassionate vision to ensure that every child is safe, educated, and loved. As they cultivated relationships and listened to the needs of the people in this region, Doyne and Malla collaborated with the community to establish a childrens home for those without families, a school for children who cannot afford education, a womens empowerment center, and a host of other programs that together create a model for comprehensive and sustainable community development. Maggie Doyne was named the CNN Hero of the Year in 2015, has been featured in Forbes and the New York Times, and, together with a team of caregivers and teachers, has helped to raise more than 80 children and educate more than 600 students in Nepal. She is the author of a memoir also named Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mothers Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope. The film is directed by Jeremy Power Regimbal. Regimbals feature-film directorial debut, In Their Skin, premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. He has also worked with global brands like MasterCard, Nike, Chevrolet and CitiBank. Regimbal co-founded The Lab Magazine, a print and digital publication distributed in over 25 countries. He now lives between Nepal and the USA, focusing on telling stories that matter via MPWR CONTENT. Between the Mountain and the Sky is produced by Duplass Brothers Productions (DBP), award-winning filmmakers Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Mel Eslyn. DBP creates original projects for film, television and digital media. In January DBP premiered the pilot to their series Penelope, created by Mark and Eslyn, at 2024's Sundance Film Festival. Their most recent release, the docu-series American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders, debuted at #4 in the U.S. on Netflix. Upcoming releases include Morrisa Maltz's Jazzy, which they produced with Lily Gladstone, Nnamdi Asomugha's The Knife, and the third season of HBO's Somebody Somewhere. The BlinkNow Foundation provides an education and a loving, caring home for at-risk children. The foundation also provides community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and encourage sustainability and social justice -- it fulfills its mission by providing financial support and management oversight to the Kopila Valley Children's Home and award-winning Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal. In addition to the home and school, Kopila Valley runs a Health & Wellness program, Women's Center, home for at-risk girls, Futures Program for career readiness, and integrated Sustainability Program across all initiatives. Attachment Singapore, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOMAD Caviar Singapore, a well-known online store celebrated for its premium quality caviar, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its services with the launch of caviar delivery to Hong Kong. The company, recognised for sourcing caviar from sustainable farms and delivering it right to customers' doorsteps, has made it its primary goal to transform caviar into an everyday luxury. NOMAD Caviar Singapore aims to challenge conventional views, promoting caviar not only as an accessory but as a main dish to be relished in generous portions. For more information visit https://nomadcaviarsingapore.com/collections/all. NOMAD Caviar Singapore's website provides a haven for caviar enthusiasts who can browse and purchase a wide range of caviar products. The store boasts Kaluga Hybrid caviar as its star item. This sumptuous delight is ethically obtained from sustainable farms, showcasing NOMAD Caviar Singapore's dedication to promoting responsible farming. Moreover, the company offers free next-day delivery from Monday to Saturday for orders received before 4pm, assuring timely and fresh delivery to the customers' residences. Beyond offering a curated collection of fine caviar, NOMAD Caviar Singapore enhances the caviar experience by providing related accessories. The company recognises that caviar's elegance is best appreciated with the appropriate utensils. Its selection includes caviar spoons and bowls, each designed to augment the caviar eating experience. Expanding its portfolio of services, NOMAD Caviar Singapore maintains a blog, offering informative updates about its products, and insights into the caviar industry. Whether it's discussing the health benefits of caviar, elaborating on its complex flavours, or suggesting methods to enjoy it as a main dish, the blog serves as a knowledge base for both caviar connoisseurs and beginners. Jason Cohen, the CEO of NOMAD Caviar Singapore, spoke about the company's mission and dedication. "Our objective was never solely to sell caviar. We are devoted to making this luxurious food a regular treat for our customers. This includes providing necessary accessories, circulating informative content through our blog and, most notably, delivering it directly to our customers' homes." He further added, "The outdated view of caviar being a minute garnish or something to be savoured off a spoon doesn't match our philosophy. We encourage it to be considered a main course to be relished in abundance. We supply only the finest quality caviar, a reminder to customers that opulence isn't confined to special occasions but can be a daily luxury." With the announcement of its new delivery service to Hong Kong, NOMAD Caviar Singapore continues to manifest its vision of making caviar an ordinary indulgence. Firm in its commitment to sourcing first-rate caviar from sustainable farms, the company is poised to introduce a new wave of luxury to Hong Kong's food scene, advocating for caviar as more than just a garnish. Please visit https://nomadcaviarsingapore.com/ for more details. ### For more information about NOMAD Caviar Singapore, contact the company here: NOMAD Caviar Singapore Jason Cohen +85297732233 hello@nomadcaviar.com 30 Cecil St, # 19-08 PRUDENTIAL TOWER, Singapore 049712 MONTREAL, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velan Inc. (TSX: VLN) announced today that, on Thursday, July 11, 2024, it will release its financial results for the first quarter ended May 31, 2024. The company will hold an analyst call on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss the results. To instantly join the conference call by phone, please use the following link to easily register close to the call start time. After registering, the system will call you instantly and connect you into the conference call automatically: https://emportal.ink/3z8pLbF. Alternatively, you may dial in to the conference call by calling 1-800-836-8184 and you will be connected to the call by an Operator. You may also stream the call by Webcast by following: https://app.webinar.net/yJgWwgRMqoa. The webcast replay will be available at the same URL within 2 hours of the end of the call. A replay of the call will be available within 2 hours of the end of the call until July 19, 2024, by calling 1-289-819-1450 or 1-888-660-6345 and entering the replay code 87075. The material that will be referenced during the conference call will be made available shortly before the event on the companys website under the Investor Relations section: (https://www.velan.com/en/company/investor_relations). Alan Jacobs at The Hedgehog Review: With increasing availability and sophistication of chatbots, we teachers are seeing a drastic decline in the cost of what in Great Britain is called commissioningthat is, getting someone else to do your academic work for you. There are many forms of academic cheating, at various levels of schooling, but commissioning by university students is the one I want to discuss today. Long, long ago, in a pre-Internet galaxy far away, commissioning was costly and therefore rare. It was a bespoke commodity: Typically youd find someone smart and pay him or her to write an essay for you, or even (this could be done only in large lecture classes whose students were anonymous to their professors) take an exam for you. The talent was almost always local; in a large university, cynical or broke graduate students could supplement their meager stipends quite significantly by catering to the anxieties of academically marginal undergrads. More here. SEATTLE, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atlanta-based Concessions International, LLC (CI) along with Miami-based Grove Bay Concessions, two minority-owned airport concessionaire companies, announce operating the first P.F. Chang's location in the history of both companies under CI Grove Bay, their joint venture partnership. Today, they officially announced the grand opening of the popular Asian eatery at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) located in heart of the N Concourse, with exceptional views of the airfield and planes landing and departing. The P.F. Chang's first airport restaurant opened in 2013 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The SEA location is P.F. Changs seventh domestic airport location (ATL, SLC, DCA, TPA, LAX, DTW and now SEA), and is the first location for both CI and Grove Bay. CI Grove Bay has hired and trained 100+ team members to staff P.F. Chang's at SEA. The 5,879-square-foot restaurant brings convenient, craveable Asian cuisine to travelers on the go at SEA Airport. The menu includes signature P.F. Changs made-from-scratch dishes such as Changs Spicy Chicken, Mongolian Beef and Changs Lettuce Wraps as well as a refreshing cocktail menu and expanded beer list. Travelers can expect all the flavors, service and the well-known refined aesthetic of P.F. Changs at the SEA location, including a stunning 56-foot mural overlooking the entire N Concourse. Quality and speed are paramount, so the order to table time is reduced, and there will be an even quicker option in the grab-and-go area featuring a self-service kiosk for off the menu ordering convenience. The opening of our first P.F. Changs is another exciting milestone for our team and company at SEA, said Donata Russell Ross, CI's president and CEO and majority partner in CI Grove Bay. One year after opening the Central Terminal's marquee restaurant locations, Salty's at the SEA and BrewTop Social, we're now opening our first P.F. Chang's as the flagship restaurant of SEA's N Concourse. Helping to deliver the vision the Port of Seattle has for its dining customers has been one of the most rewarding experiences in our company's 45 year history. We will not only meet but we will exceed travelers expectations at SEA." CI's relationship with SEA dates back to the early 1980's as an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partner and grew to a multi-national prime concessionaire in the mid 1990s. Over the years, CI has operated various food and beverage concessions in several locations throughout the airport. The much-anticipated addition of P.F. Changs brings our passengers an appetizing option that completes the arrival of new dining choices envisioned for the N Concourse, said Khalia Moore, Senior Manager, Airport Dining and Retail at Port of Seattle. Working in partnership with CI Grove Bay, we are excited to continue to evolve SEA's dining experiences with P.F. Changs beautiful design and delicious cuisine." CI Grove Bay in partnership with Zebra Projects, a global design and architecture firm headquartered in London, England, has created a welcoming space that allows guests to enjoy P.F. Changs in a variety of ways, be that via the grab-and-go area, from the bar, in the lounge or in a traditional restaurant environment. The space allows customers to choose their dining environment while relaxing and enjoying a stunning view, or just grabbing a quick bite before getting on the plane. We are excited to expand our West Coast footprint with the opening of SEA's first P.F. Chang's, said Rafik Farouk, Senior Director of Global Brands for P.F. Changs. "CI Grove Bay will ensure P.F. Chang's will deliver our best-in-class experiential dining for guests, whether theyre coming to, leaving from or passing through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We can now give Pacific Northwest airport travelers the opportunity to enjoy the iconic taste of our signature dishes while also enjoying our unique ambiance with the backdrop of the airfield and exquisite mountain ranges." CI Grove Bay is honored to partner with P.F. Changs, a trusted, iconic brand known for consistently great food in an inspiring environment, said Ignacio Garcia-Menocal, CEO and Co-founder of Grove Bay Concessions. "We are driven by our commitment to bringing exceptional dining experiences to travelers worldwide, and we know this partnership will do just that, added Francesco Balli, CEO & Co-Founder of Grove Bay Concessions. No matter where a traveler is going to or coming from, business trip or family vacation, P.F. Changs offers a small bite, hearty meal, and tasty option for everyone. Visit the menus for breakfast, lunch/dinner, and beverages. # # # MORE PHOTOS of P.F. Chang's can be found here. Photo Credit: Majors Creative About Concessions International, LLC Built on a foundation of integrity, hard work, respect, and an unparalleled legacy of serving excellence, family-owned and operated Concessions International, LLC (CI) offers 45 years of exceptional experiences and proven food and beverage concessions performance in some of the busiest airports across the United States and in the Virgin Islands. As a dynamic food and beverage operator, we serve more than 30 national, regional and proprietary brands, including quick service, casual dining, bars, delis, snack, and cafe concessions at nearly 40 locations in 8 airports. Visit www.cintl.com for more information about CI. Grove Bay Concessions Founded in 2013, Grove Bay Concessions is a Miami-based airport concessions operator, voted one of South Florida Business Journals Best Places to Work in 2022. Grove Bay is led by three partners, Co-Founders/CEOs Francesco Balli and Ignacio Garcia-Menocal and COO Eddie Acevedo, who bring decades of combined hospitality experience. Grove Bay has operations in Miami International Airport, Seattle International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Rhode Island TF Green International Airport. Grove Bay stays true to its chef driven approach as it partners with local North Carolina chefs like five-time James Beard semi-finalist Chef Scott Crawford and two-time James Beard semi-finalist Chef Oscar Diaz. Most recently, Grove Bay partnered with Chef Bobby Flay to bring Bobbys Burgers to RDU. At the same time, Grove Bay operates well-known national brands such as Burger King and Dunkin. About P.F. Chang's Founded in 1993 by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming, P.F. Chang's is the first internationally recognized multi-unit Asian culinary brand to honor and celebrate the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking as the center of the guest experience. With roots in Chinese cuisine, today's menu at P.F. Chang's spans across all of Asia, honoring cultures and recipes from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond. Each item offers a unique flavor exploration, whether it's a handcrafted cocktail, a wok-fired lunch bowl, or a celebratory multi-course dinner. Worldwide, P.F. Chang's has more than 300 restaurants in 22 countries and U.S. airport locations. For more P.F. Chang's news, visit pfchangs.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram@pfchangs. About Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Operated by the Port of Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) serves the people of the Pacific Northwest with essential services, access to hundreds of domestic and global destinations, and economic activity that supports tens of thousands of jobs and produces $20 billion in economic activity. In 2023, for the second year in a row, SEA earned the travel industrys prestigious 4-Star Skytrax Airport Rating and designation as Best Airport in North America, focused on customer-centered travel with better services, facilities, and amenities. SEA totaled over 50.8 million passengers in 2023 down just 1.8% from 2019 with a forecast to exceed pre-pandemic traveler volumes in 2024. Thirty-five airlines served 93 nonstop domestic and 30 international destinations including Canada, Mexico, and seasonal operations. For more information about our U.S. Top 12 airport, visit www.flysea.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Every day. Elevate. Attachments New York, United States, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Quartz Market Size is to Grow from USD 7.2 Billion in 2023 to USD 12.2 Billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 5.42% during the projected period. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/4555 A naturally occurring mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms is called quartz. One of the most abundant and widely distributed minerals on the earth's surface is quartz. The trigonal crystal structure is the basis for the chemical formula of quartz, which is SiO2. Due to its reputation for durability and weather resistance, quartz is a widely used substitute in a variety of industries, including electronics, jewelry, and construction. Significant concentrations of quartz are present in a variety of rocks, including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Environmental concerns are beginning to exert a significant influence on the quartz industry. As consumer and manufacturer awareness of sustainable living practices grows, there is a growing need for items that are environmentally friendly. Furthermore, because quartz is readily available and easily constructed with minimal waste, it is a very environmentally friendly material to employ. Moreover, quartz's durability prolongs its life, reducing the need for replacement and saving resources. However, the primary barrier to the worldwide market expansion of quartz is its relatively elevated expense. Since most of the quartz produced worldwide is produced in China, it leads the globe in this market. At the moment, any quartz materials imported from China are subject to additional tariffs. Growing costs in certain countries are causing a decline in the use of quartz. This issue is anticipated to hamper the market's expansion. Browse key industry insights spread across 199 pages with 110 Market data tables and figures & charts from the report on the " Global Quartz Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product (Quartz Surface and Tile, High-Purity Quartz, Quartz Glass, Quartz Crystal, Quartz Sand, and Others), By End User (Electronics & Semiconductor, Solar, Buildings & Construction, Optical Fiber & Telecommunication, Automotive, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 2033." Buy Now Full Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/4555 The quartz surface and tile segment dominate the market with the largest revenue share through the forecast period. Based on product, the global quartz market is segmented into quartz surface and tile, high-purity quartz, quartz glass, quartz crystal, quartz sand, and others. Among these, the quartz surface and tile segment dominate the market with the largest revenue share through the forecast period. Amethyst is a purple kind of quartz that can be produced by iron and other transition metals in the stone. Amethyst can also be produced when there are extra trace elements present in quartz. Because of its toughness, amethyst is an excellent material to utilize on surfaces and tiles. The strength, ease of maintenance, and resistance to bacteria, stains, and scratches of quartz surfaces make them well-liked. The electronics & semiconductor segment dominate the global quartz market during the forecast period. Based on the end user, the global quartz market is segmented into electronics & semiconductor, solar, buildings & construction, optical fiber & telecommunication, automotive, and others. Among these, the electronics & semiconductor segment dominates the global quartz market during the forecast period. The mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of quartz are distinct. The manufacturing of semiconductors, the building blocks of many modern products including PCs, smartphones, and Internet of Things gadgets, requires high-purity quartz. Quartz is necessary for preserving timing and synchronization in electrical circuits that use frequency-control oscillators and resonators because of its piezoelectric qualities. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/4555 North America dominates the market with the largest market share over the forecast period. North America dominates the market with the largest market share over the forecast period. Because of the significant base of quartz manufacturing in North America, the market is expanding. Amethyst is showing up all throughout the United States. The original locations of amethyst include the Mazatzal Mountain region in the Gila and Maricopa Districts, Amethyst Mountain, Texas, Arizona, Red Plume Lakes, and North Carolina. Typically, amethyst is basic in Canada's Ontario and Nova Scotia. Hunder Straight, Ontario is home to the biggest amethyst mine in North America. These factors are expected to propel the growth of the market in this region. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow the fastest during the forecast period. The two main driving forces behind the market's expansion are the region's rapid urbanization and industrialization, particularly in countries like China and India. The market is expanding as a result of these advancements, and the existence of large companies is fueling this growth. demand for building supplies, with quartz's durability and beauty being highly prized. The existence of significant companies is fueling the market's expansion. Over the projected period, these factors are expected to propel the quartz market's growth. Competitive Analysis: The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the Global Quartz Market Caesarstone Ltd., Heraeus Holding, Kyocera Corporation, Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co. Ltd., Sibelco, Asahi Glass Co. Ltd., Compagine de Saint-Gobain S.A., Jiangsu Pacific Quartz co. Ltd., Momentive Technologies, Quality Quartz Engineering Inc., The Quartz Corporation, Creswick Quartz, HIGH PURITY QUARTZ MATERIALS, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Others Key Vendors. Get Discount At @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-discount/4555 Key Target Audience Market Players Investors End-users Government Authorities Consulting and Research Firm Venture capitalists Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Recent Developments In Aug 2023, One of the leading suppliers of industrial minerals, Sibelco, has announced a $200 million investment to increase the installed capacity of its HPQ (high purity quartz) facility at Spruce Pine, US, between 2023 and 2025. Market Segment This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. Spherical Insights has segmented the global quartz market based on the below-mentioned segments: Global Quartz Market, By Product Quartz Surface and Tile High-Purity Quartz Quartz Glass Quartz Crystal Quartz Sand Others Global Quartz Market, By End User Electronics & Semiconductor Solar Buildings & Construction Optical Fiber & Telecommunication Automotive Others Global Bioinformatics Services Market, By End User Agriculture Animal Medical Academic Sector Others Global Psyllium Market, Regional Analysis North America US Canada Mexico Europe Germany Uk France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Browse Related Reports Global Sodium Bicarbonate Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Forms (Slurry, Liquid, Crystal powder, and Others), By Grade (Feed, Food, Technical, Pharmaceutical and Others), By End-Use (Animal Feed, Food & Beverage, Flue Gas Treatment, Personal Care & Pharmaceuticals, Detergents & Cleaning Agents, Hemodialysis, Agriculture, Chemicals, Textile, and others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 - 2033. Global Copper Foil Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Electrodeposited Copper Foil, Rolled Copper Foil), By Application (Printed Circuit Boards, Batteries, Electromagnetic Shielding, Others), By Thickness (Standard Thickness, Other Thickness), By End-Users (Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, Building & Construction, Electrical & Electronics, Industrial Equipment, Medical, Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 2033 Global Aquafeed Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Form (Dry, Moist, and Wet), By Additive (Amino Acids, Antibiotics, Vitamins & Minerals, Feed Acidifiers, Antioxidants), By Application (Carp, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Crustaceans, Tilapia, Catfish), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 - 2033. Global Glue Laminated Timber Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Straight Beams, Curved Beams, Columns, and Trusses), By Glue Type (Phenol Formaldehyde, Melamine Urea Formaldehyde, Polyurethane, and Epoxy), By End-Use (Floor and Roof Beams, Replacement, Household Framing, Window & Door Headers, Supporting Columns, Ridge & Curved Beams, and Others), and By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial Construction, Bridges and Infrastructure, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023 2033 About the Spherical Insights & Consulting Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI. Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements. CONTACT US: Lorman, Mississippi, USA, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alcorn State University is gearing up for a new STEM MBA Program, offered by the School of Business. With a focus on developing STEM skills, knowledge, and an interdisciplinary mindset, this 30-credit hour program aims to meet the growing demand for business professionals with STEM backgrounds. Dr. Antwon Woods, dean of the School of Business, expressed his enthusiasm for the program. By creating a STEM-focused MBA program, we hope to bridge the gap between business and technology, providing students with the information, skills, and industry connections they need to succeed in STEM-focused careers, he said. The program is self-paced and delivered online, offering engaging multimedia content, interactive exercises, and quizzes to accommodate different learning styles. It strongly emphasizes developing analytical and problem-solving skills, including statistical analysis, data modeling, and decision-making techniques. Through collaborations with industry partners, students can access internships, real-world projects, and networking events that foster connections between academia and industry. The program creates an environment where business and STEM perspectives intersect to solve complex problems by encouraging collaboration among students, faculty, and experts from diverse backgrounds and professions. This unique program is the result of thoughtful preparation and a keen awareness of the evolving economic and technological landscapes, said Woods. We are proud to be Mississippis first university and the first HBCU nationally to provide a multi-disciplinary online program with concentrations in accounting, healthcare management, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. STEM MBAs are in high demand in tech companies, startups, and other innovation-driven organizations. Integrating STEM subjects in the MBA curriculum provides students with a unique skill set that is highly sought after in STEM-focused professions and industries. Graduates of the program will be equipped to tackle business challenges that require an understanding of scientific and technological concepts, as well as the ability to analyze data, innovate, and make informed decisions in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Classes begin on August 19, 2024, and will proceed in 8-week modules. Online registration will be available through August 16. Applicants must hold a STEM-related undergraduate degree and/or have relevant professional experience to be eligible. A self-paced, non-credit STEM MBA readiness course is also offered to ensure students are prepared for the rigorous program. This course covers two modules: foundational STEM concepts and introductory business principles. Upon completing the program, graduates will be equipped for leadership roles that require a deep understanding of business and STEM disciplines. They will have the capability to succeed in careers in various industries, including technology, consulting, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. An initial seed fund of $152K from the MD-HBCU grant made the development of this program possible. Applicants for the STEM MBA program can explore funding options through FAFSA or graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantship opportunities are also available for qualified applicants. Learn more and apply today here. Attachment EDMONTON, Alberta, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melcor Real Estate Investment Trust (Melcor REIT - TSX: MR.UN) today announced the results of its annual general meeting, held today. A total of 17,757,073 units were voted in person or by proxy, representing 61.05% of the outstanding units as of the record date. Unitholders approved all items of business before the AGM, including the election of trustees as follows: Nominee Votes For % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Barry James 17,648,517 99.39% 107,556 0.61% Richard Kirby 17,065,987 96.11% 690,086 3.89% Bernie Kollman 17,078,937 96.19% 677,136 3.81% Brandon Kot 17,657,717 99.45% 98,356 0.55% Andrew Melton 17,078,887 96.19% 677,186 3.81% Naomi Stefura 17,094,787 96.28% 661,286 3.72% Ralph Young 17,106,787 96.34% 649,286 3.66% About Melcor REIT Melcor REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. Melcor REIT owns, acquires, manages and leases quality retail, office and industrial income-generating properties in western Canada. Its portfolio is currently made up of interests in 37 properties representing approximately 3.12 million square feet of gross leasable area located across Alberta and in Regina, Saskatchewan and Kelowna, British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.melcorREIT.ca. Contact Information: Investor Relations Tel: 780-945-4795 ir@melcorREIT.ca HOUSTON, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radix, a privately held global technology solutions company providing consulting, engineering, operations technology, and data and software technology solutions, has announced its participation in the Reuters Event Downstream USA 2024, hosted at Galveston Island Convention Center in Houston, Texas from June 26 to June 27. Radix, the global technology company participating in Downstream USA since 2019, will be led by Natalia Klafke, Radix Global Head of Energy and Sustainability, and Bernard Cruzeiro, Radix General Manager of Downstream and Chemicals, alongside Radix subject matter experts and other industry leaders. In line with Radixs value proposition for the event, Powering the Future with Downstream: Transform. Accelerate. Scale, Radix will contribute key insights on how to power the future in downstream and chemicals through best-in-class Gen AI solutions that are sustainable, cost-effective, and transformational. By combining hybrid intelligence in asset performance with deep industrial intelligence, Radix can help customers accelerate a sustainable future. At Booth #818, Radix will showcase success stories that have helped improve asset performance management to build sustainable downstream operations despite volatility and demanding ROI targets. Our participation in Downstream USA 2024 underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainability in this sector segment. We look forward to sharing our insights and success stories that highlight how Radix is powering the future with downstream transformation, acceleration, and scaling, said Klafke. Radix clients in Downstream & Chemicals are constantly looking for ways to be more competitive and meet their markets demands while complying with important regulations and policies. The company's offerings address the core challenges of the industry, enhancing profitability, safety, productivity, and sustainability, by combining industry domain expertise, artificial intelligence techniques, and a highly qualified technology team to implement high-impact solutions with a holistic approach. About Radix Founded in 2010, Radix is a privately held global technology solutions company providing consulting, engineering, operations technology, and data and software technology solutions. Radix combines key capabilities and practices to empower customers to thrive along their digital transformation journey. Radix provides technology-based, data-driven solutions to industrial and non-industrial companies worldwide. Radix has experience leading projects in more than 30 countries and has more than 1,700+ employees around the globe, with North American headquarters in Houston, Texas, main headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, additional offices in Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte, and a presence in Singapore and Amsterdam. To learn more, visit www.radixeng.com. For more information: Citalouise Geiggar, citalouise.geiggar@radixeng.com Radix A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7aa12a93-6a6c-4c40-a22a-04fb47b87b58 LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a landmark 79-page decision, the California 2nd District Court of Appeals has affirmed that the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) possesses the authority under both the California Constitution and state statutes to establish employment classifications and set salaries for its employees. The ruling further clarifies that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) must accept and incorporate these classifications and salaries into the Countys employment classifications and salary ordinance without modification. In 2016 and 2017, LACERA conducted comprehensive personnel reviews, identifying the need for several new positions and salary adjustments to meet its strategic priorities and uphold its fiduciary duties to its members and beneficiaries. In 2018, the BOS ignored 15 years of its own precedent of implementing such changes without hesitation, and instead refused to adopt the necessary changes to the salary ordinance. The BOS cited a decades-old case from a different Appellate District, claiming it provided them the authority to block the new classifications and salaries proposed by LACERA. LACERA made several attempts to negotiate with the County to resolve the dispute, but these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 2021, LACERA filed for a writ of mandate, directing the BOS to comply with the law and adopt the proposed salary ordinance. The trial court was bound to follow the decades-old case and ruled in favor of the County, but LACERA appealed the decision, which has resulted in the recent favorable ruling by the 2nd District. The detailed opinion from the 2nd District Court of Appeals is an exhaustive review of the California Constitution, state statutes, and relevant ballot initiatives pertaining to the 1937 Act, which governs LACERA and nineteen other California counties. The Court relied on Proposition 162, which passed in 1992 and explicitly conferred fiduciary responsibility on retirement boards for both the investment of funds and the administration of the system. The court stated that the proposition gave retirement boards like LACERA plenary authority to adopt employment classifications and set employee salaries. The Court noted that fulfilling these responsibilities would be challenging if retirement boards lacked control over all system expenses, including employee classifications and salaries. The Court emphasized that allowing a board of supervisors, which may have differing responsibilities, priorities, and agendas, to veto the employment classifications and compensation set by a retirement board would undermine the boards ability to fulfill its duties under Proposition 162. Such a veto power would also erode the fiduciary relationship between the retirement board and system participants and beneficiaries. The 2nd District Court concluded that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has a ministerial duty to include the positions adopted by the LACERA Boards in the civil service classifications and to incorporate the salaries for retirement system employees into the County salary ordinance or resolution as adopted by the LACERA Boards. This ruling is a significant victory for LACERA, reinforcing its autonomy and authority to manage its personnel and financial responsibilities effectively, ensuring that it can fulfill its fiduciary duties to its members and beneficiaries, said Santos Kreimann, Chief Executive Officer of LACERA. The case is Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association v. County of Los Angeles. Case Number 21STCP03475. To view a copy of the ruling, click here. About LACERA LACERA is a public retirement plan created and operating under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) and is subject to the California Constitution, CERL, and the Public Employees Pensions Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). Two boards govern LACERA. Both boards are composed of elected and appointed members and one ex-officio member. The Board of Retirement is responsible for the overall management of the retirement system and the LACERA-administered Retiree Healthcare Benefits Program. The Board of Investments is responsible for establishing LACERAs investment policies, strategies, and objectives, as well as exercising authority and control over the funds investment management and actuarial matters relating to setting contributions and estimating fund liabilities. Media Contact: Eric W. Rose, eric@ekapr.com LIKMEZ (ATI-1501) for Metronidazole Oral Suspension 500mg/5mL launched and commercial sales ongoing Funding commitments from U.S. Air Force Academy intended to advance ATI-1701 toward an IND submission to the FDA Engaging regulatory authorities to align on ATI-1801 development plans HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appili Therapeutics Inc. (TSX:APLI; OTCPink: APLIF) (the Company or Appili), a biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development for infectious diseases and medical countermeasures, today announced its financial and operational results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 (FYE 2024), and provided an update on the Companys strategy for fiscal 2025. All figures are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Notably, during this past fiscal year, the Companys most advanced asset LIKMEZ (ATI-1501), received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, and together with our partner, Saptalis launched the product and commercial sales which remain ongoing. The launch of LIKMEZ, shortly after securing patent coverage through 2039, is an important milestone that demonstrates Appilis ability to identify promising opportunities, accelerate their development, and unlock value for the benefit of both patients and shareholders, said Don Cilla, Pharm.D., M.B.A., President and Chief Executive Officer of Appili. The U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) also awarded funding commitments for the advancement of ATI-1701, bringing the total program funding awarded to approximately US$14 million. These funding commitments strengthen Appilis foundation in biodefense and should enable us to continue to advance this program towards an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. LIKMEZ ATI-1501, is FDA Approved for the Treatment of Anaerobic bacterial Infections, During FYE 2024, Appili announced the FDA approval of LIKMEZ (ATI-1501), our proprietary taste-masked liquid suspension formulation of metronidazole, through our U.S. partner, Saptalis Pharmaceuticals LLC (Saptalis). LIKMEZ is the first and only FDA approved ready-made suspension of metronidazole for the treatment of antimicrobial infections that addresses the unmet need in patients with dysphagia to avoid risks associated with drug compounding, and discontinuation related anti-microbial resistance. Saptalis launched LIKMEZ in November 2023 and commercial sales in the United States are ongoing. In May 2023, United States Patent and Trademark Office published patent claims for ATI-1501 under the US Application No. 18/072,154, which covers the composition and preparation methods for the drug through 2039. Collaborating with Saptalis, Appili earned US$600,000 in milestone payments during FYE 2024. Appili expects to receive additional sales-based milestone payments and royalties from Saptalis based on sale of the product. ATI-1701, Biodefense Vaccine Candidate with Funding Awarded from the U.S. Air Force Academy ATI-1701, a novel, live-attenuated vaccine for the prevention of F. Tularensis, has received awards totaling US$14 million from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). Under the terms of the USAFA Cooperative Agreement, Appili will oversee a comprehensive development program for ATI-1701, which includes nonclinical studies, CMC/manufacturing, clinical preparatory, and regulatory activities to support an IND submission in 2025. Appili has had interactions with the FDA in the form of a pre-IND meeting, confirming the development pathway for the Companys efforts through IND submission and is incorporating suggested changes in the development plan. ATI-1801, our Licensed Topical Antiparasitic Product demonstrated safe and effective across Phase 3 studies. ATI-1801 is a novel topical formulation of paromomycin (15% w/w) under advanced clinical development for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disfiguring infection of the skin that affects hundreds of thousands of people around the world annually. Appili is currently engaging with the FDA and submitted a type-B meeting request with the FDA in 2024, to discuss linking to the previously generated Phase 3 data and agreeing on the necessary registration package to support a New Drug Application submission, which the Company expects will include available nonclinical, manufacturing, and clinical data generated to date. Appili expects to pursue non-dilutive funding and partnership opportunities with NGOs and government agencies which share the Companys focus on tropical diseases to help complete remaining development work. ATI-1801 has received an Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for the treatment of certain forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The Company is actively evaluating the eligibility of ATI-1801 for a priority review voucher (PRV) which, if confirmed, would make ATI-1801 the second PRV eligible program at Appili, joining ATI-1701, subject to renewal of certain legislation in the United States. Aditxt Arrangement Subsequent to FYE 2024, on April 2, 2024, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive arrangement agreement (the Arrangement Agreement) pursuant to which Aditxt Inc. (Aditxt), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Adivir, Inc., agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of the Company (Common Shares) by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) under the Canada Business Corporations Act .Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders of the Company will receive (i) 0.002745004 of a share of common stock of Aditxt and (ii) US$0.0467 in cash, for each Common Share held at the time of the closing of the proposed Arrangement. The Arrangement is subject to certain customary conditions, including court and shareholder approval. The Arrangement is also subject to Aditxt raising a minimum of US$20 million in additional funding. Since the date of the Arrangement Agreement, Aditxt has raised approximately US $5.5 million. However, these funds have not been specifically reserved for the Arrangement. Aditxt is continuing its efforts to raise additional capital as required to complete the Arrangement. A special meeting of the shareholders of Appili is expected to be held in calendar Q3 2024 and, subject to satisfaction or waiver of the applicable closing conditions, the Arrangement is expected to be completed before the end of calendar Q3 2024. For further details regarding the Arrangement, please see Appilis press release dated April 2, 2024 (the Arrangement Press Release). Additional information regarding the Arrangement will be included in the management information circular of Appili to be mailed to the Appili shareholders prior to the Appili shareholders meeting. Annual Financial Results The Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board and Part I of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Handbook Accounting. The net loss and comprehensive loss of $3.8 million or $0.03 loss per share for FYE 2024, was $5.4 million lower than the net loss and comprehensive loss of $9.2 million or $0.08 loss per share during the year ended March 31, 2023. This relates mainly to a $5.7 million increase in government assistance, relating to the USAFA Cooperative Agreement, a $0.5 million increase in revenue, $1.4 million decrease in general and administrative expenses, and $0.3 million decrease in exchange loss, offset by a $2 million increase in research and development expenses, and $0.5 million increase in financing costs. On March 31, 2024, the Company had cash of $0.1 million compared to $2.5 million on March 31, 2023. The Company has included a going concern note in its financial statements for the FYE 2024. In particular, the Company is dependent in large part on successfully closing the proposed transaction with Aditxt or raising additional financing through equity and/or non-dilutive funding and receiving all USAFA funding in a timely manner. Delays in reimbursement for previously submitted expenses in the near term may, in the absence of alternative funding arrangements, result in the Company not being able to meet various covenant obligations as required pursuant to its long-term debt arrangements with Long Zone Holdings Inc. For further details, please refer to the Companys going concern note in the Companys managements discussion and analysis (the MD&A) for the FYE 2024. As of June 25, 2024, the Company had 121,266,120 issued and outstanding Common Shares, 11,520,281 stock options and 44,856,874 warrants outstanding. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Companys audited annual consolidated financial statements for the FYE 2024, and the related MD&A, copies of which are available under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. About Appili Therapeutics Appili Therapeutics is an infectious disease biopharmaceutical company that is purposefully built, portfolio-driven, and people-focused to fulfill its mission of solving life-threatening infections. By systematically identifying urgent infections with unmet needs, Appilis goal is to strategically develop a pipeline of novel therapies to prevent deaths and improve lives. The Company is currently advancing a diverse range of anti-infectives, including an FDA approved ready-made suspension of metronidazole for the treatment of antimicrobial infections, a vaccine candidate to eliminate a serious biological weapon threat, and a topical antiparasitic for the treatment of a disfiguring disease. Led by a proven management team, Appili is at the epicenter of the global fight against infection. For more information, visit www.AppiliTherapeutics.com. Forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to the funding commitment from USAFA and expected timing of invoice payment, advancing program towards IND, further anticipated milestones and the timing thereof, the Companys development plans and timelines with respect to ATI-1501, ATI-1701 and ATI-1801, the timing of any milestone and/or royalty payments in respect of ATI-1501, consideration to be received by shareholders in connection with the proposed Arrangement and the Companys expectations with respect to its ability to operate as a going concern and satisfy its ongoing working capital requirements. Wherever possible, words such as may, would, could, should, will, anticipate, believe, plan, expect, intend, estimate, potential for and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations of the Companys management for future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation, those listed in the annual information form of the Company dated June 25, 2024, and the other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedarplus.ca). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. All statements included in this press release relating to the Arrangement are qualified by reference to the Forward Looking Statements section included in the Arrangement Press Release. Media Contact: Jenna McNeil, Communications Manager Appili Therapeutics E: JMcNeil@AppiliTherapeutics.com Investor Relations Contact: Don Cilla, President and CEO Appili Therapeutics E: Info@AppiliTherapeutics.com CALGARY, AB, CANADA, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- De Beers Group and Mountain Province Diamonds today announced that their joint venture Gahcho Kue mine has surpassed $2 billion* of procurement spend with businesses in the Northwest Territories (NWT) since construction of the mine commenced in 2015. The milestone represents 61% of the total $3.2 billion spent on procurement for Gahcho Kue since 2015, in line with Gahcho Kues commitment to procure at least 60% of the goods and services required to build and operate the mine from companies located in the NWT. Avischen Moodley, Country President De Beers Canada, said: This major economic milestone highlights the value Gahcho Kue brings to Indigenous communities, businesses, and the territory. Our NWT business partners continue to demonstrate their ability to provide world-class goods and services that are essential to the successful operation of the mine. NWT and Indigenous businesses provide a wide range of goods and services to Gahcho Kue, including welding, transportation logistics, trucking support, passenger and cargo flights, labour services and camp catering. Mark Wall, CEO of Mountain Province Diamonds, said: Since the mine began, Gahcho Kue has had an impressive track record of socio-economic contributions and environmental stewardship in the NWT. That track record continues to strengthen, with Gahcho Kue recording its highest ever level of spending with NWT businesses in 2023. According to the NWT Bureau of Statistics, diamond mining is the largest contributor to the NWTs Gross Domestic Product, representing $588 million of the territorys $4.25 billion GDP in 2023. Key elements of the economic contribution of the Gahcho Kue mine include the following: Gahcho Kue has a tiered contracting structure that gives preference to Indigenous and NWT businesses. Since 2006, $5.3 billion has been spent with local and Indigenous business in the Northwest Territories and Northern Ontario by Gahcho Kue and De Beers Groups wholly owned Snap Lake (NWT) and Victor (Ontario) mines. (Snap Lake and Victor are now in active closure). In 2023, 69% of the Gahcho Kue mine spend was with NWT and Indigenous companies, totalling $228 million, the highest amount spent with NWT businesses since construction. In 2023, $90 million was spent with companies operated by the mines Impact Benefit Agreement communities. From 2006-2023, Gahcho Kue and Snap Lake mines have contributed a combined $26.5 million in social investment within the NWT. Gahcho Kue has also made significant payments to Indigenous communities in terms of six Impact Benefit Agreements and has paid resource royalties to the Government of the NWT. Gahcho Kue mine is located 280 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. The mine was built in 2015 and 2016 and was officially opened in 2016. In 2023, the mine provided 663 full-time equivalent jobs, including 245 jobs held by NWT residents. - ends - *All amounts in Canadian currency. Attachment Luke Harding in The Guardian: What went wrong? As Bristow tells it, the west failed because of bad strategy and a loss of will. After the attacks on the twin towers, a military response from the US and its allies was inevitable. Its goal: to exterminate al-Qaeda. As a young reporter, I watched the Talibans northern army surrender outside Mazar-i-Sharif. The five-year-old emirate ended in a wilderness of shimmering desert and telegraph poles, I wrote in 2001. It was vanishing into history. This prediction turned out to be wrong. After a period in Pakistans tribal regions, the Taliban returned. They waged a brutal and increasingly effective insurgency against international and Afghanistan government troops. The conflict cost billions. Meanwhile, George Bushs administration invaded Iraq. A surge by the next US president, Barack Obama, didnt bring results. By 2021, the public had lost interest in Afghanistan, seeing it as a for ever war with few benefits. Washington and Londons mistake, in Bristows view, was to seek a military solution to what was a political problem. More here. TORONTO, June 24, 2024 - Bunker Hill Mining Corp. ("Bunker Hill" or the "Company") (TSXV|BNKR; OTCQB|BHLL) announces that it has elected to issue an aggregate of 4,653,409 shares of common stock of the Company (the "Interest Shares") to certain holders of 7.5% convertible debentures (the "Series 1 Convertible Debentures") and 10.5% convertible debentures (the "Series 2 Convertible Debentures" and, together with the Series 1 Convertible Debentures, the "Convertible Debentures") in full satisfaction of the interest payable thereunder as of June 30, 2024 in the aggregate amount of USD$511,875.00 (the "Interest Payment"). The Convertible Debentures mature on March 31, 2026. In accordance with the terms of the Convertible Debentures, the Company will issue the Interest Shares at a price of USD$0.11 per Interest Share based on 90% of the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of the shares of common stock of the Company on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") on the trading days beginning on June 10, 2024 and ending on June 21, 2024 (the "Pricing Period"). In connection with the Interest Payment, the Company will issue an aggregate of 4,481,061 Interest Shares to certain managed accounts of Sprott Private Resource Streaming and Royalty Corp. ("Sprott") and, accordingly, the issuance of such Interest Shares to Sprott will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Shareholder Approval ("MI 61-101"). The Company will rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements under MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the Interest Shares to be issued to Sprott, nor the consideration received for such Interest Shares, will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days prior to the election to issue the Interest Shares as the Pricing Period only ended yesterday on June 21, 2024. The issuance of the Interest Shares is subject to the terms and conditions of the Convertible Debentures as well as the receipt of all regulatory approvals, including, without limitation, the approval of the TSX-V. Once issued, the Interest Shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Additional details regarding the Convertible Debentures can be found in the Company's news releases dated December 20, 2021, January 31, 2022, June 20, 2022 and June 26, 2023, all of which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. ABOUT BUNKER HILL MINING CORP. Under new Idaho-based leadership, Bunker Hill intends to sustainably restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine as the first step in consolidating and then optimizing a number of mining assets into a high-value portfolio of operations, centered initially in North America. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or within the SEDAR+ and EDGAR databases. On behalf of Bunker Hill Mining Corp. Sam Ash President and Chief Executive Officer For additional information, please contact: Brenda Dayton Vice President, Investor Relations T: 604.417.7952 E: brenda.dayton@bunkerhillmining.com Cautionary Statements Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase 'forward-looking information' in the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan" or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, including the restart and development of the Bunker Hill Mine; the achievement of future short-term, medium-term and long-term operational strategies; the issuance of the Interest Shares by the Company, including the aggregate number and pricing of the Interest Shares; and the Company receiving TSX-V approval for the issuance of the Interest Shares. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those risks and uncertainties identified in public filings made by Bunker Hill with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities, and the following: the Company not receiving the approval of the TSX-V for the issuance of the Interest Shares; the Company's inability to raise additional capital for project activities, including through equity financings, concentrate offtake financings or otherwise; capital market conditions; restrictions on labor and its effects on international travel and supply chains; failure to identify mineral resources; failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; the Company's ability to restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine and the risks of not basing a production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, resulting in increased uncertainty due to multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision including, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit, with no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved; failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations; failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; political risks; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing, including the ability of the Company to complete the payments pursuant to the terms of the agreement to acquire the Bunker Hill Mine complex; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; and capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such statements or information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all, including as to whether or when the Company will achieve its project finance initiatives, or as to the actual size or terms of those financing initiatives. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risk factors that could affect the Company's operations or financial results are included in the Company's annual report and may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or through EDGAR on the SEC website (www.sec.gov). Vancouver, June 25, 2024 - StrategX Elements Corp. (CSE: STGX) ("StrategX" or the "Company") held the annual general meeting (the "AGM") of its shareholders on June 24th, 2024. All resolutions at the AGM were unanimously (100%) approved, including: setting the number of directors at four, re-appointing Darren Bahrey, Ryan McEachern, Paula Caldwell St-Onge and David Haig as directors of the Company; and re-appointing Crowe MacKay LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditor of the Company. 21,634,317 shares, being approximately 57.55 percent of the issued and outstanding shares, were represented at the AGM. Darren Bahrey, President and CEO, stated, "On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the shareholders for their support in favour of our plans to move the company forward. We are excited to keep you updated on our exploration progress as we unlock groundbreaking discoveries of critical metals new to Canada." About StrategX StrategX is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on discovering critical metals in northern Canada. With five projects strategically situated on the East Arm of the Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories and the Melville Peninsula, Nunavut, we're leading exploration discovery in untapped regions. This first-mover advantage in underexplored regions presents a unique opportunity for investors to be part of multiple discoveries and the development of new districts for critical metals essential for the global green energy shift. For updates and the latest insights, explore our Investor Portal. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Darren G. Bahrey CEO, President & Director For further information, please contact: StrategX Elements Corp. info@strategXcorp.com Phone: 778.231.2767 For further information about the Company, please visit our website at www.strategXcorp.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information All statements included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214267 Vancouver, June 25, 2024 - Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. (the "Company") (CSE:GCC) (OTC:GCCFF) (WKN:A042CQ) (FSE:3TZ) announces that, further to its news release of May 23, 2024, the company will be closing a first tranche of the non-brokered private placement in the amount of $665,000. A total of 2,660,000 Units at a price of $0.25 per Unit will be issued. Each unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant exercisable for a period of 3 years from the closing at exercise prices as follows: $0.28 in year one, $0.30 in year two, and $0.32 in year three. The private placement is subject to CSE Exchange approval and all securities are subject to a four month hold period. Finder's fees may be payable in connection with the private placement, all in accordance with the policies of the CSE Exchange. Proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction in the United States, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S"), except pursuant to an exemption from or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. About Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. is rediscovering the Cariboo Gold Rush by proceeding with highly targeted drilling and trenching programs on its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property which is almost fully encircled on 3 of 4 sides by Osisko Development (NSE-ODV/TSXV-ODV). Historically, over 101 placer gold creeks on the 90 km trend from the Cariboo Hudson mine north to the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property have recorded production and successful placer mining continues to this day. Golden Cariboo's Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine Property is 4 km northeast of, and road accessible from, Hixon in central British Columbia. The Property includes the Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit, which was discovered in 1865 in conjunction with placer mining activities. Hixon Creek, which dissects the old workings, is a placer creek which has seen small-scale placer production since the mid 1860s. For further information please contact: Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. "J. Frank Callaghan" J. Frank Callaghan, President & CEO Tel: 604-682-2928 Scott Young, Corporate Development Tel: 705-888-2756 VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS www.goldencariboo.com LIKE AND FOLLOW Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn Neither the "CSE" Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements: This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and plans of the Company. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding; the expectation that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; the expectation that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; the expectation that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; the Company's exploration plans with respect to its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property; and the anticipated participation of the insider in the Offering. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company will have the resources required to proceed with its exploration plans; that the Company will not run into regulatory or other barriers in carrying out its business plans; that the insider will participate in the Offering, on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management; and that the Company will be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis anticipated. The forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date they were originally made. The Company has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, June 25, 2024 - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) (FWB: GGA1) ("Getchell" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the engagement of Forte Dynamics, Inc., of Fort Collins, Colorado ("Forte Dynamics") to prepare a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") on the Fondaway Canyon gold project in Nevada ("Project"). The Company has been diligently advancing its flagship Fondaway Canyon gold project through the first half of 2024, building upon three highly successful drill campaigns and the publishing of the Project's first Mineral Resource Estimate in early 2023 ("2023 MRE")* (Company news release dated February 1, 2023), reporting: Inferred Mineral Resource of 38.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.23 g/t Au for 1,509,100 ounces of gold; and Indicated Mineral Resource of 11.0 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.56 g/t Au for an additional 550,800 ounces of gold The Company has been focusing on a number of key activities required to support a PEA on the Project with the first major task consisting of the generation of an updated mineral resource estimate ("Updated MRE"). Of the 26 holes drilled by the Company in the Central Area of Fondaway Canyon, only 18 of those holes were incorporated into the 2023 MRE. The results of the additional eight (8) drill holes were received after the cutoff date for data to be included in the 2023 MRE. All eight (8) of these drill holes, FCG22-20 to FCG22-28, excluding FCG22-24 that drilled a separate target area, reported significant intervals of gold mineralization (refer to Company news release dated June 6, 2024, for further details). As part of the Updated MRE process, the Company has completed a bulk density sampling program to establish a representative value to input into the Updated MRE model. A density of 2.74 g/cm3 was derived from the bulk density sampling program representing a 7% increase to the rock hosting the mineralized zones factored into the 2023 MRE (refer to Company news release dated June 6, 2024, for further details). This value is a direct input factor in a mineral resource estimate and may potentially represent a commensurate increase in tonnes given all other factors and inputs remain unchanged. The second major task launched is a metallurgical study of the mineralized material hosted within the Updated MRE. There has been a fair breadth of historical metallurgical studies on the Project, however the majority were conducted 20 years ago or more. The current metallurgical study will represent a modernized analysis considering advancements in mineral processing experienced over the last 20 years. Additional drilling was not required to source material for the metallurgical testwork. Two batches of analytical laboratory coarse rejects from the Company's drill programs were delivered to Forte Dynamics laboratory in April and May to initiate the metallurgical testwork. A supplemental sampling program to collect oxide drill core material was determined to be warranted to assess the rock mechanics of the oxide zone material in addition to gold recoveries. Four Company drill holes that had reported mineralized oxide material from surface were selected for sampling. The half-core material residing in the core box, after splitting for the original analytical analysis for gold, was fully collected and delivered to the lab last week. Upon completion of the Updated MRE (to be completed by Apex Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB) and the modernization of the metallurgy (to be completed by Forte Dynamics), the Company will post a news release detailing the results. Forte Dynamics awaits receipt of these two studies to incorporate into the Fondaway Canyon PEA with completion scheduled for the Fall. Scott Frostad, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person (as defined in National Instrument 43-101) who reviewed and approved the content and scientific and technical information in the news release. Mike Dufresne, P.Geo., of Apex Geoscience Ltd., author of the Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate Fondaway Canyon Project, Nevada, USA filed by the Company on SEDAR+ on February 1, 2023, is an independent and qualified person for the 2023 MRE, as defined by National Instrument 43-101. *Notes on the 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate: Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the Inferred Resource as Indicated or Measured Mineral Resources, however, it is reasonable to expect that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant issues. The Mineral Resources in this report were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") standards on mineral resources and reserves, definitions, and guidelines prepared by the CIM standing committee on reserve definitions and adopted by the CIM council (CIM 2014 and 2019). The effective date of the Mineral Resource Estimate is December 15, 2022, and a technical report on the Fondaway Canyon project titled "Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate Fondaway Canyon Project, Nevada, USA" was filed by the Company on SEDAR+ on February 1, 2023. The independent and qualified person for the MRE, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, is Michael Dufresne, P.Geo., from APEX Geoscience Ltd. The Mineral Resource Estimate is underpinned by data from 518 reverse circulation and diamond drillholes totalling 52,395m of drilling that intersected the mineralized domains. The mineral resource is reported at a lower cut-off of 0.3 g/t Au for the conceptual open pit and 2.0 g/t Au for the conceptual underground extraction scenario. The lower cut-off grades and potential mining scenarios were calculated using the following parameters: mining cost = US$2.70/t (open pit); G&A = US$2.00/t; processing cost = US$15.00/t; recoveries = 92%, gold price = US$1,650.00/oz; royalties = 1%; and minimum mining widths = 1.5 metres (underground) in order to meet the requirement that the reported Mineral Resources show "reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction". Original Au assays were composited to 1.5 m with 11,957 composites generated overall in the mineralized domains including 9,980 composites generated for the Central Zone, 1,323 for the Mid-Realm / South Mouth Zone, and 654 for the Silica Ridge / Hamburger Hill Zone. Grade interpolation was performed by ordinary kriging using 1.5 metre composites (block size of 3m x 3m x 3m). A default density of 2.56 g/cm3 was used for the mineralized zones. The mineral resources estimate is categorized as indicated or inferred and classified based on data density, data quality, confidence in the geological interpretation and confidence in the robustness of the grade interpolation. The indicated category was defined by a search ellipse extending 55m along the major axis, 40m along the minor axis, and 10m vertical. In addition, a minimum of 3 drill holes were required, reporting 9 samples with a maximum of 3 samples per drill hole. The inferred category was defined using a search of up to 120 m and requiring at least 1 sample per drillhole from a minimum of 2 drillholes. High-grade capping supported by statistical analysis was completed on composite data for each zone and was established at 29 g/t Au for the Central Zone, 6.5 g/t Au for the Mid Realm - South Mouth Zone, and 8.0 g/t Au for the Silica Ridge - Hamburger Hill Zone. The number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest thousand and gold ounces was rounded to the nearest hundred, and any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects. Metal content is presented in troy ounces (tonnes x grade (g/T) / 31.10348). The author is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political or marketing issues or any other relevant issue not reported in the technical report that could materially affect the mineral resource estimate. The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the CSE: GTCH, OTCQB: GGLDF, and FWB: GGA1. Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a large mineral resource estimate. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource and two earlier stage exploration projects, Star (Cu-Au-Ag) and Hot Springs Peak (Au). For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company at info@getchellgold.com. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the timing and results of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate, metallurgical testwork, and Preliminary Economic Assessment at the Fondaway Canyon gold project. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although management of Getchell have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Getchell Gold Corp. Vancouver, June 25th, 2024 - Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (JUGR.V) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the "Company" or "Juggernaut") is pleased to report mobilization for the 2024 drilling season on its 100% controlled Midas and Bingo properties. The company has a total of 6,000 meters of drilling planned for the two properties in a world-class geologic terrane. Drilling includes expansion along strike and to the depth of known mineralization at the high-grade gold-silver-copper shear hosted vein at Bingo, as well as testing the strong Eskay-style Volcanogenic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) anomaly identified at the Kokomo showing on the Midas property. Dan Stuart, President and CEO of Juggernaut Exploration, states, "We are excited to resume drilling on both of our 100% controlled Bingo and Midas properties after the successful inaugural drill programs carried out in 2023. We designed a comprehensive drill plan that will allow us to expand the high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization at Bingo along strike and depth, as well as drill test what we believe is the most compelling VHMS target identified on the Midas property to date. In addition, we look forward to the new discoveries made by the B-ALL syndicate, in which we are one of the largest investors." BINGO PROPERTY Bingo Property Highlights: The program on the Bingo property will consist of up to 3000 meters of drilling (from 6 pads and 12 holes) designed to expand the known high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization along strike and to depth on the Bingo Main Zone, as well as testing additional shear zones at depth. View Bingo Drilling Maps Mapping and prospecting on the property, including the Double Down Hinge Zone highlighted by an airborne magnetic survey, will be carried out in preparation for future drilling.2023 Bingo Doubledown High-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization has been intersected in multiple inaugural test drill holes in 2023 collared from within the Bingo Main Zone along a north-trending, west-dipping, shear hosted vein within a 550 meters by 350 meters precious metal-rich mineralized corridor that remains open. Bingo 3D Schematic Results from the 2023 inaugural drill campaign intersected up to 11.42 gpt AuEq (7.57 gpt Au, 20.23 gpt Ag, and 2.72 % Cu) over 5.11 meters. The broad sulphide-rich mineralized vein consists of semi-massive aggregates and stockwork of chalcopyrite (up to 10 %) and pyrrhotite (up to 10 %), with minor pyrite and galena, part of a shear-hosted vein within a strongly altered diorite unit that remains open to the north, south and to depth. The maiden drill program of 2023 on this discovery confirmed strong gold-silver-copper mineralization on the Bingo Main outcrop to a depth of 40 meters that remains open, leaving over 90% of the known mineralized corridor untested. The program on the Bingo property will consist of up to 3000 meters of drilling designed to expand the known high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization along strike and to depth on the Bingo Main Zone and test additional shear zones at depth. Mapping and prospecting on the property, including the Double Down Hinge Zone highlighted by an airborne magnetic survey, will be carried out in preparation for future drilling. Results from the 2023 drill season include 4 holes collared from Pad 1 located in the northern part of the Bingo Main Zone which intersected broad sulphide-rich mineralized horizon consisting of semi-massive aggregates and stockwork of chalcopyrite (up to 10 %) and pyrrhotite (up to 10 %), with minor pyrite and galena, that are part of a shear hosted vein within a strongly altered diorite unit that remains open to the north, south and to depth. Drill hole BI-23-01 intersected 11.42 gpt AuEq (7.57 gpt Au, 20.23 gpt Ag and 2.72 % Cu) over 5.11 meters, including 19.69 gpt AuEq (13.05 gpt Au, 24.93 gpt Ag and 4.70 % Cu) over 2.90 meters. Drill hole BI-23-04 intersected 4.23 gpt AuEq (2.52 gpt Au, 11.05 gpt Ag and 1.16 % Cu) over 10.12 meters, including 6.74 gpt AuEq (4.01 gpt Au, 17.37 gpt Ag and 1.85 % Cu) over 5.89 meters. Drill hole BI-23-02 intersected 4.81 gpt AuEq (2.86 gpt Au, 8.72 gpt Ag and 1.39 % Cu) over 7.05 meters, including 9.49 gpt AuEq (5.69 gpt Au, 17.36 gpt Ag and 2.70 % Cu) over 5.89 meters and 12.35 gpt AuEq (7.31 gpt Au, 23.11 gpt Ag and 3.58 % Cu) over 2.45 meters. Drill hole BI-23-03 intersected 2.22 gpt AuEq (1.39 gpt Au, 4.06 gpt Ag and 0.58 % Cu) over 5.78 meters, including 2.56 gpt AuEq (1.66 gpt Au, 4.58 gpt Ag and 0.62 % Cu) over 4.73 meters and 10.67 gpt AuEq (6.77 gpt Au, 21.30 gpt Ag and 2.69 % Cu) over 0.92 meters. Bingo 3D Schematic The mineralized shear hosted vein was intersected in a narrow copper-rich interval from a drill hole in the southern part of the Bingo Main Zone 200 m south of Pad 1 from 2023, where a surface grab sample assayed 9.79 gpt Au. Drilling in this area in 2024 is designed to fully test the southern extent of the mineralized corridor. Mapping and drilling have shown that the mineralized vein pinches and swells and is parallel to the axial plane of a moderate size fold identified in the magnetic signature of the Bingo Main Zone. The 2023 drill program has helped better understand the geometry of the mineralized vein which is steeply dipping on surface and rotates to 45 degrees to the west at deeper levels. The 2024 drill program is designed to expand on the depth and strike extent of the high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization in the northern part of the Bingo Main Zone where a step-out pad will allow to test the vein at depth and extend its strike along the trend where numerous surface samples assayed multi-gram gold. Additional drill locations on trend with the mineralized vein both to the north and to the south will help determine the extent of the mineralization along strike. View Bingo Drilling Maps A secondary vein was discovered in outcrop 400 m to the northeast of Pad 1 where two grab samples assayed 7.39 gpt Au and 5.93 gpt Au, respectively. The outcrop is partially covered by overburden, but structural investigations indicate a similar orientation to the main mineralized vein. Both samples collected from this outcrop consist of strongly altered, crackled intrusive with up to 5 % chalcopyrite and 10 % pyrite. This showing will be drill tested with multiple drill holes during the 2024 drill season. A third vein is outcropping 250 m southeast of Pad 1. A grab sample that assayed 1.11 gpt Au collected from this vein consists of a metamorphosed, strongly altered intrusive rock with 5 % pyrite and 1 % chalcopyrite. A number of drill holes have been designed to test this showing in 2024. Deeper drill holes designed to test the contact between a close-by intrusion and the surrounding rocks are also planned for the 2024 drill season. Recently, a new fold located 1 kilometer to the north of the Bingo Main Zone named the Double Down Hinge Zone has been identified in an airborne magnetic survey. This fold shows the same orientation and characteristics as the fold observed at the Bingo Main Zone. A fault separates the two folds potentially indicating that the two structures are in fact the same fold that has been displaced, in which case gold-silver-copper mineralization is projected to be found in the Double Down Hinge Zone as well. Detailed mapping and prospecting on the property will focus on identifying the relationship between the Double Down Hinge Zone and the Bingo Main Zone, as well as understanding the controls on mineralization at the contact between metamorphosed sediments and the intrusion to the West, and the volcanic units to the East. 2023 Bingo Doubledown Highlights from the high-grade gold Bingo property: The Bingo Main zone is part of a 550 meters by 350 meters mineralized corridor that remains open with high-grade gold drill samples (11.42 gpt AuEq over 5.11 meters) and surface samples (up to 13.4 gpt Au) locatedalong the axial plane of a fold hinge. Bingo is located in the Eskay Rift in an evolving gold district in a world-class geologic setting within the Golden Triangle of British Columbia, host to several multi-million-ounce gold deposits confirming the untapped discovery potential that remains while vast areas of newly exposed bedrock are exposed due to recent snowpack and glacial abatement. Bingo comprises the same world-class geological units as Goliath Resource's Surebet discovery located 15 km to the West, including Hazelton Volcanics and related sediments and intrusive rocks, as well as the same style of mineralization of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and galena, hosted in a similarly oriented west dipping shear zone. Gold mineralization in drill samples (4 out of 7 holes intersected significant high-grade gold mineralization) and surface outcrops (83 % of surface samples collected contained gold mineralization), stream sediment geochemistry, ground magnetic survey, soil sampling, and other lines of evidence confirm strong gold-mineralization potential on the property. Mineralization is characterized by aggregates and stockwork of chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, and pyrite from a shear-hosted vein along which gold-silver-copper rich fluids intruded and altered the host rock. Recently, a new fold located 1 kilometer to the north of the Bingo Main Zone, named the Double Down Hinge Zone, has been mapped. This fold shows the same orientation and characteristics as the fold observed at the Bingo Main Zone. A fault separates the two folds, potentially indicating that the two structures are, in fact, the same fold that has been displaced, in which case gold-silver-copper mineralization is projected to be found in the Double Down Hinge Zone as well. The Bingo property is located in a fertile area in the southern part of the Golden Triangle, surrounded by a number of known deposits, including Anyox, Surebet, Dolly Varden, Porter Idaho, Premier, and more. Infrastructure includes direct access to tidewater in close proximity to roads and high-tension power. The Bingo property has an area of 989 hectares and is located 45 km SSW of Stewart, BC and 28 km W of Kitsault, and only 12 km to tidewater landing and roads in the historic mining town of Anyox, providing for cost-effective exploration. The Bingo Main Zone contains gold mineralized grab, chip, and channel samples along the axial plane of a fold hinge over an area of 550 meters x 175 meters in a region of recent glacial retreat and permanent snowpack abatement located within the Eskay Rift region of the Golden Triangle, British Columbia. High-grade gold from surface grab samples assayed up to 9.79 gpt Au. Channel samples assayed up to 1.77 gpt Au and 0.20 % Cu over 4.85 meters and 1.48 gpt Au and 0.37 % Cu over 3.2 meters, respectively. The Bingo property has strong similarities to Goliath Resources' Surebet Project, located further to the east, including the same mineralogy, textures, and structures. MIDAS PROPERTY Midas Property Highlights The program on the Midas property will consist of up to 3000 meters of drilling (from 6 pads and 15 drill holes) designed to test the most compelling Volcanogenic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) target identified on the property to date at the Kokomo showing.2023 Midas Drilling Map Comp Highlights of the Midas property include the discovery of the gold-silver-copper-zinc rich Kokomo showing (9.343 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag, 1.58 % Cu, and 1.77 % Zn), drill hole MD-19-18 (6.22 m of 0.31 gpt Au, 0.95 m of 1.50 gpt Au with 1.94 % Cu and 3.22 m of 0.36 gpt Au) and the VG Zone (2.24 gpt Au, 6.83 gpt Ag, 0.18 % Cu and 1.04 % Zn over 4.80 meters). View VHMS Extensive broad copper-zinc-gold rich intervals consisting of considerable chalcopyrite and pyrite in aggregates, stringers, and veinlets have been intersected in multiple drill holes from 2023 collared from an area encompassing the VG Zone and Kokomo showing consistent with an Eskay-style VHMS system. Results from the 2023 drill campaign intersected up to 1.56 gpt AuEq (0.35 gpt Au, 6.10 gpt Ag, 0.64 % Cu, and 0.67 % Zn) over 5.00 meters. The mineralized horizons consist of aggregates, stringers, and veinlets of chalcopyrite (up to 10 %), sphalerite (up to 5 %), and pyrite (up to 15 %) in a strongly quartz-sericite-altered volcanic host rock consistent with being in close proximity to an Eskay-style VHMS deposit. The 2023 drill results, in combination with results from previous years, indicate an extensive north-south gold-copper-zinc rich mineralized trend that remains open, extending for 550 m on strike with a large relatively shallow Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability and resistivity anomaly. The gold and base metals component clearly increases towards the Kokomo showing, strongly indicating proximity to the heart of a VHMS deposit. 3D IP inversion map The program on the Midas property will consist of up to 3000 meters of drilling designed to test the most compelling Volcanogenic Hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) target identified on the property to date at the Kokomo showing. 2023 Midas Drilling Map Comp All three holes collared from Eskay 1 Pad in 2023, located at the transition from the VG Zone to the Kokomo Zone, have intersected considerable gold-copper-zinc mineralization and are characterized by copious amounts of chalcopyrite and pyrite in aggregates, stringers,, and veinlets within a strongly altered volcanic host rock indicating close proximity to an Eskay-style VHMS deposit. Drill hole MD-23-34 intersected 1.56 gpt AuEq (0.35 gpt Au, 6.10 gpt Ag, 0.64 % Cu, and 0.67 % Zn) over 5.00 meters within 0.68 gpt AuEq (0.22 gpt Au, 2.73 gpt Ag, 0.20 % Cu, and 0.38 % Zn) over 22.00 meters. Additional intervals in this hole include 0.70 gpt AuEq (0.24 gpt Au, 2.93 gpt Ag, 0.64 % Cu, and 0.70 % Zn) over 10 meters and 0.54 gpt AuEq (0.18 gpt Au, 1.70 gpt Ag, 0.09 % Cu, and 0.53 % Zn) over 8.00 m. Drill hole MD-23-35 intersected 0.53 gpt AuEq (0.18 gpt Au, 1.64 gpt Ag, 0.11 % Cu, and 0.47 % Zn) over 20.00 meters, including 1.41 gpt AuEq (0.38 gpt Au, 3.62 gpt Ag, 0.32 % Cu, and 1.40 % Zn) over 3.00 meters and 1.07 gpt AuEq (0.39 gpt Au, 2.48 gpt Ag, 0.28 % Cu, and 0.69 % Zn) over 3.00 meters. Drill hole MD-23-36 intersected 1.76 gpt AuEq (0.79 gpt Au, 16.60 gpt Ag, 0.58 % Cu) over 1.00 meter, within 0.45 gpt AuEq (0.19 gpt Au, 4.30 gpt Ag, 0.15 % Cu) over 6.00 meters. An additional interval in this hole assayed 0.29 gpt AuEq (0.16 gpt Au, 1.69 gpt Ag, 0.14 % Zn) over 32 meters. The 2023 drill results, in combination with results from previous years, indicate an extensive north-south gold-copper-zinc rich mineralized trend that remains open, extending for 550 m by 300 m from Eskay 1 Pad to the Kokomo showing on strike with a large relatively shallow Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability and resistivity anomaly. The gold and base metals components clearly increased towards the Kokomo, showing strong proximity to the heart of a VHMS deposit. View VHMS Based on the new results from the 2023 drill program and a thorough compilation of data from previous drill campaigns and exploration programs on the Property, including geochemistry, geophysics, and mapping, that have allowed to vector-in and strongly point to the heart of the VHMS system, a drill plan designed to outline the full VHMS potential of the 550 m by 300 m north-south trend between the Eskay 1 Pad and the Kokomo showing has been prepared. The drilling is designed to specifically target the 550 m by 300 m area between the Eskay 1 Pad and the Kokomo, showing that it is strongly indicated to contain the heart of the gold-rich VHMS system. The Kokomo showing consists of a VHMS style outcrop where a 1 m chip sample assayed 9.343 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag, 1.58 % Cu, and 1.77 % Zn. The outcrop is 5 m wide and strikes on surface for 30 m and remains open and is underlain by an extensive strong 550 m long Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability and resistivity anomaly that remains open, conducive for semi-massive to massive sulphides like those confirmed on surface on the Kokomo showing. Highlights from the Midas Eskay-Style Kokomo VHMS target The 3D inversion of the 2018 Induced Polarization (IP) data performed by an independent geophysical company highlighted a 120 m by 150 m chargeability anomaly and a 350 m by 200 m resistivity anomaly from surface to 200 m depth that remains open to the South and East conducive for semi-massive to massive sulphides like those confirmed on surface at Kokomo. 3D IP inversion map Kokomo is an Eskay-style VHMS showing with a 1 m chip sample assaying 9.343 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag, 1.58 % Cu and 1.77 % Zn. The outcrop remains open in all directions where outcrops of the same or similar lithology extend over several hundred meters. A BLEG (Bulk Leach Extractable Gold) sample collected 700 m down-slope in the drainage of the Kokomo showing assayed 29 ppb Au, 613 ppb Ag, 137 ppm Cu, 54.4 ppm Pb and 462 ppm Zn, by far the highest sample recorded on the property and is coincident with a similar geochemical signature as the Kokomo showing Two outcrop grab samples collected within 50 m of the Kokomo showing in 2017 and 2018 assayed 1.835 gpt Au (with 34.4 gpt Ag, 0.84 % Cu, 0.03 % Pb and 0.79 % Zn) and 2.29 gpt Au (with 21.3 gpt Ag, 0.01 gpt Cu, 0.00 % Pb and 0.02 % Zn). The host rock to the Kokomo showing has been mapped by Juggernaut former senior geologist S. Roach as well as the British Columbia Geological Survey (BCGS; M. McKeown, J. Nelson and R. Friedman, 2007)as a rhyolitic tuff with strong phyllic alteration (quartz-sericite-pyrite) from the Mt Attree volcanics, a unit highly prospective for VHMS deposits In 2019, hole MD-19-24 collared 300 m Southwest of the Kokomo showing with an azimuth of 090 and a dip of 50 intersected the fringes of the chargeability and resistivity anomalies highlighted by the recent 3D inversion of the IP data containing disseminated sulphide mineralization (mainly pyrite and minor sphalerite) in the bottom half of the hole assaying up to 0.293 gpt Au and 2.8 % Zn closest to the Kokomo discovery outcrop. (See news release September 30, 2019) The geology, geochemistry, alteration, and extensive underlying geophysical anomaly coupled with the high-grade polymetallic Au, Ag, Cu and Zn mineralization in semi-massive to massive sulphides seen in outcrop at Kokomo strongly indicates the potential of a new Eskay-style VHMS discovery. The Midas property is 100% controlled and covers 20,803 hectares and is located 24 km southeast of Terrace, British Columbia in close proximity to logging access roads, power, railway and major infrastructure. The property is located in an area of recent glacial abatement and permanent snowpack recession at the southern end of the Golden Triangle, British Columbia. Multiple high-grade gold grab, chips and channel samples were collected from the Kokomo VHMS target where a 1.00 m chip sample assayed 9.343 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag, 1.58 % Cu and 1.77 % Zn and is drill ready. Relatively shallow Induced Polarization (IP) chargeability and resistivity anomalies extend under the Kokomo showing on trend to the south for at least 550 m towards the Eskay 1 Pad, conducive for a buried VHMS containing semi-massive to massive sulphides at depth. Channel samples highlights from the VG Zone include 10.28 gpt Au over 4.34 meters; 15.37 gpt Au over 2 meters; and 5.43 gpt Au over 3.11 meters. Historic drill results from the Midas property include hole MD-18-16 which intersected the peripheral zone of the IP anomaly core and returned 0.56 g/t AuEq over 35.35 meters; hole MD-18-08, which assayed 6.85 gpt Au over 9 meters and narrowly missed a strong IP chargeability anomaly; and hole MD-18-01 which intersected 3.27 gpt AuEq over 4.80 meters and ended before it reached the core of a strong IP chargeability anomaly. 3D IP inversion map B-ALL SYNDICATE A large-scale exploration and prospecting program has been prepared in conjunction with the B-ALL Syndicate with the goal of discovering new potential deposits in an area of recent glacial abatement and permanent snow pack recession in Northwest British Columbia located between Stewart and the Yukon border. The team generated over 300 exploration targets and staked 97 properties that will be prospected and mapped during the summer. Target generation included the compilation and inspection of numerous datasets, including maps, geophysical surveys, air photos, geochemical data, MINFILE investigations, and advanced computer-aided data analysis. Juggernaut Exploration is one the largest investors in the B-ALL Syndicate and is responsible for press release results for all the material discoveries of this exploration program once the results are received, compiled, and interpreted. These B-ALL Syndicate results are anticipated after the results from 6000 meters of drilling on Bingo and Midas are released, providing ongoing news from over 300 exploration targets. Engagement of Marketing Consultant Rocks And Stocks News ("R&S") is a private entity owned and operated by Allan Barry Laboucan. He is based in Mexico, operating an online portal for precious metals and mining stocks. R&S discusses Juggernaut's news releases along with comments and/or opinions on its YouTube channel. The sponsorship agreement extends for 6 months for a total of C$18,000 that expires on December 14th, 2024. Mr. Laboucan did not receive shares or options as compensation. At the time of the agreement, R&S and the Company were unrelated and unaffiliated entities. No buying or selling recommendations are made, no price projections on Juggernaut are given, and no financial advice is given. Mr. Laboucan does not own shares of Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Juggernaut Exploration projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release. Other Oriented NQ-diameter diamond drill core from the drill campaign is placed in core boxes by the drill crew contracted by the Company. Core boxes are transported by helicopter to the staging area, and then transported by truck to the core shack. The core is then re-orientated, meterage blocks are checked, meter marks are labelled, Recovery and RQD measurements taken, and primary bedding and secondary structural features including veins, dykes, cleavage, and shears are noted and measured. The core is then described and transcribed in MX Deposit. Drill holes were planned using Leapfrog Geo and QGIS software and data from the 2017-2022 exploration campaigns. Drill core containing quartz breccia, stockwork, veining and/or sulphide(s), or notable alteration are sampled in lengths of 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Core samples are cut lengthwise in half, one-half remains in the box and the other half is inserted in a clean plastic bag with a sample tag. Standards, blanks and duplicates were added in the sample stream at a rate of 10% Grab, channels, chip and talus samples were collected by foot with helicopter assistance. Prospective areas included, but were not limited to, proximity to MINFile locations, placer creek occurrences, regional soil anomalies, and potential gossans based on high-resolution satellite imagery. The rock grab and chip samples were extracted using a rock hammer, or hammer and chisel to expose fresh surfaces and to liberate a sample of anywhere between 0.5 to 5.0 kilograms. All sample sites were flagged with biodegradable flagging tape and marked with the sample number. All sample sites were recorded using hand-held GPS units (accuracy 3-10 meters) and sample ID, easting, northing, elevation, type of sample (outcrop, subcrop, float, talus, chip, grab, etc.) and a description of the rock were recorded on all-weather paper. Samples were then inserted in a clean plastic bag with a sample tag for transport and shipping to the geochemistry lab. QA/QC samples including blanks, standards, and duplicate samples were inserted regularly into the sample sequence at a rate of 10%. All samples, including core, rock grabs, channels, and talus samples, are transported in rice bags sealed with numbered security tags. A transport company takes them from the core shack to the ALS labs facilities in North Vancouver. ALS is either certified to ISO 9001:2008 or accredited to ISO 17025:2005 in all of its locations. At ALS samples were processed, dried, crushed, and pulverized before analysis using the ME-MS61 and Au-SCR21 methods. For the ME-MS61 method, a prepared sample is digested with perchloric, nitric, hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. The residue is topped up with dilute hydrochloric acid and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Overlimits were re-analyzed using the ME-OG62 and Ag-GRA21 methods (gravimetric finish). For Au-SCR21 a large volume of sample is needed (typically 1-3kg). The sample is crushed and screened (usually to -106 micron) to separate coarse gold particles from fine material. After screening, two aliquots of the fine fraction are analysed using the traditional fire assay method. The fine fraction is expected to be reasonably homogenous and well represented by the duplicate analyses. The entire coarse fraction is assayed to determine the contribution of the coarse gold. Some of the reported data is historical in nature and is a compilation of third-party data from previous operators. The reader is cautioned that grab samples are spot samples which are typically, but not exclusively, constrained to mineralization. Grab samples are selective in nature and collected to determine the presence or absence of mineralization and are not intended to be representative of the material sampled. In addition, the reader is cautioned that proximity to known mineralization does not guarantee similar mineralization will exist on the properties. For more information, please contact: Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Dan Stuart President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: (604)-559-8028 www.juggernautexploration.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT Certain disclosure in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernaut's operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, June 25, 2024 - Vizsla Copper Corp. (TSXV: VCU) (OTCQB: VCUFF) (FRANKFURT: 97E0) ("Vizsla Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of the summer core drilling program at the Woodjam copper-gold project (the "Woodjam Project" or "Woodjam") in south-central BC (Figure 1). HIGHLIGHTS The Targets: Core drilling will evaluate the potential for: (1) extensions of high-grade gold mineralization at the Deerhorn deposit, (2) extensions of gold-rich copper mineralization at the Three Firs zone, and (3) extensions of higher gold mineralization at the Southeast deposit. The Program: Approximately 3,600m of core drilling in 9 drill holes is planned, some of which will be on the contiguous Redgold property. "With our financing freshly closed, I'm excited about the start of drilling at Woodjam," commented Craig Parry, Executive Chairman. "Strong copper prices are expected to continue over the long term and Vizsla Copper is executing on its strategy of acquiring undervalued copper assets and completing selective, high-impact exploration programs on our best targets." "Well mineralized and highly prospective for exploration success, Woodjam remains our highest priority project," commented Steve Blower, Vice President of Exploration. "I'm looking forward to evaluating all of the target areas, especially Three Firs, as this is our first opportunity to expand the wide-open mineralization there." The Program High priority targets will be evaluated in 3 areas - the Deerhorn deposit, the Three Firs zone and the Southeast deposit (Figure 2). At the Deerhorn copper-gold deposit, at least two drill holes will evaluate the potential to expand the higher-grade southern gold-rich portion of the deposit (Figure 3). At the copper-gold Three Firs zone, one drill hole will evaluate potential extensions to the southwest of the zone and another will evaluate a large circular magnetic anomaly northwest of the zone (Figure 4). Finally, drilling at the large Southeast copper deposit will attempt to expand the area of higher-grade gold mineralization along the south end of the deposit (Figure 5). Approximately 3,600m of drilling is planned in 9 drill holes - some of which will be completed on the contiguous Redgold property. More information on the Redgold portion of the drilling program will follow as targets are finalized. The program will take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to complete. Samples will be submitted for assay regularly through the program, and analytical results will be disclosed in due course. Figure 1 - Woodjam Property Map Figure 2 - Target Area Locations Figure 3 - Deerhorn Deposit Target Area (Grade Shells at 810masl) Figure 4 - Three Firs Zone Target Area (Grade Shells at 800masl) Figure 5 - Southeast Deposit Target Area (Grade Shells at 790masl) About Vizsla Copper Vizsla Copper is a Cu-Au-Mo focused mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The Company is primarily focused on its flagship Woodjam project, located within the prolific Quesnel Terrane, 55 kilometers east of the community of Williams Lake, British Columbia. It has three additional copper properties: Poplar, Copperview, and Redgold, all well situated amongst significant infrastructure in British Columbia. The Company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration and development of its copper properties within its portfolio in addition to value accretive acquisitions. Vizsla Copper's vision is to be a responsible copper explorer and developer in the stable mining jurisdiction of British Columbia, Canada and it is committed to socially responsible exploration and development, working safely, ethically and with integrity. Vizsla Copper is a spin-out of Vizsla Silver (TSX.V: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) and is backed by Inventa Capital Corp., a premier investment group founded in 2017 with the goal of discovering and funding opportunities in the resource sector. Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and the Company's website (www.vizslacopper.com). Qualified Person The Company's disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Ian Borg, P.Geo., Senior Geologist for Vizsla Copper. Mr. Borg is a Qualified Person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to: obtaining required regulator approvals for the Copperview Acquisition and the RG Copper Acquisition; satisfying the requirements of the Underlying Option Agreement; the exploration and development of the Woodjam Project, Redgold Project and Copperview Project; and the Company's growth and business strategies. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Vizsla Copper Corp. Gold Reserve Inc. (TSX.V: GRZ) (OTCQX: GDRZF) ("Gold Reserve" or the "Company") announces it has entered into an engagement letter with Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation ("CFCC" or the "Agent"), to undertake a private placement of Class A common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") for anticipated gross proceeds of up to US$30.0 million at a price per Common Share of US$4.10 (the "Offering"). Net proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used for expenditures related to the Company's previously announced credit bid submitted for the common shares of PDV Holdings, Inc. ("PDVH"), the indirect parent company of CITGO Petroleum Corp. (the "Bid"), and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The number of Common Shares to be sold will be determined in the context of the market in conjunction with the marketing efforts and there can be no assurance as to completion of the Offering. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about July 3, 2024 (the "Offering Closing Date") and is subject to the completion of formal documentation and receipt of regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has granted the Agent an over-allotment option exercisable, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of the Agent, to arrange for the purchase of up to an additional 20% of the number of Common Shares sold in the Offering at any time up to two days prior to the Offering Closing Date, on the same terms and conditions as the Offering. If exercised in full, the Company would raise up to US$36.0 million in gross proceeds from the issuance of Common Shares. The Common Shares will be offered on a "best efforts" private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions in each of the provinces of Canada under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and applicable state securities laws, and in such other jurisdictions as may be permitted. The Common Shares issuable to Canadian subscribers in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada which will run for four months from the Offering Closing Date of the Offering. Any Common Shares sold to investors outside of Canada will be sold pursuant to OSC Rule 72-503. In connection with the Offering, the Agent will receive a commission equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares subject to certain exceptions at the Offering Closing Date. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Paul Rivett Executive Vice-Chairman NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. federal securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws and state Gold Reserve's and its management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. They are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Offering. We caution that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risks that may cause the actual events, outcomes or results of Gold Reserve to be materially different from our estimated outcomes, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: failure to obtain any necessary regulatory approvals in connection with the Offering; the completion of the Offering and the closing thereof; that the proceeds obtained under the Offering or will be less than expected; the failure of the Company to negotiate or enter into any agreements required for the Offering; risks associated with the Bid pursuant to the bidding procedures (the "Bidding Procedures") managed by the Special Master (the "Special Master") appointed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the "Delaware Court") in connection with the sale of PDVH common shares (the "Sale Process"), including but not limited to: the discretion of the Special Master to consider the Bid, to enter into any discussions or negotiation with respect thereto and that the Special Master may reject the Bid; the failure of the Company to negotiate the Bid, including as a result of failing to obtain sufficient equity and/or debt financing; that the Bid submitted by the Company will not be selected as a "Successful Bid" under the Bidding Procedures, and if selected may not close, including as a result of U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC"), or any other applicable regulatory body, not granting an authorization in connection with any potential sale of PDVH shares and/or whether OFAC changes its decision or guidance regarding the Sale Process; failure of the Company or any other party to obtain any required approvals for, or satisfy other conditions to effect, any transaction resulting from the Bid; that the Company may forfeit any cash amount deposit made due to failing to complete the Bid or otherwise; that the making of the Bid or any transaction resulting therefrom may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; that, prior to or as a result of the completion of any transaction contemplated by the Bid, the business of the Company may experience significant disruptions due to transaction related uncertainty, industry conditions or other factors; the ability to enforce the writ of attachment granted to the Company; the timing set for various reports and/or other matters with respect to the Sale Process may not be met; the ability of the Company to otherwise participate in the Sale Process (and related costs associated therewith); the amount, if any, of proceeds associated with the Sale Process; the competing claims of certain creditors, the "Other Creditors" (as detailed in the applicable court documents filed with the Delaware Court) of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ("Venezuela") and/or any of its agencies or instrumentalities of Venezuela and the Company, including any interest on such creditors' judgements and any priority afforded thereto; uncertainties with respect to possible settlements between Venezuela, PDVSA, and/or any of their agencies or instrumentalities, and other creditors and the impact of any such settlements on the amount of funds that may be available under the Sale Process; and the proceeds from the Sale Process may not be sufficient to satisfy the amounts outstanding under the Company's September 2014 arbitral award and/or corresponding November 15, 2015 U.S. judgement in full and the ramifications of bankruptcy with respect to the Sale Process and/or the Company's claims, including as a result of the priority of other claims. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of the risk factors affecting the Company's business, see the Company's Annual Information Form on Form 40-F and Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company's Management's Discussion & Analysis for the period ended March 31, 2024 and other reports that have been filed on SEDAR+ and are available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and which have been filed on EDGAR and are available under the Company's profile at www.sec.gov/edgar. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Gold Reserve or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Gold Reserve disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to its disclosure obligations under applicable rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240625711078/en/ Contact Gold Reserve Inc. Jean Charles Potvin 999 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 401 Spokane, WA 99201 USA Tel: (509) 623-1500 Fax: (509) 623-1634 HIGHLIGHTS Follow-up aircore (AC) and reverse circulation (RC) drilling programs have been commenced by De Grey Mining (De Grey) at Novo's flagship Becher Project (Becher), using two drill rigs. The focus is on testing gold and base metal mineralisation at the priority Heckmair and Lowe Prospects. Becher is part of the Egina Joint Venture, where major ASX-listed Western Australian gold explorer and developer De Grey is earning-in through a minimum spend of A$7 million to December 2024, as part of a required A$25 million spend over 4 years to earn 50% of the joint venture. De Grey is the manager of the Egina Joint Venture. Becher lies adjacent to De Grey's 12.7 Moz1 Hemi Gold Project. Exploration completed to date by Novo and De Grey at Becher has identified both intrusion-hosted and structurally controlled gold mineralisation similar in nature to that at the Hemi deposit. De Grey plans to undertake a further 28,000 m of combined AC and RC drilling, adding to the ~10,500 m already completed at Becher in Q4 2023. Separately, drilling by Novo at Nunyerry North, where a ~4,000 m RC drill program commenced in late May, is advancing with the program expected to be completed in early July and assay results received later in the month. Following completion of drilling at Nunyerry North, exploration at key Pilbara targets will shift to either AC drilling at the Balla Balla Gold Project or RC drilling in the Karratha District gold and gold-copper (+-platinum-palladium) targets, dependent on the timing of heritage surveys and final approvals, which are expected in late July 2024. Novo Executive Co-Chairman and Acting CEO Mike Spreadborough said: "This is an exciting time for the Egina JV with the recommencement of AC and RC drilling programs at our flagship Becher Project." "De Grey are focused on undertaking a further 28,000m of combined drilling, which of course is a follow on from the initial program completed at the end of 2023 and will continue to advance key targets identified by Novo historically." "Becher is a highly prospective and high priority exploration target. We eagerly await the results of the drilling programs and look forward to updating shareholders in due course." VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (ASX: NVO) (TSX: NVO) (OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to provide an update on follow-up drill programs at the Becher Project, which is part of the Egina earn-in and joint venture (Egina JV) with De Grey Mining Ltd. (ASX:DEG). ________________________________________ 1 For further details refer to De Grey's ASX announcement titled Hemi Gold Project Resource Update dated 21 November 2023, relating to De Grey's Hemi. Withnell and Wingina mining centres. No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Becher Project De Grey completed its maiden aircore (AC) and reverse circulation (RC) drill program at the Becher Project in Q4 2023, testing the Heckmair and Lowe intrusions, and the Irvine and Bonatti shear corridors, with over 10,500 m completed. Significant results were returned from both the Lowe and Heckmair prospects, which have been deemed as priority prospects. De Grey has commenced follow-up programs, with ~28,000 m of combined AC and RC drilling planned through the use of two rigs. Assay results from these programs are anticipated in H2, 2024. EGINA GOLD CAMP The Egina Gold Camp is Novo's highly prospective gold belt located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and includes the priority Becher and Nunyerry North projects (Figure 1). This belt comprises a series of structurally complex, gold-fertile corridors, hosted by rocks of the Mallina Basin in the north and mafic / ultramafic sequences further south. These corridors trend towards De Grey's 12.7 Moz Hemi Gold Project2 (Hemi) to the north and northeast. Novo's tenure forms a contiguous package of approximately 80 km strike length directly along this trend and has been the main focus area for Novo's exploration programs over the last two years, culminating in the Egina JV with De Grey and delineation of the Nunyerry North gold prospect. Figure 1: Location of Novo tenements, the Egina JV area, Becher Project and priority projects in the Pilbara EGINA JV ________________________________________ 2 For further details refer to De Grey's ASX announcement titled Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023, relating to De Grey's Hemi. Withnell and Wingina mining centres. No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Becher Project. In June 2023, Novo completed an earn-in and joint venture agreement with De Grey Mining for the Company's Becher Project and the adjacent tenements within the Egina Gold Camp, with the resultant joint venture to be known as the Egina JV. De Grey is earning into the Egina JV with a minimum spend of A$7 million to December 2024, as part of a required A$25 million spend over 4 years to earn 50% of the joint venture. The combined Egina JV and De Grey tenure forms a strategically significant land position in the Mallina Basin covering approximately 2,500 sq km. De Grey assumed management control of the Novo area (under the earn-in arrangements) from 1 July 2023 and continues to advance key exploration efforts through targeted AC and RC drill programs. EGINA JV AND BECHER PROJECT Novo's early-stage reconnaissance work at Egina successfully identified the Becher Project as a highly prospective and high priority exploration target. Reconnaissance and exploration programs completed by Novo in 2021-2023 indicated both intrusion-hosted and structurally controlled gold mineralisation similar in nature to that described by De Grey at the Hemi deposit. De Grey completed over 10,500 m of AC and RC drilling in Q4 2023, testing immediate drill-ready targets at the Lowe, Heckmair, Irvine and Bonatti targets. Significant assays were returned from RC drilling at Lowe and Heckmair, enough to warrant both prospects as priority targets for follow up in 2024. De Grey recommenced drilling in late May 2024, with two rigs concurrently conducting a proposed 28,000 m combined AC and RC program. The RC program has started at Heckmair and has been designed to follow up on encouraging results at Lowe, Heckmair, and Whillans. The AC program has commenced at Lowe and aims to provide better geochemical coverage over structural and intrusion targets (Figure 2). Figure 2 Proposed drill programs by JV partner De Grey at the Becher Project in the Egina JV Lowe Lowe is located ~20 km WSW of Hemi. The prospect includes an interpreted 5.2 km long, synclinal layered sill, fractionated from pyroxenite at the base up to gabbro and diorite. It is substantially thicker on the northern side of the syncline and likely truncated by a fault and juxtaposed with altered metasediment to the south. A small RC drilling program of 10 holes (1,786 m) was completed by De Grey in late 2023. Drilling intersected mineralisation in two holes in what is interpreted to be the same structure (Figure 2). A key result of 8 m at 4.7 g/t Au from 97 m was intersected in hole MSRC0031, and 4 m at 0.6 g/t Au from 144 m was intersected in MSRC00323. Mineralisation is hosted within strongly foliated and sheared pyroxenite and gabbro with prominent sericite alteration, quartz veining and pyrite. A comprehensive, follow-up AC drilling program has commenced at Lowe, comprising 220 AC holes for ~11,000 m to test the western extension of the Lowe target stratigraphy (Figure 2). The 2024 RC program for Lowe comprises six holes for ~500 m targeting the contact between the sill and surrounding sediments and aims to confirm and extend significant intercepts reported in 2023. Heckmair Interpretation of combined geophysical and geochemical data from AC drilling by De Grey in Q4 2023 identified a 1.5 km long WNW-trending fault zone within the Heckmair intrusive body (Figure 3). The initial RC drill program testing this structure successfully intersected strong base metal results including4 (Figure 4): 10 m @ 0.12 g/t Au, 29.7 g/t Ag, 0.3% Cu, 1.5% Pb and 1.8% Zn from 40 m (MSRC0016) including 3 m @ 0.20 g/t Au, 59.8 g/t Ag, 0.9% Cu, 2.4% Pb and 2.2% Zn from 47 m 24 m @ 0.2 g/t Au, 13.2 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 1.0% Pb and 0.1% Zn in hole MSRC0017 from 105 m (MSRC0017) including 6 m @ 0.48 g/t Au, 20.8 g/t Ag, 0.2% Cu, 1.4% Pb and 2.8% Zn from 105 m The best gold intercept from the RC drilling was 2 m at 2.8 g/t Au in hole MSRC0013. De Grey notes that other deposits and prospects within the Mallina Basin show that base metal anomalism can be associated with gold mineralisation. The Heckmair Fault shows evidence for broad-scale fluid flow within a fault conduit with favourable scale, and De Grey considers this to be a priority target. The RC drill program, which comprises 27 holes for ~3,000 m, has commenced and will test the Heckmair Fault over a 2 km strike length at a nominal 320 m line spacing. An AC program of 532 holes for ~23,500 m has also commenced at Lowe and has been designed to extend the geochemical coverage over yet untested mafic and ultramafic intrusions. This program will include anomaly definition at Lowe and Heckmair but will also expand preliminary geochemical coverage over the Bonatti, Irvine, and Whillans prospects (Figure 2). ________________________________________ 3 Refer to De Grey's ASX news release dated 13 February 2024, Greater Hemi and Regional Exploration update. 4 Refer to De Grey's ASX news release dated 13 February 2024, Greater Hemi and Regional Exploration update. Figure 3 Target zone at the Heckmair Fault Figure 4 Heckmair cross-section (619120E) NUNYERRY NORTH AND PILBARA DRILL UPDATE Nunyerry North is Novo's high priority exploration target with significant prospectivity, located in the southern part of the Egina Gold Camp. Nunyerry North is part of the Croyden JV (Novo 70%; Creasey Group 30%). A ~4,000 m RC drill program commenced in late May following significant results from the maiden drill program which was completed in Q4 2023. The program is testing multiple new targets along strike of known mineralisation and down plunge of existing intercepts. Drilling is proceeding to plan with the program expected to be completed in early July 2024. Assays are expected in late July. Post completion of drilling at Nunyerry North, Pilbara exploration drilling will shift to either AC drilling at the Balla Balla Gold Project or RC drilling in the Karratha District gold and gold-copper (+-platinum-palladium) targets dependent on the timing of heritage surveys and final approvals which are expected in late July 2024. Balla Balla is an emerging exploration project centred on the Sholl Shear and associated potentially fertile structural corridors undercover. The Project is considered prospective for intrusion-hosted gold mineralisation, in addition to structurally controlled gold. Geophysical interpretation and research of historical data completed in 2023 advanced the Company's understanding of prospectivity in the project area and further delineated targets for follow-up work in 2024. A reconnaissance AC program is currently in planning for drilling in H2 2024. In the Karratha District, the maiden ~3,500 m RC drill program is planned to test three significant gold and gold-copper(+-platinum-palladium) targets at North Whundo, Railway Bore and East Well. ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY - AC DRILLING AC drilling is utilised as a first pass technique testing for gold mineralisation and anomalous pathfinder geochemistry in basement rocks under cover. The drilling methodology is rapid and low cost, with a low impact footprint, enabling large systematic programs to be completed in a cost effective and timely manner. One metre AC drill samples are collected from the drill rig through a cyclone and placed on the ground in piles for geological quantitative and qualitative logging. These piles are then speared as four-meter composites. All AC chip samples are sent to ALS in Perth, Western Australia and each sample is dried, split, crushed and pulverised to 85% passing 75m. 11 elements assayed with aqua regia mass spectrometry (ALS Lab Code ME-MS43) with an additional 29 elements assayed with aqua regia ICP-AES finish (ALS Lab Code ME-ICP43),) and trace-level gold by 25 g aqua regia (ICP-MS). All AC holes end with a 1 m bottom of hole sample using the ME-MS61 method with Au by 30 g fire assay (Au-ICP21). Anomalous AC composites, greater than 0.1 ppm gold over 4 m, are re-split to 1 m samples and were assayed using 30 g Au fire assay with ICP finish (ALS Lab Code, Au-ICP21) and high-grade results >10 ppm Au were assayed by fire assay and gravimetric finish (ALS Lab Code Au-GRA21). Multielement analysis was conducted using four acid digest followed by ICP-MS finish for 61 elements (ALS Lab Code ME-MS61). QAQC procedures for the program include insertion of certified coarse blanks (minimum rate 2%), certified standards (CRMs minimum rate 2%) and routine duplicate sampling. AC samples are generally of good quality and appropriate for delineation of geochemical trends but are not used in any Mineral Resource estimates. ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY - RC DRILLING RC drilling is an industry standard technique to test for gold mineralisation and pathfinder geochemistry in basement rocks under cover. The drilling methodology is of moderate cost and impact but achieves a high sample quality. RC sampling is carried out by a cone splitter on the rig cyclone. Drill cuttings are sampled on a 1 m basis in bedrock, and 4 m composite basis in cover. Geological quantitative and qualitative logging is then completed from bulk reject material on the drill pad. All RC chip samples are sent to ALS in Perth, Western Australia, with each sample dried, split, crushed and pulverised to 85% passing 75m. Analysis is by 30 g fire assay with ICP-finish (ALS Lab Code, Au-ICP21) for gold, and for multielement geochemistry using four acid digest followed by ICP-MS finish for 61 elements (ALS Lab Code ME-MS61). High range gold results (> 10 ppm Au) are repeated (ALS Lab Code Au-GRA21) and ore grade Ag (>100 ppm Ag) Cu, Pb & Zn (>10,000 ppm) are assayed by OG62. QAQC procedures for the program include insertion of certified coarse blanks (minimum rate 2%), certified standards (CRMs minimum rate 2%) and routine duplicate sampling. RC sample sizes are considered appropriate for the material sampled and considered representative and appropriate for this type of drilling. RC samples can be used in a Mineral Resource estimate. Authorised for release by the Board of Directors. CONTACT Investors: Mike Spreadborough +61 8 6400 6100 info@novoresources.com North American Queries: Leo Karabelas +1 416 543 3120 leo@novoresources.com Media: Cameron Gilenko +61 466 984 953 c.gilenko@morrowsodali.com QP STATEMENT Ms. Karen (Kas) De Luca (MAIG), is the qualified person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Ms De Luca is Novo's General Manger Exploration. JORC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT The information in this news release that relates to Exploration Results at the Becher Project have been reported by De Grey Mining Ltd (Novo's joint venture partner in the Egina JV) in its announcement titled 'Greater Hemi and Regional Exploration update' on 13 February 2024, which is available to view at www.asx.com.au. The Company is not aware of any reason to indicate that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented in that announcement have been materially modified from the original market announcement. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and Australian securities law and regulations. In this news release, such statements include but are not limited to planned exploration activities and the timing of such. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novo's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (which is available under Novo's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and at www.asx.com.au in the Company's prospectus dated 2 August 2023 which is available at www.asx.com.au. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focused on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 6,700 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novo's key project area is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG) is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics to De Grey's 12.7 Moz Hemi Project5. Novo is also advancing gold exploration at Nunyerry North, part of the Croyden JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%), where 2023 exploration drilling identified significant gold mineralisation. Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed lithium joint ventures with both Liatam and SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. Novo has a significant investment portfolio and a disciplined program in place to identify value accretive opportunities that will build further value for shareholders. Please refer to Novo's website for further information including the latest Corporate Presentation. ________________________________________ 5 Refer to De Grey ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023. No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Becher Project. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d318c3e6-7e39-497b-9856-1c93496d5602 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1eaff573-9b4c-4e75-b118-feefa3d3ff94 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd9d9639-d606-4e01-afd9-9c52ab957f7a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e950c428-feca-4c48-bf4b-1156c2cedea4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc64e1a4-5575-4a39-9b44-f33774aa174d TORONTO, June 25, 2024 - Premier American Uranium Inc. ("PUR", the "Company" or "Premier American Uranium") (TSXV: PUR) (OTCQB: PAUIF) is pleased to announce that shareholders have approved all matters brought before the annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held virtually today, as outlined in the management information circular of the Company prepared in connection with the Meeting. Shareholders approved all of the matters presented for approval at the Meeting, including the re-election of each of the existing directors to serve as a director of the Company until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until his successor is otherwise elected or appointed. Shareholders also approved the appointment of Mr. Jon Indall and Mr. Michael Henrichsen (the "Arrangement Slate Nominees") to serve as directors of the Company conditional upon closing of the previously announced Plan of Arrangement (the "Arrangement") involving Premier American Uranium and American Future Fuel Corp. ("American Future Fuel" or "AMPS"), which is expected to close later this week. Mr. Jon Indall has close to 40 years of experience in natural resources, environmental law, and administrative law, which has made a profound impact on these domains. A distinguished retired partner from the prestigious law firm of Maldegen, Templeman & Indall in Santa Fe, his practice encompassed intricate transactions, title work, permitting, and mining property acquisitions. Mr. Indall adeptly represented clients engaged in site remediation activities, including superfund sites. Mr. Indall recently served on the Advisory Board of American Future Fuel providing extensive insights and expertise playing a pivotal advisory role, shaping the corporation's strategic environmental decisions. A revered figure in the uranium mining industry, Mr. Indall has actively engaged in both representation and legislative activities, playing a role in shaping federal energy laws and policies. His representation portfolio spanned a diverse range of natural resource clients, including hardrock mining companies, natural gas pipeline entities, oil and gas supply firms, and water disposal companies. His impressive educational background includes a J.D. from the University of Kansas in 1974 and a B.A. from the same institution in 1971. Mr. Michael Henrichsen is the CEO of Goldshore Resources and is a director of Dolly Varden Silver Corp. As a professional geologist, Mr. Henrichsen has over 20 years of experience in the mining industry in senior management roles in both junior and major companies and brings a broad range of global experience. Notably, his work at Newmont Corporation significantly increased reserves and resources in the Ahafo district in Ghana, and he has contributed extensively to other major gold camps in Peru, Nevada, Guinea, and Canada. In the past 10 years, Mr. Henrichsen, in the role of Chief Geological Officer, has been a part of management teams that have built a portfolio of properties that form the basis of Fury Gold Mines Ltd., Torq Resources Inc., and Tier One Silver Inc. Mr. Henrichsen holds a B.Sc. (Geology) from the University of Calgary, and an M.Sc. (Structural Geology) from the University of British Columbia. Colin Healey, CEO of PUR commented, "We are excited to welcome two highly experienced members to our Board upon closing of the Arrangement with American Future Fuel and appreciate the overwhelming support of shareholders. Both Jon Indall and Michael Henrichsen will provide unique and valuable insight to the PUR management team, further strengthening our Board. We look forward to building on our core 'Acquire, Explore, Develop' strategy in 2024 and beyond, working toward commencement of drill programs in both Wyoming (Cyclone) and New Mexico (Cebolleta) in 2024. We look forward to providing additional details on these programs in coming weeks." About Premier American Uranium Premier American Uranium Inc. is focused on the consolidation, exploration, and development of uranium projects in the United States. One of PUR's key strengths is the extensive land holdings in two prominent uranium-producing regions in the United States: the Great Divide Basin of Wyoming and the Uravan Mineral Belt of Colorado. With a rich history of past production and historic uranium mineral resources, PUR has work programs underway to advance its portfolio. Backed by Sachem Cove Partners, IsoEnergy and additional institutional investors, and an unparalleled team with U.S. uranium experience, PUR's entry into the market comes at a well-timed opportunity, as uranium fundamentals are currently the strongest they have been in a decade. For More Information, Please Contact: Premier American Uranium Inc. Colin Healey CEO info@premierur.com Toll-Free: 1-833-572-2333 Twitter: @PremierAUranium www.premierur.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that PUR expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, but not limited to, the timing for completion of the Arrangement and plans for the commencement of drill programs in both Wyoming (Cyclone) and New Mexico (Cebolleta), including the timing thereof. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including assumptions regarding including the ability of the parties to satisfy or waive, in a timely manner, the other customary conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, that planned exploration activities will be completed as and when currently contemplated, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, including the price of uranium, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by PUR in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management of PUR at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: the failure to satisfy the final conditions in connection with the Arrangement and failure to complete the Arrangement, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals and the risk factors with respect to the Company set out in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although PUR has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. PUR undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. Benjamin Bratton at Noema Magazine: What is today called artificial intelligence should be counted as a Copernican Trauma in the making. It reveals that intelligence, cognition, even mind (definitions of these historical terms are clearly up for debate) are not what they seem to be, not what they feel like, and not unique to the human condition. Obviously, the creative and technological sapience necessary to artificialize intelligence is a human accomplishment, but now, that sapience is remaking itself. Since the paleolithic cognitive revolution, human intelligence has artificialized many things shelter, heat, food, energy, images, sounds, even life itself but now, that intelligence itself is artificializable. Kubler-Rosss stages of grief provide a useful typology of the Western theory of AI: AI Denial, AI Anger, AI Bargaining, AI Depression and AI Acceptance. These genres of grief derive from the real and imagined implications of AI for institutional politics, the division of economic labor and many philosophical and religious traditions. more here. Climate activists threaten Austrian GP Protesters are reportedly planning to disrupt the Austrian GP this weekend. Austrian GP 2022 Red Bull The Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung said of the Formula 1 race promoted by circuit owner Red Bull: Emergency services are not ruling out the possibility that climate activists could throw the plans into disarray. In anticipation of problems, race organisers at the Red Bull Ring are coordinating with police, fire services, and even the civil protection and national defence departments. The whole world is looking at the Murtal district this weekend, said district administrator Nina Polzl. "Our common goal is to prepare and support the running of Formula 1 as a major international sporting event in the best possible way. The safety of the visitors is our top priority. The newspaper report added that plain-clothes police will also be on duty, supported by their colleagues operating from the air in helicopters. Concepts that have been developed and refined over the past ten years are being put to use and can be adapted to the current situation, Kronen Zeitung continued. This could be particularly important this time, as climate activists have recently chosen various events for their protest actions. (GMM) Most Chinese companies in U.S. positive about future revenues: report Xinhua) 15:42, June 25, 2024 WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Despite increasingly pessimistic sentiments regarding future U.S.-China bilateral and economic relations, the majority of Chinese companies operating in the United States expressed positive future revenue expectations, according to a report released Monday. The China General Chamber of Commerce - USA (CGCC)'s 11th Annual Business Survey on Chinese Enterprises in the United States, released during the ongoing SelectUSA Investment Summit, showed that over 60 percent of the surveyed companies reported a deteriorating business and investment environment; 27 percent did not perceive any significant change; and only 13 percent noted a slight improvement compared to the previous year. The profit margin distribution showed a significant decline, reminiscent of the early pandemic period in 2020. Notably, there was an increase in the number of companies experiencing a decline in profit margins over the years. Regardless of the overall deteriorating environment and declining profit margins in some cases, a notable degree of long-term optimism persisted, with the majority of Chinese companies expressing positive future revenue expectations, the report said. Nearly 90 percent of companies maintained or planned to increase their investment levels in the United States, reflecting a commendable sense of optimism, determination, and resilience, the report said. "From a longer-term perspective, trade and investments have always been the cornerstone of the U.S.-China relations," said Hu Wei, Chairman of the CGCC, who is also president and CEO of Bank of China U.S.A. Despite the various uncertainties, China remains the United States' third-largest trading partner and its largest importer, Hu noted. Under the guidance of the "San Francisco Vision" outlined by the presidents of the two countries, companies from both sides need to strengthen communication and coordination to reduce unnecessary trade frictions and policy barriers and foster a more stable and open bilateral trade environment, Hu said. "This will not only help promote the recovery of the two countries' economies but also lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the global economy," Hu said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) B. Ruby Rich at The Current: Before he made Lilies (1996), the feature that became his grand masterpiece, John Greyson was already known for his groundbreaking work in video. Identified by his irreverent humor, dance-hall pastiches, fierce political commitment, and brash inventiveness, the Canadian artist had amassed a global following through various showcases, including in New York and at the Berlin Film Festival. I met him when he was just starting out as a young man in New York City championing video and, as he would go on to do throughout his career, the work of other artists. Based on a play by Quebec playwright Michel Marc Bouchard, Lilies was Greysons first adaptation and his first work to be made in 35 mm. The film wraps its transgressive themesforbidden sexuality, race, gender, the Catholic Church, murder, and the miscarriage of justicein a voluptuous style that alternates polished tableaux of an imagined 1912 with rougher scenes staged forty years later. more here. Apple released the first betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 earlier this month during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and today the company is pushing the second beta for both. Note that these are not public betas - they are developer-focused, and as such, can only be installed by developers. Public betas will arrive next month. iPadOS 18 beta 2 brings support for alternative app stores in the EU, along with alternative payment options in Apple's App Store, a default web browser selection screen, and the ability for browsers to use engines other than Safari's. All of these come as a consequence of the European Commission designating iPadOS as a "gatekeeper platform", which makes it obligatory for these features to be offered under the EU's Digital Markets Act. All of these concessions were first added by Apple to iOS 17.4 back in March, and now they're coming to iPadOS too. In the meantime, iOS 18 beta 2 brings support for iPhone mirroring on macOS Sequoia beta 2. This lets you fully control your iPhone using your Mac, with the iPhone staying locked throughout. The feature was announced at WWDC. There's also a new toggle for the RCS protocol that Apple is finally supporting in iOS 18. This will show up if your carrier supports RCS. Source 1 | Source 2 With the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam on the horizon, a historical reunion of two families took place on Guams Northern plateau on Monday. The descendants of the Artero and Tweed families hiked to Tweeds Cave where Antonio Arteros family hid George Tweed during the Imperial Japans occupation of Guam, a release from Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz states. George Tweeds daughter Lolly, son-in-law Bradley Mulvihill, and two grandsons Brian and Casey Mulvihill, hiked alongside U.S. Army retired Maj. Gen. Roderick Leon Guerrero the grandson of Antonio Artero and a small group from Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. For Leon Guerrero the hike and visit were important steps to pass the baton to the next generations of the Tweed and Artero families. My mother and her siblings, my uncles and aunts developed a relationship with Tweed, said Leon Guerrero. (Tweeds grandsons) are out here, and were developing that relationship that our parents and our grandparents had. The group followed an overgrown and unrecognizable WWII-era road that descended into a lush fern covered valley. From there the trail ascended a steep hill, and the solid ground disappeared under sharp, limestone rocks. The final pitch to the cave is a vertical, 20-foot climb. Lolly Tweed together with the Arteros visited the cave 17 years ago. She and her family were meant to visit last year, but Typhoon Mawar delayed the trip. Bringing my sons here meant a tremendous amount, said Lolly Tweed. Coming back was a great gift, and Im so grateful for all the support that we had to do this wonderful hike. Then, Radioman First Class, George Tweed was the only American servicemember to survive the occupation. At a great risk to their own lives, CHamoru families assisted Tweed in evading capture from Dec. 8, 1941 to July 10, 1944. War is a terrible thing, but sometimes with war comes a pearl of something special, and thats what the pearl was it was their friendship, said Lolly Tweed. Its important to honor that (friendship), and I want to keep it alive and keep the generations connected. In Dec. 2024, the Artero family mounted two signs, one at the foot of the hill and one inside the cave. The sign inside the cave states, Tweed hid here from the Japanese from Oct. 21, 1942 to July 10, 1944. Antonio and Josefa provided this hiding place and food at great risk to themselves and their children, resulting in a lifelong friendship. Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz was honored to host this historic reunion. Tweeds Cave is located on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. To request access to Tweeds Cave or dozens of other cultural or historical sites located on military installations, contact the Joint Region Marianas, Public Access coordinator Shayna Lopez at jrm.apc@us.navy.mil and go to https://jrm.cnic.navy.mil/Operations-and-Management/Public-Access-Plan/ to learn more. Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman told the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay on Tuesday that the new Joint Task Force Micronesia which he took the helm recently is still at its foundational stages but will grow in the coming years. It was Huffmans first public engagement after leaving his post at Joint Region Marianas to take up the new role on the joint task force, he told the Rotary members. The task force is bringing more capacity to Guam and the region by adding new staff in addition to the staff at Joint Region Marianas. The rear admiral said the task force will be comprised of individuals from all of the services which will allow them to leverage their expertise and capabilities. He said about 40 people are going to be in the initial cadre and over the years it will build out to about 130 people. That capacity will give us the opportunity to really exercise control here from Guam throughout the entire Micronesia region. And again, it goes back to that commitment to ensuring the safe and secure and stable Indo-Pacific, Huffman said. He said theyre in the foundational stages and eventually one of the tasks will be the command and control of the Guam defense system. An integrated 360-degree enhanced anti-missile system will be placed on island in the next few years, he said. He shared that a lot of things are driven from Hawaii which is a bit far away when you talk about all the activity that goes on in the region. So, the task force is a commitment to Guam and defense of the entire region, he said. Huffman said Joint Region Marianas is focused on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but the task force encompasses all of Micronesia which includes the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Wake Island. Its a very broad swath of water and territory and people that we are responsible for, he said. However, Joint Region Marianas and Joint Task Force Micronesia will work closely together as activities on Guam are closely connected, he added. For me personally, in the roles that I fulfill, the task that I have is to act as the senior military official, representing the Indo-Pacific Command for all of those locations here in Micronesia, he said. That means relationship building both on island with the governor and her staff through the Civil Military Coordination Council as well as meeting leaders from throughout the region, Huffman said. Emergency management Another task Huffman will have is defense support of civil authorities which is something that is seen when there are disasters like Typhoon Mawar. He said the military has the most robust capability to help respond to disasters before handing it over to other federal agencies for long term recovery. The joint task force will be increasing the number of planners and personnel who have experience in emergency management. So that no matter what kind of disaster might befall us, we have a plan in place, we have the ability to react rapidly, we have the ability to partner and restore things, Huffman said. He said its very exciting times as the joint task force stands up and they are committed to the security of the people here. The task force brings a deterrent, he said. If we are ready to go, it will make the adversaries, whoever they might be, take a step back and go, hmm, today is not the day. Today is not the day that Im going to risk things because the United States is postured too well here, Huffman said. Pacific Daily News photographer Rick Cruz contributed to this report. United flight UA196 lifts off from the runway of the A.B. Won Pat International Airport as it begins its journey to the Narita International Airport in Japan on June 21, 2024. Just want to let you know that this is a weird one, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper warned at the start of his Monday news briefing. He was about to discuss the unusual case of an online gaming dispute between a man in New Jersey and another in Florida that escalated dramatically, culminating in a charge of attempted murder. This is weird one. Some things make you say, Hmm. Some things you just cant make up, Leeper said. There are some things that make you say, What in the world was he thinking? And there are some things that make you say, Youre not going to believe this. Well, this case makes you say all four of those. According to authorities, Edward Kang, 20, of New Jersey, was arrested Monday on charges of armed burglary and attempted second degree murder, after he boarded a plane on Friday from Newark to Florida, in order to allegedly confront a fellow gamer at his home in Fernandina Beach with a hammer. Though they never met in person, Leeper said, the two men apparently knew each other from the online video game ArcheAge, an online multiplayer role-playing game. At approximately 2 a.m. yesterday, our deputies responded to a call at a residence in Fernandina Beach regarding a physical altercation between two individuals, Leeper said. Upon arrival, they discovered a significant amount of blood in the entryway of the home and the victims bedroom. Authorities said the victims stepfather reported being awakened by screams for help. When he went to see what was going on, he found his stepson on the ground struggling with the attacker, who was in possession of a hammer, police said. Leeper said the suspect was able to gain access to the home because it was unlocked at the time of the incident. And once inside, Kang reportedly assaulted the victim with a hammer as the victim attempted to defend himself. The victim and his stepfather managed to disarm Kang and restrain him until deputies arrived on scene. The victim was then transported to the hospital, with severe head wounds that Leeper said appear to be non-life-threatening. Kang was booked into Nassau County Jail. Detailing the sequence of alleged events leading up to the incident, authorities say Kang told his family he was going to visit a friend he met through an online video game, then he flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, on a Delta Airlines flight. Upon his arrival, he secured a hotel room and traveled to Fernandina Beach, where he went to an Ace Hardware store. Investigators found receipts in his hotel room showing that he purchased a hammer and a flashlight. According to Leeper, late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the victim was playing an online video game in his bedroom, when he stopped to go to the bathroom. As he opened the door, he saw the suspect, who was wearing black gloves and a mask, standing with a hammer raised in the air in an anticipated strike position. Leeper said Kang, who has requested legal representation, is not currently cooperating with the investigation, but when asked why he did it, Kang responded, that the victim is a bad person online. I would say, Mr. Kang, theres going to be a long time before you play video games again, Leeper said. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential real world consequences of online interactions. We urge the public to exercise caution, report any suspicious online behavior to the authorities and always ensure that their homes are securely locked. Haiti - FLASH : 400 elite Kenyan police officers fly to Haiti On Monday June 24, 2024, Kenyan President William Ruto, accompanied by the Mission Commander, General Geoffrey Otunge, Head of Operations of the Administrative Service and Principal Deputy Inspector General of Police, visited the Nairobi Police Academy for a departure ceremony behind closed doors of the first battalion of 400 police officers kicking off the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) in Haiti. "Honored to say goodbye to the first group of the National Police Service contingent taking part in the historic United Nations mission in Haiti," said Kithure Kindiki, the Kenyan Minister of the Interior in a statement. "It was an official ceremony to hand over the flag by the President, 400 officers are now ready to leave for Haiti," declared an official from the Ministry of the Interior. He said the initial group was made up of elite officers from several units including the anti-terrorist squadron, which fought radical Somali Islamists Shebab on Kenyan soil; members of the Rapid Deployment Unit, the Border Patrol Unit, also engaged in the fight against Shebab, members of the Rapid Deployment Unit, the General Services Unit, the administrative police and the Keyniane police. "They have all undergone rigorous training for this mission, in addition to their prior training in handling complex situations and they are ready for the mission [...] do not doubt their ability." On Saturday June 22, 2024, two senior police officers were appointed to lead the Kenyan deployment : Noor Gabow (Deputy Inspector General of Police), who was initially expected to lead the officers, will now take on the role of coordinating the training and capacity development of the troops from Nairobi. Gabow will accompany the first battalion and supervise the deployment before returning to Kenya and continuing his coordination duties. Commissioner Stephen Chebet has been appointed head of operations of the general services unit. Monday around 10:50 p.m. (7:50 p.m. GMT) the first battalion flew from Nairobi aboard a plane of the national company Kenya Airways to Haiti, said an official from the Ministry of the Interior. It is unknown whether it will stop in Florida or when the battalion will disembark in Port-au-Prince. A second battalion would be expected in the next fortnight. The material would already be sent. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42618-haiti-flash-kenyans-already-secretly-in-haiti-first-contingent-expected-on-june-25-2024.html SL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Justice : Yonyon the former leader of the 400 Mawozo gang sentenced to 35 years in prison Monday June 24, 2024, an American judge sentenced Germine Joly (32 years old), alias "yonyon" former leader of the powerful Haitian gang "400 Mawozo", who had pleaded guilty at the end of January 2024 to 48 counts https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41565-haiti-usa-yonyon-the-former-leader-of-the-400-mawozo-gang-pleads-guilty-to-48-charges.html for arms trafficking and laundering of ransoms linked to the 17 American missionaries including 5 children, from the American "Christian Aid Ministries" kidnapped in October 2021, was sentenced by a federal court in Washington to 35 years in prison Let's recall that Joly, in a letter addressed to United States District Judge John D. Bates, before his sentencing, had asked for forgiveness and implored the judge's clemency. Recall that federal prosecutors were seeking a life sentence for facilitating the purchase and smuggling of high-powered weapons from Florida to Haiti. Joly's lawyers argued that he should not receive more than 17 years in prison... Let's recall that his former American girlfriend Eliande Tunis (46) from Pompano Beach, Florida, was sentenced earlier this month to 12.5 years in prison. She pleaded guilty at the end of January to the same charges brought against Joly. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35213-haiti-flash2-haitians-arrested-in-florida-supplied-with-weapons-the-gang-400-mawozo.html The "400 Mawozo" gang is known for kidnappings as well as drug and arms trafficking, murders, rapes and armed robberies, among others, according to a UN report. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41565-haiti-usa-yonyon-the-former-leader-of-the-400-mawozo-gang-pleads-guilty-to-48-charges.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35213-haiti-flash2-haitians-arrested-in-florida-supplied-with-weapons-the-gang-400-mawozo.html TP/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Social : FAO fears a further deterioration of acute food insecurity in Haiti Mario Lubetkin, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, says that although the most recent data shows signs of improvement of food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean, data reveals a worrying upward trend in Haiti. Lubetkin said the situation in Haiti is particularly alarming, with violence, a prolonged economic crisis and extreme weather events that have brought the country to a crisis point with devastating consequences for its population. He said a further deterioration of acute food insecurity is expected between June and October 2024, emphasizing "Haiti is the only country in the region that is considered to be in the grip of a food crisis major and prolonged, it is one of the nine countries in the world threatened by famine and is one of the five countries where more than 10% of the population is in an emergency situation. "This translates into 1.6 million people suffering from food consumption deficits, which translate into very high acute malnutrition and excess mortality that they can only mitigate through emergency livelihood strategies and the liquidation of their assets. On the other hand, almost half of the population, or around 5.5 million people, could face high levels of acute food insecurity," added Lubetkin. Lubetkin said FAO, committed to supporting Haiti, is working intensively to mitigate the impacts of the humanitarian crisis through emergency agricultural assistance, strengthening livelihood resilience and specialized technical assistance, while ensuring the link between humanitarian response, resilience and development. FAO estimated it would need $42.6 million to help 528,000 people, but it only received 6% of the funding. In 2023, FAO helped some 120,000 people across Haiti through emergency agriculture and livestock interventions to support local food production and maintain rural livelihoods. In 2024, FAO continued to provide emergency assistance to Haiti, focusing on food security and agricultural resilience in the face of global challenges, assisting 44,000 beneficiaries in various departments of the country. Lubetkin said that in the face of growing violence and food crises, FAO is calling on donors and governments to increase their support. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Postponement of the penal code After an outcry from numerous civil society associations, Prime Minister Conille decided to postpone the date of entry into force of the decree of March 1st, 2020 revising the penal code and the criminal procedure code, scheduled for June 24 2024. In a special issue of the official journal Le Moniteur, dated Monday June 24, 2024, the entry into force is postponed to June 19, 2025. Diplomacy : 33 women promoted Head of post Following the evaluation of the profiles and performances of diplomatic staff, and with the approval of Prime Minister Garry Conille, Chancellor Dominique Dupuy initiated recall procedures in several missions and promoted 33 women as Head of Post, from now on, 50% of Haiti's missions will be led by women... a Haitian first which coincides with the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. Kenya : Thanks from the PM "On behalf of the Haitian Government and on my own behalf, I salute the determination of the Kenyan Government and its people to support Haiti in the fight against the insecurity that is corroding society. The Government and the Haitian people want this multinational mission to be the last one that helps it stabilize for the renewal of political personnel and the return to effective democracy. Long live solidarity between peoples! Long live Haiti !," Prime Minister Garry Conille. Distribution of thousands of m3 of essential supplies The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has made possible the delivery and distribution of several thousand m3 of essential supplies, including jerry cans, blankets and solar lamps. These items will help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the violence in Haiti. NO to dialogue, NO to gang amnesty Me Andre Michel, the spokesperson for the radical opposition Democratic and Popular Sector (SDP), "calls on the political authorities to reject any dialogue with gang leaders." He also asks them not to grant amnesty to the gangs "who have kidnapped, raped, murdered and impoverished thousands of families." Condolences from the Minister of Sports Devalis Octavius, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) learned with emotion of the death of former Minister of Sports Marc Robert Germain on June 21, 2024 at the age of 90 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-42619-icihaiti-obituary-passing-away-of-a-former-member-of-the-haitian-football-federation.html . In these difficult circumstances, the Ministry presents its sincere condolences to his family, his loved ones and the great Haitian sports family and hopes that tributes to the dimension of his commitment will be paid to former Minister Marc Robert Germain on the occasion of his funeral. Rest in peace ! HL/ HaitiLibre (CNBC) Mondays slide was the chipmakers second steepest drop of the year, as the stock fell 6.7% to $118.11. Nvidias decline brought with it a slide in chipmakers and other tech companies that have been tied to the artificial intelligence boom. Super Micro Computer, which sells servers packed with Nvidias AI chips, fell 8.7 percent, and Dell, which competes in that market, was off 5.2%. To read this article: Kamalamai municipality is in a verdant valley in the Sindhuli district of Nepal, a short flight southeast from the capital of Kathmandu. The many smallholder farming households in Kamalamai have traditionally subsisted or earned meager livings from what they can grow on their plots and the few livestock they typically own. But in the last year and a half, this rural spot and its farmers have become the high-profile face of the Milky Way Signature Program under which Heifer International, Korean and local partners are supporting the Government of Nepals objective to catalyze the transformation and modernization of the countrys dairy sector. One major focus of the program is to ensure that Nepals smallholders directly benefit from this transformation hence, the decision to locate a Milky Way Model Dairy Village in a place like Kamalamai and entrust high-quality Korean Holsteins to local farmers. About 90 percent of Nepals farmers are smallholders, but currently, only about 5-10 percent of them consider dairy farming a money-earning business. For the vast majority, their local breeds of cows mainly provide milk for home consumption. I visited Kamalamai in late May 2024 to witness the projects progress and see how the local farmers are faring with the full-bred Holstein cows donated by Korea. These were part of a total consignment of 100 cows and eight bulls transported to Nepal in late 2022 and early 2023. A scenic view of the hilly Kamalamai region in Sindhuli, Nepal. Photo by Heifer International. A primary motivation for the Koreans to donate the cows was the essential livestock assistance provided by Heifer International to rebuild Korea following the Korean War. American cows shipped to Korea in the company of Heifers Seagoing Cowboys helped Korea establish its own dairy industry. The donation of Holsteins to Nepal is a high-level example of Heifers Passing on the Gift philosophy. Now an advanced industrial country, Korea is sharing its bounty with Nepal to allow the latter to become a dairy powerhouse. To be sure, the Holsteins require far more care and attention than Sindhuli residents have typically devoted to local breeds a steep learning curve for the women farmer recipients and their families. But, they are enthusiastically focused on the task at hand and are highly motivated by the cows ability to produce substantial volumes of milk. If a family can get 30-40,000 Nepal rupees a month by producing more milk, people will happily stay in the villages. We need to have better incomes in the countryside to encourage young people to stay. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kathmandu Whereas before, the farmers didnt conceive of dairy as a business opportunity, they now see great potential for increasing their incomes and hence their available savings to send children to school, build better houses and further diversify their income streams such as through growing and selling fodder. Heifer is working with SIDS, a local nongovernmental organization implementing partner, to provide the farmers with extensive training and support for building sturdy shelters, feeding troughs, water tanks and more. This spirit came through when we met with Rukmani Adhikari a farmer, vice president of her all-women Tallo Rajpani self-help group and board member of the recently formed Kamalamai Social Entrepreneur Women Dairy Cooperative. Rukmani and her husband have two Korean Holsteins, one of which gave birth to a calf, with the mother producing milk about 21 liters per day compared to the roughly seven liters from their local breed. Madhav Adhikari, left, and Rukmani Adhikari, right, display their record-keeping book. Photo by Heifer International. Rukmani explained the many ways she and other farmers have learned to care for the cows. For example, they now follow a strict washing protocol, including a post-milking dipping fluid to prevent mastitis, something they didnt do prior to Heifer training. Each cow also now has a mat to lay on that decreases the chance of picking up soilborne ailments. Farmers also used to leave the cows feed on the ground, but now its placed in tidy troughs. Is this all working? Well, nearly all the Holstein heifers in the village have become pregnant or already calved, indicating that they can adapt to and thrive in the local conditions. Rukmani also attested to the benefits of the self-help group for the women involved. Before, women didnt get out of the house; before, we were very shy. Heifer has taught us to speak up... We are confident we can do this on our own, she said. Her husband voiced his full support for her and other women, saying, I try to help; Im part of her journey. I not only do farm work but also household chores. At the macro level, Milky Way directly feeds into the Nepal Governments policy goal of strengthening the countrys dairy sector and stemming a growing dependence on dairy imports, particularly from neighboring India. This ambitious program takes a systemic approach to promoting the professionalization of the dairy value chain, touching everything from government livestock breeding practices to the production of milk and value-added dairy products to improved distribution and marketing for an evolving consumer dairy market. The key challenges currently facing the dairy sector are low milk productivity due to poor genetic stock and poor access to technologies and inputs; relatively high cost of production, largely due to imported feed, which accounts for about 50 percent of total costs; quality control issues due to substandard husbandry and biosecurity practices; and lack of price and policy incentives for producing higher-quality dairy products. The sign for the Korea-Nepal Model Dairy Village in Kamalamai Municipality, Sindhuli, part of Heifer Nepal's Milky Way Signature Program. Photo by Heifer International. One important role of the model dairy village is to act as a center of excellence where best practices in animal husbandry and milk processing are adapted to the smallholder context and then propagated throughout the country. About 500 farmers in Sindhuli district are expected to benefit directly from the availability of Korean Holsteins and their offspring, but the expansion of genetic improvement and best practice adoption is targeted to reach 500,000 farming households in total. The Nepal Government has committed to driving this expansion of impact. On the genetics side, the model dairy village will also serve as a wellspring for a supply of high-quality Holstein bulls the Holstein heifers as the bull mothers that government breeders will leverage to replenish their aging genetic stock and improve dairy cow breeds nationwide. During a visit to the regional office of Nepals National Livestock Breeding Organization in the town of Lahan, Office Chief Shiva Nath Mahato described how the two Korean superbulls they received have added significant value to their stock of various types of breeding animals some 33 in total. Its a positive collaboration between Heifer Korea and Nepal, he declared. The Adhikari's healthy Korean Holstein calf. Photo by Heifer International. This is a truly demand-led project, supporting the countrys development goals. In agriculture, dairy is ranked second only to the primary staple, rice, in terms of agricultural policy priority for advancement. Indeed, it was impressive to hear from local leaders like a local ward chair, the mayor and even Nepals State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development who are excited about how Milky Way can help supercharge efforts they are already making to turn Nepal into a dairy powerhouse via systemic change. Mahendra Dhakal, chair of Ward 4 in Sindhuli, welcomed us on a spacious plot of land by a parched riverbed (this was the pre-monsoon dry season), where he announced that he had agreed to have the plot designated as the site for a planned dairy processing center for local Holstein owners. He presented an ambitious vision for the model dairy village, where a combination of dairy production and a planned silage plantation would make Sindhuli a supplier for other communities and possibly even other countries. He could see the strong potential of what was taking shape in the village. Kamalamai Municipality Mayor Upendra Kumar Pokharel was equally upbeat about Milky Ways local impact. Before this project, we farmed in a very traditional way. Now, we are going commercial and this will help to boost economic activity. More milk will mean greater prosperity, he said. In the past, farming was not productive, and many people left the area. I think that the Model Dairy Village can help to keep people in the municipality. It also might help to slow down outmigration. Representatives from Heifer International meet with Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Development Rajendra Prasad Mishra, far left. Photo by Heifer International. Indeed, the migration theme and the possibility of generating interest in local enterprises came up again when we met with Rajendra Prasad Mishra, secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kathmandu. He said: If a family can get 30-40,000 Nepal rupees a month by producing more milk, people will happily stay in the villages. We need to have better incomes in the countryside to encourage young people to stay. We heard in the village that income from a couple of local crossbreeds typically brings in about 10,000 rupees a month, well below the threshold Mishra noted. However, two Holsteins could easily boost that figure to 50-60,000 rupees a month. The donation of cows is considered holy in Hinduism. Its a precious gift we have received from Korea, Mishra added. There remains much work ahead to ensure that Sindhulis nucleus herd is on firm footing and that Nepals dairy sector reaches its full potential. More investment is also needed to build dairy processing centers, chilling centers and other building blocks in the value chain. But the evident commitment by so many key partners indicates that the will exists to succeed. The natural environment in Finland continues to contain remnants of radioactive substances from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, according to the latest annual report by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The report, "Environmental Radiation Monitoring in Finland," provides a detailed account of the presence and concentrations of artificial radioactive substances found in the environment over the past year. STUK's environmental monitoring program is meticulously designed to detect even minor changes in environmental radioactivity, allowing for swift and appropriate responses when necessary. Due to the ubiquitous nature of radiation, STUK's comprehensive and precise measurement methods ensure a reliable assessment of the Finnish environment's radioactivity levels. The measurement results from 2023 indicate that there were no radioactive emissions that posed any health risks to humans or the environment in Finland. The artificial radioactive exposure for Finns was less than 0.02 millisieverts (mSv), a minuscule amount compared to the average annual radiation dose of 5.9 mSv, most of which originates from natural sources, such as radon in indoor air. Chernobyl's Cesium Still Detected The primary sources of artificial radioactive substances in the Finnish environment date back several decades, particularly to atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Although the levels of these substances have been declining over the years, they are still detectable. In the fall of last year, STUK measured radioactive cesium-137 levels exceeding the 600 becquerels per kilogram threshold in three wild mushroom samples. According to EU recommendations, food exceeding this limit should not be sold. Despite this, the detected levels were so low that consuming these mushrooms does not pose a health risk. Additionally, cooking, freezing, or soaking mushrooms can further reduce their radioactivity. Comprehensive Monitoring and Analysis STUK operates a network of 255 monitoring stations across Finland, providing real-time data on external radiation levels. In eight locations, STUK has stations that collect radioactive particles from the air and fallout from precipitation. The agency also monitors the radioactivity of lakes, rivers, and the Baltic Sea by analyzing water samples in their laboratory. Other environmental samples measured at STUKs Jokiniemi laboratory in Vantaa include milk from dairies, food items from stores, household water samples from various regions, and wild berries, mushrooms, fish, and game from Finnish nature. As part of their environmental radiation monitoring, STUK annually measures the levels of radioactive substances in humans in Helsinki, Tampere, and Rovaniemi. These measurements, conducted in a mobile laboratory built into a truck, detect radiation emitted directly by these substances, which people ingest through food or inhale. The continuous efforts by STUK ensure that Finland maintains a high level of awareness and safety regarding environmental radiation, contributing to the overall well-being of its residents. HT Rydman was supported by all but two members of the four ruling parties: the National Coalition, Finns Party, Swedish Peoples Party and Christian Democrats. Eva Biaudet (SFP) and Pihla Keto-Huovinen (NCP) cast a blank vote in a vote that senior cabinet members had framed as one on the future of the ruling coalition. MINISTER of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman (PS) on Monday won the confidence of his fellow lawmakers by a vote of 92 for and 76 against. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), for example, had outlined that the lawmakers would effectively be voting on government policy. Jani Makela, the chairperson of the Finns Party Parliamentary Group, told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that the group expects an explanation for the blank votes from both the National Coalition and Swedish Peoples Party. These groups themselves will consider what actions [the votes] will lead to. And well think what to do based on that, he said after the vote. The motion of no confidence was unveiled last week by the Green League, Left Alliance and Social Democrats. Rydman, the opposition parties argued, has leveraged his position as cabinet member to attack the media and women who made allegations about his conduct in an article published two years ago by Helsingin Sanomat. Several girls and women accused the lawmaker in the article of utilising his political standing to seek their company. Rydman has denied the accusations and submitted a criminal complaint accusing both the journalists and women of defamation and dissemination of information violating personal privacy. After analysing the findings of a pre-trial investigation, the prosecutor general ruled earlier this month that there are no grounds for charging the journalists, the women or Rydman. Rydman yesterday declared that he intends to continue criticising the newspaper, reiterating his assertion that core elements of the article were not founded on fact. Even this year, in the past couple of weeks, theyve defended this defamatory article, which isnt based on fact. That kind of conduct undoubtedly warrants criticism also in future, he said according to Helsingin Sanomat. Even more pointed and severe criticism wouldve been warranted, given how serious and erroneous of the claims were. The Green League, Left Alliance and Social Democrats argued last week that his response to the article is unbefitting a cabinet minister. Rydman has tried to erode trust in the media in a serious way in order to skirt responsibility for his own actions, Tytti Tuppurainen, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, viewed at a joint presser held in the Parliament House. Atte Harjanne, the chairperson of the Green Parliamentary Group, argued yesterday that the vote of confidence lowers the bar for acceptable conduct by cabinet ministers in a historic and dangerous way. He also expressed his disapproval with how the government framed the interpellation as an issue concerning the entire ruling coalition. This was a vote about a single minister that was turned into an issue concerning the entire government by an internal government deal. And Im sure the Finns Party got to dictate that, he said to Helsingin Sanomat. Opposition lawmakers also drew attention to estimates made by Orpo and Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering Anders Adlercreutz (SFP). Both Orpo and Adlercreutz have stated that Rydman would not be qualified to serve as a minister for their parties. The government cant have second-class ministers who have less confidence than their colleagues, underscored Antti Kurvinen, the chairperson of the Centre Parliamentary Group. In politics, you either have or dont have someones confidence. Theres no such thing as light confidence, he was quoted saying during the parliamentary debate preceding the vote of confidence by Helsingin Sanomat. Aleksi Teivainen HT WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison in the United Kingdom and is en route to Australia after agreeing to a plea deal with the United States. Assange, 52, will plead guilty to a single charge of breaching US espionage law, specifically one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified national defense documents. He boarded a plane at Stansted airport and left the UK, with his first stop in Bangkok to refuel before heading to the US Pacific territory of Saipan for a court hearing. Court Proceedings and Plea Deal Assange will appear at a court in Saipan at 9 am on June 26 (23:00 GMT on June 25), where he is expected to be sentenced to 62 months, accounting for time already served. After the hearing, he will return to Australia. WikiLeaks announced Assange's release on social media, stating, "Julian Assange is free." A video posted by WikiLeaks showed Assange in casual attire, signing a document before boarding a private jet. Family Reactions and Political Responses Assanges wife, Stella, expressed her elation, saying, Its incredible that Julian is set to be freed. Im just elated. His mother, Christine Assange, also shared her relief, emphasizing the power of quiet diplomacy in securing his release. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the news, stating, Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange and his activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration, and we want him brought home to Australia. Historical Context and Legal Battles Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006, creating a platform for whistleblowers to anonymously submit classified materials. The organization gained global attention with the release of footage showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad and the subsequent publication of hundreds of thousands of classified US documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2010, Assange was arrested in London on a Swedish warrant over sexual assault charges, which were later dropped. He sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition. After seven years, he was arrested in 2019 and held in Belmarsh prison while the US sought his extradition on 17 counts of breaching the Espionage Act. Reactions from Press Freedom Advocates Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, praised the plea deal, highlighting the global implications if Assange had been prosecuted under the Espionage Act. It would have had serious implications for journalists globally who seek information in the public interest, she said. Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister of Australia, commented on the significance of the outcome, noting that it sets a strong precedent that Australians should not be charged by other countries for alleged crimes not committed on their soil. Timeline of Events 2006: Julian Assange starts WikiLeaks. 2010: WikiLeaks releases classified US documents, leading to Assanges arrest in the UK on Swedish charges. 2012: Assange takes refuge in Ecuadors London embassy. 2019: Ecuador revokes his asylum, leading to his arrest and the US seeking extradition. 2020-2023: Legal battles in the UK over US extradition. February 2024: Australian government requests the US to drop the case. June 2024: Assange pleads guilty to a single charge and is released from UK prison. Assanges release marks the end of a prolonged legal and diplomatic struggle, bringing relief to his supporters and family while raising important questions about press freedom and international legal principles. HT Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is set to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national security information under the US Espionage Act, ending his years-long battle with the United States that had implications for press freedom, media reports said on Tuesday. Assange was released from Belmarsh prison, where he had been lodged since 2019 in a separate case, on Monday after being granted bail from the UK High Court. A chartered plane, believed to be carrying Assange, landed early on Tuesday at Don Mueang International Airport, near Thailand's capital of Bangkok. "Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, after having spent 1,901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK," WikiLeaks said in a post on X. It was not immediately clear how he would get to the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, where he is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Who is Julian Assange? Australian editor, publisher and computer specialist Assange and his WikiLeaks were thrust into prominence - and notoriety - in 2010 after releasing nearly half a million documents related to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - the largest security breaches of its kind in US military history. Press freedom advocates hailed the 52-year-old for exposing US military misconduct in foreign countries. But the American prosecutors alleged that Assange was nothing more than a hacker and had conspired with an Army private - identified as intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning - to obtain and publish sensitive government records. After a trial, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison, the longest sentence in a leak-related case in the US. However, her sentence was later commuted by former president Barack Obama. But, in 2010, Assange's reputation took a further hit from sexual assault allegations in Sweden, which he denied. To avoid arrest, Assange took shelter at the London embassy of Ecuador, which granted him political asylum based on his claim of political persecution. In the seven years he spent at the embassy, Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation. But, in 2019, Assange was eventually arrested in that case for violating his bail conditions after Ecuador revoked his asylum. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail and continued to fight his extradition to the US from Belmarsh prison where he was lodged. What is the case against him? In April 2019, the US justice department filed an 18-count indictment alleging that Assange damaged national security by publishing confidential documents that harmed the US and its allies while helping its adversaries. Julian Assange is no journalist, said US assistant attorney general John Demers, the departments top national security official at the time. No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers. Assange's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said the "unprecedented charges" imperil all journalists in their endeavour to inform the public about actions that have been taken by the US government. US prosecutors worked to differentiate between Assange and the work done by journalists. What's next? In a letter to district Judge Ramona Manglona, US justice department official Matthew McKenzie said Assange will appear in court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9 am (local time) on Wednesday to plead guilty to the "charge in the information of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defence of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793(g), and be sentenced by the Court for that offence." Reports say he will be sentenced on the same day to 62 months in prison - which he has already served at Belmarsh. If all goes well, Assange will walk free soon. The sentencing in the Northern Mariana Islands is significant in light of Assange's fraught legal battle against extradition to the "continental" US. The Islands, in the western Pacific, are also close to his home country of Australia. The extradition request is expected to be dropped and he will not face any other charges, reports said. The US government has yet to officially confirm the deal. Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput is opening up about a difficult phase of her life, when she almost suffered from a miscarriage during her first pregnancy. Mira was talking to Prakhar Gupta on his podcast when she shared how she had dilated, when she was only four months pregnant. Mira also revealed how Shahid was there for her during the period, and asked the doctor if she could take rest at their home. (Also read: Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput regrets comparing babies to puppies: Its about time I am forgiven for that) Mira Rajput shares two kids with actor Shahid Kapoor. What Mira said In the interview, Mira said, Not many people know this, but when I was pregnant with my daughter, it was my first pregnancy. And you are like, oh, I am 21-20, whatever I am healthy, and I am like very fit and the prime of my life in terms of having kids. What is the worse can happen, and I almost miscarried when I was four months pregnant. Came back and had this sonography and the doctor tells me that lie down right now. She added that the doctor said that she had dilated and could lose the baby any moment. Shahid spoke to my doctor She went on to add how she was hospitalised and kept under observation for the next couple of months. Mira said, At the end of two and a half months, I wanted to get out from there, but couldnt get off the bed, so Shahid spoke to my doctor and told him, I will set up the home as a hospital, will put up the bed, and get everything, but let her be at home. He was seeing that it was taking a toll on me mentally. So, we did this, went back home, my whole family come to see me surprises me. They surprised me, and I was so overwhelmed that I started getting contractions. The doctor then told her that she needs to get back to the hospital again. Shahid and Mira tied the knot in 2015 and welcomed Misha in 2016. They named her Misha by combining their names Mira and Sasha. They became parents to son Zain in 2018. Both are currently studying at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai. A two-member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Monday collected all material evidence linked to the alleged NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar police, which had been handling the investigation until the probe agency took over. The two CBI officials - a DIG and deputy SP rank officer - also met the officials of the Shastri Nagar Police station in the national capital, where the first case of the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination was lodged, reported PTI. Meanwhile, several student unions have organised massive protests against alleged corruption in NEET examinations. A protest outside the ministry of education over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam in New Delhi (HT Photo) Israeli forces on Tuesday bombarded besieged Gaza where Palestinian officials said one strike killed 10 family members of Hamas' Qatar-based political chief Ismail Haniyeh, including his sister. A view shows the site of an Israeli strike on a house where Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's sister and other relatives were killed, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, at the Shati (Beach) refugee camp, in Gaza City(REUTERS) The reported strike came three days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the "intense phase" of the war raging since October 7 was winding down, and as his defence minister was visiting Washington. Israel's military did not immediately confirm the early-morning strike, which the civil defence agency in Hamas-ruled Gaza said hit the family's house in the northern Al-Shati refugee camp, leaving some bodies trapped under the rubble. The military said it forces struck Hamas operatives "inside school compounds" in Al-Shati and another area of northern Gaza overnight, accusing them of involvement in the October 7 attack that sparked the war and "in holding hostages captives". Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP: "There are 10 martyrs and several wounded as a result of the strike, including Zahr Haniyeh, sister of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh." ALSO READ| Israel strikes kill at least 11 in Gaza, tanks push further into Rafah Haniyeh lost three sons and four grandchildren in a strike in April, when the Israeli military accused them of "terrorist activities". The Hamas chief at the time said about 60 of his relatives had died in the Gaza war. Netanyahu said in a TV interview Sunday that the heaviest fighting in the more than eight-months-old Gaza war was nearing an end, but that the war would continue in order to bring home the remaining hostages and destroy Hamas. The premier also said some forces would be redeployed for "defensive purposes" to the northern border with Lebanon, where fears of a major war against Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have grown after months of cross-border fire. Top US officials meeting Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in Washington warned their ally to avoid further escalation in Lebanon and also discussed ongoing efforts toward a deal to free the remaining captives in Gaza. - 'Stand together' - Months of talks toward a Gaza truce and hostage release deal have once more stalled, chiefly over Hamas's demands for a permanent end to the fighting and a full Israeli troop withdrawal, which Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Gallant discussed the ongoing push for a deal that "secures the release of all hostages and alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Blinken also "underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes" in evacuated border areas, Miller said. Netanyahu -- who has had tense relations with US President Joe Biden amid the devastating war -- in recent days has annoyed the administration by accusing Washington of cutting back arms and ammunition deliveries. The United States has strongly denied the claim, stressing it had only withheld a single shipment of heavy bombs, although Israeli media reports suggested it has also ended emergency fast-track weapons shipments. Gallant took a more conciliatory tack. "The eyes of both our enemies and our friends are on the relationship between the US and Israel," he told Blinken, according to Gallant's office. "We must resolve the differences between us quickly and stand together." Gallant also met CIA chief Bill Burns, the US pointman in talks to free the captives, and emphasised "Israel's primary commitment to return the hostages, with no exception". - 'We are trapped' - The bloodiest ever Gaza war started with Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,626 people, also mostly civilians, Gaza's health ministry said Monday. Since then, civil defence crews have recovered 13 more bodies from three locations hit by Israeli air strikes, said agency spokesman Basal before the latest attack on the Haniyah family home. An AFP correspondent witnessed a strike that killed five people, including two children, near Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, leaving the corpses scattered in a pool of blood. Global outrage has grown over the surging death toll, and Gallant was greeted with shouts of "war criminal" by several dozen protesters as he left the meeting with Blinken. Israel has also imposed a siege on Gaza's 2.4 million people, depriving them of most food and other essentials, the suffering alleviated only by sporadic aid shipments. "There is no more water or food. We are totally trapped," said Haitham Abu Taha, among the very few Palestinians who have returned to Rafah after heavy battles. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, warned of "the breakdown of civil order" in Gaza as well as "catastrophic levels of hunger". UNRWA has been in crisis since January, when Israel accused about a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of involvement in the October 7 attack that sparked the war. Families of those killed in the Hamas attack sued UNRWA on Monday, alleging it facilitated the unprecedented bloodshed, according to court documents. An independent review led by French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna found some "neutrality-related issues" but said Israel had yet to provide evidence for its main allegations. Queen Camilla was seen glowing in a ruby and diamond tiara as she and King Charles hosted the Emperor and Empress of Japan, who are visiting the UK on a State Visit. The king and queen hosted a State Banquet in the Palaces Ballroom in honour of their guests on Tuesday, June 25. Britain's King Charles III, right with Japans Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and Queen Camilla pose for the cameras ahead of the State Banquet during the State Visit to Britain of the Japanese Emperor and Empress in London, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)(AP) The Emperor and Empress of Japans trip began with an official arrival ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, which involved a carriage parade down The Mall and then arrival at Buckingham Palace. Here's how Queen Camilla paid a special tribute to King Charles Camilla, 76, looked stunning in a cream silk crepe embroidered dress, which was designed by Fiona Clare. She donned a dazzling ruby and diamond tiara, Diamond necklace, ruby and diamond earrings, as well as a ruby and diamond bracelet. Notably, the queen wore the kings Family Order for the first time, thus paying a special tribute to Charles. The accessory is a badge that female members of the royal family wear. It is personally bestowed by the Sovereign. Japan's Empress Masako and Britain's Queen Camilla make their way along the East Gallery to attend the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, Britain June 25, 2024 (Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS)(via REUTERS) This is a tradition that was first established more than 200 years ago by King George IV. Since then, Family Orders have been instituted by Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. The badge is known to feature a portrait of the Sovereign. It is surrounded by diamonds and is suspended from a silk bow. It is generally pinned to the left shoulder on such occasions. Elizabeth Meek, MBE, a portrait miniaturist, had been commissioned to paint the Family Order of the King. The miniature is reportedly based on a photographic portrait by Hugo Burnand, which was taken last year. The miniature, painted in oil on polymin, features the king donning the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, the Sash of the Royal Victorian Order, The Garter Star and Thistle Star and the Garter Collar and Neck Orders of the Order of the Bath and the Royal Victorian Order. The portrait is mounted in a beautiful diamond-set white and yellow gold frame. The reverse is also in yellow gold, and has an engine-turned ground that is engraved with a sunray pattern. The king's crowned cypher is superimposed on it. Kate Middleton and Princess Anne did not attend the event. While Kate is battling cancer, Anne was recently hospitalised following an accident. China became the first country on Tuesday to successfully bring rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon as its Chang'e 6 probe returned on Earth. The probe landed in northern China on Tuesday afternoon in the Inner Mongolian region. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the return capsule of the Chang'e 6 probe is seen in Siziwang Banner, northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday(AP) I now declare that the Change 6 Lunar Exploration Mission achieved complete success," Zhang Kejian, Director of the China National Space Administration said in a televised news conference after the landing. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the scientists and the team behind the success of Chang'e 6. He hailed the success and said that it was a landmark achievement in our country's efforts at becoming a space and technological power. Chinese scientists hope that the samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material which will help answer questions about geographic differences on the moon's two sides. ALSO READ| Internet buzzes over NASA's 'space potato': Meet Phobos, Mars's lumpy moon. See pic The samples are expected to answer one of the most fundamental scientific questions in lunar science research: what geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides? said Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement issued in the Innovation Monday, a journal published in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The near side of the moon is visible from the Earth and the far side faces outer space. The far side of the moon is known to have mountains and impact craters, contrasting with the relatively flat expanses visible on the near side. In recent years, with the launch of missions by India, Japan etc., moon exploration has taken centrestage. Earlier, countries like US and Russia (erstwhile Soviet Union) collected samples from the moon's near side. Amid growing rivalry with the US in various sectors of the world, China is also flexing its might in space technology. China has launched its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there. The Chang'e 6 probe had left Earth on May 3, and its journey lasted 53 days. (With inputs from news agency AP) JAKARTA, - A former chief executive of Indonesia's state energy firm Pertamina has been sentenced to nine years in jail for graft in a case related to a long-term contract to procure liquefied natural gas from a unit of U.S. company Cheniere Energy. Former CEO of Indonesia's Pertamina jailed over Cheniere LNG contract The Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday found Karen Agustiawan guilty of improper procurement from the unit Corpus Christi Liquefaction, a video of the hearing showed. The court also fined her 500 million rupiah . Her lawyer, Luhut Pangaribuan, told Reuters on Tuesday that she would appeal the verdict. Cheniere did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Corpus Christi could not immediately be reached for comment. Pertamina said it respected the legal process. Pertamina's first female CEO, who led the company between 2009 to 2014, Agustiawan was found guilty of improperly signing a long-term sales and purchase contract with Corpus Christi, a deal that caused state losses of $113.84 million between 2011 to 2014, according to state news agency Antara. Pertamina had resold LNG cargoes from Corpus Christi to the international market at a loss because the market in Indonesia could not absorb them, local media reports said. Agustiawan had denied any wrong doing and said she was following government orders. Corpus Christi was not a defendant in the case, but the panel of judges at the court said it had the "responsibility" to repay the country for the losses, media reported. In a separate case in 2020, Agustiawan was acquitted by the Supreme Court when it overturned an eight-year prison sentence handed by a lower court over her decision for Pertamina to invest in the Basker Manta Gummy Block in Australia in 2009. The court had ruled at the time that her business judgment was not a crime. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenya's legislature on Tuesday, with at least five protesters killed, dozens wounded and sections of the parliament building set ablaze as lawmakers inside passed legislation to raise taxes. Kenya is already facing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of droughts and depreciation of the currency (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP) In chaotic scenes, protesters overwhelmed police and chased them away in an attempt to storm the parliament compound. Flames could be seen coming from inside. Also read | Kenyan president warns debt clouds Africa climate potential Police opened fire after tear gas and water cannon failed to disperse the crowds. A Reuters journalist counted the bodies of at least five protesters outside parliament. A paramedic, Vivian Achista, said at least 10 had been shot dead. Another paramedic, Richard Ngumo, said more than 50 people had been wounded by gunfire. He was lifting two injured protesters into an ambulance outside parliament. "We want to shut down parliament and every MP should go down and resign," protestor Davis Tafari, who was trying to enter parliament, told Reuters. "We will have a new government." Also read | India sends relief materials for victims of devastating floods in Kenya Protests and clashes also took place in several other cities and towns across the country. Parliament approved the finance bill, moving it through to a third reading by lawmakers. The next step is for the legislation to be sent to the president for signing. He can send it back to parliament if he has any objections. The protesters oppose tax rises in a country already reeling from a cost-of-living crisis, and many are also calling for President William Ruto to step down. Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya's working poor but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to access more funding, and a hard-pressed population. Kenyans have been struggling to cope with several economic shocks caused by the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of droughts and depreciation of the currency. The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes as part of an effort to lighten the heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37% of annual revenue. The government has already made some concessions, promising to scrap proposed new taxes on bread, cooking oil, car ownership and financial transactions. But that has not been enough to satisfy protesters. Tuesday's protests began in a festival-like atmosphere but as crowds swelled, police fired tear gas in Nairobi's Central Business District and the poor neighbourhood of Kibera. Protesters ducked for cover and threw stones at police lines. Police also fired tear gas in Eldoret, Ruto's hometown in western Kenya, where crowds of protesters filled the streets and many businesses were closed for fear of violence. Clashes also broke out in the coastal city of Mombasa and demonstrations took place in Kisumu, on Lake Victoria, and Garissa in eastern Kenya, where police blocked the main road to Somalia's port of Kismayu. In Nairobi, people chanted "Ruto must go" and crowds sang in Swahili: "All can be possible without Ruto". Music played from loudspeakers and protesters waved Kenyan flags and blew whistles in the few hours before the violence escalated. Police did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. ORGANIC MOVEMENT Thousands had taken to the streets of Nairobi and several other cities during two days of protests last week as an online, youth-led movement gathered momentum. On Sunday, Ruto praised the protesters, saying they had been peaceful, and that the government would engage with them on the way forward. But while protesters initially focused on the finance bill, their demands have broadened to demand Ruto's resignation. The opposition declined to participate in the vote in parliament, shouting "reject, reject" when the house went through the items one by one. The bill will then be subjected to a third and final vote by acclamation on the floor of the house. The finance ministry says amendments would blow a 200 billion Kenyan shilling ($1.56 billion) hole in the 2024/25 budget and compel the government to make spending cuts or raise taxes elsewhere. "They are budgeting for corruption," said protester Hussein Ali, 18. We won't relent. It's the government that is going to back off. Not us. A Korean Air flight was forced to make an emergency landing after plummeting 25,000 feet in five minutes on Saturday. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft had to return to Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, less than one hour after takeoff, Yonhap News Agency reported. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Korean Airlines is seen at its aviation shed in Incheon, South Korea, February 27, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo(REUTERS) Korean Air's Boeing 737 plunges 25K feet in 5 minutes The plane bound for the Taiwanese city of Taichung started experiencing problems with its cabin pressurization system as it was flying over South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju. Due to the plane's system malfunction, Flight KE189 began rapidly descending from an altitude of over 30,000 feet to about 9,000 feet, according to Dim Sum Daily Hong Kong. As a result of the sudden shift in air pressure, many passengers faced health issues. 15 passengers suffered from eardrum pain and hyperventilation, and at least two suffered from nosebleeds. Authorities said that 13 out of the 15 required medical attention and were transported to a hospital. One passenger likened the sudden altitude change to the G-Force of an extreme rollercoaster, per NY Post. Despite the shock incident, no serious injuries were sustained by anyone onboard. The airline issued a statement that read, We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologise to all affected by this incident, it added. Several video clips recorded by passengers show oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling as the cabin shakes. Instagram user @nancy10in shared a video along with the caption, Emotions are too complicatedJust want to say it's good to be alive nowjust a few minutes Down from over 30,000 feet to over 9000 feet Can you imagine how scary this is all. Especially the first most sensational body drop More terrifying than the centrifugal force of a roller coaster Really good to be alive Hard work crew And all the passengers on the same flight together Everyone is really working hard, the user added. Pakistan's Punjab government said on Tuesday that it will install the restored statue of the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at Kartarpur Sahib on Wednesday so that visiting Sikhs from India would get to view it too. Pakistan's Punjab government said on Tuesday that it will install the restored statue of the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at Kartarpur Sahib on Wednesday so that visiting Sikhs from India would get to view it too.(File photo) Kartarpur Sahib is also known as Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and is situated about 150 km northeast of Lahore, close to the Indian border. The nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was first installed at the Lahore Fort near his Samadhi in 2019. It was twice vandalised by activists of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right Islamic political party in Pakistan. We are going to install Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of local and Indian Sikhs, Punjab's first Sikh Minister and President (pardhan) of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora told PTI. ALSO READ| Pak minister for Kartarpur-like corridor in Sindh for Hindus The restored statue is being placed at Kartarpur Sahib so that Indian Sikhs visiting there could see it, Arora said. He also assured better security to protect the restored statue. The minister said restoration work of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Sandhi has already begun which will soon be completed. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century with his headquarters at Lahore. Currently, 455 Sikhs, who arrived here from India last week to take part in festivities in connection with Maharaja Ranjit Singhs death anniversary, will also be present at Kartarpur Sahib on Wednesday when Singh's statue will be unveiled. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif raised concerns regarding minority safety in the country during a national assembly session, news agency ANI reported on Monday. He said that minorities in the nation are facing targeted violence in the name of religion. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif(AFP) Every day, minorities are being killed. They are not safe under the guise of Islam. I want to address the issue of minority safety, but the opposition is blocking my efforts. Pakistan is facing global embarrassment, Khawaja Asif was quoted as saying by ANI. Also Read | Pakistani teenage boy kills man over alleged blasphemy Asif asserted that in Pakistan, no religious minorities, including smaller sects within Islam, are secure, despite constitutional safeguards. He emphasised the need for measures to protect minorities, pointing out that numerous victims of violence were targeted not because of blasphemy allegations but due to personal grudges. He said, Even smaller Muslim sects are not safe in Pakistan, which is a disgraceful situation. We intend to propose a resolution to protect minorities. While our constitution guarantees minority rights, there are incidents of violence occurring across various locations. Those who have been killed so far did not have any evidence linking them to blasphemy; rather, these killings seem to stem from personal vendettas. Based on reports from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Human Rights Watch, Hindus, Sikhs, and other minority groups in Pakistan encounter ongoing difficulties, including coerced conversions, abductions, homicides, and assaults on their religious sites. Religious persecution in Pakistan According to ANI, incidents are widespread across different regions, indicating a precarious situation. The Ahmadiyya community confronts significant persecution, encompassing legal constraints on their religious practices, hate speech, and violent assaults, driven by their religious beliefs. Christians encounter discrimination in various aspects, such as employment and education, and face blasphemy accusations that often lead to mob violence and church attacks, rendering them susceptible to societal and legal persecution. A recent case of blasphemy A mob in the Swat region of Pakistan lynched a man, accusing him of desecrating the Holy Book inside the Madyan police station, Dawn reported. The victim, identified as a tourist from Sialkot, was burned alive by an enraged crowd on Thursday, June 20, as seen in a purported video circulating on social media. Dawn reported that individuals in a local market claimed the man had committed blasphemy, leading to a crowd apprehending him and turning him over to the police. This incident represents the second instance of lynching over blasphemy allegations in recent weeks, according to ANI. Last month, another man faced similar accusations and was killed in Sargodha. (With inputs from ANI) China's reported hesitation to invest in new projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stems largely from concerns about the security of its citizens and assets in Pakistan. Pakistan's army soldiers.(AFP) This hesitation appears to have prompted the Pakistani government to take action, as Islamabad recently approved a revitalised national counter-terrorism campaign known as 'Operation Azm-e-Istehkam'. According to a recent editorial in Dawn, the move underscores Pakistan's recognition of the importance of addressing China's security concerns, especially at a time when attracting foreign investment is critical for the country's economic development. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif clarified that the main focus of operations under 'Azm-e-Istehkam' will be in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan. He mentioned that a comprehensive plan detailing the framework for these operations will be announced in the coming days. Notably, Chinese citizens, workers, or projects have been targeted by violence or security threats within Pakistani territory. ALSO READ| Pakistan's defence minister addresses minority safety issue, calls it a global embarrassment These incidents have raised concerns about the safety and security of Chinese nationals and investments in Pakistan, particularly under projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Such attacks can have significant implications for bilateral relations between China and Pakistan, as well as for regional stability and economic cooperation. However, military operations conducted by Pakistan frequently face allegations of human rights violations, which involve accusations of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and mistreatment of civilians in conflict zones such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and in areas affected by insurgency. These allegations are often reported by human rights organisations and international observers, raising concerns about the protection of civil liberties and adherence to international humanitarian law. Such reports can strain Pakistan's relations with the international community and prompt calls for accountability and reforms within the military and security forces. THE TITLE of the Ukraine Recovery Conference that opened on June 11th in Berlin may seem overly hopeful. For the moment there is still a lot more destruction than reconstruction going on in the country, and most of the attention is on providing resources to keep things from deteriorating any further. Russian drones and missiles have knocked out half of the 18 gigawatts of power-generating capacity that Ukraine had before last winter. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, speaking at the conference, pleaded for help in decentralising the countrys energy system (with generators, solar panels and wind turbines), and for more air-defence systems. Olaf Scholz, Germanys chancellor, obligingly announced he would give the Ukrainians a third Patriot missile battery. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky give a joint press conference during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on June 11, 2024. The conference running from June 11 to 12, 2024 "is a continuation of the annual series of high-level political events dedicated to the swift recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine". (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)(AFP) The longer-term questions are how to restore Ukraines economy to prosperity, and how to fund both the ongoing costs of government and the eventual reconstruction of the country. The World Bank estimated the cost of repairing the destruction wrought by the war at $486bn as of last winter, and that number does not include the recent damage to the power system. Ukraines entire government budget for 2024 is $87bn (about half of it is spent on defence), but its expected tax revenues come to only $46bn. The rest must be filled by foreign aid or borrowing. Americas approval in April of its long-delayed $61bn aid package for Ukraine will help, as does the EUs 50bn ($54bn) aid package, which lasts until the end of 2027. Another question mark hanging over the conference was the absence of Mustafa Nayyem, a well-known former anti-corruption journalist who has been heading Ukraines agency for infrastructure and redevelopment. He tendered his resignation on June 10th after the government barred him from attending the Berlin conference. Mr Nayyem and his ally Oleksandr Kubrakov, who was fired from his position as infrastructure minister in May, came into conflict with Mr Zelensky and his powerful aide Andriy Yermak. Ukrainian sources say they were considered too independent, and that their direct contacts with Western donors were seen as threatening. The sidelining of Mr Kubrakov and Mr Nayyem has contributed to growing concerns among Ukraines foreign partners about the governments reliability and transparency. They were delivering the steps needed for ensuring transparency and accountability in our reconstruction procedures. That trust has been flushed down the toilet, said Daria Kaleniuk of the Anticorruption Action Centre, a Ukrainian watchdog. The head of a big Western donor agency at the conference said the fact that Mr Kubrakov has yet to be replaced is not reassuring, and that it is important to appoint a successor with a squeaky-clean reputation. That may not be easy. Ukrainian civil society activists say that the treatment of Mr Nayyem, a hero of the Maidan revolution in 2014, has made working for the government look unattractive. No one will go to work for them, one said. Although some of the aid announced at the conference will go to the Ukrainian government, much was focused on bringing in private businesswhat the EU calls pillar two of its assistance programme to the country. Investors have hesitated to move into Ukraine because of war-related risks. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced 1.4bn in new investment from European banks, along with guarantees for banks that are willing to extend loans to Ukrainian businesses. Mrs von der Leyen also noted that the EU is moving ahead with a plan to use frozen Russian assets, which amount to some $300bn, to help Ukraine. The plan uses a complicated financial mechanism to transfer profits from the frozen assets to the Ukrainian government; 1.5bn is to be handed over in July. Pro-Ukrainian groups have lobbied for America and the EU to confiscate the assets entirely, but that has so far not happened because of worries that it could violate international law. Perhaps the greatest worry is that no big aid packages may be forthcoming in the future. European politics are shifting towards the Russia-friendly far right, and America may re-elect Donald Trump in November. But those were questions the Ukrainians at the conference were in no position to answer; they were simply happy for the help they were getting. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, which has been mercilessly bombed by Russia for months, signed a pre-financing agreement on a multimillion-dollar loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The money will go towards upgrading his citys metro. It will also, he said, free up municipal funds for generating heat and power this winter: Its a matter of life and death. To stay on top of the biggest European stories, sign up to Cafe Europa, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. Read more of our coverage of the war in Ukraine. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com By Michelle Nichols Risks to aid workers in Gaza intolerable, UN says UNITED NATIONS, - The risks to humanitarian workers in Gaza are intolerable, the United Nations said on Tuesday as it pressed Israel for more effective coordination with the aid groups, approval for the U.N. to use essential security equipment and for the Israeli military to facilitate aid deliveries. "Humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. "The risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable." He said the head of U.N. safety and security met on Monday with COGAT, the Israeli military branch responsible for aid transfers, to discuss U.N. difficulties working in Gaza during the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week there is "total lawlessness" in Gaza that is impeding aid operations as famine looms. The United States said it has been working with the U.N. and Israel to try to improve the situation. "Every day, we assess the situation and look at how we can operate safely, both for our own staff, but most importantly for those who are receiving the aid," Dujarric said. "Every day we need to grab whatever opportunities we can." Israel's Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Jonathan Miller, told the Security Council earlier on Tuesday that more than 36,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza during the more than eight-month conflict. The trucks carried over 682,180 tons of aid, including food, water, shelter equipment, medical supplies and fuel. He said the problem was with the collection and distribution of that aid by the United Nations once it entered Gaza. "Nearly all U.N. requests for the coordination of humanitarian convoys have been, and are being approved, and the daily pauses in operations against terrorists continue to enable the distribution of the aid," said Miller. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The United States on Monday described the video of a wounded Palestinian man strapped on a military jeep by Israeli soldiers as shocking and called for a swift investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli army straps Palestinian on military jeep during a raid in West Bank's Jenin, on June 22, 2024. I will say that we saw that video. It was shocking. The practice was absolutely unacceptable. Humans should never be used as shields, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing, responding to a reporter's question. The IDF should swiftly investigate what happened. They need to hold people accountable, Miller added. According to the Israeli military, its troops were fired at and exchanged fire with suspects while carrying out an arrest raid in the West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday. During the raid, one of the suspects, Mujahed Azmi, a Palestinian resident of Jenin, was injured and apprehended by the Israeli forces. The soldiers then violated military protocol by tying the man to the hood of the jeep. The conduct does not conform to the IDF's values. The incident will be investigated and dealt with. The injured suspect was transferred to medics for treatment, an IDF statement read. Reacting to the statement, Miller, the US State Department spokesperson, mentioned that the IDF's stand that the people involved will be acted against, is absolutely appropriate. I saw the statement they put out that the actions were inconsistent with the orders that those soldiers received, and that the actions are being investigated, and those involved will be dealt with accordingly. That is absolutely appropriate, he remarked. (With Reuters inputs) An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude hit California on Monday at 06:31 pm EDT. The tremors of the earthquake were felt across Kern County and residents shared reports of shaking from regions of Ventura, Mericapo, and Santa Barbara. As reported by iHeart Radio, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pointed out that the earthquake's epicentre was 24 kilometres away in the Southwest direction of Lamon, California. The land plates shook at a depth of 12.1. The tremors of the earthquake were also felt in the region of Bakersfield. An earthquake of 4.1 struck California and its tremors were felt in the nearby regions of Kern County, Bakersfield and more. Also Read: New Mexico wildfires: FBI offers reward for information about those responsible Floor started to bounce up and down, California resident The earthquake in California alerted the residents of various regions in the state. As reported by iHeart Radio, the USGS received a total of 472 reports from residents regarding the shakes felt during the 4.1 magnitude quake. One Lebac resident reported they felt the floor started to bounce up and down. In further explanation, the first few land tremors felt the heaviest and after a few seconds of quiet, the small tremors could be felt which might have lasted up to 10-15 seconds. A resident from Bakersfield wrote the earthquake lasted for 30 seconds where it shook the desk and chair back and forth. However, he added, Ive grown up in California born and raised and I love them. They dont scare me. Previous tremors shook California this month The earthquake on Monday was not the first one to hit the state and it followed hours after 2.9 magnitude shook the taste of Los Angeles. According to the USGS reports, the California state was struck with an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 earlier in the month on June 9. The epicentre of the earthquake was in The Geysers and the tremors were located at a depth of 3.6 kilometers. Another earthquake that shook the land of California was on June 6 with a magnitude of 3.6 and its epicentre was located in Newport Beach. The first week of June witnessed two earthquakes on June 2 and June 4 with magnitudes 6.3 and 3.0 respectively. Biden vs Trump: The first most awaited debated between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is set to take place on Thursday and it will be hosted by CNN at the networks Atlanta studios. Biden vs Trump: The debate between the 81-year-old incumbent and the 78-year-old presumptive Republican nominee will be moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.(AP) While the first 90-minute debate is likely to start at 9 pm ET in Atlanta, it will be held without an audience to ensure candidates may maximize the time allotted in the debate. The debate between the 81-year-old incumbent and the 78-year-old presumptive Republican nominee will be moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Biden vs Trump: How to watch, livestream presidential debate CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Max, and CNN.com will broadcast the CNN Presidential Debate live, without requiring a cable login. CNN has announced that additional broadcast and cable news networks across the United States will be able to rebroadcast the debate. Several other networks are anticipated to broadcast a simulcast of the CNN debate. FOX News Democracy 2024: CNN Presidential Debate will air on FNC from 9 to 11 PM/ET. FBN will rebroadcast FNC. According to a press release from Fox News Media, Shannon Bream of FOX News Sunday will moderate the debate on the FOX Network, which will simultaneously broadcast the CNN debate. Deadline reports that NBC News and MSNBC would likely simulcast the debate on their respective networks. In addition, a simulcast of CNN's debate is anticipated by ABC News, which viewers in the United States can see via cable or streaming services. The debate is scheduled to include two commercial breaks during which campaign officials will not be permitted to speak with the candidates. Also Read: Trump and Biden prepare for first US presidential debate Biden campaign wins a coin flip Biden or Trump's microphone will be muted while one of them will be speaking. According to sources, there won't be any opening remarks and the contenders will have two minutes to respond to queries. According to CNN, Biden's team won a coin flip and was able to choose where the candidates would stand on stage or who would deliver the closing statement. The president's entourage positioned him at the right lectern on the platform. This choice sets Trump up to conclude the evening with closing remarks. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung mocked the Commander-in Chief in a statement to Newsweek. He said that "media wants to lower Joe Biden's debate performance bar so low he gets a participation trophy simply for standing upright for 90 minutes." The debate plans came after the Biden campaign stated in a letter last month that he was willing to confront his Republican opponent twice before the November election. After Trump accepted the challenge, two debates were scheduled for June and September. Donald Trump has demanded that Joe Biden undergo a drug test before the presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. This comes days after he predicted Biden would be jacked up on the stage. Donald Trump demands Joe Biden undergo drug test before debate (AP Photo) DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!! the former president wrote on Truth Social. Trump and his allies have often suggested that the president will be medicated during the event in Atlanta, Georgia. (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social) There is no universe in which [Bidens] not being medicated before the debate. If he wants to dispel that, he should offer to take a drug test, but we all know he wont do that, a Trump ally told New York Post. I think its a fair question worth asking, said campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. If Biden wants to prove otherwise, why didnt he commit to a drug test? Crooked Joe has gone to a log cabin to study Trump told Republicans back in May during a GOP dinner in Minnesota that he would demand a drug test ahead of the debate as the president was as high as a kite during his State of the Union address in March. At Trumps latest rally in Philadelphia, he said he believes Biden might get a pharmacological boost. Referring to the Camp David stay, Trump told supporters, Right now, Crooked Joe has gone to a log cabin to study. Hes sleeping now, because they want to get him good and strong. So a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass, Trump added. Hell come out all jacked up, right? Meanwhile, campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu said that Trump was simply talking trash. Trumps going to talk trash like that all the time because thats what he does, Landrieu said. The other day, you may remember, he was trying to question our presidents mental acuity, and he could not remember the name of his own doctor, so tell President Trump bring whatever hes got President Biden will be standing there ready for him. During a campaign stop in Philadelphia, former US President Donald Trump revealed that he has already decided on his running mate for the upcoming presidential election. Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo(REUTERS) In an interaction with NBC News, Trump was asked if he had made a decision on his vice presidential candidate. He responded with, In my mind, yeah He added that his chosen candidate remains unaware of their selection. No, nobody knows, Trump said. ALSO READ| Donald Trump visits Philly eatery and drops $500 tip, crowd interaction reveals possible VP name Trump's hoping a lot of people in the debate The presidential hopeful hinted that his running mate would be present at the upcoming presidential debate against incumbent Joe Biden, scheduled for Thursday. They'll be there, he told NBC. I think we have a lot of people coming. Despite the mystery candidate's expected attendance at the debate, Trump indicated that the official announcement of his vice presidential pick would likely occur around the time of the Republican National Convention. The convention is set to take place in Milwaukee from July 15 to July 18, where Trump is anticipated to receive the party's formal nomination. Maybe a little before, but could be at the convention, Trump remarked. But we'll have some great people. Among the top contenders Trump has been considering are North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. NBC News recently reported that Burgum and Vance have emerged as the leading finalists, though Rubio remains a viable option. ALSO READ| Vivek Ramaswamy says Donald Trump is the George Washington of our day at Wisconsin rally Trump wants Vivek in his team However, many speculate that Indian-American entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would be the VP for Trump after the former president lauded the latter as a smart guy and said, Hes gonna be with us in some form at the Wisconsin rally. Trump went on saying, If I gave it to Vivek to do, hed pull it off, he is a smart guy. Yesterday, HindustanTimes.com reported that an X user posted a video on the platform where Trump's private jet can be spotted. The user claimed the footage was taken at Cleaveland and Trumps VP is going to be Vivek. Donald Trump's team claimed that the former US President was "tortured" in Fulton County Jail in Georgia after his surrender in August on charges of meddling with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail last August as required by the terms of his criminal indictment in Georgia.(via Reuters) I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what? stated a Trump's campaign in fundraising email as it sold coffee cups featuring his historic mugshot at the jail, as per the Hill. I put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE! Trump and 2020 election interference case Trump turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail last August as required by the terms of his criminal indictment in Georgia, where he is accused of 13 crimes related to his attempts to rig the 2020 election. Following his arrival, Trump was photographed for a mug shot and his fingerprints were also taken. After completing the roughly 20-minute process, Trump became the first American president to have his mug shot taken and be booked in prison for a criminal case. Trump's campaign successfully raised an incredible $4.18 million in the next 24 hours after his booking. It started selling T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and other memorabilia, featuring mugshot with the phrase Never surrender. Also Read: Donald Trump responds to media portrayal of him as cognitively impaired Trump campaign breaks previous fundraising records According to Trump's campaign, his team broke that record last month when it brought in an astounding $53 million in a day following his conviction in the hush money case in New York. Trump, as per the numbers from both presidential campaigns, crushed President Biden on the fundraising circuit in May, generating an astounding $141 million between his campaign and the Republican National Committee. In comparison, the Democratic National Committee and Biden's team claimed to have generated $85 million in May. During his campaign tour, the 45th president boasted about having more criminal charges against him than American gangster Al Capone and criticised the prosecution for pursuing these cases. There are currently 54 pending criminal counts against Trump, covering three indictments. He has entered not guilty pleas and denied any wrongdoing. He will be sentenced on July 11 in a hush money case ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 1518. Julian Assange is reportedly going to ask for a pardon after admitting guilt to breaching US espionage legislation following an agreement with the US that saw him released from a Britain's harshest prison and granted him permission to return to his home country, Australia. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange looking out of the window as his plane from London approaches Bangkok for a layover at Don Mueang International Airport in the Thai capital. (AFP) The founder of WikiLeaks, who had been imprisoned in the UK for the previous five years, is scheduled to appear before a US courthouse located in the Northern Mariana Islands. Meanwhile, Stella Assange, Assange's wife, said on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday that her husband had arrived in Bangkok and would shortly be leaving for the United States. The US President would decide on any pardon to be granted to him. Julian Assanges flight VJ199 landed in Bangkok and will soon take off again and fly into US airspace where he will appear before a US judge. Please follow #AssangeJet, we need all eyes on his flight in case something goes wrong, she wrote, sharing a link to flight tracker, Flight Aware. She further expressed to his supporters, mentioning that words cannot express our immense gratitude. Assange boards jet, set to united with his wife and kids On Monday, a London High Court granted Assange bail, and he was brought to Stansted Airport where he boarded a flight. In its X account, WikiLeaks released video of him getting to the airport and boarding the jet. It stated that Assange would soon "reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," after spending 1901 days alone in a 2 by 3 meter prison for 23 hours per day. Stella informed the Press Association news agency that the Australian Government would pay the $500,000 (393,715) cost of Assange's travel. She informed the BBC that the money will be reimbursed by the Assange campaign. She further said that she hasnt disclosed the news to her kids yet but told them that they will get a big surprise in Australia. Assange's wife told the BBC Radio 4 Today program that she and her sons have already travelled to Australia in anticipation of her husbands release. According to records filed with the US district court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange consented to enter a guilty plea to a misdemeanor criminal offense of obtaining and disclosing secret US national defense documents. Also Read: Julian Assange released from UK prison: Here's how world leaders, journalism bodies & his family reacted We want to bring him to Australia: Albanese on Assange Australia's high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, is traveling with Assange, according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Regardless of the views that people have about Julian Assange and his activities, the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want to bring him to his home to Australia, the Australian PM stated on Tuesday, as per media reports. The plea deal was reached months after US President Joe Biden indicated he was contemplating about Australia's request to end the US prosecution of Assange. WikiLeaks attempted the greatest security breaches in US military history in 2010, when it released several classified US military records on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a stockpile of diplomatic cables. The Rapidan dam is one of the oldest structures built in 1910 as an energy source near Mankato, Minnesota. However, the structures health has declined with over a century of rapid flooding causing significant damage as mentioned on the Blue Earth Countys government website. The dam is in a position to likely collapse with the recent flooding of the Blue Earth River. The county sheriff warned on Monday about the deteriorating condition of the structure stating that the river has cut the dam from all the sides and the debris is embedded in the river water. Heavy rains cause high water levels at the Rapidan Dam near Mankato, Minn., Monday, June 24, 2024. Officials say the dam is threatened with imminent failure. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)(AP) Dams imminent failure condition status The dam located just outside Mankato city is in a precarious condition and the officials have announced the same on their government website. They have also announced the status of the damn to those who may be affected if it collapses. The officials conveyed a message on Facebook where they wrote about the unpredictable condition where they are not sure if the dam will collapse or remain in place after the recent funds. They further explained that it was their duty regardless to warn the residents living downstream and the necessary regulatory agencies as well as local agencies of the current conditions. Also Read: New Mexico wildfires: FBI offers reward for information about those responsible The notification further read, The dam in still intact and there are no current plans for a mass evacuation. A portion of the river flow has diverted around the west side of the dam and water continues to flow." The notifications are issued for the residents living nearby, however, no evacuation plans have been ordered yet. Also Read: 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattles the California, floor started to bouncing say residents Residents nearby raise concerns on social media The dam is situated near the city of Mankato which is about 90 minutes away from Minneapolis and is home to around 45,000 people and Blue Earth County holds 70,000 residents in total. Since the breakout of the news about the bad conditions of the dam, the affected locals have raised their concerns on social media. According to the Independent, One local on social media wrote, My sisters home is across the street from Sanger pit and needs a boat to get out of her house, while another requested the rescue crew to help the estranged local animals in Sibley Park. Since stepping back from the royal duties back in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are becoming increasingly irrelevant for the royals. Criticism of royal family hindering Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's reconciliation, expert suggests. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo(REUTERS) Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond remarked, I can't honestly imagine that they are sitting there scheming to make announcements on the same day as a royal event. Surely they are bigger than that? Bond continued, It's true that there have been some rather strange coincidences in the past about the timing of some of their announcements. But I think they are becoming less and less relevant to the news over here, and the Royal Family will command the attention every time. Over time, the Sussexes raised eyebrows by making bombshell revelations through memoirs, Netflix documentaries, and more, which clashed with important days for the royal family. ALSO READ| King Charles III to visit Prince Harry in the US? Like recently, the product launch coincided with the Trooping the Colour parade where the Princess of Wales was seen in public for the first time since she overcame cancer. Meghans luxury lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, was launched, which was revealed at the event prior to Prince Williams speech that was held to celebrate the accolade in memory of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince Harry and Meghan are running out of time Another royal expert, Richard Eden also told Daily Mail, that the Sussexes are now literally irrelevant to the royal family and they are running out of time to reconcile with the family. Time is running out to come back while his father is still King, he said and added, I really think that when Prince William is King, I cant see him letting Harry come back and have a role again. They are irrelevant now, they are just not wanted as part of the monarchy. Maybe there could be some radical change but its hard to see. ALSO READ| Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are running out of time for Also, last month, King Charles III snubbed Prince Harry during the duke's brief visit to the UK due to full programme. Later, it was revealed that difficult Prince William was preventing Harry from meeting his father. While addressing this part Eden warned that If Harry wants to come back at any stage, he needs to do it while his father is still King. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed concerns about the plea deal that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has had to agree to, calling it bad news and a big blow to freedom of the press. Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s remarks on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents, according to court filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Kennedy, while expressing his relief over Assange's release, posted on X (formerly Twitter): I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero. Kennedy was quick to point out the broader implications of Assange's guilty plea. He noted that this plea indicates that the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens. The plea deal comes after years of legal battles and a prolonged period of detention for the WikiLeaks founder. ALSO READ| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is free, ending standoff with the US Assange's plea deal is big blow to freedom of the press Kennedy drew attention to Assange's health issues, which have been the main reason behind his decision to accept the plea deal. According to Kennedy, Assange's deteriorating health meant that remaining in prison could have led to his death, citing, Julian had to take this. He has heart problems and he would have died in prison. While addressing the fact that Assange had to take the deal under the pressure, Kennedy stressed that the U.S. government, by pushing for this plea deal, has imposed a horrifying precedent for the future of press freedom. The 70-year-old presidential hopeful argued that the U.S. has now extended its legal reach to foreign journalists, criminalizing actions that are considered standard practice in investigative journalism and poses a big blow to freedom of the press. RFK Jr demands freedom for another two whistleblower Following this post, the independent candidate posted another Tweet asking, The USG should build a monument to Assange in Washington as a civics lesson for the American public about the importance of free speech. ALSO READ| WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange strikes plea deal with US, walks out of prison Following the chilling precedent that could deter journalists from pursuing critical reporting, especially when it involves state secrets or whistleblowers. Kennedy voices for the release of another two whistleblowers, Edward Snowden and Ross Ulbrich. Free Edward Snowden to demonstrate our commitment to government transparency. Free Ross Ulbricht to show our commitment to transactional freedom, he posted. A top-secret autonomous submarine by the US Navy designed for long-term underwater missions was spotted when Google Maps users started exploring the coasts around Naval Base San Diego. The cutting-edge Manta Ray submarine, the US Navy's latest autonomous underwater weapon(Northrop Grumman) The eagle-eyed GMap swellers noticed an American prototype weapon submarine called the Manta Ray at the Port Hueneme naval base in California on Sunday. A Manta Ray spotted at Naval Base San Diego(Google Maps) The autonomous vessel, aptly named after the sea creature for its sleek design and ability to anchor itself deep underwater while operating in low-power mode, was produced by Northrop Grumman as part of a US Navy initiative to develop long-range underwater weapons. The unmanned undersea vessel (UUV) seeks to demonstrate critical technologies for a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs. ALSO READ| Why McDonald's at San Francisco Stonestown mall had to drop its shutter after 30 years of service DARPA is done with in-water testing Of Manta Ray The Manta Ray is a highly advanced underwater drone capable of hibernating on the sea floor for extended periods without needing to refuel. Dr. Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), explained in a news release that the drone uses efficient, buoyancy-driven gliding to move through the water. Our successful, full-scale Manta-Ray testing validates the vehicles readiness to advance toward real-world operations, he said. The Navy spent over three months rigorously testing the craft off the coast of Southern California, according to the Telegraph. DARPA said in a press statement that they are done with their field testing, which demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicles modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces. One of the Star Wars looking vessel's standout features is its modular design, which includes several payload bays of various sizes and types to accommodate a wide range of naval mission sets. This design also allows the craft to be disassembled and transported in standard shipping containers, removing the need for specialized port facilities. If successful, this new class of UUV will give the combatant commander an amplification of capacity without disrupting current operations by remaining independent of manned vessels and ports once deployed, DARPA added. ALSO READ| 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattles the California, floor started to bouncing say residents Defense analysts speculate that the US Navy's emphasis on developing drone technology is aimed at countering the submarine operations of Russia and China. Russian underwater drones reportedly have a range of approximately 6,200 miles, can be armed with nuclear warheads, and can reach speeds of up to 100 knots, or about 115 mph. Dr Kyle concluded his statement saying, The combination of cross-country modular transportation, in-field assembly, and subsequent deployment demonstrates a first-of-kind capability for an extra-large UUV. A concessions stand worker at a Tennessee park narrowly escaped serious damage after suddenly coming face-to-face with a black bear. The shocking incident unfolded at Anakeesta, a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, last week. The bear approached the employee of the concessions stand, ironically named Bear Can, via an off-limits employee entrance. A black bear nearly attacked a concessions stand worker at a Tennessee park(X, formerly Twitter) Black bear comes dangerously close to park employee At around 9:30 pm Thursday, the bear started exiting the stand when the employee was entering. The now-viral video shows the furry giant rustling through food behind the counter before facing the employee. Both parties were equally startled by one another as the bear lunged at her. However, the employee did not sustain any injuries during the brief physical contact. As the bear ran away, the employee quickly rushed inside and shut the door. ALSO READ: Korean Air's Boeing 737 makes emergency landing after dropping 25K feet in 5 minutes Following the incident, the Tennessee park issued a statement that read, At that point, the bear and employee made brief physical contact. The employee in the video was not seriously injured and opted not to receive medical attention. The park added that it is dedicated to giving people a unique outdoor adventure in the Smokies and encourages guests to enjoy the views of the bears, at a safe distance. ALSO READ: Travis Kelce is proud of dating Taylor Swift, says That's my lady in bold declaration Austin Martin, a spokesperson for the park, explained in a statement that the workers at Anakeesta are no strangers to bears. The park is surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on three sides. Bears are a big part of the magic in the Great Smoky Mountains, Martin said, adding, The Anakeesta team works diligently to create a safe space to co-exist with the native wildlife, per USA Today. Murdered Maryland mom Rachel Morins mother has blasted Joe Biden for letting his devastating US border policies to play out while the president is himself sitting in an ivory tower. Rachel was raped and killed by Victor Martinez-Hernandez, 23, a migrant from El Salvador, on a Maryland hiking trail last year. Rachel Morins (L) mom blasts Biden for letting devastating border policies play out as he sits in 'an ivory tower (Harford County Sheriff's Office, REUTERS/Ken Cedeno) Patty Morin, Rachels mom, called out Bidens handling of the ongoing border crisis in an interview with Fox News. Its like theyre pretending these immigration problems dont exist and people arent being harmed and killed by their policies, Patty said of the Biden administrations policies. The victims are those that are being killed but also their loved ones that theyve left behind. Its devastating to the community, she added. Its like hes sitting in an ivory tower, and were just down here A grieving Patty reportedly watched as Martinez-Hernandez made a virtual appearance last week in a Maryland courtroom. The emotions were so overwhelming, the mom said of laying eyes on Hernandez. I couldnt bear the pain [of seeing him], Patty said. Rachels murder is one among many recent murders and other crimes committed in the United States by illegal immigrants. President Biden hasnt really showed any concern for anything the American people have voiced on this issue, Patty said of the border crisis. Its like hes sitting in an ivory tower, and were just down here. Hes not connected with the everyday person. Im not against immigration, but you dont just open the front door to your house and invite any stranger in off the street. You vet them at the door. Who are you? Why are you here? You learn about them and decide if theyre safe before letting them into your home, she continued. She added, Our country shouldnt behave differently. Martinez-Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in the death of Rachel. A US couple was among the 1,300 people who lost their lives during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. They were identified residents of Bowie, Maryland. Before succumbing to heat stroke, Alhaji Alieu Dausy Wurie, 71, and Haja Isatu Wurie, 65, both walked for over two hours in scorching temperatures, according to their daughter. US couple, the residents of Bowie, Maryland, were identified as Alhaji Alieu Dausy Wurie, 71, and Haja Isatu Wurie, 65.(X) The temperature during this year's Hajj, which saw the participation of 1.8 million, pilgrims has surpassed 122F (50C). Speaking to BBC, Saida Wurie said that her parents' tour operator had not delivered on several of its promises, such as enough food and beverages. Two weeks after their arrival in Saudi Arabia, the pair, who were born in Sierra Leone, went missing on Sunday, June 16. Their distraught daughter learned about their demise a few days later. According to Saida, her parents had paid $11,500 each to travel to the Middle East via for the Hajj, considering that it was very important to them. It's something that they wanted to do their entire lives. They were beyond excited. Their travel was arranged with a group of almost 100 other pilgrims by an American touring firm operating out of Maryland. Also Read: Saudi says 1,301 deaths occurred during hajj, mostly unregistered pilgrims US couple 'walked for hours' before death Claiming that the tour operator did not provide "a lot of the things promised" to her parents, she said: "They went a few days having to find food for themselves, even though the package was supposed to come with meals every day." She slammed the tour operator for not providing promised necessary permits and registration for the trip. The couple informed their daughter that they were "taking it a day at a time" while making sure they keep themselves hydrated despite having minimal supplies in the sweltering weather. In their last exchange on June 15, they also informed Saida that they had been walking for over two hours. US couple buried in Saudi Arabia Later, Consulate officials and tour operator confirmed the couple's death. The US Consulate in Jeddah in a death notification to couple's family said they diedby "natural causes". The US Embassy official told Saida that heat stroke would be considered as a natural cause. She was told that her parents had been buried, but the consular officials haven't been able to disclose the exact location of their burial. We did ask the Saudi government to hold the bodies in order for us to travel to Saudi Arabia to at least give them the proper burial with [their] children being present and to be able to identify the bodies, Saida told CNNs Fredricka Whitfield. Unfortunately, they have already been buried. She now intends to visit Saudi Arabia to discover her parents' burial ground. What US govt has to say? The US State Department acknowledged that there had been deaths of several American citizens in Saudi Arabia, but refused to comment on details regarding the Wurie family, as per CNN. Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks in a post on X said that Haja Isatu Wurie was a very active member of her local community a campaign volunteer. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been granted bail by a UK Court after he agreed to sign a plea deal with US. Assange will plead guilty to a single count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents. Though the deal has not yet been formally finalised. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walks to board a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released JUNE 25, 2024. (@wikileaks) Who is Julian Assange? Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Australia, in July 1971. As a teenager, he became known as a skilled computer programmer. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to hacking and was fined. Later, he studied mathematics and physics at Melbourne University. What is WikiLeaks and what did it do? In 2006, Assange started WikiLeaks, a website designed to allow whistleblowers leak secret information anonymously. Termed as the dead letter drop it gave access to classified documents of governments across the world. It was operated by a transnational collective using servers in countries including Iceland and Sweden. In US, an army intelligence analyst known as Chelsea Manning downloaded large batches of documents from a classified computer network and uploaded them to WikiLeaks. Eventually she was arrested and identified as the source of the wave of secret American documents. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know, the website posted on X after his release. Major WikiLeaks Releases April 2010: WikiLeaks published a classified video showing a U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007, which killed several people, including two Reuters journalists 2010: The site released over 90,000 classified U.S. military documents about the war in Afghanistan and about 400,000 secret files on the Iraq war. These were some of the largest security breaches in U.S. military history. 2011:** WikiLeaks released 250,000 secret diplomatic cables from U.S. embassies worldwide. Some were published by major newspapers like The New York Times and The Guardian. 2016: They returned in 2016 U.S. presidential election, when it published tens of thousands of emails belonging to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. A U.S. Senate report in 2020 said Russia had used WikiLeaks to help Republican Donald Trump to victory in that election. Trump dismissed the report as a hoax and Russia always denied interfering in the election. Assange's Legal Troubles In November 2010, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of sex crimes. He was arrested in the UK in December 2010. Assange denied the allegations, claiming they were a pretext to extradite him to the U.S. for the WikiLeaks releases. In 2010, even as Obama government was speculating over charging Assange there was a sexual assault case filed against him in Sweden. In 2012, in Britain, after he lost his appeal of the Swedish warrant at a UK court he violated bail and went into the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Ecuador granted him asylum and stayed at their embassy for the next seven years. Assange's arrest and Imprisonment In April 2019, after Ecuador revoked his asylum, Assange was arrested by British police. In June 2019, the U.S. formally requested his extradition to face charges of hacking U.S. government computers and violating espionage laws. Assange remained in Belmarsh prison in the UK. In 2021, a British judge ruled that Assange should not be extradited due to his mental health. However, in 2022, the UK approved his extradition. June 24, 2024 the UK court granted him bail after he said he will sign a plea deal with US. What Next for Julian Assange? Assange has signed a plea deal with the US government where he has agreed to plead guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act in exchange for a five-year prison sentence. Which he has already served while in British custody. He will now be in Australia. After 30 years of service, the McDonalds located at the Stonestown Galleria shopping mall in San Francisco closed its doors on Sunday. A self-service ordering kiosk is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on May 08, 2024 in San Francisco, California. One month after California raised the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour, menu prices at some chain fas food restaurants have surged as much as 8 percent. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) A simple half-sheet of paper, which was hung on the glass door of the restaurant on Winston Drive, thanking the loyal customers: We are thankful to have been part of your daily meal routine, either for an Egg McMuffin in the morning or a Happy Meal with the kids after an afternoon of shopping at Stonestown, as reported by The San Francisco Chronicle. Why do they have to shut down the 30-year-old chain? Franchisee Scott Roderick cited two primary reasons for the closure: the steep charges for rent and the newly established minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast-food employees in California, effective from 1 April. The state legislative assembly has supported the law, which recognizes that out of more than half a million employees in the fast food industry, most of them are not young people looking for part-time jobs but family earners. ALSO READ| McDonald's releases $5 meal deal on popular demand, here's what it contains The law received support from the trade association representing fast-food franchise owners. Nonetheless, and as has become evident in this paper where several franchise owners have claimed that the act has financially crippled their business in light of the dwindling economy in California, franchise owners have had a number of concerns with regards to the act. Alex Johnson, who owns 10 Auntie Annes Pretzels and Cinnabon locations in the City by the Bay, shared his struggles with the Associated Press the new wage law. He noted that sales have slowed in 2024, leading him to lay off his office staff and rely on his parents for payroll and human resources assistance. Johnson explained that the wage increase would cost him approximately $470,000 annually. To manage these increased costs, he plans to raise prices at his stores by 5% to 15% and has halted hiring and expansion plans in California. I try to do right by my employees. I pay them as much as I can. But this law is really hitting our operations hard, Johnson said. ALSO READ| Burger King vs McDonald's: Fast-food rivals battle it out with $5 meal deals, Wendy's says stop taking The California Business and Industrial Alliance reported earlier this month that over 10,000 workers were sacked due to the state's minimum wage. CABIA President slammed Governor Gavin Newsom and stated, California businesses have been under total attack and total assault for years. Its just another law that puts businesses in further jeopardy. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set free from the Belmarsh prison after he has agreed to a plea deal for his alleged involvement in a government data breach. Julian Assange speaks to the media outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, May 19, 2017. Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will free him from prison and resolve a long-running legal saga over the publication of a trove of classified documents. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)(AP) According to recently filed federal court documents, the agreement with the US Justice Department enables him to avoid imprisonment. Under the terms of the deal, Assange will plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose information related to national defense in a U.S. federal court in Saipan, located in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific. This plea is expected to occur this week, according to the court papers. Assange previously spent five years in a British prison while contesting extradition to the United States. ALSO READ| Robert F Kennedy Jr hails Julian Assange's release, calls him a generational hero Julian Assange is free WikiLeaks said through their official X account posted Julian Assange is free from the Belmarsh prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, the X statement continued. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. 'Julian's freedom is our freedom' The WikiLeaks founder is expected to back to Australia once his plea and sentencing has been completed on Wednesday morning, local time in the Mariana Islands, which is a part of the US. An Australian government spokesperson told AP, We are aware Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States. Given those proceedings are ongoing, it is not appropriate to provide further comment. ALSO READ| A look at Julian Assange and how the long-jailed WikiLeaks founder is now on the verge of freedom Prime Minister Albanese has been clear Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. WikiLeaks continued their post thanking all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. The company concluded the post saying, Julian's freedom is our freedom. A plane carrying Julian Assange landed Tuesday in Bangkok for refueling, as the WikiLeaks founder was on his way to enter a plea deal with the U.S. government that will free him and resolve the legal case that spanned years and continents over the publication of a trove of classified documents. Julian Assange is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing.(AP) Chartered flight VJT199 from London's Stansted Airport landed after noon at Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, which Assange's wife, Stella, confirmed was carrying her husband. Airport officials told The Associated Press the plane was scheduled to depart Tuesday evening for Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, where he is to appear in court Wednesday morning local time. Hes expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, according to the U.S. Justice Department in a letter filed in court. Assange is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. The hearing is taking place in Saipan because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. governments yearslong pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, in contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the countrys national security at risk. Stella Assange told the BBC from Australia that it had been touch and go over the past 72 hours whether the deal would go ahead but she felt elated at the news. A lawyer who married the WikiLeaks founder in prison in 2022, she said details of the agreement would be made public once the judge had signed off on it. He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge, she said, adding that she still didn't think it was real. She told Britain's PA news agency that the flight was costing Assange $500,000 and they would start a fundraising campaign to help pay for it. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, said the deal for Assange came about after the growing involvement of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This is the result of a long, long process which has been going on for some time. It has been a tough battle, but the focus now is on Julian being reunited with his family, Hrafnsson told the PA news agency. The most important thing is that Julian is free and he is finally able to enjoy the big blue sky. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, WikiLeaks said Assange boarded a plane and departed Monday after leaving the British prison where he has spent the last five years. WikiLeaks applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Albanese told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assanges activities, the case has dragged on for too long," Albanese said. Theres nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia,. The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from additional prison time. He had spent years hiding in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after Swedish authorities sought his arrest on rape allegations before being locked up in the United Kingdom. Assange is expected to be sentenced to the five years he has already spent in the British prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. to face charges, a process that has played out in a series of hearings in London. Last month, he won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Departments indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. The White House was not involved in the decision to resolve Assanges case, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Assange made headlines again in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that years election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. During the Obama administration, Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assanges arrest a priority. Assanges family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange had remained in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday walked out of prison after he agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the US Justice Department, according to court papers filed on Monday night. Assange will plead guilty this week to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (REUTERS) The deal will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of classified documents. According to the deal, the WikiLeaks founder will be spared from any additional prison time. Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands on Wednesday and is expected to return to Australia after the hearing. Assange's wife reacts to him walking out of prison The WikiLeaks founder's wife Stella thanked campaigners for their support as he was released after five years in British custody. Julian is free!!!! she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU," she added. Who is Julian Assange, and what are the cases against him? Assange, born in Townsville, Australia, gained a reputation as a computer programmer during his teenage years. In 1995, he was fined for computer hacking but avoided prison on the condition that he would not offend again. He founded WikiLeaks in 2006, creating an internet-based "dead letter drop" for leakers of classified or sensitive information. In 2010, WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history - along with swaths of diplomatic cables. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts, such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people. Following this, Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trump's administration. Months later, a Swedish court ordered Assange's arrest on sex crime allegations, which he denied. However, he was arrested in October 2010 in Britain on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over a sex crime, but he was freed on bail. Following this, Assange fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. In 2019, Assange was dragged out of Ecuador's embassy and jailed for skipping bail. Since then, he has been in London's Belmarsh top-security jail, where he has been fighting extradition to the United States. (With inputs from AP, Reuters) LAS VEGAS A Nevada judge said Tuesday she wasn't immediately convinced of the legality of an effort by a hip-hop music figure to underwrite a $750,000 bond to free a former Los Angeles-area gang leader from jail ahead of his murder trial in the 1996 killing of hip-hop music legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Judge considering if ex-gang leader held in Tupac Shakur killing gets house arrest on $750K bail Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny expressed doubts after hearing arguments about granting Duane Keffe D Davis release to house arrest with electronic monitoring, but said she would review financial records submitted by his benefactor Cash Jones, a music record executive who has managed performers such as rappers The Game and Blueface. In recent years, hes gotten into street fights and made controversial comments about the late Tupac Shakur and Nipsey Hussle. The judge promised to post a brief description of her decision in the court record. She did not say when. Davis' attorney, Carl Arnold, told reporters outside court that he hoped for a decision later Tuesday. Prosecutors Binu Palal and Marc DiGiacomo declined to comment. Jones, who uses the moniker Wack 100," offered sworn testimony by internet video link from an unspecified place in California. Under questioning by Arnold, Jones said he paid 15% of the bail amount, or $112,500, as a gift from his business accounts to secure Davis' release. I know him in passing, Jones said of Davis, a 61-year-old self-described head of a Crips gang sect in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton who has been held at the Clark County Detention Center since his arrest last September. Davis and his attorneys have said he isnt getting proper medical care in jail following treatment before his arrest for colon cancer. I know his son," Jones said of Davis. "We talked a few times. I know he's having an issue with his health. Hes always been a monumental person in our community, Jones added during questioning by Palal. Especially the urban community. Asked by the prosecutor if he had any contract or financial agreement with Davis for a television or movie deal based on Davis' self-described gang life and role in the killing of Shakur, Jones twice said, Not as of yet. Nevada has a law sometimes called a slayer statute that prohibits convicted killers from profiting from their crime. Jailhouse visits and telephone calls are also routinely recorded. The prosecutor played clips from a VladTV social media interview in which Jones told his interviewer he would bail Davis out of jail in return for an agreement to do a series on Mr. Davis' life." Palal asked Jones to explain. That's what I said to Vlad, Jones responded, noting that he was paid for the interview to draw viewers. There's nothing about Vlad, nothing about YouTube, that says you have to be truthful. Palal also played a recording of a jailhouse phone call in which Jones describes to Davis a plan to produce 30 to 40 episodes of a television show based on his life story. We talking business. I'm telling you what my idea is," Jones says. You gotta remember bro, this can set you up for the rest of your life. Palal told the judge that Jones intended to profit from Davis' story. Mr. Davis is getting the benefits from retelling his story in the killing of Mr. Shakur. As a result, Mr. Jones, in order to benefit from that, is paying the bail bond company, the prosecutor said. Although it's convoluted, it's clear that a fraud is being perpetrated on this court. One way or another ... it is an illegal benefit, profiting from this crime." The judge ended the 45-minute hearing saying she was left with more questions than answers. But she agreed to review Jones' financial records. Davis has sought to be released since shortly after his arrest last September made him the only person ever charged with a crime in a killing that for 27 years has drawn intense interest and speculation. Davis told Kierny in court in February that backers were hesitant to come in here and help me out on the bail because of the media and the circus thats going on. Prosecutors allege the gunfire that killed Shakur stemmed from competition between East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect and West Coast groups of a Crips sect, including Davis, for dominance in a musical genre known at the time as gangsta rap. Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled Nov. 4. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. According to police, prosecutors and Davis own accounts, he is the only person still alive among four people who were in a white Cadillac from which shots were fired in September 1996, mortally wounding Shakur and grazing rap mogul Marion Suge Knight at an intersection just off the Las Vegas Strip. Knight, now 59, is serving 28 years in a California prison for using a vehicle to kill a Los Angeles-area man in 2015. Davis has publicly described himself as the orchestrator of the shooting, but not the gunman. A renewed push by Las Vegas police to solve the case led to a search warrant and raid last July at his home in Henderson. Prosecutors say they have strong evidence to convict Davis of murder based his own accounts during multiple police and media interviews since 2008 and in a 2019 memoir of his life leading a Compton street gang. In his book, Davis wrote he was promised immunity to tell authorities in Los Angeles what he knew about the fatal shootings of Shakur and rival rapper Christopher Wallace six months later in Los Angeles. Wallace was known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Arnold maintains that Davis told stories so he could make money and that police and prosecutors in Nevada lack key evidence including the gun, the Cadillac and proof that Davis was in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Engineers were scrambling again Sunday to make repairs to Boeing's problem-plagued Starliner spacecraft to bring two NASA astronauts back to Earth from the International Space Station. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' return to the planet was delayed a third time Saturday amid several issues with the Starliner capsule. The deadline for the astronauts' safe return to Earth is 45 days, according to officials. Wilmore and Williams were supposed to return to Earth in mid-June after a week at the space station. The launch to the space station in early June was scrubbed twice due to problems. Likely earliest return date now will be semetime in July, following newly planned spacewalks. Leaders from @NASA and @BoeingSpace are adjusting the June 26 return to Earth of the Crew Flight Test mission with @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from @Space_Station. This adjustment deconflicts from a series of spacewalks while allowing mission teams time to pic.twitter.com/pjqz1zEu4g NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) June 22, 2024 Starliner breakdowns have included the sudden shutdown of its five thrusters during flight, and a series of helium leak, according to CNN. The holdup comes as Boeing is coming under increasing scrutiny over product safety, particularly regarding its 737 MAX aircraft and 787 Dreamliner planes, and complaints from whistleblowers about company retaliation for warnings about concerning issues. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, who earns a $33 million salary, told Congress in testimony earlier this month that whistleblower retaliation is something that "happens" at the company. Israeli soldiers strapped a wounded Palestinian man to the hood of a military vehicle and drove him away past two ambulances following a gun battle in the occupied West Bank. The shocking scene was caught on tape by someone who recorded a cellphone video from an overhead window as the armored truck and a second military vehicle drove around the ambulances, which appeared to have been heading to the shooting scene. The wounded man was identified as Mujahed Azmi by Reuters, which said it confirmed the authenticity of the video posted on social media after the Saturday incident in the city of Jenin. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Israeli army forces strapped a wounded Palestinian man to the hood of a military jeep during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin pic.twitter.com/PtTkH3dD88 Reuters (@Reuters) June 23, 2024 The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged that its troops acted improperly and said an investigation was underway. "In violation of orders and standard operating procedures, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle," the military said in a prepared statement, according to the BBC. "The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF. The incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly." Azmi was reportedly handed off to Red Crescent medics for treatment. Azmi's relatives said that he was wounded during an arrest raid and that when they asked for an ambulance, soldiers instead took him, tied him to the hood of the vehicle and drove off, according to Reuters. In its statement, the Israeli military said the incident took place "during counter-terrorism operations to apprehend wanted suspects in the area of Wadi Burqin." The military said that "terrorists opened fire at IDF troops, who responded with fire" and that "one of the suspects was injured and apprehended." The shooting came amid an ongoing surge in West Bank violence triggered by the Oct. 7 surprise attacks by Hamas against Israel that sparked the latest Mideast war in Gaza. More than 500 Palestinians, including 100-plus children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Oct. 7, according to the latest figures compiled by the United Nations. Nearly 75% of the fatalities occurred during Israeli military operations, mainly in Jenin and Tulkarm, the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said June 12 on its website. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli-Hamas War triggered by the Hamas raid of Israel that killed some 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds hostage. A man lost in the California wilderness for 10 days after setting out on what he expected to be a moderate hike survived by eating wild berries and drinking creek water. "I didn't bring anything" besides a flashlight and folding scissors because "I thought I was doing a three-hour hike" in the Santa Cruz hills on the way to work, Lukas McClish told KSBW-TV. McClish, 34, an outdoors enthusiast from Boulder Creek, California, said he lost his way due to heavy fog shortly after the start of his morning hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11. McClish made no mention of his hike to anyone, so it was not until Thursday, June 20, that he was located and rescued at the bottom of a remote canyon. At one point, he said a mountain lion began following him, but kept its distance. "I felt comfortable the whole time I was out there; I wasn't worried," McClish said. He spent his time going up and down canyons, sitting by waterfalls, using his boot to collect water for hydration, and eating berries to sustain himself. McClish's family became concerned when he didn't show up on Father's Day and reported him missing to the local sheriff's office, prompting a search involving dozens of law enforcement officers and first responders from around Boulder Creek. McClish's mother, Diane, said that "some nights, I just had to trust God that he was going to be okay, and that was hard to do." Eventually, McClish's yells for help were heard by searchers. Rescuers used drones to locate McClish in a densely wooded area. First responders with off-road vehicles brought him back to safety, reuniting him with his family. Local fire department chief Mark Bingham told the Guardian that McClish's resourcefulness in surviving 10 days in the wilderness was remarkable. "He was disoriented and lost [but] surviving off of the land, which is pretty impressive," said Bingham. Former President Donald Trump has told supporters that the United States education system would emulate that of socialist-leaning Norway if he's elected president. If Trump makes it back to the White House he plans to shut down the U.S. Department of Education and turn over the entire system to the states, he noted in his address Saturday at the conservative Christian Faith & Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference in Washington, D.C. "It will be beautiful ... like Norway," he insisted. "Norway has a great education system." Norways education system has: - universal Pre-K - inclusivity programs - green, outdoor play areas - tuition free universities - 8th highest teachers pay in the world - generous funding to provide high quality education Trump supports none of those things. https://t.co/fBTLXNBiGd Melanie D'Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) June 23, 2024 Norway, which has a mixed economy that combines elements of capitalism with a strong welfare state, has a publicly funded schools system that offers free education at all levels, including universities. Norway's system reflects the country's commitment to a comprehensive welfare state, aiming to ensure equal access to education for all citizens. Private schools are relatively uncommon. Norway also has a high tax rate that has fluctuated between 40% and 45% of GDP since the 1970s to fund its social services, including education, which is significantly higher than in the U.S. Trump slashed taxes to the wealthy and corporations when he was in the White House, so it's unclear how Trump would fund a Norwegian-like education system in the U.S. Tom Cruise's daughter, Suri, is now a high school graduate, and her dad's surname wasn't part of the celebration. With her mother, Katie Holmes, by her side on Friday, Suri received her diploma from New York's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. The teen's graduation ceremony pamphlet stated her name as "Suri Noelle," and no longer included the famous Cruise name. Tom Cruise did not attend the graduation, PageSix reported. He was at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in London instead. Cruise and his daughter have allegedly been estranged for years. Suri's Cruise-less name drew attention following recent name changes among the six children of divorced Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who have been locked in a bitter custody battle. Their daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, 18, earlier this month filed court papers to drop Pitt from her name. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, one the actors' 15-year-old twins, was also listed simply as Vivienne Jolie in a theater Playbill as a co-producer with her mom of the Broadway musical "The Outsiders." Daughter Zahara, 19, and son Madox, 20, are also reportedly using only Jolie as their surname. Suri is expected to attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the fall. President Joe Biden is reportedly rehearsing his responses to "personally insulting" and "completely false" attacks by former President Donald Trump ahead of their crucial first debate of this year's race for the White House. Veteran Democratic campaign lawyer Bob Bauer played the role of Trump during debate-prep sessions with Biden in 2020 and he's believed by presidential aides to be doing so again as Biden gets ready for his Thursday face-off with Trump, Politico reported Saturday. Bauer, who also serves as Biden's personal attorney, described the process in his new book, "The Unraveling: Reflections on Politics without Ethics and Democracy in Crisis," describing how his job was to attack Biden as he expected Trump would, Politico noted. Bauer wouldn't confirm his role in Biden's preparations in an interview at the presidential Camp David retreat in Frederick County, Maryland, but he told Politico's "Deep Dive" podcast about his past efforts portraying Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Al Gore during mock debates. "You cannot be afraid of laying down on the table something that your candidate you're preparing this for won't like," he said, according to an edited transcript. "That could be something that's personally insulting. That's something that can be completely false about policy positions they've taken." During a Saturday night campaign rally in Philadelphia, Trump told supporters that Biden would get "a shot in the ass" so he'll be "jacked up" for their debate. Trump has also said that he might "lose the debate on purpose" so Democrats won't replace Biden with a potentially stronger candidate. Bauer said he had to be careful to ensure that he stuck to the arguments likely to take place while also approximating how he expected the debate opponent would behave. "That doesn't mean high theater," he said. "This is not a 'Saturday Night Live' impression. You don't want to detract from the serious business of prepping the candidate." Thursday's CNN-sponsored debate is scheduled to take place in a studio without an audience, which Bauer called a "very strong point in its favor." Bauer noted that the famed 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon employed the same format and wasn't marred by what he called the "politics of the audience." "This is a serious format," he said. "It's a format in which the candidates can be heard, but they're the only ones who are heard and they're performing for the country, not performing for a select audience, some of whom were fortunate enough to receive tickets to the event." A female jogger is in intensive care after being attacked by wolves in an animal park near Paris. The 36-year-old victim, who was staying at an accommodation within Thoiry Park, was attacked by three Arctic wolves while jogging Sunday morning apparently in an area that's reserved for travel only in the safety of cars. She suffered severe bites to her neck, back, and leg. Thoiry, located roughly 25 miles west of Paris, is considered one of France's most popular wildlife attractions. Approximately 800 animals roam freely in the park while visitors observe from the safety of their vehicles. The park offers accommodations near the wolf and bear enclosures, with the lodge area protected by electric fences and ditches, according to the BBC. "We do not know at this stage whether the guest made a mistake or whether there was a problem with the signposts," an unnamed police source told Le Parisien newspaper. The woman was rescued after park attendants heard her screams during the attack and was taken to a nearby hospital. An investigation is ongoing. Fireworks allegedly launched from a super yacht sparked a blaze that burned about 3,000 acres of the only pine forest on the Greek island of Hydra, leading to the arrests of 13 passengers and crew members. The defendants appeared in court in Piraeus on Sunday and were given 48 hours to prepare statements in their defense, the Guardian reported. Hydra Mayor Giorgos Koukoudakis vowed to seek restitution if the case resulted in convictions. "What was destroyed was absolutely beautiful pine forest and on the night in question, because of the winds, fireworks were banned," he said. "To use them was utterly irresponsible." Greece last year increased the penalties for arson to a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $214,000, according to Germany's public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The local prosecutor is seeking to seize the luxury vessel, said Vasilis Kikilias, the country's minister of climate crisis and civil protection. The 176-foot super yacht was identified as the Persefoni I by the Guardian, which said it costs about $320,000 to rent for a week during the summer. The people onboard allegedly tried to put out the forest fire after it erupted Friday night and fled the scene when they were unable to do so The flames were extinguished Saturday after firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from the air. "Six airplanes and two teams of firefighters, who had to be absent from dealing with other fires and services, were required to put it out," Kikilias said. Vehicles, including bicycles, have been banned from Hydra since the 1950s, and people there have to walk or ride horses, mules or donkeys for transportation, according to National Geographic. None of those arrested were identified, but Greek media reportedly said the passengers were from Kazakhstan. Friday's blaze was among 64 forest and brush fires that broke out in a 24-hour period marked by high temperatures and strong winds, Deutsche Welle said. Age apparently wasn't an impediment to grab some quick cash for an 88-year-old bank robber in Montana who was sentenced this week in federal court to two years in prison for two separate heists within four days. Steven Whitecloud previously pleaded guilty to his role in both jobs. His co-defendant, 26-year-old Patrick Justice, was also sentenced to two years in prison. Whitecloud admitted to police that he had suggested robbing the banks as a quick way to make money as he had done in the past. He also instructed Justice on how to pull off the jobs, and then served as the getaway driver when Justice robbed a US Bank and Wells Fargo branch in Billings last year. Whitecloud was convicted of a previous bank robbery in 2008. In addition to the prison sentence, the federal judge ordered Whitecloud to pay $3,092 in restitution. He also faces three years of supervised released after he completes his prison sentence. Police praised a 23-year-old hero mom Sunday and announced the death of a fourth victim in an Arkansas mass shooting in what officials have branded a "completely random, senseless act." Ellen Shrum, 81, died Saturday of her wounds after the shooter, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and pistol, began "firing indiscriminantly" at a Mad Butcher grocery store in the small community of Fordyce south of Little Rock, according to police. Another victim was nurse Callie Weems, who had a new baby girl at home and stopped to aid a wounded shopper at the store when she was killed, police said. "Instead of fleeing the store, she stopped to render aid in one of the most selfless acts I've ever seen," Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hagar said at a news conference Sunday. The last conversation Weems had with her mom was to celebrate sleeping in until 9 a.m. the morning of the shooting for the first time since the birth of her baby girl, Ivy, 10 months ago, her mother, Ellen Browning, told the Associated Press. "I bet you feel like a new mom," Browning said she texted back. When Browning later tried to reach her daughter after news of the shooting "she didn't answer," Browing told KARK-TV. Browning was also close to another victim, 50-year-old logger Rob Sturgis, whom she fondly described to the AP as "country as cornbread" and a loving dad to his daughter. Also killed was Shirley Taylor, 62, who was described to KTHV by her daughter Angela Atchley, as the "rock" of her family b The victims appear to all have been "targets of opportunity," Hagar said, with no relationship to the suspected gunman, 44-year-old Travis Eugene Posey of New Edinburg, who was arrested at the scene. A total of 15 people, including Posey, were shot at the store, police said. It was at least the third mass shooting at a U.S. grocery in the last three years, and the 234 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Another mass shooting earlier this month at a Michigan splash park for kids that injured nine also appears to be a random attack, according to police. Investigators have been unable to find any connection between the park and shooter Michael William Nash, 42, who was later found dead in a nearby house with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. A cache of 11 other guns were found in Walsh house. He reportedly had a history of mental illness and believed he was being tracked by the government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to back any deal to end the Gaza war, stating that he would only agree to a "partial" cease-fire and sparking an uproar from the families of the hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu told a conservative, pro-Netanyahu TV station on Sunday that he was "prepared to make a partial deal that will return to us some of the people." "But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas," he emphasized. "I'm not willing to give up on that." The prime minister's comments are consistent with his previous terms for a deal but come at a critical time, as Israel and Hamas drift further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal. Netanyahu's remarks are in stark contrast to the agreement that President Joe Biden outlined last month, which some had dubbed "Netanyahu's deal." The three-phased plan would lead to the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for the freedom hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages unless there's a permanent cease-fire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu, however, has insisted that Israel remains committed to destroying Hamas' military and any possibility of governing the territory. In a statement late Sunday after Netanyahu's TV interview, the Palestinian militant group said his position was "in contrast" to what the U.S. administration said that Israel approved. The families of hostages are becoming impatient with Netanyahu, seeing his hesitation to move forward on a deal as politically motivated. A group representing the families criticized Netanyahu's remarks, viewing them as Israel's rejection of the latest cease-fire proposal. "This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state's moral duty toward its citizens," it said, noting that it held Netanyahu responsible for returning all the captives. Years before confessed serial killer Joshua Wade was found dead in his Alaska prison cell, he was being sentenced to life in prison, and told the families of his victims in the courtroom he deserved "much worse" than he was getting. Wade, 44, a serial killer who admitted to killing two women and three men in Alaska between 2004 and 2007, was found dead in his prison cell on June 14. Indiana Department of Correction confirmed Wade died in Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. DOC spokesperson Brandi Pahl told PEOPLE that Wade was "found unresponsive in his cell." "Despite life-saving measures being performed, he was pronounced dead," Pahl said, adding that an autopsy will be administered. Though Wade was convicted of state and federal charges in Alaska, he was transferred to an Indiana prison in 2014 after accepting a deal with both state and federal prosecutors. According to a 2014 press release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wade confessed to murdering Anchorage-area woman Della Brown in 2000 when he was 20 years old; however, he was only convicted of witness tampering and was acquitted of the murder and sexual assault charges. Following probation for the witness tampering case in 2007, he kidnapped and murdered Mindy Schloss, a nurse practitioner, and his neighbor in the Sand Lake neighborhood of Anchorage. In 2009, Wade pleaded guilty to carjacking and killing Schloss. Wade would later confess to Anchorage police and FBI agents that he killed two other men in 1994 and 1999, as well as another man on the same night he murdered Della Brown in 2000. Investigators believe the men he murdered in the 1990s were 38-year-old John Michael Martin, when Wade was 14 years old, and 30-year-old Henry Ongtowasruk. Wade was sentenced to 99 years in prison by an Alaska state court, and a federal court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the state sentencing, he addressed the families of the two women, saying, "I deserve much worse. I'm sorry." During a tense exchange in federal court with US District Court Judge Ralph Beistline, Wade attempted to apologize once more, but Beistline quickly shut him down. "What an evil thing you've done," Beistline told him. "What kind of person could take pleasure in the random destruction of another life?" Responding to Beistline calling him selfish and a coward, Wade snapped at the judge. "Don't push it, man," he said. In the years that followed, many experts have cited his killings as an example of the high number of violent crimes against Alaska Natives. Wade's cause of death was not released. At least 22 workers were killed when multiple lithium-ion batteries exploded in a South Korean battery factory Monday morning, sparking a ferocious fire that spewed highly toxic gas as flames tore through the plant. The batteries that blew up around 10:30 a.m. were being stored in a warehouse that held 35,000 cells in the industrial city of Hwaesong, about 25 miles south of Seoul, according to Reuters. The fire spread within 15 seconds and the victims likely died after just one or two breaths, said Gyeonggi province fire official Cho Sun-ho. Aerial video reportedly showed explosions rolling through the factory and massive plumes of white smoke coming from the ruins. Live TV coverage also showed firefighters spraying water on the building, large chunks of which appeared to have been blown out into the street, Reuters said. Parts of the upper level also collapsed. It took about six hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control. The intensity of the fire made it hard for rescuers to identify the dead, who included 18 Chinese nationals, two South Koreans and a Laotian, Hwaseong fire official Kim Jin-young told reporters, citing factory owner Aricell. The company's website was down and Reuters said calls to its offices went unanswered. Most of the foreign workers were temporary hires who were probably unfamiliar with the factory's layout, the provincial fire official said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the scene and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min called on local authorities to prevent any hazardous chemicals from contaminating the surrounding area. President Biden and Donald Trump are going to debate for the first time in the 2024 presidential election before they officially have the nomination from their political parties. A second debate is set for Sept. 10, 2024 on ABC. The Democratic president and his Republican predecessor debated previously leading up to the 2020 election. This will be the first time a sitting president has debated a prior president. Here is what you need to know about the debate. When is the presidential debate? The debate is on Thursday at 9 p.m. on CNN. It is scheduled to last 90 minutes. The candidates will face off in a studio in Atlanta and there will be no audience. What are the presidential debate rules? CNN says Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will host the questioning. Trump and Biden will have their microphones muted except when it is their turn it is to speak, according to the network. Candidates will be given a pen, a notepad and water but they can not bring any pre-written notes or props. How will the debate work? There will be no opening statements from candidates. The debate will begin with introductions and then the first question. Candidates will have two minutes to respond to questions. The other will have a minute to respond to the answer followed by a response to the rebuttals. How will candidates know their time is up at the debate? There will be red lights visible to the candidates. They will flash when they have five seconds left to talk and turn solid red when their time has expired, according to the Washington Post. Will there be any breaks during the debate? There are two scheduled commercial breaks during the debate. The rules do not allow the campaign staff to interact with the candidates during the breaks. The exact length of the breaks was not known but traditional TV commercial blocks generally run around three minutes. How will the debate end? After the final question is answered, each candidate will be given two minutes to make a closing statement. Trump will go last after Biden won a coin flip to choose which podium position he wanted. Biden chose the right side of the stage. Xi stresses sci-tech modernization, innovation Xinhua) 08:01, June 25, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi delivered an important speech at the meeting here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday underscored the importance of sci-tech modernization and innovation in pursuing Chinese modernization and high-quality development. Noting the strategically leading and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged efforts to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and expedite high-level sci-tech self-reliance to realize the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035. Xi presented China's top sci-tech award and made the remarks at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Ding Xuexiang announced the award decision. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the meeting. Xi presented medals and certificates for the country's top sci-tech award to Li Deren, an academician of CAS and CAE from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University. He then shook hands with the two scientists and extended his congratulations. Xi and other Party and state leaders, together with the two winners of the top sci-tech award, presented certificates to other award recipients. China has made new breakthroughs in basic frontier research, taken new strides in strategic high-tech fields, achieved new results in high-quality development driven by innovation, opened up new prospects in the reform of the sci-tech system, and made new progress in sci-tech opening-up and cooperation with the rest of the world, Xi said. Xi pointed out that experience accumulated from the sci-tech development in the new era must be adhered to and continuously enriched in practice. The experience includes adhering to the overall leadership of the Party, the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, innovation-driven development, deepening reform to stimulate innovation vitality, the virtuous cycle of education, sci-tech development and talent, the cultivation of innovation culture, as well as sci-tech opening-up and cooperation for the benefit of mankind. Xi pointed out there are still some weak spots in the development of the country's sci-tech undertakings. The country must further enhance its sense of urgency and intensify its efforts in sci-tech innovation, so as to secure a leading position in sci-tech competition and future development, he said. Xi urged giving full play to the advantages of the new national system for mobilizing nationwide resources, improving the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over sci-tech work, and building a coordinated and efficient decision-making and command system, as well as organization and implementation system. China must fully leverage the decisive role of the market in allocating sci-tech resources, and better utilize the role of the government, he said. Xi urged the promotion of the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation to facilitate the development of new quality productive forces. He called for an increase in high-quality sci-tech support for major sectors and vulnerable links in the construction of modern industrial system, fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries, and actively using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries. Xi called for deepening the comprehensive reform of sci-tech systems and mechanisms, and emphasized the importance of an integrated reform in educational, scientific and talent institutions to cultivate a large, well-structured and high-caliber team of innovative talent. Xi also called for achieving sci-tech self-reliance and strength through openness and cooperation. He called for the further implementation of international sci-tech cooperation initiatives, broadening channels for exchanges and collaborations at both governmental and non-governmental levels, and leveraging platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative to support collaborative research by scientists worldwide. Xi urged efforts to engage in the global innovation network, participate in global technology governance, and work together to tackle global challenges. Xi expressed the hope that academicians of the CAS and the CAE will serve as pioneers at the forefront of science and technology, undertake important tasks, guide the growth of young talent, and exemplify the spirit of scientists. He called on all sci-tech workers to actively align their academic pursuits with the great cause of building a nation that is strong in science and technology. Presiding over the conference, Li Qiang pointed out that Xi's remarks summarized the important experience of sci-tech development, elaborated the role of sci-tech innovation in promoting Chinese modernization and building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and clarified the basic connotation and main tasks of building a strong country in science and technology under the new circumstances. Monday's meeting was attended by about 3,000 people and honored 250 projects and 12 sci-tech experts, with two scientists winning the top award, 49 projects the State Natural Science Award, 62 projects the State Technological Invention Award, 139 projects the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and 10 foreign experts the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents medals and certificates of China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren (R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Xi Jinping communicates with Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping communicates with Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet and pose for a group photo with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Li Qiang presides over a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Ding Xuexiang announces the award decision at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) China mulls law revision to step up protection, management of cultural relics Xinhua) 16:06, June 25, 2024 BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft revision to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics. The draft was submitted to an ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for the second reading. The draft revision stipulates strengthening the protection and management of cultural relics, enhancing the investigation of cultural relics resources, and building a contingent of cultural relics professionals. It also specifies provisions concerning further exploiting the value of cultural relics for better utilization. Efforts should be made to further encourage and support public participation in the protection of cultural relics, according to the draft. The current Law on Protection of Cultural Relics was promulgated in November 1982 and has been amended five times, with a comprehensive revision in 2002. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Police in Pennsylvania arrested a mother after her unattended toddlers was critically injured after wandering away from a motel room and was hit by a car. The Jefferson Hills Police Department says it happened Saturday evening in the Pittsburgh suburb. They say Shawnae Galberth had left her 3-year-old and a 2-year-old alone in an Econo Lodge room. The children left and wandered onto Route 51. The older child was hit by a vehicle. EMS rushed the child to a hospital in critical condition. Galberth was taken into custody by officers for two counts of felony endangering the welfare of children and transported to the Allegheny County Jail. The driver who hit the child remained on the scene and police did not announce any charges against them. Israel's Supreme Court has reached a landmark decision in a case that has ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students can be drafted into the military. Exemptions have long been an option for young men registered in full-time religious study, but a legal arrangement that allowed the practice to continue has expired. The change in law seemingly looks to send shockwaves throughout Israel's governing coalition among the ultra-Orthodox and Haredi parties. A waiver excluding ultra-Orthodox men from recruitment has become a more urgent issue due to the strain on the armed forces caused by the war in Gaza. "In the midst of a grueling war, the burden of inequality is harsher than ever and demands a solution," the top justices said. The Israeli military is most commonly known as "the People's Army," with most Israeli citizens required by law to serve. Israel's highest court referenced the large numbers of soldiers that have recently been killed while fighting for their country, saying: "Discrimination regarding the most precious thing of all-life itself-is of the worst kind." One of the organizing petitioners, a non-profit group called the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, celebrated the ruling, labeling it a "historic victory" and summoning immediate action to recruit Jewish seminary, or yeshiva, students. Data presented to the court suggested some 63,000 ultra-Orthodox men in full-time Torah study have been covered by the waiver, according to the BBC. This means that they now potentially face the draft. Shmuel Horowitz, a lawyer who represented a yeshiva association before the court, told the news outlet that he "was not surprised by the decision but disappointed," adding that "the courts are not the appropriate forum to solve these kinds of social issues." Further, Horowitz stated that the men "adhere to their rabbis and don't care much for court." It's important to note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government relies heavily on two ultra-Orthodox parties for its survival and views conscription exemptions as a top political priority. Shas leader Aryeh Deri issued a statement in response to the ruling: "There is no power in the world that can cut off the people of Israel from studying the Torah, and anyone who has tried this in the past has failed miserably," he said. Meanwhile, Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, the leader of United Torah Judaism, defiantly vowed that "the Holy Torah will prevail." The history of exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox dates back to 1949, a year after the state of Israel was created. A woman was arrested Saturday after authorities in Minnesota found a dead body in her car after an unrelated traffic accident. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the scene of a single-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 90 near the Highway 42 exit in Eyota at around 7 a.m. on Saturday. They arrived to find the driver, 32-year-old Margot Lewis, outside the vehicle being assisted by a passerby. While checking to see if anyone else was in the vehicle, deputies found the body of a woman in the backseat. The sheriff's office said the condition of the body was "suspicious," and it was "immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident." Lewis was transported by Eyota Ambulance Service to the hospital. After she was medically cleared, she was arrested and transported to the Adult Detention Center on a charge of interference with a dead body. The deceased woman was identified Tuesday as 35-year-old Liara Tsai of Minneapolis. Authorities did not release details on the cause or manner of Tsai's death. The investigation is ongoing. "Olmsted County Sheriff's Office extends sincere condolences to the friends and family of the deceased," the sheriff's office said. --with reporting by TMX The longstanding partnership with Arkan Palm for Real Estate Investment sees IHG's expansion in Egypt with the new 200-keys Holiday Inn Express West Cairo 205. IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with leading developer Arkan Palm for Real Estate Investment to further expand its presence in Egypt with the launch of the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in the country. As IHG's largest and fastest-growing hotel brand with more than 3,100 hotels world-wide, Holiday Inn Express is dedicated to simplifying travel with accessible and comfortable accommodations at every stage. The world-renowned brand continues to be the first choice for the increasing number of travellers who need a simple, engaging place to rest, recharge and get a little work done, globally. Set to open in 2027, Holiday Inn Express West Cairo 205 will meet the needs of today's tech-savy and on-the-go travellers. Set in the blossoming West Cairo area in close proximity to popular destinations such as the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the hotel will feature essential amenities to cater to the needs of those traveling for business, leisure, or a mix of both. In addition to high-speed Wi-Fi and well-appointed rooms, Holiday Inn Express West Cairo 205 will feature two meeting venues, F&B and retail outlets as well as a fitness centre, serving as a versatile hub for all visitors during their stay. Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: "Our expansion in Egypt with our trusted partners at Arkan Plam for Real Estate Investment underscores our commitment to Cairo's hospitality sector and supporting Egypt's National Tourism Strategy. We are proud to be bringing a range of brands from our global portfolio to cater to the diverse traveller profiles. He added: "The Holiday Inn Express brand perfectly aligns with the growing demand for quality, affordable accommodation in the country. The new Holiday Inn Express West Cairo 205 will provide an elevated experience to smart travellers with next generation guest rooms and public spaces. We are confident that the hotel will be the first choice for an increasing number of travellers to Egypt who need a simple, engaging place to rest or get their work done." Engineer Amr Badreldine Chief Executive Officer of Arkan Palm for Real Estate Investment, stated, "We are excited to continue our fruitful partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts to introduce the first Holiday Inn Express in Egypt. This project not only reinforces our longstanding partnership but is also testament to our shared commitment to elevating Egypt's hospitality sector. We believe in delivering exceptional experiences, and the introduction of Holiday Inn Express is in line with our vision to provide high-quality accommodation. We are confident that this new addition will set new standards in the industry and cater to the diverse needs of modern travelers, whether they are here for business or leisure." Arkan Palm for Real Estate Investment successfully delivered an on-brand Crowne Plaza hotel in West Cairo in February 2022. It has since become one of the brand's flagship properties in the MEA region. The group is also developing a 250-key InterContinental West Cairo 205, due in 2028, and the 140-key voco West Cairo 205 Suites, set for completion in 2026. IHG currently has seven hotels operating across four brands in Egypt, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Staybridge Suites. IHG also boasts a strong pipeline of 19 hotels due to open within the next five years across the country. Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle and leisure hospitality company, together with AB Invest and Mller Eiendom, is proud to announce the signing of The Hoxton, Oslothe brand's first hotel in the Nordic region. Set to open in 2027, the milestone signing also marks Ennismore's first property in Norway and the first international lifestyle brand to enter the Norwegian hospitality scene. The Hoxton, Oslo will bring the brand's signature layered aesthetic to the Norwegian capital, courtesy of Ennismore's in-house interior design studio AIME Studios. Like a good neighbour with an open house, guests will be greeted with a homely, open-planned lobby space upon entering the hotel, perfect for lounging with friends, working through the day, or grabbing a bite to eat. Always inspired by the diversity and originality of the streets and scenes that surround its hotels, The Hoxton, Oslo, will feature 144 rooms; The Apartment, a 170sqm meetings and events space set around an open pantry kitchen; and three unique food & beverage outlets including an all-day dining destination, a restaurant and a cocktail bar, all expertly curated by Ennismore's F&B concept studio, Carte Blanched. Situated by Oslo's government quarter, The Hoxton is at the heart of a new project to revitalise the city centre. A key intersection between the east and west of the city, expansion to The Government Park will connect the city, turning the area into a solid, green, and car-free neighbourhooda space where visitors and residents alike can embrace nature. Across the street, Mller Eiendom is revitalising the historic public library building into Deich, House of Photography, a cultural hub with museum, restaurants, and bars - due to open in 2027. The Hoxton will be a block from Oslos main street, Karl Johans gate, and a five-minute walk to Oslos bustling restaurant and nightlife area. Further afield, guests can head towards the fjord, where they can cool off in the water or enjoy the beautiful architecture along the harbour promenade, including the iconic MUNCH museum, the Oslo Opera House and the acclaimed new National Museum. Walk the 10-kilometre stretch of the Oslo harbour interrupted, taking in world-class architecture, culture, and food along this way. Sharan Pasricha, Founder & Co-CEO of Ennismore, said, "We are thrilled to be the first international lifestyle hospitality brand in Oslo. The Hoxton takes pride in being located in vibrant, up-and-coming neighbourhoods, and we are honoured to partner with AB Invest and Mller Eiendom to welcome locals and guests to Oslo's revitalised government district." Anders Buchardt from AB Invest, said, "In recent years, we've witnessed a shift among Norwegians, as they bring home the hotel habits acquired during their travels abroad. They are looking for great food, a unique atmosphere, and a memorable experience. As the Norwegian hotel market evolves, we eagerly embraced the opportunity to introduce Hoxton to Norway. We firmly believe that this trend will further enhance Oslo's appeal as a premier hotel destination, catering both international guests and locals." Andreas Jul Rsj CEO from Mller Eiendom, said, "The Hoxton has built an international brand of lifestyle neighborhood hotel, and that is precisely what we need when revitalizing the Hammersborg neighbourhood. The hotel will be a place to hang out for both locals popping in for a drink after work and for guests staying at the hotel or in the surrounding area." The Hoxton, Oslomanaged by Ennismoreis a joint venture between AB Invest, a privately owned property company that develops commercial properties in the Nordics, with a focus on hotels, offices, and holiday properties, and Mller Eiendom, an owner, manager, and property developer who emphasises forward-looking buildings and good urban spaces. The Hoxton is a series of open-house hotels rooted in culture and community, located in key cities across the UK, Europe and North America. Each hotel is a reflection and extension of its neighbourhood, inspired by the diversity and originality of the streets that surround it. Vibrant, welcoming public spaces and exciting dining concepts mean every Hoxton is as much a destination for the local community as it is for guests. Today, The Hoxton operates 16 hotels, including recent openings in Vienna (Austria), Charlottenburg (Berlin), Brussels (Belgium), and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and it has seven more hotels in the pipeline, including Edinburgh. Graduate of ETSU with a degree in Health Admin. & attended graduate school there in the Counseling Program. In 1992, awarded the Certified Association Executive Designation (CAE). In 2000, honored by Lodging Magazine by being included in the 75 Profiles in Leadership edition, a whos who of individuals in hospitality. In 2002, received the HFTP Paragon Award for significant contributions to HFTP for finance and tech education in hospitality. frequently speaks and writes about finance, technology, security, social media, volunteer organizations/strategy, and travel issues to audiences in more than 30 countries including two regular columns. been featured in both mainstream & industry publications including Convene Magazine, Association Management Magazine, Fortune Magazine, MeetingTech Online, Hotel Management, Hotel Yearbook, Hospitality Upgrade, Boardroom and Hotel Yearbook.. In June 2010 was recognized as a "Technology Trailblazer" by Hotel Business Magazine and featured by Boardroom Magazine in an exclusive cover story interview. He has been honored as a 'Champion of Technology Education', Valued Partner, CEO of the Year, and in 2018 Most Influential Hospitality Association CEO. He has appeared on several television network interviews including CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, TVAsia, and Bloomberg. Current/Previous Director and Advisory Positions include International Hotel & Restaurant Association, American Hotel & Lodging Association, Hilton College - University of Houston, University of Delaware, University of Central Florida Rosen Hospitality School, Texas Society of Association Executives, and WayfareVC. Instructor for the Academy of Assn. Management on topics including assn law, finance & technology. 2011 Inductee into the International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame. In 2020, appointed as Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Emirates Academy of Association Management and inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. In 2023, recognized as a business thought leader/innovator by Forbes. The HOTEL Yearbook (HYB) is thrilled to announce the publication of its TECHNOLOGY 2024 edition, at HITEC 2024 in Charlotte, NC. This year's edition delves into the transformative power of data, exploring how the "everything-data decade" is reshaping the hospitality industry landscape. The 2024 edition emphasizes the surge of data-focused innovations and products with open architectures for seamless data exchange and micro-applications embedded in diverse tech stacks. As data, often dubbed "the new oil", becomes pivotal for hotels to refine brand identities and offer hyper-personalized services, it also plays a critical role in managing labor and energy resources efficiently. The publication provides essential insights and recommendations into harnessing data for superior service delivery, agile resource optimization, robust data security, and crafting extraordinary guest experiences. HYB TECHNOLOGY 2024 also features a new format designed to enhance the utility of this edition. It includes 14 DO'S and DON'TS sections that provide practical guides and training aids on numerous topics, making it an invaluable resource for industry professionals. This upcoming decade presents significant challenges and opportunities for suppliers of hotel IT solutions. The challenge lies in developing and integrating sophisticated AI-driven systems that are secure, scalable, and easy to implement. Terence Ronson, 2024 HOTEL Yearbook Guest Editor These are thrilling times, and this HYB tech edition captures this dynamic landscape with a broad range of topics and expert opinions. Henri Roelings, Publisher of The HOTEL Yearbook Henri Roelings extends his sincere appreciation to guest editor and 2024 HFTP Hall of Fame Inductee Terence Ronson, acknowledging his invaluable insights and significant contributions that have greatly enriched this year's edition of The HOTEL Yearbook TECHNOLOGY. A big shoutout to all the organizations that have contributed: Accor, Sage Hospitality Group, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Griffith University, Pertlink Limited, Infinito, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), Robosize ME, Oracle Hospitality, Lighthouse, Revinate, Inc., FutureLog AG, Planet, VENZA, Shiji Group, Cendyn, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited, apaleo GmbH, SiteMinder, Mews, Youverse, Alliants, Infor, Travel Singularity, and Triptease. For more information and to access the digital edition, visit www.hotelyearbook.com. June 24, 2024 Atlanta WorldVia Travel Group, a collection of leading travel companies in the United States, has shared select, current and upcoming travel trends. These trends provide insights into a selection of the dynamic changes and evolving preferences shaping the travel industry, offering valuable guidance for travel advisors and travel agency owners planning their strategies and services to meet the shifting needs of modern travelers. Jason Block, chief executive officer of WorldVia, has identified key trends for the travel landscape this summer and beyond. These select trends reflect the travel industry's robust growth, the adoption of new government policies and regulations, and the shifting preferences of consumers, highlighting the evolving priorities of today's travelers. 1.) Unique Experiences and Luxury Cruises to Lead Bookings: Travel clients are increasingly seeking unique experiences for this summer and the upcoming 2024 travel seasons, particularly in the custom touring segment, alongside a notable surge in premium and luxury cruise bookings. The high perceived value of cruising continues to fuel this growing demand, explains Jason Block, CEO of WorldVia. For trending destinations, Europe remains a top choice among consumers, which is projected to outpace a very robust 2023 season. France, in particular, is seeing a resurgence in its appeal as a travel destination, driven by the 2024 Paris Olympics. There is also a notable rise in bookings for destinations in Asia, especially Korea and Thailand, reflecting a broadening of traveler preferences and a keen interest in diverse and enriching travel experiences. 2.) Evolving Travel Landscape and Rising Demand for Personalized Travel: The travel landscape is undergoing significant changes throughout 2024, with a growing demand for personalized travel. Florida and its theme parks, once the unrivaled destination choice during the pandemic, are experiencing a demand softening. This trend is expected to continue, due to price insensitivity for a lower perceived level of value, anticipation of Universals new park in 2025, along with extraordinary interest in international travel. Those not among the millions who trekked to Florida for a family trip to Orlando over the last few years may have timed things well, Block mentions, explaining that significant promotions are expected in the second half of 2024 as theme park operators look to fill capacity. Travel professionals can also anticipate a notable uptick in local tour products provided by micro-tour operators on platforms like Project Expedition. WorldVia Travel Quest Network, the travel host agency operating under WorldVias flagship, has already doubled its bookings through such marketplaces in the past year. This surge is expected to further accelerate in 2024 as travelers seek out more personalized and local experiences. Travel advisors are at the forefront of this evolution, working closely with clients to understand their unique preferences and expertly matching them with the right providers, notes Block. This personalization is key in the 'intelligence-before-artificial intelligence' approach, ensuring that each travel experience is thoughtfully curated to meet individual desires and expectations. 3.) Extended Booking Windows Reflect Forward-Thinking Travelers: Booking windows are extending dramatically across the travel industry. The advance purchase window for international air travel has grown from 43 days in 2021 to 68 days in 2023, reaching around 75 days in 2024, reports Block. Hotel bookings have seen even more changes, with advance booking windows tripling since 2022. The advance booking window for the cruise sector, once around 173 days in 2023, now exceeds 180 days for longer voyages in 2024. The two main factors driving this trend, according to Block, are rising prices, prompting early bookings to secure good deals, and the introduction of new ships, such as Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas and Norwegian Viva, which cause demand and price spikes. These extended booking windows reflect a more forward-thinking approach by travelers, keen to secure their preferred experiences well in advance. 4.) High Demand Destinations and Emerging Alternatives: Select destinations and travel types are expected to continue growing in demand during the current and upcoming travel season. Among these is the increasing demand for Thailand resorts like the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and The Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, which will be featured in season three of HBOs popular White Lotus, reflecting the influence of popular culture on travel trends. Despite sell-outs in these hot destinations, there is an increase in inventory in new areas ready to welcome travelers, giving an abundance of choices for those seeking new experiences beyond the usual,notes Block. New resorts are opening in destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean, such as Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club in Tulum, Mexico. Underrated locations like Malta, lesser-known Greek islands like Corfu, and Italian cities like Trieste offer excellent alternatives to the crowded, stereotypical vacation spots. 5.) Preparing for New Travel Regulations and Trends: Travelers should prepare for considerable changes in travel regulations. More countries are adopting digital registration requirements for entry and exit, such as the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) and its associated 7-euro fee, expected to take effect in mid-2025 The European Unions (EU) Entry and Exit Scheme (EES) is set to be implemented in 2024, which will expedite entry at immigration checkpoints in most EU countries by digitally processing passports, shifting from manual reviews. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has increased consumer advocacy, imposing larger civil penalties, which may positively impact traveler experiences, especially during long delays or cancellations. Its essential for travelers to stay informed about these developments and consult the U.S. State Department and their travel agents and advisors for the latest visa requirements specific to their destinations before booking and departure, advises Block. These measures will help ensure a smoother and more informed travel experience in 2024 amidst evolving global travel regulations. WorldVia remains committed to leading the travel industry by simplifying and streamlining business management practices for travel agency owners and advisors. WorldVia helps its members deliver the best possible experiences for their travel clients, tailored to evolving needs and preferences, by adapting to travel trends and providing unparalleled service and expertise. Member travel agents and advisors of WorldVia Travel Quest Network as well as prospective host agency members, can discover more information about travel insights and how best to prepare for planning travel for clients in 2024 by visiting www.travelquestnetwork.com. Consumers interested in researching, planning, and booking 2024 travel can explore popular destinations and travel packages by visiting www.worldvia.com. Future travelers can also connect with a WorldVia Travel Quest Network advisor for premium deals and personalized support. About WorldVia Travel Group WorldVia Travel Group is a collection of leading travel companies in the United States with a spirited and longstanding commitment to delivering unmatched services, assets and support to its members, clients and partners including independent travel agent and advisor entrepreneurs, corporate partners and humanitarian organizations through the company's two primary divisions: WorldVia, which operates the company's host agency, and the consumer travel website, worldvia.com. WorldVia's mission involves simplifying and streamlining travel agency owners' and travel advisors' business management practices as well as empowering them to build and cultivate the travel businesses of their dreams. The company has been honored as the Host Agency of the Year three times by Travel Leaders Network and is featured on Travel Weekly's 2024 "Power List" of the world's biggest travel sellers. Learn more: www.travelquestnetwork.com, www.worldvia.pro and www.worldvia.com. Peter Costello Public Relations Manager, Eberly & Collard Public Relations +1 404 574 2900 Chicago, IL June 25, 2024, Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of IT solutions and services for more than 5,000 hotels across the Americas, is pleased to announce it strong performance for the first half of 2024, welcoming nearly 100 new clients, beginning several high profile IT managed services projects, and completing 188 telecom and high-speed Internet installations at properties across North America. With a total of 10 new hotel brand logos added to its roster, Cloud5 credits its growth to both its award-winning reputation as well as the hospitality industrys pent-up demand for IT services and solutions. Now that we are fully post-pandemic, many of our clients are looking to move forward with upgrades and technology investments that had previously been postponed, said Mark Holzberg, President and CEO of Cloud5 Communications. The most exciting part of this influx of investment is that were able to work with existing and new clients to help them strategically plan their IT allocations to meet infrastructure requirements and service delivery needs, so their hotels are future ready and fully supported. As equipment has become more readily available and Cloud5 is able to advance its installation backlog, the company is actively recruiting additional field engineers and has already successfully hired several new team members. Closing our installation backlog and getting back to normal lead times is a top priority for us, said Marc Vaughn, Senior Vice President of Operations for Cloud5. Adding new team members will help us accelerate installations, prepare us for ongoing growth, and ensure that were able to deliver the five-star experience to which our clients are accustomed. As an official exhibitor at HITEC 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cloud5 will be providing hospitality industry professionals with a first-hand look into why its technology and services are relied on across the industry to ensure fast, secure and high-quality IT operations and communications. Attendees visiting Cloud5 at HITEC booth #3240 can learn about its comprehensive offerings, including: HSIA Network Solutions IT Managed Services Voice Solutions Contact Center Services To schedule a meeting with Cloud5 at HITEC from June 24-27 during exhibition hours, please contact Jamie Murphy at [email protected]. About Cloud5 Communications Cloud5 is the leading IT and communications solutions and services provider for customer-centric brands across the Americas. The company's fast, reliable Internet solutions and flexible voice systems enhance the guest experience at more than 5,000 hotels across the United States, Canada and CALA. Cloud5's award-winning Contact Center combines innovation with skilled agents to deliver white label hotel reservations, sales, guest relations and service that add value across any channel. The company's comprehensive Managed Services support all the technology-related components of a successful hotel operation and act as an extension of a property's IT department. For more information visit cloud5.com or call 877.241.2516. Mark Howbrook PR Manager Yssingeaux, June 25, 2024 40 years of inspiration, creation, and transmission. For 40 years, ENSP has been crafting a piece of French pastry history, honoring traditions while boldly embracing innovation. On June 24, at its campus in Yssingeaux, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Patisserie celebrated 40 years of excellence with an exceptional day marked by a rich and varied program, highlighting the prestigious past and promising future of this institution. The day began with official speeches from Alain Ducasse; Luc Debove, Director of ENSP, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, and World Ice Cream Champion; Elise Masurel, General Director of Ecole Ducasse; and Evelyne Bayet, Deputy Mayor of Yssingeaux. Round Table: "And in 40 Years? Challenges and Perspectives in Pastry Arts" One of the most notable moments of this celebratory day was the round table discussing the major challenges that will redefine the pastry of tomorrow. Moderated by David Ordono, it brought together renowned experts, including the three-star chef Alain Ducasse, Luc Debove, as well as Claire Damon, the committed chef and winner of the 2024 Ethical and Environmental Responsibility Pastry Award, Fanny Le Duff, training chef at ENSP, and alumna Emiri Tsushima, currently working with Anne-Sophie Pic. The speakers emphasized the importance of offering sustainable pastries that respect the environment and health. They also discussed the sectors talent shortages and the changes required in management and training to enable chefs to develop skills beyond purely technical aspects. Finally, they highlighted the necessity of preparing future professionals to master technological innovations to continue excelling and innovating in their craft. This fascinating discussion offered insights for the decades to come, demonstrating ENSP's commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation and excellence. A guided tour allowed guests to discover the largest campus in the world dedicated to Sweet Arts. This unique setting, combining tradition and modernity, reflects ENSPs educational approach: valuing artisanal skills while integrating technological innovations. During this celebration, Elise Masurel emphasized the importance of this anniversary for the future of the school and its students. "These 40 years celebrate the art of excelling and innovating that has defined our institution since 1984. We are proud to see our graduates shining a light on French pastry worldwide with a sustainable and environmentally respectful approach, and we are committed to continuing to prepare tomorrow's chefs for the future challenges they will face." Luc Debove, ENSPs director, also shared his vision for the future of pastry arts: "Todays round table illustrated our vision for the decades to come: a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation. By exploring the potentials of both human and technological innovations, we ensure that our students become not only master artisans but also pastry chef managers, entrepreneurs, and citizens who will pioneer the evolution of pastry arts." A Legendary Institution Training the Best Since its creation in 1984, ENSP has established itself as a legendary institution in the world of pastry. Recognized for its excellence, it has trained a community of experts, including Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), world champions, training chefs, and alumni worldwide. These renowned professionals have contributed to the schools reputation, making ENSP the largest campus dedicated to sweet arts in the world. By celebrating its 40 years, ENSP reaffirms its position as a world leader in sweet arts education. This day was an opportunity to celebrate past achievements while resolutely looking to the future. With a constant focus on innovation and excellence, ENSP continues to train tomorrows talents, ready to perpetuate tradition while embracing the challenges of their time. About Ecole Ducasse Ecole Ducasse is a network of schools founded in 1999 by multi-starred chef Alain Ducasse, dedicated to the transmission of outstanding French expertise and excellence in culinary and pastry arts. Ecole Ducasse runs three schools in France Paris Studio, Paris Campus and Ecole Nationale Superieure de Patisserie as well as international schools and studios in the Philippines, India, Thailand and UAE. All are united by a desire to share a passion for gastronomy, the broad portfolio of programs aims to meet all training needs: from short programs for experts or food enthusiasts to intensive two-, four-or six-month programs for career changers, to three-year undergraduate programs and bachelor's degree in culinary and pastry arts. Ecole Ducasse is part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education. In October 2023, Ecole Ducasse was awarded the title of World's Best Culinary Education Institution. For more information, visit: https://www.ecoleducasse.com/en Anouck Weiss Chief Communication Officer Sommet Education Sommet Education View source Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL with Mr. Maneesh Mansingka, Director, JK Urbanscapes Developers Limited Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) today announced the signing of a Taj branded hotel in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The hotel is a greenfield project. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, "Kanpur's recent inclusion among India's smart cities, coupled with significant infrastructural advancements, is providing a fillip to the city's hospitality landscape. This signing signifies our strategic focus on expanding our portfolio in emerging markets with strong growth potential. We are delighted to partner with JK Urbanscapes for this venture." The 150-key hotel is strategically located in heart of the city. It will feature an all-day dining, a bar, two specialty restaurants, and J Wellness Circle spa. Additionally, the hotel will boast over 10,000 sq. ft. of banqueting space, providing versatile event spaces. Mr. Abhishek Singhania, Chairman, JK Urbanscapes Developers Limited said, "We are excited to partner with IHCL to bring the iconic Taj brand to Kanpur. The hotel will serve as a symbol of the city's transformation reflective of its growing commercial significance in the state." With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 26 hotels Uttar Pradesh under including 13 under development. The Barnett Lobby - Image Credit Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the expansion of Hyatts brand presence in New Orleans with Maison Metier (formerly Maison de la Luz) and The Barnett (formerly Ace Hotel New Orleans), which have joined the Hyatt portfolio as affiliated hotels. The hotels are expected to join Hyatts Independent Collection of brands and participate in the World of Hyatt loyalty program this year. The two properties are owned by The Domain Companies and managed by HRI Hospitality. Hyatts Independent Collection brands offer one-of-a-kind properties that are all singular in their brands and experiences from storied hotels and vibrant neighborhood locales to immersive retreats. Each independently branded property enriches the modern travelers experience in unique and exciting ways. Hyatts growth continues to be fueled by the leisure and lifestyle segment, and this brand expansion in the New Orleans market underscores Hyatts commitment to growing with intent in destinations that matter most to Hyatt guests and World of Hyatt members, said Mike Waddell, senior vice president of global franchise operations, Hyatt. Maison Metier and The Barnett highlight New Orleans vibrant culture, and were excited to expand our brand presence in this world-renowned city with these two remarkable hotels that are purposefully crafted to be a place of discovery and joy through food and beverage, art, music and beyond. Situated on Carondelet Street, just one block from New Orleans famed Lafayette Square, these two properties will soon bring unique guest experiences, stylish accommodations and bold food and beverage programming to Hyatts Independent Collection of brands, which offers enriching and authentic stays for todays traveler. Maison Metier (expected to join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand as an independently branded hotel in 2024) Located in a 1908 building, Maison Metier is a Parisian luxury guesthouse that has been thoughtfully preserved in its architectural integrity and embodies the story of a bygone era married with contemporary finishes and furnishings. The hotel offers 67 lavish guestrooms and suites with well-appointed interiors and immersive design touches. The salon-style bar located within the hotel, formerly known as Bar Marilou, maintains its partnership with Paris-based Quixotic Projects and continue to hold its place as the swanky bar New Orleanians know and love, offering culinary delights and creative cocktails. The Barnett (expected to join JdV by Hyatt brand as an independently branded hotel in 2024) The Barnett will pay homage to the buildings rich history which includes its longstanding tenure as Barnetts Furniture Store, a local mom-and-pop fixture of the neighborhood of a past era. The hotel brings Art Deco and French Modernism influences to the vibrant Warehouse District in a way that celebrates the citys past, and offers guests an authentic New Orleans experience, with musicality at its core featuring a live music venue. In addition to thoughtful property-wide updates, the hotels culinary venues will showcase new identities, including former mainstay Italian restaurant Josephine Estelle; rooftop and pool bar Alto; and music venue Three Keys. Seaworthy restaurant will remain under the same brand and culinary leadership. Guests can expect updates for The Barnetts bars and restaurants to be unveiled this Fall. By collaborating with Hyatt, our guests can experience the most unique and energized properties in New Orleans, while benefiting from our affiliation with a world-class hospitality brand, said Matt Schwartz, CEO at The Domain Companies. Domain remains committed to New Orleans, our downtown and our investments throughout the city, added Schwartz. The Barnett and Maison Metier are among several new projects currently underway that we are excited to advance. Its a true honor to steward these two iconic New Orleans properties into their next chapter of guest service and experiences, while adding the amazing benefits of the Hyatt brand affiliation, said Michael Coolidge, Michael Coolidge, Chief Investment & Development Officer, HRI Hospitality. Our team is dedicated to enhancing each guests experience to create memorable moments and further strengthening the local ties we have developed over HRIs history in the New Orleans community. Excerpt from PhocusWire Barcelonas decision to ban short term rentals has prompted a slew of chatter from industry folk - many of whom are criticizing the decision and calling out potential unintended consequences - while some of the large platforms in the sector have not commented publicly on the Spanish city's move. Friday Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni said that by November 2028 apartment rentals for tourists will cease to exist as the city takes steps to transition the existing properties to residential use only. Barcelona currently has 10,101 properties that are licensed for tourist use - a restricted count in place since 2014. These 10,000 tourist apartments [will] become residential apartments in November 2028, said Collboni. When contacted by PhocusWire, Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and HomeToGo declined to comment on the new ban, and both Airbnb and Vrbo suggested questions be directed to the European Holiday Home Association (EHHA). The sweeping ban comes in an effort to improve Barcelonas housing market, Collboni wrote in a post on X. We want to guarantee the right to live in Barcelona and deal effectively with the housing crisis we have been suffering for years. Some supported Collbonis move including Spain Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez Garcia, who took to X to share her approval: This is what it is about, making all the necessary efforts to guarantee access to decent and affordable housing, Rodriguez Garcia wrote. Unintended consequences? Not all see the lockdown on STRs as a cure-all to the housing woes Barcelona is currently facing. Even some on the hotel side - which stands to benefit from a shuttering of STR properties - see the move as detrimental to the citys future in terms of tourism. Ivar Yuste, partner at PHG Hotels and Resorts said the city is essentially shooting itself in the foot. The tourism future for Barcelona is not bright, said Yuste. They have in place a hotel ban that inflates the asset price of the hotels, inflates rates and is diverting demand to the apartments. If you now ban also the apartments, the whole thing will get out of control I cannot think of any positive outcome out of this situation. The [hotel] supply will be absolutely insufficient to fulfill the demand. ... If the city council has the [means to] enforce this ban, I doubt they do, this move will significantly hurt the main source of revenue of the city. Yuste predicts hotels average daily rates will spiral out of control and that tourists will stop coming to Barcelona. In New York City, where government leaders passed strict restrictions on STRs last fall, hotel average daily rates and occupancy have surged. The [hotel] supply will be absolutely insufficient to fulfill the demand. Ivar Yuste - PHG Hotels and Resorts AirDNA chief economist and senior vice president of analytics Jamie Lane echoed Yuste's outlook, but cautioned hes not an expert on the hotel industry in Barcelona. Typically, when restrictions like this one are put into place there aren't enough hotel rooms to accommodate guests in the same way STRs could, Lane said, noting AirDNA has seen that outcome play out in New York and other major cities. So, there wont be a number of vacant hotel rooms to match the number of removed units - especially assuming many units are multi-room properties accommodating a number of guests at a time. When there's not enough supply for the amount of demand going in, typically [that] means that prices go up, said Lane. And that has a way of reducing overall demand, just people that get priced out of the market So, you should see fewer people actually traveling to Barcelona as a result of something like this. When there's not enough supply for the amount of demand going in, typically [that] means that prices go up So, you should see fewer people actually traveling to Barcelona as a result of something like this. Jamie Lane - AirDNA Click here to read complete article at PhocusWire. These hotels are among the lowest-priced properties for travelers in Taipei City. Currently, the lowest price for a hotel in Taipei City is $11. The cheapest hotel is Work Inn Tpe priced at $11. Price data was last updated on October 8, 2024. Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Clark Art Presents Herbalist Workshop WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. At 10 am on Saturday, June 29, the Clark Art Institute presents From Ground to Cup: Red Clover, Raspberry, Rose Hips, and Mugwort, the first in its three-part From Ground to Cup series. This free event takes place on the Clark's Michael Conforti Pavilion lawn at 10 am. Herbalist and healing practitioner Rebecca Guanzon explores the benefits of red clover, raspberry, rose hips, and mugwort in promoting hormonal balance. These herbs are particularly effective in alleviating hormonal fluctuations of individuals with estrogen dominance. At the end of the talk, participants can create a take-home tea blend with the herbs explored in the workshop. BIC Receives 'MAKE IT' Award PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), announced that they have been named a Phase II: Create winner by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the DOE's Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Strategies Track. The Strategies Track program is designed to build interest, engagement, and community involvement around clean energy manufacturing by encouraging the applicant and stakeholders to develop a customized roadmap to bring manufacturing activity to their region. The BIC is one of only seven applicants across the country, and the only one in Massachusetts, to receive a Phase II award. The Phase II award of $100,000 will support the BIC's project, the Berkshire Clean Tech Initiative (BCTI), to create a roadmap for growing clean tech manufacturing in the Berkshires and supporting start-ups in the clean tech industry. "Receiving this award is humbling and exciting, but it is just the beginning the real work starts now," said Ben Sosne, executive director of the BIC. "The Berkshires has such tremendous potential to be a leader in the clean energy transition, and we are fortunate to have such strong partners locally and across the Commonwealth. Developing and deploying technologies to mitigate the impact of climate change is critical for the health and wellbeing of future generations, and it is also a tremendous economic development opportunity, particularly for regions like ours." As a Phase II winner, the BIC is now eligible to advance to the program's Phase III: Activate. In that third phase, the BIC will seek to finalize their roadmap to attract and support manufacturers and obtain a commitment from at least one entity interested in establishing a clean energy manufacturing facility in the region. In Phase III, the BIC and other Phase II winners are competing for a $250,000 prize. "The Berkshires region has incredible potential to be a clean energy and climatetech manufacturing hub where we can create good jobs and stimulate the growth of the technological solutions that will help us combat the climate challenge," said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. "This award from the U.S. Department of Energy is a win for the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It's an impressive milestone in our collective effort to build a thriving climate corridor from the Berkshires to Boston, and it would not have been possible without the leadership of the Berkshire Innovation Center." Eric Planey, CEO of Pittsfield-based SolaBlock, one of the BIC's climatetech start-up firms, praised the BIC's efforts and the region's assets. "We are so excited for the BIC in winning this essential award. President Biden's climate initiatives are arguably some of the largest economic policy initiatives in the last 50 years (not involving a pandemic or crashing of financial markets), and the BIC/Berkshires was selected as one of only 7 awardees in the entire US to be tasked to build out a supply chain road map for climatetech. That is incredible and also very inspiring for a young firm like ours." The Board of Health has given a property owner 60 days to make plans to demolish or repair a vacant house. Neighbors Say Vacant Dalton Home Causing Rat Problems DALTON, Mass. The Board of Health has ordered that a formal plan be in place to address the dilapidated condition of the house at 27 Mountain View Terrace. Health Agent Agnes Witkowski has cited several safety issues with the home, including clutter blocking egresses, a collapsing roof and porch, mold throughout the house, especially in the basement where there is water damage, and the lack of water, electricity, and gas. Neighbors also attended the Board of Health meeting earlier this month to complain about the rats that have infested their homes coming from the "abandoned" property and the unkept grass in the backyard. No one has lived in the home for more than a decade, neighbors said. The Board of Health gave owner Roberta Steele and her niece, Kathleen Winterstein, 60 days to develop a formal plan to address the structure's condition, whether by repairing or demolishing it. They have 30 days to gather information and quotes from contractors, inspectors, and other businesses needed to address the house's issues and present them to the board during its meeting in August. Neighbors expressed their frustration with Steele not taking care of issues that are now starting to affect their homes. Jonathan Baker, of 33 Mountain View, said Steele has been at the house more since he filed a complaint with the Board of Health in February. Prior to that, he said she only been there to tarp the roof once a year or to plow the driveway around midnight, for which he also filed a complaint for a noise disturbance. Shortly following Baker's complaint to the board, Witkowski received a call from the Fire Department telling her to come to the house because there was water damage in the basement. Baker said the condition of the property became an issue when rats started to burrow into his home. He contacted Action Pest Control which determined they were coming from Steele's property and recommended remedies such as traps. Other neighbors said they also were seeing rodents from Steele's property burrow under their garages and leaving holes in their foundations, which led to them to buy traps. Baker said he and another neighbor have photos of the rodents on their property. Steele denied that there is a rodent problem, saying she visits the property regularly at night when no one notices, and she has not observed rats. She cited an instance where she left a bag of goodies at the house for more than three weeks, and when she returned, the bag was left untouched. Winterstein called into the meeting from her home in Utah, apologized for not knowing about the condition of her aunt's home, and explained she had just become aware of it the week of the Board of Health meeting. "Honestly, I can say I did not know, but I should have made it my business to know. I want to apologize to her and to this entire community for not being more involved. And I hope that you take that sincerely to heart. I do mean that," Winterstein said. Within 24 hours of becoming aware of the situation, she said she contacted contractors and builders to inspect the home and determine the scope of work and costs. Funding for the work won't be finalized for 30 to 45 days, she said during the June 5 meeting. Steele's father built the 1939 bungalow, said Winterstein, so she has a deep connection to the home and does not have much family left. "Her husband passed away. They had a very traditional marriage, where he took care of all of their business. Then when he passed away very suddenly she was left not only with this loss and grief to deal with, but she had to figure out how to deal with life and take care of things," Winterstein said. "It was very difficult for her, and she became very isolated. Then we kind of moved into COVID, and she spent three years being even more isolated by herself." As the condition of the home worsened and the more things that needed to be done increased, Steele probably became overwhelmed. She did not want to "burden" Winterstein with "her troubles," Winterstein said. "I'm also going to say that as, probably, her youngest living relative. I probably should have been more involved in her life, and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been," Winterstein said. "So, you can say shame on me for not being more actively involved in her life and helping her you're absolutely right to do so." Steele said her hope is to repair the home so that she can sell her other house and move into there. Neighbors requested a rodent inspection be done first and Steele asked to be able clear out personal items. The Board of Health is seeking advice from the town's attorney to determine if it can put a time restriction on when someone can be on the property. There is no electricity in the building so at night but Steele argued that she has been able to work at night using a battery-powered light. "I feel every time I see you in that house. I'm worried that you're not going to come back out," one neighbor said, which resulted in Steele calling him ridiculous. Tuesday 25 June 2024, 12:45 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This article is automatically translated The Pope has appointed Monsignor Georg Ganswein, titular Archbishop of Urbisaglia and Prefect Emeritus of the Pontifical Household, as Apostolic Nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. The case of the former personal secretary of Ratzinger had been dragging on for over a year after the Pontiff decided to remove him from the Vatican and send him back to Germany, to his diocese in Freiburg, without an assignment. Pope Francis and the open letter from women's associations seeking priesthood: 'The Church should be credible'. The relationship between Pope Francis and Father Georg has always been problematic. In the interview book 'El Sucesor', Bergoglio, speaking about Don Georg, said that 'there was a lack of nobility and humanity', referring to the decision to publish a memoir book after the death of Benedict XVI, in which Don Georg criticized Francis. 'It caused me great pain: that on the day of the funeral a book was published that turned me upside down, telling things that are not true, is very sad. It hurt me that Benedict was used,' Bergoglio said in the interview book. After the Pope's decision to remove Don Georg - who had already been frozen from the role of Prefect of the Pontifical Household - from the Vatican, Ratzinger's former secretary, in a meeting with the Pontiff, stated that it was humiliating for him to do nothing anymore. Therefore, the Pope's decision to use mercy towards Father Georg. In a collaborative effort to uplift micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Negros Oriental, PLDT Enterprise and Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), the corporate business arm and wireless unit of PLDT, have joined forces with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Negros Oriental and TikTok Shop Philippines. Together, they conducted a comprehensive upskilling session through the eBiznovation Buy Local Bazaar program for over 50 MSMEs in Dumaguete City and Siquijor, equipping them with essential digital skills to thrive in the e-commerce landscape. 50 MSMEs from Dumaguete City and Siquijor Island participated in PLDT Enterprise and Smart's eBiznovation Buy Local Bazaar in partnership with Tiktok Shop PH and DTI Negros Oriental. We are committed to empowering MSMEs with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in the digital age," said Jinky Q. Francisco, Head of PLDT Enterprise SMBiz Visayas and Mindanao. "By partnering with like-minded organizations like DTI Negros Oriental, and TikTok Shop Philippines, we strive to equip these businesses with the skills to leverage e-commerce platforms effectively, ultimately driving economic growth and fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. A key part of the much broader PLDT goal to elevate the quality of life of Filipinos is our drive to create livelihood opportunities through technology. This is whats at the heart of our eBizNovation program, as it seeks to enable MSMEs to become digital merchants so they can actively participate in and benefit from e-commerce, according to Marylou Gocotano, head of Stakeholder Management-Visayas Relations at PLDT and Smart. The upskilling program covered diverse topics, including basic marketing and branding concepts, effective content creation, smartphone photography and videography, and internet safety tips to improve and protect their digital business assets. Additionally, this initiative aimed to empower MSMEs to leverage the popular e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, to widen their business reach and unlock new livelihood streams. Video selling has become a key feature of TikTok Shop, allowing businesses to showcase their products in an engaging and interactive format, which can significantly enhance customer engagement and conversion rates. Given the rise of TikTok Shop and the growing importance of e-commerce, PLDT Enterprise offers reliable connectivity solutions, such as the MSME FIBERBIZ plans, which are essential for businesses to succeed on this dynamic platform. These digital solutions ensure seamless and uninterrupted online operations, enabling businesses to effectively reach and engage with their target audiences on TikTok Shop. With PLDT Enterprise's unmatched fiber connectivity, MSMEs can confidently create and stream high-quality video content, respond to customer inquiries in real time, and manage transactions efficiently, thus maximizing their potential on TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop PH representatives also provided invaluable insights into effectively selling products through engaging short-form videos. They discussed various mechanics and techniques, including the do's and don'ts of selling on the platform. This hands-on training session aimed to help MSMEs harness the power of social media and e-commerce to reach new customers and drive business growth. Dumaguete City is the second stop of the eBiznovation Buy Local Bazaar in the Visayas region this year, underscoring the initiative's importance in promoting local products and supporting sustainable development. On behalf of the MSMEs and DTI Negros Oriental, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank PLDT and Smart, as well as TikTok Shop and our other partners, for bringing this program to Dumaguete City, offering services and learnings on using different digital platforms to our growing MSMEs, said Anton Gabila, Senior Trade-Industry Development Specialist of DTI Negros Oriental Provincial Office. This continuing initiative of PLDT Enterprise and Smart aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, highlighting the commitment of the PLDT Group and its partners to fostering inclusive economic growth and promoting sustainable entrepreneurship. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Defence attorneys for Alec Baldwin are seeking to scuttle an involuntary manslaughter trial against the actor-producer in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during rehearsal for the Western movie Rust. Baldwins lawyers argue in a motion seeking to dismiss the charge that the firearm in the shooting was heavily damaged by FBI forensic testing before it could be examined for possible modifications that might exonerate the actor. New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer is scheduled to hear arguments on Monday. Baldwin's trial is scheduled to begin next month. Baldwins attorneys contend that authorities took what they described as the most critical evidence in the case the firearm and destroyed it by striking it with a mallet as part of a forensic analysis. During the fatal rehearsal on 21 October 2021, Baldwin was holding the gun on a movie-set ranch when it went off, killing Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, who survived. Baldwin says he pulled back the guns hammer but did not pull the trigger. open image in gallery This aerial photo shows the movie set of Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, NM, on Saturday, 23 October 2021 ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Prosecutors plan to present evidence at trial that they say shows the firearm could not have fired absent a pull of the trigger and was working properly before the shooting. Defence attorneys are highlighting a previously undisclosed expert analysis that outlines uncertainty about the origin of toolmarks on the guns firing mechanism. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to the involuntary manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. Armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. During the trial, an FBI expert testified the gun was fully functional with safety features when it arrived at an FBI laboratory. The expert said he had to strike the fully cocked gun with a mallet and break it for the gun to fire without depressing the trigger. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free On Friday, the judge denied prosecutors request to use immunity to compel testimony from Gutierrez-Reed at Baldwin's trial. Her statements to investigators and workplace safety regulators will likely feature prominently in Baldwin's trial. open image in gallery A still from a video clip played in court shows actor Alec Baldwin during Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial at the First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico on 29 February, 2024 ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) Further testimony could be limited by the armorer's reluctance to testify, and the judge said Friday that other witnesses can fill in most of the gaps if Gutierrez-Reed doesn't testify. While Marlow Sommer provided ni indication of how she would rule, she told both parties to proceed as if the case will go forward. Do not think that that means stop working for trial, she said. The trial is expected to last eight days in court, and testimony is scheduled to start 10 July and end on 19 July. Also during Friday's hearing, Marlowe Sommer ruled against a request by defence attorneys to dismiss the trial because they said Baldwin had no reason to believe the gun could contain live ammunition and wasn't subjectively aware of the risks. Last year, special prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, saying they were informed the gun might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. But they pivoted after receiving a new analysis of the gun and successfully pursued a grand jury indictment. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kiera Knightley has fondly recalled the time Donald Sutherland attended a cast party wearing a gas mask for a touching reason. Knightley, 39, starred opposite the late actor in Joe Wrights 2005 adaptation of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice. Sutherland played Mr Bennett, father to five daughters including Knightleys Elizabeth. Sutherland died aged 88 last week following a long illness, his son, the 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, announced on Thursday (20 June). In the wake of his death, several of his co-stars, including Knightley, contributed entries to a feature in The Guardian paying tribute to the actor. Writing about her time working with Sutherland, Knightley, who was 20 at the time, recalled feeling unbelievably intimidated by his size and reputation when I first met him. She went on to explain that he had this clause in his contract that no one was allowed to smoke anywhere near him. Most of the rest of the cast were in their late teens and early twenties, all chugging away, she said. The Pirates of the Caribbean star described the extreme lengths they went to to hide their smoking habit from Sutherland, who was 70 years old at the time of the films release. open image in gallery ( Alamy ) We used to manically wash our hands and spray ourselves with perfume after, so he wouldnt know, she said. Hed sniff the air as soon as he came on set and wed all nervously shuffle about. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Knightley recalled how he once attended a party in a gas mask out of consideration for his smoking co-stars. At some point during filming, he came to a party we all had in a gas mask so we could all smoke, she said. I will always remember him standing in the middle of that party in a gas mask. open image in gallery ( Alamy ) Elsewhere, she described the legendary actor as terrifying and impish and generous, recalling how he had given the cast gifts and invitations to visit him on his lake in Canada. Sutherlands turn as Mr Bennett was responsible for several of the most memorable moments in the film. In behind-the-scenes footage reshared on social media, Sutherland was full of praise for his co-stars. Youve no idea when you come into a picture, what Keira Knightley is going to be like, he began. And it turns out, she is as extraordinary an actor as Ive ever met in my life. You can read The Independents Kevin E G Perrys tribute to Sutherland here. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Fans and critics are tearing apart Netflixs latest hit movie Trigger Warning. The film, which landed on Netflix on Friday (21 June), has shot straight to the No 1 spot in the streamers Top 10 movies in the UK list. Trigger Warning stars Jessica Alba as Parker, a US Special Forces commando stationed overseas who is forced to return home when her father is killed. Parker takes over the family bar in her hometown, where she finds herself caught up in a violent conspiracy as she investigates the circumstances surrounding her fathers mysterious death. Trigger Warning is currently the number one film in the UK on Netflix, sitting in front of Jodie Comers thriller-drama The End We Start From and 24 Hours in Lidl a behind-the-scenes documentary about the supermarket chain. Despite earning the coveted top spot, however, Trigger Warning is receiving dismal reviews from all sides, with both critics and subscribers criticising the action flick. As noticed by Screenrant, the film continues Albas unenviable Rotten Tomatoes streak of late. The actor, best known for films such as Honey (2003) and Fantastic Four (2005), has not achieved a score above 45 per cent in either audience or reviewer scores on Rotten Tomato since Stretch. The 2015 comedy, in which she starred pposite Chris Pine and Patrick Wilson, was well-received overall. Three of Albas films in the last 10 years Barely Lethal, Some Kind of Beautiful, and Killers Anonymous have pulled in Rotten Tomato scores of less than 30 per cent. The latter pulled in a 0 per cent critic score based on nine reviews, and a 16 per cent audience score based on over 100 ratings. ( Netflix ) Unfortunately, however, TriggerWarning will do little to remedy the problem with Albas latest film achieving just a 25 per cent rating based on 20 reviews. It has achieved an even lower audience score of 19 per cent. Writing on X/Twitter, one Netflix subscriber said: Trigger Warning is one of the most boring movies Ive seen all year, but its also far and away the dumbest! A film seemingly made to justify Netflixs ability to watch things at 1.5x speed. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Someone else criticised the films writing, calling it one of the worst script [writing[ in a while. ( Netflix ) I watched Trigger Warning on Netflix last night, said a third person. Im a fan of Jessica Alba but that movie is really bad. Top 5 worst movie [sic] ever, agreed another. Total waste of time. Thats a review. Meanwhile, others praised Albas acting ability and action sequences while still deriding the films plot and writing. Some critics were less harsh than others, however, with The Guardian awarding the film three stars in a review titled: Jessica Alba returns in solid Netflix action vehicle. Trigger Warning is available to stream now on Netflix. If youre travelling abroad and want to stream Trigger Warning then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sean Penn has addressed the ongoing debate surrounding straight actors playing queer roles, calling arguments against the idea a timid and artless policy. The 63-year-old actor secured his second Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, in the 2009 biopic, Milk. Penn argued in a new interview with The New York Times that a straight actor playing a queer figure like Milk could not happen in a time like this. Its a time of tremendous overreach, Penn said. Its a timid and artless policy toward the human imagination. In 2021, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies declared that queer roles should be reserved for queer actors in a move towards greater authenticity. Im trying to avenge hundreds of years of inequality, he told The Independent at the time. [Its A Sin] has also unashamedly cast gay people in straight roles. I think thats fine because, believe you me, from the age of eight we are studying straight people and how to fit in with them. Several straight actors, including Cate Blanchett (Carol), Rachel Weisz (Disobedience) and Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack), who have played queer characters, have disagreed. open image in gallery I went 15 years miserable on sets. Milk was the last time I had a good time, Sean Penn said ( Getty Images for World Class Canada ) I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience, Blanchett said in 2018. Penn went on to tell The New York Times that he went 15 years miserable on sets as Milk was the last time I had a good time. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free The Mystic River star explained: I feel like an actor who is playing a leading role and is a known actor and is being paid well has a leadership position on a film and youve got to show up with energy and be a bodyguard for the director in some way. I was faking my way through that stuff and that was exhausting. Mostly what I thought was just, What time is it? When are we going to get off? Penn continued. I was sure it was done, but I didnt know how I was going to keep my house running or travel freely or things like that if I stopped. Penn can currently be seen opposite Dakota Johnson in the new movie Daddio, which premieres in theaters on June 28. Directed by Christy Hall, the film follows a woman who gets into a taxi at New Yorks JFK airport and gradually opens up to the driver about her life and affair with a married man. I felt like this could be a pleasant experience, Penn said about the movie, and thats gonna matter to me now, maybe more than in the past. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Actor and surfer Tamayo Perry shared numerous social media posts about sharks before he was killed by one on Sunday (June 23). Perry, 49, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, was found with several shark bites after he was attacked near Goat Island, on Oahu, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In July 2015, Perry wrote on Facebook about the moment surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by two sharks in South Africa. The incident with Mick at J-Bay is a great indication that Jesus mercy is more then sufficient [sic], Perry, who was a devout Christian, wrote. Regardless, sharks freak me out and I'm glad the Good Lord had Mick's back today. Only the Lord can say when it's your time. In a June 2019 post, Perry eerily suggested that he could sense the presence of sharks in the water. Can people smell sharks around??? I dont know if its my imagination but I swear I can smell when theyre around, he wrote. Tamayo Perry frequently posted his musings about sharks on social media ( Supplied ) After his death, one of Perrys friends told The Daily Beast that the surfer always alluded to the fact that he has seen them and felt their presence. It is understood that Perry was surfing during a break from his job as a lifeguard when the attack happened. The type of shark that attacked him is not yet known. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free In 1999 Perry won the prestigious Pipeline Master trials and would sporadically compete in surfing events for the rest of his career. He went on to star in a number of Hollywood productions such as the 2002 surfing drama, Blue Crush. In 2011, he portrayed one of the buccaneers in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise. He also made TV appearances in popular shows including Lost and Hawaii Five-0. He began his career with the Ocean Safety Department in July 2016 working as a lifeguard. Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said Mr Perry was a lifeguard loved by all. Hes well known on the North Shore. Hes a professional surfer known worldwide, Lager said at a news conference. Tamayos personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more. Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected, Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi said, calling Perrys death a tragic loss. It was 2015. The occasion: the London launch of the first smartspeaker, which I was attending as a technology journalist. Alexa, said the nice middle-aged American demonstrating the gadget, Play music by Coldplay. A fraction of a second later, the haunting first few organ notes of Fix You were filling the conference room. Even at 10 on a weekday meeting in a corporate setting, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Apart from Fix You being among my favourite ever songs, the technology to summon it up by voice was unlike any wed ever seen. But the choice of music didnt seem to impress the too-cool-for-school young pair behind me. Oh my god, muttered the young man to the woman, This is where we leave. The two of them then stalked out of the event, shaking their heads in ostentatious disapproval. I first came across Coldplay in 2005 when I started listening to their new X&Y album. It entranced me and still does the soaring, uplifting anthemic peaks, the emotionally poignant dips, the exquisite tunes, the richness of the complex production. I could barely make out the lyrics, but I never can with pop music and never really care. I suspect I share that with most opera fans. But even if, as an older white man, Im precisely the demographic the magnificent Chris Martin and the boys need like a hole in the head, I refuse to stop loving them. And I continue to have regular awkward Coldplay moments. In Graydon Carters publication, Air Mail, where Im the tech columnist, I wrote about an app last year, Vinylly, which matches potential romantic partners based on their musical taste. The young social media team in New York, unaware of my Coldplay habit, tweeted about the review: Imagine dating someone only to discover they like Coldplay. For them, the definition of a bad date is someone who likes the band I love. Only last week, a colleague I asked about Coldplay said, They just really get on my nerves. I cant explain it. I just cant shake it, even when I like some of their songs. So, with another Coldplay appearance at Glastonbury on the Pyramid stage their fifth headlining slot and an album, Moon Music, coming out soon, Ive been trying to analyse my own love for both the music and the band and also understand Coldplay phobia. For me, above all, its the positivity, the joyous splurge of colour at their extraordinary and deeply emotional shows, the lack of anger in their lyrics (despite being campaigners for various causes), and Martins willingness in the gentler numbers to sing from the heart about both torment and triumph. I love how well-behaved their audience is and the nice, normal, unshowy, un-celeb-like nature of the band. Im dazzled by the way the music develops from one album, one tour, to the next and how subtly but beguilingly different each new work is. All of which sums up the very things that the haters hate. Nice, normal crowds brimming with positivity and heartfelt emotion are seen as snobby and emotionally constipated; dullards awash with mawkish sentimentality. Un-showy band members are plain boring. Chris Martin, the haters will say, is the scion of a supremely middle-class family in Exeter son of an accountant and a music teacher, the family business, a caravan dealership. All this makes for unexciting and unchallenging music. Apparently. Where I hear sublime musical beauty, they see something prosaic and predictable. Banality is the worst crime for the sophisticate/snob; its apparently quite common for classical music aesthetes to hate Tchaikovsky for being too hackneyed. For some, Im sure, the bands success alone, their millions of fans and multiple awards, is good enough reason to hate them. Nice, normal crowds brimming with positivity and heartfelt emotion are seen as snobby and emotionally constipated; dullards awash with mawkish sentimentality Once a band gets huge, a weird thing happens, says Bob Bradley, a musician turned music PR in the States. Their original fans can start to resent them and feel abandoned. What was once a band to recommend to friends is now so popular that your best friends Dad is now a fan. Arts critic turned executive coach Dr Daniel Boscaljon says that Coldplay have not helped themselves. Coldplay offered catchy and inoffensive music, it was this association with the latest corporate sound and, of course, Chris Martins public romance, which unfortunately dimmed earlier interest in their music. Ah yes, the Gwyneth Paltrow thing should not be underestimated in trying to understand why so many people have such an aversion to Coldplay. The marriage to Paltrow, ending in the conscious uncoupling, continues to attract sneers. My answer to the question of Coldplay phobia? Coldplay started cool, a student band at University College London. They did too well to remain cool. Like Dire Straits in the 1970s, success offends your early fans. Coldplays latest Glastonbury appearance will only make their haters eyes roll again, But the signs are that the band might have come full circle among some hipsters, who, granted, have also made fleeces cool again. For many, but especially insecure young people like the silly pair who walked out of a meeting because Coldplay was playing, your musical taste is less about music than about trying to impress your peers by slavishly following the cool crowd. If they allowed themselves to wallow in what I contend is the emotional depth of Coldplay, and if they didnt care about showing off their supposed taste to their peers, they might discover not just the beauty of the music, but something more soulful about themselves. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 40-minute blast of pure, undiluted zeitgeist. A gigantic crowd stretching away over hill and vale. A generations prejudices and expectations overturned like a flick of dust off the shoulder. A setlist chiselled into quicksilver by Zeus and carried to the stage by a choir of winged roadies. Or maybe just the Dalai Lama, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. These are just a few of the reasons why a gig playing out on the hallowed grounds of Worthy Farm might go down in Glastonbury folklore one of those iconic moments that dont just make the weekend, but mark out the evolution of pop culture. Glastonbury is where musical history is made and cultural colossi are crowned on a near-annual basis. Ahead of the return of the worlds greatest festival, headlined this year by Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, heres a look back at the best ever Glastonbury performances. 22. The Levellers Pyramid Stage, 1994 Sometimes quantity really does matter as much as quality. Without a steel fence to keep the gatecrashers away, Glasto was officially free and The Levellers played to what is reported to have been the festivals largest-ever crowd to date, estimated at 300,000. Imagine how many dogs were tied up at the gate. 21. Kanye West Pyramid Stage, 2015 Lee Nelson invades the stage as Kanye West performs ( Rex ) As far as classic Glastonbury talking points go, nothing since Michael Jackson died has come close to Kanyes 2015 slot. For all his claims to be the biggest rock star on the planet, nerves got the better of what was arguably Kanyes highest-profile show ever. His attempt to echo Jay-Zs rock-embracing Wonderwall from 2008 fell flat when he forgot the words to Bohemian Rhapsody, and he had to restart Black Skinhead after comedian Lee Nelson invaded the stage pretending to be a surprise guest rapper. Nonetheless (look away now, Noel), some class this as another key victory in hip-hops Glastonbury takeover. 20. Primal Scream NME Stage, 1992 The volume, according to some onlookers, was like listening to a car stereo playing Movin On Up underwater three miles away. Yet Primal Scream bringing Screamadelica to the NME Stage in 1992 was more of a collective celebration of musics most double-visioned zeitgeist. Generation Loaded came together as one, and rock and dance cultures mated furiously in the bushes at this peak of the ecstasy rave explosion. 19. T Rex Main Stage, 1970 Dont touch my car! Marc Bolan barked at Michael Eavis when the burgeoning festival don en route to Minehead Butlins to replace The Kinks at what was then essentially a farmers party taking place on a stage held together with string tried brushing leaves off his Cadillac. Yet Bolans T Rex stormed the inaugural Glastonbury (or the Pilton Pop, Folk & Blues Festival as it was known 1 per ticket and all the milk you could drink). Bolan played on and on and on as the sun was going down, Eavis recalled, all the hits, the full works, and it sounded fantastic. 18. Kylie Minogue Pyramid Stage, 2019 Kylie performs All The Lovers at Glastonbury In 2005, Kylie was forced to pull out of her Pyramid Stage headline slot due to her cancer diagnosis, a wrench for fans and artist alike despite Coldplays spectacular replacement set. The Eavises, however, couldnt get her out of their heads. When she finally honoured the booking 14 years later, for 2019s Legends slot, she pulled out all the stops, putting on a headline-worthy show rammed with her biggest hits. There were celebrity guests, too, including Chris Martin on Cant Get You Out of My Head and Nick Cave for Where the Wild Roses Grow. Dolly-beating stuff. 17. Portishead Acoustic Tent, 1995 As many a troubadour will attest, its rare to find a crush of 15,000 people stuck outside the Acoustic Tent. But the arrival of local (ish) heroes Portishead bearing the sumptuous jazz lounge trip-hop of their hugely acclaimed debut album Dummy prompted just such polite chaos. The lucky few inside reported a bewitching set of very modern heartache Glory Box and Sour Times capping a show of immense grace and emotion. As many tears inside as out. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up 16. The Killers New Tent, 2004 The Killers headlining Glastonbury in 2019 15 years after they played the New Tent ( REUTERS ) The best sign of encroaching superstardom, they say, is when your John Peel Stage debut is as rammed and rambunctious as Theresa Mays leaving drinks. Arguably the first and finest example was the tsunami of fans descending on the New Tent early on the Saturday evening in 2004, to toast the arrival of Las Vegas indie pop showmen The Killers. The crowds stretched far outside the tent but even the ones on the outskirts bawled along to Mr Brightside and All These Things That Ive Done. It was such a moment that the band returned to the stage (now the John Peel Stage) for a secret encore in 2017. 15. Orbital NME Stage, 1994 Dance music had long since conquered clubland, but its clout as a force to unify a vast festival crowd was unrecognised until Orbital took Glasto 94 by synthetic storm. Drawing 40,000 ravers to the NME Stage for their headline set with little more than compulsive beats and headlights on their faces, the Hartnoll brothers dazzled not just the millions watching Glastonburys first televised broadcasts on Channel 4, but Eavis himself. So much so, in fact, that he was inspired to open a dedicated Dance Tent the following year. Its since grown into its own festival-within-a-festival in the Silver Hayes dance village. 14. New Order Pyramid Stage, 1981 By 1981, Glastonbury had grown from its Pilton Pop, Folk & Blues roots, but not far. It was a CND charity gathering of around 3,000 bikers burning up the site as they waited for Hawkwind to come on. It was our version of Altamont but without any trouble, said New Orders Peter Hook of their spirited support slot, but it was also the moment the band emerged from beneath the lingering clouds of Joy Division and proved themselves the silvery scouts of the new electronic age. 13. Beyonce Pyramid Stage, 2011 If Jay could do it, so could Bey. Following her husbands celebrated 2008 headline slot (and pregnant with their first child at the time), Beyonce delivered Glastonburys ultimate pop experience to date. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Crazy in Love, glitzy covers of both Love to Love You Baby and Sex On Fire, billowing ballads sung while kneeling on white grand pianos even the bells had whistles on them. All of this was wrapped up with the most bootylicious of Destinys Child medleys. 12. Stormzy Pyramid Stage, 2019 Stormzy performs Shut Up at Glastonbury Boasting what was rumoured to be the most expensive Glastonbury set ever staged a Banksy stab-vest! Ballet dancers! Chris Martin! Stormzy had only released one album, his hit debut Gang Signs & Prayer, when he became the first black British solo artist to ascend to the revered Glastonbury headline slot in 2019. He used it as a battering ram to break the new grime uprising onto the most respected stage in the world. Historic. 11. Happy Mondays Pyramid Stage, 1990 By its very nature as a gigantic concave mirror on alternative culture, Glastonbury reflects and exaggerates musics pivotal moments. Case in point: Happy Mondays roll onto the Pyramid Stage in 1990 just as ecstasy is reshaping youth culture into very bendy shapes indeed and twist the melon of an entire generation with Step On, Wrote For Luck and Hallelujah. Where the Second Summer of Love (1988-1989) was an in-the-know affair, this set made it universally hip to be hairy, lairy, baggy and boggle-eyed. 10. Jay-Z Pyramid Stage, 2008 Jay-Z performs in 2008 ( Getty Images ) Noel Gallagher wasnt having it, but Glastonbury 2008 certainly was. Gently mocking Noels disgust as rap infiltrated rocks most revered stage, Jay-Z entered with a ramshackle solo rendition of Wonderwall, then all but smashed his acoustic guitar as he burst into 99 Problems. There followed a veritable firestorm of hip-hop classics Izzo (H.O.V.A.), Girls, Girls, Girls, Big Pimpin, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) almost as though Jigga was beating the spirit of Glastonbury into submission before forcing it to wear a Brooklyn Nets shirt. The festivals mind was opened forever, that night. 9. Patti Smith Pyramid Stage, 2015 Most so-called heritage acts go through the motions at Glastonbury a stout chunk of their folky new record and, begrudgingly, a smatter of their old hits. Not Patti Smith. She attacked the Pyramid Stage in 2015 like a white-haired tornado. Ripping strings from her guitar by the fistful and hailing Freedom! at the top of her voice, she tore through Land, Gloria and The Whos My Generation like the age-defying punk pioneer she is. She even found time to present the actual Dalai Lama with a birthday cake on stage and fall on her face, because Im a f***ing animal! Amen. 8. Oasis NME Stage, 1994 Scenes become seismic events when they prove they can dominate an entire Glastonbury festival. Take Sunday 26 June 1994, when a young, cocksure Liam Gallagher strode onto the NME Stage in a black jumper and shades and demanded of a distinctly mad-ferrit crowd: Are you lot gonna wake up for some proper songs? Songs rarely came so proper as Cigarettes and Alcohol, Live Forever and Fade Away, which joined Shakermaker and Supersonic in the wider public domain that day bombardments from Britpops northern armies. The Nineties suddenly had some real fight in them. 7. The Cure Pyramid Stage, 2019 The Cures Robert Smith performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2019 ( Reuters ) Robert Smith pulled a Bowie in 2019, returning to Glastonbury after a decades-long break 24 years to be precise and levelling the Tor with the hits. As one of Britains greatest singles bands cunningly disguised as one of its greatest album bands, The Cure unleashed their formidable melodic side of their canon, from gothic classics (The Walk, A Forest) to formative alt-pop greats (Close to Me, In Between Days, Boys Dont Cry) and indie dancefloor mainstays (Friday Im in Love, Why Cant I Be You?, Just Like Heaven). There was space, too, for more chest-bursting moments such as Pictures of You, Plainsong and Disintegration in one of the most brilliantly balanced Glastonbury headline sets of all time. 6. Blur NME Stage, 1994 By the time Pulp and Radiohead had played that same stage, that same day, in a line-up that Johnny Greenwood would describe as like the Champions League, Britpop had officially arrived. To herald this cultural breakout, Blur rolled up in their Parklife charabanc at sundown for a coming-of-age party that saw Girls & Boys, End of a Century and the era-defining title track taken on as generational anthems, at a show as celebratory and momentous as any headline set. It took a year before the News at Ten caught on, but everyone at the NME Stage that day knew that Britpop already owned the decade. 5. Radiohead Pyramid Stage, 1997 Thom Yorke of Radiohead during the band's legendary Glastonbury performance in 1997 ( Rex ) Radioheads 1997 headline slot is often cast as a battle against the elements, malfunctioning stage equipment and their own despondency. Everything broke onstage, said Ed OBrien. It turned into the worst night of our lives. I dont think we ever wanted to play a concert again. But its better remembered as a battle against the formulaic post-Oasis rock landscape of Ocean Colour Scenes and Stereophonics, into which OK Computer landed like a laser-precision drone attack. Lucky rang out like an epic air-raid siren for the end of the century, and Radioheads fresh brand of ultramodern melancholia No Surprises, Karma Police, Airbag made it feel as though the future had chosen Worthy Farm for its grand unveiling. 4. The Smiths Pyramid Stage, 1984 I dont want to sound revolutionary, or wild or dangerous, but hippydom what does it mean? So said Morrissey, hearing aid firmly in lughole, backstage at Glastonbury 1984 shortly before The Smiths were resoundingly booed and bottled by a field full of Santana fans. Hippydom certainly wasnt a bunch of effete Mancunians flapping around singing wiry pop songs full of wry, poetic teenage ennui such as Hand in Glove, Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now and This Charming Man. The performance inspired Glastonburys first stage invasion, but never would Glasto be defined as a purely hippy festival again. With The Smiths came a new subculture and a contemporary inclusiveness that reinvented the festival as a youth culture gathering that was indeed revolutionary, wild and a little bit dangerous. 3. Paul McCartney Pyramid Stage, 2004 and 2022 Sometimes all it takes to slip seamlessly into Glastonbury legend is the greatest songbook known to mankind. Sir Pauls first-ever UK festival show no, really was the singalong to end them all: Eleanor Rigby into Drive My Car, Penny Lane, Get Back, Band On the Run, Back In the USSR, Live and Let Die, Ive Got a Feeling, Lady Madonna and a Hey Jude you could hear from Dunfermline. That was before the encore. Eighteen years later, Macca bettered himself. Playing close to three hours, he plundered his peerless canon for deeper cuts, did virtually the whole Abbey Road medley, brought out Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen for history-making duets and in a truly moving moment sang with John Lennons isolated vocals from Ive Got A Feeling. Sublime. 2. David Bowie Pyramid Stage, 2000 Bowie at Glastonbury in 2000 ( PA Archive ) Bowies reputation as an uncompromising art iconoclast preceded him for Glastonbury 2000. Wed seen him headline festivals before, playing hit-free drumnbass sets or onslaughts of screeching future metal that sounded like vaguely tuneful slow-motion car crashes. Needless to say, we werent exactly expecting Changes. Then he came on in a kind of Moroccan bathrobe affair and sang Changes. And Life On Mars? And Ashes to Ashes and Rebel Rebel and Under Pressure and Starman and All the Young Dudes and everything else you could possibly want David Bowie to play. You couldve seen David Bowie live a thousand times, and this would be the set you remembered. 1. Pulp Pyramid Stage, 1995 Jarvis Cockers Pulp headlined in 1995. ( Getty ) When The Stone Roses pulled out of their hotly anticipated Glastonbury headline set in 1995, few in the crowd had any idea who was replacing them until Pulp walked onstage. To say they stepped up is a vast understatement they went down in history. Jarvis Cocker seemed born to prowl the worlds largest stage, chatting to the biggest crowd of his life like it was a mate down his local Voyeurs Anonymous meeting. The likes of Babies, Disco 2000 and Common People crystallised Britpops ascendance in 60 or so scintillating minutes. They even unveiled a new song seemingly penned for the occasion Sorted For Es & Wizz and encapsulated the bewildering, otherworldly spirit of Glastonbury in 20 words: Is this the way they say the futures meant to feel?/ Or just 20,000 people standing in a field? And to think, they asked Rod Stewart to fill in first. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Coldplay are no strangers to the Pyramid Stage. After debuting at Glastonbury in the New Bands Tent in 1999, they went on to headline the festival in 2002 and 2005. Chris Martin declared in a BBC interview back in 2007 that Glastonbury is bored of us. I dont think we can even take a harmonica down there for a good 15 years. However, the band returned to the Pyramid Stage in 2011 and 2016. They are now about to headline for a record-breaking fifth time on Saturday 29 June. Since forming in London in 1997, the band have racked up seven Grammys, nine Brit Awards and 15 MTV awards. They have more Brit Awards than any other band. When are Coldplay performing at Glastonbury Festival? Coldplay will round off Saturday night on the Pyramid Stage. They are scheduled to play from 9:45-11:45pm on 29 June. Femi Kuti will kick off Saturday on the Pyramid Stage at 12:00pm. He will be followed by Arya Starr, Cyndi Lauper, Keane, and Michael Kiwanuka. Mercury Prize-winning rapper Little Simz will take the slot right before Coldplay, from 7:45-8:45pm. Coldplays performance will clash with Disclosure on the Other Stage, Jessie Ware on the West Holts stage and Gossip on the Woodsies stage. How can I watch them perform on the Pyramid Stage? open image in gallery Chris Martin also made a cameo appearance at Glastonbury during Kylie Minogues performance in 2019 ( Ian Gavan/Getty Images ) If you werent lucky enough to get tickets to Glastonbury (or you just hate camping) you can still watch Coldplays performance from home. The BBC will be covering the festival across TV channels, iPlayer, and BBC sounds. There is also a Classic Glastonbury channel playing non-stop footage of past and present performances every day until 30 June, which is likely to feature plenty of Coldplay. You will be able to watch Coldplays performance on iPlayer here. open image in gallery Jonny Buckland, Chris Martin, Will Champion and Guy Berryman of Coldplay performing at Rose Bowl Stadium on September 30, 2023 ( Monica Schipper/Getty Images ) Chris Martin will speak about his many experiences at Glastonbury on BBC 2 at 10:00pm-10:30pm on Tuesday 25 June. Which songs will Coldplay sing? Last week, Coldplay announced on Instagram that they will release their next single feelslikeimfallinginlove on 21 June. The band filmed part of the music video last week at the ancient Odeon of Herodes in Athens. Its a safe bet that the band will play feelslikeimfallinginlove at Glastonbury. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up This song is the lead single from their 10th studio album Moon Music, which will come out on 4 October. Their previous Glastonbury setlists also give clues as to what theyll play this year. In 2021, the festival was cancelled because of Covid-19. However, Coldplay participated in the smaller televised concert called Live at Worthy Farm. They performed their hits Higher Power, The Scientist, Viva la Vida, Clocks, Fix You and A Sky Full of Stars. It is likely that Coldplay will perform many of these songs again. How can I get a good spot in front of the Pyramid Stage? The best time to head to the Pyramid squarely depends on how close you want to be to the front, our chief culture reporter and in-house Glastonbury veteran, Jacob Stolworthy, advises. To get a good space near the front, youll have to commit to watching up to two acts before the headliner comes on and perhaps even forego an act you want to see elsewhere. But your dedication will pay off: if you do decide to do this, youll be right in the action and, if you get on someones shoulders, will probably end up on TV (like I did three times during Paul McCartneys set in 2022 embarrassingly, with a sunburnt nose). If you dont mind being further back and just soaking up the atmosphere while having a casual boogie, getting there 45 minutes before is advised. But judge it on the headliner for example, Coldplay will be rammed at least an hour before theyre due to start. Its probably worth leaving the act youre planning on watching beforehand early in order to get a good spot. If you dont, youll run the risk of being right at the back. Remember that it can also take up to 45 minutes to walk from one place to the other, especially when taking the crowds into consideration. open image in gallery The Pyramid Stage was packed during Coldplays performance in 2011 ( Matt Cardy/Getty Images ) Jacob says his preferred spot is either side near the centre and close to the sound booth in the middle: You dont want that to be behind that as youll end up staring at the screens the whole time. Another tip: Stay hydrated! Ensure you have a good amount of water and, of course, if youre going to get in position early, that you are suitably tanked up with your beverage of choice. Your best bet is either bringing tinnies in a bag or decanting a mixer into a big bottle to drink during the show. After a certain time, heading off to get a fresh drink and to have a loo break is out of the question if you want to get back to where you were unless youre willing to push and sneak your way past a load of disgruntled fellow fans. The Independent will be liveblogging Glastonbury 2024 and bringing readers all the latest news, updates, pictures and video, along with highlights and reviews of the festivals key moments. If youre travelling abroad and want to stream Glastonbury performances then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Supernatural and Gilmore Girls star Jared Padalecki has opened up about a "really low" time in his life, revealing that he checked into a clinic in 2015 to seek treatment for dramatic suicidal ideation. The 41-year-old actor was speaking to Tommy DiDario on the podcast Ive Never Said This Before, as People reports. "I had a really low moment," said Padalecki. "I was letting my thoughts take over and going to places of dramatic suicidal ideation. I called my wife and she said, Get home.'" And so I got home, went to a clinic for a couple weeks and looked into it, and havent been suicidal since not for a moment, Padalecki continued. I needed a full reset. The San Antonio-born actor, most recently seen playing the leading role in the rebooted Western drama Walker, explained that he had become burned out. I had spent 15 years in this industry, he said. You go to an audition or a red carpet and they dont want, Jared, how are you doing today? Today was rough, I didnt sleep. They want, Its great! Excited to be here! open image in gallery Jared Padalecki pictured in New York in 2017 ( Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images ) I had done that for so long, trying to focus on whats best for the person whos talking to me as opposed to just being honest. He went on to say that he was happy to be open about seeking help with his mental health. I dont wear it as a scarlet letter. Its not like Im shameful. I wear it proudly, he said. Youre a human, Im a human. There are still highs and lows. And todays a low, he added, in reference to the recent cancellation of Walker. When that news was announced in May, Padalecki shared a statement on Instagram. Its a tough piece of news to be sure, but we are SO thankful for the #WalkerFamily that has been built, both on set and off, he wrote. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free After four seasons together, we have felt the love and support from the entire #WalkerFamily, and we will be forever grateful. He gave a special thanks to fans for their support as he continued, Too often, we get to be the ones receiving the praise and gratitude and flattery and, all too often, we miss the opportunity to put it back where it belongs WITH THE FANS! I will forever smile on the years I got to spend with the cast and crew and studio and network and fandom that made this all possible. Til we ride again, Padalecki concluded along with a cowboy emoji. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri have shot down speculation that their The Bear characters Carmy and Sydney are headed for romance. The third season of the hit restaurant drama is set to arrive on Wednesday (June 26), a day earlier than previously announced. Vanity Fair reports that White and Edebiri were asked at a press conference on Monday whether fans of the show could expect a romance between their characters, and the pair both responded with a resounding: No. White added: There was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications [between Carmy and Sydney]. The Bear follows award-winning chef Carmy as he attempts to turn his dead brothers sandwich shop into a fine dining destination. The chaotic comedy-drama, documenting the lives of the employees of the Chicago sandwich shop, was one of the biggest successes at this years TV celebrations, including the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Critics Choice Awards. open image in gallery Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri attend the Governors Gala for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, January 2024 ( Getty Images ) White, Edebiri, and their co-star Ebon Moss-Bacharach were repeatedly rewarded for their acting skills, along with the series in general. The show first debuted in 2022, followed by a second season in 2023. Despite the third season not having aired yet, it has been reported that the show has already been picked up for a fourth season. Corey Hendrix, who plays Gary Sweeps Woods in The Bear, recently spoke to The Independent about the series future. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Of course, I want to say it can go on forever. But I think we can easily do like four more seasons or something, he said. Because the first two seasons were a lot but I still feel like we havent really gotten there yet. He continued: The first season is the introduction. The second season, its like were trying to see if we can build this restaurant and now [in season three] its like, okay lets see what happens. Lets see if this is a good idea. So I still think its like everyones still trying to get there. So I feel like there are plenty more seasons left in The Bear. It is thought that the decision to film two seasons of the program without a break is due to the schedules of the actors, with White and Edebiri being particularly in demand. White is set to play Bruce Springsteen in a new biopic, while Edebiri can currently be heard voicing the character of Envy in Inside Out 2. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Season three of The Bear is releasing a day earlier than expected. Yes, chef, you heard that correctly. Season three of the Emmy-winning drama, starring Jeremy Allen White as chef Carmy, will now be debuting in the US on Wednesday (June 26) at 9pm ET. The series was initially scheduled to premiere its third season on Hulu and FX on Thursday (June 27). But if US fans check Hulu, they will see the time has since been updated. The 10-episode season will be released in its entirety on the same day. The Bear follows award-winning chef Carmy as he attempts to turn his deceased brothers sandwich shop into a fine dining destination. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri also star. The chaotic comedy-drama, documenting the lives of the employees of a Chicago sandwich shop, was one of the biggest successes at this years TV celebrations, including the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Critics Choice Awards. White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bacharach were repeatedly rewarded for their acting skills, along with the series in general. The show first debuted in 2022, followed by a second season in 2023. open image in gallery The Bear season three will debut on June 26 in the US ( FX ) Despite the third season not having aired yet, it has been reported that the show has already been picked up for a fourth season. Corey Hendrix, who plays Gary Sweeps Woods in The Bear, recently spoke to The Independent about the series future. Of course, I want to say it can go on forever. But I think we can easily do like four more seasons or something, he said. Because the first two seasons were a lot but I still feel like we havent really gotten there yet. He continued: The first season is the introduction. The second season, its like were trying to see if we can build this restaurant and now [in season three] its like, okay lets see what happens. Lets see if this is a good idea. So I still think its like everyones still trying to get there. So I feel like there are plenty more seasons left in The Bear. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free It is thought that the decision to film two seasons of the program without a break is due to the schedules of the actors, with Edebiri and White being particularly in demand. In an earlier interview with The Guardian, Moss-Bachrach, who stars as Carmys best friend Richie, admitted that fans yelling his characters nickname (Cousin) at him in public had gotten exasperating. Sometimes, you know, youre just not having a great day, he said. And its just like: Im sorry, man, I dont have much for you. The Bear season three debuts on Hulu in the US on Wednesday (June 26) and on Disney+ in the UK on Thursday (June 27). Seasons one and two are available to stream now. If youre traveling abroad and want to stream The Bear then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Three people, including a Japanese woman and her child, were injured after a man attempted to attack a bus carrying students in Suzhou city of China in the latest knife attack on foreigners in the country. An unidentified man, believed to be a Chinese national, attacked the Japanese individuals on Monday as they waited for the school bus. The third person, a Chinese woman, who was on the bus was critically injured in the attack after she tried to intervene to stop the man from getting on the bus. It was the latest stabbing attack on foreign nationals in the country. Earlier this month, four US college instructors were stabbed and injured in an attack in a public park in the northeastern city of Jilin. The Japanese embassy confirmed that the man was detained and the mother and childs injuries were not serious. In an email sent to Japanese nationals living in China, the Japanese embassy asked them to take precautions as stabbing incidents have occurred in various parts of China in public places including parks, schools and subways. China appeared to downplay the incident, calling it isolated. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday the incident could have happened in any country in the world. The mother was waiting at the bus stop to pick up her child from a nearby Japanese school when the attack happened, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Two buses were at the stop at the time of the attack, a woman who was at the scene told NHK. She said she heard screams from near the buses and saw a man in his late 50s grabbing a boy while holding a knife. The bus attendant and parents subdued the attacker with the help of an umbrella and a bag, it said. The school bus belonged to Suzhou Japanese School, which is located less than a mile away from the area where a sizable Japanese population lives. The Jiangsu province neighbourhood hosts many manufacturing plants for Japanese companies. While knife attacks on foreigners have increased recently stabbing attacks are not uncommon in China, the country which has tight gun control laws. Recently, stabbings have been reported in public places (parks, schools, subways, etc) throughout China, the Japanese consulate in Shanghai said in a statement. In May, a knife attack at a hospital in southwestern China killed two people and injured 21 others. In July 2023, six people, three of them young children, were killed after a man went on a stabbing spree at a kindergarten in southern China. The 25-year-old man went on a rampage in the town of Lianjiang, in Guangdong province. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities in South Korea concluded the search for a missing worker after a body was recovered on Tuesday, taking the death toll in a powerful explosion and fire at a lithium battery factory to 23. The fire on Monday tore through the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, a major industrial cluster about 90 minutes southwest of capital Seoul. The blaze produced toxic smoke inside the warehouse that stored as many as 35,000 lithium batteries, causing the workers to lose consciousness and die within seconds, fire officials said. Large chunks of the building appeared to have been blown out into the street by the explosion. The operation continued overnight to find the missing worker, with fire authorities pressing 100 personnel and two rescue dogs on Tuesday to expand the search, Yonhap news agency reported. They found human remains and personal articles, which will be DNA tested for identification, Hwaseong fire official Kim Jin-young said. Firefighters and a police officer work outside of the site of a burnt battery manufacturing factory in Hwaseong, South Korea ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Officials from agencies including the National Forensic Service, police, and the fire department entered the factory as part of a joint investigation to determine the cause of the accident. At least 17 of the 22 workers who died were Chinese and one Laotian was also among the dead. Most of them were hired temporarily to work at the plant packing primary lithium batteries run by unlisted company Aricell. Park Soon-kwan, the chief executive of Aricell, offered condolences to the workers who were killed and apologised to everyone who had been affected by the fire. We will be conscientiously taking part in the investigation by authorities and will do our best to determine the cause of the accident and to take measures to prevent a repeat of such an accident, Mr Park told reporters. Established in 2020, Aricell makes lithium primary batteries for sensors and radio communication devices. It has 48 employees, according to its latest regulatory filing and its LinkedIn profile. It supplies lithium-ion battery parts to Samsung SDI, one of the countrys major secondary battery makers, according to S-Connects website. The bodies of the victims were recovered from the second floor of the plant, where the fire erupted. The second floor was allotted for inspecting and packaging finished battery products. The identities of only two Koreans among the victims have been confirmed so far while others were burnt beyond recognition, authorities said. "We plan to confirm the victims' identities by collecting DNA from their bodies," a police official said, adding that the process may take time due to their nationalities. "I ask the ministries of labour and industry and the National Fire Agency to conduct an urgent safety inspection and, where there is concern of an accident, take immediate measures," prime minister Han Duck-soo said at a cabinet meeting. He asked responsible authorities to provide special care to the families of foreign nationals killed in the fire. "I ask the foreign ministry and other agencies to swiftly identify them, establish a cooperation mechanism with the relevant diplomatic missions, and provide close care throughout the entire process of giving updates to treating the injured, arranging funerals and offering compensation for damage," he said. A labour ministry official told Reuters it was investigating whether Aricell complied with safety regulations and gave enough safety training for temporary foreign workers. Violations of those regulations are subject to criminal prosecution, the official said requesting anonymity. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Delhis water minister was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday after her health deteriorated from five days of hunger strike over a water shortage in the Indian capital. Atishi Singh, a minister belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (Common Mans Party), which governs Delhi, was admitted to the emergency ICU at the Lok Nayak Hospital around 3.30am on Tuesday after her blood sugar level dropped drastically. She has been on hunger strike since 21 June, demanding that the neighbouring state of Haryana release water from the Yamuna river for Delhis 20 million population. The water shortage has also affected the functioning of hospitals with Delhis Safdarjung Hospital delaying surgeries, reported the Times of India. The city has been seeing an acute shortage of water amid an unprecedented heatwave this summer that has pushed up consumption as temperatures reached almost 50C. At least 277 people have died from heatstroke in the capital alone. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power in the neighbouring state, claimed it had shared sufficient water, and it held AAP responsible for the scarcity. Water minister Atishis health deteriorates. Her blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3am, after which LNJP hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalisation, AAP said in a post on Twitter/X. Usually expected values for normal blood glucose concentration are between 70 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL. open image in gallery Delhi minister Atishi taken to hospital as her sugar level dips ( AAP Delhi/ Twitter ) She has not eaten anything for the last five days and is on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the Haryana government to release Delhis share of water. Shes been admitted to the emergency ICU at LNJP. We pray for her speedy recovery. Sanjay Singh, a parliamentarian from AAP, later told the media that the indefinite strike by the water minister has been called off amid her deteriorating health. Doctors had been asking her to break the strike, Mr Singh said, adding that they will continue to raise the issue in parliament by mobilising the opposition parties. According to the water minister, Delhis water requirement is 1,005 million gallons per day (MGD), of which 613MGD comes from neighbouring Haryana. However, she said that Haryana has only been sending 513MGD of water. 1MGD of water can serve 28,500 people, so if Haryana is sending 1000MGD less water to Delhi, this is ultimately affecting around 28 lakh [2. 8 million] people, she earlier said. However, Haryana asserts that it is already supplying canal water more than due to Delhi, as the ministers blame internal mismanagement by the AAP government in the capital for the ongoing water crisis. Earlier this month, Indias Supreme Court ordered the government of Himachal Pradesh to release its surplus water to Delhi. The court has also directed the government of Haryana to facilitate the flow of surplus water released by Himachal Pradesh so that it reaches the national capital. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged criminals, including serial killers, has died a year after his release from prison. Shahjahan Bhuiyan, 74, was rushed to Dhakas Suhrawardy hospital after he complained of chest pain at his home in Hemayetpur town during the early hours of Monday. He died at the hospital a few hours later while undergoing treatment, authorities said, adding that an autopsy report would confirm the cause of the death. "He had breathing difficulties," Abul Kashem, Bhuiyan's landlord, told AFP. "He rented one of our rooms only 15 days ago. He lived alone". Bhuiyan became a hangman while serving a 42-year prison sentence for robbery and murder at Dhaka's top jail. open image in gallery Landlord (L) and Sister of Bangladeshs hangman Shahjahan Bouya sit at a hospital bench as they wait to receive Bhuiyans body ( AFP via Getty Images ) He has carried out at least 26 executions of war criminals to serial killers, however, local reports suggest that number to be as high as 60. He has been credited with the execution of opposition politicians Ali Ahsan Mujahid and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who were charged with war crimes. Six people guilty of killing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the country's founding leader and father of incumbent prime minister Sheikh Hasina were also hanged by Bhuiyan. His job as the chief executioner was rewarded with a decade early release from the Dhaka Central Jail last June. Following his release, Bhuiyan landed in further legal complications after marrying a woman nearly 50 years younger than him. He went on to write a book narrating his experiences as a hangman and the process of an execution, which was released earlier this year. Bhuiyan then moved over to TikTok, posting posting short clips with teenage girls, which triggered a controversy in Bangladesh. Bhuiyan's sister arrived at the hospital to receive his body on Monday, the police said. After the legal procedures are completed, the body will be handed over to the family, investigation officer Sojib Dey told reporters. Born in 1950, Bhuiyan grew up to become a well-read Marxist revolutionary and joined the outlawed Sarbahara rebels in the 1970. He was convicted for the 1979 death of a truck driver in crossfire with police. Bangladesh ranks third in the world for death sentences passed, according to rights group Amnesty International. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A court in Nepal has convicted a controversial spiritual leader known as Buddha Boy on charges of sexually assaulting a minor. Ram Bahadur Bamjan, who's believed by some to be the reincarnation of the founder of Buddhism, was arrested by police in January on charges of sexual assault and suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of at least four of followers from his camps. A judge at the Sarlahi District Court on Monday found him guilty of sexually assaulting an underage girl, and said sentencing will be on July 1. The charges related to the disappearances of his followers are still pending trial. He could face at least 12 years in jail, but can still appeal his conviction. Bamjan is believed by many Nepalese to be the reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in southwestern Nepal some 2,600 years ago and became revered as the Buddha. Buddhist scholars have been skeptical of Bamjans claims. Bamjan was arrested from a house in a suburb of Kathmandu, the countrys capital, after jumping two floors from a window in an attempt to flee. Ram Bahadur Bomjon achieved fame after apparently meditating under tree for 10 months Police said they seized Nepalese banknotes worth $227,000 and other foreign currencies amounting to $23,000 at the time of the arrest. Several dozen of his followers gathered outside the Central Investigation Bureau offices in Katmandu after his arrest where Bamjan was being held but were pushed back by riot police. Bamjan became famous in southern Nepal in 2005 when many believed he was able to meditate without moving for months while sitting beneath a tree with no food or water. When he first became famous reporters filmed him eating, even though his supporters said he could go without food or drink for days. He was also spotted sleeping when his followers said he was meditating in private. His popularity has declined amid accusations of sexual and physical assaults on his followers, but he still maintains camps in southern Nepal where thousands come to worship or live. Buddhism, founded in India around 500 B.C. is considered the worlds fourth-largest religious tradition after Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A breakthrough new study has found direct evidence linking a key chemical ingredient of plastic bottles to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The study, published in the journalDiabetes, found that the chemical BPA used to make food and drink packages, including plastic water bottles, can reduce sensitivity to the hormone insulin which regulates the bodys sugar metabolism. The findings, to be presented at the 2024 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, call for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the safe limits for exposure to BPA in bottles and food containers. Previous studies have already shown that the chemical Bisphenol A used to make plastic and epoxy resins could disrupt hormones in humans. While research has linked BPA to diabetes, no previous study has directly assessed if administration of this chemical to humans increases this risk in adults. The findings are the first to provide evidence that BPA administration may increase type 2 diabetes risk, scientists from the California Polytechnic State University said in a statement. 8 Foods and Drinks That Are Full of Plastic In the study, researchers randomly assigned 40 healthy adults to either receive a placebo, or about 50 micrograms per kg of their body weight of BPA daily. This BPA dose is the amount currently classified as safe by the EPA. Those who were administered BPA were less responsive to insulin after 4 days, while this change was not noticed in the placebo group participants. These results suggest that maybe the US EPA safe dose should be reconsidered and that healthcare providers could suggest these changes to patients, researchers warned. Reducing BPA exposure by approaches like using stainless steel or glass bottles and BPA-free cans can lower diabetes risk, they said. Plastic bottles are ubiquitous across the world due to their convenience but a growing body of research is raising concerns about the health impacts of their chemical components. Another study, published recently in the journal Eco-Environment & Health, found that sunlight-exposed plastic water bottles could release harmful chemicals. This research assessed the volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, released from six types of plastic water bottles subjected to sunlight. It found that some types of bottles release highly toxic organic compounds, including known cancer-causing chemicals like n-hexadecane, highlighting serious health risks. These findings call for stricter industry regulations to ensure reduction in exposure to these harmful chemicals. This is only the beginning of highlighting the need for informed public health recommendations and policies, Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), said. This article was amended on 2 July 2024. The word not had previously been accidentally omitted from this clause: while this change was not noticed in the placebo group participants. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mindy Kaling has revealed that she is a parent to three children. The Office alum took to Instagram on Monday, June 24 to announce the news that she had given birth to a daughter in February. In late February I gave birth to my daughter, Anne, her caption began alongside photos of her children Katherine Kit, six, and son Spencer, three, her baby bump and the trio at the hospital. Shes the best birthday present I couldve ever imagined. When things are hard, whenever I veer towards cynicism, my three kids are such a great reminder of the pure joy in my life. Im so lucky I live in a place where I could do this by myself, on my own timeline. Thanks for all the birthday wishes! After posting, many people were quick to take to the comments to point out that this wasnt the first time The Mindy Project star announced a pregnancy and new arrival months later. The way youve shocked us three times with three different kids! CONGRATULATIONS!!! one comment read. Another commenter agreed, writing: Wow! You are the master at controlling your socials! Congratulations. Kaling has largely kept her children out of the spotlight since Katherines birth in 2017 and has never revealed the identity of their father. Kaling first announced the birth of Spencer during an episode of The Late Show with Steven Colbert. Im telling it for the first time now I gave birth to a baby boy on September 3, she said on the talk show. At the time, she explained she never announced her pregnancy because no one was seeing her during the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to feeling strange to share good news. There was so much going on, so much heartbreak in the world that it felt strange to go out of my way to shine a light on some giant health information, she told Colbert. Despite being a single parent, the Never Have I Ever creator has previously talked about how it was originally difficult to take care of her then-two children while also working on sets. We carry guilt about needing help and most women in the country dont necessarily have the same resources, she admitted in a 2021 interview with People. A lot of people are lucky because they have family who can help them, but my mom passed away in 2011, so I really didnt have a choice. Particularly during the pandemic, we really got to see how precious and how indefensible childcare providers are. However, Kaling admits that she wouldnt be able to do what she does without her support system of both her nanny and father. I wouldnt be able to keep my full-time professional career and have two children under the age of three without the incredibly strong relationship I have with my nanny, she said. Also with my dad, who comes over to the house at least twice a day to take my son out for walks and to pick up my daughter and bring her home. My village is small and I wish it was bigger. If I didnt have the advice and comradery of other women and other moms, I would not be able to do my job as a mom, as the breadwinner in my house, as a writer, as a performer," she continued. "Its particularly indispensable for someone like me. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Suri Cruise is reportedly the latest celebrity child to drop their fathers last name. The 18-year-old graduated high school on June 21 with her famous mother, Katie Holmes, by her side. In photos obtained by Page Six, the Dawsons Creek alum celebrated the milestone with her teenage daughter outside the United Palace Theater in Manhattan, where the ceremony took place. For the occasion, Suri wore a white sundress under her bright red graduation robes, while Holmes was dressed in a matching light yellow pleated pants set and a collared long-sleeve shirt. open image in gallery ( Getty Images ) Multiple outlets later revealed that Suri had gone by Suri Noelle instead of Suri Cruise in her schools graduation ceremony program. The Page Six report included a photo of the graduation pamphlet credited to celebrity news agency Backgrid, with the name Suri Noelle circled. The moniker is likely a tribute to her 45-year-old mother, whose middle name is Noelle. The same weekend as her high school graduation, Suris father Tom Cruise was among the star-studded guests at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour at Londons Wembley Stadium on June 22. Cruise and Holmes, who tied the knot in November 2006, divorced in June 2012 after five years of marriage. The former couple welcomed their only child together in April 2006. Earlier this month, the 18-year-old hinted at her college plans in a viral TikTok video. The since-deleted clip, which was posted by one of Suris classmates, saw the high school seniors showing off their college sweaters. Suri seemingly revealed shell be heading to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the fall, as she wore a red sweatshirt with her new alma mater. Its currently unclear if Suris name change to Suri Noelle is a permanent, legal adjustment or a professional choice. However, it comes amid an influx of celebrity children namely, the children of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt who have decided to forgo their famous last names. Last month, People reported that Jolie and Pitts 15-year-old daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill program for The Outsiders on Broadway. Just a few weeks prior, her older sister Shiloh legally requested to drop Pitt from her last name on the day she turned 18, according to documents obtained by TMZ. Meanwhile, a viral video previously revealed that the former couples 19-year-old daughter Zahara was introduced by her universitys sorority as Zahara Marley Jolie, also excluding her fathers last name. The name changes came amid speculation surrounding Pitts reported estrangement from his children, as well as an ongoing legal battle over shares of the former couples French winery, Chateau Miraval. The Mr & Mrs Smith co-stars split in 2016 after two years of marriage and 12 years together. Theyre also parents to sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, also 15. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The elections in Sweden to the European Parliament marked the first electoral setback for the Swedish populist party with far-right roots that grabbed more than 13% of the votes but came fourth, according to preliminary figures Monday. That made Sweden one of the few countries in Europe where the far-right is in retreat. The Sweden Democrats the Scandinavian countrys second largest group in the Swedish parliament grabbed 13.2 % of the votes, down 2.2%, and would keep their three seats in the EP assembly, according to preliminary figures. They came in behind the opposition Social Democrats, Prime Minister Ulf Kristerssons conservatives Moderates and the Greens, which made some of the largest gains Sunday in the EU election for Swedens 21 seats. The Social Democrats grabbed nearly one-fourth of the votes and would get five seats while the Moderates would get four and the Greens three. The poor showing by the Sweden Democrats was the election nights greatest sensation, said Mats Knutson, the political analyst with Swedish broadcaster SVT. He said the reasons for the poor showing could be that the party faced a storm of criticism after a television station had alleged that it had been operating fake social media accounts, badmouthing political opponents and allies, spreading doctored videos and posting racist remarks. Knutson also noted that the migration issue wasn't particularly important to voters this time. Christine Nissen, an analyst with the Copenhagen-based think tank Europa, said that migration wasnt the top issue in northern Europe in contrast to southern Europe where issues such as migration are important for the voters there. The Sweden Democrats, who today support membership in the 27-member bloc, have toned down their rhetoric and expelled openly racist members. Since then, they have grown from a marginal movement with less than 2% support to becoming the country's second-biggest party. In the 2022 parliament elections, the Sweden Democrats, who won nearly 21% support up from 17.5% four years ago gained on the rising fears of crime in largely immigrant neighborhoods in segregated districts that are home to large numbers of migrants who have failed to integrate into Swedish society. The party which maintains a hard line on immigration, supports Sweden's three-party center-right government in the 349-member Riksdag, but is not part of it. Kristersson's government has been moving toward a tougher stance on criminal gangs by increasing prison sentences for gang members and introducing stop-and-frisk zones for police to crack down on crime. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A judge in Texas set bond of $10 million Monday for an undocumented Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl whose body was found in a creek after she disappeared during a walk to a convenience store. Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, is one of two men charged with capital murder in Jocelyn Nungaray's death. The other is Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22. Penas bond was set during a court hearing in which prosecutors told state District Judge Josh Hill that he and Martinez-Rangel tried to flee the Houston area after the killing. The two men are Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally in March, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, arrested Martinez-Rangel on March 14 and Pena on March 28. Both were released with orders to appear in court at a later date. Immigration is a top concern for voters, with many saying President Joe Biden hasnt been doing enough to secure the countrys borders. Earlier this month, Biden unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Both Pena and Martinez-Rangel are now under immigration holds by federal authorities, meaning they would remain in custody even if they could post bond. Martinez-Rangel is set to appear in court to review his bond status on Tuesday. Nungaray's body was found June 17 in a shallow creek after police said she sneaked out of her nearby home the night before. She was strangled to death, according to the medical examiner. The suspects allegedly lured Nungaray under a bridge and remained with her there for more than two hours, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege the men took off her pants, tied her up and killed her before throwing her body in the bayou. It doesnt appear that the two men knew the 12-year-old, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Make no mistake, this is a horrific crime, Ogg said during a news conference following Penas court hearing. Lisa Andrews, a court-appointed attorney for Pena, did not immediately reply to a call and email seeking comment. The victim's mother, Alexis Nungaray, remembered her daughter on Monday as someone who was quirky and definitely made people laugh. Im always going to remember those memories because she had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was going to go very far, she said. These monsters took that opportunity from her, from her family. Police arrested Martinez-Rangel and Pena, who investigators said were roommates, on Thursday. Authorities said surveillance video showed two men approaching Jocelyn Nungaray before walking to a Houston convenience store with her. The three then walked together to a bridge, where the girl was killed, police said. Kelvin Alvarenga, Jocelyn Nungarays grandfather, said Monday that his granddaughters death could have been prevented if the countrys immigration system had been redone. "I dont believe that everyone who crosses the border is bad. But within them, there are some who are, he said. Why not take some more time and investigate these people who come here? Ogg said the capital murder charges Pena and Martinez-Rangel face are not death penalty eligible. But if additional DNA testing or other evidence shows the victim was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, the death penalty would be possible, she said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Conservative government wrecked Northern Ireland and destroyed the UKs relationship with Dublin, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said. Mr Eastwood said he believed that a Labour government would be more positive for people in the region but insisted MPs from Northern Ireland needed to take their places at Westminster to exert influence. Criticising Sinn Feins abstentionist policy, Mr Eastwood said turning up to drink coffee now and again in the canteen doesnt cut it. The SDLP, once the dominant force in nationalist politics in Northern Ireland, has had its position eclipsed by its republican rivals in recent elections. However, after losing all of its MPs in the 2017 general election, the SDLP rebounded in 2019 when Mr Eastwood and Claire Hanna won in Foyle and the former Belfast South constituencies with large majorities. In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Eastwood said the margins would be closer in the July 4 poll but added that retaining its two seats would be a huge victory for his party. He said the last time there was a Labour government, people in Northern Ireland ended up with the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Eastwood said: What we have had with 14 years of the a Tory government has been austerity, our public services being starved of opportunity, Brexit, the Legacy Act, all of those things. Of course, they happened in concert with the DUP when they had the whip hand between 2017 and 2019. He added: The reality is anybody who knows anything about Westminster, I only learnt this a few years ago, the reality is if you are not there you dont count, your voice isnt heard, its ignored. We are ignored at the best of times, we have to be there to be heard. We have actually achieved quite a lot, even under a Tory government, I think wed achieve a lot more under a Labour government. The bottom line is this election is about turning up. There is not much point in my view of running for election if you are not going to turn up after the election. Sinn Fein are entitled to do that but I think it is better that people turn up and do their jobs as they are elected to do. Weve had enough actually of people being elected to chambers here and not turning up. I think people need to be at their work with their sleeves rolled up. The relationship with the Dublin government needs to be reset and massively improved because the Tories have destroyed that Colum Eastwood Mr Eastwood said his party would work to ensure Northern Irelands voice was heard by whichever party formed the next government. He said: The relationship with the Dublin government needs to be reset and massively improved because the Tories have destroyed that. We need to see the Legacy Act repealed, we need to see a better funding settlement for Stormont. Look at the state of our health service, it is either collapsed or just about to collapse. Our public services are a mess, our economy is not performing. Mr Eastwood said he believed the SDLPs historical relationship with Labour would enable it to exert some influence. He said: We are not going to make the mistake the DUP made and think their number of MPs are going to have some outsized significance. But what we have got is a sister party relationship with the Labour Party, years of developing and building on that relationship, I spend a lot of time speaking to Keir Starmer and other members of the shadow cabinet. We are there. If you are not there, if you are not seen, you just get ignored. Turning up to drink coffee now and again in the canteen doesnt cut it. I genuinely believe that the voice of the north of Ireland was silenced for two years during those mad Brexit years. We put the voice of everybody else other than the DUP back into Westminster and we will do it again. The SDLP leader said the funding of Northern Ireland needed to be on the agenda of the next government. He said: The bottom line is the Tories have wrecked the place, they have wrecked the public finances, they have destroyed the economy and it isnt just going to be as simple as turning the (funding) taps back on. What weve been saying for 10 or 15 years is that the basis on which the Executive here is funded is wrong. It should be funded on the basis of need and we are getting short-changed. That argument will have to be made, it is an argument we are making, we will continue to make it if we are elected. We will make it in the chamber you cant make it if youre not there. The SDLP vote decreased in the last Northern Ireland Assembly elections as Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party in the region for the first time. However, Mr Eastwood insisted different factors would determine the Westminster election. He said: The last Assembly election was a mood election because people, particularly within nationalism, felt that Michelle ONeill was being denied her rightful place as the elected first minister of Northern Ireland. They were right, she was. It was a disgrace and it was the DUP that was doing it. People came out in large numbers to send that message. That message has been sent, its been heard. But this (election) isnt about that. This is about who are you going to send to Westminster. Retaining those seats after the battering we have taken over the last couple of years, I think would be a huge victory The SDLP is running candidates in all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland although Mr Eastwood said resources would be focused on three or four places where we are competitive. He said: We are fighting hard to retain our two seats. We are in a fight in South Down as well. We have strong support there. There are other places where we have to build back after difficult elections, that is what we will be doing. We are realistic, we know the battles that we are in and that is where our resources will go. He added: You have got to remember in 2017 we lost all three of our MPs. That was a big, big blow for this party. A huge effort went in to getting two of those back. We obviously got huge majorities (in 2019) and that is not going to happen this time. But retaining those seats after the battering we have taken over the last couple of years, I think would be a huge victory. But we are fighting for every vote. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Millions of images of women were discovered on the devices of a man accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby, a court has heard. Detective Constable William Belsham said the amount of material was so vast that officers were only able to examine around 10 per cent of the images collected by obsessed security guard Gavin Plumb. Police carried out a filtering exercise before trawling through tens of thousands of pictures on his devices. In total, 10,322 were of Ms Willoughby, jurors were told. The 37-year-old also revealed he had been wanting to rape the former This Morning presenter for three years, in hundreds of sexualised messages shown to the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday. The trial heard how Plumb discussed his plans to attack Ms Willoughby, 43, in detail with an online user called Marc. The pair scoped access points to her house, shared screenshots of the property and said they would be masked up for an attack, in scores of messages shared on WhatsApp, Kik and Wickr. One message from Plumb, read to jurors by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, said: There is some blind spots to hop the wall. Gavin Plumb denies masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby ( PA ) In a seven-day period in January 2021, they swapped 57 images, including nine deep fake pornographic images, two images of other female celebrities and four images of women who were tied up, the court heard. One image displayed the words hurting women is fun. The pair also bragged about their previous attacks against women, with Marc claiming he had been jailed for stalking in Ireland. It comes after jurors were previously told how Plumb had tried to abduct women from a train on two occasions in 2006 once using a fake gun to force his victim to comply. He later held two teenage girls at knifepoint in a shop stockroom in 2008. In one message he said he had taken his victims to the darkest most isolated part of the warehouse in his 2008 attack. He said he was tying one of their hands behind their backs and was just about to finish her off before they escaped and raised the alarm. The pair exchanged images of Ms Willoughby, including deep fake pornography, as they discussed staking out her home, restraining her family and taking her to another location to rape her. At various points they considered taking the mother of three to an abandoned building or to Plumbs address in Harlow, Essex, the court heard. Definitely in the middle of nowhere so no one can hear her scream, Marc replied in one exchange with Plumb shown to the jury. In messages shared around the time of Ms Willoughbys 41st birthday in January 2022, Plumb said: Its looking like the stake out starts early next month Ill look at getting some time off today. He later added: Well give her a birthday present shell never forget. Plumb also discussed attacks on other high-profile women with Marc including the murder of TV personality Jill Dando, who was shot dead on her doorstep in 1999. Prosecutors read messages from Gavin Plumb to Chelmsford Crown Court ( Sourced ) In a further WhatsApp message from Plumb read to the court by the prosecutor, he said: Just the thought of finally getting her [Ms Willoughby] is turning me on Im actually looking forward to doing it. Im at the point where idc [I dont care] about the risks or consequences. The court heard that Plumb had carried out internet searches including what does it feel like to be raped and how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebrities. Opening the case on Monday, jurors were told it was his ultimate fantasy to target Ms Willoughby, 43, and he had purchased metal cable ties, a knife and chloroform a liquid drug used to stupefy victims in preparation for an attack. The shopping centre security guard is accused of soliciting an undercover US officer he met in an online forum called Abduct Lovers to join a plot to commit murder, and incitement to kidnap and rape the former This Morning presenter. Plumb, of Harlow, Essex, denies all charges. The trial, scheduled to last two weeks, continues. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The number of children growing up in poverty despite having parents in work has increased by the equivalent of 1,350 a week over the past decade, new analysis of government figures suggests. Research from the Trade Union Congress has found that the number of children living in low-income households with at least one parent in work has risen by 900,000 from 2010 to 2013. Some 4.3 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, according to the latest government figures from March. This is the highest level since records began over 20 years ago, and up from the previous high of 4.28 million in the year to March 2020. The poverty line is classed as having a net household income of less than 60 per cent of the UK average, after housing costs. Union says families are pushed into poverty by wage stagnation and real-term cuts to benefits ( PA ) Researchers at the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said that 69 per cent of all children in poverty have one parent or more who is in work. They said that a toxic combination of wage stagnation, rising insecure work and real-term cuts to benefits has had a devastating impact on families. Previous analysis from Action for Children found that more than 300,000 families with children are living in poverty despite both parents being in full-time work. Paul Carberry, chief executive at the childrens charity, said that the TUC analysis was yet more evidence that for too many families facing hardship, work doesnt pay - and hasnt for a long time. The research comes as charity Crisis revealed that it has seen a 25 per cent increase in demand from people dealing with homelessness and housing crises over the past year. In Merseyside, the number of people approaching Crisiss frontline services increased by 39 per cent. In Birmingham, the rise was 35 per cent, and 44 per cent in Brent. The charity said their service in Brent regularly saw homeless people queueing outside the door for help. Katie Schmuecker, principal policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: The UKs deepening levels of poverty are utterly unacceptable. A million children experienced destitution - unable to stay dry, warm and fed - in a single year, and millions more are living in hardship. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: Under the Conservatives, we have seen a huge rise in working households being pushed into poverty. We urgently need an economic reset and a government that will make work pay. Mr Carberry added: These depressing figures mirror our own analysis last year which found an average low-income family, where every parent was already working full time, would need to squeeze in an extra 19 hours a week to escape the breadline - equivalent to working an eight-day week. We need an honest conversation about why so many children are growing up poor in this country and confront the myth that work alone is a passport out of poverty. Matt Downie, Crisis chief executive, said they were seeing unprecedented numbers of people coming to them for help. A Conservative party spokesperson said that the Tory government had lifted 1.1 million people out of absolute poverty since 2010, including 100,000 children. They added: Work is the best route out of poverty, and thanks to our clear plan and bold action, there are nearly 4 million more people in work than when we entered office, wages have risen faster than prices for the past eleven consecutive months, and the National Living Wage we introduced has been boosted by 9.8 per cent this year to 11.44, a record two thirds of median earnings. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Specialist sniffer dogs have been flown in from Madrid to join the search for Jay Slater, as authorities continue to scour for details that may shed light on his disappearance. Now in its second week, only a small search team of police officers and rescue workers could be seen in the mountainous area near the Tenerife village of Masca, a destination popular with experienced hikers. The 19-year-old disappeared after attending the New Rave Generation music festival last Sunday evening in Papagayo Beach Club on the south of the island. After making new acquaintances during the early hours of the morning, he travelled with two British men to a remote AirBnb, an 11-hour hike from his accommodation. At around 8.15am last Monday, he contacted his friend Lucy Law and told her that he was lost, had injured his leg, was dehydrated and that his phone only had one per cent battery. Guardia Civil officers use a dog to search for Jay Slater in the Masca ravine, on the island of Tenerife ( REUTERS ) At 8.50am, his phone was last located near the Mirador La Cruz de Hilda cafe, a steep climb in the wrong direction from where an eyewitness had told him to head. Nine days on, a statement from the Tenerife police on Tuesday said that several Canine Guides of the Civil Guard were dispatched from Madrid with dogs specialised in the search for people on large areas of land. A potential sighting of the apprentice bricklayer at a nearby town of Santiago de Tiete is also being investigated by Spanish police, with the local mayor Emilio Jose Navarro stating that CCTV had been requested from the town hall. A grainy image had been shared to British media outlets, which showed a young man crossing the road in the town on Monday evening, but it is impossible to make out his face. Speaking to The Independent, locals shared their disbelief and confusion as to how the teenager could have made his way across the mountainous terrain. A missing poster for Mr Slater put up on Tenerife ( Holly Evans/The Independent ) One woman named Anita said: People have said there was a sighting of him here, but no one knows anything - his family come here but theres nothing to show he is here, as far as I know no shop or cafe has seen him. While they were not seen on Tuesday, Mr Slaters father has appeared at the search site and the town in recent days, where he has been seen putting up posters on the bus stops and around the main square. Map shows Mr Slaters last known movements in Tenerife ( PA Wire ) Speaking to reporters, Warren Slater said: Nobodys told us. The mountain police [have been] brilliant... but I dont know how the other police [force] works. They could be doing everything but if they are doing [something], theyre not telling us what theyre doing, if you understand what Im saying. While firefighters and police officers continue to comb through difficult terrain in windy conditions, armchair sleuths and conspiracy theorists have come under criticism for spreading speculation on social media. Jay Slater and his mother, Debbie Duncan ( Supplied ) A Swedish couple who were visiting the area on a hiking holiday said they had passed a TikToker on Sunday near the search site, who had been filming content and before venturing into the brush to pursue emergency workers. Peter and Ingrid, who did not wish to give their surname, said they also believed the search efforts were dying down, with no helicopters or drones in sight by Tuesday afternoon. The Guardia Civil have insisted their efforts are not being scaled back, while Mr Navarro added: As a father, I understand. All our resources and means are being used to find him. The teenagers mother has previously criticised social media users who have been spreading unfounded theories about her sons disappearance, and those who have criticised the GoFundMe page, which has raised over 30,000. I am really am saddened by all your comments. You seem to be so bothered about this gofund me page. I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag, Debbie Duncan wrote on Facebook. Close Jay Slaters father makes six-word plea to son at visit to site of search Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jay Slaters family have been urged to use fundraising donations to hire experts to continue the search for the missing teenager. Spanish police said the hunt for the 19-year-old from Lancashire had ended, with the case remaining open on Sunday as the gruelling search entered another week. But his family have vowed to carry on looking for him regardless. TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew out to conduct his own investigation and has urged the family to use some of the 46,000 raised to help continue the search. He wrote on X: In light of the police search ending. I have suggested the family should use the GoFundMe money to continue the search using experts in searching. It comes as an amateur sleuth claimed to be following an unofficial new clue. TikTok climber Paul Arnott, who has been searching for Jay in Tenerife, said that a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones Jay was last seen wearing had been found close to where his mobile phone last pinged. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as King Charles III and Queen Camilla entertain Japans Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako days before the general election. The state visit is set to begin on Tuesday 25 June but without the Princess Royal after her injury. Anne will miss the state banquet after suffering minor injuries to her head and concussion when she was reportedly kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate. The princesss accident is the latest health upset to the hit the royal family this year, with the King and the Princess of Wales both being diagnosed with and undergoing treatment for cancer, and Sarah, Duchess of York, having skin cancer. Emperor Naruhitos trip will go ahead regardless, and the red carpet will be rolled out for the Japanese visitors. The formal state occasion will include the traditional pomp and pageantry of a ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade, a carriage procession and a grand banquet at Buckingham Palace. It will take place from Tuesday to Thursday, ending a week before the 4 July election. The Princess Royal is under observation, just precautionary were assured, for a bit of light concussion. Details are scant, but apparently Anne had a run-in with a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate a couple of days ago. She was walking at the time, not riding. Buckingham Palace remains upbeat the Princess Royal is expected to make a full and swift recovery. Meanwhile, Anne is stuck in a hospital bed, no doubt tutting at the prospect of a disrupted schedule. In her own words, when it comes to work she likes to pack it in. Today she will miss the royal welcome and state banquet for the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Later in the week there was to be a trip to Canada. No more. These are temporary blips. Like her parents, Anne is made of tough stuff. But the convalescence of Britains hardest-working royal highlights both the fragility of our current royal family and the Princess recent prominence within team Windsor. Just before the coronation, in a rare interview, Anne dismissed notions of a slimmed-down monarchy: It doesnt sound like a good idea from where I am standing, I have to say, I am not quite sure what else we can do. And that was before the family was hit with two cancer diagnoses. When it comes to Anne, who will celebrate her 74th birthday this summer, there really isnt much more she can do. The Princess Royal was hard to miss during the Kings recent official birthday parade. Beyond the cool mastery of her agitated horse there was the Princesss embellished costume as colonel of the blues and royals. In one hand she held the reins, in another the gold stick, signifying her role as the original close protection officer to the sovereign, while the golden aiguillettes that crested her uniform confirmed Anne as the personal aide-de-camp to the King. Yes, she was playing a ceremonial part, but the messaging was unequivocal Charles needs his sister. And more broadly, the royal brand needs Anne. Princess Anne pictured during Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade earlier this month ( Getty ) A no-nonsense throwback to her late father, Anne undertook her first royal engagement aged 18 and has never looked back. At once discreet and yet constantly in the public eye, the late Queens only daughter has avoided many of the curveballs that unseated her brothers. Divorce and remarriage came and went, there was a driving ban and a police conviction under the Dangerous Dogs Act (until Harrys legal escapades, Anne was the only member of the royal family to give evidence in court for over a century). She breezed through it all unscathed. When it comes to Anne, the public likes what it sees. Her slow-burn popularity speaks to old-fashioned, immutable ideas of Britishness. That stiff upper lip, nowadays much maligned as unfeeling and anachronistic, has proved Annes unique selling point. Her response to a failed kidnap attempt in 1974 typifies her forthrightness not bloody likely was her retort when gunman Ian Ball insisted she went with him for a day or two. Meanwhile the Princesss prowess in the equine arena gave her Olympic status (she competed at the 1976 Montreal Games) and Sports Personality of the Year. Sundays accident is a salient reminder that horses are not for the fainthearted: for those of us brought up on livestock farms longing to ride, the message was always the same: to be avoided, lethal at both ends, horses bite and kick. Like so many royals, Anne never got that memo. Hers are high-risk characteristics inherited from revered royal stock the late Queen famously didnt wear a riding hat, Prince Philip was still being reprimanded for driving without a seat belt in 2019. The stalwart princess ties us back to that feted great generation. In an era when everything and everyone looks Instagram-ready, Anne resists, and her decision not to embrace the modern age is something for which she is revered and admired. But Anne does care desperately about the institution of royalty. That much was clear in her rare pre-coronation interview: when asked about royaltys declining relevance she pushed back, underlining that the monarchy provides a degree of long-term stability that is actually quite hard to come by any other way. Ideas of national duty and service, and an unswerving belief that the royal family is best placed to deliver those attributes, run through Anne like a stick of rock. A young Princess Anne and her brother King Charles with their parents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, in 1951 ( Getty ) In these turbulent times when callow politicians inveigle and cheat their way into (and out of) public life, Annes old-school convictions shine with a rare sincerity. Yes, she is entitled, haughty even, born of a hereditary system that places her above us, and her older brother yet higher still. But she has stepped up to that calling, delivering consistently throughout her life, and continues to do so in old age. While the late Queen and irascible Duke are much missed, nowadays we take consolation in their daughter, royaltys reassuring continuity player who personifies no-frills stoicism and unshowy public service. She will be champing at the bit to get back on the horse and support her ailing brother. The royal family needs the Princess Royal. Inevitably there will be questions about her schedule; and her age, long disguised by her far older parents. But the fewer platitudes about wellness and recovery times, the better. Like her mother and father before her, Anne knows the drill. Tessa Dunlop is the author of Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy, Headline Press, 2022 Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The creator of the controversial new play TERF has said he would welcome a visit from JK Rowling during its run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Despite not yet being performed to any audience, the play, which explores the now fraught relationship between the Harry Potter author and the actors who rose to fame in the cinematic adaptations, has already proven controversial. Following the authors decision to criticise the transgender community, stars including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson spoke out in support of trans and gender variant people. The fictional show sees the Harry Potter stars stage an intervention for the author but the battle lines have already been drawn. Producer Barry Church-Woods said the play has been a challenge every step of the way, in part, because of the fear of taking a moral position in one of the most prescient debates of our time: the right for trans people to live with dignity and free from discrimination. Writer Joshua Kaplan exclusively told The Independent: I would absolutely welcome JK Rowling and India Willoughby. Everybody is welcome. Kaplans comments come after Willoughby, a trans woman, said that she would portray the author in the play, which prompted Rowling herself to write that she would be investing heavily in popcorn shares the moment the castings confirmed. JK Rowling is aware that a play about her critical views of transgender people is set to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. ( Getty ) The writer explained that TERF had no trouble finding an actress to portray the author, despite initial reports that they were struggling to cast the role. But TERFs venue, St Stephens Church, has now threatened to pull the plug on the play following concerns that it could lead to protests from members of the gender-critical movement. Discussions about its continued presence at the venue, or finding an alternative, are ongoing. The term gender critical is used to describe people who believe that biological sex is more important than a persons perceived gender identity and that gender roles in general are harmful. Rowling has been slammed by many for publically misgendering transgender people, including Willoughby, who she described as cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is. Kaplan said he wanted to create a piece of theatre that would encourage the audience to take a step back and see why they have come to the opinions they have come to. Its not just about what we say, its about the way we say it, he explains, admitting that he was inspired to write the screenplay after the author first expressed gender-critical views in 2020. A lot of that interrogation [about] how we communicate with each other has been completely lost when we are sitting behind our computer [and] typing these awful, often terrible things out to each other and not stopping and thinking about [the] people on the other side of the computer. Several stars from the Harry Potter films have expressed their support for the transgender community in light of JK Rowlings gender-critical views. ( PA ) This sentiment was echoed by Church-Woods on a Change.org petition urging the shows venue not to pull the plug. He stressed that TERF invites you to come, be challenged, and form your own judgements. Kaplan told The Independent that has never been subject to the type of vitriol often levelled when transgender issues are discussed until news of the play emerged. I can understand why someone would want to lash out now that I've heard these things being directed at me, he admitted. I have had to stop and interrogate and say to myself, where is that coming from on their side, and where is that reaction coming from on my side? And then maybe I'll say something, but at least I will take that time to think and feel [first]. The Harry Potter author has repeatedly called trans woman India Willoughby a man on social media. ( PA Media ) Rowlings increasingly vocal views about the transgender community, particularly this year, have influenced the plays script, which Kaplan said is in its final stages of being workshopped. I'm always changing it now because there's always new things happening every day, he admitted. But her increased intensity was not the reason I decided to bring it to the Fringe. I decided to do that before. Kaplan also addressed the view of many gender-critical people who see the TERF acronym meaning a trans-exclusionary radical feminist as a slur. Im an American, he explained. The word TERF does not carry the same weight in America. Most people, I would say, have no idea what it is. My goal as a writer is to reflect whats happening [in the debate]. I am not endorsing what is happening. I want people to see themselves in the story, not me. Its about the society these things are happening in. Tickets for TERF are now on sale. ( Supplied ) While Kaplan has admitted that it is a possibility that the show could attract gender-critical protectors, he is hoping that cooler heads will prevail. The Independent has reached out to a representative for India Willoughby and JK Rowling for comment. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alistair Carnss decision to leave the Royal Marines after 24 years service to stand for Labour in the coming election came as a huge surprise. The colonel, who won the Military Cross in Afghanistan, was widely viewed as someone who would rise very high in the armed forces. Standing in Birmingham Selly Oak, he is one of 14 former services personnel to stand as prospective Labour candidates in this election, something that does no harm to Keir Starmers attempts to portray his party as one that can be trusted with the defence of the realm. Carns, who joined the Royal Marines at 19, was due to be promoted to brigadier this month, which at the age of 44 would have made him among the youngest in that rank. He has served in every major conflict this country has been engaged in for the last two dozen years. Much of Carnss service history 14 of his 24 years cannot be made public for security reasons. He won his Military Cross during a six-month tour that began at the end of 2010. Those of us who reported from Afghanistan remember the fierce, sustained violence of this period as the Taliban made increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and lethal ambushes. But it was during his last posting in a conflict zone that Carns began to think hard about how he could best address the challenges Britain faces in an increasingly dangerous world. The answer, he decided, was to enter politics. We are seeing a completely different form of warfare. We are seeing, for example, the use of hundreds, thousands of drones, drones destroying battle fleets. How many drones have we got in the army? How many drones are in the navy? What lessons are we learning? Are we moving fast enough to keep up with the character of conflict, and if we go to war tomorrow, are we ready? Carns says. We need leadership, and at the moment, Keir Starmer, without a shadow of a doubt, is the person who can provide it. One of the biggest points for me is Labours reinvestment in national security being at the centre of the manifesto, and the simple reason is that you cant have a growing and secure economy without national security in these dangerous times. These [matters] are intrinsically linked, as is our foreign policy. Labour governments have consistently funded defence more than the Conservatives. I have worked for three defence secretaries in the national security structure, and I feel this gives me the ability to put plans into practice. Carns says he decided to stand because change is best delivered via the ballot box ( Alistair Carns ) Starmer has pledged to keep Trident as part of a nuclear deterrent triple lock; to place Nato at the centre of military strategy; to continue to provide Ukraine with armed support; and to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP once the economy allows. Labour says this shows how far the party has moved on from the time of Jeremy Corbyn, who opposed maintaining Trident and was frequently critical of Nato. There was widespread surprise among Carnss colleagues when he decided to leave the military and stand for Labour. My phone didnt stop ringing. I had a pretty interesting life in the forces, and I had never strongly expressed my political views, because, of course, we are meant to be apolitical while serving, he says. My view is that the military is all about public service, and I want to extend that to politics, a broader church. When you look at politics, its Where do you think you can deliver the most change? The reality is, change is best delivered via the ballot box. There are vital social issues to be addressed, as well. There are people out there who are struggling, having to depend on food banks and food pantries, families who really cant feed themselves; things are really, really bad for many, many people. Carns was born and raised in Aberdeen. Both his parents worked in the oil industry before they lost their jobs. I come from a relatively humble background. I joined the marines at the lowest rank, and the military gave me an opportunity to do what I did. I really feel we need to give everyone in this nation of ours an equal opportunity to realise their ambition, he stresses. There is a definitely an increasing divide between those who have the opportunity and those who dont. I believe Labour is the party that can try and achieve that. And there is no reason why one cant try as much as possible to end social deprivation, and also remain strong on national security. Defence is one of the main topics of the Tory manifesto, and the Conservatives have tried to portray Labour as weak on protecting the country. Rishi Sunak warned that a Labour victory would increase the threat to the UK. Last week, writing in The Daily Telegraph, Liam Fox claimed that Starmer was a threat to national security because he had served in Corbyns shadow cabinet. But things have kept going wrong for the government. In a Tory campaign that has been a gift that keeps on giving to the opposition, the prime minister skipped the D-Day commemoration at Omaha Beach attended by veterans and world leaders. He has since apologised for his mistake, but senior military leaders speak witheringly in private about the lack of judgement on display. Carns, who won the Military Cross in Afghanistan, was widely viewed as someone who would rise very high in the armed forces ( Alistair Carns ) Meanwhile, Sunak has continued to promote one of his flagship proposals the return of conscription. He proposed, in a television interview, that young people could have their driving licences suspended, or have access to loans restricted, if they refused to take part in national service. When the head of the army, Patrick Sanders, floated the idea of national service in January, it was dismissed by Downing Street. Two days before the policy announcement, defence minister Andrew Murrison said there were no plans for national service in any form because it would do more harm than good. Richard Dannatt, the former head of the army, has dismissed the conscription plan as electoral opportunism. Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy (and also a former Labour minister), called the scheme bonkers. A serving senior officer in the army says: It used to be said that the Church of England was the Conservative Party at prayer. Well, that went a long time ago. And the view that the military will all vote for the Conservatives is also a thing of a very hierarchical past. Ever since David Cameron in 2010, weve had successive Conservative governments cutting the defence budget while talking up defence. Weve had almost half a dozen defence secretaries in the last six years, one of whom [Ben Wallace] pointed out that defence had been hollowed out. Weve got Tory MPs who want Nigel Farage in their party, a man who blames Nato for Putin invading Ukraine. Thats where we are. Carns adds: Of course, what Farage said has been noticed [in the forces]. It is a complete misinterpretation of what is happening, and also the history between Russia and Ukraine. People Ive spoken to on the doorstep want to stand by Ukraine. And that is Labour policy. Recent opinion polls show that Labour is now seen as more competent on defence than the Tories. A YouGov poll gives Labour the edge, with most parties hovering just above 20 per cent. An Ipsos poll gives Labour a greater lead on the topic, with 41 per cent, while the Tories get 30 per cent. And one by Redfield & Wilton Strategies gives Labour 34 per cent to the Tories 23 per cent. Labour has had a handful of ex-military MPs, including Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer who has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. The Conservatives have around 40 ex-forces MPs, both regular and TA. Quite a few, however, are standing down, and a few more look likely to lose their seats. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (left) and shadow defence secretary John Healey meet with some of the 14 former military personnel Labour has selected to fight the general election, during a visit to the Fusilier Museum in Bury, Greater Manchester ( PA ) One of the latter group, former army captain Johnny Mercer, the veterans minister, is involved in an unpleasant spat with his Labour opponent, former Royal Marines captain Fred Thomas, whom he said had been in uniform for five minutes. Mercer served in the forces for 10 years; Thomas for seven. Mercer accused Thomas of being a Walter Mitty who has not seen action. Thomas has not publicised his time with the Special Forces Support Group. Starmer has described Mercers behaviour as sad and desperate, and of reflecting the state of the Conservative Party. Carns says he finds it all distasteful. Fred Thomas has served in high-threat war zones where the risk to life was a daily occurrence. But do we really want veterans arguing about other veterans service at a general election in which the future of the country is being decided? Voters will think and decide on real issues, not on stuff like this. Most voters in Selly Oak think Labour will hold the seat with ease. The departing MP, Steve McCabe, saw his numbers drop by 6 per cent at the 2019 election, but still kept a majority of more than 12,400. Amir Nasrudine, a 23-year-old student, says: One of my friends asked me if, as a Muslim, Id vote for a military guy, with Iraq and Afghanistan and all that. Ive thought about it, and its not an issue for me personally. But whats going on in Gaza is a big issue. None of the main parties have done anything like enough to stop the killings. Labour say they want a ceasefire now and an end to the killings, and will work to get this if they get in. Ill vote for them; well see if they keep to their word. His friend, Zaed Hussein, adds: If you ask people around here if theyll vote Tory, theyll say Are you mad, man? No way! They have got no chance here, none whatsoever. Colin Johnston, 62, an electrician, did vote for the Conservatives in 2019, switching from Labour. I couldnt back Corbyn. Maybe he had a bad press, but I just couldnt trust the man not just with defence, but other things as well. But the Tories are an absolute disgrace: Johnson, Truss, absolute showers. Sunaks been left holding the can. Reform, forget it Farage is saying the same thing about Russia as Corbyn. Johnston, who has served in the army in the Cheshire Regiment (now part of the Mercians Regiment), will vote Labour. Being in the forces does not make him [Carns] automatically a good fit. But he has done the hard yards, Ive listened to what he has to say, and he seems OK, he says. Anyway, we can vote him off next time if he falls short. Now thats something we couldnt do with crap officers we had, mores the pity. But seriously, we need a change this country cant afford to have another Tory government. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A high-flying Royal Marines colonel who has given up his military career to run for parliament has insisted that only Labour can be trusted on defence. Colonel Alistair Carns is one of 14 veterans standing for Labour at this general election, in a significant shift since Jeremy Corbyn was leader of the party in 2019. Col Carns was due to be promoted to brigadier at the age of 44, making him among the youngest in Britain to achieve that rank, but is instead campaigning to be the MP for Birmingham Selly Oak. The decorated military hero has spoken exclusively to The Independent about why he decided to go into politics. We need leadership, and at the moment Keir Starmer, without a shadow of a doubt, is the person who can provide it, he said. Only a Labour government can be trusted to defend our country. One of the biggest points for me is Labours reinvestment in national security being at the centre of the manifesto, and the simple reason is that you cant have a growing and secure economy without national security in these dangerous times. These [matters] are intrinsically linked, as is our foreign policy. Keirs army of former military personnel join the Labour leader in Manchester ( Getty ) Col Carns is running in a campaign that has seen Rishi Sunak criticised for leaving D-Day commemorations early at a time when the prime minister was trying to make defence spending and security a major issue for voters. It was a bad mistake for the prime minister to leave early, he said. We owe our freedom to the veterans who were there. Many of them will not be around for the next anniversary. They deserve our fullest respect. It was also a bad mistake to leave early when the world leaders were there, including Joe Biden, the leader of the free world. The prime minister of this country should have been there. The Tories have tried to lead on defence, but were criticised for putting out an attack post on social media suggesting that Vladimir Putin, Chinas president Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un of North Korea were hoping for a Labour victory. One experienced officer noted that, since David Camerons government in 2010, successive Conservative administrations have cut the defence budget while talking up the importance of defence; there have also been nearly half a dozen defence secretaries in the last six years. Col Carns, who was awarded the Military Cross in Afghanistan, has made clear that he believes it is the Tories who are a danger to Britains military readiness. He also makes clear that he is concerned at the way that many Tory MPs have flirted with Nigel Farage, even though the Reform leader openly blames the West for Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine. Carns was in line to become a brigadier before leaving the military to enter the political fray ( Supplied ) Col Carns went on: Of course, what Farage said has been noticed [ in the forces]. It is a complete misinterpretation of what is happening, and also the history between Russia and Ukraine. People Ive spoken to on the doorstep want to stand by Ukraine. And that is Labour policy. He also questioned the military spending priorities of the last 14 years, and emphasised that he wants to help bring about change. We are seeing a completely different form of warfare. We are seeing, for example, the use of hundreds, thousands of drones, drones destroying battle fleets ... Are we moving fast enough to keep up with the character of conflict, and if we go to war tomorrow, are we ready? Carns in Afghanistan ( Alistair Carns ) Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to keep Trident as part of a nuclear deterrent triple lock; to place Nato in the centre of military strategy; to continue to provide Ukraine with armed support; and to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP once the economy allows it. Col Carns is not the only former military figure to feel comfortable running for Labour as a result of the change of leader. Early in the campaign, the Labour candidate for Dover, Mike Tapp, told The Independent he could not have supported the party with Corbyn in charge. I wouldnt have stood under the previous administration, he said, adding: Coming from a military background, defence and security means so much to me, and you have to be able to trust your government on defence and security. Any wavering around the nuclear deterrent or Nato, for me, is unsuitable. Sir Keir has made change the central message of his election campaign, referring both to the change he has made to Labour, in bringing it back to the mainstream, and the change he wants to bring to the country. On 3 June, Sir Keir was joined by 10 of his 14 military candidates in Manchester to unveil a new era for Labour and the UK in an age of insecurity marked by war in Ukraine and the Middle East. Dismissing Tory claims that national security will not be safe in his partys hands, he pointed out that the army is now at its smallest since the Napoleonic era. National security is the most important issue of our times, and that will become our solemn responsibility, the Labour leader said. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Independent is giving readers the chance to chat directly with candidates from some of the major political parties in a special general election series of Ask Me Anything events. In this question and answer session, our community can chat exclusively with SNP candidate Drew Hendry, who is looking to hold his seat on July 4. Hendry was first elected in 2015, then again in 2017 and 2019. He is the SNP candidate for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire and currently serves as the SNPs Westminster spokesperson for the economy. In its manifesto, the party makes it plain that it wants to rejoin the European Union and the single market, and reverse the damage of Brexit. That only looks likely to be an option if Scotland becomes independent, so its unsurprising that the SNP is also pledging to intensify the pressure to secure Scottish independence. If you have a question about the SNPs manifesto, pledges or policies submit it now, or when Drew Hendry joins you live at 1pm on Thursday June 27 for the Ask Me Anything event. Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. Scroll down or click here to leave your comment. If youre not already a member, click sign up in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here. Dont worry if you cant see your question they may be hidden until the Q&A starts. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} In the picturesque Hertfordshire market town of Hitchin, the Tory and Labour general election campaigns have been neatly summed up. Contesting the seat for Labour is 34-year-old ex-Bank of England economist Alistair Strathern, who proudly describes himself as an acolyte of Sir Keir Starmers changed Labour Party. Hoping to hold the seat for the Conservatives is 38-year-old former HSBC executive Bim Afolami, the Treasury economic secretary elected to parliament in 2017. Leaflets for Mr Afolamis campaign, seen by The Independent on a visit to the constituency, show he is hoping to win as a strong local champion for the area. But voters spoken to by this paper said the ministers close association with the Conservatives nationally, as he is often wheeled out to defend the party on broadcast rounds, has tarnished his reputation in the area. In 2019, the Liberal Democrats came in second place in the former Hitchin and Harpenden constituency with 20,824 votes to the Tories 27,719. The party has a new candidate this time around in local councillor Chris Lucas. Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign. Conservative candidate Bim Afolami was elected in 2017 ( Jordan Pettitt/PA ) Mr Strathern has his own challenges to overcome. Elected in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election to replace Nadine Dorries in 2023, he was criticised for standing in this general election for Hitchin, with news outlets at the time describing the move as a chicken run. A boundary change meant his house, where he lives with his partner, was actually within the new constituency. When The Independent met Mr Strathern in the middle of a sunny day of door-knocking he talked about his time representing Mid Bedfordshire and his plans for the area if he is re-elected. Mr Strathern said one of the biggest differences after taking that seat for Labour for the first time since it was created in 1918 was the area having a visible MP. Meeting voters on the campaign trail ( Labour ) A key issue he says he has tried to tackle locally is the lack of GP provision, which has seen him establish task forces between the local council and NHS bodies to unblock more funding. The former teacher and environmental campaigner said, alongside economics, the topics he would be most passionate about in the next partnership would be children, young people and the environment. Speaking about voters falling in behind the campaign, Mr Strathern said: There are people voting for us who have voted Conservative all their lives who feel the party has let the country down, descended into chaos and lost touch with the values they thought they were voting for at the time. We are also seeing people who might have voted Green or Lib Dem before recognising Labour is in a much more positive place now, but also that we are the party that can win. Strathern seeks to win over a first-time voter in Hitchin ( Independent ) In the Hermitage coffee shop in central Hitchin, The Independent spoke to two voters who were scathing about Mr Afolamis government post. One, a local police officer, said she thought Mr Afolami would lose the seat because of his association with successive Tory governments. She claimed the minister was a lap dog for Liz Truss, despite Mr Afolami not having served in her government. In fact, when the short-serving former PM resigned he said it had become clear that she had irreparably lost the trust of both the British public and the Conservative parliamentary party. But, the officer argued, Mr Afolamis repeated appearance on broadcast media rounds defending the governments record had undermined his claims to be an independent voice in the Conservative Party. The other was a long-standing Labour voter who said she could not wait to see the back of the Conservative candiate. Strathern replaced Nadine Dorries as MP for Mid Bedfordshire ( PA ) Her 18-year-old politics student daughter was split between the Greens, Lib Dems and Labour for who to back with her first ever vote. After taking a selfie with Mr Strathern, she put the candidate on the phone with her daughter, who quizzed him on Labours strategy to reduce child poverty and invest in the green energy transition. After the call, she remained undecided. But with the Conservatives trailing Labour by 20 points nationally, all signs point to Mr Strathern taking the newly created seat. Meanwhile a seat-level YouGov poll last week put him on course to claim the constituency, held by the Conservatives in its previous form, Hitchin and Harpenden, since 1997. Speaking to The Independent, Mr Afolami struck a more optimistic tone. The 38-year-old former HSBC executive, who became an MP in 2017, said he is facing a significant challenge from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, and it will be tight, but we are in good shape. Afolamis association with the government hurts his chances, one voter said ( EPA ) Like many Tory candidates, Mr Afolami has to reckon with the cloud that continues to linger over the Tory party in an election campaign that has struggled from the start. The economic secretary to the Treasury acknowledged the campaign has been made more difficult by Conservative chaos at a national level. But the Tory hopeful insisted voters are also worried about how Labour would handle issues such as housing, the green belt and tax. People are not happy at all with Labours plans to turn the green belt to the grey belt, and we have a lot of small business owners, people are worried Labour will overtax them and waste peoples money. He was quick to turn the conversation to local issues, such as ensuring local infrastructure keeps up with development, saving local pubs and extending the Chilterns area of outstanding natural beauty to cover parts of the constituency. And Mr Afolami highlighted his own work as the areas MP pushing for densified urban centres in order to create more housing without paving over Hitchins green spaces. Whether the voters of this newly formed constituency will think his local track record is enough to offset the association with Mr Sunaks troubled government - currently mired in yet another scandal just days before the election - remains to be seen. The full list of candidates for Hitchin at the election on 4 July is: Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour will keep the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge in use if elected next week, Yvette Cooper has confirmed. The party has said it cannot end the use of the vessel immediately if it wins the general election, but that it wants to end the need for barges and hotels as fast as possible. The shadow home secretary was quizzed about Labours plans for Bibby Stockholm, which she has criticised in the past over its eye watering cost. Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign. Asked during a debate on LBC whether she would take asylum seekers off the barge on day one of a Labour government, Ms Cooper said: No, obviously you cant do that on day one. I think we need to end these extortionate barges, military bases and hotels we want to do that as fast as possible but what you have to do first of all, the system is broken, so we need to prevent small boats arriving in the first place and that means smashing the criminal gangs. Home Secretary James Cleverly and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper take part in a live immigration debate on LBCs Nick Ferrari at Breakfast (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Wire ) Last week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refused to say whether he would remove asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm if he becomes prime minister. There are believed to be around 100 men living on board the barge, moored in Portland, Dorset, though the number often fluctuates. Quizzed about Bibby Stockholm by ITV, Sir Keir said Labour would stop small boats crossing the channel, saying the barge was an example of the failure of the government. But he refused to say he would get rid of it if he became prime minister. Ms Coopers admission is likely to infuriate left-wing voters and MPs on the left of the Labour Party, who have criticised the barge as inhumane. An Albanian asylum seeker died aboard the vessel in December in a suspected suicide, with his cause of death found to have been compression of the neck caused by suspension by ligature. The Bibby Stockhold barge is moored in Portland, Dorset ( PA ) Refugee charities at the time called for the barge to be shut down, saying they had long warned about the deteriorating mental health of those on board. A recent inquiry into life aboard the Bibby Stockholm found residents compared it to being in prison, while one said it made them feel like a zoo animal. One employee said they stopped receiving shifts on the barge because they were being friendly to residents. The discovery of dangerous bacteria led to its evacuation last summer just days after the arrival of the first asylum seekers, and it remained vacant for two months. Labour is understood to believe the barge should have not been introduced in the first place, but that it cannot immediately scrap the vessel if it inherits it after the election. The party has outlined plans to roll out a returns unit for asylum seekers arriving in the UK, speeding up the processing of those who can be sent back to safe countries such as India and Albania. It has also promised a new Border Security Command to use counter-terrorism powers in a bid to tackle the people-smuggling gangs bringing migrants across the channel in the first place. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has finally bowed to pressure and withdrawn the Conservative Partys support for two candidates embroiled in the general election betting scandal. The Tories have dropped Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, both of whom are linked to the prime ministers inner circle and are under investigation by the Gambling Commission. But two weeks after allegations first emerged even a Conservative former cabinet minister asked why did it take so long. The commission is looking into alleged bets on the date of the election, made before Mr Sunak announced it would take place on 4 July. Mr Sunak had withstood days of mounting calls to suspend those caught up in the row, with Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker the latest senior Tory to call for action. In a bid to head off criticism on Monday, the prime minister announced the Conservatives were conducting their own probe into the row. Now the party says that as a result of ongoing internal enquiries it can no longer support either candidate. Craig Williams served as the Prime Ministers parliamentary private secretary (UK Parliament/PA) ( PA Media ) Mr Williams, one of Mr Sunaks closest aides as his parliamentary private secretary, appeared to admit placing a bet on the election date just days before the Tory leader announced it, saying he made a huge error of judgement. Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign. Meanwhile, Ms Saunders, who is running in Bristol North West and has worked for the party since 2015, is married to Tony Lee, the Conservative Partys director of campaigns, who is also being probed by the gambling watchdog. Despite being ditched by their party both Mr Williams - who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr - and Ms Saunders will still be on ballot papers, as the deadline to change these has passed. Mr Baker piled pressure on Mr Sunak on Monday when he told ITV: I would call them up and ask them, Did you do it? And if they did it, then they are suspended. But the prime minister would have to answer why he hasnt done it, I havent got inside information on why the prime minister hasnt done it. He joined senior Tories including Tobias Ellwood who also called for them to be suspended. After the announcement, a Conservative former cabinet minister, Lord Frost, tweeted: We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start? Others tied to the Gambling Commission probe include the partys chief data officer Nick Mason, who has taken a leave of absence from Tory HQ. A close protection officer for the prime minister has also been suspended by the Metropolitan Police and is being investigated. Responding to the suspensions, Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: Why didnt that happen a week ago? And shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: It is yet another example of Rishi Sunaks staggeringly weak leadership that it has taken him nearly two weeks to see what was obvious to everyone else. Rishi Sunak had come under significant pressure to suspend the candidates ( Getty Images ) The Conservatives who sought to line their own pockets by betting on the election date are not fit to be candidates for parliament. Mr Ashworth also called on the prime minister to come clean about how many Conservative figures are implicated in the scandal and who they are. He added: Just as with Partygate and the PPE scandal, the Conservatives believe it is one rule for them, another for everyone else. The Gambling Commission has compiled a list of everyone who put a bet on a July general election after 1 May and is now combing through the data and picking off people from that, an industry source told The Independent. Mr Williams placed a 100 bet with 5-1 odds, meaning he would have won 500, but would not have received a payout until after the contest. His suspension is a major blow for the party, as the seat he was contesting is the only one in Wales projected as a Tory win in a major seat-level YouGov poll last week. Making the announcement, a Conservative Party spokesman said: As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as Parliamentary Candidates at the forthcoming General Election. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer has taken aim at Rishi Sunaks leadership ability over the election date betting scandal, accusing the prime minister of failing to grasp the nettle and take action quickly enough. The Labour leaders taunts came on the day that Mr Sunak finally agreed to suspend the candidates, two weeks after the allegations first emerged. The scandal continued to deepen on Tuesday when Scotland Yard confirmed that five more police officers were alleged to have placed bets on the timing of the general election. The Met said it had been passed information on the allegations by the Gambling Commission. Speaking to The Independent, Sir Keir insisted that, had Labour candidates been involved in allegedly trying to use insider information to make bets, they would have been straight out of the door and their feet wouldnt have touched the ground. Just a few hours after the interview, the Labour leader made good on his words, suspending Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig after being told he was also being investigated by the Gambling Commission. Sir Keir also handed back Mr Craigs 100,000 donation to the party. The Labour leader made it clear that the final week of the election campaign would be about character and leadership, and who is best placed to make the tough decisions in government. Sir Keirs attack on the prime minister had echoes of the 2010 campaign, when Gordon Brown was described as frit by David Cameron as he headed towards defeat. Starmer, pictured discussing knife crime with actor Idris Elba on Tuesday, has been critical of the prime ministers handling of the betting scandal ( PA Wire ) Craig Williams, the candidate for Montgomeryshire, was Mr Sunaks parliamentary private secretary, and Laura Saunders, the candidate for Bristol North West, has worked for the party since 2015. Her husband, Tony Lee, has taken leave of absence from his role as the Tory director of campaigns, after he too came under investigation by the Gambling Commission. Sir Keir spoke of his anger at the scandal that has tainted British politics over the last two weeks, and questioned the length of time it took for Mr Sunak to take action. Its a failure to grasp the nettle, he said. Its I don't know how many days after the first admission I think its 13 days, and certainly a good week and a bit since [it first broke]. If they had been my candidates, theyd have been straight out of the door and their feet wouldnt have touched the floor, but to wait a week, to make excuses like that, is inexcusable. The Labour leader himself has been accused of being slow to take action against candidates in the past, including during the Rochdale by-election in April, when Labours candidate Azhar Ali was suspended for repeating conspiracy theories about Israel that claimed the country had orchestrated the Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October. Mr Alis words were first put to Labour on a Saturday and broke in the evening. After Labour attempted to defend the decision not to suspend their candidate on the Sunday political shows, further accusations were put to the party on the Monday, and he was then suspended. Sir Keir said this showed that he and his party had acted quickly in comparison to Mr Sunak and the Tories. The Conservatives have withdrawn their support for Craig Williams, the former candidate for Montgomeryshire ( PA Media ) I think the issue blew up on the Sunday, and [Mr Ali] was gone by the Monday, he said. That was a by-election, where we were drawing the only candidate in the by-election, where basically we had to concede the by-election. Sir Keirs comments came as Mr Williams, who has admitted placing a bet on the date of the election, defended himself after his suspension. He said he had committed an error of judgement, not an offence and added that he intended to clear his name. But public anger over the issue was highlighted by an opinion poll that showed increasing support for the idea that those who gambled on the election date should be barred from standing as candidates. Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the UK public said that candidates who placed bets on the date of the general election should not be allowed to stand, in research by Savanta conducted from 21 to 24 June, before the Conservative Party announced that it had withdrawn its support. Savantas research has underlined the challenges the prime minister faces, with over half (54 per cent) of Conservative voters saying that the candidates shouldnt have been allowed to stand. It came as Scottish Secretary Alister Jack insisted that a claim he made, that he had won 2,000 betting on a July election, had been a joke. He said in a statement: Following reports today I want to be absolutely clear I have not breached any gambling rules. I placed two unsuccessful bets on the date of the general election and one successful one. I put two bets on in March of 5 each for an election to be held in May and June respectively. In April, I put 20 at 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September. I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called. As I have said previously, I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission. Shortly after the prime minister called the election, he told the BBC he had made 2,100 after betting on June and July election dates. Rishi Sunaks leadership is again under question ( EPA ) Mr Sunak had withstood days of mounting calls to suspend those caught up in the row, with Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker the latest senior Tory to call for action. In a bid to head off criticism, the prime minister announced on Monday that the Conservatives were conducting their own inquiry into the row. But a day later, the party said that as a result of ongoing internal enquiries it could no longer support either candidate. Mr Williams who, as Mr Sunaks parliamentary private secretary, was one of the prime ministers closest aides appeared to admit having placed a bet on the election date just days before the Tory leader announced it, saying he had made a huge error of judgement. Despite being ditched by their party, both Mr Williams, who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, and Ms Saunders, the former candidate for Bristol North West, will still appear on ballot papers, as the deadline to change these has passed. Mr Baker piled pressure on Mr Sunak on Monday when he told ITV: I would call them up and ask them, Did you do it? And if they did it, then they are suspended. But the prime minister would have to answer why he hasnt done it. I havent got inside information on why the prime minister hasnt done it. The Northern Ireland minister joined senior Tories including Tobias Ellwood, who also called for the two candidates to be suspended. After the announcement, Conservative former cabinet minister David Frost tweeted: We get there in the end. But why did it take so long to come to a decision that seemed so necessary right from the start? Others said to be involved in the Gambling Commission inquiry include the partys chief data officer Nick Mason, who has taken a leave of absence from CCHQ. A close protection officer for the prime minister has also been suspended by the Metropolitan Police and is being investigated. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tory activists on a Conservative Party members Facebook group have given their support to Nigel Farage over his claims the west provoked Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. When The Independent showed Labour the leaked remarks on chatrooms a source described them as worrying. One party member in the discussion group claimed that Farage has his finger on the pulse of public opinion after Farage attacked Nato expansion and claimed it gave Putin the excuse he needed to invade Ukraine in 2022. It comes after a new poll of 10,000 voters suggests that Reform are still ahead of the Tories with Conservatives switching support to Farages party. Tory activists on a Conservative members only Facebook group have voiced support for Farage over his controversial comments attacking Nato over Ukraine ( PA ) The leaked posts were from a Conservative members-only Facebook group. The Conservatives Party Members Group, a private group for verified members, has over 3,000 Conservative members including MPs such as Andrew Rosindell, Joy Morrisey, John Penrose and Virginia Crosby. Previously the same group included members making misogynistic attacks on Penny Mordaunt when she represented the Tories in the seven-way debates. They were also critical of Rishi Sunak when he was in the head-to-head with Sir Keir Starmer. On Friday night, Mr Farage stated in an interview with the BBCs Nick Robinson NATO and the EU instigated the conflict in Ukraine by expanding eastwards. Senior Conservative figures jumped on Farages comments as a dividing line between them and Reform, with Home Secretary James Cleverly stating this morning that he would never allow Farage to join the Conservative party. Rishi Sunak said the Reform UK leaders comments were completely wrong and only plays into Putins hands. Farage has since suggested negotiating with Putin and doubled down on the comments on Ukraine he first made in 2014. However, Conservative members and councillors disagreed. One party member said: Well he is absolutely correct. Why do other people think Putin invaded? For a laugh. A former councillor agreed: Many Conservatives think hes absolutely right. The former Tory councillor added: The simple hypocrisy of the EU wanting to expand its empire while Russia was forced to give up its own! Wasnt going to end well, was it? Another current councillor disagreed that Farage had shot himself in the foot, saying If you poke the Russian Bear, dont be surprised if Russia retaliates. There was also some criticism for Conservative policy and UK Government policy. One current Conservative councillor wrote that Boris is probably responsible for the war continuing, while a member wrote that there are increasing misgivings about how much we are spending and what its achieving here. Another thought that Farage was saying as it is. Whatever your views on Farage, he does have his finger on the pulse, stated another Conservative member, pointing to Farages previous predictions of conflict in Ukraine in 2014. Another member stated that Farage had made a valid point about EU expansion, with another stating that the US had tried to implement regime change in Ukraine [...] Nigel Farage is not wrong. The Conservative Party has distanced itself from the Facebook group noting that one member was also a member of the Lee Anderson Apprecation group. A Conservative party spokesman said: This is not an affiliated Conservative Party Facebook group. But a Labour source said: These worrying comments threaten to undermine our united front against Russian aggression. The only winner here is Putin, and every real Conservative should disavow these comments immediately. There may be a change of government following the General Election, but there will be no change in our united support for Ukraine and for NATO as a cornerstone of our defence and security. In an interview with The Independent, Royal Marines Colonel Alistair Carns said one of the reasons he is standing for Labour in Birmingham Sellyoak is because of support for Farage among Tories and the Reform UKs comments on Ukraine. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One of the main candidates to become the next chief of Interpol has been accused of involvement in the kidnapping and attempted extortion of two Indian businessmen. Mubita Nawa, the deputy commissioner of police in Zambia, is one of the four people shortlisted to be the next secretary general of the international police organisation, and his candidacy has been backed by African Union member states. In letters seen by The Independent, lawyers for the two businessmen Vinod and Uddit Sadhu have written to Interpol alleging that Mr Nawa was "plainly unsuitable" to lead the organisation and that he "played a pivotal role in a conspiracy that led to their unlawful kidnap, detention, assault and attempted extortion in September 2022. Zambian police have denied what they described as the malicious allegations raised by the Sadhus lawyers. Mr Nawa was the deputy director of the Zambian criminal investigation department (CID) when the Sadhus were allegedly ambushed by assailants posing as police officers. Good morning world! Today in Lyon, France I interview for INTERPOL Secretary General. Deep gratitude to my family, country, team, and all my supporters whove brought me to this crucial point. Africa stands united and determined behind my candidacy. Proud of our pic.twitter.com/uorqPxdkp1 Mubita Nawa (@mubitanawa77) June 25, 2024 The duo were "bundled into an unmarked van before being taken to a private residence in Lusaka at which they were subject to threats and coercion, before one of the captives managed to raise the alarm using a concealed mobile phone", according to the letter sent to Interpol by the UK-based Leverets Group. The Sadhus were then allegedly transferred to a police station where they were subjected to threats and coercion by "new kidnappers, assailants and extortionists, including Mr Nawa". The Sadhus are owners of Sun Pharmaceuticals, which was awarded approximately 117m Swiss francs (105m) by Zambias supreme court for overpayment on a loan from the Development Bank of Zambia, according to The Guardian. The company is yet to receive the payment, however, which is supposed to be the responsibility of the Zambian government. Since the court judgment, the Sadhus have been placed under extreme and illegal pressure to forgo the payment by people close to the administration, such as Mr Nawa and his associates, the letter read. It claimed the Sadhus have begun legal proceedings against those involved in the 2022 incident, where Mr Nawa "will be a critical witness" when the case is heard in October. The Zambian police in a statement said the Sadhus were fugitives of the Zambian legal system and are subjects of an ongoing investigation. The Sadhus were suspects in an investigation into the commission of fraud by allegedly altering the share structure of Sun Pharmaceuticals, said Milner Muyambango, the acting inspector general of Zambian police. He also categorically refuted the allegations against Mr Nawa, which he said were unfounded and intended to tarnish his image ahead of the Interpol secretary general elections. "These false claims are obviously part of a calculated smear campaign, he said. Mr Nawa wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that he was in Lyon to interview for the job of Interpol secretary general. A decision on the role is expected to be announced imminently. The Independent has reached out to Leverets Group and Mr Nawa for comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenyas parliament leaving a number of people dead and dozens more injured after a controversial tax bill was passed. Protesters overwhelmed police and chased them away in an attempt to storm the parliament compound. Video from inside the building showed tables and chairs overturned and smashed, while footage from outside showed sections of the parliament building on fire, tear gas smoke and dozens of armed police. A paramedic, Vivian Achista, told Reuters that at least 10 had been killed. Another paramedic, Richard Ngumo, said more than 50 people had been wounded by gunfire. He was lifting two injured protesters into an ambulance outside parliament. Protesters could be heard shouting Were coming for every politician and some lawmakers were forced to flee parliament through a tunnel. Protesters run inside the Kenyan parliament as police look on ( AFP via Getty ) We want to shut down parliament and every MP should go down and resign, said protestor Davis Tafari, who was trying to enter parliament. We will have a new government. The protests started a week ago. Last Thursday, one person was killed and at least 200 people injured in demonstrations across the country, according to human rights groups and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa), a police watchdog. The bill would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy raising the price of goods like period products and nappies. A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry with many Kenyans frustrated over the rising cost of living. Parliament approved the finance bill, moving it through to a third reading by lawmakers. The next step is for the legislation to be sent to the president for signing. He can send it back to parliament if he has any objections. Kenyan president William Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenyas working poor, but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to obtain more funding, and a hard-pressed population. The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7bn in taxes as part of an effort to lighten the heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37 per cent of annual revenue. Protesters hold a Kenyan flag outside the Kenyan parliament after storming the building during a nationwide protest against a tax bill ( AFP via Getty ) Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for the finance bill to be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn to make way for dialogue. I am disturbed at the murders, arrests, detentions and surveillance being perpetrated by police on boys and girls who are only seeking to be heard over taxation policies that are stealing both their present and future, he said in a statement. The government has already made some concessions, promising to scrap proposed new taxes on bread, cooking oil, car ownership and financial transactions. But that has not been enough to satisfy protesters. The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared a video of police firing off shots and said they would be held to account. Addressing Mr Ruto, the commission wrote on social media: The world is watching your descent into tyranny! Your regimes actions is an assault on democracy. All those involved in the shooting actively or passively must be held to account. The president had earlier said he wanted to have dialogue with the protesters and was proud of them. But security forces have been accused of abducting prominent Kenyans, especially those with large social media followings. A member of the Kenyan security forces looks on from his helmet as he is deployed amid tear gas during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes ( AFP via Getty ) Kenyan broadcaster KTN News also said authorities had threatened to shut it down over its coverage of the protests. Police also fired tear gas in Eldoret, Mr Rutos hometown in western Kenya, where crowds of protesters filled the streets and many businesses were closed for fear of violence. Clashes also broke out in the coastal city of Mombasa and demonstrations took place in Kisumu, on Lake Victoria, and Garissa in eastern Kenya, where police blocked the main road to Somalias port of Kismayu. In Nairobi, people chanted Ruto must go and crowds sang in Swahili: All can be possible without Ruto. Music played from loudspeakers and protesters waved Kenyan flags and blew whistles in the few hours before the violence escalated. Kenyas Ipoa chair Anne Makori urged police to exercise restraint while noting the killing of a protester and injuries sustained by demonstrators and police officers. Ambassadors and high commissioners in Kenya from countries including Britain, the United States and Germany said in a joint statement that they were deeply concerned by violence they had witnessed during recent anti-tax protests. They also called for restraint on all sides and encouraged all leaders to find peaceful solutions to the protests in the statement shared by the British High Commission via its Twitter/X account. We regret the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained including by the use of live fire, the statement said. Reuters contributed to this report The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alex Joness notorious Infowars channel is set to be shut down after an emergency motion was put forward in bankruptcy court. Jones, 50, declared bankruptcy last year when he was ordered to pay $1.5bn to the families of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims after he was sued for promoting a false theory that the massacre was a hoax. A judge later ruled that he would not be released from paying the settlement despite the bankruptcy filings. Since then he has failed to pay out any of the sum, with a federal judge in Texas ruling this month to liquidate Joness personal assets. The judge did not determine the fate of Infowars at the time. However, the trustee in charge of Joness bankruptcy proceedings has now said that he will move to conduct an orderly wind-down of his Infowars media site and liquidate Joness business assets. In his filing, court-appointed trustee Christopher Murray also asked a judge to put a pause on Sandy Hook families efforts to collect their payments from Jones, as he argued that would interfere with the process to sell off his Infowars parent company, Free Speech Systems. Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaks to the media after arriving at the federal courthouse for a hearing in front of a bankruptcy judge Friday, June 14, 2024 ( AP ) He did so after the parents sought to seize money from Free Speech Systems, a move that Murray said would throw the business into chaos. The Trustee seeks this Courts intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course, he wrote in the filing. Jones has continued to broadcast on Infowars since declaring bankruptcy, but has said that he expects the platform to be shut down in the coming months. He previously accused federal authorities of trying to shut down his show. He has pledged to continue his show on another platform if it is shut down or as an employee under potential new ownership, though specifics on the plan are unknown. This is probably the end of Infowars here very, very soon. If not today, in the next few weeks or months, Jones told reporters outside court before a hearing earlier this month, The Associated Press reported. But its just the beginning of my fight against tyranny. Jones has estimated in court records that he has less than $12m in assets, meaning he will carry an enormous legal debt even after the media platform and his other assets are sold. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Auma Obama, a Kenyan activist and the half-sister of former president Barack Obama, was among protestors who were tear-gassed during a protest in Nairobi against a new finance bill. Obama, a Kenyan national, was seen on camera rubbing her eyes with a cloth and telling CNN reporter Larry Madowo that she had just been tear-gassed. I cant believe that these young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights; I came to join them, Obama said, crouched on the ground while a chaotic scene ensued around them. Thousands of protestors have joined in on demonstrating against a new controversial tax bill that has been passed. The bill would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy raising the price of goods like period products and nappies. A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry - with many Kenyans frustrated over the rising cost of living. The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7bn in taxes as part of an effort to lighten the heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37 percent of annual revenue. Auma Obama spoke to CNN amid the ongoing protests after being struck by teargas, she says ( CNN ) Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenyas parliament leaving a number of people dead and dozens more injured. We are being tear-gassed. We have flags and banners, nothing else; these people have nothing else, Auma Obama added. Obama questioned how the authorities could teargas your own people, listen to them. Listen to these children; they are the future please listen to these young people. The activist referred to the fact that Kenya has a very youthful population, with over 80 percent of the population aged 35 years and below, a statistic also recorded by Kenyas National Council for Population and Development in 2017. Protesters hold a Kenyan flag outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building during a nationwide protest against a tax bill ( AFP via Getty Images ) Obama also touched on the significant unemployment problem that faces the country, saying that young people have no jobs and criticized the government for taxing the jobless. That is why I am here; I am here to tell them I support them, she said, calling on the authorities to create more jobs for them. Obama was also at the protest with her daughter, as pointed out by CNNs Madowo, but the reporting crew had to hurry away from the scene after what appeared to be more teargas were deployed near them. Dozens of protesters have been shot dead and injured while storming the Kenyan parliament on Tuesday ( AFP via Getty Images ) Obama, the half-sister of the 44th president, has her own foundation called Sauti Kuu, which aims to help disadvantaged youths with new opportunities to help them live independent lives, their website states. The foundation has been involved in several projects, including the launch of a vocational center in 2018. Her brother Barack Obama traveled to Kenya for a two-day visit to support the launch six years ago. Auma Obama, born and raised in Kenya, has previously worked as a freelance journalist and a German lecturer at a university in the United Kingdom, before returning to Kenya in 2007 to start humanitarian work, later founding Sauti Kuu in 2010. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A temporary election worker in Arizona is accused of stealing keys and a security fob used to access the countys ballot tabulation machines a month before the state is set to hold its primary election. Walter Ringfield Jr., a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, was arrested by Maricopa County detectives on Friday while working at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, according to Votebeat. County workers noticed that a lanyard containing the security fob and plastic key was missing and accused Ringfield of taking it. Ringfield - who previously expressed an interest as running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate - reportedly told detectives he took the security fob for 20 minutes but gave it back. His arrest comes as Arizona continues to be a battleground in presidential elections. Maricopa County, the largest in the state, has faced allegations of election fraud and improper counting of ballots in recent elections. Walter Ringfield Jr .was arrested and charged with theft and criminal damage on Friday after stealing a fob and keys that access ballot counting machines in Marciopa County, police said ( Maricopa County Sheriffs Office ) Ringfield was fired, taken into custody and will not be released until a judge permits it. According to reports, county staff noticed the lanyard holding the key and fob was missing on Friday morning. Both items are used to vote-counting access machines to program them. Voting machines had already been tested and programmed at the time of the incident, in advance of mail-in ballots being sent out on July 3rd. After reviewing security footage from the previous day, the county election staff members allegedly discovered a video of Ringfield putting the red wrist lanyard into the right pocket of his shorts. When staff confronted him, Ringfield insisted he did not take it, and if he did it was accidental. County staff and security discovered the red plastic lanyard and key in the center console of his vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant of Ringfields home on Friday and found the fob on top of a dresser. Now, the countys election department will re-do pre-election logic and accuracy testing. High speed tabulation machines for counting early ballots stand secured in the tabulation room at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona Primary and General elections in Phoenix on June 3 ( AFP via Getty Images ) The incident happened ahead of the states July 30th primary election that will determine who appears on the November ballot in several state and federal races. Arizona held its presidental primaries months earlier. Marciopa County was subject to controversy during the 2020 election when Donald Trump and his allies launched accusations of widespread voter fraud and false election results in the state notably in the states largest county. An audit of 2020 presidential election results in the state found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The new development out of the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center sparked concern from officials who quickly dismissed any feelings of election insecurity in the county. Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process, a statement from the Arizona Secretary of State read. While this event is unwelcome, it speaks the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizonas election systems. The secretary praised the quick response and swift action of county election staff and their decision to reconduct logic and accuracy tests on the ballot counting machines saying it builds in extra layers of protection of all affected equipment. Election workers proofread sample ballots for voters with disabilities in a tabulation room at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona Primary and General elections in Phoenix on June 3 ( AFP via Getty Images ) This quick response will prevent any potential impact on the upcoming elections. The Secretary of States office will collaborate with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice, the statement continued. Ringfields father, Walter Ringfield Sr, said in a phone interview with Votebeat that he will wait to pass judgment until all of the facts come out. I love my son, he said, adding the suspect recently graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in political science. Ringfield submitted a candidate statement of interest in January, indicating he would pursue the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the states primary election. The Independent has reached out to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office for comment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New York City police are on the hunt for a man who sexually assaulted a 21-year-old woman sunbathing in Central Park. The sexual assault happened on Monday afternoon in the Great Hill section of Central Park, New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a Monday press conference. The attacker came up to the woman, who was sunbathing alone, and exposed himself, Chell said. The woman screamed and tried to run, but the man then tackled her from behind and tried to get on top of her, according to Chell. Officers speak to reporters about a sexual assault in Central Park on Monday. ( New York City Police Department ) The woman managed to fight off the attacker, who then ran away, Chell said. The 21-year-old was taken to a local hospital, where she spoke with investigators. Police have canvassed for witnesses, looked at nearby cameras and used drones to search the area. Officers have also set up a mobile command center and taped off the area, NBC New York reports. Officers are going to continue to be out here until we feel that this perpetrator is off the streets, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard said. The woman who was attacked was taken to a hospital, where she spoke with detectives, police said. ( Fox 5 New York ) The department hopes to install cameras throughout more of Central Park, as many of the criminal incidents are happening off the beaten path, said Kaz Daughtry, deputy commissioner of operations for the NYPD. There is not a pattern of sexual assault in or around Central Park, Chell said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The death of a 12-year-old boy who died at a wilderness camp for troubled adolescents has been ruled a homicide by asphyxiation despite initially being thought to have been accidental. An autopsy report said the boy died less than 24 hours after arriving at the camp at Lake Toxaway in North Carolina on February 3. Authorities have ruled the manner of death as a homicide, listing the cause as asphyxia due to smothering, the inability to breathe oxygen and in this case due to covering the nose and mouth with non-breathable material. The boy arrived at Trails Carolina, which reportedly has since lost its operating license, after being taken from his home in New York at the request of his family due to behavioral issues, the autopsy, obtained by Fox Carolina, states. Once he was there, he was placed to sleep in a bivy, a small camping enclosure, which the camp says was its protocol, with an alarm secured on it that would sound if the occupant attempted to exit the bivy. The autopsy report states that the inner mesh panel, normally used to secure the opening of the boys bivy, was torn, so the outer, weather-resistant door panel was used instead. The report notes that bivvies usually include a warning against fully closing up the weather-resistant layer because it may lead to condensation and breathing restriction. According to an investigation, the autopsy report notes that the boy was moving and making noise in the bivy around 11pm that night, so counselors removed him until he relaxed and fell asleep, when he was then woken up again and told to get back in the bivy due to their protocol. One counselor said that the boy was moving around again one to two hours after the initial incident but stopped moving shortly after, the report states. In the morning, the boy was found with his head at the enclosed end of the bivy and his feet near the opening. While resuscitation attempts were made, it was determined by emergency medical personnel that he was beyond life-saving measures as it appeared he had likely been dead for several hours, the report says. Trails Carolina has reportedly previously said that the death appeared to be accidental and that staff members performed CPR once they found the unresponsive boy in the morning, according to NBC. The Transylvania County Sheriffs Office, which has been involved in the investigation into the boys death, told NBC that it is currently reviewing the autopsy report and will be discussing it with the local district attorney. No natural disease or toxic levels of drugs were found that could lead to his death, the autopsy report added. Non-specific findings included swelling of the brain. Mild bruising was present on the left thigh and leg without significant internal injuries, the report states. The autopsy report also claimed to have found that the boy was placed into this compromised sleeping position by other(s) and did not have the ability to reasonably remove himself. While routine checks were being performed throughout the night, counselors could also not see the boy because of the opaqueness of the bivys outer panel, which potentially prevented them from spotting any signs of issues. With this combination of factors, the death is best certified as homicide, the report stated. The Independent has contacted Trails Carolina for comment. "Neo-Chinese style tourism" popular among Chinese people People's Daily Online) 10:18, June 25, 2024 Since the beginning of this year, "neo-Chinese style tourism," characterized by new cultural travel experiences such as museum trips, ancient city and town tours, intangible cultural heritage exploration, and activities involving traditional Chinese Hanfu clothing experiences, has become increasingly popular among Chinese people. "Neo-Chinese style tourism" integrates traditional Chinese elements with new fashions, enabling tourists to enjoy immersive experiences of cultural and tourism activities and appreciate the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture. Tourists dressed in traditional Chinese costumes pose for group photos at the Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark featuring a grand street with characteristics of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo/Weng Qiyu) This year, "neo-Chinese style tourism" ushered in a boom in traditional festivals including the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Duanwu Festival, becoming a new highlight in the tourism market. On China's online travel agency Ctrip, over 100 scenic spots offered tourists opportunities to experience traditional folk customs related to the Duanwu Festival, including picking mugwort, making sachets, watching intangible cultural heritage performances, and Hanfu photography. Many scenic areas launched traditional culture experience activities such as dragon boat racing, making sachets, and making zongzi, which are glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, attracting crowds of tourists. Traditional festivals have sparked people's enthusiasm for "neo-Chinese style tourism," which in turn facilitates the inheritance and development of traditional culture behind these festivals. In recent years, museums across China have explored innovative exhibition methods that cater to visitors' diverse interests, including intelligent exhibitions, interactive experiences, short videos and livestream sessions, and the development of cultural and creative products, to drive the growth of museum tours. Data from several online travel platforms shows that museums such as the Palace Museum, the National Museum of China, the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, and the Sanxingdui Museum remain extremely popular. During holidays, it's hard to get tickets to these museums. In Luoyang, an ancient capital city in central China's Henan Province, it's common to see tourists wearing Hanfu outfits. Data from Meituan, a leading e-commerce platform, shows that there are nearly 2,000 stores related to Hanfu clothing in the city. Technologies contribute to the innovation of "neo-Chinese style tourism." The Shaanxi History Museum in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has launched a series of offline activities focusing on historical figures, national treasures, and historical anecdotes from the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC). The museum has offered visitors cultural experiences by leveraging multimedia projection, animations, and interactive games, enabling them to learn about the stories behind artifacts in interesting ways. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The woman found dead by police in the back seat of a car at a crash scene was a DJ who had suffered a cut to her neck and had been wrapped in a blanket, bed sheets and a mattress, police have said. Liara Tsai, 35, was discovered in the back of a sub-compact car that had crashed on a highway in Minnesota on Saturday morning. Police arriving at the scene quickly began to suspect she had not died as the result of the crash. The driver of the car, 32-year-old Margot Lewis, from Iowa, is being held on a $1 million bond on suspicion of interference with a dead body. She has reportedly refused to respond audibly to officers, saying she has taken a spiritual vow of silence and will only communicate through sign language or writing. Tsai was discovered wrapped in a bed sheet, blanket, futon-style mattress, and a tarp, on a folded-down seat in the back of the car after the vehicle she was in was somehow involved in an accident on Interstate 90 in Olmstead County. Police who made the chilling discovery found she was cold to the touch, according to a search warrant affidavit and court documents seen by the Star Tribune. Investigators also found that there was a large wound on the side of her neck near the carotid artery. It was apparent [to the deputy] that the death was not a result of the traffic crash, the complaint reportedly said. Margot Lewis has been charged with interference with a dead body. She has refused to communicate with police officers except through writing or sign language, saying she has taken a vow of silence ( Olmsted County Adult Detention Center ) Officers realized the womans death was suspicious, and that it was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident, the police said in a press release on Monday. Lewis, who police said was driving the car, was outside the vehicle being tended to by a passerby when officers arrived. She had been speeding when she hit a guardrail that surrounded the pillars of an overpass, court documents obtained by the Star Tribune stated. She was taken by Eyota Ambulance Service to a hospital, where she was medically cleared and subsequently transferred to the Adult Detention Center, before being arrested and charged with Interference with a Dead Body. She is being held on a $1 million unconditional bond and is due back in court on July 5. In an autopsy report provided to The Independent from the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiners Office, Tsais death was caused by multiple sharp force injuries and the manner was listed as a homicide. No one has yet been charged with causing her death. Liara Tsai, 35, was described by her family and friends as a phenomenal DJ and a community and trans activist ( Courtesy of Kristen Sewell ) A Minneapolis police report filed on Saturday night also classified Tsais death as a case of murder, noting that the weapon involved was a knife or other cutting instrument, the Star Tribune reported. After news broke that Tsai, who worked as a DJ, was the person found dead in the car, her family has been mourning the loss of the woman who they said moved to the Twin Cities for the strong transgender community and to pursue her love of music. Kristen Sewell, Tsais sister, told KTTC that the accident that led to the discovery of her body was divine intervention, hands down. Someone just took another person who was that light away, Sewell said. She was a phenomenal DJ... talented and drew a crowd. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said that the sheriffs office, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were asked to conduct a welfare check at Tsais address. They executed a search warrant and found a scene indicating violence inside, according to ABC 6 News. The single-vehicle accident occured on Interstate 90, eastbound, near the Highway 42 Exit in Olmstead County, Minnesota ( Google Maps ) Steven Seuling, a friend of Tsais who stages events and hires Tsai as a DJ, told the Star Tribune that the two of them spoke Friday ahead of an event Tsai was booked for on Sunday. "She said a friend was coming to stay with her," Seuling told the outlet. "I checked in with her by text on Saturday, but she didnt answer, which was very unusual for her." When Tsai, who Seuling described as a community and trans activist, did not turn up to play, he said that "we were really freaking out. It was very unlike her not to be there. In a statement to ABC 6 News, Tsais family said their sisters death was senseless and unfathomable. Her life, like every human life, matters. She was a beautiful soul who wanted nothing more than to show kindness through her life and music, they wrote. We loved her immensely and our family has no words for the pain this has caused for us and the vast community of friends who had the honor of knowing her. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Florida man killed three women, including his mother, in a shooting spree before authorities tracked him down and fatally shot him. Javontee Brice killed his mother, his cousin, and the new partner of an ex-girlfriend in an hour-long shooting spree on Monday before trying to leave the state, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said. Brice had a history of burglary and domestic assault, which involved strangulation, according to Wells. The shooting spree began around 9pm when Brice went to an apartment in Palmetto where his sister and an ex-girlfriend were staying, according to Wells. There, Brice asked if he could take a shower. When his ex-girlfriend declined, he told her, I have to kill you, Wells said. But Brices sister intervened, saving his ex-girlfriend. Somehow, the sister was able to talk him down and talk him out of shooting this ex-girlfriend, Wells said. She later told investigators that he was acting very strange, not really sure what was going on with him. Javontee Brice, pictured, killed three women including his own mother on Monday evening, police said. Brice had a history of burglary and domestic violence, according to police. ( Manatee County Sheriffs Office ) The 28-year-old left the apartment and traveled to a Motel 6 in Bradenton where his mother and two sisters lived, along with the moms boyfriend. Brice told his mom, Im sorry, then fatally shot her three times, Wells said. Soon afterward, police received a call about the shooting. He then went back to Palmetto around 9.45pm where he shot his 29-year-old cousin as she was getting into her car at a cookout, according to Wells. Authorities took her to a local hospital where she died an hour later. A few minutes later, Brice arrived at another ex-girlfriends home, where she was staying with her new partner. The three got into an argument and Brice shot his ex-girlfriends new partner, killing her, according to Wells. At this point, Brice left to target yet another ex-girlfriend in Georgia, Wells said. He was also posting on social media about the shooting, local outlet ABC 7 reports. Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells holds a booking photo of Javontee Brice. While police do not yet have a motive, Wells said Brices family has been helpful to investigators. ( Via ABC7 WWSB ) But on his way, deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office spotted him driving with another woman in his car near the state line. Wells did not provide further details on who the woman is but said investigators are speaking with her. When the deputies pulled Brice over, he began shooting at them. The officers shot back, Wells said, killing Brice. Brices family have been helpful to investigators, Wells said. However, officials still do not know his motive. Itll be very important to get some more information on what he was thinking at the time, why he was acting in this manner, Wells said. He seemed to have an agenda, he knew exactly who he wanted to kill. This is going to be a very difficult thing for [the family] to overcome, so were trying to give them that time thats necessary to process all this information and work with us as closely as they can, Wells continued. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The highly publicized trial of a woman accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend with her Lexus SUV and leaving him for dead outside in a snowstorm is nearing an end. If convicted, Karen Read, 44, faces up to life in prison for the death of 46-year-old John OKeefe, who died in the Boston suburb of Canton, Massachusetts, in the early hours of January 29, 2022. An autopsy found he died of hypothermia and blunt force trauma. Reads trial began on April 16 in Massachusetts Superior Court, and the case is set to be in the hands of the jury within hours. Its a case that has been surrounded by a media storm, underpinned by a distrust of police and fanned by crime bloggers. After seven weeks of testimony, the defense rested on Monday. Read did not take the stand. Closing arguments will be held Tuesday before jurors begin their deliberations. Karen Read, 44, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe ( AP ) Prosecutors argue that in January 2022 Read dropped OKeefe off at a house party hosted by a fellow officer after a night of drinking, struck him with her car while making a three-point turn and drove away. She allegedly returned hours later to find OKeefes snow-covered body in the front year and was heard repeatedly shouting I hit him, I hit him as first responders were on the scene, witnesses have testified. But Reads defense team argues she was framed by someone who beat OKeefe to death at Brian Alberts home in Canton, that he was bitten by the family do and left outside. They say the homeowners relationship with local and state police tainted their investigation. The body of 46-year-old OKeefe, a Boston police officer, was found in the early morning hours of January 29, 2022, outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts. An autopsy found he died of hypothermia and blunt force trauma ( Boston Police Department ) The defense also argued investigators focused on Read because she was a convenient outsider who saved them from having to consider other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers who were at the party. Read is charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while impaired and leaving the scene of an accident. Defense expert says OKeefes injuries were not consistent with being struck by Reads Lexus SUV The defense used the testimony of Dr. Frank Sheridan, to reinforce their theory about the dog, despite a lack of dog DNA evidence, and to suggest his injuries didnt line up with being struck by Reads Lexus SUV. The former retired forensic pathologist testified Monday he wouldve expected more bruising if OKeefe had been hit by such a heavy vehicle. He also suggested that scratch marks on his arm couldve come from an animal, possibly a dog, and that other injuries were consistent with a fight. Dr. Frank Sheridan suggested that scratch marks on OKeefes arm couldve come from an animal, possibly a dog ( AP ) Two witnesses from an independent consulting firm that conducts forensic engineering also suggested some of the evidence doesnt line up with the prosecution version. The defense called only a handful of witnesses over two days, but used its time in cross-examining prosecution witnesses to raise questions about the investigation, including conflicts of interest and sloppy police work. Meanwhile, the prosecution, which rested on Friday, spent most of the two-month trial methodically presenting evidence from the scene. Prosecutors say scene evidence points to Read Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, and Sgt. Yuriy Bukhenik detailed in court how they discovered pieces of red and clear plastic at the scene that came from Reads broken taillight. Prosecutors say Read broke her taillight when she backed into OKeefe, and showed the court photos of the pieces of red plastic in the snow and showed evidence bags which contained the pieces of plastic. The defense, however, argued Read broke her right taillight while backing out of her garage and hitting OKeefes vehicle. Read, second from left, with her defense team, looks a a video from the dash cam of Canton Police Officer Steven Saraf during the trial ( AP ) After viewing footage from OKeefes home security camera that shows Read backing out of the garage, Bukhenik acknowledged the video appears to show the back tire of OKeefes vehicle shake slightly as the SUV backs up toward it. But he testified that OKeefes vehicle was not damaged and that nothing was found near his vehicle. Proctor also testified he saw no damage on OKeefes vehicle nor to the garage door. Trooper Joseph Paul testified an analysis of safety system data from Reads SUV indicated her vehicle slowed in reverse at the time of the incident going from 24.2 mph to 23.6 mph - and that it was consistent with a pedestrian strike, he said, adding OKeefes injuries were also consistent with being struck by a vehicle. How long to die in cold Jennifer McCabe, a friend of the couple and Alberts sister-in-law, testified that soon after OKeefes body was found, Read screamed, I hit him! I hit him! I hit him! and frantically asked her to conduct a Google search on how long it takes for someone to die of hypothermia. But Reads attorney showed jurors cell phone data during the trial that suggested McCabe also did an internet search for variations of how long to die in cold four hours earlier. You made that search at 2:27 am because you knew that John OKeefe was outside on your sisters lawn dying in the cold, didnt you? defense attorney Alan Jackson asked McCabe. Did you delete that search because you knew you would be implicated in John OKeefes death if that search was found on your phone? An image of a search item is projected, as digital forensics expert Ian Whiffin is questioned by ADA Adam Lally during Reads trial ( AP ) I did not delete that search. I never made that search, McCabe said. I never would have left John OKeefe out in the cold to die because he was my friend that I loved. Jackson suggested McCabe changed her story after experiencing what she has described as vicious harassment from Reads supporters. McCabe acknowledged she first used those words under oath in June but insisted she also had told an investigator the same thing in the days after OKeefes death. Top investigator questioned over inappropriate texts During cross-examination, Proctor answered questions from the defense about the offensive and inappropriate texts he allegedly wrote about Read during the investigation. Proctor acknowledged that he called Read several names, including wack job, in texts to friends, family and fellow troopers. Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, addressed questions about the offensive and inappropriate texts he sent about Read ( AP ) He also admitted he joked to supervisors about not finding nude photos while searching her phone and texting his sister that he wished Read would kill herself, which he claimed was a figure of speech and that emotions got the best of me. Proctor repeatedly apologized in court for the language used in the text exchanges, saying that the juvenile, unprofessional comments had zero impact on the facts and evidence and integrity of the investigation. Defense argues investigation was marred by conflict of interest The defense described the police investigation as shoddy and claimed it was undermined by the relationship investigators had with the law enforcement agents at the house party. Proctor admitted he is friends with the brother of Brian Albert and his wife though he insisted it had no influence on the investigation and that he had never been to their house before OKeefes death. His text exchanges could also distract from evidence he and other state troopers found at the crime scene, including pieces of a clear and red plastic found at the scene in the days and weeks after OKeefes death. The defense have suggested pieces of glass found on the bumper of Reads SUV and a hair found on the vehicles exterior may have been planted. Read smiled often throughout her trial as her supporters rallied outside the court ( AP ) On cross-examination, defense attorney Jackson got Proctor to acknowledge that he was drinking buddies with Alberts brother, Kevin Albert, who is a Canton police officer. He acknowledged they went out drinking several months after OKeefe died, worked on a cold case together and communicated about coordinating aspects of the OKeefe case even though the Canton Police Department recused itself from the case. That testimony bolstered a defense argument that a myriad of relationships among investigators, witnesses and those at the house party biased the investigation and blinded state and local law enforcement officials to the possibility that someone else killed OKeefe. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The ex-husband of Sherri Papini, the California woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016, is now accusing her of making their children sick by forcing them to inhale rubbing alcohol. Papini vanished in November 2016 for 22 days until she was found several hundred miles away, dramatically covered in bruises, claiming she had been held captive by two Latina women. But the kidnapping was staged so she could reconnect with a former lover. Her case has drawn comparison to the fictional Gone Girl book and movie. In 2022, she pleaded guilty to committing the hoax and her husband, Keith Papini, filed for divorce days later. Now, in a new Hulu docuseries about the disappearance of the so-called supermom, her ex-husband unveiled shocking revelations about her treatment of their two children. Keith recounted a night when he was putting his daughter Violet to bed, after his wife was already in prison, he pushed to get off her bed and made little grunt sounds because he was sore. When Violet asked him if he was sick, he said she advised him to do mommys trick. When he asked what Mommys trick was, the child allegedly replied: Well, you just breathe in this rubbing alcohol. Sherri Papinis ex-husband accused her of forcing her kids to inhale rubbing alcohol ( AP ) Keith Papini recounted the alarming memory: She goes to the bathroom, she knows right where the rubbing alcohol is. She wads up a thing of toilet paper and just soaks it and then hands it to me to breathe. When the father asked how frequently her mother used this antidote, the daughter replied: Well, when we got sick, we did it every single day. And the next thing I know, my kids are getting forensic interviews done, the father continued. He discovered that his ex-wife would soak rags of alcohol, put them in a Ziploc bag, and then tie a string around their neck onto the Ziploc bag so that the fumes would ... so that they would continue to smell the fumes to make them not feel good, so that she could take them to the doctor, Keith said. Papini went to prison after faking her kidnapping and her husband filed for dirove. Pictured: the couple poses in an undated photo. ( KTVU FOX2 ) The Independent has emailed a lawyer for Sherri Papini for comment. The pairs 13-year marriage ended in a contentious divorce, involving a custody battle and fighting over finances. Ahead of the docuseries release, Keith told People that he hadnt spoken to Sherri outside of court proceedings. She has since been released from prison and has not been charged in a crime related to these allegations. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from former reality TV star Josh Duggar who asked the court to overturn his child pornography conviction. Duggar and his family and their devout Christian culture were the focus of the show "19 Kids and Counting" on TLC. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after he was convicted of receiving and possessing child sex abuse materials, according to court documents. The court issued its decision not to hear the case on Monday. In Duggar's request to have his conviction tossed out, he argued that a former employee with a sex offense conviction was responsible for the illegal materials federal agents found on his computer after they searched his Little Rock business in 2019, CNN reports. The trial court that heard Duggar's case refused to allow him to introduce the employee's prior conviction as evidence unless he could prove that the employee had access to the computer in question. Josh Duggar at the Washington County, Arkansas Detention Center. The US Supreme Court refused to hear Duggars appeal asking to have his child pornography conviction overturned The former reality TV star appealed the decision, but it was upheld by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals last year. The appeals court ruled that the judge in the case struck the right balance by allowing the former employee to be questioned without bringing up the past conviction. The court also rejected Duggar's challenge to the qualifications of the analyst who testified that metadata on the former reality star's iPhone connected him to the crime. Duggar's attorneys also argued that statements he made to investigators during the search of the dealership should not have been allowed at trial since his attorney wasn't present. Prosecutors said Duggar asked the agents, What is this all about? Has somebody been downloading child pornography?" and that he declined to say whether he had looked at such material online, comments that were later used as evidence in the trial. The appeals panel said that although Duggar was read his rights, the agents questioning him made it clear that he wasn't in custody and was free to leave. The panel also noted that he wasn't arrested at the end of his questioning. To the contrary, he ended the interview on his own and then left the dealership hardly an option available to someone in custody, the court ruled. Duggar then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the ruling that prevented him from introducing his employees previous conviction at trial violated the 6th Amendment by depriving him of his right to present a full defense in court. His appeal was declined by the Supreme Court without comment or dissent. TLC canceled 19 Kids and Counting in 2015 following allegations that Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter years earlier. Authorities began investigating the abuse, which allegedly took place years earlier, after receiving a tip from a family friend but concluded that the statute of limitations on any possible charges had expired. Duggars parents said after the allegations resurfaced in 2015 that he had confessed to the fondling and apologized privately. Duggar then apologized publicly for unspecified behavior and resigned as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group. Months later, he also publicly apologized for cheating on his wife and admitted to having a pornography addiction, for which he then sought treatment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} White parents accused of locking their Black, adopted children in a shed and forcing them to do labor are back in jail after a judge raised their bond in light of new charges. Donald Lantz and Jeanne Whitefeather were arrested in October after police received a welfare report from their neighbor. When police arrived at the couples Sissonville, West Virginia home, they found two of their five adopted children locked in a 20ft by 14ft barn on their property. The girl, 16, and 14-year-old boy were deprived of hygienic care and food, police said at the time. Officers also found a third child, nine, inside an unprotected loft area of the main house. Police found two children locked inside a barn, pictured, on the property of Donald Lantz and Jeanne Whitefeather in October ( WCHS ) The couple pleaded not guilty to child neglect charges last October. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers handed each a $200,000 bond, which they both posted in February. Last month, a grand jury indicted the couple on 16 new counts, local outlet WCHS reported. Akers raised their bond to $500,000 each as a result, putting both Lantz and Whitefeather back behind bars. Along with human trafficking and neglect with serious risk of bodily injuries or death, I dont find the bond to be sufficient, the judge said at a recent hearing, the Atlanta Black Star reports. The new charges include human trafficking of a minor; civil rights violations based on color, race and/or ancestry; use of a minor child in forced labor; and child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. Donald Lantz, pictured in a booking photo, is back behind bars after a grand jury indicted him and Jeanne Whitefeather on several new charges ( West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation ) The couple sought out five Black children to adopt and forced them to do labor because of their race, prosecutors have said. This abuse began in a Washington home before continuing at the West Virginia residence where police found the children, according to prosecutors. The couple pleaded not guilty to the new charges. Whitefeather has since claimed that the children were using the barn as a teenage clubhouse and were not being held against their will. But according to the indictment, neighbors told investigators: The children were forced to perform farm labor and were not permitted inside the residence. Earlier this month, prosecutor Christopher Krivonyak also argued that the cash used for the couples initial bonds may have been illegally obtained, according to WCHS. Jeanne Whitefeather, pictured in a booking photo, is back behind bars alongside Donald Lantz after Judge Maryclaire Akers raised their bond amounts to $500,000 each ( West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation ) Krivonyak says the couple sold their residence in Tonasket, Washington for $725,000, and three days later Whitefeathers brother posted the $400,000 total bond, WCHS reports. Krivonyak says this means the bond money may have come from the profits of selling a home in which they abused their children. Whitefeathers defense attorney Mark Plants has denied this. The states position is that these assets were used to maintain and harbor minors in violation of the human trafficking statute, Plants said at a hearing this month, according to WCHS. Our position is thats not true, and we look forward to court in which we can prove otherwise. The cash is now under a protective order until the matter is decided. The couple is scheduled to appear in court again on September 9. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A woman in Iowa has been arrested for calling 911 to avoid going on a date with a man she met on a dating app, police say. Sumaya Thomas, 18, was arrested after police said she told a dispatcher that her abusive ex-boyfriend of two years was outside her home and sending her threatening text messages on June 16. According to a criminal complaint seen by The Independent, Thomas said the man told her that he wanted to hit, kick, punch and stab her. She also said that she was pregnant with the mans baby. The majority of their conversations took place over Snapchat, the woman said. Sumaya Thomas, 18, was arrested on false reporting charges after she called 911 to get out of a date with a man she met on a dating app, police say ( Johnson County Sheriffs Office ) Upon arriving at the scene, an officer with the North Liberty Police Department spotted the man leaving the residence. The man told an officer that he started speaking to the woman a week ago on a dating app. The two then moved their conversations off the platform and started to text. The man showed police the text and dating app conversations. Police then confirmed that the messages were sent to the womans phone number. The man was detained for over an hour due to the false accusations, police said. During a third interview, Thomas admitted to making the false report because she got cold feet on meeting him and no longer wanted to. The complaint states: She advised she didnt think officers would help so she made up this call and the events that she described. The woman was arrested on June 16 on two false reporting charges, which are both misdemeanor crimes. The woman was later released from the Johnson County Jail. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Elon Musk has confirmed he welcomed a new baby earlier this year with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, the pairs third child together and Musks 12th offspring. The business magnate, 52, told Page Six his newest addition was not by any means a secret, but thought releasing a statement on the birth would have just been a bit bizarre. As for secretly fathered, that is also false, he told the outlet. All our friends and family know. Failure to issue a press release, which would be bizarre, does not mean secret. The baby, whose name or sex has not been revealed, is Musks 12th child and was born sometime earlier this year, reports say. Before the birth, Musk already had two children with 38-year-old Zilis, who is the executive of Musks brain-computer interface company, Neuralink. The news of the tech businessmans 12th child was first reported in a Bloomberg article published on Friday that delved into Musk and his commentary on birth rates. Elon Musk, Shivon Zilis and their twins. Musk announced the couple welcomed a new baby earlier this year ( Shivon Zilis/X ) In July 2022, it was reported that Musk welcomed two children with Zilis. Court documents obtained by Insider revealed Musk and Zilis children were born in November 2021 weeks before Musk and Grimes welcomed their second-born. Almost two years after the twins were born, it was revealed their names were Strider and Azure. In his biography Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson also confirmed in September 2023 that Musk and the musician Grimes had a third child, named Techno Mechanius, who goes by Tau. Grimes and Musks first child, a boy named X A-Xii, or X, was born in 2020. In March 2022 , they announced the birth of a girl, Exa Dark Siderl Musk, nicknamed Y, who was born in December 2021. Musk has been married twice before. He met his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, while the pair were studying at Queens University in Ontario, Canada. Musk and Wilson tied the knot in 2000 and welcomed their first child Nevada Alexander Musk two years later. Tragically, their first-born died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when he was 10 weeks old. There is nothing worse than losing a child, Musk said in an email in 2018 to a father who lost his son in a Tesla crash. My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat, he also wrote on X in 2022. Elon Musk and Grimes at the Met Gala in 2018. The pair have three children together ( Getty Images ) Wilson and Musk went on to have a set of twins, Griffin and Vivian, in 2004 and triplets, Kai, Saxon, and Damian Musk, in 2006. In June 2023, it was reported that Musk and Wilsons teenage daughter had been granted the name and gender change that she requested. Their daughter identifies as a trans woman and, in an April court filing with the Los Angeles County Superior court, she requested to have her name reflect her new gender identity and to sever all ties with Musk. I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form, the paperwork filed in Santa Monica read. At the time, Wilson said she was proud of her daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson for taking the decision to cut ties with Musk. Musk, who now has fathered a total of 12 children, has long spoken out about his belief that declining birth rates could lead to the collapse of civilization. In 2022, the billionaire tweeted that population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilisation than global warming. He also echoed a similar sentiment about declining birth rates after news broke that he fathered twins with Shivon Zilis. Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far, he tweeted, making light of the reports. I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do! The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} After many years of legal battles and controversy, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty as part of a plea deal with the US Justice Department. According to the documents, he is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, on Wednesday, and will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information. This screen shot courtesy of Wikileaks X page shows Wikileaks founder Julian Assange walking to board a plane from London Stansted Airport ( WikiLeaks/AFP via Getty Images ) The 52-year-old Australian was catapulted into the global spotlight in 2009 after he and his site WikiLeaks were linked to one of the largest publications of classified information in American history. Along with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, Assange was accused of disclosing tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan. The new deal will allow Assange to avoid imprisonment in the US. Prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence the same amount of time he has already served in the high-security prison Belmarsh, in London, while fighting extradition to the US. Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London - where he remained for seven years while fighting extradition to Sweden and US ( AP ) In light of the new development, The Independent takes a look back at who Assange is, how it got to this stage and what might happen next: Who is Julian Assange? Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Australia, and had a nomadic childhood, travelling across more than 30 towns and cities in his native country with his parents separating before he was born. A keen student of programming and maths, he quickly gained a reputation as an astute computer programmer which led to him becoming skilled in hacking. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to 24 hacking charges in Australia before being fined, only avoiding a prison sentence after promising not to do it again. He went on to study at the University of Melbourne between 2003 and 2006 but did not complete a degree. Julian Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 and remained there until 2019, when he was arrested and sent to Belmarsh, where he has been ever since ( PA Archive ) As a teenager, Assange married a woman called Teresa but the pair later separated. He is now married to Stella Assange, a lawyer who met him in 2011 when she was hired as part of his legal team. What is WikiLeaks? Assange founded the website WikiLeaks in 2006. Using his computing skills, he created an online platform for people to anonymously submit classified leaks such as documents and videos. Since its birth, it has released around 10 million classified documents, including files on US military activities in the US. It rose to prominence in April 2010 when it published a classified video showing a 2007 US helicopter attack in Iraqs capital Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters journalists. Demonstrators show their support to Assange before the appeal hearing on Tuesday morning ( AFP via Getty Images ) On the Afghanistan war, its claimed more than 90,000 classified US military documents were released and on the invasion of Iraq around 400,000 confidential US files. The leaks, described as the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history, angered and embarrassed US politicians and military officials who claimed the disclosure put lives at risk. But defenders of the website say it reveals unreported incidents including the killing of civilians. What is Assange charged with by the US? Back in 2019, the US authorities reacted to the continued publishing of documents from WikiLeaks by charging him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified US government computer. In a press release issued by the US Office of Public Affairs, which can be seen here, it said the charge related to Assanges alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States. Later in the same year, he was then charged with an 18-count indictment superseding the previous that alleged he had repeatedly sought, obtained and disseminated information that the US classified due to the serious risk that unauthorised disclosure could harm the national security of the US. Following the issuing of an indictment, the US began extradition authorities to bring Assange to the US. His lawyers claim that he will face up to 175 years in jail if convicted. What has Assange been doing up till now? Assange has been restricted in his movements for almost 14 years. It started when Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010 as they investigating an allegation of rape against him while he was in the country - and asked the UK to extradite Assange. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy prior to speaking, in London, ( AP ) Assange was arrested by British police and after he lost an appeal against extradition he sought asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, claiming the Swedish case would lead him to being sent to the US. Assange spent seven years in the embassy before in 2019 he was detained by police again for breaching bail conditions connected to his arrest for the Swedish case. In the same year, Swedish authorities dropped their case against Assange. Assange was given a 50-week prison sentence - and has remained at Belmarsh prison since, fighting his extradition to the US. His supporters claimed that during his 1901 days in Belmarsh, he spent 23 hours a day isolated in a cell that measured only two by three meters. How has Assange prevented extradition to the US up till now? Assange and his supporters have resisted strongly to extradition to the US - and their campaign looked to have been successful when Judge Vanessa Baraitser refused his extradition because of fears that he could take his own life in January 2021. The decision was met with joy by his supporters, however it was to be short-lived. In December of the same year, US authorities won an appeal at Londons High Court against the decision, after giving a package of assurances about the conditions of Assanges detention if convicted, including a pledge he could be transferred to Australia to serve any sentence. Stella Assange leads the protest outside the High Court on Tuesday where the last bid to stop extradition under UK appeal process takes place ( PA ) In a further blow to his supporters, in June 2022, home secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition, and last year a judge at Londons High Court turned down his request for an appeal. A two-day hearing this week is Assanges last chance to appeal in the UK legal process. If he succeeds, his case will go to a full appeal. If he loses, the only remaining block to his extradition lies with the European Court of Human Rights - a move his legal team have already said they would take. Assanges brother, Gabriel Shipton, said he was going through an immense amount of suffering while being held in prison and said his health was deteriorating. Who are Assanges supporters? Assanges fight against US extradition has attracted wide support from around the world, including country leaders and media freedom activists, and even some celebrities. At the protest which took place outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday morning, Assanges wife Stella led a round of speakers which included former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Dawson, the deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, Labour MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana and MP for Poplar and Limehouse, Apsana Begum. In September 2020, 160 former and current world leaders and diplomats signed a letter demanding the UK government prevent his extradition. Support has also come from former Argentina president Alberto Fernadez and former Brazilian leader Lula Da Silva. Rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union have called for his release. What has happened with the plea deal? The DOJ said on Monday 24 June that Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, where he will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information. The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from any additional prison time or imprisonment in the US. Prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence the same amount of time he has already served in the high-security prison Belmarsh, in London, while fighting extradition to the US. Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the US government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. News of the plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the US push to prosecute Assange. A statement posted on X from the WikiLeaks account on June 24 read: Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. He will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Footage also shared by WikiLeaks showed Assange boarding a jet at Stansted Airport ahead of his departure. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Julian Assange walked free after pleading guilty to espionage in a remote US court in the Pacific, concluding more than a decade of legal struggles with the worlds most powerful country. The 52-year-old Wikileaks founder was sentenced on Tuesday afternoon by a federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands, a remote Pacific territory of the US, fulfilling his end of a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. Assange left on a plane bound for Canberra, Australia, after the hearing and was expected to arrive at around 7.30pm local time. Assange was sentenced to five years in prison, minus five years already served in the UK while fighting extradition to the US. That means he is free to return to his wife and children in his native Australia. During the three-hour-long hearing, he admitted guilt to a single felony count for publishing US military secrets but said he had believed the US Constitutions First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities. It appears your 62 months ... was fair and reasonable and proportionate to Ms Mannings actual prison time, said the judge referring to the seven years served by US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. With this pronouncement, it appears you will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. I hope there will be some peace restored, the judge added. Now there is some peace you need to restore with yourself when you walk out and pursue your life as a free man. Assange left court without speaking to reporters and according to WikiLeaks was set to fly on a chartered jet to Australia. Earlier, he was asked by judge Ramona Manglona whether he was pleading guilty because he is in fact guilty of that charge, he took a long pause and then said: I am. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaves the US Federal Courthouse in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images ) But he was defiant when pressed by Judge Manglona to explain more, saying he was working as a journalist when he encouraged Manning to share classified information, and that he believed its publication would be protected by the First Amendment. I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case, given all the circumstances, Assange said. After his release, the US Department of Justice released a lengthy statement and said that Assange would not be allowed to fly back into the US as part of the plea deal. Following the imposition of sentence, he will depart the United States for his native Australia. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission, it said. Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel for Assange, told the press outside the court, said it was a historic day but the case set a dangerous precedent which should be a concern to journalists and people around the world. The US is seeking to exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction over all of you without giving you constitutional free speech protections, and anyone who cares about free speech and democratic accountability should stand against it, she said. Ms Robinson thanked the Australian government for its years of diplomacy in securing Assanges release. It is a huge relief to Julian Assange, to his family, to his friends, to his supporters and to us and to everyone who believes in free speech around the world that he can now return home to Australia and be reunited with his family, she said. The self-taught computer expert had previously spent seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in order to avoid being investigated for rape by Swedish authorities, which he has always denied. Assange declined to address the judge over his sentencing, as his lawyers described it as an unprecedented prosecution and said that he had suffered significant consequences and deserved no more prison time. As he entered the court on Tuesday, accompanied by Australias ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd, Assange appeared to be wearing a necktie by Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler likely a tribute to Westwoods longstanding support and friendship before her death in 2022. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaves the US Federal Courthouse in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to a single count of conspiracy ( AFP via Getty Images ) It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long, said Assanges wife Stella on Tuesday. It had become normalized. I am grateful to the people who made this possible, but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Overall I am elated, but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. It was a subdued end to more than a decade of legal struggles between a globe-trotting activist publisher hailed by some as a hero of government transparency and condemned by Western officials intent on keeping their secrets. None other than Joe Biden described him as closer to a high-tech terrorist than a whistleblower, while some American pundits openly called for his assassination. The charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during the first term of Barack Obamas presidency. Between 2009 and 2011, under Assanges leadership, WikiLeaks published numerous classified US government materials leaked by Chelsea Manning, including an infamous video of an American helicopter strike in Iraq that killed two Reuters journalists and two children. The disclosures made him among the most famous and most wanted people in the world, with supporters hailing him as a hero of transparency and freedom of the press while Western politicians accused him of endangering national security and undermining the war on terror. Even some political allies, however, said they were alienated by his divisive and uncompromising personality and by his decision to publish some documents unredacted, potentially putting informants and other individuals at risk. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at the US district court in Saipan, June 26, 2024 ( REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji ) Nevertheless, the US government did not formally indict him until 2019, when officials under then-president Donald Trump charged him with espionage for his work with Manning. By then, Assange had finally been jailed by British authorities for breaking bail while awaiting extradition to Sweden back in 2012. His lawyers had called the allegations a honeytrap engineered by dark forces, arguing that sending him to Sweden could lead to him being extradited in turn to America. When he lost that point in court, he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy, remaining there for seven years until the Ecuadorian government revoked his asylum and turfed him out in 2019. Swedish prosecutors eventually discontinued their investigation, saying that, although the alleged victims claim was credible, the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question. Assange denied all of the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. Regardless, advocates for press freedom have frequently expressed concern about the espionage charges and the plea deal itself, saying that publishing classified documents is an essential part of holding the powerful to account. In recent years, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese began campaigning for Assanges release, arguing that it served no purpose to keep him incarcerated. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, said WikiLeaks in a statement on Monday. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to land on a remote island in the Pacific on Wednesday, where his long-running campaign to avoid extradition to the United States will formally end and he will finally be a free man. The 52-year-old will appear before a judge in the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands to plead guilty to one charge, after the US dropped 17 other espionage charges against him. Having already served 62 months in jail, he will then fly to his native Australia to be reunited with his wife, two young sons and other members of the family. It follows his dramatic release from Belmarsh Prison in London where he has spent five years, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition and a deal with US prosecutors. Assanges wife, Stella, said she had travelled to Australia with the couples two young sons, Gabriel and Max, on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long, she said. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible, but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Julian Assange in a video circulated shortly after his release from jail in London ( via Reuters ) Overall I am elated, but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. She said her husbands release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. The public climate has shifted, and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim, said Ms Assange. Assange will plead guilty to a charge under the Espionage Act of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance. Assange arriving in Bangkok en route to the Mariana Islands ( PA Wire ) The charges against him stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during the first term of Barack Obamas presidency. Assange was accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan. The documents included unfiltered US diplomatic cables that potentially endangered confidential sources, significant activity reports relating to the Iraq war, and information relating to Guantanamo Bay detainees. The information was leaked between 2009 and 2011, the documents said, and was shared on Assanges WikiLeaks website. Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the US government had provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if he were to be extradited from the UK. WikiLeaks announced that Assange had left Belmarsh on Monday after spending 1,901 days there, and had departed on a flight from Stansted airport chartered from VistaJet. British authorities later confirmed that the plea agreement had been signed on 19 June, and that Assange was on a flight that took off at 6.36pm on Monday. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, WikiLeaks said in a statement. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. A filing from the US Department of Justice to the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands describes a plea deal involving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ( via Reuters ) The statement added: WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Prior to his incarceration at Belmarsh, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012, and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden to face a rape investigation there. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019, then jailed for the original offence of skipping bail in 2012. Sweden eventually discontinued its sex crimes investigation, with prosecutors saying that, although the alleged victims claim was credible, the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question. Assange always denied all of the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. His family and supporters have said previously that his physical and mental health have suffered massively during more than a decade of legal battles. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. He was indicted during former president Donald Trumps administration over WikiLeaks mass release of secret US documents. Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, gives a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London after her husband won a bid at the High Court to bring an appeal against his extradition to the US ( PA Wire ) Many advocates of press freedom have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organisation the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world. The plane carrying Assange on the tarmac at Bangkok en route to the Mariana Islands ( EPA ) Simon Crowther, Amnesty Internationals legal adviser, said: We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. The fight to protect freedom of expression continues, though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage. In Sweden, womens rights advocates expressed regret that Assange had not been questioned over the allegations of rape and other sex crimes, which he always denied, in Sweden. Its a betrayal against the women who reported him and who have not been given a chance for legal redress, said Clara Berglund, head of the Swedish Womens Lobby. Its a chapter of shame and betrayal that ends with his release, she said. This is about a case that takes place on the major political stages, and mens violence against women is given incredibly little weight. However, one of the women who filed complaints against Assange in Sweden, Anna Ardin, welcomed his release. I have had zero power here, but Im happy that he is out, and hope he can fight for transparency and human rights without molesting women, she said. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act by leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after almost seven years behind bars. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} In the last decade, the US Postal Surface has received more than 60,000 requests from law enforcement for information based on inspecting peoples mail, a congressional probe found, with the agency granting virtually all of them. Since 2015 alone, the USPS has granted 97 percent of requests from agencies like the IRS, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, sharing information gleaned from the outside of mail like names and addresses in a practice known as mail cover. Though the practice is legal, it has come in for criticism from a group of US senators, whose questions to the USPS in 2023 prompted the disclosure of the recent mail cover data, which was first reported by The Washington Post. These new statistics show that thousands of Americans are subjected to warrantless surveillance each year and that the Postal Inspection Service rubber stamps practically all of the requests they receive, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon told the paper, arguing the USPS was refusing to raise its standards and require law enforcement agencies monitoring the outside of Americans mail to get a court order, which is already required to monitor emails and texts. In response to a May 2023 letter from Wyden and a group seven other senators, USPS chief postal inspector Gary Barksdale cited jurisprudence dating back to the 1870s, when the US Supreme Court found, as part of a case about lotteries operating via mail, that Americans were entitled to an expectation of privacy for whats inside their letters, information that requires a warrant to access. Whats on the outside, on the other hand, is fair game, Barksdale said. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy with respect to information contained on the outside of mail matter, he wrote. The mail inspection efforts arent as controversial as another aspect of US law enforcement information gathering that was extended this year. In April, Joe Biden reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows law enforcement to gather information without a warrant from foreigners who are overseas, including their communications with Americans stationed in the US. The 2008 law has been criticized from both the right and left as a means of warrantless surveillance of Americans. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A key dam in Minnesota partially failed on Monday afternoon after severe flooding hit the region. The Rapidan Dam in Blue Earth County, Minnesota is breaking down as rushing waters sweep debris into the 114-year-old structure. Debris began accumulating at the dam on Sunday, the Blue Earth County Sheriffs Office said. The swollen Blue Earth River is also cutting through the west side of the dam, officials said. On Monday morning, the dam was in imminent failure condition. By the afternoon, it had suffered a partial failure, the sheriffs office said. Nearby roads have been closed to protect residents. The dam is still intact and there are no current plans for a mass evacuation, the sheriffs office said following the partial failure on Monday afternoon. A portion of the river flow has diverted around the west side of the dam and water continues to flow. Nearby residents who are in immediate danger have been notified, officials said. The dam is near the city of Mankato, about 90 minutes from Minneapolis, and home to some 45,000 people. Blue Earth County has nearly 70,000 residents in total. The Rapidan Dam, pictured, partially failed on Monday due to rushing waters and debris build up ( KARE11 ) On social media, residents were reacting to the news. My sisters home is across the street from Sanger pit and needs a boat to get out of her house, one user commented. Sanger Pit is a nearby park, located just northeast of the dam. Another user said they hoped emergency crews would rescue animals from nearby Sibley Park. Several residents have lost power, which crews are working to restore while some bridges across the river have also been closed. Governor Tim Walz said the dams structural integrity has been a question for a long time. The removal of the dam has been a question thats been up there, Walz told reporters on Monday, according to Fox9. Authorities say the Rapidan Dam, pictured, is still intact as of Monday afternoon. ( KARE11 ) Heavy rain leading to severe flooding across southern Minnesota left entire communities under feet of water Walz said on Saturday. Across the state, intense rain has had catastrophic effects. Flooding has left entire communities under feet of water, causing severe damage to property and numerous road closures, Walz said. The governor mobilized the states National Guard on Sunday as flooding continued. In Madelia, a southern Minnesota town, sewage-filled flood waters swept through several neighborhoods over the weekend. Residents said they had to band together to save each other and their homes. This is a wonderful community, community of work and friends and family and everything, so people of lots of different areas, Mankato, everywhere have been coming, resident Terri Baumgartener told local outlet KEYC. We noticed a little bit on the back of the yard yesterday morning, Baumgartener continued. We had family watching the house for us during the day, and then between 7 and 9, it just shot up. The water Im told went up three-quarters of an inch in the last hour, and were hoping and praying it starts to go down at some point. Much of the midwest is underwater on Monday. One person is dead in South Dakota, though Governor Kristi Noem has yet to release any details, citing the familys privacy. Meanwhile, flooding has also destroyed businesses, healthcare facilities and homes in Iowa, said Governor Kim Reynolds, who declared a state of emergency in 21 counties. Businesses are shuttered. Main streets have been impacted, Reynolds said. Hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities were evacuated. Cities are without power, and some are without drinkable water. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Less than two months after Panera Bread announced it would stop selling its Charged Lemonade a beverage at the center of several wrongful death and injury lawsuits Starbucks is releasing its own energy drink. While the drinks are similar, the coffee giants Iced Energy drinks have significantly less caffeine than Panera's large-sized Charged Lemonade beverage, according to NBC News. Starbucks Iced Energy offerings range between 180mg of caffeine and 205mg of caffeine depending on the flavor chosen. Panera Bread's large Charged Lemonade, when served in a cup without ice, contained a staggering 390mg of caffeine, just 10g shy of the upper limit for safe consumption by an adult in a single day. The energy drinks Starbucks is offering will all be served as 24oz beverages, and contain artificial sweeteners, taurine, vitamins, and caffeine. Panera's now-discontinued Charged Lemonade drink contained sugar, guarana extract, and caffeine. A promotional image of Starbucks Iced Energy drinks. The drinks were announced less than two months after Panera Bread announced it would discontinue its Charged Lemonade energy drink following several wrongful death and injury lawsuits tied to the beverage ( Starbucks ) In October, the family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition, filed a lawsuit claiming the woman died after consuming Paneras Charged Lemonade. Katz's friend, Victoria Rose Conroy, told NBC News that she probably had no idea the lemonade contained nearly an entire day's worth of caffeine when she ordered the drink. She said Katz was "vigilant" about what she consumed because of her heart condition. I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole, Ms Conroy told the broadcaster. A second lawsuit was filed in December by the family of Dennis Brown of Florida. He had a chromosomal deficiency disorder and a developmental delay. He also died after drinking a Charged Lemonade, the lawsuit claimed. Lauren Skerrit, a 28-year-old woman in Rhode Island, has also sued the company over the drink, saying it left her with "permanent cardiac injuries." While the company has expressed sympathy for the deaths associated with the lawsuits, the company maintains that their "unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the company's products." A warning label was added to Paneras charged lemonade drinks after a woman died shortly after consuming the high-caffeine beverage ( Panera Bread / screengrab ) It said it stood by the safety of the drinks. It has not commented on the third lawsuit from Ms Skerrit. While Panera phases out its drink, Starbucks is just the latest restaurant to introduce a high-energy beverage. In February, Dunkin' began offering its SPARKD' Energy beverages, with similar ingredients to Starbucks' Iced Energy offering. That beverage has 192mg of caffeine. Smoothie King also offers "lemonade refreshers" which include up to 125mg of "natural caffeine" from green coffee beans. While energy drinks have been around for decades, recent entries have ramped up the caffeine content far beyond their predecessors. Red Bull, one of the most popular of the old-guard brands, has 114mg of caffeine in a 12oz can. Newer brands, like Celsius, have 200mg or more. Bang energy, which can be found at most gas stations and convenience stores, has 300mg of caffeine. For comparison, a 12oz can of Coke has 34mg of caffeine, while a typical 8oz cup of coffee generally has between 80-100mg of caffeine. While the US Food and Drug Administration has made recommendations for safe caffeine consumption in adults, the American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that there are no benefits of caffeine for children besides the jolt of energy it brings and has advised that children and adolescents avoid the drinks to protect their health. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The open-faced and earnest attorney wearing a tie in the strip mall headquarters of his congressional campaign office could nearly be a direct foil to the Colorado incumbent hes hoping to replace. Jeff Hurd, 44, seems unruffled just hours before voters will decide whether he gets the Republican nomination in the states 3rd congressional district, which has been launched to national prominence thanks to its sitting representative, Lauren Boebert. I think there was maybe a sense among the voters here that they were getting worn down by a kind of politics thats really loud and in your face and aggressive, Hurd, 44, tells The Independent. Some like it; some will continue to like it. But I think, by and large, most rural Coloradans were ready to move on. While Hurds campaign has avoided mudslinging, his site slyly opines that western and southern Colorado deserve a representative focused more on doing something than being someone. Voters, he tells The Independent, are mostly focused on issues like the cost of housing, the cost of food, the cost of gas, the cost of electricity. Hurds been getting a crash course on many of those issues since he announced his congressional bid in August 2023. The following month, Boeberts long list of controversies broadened to include her ejection from a Denver theater after misbehaving on a date, and she dropped out of the race in December. The endorsements behind Hurd began to read like a whos-who of state Republican old guard, and his campaign has leaned heavily on Hurds professional credentials. Jeff Hurd with his wife and five children ( Jeff Hurd ) Democrats are really good at using lawfare to tie up our resources, he says. Yes, Im a lawyer thats not the most popular profession but Im also a fighter lets have somebody thats smart and conservative and knows the law, cut through some of that bureaucratic nonsense. He concedes that, if voters want a rep wholl stand for five minutes, and give a speech for television, Im not your guy. But if youre looking for somebody thats smart, and that can grill a bureaucrat or an agency on some issue of the law or some regulation, and cut through that BS, Im your guy. Hurd says he made the decision to throw his hat in the ring after visiting with power plant workers in Craig mothers and fathers also in their 40s with families whose jobs were in jeopardy. One of them was late because he was coming in from a parent/teacher conference, says Hurd. And it occurred to me that these men and women are losing good jobs because of bad policy. And I felt like sometimes, as Republicans, we can be good about shouting about the issues energy and protecting our energy economy but nobodys really doing anything about it. And when I was there, I thought, this is something that I could pull together legal, public sector or government and private threads, and help create economic opportunities. Lauren Boebert abandoned her old district but Ron Hanks, who is a very similar Trump-loving candidate, is hoping he can get her votes ( Getty / Facebook ) Among Hurds primary challengers is a more Boebert-esque candidate, Ron Hanks, a combat veteran who likes to remind voters of his presence in DC on January 6. Both Republican and Democratic PACs have been funding attack ads on Hanks, the latter in a bid to push voters in his direction, not Hurds presumably because Hanks would be easier to beat in the matchup with Adam Frisch, the Democrat who nearly unseated Boebert in 2022. Hurd, for his part, says hes hearing from voters frustration, anger, feeling left behind and ignored a helplessness, for many. To combat that, he says, hed fight for rural Colorado through maybe not shouting, but effectively, behind the scenes, building coalitions, building political capital, and doing everything I can to help my future constituents. And hopefully, theyll judge me on the results and thats how they can hold me accountable. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Colorado Republican Rep Lauren Boeberts Democratic rival posted a hilarious new ad speaking from the lawmakers seat during her scandalous Beetlejuice outing last fall. Democratic Congressional hopeful John Padora sat in a maroon movie theater chair, saying in his new ad: Im sitting in the very same seat Lauren Boebert got kicked out of. The same way she got kicked out of Colorados 3rd Congressional district. Boebert was booted from a Denver theater in September during a production of the musical Beetlejuice last September after vaping, singing, taking flash photos, and groping her date in the dark venue. Now shes picked up her bags and fled to eastern Colorado to run in the 4th Congressional district. Thats a race Ive been running since May of 2023, Padora continued. Hopefuls are vying for retired Republican Ken Bucks old seat. The GOP firebrand announced in December that she planned to run in a different district. The switch came after a series of embarrassing public incidents and a narrow victory over a Democrat competitor in her home district in 2022. Boeberts an opportunistic carpetbagger and we deserve real leadership here in Colorados 4th, he said, before asking supporters for donations. Padoras ad, released days before the Colorado primary races on June 25, highlights how the Beetlejuice incident still plagues the embattled GOP incumbent. In May, Boebert was welcomed by chants of Beetlejuice when she visited George Washington Universitys campus amid pro-Gaza protests. Boebert at the infamous Beetlejuice showing ( NBC ) More recently, during a Republican debate, a moderator pressed Boebert about the theater thing. Boebert defended that she had already owned up to my night out in Denver and had gone on a public apology tourbut Im not going to continue to live life in shame and be beat up by this. Although at first Boebert denied the incident took place, she later apologized after video surveillance was released. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On the eastern plains of the Centennial State, a very unique political battle is playing out. Representative Lauren Boebert, the headline-generating second-term congresswoman and right-wing culture warrior, is up for re-election just not for her own seat. Shes competing in a crowded Republican primary for the seat currently held by Ken Buck, a retiring member of the House Freedom Caucus. The seat is a comfortably conservative district, a change of pace from Boeberts current district, the third, which is across the state in Colorados mountains and includes the more liberal ski town of Aspen. Its that image of a conservative bulwark that clearly attracted Boebert to the 4th district, rather than seek re-election in the 3rd. Lauren Boebert is pictured on the Capitol steps in Washington DC ( AFP via Getty Images ) The congresswoman is beset by scandal stemming from her lewd behavior with a date during a live production of Beetlejuice earlier this year and was at severe risk of losing her seat in Congress to the Democrats in a general election after having only won re-election two years earlier by less than 600 votes. But sometimes, its difficult to balance a run for office with ones personal life. For Boeberts opponent Richard Holtorf, that meant a last-minute departure from the campaign trail right on the eve of congressional primaries across the state. Holtorf, a member of the General Assembly, and Jerry Sonnenberg, a state senator, are hammering Boebert on her penchant for embarrassing news cycles as the race enters its final hours, hoping that voters have tired of her antics in front of the cameras. The two men are perhaps what youd most expect a Republican politician from the eastern plains to look like. Both ranchers, Sonnenberg frequently appears in photos wearing his signature cowboy hat; Holtorf, meanwhile, has trekked across the district in a cattle truck emblazoned with Donald Trump signs. And it was a dose of real-world problems in the 4th district that threatened to end Holtorfs campaigning entirely in the home stretch. He faced controversy after a TV interview when he was asked about pushing for abortion restrictions after paying for one 20 years earlier. Then, just a few days after he had complained about Boeberts failure to support water retention facilities in the state (with freshwater access a major issue for ranchers and farms), he had to leave the trail because of a familiar issue the wells ran dry. His campaign confirmed to The Independent on Sunday that he would be suspending any campaigning or events as he dealt with the emergency at the ranch. State Representative Richard Holtorf stands on a pallet raised by a steer loader in a picture posted by his campaign in February ( Facebook: Richard Holtorf ) The water table has dropped and the pasture wells are not pumping water, campaign official Rhonda Brandt explained. Richard has 1,000 cattle in the feedlot plus his own herd The cattle have to have water, and the cattle come first. She added that it was an example of how Holtorf was the only non-politician of the top four candidates, calling his service in the state legislature secondary. If nothing else, he will be driving a water truck to keep thousands of [cattle] from dying. Richard Holtorfs Trump-emblazoned cattle rig, which he has used to canvass the states 4th congressional district ahead of Tuesdays primary ( The Independent ) Temperatures were in the mid-90s across the 4th district on Monday as the candidates entered the final hours of the primary. Only a few were active Sonnenberg continued to hold events and had more scheduled for Tuesday, while Mike Lynch was spotted door-knocking across the district too. Later on Monday, Brandt spoke to The Independent again and gave an update on the ranchs troubles. He is still hauling water and now a bad prairie fire has broken out that he is helping to [fight that] south of his ranch, she said, providing images of a smoke-filled landscape and charred grass. So not only is Richard a cattleman, water engineer, and water truck driver today, he is also a firefighter. A fire smolders across the prairie near Richard Holtorfs ranch in Colorado ( The Independent ) Boebert remains favored to win Tuesdays primary. Backed by both Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the congresswoman has a clear money advantage in the race (to the tune of a few million dollars), as well as national name recognition. She also has the advantage of a split field, with none of her challengers being able to claim themselves as her main rival and a general sense from some in the district that her enemies had failed to consolidate around one candidate. Its going to be a tough race, and well see what horse crosses the finish line first. I have no predictions, said Holtorf in an interview. Theres a lot of people out here that do not like Boebert, nor do they want her to be our Congresswoman in the eastern plains, and I mean everywhere. So if you think shes got some little [poll] blowing sunshine up her skirt, she might want to be a little careful with that. On Tuesday, Boebert will face the music once again. If she does win, it will be a case study in missed opportunities rarely are campaigns handed such a wealth of opposition research to pick from. It will also be a statement about what the modern Republican Party will tolerate from its electeds, even as it seems clear no one else will. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lauren Boeberts run for Congress in 2024 is unlike any race shes run before. The two-term congresswoman is now being derided by her critics as a carpetbagger, having left the purpleish 3rd district of Colorado for the relatively safer-Republican seat in the 4th district. Its a clearly political move aimed at protecting her career though one she and her allies, who include Donald Trump and Mike Johnson, are spinning as being done for the good of the Republican Party. Her departure from the 3rd district means that the staunchly conservative Boebert will face GOP primary voters on Tuesday in a district where she will be much more popular, or at least tolerated, by the general voting base which has far fewer Democrats than her old district, which included larger urban centers such as Aspen. Even so, shes facing criticism from opponents in her new primary over votes on issues such as water saving as well as support for Israel. So where does Boebert stand on the issues as she seeks her first term representing the eastern plains? Gun control Boebert is a Second Amendment absolutist. Where other Republicans in her party have sought to work with Democrats to pass laws banning domestic abusers from owning guns or allowing authorities to restrict the possession of firearms for those flagged to police as a danger to themselves or others, the congresswoman has fought every step of the way against any restriction to gun ownership in the US. She has opposed red flag laws, background check law expansions, and attacked members of Congress for hiring their own security while supporting such measures. Border security/immigration Another position where Boebert has found herself aligned with many conservatives is immigration she voted for the impeachment of Joe Bidens Homeland Security director earlier this year, and has also argued in favor of impeaching Biden himself over the same issue, a supposed failure to enforce US immigration laws. She, like Donald Trump, also favors a sharp increase in deportations. One piece of legislation she sponsored in March (which, like most of her bills, did not become law) was called the Build the Wall and Deport Them All Act. Boebert also was one of many Republicans who came out against a compromise framework hammered out by Democrats and her own GOP colleagues in the Senate this year. Abortion/reproductive rights The congresswoman says on her website that she believes life begins at conception, an unsurprising take for a conservative. But Boebert does not specify whether she would support an abortion ban at the national level; she describes herself as a supporter of the Tenth Amendment, which remands powers to the states not explicitly granted to Congress, and says that she supports states making their own decisions on abortion rights. Her campaign has not specified whether she would back restrictions on contraception or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Water usage An issue of real importance to many in the western US, where freshwater access is a growing concern in the face of a changing climate and more unpredictable weather patterns, Boebert has found herself the target of repeated criticism from one of her rivals as well as the White House on this issue. The Colorado congresswoman voted against infrastructure funding that included more than $20m for water retention projects around her state, yet still found the time to take credit for them after the bill passed without her support. I didnt agree to the swampy way it came to the floor but I fought to get the stuff in the bills and its there, she told The Independent in March. And Colorado is going to benefit from it. Lauren Boebert speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Climate change Boebert, like every single GOP candidate in the 4th congressional district, rejects the scientific consensus on man-made emissions as the primary driver of rising global temperatures. The candidates were asked about the issue at a debate in late May. Climate change occurs four times every year. Its absolutely real, Boebert said, referring to the concept of seasons. She then hedged slightly: Theres many things we can do to manage our environment. LGBTQ rights Boebert is a staunch opponent of transgender rights and frequently attacks the greater LGBTQ community. In at least one instance, she has accused them of seeking supremacy in the United States. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lauren Boebert shot to fame with her gun-themed restaurant Shooters Grill, where waitresses served customers flouting loaded firearms in hip holsters and tourists increasingly flocked as the MAGA Republicans profile rose. That Shooters, in the appropriately named town of Rifle, shut down two years ago, just as Boebert has begun closing the chapter on the constituency where its located and where shes the incumbent. Rather than seeking re-election in the 3rd congressional district, Boebert abandoned ship to run in a new constituency eastward and as luck would have it, theres another Shooters there. Boebert and her then-husband operated Shooters Grill in Rifle until 2022; it became a tourist attraction for gun paraphernalia and later its association with the firebrand congresswoman ( Sheila Flynn ) Boebert has no connection to this sleeker restaurant almost 275 miles away in Byers. Shooters Bar & Grill serves alcohol, unlike Boeberts venture probably wise, considering the firearms, which the new Shooters is also missing. Also highlighting their differences: the new Shooters has not had any bad press for skirting Covid rules (having only opened last June) nor reports of food poisoning. The Byers Shooters, however, does get the odd Boebert-themed question. Weve had people ask about it, general manager Tiffany Engelsman tells The Independent just over a week before the June 25 primary which will decide whether Boebert gets the GOP nomination for the seat in the 4th congressional district although she notes its definitely not a common occurrence. Shooters Bar & Grill in Byers, nearly 275 miles east of Boeberts old restaurant in Rifle, has no connection to the congresswoman -- but gets the odd question, and sits within the constituency she hopes to represent ( Sheila Flynn ) Polling earlier this month placed Boebert with a 35-point lead over five other candidates, though 40% of voters were undecided at the time, according to the Kaplan Strategies poll. Boebert announced in December that she would no longer pursue a re-election campaign in CD3, where she narrowly beat Democrat Adam Frisch two years ago by just 546 votes. At the time of the switch announcement, many voters in the eastern plains a more heavily rural and conservative agricultural district were not hugely familiar with Boebert, despite her national presence. A cardboard cutout of a holstered Lauren Boebert helped point the way to the bathroom at her restaurant before it closed; tourists would take photos of themselves with the cutout and a cardboard cutout of Trump ( Sheila Flynn ) While some of CD4 touches the edges of Denvers commuter suburbs, most communities are small, close-knit and rural, home to farms producing crops like wheat, corn and oats as well as dairy and hog operations, and livestock ranches. The district stretches to the Kansas border and is considered Colorados agricultural heartland, a cultural world away from liberal Denver and the states ski towns. Familiarity with Boebert and her voting record has increased since December as word trickled out, says constituent Michele Wingo, shopping at the Byers General Store just down the street from the towns Shooters. I just know she fights for us and fights for our rights, she tells The Independent. I love what she did up there, she adds, referring to Boeberts old constituency. I was like, Oh, I wish she was down here. Boebert smiles before the first Republican primary debate for the 4th Congressional district in January in Fort Lupton, Colorado; her move to an already-crowded Republican primary caused rancor within some factions the party ( AP ) Next weeks primary will determine how many other voters share the sentiments of Wingo, who also works at the stores pharmacy and overhears local gossip which tends to focus more on the national scene than local. They just talk about the president, Wingo says. They dont talk about anybody else. Shed been hoping to stop at Boeberts former restaurant Shooters on the way to drive her daughter to college in Grand Junction, on the other side of the state but was sad to learn the business had closed. (Her daughter, who is old enough to vote, was unfamiliar with Boebert.) The space on Rifles Main Street, which used to be filled with guns and Second-Amendment-themed paraphernalia beside cardboard Trump cutouts, has been replaced by a Mexican eatery. A short drive from Shooters Bar & Grill in Byers is a general store; the rural community is representative of many agricultural towns within the district Boebert hopes to represent ( Sheila Flynn ) And it remains to be seen how much of a mark Boebert will leave on this new constituency, where the Republican primary is heavily crowded and where rancour remains about her carpet-bagging move. Lauren Boebert doesnt know CD4. She doesnt know this district, its constituents, or its strengths and challenges, Republican State Sen. Byron Pelton and his wife wrote this month in a letter to the Sterling Journal-Advocate endorsing rival Jerry Sonnenberg in the primary. She hopes that by spending her massive marketing budget (primarily earned from her previous district), that you will vote for her because you have been inundated with her advertising materials Weve had people tell us they are voting for Boebert because shes a fighter and shes not afraid to get on TV and speak her mind. We would ask you to consider that being an effective legislator is much more than being loud and being on TV. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Colorado Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert returns to the public eye again this week for the Colorado GOP primary election. The firebrand politician previously announced that she would be switching districts for her re-election campaign in 2024, moving from Colorados 3rd congressional district to its 4th and blaming an influx of Hollywood money from high-profile Democratic donors like Barbara Streisand and Ryan Reynolds for driving her away. As the former owner of the Shooters Grill gun-themed restaurant in the inevitably named town of Rifle, who is known for controversial takes and comments, including enthusiastic remarks about the QAnon conspiracy theory, some may be unused to seeing her name in headlines for the right reasons. Heres a look at some of her other less-than-flattering brushes with the spotlight. GOP congresswoman Lauren Boebert, pictured on the Capitol steps in Washington DC, is known for often making headlines for the wrong reasons ( AFP via Getty Images ) Police investigation over claims she punched her ex-husband Boebert was investigated by police earlier this year following claims of a physical altercation between the politician and her ex-husband at a Colorado restaurant. Jayson Boebert accused his ex-wife of punching him in the face but later recanted his claim. According to police, the restaurant did not have any surveillance video recording at the time and no witnesses came forward to provide a statement about what happened. Due to a lack of any evidence, the allegations of domestic violence against Rep Lauren Boebert are unfounded and the investigation into Rep Lauren Boebert is closed, Silt police said in a statement at the time. Ms Boebert had previously denied the allegations. Jayson Boebert was later arrested for third-degree criminal trespass, obstruction and disorderly conduct in connection with the restaurant incident, Kite said, along with other charges pursued by county authorities. He was released the same day, according to jail records. Days after the incident he also allegedly got into the physical fight with his son, leading his being charged with reckless endangerment. Support for Donald Trump during criminal trial Boebert was among the few devotees of the former president to actually turn up in-person to support him during his criminal trial last month, after which he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Boebert arrived to court with fellow GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz to protest Trumps innocence. Lauren Boebert appears outside of a Manhattan criminal courthouse in May where she and other Republicans attended the felony hush money trial of Donald Trump ( Getty Images ) Following claims that the former president had often fallen asleep during proceedings, Boebert made went out of her way to explain them away. Trump wasnt sleeping, he was praying, the Colorado representative claimed during a House hearing in May adding, somewhat bizarrely, that if he was indeed sleeping as has been widely reported, at least he looked pretty. I know when I fall asleep on airplanes my mouth kinda drops open, she said. And his mouth is kinda tightlipped, so maybe its just a somber moment of thought. Getting thrown out of a theatre over Beetlejuice-gate In perhaps her most headline-grabbing incident, Boebert apologized after she was forced to make an undignified exit from a live-action musical stage version of Tim Burtons gothic comedy Beetlejuice in Denver, last September. Fellow audience members had complained about her vaping near a pregnant woman, talking too loudly, taking flash photographs, and inappropriately groping her date, Aspen bar owner Quinn Gallagher. The pair was asked to leave by the management. After initially denying having behaved obnoxiously at the show, she was subsequently forced to apologise when video footage emerged revealing her doing precisely as alleged. On social media, users were quick to contrast Ms Boeberts own public conduct with her homophobic advice to: Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars. The incident has followed Boebert around since, and she has faced multiple questions over it as recently as this month during a live televised debate with other GOP candidates. She was heckled with chants of Beetlejuice by student protesters at George Washington University, during a visit in May. Tweeting about Pelosis movements during the Capitol riot Boebert faced calls for her resignation just days into her career as a congresswoman in the aftermath of the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 when it emerged that she had tweeted out sensitive information concerning the whereabouts of House speaker Nancy Pelosi in the midst of the attack. Speaker has been removed from the chambers, she posted, which, although it did not provide any specific details, led to allegations that she was attempting to guide the rioters who were coming for the Democrat with malicious intent. Protesters from Rural Colorado United, a state activist group, duly organised demonstrations outside her offices, calling Boebert unfit to serve. Lauren Boebert has betrayed the American people and is a conspirator in the insurrection that occurred at Capitol Hill on January 6th, the group wrote in a press release. As the citizens she represents in Congress, we cannot recall her and we cannot impeach her, but we do not accept that she is fit to represent the people of Colorado District 3 in Congress. We can only hope that her colleagues in Congress expel her. Boebert had made clear her intention to oppose the formal certification of the 2020 election result in Arizona just before the insurrection effort erupted outside. Islamophobic jokes about fellow representatives Boebert also has a history of making off-colour jokes about her political enemies, notably suggesting that Democratic representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Muslim, is a terrorist, leading to Omar receiving multiple death threats. Having already accused her rival of being a full-time propagandist for Hamas on social media in May 2021, Boebert was seen on video the following September joking at a Staten Island Conservative Party dinner that she had encountered Omar in a DC elevator and called her a member of the Jihad Squad to her face, embellishing the anecdote for her audience by saying she had told a congressional aide: She doesnt have a backpack, she wasnt dropping it and running, so were good. At the same event, she was reported as describing Omar and Rashida Tlaib, another Muslim Democrat, as black-hearted evil women. They declined to accept her reluctant apologies, with Omar calling her a buffoon who thinks bigotry gets her clout. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene scream Build the Wall as Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address in March 2022 ( Getty ) Heckling Joe Biden at the State of the Union Boebert also made a spectacle of herself at the presidents State of the Union address in March 2022 when Biden reflected on the recent deaths of American servicemen in Afghanistan, and she shouted out: You put them in there, 13 of them! She was referring to the killing of US soldiers in a suicide bombing at Kabuls Hamid Karzai International Airport the previous August, the insensitivity of her remark drawing boos from the chamber. Later, she and Georgia counterpart Marjorie Taylor Greene who had already pointedly turned their backs on Bidens cabinet chanted Build the wall! when he discussed the problems of illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border, taking the opportunity to revive the spectre of Donald Trumps famous white elephant infrastructure project, which remains unfinished to this day. Falling out with MTG Often thought of as something of a double act, as the above embarrassment illustrated, Boebert and Taylor Greene had a very public confrontation on the floor of the House of Representatives in June 2023, with the former accusing the latter of calling her a little b**** and spitting at her. The cause of their feud? A dispute over which of them would get to file the latest round of spurious articles of impeachment against President Biden. Ive donated to you, Ive defended you. But youve been nothing but a little b**** to me, Taylor Greene reportedly said. And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to co-sponsor them. OK, Marjorie, were through, Boebert allegedly responded, to which her Georgia counterpart is understood to have retorted: We were never together. Asked about it later, the Colorado representative seethed to CNN: Im not in middle school. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mayor of Oakland was defiant saying she is innocent and confused about a recent FBI raid on her home as she fights to keep her political seat in the Bay Area. I want to be crystal clear, I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime and I am confident I will not be charged with a crime because I am innocent, Sheng Thao said during a Monday press conference. On Thursday, FBI agents descended onto Thaos home which she shares with her partner and family as well as three other properties associated with the family that runs California Waste Solutions a company that collects recyclables for the city. It is unclear what or who the target of the federal investigation is or what Thaos role may be, if any. Oakland mayor Sheng Thao defiantly maintained her innocence and ignored calls for resignation after her home was raided by the FBI ( AP ) Though Thao defiantly proclaimed her innocence, the FBI raid is just the latest in a series of events that have led to public unease about her. The Oakland mayor, who is the first Hmong American mayor of a major city in the U.S., is also facing a recall vote in November. Just two days before the FBI raid, a recall effort largely led by a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge qualified for the November ballot. The group supporting the recall says Thao is responsible for the citys rising crime rates. Robberies in the city grew 38 percent last year while motor vehicle theft jumped 44 percent, according to police data. Violent crime in the city rose 21 percent between 2022 and 2023. On Wednesday alone, 15 people were shot after a street takeover overshadowed a peaceful Juneteenth celebration. The group attributes Thaos firing of Black police chief LeRonne Armstrong and her administrations failure to apply for a state-funded grant to combat retail theft as contributing factors to rising crime. The Oakland mayor called the recall campaign a waste of time and public resources on Monday. But she assured constituents that she plans to remain 100 percent transparent and cooperate fully with the federal investigation while casting doubt over the timing of the FBI raid. I want to know why the day following the qualification of a recall election funded by some of the richest people in the Bay Area seemed like the right day to execute a warrant, Thao said. She also questioned what probable cause the FBI had to execute the search warrant, how members of the media knew to show up at her street to capture footage of the raid and why Fox News and Breitbart were so prepared. Thao ended her emotional speech by saying she would not be threatened out of her office and would fight seemingly to keep her position. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The countrys first-ever publicly funded religious charter school is an unconstitutional slippery slope infringement of the First Amendment, according to Oklahomas Supreme Court. Last year, a state school board approved the creation of a taxpayer-supported online Catholic school triggering a high-profile legal battle to decide whether public funds can be used to create religious schools. On Tuesday, the states highest court said the contract violates the state constitution as well as the First Amendment of the Constitution. The framers intent is clear, the courts majority wrote. The State is prohibited from using public money for the use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion. The school is an instrument of the Catholic church, operated by the Catholic church, and will further the evangelizing mission of the Catholic church in its educational programs, justices wrote. Enforcing the contract would create a slippery slope and what the framers warned against the destruction of Oklahomans freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention, they added. Oklahomas Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who sued the Republican-appointed board to block the schools creation after warning that it obviously violated the Constitution and would draw costly litigation, called Tuesdays decision a tremendous victory for religious liberty. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism, he said in a statement. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, however, said he is disappointed with Drummond and that the courts ruling sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma and all were saying is: we cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status, he said in a statement shared with The Independent. He intends to appeal to the Supreme Court. Oklahomas Republican Governor Kevin Stitt supported the creation of a publicly funded Catholic school. On June 25, the states Supreme Court said its unconstitutional. ( Getty Images ) The boards creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School arrived as GOP officials and right-wing groups across the country lured opponents into courtroom battles in the hopes of dismantling the church-and-state firewall. Another brewing federal court battle targets Louisianas first-in-the-nation law requiring the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. A coalition of civil rights groups that sued Oklahoma and Louisiana applauded Tuesdays ruling. Charter schools are public schools that must be secular and serve all students, they said in a statement shared with The Independent. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which plans to discriminate against students, families, and staff and indoctrinate students into one religion, cannot operate as a public charter school. In 2022, the nations highest court ruled that the state of Maine cannot exclude private Christian schools from a taxpayer-funded school voucher program that helps students attend private schools. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the Supreme Court continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state that the Framers fought to build. The consequences of the Courts rapid transformation of the Religion Clauses must not be understated, she wrote, issuing a warning that the court is undermining core First Amendment protections that prevent the government from imposing religious views. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The judge presiding over Donald Trumps classified documents case snapped at prosecutors twice within 20 minutes during a hearing on whether to put a limited gag order on the former president for his false claims that have fueled threats against officials. Special counsel Jack Smiths office has repeatedly warned that Trumps rhetoric and bogus statements about the FBIs use of deadly force has opened the door for harassment against the officials prosecuting him. During a tense hearing in Florida on Monday, federal prosecutor David Harbach argued that merely redacting officer names from court documents is not enough to protect them. Harbach appeared to grow frustrated by District Judge Aileen Cannons insistence that he prove that Trumps words were to blame. Mr Harbach, I dont appreciate your tone, Judge Cannon said from her Fort Pierce courtroom. Trump is under two gag orders already one in his hush money trial and another in his federal election interference case after judges agreed that his social media posts and rhetoric threatened to compromise the proceedings and endanger witnesses, jurors, and court staff. He also was under a gag order in his civil fraud case in New York. But Judge Cannon isnt convinced he needs another. Where do you see a call for violence? she asked prosecutors on Monday. There still needs to be a factual connection between A and B, she said. Donald Trump rallies in Philadelphia on June 22. A federal judge in Florida will decide whether he is under yet another gag order to restrict his statements targeting law enforcement. ( Getty Images ) Prosecutors are seeking a narrowly tailored order that would block the former president from making public comments that they fear will endanger the lives of FBI agents working on the case. Judge Cannon isnt expected to issue an immediate decision, and its unclear when she will. The hearing on Monday was in the middle of a three-day streak of hearings on Trumps motions to dismiss the case against him and what evidence can be introduced at trial. In court filings leading up to Mondays hearing, prosecutors pointed to Trumps ongoing false description of the FBIs deadly force policy in relation to the law enforcement search of his Mar-a-Lago property. The former president and messages from his campaign have repeatedly falsely stated that he narrowly escaped death from federal agents who were there to kill him. He was in New York at the time of the search. A fundraising email falsely told supporters that federal agents were locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger. Trumps defense attorney Todd Blanche even admitted that the FBIs deadly force policy is standard. Judge Aileen Cannon, pictured during her remote Senate confirmation hearing in 2020, presided over a gag order hearing in Donald Trumps classified documents case in Florida on June 24. ( AP ) In court filings, prosecutors have pointed to an attempted attack on an FBI office in Ohio three days after the Mar-a-Lago search, as well as the recent arrest of a Trump supporter accused of threatening an FBI agent who investigated Hunter Biden. Deploying such knowingly false and inflammatory language in the combustible atmosphere that Trump has created poses an imminent danger to law enforcement that must be addressed before more violence occurs, prosecutors wrote last week. Harbach told the judge on Monday that the government is at a loss to conceive why Mr. Trump would say something so false, so inconceivable, or inviting of violence. Trumps statements are beyond irresponsible, he added. Smith described that dynamic in court filings in Trumps January 6 case last year as part of a pattern, stretching back years, in which people publicly targeted by Trump are subject to harassment, threats, and intimidation. The former president seeks to use this well-known dynamic to his advantage and it has continued unabated as this case and other unrelated cases involving the defendant have progressed, Smith argued. Trump faces 40 separate charges stemming from allegations that he withheld hundreds of documents at his Florida property after leaving the White House, then conspired to obstruct the governments attempts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is free to speak out against witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial after the judge presiding over the case agreed to roll back protections intended to shield them from his attacks. The narrowly tailored gag order was intended to address the significant concerns about the now-criminally convicted former president compromising the trials integrity, as he routinely lashed out at people involved in the case and fueled abuse and harassment aimed at judges, prosecutors and their families. But circumstances have now changed, Justice New York Justice Juan Merchan wrote on Tuesday. A jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records connected with an election interference scheme that involved buying the silence of adult film star Stormy Daniels. With the verdict rendered and the jury discharged, and without opposition from Manhattan prosecutors, the judge agreed to lift a portion of the gag order intended to protect trial witnesses like Daniels and his former attorney Michael Cohen. The judge also lifted protections for jurors, though he said it is his strong preference to keep them in place. Protections for court staff, district attorneys office staff and their families will remain in place until after Trump is sentenced on July 11. Trumps legal team has repeatedly called on courts to lift the entire gag order. His communications director Steven Cheung called the judges latest decision unlawful and blatantly un-American for leaving protections in place ahead of a presidential debate on Thursday. President Trump and his legal team will immediately challenge todays unconstitutional order, he told The Independent. Donald Trump leaves a criminal courtroom on May 30 after a jury found him guilty on 34 felony counts in his hush money trial. The judge presiding over the case partially lifted a gag order on June 25. ( AP ) Daniels said she has nothing but respect for Judge Merchan, and his decision to restrict Trumps speech was extraordinary but clearly justified given the defendants uncontrollable daily rants. We also defer to the Judges review of that restriction post-trial in the context of free speech and any continuing danger to the judicial process, she added. Cohen said the end of the gag order likely wont have any impact on how Trump talks about him. For the past [six] years, Donald and acolytes have been making constant negative statements about me, he said. Donalds failed strategy of discrediting me so that he can avoid accountability didnt work then and wont work now. Stormy Daniels, who was paid hush money by Donald Trumps attorney Michael Cohen under the former presidents direction, speaks to reporters in 2018. ( REUTERS ) In a filing on Friday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office agreed that the gag order can be amended to lift the restrictions against trial witnesses. But there is no basis whatsoever to let Trump unleash attacks against attorneys and court staff and their families, he said. Trump has repeatedly used his Truth Social account to rage against the case, witnesses, the judge and prosecutors, which have fueled harassing and threatening messages aimed at attorneys, court staff and their families, according to law enforcement. New York City Police Department investigators logged dozens of actionable threats against the district attorney, his family and staff since Trump was indicted, including 56 that were made in April, May and June of this year, according to court filings. New York Justice Juan Merchan agreed to partially lift a gag order in Donald Trumps hush money case on June 25. ( AP ) Tump was fined $10,000 for 10 statements violating the gag order during the trial, and Judge Merchan threatened him with jail if he continued to violate the terms of the order. The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me, he told Trump last month. But at the end of the day I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system, he said. Your continued violations threaten to interfere with the administration of justice, and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. Last week, New Yorks highest appeals court rejected Trumps demand for a swift appeal of a court ruling that shot down his claims that that the gag order violates his First Amendment rights. A decision from the New York Court of Appeals said that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved in his challenge. The former president is still under a gag order in his federal election interference case, and he was fined $15,000 for violating the gag order in his civil fraud trial. The Trump-appointed federal judge presiding over his classified documents case in Florida also is weighing whether to rein in Trumps attacks against law enforcement. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Supreme Court is expected to rule imminently on whether Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. His defense has already been shot down by the federal judge overseeing the election interference case against him as well as a unanimous panel of appeals court judges, who wrote that Trumps attempts to stay in power were an unprecedented assault on the structure of our government. The question is now in the hands of the nations highest court. An answer expected on July 1 could have profound consequences for holding former presidents accountable for crimes committed while in office. But the courts decision to take up the case and wait until the final day of its current session to issue a ruling ensures that voters will not see a verdict in the trial to determine if he unlawfully conspired to overturn an election before they cast their ballots in the next one this November. How did the case get to the Supreme Court? A federal investigation into Trumps efforts to subvert the 2020 election are detailed in a 45-page indictment outlining three alleged criminal conspiracies and the obstruction of Joe Bidens victory, culminating in a mobs violent breach of the Capitol to stop it. After months of evidence and witness testimony under an investigation helmed by special counsel Jack Smith, a grand jury voted to indict Trump in August 2023. Two months later, Trumps attorneys argued that the case should be dismissed because he was acting within his official duties as president. Smiths office then asked the Supreme Court to step in and settle the question to keep the case moving swiftly, and avoid a trial in the middle of or after the 2024 election. A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump claims he is immune from federal criminal charges accusing him of failing to stop the mob ( REUTERS ) Prosecutors feared that Trump, if elected president again, would pressure the Department of Justice to throw out criminal cases against him. The Supreme Court denied that request and didnt agree to consider the case until February. Instead of affirming the lower-court decisions that rejected the immunity claim, justices scheduled oral arguments in April on the final day of the courts term. What did other judges say? In December, District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote that Trumps four-year service as Commander in Chief did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens. The office does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass, she wrote in her 48-page ruling. Granting the immunity Defendant seeks would also break with longstanding legal precedent that all government officials even those immune from civil claims may be held to criminal account, she added. A federal appeals court panel affirmed Judge Chutkans ruling, stating that for the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution, the judges wrote. How will the court rule? Supreme Court justices are extremely unlikely to agree that presidents are immune from prosecutions for ordering the assassination of a political rival a wild hypothetical that Trumps attorneys suggested during an appeals court hearing that he could be protected against. During oral arguments, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson grilled Trumps attorneys to draw out what, in their position, would prevent the Oval Office from turning into the seat of criminality in this country. Its more likely that justices will try to take aim at how to prosecute private conduct performed in office, and carve out some immunity for certain official actions. The question becomes about how to segregate private from official conduct that may or may not enjoy some immunity, Justice Neil Gorsuch said during arguments. Protesters outside the Supreme Court blast both conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who rejected calls to recuse himself from Trump-related cases, and Trumps defense that his attempts to overturn election results were official acts as president ( Getty Images ) Justices already heard another Trump-related case this term, on whether he should be disqualified from presidential election ballots under the text of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits candidates who engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office. On March 4, the day that Trumps federal election interference trial was initially scheduled to begin, the court unanimously agreed that Trump can stay on Colorado ballots, and that only Congress not states has the authority to disqualify federal candidates. The courts three liberal justices sharply disagreed that only Congress can act, writing that the courts conservative majority was attempting to insulate all alleged insurrectionists from future challenges to their holding federal office. Will a ruling derail his other criminal cases? Trump has pursued an immunity defense in nearly all criminal and civil cases against him, and nearly all have failed. If the Supreme Court sides with Trump, even in a narrow ruling, courts could revisit some of those decisions. In the unlikely event that the Supreme Court sides with Trump entirely granting him broad criminal immunity his legal team is expected to aggressively appeal his criminal conviction in New York. Donald Trump addressed supporters outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 ( AFP via Getty Images ) Prosecutors have said that his immunity has no bearing in his classified documents case. Those charges largely revolve around his attempts to evade the government retrieving documents that he allegedly unlawfully kept after he left the White House. With Trumps immunity question moving through appeals courts, Judge Chutkan has effectively paused the pretrial clock in his election interference case. After the Supreme Court reaches a decision, and if that clock starts ticking again, parties will have more than two months to prepare their cases before a trial can begin. That will put the special counsel in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether to prosecute the Republican nominee for the presidency just days before Election Day. Trumps attorneys have also filed a motion to dismiss his election interference case in Georgia. The judge overseeing that state-level case is waiting on the Supreme Courts decision. This story was first published on June 26 and was updated with developments Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump may announce his running mate ahead of Thursday nights debate. Four people familiar with the planning told NBC News that the former president could share his VP pick sometime this week. Trump has previously said that he would announce his running mate just before or during the Republican National Convention set to take place next month. There have recently been discussions within the Trump campaign about moving up the announcement, but those familiar with the talks also noted that the timeline hasnt been confirmed and that the announcement may yet take place closer to the convention. Trump is set to be in Atlanta on Thursday for the first debate with President Joe Biden. On Friday, hes scheduled to speak at a rally in Virginia. The Republican National Convention is less than a month away, scheduled to start on 15 July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On 11 July, only four days before the start of the convention, Trump is set to be sentenced after his conviction on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Trump may announce his running mate pick this week ( REUTERS ) In the wake of the publishing of the Access Hollywood tape, on which Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women, Daniels alleged that she had had an affair with Trump in 2006. The former president has rejected the claim. Trump said late last week that he has decided who he will choose as his running mate and that the VP pick will be at the debate in Atlanta on Thursday. Possible VP picks North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Ohio Senator JD Vance, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio are all set to be in Atlanta. Out of the three, Burgum is the only one who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination but his campaign was shortlived. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is seen as one of the possible picks ( Getty Images ) Those familiar with the discussions on when to announce the running mate differed on what timeline Trump will choose, with one saying that the former president wants a full ticket before the debate. Another added that Trump would relish the opportunity to distract Biden just before they face off but said that it could prompt logistical and political problems. A third person told NBC that opinions began to move away from announcing the running mate at the start of the convention early last week. Trump advisor Brian Hughes told The Independent on Tuesday, As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes. Senator Marco Rubio is reportedly one of the contenders ( Getty Images ) He added: But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump. Observers have noted that the former president is likely to want a running mate who does well on TV, can hold his own in a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, but who wont outshine Trump. Senator JD Vance is reported to be considered as a possible VP pick ( Getty Images ) In 2016, former Vice President Mike Pence was announced as Trumps running mate days before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Pence and Trump had a high-profile falling out after the then-Vice President refused to aid Trump in his scheme to overturn the 2020 election during the certification of the Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. During the ensuing insurrection, Trump supporters chanted Hang Mike Pence as they laid siege to the Capitol. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The top American doctor has declared gun violence a public health crisis. The announcement is driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country. The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation's top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded. Then-President Donald Trump dismissed Murthy in 2017, but President Joe Biden nominated Murthy again to the position in 2021. At his second confirmation hearing, he told senators that declaring guns a public health crisis would not be his focus during a new term. But he has faced mounting pressure from some doctors and Democratic advocacy groups to speak out more. A group of four former surgeon generals asked the Biden administration to produce a report on the problem in 2022. People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe," Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that's going to put our life at risk. To drive down gun deaths, Murthy calls on the U.S. to ban automatic rifles, introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. None of those suggestions can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress, which typically recoils at gun control measures. Some state legislatures, however, have enacted or may consider some of the surgeon general's proposals. Murthy said there is broad agreement that gun violence is a problem, citing a poll last year that found most Americans worry at least sometimes that a loved one might be injured by a firearm. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun injuries in 2022. His advisory promises to be controversial and will certainly incense Republican lawmakers, most of whom opposed Murthy's confirmation twice to the job over his statements on gun violence. Murthy has published warnings about troubling health trends in American life, including social media use and loneliness. He's stayed away from issuing a similar advisory about gun violence since his 2014 confirmation as surgeon general was stalled and nearly derailed by the firearm lobby and Republicans who opposed his past statements about firearms. Surgeon General Guns ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Murthy ended up promising the Senate that he did not intend to use my office as surgeon general as a bully pulpit on gun control. It is now time for us to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, the way we did with smoking more than a half century ago, Murthy told the AP. A 1964 report from the surgeon general that raised awareness about the dangers of smoking is largely credited with snubbing out tobacco use and precipitating regulations on the industry. Children and younger Americans, in particular, are suffering from gun violence, Murthy notes in his advisory called Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America. Suicide by gun rates have increased significantly in recent years for Americans under the age of 35. Children in the U.S. are far more likely to die from gun wounds than children in other countries, the research he gathered shows. In addition to new regulations, Murthy calls for an increase on gun violence research and for the health system which is likely to be more amenable to his advisory to promote gun safety education during doctor visits. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Julian Assange has been released from prison and has left the UK following negotiations towards a plea deal with the US authorities, WikiLeaks said. Here is the full statement from Wikileaks which was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A former Jetstar pilot was found guilty of murdering a 73-year-old womanat a campsite in a double murder case that led to one of Victorias largest missing persons search operation. The 12-member jury, however, acquitted Greg Lynn in the killing of Carol Clays fellow camper Russell Hill, 74, after five weeks of trial and seven days of deliberations. Lynn, a 57-year-old former pilot, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisting that the March 2020 deaths occurred accidentally during a struggle over a shotgun and a knife. He showed no emotions when the Supreme Court verdict was delivered, reported The Guardian. Lynn took a small sip of water before looking towards his son Geordie Lynn. His daughter, Colleen Hill was also in attendance, sitting right behind her brother. Our thoughts are with the Hill and Clay families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past four years have been for them, said Victoria police assistant commissioner Martin OBrien in a statement. Their courage and resilience in the face of their grief, amidst enormous public attention, has been nothing short of extraordinary. Hill and Clay disappeared in Wonnangatta Valley while camping together, sparking one of the largest missing persons case in the region that gripped Australia at the time. Hill was married and was said to be having a secret affair with Clay at the time, the court heard. Lynn was the only person staying at the camp along with the couple on 20 March. He said the things went south after he returned from deer hunting. Hill threatened him for hunting too close to the campsite, saying he had drone footage that he would turn over to the police. Later that evening, Hill took a shotgun and ammunition from his car and went off to fire warning shots before turning the gun on the pilot, reported Canberra Times. During their struggle, another shot went off hitting Clay in the head. Hill then went on to attack Lynn with a knife, Lynn claimed, adding that he was trying to save himself when knife went into the chest of the 74-year-old man. He was charged with two counts of murder on 21 November 2021, with prosecutors later arguing that Lynn likely killed Hill first possibly due to dispute over the drone, reported The Guardian. Clay would not have posed any threat to the accused, other than being aware of Mr Hills violent death. Lynn, however, maintained his innocence, saying he had no reason to murder the couple, but admitted to his despicable choice of burning the bodies. The maximum penalty for murder is life imprisonment. The pilot will return to court on 19 July when dates for punishment will be set. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Australia is looking forward to welcoming Julian Assange home after his 14-year legal ordeal, prime minister Anthony Albanese has said, as the Wikileaks founder reached a plea deal with US prosecutors. Mr Assange walked out of Belmarsh prison on Monday and boarded a flight from Stansted Airport at 5pm, ahead of an appearance later this week in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Labour Party MP Julian Hill said Australia-born Assanges health is fragile and he should not be judged for accepting a guilty plea deal with the US Justice Department in order to return home. No one should judge Julian for accepting a deal to get the hell out of there and come home. His health is fragile, Mr Hill said. Whatever you think of Assange he is an Australian and enough is enough. Adressing a question in parliament, Mr Albanese on Tuesday said the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. We have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership, he said. Australia has reacted cautiously to the news that Mr Assanges legal saga may be over, while Mr Albanese indicated that he had been working through diplomatic channels to seek a resolution. Mr Hill said the prime minister deserves enormous personal credit for his judgment and determination, never giving up in pursuing resolution of this case. An Australian government spokesperson released a short statement on Tuesday, saying they are aware Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States. Given those proceedings are ongoing, it is not appropriate to provide further comment, the spokesperson said. The Australian government continues to provide consular assistance to Mr Assange. Prime Minister Albanese has been clear: Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. Simon Birmingham, the shadow foreign minister, said: We welcome the fact that Mr Assanges decision to plead guilty will bring this long running saga to an end. There have been increasing calls from Australian lawmakers and public figures urging the Australian government to step up efforts to bring Mr Assange back to Australia. In 2021 and 2022, the Australian Parliament saw motions and debates regarding Mr Assanges situation, with some politicians proposing that the government seek to negotiate his return to Australia. Before he became prime minister, Mr Albanese signed a letter in 2019, along with other MPs, addressed to the then UK home secretary, urging the British government to block Mr Assanges extradition to the United States. Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time in prison which he has already served. The hearing will take place in Saipan at 9am local time on Wednesday (2300 GMT Tuesday). Saipan is a self-governing US territory, located in the western Pacific, about 2400km (1,500 miles) east of the Philippines. It was chosen following Assanges opposition to travelling to the US mainland and its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Julian is free!!!! his wife, Stella Assange, said in a post on X. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU - yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} France could be pushed towards civil war if the far right or far left win the countrys snap election, president Emmanuel Macron has warned. Mr Macron said the policies of the far right National Rally (RN) and extreme far left France Unbowed divided and isolated people, which would lead to conflict between different communities ahead of Sunday's first round of voting. Mr Macron is aligned against both the National Rally and the New Popular Front, a coalition of far- to centre-left parties that includes France Unbowed. It comes as Marine Le Pens National Rally was polling at 34 per cent of the vote compared with Mr Macrons coalition at 22 per cent and the Popular Front at 29 per cent. I think that the solutions given by the far right are out of the question, because it is categorising people in terms of their religion or origins and that is why it leads to division and to civil war, the French president told the Generation Do It Yourself podcast. Speaking about France Unbowed he added: But that one as well, there is a civil war behind that because you are solely categorising people in terms of their religious outlook or the community they belong to. Mr Macron was referring to accusations that France Unbowed positions itself to attract Muslim voters through its critical position on Israels war in Gaza. Mr Macron said the policies of far-right National Rally and extreme leftwing La France Insoumise divided and isolated people, which would lead to a civil war between different communities. Pictured: National Rallys Marine Le Pen ( AP ) "When you are fed up with everything, when daily life is hard, you can be tempted by extremes that have quicker solutions. But the solution will never lie in rejecting others," Mr Macron said. He said the policies of the National Rally, detailed by the party's president, Jordan Bardella, on Monday are "an impoverishment programme, because it's several thousand euros in hidden taxes every day and an impossibility of paying pensions and paying employees well". Responding to Mr Macrons comments, Mr Bardella seen as a possible prime minister if his party wins the most votes in the election said: A president should not say that. France Unbowed founder Jean-Luc Melenchon also condemned Macrons comments in an interview with France 2 TV, saying it was Mr Macrons own policies that were causing civil unrest. Mr Macron dissolved the French parliament earlier this month and called for legislative elections to be held on 30 June and 7 July. The move coming in the wake of Mr Macrons centrist slate being soundly beaten by National Rally in European parliamentary elections triggered outrage across the political spectrum. Mr Macron said he could not resign himself to the fact far right parties are progressing everywhere on the continent following National Rallys success in the European vote. National Rally secured around 31.5 per cent of votes in the European elections, leaving Mr Macrons centrist grouping in its wake. Mr Macrons Renaissance party currently has 169 lower house legislators out of a total of 577. RN has 88. The centrist Ensemble coalition, which includes Mr Macrons Renaissance party is short of an absolute majority, which is 289. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Iran will elect a new president Friday after the death of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. Whoever takes the helm in the country will inherit Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Heres a time line of the major events involving Irans atomic program, which first came to the country under American aspirations of peaceful energy but later drew Western fears over the Islamic Republic's possible development of nuclear weapons through it. EARLY DAYS 1957 Under Irans ruling Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Tehran signs a civilian nuclear cooperation arrangement with its ally, the United States. 1967 Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under Americas Atoms for Peace program. 1974 Amid its oil boom, the shah announces plans to build 23 nuclear reactors while also having full control of the nuclear fuel cycle opening the door to being able to build atomic weapons. That rattles U.S. officials, who limit American companies from selling to Iran. The shah lends $1 billion for the construction for the Eurodif enrichment facility in France to be able to purchase 10% of its product. 1975 German firm Kraftwerk Union begins construction of Busher nuclear power plant as part of $4.8 billion deal for four reactors. The shah tells an interviewer: Honestly, I am not really thinking of nuclear arms. But if 20 or 30 ridiculous little countries are going to develop nuclear weapons, then I may have to revise my policies. 1979 The shah, fatally ill, flees Iran amid rising popular protests against him. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran and the Islamic Revolution sweeps him to power. Students seize the United States Embassy in Tehran, beginning the 444-day hostage crisis. Irans nuclear program goes fallow under international pressure. 1980s During its bloody war with Iran, Iraq repeatedly attacks stalled construction at Bushehr nuclear power plant. 1987 Iran makes a deal with Pakistani nuclear scientist and black-marketeer A.Q. Khan for centrifuge designs, which ultimately become the programs workhorse IR-1 units. DIPLOMATIC CONFRONTATIONS August 2002 Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group reveal Irans secret Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. June 2003 Britain, France and Germany engage Iran in nuclear negotiations. Washington refuses to join. October 2003 Iran suspends uranium enrichment. February 2006 Iran announces it will restart uranium enrichment following the election of hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Britain, France and Germany walk out of stalled negotiations. June 2006 The United States, Russia and China join Britain, France and Germany to form the P5+1 group of world powers trying to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program. The U.S., however, stays away from negotiations. December 2006 The United Nations Security Council imposes the first set of sanctions on Iran, banning the sale of sensitive nuclear technology. Five more Security Council resolutions follow by 2010, tightening sanctions on the Islamic Republic. November 2007 The number of uranium-enriching centrifuges assembled by Iran reaches about 3,000 and its stockpile of low-enriched uranium grows, increasing fears among nuclear nonproliferation experts. July 2008 Under President George W. Bush, the United States joins the nuclear talks for the first time. June 2009 Irans disputed presidential election sees hard-liner Ahmadinejad re-elected despite fraud allegations, sparking Green Movement protests and violent government crackdown. September 2009 Western leaders reveal Irans covert construction of its Fordo enrichment facility, built under a mountain to protect it from possible airstrikes. October 2009 Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. and Iran open a secret backchannel for messages in the sultanate of Oman. February 2010 Iran begins enriching uranium to near 20%, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. May 2010 Brazil and Turkey announce their own nuclear deal with Iran, but the arrangement quickly falls apart. January 2011 Negotiations between Iran and the six world powers break off for what becomes a 15-month hiatus. May 2011 After Russian assistance, Irans Bushehr nuclear power plant begins operations. November 2011 The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran had a structured military nuclear weapons program that ended in 2003. Iran denies that, though Western governments including the U.S. also say it. January 2012 The IAEA says Iran is enriching to 20% at Fordo. The European Union freezes the assets of Irans Central Bank and halts Iranian oil imports. April 2012 Public negotiations restart between Iran and the six world powers but go nowhere. July 2012 U.S. and Iranian officials hold face-to-face secret talks in Oman. August 2013 Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric and former nuclear negotiator, becomes Irans president. He declares his country ready for serious nuclear talks. September 2013 Rouhani and Obama speak by telephone, the highest-level exchange between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif begin diplomatic exchanges. November 2013 Iran and the six powers announce an interim agreement that temporarily curbs Tehrans nuclear program and unfreezes some Iranian assets. The deal sets the stage for extended negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear accord. April 2015 A framework nuclear deal is announced after months of negotiations, outlining long-term restrictions on Irans nuclear program and the removal of many international sanctions. July 14, 2015 World powers and Iran announce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement. THE DEAL COLLAPSES January through February 2017 Tensions escalate after President Donald Trumps inauguration. His administration bans Iranians and citizens from several Muslim-majority countries. Iran conducts a ballistic missile test, triggering American threats of reprisals. May 2018 Trump unilaterally withdraws the U.S. from the nuclear agreement, calling it the worst deal ever. He says hell get better terms in new negotiations to stop Irans missile development and support for regional militias. Those talks don't happen. August 2018 The Trump administration re-imposes the first round of sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the nuclear accord, targeting a range of sectors from carpets and pistachios to gold and commercial aircraft. November 2018 The U.S. reenforces the most onerous sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the deal, targeting Irans vital banking and oil sectors. April 2019 Trump designates Irans Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization, marking the first time the U.S. has blacklisted part of another nations military in this way. May 5, 2019 Citing unspecified Iranian threats, the White House sends the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf in a show of force. May 8, 2019 Iran announces it will begin backing away from the accord, setting a 60-day ultimatum for Europe to compensate for American-led sanctions before it will begin enriching uranium to higher levels. May 13, 2019 Four oil tankers, including two belonging to Saudi Arabia, come under mysterious attack off the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials blame Iran. May 15, 2019 A drone attack strikes a major oil pipeline running across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea. Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility. Riyadh blames Tehran, which denies involvement. June 13, 2019 Explosions cripple two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. blames Iran for the limpet mine attacks, allegations that Iran denies. June 17, 2019 Trump orders another 1,000 troops to the Middle East, on top of 1,500 dispatched the month before to surveil Iranian activities and protect American forces. June 20, 2019 Irans Revolutionary Guard shoots down a U.S. spy drone in the Strait of Hormuz with a surface-to-air missile. Trump announces that he approved retaliatory military strikes on Iran but pulled back at the last minute. June 25, 2019 Trump imposes new sanctions on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, and his associates. July 1, 2019 Iran announces it has exceeded the nuclear deals curbs on its low-enriched uranium stockpile. July 19, 2019 Irans Revolutionary Guard seizes a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The British military had earlier impounded an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar on suspicion of sanctions violations. Sept. 3, 2019 The U.S. sanctions Irans civilian space agency, alleging the program is cover for testing ballistic missile technology. Sept. 7, 2019 Iran begins spinning advanced centrifuges prohibited under the 2015 deal. Sept. 14, 2019 Drone attacks strike two key oil installations in Saudi Arabia, halving the supply of oil from the worlds largest exporter. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility. U.S. and Saudi officials blame Iran, which denies involvement. Nov. 6, 2019 Iran injects uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. Nov. 15, 2019 A hike in government-set gasoline prices amid a worsening economic crisis sparks a wave of demonstrations across Iran. Security forces launch a brutal crackdown, with over 300 people believed killed. December 2019 A rocket attack on an Iraqi military base kills an American civilian contractor and wounds several troops. American retaliatory airstrikes prompt supporters of Iranian-backed fighters to storm the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. Jan. 3, 2020 A U.S. drone strike in Baghdad kills Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Irans top general and the architect of Tehrans proxy wars in the Middle East. Jan. 8, 2020 In retaliation for Soleimanis killing, Iran launches a barrage of missiles at military bases in Iraq that are home to thousands of American and Iraqi troops. More than 100 U.S. service members suffer traumatic brain injuries. As Iran braces for a counterattack, the Revolutionary Guard shoots down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after takeoff from Tehrans international airport, reportedly mistaking it for a U.S. cruise missile. All 176 people on board are killed. Iran initially blames mechanical problems for the crash. Jan. 14, 2020 After days of denial, Irans announces it was responsible for shooting down the Ukrainian jetliner, sparking anti-government street protests. April 22, 2020 Irans Revolutionary Guard launches its first satellite into space, revealing what experts describe as a secret military space program. April 23, 2020 Following tense encounters in the vital Strait of Hormuz, including the brief seizure of a Hong-Kong flagged tanker, Trump threatens to shoot down and destroy Iranian gunboats harassing U.S. Navy ships. July 2020 A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on archenemy Israel. October 2020 A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that banned it from purchasing foreign weapons expires as scheduled under the nuclear deal, despite American objections. November 2020 Joe Biden beats Trump in the U.S. presidential election. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of Tehran's military nuclear program, is killed in an ambush on the outskirts of Tehran. Iran blames Israel. December 2020 In retaliation for the killing of Fakhrizadeh, Irans parliament approves a bill that would suspend U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost uranium enrichment. Jan. 4, 2021 Iran begins enriching uranium up to 20% and seizes a South Korean-flagged tanker near the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Feb. 23, 2021 The IAEA loses access to its surveillance cameras, as well as data from its online enrichment monitors and electronic seals, amid a standoff with Iran. Tehran pledges to hold onto the tapes and give them back when granted sanctions relief. April 6, 2021 Iran and the U.S. begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal. April 9, 2021 Iran frees the South Korean-flagged tanker it earlier seized. April 11, 2021 A second attack within a year targets Irans Natanz nuclear site, with suspicion falling on Israel. April 16, 2021 Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60% its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2, 20121 The largest warship in Iran's navy catches fire and sinks in the Gulf of Oman under mysterious circumstances, a major setback amid confrontations at sea with the West. June 19, 2021 Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wins the presidency in a vote that saw polling places largely deserted despite pleas to support the Islamic Republic at the ballot box. June 23, 2021 An attack targets a centrifuge workshop in the Iranian city of Karaj, also damaging IAEA cameras at the site. July 29, 2021 A fatal drone attack kills two on an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire off the coast of Oman. The U.S. military identifies the drone as Iranian. Tehran denies being involved. Oct. 26, 2021 A cyberattack cripples gas stations across Iran. Dec. 1, 2021 The IAEA says Iran has begun feeding a cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. Dec. 15, 2021 The IAEA and Iran reach a deal to reinstall cameras damaged at Karaj, although inspectors remain limited on what footage they can access. March 5, 2022 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov links restoring Irans nuclear deal to American sanctions targeting Moscow over its war on Ukraine, further complicating negotiations. March 8, 2022 Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says it launches a new reconnaissance satellite as U.S. intelligence agencies warn Tehran could seek 90% enrichment if negotiations fail. March 12, 2022 Nuclear talks in Vienna break off without an agreement due to Russia's demand for guarantees that its ties with Tehran be exempt from Western sanctions over Ukraine. March 13, 2022 Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims responsibility for a ballistic missile attack that strikes near the U.S. Consulate in northern Iraq. May 11, 2022 In a last-ditch diplomatic push, the European Union sends its envoy for the nuclear talks to Tehran, as negotiations hit a deadlock over Irans demand that Washington lift its terrorism designation on the Revolutionary Guard. May 22, 2022 A senior member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is shot dead in downtown Tehran by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike, a brazen attack echoing previous targeted slayings blamed on Israel. May 27, 2022 Iran seizes two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in retaliation for Greeces role in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Mediterranean Sea over sanctions violations. June 8, 2022 IAEA board of governors censures Iran over failing to provide answers on man-made traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites. Iran disconnects two IAEA surveillance cameras. June 9, 2022 Iran begins disconnecting 27 IAEA surveillance cameras at the country's nuclear sites, further blinding inspectors, as it prepares to install more cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Natanz. June 28, 2022 Iran and the United States begin a series of indirect talks in Qatar over the nuclear deal. TENSIONS ESCALATE July 17, 2022 An adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Kamal Kharrazi, tells Al Jazeera that Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb, but has not decided whether to build one. His remarks will be repeated by others in the coming years as tensions grow. Aug. 4, 2022 Negotiators from Iran, the U.S. and the EU hold indirect talks with a tentative deal, but it falls apart. France, Germany and Britain later say Iran has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity. Oc. 5, 2022 An 85-year-old Iranian American, Baquer Namazi, held by Iran over internationally criticized spying charges leaves the country for Oman. Nov. 17, 2022 The IAEA Board of Governors passes a resolution censuring Iran for failing to cooperate with the IAEAs safeguards investigation. Feb. 23, 2023 Iran directly acknowledges an accusation attributed to international inspectors that it enriched particles of uranium to 84% purity for the first time, which would put the Islamic Republic closer than ever to weapons-grade material. The issue ultimately is settled, but puts new pressure on negotiators. March 10, 2023 Iran reaches a deal with Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in the two countries after years of tensions. April 27, 2023 The Iranian navy seizes a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. May 3, 2023 Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seizes a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Sept. 18, 2023 Five Americans detained for years in Iran walk off a plane and into freedom in Qatar as part of a politically risky deal that saw Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets owed by a third country, South Korea. Five Iranians in U.S. custody also are freed. Raisi suggests the exchange could be a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America. Oct. 7. 2023 Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. This begins the most-intense war ever between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Regional tensions spike. Nov. 19, 2023 Yemen's Houthi rebels, long supported by Iran, seize the ship Galaxy Leader, beginning a monthslong campaign of attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor that the U.S. Navy describes as the most-intense combat it has seen since World War II. The attacks mirror tactics earlier used by Iran. Jan. 16, 2024 Iran launches attacks in nuclear-armed Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl. Pakistans air force launches retaliatory airstrikes two days later in Iran allegedly targeting militant hideouts. April 1, 2024 A suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital of Damascus kills 12 people, including two Iranian generals and a member of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. Iran vows revenge. April 13, 2024 Iran seizes the ship MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz. April 14, 2024 Iran launches an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching over 300 missiles and attack drones. Israel, working with a U.S.-led international coalition, intercepts much of the incoming fire. A handful of missiles managed to land, causing minor damage to an Israeli military base and seriously wounding a young girl. April 19, 2024 A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defense system by an airport in Isfahan, Iran. May 19, 2024 A helicopter crash in northwest Iran kills Raisi, the country's foreign minister and others. June 5, 2024 The IAEA Board of Governors censures Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency. June 14, 2024 The IAEA says Iran has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges and plans to install others after facing criticism over its nuclear program. June 28, 2024 Iran holds a snap presidential election to replace Raisi. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} WikiLeaks founderJulian Assange has been released from Belmarsh Prison and has flown out of the UK after his 14-year legal battle ended in a plea deal with the US government. Mr Assange, 52, boarded a flight from Stansted at 5pm local time and on Monday, ahead of an appearance in court on Wednesday in Saipan, a US territory that is part of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific. There, he is expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified US national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. What happens next for the WikiLeaks founder? Mr Assange agreed a plea deal with the US authorities, which is set to be formalised early on Wednesday. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance. He will avoid being imprisoned in the US, receiving a 62-month sentence the same amount of time he has already served in Belmarsh. ( WikiLeaks/AFP via Getty Images ) Then, it is expected he will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Western Pacific. Stella Assange travelled on Sunday with her two young sons to Australia where the family is expected to live. She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: It has been touch and go. We were not sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. It has been non-stop for the last 72 hours. The agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice has to be signed off by a judge in Mariana. Once the judge signs it off it is finally real. She said she has not told sons Gabriel and Max that their father has left prison. Julian Assanges wife reveals she has not told his children their father is free ( BBC Radio 4 ) Ms Assange said she was looking forward to a new chapter with her husband and that the priority would be getting him healthy. She said: Hes been in a terrible state for five years. To just be in contact with nature, thats what we both desire for now. And to have time and privacy and just start this new chapter. What has been the reaction to his plea deal? Former Labour leader and independent parliamentary candidate Jeremy Corbyn praised Mr Assange for exposing the crimes of the powerful and said his imprisonment was always a grotesque miscarriage of justice. He added on X, formerly Twitter: Never stop fighting for the truth. Never lose hope. Never, ever give up. BBC journalist John Simpson said on X that he was delighted that Mr Assange is free and praised Stella Assange and the WikLeaks founders legal team for securing his release. Journalist and lawyer Glenn Greenwald said: Theres so much to say about the Assange case, the outrage of his being detained for almost 15 years, being forced to plead guilty despite committing no crime. But on a human and personal level, its beautiful to watch him leave prison a free man, and finally leave the UK. A spokesperson for Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that his office was providing consular aid to Assange. Prime Minister Albanese has been clear Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long, and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration, the spokesperson said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} With assault rifles laid out before them, the young Polish men and women kneel on the grass and follow orders on how to pack their survival kits. Next comes a lesson on applying camouflage paint to their faces. Not too much neon, an instructor says as he shows them how to add dark streaks of green. Many at the training in eastern Poland are new high school graduates, with the men's heads freshly shaven and the women's hair tied back. They have signed up for a new summer program, Holidays with the Army, which offers basic military training for thousands of Poles aged 18 to 35. The military introduced the program in a search for recruits as Poland expands its 198,000-member army in the face of renewed Russian aggression in the region, including neighboring Ukraine. Despite the program's name, this is no holiday. The recruits rise early to learn combat and survival skills. When not in the field, they clean their quarters. There is no leaving the base, 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the border with Belarus, for visits home or nights out. They earn 6,000 zlotys ($1,500) for the 28 days. There has been great interest in the program, which is taking place at 70 locations across Poland, officials say. Volunteers in Polands army learn to apply camouflage face paint during basic training in Nowogrod, Poland ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has sparked an impulse among Poles to want to defend the nation, said Maj. Michal Tomczyk, a spokesperson at the Defense Ministry. We havent had such a threat since World War II," Tomczyk said. He said they had planned for 10,000 volunteers for the program and have more than 11,000. At the end of the training, the volunteers will take a soldiers oath in which they swear to serve loyally the Republic of Poland ... even at the cost of losing my life or blood. Those who choose a military life can join a branch of the professional armed services or the Territorial Defense Forces or be on standby as reservists, said Col. Pawel Galazka, commander of the 18th Lomza Logistics Regiment, a unit training the volunteers. The army wants to train as many citizens as possible, Galazka said. Everyone knows about the threat that comes from the east. Volunteers in Polands army practice tactics during basic training in Nowogrod, Poland, on Thursday June 20, 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The Lomza regiment's training field is in a forest clearing near the Narew River. The surrounding area has been defended by generations of Poles, from the time when Poland was partitioned and ruled by foreign powers starting in the late 18th century until the early 20th century, to World War II, when the Germans and Soviets invaded. Bunkers in the area are evidence of the Polish defense line that was broken when Nazi Germany invaded in 1939, sparking World War II. The patriotism nurtured by the history passed on in schools and by families helped motivate young people to join the new program, Galazka said. One volunteer, 18-year-old Dominik Rojek, originally planned to study computer science. But the troubles in the region led him to shift to a military career, driven by the desire to defend the homeland. He hopes he can still pursue his passion for computer science in the military and use his skills in cyberdefense. Someone has to do it, Rojek said. Not everyone is capable of this, but we are capable of this. ... There is no other way. Volunteers in Polands army learn to apply camouflage face paint during basic training in Nowogrod, Poland ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Rojek's generation came of age in peace and enjoyed the rising prosperity that has been the dividend of Moscow-backed communisms collapse across the region 35 years ago. But young Poles, like those of their generation along NATO's entire eastern front, fear they can no longer take that peace for granted. Russias initial seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014 sent jitters through the region. But its full-scale invasion has brought a major security realignment from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and forced nations and individuals to consider the prospect of one day taking up arms. Sweden and Finland broke with their neutrality to join NATO, and some nations are considering introducing compulsory conscription. Denmark says it plans to expand its conscription to include women. In Poland, a member of both NATO and the European Union, the threat feels close. Some stray Russian missiles have landed in Poland. Volunteers takes part in basic training with the Polish army in Nowogrod, Poland, on Thursday June 20, 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) At the border with Belarus, an ally of Russia, migrants arrive in large numbers trying to enter every day, and have recently attacked Polish officials, killing one soldier. Warsaw says the migration pressure has been created by Russia and Belarus and view it as a form of hybrid warfare against the West. The Russians and the Belarusians have engineered an assault on our border, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said at a recent international conference in Berlin devoted to Ukraine's recovery. Russian officials have repeatedly threatened Poland. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and ally of President Vladimir Putin, has called Poland a dangerous enemy that risks losing its statehood. Along Poland's northern border is the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, where Poland believes Moscow stores about 100 tactical nuclear warheads. Poles must think about what could happen and be prepared, said 34-year-old Magdalena Klos, one of the volunteers in the new training. She had long dreamed of becoming a soldier but was waiting for her children to be old enough. They are now 9 and 11, and she feels the time is finally right. I am proud that I am wearing the uniform," she said. I am not only a mother and a wife but also a soldier. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials, accusing them of overseeing war crimes against civilians during Russias invasion of Ukraine. Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and military chief General Valery Gerasimov have been accused of directing attacks at civilian objects, causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and perpetrating the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. The statement from the ICC added that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023. It added that the court believes that where strike targets may have qualified as military objectives at the time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. The warrants come as Russia has again stepped up its long-range assault on Ukraines energy infrastructure in recent months, launching at least eight large-scale aerial assaults in recent weeks. Moscow launched dozens of drones and missiles during the latest attack, injuring numerous civilian workers and causing yet more blackouts across the country. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that Moscow had destroyed half of his countrys electricity-generating capacity since it began pummelling its energy facilities in late March. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Ukraines allies to send more air-defence systems. He has specifically requested seven sophisticated Patriot air-defence systems from the US. Russian president Vladimir Putin, centre, talks with the chief of the general staff Gerasimov, left, and defence minister Shoigu after a meeting in Moscow late last year ( AP ) Each winter during Russias more than two-year invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has conducted airstrikes against Ukraines energy grid, which it claims is a legitimate military target. The missile and drone attacks on power plants and other infrastructure have killed hundreds of civilians, Ukrainian officials have said, and left millions with no electricity or water for long periods. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Ukraine in March last year to investigate Russias aerial campaign. The Kremlin maintains that it does not target civilians. Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served, Mr Zelensky said. And we do hope to see them behind bars. Mr Zelenskys top adviser, Andriy Yermak, labelled the move by the ICC an important decision, adding that it was clear that Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov bear individual responsibility. Everyone will be [held] responsible for evil, he wrote on the Telegram messenger app. Ukraines human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the ICC decision meant his country was a step closer to getting justice. Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal! he said in a statement posted on Telegram. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction, and refuses to hand over suspects. Russias Security Council claimed the courts action was part of a hybrid war against Moscow. This is just shooting the breeze, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, and was made as part of the hybrid war of the West against our country, state news agency Tass quoted the council as saying. At least six Russian officials have become subject to arrest warrants since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In March last year, warrants were issued for Mr Putin and his childrens commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for their role in the alleged forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. People use torches as they leave a supermarket during a partial electricity blackout in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in May ( Reuters ) In March 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for top Russian commanders Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov over suspected war crimes in Ukraine, again related to missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023. The latest round of arrest warrants deals a blow to two of Russias most senior officials, both of whom have been heavily involved in Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine. Russia has denied committing war crimes in Ukraine and has accused the ICC of unfairly targeting Russian officials. Mr Shoigu served as Mr Putins defence minister from 2012 until earlier this year, before he was appointed the head of the Russian Security Council, a top role in the Kremlin that puts him in charge of the countrys domestic and international security. He was an instrumental figure in overseeing Mr Putins invasion of Ukraine. Last year, he visited North Korea ahead of Mr Putins meeting with the nations dictator Kim Jong-un, in what experts said paved the way for an eventual military deal that saw Moscow receive lethal weapons from Pyongyang that they allegedly later used against Ukraine. Gen Gerasimov, who last year was appointed operational commander of the special military operation a propagandistic phrase used by the Kremlin to describe the invasion of Ukraine has directly overseen the war since its beginning. He is both the chief of the general staff and the deputy defence minister. The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols shaped by international courts say that parties involved in a military conflict must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. The arrest warrants bar Mr Shoigu and Gen Gerasimov from being able to visit any of the 124 signatories to the ICC, as those countries will be obliged to arrest the two officials once they arrive. It comes as Ukraine is set to officially launch membership talks with the European Union in what President Zelensky has described as a dream come true for his countrys citizens. Deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna will lead Ukraines delegation at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on Tuesday, marking the official opening of talks to align the countries laws and standards with those of the 27-nation bloc. A few hours later, Moldova, which applied to join the EU after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was granted candidate status four months later, will take part in a separate intergovernmental conference to officially launch its own accession process. Starting the talks process is sending another strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine beyond the billions in financial support the EU has provided. It is also a show of support for Moldova, which has faced its own challenges with Russia. Generations of our people are realising their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe, Mr Zelensky said in an online post after EU member states agreed on Friday to open the talks. The negotiations will likely begin in a few months time, and the membership process will take years. Ukraine wants to join by 2030, but it must notably carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms first. That daunting list is led by steps to combat corruption, and includes broad reforms to public administration and the judiciary. When it comes to the battlefield, Mr Zelensky has fired the military commander leading the charge of Kyivs troops in eastern Ukraine after Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol was accused of killing more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general. In his nightly video message, Mr Zelensky announced that Lt Gen Sodol had been replaced by Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov. The move came a day after Bohdan Krotevych, the leader of Ukraines Azov regiment, accused the general of being responsible for significant military setbacks and major losses in personnel. Without mentioning Lt Gen Sodol by name, Mr Krotevych wrote: All the military now understand what kind of person Im talking about, because 99 per cent of the military hate him for what he does. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as Julian Assange arrives at Saipan International Airport in the Northern Mariana Islands for his court hearing to plead guilty to violating US espionage law following his release from prison in the UK on Tuesday, 25 June. The WikiLeaks founder, 52, will appear before a judge in the US territory to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance, with a proposed sentence of time served. The US has dropped 17 other espionage charges against him. After the hearing he will fly to Australia, where he was born, to reunite with his wife Stella Assange, his two young sons, and other family members. Mr Assange spent five years in Belmarsh Prison in London, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition. He paid half a million US dollars (394,000) for a chartered flight from Stansted airport, accompanied by a WikiLeaks lawyer, a representative of the Australian government and a medic to check on his health on Tuesday. Ms Assange said she travelled to Australia with the couples children on Sunday when it became clear that her husband would be freed. "It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible but I am also angry that it ever came to this," she said. Overall I am elated but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. The public climate has shifted and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim." Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh. In 2021, a district judge said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition, later that year. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in July after he was given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinas Change 6 probe has touched down back on Earth after its historic mission to bring back the first samples from the far side of the Moon. The robotic probe landed in Chinas Inner Mongolia desert on Tuesday, with the return capsule containing rocks harvested from the Moons far side. Chinas space agency said the probe landed at 6.07am GMT, or 2.07pm local time. Scientists hope that the samples will shed new light on the Moons geology and history. The complex mission, consisting of four modules an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a return capsule has already achieved several milestones since its soft landing on the Moons far side on 1 June. China remains the only country to have landed a probe in this part of the Moon called South Polar-Aitkin (SPA) basin which is dotted with deep craters and perpetually facing away from the Earth. The Change 6 lander collected 2 kg of lunar material using a scoop and a drill which was then launched aboard the ascender to the missions orbiter. open image in gallery Change 6 return capsule landing in inner Mongolia ( CGTN ) In the process, the country made history by launching the first-ever probe from the far side as the missions ascent vehicle took off carrying the specimens from the moons oldest impact basin. The orbiter, carrying the lunar samples in a return capsule, then began heading towards Earth around 21 June, according to Nasa. This is the first time in human history for a spacecraft to take off from the far side of the moon, the Chinese space agency CNSA said at the time. India's space agency completes RLV tech demonstration Scientists on Earth are already excited about studying samples collected from the mission, which they hope will help explain how the Moon formed and evolved. The samples consist of 2.5million-year-old volcanic rock along with small amounts of material generated by meteorite strikes on the Moon. There are significant differences between the far side and the near side of the Moon in terms of lunar crustal thickness, volcanic activity, composition, etc., especially considering that CE-6 landed on the South Polar-Aitkin (SPA) basin, the special terrane of the Moon, geologist Zongyu Yue from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said. The CE-6 samples, being the first obtained from the far side of the Moon, are expected to answer one of the most fundamental scientific questions in lunar science research: what geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides? Dr Yue said. Researchers hope analysis of samples will also reveal secrets about the Solar Systems early impact history. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police in Floridas Fort Lauderdale are on the hunt of a vandal who spray painted an expletive-laden message on 34 Tesla Cybertrucks parked in a lot. The graffiti reportedly came to light early on Friday when a passerby noticed the vandalised trucks in a parking lot leased by Tesla while walking his dog. Police confirmed to local news station WPLG that at least 34 of the cars, each worth around $80,000, were damaged with vandals spray-painting F*** You Elon on their backs. The Cybertrucks, which are collectively worth about $2.7m, were later wiped clean in the evening, local news reported. Social media influencers and other passersby stopped to take photos of the vandalism. I just heard about it, and I came out here to see if it was true, one TikToker told WPLG. In the months since their release, Teslas Cybertrucks have been facing several challenges, including disappointment expressed about its range to thousands of the pickup vehicles being recalled due to faulty pedals. Nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks were recalled in April over a problem with the vehicles accelerator pedal, documents by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed. Due to the defect, accelerator pedals in these cars could dislodge and get trapped, with the likelihood of causing the vehicle to speed up unintentionally and increase the risk of a collision, NHTSA said. Tesla has briefly halted Cybertruck deliveries due to a problem with the electric vehicles windshield wiper motor. This has led to Tesla accumulating its Cybertrucks before delivery at many locations around the US. Tesla Cybertruck steering wheel appears to lag Industry experts have also pointed out that the company may have made too many of its vehicles as the number of unsold Tesla cars sitting in parking lots across the US is ballooning. Reports began emerging in April that unsold Tesla cars, including the companys Model Y, Model 3, and Cybertrucks are filling up parking lots in several parts of the US. Videos shared on social media also show people being dumbfounded about finding parking lots filed with Cybertrucks in many parts of the country. Even satellite images of Teslas Texas Gigafactory taken several months apart show some parking lots around the factory going from partially to full. Satellite images of lots likely leased by the company outside some malls in the US show them filling up with unsold cars. In the latest incident, it is unclear for how long Tesla leased the lot in Fort Lauderdale, or whether the EV company would continue to use it after the vandalism. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The US government has ordered employees to immediately update their Google Pixel phones due to a mysterious security vulnerability. Google has already issued a fix for the critical flaw, which reportedly stems from a bug within the Android operating system, but gave no details about how it could be exploited. Android Pixel contains an unspecified vulnerability in the firmware that allows for privilege escalation, the government warning noted. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. The security issue is a zero-day exploit, meaning it was discovered and could be used by hackers to carry out cyber attacks before any mitigating measures were put in place. The vulnerability, referred to as CVE-2024-32896, puts Pixel owners at risk of having their phone hijacked if they do not update their phones to the latest version. Android-based operating system GrapheneOS warned that the security vulnerability is not limited to Pixel phones, though these are the first to receive the update. Other Android users will likely receive an update in August. According to Google, the exploit has already been used in targeted attacks, though no details were given about who was targeted and how. The Independent has reached out to Google for further information. The firmware security patch also has fixes for a further 49 vulnerabilities relating to both hardware and software components. Google Pixel phones can be updated within the devices Settings app, with software updates typically taking anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour, depending on how new the smartphone is. We encourage all customers to accept these updates to their devices, Google said in its Pixel update bulletin for June 2024. US National Institute of Standards and Technology said that government employees must update their Google Pixel devices by 4 July or stop using the smartphones. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 56-year-old British man reportedly died of a suspected heart attack while hiking on Mount Vesuvius during a family holiday in Italy. Mark John Irwin, who was travelling with his wife and two children, collapsed at the summit of the volcano. Despite efforts by local guides using a defibrillator for 40 minutes, he could not be revived. He had undergone heart surgery two or three months prior, according to his wife. We are assisting the family of a British man who died in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities, the UKs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said. Irwins death coincided with a severe heatwave affecting southern Europe, where temperatures reached up to 40C in recent days. Paolo Cappelli, a local mountain guide association president, told The Telegraph: He was right up at the summit when he collapsed. His wife told us that he had had an operation on his heart two or three months ago. We think he may have had a heart attack. Its very sad. It is pretty rare for this to happen on Vesuvius. We have one death every one or two years, which is not much considering the fact that about 3,000 people climb to the top of the volcano each day. Heatwave in Europe has also resulted in the deaths of six tourists in Greece, with ongoing searches for three missing people on the Greek islands. Michael Mosley, a TV presenter and health expert, passed away earlier this month on the Greek island of Symi. He was found dead after embarking on a solitary walk during high temperatures. Several parts of Europe, including Greece, Italy, the Canary Islands, Spain, Turkey, and Cyprus, are experiencing unusually hot weather and heatwaves. Studies have reported that 61,000 people died due to Europes record-breaking heatwave in 2023. William Spencer, climate and first aid product manager at the British Red Cross, warned that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and getting worse because of climate change. open image in gallery Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and getting worse because of climate change ( AFP via Getty Images ) He added: Sadly, we have seen cases already this year of the tragic impact high temperatures can have on human life. High temperatures make it harder for the body to cool itself and we all need to take care to manage the health risks of heat. If you are travelling to a country experiencing extreme heat, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe. This heatwave will go down in history, meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told the Greek state television channel, ERT. In the 20th century, we never had a heatwave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Korean Air flight had to be diverted due to a severe fault on Saturday after it descended 26,900ft in just 15 minutes, resulting in the hospitalisation of 17 passengers. Passengers on the Korean Air flight KE189 finally arrived safely in Taichung, Taiwan, a day after it was diverted back to the Incheon International Airport. Nearly 50 minutes into the flight on Saturday, a fault in the Boeing 737 Max 8s pressurisation system reportedly triggered alarms inside the flight. As a result, the aircraft rapidly descended 26,900 feet in just 15 minutes, according to online flight tracker Flightradar24s data. Passengers reportedly experienced hyperventilation and ear pain, with 17 people requiring hospitalisation upon landing in Taichung, Taiwan. Korean Air, in a statement shared with The Independent, said: 17 passengers have been attended to by medical professionals in Korea, and have been discharged without severe injuries. The flight with 125 passengers onboard was scheduled to fly to Taiwan at around 4.45pm local time on 22 June. The flight circled back to Incheon Airport three hours after takeoff due to the emergency, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The plane returned to its departing airport at 7.38pm, Yonhap news agency reported. Despite the frightening ordeal, there were no major injuries reported. The flight resumed the next morning with a different aircraft, following investigations into the incident by Korean Air. Passengers described scenes of panic and distress onboard, with oxygen masks deployed and children crying during the sudden descent. One passenger, who was identified as Tseng by The Taipei Times, told the outlet that children on the flight were crying when oxygen masks were deployed during the flights plunge. He said he was afraid that the plane might hit the ground. Meanwhile, a Korean Air spokesperson was reported as saying that the airline is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the pressurisation system malfunction, intending to address any maintenance issues before returning the aircraft to service. Earlier this year, a Korean Airlines plane came into contact with a Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft at New Chitose Airport on Japans northern island of Hokkaido. There were no injuries. Last year, Korean Air confirmed on its website that it would be measuring the average weight of passengers along with their carry-on items for flight safety. It followed a similar move announced by Air New Zealand in June last year. Earlier this month, Singapore Airlines offered compensation to all passengers who were injured after a flight to London suffered extreme air turbulence last month. The airline sent emails offering $10,000 (7,800) each to passengers who sustained minor injuries. It said it was open to discussing further compensation for those who suffered more serious injuries. The SQ321 flight from Bangkok to London suffered severe turbulence over Myanmar, causing it to instantly plunge 178ft. Korean Air said: We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. We have provided comprehensive support to affected passengers, including accommodation, meals, and transportation arrangements. Korean Air also apologised to all affected by this incident. King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales were all present to welcome Emperor Naruhito and his wife for their state visit on Tuesday 25 June. The red carpet will be rolled out for the visitors this week, and the formal occasion will include the traditional pomp and pageantry of a ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade, a carriage procession and a grand banquet at Buckingham Palace. Ahead of his visit, which concludes a week before the UKs 4 July election, Japans emperor said he has previously been welcomed like family by the royals. This time around, he was seen sharing a warm handshake with the King. Julian Assange is overwhelmed to be out of prison, his brother Gabriel Shipton has said. The WikiLeaks founder, 52, has been released from Belmarsh and flown out of the UK as he prepares to enter a guilty plea as part of a deal with the US Justice Department that could bring an end to his long-running legal saga. He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information by the US government. Mr Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, on Wednesday 26 June. His brother, Mr Shipton, discussed his release from prison with Sky News. Watch the moment WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at Stansted airport, beginning his journey to freedom. Mr Assange, 52, is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating US espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a 14-year legal odyssey. He has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to filings in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Mr Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served. Footage released by WikiLeaks on social media shows the moment he boarded a flight out of the UK at 5pm on Monday 24 June. A former police chief constable has hit out at armchair detectives following a social media frenzy surrounding missing British teenager Jay Slater. As the search for the 19-year-old, who disappeared after attending a music festival in Tenerife over a week ago continues, a former polce boss has urged the public to stop hampering the investigation. Sue Sim, the former chief constable of Northumbria Police who led the high-profile search for Raoul Moat, told Sky News on Monday (24 June): Having led massive inquiries of this type, please do not spend time putting things on social media. The worst thing that people can do sitting at home in their armchairs is to speculate what might have happened. Phone snatching gang members think they are entrepreneurs and view their crimes as their job, Dave Fishwick has suggested. Speaking in an interview with Mr Fishwick for Good Morning Britain that aired on Tuesday 25 June, the leader of an organised crime gang exposed the methods they use to snatch mobile phones. These guys... they are on thousands of pounds a day, Mr Fishwick said of his discussion with a leader calling himself Rich. They think they are an entrepreneur, they think theyve got a job. He was talking to me as if hes got a business. Hes ripping people off, stealing from people. Frank Allen will step down as chair of Corre Energy after three years in the position. Mr Allen, who was chair during the companys IPO in 2021, will leave the role due to professional commitments outside of Corre Energy. The company said the departure of Mr Allen coincides with a planned transition of the board in order to support Corres current growth plans. Earlier this year, it announced that there is a process ongoing which looks to secure strategic investment for the business. In March, the company said it has received multiple indications of interest: industrial, strategic and institutional to invest in the business. It said at the time that discussions with each interested party remain at an early stage and did not confirm whether interest is for some or all of the business. In a statement on Monday, Corre reported that the investment process, as well as other commercial opportunities, are progressing well. Corre will host its AGM later this week in Amsterdam, with non-executive board member Rune Eng set to take on the role of interim chair if all resolutions are passed at the meeting. The duties of the boards audit and risk committee will also be consolidated into the main board of directors. A process to appoint a number of non-executive directors to the board has already commenced, while Corre is also building a number of additional board committees as the investment process continues. Davy analyst Michael Mitchell wrote in a note to investors that the update suggests this may result in the appointment of new senior executives at the company. "We are hugely grateful for the commitment, guidance and support that Frank has provided prior to and since Corre Energy's IPO, chief executive Keith McGrane said. He has helped navigate the company through many critical milestones, including securing offtake agreements for projects, expanding our pipeline, overseeing several successive rounds of funding, and positioning Corre Energy as one of the foremost LDES [long duration energy storage] companies in the market, he added. The Court of Appeal (CoA) has dismissed a claim that the Data Protection Commission failed to fully investigate a complaint made to it several years ago about an alleged massive data breach by the internet giant Google. The complaint about Google's processing of personal data was made by Dr Johnny Ryan, a senior fellow of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. He filed his complaint in 2018 regarding a system, allegedly used by Google, called 'Real Time Bidding' or (RTB) which underlies the targeting of individual data subjects for online advertising based on their personal data. Last year Mr Justice Garrett Simons in the High Court dismissed the action on the grounds that the DPC was entitled to conduct its own inquiry into the alleged data breach, which the commission has opted to do, before resuming its investigation into Dr Ryan's complaint. That ruling was appealed to the CoA which on Monday upheld the lower court's findings. The DPC, represented by Joe Jeffers SC had opposed the appeal. Giving the CoA's decision Mr Justice Donald Binchy said that the central ground of the appeal was the High Court erred in determining the DPCs decision to defer consideration of Dr Ryans complaints of breaches GDPR pending completion of the own volition inquiry was lawful. In particular, it was argued by Dr Ryan that the High Court failed to apply properly the provisions of the GDPR and the relevant judgments of the Courts of Justice of the European Union on issues of data control, the CoA said. Mr Justice Binchy said that he could "find no error in the conclusion of the High Court judge that the decision to prioritise the Inquiry and defer the handling of the Complaint is proportionate, and well within the margin of appreciation allowed to a supervisory authority." All other grounds of the appeal were either deemed to have been not made out or were not pursed, the CoA added. The complaint was by Dr Ryan, whose role with the ICCL includes raising concerns about data protection. The DPC, which is the state's supervisory authority in respect of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) opposed Dr Ryan's action. Google Ireland was a notice party to the proceedings. Airport operator wants to add 950 spaces for workers Fingal County Council has told Dublin airport operator DAA that it would be difficult for it to support additional parking for existing airport staff in response to DAA plans for a 950-space car park for airport staff. As part of pre-planning consultations with the planning authority, the Council told DAA the planning application for the additional car spaces may not be supported due to recent national policy shifts towards a greater emphasis on public and sustainable transport modes and a shift away from private car use. The Council also told DAA that the staff car-park proposal is contrary to some of the development objectives contained in the Fingal Development Plan and Local Area Plan and that, as a result, the Council considered the proposal to be a material contravention of those plans. In the pre-planning consultations, the planning authority also advised that the presented justification for the proposed car-parking spaces as being replacement parking spaces was not strong enough to support the proposed quantum of parking. In the planning application lodged with Fingal County Council earlier this month, DAA is seeking planning permission for a westwards extension of the existing Holiday Blue long-term car park for the additional 950 airport staff car-parking spaces. In response to the Council concerns at pre-planning stages, DAA representatives told the Council that the proposed car-park is the minimum number of staff car-parking spaces required to meet existing demand. DAA also stated that the proposal represents a like-for-like replacement of existing employee car-parking spaces displaced from developments that have occurred across the airport campus. The Dublin Airport operator stressed that what is proposed is not additional car parking, but will support existing airport staff car parking, which remains an essential requirement of airport operations. The exchanges between the Council and DAA are contained in a 32-page planning report lodged with the application by planning consultants for DAA, Coakley ONeill. In the report, Coakley ONeill state that over the past decade as Dublin Airport has grown, several locations occupied by airport staff car parks have been consumed by other developments. The report states this is likely to continue to be the case as Dublin Airport develops and will require airport staff parking to be reinstalled elsewhere to cater for this displacement and to help alleviate congestion within the central campus. The report adds that the loss of airport staff car-parking spaces due to displacement is putting significant pressure on the management of remaining parking assets and airport operations. It says staff are having to park where possible on the airport campus. The report states that the proposal will provide a co-ordinated, consolidated, and controlled approach to staff parking aligned with the total of 5,360 spaces permitted by An Bord Pleanala. A decision is due in August. Bats, waterways and very significant carbon emissions have been cited by Ryanair in its High Court challenge to plans to construct a 200m underground cargo tunnel at Dublin Airport. The airline also complains that the loss of two aircraft stands, as a result of the project, contradicts the Dublin Airport Local Area Plan. It wants the court to overturn the planning boards decision to approve DAAs 1.1km tunnel, which is to run beneath the crosswinds runway. DAA has said the tunnel is needed to improve access and safety on the airfield and to facilitate segregation of aircraft and ground vehicles. In its legal papers, Ryanair says it has identified that about 80,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent will be generated during construction of the underpass, with more emissions created during its operation. In assessing the plan proposed by the operator of Dublin Airport, An Bord Pleanala failed to adequately consider the 2023 Climate Action Plan of 2023 or how this project fits into the Government-imposed caps on emissions from particular sectors, Ryanair alleges. Ryanair further alleges the board did not recognise that the proposed development is inconsistent with the Dublin Airport Local Area Plan, as it requires the loss of two aircraft stands. An Bord Pleanalas inspector noted aircraft operations will be constrained during construction and until replacement stands are provided. The inspector said this is clearly a significant issue for aircraft operators but the short-term reduction in stands is not a reason to refuse permission. Ryanair says there has been no more than an expressed hope or intention to relocate these stands after a separate application for planning permission is made. Therefore, it says, there was no evidence before the board that the loss of stands would be for only a short period. The projects effects on protected bats and nearby waterways was not properly assessed, the firm further claims. It says the permission came in breach of Europes Water Framework Directive, which aims to protect water quality and corresponding Irish regulations, as the appeals board did not ensure the project would not jeopardise the status of a body of surface water. It is also seeking a declaration that it is protected from having to pay its opponents legal costs as its case contains particular environmental claims. The airline, through its senior counsel Martin Hayden, on Monday secured permission from Mr Justice Richard Humphreys to pursue its claim through the court. The case will return on July 8. An Bord Pleanalas decision of April 17 upheld a grant of permission by Fingal County Council, which was appealed by Ryanair and a north-Dublin based residents group called SMTW Environmental DAC. DAA also successfully appealed against five conditions attached to the permission that it claimed was unreasonable and overly onerous Package of changes will free up another 20m in a government bailoutPlan due to be brought to Cabinet this morning by Media Minister Catherine MartinSeries of meetings between staff and management planned over next few weeks400 jobs to be cut over course of five years RTE is promising to publish all the salaries of its senior management team backdated to last year. But the publication of other salaries in Montrose of over 200,000 is not guaranteed. The move is part of a package of changes that will free up another 20m in a government bailout for the national broadcaster. RTE is publishing a five-year strategy today, setting out a new direction for the broadcaster, one with fewer staff and reduced overheads. The plan is due to be brought to the Cabinet this morning by Media Minister Catherine Martin, and will be unveiled to RTE staff at 3pm in a town-hall meeting by director general Kevin Bakhurst. A series of meetings between staff and management are planned over the next few weeks to discuss the details of the plan. There is still no indication as to when the Government will unveil its new funding model for RTE, however, which Taoiseach Simon Harris has promised will be outlined before the Dail rises for the summer recess. It is even unclear whether ministers will decide to fund RTE entirely from the public purse, or instead attempt to reform the TV licence fee. Staff at Montrose will be particularly interested to see how the five-year plan sets out the practicalities of the smaller RTE that Mr Bakhurst has promised. It also promised that RTE would operate on a smaller footprint within the Donnybrook site, and with modern facilities that require less maintenance. RTE has responded to a list of demands from the Government about improving how the organisation is managed in the wake of the financial scandal. A total of 116 recommendations arose from the Governments two lengthy reports into RTE. RTE was given six weeks to respond to the Government on how it intends to implement dozens of recommendations on changes to the governance and culture within the organisation. Among the measures is a commitment to publish the salaries of the leadership team, backdated to 2023. Beyond that core group though, it is vague. On other salaries over 200,000, a report to the Government says every effort will be made to facilitate publication, subject to data protection law. RTE has already brought in substantial changes on transparency for staff, which has been linked to the departure of several presenters. Now it appears to the turn of RTE management. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 The Government also plans to bring RTEs accounts under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The RTE document will be considered by the Cabinet this morning and then another 20m will be approved for the broadcaster. Later this week, RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst will present an updated version of RTEs cutbacks plan. The broadcaster is cutting 400 jobs over the course of five years. RTE is also to expand its operations outside of Dublin and reduce them in the capital, while investing in its digital products and reducing the number of staff by 20pc. The initial plan was light on detail and aimed at getting a bailout of exchequer funding of 40m from the Government late last year. RTE will be sharing the updated strategy in the coming week or so, which will also be shared externally. The Statement of Strategy is the full five-year strategy for RTE and builds on RTEs strategic vision, A New Direction, published last November, the broadcaster said. Todays plan will also give more detail about the new governance framework that RTE promised to put in place after the controversy over the secret payments to former presenter Ryan Tubridy. We are concerned Microsoft may be giving Teams an undue advantage over competitors Microsoft may face a big EU fine after the European Commission accused it of breaking EU antitrust rules by unfairly bundling Teams with Microsoft Office software. In a preliminary ruling, the Commission said that the move unfairly discriminated against competitors because Microsoft has such a dominant lock on office software systems. Its the latest in European antitrust activity against big tech firms Microsoft has been found guilty of this behaviour before and heavily sanctioned, most notably when it crushed web browser rivals by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses, said the Commissions vide-president in charge of competition policy, Margrethe Vestager. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 The investigation was kicked off last July after a complaint by Slack, a messaging platform that is now owned by Salesforce. A second complaint was lodged by the German video-conferencing service Alfaview. Formally classed as a statement of objection, the Commissions preliminary ruling is an advanced step toward a decision on the issue. Microsoft now has an opportunity to present an alternative case. However, it has already made some changes in how it bundles Teams with Microsoft products, changes deemed insufficient by the Commission. A maximum fine of up to 10pc of the companys total annual worldwide turnover is possible, under the European law. Microsoft has been tying Teams with its core SaaS [software as a service] productivity applications, thereby restricting competition on the market for communication and collaboration products and defending its market position in productivity software and its suites-centric model from competing suppliers of individual software, the Commission said in its statement today. Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition. Photo: Getty In particular, the Commission is concerned that Microsoft may have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice whether or not to acquire access to Teams when they subscribe to their SaaS productivity applications. "This advantage may have been further exacerbated by interoperability limitations between Teams' competitors and Microsoft's offerings. "The conduct may have prevented Teams' rivals from competing, and in turn innovating, to the detriment of customers in the European Economic Area. Its the latest in European antitrust activity against big tech firms. Yesterday, in the first action to be taken against a company under Europes recently-enacted Digital Markets Act, the Commission announced that Apple was in breach of EU rules for failing to let developers and competitors inform customers about alternatives. In March, Apple was fined 1.8bn by the European Commission for discriminating against Spotify and other music apps by preventing them from telling customers about cheaper, alternative methods of subscribing outside the app. Last week, Apple said it would delay the rollout of its newly-announced AI features for iPhones and Macs because of its concerns over regulatory clashes with Europe. Fewer than half of senior Irish executives believe AI can replace their staff. Most Irish firms have now dropped the idea that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace some of their workers. According to new research from PwC, fewer than half of senior Irish executives believe AI can replace their staff. This figure is down from 70pc from the same PwC survey last year. It comes after government-backed research this month suggested a third of Irish workers jobs are at risk because of AI. However, a majority of Irish executives surveyed by PwC said that while AI will benefit their business, they have no idea how. According to the PwC research, 83pc of the executives think AI will have a positive or transformative impact on their businesses in the next five years. But only 26pc can actually name any benefit, or operational efficiency, coming from the technology. And just 7pc have implemented AI in their ordinary business operations, the same number as this time last year. According to the survey, the main Irish company uses for generative AI, such as ChatGPT, Anthropics Claude or Google Gemini, are cyber-defence (34pc), IT development (22pc), improving collaboration (17p ), sales and marketing (12pc) and enhancing supply chains (10pc). The survey of senior Irish executives also shows that nine out of 10 Irish executives believe AI will increase their cyber-security risks, and four out of five think it will heighten other risks such as legal liabilities and reputation risks (79pc), the spread of misinformation (74pc) and bias towards specific groups of customers or employees (59pc). Despite three-quarters of respondents saying that they intend to put in place AI or generative AI governance structures, only 7pc have done so, according to the PwC research. Most companies welcomed the EUs AI Act, however. Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said that generative Al will not enhance their organisations ability to build trust with shareholders in the next 12 months. With the majority of Irish business leaders not having confidence that GenAl (generative AI) will enhance their organisations ability to build trust, significant focus on implementing governance structures will be critical, said Martin Duffy, head of GenAl, PwC Ireland. Good governance of Al systems will soon become a legal requirement under the EU Al Act. To realise Als value responsibly and securely, organisations must establish robust governance frameworks to be able to measure the benefits. The conference heard that a farmer doing an action that increases the carbon sequestration will be counted in the national inventory and can be traded on the voluntary carbon market Farmers will be able to sell carbon credits from their farms outside the agricultural sector to the likes of Ryanair, according to Christian Holzleitner, Head of Land Economy and Carbon Removals at the European Commission DG for Climate Action. He was speaking at the Teagasc carbon farming conference in Ashtown, which heard it is very difficult to measure carbon in soils to establish a baseline and there will be winners and losers when it comes to how much carbon can be sequestered in different soils. He told the conference the current EU regulation certification framework is very clear, but a lot of what is happening in the voluntary carbon markets will never be depicted in the national inventories. A farmer doing an action that increases the carbon sequestration will be counted in the national inventory and can be traded on the voluntary carbon market, he said. The certification framework is very clear... everything we certify will also count towards our climate targets. Of course, in 10-15 years, the LULUCF national inventory should just be the sum of what we see on each individual farm, but we are not there yet. A farmer sells a credit to Ryanair. Yes, thats perfectly possible. And probably the national inventory may not even see it, but it is perfectly possible and according to the rules of the carbon farming certification programme, it should always be like that, that this is accounted towards the LULUCF target of the member state where this carbon removal is generated. A national framework for carbon farming in Ireland is currently being developed, which will set out how it can be measured, verified and certified. The Department of Agricultures Bernard Harris told the conference the Department had received 457 responses from feedback, one-third of which were from farmers. He said the responses showed there was broad agreement there should be a compensation mechanism to reward eco-systems services and that carbon removal, greenhouse gas reductions and biodiversity measures needed to be included in the carbon farming framework. However, who should pay for the services covered by a framework was less clear, he said. Further, the responses found that while the facility to diversify farm income was viewed as positive, just 53pc of the consultation participants said they would be willing to join an initiative right now. This, he said, highlighted the uncertainty from farmers in the area. Vincent Roddy, President of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), said while there are opportunities for farmers in carbon farming, there is a big challenge to get farmers on board as there is a lot of doubt and mistrust after REPS was pulled in 2008. Obviously, farmers on designated land and in special areas of conservation... have been left high and dry for years. There are historical issues there that need to be addressed first to build that level of trust, he said. Former Macra president Thomas Duffy raised concerns about who would be allowed in the carbon trading market. The big concern for me as a farmer is would it be cheaper for [these] industries to simply buy out farmers, potentially abandon the land and use that as a carbon credit system? Karl Richards, Head of Teagasc Climate Centre, said that while Ireland doesnt have a voluntary carbon market, a well-functioning voluntary market could see an every-few-years forever payment and be an economic decision for farmers. Im weighing up what to do with my vasectomised bull Should this Galway farmer feed his 380kg bull for slaughter or sell him live in the autumn? Aonghusa Fahy on his Galway farm. Photo: Hany Marzouk Aonghusa Fahy Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 03:30 I finished using AI on May 31. I am very happy with the results: 33 out of 34 cows and heifers have been inseminated in six weeks, with just seven repeats. Thousands of farmers remain in the dark over when they will receive their full ACRES payment IT issues within the Department of Agriculture caused huge delays in issuing payments to farmers and forced Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to issue exchequer funded interim payments in March. The Minister said payments will issue to 26,677 ACRES Tranche 1 participants across both the ACRES General and ACRES Co-operation approaches in the coming days. Despite welcoming the fact that the balancing ACRES payments had started, INHFA President Vincent Roddy said he remains concerned that no definite date has been set to have all participants paid by. There is growing frustration with farmers especially in ACRES Co-operation around progress on both the balancing payments and their habitat scores and both issues need an immediate resolution, he said. Roddy also warned that a small number of farmers could have been overpaid in the interim payment. It has been indicated that any over payment will be recovered from farmers ANC and BISS payments. We believe this is not the way to go and are asking that ACRES payments are ring-fenced with any over payment off-set against new ACRES payments or ACRES actions. Meanwhile, the IFA has branded ACRES a farce and said any faith in the scheme is wearing thin among hill farmers, and those in SAC/Co-Operation areas, as it claimed more false promises have raised their heads. We were promised up to 10,500 each year for the five years of the scheme, but its looking like we wont get the colour of it, said IFA Hill Farming chair Caillin Conneely. Minister McConalogue assured us only a few weeks ago that all farmers would get their balancing ACRES payments in June, and that approvals for Non-Productive Investments would commence late summer. Now these commitments have been watered down and we hear that NPI decision letters are planned to issue before the end of this year (up to 12 months after applications closed potentially), and that more than one-third of Tranche 1 applicants will get no balancing payment at all in June. Id be worried whats coming down the tracks and how many farmers will find their ANC / BISS payments cut because of scoring and interim over-payment. Its a mess, and its just not acceptable. University Hospital Galway was one of the audited hospitals. Stock image. Photo: Reuters Patients have racked up a catalogue of debts worth 45m owed to two cash-strapped hospitals in Galway after not paying for their care, in many cases for more than three years, an audit report has uncovered. The HSE internal audit into University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital also found hospital consultants had not sent invoices worth up to 12.2m to private health insurers for payment for insured patients. The consultants should send the claims within 15 days of the patients discharge to ensure the public hospital is repaid and benefits from the cashflow. However, the delays ranged from 30 days to six years in some cases. The auditors who carried out the inspection last February found the consultants still had to send off 3,903 claims to health insurance companies. The patient fees would have covered the emergency department charge, as well as the 80-a-night public inpatient fee, which was abolished in April, along with income payments due from insurance companies for treating road accident injuries. The hospitals, which are part of the Saolta group, have told the auditors that recommendations to review and enhance controls will be followed. A patient debt should be paid within 30 days and if not, a reminder should to be issued. After eight weeks, the matter can be referred to a debt collector. The auditors found that the patient accounts department had a procedure for debt collection but it did not specify timelines. The audit report said that as of December 2022, there was provision for bad debts of 30m and the net patient balance was 15m. The auditors also found that there was no information leaflet provided to patients who need inpatient care to clarify if they had health insurance. This would outline the benefit of being treated privately and generate income for the hospital. There were no patient liaison officers to follow up incomplete private health insurance forms. It means patients who have private cover are slipping through and their insurer is not obliged to pay for their care. The auditors said attendance figures for 2022 showed 44,052 admissions of patients as inpatients. It raised 33m in patient charges and received 23.6m. Some 4.6m was recorded as struck off during that year, of which 3.6m was raised in error. A separate audit involved site visits to Sligo University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital to observe ambulance turnaround times and how soon they are free after bringing a patient to the emergency department.. The target is 20 minutes but this was not achieved in nearly half of the cases. An observation of ambulance handover times over a four-hour period at the three emergency departments found that the reasons for the delays all related to emergency department demand and no space, with lack of a free chair, trolley or bed on which to place the patient. A JUDGE who has been heavily criticised for letting a soldier walk free from court after he beat Natasha O'Brien unconscious today jailed a young woman for her role in robbing a man. There has been public outcry after Judge Tom O'Donnell gave a fully suspended sentence to Cathal Crotty (22) for a violent assault on Ms O'Brien, which the Defence Forces member later bragged about on social media. Man argues his jail term for mistakenly sending romantic letters to the wrong girl was too harsh Appealing his sentence, Eoin Hannan (50) referenced recent sexual assault cases in which the sentence imposed was similar or less than his own. The case was heard in the Court of Appeal: Stock image Fiona Magennis Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 17:48 A man has appealed his four-year sentence for harassing a woman he later discovered he had confused with someone else, arguing that the jail term for mistakenly sending romantic letters to the wrong girl was unduly severe when compared to similar sentences for sexual assault. A teacher who has alleged she was subjected to derogatory joking references to religion while working at a County Donegal primary school because she is married to a Protestant man has denied that she is creating a narrative of discrimination because she was annoyed about not being reappointed there two years ago. The teacher, Aoife Cleary, has alleged that she was repeatedly referred to as Mrs Wilkin her husbands surname years after she stopped using the name in a professional context as well as being questioned about when her children, who were being raised in the Church of Ireland, would make their Communions. Medical experts helping medics on the frontlines of Ukraine have asked the Government to consider a national framework that would allow Irish healthcare workers to assist in times of medical emergency abroad. Representatives of the UCD Ukraine Trauma Project today met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to discuss their work and how they could be supported. Professor Gerard Bury, who is the Director of UCD Centre for Emergency Medical Science, said that almost 500 emergency medical kits have been delivered to Ukraine in the last two years and there are daily requests for more. He described the impact of the war on the people of Ukraine as appalling and that casualty figures are likely underestimated. He said almost 30 Irish doctors and medical professionals have delivered four training programmes to Ukrainian doctors, medics and combat medics since 2022. Former and current members of Dublin Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service have delivered eight emergency ambulances and 40 4x4 vehicles to Ukraine, he said. A major focus of the project is the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care and the provision of the training and equipment needed to administer Tranexamic Acid (TXA), a medicine that can control bleeding. TXA saves one in six lives that would otherwise be lost if administered to the injured within a hour of suffering major trauma, but this administration requires training and equipment. He said that many of those injured on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine must wait eight to 12 hours for evacuation and TXA must be administered within a maximum time frame of three hours. Prof Bury said 4x4 jeeps have become one of the most important pieces of kit from a humanitarian point of view in Ukraine but appear to have a lifetime of just a few weeks. He asked the committee to consider recommendations for the Government that would create a framework that individuals who would wish to offer their expertise in places where there are medical emergencies. Prof Bury said there is no framework at a national level in Ireland within which medical practitioners or medical staff with specialist expertise can offer their specialist expertise in situations like that in Ukraine or Gaza. We ask committee to consider the establishment of formal mechanisms for Irish medical professionals who wish to volunteer their time and skills in major medical emergencies overseas, he said. "Those mechanisms might then allow our colleagues to contribute as part of the Irish Government's response to requests for emergency assistance in humanitarian crises. "Our experience suggests that such interest exists and that there are specialist areas in which the expertise of Irish clinicians can be of great value. He said the NHS in the UK has a framework for staff to offer those skills to areas in need, and while there are agencies such as MSF and Red Cross to offer emergency assistance, there should be a formal framework through the State for those interested in offering their expertise to do so. He asked the committee to consider the creation of such a mechanism. The latest training programme in Ukraine took place in April, when 136 candidates were trained in delivering TXA and how to deal with patients suffering from major trauma. Another will take place in August. Prof Bury said there are people in Ukraine who are volunteering as paramedics and combat medics on the frontline, some of whom are without previous experience in medicine. The extraordinary people we have met include vets, medical researchers, lawyers, hotel workers, teachers, recent college graduates and retired people, who are all now volunteering as paramedics and combat medics, he said. "All are caring for terribly injured patients on a daily or weekly basis, their commitment to their patients and their country is very striking. We have met those moving directly to or from the front line and those who have lost loved ones to the war only days previously. Prof Bury asked the committee to support their work and efforts to fund training and equipment, to support the work of other charities and organisations working in Ukraine and Gaza and consider methods of transfer of suitable vehicles. He suggested they consider the establishment of official mechanism to allow for Irish medical professionals to offer help in medical emergencies overseas. Prof Bury addressed the committee alongside Prof Chris Fitzpatrick and former Irish rugby star Shane Leahy, who founded One4Humanity and is working on delivering a hospital unit to Gaza. Mr Leahy said there has been "significant destruction in Gaza and he hopes to provide more hospital units in time, with 16 having so far been delivered to Ukraine. Their appearance before the joint committee comes as the first meetings of the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union take place in Luxembourg today. Jack Chambers will be the country's new Finance Minister. Photo: Steve Humphreys Jack Chambers has been appointed Finance Minister as Michael McGrath was announced as Irelands next EU Commissioner. Mr Chambers (33), who was made deputy leader of Fianna Fail last week, will become the countrys youngest finance minister since Michael Collins. Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the Dublin West TD is very able and intelligent. The promotion comes as Mr McGrath is set to become Ireland's 12th EU Commissioner when Taoiseach Simon Harris puts his name forward at a meeting of the European Council this week. The Tanaiste said Mr McGrath has ensured a shrewd stewardship of the economy and said one of his great legacies will be the Future Ireland Fund. He said nobody can doubt Mr McGraths high calibre. Mr McGrath said the nomination is an incredible honour and thanked his wife Sarah and his family. He has said an economic or financial portfolio would seem to be an obvious area where his skills could be used at the European level. Asked about what portfolio he would hope to get, Mr McGrath said: It is something we will discuss collectively over the days ahead. Obviously, the background I have, my own qualifications, my political experience, all lie in the broad economic and financial area and that would seem to be an obvious area where my skills can be deployed. As you know, when it comes to the allocation of different portfolios by the president of the Commission, there are many factors that come into play. The Taoiseachsaid Mr McGrath is a nominee everybody in the Irish government will proudly get behind". As a Government and as a country, I believe we are lucky to have a person of such high ability and standing to bring forward as our countrys nominee, he said. Michael is a very good colleague, a dedicated public servant, a skilled minister, and an extremely diligent and hard worker. "These qualities, and indeed the experience he has developed at a European level as our finance minister, and many other qualities that he possesses, as both a politician and a person, will be key to his success. His new role though will not only be above party politics, but also above national politics too. Since being re-elected to the Dail in 2020, he has held a number of minister of state roles. He was junior minister in the Finance Department for just two weeks before moving up to become Government Chief Whip until 2022. He was also a Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht and in the Department of Defence. Following Leo Varadkars 2022 reshuffle, he was moved to become Minister of State at both the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 The nomination of Mr McGrath to the EU Commission by the Tanaiste was discussed at a meeting of the three Government party leaders on Monday evening. Mr McGrath will earn more than 300,000-a-year in the position and will benefit from a range of lucrative allowances and expenses available to European Commissioners. He will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. The departure of the Cork South Central TD from Government will necessitate at least a mini-reshuffle of the Fianna Fail-held portfolios. A project by Uisce Eireann to utilise the River Shannon to supply water for half of the population has received Cabinet approval. The Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands region is one of the largest infrastructure projects to date and will provide sustainable water supplies for the next 30 years. The project will create a water spine across the country to towns and regions from Tipperary to Dublin and Carlow to Drogheda by piping water from the River Shannon to a reservoir in Dublin. The preliminary cost of this development is currently estimated from 4.58 billion to 5.96 billion. The project proposes to abstract a maximum of 2pc of the average flow of the River Shannon at Parteen Basin downstream of Lough Derg. Then, treated water will be piped 170km through Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in Co Dublin, where it will connect to the Greater Dublin network. It comes as the water supply in the Eastern and Midlands regions faces several challenges and an over-reliance on the River Liffey to supply 1.7 million people in the Greater Dublin Area. Chief executive of Uisce Eireann Niall Gleeson said: The Water Supply Project is critical for the future of our country. By delivering a secure, climate-proof supply of water for up to 50pc of the States population it will facilitate increased demand for housing, enable sustainable economic growth and support competitiveness across the Region. It will also help us meet the challenges of climate change by diversifying our water supplies to ensure safe, resilient water services for communities across the region, and reduce the vulnerability to drought and other extreme weather events. Mr Gleeson said Uisce Eireann had a significant engagement with the landowners along the route. "90pc [of landowners] allowed us into their land, he told the Irish Independent. Water Supply Project. Photo: Irish Water. Meanwhile, Asset Strategy Manager at Uisce Eireann Angela Ryan said the project consists of three key elements; the intake element, the water treatment plant, and then the 170-kilometre pipeline route across the country. The water treatment plant site is about 12 hectares of land, the pipeline route itself during the construction stages of the pipeline will cross approximately 500 farm properties, she told the Irish Independent. The pipeline will be a minimum of 1.2 metres below the ground, so full agricultural use can be restored. Irish Water Director of Asset Management Sean Laffey said Ireland is a very water-abundant country. "But the infrastructure we need to take full advantage of that particular resource that we have is not there at the moment. Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said: Uisce Eireann can now progress the project through the remaining Infrastructure Guidelines approval gates including the submission of a planning application to An Bord Pleanala in 2025. "One of the key recommendations in the recently published Housing Commission report was to take urgent action to ensure delivery of the critical Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands region and with todays Cabinet approval we are doing just that and showing our commitment to this project and to the future generations. The project will now proceed to planning as Uisce Eireann will continue a consultation with landowners and local communities. Irish Water is to submit a Strategic Infrastructure Development application to An Bord Pleanala next year while the construction is estimated to take four to five years. The chief executive of Aucklands City Rail Link will be paid 550,000 a year to lead the MetroLink rail project in Dublin. Dr Sean Sweeney resigned from his post at New Zealands largest transport project and is due to leave his position in September to take on the new role. Dr Sweeney is described as an expert in the procurement and delivery of large capital works and tunnelling. A statement from the Department of Transport said: More recently, he was the Chief Executive Officer of City Rail Link, a transformative underground rail link in Aucklands city centre and New Zealands largest-ever transport infrastructure project. Other notable positions held by Mr Sweeney include Executive Director for Major Projects Victoria in Australia, where he managed a multibillion-dollar portfolio of projects and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), and chaired the Victorian Government Project Management Leadership Forum. It confirmed the salary but said This is below the mean equivalent rate for this level of expertise globally. "Given the specific expertise and experience required for this transformational project, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform sanctioned a base salary of 550,000 for the role. MetroLinks construction costs are around four times greater than City Rail Links (CRL) and it will take six times as long to build it. Dr Sweeney's father is from Co Mayo, while his mother was born in Liverpool and is of Irish descent. Theres a strong personal element involved and the chance for an Irish/Kiwi like me to reconnect with family in Ireland, he said. Dr Sweeney studied engineering at Wellington Polytechnic and Auckland University and later gained a Doctorate in Construction Economics from Melbourne University. He worked in the infrastructure industry overseas before returning to New Zealand in 2018 to lead City Rail Link Ltd. MetroLink will be 19km long mostly underground and will be built between central Dublin and the citys airport while connecting with existing road and rail public transport to include 16 new stations. I have been more than honoured to lead CRL and with our finish line approaching rapidly it was no easy decision to leave a project that will always remain special to me, said Dr Sweeney. It will not only do so much for Auckland and Aucklanders, but CRL demonstrates the very best in outstanding teamwork, innovation and design every one of us who has worked on CRL can rightly feel proud and privileged to have done so. MetroLink earlier confirmed to the Irish Independent that Dr Sean Sweeney has been appointed the Programme Director of the rail project. "The appointment follows an extensive national and international recruitment competition, carried out on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) by Newsom Consulting, a MetroLink spokesperson said. "As MetroLink Programme Director, Sean will be responsible for leading the development and delivery of this programme, which aims to provide a new high-frequency, environmentally friendly public transport service for Dublin. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said the recruitment of Dr Sweeney is another important step to ensuring MetroLink will be delivered. Recruiting a world-recognised Project Director with a track record of getting massive infrastructural projects over the line is another important step in ensuring that this time MetroLink will be delivered. We now have one of the best people in the world on our team to get the job done. This transformational project is currently before planning. Once we get through the planning process, I am keen for us to go full tilt to get construction under way so that we meet our milestones and deliver a world-class metro system as quickly as possible. This important recruitment is not just about getting this project over the line in the next decade, its about ensuring that we have a transport system that is fit for purpose for decades to come. City Rail Link Ltds chairman, John Bridgman, said Dr Sweeneys resignation is accepted with regret. I congratulate Sean on his new appointment it is a great opportunity on the world stage for a New Zealander with his outstanding engineering and leadership skills, said Mr Bridgman. Be assured, however, that his resignation will not trigger any slowdown in the projects momentum. One of Seans legacies is the strong leadership team he has established. Construction is more than 80pc complete, there is a good atmosphere across all our sites and CRLs testing and commissioning phase is gathering pace. The project is in great shape and we remain on track to complete the project and hand it over to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail at the end of next year. Aucklands City Rail Link have been contacted for comment. Two Fianna Fail TDs are jetting back from China for a crucial Dail vote on Jack Chambers becoming the next Finance Minister. Cork TDs Paidi OSullivan and James OConnor, along with Senator Erin McGreehan, were on an Oireachtas visit to China when it emerged a vote was to be held following the nomination of Michael McGrath to become Irelands next European Commissioner. The two deputies are expected to return in time to vote Mr Chambers in as the new Finance Minister tomorrow afternoon. They did not respond to requests for comment. Speculation has now moved on to who will fill the super junior ministry vacated by Mr Chambers with internal Fianna Fail sources suggesting Minister of State Dara Calleary could finally return to Cabinet. However, there was no confirmation last night as to who Tanaiste Micheal Martin would appoint to the position. Fianna Fail sources said Mr Martin is keeping his decision making process very tight. There was some concern in Fianna Fail over Mr McGrath being replaced by the 33-year-old TD with no experience in a senior ministry. Michael was a safe pair of hands who people trust and I dont know how good this is for us, a Fianna Fail TD said. Jack is very young and things can go wrong easily in budget negotiations, the TD added. In Fine Gael, the appointment of Mr Chambers was greeted with some shock. One senior source said the elevation was aimed at giving Fianna Fails leadership team a more youthful look after the election of Simon Harris as Taoiseach. Since being re-elected to the Dail in 2020, Mr Chambers has held a number of minister of state roles. He was junior minister in the Finance Department for just two weeks before moving up to become Government Chief Whip until 2022. He was also a Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, and in the Department of Defence. Following Leo Varadkars 2022 reshuffle, he was moved to become Minister of State at both the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment. The nomination of Mr McGrath to the EU Commission by the Tanaiste was discussed at a meeting of the three Government party leaders on Monday evening. Mr McGrath will earn more than 300,000-a-year in the position and will benefit from a range of lucrative allowances and expenses available to European Commissioners. He will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. Asked about what portfolio he would hope to get, Mr McGrath said: It is something we will discuss collectively over the days ahead. Obviously, the background I have, my own qualifications, my political experience, all lie in the broad economic and financial area and that would seem to be an obvious area where my skills can be deployed. As you know, when it comes to the allocation of different portfolios by the president of the Commission, there are many factors that come into play, he added. Taoiseach Simon Harris said Mr McGrath is a nominee everybody in the Irish government will proudly get behind". As a Government and as a country, I believe we are lucky to have a person of such high ability and standing to bring forward as our countrys nominee, he said. Michael is a very good colleague, a dedicated public servant, a skilled minister, and an extremely diligent and hard worker. "These qualities, and indeed the experience he has developed at a European level as our finance minister, and many other qualities that he possesses, as both a politician and a person, will be key to his success. His new role though will not only be above party politics, but also above national politics too, he added. The Tanaiste said he wanted to nominated someone to the position who is of a very high calibre. "With his ability and experience, Michael is an excellent candidate. I want to congratulate him and I wish him and his family the very best in the time ahead, he added. The Taoiseach is travelling to the Brussels on Thursday to discuss who should lead the European Commission with his counterparts in other EU member states. It is the first European Council Summit since the continent-wide elections earlier this month and will focus on the horse-trading surrounding the senior roles in Brussels. He will put forward Mr McGraths name in the hope he will secure a senior financial role on the Commission. Natasha O'Brien received a standing ovation in the the Dail today after she attended the House in the wake of the controversial court case. TDs applauded for a full minute as Ms OBrien sat in the public gallery, after being invited to mark her presence by Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail. Soldier Cathal Crotty received a three-year suspended sentence in court last week after his unprovoked attack on Ms O'Brien. The Ceann Comhairle said: "I'm going to break with tradition. "Thank you for coming here today. Natasha, thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to the circumstances that you find yourself in. Can I ask everybody here to stand and applaud Natasha?" As they did so, he told her from the chair: "We are on your side." Natasha O'Brien pictured on O'Connell Street, Limerick near where she was assaulted in May 2022. Photo: Don Moloney The Taoiseach said he and Justice Minister Helen McEntee would meet Ms OBrien as soon as possible with regard to the legality of the situation. If you have a criminal conviction, "you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple," the Taoiseach told the Dail. Simon Harris said: "Sometimes we think we have come far as a country, then something like this pops up, and we realise we haven't come nearly as far as we thought we have." He queried the practice of having a Defence Forces liaison officer attending court, and also the meaning of rules about a conviction certificate being needed to instigate disciplinary action. He said he and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, who is Minister for Defence, wanted to know "how many other people are in the Defence Forces today that have a criminal conviction?" That information was being gathered as a matter of urgency, he said. He told those with convictions in the ranks to "get out of it". Based on the rules of separation of powers, however, the Taoiseach said he was constrained in what he could say. "It is possible that the legal process may not be finished in this individual case. And it is a statement of fact, in a broad sense, that it's open to the DPP to appeal any sentence, and I believe there's a time period in which that can happen, he said. "I thank Natasha O'Brien for joining us here today. We want to work with you. And you have shown incredible bravery for speaking up and speaking out. "The fact that you were horrifically attacked at the time when you yourself, were standing up against homophobia is really a testament to your character and adds to the sense of brutality that you encountered. "Can I also say this when it comes to our Defence Forces I'm very proud of many of the men and women who serve with distinction at home and abroad. "But we are all aware that the Defence Forces can be brought into disrepute by the actions of a small number, and by the inaction of others. "There is a very simple question that we must know the answer to how many other people are in the Defence Forces today who have a criminal conviction? I want to know that answer. "I believe reports are being compiled by the Chief of Staff." Mr Harris told Ms O'Brien that the Government had taken major steps against domestic violence and set up the new agency Cuan, but added: "None of that takes away from what we've witnessed in our country in recent days. "So I want to assure you, and more importantly I want to assure the women of Ireland that zero tolerance is exactly where we need to get to, exactly where we want to be. "We will work with you and others to make sure we arrive at that destination." The case was raised by both Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Ms McDonald said there were still several counties that had no women's aid shelter. Ms Cairns read a list of abused and injured or murdered women into the Dail record. Both deplored victims being re-traumatised by the legal system. The Taoiseach said that he agreed 100pc, adding: "I'm no less disgusted than anyone else in Ireland." TDs will vote in the States youngest Finance Minister since Michael Collins on Wednesday. Dublin West TD Jack Chambers (33) has been at Cabinet since 2020 having been appointed a super junior ministerial position alongside Pippa Hackett. Just last week, the young and impressive TD was appointed Fianna Fail deputy leader, a position which had been left empty for nearly four years. Speculation is already rife in Fianna Fail that the elevation to the coveted and highly respected position of Minister for Finance, with control over the States purse strings, is Micheal Martins way of putting in place an heir apparent for the position of party leader. Mr Chambers, a reliable media performer and a trained doctor, led a successful campaign as the director of local elections several weeks ago for Fianna Fail, which saw the party keep its crown of being the largest party in local government. Ministerial experience Despite not holding a senior Cabinet portfolio, Mr Chambers has now sat at Cabinet for four years and already has got a good few portfolios under his belt. At the start of the Coalition, Mr Chambers was appointed a junior minister at the Department of Finance, however after Barry Cowen was sacked as Agriculture Minister, Mr Chambers was appointed as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, as well as the Department of Defence. He then became Minister of State at the Department of Transport in December 2022 after a ministerial reshuffle, a position he has held since. Abortion stance Despite being one of the partys youngest TDs when he was first elected at the age of 25, Mr Chambers was outspoken about his pro-life stance and was part of a now infamous photograph in 2018 involving FF politicians supporting a No vote in the Repeal referendum. He received a lot of online abuse as a result of his views. The TD revealed two years ago his position had changed. I am someone who is a doctor and you hear different medical perspectives but also Ive met people on the doors whove had difficult situations and I think you have to think were in a better position now for people who face difficult positions in their lives than where we were. I am clear in my own thinking. I would have had a different perspective, he said. Coming out Mr Chambers announced this year that he was gay, in a personal post, saying it is important for him to be true to myself as well as the public. However, its important for me to be true to myself firstly and to you all in my public service role, he wrote. I am starting 2024 by telling you all that I am proud to say that I am gay. As a politician and citizen, I want to share this today as part of who I am. [Ireland has become] a much more inclusive and equal society to the extent that the sharing of this information is becoming increasingly unremarkable, he said. Budget plans Overseeing the Government's last Budget before an imminent general election will prove to be the TD's biggest challenge yet. He will work alongside Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe in what is expected to be a 'giveaway Budget' to woo voters away from Sinn Fein. A woman who was assaulted by a serving soldier has told a solidarity rally in Dublin that she will keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women. Natasha O'Brien (24) told political leaders and the Defence Forces to "do your jobs" and address the issues around gender-based crimes. The Limerick woman earlier watched from the public gallery of the Dail as politicians discussed the controversial case. At one point, TDs on all sides of the house rose to give her a standing ovation. Later, hundreds attended the demonstration outside Leinster House. Thousands attended similar rallies across Ireland at the weekend. Standing ovation in Dail for Natasha O'Brien Ms O'Brien told this evening's event: "I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice and (thought) 'What are you going to do, what are you going to do? I'm right here'. "I'm going to keep doing that and they're going to feel the pressure."Ms O'Brien said she felt a "little bit hopeful" after receiving so much support and said she believed she had found a "purpose" in speaking up. "I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know I'm not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to," she said. Commenting on the standing ovation she received in the Dail, Ms O'Brien added: "I was honoured, it was incredible, however, you know, your applauses are amazing, but let's use those applauses and let's actually do something and do your job." Feminist and LGBT activist Ailbhe Smyth has praised and thanked Ms O'Brien for speaking out, telling her "you are our hero". She called her a powerful speaker who has intelligence and "anger to drive you forward". "I loved your comment outside the court: 'I didn't come here for pocket money'." The crowd cheered after her address and chanted "not one more". Natasha O'Brien (left), with Ruth Coppinger, joins protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin (Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Wire) Earlier, Mr Harris warned the Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are "hiding with convictions" for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Ms O'Brien. The 22-year-old soldier, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Protesters gather outside Leinster House in Dublin, in solidarity with Natasha O'Brien (Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Wire) Ms O'Brien watched from the Dail's public gallery as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail Sean O Fearghail said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms O'Brien and said: "We are on your side." The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit to establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin today. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of the military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms O'Brien and commended her for coming forward. "We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly don't need is anybody being put off coming forward," he said. Mr Harris also expressed anger at a "flurry of activity" by the Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. "It's a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that they're now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this?" he said outside Government Buildings. "There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. "I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha O'Brien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. "They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces." In a statement, a Defence Forces spokesperson said that there is no place for any form of gender-based violence, abuse or any form or inappropriate behaviour by Defence Forces members, on or off duty. "The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values. "Any conviction in a civilian court has implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in military regulations." Ambassador Frances Collins, who officially launched the exhibition 'Ireland and the Birth of Europe' in Bobbio, Italy, with members of the Columban Sisters, a congregation founded in Ireland 100 years ago this year, as well as Columban priests from Ireland Archbishop Noel Treanor, papal nuncio to the EU, Professor Damian Bracken of UCC's Department of History, Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare & Leighlin and Jacinta Bracken following the launch of the exhibition 'Ireland and the Birth of Europe' in Bobbio, Italy. The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin has said the 6th century Irish monk, St Columbanus, should be made a patron of Europe. Bishop Denis Nulty said the legacy of the missionary, who was born in Myshall, Co Carlow, in 543AD, and who founded monasteries in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, was his message of unity in diversity among the peoples of Europe. Dr Nulty was speaking to the Irish Independent after the launch of an exhibition, Ireland and the Birth of Europe on the legacy of St Columbanus and the Irish church in antiquity in the Italian town of Bobbio, where the monk died in 615AD. The exhibition was launched by the Irish ambassador to the Holy See, Frances Collins, who told the assembled civic and religious leaders, Today we in Ireland look back upon the days of Columbanus and his contemporaries with much pride. She said the life of St Columbanus underlines, the extent to which we in Ireland have been intimately connected with the rest of Europe throughout our history. Ms Collins said St Columbanus was the first to use the phrase all of Europe in a letter he wrote to Pope Gregory around 600AD. In July 1950, French foreign minister Robert Schuman gave a speech commemorating Columbanus birth in which he spoke of the Irishman as the patron saint of all those who seek to construct a united Europe. She said Schumans words echo the sentiments of Columbanus himself when he wrote of a spiritual identity that transcended nations, using the phrase, we are all joint members of one body, whether Franks or Britons or Irish or whatever peoples we come from. The idea of a shared culture as the foundation of the European idea remains the greatest legacy of Columbanus and the generations of Irish scholars who followed him, Ms Collins said. Professor Damian Bracken of University College Corks Department of History, who researched and curated the exhibition, said it was intended to give historical depth to Irelands involvement in Europe. Ireland didnt join Europe in 1973 it was part of the European mainstream for 1,000 years before that, he said. The historian warned that when people lose sight of their cultural and spiritual patrimony and historical depth, they do profoundly stupid things like voting for Brexit. What this exhibition celebrates is that unity and freedom go together, he said. Bishop Denis Nulty expressed delight that his diocese has been chosen to host the next International Columban Day gathering in Carlow in 2025, the first time it will take place in Ireland. The event will draw visitors from across the continent. The announcement was made in the Italian city of Piacenza on Sunday when Pope Francis paid tribute to the immense legacy of St Columbanus, saying he had enriched the Church and civil society. The gathering of Columban Associations in Italy this year included Columban Sisters marking the centenary of their foundation in Ireland, as well as Columban priests. 1 - (left to right) Archbishop Noel Treanor, papal nuncio to the EU, Professor Damian Bracken of UCC's Department of History, Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare & Leighlin and Jacinta Bracken following the launch of the exhibition 'Ireland and the Birth of Europe' in Bobbio, Italy. 2 - Ambassador Frances Collins who officially launched the exhibition 'Ireland and the Birth of Europe' in Bobbio, Italy with members of the Columban Sisters, a congregation founded in Ireland 100 years ago this year, as well as Columban priests from Ireland. Veteran journalist had been optimistic ahead of planned surgery this week Former RTE broadcaster Tommie Gorman has died at the age of 68 In a statement, his family said he died peacefully as they paid tribute to a cherished husband, father, brother, and friend. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Tommie, who left us peacefully on 25th of June 2024 surrounded by his family, said the statement. Tommie was a cherished husband, father, brother, and friend whose innate kindness and generosity of spirit touched the lives of all who knew him. His memory will forever remain in our hearts, and his spirit will continue to guide and inspire us every day. Tommie is survived by his loving wife Ceara, children Joe and Moya, sister Mary and brother Michael, who will deeply miss his kindness, wisdom, humour, and presence. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis. Many tributes have been paid to Tommie Gorman Born in 1956, Gorman was a native of Sligo. He was educated in Summerhill College and at the College of Journalism, Rathmines, Dublin. He spent three years working in the Ballina-based Western Journal before joining RTE in 1980 as north-west correspondent. The broadcaster worked for RTE News for more than 40 years in a variety of roles. He was Europe editor before moving to Belfast in 2001 to become the stations northern editor. Described as the beating heart of RTE News, he retired from the broadcaster in 2021. RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst told staff today that he had dinner with Gorman a week ago. I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Tommie Gorman. I met him on Monday evening: he was in good form and optimistic ahead of planned surgery this week, he said. Tommie was not only a great friend and colleague to me, and to so many in RTE and beyond, he was also a journalist of outstanding pedigree, integrity and incredible tenacity. As RTE's northern editor he was the voice of an era as that era itself transformed from violence to peace. Tommie guided us through the intricacies with colour, command and panache. He was a storyteller journalist like no other. I am so deeply sorrowed by his loss and extend my sympathies to Tommie's family. The Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan will open a book of condolence at the Mansion House from tomorrow to Friday from 11am-4pm for the citizens of Dublin to extend their sympathies to the family of Mr Gorman. It will also be available to sign online from tomorrow morning. President Michael D Higgins said Gorman will be remembered as one of the outstanding public service broadcasters of his generation. Over more than 40 years reporting for RTE, he was a widely trusted and deeply insightful commentator on the north-west, Brussels and, perhaps most notably, Northern Ireland, where his incisive and well-informed commentary brought news of critical developments for 20 years, he said. Throughout that time, Tommie was respected by all sides of the political spectrum and was a trusted source of information for the public during challenging years, the fostering of peace, and all that was achieved in Anglo-Irish relations over that time. A naturally empathetic person, Tommies courageous and generous work with cancer survivors leaves a very significant legacy which I hope will bring comfort to his family and all those who knew him. In speaking and writing about his own experiences, he brought a greater public awareness and understanding of the conditions and the treatments available for them. As anyone who ever met Tommie will know, he was a tireless champion of Sligo, and reflecting his lifelong love of soccer, of Sligo Rovers. Whether talking about the Bit o Red or Tottenham Hotspur, Tommie always knew every minute detail of the clubs and their fortunes. In a career renowned for being the first on the spot with key developments, Tommie will of course always be remembered for his interview with Roy Keane following his departure from Saipan and going to Greece to interview Seamus Heaney following the announcement that he was to receive the Nobel Prize. May I express my deepest condolence to Tommies wife Ceara, to his children Moya and Joe, and to all his family, colleagues and many friends. Tommie Gorman lays a wreath at the memorial garden. Taoiseach Simon Harris told the Dail that Gorman made an incredible contribution not just to broadcasting, but indeed to peace on this island. I know everybody is in a state of shock to hear that news. I would have met Tommie only in recent weeks in Sligo Rovers, his beloved football club, and, indeed, very recently at the European Movement event that and Minister (Paschal) Donohoe was at. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: It was with great shock and sadness that I learned today of Tommies passing. For so many of us, Tommie was a guide, helping us navigate the complexities of Northern Ireland, and before that Europe. His clarity of expression, built on deep knowledge and great connections, shaped this nations understanding of many historic days. "It was a measure of Tommie that he did not have contacts, he only had friends. Friendships founded in trust and respect. My personal friendship with him was one I valued very highly. The US ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin said: Shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Tommie Gorman. "Tommie joined us recently at Deerfield to honor those who had been involved in helping create peace in Northern Ireland. "Tommie played his own role in sharing the latest news with with the people of Ireland, always a trusted and reliable source. He was always a champion for his hometown of Sligo. May he rest in peace. Gorman battled cancer for 27 years. He was first diagnosed by chance in January 1994 with a rare form of the disease, neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). He was 37 at the time and working as RTEs Brussels-based Europe correspondent. His documentary Ireland, Cancer and Me, broadcast on RTE, offered a moving account of the retired reporter's ongoing battle with the disease. Two of those who fought long battles with the condition were the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, and the singer, Aretha Franklin. In the course of his work as RTEs Europe correspondent, Gorman discovered that under EU law he was entitled to treatment available in another EU country, and in 1998 he became the first Irish citizen to avail of treatment in a Swedish centre of excellence. It helped open the door for hundreds of Irish patients to follow in his footsteps to Sweden and other EU countries to get wide-ranging and vital treatments. Last year, a centre for excellence catering for patients with neuroendocrine tumours was set up at St Vincents Hospital in Dublin, with links to other centres in Cork and Galway. Writing about his condition, Gorman said: The word cancer automatically strikes fear in most of us. It is a challenge we would all like to avoid. But my experience of cancer has made me a glass half-full person. Im one of the beneficiaries of important improvements within the Irish service for the treatment of a cancer condition that Ive had for more than 30 years. The developments convince me that the next generation of Irish patients with our condition can face the future with optimism. In his later years, Gorman no longer had to travel to Sweden for treatment and relied on six-monthly scans and checks at St Vincents and a monthly injection. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 During his time at RTE, he famously interviewed Roy Keane after the footballer's row with manager Mick McCarthy at Irelands Japan-Korea 2002 World Cup training camp on the island of Saipan in the Pacific. Gorman also tracked down poet Seamus Heaney on a Greek island after he had won the Nobel Prize for Literature. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described Gormans death as desperately sad news. "Tommie Gorman was a good friend to everyone who knew him, a great storyteller and a fiercely independent, fair-minded journalist," he said. I stood at microphones many times after a press conference and felt the familiar flash of panic that every political leader knew when they saw Tommie emerge from the pack to ask the blinder of a question that you were hoping wouldnt come. It didnt matter who you were or where you came from, he was interested in raising up the voices of people who needed to be heard. And I will always be grateful for his kind storytelling for the people of Derry. He wasnt afraid to tell you exactly what he thought but always, always with a view to helping you do better and be better. When he retired in 2021, I said to him that I hoped hed enjoy swapping cold late nights at Stormont for happier days at the Showgrounds with his loving and devoted family. Im thinking of Ceara, Moya, Joe and his wide circle of friends at this difficult time. I hope they are comforted by the enormous impact Tommie had on our whole island and the people who share it. The heel-prick test will be a key component in the early detection and intervention in the disease. Stock image: Getty Ireland lags behind many other countries in the number of conditions babies born here are screened for in the "heel prick test". This is the test offered to newborns at between three and five days old where a sample of blood is taken from their heel and screened in a laboratory. Nine conditions are currently looked for but rare disease campaigners said today that number should be doubled. So why is there a delay? Benefits of screening Around 120 babies a year are are identified as having one of the nine conditions screened for in the heel prick test. Families whose child has one of these conditions are relieved that it has been picked up early, allowing for treatment to begin and give them the best chance of care. It also allows families to make decisions about inherited risks that might affect other children they may have later. Serious conditions The heel prick test currently screens for cystic fibrosis, congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria (PKU), classical galactosaemia, glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1), medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD), homocystinuria (HCU) maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) and adenosine deaminase deficiency severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID). Rare Diseases The group Rare Diseases Ireland took their campaign to have the number of conditions included in screening doubled when they met Oireachtas members today. They pointed out Austria, Italy, Portugal and Russia test for a minimum of 30 conditions, while Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands and Sweden screen newborn babies for a minimum of twenty. Decision-makers A group of experts decide what conditions to recommend for screening. The National Screening Advisory Committee receives submissions and makes an evaluation. The recommendation then goes to the Department of Health and work must then start on ensuring the systems and funding are in place to support the test. It is not a simple process. Rare Diseases Ireland chief executive Vicky McGrath said today the committee has recommended three more diseases be added but this has yet to be rolled out. Another 34 diseases will be assessed for inclusion but she said inadequate HSE funding is a barrier. It is estimated that if expanded the testing could improve the lives of over 200 children born with rare conditions. Latest pledges Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has given the go ahead to include Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) to the programme. He recently said that that work started at the beginning of the year to have the systems read to implement an timeline for their addition to the programme. High bar Experts insist that the bar for starting a screening programme should and must be high . It must be proven to be effective and quality assured as well as able to deliver safe standards. The addition of a test needs to be judged against the possible harms, including false results. There is no guarantee that all screening results will be 100pc accurate. A negative result giving the baby the all clear may turn out to be wrong and other children with a condition will be missed. But for families who only discover their son or daughter has one of these conditions well in to childhood, when vital time is lost, the benefits of being offered a test can outweigh potential risks and downsides. Steve Peoples: Donald Trump needs to be boring on Thursdays TV debate. History may suggest otherwise He and Joe Biden have lots of wounds they can inflict on the other in this weeks head to head on CNN Donald Trump greets supporters last Saturday in Philadelphia. Photo: Getty Steve Peoples Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 03:30 Rarely, if ever, has one candidate in a US presidential debate had so much material to use against the other. Republican Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts with serious charges in three other indictments still pending. The newly-appointed Fianna Fail deputy leader Jack Chambers has just been announced as the new Finance Minister. He will replace Michael McGrath, who will be taking up a role in the EU Commission. At the age of 33, Chambers will become one of the youngest finance ministers in the states history. The Dublin West TD was first elected to the Dail in 2016 and has held several minister of state roles. He was previously a junior minister in the Department of Finance for just two weeks before being moved to Government Chief Whip, a role he held until 2022. He also held the role of Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht and in the Department of Defence. Today on this extra episode of the Indo Daily, Tabitha Monahan is joined by Philip Ryan, Political Editor with the Irish Independent, to ask if Chamberss appointment as Finance Minister is unexpected and, more importantly, is he up to the job in hand? The case of missing British teenager Jay Slater has ignited the world of TikTok and Snapchat, as the search for the 19-year-old enters its second week. Slater disappeared after attending a music festival in Tenerife. His last contact was a distressing voice message to a friend, stating he was lost and had run out of water. Efforts appeared to be solely focused on the one area after days of searches in the village of Masca and the surrounding landscape. The teenagers mother issued a direct plea to her missing son, saying: We just need you home. Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and was carrying a black bag. The family have described the situation as a living hell. However, online conspiracies by armchair detectives have added a strange element of virality. Now TikTok users in their droves are making their way to Tenerife, looking to help with the case, while creating popular content for their followers. Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Madrid-based freelance journalist Fiona Govan, and by Sophie Peachey, Assistant News Editor and Correspondent with the News Movement, to talk about the ongoing search for Jay Slater and the dystopian world of social media sleuthing. Ms Lynch who is a councillor for the Macroom local electoral area wants Minister McEntee to introduce mandatory custodial sentences for violent crime offences as incidents of violent crime continue to challenge communities nationally. Cllr Lynch said there is a growing consensus among concerned citizens and advocacy groups that stronger measures are urgently needed to ensure public safety and deter future offences. The violent assault of Ms Natasha OBrien in Limericks OConnell Street in May 2022 and the sentencing following conviction in that case sparked protests last weekend with thousands of people calling for stronger sentences and action to prevent violence against women. Cllr Lynch said introducing mandatory custodial sentences for violent crime would make communities safer for everyone. I do not understand how many more women need to die or be seriously assaulted before real deterrents can be put in place. We are not doing enough. I appreciate that the maximum sentence for assault causing harm has been increased but there is no mandatory custodial sentencing in place in this regard. The introduction of mandatory custodial sentences for violent crime would make our communities safer for everyone. Cllr Lynch continued: The current judicial discretion in sentencing, while necessary in many cases, has led to inconsistencies that some argue undermine the severity of certain offences. By establishing mandatory custodial sentences for violent crimes, Ireland would send a clear message that such acts will not be tolerated and will be met with serious consequences. "Mandatory custodial sentences for violent crime offences are crucial to ensuring justice for victims and to deterring potential offenders," said Cllr Lynch. "This measure is not about being punitive but about safeguarding our communities and reaffirming the principle that violence of any kind has no place in our society. The proposal would focus on offences such as assault causing harm, aggravated assault, domestic violence, and other serious violent crimes. It would provide judges with a clear framework that prioritises public safety and ensures consistency in sentencing across the judiciary whilst also protecting the independence of the judiciary, she added. Cllr Lynch urged all stakeholders, including policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders, to support this initiative and work towards its implementation. "I acknowledge the complexities of each case and the need for judicial discretion, but there are certain crimes where a mandatory custodial sentence is the only appropriate response. James Buckley makes a soup that is whey better Souper Fresh soups are made using leftover whey from the cheese-making process. James Buckley has been named the Young Innovator of the Year at All Ireland Business Foundation Anniversary Summit at Croke Pqrk. Millstreet native James Buckley scooped the Little Learners Young Innovator of the Year award at the 10th All Ireland Business Foundation hosted in Croke Park. This award recognizes the young entrepreneurs achievements and innovative contributions through his co-founding of Souper Fresh by offering sustainable food production and unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship. Souper Fresh has captured attention for its sustainable approach to soup making. The company utilizes excess whey from farmhouse cheesemaking as a base, replacing traditional stock. This method not only reduces waste but also produces a range of exceptionally tasty soups. Souper Fresh's offerings are crafted from 100% natural ingredients, making them sustainable, nutritious and vegetarian. The award recipient expressed great honour after claiming the prestigious accolade. "It shows the dedication of the Souper Fresh team and our commitment to creating products that are both delicious and environmentally friendly. To receive an accreditation with an independently verified standard mark is a lifetime achievement for me, said James, a former pupil at Millstreet Community School. He added: I have worked hard to get where I am today, so to receive this accreditation is a privilege. The summit brought together Ireland's leading business minds to celebrate a decade of innovation and excellence. The recognition of Buckley's work highlights the importance of sustainable practices and creative problem-solving in modern business. For more information on Souper Fresh and their range of premium soups, follow souper.fresh on Instagram. Director Alan Bradley picked up an award in Cannes for this documentary, Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost A Dublin director has won an international award for his documentary about a 12-year-old Finglas boy who died by suicide. Alan Bradley received a Gold Award at the YDA Young Directors Awards in Cannes last week for his RTE documentary Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost, which sheds light on the high suicide rates within the Traveller community. A jury of distinguished industry producers and directors selected his documentary as the winner from an all-time high number of global submissions. Its exclusively Traveller voices in the film and it provides a space for communities to tell their own story, Mr Bradley told the Irish Independent. The main story is about Patrick McDonagh from Finglas, who sadly was 12 years old when he died by suicide. It rang alarm bells throughout the entire community because of Patricks young age. It was a devastating loss. It is heavy and it was a hard film to make, Patrick had only passed away a year previous. It was still very raw and fresh for the grieving family. His mum and dad, Pat and Michelle, share Patricks story, how theyre moving through their grief. They shared the message of reaching out for help. It doesnt need to be this way, if you just reach out and talk, things can get better. That was hard, but in a way, it was positive as well, because it allowed a space for them to remember Patrick, to talk about him. When something is so sad, often people dont talk to you about it because they dont want to upset you. Pat and Michelle used his story for something positive, that was their big driving force, that it wouldnt happen to another family. Thats why they wanted to share the story. A big thing that came out from the conversations was the discrimination levels being huge. Around 80pc of Irish people in the survey said they wouldnt have a Traveller as a friend. What world does that create for somebody like Patrick trying to navigate his future? That lack of ability to access the workforce, access employment, just to have hope for your future. Its a struggle, its a real barrier in having hope for your life going forward. Its really hard for the Traveller community to get on and get ahead in Ireland. The documentary also explores the wider challenges facing their community which Mr Bradley learned about when he attended a talk in Kells, Co Meath. I went to a talk at the Hinterland Festival that was about the different challenges based on the Travelling community and I was shocked, he said. I didnt really know about the many issues facing the Travelling community. The suicide rate shocked me. Its nine times the national average. Every single person I talked to had lost multiple family members. I talked to Mags Casey, whos an outreach worker, and shes lost 28 or 29 members of her family from suicide. We feature Bernie Power from Kilkenny. He is a young Traveller in his 30s who would have experienced addiction and he was suicidal. Luckily, he did reach out for help and hes in a much better place now. Mr Bradley is currently working on two new documentaries to be broadcast this Autumn. Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost, is available to watch on the RTE player Call for proactive policing after latest incident at popular beach A Dublin councillor has called for proactive policing and enforcement of bylaws following a public order incident at a beach in north Dublin on Monday evening. Gardai responded to reports of disturbances at Burrow Beach in Sutton following complaints from residents. Footage captured this morning by the Irish Independent shows large amounts of litter left behind on the beach, including empty beer cans, boxes, clothing, bottles, empty laughing gas cans, and plastic bags. A garda spokeswoman said: Gardai responded to reports of disturbances on Burrow Beach in Dublin 13 on Monday evening, June 24. A number of units attended the scene at around 6pm and crowds were later dispersed from the area. Investigations are ongoing. Burrow Beach in Sutton is popular with day-trippers on sunny days. Pic: Steve Humphreys Labour Councillor Brian McDonagh said this is not a new phenomenon and that the beach has become an increasingly popular spot for day-trippers on sunny days due to its location near the Dart Its just become the place where people are going, and generally at the start of summer, you will find lots of usually young people, maybe late teens or early twenties, arriving on the beach, he said. Litter left behind after gardai cleared crowds from Burrow Beach in Sutton. Pic: Steve Humphreys The bylaws we have in Ireland are there to prevent anti-social behaviour and to ensure people are enjoying themselves on the beach. Wed all love to be in a position where we could have a nice, cold, quiet beer or maybe a glass of wine, in a civilised manner. But the point is, if you get lots of people drinking on the beach, particularly if you have big crowds on a beach, often, not always, it can end up in nasty situations with fights and littering, which is a huge problem. A local councillor has called for more proactive policing at Burrow Beach in Sutton. Pic: Steve Humphreys Reflecting on yesterdays incident, he said the situation was entirely predictable. Fingal County Council has done some work in recent years around Burrow Beach to ensure the public have access to toilets and that the dunes are protected. However, Cllr McDonagh said when there are large crowds, it becomes much more difficult to control for lifeguards on duty. I understand that garda resources are pressed. However, I feel on a day like yesterday, the beaches need to be monitored, and they need to be proactive in enforcing bylaws around alcohol, he said. Overflowing bins at Burrow Beach in Sutton. Pic: Steve Humphreys If youre in a position where people are going down to drink and they think itll get seized, they will be less likely to bring it down or theyll go elsewhere to do that. Monday was the warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 26.5 degrees Celsius in Phoenix Park at 3pm. Jesse Tyler Ferguson with former Modern Family co-star Ariel Winter and his husband Justin Mikita in Dalkey Actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ariel Winter, stars of the smash hit US comedy series Modern Family, have reunited in Dublin. Known for playing Mitchell Pritchett and Alex Dunphy on the award-winning sitcom, they were spotted in Dalkey restaurant DeVilles on Castle Street with Jesses husband Justin Mikita. Ferguson posted a picture of them standing outside the eatery with the caption: Dinner date night in Dalkey, Ireland with @arielwinter. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Yesterday, Justin cycled 57 miles around Glendalough according to his Instagram. Back in 2021, Jesse (48) was in Ireland to film Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks and shot largely in Wicklow. The film is based on the true story of a black bear which discovered a batch of cocaine dropped by a smuggler and subsequently died following an overdose. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 During his stay, Jesse went viral for singing Lady Gagas hit Born this Way with a van that said Born in Bray. The star reposted the clip and said: Revisiting this vid from 2021 because baby I am BACK IN BRAY. He also took to Instagram Threads at the weekend to ask his fans for any Dublin recommendations, so he could potentially be hanging around Irelands capital for a while. Modern Family, also starring Sofia Vergara, ran for 11 seasons and won a total of 22 Emmy awards. A gathering is being held in County Leitrim in support of Natasha OBrien after her attacker was given a suspended sentence in court last week. The event was announced after serving Irish soldier Cathal Crotty (22) was handed a three-year suspended sentence at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, June 20, and ordered to pay 3,000 in compensation to Natasha OBrien, who he had beaten unconscious in a vicious attack on OConnell Street, Limerick, in May 2022. Residents in the Manorhamilton area are urging people to attend a gathering in Market Square, Manorhamilton at 6pm on Tuesday, June 25. The gathering aims to show solidarity for Natasha OBrien, to stand up to the unfair judicial system and suspended sentences for violence against women. Deputy Marian Harkin TD and a representative from the Domestic Violence Advocacy Service will speak at the event. Parents and students along with Taoiseach Simon Harris bid farewell to Sligos Montessorian Miss Rachel on her retirement after 43 years of teaching. After putting out an announcement ad in The Sligo Champion in January 1981, Rachel Rhatigan opened Miss Rachels Montessori, which then stood as the first Montessori in County Sligo. Since then, over 600 schoolchildren have passed through this Sligo institutions doors as Rachel tirelessly crafted young minds through a child-centred approach based on the self-guided learning principles of the revolutionary educator Maria Montessori. As Rachel bid her final set of schoolchildren goodbye last Wednesday, she had no idea there were plenty more surprises in store as pupils, parents, and her family gathered together to throw her a surprise retirement party in Coolera House on Sunday. Speeches were made by former parents, former students, and family members about Rachels remarkable career. Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a special video message to mark the occasion, commending her for her incredible service to preschool education in Sligo. He said: I want to thank you for all you have done and congratulate you on an incredible career. Im sure the time has flown, but I want to let you know that have made an incredible impact. From 1981 to 1986, Rachel ran her school from Lia Fail, Hazelwood. At her surprise party, she was flabbergasted to be greeted by her very first student, Richard Pugh, who later went on to become Head of Racing and Insights with Horse Racing Ireland. I remember the excitement and the anticipation of going to Miss Rachels, and I remember the support, the kindness, and the generosity, Richard said. During the years 1987 to 1996, Miss Rachels Montessori was based in Newgrove, Pearse Road. From here, she juggled the challenges of raising her family with three young children, the responsibilities of running her own business, and ensuring that every child under her care was given the tools they needed to thrive as they stood on the precipice of their educational journey. As the years went on, Miss Rachel Montessoris alumni started to consist of hundreds of schoolchildren, and once they had become old enough, many former pupils even opted to send their own children to the school to give them the same fond memories they had. Finally, from 1996 to 2024, Miss Rachels Montessori was based in Kevinsfort on Strandhill Road, where children were taught using hands-on learning materials that encouraged independent problem-solving, analytical thinking, and self-guided knowledge acquisition. After such an impressive career in education, Rachel decided it was time to close the doors of her Montessori and enjoy a well-earned retirement. But before she could do that, the former parents and all those whose lives she had touched wanted to shine a light on what her contribution to education in Sligo meant to them and pay tribute to the schools extraordinary impact. A former parent Jacqueline Mellett, highlighted that all the parents will be forever grateful for the incredible start you have given our children. Another surprise involved a video message to Rachel from her class of 2023 to 2024, who are all aged between four and five. The children reminisced about their best memories from the school, highlighted the impact Rachel had on them, and wished her the best in her upcoming retirement. Although Rachel herself never particularly enjoyed being the centre of attention, upon opening the door to her surprise party, she said she couldnt help but feel joy at the unexpected admiration that so many people from across the spectrum of her life had shown her on this day. What a surprise last Sunday afternoon, seeing so many past students and parents all gathered together to mark my retirement was very special, Rachel said. I truly appreciate their kindness and generosity and want to thank them so much. As I close my doors, I know I will never stop being a Montessorian; her philosophy is part of who I am. Maria Montessori saw over 100 years ago that children across countries and cultures flourished in a setting that prioritised the right support at critical development times. Because her method focuses on the science of human development, her approach has withstood the test of time and lives on through every Montessori student. The teachers and pupils from the Poznan, Krakow, Gdansk, and Warsaw classes in St Aidans Parish School. Pic: Jim Campbell. St Aidans primary school in Enniscorthy have made great strides to learn and incorporate Polish into their everyday lives as part of the Say Yes to Languages programme. The programme is part of Irelands Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 in conjunction with Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI). As of 2024, over 12000 schools are taking part and the scheme is intended to be introduced as a mandatory module in 2025. Last year, over 700 schools participated which saw Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, ISL, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tamil, and Ukrainian being taught across the country. However, St Aidans principal, Frank Murphy, said the decision to teach and learn Polish over the eight weeks was an obvious one given the large Polish community living in the town. "We chose Polish to celebrate our Polish community and to acknowledge their contribution to our school, our culture and Irish Society over the last 20 years. Furthermore, the two teachers, Joanna Murphy and Kasia H. Kelly, helping the students learn the language are native Polish speakers with children attending the school. Ms Murphy said that since starting the lessons, the very enthusiastic children have been stopping teachers in the hallways to exchange a few words. The teachers and pupils from the Poznan, Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw classes in St Aidans Parish School. Pic: Jim Campbell The innovative manner in which the children are learning could be credited for some of that enthusiasm. Each student is given a language passport where they can note words and phrases they have learned while also measuring their progress with more difficult sections. It was a consensus among the teachers that Polish is a very difficult language, so to see the children persevere has made them incredibly proud. Joanna Murphy, Eoghan Fardy, Kasia H. Kelly and Katarina Kostic in the Poznan class in St Aidan's Parish School, Enniscorthy. Pic: Jim Campbell Over the eight weeks, the classes of fourth year each spend an hour with the teachers every Wednesday, which included an exciting quiz through Kahoot!; a game-based learning platform they used to play a multiple question quiz about Polish words, culture, food, and famous people. The students got into teams and used a shared tablet to log onto the platform to answer questions in real time. Questions included translations about common words, about the colour of the flag, names of foods, and true and false questions about their currency. Each time a team got the correct answer they would let out a great cheer. Teacher Eoghan Fardy said that children who come from a home with another language other than English are more open to other languages even Irish. In the Poznan class alone there are students from Hungary, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa. Student Polina Bankova moved to Ireland two years ago from Ukraine and is now top of the class in Gaeilge. All the students have been excelling by testing above average, which Mr. Vardy said boils down to the pupils genuine interest and enjoyment in learning. It also helps that two weeks prior, the Polish students brought in traditional meals and snacks that were a big hit with the class. The kids love it that is what is most important, said Mr Fardy. Long Island, the much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning novel Brooklyn by Colm Toibin has been released this month. Topping the book charts already, this novel reunites readers with protagonist Eilis Lacey who decided to stay and marry her Italian plumber Tony Fiorello in Brooklyn despite her familys wishes for her to settle back in Ireland with a local man. This novel, and its author Colm Toibin, have always been a great source of pride for the community as the Ireland portion of the book is set in Enniscorthy. Local residents will remember how March 2014 was a great time of excitement as actors Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, and the production crew descended on the town to film for three weeks, allowing aspiring actors to work as background extras. However, when we meet Eilis again in Long Island, not everything is as happily ever after as it seems. Twenty years after the events of the first book, Eilis finds her marriage in crisis when a man appears on her doorstep accusing Tony of getting his wife pregnant. Unsure what to do, Eilis packs her things and takes her two teenage children back to Ireland for her mother's eightieth birthday. In her hometown of Enniscorthy, she is given the time to think about her next steps. In an interview with Waterstones, he said that he considers the setting in Enniscorthy as a recollection of his own last summer in Ireland in 1976 before he spent time in Spain and eventually settled down in the United States where he is a professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. It is not so much nostalgia as it is anchored; I knew it, I can see it; what pub people went to, which people went to Dublin for what reason. Mr Toibins decision to set his famous series in his native hometown, where all four of his grandparents were born, meant that he never once considered the books location as a fictional place, allowing locals to immerse themselves into the narrative as observing townspeople. Thus, if you go to Enniscorthy at night and linger in the Market Square, you might even see Eilis. Or that figure flitting across the Square as the cathedral bells rings out at two in the morning might be her friend Nancy Sheridan. What is Nancy doing walking around the town so late at night? Where has Nancy just been?" The instant Sunday Times Bestseller is available to buy in all bookshops across the country. As Dublin gears up for Taylor Swifts three concerts at the Aviva Stadium this weekend, we ask just how well the global superstar has performed in the Irish charts over the years. The quick answer: not at all bad, all things considered. With 67 top 50 Irish hits under her belt, Swift sits at number four in the ranking of artists with the most top fifty entries in Irish singles chart history, behind only Michael Jackson (with 73), Elvis Presley (70) and Cliff Richard (also 70), the lone living artist with more Irish top-50 hits than Taylor Swift. Given her huge popularity, its only a matter of time before she takes the top spot all to herself. Swift released her debut, self-titled album in 2006, aged just 16. But it was second studio album Fearless that really attracted the attention of Irish fans. Its lead single Love Story, released in 2009, gave her a first entry in the Irish charts, where it reached number three (it was number two in the UK). Over the next eight years Swift chalked up another nine Irish top ten hits, before finally landing at number one for the first time in 2017 with Look What You Made Me Do, the lead single from her sixth album Reputation. "Anti-Hero", one of three Taylor Swift Irish number ones. Since then there have been a string of Irish hits, including two more number ones: the re-recorded Taylors Version of her 2012 song All Too Well in 2021, and the catchy Anti-Hero, released as the first single from tenth studio album Midnights in 2022. Given her singles output and her phenomenal success, its maybe surprising that Swift has visited the top of the Irish singles chart on just three occasions. Her record in the albums chart is more impressive; seven of her eleven studio albums have reached number one in Ireland, including her most recent, The Tortured Poets Department. Released in early May, that album has returned to number one this week as excitement builds ahead of her Dublin shows. Its one of six Taylor Swift albums occupying spots in the Irish Top Thirty at the moment. Swifts seven chart-topping albums gives her the record for most number one albums in Ireland this millennium. At 34, she has plenty of time to extend that record into the foreseeable future. Taylor Swifts eleven top-three hits in Ireland: Look What You Made Me Do No. 1, 2017 All Too Well (Taylors Version) No. 1, 2021 Anti-Hero No. 1, 2022 Lavendar Haze No. 2, 2022 Is It Over Now (Taylors Version) No. 2, 2023 Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) No. 2, 2024 Love Story No. 3, 2009 Shake It Off No. 3, 2014 Exile (feat. Bon Iver) No. 3, 2020 Willow No. 3, 2020 Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey) No. 3, 2022 A three-day festival is being held in New Ross this weekend to complement the national Fleadh. Taking place in the Library Park, Fleadh Fest 24, will see nationally renowned trad musicians perform in the amphitheatre space. Excitement is building across the Model County with traditional musicians of all ages gathering in Wexford from August 4 to August 11, for Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2024. Locally, music will ring out this weekend. On Friday, June 28, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre are in concert featuring the music of John Dwyer, from 7pm to 8pm. On the following night, at the same time, Remembering Ronnie Drew, a brand new show led by Phelim Drew, the son of Ronnie Drew from the Dubliners, takes place and on Sunday, Magic Feet Irish Dance Troupe will perform an afternoon of Irish dance from jigs and reels to Riverdance at 2.30pm. All events are free and are sponsored by Wexford County Council. If Chloe Walsh was alive today she would be celebrating her 23rd birthday this coming July 2. Instead her family continue to do everything to keep her memory alive, starting with a fundraising event they first organised in the year of her passing 18 years ago. Chloe was just four-years-old when she passed away suddenly in 2006, and ever since her family have been raising funds for research at Temple Street Childrens Hospital in Dublin. Despite the length of time since Chloes passing, the public of Wexford come out to support the Walsh family and this years charity event, held in the Talbot Hotel, was no different. Attended by approximately 120 people, and with 60 raffle prizes donated by local businesses, the amount raised this year was 5,595 bringing the overall tally to close to 40,000 since the Walsh family began their campaign. And that campaign has helped improve the lives of those attending Temple Street for appointments. We want to keep the fundraiser going for two reasons, to help other families and to keep Chloes memory alive, to let her know we havent given up on her, said Anne Walsh. Temple St now has the facilities to carry out life-saving procedures on site in cases of an emergency. And they have rooms where the families of unwell children can stay. All we want to do is help as much as we can and ensure no one goes through what we did. Thanking Home Instead Wexford, all those who supported the event, as well as management at the Talbot who allowed them to use the premises free of charge, Anne and her family also praised the performers on the night; Marion Kirby and Pat ODriscoll, Blue Lace, Jimmy Hogan and Lar Kenny, and Joe Davitt. Libby and new local councillor Graham Richmond at the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race in Wicklow. Photo: Michael Kelly Brigid Rose and Olivia Kalisa at the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race in Wicklow. Photo: Michael Kelly Crowds at the Black Castle and Wicklow Pier getting ready for the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race. Photo: Michael Kelly Archie, Euan, Aileen and Ruairi Scott with Donnchadh and Mick Keating with dog Bingo at the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race in Wicklow. Photo: Michael Kelly The yachts pass the Black Castle in Wicklow as the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race gets underway. Photo: Michael Kelly Crowds flocked to Wicklow town last weekend to witness the start of the 22nd edition of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race. The 704-nautical miles premier yacht race departed at 1 p.m. last Saturday afternoon, as crowds gathered along Wicklow Harbour and the Black Castle to watch the boats set off. Clear skies and calm seas made for brilliant conditions as the fleet cleared Wicklow Head and passed Arklow. By 6p.m. on Sunday, the lead boat Paradox3 from the UK was heading for Tuskar Rock with French boat Teasing Machine tailgating. On Tuesday morning they rounded into the North Channel and set course south for the finish line, with Paradox3 looking on target to finish on Tuesday night. Archie, Euan, Aileen and Ruairi Scott with Donnchadh and Mick Keating with dog Bingo at the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race in Wicklow. Photo: Michael Kelly The race will officially conclude on Friday evening, with a prize giving ceremony at Wicklow Sailing Club. Commenting on Saturdays events, Karen Kissane, Commodore of Wicklow Sailing Club, said: It was a brilliant weekend, and I must commend all my colleagues at Wicklow Sailing Club for their efforts in organising it, as well as SSE Renewables for their sponsorship of the event. Crowds at the Black Castle and Wicklow Pier getting ready for the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race. Photo: Michael Kelly As always, there was a wonderful buzz around the place. Im on the edge of my seat waiting for the first boats to arrive back to harbour! The leading Irish boat is Searcher in third place overall. Brigid Rose and Olivia Kalisa at the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race in Wicklow. Photo: Michael Kelly Megan makes her own bracelets, and she is busy in production at the moment for people heading to Taylor Swift An 11-year-old Taylor Swift fan from Wicklow received an incredible birthday surprise when, against the odds, she won two tickets to see one of the iconic singers sold-out Eras Tour shows this weekend. A devout Swiftie and avid collector of all the pop queens albums, St Patricks National School student Megan Carthy had been harbouring a dream to get her hands on a ticket for one of Swifts three summer gigs at the Aviva Stadium, which sold out in a matter of minutes last July. With re-sellers charging an arm and a leg, and tour dates abroad proving prohibitively expensive, her mother Lillian had just about conceded defeat, before the Bridgewater Shopping Centre in Arklow presented a feint, but final hope. Launching their Swifty Selfie competition, the centre invited shoppers to take a selfie with a Taylor Swift cut-out to be in with a chance to win two tickets to Swifts Sunday performance this week, with 60 finalists invited to a fabulous Swifty Soiree, where the lucky winner would be announced. With time running out to enter and a family holiday in Turkey booked for the day after the deadline, Megan decked out in her finest Swiftie attire raced down to the Bridgewater, like thousands of others, on a wing and a prayer that they would take the lucky snap. Megan absolutely loves Taylor Swift and her music is playing all the time, whether it is in the house or the car, Lillian explained. Even though most children use Spotify, Megan just had to have every CD, because she wanted all the posters and everything that goes along with them. We looked hard and long for tickets, but the only ones we could find were for her Edinburgh gig, and they were 2,500 just for the show just crazy money She had been asking about getting tickets for the Eras Tour since they went on sale. At Christmas, it was, Can Santa bring them?, and the same when her birthday was coming up. We looked hard and long for tickets, but the only ones we could find were for her Edinburgh gig, and they were 2,500 just for the show just crazy money. I thought we might get one for a Dublin show from a re-seller, but unfortunately there was no hope, and I had kind of told her we wouldnt be able to get them. My sister Denise, who is a huge fan, actually got tickets for one of the Aviva dates, and as a consolation, we told Megan shed get her any merchandise she wanted, but she was pretty devastated that she wouldnt be going. Then we got a bit of hope last month out of the blue when Megan saw the competition in the Bridgewater Shopping Centre, and she was on to me about it straight away, she added. My sister was also one of the other finalists, and she had promised to bring Megan if she won, so we had a two-in-60 chance It was actually the last day of the competition, and the day before we were about to go on holiday, so my sister Denise, determined to fulfil Megans dreams, shot down there with Megan, took the photo, and I posted it on Instagram and went off to Turkey. Within hours of arriving at their hotel on the southern Mediterranean coast, an ecstatic Lillian received an email to say that Megans entry was among the 60 finalists. Unable to attend, she enlisted the help of good friend Caroline and her daughter Erin, who attended the fun-filled Swifty Soiree in their absence. Remarkably, my sister was also one of the other finalists, and she had promised to bring Megan if she won, so we had a two-in-60 chance! said Lillian. They had a fantastic time at the soiree, where they had pizza, cupcakes with Taylor Swifts face on them, a dance-off and prizes. Its funny because Caroline and her daughter Erin made sure they covered all bases in order to be in with the best chance of winning these tickets for Megan, and Caroline rang me all nervous that she would have to do a quiz, and actually Googled Top 20 Taylor Swift Facts before she went down! We were with friends on a boat trip when the party started. Caroline was live streaming it, and when we got back to our hotel and tuned in, they had just announced the winner - William Kavanagh It was Megans birthday the day before, so it was a really nice surprise, and I suppose it all feels a bit like it was meant to be Whatever way they had written my name, they read it out as William Kavanagh, so everyone was looking around for William, and it was actually just as we got on FaceTime that they realised it was my name. Of course, Megan didnt believe it at first, and she was so worried she wouldnt get a ticket because she wasnt there in person, and just kept saying: They know they are for us, right? There were 25 of us sitting around the pool when the news came through, so I called Megan over and told her shed won. We got on FaceTime with the DJ/MC at the event, with the gang in Turkey letting out a big cheer. Winner of the Bridgewater Shopping Centre's 'Swiftie Selfie' competition, Megan Carthy from Wicklow. It was Megans birthday the day before, so it was a really nice surprise, and I suppose it all feels a bit like it was meant to be. It was just the luck of the draw that Caroline got the right ticket at the right time. After collecting the hottest tickets in town from Bridgewater Manager Stephanie Staines earlier this week, Megans full attention is now focused on tailoring her outfit for the big night. Megan makes her own bracelets, and she is busy in production at the moment for people heading to Taylor Among the highlights of shows for Swifts legion of dedicated fans is their pageantry, with a sea of feather boas, cowboy hats and sequins seen across the Eras Tour, as well as the beloved tradition of trading handmade beaded friendship bracelets with other Swifties in the audience. Megan makes her own bracelets, and she is busy in production at the moment for people heading to Taylor, Lillian joked. As soon as we won the tickets, Megan was straight on to Shein, and she has the cowboy hat, boots, dress and all ready to go! We collected the tickets from Stephanie the other day after they were driven up from Cork, just to be safe, and the hype is really starting to build for us now, especially Megan. She is over the moon that shes going and, after her holiday, she couldnt wait to tell her teacher the big news. She knows she is one very lucky girl, and she is going to enjoy every last minute of it Well be heading up to Dublin early on Sunday, as Im sure it will be choc-a-block with Swifites. We cant wait for the show and Taylor Swift performs pretty much straight for over three hours, which is so impressive when you think shes doing it back to back. I just want to thank the Bridgewater for putting on the competition, as they really have made Megans dream come true, and shown her you should never give up hope. Even though Megans only 11, she saw how hard we tried to get them for her and fully grasps how rare the tickets are and how lucky we are. She knows she is one very lucky girl, and she is going to enjoy every last minute of it. The radio presenter also thanked his older sister, Aoife, who acted as surrogate for the pregnancy Brian Dowling and husband Arthur Gourounlian and their new daughter Blu Ex-Big Brother star Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian have announced the birth of their new daughter - and thanked Dowlings older sister who acted as surrogate for the pregnancy. The radio presenter posted a photograph of his newborn in his arms last night as he proudly stood beside his husband, DWTS judge Arthur. Brian and Arthur previously spoke about how the Dubliners sister, Aoife, had offered to be their surrogate and help them have a second child. Underneath the image of Ava, Brian wrote on Instagram: Please be upstanding for the arrival of our BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, Blu Amar Rose Dowling Gourounlian. "Blu was delivered safely on Sunday, June 23rd, at 13:33h, weighing 6lb 2ozs. "Myself & Papa @gourounlian are ABSOLUTELY BESOTTED & actually cant believe we now have two little beauties to keep us on our toes. He also praised his sister Aoife describing her as a superstar, writing: "@effidy_dowling_, you are a SUPERSTAR & we are, as always, "FOREVER GRATEFUL. You stayed so calm, considering it wasnt exactly the birth plan we had initially hoped for. Baby Blu was adamant to arrive on Sunday, the 23rd of June & nothing or no one was going to stop her Big Sister Blake, you have been activated. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Brian and Arthur tied the knot in 2015 and welcomed daughter Blake in September 2022 after Brians sister Aoife acted as their surrogate for the first time. Speaking previously to the Sunday World about expanding their family, Brian admitted that his sister Aoife kept her latest pregnancy private as she got a bit of a hard time from online trolls before. We obviously went through a lot of it the last time, as in the negativity and the trolling, so this time Aoife made a conscious decision herself not to be so obvious on Instagram because she got a bit of a hard time and we got a bit of a hard time, he explained. Today's News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 25 So, this time Aoife said to us, listen, Id rather if I just stepped back a little bit, and we obviously have to respect that. Shes doing great, just really tired. Shes not been sick, which is amazing. The bump is so different. The pregnancy is so different. Blake moved around so much but this baby is a little shyer. Brian Dowling with his sister Aoife, husband Arthur Gourounlian, and daughter Blake Arthur has also spoken about deciding to keep quiet about the pregnancy for as long as possible to avoid backlash from trolls after receiving dozens of hate-filled comments before Blake was born. Its homophobia, Im not going to lie. That were not allowed, two men, having a kid, the Dancing With the Stars judge said. People saying its wrong, why should we do surrogacy, its incest - educate yourself to understand whats happening. Its nothing to do with Aoife shes helping us. Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian with their daughter Blake. Picture; Gerry Mooney Shes not doing it for fame, for money. Shes doing it for her brother and brother-in-law, to help us. People know its her but at least she enjoys life, you know? Theres no need for [the hate]. The Armenian insisted he was strong-minded but said reading vile comments isnt nice. Those bad comments dont affect me. These people are not in my life. These people are not my friends, Arthur told hosts Muireann OConnell and Tommy Bowe. Ive said to Brian, If we cant handle it give up everything. Stop presenting, stop writing, stop posting. If I dont want to listen or hear those comments, stop doing it. He added that most of the hate comes from accounts that were created to attack them. Speaking about Aoife offering to act as surrogate again, Arthur admitted he never expected her to help them again. She always knew we wanted siblings for Blake but for the second time we cried. We were like, No, youre lying. Youre lying. This is not right. Its not going to happen. She said, No, no. I want to help you, but we have to do it now, he said. Latest | WikiLeaks Julian Assange freed from London prison after pleading guilty to US espionage charge In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there Julian Assange set to agree to a US deal that will see him plead guilty to one charge and go free John Besley and Rachel Vickers-Price Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 07:47 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and left the UK after reaching a plea deal with US authorities. Netanyahu casts into doubt US plan to wind down Gaza war Israeli PM says he will only be willing to agree a partial ceasefire, sparking Hamas outrage People mourn Israeli soldier Sergeant First Class Malkia Gross, who was killed amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, during his funeral at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, June 24, 2024. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Tia Goldenberg and Samy Magdy Tue 25 Jun 2024 at 03:30 The viability of a US-backed proposal to wind down the eight-month-long war in Gaza has been cast into doubt after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a partial ceasefire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas. Scotland fans have been hailed as fantastic ambassadors for the country (PA) A tourism chief has described the Tartan Army as fantastic ambassadors for Scotland, amid hopes Scotlands run in Euro 2024 will see a rise in holidaymakers from host nation Germany. VisitScotland, the countrys national tourism organisation, said visits to its website by users in Germany rose 83% during Scotlands spell in the tournament, when an estimated 200,000 Scottish fans travelled to Germany to cheer on the national team. China lunar probe returns to Earth.Photo Courtesy:Screengrab from X video China 's lunar probe Chang'e-6 has returned to Earth after collecting the first-ever sample from the unexplored far side of the Moon, media reports said. The return capsule landed precisely in the designated area in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the mission is a complete success, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) as quoted by Xinhua news agency. The mission was completed after two months. China is the only country in the world to land on the Moon's far side. The far side - which faces away from Earth - is technically challenging to reach due to its distance, and its difficult terrain of giant craters and few flat surfaces, reported BBC. Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination landed at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the moon on June 2 and carried out sampling work, Xinhua reported. On June 4, the ascender took off from the moon with samples and entered the lunar orbit. On June 6, it completed rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner combination and transferred samples to the returner. Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua: "The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution." "New samples will inevitably lead to new discoveries. Fascination with the moon is rooted in Chinese culture down the ages, as evidenced by the mythological narrative of Chang'e, a lady who journeyed to and resided on the moon. Now, Chinese scientists are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to contribute to lunar science," Yang added. Image Credit: UNI New Delhi/IBNS: In a continuity, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday picked Om Birla as its bid for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. The speculation over BJP MP Om Birla continuing as the Speaker started in the morning after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament. Birla, who is elected from Kota-Bundi constituency of Rajasthan, served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024. Reportedly, Defence Minister and BJP veteran Rajnath Singh reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to build a consensus on appointing the Speaker. INDIA, the opposition alliance, is yet to make a comment on the Speaker election. It is to be seen whether the Opposition gets the Deputy Speaker's post in the 18th Lok Sabha, which has a strong Opposition on paper for the first time in 10 years. All eyes were on the ruling camp as the BJP-led NDA is facing heat from the Opposition after the saffron party's tally fell from 303 to 240 needing allies to run the government. Moreover, the alleged examination scandal related to NET and NEET has brought the Modi government under the scanner. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath as the MPs of Lok Sabha. Photo courtesy: UNI, Wikipedia New Delhi/IBNS: The INDIA bloc fielded Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate against BJP-led NDA's pick Om Birla after the government refused to concede the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition. Suresh has already filed his nomination for the Speaker's post. This is the first time in Independent India, a contest is taking place for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. Defence Minister and BJP veteran, Rajnath Singh, reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the morning to build a consensus. Congress MP K Suresh filed his nomination for the post of Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha NDA has fielded BJP MP Om Birla for the post of Speaker (Picture shared by a Congress MP) pic.twitter.com/q5ZbvRVrgR ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 But the Opposition went for a conditional support to Om Birla, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament this morning. "The Opposition is putting forward its conditions. We condemn this kind of politics. It is best to have a consensus candidate going by tradition. What the Opposition is doing is against the tradition," said Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Birla, a BJP MP who was elected from Kota-Bundi constituency of Rajasthan, served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024. All eyes were on the ruling camp as the BJP-led NDA is facing heat from the Opposition after the saffron party's tally fell from 303 to 240 needing allies to run the government. Moreover, the alleged examination scandal related to NET and NEET has brought the Modi government under the scanner. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath as the MPs of Lok Sabha. In pics: Green-backed herons spotted in SE China's Xiamen People's Daily Online) 16:20, June 25, 2024 A green-backed heron feeds its chick in Jimei district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Ji Mi) Several cute green-backed herons were recently spotted in Jimei district, Xiamen city, southeast China's Fujian Province. The bird species is on China's list of terrestrial wild animals under state protection and of important ecological, scientific and social value, according to a staff member from the Xiamen Birdwatching Association. It's good at using bait for fishing. There are over 60 species of birds in the heron family in the world, and China is home to 22 of these. As of June 2024, 18 species of herons have been recorded in Xiamen. As a coastal city, Xiamen provides abundant food and comfortable habitats for herons, according to a staff member from the city's natural resources and planning bureau. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X video New Delhi/IBNS: Defence Minister and BJP veteran Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said he spoke to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge thrice to build a consensus on the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. Speaking to the media while entering Parliament, Singh said, "Kharge-ji is a senior leader. I respect him. I have spoken to him thrice since yesterday." #WATCH | Union Minister Rajnath Singh says "Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and I respect him. I have had a conversation with him thrice since yesterday." https://t.co/c85Rq9afLY pic.twitter.com/kdQL8QJYiG ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 In an unprecedented scenario in Lok Sabha in Independent India, a contest over the Speaker's post will be held as the INDIA bloc fielded Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate against BJP-led NDA's pick Om Birla after the government refused to concede the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition. Suresh has already filed his nomination for the Speaker's post. The Opposition went for a conditional support to Om Birla, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament this morning. "The Opposition is putting forward its conditions. We condemn this kind of politics. It is best to have a consensus candidate going by tradition. What the Opposition is doing is against the tradition," said Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Birla, a BJP MP who was elected from Kota-Bundi constituency of Rajasthan, served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024. All eyes were on the ruling camp as the BJP-led NDA is facing heat from the Opposition after the saffron party's tally fell from 303 to 240 needing allies to run the government. Moreover, the alleged examination scandal related to NET and NEET has brought the Modi government under the scanner. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath as the MPs of Lok Sabha. photo Courtesy: PIB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said her visit to India was short but fruitful. The visit was short but very fruitful. I think this visit will play a very pivotal role in strengthening the existing excellent relations between India and Bangladesh, she was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune while she was addressing a press conference. Speaking on the visit, she further said: "During the visit, the main topic of discussion with the Indian leadership was to formulate a vision on how the two newly-elected governments can take the cooperative relationship further." Also Read: Sheikh Hasina, Narendra Modi engage in bilateral talks We discussed ways and means of mutual cooperation and engagement between the two countries. We have agreed to cooperate wholeheartedly for the welfare of our two countries and people," she said. Hasina visited India on a State Visit last week. Hasina visited India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. It was her second visit to the neighbouring country this month. She visited New Delhi earlier in June to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Modi who returned to power in the world's largest democracy for third straight term. This was the first bilateral visit of any head of the government to India since Modi-government returned to power after winning the general polls which were held this year in robust seven phases. Hasina said she invited Modi to visit Bangladesh. Photo Courtesy: Screengrab of viral video The Bombay High Court has directed the release of the minor boy who is accused of fatally hitting two motorbike-riding software engineers in Pune on May 19. The court declared the remand order as illegal and set it aside. Since the minor's parents and grandfather are presently behind bars, the custody of the teenager has been given to his paternal aunt, the court was quoted as saying by India Today. The bench of Justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, while granting him relief, said that though the accident was unfortunate, he cannot be kept in an observation home, the Indian news channel reported. The two friends of the 17-year-old teen, whose speeding Porsche car ran over two people leading to their death in Pune, earlier told the cops that the accused was drunk while driving, media reports said. Eyewitnesses have claimed the car was travelling at 200 km/hr when it hit a two-wheeler carrying Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Kostha, two 24-year-old engineers. The teen was released on bail within 15 hours under what has been widely alleged as lenient conditions- he was required to write a 300-word essay, assist traffic police for 15 days, and seek treatment for his drinking habit. Following public outrage, the Juvenile Justice Board revised its order and placed him in an observation home until June 5, pending a decision on the police's request to try the teen as an adult. Photo Courtesy: Photo courtesy: Arvind Kejriwal Facebook The Delhi High Court on Tuesday put on hold Arvind Kejriwal's bail granted in the liquor policy case by the trial court on June 20. A Vacation Bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain continued the stay and posted the matter for further hearing by a regular bench after the vacation when it will meet on July 10. According to reports, the high court accepted the Enforcement Directorate's plea seeking suspension of the Chief Minister's bail order from the lower court. Following the court's direction, the Chief Minister will currently stay in prison. The Supreme Court may take up Kejriwals plea on Wednesday which he had filed earlier challenging the High Courts June 21 decision to stay his bail. ALSO READ: No Supreme Court reprieve for Arvind Kejriwal Photo Courtesy: Congress X page video grab Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took oath as Lok Sabha member with a copy of the Constitution in his hand. Rahul Gandhi won the Lok Sabha polls from two seats-Wayanad and Raebareli. Rahul Gandhi waved a copy of the Constitution and took the oath in English, marking the beginning of his new term in the Parliament. I, Rahul Gandhi... Having been elected a member of the House of People, do solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, and that I will faithfully pic.twitter.com/Z1yOhyQoL6 Congress (@INCIndia) June 25, 2024 Congress and the INDIA alliance put up a strong show in the Lok Sabha polls this year, negating all exit-poll predictions which had predicted their dismal performance. INDIA, the anti-BJP front which was formed for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, protested with copies of the Constitution in the premises of Parliament on the first day of the monsoon session on Monday. Several opposition leaders including Congress' Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, MP-elects from other parties like TMC, DMK were protesting carrying the copy of Constitution skipping oath-taking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers as the Lok Sabha MPs. Speaking to the media, Rahul Gandhi, "The attack on the Constitution by the Prime Minister and Amit Shah is unacceptable. We won't let that happen." "No power can touch the Constitution of India," he added. The Congress and other opposition parties are aiming to corner the Modi government, which is back in power for the third consecutive term but with the support of its allies, over the alleged corruption in entrance examinations like NET and NEET, deadly train accident in West Bengal, Manipur violence, the alleged exit poll-stock market scam. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says, "PM Modi made a longer than usual customary address today. Clearly, even after moral and political defeat, the arrogance remains ! "The nation was hoping that Modi ji would say something on many important issues." While the Opposition is trading charges against the Modi government for allegedly destroying democracy, the Prime Minister on Monday reminded the Congress of the 1975 Emergency, which was called by then premier, late Indira Gandhi. The Prime Minister said, "Tomorrow is June 25. For those who are dedicated to the dignity of the Constitution of this country, those who have faith in the democratic traditions of India, June 25 is an unforgettable day. "Tomorrow, on June 25, it will be 50 years since the black spot was put on Indian democracy. The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution was completely rejected, India was turned into a prison, and democracy was completely suppressed." Photo Courtesy: PIB New Delhi/IBNS: The Speaker's election scheduled on Wednesday might go in favour of the government with the numbers stacked up for the ruling NDA alliance. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is not leaving any stone unturned to achieve the result in its favour. Shah met with MPs and party leaders of the ruling alliance this evening and asked them to reach parliament by 10.30 Wednesday morning. He said attendance is mandatory. The election of the Speaker, a first in decades, will take place at 11 am. To date, a Speaker has been chosen by consensus. However, the Opposition, energised by their numbers in the Lok Sabha, has refused to accept the government's brush-off on the issue of the Pro Tem Speaker and the Deputy Speaker's post. The Opposition initially expected Suresh to be the Pro Tem Speaker, a post that goes to the senior most member of the House. However, the government made it clear that they are not considering a Deputy Speaker post, or the Opposition's claim to it, for now. With 10 minutes to go before today's deadline, the Congress filed papers fielding Suresh against the BJP's pick- Rajasthan MP Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. The numbers, as they stand now, do not favour the Opposition. The Speaker is elected by a simple majority of MPs present and voting. The NDA can expect 293 votes to the Opposition bloc's 232. Shah's meeting was attended by Bihar allies Chirag Paswan, JItam Ram Manjhi and a few others. Most Opposition parties, too, have issued whips to ensure there is no absenteeism. A meeting was held at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's home this evening, which the Trinamool Congress, initially miffed about not being consulted for the big step, was expected to attend. Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who handles the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio, issued a last appeal for a consensus candidate. "For the last two days, we have been in contact with main Opposition parties, talked to their floor leaders regarding the post of Speaker. Since the Independence, there has not been an election for Speaker post. We want speaker to be elected unopposed and through consensus," he told reporters. . The Congress and its leaders had joined the NDA meeting, he said but wanted an immediate decision on the deputy Speaker. "We appealed to them to support the Speaker candidate but they demanded Deputy Speaker post. We said it is not right to conduct election for both Speaker and Deputy Speaker posts together. We want Speaker with consensus and then we will talk about the Deputy Speaker," he said. Congress's Rahul Gandhi has alleged that though Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks of constructive support from the Opposition, he "does not want any constructive cooperation". He cited an example stating that Union minister Rajnath Singh, shouldered the responsibility to build consensus on the Speaker post, did not call Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, which is "an insult to our leader". Photo courtesy: Facebook/Rahul Gandhi New Delhi/IBNS: Taking the fight to the ruling BJP-led NDA, Rahul Gandhi Tuesday accepted a decision by the Congress Working Committee and will take up the role of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The announcement comes hours before the first big battle of the 18th Lok Sabha, between a resurgent opposition and a diminished ruling coalition, over the post of Speaker. Denied an assurance that an opposition member would be given the post of Deputy Speaker, as is the tradition, the Congress and the INDIA bloc decided to force an election for the post of Speaker at the last minute by putting up K Suresh as its candidate against the BJP's pick, Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha. The election of the Speaker, a first in decades, will take place at 11 am. To date, a Speaker has been chosen by consensus. However, the Opposition, energised by their numbers in the Lok Sabha, has refused to accept the government's brush-off on the issue of the Pro Tem Speaker and the Deputy Speaker's post. The Opposition initially expected Suresh to be the Pro Tem Speaker, a post that goes to the senior most member of the House. However, the government made it clear that they are not considering a Deputy Speaker post, or the Opposition's claim to it, for now. With 10 minutes to go before today's deadline, the Congress filed papers fielding Suresh against the BJP's pick- Rajasthan MP Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. The numbers, as they stand now, do not favour the Opposition. The Speaker is elected by a simple majority of MPs present and voting. Congress's Rahul Gandhi has alleged that though Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks of constructive support from the Opposition, he "does not want any constructive cooperation". He cited an example stating that Union minister Rajnath Singh, shouldered the responsibility to build consensus on the Speaker post, did not call Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, which is "an insult to our leader". Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0 Ending the legal saga, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has finally left the UK after he reached a deal with the US authorities that will enable him to plead guilty to criminal charges and go free. Assange, 52, was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, reported BBC. Assange has spent the last five years in a British prison. He was fighting extradition to the USA. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 In an X post, WikiLeaks said: "Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK." "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible," the organization said. WikiLeaks said Assange will soon return to Australia. WikiLeaks shared a video on its X platform which showed Assange being driven to the Stansted before boarding an aircraft. His wife Stella wrote her husband is free and further said: " Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU." Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soonpic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 Assange, detained first in prison then under house arrest, took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012 after losing his appeal to the UK Supreme Court against extradition to Sweden, where a judicial investigation was initiated against him in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct. However, he was not formally charged. Assange's WikiLeaks site published confidential diplomatic information, and he has been detained since 2010. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay A Japanese woman and her child and a Chinese woman were hurt in a knife attack at a bus stop in China's Suzhou city on Monday, media reports said. There was no indication that the suspect, believed to be Chinese, intentionally targeted Japanese nationals, the official of the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai told Kyodo news agency. Also Read: Knife attack in Chinese hospital leaves 10 killed or injured The injuries suffered by the two Japanese nationals were not life-threatening. The attacker was subdued at the scene. Also Read: China: Knife attack at a primary school in Jiangxi leaves 2 persons dead The attacker is currently in police custody. Also Read: China: Six die in knife attack in Lianjiang The motive behind the attack is not known so far. Earlier this month, four instructors from an American college were stabbed by a Chinese man in Jilin city. The suspect in the Jilin attack was arrested by the police but the motive behind the incident is still not known. Photo Courtesy: Youtube video grab Bangladesh's deadliest executioner Shahjahan Bhuiyan, who had executed six killers of the country's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, died at a hospital in the capital Dhaka City on Monday. He was 74. Shahjahan Bhuiyan reportedly executed 26 people in his lifetime. Popularly known as 'Jollad Shahjahan', he was released from prison in 2023 after spending 31 years behind the bars. He was originally sentenced to 42 years in prison in two cases of robbery, murder, and violation of the Arms Act. However, as a reward for his work as an executioner, good behaviour, and meritorious deeds in prison, he received a remission of 10 years, 5 months, and 28 days, reported Dhaka Tribune. He was arrested and brought to prison for committing several crimes like murder and robbery. Following his release from prison, the hangman married a woman who was much younger than him and faced legal complications, local media reports said. Notorious criminal Ershad Shikdar, militant leader Bangla Bhai and Ataur Rahman Sunny, Sharmin Rima murder accused Khuku and Monir, and Daisy murder case accused Hasan were among those who Shahjahan Bhuiyan executed. Preparing for roles on screen is not as easy as it might seem. From perfecting the tone of the character to undergoing physical changes to fit the role, there is a lot that an artist has to do to get the job done. Jaideep Ahlawat recently underwent a dramatic physical transformation and intense training for his newest Netflix feature, Maharaj. Jaideep posted before-and-after pictures of his transformation on Instagram, sharing how in just five months his weight went from 109.7 kg to 83 kg! Taking to his Instagram page, Jaideep wrote, From 109.7 Kg. to 83 Kg. in 5 months. Thats the Physical Transformation for the Role of Maharaj. Thank you Prajwal Sir for believing in me @prajwal7542. Fans laud Jaideep Ahlawats physical transformation Reacting to the post, one wrote, Uffff.. He bhagwan... Bhaiya, aap kuch bhi kar sakte ho, pakki baat hai. Another added, Ye to chamatkar ho gya. A third went on to add, Sir you never fail to inspire us. IG Richa Chadha on the other hand wrote "badiya" and Sidharth commented, Amazing bhai . All you need to know about Maharaj The movie Maharaj is based on a 2013 book by Gujarati author Saurabh Shah about the historic 1862 libel lawsuit brought by a prominent Vaishnavite leader, Jadunathji, against social reformer Karsandas Mulji, who had written against sexual exploitation by the Maharaj. Also read: Maharaja X review: Are brutal scenes in Vijay Sethupathi's film too much for family audiences? Jaideep Ahlawats role in Maharaj In the film, Maharaj Jaideep Ahlawat appears as godman Jadunath Maharaj, who forces his female followers to carry out the custom of "charan seva." Why was Maharaj's release delayed? Maharaj, which had been set to premiere on June 14, was postponed after the High Court prohibited Netflix from broadcasting it. This happened in response to a court case filed by a group of businessmen who claimed the movie might offend the Vaishnav community's religious sensibilities. Also read: Maharaj on Netflix stayed by Gujarat HC: Here's the real-life story behind Junaid Khans debut film You can now stream Maharaj on Netflix. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan has made his acting debut with the Netflix movie Maharaj, the one that faced a lot of boycott calls before its release and has finally hit the OTT screens. The story of the film in which he plays the role of a journalist is based on the real-life incident. After a group of businessmen filed a petition in the court claiming that the film offended the Vaishnav community's religious sentiments, the release of the film was postponed. Now that it has finally been streamed, here's all you need to know about All about Karsandas Mulji, whose role Junaid Khan plays in Maharaj. Who was Karsandas Mulji? #WATCH | On his debut movie 'Maharaj', actor Junaid Khan says, "... I liked the story when Siddharth P Malhotra approached me for the film... Doing it was a no-brainer. It was fun shooting. I did not feel any pressure... Amir Khan (Junaid's father) liked the film... I am very pic.twitter.com/m1JfoRcT1L ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2024 Karsandas Mulji was a reformist journalist and social critic who was associated with the Gujarati press. An advocate for social reforms, he was known to criticise practices he deemed corrupt or immoral within religious institutions. Despite the personal risks and opposition he faced, Karsandas Mulji's legacy endures as a testament to the power of truth and the vital role of journalism in advocating for justice and social progress. Before starting his own newspaper called Satyaprakash, he worked with reputed magazines Rast Goftar and Stribodh, who were read mostly by Parsis. His magazine ran for six years before shutting down and dissolving with Rast Goftar. Mulji's articles were bold critiques directed at leading figures of the Hindu caste system, challenging numerous social and religious customs. He focussed on issues including female education, spending on lavish weddings, and the traditional practice of chest-beating during funerals. He is best remembered for exposing the alleged misconduct of Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj during Maharaj Libel Case of 1862. What is Maharaj Libel Case of 1862? RW is boycotting Maharaj on Netflix. So u know what it means? Its a fantastic movie. It is a real story based on the Famous Maharaj Libel Case of 1862. Watch it for some brilliant performances pic.twitter.com/qbLGCuSSG9 Joy (@Joydas) June 23, 2024 The 1862 libel trial involves two prominent figures Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj and Karsandas Mulji and allegations of moral misconduct against the prominent religious leader by a journalist, leading to a legal battle. Also read: Maharaj on Netflix stayed by Gujarat HC: Here's the real-life story behind Junaid Khans debut film Who was Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj? For the unversed, Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj had a massive following. The spiritual leader who held considerable religious authority was a prominent figure in the Pushtimarg or Vallabha Sampradaya sect of Hinduism, a Vaishnavite tradition that focuses on the worship of Lord Krishna. The Allegations It was in 1860 that Karsandas Mulji published an article in the Gujarati newspaper titled Satyaprakash, accusing Jadunathji Brijratanji Maharaj of sexual misconduct. He claimed that the religious leader engaged in inappropriate relationships with women devotees who came to him for spiritual guidance, and thus he abused his position of religious authority. Maharaj movie on Netflix shows how a temple Brahmin priest rapes young girls & newly married brides in the name of Hindu Dharma. This practice is called Charan seva (Same as Devdasi). The day the priest rapes, the girl's family makes a delicious dish called Lapsi and celebrates.. pic.twitter.com/M5LB713Vtb The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) June 24, 2024 Also Read: Maharaj: Jaideep Ahlawat shows off washboard abs, photos of his transformation will leave you stunned Legal Action After his sensational article, Jadunathji Maharaj filed a libel suit against Karsandas Mulji, claiming that the allegations were false, defamatory, and had caused irreparable damage to his reputation and standing within the religious community. The case was fought in the High Court of Bombay in 1862. The Trial The trial was quite publicised and attracted a lot of attention not only from Indian but also British communities. It was one of the first major libel cases in colonial India that highlighted the tensions between traditional religious authorities and the emerging reformist voices. The court ruled in favor of Mulji and concluded that the allegations against him were not false. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Stories about people discovering creepy-crawlies in the food they've ordered from various restaurants are becoming alarmingly common. These tales often make us think twice about dining out. However, recently, an online revelation about a couple carrying a dead fly and placing it in their meal to avoid paying for the food they had already consumed has left everyone in shock. Unsplash Udit Bhandari, an X user, took to the microblogging platform to share a disturbing story about a middle-aged couple. He revealed that the couple carries a dead fly with them to restaurants and adds it to their meals to avoid paying the bill. Bhandari wrote, "Met a middle-aged couple at a party who revealed something quite disgusting. Apparently, it's something they do for fun, as they don't seem tight on money. They have, on several occasions, gone out to dine at 5-star restaurants in Delhi/Gurgaon and carried with them a dead fly! Yes, a dead fly!" He further added, "Halfway into their meal they would quietly slip this into their food & then create a huge fuss over it." Pest Control India As a result of this, the management, in a bid to placate them, would either not charge for that dish or, in most cases, make their entire meal free. "They were proud to share this 'hack' for getting free meals and said they have done this many, many times," writes Bhandari. Check out the post here: Met a middle-aged couple at a party who revealed something quite disgusting. Apparently it's something they do for fun as they didn't seem tight on money. They have on several occasions went out to dine at 5* restaurants in Delhi/Gurgaon and carried with them a dead fly! Yes, a Udit Bhandari (@GurugramDeals) June 25, 2024 The post is going viral, with 4,779 views already. In the comments section, people shared their disgust. One person said, "They seem to be not tight on money but tight on basic civic sense and morality." Another said, "Disgusting, pathetic. That's theft and fraud. Shows their upbringing." What's your take on the issue? For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. If you are a student planning higher studies abroad, the United States is undoubtedly at the top of the list of countries where you hope to pursue your academic dreams. However, obtaining an F-1 visa is easier said than done. This may soon change for Indian students, who want to study science. Less Chinese, more Indian students The US may encourage more Indian students to take up courses in science subjects while limiting the number of Chinese students. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said US universities were limiting Chinese students' access to sensitive technology given security concerns. Campbell mentioned that US universities had made "careful attempts" to support continuing higher education for Chinese students but had also been "careful about the labs and some of the activities of Chinese students." Also read: Viral video of Indian students in a job queue in Canada will make you think twice Pexels Chinese students can study humanities The second-ranked US diplomat said that the US needed to recruit more students from India, a key security partner, instead of China. "I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics," Campbell said. Over the years, China has emerged as the single largest source of foreign students in the US, a trend many in the country believe should change. According to Campbell, some had suggested that China was the only source to make up the shortage of science students. Unsplash "I believe that the largest increase we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students coming to study in American universities in a range of technology and other fields." Also read: Some Australian Universities Are Imposing A 'Blanket Ban' On Indian Students Pexels Automatic green card for graduating Indian students It should be noted that Indian students received a total of 130,839 F1 student visas in 2023, the highest number to date. Recently, US presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested granting automatic Green Cards to foreign students from India who graduate from US colleges to retain talent. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Navigating the intricacies of obtaining a visa, let alone a green card for permanent residency, is a daunting journey for anyone looking to study or work in the US. Now, Nahuel Candia, founder of a payments and subscriptions platform, is shedding light on his 15-year quest to secure a green card, revealing a journey filled with challenges and revelations. Green card/ CNBC TV18 A green card or Permanent Resident Card, is issued by the US government to authorise individuals to live and work permanently in the United States as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). Also read: 'Europe, I Don't Want To Marry Your Men': Indian Woman Spent Lakhs For Schengen Visa, Shares Her Ordeal "After more than 15 years of dreaming about this moment, I am now a permanent resident of the United States," begins Nahuel Candia, founder of Rebill.com, a payments and subscriptions platform. Nahuel Candia/ X He achieved this milestone through the EB1A visa (Green Card) for non-citizens of extraordinary ability, which is reserved for the top 1% of experts worldwide. Reflecting on his journey, Nahuel shared, "Not many know the struggles I faced to get here and the challenges that continue to test me every day." His quest began 15 years ago with a passion for programming during high school. Mentored by Sonia Oster, director of the Fulbright Alumni Association and an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, Nahuel was inspired to pursue a career in the US. Unsplash Despite being accepted by three US universities, financial constraints prevented him from attending. Undeterred, Nahuel founded his first company, Shovel Apps, at 19a venture that led him to San Francisco and immersed him in the city's entrepreneurial culture. His entrepreneurial journey took him through highs and lows, including a program at MIT and the closure of his first company in 2016. Returning to the UK briefly, Nahuel found his stride with Rebill, eventually joining Y Combinator and expanding his team in Argentina. Now, with 12 team members, Nahuel's move to the US represents a pivotal step in his vision to bridge the US and Latin American markets. "I promised myself that if I moved to the USA, it would be through a grand entrance, not just as an employee," Nahuel affirmed, encapsulating his journey towards realising his American dream. Check out his post here: Today, after over 15 years of dreaming about this moment, I am a permanent resident of the United States I achieved this through the EB1A visa (Green Card) for noncitizens of extraordinary ability, also known as the visa for the top 1% of experts worldwide. This was my pic.twitter.com/Tsm2LvWk5Y Nahuel Candia (@dncandia) June 23, 2024 For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Thieves, by definition, aren't known for their kindness. They aim to steal your money and valuables, and that's usually the end of it. However, a thief in China has broken the mold in a surprising way. His actions during a recent robbery have left many both bewildered and oddly impressed. In May, a thief in Shanghai, China, managed to rob an office, making off with a wristwatch, mobile phones, and a laptop. Also read: From Playing Judge To Stealing Over 1k Cars: Here's How Ace-thief Dhani Ram Mittal Got His Dhan He broke into the premises through the building's outer wall and grabbed an Apple MacBook along with other digital devices. Apple MacBook However, what sets this thief apart is the note he left behind. After the theft, he took the time to write a note in a notebook, which he left under a pile of devices. "Dear boss, I took a wristwatch and a laptop. You should improve your anti-theft system. I did not take all the phones and laptops, fearing it might hurt your business," the thief wrote, according to SCMP. He even added, "Contact me if you want your laptop and phone back," and left his phone number. The police were able to apprehend the thief using CCTV footage and his contact number. He was caught while traveling on a train leaving Shanghai, still carrying the stolen items. Representative image/ Freepik Weird thief stories have been quite common lately. Recently, in Uttar Pradesh, a thief entered a house intending to steal but ended up switching on the home's AC and taking a nap instead, tired of the sweltering heat. Well, stories of strange thefts seem to be on the rise, adding a peculiar twist to ordinary crime tales. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. When thinking about Dubai, the first image that often comes to mind is the towering Burj Khalifa. This amazing building is known for its great height and unique design, catching the attention of everyone who sees it. Despite the challenges of Dubais sandy ground, which makes building stability a concern, the Burj Khalifa stands as a proof of human skill and engineering. Whether seen in person or through media, its famous shape is unforgettable. But do you know who owns this skyscraper and which company built it? The answers might surprise you. The Transformation of Dubai Dubai is famous worldwide for its amazing skyscrapers, new ideas, and big developments. The city is home to the world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, which shows Dubais fast growth since the early 2000s. More than just a building, the Burj Khalifa represents Dubai's ambition and progress. The construction team faced many challenges, needing smart solutions to make sure the building was stable and had an impressive design. Completion and Grand Opening Burj Khalifa After overcoming these obstacles, the Burj Khalifa was finished in January 2010 and had a grand opening that marked a historic achievement. It was first called Burj Dubai but was renamed Burj Khalifa to honour Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of Abu Dhabi, who helped Dubai during its financial crisis. This name change was announced during the grand opening on January 4, 2010, surprising many. Today, the Burj Khalifa draws tourists from all over the world, eager to see this architectural wonder. Interesting Facts About Burj Khalifa Building the Burj Khalifa started in January 2004, with the outside finished five years later in 2009. It stands at an incredible 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) with 163 floors and was officially opened in January 2010. The Burj Khalifa holds many world records, including: Tallest building Tallest free-standing structure Highest number of stories Highest occupied floor Highest outdoor observation deck Elevator with the longest travel distance Highest service elevator It also became the tallest structure, beating the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, and the tallest free-standing structure, replacing Torontos CN Tower. Ownership and Construction The Burj Khalifa is owned by Emaar Properties, a big real estate development company led by Mohamed Alabbar. The construction was a team effort involving three major companies: Samsung C&T from South Korea, Arabtec from the United Arab Emirates, and BESIX from Belgium. Emaar Properties is known for other big projects like the Dubai Mall, the planned Dubai Creek Tower, and the Dubai Fountain. Sustainability and Visibility Instagram Built with sustainability in mind, the Burj Khalifa collects 15 million gallons of water every year, which is used to water the buildings plants. Amazingly, the top of the skyscraper can be seen from 95 km away, showing its extraordinary presence. The Burj Khalifa is a great example of engineering and a symbol of Dubai's vision and ambition. It continues to inspire awe and attract visitors from all over the world, making it one of the most famous landmarks globally. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Jay Chaudhry, an Indian-American billionaire and the founder and CEO of the prestigious cloud security firm Zscaler, stands as a shining example of defying odds and achieving tremendous success through sheer grit and determination. His journey serves as a testament to perseverance and serves as an inspiration to all. Meet Jay Chaudry, the CEO and founder of cybersecurity company Zscaler Jay Chaudhry, the CEO of Zscaler, founded the cybersecurity company in 2008, which went public in March 2018. Before Zscaler, Chaudhry established four tech companies SecureIT, CoreHarbor, CipherTrust, and AirDefense all of which were successfully acquired. Originally from a small Himalayan village, he moved to the US in 1980 to pursue graduate studies. Jay Chaudhry's remarkable achievements have placed him on the esteemed Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest individuals in America. forbes Additionally, he earned recognition as the wealthiest NRI (Non-Resident Indian) residing in the US, with a fortune of Rs 72,100 crore according to the Hurun Rich List 2023. Jay Chaudharys early life Jay Chaudhry was born in Panoh, a village in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh, India, which had a population of 800. The village did not have running water or electricity until he was a teenager. His parents, Bhagat and Surjeet Chaudhry, were small-scale farmers, and he was the youngest of three sons. In an interview, Jay recalled walking nearly 4 kilometers every day to attend high school in the neighboring village of Dhusara. Due to the lack of electricity, he often studied outdoors under a tree. After achieving top honors in the pre-university exams at the state level, he pursued his BTech degree at the former Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now IIT-BHU), and with support from the Tata Group, pursued a masters degree at the University of Cincinnati in the US. Chaudhry got a Tata scholarship which became a turning point in his education x According to Hindu Business Line, Chaudhry was one of 30 students awarded the Tata scholarship that year. JRD Tata, who was in his late 70s at the time, personally interviewed all the final candidates. The interview lasted four minutes and consisted of three questions about Chaudhry's background. Tata then wished him good luck. Chaudhry explained that the Tata scholarship aimed to support students who could succeed and repay the loan, which would then be made available to another deserving student. Also Read: From vision to reality: How Gautam Adani transformed Mundra Port into India's largest commercial hub Jay Chaudharys Career indica news Chaudhry began his career by working in engineering, sales, marketing, and management roles at IBM, Unisys, and NCR. Subsequently, he ventured into entrepreneurship by establishing five security software startups. In 1996, he and his wife utilized their life savings to found the Internet security service SecureIT. After SecureIT was acquired by Verisign in 1998, Chaudhry relocated to San Francisco to lead Verisigns security services division, departing from the company in 1999. In 2007, Chaudhry founded Zscaler, a Zero Trust cloud security company, with the vision of creating the "Salesforce of cloud security," inspired by Marc Benioff. Zscaler has achieved significant growth, recording revenue of USD 525.0 million in the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2024. Also Read: From Rs 5,000 to Rs 16,900 crore: Meet Ramachandran, the man behind 'Chaar Boondo Wala' Ujala Jay Chaudharys Net Worth jay chaudhry/x As per Bloomberg Index, Jay Chaudhary has an estimated net worth of USD 10.9 billion (Rs 90,948 crore approx) currently. Imagine standing on the banks of a river, the water shining in the sunlight. Now, imagine tiny gold particles shining in the water. This is not a scene from a fairy tale, but a reality in some parts of the world. Rivers such as the Missouri in the United States and the Subarnarekha and Damodar rivers in India contain more than just water; they also contain valuable gold. For generations, these rivers have enticed dreamers, explorers, and miners seeking their fortune. Gold rushes have changed entire histories, changing peaceful landscapes into thriving areas of activity. Men and women, fueled by the possibility of riches, have panned, dug, and sifted through river sands in search of the shining treasure. These rivers, which flow silently through valleys and woods, tell stories of human perseverance, hope, and a never-ending search for riches. In this article, we will go through some of the world's most famous gold-bearing rivers. From the ancient traditions of digging for gold in Assam's Brahmaputra River to the legendary stories of the Klondike Gold Rush, we'll look at how these rivers have become linked with wealth and adventure. Ready to immerse in the dazzling waters and rich history of these golden rivers? but before that let's understand the method of searching for gold in the river: Finding gold in rivers is an old method called placer mining. This involves looking for gold in stream beds where it has been carried from its original source. Prospectors usually search in spots like the inside bends of rivers, behind big rocks, or below waterfalls, where gold tends to settle because it's heavy. The process begins with panning, where sediment from the riverbed is put in a pan and mixed with water; the gold, being heavier, sinks to the bottom and can be separated. For those who want to take their gold hunting further, techniques like sluicing, dredging, and metal detecting are used to process more material and increase the chances of finding gold. Placer mining requires patience, skill, and a bit of luck, making it an exciting and potentially rewarding activity for those looking for gold. Here are the rivers that produce gold around the world: Brahmaputra River: Assams Gold Stream Brahmaputra River | Photo: Travenjo In the northeastern state of Assam, the Brahmaputra River is well-known for its placer gold, especially in the sands near the Himalayan foothills, according to TOI. Locals have been panning for gold here for generations, and this tradition continues to support many small-scale miners. Yuba River: Californias Gold Legacy Yuba River The Yuba River in California is rich in Gold Rush history. Since the 1850s, the river and its tributaries have been heavily mined. People used dredges and sluices to extract gold from the riverbed. The Yuba River has been a major source of gold in California, and even today, prospectors are drawn to its legacy. Klondike River: Heart of the Gold Rush Klondike River | Photo: Wikipedia The Klondike River in Canadas Yukon territory is famous for the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. Gold was discovered in 1896, leading to a flood of prospectors. The river and its tributaries became the center of one of the most famous gold rushes in history. The Klondikes gold-rich gravels have been heavily mined, and the region remains a symbol of the timeless appeal of gold. Big Hole River: Riches of French Creek Big Hole River | Photo: Tripadvisor In 1864, gold was discovered in French Creek, sparking a gold rush to the Big Hole River area. Early mining efforts were very successful, with over $5 million worth of gold extracted in the first few years. The rivers tributaries, including Basin Creek and Fish Creek, have seen significant placer mining, with miners using pans, sluices, and dredges to find gold in the rivers sediments. Subarnarekha River: Indias Golden Mystery Subarnarekha River | Photo: Wikipedia India is full of wonders and mysteries, and one such mystery is the Subarnarekha River in Jharkhand. According to TOI, this river flows through Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, and it is known for having pure gold in its waters. In Jharkhand, it flows through the Ratnagarbha region. The Subarnarekha River is 474 km long and starts at a place called Rani Chuan in Nagdi village, about 15 km from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. It then flows into Odisha and West Bengal before reaching the Bay of Bengal at Baleshwar. Local tribal workers filter sand from the river to collect gold particles, with some managing to find 60 to 80 particles a month. Apart from the monsoon season, this gold collection goes on all year. These gold particles can be as small as a grain of rice. The name Subarnarekha means "Streak of Gold" in English. Near the rivers origin in Piska, gold was first mined, and people continue to find gold in the riverbed and its sands. The river has been featured in Bengali films and literature, including the 1965 film "Subarnarekha" directed by Ritwik Ghatak, and works by Rabindranath Tagore and Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. Missouri River: Montanas Treasure Trove Missouri River | Photo: Wikipedia The Missouri Rivers history of gold mining dates back to the mid-1800s when gold was first found in Montanas stream gravels. The El Dorado Bar, near Soup Creek, is especially famous, yielding not only gold but also sapphires. Indian Creek, a tributary of the Missouri, has been heavily mined for gold. These activities have played a significant role in making Montana known as a treasure state. Feature image for representational purposes only For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Deep in the mines of 17th-century India, a remarkable gem was discovered. This gem, eventually named the Hope Diamond, has a story that spans continents and centuries, captivating everyone who hears it. Originally part of a larger diamond known as the Tavernier Blue, it traveled far and wide, catching the eye of kings and collectors alike. King Louis XIV of France was so enchanted by its blue brilliance that he had it reshaped into the French Blue, a dazzling centerpiece of his royal collection. But history took a different turn, and during the French Revolution, the diamond vanished, only to reappear years later in London as the smaller yet equally mesmerising Hope Diamond. As it changed hands through the years, each owner seemed to be touched by its mysterious curse, leading to tales of tragedy and misfortune. Despite scepticism, these stories only added to its mystique. Today, housed safely at the Smithsonian Institution, the Hope Diamond continues to captivate millions of visitors annually. Its deep blue color and impressive size make it not just a gemstone, but a living piece of history and a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with rare and beautiful objects. Join us as we delve into the captivating tale of the Hope Diamond, exploring its history, the legends of its curse, and the scientific marvels that make it one of the world's most celebrated treasures. Where was Hope Diamond first found The Hope Diamond | Photo: Wikipedia According to various reports, The Hope Diamond is believed to have come from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India. But recently, new evidence suggests that this diamond, along with other Golconda diamonds, might have actually originated from the Wajrakarur kimberlite field in Andhra Pradesh, reported in Live Science. This location is about 186 miles (300 kilometres) away from where they were originally believed to have been mined. Also Read: 50 Rolls Royce cars & Rs 1,000 crore diamond: The remarkable life of Indias first billionaire History of The Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond earned its name from Henry Philip Hope, a wealthy British banker and passionate collector of gems and artwork. It was part of his extensive collection until his passing. Afterwards, it changed hands multiple times until Evalyn Walsh McLean, a prominent socialite from Washington, D.C., acquired it in 1912 and held onto it until her death in 1947. Later, jeweler Harry Winston owned it for eleven years before generously donating it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958, where it now belongs to all Americans. The diamond's journey traces back to the Tavernier Blue, a 115-carat blue diamond brought from India to France and purchased by King Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King," in 1673. His royal jeweler recut the stone into the 69-carat French Blue, enhancing its beauty with a gold backing that made it shine brightly. Unfortunately, the French Revolution saw the theft of this magnificent diamond in 1792. Twenty years later, a smaller yet still stunning 45-carat blue diamond emerged in London, eventually known as the Hope Diamond. Its appearance coincided closely with the expiration of the twenty-year statute of limitations for crimes from the French Revolution, though details about who recut the gemstone remain scarce. While speculation persisted for decades that the lost French Blue and the Hope Diamond might be one and the same, solid evidence confirming this connection didn't emerge until the mid-2000s. Detailed replicas of the Tavernier Blue and the French Blue were meticulously crafted, including computer models to ascertain that the Hope Diamond could fit entirely within the French Blue. Certain decisions made in cutting the Hope Diamond, like its asymmetrical shape, were best understood in light of its earlier incarnation as the 69-carat French Blue. The Curse of The Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond | Photo: Clean Origin It's known by various names like Le Bijou du Roi (the Kings Jewel), Le bleu de France (Frances Blue), and the Tavernier Blue. This deep-blue gem weighs 45.52 carats and is stunning to look at, but many believe it carries a curse. Since it was found in India in 1642, this diamond has been stolen at least twice and changed owners many times. Each owner seems to have met with bad luck, fueling the belief in its curse.Legend has it that those who possess the Hope Diamond are cursed with misfortune. From mysterious deaths to financial ruin, its owners have reportedly faced calamities throughout history. Despite skepticism, tales of its curse continue to intrigue and mystify. Also Read: Meet Sudha Reddy, The Hyderabad-based Billionaire Who Wore 200-Carat Diamonds At Met Gala 2024 Here are legends about the Hope Diamond eerie tales: The curse is said to have started with the Tavernier Blue, a large diamond stolen by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French merchant, from a Hindu statue's eye. It's said Tavernier fell ill and died soon after taking the diamond. King Louis XIV of France bought the diamond and had it recut. He later suffered from gangrene and passed away. Nicholas Fouquet , linked to King Louis XIV , wore the diamond and was later imprisoned for life. , linked to , wore the diamond and was later imprisoned for life. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who inherited the diamond, faced tragic deaths during the French Revolution. and Marie Antoinette, who inherited the diamond, faced tragic deaths during the French Revolution. Marie-Louise , Princess de Lamballe, another wearer, also met an untimely death. , Princess de Lamballe, another wearer, also met an untimely death. During the French Revolution, the diamond was stolen again and reshaped by Wilhelm Fals, a Dutch jeweller , who met a tragic end involving his family. , who met a tragic end involving his family. Disappearing for years, the diamond resurfaced in a London banking family's collection in 1839. Simon Maoncharides, a Greek merchant , owned and then sold the diamond in 1910 to Pierre Cartier, involved in a fatal car accident. , owned and then sold the diamond in 1910 to Pierre Cartier, involved in a fatal car accident. Evalyn Walsh McLean, a wealthy heiress, bought the diamond in 1912, experiencing a series of tragedies in her family before selling the diamond in 1949. Donated to the Smithsonian in 1958, the diamond traveled through the mail, bringing misfortune to the mailman involved. Science Behind The Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond was examined and graded by the GIA in 1988 and 1996. It weighs 45.52 carats and has a cushion shape with antique brilliance, VS1 clarity, and a Fancy Deep greyish-blue colour. This unique colour is due to a high concentration of boron impurities, about 1.7 parts per million, which is very rare in natural diamonds. Most gem diamonds (about 99%) contain nitrogen impurities, while less than 0.1% have detectable boron. The Hope Diamond stands out with its unusually high boron content. Another exceptional feature is its red phosphorescence. When exposed to ultraviolet light, it glows red for over a minute, thanks to the boron atoms interacting with other impurities in the diamond. Scientific studies in the past two decades have uncovered many secrets of the Hope Diamond, including its origin as the French Blue, details about its phosphorescence, and precise measurements of its boron concentrations. Despite changing owners over centuries, the Hope Diamond eventually found its way to the Smithsonian, where its name reflects the universal human sentiment of hope, fitting for such a priceless gem. Where is The Hope Diamond today and how much is it worth? Today, housed at the Smithsonian Institution, the Hope Diamond remains a cultural icon, attracting millions of visitors annually. According to Forbes The Hope Diamond's worth, estimated at $350 million (Approx Rs 2,900 crore), reflects not just its monetary worth but also its cultural significance and enduring appeal. Also Read: Man Buys Cartier Diamond Earrings Worth Rs 11 Lakh For Just Rs 1,200 Due To Typo On Website! The saga of the Hope Diamond continues to captivate, blending history, legend, and scientific marvel. As it remains on display, its allure and mystique ensure its place as one of the world's most famous gemstones. By weaving together its captivating history, alleged curse, scientific intrigue, and cultural impact, the story of the Hope Diamond emerges as a timeless tale of beauty and mystery. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored its concerns about the rule of law and minority protection in Albania following the Tirana Court of Appeal's decision on Fredi Beleri. The court upheld a two-year prison sentence against the elected mayor of Himare and New Democracy's elected MEP. "Greece has consistently expressed apprehensions regarding various aspects of Fredi Beleri's judicial prosecution" the Ministry stated. These concerns include the presumption of innocence violation, the nature of evidence, premature conviction, disproportionate sentencing and denial of his right to oath-taking, resulting in a year-long administration of Himare by individuals lacking democratic legitimacy. The Ministry emphasized that the Tirana Court of Appeal's ruling reinforces these concerns regarding Albania's adherence to the rule of law and minority safeguarding. "Beleri isn't solely Himare's elected mayor but also a European Parliament Member," the Ministry highlighted. "Thus, it is incumbent upon Albanian authorities to ensure he can participate in European Parliament proceedings commencing with its July plenary session." iefimerida.gr Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Senator Cory Booker discussed the excellent state of Greek-American relations and defence cooperation on Tuesday. Government sources revealed that the meeting also covered international and regional issues including developments in Ukraine, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Prime Minister emphasized Greece's role as a stable and reliable partner and all highlighting its position as a pillar of stability and security in the broader region. iefimerida.gr A Federal High Court in Lagos State has acquitted and discharged Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, of a N338.8 million money laundering charge. The court on Monday also discharged Oyebode Atoyebi, a personal assistant to Ikuforiji, who was arraigned alongside the former speaker. Advertisement Ikuforiji served as the speaker of Lagos state assembly from 2005 to 2015. The former speaker and his aide were arraigned on a 54-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the Ikuforiji and Atoyebi of allegedly accepting cash payments of N338.8 million from the House of Assembly without going through a financial institution. Ikuforiji and Atoyebi were first arraigned in March 2012 before Okechukwu Okeke, a Judge at the Federal High Court, on a 20-count charge bordering on misappropriation and money laundering. The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail. READ ALSO: Former Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji Faces New Money Laundering Trial However, they were re-arraigned before Judge Ibrahim Buba, after the case was reassigned. Buba granted them bail in the sum of N500 million each, with sureties in like sum. On September 26, 2014, the judge discharged Ikuforiji and his aide of the charges after upholding a no-case submission by the defendants. Dissatisfied with the decision of the federal high court, the EFCC approached the appeal court. In November 2016, the appeal court ruled that the money laundering trial against the defendants must continue. The defendants approached the Supreme Court after the ruling of the appeal court. In its verdict, the apex court upheld the decision of the court of appeal and ordered that the case be sent back to the chief judge of the federal high court for reassignment. The case was then returned to the federal high court for continuation of trial. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested more time to consult extensively on the new minimum wage for public sector workers. This new development came up during the Federal Executive Council meeting on Tuesday as the decision was tabled for discussion. Advertisement According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the President needs more time to consult widely. Speaking to State House correspondents, Idris noted that the Presidents request for more time is aimed at determining an appropriate amount for the new minimum wage. The consultation process will however involve various stakeholders and interests. He said that the new minimum wage memo was stepped down because the Federal Government thought it wise to consult with other stakeholders, especially as the new wage proposals affects the local government areas, states and the Federal Government. READ ALSO: NDLEA Uncovers Cocaine Hidden In Shoe Soles During Adamawa Raid Idris said: A lot of people have been asking me questions pertaining to whether the New Minimum Wage would come up for deliberations today at FEC, especially whether government was going to have a position on the new wage. Recall that there was a report from the tripartite committee, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, the Organised Private Sector and the government representatives, these three make up the tripartite committee that discussed on the new minimum wage. They have forwarded a report to the President which he has gone through. But consistent with the way it should be done, I want to inform Nigerians that FEC deliberated on that because the new national minimum wage is not just the decision of the Federal Government. That memo was stepped down to enable Mr President consult further so that he can have an informed position on what to do. This decision was taken because it affects the States, LG and the Federal Government. Gunmen suspected to be bandits, attacked a mosque in the Tazame community in the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the unfortunate incident happened in the early hour of Tuesday. A resident of the area, who refused to disclose his identity told Channels Television that the culprits stormed the community when they were preparing for early morning prayers. Advertisement He said: The bandits entered the area, killed two persons which were the Muazzin (the person that calls prayer) and his younger brother. The bandits also shot the Imam who sustained fracture injury in his leg and abducted about ten person. Also confirming the horrible attack to newsmen, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said that two persons were killed while some residents were kidnapped by the assailants. READ MORE: Tinubu Ordered That I Settle Rift Between Gov. Lawal And Matawalle Sani Yerima He said: The incident happened this (Tuesday) morning, two persons were killed and some were kidnapped. We are yet to confirm the numbers of the people kidnapped but the Command has deployed personnel to the area to restore normalcy. Efforts are in place to rescue the kidnapped victims. Terrorist attacks has become a major challenge in Zamfara, especially the northern part of the country. Some criminal elements such as bandits and Boko Haram have been disturbing the peace of the region. Salman Dogo Garba has on Tuesday replaced Husani Gumel as the Commissioner of Police in Kano State. Information Nigeria reports that a farewell ceremony was held at the Officers Mess Bompai Kano organised in honour of the former Commissioner of Police, Gumel, who was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG). Advertisement Giving an update on the development, the State Police Command in a Wednesday post via X said: CP Salman Dogo Garba assumed duty as the 46th Commissioner of Police of Kano State Police Command. The CP was born on 21st July 1966 at Ilorin West LGA of Kwara State. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from ABU Zaria. He was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on 18th May 1992 as Cadet ASP. The exceptional law enforcement professional traversed so many sensitive positions across the Police Departments in different States. He was the Commissioner of Police manning the Force Armament before his current posting as CP Kano State Command. Speaking on the new position, Garba said Upon my official assumption of duty as Commissioner of Police on 2nd May 2023, we faced several security challenges, including armed robbery, thuggery (Daba), car theft, the threats of banditry along the prone LGAs, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. These threats were endangering public safety and hindering governance and socioeconomic development in the state. READ ALSO: North-West Banditry Crisis Will Take Decades To Resolve Sultan Of Sokoto He said the command faced numerous challenges at the peak of the Kano Chieftaincy tussle but remained committed and professional. The recent attempts by some political actors to politicise security issues around the Kano State Emirate Council are not insurmountable. The Police Command under my watch remained professional and committed to maintaining the peace and order. I am confident these challenges will soon be resolved. As I move on to my new assignment, I carry the experience, lessons, and memories from my time here. Gumel, in his remarks appreciated the officers and men of the Kano State Command for the tremendous support they accorded to him during his tenure as the CP, stressing that was the reason behind his success in Kano. His promotion comes following his decision to decline the order of Governor Abba Yusuf, directing him to evict the deposed emir of the State, Ado Bayero from the Nasarawa mini palace. Bayero, the 15th emir has been in court battles following the decision of Yusuf to reinstate Muhammadu Lamido Sanusi as 16th emir of the State. Sanusi currently resides at the official lodge of the emir in Kofar Kudu, while Bayero occupies the Nassarawa mini palace which has caused palpable tension in Kano. On May 23, the Kano House of Assembly passed an amended bill, which Governor Yusuf, signed into law. The law repealed the 2019 version which divided the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions and was relied upon to dethrone Sanusi as emir in 2020. On the same day the law was repealed, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano by kingmakers and the Governor. Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has reacted to the sudden death of Essien Etop Andrew, Deputy Comptroller in charge of revenue at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). On Tuesday, the customs officer was fielding questions from members of the House of Representatives Committee on public account when he coughed and slumped. Andrew was rushed to the National Assembly clinic where he was confirmed dead. Reacting via X, Sani opined that a rule should be made to conduct medical check ups on public officials prior to their appearance before their respective committees. The National Assembly should make it a rule to conduct blood pressure test and Heart Checks of public officials summoned to appear before their relevant committees, he wrote Advertisement READ ALSO: FEC: Tinubu Steps Down New National Minimum Wage Memo For Further Consultation Meanwhile, Bamidele Salam, Chairman of the committee, said the panel will suspend other hearings for one week to honour the late customs chief. It was a very sad incident. He was very eloquent and clearly understood the issues being considered. He suddenly said he wanted to drink water, to which we obliged and even asked if he needed some tea. It was sad he died in active service. Our committee is suspending other hearings for the week in his honour, Salam told The Cable. In a statement, Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, said the green chamber will support efforts to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and is cooperating fully with all relevant authorities to ensure all necessary protocols are followed. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command announced the rescue of a 63-year-old abducted victim and former Shell Petroleum Development Company employee (name withheld) in the states Etim Ekpo Local Government Area. This is coming after the commands operatives killed one suspected kidnapper and initiated a manhunt for other fleeing suspects across the state. ASP Timfon John, the Commands Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed this to press on Monday. Advertisement He said that the police rescue squad killed the alleged kidnapper during a gunfight. The police spokesperson further disclosed that the abducted retired oil company worker was found unhurt in a compound in Ikot Udobong Village, Etim Ekpo LGA of the state. According to the state Police Command, the kidnappers initially sought a ransom of N50 million but subsequently agreed to accept N20 million. READ MORE: My First Single Blew Up In Africa Ayra Starr Shares Her Journey To Stardom On June 22, 2024, following intelligence information available at the Commands disposal about the whereabouts of a retired Shell Petroleum Company worker, (name withheld) M, 63 years, who was kidnapped on June 17, 2024, by four unknown armed men dressed in military camouflage, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Waheed Ayilara, ordered the SWAT operatives of the command to immediately swing into action. Upon sighting the police, the kidnappers started firing at them. During the ensuing gun duel, one of the kidnappers sustained a serious gunshot injury, while others escaped. The injured suspect was taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead. The victim was rescued unhurt in a compound located at Ikot Udobong Village in Etim Ekpo LGA. Preliminary investigations revealed that the kidnappers had initially demanded N50m ransom and later agreed to N20m No ransom was however paid as of the time of the rescue. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects, she stated. The commands spokesperson stated that the CP underlined the commands determination to cleanse the state of crime and criminal elements. She noted that the CP, while thanking the public for their assistance with the directive, advised them to report any suspicious movement or person to the police via emergency numbers 09040000065, 08020913810, or to the local police station. Terrorists suspected to be bandits have reportedly killed a Professor identified as Yusuf Saidu, at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the deceased was said to be the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research, Innovation, and Development of the school. It was gathered that the university announced Professor Yusufs death in a statement on its Facebook page on Monday, noting that the late staff of thr institution was attacked and killed by terrorists while traveling from Sokoto State to Kaduna. Advertisement READ MORE: Gunmen Invade Sokoto Community, Kill Six, Abduct Scores On Sallah Day The statement reads: The death has occurred of Prof. Yusuf Saidu, the current Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Innovation and Development Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. He was attacked and killed by bandits on his way to Kaduna from Sokoto State. A man of integrity, religion, dedication and courage. May Allah accept his soul and forgive his sin but this is a painful loss to all members of the University community and the Academia at large. Insecurity has been a major challenge affecting North region in Nigeria, with cases of bandits and Boko Haram, disturbing the peace of the region. Prof Akin Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, has cautioned the public to beware of unregulated and unregistered beverages, which may contain contaminated drinks. Abayomi made the remarks during a state multi-agency news briefing and cholera outbreak update in Lagos on Monday. The commissioner stated that information from no fewer than 500 suspected cholera cases in the state revealed that some of the patients had consumed street beverages. Advertisement However, he stated that the majority of patients mentioned alternative sources of drinking water, such as sachet water, bottled water, and carbonated drinks, noting that street beverages were widespread in the state. READ MORE: I Dont Believe In Having One Wife, Its An Imported Concept Kanayo O. Kanayo It is what a lot of people consume on their way to and from work or after school. So, its not surprising that a few of our suspected cases referred to the consumption of a beverage. However, liquid beverages are produced in a batch. And once the batch is produced, it is distributed and consumed. So, when we go back to a particular location where they are manufacturing street beverages, we may not find anything at all because the batch that was contaminated has been completely distributed. My advice to the public is check the NAFDAC number of beverages bought on the street, if its not certified by NAFDAC, avoid it, he warned SEE BELOW: DataStax is updating its tools for building generative AI-based applications in an effort to ease and accelerate application development for enterprises, databases, and service providers. One of these tools is Langflow, which DataStax acquired in April. It is an open source, web-based no-code graphical user interface (GUI) that allows developers to visually prototype LangChain flows and iterate them to develop applications faster. LangChain is a modular framework for Python and JavaScript that simplifies the development of applications that are powered by generative AI language models or LLMs. The sign that features a spelling error is covered by black material at the Cottman ramp onto I-95 southbound in Philadelphia on Monday, June 24, 2024. Read more Officials touted the permanent completion of repairs along I-95 last month, less than a year after a truck fire collapsed the busy interstate, but it seems like the roadway just keeps taking Ls after one of its vital signs was found to be out of whack. Around the corner from Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Holmesburg, a newly-installed sign for the yet-to-be-opened on-ramp to I-95 South on Cottman Avenue that should read Central Phila / Chester instead reads Cenrtal Phila / Chester. Advertisement Philadelphians, who have a reputation to uphold for never letting anyone live anything down, generally fell in to one of two camps about the sign on social media: those who wondered how this could happen and those whove seen the sign but didnt register the error. After a weekend of getting lambasted online for the mistake, PennDot draped a black cloak of shame over the sign on Monday. As a writer who knows that sinking feeling of seeing a typo in her work, I understand that misteaks do happen, even if there are exactly zero words in the English language that begin with the letters cenrt, according to Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary. (Editors note: Please dont send us e-mails about misteaks its a joke.) The fix PennDot spokesperson Alexis Campbell said in an e-mailed statement Monday that the agency was aware of the mistake on the sign, which was erected June 21. The sign has been covered, the misspelled word will be corrected tonight, and a corrected sign will be installed this week, she said. All costs for correcting this error will be covered by the contractor. The cost for the lighting, foundation, and installation of the sign was $100,000, Campbell said, but she did not identify the company contracted to make and install it. She said the contractor was given the PennDot-approved design, which did not have the misspelling, and the contractor provided PennDot with the details on where it would be made and when it would be installed. This error should not have happened and definitely should have been caught before the sign was installed. We are reviewing our processes to ensure that this doesnt happen again, Campbell said. But she didnt tread into what was perhaps my most burning question, one thats been vexing me for years that I finally had cause to ask about: Why does PennDot use the term Central Phila on its highway signs to begin with when everybody in Philly calls it Center City? I have to wonder if leaving the misspelled sign up until it can be fixed wouldnt be better than covering it up so nobody can see it. Sure, its an embarrassing mistake, but people can still understand what the sign says even if the middle letters are swapped (a phenomenon known as the transposed letter effect). Typos of days gone by Taking ownership of a very public (and relatively harmless) mistake with a little humor can generate goodwill, or, at least a good laugh. I cant help but think of my favorite errors and corrections Ive seen during my career in Philadelphia, all of which ran in the Daily News: Oct. 8, 2009 Were still trying to figure out why Bostons skyline was pictured on yesterdays Page 3 when it should have been Philadelphias. Honestly, we do know the difference. July 1, 2014 In yesterdays Chillin Wit column, a fond farewell to former Daily News editor Zack Stalberg as he heads west to New Mexico, Stalberg was misquoted as using the term horse manure. He responded: I demand a correction. Does anyone really think I would use the word manure? No. Stalberg actually said, horse s. And thats no bull manure. May 24, 2015 Because of an editing error, a caption in Wednesdays Daily News referred to the late community activist C.B. Kimmins, who is very much alive. He was generous in accepting our sincere apology. As I said, none of us are perfect, but unlike AI, our imperfections and our ability to laugh at ourselves in the face of them is part of what makes us human. A colleague and I once received an Associated Press Managing Editors award where Philadelphia was misspelled as Philadephia presumably, by editors and I still accidentally mistype my last name as Fart sometimes. It stinks, but its also funny. In this case, it would have been great to see PennDot lean into the mistake by quoting 90s Swedish pop group Ace of Bases hit The Sign while asking for a little leniency: I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. Life is demanding without understanding. Of course, the sign in question is not the first public typo in Philly history. When a section of Broad Street was renamed Patti LaBelle Way in 2019, the Streets Department forgot to capitalize the B in the Godmother of Souls last name. In 2021, an exit sign was erected along I-95 in Delaware on which Delware Avenue was misspelled and last year, SEPTA misspelled Philadelphia as Philadlephia on a new sign for the Conshohocken platform. Some even think theres a typo on the Liberty Bell, given that Pensylvania is inscribed upon it, but according to the National Park Service, it was an acceptable spelling of Pennsylvania at the time. While well never know the wonders that the mythical land of Cenrtal Phila held, this sign serves as a reminder that we all face bumps in the road sometimes, even PennDot. Keilyn Natareno is an 8-year-old who loves to draw. Her favorite color is pink, and she has a cat named Sofia. Read more Keilyn Natareno walked out of Lewis Elkin Elementary School and ran to her fathers side, weaving through the crowd of children and parents gathered for school dismissal. Holding hands, they walked to their white truck, parked along Allegheny Avenue in Kensington on that warm Wednesday in May. Keilyn, 8, hopped into the front passenger seat and her father, Orlando, slid behind the wheel. Advertisement Keilyn was giggling and telling her dad what she learned in school as he began to drive forward. Then all of a sudden, there was a bang. For a moment, Natareno thought a rock had hit their windshield. Then he saw a penny-sized hole in the glass and heard his daughters screams. Cherry-red blood was spilling down her face. A bullet, fired wantonly into the street by a man wielding a 9mm handgun, had struck Keilyn in the head. Time moved in slow motion after that, he said, frame by frame. Natareno pulled out his phone and called 911. Necesito una emergencia, he screamed to the operator. Mi nina tiene un impacto en la cabeza de una bala my daughter has been hit in the head by a bullet. The father stepped into the street, waving desperately for the ambulance drivers attention. But two other people including a teacher had been shot, and first responders were rushing toward them, instead. Keilyns screams were growing louder, and he could no longer wait, he said. He called police again and told them he was driving his daughter to the hospital himself. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles bulging and turning white. He sped through stoplights as an officer caught up with him and escorted him through traffic. St. Christophers Hospital for Children was only one mile away. Keilyns cries were intensifying. Her blood was all over now her hands, the car seat, her navy school uniform. Calmate Keilyn, he said, urging calm. They were almost there. What Keilyn remembers Keilyn doesnt remember being shot. She recalls getting into the car with her dad after school, but then says she thought she had fallen asleep. She remembers small moments: hearing a loud noise. Staring up at the car ceiling. Seeing her dad run a red light. She thought it was all a dream. Then, she said, she woke up on a gurney inside St. Christophers Hospital for Children, surrounded by nearly a dozen doctors and nurses. She was scared, she said, and didnt understand why so many people were touching her. She started to cry. They cut her dress. She had a headache. And why was her face all wet? It was blood. The boy doctor was checking my belly, my arm and my heart, she said. Then they gave me a shot in my arm and the other doctors were giving me more shots. Keilyns injuries were serious. The bullet that flew through the car window pierced the side of her head near her temple, narrowly but deeply grazing the side of her skull and leaving a bullet-shaped groove. The bullet did not penetrate the skull, but the impact of the shot caused a subdural hematoma, or bleeding, in the right temporal lobe of Keilyns brain the area responsible for a persons memory, language, and emotions, said Tina Loven, director of pediatric neurosurgery at St. Christophers. Bits of shrapnel also exploded into Keilyns eyes, Loven said. The bleeding in Keilyns brain was minimal enough that doctors did not have to perform surgery. They cleaned and stapled the wound, and admitted her to the hospital for four days, during which they monitored her brain injury to ensure that her memory was intact and that she did not have any seizures. (Epilepsy can be triggered by injuries to the temporal lobe, Loven said.) The glass that exploded into her eyes was treated with eye drops, and she healed well, the doctor said. Shes incredibly lucky, Loven said in an interview. If the bullet was a centimeter to the left, it would have been a whole different story. The safest country in the world Back inside the hospital, Keilyn was growing more distraught. When she was taken for an MRI, she said, she could not stop crying for her dad, worrying that something had happened to him, too, and that she would be left all alone. Because for the last year and a half, it has just been the two of them. Hes my everything, she said. Eighteen months ago, Keilyns mother relinquished custody to Natareno, 36, who came to the United States from Guatemala 18 years ago. Keilyn hasnt seen her mom since, she said, and doesnt like to talk about it. Natareno raises her largely on his own, balancing fatherhood with owning a construction business. His mother, 17-year-old daughter Jade, and members of their church often help with child care. He and Keilyn live in the heart of Kensington, on a block at the center of one of the largest open-air drug markets in the nation. Hearing gunshots is not uncommon, and getting to and from school has always been a delicate path to navigate the dealers on most corners, the widespread drug use, the heightened risk of violence. I never expected something like this to happen because this is supposedly the safest country in the world, Natareno said in Spanish. In many places it is very safe, but not where I live. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has vowed to shut down the neighborhoods sprawling heroin market, and has spoken often about the level of trauma the children of Kensington are exposed to on a daily basis. Keilyns injuries show whats at stake. The man responsible remains at large. The shooter was riding a motor scooter down Allegheny Avenue, weaving through traffic, when a person driving a car accidentally collided with him, police said. He was thrown from the scooter and appeared injured, but then stood up, walked into the street, and fired four times indiscriminately. A 45-year-old man walking by was shot in the leg. A 47-year-old woman who teaches at nearby Conwell Middle School was struck twice in the face. Both survived. And then there was Keilyn. To see this happen to his daughter in the middle of the day, picking her up from school, sitting in his car, thinking youre in your safe space. And then a bullet comes to the windshield, said Loven, the doctor. This is their worst nightmare. And luckily it had a happy ending, but its not always that way here. Juveniles 17 and younger are increasingly making up a greater portion of Philadelphias shooting victims. In 2019, children made up only 8% of the people shot in the city. So far this year, that number is up to 13%, data show. Keilyn is the youngest shooting victim of 2024. St. Christophers has seen the impact. Three years ago, the hospital treated 40 children for gunshot wounds. Last year, the number rose to 60. Children are resilient, but experts say exposure to violence can seriously alter their physical and emotional well-being and development, and make them more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Since the shooting, Keilyn has refused to sleep by herself, she said, afraid that someone will come in and hurt her while she sleeps. She dreams that police will arrest the shooter and take him to jail, where he would stay for like 1,000 days, she said. More like one trillion days! The police were looking for the man who shot her, she said. Then she paused and gasped. What happens if I see him? she asked, her eyes widening. Its fine, she said. People are watching him. Who? God, she said. I am brave Faith has always played a central role in Keilyn and her fathers lives. Each morning, they wake up and pray together for each other, their family, their community. It grounds them. But Natareno has always been the most calming force in Keilyns life, and she is his. Mi princesa, mi muneca, he said his little doll. Each night in the hospital, he slept on the small couch next to her bed. He fixed the windshield and headrest of his truck within days because he did not want Keilyn to see the damage and be reminded of the shooting. He scheduled a trip for the two of them to visit family in Southern California for Fathers Day so they could get away from the stress of the city. On a recent day, Keilyn gripped her dads hand as they returned to the hospital to get the sutures removed from her head. She sat on the exam table, her eyes filling with tears as Loven started examining her wound. Natareno came to her side. He wiped her tears and caressed her cheek as each staple was removed. Within a few minutes, Loven was finished. She spoke about getting Keilyn into therapy, and told her its normal to have occasional nightmares. Keilyn, though, said she doesnt really dream. Only about unicorns. The doctor told her that she should start washing the right side of her hair again. Use a gentle shampoo, she said. Like for babies. Keilyn squinted and pursed her lips in a wry smile. Shes no baby, she thought. In times of stress, she now whispers to herself what is certain: I am brave. Staff writer Dylan Purcell contributed to this article. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis on Tuesday, saying that too many Americans have been killed or injured in shootings and that gun violence has had a particularly devastating effect on children and young people. The declaration comes as health officials and others have urged a focus on the mental and physical effects of firearms, even as gun violence has begun to wane. Advertisement Nationwide, deaths by gunfire fell by about 13% last year, one of the largest annual declines on record. And through the first three months of 2024, homicides dropped by 26% more, according to recently released FBI data. Still, Murthy said, the numbers were unacceptable. The recent decline follows a surge in homicides across the country during the first years of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, Philadelphia hit a record-setting level of homicides. Shootings have steadily and drastically decreased in Philadelphia in recent years for reasons that experts say are unclear, part of a nationwide trend. But the city is still in the midst of a gun violence epidemic. Heres what we know about the public health crisis declaration. Why did the U.S. surgeon general declare gun violence a public health crisis? Murthy said he declared gun violence a public health crisis because of the number of injuries and deaths involving firearms across the country. He also cited the prevalence of mass shootings as a factor. The surgeon general said there is broad agreement that gun violence is a serious problem, citing a poll last year that found most Americans worry at least sometimes that a loved one might be injured by a firearm. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun injuries in 2022, according to data he cited. Children and young people in particular have been victims of gun violence, Murthy said. Suicide by gun rates have increased significantly in recent years for Americans under the age of 35. And children in the U.S. are far more likely to die by gunfire than children in other countries, according to research Murthy gathered. In an effort to combat those trends, Murthy called for a ban on automatic rifles, universal background checks for purchasing guns, and stronger industry regulations, along with laws that would restrict the use of firearms in public spaces and penalize those who fail to safely store their weapons. None of his suggestions for gun control legislation can be implemented nationwide without being passed by Congress, where gun control is a divisive issue. Some state legislatures have enacted some of Murthys proposals and may consider implementing more. What does a public health crisis mean? Such emergency declarations are made in situations in which health consequences can potentially overwhelm efforts to combat them and negatively impact overall health, according to the National Library of Medicine. What does the public health crisis declaration mean for Philadelphia? Among Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers first acts after taking the oath of office was signing an executive order declaring a public safety emergency in Philadelphia and directing the police department to develop plans to address crime across the city and to do it within the first 100 days of her administration. The result was a plan to hire more police officers, reduce violent crime, quell quality-of-life offenses, and shut down the citys open-air drug markets. For years, City Council members called for such a declaration, but former Mayor Jim Kenney repeatedly refused calls to do so. Kenney said the move would be little more than symbolic in part because there was no money attached to it. The surgeon generals declaration was welcomed by city officials Tuesday evening in a joint statement from the Philadelphia Police Department, the city Department of Public Health, and the Office of Chief Public Safety Director. Surgeon General Murthys statement resonates with the sentiments of the majority of Philadelphians and many across the nation, who express genuine concern about their safety and the safety of their loved ones in the face of pervasive gun violence, the city officials said. The designation of gun violence as a public health crisis could open the door to innovative solutions, greater resources, and a more holistic approach to preventing firearm-related injuries and deaths. By treating gun violence as the public health issue it truly is, we can foster safer communities and protect the well-being of our communities, the city officials said. What is the state of gun violence in Philadelphia? After years of record-setting gun crime, Philadelphia has recently seen striking and steady drops in the rate of shootings in the city, with shootings so far this year falling to levels that are near the lowest pace in almost 20 years, according to an Inquirer analysis of police statistics. Fewer than 100 people have been shot in each of the last seven months, the first time that has happened in a decade, and just the third time the city has seen such a stretch since 2007. And yet, shootings continue to take lives each day in Philadelphia. As Murthy mentioned in his declaration, children and young people are often most vulnerable to the effects of gun violence. Last year, 24 children were killed in shootings and many others were injured. In May, an 8-year-old girl was shot and wounded as her father picked her up from school in Kensington. More than a month after a pro-Palestinian encampment was disbanded at Penn, the College Green remains closed off at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more Visitors to the University of Pennsylvania once were able to enter the campus at 34th and Walnut Streets and stroll onto the College Green. But not anymore. Advertisement Penn fenced in the area and only those with Penn IDs can enter. This came after city and university police disbanded a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus last month, but even though the semester ended over a month ago, it remains restricted. READ MORE: Penn issues new temporary guidelines on campus protests: Encampments are banned A Penn spokesperson declined to comment on why its still closed or when it might reopen. Access to open spaces, once the sites of controversial encampments, is one of many thorny issues campuses across the country will have to wrestle with before students return to campus for the fall semester. Many campuses are still doing wound care, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. It sort of stops the bleeding, but you still have bandages on. Penn earlier this month announced its new temporary guidelines for handling protests it mentions encampments for the first time and bans them. But many other colleges have yet to say how they will refine their strategies, following a spring with unprecedented encampments, arrests, and general tension among the faculties and student bodies over the war between Israel and Hamas. If the conflict in the Middle East is unresolved come August, turmoil on campuses is likely to continue, with the presidential election adding even more tension. Disruption is a part of education The starting place is that universities should take the approach of expanding opportunities for freedom of expression, instead of starting with the approach of how to limit those opportunities, said Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University and general counsel for the American Association of University Professors. That includes expanding locations for protest and other kinds of expression. That includes spontaneous kinds of protest, protests that may be loud, that may include amplification, and that may be disruptive in certain ways. READ MORE: Philly Police have cleared Penns Pro-Palestinian encampment and arrested 33 protesters The starting place should be a recognition that speech and protest is often disruptive and that it is necessarily disruptive. Disruption is part of education. Any new rules, she said, should be developed with input from faculty and student bodies, and unions if universities have them, in support of a shared governance model. Mitchell said campuses should use the summer to bolster programs that foster dialogue across differences, carefully review campus conduct policies, prepare to clearly communicate those policies, and be consistent in their applications. Universities did not always treat protests around the Israeli-Gaza conflict the same way as they supported rallies around Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ issues, and other topics, he said. I dont think theres anything for us to do other than admit that, he said. We have to do better about being evenhanded. Colleges, he said, should look closely at several decisions recently handed down by the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights regarding campuses handling of antisemitism and anti-Arab discrimination. Most recently, the office found that Lafayette College in Easton showed inconsistent responses to the same conduct depending on whether it occurred on or off campus, responding to a student protester who carried a sign during a campus protest by repeatedly meeting with the student to discuss the harm the phrase on the sign could inflict and securing a commitment from the student never to use the phrase again in future campus protests but not responding to reports of use of the same phrase in social media or to other reports of social media content that students alleged had created a hostile environment for them. Lafayette entered into a resolution agreement to look again at its decision on harassment complaints over the last academic year, including those involving social media, review its policies and procedures on handling discrimination complaints, and provide training to staff, according to the department. Mitchell said colleges also should be clear on whether they will allow encampments. They should have a clear protocol on whether and when to issue statements on current events, he said, which is not an easy task given that there may be some disagreement between boards and administrations. They will also have to look at how to handle cases of individual departments that issue their own statements and how free faculty are to express their views in the classroom, he said. Is a faculty member free to wear a pro-Palestinian button while teaching a class on Mideast history? he asked, posing a possible scenario. Colleges also will have to consider how to handle protesters who wear masks, concealing their identities, he said. A lot of these are not problems to be solved, but dilemmas to be managed, he said. Reviews are underway for expression guidelines Just how local colleges will do that is unclear. Bryn Mawr College, where an encampment went up in late April but came down last month, said it was waiting for the arrival of its new president, Wendy Cadge, on July 1. READ MORE: Swarthmore College will hold commencement off campus for first time since its founding in 1864 Swarthmore College, which for the first time in its history held commencement off campus because a pro-Palestinian encampment was occupying the space usually used and still faced some disruption during the ceremony did not offer comment on what it was doing to prepare. Rutgers and Drexel, which also had encampments, both said they have reviews underway. READ MORE: Pro-Palestinian encampment is cleared at Drexel University Drexel in March hired the Cozen OConnor law firms Institutional Response Group to review the universitys responses to reports of discrimination and harassment. That review will include an evaluation of its policies and procedures for safeguarding academic freedom and free speech while ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, faculty and professional staff, the school said in a statement. Input will be sought from faculty, students, staff, and trustees, the university said. As for encampments, Drexel said it reserves the right to regulate the time, place, and manner of campus protests for safety reasons and noted in a statement that it will not permit disruptive encampments and demonstrations. Drexel, like Penn, has continued to fence in the area of campus where the encampment had been, and only those with Drexel IDs can pass. The closure is not permanent, a university spokesperson said, but until further notice. Rutgers University said its code of conduct is under review, with input from faculty, staff, and students being sought. READ MORE: Testifying before Congress, Rutgers president defends decision to negotiate agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters The university also is reviewing all guidelines and protocols for free expression on campus ahead of the fall semester, said spokesperson Dory Devlin. In its temporary guidelines, in addition to banning encampments, Penn prescribes how groups must schedule space for protests or other events and adhere to guidelines on allowable noise and displaying of signs. The guidelines also for the first time specifically prohibit light projections on buildings without permission from university officials. In November, messages including from river to the sea, Palestine shall be free were projected on several Penn buildings, including Penn Commons, Huntsman Hall, and Irvine Auditorium. It is a sentiment that some have used as a rallying cry for the destruction of Israel, and the university said at the time that an investigation was underway and that the school would take action. Mitchell credited Penn with being clear about its new rules and responding to new protest practices, such as the use of light projections. But Lieberwitz called Penns decision to ban encampments the opposite of regulations that are as narrowly tailored as possible. The rules also use words such as respect and harass, which, if not defined, are open to interpretation, she said. She also questioned the need for the universitys rule that prohibits the covering of statues with any material. The university has created a task force that will look at the schools open expression guidelines over the next academic year and recommend permanent guidelines. Building 21 is among the Philadelphia high schools on the state's low-achieving schools list with citywide admissions. Under the proposed school voucher bill, students living within the attendance boundary of a low-achieving school could receive money to attend private school. Read more The controversial voucher proposal that would pay some Pennsylvania families to send their children to private schools has been pitched as a way to free students from failing public schools. But the way the plan is written, Philadelphia students would be eligible regardless of whether they attend a low-achieving school, as designated by the state, and even if they attend a high-performing one. Advertisement The question of who exactly would benefit from taxpayer-funded vouchers and what it would cost the state and its public school system has become a flash point ahead of the June 30 state budget deadline, even as the proposals prospects in the legislature are unclear. After a voucher battle held up last years budget, a new drive for the program this time featuring celebrity backing from Jay-Z has drawn intense pushback from public education advocates. Heres how the voucher program would work, and why it has become contentious in Philly and Harrisburg: Students attending well-performing schools could benefit Proponents say the vouchers would provide a crucial benefit to needy students in low-performing schools. Under the bill before the Pennsylvania Senate, however, any student who lives within the attendance boundary of a low-achieving school and meets income guidelines would be eligible for the new program, known as PASS. The state defines low-achieving schools as within the bottom 15% statewide on standardized test scores. Among the 138 Philadelphia schools that appear on that list are some high schools that accept students from anywhere in the district an attendance boundary of the entire city. While Philadelphia has some of the states lowest-performing schools, it also has some of its highest-ranked such as Masterman and Central along with other selective high schools. Under the bill, even students attending those schools or a well-performing Philadelphia elementary school, for instance could qualify for a voucher. Not all these children are attending underperforming schools in reality, said Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First, a pro-public-education advocacy group. A spokesperson for Sen. Judy Ward, a Republican from Blair County who introduced the bill, declined to respond on the record to specific questions about the eligibility requirements. We cannot wait any longer to offer a lifeline to children trapped in schools that are failing them, Ward said in a statement. This legislation empowers parents and enables young people to pursue their dreams at a school that best fits their individual needs. The language regarding the bottom 15% of schools comes from an existing Pennsylvania program that provides tax credits to businesses for contributing to private-school scholarships. To be eligible for the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program, children also must live within the attendance boundary of a low-achieving school. Its not clear how that requirement is implemented. Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesperson Casey Smith said that since school districts set the boundaries for each school building, this would be more of a local decision. A school designated as low-achieving is supposed to communicate to current families, as well as those that would transfer into that school in the fall, that OSTC is an option, Smith said. There is no public data on recipients of the OSTC scholarships or a second Pennsylvania scholarship program, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program making it impossible to evaluate who has qualified thus far. The Department of Community and Economic Development, which oversees the tax credit programs, did not respond to questions about student eligibility and how it verifies information provided by scholarship recipients. More people are eligible than the voucher program could afford The voucher proposals income requirements present another eligibility question. To receive a scholarship, students would have to live in a household earning 250% or less of the federal poverty level about $75,000 for a family of four. About 55% of Philadelphias 200,000 public-school students live in households earning 185% or less of the federal poverty limit the income threshold for free and reduced-price lunches. So with the entire district within geographic boundaries for the voucher program, at least 110,000 Philadelphia students would be eligible based on income levels likely significantly more when households earning up to 250% of the federal poverty limit are included. That creates a much broader eligibility pool than the voucher program at least at its proposed funding levels could cover. The Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative advocacy group that has been pushing for vouchers, estimates that 250,000 children statewide would be eligible for the program; the program, proposed to be funded at $100 million last year, would be able to afford only 13,000 scholarships, said Nathan Benefield, the foundations senior vice president. We dont assume a mass exodus from public schools, said Benefield. He said other states had seen fewer than 5% of eligible students apply for private school vouchers in the first year of a new program. Critics note that under the proposed bill, students who receive a voucher one year could continue to receive it in subsequent years, even if they move or their family income increases. If this is about scholarships, and opportunity, we already have that, said Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney with the Public Interest Law Center, which represented school districts in a lawsuit that led to a ruling last year declaring Pennsylvanias school funding system unconstitutional for depriving poorer districts of needed resources. This is intended to open the door to something else entirely. Other states voucher systems expanded to become universal Although Benefield said the voucher programs intent was to target those with the greatest need, he said the Commonwealth Foundation would certainly love to see a universal voucher program. Thats happened in other states, as the school-choice movement has expanded. In Ohio, for instance, a voucher program that started in the 1990s with just the city of Cleveland has grown to encompass the entire state, with every student eligible. The Pennsylvania proposal resembles a conservative vision for what a means-tested, antipoverty program would look like, said Joshua Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. Its just that the historical record has shown it never stays that way. In states such as Iowa, Florida, and Arizona, most students applying for universal school-choice programs were already attending private schools, Education Week reported last year. The Brookings Institution found that families in Arizonas wealthiest communities were most likely to be accessing program funding. The scholarship amounts awarded by state voucher programs Pennsylvanias is proposed to provide $2,500 for half-day kindergarten, up to $10,000 for high school, and $15,000 for students with special needs are too low for low-income families to access the best private schools, Cowen said. Thats part of the reason voucher programs have devastating academic outcomes, Cowen said: You cant leave a so-called failing public school and go to an even worse private school and expect the results to improve, even if its what the parents want. Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a right-leaning think tank, acknowledged that studies showing negative academic results for kids using private school vouchers were absolutely an argument against the programs. But, Petrilli said, some research shows positive a impact from voucher programs on traditional public schools. Its kind of ironic these programs seem to be helping the kids who dont participate in them more than the kids who do, said Petrilli, who favors school choice but said it should also come with accountability. Proponents of the Pennsylvania voucher effort say it would not take money from public schools, though school districts receive state funding based on enrollment; students who leave for private schools reduce a districts enrollment count. Critics also say states that spend money on vouchers tend to invest less in public education. Some district leaders with schools on the low-achieving list say vouchers will only worsen the funding shortfalls they fault for their problems. Its not the schools that are failing, said Brian Waite, superintendent of the Shenandoah Valley School District one of six plaintiff districts in the funding lawsuit, all of which have low-achieving schools. Its the funding thats failing us. Flakely owner Lila Colello in front of her new pastry ATM, accessible seven days a week at Salt & Vinegar in the Italian Market. Read more Since the demise of Horn & Hardart automats in the 1990s, Philadelphia has been light on food vending machines until this year. First came Perrystead Dairys 24/7 cheese dispensary, full of award-winning wheels plus charcuterie, jam, and crackers. Last week marked the debut of South Philadelphias own pastry ATM, vending frozen croissants, bagels, pop-tarts, and more seven days a week inside Italian Market food/drink/gift boutique Salt & Vinegar, at 905 S. Ninth St. The pastry ATM comes courtesy of Manayunks Flakely, one of the best gluten-free bakeries in the region, according to Inquirer critic Craig LaBan. (LaBan recently heaped praise on pastry chef and owner Lila Colellos beautifully laminated croissants and chewy bagels his favorite in Philly in The Inquirers gluten-free guide.) Advertisement Last week, the ATM was stocked with plain, chocolate, and spinach-and-cheese croissants; plain, sesame, and everything bagels; lemon-cheesecake danish; strawberry jam-filled pop-tarts; and chocolate chip muffins. Prices range from $6.50 for a muffin to $14.89 for a three-pack of croissants. Once you pay, the credit card-enabled smart freezer opens and you can choose your goods, which are all prepared, parbaked, and frozen at Flakelys Krams Avenue production space. [Freezing] actually locks in the freshness, Colello says of the parbaked goods. Heating instructions are printed on Flakelys packaging. Colello says the machine expands the bakerys reach without overextending its limited resources. While she and her two employees bake five days a week providing pastries and breads for vendors like Kismet Bagels and Sweet Amalia Market & Kitchen they only have the bandwidth to offer retail sales on Thursdays and Saturdays, for just a few hours each day. Finding the funding or staffing to do more has been a challenge since Colello opened Flakely during the pandemic in 2021. A vending machine allows Flakely to sell straight to consumers without adding to the bakerys overhead. Its an idea Colello came around to last year. Its a huge trend everywhere else in the world, she says. It seems like in Amsterdam and especially in Japan, they have the wildest of vending machines, where they can cook something right in the machine. (Her ultimate goal is to acquire a machine that can cook parbaked goods to completion.) Unlike Perrysteads cheese vending machine, which lives in a booth outside the creamery, Flakelys ATM is based miles away. My vision was that itd be in someone elses space, to be a safe space for [the machine] but also to uplift that business, Colello says. Its kind of a win-win situation. Salt & Vinegar, owned by Edible Philly publisher Jen Honovic Herczeg, was already a wholesale client when Colello pitched Herczeg on the idea. Salt & Vinegar recently moved to a larger space, so it had room for the machine amid its selection of other locally made pantry staples, snacks, beverages, and gifts. Herczeg says she was on board immediately Flakelys products were already top sellers but she only had so much freezer space to allot them. Having Flakely in their own special spot allows us to offer our customers more choices and creates a fun, unique shopping experience. It also allows Flakely to retain more control and flexibility with their assortment and pricing, Herczeg says, reporting the ATM has already brought in new customers to Salt & Vinegar. Its truly a win-win-win partnership and that is what makes small businesses successful and sustainable! If all goes well with the first ATM, Colello plans to install more in the future. Shes targeting the Main Line next. For South Philly, the arrival of Flakelys pastry ATM is fortuitous, if bittersweet. It debuted just as Taffets Bakery a revered gluten-free establishment just steps from Salt & Vinegar announced it will close on June 29, after its landlord asked it to vacate following an apartment fire upstairs last fall. They were the O.G., Colello says. Owner Omer Taffet launched a fundraiser in hopes of leasing a new space and keeping staff afloat. Even as Taffets looks for another home to bake up its crusty gluten-free loaves, South Philadelphians will have their bread needs covered: Colello plans to make room in the ATM for Flakelys shortie hoagie rolls and brioche buns soon. Chaquita Calloway, Ayomide Sokale, and Maria Huynh, steering committee members of the Philly Joy Bank; Sarah Weinbrom, a city health department epidemiologist; and Nia Coaxum and Stacey Kallem, Joy Bank steering committee members, pose at an event to celebrate the program's launch on Saturday. The Joy Bank will provide 250 pregnant Philadelphians with $1000 a month to combat infant mortality. Read more A program guaranteeing income for pregnant residents of three Philadelphia neighborhoods launched on Monday in a city-led effort to decrease infant mortality rates that are higher here than in any other major city. The Philly Joy Bank will provide expectant parents with $1,000 a month for up to 18 months, beginning during pregnancy and continuing through their first year postpartum. Participants must be 18 or older and in at least their second trimester of pregnancy, and have a household income of less than $100,000. They must also live in Nicetown-Tioga, Strawberry Mansion, or Cobbs Creek. Advertisement Those three neighborhoods see the highest percentages of infants with very low birth weights, usually an indication of a premature birth, said Nia Coaxum, the Joy Banks program manager. Prematurity is the leading cause of infant deaths in the city, she said. The idea is that providing folks with extra cash during their pregnancy will lower stress, which also has negative impacts on the body, especially health-wise, Coaxum said. Were really hoping that participants can use this money to address their basic needs, which will then, in turn, improve their health outcomes and birth outcomes. The Joy Banks organizers also hope the funding will help address stark racial disparities in infant deaths in Philadelphia. READ MORE: Four Philly moms explain how cash for expecting parents could be transformative in Americas poorest big city The idea for the program was developed through the health departments Community Action Network, a group of community members, health systems, and organizations working on the issue. The infant mortality rate for black infants in Philadelphia is well over three times higher than that of a white infant in Philadelphia, said Stacey Kallem, the director of the Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health at the city health department. Guaranteed income programs for parents elsewhere have helped decrease the number of premature births and babies born with low weights, Kallem said. A guaranteed income program in the Canadian province of Manitoba that provided pregnant women with $81.41 Canadian dollars a month (about $60 U.S.) was associated with a 21% drop in low birth weights and a 17.5% decrease in premature births, a 2016 study found. (This spring, the Manitoba benefit was increased to $161.82.) The Joy Banks much larger $1,000 benefit was developed after conversations with Black pregnant and postpartum women in Philadelphia. The community told us to tie the guaranteed income amount to something thats a meaningful line item in a monthly budget, Kallem said. So we looked at various budget calculators for Philadelphia and for a family of four, a monthly budget for housing is around $1,000 a month. The Joy Bank is funded through donations from a number of area charities. Applications for the program opened Monday; the fund will conduct a lottery twice a month to select participants. Health officials intend to pilot the program for the first 250 mothers who participate, then will evaluate the programs effects before deciding whether to expand it. After years of fundraising, Coaxum said she was thrilled to launch the program. Im just happy to be able to finally get this money into the hands of participants who need it. Its been a long time coming, she said. More information is available at phillyjoybank.org. The Wistar Institute is creating a new Center for Advanced Therapeutics. In this 2020 file photo, research technician Yaya Dia works in his lab at Wistar. Read more The Wistar Institute, a National Cancer Institute-recognized research facility in West Philadelphia, has received $10 million from an anonymous donor for a new research hub. The new Center for Advanced Therapeutics will be a hub for early-stage drug research, including how vaccines may be used to treat and prevent cancer. Advertisement Wistar has already received $20 million from the same anonymous donor to put toward design and construction of the Center for Advanced Therapeutics, expected to begin this summer. Wistar is planning a $5-to-8-million renovation of 12,000 square feet of unused administrative space at its Spruce Street headquarters for the new center, which will have labs and specialty rooms for analyzing radioactive materials and tissue cultures. READ MORE: Wistar Institute is opening a new center to research vaccines that could treat and prevent cancer Generous gifts like this enable Wistar researchers to pursue discoveries that can lead to breakthrough cures, and this new Center for Advanced Therapeutics will allow us to accomplish just that, said Ronald Caplan, chair of Wistars Bold Science // Global Impact fundraising campaign. Wistar was founded in 1892 as the nations first independent biomedical research institution. It is not part of a health system or university, which means it must partner with outside organizations to continue its research beyond early-stage discovery. Wistar already works closely with University of Pennsylvanias Abramson Cancer Center and Fox Chase Cancer Center. Through the new Center for Advanced Therapeutics, Wistar hopes to forge stronger partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to advance drug development. WASHINGTON News that the U.S. Justice Department has reached a plea deal that will lead to freedom for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange brings a stunning culmination to a long-running saga of international intrigue that spanned multiple continents. Its central character is a quixotic internet publisher with a profound disdain for government secrets. READ MORE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with U.S. and be freed from prison Advertisement A look at Assange, the case and the latest developments: Who is Julian Assange? An Australian editor and publisher, he is best known for having founded the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, which gained massive attention and notoriety for the 2010 release of almost half a million documents relating to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His activism made him a cause celebre among press freedom advocates who said his work in exposing U.S. military misconduct in foreign countries made his activities indistinguishable from what traditional journalists are expected to do as part of their jobs. But those same actions put him in the crosshairs of American prosecutors, who released an indictment in 2019 that accused Assange holed up at the time in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London of conspiring with an Army private to illegally obtain and publish sensitive government records. Julian Assange is no journalist, John Demers, the then-top Justice Department national security official, said at the time. No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers. What is Assange accused of? The Trump administrations Justice Department accused Assange of directing former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. The charges relate to WikiLeaks publication of thousands of leaked military and diplomatic documents, with prosecutors accusing Assange of helping Manning steal classified diplomatic cables that they say endangered national security and of conspiring together to crack a Defense Department password. Reports from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq published by Assange included the names of Afghans and Iraqis who provided information to American and coalition forces, prosecutors said, while the diplomatic cables he released exposed journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and dissidents in repressive countries. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act and other offenses for leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven years behind bars. Why wasnt he already in the custody of the U.S.? Assange has spent the last five years in a British high-security prison, fighting to avoid extradition to the U.S. and winning favorable court rulings that have delayed any transfer across the Atlantic. He was evicted in April 2019 from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had sought refuge seven years earlier amid an investigation by Swedish authorities into claims of sexual misconduct that he has long denied and that was later dropped. The South American nation revoked the political asylum following the charges by the U.S. government. Despite his arrest and imprisonment by British authorities, extradition efforts by the U.S. had stalled prior to the plea deal. A U.K. judge in 2021 rejected the U.S. extradition request in 2021 on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. Higher courts overturned that decision after getting assurances from the U.S. about his treatment. The British government signed an extradition order in June 2022. Then, last month, two High Court judges ruled that Assange can mount a new appeal based on arguments about whether he will receive free-speech protections or be at a disadvantage because he is not a U.S. citizen. The date of the hearing has yet to be determined. What will the deal require? Assange will have to plead guilty to a felony charge under the Espionage Act of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, according to a Justice Department letter filed in federal court. Rather than face the prospect of prison time in the U.S., he is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing. Those proceedings are scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. On Monday evening, he left a British prison ahead of a court hearing expected to result in his release. Is this case connected to the 2016 presidential election? Its not, but beyond his interactions with Manning, Assange is well-known for the role WikiLeaks played in the 2016 presidential election, when it released a massive tranche of Democratic emails that federal prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. The goal, officials have said, was to harm the electoral effort of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and boost her Republican challenger Donald Trump, who famously said during the campaign: WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks. Assange was not charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. But the investigation nonetheless painted an unflattering role of WikiLeaks in advancing what prosecutors say was a brazen campaign of Russian election interference. Assange denied in a Fox News interview that aired in January 2017 that Russians were the source of the hacked emails, though those denials are challenged by a 2018 indictment by Mueller of 12 Russian military intelligence officers. Angela Freeman feeds Iris, her 10-year-old pointer mix, a bite of her turkey hoagie during Wawas Hoagie Day on Independence Mall in 2023. The annual free event features tributes to local heroes with entertainment and seven tons of free hoagies. Read more Want to find out what 25,000 hoagies look like in person? Head to Independence Mall this Thursday before noon. The Wawa Welcome America festival is in full swing, featuring concerts, community events, and promotions, including Wawa Hoagie Day. The festivities culminate in a Fourth of July grand finale. This Thursday, June 27, on Arch Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets, Wawa will be handing out literal tons of free Wawa Shortis on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at noon. Philadelphias first Hoagie Day began in 1992 when then-Mayor Ed Rendell declared Wawa Hoagie Day as a city-recognized holiday and designated the hoagie the Official Sandwich of Philadelphia. Yes, we know, Philly is famed for its cheesesteaks, and while cheesesteak lovers might bristle at the notion, on Hoagie Day, its the hoagie that takes center stage. Since then, the annual holiday delivers around seven tons of Wawa hoagies to the general public, veteran centers, and Philabundance, Philadelphias largest food bank. Not only that, but hoagie-eaters can enjoy a performance by Voices of Service, a quartet of singing military veterans who appeared on Americas Got Talent, and gain free entry into the National Constitution Center that day. The museum will showcase a Wawa-sponsored exhibit on the convenience store chains century-old history, including its time in Philly. Be prepared for long lines Wawas sandwiches are a popular draw. According to AccuWeather, temperatures on Thursday will reach a high of 88, which will feel closer to 94. With temperatures climbing, attendees are advised to stay hydrated, wear light clothing, and take frequent breaks in the shade or in air-conditioned spaces. Remember, safety first heat-related illnesses can sneak up quickly, so keep an eye on each other and enjoy the day responsibly. More than a month after a pro-Palestinian encampment was disbanded at the University of Pennsylvania, College Green remains closed off. Read more Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Good morning, Philly. Its set to be another sunny Tuesday. While the citys heat emergency is officially over, temps will likely hit 90, so take care out there. Following a semester full of on-campus protests and encampments, we asked local universities what theyre doing to prepare for the fall. And Christian Street between Broad and 20th once considered Main Street for Philadelphias Black Elite is now officially known as Black Doctors Row. Advertisement Lets dig in to these stories and more. Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Pro-Palestinian protests rocked college campuses across the U.S. this spring, including at local schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, where a 16-day encampment on College Green led to dozens of arrests. And when classes are back in session for the fall, more campus protests are likely. Are colleges using their summer to prepare? Penn earlier this month issued temporary protest guidelines that explicitly ban encampments. The University City-based school also announced a task force to further examine its open expression guidelines over the next academic year. At some other area institutions that became hosts to on-campus encampments last semester, officials said reviews are underway for expression guidelines, too. Experts say universities developing these policies should seek input from their faculty and student bodies, be clear in whatever policies they do enact, and apply punishment for rule-breaking evenly. But these thorny issues must be addressed in some form before the 2024-2025 school year begins. Many campuses are still doing wound care, the American Council on Educations president told The Inquirer. It sort of stops the bleeding, but you still have bandages on. Higher education reporter Susan Snyder has the full details. A six-block stretch of Christian Street has a new name: Black Doctors Row. The past: In the early 1900s, the neighborhood shifted from a middle-class Irish community to a middle-class African American community. Residents included physicians, teachers, politicians, and pharmacists. The present: A demolition next to the former home of prominent architect Julian Abele prompted neighbors to rally for preserving the area and to ensure it was recognized as a historic district. The future: Because the blocks sit in gentrified Graduate Hospital, residents worry about affordability for future generations of Black Philadelphians. Communities reporter Lynette Hazelton has the story from the dedication ceremony. What you should know today Trivia time Which Hollywood star modeled the protagonist of his latest Western on Frederic Remingtons sculptures one of which stands in Fairmount Park? A) Clint Eastwood B) Kevin Costner C) Tom Hanks D) Leonardo DiCaprio Think you know? Check your answer. What (and where) were... Volunteering: At this urban farm tackling food insecurity from the grassroots. Booking: A ~soulful afternoon tea experience~ at Poweltons Akwaaba Tea Salon. Visiting: The Clark Park farmers market and plenty of others in this guide. Unscramble the anagram The nearly 20-year-old contemporary ballet group HQd on Washington Avenue. BELL TAX Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Anita Lovitt, who solved Mondays anagram: Independence Hall, a.k.a. the room where it happened. U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle is proposing a bill to hold a commemorative joint session of Congress nearby at Independence National Historical Park in 2026 as part of the nations 250th anniversary celebrations. Photo of the day Enjoy your Tuesday. See you back in your inbox tomorrow! By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. Donald Trump addresses the crowd at a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center at Temple University on Saturday. No one should ignore the inroads Trump has made in the Black community, Jenice Armstrong writes. Read more As Beyonce sings, This aint Texas. Philly isnt MAGA country, either. Far from it. The citys population is roughly 40% Black. But you wouldnt have known that judging from the crowd inside Temple Universitys Liacouras Center at Saturday nights campaign rally for Donald Trump. Advertisement Given Trumps long history of making racist statements, its a wonder that any African Americans came out at all. But some were there dressed in red, white, and blue (but especially red) and carrying campaign signs. I had a hard time keeping my face straight. I wanted to yell, What are you thinking? Since then, Ive spent a good part of the last few days fielding texts from worried Never Trumpers and reaching out to political strategists to try to get a better sense of the former presidents tactics for wooing African American voters and whether it seems to be working. Weve all seen the polling data about the gains Trump has made with Black voters. The Biden campaign has dismissed the numbers, and many commentators say the levels of support are overstated. Indeed, Black voters still overwhelmingly favor President Joe Biden. But we cant afford to ignore the inroads Trump has made in the Black community as we head into political convention season and on to November. Trump surrogates have said that they feel confident about their candidates chances if he can win double-digit percentages of Black voters including more than 20% of African American men. That would build significantly on the roughly 8% of the Black vote that Trump received when he beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. As I left the Liacouras Center Saturday, I kept looking around and asking myself: Is that feasible? Since then, Ive spoken with Berwood A. Yost, a director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College, who said Trumps strategy of courting Black voters in Philly may look like a stretch. After all, why would you go somewhere you dont really have a chance to win? asked Yost, whos also director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin and Marshall. However, he pointed out that if Trump manages to get 15% of the local vote, that could help him win Pennsylvania, adding you can have some impact in a race that probably will be decided by a few hundred thousand votes statewide. In 2020, Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,555 votes. Roughly 15% of the citys 2020 voter turnout would have been about 48,000 votes. J. Wesley Leckrone, who chairs the political science department at Widener University, said pretty much the same thing as Yost: Even minor shifts in traditional voting patterns have the potential to push a candidate to victory. On Saturday, there were plenty of Black Philadelphians at the Trump rally who were already pushing Trump along. Annette Moore, a 56-year-old West Philly resident who works as a home-care aide, managed to snag a prime seat behind the stage, which made her visible on the televised live stream. Im tired of Joe [Biden], Moore told me. Joe was too slow. Hes sleeping on the job and so he forced me to turn into a Republican. Sometimes youve got to make changes. Then there was Brent Washington, a 58-year-old retired postal worker, who wore a navy blue Trump-themed Save America hat pulled over his long salt-and-pepper locs as he headed out of the arena. I stopped him and asked him about his reasons for supporting Trump. The Germantown resident cited Bidens support of the 1994 crime bill, which critics say led to mass incarcerations. He added that he feels Biden is allowing the country to be destroyed by not doing more to secure U.S. borders and keep out illegal drugs. I dont live in Kensington but I know about Kensington, he said of the lower Northeast neighborhood that has long struggled with drug use, crime, and homelessness. I know open borders is all a part of that. I tried but failed to conceal my shock when Washington revealed that he had never voted before 2016 when he cast his first ballot ever for Trump. I didnt vote for [former President Barack] Obama; 2016 was the first time I ever voted in my life, he told me. Because Trump spoke truth to me and I could see where they were lying about him. Some of the people I spoke with Saturday told me that they think a lot of African Americans vote Democratic out of habit and not because they really believe in a particular candidate. Nia Nkrumah, a 38-year-old nurse from the Northeast, said, We need to just educate ourselves and educate our children and not just sit [looking at] the news all day and on social media all day and regurgitate the same story over and over again. I got the distinct impression from some of those I spoke with that they think they are being contrarian by supporting Trump. Have they not heard about Trumps Project 2025 plan by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation that would fire thousands of government employees and replace them with Trump loyalists? Have they not heard that Trump wants to institute mass deportations? Have they forgotten how he incited a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, because he lost the presidential election? On Saturday, he repeatedly called Biden crooked when Trumps the one who has been ordered to pay $454 million for lying about his wealth. Hes the one who was found guilty of sexual assault and ordered to pay advice columnist E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defamation. The first former president ever convicted of a felony, Trump is awaiting sentencing on 34 charges. Do Trumps Black supporters not know the unemployment rate for African Americans under Biden is at a record low? Do they not care about Trumps unflinching support for guns that are killing so many Black males? Did they forget that Trumps last cabinet was dominated by privileged white males? Or his long record of attacking Black women? Trump can try to bamboozle some voters as he did Saturday when he told dozens of lies to supporters who attended the rally at Temple University. But the truth is that Trump is all about Trump. African Americans and people of all backgrounds, for that matter who support him arent doing anything except voting against their own interests. HARRISBURG As Pennsylvanias state budget deadline looms, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker visited the state Capitol to ask that lawmakers finally increase public education funding and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and to challenge her political opponents for setting low expectations of the city. Parker, who served in the state House for 10 years before being elected to City Council and then becoming mayor, said in an interview that she wasnt in Harrisburg to play politics. She said she also held meetings Monday with state agencies to request streamlined rules and regulations that would make it easier to implement her priorities in the city, such as her promise to shut down the open-air drug market in Kensington. Advertisement The city cant get it done alone, Parker said. We have limited revenue-generating capacity. Im doing the best I can and working with those leaders, and I thank them for ensuring that they keep Philadelphias needs foremost in their advocacy. State legislators and Gov. Josh Shapiro are in the home stretch of budget negotiations this week; they must agree on a budget for the next fiscal year by July 1. Parker boasted her ability to convene stakeholders across industries, including an unusual group of public education leaders who sent a letter to Shapiro, asking that leaders approve proposed school funding changes. If approved, that plan would bring $1.4 billion more in state money to Philadelphia schools in the next seven years. We will not allow anyone to pit us against each other, Parker said. There are no divisions in Philadelphia to take advantage of. However, there is one division she expertly avoided: school vouchers. Parker said she has declined to take a stance on whether she supports vouchers to send students in struggling school districts to private schools because it could obstruct Phillys lawmakers as they negotiate a final budget deal. If I feel like I need to be heard from on any issue, not just that one particular issue, on any issue, I will make sure my voice is heard, Parker added. This year marks the first state budget since Parker became mayor of Pennsylvanias most populous city. She said it felt like a homecoming for her to come to Harrisburg to lobby on behalf of the city. She called on legislators to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour as a number one way to bring Philadelphians out of poverty. Parker also spoke to lobbyists, lawmakers, and reporters at the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday, and touted her efforts to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest city in America. Parker also challenged her opponents who have cast doubt on the citys ability to pursue an ambitious cleaning agenda. The mayor called out politicians who questioned whether the Parker administration could complete its plan to deep-clean every city block over 13 weeks. I wont apologize for being ambitious, I wont apologize for being bold, Parker said, I wont apologize for reaching high. State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin) speaks to supporters at the Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill during an election night campaign event during his 2022 GOP run for governor. Read more Federal agents arrested a Central Pennsylvania man for threatening to kill State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin) in a series of violent posts to Facebook earlier this month, authorities said Tuesday. Among the threatening messages from Richard Little, 49, of Chambersburg, was a post Friday in which he tagged the 2022 Republican candidate for governor and vowed to skin him if he did not leave office. Advertisement You ruin one more person, I will wear your [expletive] flesh, Little wrote, according to federal court filings. You are done. Leave now or dont. But you will leave today, or you will not be found Monday, senator. Make your f choice. Little, a registered Republican, also appeared to threaten Republican Franklin County Commissioner Dean Horst and a sergeant major in the U.S. Army in a string of messages, photos, and videos publicly posted over a two-week period earlier this month, investigators said. Some of them featured Little pacing through his home, identifying what he referred to as kill zones from which he outlined plans to attack authorities who might come to arrest him. The footage also featured Little showing off a small arsenal of weapons, including one he affectionately referred to as the wonderful Donald Trumper. Im just going to be sitting here popping you motherf, Little said at one point in one of the videos, according to charging documents filed in the case. Boasting of hollow-tipped bullets he owned, Little continued: That bullet is going to rip through them and spray blood through the boys. Littles arrest comes as authorities have raised alarm over the rising number of violent threats lodged against public officials over the last several years a sign officials say reflects a growing tolerance for political violence. Since 2013, more than 500 defendants across the country, including more than 36 in Pennsylvania, have been charged with threatening lawmakers or local officials, according to research from the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The researchers tracked two significant spikes in such arrests in 2017, following Donald Trumps election as president, and again, starting in 2022, as the nation began to prepare for the 2024 presidential vote. In Littles case, Franklin County authorities believe his threats may have been prompted by an eviction notice he received June 10, the day they say he began posting his social media screeds. They had responded to an earlier incident in April in which he allegedly threatened the director at the countys Veterans Affairs Human Resource Building in Chambersburg and again threatened to end Horst, prosecutors said. County investigators and the Pennsylvania State Police alerted the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to the threatening Facebook messages last week, prompting Littles arrest, which was first reported Friday by NewsTalk 103.7 FM, a conservative talk radio station based in Chambersburg. Agents seized 17 firearms from Littles bedroom, living room, and kitchen as well as illegal mushrooms, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia during a subsequent search of his home, investigators said. A spokesperson for Mastriano declined to comment Tuesday, citing the ongoing investigation as did Littles attorney, federal public defender Ari D. Weitzman. Little remains in federal custody under an order from a U.S. magistrate judge detaining him until his trial on charges of interstate communications threatening violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the most serious count with which he has been charged. Delaware state Senator Sarah McBride is poised to become the first openly transgender member of Congress. Read more Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride, who is poised to become the first openly transgender member of Congress, thinks she can help garner respect for transgender people by being a strong legislator in Washington. McBride, 33, already the nations highest-ranking openly transgender elected official, said diversity in Congress has both a symbolic and a substantive effect, but she isnt running on her identity. Instead, by proving to be an effective legislator, she hopes to inspire acceptance through what she called the power of proximity. Advertisement Once you respect someone as a really, really hardworking legislator, its hard not to then see them as a person; its hard not to see other people like them as people, she said in an interview. McBride will be on the ballot in November to replace U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D., Del.), who was first elected in 2016 and is running for Senate this year. McBrides only remaining serious competitor, Eugene Young, recently dropped out of the Sept. 10 primary after Delaware State Treasurer Colleen Davis also exited the race earlier this year. McBride, who has raised at least $1.8 million for her campaign, has since secured the endorsement of top House Democrats. Her Republican opponent, Donyale Hall, had raised only $13,584 as of March 31. The district is considered blue and has elected Democrats to the House for more than a decade. McBrides campaign comes at a moment of political division over transgender rights. During his rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, former President Donald Trump vowed, if elected, to sign an executive order on his first day in office to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory or transgender insanity and to prevent transgender women from participating in womens sports. His crowd of supporters roared. How embarrassing it is it to say we will keep men out of womens sports? Trump said. Who would want men to play womens sports? McBride said the MAGA movements obsession with trans people is part of a manufactured culture war that riles up Trump loyalists but doesnt reflect voters more broadly. She views it as a strategic distraction from problems for which the former president doesnt have solutions, she said. The attacks get through in the first place due to a knowledge gap about LGBTQ people, she said. As people begin to understand the humanity of the people impacted by a particular political debate, the clock ends up running out on anti-equality politicians ability to target and scapegoat, McBride said. We saw it with gay people and marriage equality and I think the same will be true for transgender people. But that only comes when theres full representation. Despite the vicious rhetoric that can be found in conservative politics surrounding transgender rights, McBride said, she believes she can gain unlikely allies in Washington over time. McBride has worked across the aisle and with politicians whose views on LGBTQ rights trouble her, and has found common ground on more issues than people expect, such as health-care access, disinformation, paid family leave, and gun safety legislation, she said. While the trust and familiarity that come with collaboration might not immediately turn conservatives into strong allies, it can, over time, help open their hearts and minds, McBride said. While she is on track to win in November, candidates can still file to run in the September primary until July 9, and McBride said she wont slow down her campaign. I have not won anything yet, she said. I continue to have to work to earn the support of Delawareans across the state to have the privilege of representing them, and I dont take that responsibility lightly. The syndicates method involved selecting random individuals, often those without family or close ties, and purchasing a US$100,000 (500,000 Malaysian Ringgit) life insurance policy in their names without their knowledge. Once the policy was approved, the syndicate would orchestrate the individuals death to appear as a fatal accident, the insured sum being the equivalent of seven times the average annual wage in Malaysia. We are delighted to welcome Amanda on board, Terry said. Her wealth of experience in both the general insurer and agency markets makes her a valuable addition to the team. She is highly respected in the market by both peers and brokers, and she will enable us to bolster our relevance and service proposition to brokers and clients in the Southern Region. Prioritising the wellbeing of our workforce is not only essential for their personal happiness but also for driving productivity and success. By offering comprehensive wellness programs and benefits, insurers can create an environment where employees feel supported, empowered, and motivated to give their best every day, said Tanith Jones, head of people operations at Gallagher Bassett Australia. Provosts appointment followed BenefitMalls moves for expansion as it recently announced the appointments of new team members in various markets such as Sandi Llewellyn as its new benefits sales executive for Arizona, Julie Linn as its benefits sales executive for its market in Georgia, and Ivonne Arroyo and Lisa Elstein as benefit sales executives for its sales team in Florida. The Gallagher chief, referring to co-founders Andrew Morf and Kirby Moss, said at the time: Acumen is a highly regarded firm that will expand our employee benefits offerings in the region. I am delighted to welcome Andrew, Kirby, and their associates to Gallagher. Our thoughts and support go out to all individuals and communities impacted by this ongoing crisis including the firefighters, first responders, and volunteers who are working tirelessly to contain the fires, State Farm said on Monday. Just because its digital does not mean the connection is gone, Winnek said. We are still connected, doing check-ins, and communicating on accounts that may not fit the appetite of risks that qualify for the platform. We strive to maintain strong relationships, and we want brokers to know there are underwriters managing the digital platform. The European Union will add 27 vessels, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers, to its list of entities under sanctions as part of its latest measures against Russia, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. EU countries adopted the 14th package of sanctions against Russia earlier on Monday. These included a ban on trans-shipments of Russian LNG off EU ports that will take effect after 9-month transition period. The full details will be published later in the EUs Official Journal. The latest list, seen by Reuters, includes 19 tankers, including two Russian floating gas storage units (FSU) the Saam and Koryak as well as ships run by Russias state-owned shipping firm Sovcomflot. Owned by Russias top LNG exporter Novatek, the two ships already under US sanctions were meant for trans-shipping LNG from its new Arctic LNG 2 project. Russia has a shortage of ice-class LNG ships and relies on trans-shipments to keep those it has in the Baltic Sea area. The list also includes ships that have transported defense equipment for Russia as well as the Enisey cargo ship, which the EU says has moved stolen Ukrainian grains. Moscow has been more adept than western powers expected at circumventing sanctions, including the Group of Seven (G7) nations price cap on Russian oil. Russian oil exporters are charging more for their oil in major market India than at any time since the war in Ukraine started as a growing number of shippers and intermediaries take part in the trade. The impact of the listing may not be immediate given the vessels already operate around western restrictions. However, it is likely to complicate Russias ambitions to gain a fifth of the global LNG market share by 2030-2035 from around 8% now. If youre looking for spare parts, engineers, insurance, financing, in some cases local pilots anything that involves some contact with the EU in the broadest sense, including countries mirroring EU sanctions this all will become more difficult. For instance, navigation, safety and security equipment, Nicoleta Tuominen, a partner at Dentons law firm, told Reuters. If an EU company developed such a system, others could fix it, but not to the same standard. The EU does not have the extra-territorial reach of US sanctions nor their leverage over certain flag states. Tankers are put on the sanctions list because ownership in that sector is elusive and at least this way, you might see some impact at some point. The following is a list of vessels to be added to the EUs official journal: VESSEL TYPE NAME, IMO NUMBER OIL Kemerovo 9312884 Beks Aqua 9277735 Robon 9144782 Galian 2, 9331153 Ocean AMZ 9394935 Vela Rain 9331141 Hebe 9259185 Andromeda Star 9402471 Canis Power 9289520 Hana 9353113 Krasnoyarsk (NS Creation) 9312896 Kaliningrad (NS Captain) 9341067 Krymsk 9270529 SCF Amur 9333436 NS Spirit 9318553 NS Lotus 9339337 NS Stream 9318541 LNG-related Saam FSU 9915090 Koryak FSU 9915105 Audax 9763837 Pugnax 9763849 Hunter Star 9830769 Grains Enisey 9079169 Defense M/V Angara 9179842 M/V Maria 8517839 Lady R, 9161003 Maia-1, 9358010 (Reporting by Julia Payne, additional reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo and Paul Carsten in LondonEditing by Gareth Jones and Barbara Lewis) Topics Europe Russia A suspected Chinese state-sponsored hacking group has stepped up its targeting of Taiwanese organizations, particularly those in sectors such as government, education, technology and diplomacy, according to cybersecurity intelligence company Recorded Future. In recent years, relations between China and Taiwan, a self-governed island across the Taiwan Strait that Beijing claims as its territory, have deteriorated. The cyberattacks by the group known as RedJulliett were observed between November 2023 and April 2024, during the lead up to Taiwans presidential elections in January and the subsequent change in administration. RedJuliett has targeted Taiwanese organizations in the past, but this is the first time that activity was seen at such a scale, a Recorded Future analyst said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of safety concerns. The report said RedJuliett attacked 24 organizations, including government agencies in places like Laos, Kenya and Rwanda, as well as Taiwan. It also hacked into websites of religious organizations in Hong Kong and South Korea, a U.S university and a Djiboutian university. The report did not identify the organizations. Recorded Future said RedJuliett accessed the servers of those places via a vulnerability in their SoftEther enterprise virtual private network (VPN) software, an open-source VPN that allows remote connections to an organizations networks. RedJuliett has been observed attempting to break into systems of more than 70 Taiwanese organizations including three universities, an optoelectronics company and a facial recognition company that has contracts with the government. It was unclear if RedJuliett managed to break into those organizations: Recorded Future only said it observed the attempts to identify vulnerabilities in their networks. RedJulietts hacking patterns match those of Chinese state-sponsored groups, according to Recorded Future. (Editors note: The report can be accessed here.) It said that based on the geolocations of IP addresses, RedJulliett is likely based out of the city of Fuzhou, in Chinas southern Fujian province, whose coast faces Taiwan. Given the close geographical proximity between Fuzhou and Taiwan, Chinese intelligence services operating in Fuzhou are likely tasked with intelligence collection against Taiwanese targets, the report said. RedJuliett is likely targeting Taiwan to collect intelligence and support Beijings policy-making on cross-strait relations, the Recorded Future report said. Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately comment. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed the allegations. I dont know the specifics of what you mentioned, but I can tell you that its not the first time the company you mentioned has fabricated disinformation on so-called Chinese hacking operations. There is absolutely no professionalism or credibility to speak of in what the company does, the spokesperson, Mao Ning, said. Microsoft reported in August last year that RedJuliett, which Microsoft tracks under the name Flax Typhoon, was targeting Taiwanese organizations. China has in recent years stepped up military drills around Taiwan and imposed economic and diplomatic pressure on the island. Relations between Taiwan and Beijing worsened further after the election in January of Taiwans new president Lai Ching-te, who China has deemed a separatist, after he said in his inauguration speech that Taiwan and China were not subordinate to each other. Like his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, Lai has said that there is no need to declare Taiwanese independence because it is already an independent sovereign state. Like many other countries including the U.S., China has been known to engage in cyberespionage. Earlier this year, the U.S. and Britain accused China of a sweeping cyberespionage campaign that allegedly hit millions of people. Beijing has consistently denied engaging in any form of state-sponsored hacking, instead saying that China itself is a major target of cyberattacks. According to Recorded Future, Chinese state-sponsored groups will likely continue to target Taiwanese government agencies, universities and critical technology companies via public-facing devices such as open-source VPN software, which provide limited visibility and logging capabilities. Companies and organizations can best protect themselves by prioritizing and patching vulnerabilities once they become known, Recorded Futures threat intelligence analyst said. ___ Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber China The National Transportation Safety Board opened a meeting Tuesday to determine the probable cause of a February 2023 Norfolk Southern NSC.N train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and is making sweeping recommendations to boost rail safety. The derailment forced residents to temporarily abandon their homes after the train caught fire and released over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants near the states border with Pennsylvania. Last month, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay a $15 million civil penalty and $57.1 million in past government cleanup costs, as well as millions in future costs to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit. NTSB staff want the Federal Railroad Administration to set new safety regulations for inspections and maintenance of heat bearing detectors, also called box detectors or wayside detectors. The devices identify potential train safety issues by measuring temperature as they pass. Board staff also wants USDOT to establish a replacement schedule to stop the use of tank cars like some in the Ohio derailment and replace them with newer, safer tank cars. The NTSB staff also wants the state of Ohio to improve volunteer firefighter training standards and to speed transmittal of information to emergency responders about hazardous materials. Under a proposed consent decree estimated to be worth more than $310 million, the railroad also agreed to significant safety improvements and training, which includes installing additional devices to detect overheated wheel bearings early enough to prevent derailments like the Ohio derailment. Norfolk Southern says under the agreement it will spend $244 million on safety initiatives through 2025. The incident sparked public outrage and calls for railroad safety reforms in Congress but legislation has stalled. Some lawmakers had said they wanted to wait for NTSBs report before acting on safety changes. Norfolk Southern, which did not admit wrongdoing, said last month the deal means the company will face no criminal penalties and the settlement is included in the around $1.7 billion in related charges to date for the incident. It added the settlement will not require it to take additional charges. In April, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay $600 million to settle a class action lawsuit over the derailment. The settlement covers personal injury claims from residents and businesses in the city and impacted surrounding communities. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Nick Zieminski) Photo: FILE A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. Topics Ohio Broker PCF Insurance Services continued its recent buying spree with the purchase of four insurance businesses in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Iowa. At PCF Insurance, we are committed to accelerated and strategic expansion through M&Anot to be confused with high-volume. Our approach to M&A enables us to grow our operations in key marketsbased on our analysis for growth potential and alignment with our current footprintwhile ensuring that each new business that we integrate aligns with our long-term vision and enhances our capabilities and specialization in key industry verticals, said Brooke K. DeWyze, chief development officer at PCF Insurance. Lehi, Utah-based PCF said it acquired The Brady Agency, based in North Carolina with service to Virginia; Ignitist, a Medicare and senior benefits specialist out of Pennsylvania; Roseberry Insurance Agency, a P/C coverage specialist in Mississippi; and Sinnot Agency of Iowa. PCF said Brady will join up with Insurance Associates of Triad, a PCF business in Asheboro, North Carolina. The brokerage operates in 40 states, it said. In May, PCF acquired All Star Insurance in Texas and Encore Advisors in Georgia shortly after it announced the closure of $400 million in incremental debt financing led by Blue Owl, with the goal of accelerating M&A. In April PCF acquired Alabamas MK Insurance Group. PCF has also been active on the executive front, promoting Felix Morgan to chief executive officer and Brandon Gray to chief financial officer. the broker also announced a handful of executive team members in February. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies PCF Insurance Services, a multi-state brokerage headquartered in Utah, announced it has acquired four new operations, two of them in the Southeast. The Brady Agency, offering commercial and personal lines coverage in North Carolina and Virginia with offices in the Raleigh area, will join forces with Insurance Associates of the Triad, already part of PCF, the brokerage said in a news release. The Roseberry Insurance Agency in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, providing property-casualty products, will expand the PCF presence in the Southeast, PCF said. Other acquisitions include Ignitist, based in Pennsylvania, which specializes in Medicare and senior benefits; and The Sinott Agency in Waterloo, Iowa, a multi-lines agency established in 1923. PCF offers commercial and personal lines, life and health, employee benefits and workers compensation insurance plans. It has some 4,000 employees in 40 states. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies Jimbo Floyd, head of Turner Wood and Smith Insurance in Gainesville, Georgia, has been sworn in as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia. Floyd has previously served as IIAGs chairman of the board, vice president, secretary-treasurer and chair of the the associations governmental affairs committee. He joined Turner Wood in 2004 after working with John Hancock in Atlanta, the association said in a news release. He is a certified insurance counselor. Also serving on IIAGs executive committee through June 2025 are President-Elect Jarrett Bridges, of Turner and Associates; Vice President Robbie Moore, of Legacy Risk Solutions; Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Panter, of Kevin Panter Insurance; Immediate Past President Wendi Hamby, of Hamby and Alosio; and National Director Andy Siegel, of Siegel Insurance. The association has more than 500 members. In Florida, CRC Group, a wholesale specialty distributor, said Joseph Carothers has joined the CRC team in Tampa as senior team leader. He previously spent eight years in underwriting with another wholesale brokerage, CRC said in a statement. Craig Brown also was named a team leader in CRCs Tampa office. He has two decades of industry experience in claims handling and product management. Trinity Public Utilities Districts power lines snake through the lower reaches of the Cascade Range, a rugged, remote and densely forested terrain in Northern California that has some of the highest wildfire risk in the country. But for several years, the company has been without insurance to protect it from such a threat. Trinitys equipment was blamed for causing a 2017 wildfire that destroyed 72 homes and three years later its insurer, a California public agency called the Special District Risk Management Authority, told the utility that it would no longer cover it for fires started by its electrical lines. Trinity could find no other takers. The utilitys exposure comes as wildfires are already flaring up across the US West in what could be a dangerous and prolonged fire season. If a fire were to start now that involved one of our power lines, it would likely bankrupt the utility, said Paul Hauser, general manager of the local government-owned utility that serves about 13,000 rural customers in Trinity County, 200 miles (322 kilometers) north of Sacramento. Thats because without insurance, a lawsuit could put the utility on the hook to pay for damages to private homes and businesses, which could easily top the utilitys annual revenue of about $16 million. Related: Home Insurance at $10,000 a Year Shows California Buyers Pain Western utilities and beyond are finding it prohibitively expensive, if not impossible, to insure against potential fire-related claims. The trouble comes after power companies from Hawaii to Texas have collectively faced tens of billions of dollars in damages from wind-driven wildfires linked to their equipment. The issue will become more pressing as climate change makes droughts more intense and frequent, heightening the chances of more destructive infernos. Wildfire risk is the number one issue for utilities, said Michael Kolodner, the practice leader for the US power and renewables industry at Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., a US insurance broker. This is impacting every single utility in North America. The insurance companies set up by the utilities are now limiting how much coverage they will provide to power companies exposed to wildfire risk, leaving them at the whim of the commercial marketplace where premiums are rising. Overall, commercial wildfire insurance rates have gone up as much as 30% this year with premiums also increasing the past several years, according to Marsh. Portland General Electric, based in Oregon, said their fire insurance premiums doubled. The insurance challenges are now making it more expensive and difficult for some utilities to attract the capital required to harden their grids against climate risks and build out the infrastructure needed to meet President Joe Bidens goal of a carbon-free grid by 2035. If utilities cant get insurance or if the insurance is really expensive, its harder for them to construct new facilities they need to build like transmission lines and distribution lines, said Michael Wara, an expert on utility wildfire risks who serves as director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University. The problem is akin to potential homeowner being unable to secure a mortgage to buy a house because they cant get property insurance, Wara said. Randy Howard, general manager of the Northern California Power Agency, which has 16 public power utility members including Trinity, says the lack of commercial insurance is making it hard for some his utilities to attract financing to build high-voltage transmission lines that the state wants to connect to renewable energy projects. Related: Buffett Got it Wrong on California Fire Risk: PG&E CEO Its impacting investors willingness to invest in these projects that we need to build, Howard said. The utility industry is openly discussing the need to set up a federal program that could provide a type of insurance backstop for smaller power companies that have limited financial resources. Such a fund would cover claims for utilities that have agreed to meet certain fire risk reduction standards. The fund could be modeled after one set by California after PG&E Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2019 in the wake of starting some of the worst wildfires in state history. As it stands now, utilities have become the insurer of last resort when it comes to damage claims from wildfires tied to their equipment, said Emily Fisher, general counsel at the Edison Electric Institute, an investor-owned utility trade group. The industry has become difficult to insure because there isnt a limit to their potential wildfire liabilities, Fisher added. Power companies also need to spend billions of dollars to make their infrastructure less prone to start fires, funding fixes such as installing weather monitoring equipment, burying power lines and replacing old poles. Its not a sustainable regime, Fisher said. Warren Buffett agrees. In the billionaire investors recent annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholders, Buffett said hes reconsidering his utility investments due to the heightened wildfire risk in the US West. Berkshires PacifiCorp utility, which operates in six Western states, was found liable in 2023 for destruction caused by the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon. PacifiCorp is appealing the decision. The utility faces wildfire claims estimated to be as much as $8 billion, according to a regulatory filing. We are basically in the position of being the insurer of last resort because we cannot get enough commercial insurance, PacifiCorp Chief Executive Officer Cindy Crane said at a S&P power markets conference in April. We had a pretty good volume of wildfire insurance and we blew through that. PacifiCorp has obtained wildfire insurance, but its premiums have increased more than 400% from 2019 through 2022, a spokeswoman said. Utilities also have been turning to state governments for help. PacifiCorp backed legislation passed earlier this year in Utah that sets up a catastrophic fire insurance fund for utilities and caps non-economic damage claims arising from utility-linked fires. In 2019, California set up a $21 billion wildfire insurance fund to prevent additional investor-owned utility bankruptcies after PG&E was driven into Chapter 11 for sparking fires in 2017 and 2018 that killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes. California investor-owned utilities, which contributed to half of the fund, can qualify for the coverage if they meet certain fire safety standards. The fund covers claims above $1 billion, with the utilities having to find insurance up to that amount. Even that has proven to be difficult. PG&E decided to self-insure against wildfire risk in 2023 after the utility saw its cost for commercial wildfire insurance as a percentage of coverage jump from 4.6% in 2015 to nearly 80% in 2022, when the utility paid about $746 million for $940 million in coverage, according to regulatory filings. PG&E estimates its self-insurance program, which works by putting aside money collected from bills for possible claims, will save customers up to $1.8 billion over the next four years compared to commercial insurance coverage. Southern California Edison has also opted to self-insure after seeing its commercial coverage rates skyrocket. However, publicly-owned, government-run utilities like Trinity arent part of Californias wildfire insurance fund, leaving them entirely exposed. The states legal regime holds utilities responsible for damage claims from fires started by their equipment whether they were negligent or not. (While the liability standard is looser in other states, it hasnt gotten utilities off the hook in places like Oregon). Trinity Public Utilities District is stuck in a problematic cycle where it cant do the work required to make its own property safer from fire. The utility wants to widen the clearing around its existing lines on federal land from 20 feet to up to 130 feet to reduce fire risk, but it cannot start that work without a new federal permit. And it cannot get a new permit unless it has wildfire insurance. We are kind of the poster child for this issue, Hauser, the general manager, said. No one will insure us. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Wildfire Vietnam is a "priority market" for Irish beef access with agri-food trade between the two countries growing, according to Minister of State Martin Heydon. Mr Heydon recently signed an agri-food cooperation agreement with Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment, represented by Vice Minister Do Thanh Trung, during a study tour to Ireland. Minister Heydon, who is responsible for new market development within the Department of Agriculture, said that an Irish Government trade mission to Vietnam is planned for October 2024 to include Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam agreed a trade agreement with the EU which came into force in January 2020. This will result in significant agricultural tariff reductions on member states' agri-food exports. New markets With the announcement this year of the opening of the South Korean market to Irish beef, Mr Heydon said that the expansion of markets is "crucial for the further development of our beef sector". Korea brought the number of markets for Irish beef to over 70. "Every new international market increases the economic sustainability of our beef sector," Mr Heydon said. In 2022, the minister visited Vietnam as part of a trade mission to South East Asia. He said that the country's agri-food sector has shown "remarkable growth and transformation" in recent years, which is "creating significant opportunities for Irish exporters of food and drink as well as agri-tech to build long-term partnerships in this priority market". Transforming the agri-food system Last week's visit of Vietnamese ministry to to Ireland formed part of the Ireland Vietnam Agrifood Partnership (IVAP) programme, which is managed and implemented by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland and funded by the Embassy of Ireland. This programme aims to support Vietnam to transform its agri-food system in the areas of sustainable primary production systems, food safety, innovation and quality. The Vietnamese visit focused on knowledge exchange in enterprise and cooperative development and agri-food innovation. Speaking on the visit, Minister Heydon said that Ireland continues to "pioneer improvements in agriculture". "There are lessons we have learned from transforming our own agri-food systems that can be adapted to the environmental and economic challenges faced by agriculture in countries such as Vietnam. "As an EU member state, Ireland is keen to work with Vietnam to ensure that both of our countries can continue to benefit mutually from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement." Former EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler warned last week that the nature restoration law is "not well drafted, and contains unresolved property issues and financial consequences". The Austrian politician was close to the political intrigue which surrounded the law's final push over the line into EU legislation. He is a member of the conservative OVP party which governs in Austria in coalition with the Greens. Austrias nine federal states unanimously opposed the law, forcing Austria to abstain from voting for it in the EU Council of environment ministers. With seven other EU member states also not supporting the law, it fell narrowly short of the required Council qualified majority of 55% of EU countries representing 65% of the EU population. This led to the unprecedented rejection at the final legislative step of a law already approved by the Parliament, Commission and member states. However, when the Council met again last week, it required only one extra member state's support to push the nature restoration law over the line. Sweden opposed it, believing the EU is overstepping by regulating how countries manage their forests. Finland feared disproportionate costs. Hungary, which had previously supported the law, also raised concerns about costs. In Belgium, like Austria, regional governments opposed the law, preventing their federal governments from voting for it. The Netherlands, with much to lose as the home of much of Europes drained peatlands, said No, in line with a resolution backed by the vast majority of its parliament. Poland was opposed chiefly because of a failure to guarantee adequate financial resources for nature restoration. The votes against probably also reflected support for the farmers who protested earlier this year across Europe, with Italian Minister Vannia Gavao saying, "We cannot accept an increase in economic and administrative burdens on the agricultural sector". This continued the very troubled progress of the nature restoration law since the Commission proposed it two years ago. Along the way, it has been much watered down by opponents in the Parliament and member states, with supporters saying it has been left "toothless" and prone to abuse. Its fiercest opponent was the European People's Party, the Parliament's biggest group, which said the law threatened the livelihoods of European farmers and fishers, would disrupt long-established supply chains, decrease food production, push prices up for consumers, and wipe out urban areas to make way for green spaces. In the end, it has now got across the line only because of a last-minute decision by Austria's environment minister Leonore Gewessler, against the wishes of her government. She should be fired by Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, said Fischler. "I'm not a lawyer, but there are several arguments that the minister did not act in accordance with the law." "I don't think it's very likely that there will be criminal consequences. But strictly speaking, it would have been the logical course of action, if the Chancellor had dismissed the Minister," said Fischler. Austria's ruling coalition nearly collapsed, after the Chancellor and his OVP party said Gewessler was legally required to obtain the agreement of the Agriculture Ministry before supporting the nature restoration law. The OVP said it would launch a criminal complaint against Gewessler, and bring a legal challenge to the European Court of Justice seeking the annulment of Monday's vote. But it is likely to settle for an uneasy peace with its coalition partner until the Austrian election in September, rather than fire Gewessler and call for snap elections. Meanwhile, Gewessler basks in her EU Green hero status after her deciding vote for the legally binding targets to restore 20% of the EUs degraded land and sea ecosystems by 2030, and all ecosystems by 2050. EU countries must restore at least 30% of forest, grassland, wetland, river and lake habitats from poor to good condition by 2030, and 90% by 2050. Areas cannot be allowed to deteriorate once restored. However, an emergency brake on targets affecting agriculture, if nature restoration threatens food security, is one of the amendments agreed along the ardous course of the law through the EU legislation process. Will this be enough to reassure opponents of a law agreed in controversial circumstances? Like Gewessler, the Greens across Europe can clap themselves on the back. Passing the law has allowed Ireland's Environment Minister Eamon Ryan to go out with a win. On his return from the EU Council, he announced he will step down as Green Party leader. He may have played a vital role in passing the nature restoration law. With his Green Party colleague, Malcolm Noonan, he wrote to fellow ministers across the EU calling for leadership and unity on the law to restore Europes nature. They could also count on the support of Alain Maron, environment minister for the Brussels-Capital Region, also a Green Party member, steering talks on the law as part of Belgium's rotating EU presidency until the end of June. Also urging member states to pass the Nature Restoration Law was EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, who is newly elected as an MEP for Lithuania, and will join the Greens/EFA Group in the Parliament. He had warned member states that rejecting a law already agreed in the EU's trilogue decision process would raise serious questions about the consistency and stability of the EU legislative process. And in the end, it was Austria's Gewessler, also of the Green Party, who risked political suicide to push the law over the line. Small farms (defined as selling no more than 8,000 of output per year) are "almost the ideal type of agriculture from an environmental perspective", according to Teagasc researchers who surveyed them. Unfortunately, they have "very, very low levels of income coming in from farming". The survey indicated that a lot of these farms are supported by off-farm employment or pension income. The Head of Economics at Teagasc, Trevor Donnellan, chatted about the latest National Farm Survey Small Farms Report, in a recent Environment Edge podcast. He explained that more than 48,000 of Ireland's 135,000 farms are particularly small, in economic terms. The Teagasc National Farm Survey looks at these farms every five years, with data for the current report gathered in 2022. While these farms are not generating a huge amount of agricultural output, they do take up 15% of the agricultural land area, and we think theyre important from an environmental perspective as well, because its a very extensive form of agriculture, with very low stocking rates, minimal use of fertilisers", said Mr Donnellan. "In some peoples minds, this would be almost the ideal type of agriculture from an environmental perspective. "The downside of it, of course, is that you dont produce very much food, and you dont produce very much income either. At the same time, the amount of labour that needs to be put in typically wouldnt be huge. Were talking typically one third of a labour unit, so one-third of a working year as such is required to operate these farms. That means that its probably more feasible on these farms than on bigger farms to have some off-farm employment". Mr Donnellan said 53% of the small farms are beef specialists, and 19% are sheep specialists. Enjoyment of farm work was the main motivating factor cited by the operators of small farms. Managing their farms in an environmentally friendly way was also cited as an important reason for farming by almost all respondents. Continuing the family tradition and maintaining a good quality of life were also considered very important by the majority. So, with that mind, what is the long-term sustainability of this small farm sector? Mr Donnellan said: Its an important lifestyle choice from their perspective, being your own boss, the way of life thats involved, and its the pleasure of farming". The group surveyed had an average age of about 60, compared to about 58 in the broader National Farm Survey. Theres a higher share of female farm operators in the small farms than you would see in the broader farm population. The figure was around 19%, said Mr Donnellan. That compares to about 10% of larger farms being managed by women. Small farm operators aged 60 and over were asked in the survey about succession. A little over half of the farm operators, 56% of them, had identified a successor," Mr Donnellan said. About 75% of these small farms had been inherited, and about 18% had been purchased. The small farmers were asked what their plans were over the next five years. About one-third of them said they expected to continue farming as is, about a quarter said that they would consider leasing out the farm, and about 20% of them said they would think about changing the farm system or scaling back farming activities," said Mr Donnellan. "There were a bunch of other smaller options as well, which were in some cases a mix of all three, and other options as well". One of the interesting survey findings was that not too many small farmers expect the advent of remote and home-working to improve their future prospects. Mr Donnellan said: It could reflect the type of jobs or off-farm work that farmers are more typically engaged in". A possibly related finding is that, In some areas, only about 50% of the farmers had access to broadband. However, about half said they were using their phone or broadband to some degree for an activity related to agriculture. According to Teagasc, small farms face challenges related to emissions efficiency and economic viability, but their role in maintaining biodiversity and managing nutrients more effectively per hectare underscores their importance in sustainable agriculture. Mr Donnellan said a monetary value should be placed on their contribution, not just in terms of environmental benefits, but also their role in rural life. Theyre really intrinsic to the local communities. Sometimes these farmers are the bedrock of the community, and its important to protect them. Gillian Harveys 10-year-old daughter, Sophie, knows every word of every Taylor Swift song. You only have to play a little tune and she knows everything about that song, says the Naas-based mum-of-two, adding that the whole family are now Swifties the name given to enthusiastic fans of the singer. With Swifts Eras tour set to hit Dublin for three concerts in the Aviva Stadium this weekend, Harvey lost many nights sleep, worrying she wouldnt get a ticket for her super-fan daughter. Sophie has wanted to see Taylor Swift for so long. Id travel to the ends of the earth to make her happy. It was coming up to her 10th birthday, which is a special birthday, it being double digits. Despite her best efforts, Harvey didnt get a ticket for any of the Dublin dates. Along with her husband, she runs Instagram account @WhereAreWeGoingTomorrowTravel, which shares information on travelling with kids. Harvey used her platform, calling on anyone selling tickets to anywhere in Europe. Someone messaged to say they had four tickets. Weve tied it into our family holiday, going to Venice, the Dolomites and then travelling down by train to the concert in Milan on July 14. Gillian Harvey's daughter Sophie dressed as Taylor Swift for World Book Day Telling Sophie was quite emotional, says her mum. She has always listened to Taylor Swift. She started with the song Shake It Off from the movie, Sing. In the last two years she has been really into her, so Chloe, whos seven, has been fed Taylor Swift. Chloes favourite song is Love Story she loves the Romeo and Juliet part. We listen to Taylor Swift all the time, especially in the car theyre great songs to sing along with, says Gillian, adding that Sophie dressed up as the star for World Book Day. With the guitar, she was the double of her. Harvey loves that the songs are about friendship, and the lyrics are quite positive. The songs have nice messages and meaning behind them. Shes a great role model. She contributes to hope and inspiration for young people and, with her friendship bracelets, she encourages creativity. My girls have got into making the bracelets and at the concert theyre planning to exchange them with other Swifties. I like that she uses her platform to make a difference. Shes very outspoken about bullying, and is always trying to portray that message. Its good for young kids who go through so many changes. Harvey, a Montessori teacher, says the family are super-excited about the concert. Itll be the girls first proper grown-up concert so I know its going to be a core memory for us. Chloe will take it all in her stride. Sophie wont be able to sleep the night before shell be all caught up. At the concert itself, shell be taking it all in, and probably quite emotional as well she was so emotional when we told her about it. Marian Healy's daughter Eliza Jean with family pet Taylor Swift First time at a big concert coming up At the Lough in Cork city, mum-of-two Marian Healy says the familys love for Taylor Swift goes back to when her niece, now 19, used to sing 'Love Story' during Karaoke sessions. The secondary schoolteacher, mum to Theo, eight, and Eliza Jean, six, has memories of dancing around the kitchen to Shake It Off when Eliza was two. Weve loads of videos of that they bring me right back. Thats when we got the dog Eliza was just turning three a greyhound rescue and we named her Taylor Swift! Love Story is currently Elizas favourite song. That makes it my least favourite, interjects her brother, Theo, whos listening as his mum chats to me. Healy, who loves pop music, says its all about the lyrics for her the ones from Taylor Swift that come straight to her mind are It's me, Hi, I'm the problem and You Need to Calm Down. I quote them a lot! she laughs. Adding that her husband, Diarmaid Shortall, is almost a bigger Swifty than she is, Healy says: Were always listening to albums when theyre just released, or to new music. They also love the type of person Taylor Swift is. Shes a high-profile star but still down-to-earth. She knows all her dancers by name and she realises they need to be looked after well. Its lovely to know that on her tour she looks after everyone and not just the high fliers. She and Diarmaid were on their way to pick Theo and Eliza up from a STEM camp last summer when he successfully got tickets online for this Saturdays concert in Dublin. I couldnt believe it. Diarmaid said straightaway, Well bring the kids, says Healy, who recalls her older siblings going to see Michael Jackson when he came to Cork in the late 80s, while she aged five or six was deemed too young to go. I remember going back home with Dad in the car. She is looking forward to seeing her childrens reaction to a star in the flesh. Theyve never been to a concert before. Do they even know shes real and not a person on the telly? At the moment shes just out there. To see someone in real life will be an amazing experience for them. And itll be fabulous for us to see things through their eyes, to see them experience something for the first time. Theres also the novelty of going away for the night, staying in a hotel, itll be fabulous. Theyre at an age when theyll remember it their first time at a big concert, the stadium. Hopefully the memories will stick for a long time, of how lovely it was to have this time together as a family. So emotional and so intimate even in a packed stadium Psychotherapist Bethan ORiordan is a Swifty, something she shares with her 11-year-old daughter, Ruby. We just love to listen to the music together. The Taylor songs are so emotive but theyre not too dark. They cover good life topics and we can belt them out together, says ORiordan, adding that Ruby got interested when she was eight. My best friend in Scotland is a massive Taylor Swift fan, and Ruby was listening to a conversation we were having, and said whos Taylor Swift? We watched the Red Tour on TV and Ruby said, Wow! It was like a feast for her senses the costumes, the music. ORiordan loves that a passion for music shared between parents and children can bring a lightness to what she calls the seriousness of parenthood. So much of parenthood is really serious. We worry, we think, we wonder, and every day our children can come home to us with a problem something small or big. Adding that children need us not to micromanage or come up with immediate solutions, she says: Day to day, if youre in a pickle and you can hum a song, or have a sing or a dance, put music on in the car, it changes the tone of how your body responds to stress. Music is so emotional, says ORiordan, and so intimate, even in a stadium of 8,000 people. While she didnt succeed in getting Taylor Swift concert tickets, the family went together to a Westlife concert. We took our youngest to Ed Sheeran at three-and-a-half. To see children belting out songs theres a freedom. I dont know if theyd do it anywhere else. We want children to be safe, happy and comfortable in who they are. At a concert, you can let yourself go, you can be elated, you can cry. Its amazing if your parents can be there to witness that and to witness all parts of you. ORiordan says attachment occurs out of that feeling of sharing intimate joy and delight with your child. She urges concert-goers not to disrupt this by filming it. Take a few pictures to print off and put up on a wall, so you will say, Oh wow! We did this thing together and we have memories of a great time. When we look at a picture like this, we smile, it helps to re-set us. Otherwise, she says, avoid the distraction of the camera. Just be in this moment. Have joy with your child. Drink in that feeling. A woman assaulted by a serving Irish soldier has vowed to keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women, as the judge in the case retired one day before his widely expected departure. At a rally in Dublin, 24-year-old Natasha O'Brien told political leaders and the Irish Defence Forces to "do your jobs" and address the issues around gender-based crimes. Earlier, Judge Tom ODonnell said he would exercise his right to silence given current circumstances as he left the bench for the last time at Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday. A protest outside Limerick Courthouse was organised for Wednesday, the day Judge O'Donnell was to retire. His decision to retire was made in the weeks before the case involving the assault on Ms O'Brien was heard in court. Serving member of the Defence Forces, Cathal Crotty, was given a three-year suspended sentence in Judge O'Donnell's court last week for attacking Ms O'Brien on a night out. In a statement, the Defence Forces said chief of staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy has directed a thorough review across all brigades and formations and a report is being prepared for Tanaiste and Defence Minister Micheal Martin. Ms O'Brien said she felt a 'little bit hopeful' after receiving so much support at the protest outside Leinster House on Tuesday evening. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie "The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values. The Defence Forces have been clear that there is no place for any form of gender-based violence, abuse, or any form or inappropriate behaviour by Defence Forces members, on or off duty," it said. Any member of the Defence Forces with a criminal conviction has no right to continue serving in the army, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said, adding that he wanted to know how many members of the Defence Forces were hiding criminal convictions. Ms OBrien received a standing ovation and applause from TDs in the Dail chamber on Tuesday, ahead of the protest which took place outside Leinster House. Ms O'Brien told Tuesday evening's protest: "I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach [Simon Harris] and the minister for justice [Helen McEntee], and [thought]: 'What are you going to do, what are you going to do? I'm right here'. "I'm going to keep doing that and they're going to feel the pressure." Ms O'Brien said she felt a "little bit hopeful" after receiving so much support, and said she believed she had found a "purpose" in speaking up. "I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know I'm not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to," she said. A woman has been jailed for 18 months for the "daylight robbery" of a 61-year-old man at his front door after following him home. In one of Judge Tom ODonnells final cases before he retired on Tuesday, he sentenced Kacey Hayes, aged 31, to 18 months in jail at Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday for her part in the robbery of the man of a Nokia phone and 60. The victim had been pushed to the ground and attacked outside his home. Hayes, of 37 Lee Estate, Limerick, had kicked the man but her co-accused, another woman, had been the main instigator of the violence, punching and kicking the victim, Limerick Circuit Court heard. The other woman was previously sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for the offence. The women had spotted the man as he walked through the park on September 1, 2022, and followed him back to his home on Barrington St, Limerick. CCTV images captured the injured party lying on the ground by the front door to the home, with the two women standing and leaning over him. Hayes has nine previous convictions for public order, theft and aggravated burglary, all dealt with at District Court level, the court heard. This type of daylight robbery was now prevalent on Limericks streets, Judge ODonnell said. It was abundantly clear that the victim had been targeted and this was an aggravating factor, he said. Although the other woman was the more serious protagonist, the accused was also an active participant, Judge ODonnell said. The victim had been attacked and knocked to the ground outside his front door, which was also an aggravating factor, he said. Ms Hayes had been on bail at the time of the offence, which was another aggravating factor, he said. Judge ODonnell said he believed a custodial sentence was warranted. In a robbery of this nature, the headline sentence could be up to four years, he said. However, given the accuseds approach and her personal circumstances he sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison suspending the last 12 months. Judge ODonnell denied counsel's request to have Hayes' sentence deferred by one week, saying that it was a very serious charge. The judge has become embroiled in controversy since serving soldier Cathal Crotty walked free with a suspended sentence in his courtroom last week after beating Natasha OBrien unconscious in an unprovoked attack in Limerick in 2022. He retired from the bench on Tuesday, one day before he was due to do so. The Government has been urged to engage with the Vatican to have the mythical crown of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, returned to the State. Clare Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe has called on the Government to work with the Holy See to have the crown returned, despite doubts as to its existence. The crown, which belonged to Irelands most well-known High King, was said to have been given to the Vatican by his son Donnchad, as a gift to the Pope. Mr Crowe asked if the Tanaiste would work with the Irish Embassy and the Holy See to have the crown returned from the Vatican. In response, Mr Martin said it is currently unknown whether or not the crown is located in the Vatican, or whether the crown existed in the first place. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading The current circumstances, or existence, of the crown of Brian Boru are unconfirmed, and a question of some dispute among historical experts, Mr Martin said. Mr Martin said the Department of Foreign Affairs would first liaise with the relevant authorities, as part of a review into the whereabouts of the crown. Medieval Irish history professor at Trinity College Dublin, Sean Duffy, has questioned the existence of Brian Borus crown, believing it could instead have been a metaphor for the Vatican having permission to decide who ruled over Ireland. There was a belief in the Middle Ages that all islands belonged to the papacy. The pope could therefore give an island away, Prof Duffy says. He said that ahead of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, King Henry II received permission from Pope Adrian IV to invade the country and become its king. As a result, Ireland became an English colony and Henry then wrote off to the pope, requesting that he grant a crown so that his son John, the future King John, could be crowned king of Ireland. The belief continued that if the papacy had granted the kingdom of Ireland to England, then the papacy could also withdraw that grant, and metaphorically hand the 'crown' of Ireland to another. The Government has been urged to engage with the Vatican to have the mythical crown of Brian Boru returned to the State. Prof Duffy said that, in his own research, he has not come across any belief that the papacy had a physical crown linked to Brian Boru. There was no memory in Rome of Brian Boru's crown ever having been given to the pope and I very much doubt it was. There is in fact no record of any Irish high-king ever possessing a crown, Prof Duffy said. Irish kings were not 'crowned', they were inaugurated and handed at their inauguration a white wand cut from a sacred tree as a symbol of their sovereignty. So I would be very surprised if there was any possibility of the Vatican turning up the crown of Brian Boru. In what one councillor described as a "mean-spirited" move, members of Cork County Council took the rare if not unprecedented step of denying their well wishes to the departing Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, following a roll call vote at the authoritys first meeting after its AGM on Monday. The proposal from Fianna Fail councillor and former Mayor, Gillian Coughlan, prompted a debate in which the leader of one of the three Government parties was criticised by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael councillors as well as elected members from Independent Ireland and non-party councillor Finbarr Harrington. The Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District councillors proposal, which referred to the ministers role as Green Party leader specifically while acknowledging his position as one of the line ministers for local authorities, met with strong opposition. Minister Eamon Ryan is one of our line ministers and he has announced his resignation as leader of the Green Party, said the councillor. He did come to visit us here in County Hall and it might be just a nice gesture to write to him to acknowledge his resignation. The Carrigaline councillor Jack White, Fine Gael, seconded the proposal, describing Minister Ryan as a "politician of huge conviction and courage". He was an exceptional minister and history will look very kindly on him in the fullness of time, said Mr White. His party colleague, Midleton-based Michael Hegarty, said he would normally not comment but said that on this occasion he would express his total opposition to the proposal. He has absolutely destroyed parts of Cork County, he has refused the N25 from Carrigtwohill to Midleton, he has withdrawn the money, this is the third year in succession. Weve a flagship site down there which the IDA have indicated their hands are tied to try and encourage foreign direct investment into because of the roads. Im amazed that my colleagues would suggest that we write to him to compliment or congratulate him Im certainly, and Im putting it on the record here, totally opposed to it. Sheila OCallaghan, the Fianna Fail councillor elected in Cobh, said the funding of the N25 was an issue for her too as the County Development Plan had been predicated on support for the upgrade of that road. Here we are, halfway through the County Development Plan and no funding has been allocated, she said. Independent Ireland councillor, Danny Collins, accused Minister Ryan of "decimating rural Ireland". I know he said he met with us but we wanted to meet him for extra funding for roads and it was the junior minister we got to meet afterwards, said the Bantry-based councillor. North Cork councillor, Liam Madden, said the councillors representing Mallow had similar difficulties with the Green Party leader. We had the same problem in Mallow with regard to the Mallow Relief Road basically he has refused to meet us as well and the funding hes given would hardly pay for the paperwork. Former Green Party councillor, Liam Quaide, now with the Social Democrats, described the refusal to give the departing politician the councils good wishes as 'mean-spirited'. The Fianna Fail leader, Seamus McGrath, attempted to intervene by suggesting that well wishes would be sent to the Green Party leader but Michael Hegarty insisted on a vote. Former Green Party councillor, Liam Quaide, now with the Social Democrats, described the refusal to give the departing politician the councils good wishes as "mean-spirited". Any minister will have a mixed record, according to different points of view, he said. Its mean-spirited and and very much at odds with the decorum of this chamber to withdraw a vote of congratulations or expression of well wishes, he said. Ive never seen anything like this at Cork County Council. The proposal was defeated on a vote of 22 against to 12 for. Michael McGrath will be Ireland's nominee for the European Commission with Jack Chambers set to take over as finance minister. The nomination of Mr McGrath by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was discussed at meeting of the three Government coalition leaders on Monday evening. Mr McGrath will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. Simon Harris said that Mr McGrath was "a nominee for Ireland". He said that Mr McGrath had been "trained by the people of Carrigaline and his standards are of the highest level". Speaking before the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Harris said: Im conscious that when somebody becomes nominated as a European Commissioner, theres a lot of work to go through in terms of parliament hearings and the like. Michael McGrath was agreed by coalition leaders on Monday night and confirmed by Cabinet on Tuesday. Mr Martin said Mr McGrath had steered the Irish economy and "made a large contribution to Ireland" in his four years as a minister. He said Ireland was nominating someone of a "very, very high calibre". The Tanaiste said Mr McGrath's replacement, Mr Chambers, is "very able, intelligent" and will be a "very effective minister". Mr McGrath said that it was "an incredible honour" to be nominated and he was delighted to accept the nomination. He said he is "immensely excited" to have the chance to shape policy at a European level. He thanked the people of Cork South Central for their support, adding that he could not have done this without the support of his family, particularly his wife Sarah. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that Mr McGrath was "one of our best" and said that Mr McGrath would be committed to the Green New Deal. In my view, it would be prudent to fill that vacancy immediately and I expect any vacancy that may or may not arise today at Cabinet to be filled today. Asked if he was aware who would replace Mr McGrath, Mr Harris said: I am aware of all aspects of what will happen today. There are times maybe not all that often when everyone who has a pen and a platform needs to speak and write with one voice. Times when there is simply no room for dissent. Times when especially every man with a pen and a platform needs to say the same thing as every other man. With no equivocation. No what-aboutery. No room for argument. The brutal assault of Natasha OBrien was one such moment. A savage act of violence perhaps changed her life forever, and she was then further traumatised by the outcome of the subsequent court case when her attacker walked free. And its our fault. The fault of every man in Ireland, including me. I cant apologise for anyone but me, but I would really like to meet Natasha and tell her how sorry I am. Natasha O'Brien, 24 , outside Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, who was attacked by a serving member of the Irish Defence Forces. Ive tried to live a life based on respect, but I know Ive failed far too often. (In an airport the other night, I asked a woman serving us coffee to smile, because she seemed a bit unfriendly. My daughter Vicky rounded on me, telling me I hadnt a clue what was going on in that persons life and Id no right to speak to her that way. Vicky was right.) Ive also made it a lifelong rule never to pretend that I know what happens in a courtroom when I wasnt there. I might have heard some expression of remorse, perhaps none was reported in any of the media accounts. But that wouldnt, or shouldnt, have mattered. Whatever rationale was offered, it remains completely inexplicable that a man who inflicts vicious violence on a woman and then boasts about it to his friends is still a free man. There are, apparently, enquiries now to be undertaken by the army, and there remains the possibility that the sentence could be appealed by the DPP. In so far as it is possible to tell, he remains on the payroll as one of our defenders for the time being. Why? Why is it always the case that perpetrators must get due process, when the truth is so obvious and not denied by anyone? What is the due process we owe women attacked by men? The Irish Defence Forces sets out its mission and its values on the front page of its website. They couldnt be clearer and they are there for all to see. Theyre even couched in language which is addressed very specifically to the men and women who serve at every level in the army. Thats probably necessary because of the history of discrimination and abuse within the Defence Forces, a history which has now led to a Tribunal of Enquiry. That Tribunal, of course, was only established after a brave and determined campaign by the Women of Honour group, and it remains to be seen whether at the end of the day it will make any difference. There are, the Defence Forces say, six values which form the bedrock of the organisation and are central to our effectiveness. Respect, loyalty, selflessness, physical courage, moral courage, and integrity. Respect "You must treat those with whom you come into contact with dignity, respect, tolerance and understanding. Physical Courage You must have the physical courage to persevere with the mission regardless of dangers and difficulties. Moral Courage You must do what you know is right, not what is easier or popular. Integrity Be truthful, reliable and honourable. We now know that the Defence Forces has within its ranks at least one serving soldier to whom those values mean nothing. And its making enquiries. So what should the rest of us do? Or think? The last time I wrote about a subject like this was when the Central Statistics Office published a study about the historical experiences of Irish women in relation to sexual violence. Its main headline, you might remember, was that more than half of all women in Ireland had experienced some form of sexual violence in their lives. I made the point in that article that thats an awful lot of perpetrators. And Im not just talking about men who abuse women. Throughout my lifetime and long before it has been only men who have created the systems and the rules and the culture and the mores that belittle and demean women. Throughout our history it has been men who have evaded their responsibilities, often by running legal defences that seek to blame the victim of an attack for the violence perpetrated on them. A huge crowd of people and protesters with placards marching as they leave the GPO in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha O'Brien, the woman who was viciously and randomly attacked by an Irish soldier who received a suspended sentence for the assault. (By the way when I wrote that piece about sexual violence in Ireland it led to a lot of heated reaction. A lot of people agreed with the basic point that we have to face the perpetrators, but some (men) decided to rally behind a chant of not all men. And, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the more delightful types on social media argued that the CSO study proved that women were more prey to violence only because of a rise in inward migration even though that was clearly, palpably and obviously false and had nothing to do with a historical analysis.) But it goes on and on. Womens Aid last week published its impact report for 2023 which recorded more than 40,000 disclosures of domestic abuse against women and children, the highest ever in its history. Some 86% of the women who had been in contact with Womens Aid had been abused by a current or former male partner. In fact, the organisation has been able to establish that at least one in four women in Ireland are subjected to some form of abuse from a current or former partner. Every day of every year, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (with whom I work on a voluntary basis) works with women who have been sexually attacked by men. They constantly work to change attitudes, especially through their massive We Consent campaign. But everyone who works in this area knows what a constant uphill battle this is. Because of men. Because of the harm that men do. Because the only people who can change that who can eliminate that harm are men. It is men who commit the violence. Whether we like it or not, we are the men who run the systems, appoint the judges, set the standards, and then apply the rules we have devised. And men walk free. Because of men, the absolute minimum that we have to do right now is apologise to Natasha OBrien. When she spoke at a rally in Limerick at the weekend, she said: We all deserve change, we all deserve better, the victims should not be forced to suffer again and again." But there will be more suffering, more victims. It will happen again and again. Because of men. Natasha OBrien, the young woman assaulted by a member of the Defence Forces in 2022, is a force of nature. Every time I hear or see her speak, I am in awe of her courage, her defiance, her righteous anger. But why does she need to be so? Why, in the aftermath of such a traumatising and brutal attack, should OBrien have to speak at protests held in her name? Why are Irish women, once again, forced onto the streets, shouting enough is enough? Why are we still begging for the right to live in peace and safety? What do we have to do to prove that our lives matter too? Go to the guards, they say. Trust the judicial system. But why would we, when the system is so clearly rotten at its core? A system which was never built by us, or for us, certainly doesnt seem all that concerned with protecting us either. Natasha OBrien stood in that court-room and she spoke not only of the serious physical injuries she sustained at Cathal Crottys hands, but the lasting psychological impact too; the PTSD, the isolation, the self destructive behaviours that led to the loss of her job. And how was she rewarded for her bravery? She was told by Judge Tom ODonnell that Crotty, the man who took to Snapchat that same night to boast two to put her down, two to put her out, the man who initially denied responsibility for the incident until shown CCTV footage that proved otherwise, must be given credit for pleading guilty. (If you believe that anyone pleads guilty to make it easier for the victim rather than because of advice given by their legal team, I have a lovely bridge to sell you.) OBrien had what one would assume is an open-and-shut case camera footage, eyewitnesses, social media evidence, and finally, yes, a guilty plea and she still had to watch as the judge imposed a three-year suspended sentence, remarking that he had a huge judgement call to make because, if he handed down a jail sentence, Crottys army career is over. 22-year-old soldier Cathal Crotty, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, received a three-year suspended sentence for his attack on Natasha OBrien on OConnell St, Limerick, on May 29, 2022. If I state the obvious, that perhaps Cathal Crottys career in the army should be affected by this Im not sure that a man shouting homophobic slurs on the street before beating an innocent woman senseless is exactly the representation the Defence Forces needs I will be accused of misandry. What do you want? they ask. Blood? Why should a young mans life be ruined over one mistake? Actually, I dont think thats what any victim wants. What we want is accountability. What we want is appropriate consequences, not for the perpetrator to be given a cookie for reluctantly admitting guilt when faced with no other option. Heres the issue when male violence against women is so widespread but nothing is done to cut it off at its roots, that violence becomes normalised, even trivialised. It is made smaller, somehow, by its prevalence. Its not that big of a deal, is it? The Dublin protest in the wake of the Natasha O'Brien case. Louise O'Neill writes: 'What we want is appropriate consequences, not for the perpetrator to be given a cookie for reluctantly admitting guilt when faced with no other option.' Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews Its certainly not something that should ruin a mans life, or his career. It happens all the time, after all. But what about women? We are supposed to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of a mans promising future, and be grateful for the privilege. We patch up our wounds and we hide our scars. We carry our trauma on our backs, and we are bent low with it. Our lives are changed forever, misshaped and mangled in ways that are both visible and invisible. The therapy bills and the loss of jobs and the friends who disappear because were different now, we are tired or angry or sad, our pain is too difficult to witness. Our lives are changed, forever, irrevocably, until we are forced to create new ones out of the pieces left behind, and the men responsible are told by our judicial system that it is their God-given right to move on, untouched by any of it. To forget what they did to us, how they carved their names into our hearts without permission. How do they sleep at night? I wonder sometimes. Peacefully, I suspect, and perhaps that is the hardest part of all. Natasha O'Brien with her mum Anne at last Saturday's protest in Limerick in the wake of the sentencing of Natasha's attacker. Women are not punching bags. We are not receptacles for your aggression and violence. We are not the battleground for your wars to be fought upon. We are not the supporting character in your narrative, we are not the training ground where you can make your mistakes, we are not the soft place for you to land. We are not your probation officers, or your therapists, or your social workers; its not our job to rehabilitate you or to teach you how to be a good man. We are human too and we deserve to be treated as such. People at the Cork Rosa protest in support of Natasha O'Brien listening to retired Captain Roslyn O'Callaghan who told of her experiences within the Defence Forces after she reported being sexually assaulted in 1998. Picture: Noel Sweeney Right now, the women of Ireland are tired but we are angry too. But if Ive learned anything over recent years after Niamh Ni Dhomhnaill and Ashling Murphy is that it will fade. This anger is almost impossible to sustain, and in time, we will forget the white heat of it. We always forget until its the next woman. And the next woman. And the next. And well keep shouting and well keep marching and the politicians will keep saying how terrible it is and there will be more empty promises about how change needs to happen, and my editor will contact me and shell say, do you want to write about this? Yes, Ill reply, even though I hate my words now, even though they feel worthless and cheap and I have learned to doubt they will make any difference at all. But no, they keep telling us, this time will be different, this time it will mean something. Because enough is enough is enough is enough. Enough. When will it finally be enough? Plans to revamp five city centre buildings in Cork have been unveiled. An ambitious project proposes a series of changes to numbers 10, 11, 12, and 13 Castle Street, as well as 7 South Main Street. Holren Properties Limited has lodged a planning application to Cork City Council seeking permission for the works. The project involves the change of use of the ground floor of numbers 11 and 12 Castle Street from retail use to betting use. There is also a plan to demolish the ground floor internal walls between 10, 11, 12, and 13 Castle Street, and proposals to change signage on the building. The first and second floors of 9a to 13 Castle Street, and 1 to 7 South Main Street are also all to be changed from storage use to residential use. These will comprise six one-bed apartments, one studio apartment, and three apartments with a mezzanine. All works are subject to permission and are located in a Protected Structure. Change of Ballincollig premises to residential use Elsewhere in Cork, planning has been granted to a developer seeking to turn commercial units in Ballincollig into residential use. Zokralo Limited has been granted permission by Cork City Council to change the use of unit 8 in the Parade, the Quadrants into residential use. The permission also covers the ground and first floors of units 1, 3 and 5 of the Quadrants. The development will see the creation of 12 apartments in total, ranging in size from studios to a three-bed unit. Private amenity areas are also set to be created. Julian Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Stella Assange, who married Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2022, has campaigned for his freedom (PA) This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Speaking on Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA News Agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said Assanges family is elated at his release, telling Sky News: Its been very taxing. Its no secret, being so many years in a maximum security jail. Why on earth somebody who is a journalist, who never harmed anybody in his life, is locked up in a jail with the worst terrorists in the UK its very difficult for anybody to justify. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting a lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. Here is a timeline of some key dates spanning more than a decade of legal woes for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. 2010 August: An arrest warrant is issued for Assange over two separate allegations one of rape and one of molestation after he visits Sweden for a speaking trip. He is questioned by police in Stockholm and denies the allegations. November: Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain the WikiLeaks founder for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. An international arrest warrant is issued by Swedish police through Interpol. December: Assange presents himself to London police and appears at an extradition hearing where he is remanded in custody. He is later granted conditional bail at the High Court in London after his supporters offer 240,000 in cash and sureties. US President Donald Trump calls for the death penalty for Assange. Julian Assange speaking to the media after a year inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London (PA) 2011 February: District Judge Howard Riddle rules that Assange should be extradited to Sweden. November: Assange loses a High Court appeal against the decision. 2012 May: The UK Supreme Court upholds the High Court decision. June 19: Assange enters the Ecuadorian embassy in London, requesting political asylum. A day later, Scotland Yard confirms he will be subject to arrest for breaching his bail conditions. 2013 June: Assange says he will not leave the embassy even if sex allegations against him are dropped, because he fears moves are under way to extradite him to the US. 2014 July: Assange loses a legal bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden cancelled. 2015 August 13: Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some of the sex allegations against Assange due to time restrictions. The investigation into suspected rape remains active. Julian Assange married Stella Moris at HMP Belmarsh, south-east London, in 2022 (PA) October 12: The Metropolitan Police end their 24-hour guard outside the Ecuadorian embassy. It concludes a three-year police operation that is estimated to have cost more than 12 million. 2016 September 16: Swedens Court of Appeal rejects a bid by Assange to have his sex assault warrant dropped. October: WikiLeaks publishes Democratic National Committee emails to the political benefit of Mr Trump, who remarks during his campaign: I love WikiLeaks. November 14: Assange is questioned for two days at the Ecuadorian embassy in the presence of Swedens assistant prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren, and police inspector Cecilia Redell. 2017 January 17: Barack Obamas decision to free Chelsea Manning prompts speculation over Assanges position. April 21: Americas attorney general, Jeff Sessions, says Assanges arrest is a priority for the US. May 19: An investigation into a sex allegation against Assange is dropped by Swedens director of public prosecutions. A sculpture called Anything To Say, which features life-sized bronze figures of whistleblowers (left-right) Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, was unveiled at Parliament Square in London in 2023 (PA) August 15: Assange is allegedly offered a deal to avoid extradition in exchange for revealing the source of hacked Democratic Party emails to end speculation over Russian involvement. December: It is claimed that unnamed US figures who have been paying a security contractor to bug Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy have discussed a desperate plan to kidnap or poison him. 2018 August 9: The US Senate Committee asks to interview Assange as part of its investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. September 27: Assange steps down as editor of WikiLeaks. 2019 January: Mr Trump claims to know nothing about WikiLeaks, only that there is something having to do with Julian Assange. January 10: A legal defence fund is launched for Assange amid fears he is under increasingly serious threat. January 23: Lawyers for Assange say they are taking action aimed at making Mr Trumps administration reveal charges secretly filed against him. March: Ms Manning is jailed again for refusing to give evidence to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. Julian Assange speaks during a press conference inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London (PA) April 11: Assange is arrested after the Ecuadorian government withdraws his asylum, blaming his repeated violations of international conventions and daily-life protocols. He is found guilty of breaching the Bail Act and remanded in custody at Belmarsh Prison. May 1: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court. He continues to be held on remand in Belmarsh from September after serving the custodial sentence. May 19: Swedish authorities resume their investigation into the alleged rape. November 19: The alleged rape investigation is discontinued. 2020 January 13: Assange appears at Westminster Magistrates Court and is backed by dozens of supporters including rapper MIA. February 24: Assange faces an extradition hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, where his representatives argue he cannot legally be handed to the US for political offences because of a 2003 extradition treaty. March 25: Assange appears via video link at Westminster Magistrates Court, where he is refused bail amid the coronavirus crisis. In 2021, Stella Moris and her children Gabriel (right) and Max joined supporters for a picnic in Parliament Square, central London, to mark their father Julian Assanges 50th birthday (PA) April 11: Stella Moris, Assanges partner, who gave birth to his two children while he was living inside the Ecuadorian embassy, issues a plea for his release amid fears for his health. June 24: The US Department of Justice issues an updated 18-count indictment over Assanges alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States. August 25: Ms Moris visits Assange in Belmarsh Prison for the first time in almost six months. September 7: Assanges extradition hearing resumes at the Old Bailey. November 26: Ms Moris urges Mr Trump to pardon Assange before he leaves office. 2021 January 4: A judge at the Old Bailey rules that Assange cannot be extradited to the United States. January 6: Assange is refused bail at Westminster Magistrates Court as the US government appeals against the decision to block his extradition. August 11: The US government is allowed by the High Court to expand the basis of its appeal against the judges decision not to extradite Assange. Julian Assange and Stella Moris were married at HMP Belmarsh (PA) November 11: Sources tell the PA news agency that Assange has been given permission to marry Ms Moris in Belmarsh Prison. December 10: The US government wins its High Court bid to overturn the judges decision not to extradite Assange. December 14: Australias deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce speaks out to say Assange should not be extradited, but instead be kept in Britain and tried there or returned to his home nation. December 23: Ms Moris says Assanges lawyers have started the process towards a Supreme Court appeal over his extradition to the US. 2022 January 24: Assange wins the first stage of his Supreme Court appeal bid against a decision to allow his extradition to the US. March 14: Assange is denied permission to appeal against the High Courts decision in December 2021 to extradite him to the US, the Supreme Court confirms. March 23: Assange marries Ms Moris at Belmarsh Prison in a private ceremony lasting around three hours, with six guests including the couples two young sons and Assanges father, John Shipton. April 20: Westminster Magistrates Court formally issues an extradition order, meaning Home Secretary Priti Patel is now responsible for deciding whether to approve the extradition, with two months to make her decision. Actress Pamela Anderson leaving Belmarsh prison after visiting Julian Assange (PA) June 17: Ms Patel signs the extradition order. Assange has the usual 14-day right to appeal. June 20: Australias prime minister dismisses calls to publicly demand the US drops its prosecution of Assange after the WikiLeaks co-founders wife expressed hopes the government in Canberra would intervene. July 1: Assange lodges an appeal against a decision to extradite him to the United States. July 20: Assanges wife expresses her gratitude to Mexicos president after he repeated an offer of asylum for the WikiLeaks founder. August 15: US journalists and lawyers who visited Assange file legal action against the CIA and its former director, Michael Pompeo, over spying on Assanges visits. September 16: Assange awarded keys to Mexico City. October 8: Comedian and actor Russell Brand and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn join hundreds of protesters outside the Palace of Westminster to demonstrate against the extradition of Assange. October 11: Assange is nominated for a human rights award, The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. An image of Julian Assange is projected on to a building in Leake Street in central London in 2022 to mark three years since his arrest and detention in Belmarsh prison (PA) October 13: Assange is selected as one of three finalists for The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. November 29: Brazils president-elect voices support for the campaign to free Assange. November 30: Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he recently told US President Joe Bidens administration to end the prosecution of Assange. 2023 January 22: The campaign to free Assange steps up following support from the presidents of all major Latin American countries. February 11: About 2,000 campaigners stage a night carnival in London to call for the release of Assange. April 4: Assanges wife says the decision not to allow her husband to meet with two representatives from French group Reporters Without Borders is shameful after they were prevented from visiting Assange at HMP Belmarsh by prison staff. April 10: A letter to the US attorney general is signed by 35 parliamentarians calling for extradition proceedings to be dropped against Assange on the fourth anniversary of his detention at Belmarsh Prison. May 5: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there is nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration of Assange as he expressed frustration at the United States continuing efforts to extradite the WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen. May 5: Assange writes to the King asking the monarch to visit him in prison. Julian Assanges high-profile supporters included the late fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, who was suspended in a 10ft high bird cage outside the Old Bailey in London to protest against his extradition (PA) May 6: After attending the coronation of the King in London, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the lack of concerted efforts to free Assange. May 17: Assanges wife describes the UK TV premiere of a film about the campaign to free the WikiLeaks founder as a hugely significant moment. June 9: Assange loses latest extradition appeal bid. June 24: The wife of Assange says it is now or never at a protest outside Parliament demanding his release. July 29: US secretary of state Antony Blinken pushes back against Australian demands for an end to Assanges prosecution, saying he is accused of very serious criminal conduct by publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. September 23: Friends of Assange call his ongoing prison detention outrageous after holding a bike protest in his name. 2024 January 10: The lawyer for Assange says the WikiLeaks founders life is at risk if his final appeal against his extradition to the US fails. February 15: Australias House of Representatives ramps up pressure on the United States and Britain to end the prosecution of Assange by passing a motion calling for the Australian citizen to be allowed to return to his home country. February 15: Assanges wife warns that the WikiLeaks founder will die if he is extradited to the US, ahead of his High Court appeal. February 20: The United States bid to prosecute Assange is state retaliation, the High Court hears, in his final bid for an appeal in the UK. March 26: Two judges at the High Court decline to dismiss or grant Assanges bid for an appeal, giving the US authorities three weeks to provide satisfactory assurances. April 17: The two judges confirm the US authorities have provided an assurance to the court, meaning a decision on Assanges appeal bid will be considered at a hearing in May. May 20: Assange is given the go-ahead to bring an appeal on the grounds he may be discriminated against and not able to rely on free speech protections in the US. June 24: Julian Assange is granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks says. He is said to have flown out of the UK from Stansted Airport later the same day. June 25: Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific, on Tuesday evening UK time (Wednesday morning local time) to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. He is said to be expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. A group that tracks antisemitism in Germany has it recorded an overall increase of more than 80% in incidents last year, with well over half of the total coming after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in early October. The Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) said it recorded 4,782 antisemitic incidents in 2023, ranging from anti-Jewish comments to attacks, compared with 2,616 in 2022. The group said 2,787 of last years recorded incidents more than the previous years total took place after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Those incidents included a mid-October attack on a synagogue in Berlin, which caused widespread alarm. An open ... but above all carefree Jewish life has become even less possible in Germany as well since October 7 The incidents RIAS documented last year included seven cases classified as extreme violence, which did or could endanger lives or result in severe injury, 121 attacks, 329 cases of targeted damage to property, 183 threats and 4,060 incidences of offensive behaviour. RIAS director Benjamin Steinitz said: An open but above all carefree Jewish life has become even less possible in Germany as well since October 7. Of last years incidents, 1,583 took place in the street, more than double the previous years figure, and 999 on the internet an increase from 853 in 2022. RIAS recorded 471 incidents at educational institutions and 311 on public transport, both more than double the previous year. A senior official with Germanys Central Council of Jews, Daniel Botmann, said: We are not currently seeing the effect of an emigration of Jews from Germany, contrasting that with movement that has been seen from neighbouring France in recent years. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russias former defence minister and its military chief of staff for attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. Former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov are accused of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. The court said on Tuesday that warrants have been issued because judges consider there are reasonable grounds to believe the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10 2022 until at least March 9 2023. During this timeframe, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the statement added. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Mr Putin replaced Mr Shoigu as defence minister in a Cabinet shake-up in May as he began his fifth term as president. He appointed Mr Shoigu as secretary of Russias Security Council, the Kremlin said. 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 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. An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo By Nadia Hardman, Researcher, Refugee and Migrant Rights Division | ( Human Rights Watch ) Less than a year after Human Rights Watch found Saudi border guards had committed widespread and systematic killings of Ethiopian migrants on its border with Yemen, the US appears poised to lift its years-long ban on the sale of offensive weapons to the country. The ban would be ended despite the lack of accountability for the Saudis years of war crimes in Yemen, possible crimes against humanity on the Yemen-Saudi border, and what a US intelligence report concluded was approval of killing the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabias crown prince and de-facto ruler. This would prove to the Saudi leadership that they can get away with murder. The ban on US sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia originated from a Joe Biden campaign promise to make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil, citing the Saudi-backed war in Yemen. France 24 English Video: Saudi Crown Prince believes rights are his to give, hell prosecute people who demand their rights' Last summer, we released a report detailing Saudi border guards horrific crimes against unarmed Ethiopian migrants. Among the devastating evidence, a 17-year-old boy told us how he survived an explosive weapons attack on the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. While approaching the border with a large group of migrants, he said Saudi border guards fired on them with rocket launchers. He described seeing the remains of his groupmostly women and childrenstrewn across the mountain. Somehow, he survived the attack but was then intercepted by Saudi border guards. The next part was hard for him to tell. He said that the border guards forced him to rape another survivora 15-year-old girl. He witnessed border guards summarily executing a man who refused to rape her, leaving him with the unconscionable choice of his own death or raping the girl. The news that Saudi border guards were murdering groups of unarmed migrants horrified people from Brazil to South Korea. Diplomats and politicians spoke out, some calling for an independent investigation. The UNs senior-most human rights official noted the killings in his opening address at the September Human Rights Council session. The United States and Germany announced they had ended training and financial support of the Saudi border guard force. Fast forward 10 months and the momentum has not so much stalled as reversed. Whats worse, this comes amid news that the US may soon resume offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. Despite an initial wave of concern from the international community, there has been no justice or accountability for the killings we documented, nor evidence that the killings have subsided. This is not the first time Saudi Arabia has successfully skirted accountability for grave crimes. Between 2015 and 2022, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen caused nearly 20,000 civilian casualties. For years, Human Rights Watch documented the Saudi-led coalitions use of US weapons in some of the most devastating unlawful attacks on civilians in Yemen, including attacks on a market and a funeral in 2016 that killed nearly 100 people each, both apparent war crimes. And yet Saudi Arabia has continued to avoid accountability for scores of unlawful airstrikes and civilian casualties in Yemen. In October 2021, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the UN Human Rights Council rejected the renewal of the mandate for the Group of Eminent Expertsthe only international, impartial, and independent body investigating and reporting on conflict-related rights violations and abuses in Yemen. As news that Saudi Arabia and the US are nearing agreement on a new mutual defense pact, concern and alarm for grave crimes committed by the Saudis appears long forgotten. Without accountability these crimes will continue. With a new defense pact and the intention of lifting the ban on the sale of offensive weapons, the Biden administration sends the message that heinous crimes can be committed, even rewarded, for political expediency. As Human Rights Watch researchers we made a promise to people like the 17-year-old boy that we would tell the world their stories and try to persuade those in charge that brutal crimes like mass killings should not go unpunished. The Biden administration should maintain its ban on offensive weapons and end arms sales to Saudi Arabia until the country takes meaningful, independently verified steps to end their abuses and hold those responsible for war crimes to account. The Biden administration also should move to apply Leahy Laws and similar standards against providing military aid to abusive entities that would suspend US equipment, arms, and training for units involved in grave human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and anywhere else US assets are used to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. Via Human Rights Watch By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra | Julian Assange has reached a deal with the United States Department of Justice to allow him to return to Australia after pleading guilty to violating American espionage law. Assange, 52, was released from Londons Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent more than five years and later was seen at a London airport boarding a private plane. He left around 5pm on Monday London time. Australias High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith, is on the plane. According to the deal, he will plead guilty to a charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information in a US federal court in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Pacific. He is expected to return to Australia after the court appearance on Wednesday morning. The dramatic breakthrough follows years of cross-party campaigning by Australian politicians, multiple representations by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, ministers and backbenchers, and agitation by a wide group of supporters and especially his family. A federal government spokesman said on Tuesday morning: Prime Minister Albanese has been clear Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. In April, US President Joe Biden gave a hint that progress was being made on Assanges case. Asked if he would consider a request from Australia to drop the prosecution, he answered, Were considering it. The Young Turks: BREAKING: Julian Assange AGREES To Plea Deal Assange, who previously spent years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London while he fought extradition to the US, has suffered declining health recently. Assange was indicted in the US for the WikiLeaks release of a trove of US classified material. This had come from a former American intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement, We have consistently said that the US and UK justice systems should be respected. We welcome the fact that Mr Assanges decision to plead guilty will bring this long running saga to an end. Assanges mother, Christine Ann Hawkins, in a statement provided to Sky News through an advocate, said: I am grateful that my sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. His wife Stella, who married Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, posted, Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges father, John Shipton, told the ABC, It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia. Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Save the Children said Monday that in addition to the some 14,000 children killed by the Israeli military according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, another 4,000 are estimated dead under rubble, and 17,000 are wandering around on their own, unaccompanied and separated from their parents (who may have been killed by Israeli fire). The UN High Commissioners office gave several examples of these massive bombs being dropped when there was no sign of an obvious military target. It wasnt that, as some Israel apologists suggest, people get killed in war, or that you cant kill off Hamas without breaking a few eggs. The pilots werent always aiming for Hamas operatives. They were trying to destroy Palestinian society. 17,000 lost children. Jesus of Nazareth told a parable (Luke 15:3-7) to explain to the Pharisees and tax collectors why he hung out with sinners and the disreputable. It goes, Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Likewise, which parent with several kids who lost one would not drop everything, give the care of its siblings to a relative, and go frantically looking for the lost child? In 2000, the US House of Representatives even encouraged communities to join the Amber Alert program for abducted children, so that alerts are sent out by the Emergency Alert System, Google, Facebook and other means. We do this as communities for a single child. How frantic would we be at the news of 17,000 lost little children? The 17,000 separated from their families are scavenging for food and forced to drink dirty water. Many of them have chronic diarrhea and are developing diseases like hepatitis. They are frightened and grieving, and deeply traumatized. Some are suffering from malnutrition and will suffer permanent cognitive and affective damage from which they will never recover. Some are wounded or amputees. This little girl describes her life: Middle East Eye Video: Gaza Child Separated from Family All the people died. Everyone. Two homes were levelled on our street. We got scared, and stopped going home. We want to go back to our homes. They struck our houses and we had to flee, uncle. We were scared. We want to go home. We want a ceasefire. We are tired of sheltering in these schools while the bombing is ongoing. We get scared. Play it with the sound turned up so you can hear it in her voice. Then there are the children who have lost the adults in their family, and have formed tiny bands to fend for themselves, the tweens taking care of the infants and toddlers. NBC News: A story of survival: 13-year-old takes care of seven siblings amid the war in Gaza Here is the YouTube transcript of this tale of children in Rafah, translated from Arabic: The little boy, Mohammad Ali Yazji says, This is Mayar, and this is Tulin, and this is Youssef, and this is Zaher, and this is Suwar. And this is Ward, and this is Fatima, and this is Mays. The little girl says. Im with my little sister, who keeps crying while I wash her clothes. Her clothes are dirty and my mother has been martyred, and my father is in Gaza [City], not able to get the message to us. We dont know what to do. Mohammad Ali says, Im sitting here, making milk for my little sister. trying to feed her since I havent fed her milk since the morning. Shes crying because shes hungry and theres no one to nurse her. I mean, I feel it. I mean, no one understands her. My mother used to, you know, when she got hungry she would feed her. She knew how to quieten her when she cried. I dont know how to do any of this. I mean, this is my little sister, and when I see her, I feel so sorry for her. I dont know what to do for her. At least bring us milk and Pampers. Where should I get this stuff. Ah, from this hunger she cries out of hunger. Go pigeon, dont take too long, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep. To sleep. Im not sure if theres anyone left in our family alive except for my uncle. When I saw the international aid, I mean, people know that our father is missing and our mother has been martyred, but they bring us little help or not at all. At most, we get light aid locally. Every day we get a can of beans or a can of chickpeas, maybe, or we get a few vegetables, a little financial aid I go to bring them something so they forget the war and do not get bored a toy to play with, and, I mean, to bring them something to forget the hurt. We are supposed to have a father and a mother, but now theres nobody, and when we sleep, all my siblings, they sit there, and every time theres a noise, they start crying and screaming. Theres nobody to make them feel safe. Six month old Tulin, whose name means moonbeam, fell ill with gastroenteritis. This video report was from NBC News Digital. It was produced by Alaa Ibrahim, edited by Jacob Condon, with Jonathan Rinkerman the production manager, Marshall Crook the senior producer, and Rachel Morehouse the executive producer. God bless their souls. Im not sure it was ever aired. The major networks havent covered the Palestinian side of the Gaza War for the most part. As for the children dead under rubble, it should be remembered that the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights has found instances where the Israeli Air Force (IAF) dropped 2,000-pound bombs on residential apartment buildings, flattening them and spreading destruction all along their quarter mile blast radius. It takes most adults about 5 minutes to walk a quarter of a mile. Imagine your neighborhood. If you walked for five minutes, how many houses or apartment buildings would you pass? Imagine them all blown to smithereens. Children and others trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings could not be rescued in Gaza, as they might be in most cities in the United States. The Israelis have limited the import of earth moving equipment since they slapped an extensive economic siege on Gaza in 2007. And the IAF has targeted such equipment in its air raids over the past eight months. Children who were alive under the rubble couldnt be gotten out, no matter how frantic their parents or relatives or neighbor were. They died slowly of lack of water. After about three days of not drinking anything, most people die of renal failure. They would have been parched, whimpering, head hammering, in the dark, alone. Some of the 4,000 who were not immediately turned into red mist by the Israeli bombs died like that. TORONTO / Jun 25, 2024 / Business Wire / Gold Reserve Inc. (TSX.V: GRZ) (OTCQX: GDRZF) (Gold Reserve or the Company) announces it has entered into an engagement letter with Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation (CFCC or the "Agent"), to undertake a private placement of Class A common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") for anticipated gross proceeds of up to US$30.0 million at a price per Common Share of US$4.10 (the Offering). Net proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used for expenditures related to the Company's previously announced credit bid submitted for the common shares of PDV Holdings, Inc. ("PDVH"), the indirect parent company of CITGO Petroleum Corp. (the "Bid"), and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The number of Common Shares to be sold will be determined in the context of the market in conjunction with the marketing efforts and there can be no assurance as to completion of the Offering. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about July 3, 2024 (the Offering Closing Date) and is subject to the completion of formal documentation and receipt of regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has granted the Agent an over-allotment option exercisable, in whole or in part, in the sole discretion of the Agent, to arrange for the purchase of up to an additional 20% of the number of Common Shares sold in the Offering at any time up to two days prior to the Offering Closing Date, on the same terms and conditions as the Offering. If exercised in full, the Company would raise up to US$36.0 million in gross proceeds from the issuance of Common Shares. The Common Shares will be offered on a "best efforts" private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions in each of the provinces of Canada under National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions and in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) and applicable state securities laws, and in such other jurisdictions as may be permitted. The Common Shares issuable to Canadian subscribers in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada which will run for four months from the Offering Closing Date of the Offering. Any Common Shares sold to investors outside of Canada will be sold pursuant to OSC Rule 72-503. In connection with the Offering, the Agent will receive a commission equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares subject to certain exceptions at the Offering Closing Date. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Paul Rivett Executive Vice-Chairman NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable U.S. federal securities laws and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws and state Gold Reserves and its managements intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. They are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Offering. We caution that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risks that may cause the actual events, outcomes or results of Gold Reserve to be materially different from our estimated outcomes, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: failure to obtain any necessary regulatory approvals in connection with the Offering; the completion of the Offering and the closing thereof; that the proceeds obtained under the Offering or will be less than expected; the failure of the Company to negotiate or enter into any agreements required for the Offering; risks associated with the Bid pursuant to the bidding procedures (the Bidding Procedures) managed by the Special Master (the Special Master) appointed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the Delaware Court) in connection with the sale of PDVH common shares (the Sale Process), including but not limited to: the discretion of the Special Master to consider the Bid, to enter into any discussions or negotiation with respect thereto and that the Special Master may reject the Bid; the failure of the Company to negotiate the Bid, including as a result of failing to obtain sufficient equity and/or debt financing; that the Bid submitted by the Company will not be selected as a Successful Bid under the Bidding Procedures, and if selected may not close, including as a result of U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), or any other applicable regulatory body, not granting an authorization in connection with any potential sale of PDVH shares and/or whether OFAC changes its decision or guidance regarding the Sale Process; failure of the Company or any other party to obtain any required approvals for, or satisfy other conditions to effect, any transaction resulting from the Bid; that the Company may forfeit any cash amount deposit made due to failing to complete the Bid or otherwise; that the making of the Bid or any transaction resulting therefrom may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; that, prior to or as a result of the completion of any transaction contemplated by the Bid, the business of the Company may experience significant disruptions due to transaction related uncertainty, industry conditions or other factors; the ability to enforce the writ of attachment granted to the Company; the timing set for various reports and/or other matters with respect to the Sale Process may not be met; the ability of the Company to otherwise participate in the Sale Process (and related costs associated therewith); the amount, if any, of proceeds associated with the Sale Process; the competing claims of certain creditors, the Other Creditors (as detailed in the applicable court documents filed with the Delaware Court) of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Venezuela) and/or any of its agencies or instrumentalities of Venezuela and the Company, including any interest on such creditors judgements and any priority afforded thereto; uncertainties with respect to possible settlements between Venezuela, PDVSA, and/or any of their agencies or instrumentalities, and other creditors and the impact of any such settlements on the amount of funds that may be available under the Sale Process; and the proceeds from the Sale Process may not be sufficient to satisfy the amounts outstanding under the Companys September 2014 arbitral award and/or corresponding November 15, 2015 U.S. judgement in full and the ramifications of bankruptcy with respect to the Sale Process and/or the Companys claims, including as a result of the priority of other claims. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of the risk factors affecting the Companys business, see the Companys Annual Information Form on Form 40-F and Managements Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Companys Managements Discussion & Analysis for the period ended March 31, 2024 and other reports that have been filed on SEDAR+ and are available under the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.ca and which have been filed on EDGAR and are available under the Companys profile at www.sec.gov/edgar. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Gold Reserve or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Gold Reserve disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to its disclosure obligations under applicable rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR) (OTCQB:AXREF) is pleased to announce that it has recommenced drilling at its 100% owned DUKE porphyry copper-gold ("Cu-Au") district ("DUKE District" or "District") in British Columbia ("BC"). The current drill program follows the 2024 winter delineation drilling of the DUKE Deposit. The initial focus of this summers drilling is the SVEA Cu-Au Deposit Target and the new JO porphyry Cu-Au discovery identified by the Company's comprehensive surveys across the prospective 722 km2 District. Ground and airborne geophysical surveys are also currently underway with up to 30 crew members onsite. The Svea Deposit Target shares many attributes with some of the premier deposits and occurrences within the prolific Babine Porphyry Cu-Au Region (the "Babine"). Svea is defined by a 7 km2 Induced Polarization chargeability ("IP") anomaly indicating a large sulphide mineralized system. Widespread and strong Cu-Au-Mo-in-soil geochemical anomalies and favorable biotite-feldspar porphyry ("BFP") intrusive rocks are co-incident with the IP chargeability anomaly. In addition, results from short historical drill holes[1] suggest excellent potential for important Cu-Au mineralization, for example, DDH 69-3 returned 0.36% Cu and 0.18 g/t Au over 23.7 m (see Amarc release January 19, 2024). Another new target, the JO discovery is characterized by coincident IP chargeability and magnetic geophysical anomalies. Initial grab sampling of outcrop within the target returned 0.18% Cu, 0.52 g/t Au, 16 g/t Ag and 55 ppm Mo (see Amarc release April 16, 2024). Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), under the DUKE District Mineral Property Earn-in Agreement is continuing its earn-in during 2024 with a further $10 million of budgeted expenditures (see Amarc release December 13, 2023). Amarc continues as project operator. "The Amarc team is excited to be back on the ground commencing the summer drilling program at Svea and JO and plans to complete twelve holes between these Targets," said Amarc President and CEO Diane Nicolson. "In addition to current exploration drilling on the Svea and JO, nine drill holes were completed during the winter drilling at the DUKE Deposit. These drill holes further defined the Cu-Mo mineralization in the central portion of the DUKE Deposit as well as identifying potentially important volumes of mineralization to the south and north of the main Deposit which remain to be fully drill delineated." - [1] Copper assays for nine 1969 Texas Gulf drilling are from copies of original drill logs, accessed at https://propertyfile.gov.bc.ca/showDocument.aspx?docno=830869 (BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources ("BC MEMPR") Property File Document 830869), and for gold in from Carter, 1992, Geological and Geochemical Report, Sampling of Diamond Drill Cores and Soil Sampling, on the Trail Mineral Claim, 31 pages, BC MEMPR Assessment Report 22719. Assay summaries are available for some of these historical drill holes, but much of the assay data, along with drill logs, is not available. These results are historical in nature and at the time of this release have not been verified by Amarc or its Qualified Person, as the drill core, and original sample material are not available, however, the Company intends to verify this information through drilling during its summer 2024 campaign. DUKE Deposit Drill Results and Key Implications During the winter of 2024, two rigs continued with delineation drilling of the DUKE Cu-Mo Deposit and testing the DUKE Offset (Figure 1). Nine core holes were drilled, totalling some 4,828.2 m. Assay data and drill hole information are provided in Tables 1, 2 and 3. Seven of the 9 drill holes intersected Cu-Mo mineralization above an approximate grade of 0.15% CuEQ* over widths of 104 m to 385 m (Tables 1 and 2). Highlights from the 2024 winter drilling at the DUKE Deposit include: 71 m of 0.45% CuEQ* (0.35% Cu, 0.016% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag) and 104 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.29% Cu, 0.016% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag) in hole DK24033 110 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.25% Cu, 0.028% Mo, 0.04 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) and 30 m of 0.39% CuEQ (0.26% Cu, 0.025% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.4 g/t Ag) in hole DK24034 30 m of 0.44% CuEQ (0.35% Cu, 0.013% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) within 203 m of 0.28% CuEQ (0.2% Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.03 g/t Au, 1.0 g/t Ag) in hole DK24035 48 m of 0.34% CuEQ (0.26% Cu, 0.010% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag) in hole DK24036 15 m of 0.69% CuEQ (0.52% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.11 g/t Au, 1.9 g/t Ag) and 29 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.31% Cu, 0.030% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.7 g/t Ag) within 208 m of 0.26% CuEQ (0.19% Cu, 0.013% Mo, 0.04 g/t Au and 1.0 g/t Ag) in hole DK24037 The 2024 ongoing DUKE Deposit delineation drilling results complement those returned from the 2022-2023 drilling program which included: 183 m of 0.43% CuEQ* (0.31% Cu, 0.019% Mo, 0.07 g/t Au,1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22009** 217 m of 0.45% CuEQ (0.33% Cu, 0.018% Mo, 0.08 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK22010** 30 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.36 % Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Ag) in hole DK23012** 30 m of 0.43% CuEQ (0.31% Cu, 0.014% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag), and 33 m of 0.44% CuEQ (0.20% Cu, 0.053% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag) in hole DK23015** 82 m of 0.41% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) in hole DK23022** 36 m of 0.47% CuEQ (0.34% Cu, 0.024% Mo, 0.06 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23024** 33 m of 0.40% CuEQ (0.30% Cu, 0.017% Mo, 0.05 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag) in hole DK23026** * Copper equivalent (CuEQ) calculations use metal prices of: Cu US$4/lb, Mo US$15/lb, Au US$1,800/oz and Ag US$24/oz and conceptual recoveries of: Cu 85%, Mo 82%, Au 72% and 67% Ag. ** Holes DK22009 to DK23026 were previously reported in Amarc releases dated January 26, 2023, February 15, 2023 and June 15, 2023. Figure 1: On-going Delineation Drilling Continues to Expand DUKE Deposit A new and positive structural element, the South Graben Fault ("SGF") was recognized principally from the results of drill hole DK24036. The SGF, like many other mineralized corridors in the Babine, likely has a spatial relationship to the development of significant Cu-Mo mineralized zones. Notably, recognition of the SGF indicates the possibility to expand the DUKE Deposit over a potential strike length of 700 m. A few short historical holes drilled in the 1970's cut the shallowest portions of this targeted volume. In most cases the holes were well mineralized, for example, 70-02 returned 113 m of 0.38% CuEQ (0.29% Cu, 0.012% Mo 0.06 g/t Au, 1.1 g/t Ag) including 12 m of 0.51% CuEQ (0.41% Cu, 0.010% Mo, 0.09 g/t Au, 1.6 g/t Ag) (see Amarc DUKE Project 2020 Technical Report available on the website at https://amarcresources.com/projects/duke-project/technical-report). Using orientated core drilling and changing drilling orientations to along north-south sections (from previous east-west sections) (Figures 1, 2 and 3) has provided valuable information for the modelling of the Deposit. This knowledge is also being applied to the drill testing of deposit targets in the DUKE District. Figure 2: Significant Volumes of Cu-Mo-Ag-Au Mineralization Being Drill Delineated at the DUKE Deposit, Section A-A' Figure 3: DUKE Deposit Remains Open to Expansion, Section B-B' DUKE Offset Drill Results Drill holes DK24038 and DK24040 returned important Cu-Mo intercepts (Figure 1, Table 2) and with a previously reported intercept in DK18004 (see Amarc release June 12, 2018), are outlining a newly recognized volume of mineralized rock to the west of the DUKE Fault which represents a portion of the DUKE Deposit that was displaced some 450 to 500 m northwards (Figure 1). The initial drilling suggests that this new target has a strike length of approximately 500 m and an estimated true width of around 120 m. It remains to be fully drill delineated. Importantly, the new accurate determination of the displacement along the DUKE Fault permits targeting - for the first time - the location of the fault-offset portion of the Cu-Mo-Au mineralization intersected in hole DK 17001 (see Amarc release see Amarc release June 12, 2018). The last 93.5 m of this drill hole cut 0.31% CuEQ (0.23% Cu, 0.001% Mo, 2.7 g/t Ag, 0.12 g/t Au), including a significant Au intersection of 0.68 g/t Au over 9 m from 509 to 518.5 m at the bottom of the hole. Table 1: DUKE Deposit 2024 Assay Results Table 2: DUKE Deposit Offset Drill Holes Notes: Widths reported are drill widths, such that true thicknesses are unknown. All assay intervals represent length-weighted averages. Some figures may not sum exactly due to rounding. Copper equivalent (CuEQ) calculations use metal process prices of: Cu US$4/lb, Au US$1800/oz., Ag US$24/oz. and Mo US$15/lb and conceptual recoveries of: Cu 85%, Mo 82%, Au 72% and 67% Ag. Conversion of metals to an equivalent copper grade based on these metal prices is relative to the copper price per unit mass factored by conceptual recoveries for those metals normalized to the conceptualized copper recovery. The metal equivalencies for each metal are added to the copper grade. The general formula for this is: CuEQ% = Cu% + ((Au g/t * (Au recovery / Cu recovery) * (Au $ per oz./31.1034768 / Cu $ per lb. * 22.04623)) + ((Ag g/t * (Ag recovery / Cu recovery) * (Ag $ per oz./ 31.1034768 / Cu $ per lb. * 22.04623)) + ((Mo% * (Mo recovery / Cu recovery) * (Mo $ per lb.) / Cu $ per lb.)). The collar locations in UTM NAD83, Zone 9N coordinates for drill holes are listed in Table 3. Corporate In other news Amarc regrets to report that Dr. Paul Johnston has had to step down as VP Exploration for personal reasons. The Company thanks Dr. Johnston for his contributions and wishes him well. About Amarc Resources Ltd. Amarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry Cu-Au mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its exploration and development-stage assets. Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry CuAu Districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each District represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry CuAu deposits. Importantly, each of the three districts are located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail. Freeport-McMoRan Mineral Properties Canada Inc. ("Freeport"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. at JOY and Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), an entity within the Boliden Group of companies at DUKE, can earn up to a 70% interest in each District through staged investments of $110 million and $90 million, respectively. Together this provides Amarc with potentially up to $200 million in non-share dilutive staged funding for these Districts. In addition, Amarc intends to solo drill the higher grade Empress Deposit in the IKE District allocating funds from its successful 2023 financing. Amarc is the operator of all programs. Amarc is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a 35-year history of porphyry Cu deposit discovery and development success. Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC's and the world's most important porphyry deposits - such as Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North, Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino, Sisson, Maggie, IKE, PINE and DUKE. From its head office in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral projects. Amarc works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly, and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and social performance. Qualified Person Mark Rebagliati, P.Geo, a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved all technical and scientific information related to the Duke Project contained in this news release. Mr. Rebagliati is not independent of the Company. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program Amarc drilled NQv (48.1mm) size core in the winter of 2024. All drill core was logged, photographed, and cut in half with a diamond saw. Half core samples from the DUKE drilling were sent to ALS Canada Ltd., Kamloops, Canada, for preparation and to North Vancouver, Canada for analysis. Surface rock samples from the 2023 program were sent to either Kamloops or North Vancouver for preparation and were also analyzed in North Vancouver. Both facilities are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited. At the laboratory, samples were dried, crushed to 70% passing -2mm, and a 250 g split pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were analyzed for Au by fire assay fusion of a 30 g sub-sample with an ICP-AES finish, and for 60 elements including Cu, Mo and Ag by a four-acid digestion, multi-element ICP-MS package. As part of a comprehensive Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QAQC") program, Amarc control samples were inserted in each analytical batch of the core samples at the following rates: standards one in 20 regular samples, in-line replicates one in 20 regular samples and one coarse blank per hole. For surface rock samples, at least one standard was inserted in each analytical batch. The control sample results were then checked to ensure proper QAQC. For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114, or Kin Communications, at (604) 684-6730, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES LTD. Dr. Diane Nicolson President and CEO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking and other Cautionary Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exploration plans and plans for enhanced relationships are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Table 3: 2024 Drill Hole Information Figure 1: On-going Delineation Drilling Continues to Expand DUKE Deposit Figure 2: Significant Volumes of Cu-Mo-Ag-Au Mineralization Being Drill Delineated at the DUKE Deposit, Section A-A' Figure 3: DUKE Deposit Remains Open to Expansion, Section B-B' Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") is excited to announce the commencement of its diamond drilling program at the uranium-bearing Loranger property adjacent to the renowned Athabasca Basin. The goal of this program is to target favorable geophysical indicators intersecting the Tabbernor Fault system, with the primary objective of discovering conductors and alteration halos that may lead to uranium mineralization. The program will include up to 1,000 meters of drilling across 3 to 4 drill targets. Stephen Burega, President of Appia, commented: "With the commencement of the Loranger drill program, Appia reconfirms its commitment to moving our uranium assets in Saskatchewan forward. Following the completion of a successful ground reconnaissance program on our Eastside property last month (see June 5th 2024 Press Release), we now have a drill testing a number of intriguing conductors at the Loranger property aimed at uncovering uranium mineralization and key geological indicators to further our understanding of the project's potential." The crew will be based at Points North, Saskatchewan, and operations are efficiently staged 59 km south near the property to optimize ground and airborne helicopter transportation throughout the program. The program is expected to be completed within an 18-day timeline. The Loranger drill program marks a significant step forward in Appia's exploration endeavors in northern Saskatchewan, enhancing the potential of the property amidst a favorable economic climate. Figure 1 - Operating Loranger Diamond Drill, Wollaston Lake, SK About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia) Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario. Appia has 136.3 million common shares outstanding, 145 million shares fully diluted. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, visit www.appiareu.com As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages. To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here. Contact: Tom Drivas, CEO and Director (c) (416) 876-3957 (f) (416) 218-9772 (e) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Stephen Burega, President (c) (647) 515-3734 (e) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prime Mining Corp. (Prime or the Company) (TSX: PRYM) (OTCQX: PRMNF) (Frankfurt: 04V3) is reporting expansion drilling results from the Companys Los Reyes Project (the Project), located in Sinaloa State, Mexico. These results are from 2024 drilling at the Z-T Trend and are not included in the Companys May 2, 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). Expansion Drilling Highlights in the Z-T Trend The Company is reporting 15 core holes at Tahonitas with the following highlights: 6.93 grams per tonne (gpt) gold-equivalent (AuEq) (6.64 gpt Au and 22.4 gpt Ag) over 2.0 metres (m) estimated true width (etw) in hole 24TA-117, including: 19.71 gpt AuEq (18.90 gpt Au and 62.8 gpt Ag) over 1.0 m etw; 1.51 gpt AuEq (1.0 gpt Au and 39.6 gpt Ag) over 14.2 m etw in hole 24TA-119, including: 4.34 gpt AuEq (2.60 gpt Au and 134.5 gpt Ag) over 2.4 m etw. 1.47 gpt AuEq (1.21 gpt Au and 19.9 gpt Ag) over 10.7 m etw in hole 24TA-131, including 7.28 gpt AuEq (6.80 gpt Au and 37.4 gpt Ag) over 0.8 m etw. Prime Mining Corp. Chief Executive Officer Scott Hicks commented, Following up on our April news release, in which we shared the discovery of a new shoot at the south-east end of Z-T, the drill results we are reporting today again reflect the high-grade nature of the Z-T Trend and its continuity at depth and along strike. We are continuing our drilling program at the south-east end of Z-T while our generative drilling program at the north-west end of Z-T is testing the Mariposa underground target. To-date, we have drill-tested a linear strike length of approximately three kilometres at Z-T. Scott Smith, Executive Vice President of Exploration, added, These holes continue to prove out the extent of mineralization at Z-T, where we are drilling out vertical gaps to support future resource updates. In addition, with new access in place, we are now drilling significant step outs further along strike to the southeast. We have an additional kilometre of new access along strike to test where detailed mapping has confirmed the structure continues. This is in addition to the three kilometre strike length that has been drill-tested Figure 1: Expansion drilling update Tahonitas Drill Hole Highlights1 Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) ETW (m)2 Au (gpt) Ag (gpt) AuEq3 Au Cut-off4 24TA-117 256.5 261.0 4.5 2.9 6.64 22.4 6.93 0.2 including 256.5 258.0 1.5 1.0 18.90 62.8 19.71 1.0 24TA-117 268.5 278.6 10.1 6.5 0.42 4.6 0.48 0.2 including 268.5 270.0 1.5 1.0 1.33 4.7 1.39 1.0 24TA-119 318.9 337.3 18.5 14.2 1.00 39.6 1.51 0.2 including 323.0 324.8 1.8 1.4 1.82 75.4 2.80 1.0 & including 325.9 329.0 3.1 2.4 2.60 134.5 4.34 1.0 24TA-127 307.4 312.0 4.6 4.0 1.11 16.0 1.32 0.2 including 308.5 310.7 2.2 1.9 1.74 26.1 2.08 1.0 24TA-130 335.3 343.5 8.2 7.9 0.46 27.3 0.81 0.2 including 339.6 340.3 0.8 0.7 1.11 40.7 1.64 1.0 24TA-131 305.9 316.9 11.0 10.7 1.21 19.9 1.47 0.2 including 308.8 310.4 1.6 1.6 1.68 24.4 2.00 1.0 & including 314.6 315.4 0.9 0.8 6.80 37.4 7.28 1.0 1) A complete table of assay results from all deposits and all secondary zones intersected utilizing a 0.20 gpt Au cut-off is on the Company's website. 2) Estimated True Widths (ETW) are estimated based on drill hole geology or comparisons with other on-section drill holes. 3) Au Equivalent (AuEq) is calculated as Au gpt + (Ag gpt x ($22/$1700)) where $22 and $1700 are the price of one ounce of Ag and Au respectively (in US dollars). 4) Composite assay grades presented in summary tables are calculated using a Au grade minimum average of 0.20 gpt or 1.0 gpt as indicated in Au Cut-off column of Summary Tables. Maximum internal waste included in any reported composite interval is 3.00 m. The 1.00 gpt Au cut-off is used to define higher-grade cores within the lower-grade halo. INTERPRETATION 24TA-117 displays high grade gold and silver mineralization and remains open to the south-east, while both 24TA-119 and -117 indicates mineralization remains open down-dip. Hole 24TA-119 intercepted gold and silver-bearing mineralization at an elevation of 270m above sea level and approximately 425m down-dip (as measured along the structure) from the current pit bottom. Holes 24TA-130 and -131 successfully indicated continuity of high-grade mineralization immediately beneath the MRE pit, in an area which was previously drilled at a sub-optimal orientation to mineralization due to access constraints. 24TA-131 is particularly impactful because it connects two previously separate shoots of high-grade mineralization, returning higher grades than estimated in the May 2023 MRE. 24TA-127 intersected high gold-equivalent grades approximately 275m along strike and 350m down-dip from the MRE pit bottom. These results, along with 24TA-117 and -119, continue to grow the newly discovered lobe of high-grade mineralization outlined in our April 2024 release. This high-grade lobe remains open down-dip and along strike to the southeast. The next steps for expansion drilling at the Z-T Trend are focused on the newly discovered high-grade shoot at Tahonitas defined by 24TA-110, -112, -116, -117, and -119, and to follow-up on open mineralization along strike at the far southeast end of the ZT trend. The ongoing discovery of mineralization hosted at relatively shallow depths continues to suggest the following: Shallow early-stage intersections that may support pit expansion to the southeast near surface. Demonstrates that the Tahonitas structure continues to be mineralized for 350m along strike from the south-east pit crest. The potential to discover more high-grade plunging shoots with continued drilling at depth within the new southeast strike extension and potentially high-margin underground feed. Continuity of grades at depth; grades that are high enough to potentially support underground resource estimation below the current resource pit bottom. As noted in earlier Z-T Trend releases focused on Tahonitas, the high-grade plunging shoots are still open at depth and along strike in multiple areas along the Trend. Figure 2: Z-T Area drilling update Figure 3: Z-T Area long section with drill holes highlighted (A-A) Figure 4: Z-T Area (Tahonitas) cross section B-B 2024 Outlook Prime has completed approximately 28,000 metres of its targeted 40,000-metre 2024 drill program to-date (within budget) and will continue to evaluate drilling plans using its success-based approach. This evaluation will also include prioritization of targets based on probability of resource development and generative area discovery potential. Four drill rigs are currently active on site at Los Reyes, with 2024 exploration focused on: Extending the high-grade Z-T Trend shoots that remain open at depth, as well as along strike, both north and south. shoots that remain open at depth, as well as along strike, both north and south. Expanding the known high-grade mineralization at Guadalupe East . . Increasing the Central Trend resource through additions at Noche Buena and its connection to San Miguel East. through additions at Noche Buena and its connection to San Miguel East. Generative target drilling of high-grade intercepts at Las Primas, Mariposa, Fresnillo, Mina and others to further develop the resource potential at Los Reyes. Links to Figures: Links to Tables: About the Los Reyes Gold and Silver Project Los Reyes is a rapidly evolving high-grade, low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver project located in Sinaloa State, Mexico. Since acquiring Los Reyes in 2019, Prime has spent approximately CAD$52 million on direct exploration activities and has completed over 185,000 metres of drilling (to March 31, 2024). On May 2, 2023, Prime announced an updated multi-million-ounce high-grade open pit constrained resource (see the May 2, 2023 press release for more details). May 2, 2023 Resource Statement Assurance Category Ore Tonnes Mt Average Gold Grade (g/t) Contained Gold (k ozs) Average Silver Grade (g/t) Contained Silver (k ozs) Average AuEq Grade (g/t) Contained AuEq (k ozs) Measured (M) - - - - - - - Indicated (I) 27.2 1.16 1,013 40.40 35,263 1.68 1,470 M+I 27.2 1.16 1,013 40.40 35,263 1.68 1,470 Inferred 18.1 0.85 497 31.52 18,334 1.26 734 Drilling is on-going and suggests that the three known main deposit areas (Guadalupe, Central and Z-T) are larger than previously reported. Potential also exists for new discoveries where mineralized trends have been identified outside of the currently defined resource areas. Historic operating results indicate that an estimated 1 million ounces of gold and 60 million ounces of silver were recovered from five separate operations at Los Reyes between 1770 and 1990. Prior to Primes acquisition, recent operators of Los Reyes had spent approximately US$20 million on exploration, engineering, and prefeasibility studies. QA/QC Protocols and Sampling Procedures Drill core at the Los Reyes project is drilled in predominately HQ size (63.5 millimetre mm), reducing to NQ (47.6 mm) when required. Drill core samples are generally 1.50 m long along the core axis with allowance for shorter or longer intervals if required to suit geological constraints. After logging intervals are identified to be sampled, the core is cut and one half is submitted for assay. RC drilling returns rock chips and fines from a 133.35 mm diameter tricone bit. The returns are homogenized and split into 2 halves, with one half submitted for analysis and the other half stored. Sample QA/QC measures include unmarked certified reference materials, blanks, and field duplicates as well as preparation duplicates are inserted into the sample sequence and make up approximately 8% of the samples submitted to the laboratory for each drill hole. Samples are picked up from the Project by the laboratory personnel and transported to their facilities in Durango or Hermosillo Mexico, for sample preparation. Sample analysis is carried out by Bureau Veritas and ALS Labs, with fire assay, including over limits fire assay re-analysis, completed at their respective Hermosillo, Mexico laboratories and multi-element analysis completed in North Vancouver, Canada. Drill core sample preparation includes fine crushing of the sample to at least 70% passing less than 2 mm, sample splitting using a riffle splitter, and pulverizing a 250-gram split to at least 85% passing 75 microns. Gold in diamond drill core is analyzed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy of a 30 g sample (code FA430 or Au-AA23). Multi-element chemistry is analyzed by 4-Acid digestion of a 0.25-gram sample split (code MA300 or ME-ICP61) with detection by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer for a full suite of elements. Gold assay techniques FA430 and Au-AA23 have an upper detection limit of 10 ppm. Any sample that produces an over-limit gold value via the initial assay technique is sent for gravimetric finish via method FA-530 or Au-GRA21. Silver analyses by MA300 and ME-ICP61 have an upper limit of 200 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively. Samples with over-limit silver values are re-analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish FA530 or Au-GRA21. Both Bureau Veritas and ALS Labs are ISO/IEC accredited assay laboratories. Additional Notes Metres is represented by m; etw is Estimated True Width and is based on drill hole geometry or comparisons with other on-section drill holes; Au refers to gold, and Ag refers to silver; gpt is grams per metric tonne; some figures may not sum due to rounding; Composite assay grades presented in summary tables are calculated using a Au grade minimum average of 0.20 gpt or 1.0 gpt as indicated in Au Cut-off column of Summary Tables. Maximum internal waste included in any reported composite interval is 3.00 m. The 1.00 gpt Au cut-off is used to define higher-grade cores within the lower-grade halo. Gold equivalent grades are calculated based on an assumed gold price of US$1,700 per ounce and silver price of $22 per ounce, based on the formula AuEq grade (gpt) = Au grade + (Ag grade x ($22 / $1,700)). Metallurgical recoveries are not considered in the in-situ grade estimate but are estimated to be 93% and 83% for gold and silver, respectively, when processed in a mill, and 72% and 25% respectively when heap-leached. See the June 12, 2023 Los Reyes Technical Report for additional details. Qualified Person Scott Smith, P.Geo., Executive Vice President of Exploration, is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release. About Prime Mining Prime is managed by an ideal mix of successful mining executives, strong capital markets personnel and experienced local operators all focused on unlocking the full potential of the Los Reyes Project. The Company has a well-planned capital structure with a strong management team and insider ownership. Prime is targeting a material resource expansion at Los Reyes through a combination of new generative area discoveries and growth, while also building on technical de-risking activities to support eventual project development. For further information, please visit https://primeminingcorp.ca/ or direct enquiries to: Scott Hicks CEO & Director Indi Gopinathan VP Capital Markets & Business Development Prime Mining Corp. 710 1030 West Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6E 2Y3 Canada +1(604) 238-1659 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cautionary Notes to U.S. Investors Concerning Resource Estimates This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the U.S. securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms mineral reserve, proven mineral reserve, probable mineral reserve, inferred mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, measured mineral resources and mineral resources used or referenced in this presentation are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) under the guidelines set out in the 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines, May 2014 (the CIM Standards). The CIM Standards differ from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) in Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (the SEC Modernization Rules) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multijurisdictional disclosure system, the Company is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, the Companys disclosure of mineralization and other technical information may differ significantly from the information that would be disclosed had the Company prepared the information under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding the perceived merit of the Companys properties, including additional exploration potential of Los Reyes, potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, the potential size of the mineralized zone, metallurgical recoveries, and the Companys exploration and development plans in Mexico. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes, or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made, and they involve several risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding the price of gold, silver and copper; the accuracy of mineral resource estimations; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained, including concession renewals and permitting; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; that currency and exchange rates will be consistent with current levels; and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: risks related to uncertainties inherent in the preparation of mineral resource estimates, including but not limited to changes to the cost assumptions, variations in quantity of mineralized material, grade or recovery rates, changes to geotechnical or hydrogeological considerations, failure of plant, equipment or processes, changes to availability of power or the power rates, ability to maintain social license, changes to interest or tax rates, changes in project parameters, delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of local communities, environmental risks, title risks, including concession renewal, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, risks relating to COVID-19, delays in or failure to receive access agreements or amended permits, risks inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the Companys objectives and strategies, including costs and expenses, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 25, 2024, available on www.sedarplus.ca. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Vancouver, British Columbia - TheNewswire - June 25, 2024: Headwater Gold Inc. (CSE: HWG) (OTCQB: HWAUF) (the "Company" or "Headwater") is pleased to announce significant expansions of its Spring Peak and Lodestar projects in Nevada, and the initiation of a comprehensive district-scale exploration program. The land expansion and regional exploration programs are being funded through earn-in agreements (the Earn-In Agreements or Agreements) with Newmont Corporation (Newmont) (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT, ASX: NEM, PNGX: NEM) announced on August 16, 2022 and May 9, 2023. Highlights: 97% Land Position Expansion: Headwater has staked 583 new claims, expanding its combined Spring Peak and Lodestar land positions by 97%. This now secures approximately 15 km of strike extent along the Aurora trend which historically produced nearly 4 million ounces of gold. District-Scale Exploration Program: A comprehensive exploration program is underway in the district including gravity geophysics, CSAMT geophysics, helicopter magnetics and radiometrics, stream sediment sampling, rock sampling, and soil sampling utilizing Newmonts Deep Sensing Geochemistry (DSG) methodology. Drilling Program Scheduled: A multi-rig drill program at Spring Peak, totaling up to approximately 7,000 metres over 20 to 25 holes, is scheduled to begin in the first half of July 2024. The primary objective of the drill program will be to test for extensions of mineralization along the Bear Fault corridor, which hosts high-grade mineralization at the Disco Zone discovery. New Doug Target Zone: Subcropping mineralized epithermal veins have been identified at the new Doug target area. Vein textures in the area are characteristic of the shallow portions of an epithermal vein system. Initial rock samples have yielded gold values up to 2.05 g/t Au, with additional follow-up sampling underway. Caleb Stroup, President and CEO of the Company, states: We are thrilled with the strategic expansion of our land position, which we believe significantly increases our potential for discovering a Tier-One high-grade gold deposit along the prolific Aurora trend. The commencement of our district-scale exploration program, together with the identification of the new Doug target, underscores our commitment to aggressive and systematic exploration in the district. We are particularly excited about our ongoing application of advanced geophysical and geochemical techniques, including Newmonts Deep Sensing Geochemistry to explore areas with thin post-mineral cover. We believe these tools will play a critical role in our efforts to unlock the full potential of this high-grade district. The Aurora Trend and Headwaters Claim Expansion: The Aurora trend is a highly mineralized belt extending from Bodie, California, through the Aurora Mining District in Nevada, and up to the Borealis project area (Figure 1). Historically, this trend has seen significant high-grade gold and silver production. The Aurora district alone has recorded past production of 1.9 million ounces of gold and 25 million ounces of silver (Vikre and others, 2015). Recorded production from the Bodie district was 1.5 million ounces of gold and 7.3 million ounces of silver between 1859 and 1955 at an average grade of 33 grams per ton gold (Long and others, 1998). Despite the rich endowment of the district, the area has seen relatively limited modern exploration, especially outside of the immediate areas surrounding the historic mines. Thin post-mineral cover has hindered previous surface exploration efforts, but the recognition of exposed mineralized bedrock in the Doug area demonstrates the potential exploration opportunities under cover in the district. Figure 1: Map of the expanded Spring Peak and Lodestar land positions within the Aurora trend. [1]Vikre and others (2015); [2]Borealis Mine 43-101 dated February 16, 2024; [3]Long and others (1998). Recognition of this opportunity coupled with recent sampling and geophysical programs led the Company to complete a large claim staking campaign along the northeastern margin of the preexisting land package in 2024 (Figure 1). The addition of 583 new claims in this area, split between the Companys Spring Peak (~7,835 hectares) and Lodestar (~1,620 hectares) projects, makes Headwater the largest land holder in the district. Figure 2: Simplified geologic map of Doug target area showing the historically mined Ann veins and select results from Headwaters initial rock chip sampling program. Doug Target and Bear Fault Corridor: The newly identified Doug target occurs in an exposed window of altered andesite, granite, and epithermal vein subcrop, in an area measuring approximately 250 m by 750 m (Figure 1). The Doug target is located along the northern trend of the Bear Fault approximately 9 km from the Disco Zone where the fault hosts high-grade epithermal veins discovered by Headwater in 2022. Headwater geologists interpret this fault as an important control on mineralization in the region. The greater Doug area is largely covered by thin young basalt flows, but newly discovered vein exposures at Doug may represent the extension of the historically mined Ann veins immediately to the southwest within Heclas Aurora Project (Figure 2). Initial rock sampling at Doug has returned gold values up to 2.05 g/t Au. Vein textures in the area are characteristic of the shallow, high-level portions of an epithermal vein system, including fine-grained chalcedonic banded veins (Figure 3) and vein sediments. The Doug area has seen little to no historic exploration, making it a high-priority target for follow-up exploration. Figure 3: Examples of typical vein textures present in the Doug target area. A) chalcedonic banded vein with quartz-after-calcite boiling textures and iron oxides B) chalcedonic vein with vein sediment infill. District-Scale Exploration Program: Geophysics: The 2024 Spring Peak and Lodestar exploration programs include gravity, CSAMT, and helicopter magnetics and radiometrics. These methods will help map subsurface structures at a district and prospect scale and identify potential mineralized zones. Gravity and CSAMT surveys are particularly useful for detecting changes in density and resistivity, respectively, which can aid in detecting the presence of large structures and potential mineralized bodies at depth and beneath shallow post-mineral cover. Surface Geochemistry: Headwater is also employing a comprehensive surface geochemistry program over a large portion of the newly expanded land package, including stream sediment sampling, rock sampling, and soil sampling. The soil sampling will utilize Newmonts Deep Sensing Geochemistry (DSG) methodology. DSG is a proprietary technique developed by Newmont to detect ultra-low concentrations of gold and associated metals through challenging surface conditions, such as unmineralized cover or complex geochemical environments. This method has been successful in identifying blind mineralization at depths of over 500 metres and has been designed to provide a competitive advantage in deep cover exploration when compared to traditional surface geochemistry. About the Spring Peak Project: The Spring Peak project is located in the Aurora Mining District in the Walker Lane belt, west-central Nevada, approximately 50 km southwest of the town of Hawthorne. The project adjoins Hecla Mining Companys past-producing Aurora Mine complex, where existing infrastructure includes a 350 ton per day mill, several production water wells, and high-voltage three-phase power. Recent drilling at the Disco Zone has confirmed the presence of high-grade gold mineralization, including significant intersections such as 15.92 g/t Au over 2.38 m and 10.43 g/t Au over 2.01 m within a broader zone of 2.73 g/t Au over 34.72 m. A multi-rig drill program totaling up to approximately 7,000 metres over 20 to 25 holes is scheduled to begin in summer 2024. The primary objective of the drill program will be to test for extensions of mineralization along the Bear Fault corridor, which hosts high-grade mineralization at the Disco Zone discovery. Additionally, multiple new targets across the broader land package will be tested with initial scout drilling, including targets on newly acquired private lands which have no prior drilling. Headwater holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Spring Peak project from Orogen Royalties (TSXV: OGN), subject to retained royalties and subject to Newmonts option to acquire up to 75% of the project following certain expenditures and preparation of a Pre-Feasibility Study within a designated time frame. About the Lodestar Project: Located approximately 10 km north of the Spring Peak project, the Lodestar project also adjoins Heclas past-producing Aurora Mine complex (Figure 1). The strategic expansion through new claim staking enhances the exploration potential of the Lodestar project, building on the success of ongoing exploration efforts. A multi-rig drill program totaling up to approximately 3,500 metres over 10 to 15 holes is currently scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024 pending the receipt of a drill permit which has been submitted to the United States Forest Service. The primary objective of the drill program will be to test for high-grade precious metal deposits in steeply dipping feeder structures under the Zodiac sinter target. Additional scout drill holes are planned to test under-cover geophysical targets adjacent to the Zodiac target, beneath a thin veneer of post-mineral basalt. Headwater holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Lodestar project from a private vendor, subject to retained royalties and Newmonts option to acquire up to 75% of the project following certain expenditures and preparation of a Pre-Feasibility Study within a designated time frame. About Headwater Gold: Headwater Gold Inc. (CSE: HWG, OTCQB: HWAUF) is a technically-driven mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and discovery of high-grade precious metal deposits in the Western USA. Headwater is aggressively exploring one of the most well-endowed and mining-friendly jurisdictions in the world with a goal of making world-class precious metal discoveries. Headwater has a large portfolio of epithermal vein exploration projects and a technical team of experienced geologists with diverse capital markets, junior and major mining company backgrounds. The Company is systematically drill testing several projects in Nevada and in August 2022 and May 2023 announced significant transactions with Newmont where it acquired a 9.9% strategic equity interest in the Company and entered into earn-in agreements on several of Headwaters projects. Headwater is part of the NewQuest Capital Group which is a discovery-driven investment enterprise that builds value through the incubation and financing of mineral projects and companies. Further information about NewQuest can be found on the company website at www.nqcapitalgroup.com. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.headwatergold.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Caleb Stroup President and CEO +1 (775) 409-3197 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For further information, please contact: Brennan Zerb Investor Relations Manager +1 (778) 867-5016 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. References: 1Vikre, P.G., John, D.A., du Bray, E.A., and Fleck, R.J., 2015, Gold-silver mining districts, alteration zones, and paleolandforms in the Miocene Bodie Hills volcanic field, California and Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 20155012, 160 p. 2Borealis Mining Company Limited, 2024, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Project Status Report Borealis Mine Nevada USA: Prepared by Douglas Reid. Effective Date: October 10, 2023; Report Date: February 16, 2024. 3Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., and Ludington, S.D., 1998, Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206 A, B, 33 p. Qualified Person: The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Scott Close, P.Geo (158157), a Qualified Person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding future capital expenditures, exploration activities and the specifications, targets, results, analyses, interpretations, benefits, costs and timing of them, Newmonts anticipated funding of the earn-in projects and the timing thereof, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as pro forma, plans, expects, may, should, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes, potential or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Companys exploration plans and the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, the risk that Newmont will not elect to obtain any additional interest in the earn-in projects in excess of the minimum commitment, the ability of the Company to obtain the required permits, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, the Companys limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys prospectus dated May 26, 2021 and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Companys profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West-African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has increased the size of its previously announced offering of units of the Company (the "Units") on a non-brokered private placement basis. The Company now expects to complete the Offering for aggregate proceeds of up to C$1.2 million (the "Offering"), a 20% increase from the original target of up to C$1.0 million. The Company completed an initial closing of the Offering for gross proceeds of approximately C$302,000 on May 23, 2024 and expects to complete a second closing in the coming days, with additional closings to follow as necessary. Completion of additional closings remains subject to the receipt of all necessary TSXV approvals. Offering Terms In connection with the Offering, the Company intends to issue up to 1,200,000 Units at a price of C$0.10 per Unit (the "Issue Price"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.20 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to continue exploration and drilling at its flagship Todi Gold Project in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa and for working capital purposes. Finders Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company may pay finders' fees to certain eligible finders of up to 7% in cash of the gross proceeds raised in the Offering from subscribers introduced to the Company by such finders and up to 7% in finders warrants (the "Finder Warrants") of the aggregate number of Units placed by such finders. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Unit at the Issue Price and will be exercisable for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. Each Finder Warrant will be comprised of one Common Share and one Warrant. Hold Period The securities issued pursuant to the Offering shall be subject to a four-month plus one day hold period commencing on the day of the closing of the Offering under applicable Canadian securities laws. Insider Participation Certain directors of the Company have acquired Units under the Offering. Such participation is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under the policies of the TSXV and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the minority shareholder approval and formal valuation requirements applicable to the related-party transactions under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the Units acquired by the participating directors nor the consideration to be paid by such directors exceeds 25 percent of the Company's market capitalization. About Zodiac Gold Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV:ZAU) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Project situated in Liberia-an underexplored, politically stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets and high-grade gold intercepts. For further information, please visit the Zodiac Gold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact: David Kol President & CEO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West-African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has completed a satellite data interpretation study (the "Study") covering the Alasala target of the Company's Todi Gold Project, which builds on the regional interpretation completed by A.C.A Howe International Limited ("ACA Howe") in 2021. The Study focused on a 72 km2 area including the 2 km long mineralized trend from Mandingo Hill to Lion Hill (see Map 1 below), delineated by soil sampling, trenching, channel sampling, auger drilling, and extensive artisanal workings with visible gold. Management Commentary David Kol, CEO, commented, "Completing this satellite data interpretation study marks a significant step forward in our exploration efforts at the Alasala target. The detailed insights into the geological setting and the identification of new structural trends improve our understanding of the controls on mineralization and enhance our confidence in the potential for high-grade gold mineralization. We are excited to advance to the next phase of our drill program and further unlock the value of the Todi Gold Project." Highlights The Study was completed by ACA Howe in advance of Zodiac Gold's upcoming drill program at Alasala and serves to improve the understanding of the geological setting and history of the area, as well as providing information on potential controls on mineralization. Specifically, the Study has revealed the following key points: The 2 km mineralized trend broadly follows a topographical high shown in radar data (see Map 2 below). A series of scarps has been identified on this trend and these continue along strike to the north and south. Initial follow-up on the ground by Zodiac Gold's geological team has identified weathered amphibolites and gneisses aligned with the north-northeast trending feature. A number of previously unknown cross-cutting east-northeast trending structures have been interpreted and it has been determined that a higher intensity structural corridor coincides with highly anomalous soil sample results at Mandingo Hill and Mamie Field (see Map 2 below). Notably, Zodiac Gold's recent rock chip samples of 32 and 33 g/t Au from Mandingo Hill (reported in Zodiac's press release dated May 28th, 2024), are in close proximity to interpreted cross-cutting east-northeast trending structures. High grade soil samples and the Man Field artisanal pit are also located on an interpreted cross-cutting east-northeast trending structure (see Map 2 below). Several northwest trending structures were also interpreted and the foliation and banding in the metamorphic rocks of the area is confirmed as being predominantly to the northwest and dipping to the southwest (see Map 2 below), in line with the regional scale Todi shear zone. The follow up drill program is expected to begin on the Todi Gold Project in roughly 2 weeks. Zodiac Gold believes the interaction of these structural features, as well as the presence of favorable host rocks, provides potential for high grade gold mineralization as demonstrated by the recent rock chip samples and historical drilling results (reported in Zodiac's press release dated May 28th, 2024). Map 1: Satellite data interpretation for the Alasala Target Map 2: Correlation of soil anomalism with topographical feature shown on SRTM data at Alasala. A) Soil sample results with satellite data interpretation. B) SRTM data with artisanal mining areas. Investor Relations Engagement The Company is pleased to announce that it has retained the services of Peak Investor Marketing Corp. ("Peak") a full-service marketing and consulting services focused on the junior mining sector. Peak is an independent arms-length entity and will assist Zodiac Gold with marketing strategy and planning, corporate communications and public relations, with the goal of increasing market awareness for the company. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company will compensate Peak $12,000 per month for an initial term of six months, will grant Peak 200,000 stock options pursuant to the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan and are subject to the approval of the TSXV. Following the initial term, the Company will pay Peak $12,000 per month. The options will have an exercise price of $0.18 per share and vest in four stages over a period of 12 months, with of the options vesting three months after the date they are granted and every three months thereafter. The options will remain exercisable until 90 days after the termination of the agreement with Peak, to a maximum of two years from the date the options are granted. Qualified Person Efdal Olcer, Vice President of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a member of the Society of Economic Geologists, Geological Society of London, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits, and the Turkish Association of Economics Geologists and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release. For further information, please visit the ZodiacGold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact: David Kol, CEO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (the Company or Calibre) is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Caldwell St-Onge to the Board of Directors (the Board) effective immediately. Paula Caldwell St-Onge, B.Sc., MBA, ICD.D is an accomplished ambassador with over 30 years of experience working in the Canadian Government. She has significant experience in government administration, international relations, political risk, sustainable development, international trade, economic development and environmental sciences. Paula is the recipient of the Head of Public Service Award for Excellence in Public Policy and the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal. Ms. Caldwell St-Onge began her career in Public Service in 1989 and held progressively more senior positions in the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office, the Privy Council Office and Environment Canada. At Environment Canada she was the Director General for Environmental Assessment and Emergency Security Preparedness and Chief Enforcement Officer. In her tenure with Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Caldwell St-Onge held a range of senior positions including Canadian Ambassador to Haiti, Director General Pan-African Bureau, Minister Counsellor Trade for the Canadian Embassy in Mexico and Brazil and Head of Mission-Consul General for the South-Central USA (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana). Paulas expertise includes bilateral trade, community relations, environmental and social impacts of major projects, and governance (ESG). Paula Caldwell St-Onge holds a B.Sc. from Queens University and an MBA from Cumbria University, UK. Blayne Johnson, Chairman of Calibre stated: On behalf of the Board of Calibre Mining, I am very pleased to welcome Paula Caldwell St-Onge to the Calibre Board of Directors. Paula brings decades of experience in international business, government affairs, and environmental assessment. She has a track record of being a strong advocate for Canadian mining interests in Latin America, Mexico and Africa and she has won a public service award for streamlining Canadian mining regulations. Paulas experience, insight and international network will be of great value to Calibre as the Company advances towards becoming a mid-tier gold producer in the Americas. About Calibre Calibre is a Canadian-listed, Americas focused, growing mid-tier gold producer with a strong pipeline of development and exploration opportunities across Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada, Nevada and Washington in the USA, and Nicaragua. Calibre is focused on delivering sustainable value for shareholders, local communities and all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth. With a strong balance sheet, a proven management team, strong operating cash flow, accretive development projects and district-scale exploration opportunities Calibre will unlock significant value. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Blayne Johnson Blayne Johnson, Chairman For further information, please contact: Ryan King SVP Corporate Development & IR T: 604.628.1012 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. W: www.calibremining.com Calibres head office is located at Suite 1560, 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3L6. X / Facebook / LinkedIn / YouTube The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has secured a financing package totaling US$750 million (equivalent to over C$1 billion) with Orion Resource Partners ("Orion") for the development, construction, and general working capital required to advance the Company's 100%-owned Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project ("Eskay" or the "Project"). This complete funding package significantly de-risks the Project and provides Skeena with optionality, flexibility and stakeholder alignment as the Company progresses Eskay towards production in the first half of 2027. The package provides a significant portion of financing prior to Skeena's receipt of required permits in respect to the Eskay project and therefore, allows the Company to advance the project on the most efficient and expedient schedule to production. Financing Package Highlights: The total financing package of US$750 million is comprised of an equity investment, gold stream, senior secured loan, and a cost over-run facility: US$100 million equity investment priced at a meaningful premium to the Company's five-day volume weighted average share price. US$200 million gold stream with option to buy back up to 66.7% for 12-month period after start of commercial production (the " Gold Stream "). "). US$350 million of committed capital available from a senior secured loan with 1% standby fee and no break fee (the " Senior Secured Loan "). "). US$100 million cost over-run facility in the form of an additional gold stream subject to the same standby terms as the Senior Secured Loan (the "Cost Contingency"). Walter Coles, Executive Chairman of Skeena, commented: "This complete financing package is a result of a competitive and comprehensive process undertaken to find the best financing solution for the Company. The result is certainty of funding to advance Eskay into production while balancing attractive cost of capital, flexibility, and optionality. We welcome Orion alongside existing shareholders as an aligned and committed stakeholder, further validating the merits of the project." "We designed the financing package to provide the Company with important strategic flexibility and significant funding prior to final permits, while maintaining optionality as we continue working to maximize stakeholder value by advancing the Project. On the back of our positive definitive feasibility study released in November 2023, this financing package lays the foundation on which we build Eskay - unlocking value for all our stakeholders as we progress through this stage of growth." Equity Investment - US$100,000,000 Orion has committed to purchase US$100 million of Skeena's common shares with a portion of the equity commitment priced and closing immediately and the balance (US$25 million) closing at a later date. Orion was the back-end buyer of a C$100 million development flow-through private placement transaction in which Skeena issued 12,021,977 shares at a price of C$8.32 per share, which closed on June 24, 2024. Orion also purchased 3,418,702 common shares priced at C$6.65 per share (C$22.75 million / US$16.6 million) which closed on June 24, 2024. The balance of Orion's equity investment commitment into Skeena is expected to close later this year with pricing to be set at the time of the investment. Upon completion of the full US$100 million equity investment, Orion will own less than 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. Orion will have the right to participate in any future equity or equity-linked offerings by Skeena up to the level of its ownership at the time of the offering provided that Orion continues to own at least 5% of the basic shares outstanding of the Company. The shares of Skeena issued in connection with the equity investment are subject to customary 4-month hold period under applicable securities law in Canada. In addition, until the earlier of (i) 12 months after the Closing Date; or (ii) the termination of the Senior Secured Loan or Gold Stream, Orion has agreed to not transfer its Skeena common shares without approval from Skeena's board of directors. Gold Stream - US$200,000,000 Gold Stream agreement to be drawn in five tranches The initial tranche of US$5 million is anticipated to close on June 26, 2024. The second tranche of US$45 million will be available after receipt of the Technical Sample permit. The next three tranches of US$50 million are available as needed to support the project construction schedule. Once the stream is fully drawn, Orion will be entitled to receive 10.55% of payable gold produced from the mine ("Stream Percentage") at a price equal to 10% of the LBMA AM gold fixing price three days prior to the delivery day for the life of mine of the Project. The silver production is not subject to the stream agreement. For a period of 12 months following the project completion date, Skeena may, at any time, reduce the Stream Percentage by 66.67% by repaying Orion the proportional deposit plus an imputed 18% IRR. The area of interest for the stream is constrained to 500 meters around the existing mineral reserves and resources currently delineated at the Project. Senior Secured Loan - US$350,000,000 Term: 5.75 years from the first drawdown. Availability period: Drawdowns will be in four equal tranches of US$87,500,000. Availability fee: 1.0% per year on the undrawn portion. Coupon: 3-month US$ SOFR (subject to a minimum of 1.5%) plus 7.75% margin, calculated based on the number of days elapsed in the quarter divided by 360 days. In the case of default, the margin will increase by 2%. Interest and principal repayment: Interest to be paid quarterly until the maturity date. Commencing 3 months following the planned project completion, the principal shall amortize and be payable in 15 quarterly installments. Skeena may prepay the loan and any accrued unpaid interest in full or in part at any time without any penalty. Original issue discount: 2.0% of the Senior Secured Loan Amount, which shall be paid pro-rata upon the funding of each tranche. No break fee: Skeena may terminate the Senior Secured Loan at any time without incurring penalties. Cost Over-run Facility - US$100,000,000 Skeena may request an additional $100,000,000 deposit with the same pro-rata terms as the Gold Stream other than being subject to a 2% original issue discount and a 1% availability fee. Conclusion: Fully Funded The Company's definitive feasibility study released in November 2023 estimated Eskay's pre-production capital expenditures to be US$528 million (C$713 million), including a US$36 million (C$49 million) contingency. The total financing package of US$750 million, combined with US$44 million (C$59 million) of cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2024, provides Skeena with approximately US$794 million of available capital towards the Project, which is substantially more than the remaining estimated capital expenditures required to bring Eskay back into production. With no precious metals hedging or concentrate off-take requirements, the Company retains excellent upside to increasing metals prices. Eskay Timeline The Skeena Management team is focused on advancing the Project in a disciplined manner. With project financing committed, the Company is now working to finalize the 2024 early works programs and detailed engineering plans. Proceeding with the early works program will mitigate timing pressures as Skeena completes the environmental assessment and permitting process. Upcoming development milestones target dates include: Impact Benefit Agreement with the Tahltan Central Government, expected in H1 2025. Receiving all remaining permits required for full scale construction and operation of the mine anticipated by the end of 2025. Initiating full scale construction in 2026, subject to receiving all the required permits and following construction. Projecting initial production at Eskay Creek in H1 2027. Community Benefit Skeena has always prioritized community engagement and collaboration as crucial elements for ensuring the success of the Project. Skeena acknowledges that its social license to operate must be strongly supported by collaboration and investment in its partnership with the Tahltan Nation. During 2023, Skeena continued investing in the social and economic well-being of the local communities: Within British Columbia, C$75 million was invested, with over 58% towards wages, services providers, and small businesses in the northwest of the province. Employment totaled 431 full-time jobs in British Columbia with projections to significantly increase the workforce as development ramps up. The workforce is 12% indigenous with representation at nearly all levels of the organization. Tahltan affiliated businesses received C$43 million in contracts. To date, the Project has created over C$180 million in wages, contracts, and community contributions for Tahltan-related companies and organizations. Skeena is projecting a further potential C$700 million in contracts to Tahltan businesses throughout the life of the mine. This mine will provide significant long-term value for both the national and local economies. The Company always prioritizes hiring local employees and local suppliers wherever possible. The Project will create over 800 direct jobs and potentially 2,000 jobs for outside service and contract organizations. The Project is expected to contribute roughly C$1.5 billion in direct tax revenue to British Columbia and Canada over the life of the mine. The Company is confident that through further exploration on Skeena's vast property package, the mine life for Eskay will likely be extended beyond the current estimated mine life of 12 years, providing steady employment and long-term jobs to be filled by members of the local communities of northwestern British Columbia. About Skeena Skeena is a fully financed leading gold developer that is focused on advancing the Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project and the Snip Gold Project - two past producing mines located in the renowned Golden Triangle in British Columbia, Canada. Eskay Creek represents one of the highest-grade and lowest cost open-pit precious metals mines in the world, with substantial silver by-product production that surpasses many primary silver mines. Skeena is committed to sustainable mining practices and maximizing the potential of its mineral resources. In partnership with the Tahltan First Nation, Skeena strives to foster positive relationships with Indigenous communities while delivering long-term value and sustainable growth for its stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Randy Reichert Executive Chairman President & CEO Contact Information Investor Inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725 Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified Persons In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the progress of development at Eskay, including the construction budget, schedule and required funding in respect thereof; the timing for and the Company's progress towards commencement of commercial production; the Company's capital structure; the Company's ability to buy back the gold stream in the future; amounts drawn and the timing of and completion of conditions precedent in respect of the Senior Secured Loan, gold stream agreement, additional equity investment and the cost over-run facility, the availability of the Senior Secured Loan as a source of future liquidity; andthe results of the Definitive Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 28, 2024. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 28, 2024, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Cautionary note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources Skeena's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources included or incorporated by reference herein have been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") as required by Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. The terms "Mineral Reserve", "Proven Mineral Reserve", "Probable Mineral Reserve", "Mineral Resource", "Measured Mineral Resource", "Indicated Mineral Resource" and "Inferred Mineral Resource" are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" adopted by the CIM Council (as amended, the "CIM Definition Standards"). These standards differ significantly from the mineral property disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (the "SEC Modernization Rules"). Skeena is not currently subject to the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, Skeena's disclosure of mineralization and other technical information may differ significantly from the information that would be disclosed had Skeena prepared the information under the SEC Modernization Rules. In addition, investors are cautioned not to assume that any part, or all of, Skeena's mineral deposits categorized as "Inferred Mineral Resources" or "Indicated Mineral Resources" will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and a great amount of uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any "Inferred Mineral Resources" that Skeena reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "Inferred Mineral Resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or prefeasibility studies, except for a Preliminary Economic Assessment as defined under NI 43-101. For these reasons, the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates and related information presented herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brixton Metals Corporation (TSX-V: BBB, OTCQB: BBBXF) (the Company or Brixton) is pleased to announce that it has started its maiden drill program at the Cirque Copper Porphyry Target which is located 3km east from the Camp Creek Porphyry discovery on its wholly owned Thorn Project. Highlights of the Cirque Copper Target Cirque is a multi-kilometer copper porphyry target on the Thorn Project Surface exposures of copper mineralization (vein-hosted and disseminated chalcopyrite) have been identified over a 1km by 2km area. Rock and soil geochemistry contain elevated copper, molybdenum and MDRUs Porphyry Index (MPIx) anomalies The target is supported by a large, near-surface magnetic and coincident conductivity geophysical anomaly VP of Exploration, Christina Anstey stated, We are thrilled to launch Brixtons first drill campaign on the Cirque Porphyry Target. Given that porphyry deposits often form in clusters, the proximity of favorable mineralized intrusions to the known Camp Creek Porphyry makes this area particularly promising. The significant intervals of chalcopyrite mineralization observed on the surface, along with coincident geophysical signatures, is very encouraging. Figure 1. Thorn Project, Copper Geochemistry and 2024 Target Areas. Figure 2. Surface Rock Samples from the Cirque Target, assays pending. Sample D132719 showing breccia hosted chalcopyrite mineralization and associated silica-potassium-feldspar alteration. Sample D131511 showing sericite and potassium-feldspar alteration of Windy Table intrusive. Figure 3. BQ sized core from Julian Minings 1965 Cirque Program. Select unanalyzed core containing chalcopyrite and molybdenite in quartz vein. Figure 4. BQ sized core from Julian Minings 1965 Cirque Program. Select unanalyzed core containing disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite. About the Cirque Copper Target Cirque is a copper porphyry target located 3 kilometers east of the Camp Creek Porphyry Target and immediately north of the Outlaw Sediment-hosted Gold Target. The target is defined by a 2km by 1km northwest trending surface copper anomaly with a large portion of the target area covered by glacial alluvium material masking the underlying geology. Late Cretaceous Windy Table volcanic rocks and associated Windy Table Suite Intrusions are host to porphyry-style mineralization and alteration at Cirque. Using the MDRU Porphyry Index (MPIx) on the local soil geochemistry data, a ratio of proximal and distal elements in a copper porphyry system ([(Cu/10) +Mo+(10xW)+(20xSn)]/[ (5xSb)+(20xTl)+Ag+As+Li]), Brixton Metals has outlined a 1km by 2km anomalous area coincident with the Cretaceous intrusion centers, jarosite and goethite anomalies, and mapped pyrite-chalcopyrite occurrences. Quartz-chalcopyrite veins sampled in the area to the northwest of this historic drilling returned 1.6% Cu, 0.11 g/t Au, and 12.75 g/t Ag. Disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization is observed throughout windows of surface outcrop within the overburden and is hosted in both Windy-Table volcanics and associated intrusions. Mineralization coincides with widespread silica-sericite-pyrite alteration zones as well as localized zones of potassium-feldspar and sericite alteration. The broad occurrences of copper mineralization and associated alteration in conjunction with favorable magnetic signatures and anomalous porphyry-index indicators suggest that a potential Cu-Mo porphyry system at Cirque remains untested. Historic drilling in the Cirque area by Julian Mining in 1965 intercepted sporadic copper mineralization throughout thirteen shallow holes where limited select sections of core were analyzed for copper and molybdenum only. Some of the unsampled core hosted disseminated and vein hosted chalcopyrite. Qualified Person (QP) Mr. Corey A. James, P.Geo., is a Senior Project Geologist for the Company who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. James has verified the referenced data disclosed in this press release and has approved the technical information presented herein. About Brixton Metals Corporation Brixton Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on the advancement of its mining projects. Brixton wholly owns four exploration projects: Brixtons flagship Thorn copper-gold-silver-molybdenum Project, the Hog Heaven copper-silver-gold Project in NW Montana, USA, which is optioned to Ivanhoe Electric Inc., the Langis-HudBay silver-cobalt-nickel Project in Ontario and the Atlin Goldfields Project located in northwest BC. Brixton Metals Corporation shares trade on the TSX-V under the ticker symbol BBB, and on the OTCQB under the ticker symbol BBBXF. For more information about Brixton, please visit our website at www.brixtonmetals.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Mr. Gary R. Thompson, Chairman and CEO For Investor Relations inquiries please contact: Mr. Michael Rapsch, Senior Manager, Investor Relations: email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Tel: 604-630-9707 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, and intend, statements that an action or event may, might, could, should, or will be taken or occur, including statements that address potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size and expansion of a mineralized zone, proposed timing of exploration and development plans, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in the annual information form of the Company or other reports and filings with the TSXV and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. A brand new boubou or a new, three-piece suit the defendants outfits are the main thing that changes as the days pass in similar fashion in the last stage of the September 28 massacre trial. On trial for the past 21 months, eleven defendants -- a former head of state and senior members of the regime he headed after a coup - have been charged with the repression of an opposition rally in a Conakry stadium on 28 September, 2009. The bloodbath left more than 150 people dead and more than 100 women were raped. The defence case began on May 27, 2024. Around 20 lawyers are representing the accused. Some 15 of them have already taken the stand. Salifou Beavogui, lawyer for warrant officer Mamadou Aliou Keita, was one of the first to be called by the presiding judge. Facing the magistrates with his back to the audience, the lawyer denied the charges against his client. According to him, his client did not rape Dame Aissatou Barry, one of the emblematic victims in this case. Theres a mistake about the person. She must have seen Mamadou Aliou Keita from a distance. But in any case, it cannot stand up in court, in a criminal court. One persons word against another, it wont stand up, thats not possible. Mamadou Aliou Keita will be acquitted, he claimed, foreshadowing the defence line of other lawyers who all plead their clients innocence. This was followed by a plea from the lawyer for Blaise Goumou, a former member of the special services considered to have implemented the killing. The gendarme is suspected of having taken part in the stadium massacre, and the prosecution has requested a life sentence against him. Counsel Yaramo-Ce Saolomous argument developed several themes that his colleagues later continued to explore. He denounced as illegal the reclassification of the facts as crimes against humanity. The prosecution has requested this, and the court has decided to rule on it only at the time of the verdict. Some of the lawyers consider the reclassification to be opportunistic and, in their view, indicative of the lack of evidence in the case. The prosecution should have the courage, the intellectual and even professional honesty to acknowledge its failure. The law provides the right to request a defence when you find that there is no evidence of any kind to establish the guilt of the accused, declared Saolomou in a peremptory tone. Victims accused Faced with a case that they consider insufficiently solid, many lawyers argue that convicting their client would be the result of a witch-hunt. Some refer to the trial of Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Ble-Goude, the former Ivorian president and youth minister who were tried and acquitted before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Just as the judges of the International Criminal Court were guided solely by the law in restoring the historical truth through the acquittal of these two defendants, you can do the same, Mr President, Saolomou told the presiding judge. He further backed his argument by bringing up the taboo in this unprecedented trial of an ethnic dimension to the case. There are some who think that this trial is directed against a community, he said, suggesting that a conviction would confirm this opinion. The courts decision must not be influenced by any communitarian, ethnic, regionalist or religious purpose. In the same vein Pepe Antoine Lamah, lawyer for Moussa Dadis Camara who was head of State at the time of the massacre, denounced the trial as political. Since we have to judge for the sake of judging, and possibly hand out sentences in line with a political plan that some see as part of national reconciliation, thats why were putting up with all this. Otherwise, if we want to have a serious trial, we should look for those who are really responsible, he said. He accused certain victims of having lied, of having enriched themselves, giving the example of Avipa, the association of victims, relatives and friends of September 28. Ask this NGO to draw up a balance sheet of its activities from 2010 to the present day, and you'll see billions! While the real victims are suffering, others are pocketing billions, building houses and sending their children to top schools abroad, he claimed. But these attacks on the civil parties were taken to the extreme by another of Dadiss lawyers, Jean-Baptiste Jocamey Haba. The conspiracy theory He broke all records, monopolising the floor for more than three days. On the stand, he went over the case in minute detail, developing the conspiracy theory as never before. According to him, the massacre was organised by Dadiss enemies to topple him. They saw him as an obstacle to the predators of the Guinean economy, because he had attacked drug traffickers, corruption and Western interests. On June 18, during his second appearance on the stand, the lawyer went even further. He denounced the role played, he said, by France, and named the personalities who would have had an interest in eliminating Dadis: Bernard Kouchner, then French Minister of Foreign Affairs, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Guinean opposition figure Alpha Conde. The theory was developed, combining proven facts -- the long-standing friendship between Kouchner and Conde -- with mere supposition. The lawyer sees Conde's departure the day before the demonstration as proof of his involvement. He knew a massacre was going to take place and went to seek refuge abroad, said the lawyer. Counsel was repeating rumours that have been circulating for years in Conakry, without providing any further evidence. According to these rumours, Guinean political leaders and their allies deliberately organized their rally to provoke the massacre and destabilize Dadis. This is a line of argument often heard from the defence at the trial. These political leaders were allegedly responsible for the bloodbath that they had provoked. In this game of reversal, the lawyer blames the victims for the crime. Will the trial be able to finish before the August recess, as the presiding judge hopes? Everything will depend on the last defence lawyers appearing. Half a dozen of them have not yet pleaded, including counsel for Aboubacar Diakite (Toumba), Dadiss former aide-de-camp, who accuses his former boss of having ordered the massacre. Responding to Haba, they may decide to take the stand for an extended period to balance out the speaking time. The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it had issued arrest warrants for Russia's top army chief and ex defence minister over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constituted alleged war crimes. The ICC warrants are the latest in a series of actions by the court over the Ukraine war, including an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The warrants, issued on Monday but made public on Tuesday, concerned the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu. The two men are accused of the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of "inhumane acts" in Ukraine, the ICC said in a statement. ICC judges said there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023." The court said these strikes were "directed against civilian objects" and even when targets could be considered military, civilian damage "would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage." Ukraine hailed the "important" decision, with the the presidency's chief of staff Andriy Yermak saying: "Everyone will be held accountable for evil." The ICC, based in The Hague, does not have its own police force for enforcing the arrest warrants. It relies on the justice systems of its 124 members to carry them out. In theory, anyone under a warrant is prevented from travelling to an ICC member state for fear of arrest. Putin himself has travelled abroad, notably to Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- not ICC members. However, he did skip a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in South Africa, which would have been expected to carry out the warrant. 'Historic first' Moscow lashed out at the warrant against Putin, calling it "void" and issuing its own warrant against the ICC's president in response. Putin replaced Shoigu as defence minister last month in a major shake-up to Russia's military leadership more than two years into its Ukraine offensive. The 68-year-old was appointed Russian defence minister in 2012 and has had a decades-long political career of unmatched longevity in post-Soviet Russia. He was named the new secretary of the Security Council, replacing his longstanding ally Nikolai Patrushev. The Kremlin also said there were "no changes" envisaged to replace Gerasimov as Chief of the General Staff. Along with Shoigu, Gerasimov had been targeted by a hardcore group of influential pro-offensive military bloggers for Moscow's perceived military failures. Observers believe he was closely involved in devising the plan to send troops to Ukraine in conditions of absolute secrecy. After taking over in 2012, Gerasimov has been the longest-serving chief of the general staff of the post-Soviet era. The ICC, created in 2002 to investigate war crimes around the world, in September opened a field office in Kyiv as part of efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for potential war crimes. That move came after an international office to probe Russia for the war crime of aggression opened in The Hague in March 2023 in what Kyiv called a "historic" first step toward a tribunal for Moscow's leadership. Along with Putin, the ICC has also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges of unlawful child deportations during the Ukraine war. In March this year, the ICC issued warrants for two senior Russian officers, Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, over strikes on infrastructure in Ukraine. Go Kyung Pyo opened up about his thoughts regarding his public image and why he is less active in doing variety shows. A versatile K-drama actor, the 34-year-old star has played different kinds of roles, whether it be protagonist or villain. On top of this, he has perfectly portrayed every character, be it in a comedy, romance, or thriller. Interestingly, as he graced Esquire Korea's July 2024 issue, Go Kyung Pyo talked about keeping up with how the public perceives him and his hesitations about showing his true self on camera. In addition, he also recalled the viral incident at the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards, where he gained the attention of the public for being the best "hype boy." Go Kyung Pyo Reveals Experiencing Burnout, And How He Overcame It Fans are seeing more of Go Kyung Pyo as he stars in back-to-back dramas. In 2022 alone, he did two series, playing contradictory roles. One was the romantic-comedy "Love in Contract" with Park Min Young, while the other was Disney+'s "Connect," where he played as the villain. In 2023, he reprised his role in "D.P." Season 2 as Corporal Park Sung Woo, and returned to the small screen in 2024 through the rom-com "Frankly Speaking." With his busy schedule, Go Kyung Pyo confessed that he experienced burnout and had to overcome it by trying different things. "I'm definitely feeling burned out. Lately, I've been trying new things like YouTube and variety shows, expending a lot of energy that I don't usually use." With this, not only does he get to release his energy, but it also shows a different side of him as an actor. Unfortunately, he admitted that it sometimes left him "feeling empty" whenever he came home. "Although I'm enjoying myself and feeling happy these days, I do feel a bit exhausted." The actor also confessed that finding a source of relaxation was a bit challenging for him. "Until last year, I had a different perspective. I could be authentic with others and still find peace. However, this year, several planned activities have overlapped, making it tougher to manage." Go Kyung Pyo Talks About Public Image, His Viral Scene at 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards Viewers were delighted to see Go Kyung Pyo hype the crowd during the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony with his quirkiness. It was during Zico's performance of his hit "Any Song" that he surprised everyone with his very enthusiastic response as he sang and danced alongside the rapper. According to him, he feels happy that people get to see and like that side of him, but he admitted that he felt like he "had to adapt and fit into it. "I understand there's a need for compromise. However, sometimes I can't help but feel a sense of emptiness." He explained that he believes that what's most important is living authentically, "but there seems to be a gap" between how he perceives himself and how others see him, adding that he needs to approach branding himself more seriously. "I feel most free when I'm alone. When I get excited, I enjoy the moment without caring about others' opinions. Then, when I notice others looking at me, I feel very small." According to him, during the viral incident with Zico, Go Kyung Pyo explained that, at the time, he was "genuinely happy to see him" since they were really close friends. "I didn't even realize people were watching; my body just moved instinctively." For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores After showcasing her top-notch acting in "Lovely Runner," fans are looking forward to Kim Hye Yoon's next work. Is she already preparing for another drama release? Keep on reading to know the latest updates about the trending star! What's Next for Kim Hye Yoon After 'Lovely Runner's' Success? Having been in the show business for almost a decade, Kim Hye Yoon has already established an amazing portfolio as an actress. From minor roles to leading her own projects, this young star never fails to impress the viewers with her excellent portrayals. Kim Hye Yoon has amassed a huge fandom and rose to global stardom thanks to her successful drama "Lovely Runner." She played the role of Im Sol, a fangirl who travels back in time to save her favorite idol Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok). She delivered her lines and emotions well, making the audience immersed in the series. Kim Hye Yoon proved again her brilliant acting in this time-travel drama, which she last showcased in the 2019 series "Extraordinary You." Now that "Lovely Runner" has ended, many global fans are anticipating Kim Hye Yoon's screen return. Kim Hye Yoon To Possibly Star in Youth Romance Drama In June, her name received attention as she was reported to join the lead cast of the forthcoming drama "The Year We Turned 29" (working title). It has been said that Kim Hye Yoon already received the offer in April 2022. As of this writing, she is considering appearing in the series and nothing has been confirmed yet, as stated by her agency, Artist Company. Idol-actress Joy of Red Velvet is also being courted to join the project. "The Year We Turned 29" is a youth romance drama that follows the story of three individuals, whose name is Woo Ri, and at the same age of 29. They navigate the struggles of love, work, and studies. As they approach their thirties, these three women learn to mature and rely on each other while experiencing the journey of life together. If Kim Hye Yoon accepts the offer, this marks her next screen comeback following "Lovely Runner." For now, she is enjoying her break and is about to embark on her solo fan meeting in Korea and Japan this July. She is also sealing new collaborations with other brands, recognizing her growing popularity. She just went abroad to shoot some of her brand advertisements. Kim Hye Yoon is also amassing new followers on social media. In addition, she received a nomination for the Seoul International Drama Awards 2024 along with her on-screen partner Byeon Woo Seok. What can you say about Kim Hye Yoon's potential drama? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Shai San Miguel wrote this. Kelowna residents want action on social problems like homelessness and open drug use, not strategies that include buzzwords such as collaboration and consultation, Coun. Ron Cannan said at Monday's meeting. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Police in Gambia are investigating the death of a 26-year-old lady, Aja Majula Hydara after she allegedly consumed a drug which was induced in her drink. Aja, from Latrikunda German, died at Dune Night Club in Palma Rima on Friday, June 21, 2024. The Gambia Police Force in a statement on Sunday, June 23, said Hydara experienced severe reactions after consuming the alleged drug and was rushed to a hospital where she subsequently died on Saturday. Police arrested a friend of the deceased who is currently in custody assisting with the investigation. The Kotu Police are investigating the death of 26-year-old Aja Majula Hydara from Latrikunda German, following an incident at Dune Night Club in Palma Rima on Friday, June 21, 2024, the statement read. "Preliminary investigations indicate that Hydara experienced severe reactions after consuming an alleged drug and was rushed to Kanifing General Hospital, where she subsequently died. The police have arrested 23-year-old Titi Camara from Latrikunda German, who is currently in custody assisting with the investigation," The police also disclosed that two other persons died after consuming similar drugs. Similarly, Banjul Police are investigating the sudden death of 20-year-old Alhagie Darboe from Banjul. Reports suggest that Darboe consumed an alleged drug at a club, leading to his untimely death at Ndemban Clinic. Authorities are actively pursuing the arrest of one Balanding, who is implicated in selling the drug to Darboe. "In a related incident, Barra Police are investigating the death of 26-year-old Bubacarr Sarr from Barra, who allegedly consumed Kush, leading him to self-harm by cutting off his own tongue, resulting in his death at Essau District Hospital on the same day. In light of these tragic events, the Office of the IGP and the entire police leadership earnestly request public support, particularly from parents and youth groups, in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking. Strengthened cooperation and coordination between the police and the public are essential to restoring the safety and security we all yearn for. Meanwhile, a source told journalists that someone added unknown substance into her drink. "I couldn't hold back my tears over this one. She was a good friend of mine, very down-to-earth and hardworking. She was partying with her friends when someone put something in her drink. She died on Saturday morning at Kanifing General Hospital." Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Kieni Member of Parliament, Njoroge Wainana, is counting losses after his supermarket located in Nyeri town was burnt down by angry protesters who flocked the streets to protest against the finance bill. The wealthy UDA MP's popular supermarket in town was burnt down by protesters after he voted 'Yes' on the finance bill. A video shared on social media shows the supermarket engulfed in a huge fire as some firefighters try to put off the fire in vain. Watch the video. Protesters in Nyeri raided Chieni Supermarket owned by Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina who voted "YES" for the oppressive Finance Bill. pic.twitter.com/veOUePRLC7 Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) June 25, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Auma Obama, the sister of Former US President Barack Obama, was among the protesters who flocked to the streets of Nairobi to protest against the finance bill. Auma joined thousands of peaceful protesters and marched in the streets of Nairobi while holding placards, only to be teargassed by rogue cops. Speaking to CNN, Auma called out the police for using excessive force against peaceful young protesters who were exercising their democratic rights. Look at what is happening. These are young peaceful protesters exercising their democratic rights but they are being teargassed, she said. They have teargassed me. I cannot even see, she lamented. Despite Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki promising Kenyans that police will be professional when handling protesters, the protesters have faced police brutality as protests continue in different parts of the country. The countrywide protests are being led mostly by the youth, popularly known as Gen Z. Watch the video. The moment Former USA President BARACK OBAMAs sister, AUMA, was teargassed by rogue cops while holding peaceful protests in Nairobi pic.twitter.com/Nmt3UgMWYs DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) June 25, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Dagoretti South Member of Parliament, John Kiarie, has apologised to Kenyans over his remarks on the ongoing occupy parliament protests. Last week, Kiarie, who is among the MPs supporting the oppression of Kenyans, stated that the anti-finance bill 2024 protests were stage-managed. The UDA-elected MP further claimed that a parliamentary committee had been engaging with Kenyans about the Finance Bill 2024 well before what he described as a fake demonstration. He also mentioned that people were taking photos from the internet, editing them, and posting them as Gen Z images. However, on Monday, Kiarie took to social media to apologise for his remarks that generated a lot of criticism from youthful Kenyans. He acknowledged that during the heated debate on the Finance Bill 2024, his remarks were unnecessary, misguided, and insensitive. "I deeply regret my utterances. After reflection and also understanding the anger and frustration that exists in our nation. "Anger that stems from decades of many unresolved pertinent and potent national issues," Kiarie said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Just hours before Kenyan police officers are scheduled to land in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, notorious gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, popularly known as Barbecue, has changed tune and is now ready to end the war. In a surprise move, Barbecue penned a letter to the Haitian government seeking dialogue to avoid confrontation with Kenyan troops. Barbeque, who had in the past dared Kenyan police officers, remarked that he was seeking to explore peace initiatives being advanced by Prime Minister Garry Conille. Initially, Barbeque had accused the Kenyan-led multinational force of infringing on the sovereignty of Haiti. "If the Kenyan military or police come, whatsoever, I will consider them, aggressors, the gang leader had vowed on March 2024. We will consider them as invaders and we do not have to collaborate with any invaders that have come to walk over our independence. The gang leader, who is a former police officer, seemingly succumbed to pressure following a government-led raid in his base at the nations capital. With the Kenyan police force further expected to limit Barbeques hold in the Caribbean nation, he has now shown a willingness to end his reign of terror. In his letter to the government, Baberque remarked that his gang was willing to stay confined in their base and stop patrolling the streets. This would give the people of Haiti freedom to resume normal life as well as bring peace to the war-torn country. President William Ruto has already deployed 400 police officers to Haiti. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday June 25, 2024 National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has dismissed concerns over recent abductions of forced disappearances of the Gen Zs amid ongoing Anti-Finance Bill protests. Speaking during the Finance Bill debate in the National Assembly, Ichung'wah provided clarification, highlighting President William Ruto's commitment to addressing the issue, thereby downplaying reports of such incidents. "We are beyond the days when Kenyans were being abducted and killed and their bodies dumped in River Yala and River Tana," he said. "A situation where Kenyans are abducted and their bodies fished out will never happen," he added. In recent times, many individuals have tragically become victims of abduction and enforced disappearances. Human Rights Organizations have voiced their concerns to relevant authorities regarding the prevalence of these alarming incidents in the country. Speaking in the National Assembly, Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi enlisted the names of seven Gen Z protesters who he alleged had been abducted to unknown destinations. "In addition to Oguda, we have Osama, Drey, Temper CR7, Kiprono Chad, Harriet, Franje, and World Smith. These are patriotic Gen Z Kenyans who are out to protest." The Minority Leader called on Ichung'wah to collaborate with Inspector General Japhet Koome to provide a comprehensive account of the whereabouts of those who have been abducted. During his address in the house, Wandayi highlighted the disturbing and untimely disappearances. He forwarded a list of all individuals reported missing to the Majority Leader for further investigation. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his decision to go public about delays in the supply of military weapons from the United States, saying months of private discussions with the US government did not yield any results. At the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, June 23, Netanyahu said, "After months of no change in this situation, I decided to give it a public expression. I did this based on years of experience, and knowing that this step is essential to extracting the cork. Speaking during the meeting Sunday, Netanyahu said: About four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel. For weeks we asked our American friends to speed up the shipments. We did it time and time again. We did it at the highest levels, and at all levels, and I want to emphasize - we did it in private rooms. We got all sorts of explanations, but one thing we didnt get: the basic situation didnt change. Netanyahu went on to say that in light of what I have heard in the last day, I hope and believe that this issue will be resolved in the near future. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the Biden administration was withholding weapons in a video posted to X, claiming that Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. In response to backlash faced from Israeli supporters, US envoy Amos Hochstein told Netanyahu that his comments were unproductive and more importantly, completely untrue. The dispute comes amid the stakes around the war in Gaza and a potential further conflict between Israel and Hezbollah remain high. The US is Israels most important ally and biggest supplier of arms but has voiced increasing concern over the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 Gen Zs are now free to protest against President William Rutos contentious Finance Bill 2024. This was revealed by Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, who announced that Kenyans who wish to protest can do so every day provided they adhere to the rule of law. Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, the CS noted that each citizen had a right to demonstrate peacefully. "Whatever the matter, the rule of law and public order must be maintained by all persons. "Those who wish to exercise their constitutional right can do so today, tomorrow, or every day because it is their right to do so. "But you must also adhere to the rule of law and they need to make sure that other members of the public who are not interested in what they are doing or hold a contrary view are not inconvenienced or harassed in any manner including the transportation of the people," Kindiki remarked. The CS further warned against vandalism during the protests, adding that all protesters should remain unarmed while exercising their rights. Kindiki added that the protesters should notify the police of their intent to demonstrate, including the routes they will follow during the exercise and the exercise must stop at sunset or 6:30 p.m. They must stop their activities at sunset or 6:30 pm, whichever is earlier, in accordance with the Public Order Act, Cap 57 of the laws of Kenya, the CS noted. He also maintained that protesters should not provoke, attack, or injure any law enforcement officer or members of the public. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Party Leader Julius Malema has finally broken his silence over the Gen Z protests in Kenya. In a statement yesterday, Malema urged President William Ruto and his government to respect the citizens' right to peaceful protests. Malema's party noted that it was standing in solidarity with Kenyans protesting over the Finance Bill 2024. EFF asked the Kenyan government to stand down the law enforcement authorities and release all the protesters who have been arrested. "The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes with great concern the recent events in Kenya surrounding the proposed 2024 Finance Bill. "We stand in solidarity with the people of Kenya who are bravely protesting against this exploitative legislation that seeks to impose severe tax. "We further note our concern on the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors, which has resulted in at least 200 injuries and over 100 arrests. "We urge the Kenyan government to stand down the police and respect the people's right to peaceful assembly. "All those who have been arrested should be released immediately," EFF stated. Malema's party further commended the bravery of the Kenyan protesters, maintaining that it will continue to support the fight for economic justice. The anti-finance bill protests kicked off last week on Tuesday, as many Kenyans took to the streets to reject the bill. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - One of the Rift Valley governors has urged President William Ruto to listen to the youths who are demonstrating since they have genuine issues they are raising. Speaking on Monday Uasin Gishu County governor Jonathan Bii stated that the concerns raised by the young Kenyans are valid and need to be addressed urgently. We need to listen to these young people because they are our children and are raising very important issues. "They are saying we have gone to school, we have papers, but where are our jobs? "We need to have a serious conversation with them to see how we will address their issues," the governor said. Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi joined Governor Bii in advocating for dialogue to resolve the issues raised by the youth. Bii mentioned that he successfully persuaded the president, who agreed to engage in dialogue with the protesters. "I have called the president and informed him that these young people should be listened to because they have very good points. Their issues are genuine and valid," Sudi said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Staff at the Supreme Court, along with lawyers attending a court session, were filmed assisting protesters with water. Hundreds of protesters were passing outside the Supreme Court trying to access Parliament buildings when court officials and lawyers threw bottles of water at them to show solidarity. Their kind gestures have earned them praise on social media. Netizens noted that Kenyans are united against one common enemy called Ruto, who has messed up the country by introducing punitive taxes. Watch the video. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday, June 21 that Israel and Lebanon should avoid escalating tensions to prevent miscalculation and result in another bloody Middle East war like what is happening in Gaza. Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah has been firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas since the Gaza war erupted in October, forcing tens of thousands to flee homes in Israel Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Friday that Hezbollah has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon against Israel, warning that "perhaps the time for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime has come." "Any imprudent decision by the occupying Israeli regime to save itself could plunge the region into a new war," Iran's U.N. mission posted on X. Speaking to reporters, Guteres said; One rash move - one miscalculation - could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination, "Let's be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza." A U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL, as well as unarmed technical observers known as UNTSO, have long been stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line. "U.N. peacekeepers are on the ground working to de-escalate tensions and help prevent miscalculation," Guterres said. "The world must say loudly and clearly: immediate de-escalation is not only possible it is essential," he said. "There is no military solution." Tensions between Israel and Lebanon increased this week after Hezbollah shared a video online showing several Israeli military and civilian sites close to it's border with Lebanon. Following the release of the drone footage, Israel responded that war with Lebanon was close and would be very brutal if carried out. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 Yesterday was the turn for Nyali MP Mohammed Ali after angry residents stormed his office in protests for supporting the contentious Finance Bill. The residents were irked over Ali's absence while other MPs were voting on the controversial Finance Bill 2024 last week. The residents were armed with placards chanting against the MP. "When we lose our fear, they lose their power," the locals shouted outside Ali's office. According to the residents, the lawmaker was planning on voting in favour of the bill and accused him of betraying them by failing to fight for their best interests. While speaking to the press, the locals accused the MP of betraying them and allowing the bill to progress. "It is our vote that took him where he is today. We came to greet him and let him know we were watching him. It's either MP Ali says no or no to the Finance Bill," one of the locals stated. The local residents emphasized that the MP must shoot down the bill as it was meant to increase the cost of living for millions of Kenyans. During the protests, police officers were forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. However, the residents were unbothered by the efforts adding that their voices must be heard. Additionally, some of them were seen standing further emphasizing their point. They added that Ali's vote would determine his fate in the 2027 General Election. "We as the people of Nyali, are asking Mohammed Ali, we shall be watching you to see where you will cast your vote. You are either with the people or against the people," another resident stated. On Sunday another group of Nyali residents surrounded the MP's vehicle demanding his resignation. They were dissatisfied with his leadership in the constituency adding that he supported the previous bill which has led to an increase in basic commodities. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei now wants President William Ruto to deal firmly with NGOs funding the Gen Z protests against the Finance Bill. This is after it emerged that the ongoing protests being led by Gen Z could be funded by some unscrupulous NGOs with some hidden agenda. According to Cherargei, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) should rein in these NGOs and ensure they stop funding the demonstrations. "We have discovered that there are some NGOs that are sending money to this young generation to conduct the protests. "I want to the NIS close down these channels the NGOs want to use to destabilise the government," he stated. The politician emphasized that the government would engage the young Kenyans to draft a way forward on the bill. Cherargei added that the government was keen to ensure young Kenyans have a say in the country's policies. He added that all ideas fronted will be considered if they are for the benefit of Kenyans. Recently, leaders supporting the government have been questioning about who was funding the ongoing protests which have disrupted daily activities and resulted in loss of lives and injuries. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - After President William Ruto extended an olive branch to Gen Z and millennial protesters upset over his punitive Finance Bill, the young protesters have refused to negotiate. Speaking to the press yesterday, the Gen Zs said they will not meet Ruto for any talks, saying it is time to act now after the president refused to listen to them. They maintained that their singular ultimatum is for the executive and the legislature to abandon the Finance Bill 2024 in its entirety. As a result, they vow that a nationwide protest will be staged today as Parliament debates the bill through the second and third readings. Addressing a church service in Nyahururu on Sunday, the Head of State extended an invitation to the protesters for a conversation centering around the Finance Bill. "I want to congratulate our young people for coming out and being concerned about Kenya's affairs. " They have done a democratic duty to stand and be recognized. "We are going to have a conversation with the youth. "We are going to engage them. "They have stood out and have been recognized. "I am very proud of our young people. "They have stepped forward, tribeless and peaceful," Ruto stated. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25,2024 - Firebrand lawyer, Miguna Miguna, has urged Kenyan youths not to retreat or surrender in the quest for a corruption-free country and a country governed by the rule of law. In a social media post on Tuesday, Miguna, who is a second liberation hero and a former political detainee, urged Kenyan youths not to drop their guards to ensure President William Rutos government is accountable to its people. Freedom is coming, today! No retreat. No surrender. Bravo, revolutionary Gen-Zs and Millennials, Miguna wrote on his X platform (formerly Twitter). For the last two weeks, Kenyan youths have taken to the streets demanding the government withdraw the punitive and retrogressive Finance Bill 2024. The bill which has the blessing of state house mandarins and treasury is set to introduce a raft of taxes on basic commodities which will exacerbate the high cost of living. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, July 25, 2024 - Gabriel Oguda, aide to National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, has been abducted by suspected police officers. Oguda alerted his followers early in the morning about his impending arrest, disclosing on social media that police officers were outside his home. Guys. Cops are at my gate, Oguda posted on X at 2:18 am before going silent. His arrest was later confirmed by his brother, Zachary Oguda. I can confirm that my brother has been taken by unknown gunmen from his house 5 minutes ago, Zachary posted on X at 2:53 am, informing followers that any posts from the bloggers accounts were scheduled. Opiyo Wandayi, also the Ugunja MP, confirmed that Oguda had been abducted and stated that the abductors were police officers. Wandayi said it is unconstitutional for police to abduct Kenyans who are free to demonstrate and picket. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 Pressure has begun piling on President William Ruto to resign over the draconian Finance Bill which has seen countrywide demonstrations by the young people, also known as Gen Zs. Addressing the press today, former Prime Minister Raila Odingas Azimio called on Ruto to step down, accusing his government of fiscal irresponsibility and corruption. The demand comes as they push for a drastic reduction in the proposed national budget, amid widespread protests and mounting public discontent. Led by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, flanked by coalition allies, lambasted Ruto's administration for what they claim is a bloated budget marred by corruption. "Ruto must resign. The entire country has risen saying 'Ruto Must Go'," declared Sifuna. "President Ruto, from Sugoi to the coast, has failed in his duty to the Kenyan people. He must resign. "Give us back our country or we will take it back from you," he added. Azimio advocated slashing the budget from Ksh3.9 trillion to Ksh2.5 trillion, alleging that over Ksh1 trillion has been earmarked for dubious purposes. "This clueless government must go back to the drawing board," proclaimed Senator Godfrey Osotsi, stressing the coalition's rejection of what they term as budgetary allocations conducive to corruption. "Remove that money from the budget and come to us with a budget of Ksh2.5 trillion, and then we can talk." The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - President William Ruto's chief economic advisor David Ndii has dismissed reports that he was stealing from the government, noting that he has been earning a modest salary as a state employee. Ndii made public an invoice where he was paid Sh45,000 per hour to consult for a bank. The economist remarked that for half a day's work, he earned a total of Sh417,600 minus Value Added Tax (VAT). He contrasted these with the Sh666,000 he earned from the National Government for May 2024 advising President Ruto and his cabinet. Ndii remarked that the Sh666,000 monthly pay was the only cash he received from the Treasury indicating that he is not paid any allowances. Additionally, Ndii remarked that he never consults for the government but renders his services to the private sector. Here is David Ndiis monthly payslip. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Busia County Senator, Okiya Omtatah has moved to court to challenge the use of water cannons by police to disperse protestors. In an interview with one of the local TV stations on Monday, Omtatah revealed he's worried about the effects of the water cannons. Omtata stated he would complain to court to see to it that the police are barred from using the pink-dyed chemical water on demonstrators. According to the legislator, the water might have a long-term effect on the protesters down the road. "I am preparing a petition to go to court to ban the use of chemicals on demonstrators. "We don't need to have biological warfare; why are we having chemical warfare? "We don't know what the agents are. I don't know whether the police who are mixing this chemical know what they are doing. "We don't want a pandemic of cancer down the line because people have been affected by funny chemicals. "I am very worried about those chemicals. You see the pressure which they hit you with they penetrate the skin. "We can't allow that kind of violence to be used in peaceful demonstrators," Omtata said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Kenyans on X have questioned the silence of Chief Justice Martha Koome who is supposed to speak when the police and the government ignore the constitution by killing unarmed demonstrators who are protesting against the Finance Bill 2024. Over the last two weeks, police have killed two Kenyans and injured hundreds during demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024. Koome, who heads a department that guards the constitution, has not spoken about the police breaking the constitution by killing unarmed demonstrators and abducting them. The Kenyan constitution allows Kenyans to demonstrate and picket and it is unlawful for any police officer to kill or abduct them. Here are comments from some Kenyans castigating Koome for being silent when the government and police are killing and abducting innocent Kenyans. Martha Koome got into bed with these people thats why the former CJ has declared his stance on the abductions before she has Alafu Justice Mwilu was crying on TV calling us stupid Kenyans who want to kill judges @CJMarthaKoomeyou have been complicit and silent, Captain Cook wrote on Facebook. CJ Martha Koome is just quiet. What is wrong with that woman? Why is she not condemning these abductions and police brutality against the citizens? #RejectFinanceBill2024, James Wanjeri wrote. Martha Koome was given an opportunity to prove the judiciary can deliver under a woman leadership but she will go down as the worst incompetent chief justice in the history of Kenya, Mash Ruene wrote The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - 2 people out of 10 are dead following an active shooter incident at Mad Butcher Grocery in Fordyce, Arkansas, USA on Friday, June 21. One police officer was among those shot but has non-life-threatening injuries. The gunman was also shot and critically wounded by responding officers. At approximately 11:30 a.m. today, Arkansas State Police responded to a shooting incident at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, said a news release from Arkansas State Police. A total of nine civilians were shot, two fatally. One law enforcement officer was also shot and has non-life-threatening injuries. The suspected shooter was critically injured and is in police custody. In a statement on X, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she had been briefed on the tragic shooting in Fordyce and is in constant contact with state police at the scene. One witness, David Rodriguez, said he was pulling into a gas station when he heard pops, which he thought were fireworks. Shortly after the suspect began firing bullets more rapidly, Rodriguez saw people running from the scene. He then heard sirens and saw ambulances and police arrive at the scene. Rodriguez told CNN the Mad Butcher grocery stores front windows were broken as if they had been shot open by gunfire. Matthew Gill, the meat manager at the Mad Butcher, said a man came into the store with a shotgun and ended up in a shootout with police. As the shooting evolved, some people hid in a cooler in the grocery store, Fordyce City Council Member Roderick Rogers told KATV. He said he was on the phone with someone in the store when the shooting took place. Man, it was bad, Rogers said. The council member said that he had talked to survivors of the shooting who are traumatized. We are trying to get some counseling and everything set up at the moment, he added. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - An outspoken United Democratic Alliance(UDA) Member of Parliament has claimed the ongoing demos in the country are being funded by the Illuminati group. Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776 in Bavaria, today part of Germany. Speaking on Monday, Gatundu South MP Gabriel Gathuka Kagombe claimed the demos which are against the Finance Bill 2024 have been sponsored by the Illuminati group. People should not use this issue of the finance bill to mislead Kenyans. "If you want to discover the truth, look at the videos circulating around. "They all begin with something called the Illuminati. "The people who are sponsoring demonstrations in Nairobi are called the Illuminati. "And our young people have been blindfolded," Kagombe claimed. Kagombe, currently out on bail after being charged with murder earlier this month, is among the MPs siding with the oppressor. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens are not violated when the government bars their non-citizen spouses from entering the country without explanation. The court in a 6-3 decision on Friday, June 21, said Sandra Munoz, a U.S. citizen and civil rights lawyer, cannot challenge the U.S. Department of State's denial of her El Salvadoran husband's visa application after the agency waited three years to explain that it suspected him of being a gang member. In the US, Visa denials are not reviewable in court unless the government violates an applicant's constitutional rights in the process. With this ruling, it means a non-citizen spouse of a US citizen can be denied a visa to the country without any explanation. So non-citizens don't have a guaranteed right of access to the US or its territories. Munoz and her husband, who she married in 2010 and with whom she has a child, have been separated since 2015, according to court filings. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Munoz's claim that the delay in explaining the denial violated her due process rights by interfering with her fundamental right to marry. Munoz sued the State Department in 2017 after the agency declined to reconsider its earlier denial of her husband's visa, and before it explained its determination. Munoz's husband, who has no criminal record and denied any gang affiliation, had travelled to El Salvador to apply for a visa. Her claim "involves more than marriage and more than spousal cohabitation it includes the right to have her non-citizen husband enter (and remain in) the United States," Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court. The ruling reverses a 2022 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that revived Munoz's lawsuit against the State The Immigration Reform Law Institute, a conservative group that filed a brief backing the State Department, praised the ruling. "To hold for this couple would let those Americans who choose to marry dangerous aliens force their choice on the rest of us," Dale Wilcox, the group's executive director and general counsel, said in a statement. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - A suspected mugger was apprehended by protesters in Nairobi Central Business District and handed over to the police after he was caught red-handed stealing. The young man in his early 20s begged police officers to release him, claiming that he was part of the protesters. I am very peaceful. I want change for my country, he shouted as police officers arrested him and bundled him into the vehicle. Thousands of youth have flocked into the Nairobi Central Business District to protest against the finance bill. Reports indicate that police officers are overwhelmed as they try to bar the protesters from accessing Parliament. Watch the video. In a dramatic twist during the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests, demonstrators have apprehended a man suspected of mugging and handed him over to the police, showcasing their commitment to justice amidst the chaos. Shot by @tom_mukhwana. pic.twitter.com/todtNfrNEE Africa Uncensored (@AfUncensored) June 25, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Russia wants talks with the United States but says such conversations must be "comprehensive" and include the subject of Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday, June 21. "It is impossible to rip out any individual segments from the general complex of accumulated problems, and we will not do this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks. "So we are open to dialogue, but to a broad comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the current dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, related to the direct involvement of the USA in this conflict," Peskov told reporters. The U.S. says any negotiations over the war must be dependent on Ukraine and what it wants. The United States rejects Russia's contention that by arming Ukraine it has become a direct protagonist in a war aimed at inflicting a crushing "strategic defeat" on Moscow. Peskov told reporters that the list of topics Russia and the United States needed to discuss was growing. Overall, this dialogue is very much required, "It is needed because problems are piling up, and there are a lot of problems associated with the global security architecture." But the US says Russia is to blame because they started the Ukraine war and they are still in it, almost 3 years later. Also this week, President Putin visited nuclear-armed North Korea, signed a mutual defence agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un and said he might supply Russian weapons to North Korea in response to the Western arming of Ukraine. Putin also reiterated on Thursday that he was considering reviewing Russia's doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. The last remaining arms control treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the United States can deploy is due to expire in 2026. Parliaments Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities & State Enterprises (COSASE), is today scheduled to interface with officials from Uganda Revenue Authority alongside the Minister of Energy & Minerals Development to explain the impasse around collection of tax on gold exports. In May 2023, the Attorney General told Parliament that government had resolved to challenge the interim orders exempting payment of taxes on gold exports. Kiryowa Kiwanuka was at the time, responding to concerns raised by legislators on a waiver issued by the energy ministry that slashed taxes on the gold to Shs43 billion, down from Shs 616 billion. Earlier in 2021, the finance ministry had issued a directive to halt the implementation of the five per cent levy (US$ 200) on each kilogram of exported gold. In a similar stride, in March 2023, energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa, also directed URA to halt the recovery of gold export taxes. In his report on the performance of URA for the Financial Year 2021/2022, the Auditor General noted that URA failed to collect Shs340 billion in taxes from gold exports, which was estimated to be recovered after the five per cent levy was implemented. Police in Jinja town are hunting for a man who allegedly hit his colleagues head with a brick, accusing him of eating his plate of posho. The unfortunate incident occurred in Busige village in Buwenge rural sub-county in Jinja. The area Local Council 1 Chairperson Richard Kinosa says the deceased only identified as Mwase and the suspect engaged in an argument during a thanks giving ceremony organized by the brother of the deceased who had bought a new Motorcycle. Kinusa said at the function, posho was served to the guests however, the deceased reportedly picked the plate that had been given to the suspect, angering him and a verbal exchange ensued, and enraging the suspect further. The suspect who has not been identified to the media in order not to jeopardize investigations then picked a brick and hit the deceased on the head who was then rushed to hospital in critical condition but died on arrival at Kagoma hospital. The national coordinator of the NRM partys Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo wants her junior staff to be held responsible for messing up the scholarship project for the Republic of Iran. The Iranian Ahlul-Bayt International University scholarships were negotiated by ONC, Kyambogo under the stewardship of Namyalo as one of the means to nature and groom better citizens who will contribute to Ugandas development. However, early this month, a team of students affected by an alleged scholarship scam wrote to President Museveni accusing the Coordinator of not providing them financial packages to ease their stay in Iran. In the letter the students claimed that the said funds where part of the scholarship package meant for medical insurance, study materials among other crucial items. In a telephone interview with KFM today, Namyalo says she cannot be held liable for responsibilities she delegated to particular individuals in her office, calling it witch hunt. What nagged me is that some people who were directly handling are not implicated anyway, I am just a target because it is me who is selling because they are people who handled why are my held responsible, I have never even spoken to any student, who ever got money should be held responsible not Hadijah, Namyalo narrated. This comes hours after president Museveni, for the fourth time within just three weeks addressed the problem of widespread corruption at the heart of government, emphasizing that he means business in his renewed war on graft. Five Members of parliament, all subscribing to the ruling National Resistance (NRM) party are currently battling corruption-related charges before the Anti-Corruption Court. The Director of Public Prosecution, Jane Frances Abodo has directed the trial of a Uganda Police Detective Gilbert Arinaitwe Bwana before the High Court Criminal Division over charges of aggravated trafficking in persons. The committal papers sending Arinaitwe to the High Court to stand trial have been presented before Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi by a senior State Attorney Ivan Kyazze, upon the completion of investigations. His Worship Kayizzi ordered Arinaitwe to report before the High Court Criminal Division every last Thursday of the month starting from July 25th 2024. Arinaitwe first appeared before Court on August 10th 2023 and released on a cash bail of 2million shillings on charges related to sexually exploiting of his House maid. Superintendent of police Arinatiwe Obwana rose to fame in 2011 when he was photographed holding a hammer smashing the rear wind-screen of a car belonging to former FDC presidential candidate Rt. Dr. Kiiza Besigye before spraying his eyes with pepper at the Mulago Round -about. Arinaitwe who is attached to the Crime Intelligence Headquarters is allegedly to have recruited, transported and harbored a 23-year old woman Joan Namukasa for purposes of sexual exploitation. Prosecution states that on June 23rd, 2023 at his home in Nalumunye -Bandwe in Kyengera Town Council, Arinaitwe used various forms of deception, threats and abuse of power to force the victim in involuntary servitude or debt bondage which is contrary to the Prevention of Trafficking Act ( 2009). By Martha Namono & Jacinta Kannyange President Museveni is on Thursday this week set to release the preliminary results of the 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) The exercise that kicked off on May 10th was expected to be concluded on May 19th, however it was pushed to May 25th due to inefficiencies including technical difficulties with the gadgets. Didacus Okoth, the spokesperson of the Uganda Bureau of Statiscs (UBOS) says all is set for the release of the preliminary results. We are set to release the results and it is based on the census roadmap which was launched by His excellence president Museveni on December 13, 2023, and he will give preliminary findings of the survey set to be done on Thursday, Mr. Okoth said in an interview. It is however not clear if the results will reflect the true statics of Uganda population since many Ugandans is claimed they were not counted during the exercise. This was the first digital census conducted in the country and according to UBOS, it allowed the enumerators to tally the results instantly, allowing the officials at the headquarters to know how many people had been enrolled on a particular day by close of business. The Directorate of Ethics and Integrity has started revitalizing the district anti-corruption committees as the government resumes the war against corruption right from the grassroots. This comes after president Museveni, for the fourth time yesterday within three weeks addressed the problem of widespread corruption at the heart of government, emphasizing that he means business in his renewed war on graft. These committees called the District Integrity Promotion Forums are mandated to promote ethical conduct, unblock service delivery bottlenecks as well as fight corruption at local governments. According to the Inspectorate of Government, local governments are marred by corruption in the form of absenteeism, ghost workers in schools and health centres, medicines and medical supplies being sold to patients, government projects not supervised or implemented according to plan, shoddy construction works going on unchecked, nepotism as well as illegalities in procurement. Nicholas Abola, the commissioner communication and information at the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, is however, optimistic that their anti-corruption committees spread across the country are a big boost in the fight against corruption at the district level. The fight against corruption must be intensified if the government is to walk the talk right from the local level, he said while addressing members of the DIPF from Lango Sub-region in Lira City last week. Local leaders acknowledged that corruption in most cases is covert and the perpetrators have confidence in their ability to get away with it undetected. This is because there is usually a meeting of minds or mutual agreement between the corruptor and the corrupted. But the leaders have demanded that the government should set up regional anti-corruption courts to ease the fight against the vice. The regional anti-corruption courts will handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to bribery, embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud, causing financial loss, corruption, and nepotism, among others. The demand for the establishment of the anti-corruption court in Lango comes at a time when institutions, which would have helped to curtail the vice, are reportedly being used by the perpetrators, especially public officials for personal enrichment. Mr Francis Abola, Otuke LC5 chairman, said the establishment of regional court will bring services closer to local administrative units and reduce wasteful expenditure. You find there is an issue of Shs2 million that got lost somewhere and would require the intervention of the anti-corruption agencies. And for this anti-corruption agency to come from the centre, they may not come with less than three vehicles and at the end of the day, they end up spending Shs10m to come and recover Shs2m, he said. Mr Abola said the Decentralization Policy requires that local governments manage their resources including their affairs but over time the issue of corruption is not controlled. Apac District Police Commander, Mr Rogers Kapere, noted that because so many agencies from Kampala come down to follow corruption-related cases, some files end up getting lost. Then instead of solving a problem, we end up creating a problem, he said. Mr Fred Ogwal, the chairperson of Lira City Service Commission, advised the government to carry out a performance audit in the fight against corruption. When you are coming to us to say that we are corrupt, give us documents to show. Are we so powerful that you cannot arrest us and you only move pointing at our back that we are corrupt? he charged. The anti-corruption actors in Uganda recognise that corruption and maladministration are serious problems, which have far-reaching effects on the development of Uganda and the welfare of citizens. The roots of corruption run deep in the society making it a complex dynamic and perverse phenomenon. Kilkenny City Green Party councillor, Maria Dollard has told the Kilkenny People she was saddened to hear of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryans departure, describing him as a 'skilled negotiator'. Earlier this week, local TD Malcolm Noonan ruled himself out of the running to replace the Green Party leader and endorsed Roderic O'Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. "Eamon has been an inspirational leader in the manner with which he carried out his duties, demonstrated passion for climate action and his conviction that Ireland can transform from Climate laggards to leaders," Cllr Dollard said. "He is a skilled negotiator and persuader as he demonstrated both domestically and abroad. In the sometimes-cynical world of politics, he showed sincere, serious-minded politics is not just possible but can be extremely effective," she added. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE A reduction in childcare costs, the expansion of parental leave and creating new bus services were amongst Mr Ryan's achievements with his resilience standing out to the Kilkenny councillor. "He is a man of passion and conviction that inspires and convinces people of the need for climate action. I believe because he speaks so convincingly, he has also endured appalling personal abuse. He rose above the base level of the abuse he endured and did his job professionally with dignity and sincerity but I was always conscious, he was also a Dad and family carer. "I am glad he will have more time now with his family and they with him. He has led the Greens in government to achieve a long list of positive advancements for Irish people and for that he can be proud." she said. "I wish him, Victoria and Tommy the very best in his retirement from politics. He has left a legacy that will endure for many years to come," Cllr Dollard concluded. It was a day of endings and new beginnings at the first meeting of Kilkenny County Council since the local elections on Friday, June 21. The day marked Michael Doyles (FG) final day as cathaoirleach after serving his 12 month term in the post, while five new county councillors took their seats for the first time. Addressing last weeks sitting of the local authority, the Fine Gael representative thanked all of his council colleagues for their support, paying special tributes to Leas-Cathaoirleach John Coonan, Mayor Joe Malone and CEO, Lar Power. "I hope I was fair to everyone," Mr Doyle concluded. The occasion also gave Doyles council colleagues across the political divide an opportunity to reflect on his tenure. Fianna Fails Cllr Andrew McGuinness commended his 'fantastic service' as a councillor, while party colleague, Cllr Peter 'Chap' Cleere stated, "he put his heart and soul into it." FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Fianna Fail councillor and Mayor of Kilkenny City, Joe Malone worked closely with Mr Doyle over the past year, describing him as a 'quiet and unassuming man' where they both achieved a lot despite being members of different political parties. Mr Doyles party colleague, Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh gave a glowing assessment of his term, praising his 'fair' and 'efficient manner', adding, "he was a brilliant representative at home and abroad." Members of the Executive of Kilkenny County Council also expressed their gratitude to Cllr Doyle on the day. CEO of the county council, Lar Power commented: "Michael represented the people of the city and county exceptionally well." A nurse on a panel to work for a hospital in Kilkenny has seemingly been told there is an embargo on the recruitment of nurses, despite contrary comments made by the Taoiseach. The nurse, who travels to Cork to work a 12-hour shift every day, and is due to be on a panel for a hospital in Kilkenny, has been told there is an embargo, according to a Laois TD. During a parliamentary session earlier this June, Brian Stanley raised the issue by asking if there was an embargo or not on the recruitment of nurses. I am aware of another nurse in County Laois who is travelling to work a 12-hour shift in Cork every day, he said. She is on a panel for a hospital in Kilkenny, but has been told there is an embargo. The Taoiseach stated yesterday there is no embargo on the recruitment of nurses. Is there or is there not an embargo? Fianna Fail TD, Mary Butler, responded: For clarity, there is no embargo for newly trained graduate nurses into CAMHS. There is a moratorium in place for certain posts, but not for consultants, graduate nurses or 130 dedicated staff members across several CAMHS teams. Minister Roderic OGorman and Minister of State Pippa Hackett have been confirmed as the two contenders vying to become the next leader of the Green Party. Dublin TD Mr OGorman and Co Mayo senator Ms Hackett put their names forward for the contest after Eamon Ryan announced he would be stepping down and would not contest the next general election. It was confirmed on Tuesday that both candidates had received the required support of at least 50 members to contest the leadership. Two hustings will take place before the online vote between July 4 and 7. The results of the leadership contest will be announced on Monday July 8. Speaking on his way into Cabinet on Tuesday, Mr OGorman said he was really pleased to be on the ballot for the Green Party leadership. He said he had received double the number of nominations required. Ive had the opportunity to speak to a lot of party members over the last couple of days, its great to hear their views in terms of what happens next within the party what our priorities, what our focuses should be. Im looking forward to hustings later this week and the campaign over the next two weeks. Mr OGorman said there had been a pushback against progressive policies on climate and peoples rights across Europe, and said as party leader he would be open to forming alliances between progressive parties. Asked if he finds the level of criticism Mr Ryan received as daunting, Mr OGorman said Ive had a little bit of it already over the last four years. When people show up outside your house, youre very much in the thick of it. He praised Mr Ryans record in rebuilding the Green Party during his 12-year tenure as leader. When my career ends, if I could have achieved half of what Eamon has done I will be very, very pleased, he added. Thinking about taking an international vacation this summer? If so, you wont be doing your wallet any favors by heading overseas during the peak travel season. Thats right, summer is the most expensive time to travel (especially to Europe) because so many tourists head there at that time. This summer fares are down by 16% with the average ticket costing $892, according to travel site Hopper.com. The site predicts that London, Paris and Frankfurt will be the busiest airports all summer. This will be an extra-busy summer travel season. Europe is hosting the final leg of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour and Paris is hosting the Olympics that run from July to August. The cheapest time to travel long-haul is November through March, says BBC Travel & World's Table editor Anne Banas. Even European vacations in early fall and late spring are more affordable than in the summer. But dont despair. If a summer vacation to Europe is what works best for your schedule, there are ways to avoid paying an exorbitant amount to get across the Atlantic. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up 1. Book your flight early Book your flight as early as possible. Ideally, you should book a flight to Europe 11 months before your trip to get the lowest fare, says Jeff Klee, former CEO of CheapAir.com, which monitored fares for more than 4 million flights to determine the best time to book flights. But that doesnt mean youll pay top dollar for a summer flight to Europe if you book now. Just make sure you purchase tickets at least six weeks before your departure because fares will dramatically increase after that point, Klee says. If there are still more than six weeks before you plan to travel, Banas recommends signing up for fare alerts from Kayak.com or Airfarewatchdog.com to be notified when the price drops on the flight you want to take. Although prices typically rise as the departure date for a flight nears, airlines occasionally release some seats back at the lowest fare level, Klee says. Also, sign up to receive e-mails from the airlines about fare sales and follow them on Twitter, where some airlines announce limited-time sales, says George Hobica, founder of Airfare Watchdog. If you see a good price on a flight you want to take, dont wait around make sure you buy those tickets. 2. Fly mid-week You'll usually get the best deal if you fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday (and include a Saturday night). You can save as much as $435 per ticket, according to Hopper.com. These days tend to be the cheapest days to fly to Europe, whereas Friday and Sunday are the most expensive, Klee says. We've often found that, if you're flying long-haul, including a Saturday night stay in your plans reduces the overall cost. Worth checking. 3. Stay flexible Check several travel date combinations. The price of flights also can vary significantly throughout the month. So if you dont have to travel during a specific week, use the flexible date option on travel comparison sites to find the dates with the lowest fares. Consider lesser-known airlines. Norwegian Air often has sales on flights to Europe from U.S. cities. Other lower-cost carriers include German airline Condor, Icelandair, and France's FrenchBee. 4. Be prepared for connecting flights If you dont have your heart set on a particular European city, choose a hub thats cheaper to fly to. Dublin, Ireland, is often the cheapest European city to fly into. And flights to Brussels, Belgium, are usually cheaper than flights to other Central European cities, Klee says. Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway, are the least expensive cities to fly into in Northern Europe, Hobica says. The map at Google Flights shows the average price of flights from a departure city of your choosing to cities around the world to help you pinpoint the least expensive European cities to which you can fly. If you really want to visit cities that are pricier to fly into, such as London or Paris, you still might save by flying to a cheaper international hub and then hopping on a super low-cost regional airline such as Ryanair, or switching to the train for the last leg of the journey to get to your desired destination, Banas says. 5. Consider business class Dont neglect business class, it might be cheaper. Airlines typically have sales on business-class seats on summer European flights, Hobica says. Sometimes business-class fares drop below the price of economy tickets, he says. Typically, though, the prices on these discounted seats still are a few hundred dollars more than economy fares. But if youre going to be taken to the cleaners with a pricey flight to Europe, he says, you should do so in comfort by paying a little more for the better seat. Look under fare specials on airlines sites, sign up for their e-mail alerts and check their Twitter feeds for deals. I had never heard of the Aotearoa Educators Collective, until they were quoted at length in this Newsroom article, criticising the Governments curriculum refresh. I looked up their website and found this is their policy platform: The primary responsibility for schooling is to create critical creative citizens invested in participatory democracy with capacity to combat social injustice . . Education should address long seated inequities and injustice through curriculum design. Success at school cannot be reduced to achievement in literacy and numeracy So they want schools focus on giving students the capacity to be social justice activists, and to deprioritise literacy and numeracy. If they are unhappy with what the Government is doing, this can only be a very good thing. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. By Eugene Lee Having followed the recent developments, a new development in the action by the presidential office drew my attention. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his entourage have traveled to Central Asia. After writing a piece about a month ago calling for the reignition of foreign policy, my first thought was that someone may have read it. The presidential office did restart foreign engagement, albeit on the wrong foot. First of all, in foreign affairs there is a concept called "protocol," put simply "a diplomatic code of conduct," or manners. According to these, the first meeting should have been with the initially canceled states, Denmark and Germany, before Central Asia. As it would have been in your real life, imagine if you have made important appointments and if they didn't go according to the plan, you would probably try to maintain the same order, assuming your partners are communicating with each other all the time. Another problem was that another important meeting was taking place at the same time in Italy the Group of Seven. We probably should have tried to squeeze ourselves in there. Well, I'll cut Yoon some slack and praise the office for at least restarting foreign engagement. Another discrepancy how the trip was presented and the spotlight given to each country the president visited. It wasn't just shallow; rather it was overly "open source" it didn't have a lot of depth to it. I'll start with the first leg of the journey Turkmenistan, one of the most enigmatic and reclusive of the stans, was portrayed as a mystical country. However, this isolation hasn't worked well for its national interest it remains one of the most difficult states to conduct business with due to its rigid hierarchical government structure. Next is Kazakhstan, a country of many riches, yet still trying to figure out the best way to maximize its potential but facing periodic setbacks. At times, you might wonder how it can develop when its sheer size presents numerous challenges. Nonetheless, I admire its persistence in the face of many hardships. And then there's Uzbekistan, a country with a large population and big ambitions. By the way, one fact that was missing from the explanations about this country in Korean media was its complex ethnic composition. For example, the city of Samarkand, which Yoon visited at the end of the trip, has a sizable number of Tajiks living there, and often, on the streets, you hear the Tajik language spoken. Of course, there are many reasons for that. A Soviet legacy is one between them, but it is hard to list them all. My major critique goes toward the self-acclaimed "experts" on television and other media who failed to mention any large factors from their analyses, like China or Russia. In China's case, its economic expansion has definitely earned it leverage, but it still finds it hard to define its policy in Central Asia. In Russia's case, with a smaller economic outreach, even if it doesn't have clearly spelled-out terms of "soft power" in its policy, it certainly has a prominent influence in all Central Asian states, culturally and linguistically. It remains a prime destination for young people to undertake their higher education. Another thing that I could not hear is about the importance of ethnic Korean communities I dislike the term "diaspora" as it excludes people from a larger society that stretches across all five, not just three, republics and their diversity. Some are smaller like in Tajikistan, considered very traditional, versus bigger but blurred groups, like those in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Speaking of ethnic Koreans, or Koryoin as they are known here, I'd like to express my condolences to all communities for the death of Vitaly Fen, who was the serving ambassador of Uzbekistan to South Korea for over 20 years and an ethnic Korean. Fen also worked to make the Yoon's trip successful, but passed away just days after the president's return to Korea. All five Central Asian states are paradoxically different but so similar at the same time, and they are facing the same challenges. For each state, climate change looks different but big, ranging from expansive droughts to wide die-outs of wild cattle and floods, pushing the states in the region to work together. And, nation-building, of which I couldn't hear anything, is a project for each state in a different measure as it may upset or please thy neighbor as you do it. Statecraft, where even dogs come into play, is a task that lasts several decades and ultimately defines relations between parties. The breed of dogs that was given as a present to Yoon is widely known as the Central Asian shepard, and yet differently in each respective language, allows each state to put a claim to the millennia-long history of their people. Well, I'm not an expert in that, and even my title of an expert on Central Asia isn't made by myself but by the people from the region. And one would certainly expect better work on the side of those who speak loudly in the media about the area, as it would make things clearer for the general public and businesses alike. Eugene Lee (mreulee@gmail.com) is a lecturing professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. Specializing in international relations and governance, his research and teaching focus on national and regional security, international development, government policies and Northeast and Central Asia. By Lee Gyu-lee Netflix's latest Korean original series, "The Whirlwind," will offer a captivating political thriller with its intense plot and powerful performance by veteran actors Sul Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae. The new series, which will drop Friday, revolves around Prime Minister Park Dong-ho (Sul), who is on the brink of losing everything he accomplished after asking the corrupt president to step down. When he decides to transform the political landscape by assassinating the president, he faces off against ambitious Deputy Prime Minister Jeong Su-jin (Kim) who tries to stop him for her own reasons. "As the title hints, the series will offer viewers the experience of a relentless and fierce whirlwind of a story and a spectacle of characters. It captures the journey of a person who is consumed by his convictions and turned into a monster, taking responsibility for his past choices," the series' director Kim Yong-wan said during a press conference for the series in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Tuesday. Director Kim Yong-wan, whose previous work is the 2020 occult thriller series "The Cursed," teamed up with scriptwriter Park Kyung-su, who wrote the political series "The Chaser" (2012), for this drama. The writer explained he came up with the story as an outlet to resolve the frustrations he felt with the current reality of society. "I felt the reality we're living in right now is very stifling. The present is dominated by the worn-out past, blurring a vision for the future," he said. "No matter how frustrating and bleak it is, I believe we should live to fix things among ourselves. But hoping for a superhuman on a white horse is just impossible in real life. That's why I wanted to create it as a series." Park noted that the series will follow the portrayal of a self-destructive character steeped in his own conviction. "I wanted to depict a collapse of a person rather than about authority. The reason a person falls is that he dreams an impossible dream," he said. "I am interested in those who decline the hand to help them until the end and choose to fall, and all characters I write are like that Park Dong-ho in this series is such a person as well." Sul, who is taking on his first series in about 30 years, shared he put his own fantasy into his character. "Park Dong-ho is recklessly bold and an excellent strategist at the same time. He is determined to act on his beliefs to the very end," he said. "He is an innovative reformer, a fictional character that one might wish for in the politics scene. So I portrayed him with hope and imagination, thinking 'it would be nice if such a person existed.'" Mobile bank partners with Travel Wallet By Anna J. Park KakaoBank has rolled out a new foreign exchange (FX) service called Dollar Box, designed to introduce innovations in the FX market for its 24 million digital banking users. During the internet-only bank's press conference in southern Seoul, Tuesday, the bank announced the new FX service is designed to allow customers to more conveniently use the U.S. dollar, the most common foreign currency in Korea, in their everyday lives from currency exchange and remittance to making payments. Any Korean customer aged 19 or older can open a Dollar Box account using their KakaoBank deposit account. The account allows a maximum deposit limit of $10,000, with a daily deposit cap of $5,000 and a daily withdrawal limit of $10,000. The service operates 24/7, and there are no additional fees for depositing or withdrawing U.S. dollars. Dollar Box users can withdraw physical cash at no cost from five Shinhan Bank foreign currency ATMs nationwide by using QR codes generated in the KakaoBank app. Each ATM withdrawal requires a minimum of $100 per transaction, with a daily maximum withdrawal limit of $600. Special features of the digital bank's FX service include its Dollar Gift service, where customers can send U.S. dollars as a mobile gift to their friends using KakaoTalk messenger. KakaoBank has also bolstered strategic business collaborations in expanding the FX service by partnering with Travel Wallet, the country's leading foreign exchange and payment service app. With the partnership, U.S. dollars deposited in Dollar Box can be directly utilized for various other currency exchanges and overseas payment services. Users only need to click the Travel Wallet Recharge page within Dollar Box to freely use the foreign currency exchanges and make payment in 70 countries worldwide, across Europe, Asia and North America. "With the launch of Dollar Box, KakaoBank aims to create a whole new foreign currency ecosystem by generating a synergy with partner companies having top-tier technologies," Oh Bo-hyun, foreign exchange (FX) service owner at KakaoBank, said during the press conference. Travel Wallet CEO Kim Hyung-woo, who also attended Tuesday's press conference, emphasized a collaboration between the internet-only bank and a fintech startup would mutually benefit their users. "A majority of Travel Wallet customers were already using KakaoBank as their main bank accounts, indicating that a huge number of customers are overlapping in both services," Kim said. "With this collaboration, I hope customers can use U.S. dollars more conveniently for their own purposes," he said. KakaoBank plans to build ties with other strategic partners as well, in order to integrate new services, such as shopping, hoping to further expand the foreign currency ecosystem based on Dollar Box. Korea's overseas financial assets grew sharply in 2023 thanks largely to a jump in investment in U.S. stocks, central bank data showed Tuesday. The nation's external financial assets came to $1.911 trillion at the end of December last year, up $124.4 billion from a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The BOK attributed the on-year surge mainly to increased investment in the United States and European Union countries amid stock rallies. Financial assets in the U.S. jumped $113.8 billion to a record high of $804.6 billion last year, accounting for 42.1 percent of the total, also the highest, as retail investors scrambled to U.S. equities. Korean entities' financial assets in the EU climbed $10.3 billion to $252.8 billion, and their financial assets in China fell $9.1 billion to $145.2 billion. In line with an international norm, the tally excluded Korea's foreign reserves, which stood at $420 billion as of end-December, the BOK said. Foreign reserves consist of securities and deposits denominated in overseas currencies, International Monetary Fund reserve positions, special drawing rights and gold bullion. The data also showed the nation's external financial liabilities increasing $111.6 billion to $1.521 trillion as of end-December. External liabilities owed to the U.S. were the largest at $371.4 billion, or 24.4 percent of the total, followed by Southeast Asian nations with $329.5 billion and the EU with $246 billion. (Yonhap) By Lee Kyung-min The Korea Times awarded seven winners of the 20th English Economic Essay Contest for university students at the award ceremony at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Tuesday. Open to university undergraduate and graduate school students in Korea and abroad, the annual economic essay contest is sponsored by Woori Bank, an affiliate of Woori Financial Group. The contestants wrote essays on one of two subjects: "Foreigners have become an indispensable part of Korean society, and their ratio is expected to continue to surge. Suggest tips for the banking industry to attract and better serve foreign customers" or "One of the Korean stock market's chronic problems is the so-called 'Korea discount,' referring to a long-standing tendency of listed companies' undervaluation compared to their fundamentals. Discuss your assessment of the issue and suggest effective measures that can provide a solution." The winners for the Grand Prize are Youm In-song, a student at Korea University, and Alexander Ferguson, a student at the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management. Each of the winners was awarded 3 million won ($2,160) in prize money and an award plaque. The runners-up are Anne Geertruida Louisa van Assche, a student at the Netherlands' Leiden University majoring in Korean studies, and Elsa Tsegay Tikue, a student at Chung-Ang University. Each received 2 million won and an award plaque. Commendation awards went to Kim Young-soo at New York University, Martine Aamodt Maksutova at Yonsei University and Song Je-in at Yonsei University. Each received 1 million won and an award plaque. The awards were presented by Woori Bank CEO Cho Byung-kyu and Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin who each gave congratulatory speeches. Cho said the contest contributed to deepening the understanding of the economy and the financial industry among university students. Woori is pleased to sponsor the contest from the beginning, he said. This years event is all the more meaningful since it marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event. It was a pleasure to be a part of such a meaningful opportunity whereby young people continue to grow and express their opinions on the global financial landscape. Oh said he hopes the contest will help many young students grow as global leaders with the ability to verbalize thoughts in English. Many expressed their thoughts from a new perspective, differentiated by points of inquiry that were fresh to the eyes of the older generations. Youm said she was grateful for the opportunity to express her thoughts clearly and give feedback on how the banking system can be improved. I am very happy for the recognition and for the opportunity to make a contribution to enhancing the banking system. Top economic policymakers of Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to take "appropriate actions" to curb excessive volatility of their currencies and enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation on broader economic, financial and social issues, Seoul's finance ministry said. The consensus was made during the ninth Korea-Japan finance dialogue by Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shunichi Suzuki, in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The two ministers shared "serious concerned about the recent sharp depreciation of the Korean won and the Japanese yen" and recognized the importance of "remaining vigilant" in policy actions to support economic growth and ensure financial stability. "They reaffirmed that they continue to take appropriate actions against excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates," the ministry said in a release. The joint verbal intervention came as volatility in the foreign exchange market remains high amid geopolitical instability stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. The Korean won and the Japanese yen have weakened markedly against the U.S. dollar in recent months. The Korean currency ended at 1,387.5 won against the U.S. dollar, staying near the closely watched level of 1,400 won, and the Japanese yen has neared the 160 line against the U.S. dollar, a level unseen in decades. (Yonhap) Hangeul sculpture, hanbok image win top awards By Park Jin-hai The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) announced the winners of the inaugural contests to find new ideas and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images to represent Korea during its annual Culture Communication Forum 2024. The New Korea Ideas and Korea Image Created by AI contests, held to seek fresh and globally appealing content to portray Korea, received 254 entries over the past two-month period, reflecting the growing interest in Korea and the potential of AI to create compelling visual representations, the CICI said in a statement. Choi Jung-wha, president of the CICI, said, "Effective communication involves understanding the audience's perspective and tailoring our message accordingly. This principle extends to our efforts to promote Korea's image," highlighting the meaning of this year's event in the opening speech. "Korea will be the place where future cultures come to audition (just like New York)." The winners were chosen based on onsite voting from a final list of five news ideas and 10 AI-generated images. Renowned Korean calligrapher Kang Byung-in won the top prize in the New Korea Ideas category. He envisioned Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, as the driving force behind the third wave of hallyu, or the Korean wave, and proposed an ambitious project to erect Hangeul sculptures, monumental artwork that would serve as a symbol of Korean identity and culture. He garnered 23 votes out of 50. Chihmao Hsieh, associate professor of entrepreneurship at the State University of New York (SUNY) Korea, received the Excellence Award with the idea of Korean endearing gestures such as finger heart, formed by bringing together the thumb and index finger to create a heart shape, has transcended cultural boundaries and become a ubiquitous symbol of affection. The Incentive Award went to the team of Jeong Chae-rin and Chon Sung-woo with the idea of a Korean photo booth where people can take photos to create photo stickers. In the Korea Image Created by AI category, where applicants created images that represent Korea using AI, Kwon Hye-in, a student at Kookmin University, won the top prize with the theme of harmony of hanbok tradition and modernity. Other award winners are images featuring "najeonchilgi," mother-of-pearl lacquerware, and the hit Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" (2021). Some 60 prominent figures, including CJ Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Ambassador Hotel Group Chairman Suh Jung-ho, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts CEO Ahn Ho-sang, PMC CEO Song Seung-hwan, Flitto CEO Lee Jung-soo, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux, UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Luxembourg Ambassador to Korea Jacques Flies, graced the event. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Monday highlighted deterrence steps of last year's summit declaration between South Korea and the United States as tools to harness amid resurgent calls for the allies to craft stronger defense measures following last week's summit between Russia and North Korea. After Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty in a show of their deeper military ties in Pyongyang on Wednesday, calls have resurfaced for Seoul to consider a nuclear option. But Campbell appeared to be putting the brakes on the calls, pointing to the Washington Declaration that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden issued during their summit in April to enhance the credibility of America's deterrence commitment. "I think that the mechanisms that we've put in place between the United States and South Korea ... you talked about the Washington Declaration and the strategic initiatives that have been launched to underscore the added signification of American extended deterrence, particularly in situations like Korea, I think it's given us what we need to work with now," he said during a forum hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. "We just have to be purposeful on following through with the specific steps in the declaration," he added. Key deterrence measures in the Washington Declaration were the establishment of the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a body to discuss strategic and nuclear planning issues, and a U.S. pledge to enhance the "regular visibility" of strategic military assets to the Korean Peninsula. Particularly, the NCG was a culmination of the allies' efforts to enhance the credibility of the U.S.' "extended deterrence" commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its ally. But the summit between Kim and Putin raised renewed questions over South Korea's security as their new treaty calls for one side to provide military assistance to the other "without delay" in the event of an armed invasion in a pledge that amounted to a revival of their Cold War-era military alliance. During a webinar on Friday, Allison Hooker, former senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, warned that a deepening military relationship between Russia and the North could push South Korea to consider seeking its own nuclear program. Campbell concurred with her view, noting that there are "limits" in the North Korea-Russia partnership, but they cannot be ignored. "I do agree with Allison though (that) the steps that Russia and North Korea are taking are causing countries in the region to rethink all of their military and other steps. So what we've seen is substantial increases in military spending, different focus in South Korea, in Japan and elsewhere across the Indo-Pacific more generally," Campbell said. "The United States is quite focused on underscoring the strength of our extended deterrence to the countries of Northeast Asia ... Japan and South Korea in particular." Asked to comment on what North Korea could potentially get from the new treaty with Russia, Campbell raised the possibility of Moscow providing assistance linked to the North's nuclear and missile programs. "We believe that there are discussions about what North Korea gets in exchange and they could be associated with its nuclear or long-range missile development plans, perhaps other things in energy and the like," he said. "I think we are steading in the aftermath of the agreement and watching carefully but we are concerned." Touching on how China would feel about the growing ties between Russia and the North, Campbell said that China may be "anxious." "I think it is fair to say that China is somewhat anxious about what's going on between Russia and North Korea," he said. "They've indicated so in some of our interactions and we can see some tension associated with those things." He also pointed out China's concern that Pyongyang could undertake provocative acts that would have regional security implications. "I think it would be fair to say that China is probably worried that North Korea will be somehow encouraged to take provocative steps that could lead to a crisis in Northeast Asia. So we are watching carefully," he said. "You've seen some movements across the DMZ that have led to kind of a brief exchanges of fire we've seen," he added, referring to North Korean troops' recent incursions into the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. (Yonhap) Calls mount urging cessation of defectors' flyer campaigns By Kwak Yeon-soo Trash balloons and propaganda leaflets are escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, prompting local governments and civic groups to call for the cessation of hostilities and military activities that provoke war. On Monday night, North Korea launched around 350 trash-carrying balloons to the South in its fifth such campaign since late May in retaliation against South Korea-based activists release of balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border. This came after Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned on Friday of additional measures if Seoul continues the leaflet launches. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, Tuesday, the trash carried by the North Korean balloons was mostly scrap paper and waste and no hazardous substances were found. It also warned that the military is ready to immediately turn on its loudspeakers near the border. Our militarys propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts directed at North Korea are ready to be implemented immediately. The broadcasts resumption depends on strategic and operational circumstances and how North Korea acts, JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a regular press briefing. This move is perceived as a prudent stance aimed at preventing tensions from escalating further. On June 9, the military announced full suspension of its 2018 inter-Korean military agreement and briefly resumed loudspeaker broadcasts following North Koreas third campaign to drop trash on South Korea with balloons. The Yoon Suk Yeol government has been refraining from intervening in the civic group's leaflet activities, citing a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that affirmed these actions as being protected under freedom of expression. The unification ministry maintained the stance that it will not stop activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North, citing the same reason. However, a recent poll of 1,000 adults conducted by Gallup Korea from June 11 to 13 showed that 60 percent of respondents believe the government should take action to prevent civilian groups from sending leaflets to North Korea. Concerns are also rising over the safety of residents in border areas where the leaflet-carrying balloons are launched. Paju Mayor Kim Kyung-il demanded the central government take appropriate measures regarding the activists leaflet launches, adding that such activities create anxiety for many residents living near the inter-Korean border. Residents who live near the border are anxious about escalating tensions as both Koreas exchange leaflets and trash balloons. Im not sure whether propaganda leaflets can be recognized as a means of freedom of expression. I heard some North Korean defectors groups are engaging in such activities for a living, Kim said during a radio interview, Monday. On Friday, Gyeonggi Province requested police to look into Fighters for a Free North Korea, an activist group led by North Korean defector Park Sang-hak. It accused the group of violating the Aviation Safety Act, saying that large balloons used to send propaganda leaflets could fall under the category of an ultralight flying device under the Aviation Safety Act and cannot be launched without approval from the transportation minister. Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon said the central government should not passively tolerate the launch of anti-North leaflets but must implement concrete measures to address the issue. Meanwhile, Korea Peace Action, a broad coalition of 608 civic and religious groups and 80 international organizations calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula, staged a rally in Gwanghwamun Square on Tuesday. Military tensions are escalating as South and North Korea continue to engage in tit-for-tat exchanges, including sending of the leaflets, suspending the 2018 military agreement and resuming loudspeaker broadcasts. Live-fire drills are scheduled to take place on the western border islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong amid heightened tensions with North Korea, a Korea Peace Action official said. It is urgent to gather voices to demonstrate peace and resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula because even a small misunderstanding or misjudgment may lead to conflict or confrontation. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Tuesday asked hospitals to swiftly accept the resignations of trainee doctors who have left their worksites in protest of the government's medical reform, in an apparent move to appease the junior doctors. About 12,000 trainee doctors have walked off their jobs since late February to protest against a hike in the number of medical students. In a punitive step, the government ordered hospitals not to accept the resignations of trainee doctors to prevent them from seeking jobs at other clinics. Cho asked training hospitals to make the utmost efforts to persuade trainee doctors to return to work and "stabilize" hospitals by the end of this month. "For trainee doctors who find it difficult to return," Cho said that hospitals should swiftly accept their resignations. This would allow trainee doctors who have defied the government's return-to-work order to seek jobs at other hospitals. The health minister, meanwhile, welcomed the latest efforts made by the medical community to launch a committee under the Korea Medical Association to facilitate potential talks with the government. "If the medical community lends a hand, we can take a step closer to a medical reform that benefits the people, patients, doctors and medical staff," Cho said, noting the government is willing to engage in dialogue at any time. During a separate briefing, the health ministry said it is also making efforts to address the demands made by trainee doctors. Such measures include establishing an organization to scientifically calculate the supply of doctors, employing more trainee doctors at training hospitals, creating legal protections for unavoidable medical accidents, and improving the working environment. "We are speeding up the discussion regarding the demands suggested by the junior doctors' group and making efforts to implement them," said Kwon Byung-ki, the director general for essential health care. "The government will offer all necessary support to ensure junior doctors receive training in a better environment." The KMA, meanwhile, announced it will not begin an indefinite walkout Thursday as previously planned. Instead, the group's committee will hold a meeting Saturday to decide how it will proceed with such a walkout. The health minister also expressed regret over plans by medical professors at some major hospitals to launch a walkout, calling for them to prioritize the lives of patients. Medical professors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital earlier voted to stage an indefinite walkout Thursday. (Yonhap) Medical professors at eight hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University of Korea on Tuesday voted to shelve their plan on an indefinite walkout, following a decision by medical professors at Seoul National University to end their collective action. The move came as expectations have grown over potential talks between the medical community and the government to resolve a monthslong standoff over medical reform. The emergency committee of medical professors at the Catholic University said that about 70 percent of them voted in favor of alternative protest methods, such as reducing treatment for non-critical patients, instead of a walkout. The committee, however, said 82 percent of the professors also vowed to join a walkout if necessary in the future. "Hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea decided to put off an indefinite strike, although we will continue to protest and resist the government's misguided policies in various formats," it added. The latest decision came after medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital and its affiliates decided to end their indefinite strike last Friday, saying they could not put patients at risk anymore. South Korea's top doctors' lobby group, the Korea Medical Association (KMA), also announced it will not begin an indefinite walkout Thursday as previously planned. Medical professors at Asan Medical Center, which had earlier vowed to launch a walkout starting July 4, were seen closely monitoring situations at other hospitals as well. "(The plan) is flexible depending on changes in the government's stance," an official from the medical professors' committee at Asan Medical Center said, hinting that doctors are considering maintaining treatments for critically ill patients. Prospects for talks between the medical community and the government have been growing after Lim Hyun-taek, a hawkish head of the KMA, stepped back from the standoff, prompting the organization to form a special committee to initiate a dialogue. Medical professors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital, and Yongin Severance Hospital however, have not yet announced a change to their plan to launch an indefinite walkout Thursday. (Yonhap) A U.S. diplomat on Monday described South Korea and Japan as "good partners" in addressing threats from Russia as he explained the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s growing partnership with the Indo-Pacific as a focus of its summit in Washington next month. James O'Brien, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, made the remarks during a press briefing held to preview the NATO summit set to take place in the U.S. capital from July 9-11. "We are doing this because the security concerns faced in the Indo-Pacific are very similar to those that are faced in NATO's Article 5 territory, and so it makes sense to share lessons and to work together against similar collective threats," he said during the briefing at the Foreign Press Center, referring to the NATO article on collective defense. "Both Japan and Korea in particular have been very good partners in addressing the threat posed by Russia. So we anticipate the opportunity to share views on those subjects but also to build up the habit of cooperation and the practical areas of collaboration between NATO and our Indo-Pacific partners," he added. South Korea is part of the transatlantic alliance's four Asia Pacific partners, which include Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Seoul has deepened cooperation with NATO with the establishment of a diplomatic mission to the 32-member alliance in November 2022 and other collaborative efforts amid North Korea's persistent military threats, China's growing assertiveness and other challenges. O'Brien used the briefing to highlight that Russia can sustain its war efforts due to China's support for Russia's defense industrial base as well as cooperation with North Korea and Iran. "We've been open that the reason Russia is able to stay on the battlefield is that it receives considerable support from China. More than 70 percent of the machine tools that Russia uses to make its weaponry come from China. More than 90 percent of the electronics that show up on the battlefield come from China," he said. "We'll continue to discuss this issue because it's clear that Russia fights only because China is able to help it and plus, the closer and closer cooperation Russia shows with Iran and North Korea," he added. The diplomat also highlighted the "health" of the NATO, saying it is now "larger and more well resourced than ever in its history." "With the addition of the considerable capacities of Sweden and Finland, NATO is at 32 member states today. We have also seen a great rise, the largest increase in military spending in the alliance's history since 2021, particularly since Russia's unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine in 2022," he said. (Yonhap) Korea and the United States kicked off joint drills aimed at strengthening their combined logistics capabilities earlier this week, Seoul's military said Tuesday. The five-day combined distribution exercise got under way Monday in multiple locations across the country, including Pocheon, 52 kilometers northeast of Seoul, joined by some 2,000 Korean and U.S. troops, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The exercise is designed to train troops on procedures to distribute supplies, personnel and equipment to combat units within the peninsula. The latest drills mobilized some 500 pieces of equipment, including tanks, aircraft, warships and civilian cargo ships. While previous combined distribution exercises took place on a limited scale in southern areas, this year's drills will train troops in actual operational areas in an effort to maintain their combat capabilities, the JCS said. (Yonhap) South Korea has denounced "any acts" that help North Korea build up its military capability as a violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, calling on the international community for a "stern" united response to such activities. Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won made the call during a foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Tehran on Monday (local time), after Russia and North Korea announced a new partnership centered on greater military ties following the leaders' summit in Pyongyang last week. The ACD is a multilateral consultative body mainly involving Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and Russia is also a member. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko attended the meeting. A foreign ministry official in Seoul confirmed that Chung had a brief encounter with Rudenko but did not elaborate. Russia and the North signed a new treaty calling for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other if either of the two gets invaded. At the ACD session, Chung highlighted that "Any direct or indirect actions that help enhance North Korea's military capabilities, including the signing of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea, constitute a violation of relevant UNSC resolutions," his office said. Chung also "called for the international community to sternly respond to all actions that threaten international security and peace," the foreign ministry said. The ACD was established in 2002 as a consultative body among Asian countries. It comprises 34 members, including South Korea, China, Japan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and those in the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia. Iran is currently serving as the rotating chair. Chung also met separately with Iran's acting top diplomat, Ali Bagheri-Kani, on the sidelines of the gathering and discussed bilateral and other issues of common interest, Seoul's foreign ministry said. At the start of the talks, Chung expressed condolences over the sudden passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian last month. Chung then discussed expanding cooperation with Tehran in areas like academia and cultural exchanges, calling Iran an influential state and voicing expectations that it will play a more constructive role in ensuring regional stability, the ministry said. (Yonhap) Insufficient safety measures heighten risks for foreign laborers By Lee Hyo-jin A devastating fire at a Korean lithium battery factory claimed the lives of 23 workers. The fact that 18 of the victims were foreign nationals highlights the harsh working conditions and exploitative contracts endured by migrant laborers, activists said, Tuesday. The incident, one of the worst industrial accidents in the nation's history, could also be the deadliest single workplace disaster in terms of migrant worker fatalities. The blaze erupted at the plant operated by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, at around 10:30 a.m., Monday, with 102 employees present at the time. According to rescue authorities, 23 people died five Koreans, 17 Chinese nationals and one Laotian. Of the five Koreans, one was a naturalized Korean originally from China. The fire authorities revised their earlier announcement from Monday regarding the victims' nationalities, clarifying that not all 20 were foreign nationals. Udaya Rai, a Nepalese worker-turned-activist who has lived in Korea for over two decades, described this as the deadliest tragedy for migrant workers in recent memory. He also heads the Migrants' Trade Union. "I remember previous incidents where one or two foreign nationals were involved in workplace accidents or fires, but the loss of over a dozen migrant workers is devastating news for our community," Rai told The Korea Times. He pointed out that the migrant workers may have failed to evacuate promptly after the fire broke out, noting that mandatory safety education sessions for foreign workers in factories are often skipped due to negligent employers citing language barriers, although officials at Aricell claim they provided sufficient safety education. "No one should lose their life on the job, regardless of nationality whether Korean or foreign. But unfortunately, foreigners are often treated as tools, not human beings. Employers care more about how fast they can work, not about safety measures or fire evacuation plans," he said. Government data show that over 900,000 migrant workers, primarily from Southeast Asian nations and ethnic Koreans of Chinese descent, are currently employed across various sectors, predominantly in agriculture, manufacturing, construction and fisheries, taking on jobs that are largely shunned by Koreans. However, due to a lack of regulations and monitoring, foreign workers are more prone to occupational accidents and fatalities than their Korean counterparts. According to a 2022 report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, while the total number of occupational deaths decreased from 1,114 in 2010 to 855 in 2019, fatalities among foreign workers increased from 78 to 104 during the same period. These accounted for 7 percent of the total deaths in 2010 but rose to 12.2 percent in 2019. Furthermore, as of 2020, the occupational fatality rate among migrant workers was 1.39 per 10,000 individuals, significantly higher than the general rate of 0.07 for all employed persons. The migrant workers who were killed in the fire were found to be temporary employees hired through subcontracting, rather than regular employees. This factor appeared to have exacerbated the situation. "Most of the foreign workers were found to be temporary workers hired by subcontractors. This likely worsened the impact because they were unfamiliar with the factory's layout and emergency procedures," Cho Seon-ho, head of Gyeonggido Fire Services, said. Attorney Choi Jeong-gyu at law firm Wongok, specializing in migrant-related cases, said the fire disaster exposed Korea's widespread illegal outsourcing practices which primarily affect foreign workers. "At the battery factory, the migrant workers were assigned inspection and packaging duties roles which, under the Act on the Protection of Temporary Agency Workers, should not be outsourced to temporary workers," the lawyer explained. But such unlawful practices are prevalent, Choi said, as manufacturing companies often opt for cheap migrant labor hired through brokers to cut down on labor costs. "The problems linked to illegal outsourcing involving foreign workers has been repeatedly raised, yet the government has turned a blind eye to the issue," he added. The Chinese Embassy in Korea said it is closely collaborating with local authorities regarding the Chinese nationals killed in the fire. An embassy official said, Tuesday, that they have not yet received detailed identification of the victims, expressing uncertainty about how many of them were ethnic Koreans, commonly known as "Joseonjok." Hours after the fire broke out, Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming visited the site to see the emergency services' efforts and subsequent measures. "Xing urged the Korean side to determine the cause of the accident as soon as possible, deal with the aftermath properly, and provide all necessary support to the families of the Chinese victims," the embassy said in a statement released on Tuesday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will closely cooperate with related embassies in Korea to assist the foreign victims and their families. However, identifying the foreign victims and notifying their families is expected to be a lengthy process due to the severe damage to the bodies of the deceased victims. The Ministry of Labor and Employment confirmed to The Korea Times that there were no E-9 visa holders among the migrant workers at Aricell. The E-9 visa is specifically for non-professional work and is offered to foreign nationals for employment in Korea. This suggests that the deceased Chinese workers were likely H-2 visa or F-4 visa holders, the types granted to ethnic Koreans. The ministry could not confirm whether any of the victims were undocumented, stating that a detailed announcement will be made after the identification process has been completed. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will visit Japan and Malaysia this week for talks with each of his counterparts on bilateral relations and other issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Kim will hold the "strategic dialogue" with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano in Tokyo on Friday, a meeting that comes about eight months after the previous talks. "The two sides plan to discuss Korea-Japan bilateral relations, as we also explore ways to cooperate in a broad range of areas, including regional and international issues," the ministry said in a release. The vice ministerial diplomatic dialogue was launched as a follow-up to the March summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last year. The summit led to the dramatic warming of bilateral ties after Korea proposed a solution to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without the contributions from Japanese firms. Before traveling to Tokyo, Kim will make a three-day visit to Malaysia starting Tuesday. Kim will meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Amran Mohamed Zin, for the bilateral policy dialogue for broad discussions on issues of common interests and efforts to boost cooperation. It will mark the resumption of the high-level diplomatic talks with the Southeast Asian country after 16 years, the ministry added. (Yonhap) By Jon Dunbar A group of foreign residents of Seoul is putting on its own fan edition of the popular British comedy panel game show "Taskmaster" on Friday at the Craic House, an Irish bar in central Seoul's Itaewon. Five competitors will square off to complete various tasks and challenges, some which have been prerecorded as videos for screening on Friday night. This is the second year of "Taskmaster Seoul: Fan Edition," and a video of last year's event is available online. The first one was held as a farewell party for Joe Parkes, who was returning to New Zealand after almost 20 years in Korea. "Joe introduced many of us to 'Taskmaster,' so putting on the show where he served as the titutlar roll was a fitting goodbye," said Robin Bortner, who played the role of the Taskmaster's assistant, designing the tasks and organizing the event. "It was such a fun and popular event that I decided to reprise it this year." Last year's winner, Simon Lassen, will serve as Taskmaster this year, with Bortner once again as his assistant. They are joined by various volunteers, including a film crew and video editors. Bortner stressed that this is entirely a fan activity, and there is no actual collaboration with the original TV production. "We give all credit to the creative team there for their ideas, aesthetics and soundtrack, which we have borrowed for our tribute," she said. "The tasks themselves are my own original ideas developed around the local filming locations. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and is expected to run until about midnight. Entry is free, and Bortner cautions that there may be small tasks for the audience to participate in this year. "The spirit of the show, and why we like it so much, is its embrace of the absurd," Bortner said. "The tasks are purposefully ridiculous and judged on arbitrary standards, so contestants accept likely failure before beginning. This mindset opens space for lateral thinking and hilariously ingenious actions that are fun to perform and watch." Visit @craichousekorea on Instagram for more information. By Jon Dunbar Pride Month is almost over, but not before seven stand-up comics take to the stage at KYLDN Social Club in central Seoul's Gyeongnidan area this Friday. All seven are women and/or queer, and will be taking the stage on the theme "No Pride, Just Prejudice." "'No Pride, Just Prejudice' is obviously a play on Jane Austen, but it also sums up how it feels to be gay in Korea sometimes when the powers that be would rather rent space to a hate group than a Pride parade," said Rory Kelly, the headlining comedian. He was referring to last year, when the city barred the Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) from taking place as usual in Seoul Plaza. Instead, the space was given to a Christian TV station that has been criticized for broadcasting anti-LGBTQ hate speech. The event, which was supposedly a festival for children, had barely any attendees. All this happened under a "moderate conservative" mayor who the OECD declared a "Champion Mayor for Inclusive Growth" in recognition of his leading role in mitigating inequality under his policies to focus on the vulnerable and who has also said he "can't agree with homosexuality." The city government pulled the rug out from under the SQCF again this year, but this time it was decided to reserve the city square for a reading event not connected with any religious organizations. What can you do in the face of so much absurdity? Probably the healthiest thing is to laugh. "Last year, I walked in the Seoul Pride Parade, and it was sweltering hot. We kept getting screamed at by Christian protesters," said Kristen Pimley, host of the event and a producer of Stand Up Seoul. "They kept yelling, 'You're going to Hell!' I thought, 'It's July in Seoul. We're already here.'" Kelly shared an amusing story about being accused of bigotry himself. "I used to be part of a language exchange, and we were discussing what we would do if we were president," he said. "One of the participants said he would ban all gay people; I said I would ban all the homophobes. He said I was being intolerant." It's exactly because of this kind of attitude that Korea can't have an anti-discrimination law, as bigots fear being outed for their prejudices. Both Pimley and Kelly confirmed that they have been subjected to hatred by bigots, not just in the streets during the Pride Parade or in daily life, but also in connection with their comedy routines. "I've been heckled for being gay before," Kelly said. "The best one was I told a joke about my boyfriend being my brother, and someone shouted, 'I don't wanna hear about gay shit!' He was fine with incest." "I like to take screenshots of any hate comments and turn them into advertisements for shows," said Pimley, who has performed on comedy stages in nine countries so far. "My favorite was an anonymous man who commented on a lot of my social media posts, saying, 'Stop calling yourself a comedian. You are just an attractive white female; you have no talent. Your comedy is insufferable and embarrassing.' I was like, 'You think I'm attractive?' (heart emojis)" She added that their upcoming show has not yet received any backlash, but if it were to, it clearly wouldn't faze her. "I feel that if ultra-conservative religious groups are protesting you, it's a sign you're doing something right," she said. Although it used to be claimed that Korea had no homosexuality, those days are long gone. These days, while it's impossible to deny the existence of sexual minorities throughout Korea's history, there are still haters who claim that it only exists because it is a foreign culture brought here by outsiders...outsiders like Kelly and Pimley? They had harsh words for this notion. "People who think of queerness as 'foreign' are never going to change their minds and frankly don't deserve to laugh," Kelly said. "Love, understanding and acceptance are universal values," added Pimley. There has been a lot of social debate over whether comedy has become too politically correct, and what jokes might go too far. But while Pimley isn't silencing or canceling anybody, she made it clear what she wants to see on stage. "There's a big difference between pushing boundaries and perpetuating hate and hate speech is rarely funny," she said. "As a producer, I'm trying to save the stage for voices that inspire and entertain." "Hatred already has enough of a platform," Kelly added. "No Pride, Just Prejudice" starts this Friday at 9 p.m. Entry to KYLDN Social Club costs 15,000 won. The performers also include Jessica Lee, Alice Hong, Yobo, Sue Choe and Yena Choi. Visit @standupseoul or @kyldnsocialclub on Instagram for more information. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday denounced North Korea's sending of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea and its military cooperation with Russia as "anachronistic" acts that go against the progress in history. Yoon made the remark in an address marking the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, saying the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between the North and Russia blatantly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions. "Recently, North Korea has not hesitated to undertake such despicable and irrational provocations distributing trash balloons. Last week, it signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty with Russia, which started the war in Ukraine, and promised to strengthen military and economic cooperation in blatant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," Yoon said in the address during a ceremony in the southeastern city of Daegu. "These are none other than anachronistic acts going against the progress in history," he said. "Our military will maintain a steadfast readiness to ensure that North Korea does not dare to challenge South Korea under any circumstances and will respond overwhelmingly and decisively to any provocations from the North." It was Yoon's first public comment on the pact signed when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held summit talks in Pyongyang last week. It includes a pledge for the two countries to come to each other's aid if attacked, a seeming return to a Cold War-era alliance. The Korean War began June 25, 1950, with North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, fighting against South Korea, which was aided by U.S.-led U.N. forces. Yoon vowed to deter North Korea's provocations and threats through a robust security posture and the alliance with the U.S. and other countries that share values with South Korea. North Korea is under several U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs but is believed to have received food and other supplies from Russia in return for supplying artillery shells for Moscow's war with Ukraine. Russia is one of five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council. Tensions between the two Koreas have persisted as the North has sent trash-carrying balloons in a tit-for-tat move against anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent by North Korean defectors in the South. On Monday, the North sent such balloons again toward the South, marking the fifth balloon launch since late last month. North Korean soldiers have also briefly violated the border three times this month, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots. (Yonhap) Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea could enhance its deterrence against North Korean threats amid Pyongyang's deepening ties with Russia. Bolton also said South Korea should do more for security in the Indo-Pacific region, suggesting it should join the QUAD security partnership as a fifth member. "In Korea, I don't think it would necessarily increase deterrence to begin a nuclear weapons program here ... More countries that get nuclear weapons, even reliable friends, make it riskier that we would have a nuclear exchange started by somebody, somewhere," Bolton said during an event hosted by the Korea Finance for Construction (FINCO) in Seoul. "What could help would be to strengthen the nuclear umbrella in the near term by bringing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons back to the peninsula, to say to (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un, 'We're right here and ready if you try anything,'" Bolton said. Bolton's remarks came as calls for stronger deterrence, or even South Korea to go nuclear, have gained traction amid concerns over the growing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Concerns have intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Pyongyang last week, as Putin and Kim declared their new partnership under a treaty that commits them to providing military support in case either is put under an armed attack. Tactical nuclear arms refer to battlefield weapons with relatively lower yields, compared with relatively higher yield "strategic" weapons usually carried by longer-range delivery vehicles, such as ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles or long-range bombers. U.S. tactical nuclear weapons were withdrawn from the Korean Peninsula in 1991. South Korea has since adhered to its non-nuclear status while relying on America's security commitment. On Putin's recent trip to North Korea, Bolton said that Kim used it to show to China that he was "capable of playing between Russia and China, like his grandfather," the North's founder, Kim Il-sung. "To the extent North Korea's leverage between Russia and China has increased, that is a problem for South Korea because it means that the North is stronger and has potentially greater support than it did when the North relied almost entirely on China," he said. The U.S. believes that the North has been providing Russia with weapons and other munitions for use in the war with Ukraine, in exchange for Moscow's assistance in North Korea's space programs, which ultimately require similar technologies to make ballistic missiles. The changing dynamics, or "a new alignment" being formed around China and Russia with "satellite countries" like North Korea, calls for boosting trilateral or greater security cooperation among the U.S. and like-minded countries, Bolton said. "My view is that South Korea shouldn't be a part of the Quad, we should make it a 'Quint,'" he said, referring to the Quad security partnership, comprising the U.S., India, Japan and Australia. Bolton also suggested South Korea take part in the AUKUS forum involving the U.S., Britain and Australia. "For South Korea, the whole thinking about the bigger picture behind the obvious threat from Kim Jong-un in the North is important here," he added. (Yonhap) By Nam Hyun-woo LIG Nex1 has recently received a AA rating in Morgan Stanley Capital Internationals (MSCI) environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) ratings, the company said Tuesday, extending its streak for the second consecutive year. The AA rating is the second-highest in the MSCI ESG ratings, which range from CCC up to AAA. Along with firms with AAA status, AA-rated companies are considered to be in the ratings leader group, which the rating house describes as leading its industry in managing the most significant ESG risks and opportunities. Among Korean defense contractors, a rating of AA is considered to be the highest, according to LIG Nex1. LIG Nex1 said it received high marks for its quality management system and employee engagement programs. The company attributed its thorough quality control processes throughout all stages of production and continuous support and training for employees at its partner companies, which ensured systematic quality management. The company also said it fosters a positive corporate culture among its employees through various programs encouraging communication and engagement. These initiatives include employees own consultative body called Nex1 Board, town hall meetings with executives and family day events that invite employees families to participate in various social activities together. To keep up the momentum for expanding ESG values, the company has established an ESG committee led by independent directors in order to tailor its ESG policies and initiatives specifically for the defense industry. As part of this effort, LIG Nex1 plans to publish its first sustainability report this month. In line with these efforts, LIG Nex1 has been winning an A grade in Korea ESG Standards Institute ratings since 2020. We are honored to receive such a positive evaluation for the second year in a row, thanks to the active participation and dedication of our employees, LIG Nex1 CEO Shin Ick-hyun said. We will continue striving to establish and internalize an ESG management model tailored to the defense industry. Along with its ESG ratings, LIG Nex1 has been enjoying a solid rally in its stock price lately, buoyed by increasing international demand for defense supplies to counter geopolitical volatilities. Throughout this month, LIG Nex1s stock price has surged 31.4 percent from 162,300 won ($117) on June 3 to 210,500 won, Monday. Market tracker FnGuide estimated that the companys operating profit will reach 5.5 billion won for the second quarter of this year, up 36.73 percent year-on-year. Aircraft manufacturer signs agreement with Polish defense firms for FA-50 maintenance By Nam Hyun-woo Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Tuesday it has signed a 1.96 trillion-won ($1.41 billion) deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), to commence production of the next-generation KF-21 fighter jet. Under the deal, KAI will produce 20 units of the KF-21 and provide follow-up logistics support, technical manuals and training. The fighter jets will be in service for the Korean Air Force by the end of 2026. Korea started a project called the KF-X in the early 2000s in order to develop its own fighter jet more advanced than the KF-16, and have the multirole fighter plane replace the countrys aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s. Korea and Indonesia signed a deal in 2010 to cooperate on the project, under which Jakarta would fund 20 percent of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won, in exchange for a number of planes that would be manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force. The development of the KF-21 started in 2015 and is slated for completion in 2026. KAI said the development of the KF-21 is 80 percent complete, and the aircraft has already demonstrated its performance and stability through initial test evaluations. The KF-21 finished its first test flight in July 2022 and also succeeded in an air-to-air refueling test, which proves the jets long-range operational capabilities. The development of the KF-21 involves over 600 domestic partner companies, with a target localization rate of 65 percent. KAI, based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, seeks to have the KF-21 as the next lead-off in Koreas defense exports, following the FA-50 light fighter jets, which are enjoying increasing global demand particularly in Europe. KAI also said Tuesday it has signed an agreement to team up with Wojskowe Zakady Lotnicze-2, a maintenance, repair and overhaul subsidiary of Polands state-owned defense group PGZ, for the establishment of the support system for FA-50s. In July 2022, KAI signed a $3 billion deal with Poland to export 48 FA-50s to the European country and delivered 12 units last year. Despite many challenges and difficulties, the KF-21 project reached its current status due to the strong cooperation of the government, the Air Force, DAPA and (participating firms), KAI CEO Kang Goo-young said. KF-21 represents a historic achievement in the aerospace industry for Korea and will stand as a symbol of true self-reliance in national defense. NK's trash-carrying balloons, military cooperation with Russia go against progress in history: president By Jung Da-hyun President Yoon Suk Yeol strongly condemned North Korea's recent actions, especially its efforts to strengthen military ties with Russia, describing those moves as "anachronistic acts" that defy the trajectory of history, Tuesday. His criticism followed Pyongyang and Moscow's signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty last week, as well as North Korea's repeated actions of sending balloons filled with trash toward South Korea. "North Korea insists on a path of regression and remains the last frozen ground on the planet, while South Korea has been on the course of freedom and prosperity," Yoon said in a speech during an event in Daegu to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Korean War. He described North Korea's act of sending trash-filled balloons as a "mean and irrational provocation." Overnight on Monday, North Korea launched approximately 350 balloons filled with waste toward South Korea. It was the fifth time since late last month that the North sent the balloons across the border. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about 100 balloons, mostly containing scrap paper and waste, landed in Seoul and northern Gyeonggi Province. "The North is prioritizing the safety of its regime while neglecting the dire living conditions of its people and ruthlessly suppressing their human rights," Yoon said. Regarding North Korea's recent agreement with Russia, he said, "It has even pledged to enhance military and economic cooperation, which directly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions." The pledge refers to the treaty signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit last week. They agreed that each side would provide immediate military assistance in the event of an attack on either nation. "North Korea's actions are anachronistic and run counter to the course of historical progress," Yoon said. "Our military will remain steadfastly prepared to ensure that North Korea does not dare to challenge South Korea under any circumstances. We will respond with overwhelming and decisive force to any provocations from the North." This marks his first public comment on the agreement signed during the summit between Putin and Kim. Additionally, Yoon pledged to deter North Korea's provocations and threats through a strong security posture and alliances with the United States and other countries that share the same values as South Korea. The signing of the treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow has raised concerns that the Korean Peninsula could become a focal point of a new Cold War. In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell emphasized the Washington Declaration as a deterrence measure to address these mounting concerns. The declaration was outlined during last year's summit between South Korea and the United States. Read More New cold war feared to unfold on Korean Peninsula following Pyongyang-Moscow treaty The Korean War memorial ceremony was held in Daegu this year, paying tribute to pivotal battles in the southeastern city and South Gyeongsang Province that played decisive roles in the war. It was the first time Yoon attended a Korean War memorial ceremony since his inauguration in May 2022. Following the ceremony, he visited Busan, where he embarked on the USS Theodore Roosevelt at a naval port, emphasizing the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance and their united defense posture against North Korea's threats. Yoon is the third sitting president to board a U.S. aircraft carrier, following Presidents Park Chung-hee in 1974 and Kim Young-sam in 1994. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is set to participate in Freedom Edge, the first military exercise involving South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. "The cooperation among the three countries sharing liberal democratic values will be another strong deterrent along with the [South] Korea-U.S. alliance," Yoon said. The military conducted live-fire drills of homegrown Chunmoo multiple rocket launch systems (MRLS) Tuesday, the Army said, to sharpen precision strike capabilities and bolster readiness against North Korean threats. Some 190 troops participated in the drills that mobilized seven units of Chunmoo MRLS, as well as some 80 pieces of equipment operated by the Navy and the Air Force, including corvettes and fighter jets, according to the Army. During the drills that took place at a firing range in Boryeong, 140 kilometers southwest of Seoul, 48 long-range guided rockets were launched from the Chunmoo units to reach targets located 55 km away, the Army said. The Chunmoo MRLS is a key military weapon designed to counter North Korean artillery threats in the event of a contingency. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol boarded a visiting U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Tuesday ahead of joint drills between South Korea, the United States and Japan aimed at enhancing their responses against rising threats from North Korea. Yoon visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), which has made a port call at a naval port in the southeastern city of Busan. The carrier is set to participate in a trilateral naval drill, dubbed Freedom Edge, the first-ever trilateral multidomain exercise, which kicks off on Wednesday. Yoon said the aircraft carrier's visit is part of "extended deterrence" measures outlined in the Washington Declaration adopted at his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in April last year. Extended deterrence refers to Washington's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its ally. "It symbolizes the firm U.S. security commitment to South Korea, including strong extended deterrence," Yoon was quoted as saying. The aircraft carrier's visit came amid rising concerns over evolving threats posed by North Korea after it signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty with Russia, which includes a pledge for the two countries to come to each other's aid if attacked. Yoon stressed the importance of enhancing trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan. "The cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which share the values of liberal democracy, will become another powerful deterrent alongside the South Korea-U.S. alliance," he said. This marks the third time an incumbent South Korean president has boarded a U.S. aircraft carrier, following former President Park Chung-hee in 1974 and President Kim Young-sam in 1994, according to the presidential office. The USS Theodore Roosevelt made a port call for the first time in South Korea. It also marked the first arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier here in seven months. Earlier in the day, Yoon condemned the deepening military and economic cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as "anachronistic" acts that go against the progress in history and blatantly violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. On Monday, North Korea slammed the arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea and warned of taking "overwhelming and fresh" deterrence measures against what it called a "provocative act." Pyongyang has long denounced joint military drills between Washington and Seoul and also the U.S. dispatch of its strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula as a rehearsal for an invasion of the North. (Yonhap) The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the retrial of a former employee of a Samsung Electronics subcontractor who was acquitted by a lower court despite having been indicted for stealing the manufacturing method of the waterproof adhesive used in Samsung mobile phones. The top court overturned the acquittal of the defendant, surnamed Jung, and sent the case back to the Daejeon District Court in the central city of Daejeon, ruling that he should be punished for leaking trade secrets. Jung is accused of filming the waterproof adhesive manufacturing method with his cell phone while working for the Samsung supplier from 2015 to 2016. He then moved to other companies, where he made similar products using the same technology he stole. He received a suspended prison sentence from a district court but Daejeon's appellate court overturned his conviction. The Supreme Court said the technology in question is a trade secret developed by the defendant's former employer through significant investments. (Yonhap) Older adult poverty rate at 39%, highest among OECD countries By KTimes Lim Jong-ik, 69, vividly remembers that day. On Jan. 26, 2020, he was lying alone on the floor, flipping through TV channels. Despite the abundance of New Year's special movies and programs, nothing caught his attention. Wrapped in a blanket in the cold corner of the room, he tried to fall asleep. A few hours later, he woke up to find one side of his face numb. It was facial nerve paralysis. The mirror on the wall reflected an old man, spending the New Year alone in a small 20-square-meter (about 6-pyeong) one-room apartment with neither money nor family. Lim never imagined that he would be so miserable. He was one of the most diligent workers. After graduating from high school, he took on various jobs, from managing a dry cleaner to working in steel production, doing whatever he could to earn money. With the money he saved, he started a fabric business in his 30s. After the 1997 financial crisis, he switched to running a restaurant. The business didn't go well, and he and his wife parted ways early on. In his middle years, he became a laborer, living hand-to-mouth with no thought of saving for retirement. Despite not relying on anyone else for over 40 years, he was left with nothing but poverty. The onset of facial nerve paralysis felt like the beginning of his suffering in old age. At least he could still work back then, but four years later, no labor office would offer jobs to someone nearing 70. With the help of an acquaintance, he had been barely getting by working on small villa construction sites, but even those opportunities dried up this year. His applications for public work programs at the district office were repeatedly rejected. Recently, he applied for a cleaning job at a university hospital in Seoul through the district office, but there was no response. His only monthly income is the basic pension of 340,000 won ($245). This amount barely covers fixed expenses like management fees, electricity, water, gas, communication bills and insurance premiums. He managed by eating only two meals a day with the money he had saved. He even gave up his hobby of hiking. It has been a month since he started "self-isolating," spending all day watching TV in his windowless one-room apartment. On June 10, he opened his bank app on his phone and saw the end in sight. The screen displayed a balance of some two million won, enough to last only two or three months. His neck stiffened with tension. Half of those over 76 live in poverty Hwang Jae-woo, 74, sat alone on a bench in Tapgol Park, Jongno District, Seoul, letting out a deep sigh as he looked at his phone. The screen read, "Balance: 12,780 won on June 4." On May 25, his total income of 1 million won, consisting of a 480,000 won national pension and a 520,000 won basic couple's pension, had come in. This money was a lifeline for the couple. They used it to pay rent and utility bills and then covered their meals with what was left. Although it was tight, they managed without asking their 40-year-old daughter for help. However, this month, for some reason, their balance had run out in just 10 days. Unexpected circumstances were to blame. His wife had been suffering from severe back pain, and Hwang himself had recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer during a health check-up. Due to the resignation of resident doctors, it was hard to schedule outpatient appointments at local hospitals, but there was availability at a university hospital in Seoul. The couple began traveling between Daegu and Seoul via the SRT (Super Rapid Train). Even with discounts for older adults, the round-trip transportation cost over 100,000 won, and the medical expenses were substantial. There was no way to generate additional income. Hwang had driven city buses for over 30 years before retiring at 62 in 2012. For nearly a decade, he did manual labor to sustain their retirement, but there were no opportunities left for someone over seventy. "If only I hadn't known about the stomach cancer, I might have just lived out my days without the stress of worrying about money," he said. In 2021, the poverty rate among older adults in Korea was 39.3 percent. This means that 4 out of every 10 people aged 66 and older earned less than half of the median income. This rate is nearly four times higher than the poverty rate for those aged 18 to 65, which stands at 10.6 percent. Among the 37 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), only Korea and Estonia have a gap of more than 20 percentage points between the poverty rates of older adults and those aged 18 to 65. Neighboring Japan, for instance, has a much smaller gap between the poverty rates of the 18 to 65 age group (13 percent) and older adults (20 percent). Social isolation can lead to suicides In Korea, many individuals, like Lim and Hwang, live ordinary lives until middle age but fall into poverty after retirement. This is primarily due to the inadequacy of public pensions, which are the main source of income for older adults after retirement. Many self-employed or irregular workers do not contribute to the National Pension and even those who do receive relatively low payouts. Consequently, they find it difficult to sustain themselves on their "pocket money" pensions and are forced to re-enter the labor market. For those unable to work due to aging or illness, the struggle with poverty and social isolation can lead to suicide. The suicide rate among older adults in Korea is the highest among OECD countries, at 46.4 per 100,000 people, closely linked to the issue of poverty. Despite this, successive governments have repeatedly postponed pension reforms or concluded them ineffectively. The issue of poverty among older adults can no longer be ignored. In 2021, the poverty rate for those aged 66-75 was 30.5 percent, while for those aged 76 and older, it soared to 51.4 percent. In a report titled "Poverty Among the Elderly Diagnosed by Income and Assets and Policy Directions," published in September last year, Lee Seung-hee, a research fellow at the Korea Development Institute, calculated the poverty rate assuming that older adults could generate rental income from their assets. The findings revealed a poverty rate of 45.9 percent for those born in the late 1930s and 37.2 percent for those born in the early 1940s. This indicates that a significant number of older people in their late 70s to mid-80s are impoverished, lacking both assets and income. Long journey for 5,000 won service The reality is even worse. On the morning of June 15, at 9:30 a.m., a line over 50 meters long formed in front of a church in Gyeyang District, Incheon. Every Saturday, this church provides 5,000 won in cash to the first 500 aged 65 and older who attend the service. Word of this spread, prompting older people to queue up early, participating in what is known as an "open run." An 80-year-old man, for example, took a train from Gunpo Station in Gyeonggi Province at 7 a.m., transferring several times before arriving at the church around 8:30 a.m. A church official said, "Some people come from as far as Asan in South Chungcheong Province and Pocheon in Gyeonggi Province." This stark situation highlights the urgent need to address the severe poverty faced by the older adult population in Korea. When asked why they flocked to the church, 81-year-old Kim, who survives on a combined basic pension of 520,000 won with his wife, said, "During the week, we get by with just kimchi and rice, but on Saturdays, I can afford a bowl of jjajangmyeon, which is nice." Park, 80, from Michuhol District, Incheon, was out of breath after walking 1.4 kilometers from Jakjeon Station on Incheon Subway Line 1 to the church. "I save every 5,000 won to avoid asking my children for money," he said. "I won't spend this money. I'll have lunch at home," Park said. Ko Hyun-jong, secretary general of Senior Union, an organization for workers over 55, recalled a poignant incident. "Four years ago, a 73-year-old man, living solely on the basic pension, brought a bottle of Bacchus filled with pesticide and threatened to drink it on the spot if we didn't find him a job," Ko said. The problems faced by impoverished older adults extend beyond economic hardships. Social isolation and emotional issues, such as depression, are also severe. Seo, 66, who worked as a laborer in the paper industry for 30 years, now lives alone in a small 5-square-meter (1.5-pyeong) goshiwon (a tiny, low-cost room). His income consists solely of an 840,000 won national pension and an 187,000 won basic pension. After paying for rent, diabetes medication, and medical expenses, it is difficult for him to afford three meals a day. Low-income seniors' suggestions ignored He resorts to soaking cheap oatmeal in water for breakfast and dinner daily. Seo said, "I have no extra money, so I've cut off all my friendships. I often feel like there's no point in living." A practical solution to alleviate the poverty problem among low-income, low-asset older adults is increasing the basic pension. This is because measures like raising the income replacement rate of the national pension would only apply to current contributors. Last year, the National Pension Financial Calculation Committee, a government advisory body, recommended narrowing the recipients of the basic pension (currently up to 330,000 won for the poorest 70 percent of older adults) to low-income individuals while increasing the amount. Currently, even a single older person earning 4 million won a month can receive the basic pension, but the idea is to give an additional 100,000 won to those truly in need rather than to those who are relatively well-off. However, the pension reform bill submitted to the National Assembly by the government last October did not include these recommendations. It only included the president's pledge to increase the basic pension to 400,000 won. This omission is likely due to the political burden of reducing the number of basic pension recipients, which is nearing 7 million people. With the average monthly national pension payout being only 620,000 won, there are criticisms like, "Who would pay into the national pension for 10 or 20 years if only the basic pension is raised?" Some in the government are optimistic that the poverty problem will ease when those born in the 1960s reach old age. This generation, having gone through a period of rapid economic growth, generally has stable jobs and substantial assets. The idea is that as the underprepared 1940s generation and earlier exit and the 1960s generation becomes old, the problem will be resolved. Consequently, the urgent issue of poverty among the old was not given significant weight in this round of pension reform discussions. Lee Sang-hak, policy director at the Senior Hope Union, said, "Both the government and the National Assembly are aware of the severity of poverty among older adults but are ignoring it." Experts warn of future disaster Experts warn that ignoring the problem could lead to an even greater disaster, as future generations are also structurally likely to face poverty in old age. The core issue remains the same: in 10 or 20 years, the national pension benefits will still be insufficient to cover retirement living expenses. The average age at which workers in Korea retire from their main job is 49.3 years. The National Pension is designed to provide 40 percent of the average income (income replacement rate) after 40 years of contributions, but few people actually manage to contribute for the full period. Consequently, pension benefits are low. Moreover, those born in the 1960s, soon to enter old age, are a "sandwich generation" burdened with supporting both their parents and their children. A survey conducted by the foundation Care and Future from June 8 to 15 among 980 people born in the 1960s found that only 62 percent were preparing for retirement. Ko at the Senior Union, said, "Among my twenty friends who are currently 59 years old, only one remains at their job." He added, "The current average monthly national pension benefit is 600,000 won, but this is just an average; most receive less than 400,000 won. Future older generations will likely face a similar situation." Lee Sang-hak, the policy director at the Senior Hope Union, echoed this sentiment, saying, "The issue of elderly poverty reflects the labor market. Workers in small businesses and irregular employment are likely to experience the same poverty issues faced by today's older adults. Structural reforms in the economy and society to enhance potential growth rates and expedited pension reforms are crucial." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times. Rescue workers retrieved one more body Tuesday after a fire at a lithium battery plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, one of the worst chemical plant accidents in the country. The retrieval increased the death toll to 23 from the fire that gutted lithium battery maker Aricell's plant in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, the previous day. Eight others also sustained injuries, two of them seriously. Shortly before noon, rescuers pulled out the additional body, believed to belong to a worker who had remained missing, reportedly from under collapsed iron beams and other debris. About 100 personnel and two rescue dogs were mobilized during the day for the search, which had continued since the previous day. All deceased victims were found on the second floor of the plant, where the fire first started, while they were inspecting and packaging finished battery products. Seventeen of the victims were Chinese, while five were Koreans, and one was Laotian, police said, updating the initial count of two Koreans by fire authorities. A team of police, firefighters, forensic workers and other government officials launched a joint investigation at the fire site around noon to determine the cause of the accident. Police have requested autopsies on the bodies to determine the cause of death. The identities of only two Koreans among the victims have been confirmed so far, as the bodies of the others were severely destroyed in the fire and are beyond recognition. "We plan to confirm the victims' identities by collecting DNA from their bodies," a police official said, adding that the process may take some time because they were mostly foreigners. Following the investigation, rescue workers plan to resume their search inside the scorched plant to see if there are any other remaining victims. Police also booked the head of the battery firm and four others for investigation on charges related to the deadly accident, including professional negligence resulting in deaths and injuries. Overseas travel bans were also imposed on all of them as police investigated who should be held accountable for the disaster. According to initial findings by fire authorities, Monday's fire started at a storage and packaging area for primary lithium batteries supplied to the military for use in FM walkie-talkies. Lithium is considered a relatively stable material, requiring no specific legal regulations for its handling in South Korea. Lithium, however, can cause sparks if it comes into contact with rusted iron in the presence of flammable gas in the air, necessitating storage in a separate, dry space. (Yonhap) Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called Tuesday for providing special care to the families of 18 foreign workers who were killed in a battery plant fire in Hwaseong the previous day. Twenty-two people were killed in the fire at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, with one still unaccounted for. Of them, 17 were Chinese, five were South Korean, and one was Laotian, according to the authorities. "I express deep condolences to those who lost their lives in the unexpected accident and offer words of comfort to those injured and their families," Han said at the start of a Cabinet meeting, instructing the interior ministry and other relevant ministries to thoroughly determine the cause of the fire and provide immediate assistance to the victims and their families. "In particular, given the large number of foreign workers who lost their lives, I ask the foreign ministry and other agencies to swiftly identify them, establish a cooperation mechanism with the relevant diplomatic missions, and provide close care throughout the entire process of giving updates to treating the injured, arranging funerals and offering compensation for damage," he said. Han additionally called attention to the government's recent efforts to address the country's low birth rate, noting President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of a national demographic crisis last week. He urged ministries to combine their capabilities to overcome the crisis and called on the National Assembly to show bipartisanship in passing a bill for the establishment of a new Ministry of Population Strategy Planning. (Yonhap) Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming said Tuesday he is "deeply saddened" by the loss of 17 Chinese nationals in a battery plant fire in Hwaseong the previous day. Xing's comments were posted on the Chinese Embassy's social media account a day after he visited the fire site in the city 45 kilometers south of Seoul. "I express my condolences to the victims and sincerely offer words of comfort to the bereaved family members and those injured," he said. Xi said his embassy is working with Korean authorities to handle the aftermath and has requested Korea provide all necessary assistance to the Chinese victims' families, including a swift determination of the fire's cause. "In particular, I am deeply saddened that unfortunately many Chinese nationals lost their lives," he said. "I hope that relevant Korean companies will learn a painful lesson so that such accidents do not happen again, and that they will firmly guarantee the lives, health and safety of Chinese nationals in Korea." Of the 23 killed, China had the largest number of victims, with five others being Koreans and one being Laotian. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun spoke by phone with Xing late Monday to express her condolences and promised that necessary and timely support will be provided to the victims and their family members, a foreign ministry official said. "We explained that we will proactively seek ways to help with things like the entry of the bereaved families into Korea and funeral procedures," the official said. Identifying the victims is the top priority, the official said, adding that related agencies are working with foreign diplomatic missions in Seoul over the matter. Some of the victims are reportedly naturalized Korean citizens, a source said. (Yonhap) By Kim Hyun-bin Father Park Min-seo, the first deaf priest in Asia, has achieved another milestone after earning his Doctorate in Theology from a U.S. institution in May. The 56-year-old priest, a member of the Archdiocese of Seoul, has been engaged in pastoral activities for the deaf community within the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., while conducting research at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Losing his hearing at the age of two due to drug side effects, Park broke new ground in 2007 by becoming the first deaf priest in Asia. His educational journey has been marked by significant support from Father Thomas Coughlin, a deaf American priest, who helped him enroll at St. John's University, where he completed his master's degree. "In God's grace, I was able to write my doctoral thesis in English, my fourth language after Korean, Korean Sign Language and American Sign Language," Park said. "I have conveyed to deaf believers around the world that, like me, they too can become theologians." Experts advocate for bilingual education, inclusive youth policies By Jung Da-hyun As the number of preschoolers from multicultural families dwindles due to the low birthrate, calls grow for systemic support for youth, away from current multicultural policies that focus primarily on underage children. Experts underscore the importance of bolstering bilingual education. Rather than specifically differentiating children with multicultural backgrounds, they advocate for a more inclusive approach that benefits multicultural children. According to a new report from the Korean Education Statistics Service, released Sunday, which highlights the major trends and challenges in multicultural education through statistics, there were 12,526 multicultural births in 2022. This accounts for 5 percent of the 249,186 total births in Korea in the same year. Multicultural births in the report refer to cases where at least one parent is foreign or a naturalized citizen. Considering there were 22,908 multicultural births in 2012, the number has declined sharply by more than 10,000 births, or approximately 45.3 percent, over the past decade. During this period, the decline in multicultural births mirrored the overall decrease in domestic births. The average age for marriage within multicultural families is rising, and fewer babies are being born to women under 30, according to the report. Specifically, the proportion of multicultural couples marrying under 24 fell from 30.8 percent in 2012 to 17.4 percent in 2022. Conversely, marriages involving individuals over 30 increased from 44.4 percent to 58.6 percent over the same period. Read More Highly educated, affluent Koreans turn to international marriage brokers Additionally, the percentage of multicultural babies born to mothers under 29 dropped significantly, from 61.8 percent in 2012 to 31.3 percent in 2022. A notable demographic shift is expected within Korea's multicultural population, with a decrease in preschoolers and a gradual increase in middle and high school students, as well as adults in their early 20s. As of 2022, 89.7 percent of all multicultural students are in elementary and middle school. Looking ahead, the proportion of middle and high school students, along with youth aged 19 to 24, is projected to rise. Mo Young-min, vice chairman for research at the Korean Education Development Institute and author of the report, emphasized the necessity of policy-level attention and establishing a support system for youth with multicultural backgrounds, pointing out that current multicultural policies focus primarily on young children. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, it is expanding projects to provide fundamental education and career guidance, facilitating the smooth adaptation of children from multicultural families to school life. Meanwhile, experts stress the need to prioritize bilingual education in support measures for children from multicultural families. They advocate for an approach that respects and incorporates the culture and language of their parents' countries. Chung Ick-joong, a professor of social welfare at Ewha Womans University, underscored the future benefits of government support for both Korean and parents' native languages. "If a person from a multicultural background excels in both Korean and another language, such as Vietnamese, their advantages will be even more pronounced," Chung said. He also stressed the importance of integrated youth policies over differentiating children from multicultural families. "Rather than dividing them, it's crucial to support integrated youth policies and focus on information accessibility," he explained, warning that differentiation might foster hostility among multicultural youth toward policies. "Parents from multicultural backgrounds may not be fluent in Korean, making them vulnerable to missing out on support programs. Ensuring their access to information is what the government should focus on." Kim Yun-tae, a professor of public sociology at Korea University Sejong Campus, pointed out that civic and school education to shift perceptions of multicultural families is needed. "In Korea, people acknowledge societal changes, saying we are heading toward multiculturalism. But in reality, there are few actual multicultural policies, as the approach leans toward assimilation," he said. Kim also emphasized the importance of developing policies based on the real needs of multicultural parents. "It is crucial to establish policies that truly address the needs of multicultural parents by thoroughly surveying their lives," he said. Gwanghwamun Square at the center of Seoul will be newly furbished with the addition of a space dedicated to two main sculptures symbolizing Korean patriotism and national pride, the Seoul city government announced Tuesday. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon made the announcement during a meeting with Korean War veterans on the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the three-year civil war on June 25, 1950. The project is intended to establish a special space with national emblems that epitomize national values and future visions, akin to the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., the United States, or the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, city officials said. Under the project, a 100-meter pole topped with Taegeukgi, the national flag, will be erected. It will feature high-tech media arts, illuminating and making the pole discernible from afar, with the lower parts capable of displaying moving images. The space will also be adorned with a large brazier holding an "unextinguishable flame," designed to honor patriots and war veterans. The construction will begin in May next year after finalizing the design plan through a public competition scheduled from August to November. The new space will open to the public in February 2026. A city budget of 61 billion won ($44 million) will be designated for the refurbishment project, which also includes a plan to upgrade a nearby park to be more visitor-friendly and comfortable. (Yonhap) Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun promised Tuesday that the government will make sure it provides the necessary support to the families of the foreign victims killed in the battery plant fire, her office said. Kang made the pledge as she visited the site of the fire in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, after the deadly blaze at a lithium battery manufacturing plant took 22 lives, with one still unaccounted for. Of them, 17 were Chinese, five were Koreans and one was Laotian. Rescue authorities found one more body Tuesday and work was under way to identify the victim. The foreign ministry held an emergency meeting in the wake of the fire Monday to review measures to support the foreign victims of the fire. Kang plans to preside over a second response meeting to continue discussions on the assistance measures and deal with its aftermath, foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a press briefing. (Yonhap) By Lee Hae-rin About six out of 10 global consumers visited at least one Korean restaurant in a foreign country in the past year, with an average frequency of 1.7 visits per month, a survey showed Tuesday. According to the Korean Food Promotion Institutes annual survey, 64.6 percent of 9,000 respondents aged between 20 and 59 living in 18 cities around the world have visited a Korean restaurant. The survey was conducted over two months from August to October 2023 in cities including New York, Paris, London, Shanghai, Tokyo and Bangkok. The average percentage of non-Korean visitors to Korean restaurants was 52.3 percent in Oceania, Latin America and the Middle East, marking a 2.1 percent increase from the previous year. Southeast Asia ranked first with 84.6 percent, followed by Northeast Asia at 74.7 percent, North America at 58.6 percent and Europe at 46.9 percent, all of which saw slight declines. When it comes to the monthly frequency of visits to Korean restaurants, Southeast Asia had the highest average at 2.2 times, followed by Northeast Asia at 1.7 times and Oceania, Latin America and the Middle East at 1.5 times each. North Americans averaged 1.4 visits per month, while Europeans averaged 1.2 visits per month. The change in the purpose of visiting Korean restaurants was also noticeable. The proportion of non-Koreans visiting Korean restaurants for routine meals was 49 percent in 2023, up by 2.8 percentage points from 46.2 percent in 2022. An overwhelming 90.4 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with Korean restaurants, marking a 0.5 percentage point increase from the previous year, while 83 percent said they would recommend Korean restaurants to others. The proportion of non-Koreans willing to return to Korean restaurants stood at 86.7 percent. By region, Southeast Asia ranked first with 91.9 percent, followed by Northeast Asia with 85.9 percent, Europe with 84.6 percent, Oceania and Latin America and the Middle East with 84.4 percent and North America with 84.3 percent. By Kim Ae-ran Whenever I went to church with my devout mother, her first act of faith was to put her hands together to pray in front of Blessed Mary standing in the church's front yard. Our Blessed Mary is so close to people who faithfully believe in Jesus. Almost every Catholic church or sanctuary has a grotto for the Blessed Virgin Mary who, in various forms and grottos, is honored by thousands of people who ask her for intercessions to Jesus. So, lots of pilgrims keep coming to Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and so on. Inherited with the historical tradition of the apparition of Mary in various places, miniature forms of particular grottos are well represented in Catholic churches and pilgrimage destinations worldwide. The little grottos for Mary created by faithful families are also well maintained. On May 26, our community was invited to join a May Crowning Celebration for Mary with one of our neighborhood families. Sam Vitale has arranged and prepared for the event for 33 years. As an ordinary parishioner and a faithful devotee of Blessed Mary, Vitale invites his acquaintances to this event in May every year. This year, over 300 people gathered to participate in a special celebration in the backyard of his house. One big tent was able to cover everybody. I have never seen such a giant tent. It was so touching and beautiful to see children from various families walking in two lines to offer the flowers in front of the grotto! One of his little granddaughters offered the crown made of roses for Blessed Mary and prayed for some moments. Especially in a culture where single, nuclear or divorced families are increasing more and more, it is encouraging to see children playing and praying together with their parents. With the help of gathering together to pray in front of Marys grotto, faithful devotion to Mary will be naturally inherited by children. A violinist and an accordion player also performed the hymns during the celebration. They even played the melodies of old popular songs during a meal. On the day of celebration, it still rained in the morning but stopped from noon. When we returned to our community late afternoon, it began to rain again. How interesting and amazing it is to see the flexibility of changeable weather. God truly listens to our earnest prayers that go up to the sky like incense. Despite enduring and struggling due to his health issue, Sam visits our little chapel in the bookshop to pray from time to time. As a friend to our community, he shares many things with us. Many years ago, he created a Blessed Mother Grotto at his alma mater, Christian Brothers College High School, in appreciation for his teachers. He also made a meaningful grotto in our community's backyard in Saint Louis. Now, we pray the rosary together with voluntary visitors at 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, especially in May and October every year. Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening offering. Set a guard, Lord, before my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips," (Psalms 141:2-3). The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo), living the Good News and proclaiming it with various means of social communication. PPP should build new conservative vision and policies Returning 73 days after taking responsibility for the defeat in April 10 general elections, Han Dong-hoon, former interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), has thrown his hat in the race for the party leadership. He also dropped a "bombshell" of a proposal -- for the PPP to lead a special counsel bill for an investigation into the death last July of a Marine during a flood rescue operations. The probe into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun is a politically fraught issue. After the military investigations, the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials, is currently conducting aprobe into whether the presidential office and the ministry influenced in the investigations . If Han meant to provoke his party into a new state of mind, it would be a well-aimed strategy for the lackluster conservative party. The president already has vetoed an opposition-led bill for a special counsel probe into this case. The large opposition bloc has put forth yet another special counsel bill in the new Assembly. Prodded by the press, Han explained that the PPP can properly address the "doubts people harbor" by vetoing the opposition bloc-led new counsel bill and supporting a new one. The PPP-backed investigation will be conducted by a special counsel chosen by a "third party" such as the chief justice instead of the parties. This proposal sounds relevant, and the ruling party should not shy away from accepting it. Han's special counsel comment immediately created a fissure among his contenders -- Rep. Na Kyung-won, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun and former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong. These three veteran lawmakers threw their hats into the ring. Reps. Na and Yoon are five-term lawmakers; Won is a three-term lawmaker who lost to Rep. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in an Incheon district in the recent elections. Na criticized Han for his naive idea, asking back if he was willing to accept a special counsel investigation on himself. Won said accepting the special counsel will bring about a "joint collapse," while Rep. Yoon attacked Han for sounding more like a candidate running for the main opposition the DPK. The presidential office has stressed that it will keep its distance from party leadership race. Nevertheless, discomfort is rising over his breakaway pledges as reflecting a desire to carve out a new political path. A Gallup Korea poll, surveyed on 1,008 adults on June 14 and 15, found Han leading among potential candidates with 59 percent support, followed by Na with 10 percent.With the president's popularity in doldrums, and a large majority of the public supporting a special counsel to investigate the Marine's death, Han's strategy may well work. The four candidates however agreed on one point that for the conservative party to succeed in the years, there needs to be a more horizontal "party-presidential office" relationship. The unilateral leadership by the president that frequently resulted in insufficient explanations, due process and apologies on such issues as the probe into the Marine's death and issues regarding the first lady attributed to the electoral defeat on April 10. Han also did not avoid this latter sensitive issue, calling for appointing a special inspector to look into affairs of the presidential family and reviving the office to manage first lady's schedule. The PPP with its 108 seats faces the large opposition bloc holding 192 seats in the new National Assembly. With about a month or so left, the PPP and its candidates must use the convention to hammer out a vision and policies for its supporters who want a conservative party's take to providing just and fair answers to challenges of an aging society, declining population, changing technology and climate and growing North Korea-Russia ties. The DPK is also gearing up for its Aug. 18 party convention with its leader Lee Jae-myung likely to run for the leadership post. Parties may well do huge service to voters by putting forth an array of new innovative blueprints for the future this summer. By Song Kyung-jin Nvidia, supplying over 80 percent of the world's artificial intelligence (AI) chips, became the third listed company joining the $3 trillion club. Apple and Microsoft are the only two that reached the $3 trillion mark before Nvidia. According to the Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024, the number of granted AI patents has increased more than 31 times since 2010. AI decreases costs and improves efficiency. AI helps workers be more productive. Everyone is talking about AI and its potential impact on our lives. Even my hairdresser recently told me that AI is changing our lives for better or for worse. She feared the rapid penetration of AI, saying that the ensuing job automation will soon make her jobless. I explained to her that experts think that hairdressers will be one of the professions that are hard to automate. But she showed her deep-seated doubts. Apparently, she is joined by many influenced by a myriad of media reports highlighting or even exaggerating the benefits and downsides of AI. A little too much business hype around AI is generating ungrounded fears or wrongly guided beliefs in AI. People do not distinguish between generative AI and artificial general intelligence (AGI). It is pumping job loss fears into people's minds. It is in stark contrast to many AI experts who think AGI will take much time, if it can happen at all. Nonetheless, big tech bosses' popularity has convinced many people to believe in an AI utopia or an AI dystopia. While the 2021 Global AI Vibrancy Tool ranked Korea No. 6 for AI readiness, my conversation with the hairdresser calls for more government and corporate engagement with the public to reduce public fear and raise public awareness of AI. According to a survey result released by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT, more than half of the public views the impact of AI services on society and individuals positively, and those with service experience have a higher positive perception (68 percent) than those without experience (55.8 percent). Therefore, public sentiment about AI is going to be an important factor in determining the velocity and magnitude of the adoption of AI. Governments and corporations should provide the public with ample information on the benefits of adopting AI, which helps increase productivity, efficiency and innovation. A Ministry of Science and ICT and Bain and Company joint report estimated that successful implementation of AI across the Korean economy could, as of 2026, generate an annual economic impact of $225 billion, equivalent to 1.8 percent of GDP. Some jobs will certainly be disrupted by automation. A 2023 OECD report forecast that 27 percent of jobs are in occupations at high risk of automation because of AI. But a research study by Evercore and Visionary Future concluded that service jobs such as legal and financial are likely to be disrupted, but full job replacement is unlikely. A McKinsey Global Institute report estimated that generative AI could enhance annual labor productivity by 0.1 to 0.6 percent through 2040. History also shows that occupational displacement rates have gone down since the First Industrial Revolution, with 30 percent from 1850 to 1870, 22 percent in the 1970s and less than 5 percent from 2010 to 2015. Besides, with the adoption and advancement of AI, Korea is in need of 8,000 more skilled workers for its AI labor market. Shortage of skilled workers is a prevalent problem in digital technologies across the world, including semiconductors, bioscience and AI. We will soon see a global talent war to poach skilled workers from one corporation to another and from one country to another. This question leads us to the need for more investment in adequate education and training, skilling and upskilling of workers and preparing workers with new skills and better employability to retain skilled workers and give workers better opportunities. Job transfer programs for older workers, women and less skilled workers should also be prepared in parallel. More attention to and investment in STEM education programs for young women and men will have a direct relevance and impact on the nation's competitiveness. AI's benefits will be enjoyed with full knowledge of its better use, not just at work but at home for personal use. Your ability to use AI better often correlates with the benefits you can draw from the use of AI, not being fooled by AI's hallucinations. So one should be a good prompt engineer to be able to benefit more from the use of AI. A good prompt engineer is knowledgeable about the subjects from education and sufficient reading. In this connection, schools should be aimed at helping students learn how to think better, read more and write better. As already experienced with the advent of the internet, those who can use AI will be at the forefront of the AI age. Dr. Song Kyung-jin (kj_song@hotmail.com) led the Institute for Global Economics, based in Seoul, and served as special adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Seoul G20 Summit in the Office of the President. Presently, she is executive director of the Innovative Economy Forum. Fears grow over everyday use of batteries containing lithium By Park Jae-hyuk Battery manufacturers are facing growing calls to make safer products, as a local lithium battery plant fire killed 23 people and injured eight on Monday, according to industry officials, Tuesday. In response to mounting concerns over the safety of batteries, LG, Samsung and SK are ramping up efforts to develop all-solid-state and various other types of next-generation fire and explosion-proof batteries. The government also vowed in March to invest 117.2 billion won ($84 million) over the next five years in the development of all-solid-state and other types of next-generation batteries. Although single-use lithium batteries are considered to have caused the deadly fire at Aricells lithium battery plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, concerns are lingering among consumers over the safety of rechargeable batteries used for electric vehicles (EVs), mobile phones, laptops and energy storage systems (ESS), because they also contain lithium for higher energy densities. The recent fire is triggering concerns as it broke out from an electric energy facility, which has become more important amid the climate crisis, Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the ruling People Power Party said at a press conference. There has yet to be a specified way of extinguishing EV fires. Zeng Yuqun, chairman of Chinese EV battery firm CATL, even talked about the accident during his participation in the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting of New Champions to urge global battery firms to focus more on quality and safety than price. In 2022, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries were mentioned as the main cause of a large fire at SK C&Cs data center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, which led to the worst-ever disruptions to Kakaos services. The batteries were also regarded as obstacles to extinguish the fire, as they caused thermal runaway. Thermal runaway refers to a process that is accelerated by increased temperature, in turn releasing energy that further increases temperature. Under this situation, spraying water on flames can further increase a battery fire's temperature and cause the emission of poisonous gases. Lithium-ion batteries use liquid as an electrolyte, so temperature changes can make them swell and external impacts can ignite them, a Samsung SDI official said. In contrast, all-solid-state batteries using a solid-state electrolyte can reduce the risks of fire and explosion. Samsung SDI aims to start the mass production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027. SK On and LG Energy Solution seek to do so in 2029 and 2030, respectively. Given that it will take several years for everyday use of such batteries, however, the government decided to send its senior officials not only to primary battery plants, but also to secondary battery factories, ESS makers and data centers nationwide to inspect their safety. Municipalities have also been carrying out emergency safety inspections of rechargeable battery plants located in their regions. By Baek Byung-yeul SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus introduced their core technologies in quantum computing at the Quantum Korea tech event, seeking new growth through technology that will be a future game changer in the IT industry, they said Tuesday. Organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the annual Quantum Korea is an international event where domestic and foreign quantum-related science and technology researchers, related companies and government representatives participate to explore global quantum ecosystem innovation trends. At the three-day event, which will be held until Thursday, the country's three major telecoms exhibited technologies and products related to quantum encryption technology, which is expected to be commercialized first among quantum computing-related technologies. SK Telecom joined the event with member companies of X Quantum, an alliance of quantum-related companies here. The members include Wooriro, Axgate, Soslab, KCS, Nokia and IDQ Korea. SK Telecom exhibited the Quantum AI Camera, a camera equipped with vision AI algorithms and a quantum encryption chip. The company explained that this product provides accurate analysis and predictions through various functions such as object recognition and behavior analysis, while protecting user data with strong encryption and security. Additionally, SK Telecom showcased the next-generation quantum encryption chip Q-HSM with KCS, a member of X Quantum. The company elaborated that Q-HSM is the world's first quantum encryption chip applying a quantum random number generator, physical unclonable function technology and software-based post-quantum cryptography (PQC) technology. Through the technologies and products it is showcasing with X Quantum members, they will build an ecosystem in the nascent quantum market. "We will continue to discover innovative quantum solutions and take the lead in securing Korea's leadership in the global quantum industry," Ha Min-yong, chief development officer of SK Telecom, said. KT introduced next-generation technologies related to quantum cryptography communication and quantum networks under the theme "The Key to Future, Quantum." KT successfully implemented wireless quantum encryption over 1-kilometer and 2-kilometer distances in 2022 and 2023 respectively using its independently developed wireless quantum key distribution technology, and is currently pursuing the development of 10-kilometer transmission technology, the longest distance in Korea yet. The company said it plans to promote various quantum cryptography communication service-related projects at the event, such as disaster response using drones between local governments and military units, responding to hacking threats of autonomous vehicles, preventing leaks of industrial secrets and secure data transmission using augmented reality glasses. LG Uplus also unveiled AlphaKey, an integrated account management solution for the cloud at the event. AlphaKey applies PQC technology to strengthen security against external attacks, allowing users to strongly protect their data, the company said. In addition to AlphaKey, LG Uplus is also introducing technologies and commercial services that it has built up as a leading PQC provider in Korea, such as quantum communication encryption equipment that has obtained a security function confirmation from the National Intelligence Service, quantum security cameras, eSIMs, USIM sand 5G routers. AVEL, a company-in-company of LG Energy Solution, aims to widely distribute eco-friendly energy through energy storage system (ESS)-based power plants, the company said Tuesday. In March, AVEL received the country's first standalone ESS power plant permit from Korea Electric Power Corp. Standalone ESS power plants can store and release electricity generated from renewable sources at any time. This will optimize power production and consumption and efficiently operate the power grid. AVEL is an energy aggregation (EA) company managing integrated renewable energy grids, launched by LG Energy Solution last October to expand the battery ecosystem. Based on LG Energy Solution's battery business capabilities, AVEL is actively pursuing EA business to efficiently operate and manage renewable energy grids. AVEL is located on Jeju Island, where renewable energy is actively used. Jeju Island conducts various eco-friendly renewable energy projects, including solar and ocean energy. While renewables only account for 8 percent of all electricity consumption on the mainland, Jeju's usage ratio is as high as 20 percent. To stably manage Jeju's power grid, AVEL plans to create a power grid control tower that accurately predicts renewable energy supply and demand, reducing variability and increasing the safety and economic efficiency of the power system. To that end, AVEL signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for power grid stabilization on the island with Jeju Energy Corporation last year. After successfully establishing the Jeju business, they plan to expand nationwide. "Based on our technological leadership, we will provide differentiated services to customers with advanced prediction technology in the renewable energy field and take the lead in expanding renewable energy distribution and stabilizing the power system," AVEL CEO Kim Hyun-tae said. (Advertorial) By Ko Dong-hwan SUWON, Gyeonggi Province McDonalds Korea is assisting seniors who are unfamiliar with modern digital conveniences by introducing them to its restaurant kiosks and providing guidance on how to use them, according to the global fast food franchise companys regional office, Tuesday. McDonalds has partnered with the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) under the Ministry of Education to launch an offline program for seniors interested in using digital self-ordering services. NILE developed a guidebook for the program, and McDonalds made its restaurants available for students to practice using the kiosks. At Suwon Jaeil Lifelong School in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, over 10 seniors attended a class to learn about kiosks and how to use the ones at McDonalds restaurants. They used a specially designed smartphone app that simulated the interface of McDonald's kiosks. Unfamiliar with the machines, the seniors began with basic explanations, such as the differences between kiosks and vending machines, common terms used by kiosks in quick service restaurants (QSR) like take-out, counter, and (accumulated) points, and how to make payments. After the class, the students traveled a short distance to the McDonalds Suwon Hwaseong DT location to apply what they had just learned. There, they practiced using the kiosks to order their lunch meals. I was always afraid of using one of these, one of the students said during the lesson. I wanted to try but I couldnt let people behind me wait forever. So I just gave up and left the queue feeling ashamed. Throughout the lesson, the seniors shared the difficulties they experienced while using the machines, growing increasingly elated. They said they now feel more confident and ready to use the kiosks on their own. Because I havent been able to use these kiosks, I often asked someone else to buy stuff for me, another student said. Now, Im ready to take my grandchildren to McDonalds and treat them without any help with using the kiosks. The day's lesson and field trip were part of the third week of a 10-week program. The program guidebook includes 10 chapters that introduce the key definitions, features, and important considerations for using kiosks. While the program focuses on McDonald's kiosks, it also aims to help seniors navigate a variety of service kiosks encountered in everyday life. In April of last year, McDonalds and NILE entered into a partnership to assist consumers facing difficulties using digital technology. This year, they expanded their efforts by selecting 434 local community centers that offer continuing education programs for seniors across 173 municipalities nationwide to promote the program. They distributed over 10,000 guidebooks and aim to complete the program for 6,000 students in the first half of the year and another 4,000 in the second half. We started upgrading our kiosks in 2022 to support customers with physical disabilities and digital illiteracy, Yang Hyoung-keun, public affairs lead at McDonalds Korea, said. While the country has standardized conditions for accessibility to QSR venues here, there have never been such standards for usability of the same venues. Thats because usability depends on an individuals knowledge and experience. So we agreed with NILE to come up with our own solutions to help people in needs of using QSR venues better. By Lee Min-hyung AliExpress and Temu are facing a decline in growth momentum in Korea as consumers voice increasing concerns about the sale of unsafe and low-quality products by the Chinese e-commerce platforms, according to data and industry officials, Tuesday. Data from market tracker Mobile Index shows the number of monthly active users (MAU) for AliExpress continued to decline in April and May. In March, the figure stood at 6.94 million but dropped to 6.31 million in May, marking a 9 percent decrease. Similarly, Temu's MAU fell by 450,000 to 6.48 million in May compared to the previous month. The two Chinese online shopping platform operators made aggressive inroads into the Korean market with an ultra-low pricing strategy until the first quarter. However, their momentum quickly waned following significant public backlash over the sale of products containing carcinogenic substances. An AliExpress customer said he chose not to use the Chinese shopping platform due to safety concerns. Just like most other customers, I was also attracted to their ultra-low prices earlier this year, said the customer who wished to be identified only by his surname, Kim. But after reading reports about them selling such products, I do not use them anymore. My health means a lot more than saving on costs. Additional data from BC Card, the largest payment processing firm in the nation, indicates that the Chinese e-commerce firms have seen sales decline over the past few months. Combined sales fell by 0.8 percent in May compared to the previous month. The decline was more pronounced in April, with a sharp drop of 40.2 percent from the month before. An official at a major retail firm attributed this trend to the weakening brand reputation of the Chinese firms. Korean shoppers are particularly discerning when purchasing items, the official said. Even if the Chinese e-commerce players have achieved robust growth through unmatched price competitiveness, this strategy is not sustainable unless their products meet strict standards expected by local customers. Any involvement in controversies seriously damages their brand image." However, the official also acknowledged that AliExpress and Temu remain significant threats to Korean rivals, as they are actively addressing their weaknesses by increasing investments in the local market. AliExpress, for instance, recently announced plans to invest $1.1 billion (approximately 1.52 trillion won) over the next three years to establish a logistics center and enhance customer protection measures. The investment was intended to address the inconveniences caused by slow delivery services. Chinese firms struggle to match the fast delivery times of local counterparts like Coupang. According to a recent survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, over 80 percent of 800 customers reported experiencing inconvenience and dissatisfaction with Chinese shopping platforms, citing issues such as delivery delays and poor product quality. Canada said on Monday it was considering whether to impose tariffs on China-made electric vehicles as it seeks to align itself with allies against what they see as a heavily subsidized Chinese industry. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the domestic auto sector faced unfair competition from China's "state-directed policy of overcapacity." Ottawa will open a 30-day public consultation period on July 2 on possible responses. "Chinese producers are quite intentionally generating a global oversupply that undermines EV producers around the world, including here in Canada," Freeland told reporters in Vaughan, Ontario, echoing concerns raised by the United States and the European Union. Freeland, noting a recent crackdown by the European Union and the United States, said the response could include a tariff on imports. She declined to detail what Ottawa's potential action would be, or if EV components like batteries could also be targeted. "We're not ruling anything out," she said, adding "we are bringing to bear our strongest trade action tools." U.S. President Joe Biden last month unveiled steep tariff increases on Chinese imports, including EVs. The European Commission plans to impose additional duties of up to 38.1 percent on Chinese producers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC, as well as Chinese-built Tesla and BMW cars. China rejects accusations of unfair subsidies or that it has an over capacity problem, saying the development of its EV industry has been the result of advantages in technology, market and industry supply chains. An opinion piece in the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper ahead of Freeland's announcement advocated for "Canada to remain strategically rational" and not "sacrifice normal economic exchanges with China for the sake of Washington's strategic selfishness." China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, although it trails far behind the United States. Data from Canada's largest port in Vancouver show imports of automobiles from China at the port jumped 460 percent annually in 2023, when Tesla started shipping Shanghai-made EVs to Canada. Ottawa, trying to position Canada as a critical part of the global EV supply chain, has come under pressure domestically to act against Chinese EVs. The premier of Ontario, Canada's most populous province and the main auto-making center, last week urged Ottawa to impose tariffs of at least 100 percent on the vehicles. Canada has inked deals worth billions of dollars to woo companies involved in all parts of the EV supply chain to bolster its manufacturing heartland. The CEO of Canadian firm Northern Graphite, Hugues Jacquemin, said any potential action limited to EVs would not be enough and Ottawa should also include critical minerals essential for battery production. The main opposition Conservative party, accusing Trudeau of failing to protect the auto industry, said Ottawa should not allow the dumping of cheap Chinese products. Industry bodies, including the Global Automakers of Canada and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, welcomed the announcement. (Reuters) The prospect of a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah militant group terrifies people on both sides of the border, but some see it as an inevitable fallout from Israels ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, particularly as cease-fire negotiations have faltered. Such a war could be the most destructive either side has ever experienced. Israel and Hezbollah each have lessons from their last war, in 2006, a monthlong conflict that ended in a draw. Theyve also had nearly nine months to prepare for another war, even as the United States tries to prevent a widening of the conflict that could spark a confrontation with Iran and endanger U.S. forces in the region. Heres a look at each sides preparedness, how war might unfold and whats being done to prevent it. The 2006 war, six years after Israeli forces that had occupied southern Lebanon withdrew , erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed several others in a cross-border raid. Israel launched a full-scale air and ground offensive and imposed a blockade that aimed to free the hostages and destroy Hezbollahs military capabilities a mission that ultimately failed. Israeli bombing leveled large swaths of south Lebanon and Beiruts southern suburbs. Hezbollah fired thousands of unguided rockets into northern Israel communities. The conflict killed some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. A United Nations resolution ending the war called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and a demilitarized zone on Lebanons side of the border. Despite the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers, Hezbollah continues to operate in the border area, while Lebanon says Israel regularly violates its airspace and continues to occupy pockets of Lebanese land. An Israel-Hezbollah war could be a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week, amid rising rhetoric and fears of a conflict. Iran-backed Hezbollah initially seemed caught off-guard by Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel, a regional ally, but began firing rockets into northern Israel the following day. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes, escalating gradually. Israel also carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas figures in Lebanon. More than 450 people, mostly fighters with Hezbollah and allied groups but also more than 80 civilians and noncombatants, have been killed on Lebanons side, and 16 soldiers and 11 civilians on Israels. Tens of thousands have been displaced on both sides. There are no immediate prospects for their return. Last week, the Israeli army said it has approved and validated plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although the decision to launch such an operation would have to come from the countrys political leadership. Hezbollah has released surveillance drone videos showing sites in Israel with the words Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it. And the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned of a fight without limits if Israel does. Hezbollah says it wont agree to a cease-fire on the Israel-Lebanon border before theres one in Gaza , a prospect that looks increasingly unlikely. Both Hezbollah and the Israeli military have expanded capabilities since 2006 yet both countries are also more fragile. In Lebanon, more than four years of economic crisis have crippled public institutions, including its army and electrical grid, and eroded its health system. The country hosts more than 1 million Syrian refugees. Lebanon adopted an emergency plan for a war scenario in late October. It projected the forcible displacement of 1 million Lebanese for 45 days. More than 95,000 Lebanese are displaced from the border area now, according to the International Organization for Migration. The government has said it will compensate those who lost their homes, but it's unclear where the money will come from. Hezbollah has provided modest stipends to many of the displaced, but the response has largely fallen to cash-strapped municipalities. Local and international nongovernmental organizations and religious charities have picked up some of the slack, but their resources are also strained. Some have stockpiled supplies such as backup fuel and medical equipment in anticipation of blockades and shortages should war break out. Israel is feeling economic and social strain from the war in Gaza, which is expected to cost over $50 billion, or about 10 percent of national economic activity through the end of 2024, according to the Bank of Israel. Costs would rise sharply if theres war with Lebanon. Israel has evacuated 60,000 residents from towns nearest the border, where theres no warning time for rocket launches because of the proximity of Hezbollah squads. In a war with Hezbollah, there would be no point in additional evacuations since the militias rockets and missiles can reach all of Israel. A full-scale war would likely spread to multiple fronts, escalating the involvement of Iranian proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen and perhaps draw in Iran itself. It could also drag the U.S., Israels closest ally, deeper into the conflict. Hezbollah has 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and missiles of various ranges, said Orna Mizrahi of the Israeli think tank Institute for National Security Studies. This arsenal is at least five times larger than that of Hamas and far more accurate, she said. The militias guided projectiles could reach water, electricity or communications facilities, and densely populated residential areas. In Lebanon, airstrikes would likely wreak havoc on infrastructure and potentially kill thousands. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to turn Beirut into Gaza, where Israels air and ground incursion has caused widespread destruction and killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry. Israel is far more protected, with several air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, which intercepts rockets with a roughly 90 percent success rate. But it can get overwhelmed if a mass barrage of rockets is fired. Some 40% of Israels population live in newer homes with private safe rooms fortified with blast protection to withstand rocket attacks. Israel also has a network of bomb shelters, but a 2020 government report says about one-third of Israelis lack easy access to them. Lebanon has no such network, and shelters would be of little use against massive bunker buster bombs Israel has dropped in some parts of Gaza. The U.S. has halted some shipments of those bombs since May out of concern over civilian casualties. Hezbollah has limited air defenses, while those of the Lebanese army are outdated and insufficient because of budget shortfalls. The Lebanese army has remained on the sidelines since Oct. 7. In 2006, it entered fighting in a limited capacity, but its unclear how it would react in the event of a new Israel-Hezbollah war. (AP) Apple has rejected overtures by Meta Platforms to integrate the social networking company's AI chatbot into the iPhone months ago, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The companies are not in discussions for an AI partnership involving Meta's Llama chatbot and only held brief talks in March, the report said. Discussions about a potential partnership did not reach a formal stage and Apple was not actively planning on integrating Llama into iPhones, because it does not consider Instagram owner Meta's privacy practices stringent enough, according to Bloomberg News. The preliminary talks took place around the time Apple started hashing out deals to use OpenAI's ChatGPT and Alphabet's Gemini in its products, the report said. Apple unveiled its long-awaited AI strategy at its annual developer conference earlier in June, bringing OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT to its devices and integrating its new "Apple Intelligence" technology across its suite of apps, including virtual assistant Siri. Apple and Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news of the talks between the companies. (Reuters) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty, Wednesday, to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will set him free after a 14-year British legal odyssey and allow his return home to Australia. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. The deal marks the end of a legal saga that has seen Assange spend more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought accusations of sex crimes in Sweden and battled extradition to the U.S., where he faced 18 criminal charges. The U.S. government viewed him as a reckless villain who had endangered the lives of agents through WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history. But to free press advocates and his supporters, which includes world leaders, celebrities and some prominent journalists, he is a hero for exposing wrongdoing and alleged war crimes, and was persecuted for embarrassing U.S. authorities. On Wednesday, Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9 a.m. local time. The U.S. territory in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Australian-born Assange left Belmarsh maximum security jail in the early hours of Monday, before being bailed by the London High Court and later boarding a flight, his wife, Stella Assange said. He was currently on a stopover in Bangkok, she said. "I feel elated," Stella, who flew to Australia from London on Sunday with the couple's two children, told Reuters. "I also feel worried ... Until it's fully signed off, I worry, but it looks like we've got there." A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. After the hearing in Saipan, Assange will fly to Canberra where he will arrive on Wednesday, his wife said. He had recently won permission to appeal against the approval of his U.S. extradition and the case was due to be heard at London's High Court next month, a factor that Stella Assange said helped galvanise talks over a deal. 'Too Long' The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing U.S. President Joe Biden for Assange's release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. "There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia," Albanese said in the country's parliament. WikiLeaks came to prominence in 2010 after it released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq along with swaths of diplomatic cables. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. "Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Mike Pence, who served as U.S. Vice President under Donald Trump when the charges were brought against Assange. "The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families," he said on X. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that as the publisher of Wikileaks he should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange is a threat to free speech and journalism. Alan Rusbridger, a former editor of Britain's Guardian newspaper, one of the global titles which worked with WikiLeaks to publish some of the leaked material, said it was "pretty disturbing" that espionage laws were being used to target those who revealed uncomfortable information for states. Stella Assange said the U.S. government should have dropped the case against her husband altogether. "We will be seeking a pardon, obviously, but the fact that there is a guilty plea, under the Espionage Act, in relation to obtaining and disclosing national defence information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists," she said. Swedish Allegations Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He and Stella, a lawyer who worked on his case, had two children during his time there. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status. He was jailed for skipping bail and has been in Belmarsh ever since, latterly fighting extradition to the United States. "Millions of people who have been advocating for Julian, it is almost time for them to have a drink and a celebration," his brother Gabriel Shipton told Reuters from France. (Reuters) The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it has issued arrest warrants for Russias former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the third time the global court has issued warrants for senior Russian leaders. The court is accusing former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. Judges who approved the prosecutors request for arrest warrants said the suspects are charged with inhumane acts because there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of civilians in Ukraine. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued Monday because judges considered there were reasonable grounds to believe that the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from Oct. 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023. During this time frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the court added. Under the leadership of Shoigu and Gerasimov, the Russian military has launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that have killed thousands and damaged the countrys energy system and other vital infrastructure. Moscow has insisted that it only has targeted military facilities despite daily casualties in civilian areas. The court said missile attacks covered in the warrant allegedly targeted civilian objects. They added that in the case of any installations that could have been considered military targets the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. Details of the warrants were kept under seal to protect witnesses, the court said. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia isnt a member of the global court, doesnt recognize its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin , accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. In March this year, the court also issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine that judges said happened pursuant to a state policy. Putin replaced Shoigu as defense minister in a Cabinet shakeup in May as he began his fifth term as president. Shoigu, 69, has been widely seen as a key figure in Putins decision to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops. Instead, the conflict galvanized Ukraine to mount an intense defense, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counteroffensive that drove Moscows forces out of the Kharkiv region and near Kherson in the south in the fall of 2022. Shoigu, who had personal ties with Putin, got a soft landing with the high-profile post of secretary of Russias Security Council. At the same time, Shoigus entourage faced purges. A longtime associate and deputy, Timur Ivanov, and several other senior military officers were arrested on corruption charges, and other senior Defense Ministry officials lost their jobs. Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff since 2012, has so far kept his job. The 68-year-old career military officer has directly overseen Russian military operations in Ukraine. (AP) Microsoft violated European Union antitrust rules with possibly abusive practices by tying its Teams messaging and videoconferencing app to its widely used business software, the bloc said. The European Commission said Monday it informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that the U.S. tech giant has been restricting competition by bundling Teams with core office productivity applications such as Office 365 and Microsoft 365. The commission, the 27-nation bloc's top antitrust enforcer, said it suspects Microsoft might have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers a choice on whether to have Teams when they purchased the software. The advantage might have been widened by limits on the ability of rival messaging apps to work with Microsoft software, it said. We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses, Margrethe Vestager, the commission's executive vice-president for competition policy, said in a statement. And preserving competition for remote communication and collaboration tools is essential as it also fosters innovation on these markets. Microsoft made some changes last year in an effort to head off an penalty, including offering the software packages without Teams for European customers. But the commission said Tuesday the changes are not enough to address its concerns and that it needs to do more to "restore competition." Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the Commissions remaining concerns. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a prepared statement. In April, the company also gave customers worldwide the option to get Microsoft 365 and Office 365 without Teams. The two software suites include programs like Word, Excel and Outlook. Microsoft now has a chance to respond to the accusations, formally known as a statement of objections, before the commission makes its final decision. The company could face a fine worth up to 10% of its annual global revenue, or be forced to carry out remedies" to satisfy the competition concerns. The commission opened its investigation in July 2023 after rival Slack Technologies, which makes popular workplace messaging software, filed a complaint with Brussels. A second company, videoconferencing software maker Alfaview, filed a second complaint. Rival messaging platform Slack, owned by business software maker Salesforce, has alleged that Microsoft abused its market dominance to eliminate competition in violation of EU laws by illegally combining Teams with its Office suite, which includes Word, Excel and Outlook. The Statement of Objections issued today by the European Commission is a win for customer choice and an affirmation that Microsofts practices with Teams have harmed competition, said Sabastian Niles, president & chief legal officer at Salesforce. We appreciate the Commissions thorough investigation of Slacks complaint and urge the Commission to move towards a swift, binding, and effective remedy that restores free and fair choice and promotes competition, interoperability, and innovation in the digital ecosystem. (AP) Trumps visit comes less than a month after he was convicted on 34 felony charges in a New York courtroom. Since then, he has been on a fundraising tear. Statement by President von der Leyen It is very good news that today the European Union opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. We stand at the threshold of a significant and transformative moment for these two countries and for our Union.And we celebrate the values and principles that bind us together. The EU has always been more than a political and economic union. It is a testament to our collective aspiration for peace, for security, for democracy and for prosperity. The people of Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated their unwavering commitment and determination to be a part of this project. Even in a time of war and turmoil they have started extensive reforms. They know, that their journey will be rigorous and demanding. The accession negotiations are designed to prepare the candidates for the responsibilities of membership. This is why there are no shortcuts. We embark on these negotiations in a strong spirit of openness, engagement, and commitment. The path ahead will be challenging. But it is also filled with immense opportunities for Moldova and Ukraine as well as for our entire Union. Together, we can forge a larger, more dynamic and forward-looking Europe. So I wish you a very successful start of the accession negotiations. Thank you very much. Media Message by Ursula von der Leyen on the occasion of the IGC Ukraine and Moldova #2 2024-06-24 2024-06-24 $[$video#https://eucom-archive.freecaster.com/european-commission/9c5d4301-b4c4-4c30-a303-ce9444a4c164/OqyOrFYyKTkQkCN8qrKz9RVJ_1080p.mp4?latest=0008908285] Zarazeno ut 25.06.2024 10:06:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=STATEMENT/24/3461&language=en lang en guid /STATEMENT/24/3461/ Prague, Jun 25 (AP) Argentina's self-described anarcho-capitalist President Javier Milei wrapped up his brief trip to three European Union countries by visiting the Czech Republic on Monday. Milei met Czech leaders, including his counterpart, retired Gen. Petr Pavel and conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and gave a speech at a conference on how to deal with an ineffective government. Also Read | South Korea Fire: At Least 22 Killed in Major Blaze at Lithium Battery Plant in Hwaseong (Watch Video). High on the agenda was the two countries' support for Ukraine, bilateral cooperation in business, technology, defense and other fields and a trade agreement between the European Union and the countries of the Latin American Mercosur trade bloc. After their meeting, Milei and Pavel made only brief statements and didn't take questions. Also Read | Apple DMA Violation: Tech Giant Becomes First To Violate EU's Digital Markets Act Rules As per Latest Investigation Launched by Commission. We together support (Ukraine) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy against the brutal Russian aggression, and at the same time we agree that Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorism, Milei said through a translator. Pavel said he believed that Argentina will become in the future one of the global partners of NATO. I'm glad that Argentina is ready to take its share of responsibility for the global security, Pavel said. He highlighted the importance of a trade deal between the EU and Mercosur. Czechia and Argentina are among the countries that are convinced a free and open trade contributes not just to an economic prosperity but also to security. Milei, who is known for his unfiltered way of speaking, was elected last year on the promise to fix Argentina's troubled economy. His austerity measures have fueled waves of protests in the South American nation, with protesters saying cuts have put the poor even more at risk and have endangered public universities. Milei has also drawn the ire of human rights activists after he called abortion murder and lambasted the country's feminist movement as a cult of a gender ideology. The Czech prime minister said after their meeting that they share similar views on key security issues which is documented by Argentina's support for Ukraine. The trip to Prague came after visiting Germany for a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and following a controversial trip to Spain, where Milei made no plans to meet with senior government officials, amid a diplomatic crisis engulfing the long-standing allies. Milei was accompanied by Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri who signed a memorandum of understanding with his Czech counterpart Jana Cernochova about cooperation in the defense industry. Milei was applauded when he arrived for his speech at the Zofin palace in downtown Prague with several protesters gathered near the venue. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Oxon Hill, Jun 25 (PTI) The relationship between India and the US is not just "addictive", it is "multiplicative", US envoy to India Eric Garcetti has said. Garcetti also said that the relationship between the two countries has never been so good. The Indian-American community is the most successful immigrant community in America. Also Read | South Korea Fire: At Least 22 Killed in Major Blaze at Lithium Battery Plant in Hwaseong (Watch Video). He made these remarks on Monday at an event on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit, to which the largest delegation is from India. This (India US) is a relationship that isn't just additive. It's not just the US plus India. It's multiplicative. It's the United States times India, Garcetti said on the sidelines of the summit, to which the largest delegation is from India. Also Read | Apple DMA Violation: Tech Giant Becomes First To Violate EU's Digital Markets Act Rules As per Latest Investigation Launched by Commission. The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event in the US to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organisations (EDOs), and industry experts to make deals happen. Garcetti was speaking at the event wherein India's JSW Steel announced its plans to invest USD 140 million in Bayton, Texas. Now, Americans are getting more and more familiar with Indian brands and Indian companies... Together we're investing in third countries, infrastructure, energy, climate solutions, empowering tomorrow's prosperity, Garcetti said as he announced investment from JW Steel in Texas. We are so excited that JSW Steel is announcing a USD 140 million investment in America, in Baytown, in Texas. JSW is one of the largest Indian investors in the United States, investing more than USD 2 billion here in this country, in Texas and in Ohio. They have seen tremendous return on their investment, he said. This FDI would result in jobs for more than 800 American workers. Garcetti also said that the relationship between India and the US has never been so good. We've never had a closer relationship with India. Americans of Indian descent are now about 1.5% of our population. And pay six per cent of the taxes in America. It is the most successful immigrant community in America, he said. While the story used to be about American companies going to India to invest, which we still do,... increasingly we're seeing this two-way street, a bridge in the Indo-pacific coming from India into the United States, savings steel mills, looking at mines that have been shut down, investing in electrolytes for electric vehicles of the future, the services, the health care, Garcetti said. Diane Farrell, Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade, from the Department of Commerce said India has the largest country delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Divyakumar Bhair, Board Member, JSW Steel USA said that these investments would go into manufacturing high-end steel plates which are used for offshore wind, monopile, transition pieces, and towers. This will not only help realise the dream of clean energy for the generations to come in the United States but will also catalyse the local economies of Texas, he said. JSW USA is part of the diversified USD 24 billion JSW Group. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) On 24 June Mexicos Presidentdenied his government was persecuting the journalist, who is reportedly being investigated by the finance ministry (SHCP)s financial intelligence unit (UIF). End of preview - This article contains approximately 392 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 24 June Haitis newly installed Prime Ministerwrote on social media that he saluted the determination of the Kenyan government and its people to accompany Haiti in its battle against insecurity. End of preview - This article contains approximately 397 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 24 June Colombias Presidentdenied any involvement in alleged illegal surveillance of magistrates on the countrys constitutional court (CC). End of preview - This article contains approximately 593 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's media empire is about to go down as a new filing from a bankruptcy court-appointed trustee showed that the notorious far-right outlet must be shut down and then sold off. The filing came weeks after a bankruptcy judge ordered Jones to liquidate his assets to pay off the judgments against him for lying about the Sandy Hook massacre. Jones currently owes almost $1.5 billion to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, who sued the conspiracy theorist for using his InfoWars platform to claim that they were crisis actors and that the school shooting was just a psy-op so that the government could take away guns from Americans. To stop himself from paying, Jones filed for bankruptcy, but this only raised some eyebrows as he continued to live a lavish lifestyle despite claiming to be bankrupt. However, as CNN noted, the judge ruled that Alex Jones's Free Speech Systems, the parent company of InfoWars, should not be liquidated partly because the process would be costly and lengthy. This then led the judge to dismiss Jones's bankruptcy case. After Jones's bankruptcy case was dismissed, the Sandyhook families were free to go after his assets. This includes InfoWars as Jones owns its parent company, with the court trustee placed in charge of the company ruling that the company must be liquidated to pay for the rulings. The court-appointed Trustee wrote in his filing that he "began planning to wind-up (Free Speech Systems') operations and liquidate its inventory," adding that the process was "derailed" when one of the Sandy Hook victim's parents filed a motion in a Texas District Court to be granted custody of all of Free Speech Systems' assets. The Trustee then asked the bankruptcy judge to grant an emergency stay in the case. This should allow the "orderly wind-down and sale process" of Infowars. Sandyhook Families Divided Over Trustee's Decision on Alex Jones's InfoWars Platform Despite the filing sounding like Alex Jones has finally been brought to justice for misleading his viewers, the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Massacre were actually divided with the court-appointed trustee's filing. READ MORE: Alex Jones Bankruptcy Plan Rejected by Judge, Forced to Liquidate Assets and May Include InfoWars Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, who lost their 6-year-old son, Jesse, in the massacre and won a $50 million verdict in Texas against Jones, were the ones who asked a Texas court to take control of Free Speech Systems-however, the other families, particularly the ones in Connecticut, said this would undercut the distribution of assets. "This is precisely the unfortunate situation that the Connecticut (lawsuit) families hoped to avoid," said Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit. He added that this would "undercut" an equitable distribution of the conspiracy theorist's assets. Sandyhook Parent Says She Wants To Respond to Alex Jones's Lies With Love Scarlett Lewis, founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, recently talked about the case and said that while Jones hurt her and her family, she will continue to show love as a response, according to the News Times. "We're going to talk about ways to thoughtfully respond with love, ways to rise above the energy going on in your life, and forgiveness," she said. . "People say to me, 'I could never forgive in (Lewis') situation,' but what about a situation you are in where you find yourself still resenting someone for something that happened in the past?" READ NEXT: '2000 Mules' Donald Trump Propaganda Movie Still Being Spread After Being Debunked, Losing Court Battle This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Alex Jones Loses His Personal Fortune In Bankruptcy - LegalEagle After several USDA avocado inspectors were placed in danger in Michoacan, the state that produces the most avocados in Mexico, it finally resumed avocado shipments to the United States after officials from both countries agreed on a plan to protect US avocado inspectors. This was confirmed by Michoacan Governor Alfredo Ramirez after he met with US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar. The two met as Michoacan was set to lose billions of dollars in revenue after the avocado inspections were paused for about a week as the USDA requires produce to regularly be inspected so that food could be imported to the US. In that incident that led to the United States government pausing the inspections in Michoacan and threatening trade between the US and Mexico, two USDA inspectors were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants. The Michoacan government initially downplayed the incident but soon had to meet with the US ambassador. "The Mexican government's plan is to work hand in hand with us to ensure that each of our employees is safe so that they can do their job," said Ambassador Salazar in a statement. He also revealed that the two governments would also work together to stop deforestation and also work on the environmental certification for farm products and labor issues. Mexico Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos was also at the meeting, according to Reuters, and he suggested that in the future, Mexican inspectors could take the place of personnel from the US. Michoacan has recently been invaded by various cartels from out of state, particularly the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel which is vying for control of the state against local gangs and the Familia Michoacana. These groups have long extorted farmers and landowners as they seek to profit from the lucrative agricultural trade. READ MORE: Mexico: Infamous Familia Michoacana Cartel Kidnaps 14 Residents of Village That Stood Up to Them and Killed 10 Cartel Members Why Does the USDA Require Inspectors To Look at Mexico's Avocadoes? Ambassador Salazar added that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will have its inspectors "gradually begin to return to the packing plants following recent aggression against them," adding that "It is still necessary to advance in guaranteeing their security before reaching full operations." As to why the USDA needs to inspect avocadoes coming in from Mexico, CBS News explained that this is because the US grows avocadoes too and that the USDA inspectors are only ensuring that exported avocados do not carry diseases or parasites that could harm local US crops. Avocado Prices Could Have Gone Up If the USDA Inspections Did Not Resume in Mexico The pause in inspections did not immediately affect avocados and mangoes that are already on their way to the United States, nor did it affect the fruits and vegetables not from Michoacan. However, if this continued, the prices of avocadoes would have inevitably increased. While the US also produces its own avocadoes, a large number of the fruit being consumed comes from Mexico, with a vast majority coming from Michoacan. Because of the attack on the USDA inspectors pausing inspections, the state would not be able to export its avocadoes to the US, thus lowering the supply, and with such a large demand for the fruit, prices would go up. READ MORE: Welcome Corps Group Helping US Citizens and Residents Support Refugees Come to the US Legally This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: The True Cost Of Avocados | True Cost - Business Insider On Monday, June 24, 2024, four hundred Elite Kenya police officers engaged in an exercise in readiness for their upcoming deployment to Haiti. The event, graced by President William Ruto, saw Deputy Police Inspector General Noor Gabow affirming the officers' readiness. A preliminary team from Kenya arrived in Port-au-Prince on the same day to pave the way for the imminent arrival of the contingent of elite Kenya police. The officers, departing Nairobi on Monday evening, were expected to land in Port-au-Prince by Tuesday, pending security assessments due to the volatile situation in Haiti, according to the Miami Herald. The State Department confirmed the impending arrival of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, aimed at bolstering Haiti's efforts against criminal armed gangs. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stressed the need to restore security and prosperity in Haiti. The country has not held general elections since 2016, and Haiti gang violence has led to rising hunger, affecting nearly half the population. Kenyan President William Ruto received assurance from police leadership regarding the readiness and preparation of the deployed officers. Deputy Police Inspector General Noor Gabow affirmed the officers' proficiency and equipped status, highlighting their provision of individual first aid kits, armor, and appropriate footwear for extended operations. President Ruto expressed confidence in Kenya's peacekeeping legacy and commitment to restoring stability in Haiti. READ NEXT: Haiti Police Leaders Meet Kenya Inspector General Ahead of Deployment US Support and Concerns Over Haiti's Security Situation US President Joe Biden commended Kenya's leadership in the multinational effort during President Ruto's recent visit to Washington. While the United States pledged $300 million to the force, Biden underscored concerns about potential misrepresentation and complications arising from direct American troop involvement in Haiti, AP News reports. The security situation in Haiti remains dire, with over 2,500 casualties in the first quarter of 2024 and widespread displacement due to escalating Haiti gang violence. Recent allegations of Kenya police misconduct during anti-government protests raised concerns about potential repercussions in Haiti. Despite the urgent need for intervention, hurdles such as funding shortages and legal disputes have plagued the mission's implementation. Republican opposition in Washington, exemplified by Senator Jim Risch's reservations, adds complexity to the initiative. Risch criticized the mission's planning process and lack of clear objectives, highlighting historical failures of international interventions in Haiti. Mission Risks and Ongoing Efforts Analysts and diplomats caution against repeating failures in Haiti, citing previous interventions' limited efficacy and unintended consequences. Emmanuela Douyon of the Haitian think-tank Policite emphasizes the need to avoid replicating ineffective strategies. Funding constraints and legal obstacles have delayed the mission, prompting concerns about its viability and potential impact on Haitian civilians, Aljazeera noted. Following Prime Minister Ariel Henry's resignation amid escalating Haiti gang violence, efforts to stabilize the country include political transitions facilitated by the Biden administration and regional partners. Newly appointed Prime Minister Garry Conille aims to address security concerns and facilitate the mission's deployment. Collaborative agreements, such as the Status of Force Agreement signed with the Organization of American States, seek to establish legal frameworks for the mission's operations. As Kenya prepares to deploy its police contingent to Haiti, international support and concerns underscore the complex nature of restoring stability in the troubled nation. While diplomatic efforts and regional partnerships aim to address security challenges, skepticism persists regarding intervention's effectiveness and potential risks. Amid ongoing debates and logistical hurdles, the urgent need to alleviate suffering and restore order in Haiti remains a pressing global concern. READ MORE: Ecuador: Torrential Rains Cause Deadly Landslides, 6 Dead, Dozens Missing This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Kenya : Ruto bids farewell to Haiti bound-police - From FRANCE 24 English After years of calling President Joe Biden incompetent, former president Donald Trump is changing his tone as their upcoming debate approaches. Meanwhile, a new poll shows that an overwhelming number of younger voters are showing that they prefer Biden over his convicted felon rival. A new poll by CBS News/YouGov surveyed voters under 30 years old and found that around 61% of them support Joe Biden while only 38% support Donald Trump, with the top issues they are concerned with include abortion, climate change, and race and diversity issues. Around 57% of the younger voters in that poll have said that abortion is a major factor in their vote, according to The Hill. This hurts Trump, who has continued to brag that his Supreme Court appointments helped in overturning Roe V. Wade. One of the big reasons that Biden is also winning over the 18-29-year age group was canceling student loans, with a massive 72% approving of the president's actions to just 28% disapproving. Both Biden and Trump have been courting the youth vote, though that demographic has shown concerns about their respective ages as Biden is now 81 while Trump is already 78. Trump has repeatedly painted Biden to be a meandering old man, though he is only 3 years younger than the president. Trump also has his own cognitive abilities thrown into question with several recent gaffes that he had also been blaming Biden for doing, including getting the name of his doctor wrong just one sentence after challenging his rival to do a cognitive test. Donald Trump Changes Tactics As Debate Against Joe Biden Approaches Donald Trump has had conflicting depictions of Joe Biden throughout the years, with the former president either claiming Biden to be a senile old fool or a criminal mastermind behind his recent legal troubles. However, as the debate approaches, Donald Trump is now trying to paint Biden as a "worthy opponent." READ MORE: Donald Trump Flipflops on Issues While Also Making New Dehumanizing Suggestion About Migrants to UFC Head "I assume he's going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater," said the former president during an appearance on "The All-In" podcast last week. "I don't want to underestimate him." As the Associated Press noted, this is a sharp contrast to what he usually calls the incumbent, as he usually calls Biden a "low-IQ individual" who is "the worst, most incompetent, and most corrupt president" in the nation's history, even making fun of the president appearing lost on stage. This is part of his efforts to adjust expectations ahead of the debate on Thursday, with Trump and his allies already presenting Biden as being "drugged" to "perform better" as Biden might upend their "senile old man" rhetoric by performing well against their candidate who has his own cognitive issues to deal with. Donald Trump Classified Documents Prosecutor Clashes with Judge Over Gag Order Request Meanwhile, as Trump is preparing for his debate, the former president is also facing more criminal charges, this time in federal court over the classified documents case. However, Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge accused of being biased and delaying procedures intentionally, has recently been clashing with prosecutors over a gag order against the former president. Special counsel Jack Smith's team is trying to prohibit Trump from remarks that could endanger FBI agents participating in the case, as the former president usually has his supporters act on his rants and threaten or attack the people testifying against him. According to the Associated Press, Cannon questioned prosecutors if her gag order would not impede on the former president's s free speech rights and whether FBI agents were sufficiently protected if their names were withheld from court documents. It resulted in a tense exchange between both parties. READ MORE: Trump Supporters Get Poked Fun At, Get Their Flawed Logic Exposed by Daily Show's Jordan Klepper This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Trump declining in polls since hush money conviction, says Karl Rove - MSNBC San Diego authorities reported a grim discovery on Monday, as the body of a woman believed to be 50-year-old missing California hiker Diem Le Nguyen was found a day after she went missing on a trail in the city's wilderness area. According to the San Diego Police Department, Nguyen disappeared on Sunday morning after becoming separated from a large hiking group of approximately 100 people on the Nighthawk Trail in Black Mountain Open Space Park, located in the Rancho Penasquitos area of north San Diego, ABC News reports. A search helicopter located a body matching Nguyen's description on Monday morning in the vicinity where she had been hiking. READ NEXT: California Hiker Rescued After 10 Days Missing in Mountains Tragic Disappearance and Search Efforts Authorities await autopsy results to confirm the body's identity found after missing California hiker Diem Le Nguyen went missing when hiking Black Mountain. Nguyen started the hike with a group but continued alone towards the summit despite the intense heat, contacting family at 10 AM Sunday in distress, needing water, and not being heard from afterward. Search efforts began promptly after reports at 11:30 AM Sunday, involving extensive operations and a helicopter crew. A California hiker remained missing until Monday morning's discovery, according to Newsweek. During a press conference, Police Lt. Daniel Meyer extended condolences to Nguyen's family, stressing community support. The incident occurred amid San Diego's sweltering temperatures, prompting safety advisories. Luke McClish's recent survival story in the Santa Cruz Mountains, surviving on creek water for ten days, highlights the challenges faced by hikers in remote areas. Discovery and Community Response Authorities revealed during the press conference that the body was found off-trail, approximately a quarter mile away from populated areas. While initial observations align with missing California hiker Nguyen's description, definitive identification awaits the coroner's report. Nguyen participated in a 5k hike benefiting the Build a School Foundation, organized along the Nighthawk Trail. After reaching the trail's end alone, she contacted the group and later with her sister, expressing fatigue and the need for hydration. Search efforts included over 50 volunteers, utilizing drones and search dogs despite challenging heat conditions. Officials also attempted to track Nguyen's cell phone location but encountered limitations in signal precision. As news of Nguyen's discovery spread, local authorities urged community members to refrain from venturing into the search area, allowing search dogs to operate effectively. The community's response has been crucial in supporting ongoing search and rescue operations, People noted. San Diego's recent heatwave posed significant challenges to hikers and emergency responders. Authorities underscored the importance of preparedness and caution when engaging in outdoor activities during extreme weather conditions. The discovery of the missing California hiker's body marks a tragic turn in what began as a community hike, underscoring the unpredictability and risks inherent in outdoor activities. As investigations continue, authorities remain focused on providing closure to Nguyen's loved ones and raising awareness about safety measures in wilderness settings. READ MORE: Victims of Illinois Jet Ski Crash Identified This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Body of missing hiker found near 'Nighthawk Trail' on Black Mountain - From CBS 8 San Diego Heavy rains have been lashing the Midwest, causing intense flooding in the states of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. The flooding was so intense that a steel railroad bridge that connected North Sioux City, South Dakota and Sioux City, Iowa collapsed thanks to the Big Sioux River overflowing. Jason Westcott, an emergency manager in Union County, South Dakota, stated that some of the bridge's trusses collapsed, leading to the river sweeping the bridge away. The horrific incident was caught on camera as flood waters continued to rise over the last few days. Nobody was injured from the collapse, according to PBS news, which reached out to the BNSF Railway which owned the bridge. However, the company's officials did not immediately comment. More rain is expected to fall, which means that many rivers may not crest until later this week. This includes 13 rivers in Iowa, which forced several entire neighborhoods, as well as at least one entire town, to evacuate. The town of Spencer, Iowa even imposed a curfew Sunday for a second night after record flooding. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that 21 counties in northern Iowa are now in a disaster as flooding overtook entire communities, with just the roofs of houses and treetops being visible from the sky. "Businesses are shuttered. Main streets have been impacted," she said. "Hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities were evacuated. Cities are without power, and some are without drinkable water." Reynolds has already deployed the state's National Guard to the affected areas. They helped with water rescues and carted needed medications lost in flooding. READ MORE: El Salvador Death Toll Rises as Heavy Rain Lashes Central America Midwest Flooding Kills At Least 2 People While nobody was hurt when a bridge that connected Iowa and South Dakota collapsed, there were at least two fatalities in other parts of the Midwest as flooding enveloped several parts of the region. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is currently under fire for shooting her dog, stated that at least one person died in her state, though she did not provide any additional details. Meanwhile, an Illinois man died on Saturday as he tried to go around a barricade in Spencer, Iowa. According to the Associated Press, the latter died after his truck got swept away by the Little Sioux River. Officials soon found his vehicle in the treeline but were not able to recover his body until Monday, citing dangerous conditions. Minnesota Dam Near 'Imminent Failure' Thanks to Midwest Flooding It is not only Iowa and South Dakota that have been severely impacted by the heavy floods all over the Midwest, but also Minnesota, where a dam near Rapidan faces "imminent failure" thanks to the floods causing some structural damage, according to NBC News. The NWS issued a flash flood warning for areas downstream of the Rapidan Dam along the Blue Earth River. For now, the structure is still functional, and there is still no plan for a "mass evacuation," though they are still monitoring the situation. READ MORE: Tropical Storm Alberto Pushes Into Mexico, Kills 4 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Flooding in Iowa and South Dakota leads to railroad bridge collapse - We Are Iowa Local 5 News The surfing and lifeguarding community mourns the loss of Tamayo Perry, a 49-year-old veteran lifeguard and renowned waterman, who tragically passed away following an apparent shark attack on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi paid tribute to Perry's dedication and bravery, highlighting his eight-year service with Honolulu Ocean Safety, according to CNN. Star Surfer's commitment to ensuring the safety of residents and visitors earned him admiration and respect within the community. The incident occurred just before 1 PM on Sunday near Goat Island, as emergency responders rushed to the scene following reports of a star surfer fatally injured in a shark attack. Despite efforts by Honolulu Ocean Safety responders, Perry succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a legacy of heroism and professionalism. READ NEXT: Sarah Becker, Star of MTV's 'The Real World,' Passes Away at Age 52 Perry's Legacy in Surfing Tamayo Perry, co-founder of Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia, is known for his 15-year surfing career, winning the Pipeline Master trials in 1999. Perry's expertise at Pipeline earned him respect in surfing, noted Brendan Buckley of Stab Magazine. He emphasized surf safety and mentorship, also acting in films like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Hawaii Five-0." Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager and Mayor Blangiardi praised Perry's caring nature and contributions to ocean safety, AP News reports. Perry's sudden death deeply impacts the surfing and lifeguarding communities, highlighting the risks of ocean activities. His legacy as a courageous and dedicated waterman will endure among those mourning his loss. Perry's Contributions to the Film and Surfing Industry Tamayo Perry's legacy extends beyond the waves, encompassing his notable roles in film and television, where he showcased his talent and charisma to audiences worldwide. Perry's acting career included memorable roles in acclaimed productions such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," where he portrayed a buccaneer alongside stars like Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz. His versatility as an actor also shone through in television series like "Hawaii Five-0" and "Lost," where he left a lasting impression with his performances. Born and raised on the east side of Oahu, Perry's passion for surfing propelled him to professional success, earning him recognition as a skilled waterman. His experiences riding challenging waves, including the renowned Pipeline, solidified his reputation as a fearless and accomplished surfer. Despite encountering setbacks, including a near-fatal accident while surfing, Perry remained resilient, drawing inspiration from his experiences to promote surf etiquette and safety, Fox News noted. His dedication to mentoring others and sharing his knowledge of the ocean endeared him to peers and admirers alike. Acting Honolulu Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager fondly remembered Tamayo Perry as a beloved lifeguard whose infectious personality touched the lives of many. Mayor Rick Blangiardi echoed Lager's sentiments, emphasizing Star Surfer's profound impact on ocean safety and his enduring legacy in the surfing community. READ MORE: Donald Sutherland, Star of 'The Hunger Games' and 'MAS*H,' Passes Away at Age 88 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Famous surfer, 'Pirates' actor Tamayo Perry dies in apparent shark attack - From KTLA 5 DEAR MISS MANNERS: What are the three main subjects you should not discuss socially? GENTLE READER: Only three? You must be joking. The old rule was that politics, sex and religion should not be discussed in casual conversation among people whose sensitivities and opinions were unknown to one another. The rationale was to avoid offending anyone unintentionally. This rule fell into disuse -- and ridicule from some, who responded, So, we are only supposed to talk about the weather? They would argue that those three subjects are important, and that people can be trusted to handle them in a mature way. Ha. Now, almost any topic causes offense. Politics, of course. Sex, not because people are squeamish (which has not been the case in a century, if ever), but in regard to issues of orientation and identity. Religion, not only because it is intertwined with politics and sex, but also as an identity issue. But those three are not all. Food, for example, has become a controversial subject in terms of both nutrition and ethics. As for the weather being the only safe topic left -- not if the conversation turns to climate change. The real problem is not subject matter, but people who no longer care whether they cause casual offense. They may relish doing so -- not only to those whose affiliations and opinions they do not know, but also, perhaps especially, among those they do know. Such as their own relatives. Their justification is that they are challenging ignorance, prejudice and bigotry of whatever kind. Which would be noble, if only it worked. Miss Manners regrets to observe that the usual current method of pointing out others errors is to belittle them. And oddly enough, this does not prod them to respond, Wait, you have a point. I am totally wrong. Please straighten me out. Miss Manners does not want to limit topics; she just wants to limit the way they are discussed. People who listen respectfully to those with whom they disagree, refrain from using personal invectives, state their points objectively and, if necessary, accept that differences remain, should be able to hold conversations on any topic with those who observe the same courtesies. But such people seem to be in short supply now. *** (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.) Lehigh Valley International Airport saw a year-to-year 16.5% passenger increase for the month of May, according to a news release. Airport spokesman Colin Riccobon attributes the increase to nonstop service to Orlando on Allegiant Air and an American Airlines bus service to Philadelphia. In May, 85,243 passengers used the airport outside Allentown, in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. Thats the most in any month of May since 2004, according to the news release Monday from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority that owns and operates LVIA. However, the airport is losing Allegiants nonstop flights to Denver in November, according to Allegiant spokesman Andrew Porrello. The airline started providing that service in June 2023. The airline brands itself as a low-cost alternative to leisure travelers, which necessitates a seasonal hiatus for some routes, Porrello said. Most travelers in this area fly to Denver in the warmer months, he said. For competitive reasons, we cant share future route plans, but theres always a possibility for this route to return in 2025, Porrello said. Despite the news about the Denver connection, Allegiants passenger traffic at LVIA jumped 31.7% this May compared to May 2023, the release says. American Airlines passenger traffic jumped 16.8% in May 2024 compared to last May. That traffic includes passengers on American Airlines Landline bus service for Lehigh Valley travelers to catch flights in Philadelphia. The pre-summer travel surge is a precursor to heavy summer travel, according to the airport authority executive director, Thomas Stoudt. Summertime is always very busy at (the airport), and we anticipate that trend will hold true in the next few months, Stoudt said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A former Lehigh University student faked his fathers death as part of a scheme to get a full scholarship and admission to the Bethlehem school, according to a news release from Northampton Countys district attorney. Aryan Anand admitted he forged transcripts, financial statements and his fathers death certificate as part of the scheme, according to the release issued Monday by the office of District Attorney Stephen Baratta. The 19-year-old created a fake email address impersonating a school principal, the release says. Anands father is alive in India, the release says. I have built my life and career on lies, Anand said on the social media site Reddit. He created an anonymous post using that quote as the title, where he laid out the details of the scheme, according to the news release. A Reddit moderator notified the university of the post, and a Lehigh University Police Department investigation confirmed the details of the scheme. Lehigh University appreciates the report to its ethics hotline and the diligent investigation by the Lehigh University Police Department that led to Aryan Anands arrest, as well as the Northampton County District Attorneys Offices prosecution of Anand for fraud, said Lehigh University spokeswoman Amy White. Anand enrolled at Lehigh as a first-year student in August 2023 and his admission was revoked this year, the news release says. Anand pleaded guilty to forgery on June 12. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to one to three months in Northampton County Prison, which amounted to a time-served sentence according to defense attorney Molly Heidorn. She had no further comment on the case. As part of the deal, Anand agreed to return to India and Lehigh University agreed not to pursue restitution of $85,000, the news release says. The release says charges of theft and tampering with records were dropped. Anand was arrested and charged April 30, the news release says. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A provision in Pennsylvanias new law banning hand-held cellphone use while driving will require that many police agencies collect data on the race of drivers in traffic stops in an effort to improve transparency. The Pennsylvania State Police and law enforcement agencies in communities of more than 5,000 people will record data at traffic stops, including a drivers race, and publish an annual report analyzing the data. The requirement, which goes into effect in December 2025, was a priority of the 38-member Black Legislative Caucus. Having this report helps us make the argument beyond anecdotal stories about why some of the reforms that weve been advocating for for years are necessary, said Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia, a former Black Caucus chair who pushed for the amendment. The Pennsylvania State Police already collects data on a voluntary basis, though it did not do so between 2011 and 2021. The agency changed course following media scrutiny and discussions with Bullock and then-Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe, the prime sponsor of the distracted driving law. Some municipalities, such as Lower Merion Township, have collected data for years. This provision which the Shapiro Administration advocated for in conjunction with the Black Caucus builds on PSPs work to be transparent with the public and to ensure Pennsylvanians have the utmost faith in the law enforcement officers serving and protecting them every day, Lt. Adam Reed, PSP spokesman, wrote in an email. A 169-page report released last year, which stemmed from what Reed called one of the most comprehensive and high-quality data collection efforts on traffic stops in the country, showed that Black and Hispanic motorists were significantly more likely to be searched and slightly more likely to be arrested after a traffic stop than white motorists in 2022. The report noted that 14.4% of motorists pulled over in 2022 were Black and 8.2% were Hispanic. Maybe theres some training that can happen or some other policies or legislation we can pose, Bullock said after noting the disparities in the report. We dont know that until we get the data to inform those decisions. Bullock said Brown agreed to co-sponsor a separate data collection bill before it was added to the distracted driving bill, Senate Bill 37. Brown, now a senator, had worked on the distracted driving bill for a dozen years before it was signed June 5 by Gov. Josh Shapiro. I applaud her for realizing that she had to pump the brakes on her legislation to listen to our concerns and try to find some common ground, Bullock said of Brown, who could not be reached for comment before publication. Not everyone was satisfied. Three of the six Black Caucus members in the Senate voted against the final bill, as did five of their House counterparts (the vast majority of House Republicans, none of whom are in the Black Caucus, also voted against the bill). The ACLU of Pennsylvania came out swinging against the bill as the General Assembly was about to vote on the legislation, arguing that adding a primary offense to the books could encourage over policing. While the data collection was badly needed, the group argued, the inaccessibility of the raw data through Pennsylvanias Right to Know Law was a disqualifying offense. Its not actual accountability, Elizabeth Randol, ACLU of Pennsylvanias legislative director, said. I would want an independent reporters assessment and analysis of what that data shows. Randol emphasized that its not my argument that we shouldnt trust PSP or the third party analysts to provide a trustworthy report. The problem is, she said, theres no way to verify it. Bullock and the Black Caucus advocated for the data collection provision in the wake of a string of high profile incidents of police brutality against Black motorists in the late 2010s. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020, the expansion of the Black Caucus and the growing number of House Democrats increased the sway of Black lawmakers in amending the distracted driving bill or sinking it. Well, I really supported this bill, but after hearing the concerns of the Black Caucus, Im going to stand with them too, Bullock recalled House colleagues saying while the bill was debated. The issue hits close to home for Black House members, most of whom hail from the Philadelphia area. The potential for a traffic stop during their two-hour commute to Harrisburg turning violent was top of mind for Bullock and her Black colleagues from the southeast. We didnt need a viral video to tell us that this was happening, Bullock said. Honestly, we dont need traffic stop data to tell us this was happening. Laois Library Service will get just a sliver of 550,000 announced for Irish libraries from the Dormant Funds account. The county which has eight libraries will get the equivalent of 1,640 per library, a total grant of 13,141. It means just 2.4% of the national funding will come to Laois. It will be used to buy special furniture, including seven height adjustable tables and 11 ergonomic chairs to support people with mobility needs and physical disabilities. Eight Braille Labellers and eight C-Pens will also be bought, to support people with visual impairments, and two hearing loops for people with hearing impairments. The equipment is to assist the age griendly, deaf/hard of hearing, people with mobility needs, physical Disability or visual impairment. The full cost of the equipment is 14,602, with Laois County Council to contribute 10%, or 1,460.20 to match the grant funding. Two Government ministers jointly announced the nationwide funding on June 24, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe OBrien TD. "This will put our libraries at the forefront of reaching out to all members of the community in which they serve this is a key objective of the new library strategy The Library is the Place, which I launched last July at the official opening of the new Portlaoise library," Minister Humphreys said. The funding, under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan, will assist public libraries in reaching out to people with disabilities and other marginalised groups. Funding of 400,000 has been approved to support the provision of assistive technologies such as hearing loops, electronic magnifiers and wayfinding tools. The Governments says it will also help people with disabilities to access library services by providing wheelchair-accessible shelving, height-adjustable desks and seating. Further funding of 150,000 has been approved to support the promotion of public libraries through the hosting of an Open Day in all libraries nationwide that will enable them to showcase what they offer to the public. Evidence that the Abbeyleix-based award-winning company Abbey Farm Foods is reaping significant revenue from years of hard work is revealed in a new report from the supermarket chain Aldi. The German retailer has announced details of its contribution locally and nationally in the annual Aldi Economic Impact Report published on June 25. The company says the report highlights benefits to Laois economy and the impact of its charity partnerships across the county. The company says it paid almost 1.6 million in wages and salaries in Laois last year and there were over 880,000 customer visits to Aldi stores in Laois in 2023. On the supplier side investment, Aldi says it sourced almost 1 million of local produce from Laois-based supplier, Abbey Farm Foods. It said it allowed the local company to stock their produce on the shelves of one of Irelands leading retailers. Helen Gee is the driving force and founder behind Abbey Farm Foods which has built a big local company around the G's Jams brand from her home in Abbeyleix. Aldi says it also supported multiple charities across Laois. Over 34,600 meals from Laois stories were donated through FoodCloud to local charities. Each store is also part of Aldis Community Grants network, with Laois Young Carers Group and The Ken Spollen Food Appeal in Portarlington some of the many local charities that benefitted from the programme in 2023. In addition to donating to local charities, Aldi said also supports local communities through its tree planting initiative, with a commitment to planting 1 million native Irish woodland trees across Ireland by 2025. Aldi says its Economic Impact Report outlines its contribution to the national and local economy, including investment in its product offering, its team and the communities the retailer serves. In 2023, Aldi says it sourced 1.1 billion of locally produced food and drinks from Irish suppliers. In total, ALDI partnered with over 330 Irish producers throughout the year. Commenting Colin Breslin, is the Managing Director of Buying & Services with Aldi Ireland. ALDI is committed to making a positive impact across the country. We continue to make a significant contribution in every local community that we serve and are proud to be a leading contributor to Laois economy. As the ALDI network continues to expand across Ireland, opening six new stores in 2023, we take pride in the work we do alongside our local suppliers to bring high quality and affordable products to our customers. We remain committed to being the best value supermarket in Ireland. ALDI remains acutely conscious of the economic challenges that our suppliers have endured in the past year. This is why we continue to invest in valued partnerships that allow both our suppliers and our team to grow. In 2023, we spent almost 1 million sourcing local produce from Laois. We are delighted to continue working with Laois suppliers and expanding our Laois based community in the upcoming year, he said. There are three Aldi stories in Laois with 47 staff employed in the county in Portlaoise, Portarlington and Graiguecullen. It says it has made a 34 million capital investment in Laois. Gardai rushed to seal off a popular Dublin beach on Monday evening following a 'mass brawl' involving a large group of young people. A number of gardai responded to reports of disturbances on Burrow Beach in Sutton, Fingal on Monday evening at around 6pm. Various garda units attended the scene, and crowds were later dispersed from the area. The beach had been experienced a busy Monday, marking Irelands hottest day of the year, with sweltering temperatures soaring to highs of 25C. According to an eyewitness who spoke to Dublin Live, there was reportedly "a huge roar, like a battle on the beach". "Everyone charged towards it and then ran away from it. We had to call the police because this happens every summer here. "Probably 20 to 35 officers (including the special unit) came and cleared the beach. The older people who live and families with children could safely walk out. It isnt safe here otherwise. "They were here all day. There are throngs of [teens]. They come here on trains and buses. I know an old lady who lives around the corner and shes afraid to come down here," the witness told Dublin Live. A man has been jailed for attacking his wife because he wrongly believed she was filming him. The mother of his three-year-old child thought she was going to die during the assault, which Judge Dara Hayes said warranted an immediate custodial sentence. The 32-year-old former restaurant owner pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the assault causing harm at their family home on 19th October 2022. The case was dealt with under the Domestic Violence Act. He can't be named to protect the anonymity of his victim. Garda Dean ODonnell told Diana Stuart BL prosecuting that he was called to a domestic incident at about 1.40am that day. They found the woman in an extremely distressed state, crying, sitting on the kerb. She explained that her husband had thought that she was recording him, but that she was texting her sister at the time. He had demanded the phone from her, but she had refused to hand it over. He got angry, spat on her and warned her that he would kill her if she said one more word, the court heard. She said that she was trying not to react to him, and continued texting. He threw a bottle of milk at her and spat on her again. She said that he nearly broke her arm while trying to break her phone, which she was trying to keep safe. Gda ODonnell said the man then grabbed her by the hair, put her on the ground and stood over her, with his knee on her neck. She said she was struggling to breathe and her legs were shaking. In her victim impact statement to the court, she said that the attack had altered her life. I thought to myself that this was the end of me, she recalled. Who would take care of my child, with me dead and her father in prison? She said that the abuse had a lasting effect on her mental health, leading to PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks. I pray to God every day to keep my mind in place, she said. I am proud that I survived and I am still breathing after all that he did to me, she concluded her statement. The court heard that her husband had no previous convictions, and ran two restaurants at the time, where he employed about 20 people. He said that he was under a lot of pressure at the time because of Covid, and that he had since sold his stake in the businesses to focus his time on family and therapy. The woman still lives in the family home with her child, and the estranged couple are currently in a custody battle. Judge Hayes imposed a sentence of two years and three months for the assault, taking his false imprisonment of his victim into consideration. This is a case that requires an immediate custodial sentence, he said. The judge suspended the final 12 months on a number of conditions, including that the man complete a programme that helps men overcome violence, if he's deemed suitable. The man's mother cried out when her son was led away to prison. His father and members of the gardai assisted her from the courtroom. Jack Chambers is to be promoted to Finance Minister, after Michael McGrath was confirmed as Irelands nominee to become EU commissioner. Mr Chambers, a 33-year-old Dubliner who has been a junior minister, was appointed Fianna Fail deputy leader last week. Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin described him as a very able, intelligent, highly effective politician. Taoiseach Simon Harris described Mr McGrath as a dedicated public servant, a skilled minister and an extremely diligent and hard worker. These qualities, and indeed the experience he has developed at a European level as our finance minister, and many other qualities that he possesses, as both a politician and a person, will be key to his success. Mr Martin praised Mr McGrath for his shrewd stewardship of the economy in his time as both finance minister and minister for public expenditure. Mr McGrath has said he would continue his public service on a different stage and said he was leaving the Department of Finance at a time when the Irish economy was in good health. Asked what portfolio he would prefer at EU level, Mr McGrath said an economic or financial portfolio would seem to be an obvious area. Obviously, the background that I have, my own qualifications, my political experience, all lie in the broad economic and financial area and that would seem to be an obvious area where my skills can be deployed. But it is something we will discuss over the days ahead. And as you know, when it comes to the allocation of different portfolios by the president of the Commission, there are many factors that come into play. The nomination of Mr McGrath by Mr Martin was discussed at a meeting of the three Government coalition leaders on Monday before being approved at Cabinet on Tuesday. Mr Harris said that although the EU Commissioner nominee is made by Fianna Fail under the terms of the programme for government, it was not a party political position. For me, this isnt about tribal politics or party politics or partisan politics, just by putting our best foot forward and about sending the best person that we can to the European Commission. Mr McGrath succeeds Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. Speaking before Cabinet, Mr Martin said a ministerial reshuffle would not affect the stability of the Government, as the coalition works collectively, particularly in relation to the Budget. Thats the normal flow that happens in the aftermath of an election. We have a reservoir of ability, of talented people who can step in and take on new roles. Two writers residing in County Kildare have been selected for the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme. Following a national call, 39 writers from across Ireland have been selected from a total of 416 applicants to participate in the Irish Writing Centre National Mentoring Programme. Local writers Clive Henry and Cora Crampton have been selected as the Kildare-based writers to receive professional literary mentoring over the next eight months from acclaimed Irish writers of their choice. Speaking after the announcement, Elaine Donnelly, acting Kildare Arts Officer, said: "Kildare County Council Arts Service is thrilled to support Clive Henry and Cora Crompton as the recipients of the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme scheme for County Kildare." "The programme offers a great opportunity to celebrate local writers, and to resource them to develop their artistic practice and professional networks on their own home turf. We look forward to working with both writers in the months ahead," Ms Donnelly added. Kildare County Council's Arts Service with the Arts Council have funded the literary mentorships to provide the writers with an opportunity for potentially career-changing mentoring support free of charge. It is also an investment in the long-term literary reputation of the region, according to Kildare County Council. PROCESS The mentoring process involves four 90-minute meetings between the selected mentee and their chosen professional writer. Each mentor reads the awarded mentees writing in advance of all four meetings, sharing their feedback with the mentee at each meeting. Mentors also provide broad professional advice, sharing the benefit of their years of experience. According to The Irish Writers Centre, its mission is 'to support a vibrant and diverse community of writers of all types and talents to develop their craft, capacity and confidence to thrive as a writer in the world.' The Centre elaborated: "The National Mentoring Programme aims to resource writers to write the next great works of literature with the support and sustenance of their chosen mentor." "Running since 2017, the programme now has numerous published authors among its alumni, including Doireann Ni Ghriofa, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Fiona Scarlett, Will Keohane, Alice Kinsella and Victoria Kennefick to name just a few." Taoiseach Simon Harris has issued criticism of the Irish Defence Forces questioning how many of its members are currently hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he is not satisfied with how the Irish Defence Forces have handled the fallout from the case of an Irish soldier who viciously assaulted a woman. Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Natasha O'Brien. The 22-year-old from Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms O'Brien in Limerick in 2022. The Defence Forces have said internal proceedings are under way following the court process. They have also launched a review into other members who have been convicted of gender-based violence. In a statement last Friday, a Defence Forces spokesperson said when a serving member was in court for a civil offence, internal proceedings could not start until after a judge had rendered their sentence. Speaking before a meeting of the Cabinet today, the Taoiseach said: "There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing. These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all." He also expressed anger at a "flurry of activity" by Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. "It's a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that they're now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this," he said. "I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha O'Brien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces," the Taoiseach added. Mr Harris also expressed interest in meeting with Natasha O'Brien after the ending of any further legal proceedings that may arise and commended her for coming forward. Noting that he cant comment on individual cases, he said the last few days have show us how far Ireland has to go to reach the zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence Minister McEntee is aiming for. The Taoiseach said new sentencing guidelines and training for judges absolutely needs to be considered. Separately, a demonstration in support of Ms OBrien is due to be held outside the Dail this evening. Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Joe OBrien TD, has today announced funding for 42 additional positions under the Community Services Programme (CSP). A total of 32 organisations across Ireland are set to benefit from the investment which will see approximately 1 million in additional funding allocated to the programme. Local Fine Gael councillor, Enda McGloin has welcomed the allocation of 35,000 to Fenagh Development Company under this programme. I wish to congratulate the directors of Fenagh Development Company for their excellent application under this round of competitive applications. This funding will assist in providing a co-funding contribution towards the cost of employing a manager for Fenagh Development Company which is good news for the volunteers involved currently and assists them in the delivery of their local services. I wish to acknowledge the government for funding this scheme and in particular Minister Joe OBrien who department officials in the community section of the Department of Community and Rural Development deliver the scheme, concluded Cllr Mc Gloin. The CSP supports community-based organisations to provide local social, economic, and environmental services through a social enterprise model. It aims to tackle disadvantage by providing a co-funding contribution towards the cost of employing a manager and full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Todays announcement follows a call for additional funding requests to existing CSP services, which took place in September 2023. The investment results in an extra seven Managers and 35 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions being supported. Announcing the newly funded positions today, Minister Joe OBrien said: I am delighted to announce these additional posts for the Community Services Programme, and to extend the capacity of our CSP organisations to deliver vital services in our communities. Winners of the Schools Category for the Love Where You Live Awards were presented with their prizes by Leitrim County Council this week. Participating Schools submitted Actions for Pollinators Projects to Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer, Rebeccah Cogan. Rebeccah then visited all participating schools in May to engage with them on their work and judge the projects. The winning schools were Largy National School, Manorhamilton, St. Josephs National School, Aughavas and Hunt National School, Mohill. Pupils and Teachers of St. Josephs National School, Aughavas and Principal Seamus Tiernan with Rebeccah Cogan, Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer and Elaine McKeon, Leitrim County Council Community Development Pupils of Largy National School and Principal Mary Hoey with Cllr James Gilmartin, Cllr Eddie Mitchell, Cllr Justin Warnock, Rebeccah Cogan, Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer and Elaine McKeon, Leitrim County Council Community Development Runner up schools were St. Fatima National School, Cloone, and St. Josephs National School, Leitrim Village. Winning schools were presented with a cash prize of 500, a certificate and specially commissioned trophy. Runners up were presented with a cash prize of 250 and a certificate. Pupils and Teachers of Fatima National School, Cloone with Principal Madeline McKeon Murphy, and Rebeccah Cogan, Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer Pupils and Teachers of St. Jospehs National School, Leitrim Village, with Cllr. Des Guckian, Cllr. Maeve Reynolds, Rebeccah Cogan, Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer and Elaine McKeon, Leitrim County Council Community Development Rebeccah Cogan, Leitrim County Council Biodiversity Officer said: "I loved visiting all the schools who entered the competition to see the actions for pollinators that had been carried out to enhance biodiversity in their school grounds. The pupils were all so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about bees and other pollinating insects. "The children realise the importance of pollinating insects and their critical role in our environment. Bees and pollinating insects are under threat in Ireland, so it was fantastic to see schools creating habitats for our pollinators to survive and thrive. "A big congratulations to the winners in the schools category and also well done to all the schools who took part in the competition!" The Love Where You Live Awards are an initiative of Leitrim County Council and the Leitrim Public Participation Network. They are a unique opportunity to recognise and publicly acknowledge the positive contribution that communities, schools and individuals make to County Leitrim. The other categories in the Love Where You Live Awards are Green Community of the Year, Estate of the Year, Diaspora, Social Inclusion and Community Achievement. The Awards Ceremony for these categories will take place in Lough Rynn Castle on October 10, 2024. An exciting live music programme has been confirmed for Boyle Arts Festival (BAF) 2024. St. Josephs Hall will once again transform into a music venue with a full bar to play host to four live concerts during BAF 2024. The popular festival will run from July 18 to July 27, with plenty of talented acts to watch out for in the live music genre, including Paul Brady, Stockton's Wing, Rebecca Storm Eddie Reader and the Alan Kelly gang. Regina Nathan, Bridin, Mack Fleetwood, James Nelson and The Men Who Knew Too Much will also be performing. There will be live shows from local artists The Sessions, Dave Byrne and The Regulars, along with Songs About Love, a concert featuring some of the best young local musical talent by Music Generation Roscommon. Tickets for most of the events are now available through www.boylearts.com and they will also be available from the festival office at An Rioga on Bridge Street from Thursday July 11. On July 19, Mack Fleetwood, Europes finest tribute band to the legendary Fleetwood Mac, will take to the stage for a night of classic hits that will bring you on a magical musical journey from the Peter Green blues era, to the multi-platinum selling band that still tours today. Icons, trailblazers, and legends of Irish music Stockton's Wing will bring their unique style of music, their story and their enthralling live show to BAF on Saturday July 20. An evening with Paul Brady is a captivating experience, as he invites audiences into his world of songs and music in a way that will surprise in its intimacy, sense of fun and raw power. Songs such as 'The Island', 'Crazy Dreams', 'Nothing But The Same Old Story', 'Nobody Knows' and 'Follow On', 'The Long Goodbye', 'The Homes of Donegal' and 'Paradise Is Here' have, over the years, given joy and emotional sustenance to generations of Irish at home and abroad. Paul will play in St. Josephs Hall on Friday July 26. Closing BAF 2024 on July 27 is Scotlands internationally acclaimed songstress, Eddi Reader, of Fairground Attraction teaming up with Irelands own piano accordion maestro, Alan Kelly, and his gang of acclaimed musicians featuring Steph Geremia on flute and vocals, John Douglas and Shane McGowan on guitars with Jim Higgins on percussion. Brimming with powerful instrumentals, alluring songs and buoyant harmonies this is a wonderful union of Scottish and Irish traditions. Mixing the Alan Kelly Gangs innovative perspective to the Celtic repertoire with Eddi Readers thrilling and affecting performance, this show has been praised for leaving audiences spellbound. The Men Who Knew Too Much will be back in Dodds Crescent Bar on July 21 to play their superb mix of jazz, country-blues, western swing and folk, while local band The Sessions - featuring Enda Regan, Adam Daly and Kevin Healy - will kick off the live music programme with a free gig in The Patricks Well on the opening night of BAF on July 18. Stop by for an electrifying mix of original songs and 90s/00s indie crowd pleasers! There will be free music performances from the Sligo Concert Band and the Dukes of Uke during the festival, while another local band, The Regulars - featuring Christian Martin, Sean Garavan, Shane Casey and Lorcan Connolly - will play a free afternoon gig in the Royal Courtyard on July 20. Playing a fast and intricate style of rock, they have been compared to older Irish rock artists such as The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, The Strokes, and The Smiths. Dave Byrne will also be back after a five year hiatus from the music scene. He will bring his solo acoustic show to Daly's Lounge on July 22, where music lovers can expect an evening of rock n roll, and folk and pop classics from the 1950s to the 1990s. Keep an eye out for flyers, which lists all the events for BAF 2024. The festival office at An Rioga on Bridge St will be open every day (excluding Sundays) from July 11 until July 27. Call in for programmes, information and tickets. For further information, please visit www.boylearts.com Tel. 089 9722477. Email info@boylearts.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X. Boyle Arts Festival is supported by The Arts Council, Local sponsors, Roscommon Co. Council, the Dept. of Rural and Community Development and the Roscommon Co. Council Creative Ireland Programme 2024. A man who savagely punched a woman in a hospital A&E and a delivery driver who knocked on his door in separate incidents over the course of two days has been jailed for three and a half years. Ronnie Wilde (23) was also jailed for robbing 40 worth of groceries from a shop in Dublin 8 while armed with an implement on September 1, 2023. He has 52 previous convictions. He pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a woman causing her harm at St James's Hospital A&E on September 26, 2023 and one count of assaulting a delivery driver causing him harm when he called to his home address at Clanbrassil Terrace, Dublin 8, the following day, September 27. He also pleaded guilty to the robbery incident. Both attacks were completely unprovoked, the court heard. Garda Colm McCarthy told Rebecca Smith BL, prosecuting, that during the first incident on September 1, Wilde was armed with an implement that may have been a knife when he threatened a shop worker in Dublin 8 and stole 40 worth of groceries. Later that month, Wilde was in the A&E department of St James's Hospital when he got into a verbal altercation with a woman who asked him to be quiet. Wilde punched the woman twice to the face, causing her to fall down. Photographs of her extensive facial injuries were handed into court. The next day, a food delivery driver was knocking on a door at Clanbrassil Terrace when Wilde opened it and punched him to the face several times without warning. The driver was taken to St James's Hospital for treatment. There were no victim impact statements before the court. Gardai were alerted and Wilde was arrested at his home. He was highly intoxicated, the court heard. He has been in custody since. Defence counsel said Wilde was under the effect of drugs and was suffering from paranoia at the time of the assaults. Most of his previous convictions dated back to when he was a juvenile. He is attempting to deal with his addiction issues and is drug-free in custody, the court heard. Sentencing him this Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan said Wilde had punched both parties savagely in separate unprovoked attacks. He noted his history of offending was lengthy and serious. He set a headline sentence of five years but reduced it to three and a half years, taking mitigating factors into account. He backdated it to when Wilde went into custody last October. Funding Circle Holdings plc ("Funding Circle" or the "Company" or the "Group") Completion of process to focus on UK business Agreement reached with iBusiness Funding to acquire Funding Circle's US business LONDON, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Further to the announcement on 7 March 2024, Funding Circle today announces it has entered into an agreement for the sale of Funding Circle's US business to iBusiness Funding, LLC (IBF). The transaction will be for a total cash consideration of 33m[1] [2], for the US business including all loan portfolios, which includes a 10m gain, before transaction costs. The proceeds from the transaction will be reviewed in line with our capital allocation framework. Lisa Jacobs, Funding Circle CEO, said "In March, I announced that we were simplifying the business by exiting the US and focusing on profitable growth in the UK business. Alongside the UK restructuring actions announced in May, we are continuing to execute against this plan with the sale of the US business to IBF. The UK business is on track to be profitable in H2, in line with our guidance. Over the medium term we expect net income growth of 15-20% CAGR with PBT margins of >15%. Over the last decade, our US team has played a significant role in getting finance to America's small businesses and I want to thank them for all the commitment that they have shown to our customers. We are pleased that in IBF, one of the leading SMB loan processors, we have found a partner that shares in our mission and we look forward to seeing the success of the combined entity in issuing SBA loans to businesses across the US." IBF is a leading provider of lending solutions for banks and lenders of all sizes with a specialisation in SBA lending. The company is dedicated to streamlining the business lending process to allow lenders to efficiently deliver capital to small and medium-sized businesses. IBF has processed over $6 billion in SBA loans to date, and the team processes over 1,000 business loan applications through its platform daily. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ready Capital Corporation (NYSE: RC). Justin Levy, IBF CEO, said: "We are delighted for Funding Circle US to become part of IBF. Over the last 10 years, Funding Circle US has made a significant contribution to supporting US small businesses and together we will be able to accelerate progress to help even more businesses. We look forward to welcoming the team and continuing the important work of providing highly flexible and efficient funding solutions to US small businesses." As the Ready Capital group already holds an SBLC license, Funding Circle has, with SBA consent, surrendered its SBLC license. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June. Funding Circle will announce H1 2024 results on 5 September 2024. Contacts: Funding Circle: Investor Relations: [email protected] Tony Nicol Media Relations: [email protected] Angeli Everitt Headland Consultancy +44 (0) 20 3805 4822 Mike Smith / Stephen Malthouse [email protected] About Funding Circle: Funding Circle (LSE: FCH) is the UK's leading SME lending platform. Its mission is to build the place where small businesses get the funding they need to win. Funding Circle enables small businesses to access funding ? offering an unrivalled customer experience powered by data and technology. For institutional investors, Funding Circle provides access to an alternative asset class in an underserved market with robust and attractive returns. Globally, Funding Circle has extended more than 16bn in credit to c.150,000 businesses. About iBusiness Funding: IBF is a leading provider of lending solutions for banks and lenders of all sizes with a specialisation in SBA lending. The company is dedicated to streamlining the business lending process to allow lenders to efficiently deliver capital to small and medium-sized businesses. IBF has processed over $6 billion in SBA loans to date, and the team processes over 1,000 business loan applications through its platform daily. [1] Total cash consideration subject to net asset adjustment at closing. [2] The Transaction constitutes a Class 2 transaction under the UK Listing Rules. Funding Circle US had gross assets of 89m as at 31 December 2023. The US business contributed losses of (23)m to the overall Group in 2023, although reported a statutory profit before tax of 7m for the year ended 31 December 2023. 24 june 2024 at 16:35 News published onand distributed by: Cocktail Courier Acquires Thirstie to Personalize Alcohol E-commerce ShakeStir LLC (dba Cocktail Courier), a leader in creating and delivering premium cocktail kits at scale, has acquired Thirstie, Inc., an innovative technology company that pioneered branded e-commerce solutions for liquor brands. The transaction combines the complementary strengths of Thirstie in B2B e-commerce and Cocktail Courier in unique offerings to elevate the shopping experience so that liquor brands can offer bottles and online-exclusive products like cocktail kits to consumers through their sites. Cocktail Courier's ability to bundle standard bottles with limited edition kits allows liquor brands a new and effective way to grow revenue, build engagement, and harness valuable consumer insights. "Big tech has clearly won the alcohol delivery race, but there is a limit to how fast or how cheap they can deliver a bottle of gin to your doorstep. The next area of growth will be in offering the end consumer new experiences," says Maxim Razmakhin, Thirstie's Co-Founder and CEO. "Consolidation is inevitable in our industry," said Scott Goldman, Cocktail Courier's Co-Founder and CEO. "The Cocktail Courier/Thirstie combination positions us well to accelerate our growth and make more strategic acquisitions." Cocktail Courier will continue to operate the acquired business under the Thirstie brand and integrate Cocktail Courier's capabilities into Thirstie's operations. ShakeStir's CocktailCourier.com will eventually be powered by Thirstie's proprietary and patented technology. The combined business is expected to achieve profitability post-integration, with faster growth of both solutions. About ShakeStir (dba Cocktail Courier) Since its inception in 2014, ShakeStir has pioneered the U.S. cocktail delivery industry, enabling nearly one million households nationwide to embark on a journey of cocktail discovery. In doing so, Cocktail Courier has created an award-winning brand synonymous with delicious cocktails. For more information about Cocktail Courier, please visit www.cocktailcourier.com. About Thirstie Thirstie, a New York-based software company (backed by RNDC in 2022) powers branded e-commerce experiences for alcohol brands within an industry three-tier compliant system. Transparency into consumer insights, analytics, and ROI helps brands improve performance marketing. For more information about Thirstie, visit www.thirstie.com. 24 june 2024 at 16:55 News published onand distributed by: Product Creation Studio Partners With PatchClamp Medtech Inc. to Develop Revolutionary Dural Repair System SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2024 / Product Creation Studio (PCS), a premier provider of engineering and design services, is excited to announce a new partnership with PatchClamp Medtech Inc. (PMI). This collaboration focuses on developing PatchClamp's novel dural repair graft placement system, designed to address the challenges of durotomy-perforations in the dura during cranial and spinal surgeries-which can lead to severe complications if not properly sealed. PatchClamp Medtech Inc. - Neurosurgery and Spinal Procedure Device - Seattle, WA The PatchClamp device quickly and effectively provides an immediate watertight seal for dura openings encountered in MIS and open surgical procedures. This prevents the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, which frequently leads to serious complications. The innovative PatchClamp device, facilitated by PCS's development expertise, is designed to utilize a unique graft-clasp to enable safe and immediate watertight sealing of durotomies. This device aims to improve outcomes in minimally invasive and open craniospinal procedures. This single-hand disposable applicator allows surgeons to work in constrained spaces. This new system addresses the limitations of direct dural repair by incorporating 3D-printed components and commercially available bioresorbable materials, providing proof of concept through in vitro and in vivo testing. A testament to this groundbreaking collaboration, PatchClamp Medtech Inc. has been awarded the highly competitive NIH SBIR award by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), recognizing the potential impact of their technology on neurosurgical procedures. Further validating their innovation, PatchClamp has secured patents in the United States and Japan. Dr. Marc Mayberg, co-founder of PatchClamp Medtech Inc., emphasized the technology's impact, stating, "Our device is not just a step forward in neurosurgical technology; it is a leap towards fundamentally changing how surgeons approach dural repairs. Achieving a watertight seal in a challenging surgical environment enhances patient safety and recovery, setting a new standard in surgical care." Scott Thielman, Chief Technology Officer at Product Creation Studio, commented on the partnership, "Working with the PatchClamp team has been inspiring. Their groundbreaking approach to surgical repair meshes perfectly with our mission to accelerate medical technology development that advances the field and improves patient outcomes." Disclaimer: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved this device. About Product Creation Studio Located in Seattle, Washington, Product Creation Studio has been an innovation accelerator since 1999, transforming ideas into market-ready products. With extensive expertise in medical devices, life science tools, industrial equipment, and consumer products, PCS is dedicated to enhancing user experience and expediting time to market for groundbreaking technologies. Learn more: https://www.productcreationstudio.com/ About PatchClamp Medtech Inc. PatchClamp Medtech Inc. is a medical device company enhancing surgical outcomes in neurosurgery and spinal procedures. With a commitment to innovation and patient safety, PatchClamp is developing novel devices that enable safe and immediate watertight repair and sealing of durotomies encountered during minimally invasive and open craniospinal procedures. Their technologies address the challenges of durotomy repair, offering neurosurgeons a solution to prevent complications related to cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Learn more: https://www.patchclamp.tech/ Contact Information Kadee Gray Marketing Manager [email protected] SOURCE: Product Creation Studio View the original press release on newswire.com. 24 june 2024 at 18:21 News published onand distributed by: Decklar Granted Management Cease Trade Order and Provides Bi-Weekly Default Status Report CALGARY, Alberta, June 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Decklar Resources Inc. (TSX-V: DKL) (OTC: DKLRF) (FSE: A1U1) (the "Company" or "Decklar") is providing this bi-weekly default status report in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). The Company was granted a temporary management cease trade order ("MCTO") by the Alberta Securities Commission, (the "ASC") on May 8, 2024 in respect of the late filing within the time prescribed by securities legislation of one or more of the following: (a) annual financial statements; (b) annual MD&A; (c) a certification of filings under National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual Filings (the "Annual Filings"). The Company has experienced unavoidable delays in receiving crude oil sales proceeds from Shell Trading and a local refinery. These delays resulted from a postponement of lifting date by tanker vessel to lift the produced crude oil and a three-day strike by organized labor in Nigeria during the first week of June 2024. We now expect receipt of the sales proceeds in the week starting July 8, 2024. Consequently, the audit work and the reserves update and future net revenue forecasts by the petroleum reserves evaluators, are now scheduled to be completed in the week starting July 22, 2024. The Company's auditors continue to progress with the audit work and and its reporting reserve engineers are updating the reserve estimates and future net revenue forecasts. The Company confirms, as of the date hereof, that: (i) it is not subject to any insolvency proceeding; and (ii) there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. For further information about Decklar, see its disclosure documents on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or visit the company's website at https://www.decklarresources.com/ For further information: Sanmi Famuyide Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +234 703 332 2265 Email: [email protected] Investor Relations: [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Language Certain statements made and information contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation), including, but not limited to, statements regarding: disclosure regarding possible events, that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, obtaining necessary approvals from regulatory authorities, availability of services and personnel necessary to complete required tasks in order to fulfill regulatory requirements in a timely manner, permits and agreements to allow access and production into pipelines and deliveries of crude oil by truck, the timing for payment of crude oil sales, the final execution of necessary agreements to sell additional crude oil, the maintaining of stable crude oil production, the ability to transport crude oil by pipeline or truck, the continued access to functioning pipelines and the availability of export vessels. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such statements and information (together, "forward looking statements") relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect, "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, changes in oil prices, results of exploration and development activities, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government or other regulatory approvals, actual performance of facilities, availability of financing on reasonable terms, availability of third party service providers, equipment and processes relative to specifications and expectations and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. 24 june 2024 at 20:50 News published onand distributed by: MAX Power Enters into Strategic Alliance With Chapman Hydrogen and Petroleum Engineering Ltd. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF; FRANKFURT: 89N) ("MAX Power" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Strategic Alliance with Chapman Hydrogen and Petroleum Engineering Ltd. ("Chapman") of Calgary, Alberta, a privately-owned leading international energy consultant, specifically targeting the first Natural Hydrogen discoveries in Canada. Highlights: The Strategic Alliance with Chapman positions MAX Power as first-mover leader among publicly traded companies in the emerging North American Natural Hydrogen sector; Mr. Denis Briere, Chapman's VP-Engineering, is recognized as one of the world's leading petrophysicists and played a key role in the world's first Natural Hydrogen discovery; The MAX Power-Chapman alliance is identifying, prioritizing, acquiring and preparing to explore the best Natural Hydrogen targets across Canada, while MAX Power also fast tracks its U.S. strategy. Chapman helped confirm the world's first discovery of an accumulation of Natural Hydrogen gas in Mali, West Africa, last decade. That discovery, which quickly provided low-cost, emissions-free electricity for an entire village, was supported by the world's first-ever Hydrogen NI 51-101 report written by Chapman's Denis Briere. Mr. Briere commented: "The fact that accumulations of Natural Hydrogen gas are now known to exist in the earth's subsurface has the potential to dramatically impact the hydrogen sector and the broader push for alternate energy sources. Additional discoveries have been made since Mali, generating momentum for this important new subset of the hydrogen sector." Natural Hydrogen Video Click on the link below to learn more about Natural Hydrogen: https://vimeo.com/953002092/d6f8574ba4 Mr. Charlie Chapman, President of Chapman Hydrogen and Petroleum Engineering Ltd. since 1985, commented: "We're very excited to have this strategic alliance with MAX Power Mining. Canada, from coast to coast, is ripe with Natural Hydrogen targets based on our proprietary knowledge, rich databases, and robust modeling. We have a head start and we are moving fast with MAX Power." MAX Power, through its American subsidiary, has been developing an aggressive Natural Hydrogen strategy for the United States and looks forward to potential announcements around this shortly. Mr. Rav Mlait, MAX Power CEO, commented: "This Strategic Alliance between MAX Power and Chapman Hydrogen and Petroleum Ltd. builds on our focus as a mineral exploration company to innovate and lead among our peers with respect to the decarbonization shift in North America. The MAX Power-Chapman alliance will further accelerate the awareness of the immense opportunity in Natural Hydrogen." Benefits of Natural Hydrogen: Accumulates naturally under the ground, generated by geological processes Low carbon intensity ? significantly lower emissions compared to manufactured hydrogen, 99% of which involves a mix of fossil fuels (source: IEA's Global Hydrogen Review 2023) "End product" under the ground removes costly technological processes involved in manufactured hydrogen Accumulations of Natural Hydrogen gas with dynamic flow rates have the potential to replenish perpetually Very environmentally friendly - the purest, greenest hydrogen possible Natural Hydrogen can be produced with no external energy or water inputs Does not require fracking or hydraulic stimulation to be produced Minimal surface disruption MAX Power Corporate Video Learn more about MAX Power by clicking on the following link: https://vimeo.com/960577397/1511a6d016 MAX Power Corporate Presentation Click on the following link to view MAX Power's new Corporate Deck: https://maxpowermining.com/Presentations/MAXPower-Corporate.pdf Qualified Person The technical information in this presentation has been reviewed and approved by Peter Lauder, P.Geo., Member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec and Senior Geologist and Exploration Manager for MAX Power Mining Corp. Mr. Lauder is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards. About MAX Power MAX Power is an innovative mineral exploration company focused on North America's shift to decarbonization. MAX Power is a first-mover in the rapidly growing Natural Hydrogen sector, through a Strategic Alliance with Calgary-based Chapman Hydrogen & Petroleum Engineering Ltd., and also holds a portfolio of properties in the United States and Canada focused on critical minerals. These properties are highlighted by a recent diamond drilling discovery at the Willcox Playa Lithium Project in southeast Arizona. MAX Power has also entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to develop state-of-the-art direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies for brine resources. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Rav Mlait - CEO MAX Power Mining Corp. [email protected] Tel: 778-655-9266 Investor Relations: MarketSmart Communications Tel: 877-261-4466 Forward-Looking Statement Cautions This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to natural hydrogen, exploration and acquisition of natural hydrogen properties, and entering into a strategic alliance with third parties; ability to locate, discover and/or extract natural hydrogen from the subsurface, commentary as it relates to the opportune timing to carry out natural hydrogen exploration, and any anticipated increasing demand for natural hydrogen; any results and updates thereto as it relates to any future drill program, and the funding of that program; and upcoming press releases by the Company. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. They are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "interpreted", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "suggests", "often", "target", "future", "likely", "pending", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", "possibly", "preliminary", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out its exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. 25 june 2024 at 03:30 News published onand distributed by: Moon Creative Lab Welcomes Community of Individuals, Corporations, and Startup Teams To Build Innovative New Businesses New programs launched to build with founders and corporations across every stage from early idea development to scaling for growth in the market PALO ALTO, Calif. and TOKYO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Moon Creative Lab, a venture studio that powers the creation of new businesses, today announced new programs to build new businesses with founders and corporations. These programs based out of its Palo Alto, California and Tokyo, Japan studios bring a diverse and global community of entrepreneurs and corporations together across every stage of new business creation, from idea development to scale for growth in the market. "Moon Creative Lab was founded over 5 years ago to help Mitsui & Co., create innovative new businesses that will have exponential impact on the world," said Kaichi Yokoyama, Chief Executive Officer, Moon Creative Lab. "We are expanding on this vision by creating new markets and discovering unforeseen business opportunities with a unique community of founders and teams from Mitsui, other corporations, and startups. It will be a powerful combination of builders working together." Learn Moon's experts in design, product, and engineering guide participants through the process of human-centered innovative business design: Spark is Moon's one week, in-person business-building Make-a-Thon in Tokyo . The goal of the program is to help participants build a tangible representation of a business idea in the form of a real working website, while learning about business creation along the way ? all in one week. To apply for Spark's Summer 24 cohort which runs Wednesday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 3 , visit here . The goal of the program is to help participants build a tangible representation of a business idea in the form of a real working website, while learning about business creation along the way ? all in one week. To apply for Spark's Summer 24 cohort which runs to , . Learning Labs is Moon's Tokyo -based foundation-building program. Learning Labs are short-term engagements, anywhere from a few hours to 3 days, between Moon and corporate partners aimed at building foundational knowledge in business creation, product/service design, and more. To speak with Moon about Learning Labs, visit here . Learning Labs are short-term engagements, anywhere from a few hours to 3 days, between Moon and corporate partners aimed at building foundational knowledge in business creation, product/service design, and more. To speak with Moon about Learning Labs, . Design x AI Workshops in Palo Alto utilize emerging design and generative AI tools to help build stronger business ideas. For more information on Moon Workshops in Palo Alto , visit here . Build Moon works with founders and corporations to provide geo-specific support to incubate early-stage startups with a human-centered approach. Boost is Moon's Tokyo -based intensive 3-month incubation program where Moon helps founders gain product market fit. Moon helps founders and corporations that have begun working on a new business idea and want to build or test prototypes with real customers. To apply for the next Boost cohort, which starts on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 , visit here . Moon helps founders and corporations that have begun working on a new business idea and want to build or test prototypes with real customers. To apply for the next Boost cohort, which starts on , . In-Residence is Moon's Palo-Alto based incubation program where founders and corporations can get expert advice and hands-on help for their early-stage business. Moon offers advisory, studio space, and select sprints for idea-, seed-, and early stage ventures. Applications are now open to join Moon's Palo Alto -based In-Residence program. To apply, visit here . Grow Unlike other incubators/accelerators/investors, Moon has a diverse group of talent that can think creatively through a challenge or a new opportunity. We bring that innovative thought process to bear in our investment decisions. Moon aims to build large-scale businesses by working together with our community members of founders and innovators. Moon invests in pre-seed, seed-, and growth-stage startups that we believe will create new opportunities and new markets together, and will also make additional follow-on investments to help businesses grow and scale. Moon is especially interested in startups and corporations that: Add synergistic value to our existing portfolio and with Mitsui more broadly Want to expand their geographic reach, especially from the U.S. to Japan /AP and Japan /AP to the U.S. /AP and /AP to the U.S. Need hands-on support from designers, engineers, product experts, and marketers to advance their business Are interested in teaming up with us to build a scalable/innovative business together in the form of joint investments and/or joint ventures Moon Community Moon is building a global community of founders and innovators who share a passion for unlocking their creative potential. Moon Community members gain access to: Moon's Speaker Series: Every month, both Moon Palo Alto and Moon Tokyo will host an esteemed guest speaker or panel to educate and inspire and Moon Tokyo will host an esteemed guest speaker or panel to educate and inspire Moon Community Lunches and Happy Hours: Moon hosts regular monthly lunches and happy hours around specific themes Open Office Hours: Founders can get feedback on their product, service, or business from Moon's designers, engineers, and product managers Moon Lectures and Workshops: Every quarter, Moon will offer a variety of lectures or workshops to the public. Moon Community Members get advance access to sign up. To apply to be a Moon Community member, visit here . About Moon Creative Lab Moon Creative Lab was first established in 2018 as a venture studio to deliver human-centered new business creation for the Mitsui & Co., group. With offices in Palo Alto, USA and Tokyo, Japan, we have established a hands-on support system with global and diverse professional human resources, including designers, engineers, product managers, and people with entrepreneurial experience, to create new businesses that will have a positive impact on the world. Based on this experience, Moon has expanded its support for new business creation beyond Mitsui & Co., to external corporations and startup teams. We aim to help teams and organizations unleash their creative potential to transform bold ideas into ventures that will have an exponential impact on the world. Visit us at www.mooncreativelab.com . Media Contacts: For US: Anabelle Salom [email protected] For Japan: [email protected] SOURCE Moon Creative Lab 25 june 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Nexthink Solves Every Application Challenge with Nexthink Adopt Nexthink today announced Nexthink Adopt, the only digital adoption product, built on a Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platform driven to eliminate every application issue employees face. The solution delivers end-to-end application success ensuring application owners can maximize application potential and boost users' productivity. With Nexthink Adopt, application owners get a better return on investment with AI-driven analytics, personalized employee guidance, and enhanced visibility into technical performance and reliability. Employees spend 2.7 hours looking for support and 1.5 hours reading application training materials every week because of disjointed, unintuitive software. Even the easiest to use applications face adoption issues due to technical issues and low engagement rates from traditional communication channels, like email. Nexthink Adopt meets employees where they are with targeted desktop pop-up campaigns based on user actions or inactions and delivers 1-click technical self-help and IT remediation to guide the user's end-to-end application journey. Within the application, Nexthink Adopt reduces digital friction by increasing application adoption, engagement and proficiency resulting in increased employee productivity, improved data quality and reduced IT support costs. "Consistent support for application usage is crucial to overall digital employee experience," said Shawna Cartwright, Senior Vice President - Enterprise Technology, at Cushman & Wakefield. "When introducing new applications, or indeed relaunching existing ones, success is dependent on the employee's understanding and ability to seamlessly fit it into their existing workflow. Nexthink Adopt provides that consistency for our employees, which in turn saves both our HR Support & IT teams money and hours previously spent on addressing issues." Key features of Nexthink Adopt include: Predictive AI-driven analytics to improve usage, reduce error, and save employee time Personalized experience across in-app guidance, multi-app journeys, contextual support and training Targeted desktop pop ups to drive adoption, collect feedback and resolve issues with 1-click Deep visibility into application technical performance, reliability, and availability for continuous application performance No code browser extension for easy set up and scale across single and multi-application set ups Center of Excellence of dedicated team of digital adoption experts "In today's digital workforce, employees can't succeed if they struggle with applications," said Samuele Gantner, Chief Product Officer at Nexthink. "To drive successful digital transformation, ensuring that apps work and are performant is a first step but not enough. Companies also need to ensure that employees are aware of these apps and know how to use them properly. Otherwise, it leads to hours of lost work, legal ramifications, or loss of revenue. Nexthink Adopt is the solution to a problem every company has, but only Nexthink provides digital employee experience capabilities with in-app, contextual guidance of applications to deliver customers the best return on their application investments." Nexthink Adopt is further validation of the company's leadership in DEX as they continue to evolve their platform to address the needs of today's customers. For more information about Nexthink Adopt visit: https://www.nexthink.com/platform/adopt About Nexthink Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,200 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 15 million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide. 25 june 2024 at 09:05 News published onand distributed by: White Ribbon Empowers Practitioners to Prevent Incel Radicalization in Ontario TORONTO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- White Ribbon, a leading organization dedicated to promoting gender equity and preventing all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, proudly announces $2,540,290 in new funding over five years under Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund . This contribution will enable White Ribbon to develop and implement a comprehensive Incel Radicalization Prevention Program, forging strategic partnerships with subject matter experts and professional associations across Ontario. In response to current societal challenges, there is an urgent need for early identification of misogynist, and other hate-fueled attitudes, to better support male youth in developing equitable and authentic relationships and promote their mental health and wellness. White Ribbon's Program acts as a proactive force in mitigating harm and violence associated with the involuntary celibate (incel) movement. The Incel Radicalization Prevention Program aims to 'professionalize the practice' within key service providers that frequently interact with young men susceptible to joining or already engaged in the incel movement. White Ribbon will create evidence-based resources and practices, hold multi-sectoral forums and implement a multi-year social marketing campaign. The Program will better equip frontline practitioners to apply strength-based and proactive approaches to more effectively interrupt the proliferation of hateful attitudes amongst male youth they interact with on a daily basis, while also contributing to the sustainability of healthy masculinities and equitable beliefs. Public Safety Canada's generous support is integral to the success of this initiative, allowing representatives from professional bodies in the education, community child and youth services, and mental health sectors to actively engage in guiding the strategic approach. White Ribbon is honoured to collaborate with esteemed partners such as the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care, the John Howard Society of Ontario, the Ontario Association of Social Workers, Action Ontarienne Contre la Violence Faite aux Femmes and the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals. Together, these organizations will play a pivotal role in shaping capacity-building initiatives aimed at preventing incel radicalization. "White Ribbon remains steadfast in its commitment to creating a safer and more equitable society for all" said Humberto Carolo, Chief Executive Officer of White Ribbon. "Through a collaborative approach between White Ribbon, our valued partners, and the support of Public Safety Canada, we embark on a transformative journey to address key equity issues and prevent the radicalization of male youth in the incel movement." White Ribbon is the world's largest movement of men and boys working together to promote gender equity, healthy relationships, allyship and a new vision of masculinity. White Ribbon's vision is a future free from all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination. Since its inception in Toronto in 1991, The White Ribbon Campaign has spread to over 60 countries around the world. Please visit our website at: www.whiteribbon.ca . Public Safety Canada coordinates federal departments and agencies across the Government of Canada that are responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians. The department's Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (Canada Centre) was launched in 2017 to lead the Government of Canada's efforts to counter radicalization to violence. Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund provides financial support to organizations working to improve Canada's understanding of and capacity to prevent and counter violent extremism. Visit the Canada Centre website at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/bt/cc/index-en.aspx "By supporting initiatives like White Ribbon's Incel Radicalization Prevention Program, we are supporting crucial prevention efforts against the spread of misogynist and other hate-fueled extremist ideologies. Promoting healthy relationships fosters safety, inclusivity and respect for all." - The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Organization Contact for Media Inquiries: David Garzon Director, Marketing and Communications, White Ribbon +1 416-920-6684 x 17 [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d683daef-626d-4d4b-9394-bb968dd62eb3 25 june 2024 at 10:00 News published onand distributed by: Canada concludes new air transport agreement with Argentina OTTAWA, ON, June 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Canadians across the country need convenient options to travel. Expanding Canada's air transport agreements allows airlines to provide travellers and shippers with more flights to travel the world and grow their businesses. Today, the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, announced a new Canada-Argentina Air Transport Agreement, providing additional benefits for Canadian travellers and the air industry. The new agreement will replace the existing Canada-Argentina Air Transport Agreement, negotiated in 1979. The new agreement will include: No limits on the number of: Canadian or Argentinian airlines that can serve the market; Passenger and/or cargo flights those airlines can operate; The cities that can be served in Canada and Argentina ; and ; More flexibility for Canadian and Argentinian airlines to make connections in other countries, if they choose, to pick up and discharge passengers and/or cargo en route to their final destination in Canada or Argentina ; or ; Fully open code-sharing rights, which will allow air carriers to expand their network offerings through marketing cooperation with other airlines, including airlines from other countries; A modern pricing regime; and Industry-standard safety, security and doing-business provisions. Airlines can offer increased services due to this expanded agreement immediately. Quotes "As a proud Argentinian-Canadian, I'm thrilled to announce this new agreement that will support Canada's strong relationship with Argentina, a regional centre for trade and investment. We are always working hard to facilitate the movement of goods, services and people around the world, and this new agreement will help Canadians to do just that." The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez Minister of Transport ''The conclusion of a new Canada-Argentina Air Transport Agreement opens exciting avenues for our airlines and airports. It provides passengers and shippers with more travel options and flexibility. This paves the way for expanded commercial prospects, boosted tourism, increased people to people ties, and more economic vitality between Canada and Argentina." The Honourable Mary Ng Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Quick facts Argentina is Canada's second-oldest travel market in South America , after Peru . is second-oldest travel market in , after . Canada is continually working on new and expanded air transport agreements under the Blue Sky policy, which encourages long-term, sustainable competition and the development of international air services. is continually working on new and expanded air transport agreements under the Blue Sky policy, which encourages long-term, sustainable competition and the development of international air services. Under the Blue Sky Policy, the Government of Canada has concluded new or expanded air transport agreements covering more than 110 countries. has concluded new or expanded air transport agreements covering more than 110 countries. Bilateral trade between Canada and Argentina was valued at CAD $1.76B in 2023, up approximately 10% from 2022 (CAD $1.6B ). Associated link Blue Sky Policy: www.tc.gc.ca/bluesky. Visit Transport Canada's website. Subscribe to e-news or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada. Alternative formats Contact us for an alternative format of this news release. SOURCE Transport Canada - Ottawa 25 june 2024 at 11:31 News published onand distributed by: Premier American Uranium Announces Results Following its Annual and General Special Meeting of Shareholders TORONTO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier American Uranium Inc. ("PUR", the "Company" or "Premier American Uranium") (TSXV: PUR) (OTCQB: PAUIF) is pleased to announce that shareholders have approved all matters brought before the annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held virtually today, as outlined in the management information circular of the Company prepared in connection with the Meeting. Shareholders approved all of the matters presented for approval at the Meeting, including the re-election of each of the existing directors to serve as a director of the Company until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until his successor is otherwise elected or appointed. Shareholders also approved the appointment of Mr. Jon Indall and Mr. Michael Henrichsen (the "Arrangement Slate Nominees") to serve as directors of the Company conditional upon closing of the previously announced Plan of Arrangement (the "Arrangement") involving Premier American Uranium and American Future Fuel Corporation ("American Future Fuel" or "AMPS"), which is expected to close later this week. Mr. Jon Indall has close to 40 years of experience in natural resources, environmental law, and administrative law, which has made a profound impact on these domains. A distinguished retired partner from the prestigious law firm of Maldegen, Templeman & Indall in Santa Fe, his practice encompassed intricate transactions, title work, permitting, and mining property acquisitions. Mr. Indall adeptly represented clients engaged in site remediation activities, including superfund sites. Mr. Indall recently served on the Advisory Board of American Future Fuel providing extensive insights and expertise playing a pivotal advisory role, shaping the corporation's strategic environmental decisions. A revered figure in the uranium mining industry, Mr. Indall has actively engaged in both representation and legislative activities, playing a role in shaping federal energy laws and policies. His representation portfolio spanned a diverse range of natural resource clients, including hardrock mining companies, natural gas pipeline entities, oil and gas supply firms, and water disposal companies. His impressive educational background includes a J.D. from the University of Kansas in 1974 and a B.A. from the same institution in 1971. Mr. Michael Henrichsen is the CEO of Goldshore Resources and is a director of Dolly Varden Silver Corp. As a professional geologist, Mr. Henrichsen has over 20 years of experience in the mining industry in senior management roles in both junior and major companies and brings a broad range of global experience. Notably, his work at Newmont Corporation significantly increased reserves and resources in the Ahafo district in Ghana, and he has contributed extensively to other major gold camps in Peru, Nevada, Guinea, and Canada. In the past 10 years, Mr. Henrichsen, in the role of Chief Geological Officer, has been a part of management teams that have built a portfolio of properties that form the basis of Fury Gold Mines Ltd., Torq Resources Inc., and Tier One Silver Inc. Mr. Henrichsen holds a B.Sc. (Geology) from the University of Calgary, and an M.Sc. (Structural Geology) from the University of British Columbia. Colin Healey, CEO of PUR commented, "We are excited to welcome two highly experienced members to our Board upon closing of the Arrangement with American Future Fuel and appreciate the overwhelming support of shareholders. Both Jon Indall and Michael Henrichsen will provide unique and valuable insight to the PUR management team, further strengthening our Board. We look forward to building on our core ?Acquire, Explore, Develop' strategy in 2024 and beyond, working toward commencement of drill programs in both Wyoming (Cyclone) and New Mexico (Cebolleta) in 2024. We look forward to providing additional details on these programs in coming weeks." About Premier American Uranium Premier American Uranium Inc. is focused on the consolidation, exploration, and development of uranium projects in the United States. One of PUR's key strengths is the extensive land holdings in two prominent uranium-producing regions in the United States: the Great Divide Basin of Wyoming and the Uravan Mineral Belt of Colorado. With a rich history of past production and historic uranium mineral resources, PUR has work programs underway to advance its portfolio. Backed by Sachem Cove Partners, IsoEnergy and additional institutional investors, and an unparalleled team with U.S. uranium experience, PUR's entry into the market comes at a well-timed opportunity, as uranium fundamentals are currently the strongest they have been in a decade. For More Information, Please Contact: Premier American Uranium Inc. Colin Healey CEO [email protected] Toll-Free: 1-833-572-2333 Twitter: @PremierAUranium www.premierur.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that PUR expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, but not limited to, the timing for completion of the Arrangement and plans for the commencement of drill programs in both Wyoming (Cyclone) and New Mexico (Cebolleta), including the timing thereof. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including assumptions regarding including the ability of the parties to satisfy or waive, in a timely manner, the other customary conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, that planned exploration activities will be completed as and when currently contemplated, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, including the price of uranium, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by PUR in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management of PUR at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: the failure to satisfy the final conditions in connection with the Arrangement and failure to complete the Arrangement, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals and the risk factors with respect to the Company set out in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although PUR has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. PUR undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. 25 june 2024 at 14:00 News published onand distributed by: Protecting more of our marine ecosystems together, for future generations VANCOUVER, BC, June 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and 17 First Nations are announcing the signing and launch of the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative. Building on many years of collaborative planning efforts, the Great Bear Sea PFP initiative creates a co-governance structure that aims to protect and conserve marine wildlife and habitats, advance ongoing Marine Protected Area (MPA) management and stewardship over the long-term, and create thousands of new jobs that will contribute to a sustainable coastal economy. The Indigenous-led Great Bear Sea PFP initiative will bring $335 million in new investments to the area known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion and the Great Bear Sea. Contributions include $200 million from the Government of Canada, $60 million from the Province of British Columbia, and $75 million from philanthropic organizations in Canada and around the world. These investments will be leveraged with additional private revenue sources over time to support community-led economic development and diversification, long-term funding for Indigenous Guardian programs, and stewardship and management, including in MPAs. For many years, First Nations have worked in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia, with the involvement of stakeholders from industry sectors, as well as communities and local governments, to propose a design to guide the implementation of a MPA Network in the Great Bear Sea region, announced last year as the Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan. The Great Bear Sea PFP initiative will support First Nations' capacity through the next stages of planning and implementation of the MPA Network, as well as ongoing research, monitoring, and collaborative management with the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. The Great Bear Sea, also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, encompasses some of the most ecologically productive cold-water marine regions in the world. It includes globally significant populations of fish, whales, corals, seabirds, kelp forests, and other plant and animal species. The MPA Network will advance conservation efforts that protect and enhance culture, biodiversity, and thriving coastal communities for generations to come. The MPA Network is expected to add an estimated 14,000 square kilometres of new marine protected areas to the 16,000 square kilometres of existing protected areas in the Great Bear Sea. Together, existing and new protected areas will encompass approximately 30 per cent of the Great Bear Sea. Specific designations and management plans for each MPA will be developed in consultation with First Nations, industry stakeholders, and the public. Quotes "Indigenous Peoples have been the stewards and caretakers of Canada's vast lands and waters since time immemorial. Today's announcement is an important step in our governments' efforts to collaborate on and advance Indigenous-led projects that will protect the health of our marine ecosystems for future generations. We will continue to work together with Indigenous and coastal communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure Canada's marine and coastal areas remain healthy, clean, and safe." ? The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada "Canada is proud to be part of this historic Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence initiative. More than ever, our government is committed to supporting Indigenous-led marine conservation initiatives that protect our shared coasts and oceans. We owe such concrete actions to our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren." ? The Hon. Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard "The signing of the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence initiative marks a historic step in protecting nature in Canada. The investments announced today provide a lifeline to the thousands of species inhabiting the Northern Shelf Bioregion, one of the most ecologically productive cold-water marine regions in the world. Our government launched the largest conservation campaign in Canada's history, with the goal of protecting 30 per cent of lands and waters in Canada by 2030. From the start, we have turned to Indigenous partners to lead this work, as we acknowledge their traditional role as stewards of the lands and waters and their best positioning to restore healthy ecosystems. We want to protect these waters not just for our children, but for our grandchildren and every generation after that." ? The Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change "People in British Columbia share a deep connection to our coastal waters. They are a source of beauty, food, and economic opportunities. Through sustainable conservation financing, we will help secure the future of our marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities." ? The Hon. David Eby, Premier of British Columbia "We are partnering to take bold steps to protect our marine environment for generations to come. It's a day that makes us all proud. Working alongside First Nations, the traditional stewards of these lands and waters, in true collaboration, is the only way we can meet our goals of protecting 30 per cent of British Columbia's lands and waters by 2030." ? The Hon. George Heyman, British Columbia's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy "The creation of the Marine Protected Area Network in the Northern Shelf Bioregion, also known as the Great Bear Sea, will be the first of its kind in Canada. It is the product of a made-in-British Columbia collaborative approach that brings together Indigenous knowledge, cutting-edge science, and input from industry stakeholders to protect this precious marine area while growing our economy." ? The Hon. Nathan Cullen, British Columbia's Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship "This ground-breaking initiative, led by 17 First Nations, launches a new era of collaborative governance in marine conservation, stewardship, and Marine Protected Areas. It represents a beacon of hope for the future ? a future where ongoing management and stewardship are not just aspirations, but realities. Together we have forged a path where prosperous communities and stewardship go hand in hand, where economic growth is synonymous with environmental stewardship." ? Chief Marilyn Slett, President of Coastal First Nations "Today, we celebrate the results of First Nations, government, industry, stakeholders, and community members all working together to develop solutions that work for people and for nature. Our shared commitment to a healthy coast is what feeds our families today and will continue to sustain our communities, cultures, and economies, resulting in a better future for British Columbians and the world." ? Dallas Smith, President of Na?nwak?olas Council "With today's announcement, First Nations are extending a successful model of collaborative stewardship, backed by durable conservation financing, from the rainforest to the sea. We look forward to continuing to work closely with First Nations, supporting them to invest in their community prosperity and marine stewardship programs which, in turn, will strengthen coastal communities and economies." ? Eddy Adra, Chief Executive Officer of Coast Funds Quick Facts Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) provides multi-partner investments and sustainable financing for large-scale conservation and sustainable development projects. These initiatives bring together Indigenous organizations, governments, and the philanthropic community to identify shared goals for protecting nature and ultimately halting biodiversity loss while advancing community well-being and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. In recent years, the Government of Canada has made historic investments in Indigenous-led conservation projects, including through initiatives like the Indigenous Guardians program. has made historic investments in Indigenous-led conservation projects, including through initiatives like the Indigenous Guardians program. In 2022, during COP15 in Montreal, Quebec , the federal government pledged to deliver up to $800 million in support of up to four Indigenous-led PFP initiatives, including the Great Bear Sea PFP. in Montreal, , the federal government pledged to deliver up to $800 million in support of up to four Indigenous-led PFP initiatives, including the Great Bear Sea PFP. Grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives, Canada is committed to working with partners across the country to conserve 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030. is committed to working with partners across the country to conserve 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030. The approximately 30,000 square kilometres of the existing and proposed protected areas in the MPA Network is close in size to Vancouver Island. The 17 First Nations participating in the Great Bear Sea PFP are the Haida Nation, Gitga'at First Nation, Gitxaa?a Nation, Haisla Nation, Kitselas First Nation, Kitsumkalum Band, Metlakatla First Nation, Heiltsuk Nation, Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation, Nuxalk Nation, Wuikinuxv Nation, Da'naxda'xw-Awaetlala Nation, K'omoks First Nation, Kwiakah First Nation, Mamalilikulla First Nation, Tlowitsis Nation, and Wei Wai Kum First Nation . . In 2023, the Government of British Columbia announced a $60-million contribution to the Great Bear Sea PFP and the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) to help protect vital coastal ecosystems, create new jobs, and advance sustainable fisheries and economic opportunities in the Great Bear Sea, in partnership with First Nations and donors. announced a contribution to the Great Bear Sea PFP and the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) to help protect vital coastal ecosystems, create new jobs, and advance sustainable fisheries and economic opportunities in the Great Bear Sea, in partnership with First Nations and donors. Coast Funds is an Indigenous-led conservation finance organization established in 2007 to partner with First Nations in achieving their goals for conservation, stewardship, and conservation-based economic development. Coast Funds is the fund administrator for the Great Bear Sea PFP. Since 2007, investments by Coast Funds from the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements have created more than 1,250 new jobs and 120 new businesses in the region. Learn more. The Great Bear Sea, also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, includes 102,000 square kilometres of culturally and environmentally significant ocean. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a critical role in preserving and enhancing biodiversity and ecological integrity of marine ecosystems. MPA Networks are collections of individual MPAs that operate co-operatively and fulfill ecological and economic goals more effectively than individual MPAs. In 2023, leaders from 15 First Nations joined the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia to jointly endorse an MPA Network Action Plan in the Great Bear Sea at the Fifth International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5). and the Government of to jointly endorse an MPA Network Action Plan in the Great Bear Sea at the Fifth International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5). Once the MPA Network Action Plan is fully implemented, the MPA Network is expected to cover 30 per cent of the Great Bear Sea, including new protected areas and potential enhancements to existing MPAs. A core component and priority of the Great Bear Sea MPA Network is the creation of a 7,800 square kilometres National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) on the Central Coast of British Columbia . An NMCAR would protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity as well as culturally important values and features, which support the well-being of Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, and a diverse range of marine sectors. . An NMCAR would protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity as well as culturally important values and features, which support the well-being of Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, and a diverse range of marine sectors. The Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai'xais, Gitga'at, and Gitxaa?a First Nations, the Government of Canada , and the Government of British Columbia have concluded a feasibility assessment for a Central Coast NMCAR, and the partners will now begin transitioning into establishment agreement negotiations consistent with the PFP closing agreement. Related Product Associated Links This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca SOURCE Prime Minister's Office 25 june 2024 at 14:28 News published onand distributed by: People set fire to the land around the baobab trees to prepare the fields for growing corn in the village of Kirindy (Morondava), Madagascar, in 2013. PASCAL MAITRE/MYOP For a long time now, the Ambohitantely Special Reserve has been no more than a besieged citadel, drowned in an endless expanse of herbaceous savannah. Located four hours' drive northwest of Antananarivo, the reserve's endemic palms and orchids make it one of the last remaining dense forests in Madagascar's highlands, bearing witness to a landscape that has now disappeared. Of the 56 square kilometers set aside as a sanctuary when it was created in the early 1980s, only 14 remain, defended foot by foot. In the morning, villagers came from the valley floor to help clear the brushwood from the firebreaks surrounding the protected area. "Every year, we have to start all over again. It's a tedious and costly job for which we have few resources," said sector manager Razakaria Ramandason, employed by Madagascar National Parks to watch over this last patch of forest with six other rangers. In a few weeks time, the bushfire season will begin, transforming the savannah into a carpet of ashes, soon to become generous pastures for zebu breeders and new fields for farmers in the wake of land clearance. Seen from the sky, the whole island looks like it's going up in flames. Some 80,000 hectares of natural forest evaporated in 2023, transformed for the most part into slash-and-burn crops or charcoal for a mostly rural population with no access to energy. Year after year, the large Indian Ocean island, home to 5% of the world's biodiversity, is inexorably losing its forests. Nearly half have disappeared in 60 years, and those that remain are increasingly fragmented, according to a study published in 2018 by Ghislain Vieilledent, a researcher at the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD). 'The worry is there' "We haven't lost everything yet. But we're worried because we're condemned to playing fireman without having found sustainable solutions to protect the forests," said Bruno Rajaspera, country director of the American NGO Conservation International. This association is no insignificant player in Madagascar. It is behind most of the country's major commitments, such as the decision in 2002 to triple the surface area of protected zones to 15% of the national territory. A few years earlier, Russell Mittermeier, a primatologist employed by the NGO and a lemur specialist, had identified Madagascar as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots where urgent efforts and funding were needed. The creation, in 2005, of the Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity in Madagascar was seen as an innovation: this trust fund, with contributions from several foreign donors and NGOs, was to provide a sustainable budget for conservation. The challenge has been partially met. With a capital of $150 million (139 million), managed in Switzerland, the fund pays $4 million a year to Madagascar National Parks. It has become the leading trust fund for biodiversity in Africa, though with one drawback: it covers only half of the needs required to manage the network of some 40 protected areas. You have 61.26% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. The quality of a democracy is measured by many criteria, including respect for freedom of information. By this standard, Israel's determination to silence Palestinian and international media in Gaza can only be a cause for concern, and must be strongly condemned. A collaborative investigation coordinated by Forbidden Stories with 13 international media, including Le Monde, highlights, despite Israel's denials, an aggressive strategy toward the press, pursued relentlessly since the start of the ruthless war against the narrow strip of land following the massacres of Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7. Read more Subscribers only How Israel targets journalists in Gaza: 'The press vest now puts us in danger' To date, over a hundred Palestinian journalists have been killed in bombardments, even when wearing helmets and bulletproof vests clearly identifying their profession. This bloody toll, unprecedented in its scale, means that they are now associated in the minds of Gazans with the idea of imminent death, and that it is best to keep them at a distance. As our investigation shows, the Israeli military appears to be systematically attacking media representatives. The destruction of the Press House in Gaza, supported financially by Norway and Switzerland, and the assassination of its founder, Belal Jadallah, killed by tank fire as he took an evacuation route declared safe by the Israeli army, are examples of the military's tactics, which spare nothing and no-one. The strikes targeting international press agencies, including Agence France-Presse and Reuters, is a case in point. Moral decline Never before has Gaza been closed to international journalists for months on end. This information blockade imposed by Israel must end as soon as possible. It has been accepted without any criticism from its allied democracies, while the same democracies are speaking out, and rightly so, about violations of the duty to inform by authoritarian regimes. A double standard that precipitates the moral decline of this predominantly Western camp. The Israeli army had already bombed international press offices in 2021, during the previous Gaza war. A year later, the Palestinian Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier's gunfire, initially denied by the army, while covering a military operation in Jenin in the West Bank. She was wearing a flak jacket indicating her status as a journalist. These warnings should have alarmed those who continue to view Israel as what it was, not as what it is becoming under pressure from the far right. Read more Subscribers only Netanyahu and extremist allies alone in power in Israel after Gantz quits government Israel's strategy of silencing the press is coupled with a nationwide-imposed denial. The banning of Al Jazeera by the authorities is the most obvious and distressing proof of this in this age of information without borders. The self-censorship of the Israeli press, which, with very rare exceptions such as the daily Haaretz, refuses to report on the ongoing carnage in Gaza, is yet another break with a past in which Israel watched the war and its horrors with eyes wide open. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A LIMERICK man has appealed his four-year prison sentence for harassing a woman he later discovered he had confused with someone else, arguing it was was 'unduly severe' when compared to similar sentences for sexual assault. Eoin Hannan, aged 50, of Abbeyvale, Corbally was convicted in April 2022 of the harassment of Ciara Hassett at various locations in the State on dates between February 14 and August 25, 2020. Hannan, who has 44 previous convictions including for assault, criminal damage and making a threat to kill, had denied the charge and the conviction followed a trial before a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Three months later, Hannan pleaded guilty to a separate charge of harassing Ms Hassett's father on dates between January 20 and February 13, 2021. The court heard that Hannan repeatedly contacted the victim despite the fact that, in 2017, gardai had warned him that the woman did not welcome his behaviour. He was warned again in February 2019 but on Valentines Day 2020 he sent a Valentines card to the woman to her family home where her father lives. The woman was upset because she was worried Hannan would visit the house. Detective Garda Sarah Barry told the court that over the next eight months Hannan sent wine and chocolates to the victims workplace in the capital. He sent her a watch in June 2020 and later sent her a bracelet. In August, he sent a letter to the family home with a teddy bear and a lollipop. The letter referred to the victim's father and included the phrase one could kill anything except time, which caused her concern. READ ALSO: 'We are on your side' - Limerick woman Natasha O'Brien gets standing ovation in Dail At the Court of Appeal this Tuesday, Hannan, who represented himself, argued that the sentence had been unduly severe. He alleged there had been inaccuracies in an expert report at the time and he submitted that no account was taken of the fact that he has bipolar affective disorder. He said he wrote to the victim in February 2019 to say he would not be writing again and, after receiving a garda warning, he then left the country. I contend that after that it was a civil matter and the gardai had no right to get involved, he said. Hannan went on to reference recent sexual assault cases in which the sentence imposed was similar or less than his own. Im saying like for like they got lesser sentences than I did, he said, adding he found it hard to reconcile the sentences in these cases with the jail term he received for mistakenly sending a series of romantic style letters to the wrong girl. I would like to live in a society where such a mistake would be acknowledged without the involvement of the gardai, he added. Hannan told the court he suffered a psychotic episode last September after he stopped taking his medication and was treated at the Central Mental Hospital for six months. He said he was stabilised on medication and was transferred back to Mountjoy last March. He said he is now resigned to being on medication for the rest of his life and said this has made a big difference to his overall wellbeing. Im deeply ashamed of the crime I have been convicted of and have been punished severely, he told the court. Hannan said his conviction was for a non-violent offence which was romantic rather than sinister and based on a case of mistaken identity. Again Id say I dont believe the gardai should have been involved in the early stages because it was not a criminal matter to send a letter to a girl, he said. For the reasons outlined I would beg you to commute or suspend the rest of my sentence. Eoin Lawlor BL, for the State, suggested to the court that the jail terms imposed were balanced sentences that gave a great deal of consideration to the effect the offences had on the victim and to Hannans circumstances. He said the maximum sentence in this case was one of seven years. The offending was persistent and while it wasnt violent there were elements that were sinister, he said, and that was something which was of great concern to the court. The barrister said it was quite clear from Hannons presentation in court today that there isnt any real remorse at play. READ ALSO: Teenage driver who did 'same speed as Boeing 777 on take off from Shannon' escapes driving ban In relation to any alleged inaccuracies in a report at the time, he said whatever was stated in the report was what Hannon had told its author. He said in any event, any supposed inaccuracies in detail were mere petals in a meadow of difficulties in relation to issues identified surrounding Hannans mental health and would not have affected the judges overall decision. In relation to the comparative cases quoted by Hannan, he said there was a difficulty in comparing apples and oranges. He said these were very different cases. The court said it would reserve judgement in the matter. The sentencing hearing was told that at the trial, it was confirmed that Hannan, who had never met Ms Hassett, had a mistaken impression of who she was and had got her confused with someone else. In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had hoped that by ignoring the unsolicited and unwanted contact, it would stop. She said the situation was unnerving and exhausting and when she heard of his mental health issues and criminal behaviour, her fears were heightened. Hannan has 44 previous convictions, including those for assault, criminal damage and making a threat to kill. MAYOR John Moran and assault victim Natasha O'Brien are to meet this Wednesday. Following a media query from Limerick Live, Mayor Moran said he would first like to take the opportunity to commend and thank Natasha OBrien for her courage in speaking out since Thursday. "And, in particular, her selfless commitment to work to achieve changes in the law not just for herself but to ensure others do not have to go through the same horrible experience she has. "Also, to thank her on behalf of all of Limerick for having the courage to intervene in the first place when someone else was being attacked and not just walk by as so many others might have done. What evolved after should never have happened," said Mayor Moran. READ MORE: 'I'm not satisfied at all' - Taoiseach slams Defence Forces' handling of Crotty case We all want a safer Limerick, indeed, a safer Ireland, said the newly elected mayor. "Speaking generally, people need to understand that there are serious consequences to their actions when they decide to act inappropriately on our streets. Our national legislators need to ensure all of us feel protected by the law. "This issue has been and remains very much a priority for me especially since Thursday. I wanted to set a marker down in my inauguration speech on Friday, June 21 by specifically emphasising the need to do more so that people could feel safe on the city streets especially walking home late at night," said Mr Moran. On Saturday, June 22, the mayor invited Ms OBrien to a meeting to "understand exactly the issues she wishes to raise and explore how the Office of Mayor can effect positive changes". This meeting is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. "The attack on Natasha is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. I am also meeting this week with senior Limerick gardai and local business representatives to address street violence and other issues of concern in Limerick city centre, which was already scheduled," concluded the mayor. LOCAL people in the GAA world have expressed their sadness at the loss of a true Gaelic Games icon this Tuesday, June 25. Limerick County Board Chairman Seamus McNamara is among those expressing his sorrow. He described Micheal O Muircheartaigh as "the voice of the GAA" and a "lovely, gentle and kind man". He told Limerick Live that whenever you spoke to him, "you always felt you were in the presence of greatness". Mr McNamara also complimented O Muircheartaigh on what made him truly special: his ability to switch from English to Irish in a matter of seconds. Former Limerick hurler Shane Dowling described O Muircheartaigh as an incredible man and said that it was an honour to have listened to him as I was growing up as a child. He described a fond memory of meeting O Muircheartaigh a few years ago: I think we won a competition and one of them was to have a quiz and have Micheal O Muircheartaigh be the MC. Sean Ryan, a GAA fan from the Ennis Road, also described the day he finally got to meet the legendary commentator in 2013. He showed O Muircheartaigh his copy of the 1973 preview of the Limerick v Kilkenny All-Ireland Edition of the Sunday Independent, to which he commented a great win that day for Limerick, not many have that edition. Mr Ryan told Limerick Live that when he heard the news of O Muircheartaighs passing this morning, he looked for the photograph taken that day, because I treasure it very much having waited for so many years to meet him. He had an aura around him, Mr Ryan says as he describes the crowds of youngsters that would be asking O Muircheartaigh for an autograph. He described growing up listening to him on the wireless, or watching him on the only television in their village. When they began going to the matches, they would bring the radio with them so they could still listen to his commentary. The legendary former Gaelic Games commentator, originally from Kerry, passed away aged 93 years old. AN ORGANISATION which provides support to entrepreneurs has put in place a staff member to help business people in Limerick. Cork-based AxisBIC has hailed its "biggest ever expansion" into Munster, having supported start-up firms in the Rebel County and neighbouring Kerry for 35 years. Staff at the firm give support and essential business expertise to entrepreneurs and prepares them for investment and growth. It has an extensive network of partners including Enterprise Ireland, local authorities, third level institutions, government agencies, local businesses and professional services. READ MORE: 'We are on your side' - Limerick woman Natasha O'Brien gets standing ovation in Dail AxisBIC was formerly known as CorkBIC. The official launch for Limerick was announced at an event in Engine in Limerick city centre. AxisBIC will be employing someone locally on a full-time basis and they will be based in this very venue. Leo McAdams, divisional manager, investment services at Enterprise Ireland said: "AxisBIC has been at the forefront of driving entrepreneurial innovation in the Munster region for more than three decades and it is great to see that dedication and commitment being expanded to Clare and Limerick. There is a wealth of ideas in this region and AxisBIC will continue to develop and nurture these to becoming successful businesses of the future." The event in Limerick also served as an opportunity to showcase some of the High Growth Startups that AxisBIC has worked with as part of the Growth Pathway programme. AxisBIC chief executive Larry ODonoghue said: "AxisBIC has worked with start-ups in Clare and Limerick, but this is the first time that we will have dedicated resources on the ground in this region. Todays launch event reflects our vision to unlock the potential within our region, empowering high growth innovators to drive positive impact. With this expansion, we look forward to developing many successful high potential startups and growing our partnerships into the future ." A number of well-known local businessmen were present at the event. Paul Byrnes, founder of software firm Mavarick which is based in the Engine building was joined by David Jeffreys, the former chief executive of Castletroy firm Action Point at the event. AxisBIC has also announced that applications for its next 'entrepreneur experience' are now open. It's a unique event for 24 high growth and scaling entrepreneurs to gain access, advice and mentoring from 24 of Irelands most successful business leaders over 24 hours. The 2024 Entrepreneur Experience will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19 in Ballymaloe, Co Cork. Since 2009, 300 emerging entrepreneurs from ten countries have participated and 120 million investment has been raised by 90 companies. A ROYAL Ascot success may have escaped him but Billy Lee was a big winner on the home front when riding a double at Leopardstown on Thursday, a treble at Down Royal on Friday and another winner at the same venue on Saturday afternoon. He was successful on two market leaders at the Dublin track and both horses scored with something in hand. Two lengths was the winning margin as he took the opening seven-furlong auction series race on the Andy Oliver-trained Orchidaceae. A winner at the Curragh last month, the 100/30 joint-favourite shot made all the running to win in fine style from her fellow favourite Deo Vero, trained by Donnacha O'Brien. Lee completed his double on the 4/1 favourite Ferrybank in the eight-furlong handicap. Trained by Ted Walsh for his wife Helen, the six-year-old notched up his fifth career win and his second at the Dublin track with a one and a quarter-length victory over the Luke Comer-trained Rio Largo, a 9/2 chance. It was a similar story at Down Royal 24 hours later where Lee shared a double with County Meath trainer Jack Davison before adding a third winner for the trainers near neighbour Edward Lynam. The Ballingarry jockey had an easy time of it on the 6/5 favourite Shamrock Breeze in the opening five-furlong maiden for two-year-olds. Owned by Shamrock Thoroughbreds, she made all the running to beat the Jessica Harrington-trained Billie Be Quick by three and a quarter lengths. The 7/4 favourite Shes Quality scored a taking success of her own in the fillies handicap over the same distance. She went clear inside the final furlong to beat Johnny Feanes Greek Flower by two and three-parts of a length in the colours of the Quality Time Racing Syndicate, a second career double for the trainer. Much to the delight of punters, Lee completed a fine nights work on the Edward Lynam-trained Keke in the five-furlong handicap for older horses. The four-year-old added to his recent Navan success when coming with a late run to pip Patrick McKennas Cuban Grey by a neck at odds of 9/4 favourite. Wesley Joyce also made the most of his opportunities at the meeting and he came away with back-to-back winners for trainers Mick Mulvany and Kevin Smith. Emotions ran high as Joyce scored on the seven-year-old Red Heel in the seven-furlong handicap. He was badly injured in a fall from the same horse at the Galway festival in 2022. The partnership scored an easy success as the Mulvany-trained 11/2 chance made all the running to beat Ger OLearys 2/1 favourite Giuseppe Cassioli by two and a half lengths for owner/breeder Aidan Archdeacon. The same tactics saw Joyce and Smith score with 8/1 shot Blue Wood in the concluding handicap over the same distance. Owned and bred by Peadar Kelly, the eight-year-old was very much on top as he beat The Stray Sod, ridden for John McConnell by Siobhan Rutledge, by three and a quarter lengths. Lee notched up his fifth success of the week when partnering the Henry de Bromhead-trained Magical Zoe to win the concluding 13-furlong maiden at Down Royal on Saturday afternoon. The 1/4 favourite led inside the final furlong to beat the Jessica Harrington-trained Stariam by two and a quarter lengths for owners Patrick and Scott Bryceland. Four of Lees winners were clear favourites and one was a joint-favourite. Chris Hayes rode a winner in front of a more local crowd as the Dermot Weld-trained Harbour Wind landed a narrow success in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick on Saturday. The four-year-old, in action for the first time since September, battled well when challenged by Joseph O'Briens Dancing Tornado to score by a shorthead at odds of 6/5 favourite and his trainer has the Melbourne Cup in mind for the Moyglare Stud-owned winner. Elsewhere, there were five Irish winning trainers at Royal Ascot last week and typically Aidan O'Brien led the way with six successes. Ryan Moore partnered Auguste Rodin, star stayer Kyprios, Illinois, Port Fairy and the two-year-olds Fairy Godmother and Bedtime Story to bring O'Briens tally at the meeting to a record 91 and he was the meetings leading trainer for the 13th time. For good measure, his sons Joseph and Donnacha also saddled winners. Joesph won the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes with Uxmal, a first Royal Ascot winner for Dylan Browne McMonagle, while Donnacha landed a more notable victory as Porta Fortuna, also a winner at last years meeting, returned to take the Group 1 Coronation Stakes. Willie Mullins gained a 10th Royal Ascot winner as Belloccio took the Copper Horse Handicap following on from Vaubans win for the stable in the same race 12 months ago. In the well-known colours of the Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate, Crystal Black won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes for Trim father and son, Gerry and Colin Keane. It was a first runner at the meeting for Gerry Keane who has also won four Curragh handicaps with the six-year-old who joined him from trainer Dermot Weld in October 2022. A total of 21 of the 35 winners at Royal Ascot were bred in Ireland. Upcoming Fixtures Naas Wednesday, June 26 (First Race 5.30pm) Curragh Friday, June 28 (First Race 5pm) Curragh Saturday, June 29 (First Race 1.15pm) Curragh Sunday, June 30 (First Race 1.10pm) A WOMAN from Co Limerick has helped raise 18,000 for charity after her mother received a terminal cancer prognosis. When the Irish Cancer Society were looked for volunteers to help raise money on Daffodil Day, Sinead OBeirne Brinn stepped forward to give back to them. I saw they were looking for volunteers to help to raise money on their yearly annual fundraiser. At the time, my mom was dying with terminal cancer, so I wanted to give back to them because they were providing us with the palliative care we needed to mind mom at home, said the Dooradoyle woman. READ MORE: Judge who handed down controversial Crotty sentence set to retire this week Because of her experience as a regional manager and her work with Limericks Womens Shed, she was asked to be a fundraising coordinator for the Limerick area. I pulled together 50 people from all the groups I'm involved in, they all came forward and we managed four shopping centres, doing 12 hours in each shopping centre and raising money on Daffodil Day. Sadly, Sinead's mother, Teresa, passed away at the same time. Everybody had a reason for helping. The irony was, my mom died at that time, within a few days. She was dead before the collection, she said. This year, Sinead understood for the first time the importance of Daffodil Day, the Irish Cancer Societys biggest fundraising event of the year. It was the first time I got to understand that Daffodil Day is the only place where the night nurses, the palliative care night nurses, it's the only place that pays them, she said. When mom got the terminal diagnosis, I was the person that looked after her medically. When her mother received her prognosis, Sinead looked for guidance. I remember being with her the day that she got the terminal diagnosis, coming away feeling quite helpless and not knowing what to do. She was looking for me for guidance because there were choices we had to make. We would have experienced the nurses coming in and out to mom, we'd have been lost without them. I remember going into the support centre in the hospital the following day, to go to people that specialise just in cancer, and they were absolutely fantastic. It really kind of got my head straight on what I needed to do to help mom in her last few weeks, she said. In June, Sinead presented the Irish Cancer Society with a cheque of 18,000 alongside the volunteers she worked with, a sum they raised in one day. Speaking of the funds raised, she said: It was phenomenal, it was unbelievable. Some days I'd be there with mom on night duty, nursing her at home, the cause was so close to the bone. When we presented them with the cheque, they were blown away. The money helps people locally, so we're doing it for our own. LIMERICK woman Natasha O'Brien has brought her campaign for justice for victims of assault to Dail Eireann where she received a standing ovation from politicians today. Natasha has spoken out since Irish Defence Forces soldier Cathal Crotty received a fully suspended three-year sentence last week for an unprovoked assault on her in Limerick in 2022. Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Natasha OBrien. The 22-year-old, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms OBrien in Limerick in 2022. At the weekend, thousands of people gathered in protests across the country in solidarity with Ms OBrien, with a further protest planned outside the Dail on Tuesday. Natasha has spoken out calling for tougher and fair sentences for victims of violent crime. READ NEXT: Limerick mayor to meet assault victim Natasha O'Brien Natasha O'Brien was in attendance at the Dail on Tuesday as Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail told her "we are on your side" and invited the TDs present to stand and applaud her. Taoiseach Simon Harris has also indicated that he wants to meet Ms O'Brien at the conclusion of all legal proceedings. Earlier, the issue had been raised in the Dail by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who told the house that Natasha O'Brien was in attendance in the public gallery. She said "people across the country are reeling at the news of a vicious, brutal assault on a young woman on the streets of Limerick." She went on to say the attack was perpetrated by a current member of the Defence Forces, describing it as "an attack attack that was filmed, posted on social media and bragged about." She said it was a "harrowing assault that's the worst nightmare of every woman in this country." A standing ovation for Natasha O'Brien in the Dail as she watched on from the public gallery. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail told her "we are on your side." | Read more: https://t.co/HKQfBcwjEt pic.twitter.com/35gLx0E8hB RTE News (@rtenews) June 25, 2024 Deputy McDonald said Natasha O'Brien came forward and sought justice but "very shockingly" her attacker was "handed down a three-year suspended sentence and is free to walk the streets again. Shockingly, the Defence Forces described him as exemplary, courteous, professional and disciplined as a soldier." She went on to tell the house: "Natasha herself has asked the question: what message does this send to perpetrators because while Cathal Crotty is now free to go about his life, she feels trapped in the traumatic aftermath of what was an appalling crime." Concluding, Deputy McDonald said: "Women, girls and indeed everyone in our society are entitled to be safe and protected whether it's walking the streets or in our own homes. I think this should go without saying in 2024, it should be a bare minimum." READ NEXT: 'I'm not satisfied at all' - Taoiseach slams Defence Forces' handling of Crotty case She said sentences like this and incidents like that involving Natasha O'Brien are "a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that has parallels and echoes in the courtrooms, and in experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives." She called for a zero tolerance approach to these crimes in Ireland. In response during Leader's Questions, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: "Deputy McDonald, there's often moments we don't agree in this house. On this, I agree with you 100%. This is an issue that I will work with you, and I will work with everybody across this house, and everyone across Irish society, and with the Minister for Justice, to get to where we need to get to where we clearly aren't in Ireland to a zero tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence." "You are right," he said to Deputy McDonald, "there is an epidemic in this country when it comes to gender-based violence. I want women across this country to know that I am no less disgusted than anyone else in Ireland in relation to this situation." The Taoiseach pointed out that he was restricted in what he could say about the case specifically but pointed out that legally the process is not finished, and the DPP is open to appeal the sentence of any individual. Turning directly to the public gallery where Natasha O'Brien was sitting, the Taoiseach said: "I thank Natasha O'Brien for joining us today. I do want to meet with you and I do want to wait for the legal window to close but I will meet you as will the Minister for Justice because we want to hear from you. We want to work with you." He added: "You have shown incredible bravery for speaking up and speaking out. The fact that you were horrifically attacked at the time when you yourself, were standing up against homophobia is really a testament to your character and adds to the sense of brutality that you encountered. "Can I also say this when it comes to our Defence Forces I'm very proud of many of the men and women who serve with distinction at home and abroad. "But we are all aware that the Defence Forces can be brought into disrepute by the actions of a small number, and by the inaction of others. "There is a very simple question that we must know the answer to how many other people are in the Defence Forces today who have a criminal conviction? I want to know that answer. "I believe reports are being compiled by the Chief of Staff." He said the Minister for Justice has placed a priority on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and that laws will address sentences for serious crimes in this area. A LIMERICK man convicted of sexually assaulting his 10-year-old cousin over a two year period while their mothers thought they were in his bedroom playing Xbox has failed in a bid to have his four-year jail sentence reduced. The now 33-year-old man had pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault on dates unknown between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 when he was aged between 19 and 21. The male victim in the case was aged between 10 and 11. The appellant was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended in November 2022 by Judge Catherine Staines at Limerick Circuit Court on count number one, with the other three counts taken into consideration. The man had appealed his conviction, arguing that the headline sentence of six years was too severe and that the sentencing judge had not given enough credit to the mitigating factors in the case. READ ALSO: 'We are on your side' - Limerick woman Natasha O'Brien gets standing ovation in Dail At the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe, in dismissing the appeal, said the three-judge court found there was no error in principle and that the headline sentence was within the range available to the judge. He said the court was also satisfied that the sentencing judge took all of the mitigating factors into account. The court heard that each of the offences occurred at the family home of the appellant when the victim was in his bedroom while their mothers, who were sisters, socialised in another room believing that the cousins were in the bedroom playing Xbox. Garda Denis McCarthy told the sentencing hearing the victim said the man would sit him down on the bed and would use a coaxing voice asking the boy if he could warm up his penis with his hand by rubbing it up and down and squeezing it. He would then place the boys hand inside his pants and onto his penis. The victim said that this would go on for about three or four minutes before he would stop and go into the kitchen. He estimated that these incidents occurred four times. Jack Nicholas BL, for the appellant, said it was his submission that the headline sentence set by the judge was too high. He said the sentencing judge had placed the offending at the lower end of the mid-range and when compared to other cases which have come before the courts, the offending in those matters appears to be worse. He said the court also did not take enough account of the mitigating factors in this case, the principle one being the plea of guilty which was entered about a month before the trial date. He said the man had written a letter of apology to the victim and continues to emphasise his apology to the boy. Mr Nicholas submitted that the offending before the court was in the lower range of gravity and that offences at the upper end of the scale are often accompanied by a level of violence or aggression which are not present in this matter. He also contended that the sentencing judge failed to give due weight to the long interval that had elapsed between the time the offending behaviour occurred and the time of sentence and the fact that in the interim the man had led a law-abiding life. READ ALSO: Limerick man appeals 'unduly severe' prison sentence for harassing woman Keith Branagan BL, for the State, said the sentencing judge was perfectly accurate in placing the matter at the lower mid-range when all factors were taken into consideration including the victims youth at the time, the fact that the abuse was perpetrated by a family member and that it had occurred over a period of two years. In relation to the argument that insufficient weight was given to the mitigating factors, Mr Branagan said the judge had explicitly referenced the relevant factors in this case. He said after the headline had been set she then proceeded to give a discount of 25%. The highest discount that can be given is 33%. He said the plea of guilty was the most significant factor and said the judge was right to give a 25% discount in this case because a time period of approximately one year had elapsed before the guilty plea was entered. He said the court did give consideration to factors such as rehabilitation and proportionality and said ultimately, the discount given was appropriate. Mr Justice Woulfe, sitting with Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh and Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, said the court was of the view that there was no error in principle by the judge in nominating a headline sentence of six years. He said the offence involved a serious breach of trust in circumstances where the victim was only 10 years old at the time. More than half of the 62 sections of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, will kick into effect from Wednesday, 26 June. These non-controversial and non-contentious segments aim to establish a robust legal framework that supports infrastructure development, enhances national security, promotes innovation, and protects consumer interests, thus fostering a conducive environment for business and sectoral growth. What happens to the remaining segments of the Act? Mint explains: Which sections of the Act will come into effect? The 39 sections that come into effect on 26 June include definitions that provide clarity to industry and investors on the right of way framework for easier infrastructure installation and regulations for installing common ducts. One section enables the Centre to take control of any telecom service in the event of an emergency on grounds of security, public order or prevention of offences. Also Read: Mint Interview | Airtel to exit non-core biz for digital growth: Sunil Mittal Rules related to standards for telecom security and innovation, public safety measures and expanding the Universal Service Obligation Fund meant to bring connectivity to areas lacking network coverage will also come into effect, as will an online dispute resolution framework for grievance redressal and consumer protection measures from spam. The provisions will ensure business continuity as some sections of the older laws will continue until theyre replaced. Which sections are yet to come into effect? The law pertaining to the assignment of spectrum outside of auctions. This includes airwaves meant for 19 kinds of services such as satellite broadband, TV broadcast, direct-to-home or DTH, national long-distance calling, maritime and in-flight connectivity services. Sections regarding harmonisation or re-farming of airwaves, technologically neutral use of spectrum, taking back unutilised airwaves and the sharing, trading, leasing and surrender of assigned spectrum have yet to be notified. Also Read: Airtel sees a game-changer in new telecom law Contraventions and penalties related to violation of provisions, voluntary disclosures, adjudication and appellate process in case of violation will be notified later. Provisions prohibiting the use of equipment to block services, penalties not affecting other liabilities and allowing non-government individuals to take on the chairmanship of the telecom regulator are yet to be notified. What is the significance of this Act? The Telecommunications Act, 2023, will repeal the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950, owing to huge technical advancements in the telecom sector and technologies. The new law provides clarity on definitions and legal frameworks, which reduce ambiguity and uncertainty for stakeholders, thereby improving investor confidence and promoting ease of doing business. The establishment of right of way frameworks, common ducts, and cable corridors supports infrastructure development aligned with the PM Gati Shakti while propagating efficient use of resources. What does the new Act mean for consumers and businesses? Consumers can potentially benefit from improved network coverage due to easier infrastructure installation enabled by right of way rules. Service improvement can be expected in underserved areas through the Universal Service Obligation Fund, and importantly, better protection from spam and a system to address public grievances. For telcos, many redundant laws will be removed, bringing in new ones that are in line with the times and hence will improve the ease of doing business. However, regulations related to the allotment of spectrum administratively (as opposed to auctioning the airwaves) for satellite broadband will take time to get enacted, thus pushing back the launch plans of Eutelsat Oneweb and Jio Satellite Communications that have regulatory approvals, even as Amazon and Starlink wait for the go-ahead from the government. Without spectrum, these companies cannot launch services. By Divya Chowdhury MUMBAI, June 25 (Reuters) - The proportion of workers who expect to switch employers in the next 12 months is higher than that from the "Great Resignation" period of 2022, a PwC survey of the global workforce found. Around 28% of more than 56,000 workers surveyed by PwC said they were "very or extremely likely" to move from their current companies, compared to 19% in 2022, and 26% in 2023. PwC's 2024 "Hopes and Fears" survey also showed workers are embracing emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and prioritising upskilling amid rising workloads and heightened workplace uncertainty. Pete Brown, global workforce leader at PwC UK, said employees are placing an "increased premium" on organisations that invest in their skills growth, and so, businesses must prioritise upskilling and employee experience. About 45% of the workers surveyed said they have experienced rising workloads and an accelerating pace of workplace change in the last 12 months, with 62% saying they have seen more change at work in the past year than the previous 12 months. Among employees who use GenAI daily, 82% said they expect it to increase their efficiency in the next 12 months. Reflecting confidence that GenAI opportunities would support their career growth, nearly half of those surveyed by PwC expected GenAI to generate higher salaries, with almost two-thirds hoping these emerging tools will improve the quality of their work. Carol Stubbings, global markets and tax and legal services leader at PwC UK, said employers must invest in staff and tech platforms to mitigate pressures and retain talent. Kaushik has spent close to three decades at the French firm, and took charge of its India business last year. LOreal, the worlds largest beauty company, entered the Indian market in 1994 and sells a range of beauty and personal-care products under brands such as Garnier, Maybelline New York, LOreal Paris and Kiehls. In FY23, Loreal India Pvt Ltd reported a 33% jump in revenues at 4,994 crore and a 17% increase in net profit at 488 crore. Edited excerpts. Volumes of fast-moving consumer goods have been under some pressure over the last few quartershow has growth been for LOreal India? Yes, there has been a slowdown in the FMCG industry. Because we don't play in rural India; and within urban India, we are on the top-end of the segment serving 300 million peopleso we are shielded. Other companies are also reporting growth in their beauty portfolio, which is a good sign because it corroborates our overall estimation of the market. There will be headwinds in India, but from an overall macro level of 3-5 years, I think it's going to be quite a dynamic industry and category. Is the company on track to double India business in the mid-to-near term? Yes. The idea is that we want to be a Euro 1 billion business in the next 3-4 years. We are on track for that. Will this require more investments? We have two manufacturing plants in India, and we have enough capacity for the next 2-3 years to take care of this doubling of business. But will we be investing more in it. Increasingly e-commerce is becoming a growth driver for the beauty and personal-care segment. How big is it for the company? E-commerce is more than one fifth of our business in terms of value. It continues to grow very rapidly. Today, there are about 200 million Indian consumers who buy anything on e-commerce. The beauty consumers on e-commerce are close to about 50 million. The penetration of the beauty category in e-commerce is still very low versus the total number of people who are buying anything on e-commerce. We expect that the 50 million Indian consumers who are buying beauty online will in the next 3-4 years become 150 million, at least. So there will be an addition of almost 100 million beauty buyers on e-commerce. We want to lead this shift, with our brands and as a group in India. How big can e-commerce become in the next five years for the company? Our internal estimate is that 50% of our growth in the next 4-5 years is going to come from e-commerce. So that one-fifth obviously will go much higher. What does this shift entail for LOreal India and for the beauty industry? The shift entails two things. What does it mean for the consumer to buy inside a shop versus buying online? It starts from the shift in consumer behavior in the last few years, especially among younger consumers vis-a-vis how they make their purchase decisions. So, you start with a discovery on social media and maybe buy online or offline. But that does not mean that the relevance of offline is becoming less. In fact, offline is becoming more relevant. The overall brand presence has to be exactly in line with what you've seen via an influencer video etc. So your offline experience becomes very, very important within the category. And this is what you are seeing pan out with this evolution in modern trade. Modern trade is becoming a more evolved space in terms of experience. Offline and online today are both profoundly important for any brand. On the brand side too, we are seeing increased competition. Have you encountered this kind of competition in the last three decades? E-commerce and digitalization have eased the access to consumers and helped in building a brand. The more players who come into this category, there will be more action in the category overall. To us, its a very healthy sign that people want to start up, they want to invest in beauty, because they think that it is a very profitable category that will continue to grow. Entrepreneurs bringing in new products sometimes challenges us, sometimes they also realize that it's not all that easy either. Are there any missing pieces in your portfolio? Within India, we have a long way to go with our existing portfolio of brands. We've got 12 of them here in Indiaout of the 39. So there is a huge opportunity for us to first bring our own brands into this country and to make sure that we build them. Does that mean that we're not looking for anything, which is very interesting and upcoming in Indiathe answer to that is yes we are. We continue to look for possible options. With the caveat that all these options can be scaled up internationally. BRUSSELS : The European Union charged Microsoft with antitrust violations related to the companys bundling of its Teams collaboration tool with Office 365 and Microsoft 365. The European Commission, the blocs antitrust enforcer, said Tuesday it has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that the company broke antitrust rules by tying Teams to popular productivity offerings that include Microsoft Word and Excel. The Commission said Microsoft may have given Teams an advantage by not giving customers a choice about whether they would get access to the software when subscribing to other products. Changes that Microsoft made last year to the way it distributes Teams didnt go far enough to address the competition concerns, the Commission said. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company appreciates the additional clarity it received on Tuesday and will work to find solutions to address the Commissions remaining concerns." The EU opened a formal investigation into Microsofts bundling of its Teams software last year, after receiving a complaint from business-messaging-app maker Slack Technologies. Slack is now owned by Salesforce. If the Commission concludes the company breached antitrust rules, Microsoft could face a fine of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. The company will have a chance to argue its case and can propose commitments to address regulators concerns and avoid a potential fine. The charges, which the EU refers to as a statement of objections, are the first to be levied by the bloc against Microsoft in an antitrust case targeting the companys behavior in more than a decade. Microsofts initial battles with antitrust regulators in the 1990s and 2000s were central to the early days of antitrust enforcement in the digital era. After working to resolve those fights, the company received relatively little attention as regulators turned their focus to other tech giants including Alphabets Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms. That appears to be shifting. Microsofts purchase of gaming giant Activision Blizzard last year was initially blocked by U.K. regulators before they eventually allowed it to go ahead, and the companys aggressive pursuit of artificial-intelligence partnerships has attracted attention in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. There are parallels between earlier investigations into Microsoft and the charges the company now faces on Teams because both relate to bundling, or tying, less popular services to those that are widely used. Regulators in the 1990s and 2000s focused on Microsofts bundling of its Internet Explorer browser and media player with the Windows operating system. Microsoft last year changed the way it sells Teams to business customers in Europe, and later applied the same changes worldwide. Its new system allows some customers to buy a lower-priced version of the companys productivity suites that doesnt include Teams. New customers that want Teams can purchase the service separately. Customers who already pay for a Microsoft productivity suite with Teams, and some new customers, can continue to have those products packaged together under Microsofts current terms, the company has said. Microsoft has separately faced antitrust complaints in Europe related to its cloud services, but the EU hasnt launched a formal investigation into those concerns. Write to Kim Mackrael at kim.mackrael@wsj.com EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) Norfolk Southern and its contractors botched the decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside after last year's disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and trackside detectors that might have prevented the crash failed to accurately detect the temperature of a burning wheel bearing 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) beforehand, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Area residents, rail industry representatives and local and state officials packed East Palestine High School's auditorium Tuesday to hear the NTSB's investigation findings and recommendations to prevent similar disasters. Dozens of freight cars derailed Feb. 3, 2023, on the outskirts of East Palestine near the Pennsylvania border, including 11 carrying hazardous materials. Some residents were evacuated that night but days later more had to leave their homes amid fears of an imminent explosion. Despite potential health effects, officials intentionally released and burned toxic vinyl chloride from five railcars three days after the crash, sending flames and smoke into the air. On behalf of the entire agency I want to recognize the significant impact this derailment has had, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at the beginning of the hearing. She added that while some have tried to minimize the wide-reaching effects of the crash because there were no deaths, the absence of fatality or injury doesnt mean the presence of safety. The NTSB had said early on that an overheated bearing on one of the railcars that was not caught in time by trackside sensors had likely caused the crash. Investigative hearings since then highlighted other possible contributors including widespread rail job cuts and rushed inspections, and also delved into why officials chose to deliberately vent and burn the vinyl chloride. After confirming on Tuesday the trackside detector failure, NTSB investigators aid that Norfolk Southern and its contractors compromised the integrity of the vent and burn decision by withholding accurate information from Oxy Vinyls, the company that made the vinyl chloride, including evidence that the tank cars were cooling after the crash. Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent and burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusion, investigator Paul Stancil said. The railroad defended the decision again Tuesday and said it was based on more than just temperature readings. Officials also had concerns about the way the pressure relief devices malfunctioned on the tank cars. It added that nothing kept Oxy Vinyls from joining the discussion in the command center and sharing its opinion about the tank cars. Oxy Vinyls experts testified at earlier NTSB hearings they were certain a feared chemical reaction that could have caused those tank cars to explode wasnt happening. Oxy Vinyls didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. East Palestine resident Jami Wallace said it was striking to hear investigators say officially that the vent and burn wasnt necessary. To hear that they purposely and premeditated the poisoning of thousands of people, of my daughter, my husband, my mom, my dad, my nieces, my nephews, everyone I ever knew or loved, Wallace said. How are they allowed to do that and get away with it? Ohios governor, first responders and the hazardous materials experts who made that decision have said the information they had made them believe an explosion was likely imminent, making the burn the best option despite the risks of unleashing cancer-causing dioxins in the area. NTSB staff recommended Tuesday that new guidance be developed for deciding when first responders use the vent and burn tactic and that federal standards should be developed for trackside detectors. They also recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration establish rules governing trackside detectors and railroad responses to bearing failure alarms. At the time of the East Palestine derailment, only one person in Atlanta was monitoring alerts for Norfolk Southern and doing so from home. That person didn't see the Salem alert about the elevated bearing temperature, but under the railroad's rules, no action would have been taken because there was only one elevated reading. Homendy said the analyst that night said he did not get formal lunch or bathroom breaks, but numerous times would run to get his lunch and quickly return to monitoring. She said thats certainly not a way to run a railroad. Norfolk Southern has since put two people on duty and is trying for three, NTSB investigators said. The company also announced last week that it will lead an industrywide examination of how to improve the way vent and burn decisions are made in future derailments. That was part of its settlement with the federal government. Though NTSB recommendations aren't binding, Congress may be willing to enforce some of them because of the crashs spotlight on rail safety. More than a year ago, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Ohio's two senators proposed a package of reforms including requiring two-person crews and setting standards for the inspections and detectors that help prevent derailments. The bill ultimately stalled in the U.S. Senate under resistance from Republicans and the railroads. GOP House leaders have said they didn't want to consider new rail safety regulations until after the final NTSB report was released. With limited success, federal regulators also pushed for the railroads to make changes like signing onto an anonymous government hotline to report safety concerns. The industry responded to the crash by promising to install more trackside detectors, review the way they are used and help first responders improve their handling of derailments with more training and better access to information about the cargo. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw pledged to make things right in East Palestine with more than $100 million in aid to residents and the community. Shaw also hired a consultant from the nuclear power industry to recommend changes and tried to work with labor. Still, critics said Norfolk Southern was too often satisfied in the past with doing only the minimum required for safety and workers reported no big changes in day-to-day operations. After the derailment, all the major freight railroads pledged work to improve safety by adding hundreds more trackside sensors to help spot problems like overheating bearings and by re-evaluating how they analyze the data from those detectors. The Association of American Railroads trade group said the industry will review the NTSB report and look for additional ways to improve safety. Federal officials finalized a new rule Monday that will require railroads to inform first responders about what is on a train immediately after a derailment something that was lacking during the East Palestine derailment. The industry says more than two million first responders now have immediate access to that information via an AskRail app that allows them to look up any train's cargo. ____ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had to step in to resolve a lock-step with Nvidia after the two tech giants clashed for months over the design of an artificial intelligence (AI) chip, according to a report by The Information. The root of the issue was reportedly Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's "tight control" over how his company's chips are distributed and installed by clients, which led to a months-long fight with Microsoft, it added. Huang has been open about controlling who gets how many chips in order to prevent companies from stockpiling the item during periods of limited supply. The Disagreement The bone of contention here was that Nvidia also tried to dictate the server rack configuration within Microsoft's data centres where the chips were being installed. However, installing the chips as Nvidia wanted could have affected Microsoft's ability to switch to different AI chips, the report added citing sources. The report said that disagreement over how Microsoft was using the hardware after its purchase led to the production of Nvidia's next flagship chip GB200 --- complete with a server rack design specified by Huang. The long-drawn argument only concluded when it reached Nadella's desk, and he reportedly made Nvidia roll back their demands. The report added that Huang's concern with server rack configuration stems from worry that companies such as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will run out of data centre space. Nvidia vs Microsoft Most Valuable Nvidia slid for a third session on Monday (June 24), while the chip stocks index finished down 3.02 per cent, dampening investor sentiment toward artificial intelligence- and chip-related shares during Asian trading hours, as per a Reuters report. Notably, the stock has fallen 13 per cent since briefly overtaking Microsoft last week as the worlds most valuable company, Bloomberg reported. Also Read | Julian Assange free: A look at the timeline of the Wikileaks espionage case Investors including ex-Facebook President Sean Parker are committing $80 million to take over Stability AI, an image-generation startup that took off with the artificial-intelligence boom but quickly ran into business problems. The investment group, which includes former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt and early backers of London-based Stability, has struck a deal with suppliers to forgive some $100 million owed by Stability, according to people with knowledge of the arrangement. The investors also negotiated for the startup to be released from $300 million in future obligations, largely meant to go to cloud computing providers. The recapitalization is intended to grant a new lease on life for the company behind Stable Diffusion, an image-generation tool that competes with OpenAIs DALL-E and startup Midjourney. Stability raised $101 million in late 2022 in a round valuing it at $1 billion, but struggled since then to build a business model around its technology, an open-source tool other companies can use free. Stability talked to investors this past year about raising more capital but didnt land a deal, according to a person with knowledge of the effort. Despite its problems, Parker said the companys core technology remained popular, which gave him faith it could become financially successful. The business challenges are all things that we know how to solve," he said. Parker, who will become executive chairman of Stability AIs board of directors, declined to comment on the companys valuation following the new investment. Many generative AI startups are struggling to develop viable business models after raising significant sums of money from investors excited about the technologys potential. Their struggles have raised questions in Silicon Valley about the possibility of a shakeout in the sector. While investors generally believe AI will transform the global economy, they increasingly say many well-funded startups in the space could fail to generate adequate revenue to stay afloat. Stability co-founder Emad Mostaque resigned as CEO in March following pressure from investors. Under Mostaque, a series of high-profile employees left. The company also failed to pay mounting bills, including for computational resources that are the lifeblood of the AI industry, people with knowledge of the companys finances said. Mostaque, who still owns a stake in Stability, said he focused on technology and left business matters to other senior executives. I hired highly credentialed individuals and delegated business and other functions to these established leaders," he said. As a hypergrowth company in a hypergrowth sector, some did well, others did not and could not deliver and left or were let go." The investor group named a new CEO: Prem Akkaraju, who previously led Weta FX, the visual-effects company behind Avatar" and Avengers: Endgame." The Information previously reported Parker was part of a new investment round and Akkaraju was joining as CEO. Stability has an enormous amount of influence and distribution that we think is really difficult to rebuild," said Akkaraju, who also put money into the company. He said a priority will be developing a commercial plan over the next three months. Parker and Akkaraju said Stability will continue providing open-source models free to researchers and many other developers but they believe they can offer paid versions of those models to large companies that use its technology to build products. Stability could also sell tools that would help developers integrate its technologies. Those are obviously places where you can charge for the model," Parker said. Akkaraju said Stability, which has a video-generation tool, could also start courting Hollywood producers and studios, an area where his prior work in visual effects could prove valuable. Investors in this round include Greycroft, OShaughnessy Ventures and Robert Nelsen, the biotech investor largely known for funding projects that aim to eliminate disease. Prior investors Coatue Management, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Ashton Kutchers Sound Ventures have also committed capital. (Bloomberg) -- The US has dismissed it. Germany is skeptical. And France is suddenly facing an uncertain future that could threaten its own efforts to champion the idea. French economist Gabriel Zucman on Tuesday detailed his plan to create a global minimum tax on billionaires, a centerpiece of Brazils yearlong Group of 20 nations presidency that is facing steep challenges in a tumultuous international climate dominated by contentious elections and two major wars. Zucmans proposal, commissioned by Brazil, calls for a 2% minimum tax that would hit about 3,000 of the worlds richest people, and is set for debate when G-20 finance ministers gather in Rio de Janeiro next month. But while various governments have pitched proposals to soak the rich to shore up budgets and address inequality, building the consensus necessary to do so at the international level is already proving difficult. The idea of a global tax on billionaires already split G-7 nations a month ago, after Germany expressed reservations and the Biden administration balked at specific aspects of the plan mentioned in a draft communique. G-20 finance chiefs, meanwhile, struggled to stay focused on economic affairs at their previous gathering in February, when Russias war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict kept them from issuing a closing statement. Since then, the success of nationalistic right-wing parties in European parliamentary elections has dealt potential blows to progressive economic ideas and the multilateral cooperation necessary to implement ideas like this one. Looming elections in France and the US that could lead to congressional victories for Marine Le Pens far-right party and Donald Trumps return to the White House may further complicate matters and have begun to consume the focus of both Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden. But President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas government is nevertheless pushing forward with an idea it sees as vital to planetary battles against poverty and climate change the primary aims of Brazils first stint as the G-20s leader. The plan could raise as much as $250 billion per year from the baseline 2% tax measured in terms of wealth, not income or even more at other rates Zucman considers, according to projections. It has already won the support of both wealthy and developing nations, including France, Spain and South Africa, which will assume the G-20 presidency from Brazil at the end of the year. Zucman and top officials at Brazils finance ministry, meanwhile, insist that their efforts are meant to payoff over the long-term rather than immediately: As an example, they point to a years-long push to implement a 15% global minimum corporate tax that went into effect in January, with more than 140 countries on board. Like that levy, Brazils billionaire tax is meant to offer a global solution to a problem that many nations have been unable to solve on their own, according to Zucman, an assistant professor at the University of California Berkeley who made his name by figuring out where the wealthy hide their money. Essentially everywhere, no matter the kind of anti-abuse provisions that governments try to implement, income tax fails to tax the super-rich, he said in an interview ahead of the plans release. Existing tax rules have faced backlash from both sides of the political spectrum for allowing loopholes that let the super-wealthy pay very little. Whats most worrying for the 37-year-old Zucman is that theyre having a snowballing effect on wealth inequality. His proposal takes inspiration from the global corporate minimum tax developed by the OECD, an effort that began in the wake of the financial crisis as world leaders searched for a response to the factors that led to decades of widening wealth gaps. That tax aims to ensure that multinational firms pay a minimum rate regardless of their jurisdiction. If a corporation pays less than 15% tax on profits in one country, other nations can charge a so-called top-up levy. Zucmans plan, detailed in an extensive report released Tuesday, calls for applying a similar top-up tax on billionaires to ensure they pay their fair share. It leaves it up to individual nations to determine how to reach the standard whether through hikes to income taxes, new levies on wealth or unrealized capital gains, or other measures. The plan is not a one-size-fits-all policy, Zucman said. What is important is that we agree on the floor. Still, the comparisons to the corporate tax reform highlight the difficulties the plan may face. Even in a comparably friendlier climate for global collaboration, it took more than a decade to build consensus behind the corporate tax plan. Assessing wealth and income for taxation purposes is also more difficult than doing so for corporate profits. Along with political support, Brazils plan will need to develop policy mechanisms that allow participating governments to collect from billionaires even when authorities in their home nations dont want to, said Pascal Saint-Amans, who served as the chief broker for the global corporate tax deal for a decade. If you dont do that, nobodys going to move because you need to level the playing field, said Saint-Amans, the former director of the OECDs Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. Zucman acknowledged that the current political atmosphere makes reaching consensus more difficult, but said recent tax reform shows change is possible even when its not there: He pointed again to the global corporate minimum taxs ability to proceed even though the US Congress hasnt ratified it, and said the aim of the current proposal is to win critical commitments in as many countries as possible. But to get that support, Brazil may first need to prove that more modest reforms are possible, Saint-Amans said. Otherwise, the push risks ending with its G-20 presidency. The real challenge for the Brazilians is to keep it on the radar screen, he said. --With assistance from Jack Witzig and Beatriz Amat. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra lead in filing Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns on a monthly basis, showing their economic potential, data from GSTN, the company processing tax returns, showed. While Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu file more returns than Maharashtra on a monthly basis, Maharashtra edges ahead on the last month of every quarter, when smaller businesses with annual sales upto 1.5 crore also file their returns under a special scheme. UP, the most populous state in the country reported more than 908,900 GST returns showing their monthly transaction summery in April (in form GSTR- 3B), while industrialized Tamil Nadu reported over 880,200 GST returns. Maharashtra was in third position with over 798,600 GST returns in the month. Karnataka, Gujarat and Delhi followed these states in the number of returns filed in April. Monthly return filings of transactions indicate not only the business activity in the state, but also the compliance levels, the revenue generating potential of the state, efficiency in tax administration and the demand for goods and services there. More than 93% of the registered businesses have filed GST returns in these states. However, in the just concluded March quarter of FY24, Maharashtra reported 1.46 million GST returns, ahead of 1.43 million returns filed by Uttar Pradesh and 1.05 million returns by Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra is the largest state economy in the country with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of 20.2 trillion in FY22, followed by Gujarat with 13.6 trillion and Tamil Nadu with 13.4 trillion. Karnataka has a GSDP of 12.35 trillion while UP has a 12 trillion economy. Some of the union territories and North Eastern states lag behind in GST return filings, indicating their economic weakness. Besides Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, IT hub Karnataka, mineral-rich Odisha and Tamil Nadu are the states where GST cess levied on automobiles are collected the most, data showed, indicating these are big markets for the automobile sector. The largest importers of goods and services from other states are Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat, benefitting from Integrated GST (IGST) that is levied on inter-state sales, showed data for May. In terms of overall GST revenue collection, Maharashtra led the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. At the end of March 2024, over 12.6 million businesses were eligible for filing GST returns, compared to 12 million in the same month a year ago, showing a near 5% addition to the number of businesses required to file GST returns. The new indirect tax system introduced in 2017 will complete seven years on 1 July. Also Read: Farewell to FY24 with sterling GST collections (Bloomberg) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. took the first step toward its seventh oil project in Guyana, a clear signal the supermajor intends to expand crude output from the South American nation into the next decade. The Hammerhead project will pump as much as 180,000 barrels a day as soon as 2029, pending Guyanese government approval, Exxon country manager Alistair Routledge said in an interview. Exxon filed an environmental authorization application with the government Monday for an investment thats expected to boost the countrys overall production capacity to nearly 1.5 million barrels a day, about the same as OPEC member Nigeria. Proceeding with an additional investment likely to total several billion dollars underlines the companys commitment to the sparsely-populated South American nation. Exxons aggressive plans have already made Guyana the third-fastest growing oil-producing country outside of OPEC in recent years and a key contributor to global supplies. Guyana has been a vital part of Exxons post-pandemic stock revival because its crude is among the most profitable outside of the Middle East, with a break-even cost of less than $35 a barrel. The push has, however, attracted the ire of environmentalists who accuse Exxon of turning one of the worlds few carbon sinks into its newest petrostate. Guyana counters that it has a right to use fossil fuel revenues to develop its economy and that its rainforest will continue to absorb more carbon dioxide than the country emits despite the rising oil production. Hammerheads capacity will be about 30% lower than the three previous offshore installations and the smallest since the first Guyana project started output in 2019. Exxon tailored the floating production, storage and offloading vessel, or FPSO, to fit the target oilfields specific needs, Routledge said. The downsized vessel isnt a sign that the nations resources are in any way diminishing. Its the right solution for the particular resource in this part of the block, Routledge said. For other resources, we again expect some larger facilities. If approved by the middle of 2025, Hammerhead will maintain Exxons record of bringing a new Guyana project online roughly every 18 months, Routledge said. The goal were working to is to maintain that cadence, he said. We think the resource is there. We obviously want to ensure we optimize the development within the block. Exxon first discovered oil in Guyanas Stabroek block in 2015 and has since made more than 30 major discoveries encompassing more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable reserves. The Texas supermajor operates the block and owns a 45% stake. Hess Corp. and Chinas Cnooc Ltd. own the remaining 30% and 25%, respectively. Exxon is currently in arbitration with Chevron over its proposed takeover of Hess, which is driven in large part by the latters non-operating stake in Guyana. Exxon claims it has a right-of-first-refusal over the stake. Chevron and Hess disagree, arguing their deal is structured as a corporate merger meaning the right does not apply. (Updates with environmental concerns in fifth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com In FY24, China overtook the US to become Indias largest trading partner after a gap of two years. Mint looks at how trade between the two Asian giants has evolved and why it is proving to be so difficult for India to decouple itself from its neighbour. How big are Indias trade ties with China? In FY24, bilateral trade grew 4% to $118.4 billion from $113.8 billion in FY23. India-US trade in the same period declined by 8.6% to $118.3 billion. Trade between the Asian giants has grown robustly in the past five years from around $80 billion. India-China and India-US trade ties are also a story of contrasts. While India enjoys a hefty $36.7 billion trade surplus with the USit exports more than it importsthe reverse is true for China, where it suffers from a debilitating deficit. This shows that campaigns such as boycott of made-in-China goods or firms of Chinese origin have had negligible impact on trade. How did the trade deficit widen? Last fiscal, the deficit touched a record $85 billion having doubled in the past four years (see table). During the year, imports from China grew 3.3% to cross $100 billion even as Indias overall imports declined 5.6% at $675 billion. This undermined an 8.8% growth in exports to China during the year at $16.7 billion, which came off a low base courtesy a 28% decline in FY23. China now accounts for 10.6% of Indias global trade and 15% of its import bill. The high trade deficit has been a subject of friction between the two countries amid allegations of dumping of goods by China from different sectors in India. What are Indias main imports from China? Machines and electric appliances made up over half of all Chinese imports in FY24. China sold machinery worth nearly $54 billionan over 10% growth on-year. India also imported chemicals worth $11.5 billion, plastic goods worth $5.7 billion, iron and steel products worth $4.7 billion and fertilizers worth $2.2 billion from across the border in the previous fiscal. How has India tried to address this problem? It has taken multiple steps like increasing import duties or putting items on restricted lists. In 2019, duties were raised on air-conditioners, CDs, DVDs, CRT monitors and TV display panels. The list was expanded to include fans, water heaters, ovens, electric vehicles, and compressors for refrigerators. After the Galwan clash in 2020, FDI rules were amended to curb Chinese investments. And production-linked incentives were launched to boost local production of goods heavily imported from China. Why have these measures not worked? There is no easy fix. No other country makes goods across a wide range of industries at a scale and price like China. A growing economy like India needs to strike a balance. In a number of sectors like renewable energy, electronics and EVs, Indian industry lacks technology and scale to compete with China. Curbing imports in such cases would mean burdening the consumer with high-priced, globally uncompetitive products. PLI schemes, where drafted well, should show results, but thats only in the medium term. Russias weekly crude exports fell by the most in more than three months in the seven days to June 23, with the maintenance at key ports also trimming the less volatile four-week average according to a report by Bloomberg. The work at Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and Kozmino on the Pacific coast cut shipments through Russias two busiest oil terminals, with no departures during the week. Separately, the vessels that Moscow relies on to transport its oil are increasingly being targeted by the Western authorities. The European Union (EU) is the latest to impose sanctions on specific Russian ships, identifying 17 crude oil and refined products carriers in its current round of sanctions, as per Bloomberg Russia's crude exports at 3-month low The gross value of Russias crude shipments fell by 14 per cent in the seven days to June 23, compared with an 18 per cent drop in shipments. The moves come as Moscow continues to test the effectiveness of sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Three of the 21 tankers owned by state-controlled Sovcomflot PJSC have now loaded crude after lying idle for several months. Bloomberg reported, quoting vessel-tracking data and port agent reports, that 27 tankers loaded 21.29 million barrels of Russian crude in the week of June 23. This was down sharply from 25.91 million barrels the previous week. Russias seaborne crude flows in the reporting week dropped by 660,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 3.04 million, the lowest in more than three months. The less volatile four-week average was also down, falling by about 45,000 bpd to 3.37 million, according to the data quoted in the report. A week-on-week slump in shipments from Russias two most important crude export ports Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and Kozmino on the Pacific coast was partly offset by more ships leaving Novorossiysk and the Arctic terminals at Murmansk. After last weeks slump, the crude shipments so far this year are running about 10,000 bpd above the average for 2023. Russia terminated its export targets at the end of May, opting instead to restrict production, in line with its partners in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Russia's output target is set at 8.978 million bpd until the end of September, after which it is scheduled to rise at a rate of 39,000 bpd each month until September 2025, subject to market conditions. What low Russian exports mean for India? Russias oil flows continue to be complicated by the Greek navy carrying out exercises in an area close to the transfer of the nations crude. These activities have now been extended to July 15 which may also restrict Russian oil exports. The observed shipments to Russias top Asian oil customers, including those showing no final destination, slipped back below three million barrels per day in the four weeks to June 23. The shipments averaged 2.96 million bpd during the period, from just over three million in the period to June 16. The flows on ships destined in India averaged 1.66 million bpd, unchanged from the revised figure for the period to June 16. Both the Chinese and Indian figures are likely to rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations, as per the report. India is a net importer of crude oil and is dependent on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements (for the petrol, diesel, aviation fuel refinement) and around 50 per cent of its natural gas requirements. India's latest import data from Russia India's oil imports from Russia rose to a record of about 2.1 million bpd in May as discounts for Russian oil widened on lower demand from China, Reuters reported quoting trade sources and shipping data. Supply from Saudi Arabia dropped to a 10-month low, after Saudi Aramco hiked term prices for a second month in May. Indian refiners have been banking on Russian oil, sold at a discount after the Western sanctions imposed on Russia post the Ukraine war. According to industry experts, Russian oil was available in plenty and at better discounts last month due to lower demand from China. India's Russian oil imports in May rose 14.7 per cent from April and 5.9 per cent from a year ago, according to Reuters. India's private refiners such as Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy, majority owned by Russian entities, have signed a term deal to buy Russian oil. On the other hand, state-owned refiners Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals are buying Russian oil from the spot markets. Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India, followed by Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Also, Indian refiners received 176,000 bpd oil from the US in May. Higher intake of Russian oil has been denting the share of the Middle Easter oil in India's crude mix and also that of oil producers cartel OPEC, the data showed. New Delhi: Five state-owned banks are likely to hit the market with qualified institutional placements or QIPs in the second half of FY25 to reduce the central government's stake in their corporations to the maximum 75% mandated by the market regulator, two people aware of the matter said. In addition, with the deadline of 1 August to raise public shareholding to 25% fast approaching, the public-sector banks (PSBs) have sought at least two years more from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to enable them to gradually achieve the target, the people said. Current public shareholding ranges from 1.75-13.54% in these five banksUCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and Indian Overseas Bank. The quantum of share sale would be worked out closer to the offers, but it is likely to remain between 5% and 10% of the bank's paid-up equity capital this year, with further sales likely to be staggered over the next two years," said the first person mentioned above, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Also read | Soaring profits are no reason to go slow on banking reform The government may also consider diluting a portion of its equity at a later stage. However, such a decision is still being discussed and no roadmap has been drawn up in this regard so far," the first person said, adding that a decision to this effect could be announced in the upcoming Union budget. Emailed queries sent to spokespersons of the ministry of finance, Sebi, and the five PSBs remained unanswered till press time. State-run lenders such as Union Bank of India, Indian Bank, Bank of India, Federal Bank, and J&K Bank, among others, have raised capital through QIPs in 2023, resulting in the dilution of the government's stake. This process is likely to be made more structured this year with larger capital-raising exercises by banks. However, there are currently no plans for a direct share sale in the market through an offer for sale (OFS) or public offer route in any public sector banks, the first person said. Whats at stake? According to data from BSE, the value of government shares to be sold (to reach 75% public shareholding) in the five PSBs is around 64,500 crore at current market prices. The value of the shares is highest in Indian Overseas Bank at about 26,750 crore, while it is lowest in the case of Bank of Maharashtra at around 5,350 crore. Banks have asked the finance ministry to request Sebi to give further forbearance to PSBs to comply with its minimum public shareholding norm that is expiring in August. While banks are looking at least at a two-year window, they have cited a three-year extension given to public sector insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to achieve 10% public shareholding," the first person quoted above said. Also read | Private lenders take lead in employee strength ahead of PSU peers In May, Sebi gave LIC an additional three years, till 16 May 2027, to increase its public shareholding to 10%. This was after the finance ministry gave LIC an exemption from complying with the 25% minimum public shareholding norms until May 2032. The promoter holding in five PSBs currently stands at 93.08% for the Central Bank, 86.46% for Bank of Maharashtra, 95.39% in UCO Bank, 98.25% for Punjab & Sind Bank and 96.38% in Indian Overseas Bank. Bringing these down to 75% would mean a large quantum of stake to be offloaded, which is why the banks have sought more time to comply with Sebi norms. The QIP route is being preferred as it has less regulatory hazards and capital can be raised faster. "It's hard to predict what Sebi's views are going to be. However, since these are government-owned banks, any decision taken will be in line with the overall policy," said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. "We may even see a mention of the planned divestment in the upcoming budget." Raise money yourself The central government has not been providing capital to banks through the Union budget for some time now. It instead wants banks to raise capital from the market directly on the strength of their vastly improved financial position. Indian banks have reported decent earnings growth during FY24 led by healthy loan growth. Also read | Why PSU banks are on a roll, explained in charts The total net profit of listed public sector as well as private sector banks in FY24 jumped 39% year-on-year (YoY) to cross 3 trillion for the first time. While the 26 private lenders posted a net profit of 1.78 trillion, the 12 PSU banks reported a net profit of 1.41 trillion in FY24 Banks could use the capital to further shore up their capital adequacy ratio, improve provisioning, step up lending, and write off bad debts. New Delhi: India's nuclear power generation capacity is likely to rise by around 70% over the next five years, reaching 13.08 GW, with the installation of seven new nuclear reactors, said union minister Jitendra Singh during a meeting to review the Department of Atomic Energy's 100-day action plan. India currently has 24 nuclear reactors. Singh also reviewed ongoing projects and issued directives for upcoming units. The meeting was attended by Ajit Kumar Mohanty, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, along with senior department officials. Also Read: How India is managing power demand amid the brutal heatwave Capacity building The minister urged the department to integrate and collaborate more effectively to harness the full potential through capacity building, knowledge sharing, and leveraging resources and expertise. He also emphasised the importance of developing indigenous technology. Indigenous technology development and promoting energy security should be our priority, he said, adding that the government has allowed joint ventures with public sector units, besides increasing budget through collaboration, the use of next-generation technologies, and increasing cooperation. He also underscored the importance of simplifying approval processes to facilitate research, promote scientific advancement, and enhance citizens' quality of life through nuclear technology applications. Plans in action The minister said the department has been developing a 220 MW pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR), utilising the Bharat Small Reactor (BSR), for captive nuclear power generation. He also highlighted ongoing efforts on the 220 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), which seeks to replace the Calandria with a pressure vessel using light water-based reactors. Also Read: Falling reservoir levels bode ill for hydro power generation this summer BHAVINI, a public sector undertaking is in progress to complete initial fuel loading of Prototype Fast Breeder reactor, and its first approach to criticality is expected in the coming months, Singh said. This will be the first fast breeder reactor to produce more fuel than it consumes, he added. Along with energy security, India must also focus on health and food security, radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine, agriculture, and food preservation, the minister said. 5G spectrum auction: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is auctioning 10,500 megahertz of mobile service radiowaves in eight bands to telecom players from 10 am today, June 25. Frequencies on auction across the spectrum include 800 megahertz (MHz), 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and the 26 gigahertz (GHz) bands. Private sector players, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, are competing and are expected to shell out around 15,000 crore for their purchases, Mint reported earlier based on rough calculations from brokerage reports. Also Read | Julian Assange free: A look at the timeline of the Wikileaks espionage case 10th Spectrum Auction Notably, this is the 10th spectrum auction since the process began in 2010 and the first for newly appointed Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. He assumed the portfolio only last week after the recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Despite being the 10th round, the scale is pared down compared to the 5G bids in August 2022, which saw a record 1.5 lakh crore generated from 72,097.85 MHz of radio frequencies. The DoT expects to sell 17 per cent of the spectrum at near reserve prices. Broad expectations are pegged at 10,000 crore in sales, with brokerages estimating anywhere between 4,000 and 16,600 crore, per previous Mint reports. "The government begins the auction of Spectrum for Telecom Services today at 10:00 AM. To augment existing telecom services and maintain continuity of services, the government will hold the spectrum auction on Tuesday, 25 June 2024. This is in line with the government's commitment to facilitate affordable, state-of-art high-quality telecom services to all the citizens," as per an official statement. Top 9 Things You Need To Know Spectrum auction for over 10,500 MHz radiowaves worth over 96,238.45 crore (at reserve prices) began at 10 am today. The auction bands include 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz. 96,238.45 crore (at reserve prices) began at 10 am today. The auction bands include 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz. Bands bought at this auction will be valid for 20 years from the date of purchase, and telcos are allowed to surrender their spectrum after 10 years from the date of purchase. For payment, partial pay of two years' instalment or multiples of complete years from thereafter will be accepted. Another option is to pay 20 yearly equal instalments, with the first one due within 10 days of auction. Further, pre-payment of spectrum due is allowed without penalty, and buyers can opt for a moratorium for the corresponding number of years of upfront payment. Investors have piled into bets on a looming copper shortage this year. That itself is helping to ease the potential problemand spoil the party for latecomers. Copper bulls, who have long touted the metal as an energy-transition play, appeared vindicated a month ago. On May 20, spot prices on the London Metal Exchange hit a record of around $11,100 a metric ton in intraday trading, up 29% from the beginning of the year. The commoditys starring role in what might have been the biggest mining deal in history, as industry leader BHP courted its peer Anglo American, only added to a sense that this was coppers moment. But the moment passed: BHP never made a firm offer, and the LME spot price is down more than 14% from its peak. One reason is that the spring run-up in prices was driven by speculators more than by users of copper. From the start of April to mid-May, copper futures in New York surged by 26.4% as traders and commodity trading advisors, or CTAsmany of which use algorithms to follow market trendsbet on a supply deficit. In London, the long position on the LME grew from around 5,300 lots in January to a high of 71,900 lots in mid-May, according to commodity data provider Fastmarkets (each lot represents 25 metric tons of copper). That put pressure on bearish traders who had sold short, creating a short squeeze. But the rally also forced some industrial buyers to pull back. Investors have taken profits as hopes of a shortage have cooled somewhat. The new trend has room to run, particularly with algorithms doing some of the selling. In mid-June, the LMEs long position remained frothy at around 47,000 lots, close to a previous high in early 2021. While a big chunk of that is sticky, says Max Layton, global head of commodities research at Citi, a concern remains around CTAs. If they keep selling, the price of copper could slide to $9,000 a metric ton by the end of the year, he estimates. Then there is the underlying question of supply. Mining woes in South America and central Africa have led StoneX, a commodities brokerage, to lower their copper concentrate supply forecasts by 1.2 million metric tons over recent months. Although the market was in a surplus for the first four months of the year, analysts say that will soon change. Citi expects copper demand to exceed supply this year and is penciling in a deficit of around 600,000 metric tons over the next three years. Goldman Sachs forecasts a shortfall approaching half a million metric tons in 2024 alone. But a supply crunch isnt guaranteed. The closure last year of one of the worlds largest copper mines in Panama after a court ruling has been one problem. If the mine were to reopen early next year, that would tip the market into a surplus of 1.8%, according to Deutsche Bank. Meanwhile, the supply of copper scrap might exceed expectations. China has ramped up imports of the waste metal, taking in nearly a million metric tons in the first five months of 2024. Trying to map out where that supply comes from, and how much can be recovered, is a Herculean task, as copper scrap is often procured from obscure mom-and-pop shops. For now, though, it is clear that higher prices have made stripping out the metal from unwanted appliances a lucrative endeavor. High commodity prices have a way of bringing obscure sources of supply to light. Prices of lithium, another much-hyped energy-transition metal, have collapsed from their late 2022 peak as unconventional mining operations have taken off in China and Africa. For copper, Chinese demand is another swing factor. The country consumes more than half of the worlds copper and faces a deepening property slump. New-home prices in big cities fell 4.3% in May compared with a year earlier, worse than the 3.5% decline in April, according to Chinas National Bureau of Statistics. With industrial production also wavering, Chinese copper inventories are at their highest level since 2020. The world will need a lot more copper in its shift to renewable energy but dont count out the incentives created by high prices. Copper might just be the latest example of a common pattern in commodity markets: The moment investors start to see anything as a sure bet, it unravels. Write to Enes Morina at Enes.Morina@wsj.com Domestic brokerage house Prabhudas Lilladher (PL) said that pizza chains could potentially rebound quicker than burger chains. In its recent update on consumer sector, it highlighted sluggish demand in the quick service restaurants (QSRs) sector due to downtrading and intense competition from regional players and smaller chains. "Burgers performed strongly through the first half of FY24, although this trend began with the pizza category which was under extreme pressure. Westlife Food World and Burger King saw good same-store sales growth through 1HFY24, but Jubilant Food Works and Pizza Hut saw negative growth. But beginning in the second half of FY24, burger companies began to suffer pressure from a slowing demand, geopolitical issues, and potential competition (from newcomers and other cuisines)," it pointed out. PL believes this is just the beginning. With increasing competition from local chains, the pressure in the burger category is likely to persist. Consequently, the possibility of burgers following the trend seen in pizza chains seems increasingly likely, it said. As per the brokerage, the number of pizza outlets among the top three brands doubled from 1,654 to 3,331, while major burger chains increased by only 50 percent from 789 to 1,197 during FY20-24. This growth trajectory has impacted industry growth rates and profitability. PL forecasts a 38 percent rise in the number of burger outlets among the top players from FY24 to FY26, compared to an 18 percent increase in pizza outlets. While burger chains are yet to fully experience the competitive pressures, pizza chains may be approaching the bottom of their economic downturn, noted the brokerage. It anticipates that pizza players will recover with mid-single-digit same-store sales growth (SSSG), faster than burger companies. Among stocks, PL recommends a Hold call on Jubilant FoodWorks with a target price of 490 (13 percent downside) and Accumulate on Westlife Foodworld with a target price of 817 (3 percent downside). Sector update - pizzas and burgers The Quick Service Restaurant sector in India has traditionally been dominated by multinational giants like McDonalds, Dominos, Burger King, and Pizza Hut, which have established strong brand loyalty over the years. Despite their success, these brands only penetrate around 425 cities in India, leaving ample room for growth in a country with a large and aspirational youth population, noted PL. It further highlighted that local competition is intensifying within the QSR space, as many homegrown brands ambitiously expand nationally, offering burgers and pizzas with unique flavors at competitive prices. These brands benefit from lower costs associated with localised product development, establishing regional supply chains, and managing overhead expenses effectively. Over the past few years, the number of pizza outlets among the top three players has surged from 1,437 to 2,932 stores between FY17 and FY23 (excluding other players like Oven Story, Sbarro, Pizzeria, MojoPizza, Smokin Joes, etc.). Despite this growth, major pizza chains have faced challenges such as declining same-store sales growth and profitability. These setbacks are attributed not just to a slowdown in consumer demand but also to rapid store expansions and heightened competition within the sector, it stated. In contrast, burgers have been part of India's culinary landscape for over two decades, available even in smaller towns. Recently, however, the market has witnessed the rise of both regional and national burger chains like Burger Singh, Burgrill, Hello Burgers, alongside many cafes incorporating burgers into their menus, the brokerage pointed out. Looking ahead, the number of outlets operated by major players such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys (for home delivery), and Burger Singh, is expected to grow significantly, expanding from 789 outlets in FY20 to an anticipated 1,675 by FY26. Are burger chains following the pizza industry? PL noted that the pizza category has been grappling with significant demand pressures and a slowdown in recent quarters, while the burger category maintained its resilience and outpaced pizza until the latter half of FY24. Factors contributing to the pizza category's challenges include intense competition from smaller and regional players like Pizzeria, MojoPizza, and La Pinoz Pizza, offering competitive pricing. Moreover, leading players struggled to capitalise on the premiumisation trend observed in gourmet pizza brands. The rapid expansion of store counts by major chains over the past five years further intensified competition. Consumer behavior also shifted towards lower-priced segments below 100, driven by competitive strategies from major players seeking greater market share, it observed. Meanwhile, the burger category sustained resilience until the second quarter of FY24, after which it faced softened demand due to heightened competition, geopolitical influences, and overall economic slowdown. Domestic chains like Burger Singh, Burgrill, and Hello Burger have emerged prominently, particularly in the northern region, with plans for further expansion into southern and western markets, it further added. Also Read | Stocks in focus: Ruchit Jain of 5paisa recommends buying these two stocks today Moreover, the pizza segment saw higher discounts and special offers. The launch of Flavour Fun range by Pizza Hut has disturbed the balance at the bottom end of the market. The profits of both Jubilant FoodWorks and Pizza Hut took a big hit in FY24. Similarly, burger chains like Westlife Foodworld reported lower EBITDA margins in FY24 due to deteriorating SSSG. Burger King has not been impacted so far as it has a low base and has shown positive SSSG so far. "The QSR industry is experiencing unprecedented competition from regional players, which initially began in the pizza category. Pizza companies suffered a significant decline in SSSG for four consecutive quarters. Subsequently, increasing competitive intensity began to affect the SSSG of burger companies, although not to the extent seen in the pizza category," it noted. Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO Allotment Update: After receiving a robust response from investors during the bidding period from June 20 to June 24, attention now turns to the allotment procedure for Winny Immigration and Education Services. The allotment for the Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO is expected to be finalised today. Investors can monitor their allotment status through the registrar, Bigshare Services Pvt. Ltd. With oversubscription in the retail category, shares will be allocated to retail individual investors (RIIs) on a proportional basis. For those who do not receive an allotment, Winny Immigration and Education Services will commence the refund process for the application money on June 26, 2024. Concurrently, allotted shares will be credited to investors' demat accounts on the same day following the refund process. Winny Immigration and Education Services is an SME IPO, with shares slated to be listed on the NSE SME platform, tentatively scheduled for June 27, 2024. Steps to check the Winny Immigration and Education IPO allotment status on the register's website If you have applied for the Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO, you can check your allotment status on the website of the IPO registrar. Step 1: Use the Bigshare URL, https://ipo.bigshareonline.com/ipo_status.html, to directly input your login details. Step 2: From the list of firms, choose "Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO." Step 3: Opt for "PAN Number, Beneficiary ID, or Application No./CAF No." Step 4: Simply press "Search." You may view your Winny Immigration and Education IPO on your phone's display or on a computer monitor. Also Read: Allied Blenders IPO kicks off for subscription: 10 key risks investors must know About Winny Immigration and Education Services The company specialises in visa consultancy services, catering to individuals seeking assistance for study, travel, work, business, and migration purposes. The company's primary goal is to simplify and expedite the visa application process for its clients. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including training for language proficiency examinations, consulting and processing temporary residence visas, and assisting with permanent residency visas. To ensure quality service, the company employs skilled faculties who are extensively trained in providing English language proficiency training. It utilises standardised materials designed for language tests available on the market and develops in-house materials tailored to our clients' needs, according to the company's DRHP report. Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO details The size of the Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO was 9 crore, consisting of 6.52 lakh newly issued shares with an IPO price of 140 apiece. Interactive Financial Services Ltd. is the book-runner and lead manager of the Winny Immigration IPO, while the market maker for the Winny Immigration IPO is Aftertrade Broking. The company intends to allocate the net proceeds raised from the issue for several strategic purposes. These include expanding its footprint by opening new offices across India, enhancing its technological capabilities through software development initiatives, and repaying existing debt obligations to strengthen its financial position. Additionally, funds will be allocated towards branding and advertising efforts to enhance market visibility and customer outreach. The remaining proceeds will support general corporate activities and cover expenses related to the public issue. Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO subscription status The Winny Immigration and Education Services IPO saw robust demand, being subscribed to over 154.97 times. In monetary terms, the IPO attracted bids worth 1,338.16 crore. The retail category was subscribed to 190 times, with bids for 5,89,15,000 shares against the offered 309,000 shares, according to Chittorgarh. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. Also Read | Medicamen Organics IPO subscribed 425 times so far on last day As an ethnic micro community known as much for their fishing prowess as they are for their mastery in seafood dishes, the Kolis hold great sway in the culinary landscape of Mumbai. Its no great surprise then, that Koli cuisine is a much hallowed and feted one. The popularity of Koli food's purveyors like Dadars cloud kitchen venture Koli Kitchen and Mi Hi Koli, a restaurant with multiple outlets in the city, augment this cuisines great appeal. While the formers jawla (micro dried prawns) masala is worthy of singing a paean for, the latters gaboli sukka (dry preparation of fish roe) and prawn stuffed bombil (Bombay duck) are worth the trek to its trio of outposts in Mulund, Ghodbunder and Panchpakhadi in Thane. Speaking of a trek, at the on-going,dinner-onlyAgri Koli food festivalat Courtyard By Marriott Navi Mumbais Courtyard Pavillion restaurant, guest chef Savita Nivrutti Koli, a wedding caterer and home chef from Karanja in nearby Uran, talks of the starring role seafood has in her community. Almost an equal amount of what we fish for sale, will end up on our table," Savita says with a laugh. These take the form of appetisers like kolambi Koliwada (semolina-crusted sea prawns), kardiche pakode (baby shrimp fritters) and makul bharlele (dry coconut masala-stuffed squid)' all made with our favourite peanut oil. Our mains are a range of curries like the red moshi (shark) kalvan (curry) and the coconut-based chimbori (crab) curry. Of course, we also have quite a few vegetarian dishes like dalimbichi usal (field beans gravy) and tondli chanadal (ivy gourd and gram stir fry). These are best had with Koli breads like the rice flour-based, neer dosa-adjacent ghavne and the puffy, wheat and rice flour kombadi wade." The last one as its name suggests, is used to mop up the fiery red gavti kombadi (country chicken) curry. The festival will end on June 30. Also read: A restaurant in Rishikesh offers a taste of the food of the Gods Savita makes it a point to emphasise the significance of the typically Koli kala masala that imparts a dark, almost black-ish hue to a host of dishes. Particularly, the smoky-flavoured kala mutton. She explains, This masala is made mainly from black-hued spices like black pepper, cloves, black cardamom, and black sesame seeds. With poppy seeds, cinnamon and red chilli powder added to balance things out." From the annual Versova Koli Seafood Festival held in late January or early February at the grounds of St. Anthonys High School in Seven Bungalows, Versova to the year long pescatarian bounties of the Mahim Koliwada Seafood Plaza thats housed on the beach along the Mahim causeway, theres a great sense of communal dining to Koli cuisine. This was precisely the reason why we started our micro community walks and food tours in 2019. With a few of our firsts being Koli-centric ones," saysAslam Saiyad,a photographer with a passion for documenting micro communities, who also runs a Mumbai culture exploration tour company named Hallu Hallu. Meaning slowly slowly" in Marathi, this company engages with the local Koli communities in several areas in and around the city. Those who sign up for their walks will not just learn about the cultural significance of the Kolis, but also get a taste of their sumptuous food. Saiyad shares, Our Versova Koliwada walk thats led by Rajhans Tapke, a local Koli, ends with a meal at his home prepared by his wife Harsha. Here one gets to try some Koli classics like the fried prawns, pomfret kalvan (thin curry) and even a few rare ones like the vagti (a river fish) curry and the bamboo ke bombil. This one being a preparation made using slightly sun-dried fresh Bombay duck doused in a thick, spicy gravy." Led by Thelma Poojari, a local Koli activist and home chef, Hallu Hallus Chimbai Koliwada walk in Bandra showcases the unique and impossible to ignore side of Mumbais Christian Koli communitys cuisine. While our kitchen is seafood-led with dishes like a pomfret amotik (a hot-sour curry) and bangda (mackerel) masala fry, we have a huge cache of Portuguese-inspired meat dishes like pork vindaloo, pork sorpotel and salted beef tongue, among others. These we serve with sides like the western pickle style, non spicy, sweet-sour East Indian vegetable wedding pickle(made with raw papaya and carrots in a vinegar brine)and sweet pulav with breads like the deep fried wheat flour, toddy and coconut milk-based fugiyas, and chitaps which are thin rice flour crepes," says Poojari. The meal ends with a shot of homemade grape wine that she says has been fermenting for three years. View Full Image Thelma Poojari in a red saree with guests who signed up for the Chimbai Koliwada walk with the local tour company Hallu Hallu. Paying homage to its location in the heart of one of Mumbais oldest Koli strongholds of the Worli Koliwada neighbourhood, is the tony Slink & Bardot restaurant and bar. LastDecember, it introduced a special menu celebrating Koli cuisine with a fine dining twist. The seven-course tasting menu, simply called Worli Koliwada conceived by executive chef Ali Akbar Baldiwala features interesting riffs on traditional Koli dishes. When you look around, you see local fisherwomen selling their fresh catch of the day. We took inspiration from a Koli fish thali with dishes like the roasted ghol (black-spotted croaker) fish with the crimson-hued, Kashmiri chilly, turmeric and stone flower-basedKoli masala flavoured butter and a spiced coconut sauce," says Baldiwala who also serves an outre sounding side dish of smoked tomato jam with a jawla salsa on the menu. Further augmenting this Koli homage is a special cocktail menu at the restaurant called Tales From The Shore. This one, by head mixologist Santosh Kukreti, features drinks like the not alfonso which is a whisky and clarified milk cocktail that has the Koli favourite spice of aamba halad or mango ginger making its fragrant presence felt. Another Koli-inspired drink is the jujube sour, a creation borne from our close collaboration with the resilient fishermen of the Koliwada. Drawing in from their age-old fermentation techniques, we present a libation that fuses the tangy flavour of fermented jujube with pisco, parmesan cheese liqueur and a dash of lemon," he explains. Food, they say, has the power to leave behind indelible memories.And given the imprint the Koli community continues to make on Mumbais culinary landscape, this edible legacy sure is a deliciously enduring one. Raul Dias is a Mumbai-based food and travel writer. Also read: Go on a savoury cocktail trail across India Every June, International Yoga Day passes in a flurry of excitement, as it did on Friday, nudging everyonefrom strict adherent to reluctant exerciserto crunch and twist themselves into knots to reap its benefits... for just that one day. Instead of being a reluctant exerciser who leaves the yoga mat in a corner, waiting to be dusted until next year, we asked a few experts to suggest ways to incorporate yoga into a daily routine. While the idea of doing elaborate asanas may seem intimidating, there are simple practices you can follow, if you have the interest. Lounge asked four yoga practitioners and trainers to share their daily yoga rituals, and a few theyd recommend to a yoga novice. Also read: The benefits of doing yoga everyday Yoga gave me this magical second life Anshuka Parwani, certified yoga and wellness expert and founder, Anshuka Yoga, Mumbai How my journey into yoga began: I used to be a pilot and a near-fatal accident had left me immobile with multiple fractures. I was bedridden for long and thats when yoga came to me as therapy. It really transformed my life and gave me this magical second life. I love how beautiful this practice is and every philosophy of yoga resonates with me. Its such a great pathway of life and I have, over the years, gotten hooked to exploring different yoga styles and philosophies. I also knew that I wanted to share this knowledge with as many people as I can. Yoga practice(s) I follow everyday: I have a daily asana practice and I love doing inversions like the shirshasana and viparita karani. I do the surya namaskar and I never miss my pranayama. I also meditate daily. On the whole, I think yoga is about being kind, not only with the way you move, but also the way you think, how you act, what you eat, there has to be a balance in everything. Daily yoga practice(s) Id recommend to beginners: If you are just starting out in yoga, practice poses like the cat-cow pose, the childs pose and the downward dog, and of course, the surya namaskar. Do the pranayama and include a conscious yoga nidra practice. These practices are accessible and can help you get stronger. View Full Image Saumya Mishra, yoga and wellness teacher based in Bengaluru Yoga brings consciousness to every moment of our lives - Saumya Mishra, Yoga and Wellness Teacher, Bengaluru How my journey into yoga began: My journey into yoga felt more like a calling, a purpose. In 2019 after a decade of corporate life, I quit my job and started travelling across India, when I found the Sivananda Ashrams in Kerala. I went there for a few weeks but decided to stay for many months. I completely fell in love with my practice and the study of yoga. Studying to become a teacher was an easy decision. I love the time when I am on my mat, doing my practice and equally love teaching. I love how yoga brings consciousness to every moment of our lives. Yoga practice(s) I follow everyday: Over the years, I have developed the habit of doing my yoga asanas and pranayama practice regularly. I consciously eat healthy and follow the circadian rhythm of my body with my sleep cycles. Yoga as a lifestyle helps me accept where I am in my life today and persevere towards growing into a better version. Daily yoga practice(s) Id recommend to beginners: I would advise someone whos just starting Hatha Yoga to learn from an experienced yoga teacher. Be slow and steady. Practicing consistently is the key. View Full Image Saurabh Bothra, yoga trainer and CEO of wellness platform, Habuild Wellness Yoga is a lifestyle that extends beyond the mat Saurabh Bothra, yoga trainer and CEO of wellness platform, Habuild Wellness, Nagpur How my journey into yoga began: My journey into yoga didnt begin with a desire to get fit, it started with a lot of curiosity. From the age of 20, I remember practising surya namaskar or sun salutation regularly. I actively go in the direction my curiosity points me to and this is why I also started learning about yoga. From 2014 to 2020, I embarked on a journey across India teaching and volunteering in Mumbai, Kanpur, Banaras, Delhi and Pune. It started with that one yoga class when I was 19 years old, and since then, my love for yoga has only continued to grow. Yoga practice(s) I follow everyday: Many people see yoga as just poses (asana) and breathing exercises (pranayama), but for me, its a lifestyle that extends beyond the mat. From getting enough rest at night to waking up on time each morning and being intentional, everything to me is yog. I organize my yoga practice to focus on different parts of my body throughout the week. This includes practices like power yoga for strength and restorative yoga for relaxation. I also practice the surya namaskar sequence on most days as it energizes my body and sets a positive tone for the day. Alongside physical poses, I incorporate pranayama techniques such as nadi shodhana, bhramari and kriyas like kapalabhati. They calm my mind and sharpen my focus. Daily practice(s) Id recommend to beginners: If youre just starting yoga, dedicating 10-15 minutes each day to simple routines can make a significant difference. Start with basic stretches like the cat-cow stretch to gently wake up your body and improve flexibility. Coming to the mat everyday at the same time should be your focus rather than thinking about how to perfect your yoga practice. View Full Image Kala Adarsh, freelance yoga trainer, Bengaluru Practicing yoga brings me immense joy Kala Adarsh, freelance yoga trainer, Bengaluru How my journey into yoga began: I was informally introduced to yoga as a child in my martial arts classes. I subsequently started a regular practice at the age of 25. After my second child was born, I took a planned step towards adopting a deeper sadhana by signing up for a formal teacher training course. In the last 18 years, yoga has evolved from being just a practice to an inseparable part of my life. Practicing and teaching yoga brings me immense joy and a better connection to all the things that make up my daily routine. Yoga practice(s) I follow everyday: I have a warm glass of water while soaking in some sunlight prior to my practice. The routine also includes sukshma vyayama (simple movements that loosen the joints and boosts energy in the body), six sets of surya namaskar, a well- rounded pranayama practice and kaya sthairyam, which is sitting still in silence. Daily practice(s) Id recommend to beginners: The key is to be consistent. It helps to have a set sequence that allows you to commit to a daily yoga practice. Start with baby steps and slowly build up your strength and flexibility. Avoid over pushing the body and listen to all the signals it gives you. Stepping back when you need to is an important action that a beginner should be ready to take. It further helps to select a book on yoga philosophy that will guide you in understanding the science and thought behind what you are practicing. I highly suggest joining an online or offline yoga class to keep yourself focused and motivated. A class provides structure, guidance, and a sense of community, making it easier to stay committed to your practice. In July 2024, banks across India will remain closed for a total of 12 days due to a combination of national and regional holidays. Before visiting a bank during this period, its advisable to verify the exact holidays observed, as they may vary by location. Also Read | This summer, let kids take charge of the holiday The RBI has designated the following dates as bank holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act: July 3, 6, 8, 9, 16, and 17. This implies that transactions involving checks and promissory notes may not be available on these days. The following table shows the bank holidays in July 2024 in various states in India. Date Day Holiday State July 03, 2024 Wednesday Beh Dienkhlam Meghalaya July 06, 2024 Saturday MHIP Day Mizoram July 08, 2024 Monday Kang (Rathajatra) Manipur July 09, 2024 Tuesday Drukpa Tse-zi Sikkim July 16, 2024 Tuesday Harela Uttarakhand July 17, 2024 Wednesday Muharram/Ashoora/U Tirot Sing Day All over India except Gujarat, Odisha, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Itanagar, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa Behdienkhlam is a festival observed mainly by the Pnar community in Meghalaya, India. Held annually in July, it is a significant dance festival among the Jaintia people. The event serves as a prayer to ward off malevolent spirits and diseases, seeking blessings for a prosperous harvest. MHIP stands for Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl, which translates to uniting Mizo women, and it is the largest women's organization in Mizoram, not Manipur. This day, celebrated on July 6th in Mizoram, marks the organization's founding anniversary. Kang, also known as Kang Chingba, is a lively festival celebrated in Manipur, a northeastern state of India. It mirrors the Ratha Yatra festival of Puri, Odisha, in the Manipuri tradition. Drukpa Tse-zi, also referred to as Drukpa Teshi, holds great importance as a festival celebrated by the Buddhist community in Sikkim, a northeastern state of India. The festival commemorates the auspicious occasion when Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as "Setting the Wheel of Dharma in Motion," to his initial five disciples at Sarnath, India. This sermon introduced the Four Noble Truths, which form the cornerstone of Buddhist teachings. The Harela festival in Uttarakhand is a lively celebration that heralds the onset of the monsoon and the start of a new agricultural cycle. Translating to "day of green" in Hindi, Harela underscores the significance of greenery, environmental conservation, and a prosperous harvest. It is predominantly observed in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, while variations like Mol-Sankranti or Rai-Sagarant are celebrated in the Garhwal region. Muharram/Ashura occurs on the 10th day of the first month (Muharram) in the Islamic calendar. It is a solemn occasion for Muslims globally, honoring the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, during the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Shia Muslims mark this day with mourning processions (tazias) and rituals that symbolize sacrifice and fortitude. U Tirot Sing Day in Meghalaya commemorates the courage and resistance of U Tirot Sing, a revered freedom fighter who fiercely opposed British colonial rule in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Though not a national holiday, Meghalaya observes this day with tributes and cultural events to honor his legacy and significant contributions to the struggle for independence. Apart from the national and regional holidays mandated by the RBI, banks in India are also closed on: Sundays : This is customary in many countries. There are four Sundays in July occurring on July 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. : This is customary in many countries. There are four Sundays in July occurring on July 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. Second and fourth Saturdays: This closure pattern recurs throughout the year, with exceptions in December and January when there may be only one or no closures on the second or fourth Saturday due to holiday season business requirements. The second and fourth Saturdays occur on July 13th and 27th. Also Read | THIS is the most searched foreign holiday destination by Indians this summer RBI Oversight The determination of bank holidays in India is overseen by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These holidays can be classified into various categories, such as Equity investments have become a great source of long-term gains over the last many years, says Devender Singhal, Fund Manager, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company. In an interview withMintGenie, Singhal said that equity investments are always accompanied by higher risks and related volatility. A Special Opportunities Fund is no exception. Edited Excerpts: With the market in froth and experts asking investors to be careful of the hype, is this the right time to look for special opportunities to invest in? The market is currently at valuation multiples which may not be called attractive, more so, for mid caps and small caps where the valuation premiums are above long-term averages. We dont see a case for multiple expansions over the next couple of years (especially for mid caps and small caps). In this scenario, Alpha generation would come along with unique opportunities where you may see a case for both earnings growth accelerating and the scope of valuation multiples expanding. This fund seeks to invest in these very special opportunities. So, yes, we do think that this is the right time for such a fund. You will be managing a Special Opportunities Fund. What according to you comprise special opportunities? Special opportunities can come in any form. It can be by way of (a) policy changes in India and abroad, (b) mergers and acquisitions, (c) demergers, (d) management change, etc. There are further opportunities to look at operating leverage turning into financial leverage, industry consolidation, buyback, etc. So, the canvas is pretty wide to look across the market for such opportunities. What type of investor is best suited for Special Opportunities Funds? Are there specific financial goals or risk tolerances that align particularly well with these funds? Equity investment is always accompanied by higher risk and related volatility. This fund is no different in that case. However, when you are focusing on bottom-up stock picking, you look at a disproportionate risk-reward scenario loaded in your favour. Also Read | AI and blockchain solutions for unclaimed asset recovery, says Vikash The last AMFI data underlined investors making a beeline for thematic funds. What is your view on the same? Thematic funds generally have a much focused approach towards a particular sector or theme. These are hence used as a flavour to the overall equity exposure when an investor wants to play a specific theme more than any other. These funds, if used proactively, can add potential alpha to a clients portfolio return. More investors are moving to equity investments. What is your advice to them? Equity investments are a good tool for long-term capital appreciation. They have become a great source of long-term gains over the last many years. This also results in money being more productively used for a countrys growth and reap rewards over the long term. What people see in equity investment is returns. What gets missed out is Risk because its unseen. In the market, its always important to have a view on both risk and return and then move ahead. Many times investors just focus on the return part and that is the time mistakes happen. Moreover, its always better to seek professional advice while investing in equity markets. Just remember, There are no free lunches. Also Read | FPIs back to buying Indian equities? Data from last week indicates so Do you have reason to believe that the coming back of the incumbent government may prompt investors to invest majorly in equities and ignore the significance of fixed-income instruments? A stable government with a growth orientation is something all investors ask for. So, yes, the coming back of the incumbent government is rekindling the hopes of investors of policy reforms continuation and acceleration in coming years. We are also seeing flows into the equity market increasing post the government formation. However, it would be wrong to say that investors are ignoring fixed-income instruments as we are seeing deposits increase as well. So, investors are looking at both asset classes, though the noise around equity investments is a bit more in the current scenario. JM Mutual Fund is one of the earliest companies in India to secure a private mutual fund licence, in 1994, but had failed to make its presence felt until 2021. Even after operating for nearly three decades, it was managing only about 2,602 crore of assets, as of January 2021. In the 3.5 years since, though, its assets under management have skyrocketed to more than 7,500 crore. What has caught investors attention is JMs flexi cap fund, which was launched in September 2008. It hadnt made a mark until JM Mutual Fund roped in Satish Ramanathan as chief investment officer in August 2021. At the time, the JM Flexicap was handling about 187 crore in assets under management. The latest available figure for May shows its assets under management (AUM) was just shy of the 2,500-crore mark. The JM Flexicap fund has generated 64% returns in the past 12 months. It is currently the best-performing fund in the category after Quant Mutual Fund in terms of returns over the past five years, according to Morningstar data. It has registered an average return of 26% over five years, and 15.85% since inception. But does this mean investors should start investing in the JM Flexi cap fund? Riding the small- and mid-cap wave To understand why the scheme has outperformed in recent years, we need to dig deeper and find out the stock bets that worked in its favour. Underlying portfolio data trends reveal the true picture. A large part of the alpha stems from increasing allocation to small- and mid-cap stocks since the beginning of 2022. JM Flexicaps exposure to small- and mid-caps has increased from 6.7% and 18% of its overall portfolio, respectively, in January 2022 to 39.7% and 21.4%. During the period under review, its large-cap exposure declined from 75.3% to 38.9%. The fund gradually increased its allocation to mid- and small-caps during the correction phase when Nifty Midcap 150 indices declined by approximately 22% and Nifty Smallcap 250 indices corrected by about 29% from January to June 2022," said Nirav Karkera, head of research at Fisdom, an online trading and mutual fund investment platform. This timing allowed the fund manager to capture opportunities at more favorable valuations." Public sector exposure Another key factor that contributed to the schemes outperformance was its exposure to public sector undertakings. The fund had identified beneficiaries of capital expenditure spending in sectors such as industrials, railways, manufacturing, and financials. Furthermore, the funds exposure to public sector banks worked in its favour thanks to the ongoing rally. Most active funds missed out on the PSE rally. However, JM Flexicap had exposures to PSE, which helped the performance," said Alekh Yadav, head of investment products at Sanctum Wealth. The fund manager is overweight on sectors such as industrials, real estate, and consumer cyclical vis-a-vis the Nifty 500 benchmark, according to Morningstar data. JM Flexicap has a 17.57% allocation (vs 10.17% benchmark) in consumer cyclical, 15.98% (vs 9.57% benchmark) in industrials, and 3.01% (vs 1.05% benchmark) in real estate. These sectors combined contributed nearly half (31.62%) of the 64% gains it achieved in the past 12 months. Choosing the right stocks within this sector also benefited them. The fund was underweight in financial services and consumer defensives, (which also) helped the performance," added Yadav of Sanctum. Is it all good? Investors need to look at the long-term performance of the fund before getting too stoked. Top performers keep changing. For instance, in 2021, JM Flexicap was in the 9th position in terms of 5-year performance. Its only recently that it has become the second-best fund. Also, this recent performance has come on the back of increased allocation to mid- and small-cap companies, which are considered to be riskier and more volatile than large companies. Hence, the funds outperformance might have come from taking more risk than other schemes in the category. Also Read: Retail investors and the fixation with equity MFs The long-term track record of Tattva Capital, the previous venture of JM Mutual Funds CIO Ramanathan, is not available. Tattva Capital was a private fund and the track record is not available for distribution, as it belongs to the fund investor," JM Mutual Fund said in an emailed reply to Mint. However, the fund outperformed on a consolidated basis during the life of the fund and at peak was close to $180 million, which was about 1,100 crore." JM Mutual Fund has said in a presentation on the flexicap scheme that it follows the GeeQ Model for picking stocks. The Ge stands for growth of earnings and eQ for earnings quality. Additionally, it says it follows a growth-oriented investment approach and considers earnings quality for stock selection, apart from other qualitative factors. View Full Image Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj/Mint Analysts Mint spoke with said the fund house is not able to communicate its investment philosophy convincingly. While the fund philosophy is GeeQ (which is another way to say growth at the right price), however, by looking at the portfolio it appears the portfolio is a blend of everything. It has a few companies which could be categorised as GARP while a few which can be categorised as value," said Yadav of Sanctum Wealth Advisors. GARP, which stands for growth at a reasonable price, focuses on investing in companies with promising growth as well as reasonable valuations. If you dont know whats the underlying strategy when it goes out of favour, you will not be able to stay invested as you don't understand why it's happening," said Arun Kumar, head of Research at FundsIndia. Even legendary fund managers like Prashant Jain went through temporary underperformance (former CIO of HDFC AMC) but we knew the reason why he was underperforming and all fund managers with similar styles were also underperforming." What should you do? There is no clear-cut answer to whether investors should buy or sell. Investors need to gauge whether the investment philosophy of the fund house suits them. This criteria extends to existing investors as well. That said, investors should not invest on the basis of just the returns. Considering how the fund is being managed by a team that has started managing it only recently, there is not enough foundation to assess the fund management style and results across full market cycles," said Karkera of Fisdom. Yadav said such outperformance is usually followed by normalization. Flows that have come in recently may not have the best experience." The mid-cap sector of the Indian stock market has been showing strong performance. Mid-cap companies in India generally possess market capitalizations ranging from 5,000 crores to 20,000 crores, positioning them between large-cap entities (top 100 companies) and small-cap firms (all companies ranked below 250th). Also Read | Is a flexi cap fund sufficient without a large cap in mutual fund portfolio? Explaining mid-cap performance In recent years, mid-cap stocks have been surpassing large-cap stocks in performance. This trend may be attributed to factors such as the greater growth potential of mid-sized companies and investors pursuit of higher returns relative to large-cap investments. Indias robust economic expansion significantly benefits mid-cap stocks. This is driven by several factors such as heightened government investment in infrastructure projects, rising demand for diverse products and services, and an increase in consumers disposable income. The surge in new retail investors and the widespread adoption of systematic investment plans (SIPs) are key drivers behind the mid-cap rally. These factors also account for the outstanding performance of certain mid-cap mutual funds, particularly over the past five to ten years, thereby enabling numerous investors to generate wealth within a relatively short time frame. Name of the fund 5-year returns (in %) 10-year returns (in %) Kotak Emerging Equity Fund 28.31 23.06 Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund 31.84 23 Edelweiss Mid Cap Fund 30.39 22.37 Invesco India Mid Cap Fund 28.13 21.67 HDFC Mid-Cap Opportunities Fund 28.15 21.30 Tata Mid Cap Growth Fund 27.14 20.92 SBI Magnum Midcap Fund 27.66 20.35 Source: AMFI (As of June 24, 2024) Why invest in a mid-cap fund? Investing in mid-cap mutual funds in India can be advantageous, contingent upon your specific financial situation. Here are several advantages of investing in mid-cap funds: Enhanced growth potential: Mid-cap companies are generally younger and in a high-growth stage compared to large-caps. This offers investors in mid-cap funds the opportunity for a greater appreciation in stock prices. Diversification: Investing in mid-cap funds provides diversification benefits by distributing your investment among various mid-cap companies. This mitigates risk compared to investing directly in individual stocks. Professional management: Investing in a mid-cap fund allows you to leverage the expertise of fund managers who actively research and select stocks. This saves you the time and effort needed for individual stock selection. Possibility of higher returns: Large-cap funds have not historically outperformed mid-cap funds. More volatility is nonetheless a result of this. Lower initial investment requirement: Several mid-cap funds feature lower minimum investment thresholds compared to alternative investment options, enabling you to begin investing with a smaller amount. Also Read | Mutual Funds: How SIPs amplify returns through the power of compounding Its important to remember, though, that mid-cap stocks are frequently more volatile than large-cap stocks. Prices for mid-cap stocks could move more dramatically, so investors need to be ready for potential ups and downs. Furthermore, investors with a five-to-10-year investment horizon or longer should consider mid-cap funds. With this strategy, investors can ride out market fluctuations and potentially take advantage of the growth prospects presented by mid-cap firms. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, imposed a 21-month state of emergency in an attempt to crack down on civil liberties. Article 352 of the Indian Constitution gives the President the power to declare an Emergency if there is a grave threat to the security of the country, whether by war, or external aggression, or armed rebellion. During the customary remarks ahead of the commencement of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country needs an opposition with "substance" and "not slogans". The PM termed the Emergency as a "black spot" in the country's history. Today is the Emergency's 49th anniversary. On 25 June 1975, at midnight, the then-President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, declared a state of emergency in India on the "advice" of then-PM Indira Gandhi. It remained in effect until March 21, 1977. While reports of human rights violations during the period have been widely circulated and debated, the most crucial aspect of the period was the censorship of the press. PM Indira Gandhi-led government clamped down on the media, and made all efforts to curb the freedom of the Press. On 26 June 1975, the Indian government passed a law to "prevent malicious and scurrilous" articles in newspapers. The government also moved to shut the Press Council of India. Around 200 journalists, including foreign correspondents, were arrested. For two days, no newspaper was published in the country. It was only on June 28 that the newspapers were published again. How did the media cover imposition of Emergency in 1975? The Indian Express, headed by Ramnath Goenka, was then one of the largest dailies in the capital. The Indian Express, headed by Ramnath Goenka, ran a blank editorial on June 28 as a mark of protest against the media censorship. Some other dailies like the Statesman also followed this. Another prominent newspaper, The Hindu, ran the lead story "President Proclaims National Emergency" with the slugs "Security of India Threatened by Internal Disturbances" and "Preventive Arrests: Press Censorship Imposed." Thakur V Hari Prasad-led Indian Herald ran the lead headline as "'Emergency Declared' JP, Morarji, Advani, Asoka Mehta & Vajpayee arrested". The New York Times published the news of the Emergency in its June 27 edition, headlined "A Shift by India." TIME magazine discussed the event in its July edition. It ran an article titled "INDIA: Indira Gandhis Dictatorship Digs In." "Strict censorship has prevented the once lively Indian press (some 830 daily newspapers) from printing anything other than official handouts about the crisis," its correspondent William Stewart wrote. Also Read | Kangana Ranauts Emergency movie postponed again How did Indira tackle pressure from world leaders? After the imposition of the Emergency, Indira Gandhi faced mounting pressure from world leaders. On June 27, 1975, according to The Indian Express, she sent personalised cables to several of these leaders explaining why she was "compelled" to take the step. An Air India flight on its way from Cochin International Airport (CIAL) to London Gatwick Airport received a bomb threat on June 25, leading to extensive checks on the aircraft, according to a PTI report citing an airport official. Security personnel found no explosives on the aircraft, concluded that there was no danger and allowed it to proceed as planned, the official statement said. The spokesperson added that a man suspected of making the threatening call has been apprehended by authorities. Also Read | Julian Assange free: A look at the timeline of the Wikileaks espionage case The Turn of Events The Air India call centre in Mumbai got a bomb threat call early on June 25 about AI flight 149 bound for London from Cochin. The alert was communicated to the Air India office in Cochin and the Airport at 1.22 am. Following the alert, as per established protocols, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened at CIAL. The threat was assessed and declared specific. The Airport Security Group (ASG-CISF), airline security personnel, and inline baggage screening systems also conducted thorough security checks; and the aircraft was moved to an isolated parking point as per recommendations from the Cochin Airport BTAC. The aircraft was thoroughly checked and subsequently cleared for flight, with check-in process completed by 10:30 am and on schedule departure at 11:50 am. Caller Identified, Being Investigated Efforts were made to identify the caller who reported the threat to the Mumbai call center, and he was identified as 29-year-old Suhaib. A native of Kondotty in Malappuram district of Kerala, Suhaib was set to travel on the flight in question. He was apprehanded by the ASG at Cochin Airport's international departure terminal during check-in with his wife and daughter. He has since been handed over to the police for further questioning and legal action, the spokesperson said in a statement. Arvind Kejriwal's bail: In a major setback to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, June 25, stayed the trial courts June 20 order releasing the chief minister on bail in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. The Delhi High Court noted that the trial court had not applied its mind when granting bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had challenged the trial court's bail order in the Delhi High Court. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal Bail Plea LIVE: Delhi HC stays trial court order granting bail The Delhi chief minister had moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's stay on his bail. The apex court had kept June 26 as the next hearing date. The ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal in March on corruption allegations related to the Delhi liquor policy - accusations he denied as politically motivated. The trial court granted Kejriwal bail and ordered his release on a personal bond of 1 lakh. The ED moved the high court the next day and contended that the trial court's order was "perverse", "one-sided" and "wrong-sided" and that the findings were based on irrelevant facts. The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders. Delhi HC stays Arvind Kejriwal's bail order -Delhi High Court said the trial court did not apply its mind while granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case. -The high court said that the trial judge ought to have given adequate opportunity to the ED while deciding the bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal. -The Delhi High Court's vacation bench also noted that the trial court did not appreciate material placed before it by the ED against Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case. -"Interim bail was granted for elections. Once the arrest and remand of Kejriwal was declared valid by coordinate bench, it can't be said that personal liberty of the applicant was curtailed in violation of law," Live Law quoted the Delhi High Court vacation bench as saying. As erratic weather disrupts livelihoods at alarming frequency, Indian farmers are facing a big brunt, especially those with limited landholdings. In a survey held in April, 80% of marginal farmersthose who own less than one hectare of farm landsaid their villages had suffered one or the other extreme weather event in the past five years. Such farmers also reported considerable impact on their crop produce, finances, and their livelihoods. Around 41% of the 6,615 marginal farmers who were surveyed across 21 states said their villages had seen a drought in the past five years, close to one in three had faced excessive or non-seasonal rains, 18% reported floods and 13% reported cyclones, each posing a significant hurdle to cultivation. The survey, whose findings were released on Tuesday, was conducted telephonically by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) and Forum of Enterprises for Equitable Development (FEED). DIU is a collaboration between Sambodhi, a research group, and Transforming Rural India, a non-profit. The findings are crucial because according to the 2015-16 agriculture census, marginal farmers account for 68.5% of all farmers in India, but own only about 24% of the crop area. Prolonged winters had the worst impact, with 54% of the farmers who reported them saying they had lost half or more of their standing crops. For rain-related events, this share was 48%. Prolonged summers and irregular monsoon patterns had less adverse impact. Output losses The impact of climate change on agriculture cant be underestimated, with reports globally indicating a loss of up to 40% in crop production by 2100. This could put food security greatly at increasing risk. The survey showed that farmers reported crop losses across a variety of crops and seasonskharif, rabi and zaid. Among the farmers whose villages were struck by extreme weather events, nearly half reported crop loss in kharif paddy, and close to 45% said so for rabi wheat and zaid maize. In monetary terms, the median value of crop loss in the last instance of an extreme weather event was the highest for cotton ( 27,200) followed by tur dal ( 12,100). The median value of loss for paddy during the kharif cycle was 8,400, while the same for rabi wheat was 9,200, the survey report said. Paddy and wheat are sown by a majority of marginal farmers. Livelihood tweaks Adverse climatic patterns and the resultant income losses are forcing farmers to make changes to their livelihoods and diversify income streams. The survey showed that 83% of marginal farmers in villages impacted by severe weather conditions in the last five years had changed their livelihood pattern in some way, compared to 61% in unaffected villages. This significant difference shows how climate change is a key driver in farmers seeking alternative income sources. Among the first subset (those who faced severe weather crises and made changes to their livelihood patterns), 42% said they had to increase their engagement in other part-time occupations, 37% said they were forced to depend more on animal husbandry or livestock, 32% had to look for other earning opportunities outside their villages, while 21% said they or their families had sought work under the government's rural employment scheme. Most attributed these shifts to extreme weather events at least to some extent. What doesnt help, though, is lack of awareness about climate-resilient farming. Close to a third (31%) of all respondents who had reported being affected by extreme weather events in the last five years had not adopted any such practices. Adaptation barriers Adaptation strategies to minimize the impact of climate change is a key part of tackling the issue at hand. About 72% of the marginal farmers said they had accessed some form of agriculture-related technical advice, but that was largely from informal sources such as other farmers and elders. However, nearly four in five reported that they had to face various types of constraints while accessing such advice, including financial restrictions preventing them from carrying out what they had learnt (49%), non-availability of inputs or physical resources in their area (38%), or just a lack of follow-up technical inputs (37%). About one in four had found advisories to have poor relevance and usefulness. This indicates that while climate-adaptive farming options exist, their dissemination and implementation support could be inadequate. As the government enters its third consecutive term, marginal farmers would look forward to better protecting against rising extreme weather events. The Karnataka health department on Monday banned the use of artificial colours in the preparation of kebabs, including vegetarian, fish, and chicken. According to The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, food vendors violating the order could face seven years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 10 lakh. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Karnataka, made this decision after finding dangerous artificial colours in the kebab samples that could significantly harm consumers' health. The media reported that the quality of kebabs sold across the state was poor due to the use of artificial colouring. Following the media reports, samples of kebabs sold across the state were collected and tested in Karnataka laboratories. The results revealed that sunset yellow and carmosine artificial colours, which are unsafe and hazardous to health, were being used in the kebabs. The department collected 39 samples of kebabs and examined them in the state laboratories. Out of these, eight variants of kebabs tested in the laboratories were found to have harmful artificial colours, especially sunset yellow and carmoisine Dinesh Gundu Rao, the health minister of Karnataka, wrote on X on Monday. The Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 Act prohibits the usage of harmful artificial colours, added Dinesh Gundu Rao. Stringent action will be taken against restaurants that are found to be using such chemicals for food preparation," said Dinesh Gundu Rao on the recently introduced artificial food colouring ban on kebabs. The testing and banning artificial food colouring comes amidst food safety concerns for citizens. In March, Dinesh Gundu Rao banned the food colouring agent Rhodamine-B, which is widely used in dishes such as 'Gobi Manchurian' and cotton candy. Also Read | Karnataka bans use of loudspeakers from 10 pm to 6 am Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a second resolution on Monday asking the Centre to officially change the state's name to 'Keralam'. This comes nearly a year after the state Assembly had unanimously passed a similar resolution. However, the Centre had returned it for corrections. The resolution will again be sent to the Central government for approval. In August last year, the Union Home Ministry reviewed the Kerala government's resolution and recommended some technical modifications after it requested "immediate steps" to change the state's name. The resolution, proposed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asked the union government to change Kerala's name in all the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. While presenting the resolution, the Kerala CM said the state is called Keralam in Malayalam while adding that the demand for a united Kerala for the Malayali speakers has been strong since the national freedom struggle. But the name of our state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This Assembly requests the Centre to take immediate steps to amend it as Keralam under Article 3 of the Constitution and have it renamed as Keralam in all the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, news agency PTI quoted Vijayan as saying. Members from both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF backed the resolution. UDF legislator N Shamsudeen proposed some amendments, which the government declined. Subsequently, Speaker A N Shamseer declared the assembly's unanimous adoption of the resolution. Also Read | Centre denies permission to Kerala minister to travel to Kuwait Can the name of a state be changed? Since independence in 1947, over a hundred Indian cities and several states have changed their names. Uttaranchal became Uttarakhand in 2007. The changed name is believed to honour the Uttarakhand Andolan movement, which led to the state's separation from Uttar Pradesh in 2000. Following the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, Orissa was renamed Odisha in 2011. Also Read | Odisha CM Majhi alleges bombs hurled to murder him during BJD rule Lok Sabha Session Day 2 Highlights: Nominations for the Lok Sabha Speaker post will be closed by noon today. Union Minister Rajnath Singh is working to build consensus for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions, engaging with the Opposition. On the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, 262 MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the oath. The remaining 281 MPs, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, will take oath today. The Speaker election of 18th Lok Sabha is scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, the opposition held a protest march inside the Parliament complex, with MPs from the INDIA bloc raising slogans and displaying copies of the Constitution. Key leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav participated. Catch all the highlights on Lok Sabha Session Day 2 here: Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: If Oppn insists on division, paper slips will be used, says expert If the opposition insists on a division during the election for the post of Lok Sabha speaker on Wednesday, votes will be cast on paper slips as the electronic display system cannot be used because the members of the new House are yet to be allotted seats, an expert said. NDA nominee Om Birla is pitted against INDIA bloc's Kodikunnil Suresh for the coveted post. Constitution expert and former Lok Sabha secretary general P D T Achary told PTI that the motions which have been moved will be put one by one in the order in which they have been received. They will be decided, if necessary, by division. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties to meet at Kharge's residence tonight Floor leaders of the Opposition bloc, the 'Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)', will meet today at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence following the announcement of K Suresh as their candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker. The meeting is scheduled for 8 pm at Kharge's residence in Delhi, where the leaders are expected to discuss the upcoming speaker election on June 26. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Ready to support Speaker but: Congress' KC Venugopal Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that the Opposition was ready to unanimously support the NDA candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker position on the condition that it give a commitment on giving the post of the Deputy Speaker to them. The INDIA bloc announced Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker election. This was announced after Venugopal and DMK's TR Baalu met BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: No consensus on Speaker's post INDIA bloc is likely to field its candidate for the post of Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, sources told ANI. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Om Birla files nomination for Speaker's post BJP MP Om Birla files his nomination for the post of Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha NDA has fielded Om Birla, INDIA bloc has fielded Congress MP K Suresh for the post of Speaker. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: K Suresh files nomination for Speaker's post Congress MP K Suresh files his nomination for the post of Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Speaker does not belong to any party, says Piyush Goyal On INDIA bloc fielding K Suresh for Lok Sabha post, Union Minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal says, "They said first decide the name for Deputy Speaker then we will support the Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. A good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Chirag Paswan speaks on Speaker elections Union Minister Chirag Paswan says "This is not the elections for any party. The election of the Speaker is for the House. I do not remember if there was any election for the post of Speaker after independence. The way the Opposition has come up with conditions that they want the Deputy Speaker's post is not right. Even if there will be elections, it is sure that he (Om Birla) will win..." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Non-biological PM has broken this tradition, Congress on Speaker election Barely 24 hours after his hypocrisy-laden pravachan on consensus and cooperation the non-biological PM has made a contest for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker inevitable. Convention has been that the Speaker is elected unanimously and the Deputy Speaker's post goes to the Opposition. The non-biological PM has broken this tradition. It is actually no surprise. He has still not woken up to the reality of the 2024 poll verdict which was a PPM defeat for him--personal, political and moral, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Opposition was adamant on their condition, says Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh says, "To talk about the Speaker's position, KC Venugopal and TR Balu had come. They spoke to the Defence Minister. The Defence Minister informed about the Lok Sabha Speaker candidate from the NDA side and he asked for support. Venugopal said that the name of the deputy speaker should be accepted... The defence minister said that when that election comes, we will sit together and discuss... They were adamant on their condition. 'Sharton ke aadhar par wo loktantra chalana chahte hain, dabaav ki rajneeti karna chate hain... This does not work in a democracy..." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Lok Sabha Speaker post On Lok Sabha Speaker post, Union Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leader Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says, "It is not a good thing to keep conditions. Democracy does not work on conditions. And as far as the Speaker election is concerned, whatever should have been done by the NDA, they all did it. Specially Rajnath Singh ji, being a senior leader, reached out to everyone. He also reached out to the opposition and told them that we are proposing Om Birla ji's name, so your help is needed in this. So when it was their turn to help, they put up a condition that we would do it only if you give us this (Deputy Speaker post). There was never a convention to support Speaker on a conditional basis...They want to do politics in this too..." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Deputy Speaker is our right, Congress MP K Suresh's first reaction after filing nomination On his nomination for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, Congress MP K Suresh says, "I have filed my nomination. It is the party's decision, not mine. There is a convention in Lok Sabha that the Speaker will be from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker will be from the opposition... Deputy Speaker is our right. But they are not ready to give it to us. Till 11:50 am we were waiting for a response from the government, but they did not give any response. That is why we filed the nomination." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: No election has ever taken place for Speaker post, says Kiren Rijiju Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "We had a conversation with all the floor leaders of the Opposition regarding the post of the Speaker. The Speaker is not for a party, it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for the Speaker. No election has ever taken place for the post of the Speaker. Congress put this condition that if they get the post of Deputy Speaker they will support our candidate for the Speaker's post. This give and take of posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right..." Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: BJP MP Om Birla takes oath as member of 18th Lok Sabha BJP MP Om Birla takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. He also filed his nomination papers for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker today. Lok Sabha Session Day 2 LIVE: Still waiting if they are ready to give Deputy Speaker post', says KC Venugopal Mumbai hoarding collapse: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday suspended IPS officer Quaiser Khalid, who was serving as the Commissioner of Government Railway Police, for allowing the illegal hoarding that collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area without the go-ahead from the Director General of Police (DGP) office. On May 13, the illegal hoarding collapse resulted in the death of 17 people and injured over 70. The hoarding collapsed onto a petrol pump amid gusty winds and a dust storm that day. The Maharashtra government had constituted a committee under former Allahabad High Court chief justice Dilip Bhosle to probe the hoarding collapse in Mumbai. Also Read | Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Mumbai Crime Branch SIT intensifies probe So far, police have arrested Bhavesh Bhinde, director of Ego Media Private Limited, which had erected the structure, its former staffers Janhavi Marathe and Sagar Patil, as well as structural engineer Manoj Sanghu, who provided the stability certificate allegedly without detailed inspection. BMC engineer Sunil Dalvi, who was posted in N Ward, has been questioned by the Mumbai Police's special investigation team (SIT). An official said the Director General of Railway Police carried out an internal inquiry into the incident, which submitted its report to the Maharashtra DGP, who in turn handed it over to the state government. As per the probe carried out so far, the hoarding came up on land in possession of Government Railway Police and the permission to erect it near a petrol pump was given to Ego Media Private Limited for 10 years with the approval of then Police Commissioner of Government Railway Police Quaiser Khalid. Also Read | Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Bhavesh Bhide arrested by Mumbai Police A report submitted by Veermata Jijabai Institute of Technological Institute (VJTI) contended that the hoarding's foundation was inadequate and weak. While any hoarding structure must be able to withstand wind speeds of 158 kilometres per hour (kmph), the one that collapsed was able to withstand wind speeds of just 49 kmph, the VJTI report said. On the day of the incident, the wind speed was 87 kmph, the official added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the dark days of Emergency on Tuesday, paying homage to all those men and women who resisted the imposition by the then-Congress government on June 25, 1975. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi wrote, DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly. In 1975, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, declared an Emergency, suspending most civil rights for over two years. She eventually called for elections in 1977. PM Modi said the then-Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. "Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections, he said. The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again, the Prime Minister added. This is not the first time the prime minister has condemned the Emergency. In 2023, on June 18, during the 102nd episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi, had said, Lakhs of people opposed the Emergency with full might. Supporters of democracy were tortured so much during that time, that even today, it makes the mind tremble". 1975 Emergency The Emergency, spanning from 1975 to 1977, was a period marked by the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of the press, and widespread persecution of political opponents under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in India. In a broadcast on All India Radio late on June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of Emergency shortly after the Supreme Court stayed the Allahabad High Court's verdict against her election. Indira Gandhi had cited a "deep conspiracy" to impose Emergency and initiated widespread arrests of opposition leaders. Gandhi, who had won decisively in 1971 and led the liberation of Bangladesh, faced growing instability with protests and legal challenges. Prajwal Revanna sexual harassment case: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police has filed a fourth FIR against Prajwal Revanna, former Janata Dal (Secular) MP from Hassan, focusing on allegations of sexual harassment. This latest case diverges from previous ones by invoking sections of the Indian Penal Code related to sexual harassment, stalking, criminal intimidation, and the clandestine recording and dissemination of images of victims. Also Read | Prajwal Revanna case: Karnataka HC grants anticipatory bail to Bhavani Revanna Who all are named in Prajwal Revanna 4th case; the sexual harassment case? The new FIR also names three additional individuals, including former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda from Hassan. According to reports from news agency ANI, Preetham Gowda, Kiran, and Sharath stand accused of sharing images recorded by Prajwal Revanna during incidents of sexual harassment via video calls. Also Read | Prajwal Revanna remanded in judicial custody for 14 days What does the FIR say? The complaint outlines that the victim and her family have endured significant embarrassment and damage to their reputation due to these actions. Which sections have been invoked in the FIR? The sections invoked in the fourth FIR include IPC sections 354(A) (sexual harassment), 354(D) (stalking), 354(B) (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), along with Section 66 E (violation of privacy) of the Information Technology Act. Also Read | Suraj Revanna sexual abuse case: MLC remanded in judicial custody for 14 days Suraj Revanna's brother arrested for the sexual assault of a male JD(S) worker Separately, Suraj Revanna, brother of Prajwal Revanna and a Janata Dal (Secular) MLC, was arrested following allegations of sexually assaulting a male party worker at his farmhouse in Hassan district. Pune Porsche car accident: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued an order for the immediate release of a 17-year-old boy linked to the recent Porsche car accident in Pune from an observation home. The teen was accused of illegally driving a Porsche car, in an inebriated state, when his car rammed into a two-wheeler killing two techies from Madhya Pradesh. The Bombay High Court division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande quashed the orders issued by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) remanding the minor to the observation home. We allow the petition and order his release. The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) shall be in the care and custody of the petitioner (paternal aunt), the court said. The bench noted that the JJB's remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. The court said amid the "immediate reaction to the accident, the kneejerk reaction, and the public outcry, the CCL's age was not considered." The bench said, The CCL is under 18 years old. His age needs to be considered. It said the court was bound by law and the aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act and must treat him as any child in conflict with the law, separately from an adult, despite the seriousness of the crime. "CCLs are to be considered differently," the HC said. The order was passed in a plea filed by the 17-year-old boy's paternal aunt, who claimed he was illegally detained and sought his immediate release. The boy's aunt, in the plea, argued that because of the public uproar coupled with political agenda, the police deviated from the right course of investigation with regards to the minor boy, thus defeating the entire purpose of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Prashant Patil, lawyer of the minor accused said, "Today we challenged the three remands of the juvenile justice board before the high court... We argued...and released for his immediate release. Today, the court has directed for the release. The custody has to be granted to the paternal aunt..." The teenager, accused by police of driving drunk in a luxury car that collided with a two-wheeler on May 19, resulting in the deaths of two techies, had been housed at an observation home in Pune, Maharashtra. After the fatal May 19 accident, the juvenile involved was initially granted bail on flimsy grounds but was later remanded to an observation home by the Juvenile Justice Board on May 22, following a police request to amend the bail order. The boy's family claimed undue influence on the investigation. New Delhi: The southwest monsoon, which stalled after reaching Mumbai on 9 June, two days ahead of its usual date, will regain momentum in the next couple of days, according to private weather forecaster Skymet. "Weather conditions are becoming increasingly favourable for the monsoon to advance across several key regions," Skymet said. Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Uttar Pradesh can expect the arrival of the monsoon within the next two days. This development is critical for the kharif crop season, as planting depends on the first showers of the southwest monsoon. The agriculture ministry is yet to release data on the area sown under various crops due to the slow progress of monsoon, despite its arrival in Kerala on 31 May, a day ahead of schedule and five days earlier than normal in northeast India. The southwest monsoon brings nearly 70% of the rain India needs for its farms and to refill reservoirs and aquifers. The timely arrival of monsoon is crucial for India's agricultural sector, considering that around 56% of the net cultivated area and 44% of food production depend on monsoon rainfall. Normal precipitation is essential for robust crop production, maintaining stable food prices, especially for vegetables, and bolstering economic growth. Agriculture contributes about 14% to India's gross domestic product, underscoring the importance of a good monsoon. As of 24 June, the national rainfall deficit was 18%, with variations across the country. East and northeast India were deficient by 16%, while the situation is more concerning in northwest India with a staggering 56% deficit. Central India had a 22% shortfall, while the southern Peninsula had a surplus of 10%. "The coming days, however, bring hope for a significant improvement," Skymet said. What IMD said The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the southwest monsoon has advanced into parts of the north Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, southwest Rajasthan, and southern West Uttar Pradesh. Recent data from IMD shows a trend of snail-paced monsoon rainfall in June, followed by prolonged, heavy rainfall in September. This shift is accompanied by rising temperatures during monsoon months and an increase in the number of dry days over eastern India. On heatwave, the IMD noted no significant change in maximum temperatures in northwest and central India over the next two days, with a subsequent drop of 2-4C. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged in other regions. Also Read: Dead in the water: How heatwaves are killing fish On Monday, maximum temperatures were in the range of 40-43 degree Celsius in Punjab, west Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and 38-40 degree Celsius over a few parts of west Uttar Pradesh and isolated pockets of Saurashtra and Kutch. Women government employees are entitled to take up to 180 days of maternity leave for children born through surrogacy, following recent amendments by the Centre to the 50-year-old rule. According to the amendment in the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, the commissioning mother (the intending mother of the child born through surrogacy) with child care leave is eligible for these leaves. The government also grants paternity leave of 15 days to the commissioning father. Also read: Why should you consider maternity insurance before starting a family? Here are 5 key reasons The notice dated June 18, issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension states, In case of surrogacy, the surrogate, as well as the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children, may be granted maternity leave of 180 days, in case either or both of them are government servants. Until now, for cases where a couple conceived a child via surrogacy, there was no provision to grant maternity leaves to women government employees. The rule amendment brings major relief to the surrogate and commissioning mother with less than two surviving children. Also read: Are maternity-related expenses covered under health insurance? The notice further reads, "In case of a child begotten through surrogacy, the commissioning father who is a male government servant with less than two surviving children may be granted paternity leave of 15 days within the period of 6 months from the date of delivery of the child. The current regulations permit "a female government servant and single male government servant" to take childcare leave for up to 730 days throughout their service to care for their two oldest surviving children. These leaves could be taken for raising children or to attend to any of their needs, such as education or illness. Mumbai's first underground metro, expected to ease traffic congestion on the city roads, is set to begin operations in July. The 33.5 km stretch of the underground metro begins at Aarey Colony and goes on to cover as many as 27 train stations. The second phase of the tunnel will likely begin in the next few months to cover more areas in the city. Listed are the train timings, stations that will be covered under the underground metro project and schedule. What are the stations under Mumbai underground metro project? As many as 27 locations, spanning over 56 km stretch, will be covered under the underground metro project in Mumbai. According to reports, 26 stations will be underground. Also Read | Mukesh Ambani deepfake video leads Mumbai woman lose 7 lakh in share market s The stations include: Cuffe Parade, Vidhan Bhavan, Churchgate, Hutatma Chowk, CST Metro, Kalabadevi, Girgaon, Grant Road, Mumbai Central Metro, Mahalaxmi, Science Museum, Acharya Atre Chowk, Worli, Siddhivinayak, Dadar, Sitaladevi, Dharavi, BKC, Vidyanagari, Santacruz, Domestic Airport, Sahar Road, International Airport, Marol Naka, MIDC, SEEPZ and Aarey Depot. Aarey and BKC are two areas in Mumbai that usually witness heavy traffic, especially during rains. What are the train timings? The underground metro services will begin at 6:30 am and continue until 11 pm. Reports say trains, running at a speed of up to 90 km per hour, will be available to commuters every few minutes. How is DMRC involved in Mumbai underground metro project? The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been awarded the contract for operation and maintenance of Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro's line 3 by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Russia earlier in July, Russian President Vladimir Putins foreign affairs aide, Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday. He said Modis visit was being prepared but didnt announce a date, saying that it will be done jointly later. Top news of the day: On 25 June, a series of events are set to take place right from politics to business. Market indices Sensex and Nifty touched a new record high on Tuesday's trading session. Delhi HC stayed the trial courts June 20 order releasing Arvind Kejriwal on bail in a money-laundering case. In a first in the history of Independent India, Om Birla and K Suresh filed their nominations as candidates for the Lok Sabha Speaker election. Arvind Kejriwals bail stayed: Delhi HC says trial court did not apply its mind | 5 things the bench said In a major setback to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, June 25, stayed the trial courts June 20 order releasing the chief minister on bail in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. The Delhi High Court noted that the trial court had not applied its mind when granting bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor. Read more New Milestone! Sensex jumps over 600 pts to touch 78,000 for first time, Nifty surpasses 23,600 Market indices Sensex and Nifty touched a new record high on Tuesday's trading session. On June 25, the Sensex surged by 600 points, scaling to 78,000 mark and the Nifty exceeded the 23,600 mark to reach new record highs. This rise was driven by strong trends in Asian markets and buying in blue-chip banks. Both indices opened on a positive note in early trading, supported by gains in financial services and banking stocks. Read more Quant Mutual Fund front-running crisis: PrimeInvestor says exit call on funds subscriber-centric PrimeInvestor, a prominent Chennai-based investment recommendation platform, has garnered significant attention across social and print media due to its recent stance on Quant Mutual Fund. Following reports of regulatory actions by SEBI at Quant Mutual Fund's premises, PrimeInvestor issued an 'exit call' for all equity and hybrid funds managed by Quant AMC, regardless of their previous recommendations. Read more Om Birla vs K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post: Top things to know about them In a first in the history of Independent India, Om Birla and K Suresh filed their nominations on Wednesday, June 26, as candidates for the Lok Sabha Speaker election, representing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and INDIA bloc, respectively. Read more BJP MP's Jai Hindu Rashtra during oath-taking ceremony in Lok Sabha; triggers controversy Chaos ensued in the Lok Sabha after BJP MP from Bareilly Chhatra Pal Singh Gangwar ended his oath with 'Jai Hindu Rashtra'. Gangwar's statement seemed to have been made in a tit-for-tat reply to AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's 'Jai Palestine'. Read more Allied Blenders and Distillers IPO: Issue subscribed 51% on Day 1; check GMP, other key details Allied Blenders and Distillers IPO subscription status: On the first day of bidding, the initial public offering of Allied Blenders and Distillers Ltd, the company that produces Officer's Choice Whisky, has received 51% subscription, as per BSE data. With the employee portion fully booked and the retail and non-institutional investor portion gradually showing interest, the issue seems to sail through its first day. Read more June 25 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Waymo said on Tuesday its autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is now available to everyone in San Francisco, nearly four years after a similar move in Phoenix, Arizona. Driverless vehicles are expected to drive commercial success for automakers even as regulatory scrutiny remains tight amid concerns of investors about growing investments in the nascent technology. Waymo had started a test service with its research-focused program in San Francisco in 2021, which included an autonomous specialist on board for all rides at that time, as it looked to commercialize the technology. The company said that about 300,000 people had signed up to ride with Waymo since it first opened a waitlist in the city, signaling strong demand. Now with open access, anyone can request a ride on its app. The company had opened access to everyone in Phoenix, Arizona without a waitlist in 2020. Mountain View, California-based Waymo is a self-driving technology pioneer, which started its first U.S. driverless taxi service in 2020 over a decade after it was born in 2009 as a project inside Google. In March, the company received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to start its Waymo One in Los Angeles and some cities near San Francisco. Rivals including General Motors-backed Cruise and Amazon.com's Zoox are accelerating a race to succeed amid probes by auto regulators involving the performance of autonomous driving cars. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a London prison on Monday, June 24, after he sealed a plea deal with the US Justice Department in nearly 14-year-old espionage case that centered around the publication of a number of classified defense documents, including the wrongdoings in Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and exposing government secrets. After his plea deal with the United States, Julian Assange was taken from Belmarsh prison, where he had spent five years, to London's Stansted airport. The 52-year-old Australian was later seen boarding a flight and flying to an unnamed destination. After his release, Julian Assange will be free to fly back to his native Australia. Later this week, Julian Assange is expected to appear in a US federal court in the Mariana Islands on Wednesday and plead guilty to unlawfully obtaining classified national defense information, allowing him to walk free and ending multiple-country spanning legal saga, the Justice Department in its filing in court. What did WikiLeaks say? In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), WikiLeaks said Julian Assange departed the UK after release from jail and boarded a plane, not revealing where he took the flight to. WikiLeaks said it was grateful for all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, after having spent 1,901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK, WikiLeaks said. It said, WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. Following the publication of secret documents in 2010, Julian Assange was heralded by many as an advocate of free speech until he was accused of sexual molestation. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed on Tuesday, June 25, from London jail where he spent five years fighting extradition to the United States for releasing secret government documents in 2010. Ending the nearly 14-year-old legal battle, Julian Assange was released after he struck a plea deal with the United States Justice Department, buying his way to freedom. Julian Assange is expected to return to his native Australia after completion of the plea deal he has struck with the Joe Biden government. After his plea deal, Julian Assange took an airplane for an unnamed location. In a statement on X, WikiLeaks said, Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. Heralding him as an advocate of free speech, the organisation said Julian Assange spent 1,901 days of captivity in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day. It also released a video of Julian Assange boarding a flight to depart London. What did Joe Biden government's plea deal entail to pave way for his release? Under the plea deal, Julian Assange will plead guilty to the charges under the Espionage Act and go free. The charge that he has to plead guilty to is conspiring to unlawfully obtain and release classified US national defence documents. Pleading guilty to the charge in the espionage case will end the US pursuit of Julian Assange in the nearly 14-year-old battle that began when WikiLeaks published thousands of documents on Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A filing from the US Department of Justice to the US district court stated: .we anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge in the Information of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793(g), and be sentenced by the Court for that offense. Filing from the US Department of Justice to the US district court Fighting extradition to the US for years, Julian Assange will be travelling to the country for a day and appear US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to enter his guilty plea. The hearing is likely to happen later this week. Will Julian Assange be jailed again? Julian Assange will be sentenced at the hearing but might not be further sent to jail. Under the agreement, pending approval by a judge, the WikiLeaks founder is expected to receive credit for the five years that he has already served at the London jail and will not be sentenced to prison time further. Once Julian Assange is sentenced, he will travel back to Australia and join his family. Also Read | Julian Assanges fight for freedom is far from over Why did WikiLeaks reveal in 2010? In one of the major security breaches in the history of the US, WikiLeaks published thousands of classified documents on the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also released a video featuring a US military aircraft and some Iraqi civilians being killed in Baghdad. The incident also killed two journalists. One of the most pivotal letters Albert Einstein ever wrote is up for sale. In the summer of 1939, with war in Europe looming, several U.S. scientists entreated Einstein to warn President Franklin D. Roosevelt about recent advances in nuclear research that Germany might leverage to invent an atomic bomb. Einstein, a pacifist, set to work. The renowned physicist holed up in a cabin on Long Islands North Shore with a fellow scientist, Leo Szilard, who helped him write a letter beseeching Roosevelt to invest in atomic energy research before the Nazis could harness the same science to make extremely powerful bombs." Roosevelt, equally spooked, responded by forming a committee that served as a precursor to the Manhattan Projectthe scientific endeavor chronicled in last years hit film Oppenheimer." Today, Einsteins original letter to Roosevelt is held at the presidents namesake library and museum in Hyde Park, N.Y. But the physicist also wrote and signed a second, slightly shorter version that Szilard held on to for safekeeping, and this version is now up for sale. This September, Christies plans to ask at least $4 million for this two-page, typed letter, which is dated Aug. 2, 1939, and begins bluntly. Sir: Recent work in nuclear physics made it probable that uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy." Szilard kept his version of Einsteins letter for the rest of his life; his heirs later sold it off. In 2002, publisher and collector Malcolm S. Forbes caused a stir when he auctioned off the letter for $2.1 milliona sum that reset the record at the time for anything connected to Einstein or Roosevelt and the first 20th-century historical document to top $1 million. The letters winning bidder was Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose estate is reselling the document now. The sale follows the massive, $1.6 billion selloff of Allens art collection two years ago, a moment thats come to symbolize the last market peak. Art values are more volatile today, but dealers say collectors tend to show up for pieces with historical ties to American icons. This letter, written by one and addressed to another, may offer a compelling twofer. The letter isnt likely to break the $13 million record set in 2021 for one of Einsteins few surviving records detailing his theory of general relativity. But the record for any letter by Einstein is $2.8 million set in 2018 for a letter in which the physicist ruminates on God and religion. Marc Porter, chairman of Christies Americas, said collectors like Allen trace a direct link from Einsteins letter and the origins of the Manhattan Project to subsequent technological breakthroughs that fueled the space race and eventually the computer agethe arena where Allen made his own mark. Before he died in 2018, Allen displayed much of his computer collection at his now-shuttered Seattle museum, Living Computers: Museum + Labs. But the collector kept his Einstein letter private, Porter said. He undoubtedly knew it was one of the most important documents in the history of the 20th century, and thats not the kind of thing you just hang in your office," Porter said. More likely, Porter said the collector kept the pages stored where they wouldnt be damaged by sunlight. William Harris, director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, said the museum occasionally exhibits its own original letter, though it prefers to display a facsimile because Einstein signed it using a pencil, and curators dont want anything to fade. Einstein was a global superstar" by the time he wrote the president, Harris said, and the two men were already acquaintances. Five years earlier, Roosevelt even invited Einstein to stay overnight at the White House, where they dined, Harris said. Harris said scientists smartly reasoned that if Einstein warned the president about the risks and rewards of atomic energy, Roosevelt would take it seriouslyand he did. Roosevelt wouldnt have understood the science right away, but he wouldve trusted the sender," he said. Christies plans to include its Einstein atomic-bomb letter in one of three sales comprising Allens collection of scientific and technological pieces. Other offerings in the coming series will include a 1971 computer from the first series ever used by Allen and his Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates; the computer from this PDP-10 series is estimated to sell for at least $30,000. Also up for grabs: A Gemini spacesuit that once belonged to spacewalking astronaut Ed White is also estimated to sell for at least $80,000. The series will also include some space-themed art Allen collected over the years, including Chesley Bonestells 1952 planetary scene, Saturn as Seen from Titan." Its estimated to sell for at least $30,000. Write to Kelly Crow at kelly.crow@wsj.com Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met in Washington on Monday as the Biden administration struggles to forge a cease-fire in Gaza and prevent a war with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. The meeting occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly accused the US of withholding weapons as it pursues its Gaza campaign, which began nearly nine months ago with an assault on Israel by Hamas. The White House has denied that weapons have been held back, and a State Department account of the Blinken-Gallant encounter did not mention the arms dispute. Blinken, the department said, discussed efforts to free Israeli hostages and urged Gallant to take additional steps to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza and deliver assistance throughout Gaza in full coordination with the United Nations. The secretary also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes. Earlier: Netanyahu Sees End to Weapons Dispute as Gallant Heads to US US envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to the Middle East last week in a bid to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which are threatening to spiral into a full-blown war. Gallant was also expected to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of Israels offensive in the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Some 37,000 people have been killed in the ensuing war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants. Google Doodle Today: Google Doodle on June 25, is celebrating Slovenia National Day 2024, or Dan drzavnosti. On this day in 1991, Slovenia passed a declaration of independence from foreign rule and became a free nation. All you need to know about Slovenia National Day 2024 The origins of Slovenian independence date back to a 1987 article in the Nova Revija magazine, in which several intellectuals called for separation from Yugoslavia. Following this, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights spearheaded a significant democratic movement, heightening Slovenian nationalism throughout the country. In December 1990, an independence referendum was conducted, resulting in 94.8% of votes supporting sovereignty. Also Read | Google Doodle celebrates Portugal Day, all you need to know On Statehood Day, the white, blue, and red national flag is prominently displayed at Ljubljana Castle, where independence was initially declared. The tricolour stripes signify a unified Slovenia, and the coat of arms reflects the country's rich landscape. Many people participate in celebratory gatherings in the capital, while others take advantage of the occasion to engage in outdoor activities such as hiking or enjoying the seaside. Also Read | Google Doodle today marks Belgium National Elections 2024 On June 10, Google Doodle also celebrated Portugal Day, aka Dia de Portugal, aka de Camoes e das Comunidades Portuguesas in Portuguese. Portugal's national holiday remembers the legendary poet Luis de Camoes. His poem Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads), written in 1572, is considered Portugal's national epic. The poem celebrates the country's culture and its discoveries and explorations. The work also mentions Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India. The ten cantos of the poem are in ottava rima and total 1,102 stanzas. Also Read | Google Doodles celebrate European Parliament elections 2024 in 4 countries The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russias former defense minister and its army chief for war crimes committed during Moscows invasion of Ukraine, ramping up its moves against Russia following charges against President Vladimir Putin and other officials. The ICC charged Sergei Shoigu, who was defense minister until last month, and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of the war in Ukraine, with directing attacks at Ukraines power grid, causing excessive harm to civilians and civilian objects. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts," the courts judges said in a statement Tuesday. Last year, the ICC issued warrants against Putin and a senior Kremlin official, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, on accusations of mass deportation of children to Russia from occupied areas of Ukraine. That was followed this March by warrants for two Russian commanders the court said were accused of targeting Ukraines power grid. Based in The Hague, the ICC is an independent tribunal established by treaty in 2002 to hold military and civilian leaders accountable for breaches of humanitarian law when a nations own legal system cant or wont do so. It is separate from the International Court of Justice, an arm of the United Nations that hears disputes between nations. In addition to Ukraine, both courts have cases involving the Hamas-Israel war. Violations of the ICCs founding treaty, the Rome Statute, can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It is unlikely either Shoigu or Gerasimov will be arrested anytime soon. Russia, like the U.S., Israel, China and India, hasnt ratified the Rome Statute. However, both men could be subject to arrest if they travel to countries that are signatories to the ICC. On Tuesday, Russias Security Council called the charges null and void" and said they were part of Wests hybrid war against our country," according to state news agency TASS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the ICCs move and said that this decision is a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians is inevitable." It clearly demonstrates that no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability," he said in a post on X. We look forward to more arrest warrants in order to deprive Russia of its sense of impunity." The court said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure in the period of October 2022 until at least March 2023. During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine," the court said. The campaign to knock out Ukraines power grid at issue began on Oct. 10, 2022, with a missile barrage targeting cities across the country. The missiles struck a host of civilian sites, including two public parks in Kyiv, killing more than a dozen people in the capital alone. Over the next five months, Moscow launched more than 1,000 missiles and 1,000 attack drones into Ukraine, with most of them targeting urban areas and infrastructure, according to Ukraines air force. Prolonged blackouts hit many Ukrainian cities, leaving millions of people without electricity. In many buildings, power outages also knocked out the heat. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the time that the attacks were designed to slow the delivery of munitions. The ICC has asserted jurisdiction in the Ukraine conflict at Kyivs request. The ICC has no police force, but member states are obligated to honor its warrants. Putin replaced Shoigu as defense minister in a reshuffle in May after he started his fifth term as president. Shoigu, a longtime ally to Putin, was replaced by economist Andrei Belousov. Gerasimov remains in his job. Write to Georgi Kantchev at georgi.kantchev@wsj.com The European Union Monday imposed sanctions on 19 Chinese companies aimed at punishing what the West believes is Beijing's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. A list published in the EU's Official Journal includes several companies located in Hong Kong as well as two global satellite giants. The 14th package of sanctions against Russia added 61 new companies to the list of entities accused of directly "supporting Russia's military-industrial complex" in the war in Ukraine, bringing the total to 675 firms. Also Read | Wikileaks Julian Assange freed after plea deal with US in espionage case These companies are now subject to drastic restrictions over sales of "dual-use goods and technology" that could be used for the "enhancement of Russia's defence and security sector". China denies Western accusations that it is supporting Russia's military campaign. Among the newly added companies are two major players in the Chinese satellite industry involved in the sale of satellites and satellite imagery to Russia's Wagner mercenary group. In October, an AFP investigation revealed that Wagner in 2022 signed a contract worth more than $30 million with Chinese firm Beijing Yunze Technology Co Ltd to acquire two satellites and use their images. The contract was signed in November 2022, over half a year into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in which the Wagner group under its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was playing a key role on the battlefield. The two high-resolution satellites belonged to Chang Guang Satellite Technology, a leading global satellite company which was the unit to be added to the EU's sanctions list. Also Read | Blinken Meets With Israels Gallant Amid Netanyahu Complaints Another company named Monday was Head Aerospace Technology, which sells satellite images and was placed on a US sanctions list in 2023 for supplying the Wagner Group. Even if China does not deliver weapons directly to Russia, the United States and Europe accuse it of selling components and equipment to Moscow's military industry. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian has dismissed the claims as "false information". Russian-based companies make up about half of the 61 entities added to the EU's list Monday. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from a London jail after striking a plea deal with United States Justice Department in a nearly 14-year-old espionage case. The case centred around the publication of a number of classified defence documents and the exposing of government secrets by Assange and his foundation called WikiLeaks. Later this week, Assange is expected to appear in a US Federal Court in the Mariana Islands and plead guilty. As per the deal, he will plead guilty to unlawfully obtaining classified national defence information on June 26. Once done, Assange will walk free, ending the prolonged legal battle, a filing by the US Justice Department showed. Also Read | WikiLeaks Julian Assange released after plea deal with US in espionage case Who Is Julian Assange? Julian Assange, born in Townsville, Queensland (Australia) in 1971, is the 52-year-old founder of WikiLeaks. This non-profit, whistleblowing website has been instrumental in exposing government secrets worldwide, making Assange a prominent figure in the world of information transparency. It is most notably for its explosive leak of US military files related to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has spent more than a decade either in custody or holed up in Ecuador's London embassy, trying to avoid extradition first to Sweden to answer allegations of rape, and then to the US for alleged espionage. He had a peripatetic childhood and claims to have attended 37 schools before settling in Melbourne. As a teenager, Assange discovered a talent for computer hacking, due to which he had run-ins with the Australian police. But, he admitted most of the charges levelled against him, for which he paid a fine. Assange married his wife Stella in March 2022 in Belmarsh. He is the father of two boys. He met her when she worked on his case. Also Read | US Considers Plea Deal for Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange A Look At The Case Timeline Assange launched WikiLeaks in 2006 with like-minded IT experts and activists, AFP reported. His legal battles began in 2010 after WikiLeaks published information from classified documents about US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rape allegations in Sweden then followed, which he denied. He was in Britain when Sweden sought his extradition. Ecuador granted him political asylum and let him into its London embassy in 2012. Assange lived in a small apartment in the embassy for seven years from 2012. He described his situation as living in a space station. While Americans see the war in the Middle East winding down, Israelis worry it is only beginning. Hezbollah has been escalating its strikes on Israel, and the Iranian proxy militia could provoke a larger war unless the U.S. gives it a good reason not to. Washington is too fixated on restraining Israel to notice. The latest misfire is Sundays comments by Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to reporters on his way to Botswana. According to the Associated Press, Americas top military officer said the U.S. wont likely be able to help Israel defend itself against a broader Hezbollah war as well as it helped Israel fight off an Iranian barrage of missiles and drones in April." He warned Israel to think about the second order of effect of any type of operation into Lebanon," including danger to U.S. forces, and said the Iranians could join the fray directly and give greater support to their proxy particularly if they felt that Hezbollah was being significantly threatened." Thats a calculated red light to Israeldont count on U.S. help, do count on Irans wrathbut what message is the general sending to Hezbollah? In the groups leader Hassan Nasrallahs bunker, it probably sounds like: Go ahead. You can get away with more." He would be mistaken, at great cost to the people of Lebanon. The Biden Administration has warned on other occasions in this war that it might not act to help Israel, and still Israel has done what it needed to do. The other half of this Biden policy is the withholding of armaments, slowing their flow to Israel over the past four months with bureaucratic delays. This gives the President plausible deniability, even though the delays and extended reviews were absent when the Administration wanted them to be. The White House goal is to discourage a larger war, but a policy of weakening Israel has the opposite effect. It emboldens Hezbollah to keep shooting and extend its range. This increases the domestic pressure in Israel to do something about it. Unprovoked, Hezbollah has already fired nearly 5,000 rockets, missiles and mortars at northern Israel since Oct. 7, depopulating the region. Not that Iran cares, but a major war between Hezbollah and Israel could wreck Lebanon. Central Israel could take damage like it never has before. The stakes are high, which makes the U.S. policy of publicly trying to deter Israel even harder to figure. Israel is less likely to be compelled to fight Hezbollah if 70,000 Israelis can return to their homes safely in northern Israel. This means quieting Hezbollahs rocket fire and convincing it to remove its fighters from the buffer zone in Southern Lebanon. But Hezbollah has no reason to do that if it thinks it can keep firing away and President Biden will protect it from the consequences. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transformed payments. In the process, it streamlined transactions, connected banks and enabled ecosystem players to build citizen-centric solutions. In 20 years, credit card companies got just 9 million point-of-sale terminals to merchants, whereas, just eight years after its launch, India already has 350 million UPI QR codes. The UPI journey didnt start by merely digitizing the existing payment system. Instead, it focused on the outcomes it was looking to achieve. All the steps required to enable thatthe actors that had to be aligned, the technology that needed to be built, the incentives that had to be created, and the governance that was requiredwere conceptualized with that in mind. We need a similar transformation of dispute resolution in the country. But, where do we start? In an earlier article, we discussed the idea of selecting an appropriate unit of change for reform. What then is the most effective unit of change for transforming the dispute resolution experience? Also read: We need judicial system reforms to ensure swift disposal of cases For a citizen, a disputefrom the moment it is triggered until it is resolvedis a single experience that is not segmented by different institutions or processes. The objective is to resolve the dispute effectively without worrying about engaging with various other institutions, actors or processes. If our goal is to transform citizens dispute resolution experience, then the obvious unit of change to focus on would be dispute type. The first step would be to map out the entire journey of the parties in a dispute. With this understanding, we will be able to adapt the justice system to the user, using technology to the maximum extent possible. Lets see how this might work in cheque-bouncing disputes, which comprise 10-15% of criminal cases in the country. How might we re-imagine these disputes from the perspective of citizens? Could we, for instance, design a system where banks proactively send alerts to the parties, providing them information needed to take necessary action? Can ensure that citizens get reliable information on their rights, obligations and choices from AI chatbots? Can we help them easily discover mediators and lawyers through a portal? Can we use existing digital ecosystems like the GST information network and that of the National Payments Corporation of India to offer credentialled digital evidence for them to use? Can we build digital ecosystems that reliably deliver notices to relevant parties? Can we offer them ways to asynchronously submit documents or digitally request the rescheduling of hearings? Can all the systems that a citizen interacts with operate seamlessly with each other? We can set up special courts to resolve distinct dispute types. This will let us carry out the changes we are proposing within a sand-boxed environment that would allow us to iterate and validate the reimagined process within the confines of a single dispute type. It will allow us to narrowly focus the change management efforts that are needed in a manner that will make outcomes easily measurable. These special courts can be used to demonstrate proofs-of-concept for the integration of other dispute types with the larger judicial system. A dispute-type approach would also give us the most bang for the buck. Many of the people (lawyers, litigants, judges) and actions (user authentication, issuance of summons, scheduling of hearings) that make up the user journey are common across multiple dispute types. If we can design each of them to be extendable and interoperable modules, it should be possible for us to adapt and deploy them across a wide range of different dispute types as needed. Taking dispute type as a unit of change has worked well for transforming the justice system in the past. Efforts in the UK and India to transform traffic penalty disputes have been successful. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal in the UK serves as a global benchmark for transformed resolution processes, allowing parties to upload digital evidence and asynchronously communicate. Since it sets time limits for each process, 90% of all its appeals progress to a decision without the need for a hearing, and 57% of its cases are closed within 15 days. In India, the concept of virtual courts challans has enabled a majority of cases to be settled at the summons stage without litigants having to go to court. The online dispute resolution (ODR) movement also gained momentum when it used dispute type as its unit of change. In the US, ODR providers first focused on e-commerce disputes before extending it to family and other disputes. In India, the early providers of ODR focused on unsecured loan disputes (involving personal loans and credit cards), as a result of which over 110,000 unsecured loan disputes with a total claim amount of more than 2,000 crore have been referred to ODR in the past two-three years. Over 65,000 awards have been passed via online arbitration and 10,000 plus settlements have been made in online mediation, with an average resolution time of 60 days. We dont need a faster caterpillar, we need a butterflya complete transformation of our dispute resolution ecosystem. This is not just desirable, but essential to tackle the mounting backlog of cases in Indian courts. More importantly, this transformation is necessary to ensure that the formal dispute resolution systems that we currently rely on continue to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. The 2024 Indian general election highlighted the failures of major social media platforms, Googles YouTube and Metas Facebook. Despite election preparedness promises, both fell visibly short on curbing disinformation and hate speech, while apparently profiting from opaque political advertising practices. Before the election, much of the focus was on the creation of content, especially the blows that artificial intelligence and deepfakes could deal to democracy. But the dissemination of contentpolitical ads, disinformation and AI-generated materialwas a relatively overshadowed issue. Fake images or videos lack impact without wide reach, which is ultimately controlled by the platforms algorithms for ads and posts. The election underscored the platforms failure to enforce their own policies. There continues to be opacity around how algorithms moderate content, and the data used for such algorithmic decision-making. This overarching lack of accountability is a warning sign for other countries, and an issue for Indias new government to prioritize. Also read: Inside the digital ads blueprint of BJP and Congress Experts labelled this years election as the YouTube election." Both YouTube and Facebook became prime venues for political content, used extensively by parties, candidates, content creators and the public. WhatsApp, which was pivotal in the 2019 election, was also used for campaigning this year. But YouTubes trump card was its virality potential with over 462 million users, and its ability to hyper-target audiences based on demographic and behavioural profiles. The platform became an alternative to traditional TV news, with opportunities for independent news media output and diverse content to thrive. As for the influence of social media on elections, a 2021 Oxford Economics report found that 87% of Indian YouTube users turn to the platform during national news events. A news daily reported a two-fold increase in YouTube subscribers of digital news channels and political leaders as the election approached. According to a Hindustan Times report, the official page of the BJP spent at least 19.38 crore on Facebook and Instagram, and the Congress spent at least 10.88 crore. Similarly, the BJP spent at least 85.8 crore, and the Congress at least 45.4 crore on Google, including YouTube. The ad repositories of Google and Meta, which are not as transparent as they should be, and only tell part of the story, show that the two companies earned 9-10 digit figures from just two major political parties between February and May 2024. In the lead-up to the election, Google pledged to support the democratic process by enforcing policies against false claims. However, an investigation by Global Witness and Access Now shows that YouTube approved 100% of submitted ads containing election disinformationincluding content that could result in vote suppression or plausibly even incite violencein English, Hindi and Telugu, violating its content policies. In contrast, YouTube had rejected such ads before the 2022 US midterm elections, pointing to a disparity in policy enforcement between regions and potentially reflecting internal choices on resource allocation to pre-poll supervision in the US over that in India. Meta also seems to have failed its self-regulation test. Civil society organizations found that Meta approved 14 out of 22 ads with inflammatory content within 24 hours, despite public commitments to detect and remove violative AI-generated content. Most users seeking to upload such content are not researchers, and do not withdraw before publication. The potential harm from such content reaching millions is significant. These examples are part of a broader pattern of large platforms placing profits over other concerns. The writing is on the wall for Indias new government and other democracies: Self-regulation by social media companies is inadequate. Platforms wield immense influence over elections, and their policy enforcement (or lack thereof) has real-world consequences. However, the regulatory efforts so far have mainly been aimed at shifting power from companies to the government. The need of the hour are policies that balance free expression, privacy and public accountability of algorithmic decisions. This is not a task for the government and tech companies to bilaterally address, as has often been done. The inclusion of technical experts, civil society and those impacted by these decisions can be a game-changer. Consultations on the upcoming Digital India Bill and data protection rules could help institute an inclusive-governance approach that fosters democratic engagement. With newly elected representatives, a burgeoning tech sector and several imminent digital-regulation frameworks, India has an opportunity to lead with workable solutions for the repercussions of Big Tech dominance and modes of governance that involve those who are impacted the most: the end users of social media platforms. Indias elevation of digital initiatives should be backed by leadership moves that focus on inclusive governance, compelling technology to be shaped in a way that empowers people. The country should send a clear message that platforms cannot have heightened accountability measures for the West and lax enforcement for the rest. A governance model which puts fundamental rights and collective deliberation up front would demonstrate a will to ensure that technology strengthens democracy. Senior BJP leader Vikram Verma on Tuesday said Rahul Gandhi should publicly express regret for the Emergency imposed by his grandmother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Verma, a former Union minister, also dubbed the Congress leader as "immature", claiming that he has no knowledge of the Articles of the Constitution. "Then prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency on the country for her vested interests without the consent of her cabinet, and murdered democracy. All civil rights were suspended," he told reporters in Indore. It was "surprising and ridiculous" that her grandson Rahul Gandhi was seen holding a copy of the Constitution in Parliament, Verma added. "First of all, Rahul should express regret that his grandmother did the wrong thing by imposing Emergency on the country," the BJP leader said. Lok Sabha News: Chaos ensued in the Lok Sabha after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bareilly Chhatra Pal Singh Gangwar ended his oath with 'Jai Hindu Rashtra'. Gangwar's statement seemed to have been made in a tit-for-tat reply to AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's 'Jai Palestine'. While being sworn in as an MP in the 18th Session of the Lok Sabha, Owaisi ended his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine." Owaisi, who has been elected from the Hyderabad seat for his fifth term, took the oath in Urdu and recited a prayer before taking it. INDIA bloc members vehemently opposed the 'Jai Hindu Rashtra' of the BJP MP from Bareilly and said that it goes against the principles of the Constitution of India. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav objected to Gangwar's 'Jai Hindu Rashtra' comment and said that "it was against the values of the Constitution." According to reports, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi chanted 'Jai Palestine' as he ended his oath as an elected member of the Lok Sabha. Also Read | Om Birla vs K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post: Top things to know about them Owaisi later said, Other members are also saying different things... I said 'Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine'. How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution? You should also listen to what others say. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine. On being asked the reason for saying 'Jai Palestine', Owaisi said, Waha ki awaam mahroom hai (The people there are destitute). Mahatma Gandhi has said so many things regarding Palestine and one can go and read. Owaisi's remarks sparked controversy, prompting BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje to object to his 'Jai Palestine' statement. The chair assured her that only approved discourse would be recorded. Owaisi clarified that he made his statement within parliamentary rules. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy later criticised Owaisi's slogan calling it absolutely wrong. This is against the rules of the House. He does not say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' while living in India... People should understand that he does unconstitutional work while living in the country, Reddy told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP MP from Ghaziabad, Atul Garg said Narendra Modi Zindabad at the end of his oath taking. The Opposition INDIA bloc opposed the same following which MP Atul Garg returned to the podium and said Dr. Hedgewar Zindabad. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took oath in Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Raebareli on Tuesday with a copy of the Constitution in his hand. Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal announced this on Tuesday, June 25. "CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab informing the decision of appointment of Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; other office bearers will be decided later," Venugopal said. The decision was taken after INDIA bloc leaders met at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Tuesday. Also Read | Congress, BJP issue whips for Lok Sabha MPs on Speaker election day Rahul Gandhi has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha. He took oath as an MP on Tuesday while holding a copy of the Constitution. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had won two Lok Sabha seats Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Following protocol, he vacated the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The Congress has decided to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as their candidate for the Wayanad seat. This also marks Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut. Also Read | Om Birla receives support from YSRCP in rare Lok Sabha Speaker contest Party leaders had urged Rahul Gandhi to run for Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The Congress, the single largest opposition party, won the post of opposition leader after a 10-year gap. It failed to secure 10 per cent of the Lok Sabha members required to secure the post in the last two elections. The Tuesday meeting at Kharge's residence also discussed the Opposition's strategy ahead of the rare Lok Sabha speaker election. The 18th Lok Sabha speaker will be elected on Wednesday, June 26. The ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have fielded their respective candidates K Suresh and Om Birla. Efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership to reach a consensus on the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to nominate eight-time MP K Suresh for the post. BEIJINGIn November last year, President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to boost engagement between ordinary Chinese and Americans, part of an effort to repair fraying ties ahead of a tense election year in the U.S. Instead, says Nicholas Burns, Washingtons ambassador in Beijing, China has actively undermined those ties, interrogating and intimidating citizens who attend U.S.-organized events in China, ramping up restrictions on the embassys social-media posts and whipping up anti-American sentiment. They say theyre in favor of reconnecting our two populations, but theyre taking dramatic steps to make it impossible," Burns said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. The 68-year-old Burns, a veteran diplomat who took up his post in April 2022, used unusually forceful language to criticize what he described as an effort by Beijing to weaken Americas standing and disrupt its diplomatic activities in China. The remarks by Burns show that, behind a fragile detente reached last year, there has been growing concern among U.S. officials about Beijings sincerity in improving relations. Burns, who spoke to the Journal at his embassy office in the Chinese capital, also took aim at Beijing for what he described as efforts to stir up anti-American sentiment domestically, saying that he was particularly concerned about the recent stabbing of four Iowa college instructors in northeastern China. Chinas Foreign Ministry and State Council Information Office didnt respond to questions from the Journal about the comments by Burns. Relations between the U.S. and China appeared to be stabilizing after a November summit in San Francisco between Xi and Biden. While in California, Xi said he hoped some 50,000 American exchange students would come to China over the next five years. Since the San Francisco summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other senior U.S. officials have been welcomed to Beijing by top Chinese leaders. Chinese officials have invoked the San Francisco vision" to call for more dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. China has struck a string of deals to send giant pandas to zoos in Washington, San Francisco and San Diego. Despite the bonhomie, tensions have continued to simmer between the superpowers over Chinas indirect support for Russias war in Ukraine and its increasing reliance on exports that have driven down prices in global markets. Strains in relations are also growing ahead of Novembers presidential election in the U.S., where Biden and his rival, former President Donald Trump, have sharply criticized each others approach on China. In the interview, Burns said that Beijing has ramped up its suppression of American diplomatic activities in China. He tallied 61 public events since November in which Chinas Ministry of State Security or other government bodies pressured Chinese citizens not to go, or attempted to intimidate those who attended. Some attendees of the U.S. Embassy-organized eventswhich include talks by mental-health specialists, panel discussions on womens entrepreneurship, documentary screenings and cultural performanceshave been interrogated by officials, sometimes at home late at night. Beijing has also made it harder for Chinese students to attend U.S. universities, Burns said. University fairs across China have rescinded invitations for U.S. diplomatic staff to promote American colleges to high-school students and their parents, citing ideological or national-security concerns, the embassy said. Roughly half of students chosen for U.S.-funded exchange programs, amounting to dozens of people, have pulled out over the past two years, pointing to pressure from authorities, schools and employers. What they tell us and what they tell the world is they want people-to-people engagement, and yet this is not just episodic. This is routine. This is nearly every public event," Burns said. This is a serious breach and we hope that the PRC will reconsider," he added, using an acronym for the Peoples Republic of China. In one case, he said, a venue pulled the literal plug on a concert organized by the U.S. Embassy without explanation, saying there would be no electricity on the day of the event and effectively scuttling it. The venue hosted an event the prior night and then another one the night afterward with no apparent issue, embassy officials said. Its not the sign of a confident government," Burns said. For its part, China has complained in recent years that Washington has restricted the movements of its diplomats in the U.S., for instance asking them to seek advance approval for certain travel. Beijing says its citizens are regularly subjected to racism and discrimination in the U.S. while Chinese students holding U.S. visas have been subjected to harsh questioning upon arrival and, in some cases, been turned away. Burns dismissed the Chinese complaints, saying that more than 99% of student visa holders clear immigration without incident. Youve got to tell the truth on your visa applications, and if you dont, you get caught," he said, while allowing for the possibility of the occasional mistake by U.S. officials. The U.S. issued some 105,000 new student visas to Chinese citizens in 2023, the highest since before the pandemic, and is approving them at an even faster pace this year. Burns said they could issue even more if the U.S. Embassy were allowed to hire Chinese employees, who help process the hundreds of thousands of visa applications each year. Burns said China hasnt granted permission for the U.S. Embassy to hire any Chinese employee for three years now, including after the San Francisco summit. That means fewer local workers to handle the growing pile of visa applications, which Burns pointed to as evidence of the U.S.s undiminished appeal among ordinary Chinese. Despite Chinese citizens continued demand for U.S. visas, Burns said he was contending with a rise in anti-Americanism, which he suggested was stoked in part by officials in Beijing. Earlier this month, a Chinese man stabbed four Iowa college instructors in a city park in northeastern China. Local police said the suspected assailant, a 55-year-old Chinese man, bumped into one of the four foreigners, three of whom were American citizens. Authorities said they apprehended the suspect, but they havent released any further information about the incident. The four victims are recovering from their injuries, the embassy said. At least one of the instructors was discharged from the hospital and headed home, according to a family member. Im not satisfied that weve been given sufficient information as to the motives of the assailant," Burns said. More broadly, he added, Ive been concerned for my two-plus years here about the very aggressive Chinese governmentefforts to denigrate America, to tell a distorted story about American society, American history, American policy. It happens every day on all the networks available to the government here, and theres a high degree of anti-Americanism online." Burns said it was difficult to counter that message, given that the U.S. Embassys attempts to reach ordinary Chinese people through its accounts on Chinese social-media platforms have increasingly been stymied by censorship. Links and comments have been blocked, even on relatively innocuous posts such as readouts of bilateral meetings with Chinese counterparts and discussions of wildlife conservation. Burns says he has challenged his Chinese counterparts in closed-door meetings about what he sees as a widening gap between Beijings public commitments and its actions. Weve had innumerable conversations with the government of China about this and nothing has changed, and nothing gets fixed," he said. Write to Jonathan Cheng at Jonathan.Cheng@wsj.com TEL AVIVIsraels military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish students, the countrys Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, in a decision likely to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing coalition as Israel fights its war in Gaza. A unanimous panel of judges ruled that there is no legal basis for exempting ultra-Orthodox religious scholars after a series of laws and government decisions carving out service exemptions were either struck down by the court or expired. The ruling also blocks government funding for religious students without a valid military exemption, a decision that experts say could affect tens of thousands of current religious students and tens of millions of dollars in funding, raising the political stakes for the two ultra-Orthodox political parties upon which Netanyahus thin parliamentary coalition rests. The timeline for enforcing the draft is unclear, as the court authorized the military to determine its timing and target draft numbers. Israel has had a longstanding, but controversial, policy to excuse ultra-Orthodox youths from its broad-based national draft, which is mandatory for most Jewish citizens, as well as Druze minority men. Originating at the founding of the state in 1948, the exemptions were eventually enshrined in laws that were ultimately struck down as unequal by Israels top court. A government decision to defer enlistment action expired earlier this year. Manpower shortages tied to the nearly nine-month-long war between Israel and Hamas have turned the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription into a debate, while Israels defense establishment is separately pursuing legislation to raise service burdens on its current fighting base. Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have issued whips to their respective MPs, requiring their presence in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 26 June 2024, for the crucial Speaker's election. This is the third time Lok Sabha Speaker election will be held in post-Independence India. Before this, Lok Sabha Speaker elections were held in 1976 and 1952. The whip from Congress chief whip K Suresh urges all party members in the Lok Sabha to attend from 11.00 AM onwards and support the party's stance throughout the session. Suresh is the joint candidate representing the opposition INDIA bloc in the Speaker's election, where he will contest against NDA's Om Birla. "Very important issue will be taken up in the Lok Sabha tomorrow i.e. Wednesday, 26 June 2024. "All Members of Congress Party in the Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11:00 AM onwards till the adjournment of the House on 26 June 2024 without fail and support the Party stand," the whip issued by Congress chief whip K Suresh said. Also Read | Om Birla vs K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post: Top things to know about them Similarly, the BJP has also directed its MPs to be present for the Speaker's election, underlining the importance of their participation in this historic parliamentary event. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also issued a three-line-whip to its party MPs to remain in the Parliament tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards during the election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. "Harish Balayogi, Whip of the Telugu Desam Party, has issued a three-line whip to all TDP Members of Parliament, mandating their presence and vote for the NDA candidate, Shri Om Birla, in the upcoming Speaker elections scheduled for June 26, 2024. All members are requested to gather in the Parliamentary office, Room Number 111-B, by 10:30 AM", read the official release. The election of the Speaker is anticipated to be a pivotal moment in the current parliamentary session. Both alliancesNDA and INDIAare rallying their members to ensure their representation and adherence to party directives during the proceedings. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. INDIA bloc candidate, MP from Mavelikkara in Kerala, K Suresh is currently the longest-serving Lok Sabha MP, as he has remained MP for 29 years. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, fielded Kota MP Om Birla as Speaker post candidate for a second term. The opposition INDIA bloc has 234 MPs in Lok Sabha. TMC unhappy with INDIA bloc speaker candidate TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee criticized the decision to field Kodikunnil Suresh of the Congress as the joint nominee for the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha Speaker election, calling it a unilateral move. Banerjee stated that the Trinamool Congress Party was not consulted before this decision. Also Read | Modi 3.0: BJP MP Om Birla files nomination for 18th Lok Sabha Speaker post Prime Minister Narendra Modi raked up the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi era Emergency ahead of Monday's first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, calling the its imposition on June 25, 1975 as a 'black spot on the Constitution' of India. The Opposition INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, waved a copy of the Indian Constitution to the Prime Minister as he said this. June 25, 2024, marks the 49th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency by the country's first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Tomorrow is the 25th of June. For those dedicated to upholding the dignity of our Constitution and who believe in Bharat's democratic traditions, the 25th of June is an unforgettable day. Tomorrow marks 50 years since a dark chapter was written into India's democracy," PM Modi remarked on Monday. The new generation of Bharat must never forget how the Constitution was completely disregarded, torn apart, and the country was turned into a prison, with democracy utterly suppressed, Modi recalled. "These 50 years since the Emergency remind us to protect our Constitution and democracy with pride. The countrymen must resolve that such a travesty will never be allowed to happen again. We commit ourselves to ensuring a vibrant democracy and fulfilling the common man's dreams as outlined by the Indian Constitution This is not the first time the prime minister has condemned the Emergency. In 2023, on June 18, during the 102nd episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi, had said, Lakhs of people opposed the Emergency with full might. Supporters of democracy were tortured so much during that time, that even today, it makes the mind tremble. Imposition of Emergency in 1975 The Emergency, spanning from 1975 to 1977, was a period marked by the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of the press, and widespread persecution of political opponents under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in India. In a broadcast on All India Radio late on June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of Emergency shortly after the Supreme Court stayed the Allahabad High Court's verdict against her election. Indira Gandhi had cited a "deep conspiracy" to impose Emergency and initiated widespread arrests of opposition leaders. Gandhi, who had won decisively in 1971 and led the liberation of Bangladesh, faced growing instability with protests and legal challenges. The European Union has levied significant antitrust allegations against Microsoft, asserting that the tech giant unlawfully bundled its chat and video application, Teams, with its Office suite, thereby gaining an unfair market edge over competitors like Slack, reported Reuters. As per the wire agency, this move by the EU competition watchdog came two decades after Microsoft had faced a hefty fine from the EU. The recent actions were instigated by a 2020 complaint from Slack, a workspace messaging app owned by Salesforce. The European Commission, which serves as the EU's competition authority, stated that Microsoft had granted Teams a distribution benefit while imposing restrictions that hindered competitors from interacting with Microsoft's services, further disadvantaging rivals. EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager emphasized the importance of maintaining competition in the remote communication and collaboration tools market, noting that such competition drives innovation. Microsoft, which previously paid $2.4 billion in EU antitrust fines for similar practices of bundling products and other violations, now faces a potential fine amounting to 10 per cent of its global annual revenue if found guilty of these latest accusations. The Commission indicated that Microsoft's recent measures were insufficient to allay its concerns and that further changes were needed to reestablish competitive balance. Insiders revealed that the EU enforcer is urging Microsoft to sell Office without Teams at a lower price, while competitors seek clearer terms for interoperability and more incentives for users to switch to alternative services. Microsoft President Brad Smith reiterated the company's commitment to resolving the issue, acknowledging the Commission's latest directives and expressing willingness to address the remaining concerns. Salesforce President and Chief Legal Officer Sabastian Niles called for the Commission to implement a swift, binding, and effective solution to ensure free and fair market choices. German competitor Alfaview, which also lodged complaints, expressed support for the Commission's charges against Microsoft. (With inputs from Reuters) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here! Julian Assange agrees to plea deal with Biden administration that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in US The Government coalition has defended its stability as a limited reshuffle is expected following the announcement of Finance Minister Michael McGrath as Irelands nominee for EU Commissioner. The Taoiseach and Tanaiste have both said a high calibre person will be announced as Irelands EU Commissioner nominee after Cabinet meets on Tuesday morning. Simon Harris said he also expected any vacancy that arises at Cabinet because of the appointment to be filled on Tuesday. The nomination of Mr McGrath by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was discussed at a meeting of the three Government coalition leaders on Monday evening. The move is to be announced officially at noon on Tuesday. Mr Harris said that although the EU Commissioner nominee is made by Fianna Fail under the terms of the programme for government, it was not a party political position. For me, this isnt about tribal politics or party politics or partisan politics, just by putting our best foot forward and about sending the best person that we can to the European Commission. Im very satisfied that the name the government will nominate today is somebody of a very high calibre, of high standing, of huge ability and somebody that I look forward to supporting in every practical way I can as Taoiseach. Mr McGrath will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness. The departure of the Cork South Central TD from Government will necessitate at least a mini-reshuffle of the Fianna Fail-held portfolios. Asked when the vacancy at Cabinet would be filled, Mr Harris said: It would be prudent to fill that vacancy immediately and I expect any vacancy that may or may not arise today at Cabinet to be filled today. Speaking before Cabinet, Mr Martin said a ministerial reshuffle would not affect the stability of the government, as the coalition works collectively particularly in relation to the Budget. Thats the normal flow that happens in the aftermath of an election. We have a reservoir of ability, of talented people who can step in and take on new roles. Aer Lingus will cancel a further 50 flights due to industrial action taken by pilots next Monday and Tuesday. It comes on top of the more than 200 flights cancelled already due to the planned work-to-rule and strike action from pilots who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA). Its understood that the further cancellations have been made on a contingency basis for Monday 1 July and Tuesday 2 July, despite hopes that progress can be made in the ongoing industrial dispute. In a statement, Aer Lingus said: Implementing these cancellations [for Monday and Tuesday] is to enable us to protect as many services as possible for as many of our customers as possible. In a statement, Aer Lingus said the further flight cancellations are a measure to protect as many services as possible from the impact of IALPAs continuing industrial action. Aer Lingus added that customers scheduled to travel between 26 June and 2 July will continue be given the option to change their flights for free. They can also cancel their flight and claim a refund or voucher. The statement added the airline fully understands the anxiety being experienced by customers and that it will give customers as many options as possible, should they wish to change their plans. The full list of flights cancelled from Dublin Airport on Monday and Tuesday can be found below. For other cancelled flights, travellers are encouraged to visit the Aer Lingus site. Flights from Dublin Airport affected - 1st July Flights from Dublin Airport affected - 2nd July Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $20 million has been awarded to 17 community-based organizations that help refugees become employed while adjusting to their new homes in New York. The Refugee Support Services Program, which is funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, continues to be a fundamental part of the states successful efforts to resettle refugees in communities across New York. New York State has a proud history of welcoming those displaced by violence or fleeing persecution with open arms, Governor Hochul said. These investments will lift up refugee communities, and represent our unwavering commitment to the possibility and promise they bring to our state. The Refugee Support Services Program provides services including addressing barriers to employment, such as social and cultural adjustment, job search skills, work experience, and English proficiency. Transitional services are also provided to ensure continued employment and to enhance opportunities for advancement. The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistances Refugee Services bureau is responsible for the implementation of programs and services to assist refugees in New York State. Federal resources are directed to local entities that help refugees and their families, as well as others in a similar immigration status, to achieve economic and social self-sufficiency. Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, New Yorks heritage is heavily influenced by our willingness to accept and help people fleeing persecution, violence, and intolerance abroad. As we recognized World Refugee Day this week, we continue that proud tradition by providing a safe haven for these individuals and families, along with the support they need to start life anew in our state. Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, New York has always been a safe haven for individuals fleeing violence and persecution. We recognize the significant contributions of our refugee and immigrant populations, and through the Department of States Office for New Americans, we work to support and uplift these individuals as they transition to a new life here in our State. This $20 million award builds on those efforts and will help provide refugees with the tools they need to succeed and thrive in todays job market. 17 not-for-profit refugee services providers across the state were awarded funding to provide employment and transitional support services to help recently resettled refugees and their families adapt to life in the U.S. Recipients include: New York City Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York NYC, $802,400 Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach Inc., $1,469,300 CAMBA Inc., $400,000 Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Inc., $548,679 El Barrios Operation Fight Back Inc., $410,000 Long Island Catholic Charities of Long Island, $288,500 Mid-Hudson Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York Metro, $333,500 Capital Region U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Inc., $1,784,700 Albany County Opportunity Inc., $342,566 Southern Tier American Civic Association Inc., $148,742 Western New York Journeys End Refugee Services Inc., $2,559,604 Jewish Family Services of Western NY Buffalo, $2,724,000 Jewish Family Services of Western NY Niagara, $148,741 Finger Lakes Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, $1,423,427 Rochester City School District, $1,000,000 Mohawk Valley The Center, $1,560,000 Central New York Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, $4,055,841 New York State welcomed nearly 4,200 refugees or individuals on Special Immigrant Visas between October 2022 through September 2023, with most of these individuals resettling in communities upstate. These refugees included 991 from Afghanistan, 912 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 717 from Syria, 541 from Burma, and 122 from Colombia. Refugees are the most scrutinized and vetted individuals to travel to the United States. Prior to resettling, they undergo numerous security checks by intelligence agencies, including bio-metric tests, medical screenings, and in-person interviews with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. Refugees living in New York make significant contributions to the states economy as earners, taxpayers, and consumers, according to a study by the New American Economy. Refugee households earned an estimated $6.2 billion annually and contribute roughly $2 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Jewish Family Services of WNY Chief Executive Officer Molly Carr said, JFS understands the many hurdles faced by refugee adults and youth as they pursue self-sufficiency and assimilation into their new community, most notably securing and maintaining meaningful employment. By offering refugee-focused career services and providing wrap-around individual and family supports to assist with the transition to a new country and address any barriers to employment, we can better guide refugees on their path towards achieving financial and personal stability. American Civic Association Executive Director & CEO Hussein Adams said, Since 1939, the American Civic Association (ACA) in Binghamton has been proudly providing immigration support services to newcomers from around the globe. The ACA is tremendously grateful to Governor Hochul for this award, as it enables us to afford newcomers more opportunities towards economic development, inclusion, and self-sufficiency. Through refugee resettlement and integration, cultural diversity is achieved, and local communities have become enriched and more dynamic. At the ACA, we believe that when New Americans thrive, we all thrive! Thank you, Governor Hochul, for your continuous support in making NYS a welcoming state. Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach Inc., Executive Director Susan Fox said, The Shorefront YM & YWHA is proud to work with NYS OTDA and our collaborative partners to implement a Refugee Support Services Program (RSSP) dedicated to helping eligible refugees achieve economic and social self-sufficiency as soon as possible upon their arrival to the US. In fact, RSSP's laser focus on identifying and overcoming barriers, facilitating successful job placements, job retention, and family self-sufficiency both reflects and respects the hopes and dreams of the thousands of refugees with whom we work. We are continually inspired by the extraordinary efforts and perseverance of refugees fleeing difficult and dangerous circumstances who aspire to build their lives in New York, and fervently want to live safely, support their families, and contribute to society. Rochester City School Districts Office of Adult and Career Education Services Executive Director Lia Tinkelman Festenstein said, We are deeply honored and grateful to receive the RSSP Award. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team at RCSD OACES. With this award, we will be able to make a significant impact on the economic trajectory of refugee families through a multitude of services. By equipping our community members with the necessary skills and opportunities, we are committed to creating pathways that empower these families to build a brighter future. Catholic Charities Family and Community Services Vice President of Family Prosperity Programs Jim Morris said, This funding will ramp up CCFCS already successful Refugee Employment Services Program. We maintain a base of more than 100 employers in the Greater Rochester area and have placed more than 370 refugees in local jobs since 2019. Over the same period, more than half of the refugees placed in jobs by our agency, have become self-sufficient within 90 days of employment. Albany Community Action Partnership Executive Director Neenah A. Bland said, Albany Community Action Partnership is excited to be partnering with OTDA for the Refugee Support Services Program. This initiative is a crucial step towards fostering economic independence, ensuring our new community members have the support and opportunities they need to build their new lives. In turn, our efforts will help cultivate a stronger and more inclusive community for all Albany County residents. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan said, Catholic Charities is pleased to continue its partnership with New York State to provide employment and social support services to newcomers to New York refugees, those granted asylum, victims of human trafficking, and humanitarian parolees. Those who have arrived to New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley are in need of support to integrate and rebuild their lives in their new home. New immigrants and refugees revitalize and strengthen our communities. The Center Executive Director Shelly Callahan said, The Refugee Support Services Program is essential to the refugee community in Oneida County and to the many employers who are growing their workforce. The Center serves thousands of clients each year to attain employment, integrate into our community, and become self-sufficient through the RSS program. We are grateful to NYS and Governor Hochul for supporting this important program for community building and economic resilience, and providing welcome to the thousands of refugees who make New York State their home. Center for Family Life In Sunset Park Co-Executive Director Julia Jean-Francois said, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park is deeply honored to participate in the New York State Refugee Support Services Program, which is being implemented by the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance. We are committed to providing employment supports as well as wrap around social services supports to refugees and their families in Brooklyn, and we are delighted to welcome some of our newest New Yorkers to our vibrant community. Refugees bring their determination, drive, hopes and dreams for bright futures to our City and we see the meaningful contribution that refugees and their family members make every day to a strong and resilient New York. Catholic Charities of Onondaga County Executive Director Michael Melara said, We are honored to receive this funding award. It serves as a testament to Governor Hochuls dedication to supporting refugees and fostering a welcoming culture as they rebuild their lives. CAMBA, Inc. President and CEO Valerie Barton-Richardson said, As a nonprofit receiving this funding, CAMBA is dedicated to serving refugees, and we are proud to be among the 17 providers across the state to receive funding to support this vulnerable population. Refugees bring immense value to New York State, both culturally and economically, and we are committed to helping them adapt to life in the U.S. With this funding, we can continue providing essential services such as direct job placement and retention support leading to self-sufficiency. These services help refugees build successful lives in their new communities. Catholic Charities of Long Island CEO Michael Smith said, At Catholic Charities of Long Island our faith inspires us to care for all those in need and we believe each person is a child of God deserving respect and dignity. The Refugee Support Services Program helps eligible individuals and families thrive in our communities. This effective collaboration provides the job training and service integrations that bring self-sufficiency while enhancing the social determinants of health. We are proud to participate in these efforts to achieve successful outcomes locally and across New York State. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: June 25 2024 Southern Herkimer County, in the village of West Winfield, saw a violently rotating column of air set down within its borders on Saturday morning, June 22. In a chilling reminder that severe weather systems can impact anywhere in the United States, the National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado recently touched down in New York during a bout of storm activity upstate. Southern Herkimer County, in the village of West Winfield, saw a violently rotating column of air set down within its borders on Saturday morning, June 22, at approximately 11:46 a.m. It reportedly began at the intersection of Meeting House Road and Marriot Road and progressed southeast before coming to an end at Route 51. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and his delegation meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Washington on June 25. (Ariel Hermoni/Israel Ministry of Defense photo) Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant continued his multi-day trip to Washington, DC, on June 25, meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Gallant praised Austin and the US for their steadfast support since Hamass attack on October 7. The meetings happened as attacks by Hezbollah on Israels north continued, with no clear path to ending them. Today, we are at a crossroads that will impact the entire Middle East. I am here to discuss the ways to achieve our common goalsensuring the security of the State of Israel and projecting the powerful ties between our countries, Gallant said in his meeting with Austin. In the north, we are determined to establish securitychanging reality on the ground and bringing our communities home safely. We are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness, for every possible scenario, Gallant added, according to a statement from his office. Hezbollahs provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want. Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians, Austin said during the meeting. He also expressed concerns that war between Israel and Hezbollah could lead to a larger regional war. The meeting between Austin and Gallant came in the wake of comments by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Q. Brown, who also expressed concerns about Iran entering a future conflict. The reasons for a growing focus among officials on the need for some shift in northern Israel regarding Hezbollah are clear. Hezbollah has launched more than 5,000 rocket, drone, and missile attacks since supporting Hamass attack on October 7. There is a broad sense that as the war in Gaza winds down to a less intense phase, then Israel could focus on the north. However, its not clear what that focus would mean. I spent several days in northern Israel on June 2324, consulting with local security teams who protect communities, visiting IDF units, and speaking with experts who focus on the security situation. Israeli communities in the north remain evacuated. The initial evacuation in October 2023 forced 80,000 people to flee, including the entire city of Kiryat Shmona. Several thousand residents have since returned to Kiryat Shmona, and thousands more have returned to smaller border communities. However, most of these areas are still ghost towns. The communities have also been damaged by Hezbollah rockets, as well as missile and drone attacks. Fires broke out on June 25 due to a drone attack, and the scars from recent fires due to the conflict are visible across parts of northern Israel. The smaller communities in northern Israel have deployed security teams made up of men who do reserve army service to protect their own villages and towns. Its part of a unique system that enables each community to recruit around two dozen local men to stand guard and train. These reservists are kitted out and armed with rifles as they would be if they were in an infantry unit, although they lack mortars and heavy weapons. These local guards are exposed to daily Hezbollah attacks in some areas if the community is within several miles of the border. For instance, Hezbollah attacked the northern Israeli community of Metulla on the night of June 23, wounding two soldiers. The overall tempo of Hezbollah attacks has decreased over the last week, however. There were several incidents on June 25, starting at 2:12 in the afternoon and ending at 2:20. The previous day, there were two incidents from 6:17 to 6:53 in the afternoon. June 23 was more serious, with the attack on Metulla and an attempted drone attack in the lower Galilee, eighteen miles from the Lebanese border. The IDF said that it intercepted a Hezbollah drone on June 24. Israeli fighter jets then carried out airstrikes against terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollahs Aerial Defense Array in the area of Baalbek in Lebanon, according to the IDF. On June 25, Israeli air defenses also intercepted two drones, and Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah military structures, as well as terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Khiam and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon, the IDF said. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024). The time has come! Yes, this week the Macalope will answer all questions about AI! All of them! Prepare to be dazzled and informed! (Disclaimer: not a guarantee. Not all questions will be answered. Dazzling will only occur in a small number of instances. Information is fleeting. Void where prohibited.) If you dont think AI is a broken technology, just remember that right now an AI is harvesting this very column to regurgitate back to someone in an authoritative manner as fact. If that doesnt convince you its not to be trusted, nothing will. Or, maybe this will: Perplexity Is a Bullshit Machine. The aptly named Perplexity is another AI startup, one that ignores the specific settings of websites that ask not to be scraped and then takes that input and uses it to provide made-up answers to questions. The Macalope is not a lawyer, but some of them seem possibly libelous. In one case, the text it generated falsely claimed that Wired had reported that a specific police officer in California had committed a crime. Wired, June 19, 2024 Possibly libelous to both the officer and Wired! Its a two-fer! VC Investor: What does your system do? Startup: It is a perpetual libel machine. VC Investor: Here is a blank check. All over the web, site owners are rushing to add various AI scraping gizmos to their robots.txt list in a vain effort to not have their content used without their consent. Several AI companies are simply ignoring these settings and taking the information anyway. People have said, well, theyre just doing the same thing Archive.org does. Archive.org ignores robots.txt in an effort to index everything. How can you be fine with that and not fine with what LLM companies are doing? Because they are fundamentally different products. I want to provide a free service that will benefit everyone and help promote transparency on the internet. Fan-tastic. You go right ahead. I want to become a billionaire by selling the modern equivalent of a Magic 8 Ball and I plan to do it by using your work to fuel my accumulation of wealth. Uh, no. Some have also said, Well, none of this is illegal, so they can do what they want. The Macalope supposes so, but hes still going to hate it. Is plagiarism illegal? No. But its still wrong. And it can get you fired because of it, which is what should happen to these AIs. Fired into the sun, preferably. IDG IDG IDG Its worth noting that this open web scraping is being used for different things. On the least egregious end, LLMs need a corpus of writing to learn how language works. This seems okay because we all use language. (This does get fuzzier, though when you ask an AI to write in a particular writers style.) Then there are the models such as those used in Apples Image Playground that need to learn how to draw. The Macalopes opinion here is pretty subjective, but this feels a bit more like copying for some reason. Possibly because we are not all artists. Then, of course, there are the AI systems that, in response to a question, say Oh, yeah, I read about that somewhere. Heres an answer that may or may not be correct and I may or may not give attribution to the site I read it on. That ones definitely a problem. If this whole gross spectrum of behavior seems familiar to you, its probably because AI shares a certain DNA with crypto, NFTs, and the blockchain in that they are all trendy, usually touted by people you wouldnt want to be stuck in an elevator with and, in a weird coincidence, all happen to drive up both Nvidias stock price and worldwide temperature averages. The Macalope doesnt consider himself someone prone to conspiracy theories, but he would not be surprised to find out years from now that Nvidia has been running a powerful psychological ops campaign that dreams up technologies that require its boards to run and then convince venture capital firms to invest in them. Just sayin. Ideally, Apple wouldnt be associating itself with these AI companies at all, but the Market has demanded it and at least its taking an arms-length approach when working with them. It is a sad fact that all Apple has to do to be one of the more ethical AI companies is simply honor sites robots.txt settings. But its not enough for the company to say you can opt-out now after its already availed itself of peoples hard work. Apple should not be following the industry standard practices here. It should be better than the industry. Four students from Aotearoa have earned the chance to gain admission to an Ivy League school in America, thanks to an epic scholarship. Competing against 178 other students from across the motu, only four came out on top and have each received a scholarship worth $25,000. Not only is this opportunity going to give some hard-working high schoolers a shot at an incredible university education, but it's also inspiring them to "represent their people on the global stage" and make our country proud, according to the teens themselves.. Erini Fruean from Inglewood High School in Taranaki is one of the amazing recipients and told us what it was like the moment she learned she had scored the scholarship. "When I received the email, I was so, so excited. I think I screamed, jumped up and down, and then ran to show my mum," she said. "That was the moment the shock and reality of the future hit, and we both cried." Erini expressed a strong sense of support from her ancestors, saying, "I feel so supported by my tupuna as it is their legacy. "I am continuing my resilience and seeking the best education possible as well as immersing myself in the fear of the unknown. "Huge acknowledgment to the other three recipients of this scholarship, I'm sure collectively our goal is to give back to our country and make them proud." The scholarship, named Te Ara a Kupe Beaton, is founded by Crimson Education, and aims to provide support to Maori high school students to gain admission to top-ranked global universities. Last year, the scholarship expanded to New Zealanders with Pacific heritage to secure their top university admissions. Luke Westrupp from Rotorua Boys' High, who also earned a scholarship, plans to study politics and international relations at either Yale or Harvard. Reflecting on the past few days since receiving the scholarship, Luke described the experience as "surreal". "Realising that our dreams are one step closer to being achieved has been incredible and we are very thankful to Crimson for giving us this opportunity. "It has been so nice to see the support that has been shown to us by the wider community and feel a real responsibility to represent our people on the global stage. "I also feel really lucky to be a representation of all my whanau and hapu in Ngati Pikiao and Rongowhakaata, and the Rotorua schools and teachers." The third scholarship awardee, Jared Lasike is also from Rotorua Boys' High and plans to study medicine at one of the prestigious universities. Receiving this incredible scholarship has been a "humbling experience" for Jared. "Being provided the opportunity to represent my culture and community on a global stage is such a surreal experience. "The support given to us from our communities and peers has made me extremely thankful for the opportunity presented, I feel honoured to be given what I feel is a responsibility," Jared told us. The final recipient of the scholarship, M'Lago Morris from Whangarei Boys' High School has plans to study at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. "My ultimate goal is to become a world-renowned stage director bringing Maori and New Zealand culture to theatres and screens around the globe," he told NZ Herald. "There is a lot I can do for our community by using my skills to communicate the struggles we face with racism, socio-economic hardships, our long rough history with colonisation, substance abuse, physical violence, mental health, and so much more that is affecting our country and more importantly our rangatahi. "This scholarship will help me achieve greatness for myself, my country, and my people," he added. So proud to see our rangatahi excelling like this and get recognised and supported to make such a huge impact on the global community. Improving access to malaria services in conflict-affected populations in Cameroon 25 June 2024 A Breaking Barriers trained community volunteer stands in a room addressing a group of community members A recent study published in BMC Malaria Journal highlights the challenges faced by communities in accessing malaria services including availability and cost of services in conflict-affected regions of Cameroon. The study underscores the critical need to address these barriers, exploring potential solutions to improve demand for essential services. The ongoing armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon has severely disrupted access to healthcare, with 29 percent of health facilities no longer functioning. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are particularly vulnerable, facing higher risks of contracting malaria due to poor living conditions and limited access to prevention and treatment services. To improve access, Cameroons Ministry of Health implemented a Community Health Strategy, deploying community health workers to provide malaria care services. However, the study identified several barriers limiting the use of community health worker services, including poor availability of health workers in some communities, stockouts of diagnostic tests and treatments, and cost of treatment being unaffordable for many. The research finds that community engagement approaches involving dialogue and feedback, and co-created with community members and stakeholders, could effectively raise awareness, build trust and encourage the use of community health worker services. However, implementing a community dialogue approach alone is not sufficient to remove all the barriers identified. Community health workers need support from their health system to create demand and ensure an essential service is provided commented Elizabeth Berryman, Malaria Consortiums Senior Technical Advisor and technical advisor for Breaking Barriers, a four-year operational research project that aims to improve access to malaria case management for conflict-affected populations in Cameroon. By identifying specific challenges and proposing tailored, community-led solutions, the research provides valuable insights for policymakers and health organisations working to improve malaria control efforts in such contexts. The Breaking Barriers project is funded by Expertise France (formerly the 5% Initiative), the French agency that designs and implements international technical cooperation projects. The project is led by Reach Out Cameroon, alongside Malaria Consortium and Konmofamba Action Sans Frontiere (KASAFRO), to improve access to malaria case management for conflict-affected populations in Cameroon. Related content The Community Dialogue Approach 15 October 2021 Improving access to malaria case management for conflict-affected populations in Cameroon 8 March 2023 Meet the women providing a lifeline for care in the community in Cameroon A federal judge sentenced a Blackstone man who stole over $400,000 from his former employer through a payroll scheme to three years in prison on Monday, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorneys Office. Anthony Prizio, 49, pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud, one count of tax evasion and one count of unauthorized use of anothers identity in connection with the scheme back in February, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a press release. Prizio was formerly employed as a manager at a national second-hand retail chains Worcester location, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. He carried out the scheme while serving in this role from January 2019 to July 2021. As the store manager, Prizio had access to the timekeeping system that tracked employees working hours, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. He used this access to repeatedly enter fake work hours, including hours supposedly worked by employees who no longer worked at the store. He also issued payroll debit cards in other employees names and then kept the debit cards as part of the scheme. Prizio tried to hide the fraud by misrepresenting the productivity of the store, making it appear that the store processed more items than it actually had, the U.S. Attorneys office said. He also entered false paid sick time and bereavement leave for employees, which allowed him to pay himself for fake work hours without impacting the stores productivity metrics. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Guzman sentenced Prizio to three years in prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorneys office said. She also ordered him to pay $431,399 in restitution to his former employer and $86,190 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as he did not pay taxes on his fraudulent income. EDITORS NOTE: This story was updated to add information from the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission. More than 100 employees from Ginkgo Bioworks, a Boston-based bioengineering company, are facing layoffs between August and December, according to a state database. In total, 158 employees in the Cambridge area will be affected by layoffs starting Aug. 16, according to the Massachusetts Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification database (WARN). The company designs custom organisms that bring new products to life for countless applications, according to its website. While the WARN notice Ginkgo Bioworks filed on June 18 indicates only 158 employees face layoffs between August and December, the company filed forms with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission stating plans to layoff at least 35% of its workforce in a multiyear plan. As of December 2023, Ginkgo Bioworks employed 1,218 people, according to Stockanalysis.com and the Boston Globe. The 35% layoff plan will result in approximately 426 layoffs, which the company expects to be substantially completed in 2025, subject to local laws, according to SEC filings. The SEC filings note, The initial headcount reductions in June 2024 will result in cash costs of at least $12 million in severance and separation costs. Ginkgo Bioworks did not immediately respond for comment on this article. The companys 2024 first-quarter revenue report shows a total revenue of $38 million for the first quarter down from $81 million in revenue reported in the first quarter of 2023, according to Ginkgo Bioworks. Percentage-wise, Ginkgo Bioworks saw a 53% decrease in revenue from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of this year, according to Ginkgo Bioworks. One area the company saw a decrease in revenue in is cell engineering, the report said. Cell engineering refers to manipulating or using cells to make products, according to the National Library of Medicine. Ginkgo Bioworks reported $28 million in revenue for cell engineering in the first quarter of the year down from $34 million in Q1 from last year, reflecting an 18% decrease. Despite the 53% revenue loss, the company saw growth in other areas with first quarter 2024 biosecurity revenue of $10 million and gross profit margin of 8%, the report said. Ginkgo Bioworks is not alone in its downsizing. Several biotech and bioengineering operations throughout the commonwealth are filing WARN notices and cutting back on labor costs. Last month, Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Massachusetts largest biotech company, announced plans to lay off about 10% of its Massachusetts-based workforce 641 employees in total. Layoffs will begin in early July and continue through March 2025. Takeda cited a reallocation of its resources to promising late-stage projects as a deciding factor. A cow thats been on the loose in Boston since at least Saturday evening is apparently still at large and is actually a bull, according to Boston Animal Control. The bull escaped from a resident who didnt know that Boston residents are prohibited from having farm animals on their property, with the exception of some chickens, animal control said in a Facebook post. Despite searching for the bull multiple times in the last few days, including with a thermal drone, the bull has not been located. Read more: Cow still on the moove after evading capture by Boston Animal Control The brown and white bull was first spotted at the intersection of Stella and Harding Road, animal control wrote on Facebook Saturday evening. Animal control officers responded, but the bull managed to evade capture and disappear into a nearby wooded area. Residents who see the cow are asked to refrain from chasing or trying to capture it, Boston Animal Control said. Instead, they should report any sightings by calling (617) 635-5348. A judge has sentenced a Fall River man who robbed five different businesses in 48 hours during a 2021 robbery spree to five to seven years in prison, according to the Bristol County District Attorneys Office. Matthew Rodrigues, 34, pleaded guilty to four counts of unarmed robbery and one count of masked or armed robbery in connection with the spree in Fall River Superior Court last week, the district attorneys office said in a Tuesday press release. The robbery spree began on Oct. 27, 2021 when Rodrigues robbed Bay Coast Banks Fall River location around 1:40 p.m, the district attorneys office said. About three hours later, he robbed a Santander Bank in Raynham. The next day, Rodrigues robbed a Shell gas station in Fall River while masked and armed with a gun around 9:45 p.m., the district attorneys office said. The following morning, he robbed a Saint Annes Credit Union location in Fall River around 9:20 a.m. and then a Bank Five location in the city just before noon. He clearly presents a danger to the community and needs to be kept off the street to protect the public, District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said in the release. Closing arguments in the trial of Karen Read, a Mansfield woman charged in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe, took place Tuesday morning. Heres a recap of what happened in court Tuesday. 4:30 p.m. update: Jurors go home without a verdict Jurors deliberated Tuesday into the afternoon and left without reaching a verdict. Hundreds of Reads supporters were gathered outside the courthouse awaiting a decision. Deliberations will continue Wednesday. 12:30 p.m. update: Judge gives jurors their instructions Judge Beverly Cannone on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Nancy Lane/Boston Herald Judge Beverly Cannone gave the jury instructions before beginning their deliberations. All criminal cases have a fundamental rule where defendants are presumed innocent, Cannone said. Read does not have to convince the jury she is innocent, she said. Its up to the state to prove shes guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, Cannone said. All 12 deliberating jurors must agree on whether prosecutors met that burden. The evidence must convince jurors of the defendants guilt to a reasonable and moral certainty, Cannone said. The arguments by lawyers are not evidence, Cannone tells jurors. The judge tells jurors they can evaluate witnesses testimonies and their reliability. Jurors are the ones to accept or reject the opinions or conclusions shared by witnesses, Cannone said. You dont check your common sense at the door to the jury room, Cannone said. Cannone explained to the jury the charges against Read and the elements that are encompassed. She explained the five elements that need to be proven for the charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor. She also explained the six elements of the last charge: leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Only 12 jurors will deliberate and the jurors not selected will become the alternates, Cannone said. There are a total of 14. Cannone encouraged jurors to take their time to consider all the evidence and not rush to a decision. At 1:26 p.m., the judge released the jurors to begin their deliberations. 11:15 a.m.: Prosecutor leans on I hit him statements for closing arguments Adam Lally, a prosecutor for the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, during closing arguments on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Nancy Lane/Boston Herald I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, prosecutor Adam Lally begins his closing arguments. Four witnesses heard those statements from Read, Lally told jurors. Lally used statements witnesses said they heard Read say at the scene of OKeefes body. Lally asked jurors to use their common sense and life experiences to guide them in their decision. He said state police Trooper Michael Proctors text messages were unprofessional but bore no impact on the integrity of OKeefes death. He stressed it was a collective investigation by state police. Lally said there was no evidence of planting evidence found in Proctors texts. He said two things could be true: Proctors texts are reprehensible and that Read killed OKeefe. The prosecutor showed jurors a timeline of events on a screen in the courtroom. It began with communications between Read and OKeefe starting on the morning of Jan. 28, 2022. Lally ran through the number of drinks Read had that night, seven drinks within about an hour and a half. At 12:30 p.m., Reads vehicle traveled 24 miles per hour in reverse, according to Lally. Lally played recordings Read left OKeefe after she left 34 Fairview Road. John I (expletive) hate you, she said. Lally said Read knew exactly where OKeefes body was when she returned to 34 Fairview Road on Jan. 29, 2022, because she struck him. At 6:07 a.m. Jennifer McCabe called 911. OKeefe, covered in snow, is first spotted by Read that morning. Lally told jurors that later that day, Read drove to her parents house in Dighton during the middle of a snowstorm instead of staying at OKeefes home. Lally leaned into the statements and actions of Read, attempting to convince jurors that she had a consciousness of guilt that morning. Read texted an OKeefe family member that she didnt think she would see them again, Lally said. If she didnt kill John why would she say that? Lally asked. Lally circled around Reads possible motive for killing OKeefe. He brought up the trip to Aruba in December 2021, which led Read to believe that OKeefe cheated on her. Prosecutors called on OKeefes niece and nephew to testify (he had custody) to describe how the couple argued in the weeks and months before his death. Lally said that OKeefes niece and witness Jennifer McCabe initially told them on Jan. 29, 2022, that she and OKeefe got into an argument and she left him at the bar the night before. Lally said that first responders did not notice any tears on Read the morning OKeefe was found. She repeatedly asked if he was dead, but not about his condition, according to Lally. He said the phraseology of Read juxtaposed with what she told witnesses that morning, was Read looking for confirmation that OKeefe died. Lally brought up testimony from witnesses who say they saw Reads SUV move up several times in front of the Canton home. He spoke of testimony from a number of witnesses to bolster the prosecutions theory of the case. Lally described how two witnesses took off their shoes but Read did not when they entered OKeefes home on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, when they were trying to figure out where he was. Why is it that the defendant has no issue with wearing shoes in the house of Mr. OKeefe? Lally asked. She knows its not an issue. Hes not coming home because she hit him with her SUV. Lally, nearly 45 minutes through his closing arguments, still had not broached what is arguably the strongest evidence provided by defense experts that there is not enough evidence to support the theory that Read struck OKeefe with her SUV. Lally told jurors that Brian Higgins and Brian Albert both traveled to New York City to attend a police officers funeral. He said the conspiracy put forward by the defense is that they returned to Canton to murder another police officer and leave him on the front lawn. Lally described the weather as a weapon since Read knew that OKeefe was wearing light clothing that night. Lally tried to disprove the defenses theory just as much as proving the prosecutions theory. He told jurors about the times that people left 34 Fairview Road with five minutes left of his closing arguments. Lally reminded jurors about the extrapolated blood alcohol levels discussed during the trial of between 0.135 and 0.292. Lally asked jurors to find Read guilty as the judge told him he exceeded the allotted time. The judge gave the jurors a five-minute break at 12:13 p.m. 10:45 a.m.: Defense delivers closing arguments, tells jurors they were lied to Alan Jackson, an attonrey for Karen Read, during closing arguments for his client's murder trial on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Nancy Lane/Boston Herald Alan Jackson begins closing arguments. Look the other way, Jackson started. Those four words that sum up the states entire case, he said. It sums up the hopes of those that have tried to deceive you, he said. Thats what they want, Jackson said. The incontrovertible fact is you have been lied to in this courtroom. He asked jurors to stare down unflinchingly at the evidence and he told jurors they stand in the way of tyranny of injustice. Jackson said that any one of us might find ourselves in the crosshairs of an investigator such as Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor. Jackson said investigators lied many times over. You dont have to wonder if they would lie to support their narrative, Jackson said. You need only wonder how many times they did lie over and over. Jackson is walking the jury through what he described as a cover-up. Hes hitting on themes throughout the trial: a promise of a gift from a witness to the co-lead investigator, a mysterious Google search, deleted calls, butt dials, no recorded interviews, no custody logs for evidence. Jackson is asking jurors if they can rely on the evidence presented by Norfolk prosecutors and police. He brings up a telling slip of the tongue by witness Brian Higgins, who admitted that a man, tall with dark hair, walked into 34 Fairview Road. A vague statement by Higgins but one that stood out. Jackson is offering an alternate storyline from prosecutors: OKeefes Apple Health data shows that he arrived at the house at 12:21 a.m. and that he took 80 steps, ascending and descending steps. Jackson asked jurors to review the tape from the Waterfall Bar & Grill in Canton and said that Higgins beckoned OKeefe over with a hand movement and later texted him to come to 34 Fairview Road. Witnesses testified that Brian Albert, the homeowner, and Higgins went into another room together. Where did they go together? Jackson asked. Jackson said a fight could have been done within 10 seconds. Then odd things happened, Jackson said. Higgins went to the Canton Police Department after a night of drinking. What was so important there? Jackson asked. Was he there to gather intel? Jackson is doing what he does best. Hes connecting the dots of evidence for jurors and providing a clear picture of what he wants jurors to see. He gives a hypothetical conversation between Higgins and Albert that lasted less than 22 seconds. I need help moving something heavy, Jackson said in this hypothetical scenario. Albert claimed during his testimony that 22 seconds was not long enough for a phone conversation and that the calls between him and Higgins at 2:22 a.m. were butt-dials. Jackson described a bulkhead door that leads from the Canton homes basement to the backyard and a side fence that easily accesses the front yard. The side of the house where Johns body was found, Jackson said. Jackson is re-reading text messages and voicemails from Read to OKeefe after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022. Karen becomes increasingly upset, Jackson said. Why is he ignoring me? Why is he ignoring the kids? Jackson said that you can hear the grief and raw anguish during the dashcam footage from a Canton police cruiser when she and two other witnesses found OKeefes body unresponsive. Jackson shows a photograph of Reads SUV at 5:07 a.m. taken on surveillance video where the taillight is slightly cracked and compared it to the taillight once the SUV was in police custody. It was completely smashed. He reminded jurors of a Dighton police officer who testified that the taillight was not completely damaged and only cracked when he and state police towed Reads SUV from her parents home on Jan. 29, 2022. Jackson turns jurors attention to a typo on Proctors sworn affidavit about when he seized Reads SUV. Proctor testified he incorrectly wrote the time he seized the vehicle, but admitted it was over an hour earlier than he reported. As Jackson is running through inconsistencies in the prosecutors theory of the case, hes setting up a dynamic: the only party interested in pursuing the truth is the defense team. The defense found the snow plow driver who drove down 34 Fairview Road on Jan. 29, 2022, during the hours of OKeefes death. If it were up to (Trooper) Proctor, you literally never would have heard of or from Brian Loughran, Jackson said. Thats a scary prospect. Jackson is hitting on the same truth-seeking theme when discussing the video of the Canton Police Department sally port. The video was inverted but during the testimony by state police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik during direct questioning by the prosecution, it was never disclosed that everything in the video was backward. Jackson said the defense caught them in that obvious fabrication. Bukhenik doubled down, Jackson said, when he told the jury that the inverted video was exactly the same as the normal video. Is it exactly the same? Or is it exactly the opposite? Jackson said. Next, he runs through the evidence presented about the taillight pieces. None were found by the first responders at 6 a.m. after OKeefes body was found. Jackson recounts state police Lt. Brian Tully pulling the pieces of taillight out of evidence bags. There were five pieces in the bag but Proctor wrote in his report that there were three pieces collected. Thats not sluggishness, Jackson wrote. Thats evidence of manipulation. Thats how over the course of three weeks, those pieces of plastic go from zero to three to five to 47, ever increasing in size with every single search, Jackson added. The evidence shows that Reads SUV did not hit OKeefe, Jackson said. Lets talk about the truth, Jackson said. Jackson referred to the states own chief medical examiner who said its just as likely that OKeefes manner of death was due to being punched and falling backwards. Two of the defenses experts stated that OKeefes injuries were consistent with a dog attack, which raises reasonable doubt, Jackson said. Jackson then spoke about the two accident reconstructionists both available to prosecutors, he added that concluded that OKeefes injuries were not caused by Reads SUV. Again, Jackson argued that established reasonable doubt. Jackson quoted what an accident reconstructionist told the Norfolk prosecutor: You cant deny the science and the physics. John was not hit by that car. Jackson hits on the prosecutions lack of explanation for why OKeefe did not have any bruising or bone fractures consistent with a car-pedestrian crash. According to Trooper Joe Paul, the states accident reconstructionist, OKeefe was struck by a sideswipe with the impact by the car solely to his arm. With five minutes left, Jackson said that Proctor reduced Read to an object in his text messages, that he dehumanized her, and that he sought to pin it on the girl in order to cover for a Boston cop. He ends the closing arguments by reiterating that its the defense team interested in exposing the truth. What will you do with this moment? Jackson asks jurors. Ignore the lies and the manipulations and misogyny, the bias, the lack of evidence. Could you ever do that? Would you ever do that? Do justice and find her not guilty, Jackson said. Karen Read seated with her defense team on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Nancy Lane/Boston Herald 10:10 a.m. update: Juror dismissed prior to closing arguments, report says With a delay in closing arguments Tuesday morning, a news reporter stated that a juror was dismissed before proceedings got underway. Ted Daniel of Boston 25 News tweeted that a juror was brought into the courtroom for private conversations with attorneys and the presiding judge was dismissed. Breaking: A juror was just dismissed from the Karen Read trial on the morning before closing arguments. This is the juror who was brought in 2x to sidebar Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 Jury selection took nearly two weeks in April, an exhaustive process that produced a total of 17 seated jurors. Two weeks ago, two jurors were dismissed. With the latest juror dismissal on Tuesday, a total of 14 remain. Judge Beverly Cannone said the juror was dismissed for personal reasons. 9:50 a.m. update: Closing statements are yet to begin Closing arguments have not yet started. Ted Daniel of Boston 25 News wrote in a tweet that a potential juror issue might have occurred and that a single juror entered the courtroom Tuesday morning. The rest of the jury did not enter yet. I'm told there is a "potential juror issue" in the Karen Read trial. I have no idea what it might be. One juror came in briefly. The rest of the jury has not entered yet. We wait.... Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 Judge Beverly Cannone appeared briefly in the courtroom and called for a sidebar with the attorneys. 9:00 a.m. update: Waiting on closing arguments Read, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe, who was found cold to the touch and unresponsive on Jan. 29, 2022, outside of a home in Canton. Norfolk County prosecutors say Read struck OKeefe with her SUV while driving intoxicated. Reads attorney, David Yannetti, said during the trials opening statements that her car never struck OKeefe and that others are to blame for his death. The trial is taking place in Dedhams Norfolk County Superior Court. The defense rested its case on Monday and their last two witnesses were accident reconstructionists hired by the Department of Justice. They testified about their conclusions which did not support the prosecutions theory that Read struck OKeefe with her SUV. A grand jury has indicted a 57-year-old man on a murder charge in connection with the death of his girlfriend, who was stabbed to death at a Lunenberg trailer park in December 2023. Lunenberg resident Orlando Garcia Rosado is accused of killing 53-year-old Maria Murray in their home at 1790 Massachusetts Ave. the day after Christmas, the Worcester County District Attorneys Office said in a Monday press release. Authorities began investigating Murrays death after a 911 caller reported that Orlando had stabbed Murray multiple times around 8:45 p.m. that day, according to court documents. First responders found Murray lying on the kitchen floor with multiple stab wounds in her back. Murray was taken to Leominster Hospital where she was declared dead, according to court documents. Police searched the house for Garcia Rosado, but he was nowhere to be found. A review of security video from nearby homes showed Murrays red Subaru Impreza driving away from the home at a high rate of speed, according to court documents. Police issued an alert to other law enforcement agencies about the car, and later that evening, Massachusetts State Police troopers spotted the car on I-290 west in Worcester. They pulled the car over and arrested Garcia Rosado, who was driving the car. Following his arrest, Garcia Rosado told police that he and Murray had had an argument in the kitchen of their home during which he grabbed a knife and stabbed her, according to court documents. He was then charged with murder, assault and battery on a household member and operating a motor vehicle without a license. Garcia Rosado was arraigned in Fitchburg District Court the day after his arrest and held without bail, according to the district attorneys office. The indictment moves the case to Worcester County Superior Court, but his arraignment date has yet to be decided. A 58-year-old man will serve three years in prison in connection to a robbery at the Harvard Market in Malden, according to acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levys office. John Schurko, of Malden, will serve two years of supervised release following the prison sentence. In February, Schurko pleaded guilty to a single count of interference with commerce by robbery, Levys office said in a statement. At around 8 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2021, Schurko entered the Harvard Market in Malden and showed what appeared to be a gun. He then went behind the counter and demanded money from the clerk, according to Levys office. Days later, on Dec. 16, Schurckos getaway vehicle was found in a Medford hotel parking lot, where he was arrested. During a search of the vehicle, police found a black Airsoft gun that looked like a real gun, according to the statement. Massachusetts Environmental Police seized over 3,000 pounds of illegal haddock from an offshore dragger in New Bedford over the weekend. Environmental police measure all haddock that comes through Massachusetts, and much of the fish the dragger brought to a processor was below the legal size of 16 in., the department said in a Facebook post Monday. The fish was donated to various food pantries. An environmental police colonel told the New Bedford Light that he was inspecting a processing plant when he noticed the undersized haddock on an assembly line. He ordered the plant to temporarily stop operations as he measured the fish and ultimately determined that about 3,000 of the 11,000 total pounds of fish were too small to be sold. Authorities are not releasing the name of the dragger or the processing plant until charges are filed, the New Bedford Light reported. No further information has been released. A new report commissioned by the estate of a woman who prosecutors say was groomed by three former Stoughton police officers and later had a sexual relationship with the men concluded that her death was a homicide, not a suicide as had been determined after her autopsy, according to The Boston Globe. The report conducted by Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner in New York City, was sent to attorney Steven J. Marullo, of Danvers, on Tuesday, the paper reported. A message left with Marullos office was not immediately returned Monday afternoon. Marullo is representing Sandra Birchmores family in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the town of Stoughton, the police department, each of the officers accused of abusing her, the attorney generals office, and the office of the chief medical examiner. The finding prompted a lengthy statement from Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara. In it, McNamara said she has reviewed the findings in the report. I was profoundly disturbed and troubled by what I read, McNamara said. While I am not a trained medical examiner, and I am not qualified to draw any direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further examination at the highest level. McNamara noted that Stoughton police have no jurisdiction over Birchmores death, which took place in Canton. But, she said, the department has assisted and continues to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies. Specifically, Baden found fractured bone in her neck, which he determined occurred in roughly half of homicidal strangulations of women, the Globe reported. That fracture and the rest of Birchmores injuries are commonly found in homicidal strangulation manual and ligature but not in suicidal hanging, Baden wrote, according to the Globe. A spokesman for Norfolk County Michael Morrisseys office told MassLive on Monday that as with any other case, prosecutors will review any additional information as it comes forward, including the report from Baden. Morrisseys office is the subject of a federal probe for its handling of the case against Karen Read, a Mansfield woman accused of intentionally backing into her Boston police officer boyfriend and killing him. Closing arguments in Reads trial are set for Tuesday. Birchmore, 23, first met former police officer Matthew Farwell as part of the youth explorers program in 2010 when she was 13. Farwell reportedly began an inappropriate physical relationship with Birchmore when she was 15, which is considered statutory rape under Massachusetts law. Farwell, 36, was a detective, former patrolmens union president, and a married father, according to The Boston Globe. He was 26 at the time when prosecutors say the abuse began. Matthew Farwells twin brother, William Farwell and Officer Robert C. Devine were the other two Stoughton officers named in an internal affairs report commissioned by Stoughton police. Evidence uncovered in the investigation found that William Farwell had engaged in multiple inappropriate physical encounters with Birchmore and had sent explicit messages and photos to the girl while he was on duty, McNamara said. The investigation found that Matthew exploited Miss Birchmore when she was young, McNamara said. Birchmore was found dead in 2021 and had told friends that she was pregnant with Matthew Farwells child, according to the Globe. Matthew Farwell denied that the baby was his. Matthew ended the relationship on February 1, 2021, according to Farwell, when he went to her apartment to end the relationship and engaged in a pretty nasty argument, McNamara said. Birchwell was found dead days later. McNamara has been chief of the department since 2017. All three men have since resigned from the department and Matthew Farwell was later decertified by the state board responsible for overseeing police departments. The board is seeking to decertify William Farwell and suspend or decertify Devine, the Globe reported. Sandra received not so much as a sliver of justice during her life, and we will not cease in our efforts to ensure our duty to administer justice, and she is not forgotten in the aftermath of her death, McNamara said Sunday. Every good and decent police officer should be aware of and angry about the injustices inflicted upon Sandra Birchmore. Sandra idolized police officers and what policing stood for in America, and she was victimized as a result. Senate Democrats seek to authorize more than $5 billion in borrowing to spur housing production in a bill that would make a number of policy changes to Massachusetts housing laws, but leaves the much-discussed proposal to allow communities to tax high-value real estate transactions to pay for affordable housing on the cutting room floor. The Senate Ways and Means Committee polled the housing bond bill Monday morning, teeing it up for debate Thursday. The large bill, which the governor originally filed in October, is meant to address what many lawmakers have identified as the number one issue facing Massachusetts -- a crisis of low housing stock and unaffordable options. The Senate bill authorizes nearly $5.2 billion in long-term capital spending on housing, but the state is currently limited to about $400 million a year in capital spending on housing under its latest five-year capital budget. Bond authorizations only create a menu of spending options for officials to choose from in the future, and does not usually mean the state will spend the full amount. The bill adopts a number of proposals Gov. Maura Healey recommended in her own bill, including: allowing tenants to seal previous eviction records in certain cases, creating a new designation to address housing availability in seasonal communities, and allowing a simple majority voting threshold for inclusionary zoning ordinances and bylaws at the local level, up to 13 percent of affordable units. It notably leaves out a proposal to allow for real estate transfer taxes. More than a dozen communities have sought authorization from Beacon Hill to tax the sale of expensive properties within their borders to help pay for affordable housing. The House also left this policy out of their bill, meaning it is likely dead for this session though any senator could propose to add it through an amendment. The Senate bill also excluded the $1 billion bond authorization to expand the Massachusetts Water Resource Authoritys service area to the suburbs south of Boston, which was a priority of House Speaker Ron Mariano. One policy change seems on its way to the governors desk, with support from the House earlier this month and the backing of Senate Democrats. The Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed allowing for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, by right in single-family zoning across the state. The administration previously estimated this could create 10,000 new housing units across Massachusetts. (*This story was updated at 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, with additional reporting.) Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has sent a cadre of administration officials to the nations southern border to underscore the states ongoing migrant crisis. This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the U.S. and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts, state Emergency Assistance Director Gen. Scott Rice, whos leading the delegation, said in a statement. Last fall, Healey imposed a 7,500-family cap on the states emergency shelter system, which houses both migrants and full-time Bay State residents. The state has since opened overflow shelters to deal with an ongoing influx of new arrivals. State lawmakers have authorized hundreds of millions of dollars in supplemental funding to underwrite a system whose costs are expected to soar past $900 million a year over the next two years. In a statement, the administration said the trip is intended to build relationships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as non-governmental organizations that are at work along the border. Officials also are looking to educate them about the lack of shelter availability in Massachusetts. It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go, Rice said. Administration officials are slated to visit San Antonio Airport, Centro de Bienvenida/San Antonio Migrant Resource Center and Shelter, Ursula Processing Facility in McAllen, Hidalgo Port of Entry, and Brownsville Migrant Welcome Center. San Antonio, McAllen, Hidalgo and Brownsville are the most common points of entry for families that later arrive in Massachusetts, the administration said in its statement. In a statement, state Republican Party Chairperson Amy Carnevale described the border trip as a stunt that distracted attention from the issue. Despite [Healey] signing a nine-month limit for migrants to stay in state-funded emergency housing, with options to extend, the influx of migrants to the Commonwealth continues unabated, Carnevale said. In spite of her rhetoric, the Right to Shelter Law remains unchanged, ensuring that migrants are still legally guaranteed housing upon entering Massachusetts. The Massachusetts House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday on a supplemental budget bill that would keep state government operating through the end of July. The planned vote, which comes just days before the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, also would approve 18 collective bargaining agreements, and dole out grants to help cities and towns prepare for events connected to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. House lawmakers also are expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that would ban municipalities and private companies from taking the entire equity of a home in the event of a tax lien foreclosure, state House Speaker Ronald Marianos, D-3rd Norfolk, office said. The two bills on Wednesdays agenda will precede the Houses consideration of a major economic development and jobs bills, which is in the Houses plans for a formal session Thursday. The fiscal 2024 supplemental budget that was released Tuesday morning from the House Ways and Means Committee carries a gross bottom line of $540 million with a net cost to the state of $165 million, the committee said. The added spending comes at a time when state budget officials are still wrangling with possible budget-balancing fixes. The Houses move comes days after Democratic Gov. Maura Healey sent lawmakers a $6.9 billion short-term spending bill to keep state government operating through July 31, MassLive previously reported. In addition to filling funding gaps related to health and human services workforce needs, income-eligible child care, the Medical Assistance Trust Fund and the Healthy Incentives Program, the bill would appropriate $20 million towards the so-called VOCA Bridge, a funding plan meant to bridge the gap between what the federal government used to provide to support survivors of violent crimes and the funding service providers now receive. The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance said the $20 million will help stabilize victim service programs in every county in Massachusetts and will support the continued access to free, high-quality, trauma-informed services, amid catastrophic reductions in federal funding. The Legislature had already allocated $40 million for the VOCA Bridge across fiscal years 2023 and 2024. MOVA said VOCA grant awards have steadily declined from $69.2 million in fiscal year 2018 to $27.9 million in fiscal 2023, reflecting reductions in the federal VOCA fund. But over the same time period the demand for services has increased from around 60,000 victims served in fiscal 2018 to about 94,400 victims served in fiscal 2023. The supp budget also includes $20 million that will be put towards grants for cities and towns that need help coordinating events connected to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which Massachusetts tourism officials are touting as part of a series of events expected to draw millions to the Bay State. Representatives will also vote Wednesday on a bill dealing with home equity theft. That topic jumped onto the Massachusetts Legislatures radar after a unanimous May 25, 2023 decision from the U.S. Supreme Court found that a Minnesota tax lien takings law -- similar to the Bay States statute -- was unconstitutional. In Massachusetts, a Hampden County Superior Court judge ruled April 18 that takings of excess equity under state law violate Article 10 of the Massachusetts Constitutions Declaration of Rights and the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The statutory scheme, in its present form, is untenable and requires Legislative correction, Superior Court Judge Michael Callan wrote in his decision. Under the House bill, municipalities and private companies would only be allowed to take what is owed to the municipality from the tax lien, not the entire value of the home. The Senate dealt with home equity theft last month. Sen. Mark Montigny got an amendment added to the fiscal 2025 budget that would eliminate the ability of a municipality or private company to take a property owners earned equity beyond what is owed in unpaid taxes and reasonably incurred expenses. That provision in the budget remains part of the ongoing House-Senate negotiations. But the Houses expected passage of the standalone home equity theft bill provides another possible vehicle for the policy idea to make it to Gov. Maura Healeys desk before formal sessions end at the end of July. (*This column was updated at 12:55 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 to clarify a quote from housing attorney Mark Martinez.) A key provision of Gov. Maura Healeys plan to address Massachusetts crushing housing access and affordability crisis appears officially dead on Beacon Hill. And the tale of its demise is an object lesson on how things get done or more often, do not get done in the halls of the State House. The Democratic governors plan to allow municipalities to impose an up to 2% tax on residential home sales of $1 million or more didnt make the cut in a nearly $5.2 billion housing bond bill the state Senate released on Monday. Its omission comes weeks after the state House approved a $6.5 billion bond bill that also didnt include the tax, which advocates say would raise tens of millions of dollars to help build affordable housing statewide. Both chambers are controlled by Healeys fellow Democrats. Advocates, who said they support components of the proposal, knew it was coming. But that didnt take away the sting. Obviously, were disappointed, Mark Martinez, a housing lawyer who helped lead the charge for the tax, said. We believe that, on top of the investments [in the bond bill] policy changes are important too. We have to give municipalities the tools that they need, he continued. If we are going to be serious about tackling the [housing] crisis, we need investment from the cities, the state, and the federal level. The omission also is a political defeat for Healey, whod positioned the tax as a key part of addressing skyrocketing housing prices. Healeys office said earlier this spring that the tax, if adopted, would affect fewer than 14% of all residential sales, according to State House News Service. At least 10 cities and towns Boston, Somerville, Cambridge, Arlington, Amherst, Chatham, Concord, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet have sent the Legislature home rule petitions seeking permission to launch real estate transfer fees, the wire service reported. In the end, the language was the casualty of an orchestrated effort by Bostons real estate industry urging lawmakers to oppose it. In April, the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, a powerful and influential trade group, launched what it described as a multifaceted digital and grassroots activation campaign, against the transfer tax language first included in the $4.1 billion bond bill that Healey introduced last fall. The group argued that the tax would drive up costs, scaring away buyers at a time when the states housing market was already squeezed. Increasing housing costs during an affordability crisis makes zero sense and we need to broadcast that message loud and clear, so legislators are keenly aware, the groups CEO, Greg Vasil, said, according to the Boston Globe. It paid off. Between March and May, state House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, one of the most powerful lawmakers on Beacon Hill, had pivoted from saying his chamber was open to the tax to casting doubt on its future. Its not as popular as I thought it might be, the Quincy lawmaker said. As recently as last week, senior Senate leaders were hazy on the prospect of the language appearing in their version of the proposal. In a statement on Monday, Vasil praised some of the bill, while noting that to overcome the housing crisis, leaders on Beacon Hill need to prioritize policies that reduce barriers to housing creation, which will in turn help generate production of homes across all price points. He also thanked legislators for rejecting flawed policies such as transfer taxes. At a news conference on Monday at the State House, the upper chambers point person on housing, Sen. Lydia Edwards, D-3rd Suffolk, said her colleagues wanted to look at fixing or tweaking existing revenue-raising measures in state law before authorizing a new one. ... We think its incumbent upon us to look at what we have already provided, and the tools in the toolkit for a lot of cities and towns, and to make sure they are sharpened to their best potential, Edwards, the Senate chairperson of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Housing, said. The Boston lawmaker likened the bill, and the vote on it thats looming later this week, to a course correction, while leaving the door open to future efforts to address the housing crisis. Asked whether lawmakers could muster the political will to undertake a similarly heavy lift in the future, Edwards cut to the chase. I dont think we have a choice, she said. Nationwide, 13 of the 50 states, and the District of Columbia, do not levy a some form of the transfer tax, according to a tally by the Land Conservation Assistance Network, a Maine-based conservation group. For one veteran advocate that decision amounted to a lost opportunity. Thats because the near-term gain from the tax would have helped to address the affordability crisis now, while the bond bill addressed deeper, more structural issues in the states housing market. We know that were in a housing and displacement crisis, Carolyn Chou, of the advocacy group Homes for All Massachusetts, said. We know that what we build matters and it has to meet the needs of working-class communities. Before anything else happens, the Senate has to approve the bill. Then, House and Senate negotiators have to get a final bill onto Healeys desk. And with formal sessions ending for the year on July 31, theyre up against the clock. Edwards declined to speculate Monday on what a final housing bill could look like. But, she said, were confident in our ability to negotiate. SPRINGFIELD Local governments would be able to mandate that their infrastructure projects use unionized labor thanks to an amendment in the Massachusetts House of Representatives version of the $3.5 billion economic development bond bill. The amendment is lawmakers answer to a May ruling by Hampden Superior Court Judge Michael K. Callan throwing out a project labor agreement for the construction of the $325 million West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant. The amendment emerged Monday and the House plans to take it up Thursday in the waning weeks of a legislative session that wraps up at the end of July. SPRINGFIELD A city official on Monday confirmed investigators with the state Attorney Generals office have been interviewing municipal employees in connection with allegations of voter fraud in the 2023 mayoral race. City Solicitor Stephen J. Buoniconti said criminal investigators have been in touch with City Hall employees for approximately a month, harkening back to a cash-for-votes scandal that emerged days before the election in late 2023 in which Mayor Domenic Sarno emerged the winner. SPRINGFIELD A new attendance policy in Springfield defies state procedures but is meant to meet student and family needs. If the child has a documented medical issue we consider that excused, even if the state does not, said Jose Escribano, chief of family and community engagement. The attendance policy hadnt been revised since 2009. It needed to be updated to meet recent needs and be more responsive for students and their families. It takes some of the procedures out and allows for excused absences, he said. WESTFIELD The earliest Jupiter Power expects to start construction on its proposed North Side battery bank is late 2025. Thats according to an invitation to a Community Open House the company is hosting on Wednesday, which was sent to the projects neighbors. The invitation also says Jupiter Power is looking to apply for permits this summer. OUR Lady's Secondary School in Belmullet has paid tribute to its former Principal, Sr Canice Burns who died on Sunday. Sr Canice served as principal of Our Lady's Secondary School for a total of 18 years having been first appointed to the post in 1960. She continued as principal until 1969 and returned in 1972 and managed the school until she retired to the Convent in Ballycastle in 1981. A Mercy Sister, Sr Canice was born in Belmullet, the daughter of Mary Anne and William Burns, who served as Superintendent, and was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo. She qualified as a secondary school teacher at Sion Hill Training College in Dublin and began her teaching career as a domestic science teacher. When she took over as principal in Belmullet, she had a teaching staff of seven catering for 150 pupils and upon her retirement, there were 22 teachers and 360 pupils. While she retired as principal, Sr Canice continued to dedicate her life to education and supported Our Lady's by voluntarily teaching art classes and by providing learning support classes until 2005. In 2015, she was given the honour alongside An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to officially open the newly renovated Our Lady's school building. In a message on the school's Facebook page, Our Lady's Secondary School expressed sympathy to Sr Canice's family and colleagues for her service to education in Belmullet. Today, we share the sad news of the passing of our former principal, Sr Canice Burns. We thank her for her dedication and her leadership which has benefited our school and community. We send our deepest condolences to her brother Liam and her nieces, nephews and extended family members. We also extend our sympathies to the Sisters of Mercy and her many colleagues and friends in Ard Bhride in Castlebar. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam, the post read. Sr Canice will lie in repose at McGowans Funeral Home, Ballina, this evening, Tuesday, June 25 from 6pm with removal at 7.30pm to St Patricks Church, Ballina arriving at 8pm. Funeral Mass on Wednesday, June 26 at 11.30am in St Patricks Church, Ballina, followed by burial in the Convent Cemetery, Ballina. Newly Elected County Councillor, Chris Maxwell, recently launched a five kilometer fundraising swim for Order of Malta and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. The event will see a group of 50 participants swim from Roonagh Quay to Clare Island on August 10. Cllr Maxwell congratulated the participants and called it a great challenge which will raise money for two great charities. He continued: I wish all the participants a safe and enjoyable event and I congratulate them on their enthusiasm and community spirit. Committee member Austin Keane said that the challenge, is certainly a big ask, but it is also very rewarding to think of the charities that will benefit from the funds raised. Its also important to recognize the support crew and the health and safety crew who are making this possible. Were so grateful for all the support and help, he added. The event was recently launched when the swimmers got together for a qualifying swim at Old Head in Louisburgh. The organizers are hoping that supporters will come out on the day to celebrate and contribute in any way. Donations can be made through the events iDonate page. Dirty waste deemed hazardous to public health if burned was removed by Mayo County Council from bonfires in Achill and Ballina ahead of Bonfire Night, which fell on Sunday. Mayo County Council officials in its environmental department inspected a number of bonfire sites to remove the harmful items ahead of the annual St Johns Night festival. A number of items considered to be waste were removed from a site in Ballina following complaints by members of the public, while a small number of items was also removed from a bonfire following an inspection on Achill Island. A spokesperson for the environment section of Mayo County Council said the majority of bonfires inspected contained clean products, such as timber. However, they said, but there remains a tendency among some people to use bonfire night as an opportunity to get rid of waste for free. The spokesperson explained that the Ballina site was particularly bad, with all sorts of household rubbish left along the side of the public road. No attempt had even been made to put the rubbish on the makeshift bonfire being built. The Achill bonfire contained a lot of timber, which the spokesperson said was acceptable to be burned for Bonfire Night, but it also contained plastics and furniture, which would be hazardous to peoples health if lit. The items were removed by the council on Friday afternoon prior to Bonfire Night on Sunday. Controversial Generally the problem of burning dangerous and dirty items on bonfires for Bonfire Night is not as prevalent as it once was, but there is still a cohort of people who use Bonfire Night as an excuse to dispose of their waste for free, the spokesperson told The Mayo News. People who attend bonfires with their children do not want them to be inhaling toxic fumes which are proven to be carcinogenic when burnt. We only removed the items we consider to be dangerous to public health when burnt and left materials we consider to be clean. We understand Bonfire Night is still an important tradition in the west of Ireland and in many parts of rural Mayo. We appreciate that tradition and we do not want to stop that tradition. We just dont want dirty and dangerous bonfires which are bad for peoples health and the environment. The removal of materials from bonfires has proved to be controversial in the past, with some public representatives suggesting that the money would be better spent elsewhere. The spokesperson explained that money spent removing items from bonfires was ring-fenced for the removal of waste from public areas and was not taken from any other fund. HOLY Trinity NS in Westport have been told that no records exist of discussions to give a building earmarked for their use to a local secondary school. The Church of Ireland school, who are using a building long deemed not fit for purpose, were told there were no records kept of multiple internal discussions regarding the Sacred Heart Secondary Schools accommodation needs. Holy Trinity NS had sought correspondence relating to the level of works required, and costs involved in using the derelict building as accommodation for the Sacred Heart Secondary School. Scoil Phadraig had been earmarked as a new building for Holy Trinity NS after it was granted to the school by the Sisters of Mercy, before being given over to the Department of Education. Works began on the site before it was subsequently proposed to convert Scoil Phadraig into temporary accommodation for Sacred Heart Secondary School to address the urgent need for accommodation at the all-girls school. In response to a Freedom of Information request from Holy Trinity NS, Leon Mc Gilton A/Higher Executive Officer with the Department Education said: The accommodation needs for Sacred Heart School in Westport formed the basis of multiple internal discussions, via telephone calls, in-person, and via group Teams calls. The nature of these discussions, being informal and exploratory, was such that there are no records of same. Mr McGilton continued: I appreciate that this may not be satisfactory from your perspective, but given the huge volume of work constantly ongoing in the Planning and Building Unit, including the significant number of projects, queries, reporting requirements, and statutory obligations such as FOIs, we do not have the capacity to formally minute all internal discussions. Ten pages of documentation were disclosed to Holy Trinity NS under their Freedom of Information request. This includes an email sent from the Department of Education to the Principal of the Sacred Heart School on March 7, 2024, confirming the proposal to refurbish Scoil Phadraig for their use. The school were told that Scoil Phadraig will not be available for their occupation in the 2024/25 school year but that they will continue to work towards its occupation as soon as possible thereafter. A previous email signed off by Karen Hawkshaw, Senior Architect with the Department of Education, described the Sacred Heart School as the most challenging school site I have come across in 17 years. In the same email, Ms Hawkshaw said that a new school building for Sacred Heart School was the best long-term solution. HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE Eoin Holmes, Chairman of the Holy Trinity NS Board of Managements Building Committee, criticised the Department of Education for not keeping records of the decision to allocate Scoil Phadraig to Sacred Heart Secondary School as temporary accommodation. The school has the right to appeal the Freedom of Information decision to the Freedom of Information Unit at the Department of Education. They are not making the logical, cost-effective, smart, sensitive, intelligent decisions. Because they are not keeping records of their meetings, there is no evidence to suggest that they are making the best decisions, Mr Holmes told The Mayo News yesterday (Monday). Therefore we believe these decisions are highly questionable. Mr Holmes said that modular accommodation would be the best short-term solution for Sacred Heart Secondary School, followed by a new school building on a green field site in the long-term. He reiterated that Holy Trinity NS enjoyed a great relationship with Sacred Heart Secondary School. This is an unfortunate situation not of their making or ours, he added. Local TD, Michael Ring, has described the proposal to use Scoil Phadraig as temporary accommodation for Sacred Heart School as a waste of taxpayers money. Cllr Brendan Mulroy has publicly called on Sacred Heart School to reject the offer of accommodation from the Department of Education. The Mayo News understands that the decision to accept the accommodation offer at Scoil Phadraig will rest with the schools patrons. TikTok star Garron Noone is reportedly in talks with RTE to take over from The 2 Johnnies drivetime slot. RTE 2FM bosses are said to be testing Irelands aspiring comedians and influencers for the show. An insider told the Irish Mirror: Garron was in with them in 2FM. Rumours are going around that he was the influencer than Dan (Healy) was talking about at the RTE town hall a while back. Theyve had a few people in over the last few weeks as guests on the likes of Roz and Emmas show as ways to test how they come across on radio. The summer schedule was only ever meant to be a month and 2FM bosses emphasised that to everyone that the summer schedule was temporary. I think theyre not making any of the longer-term decisions until Dans holiday, which is around the end of July, and he wants the schedule locked in before then so thats the timeline they are working towards. Mayo's Garron is apparently the most sought after by producers to take over from the Tipperary duo as talent at 2fm have been told it would only be 4 weeks until a replacement was found. The pair left RTE with their final show on May 31 after two years. Hailing from Mayo, Garron Noone has taken TikTok by storm and other than a witty sense of humour he has another secret talent. The 30-year-old Ballina native rose to fame from having just a few thousand followers in early 2023 to now just under a million. The creator went viral for his hilarious catchphrase "Follow me, I'm delicious. Noone has a secret talent of singing and before rising to fame for his vocals, he had been seen to collaborate with other creators including Allie Sherlock who is also another TikTok creator. Allie is from Cork and went viral for her busking. Security Officer, Central Africa Regional Third-Party Monitoring Project (CART), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Company Profile Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com. Project Summary The USAID Central Africa Regional Third-party Monitoring (CART) project establishes independent, impartial, timely, responsive, contextualized, and forward-looking third-party monitoring (TPM) and operational support services. CART provides a comprehensive range of verification and outcome monitoring and learning services that increase USAID BHAs and its implementing partners (IP) understanding of the outputs, outcomes, progress, challenges, successes, results, and lessons learned for both emergency and non-emergency activities within Central Africa Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Republic of Congo (ROC). This project seeks to improve BHAs capability to utilize humanitarian assistance resources to ameliorate the drivers of poverty and malnutrition characterized by complex emergencies within the region **Please note: Only Congolese (DRC) citizens are eligible for this position** Position Summary This Security Officer is responsible for overseeing security management and mitigation functions that support effective program implementation in complex locations. Specifically, the Security Officer (SO) ensures provision of real-time security monitoring and analysis for informing program strategy and for updating and rolling-out protocols and procedures with program team members. The SO, with support from the global security, operations and technical teams, also provides key input on remote management strategies and contingency plans together with the procurement team and partners, which keep program field teams safe and secure while also ensuring continuity of implementation. This position will report to the Director of Finance and Administration (DAF) and will be based in Kinshasa DRC. Responsibilities: Monitor and analyze security conditions in the country in general, continually, and more specifically in the areas where the project works, via local media, security reports, and information collected from field-based staff and local partners. Help assess security risks that may impact staff movements and safety in different parts of the country and communicate them in a timely manner to ensure timely decision-making and up-to-date situational awareness. Support and participate in the field third party monitoring data collection site visits conducted in the project intervention areas. Communicate safety and security developments and analysis to staff on a regular basis. Ensure the continued relevance and consistent implementation of Standard Operating Procedures related to the health, safety, and security of the field-based staff. Recommend changes to security or logistics procedures in conjunction with the Chief of Party (COP) and the Headquarters (HQ) Global Security Team, when appropriate. Ensure a constant update of the emergency contact list and the issuance of badges to staff on time. Evaluate, review, and update the lock down, hibernation and evacuation plan for MSI in Kinshasa and ensure that the practical preparations are in place and known to all staff involved and in coordination with security service provider. Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards. Serve as the projects Security Focal Point (SFP) in Kinshasa and provide regular updates and trainings to project staff on basic security topics such as fire safety, communications, etc. Serve as SFP with security service provider in regards visitors' entry, workplace health, and safety and security protocols. Ensure drill and trainings required by MSI security policy are completed on schedule. Issue regular security and safety updates to project staff, and coordinate emergency messaging in the event of a crisis in accordance with the phone tree and security manual. Maintain and update an information network in the project operational areas. Build strong professional relationships with UN agencies, INGOs, local authorities, other operators, locally and internationally, and other relevant actors. Manage and track use of security and telecoms equipment, emergency kits such as medical and hibernation kits Participate in regular security coordination meetings and stay aware of current security problems. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in social science, communications, development studies or another relevant field required. Masters degree preferred. Minimum of five years of experience developing and overseeing security strategies, supporting field program implementation and procedures for different kinds of teams with donor-funded programs or the private sector in complex contexts in DRC, required. Proactive, systematic and highly organized, able to responsibly ensure team safety and security, even while under pressure. Strong communication skills as well as: a) proactive problem-solving abilities independently and with teams, b) a strong service orientation, and c) inter-personal skills, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. Ability to advise and support staff in a consultative manner. Must be reliable, flexible, and able to adapt to abrupt changes on short notice. Fluency in French required, advanced level English preferred. MSI is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We strive to develop and maintain a culture that honors the perspectives and identities of our employees, our communities and those impacted by our work. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs. MSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities/Veterans Employer. Reasonable Accommodations: MSI is dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Techs Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates. Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please submit your application on https://tetratech.referrals.selectminds.com/msi/jobs/security-officer-cart-43094 no later than July 04, 2024. ------------------------------------------------- Charge(e) de Securite, Projet Central Africa Regional Third-Party Monitoring (CART), base a Kinshasa, Republique Democratique du Congo (RDC) Profile de lorganisation Management Systems International (MSI), une compagnie Tetra Tech, est une societe de conseil en gestion dans la region metropolitaine de Washington, DC, avec une histoire de 40 ans dans la fourniture de resultats a nos clients. Notre expertise principale se situe dans les domaines du suivi et de l'evaluation (S&E), democratie et gouvernance ; paix et stabilite ; etat de droit et responsabilite ; education ; genre et inclusion ; communication strategique ; et le leadership et le developpement organisationnel. MSI a mis en uvre les projets dans 90 pays a travers le monde, dont la Colombie, lIndonesie, la Jordanie, le Kenya, le Mexique, le Nigeria, le Pakistan, la Syrie et lUkraine, et travaille au niveau national. Nous soutenons des clients allant du gouvernement americain (par exemple, lUSAID, le Departement de Defense, le Departements d'Etat et du Travail, et la Millennium Challenge Corporation) aux grands donateurs bilateraux et multilateraux (par exemple, la Banque mondiale et le Programme des Nations Unies pour le developpement). Nous travaillons egalement avec des gouvernements nationaux et locaux, des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG), des groupes de reflexion, des fondations et des universites. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez consulter notre site web a l'adresse www.msiworldwide.com. Resume du Projet Le projet de lUSAID Central Africa Regional Third-Party Monitoring (CART) etablit et met en uvre un mecanisme de suivi par tier qui est independant, impartial, reactif, contextualise et prospective avec des services de soutien operationnel. CART fournit une gamme complete de services de verification et de suivi des resultats, et d'apprentissage qui permettront aux partenaires du Bureau de lUSAID en charge de lAssistance Humanitaire (BHA) de mieux comprendre les realisations, les resultats, les progres, les defis, les succes, les resultats et les lecons apprises pour les projets d'urgence et non-urgence en Republique Democratique du Congo (RDC), Republique Centrafricaine (RCA) et la Republique du Congo (RC). Le projet CART vise a ameliorer la capacite de lUSAID BHA a utiliser les ressources destinees a l'assistance humanitaire pour attenuer les facteurs de pauvrete et de malnutrition caracterises par des situations durgence complexes dans la region. **Attention : Seuls les citoyens de la RDC sont eligibles a ce poste ** Resume de la Position : Le charge (e) de securite est charge de superviser les fonctions de gestion de la securite et dattenuation qui appuient la mise en uvre efficace du programme dans des endroits complexes. Plus precisement, le / la Charge (e) la Securite assure le suivi et les analyses de securite en temps reel pour informer la strategie du programme et pour mettre a jour et deployer les politiques et les procedures avec les membres de lequipe de programme. Il/Elle, appui les equipes programmes dans les activites de collecte des donnees sur terrain, avec le soutien des equipes des operations et techniques, il/elle fournit egalement des commentaires cles sur les strategies de gestion a distance et les plans durgence avec lequipe dapprovisionnement et les partenaires, qui assurent la securite et la surete des equipes de programme tout en assurant la continuite de la mise en uvre. Ce poste est sous la supervision du Directeur de finance et de l'administration (DAF) et sera base a Kinshasa, RDC. Activites principales : Surveiller et analyser continuellement les conditions de securite dans le pays en general, et plus particulierement dans les domaines ou le projet opere, par lintermediaire des medias locaux, des rapports de securite et des informations recueillies aupres du personnel sur le terrain et des partenaires locaux. Aider a evaluer les risques pour la securite qui peuvent avoir une incidence sur les mouvements et la securite du personnel dans differentes regions du pays et les communiquer en temps opportun afin dassurer la prise de decisions en temps opportun et la sensibilisation a la situation a jour. Appuyer et participer dans les activites de suivi et collecte de donnees sur terrain dans les zones dintervention du projet Communiquer regulierement les developpements et lanalyse de la surete et de la securite au personnel Assurer la pertinence continue et la mise en uvre coherente des procedures operationnelles normalisees relatives a la sante, a la securite et a la securite du personnel sur le terrain Recommander des changements aux procedures de securite ou de logistique en collaboration avec le COP et le Gestionnaire de la securite du siege le cas echeant Assurer une mise a jour constante de la liste des contacts durgence et la delivrance des badges a temps au staff Evaluer, examiner et mettre a jour les plans de verrouillage, dhibernation et devacuation de lequipe de MSI a Kinshasa et sassurer que les preparatifs pratiques sont en place et connus de tout le personnel implique et en coordination avec le fournisseur de services de securite Suivi des mesures a prendre pour assurer le respect des normes de securite et de surete Servir de point focal de securite du projet et fournir regulierement des mises a jour et des formations au personnel du projet sur des sujets de securite de base tels que la securite incendie, les communications, etc. Servir du role du Point Focal Securite avec le fournisseur de services de securite en ce qui concerne lentree des visiteurs, la sante au travail et les protocoles de securite et de securite Veiller a ce que les exercices et les formations requis par la politique de securite de MSI soient termines dans les delais prevus Publier regulierement des mises a jour regulieres sur la securite et la surete au personnel du projet et coordonner les messages durgence en cas de crise conformement a larborescence telephonique et au manuel de securite Creer un reseau dinformation dans les domaines operationnels du projet Etablir de solides relations professionnelles avec les agences des Nations Unies, les autorites locales, les organisations locales et internationales, dautres operateurs (locaux et internationaux) et dautres acteurs pertinents Gerer et suivre lutilisation des equipements de securite et de telecommunications, des kits durgence tels que les kits medicaux et dhibernation Participer aux reunions de coordination de la securite et rester au courant des problemes de securite actuels. Qualifications: Un diplome Universitaire requis dans les domaines pertinents comme : sciences sociales, technologie de linformation, communications et etudes de developpement, requis. Un diplome de Master est prefere. Au moins cinq annees dexperience dans lelaboration et la supervision de strategies et de procedures de securite pour differents types dequipes ayant des programmes finances par les donateurs ou le secteur prive dans des contextes complexes en RDC, requis. Proactif, systematique et hautement organise, capable dassurer de facon responsable la securite de lequipe, meme sous pression. Fortes competences en communication ainsi que : a) des capacites proactives de resolution de problemes independamment et avec les equipes, b) une forte orientation de service, et c) des competences interpersonnelles, la conscience de soi et lintelligence emotionnelle. Capacite de conseiller et de soutenir le personnel de facon consultative. Doit etre fiable, flexible et capable de sadapter aux changements brusques a court preavis. La maitrise du Francais est requise et la connaissance de langlais est un atout. MSI est un employeur garantissant l'egalite des chances qui valorise la diversite et l'inclusion. Nous nous efforcons de developper et de maintenir une culture qui honore les perspectives et les identites de nos employes, de nos communautes et de ceux qui sont touches par notre travail. Nous ne faisons aucune discrimination sur la base d'attributs proteges, y compris la race, la religion, la couleur, l'origine nationale, le sexe, l'orientation sexuelle, l'identite de genre, l'expression de genre, l'age, l'etat matrimonial ou de veteran, la grossesse ou le handicap, ou toute autre base protegee en vertu de loi applicable. Conformement a la loi en vigueur, nous faisons des amenagements raisonnables pour les pratiques et croyances religieuses des candidats et des employes, ainsi que pour tout besoin de sante mentale ou de handicap physique. MSI est un employeur soucieux de l'egalite des chances, de l'action positive, des Americains handicapes et des veterans. Amenagements Raisonnables : MSI est dedie a lembauche dune main-duvre inclusive. Si vous souhaitez demander des accommodements raisonnables pendant le processus de soumission, priere de visiter Tetra Techs Disability Assistance Page. Notre equipe de recrutement se rejouit a lidee de sengager dans un processus interactif afin doffrir des mesures dadaptation raisonnables aux candidats. Seuls les candidats selectionnes pour un entretien seront contactes. Nous vous remercions de ne pas nous contacter par telephone. Veuillez soumettre votre candidature au : https://tetratech.referrals.selectminds.com/msi/jobs/security-officer-cart-43094 au plus tard le 04 juillet 2024. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 25, 2024 Microsoft now gives advertisers independent analysis of brand safety and suitability, viewability and invalid traffic across its advertising platforms through an extended partnership with Integral Ad Science (IAS). The announcement made Tuesday expands Microsoft Advertisings collaboration with IAS, a global media measurement and optimization platform, to support all its owned and operated inventory and direct partnerships. Post-bid third-party brand safety and suitability, viewability, and invalid traffic measurement are available across Microsofts advertiser solutions such as Microsoft Advertising, Audience Ads, and Microsoft Invest, an enterprise-level demand-side platform (DSP). Audience ads supports display, native, and video across Microsoft owned-and-operated sites like MSN, Outlook, Bing, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Casual Games, as well as trusted third-party publishers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Buzzfeed, and others. advertisement advertisement Users of Microsoft Invest can access connected television (CTV) publisher ad supplies to reach audiences programmatically. The two companies say that the expanded collaboration provides deeper insights into how advertisers can drive engagement with verified users and run content adjacent to brand-safe and suitable content through IAS Signal. The partnership also can determine the impact of native, video, display and CTV campaigns across the Microsoft Advertising ecosystem. Elections worldwide combined with other major events like the Olympics pose a unique set of challenges for advertisers this year. Competition and brand safety concerns create a heightened focus on proving return on investments for campaign. Now, for the first time, advertisers can benefit from verification reporting on Microsofts proprietary audience data, including in-market audiences through IAS. In the recent internal report, The State of Brand Safety, IAS found that 71% of consumers would feel less favorable toward a brand that advertises near inappropriate content. In the same survey, IAS also found 50% of consumers agree they are likely to purchase a product or service from a brand whose ads appear near appropriate content. In 2020, Microsoft Advertising announced a partnership with IAS to provide brand-safety verification for the native ads that run on the Microsoft Audience Network, where ad inventory is evaluated prior to the ad auction. IAS scanned, evaluate and rated pages for risk. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 24, 2024 Microsoft Advertising has extended its partnership with Netflix to support connected television (CTV) ads in its advertising platform, the company announced Monday. The change gives advertisers the ability to reach Netflix viewers through the Microsoft Advertising network. The streaming company has made its inventory available to advertisers running CTV campaigns in the United States, as well as Canada, Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia. Netflix had approximately 269.6 million paid subscribers worldwide as of the first quarter of 2024, up from about nine million in the previous quarter, according to Statista data published in May. Advertisers must accept the Netflix inventory policy in their ad group settings by editing an existing campaign or when setting up a new CTV campaign in Microsoft Advertising. advertisement advertisement In May, Netflix said it would build its own advertising platform by the end of 2025 to provide new ways for advertisers to buy space and measure the impact of campaigns. It also announced in May a global programmatic partnership with Magnite after saying that in the summer, it would begin working with demand-side platforms (DSPs) that Google originally had relied solely on Microsoft for its ad-technology platform. Netflix originally had relied solely on Microsoft for its ad-technology platform. The announcement came at during its upfront presentation after launching an ad-supported subscription plan in November 2022, as part of a broader effort to drive revenue. At the time it reportedly had 270 million subscribers. Microsoft said in the most recent announcement that the video creative must meet certain quality requirements Netflix video specifications for a chance to have the ads serve on Netflix, but delivery is not guaranteed. A Website URL publisher report is available in the Microsoft Advertising Platform to track where ads are served. by Fern Siegel , June 25, 2024 "Despicable Me 4" hits movie theaters July 3 and its marketing campaign includes a TV spot in partnership with King's Hawaiian rolls. The new spot runs through July 21 promoting both the food and the animated franchise. It is available on cable, streaming platforms and in-cinema ads. King's Hawaiian utilized in-house creative, working with Illumination and Universal. In the commercial, the Minions enjoy a summer barbecue and dream about the delicious King's Hawaiian sliders they can make. Then they find crazy ways to cook them with dramatic results. Stores will also carry Minions-themed signage and limited-edition King's Hawaiian packaging featuring the mischievous characters. advertisement advertisement The sweet-roll company also co-branded a paint scheme on Brad Keselowski's No. 6 car during his June 9th race in Sonoma, California. Keselowski and his pit donned Gru and Minions-themed fire suits during the race. Holger Kraetschmer, Chief Marketing Officer at King's Hawaiian, said: "King's Hawaiian infuses excitement and fun into moments of togetherness, like family movie night ... We're excited to be partnering with the most successful animated movie franchise of all-time to encourage everyone to serve up some joyful mischief and delicious food all summer long." The new movie features Gru (Steve Carell), supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, and his family's newest member, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. by Fern Siegel , June 25, 2024 Celebrities are more than spokespeople for liquor brands. Many have founded wine and spirits brands, such as George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, Matthew McConaughey and Bethenny Frankel. Add Dwayne The Rock Johnson ("Jumanji," "Black Adam") to the list. The wrestler-turned-actor has a 30% equity stake in Teremana Tequila, co-founded with Jenna Fagnan, Ken Austin and Dany Garcia. The brand just launched its first multiplatform global ad campaign across organic and paid channels, with connected TV, paid social and digital. All three spots are available at ManaMakesTheDifference.com. advertisement advertisement Wolfgang handled the creative. The campaign takes viewers on a journey to meet the people at the heart of the tequila in the small town of Jesus Maria, in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Teremana offers three distinct expressions: Blanco, Reposado and Anejo. Each bottle is crafted from 100% fully mature agave, slow roasted in traditional brick ovens and distilled in handmade copper pot stills. The spots introduce the brand and Johnson's partners, the Lopez Family, third-generation agave growers and second-generation distillers, who oversee day-to-day production. The people and craftsmen who make Teremana put Mana into everything they do, which makes the end product all the more special. It was important for me to shine a light directly on them as a way to continue to express my gratitude for the incredible work they do, says Johnson. For all of us at Teremana, Mana is more than a mission for us to accomplish. It is a feeling thats very real. Teremana is now available in select global travel retail locations, the U.K. and will launch in four additional international markets this year: Australia, the UAE, Colombia and Germany. It became the fastest premium spirits brand to sell 1 million 9-liter cases within a 12-month period in the US, three years after it launched in March 2020. Wolfgang, part of the Doner Partner Network, has created client work for adidas, Halo Top, Uniqlo, Georgia Pacific and Gillette. by Danielle Oster , June 24, 2024 Beverage brands made up the majority of Circanas list of 2023s top-selling new brands in the food and beverage category. While the leader in the category was a new product from infant formula brand Similac, Prime Hydration, which launched Prime Energy in early 2023, was right behind it. In total, beverage brands represented three of the top five brands in the food and beverage category, and six of the top ten. Right behind Prime was PepsiCos Starry -- which replaced Sierra Mist as the companys lemon-lime soda brand --while Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo rounded out the top five. Ghost Energy, which regularly introduces new flavors, and now competes against Prime in two categories with its recent launch of Ghost Hydration, was next in line. Hydration drink brand Electrolit also made its way onto the list, as did Black Rifle Coffee, a veteran-founded coffee company, serving premium coffee and culture to people who love America. Prebiotic soda brand Olipop just missed the list at number 11. advertisement advertisement One major shift from Circanas list of 2022s New Product Pacesetters is 2023s absence of alcoholic beverages, after such brands took three of the top 10 spots in the report published last year. That absence comprised most of the difference between this years report and last years even more beverage-dominant list, which saw beverage brands take eight of the top 10 spots, led by energy drink brand Alani Nu at number one. Continuing trends include the prominence of energy drinks and hydration drinks as top new products in the category. The latter category at least is likely to see continued success, with major new releases this year such as BodyArmor ZeroSugar. Circana also looked at trends among 2023 top-performing new products, finding consumers desire for functional benefits one leading factor which was particularly evident in the beverage sector, where products offering enhanced hydration, energy, and nutritional benefits were prominent, even among traditional carbonated soft drinks." Circana noted that this years list reflected how consumer behaviors and priorities have shifted since the pandemic. The latest Pacesetters align with consumers desires for new experiences and product formats, new levels of convenience, trusted solutions for baby and pet and products that deliver superior performance," Lisa Maas, principal and practice lead, Innovation, Circana, said in a statement. "Brands that lead with relevant innovation stand to not only boost sales, but also cultivate lasting customer loyalty. Products identified as Pacesetters contributed an 18% increase in total multi-outlet sales, compared to an 11% increase in 2022, highlighting the importance of innovation and strategic partnerships in achieving sustained growth and market success, Joan Driggs, vice president of content and thought leadership for Circana, noted in the announcement. Heres the full list of Circanas 10 leading New Product Pacesetters in the food and beverage category for 2023: Similac 360 Total Care Prime Hydration Starry Oreo Frozen Desserts Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo Ghost Energy Doritos/Cheetos/Sunchips Minis Black Rifle Coffee Electrolit Kevins Natural Foods by Colin Kirkland , June 25, 2024 Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was considering integrating tech giant Metas generative AI model into its new AI system. But according to a new report by Bloomberg, Apple has rejected the move due to privacy concerns, intensifying the ongoing rivalry between both companies. Bloomberg reported that Apple hasnt spoken to Meta about using its Llama chatbot in an AI partnership since March, when the companies held brief talks. At the time, Apple was talking with multiple AI companies about potential integrations with the iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices. At its developer conference earlier this month, Apple announced Apple Intelligence, which CEO Tim Cook called a personal intelligence system based on the companys own generative AI models and custom semiconductor chips. Per a recent deal, Apple Intelligence will utilize OpenAIs ChatGPT. advertisement advertisement However, the deal with OpenAI is not exclusive. The company reportedly wants to integrate with Googles family of multimodal large language models known as Gemini, as well as AI startups Anthropic and Perplexity -- and for a moment, Meta. Apple ended up rejecting the deal because it does not consider Metas privacy policies strict enough. A partnership may have also appeared to be contradictory, as Apple has publicly criticized the social media companys technology and privacy practices in the past. Also, it's important to note that Meta and Apple are in direct competition with home devices and mixed-reality headsets. An AI integration may have further muddied the waters between two tech powerhouses that have historically had differences, especially after Apples imposed privacy changes in 2021, which cost Meta billions. Despite Apple blocking Metas chances at selling premium chatbot subscriptions through Apples global distribution of iPhones, Meta will continue to rely on its family of apps, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger, which are used by about half the worlds population. Earlier this week, Meta released its AI chatbot to users in India, its largest market. We are in the midst of two terrible wars that are besetting the world. The Russian aggression against Ukraine and the war in the Middle East. In particular, regarding the war in the Middle East, hostilities continue to escalate and expand, despite the efforts made as regards the peace process. Regarding Cyprus, threatening an EU Member State, its existence and sovereignty is unacceptable. We stand by Cyprus, which is currently facing a crude and cynical threat. As regards the Western Balkans, which we will discuss today, Greece has always been the driving force for their integration into the European family. We continue to support this perspective on the basis of the foreseen conditionality and the Member States' own merits. In this context, I would like to emphasize that, particularly regarding North Macedonia, the country's state and political leadership has chosen, systematically and persistently, not to use the country's constitutional name in domestic public discourse. This constitutes a flagrant violation of the Prespa Agreement, which stipulates the uniform use of the name North Macedonia both domestically and internationally. Compliance with International Law and international treaties forms the foundation of global peace and security, and selective application of it is unacceptable. Accession to the European Union can only be conceived with the full incorporation of the European acquis and full, unconditional compliance with International Law and international treaties. Since April 6, 2018, Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan Carter has been unable to dress himself, eat alone or walk from one room to another. On that day, Carter was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for back surgery to address chronic pain; he left 19 days later, a paraplegic and victim, he says, of medical malpractice. At the time of the surgery, Carter was not on active-duty orders or medical orders -- an inactive status his attorneys argue made him eligible to file a malpractice claim against the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. According to court documents, Carter and his wife, Kathleen Cole, did just that. Read Next: 2-Star Air Force General Pleads Guilty to Unprofessional Relationship, Adultery as Sexual Assault Trial Begins But 82 days after Carter's surgery, the military changed his status to active duty and backdated it to March 14, 2018 -- an alteration that disallowed any claims due to the Feres doctrine, the federal ruling that bars active-duty service members from suing the government for injuries. Carter is challenging that change and the Feres ruling, taking his case to the Supreme Court, the first challenge to Feres before the court in five years, following at least two in the last decade. In a petition to the court filed June 5, Carter's attorney, Christopher Casciano, said the case "represents yet another chilling example of the breadth and injustice of Feres." "The Feres doctrine has no justification where an inactive-duty service member is simply a patient, and the acts or omissions at issue are purely medical, not military, decisions," Casciano wrote. "Mr. Carter's injuries occurred, not because of any military exigencies or considerations, but because of the failure of Mr. Carter's health care providers to follow and implement basic standards of care." The most recent challenge to Feres was brought in 2019 by former Coast Guard officer Walter Daniel over the death of his wife, Rebekah "Moani" Daniel, who died of hemorrhage during childbirth at Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington state. The Supreme Court ordered the U.S. solicitor general to file a response to Daniel's petition but ultimately decided not to hear the case. After the denial of the petition, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she supported granting the petition while Justice Clarence Thomas penned a strongly worded dissent to the denial. "Such unfortunate repercussions -- denial of relief to military personnel and distortions of other areas of law to compensate -- will continue to ripple through our jurisprudence as long as the Court refuses to reconsider Feres," Thomas wrote. The Supreme Court last accepted a challenge to Feres in 1987, deciding in a 5-4 decision to uphold the ruling in U.S. v. Johnson, a case brought against the Coast Guard by the widow of a helicopter pilot who died in a crash during a rescue mission. The majority ruled that the death was directly related to military service. But at the time, writing in dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia said "Feres was wrongly decided and heartily deserves the widespread, almost universal criticism it has received." Citing Thomas and Scalia in Carter's writ of certiorari, Casciano argued that the "tides have changed" and the court should accept the case to "inspect ... Feres under a microscope." "Under Feres, military service members and their families receive arbitrarily disparate treatment under the law, as compared to both civilians and their ex-military, veteran counterparts," Casciano wrote. The odds that the court will accept the case are slim: The Supreme Court receives 7,000 to 8,000 petitions a year and accepts about 80 cases. Still, the makeup of the court has changed since Daniel's petition was denied, with Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson serving following the death of Ginsburg and retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. Congress has instituted at least two exceptions to the prohibition on service members filing claims or lawsuits for malpractice: The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act allowed troops to file compensation claims with the Defense Department for malpractice at U.S. military medical treatment facilities, and service members assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, can file tort claims, followed by civil lawsuits against the government for injury or illness caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water from the 1950s through 1987. Carter's petition to the Supreme Court was first reported by Stars and Stripes. A decision on the petition isn't expected until later this year. In court documents, Casciano implored the justices to consider hearing the case. "Failure to act will only serve to renew and validate the federal government's unbridled license for tortious conduct and otherwise mandate second-class citizenship to some of our country's most honored and revered citizens," Casciano wrote. Related: Supreme Court Justice Castigates Feres Doctrine, Court in Military Rape Case The Pentagon said Monday it remains confident that it will be able to respond to ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea after a Navy aircraft carrier strike group departed the region and it was unclear when another carrier group might arrive. "We still have capability in the region," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. The Navy will "continue to work very closely with our international allies and partners toward that end when it comes to safeguarding the flow of commerce and safety of mariners in the Red Sea." On Saturday, Ryder announced that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which has been deployed for more than seven months after two extensions, left the area where Houthi rebels have for months attacked commercial shipping and sailed into the Mediterranean Sea. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group will eventually take its place in the region. Read Next: 2-Star Air Force General Pleads Guilty to Unprofessional Relationship, Adultery as Sexual Assault Trial Begins However, the Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently deployed in the Pacific, will not begin its journey west until next week, after it completes an exercise, Ryder said, leaving the Navy's presence in the Red Sea at reduced levels just two destroyers until its arrival. The gap comes as Houthi attacks, which began last November following Israel's bombardment of Gaza in response to a Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, have become increasingly effective. In the last several weeks, Houthis used a drone vessel to successfully strike a commercial ship. The U.S. Navy had to evacuate the ship's crew and the vessel later sank. One merchant mariner from the crew went missing amid the attacks. The Houthis also struck another cargo ship with two separate missile attacks that caused fires and serious injuries to a crew member. That crew also abandoned ship after they lost the ability to control the fires, and they were picked up by another merchant vessel. As a result, maritime analysts have noted that the attacks are expected to not only increase the cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea but have also resulted in a sharp drop in the amount of merchant traffic in the region. Earlier in June, a Defense Intelligence Agency report on the Houthi attacks found that they had "harmful impacts" on at least 65 countries and 29 major energy and shipping companies, and also "endangered crews, damaged regional security, impeded international humanitarian relief efforts, threatened freedom of navigation, and increased the cost and transit times for commercial shipping." With the Eisenhower and its three-ship strike group in the Mediterranean, the Navy's presence in the Red Sea is now down to two destroyers, the USS Laboon and USS Cole, a service official said. Ryder noted that the Navy also has destroyers deployed in the European theater that "have been very active in providing those kinds of defenses, as well as other capabilities to include aircraft and [surveillance and reconnaissance] capabilities." When the Roosevelt arrives in the Middle East, the carrier will bring four other ships with it, a Navy official said. However, neither the Navy nor Ryder were able to say when that would happen. "I'm not going to get into specific days," Ryder told reporters. Related: Navy Gave Combat Action Ribbon to 7 Ships as More Details of Red Sea Combat Emerge A wide-ranging veterans policy bill that seeks to bolster home caregiver programs, provide more support for homeless veterans and fix the beleaguered electronic health records program appears to be falling victim to election-year politics, veterans service organizations are warning. Veterans groups and congressional staff were hopeful that the legislation would pass early this summer after the Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee announced an agreement on the bill last month. But opposition from House Democrats and some Republicans has raised doubts about the future of the bill. Veterans groups say the opposition is being fueled by misinformation about what the legislation would do and that the partisan bickering is leaving veterans and their families caught in the middle waiting for desperately needed improvements. Read Next: 2-Star Air Force General Pleads Guilty to Unprofessional Relationship, Adultery as Sexual Assault Trial Begins "This is something that we need now, whether you're Democrat or Republican," said Lara Garey, a fellow with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation who was a caregiver for her husband before he died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, two years ago. "Caregivers are pushing their mental and physical health to a breaking point because we want to sit around and play politics with legislation that's needed now. Pass it. Pass it now." One of the key provisions of the bill, formally called the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, would increase the Department of Veterans Affairs' share of covering home nursing care from 65% to 100% of costs, as well as ensure that aging and disabled veterans can get home- and community-based nursing care services through any VA medical center in the country. The change has been a major priority for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which supports caregivers for veterans and service members. Other major provisions include ones that would set metrics that the VA's troubled Oracle Cerner electronic health records program has to meet and, if it fails to meet those marks, end the program altogether. The bill would also revive through 2026 authorities the VA had during the COVID-19 public health emergency that were credited with helping reduce the number of unhoused veterans, including allowing the VA to provide homeless veterans with transportation for medical appointments and increasing the per diem rate the VA can pay to organizations providing short-term transitional housing from 115% of costs to 133%. Those provisions have broad support. But two other sections of the bill are garnering controversy. One section seeks to ease veterans' ability to get VA-funded health care from non-VA doctors by banning the department from overriding a VA doctor's referral for their patient to get outside care. The other section at issue would establish new access standards for veterans to be able to get treatment at residential mental health and substance abuse programs and allow veterans to go to non-VA programs if the wait for a VA program is too long. House Democrats are arguing those provisions amount to backdoor privatization efforts. "House Republicans have hijacked a historically bipartisan, bicameral process for veterans' packages, to push their main priority of privatizing VA health care," Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement last month announcing his opposition to the bill. Major labor unions including the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO are also lobbying lawmakers against the bill on arguments that it unacceptably expands VA privatization. "The legislation includes new benefits and improved processes at VA to better serve veterans, which we support, but contains other provisions that immediately undermine those new benefits and improved processes while harming the VA workforce," the unions wrote in a letter to Congress last month that was obtained by Military.com. "Without action to remove egregious privatization measures, we are opposed to passage of the legislation." Veterans organizations maintain that, while the direction of the community care program and concerns about VA privatization are worthy of debate, Democrats are overstating the bill's scope and that this legislation is not the place to have that broader fight. "None of us would be at the table advocating as strongly as we are if this bill was a vast effort to privatize care," Elizabeth Dole Foundation CEO Steve Schwab said of his and other organizations. "I think that what's happened here is folks have gotten into the corners of extreme opinions on headlines that actually aren't accurate. And do I think the politics of an election year matter? I think it matters on everything that's happening in Washington right now. But it used to be the case that those things didn't impact veterans and veteran family members." A coalition of veterans groups, including the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others, is planning a news conference Tuesday afternoon to push for passage of the bill. More than a dozen groups also sent a letter to congressional leadership last month urging them to put aside politics. On the other side of the political spectrum, some conservative groups such as Concerned Veterans for America are urging Republicans to oppose the bill because they believe the section on residential treatment programs and the legislation as a whole do not go far enough to expand access to non-VA care. "The Dole Act as currently drafted is a nonstarter for anyone concerned about caring for our nation's veterans," Russ Duerstine, executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, and Brent Gardner, chief government affairs officer at Americans for Prosperity, said in a joint statement to Military.com. "Despite the VA's best attempts to steer veterans into wait lines, community care's popularity continues to grow. No elected leader who claims to care about veterans can support a bill that guts community care with a clear conscience." Asked about the status of the bill and the prospect of it getting a vote, a House Veterans Affairs Committee staffer told Military.com that committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., is "working with leadership to bring it to the floor as soon as possible" and that the Democratic opposition is the biggest factor in the delay. "We are working through that and hopeful that House Democrats will join us in being on the right side of history and agreeing with the 40-plus veterans' groups and stakeholders that are supportive of this good package when it comes to the floor for a vote," the staffer said. The bill has been pulled from the House schedule several times in recent weeks, a source familiar with negotiations who requested anonymity to speak candidly told Military.com. The holdup on the bill is also in part because of procedural issues. House leadership was planning to use a fast-track process known as "suspension" in order to pass the bill, the source said. But that procedure requires two-thirds approval for the bill to pass, a benchmark that can't be reached if Democrats oppose the bill. While using the regular process would require only a simple majority to pass the bill, it would also require a procedural vote that far-right Republicans have been using to block bills when party leadership does not accede to their demands on amendment votes or other issues. With the House seemingly deadlocked, some discussion has started on having the Senate vote on the bill first, the source said. But politics could be an issue there too since Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., is in a tough re-election battle and Republicans have a history of blocking bills in order to deny him legislative victories he can campaign on. "I am eternally an optimist, and so I haven't given up hope that this bill can get across the finish line, and we could do it in the next month," the Dole Foundation's Schwab said. "We're meeting with offices virtually every day to tell them our side and tell them the facts. And my hope is that the pure facts and the pure case for supporting this bill, which are all on the right side, will win the day and that we'll get it done. And if we don't, I will be deeply disappointed that the usual politics of the extreme in D.C. has gotten in the way." Related: Wide-Ranging Veterans Bill Gets Agreement Between House and Senate WASHINGTON WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will free him from prison and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of classified documents, according to court papers filed late Monday. Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. governments years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, by contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the countrys national security at risk. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from any additional prison time. He had spent years hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Swedish authorities sought his arrest on rape allegations before being locked up in the United Kingdom. Prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of the five years Assange has already spent in a high-security British prison while fighting to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face charges, a process that has played out in a series of hearings in London. Last month, he won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Departments indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. It was brought even though the Obama administration Justice Department had passed on prosecuting him years earlier. The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act and other offenses for leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven behind bars. Assange made headlines in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that years election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange following the documents 2010 publication, but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assanges arrest a priority. Assanges family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles, which includes seven years spent inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange has remained in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. The conservancy that oversees the SS United States has launched an urgent $500,000 fundraising campaign to help cover relocation expenses for the historic ship amid its uncertain future. The 1,000-foot ocean liner, which still holds the transatlantic speed record it set more than 70 years ago, must leave its berth on the Delaware River in Philadelphia by Sept. 12, a federal judge ruled earlier this month. Besides finding a new home, the conservancy also must obtain funds for insurance, tugs, surveys and dock preparations for moving the ship, which is incapable of self-propulsion. The group is focusing its efforts on finding a temporary berth in the Philadelphia area or on the East Coast, and fears that if a temporary home cannot be found soon, the vessel could be lost forever. Our search for a new temporary or permanent location has been ongoing and began well before the litigation, but if a dock cannot be found in the coming weeks, well be forced to commit to reefing or scrapping the vessel, conservancy board member Warren Jones said in a statement posted on the groups website. Reefing refers to sinking the ship and turning it into an artificial reef and diving destination. U.S. District Judge Anita Brodys ruling ended a years-old rent dispute between the conservancy and its landlord, Penn Warehousing. It stemmed from an August 2021 decision by Penn Warehousing to double the ships daily dockage to $1,700, an increase the conservancy refused to accept. When the conservancy continued to pay its previous rate, set in 2011, Penn Warehousing terminated the lease in March 2022. After much legal wrangling, Brody held a bench trial in January but also encouraged the two sides to reach a settlement instead of leaving it up to her. She ultimately ruled that the conservancys failure to pay the new rate did not amount to a contract breach or entitle Penn Warehousing to damages. However, she found that under Pennsylvania contract law, the berthing agreement is terminable at will with reasonable notice. Christened in 1952, the SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage in 1952, it shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions, when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph), The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship. On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Marys time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner. It became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it but eventually found their plans to be too expensive or poorly timed. It has loomed for years on south Philadelphias Delaware waterfront. Jennifer Barnhill is a columnist for Military.com writing about military families. When you say "I do" and marry someone who serves our country, there is an understanding that their military career will drive most family life decisions. "I have dropped opportunities. I've dropped jobs, communities that I wanted, locations I wanted in order to support his career," said Megan Brown, an Air Force spouse whose husband is nearing military retirement. "But I do think that sometimes in the back of our minds as military spouses, we get this idea and understanding that one day they'll do it back." But does the transition from military to civilian life mean that it finally gets to be our turn? "I think that's a little bit of a myth," Brown said. While we may benefit from a more predictable family life, our professional lives are not as easily revived. After suffering bouts of unemployment and a lack of retirement savings, when military spouses are at the point where we get to have "our turn" professionally, it may be too late to make up for lost time and we may be too focused on everyone else to notice what were giving up. Active-duty military spouses fill an essential logistical role. We take care of the home front. We research new duty stations. We often register kids for school and make medical appointments. We draw out floor plans and plot out where to put the furniture that doesn't quite fit. We find ways to get through military life. Some of us even thrive. But along the way, we find ourselves and our needs constantly coming in second to the needs of the military. And although military spouses have gotten good at transitioning in many ways, we are not good at prioritizing our own needs over the needs of our family while we are transitioning. "I was very prepared for him to transition out of active duty," said Anna Larson, a veteran Army spouse whose husband left service in 2021. "I was not prepared for me to transition out of active duty." Her experience led her to found MilSpouse Transition to help military spouses leave active-duty life. But in trying to help others, she needed to confront her own experience. "I spent so much time working on what he needed that I'd forgotten to include myself in the conversations," said Larson. "It was always about what he needed to get done; what he needed to do at the VA; how was he feeling about this. And it was not about us as a partnership." And she's not alone in this others-first mentality, but that is often part of the deal. Taking care of the home front involves juggling the emotions of our kids, setting realistic holiday visit expectations with in-laws, and explaining military work schedules to civilian friends. We serve by carrying the needs of everyone else around us so our spouses arrive ready to do work at their new duty stations, even if it means we forget to take care of ourselves. The transition adds new tension to this strained dynamic because it removes the only constant of military life -- the steady income of the service member. Once that safety net is removed, existing financial difficulties and the lack of two incomes are felt more acutely because now both partners are in professional and financial limbo. "I had a nine-year pay gap, so I was not earning an income. I probably gave up a million dollars by not working for nine years," said Tracy Steele, a Marine Corps spouse. While she acknowledges that the decision for her to remain out of the workforce for a time was made as a family in order to maintain stability, it was a hard call, one many military families make. Military spouses are not just unemployed at high rates (21%), they are out of the workforce at high rates (36% in 2021). According to a White House report, military spouses who remain in the workforce lose approximately $200,000 in income over the course of a 20-year military career. This family sacrifice is made with the hope that the service member's transition out of active duty will be smooth. However, that is not always the case. "My big concern is not myself," said Ellen Summey, an Air Force spouse. "I've been able to keep a job. I've been able to build a community wherever we go and find myself." The serving spouses are often newbies to the civilian world. "My husband has been [serving] since college," Summey added. "He has never done anything else. I don't know how he's ever going to find another job that will be anywhere near as cool or exciting or fulfilling and I think that is a concern felt by many." In 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act outlined changes to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), whose mission is to provide information and training to service members leaving active duty. One change required service members to attend TAP classes at least a year before transitioning, up from a much shorter 90-day window. The 2019 policy was intended to combat the tendency of commanding officers to be so mission focused that they leave no time for their subordinates to prepare for reentering civilian life. But a 2023 Government Accountability Office report found that 70% of transitioning service members had not begun their transition by the one-year requirement, indicating that leaders may still see transition planning as a burden. Although TAP is designed to prepare service members for civilian life, military spouses can attend too if there is space available. According to a 2017 GAO report 1,184 spouses participated in TAP classes in 2017, representing a tiny fraction of eligible spouses, and there are often few open slots. In addition, not all spouses feel TAP meets their unique transition needs. "It was solely [focused] on my service member," said Steele. "I get it. They need to transition and figure out their next career, but there was nothing really for me to benefit from other than just listening and supporting my spouse." While TAP may not provide military spouse-specific transition resources, other organizations like Hiring Our Heroes and the Department of Labor do. However, for those who are not "plugged in," by the time retirement rolls around they may have been out of the workforce so long that they are not tracking these existing employment resources. For spouses who have been able to stay in the workforce, military retirement can be exciting as it finally offers an opportunity for their careers and interests to have a higher priority than afforded while their service members are on active duty. When MJ Boice, a veteran Marine Corps spouse, told her husband that she had plans to run for office in her home state of Michigan, he had other thoughts. "[My husband] was like, 'There's nothing there for me. We're not going back,'" said Boice. "That happened two months before his terminal leave." Boice felt blindsided. She was so excited to have the opportunity to put her career first but, despite having taught TAP classes herself in the past and knowing what conversations they should have had, life got busy. As retirement approaches, it is easy for everyone to focus on logistics, filling out forms, securing housing and a job. But spouses report that it is in this busyness that they become lost. They forget to have essential conversations about the future. They give pep talks to their service members and children, but forget what they wanted for themselves before they said "I do" to military life. Boice and her husband found a compromise and environment that was conducive to both of their careers. Now that her spouse has retired, she encourages other military spouses to have these transition-focused conversations early and often. Upon the culmination of their military career, service members get a ceremony and spouses may get flowers. "Thank yous" are said. Both types of service are honored. I can't help but wonder as my military family approaches the end of our race, the finish line of retirement in sight, will I finally get my turn to put my career first? Or am I already so far behind my peers financially and positionally that I should let go of the notion that retirement is my opportunity to catch up? As studies show service members continue to struggle to access birth control, a group of Senate Democrats is pushing the Defense Department to do more to expand contraception services and counseling. In a letter Tuesday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a dozen Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee pushed for details on any "barriers preventing the department from implementing provisions mandated by Congress to protect and expand service members' access to contraception and contraceptive counseling." "Expanding access to contraception is critical to meeting the needs of service members, as well as recruiting and retaining members of our armed forces," the senators wrote in the letter, obtained exclusively by Military.com. Read Next: 2-Star Air Force General Pleads Guilty to Unprofessional Relationship, Adultery as Sexual Assault Trial Begins The letter was organized by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and co-signed by every committee member aligned with Democrats except for Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who recently changed his party registration to independent but continues to caucus with Democrats. The letter comes as Democrats have been focusing on reproductive rights and contraception access amid Monday's two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which allowed states to ban abortion. It also comes after the Senate Armed Services Committee for the first time included an amendment in its version of the annual defense policy bill this year that would eliminate copays for contraception for those using military health care. The letter focuses on a provision that was included in the version of the defense policy bill for fiscal 2016 that was intended to increase service members' access to contraception. That year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, required the Pentagon to ensure service members have access to contraception counseling at health exams before and during deployment and at annual exams. The bill also required the department to craft clinical guidelines for military health care providers on standards of care for contraception counseling and different methods of contraception. While that provision was technically implemented when the Defense Health Agency issued an instruction on contraception counseling and access in 2019, the senators expressed concern the law isn't being implemented "to its full effect" since service women are still having trouble accessing their preferred method of birth control. A Rand Corp. study released in 2022 found that about 18% of active-duty service women said there had been at least one occasion where they could not get their preferred method of birth control from the military health system. Further, only about 18% said they received contraception counseling before deploying, according to Rand. "This low percentage contradicts Congress' intent to expand access to contraception services and counseling," the senators wrote. "The low rate of service women who received contraceptive counseling is particularly concerning given that, on average, the rate of unintended pregnancy in the military is 6%, higher than the civilian rate of unintended pregnancy." The senators specifically urged the Pentagon to immediately update pre-deployment forms so service members can indicate whether they want to receive contraception counseling, as well as to include information on all contraceptive methods. The Defense Department declined to comment on the letter, saying officials would respond directly to the senators "in due course." While senators are pushing the Pentagon to take action, they are moving to take action themselves. The NDAA under consideration in the Senate right now includes an amendment sponsored by Shaheen that would mandate including information on contraception in pre-deployment service forms and require contraceptive counseling information in periodic health assessments for service members. Meanwhile, the Senate NDAA's inclusion of an amendment, also sponsored by Shaheen, to end copays on contraception for Tricare beneficiaries increases the chances that change will become law this year. While civilians have had access to free birth control since the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, became law in 2010, dependents who use Tricare are still subject to a copay for birth control pills. Since July 2022, Tricare has waived copayments for some forms of contraception such as IUDs, but it cannot legally waive copays for prescription pills. As with other prescriptions, active-duty service members can get prescription birth control pills free of charge. The House for several years has included language in its NDAA to eliminate Tricare copays for all methods of birth control, but the provision has never survived negotiations with the Senate to become law. With similar language included in both the House and Senate versions of the NDAA this year, a source familiar with the process said they expect the final bill this year to include some action to end copays on birth control. Still, the source added, cost concerns could continue to be a factor in negotiations and result in some changes, such as delaying implementation of the law for a couple of years. Related: Tricare Should Cover Newly Approved Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill, Lawmakers Tell Pentagon SEOUL, South Korea South Korea threatened Tuesday to restart anti-Pyongyang frontline propaganda broadcasts in the latest bout of Cold War-style campaigns between the rivals after North Korea resumed its trash-carrying balloon launches. On Monday night, North Korea floated huge balloons carrying plastic bags of rubbish across the border in its fifth such campaign since late May an apparent response to South Korean activists flying political leaflets via balloons. In a Tuesday speech marking a Korean War anniversary, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called North Koreas balloon activities a despicable and irrational provocation. He said South Korea will maintain a firm military readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea. Later Tuesday, Yoon boarded a visiting U.S. aircraft carrier docked at a southeastern port and told American and South Korean troops there that the two countries' alliance is the world's greatest and can defeat any enemy. Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to board a U.S. aircraft carrier since 1994. South Koreas military said North Korea floated about 350 balloons in its latest campaign, and about 100 of them eventually landed in South Korean soil, mostly in Seoul and nearby areas. Seoul is about 40-50 kilometers (25-30 miles) away from the border. The military said the trash carried by the North Korean balloons were mostly papers and that no hazardous items were found. In its earlier balloon launches, North Korea dropped manure, cigarette butts and waste batteries along with cloth scraps and waste papers in various parts of South Korea. No major damage was reported. In response, South Korea redeployed gigantic loudspeakers June 9 along the border for the first time in six years and briefly resumed anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters Tuesday that the South Korean military is ready to turn on its border loudspeakers again. A written Joint Chiefs of Staff statement said officials would examine unspecified strategic operational circumstances and that broadcasts resumption would depend on how North Korea acts. Balloon launches and loudspeaker broadcasts were among psychological campaigns that the two Koreas specialized in during the Cold War. The rivals have agreed to halt such activities in recent years, but occasionally resumed them when animosities rekindled. North Korea is highly sensitive to South Korean border broadcasts and civilian leafletting campaigns as it bans most of its 26 million people official access to foreign news. South Korean leafleting campaigns by civilian activists, mostly North Korean defectors, include leaflets critical of North Koreas human rights violations and USB sticks containing South Korean TV dramas, while the past South Korean border broadcasts included K-pop songs, weather forecasts and outside news. In a statement Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called them human scum and disgusting defectors. South Korean officials maintain they dont restrict activists from flying leaflets to North Korea in line with a 2023 constitutional court ruling that struck down a law criminalizing such leafleting, calling it a violation of free speech. Many experts say the North Korean balloon campaign is also likely designed to deepen a debate in South Korea over the civilian leafleting and trigger a broader internal divide. Worries about North Korea intensified in mid-June, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a deal requiring each country to provide aid if attacked and vowed to boost other cooperation. Observers say the accord represents the strongest connection between the two countries since the end of the Cold War. The United States and its partners believe North Korea has been providing Russia with much-needed conventional arms for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance. In his Korean War speech, Yoon described the Kim-Putin deal as anachronistic. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan issued a joint statement Monday strongly condemning expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier and its strike group's arrival is meant to cope with North Korea's nuclear threats and its advancing military partnerships with Russia, South Korean officials said. Their deployment is also parts of a 2023 South Korea-U.S. deal meant to enhance regular visibility" of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. Yoon said the U.S. carrier is to leave the South Korean port Wednesday for a new trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan drill. The new multidomain Freedom Edge" exercise is aimed at sharpening the countries combined response in various areas of operation, including air, sea and cyberspace. North Korea has previously reacted to such major U.S.-led drills with missile tests. On Monday, Kim Kang Il, the North's vice defense minister, called the the USS Theodore Roosevelt's deployment the reckless option and action of the U.S. CAIRO The reconnected U.S.-built pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip cannot supply Palestinians with anywhere near the level of aid they need, the head of the World Health Organizations Eastern Mediterranean region said Monday. Dr. Hanan Balkhy made the remarks after the U.S. military began delivering aid through the floating pier again, after it was removed a second time because of rough seas. The pier has supported a little bit, but its not to the scale that is needed by any stretch of the imagination, Balkhy told The Associated Press in an interview. So we need to emphasize on the land routes to ensure the amount and the quantity and the efficiency. The organization says that since Israel launched its ground operation into Rafah, aid delivery had declined by 67%, with over 50 WHO trucks stuck on the Egyptian side of the crossing into the southern city. Meanwhile, just three trucks were allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel says it has allowed hundreds of truckloads of aid through the crossing, but says the U.N. has failed to pick it up. The U.N. says it is too dangerous for trucks to move through the area due to rampant lawlessness, despite Israeli pledges to carve out a safe corridor. Israels war against Hamas, now in its ninth month, continues to face growing international criticism over widespread destruction in Gaza and a huge toll in civilian lives. Aid groups have regularly criticized the plan to deliver aid to Gaza by sea as ineffective and a distraction that has taken pressure off Israel to open land border crossings that can deliver aid in larger numbers. The Israeli militarys ground offensives and bombardments, following Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, have killed over 37,600 people and wounded over 86,000 others, according to Gazas Health Ministry. Some 1.3 million people displaced from the southern city of Rafah, over half the strips population, now shelter in tents and cramped apartments in central Gaza. And despite some increased aid into northern Gaza, experts say the enclave is at high risk of famine. Overcrowded hospitals struggle to keep the lights on due to lack of fuel and there are medicine shortages, while also sheltering many displaced Palestinians. Delivering aid through two key Gaza land border crossings has been especially difficult after Israeli troops seized the strategic Rafah crossing with Egypt in May. WHO has also struggled to evacuate some 10,000 patients in Gaza who it says urgently need treatment abroad. WHO says its last dispatch of aid that reached Gaza was a rare delivery into the north to the Kamal Adwan and Al Awda hospitals. Almost everything is being prohibited, and some of the needed commodities are being delivered, but as I mentioned not at the scale that is needed for the people of Gaza, Balkhy said. She warned that the dire condition of hospitals as well as poor living conditions and significant malnutrition, is ripe for the spread of infectious diseases. Were talking about larger numbers of children, and patients with scabies, diarrhea, lice, rashes of unknown causes, she said. Every time theres a lack of hygiene, infectious diseases caused by pathogens start to flourish." ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. On Oct. 28, 1886, Charles Pomeroy Stone became severely ill after serving as the grand marshal of the dedication parade for the Statue of Liberty. Stone never regained his health, and three months later, he died of pneumonia. Stone -- the former Union Army officer that Ulysses S. Grant considered "the most unfortunate man he had ever known" -- lived quite an eventful life. Before becoming the chief engineer for the construction of an iconic U.S. landmark, Stone was a celebrated Mexican-American War veteran, the organizer of security for President Abraham Lincoln's inauguration, and a brigadier general during the Civil War. Stone also was in command at one of the Union Army's most humiliating defeats that included the death of Col. Edward Baker, the only time a sitting U.S. senator died during combat. "Had Baker survived this battle, it would have been merely a footnote of Civil War history," according to the Army Historical Foundation. "Instead, his death turned this minor defeat into a major controversy that incited contemporaries and has fascinated historians ever since." Union Col. Edward Baker's death at the Battle of Ball's Bluff helped lead to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. (Wikimedia Commons) Given different leadership decisions, the Battle of Ball's Bluff in Virginia on Oct. 21, 1861, might have never happened or possibly had a different outcome. With Union troops stationed on Harrison Island, Maryland, Maj. Gen. George McClellan ordered Stone to stage "a slight demonstration" the day before to determine the presence of any Confederate forces on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. When no rebel forces responded, a reconnaissance party was dispatched, and after that contingent, led by Capt. Chase Philbrick, moved inland at night toward Leesburg, Virginia, it mistook a cluster of trees for Confederate tents. Rushing to alert the Union hierarchy, Philbrick did not confirm what he saw, compounding his mistake. Stone ordered Col. Charles Devens of the 15th Massachusetts Infantry to attack at first light, but Devens soon learned that Philbrick's intelligence was incorrect. Instead of pulling back, though, Stone sent the remainder of the 15th Massachusetts to rejoin Devens and scout further. After Baker arrived at the scene, Stone sent him to evaluate the situation. With Bakers forces en route, a messenger informed him that Devens' men were fighting Confederates. With limited, if any, experience in river crossings, Baker ordered troops to assist Devens, but a lack of available boats made that virtually impossible. With reinforcements not coming, Devens' forces retreated to Ball's Bluff. During the battle, their backs against the Potomac River, Union soldiers had nowhere to go. Baker, one of Lincoln's close friends, was shot six times and killed -- one of 223 federal troops to die at the Battle of Ball's Bluff, most of them drowning while futilely attempting to flee. The Union sustained 1,002 casualties overall, more than six times the Confederates' 155. Baker's death incensed some fellow congressional Republicans and helped lead to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War in December 1861. The Battle of Ball's Bluff was its first case -- and Stone its first target. For his part, Stone (and McClellan initially) lay blame on Baker, contending: "The whole story is that Col. Baker chose to bring on a battle." The seven-member committee, which included five Republicans, was not swayed and impugned the reputation of Stone, a Democrat, and sought to portray him as disloyal and a rebel sympathizer. War Secretary Edwin Stanton wanted Stone arrested, but McClellan initially resisted. Stone confronted a stiff headwind, however, in proclaiming his innocence, especially after a damning newspaper story that recounted a supposed order provided by one of Baker's subordinates. The article claimed that Stone implored Baker "to make a dash on Leesburg," to which the senator responded: "I will obey Gen. Stone's order, but it will be my death warrant." Allegations that Stone ordered that escaped slaves be returned to their owners added to his troubles. After Stanton again pushed for Stone's arrest, McClellan acquiesced. Stone was detained in February 1862 despite no formal charges, drawing swift rebukes from his supporters. One Army officer labeled Stone's treatment "the greatest outrage," another alleged that McClellan betrayed Stone to save himself, and legendary Gen. Winfield Scott -- who had chosen Stone to defend Washington against the secessionist threat before the war -- fumed, "If he is a traitor, I am a traitor, and we are all traitors." Stone endured 50 days of solitary confinement at Fort Lafayette in New York before serving the rest of his six-month imprisonment at nearby Fort Hamilton. With the furor over Baker's death and what occurred at Ball's Bluff sufficiently died down, Stone was released that August without an apology or explanation. He remained in the military for another two years but never received another command, and by the time he left the Army in September 1864, he was near a nervous breakdown. A New York City Fire Department vessel renders honors, through a water salute, to the Statue of Liberty in New York City for Fleet Week 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zach Sleeper/U.S. Navy photo) If Stone's story ended there, he would have been viewed forevermore as a broken man. With his health -- not to mention his reputation -- in need of repair, Stone ventured to the other side of the world. A civil engineer by trade, Stone moved to Egypt in 1870 and spent more than a decade building its army and surveying the region. Partly on Grant's recommendation, Stone was hired to work on the Statue of Liberty in 1883. He served as the statues chief engineer, and in that capacity, he was in charge of overseeing shipments, construction and the process of attaching Lady Liberty to its pedestal. It was not an insignificant undertaking; after all, when France gifted the statue to the United States, it came in 350 pieces that had to be assembled into the 151-foot-tall iconic symbol of freedom it became. Two decades after the Battle of Balls Bluff, Stones work on the Statue of Liberty could be viewed by some as a redemptive act. And it likely was not lost on the former military man that where the Statue of Liberty stands so majestically in New York Harbor is not far from where he was once jailed. It is also only about two hours south from where the 62-year-old Stone was buried at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with full military honors. Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. When humanity needed a hero to save Earth from Megatron and the Decepticons, Optimus Prime was the hero who stepped up to the challenge. The transforming Autobots dont actually exist, but the U.S. military could no doubt use that kind of technology -- and, in a way, they already have something pretty close. Its not science fiction; its the Oshkosh Defense LVSR -- also known as the wrecker. In truth, the wrecker is only one of three forms the LVSR can take. All three are impressive feats of engineering, though. Anyone who appreciates trucks, military technology and gratuitous feats of strength should be a lifelong fan of this platform. Lame Name, Awesome Truck Need massive shipments of fuel delivered to remote outposts? The LVSR can deliver. (Cpl. Mary Kohlmann/U.S. Marine Corps photo) LVSR stands for Logistics Vehicle System Replacement. The Marine Corps inked a contract with Oshkosh Defense for the vehicle in 2006 to (you guessed it) replace the Logistics Vehicle System that had served as the Corps heavy hauler since 1985. At the time, Oshkosh Defense announced that the Marine Corps had agreed to purchase between 1,592 and 1,900 LVSRs for $740.2 million. Three years later, a subsequent contract added more than 425 trucks, 170 armor kits and 270 weapon-mounting kits. This tacked on another $176 million. The outgoing LVS was a hoss, make no mistake. It moved all kinds of heavy cargo across unforgiving terrain for 21 years. But rising challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan called for something new. The LVSR didnt just need to be stronger, both in terms of payload and the ability to survive blasts from improvised explosive devices, but needed to do multiple jobs. The LVSR can take the shape of a wrecker, tractor or cargo carrier. (Oshkosh Defense) The MKR15 wrecker gets much of the glory. This is the Marine Corps tow truck. The platform also provides the MKR16 tractor. Think of the MKR16 as a fifth-wheel towing rig, only larger in every dimension, stronger and capable of going just about anywhere. Finally, theres the MKR18 cargo truck. This trucks load-hauling system (LHS) doesnt just carry heavy containers of equipment; it can load and unload them by itself with a heavy-duty hydraulic system. All three variants are built on the same platform, which separates the cab and powertrain from the job-specific rear portion of the truck. This streamlines production, training and maintenance. It wasnt easy to pull off, but its an incredible asset on the battlefield. LVSR: By the Numbers The LVSR is the closest thing we have to an armored centipede war robot. (Cpl. Kevin Seidensticker/U.S. Marine Corps photo) When the first LVSR hit the fleet in 2006, it had some pretty impressive stats. It came with integrated mounting points so units could add armor plating prior to deploying to a combat zone. Oshkosh Defenses sophisticated TAK-4 suspension and 10-wheel drive made it almost impossible to get stuck. Four-wheel steering made the LVSR more agile in tight spaces than the Armys Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), which is based on the same platform. As the truck publication Diesel Army reports, the combination of a 600-horsepower Caterpillar C15 turbo-diesel engine and a robust seven-speed Allison 4700SP transmission propelled the LVSR to a top speed of 65 mph on pavement and 40 mph off-road. The original press release from Oshkosh Defense notes that the LVSR could also haul a 33,000-pound payload. And yet, it was also surprisingly simple to operate and maintain. The same type of fluid lubricated the engine, transmission, transfer case and hydraulics. This is the kind of design that comes from hands-on experience rather than a boardroom, and it made the LVSR easy to work on in austere conditions. Fun fact: With a trailer, the LVSR is roughly the length of one Afghan compound -- an admittedly imprecise measurement. (Lance Cpl. William M. Kresse/U.S. Marine Corps photo) Since then, Oshkosh has bumped up those numbers significantly. The 600-horsepower power plant remains, but the original payload of 33,000 pounds looks like a casual warm-up compared to what the platform can toss around now. According to Oshkosh Defense, the big dog of the three variants, the wrecker, can pull 20,000 pounds with the front winch, tow 53,000 pounds with the rear pintle, pull 78,000 pounds with the rear winches, lift and tow 96,000 pounds, and flat-tow 110,000 pounds. It can also haul 10,000 pounds on its cargo deck like a pickup truck. Thats more than the most powerful Ford F-150 weighs with its maximum payload in the bed. The heavily armored LVSR is not a bad way to roll into a war zone. (Lance Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck/U.S. Marine Corps photo) That means it can tow an MTVR or MRAP with about as much effort as you use to pull a rolling suitcase through the airport. But lets put that into perspective another way. With a maximum payload of 110,000 pounds, the LVSR can transport 22,000 five-pound tubs of protein powder, 110,000 cans of Rip-It or 124,737,908 Zyn pouches. Talk about increasing combat effectiveness! Is the Next Evolution of the LVSR Near? An improvised explosive device destroyed this LVSR, but all of the Marines inside survived. (Keith Hayes) The LVS program ran from 1985 to 2006 -- 21 years. The LVSR program turns 18 this year, and there are people in the Pentagon who want something newer. More specifically, the Army is in the middle of a four-way competition for the Common Tactical Truck, a heavy-duty rig that will replace the M195 tractor, M1088 cargo truck and HEMTT. The Marine Corps always hangs on to old gear longer than the other branches, but you have to wonder whether senior personnel are keeping an eye on the latest developments from Oshkosh Defense. If the company produces a truck capable of replacing the LVSR and the MTVR, that could be a compelling business proposition. Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Logistics Marines arent going to stop rolling coal and crushing miles with absurd off-roaders anytime soon. Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. American timeshare owners are being warned about an ongoing scam that can lead victims to losing significant sums of money and involves Mexican cartels. In a post by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the agency reports more than 600 victims have reported losing an estimated $300 million through scams over the last five years, but theres been an increase in those scams recently. The scam tends to target older, wealthy Americans who might be looking to recoup some of their investments into their timeshare. The victims have often been meticulously researched by con artists in hopes of scaring the victim in cooperating. Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health, said Paul Roberts, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Yorks Complex Financial Crimes Branch. Throughout the process, the fraudsters use a combination of high-pressure sales tactics and cyber-enabled fraud strategies, such as mimicking legitimate entities email addresses and forging official documents, to convince victims that each phase of the scam is legitimate, Roberts went on to say. The scam tends to work in three separate phases designed to target the victim multiple times for an extended period of time. The first phase begins with the scammer contacting a potential victim and pretending to be a broker, a salesperson or someone involved with the property. The victim is presented with the option of exiting the timeshare, renting it out, or investing in share certificates for their timeshare. The con artist then pressures the timeshare owner to pay fees and taxes up front in order to get involved with one of the three options presented to them. The scammers will use documents and websites that look official to further reassure the victim that the scammer is legitimate. The scammers also leverage a robust network of fake company websites, business names and addresses, and registrations with government officials and trade groups to bolster their credibility, Roberts said. The victims are approached numerous times in the first phase and pressured into paying more fees until they either run out of money or become wise to the scheme. The second phase involves the scammers posing as someone from a law firm that wants to help the victim recoup some of the money they already lost in the first phase. The scammers often claim the initial scammers have been either charged with fraud or held civilly liable in a U.S.- or Mexico-based lawsuit, and that the victims are owed restitution in the settlement, Roberts wrote . However, in order to access that restitution money, the victims are told they must pay legal or court fees to the law firms. The scammers then defraud the victims of a series of advance fees related to the settlement, again using fake documents to bolster their credibility. In the third and final phase, the con artists are now posing as a member of a government agency such as OFAC, the Mexican governments Financial Intelligence Unit, or from an international entity like INTERPOL. The scammer will either inform the victim that a criminal settlement fund is available and could recoup some money for the victim or the victim will be told that their initial payment to the timeshare fraudsters were suspicious. The victim is then told that their money could be linked to money laundering or terrorist operations and that further payments are necessary to clear their names. The Mexican cartels are drawn to timeshare scams because of the low overhead involved in setting up the operation and the lack of attention it receives compared to drugs or weapons schemes. Timeshare fraud has low overhead costs and minimal reinvestment, needing only a rental of small space, telecom setup, and English-speaking employees with access to resort databases, Roberts said. There is lower perceived risk of prosecution and extradition for timeshare fraud but easy cash flow that goes directly into the Mexican banking system and obfuscates funds to facilitate money laundering activities. How to recognize a timeshare scam Roberts says there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from the scam and that there are resources available to help if you are a victim. There is nothing embarrassing about falling victim to a scam like this, Roberts said. The worst thing that people can do is suffer in silence out of shame or fear of judgment. First, Roberts says you should never pay any fee or tax upfront as it is not a standard practice in the timeshare industry. You should also never provide a power-of-attorney form to anyone claiming to be involved with a timeshare. If you are approached by someone claiming to be a government official involved in investigating the scam, that person shouldnt: Reach out to you about a settlement Threaten to arrest or prosecute you if money isnt paid Threaten to subpoena you to appear in court outside of the United States Claim to be working with the FBI and/or the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control to subpoena you. Roberts goes on to say that if someone contacts you about a timeshare and demands payment upfront, you should end communication with them and never pay them the money. You should also never sign, notarize, or send any power-of-attorney or legal documents via email, Roberts said. If you have been a victim of a timeshare scam, you can report it here. One of the nations best engineering schools, as well as the best in Michigan, is once again located in Ann Arbor, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings released on June 18. The University of Michigans College of Engineering is the states best engineering school, as well as No. 9 nationally, the rankings show. The Ann Arbor university saw top-10 rankings in multiple specialty engineering programs, including the nations best nuclear engineering department. Other top-10 finishes are in aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, material and mechanical. The ranking is topped by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The methodology for the rankings, found here, is weighed most by research activity, peer assessment, faculty qualifications and student quality. Michigan State University is the next best engineering school in the state, ranking No. 57 overall. The East Lansing university jumped 11 spots from the previous years rankings, with its agriculture engineering program ranked No. 12 nationally. Michigan Technological University ranked No. 80 nationally to round out the top-100. Wayne State University in Detroit ranked No. 153 overall, followed by UM-Dearborn at No. 175. Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Oakland University, University of Detroit Mercy and Western Michigan University all ranked in the No. 180-199 range in the country. If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. UPDATE: Over 132,000 Consumers Energy customers in Michigan are without power as of 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 15. Another 11,000 Great Lakes Energy customers have no power. Counties with significant outages include Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Mecosta, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Ottawa and Van Buren. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Nearly 90,000 Consumers Energy customers, primarily in West Michigan, are without power Tuesday, June 25, in a thunderstorm that is bringing strong winds, rain and lightning to the state. Most of the outages are in Kent (41,039), Muskegon (33,472), Kalamazoo (10,121) and Ottawa (8,235) counties. Crews will be working through the day today to restore power, focusing on assessing damage and restoring critical customers first. Lineworkers can work as long as 16 hours at a time, and work will continue until power is restored to everyone, Consumers said in a statement. Related: Severe Thunderstorm Situation: What do storms do this morning in Michigan Roads have been shut down in Muskegon County because of downed power lines. Eastbound M-46 (Apple Avenue) between Moorland and Ravenna roads is closed because of downed wires. Norton Shores police reported eastbound Seaway Drive at Hoyt Street is closed because of downed wires. Westbound Seaway Drive at Seminole Road has downed lines, too. Police urged caution at that intersection. Wellesley Drive is closed between Randall and Quainton roads because of a tree and power lines across the road. A crash has closed northbound U.S. 31 after Riley-Thompson Road in Muskegon County. At 7:20 a.m., the National Weather Service said on X: The good news is that the storms are gradually weakening, but they are still severe and may be producing gusts to 60 mph. I-94 and I-69 corridors, youre up next! Related: Severe storm line could pack a wallop toward morning; Secure loose items before bed Severe thunderstorm warnings have been in effect for much of West Michigan. The weather service said that the storm caused widespread wind damage across Wisconsin, with 70-mph gusts, before moving to Michigan. As of 7 a.m., 89,879 Consumers Energy customers were without power. Other counties with outages include Allegan (1,535), Ionia, (1,192), and Oceana (1,696). KENT COUNTY, MI A powerful thunderstorm early Tuesday, June 25, left thousands in West Michigan without power and about half of Muskegon Countys local roads impassable. The storm brought winds of 70 mph and lightning and rain. BENTON HARBOR, MI -- Troopers arrested a man after witnesses reported he allegedly shot a rifle down a road in Southwest Michigan, according to state police. Police investigated reports of someone firing down the road in the area of East May Street and Lavette Avenue in Benton Harbor Friday, June 21, MSP said. FULTON, MI Hundreds gathered on the Pow Wow grounds of the Pine Creek Indian Reservation on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23. The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomis annual Pow Wow was a public event that brought visitors from all over the country to celebrate Native culture. The event, in Fulton, is about 15 miles south of Battle Creek. Vendors circled the ground and sold a wide variety of items including traditional Native clothing and antique art, sweatshirts, hats, turquoise jewelry and more. Roses, a food stand in its 90th year, attended the event with its famous, award-winning fry bread a staple of Indian Country. The stand, like the recipes within, have been passed down generation to generation. Thomas Marshall makes fry bread dough for Roses food stand at the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomis annual Pow Wow on June 23, 2024, on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation in Fulton, Michigan. Marshall is an eight time champion fry bread maker Marshall has been making the dough for 40 years.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Thomas Marshall, who works tirelessly on fry bread dough about a stones throw from the stand, has helped run it for 30 years. He inherited the stand from his mother-in-law and will pass it down to his family, who already helps him run it. Everyone looks for Roses sign, Marshall said. Along with the fry bread, the stand sold Indian tacos, Indian Burgers, chili and wild rice. Sundays event was kicked off with a grand entry, which honored Native veterans past and present. After that, hours of dancing commenced. Native military veterans are honored at the start of the Grand Entry during the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomis annual Pow Wow on June 23, 2024, on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation in Fulton, Michigan.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Music was performed by drummer groups including: Warpaint, Ribbon Town, Straight Eight, Fire Nation, Sharp Arrow and Black River. Several of the groups traveled from out of state to play their music. Warpaint, performers of the Tuscarora and Catawba tribes, came from North Carolina. Winners were selected in the competitive dance by NHBP dance leaders. In the team dance, Darrel Delabreau and his son, Francis, won first place in the competition after three rounds. Based in Wisconsin as members of the Menominee Nation, the Delabreaus travel across the country every weekend, from pow wow to pow wow, performing. It means a lot to me, to be out here every weekend with my son by my side, Darrel Delabreau said. Miigwaans Smith and her brother, Zhaawon Smith, placed second. Arthur Zapata, Motega Cotto and Armando Lucio won third place. The group stood out by wearing two Lions jerseys and a Bulls jersey, instead of traditional attire. Darrel Delabreau and his son, Francis, perform at the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomis annual Pow Wow on June 23, 2024, on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation in Fulton, Michigan. Delabreau and his son won first place in the team competition.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com The NHBP Pow Wow had two good weather days, though temperatures were hot on Saturday. The blessing of today, I think we understand what our ancestors went through. (Theyve) been very resilient. They did all that they could on the hot days and were rewarded on the not-so-hot days, NHBP Tribal Council Secretary Nancy Smit said. I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you that are here. ... These are my homelands and I hope you feel welcome. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. UPDATE: Michigans Adventure closes for second day after storm knocks out power MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- Michigan Adventure will be closed for the day due to inclement weather and a power outage, the amusement park announced Tuesday morning. BAY CITY, MI Take a stroll through downtown Bay City and youre likely to run across the faces of familiar, homegrown musical icons. With summer in full swing, they offer a reminder to kick out the jams. Stevie Wonder. Eminem. Bob Seger. Bay Citys own Madonna. Voters wont be deciding any ballot initiatives this fall, including one that wouldve raised the minimum wage and another allowing people to request the governors communications. The deadline late last month for groups to submit enough signatures to get their initiative petitions on the Nov. 5 ballot passed without any submissions, according to the Michigan Secretary of State. The best severe thunderstorm forecasting models have a strong trend toward a significant line of severe storms. This line of storms has been inching northward and now is projected to affect more of Lower Michigan toward morning. Look at the latest radar forecast from the high resolution model that knows best how to forecast thunderstorms. Ive been watching this model run every hour. Over the past 12 hours it has trended to the line of storms shifting north. Now the severe line of storms looks like it could stretch all the way from the Petoskey area south along all of the Lake Michigan shoreline. The storms may even hold together into a severe strength as far inland as U.S. 127. Heres that radar forecast from the High Resolution Rapid Refresh Model, a model that can develop thunderstorms. Radar forecast from 11 p.m. tonight to 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 25, 2024.NOAA Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the line of severe storms could be at Traverse City, Frankfort, Manistee and Ludington. The line of severe storms is then projected to race southeast across Lower Michigan between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. The storm line may weaken after 9 a.m. A line of thunderstorms like this can be a significant straight-line wind-maker. As a rough ballpark, this line of storms could have wind gusts up to 70 mph. The storms will likely be the strongest as they come onshore along the Lake Michigan shoreline. They still could be severe when they rush through Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Mount Pleasant, Saginaw, Bay City and Flint. They may drop below severe levels as they move into the far southeast part of Lower Michigan, including Ann Arbor and Detroit. To get an idea of whether a model has the right forecast we watch whats actually happening now compared to what the models predict should be happening now. The models now say a clump of severe storms will develop in far northwest Wisconsin. This is actually happening right now. Its significant that a cluster of severe storms can develop this late at night. That means they can be quite severe eventually. Heres the always updated radar. The clump of thunderstorms sliding into the Chicago area has been forecasted by the models. You can just barely see the new clump of storms forming in the very northwest corner of Wisconsin. That will be the severe storms to watch for morning severe weather in Michigan. If you have anything that can be affected by the wind you should secure it before you go to bed. Get ready for a potentially very stormy sunrise along the west and northwest Lower Michigan shoreline. It could turn very stormy inland during the first half of Tuesday morning. Stay updated with the weather here. OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All UKs University of Leeds, IIT Madras to set up sustainable development centre You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. 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I Accept Follow us on: Apple supplier Foxconn says no to married women seeking jobs at Tamil Nadu plant: Report OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Tata Electronics, Synopsys partner to ramp up Indias first fab unit, accelerate customer product design OTHERS OTHERS Follow us on: My Account or or Hello, Login All Foreigners on longest buying streak of Indian stocks in a year Follow us on: ICICI Bank tops $100 billion in market cap, becomes only the 6th Indian company to hit the milestone Jinit Parmar is a correspondent based out of Mumbai covering the banking sector, fintechs, NBFCs, insurance and more, tweets @jinitparmar10 Follow us on: Vodafone Group planning to invest up to Rs 3,000 cr in Vodafone Idea after Indus stake sales Dinesh Unnikrishnan is Editor-Banking & Finance at Moneycontrol. Dinesh heads the Banking and Finance Bureau at Moneycontrol. He also writes a weekly column, Banking Central, every Monday. 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Turns out the real architects of this design exist a bit closer to home - but their work remains pretty impressive. Stretching a whopping 50 metres in diameter, the crop circle first popped up on social media when YouTuber Rob Bowman (@user1980s) shared his drone footage of it. He questioned: "Look at that! What is going on?" Another YouTuber named Farmer Joe (@FarmerJoe50) uploaded a clip titled 'Spotted - Mysterious people in hazmat suits'. "I saw some weird stuff happening out on my neighbour's field last night and set up my camera. Can anyone tell me what's going on in this video before it cuts out?" The video shows a bunch of suspicious-looking people roaming the same field where the mysterious crop circle appeared. Alien life? A prank by some very precise vandals? Turns out neither. In fact, the Lego Australia and NZ team were behind the whole thing. Now that you take a second look at it - you should be able to spot the iconic LEGO minifigure head and hand in the crop circle design. So, why create a gigantic crop circle? A new study by LEGO reveals that 76% of Kiwi children aged 6-12 want to travel to space. LEGO is dubbing them the 'Space Generation' and is keen to get more Kiwi kids tapping into their passion for space exploration. Troy Taylor, Vice President and General Manager at LEGO Australia and New Zealand, said: "We are thrilled at the opportunity to nurture the Space Generation's curious attitudes towards space, broadening their horizons to embrace the potential that lies beyond our planet." With NASA's Artemis program planning to return people to the moon by the end of the decade, Gen Alpha (born between 2010 and 2025) are the most likely to travel into space - at least more so than other gens. Until then, some epic space-themed LEGO sets will keep their curiosity cooking State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office Logo View Photo Pinecrest, CA A 28-year-old man died over the weekend in an apparent drowning incident at Cleos Bath, and another person is missing in a separate incident, prompting a response from emergency officials and a community plea for water safety awareness. One incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. Sunday when Sheriffs Deputies responded to a call about a hiker who slipped and fell into the water above a waterfall at Cleos Bath. Despite extensive efforts involving the Tuolumne Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue team, a CalFire helicopter, California Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Forest Service personnel, the turbulent conditions prevented rescuers from accessing the area on foot or by dive teams. The recreator remains missing. Additionally on Sunday around 5:45 p.m., the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a swimmer in distress near the buoy line of the designated swim area. The victim, identified as Luis Alberto Jaco of Huntington Park was found in the water. Bystanders managed to pull Jacob to the shoreline and initiated CPR until medical personnel arrived. Despite efforts to revive him, Jacob tragically died at the scene. Authorities continue to advise caution in recreational activities around Pinecrest Lake and the surrounding areas, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of water currents. Senator Mitch McConnell View Photo U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding anti-Semitism and supporting Israel. McConnell was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Its been a few weeks now since most of Americas college students went home for the summer. The outbreak of organized hate that swept the campuses of the nations so-called elite universities has somewhat quieted down. Apparently, even the most zealous Hamasnik tent-dwellers had summer plans to attend to. Some, no doubt, expect to join the radical roadshow for a reunion tour of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention in August As if Chicagos own soft-on-crime politicians havent done enough to damage what used to be a thriving city. But even as places like Berkeley and George Washington University are cleaned and repaired after their occupation by Marxist vandals, the shameful events of this past spring have left deep and lasting scars. At Columbia, the task force responsible for investigating rampant anti-Semitism on campus in the wake of October 7th has released a new report. And the findings are chilling. On top of well-documented outbursts by student radicals, members of Columbias faculty turned classrooms into safe spaces to indulge the worlds oldest form of hate. Id like to share with our colleagues some of the initial coverage of the report. Quote: One professor encountering a Jewish-sounding surname while reading names before an exam asked the student to explain their views on the Israeli governments actions in Gaza. Another told their class to avoid reading mainstream media, declaring that it is owned by Jews. A third revealed a students complaint about an offensive comment regarding Jews by publicly displaying their email to fellow students. This isnt coming from the professional activists who swept in to occupy the academy. Its coming from the heart of the academy, itself. The rot runs deep. It is impossible to ignore. The scourge of anti-Semitism is a blight on once-prestigious institutions across our country. And unfortunately, it reaches from college campuses to the U.S. Capitol. Next month, a growing list of elected Democrats will boycott a joint session of Congress welcoming the duly-elected leader of the worlds only Jewish state and the only democracy in the region. Their plans, of course, are predictable. When Prime Minister Netanyahu last addressed Congress in 2015, nearly 60 members refused to attend. And in the years since, Washington Democrats have ceded more and more influence to despicable causes like the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement and to high-profile newcomers who traffic in unvarnished anti-Semitism. Im proud to live in a country that as our former colleague Ben Sasse has put it protects peoples rights to make abject idiots of themselves. And far too many powerful people have taken the horrific attacks of October 7th as an invitation to do exactly that. But Im also proud to live in a country that the world expects to stand with our allies. And the Presidents conduct toward Americas close ally is straining that expectation. Unfortunately, so is the conduct of other elected Democrats. Grotesque attempts to interfere in Israels politics by calling for the removal of its Prime Minister have lowered the bar for outrageous behavior. And micromanagement and withholding assistance has repeatedly made Israels task to restore its security and bring terrorists to justice even more difficult. Next months joint session ought to be an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Americas commitments to allies facing existential threats cannot be held hostage by the loudest fringes of our politics. That theyre not at the mercy of our lapses in moral clarity. The last thing a sovereign democracy under siege needs is a public tongue-lashing from the White House or a scolding speech from the floor of the Senate. Israel needs the weapons the President has withheld. It needs the time and space to finish the job against the terrorists trying to destroy it. It needs the freedom to operate on its own timetable, based on tactical reality in the Middle East, not on the political winds in Washington. And Americans should be united in support. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Former Yosemite Employee Charged With Rape In Park Yosemite National Park View Photo Yosemite, CA A federal grand jury has issued a one-count indictment against 36-year-old Nathan Baptista, charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. The US District Attorneys Office reports that Baptista is a former park employee who allegedly forcibly raped and strangled a female park employee on May 31st, after meeting her that night. The incident was investigated by the National Park Service and Assistant US Attorney Arin Heintz is prosecuting the case. The US Attorneys Office notes that if convicted, Baptista faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court and numerous factors would be considered. No additional details have been released. By Lambert Strether of Corrente Bird Song of the Day Eastern Meadowlark, Illinois Prairie PathDuPage Airport, DuPage, Illinois, United States. * * * In Case You Might Miss (1) The Debates, pre-game analysis. (2) Hillary Clinton has a book forthcoming. (3) Counting and scripting in the caring professions. (4) Model legislation to outlaw masks * * * Politics So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles * * * 2024 Less than a half a year to go! Fridays RCP Poll Averages: At this point, we should entertain the hypothesis that the Bragg verdict is a damp squib, unless Biden can somehow leverage it in the debate. Swing States (more here) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. If will be interesting to see whether the verdict in Judge Merchans court affects the polling, and if so, how. NOTE Sorry for the excess red dots; I cant seem to make them go away! * * * Trump (R): Campaign walks back Trumps green card promise [FOX]. Former President Trumps campaign walked back a promise that the former president would automatically award green cards to migrants after they graduate from college. President Trump has made it clear that on day one of his new administration, hes going to shut down the border and launch the largest mass deportation effort of illegal aliens in history, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement last week, according to a New York Post report, noting that the former president would include an aggressive vetting process and exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges. The comments come after Trumps appearance on the All-in Podcast last week, where the former president outlined an idea to give all foreign college graduates a green card with their diploma. Let Trump be Trump! * * * Biden (D): Greenwashing Kamala Harris: How the Veep Casts Herself as an Environmental Justice Crusader [RealClearInvestigations]. Vice President Kamala Harris has long cast herself as a fearless pioneer of efforts to fight for social and environmental justice. When I was elected DA of San Francisco, Harris told a gathering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta last year, I started the first environmental justice unit of any DAs office in the country. In her telling, the San Francisco District Attorney formed the special environmental justice unit in the early 2000s especially to protect the long-neglected community of Bayview Hunters Point, a predominantly African American and impoverished part of the city, which had become a dumping ground for people from other places. But records from the San Francisco District Attorneys office and interviews with local environmental advocates point to a different, far less ambitious record. Were unaware of any major or semi-major environmental justice work done by Harris in Bayview Hunters Point, including on the Hunters Point Shipyard Superfund site, said Bradley Angel, executive director of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, a progressive watchdog group that seeks to to promote environmental, social, economic and climate justice. Steve Castleman, an attorney with UC Berkeleys Environmental Law Clinic, who has worked on urban pollution issues in the Bay Area, also noted that he did not know of any significant Harris environmental justice action as DA. Far from targeting powerful corporate interests, Harris environmental justice unit appears to have filed only a few lawsuits, all against small-time defendants. The targets included a young man who conducted illegal smog checks at a small auto body shop in the city and a left-leaning community newspaper accused of illegally dumping leftover ink in an abandoned lot. Another defendant charged by the unit was a small construction company accused of using adulterated concrete. The major industrial polluters of San Francisco were left untouched under Harris watch during her two terms that ended in 2010. Oh. * * * Kennedy (I): On Assange: Julian Assange struck a plea deal and will go free! I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero. The bad news is that he had to plea guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense info. Which means the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 24, 2024 Kennedy (I): Epic Waste of $500 Million: Scientists Slam HHS Funding for Next-Gen COVID Oral and Nasal Vaccine Trials [Childrens Health Defense]. Since theyve got a picture of Kennedy on a fundraising pop-up, I file it here. [Brian Hooker, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense chief scientific officer] told the Defender that because COVID-19 mutates rapidly, immunity will still wane precipitously for the new vaccine candidates, just as it did with the existing mRNA vaccines. The hope for nasal vaccines, which is why there are trials, is that they will provide sterilizing immunity that will not wane, since they activate the nasal immune system, which existing intramuscular injection vaccines do not do. * * * The Debates: The Little Secret Ive Learned From 30 Years of Watching Debates With Voters [Frank Luntz, New York Times]. Nothing draws the ire of the average voter more than candidates speaking beyond their allotted time, my focus groups have shown. While most professional debate observers ignore candidates who run long, voters punish them mercilessly. It was a major reason many undecided voters turned so strongly against Mr. Trump after his undisciplined performance in the first debate in 2020. That debate, the most consequential one in memory, was one in which many voters and political experts drew roughly the same conclusions. Mr. Trump entered the debate trailing Mr. Biden by just a couple of percentage points, but his questionable strategy to insult, badger and bully Mr. Biden was received so badly by the women in my focus group that they were as harsh about Mr. Trump as he was to Mr. Biden. In contrast, there was one moment in the Trump-Clinton debates when voter opinion really struck me. It was Mr. Trumps offhand comment that Mrs. Clinton belonged in jail. Many pundits and political experts hated it. My focus group loved it. For them, it was accountability in action for someone as important as her, a former secretary of state. To be sure, many political experts zeroed in on the moment as a striking instance of a presidential nominee threatening to weaponize the justice system against his opponent. But I think what they missed was a yearning among some voters to see a senior official held to account and not let off the hook by a system seen as protecting insiders. Im sure that Trumps campaign team was happy with the microphone muting, for the reason Luntz gives. The Debates: Debates Are Lost, Not Won [RealClearPolitics]. Trumps risk is less what he says and more how he acts. Will he seem unhinged, overbearing, or out of control? Bidens risk is also less what he says, and more how he looks saying it. Will he seem frail, disoriented, or too old? One again, the muted microphones are a plus for Trump. The Debates: You Dont Need a Shrink to Tell You Why You Feel This Way [Harold Mayerson, The American Prospect]. So Biden and his campaign have no need to lower expectations going into the debate, though thats common practice for presidential candidates. Trump and his ilk have already done that for him, day in and day out for the past couple of years. If Biden actually can stand up [lets not talk about his gait, eh?] and remember things, he will have undercut the one perception most damaging to his prospects: that hes too old to be presidentat least, when compared to Trump. For which reason, ironically, Biden goes into the debate having to surmount the same hurdle as novice candidates (a category in which Biden certainly does not belong): demonstrating that hes simply up to the job. Strikes me as a debaters point (though yes, I think diagnosis from digital evidence is both over-the-top and not needed). The Debates: How Trump Wins the Debate and the Election [RealClearPolitics]. [O]n June 27, when Trump joins President Joe Biden on CNN for the earliest general election presidential debate in U.S. history, its not going to matter what the former president says so much as how he says it. Think of it as the equivalent of a medieval knight running the gauntlet. Every question from pro-Democrat moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and every taunting response from President Biden about threats to democracy will be an opportunity for Trump to lose his temper or to alienate moderate voters with intemperate replies. But if Trump keeps his cool in hostile territory and CNN is definitely hostile he will pick up invaluable points in the seems more presidential surveys that will certainly follow. The demeanor issue could cement Trump as the winner not just of the debate, but of the 2024 election itself. This is the conventional wisdom, I see. Perhaps I should check myself, since I buy it The Debates: First debate a chance for Biden to finish the Trump smackdown he started during State of the Union [Salon]. A collection of zingers. More: A convicted criminal whos only out for himself. President Bidens campaign last week launched a $50 million TV ad buy whose key line shows how to capture two central truths about Trump. The first that the former president is a convicted criminal speaks for itself and is hard for Trump to escape. The second part of the ad hes in it only for himself is equally important. Biden can quote Bill Barr, Trumps own attorney general, who said about Trump, He will always put his own interests . . . ahead of everything else.' Quoting people who have worked for Trump (there are other examples in the article) is an interesting tactic and might get The Donald riled up. The Debates: Trumps flip-flops on Bidens debate skills [WaPo]. According to Trump and his surrogates, Biden is suddenly an accomplished debater who destroyed Ryan in that 2012 debate and whose State of the Union signaled an ability to rise to the occasion when the bright lights are upon him. Its normal for politicians and their campaigns to raise expectations for their opponents ahead of a debate. But Trumps reversals have been as breathtaking and rapid as they have been transparent. Par for the course. * * * Is Joe Bidens bizarre behavior a GOP cheap fake? Its up to him to prove that hes OK. [USA Today]. Cheap fake essentially means a real video is edited in a way to become misleading. Ive seen various versions of all the videos, however, and regardless of how they were edited or framed, Biden does not come out looking good. I encourage you to watch them for yourselves. Calling them cheap fakes is bad enough, but Jean-Pierre went further and outright lied about these clips being deepfakes, which implies false content created through artificial intelligence or other technology. The full Jean-Pierre quote: Instead of talking about the presidents performance in office and what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what hes been able to do for people across this country were seeing these deepfakes, these manipulated videos. From this wording, its also possible that Jean-Pierre is simply ignorant, and thinks that deepfake and manipulated video are synonyms. * * * PA: The Trump Running Mate Who Threatens the Blue Wall [New York Times]. There is one person on Donald Trumps reported shortlist of running mates who has the ability to carve a Pennsylvania-shaped slice out of the so-called blue wall of rust belt states that Democratic presidential candidates typically need to win: Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Mr. Rubio could help the ticket in Nevada, where he spent a formative chunk of his adolescence and where his parents worked as a maid and a bartender in Las Vegas, or another marginal Biden state with a large Latino population, such as Arizona. Pennsylvania has the largest Latino population in the three critical states of the so-called blue wall Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which have favored Democrats in every election since 1992 except 2016 and Mr. Rubio is the kind of public figure whose values, rooted in a scrappy upbringing and Catholicism, could appeal to its voters. While Pennsylvania may not be the first state that comes to mind as having a sizable population of Hispanics and Latinos (and both campaigns are targeting them), they are the fastest growing ethnic group in the commonwealth, which is often seen as an older and whiter state. According to the last census, its total population grew only 2.4 percent from 2010 to 2020, while the Hispanic and Latino population grew by a whopping 45.8 percent. Hispanics and Latinos in Pennsylvania are highly concentrated in the media markets where elections are often won or lost, Philadelphia and the agglomeration of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. These pockets of Latino voters experienced a spike in population growth in five politically potent counties that run along the eastern side of the state: Berks, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Philadelphia . Interesting argument. I cant see Trump picking Little Marco, and I do consider the source, but it is an interesting argument. Has Rubio actually accomplished anything? Floridians? Clinton Legacy Hillary Clinton to warn voters in book coming 7 weeks before election [Axios] Just seven weeks before the election, Hillary Rodham Clinton will release a book called Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty, which is billed as Hillary like you havent seen her before.' I hope not. More: The book includes new personal insights about her old adversary Vladimir Putin.' Geopolitics is always personal with these people; I dont think its a grift, I think its how they genuinely think, if either of those two words is the word I want. Everything is like high school. And speaking of making it personal, I wonder if Mothers book will include this: Never forget When Julian Assange was releasing US Government war crimes back in 2010, Hillary Clinton proposed drone striking him. pic.twitter.com/oObqv6iT91 Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) June 25, 2024 Republican Funhouse They just cant help themselves: House GOP is trying to cut the Antitrust Division by 20% and gut the legislation that passed in 2022 to increase funding when theres more mergers. Populism! (And to be clear this is the budget for next year, so it could be Trumps antitrust division) pic.twitter.com/RJah1myYNw Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) June 25, 2024 Democrats en Deshabille Realignment and Legitimacy Syndemics I am in earnest I will not equivocate I will not excuse I will not retreat a single inch AND I WILL BE HEARD. William Lloyd Garrison * * * Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot ; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); Iowa COVID-19 Tracker (in IA, but national data). Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts (especially on hospitalization by city). Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put COVID in the subject line. Thank you! Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur dAlene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard) ; NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard) ; PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV ( wastewater ); WY ( wastewater ). Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada). Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usees); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater). Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). Stay safe out there! * * * Maskstravaganza Silence from prominent left outlets continues as mask bans spread [The Gauntlet]. Rest during and after COVID infection helps prevent Long COVID, and professional class people have much greater access to rest than workers in frontline positions. This is perhaps why, when left/liberal figures who continually avoid discussing the equity impacts of COVID make a lighthearted post about how theyre lying around sick with COVID watching TV, theyre often confused to be met with ire. For many people, being COVID positive means losing income for days, week or months, or working straight through it. And for those who do work through it, the risk of never recovering is higher. All of these realities put the ongoing pandemic squarely in the center of myriad left priorities; allowing COVID to spread unmitigated is worsening racial inequalities, worsening health inequality, harming workers, worsening homelessness, overloading our already struggling healthcare systems, and disproportionately disabling and killing people who are oppressed along other intersecting identities; people of color, queer people, trans people, women and disabled people. Yet prominent news outlets that bill themselves as leftist or socialist, like Jacobin, Current Affairs, The Lever and The Intercept remain strangely quiet about unmitigated COVID spread, the crisis of Long COVID, the importance of masking, the need for new clean air standards to bring down transmission, the urgency of airborne infection control in hospitals, and the states intensifying targeting of disabled people and those with Long COVID. As masks are increasingly stigmatized and criminalized, the arena in which disabled people, people with Long COVID, and people who do not wish to contract and spread COVID can safely appear continues to shrink. Watching these bans go into place while left-leaning outlets say nothing (or even appear to signal their support by failing to recommend masking or mitigation of any sort) is akin to feeling the walls closing in. Left public figures who fail to speak do not see that they are slashing a gaping hole in our wall of solidarity for fascists to drive right through. At this point, it is inarguable that the state is coming for disabled people. Speak now, because the state that is empowered to dispose of anyone harmed by COVID is surely a state empowered to dispose of you. Of all the many betrayals of the putative left, Covid policy is perhaps the worst, the real kick in the ribs. Commentary: Banning masks in a pandemic is one of the most batshit things I've ever heard. Only in America. Peter Daou (@peterdaou) June 25, 2024 And: This model mask ban law states that no person wearing a mask for health reasons should be congregating in large groups of people. Thats ableist. People have a right to participate in social activities and protest while protecting their health. https://t.co/ztbBHD0JRU pic.twitter.com/EynrG3r7jl Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) June 25, 2024 And: Theyre really trying to write if youre hi-risk stay home into law and yall are silent? Youre taking it with a smile? Do you realize that your unwillingness to mask in public is a surefire ticket to ending up disabled, dead or HI-RISK? Do you realize THIS AFFECTS YOU TOO? potatum (@pot8um) June 25, 2024 Yes, good to see the putative left all over this.. Heres Why COVID Measures Like Masking And New Ones Like Safety Goggles Could Return If A Bird Flu Pandemic Is Declared [Forbes]. An ongoing bird flu outbreak among U.S. dairy cows has led to three confirmed human cases in dairy workers, and although there arent any confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, experts warn safety measures like masks, vaccines and safety goggles will be needed if a pandemic is declared due to the viruss deadly nature. . Dr. Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist with the nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Forbes methods like masking and social distancing should be the first implemented. Those are all the kinds of interventions we need to put in place to buy time for the vaccine, Bisanzio said. Justman told Forbes new methods like protective eyewear may be effective safety measures, especially among farm workers who have daily contact with potentially infectious animals. This is because all three U.S. dairy farmers infected with bird flu had eye-related symptoms like pink eye and irritation, indicating the virus may spread when humans touch or rub their eyes with infected hands. She also pointed to a recent CDC bird flu study that found ferretsthat as mammals have similar respiratory tracts to humansbecame infected after eye exposure. Dr. Maciej Boni, an epidemiologist and professor at Temple University, told Forbes he doesnt think safety measures for a bird flu pandemic will be similar to those put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic because experts dont know yet how the virus will behave if it mutates and begins transmitting between humans. H5N1 is not 10 or 20 times more deadly [than COVID-19], its 1,000 times more deadly, Boni said. Bird Flu is Disease X, and weve been planning for it for twenty years. Just imagine how bad it would be if we hadnt been planning! Censorship and Propaganda A resource for COVID-19 research and information [You Have To Live Your Life] Maps minimizing, eugenicist cliche to counter-evidence using dropdowns: There should really be a word for minimizing, eugenicist cliche. Perhaps in German? Variants: Covid KP.3 COVID variant is dominant in the US: What are the symptoms? [USA Today]. In April, KP.2 quickly overtook JN.1, the omicron subvariant that drove a surge in COVID cases this past winter. In a matter of weeks, KP.3 surpassed KP.2 to become the most prevalent strain. Although COVID-19 numbers are still relatively low compared to the winter, CDC data shows a small increase in test positivity and emergency room visits in recent weeks. As NC readers have known for weeks. More: The emergence of KP.3 and other FLiRT variants is the same old story, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., virologist at Johns Hopkins University, tells TODAY.com. The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates and gives rise to a new, highly contagious variant, which becomes the dominant strain. The timeline that it happens in, three to six months, is much faster than we see with other viruses like influenza, says Pekosz. Too fast, therefore, for vaccines to react. One would therefore expect an emphasis on non-pharmaceutical interventions like masking and ventilation which work on any variant, but instead we have a lengthy discussion of plans for next falls vaccines. Of course the metrics are hospitalization and death, not infection (which in and of itself, even in asymptomatic cases, can cause vascular and neurological damage, and Long Covid). Not a bad article once you accept its limitations [lambert bangs head on desk]. Testing and Tracking: Covid Detection of COVID-19 by quantitative analysis of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath [Nature]. N = 321. From the Abstract: Breath analysis has shown great potential as a non-invasive and rapid means for COVID-19 detection. The objective of this study is to detect patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and even the possibility to screen between different SARS-CoV-2 variants by analysis of carbonyl compounds in breath. Carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath are metabolites related to inflammation and oxidative stress induced by diseases Carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath were captured using a microfabricated silicon microreactor and analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). . The technology for analysis of carbonyl compounds in exhaled breath has great potential for rapid screening and detection of COVID-19 and for other infectious respiratory diseases in future pandemics. Now put it in cell phones. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-61735-7#author-information Sequelae: Covid Is anyone else experiencing this? I bought 3 appliances in early 2023 a dishwasher, washer/dryer & range. All failed w/i a month of each other ~15 mos after purchase (out of warranty). Here's the crazy part: each of the 3 brands admitted it was due to a flaw introduced during Covid & covered the repairs. Ann Bauer (@annbauerwriter) June 25, 2024 Sounds like loss of executive function upstream in the supply chain, to me. How long until this is normalized, and the repairs arent covered? Prevention And Now Xylitol [Derek Lowe, Science]. The authors studies two large and separate cohorts of patients across several years, and fasting xylitol concentration in the blood certainly seems to be correlated with major adverse coronary events, along with stroke The evidence looks pretty solid, although the mechanism (as with erythritol) is still something of a mystery. At any rate, I would regard these studies as reason enough to avoid both of these compounds as sweeteners, and I would extend the caution to the other sugar alcohols as well (maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, etc.) We really need to understand more about these things, and ditching the sugar-free gummy candies and the like seems like a prudent move. So I guess Xylitol chewing gum as a Covid preventative is out? * * * TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts Wastewater This week[1] CDC June 17: Last Week[2] CDC June 10 (until next week): Variants [3] CDC June 22 Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC June 8 Hospitalization New York[5] New York State, data June 22: National [6] CDC June 1: Positivity National[7] Walgreens June 17: Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic June 15: Travelers Data Positivity[9] CDC June 3: Variants[10] CDC JUne 3: Deaths Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC June 15: Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC June 15: LEGEND 1) for charts new today; all others are not updated. 2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and open image in new tab. NOTES [1] (CDC) This weeks wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. The numbers in the right hand column are identical. The dots on the map are not. [2] (CDC) Last weeks wastewater map. [3] (CDC Variants) KP.3 dominating. [4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented. [5] (Hospitalization: NY) Now a jump, which is be compatible with a wastewater decrease, but still not a good feeling .(The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.) [6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented. [7] (Walgreens) 4.3%; big jump. (Because there is data in current view tab, I think white states here have experienced no change, as opposed to have no data.) [8] (Cleveland) Still going up! [9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesnt even run back to 1/21/23, as it used to, but now starts 1/1/24. Theres also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesnt want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, thats why the shape of the curve has changed. [10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. Im leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much: [11] Deaths low, but positivity up. [12] Deaths low, ED up. Stats Watch The Economy: United States Chicago Fed National Activity Index [Trading Economics]. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index increased to +0.18 in May 2024, the highest in three months, up from a revised -0.26 in April. Manufacturing: United States Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index [Trading Economics]. The composite manufacturing index in the US Fifth District slumped to -10 in June of 2024 from the neutral reading of 0 in the earlier period, a sharp contrast to market expectations of a 2. * * * Retail: Hooters has abruptly shuttered 40 locations as restaurant crisis deepens [Daily Mail]. [B]osses said the 41-year-old brand remains highly resilient and relevant, and highlighted a new range of Hooters frozen food which is being sold in supermarkets across America. Hooters frozen food? Really? Tech: US Record Labels Sue AI Music Generators Suno and Udio for Copyright Infringement [Wired]. The music industry has officially declared war on Suno and Udio, two of the most prominent AI music generators. A group of music labels including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Group has filed lawsuits in US federal court on Monday morning alleging copyright infringement on a massive scale. The plaintiffs seek damages up to $150,000 per work infringed. The lawsuit against Suno is filed in Massachusetts, while the case against Udios parent company Uncharted Inc. was filed in New York. Suno and Udio did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Unlicensed services like Suno and Udio that claim its fair to copy an artists lifes work and exploit it for their own profit without consent or pay set back the promise of genuinely innovative AI for us all, Recording Industry Association of America chair and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a press release. RIAA arent exactly angels, but they have the right of it here. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 39 Fear (previous close: 39 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 44 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jun 25 at 1:47:21 PM ET. Class Warfare The Triumph of Counting and Scripting [Salon]. Erin Nash was a hospital chaplain whose job was to be with people in some of their worst moments, praying, holding hands, even singing with them. Shadowing her on her rounds, I watched as she managed to create brief peaceful moments with suffering patients and their families again and again, making temporary sanctuary between the thin blue medical curtains despite the buzzing alarms, fluorescent lighting, and constant stream of footsteps on the linoleum floors nearby. I was surprised to learn that in addition to consoling the bereaved and calming the anxious, Erin (the names in this piece have been changed) had to fill out three separate chartsincluding the standard electronic health records system that many clinicians usefor every person she visited. She even carried around a cheat sheet to help her remember the codes, murmuring, under her breath, Asking for a prayer is a resource, family together is a resource, while she hunted and pecked at the keyboard. Nobody was being billed for Erins work, so why was she charting in triplicate? To find the answer, I spent five years talking to workers like Erin, as well as the managers and engineers who are trying to design and impose the systems that control her work. Ultimately, the spread of data analytics into feeling labor is more than just the latest frontier in an inexorable drive toward increasing efficiency everywhere. It has implications for A.I., the future of work, and the stratification of human contact. Reminds me of this from The Onion First we shape our social graph; then it shapes us [Henrik Karlsson, Escaping Flatland]. Ive been using the word culture so far, but that is not the exact word for what I am gesturing at. It is not the wider culture we internalize; it is the particular set of influences that surround us, what Tim Urban has called our unique cultural intersection. Is there a word for this? I dont know. But discussing the terminology with GPT-3, a large language model, it suggests I use the word milieu, which sounds sophisticated in a distinctly French way. This I can live with. A milieu, says GPT-3, is the culture contained in your unique set of connections. (Merriam Websters dictionary says the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops.) Unlike the word culture, as anthropologists invoke it when they talk about French culture or Balinese culture, a milieu is not a monolithic thing. Your milieu is not the same as your sisters. It is an ever-shifting, individual configuration of information flows. The Twitter feed you have curated is a milieu. Your friend group (which is not the same as the friend groups of the other people in that group!) is a milieu. It is by changing your milieu that you change yourself. Curating our milieu is something we all do these days, if not always consciously. News of the Wired Dad. Via: A duck walks into a pub and orders a pint of beer and a ham sandwich. The barman looks at him and says, Hang on! Youre a duck. I see your eyes are working, replies the duck. And you can talk !! Exclaims the barman. I see your ears are working, too, Says the duck. Now if you dont mind, can I have my beer and my sandwich please? Certainly, sorry about that, Says the barman as he pulls the ducks pint. Its just we dont get many ducks in this pub. What are you doing around this way? Im working on the building site across the road, Explains the duck. Im a plasterer. The flabbergasted barman cannot believe the duck and wants to learn more, but takes the hint when the duck pulls out a newspaper from his bag and proceeds to read it. So, the duck reads his paper, drinks his beer, eats his sandwich, bids the barman good day and leaves. The same thing happens for two weeks. Then one day the circus comes to town. The ringmaster comes into the pub for a pint and the barman says to him Youre with the circus, arent you? Well, I know this duck that could be just brilliant in your circus. He talks, drinks beer, eats sandwiches, reads the newspaper and everything! Sounds marvellous, says the ringmaster, handing over his business card. Get him to give me a call. So the next day when the duck comes into the pub the barman says, Hey Mr Duck, I reckon I can line you up with a top job, paying really good money. Im always looking for the next job, Says the duck. Where is it? At the circus, Says the barman. The circus? Repeats the duck. Thats right, Replies the barman. The circus? The duck asks again. with the big tent? Yeah, the barman replies. With all the animals who live in cages, and performers who live in caravans? says the duck. Of course, the barman replies. And the tent has canvas sides and a big canvas roof with a hole in the middle? persists the duck. Thats right! says the barman. The duck shakes his head in amazement, and says; What the hell would they want with a plasterer ??? * * * Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From TH: Th writes: Weve been lucky in that the prior owners of our property never used chemicals. Neither do we and as a result, the amphibians love to hang out in our yard. The perennial geranium just started to bloom and will come on strong this week after the rain. Skink is, IIRC, the name of a dealer in Spook Country. But this ampihibian seems quite nice! * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated: If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! Yves here. Many experts have described how stock buybacks reflect perverse incentives by allowing corporate executives to engage in stock price manipulation for the benefit of their own paychecks and stock incentive deals. The SEC made the mistake of authorizing stock buybacks in 1982. Its recent efforts to force more disclosure of buyback activity to make sure that companies were complying with its safe harbor rules was successfully challenged in court for failing to consider costs and benefits. The SEC can probably overcome this hurdle but it is yet another administrative burden. An illustrative critique of stock buybacks comes in Profits Without Prosperity, from the Harvard Business Review in 2014. Its opening paragraphs: Five years after the official end of the Great Recession, corporate profits are high, and the stock market is booming. Yet most Americans are not sharing in the recovery. While the top 0.1% of income recipientswhich include most of the highest-ranking corporate executivesreap almost all the income gains, good jobs keep disappearing, and new employment opportunities tend to be insecure and underpaid. Corporate profitability is not translating into widespread economic prosperity. The allocation of corporate profits to stock buybacks deserves much of the blame. Consider the 449 companies in the S&P 500 index that were publicly listed from 2003 through 2012. During that period those companies used 54% of their earningsa total of $2.4 trillionto buy back their own stock, almost all through purchases on the open market. Dividends absorbed an additional 37% of their earnings. That left very little for investments in productive capabilities or higher incomes for employees. So with the SEC not able to make even modest changes to its buyback rule, and not inclined to really rock the boat by rolling it back, the heavy lift of tax reform is more viable, which means not very. By Jessica Corbett, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams With a battle over congressional Republicans and former U.S. President Donald Trumps 2017 tax law brewing, a progressive think tank on Monday published an analysis that points to the surge in stock buybacks as proof that federal policymakers should raise the corporate tax rate. When Trumpthe presumptive GOP nominee to challenge President Joe Biden in Novembersigned the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, he declared that corporations are literally going wild over this, I think even beyond my expectations. Chuck Marr, vice president for federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) wrote in his new analysis that other studies have shown that the corporate rate cut overwhelmingly benefits high-income people and has failed to deliver to workers the benefits its proponents promised. He referenced research from the American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, and University of North Carolina as well as the Joint Committee on Taxation and Federal Reserve Board that exposes how the law hasnt lived up to the GOPs claims. The fact that it also launched massive buybacks is a further reason why policymakers should revisit the rate cut next yearpart of the larger course correction needed in the nations revenue policies as major pieces of the 2017 law expire, Marr argued. Buyback is a term for when a company purchases its own outstanding stock to reduce the number of shares on the market and increase the value of the remaining ones, a practice that further enriches shareholders. Excluding the pandemic-induced recession in 2020, buybacks have been markedly higher every year since the 2017 law, and are projected to top $1 trillion in 2025 for the first time, Marr noted, citing Goldman Sachs. Some companiessuch as John Deerehave even laid off workers while buying back stock, as Common Dreams has reported. The fact that corporations have significant excess cash beyond their investment needs and are using it to further enrich already affluent shareholders suggests that partially reversing the corporate rate cut, as President Biden has proposed, poses little risk to investment or the broader economy, Marr wrote. The presidents proposed rate is 28%. Policymakers have an opportunity to move away from corporate tax cuts that havent delivered on their economic promises and toward a tax system that raises more revenue through progressive policies like increasing the corporate tax rate, he explained. They can then use those revenues for investments to make the economy work better for everyone, such as an expanded child tax credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, childcare, and housing. Marr also urged lawmakers to go even further and raise the excise tax on stock buybacks to 4% from the current 1%. The CBBP is far from alone in framing the looming expiration of some tax cuts as a chance to pursue more progressive policy. In fact, the center is part of a coalition led by Groundwork Collaborative that is calling on Congress to use the expiration of these provisions as an opportunity to address long-standing problems with our tax code, not just to tinker around the edges. Some progressives on Capitol Hillsuch as Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who supports a wealth tax targeting the richest Americansare also seizing the moment. Warren said earlier this month: Its time to stiffen our spines. President Biden is right: If the 2025 tax bill doesnt call on the wealthy and giant corporations to shoulder a bigger share of what it costs to run this country, Democrats should reject it outright. No more Trump tax breaks for billionaires. Due to its potential size and volume of operations, Perus Chancay mega-port is destined to become a nerve centre of international trade. And it will be exclusively controlled by Cosco. Peru appears to be on the verge of becoming a major global shipping hub, and all thanks to a largely Chinese financed infrastructure project. Over the past five years, the Chinese giant Cosco Shipping Ports has, together with Peruvian mining company Volcan, invested $3.6 billion in transforming a natural deep-water port in Chancay, just 45 miles north of Lima, into a cargo mega-port. The first part of the project, now in its final phase, is slated for inauguration in November when Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to attend the APEC summit in Peru. Once the work is finished, Chancay will become South Americas largest deep sea port, boasting two massive terminals. There will be a new container terminal with 11 berths as well as a new four-berth terminal for bulk cargo, general cargo, and rolling cargo, World Cargo News reported. We are very focused on the operation, said Alonso Guinand, commercial manager of Cosco Shipping, in a recent interview with a local Lima television station. The plan is to inaugurate in November and begin receiving vessels between January, February March next year. The first five fully automated ARMG yard cranes have arrived in Chancay as the port development reaches 83% completion https://t.co/T8Oc7mClFW #Peru #cranes #ARMGs #WorldCargoNews pic.twitter.com/yVIcu0T1QM WorldCargo News (@WorldCargoNews) June 21, 2024 From Chancay to Shanghai Commissioned in 2019 (though preliminary work began in 2016), the Chancay megaport is seen as the first of its kind in Latin America: a large-scale Pacific-coast logistics centre serving Asia that could save valuable shipping time by reducing the need to transit either the Panama Canal or Cape Horn. But that is likely to be a long time coming, if it ever transpires. It will also be the first port on South Americas Pacific coast that is able to receive ultra-large vessels which can transport more than 18,000 containers because of its nearly 60-foot depth. The potential impact for trade between South America and East Asia is likely to be significant, reported BBC Mundo in 2023 (translation my own): The megaport will be one of the main departure points for the raw materials that the region exports to China, such as copper and other minerals that Peru produces in abundance. Due to its size and volume of operations, it is destined to become a nerve centre of international trade. The dimensions are so significant that it appears that Chancay is going to become a critical point for shipments to China and all of Asia, Margaret Myers, an expert on Asia and Latin America at The Dialogue, a think tank, told BBC Mundo. Through the enormous investment US$3.6 billion according to official projections and complex engineering work the Peruvian government hopes to attract around 50% of the nearly US$580 billion in trade that moves annually between China and South America. Given the projected shorter shipping times, Chancay is of particular interest to local producurs of agricultural and fishing perishables. According to the Foreign Trade Research and Development Institute of Limas Chamber of Commerce, or Idexcam, most of the export value (63%) shipped from Chancay will consist of perishable fishing products (traditional and non-traditional) and non-traditional agricultural products. The port, it says, will not export or import minerals, but will instead transport mainly goods in containers, such as agro-industrial products, toys, packaged products, automobiles, equipment and machinery, among others. Hopes are high, however, that Chancay will be used to export products from neighbouring countries like Ecuador, which recently signed an FTA with Beijing; Chile, which also has an FTA with China; Colombia, and perhaps even Brazil. Much will depend on whether the road links between Peru and Brazil particularly the Andean sections can be improved. Brazilian companies and government ministers are certainly showing an interest in the project. The port will also function as a gateway to South America for imported Chinese manufactured goods, including mobile phones, computers and electric cars. Not everyone is excited at this prospect. The European Council on Foreign Relations warns that both the US and the EU risk falling behind China in Latin America as they struggle to compete with Chinas vertical investment strategy in the region. The US, in time-honoured fashion, is exerting political pressure behind the scenes. According to one report, Washingtons soft-power arm USAID is playing a part in the US counter-offensive against China in Peru by investigating foreign agents in the country, with a particular focus on unethical practices by Asian (read: Chinese) multinationals. China is already Perus largest trade partner on both the exports and imports side. A whopping 35% of Perus exports go to China, compared with 19% to the US. Peru is the second largest destination for Chinese investment in Latin America, behind only Brazil. It is also one of just five countries in the region, along with Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Ecuador, that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with China, though another five, including Colombia, Panama and Uruguay, are in the process of negotiating FTAs with the Asian giant. As noted in previous pieces (including most recently here), China has made huge incursions into the US so-called back yard over the past two decades, as both a trading partner and investor. It is already South Americas largest trade partner, having increased its volume of trade with the region more than 25-fold between 2000 and 2020. The US continues to hold sway over Central America and, pound for pound, is still Latin America and the Caribbeans largest trading partner. But that is predominantly due to its huge trade flows with Mexico, which account for well over half of all US-LatAm trade. Chancay will allow Beijing to further strengthen its grip over South Americas resources, warns the Wall Street Journal. There are also concerns that the port could be converted for military use as well as over how data passing through the massive operation could be used by the Chinese Communist Party. Why are the Chinese so focused on critical infrastructure in this hemisphere? asked General Laura Jane Richardson, commander of United States Southern Command. Speaking at the Ninth Annual Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC) at Florida International University (FIU), Richardson warned that Chancay will only make it easier for the Chinese to extract all these resources from the region resources that the US government and corporations also covet. Those resources include rare earth elements, lithium, gold, silver, oil, natural gas, light sweet crude (huge deposits of which have been found off the coast of Guyana), copper, abundant food crops, and fresh water. Richardson also bemoaned Beijings use of the Belt and Road initiative to enrich itself at the expense of local interests. It will appear that she has not read Major General Smedley D. Butlers timeless classic, War is a Racket. Exclusive Control The Chancay project almost began unravelling earlier this year following a legal dispute over the extent of Chinese control over the privately owned port. The initial contract granted Cosco Shipping Ports exclusive operating rights at the Port of Chancay. When this information was leaked in March, Perus Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC), at the request of the Peruvian port authority (APN), which had originally signed the contract giving Cosco exclusive rights, demanded that Coscos exclusive rights Cosco be annulled. In its May 13 article, Peru Learns to Read the Fine Print in China Deals, Foreign Policy magazine could barely contain its glee: Oh, to be a fly on the wall at APN headquarters or the office of new Peruvian new Economy Minister Jose Arista, who has to help sort this mess out. A mere five years ago, Coscos investment in Chancay, which is located a mere 40 miles to the north of the capital city of Lima, seemed to be unmitigatedly good news The Peruvian government maylike countless other governments in countries ranging from Italy to Sri Lanka that, until recently, enthusiastically courted Chinese infrastructure investmentssimply have gotten cold feet about Cosco in Chancay, especially since Cosco is ultimately owned by the Chinese state through its mainland-based parent company, Cosco Shipping. That does not appear to be the case. After Cosco warned that the removal of its exclusivity would impinge on the security and legal stability of its investments in Peru, implying that it could pull out of Chancay if it does not get what it wants, Perus deeply divided Congress rapidly approved the following text: [T]he owner of a private port for public use that has a port authorisation can provide port services exclusively. Once the port authorisation has been granted, the competent Port Authority grants exclusivity in the provision of essential port services requested by the owner of the private port together with the port license. A Tug of War for Perus Soul A couple of years ago, the Mexican geopolitical analyst Alfredo Jalife-Rahme warned in one of his video conferences that the worlds two superpowers, the United States and China, are in a tug of war for Perus soul. As we noted at the time, said war is rather one-sided war given that China does not tend to meddle in internal politics in the region, or at least hasnt until now. The US, by contrast, has meddled in the region more than any other country in history with the possible exception of Spain. Since then, Peru has hosted two extensive US-led military exercises on its soil: Resolute Sentinel 2023 (in May/June 2023) and Resolute Sentinel 2024 (in May/June 2024). This years edition included the participation of the armed forces of Peru, the United States, France, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. Just days after it finished, the Southern Seas 2024 mission began, featuring combined exercises and operations of the US navy with the naval forces of several South American countries including Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Almost exactly a year ago, the weekly Peruvian newspaper Hildebrandt en sus trece published an in-depth report titled Juegos de Guerra (War Games). In that report, the authors wagered that the main reason for the US troops mobilisation in Peru (and elsewhere) was as a show of force to Washingtons main strategic rivals, Russia and China, which are eroding US influence in the region. From our article on the topic: There is a global political confrontation between the United States and China and Russia. Peru is key because we are located at a strategic point in the Pacific basin, a gateway for China and access point to Brazils huge market on the Atlantic seaboard. We are a hinge, Wilson Barrantes, former director of Perus National Intelligence Directorate (DINI), told the weekly newspaper In May 2019 Admiral Craig Faller, then head of Southern Command, presented an internal document called Enduring Promise for the Americas. It was about a plan for winning allies in Latin America and the Caribbean up to 2027 with the goal of improving security, protecting the US homeland and our national interests, says the report. In the document SOUTHCOM singles out two threats in the US backyard: Chinese influence and the growth of organised crime. On the spectre of Xi Jinping, Faller paints a bleak picture: In many areas around the world, including this hemisphere, our competitive advantage is eroding () China has expanded its One Belt, One Road initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean at a pace that could one day eclipse its expansion in South East Asia and Africa. Its trade and investments are increasing rapidly and it is now the biggest creditor to the region. Chinese control of deep water ports and infrastructure connected to the Panama Canal bolsters its operational position. Its investments in telecommunications and access to space tracking facilities put at risk military operations, intellectual property and data privacy, says the report. Faller proposes three lines of action to counter US rivals. The first strategy consists of increasing US presence in the region by strengthening its alliances. We will take advantage of our bilateral security assistance programs to enhance regional cooperation. As if to confirm this, the documents presented to the Peruvian Congress requesting authorisation for the entry of US troops and military equipment argue that (emphasis my own) training alongside US forces will help to improve the capabilities and strengthen the operational performance of [Peruvian] Special Forces, boosting their interoperability with NATO systems and doctrine. Since as far back as 2019 the Peruvian Army one of the last remaining institutional backbones in Peru, according to Jalife has made no bones about its aspirations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Association at some point in the future, despite Perus geographic position perched on South Americas Pacific coastline. Peru, like its Andean neighbour Ecuador, has recently entered into Plan Colombia-style initiatives with the US, with the ostensible aim of combating drug cartels. The agreements include authorisation for the US coastguard to patrol both countries coastlines. A Dangerous Balancing Act At the same time, Lima is looking to strengthen its commercial ties with China, the US arch rival in the region. Perus deeply unpopular President Dina Boluarte is scheduled to visit Beijing this week to meet with Xi Jinping. She is also scheduled to meet with executives from Cosco Shipping Ports, Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, electric carmaker BYD, the infrastructure giant China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and Jinzhao Mining, to whom her government recently awarded a contract to build another port in the south of Peru. At the same time, the Boluarte government is seeking similar investments from the US. Worried about Chinas Chancay move, Washington has allegedly set its sights on the Corio megaport development in the southern region of Arequipa. The project is projected to surpass Chancay in size and is being promoted by the Peruvian government among US investors, reports the Chilean newspaper La Tercera: [T]he Peruvian ambassador to the United States, Alfredo Ferrero, told Bloomberg that Peru is working to strengthen its relationship with the United States through this Corio project, aimed at balancing the presence of both powers on the Peruvian coasts. According to Ferrero, this project seeks to counteract Chinas growing impact on Peruvian maritime trade and guarantee a balance of strategic influence. In other words, Perus government is trying to use each side to its advantage, much as Erdogan has balanced Turkeys relations with NATO and Russia. A couple of problems immediately spring to mind. First, the US government these days does not generally invest in non-military infrastructure, whether at home or abroad. Second, the Boluarte government is not nearly as canny nor as strong as Erdogans. In fact, Boluarte is arguably the most unpopular leader in the so-called democratic West right now. After seizing power in a December 2022 US-supported internal coup, she has faced a string of scandals, including one called Rolexgate, as well as accusations of crimes against humanity for which she will soon have to face trial. Today, after just 18 months in charge, she has an approval rating of 5% and her government wants to make it illegal to accuse political parties of corruption. In the South, where most of the protesters were killed by security forces, just 3% of the population approve of her government. In other words, Boluarte will be easily toppled, if push comes to shove just as she helped topple her former boss, Perdo Castillo, who is currently languishing in a Peruvian jail. Perus Congress is almost equally reviled. Yet despite years of political scandals and instability, Perus economy continues to provide some degree of stability. The upcoming inauguration of the Chancay mega-port will be proof of that. It will also be proof of the fact that while the US may be strengthening its military alliances in the region, it still cant compete with the Chinese for economic influence, despite still high rates of US investment and trade with the region. Additional proof of that, if needed, will be provided by the likely upcoming visit to Beijing by Argentinas fervently anti-communist President, Javier Milei, whose cash-strapped government desperately needs continued financial support from China. The Painful Truth About Healing Crystals Wall Street Journal (Li) The Case for Not Sanitizing Fairy Tales The Plough (Anthony L) The falling birthrate threatens a disaster so costly no politician dares think about it Guardian (Kevin W). Shows a lack of a sense of proportion. The climate crisis is vastly more destructive, intractable, and costly were anyone to get serious enough. #COVID-19 Exclusive: The Government has incinerated or written off 1.4 BILLION worth of Covid PPE, provided by one supplier in the summer of 2020 it is the single most wasteful public contract of the whole pandemic. Thread 1/ pic.twitter.com/Wl06kNowHf Jon Ironmonger (@JonIronmonger) June 25, 2024 Climate/Environment Global tax truce frays over fears of US Senate deadlock Financial Times China? The Koreas US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea amid tensions with North Korea Aljazeera India South of the Border Africa European Disunion Old Blighty A paedophiles playground: Inside the scandal at King Charless old school Telegraph Gaza New Not-So-Cold War Assange Imperial Collapse Watch Trump Biden The Land that Law Forgot: The Supreme Court and the New York Legal Wasteland Jonathan Turley Our No Longer Free Press Turns out Australia is the most secretive democracy in the worldoh and we don't really have a free press, we don't have freedom of speech and our whistleblower protection laws don't do anything. Albo could fix but hasn't found the time for some reason #australia #auspol pic.twitter.com/NWKpEt0xTy Punter's Politics (@punterspolitix) June 24, 2024 AI Apples App Store Policies Charged Under New E.U. Competition Law New York Times (BC) Soaring Costs Put New U.S. LNG Export Projects at Risk of Delays OilPrice Largest Auto Dealers Begin to Warn about Impact of Ransomware Attack Crippling Dealer Software Provider CDK Wolf Richter. We linked to this story a few days ago. Still not resolved Class Warfare Blood on the Wine Dark Sea: History of Naval Warfare, Part 1 Big Serge Antidote du jour. Ann M: The third generation of the exotic escapee goose family in Roger Williams Park is doing well. They are cousins, I think. The slightly larger one is about 2 and a half weeks older than its 3 younger relatives. The other adults were nearby a total of 10. One missing. Hopefully still around. See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here The group outside the Tennessee State Capitol was much smaller on Monday than it was two years ago when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and set into action Tennessees abortion ban. More than 100 had RSVPd online as part of a national womens march, which also took place in cities including Knoxville and Clarksville. A common theme among those gathered is that the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision ignited a streak of activism that wasnt there before. I've never been political, said Teri Mai, a first-time candidate for state House District 92. I never had this on my bucket list of things I was going to do with my life. My child does not have the same rights that I had at her age. Mai told Scene sister publication the Nashville Post her top two reasons for entering the race were gun violence and Tennessees nearly total abortion ban. At the Monday meeting, she encouraged people to register to vote. Co-organizer Vikki H., who asked that we use only her first name and last initial, said the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago ignited her activism. She registered to vote in 2024 for the first time after living in the state for five years. Its one of those things where once time goes by, people get complacent, and we cant be complacent in this, she said. I can no longer trust [lawmakers] to make those decisions for me because they're making the wrong ones. Monday was the first protest 19-year-old Cyrah Miller has attended. A University of Tennessee Knoxville student, shes evaluating candidates on their stance on abortion when she votes this year. This is something thats very personal to me, she said. Being 19 and going to school and having to deal with this, I dont know what I would do if I was kind of forced to have a baby at this age and give up things Ive been working for. +6 Medical Providers Speak Out as Abortion Ban Goes Into Effect Physicians gathered at the Justice A.A. Birch Building on Thursday to speak out against the law Planned Parenthood, legislators react Earlier in the day, Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood the political arm of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi announced it would pivot from lobbying and instead triple investment in smaller political races, including supporting candidates that support reproductive rights. More than 10,000 women left Tennessee to get an abortion in 2023. Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi has assisted 800 people with its patient navigator program, says Ashley Coffield, CEO of the organization. She also announced its Knoxville location is set to reopen after it was destroyed by arson in 2021. We have learned that lobbying legislators on the abortion issue no longer works, said Coffield in a Monday press conference. Planned Parenthood has brought thousands of people into the Capitol over the years to have sincere and civil conversations, and it has had no effect. Also on Monday, Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and abortion fund member and attorney Rachel Welty brought a lawsuit against the district attorneys general for Middle Tennessee districts, alleging that a state law passed earlier this year infringes upon the First Amendment right of free speech. The Senate Democrat women also released a joint statement, signed by Minority Leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sen. London Lamar, Vice Caucus Chair Sen. Charlane Oliver, Sen. Sara Kyle and Sen. Heidi Campbell. None of us ever thought we would live in an America where women have fewer rights than our mothers and grandmothers or that politicians would use the power of the government to decide when or if we grow our family, the statement reads, in part. But these two years have underscored our purpose and our Democratic caucus is more determined than ever to restore this basic freedom to every woman in Tennessee. Womens lives are at risk and we will not waver until our daughters have the same basic freedoms as our sons. In August 2022, Tennessees nearly total abortion ban went into effect because of a trigger ban that was passed in 2019, lying in wait to go into effect when Roe v. Wade was overturned. The ban offers only an exception to save the life of the pregnant person, or in instances of molar or ectopic pregnancy. Medical professionals are at risk of losing their license and being convicted of a class-C felony, should they perform an abortion. Local physicians are part of a group suing the state to clarify the circumstances that qualify for an exception. Exceptions for rape and incest failed this year at the state legislature, and legislation to protect termination of pregnancy in the event of fatal fetal anomalies never came to fruition. This article was first published via our sister publication, the Nashville Post. The United States Supreme Court will take up a hearing on a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The case is set to be heard this fall. The law puts doctors at risk of losing their license for providing gender-affirming care to minors, like hormone therapy, and in rare instances surgery. It also provides a path for parents to sue if the care happened without their consent and for people who received gender-affirming care as minors to sue their medical providers as adults. Even if the family involved is satisfied with their childs care, the state attorney general can sue a provider. HB1 Passes, Effectively Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Youth ACLU looks to sue as legislation makes parents of trans children question their future in state During the 2023 legislative session, restricting care for transgender youth was a top priority for some legislators it was the first bill introduced for the session. House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 were signed into law in March 2023 and were set to go into effect in July of that year. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, national advocacy groups and a Nashville family filed a lawsuit challenging the law in April 2023. The U.S. Department of Justice stepped in one week later in an attempt to block the law from going into effect, citing the 14th Amendments equal protections clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status, the department said in a press release. "Tennesseans deserve the freedom to live their lives as their authentic selves without government interference, yet every day this law remains in place, it inflicts further pain and injustice on trans youth and their families," said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, staff attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee. "The court has the power to protect trans youths right to access the health care they need by striking down this discriminatory law. In July, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed a temporary partial block, which would allow the ban on surgical procedures but not hormone therapy, permitting the law to go into effect. The court doubled down in August. At the time, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called the ruling "a big win for democracy." Skrmetti also targeted transgender patient records in a probe into VUMC in July, and two of the patients sued in a class-action lawsuit against the hospital for turning over the records. VUMC Ceases Operations at Pediatric Transgender Clinic Patient families confirm appointment, prescription cancellations due to Tennessee law The Pediatric Transgender Clinic at the Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at VUMC stopped serving patients on June 1, 2023. Some families with transgender children have moved out of the state due to a lack of access to care. "We fought hard to defend Tennessee's law protecting kids from irreversible gender treatments and secured a thoughtful and well-reasoned opinion from the Sixth Circuit, Skrmetti says in a Monday statement. I look forward to finishing the fight in the United States Supreme Court. This case will bring much-needed clarity to whether the Constitution contains special protections for gender identity. This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post. Representatives from NATO Allies and partners met last week in Denmark on the occasion of the 13th edition of the Clearing House on Defence Education hosted by NATO and the Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defence Academies and Security Studies Institutes, with support from the Royal Danish Defence College. The event brought together 111 participants altogether with 23 countries and 64 institutions supporting the efforts of NATOs Defence Education Enhancement Programme. They took stock of the achievements made and shared views on the priorities ahead to boost cooperation in the defence education domain. Major General Flemming Mathiasen, Commander of the Royal Danish Defence College highlighted the importance of "intellectual interoperability" among NATO and partner countries and stressed Denmarks commitment to continue contributing to NATOs efforts, including through professional military education. Pavel Anastasov, Programme Manager for the NATOs Defence Education Enhancement Programme stressed NATOs commitment to continue supporting partners and help them to fully implement existing programme commitments. The need for NATO partners to boost up their defence capacities has become even more vital in the wake Russias full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since 2014, Ukraine has benefited from the assistance provided through the Defence Education Enhancement Programme to align its Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer corps with NATO standards. Representatives from across the Alliance emphasised the value added of professional military education in strengthening the resilience and security and the defence capacity of individual partner countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova, against malign influence. Bannon to serve prison term at facility with VIOLENT INMATES Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon will serve his four-month prison sentence at a facility in Connecticut known for housing violent offenders YourNews reported that Bannon, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, will be held at the Federal Correctional Institution Danbury (FCI Danbury) instead of a minimum-security prison camp typically reserved for nonviolent offenders. This is because he is facing an ongoing criminal case in New York. The facility where Bannon is expected to serve his sentence has housed violent offenders, raising concerns about his safety and security during his incarceration. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, FCI Danbury houses a total of 1,065 inmates. Approximately one-third of this total are sex offenders, while under 40 percent were convicted on drug-related charges as reported by the News Times. The prison in the Constitution State has a history of housing inmates convicted of serious crimes. The New Haven Register recounted one male inmate who was convicted of sexually abusing a child and threatening to kill a federal judge. He was indicted again this month for sending threatening communications to a court employee. In another instance, a female inmate formerly incarcerated in FCI Danbury for "murder with a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime" entered a guilty plea. According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the plea followed her assault of another inmate with a weapon fashioned from two razor blades and a broken pencil. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "As Bannon prepares to report to the Danbury facility, questions remain about his ability to navigate the challenging environment," YourNews continued. "The decision to place him in such a setting underscores the severity of his ongoing legal issues and the implications of his conviction." Bannon ordered to report to FCI Danbury on July 1 Bannon, a prominent figure in the Trump administration who later hosted "Bannon's War Room," was convicted of contempt of Congress in July 2022 after failing to comply with a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Select Committee. His impending imprisonment at FCI Danbury marks a significant moment in his legal battles. It also followed a judge's order for Bannon to report to prison by July 1. In a June 6 decision, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols of the District Court for D.C. ruled that Bannon should serve his jail sentence at the soonest. According to the magistrate, he did not believe the "original basis" for his stay of the imposition of Bannon's sentence existed any longer, following an appeals court rejecting Bannon's appeal in May and upholding his conviction. (Related: Judge orders Steve Bannon to report to prison on July 1 to begin serving sentence for ginned-up "crime" for which no Democrat is ever prosecuted.) Nichols' decision also sided with a motion filed by federal prosecutors. They argued that there was "no legal basis" for the continued stay of Bannon's sentence after his conviction was upheld. Bannon appeared in person before Nichols on June 6, when the ruling instructing the former Trump advisor to report to prison was announced. He was unfazed as the federal magistrate read the decision, in contrast to his lawyer David Schoen who was raising his voice. Trump himself condemned the sentence on Bannon in a post on Truth Social, calling it a "total and complete American tragedy." He suggested that instead of his former chief strategist, members of the Jan. 6 Select Committee should be prosecuted instead. Head over to Fascism.news for similar stories. Watch this report from "The Charlie Kirk Show" about Steve Bannon being ordered to report to prison on July 1. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Owen Shroyer: Steve Bannon's prison sentence is a political persecution, a total sham. Steve Bannon sentenced to hard prison time for high crime of ignoring Jan. 6 committee subpoena in latest proof that DoJ is corrupt. Steve Bannon sounds alarm: U.S. Govt. now targeting free speech of citizens; DHS bulletin labels dissidents "domestic terrorists." Sources include: YourNews.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com Coca-Cola heir slapped with $900M fine in landmark sexual assault case but was verdict manipulated by fake news media? Billionaire media mogul Alkiviades "Alki" David, a Coca-Cola heir and celebrity hologram creator, has just been slapped with a hefty fine of $900 million to pay a former employee in a new sexual assault case. The Los Angeles court's ruling is believed to be the highest amount given in compensation to a victim of an alleged crime of this nature. "This monumental verdict marks a significant triumph for justice and sets a precedent in the fight against workplace sexual assault," said attorney Gary Dordick, the lawyer representing the plaintiff "Jane Doe." The victim claimed that although she was a model for several of David's businesses, including Hologram USA, which makes holograms of dead celebrities including Tupac and Michael Jackson, the abuse started in February 2016. According to the lawsuit, a female colleague warned her about the "alarmingly hostile" workplace revealing that David had forcibly kissed her. Weeks later, Doe rebuffed his attempt to kiss her during a work trip to his private island in Greece. She got fired afterward. But in 2018, he offered her a job as a brand ambassador for his cannabis manufacturing company, Swiss-X. After agreeing, he reportedly took her back to a hotel room where he persuaded her to sample the product before forcing her to touch his male genitalia. The following April, she was called to a business meeting in a small room where he raped her in front of one of his Doberman pinschers. By then, the mogul had already lost $80 million in a series of judgments for sexual assaults dating back to 2014. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "It's so despicable, the facts of this case," Dordick stated. "He raped my client while on trial in another case." David already settled two cases out of court in 2016 but was ordered to pay $5 million to former staffer Lauren Reeves who claimed he put his hands on her throat and pushed her chair into a wall. This case also featured references to the "rape room" and her claim that he told her he needed to buy supplies for it. In the most recent case, the court was told that David had the door to his company's human resources department emblazoned with a pornographic image captioned "HER-ASS" and that staff referred darkly to one office at his California HQ as the "rape room." In April 2019, he was ordered to pay punitive damages of $8 million to a woman who claimed she was sacked after she refused to have sex with him. In September of the same year, the judge declared a mistrial when a jury could not reach an agreement on a claim brought by former FilmOn account executive Elizabeth Taylor. In December, another jury awarded $58 million to his former production assistant Mahim Khan, who claimed that David had thrust his pelvis into her face and simulated oral sex, rubbed her vagina, frequently grabbed her pelvic area, peppered her with unwanted kisses, given her a lap dance in front of a client and put his hands under her dress to cup her breasts. She testified that at times David would also pull his pants down, grab her by the neck and shove her into his crotch. David denied all claims of sexual misconduct, saying, "I never touched any of these women." (Related: Tara Reade says DOJ, FBI have been HARASSING HER since she came forward with sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden.) David vows to ignore the verdict The billionaire insisted that none of the plaintiffs will ever collect what is due them. "These people haven't received a penny and never will. Over my dead f------ body," he told The Daily Beast. David disputed that a jury had reached a $900 million decision. "I don't know where this jury appeared from," he said, arguing that the figure was instead a "proposed" judgment. He claimed he was never invited to the proceedings and that his "due process has been annihilated from the beginning." He told the news outlet to reach out to one of his former attorneys, Matthew Huzaineh, to corroborate his statements. However, Huzaineh acknowledged that the $900 million decision was real, calling it "judicial extortion" and said the outcome was only reached because the case "wasn't actively defended. The defense table was empty." Huzaineh added that the plaintiff's attorneys "persuaded the jury that Alki is a billionaire," which led them to impose such a staggeringly high judgment. After suffering tens of millions of dollars in legal losses, David claimed in 2021 that his persona was a fraud. "These f------ idiots," he said, referring to media outlets that had estimated his net worth. "There are no billions." Meanwhile, the most recent victim's lawyer Dustin Moaven admitted that collecting may be difficult as the judge in their case is currently on vacation and hasn't yet signed off on the judgment. "The bigger goal was to get validation and vindication and we're going to do everything we can to recover," he said. "It's not going to be easy. I don't expect him to send us a check anytime soon." Watch the video below where Tara Reade talks about Biden's sexual assault when she worked as his Congressional aide. This video is from the Son of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: More than 7,000 German women have been raped or assaulted by migrants since 2015. Federal Bureau of Prisons to close California women's prison where inmates were SEXUALLY ABUSED. U.K. nurses sue National Health Service for siding with transgender employee over allegations of sexual harassment in changing room. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Independent.co.uk TheDailyBeast.com Brighteon.com Entire UK establishment piles on Nigel Farage for saying we provoked Ukraine war Populist firebrand politician and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is at the center of a storm of criticism and backlash over comments made in a Friday BBC interview wherein he pointed out that it was (Article by Tyler Durden republished from ZeroHedge.com) Farage made it clear that while President Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine, the Reform UK leader emphasized that: "Weve provoked this war. Of course its his fault. Hes used what weve done." The Western military alliance's expansion right up to Russia's doorstep gave Putin the pretext and justification to tell the Russian population that "theyre coming for us again". Media pundits, and eventually national government leaders, quickly pounced on his words and demanded an apology. Farage refused, and instead doubled down in a Telegraph newspaper op-ed where he unpacked his views further, writing that "if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, dont be surprised if he responds." He described the invasion as "immoral" but understandable from Moscow's perspective. Farage stressed that he's never been an apologist of Putin and stands for Ukraine's sovereignty, and yet it remains - he wrote - that he saw the war coming "a decade ago" and he's been consistently correct and honest about the Ukraine conflict... What I have been saying for the past 10 years is that the West has played into Putins hands, giving him the excuse to do what he wanted to do anyway. Back in 2014, when the EU first offered Ukraine an accession agreement, I said in a speech in the European Parliament that there will be a war in Ukraine. Why? Because the expansion of NATO and the European Union was giving Putin a pretext he would not ignore. He then stressed, "Dont blame me for telling the truth about Putins war in Ukraine," and declared that he wants to "set the record straight." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded directly to the interview, and lambasted the commentary as "completely wrong as it "only plays into Putin's hands." He and others charged Farage with "appeasement" which is "dangerous for Britains security." Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey dismissed Farage as "an apologist for Putin" over the words, saying statements are "an insult to all Ukrainians who have suffered." Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer piled on too, calling Farage's perspective "disgraceful". Farage in the Saturday op-ed further addressed his "slanderers" - writing that There is no easy solution to the war. But facing up to the truth about the causes and consequences must be a start. That is why I simply want to tell it as it is, and have done for a decade. Those slanderers who claim that telling the truth makes me a mouthpiece for Putin only reveal the weakness of their own case." Boris, you are a liar and a hypocrite. I am glad you are no longer Prime Minister of this country. https://t.co/O9Rj4uRtotpic.twitter.com/VoQdx8zayt Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 24, 2024 Meanwhile former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who many reports say sabotaged peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in the early months of the war, also lashed out, writing on X that Farage is presenting "nauseating ahistorical drivel and more Kremlin propaganda." But this gave Farage opportunity to point out some inconvenient truths about 'hypocrite' Johnson's own very clear historical record and past statements on the crisis... Hi @BorisJohnson. If you tell lies about me, Ill tell the truth about you. pic.twitter.com/nVgPBwzQvC Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 24, 2024 Of course, no one expects Farage to back down from a fight, and likely he has lots more similar ammo at his disposal. The UK has in many ways been even more hawkish than Washington in its unfettered support to the Zelensky government, which included some of the earliest heavy arms shipments sent to the warzone in the opening months. Interestingly, at around the very same time as Farage's 'controversial' BBC remarks, former President Donald Trump gave an interview wherein he gave the same assessment... Wow, Trump says that the war in Ukraine started because of NATO expansion. Not sure if that's the first time he says so - he definitely never was a big fan of NATO (and rightly so) - but still quite something to hear an American president say that.pic.twitter.com/P2jSd9gdlx Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 21, 2024 Both Trump and Farage see such difficult acknowledgements of the West's role in fueling the conflict as a necessary step toward ceasefire talks and eventual peaceful settlement to the war. Both have also expressed that they wish to avoid a path to WW3 and that the current refusal to negotiate heightens that risk. Read more at: ZeroHedge.com Israel moves resources north in preparation for WAR with Hezbollah despite U.S. officials warning conflict could overwhelm Israeli defenses Israel is reportedly planning to move resources from the ongoing offensive in Gaza to the country's northern borders with Lebanon in preparation for a possible expanded conflict with Hezbollah and an invasion of southern Lebanon. Officials within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that they are capable of fighting off Hezbollah, especially if it can conclude the conflict in southern Gaza quickly. Officials who spoke with media outlets claimed that they can "pull off a 'blitzkrieg,'" referencing a military strategy pioneered by Nazi Germany meant to break an opponent's defenses and force their capitulation quickly. In negotiations with officials from the United States, their American counterparts did not directly warn them against attacking Hezbollah, merely noting that it would be difficult for Tel Aviv to make sure that such an offensive remains a limited campaign. (Related: Hezbollah strikes several Israeli army bases, key defense factory.) Conflict with Hezbollah could overwhelm Iron Dome and leave Israel undefended from rockets and drones U.S. officials have voiced serious concerns that a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah could overwhelm Israels northern air defenses, including the renowned Iron Dome system. The IDF estimates Hezbollah has about 150,000 rockets and missiles and an unknown number of drones. This arsenal also includes thousands of precision-guided munitions that are far more threatening to Israel and could be used to accurately strike targets deep within the country provided that the Iron Dome fails to protect Israel. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The officials, echoing Israeli apprehensions, worry that Hezbollahs extensive arsenal of missiles and drones could overwhelm and penetrate the Iron Dome's defenses. This concern has intensified as Israel signals preparations for a land and air incursion into Lebanon. "We assess that at least some Iron Dome batteries will be overwhelmed," said a senior U.S. administration official. An Israeli official added that this vulnerability would be particularly pronounced if Hezbollah launched a large-scale attack with precision-guided weapons, which the Iron Dome might struggle to counter. Hezbollah has long been amassing such munitions with the help of its benefactors such as Iran, a point of repeated concern for Israel. (Related: Israel vs. Hezbollah: A new war will consume the entire Middle East.) A separate U.S. official acknowledged that in the event of a full-blown war, Israel would primarily need additional air defense systems and Iron Dome replenishments, which the US is prepared to provide. The Iron Dome is a cornerstone of Israels defense, with the U.S. investing over $2.9 billion in the program, according to the Congressional Research Service. The system boasted a 95.6 percent success rate during a rocket salvo from Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad last year. However, if Hezbollah overwhelms Israel's missile defenses, it would jeopardize Israeli military and civilian lives. "The fact that we have managed to even hold the front for this long has been a miracle," said a senior U.S. official, highlighting U.S. efforts to prevent an escalation into full-scale war. "Were entering a very dangerous period," warned another senior administration official, noting that conflict could ignite with little warning. Learn more regarding the conflicts Israel is currently embroiled in at IsraelCollapse.com. Watch this news clip featuring Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah warning of possible strikes against Cyprus if it lets its airfields be used by Israeli aircraft. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israel preparing for "mass burials" ahead of impending offensive in Lebanon. Hezbollah urges Lebanon to "OPEN THE SEA" to migrant boats to further destabilize Europe. Hezbollah chief to Israel: "You have lost the war." Local media reports IDF is set to launch full-blown war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Sources include: YNetNews.com CNN.com Brighteon.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issues directive mandating hospitals to provide emergency abortions regardless of upcoming Supreme Court ruling Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a directive mandating hospitals in the state to provide "emergency" abortions regardless of any legal decisions by the courts. Inslee claims this directive will ensure access to life-saving care for women experiencing severe pregnancy complications, such as ectopic pregnancies, incomplete miscarriages and infections in the uterus that could easily lead to sepsis. Inslee emphasized that the state will continue to offer emergency abortions even as the Supreme Court considers a case from Idaho that could affect federal protections for such procedures. The governor ordered the Washington State Department of Health to make sure hospitals comply with this law and take action against those that do not. (Related: Supreme Court hears oral arguments on whether the Biden Administration can force doctors in emergency rooms to perform abortions.) At a news conference in Seattle, Inslee stressed the ongoing battle to protect a woman's right to choose whether or not to retain a pregnancy and kill an unborn child. He stated that Washington hospitals must follow national standards for emergency care, which include providing necessary abortions. A study from the University of Washington showed a 50 percent increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortions in Washington since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Cedar River Clinics, which operates in several Washington cities, has reported a similarly significant rise in patients from neighboring states that have restricted access to abortion services. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Supreme Court case could end mandates for hospitals to perform "emergency" abortions The pending Supreme Court case Idaho and Moyle, et. al. v United States will decide if Idaho's abortion ban can override federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA. This law requires hospitals to treat emergency conditions, including those needing "emergency" abortion care or "necessary stabilizing treatment" for pregnancies. Inslees directive reads: "Abortion care is health care. For decades, practicing health care providers and other medical experts have determined abortion care to be the safe and effective standard of care for people who exercise their right to choose or need to end their pregnancy to avoid adverse health outcomes." Dr. Sarah Prager, a professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, claimed that restrictive abortion laws pose a danger to women and that these laws prevent doctors from providing timely, life-saving care. She said: "How close to death must somebody be before a doctor can step in and provide care? The fact that laws now exist limiting a doctors ability to save a life is simply mind-boggling to me. When I, or any doctor, has a sick patient in front of me, I shouldnt have to pause and consult with the hospitals legal team to figure out if Im able to act. Within a matter of seconds wasted, a patients health, future fertility and life are put on the line." Healthcare providers in Washington expressed their commitment to offering necessary emergency services and reproductive health care. They affirmed that decisions about abortions should be made by patients and their doctorsnot restricted by legal barriers. "Providence facilities do not deny emergency care, including for complex pregnancies or situations in which a pregnant persons life is at risk. Our clinicians exercise their best medical judgment and provide all necessary interventions to protect and save the life of the mother," according to the statement sent by a representative from Providence Inland Northwest Washington to The Spokesman-Review. "Everyone should have full access to the health care services they need, including reproductive medicine. We believe that the decision to have an abortionwhether that be an in-person surgical procedure or an oral medication prescriptionshould be one made by the pregnant individual and their provider. This is not a new position for MultiCare, but one we have been committed to for decades as a community-based, secular, not-for-profit health system," read the statement from MultiCare Health System. Watch this video about the Supreme Court weighing whether federal law allowing emergency abortions overrides state bans. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Federal appeals court temporarily limits Idahos near total abortion ban due to ongoing legal proceedings. Abortions in the U.S. HAVE INCREASED since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortions in Illinois surge 54% as neighboring states enact pro-life legislation. Abortions in Texas drop 97% after Roe v. Wade overturn. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com NBCNews.com Spokesman.com EPI.Washington.edu Brighteon.com Jordan Peterson: Abortion, not gun violence, is the leading killer of children in America Canadian clinical psychologist and political commentator Jordan Peterson has asserted that abortion is the leading cause of child fatalities in the United States Peterson took to social media to make this strong, pro-life statement in a rebuke to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who on June 14 claimed that gun violence is the primary cause of child fatalities in America. Tlaib took her outrage on X over a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated a ban passed during the administration of former President Donald Trump on rifle "bump stocks," which are devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly. The ban was initially implemented following the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, during which bump stocks were used to aid in the death of 58 people. "Gun violence is already the leading cause of death for children and teens in our country. This will make mass shootings deadlier. SCOTUS has blood on its hands. This unhinged Supreme Court needs to stop legislating from the bench," Tlaib posted on X. The next day, Peterson responded: "Nope, Its abortion Hands down By at least an order of magnitude." Peterson's remarks quickly garnered support from pro-life advocates, including Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). "@jordanbpeterson must be pro-life. He recognizes that 1) human life exists in the womb 2) and that ending that life via abortion is killing. Official Canadian government stats make it clear that Dr. Peterson is right that abortion is the leading cause of death in Canada," Pete Baklinski, the communications director at CLC, wrote on X. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Recorded deaths due to firearms and abortions support Peterson's claims The statistics appear to support Peterson's claim when considering the sheer numbers. In 2021, the U.S. recorded 2,571 child deaths due to firearms, translating to a mortality rate of 3.7 deaths per 100,000 children. This figure marks a 68 percent increase in deaths since 2000 and 107 percent since a recent low of 2013. But in that same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 625,978 abortions in 46 states and the District of Columbia. This marks a massive increase from 597,355 reported abortions in 2020 and 607,720 in 2019 for the same 46 states and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the Guttmacher Institute annual report for 2020 stated that there were 930,160 abortions nationwide, including all 50 states and Washington, D.C., up from 916,460 in 2019. (Related: Abortions in the U.S. HAVE INCREASED since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.) This discrepancy between figures stems from the different data collection approaches. The CDC relies on voluntary reporting from state health agencies, including separate data for New York City and the District of Columbia, but does not receive information from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey. On the other hand, the Guttmacher Institute contacts every known abortion provider directly, including clinics, hospitals and physician offices and supplements its data with estimates for non-responding providers. This comprehensive approach by Guttmacher generally results in higher numbers than those reported by the CDC. Both the CDC and Guttmacher Institute's figures focus solely on legal, induced abortions performed in clinical settings or with abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities, excluding those obtained outside clinical environments. Watch the video below about Dr. Jordan Peterson being condemned on social media for talking about vaccines, climate and transgenderism. This video is from the A Verdade Liberta channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Melinda Gates shells out $1 BILLION to promote abortion and feminism. Pro-life group blasts Trudeau administration for implying that women must use contraception and have abortions to become successful. Louisiana classifies abortion pills as controlled DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES. South Carolina judge upholds six-week heartbeat abortion ban. Abortion rates in North Carolina drop by over 30% following implementation of PRO-LIFE LAW. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com KFF.org PewResearch.org Brighteon.com Newsweek runs dumbest article possible on Roger Stone, reeks of liberal panic This is what passes for news at Newsweek? (Article by Joe Saunders republished from WesternJournal.com) Former President Donald Trumps supporters are determined to avoid the mistakes of 2020 and are preparing to use every legal method available to prevent Democrats from dishonestly changing the results. And there are undercover recordings to prove it! That was the sum total of an article Newsweek published Wednesday, piggy-backing off a similar report Tuesday by Rolling Stone. Both reports are based on conversations recorded surreptitiously by liberal documentary film maker Lauren Windsor and an accomplice, with Trump backer Roger Stone at an event at the Mar-a-Lago Club in South Florida. Windsor was making headlines last week with similar super-duper recordings of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that, contrary to leftist fantasies, only proved how perceptive Alito is. That was also splashed big first in Rolling Stone. Now, no one expects journalism from an outfit like Rolling Stone. The supposedly anti-establishment, rock n roll rebel magazine has been a Democratic shill a house organ of the Democratic Party as predictable as The New York Times but with more colorful, if sophomoric, writing. Newsweek, however, makes at least the pretense of being a serious publication, and by that standard, the article isnt merely inadequate, its about as dumb as its possible to be. First, heres the recording where Stone vows that Trump supporters are going to be prepared for the inevitable legal fights that are going to follow the Nov. 5 vote. Its worth watching, not just for Stones words, but to understand how hyperbolic the leftist reaction is: NEW UNDERCOVER inside Mar-a-Lago: Trump Ally Roger Stones Plan to Win Election Relies on Judges and Courts pic.twitter.com/SNdcdCqcl7 Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) June 18, 2024 In the recording, Windsor initiates a conversation with Stone with an ingratiating youre in a position to know more than anyone else. then asks his opinion about the election. Too early to say, he responds, reasonably enough. When Windsor tries to goad him with the line Biden cant win again he answers: No but it can be stolen again. Stone then goes on to talk about actual election-related material, especially the importance of turning out the evangelical vote for Trump and keeping Trump supporters from becoming complacent. Overconfidence is one of our giant problems right now among our own people, he said. What are we going to to do stop it, though? Stone apparently took the question to refer to his earlier statement about the election being stolen which it may have been. Participants in an in-person conversation generally know what the other is referring to better than eavesdroppers on a hidden recording device. Were working on it, Stone said. Lawyers, judges, technology. In other words, the GOP is working with the weapons of modern election warfare just like Democrats have become experts at (just ask Marc Elias). And for Newsweek, this qualifies as news. The Windsor video includes an earlier interaction between Stone and Windsor accomplice Ally Sammarco, in which Sammarco, pretending to be a fan, tells Stone she participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion. Obviously attempting to bait Stone, she said point-blank that the 2020 election was stolen by Democrats. His response was clear as day for what it portended for Trump supporters: Were gonna, between now and then, were gonna work very hard and very smart to make sure that doesnt happen. Again, nuts and bolts campaign work and nuts and bolts campaign law work. This is not the stuff of undercover recording legend. So far, given the incredible power they have and they will use ruthlessly, we are beating them as of today, Stone said. He cited the legal problems facing the Democratic prosecution of Trump in Fulton County, Georgia, and special counsel Jack Smiths cases against Trump in Florida and D.C. as signs the offensive against Trump is stalling. And he declared that Republicans would be ready this election to fight in a way that they were not in 2020. If thats news at all, its the kind that should hearten Trump supporters, tired of seeing Democrats abusing the American legal system in their quest for power. Thats not the kind of news Newsweeks editors saw, though, as the headline declared: Roger Stone Secret Recording Sparks Fury. The fury was, naturally, made up entirely of Democrats who apparently see something sinister in the idea that Republicans can defend themselves in a legal fight. If the goal of the Windsor recordings was to expose something supposedly secret, it was a failure. Nothing in Stones words were shocking, and only comforting for Trump supporters to know their side wont roll over and die when the going gets rough in the fall. The fact that liberal activists are going to such lengths, coming up so empty, and pretending the attempts are just shy of the Potemkin mutiny in their importance basically reeks of liberal panic. If the goal was to humiliate Stone personally which was almost certainly at least a secondary aim, considering the lefts fear and loathing for the man it was worse than a failure. And Newsweeks publication of such an embarrassing, ham-handed piece of polemics only humiliated the publication instead. Stone probably summed up the situation best in his own social media post, calling the story a NOTHINGBURGER. The video of me illegally obtained by @lawindsor in which I lay out the perfectly legal steps Republicans must take to ensure a free ,fair and honest election is a NOTHINGBURGER https://t.co/IMs4LRBZTi Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) June 19, 2024 The video of me illegally obtained by @lawindsor in which I lay out the perfectly legal steps Republicans must take to ensure a free, fair and honest election is a NOTHINGBURGER, he wrote. Its a nothingburger all right. But its the kind of news that passes for news at Newsweek. Read more at: WesternJournal.com North Korean troops could join Russias war action against Ukraine The chilling prospect of North Korean troops joining the Russian special military operation in Ukraine has risen tremendously following North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's signing of a mutual defense pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin and Kim signed the treaty during the former's two-day state visit to North Korea, which was marked by enthusiastic reception from tens of thousands of North Korean well-wishers. The two leaders embraced and shared "pent-up innermost thoughts" during their drive to the Kumsusan state guest house, according to North Korean state media. (Related: North Korea, Russia vow to form NEW WORLD ORDER free of U.S. domination) Footage of Putin's welcome ceremony showed an honor guard and civilians gathered in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, waving balloons and displaying portraits of the leaders and their national flags. Streets were adorned with images of Putin, and the unfinished Ryugyong Hotel bore the message: "Welcome Putin." Analysts agree that the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia's front lines could significantly bolster the Kremlin's position in the conflict. North Korea is also expected to supply Russia with an additional five million rounds of ammunition, having already provided as much in recent months. Former British Army intelligence expert Philip Ingram commented, "I do think North Korea probably will supply troops as part of the new defense pact. This is very worrying. They will add numbers, but how adaptable they will prove on the battlefield remains to be seen. Russia's tactics have been so primitive, sacrificing vast numbers of soldiers in the so-called 'meat grinder.' The Kremlin is probably more interested in quantity of personnel rather than quality." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Ex-British Army commander Col. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon suggested that Kim might exchange soldiers for nuclear technology. "It would show how absolutely desperate they both are; Putin for troops and Kim for knowledge," he said. The North Korean armed forces, known as the Korean People's Army, is one of the largest active militaries in the world, believed to have up to 1.3 million active-duty personnel, most of whom are engaged in the country's operations in its decades-long stand-off with South Korea. Putin considering sending weapons to North Korea The pact between Putin and Kim includes a joint obligation to intervene on each other's behalf in any conflict, potentially leading Russia to support North Korea against South Korea. Putin himself has suggested that Russia might supply weapons to North Korea in response to Western countries arming Ukraine. Speaking in Vietnam, following his visit to North Korea, Putin indicated that North Korea could receive Russian arms as a countermeasure. North Korea has few reliable trading partners due to its Western-enforced isolation following its establishment of ballistic and nuclear missile programs, which are in violation of United Nations sanctions. The growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have raised concerns among Western nations. In speaking about the treaty to reporters in Vietnam, Putin stated that there currently is no need for North Korean soldiers in Ukraine. However, he emphasized that the increasing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow was intended to be a deterrent against the Western world. Despite denials, the United States and Ukraine claim North Korea has already provided Russia with ballistic missiles and millions of artillery shells. Putin also warned South Korea against supplying arms to Ukraine, threatening a "painful" response if they did. There is debate over the strength of the Russia-North Korea pact. Some analysts view it as a symbolic gesture rather than a full restoration of their Cold War-era alliance. Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that the agreement seems carefully worded to avoid implying automatic military intervention. But "the big picture here is that both sides are willing to put down on paper, and show the world, just how widely they intend to expand the scope of their cooperation. Watch this report from "Borzikman" discussing how North Korean soldiers may be preparing to join the frontlines in Ukraine. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: North Koreas Kim Jong Un, Russias Vladimir Putin sign mutual defense treaty. Russia is flashing red, the West better pay attention. Russia: U.S. could face FATAL CONSEQUENCES for allowing Ukraine to use American weapons to strike Russian targets. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk AlJazeera.com Brighteon.com Same NY governor who demanded masking during pandemic now wants to CRIMINALIZE wearing a mask on the subway After insisting people wear masks and get vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Governor Kathy Hochul now wants to criminalize people wearing masks in public spaces. The topic came up while the governor was being interviewed by CNN, when she was asked if she supported the call to ban masks on the New York City subway by Jewish leaders. Claiming a rise in anti-Semitism by anti-Israel protesters, leaders such as Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Scott Richmond have said that enacting mask laws would reduce this behavior. Some of the incidents Jewish leaders have cited in their calls for a mask ban include an individual at a protest in Union Square saying that he wished Hitler was still here to wipe Jewish people out and a vandalism incident in which red paint was tossed at the homes of the director of the Brooklyn Museum and Jewish board members. The leaders are now calling to restore New York state's anti-mask law, which was suspended during the pandemic to accommodate mask mandates; the law had previously banned gatherings of people using masks to cover their faces, with a penalty of 15 days in jail. Restoring it, they maintain, would mean that protesters cannot behave anonymously and avoid punishment. Hochul told CNN that she was considering reenacting the ban on masks on the subway, a position she repeated during an Albany news conference, where she said New York officials would not tolerate individuals using masks to evade being responsible for criminal or threatening behavior. Its an interesting stance for someone who fought so hard to force people to wear masks just a few years ago. During the pandemic, Hochul announced that everyone aged two and older who was medically able to tolerate a mask had to wear one in all indoor public places whether they were vaccinated or not, unless the place in question required proof of vaccination to enter it. Individuals who violated this faced a fine of $1000 per violation. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Mask ban would be challenging to enforce Hochul acknowledged that there may be legitimate reasons people wear masks on the subway, citing everything from COVID-19 concerns to religious beliefs, and said that such individuals would be exempt from the ban. You certainly have to say there are major exemptions, she said. This type of mixed message going from a mask requirement to an outright ban is nothing new for liberals, and reason does seem to have gone out the window when it comes to pursuing people critical of Israel at all costs, but its not clear how this rule would be enforced; someone who truly does want to obscure their identity could simply claim they have a medical or religious reason to wear the mask. It is not known how far Hochul would get with such a measure considering the New York legislature ended its 2024 session earlier this month; lawmakers will not be back until January. New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) said that he isnt sure such a rule would work. I think the governor has gotten ahead of herself. This is not something that has been seriously discussed with the Legislature. I think its a very serious proposal with all sorts of ramifications that may be unrelated to what shes trying to get at, he said, adding that the idea of monitoring what people wear on public transportation was fraught with peril. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced in a recent statement that she is in discussions with Hochul about implementing the mask ban. Sources for this article include: RT.com ABC7NY.com NYTimes.com NYPost.com OpenAI whistleblower speaks out on the rise of superintelligence and international safety concerns, suggests U.S. leaders should take control A former OpenAI employee has been speaking out on the future ramifications of an unregulated Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) . There are fears that artificial intelligence will soon match or surpass human capabilities and begin to program itself, or be leveraged by foreign adversaries, to inflict harm on people around the world. The author of the report, Leopold Aschenbrenner, sent out a frightening message about AGI coming to prominence by 2027. He suggests that American leaders should take charge of this emerging superintelligence. "We will need the government to deploy super intelligence to defend against whatever extreme threats unfold, to make it through the extraordinarily volatile and destabilized international situation that will follow," he said. "We will need the government to mobilize a democratic coalition to win the race with situational awareness authoritarian powers, and forge (and enforce) a nonproliferation regime for the rest of the world." If Biden and the Democrats take charge, then the people overseeing superintelligence will be the most incompetent, unethical and dangerous people to possess these highly volatile weapons of war. Even more interesting, the superintelligence is projected to outpace the intelligence of even the smartest humans today. Superintelligence only years away, will likely be used to exploit populations Aschenbrenner's report describes the very real development of AGI by 2030, predicting how the situation may unfold, particularly in the context of national security and government involvement. It outlines a scenario where the race towards AGI intensifies, leading to a point where government intervention becomes inevitable for managing the risks and harnessing the potential of superintelligence. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Aschenbrenner believes the U.S. government will need to take a central role in its development of AGI due to the immense national security implications. Private startups will not be able to handle such a monumental task on their own, he posits. He draws parallels between the development of AGI and the Manhattan Project, suggesting that a similar level of government intervention and coordination will be necessary. AGI is seen as a technology that will fundamentally alter the militarys balance of power and will require significant adaptation in national defense strategies. These military challenges include espionage threats, the potential for destabilizing international competition, and the need for a sane chain of command that can navigate safety issues, superhuman hacking capabilities and international human rights concerns. While the government must have a national security interest as superintelligence expands, Aschenbrenner suggests that government officials will need to work with experts in the industry to solve the challenges. For example, government officials will have to rely on the expertise of AI labs and cloud computing providers, through joint ventures or defense contracts. Preventing future malevolence of AGI will be a difficult task that grows more challenging with each day To prevent future malevolence, Aschenbrenner suggests that no single CEO or private entity should have unilateral command over superintelligence. Such a scenario could pose significant risks, including the potential for abuse of power and the undermining of democratic principles. Transparency of AI advancements is key to preventing a rogue state from using the technology to seize power. Superintelligence is likened to the most powerful military weapon, and thus, its control should be subject to democratic governance. The former OpenAI researcher suggests the formation of an ethical chain of command that can offer some form of checks and balances, so that rogue actors and government operatives can be held accountable when there are ethical concerns. According to Aschenbrenner, this chain of command will need to be in cooperation with the U.S. intelligence community to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place. Even in this scenario, the intelligence community could find ways to violate civil liberties and exploit populations for "collective" benefits to society or for the benefit of special interests. The overarching message in all this is that it will be practically impossible to stop the development of superintelligence and prevent it from being misused. Ensuring that superintelligence aligns with human values will be a difficult task that grows harder with each passing day. The potential for misuse and exploitation will grow as the technology outpaces its engineers and regulators. Aschenbrenner suggests that regulation alone may not be sufficient to address these challenges and emphasizes the need for competent governance capable of making difficult decisions in rapidly evolving situations. The U.S. does not currently have this kind of leadership, so the dangers ahead are very real. "The Project" Aschenbrenner says super intelligent AI is not just another technological advancement by Silicon Valley, but it is something much more powerful that will profoundly impact global security and stability. He brought up something called "The Project" which will pool international experts together to solve these challenges. He said America should lead this collaborative effort and rapidly scale up AI capabilities so that the core infrastructure remains under American control, and not in China. In the report, Aschenbrenner lays out "The Project": Whoever they put in charge of The Project is going to have a hell of a task: To build AGI, and to build it fast To put the American economy on wartime footing to make hundreds of millions of GPUs To lock it all down, weed out the spies, and fend off all-out attacks by the CCP To somehow manage a hundred million AGIs furiously automating AI research, making a decades leaps in a year Producing AI systems vastly smarter than the smartest humans; to somehow keep things together enough that this doesnt go off the rails Produce AI systems that prevent rogue superintelligence from seizing control from its human overseers To use those superintelligences to develop whatever new technologies will be necessary to stabilize the situation and stay ahead of adversaries Rapidly remake U.S. forces to integrate all these AI enhancements, all while navigating what will likely be the tensest international situation ever seen. Sources include: SituationalAwareness.ai [PDF] Brighteon.com Pentagon waged vaccine propaganda war with China during pandemic to undermine Sinovac COVID jab All throughout the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic," the Pentagon, a massive, U.S.-based pentagram-shaped building from which Zionists control the Western world, has been at war with China , another global power that offered competing "vaccines" to "cure" people from the deadly "virus." At the height of COVID, the Pentagon reportedly launched a secret campaign to counter China's influence in the Philippines over which injection to take. China wanted Filipinos to take Sinovac while the Pentagon wanted them to take one of the U.S.-approved injections from Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). The clandestine operation, which is now being reported on for the first time, involved sowing doubt among Filipinos about the safety and effectiveness of Sinovac and other COVID pharmaceuticals offered by China at the time. A Reuters investigation found that the Pentagon created a host of phony internet accounts impersonating Filipinos who were launching their own anti-vaccination campaign. Because Sinovac was available as the selected jab for the Philippines, the Pentagon worked really hard undercover to try to deter Filipinos from getting it at least this is what the world is now being told. "Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines China's Sinovac inoculation," claims Reuters. "Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus Tagalog for China is the virus." We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. One typical tweet format that the Pentagon used during the July 2020 phase of the COVID "pandemic" warned Filipinos not to take any "vaccine" from China because "COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don't trust China!" Another type of tweet sent by the Pentagon pretending to be various concerned Filipinos stated: "From China PPE, Face Mask, Vaccine: FAKE. But the Coronavirus is real." (Related: People who got jabbed for Covid are showing major personality changes that experts believe stem from vaccine-induced neurological damage.) Pentagon stopped foreign anti-vax campaign right before Operation Warp Speed The U.S. military via its giant Pentagram led this "anti-vax effort," as Reuters calls it, from the spring of 2020 through mid-2021. It ended up spanning even further than just the Philippines by the time it reached its peak, only to suddenly stop in the summertime of 2021 right before the Trump regime unveiled the U.S. lineup of injections from Operation Warp Speed. At that point, all of Southeast and Central Asia, as well as large swaths of the Middle East, had been fully inoculated against taking the injections and other "remedies" offered by China, all so they could be ready to take the alternative injections and "remedies" from the West through Operation Warp Speed. What happened, in other words, is that two deep states, the Pentagon and China, waged war on each other to see who could convince and / or force the most people to take its COVID "cures" while depriving the other of profits and body count bragging rights some world we live in, eh? The Reuters investigation further found that the scheme spanned two very "different" political regimes: the presidency of Donald Trump and the presidency of Joe Biden. The Pentagon / Pentagram was doing the same things undercover during both presidencies, with Trump teeing up Operation Warp Speed and Biden hitting it out of the park. "The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden's presidency, Reuters found even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation," Reuters reports. "The Biden White House issued an edict in spring 2021 banning the anti-vax effort, which also disparaged vaccines produced by other rivals, and the Pentagon initiated an internal review." In other words, politics is a big game, people, and you are simply a spectator. Both sides play for the same team, and this Reuters investigation has once again blasted the trumpet about this for anyone who is listening. Your government no longer works for you, assuming it ever even did, regardless of what the Constitution seems to say. When questioned about the whole thing, a Pentagram spokeswoman stated that the U.S. military "uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks aimed at the U.S., allies and partners," failing to define what "the U.S., allies and partners" means in such a context. The same Pentagram spokeswoman also tried to turn the narrative around by claiming that China has launched its own "disinformation campaign to falsely blame the United States for the spread of COVID-19." If it comes from a government and it's labeled as "medicine," all COVID jabs worldwide were part of a military-industrial complex depopulation scheme, by the way you can be sure that it's evil. Learn more at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: Reuters.com NaturalNews.com George Soros seeks help of Dem-controlled FCC to expedite his takeover of Americas second-largest radio network Billionaire globalist George Soros is seeking the help of the Democrat-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as he works to fast-track taking over the country's second-biggest radio network. According to a New York Post article, Soros pumped $400 million into the radio outlet Audacy in February. The said network reaches 165 million monthly listeners and includes a handful of conservative shows from hosts including Sean Hannity, Dana Loesch, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and Erick Erickson. A source with knowledge of the deal told the news outlet that the idea that "Soros is buying hundreds of local radio stations right before a national election and will keep broadcasting Sean Hannity and other conservative talk radio hosts on Audacy is not credible." Soros Fund Management needs help from the FCC to take control of the network as the money funneled into buying the bankrupt network comes from abroad. Under existing FCC rules, foreign company ownership of radio stations in the United States is not allowed to exceed 25 percent, but a filing acquired by the Post included a request from Soros asking the commission to make an exception. In response, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said that the FCC should not create a special Soros shortcut. He added that when it comes to a broadcast station acquisition of this size and magnitude, the FCC needs to run its full and normal review process. "The FCC should not be skipping steps or waiving required agency processes," Carr pointed out. An alarm about this was first set off by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) in April. He said that this transaction, which affects radio stations that reach millions of listeners across the U.S., should, at minimum, be subject to rigorous FCC oversight to ensure U.S. radio stations are not subject to undue influence. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. "Audacy owns more than 220 local radio stations in over 40 markets and is the second-largest American radio group behind iHeart," a press release from Roy's office read. "The Soros group says that skipping the foreign ownership review at this time will enable the FCC to expedite its approval of the Soros applications and thus allow them to more quickly realize their ownership interests in, and take the reins at, these hundreds of local radio stations across the country." (Related: Texas congressman slams George Soros over his acquisition of radio giant Audacy.) He had earlier written the Soros group would usually petition to get its foreign funding sources vetted by the FCC first, but that they are trying to waive that process and put it off "until sometime down the road, indicating that those foreign stakeholders will be given 'special warrants' in the meantime." Meanwhile, critics believe the FCC's influence is likely to be muted once the billionaire takes over and imposes his agenda, as he did with other media acquisitions. Sources told the Post that Soros' stake is equal to about 40 percent of the company's senior debt, a massive chunk which, although not a majority, could yield effective control of the media giant when it emerges from bankruptcy. Media watchdog: Soros spent $80 million to "silence" Americans The timing of the deal, just months before the 2024 presidential election, has raised eyebrows all across the United States. One insider said he felt it possible Soros was buying the stake to exert influence on public opinion in leading up to the election. "This is scary," the source said at the time. In fact, a new report by the media watchdog Media Research Center (MRC) indicated that Soros gave over $80 million to affiliated groups calling for "censorship" ahead of Novembers critical election. "One of the wealthiest men in the world is using his vast wealth and power to silence regular Americans ahead of the 2024 election. At a time when defending free speech is key, leftists are trying their best to shut down the voices of half of America, especially those who disagree with the radical agenda promoted by Biden, Soros and most Big Tech executives," MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider told Fox News Digital. Last month, Free Press boasted about a letter urging executives at Discord, Google, Instagram, Meta, Pinterest, Reddit, Rumble, Snap, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube to keep online platforms "safe and healthy" in 2024 through six specific "interventions." The letter was signed by 200 civil society organizations, researchers and journalists. However, MRC found that "at least 45 of the signatories have had their coffers packed with Soros cash to the tune of a whopping $80,757,329 between 2016 and 2022 alone." "It appears its true design is to pressure Big Tech companies to silence speech the left despises as 60 countries across the globe gear up for their elections in 2024," MRC associate editor Joseph Vazquez wrote. "But even more disturbing was the letter's implication that its primary target is interfering in the 2024 U.S. election. This development is directly in line with Soros brand, who has dedicated millions of his ungodly fortune to groups looking to interfere in elections by stifling online speech." Visit Soros.news for stories about the globalist George Soros. Watch the video below that talks about how the Biden government does nothing as Soros destroys America. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: House committee opens probe of donations by Soros-linked Tides Foundation to U.S. Chamber of Commerce. George Soros, the King of Funded Mayhem, has America taking a very HARD LEFT turn towards communism and a permanent police-state society. Globalism on the airwaves: Soros fund now bankrolling radio stations. Sources include: 100PercentFedUp.com NYPost.com FoxBusiness.com Brighteon.com Huge victory for gun owners as Supreme Court strikes down ATFs bump stock ban as unconstitutional In a huge victory for American gun rights, the Supreme Court has struck down the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)s ban on bump stocks. At the heart of the argument was whether a bump stock is really equivalent to a machine gun. With the devices, which attach to a rifle, the recoil of the rifle will reset the trigger, thereby enabling users to get a higher rate of fire out of it. Gun rights opponents insist this simulates automatic fire, but those who take the time to look at how it works realize that the comparison does not really hold water. The ATF had previously maintained that bump stocks do not, in fact, convert firearms into machine guns based on the fact that machine guns fire automatically using a single function of the trigger. In contrast, firearms equipped with bump stocks still require pulling the trigger every time a round is expelled, which means it is not technically a machine gun conversion device. In fact, some people use makeshift bump stocks so they can engage in bump firing. The ruling boasted a 6-3 margin, and Justice Clarence Thomas issued an opinion stating: We hold that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock is not a machinegun because it cannot fire more than one shot by a single function of the trigger. And, even if it could, it would not do so automatically. As a result, the court concluded that the ATF exceeded its statutory authority in establishing the rule. It is worth noting that if they had concluded that bump stocks were machine gun conversion devices, they would be banned under the National Firearms Act of 1934. This law defines devices that convert firearms into machine guns as machine guns themselves. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Bump stock ban meant thousands of Americans suddenly possessed illegal "machine guns" These devices came into the spotlight after the FBI claimed the perpetrator of the 2017 shooting in Las Vegas used an AR-15 that was equipped with a bump stock to kill 50 individuals who were attending a concert at the Mandalay Bay casino and hotel. This prompted Donald Trump, who was president at the time, to ask the ATF to ban bump stocks; they complied and issued a new rule stating bump stocks are machine guns despite the same agency taking the opposite position for many years. As a result, thousands of Americans suddenly found themselves possessing illegal "machine guns" overnight, even though the same weapons were perfectly legal before this change of definition. In other words, the government had taken something that was legal and decided to make it illegal. Needless to say, the move did not sit well with many gun owners, and Texas gun dealer and army veteran Michael Cargill partnered with the New Civil Liberties Alliance to sue the Department of Justice over the new rule on the grounds that it was a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act because there was no Congressional action. He started the suit after being forced to surrender his bump stocks under the rule. "The rule that the Court set aside today unlawfully confiscated over 500,000 lawfully purchased bump stocks from American citizens. It never should have been approved, and the bureaucrats responsible for this injustice should hang their heads in shame," Cargills attorney, Mark Chenoweth, said. Although the ban was initiated by the Trump administration, the Biden administration defended it in court. It went through several different courts before eventually making its way to the Supreme Court, who heard the argument in February and released the opinion last week. It is expected to have a big effect on the legality of various guns and accessories because the ATF has enacted other rules using the same power, such as those governing the pistol brace. Therefore, the ruling is being considered a remarkable triumph for gun owners. Sources for this article include: Ammoland.com FoxNews.com In 2025, all draftable U.S. WOMEN will be force-vaccinated with deadly mRNA spike proteins by the Medical/Military Industrial Complex Theres a lot more to the draft these days than just readying and sending soldiers into the meat grinders of the political mass-embezzlement schemes, a.k.a. the military industrial complex. Now Big Pharma has its teeth sunk in deep, and every military member drafted next year, including all eligible women, will surely face the wrath of the mRNA-Industrial Complex. Did you know that 98 percent of all U.S. military forces, meaning the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard, got the deadly Covid-19 clot shot mRNA spike protein vaccines? They sure did. Over 6.5 million experimental, untested, gene-and-cell-altering mRNA stabs were administered to U.S. military members, modifying their cells to produce endless protein prions that cause rubbery vascular clots, myocarditis, pericarditis, spontaneous abortions and turbo cancer. And just in case you were wondering, yes, the Secretary of Defense made the toxic jabs MANDATORY for service members after the nefarious FDA approved them (they never really did) for mass-injection (as a biological weapon of mass destruction). Service members who refused to get the useless, worthless, unsafe, ineffective prion injections were DISCHARGED from the military. The military told the fully unvaccinated to do the right thing and that it was a lawful order that must be obeyed because it is a valid medical readiness requirement. Oh, really? The Biden Regime wants WWIII as part of the communist plan to wreck America and force-inject (eliminate) all military members in one fell swoop In case you are unaware, mRNA DOES change your DNA. Your cells are permanently altered so they produce virus-mimicking spike prions forever, that flood the vascular system, strain the heart, invade organs, disrupt the immune system and clot in the brain. What better way to cripple America than to draft all military-aged humans, male or female, and force-vaccinate them with the most dangerous and deadly jab ever created on Earth. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 has a blueprint plan where all military-age women and men are involuntarily (by mandate) required to register for selective service (meat grinder duty) to help greedy politicians and globalists steal resources from other countries (think oil and opium), run guns (includes automatic weapons, tanks, jets, missiles and nuclear warheads), and embezzle trillions of dollars printed and collected from tax-paying, hard-working Americans. Notice that America only defends (invades and occupies) territories that are bountiful with resources we can steal, otherwise, we couldn't care less. Think Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and now the Middle East. Meanwhile, the gender-fluid, devil-worshipping trannies will be in their high heels and heavy lipstick, prancing around the battlefield, wondering why their heart feels like its about to explode, and why theres a weird green glow to their skin, food and surrounding soil. Can you say Chernobyl without coughing into your rainbow-colored face diaper? Whether the proxy war is in Ukraine, Russia, China, North Korea, Mexico, Canada or every metropolitan city in the USA, the goal is the same for the insane Demoncrats and globalists. Eliminate Americans and replace them with illegal immigrants. Well, the LGBTQPs demand equal rights, so there you go. Off to war. Get injected, then get infected. The Biden Regime supports genocide across the board. They do not discriminate when it comes to supporting mass death by bombs, vaccines, city violence or drug overdose (by fentanyl and prescription opioids). Also realize that the mass-depopulation scheme in effect is heightened when all U.S. military-aged (baby-making aged) women are injected with spike proteins that cause miscarriages, spontaneous abortions and infertility. Get it? Remember what Bill Gates said, that if we do a "really great job with vaccines and reproductive care," we can reduce the world's population by a few billion. He meant clot shots and abortions. Get ready for three wars: War against Russia, War against Chinese Communists and the Inside Job War where mRNA jabs kill off our military in droves. Surely the Biden Regime will blame Russia for using biological weapons or chemical weapons while the "Draft Vax" Bird Flu clot shots exterminate U.S. forces by the numbers. Beware of the War Machine and the War Vaccines. Beware also that the enemy might just be AI-terminator-style bots, drones and machines. Or the new invisible "terrorists" could be biological weapons made in the Wuhan lab. We will all know in 2025 if the Democrats steal the election, again. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on the mandatory WWWIII draft for MEN and WOMEN that includes forced-vaccination at gunpoint with experimental gene therapy injections that lead directly to vascular clots, hypertension, myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks and Long-Vax-Syndrome. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news NaturalNews.com HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Mexican cartels offer $15,000 VIP border crossing packages to migrants trying to get into the U.S. via tunnels Mexican cartels are now offering smuggling packages for migrants , priced between $6,000 and $15,000 per person, for a relatively safer and more reliable crossing via underground tunnels. The so-called VIP packages used by most transnational criminal organizations exploit a network of storm drains spanning 300 miles. Migrants are given a special code to identify the cartel they have paid, which helps them avoid harassment from local authorities or rival groups as they navigate these clandestine routes. Many migrants first learn about these VIP packages through social media, using their smartphones to navigate the journey. This tech-savvy approach is part of a broader trend where cartels employ a "guideless group" strategy. This tactic involves sending groups of migrants across the border with GPS-enabled phones pre-programmed with detailed routes to reduce the risk of smugglers being caught and prosecuted. (Related: HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: 4 Mexican drug cartels are operating inside Colony Ridge migrant settlement.) "[Cartels are] giving these migrants a phone with a pre-programmed route it already has a map on there from point A to point B," said Christina Smallwood, a Border Patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley Sector. "Point A being where they will cross, all the way up to point B is what areas to avoid, letting them know if there is a higher number or presence of agents in that area. Then, it leads up to a pickup point, up to what location they have to walk to." This trend now gives Mexican cartel organizations, an option to choose human trafficking over drug trafficking due to lower risk and higher profitability. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "Criminals have shifted from their primary business, which was drug trafficking," said Arturo Velasco, the head of the anti-kidnapping unit at the attorney general's office in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. "Now 60 percent to 70 percent of their focus is migrant smuggling." "A kilo of cocaine might bring in $1,500, but the risk is very high. The cost-benefit of trafficking a person is $10,000, $12,000, $15,000." Corrupt police and National Guard officers in Mexico also involved in migrant smuggling Aside from the shift in human trafficking, a complex network of bribery and corruption facilitates the illicit transit of migrants through Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state, relying on the collusion of high-ranking Mexican National Guard (GN), local police and even immigration officials. According to Velasco, GN officers and immigration authorities often turn over migrants to cartels, with some officials selling migration permits that allow for legal transit through Mexico. Velasco confirmed that municipal police officers kidnap migrants and hold them in safe houses until they pay the agreed amount to the cartel. In some instances, these safe houses are alarmingly close to the homes of police officers. "We know of federal law enforcement that traffic migrants," Velasco said. "From inside shelters, they, along with officials from the National Institute of Migration, send information on people and then, outside, these people are abducted by criminal groups." Juarez municipal police Chief Cesar Omar Munoz Morales vehemently denied any involvement in these VIP smuggling operations. He even claimed that his department is clean and efficient. "It's difficult and complicated to address things that are not formally documented," Munoz stated. "We're doing the best we can." However, Ricardo, a migrant smuggler, confirmed the allegations of Velasco that municipal police are integral to his smuggling operations, including transporting migrants from the safe houses to the tunnels. Ricardo said he pays a police commander nearly $600 per migrant for these services. "They load people onto their trucks, and they care for them so that another cartel doesnt abduct them," he explained. More stories about the thousands of illegal immigrants pouring into the U.S. can be found at InvasionUSA.news. Watch this video expounding on the role developer William "Trey" Harris plays in the Colony Ridge settlement in Texas. This video is from the Battlefront Broadcasting channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Texas Rangers, Border Patrol reclaim Rio Grande Island previously used as base of operations by Mexican drug cartels. EXCLUSIVE: Mexican drug cartels to launch terror attacks inside U.S., warns federal intel. Mexican drug cartels using illegal immigration flood as cover to smuggle operatives and hard drugs into the U.S. Mexican illegal previously DEPORTED 16 TIMES charged for fatal vehicle crash that killed Colorado man. Illegal immigrant charged with VEHICULAR HOMICIDE in Colorado had already been deported FOUR TIMES. Sources include: USAToday.com NewsNationNow.com Censored Lancet paper republished finally peer-reviewed, showing that 74% of deaths after COVID-19 vaccination were caused by injections A systematic review of autopsy findings in deaths following "vaccination" for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) that was censored byhas found new life in the journal Review co-author Dr. William Makis, M.D., announced on X that the formerly censored paper has finally been peer reviewed and is now available for online viewing. "We found that 73.9% of deaths were directly due to or significantly contributed to by COVID-19 vaccination," Makis and his co-authors wrote. "Our data suggest a high likelihood of a causal link between COVID-19 vaccination and death." Drs. Peter McCullough, M.D.; Mark Trozzi, M.D.; Richard Amerling; Heather Gessling, M.D.; Harvey Risch; Paul Alexander; and Roger Hodkinson all contributed to the review. (Related: Did you hear that Meta officially refuted the Canadian study accusing the "Disinformation Dozen" of spreading the most "online anti-vaccine misinformation" during the Wuhan coronavirus [COVID-19] "pandemic?") "A victory of science over censorship Makis was excited to announce the paper's publishing as its previous rejection from The Lancet threatened to keep its findings from the public. First author Nicolas Hulscher exhibited "incredible perseverance," Makis said, by not giving up after The Lancet pulled the paper within the first 24 hours for no legitimate reason, this after hundreds of thousands of people had already downloaded it. "Big pharma put the squeeze on @TheLancet but has failed to stop us," Makis added. "Our paper was delayed by one year, and those actions of censorship and cancellation led to many deaths that could have been prevented. This paper could be a game changer." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Makis tagged Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and Russell Brand in his X announcement in the apparent hope that one or all of them will report on the paper and its findings. Responding to Makis, the following X user showed what happened to her elderly father after he was tricked into getting shot and boosted for COVID: This is my dad after a shot and a booster. He's elderly so he fell for it. We're devastated ? Unexplained blisters break out and this last episode landed him in the Atlanta burn center in ICU. Team of specialists can't identify it. But we all know what it is ? Healthy all of pic.twitter.com/tgpOvsxnP0 ??Salty Texan (@texan_maga) June 22, 2024 Another wrote that two of his relatives died as a result of getting injected, though the two deaths were never officially recognized as having been caused by COVID shots. "How many died who were never formally reflected in the data?" this same user asked. "Two people in one family who weren't related is a lot." Our readers may also be interested in the following post from "KanekoaTheGreat" (@KanekoaTheGreat) about the spike protein encoding in the injections and how to determine whether or not a death was caused by the shots: Since the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines only encode for the spike protein, but not the nucleocapsid protein found in natural infection, autopsies utilizing this immune staining method can conclusively determine if inflammatory changes were caused by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines or natural pic.twitter.com/SsOiQLiIru KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 13, 2023 Dr. Flavio A. Cadegiani, M.D., MSc, Ph.D., also tweeted to Makis that a trial he was part of that was rejected for publishing by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) "could've saved millions" but was instead denied by the journal's editor-in-chief because he claimed his team did "not have the capacity to analyze the data." "It was too good and would have saved too many lives," Cadegiani wrote about why he believes his trial was rejected by the NEJM. "I have it all documented, so don't be surprised, my friend." Millions of Americans regret getting injected for COVID. Learn more at Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: ScienceDirect.com Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Federal court temporarily blocks Bidens attempt to force all employers to pay for workers abortions The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has temporarily blocked the administration of President Joe Biden's attempt to interpret the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to mean that all employers, regardless of religious belief or affiliation, are mandated to pay for the abortions of their workers In late December 2022, Congress passed the PWFA, which requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide "reasonable accommodations" for employees with pregnancy-related needs. This bipartisan legislation came into effect on June 27, 2023. However, Biden's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed a rule that seeks to expand the definition of "pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions" under the PWFA to include "having or choosing not to have an abortion." In April, the EEOC issued a final regulation, to become effective on June 18, with extensive interpretive guidance relating to the implementation of the PWFA. As a response, the Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, joined by the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, filed a federal lawsuit last month to block its enforcement. In 2022, lawmakers, including Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Mary Miller (R-IL), opposed the interpretation of EEOC. Foxx and Miller argued that the PWFA's text did not mention abortion and was not intended to mandate abortion accommodations. They stressed the legislative record, which they say explicitly confirms that the PWFA was not designed to compel employers to support abortion. (Related: Federal appeals court temporarily limits Idahos near-total abortion ban due to ongoing legal proceedings.) We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. The court issued a temporary injunction on June 17, asserting that "EEOC has exceeded its statutory authority to implement the PWFA." The ruling criticized the EEOC for attempting to override Congressional intent and infringe upon state sovereignty. "'Abortion' is a term that is readily understood by everyone," the ruling noted. "If Congress had intended to mandate that employers accommodate elective abortions under the PWFA, it would have spoken clearly when enacting the statute, particularly given the enormous social, religious, and political importance of the abortion issue in our nation." "The EEOC twisted a law protecting expecting mothers and their babies and co-opted the workplaces of over 130 million Americans to support abortion," Becket attorney Laura Wolk Slavis responded. "That is an abuse of power; no one should have to choose between their conscience and protecting pregnant women This ruling is an important step in ensuring that American workplaces can be free to continue serving their communities consistent with their beliefs." Pro-lifers warned lawmakers beforehand about the potential threats EEOC could pose to religious employers In 2022, critics warned that the lack of specific protections for religious organizations and its broad definitions could be used to infringe on pro-life employers conscience rights. "Under the bill pro-life groups can be sued if they dont provide their employees special leave to get abortions," Tom McClusky, the director of government affairs for Catholic Vote, said at that time. "Im surprised some pro-life groups that arent covered under RFRA [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] dont seem to realize how this bill would impact their own operations." Erika Ahern of Catholic Vote echoed a similar statement. Ahern stressed the potential of the EEOC to interpret the provisions in PWFA that could conflict with pro-life and Catholic beliefs. "The EEOC does not typically act in a way that aligns with pro-life or Catholic views. In general, the EEOC has interpreted 'pregnancy-related' discrimination issues to include protecting workers right to abortion," Ahern wrote. But despite these warnings, the bill still garnered support from religious organizations like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which applauded the PWFA's "efforts which demonstrate a respect for life, family and the dignity of workers." Read more news about abortion post-Roe v. Wade in the U.S. at Abortions.news. Watch this clip from "Judging Freedom" as Judge Andrew Napolitano discusses how legalizing abortion changed America. This video is from the channel What Is Happening on Brighteon.com. More related stories: South Carolina judge upholds six-week heartbeat abortion ban. Floridas six-week heartbeat abortion ban took effect on May 1 after a year of legal battles. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signs legislation repealing abortion ban with help of 5 GOP state lawmakers. New Biden HHS rule makes it more difficult to investigate people who violate state abortion bans. Newsom calls on Florida women to come to California for abortions after passage of six-week abortion ban in Sunshine State. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com 1 EEOC.gov 1 LifeSiteNews.com 2 EEOC.gov 2 Brighteon.com Fact checkers have FINALLY copped to the Charlottesville very fine people hoax Leftist fact-checking website Snopes has finally admitted that President Donald J. Trump did not call Neo-Nazis and white supremacists at the Unite the Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 very fine people and that senior Democrats, including Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer, are lying to this day about what was said. (Article by Jack Montgomery republished from TheNationalPulse.com) Snopes, which is regularly pressured into changing its fact-check ratings by the Biden regime, notes that the 81-year-old Democrat [made] Trumps comments on Charlottesville a cornerstone of his campaign and that Senate Majority Leader Schumer has claimed Trump called white supremacists in Charlottesville very good people.'" The fact-checkers admitted that this is a misrepresentation because while Trump did say that some of the people protesting the removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee were fine people, he was explicit that he was not talking about the Neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned totally." Trump was actually referring to peaceful protesters concerned about historical preservation, as The National Pulse has repeatedly noted. Snopess clarification on Trumps comments vindicates the former president, who holds it up as a major hoax against him, alongside the Russiagate hoax and the more recent bloodbath hoax. However, Biden has suggested there are very fine people on both sides of the ongoing college campus crisis in the U.S., which has often seen anti-Semitic demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza clash with Jewish and pro-Israel counter-demonstrators. I condemn the anti-Semitic protests I also condemn those who dont understand whats going on with the Palestinians, he said in April, amid crashing support among Muslims, Jews, and younger voters. No, then-President Donald Trump did not call neo-Nazis and white supremacists "very fine people" in 2017. Speaking about a deadly protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, he said those groups should be "condemned totally." https://t.co/AHjw0mwl3ipic.twitter.com/TtCH1BzZja snopes.com (@snopes) June 20, 2024 Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene condemns Washington for attacking Crimea, says U.S. military should be defending Americans here at home The United States military should not be providing weapons or support to Ukraine so it can bomb civilians like what happened over the weekend in Sevastopol, Crimea, according to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Speaking in response to the U.S.-supplied ATACMS missile attack launched by Ukraine that killed five civilians and injured more than 150 others, including children, Greene tweeted that this kind of thing "should not be happening." "Imagine if Russia, using a Russian satellite, fired cluster munitions on a Florida beach," she added, painting a picture of what the Volodymyr Zelensky regime just did to civilians in Russian territory. "The only border our American military should be defending is our own border," Greene continued. Greene also cited a report showing that a U.S. Global Hawk military drone was seen circling around the Black Sea during the Ukrainian attack. By all appearances, the drone was helping Kyiv to launch the attack on civilians. "Are [sic] winning hearts and minds?" asked the "@amuse" (@amuse) X account about the attack. "How hard will Biden continue to poke the bear ahead of the November elections?" PROVOCATION? Is the fact that the USAF is using its Global Hawks to direct the fire of US-provided cluster bombs on Russian civilians in Sevastopol provocatory? Are winning hearts and minds? How hard will Biden continue to poke the bear ahead of the November elections? pic.twitter.com/36aFEo5Q4W @amuse (@amuse) June 23, 2024 (Related: Russia now has an option to get its stolen money back while leaving the financial West to collapse all on its own.) U.S. and Ukraine are terrorist nations Moscow's ambassador in Washington publicly noted that ATACMS "can't be launched" without targeting information and intelligence supplied by the U.S. This means the U.S. is directly responsible for murdering innocent civilians in Sevastopol. Russia called the beach attack by the U.S. and Ukraine an act of terrorism, blaming the U.S. directly for it. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy has now been summoned to answer for Washington's role in the attack. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Russian officials reportedly told Tracy that Sunday's "bloody atrocity" will "not go unpunished." The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has not yet issued any comment about the attack, while the Pentagon said "We have seen the reports and have nothing to say." Top advisor to Zelensky's office Mykhailo Podolyak defended the strike by claiming that there are no civilians living in Crimea, only Russian "occupiers." In other words, the civilians living in Crimea are considered by Ukraine to be sub-humans, which seems to be the same position that Israel takes with regard to the Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In 2014, Crimea's residents voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia. "Putin is keeping cool because once he heats up, the world will melt down," wrote a commenter at RT. "You may be right, but there has to be a solid, unflexing red line," responded another. "Putin's weakness has emboldened the enemy. He has let too much go unanswered. There is no deterrent! Putin has to strike back hard." Another suggested that Russia declare a no-fly zone over the Black Sea because the area is an active war zone. "Shoot down anything that comes too close," this person added. "And just like that, terrorism became a military tactic," wrote another about this heinous act of murder by the U.S. and Ukraine. "As American citizens, we should take time as July 4th approaches to reflect and ponder what kind of government we have and what kind of government we want," said another. "If criminality, lawlessness, corruption is what we tolerate, then we receive the ramifications of such things." The West is escalating the war to the point of World War III. Learn more at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com STUDY: Hazardous chemicals from East Palestine train derailment spread across 16 US states while the EPA covered it up A newly released study found that the chemicals that leaked in the East Palestine train disaster last year have spread much further than originally expected, making their way to 16 states and causing concerns about the health of the communities surrounding the accident. The study, which was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that the pollution stemming from burning vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, extended across 540,000 square miles from Wisconsin to Maine to South Carolina. This, the authors point out, proves that "the impacts of the fire were larger in scale and scope than the initial predictions;" it was originally expected to be largely a local contamination issue. The accident in question was a train crash involving a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, a city situated close to the border with Pennsylvania as well as the Appalachian foothills. Dozens of train cars derailed in the accident, many of which were carrying hazardous materials that caught fire and burned for several days. Because authorities worried that it could trigger a significant explosion, they drained vinyl chloride from five of the train cars into a trench and set it on fire in a controlled burn in hopes of minimizing the impact. It was later revealed, however, that the controlled burn violated EPA rules, and the head of the National Transportation Safety Board acknowledged that the burning had not been necessary. For the study, researchers took inorganic compound samples from rain and snow across numerous locations in the U.S. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The studys lead author, National Atmospheric Deposition Program Coordinator David Gay, said that although it is not causing problems such as melting steel or eating paint off buildings, it is still a very extreme problem. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program regularly tests precipitation across 250 sites throughout the U.S. to track the pollution being washed out of the atmosphere, and he said that these numbers far exceed those registered in many locations during the last 12 years. Experts who were not involved in the study agree that it is a cause for concern, including an expert on the effects of vinyl chloride who told the Washington Post that she worried about the potential long-term environmental impact on the communities within range of the chemical. 110 Million people impacted Ultimately, the impact of the accident reached a third of the U.S. population, or 110 million people. We have chemical and meteorological observations that these pollutants came from the train accident. I dont think most people understand how big it was, Gay added. Following the accident last February, area residents were evacuated and allowed to return home around one week later, at which point there were multiple reports of odors and illness. Those in the area reported that a potent chemical odor hung in the air for weeks and many experienced problems such as headaches, rashes and nausea. When the researchers began their study, they anticipated finding pollution in areas such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Western New York, but they found that a low-pressure system pushed the pollution across parts of Wisconsin and Michigan and most likely affected all of the Great Lakes except for Lake Superior. It also went as far south as South Carolina and Virginia. Not surprisingly, some of the highest levels they detected were downwind from the accident close to the border between New York and Canada. However, there were also exceptionally high pH levels in the rain in areas much further afield, such as northern Maine. Moreover, they did not check for organic compounds such as PFAS or dioxin, which are widely believed to have also spread in the accident, so the damage could be even more significant than the study indicates. This accident wasnt just in Ohio. It touched a lot of people, Gay said. Sources for this article include: CommonDreams.org YourErie.com Grist.org Israel OKs plans for ALL-OUT WAR in Lebanon to wipe out Hezbollah Israeli officials have confirmed that Tel Aviv is preparing for an all-out war in Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah , something the U.S. seeks to prevent. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted a statement on its X account on June 18 saying that top commanders had signed off on battle plans for an offensive in Lebanon. "Decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field," it added. Following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood attack on Oct. 7 launched by Hamas, the IDF began tit-for-tat raids along the Israel-Lebanon border. Both sides have escalated their operations as the conflict has ground on, with Israel carrying out assassinations and strikes deeper inside Lebanon in recent weeks. In response, Hezbollah has launched larger missile volleys at Israel. (Related: Israel preparing for "mass burials" ahead of impending offensive in Lebanon.) But Israel's declaration of a potential war with Lebanon has become a concern for Washington, which now seeks to prevent hostilities from expanding. According to U.S. officials, the increased fighting has the White House concerned that Tel Aviv will drag Washington into a wider war in the Middle East. Deputy Assistant to the President Amos Hochstein was sent to Tel Aviv and Beirut to try to quell the tensions. Unfortunately, he failed to find any practical solution to the violence that has killed nearly 500 in Lebanon and 26 in Israel in recent months. Hochstein suggested that once a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, then fighting would fizzle out on Israels northern border. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. But even this prospect appears to be dim, as President Joe Biden himself admitted that a ceasefire deal in Gaza is unlikely to be reached anytime soon. Additionally, a senior Israeli official told the Hebrew daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that the IDF plans to continue operations in Gaza after Rafah is destroyed. Nasrallah: Israel should be afraid of all-out war Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had suggested that a serious conflict with Hezbollah was imminent after the group released surveillance footage of key Israeli infrastructure and military sites. He warned that such a conflict would severely impact both Hezbollah and Lebanon, but not without warning that Israel would also pay a significant price. Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah was unfazed at the IDF's announcement. He instead issued a stern counter-warning to Israel, threatening a war with "no restraint and no rules and no ceilings" if Tel Aviv launches a major offensive against Lebanon. According to the cleric, threats from the Jewish nation do not intimidate Hezbollah and it is Israel who should be scared. The head of Hezbollah highlighted the group's enhanced military capabilities, including new weapons and an abundance of locally manufactured drones, asserting that the group is prepared for any potential conflict. He suggested that Hezbollah might even send ground forces into Israeli territory if a war is imposed on Lebanon. The Iran-aligned Lebanese organization began attacking military bases in northern Israel following the outbreak of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, positioning itself as a "support front" for Palestinian groups. Nasrallah emphasized that the Lebanese front is crucial in diverting Israeli military resources from Gaza. Additionally, Nasrallah issued a warning to Cyprus, alleging that Israel is conducting military exercises there and planning to use Cypriot airports and bases for military purposes in the event of an attack on its infrastructure. He warned that if Cyprus becomes involved, it would be treated as part of the war. In response, Cypriot officials denied any involvement in military operations and maintained that their relations with Lebanon remain excellent. Head over to Fallout.news for similar stories. Watch this video of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah warning Israel of a war "without limits and consequences" if it attacks Lebanon. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israeli official threatens to turn West Bank into RUINS just like the Gaza Strip. UN probe finds both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes. Hezbollah strikes several Israeli army bases, key defense factory. Sources include: News.AntiWar.com 1 News.AntiWar.com 2 AlJazeera.com Brighteon.com Moscow says Washington responsible for deadly Crimea strike that killed children on the beach In a statement from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, it was revealed that the United States military-industrial complex is responsible for the latest Ukrainian missile strike on the city of Sevastopol in Russia's Crimea. The attack, which involved five U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles armed with highly controversial cluster warheads, killed at least four people, two of them children. Another 120 people were injured by the strike. The incident occurred in the Crimean Peninsula on Sunday, June 23. Russian air defenses destroyed four of the ATACMS missiles, while the fifth hit after veering off course and detonating over the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol. According to reports, falling fragments of cluster munitions struck crowds of people and resulted in numerous injuries and deaths of civilians, including nearly 30 children. "All the flight tasks for the ATACMS missiles are assigned by American specialists on the basis of their own U.S. satellite intelligence data," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. "Therefore, responsibility for the deliberate missile strike on civilians in Sevastopol lies primarily with Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, as well as the Kyiv regime, from whose territory this attack was launched." (Related: This is how Russia can get its stolen money back while leaving the financial West to collapse all on its own.) Russia will not allow Sevastopol attack to be "left unanswered" Moscow all but promised retaliation for the attack, noting that the strike would not be "left unanswered" as the Russian military calculates its next move. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Despite earlier warnings from Russia, the U.S. announced back in July 2023 that it would be providing Ukraine with cluster munitions, to the chagrin of Moscow. "These weapons scatter dozens of smaller bombs when detonated," reported RT. "The bomblets, usually spread over large areas, can remain unexploded for years and even decades, posing particularly high risks to densely populated areas." More than 100 countries have banned cluster munitions, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, meanwhile, are all free to use them as they never signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, though Russia promised in 2023 to not use them against Kyiv. This is not the first time that Ukraine has targeted Crimea with U.S.-made ATACMS missiles. Back in May, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov reported that the Russian military shot down 10 ATACMS that were targeting the strategic Crimean Bridge. That same month, U.S. media outlets reported that Washington had given the green light for U.S.-supplied weapons to be used in Ukraine's cross-border attacks inside Russian territory. The approval initially only applied to the northeastern Kharkiv Region, but the Pentagon later expanded approval for attacks well beyond that area. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, continues to warn that Ukraine's use of Western weapons inside Russian territory is "close to aggression." "This all reminds me of how the ICC was keen to put Russians on the list when the passenger flight MH17 got hit by a missile," wrote a commenter at RT. "Will they now place Americans to this list as well?" "Somebody passed the flight path to the Ukrainians on the ground. This is a war crime, no discussion," wrote another individual. Another noted that Putin "does not seem to want to do anything" as he continues to issue warnings while not doing much of anything in response to violations of those warnings by the West. "He thinks that signing defense deals with North Korea or Vietnam is enough," this person wrote. "It's not. U.S., EU and Kyiv regime creatures who engage in or support these acts must start paying a personal price." The latest news about the escalating war between Russia and the West can be found at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com SUPPRESSED: RFK Jr. FAILS to qualify for the first presidential debate to be hosted by CNN Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to qualify for the upcoming first presidential debate of the election cycle to be hosted by mainstream media network CNN. The 90-minute debate, scheduled for June 27 and to be held at CNN's studio in Atlanta, Georgia, will be hosted by veteran CNN journalists and news anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The network, from the urging of President Joe Biden's campaign and with the approval of former President Donald Trump's campaign, has also outlined strict protocols for the debate. These include a limit of just two commercial breaks, during which candidates are not allowed to consult with their campaign teams. Candidates must also only have a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water with them at their respective podiums. Props or other prepared notes are prohibited. Additionally, a coin flip will determine podium positions, while candidates' microphones will be on mute when it is not their turn to speak. To qualify for the debate, candidates must be constitutionally eligible to hold the presidency, file statements of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC); must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to at least have the mathematical possibility of winning a majority vote in the Electoral College at least 270 votes; must agree to the rules of the debate; and must receive at least 15 percent of support from the national electorate as determined by four national public opinion survey organizations selected by CNN. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. It is these last two requirements that have stumped Kennedy. Biden and Trump, as the nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties, have easily surpassed the polling requirements and are automatically given ballot access in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. According to CNN, Kennedy, the highest-performing independent candidate for the 2024 elections, only achieved the 15 percent support threshold in three national polls. Furthermore, as of press time, Kennedy only has ballot access to nine states California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah giving him access to just 139 Electoral College votes. The Kennedy campaign also claims access to two other states Mississippi and Texas and 46 more electoral votes, which still is not enough to meet the 270 Electoral College votes required. RFK Jr. files complaint against CNN Kennedy's campaign hoped to use the debate to gain legitimacy and convince potential supporters of his viability as a candidate. (Related: Trump and RFK Jr. fail to win over Libertarian Party during chaotic convention.) Kennedy has also openly criticized CNN's debate criteria and the network's decision to not let him appear onstage with Biden and Trump, calling it "undemocratic, un-American and cowardly." He argued that the rules were arbitrarily enforced to exclude him and preserve the one-on-one debate format between the main Republican and Democratic candidates. Kennedy already filed an election complaint with the FEC back in May over his exclusion from the first presidential debate. At that time, Kennedy claimed that CNN colluded with Biden and Trump to exclude him in the upcoming debate on June 27. He even argued that CNN violated the Federal Election Campaign Act due to its biased debate criteria. "The complaint establishes that because CNN is illegally demanding that Kennedy meet different criteria to participate than Presidents Biden and Trump, its debate is a large prohibited campaign contribution to Biden and Trump," a press release about the letter stated. "In an attempt to select themselves and to exclude others, CNN, President Biden and Mr. Trump set the criteria to require that a candidates name appear on enough ballots to garner 270 electoral votes," Kennedy stated in the letter, adding this was specifically to "exclude" him. He further contends that the cost of the debate, funded by CNN, constitutes a "prohibited corporate contribution to the Biden Committee and the Trump Committee." Furthermore, Kennedy argued that Biden and Trump also do not technically have ballot access in a sufficient number of states to qualify, as neither has been officially nominated at their party conventions, which will take place later this summer. But in the end, CNN dismissed the complaint as baseless and strongly disagreed that its eligibility criteria ran afoul of the law. "The law in virtually every state provides that the nominee of a state-recognized political party will be allowed ballot access without petitioning. As the presumptive nominees of their parties both Biden and Trump will satisfy this requirement," a CNN spokesperson said. "As an independent candidate, under applicable laws RFK, Jr. does not. The mere application for ballot access does not guarantee that he will appear on the ballot in any state. In addition, RFK, Jr. does not currently meet our polling criteria, which, like the other objective criteria, were set before issuing invitations to the debate." Visit RFKJr.news for more stories about the independent presidential candidate. Watch this Fox News report about the three-man race in the November 2024 presidential election. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: RFK Jr. says he opposes ceasefire in Gaza, supports de-Nazification. RFK Jr. slams GUILTY verdict on Trump, calls it a blow to democracy and the Democratic Party. RFK Jr celebrates an infamous Dem gay rights leader Harvey Milk who was accused of grooming minors. RFK Jr. defends Israel, says theres no evidence Netanyahu is pursuing genocide as a goal, claims real genocide is being committed against JEWS. Memo to the right: RFK Jr. would do even more green damage than Joe Biden. Sources include: ABC7News.com CNNPressRoom.Blogs.CNN.com MSN.com Politico.com Brighteon.com China ready to push ties with Poland to higher level: Xi Xinhua) 08:04, June 25, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged China's willingness to work with Poland to push bilateral relations to a higher level and inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world. Xi made the remarks while holding talks in Beijing with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China. Noting Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained steady progress since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 75 years ago. Since China and Poland decided to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have expanded and deepened in an all-round way, benefiting the two peoples, he added. Noting that great changes are unfolding globally in an unprecedented way, Xi said China is ready to work with Poland to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, push bilateral relations to a higher level, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world. The key to the enduring relationship lies in that the two nations can draw wisdom and strength from their respective national history and cultural traditions, and independently develop their bilateral friendship, Xi said. The two sides should continue to adhere to the China-Poland friendship featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and mutual learning, understand and support each other's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, jointly oppose the Cold War mentality and camp confrontation, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and promote an equal and orderly global multipolarization and an economic globalization that benefits all, Xi said. Xi urged the two sides to make good use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee to strengthen strategic coordination and planning of cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance cooperation in major projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express, and strengthen cooperation in trade, agriculture, digital economy, green industry and clean energy. China welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Poland into the Chinese market, supports the expansion of two-way investment, and hopes Poland will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Xi said. China has decided to adopt a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens, Xi said, adding that both sides should vigorously promote exchanges in culture, youth, academia and media. China is willing to work with Poland and other countries to promote the sustainable development of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism, and advance the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations, he added. Duda said President Xi's state visit to Poland in 2016 was an important milestone in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi represents huge development opportunities for Poland, and the Belt and Road cooperation has strongly propelled Poland's infrastructure construction and economic development, he said. Poland greatly appreciates the principles China adheres to in international affairs and its contributions to world peace and development, Duda said, stressing that Poland firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Poland is willing to advance the Belt and Road cooperation with China, deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, infrastructure, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and expand cooperation in new areas such as innovation, digital economy and new energy vehicles, he added. Duda said Poland is willing to maintain close multilateral communication and coordination with China to further develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to world peace and stability. Noting that Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, Duda said Poland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and advancing cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi stressed that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace talks and political settlement. At present, efforts should be made to avoid further escalation of the conflict, cool the situation down and create conditions for peace talks. "This is in the interests of the international community, including Europe." China opposes some individuals using the normal trade between China and Russia as an excuse to divert focus and smear China, Xi said, adding that China encourages and supports all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis, and promotes the building of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture. China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in its own way. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. The two sides also issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Poland (2024-2027). Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Duda and his wife. A welcome banquet was also held for the guests in the evening. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda prior to the talks between Xi and Duda in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) "We see that the technology is very good, reliability is good, the battery capacity of the cars is good." Dutch auto dealer Gomes, who introduced Voyah, a Chinese luxury electric auto brand, into the Netherlands, has been optimistic about the market prospect of Voyah in the European market. #GLOBALink U.S. Treasury puts Japan back on currency manipulator watchlist for potential foreign exchange malpractices The United States Department of the Treasury recently announced that it has once again put Japan on a list of major trading partners that it monitors for potentially unfair foreign exchange practices . Japan had been absent from the watchlist since June 2023. Currency manipulation is an effort to tinker with the value of a nation's currency about foreign currency exchange rates to boost exports in international trade or reduce its debt interest burden. In its biannual report to Congress, which covered economic data from the 20 largest U.S. trading partners for the four quarters through Dec. 2023, the department also placed six other countries on the list China, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. The list uses three criteria to assess whether a country has manipulated its foreign exchange rates to gain an unfair trade advantage. A country would meet all three if it had a trade surplus with the United States of at least $15 billion, a current account surplus of at least three percent of gross domestic product and if it had engaged in persistent, one-sided intervention in foreign exchange markets. The listing came after Japan resumed its interventions in the currency market to stop the yen's rapid decline against the U.S. dollar in April and May. According to reports, Tokyo spent 9.8 trillion yen ($61.6 billion) between April and May this year to stem its depreciation, after the Japanese currency hit a 34-year low of 160.245 per U.S. dollar on April 29. The report also cited Japans high trade surplus of $62.4 billion with the U.S. last year and its global current account surplus of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2023, up from 1.8 percent in 2022. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. While the Treasury Department said Tokyo's recent foreign exchange interventions to prop up the value of the yen were not a factor in deciding to place the country on the list, it noted that "intervention should be reserved only for very exceptional circumstances with appropriate prior consultations." Japanese Minister of Finance Shun'ichi Suzuki said on Friday, June 21 that Tokyo will maintain close communication with Washington regarding currency policy. Speaking to reporters the previous day, Finance Minister Vince Minister for International Affairs Masato Kanda, who also serves as the country's top currency diplomat, said he did not see a problem with Japan being included on the U.S. currency monitoring list, adding that it was assessed according to mechanical criteria. The department did not also designate any trading partner as a currency manipulator, which could result in the imposition of U.S. sanctions. Treasury: No currency manipulation in 2023 Though it listed Japan, China, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam on the watchlist, the department reported that no major trading partner appeared to have manipulated its currency last year. "Thus, it is not a surprise that in the four quarters through the end of 2023, no trading partner was found to have manipulated the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar for purposes of preventing effective balance of payments adjustments or gaining unfair competitive advantage in international trade," the Treasury said. The semi-annual currency report also found that none of the countries examined met all three criteria triggering "enhanced analysis" of their foreign exchange practices during the four quarters through Dec. 2023. The Treasury Department said Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Germany all met the criteria for trade surpluses and an outsized current account surplus. Meanwhile, Singapore met the criteria for engaging in persistent foreign exchange intervention and a material current account surplus and Malaysia only met the current account surplus criteria, but once on the list, it takes two currency report cycles to be dropped off. China was kept on the monitoring list because of its large trade surplus with the U.S. and because of a lack of transparency surrounding its foreign exchange policies. The Treasury Department reiterated that China's failure to disclose foreign exchange interventions and its lack of transparency around key features of its exchange rate system makes it "an outlier among major economies." "Chinas failure to publish foreign exchange intervention and broader lack of transparency around key features of its exchange rate mechanism continues to make it an outlier among major economies and warrants Treasury's close monitoring," the report included. (Related: Russia and China now conducting 90% of financial settlement transactions in national currencies once the new BRICS currency arrives, its GAME OVER for the U.S. dollar.) Follow CurrencyReset.news to read more stories like this. Watch this video showing a Fox News interview with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump economic team mulls sanctions on nations that REFUSE to trade using U.S. dollar. Japanese banking giant Norinchukin PULLS PLUG on global financial system with $63 billion Treasuries, European bonds LIQUIDATION. Central banks will begin using digital currencies soon and it won't matter whether people are ready for it. SWIFTs new central bank digital currency platform could be ready in 1-2 years. Chinese renminbi replacing the U.S. dollar as most traded currency in Russias foreign exchange market. Sources include: RT.com English.KyodoNews.net Investing.com Brighteon.com Trump lawyers file motion to recuse Judge Engoron from civil fraud trial Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have filed a motion to recuse New York Judge Arthur Engoron from presiding over the real estate mogul's civil fraud trial. Alina Habba and Robert Clifford penned the 24-page motion, which was filed with the New York State Supreme Court on June 20. According to the attorneys, Engoron reportedly had an improper conversation with an outside attorney. "Allegations have surfaced revealing [Judge Engoron] may have engaged in actions fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities attendant to donning the black robe and sitting in judgment," the motion stated. The filing by Habba and Clifford stemmed from an admission by attorney Adam Leitman Bailey during a television appearance. During a Feb. 16 interview on NBC News, he disclosed that he approached Engoron three weeks before the magistrate issued his $364 million ruling against Trump on the same day as the interview. Bailey offered unsolicited advice to Engoron, which the judge accepted. "I saw him in the corner [at the courthouse] and I told my client, 'I need to go.' And I walked over and we started talking," the lawyer said. "I wanted him to know what I think and why. I really want him to get it right." According to Habba and Clifford, the discussion contradicts the comments of a court spokesperson who claimed that Engoron's ruling "was his alone, was deeply considered and was wholly uninfluenced." They ultimately argued that the conversation between Engoron and Bailey violates the New York Code of Judicial Conduct (NYCJC), which "expressly provides that a judge must avoid even the appearance of impropriety." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "While [Engoron] has purportedly denied being influenced by Bailey, the appearance of impropriety engendered by Bailey's apparent communications with [the magistrate], its obfuscation until three months after entry of judgment, and the pendency of a commission investigation remains." It is incumbent on [Engoron], as an elected representative of the people of this State and this County, to recuse [himself] in light of the demonstrable appearance that [he] allowed [himself] to be influenced by and relied upon the biased opinions, conveyed in secret, of an unelected nonparty attorney who has previously sued [former] President Trump multiple times." Court spokesman denies impropriety on Engoron's part Al Baker, communications director for the New York State Unified Court System, denied any impropriety on Engoron's part in a response to NBC 4 last month. He told the outlet: "No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Engoron and Bailey or any other person. The decision Engoron issued Feb. 16 was his alone, was deeply considered and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual." "The NYCJC exists to ensure that litigants are afforded a fair and impartial trial. Engoron's communications with Bailey regarding the merits of this case, however, directly violate that code and demonstrate that [the magistrate] cannot serve as a fair arbiter," Habba said in a statement. "It is clear that Engoron should recuse himself immediately." In February, the Democrat judge found Trump liable for more than $350 million in damages in the civil fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Her case also targeted Trump's family and the Trump Organization. (Related: Judge sides with Trump, rejects New York AG's challenge to $175M bond.) At the time, Engoron ruled that the former president and other defendants were liable for "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud" and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud." The judge criticized Trump's behavior during the trial, saying that the former president "rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial." Bailey did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Fox News. Notably, the lawyer successfully sued Trump over a condominium dispute years ago which the motion to recuse mentioned. Head over to Trump.news for more stories about Trump's legal battles. Watch this clip from James O'Keefe featuring Judge Engoron at a gym in New York's Long Island. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump judge's wife denies posting anti-Trump messages. Trump's fraud case bond payment reduced to $175 million, delaying AG James' efforts to seize assets. MISTRIAL INCOMING: Video footage depicts gross misconduct by Judge Engoron's law clerk in Trump trial. Sources include: InfoWars.com MSN.com Brighteon.com Ukraine claims attack on crowded beach that killed civilians was justifiable because they were occupiers Ukraine claims that the Russian civilians it killed in Crimea with missiles with cluster munitions on Sunday, June 23, were "occupiers," implying that killing them was somehow justifiable as a result. This is according to comments made by Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his office. In his comments, Podolyak defended the Ukrainian attack on the beach in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol on the Black Sea. There are not and cannot be any beaches, tourist zones and other fictitious signs of peaceful life in Crimea. Crimea is definitely a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where hostilities are taking place, a full-scale war is ongoing, Podolyak wrote on his Telegram channel. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization consider Crimea to be "illegally annexed" Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Russia considers the Crimean Peninsula to be rightful Russian land it has held since the time of the tsars and the Russian Empire. The Russian Defense Ministry reports that Kyiv fired five ATACMS missiles supplied by the U.S. at Sevastopol on Sunday. Although Russian air defense systems managed to destroy four of them mid-air, the fifth one sustained damage before veering off course and detonating a cluster warhead above a beach that was packed with beachgoers. At least four civilians have died, two of whom were children, and more than 150 were injured. An elderly woman who had been swimming in the sea at the moment of impact was also among those killed. In footage of the attack shared on social media, panicked tourists could be seen fleeing the beach and running for cover. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Podolyak added: Crimea is also a large military camp and warehouse, with hundreds of direct military targets, which the Russians cynically try to mask and cover with their own civilians." He also said that Kyiv considers these civilians to be occupiers. Its the same type of rhetoric Israel has been using to defend the killing of Palestinians. When Podolyak said that Crimea is essentially a big military camp full of targets that Russian authorities are hiding behind civilians, it sounded a lot like what Israel has been saying Hamas is doing to justify the appalling number of civilians the Israeli military has killed in Gaza. (Related: Ukraine maintains "enemies" list of people to assassinate: Elon Musk, Laura Loomer, Scott Ritter and Donald Trump all named.) Russia vows to hold the U.S. accountable for the attack The Kremlin wasted no time in labeling the act terrorism and pointed out that as the supplier of the missiles, the U.S. also has blood on its hands. Russian envoy to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov said: Cluster munitions in ATACMS missiles cannot be launched without the participation of American specialists and support from U.S. intelligence. It is no coincidence that enemy drones are circling over the Black Sea almost every day. Sevastopol is regularly a target of Ukrainian fire, and it is believed that the unusually high death and injury toll is related to a lack of air raid alerts before the strike. The Russian Foreign Ministry has already summoned U.S. ambassador Lynne Tracy to answer for the attack, telling her that the bloody atrocity would not go unpunished. There will definitely be response measures, they stated. In addition to supplying the weapons, Russia maintains that American specialists set the flight coordinates of the missiles based on information gathered by American spy satellites. The Kremlin had previously stated that the U.S.s recent decision to allow Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons for striking targets inside Russian territory would incur consequences and could lead to an escalation in fighting. Sources for this article include: RT.com DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com As near-record temperatures and wildfires struck the Mediterranean region, climate experts claim that the region remains the hot spot for the climate crisis. Hot Spot For Climate Issues Without a doubt, the Mediterranean nations are leading the way in Europe in terms of climate change brought on by human activity. It was scorched by a record-breaking 16-day heatwave the previous year, which fueled the greatest wildfire in European Union history, engulfing an area twice the size of Athens in flames over July and August. Numerous individuals were hurt, and at least 28 people died. It is well known that temperatures in Europe are rising at a rate that is almost twice as fast as the rest of the world. A new report from Copernicus, the climate agency of the European Union, and the World Meteorological Organization of the UN supports that. According to Copernicus, the warming is most pronounced in the summer over central and southeast Europe as well as the Mediterranean region. Dr. Kostas Lagouvardos from the National Observatory of Athens said the Mediterranean region is a hotspot for climate issues. He noted that countries in northern Africa, southern Italy, Cyprus, and Turkey are also severely affected by the rising temperatures. He also mentioned that the eastern Mediterranean is heating up particularly quickly. According to a NOA study, Greece's general temperature has increased by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius over the last 30 to 40 years, which is a very substantial leap for such a short period of time. A 2020 study suggests that the Mediterranean region will experience substantial drought in the upcoming decades, with probable precipitation reductions of up to 40% during the winter rainy season. Experts said two distinct consequences of a warmer climate-a modification in the upper atmospheric circulation dynamics and a decrease in the temperature differential between land and sea-combine to cause the anticipated drying of the Mediterranean region. The unusual decrease in rainfall cannot be explained by each event alone, but when combined, the two processes can completely explain the distinct drying trend observed in the models. Read Also: Global Impact of Extreme Weather Events: Climate Change Can Intensify Frequent Hurricanes, Drought, Wildfires Vulnerability Of Greece Climate experts believe that Greece is vulnerable to climate change due to the presence of numerous islands exposed to the sea, especially to high winds. The nation is a peculiar patchwork of sea and land. Due to Greece's closeness to Africa, warm air masses frequently cross the ocean. This occurred earlier this month, when the heatwave was fueled by scorching, dust-bearing winds from northern Africa. The Aegean Sea is currently being affected by strong, dry northern winds known as the "Etesians," which are primarily felt in the country's eastern regions, including Athens. Although they are beginning to appear earlier in June, they usually take the stage in July and August. That's a problem, says Dr. Lagouvardos, because high winds combined with dry, hot weather produce "the worst scenario" for forest fires. According to the expert, Greece differs from other Mediterranean countries in terms of climate consequences, mostly because of the disproportionately high frequency of forest fires. To combat this yearly occurrence, experts are considering a variety of approaches and forest management strategies, including the use of technology like temperature monitors and drones. In 2021, Greece established the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection in response to the catastrophic wildfires that summer. Politicians in the nation often speak about the problem in far stronger terms than many of their counterparts in northern Europe, which is indicative of their front-line status. Related Article: Greece To Purchase Assets And Equipment To Strengthen Capability To Fight Climate Change, Invest 2 Billion JSW Steel USA to invest $110 million to expand renewable energy biz J SW Steel USA, a subsidiary of Indias leading steel company, on Tuesday said it plans to invest $110 million in steel projects in the state of Texas. The company said this investment will enable the production of high-quality monopile steel plates to support the Joe Biden administrations new actions to expand offshore wind energy by deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes with clean energy. JSW Steel USA is part of the $24 billion JSW Group, with over 800 employees. The new investments will enable us to progressively deliver high-quality steel products while further defining our niche markets through a Made in America speciality steel portfolio, said Parth Jindal, Director of JSW Steel USA. These investments have the potential to significantly reduce US import reliance in the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors, he added. This portfolio expansion will also support the expanded development of the domestic renewable energy market by increasing JSW USAs service capacity towards its customers within the offshore wind market. These new projects, which further build upon JSW USAs recent $145 million investment in its Mingo Junction facility (Ohio), are expected to be completed and commissioned by FY26. Without a doubt, the Lone Star State is the best place to live, work and raise a family -- and continued investment will ensure future growth and economic opportunities for the entire region. Im proud to represent JSW and am excited for what is in store, said Congressman Brian Babin, representing the 36th district of Texas and the city of Baytown. Atul Keshap, President of the US-India Business Council (USIBC), said through initiatives like this, the US and India will continue to see convergence based on trust, partnership and mutual progress. JSW Steel USA to invest $110 million to expand renewable energy biz Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! IIT Kanpur to host 57th convocation ceremony on June 29 T he Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) is all set to host its 57th convocation ceremony on June 29 and celebrate the academic success of its graduating students as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. The occasion will be graced by the President of Oregon State University, USA (OSU), Prof. Jayathi Y. Murthy, an IIT-K alumna, as the Chief Guest. Prof. Jayathi Y. Murthy completed her Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT-K and was honoured as a Distinguished Alumna in 2012. She was appointed as OSU's 16th President in 2022, becoming the first woman of colour to lead the University. Prof. Murthy is a renowned leader in engineering education and is known for her focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The convocation ceremony for 2,332 students graduating this year will be held in two sessions with the first session being conducted in the Main Auditorium of IITK, which has a capacity of 1250, awarding the high achievers. The second session will be the conferring of degrees by individual departments to the students across the different Lecture Halls led by the Chairperson, Senate Post-Graduate Committee (SPGC) and the Chairperson, Senate Under-Graduate Committee (SUGC). The ceremony is being held in two sessions to ensure that all the graduating students can participate in this celebration of their academic achievements. The graduating students include 226 Ph.D recipients, 457 MTech recipients, and 842 BTech recipients. The ceremony will also see 165 students from MSc (2-year), 36 from MBA, 12 from MTech-PhD (Joint Degree), 1 from MDes (Joint Degree), 17 from MDes, 77 from MS (by Research), 40 from PGPEX-VLFM, 26 from Double Major, 89 from Dual Degree, 14 from MS-PD (MS part of the Dual Degree), 125 from BS, and 205 from the eMasters degree programs. This diverse group of graduates is representative of IITKs broad academic offerings in line with its commitment to fostering a multidisciplinary academic environment. The ceremony will witness continuation of IIT Kanpur administrations dress code recommendation with male students wearing a cream-coloured kurta paired with white pyjamas, and female students in a cream-coloured kurta with white churidar or leggings, along with formal footwear. IIT Kanpur to host 57th convocation ceremony on June 29 Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! EU charges Microsoft over possibly abusive tying practices regarding Teams T he European Union (EU) on Tuesday accused Microsoft of breaching antitrust rules with the 'abusive' bundling of its Teams and Office products. "The European Commission has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules by tying its communication and collaboration product Teams to its popular productivity applications included in its suites for businesses Office 365 and Microsoft 365," the commission said in a Statement of Objections. The commission mentioned that it is concerned that, since at least April 2019, Microsoft has been tying Teams with its core SaaS productivity applications, thereby restricting competition on the market for "communication and collaboration products and defending its market position in productivity software and its suites-centric model from competing suppliers of individual software." The EU began an antitrust investigation of Microsoft's inclusion of Teams nearly a year ago, in July 2023 -- two years after a complaint from Teams competitor Slack. Following this investigation, Microsoft announced in late August last year that it would partially unbundle Teams. However, when announcing the results of its initial inquiry on Tuesday, the European Commission stated that it believes the changes made by Microsoft to distribute Teams last year were not sufficient to address its concerns. The tech giant is being urged to take further action. "We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive VP in charge of competition policy. "If confirmed, Microsoft's conduct would be illegal under our competition rules. Microsoft now has the opportunity to reply to our concerns," she added. A formal finding of a breach of EU competition rules could lead to Microsoft being fined up to 10 per cent of its annual worldwide turnover. The bloc could also impose remedies if it determines that steps are necessary to restore competition. EU charges Microsoft over possibly abusive tying practices regarding Teams Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! "Other Christie employees were involved. She had to call someone else. She had to come in and be seen by other people. And frankly, your honor, I think that it strains the bounds of credulity to think that no one else knew what was going on." Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. A fingerprint may soon be all a doctor needs to check whether tuberculosis patients are taking their antibiotics thanks to a new study led by the University of Surrey. Scientists successfully detected the drugs in finger sweat and with almost the same accuracy as a blood test. Up until now, blood tests have been the gold standard for detecting drugs in somebody's system. Now we can get results that are almost as accurate through the sweat in somebody's fingerprint. That means we can monitor treatment for diseases like tuberculosis in a much less invasive way." Professor Melanie Bailey, analytical chemist and co-author of the study, University of Surrey Curable tuberculosis (TB) is treated with antibiotics. If patients don't stick to their full course, the treatment might not work, leading to drug-resistant TB instead. Scientists wanted to know when was best to test, and whether they could tell how much medication the patient had taken. To do so, they tested ten TB patients at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), in the Netherlands. Dr Onno Akkerman, a pulmonary physician with focus on tuberculosis from the UMCG said: "It was very simple to collect our samples. We asked patients to wash their hands, put on a nitrile glove to induce sweating, and then press their fingertips onto a paper square. "Finger sweat can be collected without any specialist training. Unlike blood, it isn't a biohazard, so can be transported and stored much more easily. "We're looking forward to working with Surrey to detect other TB drugs using this promising technique." The samples were shipped to Surrey's Ion Beam Centre and they were analyzed using mass spectrometry which breaks the sample down to see what it is made of. Scientists detected antibiotics in finger sweat with 96% accuracy. The metabolite, produced by actually ingesting the drug, showed up with 77% accuracy. The drug itself was present between one and four hours after ingestion, while a metabolized version showed up best after six hours. Dr Katie Longman, co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, explained: "Doctors need to check whether tuberculosis patients are taking their antibiotics. It's much quicker and more convenient to do that using fingerprints rather than taking blood. "This could ease the time pressure on a busy health service and offer patients a more comfortable solution. "For some patients, like babies, blood tests are not feasible or desirable so techniques like this one could be really useful." The study is published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active ingredients in cannabis, is thought to be safe as it does not cause a "high". Increasing numbers of pregnant women take CBD, believing that it can help alleviate symptoms such as morning sickness, insomnia, anxiety and pain. However, research presented today (Tuesday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024, suggests that it may affect offspring. Two studies in mice have shown that gestational exposure to CBD alters the behavior of offspring and also affects the nerve cells (neurons) in the insular cortex (IC) of the brain that is involved in processing emotions and signals from the senses. Dr Daniela Iezzi and Ms Alba Caceres Rodriguez, a PhD student, work in the team "Sex differences in developmental vulnerability to neuropsychiatric diseases" at INSERM Universite Aix-Marseille, France, directed by Pascale Chavis. Ms Caceres Rodriguez says that the last International Cannabis Policy Study reported that one in five pregnant women reported using CBD. "Scientific evidence has proven that CBD crosses the placenta, can reach the brain of rodents and human embryos and is also present in breast milk; therefore, it's a public health priority to understand the impact of CBD on the developing nervous system as we don't yet know the consequences of CBD exposure to the brain during development," she says. "An important part of the research that we are conducting in mice is a longitudinal follow-up of the behavioral consequences of gestational exposure to CBD, and we are also investigating what is happening to the neurons in the brain that may be the basis of such changes in behavioral traits." Dr Iezzi and Ms Caceres Rodriguez injected pregnant female mice subcutaneously with a low dose of CBD (3mg/kg) from day 5 to day 18 almost the entire gestational period of a mouse. Injections meant they could be sure the mice received the same concentrations of CBD each day. Another group of pregnant mice were not treated with CBD and acted as the control group. After the pups were delivered, the researchers waited for them to become adults and then tested their behaviors with a technology that uses infra-red, depth-sensing cameras and machine learning (or artificial intelligence, AI) called 'Live Mouse Tracker'. This allowed them to detect a large range of behaviors when the mice were placed in a new environment for several days. "We found a number of behavioral changes among the mice exposed to CBD," says Ms Caceres Rodriguez. "CBD-exposed females tended to move around their new environment more compared to females that didn't receive CBD during gestation. Furthermore, compared to control mice, both male and female mice treated with CBD established more physical contacts with each other. "These findings indicate that prenatal exposure to CBD alters specific behaviors of groups of mice and that this depends on their sex. A strength of our study is that we are able to reproduce a more naturalistic environment, which permits us to study group dynamics that would be impossible to unmask with other conventional tasked-based tests. In addition, a follow-up of several days enables us to analyze the development and progression of such dynamics. This study serves as a good starting point to dive deeper to understand the actual consequences of these changes in overall social interactions in the long term." This research is carried out in mice so caution is necessary when considering any implications for humans. However, in addition to what is known about CBD crossing the placenta and being present in breast milk in both mice and humans, it is also known that cannabis intake can affect brain development in mice and humans. A limitation of the study is that mice had a controlled amount of CBD administered for more than two-thirds of their pregnancy, whereas humans might be more likely to take CBD intermittently to help with symptoms that might vary over the course of the pregnancy, and might take considerably larger doses. Dr Iezzi investigated how CBD affected two parts of the insular cortex in the brain: the anterior IC (aIC), which is responsible for processing emotional and social signals, and the posterior IC (pIC), which processes perceptions of pain and the physical and emotional state of the body. "In 2022 we used artificial intelligence to demonstrate for the first time that prenatal exposure to a low dose of CBD can modify the early communication and cognition during the early stages of development in mice. So, we wanted to go deeper into the impact of this substance in the brain and, specifically, the insular cortex, which is known to be a region in the brain responsible for emotions and sensory perception," she says. Dr Iezzi studied the brains from adult mice that had been exposed to CBD during gestation in the same way as in Ms Caceres Rodriguez's research. She compared them with the brains from the control group of mice that had not been exposed to CBD. "We examined specific brain cells called pyramidal neurons in both aIC and pIC and discovered noteworthy distinctions between these neurons in adult male and female mice exposed or not to CBD," she says. "Our results reveal that prenatal exposure to CBD profoundly changes the functionality of neurons in the insular cortex. We saw differences according to sex and also according to the IC sub-regions. In particular, pyramidal neurons in the pIC lose their cellular identity following prenatal exposure to CBD and no longer behave like typical pIC neurons. This could have negative consequences on specific functions of the pIC. These neurons specialise in integrating sensory information from the environment and the internal state of the body in order to generate an appropriate behavioural response. Therefore, a loss of pIC differentiation following prenatal exposure to CBD can have a considerable impact on the ability to understand and react properly to the environment. "These findings have significant implications for understanding the effects of CBD on foetal life, changing the general idea that CBD is a universally safe compound, and revealing the need for additional studies on the effect of prenatal CBD exposure. Furthermore, several studies have shown that IC dysfunction increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, addiction, depression and schizophrenia." Dr Iezzi and Ms Caceres Rodriguez are now joining forces to find the possible molecular and cellular mechanisms that would explain their results. Professor Richard Roche, Deputy Head of the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland, is chair of the FENS communication committee and was not involved in the research. He said: "Just because cannabidiol is legal and available in most countries does not mean that it is safe for women to consume during pregnancy. The consequences of exposing developing brains of fetuses to CBD has not been thoroughly researched so far. These two studies carried out in mice show that exposure to CBD during gestation does affect offspring. More research is required to be sure about the possible effects in humans, but these findings are an early indication that women should not take CBD during pregnancy until more is known. In addition, more information and better data are needed to understand the prevalence of CBD use during pregnancy, particularly in Europe." A researcher at the University of Missouri has developed a program that improves the quality of care and reduces avoidable hospitalizations in nursing homes -; saving Missouri nursing homes and Medicare millions of dollars and allowing Missouri nursing homes to invest more in retaining their most skilled staff members. The program is so successful that it's being recommended for use in all 50 states. The Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO) was created by Marilyn Rantz in 1999 as a partnership between Mizzou's Sinclair School of Nursing and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. For the past 25 years, the program has allowed Rantz and her team of experts to meet with the staff and administrators of hundreds of nursing homes throughout Missouri, providing them with strategies to detect illnesses earlier, control the spread of infections and improve all parts of the quality of care they provide. A new study confirms what Rantz has long known -; the QIPMO program works. The study, which was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, evaluated all 510 Missouri nursing homes that received free services through the QIPMO program from 2020 to 2022. It tracked the number of issues related to various quality measures such as urinary tract infections, high-risk pressure ulcers, antipsychotic use, emergency room visits and hospitalizations, among others. "The data gets deep into the nitty-gritty details, but the key takeaway is that every single nursing home that received our QIPMO services saw overall improvement," said Rantz, a Curators' Distinguished Professor Emerita who has worked in and with the nursing industry for nearly 55 years. "Whether it's infection control practices, disinfecting procedures in common spaces, education regarding hand-washing or noticing if something seems off with a resident's behavior, ensuring these evidence-based best practices are being followed around the clock is key. The program has helped improve hundreds -; if not thousands -; of lives." From mid-MO to nationwide The coronavirus pandemic exposed many issues that U.S. nursing homes have been dealing with for decades, including staffing shortages, underpaid staff and a lack of personalized care. In response, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine selected Rantz to join a committee of nursing home experts nationwide, recognizing her expertise in improving the quality of care in nursing homes. In 2022, the committee released a national report providing recommendations to the U.S. Congress and nursing home associations for improving the quality of care in nursing homes throughout the country. Among the recommendations is for quality improvement programs that have a proven track record of success -; such as QIPMO -; to be emulated in all 50 states nationwide. Our work at Mizzou and with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has set the standard in terms of raising the bar for nursing home care statewide. Now, it is time to get these best practices implemented across the country." Marilyn Rantz "Longitudinal evaluation of a statewide quality improvement program for nursing homes," was published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. A living legend Rantz began her nursing career in 1970. By 1981, she became a nursing home administrator in Wisconsin, leading a staff of more than 400 people and overseeing a 300-bed nursing home. In her more than 30 years working at Mizzou, Rantz has earned $108 million in total grants, authored or co-authored 250 published research studies and was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2012. She is one of the reasons why Mizzou has seen 10 consecutive years of growth in research expenditures. In 2020, Rantz was honored as a 'Living Legend' by the American Academy of Nursing for her dedicated commitment to improving the quality of care in nursing homes. Type 2 diabetes in young people ages 10 to19 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, yet it remains difficult for physicians to predict who will be diagnosed and who will improve with treatment. A newly published study from the University of Oklahoma shows that measuring the circulating abundance of microRNAs which affect insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is likely as effective as measuring the level of sugar in the blood for determining how a young person with the condition will fare. Jeanie Tryggestad, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics in the OU College of Medicine, led the study, which is published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. It marks one of the first times microRNA abundance has been explored to predict the progression of Type 2 diabetes in youth. The specific microRNAs in the study are involved in insulin resistance and other actions that can stress beta cells or cause their death. The research is significant because it points to a process that is necessary to understand in order to ultimately design a strategy for prevention. Type 2 diabetes in youth is so aggressive, and the decline of beta cell function in youth is much more than we see in adults. We believe that predicting what will cause beta cell dysfunction, and eventually preventing that dysfunction, is one of the keys for preventing or treating Type 2 diabetes." Jeanie Tryggestad, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Tryggestad's study showed that the microRNAs, at baseline, were nearly as effective as A1C measurement (average level of blood sugar) when predicting who would fail to respond to treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Treatment failure was defined as having an A1C of greater than 8% for six months or a circumstance that caused the study participant to go back on insulin without the ability to come back off. Circulating microRNAs also predicted a 20% decrease in beta cell function during the first six months of the study. Currently, microRNAs can be measured only in a research setting, not in a clinic, but that may change in the future, Tryggestad said. The study's implications are important not only for the predictive potential of microRNAs, but because they represent a mechanism, or part of the process by which Type 2 diabetes develops and worsens. "Glucose and A1C are relevant to me as a clinician, but as a clinician-researcher, it's important to have this additional piece of information about microRNAs because it points us toward a mechanism. It's the mechanism that we need to understand to design a prevention. It adds a layer of understanding that we haven't had before," she said. Addressing the dramatic increase in Type 2 diabetes in children is only becoming more critical. Each year in the United States, cases of Type 2 diabetes in youth increase by 5.3%. At that rate, the prevalence is expected to increase by a staggering 700% by the year 2060. Tryggestad said that today, more youth ages 15 to 19 are living with Type 2 diabetes than Type 1 diabetes the first time that has ever happened. The samples analyzed in this research came from participants in the landmark TODAY study (Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth). The OU College of Medicine played a major role in the multi-center clinical trial, which began recruiting participants in 2003 and ended in 2020. The trial featured 699 study participants, and Oklahoma enrolled more patients than any other participating site. The trial was the first and largest of its kind to compare treatments for Type 2 diabetes in youth, but it has continued to yield information since the original study ended. The OU College of Medicine was awarded an additional grant to analyze microRNA samples taken during the first 10 years of the study. Star Alliance has once again been named the Worlds Best Airline Alliance at this years prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards. Their new lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport also made a splash, winning the title of Worlds Best Airline Alliance Lounge in its first year. According to the official Press Release, the awards ceremony, held at the iconic Fairmont Windsor Park, UK, saw Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias accept the honors with gratitude. Mr. Panagiotoulias expressed his delight, stating, The commitment and effort of every employee at Star Alliance and member airlines throughout a promising 2023 have culminated in this award. I proudly accept this honour on their behalf and commend them for their dedication. I encourage them to keep aiming for excellence this year and in the future. Star Alliance, renowned as the worlds largest airline alliance, is dedicated to providing a smooth travel experience for its global clientele. With the widest network in the sky, Star Alliance offers perks like loyalty rewards, efficient baggage handling, exclusive lounge access, and expedited security clearance. The Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport lounge, opened in October 2023, quickly became a favorite among frequent flyers. Spanning 1,300 square meters in Terminal 1, it features stunning runway views, a chic welcome bar, and a curated wine selection for an authentic French touch. The Skytrax World Airline Awards, known as the Oscars of aviation, celebrated their 25th anniversary this year with a record 21.42 million passengers from over 100 countries participating in the survey from September 2023 to March 2024. Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted praised Star Alliance, saying, The latest Star Alliance lounge at Terminal 1, Paris CDG Airport has quickly established itself as a flagship facility and a customer favourite. In addition to these alliance awards, 16 Star Alliance member airlines, including Air India and Vistara, also received top honors across various categories like Best First Class and Business Class Catering. The popular Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha has finally tied the knot with long-time boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal. Now, the viral photos and videos are doing rounds on the internet, showing both the couple enjoying the moment. In one of the clips, Sinha was spotted sitting inside BMWs one of the luxury EV i7, reportedly gifted by husband Iqbal. The battery-powered luxury sedan i7 comes at the starting price of Rs 2.03 crore (ex-showroom), while the top model goes up to Rs 2.50 crore (ex-showroom). It is not confirmed yet which model has been gifted to the Dabangg actor. Take a Look at Video Here In the video, Singha can be seen enjoying the ride with her life partner in the white-colored EV. It has been reported that the clip was recorded at the time when both were arriving at their reception in Mumbais Bastian. Style and Design Talking about the design, the model comes with a lot of head-turning elements from both inside and outside. It gets the companys signature style illuminated kidney-shaped grill at front, featuring an LED headlight setup, paired with an impressive set of DRLs. The brand has also included blue accents all over the body, making it stand out compared to the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) model. The EV shares a similar design as the G70 generation 7-Series, which is currently on sale. Total Variants, Battery and Range The model is offered in in two variants- 740 xDrive60 and M70 xDrive. The former offers an impressive power of 536 bhp and 745Nm torque, while the latter generates a maximum output of 641 bhp and 1015Nm of peak torque. Both models are capable of providing a robust range 625km and 560km respectively. As far as the acceleration is concerned, 740 xDrive60 can do 0 to 100kmph sprint in just 4.7 seconds, while M trim is capable doing the same in just 3.7 seconds. Foxconn, a key manufacturer of Apple devices, has been excluding married women from assembly jobs at its flagship smartphone plant in India, Reuters reported. This practice contradicts the codes of conduct for both companies, which explicitly prohibit discrimination based on marital status. A Reuters investigation report published on June 25 revealed that Foxconn discriminates against married women by rejecting their job applications, because of their greater family responsibilities compared to unmarried counterparts as the reason. Post-marriage Issues The report revealed that the smartphone manufacturer systematically excluded married women from job opportunities at its main iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The worlds largest contract electronics maker justified this by claiming that married women have more issues post-marriage. As per the report, this was confirmed by numerous former and current employees from over a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies across India, many of whom spoke to the news agency on the condition of anonymity. Reasons for Discrimination Agents and Foxconn HR sources cited family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons for not hiring married women at the plant. Additionally, many noted that the jewellery worn by married Hindu women could interfere with production. The ban is not absolute. Three former Foxconn HR executives told Reuters that the Taiwan-headquartered manufacturer is relaxing its policy of not hiring married women during high-production periods when it faces labour shortages. In some cases, hiring agencies assist female candidates in concealing their marital status to secure jobs, Reuters found. S. Paul, a former human resources executive at Foxconn India, said that the hiring rules were verbally communicated by the companys executives to its Indian hiring agencies. Risk factors increase when you hire married women, Paul told Reuters. Foxconn typically avoids hiring married women due to cultural issues and societal pressures, explained Paul, who left the company in August 2023 for a higher-paying role at a consulting firm. Paul added that the companys view was that there were many issues post-marriage, including that women have babies after marriage. In response to inquiries from Reuters, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged shortcomings in their hiring practices in 2022 and stated that they had taken steps to rectify the situation. However, all the discriminatory practices documented by Reuters at the Sriperumbudur plant occurred in 2023 and 2024. The companies did not address these instances, nor did they specify whether any of the lapses in 2022 involved the hiring of married women. Ornaments & Concealing Status Near the Foxconn plant in Sriperumbudur, a road junction just over a mile away serves as a meeting point for recruiters and candidates. Many job seekers travel with their families from remote villages, and if selected, they are expected to begin work promptly. During the usual hiring season, if a married woman manages to secure an interview, Foxconn officials are vigilant for noticeable metal ornaments, as reported by a current and a former Foxconn HR executive. Those found wearing such ornaments are subsequently turned away, with explanations given that there has been a misunderstanding or that recruitment is currently on hold, according to these individuals. Karnatakas milk federation, popularly called Nandini, is all set to increase the volume of milk in the 500 ml and 1 litre milk packets by 50 ml and hike the price per packet by Rs 2. This will come into effect from June 26. Speaking to News18, Managing Director of Nandini (KMF), M.K. Jagadish explained that the production of milk in Karnataka has been very high. To ensure there is no wastage, after producing products like curd, ghee, ice cream, chocolates, milk powder, condensed milk, paneer, etc., KMF still has a large amount of excess milk to spare. We produce close to 1 crore litres of milk a day. The consumption of milk is around 45 lakh litres, and the rest is converted into products. We decided instead of wastage, why not give the consumers the advantage of more milk, and price it slightly more so that the farmers are also benefited by it, said Jagadish. He added that Nandini has the second-largest cooperative inventory in India with a farmer-friendly policy to empower milk farmers in the state. With this, the price of toned milk, which was Rs 39 and was hiked to Rs 42 last year, will now cost Rs 51, which is much lower than the price of milk in other states, which varies from Rs 54 to Rs 56 per litre, according to government officials. Jagdish also added that the excess milk produced by the farmers was being thrown away, so KMF came up with the idea of providing more milk to the consumers at a reasonable price. In July last year, the Siddaramaiah government had announced an increase in the price of Nandini milk by Rs 3 per litre, stating that the milk producers had a long-pending demand to make the price of the state cooperative competitive, as it was falling short against an increasing average national rate. The government had said that the price of milk was one of the lowest in the country at the time and the money would be given directly to the farmers. Soon after the decision was announced, the opposition BJP lashed out at the Congress government. BJPs State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa said that the latest decision to hike the milk price will cost very dearly to poor, struggling families who are already facing the daunting task of making ends meet. Latest decision to hike the milk price by Rs 2/- will cost very dearly to poor, struggling families who are already facing a daunting task to make their ends meet.Soon after the Loksabha Election results, there was a cry from Congress MLAs to rollback the Gaurantees to avenge Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) June 25, 2024 BJPs National Information & Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya also reacted to the latest development and highlighted that the decision comes soon after the Congress-run Karnataka government increased petrol price by 3 rupees and diesel by 3.5 per litre. The Karnataka Milk Federation has again hiked price of milk by 2 rupees per litre. This is the second hike in last one year and third in 18 months.The decision comes soon after Congress run Karnataka Govt increased petrol price by 3 rupees and diesel by 3.5 per litre. Third Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah clarified that there will be no increase in Milk Prices per unit, but only an increase in the volume per packet with a proportionate increase in the price for the increased volume. There will be no Increase in Milk Prices per unit, but only an increase in the volume per packet with proportionate increase in the price for the increased volume.Each milk packet will now contain an additional 50 ml of milk, and the price will be proportionally increased for Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 25, 2024 He further said, When our government came into power, the average daily milk collection in the state was around 72 lakh liters. We implemented a Rs. 3 increase in the milk price, directing the additional funds directly to farmers, making dairy farming more profitable. Additionally, good rainfall this year has ensured ample green fodder for cattle. Due to these factors, milk production has now reached nearly 1 Crore liters per day. To handle this increased production and ensure it is beneficial for both farmers and consumers, KMF has made this decision. Nandini is a very popular brand and is also the sponsor for the Ireland and Scotland teams in the T20. They had earlier sponsored the Bengaluru Bulls team in the Pro Kabaddi league as well. As today marks the 50 years of historic Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a black spot on Indias democracy during the first session of the new Lok Sabha on Monday. During his address, PM Modi had said, The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution of India was completely rejected, every part of the Constitution was torn to pieces, the country was turned into a prison, democracy was completely suppressed. While protecting our Constitution, while protecting the democratic traditions, the countrymen will take a resolution that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again which was done 50 years ago. We will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy. We will take a resolution to fulfil the dreams of the common people as per the directions of the Constitution of India. Let us recall what happened on this day 50 years ago. The President has proclaimed the Emergency. This is nothing to panic about. I am sure you are all aware of the deep and widespread conspiracy, which has been brewing ever since I began to introduce certain progressive measures of benefit for the common man and woman in India this was announced by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on the All India Radio while declaring Emergency in 1975. The two-year-long Emergency, which started on June 25, 1975 and lasted till March 21, 1977, is considered the darkest period in the history of Independent India and a momentous turn in the evolution of the Indian National Congress. What Prompted Indira Gandhi to Declare Emergency Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister in January 1966. The Congress split after Gandhi was expelled for violating party discipline in November 1969. Four years later, there was a rise in demonstrations against Indira Gandhi-led government. Indira Gandhi had won the 1971 Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh convincingly defeating socialist leader Raj Narain, who later challenged her election alleging electoral malpractices and violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It was alleged that her election agent Yashpal Kapoor was a government servant, and that she used government officials for personal election related work. The court convicted her of electoral malpractices, and disqualified her from Parliament and imposed a six-year ban on her holding any elected post. On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court verdict declared Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices and debarred her from holding any elected post. This was one of the prime factors that led to the imposition of the Emergency. The order was issued by President Fakhruddin Ali on June 25, 1975 under Article 352 of the Constitution. He cited internal disturbances as the reason for invoking the order which cancelled elections and gave the prime minister ultimate powers. While many Congress leaders had opposed to the idea of a declaration of Emergency, a few loyalists, including then chief minister of West Bengal, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, advised Indira Gandhi to go ahead with the decision. Ray drafted a letter for the President to issue the proclamation based on information Indira Gandhi had received that there is an imminent danger to the security of India being threatened by internal disturbances. He showed how democratic freedom could be suspended while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution, according to a report by The Indian Express. Indira Gandhi had reasoned that there were threats to national security, which demanded strict law and order measures. The country had then ended a war with Pakistan and was reeling with economic strains, which led to protests and strikes. What Happened During the Emergency? All fundamental rights of the citizens were curtailed, political leaders were sent to jail and censorship on the media was imposed. The government reportedly banned trade union activity, strikes by workers and imposed fixed wages with no scope for bonuses. During this period, Sanjay Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, also launched the mass sterilisation programme across the country and demolitions of slums for beautification of cities with no prior notice to the slum dwellers. Large-scale protests were held against the dictatorial methods of the government. Foremost among them were the demonstrations organised by Jayaprakash Narayanan. What Happened After Emergency? On March 21, 1977, Indira Gandhi withdrew the Emergency and announced General Elections. The Congress was ousted and the Janata Party led by Morarji Desai gained absolute majority with 298 seats in the Lok Sabha. Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi was voted out of office in the Rae Bareli constituency, losing to Raj Narain by a margin of over 55,000 votes Serious charges were brought in against the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency including detention of people without charges, torture of detainees and political prisoners and illegal enactment of laws. The Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was repealed by the newly elected Janata Party government in 1977. LK Advani, who was the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Janata Party government, flayed the media for supporting Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. He was quoted as saying, When asked to bend, they were willing to crawl. Nearly 1,500 candidates were awarded grace marks in the NEET-UG (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate) 2024 that has raised red flags in the exam system conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Reports say the compensatory marks were given due to loss of exam time. The re-test that was conducted for the 1,563 students on June 23 was taken by only 52% of the candidates, that is, only 813 were in attendance. The retest was conducted at seven centers following an order from the Supreme Court. What are Grace Marks in NEET? Grace marks mean additional marks that are given to a candidate as compensation for the loss of time he or she faced during the exam day. The grace marks in NEET are added to the actual marks of the candidates and are decided as per the Supreme Courts judgment dated June 13, 2018 in W.P. 551 of 2018. Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court to seek an answer from the NTA on the distribution of grace marks to the 1,563 students. The scorecards of these students were cancelled and they were given the option to appear for the NEET re-test. If the students with the grace marks do not wish to take the re-test, their scores without the grace marks will be considered as the final one. The CEO of Physics Wallah, Alakh Pandey, had claimed that 70-80 marks were randomly awarded as NEET grace marks to at least 1,500 students. As per his petition, the allocation of grace marks is completely random and without any proper reason. The Supreme Court, however, has closed the issue of NEET grace marks due to a lack of supporting evidence but has kept this petition as pending for redressing other grievances. The Supreme Court will resume reviewing the other petitions apart from the grace marks on July 8. These developments will not stall the ongoing counselling process. Why Grace Marks were Allotted According to the Bihars Economic Offences Unit, the digital locks of the NEET-UG exam question paper boxes malfunctioned at various centres. The locks were meant to be opened automatically before exams but failed. This caused a delay in distribution of question papers. Thus, the delay was compensated by grace marks. A report by the India Today said at three centers in Bahadurgarh, HaryanaVijaya School, SR Century School, and Hardayal Public Schooltwo sets of papers were hastily distributed due to the delays. One set was later retrieved, and candidates were given an additional 30 minutes and grace marks, though only those at Hardayal Public School received the grace marks. What were the Other Red Flags? On May 10, The Times of India had cited the police as saying that 20 students had received the question paper before the examination. The police identified Samastipur-resident Sikander Yadavendu as the person who rented a house in Patna to lodge the 20 aspirants who were given the question papers on May 4 a day before the NEET. The police version was corroborated by one Anurag Yadav, a NEET candidate, who said his uncle, Yadavendu, had dropped him at a house in Patna where he was given the question paper. In Gujarat, the police named three persons, including a schoolteacher in Godhra, in an FIR registered on May 8 for attempting to commit malpractice in the NEET examination. On June 14, the Gujarat Police arrested five persons for alleged malpractice. The NTAs press release on the day of the NEET exam did not mention about of the cases in Gujarat and Bihar. The exam agency did note an isolated incident in Rajasthans Sawai Madhopur in which incorrect question papers were distributed after which some candidates left the exam centre with the question papers. As a result, the paper was circulated on the internet around 4 pm when the exam had already begun at other centres in the country. The NTA only announced that the grace marks would be awarded on June 6, two days after the results were announced, sparking a controversy over the total scores obtained by some students. When SC Cancelled the Medical Exam in 2015 Before the NTA was formed in 2017, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) used to conduct the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). In 2015, more than six lakh candidates sat for the exam on May 3 at 1,050 centres across the country. On June 15, 2015, the Supreme Court cancelled the exam and directed that the re-test be conducted within four weeks. There were petitions in the SC that said electronic devices were used by candidates to access answer keys, and asked the court to cancel the exam. The Haryana Police had told the top court in its report that while the exam was underway, it had received information that four people had leaked an answer key to the question paper and circulated it to candidates for some amount. The police found a car with four suspects and vests with micro SIM and Bluetooth devices. Answer keys were found on some of their phones, as per a report by The Indian Express. The SC bench had noted while cancelling the exam that this is the price the stakeholders would have to suffer in order to maintain the impeccable and irrefutable sanctity and credibility of a process of examination, to assess the innate worth and capability of the participating candidates The court also said while 44 candidates were identified as having benefited from the malpractice, it is not unlikely that many more candidates have availed such undue advantage. The CBSE counsel had told the court that 44 beneficiaries were identified from the operation, but the whole process of conducting the exam should not be invalidated. The CBSE had also told the court that conducting fresh examinations would result in a delay in the academic session, and could impact the prospects of students, and would need at least 120 days to hold a fresh exam. The exam was held again in July, 2015. The 18th Lok Sabha session, which began on Monday, will witness an election for the post of Speaker on June 26. The person for the post has always been chosen by a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties, but this is the first time since the Emergency that the election for the Lok Sabha Speaker will take place. Both BJP MP Om Birla and Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh filed their nominations on Tuesday for the chair after the talks between the two parties failed to reach a consensus. The Opposition had agreed to support the government-backed candidate, Om Birla, under the condition that the deputy Speaker must be a member of the INDIA bloc. By convention, if the ruling party gets the Speakers post, then the Deputy Speaker is chosen from the Opposition. The Congress is adamant to contest for the post after it gained strength in the Lok Sabha post the election results. The INDIA bloc won 233 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP-led NDA won 293 seats to retain power for the third consecutive term. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 seats and Janata Dal (United) with 12 seats are the biggest allies of the BJP, which won 240 seats. How many times were elections for Speaker were conducted? The election for the post of Speaker has taken place six times between 1925 and 1946. In 1925, elections to choose the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the then Imperial Legislative Council the legislature of British India , were held for the first time on August 24. Swaraj Party leader Vitthalbhai J Patel won the election against T Rangachariar. Patel, the first non-official member to be elected as the Speaker, won with a narrow margin of two votes. Patel had polled 58 votes against 56 garnered by Rangachariar. In 1927, Patel was re-elected unanimously on January 20 after the completion of his first term. Later, he had to quit on April 28, 1930 to join the Civil Disobedience by Mahatma Gandhi. Sir Muhammad Yakub won the Speakers election with 78 votes against Nand Lals 22 votes on July 9, 1930. In the fourth session, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola won the election against Hari Singh Gour who secured only 36 votes. He later resigned citing health reasons on March 7, 1933. In 1935, Sir Abdur Rahim was elected as the Speaker of the Fifth Assembly on January 24. He secured 70 votes against TAK Sherwani, who could get 62 votes. He held the office for more than 10 years as the tenure of the fifth Legislative Assembly was extended from time to time on account of the contemplated constitutional changes and the World War II. Rahim held the office for more than 10 years as the tenure of the fifth Legislative Assembly was extended from time to time on account of the contemplated constitutional changes and the World War II. In 1946, the last contest for the post of the Central Legislative Assembly Speaker was held on January 24 when Congress leader GV Mavalankar won against Cowasjee Jehangir by a margin of just three votes. Mavalankar polled 66 votes against 63 by Jehangir. Scenario Since Indias Independence After the first general elections in 1952, Mavalankar continued as the Speaker of the newly constituted Lok Sabha. He defeated Shankar Shantaram More of the Peasants and Workers Party of India. India got its first Deputy Speaker in 1956 in MA Ayyangar after the death of Mavalankar. He won the 1957 general elections and was chosen as the Speaker of the second Lok Sabha too. Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 was passed by joint session of Parliament with Ayyangar as speaker. He also served as the fifth Governor of Bihar between 1962 and 1967. GS Dhillon from the Indian National Congress became the Lok Sabha Speaker after the resignation of N Sanjeeva Reddy in 1969. Dhillon was a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly (19521967), where he was its Deputy Speaker (195254) and its Speaker (195462). He remained Speaker of the fifth Lok Sabha in 1971 too and continued in office till December 1, 1975, when he quit during the Emergency. In 1976, the Opposition leaders had protested the Indira Gandhi-led government in January, six months into the Emergency. The Congress and its allies held more than 360 seats in the 523seat house while the united front included nearly 100 members, about a dozen of whom were in jail under Emergency. It was assumed that Congress candidate Baliram Bhagat will win unopposed for the post of Speaker. But the Opposition nominated Jagannathrao Joshi, one of the jailed leaders. Bhagat served as the Speaker of the sixth Lok Sabha from 1976 to 1977. He also served as the Minister for External Affairs under Indira Gandhi son, Rajiv Gandhi, from 1985 to 1986. In the seventh and eighth Lok Sabhas, Balram Jakhar was the Speaker. He is the only presiding officer to complete two full terms. He was among the popular faces of the Jat politics in Rajasthan during the 1980s. GMC Balayogi from the TDP became the Speaker of the 12th Lok Sabha, and his term lasted for nine months. He continued to be the Speaker of the 13th Lok Sabha on October 22, 1999, until he died in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002. As the Speaker, he chaired the Business Advisory Committee, Rules Committee, General Purposes Committee and Standing Committee of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India, and he presided over the Indian Parliamentary Group, National Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union and India Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. About Om Birla and K Suresh According to the INDIA bloc, K Suresh is the senior most Member of Parliament. He won the 2024 Lok Sabha election for the eighth time. He currently represents Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. He is Congress Working Committee Member (Special Invitee) and was one of the frontrunners for the post of Kerala Congress chief in 2021. Suresh is also the working president of Congresss Kerala unit and the chief whip of Congress parliamentary party in Lok Sabha. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. He went on to win in the 1991,1996 and 1999 Lok Sabha elections from Adoor constituency. However, he was defeated in the 1998 and 2004 Lok Sabha polls. The Kerala High Court had disqualified his win in the 2009 Lok Sabha election over allegations of his fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian. The Supreme Court, however, reversed the verdict. His contender, Om Birla, is a BJP MP from Kota, Rajasthan. He became the Speaker for the first time in 2014, and continued to be in the post for the second term in 2019. During his tenure, the Lok Sabha saw the highest number of suspensions of MPs in a single session ever, with 100 MPs being suspended between December 14 and 21, 2023. He asked more than 500 questions in the Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2019. In his third term in the Lok Sabha, Birla was elected as an MLA three times in Rajasthan in 2003, 2008 and 2013. Arvind Kejriwal News LIVE: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed trial courts order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case about the alleged excise policy scam. Last week, the High Court put on hold the trial courts bail order to the Delhi CM, while reserving its verdict on the plea following which the AAP supremos legal team approached the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court fixed June 26 for hearing Kejriwals plea against the High Court order putting an interim stay on his bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. The AAP convener could have walked out of Tihar jail on Friday had the high court not granted the interim stay relief to the Enforcement Directorate. Delhi Liquor Policy Scam Case The Enforcement Directorate arrested Kejriwal on March 21, after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency pertaining to the Liquor scam case. The chief minister is currently lodged in the Tihar jail here under judicial custody. The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi governments now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. Four members of a family suffocated to death after a fire broke out due to short circuit in an inverter at their house in Dwarkas Prem Nagar area on Tuesday early morning, officials said. A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said the department was informed about the fire around 3.30 am and two fire tenders were sent to the spot. The deceased were identified as Heera Singh Kakkar (48), his wife Neetu (40) and their sons Robin (22) and Lakshay (21). Kakkar was a photographer by profession and the house was owned by the family, police said. According to the DFS official, the fire erupted on the first floor of the two-storey house from a an inverter and it spread to an adjacent sofa, leading to the four victims inhaling smoke. The firefighters had to cut through an iron gate, which was locked from inside, to enter the house, which hindered the operation, the officials of police and fire department said. The flames were doused within a few minutes but there was a lot of smoke inside the house, the DFS official said. The victims were taken to the Rao Tularam Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them dead, the officials said. Kakkars mother Sita Devi was sleeping on the ground floor of the building, a police officer said, adding that she was unharmed. The bodies were shifted to a mortuary for postmortem. A case under relevant sections is being registered and further probe is underway, the police said. Meanwhile, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Delhi BJP general secretary and West Delhi MP, also visited Prem Nagar to assess the situation and offered condolences to the familys kin. Calling the incident tragic, Sehrawat promised to provide every possible assistance to the bereaved family. Describing the incident, relatives of the family said they started hearing noises around 2.15 am from the house. Kakkars brother Gurmeet, who stays in the adjacent flat, said, I was sleeping when I heard the screaming voice of Heera. I tried to open the main gate of their house, which was locked from inside, but was unable to. With help of local residents, we called the police and fire bridge team. they arrived, the family members had fallen unconscious and were found lying on the floor, Gurmeet said. He further said that the fire department took only five to seven minutes to douse the flames. Another relative of the family, who wished not to be named, said he got a call at about 2.30 am from Lakshay, who was screaming over the phone for help and informed him about the fire. we reached the spot, they had all suffocated to death, he added. According to a senior police officer, prima facie, the cause of the fire was due to a short circuit in the inverter. However, the actual reason will be ascertained once the probe is completed. The officer said the police are conducting inquest proceedings as no foul play has been found so far. A case may be registered if any foul play is revealed in the postmortem report or any other cause of fire is found in the probe, the officer added. The special investigation team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police has registered another case of sexual harassment against Prajwal Revanna, the former Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MP from Hassan, who has been booked in three other cases of sexual assailt. In the fourth first information report (FIR) Revanna, 33, has been booked for sexual harassment, stalking, criminal intimidation, and clandestinely recording and sharing images of the survivor. Three others former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Hassan Preetham Gowda, Kiran and Sharath have also been named in the FIR. Police sources said Gowda has been accused of sharing images that Revanna allegedly recorded during the course of sexual harassment of a survivor on a video call. ALSO READ | Deve Gowda Like Dhritarashtra: Son Revannas Family Faces Rape, Kidnap Cases, Will It Taint JDS Chiefs Legacy? The survivor filed a complaint stating the recording of the sexual harassment and sharing of the clip has caused embarrassment and loss of image for her whole family. The fourth FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 354(A) (sexual harassment), 354(D) (stalking), 354(B) (using criminal force to disrobe woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 66 E of the Information Technology Act (violation of privacy). THE OTHER THREE FIRS The first FIR was filed on May 1, after a 44-year-old former ZP and JDS member accused Revanna of raping her multiple times over the past three years and videotaping the alleged acts. The FIR was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) based on her statement. In the second case, Revanna and his father have been booked based on a complaint of sexual harassment by a woman on April 28. In her complaint, the survivor has accused the father of coercing her to have a sexual relationship" with Revanna. ALSO READ | Raped, Kidnapped My Elderly Mother; Forced Me to Have Sexual Relations: 2 New FIRs Against Revanna, Prajwal In the third case, Satish Babbana, a close aide of Revanna, has been accused of allegedly kidnapped a former house help at the behest of Revanna twice. Raju, the helps son and complainant, said that she was among the several victims seen in the alleged sex tapes released in pen drives. As the allegations surfaced, Revanna had fled India on April 27, and returned from Germany on May 31, after which he was arrested. A Bengaluru court has remanded him in judicial custody till July 8. The SIT has received his four-day custody in the fourth FIR, so he will be brought back to the SIT office from the Parappana Agrahara jail for further investigation. The Kolkata Police has now come up with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to control electricity bills, a concern for the West Bengal (WB) government. Sources in the administration say that WB CM and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has given strict instructions to ensure there is no wastage of power. She held three administrative review meetings after election results and in all of them, came down heavily on the issue of encroachment and power wastage. Recently, various districts faced power crisis, which has irked Banerjee, said sources. Sources in Kolkata Police say that now they have come up with an eight-point SOP, which the offices have to strictly adhere to: Efforts should be made to utilise natural light at optimum level. There should be no such constructions or obstructions which may prevent the entry of natural light in the rooms / buildings. Electrical appliances shall be switched off when not in use. This implies that when an officer is not present in his office chamber the electrical appliances should be switched off. Similar are the instructions regarding electrical appliances in washroom. The temperature of the air-conditioners running in offices should be 25C or above. The electrical appliances in common areas in office should be switched off once the office hours are over. Electrical appliances in residential quarters, including streetlights, should be timed and switched off at 5.30 am and 6pm. Efforts should be made to replace traditional lights to LED lights at the earliest. In the next one year, all lights should be replaced to LED lights to reduce consumption of electricity. The Kolkata Police is using solar generated electricity at Body Guard lines, BT Lines and Street. Efforts shall be made to expand use of solar energy in other establishments of Kolkata Police. Monthly electricity bills of each unit shall be reviewed by Jt. CP(O), Kolkata, to assess efficient use of electricity. The Kolkata Police then held an internal meeting and instructed all officers to be strict on encroachment. Police have started raiding encroachers on government plots. Even if there is politicians behind this encroachment, Banerjee has ordered them to take strict action. Paper leaks, impersonation, OMR sheet manipulation and bribery are undermining national and state-level entrance tests and government recruitment exams. Senior police officers involved in ongoing investigations identify outsourced printing presses as the primary source of paper leaks, while OMR manipulation and bribery are often linked to organised gangs. The Enforcement Directorate has initiated at least eight cases in connection with paper leaks and OMR sheet manipulation in three states West Bengal, Rajasthan and Jharkhand to investigate the money laundering angle. The CBI has been investigating at least a dozen such scams across states like Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. From February to May this year, states and statutory organisations issued approximately 1,400 tenders for printing question papers for various exams. Tender values ranged from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 6.2 crore, depending on the specific exam, News18 has learnt. A senior source in the Ministry of Home Affairs, however, said that the numbers may even be higher as the government-run printing presses generally do not have the capacity to print question papers in such bulk numbers. The investigations often lead to the printing houses as the source of the leak, though there are persons at every level in the system who have been complicit in such leaks, the source added. No Surveillance on Outsourcing A senior IAS officer who has served in the Ministry of Education told News18 that the National Testing Agency (NTA) was formed to conduct all major examinations, but without necessary resources. The NTA tender documents reveal how the NTA runs. The organisation outsources almost everything. They hire manpower and they also allow the successful bidders (for any process) to hire third parties at will. The NTA does not have a surveillance system. The outsourcing process is not surveilled, said the senior IAS officer. In a recent and active tender for the establishment of Computer Based Test (CBT) Exam Centers PAN India, the NTA in its Third Party Contracts section has mentioned that the successful bidder can hire a third party for its work without NTAs permission. The successful bidder shall be authorized to enter into a contract with any third-party agency or authority to perform any part or render any service mentioned in the tender in whole or in part without prior consent of NTA. In addition to entering into contract or agreement with any third party or agency aforementioned, the successful bidder shall also be authorised to enter into agreement, including but not limited to, manpower agreement, hardware provider agreement and power back-up agreement with any third party or agency for effective discharge of duties and obligations as mentioned in the Agreement, it added. Clamour for Return to Decentralised Exams As the central government grapples with the paper leak crisis, the Opposition is demanding disbanding the NTA and returning to the old de-centralised examination system. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: The allegations of paper leak, taking bribes by certain people and the officials involved in the conduct of the examinations, opening of windows to accommodate certain students to apply for examinations, grace marks etc, are some of the serious issues which need complete attention and require a thorough, clean and impartial probe. Such instances jeopardise the career and aspirations of lakhs and lakhs of students who look forward to getting admission into these medical courses. Such instances not only compromise the quality of medical education in the country but adversely affect the quality of medical facilities/treatment in the country. In this regard, this is also to point out that before 2017, the states were allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations and the central government also used to conduct its own examinations for admission into the medical courses. This system was functioning smoothly and without much problems, she added. Therefore, the state should be given freedom to select medical students through Joint Entrance Examination. The decentralized system was later changed to a unitary and centralised system of examination (NEET) so as to take complete control of- all the admissions in the country in the medical courses without any involvement of the state governments. This is completely unacceptable and violates the true spirits of the federal structure of the country, she further said. A BMC contractor assigned the desilting work of the 11th-century Banganga temple tank in Mumbais Malabar Hill area, was booked for allegedly damaging the steps leading to the water body. Maharashtra cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has assured that the repair work on the steps will be completed in the next 72 hours. #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | The heritage steps around the 11th-century Banganga tank being repaired after they were left damaged during desilting works here. The damage was caused by a JCB machine that was used during the desilting being carried out by a BMC contractor. pic.twitter.com/5ORQGK07Bj ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 The heritage tank is now being repaired after the steps were left damaged by a JCB machine, which was used during the desilting work. Lodha asked officials to contact Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to file an FIR against the contractor. He ordered that the contractor should be blacklisted and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and civic officials to begin repair work immediately. He also asked the civic body to form a committee to probe the incident, and submit a report in the next 15 days. We are always committed to preserving and conserving Mumbais historical heritage. The site will soon be restored to its original state, Lodha said. The temple site is of historical and spiritual significance. It traces its history right up to the Ramayana and it is said that it was here that Hindu deity Ram made an idol out of sand and prayed to it. Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora slammed the BMC for its misgovernance and said this will not be tolerated under chief minister Eknath Shinde. He alleged that the BMC has been plundered as an ATM for almost 3 decades. Glad to see the GSB Temple Trust & @ASIGoI taking action against those responsible for the #Banganga mishap. They have my full support. @mybmc has been plundered as an ATM for almost 3 decades. Under @mieknathshinde Ji, we will not tolerate BMCs misgovernance, he said in a post on X. Glad to see the GSB Temple Trust & @ASIGoI taking action against those responsible for the #Banganga mishap. They have my full support.@mybmc has been plundered as an ATM for almost 3 decades. Under @mieknathshinde Ji, we will not tolerate BMCs misgovernance. https://t.co/dTCHsk1VgY Milind Deora | (@milinddeora) June 25, 2024 Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad also said there should be strict action in the matter. I want action should be taken in this matter as a large number of devotees visit here she added. The National Testing Agencys (NTA) handling of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam crisis was immature, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will now look into every aspect, according to top government sources. The NTAs handling was immature. All cases of NEET have already given to the CBI and they will investigate each and every aspect. Some impersonation cases have also surfaced in Delhi and will be investigated, they said. There was no need for grace marks and other relaxations and they should have gone for re-examination immediately. NTA officials are also under the scanner and will be investigated after understanding the whole procedure. Such paper leaks are not possible suddenly and it must be a well-placed system, said sources. THE PROBE SO FAR The CBI on Monday took over five new cases of alleged malpractices in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG that were being investigated by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, bringing the total to six. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra has arrested a Zilla Parishad school headmaster from Latur and detained a teacher after it emerged that at least four persons allegedly operated a racket to help NEET students willing to pay money to crack the exam. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider abolishing NEET, the national-level medical entrance exam introduced in 2013, and reverting to the system of states conducting the exam in the wake of the paper leak row. Several opposition MPs said on the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha that the government will have to answer on the issue in Parliament as it is causing hardship to lakhs of students. Amid protests and litigation, the Centre had on Saturday shunted out NTA Director General Subodh Singh and handed over the probe into irregularities in NEET-UG to the CBI, which is now probing a total of six cases in the matter. Pradeep Singh Kharola took the additional charge of NTA on Monday and had meetings with officials of the testing body. The seven-member panel set up by the Education Ministry headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the NTAs functioning and recommend exam reforms met on Monday evening. The Centre on Monday also made public the rules under the recently notified anti-paper leak law, mandating the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to prepare norms, standards and guidelines for the computer-based tests among others.The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 have provisions for engagement of services of other government agencies by public examination authority, preparations of norms, standards and guidelines and reporting of incidents of unfair means or offences among others. With PTI Inputs Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Moscow in the second week of July to hold summit-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit for the annual India-Russia dialogue comes against the backdrop of the two-and-a-half-year-long Ukraine conflict, during which New Delhi has repeatedly urged the warring sides to choose the path of diplomacy. India recently participated in peace talks on Ukraine in Switzerland, sending Pawan Kapoor, Secretary West in the Ministry of External Affairs, to represent the country. India and six other nations, opted out of signing the joint communique, saying peace requires bringing together all stakeholders. READ MORE: India, 6 Others, Opt Out Of Joint Statement Of Ukraine Peace Talks, Held In Russias Absence The annual summit between India and Russia has been a tradition since its inception in 2000 when the Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed. This visit comes amid reports that Modi could potentially skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit slated to be held in Astana in the first week of July. Modis decision to skip could signify a strategic move amid regional developments. The SCO, comprising countries like China, Russia, and several Central Asian nations, serves as a platform for discussions on security, economic cooperation, and regional stability. Modis decision not to attend the SCO summit is attributed to the ongoing Parliament session. READ MORE: PM Modi Likely To Skip SCO Summit In Kazakhstan Next Month, Jaishankar To Represent India For decades, Russia has been Indias biggest supplier of defence equipment. However, in recent years, India has signed multi-billion dollar defence deals with Europe and the USA to help diversify and incorporate advanced technologies. India-Russia bilateral trade is on the rise and since the Ukraine conflict broke out it has seen a significant jump, reaching a record high and hovering near $50 billion. Amid criticism from Western media, New Delhi has maintained that its decision to purchase discounted Russian oil and fertilizers is based on national interest. This move has also positioned India as Russias largest oil and fertilizer supplier. In a huge setback for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court (HC) allowed probe agency Enforcement Directorates plea, which sought to stay the trial courts order granted bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief in the alleged liquor scam. The AAP has said it will move the Supreme Court. The stay by Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain on the operation of the order passed by special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge Niyay Bindu means Kejriwal will have to stay in Tihar jail for now. The Supreme Court will hear his plea on Wednesday. ALSO READ | Who Is Niyay Bindu, Judge Who Gave Bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Liquor Policy Scam Case? The AAP, meanwhile, said, Dont agree with HC verdict. We will move the SC against this verdict." A day after a trial court granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20, the HC had paused his release. In its bail order, the trial court had held that prima facie, the Delhi CMs guilt was yet to be established and that the ED had failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime in the money laundering case. Kejriwal then moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi HCs interim order. In the SC, on Monday, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, sought vacating the interim stay on the bail order. Stating that he is not a flight risk, Singhvi urged the bench to stay the HC order before it is being pronounced. I know what I am asking. This court must stay the high court order before it is being pronounced just like the high court had stayed the bail order on mere mentioning by the Enforcement Directorate," he submitted. ALSO READ | ED Doing Paper-Encounter, Arvind Kejriwal Tells Delhi HC As Probe Agency Calls CMs Bail Order Perverse A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti had said it will like to wait for the pronouncement of the HC order on the matter. Justice Misra, however, observed that the stay order is normally pronounced the same day and not reserved. Its unusual," he observed and added that the court would like to wait for the HC order to get the clear picture on the issue. The bench at the outset told Singhvi that pronouncing any order at this stage will be prejudging the issue. We will be pre-judging the issue, if we pass any order at this stage. It is not some other court but the high court," the bench told Singhvi. The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), irregularities were committed while modifying the policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders. The Bombay High Courts decision to order the release of the minor boy allegedly involved in the Porsche car crash has stirred strong emotions with the mother of one of the accident victims urging the judges to understand the pain of a bereaved mother who has lost her daughter. Ashwini Koshta and her friend Anish Awadhiya, both IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, were killed in the early hours of May 19 when the luxury car, allegedly driven by the teen who police suspect was driving drunk, collided with their two-wheeler in Kalyani Nagar area of Pune. The division bench of Justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of the juvenile from an observation home noting that the Juvenile Justice Boards remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. I was shocked after seeing the news. I have full faith in the judiciary. They must have made the decision after careful consideration. However, I request the judges to understand the pain of a mother who has lost her daughter. Punishment should be given accordingly so that the public can trust the judicial system, said Mamta Koshta, mother of the deceased Ashwini Koshta. She recalled the Maharashtra government has assured them that justice will be served. I dont know what is in the law. My only request to the judges is to understand the pain of a mother who has lost her daughter. Many girls live there and such incidents should not recur. Those who commit such crimes should learn a lesson. I only request the judges to make the right decision, she told reporters. The high court bench noted the JJBs remand orders were illegal and passed without jurisdiction. We allow the petition and order his release. The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) shall be in the care and custody of the petitioner (paternal aunt), the court said. The bench said the court was bound by law, the aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act and must treat him as any child in conflict with the law separately from an adult, despite the seriousness of the crime. The order was passed on a plea filed by the 17-year-old boys paternal aunt, who claimed he was illegally detained and sought his immediate release. Police in the US state of Texas have arrested a man in connection with the killing of a 32-year-old Indian national during a robbery at a convenience store in Dallas. Dasari Gopikrishna, who came to the US only eight months ago, was fatally shot at the convenience store in Pleasant Grove, Dallas, on June 21. He hailed from the Yajali village of the Bapatla district in Andhra Pradesh. Police have arrested 21-year-old Davonta Mathis for murdering Gopikrishna. He faces capital murder charges for fatally shooting Gopikrisna multiple times, including in the head. During the robbery, Mathis walked into the store, approached the counter and shot Gopikrishna. He stole items before running away, police said. Gopikrishna was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died. Mathis was originally arrested and charged with robbery, but the charge was upgraded to capital murder because of Gopikrishnas death. His bond is set at USD 7.5 million. Sgt. Curtis Phillip of the Mesquite Police described Mathis behaviour as very bizarre, noting the significant impact of his decisions at such a young age. Mathis is also charged in a separate fatal shooting in Waco city on June 20. He shot Muhammad Hussain, 60, multiple times, who died from injuries at the hospital. Meanwhile, the Indian consulate here is finalising arrangements with Gopikrishnas family to repatriate his body, officials said. Representatives from the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) and family friends are collaborating with the consulate to facilitate the transportation of Gopikrishnas body to his hometown in India. The consulate has confirmed that all police autopsies and necessary formalities have been completed, and they are prioritising the shipment of the body by Tuesday. Gopikrishnas murder is the second in as many days of a convenience store clerk working the night shift. The incident has deeply affected the Indian community in Dallas and surrounding areas. Gopikrishna is survived by his wife and son. Embracing the philosophy of live every day like its your last, Rashmika Mandanna epitomizes this mantra as a fundamental aspect of her lifestyle. Recognized as the National Crush of India, Rashmika seizes every opportunity to indulge in luxurious getaways amid her demanding schedule. Her Instagram page serves as a kaleidoscope of her voyages, adorned with captivating snapshots that captivate the hearts and admiration of her dedicated followers. Whether its the serene landscapes of Italy, the luxurious resorts of the UAE, the fashion streets of Paris, the vibrant culture of Tokyo, or the glamorous events in Dubai, Rashmikas journeys are a celebration of life, beauty, and joy. Lets take a journey through some of her most memorable vacations. Italy Vacation View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Rashmika recently shared stunning monochrome pictures from her trip to Italy. The photos capture her enjoying the breathtaking scenery in style, complete with cool shades that add a touch of glamour to her look. The Italian backdrop complements her effortless elegance, making her travel diary a source of inspiration for wanderlust enthusiasts. Birthday Celebration in the UAE View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) For her birthday, Rashmika chose the tranquil oasis of Abu Dhabis Bani Yas Island. Staying at the luxurious Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resort, she shared a heartfelt note along with pictures that reflect her joy and serenity. Paris View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Rashmikas fashion-forward escapades took her to Paris, where she dazzled at the Milan Fashion Week. She posted a carousel of pictures, showcasing her in a gorgeous black dress, matching coat, and chic sneakers. Her Parisian adventure is a blend of high fashion and urban charm, making her posts a favourite among fashion enthusiasts. Tokyo View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Tokyo had long been on Rashmikas travel wishlist, and she made the most of her visit to Japan. She attended an awards ceremony in a stunning outfit, sharing her excitement about visiting a place she had dreamed of since childhood. Alongside presenting an award, Rashmika explored Tokyo with her team, soaking in the vibrant culture and iconic sights. Dubai View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna) Rashmikas charm was on full display during her visit to Dubai for a shop launch event. Dressed in a dazzling golden glitter saree, she mesmerised her admirers who gathered to catch a glimpse of her. Videos from the event show fans cheering and rooting for her, highlighting her immense popularity. It is tradition for veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan to greet crowds of fans outside his home, Jalsa, every Sunday. Fans from around the country visit Mumbai to get a glimpse of their favourite actor. Now, he has announced that a mobile application is in development which will enable his global fans to witness these Sunday meets virtually. Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog, Sunday specials were on and consumed with glee and effort to be able to construct a platform, a mobile platform, so that the fans and well-wishers from across the location get an opportunity to see to put wheels on it to move closer and roundabout to the well-wishers. He added that he had previously tried it but his initial attempt didnt work. He said, Tried, but it did not work more effort to be put in, by the manufacturing department!! Meanwhile, on the work front, Amitabh Bachchan is currently prepping for the release of Kalki 2898 AD. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Ashwatthama who will lock horns with Prabhas Bhairava in the film. At a recent press conference for the films promotion, Amitabh confessed he was taken aback by the concept of Kalki 2898 AD. When Nag Ashwin came and explained his idea to me, for the long time after he left I was thinking, What the hell is Nagi drinking? Amitabh said, leaving his co-stars in splits. To see something like this which is absolutely outrageous, some of the visuals that you have seen are unbelievable. To have somebody conceive a project which is so futuristic and possible and during the making of the film you realise that no matter what he thought of he actually brought all the material, all the effects, every kind of vision that he had to the screen and thats been really amazing. For me to be just a part of it, has been an experience Ill never forget, he added. Kalki 2898 AD is set to release on June 27, 2024. Besides Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, the film will also feature Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani in key roles. Armaan Malik has compared himself to the late actor Sidharth Shukla. The YouTuber, who is currently in the Bigg Boss OTT 3 house, spoke to a media portal before entering the controversial reality show, when he shared that he felt the most connected with Sidharth. Shukla, who was the winner of Bigg Boss 13, passed away in September 2021. From the previous Bigg Boss seasons, my personality is very similar to that of Siddharth Shuklas. He was one contestant whose personality I really connected with, and I also feel that we both are very alike in a way that we keep to ourselves. He was someone who was usually calm and kept to himself unless provoked and I feel thats also me as a person. He has been one of the contestants whose journey I have followed and felt the most connection with, Armaan told India Today. Armaan is in the Bigg Boss OTT 3 house with both his wives, Payal Malik and Kritika Malik. Ever since it was announced that the YouTuber will participate in the show as a trio, several people have questioned his decision. Therefore, talking about the controversies surrounding his marital status, Armaan added, If someone is genuinely curious and wants to know about our life, how we three have managed to live as one family, then Id be happy to share my story with them. Theres no issue with people inside the house being curious about our set-up. However, if someone talks in a derogatory manner or chooses to pick a fight for no reason, then Im capable of giving it back to them in the exact same tone and manner. Armaan further shared that he wants his fans to see his real side via Bigg Boss OTT 3. Everyone will get to see how I behave and react to situations that crop up, how my response will be towards the other contestants in the house and what my decision-making skills are, he said. Besides Armaan, other contestants who are inside the Bigg Boss OTT 3 house are, Love Kataria, Deepak Chaurasia, Munisha Khatwani, Sai Ketan Rao, Vada Pav Girl aka Chandrika Gera Dixit, Sana Makbul, Shivani Kumari, Paulomi Das, Ranvir Shorey, Sana Sultan, Vishal Pandey, Naezy and Neeraj Goyat. The show is hosted by Anil Kapoor and streams on Jio Cinema. Ananya Panday has faced significant criticism from the audience since her Bollywood debut, amid ongoing trolling and debates about nepotism. Despite these challenges, the actress has gradually established herself in the industry and secured several popular projects. Recently, Bhavana Pandey, Ananyas mother, shared her feelings about the constant criticism her daughter endures and its impact on her. In an interview with Indian Express, Bhavana Pandey was asked how difficult it is as a mother to have her child scrutinised for everything from films to clothes. She admitted, It is very difficult, and you feel really bad and hurt. While acknowledging that Ananya chose a career open to public judgment and accepting that people will react, Bhavana emphasised, I think unnecessary criticism is not okay. Constructive criticism is always better, and that makes everyone better. Bhavana Pandey has gained recognition through her appearance on the show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. However, in a recent interview, she mentioned that despite having her own identity now, she loves being called Ananyas mother. In a previous conversation with Hindustan Times, Ananya Panday expressed gratitude towards her mother, Bhavana Pandey, crediting her for unwavering support throughout her career journey. Ananya emphasised, She (Bhavana Pandey) was involved when I started my career as an actor, I needed her. I would be lost if my mom was not there to help me. Ananya Panday was most recently seen in Netflixs Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, opposite Sidhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav. Up next, the actress is gearing up for her debut web series, Call Me Bae. Along with her, the show will feature an ensemble cast that includes Mini Mathur, Gurfateh Pirzada, Vir Das, Vihaan Samat, Varun Sood, Muskkkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt and Lisa Mishra. On the other hand, Bhavana Pandeys show Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives is gearing up for its third season. The show also starred Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Soni, and Seema Sajdeh for the past two seasons. Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoors daughter will make her debut in the forthcoming season. Along with her, the series will include entrepreneur Kalyani Saha Chawla and philanthropist Shalini Passi as well. Deepika Padukone is currently gearing up for the release of her much-awaited movie, Kalki 2898 AD. Anticipation for the film is at an all-time high, with fans eagerly awaiting its release. Kalki 2898 AD featuring cutting-edge CGI and breathtaking shots, promises to set a new benchmark in Indian cinema, matching international standards. Recently, Deepika also talked about technology in Nag Ashwins directorial when she praised the filmmaker for using it intelligently. For all of us to be a part of a movie where I think every kind of technology that is available in the world today is probably at our disposal, Deepika said. Despite the extensive use of AI and other advanced technologies, Deepika emphasized the importance of preserving the soul of the performances. With AI and things like that, I think you can lose the soul of the performances, she noted but also went on to commend director Nag Ashwin for his adept handling of this balance saying, The fact that we have a director who has used it so intelligently. Recently, Deepika attended Kalki 2898 AD pre-release event in Mumbai when she joked about sporting a baby bump in the film. Rana Daggubati, who was hosting the event, jokingly pointed to Deepikas baby bump and asked if she decided to stay in character. To this, Deepika replied, Yeah, I worked on it for three years so I thought why not carry the baby bump for a few more months, added Deepika. Besides Deepika Padukone, Kalki 2898 AD boasts a stellar cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, and Disha Patani. The trailer of the film was released earlier this month and it suggested that Kalki 2898 AD is a futuristic take on the Mahabharat. The story begins in Kaashi, a land rich in resources, ruled by Saswata Chatterjees character, who demands complete loyalty. A prophecy reveals a child will overthrow him, and this child is carried by Deepika Padukones character. To protect his reign, the king puts a bounty on her head. Prabhas character, Bhairava, a top hunter, believes its his destiny to capture her. Amitabh Bachchans Ashwatthama aims to protect her. The trailer ends with an intense glimpse of Kamal Haasan, leaving fans excited. Directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, Kalki 2898 AD is set to hit theatres on June 27, 2024. Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor was seen getting a little uncomfortable after a massive crowd surrounded her at Mumbai airport. The actress was spotted stepping out of the airport late on Tuesday night when a swarm of fans mobbed her for selfies. In a video, shared on Instagram, Janhvi looked visibly uncomfortable as a bunch of male fans came close to her for selfies. However, Janhvi maintained her calm and waited patiently for everyone to get done. She was donning an olive green cotton shirt and black pants. Later, the actress was seen arriving at Arjun Kapoors house for his midnight birthday celebration. On the work front, after delivering strong women-centric films like Gunjan Saxena, Good Luck Jerry and Mili, Janhvi is all set to step into the shoes of an IFS Officer in the much-awaited movie Ulajh. The film also stars Roshan Mathew and Gulshan Devaiah. Produced by Junglee Pictures, the film will be helmed by National award-winner Sudhanshu Saria. The film is set to release in theatres on August 2. Earlier in a statement, Janhvi expressed her excitement on being a part of Ulajh. The actress shared, When I was approached with the script of Ulajh, it instantly attracted me because as an actor, I am constantly looking for scripts that make me break out of my comfort zone and portraying a character based in the celebrated world of the Indian Foreign Services was just that. Just as the name of the film suggests, my character and the story, have so many layers, emotions, and parameters, which are challenging and exciting at the same time. I am thrilled for the audience to see me in this new role envisioned by Sudhanshu, who has such a fresh approach towards dealing with this genre. I am also looking forward to work with such talented co-actors and a development studio like Junglee Pictures for the first time. Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan, who launched the Hindi trailer of Indian 2 in Mumbai on Tuesday, got candid about making films on socio-political issues. At the trailer launch, the actor admitted that theres a great risk in being part of films that question the establishment. Thats been a problem since the time of the British, Kamal told reporters. People were making films even then. We will continue to make those kinds of films, it doesnt matter who is at the top of the establishment. Thats not just the filmmaker, thats the citizens right to ask those questions. Kamal then spoke about how the audiences support to such films instil confidence in makers to push the boundaries without thinking of the guillotine. We, as artists, represent so many of you people. Thanks to the applause, we believe that we are your representatives, hence we talk boldly, without thinking of the guillotine. Yes, there is risk, the government can get angry but your applause puts out that fire, so make it louder, he added. Kamal played the role of Senapathy in Indian wherein he fought against corruption. The actor will reprise his role in the films sequel which is set to release next month. He said, So, kya main nafrat karu, ya shukriyada? (Should I be thankful, or condemn it?) What have we done? It is us! And the politicians are none other than one of us. We are all responsible for corruption and we must all change our minds and the best time to change our minds is during elections. These are just reminders of how corrupt we become. Nothing has changed thanks to corruption, everything will change thanks to the collective conscience. At the same event, Kamal Haasan also said that he was grateful to his Hindi audience for accepting him as their own. Haasan made his Hindi film debut with Ek Duuje Ke Liye in 1981. The film was a remake of his own acted Telugu-language film Maro Charitra directed by K Balachander. Let me first thank you for teaching me a lesson, Haasan began his speech as he addressed the media in Mumbai. I used to think Im from Tamil Nadu and thats my place. You taught me 35 or more years ago that Im an Indian. I was just a South Indian actor, you people made me into an Indian actor. Im ever so grateful. I didnt know a word of Hindi when I was doing my first film. I was exactly what the hero of Ek Duuje Ke Liye was and without your support and applause, I couldnt have come back on to this stage. After dating for seven years, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal tied the knot on Sunday (June 23). Following a registered marriage in the company of their family members and loved ones, the lovebirds threw a star-studded bash at Mumbais Bastian that saw celebrities like Salman Khan, Rekha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Huma Qureshi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Tabu, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Sharmin Segal Mehta, among many others, gracing it. However, the Sinha-Ratansi wedding has been a subject of conflict and stress ever since reports started doing the rounds that the lovebirds will finally become man and wife. While their big day saw Sonakshis parents, Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha, there were strong speculations that her twin brothers Luv Sinha and Kussh Sinha gave it a miss. In fact, a report in Hindustan Times stated that the shutterbugs didnt spot them either at the wedding or the reception and that it was towards the very end of the party that they arrived. Following Luvs reaction in the matter, News18 Showsha exclusively reached out to Kussh, who revealed that he was very much a part of the gala night, thus slamming rumours of the Sinhas being unhappy with Sonakshi and Zaheers union. I have already seen people publishing inaccurate information. It started with an article in a leading portal that had a quote by an unnamed source. I am not sure whos doing all this right now and where its coming from. But a few houses have my images [from the night], he told us. However, he also added that this is a sensitive time for the family. Further addressing the conjectures regarding his absence from the reception, Kussh stated that being someone who likes being away from the spotlight, he wasnt as widely covered as the rest of the guests. Its just that I am a private individual and I am not seen that much but that doesnt mean that I wasnt there, he asserted. Commenting on this new chapter in Sonakshis life, Kussh added, I was present and I have only good wishes for my sister and will always wish her well. On a related note, in a recent interview, all reports of a conflict were put to rest now as Sonakshis father told Times Now, No one from my family said anything about a wedding. Too much attention is being given to something that is a private family matter. Shaadiyan sab ke ghar hoti hain. Pre-wedding conflicts are also common. We are all okay now. Whatever stress there was has been sorted out. While Sonakshi and Zaheers wedding pictures are all over social media, a protest march was recently organised in Sonakshis fathers hometown Patna in Bihar. Organised by Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena, the fringe organisation called the interfaith marriage love jihad and asked Sonakshi not to visit the state capital ever. Reacting to the trolls, the veteran actor-turned-politician has urged everyone to stop spreading hate. He asked trolls to get a life and strongly stated that his daughter hasnt done anything illegal. Malaika Arora has once again sparked breakup rumours with longtime boyfriend and actor Arjun Kapoor after she skipped his midnight birthday bash which took place at his Juhu residence. Arjuns cousins Janhvi Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor and Mohit Marwah were spotted arriving at the actors house around midnight. Sanjay Kapoor and wife Maheep Kapoor were also papped outside the actors apartment. Arjun Kapoors No Entry 2 co-star Varun Dhawan also joined the celebration, along with his wife Natasha Dalal, while Aditya Roy Kapur arrived alone to wish his close friend. However, Malaikas absence once again prompted her and Arjuns breakup rumours on social media. Last month, Arjun and Malaika sparked breakup rumours after a source informed Pinkvilla that their relationship has run its course. Malaika and Arjun had a very special relationship and both of them will continue to hold a special place in each others hearts. They have chosen to part ways and will maintain a dignified silence in this matter. They wont allow anyone to drag and dissect their relationship, a source told Pinkvilla. They had a long, loving, fruitful relationship that has unfortunately run its course now. That doesnt mean there is any bad blood between them. They respect each other hugely and have been a pillar of strength for each other. Over the years, they have given their relationship a lot of respect. They will continue to give each other the same respect despite them deciding to part ways. Both of them were in a serious relationship for years, and they expect people to be gracious enough to give them space at this emotional time, the source added. However, Malaikas manager denied the rumours and assured that they were very much together. No no. All rumours, the manager told India Today. Mom-to-be Deepika Padukone was spotted at the Mumbai airport in the wee hours of Tuesday with her husband Ranveer Singh. The actor couple was returning from their babymoon when they were photographed at the airport. In videos and photos shared the paparazzi on Instagram, Deepika put her baby bump on full display. The actress revealed shes due in September. For their flight back into the bay, Deepika and Ranveer opted to twin in black. While Deepika opted for a body-fitting top which she styled with a jacket and a pair of stretch pants, Ranveer opted for a white tee with a jacket and a pair of comfy pants. The couple held hands as they walked out of the airport. Watch the video below: Deepika made a rare media appearance earlier this month. She joined Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan for a press conference for their upcoming film, Kalki 2898 AD in Mumbai. At the event, Deepika was seen showing off her baby bump while promoting her film. Recently, her trainer Anshuka Parwani opened up about the Jawan actresss training during her pregnancy. She mentioned that they are preparing for a healthy baby. During a conversation with NDTV Swirlster, celebrity trainer said, I mean right now we are looking at it very holistically. She is carrying a child so we have to look at it very carefully. We are going through a prenatal routine with her constantly, making sure every trimester is different. Preparing her for a very healthy baby and making sure that she is at her best throughout her pregnancy. So it is not only about how she is looking on the outside. It is so beautiful to work with someone who is already so aware. We are just looking at it like a healthy time in her life. She is enjoying her pregnancy, she is moving and is so active, she added. Shatrughan Sinha has lashed out at those protesting against his daughter, Sonakshi Sinhas wedding with Zaheer Iqbal. The two tied the knot in a private ceremony in Mumbai on Sunday, June 23. While their wedding pictures are all over social media, a protest march was recently organised in Shatrughan Sinhas hometown Patna in Bihar. Organised by Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena, the fringe organisation called the interfaith marriage love jihad and asked Sonakshi not to visit the state capital ever. Reacting to the trolls, the actor-turned-politician has urged everyone to stop spreading hate. He asked trolls to get a life and strongly stated that his daughter hasnt done anything illegal. Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, he told Times Now. A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors I say go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say), the veteran actor added. Previously, Shatrughan Sinha also reacted to Sonakshi and Zaheers civil marriage. When asked how he was feeling on the day of his daughters wedding, the actor said, Yeh bhi koi poochne ki baat hai? Every father waits for this moment when his daughter is given to her chosen groom. My daughter looks most happy with Zaheer. Unki jodi salamat rahe. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) Sonakshi Sinha married Zaheer Iqbal on June 23, 2024. The couple hosted an intimate ceremony at the formers Bandra residence. Later, sharing the wedding pictures online, the newlyweds wrote, On this very day, seven years back (23.06.2017) in each others eyes, we saw love in its purest form and decided to hold on to it. Today that love has guided us through all the challenges and triumphs leading up to this moment where with the blessings of both our families and both our gods we are now man and wife. Heres to love, hope and all things beautiful with each other, from now until forever. Sonakshi Zaheer 23.06.2024. After their wedding, Sonakshi and Zaheer also hosted a grand reception for their friends from the film industry. Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has been subjected to immense trolling over her inter-faith marriage with Zaheer Iqbal. Sonakshi and Zaheer opted for a civil marriage, which took place at the actress Bandra home on June 23. Unfortunately, the couple had to disable the comments section while sharing their official photos from their civil marriage and reception due to unwarranted hate and negativity. Now, Sonakshi has seemingly addressed the trolls who have been criticising her inter-faith marriage on social media. The actress re-shared a post on her Instagram story that talked about love being the universal religion. Sonakshi also dropped a comment on the post shared by Prasad Bhat, and wrote, Truest words!! This is adorable! Thank you. Meanwhile, veteran actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has also lashed out at those protesting against his daughter Sonakshis inter-faith wedding with Zaheer Iqbal and calling it love jihad. Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, he told Times Now. A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors I say go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say), the veteran actor added. Sonakshi and Zaheer dated for seven years before taking their relationship to the next level. While they got hitched in an intimate ceremony, the couple hosted a grand reception for their friends from the film industry. Several celebrities including Salman Khan, Kajol, Vidya Balan, Rekha, Huma Qureshi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aditya Roy Kapur, Tabu and Anil Kapoor, among others attended Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbals star-studded reception. Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash have parted ways after three years of dating, a source close to the actors has informed News18 Showsha exclusively. The couple, who fell in love inside the Bigg Boss 15 house in 2021, was collectively referred to as TejRan by their fans. However, we have learnt that they are no longer together. Karan and Tejasswi are not dating each other any longer. Its been more than a month since they broke up. Even though the reason for their breakup isnt known, all I know is that they have been getting into minor fights with each other for quite some time now, a source close to Karan and Tejasswi told us. Another source close to the actors informed us that they were still making public appearances together because they were a power couple for the last three years, and therefore, it might not be easy for their fans to accept this heartbreaking news so suddenly. They are not going to announce their breakup anytime soon, the source added. However, when we reached out to Karan and Tejasswis respective teams, they refused to comment on their split. A Look At Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakashs Love Story: Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakashs love story was no secret. The two met inside the Bigg Boss 15 house and fell in love with each other. After the show ended with Tejasswi emerging as the winner, they were often snapped together and frequently used to drop adorable pictures with each other on social media. The actors were also often asked about their marriage plans. They had even bought a house together in Dubai. Previously, in an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Karan shared that he and Tejasswi were going very strong and were unfazed by the questions about their marriage. To be honest, if I start taking pressure, then I wont be able to outperform. I am an artist and I am somebody who has to make some very critical decisions in my life, he told us and then added, I have to worry about so many other things rather than the pressure. No offense but I cannot live my life if I take this pressure. (I am) Wise enough to know when what should happen. Neither the relationship has changed. We are pretty happy, sorted. Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk are set to star in the upcoming romantic comedy-drama Bad Newz. The film was announced in March, and on Monday, Vicky Kaushal posted a video revealing that the trailer will be unveiled soon. On his Instagram, Vicky Kaushal posted a video where he is seen playfully falling onto a sofa. And now, the lead cast has dropped new posters and revealed the trailer release date. And the trailer will be out this Friday. On Tuesday, Karan Johar took to Instagram and unveiled three posters of the lead actors and wrote, Meet the trio-uble makers bringing the #BadNewz this season! Describing the characters, he added that Vicky Kaushal plays, Akhil Chadhasab toh vadda! This is followed by Triptii, who essays the role of Saloni, who is ready to take the test!? and Ammy plays, Gurbir paaji rola pai gaya ji! Last year, several photos of Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri went viral when they were shooting in Croatia. In the pictures, Vicky Kaushal was seen holding Triptii close as they shot for the song. In one of the photos, the actor was also seen lifting the Animal star in his arms. The upcoming entertainer is being helmed by Anand Tiwari, known for his work on Bandish Bandits. It is scheduled to release in theaters on July 19. Meanwhile, on the work front, Triptii Dimri is currently enjoying the success of Animal. Released in December 2023, the film also starred Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. Triptiis chemistry with Ranbir in the movie was widely loved by all. Apart from Bad Newz, she will also be seen in Kartik Aaryans Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Vicky Kaushal on the other hand, was last seen in Sam Bahadur. Apart from Bad Newz, he will also be seen in Chhava. The film is reported to be a period drama, where Kaushal will share the screen with Rashmika Mandanna. Inequality, we are told, is a big problem for any economy, especially an emerging one like India. In line with this theory, a majority of development economists and policy experts believe that inequality is a big concern in our country. According to a poll conducted by Reuters, almost 85 per cent of experts said that they were not confident about a significant reduction in economic inequality over the next five years. To be sure, it is not the first time in the recent past that inequality has been cited as a big problem. Last month, a group of economists called the World Inequality Lab, which including the renowned French economist Thomas Piketty, came up with a study which said, The Billionaire Raj headed by Indias modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces. It is time to scrutinise the basic postulate of the World Inequality Lab and others who hold similar views: that excessive economic inequality is bad. This is what Piketty said in an interview: I think inequality is fine, as long as it is in the common interest. The problem is when it gets so extreme, when it becomes excessive. But whose problem, Mr. Piketty? It has surely not been a problem for the people who, in his estimation, have suffered. Regarding developments in the Western world, Piketty said that one of the lessons of the 20th century is that 19th century inequality was not useful for growth. He is also unhappy about inequalities in the US: So in the United States, you know, the share of national wealth going to the bottom 50 per cent is just 2 per cent. And the next 40 per cent, which you can call the middle class, are getting, you know, about 23 per cent, and then you have 75 per cent for the top 10. All that may be true, but the upshot is that the per capita income in the US is around $85,370 and in the rich nations (G7) $62,410, as against $13,840 of the entire world and $2,730 of India. It is a fact acknowledged by all except pinkish intellectuals like Piketty that Western nations are not only rich but alsoand on that countoffer a better life to the people who live there. This is the reason that people from non-Western countries want to migrate to Western onesand this includes intellectuals who keep maligning the West, capitalism, etc. And it is not just the poor and middle class people who aspire to Western or other rich countries. According to a recent report by the international investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners, estimated that around 4,300 millionaires would leave India this year. A millionaire is defined as a person with liquid investable assets totaling $1 million or more. Last year, the number of millionaires who left India was 5,100. The rich, the Henley report said, are going to places where they can enjoy a better lifestyle, have access to more premium health and education services, and enjoy safer and cleaner environments. In short, the quality of life is good in richer countries; it has to improve in India. And that is possible only if and when the powers that be in our country if the government focuses on governance and reduces its role in the economy. The latter seems to be happening to some extent, as evident from the renewed emphasis on fiscal prudence, increased capital expenditure, efforts to attract private investment, and revival of privatisation. This is liberalisation at work. All this is anathema to the economists with a statist frame of mind, so they strive to torpedo reforms by deploying their favorite weaponeconomic inequality. One of them told Reuters, Currently, reduction of economic inequality is not a policy objective of decision-makers. She went on to add, Inequality is not something that will go away on its own it needs proactive government interventions. We should not be fooled by euphemisms such as proactive government interventions. In the real world, such interventions result in abominations like high income tax rates for the rich (as it happened in the 1970s) and leaky welfare schemes. Such measures invariably result in corruption, loss to the exchequer, bad governance, and perpetuation of poverty. In general, the euphemisms used by socialists, communists, and their fellow-travelers are misleading and dangerous. For instance, social control on banking was the romance that led to the most hazardous decision of bank nationalisation; it ultimately resulted in the control of politicians and bureaucrats over banks. The public sector, we were told after Independence, would be at the commanding heights of the economy. In reality, public sector enterprises became the scourge of the taxpayer. Policy and decision makers must beware of not just the meretricious charms of socialism but also its lexicon. Redistribution of wealth and reducing economic inequalities are the terms frequently used by Left-leaning elites. These terms must be dismissed with the disdain they deserve. The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led central government is conspiring to arrest Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise policy scam ahead of the Supreme Courts hearing on his bail plea in the EDs money laundering case, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the CBI might register a fake case against the CM to arrest him. At a time when there is a cent per cent possibility that Arvind Kejriwal will get bail from the Supreme Court, sources have informed me that the Centre is conspiring to register a fake CBI case against the Delhi CM and get him arrested by the CBI. The entire nation can see this and is standing in solidarity with Arvind Kejriwal, he said. The Central Bureau of Investigation had sought permission to interrogate Kejriwal in Tihar Jail last week. The CM was examined by the CBI in Tihar Jail on Monday. The CBI on Tuesday moved an application before a special court seeking productiong warrants for Kejriwal. The court has issued the warrants and the CM will be produced before the court on Wednesday. The agency has told the court that it has found fresh material against Kejriwal. Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court stayed the trial courts order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The Delhi High Court said the trial courts order reflects perversity and held that the lower court did not appropriately appreciate the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate. The trial court had granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged Delhi excise policy scam and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The Delhi excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the lieutenant governor ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisis Jai Palestine slogan while ending his oath as MP in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday has triggered the BJPs ire to an extent that many of its leaders are saying the Hyderabad MP can be disqualified from Parliament. Owaisi hailed the conflict-hit West Asian country after taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches that led to the Chair ordering that the remarks be expunged. He, however, justified his slogans after he came out of the House and told reporters there was nothing wrong in him saying Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine. Now, BJP leader Amit Malviya has said the MP can be disqualified from the Lok Sabha for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State. In a post on X, he said: As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine. Please note: @LokSabhaSectt. Malviya attached a short clip of Owaisis oath-taking video, and Article 102 of the Constitution that gives details on the disqualification for membership. Tagging the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in his post he highlighted the part saying if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State. As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine.Please note: @LokSabhaSectt pic.twitter.com/wh7bYbep8p Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024 Heres what Article 102 of the Constitution states about disqualifications for membership: A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder; if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court; if he is an undischarged insolvent; if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State; if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament. Explanation For the purposes of this clause a person shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State by reason only that he is a Minister either for the Union or for such State. A person shall be disqualified for being a member of either House of Parliament if he is so disqualified under the Tenth Schedule. What did Owaisi say about his slogan? With regard to Article 102 of the Constitution, senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain has also filed a complaint against Owaisi before President Droupadi Murmu, seeking his disqualification from the membership of the Lok Sabha. A complaint has been filed before the President of India against Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi in terms of article 102 and 103 of the constitution of india by Mr. Hari Shankar Jain seeking his disqualification as member of parliament. @rashtrapatibhvn @adv_hsjain Vishnu Shankar Jain (@Vishnu_Jain1) June 25, 2024 Asked why he mentioned Palestine, Owaisi said: They are oppressed people, adding, other members are also saying different things How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine. He took oath in Urdu and recited a prayer before doing so. After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIMs slogan for Muslim, along with Palestine. Malviya also objected to the prayer said by Owaisi. Palestine apart, is invoking religious idioms kosher, while taking oath in secular India? Is Owaisi guilty of infusing religion and communalising a solemn occasion? he asked in another post on X. Earlier, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said he received a number of complaints about the mention of Palestine. Talking to reporters outside Parliament later, Rijiju said he will check the rules regarding remarks. We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. The only issue is, while taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules. Some members have come to me and complained about raising of Palestine slogan at the end of oath, he said. Union minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, took a jibe at Owaisi, questioning if he could say Bharat Mata Ki Jai. He said Owaisis remarks are totally wrong and against the rules of Parliament. Living in India, he cannot say Bharat Mata Ki Jai, but he can hail Palestine. Such people are doing anti-Constitutional work in the name of Constitution, that should be understood, he added. (With PTI inputs) As India marks 49 years of the 1975 Emergency on June 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress for protesting with Constitution copies in their hands, saying the Opposition party had no right to profess its love for the Constitution. Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The Dark Days Of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly, PM Modi posted on X (previously Twitter) on Tuesday. Just to cling on to power, the then Congress Government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections, he added. Attacking the Opposition for its Constitution protest, PM Modi said, Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution. The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again, he added. Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency.The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2024 BJP MP and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also posted, 25 June 1975 is a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy that can never be forgotten. The arrogant, autocratic Congress government violated the dignity of the Constitution and stifled freedom of expression. Those who believe in Indias democratic traditions and are dedicated to the dignity of the countrys constitution will never be able to forget June 25. Even today, listening to the poignant stories of the democracy fighters who went to jail during the Emergency brings pain to the heart. I salute all the fighters for democracy who struggled to restore democracy during the horrific period of the dark night of Emergency! Union Health Minister JP Nadda also attacked the Congress, citing the 1975 Emergency that was imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi. June 25, 1975- this is the day the Congress Partys politically driven decision to impose a state of emergency shook the very pillars of our democracy and tried to trample over the Constitution given by Dr. Ambedkar. During this period, those who today claim to be guardians of Indian democracy left no effort to suppress voices raised in defense of constitutional values. Today, we reflect on the sacrifices made by our great heroes who bravely stood as preservers of democracy during the Dark Days Of Emergency. I am proud that our Party belongs to that tradition which resisted the Emergency tooth and nail and worked to protect democracy, he posted on X. June 25, 1975- this is the day the Congress Partys politically driven decision to impose a state of emergency shook the very pillars of our democracy and tried to trample over the Constitution given by Dr. Ambedkar.During this period, those who today claim to be guardians of Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) June 25, 2024 What INDIA Bloc Said The Congress party hit back at the Prime Minister, with party leader P Chidambaram saying the Constitution reminds people to prevent another Emergency. Honble Prime Minister said that Emergency reminds us to protect the Constitution. Very true I may add, the Constitution reminded the people to prevent another Emergency, and they voted to curtail the ambitions of the BJP The people voted for the 18th Lok Sabha in such a manner that no human or divine ruler can change the basic structure of the Constitution. India will remain a liberal, democratic and secular Union of States, Chidambaram posted on X. Honble Prime Minister said thatEmergency reminds us to protect the Constitution. Very trueI may add, the Constitution reminded the people to prevent another Emergency, and they voted to curtail the ambitions of the BJP The people voted for the 18th Lok Sabha in such a P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) June 25, 2024 Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi cited NEET protests and questioned PM Modi on the education emergency. PM Sir, What about education emergency? Students are protesting the emergency imposed on their education and their future too, a word for them as well, Chaturvedi wrote on X. PM Sir,What about education emergency? Students are protesting the emergency imposed on their education and their future too, a word for them as well https://t.co/cIu4rx7xXt Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) June 25, 2024 Who Said What on 1975 Emergency Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, They (Congress) tried to destroy the soul of the Constitution by amending the Preamble. Congress completely restricted the fundamental rights of the citizens of the country. Congress party kept the rights of the judiciary hostage at that time. Even today, the face of the Congress party may have changed, but its character is still the same. When they go outside India, they question the Indian democracy, raise questions on the election system, curse India and its democracy, try to put the blame of their inefficiency on EVM by creating obstacles in the process of elections Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrote, Congress has a long history of killing democracy and repeatedly attacking it. The Emergency imposed by Congress on this day in 1975 is the biggest example of this. The arrogant, autocratic Congress government had suspended all kinds of civil rights in the country for 21 months for the sake of power of one family. During this period, they had imposed censorship on the media, made changes in the Constitution and tied the hands of even the court. I salute the struggle of countless satyagrahis, social workers, workers, farmers, youth and women who protested from Parliament to the streets against the Emergency. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, Exactly 49 years ago, Emergency was imposed in India by the then Congress government. Emergency is a dark chapter in the history of our countrys democracy which cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. The way the misuse of power and the open game of dictatorship was played during that time, raises a big question mark on the commitment of many political parties towards democracy. If democracy is still alive in this country today, the credit goes to those people who struggled to restore democracy, went to jail and had to undergo so much physical and mental torture. The coming generations of India will remember their struggle and their contribution in protecting democracy. On Monday, MPs of the INDIA bloc carried out protests in Parliament premises with copies of the Constitution in their hands. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also flashed the Constitution copy in Parliament when PM Modi was taking oath as an MP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, party general secretary KC Venugopal announced on Tuesday. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab informing him about Rahul Gandhis appointment as the LoP in the lower house of Parliament. With this decision, Rahul Gandhi finally bites the bullet in taking up this role, as he would now get the status of a cabinet ministers rank. This will also enhance his position in the protocol list and could be a natural claimant to the post of prime minister of the opposition bloc. This will be the first constitutional position that Rahul Gandhi would hold in his long political career of over two-and-a-half decades. Gandhi as the LoP of Lok Sabha would also be a member of important panels on key appointments of Lokpal, CBI chief, Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, besides the selection of Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission and the NHRC chief. The prime minister heads all such panels. Rahul Gandhi, who turned 54 last week, is the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi. Though he won from two constituencies Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he resigned from the Wayanad constituency, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would now contest. Rahul Gandhi entered politics in 2004 when he won for the first time from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier today, the lawmaker from Uttar Pradeshs Raebareli took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. The Congress leader held up a copy of the Constitution during the oath-taking and ended his oath with Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan chants. #WATCH | Congress general secretary KC Venugopal says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been appointed as the LoP in the Lok Sabha.. pic.twitter.com/llhssszwAV ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 This will be the first time in ten years that there will be a Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as the Congress, which won 99 seats, is now entitled to the post. After the Lok Sabha election, the Congress had passed a single-line resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Reax Pour In After Rahul Gandhi Named LoP BJP leader Amit Malviya took a jibe a the former Congress chief over his LoP appointment, calling him third time fail. On the eve of I.N.D.I Alliances first defeat (in the 18th Lok Sabha) on the floor of the House, Congress has announced Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition. Something surreal about the impeccable timing On the eve of I.N.D.I Alliances first defeat (in the 18th Lok Sabha) on the floor of the House, Congress has announced Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition. Something surreal about the impeccable timing Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024 On the other hand, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that he is confident that Rahul Gandhi, who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people, especially the marginalised and the poor. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said that Rahul Gandhi will be a bold voice for the common people of India and ensure that the NDA government is held firmly accountable at all times. CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji has written to the Pro-Tem Speaker informing him that Sh. @RahulGandhi ji is appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.We are confident that as LOP, Rahul ji will be a bold voice for the common people of India and ensure that pic.twitter.com/sykZF3IcGv K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 25, 2024 Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK supremo M K Stalin said, INDIA welcomes my dear brother Rahul Gandhi to his new role! May his voice continue to roar strongly in the House of the People (Lok Sabha), he said. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said, A moment of pride and happiness for all of us. The strong voice of the countrymen, Mr. Rahul Gandhi ji will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Congratulations to everyone. Best wishes to Shri Rahul ji. Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, while congratulating Gandhi, said, Finally, you heard the voices of all Lok Sabha members and Congressmen. The voices of the people, which were being crushed, will now eco in the Parliament fearlessly through you. Another Congress leader Manickam Tagore thanked Rahul Gandhi for accepting the post and listening to the voice of several party leaders. He also termed him as the peoples leader. Congress is the largest member of the INDIA bloc. They won 99 seats in Lok Sabha polls 2024, and Rahul Gandhi played a key role in it. We are glad that he has been appointed as Leader of Opposition, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said. WHY WAS THERE NO LOP IN LOK SABHA FOR LAST 10 YEARS? The post of Leader of the Opposition has remained vacant since 2014, as no opposition party has managed to secure 10 per cent of the seats. Following the Congress-led United Progressive Alliances (UPA) defeat in 2014, the Grand Old Party was reduced to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha. After the 2014 debacle, the ruling BJP government, through the appointed Speaker, declined to recognise the Congress partys leader as the Leader of Opposition. In 2019, although the Congress improved its seat tally slightly, it still fell short of the required 54 seats to claim the LoP position. The health of Delhi Water Minister Atishi, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, deteriorated on the fourth day of her fast on Monday after which she was hospitalised at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. A video of her being taken inside the ambulance on a stretcher has gone viral on social media. blood sugar level 43 3 36 , LNJP pic.twitter.com/OoDDS4E1GA AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 24, 2024 Sharing an update on her health, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said that Atishis blood sugar level had dropped to 36 following which she was advised to be kept under supervision in the hospital. As per the party, the health checkups conducted on Atishi revealed that her blood sugar level had decreased by 28 units on the fourth day as compared to the first day of the hunger strike In another statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that Atishis weight and blood pressure were decreasing rapidly, which doctors from LNJP Hospital said was dangerous. Water Minister Atishis health deterioratesHer blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 AM, after which LNJP Hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalization. She has not eaten anything for the last five days and is on an indefinite hunger strike pic.twitter.com/nl5iTfnwnT AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 24, 2024 Water Minister Atishis weight is also decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on hunger strike on 21st June, her weight was 65.8 kg, down to 63.6 kg on the fourth day. That is, her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in just 4 days, the statement said. The AAP statement states that doctors said that the speed at which Atishis blood sugar level, blood pressure and weight have fallen is dangerous. Along with this, Minister Atishis urine ketone level of water is also increasing. Such an increase in the amount of ketone in her body will be dangerous for her health, the party said. Notably, the doctors counselled Minister Atihsir for oral intake but she refused, PTI reported. Delhi Water Crisis: Atishis Hunger Strike Atishi began her indefinite hunger strike in south Delhis Bhogal on Friday to press the demand for more water from Haryana. The minister then claimed that Haryana for the last two weeks was releasing 100 million gallons per day less water to Delhi against its share of 613 MGD, as a result, 28 lakh people in Delhi were affected. In a video message from her Jal Satyagrah venue at Bhogal in south Delhi, Atishi said she will not eat anything till Haryana releases more water for the people in the city, 28 lakh of whom she said were water shortage. Her fast entered day fifth on Tuesday following which she was taken to the hospital owing to low blood sugar levels. Amid Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) refusal to part with the post, the Congress has been highlighting the convention that the Deputy Speaker is always from the opposition bench in Parliament. Congresss Rahul Gandhi has pitted K Suresh as the opposition Speaker candidate unilaterally decided, as alleged by Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) allies against BJPs Om Birla. The Congress also took pride in saying the convention was born out of Indias first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehrus big-heartedness. But was it so? Or was it a cold political move as BJP sources claim? #WATCH | "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker to be given to opposition," says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/CaeRn8ztAR ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 If Lok Sabha documents are to be believed, it all began with a state election in 1952 in modern-day Punjab and associated areas that was known as PEPSU (Punjab and East Patiala States Union). In the 1952 state elections, PEPSU was the only state where the Congress could not win a majority and Gian Singh Rarewala went on to become Chief Minister with the help of Akali Dal and others. Gian Singh Rarewala was the first non-Congress CM in India. At that time, losing even one state was a big humiliation for Nehru. So in March 1953, Nehru dismissed the Rarewala government. It was the first use of Article 356, claims a BJP source. ALSO READ | Why Om Birla vs K Suresh is Not The First Contest For The Lok Sabha Speakers Post | History Explained As you can imagine, this made the politics of PEPSU very difficult. The Congress likely began negotiations with Akali Dal. In 1956, the General Committee of the Akali Dal decided to join the Congress, adds the source. But here came the twist. Akali Dal leader Sardar Hukam Singh, who was an MP, refused to join the Congress. Back then, the concept of an anti-defection law didnt exist. In a very clever political move, Nehru offered in 1956 to make Sardar Hukam Singh the deputy speaker, the BJP source claims. On his election to Parliament in 1952, he was Secretary to the National Democratic Front. However, he continued to be in the Akali Dal till the General Committee of the Dal decided to join the Congress Party in 1956, read Lok Sabha documents. Convention and consensus are mere convenient words for the Congress and I.N.D.I Alliance. Not in one state that the Congress or other opposition parties are in power, have they followed the convention they preach and want the NDA to followThe Congress must understand that it pic.twitter.com/kZjIyvJ53G Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024 Hukam Singh then went on to join the Congress. He even later became Congress MP in the next election in 1957 and continued as Deputy Speaker. In 1962 he was again a Congress MP and was elevated to the role of the Speaker. In 1967, he was made the Governor of Rajasthan. Before the opposition lectures the BJP on convention for Deputy Speaker, they should tell people this full story, adds the BJP source. Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X and cited examples of opposition-ruled states like West Bengal, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala or Karnataka where either the Deputy Speaker post has been kept by the ruling party or vacant. Its more of a political reunion than a familial one. BSP chief Mayawati has reinstated nephew Akash Anand as her successor and the partys national coordinator nearly two months after she called him immature and relieved him of the party post in the middle of Lok Sabha elections. Bringing Anand back to favour, she urged her party leaders to give him more respect than earlier. The BSP supremos decision could be motivated by the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, but the bigger question being asked in political circles is whether bringing back Akash Anand will do anything for the morale of the party that has been beaten election to election. Mayawati announced her decision during a meeting of the partys office-bearers in Lucknow on Sunday. The meeting, attended by senior leaders and district-level functionaries, was called to introspect on the BSPs performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls elections. The party fought the elections solo and failed to secure a single seat. Why Mayawati Had Dropped Akash Anand The BSP chief had announced Akash Anand as her successor in December last year. She revoked her decision on May 7 this year after the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. The former chief minister had then said that she had taken the decision in the interest of the party and the movement till Anand attained full maturity. 2. , , , (maturity) Mayawati (@Mayawati) May 7, 2024 Akash Anand was booked in a case of violation of the Model Code of Conduct for allegedly using objectionable language in an election rally in Sitapur. He had allegedly referred to the BJP government as aatankwadiyo ki sarkar (a government of terrorists). Desperate Times, Desperate Measures? The Bahujan Samaj Party has seen a dramatic decline in its political fortunes over the last decade. Since losing power to the Samajwadi Party in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections, where it polled 25.95% votes and won just 80 of the 403 seats, the partys performance has continued to diminish. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BSPs vote share dropped to 22.23% and it won only 19 seats. The decline was steeper in the 2022 elections as it managed just 12.88% of the votes with a humiliating tally of one seat. Lok Sabha elections have been no better for the BSP. It garnered 24.67% of the votes and 19 of the 80 Lob Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2004 general elections. Its share increased to 27.42% of the votes and 20 seats in 2009. However, the 2014 elections marked a significant downturn, with the BSPs vote share falling to 19.77% and zero seats. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in which the BSP tied up with the Samajwadi Party, brought a brief resurgence for the party when it secured 19.42% of the votes and 10 seats. With no such alliance in 2024, the results spelt disaster for Mayawatis party. Aiming to retain the Dalit vote base, Mayawati had fielded 23 OBCs, 20 Muslims, 18 upper castes, 17 Dalits, and one Sikh candidate. Yet, the partys vote share plummeted to 9.39% and it failed to win even a single seat. Currently, the BSP has no representation in the Lok Sabha and the UP Legislative Council, and has only one member each in the Rajya Sabha and the UP Legislative Assembly. The erosion of its Dalit vote base, internal rebellions, and Mayawatis inability to revitalize the party have raised serious questions about her leadership. The stark contrast between the BSPs peak in the 2007 UP Assembly elections, when it polled 30.43% of the votes to form a majority government, and its current predicament, underscores the severe challenges the former chief minister faces. Can Akash Anand Turn Around BSP Fortunes? Akash Anand is yet to prove his mettle unlike other famous nephews of Indian politics. But bringing him back as her political heir and BSPs national coordinator does convey the impression that Mayawati is nowhere close to laying down arms. Things have changed a lot since the BSP was at its peak in 2007. Not only the political scenario but also the mindset of the voters has changed, especially the mindset of Dalits and a section of Muslims, the BSPs core vote bank. The continuous fall in BSPs tally was a clear signal that things were not working properly and the party needed a change, says Shashikant Pandey, who heads the Department of Political Science at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow. Akash Anand took over the partys campaigning during the multi-state elections in 2023. In a departure from Mayawatis style of campaigning she primarily trained guns on the SP and the Congress Akash consistently slammed the BJP on issues like education, poverty, economy, and law and order. His roadshows differed in style too and this started conveying change. He started gaining popularity. Anands exit had sent another message to the Dalits and Muslims that Mayawati had succumbed to the BJP pressure, Pandey added. He said Anands reappointment will help the BSP shed the tag of being the BJPs B-team. It will help rebuild trust in the core voter base of Jatavs and other Dalits and re-energise the cadre. For the 2027 elections, the BSP needs an active leader who zips from one rally to the next roadshow. Akash Anand is that leader, but will it translate to votes? Mayawatis nephew has three years to prepare. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has said that it will support the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, confirming that theres going to be no more support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now the ruling party in Odisha as well. The BJD has said that it will be a strong voice for Odisha in Parliament and raise issues of the state. Former chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik, who is now the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, said that his party, which earlier supported the BJP on several issues in Rajya Sabha, will now represent a strong and vibrant opposition in the state and also support the Opposition in Parliament. We will make the centre accountable on all issues. BJD MPs will raise all issues pertaining to the states development and the welfare of the people of Odisha. Many rightful demands havent been met. (We will) be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament, Patnaik said after a meeting with BJDs nine Rajya Sabha MPs in Bhubaneswar on Monday. BJD leader Sasmit Patra said that Naveen Patnaik had given clear instructions to fight for the rights of the states people in Parliament. No more support to BJP, only opposition. We may go to any extent to protect the interests of Odisha, he said after Patnaiks meeting with his MPs. The BJP won 20 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha in the Parliamentary polls 2024. The BJP also secured majority in Odisha Assembly with 78 seats while the BJD was brought down to 51 seats in a historic election. The BJD, which is set to sit in the Opposition in the state Assembly is looking forward to take on the BJP government on several issues. Prasanna Acharya, the deputy leader of Opposition in Odisha, said, In my knowledge, for the past many decades, there has not been such a strong opposition in the Odisha assembly. This will strengthen democracy. It will ensure that the government stays on track. The INDIA bloc decided to field its candidate for the Speakers post on Tuesday after the government and the Opposition could not reach consensus on the issue, signalling more possible confrontations in the 18th Lok Sabha. Congress leader K Suresh would take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s Om Birla, a former Speaker, for the crucial position in the Lower House that convened a day ago amidst protests and a renewed war of words between the warring sides that faced off in a bitter election campaign earlier this year. The twists and turns of the day came after an outreach effort by the government and a meeting of top leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There were initial signals that the government and the Opposition could reach middle ground on the Speakers and the Deputy Speakers posts. But those did not last long. Sources indicated that the government sought the Oppositions support for its Speaker candidate, Birla. In return, the Opposition demanded assurance that they be given the Deputy Speakers berth. The government was not on board with the proposal for conditional support, a minister said. They said, First decide the name for Deputy Speaker, then we will support the [government] Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. A good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or Opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker too does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House. Hence, there should be consent of the House, Union Minister and BJP parliamentarian Piyush Goyal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. After filing his nomination, Congress MP Suresh said: There is a convention in Lok Sabha that the Speaker will be from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker will be from the OppositionDeputy Speaker is our right. But they are not ready to give it to us. Till 11:50 am, we were waiting for a response from the government, but they did not give any response. That is why we filed the nomination. The deadlock culminated in yet another confrontation between the two sides despite multiple meetings. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh was tasked with reaching out to the Opposition to build consensus on the Speaker post, and according to sources, he held talks with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Stalin and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, among others. Kharge asserted that the Deputy Speaker should be from the Opposition benches, sources suggested. In an indication of things to come and the rift beteween the two sides, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told the media on Tuesday morning: Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge, and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the Speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the Opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge, but he has not done that yetPM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted Gandhi was referring to PM Modis message to the Opposition ahead of the beginning of the session on Monday; he had appealed to the Opposition to play a constructive role and stressed that the country needed substance, not slogans. Several meetings, even on Tuesday, between defence minister Singh and the Opposition bloc failed to break the ice. In the end, key NDA allies and top BJP leaders such as home minister Amit Shah and health minister JP Nadda accompanied Birla for his nomination filing, even as the INDIA bloc suggested it would reach out to non-aligned parties for support to its candidate. The election would be held on June 26 (Wednesday). Before the start of the session, a massive political row had erupted over the appointment of BJP leader and seven-time member Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem speaker. The move drew flak from the Opposition, which alleged that the ruling regime was anti-Dalit as it overlooked the claim of eight-time Congress member Suresh to the post. The government denied the charge, saying it followed the tradition and Mahtab was an MP for seven consecutive times and Suresh was not. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP alone won 240 of the 543 seats, 32 short of majority. The NDA won 293 seats, scripting a historic third term for PM Modi. The INDIA bloc bagged 234 seats and the Congress 99, claiming moral victory after beating exit poll estimates and improving on their 2019 tally. Kota MP Om Birla filed his nomination for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker on Tuesday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the BJP-led NDA stuck to continuity with Birla as its candidate for the Speakers post, the Opposition sprung a surprise by nominating eight-term Congress MP K Suresh for the Speakers post, ensuring a contest in the Lower House. It was earlier speculated that the Opposition may not name its own candidate, letting the NDA nominee get elected unopposed. Political circles were also abuzz with rumours that the Deputy Speaker position would go to the Opposition. Om Birla won the Kota parliamentary seat by a margin of more than 41,139 votes in the Lok Sabha elections, becoming the first presiding officer in 20 years to be re-elected to the Lower House. The last Lok Sabha speaker to get re-elected to the Lower House was P A Sangma, who was the presiding officer of the 11th Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. With the theme of continuity marking much of its choices since it returned to power for a third term, there was a view in a section of NDA leaders that Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha, would be the way to go this time too. The ruling NDA and the Opposition have already locked horns on seven-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab from the BJP being made the pro-tem speaker, skipping K Suresh who is serving his eighth term in the Lower House. The NDA has 293 MPs while the opposition INDIA bloc has 234 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha. A few independent MPs have announced their support to the Congress but the ruling alliance has a clear majority in the House. WHO IS OM BIRLA: A PROFILE When he was picked for the job in 2019, Om Birla, then a two-time BJP MP from Rajasthan, was a relative newcomer for the post traditionally held by seniors. A surprise pick, Birlas name back then was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. Starting his political journey as a student leader, Birla was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly for three consecutive terms in 2003, 2008 and 2013. He won his first Lok Sabha election in 2014 and was again elected this year from Rajasthans Kota-Bundi seat. From 1991 to 2003, he was a key leader in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) as a state-level president first and then, as a vice-president at the national level. Birla, who holds a Masters degree in commerce, has been a member of the Standing Committee on Energy in Parliament, the Committee on Petitions and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. In 2019, he succeeded eight-time MP Sumitra Mahajan as the Lok Sabha speaker, a post traditionally held by senior MPs. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as LoP following a meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. This will be the first time in ten years that there will be a Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. After the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress had passed a single-line resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hailed the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha. In the 18th Lok Sabha, the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Shri Rahul Gandhi becoming their voice. As Congress President, I am confident that a leader who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people especially the marginalised and the poor. The Congress party is strongly committed to protect Democracy and the Constitution, by upholding its eternal principles of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, Kharge wrote in an X post. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. The Congress leader held up a copy of the Constitution during the oath-taking and ended his oath with Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan chants. Privileges Availed by the Leader of Opposition In Lok Sabha The position of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha holds significant privileges and responsibilities. The LoP is a member of crucial committees such as Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, and Estimates. They also participate in various Joint Parliamentary panels and serve on selection committees responsible for appointing heads of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as well as chiefs of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Central Information Commission (CIC). To be eligible for the LoP post, a party must hold at least 10% of the seats in the Lok Sabha. Why Was There No LoP In Lok Sabha For The Past 10 Years? The post of Leader of the Opposition remained vacant since 2014 since no opposition party managed to secure 10 per cent of the seats. However, in Lok Sabha election 2024, Congress bagged almost twice the minimal requirement of 54 seats in Lok Sabha to appoint the LoP. Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee lashed out at municipality chiefs over their poor performance and service in the first review meeting on Monday. Banerjee started the meeting stating that she will sound bitter because for her common people are important. She said, This is the worst performance of municipalities, I dont know why it happened. A gang has grouped and they are taking money and making outsiders settle here. They want to change the identity of Bengal, but I will not allow thisThere are dirty roads and nobody looks into it. Should I sweep the roads now? Banerjee announced the formation of review committee constituting of CID officers, Vigilance officers and ADG law and order to monitor the performance of politicians and officers. Banerjee said, Some people think that they will stay for two years and go, but now all their work will be reviewed and monitored by one committee of ADG LO, CID officers and Vigilance officers. Chairmen of all municipalities, mayors of corporation, district magistrates, police chiefs attended the meeting. She also said that along with the review committee, there will be no local tender. For any local work, tenders will be centrally assigned. For this, too, she formed a committee with secretary of land department, irrigation department, DG, ADG LO. Banerjee said that all these things will be sorted first, and only then will she think of the civic polls, due next year. She has directed the Howrah police to enquire on Howrah land cases immediately. My words may be bitter but remember municipalities give service to people, she said. WHY THE OUTBURST? Sources told News18 that the review comes in the wake of the TMCs poor performance in the urban areas in the polls. Of the 121 municipalities, the BJP has been ahead in 69, while in Kolkata, of the 144 wards, the BJP has been ahead in more than 40. The TMC scored more overall seats than the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, A review by Banerjee has revealed that government properties have been encroached upon with the help of one section public representatives and bureaucracy. These outsiders, according to sources, have not voted for the TMC. The survey also pointed out that bad municipal management by councillors and chairman of municipalities, who are unpopular for their cut money, made people turn away from the TMC. Consequently, Banerjee made it clear that she will not tolerate these practices. The BJP though has stated that Banerjee has said this because she knows her end is nearing. Samik Bhattacharya, BJP MP, said, They have done badly, that is why she is scolding her people, but urban people have understood the TMC. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said that Congress unilaterally decided to field K Suresh as INDIA Blocs candidate for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker and his party was not consulted. We were not contacted about this, there was no discussion. Unfortunately, this is a unilateral decision, said Abhishek Banerjee while responding to reporters outside the Parliament when asked about the Congresss decision. #WATCH | On K. Sureshs candidature for Lok Sabha Speaker, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee says, We were not contacted about this, there was no discussion. Unfortunately, this is a unilateral decision. pic.twitter.com/UpzcbdE5gS ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 TMC will attend the INDIA bloc meeting slated to take place at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges residence at 8:00 PM today. Derek OBrien (Parliamentary party leader, Rajya Sabha) and Kalyan Banerjee (Chief Whip, Lok Sabha) will attend the meeting as representative of TMC. Meanwhile, NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar noted that in a discussion with the INDIA alliance, he suggested people sitting in the government should make the Lok Sabha Speakers post an unopposed election. He also mentioned it was always the practice that the ruling party gets the Speakers post. I have not discussed it with anyone, it is always the practice that the ruling party gets the Speakers post. The Deputy Speakers post used to go to the opposition party but for the last 10 years after getting more seats in the Modi government, they have not accepted to give the Deputy Speakers post to the opposition. We had a discussion with INDIA Alliance in which I suggested that you people sitting in the government should make the Speakers post an unopposed election, we agree that the Speakers post should be unopposed. This all could be decided today, I will come to know once I go there (Delhi) Sharad Pawar said. Earlier in the day, Congress MP from Keralas Mavelikara, K Suresh filed nomination for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, challenging NDA pick Om Birla. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi sparked a controversy by chanting Jai Palestine slogan as he concluded his oath as an MP on the second day of the 18th Lok Sabha session in Parliament on Tuesday. His words triggered the BJPs ire, with Union minister Shobha Karandlaje registering a formal complaint against him. Sworn in as member of Lok Sabha for the fifth time. Inshallah I will continue to raise issues of Indias marginalised with sinceritypic.twitter.com/OloVk6D65B Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 25, 2024 Karandlaje sought action against Owaisi by writing to the Speaker and the home minister, asking for his speech to be taken off parliamentary record. She also demanded that he must be made to take his oath again without the slogan. Asked about why he hailed the conflict-hit West Asian region, the Hyderabad MP said: They are oppressed people, adding, everyone is saying a lot of things I just said Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine How is it against the Constitution? Show me where this provision is there in the Constitution You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine. He took his oath in Urdu and also recited a prayer before it. After his oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIMs slogan for Muslim. He also hailed Palestine, which is presently facing conflict and has been in focus. But, after objections by some members of the treasury benches, this led to an uproar after he finished his oath. It was also struck off record and Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, assured the members that anything apart from the oath will not go on record. The disturbance continued for few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab returned to the Chair soon, and said only oath or affirmation is being recorded. I have said earlier please avoid invoking anything other than oath or affirmation. That is only to be recorded That should be adhered to, Mahtab said. Asked about Owaisis words during the oath-taking, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said: We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. While taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules if it is appropriate Union minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, said Owaisis slogan was wrong and against the rules of the House. He said being an Indian citizen, the AIMIM leader does not say Bharat Mata ki Jai. The slogan Jai Palestine given by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in Parliament today is absolutely wrong. This is against the rules of the House. He does not say Bharat Mata ki Jai while living in India People should understand that he does unconstitutional work while living in the country, he said. (With PTI inputs) After naming senior leader K Suresh as its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speakers post, the Opposition could pick a nominee for the Deputy Speakers position as well, sources said on Tuesday. A meeting of INDIA bloc members is underway at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges residence in New Delhi to discuss the Speaker election and their possible Deputy Speaker candidate. Lok Sabha floor leaders of parties in the Opposition alliance are attending the meeting. The meeting would be held ahead of what could be just the third contest between the government and the Opposition for the Speaker post in Indias history, as the 18th Lok Sabha braces for more possible standoffs between the warring sides. Congress leaders said they fielded Suresh for the Speakers post after their demand for the Deputy Speaker position did not get any positive response from the government. The ruling side said it was not on board with the Oppositions conditional offer of support to their Speaker candidate in return for the Deputy Speaker berth. On his WhatsApp channel, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the government for the deadlock. He alleged that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about cooperation and constructive politics in his appeal to the Opposition ahead of the opening of the Parliament session on Monday, the government was not following what he described as Parliamentary Conventions. This formula will not work, we will change it, he said in Hindi. With the Congress exhibiting its intention to take the government head-on, Congress parliamentarian KC Venugopal said: We are still waiting. If they are ready to give the Deputy Speaker post, we are ready to elect the NDAs candidate unanimously. Yesterday, PM Modi talked about consensus for the smooth functioning of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We are ready to support the Speaker suggested by the governments side, provided they should also honour the Opposition. We have witnessed for the last few years that the Speakers will be from the governments side and the Deputy Speaker from the Opposition. Congress ally Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav praised the Opposition move to choose a Speaker candidate. This time the Opposition is strong, she said. But sources in the Trinamool Congress indicated that the party was not happy with the Congress decision to field a candidate for the Speaker role, pointing out that all allies were not taken on board before the surprise move. They, however, clarified that this did not mean they would support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee Om Birla. Touching upon this, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya posted on X: Both [Nationalist Congress Partys] Sharad Pawar and [West Bengal Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee have struck a discordant note, disapproving of Congresss decision to contest the Speakers post. It may be a good idea for the Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi to build consensus within the I.N.D.I Alliance before pontificating to the world. The ruling side also stressed they did not want a compromise formula floated by the Opposition. We had a conversation with all the floor leaders of the Opposition regarding the post of the Speaker. The Speaker is not for a party, it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for the SpeakerCongress put this condition that if they get the post of Deputy Speaker, they will support our candidate for the Speakers post. This give and take of posts of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said. Smartphone batteries degrade in a few years but OnePlus claims its new technology will extend its life for as long as 4 years and still you will have 80 percent power left in the tank. The company has developed a new battery tech that not only promises longer durability but also reduces the size of the unit without lowering the count. By that we mean OnePlus can offer a battery size of around 6100mAh and not increase the thickness of the phone. These changes have been asked by many smartphone users, even though the charging speeds kind of give you better and longer returns on the battery life. However, OnePlus seems ready to push the needle in this regard and actually give us a product-ready solution that can alleviate the concerns of many and thereby reduce e-waste of these damaged batteries. OnePlus Glacier Battery Tech OnePlus has developed this battery tech with a company to end these issues, but without compromising on its focus on durability, fast charging and sleek design. The company is ready to push this narrative with a new phone very soon, supposedly called the OnePlus Ace 3 Pro launching in China this week. But that wont be the end of this innovation. OnePlus is going to bring this technology to most of its future devices, which we are hoping also includes the Nord lineup. We have seen fast charging substitute the need to improve the battery tech but it is pleasing to see that companies have not totally given up on the possibility to change the dynamics of the battery which can help smartphones run and last longer. We cant wait to see if the features highlighted by OnePlus and its benefits work out in the long run. Sonic Lamb is a true iteration of the make in India program and the fact that you get a high-end wireless headphone speaks volumes about its ambitions. The companys first-gen product caters to the premium segment which is a bold move, especially in India but it believes in the product rather than marketing it as something it is not. The audiophile category is brimming with options and Sonic Lamb aspires to match those standards in the future. For now, it has the Sonic Lamb headphone priced at Rs 17,990 that brings a unique set of sound profiles and future customisations that can enhance the experience further. Keep The Sound On Sonic Lamb packs a punch, not only because of its heft but that output delivered by the two additional drivers equipped under the cans. The innovative touch from the company is the different modes that can be manually changed from the rolling control on head headphone itself. You get the beast mode which truly opens the bass nature, while you can also switch between feel and hear that is tuned for a more vibrant music experience. It would be easy to suggest that the headphones manage to offer an immersive audio quality, something we havent seen from other products in this range. The company promises more surprises with the next-gen product and we are hoping for similar attributes but with more versatility in play. We got over 20 hours of playback without really stressing the battery life of the headphones, which is claimed to run for around 40 hours on a single charge. Noise Doesnt Stay In Most premium headphones come with active noise cancellation but when you browse through the features of the Sonic Lamb headphones, that critical part is missing. The brand offers passive noise cancellation which is not very effective and thats something the company needs to bring pronto with the version 2.0. After all, you cant see headphones for 17K and expect people to be happy with some of the basic features missing. Isolating the noise helps you hear the sound clearer and we believe that upgrading the tech will enhance the audio quality further. Big Unit Sonic Lamb headphones are built like a tank. It weighs a good 70 grams more than the Sony WH-1000XM5 thanks to the materials used on the cups, the band and more. However, we did not like the tactile feedback of the control buttons, which can be less pressure intensive. We did like the option to tweak the modes with the rolling dialer which is an innovative touch. For a first-gen product, Sonic Lamb does most of the things right and it just needs minor tweaks with the upgraded version to refine the product. One of the main reasons for a hefty unit is the addition of drivers and subwoofers. The battery size has also gone up which makes it bulkier than most in this range. However, the good news is that the company is already working towards reducing the size of the drivers without losing the quality which could have a big impact on the overall comfort of the next headphones. Sonic Lamb headphones show us a true picture of the make in India quality and what a local, premium product can offer if the effort and intelligence are mixed to produce such devices. There has been substantial growth in the participation of retail traders in futures and options (F&O) trading. While the prospects of quick profits and the speculative nature of the instrument have attracted investors at large, they also come with a lot of risk factors. This is another reason why investors are suggested to approach F&O trading with proper knowledge and careful risk management. Keeping in view the major risk factors, a chartered accountant recently shared the shocking case of a young college student who lost Rs 46 lakh by investing in futures and options. Roshan Agarwal, a professional CA, shared details about the student, whose ITR filing he has been handling. Agarwal revealed that he recently filed income tax returns for a third-year BTech student and discovered that he had a loss of Rs 26 lakh with zero earnings. Yesterday I filed one ITR of a 3rd year BTech student whose income is ZERO but loss from F&O is 26 lacs. Last year too he had around 20lacs F&O loss. Last year I tried to convince him not to take shortcuts for quick income and leave F&O and he was convinced, he wrote. Yesterday I filed one ITR of a 3rd year BTech student whose income is ZERO but loss from F&O is 26 lacs. Last year too he had around 20lacs F&O loss. Last year I tried to convince him not to take shortcuts for quick income and leave F&O and he was convinced. Roshan Agarwal (@rhoeshan) June 23, 2024 He further shared how the student got addicted to trading and couldnt quit it, despite having to go through such major losses. His parents are unaware of the same. He took personal loans from banks, friends and some money from his parents accounts to fund the same, the CA continued. https://twitter.com/rhoeshan/status/1804751734121824263 While sharing the details about the young student and his decisions, Agarwal put out a word of caution, urging innocent investors not to get manipulated by quick-rich schemes sold by some influencers across social media platforms. His X post instantly sparked a debate on social media, drawing divided reactions from users. Some even questioned how an unemployed student could obtain such large amounts of personal loans. A user wrote, 3rd year student filing ITR? At that age, I dont know the meaning of I. 3rd year student filing ITR? At that age, I don't know the meaning of "I". IAS (@JiasJo) June 23, 2024 Another user, while speaking about the possibilities of the students earnings, wrote, Where did he manage to get all of it? If hes into freelance stuff then hell earn it again. People who are shocked to hear a 3rd year guy filing an ITR, I filed my first ITR at 18. Where did he manage to get all of it? If hes into freelance n stuff then hell earn it again. Just needs some realisationPeople who are shocked to hear a 3rd year guy filing ITR, I filed my first ITR at 18 Namanbir Singh (@realNamanbir) June 23, 2024 Shouldnt blame trading for this. Its a mindset problem, our generation is fidgety, and impatient. I have a rule of max Rs. 1000 profit/gain, either met, leave the system for the day, one of the comments read. Shouldn't blame trading for this. It's a mindset problem, our generation is fidgety, impatient. I have a rule of max Rs. 1000 profit/gain, either met, leave the system for the day. Pragyaditya Das (@PragyadityaD) June 23, 2024 Shared two days ago, the post has garnered over 2,00,000 views, along with more than 1,000 likes A bizarre burglary unfolded in Shanghai, China, where a thief not only stole valuable items but also left behind a piece of note for the owner. As reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the incident occurred on May 17 at an office building in the city. The Shanghai police reported that the thief, identified by his surname Sang, entered the building by scaling the outer wall. Once inside, Sang stole a watch and an Apple MacBook. In an unexpected twist, Sang left a note for the office owner. After gathering mobile phones and laptops and placing them on a desk, he wrote a message in a notebook, left it open, and tucked it under the pile of devices. The note suggested that the owner should improve their anti-theft system, according to the police. Dear boss, I took a wristwatch and a laptop. You should improve your anti-theft system. I did not take all the phones and laptops, fearing it might hurt your business, the burglar wrote in the note as per the outlet. At the end of the note, Contact me if you want your laptop and phone back, and left his number as well. The swift response of the Shanghai police led to the capture of the thief within hours of the burglary. The authorities tracked him down using public surveillance cameras and the phone number he left. He was caught while on a train departing from Shanghai. When apprehended, Sang was found in possession of the stolen items, including the watch and Apple MacBook. He is currently in police custody, as reported by the outlet. Bizarre burglary cases are not uncommon. Last year, a thief in Chinas Yunnan fell asleep during a break-in. After arriving at the scene, the police found the situation quite amusing. They had to nudge the intruder awake before arresting him. Another unusual case from 2022 surfaced from the southwestern Chinese municipality of Chongqing where a burglar stole a laptop, four mobile phones and two cartons of expensive cigarettes from a company. However, he then left behind a note claiming he was merely borrowing the items and promised to return them in three days, along with a 1,000-yuan (Rs 11,000 approx.) thank you fee. Despite his plea for trust and his request to the company not to call the police, the authorities were contacted anyway. Social media is full of several motivating and inspiring stories. Recently, a startup founder who had always dreamt of becoming a permanent resident of the United States took to X to share how he turned this into reality. Nahuel Candia, the founder of Rebill.com a payments and subscriptions platform, shared how he managed to get a US Green Card after 15 years. He shared a series of posts on X. The viral post opens to show three different pictures. The post was shared on X account named @dncandia. Sharing the post, the user wrote, Today, after over 15 years of dreaming about this moment, I am a permanent resident of the United States. I achieved this through the EB1A visa (Green Card) for noncitizens of extraordinary ability, also known as the visa for the top 1% of experts worldwide. In the post, the startup founder shared that he started preparing for his dream 15 years ago. I started programming 15 years ago while in high school. I met Sonia Oster over LinkedIn, the director of the Fulbright Alumni Association and an SV entrepreneur who mentored me early on and introduced me to Silicon Valleys entrepreneurial mindset and customs. She also motivated me to study and pursue a career in the US. Candia also expressed gratitude towards Miguel Angel Saez, another startup founder, who helped him get into Microsoft. The startup founder further added that his application was accepted by three US universities, but he couldnt attend due to financial constraints. In one of the tweets, Nahuel Candia shared about his first solo trip abroad to San Francisco. He wrote, At 19, I started my first company, Shovel Apps, The WordPress for mobile apps, and took my first solo trip abroad to San Francisco. I stayed in a rough part of SF (Tenderloin), ate pizza at events, and negotiated Uber rides off-app to save a few bucks. He also posted that in 2015 he was selected for an exclusive program by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). he wrote, In 2015, I was selected for an exclusive program from @MIT that would be the first time out of Boston. Out of 4k+ applicants, 70 entrepreneurs from 50+ countries would meet in Seoul, South Korea, for one week as part of a three-month program. He expressed, The program was one of the most intense experiences of my life, and I made some of the best friends I have ever made. He stated, In 2016, we had to close my first company basically, we crashed and burned since we couldnt find PMF. He then went on a round-the-world trip to Asia and applied for jobs at Google, AWS, and Facebook. He preferred AWS but couldnt make the cut. However, he got the UK Entrepreneurship residency time afterward. He further wrote, I moved back to the UK in 2021 with Rebill, and entered Y Combinator four months later. I realized running Rebill from the UK was killing me because of the 5-hour time difference, so I returned to Argentina to build up the team. Now, we are 12 in a kick-ass team, operating the next-to-be Stripe for Latin America. My move to Miami is part of a bigger vision to connect the US Market with Latin America and vice versa. Also Read: Florida Family Files Rs 66 Lakh Lawsuit Against NASA After ISS Debris Smashes Their Roof And Floor Check the viral post: Today, after over 15 years of dreaming about this moment, I am a permanent resident of the United StatesI achieved this through the EB1A visa (Green Card) for noncitizens of extraordinary ability, also known as the visa for the top 1% of experts worldwide. This was my pic.twitter.com/Tsm2LvWk5Y Nahuel Candia (@dncandia) June 23, 2024 Also Read: Proud of Afghanistan: Indians Applaud Rashid Khans Teams Historic T20I Semi-finals Entry The post was shared a day ago and since then it has accumulated above 1 million views and numbers are still increasing. Many viewers congratulated the startup owner in the comments section of the post. Congratulations and cheers to that view, wrote a user. Congratulations & welcome Nahuel, added a second. Congrats. Its an amazing achievement. Im also beginning my journey and this has inspired me a lot, expressed a third. Im glad that youre an American, mentioned a fourth. A Florida family is suing NASA after debris from the International Space Station (ISS) crashed onto their home, causing damage. A mysterious item weighing around 700g collided with a Naples house in March. While the homeowners son was living there, the item ripped through the ceiling and tore up the flooring. Fortunately, nobody suffered injuries in the event. The family is reportedly suing NASA for $80,000 (more than Rs 66 lakh) to cover expenditures for emotional and mental suffering, business and property damages and other expenses. In a press release, the law firm Cranfill Sumner stated that it has filed a claim on plaintiff Alejandro Oteros and his familys behalf, as per the Guardian. On March 8, 2024, a metallic cylinder slab from a cargo pallet launched by the ISS in 2021 struck the Otero family home while their son Daniel was at home. Otero, who was two rooms over, told Wink News that his son was nearly hit by the debris. Later, the US space agency confirmed that the debris originated from its flight support systems. A piece of the debris stayed intact rather than dissolving after entering Earths atmosphere and plummeting to the surface. According to The Guardian, lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy indicated that her clients are demanding adequate compensation for the trauma and impact of the occurrence on their lives. Cranfill Sumner pointed out that Worthy highlighted that the US government, via NASA, has the opportunity to establish a benchmark for responsible and secure space operations. Worthy has pushed for the agencyand thus the U.S. governmentto react in the same way that it would be obligated to by international law if the item had fallen elsewhere. NASA will now have six months to address the accusations under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Cranfill Sumner also said that Worthy has spoken with other authorities in the field of space law, talking about the legal ramifications of previous space debris episodes. Professor of space law and policy Christopher Newman of the University of Northumbria in the UK told Forbes that the state that launched the space debris is not required to prove culpability to be held accountable for damages resulting from it. It just has to be demonstrated that the space object is what caused the harm. The objects creation on the ISS, according to Newman, could complicate matters because it was made as part of an international partnership that requires consultation between the governments of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada regarding liability and the defence of claims under international treaties. After the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) failed to maintain the road connecting Kadubeesanahalli and Varthur in the Karnataka capital, a group of IT professionals, students and residents have taken matters into their own hands to clean and fill potholes. The BBMP claimed they did not have sufficient funds, forcing the group to fix the roads. Since videos and pictures of their effort circulated online, people praised the locals but criticised the civic authorities for their negligence. According to Moneycontrol, soon after news of the road conditions reached the Chief Ministers Office and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, he asked BBMP officials to address the issue. Although BBMP sent a cleaning machine, it only cleared a small portion of the road before residents stepped in. Sharing the video on X, the page wrote, Residents of Balagere/Varthur are out on roads cleaning road slits. Techies work on weekdays to pay BBMP and do their work on weekends. Reacting to the post, a user wrote, First citizens pay high taxes and then do BBMPs duties. What a curse BBMP is. First citizens pay high taxes and then do BBMP's duties. If citizens have to do their work, then why collect taxes. Sumant (@SumantRaju143) June 23, 2024 Another shared, This is so pathetic of the authorities. This is so pathetic of the authorities Mahesh Bhaktha (@maheshbhaktha) June 23, 2024 Kudos to the volunteers, a comment read. Kudos to the volunteers!! Civic authorities should feel ashamed! ItsaMessyWorld (@Legendary91) June 23, 2024 Another wrote, This is how Brand Bengaluru looks like. Pay taxes and clean your roads. This is how Brand bengaluru looks like. Pay taxes and clean your roads by yourself @DKShivakumar @Bbmpcares @BBMPCOMM Shreyas (@NanuShreyasMs) June 23, 2024 An individual asked, If people do your work, what should they pay taxes for? And will you do their work? @BBMPCOMM this is shame on the civic body who is responsible to maintain the infrastructureIf people do your work, what should they pay taxes for? And will you do their work? Subendu Santra (@subendu4u) June 23, 2024 One more added, Wondering what government doing not providing such basic needs. #BalagereDemandsRoadsWhere is tax money going. Citizens pay taxes for basic infrastructure. Wondering what government doing not providing such basic needs. Bobby (@SrinuRavuri01) June 23, 2024 Not just Balagere Road, residents of the Doddakalasandra area are also tired of approaching authorities. Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, a local individual said, The situation is unbearable. The roads are full of craters and have puddles whenever it rains. This is a major road connecting to the Doddakalasandra metro station, and many students use it to commute to nearby schools and colleges. Despite multiple complaints to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), BWSSB, and the local MLA, nothing has been done to address the issue. Reportedly, the poor quality of tar used in the initial repair works has exacerbated the problem, causing the road surface to deteriorate rapidly under the strain of traffic and weather conditions. A team of Tamil Nadu forest officers has received widespread praise from social media users for their heroic efforts in rescuing a baby elephant trapped in a water channel at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. IAS officer Supriya Sahu expressed gratitude to the rescue squad and posted brief videos of the rescue mission on X (formerly Twitter). She applauded the team for successfully reuniting the baby elephant with its mother after a dramatic rescue operation. While on regular patrol, the forest crew noticed the baby elephant struggling to come out of the water channel. The concerned mother elephant was found just a few metres away, patiently waiting for her little one to be rescued. A rescue team was sent to the location right away. They worked hard to free the young elephant from the water channel and successfully reunite it with its mother. To ensure their safety, a dedicated crew was deployed to watch the duo. During regular patrolling Mudumalai Tiger Reserve field staff found a baby elephant struggling to come out of a water channel. The mother was found a few metres away from the calf. A team was immediately deployed which successfully rescued and united the baby elephant with the waiting mother, IAS officer Sahus post read. She further lauded the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve team, led by Deputy Director Vidya. Kudos to the team for their quick response and fabulous effort, IAS officer Sahu wrote towards the end of her post. Check her post below: https://twitter.com/supriyasahuias/status/1804875847633121438 This heartwarming story, which includes rescue videos, has received over 1 lakh views and reactions on social media. Several users expressed their appreciation to the diligent forest officers for their painstaking attempts to save the calf. A user wrote, Kudos and deep respect to the entire team! Kudos and deep respect to the entire team! Sidharth Pandey (@SidharthPandey) June 24, 2024 Another commented, Supriya Sahu IAS, and Subodh IAS, will make history. With their respective job and responsibilities. Supriya sahu IAS, and Subodh IAS, will make a history. With their respective job and responsibilities. vinayakreddy (@vinayakreddy5) June 23, 2024 So proud of those green warriors,hope we inculcate such love for wildlife in school kids, wrote a user. So proud of those green warriors,hope we inculcate such love for wildlife in school kids Subhajitwild (@subhajitreehug) June 23, 2024 Thank you officers for the selfless act and tireless efforts, said another. Thank you officers for the selfless act and tireless efforts satyadev (@Manikan48356230) June 23, 2024 Hats of to forest staff Deepak Handa (Dips) (@DeepakH59607654) June 24, 2024 Congratulations What great work & outcome ! Susan McClure (@susantwonz) June 24, 2024 What are your thoughts? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a new visualisation illustrating how human activity is affecting sea surface currents. The graphic shows average ocean current temperatures and their regional differences, using colours like green and blue for cooler temperatures and red, orange and yellow for warmer ones. Our ocean is changing, they stated. With 70% of the planet covered by water, the seas are important drivers of Earths global climate, the Space Agency wrote in a post on Instagram, pointing out that these changes in ocean currents are happening right before our eyes due to increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA Climate Change (@nasaclimatechange) The post has more than 1 million views on the social media platform. A user in the comments section wrote, Climate change is a huge problem. We are changing our oceans, it is not changing by itself, read another comment. Scary, said another user. Ninety percent of Earths warming occurs beneath the oceans surface, according to NASA. The oceans internal heat has been rising since the start of modern record-keeping in 1955, and this has had a major impact on global warming. As the ocean heats, thermal expansiona process where water expandsis triggered by the heat stored there. This process is responsible for one-third to half of the rise in sea levels worldwide. According to scientists, the upper 700 metres of the ocean are where most of this heat is concentrated. Based on available data, the ocean has warmed up within the last 10 years more than it has since the 1800s, with 2023 seeing the highest ocean temperatures ever recorded. The implications of ocean warming are extensive. The increase in sea levels is one of the most obvious effects. Warmer seas, in addition to accelerating the melting of Earths major ice sheets, have led to widespread coral bleaching, significantly impacting marine ecosystems. According to NASA, as ocean temperatures rise, storms intensify, altering water biochemistry and quality, disrupting food chains and reshaping marine habitats. NASA also points out that El Nino events contribute to increased ocean temperatures. El Nino occurs when the eastern and central regions of the tropical Pacific Ocean experience warmer-than-usual temperatures. This cyclical warming can amplify temperatures during already hot years, as ocean temperatures play a critical role in influencing global climate patterns. A 37-year-old man reportedly planned to kidnap, rape and then murder Holly Willoughby, a well-known TV personality in Britain, a court has been informed. Gavin Plumb, a security guard at a shopping centre, made an appearance at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday. He is charged with having a detailed plan that included putting together a kidnap and restraint kit and coordinating via the internet with another man to encourage him to travel from the US to the UK to execute the crime. During his trial, the accused stated that restraining and getting the TV presenter was his ultimate fantasy for way too long, reports The Independent. Plumb, a resident of Harlow, Essex, disputes all allegations, the report said. According to the BBC, the prosecutor, Alison Morgan KC, claimed that the defendant meticulously planned his actions, thus it wasnt just the ramblings of a fantasist. Over the years, Plumb is said to have acquired an obsession with Willoughby. According to Morgan, he had a real intention to abduct the presenter from her home, transport her to a site wherein she could be raped repeatedly and then murdered, BBC report further said. Additionally, she stated that Plumb was taken into custody after disclosing his scheme to a US undercover police officer with whom he had been corresponding online. The accused reportedly informed her that he would be pursuing his ultimate fantasy. He was quoted by the BBC as saying that fantasy is no longer sufficient at this stage. I want the real thing. Plumb reportedly bought 400 heavy duty metal cable ties from an online retailer. Plumbs voicemail to Marc from March 2023, in which he outlined his intention to hit it at night to reduce traffic, was played for the jury, the report stated. According to the quotations in the news outlets report, his plan was to administer chloroform to Willoughby and her husband so that they could be easily locked up. The report continued by quoting the accused, who said that they intended to force Willoughby into admitting her consent to everything. The jury was informed that Plumb had an online conversation with a man named David Nelson in October 2023. Morgan said that during that conversation, the defendant revealed his graphic and sexually motivated plans for Willoughby. An undercover investigator questioned Plumb whether he was serious about the plan, and Plumb responded with a video that was played in court. It had a kit of sexualised paraphernaliaa rope, a ball gag and shackles for the hands and anklesarranged on a bed, BBC reported. The defendant was unaware that the person he was communicating with, was in fact, an undercover police officer who eventually interrupted before he could actually commit the crime. Morgan went on to claim that 10,322 photos of Willoughby, many of which were deep fake pornographic photos, were contained in a folder named Holly on the accuseds phone. The trial, scheduled for approximately two weeks, continues, the report said. Jumping into the sea is one of the most daring and risky acts that can quickly turn fatal if not careful. Something similar happened to a Florida man, whose one-spot decision not just cost him his dear life, but also the horrifying scene that his wife had to witness up close. The man jumped into the sea from the dock right behind his home to get some exercise, where he had lived since 1984. But his routine dip into the shallow waters had fatal consequences. Thadeus Kubinski, 69, headed out for his usual swim in Floridas Boca Ciega Bay. He walked down to the dock with his wife, Anna and he decided to begin his swim with a splash and leaped from the jetty into the water below. His wife decided to take the ladder to get into the bay instead of splashing. As she descended into the water, she never knew she would have to witness the final moments of her husband. When Thadeus jumped into the sea, an unexpected 9-feet shark was lurking below, and attacked him, while his wife helplessly watched as an eyewitness. Reportedly, the splash had startled the shark and was about to strike. The woman later shared that it reminded her of Steven Spilebergs frightening film, Jaws. She shared that she saw the dorsal fin cutting through the water and swimming towards Thadeus. The 400-pound bull shark tore a huge chunk out of the right side of her husbands body and the water turned a hue of red. The beast managed to crush his rib cage and rip through the man. In an autopsy, it was found that the shark left a 15-inch bite wound in a crescent moon shape. The victim bled to death after suffering massive blood loss and organ damage. Marine biologist George H Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida had told the Tampa Bay Times that the shark was just going about its normal existence and was looking for lunch. He further said, Quite frankly, the victim did not have a chance. The severity of the injury led to a very quick death. One of his sons told the media that their mother was pretty much in panic and the best thing that time she could think of was to run and call for help. The children further informed that the couple were swimming in just 5 feet of water and about 10 feet away from the safety of the dock. The irony of the situation is that Thadeus had taught his children and grandchildren to swim at the same spot where he lost his life. The Internet is filled with videos of food, featuring everything from exotic recipes to people exploring unique dishes from around the globe. However, one recent video has sparked outrage among social media users. A US vlogger goes on a street food adventure in Lahore, Pakistan, to try some of the most popular dishes. Shockingly, he claims to be on a mission to intentionally get food poisoning and social media users arent impressed. Many criticized the vlogger for his disrespectful behaviour towards Pakistan. Since he shared the video on Instagram, it has gone viral and garnered over 1 million views. Before proceeding with his mission, the traveller says, Eating street food until I get food poisoning. Currently, Im in Lahore, Pakistan and Im gonna be walking around finding the weirdest thing I can find and eating it. Starting with halwa, the vlogger proceeds to try lassi and pakora in the video. Sharing the video, the content creator captioned, Pakistan is one of my favourite places to eat. One of my favourite days from my trip to Pakistan was exploring the narrow streets in the walled city of Lahore. Didnt include this in the video but most of the food was gifted to me as a gesture of hospitality. Pakistanis are some of the kindest people in the world. Also, going to a country in a few days without street food so the series will be on hold for a week or so. Anyway, so happy with how these are coming out. Hope everyone enjoys them. Reacting to the post, a user joked, The weirdest thing you can find is on your mirror. Dont travel to places if youre going to insult their way of living for internet points. Another wondered, Why do white people do things like this? He will eventually develop a super saiyan level immunity lol, a comment read. Another wrote, Wow Im shocked. To tell us in the mic that youre scared, and think youre going to get poisoned by the food for views but then smile in the faces of locals isnt wild? An individual shared, This is so disrespectful to the culture. Halwa and lassi are the tastiest dessert and drink and bro thinks he will get food poisoning just because he hasnt seen anything like it. One more added, This is the whitest thing I have ever seen. At the end of the video, the content creator assured his followers that the food in Pakistan was incredibly delicious and that he did not experience any food poisoning. A Pune man has accused Paisabazaar, RBL Bank and Bajaj Finance of making frequent spam calls. The venture capitalist activated Do Not Disturb (DND) to block promotional or marketing SMS/calls, but still got a lot of calls. He resorted to X to vent his frustration. The post ignited a debate on the social media platform and drew the attention of RBL Bank, one of the firms he cited. He concluded his tweet by proposing a startup idea for preventing similar scenarios. Received 9 calls today from Paisabazaar, RBL Bank, and Bajaj Finance, he stated. The user continued by saying that even when he put DND on the number each time, they consistently call from a different one. Ive set DND everywhere and repeatedly asked them not to call, but it doesnt seem to work. The user continued with a startup concept, saying that if a solution could be made for this, someone might charge as much as Rs 20 a month for it. 1.5 million x 20/month = 3 crore/month, 36 Cr/year at a minimum. Received 9 calls today from Paisabazaar, RBL Bank, and Bajaj Finance.I block the number each time, but they always call from a new one. I've set DND everywhere and repeatedly asked them not to call, but it doesn't seem to work. If someone makes a solution for this and charges VCGuy (@arnavghatage) June 23, 2024 In the comments section, RBL Bank stated that they regret the inconvenience. The bank continued by offering a link for registration so that users may stop receiving calls and emails from the bank going forward. Another user retorted, questioning why they were still in need of permission since they hadnt obtained it in the first place. Did take my consent before calling? Why do you need it now to remove my name? VCGuy (@arnavghatage) June 23, 2024 In the comments section, a user said, There is no solution. Government has given a free hand to advertisers and Trai has become blind. There is no solution. Government has given free hand to advertisers and Trai has become blind. Rajat Agarwala (@RjtAg222) June 24, 2024 Some users went on to say they get calls from Axis Bank and HDFC Bank almost every day. Same with me @IDFCFIRSTBank and @AxisBank keeps calling me everyday for loans in spite of telling them I don't want now and keep calling from new numbers after I block the old ones! SAK (@SourabhTwt) June 24, 2024 Another claimed, Truecaller takes money to allow these companies to be not listed as Spam or marketing firms. Truecaller takes money to allow these companies to be not listed as Spam or marketing firm. Indian Gamer (@indiangamer_in) June 24, 2024 Meanwhile, the venture capitalist told Moneycontrol that although he had recently purchased car insurance with Bajaj Finance, they had been bugging him with calls for the last two years. He had merely installed the Paisabazaar app and had not used any of its services. He went on to add that he does not even have an RBL Bank account. Describing it as absurd, the user claimed that he receives calls from them nonstop. The user said that he gets four spam calls a day on average from the three firms. GLOBALink | Int'l journalists conclude trip to Xinjiang Pub Date:24-06-25 10:44 Source:Xinhua A group of 17 journalists from 16 countries concluded a trip to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday. They gained first-hand knowledge about Xinjiang via the trip. #GLOBALink Editor:Qin Shuying Related News A Memoir of the Grand Canal: Jiangsu Campaign promoting Grand Canal launched in... GLOBALink | Exploring King Abdulaziz Publi... Wushu brings Iraq, China even closer The popularity of Korean dramas among Indians has surged in recent years, with many now aspiring to visit Korea, learn its language, and embrace its culture. Adding to this trend, a remarkable four-year-old boy has captivated the internet by fluently conversing in both Korean and Malayalam. Born to a mother from Kerala and a father from South Korea, the toddler effortlessly switches between the two languages. In a viral video filmed by his mother, the boy attentively watches his father serving food and curiously asks him questions about the process. His seamless transition between Malayalam and Korean during the conversation has drawn widespread attention online. In the video, the young boy observes his father preparing a meal and converses in Korean. Later, he switches to Malayalam while speaking to his mother, asking, Amma, nammal octopusinde ellam thinno? (Mother, do we eat all parts of the octopus?) He also questions whether they can consume the entire octopus, and his mother responds in Malayalam, explaining that it can be eaten after cooking. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the boy initially learned to read and speak Malayalam and became fluent by the age of two. He began learning Korean after starting daycare. Reacting to the post, a user wrote, Bro can watch two of the best cinemas in the world without subtitles. Another shared, So cute the way he speaks Malayalam. Kudos to the parents, a comment read. Another wrote, I expected some weird Korean touch Malayalam but I was so wrong. His accent and even intone is so natural. An individual shared, Imagine after 18 he decided to come to Kerala and bro gets all the BTS girls. Bro has birth certificate for rizz. One more added, I just loved his language switch. Since the video was shared online, the video has crossed over 2 million views. While Korean culture continues to fascinate many in India, people from South Korea also harbour a profound affection for Indian languages and culture. One notable content creator, Yechan Lee from Korea, has been garnering viral fame for his videos where he fluently speaks Hindi and Bihari. Yechan frequently shares videos featuring collaborations with other international content creators fluent in Hindi. Yechan Lee not only entertains but also promotes both countries in a unique way. People try to make some moments special for their partners in a romantic relationship. However, they dont always work, like what happened in a viral video. The video shows comedian Aris Yeager surprising his girlfriend, a blogger named Roma Abdesselam. As the video starts, Aris is helping Roma move, as she is wearing an eye mask. The blogger hears some loud sounds and as her boyfriend removes the mask, she is filled with joy to find an airplane in front of her. You bought me a plane?!, Roma says jubilantly as she assumes Aris had bought this plane for her. They both embrace and then the comedian discloses that he has not purchased, but chartered this plane. His girlfriends behaviour changes immediately at this reply and she is disappointed that he has not purchased the plane. Roma lashes out at Aris for blindfolding her all the way to show a rented plane and that too for Christmas. Finally, the video concludes with the blogger walking into the plane, still infuriated with the comedian walking beside her. Social media users criticised the girls actions with one of them writing, This is just ungrateful and disgusting behaviour. Another wrote that the woman is acting in such a manner that its common for a loving man to buy his girl a plane. However, others pointed out that the video is scripted. This argument seems true since Aris is a popular comedian and Roma is a prominent blogger and probably collaborated to create a humorous video. In an alternate scenario, a man simply surprised her partner on her birthday by travelling to India from Canada. In the viral video, this person can be seen travelling to the airport to pay a surprise visit to his girlfriend. As the clip progresses, he lands in India early morning and moves toward his girlfriends house. He buys a flower bouquet for her in the early morning and reaches his girlfriends place around 6 am when everyone is asleep. In the clip, he tries to wake up his girlfriend. She is surprised after looking at him and is almost filled with tears after he greets her with a bouquet. The girl happily accepts it and hugs the boyfriend. The clip garnered a flurry of reactions on Instagram with users expressing their thoughts. While the Israel Defense Forces are fighting on ground, there is a team that is fighting a bigger and longer war. Fighting Hamas has taught Israel about the potential of weaponisation of disinformation and fake news which have become major headaches for Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD). Despite deploying the whole system to tackle disinformation, Israel has made limited progress in the area unlike the on-ground situation, especially after Hezbollah also pushed its cyber assets into use. CERT, Israels cyber emergency response team, and INCD have been spending more time in controlling the damage due to disinformation and fake news pumped by Hamas and Hezbollah terror outfits on social media. Gaby Portnoy, Director General of Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), said disinformation, cyber terrorism, fake news are the biggest challenges. We dealt with all types of fake information, disinformation just after October 7 last year. On digital space, we have been noticing all types of disinformation which is pushed against Israel, Gaby said. Israel agencies are facing pressure due to disinformation cocktailed with AI and digital space. After the October 7 massacre, I always think what will the October 7 in cyber space? Iran is attacking various countries, including India, US, Saudi Arabia. Iran is becoming international problem, Gaby said during his Cyber Week address, adding that it is a psychological war too. Official data shows that Hamas primarily targeted social media accounts of Israel. Dana Toren, who heads the National Cyber Emergency Response Team, says social media hacking after the October 7 attack by Hamas increased rapidly. Data shared by Dana shows that in last nine months, social media hacking accounts for 50% of total cyber attacks. The cyber incidents reported during Iron Sword war has increased by 68%. The average inquiry on our cyber helpline was 50 per day which has seen 10-fold increase. The majority is social media hacking (3,606) followed by phishing (1,449) and intrusion (873), Dana said. The data shows how Hamas also manipulated GPS system which triggered a high number of reports to Israeli CERT. The CERT is divided industry-wise where a small dedicated team works in response to cyber emergencies. The CERT is divided into different verticals like environment, government services, private sector, energy etc. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday emphasised on the common interest in stabilisation and progress in India-China relations during a meeting with Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong, amid the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar also separately met envoys of New Zealand, Kuwait and Sri Lanka. Received Ambassador of China Xu Feihong this evening. Discussed our bilateral relationship and our common interest in its stabilization and progress. Wished him a successful tenure, the external affairs minister said on X. The external affairs minister has consistently been maintaining that Indias ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. Following the meeting with Jaishankar, the Chinese ambassador said he was looking forward to working with the Indian side to push forward the development of China-India relations towards the right direction. Honored to call on External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar today. We exchanged views on China-India relations and other issues of common interest, the envoy said on X. Thanks for his best wishes. Look forward to working with the Indian side to push forward the development of China-India relations towards the right direction, he said. Xu arrived in Delhi on May 10 after the position of Chinese ambassador in India remained vacant for nearly 18 months, the longest such gap in over four decades. The envoy presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu on May 31 along with a number of newly-appointed foreign envoys. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. On his meeting with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Kshenuka D Senewiratne, Jaishankar said they discussed recent developments in bilateral relations, including his visit to Colombo recently. Jaishankar also held a separate meeting with Kuwait envoy Meshal Mustafa Jasim Alshemali and discussed bilateral issues and interests of the Indian community. Forty-six Indians had died in a recent fire incident in southern Kuwait. Good to receive Ambassador Meshal Mustafa Jasim Alshemali of Kuwait this afternoon. Discussed our bilateral relations, interests of the Indian community and welfare of Indian workers in Kuwait, Jaishankar said. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty this week to violating US espionage law in a deal that ended his imprisonment in Britain and allowed him to return home to Australia. The 52-year-old, accused of divulging American military secrets related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing on the island of Saipan at 9 am local time on Wednesday. He left Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday before being bailed by the UK High Court and boarding a flight that afternoon, Wikileaks said in a statement posted on social media platform X. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREEJulian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, the statement said. A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. He will return to Australia after the hearing, the Wikileaks statement added, referring to the hearing in Saipan. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ More about Assange WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washingtons wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history along with swaths of diplomatic cables. Assange was indicted during former President Donald Trumps administration over WikiLeaks mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. An Australian government spokesperson said: Prime Minister (Anthony) Albanese has been clear Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuadors embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in Londons Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the US. (With agency inputs) Kenyan police fired live bullets Tuesday at protesters in Nairobi, leaving many wounded, a rights group said, as thousands of demonstrators approached parliament as lawmakers debated contentious tax hike proposals. A rights group said that one protester was killed by Kenyan police near parliament but a report by news agency Reuters put the toll at five. A report by news agency AFP said that a fire has also erupted in the Kenyan parliament complex. A section of Parliament set on fire pic.twitter.com/MZUiRsLVlX Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 25, 2024 Human rights observers are now reporting the increasing use of live bullets by the National Police Service in the capital of Nairobi Safe passage for medical officers to treat the many wounded is now urgent, Irungu Houghton, the executive director of Amnesty International Kenya, told AFP. Kenyan protesters breached parliament barricades and entered the complex where lawmakers were debating contentious tax hike proposals that have sparked widespread anger, AFP journalists saw, as police fired live bullets. Hundreds of protesters broke through barriers erected by the police outside parliament in the capital Nairobi, with police firing live rounds and leaving many wounded, according to Amnesty International Kenya. Kenyan police shot dead one protester near parliament Tuesday, a rights group said, with AFP journalists seeing three people lying motionless on the ground as crowds opposed to proposed tax hikes breached barricades to enter the parliamentary complex where a fire erupted. The mainly Gen-Z-led rallies, which began last week, have caught the government off guard, with President William Ruto saying over the weekend he was ready to talk to the protesters. Meanwhile, a major disruption hit Kenyas internet service, global web monitor NetBlocks said, amid a deadly protest against tax hikes in the capital Nairobi. Parliament approved the finance bill, moving it through to a third reading by lawmakers. The next step is for the legislation to be sent to the president for signing. He can send it back to parliament if he has any objections. Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenyas working poor, but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to access more funding, and a hard-pressed population. Kenyans have been struggling to cope with several economic shocks caused by the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of droughts and depreciation of the currency. The Indian Embassy in Kenya urged Indian nationals to exercise caution and restrict unnecessary movement and steer clear of areas affected by the protests and the violence. It urged Indian nationals there to stay in touch with the embassy. ADVISORY FOR INDIAN NATIONALS IN KENYA In view of the prevailing tense situation, all Indians in Kenya are advised to exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up. India in Kenya (@IndiainKenya) June 25, 2024 In view of the prevailing tense situation, all Indians in Kenya are advised to exercise utmost caution, restrict non-essential movement and avoid the areas affected by the protests and violence till the situation clears up, the embassy said on X. A Canadian MP from the Liberal party has called out his colleagues decision to stand in the House of Commons last week for a moments silence to mark the anniversary of the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In an interview on Monday, Hindu-Canadian MP Chandra Arya slammed his own governments decision, citing the findings in a Globe and Mail report that Canadian authorities had concerns about Nijjars ties to extremism. Arya said when Parliament decides to hold a moment of silence, it is very exclusive and limited to a few great Canadians who have immensely served Canadians for most of their life. Mr. Nijjar is not one of these people. That the credible allegations that he was killed by a foreign government was considered to be good enough to elevate him to be one of the most respected Canadians is wrong, he added. Arya has in the past advocated for Canada to strengthen ties with the Indian government and has been an outspoken critic of Khalistan separatist groups. He said the Canadian newspapers probe showed Nijjar entered Canada on a fake passport and how the authorities had picked him up for questioning on three occasions. A Liberal member of Parliament says it was inappropriate for MPs to stand in the House of Commons last week for a moments silence to mark the anniversary of the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Chandra Arya, the MP for Nepean, criticized his own governments pic.twitter.com/DJXPgGgxqL Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) June 25, 2024 Last week, India strongly objected to the Canadian parliament observing one-minute silence in memory of Khalistan extremist Nijjar, who was gunned down in British Columbia in June last year. India also insisted that the Canadian authorities must take action against those advocating violence and carrying out an anti-India campaign in Canada. We naturally oppose any moves giving political space to extremism and advocacy of violence, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing on Friday. In an unusual move, the Canadian parliament observed one-minute silence to mark one year of the killing of the Sikh extremist. Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia on June 18 last year. India lodges protest India also lodged a strong protest with Canada last week over Khalistani extremists holding a so-called citizens court and burning an effigy of the Indian prime minister outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver. Jaiswal said India strongly protested with the Canadian high commission on the matter. We have strongly taken it up with them and told them to take action as appropriate in the matter, he said. The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeaus allegations in September last year of a potential involvement of Indian agents in Nijjars killing. New Delhi rejected Trudeaus charges as absurd. Khalistani activities are a matter of concern for India. We have been repeatedly calling upon the government of Canada to take action, Jaiswal said. India has been insisting that Canada must stop providing political space to anti-India elements, he said. The real problem is the political space being given by Canada to extremists and people who advocate violence and anti-India agenda, he added. We have time and again been insisting that the Canadian authorities take action against them, he said. Days after CNN-News18s report on the use of Chinese money to maintain security in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and consequently foment trouble in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Pakistan government has announced operation Azm-e-Istehkam in civilian areas. According to their official press release, it is in consensus with all stakeholders, including the Provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Top Indian intelligence sources said this was Pakistans open confession that terror groups existed in Pakistan. ALSO READ | Pakistan Plans to Use Chinas CPEC Funds to Foment Trouble in J&K | Exclusive Details Pakistan has confessed it needs bribe to eradicate terror groups. This time, the bribe is given by China, said Indian intelligence sources. The Pakistans release said the forum reviewed measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Following the Prime Ministers approval, new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) were issued to relevant departments to provide comprehensive security to Chinese citizens in Pakistan. According to sources, this will be done by the Pakistan army on civilian areas with the help of Police and local support. AZM-E-ISTEKAM FOR SECURITY OF CHINESE CITIZENS IN PAK? Pakistan PMs Office said the move symbolized their resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country. Azm-e-Istehkam will integrate and synergize multiple lines of effort to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a comprehensive and decisive manner, the release said. The PMLN government said the CPEC money inflow was important. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) partners are upset due to this operation which is starting on the directions of China. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman condemned the operation, declaring it a destabilising initiative that will further weaken Pakistan. This is not Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, but rather operation Adm-e-Istehkam, which will make Pakistan even more vulnerable, he said. He also questioned the army. What is the Apex Committee? At the tehsil level, a major; at the district level, a colonel; at the provincial level, a corps commander; and at the federal level, the army chief. When a uniformed officer is present, who will make the decisions? Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also questioned this move and sought Parliament confidence on this issue On the other hand, terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Islam also condemned it. INDIAN INTEL SOURCES SAY Pakistan Prime Minister has to launch an operation after coming back from China, when Chinese side told him that consider CPEC as a closed chapter. Pakistan has accepted in writing that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistans war and is absolutely essential for the nations survival and well-being and this survival is money which is a gift, said intelligence sources. This is survival operation by the Pakistan Army and government. With this, they will divert funds for more attacks in Kashmir, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday and the two leaders reiterated their commitment to continue to work together to advance the bilateral strategic partnership. In their telephonic conversation, Modi conveyed Indias full support for the success of the upcoming SCO Summit in Astana and expressed confidence that Kazakhstans leadership would greatly contribute to the furtherance of regional cooperation, said a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). Tokayev warmly congratulated Modi on the successful conduct of the largest democratic exercise in the world and his re-election for the historic third consecutive term, the statement added. Prime Minister Modi thanked him for his warm felicitations. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to continue to work together to advance bilateral Strategic Partnership, it said. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch. Princess Anne could be sidelined from royal duties for coming weeks as she recovers from head injuries and a concussion following a horse-related incident. Princess Royal Anne was rushed to the hospital over the weekend after she suffered wounds to the head at the Gatcombe Park estate. King Charles former royal butler Grant Harrold while speaking to the New York Post said that the absence of Princess Anne will have a big impact on her. Anne could be out of royal duties for the next few days or even weeks. As one of the hardest-working members of the Royal family, its going to have a big impact on her, Harrold was quoted as saying by the New York Post. Anne, who is 73 years old, is said to have been hurt by a horse while strolling on the grounds of the royal residence Sunday evening. This incident will probably make Anne even more determined to ensure it doesnt happen again, the former butler added. Princess Annes husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, along with her daughter Zara Tindall and son Peter Phillips, were all present on the estate during the incident. Other senior members of the royal family were informed of Annes injuries on Sunday evening. I know she will want to recover quickly so she can get back to her royal duties. Shes somebody who wants to get on with what shes expected to do, Harrold further added. Anne, the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, has cancelled all her official duties scheduled for this week, including a State Visit and a trip to Canada. On doctors advice, Her Royal Highnesss engagements for the week ahead will be postponed. Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result, her spokesperson said. The Princess is an experienced and accomplished rider, winning the individual European Three-Day Event at Burghley in 1971. She also represented Great Britain in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Earlier this month, during the Kings Trooping the Colour ceremony, the Princess Royal rode on horseback. However, at one point during the procession, she nearly lost control of her horse. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to plead guilty to a US espionage charge in a deal that will help end his imprisonment and a long legal battle over the release of hundreds of thousands of classified documents. Who is Julian Assange and What is WikiLeaks? Assange was born in Townsville, Australia, in July 1971. In his teens, he gained a reputation as a sophisticated computer programmer and in 1995 he pleaded guilty, and was fined, for hacking. In his late 20s, he went to Melbourne University to study mathematics and physics. Assange launched WikiLeaks in 2006, creating a web-based dead letter drop" for would-be leakers. The website rose to prominence in April 2010 when it published a classified video showing a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. During 2010 it released more than 90,000 classified U.S. military documents on the war in Afghanistan, and about 400,000 secret U.S. files on the Iraq war the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history. It also released 250,000 secret diplomatic cables from U.S. embassies around the world in 2011. Angry US The leaks angered and embarrassed U.S. politicians and military officials, who said it put lives at risk. Ex-army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning served seven years in a military prison for leaking messages and cables to WikiLeaks, before being released by President Barack Obama. The group returned to the spotlight ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election when it published tens of thousands of emails belonging to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons campaign chairman. A U.S. Senate report in 2020 said Russia had used WikiLeaks to help Republican Donald Trump to victory in that election. Trump dismissed the report as a hoax and Russia always denied interfering in the election. His Arrest A Swedish court ordered Assanges detention in November 2010 as a result of an investigation into allegations of sex crimes made by two female Swedish WikiLeaks volunteers. He was arrested by British police in December 2010 on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by Sweden. Assange denied the allegations and said from the outset that it was a pretext to extradite him to the United States to face charges over the WikiLeaks releases. In June 2012, shortly after the UK Supreme Court rejected his final challenge against extradition to Sweden, he entered the Ecuadorean embassy in London seeking asylum. Ecuador Embassy Ecuador granted Assange political asylum in August 2012. British police mounted a round-the-clock guard to prevent his escape, saying he would be arrested if he left. The impasse left Assange living in cramped quarters in the embassy. Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation in 2017 but British police said he would still be arrested if he left the embassy over his failure to surrender to bail. During his time in the embassy he had two children with his partner Stella Moris. He married her in 2022 in Belmarsh prison. On April 11, 2019, Assange was carried out of the embassy and arrested after Ecuador revoked his asylum. The following month he was jailed for 50 weeks for breaching his bail conditions. In June 2019, the U.S. Justice Department formally asked Britain to extradite him to face 18 charges that he conspired to hack U.S. government computers and violated espionage laws. Assange completed his sentence in September 2019 but remained in Belmarsh maximum security prison pending extradition hearings. In 2021, a British judge ruled Assange should not be extradited, saying his mental health problems meant he would be at risk of suicide. The U.S. authorities won an appeal in December 2021, after they offered to allow Assange to serve any sentence in Australia if convicted. Legal Battle In June 2022, Britain approved his extradition and the following year a judge at Londons High Court turned down an initial request to challenge that decision. In February this year, Assanges legal team sought permission for a final appeal, arguing the case was politically motivated, an assault on freedom of speech and journalism, and that Assange could potentially face the death penalty if convicted. The High Court rejected his arguments, but said the U.S. had to provide assurances he would not face the death penalty and would be entitled to rely on the First Amendment right to free speech. However, in a boost for Assange, the High Court later said the U.S. submissions were not sufficient and gave him permission to conduct a full appeal, a process that would take months. Plea Deal Under a plea agreement with U.S. authorities, Assange will plead guilty in a U.S. court in the commonwealth state of Northern Mariana Islands to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, according to legal filings. He is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served. (With agency inputs) A fire likely sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept through a factory near South Korea's capital on Monday, killing 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers, and injuring eight, officials said. The fire began after batteries exploded while workers were examining and packaging them on the second floor of the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, at around 10:30am, fire officials said, citing a witness. The dead included 18 Chinese, two South Koreans, and one Laotian, local fire official Kim Jin-young told a televised briefing. He said the nationality of one of the dead couldn't be immediately verified. The fire started at one of the factory buildings owned by a battery manufacturer, Aricell. Kim said that authorities would investigate whether fire extinguishing systems were at the site and if they worked, the AP reports. Video showed the factory's second floor being engulfed by the blaze about 15 seconds after a small amount of white smoke was seen billowing from a battery, senior fire official Jo Seon-ho told a briefing later Monday. Jo, citing the footage, said workers at the site mobilized fire extinguishers but failed to put out the blaze. They later rushed to an area where there was no exit before they likely inhaled toxic smoke and lost consciousness, he said. The dead foreign workers were daily laborers so were not likely familiar with the building's internal structure, he added. President Yoon Suk Yeol, wearing a safety helmet and a mask, visited the site with other officials. He expressed condolences and ordered officials to put in place measures to effectively deal with battery-related fires, according to Yoon's office. (More South Korea stories.) Russia is blaming the US and threatening to retaliate for deaths in what it says was a Ukrainian attack on Crimea that used US-supplied missiles. Authorities in Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014, said five people, including three children, were killed when missile fragments fell on a beach in Sevastopol. CNN reports that in a Telegram post, Russia's Ministry of Defense said the Sunday attack involved "US-supplied ATACMS operational-tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads." The ministry said air defenses shot down four missiles but a fifth "deviated from its flight trajectory in the final section due to the impact of air defenses, with the warhead exploding in the air over the city." Russia's foreign ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday to protest the attack, the AP reports. Reuters reports that Tracy was told the US is "waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict"and that the attack will "not go unpunished. Retaliatory measures will definitely follow." Russia's defense ministry claimed Sunday that ATACMS missiles are all programmed by US specialists and guided by American satellites, the BBC reports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the "involvement of the United States, the direct involvement, as a result of which Russian civilians are killed, cannot be without consequences," the BBC reports. "Time will tell what these will be," he said. Though Russia regularly strikes civilian targets in Ukraine, Peskov described the Crimea attack as "barbaric." A White House National Security Council spokesperson said, "Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.) UPDATE Jun 27, 2024 1:54 PM CDT Authorities in the Bahamas found the cell phone of a missing Chicago woman in the ocean, but there is still no sign of Taylor Casey herself, reports the local Nassau Guardian. The 41-year-old was last seen on June 19 on Paradise Island in Nassau, where she had been attending a yoga retreat. It was not clear where the phone was found in proximity to the retreat. All of Casey's travel belongings remain there. Jun 25, 2024 12:30 AM CDT A 41-year-old Chicago woman who was in the Bahamas for a yoga certification retreat has now been missing for nearly a week. Taylor Casey was last seen June 19 at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, and when the retreat center noticed she was not in class that day, staff notified her family the following day, USA Today reports. Her family is now on its way to the Bahamas to assist in the search for her. "I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return," says her mother. "Taylor would never disappear like this." A US bankruptcy court trustee is planning to shut down conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars media platform and liquidate its assets to help pay the $1.5 billion in lawsuit judgments Jones owes for repeatedly calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax, the AP reports. In an "emergency" motion filed Sunday in Houston, trustee Christopher Murray indicated publicly for the first time that he intends to "conduct an orderly wind-down" of the operations of Infowars' parent company and "liquidate its inventory." Murray, who was appointed by a federal judge to oversee the assets in Jones' personal bankruptcy case, did not give a timetable for the liquidation. Murray also asked US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez to put an immediate hold on the Sandy Hook families' efforts to collect the massive amount Jones owes them. Murray said those efforts would interfere with his plans to close the parent company, Free Speech Systems in Austin, Texas, and sell off its assetswith much of the proceeds going to the families. On Friday, lawyers for the parents of one of the 20 children killed in the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, asked a state judge in Texas to order Free Speech Systems, or FSS, to turn over to the families certain assets, including money in bank accounts, and garnish its accounts. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble approved the request, court records show, prompting Murray's emergency motion. Referring to the families' collection efforts, Murray said in the Sunday court filing that "the specter of a pell-mell seizure of FSS's assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment" of his duties in Jones' personal bankruptcy case. "The Trustee seeks this Court's intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course," Murray said. (Jones has been warning that Infowars is a "sinking ship," but says he himself isn't shutting up any time soon.) Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students, some of whom have say they'd rather die than fight, must be drafted for military service anyway, the country's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The landmark decision threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, reports the New York Times . Israelis must serve in the military from the age of 18. Men are required to serve for three years and women for two, though there are exemptions, including for members of Israel's Arab minority. The Supreme Court struck down exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews in 2017, per the AP . However, the government still declined to draft them while promising a new conscription law. Now, with the war in Gaza bringing public anger over the issue to a new height, the court has ruled that, without a law to protect them, ultra-Orthodox Jews must submit to compulsory military service like most others. "At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute," reads the ruling, which also blocks state subsidies for seminaries with scholars who avoid service without deferrals or exemptions, per the AP. The unanimous decision could threaten Netanyahu's "increasingly brittle" coalition government, which includes two ultra-Orthodox parties opposed to the move, per Reuters. The outlet reports "leaders of those parties said they were disappointed with the ruling but issued no immediate threat to the government." If they do flee the coalition, the government would collapse, likely leading to new elections, per the AP. In court, government lawyers argued forcing some 66,000 ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would "tear Israeli society apart," per Al Jazeera. Critics say the Torah scholars are ill-suited for military service and better serve the state through full-time religious study. Following the ruling, Netanyahu's Likud party said a bill would address the draft issue. But the president will have trouble restoring the exemptions, especially before a summer recess. "Some moderate members of the government have indicated they will only support a law that enlists sizable numbers of ultra-Orthodox," per the AP. (More Israel stories.) Some 15 months after it issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to his country's invasion of Ukraine, the International Criminal Court in the Hague (ICC) has set its sights on two more Russians. The body on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, reports CNN. What you need to know: The Japanese emperor and empress kicked off a three-day state visit in the UK on Tuesday, and while the politics of it are unsurprising, some quirky details have emerged. The basics, and the fascinating bits: Behind the visit: The AP explains the UK is looking to shore up its position as "the most influential European nation in the Indo-Pacific region." It's the first visit by a Japanese head of state since 1998, reports the BBC. The Independent reports it had been scheduled for 2020 and intended as the emperor's first trip abroad after he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, but COVID scuttled those plans. The AP explains the UK is looking to shore up its position as "the most influential European nation in the Indo-Pacific region." It's the first visit by a Japanese head of state since 1998, reports the BBC. The Independent reports it had been scheduled for 2020 and intended as the emperor's first trip abroad after he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, but COVID scuttled those plans. Trivia bit No. 1: Emperor Naruhito began the trip with a visit to a place that doesn't make every tourist's list: the Thames Barrier. The retractable flood control gates sit on a river that Naruhito studied while at Oxford decades ago. His studies focused on 18th-century commerce on the river, which features in his memoir, The Thames and I. Oklahoma's Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked approval of what would have been the nation's first publicly funded religious school. The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board's 3-2 vote last year to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates both the Oklahoma and US constitutions, as well as state law, per the AP . "Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school," the court wrote. "As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian." The online public charter school would have been open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12, and part of its mission would have been to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith. The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe recent US Supreme Court decisions have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities. A group of parents, faith leaders, and a public education nonprofit sued to stop the establishment of the school. Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters supported the board's approval of the school. The case is likely to be appealed and could wind up before the US Supreme Court, per the New York Times. (More Oklahoma stories.) During Thursday night's debate, Donald Trump will be allowed to speak his mind about witnesses in his hush-money trial, including Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan partially lifted Trump's gag order in the case Tuesday, allowing him to talk about witnesses but not prosecutors, court staffers, or their families, the AP reports. Trump will also be allowed to talk about jurors as long as he doesn't disclose any personally identifying information, reports CNN . Merchan issued the gag order on March 26, weeks before the trial began, He expanded it to include family members after Trump attacked the judge's daughter for her work as a political consultant to Democratic candidate. Trump, who was held in contempt multiple times during his trial for violating the gag order, will be sentenced on July 11. Manhattan's DA Alvin Bragg's office wants to keep restrictions in place until then. Last week, Bragg's office said a "deluge of threats" had been received. Under the gag order, Trump is still allowed to verbally attack Bragg and Merchan. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung slammed the judge for not lifting the entire order Tuesday, calling him "highly conflicted," CNBC reports. The decision, Cheung said, was "unlawful" and "blatantly un-American" because it gags Trump ahead of the debate. (More Donald Trump stories.) The accused was arrested on Monday following an investigation into a burglary at a Christchurch warehouse a week earlier where boxes of goods described as tea imported from China were being held waiting for clearance. Customs claimed approximately 80 kilograms of tobacco was stolen. The full weight and quantity of tobacco seized are still being calculated. Customs also confiscated machinery used to manufacture individual cigarettes, boxes of cigarettes, cigarette branded labels, and almost $2500 in cash, as well as other items. Chief Customs officer of fraud and prohibition Nigel Barnes said uncovering this alleged illegal tobacco importing and manufacturing operation has stopped significant efforts to defraud taxpayers. "The alleged offender was not licensed to be importing or producing tobacco products and this offending undermines legitimate trade and revenue collection. Customs continues to focus on identifying and targeting these criminal operations," Barnes said. New Zealand Customs Service advise anyone with information about suspicious activity to contact them confidentially on 0800 937 768 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The previous Labour Government announced a ban on live animal exports by sea in 2021, which came into effect at the end of April 2023. It followed the sinking of the stock ship Gulf Livestock 1 in 2020 where two New Zealanders and almost 6000 cattle died. However, it was criticised by National who cited an Infometrics Economic Impact Report which found the ban will reduce New Zealand's gross domestic product by $472 million. The ban was championed by then-Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor, who received the petition at Parliament on Tuesday. O'Connor told supporters of the ban gathered outside of Parliament the reversal of the ban is an "economic issue". "New Zealand's economy relies on the ethical management of animals. Animal protein through meat and milk is how we survive and people buy our products on the understanding that we have managed our animals in an ethical way," he said. O'Connor said New Zealand would not have its trade agreement with the UK or the EU unless there was a chapter committing to high standards of animal welfare. "Why would a stupid Government want to turn this over and start up a trade for a very small portion of our total exports just so a few traders can make a few bucks," he said. "I think the vast majority of farmers would rather have a high ethical standard, get more for their products on the international market and be proud of how we manage our animals on farms." According to Labour, live exports made up less than 0.32 percent of the primary sector export revenue. The petition was led by retired veterinarian Dr John Hellstrom who said other countries are looking to ban live exports. "This is going to affect the consumers in the markets overseas looking at New Zealand products and thinking why did they go back on the ban," he told Newshub. AFP | Hwaseong, South Korea The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Twenty-two people were killed in a massive fire at a South Korean lithium battery plant yesterdasy, most of them Chinese nationals, in one of the countrys worst factory disasters in years. Over 100 people were working in the factory when workers heard a series of explosions from the second floor, where lithium-ion batteries were being inspected and packaged, firefighter Kim Jin-young told media. In the massive blaze that ensued, 22 people were killed, including 20 foreign nationals -- 18 Chinese, one from Laos, and one of unknown nationality, he said. Most of the bodies are badly burned so it will take some time to identify each one, he said, adding that one person was still missing. Initial investigations indicate that the fire spread in a matter of seconds, with toxic fumes quickly overwhelming workers in the area, said Cho Sun-ho head of the Gyeonggi fire department. White smoke began to rise from a battery part, and it took only about 15 seconds to cover the entire space due to the sudden ignition, he said, adding that as it was a lithium fire, the workers efforts to extinguish wouldnt have worked. It is presumed that the victims inhaled toxic fumes in a short time which would have suffocated them quickly, and made them lose consciousness, he said. Dozens of fire trucks were lined up outside the factory, an AFP reporter saw, with rescue workers carrying bodies, covered by blue blankets, out of the building on stretchers. Wearing a green jacket which top officials don during emergencies, South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol visted the disaster site late Monday, walking around the charred building in a hard hat and facemask before greeting firefighters at the scene. Yoon said it appeared that ignition material was positioned in front of the emergency exit, so workers could not escape and many people died. He ordered authorities to check similar factories that handle chemicals and take measures to prevent such accidents from happening again. Founded in The Netherlands in 1615, Grolsch has established itself in the market through its craftsmanship and tradition. The name 'Grolsch' itself pays homage to its origins, symbolizing a legacy of excellence in brewing. At the heart of Grolsch's essence lies its iconic premium beer now locally produced in Canada and brewed with the same, authentic Dutch recipe loved by beer enthusiasts worldwide. The unveiling of the new visual brand identity signifies Grolsch's dedication to optimizing consumer experiences. Informed by extensive consumer research, the refreshed visual brand identity embodies distinctiveness, memorability, and new visual appeal. These updates not only differentiate Grolsch from competitors, but also elevate its presence on shelves, embodying a premium aesthetic for consumers. With the iconic wordmark reverting to its green hue, red heritage mark, and swingtop icon, Grolsch pays homage to its legacy and authentic brewing traditions. Focusing on a new premium look and feel, Grolsch ensures their tagline is at the forefront: Grolsch. Make it real. Despite the evolution, Grolsch remains rooted in its origins, showcasing "Royal Grolsch Holland'' on the can, used to cue the Dutch provenance. Grolsch is confident that these enhancements will reinforce their position as a pioneer in the industry, resonating with both existing and new consumers alike. "We're excited to introduce a new era of Grolsch to Canadians. This transformation is not just about a new look; it's about finding new ways to make moments real through the entire experience," says Katie Wright, Head of Marketing at Asahi Canada. "From the shelf to the first sip - this new look and feel has been developed in direct response to what our consumers are looking for. By modernizing the design, while staying true to our rich heritage, this evolution allows us to elevate the Grolsch brand, and connect with today's discerning beer enthusiasts." Central to Grolsch's ethos is the belief in fostering connections with oneself, with others, and with the world. Rooted in its 400-year history, Grolsch embodies authenticity and sincerity, values cherished by consumers seeking genuine experiences. As the world increasingly gravitates towards the artificial, Grolsch still remains championing the real, especially as it enters a new brand era. With its evolved visual brand identity, Grolsch reaffirms its commitment to making every moment real. Consumers can now find Grolsch and its reimagined packaging at The Beer Store and LCBO stores across Ontario. About Grolsch: Grolsch, founded in 1615 in Groenlo, Netherlands, embodies over four centuries of brewing excellence. Renowned for its iconic Premium Pilsner, Grolsch remains a symbol of authenticity, quality, and genuine connections. With a commitment to championing the real amidst a world of artificiality, Grolsch continues to redefine the boundaries of brewing innovation. Grolsch offers a broad portfolio of brands and beer styles, such as Grolsch Premium Pilsner, Grolsch 0.0%,. Since October 2016, Royal Grolsch has been a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings and represented in Canada by Asahi Canada, a division of Asahi Europe & International. For more information, visit https://www.grolsch.com/ About Asahi Europe & International Asahi Europe & International is the international branch of Asahi Group Holdings, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. It is the outcome of years of acquisitions, which allowed Asahi Group Holdings, a traditional Japanese producer of beer, whiskey, and a wide range of food products, to establish and strengthen its business in Europe and around the globe. As of 2020, the business is established under the Asahi Europe and International organization headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. Building on centuries of European brewing heritage, the business runs 19 production facilities in 8 countries across Europe, and is the custodian of some of the best beer brands in the world, including Asahi Super Dry, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch and Kozel. Within the Asahi Group, the remit of Asahi Europe and International is also to develop and manage all export markets globally, outside of Japan and Oceania. Covering 90 markets and with over 10,000 passionate colleagues on board, the business is well positioned to inspire people around the world to drink better. SOURCE Grolsch For media inquiries, please contact: Alexandra Wassell, Pomp & Circumstance PR, [email protected] OTTAWA, ON, June 25, 2024 /CNW/ - The Indigenous Prosperity Foundation (IPF), a national charitable organization committed to providing digital access, training, mentorship, and funding to Indigenous women, youth, and underserved entrepreneurs across Canada, is proud to announce the appointment of Michelle Okere as its inaugural Executive Director. With her extensive experience and proven leadership, Michelle will guide the foundation in establishing a robust strategic vision, driving impactful programs, and ensuring long-term stability. Michelle Okere (CNW Group/National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association) Michelle Okere is a distinguished Metis-Cree professional and entrepreneurial leader with extensive experience leading organizations at provincial, regional, and national levels. She holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation, highlighting her expertise in fundraising, public relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and board governance. Currently, Michelle is also pursuing an Executive MBA in Indigenous Business Leadership at Simon Fraser University, reflecting her dedication to continuous learning and furthering her impact in the community. "After a comprehensive recruitment process, Michelle's strategic leadership, exceptional business acumen, and proven ability as a collaborator and partner made her the clear choice to drive our IPF mission forward," said Jennifer M. Sloan, IPF Board Director and Chair of the Governance and Nomination Committee. "We are excited to have her on board to work with community members and with those IPF can serve." In addition to her professional achievements, Michelle is actively involved in her community. She serves as the Chair of the Truth & Reconciliation Committee for the YWCA Edmonton and holds a Chair position at PolicyWise for Children & Families. Her role on the University of Alberta Senate allows her to advocate for positive change and community engagement. Michelle's contributions have been recognized through awards such as Edify Magazine's Top 40 Under 40, the Deputy Minister's Award for Innovation, and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal. She is excited to continue her journey of growth, learning, and community impact and looks forward to connecting with others to create positive change together. "Grounded in Indigenous values and my Metis-Cree heritage, I am honoured to be the first Executive Director of the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation," said Okere. "I look forward to bringing my entrepreneurial and leadership skills to help grow IPF's social and economic impact. I am excited to start building relationships, fostering trust, and engaging with stakeholders." Michelle will lead IPF in setting its vision and strategy, implementing operational plans, and fostering strategic engagement with Indigenous communities, government agencies, corporate partners, and donors. She will focus on developing and scaling programs that drive impactful entrepreneurship initiatives to advance Indigenous prosperity while collaborating with community members to raise awareness and enhance advocacy efforts. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Governance & Nomination Committee for their diligent work in selecting the inaugural Executive Director for the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation," said Bobbie Racette, Chair of the IPF. "Michelle brings tremendous value to our foundation, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impact she will make." Michelle's experience and leadership will be vital in advancing IPF's mission to support Indigenous women, youth, and underserved entrepreneurs across Canada. Her appointment is a significant step towards fostering inclusive growth and sustainable development within Indigenous communities as the organization provides essential resources and support to promote equity and prosperity for Indigenous peoples. ASSOCIATED LINKS: Indigenous Prosperity Foundation National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association The Indigenous Prosperity Foundation (IPF) is a registered charitable organization established by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and Indigenous Financial Institutions across Canada. IPF is committed to advancing education and prosperity within Indigenous communities. The foundation's mission centers on fostering success and empowerment among underserved Indigenous women, youth, and early-stage entrepreneurs across Canada by providing training, mentorship, access to technology, internet, and seed grants to ensure accessibility and equity while building capacity within the Indigenous economic development ecosystem. Learn more and get involved at indigenousfoundation.ca . SOURCE National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association FOR MORE INFORMATION: Relay Tangie, Indigenous Prosperity Foundation, [email protected] Thirteen passengers onboard a Korea Airlines flight to Taiwan have been taken to hospital, after their Boeing aircraft dropped more than 25,000 feet following a fault in the cabin pressurization system. The plane subsequently dropped from an altitude of 35,000 feet to under 10,000 feet within the span of ten minutes, according to airplane tracking website flightradar24. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 Max 8. Korean Airlines Flight KE189 was forced to make an emergency landing in Incheon, South Korea on Saturday following the incident. This is only the latest of a string of reported defects in Boeing aircraft. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 flight dropped to just 525 feet when it was still about nine miles from the runway where it was supposed to land on June 19. Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight between islands in Hawaii experienced a heart-stopping thrill ride in April as the plane plunged and came within 400 feet of crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The FAA is now investigating precisely why Southwest Flight 2786 nearly crashed. Could another Def Leppard album be on the way? Guitarist Phil Collen says the possibility is on the table. Collen appeared on a recent episode of Sirius XMs Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, where he spoke in depth about the bands new song Just Like 73, which includes members Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen and Vivian Campbell and features a guest guitar solo from Tom Morello. During the interview, he said the one-off single is absolutely the seed of another Def Leppard record. I mean, it was a leftover from the album before, but it was also the start of a new album, Collen told Trunk. So, without a doubt. (Joe and I) write all the time. We send each other things. Sav gets in on there. Just between the three of us, theres just a lot of stuff floating around already. So weve, yeah, got a bunch of stuff. Its really exciting. And its a great place to be. Its never that thing where, Well, weve got to sit down and write an album. Its, like, Wow, I cant wait to play this to the guys and see what the reaction is. And we keep pushing the boat out even further. Collen added that if Def Leppard were to release a full-length album, this year might be a little too soon, but hinted at the possibility of next year or early the following year. This year would be pushing it, Collen said. But once we kind of get into the groove, I think yeah. Who knows? Next year [or] early the year after. But you know how these things go. We have these tours and everything, but weve got a new song. So thats really exciting. So thatll be on the go pretty soon. They will join Journey on tour this summer beginning on July 6 in St. Louis, Missouri and continuing through Sept. 8 in Denver, Colorado. Along the way, the band will stop at the Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 23 and at Citi Field in Flushing, New York on Aug. 7. More music coverage Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram. A former Edison police officer pleaded guilty last week to vehicular homicide charges after two passengers in the car he was driving while intoxicated died in a crash last August, officials from the Somerset County Prosecutors Office announced Tuesday. Amitoj Oberoi, 30, of Somerset, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide on June 18. Oberoi faces 15 years in prison and must serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act. Oberoi was originally charged with two counts each of aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving after the car he was operating on Aug. 27, 2023 veered off Route 27 at 6:22 a.m., clipping several trees and lampposts before hitting a utility pole, authorities said. Oberois attorney said Tuesday that prosecutors agreed to throw out the two counts of aggravated manslaughter and other lesser charges Oberoi was originally facing in the negotiated plea deal. Investigators said Oberois blood alcohol level was over the legal limit when he was driving at a high rate of speed on Route 27 in Franklin Township and lost control of the vehicle. Two passengers in the backseat, Carlos Perez-Gaytan, 24, of Somerset, and Victor Cabrera-Francisco, 20, of North Brunswick, were killed in the crash. Oberois attorney Robert Scrivo said that Oberoi knew the families of the victims well and deeply regretted what happened. They embraced outside the courtroom afterwards, Scrivo said about Oberoi and the victims families. He did not want to put those families through a trial, and he thought the best decision was to put an end to this process. Scrivo said that the circumstances in this case were a tragic, momentary lapse in judgement for someone he said has otherwise lead a positive life. The two people killed in the incident were younger brothers of friends and family Oberoi knew well, Scrivo said. The whole situation is awful, Scrivo added. He shows tremendous remorse and his heart goes out to the victims families. After Oberois arrest, Edisons Mayor Sam Joshi said the township would move to fire him as a police officer given the egregious nature of the charges. Joshi did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday. Oberois sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14 before Judge Jonathan W. Romankow. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X. She kept the letters in a steel chest, under lock and key. Anita saved them not because they were treasured, but because she had a feeling those handwritten pages would one day be important. The official July 4th holiday falls on a Thursday in 2024, setting the stage for fireworks, parades, concerts and special events throughout New Jersey this weekend and into next week. From small town celebrations to the massive fireworks displays in New York and Philadelphia visible from New Jersey, scores of events are planned to celebrate Independence Day. NJ Advance Media has combed through events scheduled throughout all 21 counties to provide our readers with this list. Many towns have celebrations scheduled for multiple days. (Have an event we should add? Send the information to press@njnpublishing.com.) A New Jersey man flew to Florida and attacked a fellow gamer he met online with a hammer, authorities said Monday. Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary in an attack that left the victim severely injured, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. This is a weird one. Some things you just cant make up, Leeper said during a press conference announcing the arrest. Kang flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport early Friday and took an Uber to the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach, authorities said. After checking into the hotel, Kang purchased a hammer and flashlight from an Ace Hardware store, dressed in all black with gloves and mask and entered the fellow gamers unlocked home about 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff. The victims stepfather reported being awakened by screams for help, Leeper said. When he went to see what was going on, he found his stepson on the ground, struggling with the attacker, who was in possession of a hammer. Leeper entered the home through an unlocked door, Leeper said. Sheriffs deputies found a significant amount of blood in the entryway of the home and the victims bedroom, Leeper said. The sheriff described the two men as being around the same age, and having met playing ArcheAge, a multiplayer online role-playing game similar to World of Warcraft. The two, who apparently argued online, had never met in person, according to the sheriff. The suspect flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Florida, apparently to confront the victim in person, to kill the victim, Leeper said. Kang told investigators the victim was a bad person online, and asked, how much time do you get for breaking and entering and assault? according to the sheriff. Leeper said both Kang and the other man were taken to a local hospital The man was treated for a severe head injury that was not considered life-threatening, Leeper said. Kang was treated for unspecified injuries and released to the custody of the sheriffs office. Kang was booked into the Nassau County Jail on Sunday. Attorney information for Kang was not immediately available. Leeper said the investigation is ongoing and charges may be upgraded in the future. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Another longtime Donald Trump loyalist is floating the idea the former president should skip Thursdays debate against Joe Biden. Steve Bannon has called on CNN to apologize to a Trump spokeswoman or else. CNN owes you an apology today. And if we dont get that apology to Karoline Leavitt and to the Trump campaign and to MAGA today, President Trump should cancel this, Bannon said. Steve Bannon says if CNN doesn't apologize today to Trump's spokesperson after she tried to use her time on the network to attack Jake Tapper, Trump should cancel the debate. pic.twitter.com/3DVEkCi8wV MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 24, 2024 He was referring to CNNs Kasie Hunt cutting off an interview with Leavitt, Trump campaigns national spokeswoman, on Monday after she took shots at the upcoming debates moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, instead of answering the question Hunt asked about the event. Bannon has now joined the chorus of Trump loyalists and advisors, like Fox News Sean Hannity, who are floating reasons for Trump to skip the debate he agreed to last month. There are some even saying ... Donald Trump might be wise to pass on the first debate, wait till hes nominated, then debate him, Hannity said on his show two weeks ago. Reasons to bail on the debate come as others in Trumps circle have taken to the airwaves to downplay comments theyve made about Bidens cognitive state. This guy has got the ability, North Dakotas Doug Burgum said on CNN over the weekend. When he needs to he can step up. CNNs Kaitlin Collins noted Burgum has called Biden infirm and pressed the possible Trump vice presidential pick whether it was a mistake to paint such a bleak picture of the incumbent. Well, I dont know if it was a mistake or not, Burgum said. Biden and Trump agreed last month to hold two campaign debates the first on June 27 hosted by CNN and the second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC setting the stage for the first presidential faceoff in just weeks. The quick agreement on the timetable to meet followed the Democrats announcement that he will not participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Bidens campaign instead proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates with the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site, said he was Ready and Willing to Debate Biden. Hours later, Biden said he accepted an invitation from CNN, adding, Over to you, Donald. Trump said on Truth Social hed be there, adding, Lets get ready to Rumble!!! And soon after that, they agreed to the second debate on ABC. Trump has repeatedly called on Biden to debate. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. If embattled U.S. Sen. Bob Menedez wont step down then fellow Democratic colleague John Fetterman will continue to taunt him with the moniker Gold Bar Bob every time he sees him in the hallways of the Capitol. Thats according to a new report on Fetterman from The New Yorker that highlighted how Fetterman shouted the line at Menendez every time he saw him in Washington. According to Rebecca Katz, a longtime adviser of Fettermans, He is the guy who says the emperor has no clothes. Menendez, the former chairman of the Senates Foreign Relations Committee, is currently standing trial after he was indicted for allegedly accepting bribes and using his influence to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to call on Menendez to resign and gave him the nickname after investigators found a stash of gold bars in a locked closet in Menendezs home. Menendez faces charges of bribery, fraud, extortion, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. The evidence includes gold bars and over $400,000 in cash that the FBI found during a search of the couples house, which Pomerantz said was tucked inside a safe, in jacket pockets, in shoes, all over the house. Menendez, 70, quit his powerful post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his arrest, but he resisted calls for his resignation. He skipped the Democratic primary but said he might run as an independent this year if he is acquitted. Menendez has held public office continuously since 1986, serving as a state legislator before 14 years as a U.S. congressman. In 2006, then-Gov. Jon Corzine appointed Menendez to the Senate seat he vacated when he became governor. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. New details continue to emerge. Donald Trump may have scored a victory in successfully delaying his criminal classified documents case. But new details of special counsel Jack Smiths case against the former president have been making headlines despite Trumps best efforts to keep the story out of the limelight. The latest in Smiths case is a filing that shows new photos taken at Mar-a-Lago that Trump is accused of taking from the White House after he left and lying about keeping them at his Florida home. It comes only a day after a previously unreported visit Trump allegedly took to Mar-a-Lago that aides reportedly kept quiet and occurred only weeks before FBI agents searched his property for classified materials. One thing about this case -- over time, the governments evidence keeps getting better. Delay helps Trump in a very real sense but also hurts, former federal prosecutor Joyce Alene posted to X. one thing about this case--over time, the government's evidence keeps getting better. Delay helps Trump in a very real sense but also hurts. https://t.co/ZreGPszQJw Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) June 25, 2024 Trump faces dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding top-secret records at Mar-a-Lago and obstructing the FBIs efforts to get them back. Given the breadth of evidence that prosecutors have put forward, many legal experts have regarded the case as the most straightforward of the four prosecutions against Trump, who has pleaded not guilty. But the judge in the case Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee whose handling of the case has generated intense scrutiny has been slow to rule on numerous motions and has proved willing to entertain defense requests that prosecutors say are meritless. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis as gun deaths and injuries punctuate daily life in America. On nearly every day of 2024 so far, a burst of gunfire has hit at least four people somewhere in the country. Some days, communities have endured four or five such shootings. The nations top doctor called on policymakers to consider gun safety measures such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for all firearm purchases. His advisory also urges a significant increase in funding for research on gun injuries and deaths, as well as greater access to mental health care and trauma-informed resources for people who have experienced firearm violence. In 2022, more than 48,000 people were killed by guns in the U.S. or about 132 people a day and suicides accounted for more than half of those deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 200-plus Americans seek emergency care for firearm injuries each day, according to estimates from Johns Hopkins University research. No federal database records nonfatal gun injuries. The Office of the Surgeon General does not set or carry out gun policy but historically its reports and warnings have nudged policymakers and lawmakers to act. Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He cited soaring gun deaths among children and teens and noted that the mental health toll of firearm violence is far more profound and pervasive than many of us recognize. Every day that passes we lose more kids to gun violence, Murthy said, The more children who are witnessing episodes of gun violence, the more children who are shot and survive that are dealing with a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts. Firearm-related homicides over the past decade and suicides over the past two decades have driven the sharp rise in gun deaths, the advisory says. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, with higher death rates among Black and Hispanic youths. Researchers from Boston University found that during the height of the COVID pandemic, Black children were 100 times as likely as white children to experience gun injuries. Hispanic and Asian children also saw major increases in firearm assault injuries during that time, that study showed. Joseph Sakran, executive vice chair of surgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and chief medical officer for Brady United Against Gun Violence, said the surgeon generals declaration is a historic moment that sounds the alarm for all Americans. But Sakran added: It cannot stop here. We have to use this as another step in the right direction. No one wants to see more children gunned down. Murthy has long said gun violence should be framed as a health issue. He argued that the approach has been successful in combating significant societal problems, citing tobacco control efforts that took hold following the then-surgeon generals landmark 1964 report concluding that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer and other diseases. We saved so many lives, and thats what we can do here, too, Murthy said. Murthys move is one of several recent Biden administration actions designed to combat gun violence as most gun-related measures remain political nonstarters in Congress. Federal officials have allowed states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for gun violence prevention and the White House has called on hospital executives and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and to routinely counsel patients about the safe use of firearms. While available data points to tragic outcomes across American communities, government officials and public health researchers have long been stymied by sparse federal funding devoted to gun violence research and the scope of its health effects. Ive been studying gun violence for about 33 years now and theres still some really basic and fundamental questions I cant answer, said Daniel Webster, a gun violence researcher at Johns Hopkins University. To really understand gun violence, you need to do more than just look at publicly available surveillance data, he said. You need to actually do in-depth studies involving the populations at highest risk for shooting or being shot. A Brady analysis found that of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S., firearm injuries received the third-lowest amount of federal research funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for each person who died. The only causes of death that garnered less research funding through NIH were poisonings and falls, according to the analysis. Sonali Rajan, an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who researches the effects of gun violence on children, said political leaders and others need to reframe the debate on gun violence from crime to public health. We are raising a whole generation of children for whom exposure to gun violence is normal, Rajan said. In Michigan, we had a kid survive the Oxford High School shooting only to go to Michigan State University and see another mass shooting, she said. It is unbelievably shameful. Serving as President Joe Bidens surgeon general since 2021, Murthy has, at times, caused political controversy with his views on gun violence. Over a decade ago, former President Barack Obama nominated Murthy to be the nations top doctor. But Murthys support for a federal ban on the sale of assault weapons and ammunition and additional restrictions on gun purchases drew the ire of the National Rifle Association as well as Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Murthy to the job in December 2014, more than a year after his nomination. Murthy has previously issued advisories on social isolation and loneliness, youth mental health and the well-being of health workers. He said gun violence comes up in many of his conversations with young people about the mental health challenges theyre facing. Fears around gun violence have really pervaded so much of the psyche of America in ways that are very harmful to our mental health and well-being, Murthy said. Many other causes of death are treated differently as to understanding the problems and developing solutions, Webster said. But thats generally not what weve done with gun violence. Weve oversimplified it and overpoliticized it. As Sakran put it: As we look at firearm injuries, theres arguably no public issue thats as urgent. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. It can be republished for free. Seaweed could help change the fortunes of Bideford Harbour where income has reduced because commercial ships dont use it. The harbour is expecting the first trial of seaweed from an offshore pilot farm in Bideford Bay to land later this year. It is expected to bring in up to 10,000 tonnes a year when the farm reaches maturity over the next five years. Torridge District Councils overview and scrutiny committee heard that efforts to bring back commercial ships to the port were continuing, but levels of trade in fine ball clay, a North Devon speciality, and other suitable cargoes were still below pre-pandemic levels. This is reflected in ports of similar size across the UK. Councillors are due to discuss plans for a new Torridge estuary strategy at a forthcoming community and resources committee to try to generate new income from the harbour which was granted Heritage Harbour status by the Marine Maritime Trust at the start of the year. The seaweed farm pilot is being run by environmental company Algapelago Marine after a cash injection from Devon County Councils Green Innovation Fund in 2022. Seaweed is the umbrella term for thousands of species of marine algae and is seen by some people as a major component in the fight against climate change. The company has been working with academics from Plymouth Marine Laboratories, Portsmouth University, and the Eden Project to research the potential for the seaweed market in capturing carbon and improving coastal habitats. In addition to its benefit of absorbing carbon, the seaweed crop can offer uses including animal feed, fertilisers, bioplastics, and cosmetics reducing the carbon footprint of these products, due to the low intensity of the cultivation process. Bideford Harbour Board is authorised by Torridge District Council to run the harbour, and with harbour master Paul Brown they are trying to encourage more business to the port. Bideford recently hosted the passenger carrier the Waverley, twice during May and June, causing a real buzz around the town and attracting visitors. Mr Brown is talking with the ships agents to encourage her to return next year after the paddle steamer enjoyed its first visit to Bideford in 40 years. Councillors were told that costs for harbour master activity and pilotage had reduced from 136,000 to 126,000 over the 2023/24 financial year, mostly from salary savings, but they agreed that the harbour needed a long-term strategy to survive. Committee chairman Simon Newton (Con, Winkleigh) said: The interest from something like the Waverley is encouraging, but the seaweed farming business is even more encouraging as it is a potential long term and regular income stream. Cllr Wendy Lo-Vel (Green, Northam) said: Unfortunately everyone has a narrow view of the harbour in that it needs to be a ship arriving and shipping fees to be successful. She said if the council took into consideration the amount it made in car parking fees from events like the Waverley and festivals on the waterfront, the accounts might look better. We need to look at the quayside and harbour as a whole. Its a very narrow view to say it has to be a cargo of clay or it is not earning any money. Cllr Newton said: We dont dispute the value of the quay, we would like to see it used more, it is about bringing all aspects in together. A few more festivals per year is not maximising the estuary and harbour asset we have. Welcome to a heartwarming video where we hear straight from foreign nationals living in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province in China. This vibrant metropolis has captured the hearts of many expatriates with its unique blend of modernity and tradition, and this video is a collection of their authentic experiences and wholehearted praises for the city they now call home. Update: George Latimer defeated Jamaal Bowman in the Democratic congressional primary on Tuesday. In Tuesdays primary election in the 16th Congressional District of New York, the Westchester County executive, George Latimer, is running against Representative Jamaal Bowman, a member of the Houses progressive Squad. The chatter has been all about campaign gaffes and fund-raising. But in this case, it should be about the merits of the candidates. Weve heard plenty about the outsize funding for Latimer, particularly from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. The question said aloud by Bowman supporters has been, Why so much money from a foreign government for a local congressional candidate? The unspoken question has been, Why are the Jews funding this candidate? Weve also heard Bowman ridiculed for holding a rally in the South Bronx, which he does not represent. Onstage, Bowman proudly cursed in a manner unbecoming to a public official. Theres also his schoolyard prank in the halls of Congress, pulling a fire alarm to stall a bill and then lying about it. But lets put aside money and manners. Lets even put aside the war in Gaza, an issue on which the candidates strongly differ. (Latimer offers a centrist view broadly supportive of President Bidens policy, while Bowman has taken a forceful pro-Palestinian stance.) Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri temporarily blocked pieces of the Biden administrations new student loan repayment plan on Monday in rulings that will have implications for millions of federal borrowers. Borrowers enrolled in the income-driven repayment plan, known as SAVE, are expected to continue to make payments. But those with undergraduate debt will no longer see their payments cut in half starting on July 1, a huge disappointment for borrowers who may have been counting on that relief. The separate preliminary injunctions on Monday are tied to lawsuits filed this year by two groups of Republican-led states seeking to upend the SAVE program, a centerpiece of President Bidens agenda to provide relief to student borrowers. Many of the programs challengers are the same ones that filed suit against Mr. Bidens $400 billion debt-cancellation plan, which the Supreme Court struck down last June. All of this is an absolute mess for borrowers, and its pretty shocking that state public officials asked the courts to prevent the Biden administration from offering more affordable loan payments to their residents at time when so many Americans are struggling with high prices, said Abby Shafroth, co-director of advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center. Its a pretty cynical ploy in an election year to stop the current president from being able to lower prices for working- and middle-class Americans. Just days after the body of Fahim Saleh, a successful tech entrepreneur, was found dismembered in his luxury condominium in Manhattan in July 2020, his former personal assistant, Tyrese Haspil, made a series of unsettling web searches. Fahim Saleh. Murder of tech C.E.O. in New York. Dismembered body. The search queries were just some of the chilling details that emerged during Mr. Haspils murder trial this month in Manhattan Criminal Court. And on Monday jurors convicted him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr. Saleh and then killing him and cutting up his body in an effort to conceal what he had done. Mr. Haspil, 25, of Brooklyn is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 10. Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr. Salehs life short a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur, said Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, in a statement announcing the conviction on Monday. I hope the accountability delivered by todays verdict can provide a measure of comfort to Mr. Salehs loved ones as they continue to mourn his loss. Mr. Saleh, 33, was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents and grew up in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was the founder of two motorcycle ride-sharing companies, based in Bangladesh and Nigeria, the latter of which raised millions in venture capital. After his death, he was remembered as an innovative businessman and a generous friend. In March 2019, an aide to Senator Robert Menendez drafted a letter that used strong language to criticize the president of Egypt and the countrys human rights record. Mr. Menendez declined to sign it. Mr. Menendez, then the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he wanted to try a less confrontational approach, the aide, Sarah Arkin, testified on Monday at the senators bribery trial. Weve been going after them for so long on human rights have been really out there publicly criticizing them and it hasnt really changed anything on the ground, Ms. Arkin, a senior staff member with the committee, said Mr. Menendez had told her. Instead, Mr. Menendez said he wanted to be a little less publicly critical and do more private and quiet engagement, Ms. Arkin said. A county legislature in New York voted on Monday to bar transgender athletes from playing at county-owned facilities unless they compete on teams matching the gender they were assigned at birth or on coed teams. The vote, in Nassau County on Long Island, followed months of debate after the county executive, Bruce Blakeman, issued an executive order in February instituting a similar ban. In May, a judge ruled that Mr. Blakeman did not have the authority to impose such a ban, a decision Mr. Blakeman is appealing. That court found that only a legislative body could pass such a measure, and so the battle moved to the majority-Republican Nassau County Legislature, which voted 12 to 5 in favor of the ban (two legislators were absent). The bill now heads to Mr. Blakemans desk to be signed into law. Over more than two hours of sometimes raucous discussion and public comment leading up to the vote, tensions ran high in the legislative chamber. Weighted accusations were traded and a number of unrelated issues discussed in a debate that illustrated how contentious the issue of transgender athletes has become. Update: George Latimer defeated Jamaal Bowman in the Democratic congressional primary on Tuesday. On Tuesday, voters in New Yorks 16th Congressional District will cast ballots in the most expensive House primary race in American history, and if the polls are right, Representative Jamaal Bowman, a left-wing Democrat, is going to lose. In the primary four years ago, Bowman rode the insurgent energy of the Black Lives Matter movement to an upset victory against a longtime incumbent, Eliot Engel, one of Congresss most reliable supporters of Israel. But the urgent utopian hopes of that moment have long since faded. Now Israels champions, many of whom have never been comfortable with Bowman, are striking back, capitalizing on a political environment transformed by Oct. 7. Bowmans challenger is the Westchester County executive, George Latimer, who refuses to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, putting Latimer not just to Bowmans right but also to the right of President Biden and Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader. A June Emerson poll showed Latimer leading by 17 points. If Bowman is defeated, he will be the first member of the Squad a group of young, very progressive Black and brown members of Congress toppled by a moderate. Given that the American Israel Public Affairs Committees super PAC has poured more than $14.5 million into the race, a Bowman loss will probably serve as a warning to other politicians about the cost of breaking with Washingtons pro-Israel political consensus. This is, in my view, one of the most important elections in the modern history of this country, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said at a rally for Bowman on Friday, speaking about the obscene sums being marshaled on Latimers behalf. I think Sanders was exaggerating, but the contest is probably the most important congressional primary this year. Its setting a precedent for big money interference in local politics and tearing at the longtime progressive alliance between Black people and Jews. It could intimidate into silence Democrats who have qualms about Israels treatment of the Palestinians, or if Bowman manages an upset, it could embolden them. These high stakes make his carelessness in giving his enemies ammunition especially frustrating. It was always going to be hard, after Oct. 7, for Bowman to bridge the gulf between his convictions and the expectations of many of his Jewish constituents. His district, which includes a small slice of the Bronx as well as the suburbs of southern Westchester, is among the countrys most Jewish, and many of his voters, traumatized by Hamass attack on Israel and by increasingly visible antisemitism in America, wanted someone who would stand resolutely with the Jewish state. Bowman was never going to do that; he was horrified by his encounter with Israels occupation during a congressional trip in 2021, and hes been anguished by the mass death and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, where he believes Israel is committing a genocide. There is something deeply admirable about his refusal to subordinate his values to political expediency. The former leader of a Haitian street gang was sentenced on Monday to 35 years in prison for his role in directing a gunrunning scheme that smuggled guns to Haiti using ransom money that had been paid for the release of American hostages, prosecutors said. Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced the former gang leader, Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, in a Washington courtroom. Mr. Germine, who was known as Yonyon as the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti, pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to a 48-count indictment that charged him with several crimes, including money laundering, smuggling and conspiracy to defraud the United States, the U.S. attorneys office for the District of Columbia said in a statement on Monday. The 35-year sentence does not address other charges of conspiracy to commit hostage taking that Mr. Germine also faces after the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility in 2021 for taking 16 American hostages and one Canadian. The hostage-taking case, which Judge Bates is also overseeing, is to go to trial next year, court records show. The Republican primary between Representative Bob Good of Virginia, the chairman of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, and his Trump-backed challenger was still undecided on Monday almost a week after the balloting, as the two election deniers settled in for a lengthy and ugly fight over who was the true winner. John J. McGuire, a state senator and former Navy SEAL who attended the Stop the Steal rally outside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, held a lead of just under 375 votes out of the nearly 63,000 votes cast, according to The Associated Press. He declared victory last Tuesday night before all the votes were counted, and on Monday, former President Donald J. Trump, who endorsed him, declared Mr. McGuire the winner in a social media post. But The A.P. said on Monday that the contest was too close to call, noting that while it would be unusual for a recount to shift the outcome of such a race, it would not be impossible. And Mr. Good has already made it clear he will seek a recount, an option under Virginia law, which allows such a request if the winner of a race is less than one percentage point ahead of his opponent. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, agreed to plead guilty on Monday to a single felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material in exchange for his release from a British prison, ending his long and bitter standoff with the United States. Mr. Assange, 52, was granted his request to appear before a federal judge at one of the more remote outposts of the federal judiciary, the courthouse in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a brief court filing made public late Monday. He is expected to be sentenced to about five years, the equivalent of the time he has already served in Britain, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the terms of the agreement. It was a fitting final twist in the case against Mr. Assange, who doggedly opposed extradition to the U.S. mainland. The islands are a United States commonwealth in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and much closer to Mr. Assanges native Australia, where he is a citizen, than courts in the continental United States or Hawaii. Mr. Assange is scheduled to appear in Saipan at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday and is expected to fly back to Australia at the conclusion of the proceedings, Matthew J. McKenzie, an official in the Justice Departments counterterrorism division, wrote in a letter to the judge in the case. A protest outside of a synagogue in Los Angeless most densely populated Jewish enclave on Sunday drew unusually swift and forceful condemnation from top Democratic leaders including President Biden, reigniting debates about the boundaries of acceptable protest as tensions over the war in Gaza continue to flare across the country. The president, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, joined Jewish groups in seeking to cast synagogues and other houses of worship as off-limits to demonstrators. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American, Mr. Biden said in a statement posted on Monday on social media. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship and engaging in violence is never acceptable. Pro-Palestinian groups criticized that characterization, defending Sundays demonstration and arguing that protesting an event at a synagogue was not inherently antisemitic. Israels prime minister says the war in the Gaza Strip will soon enter a new phase. The intense stage of the war with Hamas is about to end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a television interview on Sunday. This does not mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end. But whatever relief those comments may bring after more than half a year of horrific bloodshed, Mr. Netanyahu quickly made two things clear: A cease-fire in Gaza is not at hand. And the next fight might be in Lebanon, with the forces of a Hamas ally, Hezbollah. After drawing down troops in Gaza, he said, We will be able to move part of our forces to the north. Mr. Netanyahu stopped well short of announcing an invasion of Lebanon, a move that would likely result in heavy Israeli and Lebanese losses, and instead left open the door for a diplomatic resolution with Hezbollah. Any diplomatic resolution in Gaza remains uncertain, in part because Mr. Netanyahus coalition would likely collapse if Israel stopped fighting in Gaza without having removed Hamas from power. Still, the prime minister appeared to be signaling that Israel, after finishing its current military operation in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city, will not seek to mount major ground invasions of cities in central Gaza, the only area of the territory where the Israeli military has not carried out such attacks. What do you call a wax replica of a former president during an oppressive heat wave? A punchline waiting to happen. Originally installed at an elementary school in Washington, D.C., in February, the six-foot wax version of the Lincoln Memorial was intended as a commentary on American monument culture. Instead, it became a meme. As temperatures in the region neared triple digits over the weekend, the replicas head mostly melted off, turning the towering president into a droopy mess. People sharing the photos online could relate. To them, Abraham Lincoln looked as if he were reacting to an annoying work email or sinking into a couch after a long day. Jokes and innuendo abounded about why he was leaning back. Dear listeners, A few weeks ago, when the British pop musician Charli XCX released her raw, prismatic sixth album, Brat, I had some difficulty choosing just one of its tracks for our Friday Playlist. I ultimately went with Girl, So Confusing, a dance floor confessional that aired mixed feelings about a certain musical peer. People say were alike, they say weve got the same hair, Charli sang, before admitting that the few times they had hung out felt stilted: We talk about making music, but I dont know if its honest. You dont have to be an international pop star to know that particular feeling the awkward disappointment when you just dont click with someone that everyone around you thinks youll love. Still, the peanut gallery clamored to know exactly whom Charli was singing about. That line about the hair, plus the characterization that this unnamed girl was all about writing poems, had people convinced it was Lorde. Those suspicions were confirmed last Friday, when Lorde told her side of the story on a surprise remix, which kicks off todays playlist of notable singles from the past few weeks. In her first new lyrics since her 2021 retreat-from-fame album Solar Power, Lorde met Charlis warts-and-all honesty with an outpouring of her own insecurities and body-image struggles: Youd always say lets go out, but then Id cancel last minute/I was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures. Lordes verse is at once heartbreaking and cathartic, and when her voice and Charlis join in the songs final moments, it feels like something deeper and more poignant than pop musics usual girl power sloganeering. Also candidly airing her anxieties on this playlist is the British phenom Raye, whose sprawling, seven-minute Genesis. moves through the darkest parts of her psyche before finally reaching for the light. The New York art-rock trio Hello Mary finds release through pummeling noise, while the electronic artist Floating Points blisses out via hypnotic loops and kinetic beats. Plus, if you want to hear Cardi B rapping in Spanglish perhaps a preview of the Spanish-language album she has promised to release one day this playlist will scratch that itch, too. Over the years, the lavish German noir detective series Babylon Berlin has required patience from its American viewers. First, fans had to untangle dense story lines set across the late 1920s and early 1930s along with an abundance of compulsively watchable characters, most of them harboring secrets. Then they had to wait years for new episodes. Netflix initially carried the first three seasons, but they were removed from the platform this year. Season 4 aired in Germany and elsewhere in Europe in 2022, but these newer episodes have only now become available to stream in the United States, arriving on MHz Choice, a platform specializing in European titles, on Tuesday. This fourth season is more music, more crime, more sex, more politics than ever before, said Henk Handloegten, who created Babylon Berlin along with Achim von Borries and Tom Tykwer. It also features more Nazis. The president is indeed rather old, older than anyone who has held the office. When he first won his Senate seat in 1972, the current leaders of Britain, France and Italy were not yet born. If Mr. Biden serves a full second term, he will retire to Delaware at 86. Already, after three-and-a-half years in a job that superannuates everyone, he appears a different man from the days of the Covid campaign, his hair thinner, his gait tighter. His age may be nothing but a number. But the perception of his age has become desperately entangled with cultural connotations of elderliness, formed over centuries, handed down to us through religion and literature and art. His predecessor and rival is also old, and also has trouble speaking clearly. But the same polls that have Mr. Biden trailing the 78-year-old Donald J. Trump, even after the latters conviction on 34 felony counts, show too that only one of these men is facing such widespread anxieties about the way of all flesh. The principal roadblock to the incumbents re-election, the polls keep telling us, is not policy. Younger Democrats, to his left and right, outpace him down-ballot. More than 20 years after the death of Leopold Sedar Senghor the writer, poet and first president of Senegal after the countrys independence from France his name is still generating headlines. In April, a beneficiary of his sister-in-laws estate in Paris auctioned Senghors private library of over 800 works, including 343 signed books. Worried about preserving his cultural legacy, the Senegalese government stepped in to halt the sale and bought the entire collection last month. Weeks after the deal was finalized, the volumes are now heading to Senegal to the delight of literary scholars, historians and archivists. Taken together, the collection tells the stories of the relationships Senghor fostered with other writers, intellectuals and politicians from around the world. It also provides a window into his contributions to the anticolonial Negritude movement, a literary flowering influenced by the Harlem Renaissance that brought together Black writers and scholars from French colonies in Africa and the Caribbean during the 1930s. Beyond the sentimental value, this collection constitutes an invaluable contribution to better understanding Senghors thought and the history of 20th-century ideas, said Alioune Diaw, a researcher at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. Kenyas president deployed the military today to crack down on what he called treasonous protesters. Demonstrators furious over the passage of a bill that would raise taxes stormed the Parliament building in Nairobi, climbed in windows and set fire to the entrance. The police fired at the protesters, who had flooded the streets around the Parliament by the thousands some draped in the Kenyan flag and chanting for the president to resign. At least five people were reported dead from gunshot wounds, and more than 30 others were wounded, according to Amnesty International and several Kenyan civic organizations. Heres the latest reporting from my colleagues in the city. President William Ruto struck an uncompromising tone in an address to the nation, vowing to ensure that a situation of this nature will not recur again, at whatever cost. His predecessor urged him to show restraint and listen to the protesters. The contentious bill was introduced by Rutos government in May to address the countrys heavy debt burden. But Kenyans have widely criticized the legislation, saying it adds punitive new taxes and raises others on staple goods. Attack revived terrorism fears in Russia At least 20 people were killed on Sunday in a seemingly coordinated assault in the Dagestan region of southern Russia, the deadliest attack in the area in 14 years. The Russian authorities have designated the assault an act of terror, but it was not immediately clear who was responsible. Gunmen targeted a police station as well as synagogues and Orthodox churches. Fifteen of the victims were police officers. One was an Orthodox priest, who was killed in his church. It is not known whether the attackers were specifically targeting members of law enforcement. Five attackers were eventually killed by security forces, officials said. The attack was reminiscent of the intense violence that gripped the Northern Caucasus, a predominantly Muslim region, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That bloodshed was caused by a combination of Islamic fundamentalism and organized crime. Suppressing it became one of the central bragging points for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, after he came to power in 1999. That legacy is now at risk of being undermined by a resurgence of violence. In March, four gunmen killed 145 people at a concert hall near Moscow. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack. In a bid to acquire a key supplier, Boeing has shifted how it plans to pay for the deal, according to two people familiar with the negotiations, a move that could help the plane maker preserve money as it addresses safety and quality problems. Boeing would use stock instead of cash to buy Spirit AeroSystems, said the two people, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the deal. One added that Boeing would pay more than $4 billion for Spirit, which produces aviation parts, including the body of the Boeing 737 Max, the companys most popular plane. One of the people familiar with the talks said that the decision to shift to stock from cash was not expected to significantly delay a deal, which could be announced as soon as next week. Based on its stock price on Tuesday, Spirit has a market value of more than $3.6 billion. News that Boeing was proposing to use its stock, rather than cash, to buy Spirit was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. Air-conditioning was long considered a luxury in much of the world. Not anymore. Look, for example, at a move earlier this month by the Biden administration: For the first time, residents of public housing can ask the federal government to pay their air-conditioning bills during periods of extreme heat. The program, which is run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is optional, and it authorizes local public housing authorities to use federal funds to pay for residents cooling costs. It could affect the more than 1.6 million low-income residents of public housing who may now find respite in their homes from the dangerously high temperatures killing people around the world. While the measure was seen by experts as a step in the right direction, the need is far greater. Tens of millions of Americans cant pay their energy bills, and there is often no legal requirement for landlords or building owners to provide air-conditioning. Thats not to mention the millions of Americans who are struggling to pay rent, or who are homeless, or who die in their homes with broken air-conditioners. As thousands fall ill or die from the heat each year, public health experts increasingly point to a sprawling set of challenges with one uniting factor: Housing is at the root of what makes people vulnerable to high temperatures. Its not news that the United States is mired in a housing crisis. For many, housing is less affordable than it has been in decades, and finding a way to build more and better homes has been a challenge, even in some of the wealthiest places in the country. The housing crisis and poverty have compounded, making many people powerless against the heat. Oh, to have the self-confidence of Kevin Costner. There are few actors in the final chapter of their career who would turn down a consistent $1 million-an-episode payday to pursue the vagaries of the Wild West. Yet there are few actors who are as single-minded as Costner. For the 69-year old star and director, who has made a career of taking the road less traveled, has embarked on what many would call a foolhardy quest to turn his long-percolating story of the settling of the West post-Civil War into four theatrical films. Its an endeavor hes undertaking without the true support of Hollywood: No legacy studio wanted to finance his sprawling epic. And its one that comes at great personal cost, both financially, with Costner investing $38 million of his own money, and professionally, with his commitment to the films causing a schism with the producers of Yellowstone, the television franchise that revitalized his career. There is no guarantee his grand experiment will succeed. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 is set to debut Friday. And in an unprecedented move, Chapter 2 will hit theaters less than two months later, on Aug. 16. Both features cost in the $100 million range. Warner Bros. is releasing the films in the United States, Canada and some international territories in a service deal calling for Costner to pay for the marketing costs while collaborating with the studio on the creation of the marketing materials. (Warner Bros., according to a representative who was not permitted to speak on the record, has a small financial stake in the production of the first two films.) The deals structure means that should the movies backfire, there will be little financial downside for the studio but much risk for Costner himself. Before the pandemic, a handful of districts in New York City were thinking about disparities across schools in their areas and how they could address them through desegregation. In District 15, where that conversation had been going on for several years, parents decided to go further than anywhere else in the city, eliminating selective admissions for middle schools and setting high targets for the proportion of disadvantaged students that each school would enroll. At the time, there was a lot of support in District 15. But there was also concern that when districts try to desegregate, they run the risk that some families will be dissatisfied and that middle-class families in particular will leave the school system. Four years after a new coronavirus swept through New York in what was called a once-in-a-century event, public health officials are beginning to prepare for the possibility that a far worse pandemic is on its way. The bird flu virus, H5N1, is not spreading among people. But the city is already preparing as if it could. It is considering plans to set up isolation and quarantine hotels. One New York City hospital system is taking steps to start testing its sewage for the virus, so that it will know if bird flu is silently circulating among patients and staff. But some epidemiologists worry that once again, the public health response in New York will be too sluggish in the early phases, should an epidemic break out in the city. The United States under President Biden is a dictatorship, according to Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota. Under Joe Biden, Burgum told Fox News, were actually living under a dictatorship today where hes, you know, bypassing Congress on immigration policy; hes bypassing Congress on protecting our border; hes bypassing Congress on student loan forgiveness; hes defying the Supreme Court. Asked on Sunday to defend his claim, Burgum, who is apparently on the short list of potential running mates for Donald Trump, stood his ground, telling CNN that Biden is bypassing the other two branches of government to push an ideological view of whether its on economics or whether its on climate extremism hes doing that without using the other branches. It is an odd sort of dictatorship in which the head of state is bound by the rule of law as well as by the authority of other constitutional actors, one in which the dictators critics can organize to defeat him in an election without intimidation, penalty or threat of legal sanction and in which he will leave office if he loses. If nothing else, it is hard to imagine a world in which Biden is both a dictator and someone who would allow Burgum, a regime opponent, to speak freely on national television as he works to defeat Biden at the ballot box. Elected officials who prefer not to discuss the fact that New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the United States could soon have no choice. A state appellate court has said that an anti-discrimination lawsuit can move forward. The suit charges New York with maintaining a racialized pipeline through which gifted and talented programs and screening practices condemn many students of color to neglected schools that deliver inferior and unacceptable outcomes. If successful, this landmark legal challenge could remake admissions practices at selective public schools. At the same time, in Brooklyn, a public school district that covers both poor and affluent neighborhoods has shown it is possible to integrate schools without rancor or a mass exodus of white families when parents and school officials value integration as a benefit in itself. As my colleague Troy Closson explained last week, the remaking of Brooklyns District 15 began several years ago, when parents expressed a desire to integrate middle schools that were among the most homogeneous in the city. Selective admissions were scrapped, Closson wrote. Every child got a lottery number instead. Schools adopted targets to admit certain numbers of disadvantaged children. Middle schools set aside seats for students who were from low-income families, living in temporary housing or still learning English. Crucially, the schools fill incoming classes through a lottery, instead of using metrics like grades or attendance. Early one morning in late October 2013, Gerard Talavera, an entomologist, saw something highly unusual a flock of painted lady butterflies stranded on a beach in French Guiana. The painted lady, or the species Vanessa cardui, is one of the worlds most widespread butterflies, but it isnt found in South America. Yet there they were, lying in the sand of the continents eastern shores, their wings tattered and riddled with holes. Judging by their condition, the bleary-eyed Dr. Talavera, who works at the Institut Botanic de Barcelona in Spain, guessed they were recovering from a long flight. The insect is a champion of long-distance travel, routinely crisscrossing the Sahara on a trek from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa, covering up to 9,000 miles. Could they also have made the 2,600-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean without any place to stop and refuel? Dr. Talavera wanted to find out. Following the long-range movements of insects is challenging. Tools like radio-tracking devices are too large for insects small and delicate frames, and radar allows for monitoring only of specific locations. Scientists have had to rely on educated guesses and citizen-scientist observations to piece together travel patterns. June 28, 2024: This article was updated to add details about the lunar sample that were announced after its original publication date. China brought a capsule full of lunar soil from the far side of the moon down to Earth on Tuesday, achieving the latest success in an ambitious schedule to explore the moon and other parts of the solar system. The sample, retrieved by the China National Space Administrations Change-6 lander after a 53-day mission, highlights Chinas growing capabilities in space and notches another win in a series of lunar missions that started in 2007 and have so far been executed almost without flaw. Change-6 is the first mission in human history to return samples from the far side of the moon, Long Xiao, a planetary geologist at China University of Geosciences, wrote in an email. This is a major event for scientists worldwide, he added, and a cause for celebration for all humanity. Such sentiments and the prospects of international lunar sample exchanges highlighted the hope that Chinas robotic missions to the moon and Mars will serve to advance scientific understanding of the solar system. Those possibilities are contrasted by views in Washington and elsewhere that Tuesdays achievement is the latest milestone in a 21st-century space race with geopolitical overtones. In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a watch for a possible solar storm. A gigantic cluster of spots on the sun was flaring and expelling material headed straight toward Earth. Hours later, the watch was replaced by a warning: A storm classified as G4 on a G scale of 1 to 5 was coming. That weekend, the solar activity was even stronger, creating northern lights that stunned people as far south as Arizona. Behind the scenes, space weather scientists were working around the clock to make sure that the potential for catastrophic effects, like widespread power outages or communication blackouts, remained at a minimum. According to Mike Bettwy, a meteorologist and the operations chief for NOAAs Space Weather Prediction Center, a lack of data can make solar storm forecasting difficult. The agency is working to change that: On Tuesday, SpaceX is scheduled to launch the agencys GOES-U spacecraft, the latest in a family of satellites designed to monitor the suns impact on our atmosphere, particularly as it approaches a peak in its activity cycle. Mr. Bettwy spoke with The New York Times about what goes into predicting space weather, and the challenge of trying to make sense of an often unpredictable sun. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. The plea deal Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has reached with prosecutors is bad for American press freedoms. But the outcome also could have been worse. The deal, which was finalized on Wednesday in a courtroom in a remote U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, cleared the way for him to walk free after more than five years in British custody, most of which he spent fighting extradition to the United States. In exchange, he pleaded guilty to one charge of violating the Espionage Act. The result is an ambiguous end to a legal saga that has jeopardized the ability of journalists to report on military, intelligence or diplomatic information that officials deem secret. Enshrined in the First Amendment, the role of a free press in bringing to light information beyond what those in power approve for release is a foundational principle of American self-government. Americans of both parties routinely express deep concern about the state of the countrys democracy. This fall, many voters may have a chance to do something about it, by voting on state ballot measures related to the nuts and bolts of elections and governance. Eight states, including Ohio and seven others largely in the West, appear all but certain to field ballot measures that would either overhaul redistricting or rewrite election rules to discourage hyper-partisanship and give voters a greater voice in choosing candidates. Redistricting ballot measures are not uncommon, but since the advent of citizen-backed ballot initiatives in the early 1900s no other year has had more than three election-system initiatives, according to the online elections database Ballotpedia. I just feel like the voice of the people has gotten more and more diluted, Kathy Cunningham, a 55-year-old bioscience consultant from Cincinnati, said last month after signing a petition for an Ohio ballot measure that would undo the states gerrymandered political maps. When you have such a huge imbalance of power, how do you get that back? It creates the perception that were living in a democracy, when maybe were not. Democratic voters turned out across the 16th Congressional District in New York on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the contentious primary between Representative Jamaal Bowman and his opponent, George Latimer, the Westchester County executive, a race with far-reaching political implications. In Yonkers and the Bronx, areas where Mr. Bowman was expected to do well, voters were supportive if sometimes skeptical. Just after 7 a.m. in Yonkers, Jennifer Chalmers, 70, arrived to vote for the congressman somewhat grudgingly. After Mr. Bowman was charged with a misdemeanor for pulling a fire alarm in a House office building in October, Ms. Chalmers began to question his composure, she said. The alarm created chaos while Democrats attempted to stall a vote on a Republican-written stopgap spending bill intended to avert a government shutdown; Mr. Bowman was accused of pulling the alarm in an effort to delay the vote. Julian Assange spent his youth in Australia during the 1980s in a state of chaotic, perpetual motion. He moved more than two dozen times, bounced from school to school and was thrust, for a time, into what he called a New Age cult, before settling in Melbourne. It was there, at age 16, that he adopted a calling: hacking. It would eventually place him on the edge of global disruption in an era of backlash against the national security and political establishments. Mr. Assange, the 52-year-old founder of WikiLeaks, boarded a private jet this week from London for the long flight to a U.S. courtroom in Saipan, where he pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a single count of illegally obtaining and disseminating national security information. A brief proceeding in a remote outpost capped a long legal saga. For a case that attracted a spotlight for more than a decade, its final throes played out quickly and in relative obscurity. As the Nevada caucuses drew to a close in February, Donald J. Trump and several top aides gathered for a quick dinner in a suite atop his hotel in Las Vegas before he descended and declared victory. But the Republican billionaire at the center of attention during the meal was not Mr. Trump it was Dr. Miriam Adelson. The former president, by then on a glide path to the Republican nomination, wanted financial support from Dr. Adelson, a conservative megadonor, and she had a request or two. Be less bombastic, she told him, and speak more directly about the economy. But more important, she made clear to Mr. Trump and his top aides, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, be patient. She would not donate to him while Nikki Haley, his last rival standing and a friend of hers, remained in the race, according to two people briefed on the meeting who insisted on anonymity to describe a private gathering. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a series of recommendations on Tuesday aimed at preventing the type of freight train derailment that occurred last year in East Palestine, Ohio, when 38 rail cars operated by Norfolk Southern came off the tracks. The safety agency also faulted Norfolk Southern for concluding that the hazardous material being transported on 11 of the rail cars was at risk of exploding. That conclusion led to a vent and burn, in which toxic chemicals were released and incinerated, resulting in vast plumes of dark smoke rising above the town. The controlled burn forced many residents of the town to evacuate. The decision has since come under intense scrutiny, and residents still worry about the potential long-term health effects of the smoke that covered the town. The N.T.S.B. had previously raised doubts about the need for a vent and burn and at a meeting in East Palestine on Tuesday, the agency said the railway had misinterpreted and disregarded evidence in reaching that conclusion. When eight Tajik men sought asylum at the southwestern U.S. border months ago, federal authorities had no reason to doubt that they were desperate migrants fleeing a poor country in war-torn Central Asia. But soon after they were admitted into the country, the F.B.I. learned they might have ties to the Islamic State and opened a counterterrorism investigation. This was no ordinary inquiry. Dozens of personnel monitored the men closely as they made their way to different cities across the United States, officials said. The White House was updated regularly. The bureau hoped to gather information about a broader terrorist network. But heightened concerns about a potential attack in at least one location triggered the arrest of all eight men earlier this month on immigration charges, according to several U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive investigation. So far, the men have not been charged with any terrorism-related offenses. Hi there, and welcome to On Politics. Ive asked my colleague Michael Grynbaum, who covers media for The New York Times, to answer a big question: How many people are going to watch Thursdays debate? Then, Ill share an exclusive poll about an issue that may come up, and we check in with our friends at The Run-Up. Jess Bidgood Back in September 2016, the anticipation for the first televised matchup between former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was so high, I described it as the Super Bowl of politics. Magazine editors in Paris for Fashion Week planned to wake up at 3 a.m. local time to watch. A Texas movie house sold out a live screening. And residents of Nantucket, Mass., showed so much interest in a debate watch party at the local Dreamland Theater that a police officer was hired for crowd control. In the end, 84 million people watched that debate, a record. On Monday, I checked in with the Dreamland to see if it was planning a repeat showing when Trump and President Biden face off for their debate on Thursday. Interest has dwindled significantly since then, a theater employee wrote in an email. While he left open the possibility of future watch parties, on this particular Thursday, the theater will be showing a summer blockbuster instead. A day after demonstrators clashed with the police and stormed the national Parliament building in Kenya to protest passage of a finance bill that would increase taxes, President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that he was changing course and would not sign the legislation. The protests had spread across the country and paralyzed Kenyas capital, Nairobi. Images of demonstrators swarming the Parliament and setting buildings on fire shocked the nation. More than 300 protesters were injured and at least 23 were killed, according to human rights groups. Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill, I concede, Mr. Ruto said on Wednesday. Kenya is deep in debt and the government said that it needed to raise taxes to avoid a default. But many Kenyans said they could not afford the proposed increases on imported staples like eggs, onions and cooking oil. The sting of tear gas, the crack of live bullets and images of wounded people sprawled across the ground accompanied mass protests Tuesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, after Parliament passed a controversial bill raising taxes, despite criticism that it would intensify economic desperation. Crowds breached the Parliament amid plumes of smoke as days of protests against the tax bill ended with police and protesters clashing. Nearly a dozen people died in the violence, state and independent rights groups said. In recent days, the government has been accused of abducting critics, making mass arrests around the country to quell unrest and using force that caused brutal injuries and at least one death. Typically a regional bastion of economic security, Kenya has a population of over 54 million. Many of its young people have used technology and social media to organize opposition to the government that they say transcends ethnicities, tribes, races and socioeconomic class. A photo released by the Kenyan presidential office shows deploying police officers praying with President William Ruto on Monday in Nairobi. Foreign law enforcement officers began arriving in Haiti on Tuesday, more than a year and a half after the prime minister there issued a plea to other countries for help to stop the rampant gang violence that has upended the Caribbean nation. Dozens of armed men in military fatigues filed out of a Kenya Airways plane at Haitis Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The officers are part of a deployment of officers from eight nations who will fan out across the capital to try to wrest control of the city from dozens of armed groups that have attacked police stations, freed prisoners and killed with impunity. The arrival of an initial group of 400 Kenyan officers came on a day of intense and deadly violence in Kenyas capital, Nairobi, as the police clashed with demonstrators protesting a tax bill that would increase taxes on many basics. Some security experts say the Kenyan officers face a significant challenge supporting Haitis police and facing off with well-armed and highly organized Haitian gangs that have seized control of much of Port-au-Prince and had vowed to fight the Kenyans. Kenyas police also have a checkered history back home, accused by human rights groups of killing and abusing civilians, raising concerns about their actions in Haiti. Since Haitis appeal for international help went out in October 2022, more than 7,500 people have been killed by violence over 2,500 people so far this year alone, the United Nations said. With a weakened national government and the Haitian presidency vacant, dozens of gangs have put up roadblocks, kidnapped and killed civilians, and attacked entire neighborhoods. About 200,000 people were forced from their homes between March and May, according to the United Nations. The Kenyans in Haiti are the first to deploy of an expected 2,500-member force, an effort largely organized by the Biden administration. You are undertaking a vital mission that transcends borders and cultures, President William Ruto of Kenya told the officers on Monday before they left. President Biden on Tuesday welcomed the deployment. Haitis future depends on the return to democratic governance, he said in a statement. While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them. The officers are expected to tackle a long list of priorities, including retaking control of the countrys main port and freeing major highways from criminal groups that demand money from drivers. Gang checkpoints on these roads are also a major source of their income, said William ONeill, the U.N.s human rights expert on Haiti. While much delayed, the arrival of the Kenyans comes at a good time, particularly since a new police chief and prime minister have been named in recent weeks, he said. Image Residents of the Lower Delmas area carried their belongings as they fled their homes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in May. Credit... Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters The United States has provided many of the missions supplies, rushing to find armored vehicles and other equipment. The Kenyans do not want to be one of these missions that show up on the ground and, for a month, they never leave their base, Dennis B. Hankins, the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, said in an interview. The Kenyans, he added, will need to support the Haitian police, but not replace them, so that when the mission ends their departure doesnt create a security vacuum. Officially called the Multinational Security Support Mission, the deployment is expected to last at least a year, according to the U.S. government. Sanctioned by the U.N. and mostly financed by the United States, its goal is to support the Haitian police and establish enough stability so the transitional government can set up elections to choose a new president, as well as members of Parliament. The U.S. military has flown more than 90 flights into Haiti ahead of the mission, carrying more than 2,600 tons of supplies. Civilian contractors have been building sleeping quarters for the Kenyan officers at the Port-au-Prince airport. In May, Haitian government officials began clearing the airport perimeter of hundreds of houses, which had made it easier for gangs to hide and fire at aircraft, forcing the airfield to close. The airport has reopened to commercial flights. The gangs, the ambassador added, did not fight back while preparations at the airport were made, a sign that perhaps they may not be willing to engage in direct combat with specialized forces, he said. As soon as we got the airport open and functional and we started seeing military flights, that had a real significant psychological impact on the population, Mr. Hankins said. Image A U.S. military cargo plane landing in Port-au-Prince in May. The military has flown in thousands of tons of supplies. Credit... Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press Many experts say that beyond security Haiti needs a comprehensive plan to address the root causes of its governance problems. After Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced to resign in late April, it took several weeks for political parties to agree on who would serve on a new transitional presidential council. It was a full month before a replacement for Mr. Henry took office. Garry Conille, a former U.N. official, accepted the post in late May. During a news conference on Tuesday, where he was joined by Kenyas foreign minister, Monica Juma, Mr. Conille directed comments to gang leaders who have wreaked havoc on Haiti. You are also tired of this situation, even when it is you who created it, he said. Enough is enough. So far, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Kenya have officially offered personnel for the mission. But the mission has not received much financial commitment. While Kenyan officials estimate the cost will run up to $600 million, a U.N. fund to pay for it has only $21 million. The United States has pledged more than $300 million to finance the mission. The United States, Canada and France Haitis biggest benefactors and allies were unwilling to send troops of their own to Haiti. Kenya was the first nation to publicly offer to do so. Many experts believed the mission would be more welcomed if was led by an African nation. Experts say that Mr. Ruto, who won the presidency in 2022 after a closely contested election, was using the deployment to further boost his profile on the global stage. The deployment comes even as Mr. Ruto faces widespread protests nationwide against a finance bill that critics say will increase the already high cost of living. On Tuesday, the police fired tear gas and shots were heard as thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets around Kenyas Parliament in Nairobi. Human rights advocates said that at least five people were killed and over 30 others wounded. Image President William Ruto of Kenya in Nairobi in May. Credit... Brian Otieno for The New York Times At a police camp in Nairobi, officers have undergone physical and weapons training and received new helmets and body armor, according to interviews with officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because they were not authorized to speak publicly to reporters. They have also taken intensive French and Creole courses. Beyond protecting key infrastructure, the officers at some point will be expected to secure the presidential palace, which remains in shambles after a 2010 earthquake but continues to be a symbolic place of power in Haiti. But the contingent of 400 that arrived Tuesday is just a small step toward a large operation that will require many more people and resources to be effective, said Gedeon Jean, the executive director of the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, a Haitian organization that was forced to suspend its operations because of rising violence. So much remains to be done, Mr. Jean said. The initial group is likely to play it safe at the start, but even as more officers arrive from other countries, their task will be daunting, particularly since they have not worked together before, do not speak the same languages or have a shared operational framework, said Sophie Rutenbar, a visiting scholar at the New York University Center on International Cooperation who has worked in Haiti. The early deployment of this force is going to be very vulnerable, Ms. Rutenbar said. Eugene Chen, a former U.N. official who follows Haiti closely, said the international mission seemed to emerge out of a desperation to do something. Without finding ways to support Haitis political process, the mission could exacerbate the violence, Mr. Chen said. Its not clear, Mr. Chen added, that this is the right answer. Andre Paultre contributed reporting from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and David C. Adams from Miami. Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Kenyas capital, Nairobi, and some broke into Parliament and briefly set fire to the entrance on Tuesday, after lawmakers approved tax increases that critics said would drive up the cost of living for millions. During the protests, the police fired tear gas and guns, plunging the capital into turmoil. At least five people were fatally shot and 31 others injured, according to Amnesty International and several prominent Kenyan civic organizations. The toll could not be immediately confirmed. The independent Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video that showed police officers firing as protesters marched toward them. As tear gas wafted through the streets, some protesters climbed through the windows of Parliament after lawmakers voted 195 to 106 in favor of the tax bill on Tuesday, with supporters saying it would raise revenue for education and other essential services. Kenyas president, William Ruto, said he was deploying the military to crack down on what he called treasonous events. In a televised address on Tuesday night, Mr. Ruto said the debate about the tax bill had been hijacked by dangerous people who have caused us the kind of loss we have incurred as a nation today. For years, Russia covertly propped up authoritarian leaders, exploited natural resources and fought extremists in a number of African countries. Russia worked through the Wagner group, a shadowy web of political advisers, entrepreneurs and mercenaries. But it never revealed how closely it was controlling Wagners activities around the world, maintaining a distance as numerous accusations of human rights abuses were leveled against the groups operatives on the ground. Wagner was led by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, a ruthless tycoon who was once a close ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. But after Mr. Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny against Mr. Putin in June last year, Mr. Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash. Since then, Russia has been carving up Wagners assets and redistributing them to branches of the Kremlin, according to interviews with a dozen diplomats and military and intelligence officials from Western countries, Russia and Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense has taken control of Wagners mercenary arm in Africa and placed it under a bigger umbrella group, Africa Corps. Russias defense and foreign ministries did not respond to a request for comment. The International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that it had issued arrest warrants for two top Russian security officials over strikes against civilian targets, delivering a stinging, if largely symbolic, condemnation of the Kremlins invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Hague-based court accused Russias most senior military officer, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, and a senior member of the countrys Security Council, Sergei K. Shoigu, of directing a campaign of strikes against Ukraines power plants in the winter of 2022. The expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage, the court said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the strikes. It issued the warrants on Monday. Russias Security Council denounced the warrants, calling them pathetic examples of the Wests hybrid war against our country, according to comments provided to the Moscow-based Interfax news agency. Russia, like the United States, is not a party to the court. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia and its proxy security forces in Crimea have committed multiple human rights violations during its decade-long occupation of the Ukrainian territory. In a case brought by the government of Ukraine, the court found evidence of the unlawful persecution and detention of those who criticized Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as the systemic repression of ethnic and religious minorities in Crimea. The evidence presented to the court painted a picture of a region under the tight grip of Moscows authoritarian control, where any criticism is harshly punished and accountability is nonexistent for the politically connected. The ruling from Europes most important human rights court, based on a case first brought in 2014, was a reminder that the region remains contested. It remains legally part of Ukraine, with deep historical and cultural ties, despite the Kremlins coordinated campaign to obliterate that identity under the occupation. This decision is the first in which an international judicial body has recognized the Russian Federation as responsible for the policy of large-scale and systematic violations of various human rights and freedoms in the temporarily occupied territory of the Crimean Peninsula, said Iryna Mudra, deputy head in the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Excessive force. Extrajudicial killings. A long history of brutality and impunity. Thats the reputation of Kenyan policing, which is under scrutiny again after at least five people were reported to have died of gunshot wounds when officers confronted protesters in the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday. It was the very day a contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti to lead a mission to restore order in the gang-ravaged Caribbean nation, a deployment that activists and human rights groups, citing the polices history of abuse and unlawful killings, have roundly denounced. The Kenyan police force is an extension of a colonial-era creation that the British used to control the population and stamp out dissent. During the 1950s, as Kenyans began to assert their right to rule themselves, the police and other British-run security services rounded up tens of thousands of Kenyans and hanged more than a thousand. It was an especially disturbing chapter of British rule, detailed in a prizewinning book, Imperial Reckoning. Kenyas independence in 1963 didnt dramatically change policing. The police, and especially the paramilitary wing called the General Services Unit and another group known as the Flying Squad, became dreaded characters, known for quick trigger fingers and wide impunity. The street turmoil that swept Kenyas capital on Tuesday represented a blow to the Biden administrations tight embrace of President William Ruto, a strong U.S. ally on a continent where American influence is rapidly waning. Just a day earlier, President Biden had formally named Kenya a major non-NATO ally, and Mr. Ruto had seen off a first group of 400 Kenyan police officers headed to Haiti on a contentious security mission that is largely financed by the United States. The non-NATO ally designation, which clears the way for greater security cooperation between Kenya and the United States, was one of the main outcomes of Mr. Rutos state visit to Washington last month, the first by an African leader in 16 years. At the White House, the Kenyan leader was feted with a state dinner that included celebrity guests and former President Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan. For Mr. Ruto, the state visit was the high point of a globe-trotting presidency. He has visited dozens of countries since being declared the winner of a fiercely contested presidential election in August 2022. For the Biden administration, it was an opportunity to cement a major relationship in Africa at a time when rivals like Russia and China have expanded their influence. An Israeli government panel issued warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and four others on Monday as part of a yearslong inquiry into a multibillion-dollar purchase of submarines and missile boats from Germany, an episode regarded as the worst corruption scandal in the countrys history. In a statement, the panel said that Mr. Netanyahu had endangered Israels security and bypassed official channels with the purchase, during a previous term as prime minister. It was not clear if Mr. Netanyahu himself was suspected of corruption in the case, but the panel said it issued the warning to give him and the others including a former defense minister and a former head of Mossad the opportunity to respond. The prime minister defended himself, saying in a statement from his office that the submarines were a central pillar of Israels national security. Israels Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, a decision that threatened to split Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition government amid the war in Gaza. In a unanimous decision, a panel of nine judges held that there was no legal basis for the longstanding military exemption given to ultra-Orthodox religious students. Without a law distinguishing between seminarians and other men of draft age, the court ruled, the countrys mandatory draft laws must similarly apply to the ultra-Orthodox minority. In a country where military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis, both men and women, the exemption for the ultra-Orthodox has long prompted resentment. But anger over the groups special treatment has grown as the war in Gaza has stretched into its ninth month, requiring tens of thousands of reservists to serve multiple tours and costing the lives of hundreds of soldiers. These days, in the midst of a difficult war, the burden of that inequality is more acute than ever and requires the advancement of a sustainable solution to this issue, the Supreme Court said in its ruling. The decision threatened to widen one of the most painful divisions in Israeli society, pitting secular Jews against the ultra-Orthodox, who say their religious study is as essential and protective as the military. It also exposed the fault lines in Mr. Netanyahus coalition, which depends on the support of two ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose their constituents conscription, even as other Israelis are killed and wounded in Gaza. Israeli courts have ruled against the exemption before, including Supreme Court decisions in 1998, 2012 and 2017. The top court has repeatedly warned the government that to continue the policy, it must be written into law though that law would be subject to constitutional challenges, as previous ones were while also giving the government time to hammer out legislation. A strike in the northern Gaza Strip killed a sister of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and her family on Tuesday, the armed group and a Gazan rescue official said. Hamas confirmed the death of Mr. Haniyehs sister, Zaher Haniyeh, in a statement. The Israeli military said it was aware of the reports but could not currently confirm that it had struck the Haniyeh family home. Mr. Haniyeh, who heads the Hamas political bureau from exile in Qatar, is a longstanding political leader of the group that governs the Gaza Strip and that launched the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense, said that emergency rescue crews had removed the bodies of Mr. Haniyehs sister, her husband and their eight children from their home in the Shati neighborhood in northern Gaza, which was demolished in the strike. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didnt make the cut for Thursdays presidential debate, but hes still a factor in the race, tapping into the skeptical, anti-establishment mood of many American voters. For our latest Times Opinion focus group, we wanted to explore the nature of Mr. Kennedys appeal to independent, Democratic and Republican voters who reflect a share of the electorate unhappy with the Biden-Trump rematch, tired of politics, loosely informed about policy. Their curiosity about him shed light on what is and isnt clicking in politics. The 12 participants in the focus group saw the two major political parties as largely the same: fighting on behalf of the elites, out for themselves, not taking strong stances or being effective. (Abortion may be the biggest differentiator.) Many didnt see either party as reflecting their views. Most saw President Biden as too old and Donald Trump as untrustworthy; when we asked what kind of car each would be, Mr. Biden was described as a Model T or an old Buick, and Mr. Trump was a car that had parts missing or was fancy looking but rusted out. The voters intrigued by Mr. Kennedy seemed more likely to reflect Trumpist views angry about establishment politics, immigration, government mandates and vaccination policies. A couple of people were opposed to Mr. Biden over the war in Gaza, calling it a genocide and him a murderer. Some of Mr. Kennedys more controversial views on vaccines and antidepressants seemed to help him with these voters, as did the opposition to his candidacy by several of his relatives. His experience with addiction also gave him some relatability. Most of the participants didnt think he would win in November, but they were hungry for an outspoken outsider who wasnt Mr. Trump. You can disagree with Kennedy. I disagree with him on quite a few things. But hes not hiding what his views are, the way that I feel Joe Biden is and Donald Trump is, said Robert, a 29-year-old independent from Colorado. Theyre saying things to get elected. Robert F. Kennedy is saying things because he believes them. Roe v. Wade and its successor, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, affirmed a constitutional right to abortion until the fetus can survive outside the womb. Mr. Biden wants to enshrine that right in federal law now that the Supreme Court has overturned it. Give me a Democratic House of Representatives and a bigger Democratic Senate, and we will pass a new law to restore and protect Roe v. Wade, Mr. Biden said in January. The congressional caveat is essential. He needs not just bare Democratic majorities but also 50 senators willing to get rid of the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. In the absence of such majorities, Mr. Bidens cabinet has taken some administrative actions to try to limit the effects of state abortion bans. His Department of Health and Human Services told hospitals in 2022 that, under its interpretation, a law already on the books pertaining to emergency rooms, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, obligates doctors to perform an abortion if they believe it is needed to stabilize a patient. That guidance is subject to legal challenges on which the Supreme Court has declined to rule yet. In April, the same department announced a rule to shield many abortion patients medical records from investigators and prosecutors. Molly Levinson Brunswick Group, FGS Global and The Levinson Group ranked in the top tier for both crisis & risk management and litigation support in the newly released rankings for 2024 from research firm Chambers and Partners. Appearing along with Brunswick, FGS and Levinson in Band 1 (the top level) of the crisis & risk management rankings was FTI Consulting, while Reevemark and Trident DMG were in Band 1 when it came to litigation support firms. Reevemark and Trident DMG were also in Band 2 for crisis & risk management, while August Strategic Communications, Edelman, FTI Consulting, Infinite Global, PRCG Haggerty and Sitrick and Company were in Band 2 for firms handling litigation support. Firms nabbing a spot in Band 3 were August Strategic Communications, Risa Heller Communications and Edelman (crisis & risk management) and H/Advisors Abernathy, Poston Communications and Ripp Media (litigation support). A corporate communications heavyweight, Brunswick Group has a formidable global presence and brings this to bear in its crisis management advisory offering, according to the Chambers report, while FGS is singled out for high-level strategic capabilities and the unique and top-quality services that the firm continues to offer to clients facing crisis situations." The Levinson Group is cited for its litigation practices proven track record of partnering with leading law firms who are acting counsel, or guiding clients directly through high-stakes contentious situations. Among those picked as Band 1 Senior Statespeople for crisis practices were Brunswicks Ellen Moskowitz, FGS Globals Jeff McAndrews and The Levinsons Group Molly Levinson, while George Sard of FGS and Michael Sitrick of Sitrick and Company took that title for those offering litigation support. Chambers ranks firms and individuals from Band 1 to 6 and stresses that being ranked in any of the bands is a significant achievement. Jared Kushner Slithering through the FARA loophole Senate Finance Committee chairman Ron Wyden sent a letter to Jared Kushners Affinity Partners seeking information about the $3B investment that it received from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Those three governments account for 99 percent of Affinitys investments. The Oregon Democrat is deeply concerned that Middle Eastern governments are using funds managed by Affinity as a means to pay tens of millions of dollars every year to former president Trumps son-in-law Kushner, creating significant conflicts of interests and potential counterintelligence risks. Wyden believes Affinitys exclusively foreign funding private investment funds are exploiting a Foreign Agents Registration Act loophole to keep Kushner fees out of the public information loop. Under FARA, individuals working for foreign entities in the US are required to disclose their activities and the amount of money paid to them. But foreign governments can bankroll private investment funds, and pay politically exposed Americans for investment advisory services to exploit the longstanding disclosure exemptions afforded to private investment funds. Wyden notes that Kushner is a private equity novice with a questionable investment background whose main recommendation is his relationship with the former president. Taking advantage of a legal loophole, Affinitys leadership and employees, many are former Trump officials, are untouched by US laws requiring disclosure of work on behalf of foreign entities. Tough luck, Ron. Jared will remain untouched. Kushner says he has no plans to work in the Trump II White House. And its a safe bet that the FARA loophole will remain wide open during under a re-elected Trump. Those incredible Ten Commandments How bizarre does it get? Donald Trump asked a roomful of evangelicals if they ever read the Ten Commandments. Thats downright nuts. Has anyone read the Thou shalt not steal.' I mean has anybody read this incredible stuff? Its just incredible, he said at the Faith and Freedom jamboree held in Washington on June 22. Trump went beyond the obviously unconstitutional Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in every school room. He would love to see the Ten Commandments hanging in public, private schools and many other places. But will the twice divorced felon who paid hush money to cover up a fling with porn star Stormy Daniels, a sexual encounter that occurred while wife Melania was pregnant with her son, Baron, hang the Ten Commandments on the wall of the Oval Office during the upcoming Trump Restoration? Dont count on it. That Ten Commandments jive is just some juicy red meat that Trump tossed to the born-again Christian crowd. Former G-Man Makes Crisis Splash Former FBI spokesperson J. Peter Donald has debuted on the Chambers rankings in Band 2 for the crisis and risk management category. The guy is a shooting star in the crisis communications world. He launched Arena Advisory Group in August 2021 after a year and a half stint at Reevemark as senior VP. Following his five-year run (2010-2015) at the FBI, Donald joined the NYPD as director of communications, and rose to the assistant commissioner slot in charge of strategic and corporate communications. Earlier in his career, he was an advance man for John McCains presidential campaign. Chambers said clients and peers hold Donald in very high esteem for his deep experience and expertise in crisis communications, litigation support, reputation management and public affairs. Chambers featured a quote from a client who called Donald a star with wisdom and experience that are double his years. Geez, the guy is only 37 years old. Of the Chambers recognition, the ever-modest Donald told ODwyers: Most of these people on this list were my bosses or mentors at one point in my career. It is humbling to be included with such a great list of experts. Hats off to J. Peter. Bishop Fintan Monahan recently announced his diocesan changes for the coming Pastoral year and included was the appointment of Fr. Arnold Rosney to the Brendan Pastoral area. For Rosney will reside at the Presbytery, John's Place, Birr and work in the four parishes of the Brendan Cluster. A native of Birr, Fr Rosney was ordained 27 years ago. He told a newspaper a couple of years ago that entering the priesthood is a major and possibly daunting commitment, but when he started his studies in Maynooth in the early '90s, he realised that he had made the right choice. Im not sure it (becoming a priest) was something I always wanted to do," he explained, "but I always thought it was something worthwhile doing. I saw it as a good way to spend my life." After being ordained to the Deaconate, Bishop Willie Walsh asked him to go to Rome to continue his education, and after coming back to the Diocese in 1999 he spent a couple of years in Ennis, before arriving in Shannon. In September 2001 the Bishop asked would I come to Shannon to replace Father Mickey Mac as teacher chaplain in St Patricks Comprehensive," Fr Arnold told the media. "I came to Shannon then." After many years he left Shannon in January 2024 and returned to Birr, the town he grew up in. One of the things I remember Bishop Willie saying the day of our ordination," he commented, "was that you have the privilege of being with parents at happy times, baptisms, first communions, confirmations, wedding days, sharing in anniversaries, but also the privilege of being with parents and families at sad times, funerals, loss, challenges, Ive had that experience. Bishop Monahan's announcement in June that Fr Arnold had been appointed to the St Brendan's cluster of parishes has been warmly welcomed by many. Fr Arnold replaces Fr Antony Sajeesh. Fr Antony was a popular priest during his five years in Birr, whose affable, hard-working nature endeared him to many. He flew back to his home province of Kerala, India in December. The leading architect and town planner, Fergal MacCabe has called for Tullamore canal harbour to be opened to the public in the near future so people can see what a magnificent asset it is. An opening which gives access to the dockside should be provided at a very early date in order to allow the people of Tullamore to enjoy, even in a very limited way, this extraordinary amenity which has for over two centuries lain hidden in the middle of their town, said Mr MacCabe Mr MacCabe, who also attended the open day for the plans in Tullamore library last week, congratulated the council and Waterways Ireland on their visionary appointment of Grafton Architects to generate ideas which will eventually lead to the incorporation of this strategic site into the urban fabric of Tullamore. Grafton's analysis and range of options are imaginative but realisable and provide a firm basis for the debate which now commences . Their scheme sets out the high standards which will, in the fullness of time, deliver a scheme of international class and which will be a showpiece for Tullamore, he added. Continued Mr MacCabe: I particularly note Grafton's suggestion that, as the project may take many years to be fully realised, a small and confined area which gives access to the dockside should be provided at a very early date in order to allow the people of Tullamore to enjoy, his extraordinary amenity. This is the first but firm step on a long and exciting journey and I for one, am thrilled to see it. The preface to the Harbour Study clarifies that the whole exercise is subject to detailed cost benefit analysis and contingent on the right funding model at appropriate times. It proposes to set up a working group to prioritise masterplan opportunities, identifying related pathways and optimum developing and operating models. Caroline McCarroll, of Waterways Ireland's head office in Enniskillen, said the plan was essentially a catalogue of future possibilities for the development of the harbour. We don't want people to think that there is a plan which will be railroaded through, stressed Ms McCarroll. She added that the harbour would be ideal for residential, economic and tourism projects. All countries should intensify cooperation to exploit the full potential of new technologies like artificial intelligence, and desist from protectionism, in order to facilitate economic growth, said business leaders on the sidelines of the World Intelligence Expo 2024, which concluded in Tianjin on Sunday. Such calls for closer global cooperation also marked the "CEO: Grow with China" roundtable, held as part of the expo on Friday that saw participation of multinational corporations from sectors like technology, finance, medicine and energy. The roundtable was jointly organized by China Daily, the Publicity Department of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Tianjin Industrial and Information Technology Bureau. Peter Merker, director of the German Chamber of Commerce in China for Tianjin and CEO of Schlote Tianjin, firmly opposes sanctions on new technologies, and advocated enhanced international cooperation for mutual benefit. Commenting on certain suppressive measures of some countries against the development of new technologies by other countries, he said: "If we look at history, these sanctions, do you know any that have succeeded? I haven't seen any. "Sanctions are a tool that has significant side effects. For every 1,000 enemies killed, it also harms 800 of its own at the very least. It is lose-lose, not win-win." The automotive industry strongly opposes tariff increases and sanctions, and most ordinary people share that view, he said. Now, many Western governments are facing difficulties, so they use tariff increases and sanctions as leverage, but such a path is not good, he said. "We should extend a hand and say, 'cooperation would be better'." Citing certain benefits brought about by AI and fintech applications like speedier banking services, Peter Jeng, vice-president of the UK Chinese Business Association, said applications of new technologies can reduce risk in overseas businesses for enterprises, and there is huge cooperation potential between Chinese and foreign companies in this regard. Julian Mac-Cormac, regional director of Rolls-Royce Greater China, stressed the importance of supply chain cooperation between the company and its Chinese partners. "It's very clear that alongside the investment in capacity, we've seen the introduction of greater automation, as well as the application of digital manufacturing techniques. And we see that in our supply chain in China today," he said. MacCormac is also chair emeritus of the British Chamber of Commerce in China. "We have supplies across many different locations and China has been and is an important part of our supply chain," he said. Gianni Di Giovanni, chairman of Eni China and state representative of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said applications of intelligent technologies in areas like energy have brought benefits to humankind. In two to three years, he predicted, life will be changed dramatically with use of more affordable and available AI technologies. Lan Jun, general manager of Agela & Phenomenex China, an operating company of Washington-based Danaher, also highlighted the importance of global cooperation during the event. "'China Speed' will never go out of style. Over the last two decades, China has pioneered the manufacturing sector. Now, in the era of new technology, the country still takes a leading role. In the past four years, we have witnessed mounting investments in the country's artificial intelligence sector, and numerous investment opportunities await industry," he said. "We see China as a fertile ground for innovation. Our development in China is also the result of continuous effort and innovation. Currently, Danaher has 14 research and development teams and nine manufacturing bases in China, including the Agela factory in Tianjin. These teams and bases play a crucial role in driving technological innovation, improving production efficiency and meeting customer needs. "For Danaher, we have an '80/80 China Localization Goal', which aims for achieving that 80 percent of China market revenue are supported by our local factories; and 80 percent of the raw materials and components used in local factories are sourced domestically. By continuously deepening our cooperation with China, we hope to provide more advanced solutions to our customers and contribute to China's high-quality economic development and technological progress." Zhou Lanxu, Zhong Nan and Zhuang Qiange contributed to this story. Sri Lanka Navy arrests 10 Indian fishermen, sailor dies in operation Posted by Editor on June 25, 2024 - 10:54 am The Sri Lanka Navy has taken into custody 10 Indian fishermen on a trawler while they were poaching in the seas off Delft Island. During the operation, one of the sailors fell between the two vessels, sustained injuries, and later died in the hospital, according to the Sri Lanka Navy Spokesman. The Navy states that it continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing by foreign trawlers, considering the impact of such practices on the livelihood of local fishermen. In 2024 alone, the Sri Lanka Navy has arrested over 200 Indian fishermen and seized more than 27 Indian poaching trawlers in Sri Lankan waters, subsequently handing them over to authorities for legal proceedings. World Bank approves $150 Million to boost primary healthcare in Sri Lanka Posted by Editor on June 25, 2024 - 10:20 am The World Banks Board of Executive Directors has approved $150 million in financing to improve the quality and utilization of primary healthcare services in Sri Lanka. The newly approved Sri Lanka Primary Healthcare System Enhancing Project aims to enhance the quality of care and increase the use of primary medical care institutions, which provide essential health services to local communities. Sri Lanka has faced challenges in its healthcare system, including capacity issues and a lack of a formal referral mechanism, leading to underutilized primary healthcare facilities and overcrowded tertiary care facilities. Previously, the World Bank-supported Primary Healthcare Systems Strengthening Project upgraded 550 Primary Medical Care Institutions with essential equipment, medicines, health workers, and basic laboratory testing facilities. The new project will build on these efforts, aiming to cover 100% of Primary Medical Care Institutions across all districts in Sri Lanka. It will expand to over 1,000 facilities, offering a more comprehensive service package and improved quality of care. Sri Lankas health system has demonstrated remarkable performance, but it needs to be strengthened to face emerging healthcare challenges, said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This project will support the countrys forward-looking primary care reorganization agenda, laying the foundation for a more responsive and people-centric healthcare system. Non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cervical cancer are major health issues in Sri Lanka, accounting for 80% of deaths. Effective control and management of these diseases require robust screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Additionally, Sri Lanka has the fastest aging population in South Asia, necessitating health system adaptations to meet the growing healthcare needs of the elderly. This project addresses these evolving health priorities by investing in preventive care and promoting primary care facilities as the first point of contact. The project will also support comprehensive primary healthcare services, expanding capacity to cover mental health, palliative, geriatric, rehabilitative, and emergency care, which are particularly important for the aging population. Moreover, the project will enhance pandemic preparedness by increasing the capacity of primary medical care institutions to detect and respond to future infectious disease outbreaks. This will enable Sri Lankas healthcare system to adapt and respond effectively to new and emerging challenges, according to the World Bank. It is a one-hour drive through a drab countryside from Georgias capital Tbilisi to Gori, the village where Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was born and lived till the age of 15. Stalin is famous and needs no introduction. Still here are a few facts to refresh memory. He was the unquestioned leader of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Communist Party for 29 years: 1924-1953. He manipulated with brutal power the destiny of post-Lenin Soviet Russia, turning it into his personal fiefdom. It was the Soviet army under his leadership that captured Berlin in 1945 and dealt the final blow to Hitler. Whether the credit goes to Stalin or to the 8.7 million Russian soldiers who died in the war is another question. As the all-powerful leader who directed the Soviet army, Stalin stands tall. In the post-war era, the same man imposed Soviet tyranny on East Europe, similar in many ways to what Hitler had done. Nineteen million Russian civilians also died in the war - women, men and children. Perhaps these deaths can be explained by saying that an external enemy had killed them without mercy. But the horrendous internal war that Stalin unleashed on his people was equally merciless: mass murders, executions, torture-killings, fatal deportations, famines, and labour camp deaths turned Soviet Russia into a nightmare land of fear and horror. It is estimated that Stalin exterminated about 6 million Russians only to keep his power unchallenged. The killings came to be known as the Great Terror/the Great Purge. Another 3 million died under the wreckless social engineering adventures Stalin undertook, similar to those that Mao implemented with disastrous results in China. That, in brief, was the man whose village and childhood home I was visiting. Georgia is neither Europe nor Asia. It is a sort of transcontinental entity wedged between the two. It isnt Russian, though it was under Russian hegemony for long. The Caucasus Mountains constitute a substantial part of its geography. It is bounded by Russia to the north, Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the southeast, Turkey to the southwest and the Black Sea to the west. Georgians are said to be a mixture of tribes who migrated from Anatolia (Turkey) millenniums ago. Georgian is an independent language, thriving again after being long suppressed by Soviet authorities. And the food..! It is wholly unique, being a mixture of South Caucasus, Middle Eastern and Eastern European cuisines, rich and diverse and is so tasty that even the memory makes the mouth water. Village on the way to Gori. Photo: Paul Zacharia Geographically and politically, Georgia always existed as a remote and insignificant corner of both the Czarist Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. It was from this obscure backyard of Russia that Joseph Stalin emerged to become the supreme leader of Soviet Russia and one of the most powerful and feared men on earth. He started learning Russian, the language in which he ruled over Soviet Russia, only at the age of nine. All his life he spoke Russian with a Georgian accent. It was drizzling when we set out from Tbilisi for Gori. The dark sky made the dreary landscape bleaker. Our friendly taxi driver talked about politics in his broken English. He detested the very memory of the USSR. He detested even the Russian language. He said that life was hard in independent Georgia, but the freedom to be Georgians made up for everything. (Georgia became independent in 1991, with the fall of the Soviet Union.) In the occasional village that we pass, the buildings are ramshackle and the roads are bad. Agriculture is lifeless. Georgia obviously has not recovered from the effects of the decades of Soviet socialist deprivation. It is a colourless, cheerless world. It is also very clear Stalin had not been kind even to his homeland. Tbilisi Fort. Photo: Paul Zacharia Gori is a small town, shabby, faded and nothing to capture our attention except a statue of Stalin in the town square. Stalins and Lenins statues had been uprooted all over the Soviet Union after the liberation. I read somewhere that Gori retained the statue because it realized Stalins tourism potential. The Stalin Museum too, established during the Soviet era, remains open to visitors. Even though Stalin-centric, it is a treasure-house of historical tidbits even for those who may not be interested in history. The museum, of course, is silent about Stalin who was the Terror - except for the replica of a KGB interrogation cell, tucked away in the basement. Even the replica is terrifying. My prize catch was on the lawn of the museum - the train carriage which Stalin used for all his long-distance travels. He had a fear of flying. (The only time he allowed himself to be flown was to attend the Tehran conference with US President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the war in 1943. Still, he used the train as far as it would go, from Moscow to Baku in Azerbaijan. From there he flew in a leased American Douglas-Dakota aircraft to Tehran, his first and last flight.) I was surprised by the spartan, minimal, no-luxury furnishing inside the carriage. It was truly Communist. Stalin's railway carriage. Photo: Abdul Gafoor The home where Stalin was born is now preserved - rather, ludicrously enshrined like a holy relic - inside a pretentious Greco-Roman-style marble chapel. The whole spectacle is absurd. The small two-room hutment of young Stalins home looks grotesque in that grand setting. Stalins father, a shoemaker, had occupied one of the two rooms of the hutment with his family and the landlord the other. He was an alcoholic and a violent man. The family lived in extreme poverty. Stalins mother left home with her son and eked out a living working as household help. Stalin did suffer a bad childhood. The temptation to connect the dictator to that childhood is strong but I wonder if its so simple. There certainly are any number of people who suffered a bad childhood and yet grew up to become wonderful human beings. It was to take young Stalin out of that dead-end that his mother sent him to the seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi when he was 15. He trained for five years to become a priest. He is said to have been a topper in the religious studies of the seminary. But he left the seminary in the final year without writing the qualifying examination. Because the revolution had beckoned him. Tbilisi street. Photo: Paul Zacharia Back in Tbilisi, I went, on an evening, to the seminary where Stalin had spent five years of his adolescence and youth. I walked on its empty, silent, dimly lit veranda trying to recapture the young man who had walked there 125 years ago with a Bible in hand and prayers on his lips. It was an eerie experience. I heard history mocking me, saying: Youre a fool. History gives no guarantees. Take it or leave it. PREVIOUS: IN MAO'S ANCESTRAL HOME Paul Zacharia is a well-known Indian writer and columnist. "If any inkling of a hack happens again, the public will know immediately. We will do that as a Board." - LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson (Image by The Satanic Cloud) Details DMCA One consequence of the LAUSD refusing to release details of this hack and its actions in response is that the public has no assurance that it is protected from future attacks. Board Member Scott Schmerelson has boldly stated that "it shall not happen again," but his assessment is based on what he has seen is being done "behind the scenes." After the lies told to the public in the aftermath of the Labor Day 2022 attack, their willingness to trust the system is very low. Less than two years after this last attack, LAUSD files containing sensitive information about students, staff, and school sites have once again been posted for sale on the Dark Web. The sample file on the June 6, 2024, listing includes data indicating whether the student receives Special Education services. While the District immediately acknowledged that sensitive information was being advertised, little was provided in the way of details beyond it "is investigating the claim and engaging with law enforcement to investigate and respond to the incident." This lack of concrete information harkens back to the disinformation campaign run by the Superintendent after the previous attack and is causing concern. Will the Board follow through with Schmerelson's promise to not repeat the mistakes of the past? All six candidates in November's runoff election were given the opportunity to provide comments for this article. Only Board Member Schmerelson responded: 'As previously stated, on June 6, 2024, Los Angeles Unified became aware of an account from a malicious actor purporting to offer certain student and employee data for sale. Through its extensive and ongoing investigation, the District has determined that the data in question was maintained by one or more Los Angeles Unified external vendors on Snowflake, a cloud-based platform used for mass data storage, and appears to have been stolen in a manner consistent with recently publicized thefts involving numerous Snowflake accounts. So far, the District's ongoing investigation has revealed no evidence of any compromise to our systems or networks; however the investigation into the scope and extent of the data impacted is ongoing. Los Angeles Unified is continuing to engage with the FBI, CISA, its vendors, and consultants in furtherance of this investigation. The District prioritizes the privacy of our students, families and employees, and we will continue to work diligently in obtaining more information." After significant amounts of money, some of it without Board oversight, that the District spent on securing its systems, it is reassuring that the breach appears to have occurred outside of the LAUSD. However, the result is the same for those whose information has been compromised. It does not matter to the victims who is responsible for the leak, only that their personal information is now publicly available. After taking care of the immediate needs of the victims of this data breach, the District must prioritize the investigation of how it was allowed to happen. Before the information being made available on the Dark Web were those responsible for data security aware that there had been "recently publicized thefts involving numerous Snowflake accounts"? If not, should they have been? If they were, what steps were taken to ensure the safety of District data? The investigations into this new theft of data must be more open so that the public is assured that everything possible is being done to secure sensitive data. This includes ensuring that those responsible for allowing both breaches to occur are held responsible. Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) June 25, 2024: In 2022, the controversial Irish American biblical scholar, and historical-Jesus specialist, John Dominic Crossan (born in 1934 in Ireland; Doctor of Divinity degree, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, 1959) published the learned but accessible book Render Unto Caesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament (Harper One/ HarperCollins) - he is a gifted writer. Crossan is controversial primarily because of his densely reasoned 1991 book The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant (HarperSanFranciso/ HarperCollins). The American Catholic Dr. Peter Steinfels reviewed Crossan's 1991 book in the New York Times in his article titled "Peering Past Faith to Glimpse the Jesus of History" (dated December 23, 1991): Click Here In Dr. Steinfels' review, he says, "But for many scholars looking not with the eyes of faith but the lenses of historical research, Jesus of Nazareth is an elusive and puzzling figure, one who was probably not born in a stable or even in Bethlehem, whose personal life was a mystery and whose essential message remains subject to vastly different interpretations." Subsequently, Dr. Steinfels says, "in recent years, different scholars have sketched the historical Jesus as a political rebel, an ancient magician, a maverick Pharisee, a thoroughly Jewish prophet announcing that God was about to restore Israel, and a Hellenistic gadfly with no mission beyond questioning the world's conventions. "Professor Crossan's [1991] book reflects a shift away from the depiction of Jesus as proclaiming an imminent end of the world and coming of God's kingdom. The professor argues that although Jesus was originally a follower of the apocalyptic prophet, John the Baptist, he became a wisdom teacher using Zen-like aphorisms and puzzling parable to challenge social conventions. "By His parable, miraculous healings performed without reward, itinerant lifestyle and insistence that meals be shared with all and sundry, Jesus challenged the Mediterranean codes of honor and patronage, the professor says, as well as all the hierarchical and patriarchal assumptions of Jewish religion and Roman imperial power." Yes, these are claims that Crossan makes in his 1991 book. But why would these claims about the historical Jesus make Crossan's 1991 book controversial among contemporary Christians? What, exactly, do contemporary Christians believe about what biblical scholars refer to as the historical Jesus? Or is it the case, that for many contemporary Christians their sense of the historical Jesus is just a composite of the Jesus portrayed in the four canonical gospels? Now, on the inside front flap of the dust jacket on Crossan's 2022 book Render Unto Caesar, we are told that it is a "follow-up to his prophetic book God and Empire." In 2007, Crossan published his book God and Empire; Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now (HarperSanFrancisco/ HarperCollins). In the "Prologue" in his 2007 book God and Empire (pp. 1-5), he says, "I emphasize that contrast between Pilate's Kingdom of Rome as violent repression and Jesus's Kingdom of God as nonviolent resistance because that juxtaposition is the heart of this book, which is an attempt to rethink God, the Bible, and empire, Jesus, Christianity, and Rome" (p. 5). Now, more recently the American Catholic diocesan priest John Dear has explored three of the four canonical gospels from the perspective of nonviolent resistance in his 2024 book The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence (Orbis Books) - but without any references to Crossan's works. I reviewed Dear's new 2024 book in my OEN article "John Dear on the Synoptic Gospels and Bottom-Up Nonviolence" (dated January 31, 2024): Click Here Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Once there were a few voices in the wilderness but, now, 80 countries at a Swiss summit have called for negotiations to end the two-year war between Russia and Ukraine. With Russia not in attendance, their representatives to the conference insisted that any peace plan must rest on Ukraine's "territorial integrity." That demand is thoroughly legitimate though it conflicts with one of Russia's most basic war-aims. Still, there is a flickering glimmer of amid the paralysis that has defined efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated his readiness to negotiate but his conditions are: Ukraine must first demilitarize, recognize Russian annexations, especially Crimea and territories around Kherson, reject NATO, and guarantee Russian security. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he, too is willing to negotiate, but Russia must first meet ten conditions including withdrawal of all forces from all Ukrainian territories including Crimea. The insincerity on both sides is striking: negotiations are unnecessary when the demands of each have been met in advance. Negotiate now! The stated preconditions for talks are merely excuses to delay them There is no time to wait! Waves of Russian bombs are still blasting Ukraine's cities to bits while Ukraine's Kamikaze drones have struck 600 miles into Russia. Estimates are that over 450,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded as against Ukraine's 125,000 casualties at the front along with the tens of thousands more at home who are suffering from effects of the bombardment including lack of consumer staples, hospital beds, medicines, lack of electricity, water, and sanitary conditions. All these numbers will climb: Russia's counter-attack in the spring of 2024 has imperiled key Ukrainian cities, Belarus might open a "second front," Putin is receiving increased aid from North Korea, endorsed its nuclear program, and increasingly threatened to employ nuclear weapons of his own. Meanwhile, Ukraine is experiencing shortages of ammunition, man-power, and its economy is eroding, while awaiting new support from its allies. The United States has signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, offered another $50 billion in aid, and more advanced weaponry as the G-7 has appropriated $280 billion in Russian assets and imposed sanctions on those nations aiding Putin. In spite of disillusionment among sectors of the Western public, the continuation of trench war-fare, and soaring costs, the Russo-Ukrainian war is heating up rather than cooling down. Leaders of Ukraine and Russia have both staked their reputations on military victory even though their economies are verging on collapse, and their citizens are despairing. The national interest of civil society and the national interests of governments are thus objectively in conflict. The implications for the rest of the world are clear: Ukraine is becoming ever more reliant on Western humanitarian and military aid and, in the process, compromising its sovereignty. Meanwhile, an authoritarian alliance is growing tighter between Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Belarus. Each of them poses geo-political threats to neighboring states and, in this regard, it is important to note that 2 out of 3 European members of NATO are now contributing their agreed-upon share (roughly 2% of GNP). Common wisdom suggests that abandoning Ukraine will tempt their imperialist ambitions. But maintaining support might produce the same result. Continuing to pour resources into this seemingly endless war can create the impression that the West has ever fewer to aid other allies such as Taiwan, South Korea, and the Baltic states. Neither continuing the present aid policy, nor radically changing it, offers any assurance of humanitarian outcomes: only successful negotiations can provide that. Contempt for negotiation efforts by self-styled experts only turn prolonging the war into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile, human rights activists bemoan Russian atrocities even as they endorse policies that assure their continuance. Talks cannot wait for a "tactical" nuclear strike, conditions to worsen, or the acceptance of competing war aims. That is especially the case since rough parameters for an agreement already exist: --- Negotiations must include all nations directly or indirectly involved in the conflict. --- Imposition of a cease-fire and troop withdrawals to the borders of March 23, 2022. ---- Security guarantees must be provided for both nations: Ukraine must agree not to join NATO and, in exchange, accelerate its membership in the EU. Sanctions on Russia would be lifted in accordance with its practices in de-escalating the conflict. --- Five miles of "no-man's land' must provide a buffer between Ukraine and Russia. --- Independent international agencies must monitor the peace and investigate human rights violations. For example, the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) will oversee plans to deal with refugees,exchange of prisoners, collection of corpses, and elimination of land-mines. --- Creating an international "fund," similar to the global climate fund, is necessary to reconstruct Ukraine. Even speculative suggestions for peace are necessary when there is only talk of war. The humanitarian catastrophe is worsening and it is incumbent upon the global community to prioritize the material needs of everyday citizens (and soldiers) over those of governments. Not to talk about peace is to perpetuate war-- pure and simple-- and that is something the people of Russia and Ukraine cannot afford. Negotiate now! Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). "Bang!" There, that problem is solved. The end of the discussion. The end of the debate. Now we can move on. 1960s-Assassination Central Fifty-six years ago, on June 6th, 1968, "Bang!", Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. This was the last of several national assassinations during the 1960s, first President Kennedy in 1963, then Malcolm X in 1965, then Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, and finally Robert Kennedy, later in that same year. None of these assassinations have any real clarity, since the original investigations have been debunked with more recent information. What is clear is that the national leadership of Blacks and the leaders of a more humanizing and democratizing direction for the nation were wiped out putting the 1968 election into turmoil and leading to the Republican Party and Richard Nixon winning the presidential election, now with the emphasis on "law and order", the never-ending call of those who do not want change. It was also the reinstatement of the old economic elite, who had been pushed from power by FDR and the humanizing and democratizing directions of the New Deal. The beginning of their resurgence was the growing influence of corporations during the Eisenhower administration, especially with the arms race of the Cold War and the fanatic anti-communism of the McCarthy years. I might point out that Nixon was as ruthless an anti-communist as anyone in politics at that time. But JFK represented a return to a more humanizing and democratizing direction for the nation, finding a kind of de'tente with Russia to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis and hints that there may be ways to end the Cold War. His mistrust of the CIA after the Bay of Pigs was likely to lead to changes in leadership. He was even likely to begin to draw us out of Vietnam. All of these were taken as signals of change, away from the corporate/conservative direction to a more humanizing and democratizing direction looking for peace and exploring possible avenues of cooperation throughout the world. "Bang!" A bullet ended that possibility and brought Lyndon B. Johnson to power, a leader who was much more compatible with those corporate powers. So, the CIA retained its dominance, Vietnam escalated, and any hope of ending the Cold War is finished. And then there was the disruption of the old order as Blacks became restless and outspoken. And then another "Bang!" First, Malcolm X and a few years later, "Bang!", Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated, both as national leaders of the upsurge of Black political action, reducing the risk of Black political power gaining any traction for the foreseeable future, keeping the old institutions in place a while longer. And finally, "Bang!", the last threat to the established order and the last hope of a more humanizing and democratizing leader with the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in his run for the presidency. 1968 And then, in the election year of 1968, with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and then the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the humanizing and democratizing forces were beside themselves with frustration and grief, not to mention the frustration with Vietnam. The Democratic Convention in Chicago was a powder keg, and Mayor Richard Daley, as a representative of the old order, lit the match when he sent his police to violently break up the demonstrations outside the convention. Without a national voice, without national leadership the humanizing and democratizing elements of the nation were disorganized. As a result, the corporate/conservative voices, once again, regained their dominance. Back in the Saddle Again Nixon is elected to the presidency. The Republicans are back in power. Vietnam will continue and "law and order" and "benign neglect" will reign with social problems. That conservative and pro-business power is soon solidified by Lewis F. Powell's memo to the National Chamber of Commerce giving them their marching orders for how business must take over the political processes of the nation, thus shifting the national narrative from democracy to capitalism. Up to this time business had not been quite so directly involved in national politics as an organized force. As a reward, Powell was appointed to the Supreme Court by Nixon, adding a very conservative and pro-business voice to the court. How Did All This Come to Be? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). For those of you who missed my emails, you can review archived material on the list. Here is a link for the June ones. And most of my blog this are posted. Why Palestine matters: The most important moral test of our time This was said 30 years ago: "This is a unique colonialism that we've been subjected to where they have no use for us. The best Palestinian for them is either dead or gone. It's not where they want to exploit us, or that they need to keep us there in the way of Algeria or South Africa as a subclass." (Edward Said, in The Pen and the Sword: Conversations with Edward Said, by David Barsamian, 1994.) Day 262 of the murderous and genocidal attacks on Gaza Strip. Over 150,000 Palestinians killed or injured. 80% of buildings destroyed including residential buildings, hospitals, schools, universities, streets, and other infrastructure updated reports. But this genocide is implemented not merely with bombing civilians but with starvation and denial of water, medicine, and all aspects of livability. More people are now dying of diseases and famine than from bombings. The environmental impact of this genocidal war has also been devastating: In parallel with this, there is an attack here in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) that is no less mean and no less important. I was just in the Jordan valley and the situation is dire: some 3000 Jewish colonial settlers pillaged the land and the natural resources and the population of Palestinians there has shrunk from 350,000 to some 75,000. The armed settlers and soldiers are on a rampage. The onslaught throughout Palestine not being halted by UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire not by the cases at the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court. Nothing seems to deter this fascist government running this apartheid state. Zionist occupied White House is hosting ICC criminal Gallant and the Zionist-occupied US congress extended an invitation to ICC lunatic criminal Netanyahu to give a speech to a joint session of congress. This is working against US laws and against US interests to serve Zionazi genocide. Imagine inviting Hitler and Himmler as a genocide goes on? Will the US public (taxpayers) rise-up in arms against this? Will the massive demonstrations happening in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem against the Israeli government make them pause? It is unlikely. Not even the perilous threat of a catastrophic regional war. In the north of Palestine, the Lebanese resistance showed that there is not Israeli target that is off-limits to it: Hezbollah releases close-up surveillance footage captured recently by its reconnaissance drones, showing sensitive Israeli targets in the north - including Haifa Port, a number of Iron Dome Platforms, and military complexes. Also there is realigment of powers and enhancement of BRICS+ This time unlike previous wars, Israel cannot destroy Beirut again without Tel Aviv being destroyed. Yet again Netanyahu is unphased. He disbanded his "war cabinet" and feels empowered by the Zionist lobby's hold on the US government AIPAC (Israel's lobby) will spend $100 million to interfere in US elections this year! Israel lobby gets bills to silence US media and other organizations (enforced by "Secretary of Treasury" who is always selected by the lobby). See also exposure of the lobby on MSNBC. Jill Stein, Green Party calls it like it is: They are destroying the united states (Donate to her campaign) Zionism is not merely what the ideology that devastated our ancient society and culture with ethnic cleansing and genocide but what it has done to a three generations of Jews (both indoctrinated here or abroad) has been equally troubling. The majority have bought into this idea of colonial supremacist Zionism See example from the second largest Jewish population, USA. This allowed them to directly do or at least financially and publicly support the most atrocious crimes with cruelly, hatred, and dehumanization that no words can do justice to describe: Thus in so many levels Zionism is not only racist and genocidal but also suicidal: Why Zionism is bad for Jews too by Alon Mizrahi. How the Gaza genocide will lead to Israel's collapse. See also Suicidal empire. Amir Hass in Haaretz: The Destruction, Starvation and Death in Gaza Are Israel's Defeat. In 1938 David Ben-Gurion said: "If I knew that it would be possible to save all the [Jewish] children in Germany by bringing them over to England and only half of them by transporting them to Eretz Israel, then I opt for the second alternative. For we must take into account not only the lives of these children but also the history of the people of Israel." [Tom Segev, The Seventh Million: The Israelis and the Holocaust, Henry Holt & Co., New York, First Owl Books Edition 2000, p. 28 ] "Israel Should Be Eliminated, It's A Genocidal Apartheid Regime" | Miko Peled. Hamas is winning. That is why hundreds of millions around the world including a growing number of Jews are saying that once Palestine is free from the river to the sea, Jews and all humans will be free. It is logical: there should NOT Be a Jewish State, Nor a White State, Nor a Christian State, Nor a Slave-based Confederacy State, Nor an Islamist State, Nor a Master-Race Third Reich State, Nor an Apartheid South African State. We should learn from history that these are genocidal suicidal states. But the stakes are much higher now as the genocide is streamed live and the world is armed to the teeth and technology is such that walls, tanks, and airplanes cannot "win" wars. If you want proof see what Hamas, Houthis in Yemen or Hizbollah are able to do to challenge empire (challenging western governments who spend trillions arming themselves). Will the growth of the global popular mass movement cause the fall of empire or will the US/ Israel be allowed to continue to drag the world to a final Masada, an apocalypse, an end of the world? Israel is dragging the world into darkness. Toward the Abyss: United States' fatal relationship with Israel. We can and must win this this quest to end war and impose justice including Palestinian refugee right to return to their homes and lands. They are the few and we are the many!! In my talks around the world including my recent trip to the Australian continent (including Aotearoa) I explained that there is a 50:50 chance we will manage to change the direction of history. The alternative of regional followed by Global war is far too catastrophic to allow to happen. In either case, the empire will lose. It is worth reiterating Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Cowardice asks the question - is it safe? Expediency asks the question - is it politic? Vanity asks the question - is it popular? But conscience asks the question - is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right." There are many people doing what is right. One can cite the defections within the empire: DemocracyNow! A resignation following White House lies. More resignations from US State Department. Action: Tell the Biden administration to stop partnering in genocide. One can only cite the growing campus movements around the world: Shruthi Kumar delivers an important graduation message in Harvard (a university succumbing to Zionist Lobby to prevent graduation of 13 students) Palestinian Harvard Student describes her family suffering in Gaza. and the growth in the movement for Boycott, Divestments sections: We are moved to accelerate our work as the moment of truth is upon us. "We either live together as fellow human beings or we die together as fools". The Palestine situation provides a moral test of our time but it is far more than that: it is an existential struggle in which people need to choose to be on the side of life not on the side of genocide/suicide. Or you can read Langston Hughes, "Harlem" : What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? ICC case: The UN Human Rights Council has investigated Israel's war in detail - and the conclusions are DAMNING: "We conclude that Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity... including extermination, internationally directing attacks against civilians... using starvation as a method of war... sexual and gender-based violence..." All those states that touted the Rules Based Order in Ukraine must now act to impose a UNSC-sponsored arms embargo on Israel. An important message about Genocide from the leader of Human Rights Watch. Stay Human and keep Palestine alive Mazin Qumsiyeh A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine facebook pages Personal Institute French This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Hey, electric cars? It's obvious that they've come into their own now that Tesla's Elon Musk has once again been granted his (no, this is not a misprint!) $44.9 billion pay package by that company's shareholders after a Delaware judge all too unreasonably tossed it out last year. Admittedly, given court issues, he won't get it immediately, but he's still promised to continue helping make Tesla's vehicles fully artificially intelligent and "self-driving." And what could possibly go wrong, once AI is at the wheel instead of us humans? I still recall my dad teaching me to drive in New York City. I can remember being at a corner downtown with cars zipping by in either direction and my dad yelling, "Turn left! Turn left!" In that moment of ultimate pressure, I simply couldn't remember which direction left was. Had I then been artificially intelligent, there would have been no problem. Now, it seems, with future AI and billions of dollars more in the hands of Musk and his like, grammar school kids or even toddlers may someday be able to "drive" their artificially intelligent family cars. (Something to look forward to, right?) And the same, it seems, may be true when it comes to making war. Thanks in large part to the new-age militarists of Silicon Valley that TomDispatch regular and Pentagon expert William Hartung describes so vividly today, sooner or later, this country's generals and admirals, fighting soldiers, sailors, and pilots will assumedly be replaced at the wheel of war by artificial intelligence. And what could possibly go wrong? I mean, isn't war, like driving a car, potentially a matter of child's play? And won't AI ensure that war-making never again falters -- no more Vietnams, Afghanistans, or Iraqs, thanks to us increasingly (in)human beings. On the other hand, I can imagine a few problems (as can Hartung). I mean, when you think about it, what has war ever had to do with intelligence? Tom Philosopher Kings or New-Age Militarists? Silicon Valley and the Rush Toward Automated Warfare By William D. Hartung Venture capital and military startup firms in Silicon Valley have begun aggressively selling a version of automated warfare that will deeply incorporate artificial intelligence (AI). Those companies and their CEOs are now pressing full speed ahead with that emerging technology, largely dismissing the risk of malfunctions that could lead to the future slaughter of civilians, not to speak of the possibility of dangerous scenarios of escalation between major military powers. The reasons for this headlong rush include a misplaced faith in "miracle weapons," but above all else, this surge of support for emerging military technologies is driven by the ultimate rationale of the military-industrial complex: vast sums of money to be made. The New Techno-Enthusiasts While some in the military and the Pentagon are indeed concerned about the future risk of AI weaponry, the leadership of the Defense Department is on board fully. Its energetic commitment to emerging technology was first broadcast to the world in an August 2023 speech delivered by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks to the National Defense Industrial Association, the largest arms industry trade group in the country. She used the occasion to announce what she termed "the Replicator Initiative," an umbrella effort to help create "a new state of the art -- just as America has before -- leveraging attritable, autonomous systems in all domains -- which are less expensive, put fewer people in the line of fire, and can be changed, updated, or improved with substantially shorter lead times." Hicks was anything but shy about pointing to the primary rationale for such a rush toward robotic warfare: outpacing and intimidating China. "We must," she said, "ensure the PRC [People's Republic of China] leadership wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression, and concludes, 'today is not the day' -- and not just today, but every day, between now and 2027, now and 2035, now and 2049, and beyond." Hick's supreme confidence in the ability of the Pentagon and American arms makers to wage future techno-wars has been reinforced by a group of new-age militarists in Silicon Valley and beyond, spearheaded by corporate leaders like Peter Thiel of Palantir, Palmer Luckey of Anduril, and venture capitalists like Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz. Patriots or Profiteers? These corporate promoters of a new way of war also view themselves as a new breed of patriots, ready and able to successfully confront the military challenges of the future. A case in point is "Rebooting the Arsenal of Democracy," a lengthy manifesto on Anduril's blog. It touts the superiority of Silicon Valley startups over old-school military-industrial behemoths like Lockheed Martin in supplying the technology needed to win the wars of the future: 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). After a long wait, the European Union has finally set a date to begin membership talks for Ukraine and Moldova. The EU's decision to go forward with talks and the lengthy process of vetting a new member sends a strong message to Russia that the bloc supports Ukraine in myriad ways. The EU's agreement to launch accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday prompted gratitude in Kyiv and Chi?in?u. "I am grateful to everyone on our team who worked hard to make this historic step a reality," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Millions of Ukrainians, and indeed generations of our people, are realizing their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe, where it has belonged for centuries, as a full-fledged member of the European community." Likewise, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that "becoming an EU member is our path to peace, prosperity, and a better life for all citizens." The accession talks are set to start in Luxembourg on Tuesday afternoon via two intergovernmental conferences that the EU will hold separately with Ukraine and Moldova. However, Ukraine and Moldova will need to jump through several hurdles before they are accepted into the EU. The opening of negotiations is the next step in what is likely to be a tough, yearslong journey toward membership. Ukraine and neighboring Moldova both applied to join the EU in 2022, after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Naturally, Putin is not happy about the EU accepting Ukraine and Moldova and is hoping to head off the move. During a briefing with graduates of military and law enforcement schools in Moscow, Putin expressed his willingness to engage in discussions regarding security matters with NATO-member countries. "Recently, at the meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I outlined our vision on the work to create equal and indivisible security in Eurasia," he said. "We are ready for a broad international discussion of these key vital issues, both with our colleagues in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the CIS, the Eurasian Economic Community, BRICS, and other international associations, European and NATO states, among others, naturally, at the time when they are ready for this." While he demonstrates a willingness to engage in diplomacy, Putin is also threatening to enhance Russia's nuclear capabilities and equip the military with advanced weaponry. "We will prioritize increasing the supply to the troops on the front line of various types of unmanned aircraft systems, armored vehicles, high-precision weapons, strike aircraft, enemy detection, counter-battery systems, control and communications systems," he said. This should be worrying to analysts. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Trump Withdraw Iran Deal %28cropped 2%29. (Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: The White House) Details Source DMCA Even if the reportage is accurate, two questions loom large. First: Do the Iranians want to join the nuclear weapons club? The answer seems to be "no." Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei -- whose orders constitute the regime's policy -- has long held that "the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam and that the Islamic Republic of Iran shall never acquire these weapons." The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirms that position, reporting that "Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device." Second: Why is the US regime's policy clearly oriented toward changing Iran's mind on the acquisition of nuclear weapons? For all its panic-mongering over the prospect of a nuclear Iran, there's only been a short period over the last quarter century when the panic actually got addressed -- the period of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka the "Iran nuclear deal." As a Non-Proliferation Treaty member state, Iran has seemingly kept its nuclear activities within the limits required by that treaty, as verified by International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. But for a decade or so leading up to the JCPOA, the US wanted more restrictions on those activities, as a condition of lifting sanctions. Every time the Iranians agreed, the US backed out, demanding even more. Then came the JCPOA in 2015. The Iranians finally offered enough in the way of concessions above and beyond the NPT guidelines that Barack Obama couldn't find credible way to kick out. And so it went -- even more inspections, even more compliance with US demands, and minimal sanctions relief. Until Donald Trump claimed, in 2018, to have "withdrawn" the US from the JCPOA (something he had no power to do without also withdrawing from the United Nations, as the JCPOA is a UN Security Council resolution binding on all UN member states). Joe Biden ran for president on a promise to bring the US back into compliance with the JCPOA, then broke that promise and continued piling sanctions back on. So the Iranians went back to expanding refinement of uranium -- remaining within NPT limits and proposing to return to JCPOA limits any time the US decides to stop messing around and keep up its end of the deal. QED, it is the US regime, not the Iranian regime, which wants the Iranian regime to withdraw from the NPT and build The Bomb. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Funding Will Assist Efforts to Provide Nutritious Meals and Safety Checks to South Florida's Seniors Plantation, Fla. (May 23, 2023) - Meals on Wheels South Florida is proud to announce that it has received a grant from The Maximus Foundation in recognition of the programs and services they provide to the senior community of South Florida. Meals on Wheels South Florida is one of the larger of 5,000 Meals on Wheels E-Signatures: The Future of Document Signing in the Philippines Introduction In the digital age, the adoption of electronic signatures has revolutionized the way documents are signed and managed. The Philippines is no exception to this trend, with businesses and government agencies increasingly integrating e-signature solutions into their workflows. This article explores the future of e-signature Philippines, examining the legal framework, technological advancements, and the impact on various sectors. By delving into these Revealing 'The Knowledge of Good and Evil': Challenging Perceptions of History In a culture obsessed with stories, Byk Fernando's latest book, The Knowledge of Good and Evil, stands out as a daring voice challenging traditional historical interpretations. Fernando, with a compelling blend of skepticism and intelligence, challenges readers to reconsider the apparent merits of a 6,000-year past defined by war and struggle. This intriguing work dives into the complexities of Singapore, 25th June 2024 - Equativ, the leading global independent ad platform, today announces leadership changes. New Managing Director joins the Singapore office to build a demand-focused strategy and lead Equativ to even greater success. With significant experience in sales within the region, Rueben brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be instrumental in driving growth and innovation. Rueben's impressive background includes 6 years at Yahoo, where he honed Oregon cideries are celebrating big wins at the 2024 NW Cider Cup. Baumans Cider of Gervais earned seven medals, including Best of Show honors for its Mountain Rose SV, en route to being named Medium Cidery of the Year, and 2 Towns Ciderhouse of Corvallis brought in six medals to capture the Large Cidery of the Year title at this years NW Cider Cup. A 60-year-old Florida dentist has been indicted on accusations of sending threats and disturbing messages to politicians, celebrities, authors, and others, including an Oregon minister who disagreed with his political beliefs, according to prosecutors. The Rev. Chuck Currie, a Portland minister in the United Church of Christ and university chaplain emeritus at Pacific University, identified himself as Victim 2 in the indictment charging Richard Glenn Kantwill with three counts of interstate transmission of a threat to harm another. A West Linn man who imported $2.5 million worth of counterfeit N95 masks from China during the height of the pandemic and sold hundreds of thousands to unwitting customers was sentenced Monday to six months in prison. Jiang Yu, 70, also created fake certificates of authentication for the masks he sold, according to federal prosecutors. The fraud unraveled when the FBI and Homeland Security Investigation agents raided his West Linn home with a search warrant and seized nearly 600,000 masks he had stored there in April 2021, according to a sentencing memo. There was a lot of fraud surrounding the pandemic. And the message that should be sent is that youll go to jail for doing that sort of thing, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman said at sentencing. Mosman found Yu lied about what he was selling to customers, yet said it appeared that his actions represented aberrant behavior in his life, considering he had been crime free until now. Prosecutors said he sold to at least six unidentified companies that resold the masks Yu pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods between May 2020 and June 2021. He has agreed to pay $245,449 in restitution to the six companies that were not named in the court record. Mr. Yus conduct was selfish and financially motivated, Assistant U.S. Attorney Quinn P. Harrington argued in a sentencing memo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Rykken, who handled the sentencing, urged a sentence of two and a half years, though she and Harrington acknowledged that the national average for similar cases has been a 10-month prison term. Yu was fully aware that he was supplying customers with counterfeit masks, but the government did not test the full supply of masks seized, Rykken said. Testing by the defense of a sample of masks showed some successfully filtered particles but there was no testing on the durability or fit of the masks, she told the judge. Defense lawyer Wayne Mackeson sought probation with home detention or community service for Yu, pointing out that his client has no prior criminal record. If the judge was inclined to issue a prison term, Mackeson asked that it be no more than 10 months. Yu had been involved in the import-export of air filtration products and LED lighting equipment before this occurred, according to Mackeson. He became a U.S. citizen in 2011 after coming to the United States to study trumpet at Oregon State University in the late 1980s. A native of China, Yu had performed as a solo trumpeter for the Peoples Liberation Army in China, studied at Beijings Central Conservatory of Music and was noticed by the director of bands from Oregon State University when playing at the International Music Festival in Budapest in 1987. He was invited to study trumpet in a masters program at OSU and arrived on campus in 1988. The next year, he was granted authorization to live and work in the U.S. as a permanent resident during the Tiananmen Square protests, according to his lawyer. He studied at OSU for two years, then transferred to Portland State University to complete his masters degree while playing part time for the Oregon Symphony Orchestra from 1989 through 1993. He eventually became a licensed electrician and worked for companies selling air filtration systems and importing LED lighting equipment from China for resale in the United States. Mackeson called Yu the middleman in the conspiracy, working with another man from the United States and a person in China, according to his lawyer. While he subjectively believed that the masks were real in the sense that they were N95 masks, Defendant did not fully think through and appreciate the overall seriousness of the conduct in which he was engaged, Mackesen wrote to the judge. Nevertheless, what occurred here does not reflect who Defendant is as a person. He has given much to the community by way of music, has studied and worked hard, and has otherwise led an unassuming life. Yu remains out of custody and was ordered to start serving the sentence on Aug. 8. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, or on LinkedIn. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. A small Mooney aircraft headed to Troutdale Airport made an emergency landing on the Columbia River Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland said. The water landing happened 2 miles east of the airport near Gary Island Park, spokesperson Allison Ferre wrote in an email. No one was injured. Only the pilot was aboard the plane when it landed, Ferre said. Portland firefighters are working with the U.S. Coast Guard to remove the plane from the river, she added. Beth Slovic is a deputy editor on the public safety and breaking news team. Reach her at 503-221-8551 or bslovic@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com/subscribe. Gray whales have been veering off their normal routes along the West Coast and swimming under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay in unprecedented numbers. Using thousands of photographs of distinctive markings on the whales backs to identify them, marine scientists have confirmed that at least 71 different gray whales and possibly 84 or more swam into the bay between 2018 and 2023, with some staying for more than two months, raising their risk of being hit by cargo ships, oil tankers or other large vessels. From 2010 to 2017, only about 1 or 2 of the giant marine mammals came into the bay every year. Last year, however, there were at least 16, and in 2019 there were at least 21. We think it has a lot to do with the fact that the whales havent been getting enough food, said Bill Keener, a biologist with The Marine Mammal Center, a non-profit group in Sausalito. They may be weak and resting for a while, or they looking for an alternative food source. Some are malnourished, he said. From 2019 to 2023, 22 gray whales were found dead in or near San Francisco Bay, according to data from The Marine Mammal Center, the California Academy of Sciences and public agencies. Of those, 14 died from unknown causes. Researchers performed studies, called necropsies, on nine of the whales. Six died from malnourishment. Three died from a collision with a ship. Over the past four years, dead gray whales have been found inside San Francisco Bay off Angel Island, and near Richmond, Rodeo, Hercules, San Leandro, Mountain View, the Port of Oakland, Tiburon, the Berkeley Marina and Martinez. They arent just near the Golden Gate, said Keener, who said a slower speed limit for big ships in the bay may be needed. They are way into the bay, past Angel Island, down to Treasure Island. Theres a lot of ship traffic there. Wayward whales have inspired public interest for years. One lost humpback, nicknamed Humphrey, gained national attention in 1985 and became the subject of childrens books, songs and a movie drawing crowds of onlookers with binoculars when he swam into the bay. Humphrey meandered up the Delta to sloughs 25 miles south of Sacramento, staying 26 days before finally returning to the Pacific Ocean as researchers played whale songs from speakers off boats to lure him west. In 2007, a mother humpback and her calf, nicknamed Delta and Dawn, swam into the bay and ventured as far up the Delta as Rio Vista before scientists in boats coaxed them back into the open ocean 10 days later. There was also a jump in the number of humpback whales that swam under the Golden Gate Bridge pursuing anchovies in from 2016 to 2018. They stayed only a few days each. But the latest trend with gray whales seems different, researchers say. It could be a sign of stress in the wider population. The pattern comes amid a big drop in the gray whale numbers off the Pacific Coast in recent years. Researchers with The Marine Mammal Center look for gray whales in San Francisco Bay in 2023. Once a rarity, gray whales have been increasingly veering from their normal migration routes in the Pacific Ocean and swimming into San Francisco Bay. (Marc Webber/The Marine Mammal Center/TNS)TNS Once hunted by whaling ships in the 1800s for their oil until there were only about 1,000 or 2,000 individuals left, gray whales were protected in 1972 when President Nixon signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The last whaling company in the United States, the Del Monte Fishing Company, operated at Point Molate in Richmond. It made Kal-Kan dog food out of whales that its crews shot with mechanized harpoon cannons. The company closed in December 1971 as the law was about to take effect. After whaling was banned in the U.S., numbers of gray whales increased. By 1994, after they reached a healthy population, the Clinton administration removed them from the Endangered Species Act list in what is still considered one of the nations major wildlife success stories. Their population jumped to 27,000 by 2016, according to estimates from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But then it fell by at least one third by 2022. Hundreds of malnourished whales began to wash up on beaches in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Mexico. Nobody knew why. Researchers said the die-off from 2018 to 2023, which NOAA called an unusual mortality event, was likely due to a shortage of food in the Arctic linked to changes in the amount of sea ice, wind patterns and other factors. Whales eat 3,000 pounds or more of food a day, preferring small, shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods, along with worms and other tiny creatures that they scoop from the sea floor. Last year, gray whale numbers began to rebound to as many as 21,000. NOAA declared an end to the unusual mortality event in November. Scientists are watching carefully to see if the change is temporary or permanent. The roller coaster population and weird detours into San Francisco Bay could be related to climate change, or it could be part of the gray whales natural population fluctuations, said John Calambokidis, a research biologist with Cascadia Research, in Olympia, Washington. What is a natural cycle? he said. Is this normal? Or something unusual? The ecosystem in the Arctic has changed very rapidly. Thats one reason this has scientists attention. One thing is clear: The gray whales coming into San Francisco Bay are heading north as part of their annual migration from Baja, Mexico where they mate and breed, and turning right under the Golden Gate Bridge instead of continuing north to Alaska where they stock up on food during the summer months. A lot is known about the latest trend because one researcher, Josephine Slaathaug, of the Marine Mammal Center, painstakingly sorted through more than 11,000 photographs of gray whales in San Francisco Bay last year. She built a database, identifying individual whales from photos taken on whale watching boats, the shoreline, and the centers boats. She showed the animals are most common in March and April, and stayed in the bay between 13 and 75 days. Slaathaug, a masters student at Sonoma State University, won a prestigious fellowship in April from the National Science Foundation as she expands the study in the coming years. One key question: Will the number of gray whales in the bay go down if their food in the Arctic recovers, and the West Coast population increases? We dont understand all the drivers, she said. We have preliminary data. But we do know that with all the ships, the bay is not a very safe place for the whales. --Paul Rogers, The Mercury News The annual Lincoln City Kite Festival returned for another year to the Oregon coast, but low winds made it a challenge for the usually ginormous kites to take flight during the festival. Previous years kites have measured 10,400 square feet when inflated. Wind gusts hovered around 3 or 4 miles per hour during Saturday and Sunday festival hours. Ideal flying conditions are 8 to 15 miles per hour, according to the American Kite Fliers Association. Visitors were still able to see multiple stunt or sport kites, flown in synchronization by skilled flyers, making swirly loops in the sky. A giant whale kite caught a brief lift, about 20 feet off the sand. If you missed the summer kite festival or expected more giant kites, theres another chance for kite sightings at the Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival this September. There will be expert kite demonstrations, kite-making, and (if winds permit) giant kites floating above the beach. If you go to the fall kite festival: September 7-8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., located at the beach at the D River State Recreation Site. -- Teresa Mahoney Albanys historic Cumberland Church is finally going national. No, not in the franchising sense. Late last month, organizers behind the churchs restoration efforts got a long-sought victory when the National Parks Service officially placed the 132-year-old building on the National Register of Historic Places. For Liz Rapp, the decision marks an exciting turnaround. Shes been working on achieving that listing since 2018, back when city was looking to sell the then-neglected property and demolition had even briefly been on the table. My parents would be so proud, she said. Rapp, a member of the Cumberland Community Events Center board, which has been a driving force behind the churchs preservation and restoration efforts, has put nearly six years of research into achieving a spot on the national registry. That process required first getting approval from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office in 2020, and then preparing a new application for federal recognition. The years of delving into the buildings history, including into the churchs original roster of families, was well worth it according to Rapp. Thats because earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places a whats what of historic sites worthy of preservation across the country opens doors to grant funding from foundations and organizations. That funding is crucial: Its needed to complete the churchs restoration. Emma Eaton smiles through happy tears after being gifted the most recent copy of the Albany Cumberland Presbyterian Church application by Liz Rap. The application is just one of many steps getting on to the National Register of Historic Places under the U.S Department of the Interior.Jess Hume-Pantuso/Corvallis Gazette-Times According to Emma Eaton, president of the Cumberland Community Events Center, the nonprofit is looking for around $150,000 to further interior structural work this year and is looking to finalize architectural designs for future improvements, all with the hope of earning a certificate of occupancy from the city next year. Getting national recognition gives all the work an added credibility. Were ecstatic, Eaton said. The Cumberland, one of 23 individually listed historic properties in Albany according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, achieved national register status largely through its distinctive Queen Anne style architecture, a relative rarity for Oregon churches, according to Rapp. Part of her research entailed traveling up and down the Willamette Valley to places like Lafayette, Silverton, Brownsville and Cottage Grove to compare different Queen Anne Style structures. Of 846 religious facilities, only 31 showcase the distinctive style, and Cumberlands facade is the most ornate and elaborate shes seen. Over the last few years, the building has undergone a makeover to preserve those features, including through a paint glow-up with red, green and golden flourishes to highlight its intricate moldings, along with a recent stained-glass window restoration on the churchs northern side this spring, though theres more work to do. On June 22, Eaton and others hosted a garage sale outside the church, with the proceeds going toward renovation work. Eatons dedication to and passion for the Cumberland, as evidenced by her brushing the buildings facade clean of grass remnants after a round of mowing earlier this week, was perhaps best exemplified by a surprise gift bestowed by Rapp that drew tears of joy. It was a bound copy of the application that put the Cumberland on the national map. ___ (c)2024 Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore. Visit Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore. at www.gazettetimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Oregonian/OregonLive article on college divestment failed to include key context on calls to disinvest from companies that are supporting Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, (Students in Oregon and across U.S. call for divestment. Its not so simple, May 8). It silences protesters voices. The article brings up vandalism in the Portland State University library, ignoring days of peaceful outdoor tent encampment and protests. Some witnesses at PSU believe independent anarchists, rather than students, were at least partly responsible for vandalism in the library. Meanwhile, Israel has destroyed most Gazan infrastructure, including its universities, and killed almost 100 faculty members and administrators. Multnomah County DA-elect Nathan Vasquez said Tuesday that he will insist that the countys approach to drug possession cases starting this fall must include accountability and meaningful connection to treatment. Beginning Wednesday, Vasquez will start attending the countys closed-door planning meetings at the invitation of county Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. She overrode objections by current DA Mike Schmidt to bring Vasquez to the table. Improved weather conditions aided firefighters Tuesday as they battled a rural northern California wildfire that threatened the community of Palermo, which is near where the states deadliest wildfire struck six years ago. Oregon wildfire outlook for 2024 The fire spread over about 1 square mile in the initial hours Monday evening but was static overnight and containment reached 15%, said Capt. Dan Collins of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Winds subsided, marine air brought some cooling and the conditions are favorable for us this morning, he said. An early start to aircraft operations was requested. The cause of the blaze dubbed the Apache Fire was under investigation. Evacuation orders were in effect for several areas but Collins did not know how many people were affected. Two unidentified structures were destroyed and one firefighter had a minor injury. Palermo had a population of about 9,400 in the 2020 census. The town is about 65 miles north of Sacramento. It is part of Butte County, which is also home to Paradise, where Californias deadliest wildfire killed 85 people and destroyed 11,000 homes in 2018. Valmet to Deliver New Tissue Machine to Andhra Paper in India The new tissue machine will have a yearly capacity of 35,000 tons of high-quality tissue grades. The new tissue machine will have a yearly capacity of 35,000 tons of high-quality tissue grades. June 25, 2024 - Valmet will supply an Advantage DCT100HS tissue line to Andhra Paper Limited for its Kadiyam mill in Andhra Pradesh, India. Valmet's scope of delivery will comprise an Advantage DCT 100HS tissue machine equipped with an OptiFlo TIS II headbox and an Advantage Steel Yankee Dryer. The new tissue machine will have a paper width on reel of 2,850 mm, a maximum operating speed of 6,560 ft/min (2000 m/min), and a yearly capacity of 35,000 tons of high-quality tissue grades dedicated for bath, towel, facial and napkin products. "This strategic investment proves our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and meeting the evolving needs of our customers," said Mukesh Jain, Executive Director, Andhra Paper Limited. "The decision to invest in cutting-edge technology from Valmet underscores our dedication to enhancing our production capabilities while reducing our environmental footprint." The new machine will feature Advantage tissue technologies, including an Advantage ReDry, an Advantage ViscoNip Press, a gas heated AirCap hood, rewinders and process equipment. In addition, the delivery includes Valmet's automation with Valmet DNA Distributed Control System (DCS) and Valmet IQ Quality Control System (QCS). Start-up of the new tissue line is scheduled for the end of 2025. Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. SOURCE: Valmet Research circulated in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday found that a Texas law banning early gestation abortions is associated with an important rise in infant and newborn mortalities. Texas Senate Bill 8 Bans Early Abortions Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8), executed in September 2021, bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is noticeable, around five weeks, efficiently lessening the previous 22-week allowance. The law does not give privileges for congenital anomalies, which can lead to a newborn's mortality shortly after birth. The research evaluated Texas infant mortality rates from 2018 to 2022, analyzing them with those in 28 other states, concentrating on newborns up to 28 days old and infants up to 12 months. Texas saw about 13% raised in infant mortalities the year after SB8's legislation, from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022, while the national rate rose by about 2%. Furthermore, congenital anomaly births in Texas rose by nearly 23%, in contrast to a roughly 3% decline nationwide. "This indicates a causal effect of the policy; this increase in infant deaths wasn't observed in other states," said Alison Gemmill, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who led the study. Some congenital anomalies can be cured after birth, while others are considered "incompatible with life." Nan Strauss, senior policy analyst at the National Partnership for Women & Families, who wasn't involved in the study, stated, "The rise in deaths due to congenital anomalies strongly links the law change to adverse outcomes for infants and families." She noted the emotional toll on families enduring late pregnancy knowing their baby may not survive. Gemmill emphasized the study's relevance for other states following Texas' lead after the Dobbs decision, which ended federal abortion protections and resulted in abortion bans in 14 states according to the Guttmacher Institute. Gemmill suggested that this might foreshadow outcomes in other states. "Texas is essentially a year ahead." Read Also : Senate Republicans Blocked a Democratic-Led Proposal to Protect Access to Contraception Infant and Newborn Death Rates in US Rose in 2022 According to the CDC, infant and newborn mortality rates in the United States, demonstrated the first rise since 2001. Dr. Mary Rosser of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who wasn't involved in the study, noted that such abortion bans could have unintentional results, especially influencing marginalized communities. Further study is needed to comprehend these effects fully. The study's researchers also pointed out the broader effects of a newborn's death on families, including trauma and medical expenses. Dr. Erika Werner, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts Medical Center, not involved in the research, emphasized that behind these statistics are real individuals, each carrying a pregnancy for an additional 20 weeks, aware it might not end in a live birth. To establish a direct link between the Texas ban and increased infant mortality, Gemmill and colleagues analyzed death certificates from Texas and 28 other states from January 2018 to February 2022. Their statistical modeling estimated an additional 216 infant deaths attributable to Texas's six-week ban. Gemmill plans further research into how the absence of Roe protections might affect births requiring extensive medical support. The passing of a 12-year-old boy at a North Carolina wilderness camp for troubled teens has been deemed a homicide, as declared in an autopsy report issued Monday. 12-Year-Old Boy Dies Less Than a Day After Arriving at North Carolina Wilderness Camp The boy died in February, less than 24 hours after arriving at Trails Carolina, a for-profit program that has since had its operating license renounced. Trails Carolina recommended that the passing was unexpected, noting that staff conducted CPR after finding the boy not responsive the morning after his arrival. He had been inside a bivy, a one-person tent equipped with an alarm. The camp has not commented on the medical examiner's findings, which determined the cause of passing as "asphyxia due to smothering," leading from the covering of his nose and mouth with non-breathable material. The camp stated that it typically placed children in bivvies overnight for safety upon their arrival. The autopsy report mentioned that the inner mesh panel of the boy's bivy was torn, leading counselors to seal the outer, weather-resistant door panel instead, contrary to camp protocol. The report from the state chief medical examiner's office noted that bivvies usually come with warnings against fully enclosing the weather-resistant outer layer as it can cause condensation and restrict breathing. Authorities have determined the boy only by his initials, CJH. A family representative said the family had no comment. No charges have been filed. The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office, which is handling a criminal inspection into the boy's passing, declared it is reviewing the autopsy report and will talk about it with the local district attorney. Autopsy Reveals 12-Year-Old Boy's Death as Homicide The autopsy report found no signs of trauma or sexual assault. Although the boy was found without pants, his father elucidated that his son often slept that way. There was no proof of a drug overdose or any natural causes that could elicit his passing, according to the report. The asphyxia result was a "diagnosis of exclusion," meaning all other plausible causes of passing were ruled out. The report signified the boy had been placed in a compromised sleeping position by others and was not able to detach himself. Additionally, counselors could not check on him due to the bivy's opaque outer panel, which prevented them from detecting any issues and assisting him before it was too late. "With these factors combined, the death is best classified as a homicide," the report ended. Before its license revocation, Trails Carolina, situated in Lake Toxaway, served children with behavioral concerns and situations such as ADHD, autism, and PTSD. The medical examiner's report accompanying the autopsy findings noted that the boy had ADHD, anxiety, migraines, and social difficulties, including trouble making friends. His parents had arranged for two strangers to escort him from his home in New York to Trails Carolina, a practice common in the troubled youth industry. On the night of his death, the boy was "restless and mumbling in his sleep," according to the medical examiner's report. Counselors took him out of his bivy at one point, and he fell asleep, but they woke him to place him back inside. In the morning, they found him cold to the touch with his head at the foot of the bivy. A fourth teenage girl involved in the deadly stabbing of a Toronto homeless man two years ago pleaded guilty on Wednesday. She was 14 at the time of the circumstances and pleaded liable to killing in the passing of Kenneth Lee, aged 59. Fourth Teenage Girl Pleads Guilty in Stabbing of Homeless Man According to police, Lee, who lived in the city's shelter system, was badly assaulted by a group of eight teenage girls in December 2022. Shortly after the circumstances, all eight girls, aged between 13 and 16, were arrested. Initially facing liabilities of second-degree murder, a judge currently identified that six of the girls would stand trial for this violation, while the remaining two would face arraignment for murder. Before this current appeal, three other girls had already pleaded guilty in the case: two to killings and one to attack causing bodily harm and violation with a weapon. Sentencing submissions for all those who have admitted guilt are scheduled in court over the coming months, while a trial hearing is set for those contesting the charges next week. Authorities believe the teens came together through social media and are from numerous homes across the Greater Toronto Area. They noted that three of the girls had former encounters with law enforcement, while the others did not. Due to their status as minors, Canadian law bans their identification. Homeless Man in Toronto Killed by 'Swarming' Canadian authorities have determined the homeless man who was deadly stabbed and beaten in what police defined as a "swarming" assault, involving a group of eight teenage girls. Toronto police have named the victim as 59-year-old Ken Lee, revealing that he was killed while attempting to prevent the teens from stealing a bottle of liquor from a friend. The deadly incident occurred after midnight on December 18, 2022, at a plaza near Toronto's main train station, close to a homeless shelter where Lee had been staying after immigrating from Hong Kong in recent months. According to authorities, Lee was beaten by a group of girls who proceeded to stab him. Bystanders warned emergency services, and Lee was hurried to a nearby hospital where he later passed away from his wounds. Facing second-degree murder charges are three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, and two 16-year-olds. Detective Sgt. Terry Browne described the circumstances as "shocking" and "disturbing," noting that each girl had a role in the assault. Helen Shum, who claims to be Lee's relative, has started a GoFundMe campaign for his family, characterizing Lee as a warmhearted individual who was committed to helping others. Police believe the girls met near Union Station after connecting on social media and are from various homes across the greater Toronto area. Three of them have had prior run-ins with law enforcement. Authorities cannot publicly identify the minors involved. One of the accused was granted bail and permitted to return to school, while the others await legal proceedings. Investigators suspect the altercation began when the girls attempted to take alcohol from Lee's female friend, prompting his intervention. Doug Johnson Hatlem, a street pastor familiar with Lee's community, emphasized Lee's willingness to protect others, stating, "Nobody was surprised that he would stick up for somebody like that." The same group of girls is allegedly linked to another altercation earlier on the same evening, consistent with what police describe as a "swarming" behavior. Microsoft, Qualcomm, and their PC-manufacturing partners are seriously hyping Copilot+ PCs. Theyd have you believe that these next-generation AI laptops are packed with AI smarts and useful features. But, while the hardware for AI tasks is ready in these laptops, the actual features built into Windows arent making full use of it. Were in a weird position. Were excited about these laptops because theyre the first seriously impressive Windows on Arm laptops. Were excited about long battery life with snappy performance. And were excited that next-generation Intel Lunar Lake hardware is looking like a huge leap for traditional x86 laptops. But were not excited about all these at-launch AI features being pushed by marketing campaigns. Snapdragon X Elite-powered PCs might be intriguing, but if youre excited about an immediate AI upgrade to your Windows experience, youre going to be disappointed. Heres why. Copilot+ PC? More like Copilot- PC The name Copilot+ PC conjures to mind a kind of PC with extra features relating to Microsofts Copilot AI chatbot. After all, Copilot Pro is a paid subscription that upgrades the Copilot chatbot experience. Thats not the case at all. A Copilot+ PC offers no extra Copilot upgrades. You get a Copilot key on the keyboard, which first-generation AI laptops with Intel Meteor Lake hardware have been offering for many months now. Thats it. Copilot doesnt run offline or use the new integrated neural processing unit (NPU) hardware to do anything at all. In fact, the situation is much more dire than that. These machines ship with a new Copilot app experienceits no longer a sidebar, but rather a normal floating desktop window. Thats fine. But, as Tom Warren noted for The Verge, the new Copilot app experience is a step back. You cant tell it to turn on Dark Mode or empty the Recycle Bin anymore. Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Microsoft may eventually improve the Windows integration in this new Copilot app. And, even if not, this new Copilot experience will eventually come to all Windows 11 PCs. But, at launch, Copilot is surprisingly less powerful on a Copilot+ PC than it is on a standard Windows 11 PC. It also doesnt have those fancy GPT-4o features that Microsoft showed off, where it can see your screen and talk you through Minecraft gameplay, for example. Those features will arrive at some point in the futurebut when they do, they wont need Copilot+ PC hardware. That impressive demo will work on all Windows 11 PCs. AI image generation needs a Microsoft account and internet connection A Copilot+ PC has some extra AI image generation tools integrated into various apps throughout Windows: Paint has a Cocreator tool that can generate an image as you draw, modifying it to fit your drawing. Photos has a Restyle tool that will let you use generative AI as a filter for your image. For example, taking a photo and making it look like it was a watercolor painting. Photos also has an Image Generator feature that generates images to match your text prompts. Heres the thing: While these tools all use the NPU inside a Copilot+ PC, none of them work offline. They require a Microsoft account and an active internet connection to work. Why? To check your images for AI safety before showing them to you. Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Without getting into whether thats necessary or not, one thing is clear: Theres no point to running these tools on your computers hardware if they also require a cloud service to function. You might as well use a cloud-based AI image generation tool running in a powerful data center somewhere. Youll get better, more realistic results. The introduction of these new tools has muddied the AI experience on Windows 11. All of the above tools sit alongside other AI image generation tools that do use Microsofts cloud servers. For example, the Image Creator in Microsoft Paint uses the cloud, while the Image Creator in Photos uses your PCs local hardware. On a Copilot+ PC, Windows contains a confusing mishmash of AI features that may or may not use the PCs hardware and may or may not use Microsofts cloud services. Live Captions gains some tricks, but already runs on all Windows 11 PCs On any Windows 11 PC, you can open the Live Captions app from your Start menu to get AI-powered captions for speech. It uses Microsofts cloud servers to generate live captions in real time from any audioaudio in a video file, audio in an online meeting, or even audio being picked up by your PCs microphone. On a Copilot+ PC, Live Captions gets a little more powerful: it can now work entirely offline (unlike Microsofts AI image generation tools) and it can now translate speech from 44 different languages to English. Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Thats a nice upgrade that some people will find very valuable. But if you dont already use Live Captions, or if you do and you wish you had real-time translation or offline support, would that be enough reason to warrant buying a new Copilot+ PC? Likely not. Windows Studio Effects are fine, but not much is new Microsoft has been talking up Windows Studio Effects as one of the big AI features for Copilot+ PCs. These are real-time webcam effects that use the computers NPU to change how your webcam looks in any app. I like them, really. You can enable fake eye contact or blur your background in any app, for example. And, because it uses the NPU, its a power-efficient way to do webcam effects. You wont be wasting CPU or GPU power in an online meeting. However, this isnt exactly new. Windows Studio Effects is the one AI feature that functioned out of the box on first-generation AI laptops with Intel Meteor Lake hardware. You dont need a Copilot+ PC for them. There are some extra effects: you can use effects like Animated, Illustrated, and Watercolor to change how you look on your webcam in real time. Its a nice idea, but I find the effects to be very subtle. Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Chris Hoffman / IDG Do I really look illustrated in the screenshot above? A little bit! Is that worth buying a Copilot+ PC for? Well, I dont know about that Recall would have been the big feature Recall will take screenshots of your PCs display every five seconds, create a big database of your PC activity, and then let you search through it with plain language queriesjust like when you talk to an AI chatbot. Unlike the Copilot AI chatbot or AI image generation features, it will work entirely offline. Thats what Microsoft said when it announced Recall. Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft Its clear why Microsoft made such a big deal about Windows Recall when it announced Copilot+ PCs. Without Recall, theres a distinct lack of a centerpiece AI feature that really sells these PCs. Instead, its just a collection of little tech demos that shows off what the NPU can do. But when Microsoft faced serious blowback regarding privacy and security concerns over Recall, it decided to pull Recall before launch and spend a few more months working on it before release. Ultimately, this means none of the included AI software featured in Copilot+ PCs at launch is particularly exciting. With Copilot+, youre buying into a promise Im calling these features tech demos for a reason. They feel like they exist to demonstrate the power of the neural processing unit and the Windows Copilot Runtime that Microsoft is offering to developers. The vision of a Copilot+ PC isnt that Windows will totally transform itself. The vision is that third-party application developers will leverage this hardware to add AI features into their own applications. Its early days, for sure. If youre excited about a Copilot+ PC because of the AI features, I recommend you slow down before buying one because you may be disappointed, especially without Recall. I always recommend buying hardware for what it can do today, not based on what it might do in the future. (Already this year, buyers of first-generation AI PCs got burned for buying into a vision too early.) But if youre mainly excited about the battery life and performance promises of Copilot+ PCs? That may be a good reason to buy one! Ive been very impressed with the battery life and snappy performance so far. I wish Microsoft and Qualcomm were talking more about that than AI with this debut Snapdragon X Elite laptops. Lets stay in touch! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletterIll send you three things to try every Friday. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has assured that this year's Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) will come off as scheduled. According to the Public Relations Officer of WAEC, John Kapi, in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, about 90 percent of preparations by the Council is done. He therefore is optimistic that the BECE will be written by the students. WAEC expects government to pay over 90 million cedis to conduct the exams. According to reports, WAEC has received only GH2.3 million out of GH95.83 million which, to them, is not enough to organize the exams scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8 to July 15. The examining body is demanding at least 50 percent payment of the total amount to commence the exams. Due to this, there were fears that the BECE may be canceled but Mr. John Kapi has allayed these fears, stating "we have done the preparations...We can indeed do it. The printing and stationery are all ready". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Ghana HIV/AIDS Network, Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, has highlighted the lack of government funding for public education as a major factor contributing to the rise in HIV infections. According to him, for over a decade, the Global Fund supported HIV prevention advocacy. However, the number of infections continued to increase, prompting the Global Fund to shift its focus to drug procurement, leaving the government responsible for advocacy funding. Mr. Ortsin noted that since the Global Fund ceased funding advocacy efforts, the Ghanaian government has failed to allocate the necessary resources to educate the public about HIV. This lack of funding has left a significant gap in public awareness and education, which is crucial in preventing the spread of the virus. Speaking to Peace FM News, he explained that the government had committed to establishing a national HIV/AIDS fund as far back as 2016 to support the AIDS Commission and various NGOs in their advocacy efforts. Unfortunately, this fund is still not operational, exacerbating the challenges faced by organizations working to combat HIV. Mr. Ortsin also pointed out a worrying trend among the youth, who are increasingly engaging in unprotected sex. This behavior is significantly contributing to the rising number of infections. He stressed the urgent need for renewed educational campaigns and government support to address these issues and curb the spread of HIV. Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin further explained that stigma and discrimination are preventing people from seeking treatment from health professionals. He, therefore, urges people with the infection to ignore such stigma and take their medication, as it leads to the dormancy of the disease and prevents further spread. Source: Sika Ayim/Peace FM Newsroom Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minerals Commission has refuted allegations made by the Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, Yusif Sulemana, against the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, accusing him of granting mining concessions to foreign entities without proper consultation. In a press statement issued on Monday, June 24, the Commission described these allegations as baseless, asserting they should not be coming from a lawmaker. The Commission emphasized that according to the Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176), no mineral rights can be granted without consulting the relevant persons and institutions affected by the mineral operations. Upon receiving an application for a mineral right, the Commission publishes a notice in the Gazette and serves copies to the relevant landowner, Chief, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA), as well as other interested groups and stakeholders, allowing them to raise any concerns. The Commission urged the public to disregard the false narrative being propagated by the MP. Yusif Sulemana had accused Minister Jinapor and the Minerals Commission of bypassing proper consultation processes, which he claimed led to heightened tensions in the Bole-Bamboi constituency. He further alleged that some NPP executives were assaulted by soldiers guarding the mining sites. It is an issue that we are all worried about. Its on record that from the beginning of our constituency, that is Bamboi, and to the end of it, has plenty of mineral companies on both the right and left sides of the road and so of course, we have some galamsey activities going on there. Unfortunately, from February to date, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has allocated the lands to over 7 large scale miners and the problem was that there was no proper stakeholder consultations. And so the youth are there and they will see heavy equipment coming to take over what they are doing and that is where the clash is coming from," he alleged. However, the Minerals Commission's statement reiterated its commitment to following legal and regulatory procedures in granting mineral rights, ensuring all relevant parties are consulted and allowed to voice their concerns. "The attention of the Minerals Commission (the Commission) has been drawn to publications in a section of the media, attributed to the Member of Parliament for the Bole-Bamboi Constituency, Yusif Sulemana, accusing the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission of granting mining concessions to foreigners without proper consultations. The said accusations, claims and/or allegations are false, baseless and unfounded." "The Commission wishes to state, categorically, that in accordance with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176), no mineral right is granted without consultation with the relevant persons and institutions to be affected by the mineral operation." "Upon receipt of an application for a mineral right, notice of the application is published in the Gazette, and copies served on the relevant landowner, Chief, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA), as well as other interested groups and stakeholders, to enable them to raise any concerns they may have," an excerpt of the statement said. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana is set to host the prestigious SDGs Action Summit 2024 under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Co-Chair of the UN Secretary General's Emeritus Group of SDGs Advocates. The Summit, themed "From Mid-Point to Success - Recommitting, Scaling Up, and Accelerating Action on the SDGs," will convene on the 2nd and 3rd of July this year. Announced during a press launch on Monday, June 24, 2024, organized by the SDGs Advisory Unit at the Office of the President, the event unveiled key details of the Summit and highlighted its crucial role in advancing sustainable development goals across Africa. Special Advisor to President Akufo-Addo on the SDGs, Dr. Eugene Owusu, addressed the gathering, emphasizing the complex challenges facing Africa in achieving the SDGs. He cited climate change, regional conflicts, the enduring impacts of COVID-19, governance issues, and global governance structures as significant barriers. Ghana is positioned to play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges through the SDGs framework, Dr. Owusu remarked. We have abundant opportunities within the SDGs to foster inclusive and sustainable development, ensuring global peace, stability, prosperity, and environmental sustainability. The Summit, inspired by President Akufo-Addos leadership and his role as co-chair of the Emeritus Group of SDGs Advocates, aims to catalyze renewed commitment towards SDGs implementation. It precedes the UN Summit of the Future, signaling Ghanas proactive stance in driving global discussions and actions on sustainable development. United Nations Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani, also spoke at the launch, highlighting the critical need for increased development finance to bolster SDGs initiatives. He stressed the urgency of accelerated efforts to meet the 2030 targets, cautioning against the severe consequences of inaction. Partners such as the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) echoed the call for concerted action, emphasizing the Summits role in mobilizing stakeholders and forging partnerships to achieve tangible progress. The SDGs Action Summit 2024 promises to unite global leaders, policymakers, and advocates including His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, business leader Patricia Poku-Diaby, and SDGs Advocate Hindou Ibrahim. Their participation underscores the collective commitment required to transform aspirations into impactful realities. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Nsawam Police Command is holding a 40-year-old Nigerian man identified as Justice, known locally as Oga, for allegedly killing his son and secretly burying him. The suspect, a hardware seller, lived with his wife, also a Nigerian and three children including the deceased at Kyekyewere, a community near Asuboi along the Accra to Kumasi Highway in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region. According to a report, the suspect, now in police custody, had a history of aggression towards his family, as he frequently beat his wife and children, and his violent behaviour went unchecked as the community feared his wrath. A resident who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE, explained that last Thursday, the suspect was seen carrying his severely beaten child into a taxi. He then took the child to the Nsawam Government Hospital, after he fell unconscious, where the medical staff confirmed that he died on arrival. The motive behind the severe beating that led to the childs death remains unclear, though it is noted that the deceased, Wisdom, did not attend school and was often confined to the house. The boy reportedly defied his fathers orders to stay indoors, which may have led to the fatal beating. However, the Assembly Member for the area, George Oboubi, decided to follow up on the childs condition. When questioned, Oga claimed the boy had died of malaria and was in the mortuary. He later changed his story, admitting that he had buried the child in a public cemetery. Ogas inconsistent accounts raised suspicion, prompting Oboubi to involve the police. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Oga had buried the 10-year-old boy, without a coffin, allegedly paying and convincing the Nsawam cemetery workers to do so. The Assembly Member then informed the police, who stormed the cemetery to exhume Wisdoms body and arrested Oga. Meanwhile, the suspect, as gathered, will be arraigned before a court in Nsawam today to face the law. His wife has since fled the town with the two children to an unknown location. Source: D. Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Two opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs disrupted proceedings in Parliament last Friday, by insisting on being heard on a motion that had already been adopted by the House. Yusif Sulemana of Bole-Bamboi and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed essentially held the House hostage, compelling the Presiding Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, to suspend the proceedings for about an hour. Following the Houses adoption of the motion on the urgency of the National Service Authority Bill, the two rabble-rousers from the Minority side rose to challenge the decision. The angry MPs disrupted proceedings by shouting across the aisle that the bill did not require urgent attention as there were more important matters, including the GH95.83 million needed to be released by the government for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to organise the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Are you challenging my decision? Andrew Asiamah Amoako, Second Deputy Speaker, inquired before suspending the House, adding that he wished to engage with the leaders of the House. The Bole-Bamboi MP raised the issue of quorum when he did not get his way, but he later withdrew his application when the House reconvened. Meanwhile, the Committee on Education has requested that Parliament consider the National Service Authority Bill, 2024, under a certificate of urgency. Among the reasons mentioned is that the present NSS framework limits the agencys ability to undertake certain initiatives. According to the Committee, a parallel agency in the Gambia has indicated that it will collaborate with the NSS to replicate the scheme in that country as part of a World Bank programme. The MPs stated that if the bill is passed, the new NSS will have legal authority to conduct specific operations. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Charles Owusu has hailed the national campaign team of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) consisting of Joshua Alabi, the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, and others. The NDC has unveiled the list of their campaign team comprising other leading members of the party such as Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw-Kotei- National Womens Organizer, Alhaji Cole Younger- National Zongo Caucus Coordinator, Joyce Bawa Mogtari- spokesperson for flagbearers campaign, Beatrice Annan-deputy spokesperson of flagbearers campaign, Alex Segbefia- head of Running Mates campaign, James Agyenim Boateng- spokesperson, Running Mates campaign. Charles Owusu, speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, described this team as a "solid team" but stressed if the party fails to win the December 7 polls, they should lay the blame on their presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama. "If the NDC loses the election, it means their candidate is not good but not the party. That's why I say if you don't go to Heaven, don't blame Jesus," he said. 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. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party will on Friday, 19th July, 2024, inaugurate the Campaign Committees of its campaign team for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. The programme which will start at 1 pm and be held at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi. It will include the official launch of the campaign song composed by Evangelist Diana Asamoah. The inauguration which would be done by the Ashanti Regional Campaign Head for the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Bernard Antwi- a.k.a Chairman Wontumi, would have the Second Lady of the Republic, H.E Hajia Samira Bawumia as the Guest of Honour and also be attended by leading members of both the national and Regional campaign teams as well as Members of Parliament, Chief Executive Officers, leading members and other dignitaries of the party. As part of preparations for this important programme, an Eleven (11) member Organizational Committee has been constituted to oversee the planning and organization of this important inaugural ceremony. They are; 1. CHAIRPERSON: HON PATRICIA APPIAGYE (MP,ASOKWA) 2. CO-CHAIR: HON COLLINS NTIM (MP, OFFINSO NORTH) 3. SECRETARY: LAWYER KWAME ADOM APPIAH (OPERATIONS) 4. REP. FOR COUNCIL OF ELDERS: NANA ABABIO WIAFE 5. REP FOR MMDCE: HON ALEXANDER FRIMPONG (ASH. REGIONAL DEAN OF MMDCEs) 6. REP. FOR REGIONAL EXECUTIVES: NANA AMA AMPOMAH (REGIONAL WOMEN ORGANIZER) 7. REP. FOR CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVES: MR DOMINIC BOSOMPEM (ASH. DEAN OF CHAIRMEN) 8. REP. FOR CEOs: KWABENA APPIAH (CEO, STATE HOUSING COMPANY) 9. MEMBERS: MR FRANCIS ADOMAKO (REGIONAL ORGANIZER), HON KWABENA NSENKYIRE and MARTIN AMEYAW SNR. The aforementioned Organizational Committee will work under and report to the Ashanti Regional campaign leadership of the party. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The West African Music and Arts Festival (WAMAFest) celebrated its inaugural edition with a dynamic four-day event. Held in Accra, Ghana, WAMAFest brought together industry professionals, government officials, and creative sector practitioners from across West Africa and beyond. The festival kicked off with an opening Soiree emphasizing the importance of supporting and nurturing the West African music industry. It also showcased the regions cultural richness and positioned West Africa as a global music powerhouse. Day two which was graced by Ghana's Second Lady, Hajia Samira Bawumia, included panel discussions involving Industry experts. The panels explored new sounds, marketing strategies, and the business aspects of art and music. Pan-African collaborations and digital platforms were also key discussion points. On the third day, there were master classes educated the next generation and highlighted establishing robust industry support structures . The final day was focussed on thr celebration of Juneteenth in Ghana in partnership with the African American Association of Ghana ( AAAG). The Juneteenth Parade, starting at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre and ending at the Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC), honored the struggles of African Americans and fostered community for those returning to Ghana. The climax WAMAFest music celebration was a partnership with YFM to host a vibrant musical jam, featuring rising Ghanaian talents. Dance troupes and musicians representing genres like Dance Hall, Hip Hop, and Afrobeats wowed the audience. Established artists EL, Kidi, Efya , Kwaw Kesse and a surprise appearance by Black Sherif added to the energy. Dancers Afronitaaa and Abigail also graced the occasion. Prof Jasmine Young, Co-Founder of the West African Music and Arts Festival, expressed gratitude to government officials and industry players. She reiterated WAMAFests mission of celebrating West Africas cultural heritage, empowering the creative industry, and shaping the future of music and arts in the region. WAMAFest 2024 served as a valuable platform for cultural exchange, industry discussions, and intellectual property protection, fostering a thriving creative ecosystem. Distinguished guests included the Second Lady of Ghana, H.E. Samira Bawumia; the Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Hon. Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer; the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman; Creative Arts Agencys Frank Owusu Kwabena; MUSIGA President Bessa Simons; Deputy Director of Industrial Arts at GEPA, Nelly Spio-Ababio; and Vice President of Global A&R at Warner Recorded Music, Bello. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Chris Palmer, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) The man who shot a Philadelphia police officer in Kensington over the weekend opened fire after officers stopped his car for bearing a temporary license plate and lacking proper registration, officials said Monday. Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez, 36, also lacked a drivers license, causing the officers to call for a tow truck to take his Toyota sedan away. Still, for the next 30 minutes, the encounter between Vazquez and the officers on the 3500 block of F Street was relatively unremarkable, Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a news conference. The officers and Vazquez had conversations in Spanish, and Vazquez made a phone call and had three people come to the scene in an attempt to prevent his car from being towed. It was just a normal stop, Bethel said. Then, as officers conducted a final search of Vazquezs car before having it hoisted onto a flatbed, one of them discovered a gun holster near the drivers seat. And as the officers prepared to confront Vazquez about it, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore, Vazquez started running. Within seconds, Vanore said, Vazquez turned back and started shooting with a gun hed been carrying in his waistband, striking one of the officers in the neck. Vazquez then tried to take refuge in a nearby garage but was turned away, and also tried to carjack a van, Vanore said. He ultimately ran to a house where a resident was sitting on the porch, then threatened the man at gunpoint, and attempted to barricade himself inside a bedroom. SWAT officers took Vazquez into custody at that house Saturday night, Vanore said. Vazquez later confessed to shooting at the officers, according to sources briefed on the case, saying he did so because he didnt want to go to jail. Those details give new clarity to an incident that left the officer hospitalized and critically wounded. Police have yet to identify the officer a 31-year-old and a six-year veteran of the force but Bethel said Monday that he is on a respirator and in a battle. Vazquez, meanwhile, was arraigned early Monday on charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault on an officer, illegal gun possession, evading arrest, burglary, and kidnapping. He remained in jail on $12.5 million bail, court records show. Assistant District Attorney Robert Wainwright said Vazquez committed an absolutely despicable cowardly act. Officials said much of the case was captured on video, including bodycams worn by the officers. And surveillance video obtained by The Inquirer showed a man who resembles Vazquez running along nearby Kingston Street after the shooting, seemingly holding a gun in his hand. Bethel said it was confounding and senseless that Vazquez decided to flee and start shooting after an extended, and relatively calm, interaction with police. Still, although Vazquez has no previous arrests in Pennsylvania, he was arrested in Puerto Rico in 2011 for allegedly shooting at two officers there. According to an account in Periodico Impacto Noreste, a news magazine, Vazquez, then 21, and another man, 24-year-old Jose M. Serrano Ares, stole an SUV at gunpoint, then fired shots at two responding officers. Both were charged with crimes including attempted murder and firearms violations, but it was not immediately clear what happened with the case, or whether Vazquez was ultimately convicted of the crime. Saturdays car stop happened shortly after 7:15 p.m., Bethel said. He said the partner of the wounded officer returned fire after Vazquez started shooting, and that responding officers arrested Vazquez at the house where hed attempted to hide out, on the 800 block of E. Schiller Street. The officer who was struck is one of at least eight officers who have been shot in the city in the last eight months. That violence against officers has occurred even as shootings citywide have fallen significantly to begin 2024. This is a developing story that will be updated. Staff writer Ellie Rushing contributed to this article. (c)2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A Pike County school bus driver is facing charges after police say she slammed on the brakes, injuring several children on board. State police said that the incident occurred at 4 p.m. April 11, when troopers answered a call about a disturbance in Lehman Township, according to WBRE/WYOU and WNEP. Upon arrival, they learned that Kerry Sullivan of Delaware Township, a school bus driver for East Stroudsburg Area School District, had suddenly hit the brakes of the bus she was driving. Sullivan told police that she pulled the emergency brakes twice after telling students on board to stop screaming. There were about 39 children on the bus at this time and all were thrown forward as a result. Two children were taken to a hospital as a result of the incident. They were later released. Sullivan has been charged with endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, careless driving and reckless driving. She turned herself in on June 21 and a judge released her on her own recognizance. A teacher at Shalom Christian Academy in Chambersburg, Franklin County, was charged by state police with four felony charges for having sexual contact with a student, a criminal complaint says. Bonnie Louise Gingrich, 38, of Hagerstown, Md., was charged with sexual contact with a student, corruption of minors and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor relating to an incident that occurred between November 2023 and March 2024. Police did not release the age of the victim. On March 30, state police were notified from a Childline report that Gingrich was having inappropriate contact with a student at Shalom Christian Academy. During an interview with the Child Advocacy Center, the student said that Gingrich reached out to them electronically. Eventually, Gingrich hugged the student, kissed their cheek, put her hand up the their shirt and pants and touched the victims genitals, according to a criminal complaint. All of the actions occurred at the school, the complaint says. Gingrich later messaged the victim and said she wanted to meet up after school, and encouraged them to create secret chat accounts and to delete their messages so no one found out about their contact, the complaint says. Gingrich is free on unsecured $50,000 bail, and her next court date is set for July 16. We are deeply saddened by the allegations against a former employee, Shalom Christian School said in a statement to PennLive. We are cooperating with authorities. We are praying for everyone involved. The separation of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and his estranged wife, Firerose, do not appear to be going well. At all. Just days after Firerose reportedly accused Cyrus of extreme abuse, he is apparently claiming that she is the one who is actually guilty of abuse. The 62-year-old Cyrus has denied Fireroses claims while reportedly admitting that he was certainly vocal, frustrated and angry. However, in court filings, he reportedly claimed that it is the Plaintiff who, in fact, has been abused. Cyrus reportedly claimed that he was verbally, emotionally and physically abused by Firerose. He also reportedly countered Fireroses claims of abuse by arguing that if true it would be mindboggling to try and explain why, upon vacating (Billy Rays) premarital residence, (Firerose) would leave (Billy Ray) a handwritten note and then send him a text message stating in her word, I am sorry and please give me a chance to make this right. I can explain everything but I need you on my side. Firerose, again, has denied the claims. The only individuals backing his false claims are those on his payroll, whose credibility is questionable, her rep told InTouch. Its just another ugly chapter in the former couples split. According to People Magazine, Firerose claims that Cyrus filed for divorce last month just a day before she was set to have a preventative double mastectomy. The site said she made the filing in Tennessee on June 14. People said that the 36-year-old discovered she had the BRCA1 gene mutation which gave her an increased chance of getting breast cancer, and in March doctors highly recommended she have the procedure done to prevent that from happening. But she reportedly said in her filing that chaos ensued at home as her surgery date grew near and that Cyrus continually launched verbal attacks against her. People said it reached out to Cyrus representatives, but they had no comment. When Wife would attempt to voice certain concerns, Husband would often call her a selfish (expletive) and continually alleged that she was using him, the filing said per People. With Wifes major surgery date looming, she was reasonably afraid to leave or seek any type of help because she feared hat Husband would interfere with her surgery or her lengthy recovery at home. The report said she also accused Cyrus of extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse. It said she also accused him of having substance abuse issues and that causes him to be unpredictable and volatile. Cyrus filed for divorce on May 23. Firerose said she was scheduled for surgery on May 24. In his request for an emergency restraining order recently, Cyrus sought to stop Firerose from unauthorized use of his credit cards and bank accounts. People reported that Cyrus claimed that Firerose ran up $96,986 in unauthorized charges on his business account. The site reported that Cyrus claims $70,665 of that went to payments for her lawyers. Cyrus claimed that the charges made him concerned that she may make other fraudulent, unauthorized charges to my business and personal credit cards and accounts. When he filed for divorce, Cyrus listed irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as his reason, per People. The couple was reportedly married for just seven months. Through her attorneys, Firerose has denied that she made any fraudulent charges, according to People. Throughout the divorce proceedings, the parties are to live as per the status quo during the marriage, her lawyers reportedly argued. Wife was simply living as she has since October 10, 2023, and Husband has no right to cut her off. People did report that Cyrus and Firerose did agree when he filed for divorce that she would move out of his home immediately, and that he would provide financial support for her for 90 days or until the dissolution of the marriage, whichever comes first. Yeah, sure, thats a sound idea that totally makes sense If youre blasted out of your mind, which this guy undoubtedly was. The Tribune Review reports how a man became fantastically drunk in Pittsburgh, Pa., last week and somehow made the decision to steal a yacht. Which he did. The man in question, Michael Fischer, managed to break into the Lock Wall Marina off 23rd Street on Friday morning and then proceeded to board and set sail on an 82-foot-yacht, states the same Tribune Review article. Why? Because, according to the resulting (and inevitable) criminal complaint, as well as in the words of Fischer himself, he wanted to meet some Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburghs Action News 4 continues to report how Fischers fabulously flawed plan didnt take too long to unravel: For all that he managed to do in stealing the yacht, he couldnt figure out how to turn it on. He didnt even make it over half a mile before the unmoored craft gently came to a stop against a river wall about 50 yards from the Pittsburgh River Rescue Boathouse. The yachts captain who usually sleeps on it wasnt on the ship at the time, states Pittsburghs Action News 4. Authorities eventually showed up to detain Fischer who the complaint states reeked of alcohol after the marina manager informed the captain the yacht had gone missing. He called the police. We called the police, tells Capt. Adam Kernohan to the news station. But then the weird part is, it ended up just floating right next to the River Rescue. So the River Rescue, I guess two medics, went out there and looked at the boat and said, Why is it backing up into here? And then I got a call on the radio about a boat stolen. So they just walked on, and arrested on person. The Tribune-Review confirms that Fischer was unable to post $5,000 bail and was taken to Allegheny County jail. He has a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 1. No boats or anything else on the Allegheny River were, miraculously, reported as damaged from his shenannigans. By Sam Whitehead, KFF Health News (TNS) DECATUR, Ga. Malcolm Reid recently marked the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis on Facebook. Diagnosed with HIV 28 years ago, AND TODAY I THRIVE, he wrote in a post in April, which garnered dozens of responses. Reid, an advocate for people with HIV, said hes happy he made it to age 66. But growing older has come with a host of health issues. He survived kidney cancer and currently juggles medications to treat HIV, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. Its a lot to manage, he said. But Reids not complaining. When he was diagnosed, HIV was sometimes a death sentence. Im just happy to be here, Reid said. You werent supposed to be here, and youre here. More than half of the people living with HIV in the United States are, like Reid, older than 50. Researchers estimate that 70% of people living with the virus will fall in that age range by 2030. Aging with HIV means an increased risk of other health problems, such as diabetes, depression, and heart disease, and a greater chance of developing these conditions at a younger age. Yet the U.S. health care system isnt prepared to handle the needs of the more than half a million people those already infected and those newly infected with HIV who are 50 or older, say HIV advocates, doctors, government officials, people living with HIV, and researchers. They worry that funding constraints, an increasingly dysfunctional Congress, holes in the social safety net, untrained providers, and workforce shortages leave people aging with HIV vulnerable to poorer health, which could undermine the larger fight against the virus. I think were at a tipping point, said Melanie Thompson, an Atlanta internal medicine doctor who specializes in HIV care and prevention. It would be very easy to lose the substantial amount of the progress we have made. People are living longer with the virus due in part to the development of antiretroviral therapies drugs that reduce the amount of virus in the body. Malcolm Reid at home in Decatur, Georgia, with his dog, Sampson. Reid, who recently marked his 66th birthday and the anniversary of his HIV diagnosis, is part of a growing group of people 50 and older living with the virus. (Sam Whitehead/KFF Health News/TNS)TNS But aging with HIV comes with a greater risk of health problems related to inflammation from the virus and the long-term use of harsh medications. Older people often must coordinate care across specialists and are frequently on multiple prescriptions, increasing their risk for adverse drug reactions. Some people face what researchers call the dual stigma of ageism and anti-HIV bias. They also have high rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Many have lost friends and family to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Loneliness can increase the risks of cognitive decline and other medical conditions in older adults and can lead patients to stop treatment. It isnt an easy problem to solve, said Heidi Crane, an HIV researcher and clinician at the University of Washington. If I had the ability to write a prescription for a friend someone whos supportive and engaged and willing to go walking with you twice a week the care I provide would be so much better, she said. The complexity of care is a heavy lift for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the federal initiative for low-income people with HIV. The program serves more than half of the Americans living with the virus, and nearly half of its clients are 50 or older. Many of the people aging with HIV were pioneers in HIV treatment, said Laura Cheever, who oversees the Ryan White program for the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Researchers have a lot to learn about the best ways to meet the needs of the population, she said. We are learning as we go, we all are. But it certainly is challenging, she said. The Ryan White programs core budget has remained mostly flat since 2013 despite adding 50,000 patients, Cheever said. The Biden administrations latest budget request asks for less than half a percent bump in program funding. Local and state public health officials make the bulk of the decisions about how to spend Ryan White money, Cheever said, and constrained resources can make it hard to balance priorities. When a lot of people arent getting care, how do you decide where that next dollar is spent? Cheever said. The latest infusion of funding for Ryan White, which has totaled $466 million since 2019, came as part of a federal initiative to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. But that program has come under fire from Republicans in Congress, who last year tried to defund it even though it was launched by the Trump administration. Its a sign of eroding bipartisan support for HIV services that puts people in extreme jeopardy, said Thompson, the Atlanta physician. She worries that the increasing politicization of HIV could keep Congress from appropriating money for a pilot loan repayment program that aims to lure infectious disease doctors to areas that have a shortage of providers. Many people aging with HIV are covered by Medicare, the public insurance program for people 65 and older. Research has shown that Ryan White patients on private insurance had better health than those on Medicare, which researchers linked to better access to non-HIV preventive care. Some 40% of people living with HIV rely on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people. The decision by 10 states not to expand Medicaid can leave older people with HIV few places to seek care outside of Ryan White clinics, Thompson said. The stakes are high, she said. We are in a very dangerous place if we dont pay more attention to our care systems. About 1 in 6 new diagnoses are in people 50 or older but public health policies havent caught up to that reality, said Reid, the HIV advocate from Atlanta. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, recommends HIV testing only for people ages 13 to 64. Our systems are antiquated. They, for some reason, believe that once you hit a certain number, you stop having sex, Reid said. Such blind spots mean older people often are diagnosed once the virus has destroyed the cells that help the body fight infection. In acknowledgment of these challenges, HRSA recently launched a $13 million, three-year program to look at ways to improve health outcomes for older people living with HIV. Ten Ryan White clinics across the United States participate in the effort, which is testing ways to better track the risk of adverse drug interactions for people taking multiple prescriptions. The program is also testing ways to better screen for conditions like dementia and frailty, and ways to streamline the referral process for people who might need specialty care. New strategies cant come quickly enough, said Jules Levin, executive director of the National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project, who, at age 74, has been living with HIV since the 1980s. His group was one signatory to The Glasgow Manifesto, in which an international coalition of older people with HIV called on policymakers to ensure better access to affordable care, to ensure patients get more time with doctors, and to fight ageism. Its tragic and shameful that elderly people with HIV have to go through what theyre going through without getting the proper attention that they deserve, Levin said. This will be a disaster soon without a solution. (KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. It was an electrician who made the horrifying discovery on a Monday afternoon in a vacant farm workers dwelling. He was working with a carpenter in the rustic, one-story wooden building when he pulled back an overstuffed chair blocking an opening in a wall. He looked inside and found a womans body stuffed in the cramped space. Her name was Rosa Lee Pickett. She was 28 years old. The woman had been dead for at least a day and her cause of death wasnt immediately clear, police told local news reporters at the time. It was September 1957 and the question facing investigators was: How did a mother of six from Detroit end up dead on a farm in Cumberland County, New Jersey? That same question has haunted Rosa Lees family for more than 66 years. Did she die from poisoning or a botched abortion, as some family members have speculated? Or was it a blow to the head, as a death certificate obtained 20 years ago states? Or was it asphyxiation, as someone is law enforcement told the family in 2004? Rosa Lees children were young at the time and later said the adults in their lives didnt talk about what happened. Newspaper reporters covered the discovery of her body in 1957, but never reported on the outcome of the investigation. Six decades later, New Jersey State Police remain unwilling to talk about the case or release records of the investigation. Now, Rosa Lees children and grandchildren are on a quest not only for answers about her death but to ensure her memory is never lost. Their journey isnt about blaming anyone for Rosa Lees death, because anyone involved is likely deceased, explained her granddaughter, Latonia Moore. Instead, the family wants to find answers. Everybodys gone, Moore said, But what came out of the investigation? Where did you all decide to stop? This image was taken from the water tower at Seabrook Farms in the 1950s and shows the plant and offices to the right, with dwellings for workers in the distance. Rosa Lee Pickett was found in a vacant house on the farm. (Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.)(Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.) A visit to New Jersey Rosa Lee had traveled to Seabrook, New Jersey, from her home in Detroit to pick up two of her kids, according to news accounts and the recollections of one of those children. Those kids, Rochelle and Sandra, were living with an aunt named Emma Pickett, who worked at Seabrook Farms and resided in a cluster of farmworker buildings called Hoover Annex. A Bridgeton Evening News article said Rosa Lee was found inside 33 Hoover Annex, a stones throw from Emmas place. Emma had reported Rosa Lee missing to N.J. state police a day before her body was found, according to reports at the time. She told police Rosa Lee disappeared two days earlier after failing to return from a date with friends from Vineland, according to the Bridgeton Evening News article. Police told reporters they were speaking to those friends. The building where Rosa Lee was found was long-unoccupied, and the space where her body was hidden was described as a doorless closet or niche in the wall, news reports said. Sandra recalled hearing that her mother was wearing a pink dress and black ballerina slippers when she was found. Two state police pathologists, Drs. Edwin Owen and Roderick Camattella, performed the autopsy, but no cause of death could be determined, according to the Evening News article. No marks of violence are reported on the body, the story said. A little bruise on the side of her face was not deemed a factor in her death, according to an article in the Press of Atlantic City, which added that her organs were being analyzed at a laboratory in Trenton. In that article, police ruled out suggestions Rosa Lee was poisoned, that her neck had been broken or that she died from a blow to the head. Rochelles daughter, Latonia Moore, was born about a decade after her grandmothers death. But, she wanted to understand what really happened to Rosa Lee and began investigating the cold case 20 years ago. When she contacted state police in 2004 to see what she could learn, Moore said she was told files on the death could not be released because it was still an open unsolved case. A sergeant, however, gave her a list of names of those Vineland friends Rosa Lee had gone out with, Moore said. She tried contacting them, but had no success. She assumes theyve died by now. Moore also obtained a copy of her grandmothers death certificate in 2004, which listed her cause of death as a blow to the head. That contradicted something the state police sergeant told her that year. The sergeant at the time, he called me saying that she did not die from a blow to the head, Moore said. She died from asphyxiation, which means however she was placed in the closet, it cut off her airway. Rather than finding clarity, Moore was left with additional questions and resumed the search last year following her retirement. One discovery she made was that news accounts and even her grandmothers death certificate had the wrong spelling of her first name. They listed her as Rosalie, while Social Security records provide the correct first name, she said. Moore held out hope that a copy of the police report would finally answer the familys questions about what happened 66 years ago in Seabrook. She contacted the state police again in 2023 to ask for the case file and was told it could not be located. She was then told in December that the report on the investigation was found, but Moore was again denied the file. State police officials told her the release of investigatory records was exempt under the state Open Public Records Act. State [olice officials also denied an NJ Advance Media OPRA request for the same file and said they did not have a copy of Rosa Lees autopsy report. Police have refused to comment on why they wont release any details from the file to the family or media. Moore said she has no plans to give up on her quest. Her latest public records request for the case file is under review by the state police, she said she was told. A 1950s aerial view of the Seabrook area, with Hoover Village in upper right corner and the dwellings of Hoover Annex, where Rosa Lee Picketts body was found in 1957, to the left of Hoover Village. Thats the current Elizabeth F. Moore School in the middle of the image. (Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.)(Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.) Life in Seabrook Nestled among the fields of rural Cumberland County, the sprawling Seabrook Farms gained a global reputation as an innovator in the processing of vegetables through freezing, giving food a longer shelf life. It employed around 5,000 people in the 1950s. Its founder, Charles F. Seabrook, was dubbed the Henry Ford of Agriculture for his mass production approach to farming and food processing in the early 1900s. In 1955, Life Magazine called Seabrook Farms the biggest vegetable factory on Earth. The hunger for workers to keep the massive operation chugging along created a melting pot of sorts in the tiny slice of South Jersey. Facing a labor shortage during World War II, Seabrook hired thousands of Japanese Americans who were being released from concentration camps where they had been held over security fears following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The company actively recruited various groups to come work in New Jersey. We had 27 different nationalities here at one time, said Larry Ericksen, executive director of the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, which chronicles the stories of Japanese Americans who settled there, as well as wartime refugees from Europe and migrant laborers who came from elsewhere in the country and the Caribbean. Worker dwellings like the one where Rosa Lee was found are long gone, Ericksen said. Charles Seabrook sold the company in 1959, but members of his family later formed a new company, Seabrook Brothers and Sons Inc., which remains in operation today in the same community, growing, processing and freezing vegetables that reach tables around the globe. Among those drawn to Seabrook for a job in the early 1950s was Emma Pickett, who, like Rosa Lee, hailed from Detroit. Two of Rosa Lees children, Rochelle and Sandra, ended up moving from Detroit to live with Emma. One of those kids, now Rochelle Duncan, said she never really knew her birth mother. I was told by Emma that my birth mother gave me to her, because Emmas child had died and my mother didnt want any more children, Duncan recalled. So, I was just given away. Her sister Sandra came to live with them later, she recalls. Duncan doesnt remember much about Rosa Lee, who would occasionally come to New Jersey to visit. When Rosa Lee would come, she would just come to hang out, Duncan said. It was always about having fun, having a good time. And that was it. We didnt interact at all. So, I dont remember anything about my mother. She recalled Emma, who was her aunt by marriage, as a great mother figure. She was very caring and loving, and she was the person who had unconditional love for me, Duncan said. She was patient. She was always taking care of someone or nurturing someone. Seabrook Farms worker dwellings in Hoover Annex, were Emma Pickett lived and Rosa Lee Pickett was found dead, were similar to this one in neighboring Hoover Village. None of the structures remain today. (Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.)(Photo courtesy of Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center, Inc.) A daughter questioned by cops Duncans sister, now Sandra Austin, is a year older and recalled living with her mother and father on 12th Street in Detroit before moving to Seabrook to live with her aunt. She doesnt know why she was sent to New Jersey to live with Emma, but remembers Rosa Lee as a good mother. Austin has fond memories of her time in Seabrook. Me and Rochelle went to school, went to church. We had a good life there, she said. We were treated well. She recalled Rosa Lee coming to New Jersey to bring the kids back to Detroit before her death. When my mother got there, we were supposed to leave that Saturday, Austin said. We were all packed up to leave that Saturday. When she woke up that morning, she saw Emma. I asked her where my mother was and she said she had went out, Austin said. Then her grandmother, Rosa Lees mother, arrived in Seabrook. When my grandmother came down, thats when we found out my mother had died, Austin said. They said they had found her body in a house. After Rosa Lees death, the kids were brought back to Detroit, but it wasnt a happy reunion, Duncan said. The relationship that I had with my father and my grandmother was very strained, because they thought I was withholding information about the death of my mother, she said. It was kind of hard. Duncan, who was 9 years old at the time, recalled being questioned by Detroit police. I really did not know anything had happened until I came back to Michigan, she said. I was just picked up, no explanation, and brought back and then interrogated by the police. She remembered being scared. They were asking me questions about what happened to my mother, where did she go all these different types of questions which I couldnt answer, she said. They also suggested Emma was involved. Because her body was found close to where Emma lived, Rosa Lees husband thought Emma knew something, according to Duncan. Moore knows from her 2004 conversation with state police that Emma was interviewed in 1957 and briefly held by authorities, she said. Emma, who died years ago, was never charged with any wrongdoing. As part of her search, Moore reached out to Detroit police, but was told they had no record of the case in their files. After Rosa Lees death, Duncan was not allowed to see Emma again, she said. They didnt reconnect until after Duncan graduated from high school. Thats when Emma alleged Rosa Lee died following an abortion. It is unclear if police ever investigated the theory. Austin doesnt recall ever being questioned about her mothers death, but does remember the family treating her sister with suspicion. They hurt her very badly, she recalled, her voice choking with emotion. They kept saying that she knew what happened. She knew what they did to Rosa Lee. Duncan and Austin hadnt discussed those memories before, they said during a recent phone interview with NJ Advance Media, but have now started talking about those difficult times from decades ago. Emma Pickett raised Rosa Lee's daughter, Rochelle, in New Jersey during the 1950s.(Provided photo/Latonia Moore) What did investigators learn? Moore wants to know if Rosa Lees Vineland friends were interviewed and what they said. She also wants to know what the man who found Rosa Lees body told police. Every new detail Moore discovers leads to more questions, and without the full police investigation report, her work is incomplete, she said. The police told me she died from asphyxiation. If thats true, why wasnt the death certificate changed? Moore said. If thats true, why did Emma make up the abortion story? Moore wants to know how far New Jersey police went in trying to figure out what happened to her grandmother. I want to know what happened, even if we dont know the final outcome, she said. What did you all do in the follow-ups? Did you all just let it go? At least, shed like to know what the medical examinations determined. There must be a result to that actual autopsy, Moore said. A final finding. Duncan remains unsure if her mothers case was thoroughly investigated. I believe that, during that time period, there was a lot of segregation going on. And I believe the police didnt want to investigate, she said. It was just another Black person that died. And that was it. They didnt want to follow up. Rochelle Duncan stands at the grave of Emma Pickett, the woman who raised her in New Jersey. Emma and Rosa Lee Pickett are buried at the same cemetery in Detroit.(Provided photo/Latonia Moore) She meant something to all of us In addition to the uncertainty over Rosa Lees death, little evidence remains of her life during the 28 years she was alive, her family said. Its like she was just erased, Moore said. Weve lost so much information. The number of family members who may have information about Rosa Lee is dwindling, Moore said. She was an only child and her mother is gone, as is Rosa Lees husband, Walter. Sandras daughter, Catherine Phillips, also wants to know about Rosa Lee. As we got older, we were inquiring about what type of person she was. What was she like, was she a homemaker, did she work, did she like to dance, what were her hobbies? Phillips said. As with her death, though, answers were elusive. Her grandfathers family was big on taking photographs, she said, but the family has found only one photo of Rosa Lee. My grandfather never mentioned her. Nobody knows anything, Phillips said. Its like she had six children and she just disappeared. This is just a whole person that vanished off the Earth. Its like nobody cared. Restoring Rosa Lees legacy is even more important to the family today. Several years ago, a cousin named his daughter after her, Moore said. In addition to ensuring future generations remember Rosa Lee, Phillips wants to find closure for her mother and aunt. She meant something to all of us, Phillips said. We just dont know her as a person. Shown, left to right, are Catherine Phillips, Sandra Austin, Rochelle Duncan and Latonia Moore. The daughters and granddaughters of Rosa Lee Pickett want to know how she died in 1957 and what was done to investigate her case.(Provided Photo) We want to know the truth After her death, Rosa Lee was returned to Michigan and buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery. Its the same cemetery where Emma was interred decades later, in 1972. Moore traveled from her home in Texas to see her mother over Thanksgiving and the pair went to the cemetery to visit Rosa Lees resting place. When we went to the grave site, it was so overgrown, Moore said. They knew the section where Rosa Lee was buried, but couldnt find the spot, because her grave has no headstone. They went to the cemetery office and staff helped them locate the small marker. It was an emotional moment for Duncan, her daughter said. They want to have a headstone made for Rosa Lee and another for Emma. Moores mother and aunt are now in their 70s, and revisiting the memories of their mothers death has been tough, she said. But Rosa Lees family wants to know the full story. We want to know the truth, Duncan said. We want to know what actually happened to my mom. Latonia Moore kneels at the grave of her grandmother, Rosa Lee Pickett, while holding the woman's photograph.(Provided photo/Latonia Moore) Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Beloved surf instructor, lifeguard and occasional film actor Tamayo Perry died on Sunday as the result of what officials say was a shark attack on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Perry, 49, was a professional lifeguard for City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety. Perry was attacked while he was surfing near Goat Island on Sunday afternoon, according to CBS News and CNN. The attack happened before 1 p.m. Sunday, when first responders arrived at a beach after getting a call about a shark attack. Honolulu Ocean Safety brought Perry to shore via jet ski but he was then pronounced dead at the scene, CNN reported. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement that Perry was an eight-year veteran of Honolulu Ocean Safety. He exemplified bravery, commitment and a deep sense of duty, serving our community with unwavering dedication. His heroic actions and tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors will never be forgotten, Blangiardi said. Tamayos personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more, Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager said, per CBS. Perry also appeared in the films Blue Crush in 2002 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011. He also showed up in a 2011 episode of Hawaii Five-O. Perry was a professional surfer for 15 years and won the Pipeline Master trials in 1999. For a while, he was one of the top, top, top people out there, Brendan Buckley, the editor of Stab Magazine, said to CBS. He got some of the craziest waves of his era. He was insanely respected by obviously everybody there and everybody around the world for what he did. A New Jersey man flew to Florida and attacked a fellow gamer he met online with a hammer, authorities said Monday. Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary in an attack that left the victim severely injured, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. This is a weird one. Some things you just cant make up, Leeper said during a press conference announcing the arrest. Kang flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport early Friday and took an Uber to the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach, authorities said. After checking into the hotel, Kang purchased a hammer and flashlight from an Ace Hardware store, dressed in all black with gloves and a mask, and entered the fellow gamers unlocked home at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff. The victims stepfather reported being awakened by screams for help, Leeper said. When he went to see what was going on, he found his stepson on the ground, struggling with the attacker, who was in possession of a hammer. Sheriffs deputies found a significant amount of blood in the entryway of the home and the victims bedroom, Leeper said. The sheriff described the two men as being around the same age, and having met playing ArcheAge, a multiplayer online role-playing game similar to World of Warcraft. The two, who had argued online, had never met in person, according to the sheriff. The suspect flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Florida, apparently to confront the victim in person, to kill the victim, Leeper said. Kang told investigators the victim was a bad person online, and asked how much time do you get for breaking and entering and assault? according to the sheriff. Leeper said both Kang and the other man were taken to a hospital The man was treated for a severe head injury that was not considered life-threatening, Leeper said. Kang was treated for unspecified injuries and released to the custody of the sheriffs office. Kang was booked into the Nassau County Jail on Sunday. Attorney information for Kang was not immediately available. Leeper said the investigation is ongoing and charges may be upgraded. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. On Monday, Pennsylvania State Police cancelled a missing endangered person advisory for a missing 77-year-old man from Franklin County after he was found four hours after his disappearance. Paul Nocho was found around 9:30 a.m. Monday after being last seen around 5:30 a.m. Monday in the area of Pineville Road in Southampton Township. Police believed Nocho, who is around six feet tall, may have been at special risk of harm or injury or might be confused. A 31-year-old man was arrested and charged for attempted murder and related charges after using a riffle to shoot into someones vehicle Sunday afternoon, according to Pennsylvania State Police. William Harris, of Perry County, was charged with four counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and one count of possession of firearm prohibited, according to online court documents. Troopers responded to a home located on Spring Road, Carroll Township, at 3:30 p.m. after they received a report of an assault, according to a release from Pennsylvania state police. Its unclear if there were people inside of the vehicle during the shooting. Police said Harris was arrested and denied bail on Monday. WILLIAMSPORT The inmate charged with stabbing an Allenwood Federal Penitentiary corrections officer in the eye in 2020 seeks dismissal of his indictment. Kuwait-born Abdulrahman el Bahnasawy in a motion filed Monday in U.S. Middle District Court accuses the government of violating his speedy trial rights. He claims the period between last Nov. 6 and Monday is not excludable under the Speedy Trial Act and therefore the charges should be dismissed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur in a June 3 email to defense counsel Andrew J. Frisch apologized for the delay and added, Lets get this moving and set a trial date. The prosecutor said he still is open to resolving the matter short of a trial but Bahnasawy would have to plead guilty. His attempt in 2022 to plead no contest to two counts of assault on a federal officer was rejected. Dale Franquet Jr. was stabbed in the right eye and neck. His doctor told him he came within the width of a dime of being killed, he said.John Beauge | Special to PennLive Little has occurred in the case since Judge Matthew W. Brann in May 2023 approved a delay in the trial to allow the government to conduct a competency mental health examination. Last Sept. 29, the judge granted the unopposed motion for the examination to take place at the maximum-security prison in Florence, Colorado, where Bahnasawy is incarcerated. Attached to the dismissal motion are copies of these emails exchanged on Oct. 27 between Frisch and MacArthur about the status of the examination: Frisch: Geoff, any update on the proposed timing of the doctors evaluation? MacArthur: Andy is hung up on our financial side. I just finished a trial and will see what the issue is. Frisch: Understood. Just concerned about scheduling as a busy part of the year approaches and also winter weather in Colorado. The following is taken from a June 3 exchange of emails: MacArthur states the government is trying to get its expert Dr. Ronald Schouten to Florence to do the examination. Frisch: Why has it taken so long to get at this point? MacArthur: Our expert took some time to review past records to get up to speed. I had a trial at the end of 2023 and another one in April that took up the bulk of my time. I do want to move this matter forward; we just have a lot of schedules to coordinate. Bahnasawy has not claimed he is mentally incompetent to stand trial, Frisch points out in his motion, adding he has had difficulty communicating with him. It is the opinion of Kenneth J. Weiss, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania retained by the defense, that Bahnasawy was in the midst of a psychotic episode on Dec. 7, 2020, when he attacked Dale Franquet Jr. Bahnasawy, 26, claims before the assault a voice told him he was a failure and threatened him if he did not follow directions, Weiss wrote in his report. His intention was to protect himself and his family and he wishes he could have resisted the voice, the document states. Frisch has maintained his client had not been stabilized on antipsychotic medication at the time of the stabbing. Franke was critically injured when an inmate identified as Bahnasawy came at him with a shank while yelling all ahu akbar, a term historically used by Muslims as a battle cry. Franquet was stabbed in the right eye and neck. His doctor told him he came within the width of a dime of being killed, he said. He lost the sight in his right eye. The sharpened metal shank was 14.5 inches long with a cloth handle, the indictment states. The attack, which was captured on video, occurred as Franquet was walking down the range after unlocking the cell door to allow Bahnasawy out to move about. According to Franquet, the inmate came up behind him, stabbed him near the jugular and as they struggled in the eye. The shank was used with such force it punctured the spray canister a female corrections officer deployed as other guards came to assist, Rocktashel said. Besides the two counts to which he wanted to plead no contest, Bahnasawy is charged with two counts each of assault with intent to commit murder and assault with a deadly weapon along with single counts of possession of a prohibited object and providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Bahnasawy, a Canadian citizen, is serving a 40-year sentence for plotting in 2016 on behalf of ISIS to blow up the New York subway system, detonate bombs in Times Square and shoot people in public venues. As Pennsylvanias budget deadline approaches, House Democrats moved a bill that would expand the states personal income tax forgiveness, part of a long-running battle for more progressive taxation. The bill would increase the income thresholds for Pennsylvanias income tax forgiveness, under which all or a portion of a persons income would be exempt. If enacted the new law would ease or eliminate the tax burden for nearly 300,000 more Pennsylvanians. The income line is currently set at $6,500 per year for individual tax filers and $13,000 per married couple, with an extra $9,500 added to the limit per dependent. Those levels were set in 2003. WILLIAMSPORT A Lycoming County man has admitted dealing in human body parts a co-defendant stole from a hospital in Kansas. Andrew Ensanian, 37, of Montgomery, and Angelo Pereyra, 39, of Wichita, Kansas, each pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. Middle District Court to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods. The case is only distantly related to the scheme in which seven others are charged with stealing or selling human remains stolen from the Harvard Medical School and a mortuary in Arkansas. Update: The vehicle was located by police around 2:40 p.m. York police are looking for a vehicle believed to be connected to a Monday night shooting that left four teens hospitalized. Police are looking for a light blue/silver 2011 Hyundai Sonata with Pennsylvania registration MCW-0310. Anyone who sees the vehicle should notify police immediately; the occupants may be armed and dangerous. The vehicle was reported stolen from York on June 14, police said. Police responded around 6:45 p.m. Monday to a shooting in the 600 block of West Market Street. They found no victims there, but four teenagers were struck by gunfire with non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a hospital in a private vehicle, according to police York police are still investigating the shooting. U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) on Monday announced that a project U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to build a mile-long waterfront part along the Corodus Creek in York was awarded $15 million in grant funding. The funding comes from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Casey said in his release. With the creation of the Codorus Greenway, York residents and visitors will be able to walk and bike along Codorus Creek in the heart of the city, Casey said in the release. This is a transformational project for the City of York that Pennsylvanians will be able to enjoy for generations to come. Added Fetterman: By developing pedestrian and bike paths along the Codorus Creek, the Codorus Greenway Project will transform the area, improve public access to the creek, and bring more economic opportunities to the people of York. Kevin Schreiber, CEO of the York County Economic Alliance noted that these funds will also provide stormwater and sediment reduction supporting water quality goals for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and ultimately propel environmental and economic justice, multiple modes of pedestrian transportation, recreation, and an historic waterfront transformation that will have an exponential return on investment for our community and region. This project will construct approximately one mile of waterfront trail as a part of the Codorus Greenway Project and includes upgrades to flood control infrastructure along Codorus Creek. It will provide a designated pedestrian and bike path that connects to the regions mass transit through the York Transfer Center, job opportunities and essential services located in downtown York City, and to the York County Heritage Rail Trail, which spans 27 miles, the release said. Premier Andrew Furey holds a press conference in St. John's on Wednesday March 20, 2024. The wildfire in Labrador threatening the evacuated town of Churchill Falls jumped over the Churchill River earlier today, increasing the risk to the skeleton crew operating the town's massive hydroelectric generating station. Furey made the announcement during a news conference in St. John's, saying there was a heightened level of risk to the plant and the town. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly Day 2 of Event #60: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em kicks off at 12 p.m. at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with 539 players returning from the 1,440 entries. This number will of course grow as late registration remains open for two more levels and will close at the start of Level 13 (around 2:15 p.m.). In a rare situation, the chip lead is shared between China's Yanfeng Wang and Brazil's Jose Ferreira after they both bagged up 369,000 chips at the end of Day 1. One player that isn't unfamiliar with holding big stacks is the UK's Darius Samual who starts the day ninth in the counts with 290,000 chips. The British player has had several deep runs at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) but his spotlight moment was winning the $25k Heads-Up event for a career-best score of $500,000 and his first-ever bracelet. Top Ten Chip Counts Rank Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Yanfeng Wang United States 369,000 185 2 Jose Ferreira Brazil 369,000 185 3 Daniel Gagne Canada 363,000 182 4 Yan Li China 347,500 174 5 Stephen Kehoe United States 333,000 167 6 Homan Mohammadi Germany 324,500 162 7 Ramaswamy Pyloore United States 306,500 153 8 Brian Barker United States 298,000 149 9 Darius Samual United Kingdom 290,000 145 10 Carl Shaw United Kingdom 283,000 142 Several other bracelet winners such as Carl Shaw (283,000), Joey Weissman (276,000), Roman Hrabec (248,500), Julien Sitbon (224,000), and Jessica Teusl (221,000) all have big stacks and are looking to make another deep run in a bracelet event. The blinds will start at Level 11 (1,000/2,000/2,000) with an average stack of almost 107,000 chips and levels remain 60-minutes long. Players that register throughout the first two levels will start with a stack of 40,000, with the max late registration stack being worth just over 13 big blinds after the first break. Stay tuned to PokerNews for the latest coverage from this event and all other remaining bracelet events at the 2024 WSOP. The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Stud/Omaha Hi-Lo complete its first day of play. A total of 507 entrants came out to play this event, topping last years turnout of 460 and ensuring that 77 players will see a piece of the $1,128,075 prize pool. A total of 189 bagged up for the night, with all eyes on the first-place prize of $222,703. Ending the night as the chip leader was Joseph Shammas, who bagged 266,000, closely followed by three-time WSOP bracelet winner Chad Eveslage, who bagged 259,000. Eveslage is coming hot off of a final table appearance in the $3,000 9-Game Mix where he finished fourth. Earlier this summer, Eveslage finished second in the $10,000 Limit Holdem bracelet event and he looks to continue his good runs in this tournament, too. He got into the tournament later than most, but was able to spin his stack up to almost lead by the end of the night. With many bracelets and other titles under his belt in all games, he looks to be a force to be reckoned with on the second day of this tournament. End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts Rank Player Country Chips 1 Joseph Shammas United States 266,000 2 Chad Eveslage United States 259,000 3 Robert Mizrachi United States 258,500 4 Venkata Tayi United States 250,500 5 Ziya Rahim United States 246,000 6 Kevin Chance United States 227,500 7 Takehiko Nakajima Japan 217,000 8 Gary Benson Australia 213,000 9 Jose Ferro Colombia 212,500 10 Terrence Hastoo United States 205,500 Sitting just behind Eveslage is Robert Mizrachi, who ended the day with 258,500. Mizrachi earned his fifth WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 Dealers Choice just a couple of weeks ago, and his good fortune has also manifested in this tournament. Mizrachi was a dominant force for most of the day, flirting with the chip lead many times and ending just shy of it. Mizrachis domination of the felt is known throughout the country, with his first bracelet win dating back to 2007. Now, seventeen years later, he once more proves his proficiency in all games. Norman Chad sporting a tattoo of himself on his head! Others that bagged included David Williams (186,000), Dario Sammartino (183,000), WSOP commentator Norman Chad (182,000), Benny Glaser (164,000), Ari Engel (138,000), Joe Hachem (107,500), and Allen Kessler (73,500). Each one of them is looking to etch their way into hi-lo history. Not all players found fortune today. Players like Chris Vitch, Scott Abrams, Patrick Leonard, Eric Buchman, and Shaun Deeb all found themselves falling short of the bags at the end of the night. They will have to look elsewhere this summer to collect another bracelet. Players will return on June 25 at 1 p.m. local time, where they will begin Day 2 at Level 13. Blinds will be 2,000/4,000, and the ante will be 1,000 with a 1,000 bring-in. Limits will be 4,000/8,000 and levels will last 60 minutes each. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates on the WSOP. House Republicans introduced a new appropriations bill that would defund key law enforcement programs that reduce crime. According to the House Appropriations Committee Republicans, here is what their funding bill would do: Holding the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accountable for targeting everyday Americans by cutting its budget and mandating critical reforms. Prevents the FBI from developing a new headquarters building in the National Capitol Region by limiting its use of existing construction balances to the sustainment of the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Mandating that FBI interviews be recorded. Reversing anti-Second Amendment overreach by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), defunding the ATFs rules on pistol braces and privately made firearms. Defunding Attorney General Garlands October 4, 2021, memorandum to the FBI that targets parents for speaking out at school board meetings. Defunding Executive Order 14092, which calls for an assault weapons ban. Defunding efforts to federalize state and local policing practices. -Reducing funds for certain DOJ litigating components in response to the DOJs abuse of the FACE Act. Increasing oversight of DOJ grant programs and funds. Eliminating unnecessary and wasteful programs. The list from the House Appropriations Committee is lacking detail on the program eliminations and funding cuts. The White House filled in the blanks with a statement from spokesperson Andrew Bates, Yet again, this morning Republican officials attempted to defund law enforcement to the benefit of violent criminals and fentanyl traffickers, targeting federal agencies that are critical to stopping gun crime, terrorism, and child trafficking. This comes after 80% of House Republicans endorsed defunding the police by cutting the COPS program. Even though he inherited a skyrocketing murder rate from his predecessor, Joe Bidens unprecedented funding for public safety together with signing the first significant gun crime bill in three decades has delivered the lowest violent crime rate in 50 years. President Biden is fighting to build on that progress by hiring 100,000 more police officers and passing the toughest bipartisan border security deal in modern history. Congressional Republicans need to work with Joe Biden against crime not the other way around. When a political party is being run by a 34 time convicted felon, this is the sort of funding priorities that it develops. The defunding of federal law enforcement helps criminals and increases crime. House Republicans and Trump have been trying to defund law enforcement for years. President Biden will never sign a bill that defunds law enforcement, and this move by House Republicans is an obvious effort to hurt President Biden by attacking his successful record on reducing crime. * Scientific and technological innovation is the core of the new quality productive forces, according to speakers in the latest episode of the China Economic Roundtable. * Institutional reforms in the field of science and technology essentially involve forming new relations of production that are in line with the new quality productive forces, and ought to facilitate the smooth flow of high-quality factors toward high-quality productive forces. * China's development of new quality productive forces will generate opportunities for tapping into its expanding market, and global investors can work with China in pushing for the explosion of the new technological revolution and participate in the latest wave of globalization. BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- In China's pursuit of high-quality development, the term "new quality productive forces" is grabbing the spotlight, highlighting the direction for the transformation and upgrading of the world's second-largest economy. What are the core elements of "new quality productive forces"? How should they be developed, and what are the implications for the rest of the world? In the sixth episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk platform hosted by Xinhua News Agency, government officials and industry insiders shared their insights on some of the most frequently asked questions about the buzzphrase. INNOVATION AT CORE First introduced in 2023, new quality productive forces refer to advanced productivity freed from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths. It features high-tech, high efficiency and high quality, and comes in line with the new development philosophy. The new strategy comes amid China's push for high-quality development and the surging tide of new scientific revolution and industrial transformation, according to Liu Dongmei, Party chief of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development. "Scientific and technological innovation is the core of the new quality productive forces," she said, noting that through sci-tech innovation, especially in breakthrough and disruptive technologies, new growth impetus can be provided for economic development. China's overall strength in science and technology innovation has steadily improved in recent years, with the country's research and development (R&D) expenditure exceeding 3.3 trillion yuan (about 463.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, an increase of 8.1 percent year on year. Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, said the development of the new quality productive forces covers both emerging industries and traditional industries, and that innovation involves technologies as well as institutions and management. "Sci-tech and institutional innovations are like two wheels propelling the growth of China's total factor productivity," Huang said at the roundtable. Qianhai in China's southern tech hub Shenzhen, a modern service industry demonstration zone, has set an example in developing new quality productive forces through technological and institutional innovations. Wang Jinxia, deputy director of the Qianhai Authority, said local authorities focused on fostering an industrial cluster for artificial intelligence, intellectual property protection, strengthening financing support and building large platforms for industrial development. Today, there are around 55,000 tech firms in Qianhai, of which 2,239 are national high-tech enterprises, and 14 are unicorn companies or startups valued at more than 1 billion U.S. dollars, according to Wang. GUIDING FUTURE REFORMS The new strategy has charted a clear path for high-quality development and relevant reforms as China strives to eliminate the bottlenecks that strain the development of new quality productive forces, according to the panelists. Institutional reforms in the field of science and technology essentially involve forming new relations of production that are in line with the new quality productive forces, Liu said. Liu added that one crucial aspect of these reforms lies in interdepartmental coordination in terms of formulating strategy, allocating resources, and distributing major facilities to maximize the efficiency of resource utilization. Echoing Liu's views, Huang said institutional reforms ought to be multifaceted and comprehensive, thereby facilitating the smooth flow of high-quality factors like capital, data and talent toward high-quality productive forces. Huang also underscored the need to reform the sci-tech system to encourage inputs into basic research for more original and disruptive achievements, and to reform services to expedite the application of technological advancements, transforming them into tangible productivity. In particular, both Huang and Liu highlighted the role of talent management in driving technological innovation. Efforts need to be made to create a more enabling environment for innovation to attract more talents to work and live in China, reform the education system to nurture more future scientists, craftsmen and engineers, and improve evaluation systems to encourage long-term basic research, Liu said. GLOBAL BENEFITS China's ongoing efforts to foster new quality productive forces will inject fresh momentum into global economic growth and provide massive opportunities for investors, according to the panelists and other industry insiders present at the roundtable. "Alongside Chinese companies, global investors are seizing a new round of opportunities arising from the development of new quality productive forces," said Wang with Qianhai Authority. China's development of new quality productive forces would generate opportunities for tapping into the country's expanding market, according to Wang. Global investors will also be able to work with China in pushing for the explosion of the new technological revolution, and participate in the latest wave of globalization, he said, adding that foreign companies have already invested over 40 billion U.S. dollars in Qianhai. The development of China's new quality productive forces may have significant impacts on the global economy, influencing innovation and competitiveness across various sectors and industries, said Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business. Driven by China's unwavering focus on innovation, foreign direct investment in the country's hi-tech manufacturing sectors reached 37.76 billion yuan (about 5.3 billion U.S. dollars) during the first quarter of this year, official data showed. As China continues to cultivate new quality productive forces, the country is also sharing its intelligent, eco-friendly and inclusive technologies with other countries, said Liu with the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development. The world is grappling with several pressing global challenges, encompassing food security, natural disasters and climate change. With its rich experience, China has much to offer in addressing these issues, she said. "I am very optimistic that this new, high quality, high-tech, productive forces would be a huge step forward for humans, can make much better and lower-cost products. And we can do it in a much more environment-friendly way," said Erik Solheim, co-chair of the Europe-Asia Center and former under-secretary-general of the United Nations. (Video reporters: Yin Xiaosheng, Jasmin Brutus, Yu Fuqing, Yang Yiran, Yao Bing, Ahmed Shafiq, Adel Ahmed, Hua Hongli, Nurdin Pallangyo, Xie Zhao; Video editors: Zheng Xin, Hui Peipei, Roger Lott, Liu Ruoshi) CONWAY Horry County Schools next superintendent may not be as powerful as its last one. School board members are considering changing the districts system of governance a move that could place more authority in the hands of elected officials. I dont like the (system) we have, board member Howard Barnard said during an April 15 meeting. I would like to have someone come talk to us about other governance models so that we can look at them and compare them to what we have. ... Thats not to say what we have is broken or wrong. Lets just take another look. School board members had been talking about governance before Superintendent Rick Maxey wrote them an April 13 letter outlining his retirement plans. But Maxeys decision now puts a spotlight on a subject that is usually the purview of policy wonks yet determines how the school board and superintendent manage the states third-largest school district. The district serves more than 48,000 students and employs more than 6,300 faculty and staff, including more than 3,000 teachers. Horry is one of just two districts in South Carolina to follow whats called coherent governance. Approved by local officials in 2007, this model allows the board to create policy, but it gives the superintendent the broad authority to carry out that policy. For example, Horrys rules prohibit school board members from making disparaging comments about the superintendent to the media. Critics have maintained this clearly abridges board members constitutional right to free speech. They also said it makes board members less transparent and honest with the public. Critics have also said the current system gives too much authority to the superintendent. In Horry County, the superintendent is the boards sole connection to HCS, and only through the superintendent can the board direct the district. The superintendent handles all day-to-day operations and does not have to follow the wishes of individual board members unless the board has delegated that authority, according to the districts board governance policies. Any direction requires a vote of the full board. If you have a hummingbird feeder in your yard, youre probably enjoying watching the hummers sipping nectar to fuel up for their long migration south in the coming weeks. But did you know that nectar makes up only a small percentage of a hummingbirds diet? Up to 80% of it comes from insects Read moreCommentary: Protect insects, protect birds Charleston County's rezoning battles aren't necessarily more contentious than other local governments' although they certainly can be contentious but residents who want to weigh in on an important county zoning change face a higher degree of difficulty, simply because they often face lon Read moreEditorial: In Charleston County, a welcome outreach to residents concerned about rezoning PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 22:25:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 293 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Aberdeen Ltd, a distinguished bond specialist headquartered in London known for its operational excellence, has entered into negotiations with Tesco plc to facilitate the sale of their bond offerings. This collaboration highlights Aberdeen Ltd's expertise in rate bonds and its commitment to delivering exceptional financial solutions.As a leading financial expert, Aberdeen Ltd possesses an unrivaled understanding of the intricacies associated with bond sales. Through their comprehensive market knowledge, Aberdeen Ltd strives to assist companies like Tesco plc in achieving their financial objectives seamlessly. By leveraging their technical proficiency and strategic insights, they aim to optimize the sale of bond offerings and maximize returns for clients.By engaging Aberdeen Ltd's specialized bond services, Tesco plc will benefit from a tailored approach that ensures their specific requirements are met. The team at Aberdeen Ltd consists of proficient professionals who will work closely with Tesco plc to meticulously analyze market trends, assess risk factors, and design an optimal bond offering framework. Employing cutting-edge financial tools, they will provide extensive guidance throughout the entire process, guaranteeing a seamless and ecient bond sale.Aberdeen Ltd's commitment to excellence extends beyond providing exceptional financial services. Their unrivaled industry experience, forged over years of successful operations, empowers them to navigate complex financial landscapes with finesse, ensuring clients receive unparalleled support.Aberdeen Ltd's ongoing negotiations with Tesco plc signify the trusted partnerships they establish with leading organizations worldwide. Aberdeen Ltd prides itself on fostering long-term collaborations by prioritizing client satisfaction and delivering measurable results. With their meticulous approach and technical expertise, they are confident in their capacity to support Tesco plc in achieving optimal results from their bond offerings.Contact DetailsAberdeen Ltd Joe Cawleyjoe.cawley@aberdeen-ltd.com Company Website https://aberdeen-ltd.com/ SOURCE: ABERDEEN LIMITED PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 20:16:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 746 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SWANSEA, WALES / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / An crucial recently launched tool for every person who is thinking about getting a hair transplant is HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com , and it provides exhaustive, independent reviews of Turkey's leading hair transplantation facilities. The platform in question gives potential patients comprehensive as well as objective information that can assist them figure out choices with respect to the process of hair restoration journey.As a successful treatment treating hair loss, transplantation of hair continues to increase in widespread acceptance, with Turkey becoming an internationally recognized leader in the field of treatment. Turkey, which is acknowledged because of its advanced infrastructure, exceptionally skilled surgeons, as well as reasonable prices, draws thousands of medical visitors throughout the year who have an appetite in having hair transplant procedures. But identifying the most suitable clinic is occasionally difficult considering an overwhelming number of possibilities.By presenting comprehensive assessments of the most reputable hair transplant clinics throughout Turkey, that include Hermest Hair Clinic, Nimclinic, Dr. Cinik, Smile Hair Clinic, Longevita, Mono Clinic, Fuecapilar, Sule Hair, Clinic Expert, and Asli Tarcan, Hair Transplant Turkey Reviews attempts to assist with making the entire procedure easier.A characteristic that differentiates Hair Transplant in Turkey reviews distinctive is the reality that its reviews offer thorough assessments that tackle every facet of the human hair transplant procedure. The platform being used rates clinics by considering an array of variables, such as the level of satisfaction they receive from consumers generally, the standards of pre- as well as post-operative medication, and the educational backgrounds that accompany the doctors operating there. By using an integrated approach, users are guaranteed to have a clear understanding of what they can anticipate when visiting every clinic.The online resource Hair Transplant Turkey Reviews investigates the educational backgrounds and experience of the Turkish physicians doing hair transplantation in Turkey. Potential patients ought to become informed that the effectiveness and security of the surgical treatment is significantly affected by their healthcare providers' level of experience. This site offers information concerning the doctors' qualifications, numerous years of experience, as well as specializations. HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com evaluates each clinic's hair transplantation policies together with to its respective surgical capabilities. This covers their approach to manage individuals, the equipment and techniques that professionals employ, and exactly how dedicated they are to maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and security. The platform being used assists consumers in comprehending the clinic's overall approach and procedure for transplantation of hair by outlining these rules and regulations, enabling consumers to select an establishment which fulfills their requirements and expectations.One of the critical factors for many considering hair transplantation is the cost. Hair Transplant in Turkey Reviews provides transparent information on the pricing structures of each clinic. This includes a breakdown of what is included in the cost, any additional fees that may be incurred, and a comparison with other clinics. By offering clear and concise information on pricing, the platform allows users to make informed decisions that fit their budget without compromising on quality.The cost represents a major consideration for several individuals that are considering getting hair transplants done. The fees and payment arrangements of all centers have been transparently revealed on HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com . The following incorporates an explanation of exactly what is encompassed by the fee, a projection of any extra expenses, and an assessment compared with various clinics. The system makes it attainable for customers to arrive at adequately informed selections that meet their financial constraints without compromising quality by providing straightforward and unambiguous information about price.Patient stories as well as testimonials are another of Hair Transplant Turkey Reviews distinctive characteristics. Testimonials along with personal experiences from people who underwent hair transplants performed at these medical facilities offer priceless insights regarding the patient experience. These personal accounts provide an individual perspective of what potential patients might be expecting, covering anything from the initial appointment to the recuperation phase.About HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com The primary objective of HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com is to provide independent, comprehensive assessments of hair transplantation facilities in the country of Turkey. The intention of the web page is to provide consumers with the information that they require when choosing the best facility for their hair transplantation needs. HairTransplantTurkeyReviews.com wants to be a resource of choice for all individuals thinking about having hair transplants in Turkey by providing comprehensive reviews, professional knowledge, and straightforward pricing information.Media Details Company Name: HTR MediaMail: info@ hairtransplantturkeyreviews.com City & Country: Swansea, WalesWebsite: https://hairtransplantturkeyreviews.com/ SOURCE: HairTransplantTurkeyReviews PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 18:30:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 340 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / After close but conclusive voting results tabulated over the last week, Defending Main Street, the super PAC affiliated with the Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), is pleased to congratulate John McGuire for winning the Republican nomination for Virginia's 5th district. McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, defeated incumbent Representative Bob Good, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, in the Commonwealth's Republican primary.Over the course of the spring campaign season, Defending Main Street has invested $452,000 in support of John McGuire's candidacy through a series of television, radio, and digital advertisements featuring endorsements from Mike Brown, retired Bedford County Sheriff of over twenty years. In total, Defending Main Street is investing $25 million nationwide to support candidates committed to conservative governance on behalf of the American people.Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of Defending Main Street, has released the following statement:"We are thrilled to congratulate John McGuire for winning the nomination as the Republican candidate for Virginia's 5th District. This race was a battle, and McGuire showed incredible determination against an incumbent with deep pockets. McGuire represents the Main Street values that can sustain a majority, and his election to Congress is crucial for us to keep this majority for Speaker Johnson and deliver on policies for middle class Americans." ABOUT DEFENDING MAIN STREET: Defending Main Street (DMS) is one of the nation's most effective independent-expenditure organizations. DMS supports dynamic candidates and incumbents in key, contested districts across the country that are crucial to ensuring a Republican Majority in Congress. The path to the Majority runs directly through Main Street America, and DMS wins in the toughest races in the country. Once elected, Main Street members are committed to getting things done for the American people, enacting commonsense, conservative legislation in Congress.###For more information or to set up an interview with Sarah, please contact Elizabeth Aucamp at elizabeth@ javelindc.com or (704) 249-1430.Contact InformationElizabeth AucampDirector of Business Developmentelizabeth@ javelindc.com (704) 249-1430SOURCE: Republican Main Street PartnershipView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 19:00:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 403 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LIVERMORE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / DSD Merchandisers, LLC is voluntarily recalling UPC 6-51433-99651-6 Deluxe Roasted & Salted Mixed Nuts, Sell by: 10/09/24, due to the presence of undeclared peanut. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to specific type of allergen peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.Deluxe Mixed Nuts Sample of label on recall productThis product is sold to Farm Fresh to You who then distributes through E-commerce through Farm Fresh to You or Full and/or Full Circle subscribers. Farm Fresh to You subscribers are located in California & Nevada. Full Circle subscribers are located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. These consumers would have received their product through mail. Product is packaged in clear plastic tubs that contain 5oz product. Product label is located at the top of the 5oz tub. The product inside of the tub is a mix of various tree nuts including Cashews, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pecan Halves, Macadamia and the undeclared ingredient (Peanut). The product label does not contain a name brand only product name (Deluxe Roasted and Salted Mixed Nuts). Sell By printed on the label is 10-09-2024.The recall was initiated after a consumer contacted DSD Merchandisers, LLC through our website to report they purchased a product and upon consuming noticed that the product contained peanuts. They then noted the label did not note Peanut on the Ingredient Statement nor the Allergen Statement portion of the label - the label just contained a packed on same equipment as product containing peanut statement. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's formulation change processes and packaging label change process.Consumers who have purchased this product Distributed by DSD Merchandisers, LLC are urged to return product via mail marked "ATTENTION: RETURNED GOODS" to the address stated on this Release Letter.For more information or assistance regarding this recall, consumers can contact DSD Merchandisers, LLC at 1-925-449-2044 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST).This voluntary recall is being conducted in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We appreciate your cooperation and apologize for any inconvenience caused.We appreciate your assistance,DSD Merchandisers, LLC6226 Industrial Way Suite A. Livermore, CA 94551Phone: 1-925-449-2044Contact InformationClaudia VenturaDirector of Quality Assuranceclaudia@ americannuts.com 81843648855SOURCE: DSD Merchandisers, LLCView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 20:45:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 455 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Durana Elmi, COO and co-founder of world-renowned wellness brand Cymbiotika, makes a powerful statement on the cover ofModern Luxury Riviera County Magazine . Draped in Hermes and flanked by two regal Afghan hounds, Elmi embodies grace, strength, and a deep connection to her Afghan heritage.The Afghan hounds, known for their elegance and distinguished bloodline, serve as a symbolic representation of Elmi's roots to Afghanistan. These majestic dogs, celebrated for their beauty and resilience, mirror the qualities that Elmi herself embodies as a leader and advocate. The cover shoot not only highlights her connection to her heritage but also serves as a tribute to the strength and perseverance of Afghan women.As a prominent figure in the business world, Elmi has consistently championed the empowerment of women. Her leadership at Cymbiotika, a company dedicated to promoting health and wellness through innovative, high-quality supplements, showcases her commitment to excellence and her ability to inspire and lead a diverse team.Empowering Women Through Leadership and HeritageElmi's journey from her Afghan roots to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the United States is a testament to her resilience and determination. By gracing the cover ofModern Luxury Riviera Orange Countymagazine, she aims to inspire women from all backgrounds to embrace their heritage, overcome challenges, and pursue their ambitions fearlessly.At Cymbiotika, Elmi has played an instrumental role in the company's growth and success. Her strategic vision and operational expertise have helped Cymbiotika become the leader in the wellness industry. The brand's commitment to quality and innovation reflects Elmi's dedication to making a positive impact on people's lives.The Legacy of Modern Luxury Riviera Orange County MagazineRiviera Orange Countymagazine, part of the Modern Luxury Media network, has long been a cornerstone of sophisticated lifestyle journalism in Orange County. Known for its celebration of luxury, fashion, and influential personalities,Rivierahas established itself as a premier publication that highlights the best in high-end living. Featuring Durana Elmi on its cover continues its tradition of showcasing individuals who make significant contributions to their industries and communities, reinforcing the magazine's legacy of excellence, influence and beauty.For more information on Durana Elmi and her work at Cymbiotika, please visit Durana Elmi ( https://www.duranaelmi.com) and Cymbiotika's website ( https://www.cymbiotika.com) . For more information on Modern Luxury Riviera Orange County, visit the brand's website ( https://mlriviera.com/) About CymbiotikaCymbiotika is a wellness company dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health through innovative and high-quality supplements. Co-founded by Durana Elmi, the company focuses on using the best ingredients and advanced scientific research to create products that support overall well-being.Media Details:Company Name: Cymbiotika Media Contact: Durana Elmi Email: DuranaElmi@ cymbiotika.comWebsite: https://cymbiotika.com/ SOURCE: Cymbiotika PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 18:01:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1012 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Annual Awards Event Benefits Fordham's Building Futures' Scholarship FundNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / The Fordham Real Estate Institute (REI) brought together hundreds of business and real estate professionals at its Lincoln Center campus June 18 for the second annual "Building Futures" premier awards gala to celebrate industry visionaries and support future careers in commercial real estate.Dr. Anthony R. Davidson, dean of Fordham University's School of Professional and Continuing Studies, was joined by REI Executive Advisory Council Chair Ryan O'Connor, president and CEO of Clinton Management, in honoring industry leaders shaping New York City's landscape. The event benefitted Fordham's Building Futures Scholarship Fund, which offers low-income New Yorkers access to REI's courses and programs, and to careers in real estate and construction."We are proud to honor the women and men who are leading the real estate industry to the next level," said Davidson. "We also recognize the importance of preparing the future leaders of real estate, and creating opportunities for students to achieve their career goals." "Real estate is a relationship industry, which is beneficial to those within the industry, but not if you're on the outside looking in," said O'Connor. "Building Futures gives students that first shot and, from there, they do the work. A lot of people who rose to the top of this industry came from humble beginnings and can relate to these students - it's a natural extension and it's why we've gotten such positive feedback." Steven Roth, chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, served as honorary host and presented the 2024 Visionary Award to Ethan Penner, CEO of Mosaic Real Estate Investors. "Ethan is a financial first-responder. When there is chaos and confusion in the markets, he runs into the fire in search of the opportunity," Roth said. "That's what makes him unique. Calm markets and day-to-day stuff are of little interest to Ethan. He is really, really smart, with a healthy dose of curiosity and a pinch of cynicism." Penner has built and led numerous investment and origination businesses. In 2015, he founded Mosaic, which specializes in high-quality fixed-income investment opportunities and at its peak had assets under management near $1 billion. In 2008, Penner founded and led CBRE Capital Partners. He has taught at the University of Southern California's graduate business school and Pepperdine University, and is the author of "Greatness Is a Choice"."I'm honored and moved to be given the Visionary Award by Fordham at a beautiful event at their Lincoln Center campus. That my mentor and old friend Steve Roth, a true giant in the history of real estate, presented it to me makes the moment even more special," said Penner. "The primary requirement of a visionary is to identify unmet needs and then to invest oneself in trying to meet those needs. Everyone can be a visionary, but it requires courage to go a new and untraveled path, often against the advice of most people. We live in a very confusing time and the need for visionary leadership, action and courage is unprecedented. It is my hope that in my small way, I can inspire many others to find their visionary selves. I thank Fordham Real Estate Institute for honoring me and for identifying to their constituents the importance of being a visionary." This year's Groundbreakers Award was presented to Annemarie DiCola, CEO of Trepp Inc., a leading provider of information, analytics and services to the structured finance, CRE and banking markets. "I am honored to receive the Groundbreakers Award. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the entire Trepp team, whose dedication to innovation and excellence in commercial real estate has made this achievement possible," said DiCola. "We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our industry, and this award inspires us to continue leading the way." Mosfigul Aktar, CEO of AlphaRithm AI, received the Titan of Tomorrow Award. Aktar co-founded AlphaRithm AI, which uses data-driven insights and democratized analytics to revolutionize the real estate industry. "This accolade is not just a testament to my personal journey, but also a recognition of the collective efforts of my team at AlphaRithm AI," said Aktar. "As an immigrant, a first-generation American and an entrepreneur, this honor represents the perseverance and resilience that have been key to working toward making great impacts on society. It underscores our mission of pioneering a transparent and equitable exchange and enhancing the living standards of the built environment." ABOUT THE FORDHAM REAL ESTATE INSTITUTEThe Fordham Real Estate Institute is a part of Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies and offers a Master of Science in Real Estate, a Master of Science in Real Estate Development, Master of Science in Construction Management, Master of Science in Hospitality, advanced graduate certificates in real estate finance, development, management and construction management, a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate, and a comprehensive array of professional certificates in real estate and construction at its campuses in Manhattan, West Harrison, N.Y., and London, England. The programs are developed and taught by leading industry practitioners and are centered on imparting real-world professional skill sets. Flexibility and convenience are program hallmarks as classes can be taken in-person, online, and at various paces. For information, visit www.fordham.edu/pcs Photo credit: Chris TaggartAttending the June 18, 2024 Building Futures awards event were (from left): Fordham Real Estate Institute (REI) Executive Advisory Council Chair Ryan O'Connor, president and CEO of Clinton Management; Mosfigul Aktar, CEO of AlphaRithm AI, (Titan of Tomorrow Award); Annemarie DiCola, CEO of Trepp Inc. (Groundbreakers Award); Dr. Anthony R. Davidson, dean of Fordham University's School of Professional and Continuing Studies; Ethan Penner, CEO of Mosaic Real Estate Investors (Visionary Award); Steven Roth, chairman and CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, honorary host; Louis Mirando, REI advisory council member, and principal Streamline Realty Funding; and REI Executive Director Joshua HarrisMedia Contact:Caryn McBrideCo-Communications Inc cmcbride@ cocommunications.com SOURCE: Fordham Real Estate Institute PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 02:00:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 914 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PEORIA, IL / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2024 / Abdulhamid Ahmed, an esteemed entrepreneur and forward-thinking leader, has been recognized with the prestigious Marketing Innovation Award for his exceptional contributions to marketing and groundbreaking digital advancements. With a wealth of experience in various global leadership roles, he has emerged as a trailblazer in marketing and branding. His unwavering commitment to excellence and challenging conventional norms have garnered widespread recognition in the industry.The Marketing Innovation Award stands as a testament to Abdulhamid's dedication to driving transformative change and achieving meaningful results. His inventive strategies, which encompass integrated media tactics, omnichannel content strategies, and contextual retargeting, consistently position him at the forefront of industry innovation.Abdulhamid Ahmed's journey, rooted in philanthropy and entrepreneurship, traces back to his upbringing in Egypt. His relocation to Peoria, Illinois, during his formative years provided fertile ground for his entrepreneurial aspirations, influenced by his family's tradition of enriching the local community. Inspired by his surroundings and guided by a sense of duty instilled by his parents, Abdulhamid embraced the vibrant opportunities of the Midwestern city.Upon reaching adulthood, Abdulhamid's entrepreneurial spirit propelled him to Chicago, where he established himself as a successful entrepreneur. Drawing upon his diverse experiences and cultural heritage, he crafted a distinctive approach to leadership that blends traditional values with innovative strategies, setting him apart as a mentor in his field.Renowned for his dynamic leadership and innovative approaches in global markets, Abdulhamid Ahmed brings over twenty years of expertise in brand development, content strategy, and marketing. His journey from entrepreneurial beginnings to building a successful business empire in Peoria underscores a deep understanding of merging traditional values with modern methodologies.Participants in Abdulhamid Ahmed's Branding Workshop in Peoria can expect:Strategic Brand Development: Learn to craft a compelling brand story that resonates with your audience and distinguishes your brand in the marketplace.Cutting-edge Marketing Strategies: Gain insights into using digital innovation and media strategies to boost brand visibility and engagement across various platforms.Omnichannel Content Strategy: Discover how to create unified content plans across different channels, ensuring consistent brand messaging and audience connection.Collaborative Leadership: Explore Abdulhamid's energetic leadership style and learn how to drive effective interactions and foster team collaboration for impactful outcomes.Financial Management and Profitability: Acquire practical skills in budgeting and profit accountability to optimize commercial success and industry recognition.Creative Storytelling: Benefit from Abdulhamid's photography hobby by learning to leverage creative storytelling techniques to enrich your brand's narrative and engagement.Abdulhamid Ahmed's Branding Workshop offers a transformative opportunity for businesses aiming to rejuvenate their brand strategy and gain a competitive advantage in today's fast-paced market landscape.Renowned for his collaborative ethos and dynamic leadership style, Abdulhamid excels at fostering high-value interactions and shaping differentiated positioning strategies that resonate deeply with target audiences. His mastery of integrated media strategy, coupled with a keen understanding of omnichannel content roadmaps and contextual retargeting, sets him apart as a trailblazer in Peoria.With a portfolio boasting successful startups and ventures in the travel industry, Abdulhamid possesses a holistic understanding of the consumer lifecycle, underpinned by insights into go-to-market content strategies, behavioral analytics, and digital content development.Abdulhamid's influence extends far beyond business realms. His passion for exploration and storytelling finds expression not only in his professional pursuits but also in his endeavors as a hobbyist photographer.Abdulhamid Ahmed's multifaceted expertise, entrepreneurial drive, and unwavering commitment to excellence position him as a vanguard in Peoria's editorial, content, branding, and marketing arenas. Peoria's unique blend of natural beauty and authentic Midwestern charm is celebrated for its friendly atmosphere and strong community ethos."As Peoria continues to shine on the national stage, this recognition reaffirms its status as a prime destination for those seeking an outstanding quality of life and a vibrant community spirit," remarks Abdulhamid Ahmed.Beyond his professional achievements, Abdulhamid remains deeply committed to Peoria, leveraging his success to champion local initiatives and drive positive change. His dedication honors his family's legacy while establishing him as a leader in both business and community development."Peoria holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to contribute to its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit," said Abdulhamid Ahmed. "Through innovative strategies and a commitment to excellence, we can continue to elevate Peoria's profile while fostering growth and opportunity for all." Abdulhamid's collaborative leadership style, coupled with his empathic understanding of consumer needs, enables him to craft compelling brand narratives and marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with target audiences."As Peoria continues to garner national acclaim, this recognition serves as a resounding testament to its enduring appeal as a premier destination celebrated for its exceptional quality of life and vibrant community ethos," reflects Abdulhamid Ahmed.Beyond the realm of professional accolades, Abdulhamid's bond with Peoria runs deep, underscored by a profound dedication to catalyzing positive change and nurturing local initiatives. His unwavering commitment not only pays homage to his family's enduring legacy but also solidifies his role as a catalyst for holistic growth in both business and community spheres.Abdulhamid's collaborative leadership ethos, complemented by his innate understanding of consumer aspirations, enables him to curate captivating brand narratives and marketing endeavors that resonate profoundly with target demographics. His visionary approach not only amplifies Peoria's allure but also propels its trajectory toward sustainable growth and prosperity for generations to come.For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Abdulhamid Ahmed, please contact:Abdulhamid Ahmed MarketingAbdulhamidahmed.com 102 West 34th Street15th FloorChicago, IL 60007PH: 1-773-661-7800 PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 16:30:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 949 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Infield Minerals Corp. (TSXV:INFD) ("Infield" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition (the "Acquisition") of 1468289 B.C. Ltd. (" BC Co "), a privately owned company that has, as its sole asset, an option agreement with Geomark Minerals USA Inc. ("Geomark") to acquire an undivided 100% interest in the Kings Canyon property (the "Property" or "Kings Canyon Property") in the state of Utah, USA (the "Kings Canyon Option Agreement"). The Acquisition was previously announced on May 30, 2024."Securing the option to acquire the Kings Canyon Property in Utah is a significant achievement that paves the way for the Company's future growth. We are pleased to be working in the State of Utah, which was recently deemed the number one mining jurisdiction in the world for investment attractiveness and policy perception by Fraser Institute1", said Evandra Nakano, President and CEO of Infield.Pursuant to the terms of the Acquisition, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding securities of BC Co in consideration of the issuance of an aggregate of 5,422,896 common shares of the Company ("Infield Shares") to former securityholders of BC Co. The Infield Shares issued in connection with the Acquisition are subject to a statutory hold period expiring October 24, 2024. No finder's fees were paid or applicable in connection with the Acquisition.On closing of the acquisition, BC Co's name was changed to Kings Canyon Gold Corp.Pursuant to the terms of the Kings Canyon Option Agreement, in order to earn a 100% undivided interest in the Property, subject to pre-existing royalties ranging from two to five percent, the Company must pay to Geomark a total of $1,200,000 over a period of thirty (30) months in accordance with the following schedule; $300,000 within five days of closing of the Acquisition; $300,000 on or before the date, which is six months after closing of the Acquisition, one-half of which may be paid in common shares of Infield2, at its sole option; $300,000 on or before the date, which is eighteen months after closing of the Acquisition, one-half of which may be paid in common shares of Infield2, at its sole option; and $300,000 on or before the date which is thirty (30) months after closing of the Acquisition, one-half of which may be paid in common shares of Infield2, at its sole option.Following exercise of the Option and transfer of the Property to BC Co, Infield (through BC Co) shall make the following payments to Geomark if the following events occur; $1,000,000 upon filing of a 43-101 Technical Report describing 400,000 ounces or more of Mineral Product3 within the Property; and $2,000,000 upon achievement of aggregate production of no less than 5,000 ounces of Mineral Product from mining operations on the Property.A copy of the 43-101 Technical Report4 regarding the Kings Canyon Property (as defined below) will be filed and will be accessible under Infield's profile on SEDAR ( www.sedarplus.ca) For more information, please contact Evandra Nakano, the CEO, President and a director of the Company, at +1 (604) 220-4691 or email: info@ infieldminerals.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Infield Minerals Corp.Evandra NakanoPresident, CEO & DirectorAbout InfieldInfield Minerals is currently exploring for gold within the U.S. Great Basin. Our mission is to grow and deliver value through discovery, acquisitions and sustainable development of high quality, high potential assets for the social and economic benefits of our stakeholders. Founded in 2020, Infield is led by a team of mining entrepreneurs with extensive technical and resource evaluation experience.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward-Looking Statements Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning Infield's plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature, are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forwardlooking statements". Forward-looking statements include, among other matters, Infield's exploration plans for its mineral exploration properties, including the option for the Kings Canyon property. Forwardlooking statements may be, but are not always, identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. Infield cautions readers that forwardlooking statements, including without limitation those relating to Infield's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (including geopolitical risk, regulatory, and exchange rate risk) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forwardlooking statements. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate or that management's assumptions underlying such statements, including assumptions concerning future developments, circumstances or results, will materialize. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this new release and Infield does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.[1] Fraser Institute 2023 Mining Survey[2] The price of the common shares issuable under all option payments is based on the 30-day volume weighted average trading price of Infield's common shares following Infield's notice to Geomark of its intention to pay in common shares. If such issue price is less than the price permitted by the TSXV, the issue price shall be adjusted to be the lowest price per common share permitted by the TSXV.[3] Valuable rock, minerals, precious metals, ore and other valuable substances extracted from the Property.[4] Means a technical report, as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects .SOURCE: Infield Minerals Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 15:05:28 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 358 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Citigroup Veteran Joins as Managing Director, Senior Trader, Municipal BondsDELRAY BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / InspereX, the tech-driven fixed income and structured products distribution and trading firm, today announced that Spencer Kam has been appointed Managing Director, Senior Trader, Municipal Bonds. Mr. Kam will report to John Tolar, Head of Fixed Income Sales & Trading.Mr. Kam will work closely with the fixed income team to identify opportunities and execute a range of municipal bond strategies to help clients meet their investment objectives."We're delighted to welcome Spencer to InspereX," said Mr. Tolar. "He has an impressive track record, extensive trading experience, and a keen understanding of the intricacies of the muni markets. He will be a key member of our team, and we look forward to his contributions to our business." Prior to joining InspereX, Mr. Kam worked on the Institutional Equities, Sales & Trading team at Citigroup. Later, he served as a Trader for the firm's Municipal Securities Division. Before joining Citigroup in 2006, Mr. Kam worked in the Private Wealth Management division of Smith Barney.Mr. Kam earned a pair of bachelor's degrees from Pepperdine University. He holds FINRA security licenses Series 7, 63, 52, and 57.About InspereXInspereX was founded 25 years ago by Tom Ricketts, now our Chairman as well as the Executive Chairman of the Chicago Cubs. We pioneered delivering innovative, institutional-quality strategies and offerings to the retail market, and we're now an industry leader in underwriting, marketing, and distributing a wide range of fixed income investments and structured products. Our ground-breaking investments, distribution, education, and technology have been recognized with dozens of awards. InspereX represents more than 400 issuing entities, distributes to more than 1,500 partners, and has underwritten more than $750 billion in securities. The firm has seven trading desks and more than 180 employees with offices in Delray Beach, Florida; San Francisco; Chicago; and New York City.2024 InspereX. All rights reserved. Securities offered through InspereX LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Technology services provided by InspereX Technologies LLC. InspereX LLC and InspereX Technologies LLC are affiliates. InspereX and insperex.com are trademarks of InspereX Holdings LLC.###MEDIA CONTACT:John PrincipioRiver Communications914-686-5599 jprincipio@ riverinc.com SOURCE: InspereX PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 04:50:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 394 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until August 12, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW), if they purchased the Company's shares between July 25, 2023 and April 3, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of Lamb Weston and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-lw/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byAugust 12, 2024 .About the LawsuitLamb Weston and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On April 4, 2024, the Company disclosed that it had experienced significant problems with its transition to a new Enterprise Resource Planning ("ERP") software system, which caused the Company to lose $135 million in sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 and necessitated a $330 million reduction to its sales guidance for the full fiscal year.On this news, the price of Lamb Weston's shares fell by $19.59 per share, or over 19%.The case is Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund v. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., No. 24-cv-282.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 16:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 465 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Discover Unbeatable Deals on Designer Wedding Dresses and Support Local Bridal Shops During the Ninth Annual National Bridal Sale EventAUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / The ninth annual National Bridal Sale, also known as Bridal Saturday, is set to take place from July 13-20, 2024, offering brides, bridesmaids, and wedding guests an extraordinary opportunity for substantial savings. This year, over 1,000 independent, locally owned bridal retailers, including top bridal salons across the United States and Canada, will participate in this week-long event, making it the largest sale yet.2024 National Bridal Sale Brides can look forward to finding their dream wedding dress from top designers at unbeatable prices, with some gowns starting as low as $99. The National Bridal Sale event has become an annual tradition in the bridal industry, akin to Black Friday or Small Business Saturday for other retail sectors."We are thrilled to offer brides the chance to find their perfect gown without breaking the bank," says Mike Ebrahimi with SYVO, the event's organizer and CEO. "Whether brides are shopping on a budget, have a short timeline or are simply looking for a second look on their big day, they can access top designer dresses available for immediate pickup at exceptional prices." Enhanced Online ExperienceThis year, the National Bridal Sale has enhanced its website to include an easy-to-use store locator. Brides can simply type in their zip code or city to find all participating stores in their area, making it easier than ever to plan their shopping trips.Exclusive Resources for Participating StoresParticipating stores also benefit from their own personal listing page on the website, providing them with access to a wealth of content created specifically for the event. This includes influencer content, promotional videos, banners, and ready-to-use social media posts, helping stores to effectively market the event and attract more brides.A Special Note to the MediaThe National Bridal Sale offers a unique human interest story, combining the excitement of wedding planning with the importance of supporting local businesses. We invite local news stations and media outlets to cover this event and share the stories of brides finding their dream dresses at incredible prices.For more information about the event, participating stores, and media inquiries, please visit nationalbridalsale.com or contact info@ nationalbridalsale.com About the National Bridal SaleThe National Bridal Sale has become a beloved annual tradition in the bridal industry. The event offers brides an unparalleled opportunity to find their dream wedding gown at significant savings while supporting local, independent bridal retailers.Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to make your wedding dreams come true at a fraction of the cost.Contact InformationSophie MitchellMarketing Manager, National Bridal Saleinfo@ nationalbridalsale.com 512-522-3538SOURCE: National Bridal SaleView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 22:45:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 415 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 According to Pixalate's research, nearly half (43%) of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) SSP market share is held by Magnite, followed by FreeWheel (16%); PubMatic and Xandr Monetize tie for third, each holding an 11% market shareLONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 /Pixalate, the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and Mobile Advertising, today released the Q1 2024 CTV SSP Market Share Report for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).Pixalate also released regional reports for Latin America (LATAM) and North America. Pixalate previously published SSP market share rankings by CTV platform for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Samsung Smart TV.To compile the research in this series, Pixalate's data science team analyzed over three billion impressions in Q1 2024 to reveal the regional ranking of supply-side platforms (SSPs) for open programmatic ads sold across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Apple TV Store apps.Top SSPs for CTV apps in EMEA Based on Open Programmatic Market Share (Q1 2024)Magnite 43% FreeWheel 16% PubMatic 11% Xandr Monetize 11% Index Exchange 10%Download the full report to see the top 10.Download the full reports to see the top SSPs by CTV platform and region in Q1 2024:Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Latin America (LATAM) North America Amazon Fire TV Apple TV Roku Samsung Smart TVAbout PixalatePixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com DisclaimerThe content of this press release, and the CTV Supply-Side Platform (SSP) Market Share Reports, reflects Pixalate's opinions with respect to the factors that Pixalate believes can be useful to the digital media industry. Any data shared is grounded in Pixalate's proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees.Pixalate is sharing this data not to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to the time period studied.Contact InformationNina TalcottDirector of Research Communications & Media Engagementntalcott@ pixalate.com 5857346141SOURCE: Pixalate Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 15:03:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 377 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Progress Learning to Drive K-5 Math Excellence as Preferred Vendor for Alabama's Numeracy InitiativeATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Progress Learning, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of online K-12 standards-aligned learning solutions, has been named preferred vendor for the Alabama Numeracy Act 2022-249 (ANA). The ANA aims to enhance math proficiency across the state through vetted course curricula, continuing education for instructors, and an annual list of vetted and approved assessment systems to identify struggling students and monitor the effectiveness of interventions.Progress Learning LogoProgress Learning has been selected as a recommended vendor for Formative Benchmark Assessments (Previously called Early Years Assessments) for grades K-5. The company's comprehensive suite of assessments and practice materials are specifically aligned with Alabama state standards. By utilizing engaging and interactive content, students can improve their math skills in a supportive and motivating environment."We're thrilled to be recognized as a resource for K-5 students in Alabama," says Amy Brown, Chief Product and Academics Officer. "This achievement underscores our commitment to providing high-quality, standards-aligned resources that empower students and support educators. While every student is unique, academic success should be available to all." Progress Learning already works with schools in Alabama, including Montgomery Public Schools."Progress Learning has always been beneficial in helping me as a district leader ensure learning progress in our system and I can say firsthand that I have witnessed the Progress Learning mission; that is to help ensure all students master state standards by empowering educators with personalized teaching tools and support," said Montgomery Public School board member Bernard Mitchell. "I can also validate that the solutions provided do connect through innovative and engaging resources at every grade level, from Early Elementary to College and Career Readiness." Progress Learning covers all core subject areas - math, ELA, science, social studies, and college readiness. As a recommended vendor, Progress Learning is positioned to help Alabama schools meet these ambitious goals.Contact InformationNancy RothmanVP, Marketingnancy.rothman@progresslearning.com 877-377-9537Related FilesANA Recommendations from the Elementary Mathematics Task Force for Formative Benchmark Assessments, Early Numeracy Screeners, High-Quality Curricula, and Professional LearningRelated VideoSOURCE: Progress LearningView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 18:31:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 346 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Signature Performance, Inc. has disclosed a data breach affecting the personal information of consumers. The breach impacted numerous individuals who entrusted their sensitive personal information to Signature.WHAT HAPPENED? In early February 2024, Signature detected that an unauthorized third party gained access to its IT network. On June 10, 2024, Signature began sending notice letters to individuals impacted by the data breach.WHAT INFORMATION WAS IMPACTED? The following types of sensitive personal information may have been exposed as a result of the data breach:Full nameDate of birthSocial Security numberHealth insurance informationMedical informationWHAT'S THIS ABOUT? Compensation may be available for Signature Performance clients who received notice that their personal information had been breached.WHY AM I ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION? Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers break into networks to steal your personal information to sell it on the dark web or commit identity theft, financial theft, or other frauds. The company may be liable for failing to secure your privacy.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED? If you received a data breach notification letter from Signature Performance, you are affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:ABOUT LEVI & KORSINSKYLevi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 14:00:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1036 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has secured a financing package totaling US$750 million (equivalent to over C$1 billion) with Orion Resource Partners ("Orion") for the development, construction, and general working capital required to advance the Company's 100%-owned Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project ("Eskay" or the "Project"). This complete funding package significantly de-risks the Project and provides Skeena with optionality, flexibility and stakeholder alignment as the Company progresses Eskay towards production in the first half of 2027. The package provides a significant portion of financing prior to Skeena's receipt of required permits in respect to the Eskay project and therefore, allows the Company to advance the project on the most efficient and expedient schedule to production.Financing Package Highlights:The total financing package of US$750 million is comprised of an equity investment, gold stream, senior secured loan, and a cost over-run facility:US$100 million equity investment priced at a meaningful premium to the Company's five-day volume weighted average share price. US$200 million gold stream with option to buy back up to 66.7% for 12-month period after start of commercial production (the "Gold Stream"). US$350 million of committed capital available from a senior secured loan with 1% standby fee and no break fee (the "Senior Secured Loan"). US$100 million cost over-run facility in the form of an additional gold stream subject to the same standby terms as the Senior Secured Loan (the "Cost Contingency"). Walter Coles, Executive Chairman of Skeena, commented: "This complete financing package is a result of a competitive and comprehensive process undertaken to find the best financing solution for the Company. The result is certainty of funding to advance Eskay into production while balancing attractive cost of capital, flexibility, and optionality. We welcome Orion alongside existing shareholders as an aligned and committed stakeholder, further validating the merits of the project." "We designed the financing package to provide the Company with important strategic flexibility and significant funding prior to final permits, while maintaining optionality as we continue working to maximize stakeholder value by advancing the Project. On the back of our positive definitive feasibility study released in November 2023, this financing package lays the foundation on which we build Eskay - unlocking value for all our stakeholders as we progress through this stage of growth." Equity Investment - US$100,000,000Orion has committed to purchase US$100 million of Skeena's common shares with a portion of the equity commitment priced and closing immediately and the balance (US$25 million) closing at a later date. Orion was the back-end buyer of a C$100 million development flow-through private placement transaction in which Skeena issued 12,021,977 shares at a price of C$8.32 per share, which closed on June 24, 2024. Orion also purchased 3,418,702 common shares priced at C$6.65 per share (C$22.75 million / US$16.6 million) which closed on June 24, 2024. The balance of Orion's equity investment commitment into Skeena is expected to close later this year with pricing to be set at the time of the investment. Upon completion of the full US$100 million equity investment, Orion will own less than 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company. Orion will have the right to participate in any future equity or equity-linked offerings by Skeena up to the level of its ownership at the time of the offering provided that Orion continues to own at least 5% of the basic shares outstanding of the Company. The shares of Skeena issued in connection with the equity investment are subject to customary 4-month hold period under applicable securities law in Canada. In addition, until the earlier of (i) 12 months after the Closing Date; or (ii) the termination of the Senior Secured Loan or Gold Stream, Orion has agreed to not transfer its Skeena common shares without approval from Skeena's board of directors. Gold Stream - US$200,000,000Gold Stream agreement to be drawn in five tranches The initial tranche of US$5 million is anticipated to close on June 26, 2024. The second tranche of US$45 million will be available after receipt of the Technical Sample permit. The next three tranches of US$50 million are available as needed to support the project construction schedule. Once the stream is fully drawn, Orion will be entitled to receive 10.55% of payable gold produced from the mine ("Stream Percentage") at a price equal to 10% of the LBMA AM gold fixing price three days prior to the delivery day for the life of mine of the Project. The silver production is not subject to the stream agreement. For a period of 12 months following the project completion date, Skeena may, at any time, reduce the Stream Percentage by 66.67% by repaying Orion the proportional deposit plus an imputed 18% IRR. The area of interest for the stream is constrained to 500 meters around the existing mineral reserves and resources currently delineated at the Project. Senior Secured Loan - US$350,000,000Term: 5.75 years from the first drawdown. Availability period: Drawdowns will be in four equal tranches of US$87,500,000. Availability fee: 1.0% per year on the undrawn portion. Coupon: 3-month US$ SOFR (subject to a minimum of 1.5%) plus 7.75% margin, calculated based on the number of days elapsed in the quarter divided by 360 days. In the case of default, the margin will increase by 2%. Interest and principal repayment: Interest to be paid quarterly until the maturity date. Commencing 3 months following the planned project completion, the principal shall amortize and be payable in 15 quarterly installments. Skeena may prepay the loan and any accrued unpaid interest in full or in part at any time without any penalty. Original issue discount: 2.0% of the Senior Secured Loan Amount, which shall be paid pro-rata upon the funding of each tranche. No break fee: Skeena may terminate the Senior Secured Loan at any time without incurring penalties. Cost Over-run Facility - US$100,000,000Skeena may request an additional $100,000,000 deposit with the same pro-rata terms as the Gold Stream other than being subject to a 2% original issue discount and a 1% availability fee. Conclusion: Fully FundedThe Company's definitive feasibility study released in November 2023 estimated Eskay's pre-production capital expenditures to be US$528 million (C$713 million), including a US$36 million (C$49 million) contingency.The PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 17:00:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 511 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PADUCAH, KY / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 /Strenge Spine Center, a pioneering provider of advanced spine care, is proud to announce the launch of its state-of-the-art technologies and innovative treatment options, including the EOSedge system. Under the visionary leadership of Dr. K. Brandon Strenge, a renowned specialist in artificial disc replacement (ADR), the center is at the forefront of motion preservation techniques and cutting-edge implant technologies.Dr. K. Brandon StrengeDr. K. Brandon Strenge: A Pioneer in Spine CareDr. K. Brandon Strenge is a renowned orthopedic spine surgeon and a leading expert in artificial disc replacement (ADR) surgery. As the founder of the Strenge Spine Center in Paducah, Kentucky, he specializes in minimally invasive spinal procedures and motion-preserving techniques like cervical and lumbar ADR. Dr. Strenge is actively involved in clinical research trials for the newest artificial disc replacements and cutting-edge implants, serving as a principal investigator and collaborating with implant design teams to create the next generation of tools and surgical techniques. His extensive experience, specialized training, and commitment to innovation have earned him recognition as a top provider of ADR surgery in the Midwest region, including his recent induction into the prestigious ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program. Through his dedication to delivering exceptional care and improving patient outcomes, Dr. Strenge has established himself as an expert in this specialized field, dedicated to restoring mobility and quality of life for his patients.EOSedge: The Next Generation of Spine ImagingStrenge Spine Center has recently acquired the cutting-edge EOSedge system, offering advanced imaging solutions for patients. This innovative technology provides low radiation exposure and high-quality imaging capabilities.Benefits of the EOSedge System:Low Radiation Dose: The EOSedge uses special low-dose protocols that greatly reduce the amount of radiation you're exposed to during imaging. With the Flex Dose protocol, radiation is lowered by 80% compared to traditional X-ray exams.Crystal Clear Imaging: This system captures extremely high-resolution, calibrated X-ray images of your spine without any distortion or need for stitching multiple images together. This ensures we can precisely measure, assess, and monitor any spinal deformities or abnormalities with outstanding accuracy.Managing Scoliosis: The EOSedge takes full-length pictures of your entire body while you stand in a natural, weight-bearing position. This gives us a comprehensive view of your spinal alignment and posture, which is critical for properly evaluating and managing scoliosis.With the EOSedge's low radiation exposure and incredibly detailed imaging capabilities, we can closely monitor your spinal condition and make well-informed treatment decisions to optimize your care.The newly launched Strenge Spine Center is dedicated to providing exceptional care and innovative solutions for patients suffering from spinal conditions. With the acquisition of the advanced EOSedge imaging system and Dr. Strenge's expertise in minimally invasive procedures and motion-preserving techniques, the center offers a comprehensive range of treatment options tailored to each patient's unique needs. To learn more about the services offered at Strenge Spine Center, consult Dr. Strenge or explore, visit www.strengespine.com Contact InformationBrandi KamenarBrand Managerbrandi@ brandikamenar.com (310)-734-6180 SOURCE: Strenge Spine CenterView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 14:02:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 740 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Annual JA Family Summit, dedicated summer camps, pediatric rheumatologist shortage and research efforts make life-changing differences for kids and families living with arthritisATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 /The Arthritis Foundation is proudly focused on raising awareness of its resources for children and families living with juvenile arthritis (JA), especially during July's Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month.JA initiatives include the annual JA Family Summit taking place in St. Louis, Missouri, July 11-14, specialized JA summer camps and resources available year-round, as well as calling attention to the extreme shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the U.S. and funding innovative research. Juvenile arthritis is a debilitating condition that affects hundreds of thousands of kids and teens, impacting their daily lives, education and overall mental and physical well-being."Our commitment to supporting children and families affected by juvenile arthritis is unwavering," said Steven Taylor, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. "We strive to make a tangible difference in the lives of those impacted by this challenging condition. Together with our JA kids, their families and their pediatric health care providers, we are proud to foster a supportive community while driving progress towards a better future for all those with juvenile arthritis." 40th Juvenile Arthritis Family SummitThis year marks the 40th annual Juvenile Arthritis Family Summit in St. Louis, Missouri, July 11-14. Coinciding with Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, this four-day event offers education, wellness and community support for families dealing with juvenile arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases. The summit includes educational sessions for parents/caregivers, young adults, teens and children as young as four years old. Siblings are welcome to join in the fun, ensuring a holistic family experience with a lasting and powerful impact.Juvenile Arthritis Summer CampsThe Arthritis Foundation further supports the importance of fun and education for children living with arthritis, hosting 12 specialized JA summer camps, including one virtual camp. These camps are staffed by medical professionals and volunteers trained to meet the unique support needs of campers in areas such as pain management, medication administration and emotional well-being. Camp activities include horseback riding, arts and crafts, swimming, boating, rock climbing, archery, and more, all accessible to campers with diverse needs. Education opportunities focus on self-advocacy, stress management, pill swallowing, injection lessons and arthritis education. These camps not only offer recreation but also help campers develop essential skills and forge lifelong friendships, supporting the Arthritis Foundation's mission of nurturing an inclusive environment where kids with arthritis can thrive.Addressing the Pediatric Rheumatologist ShortageThe severe shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the United States is a critical issue. Seven states lack a pediatric rheumatologist entirely, and 50% of states have fewer than five specialists. This scarcity forces families to travel long distances for necessary care, exacerbating the challenges for children living with juvenile arthritis. A visual representation of this shortage can be downloaded here. Note that since this graphic was developed, Montana has welcomed its first pediatric rheumatologist, Dr. Julie Campbell - a huge win for families within the state and neighboring regions. Dr. Campbell completed her pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Seattle Children's Hospital in 2023 with funding made available through the Arthritis Foundation.Funding Juvenile Arthritis ResearchThe Arthritis Foundation is proud to collaborate with the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) to advance research in juvenile arthritis. This partnership aims to explore new treatments, improve patient outcomes, and ultimately find a cure for juvenile arthritis. Since 2002, the Arthritis Foundation has invested over $35M in research aimed at improving outcomes in childhood rheumatic diseases in partnership with CARRA.To learn about Arthritis Foundation resources and impact in your community, visit arthritis.org . To speak with a trained staff member at the Arthritis Foundation's Helpline, call 800-283-7800. Helpline staff are available from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Help is available in English and Spanish.About the Arthritis FoundationThe Arthritis Foundation is fighting for all people who live with arthritis. As Champions of Yes, the Arthritis Foundation has a mission to turn the obstacles arthritis causes into opportunities. The Arthritis Foundation not only champions life-changing solutions and medical advancements, it also provides ways for people to connect, break down barriers in health care and join the fight to conquer arthritis - uniting hearts, minds and resources to change the future of arthritis. To join the fight to conquer arthritis, visit arthritis.org ###CONTACT: Julie Thomas jthomas@ mower.com 212.980.9064SOURCE: Arthritis Foundation PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 15:04:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1051 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 New York's Leading Food Festival Featuring 35 of the World's Greatest Pizzerias, Including Lucali, Sally's Apizza, John's of Bleecker, Di Fara, Frank Pepe Pizzeria, Rubirosa, Joe & Pat's, De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies, Prince Street, and More, Across Two Sessions Ticket Pre-Sale: Friday, June 28, 2024, 10 a.m. ET Ticket On Sale: Friday, June 28, 2024, 12 p.m. ET All-Inclusive Pizza Tickets Begin at $149.99 - Register NowNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Legendary pizza aficionado Dave Portnoy announces the return of his viral festival: One Bite Pizza Festival. Together with Portnoy, Medium Rare will bring Dave's over-the-top, pizza-loving personality to life following a 5,000-person sold-out debut in 2023. This year, the festival will expand to Manhattan's Randall's Island and welcome 10,000 pizza-loving fans to experience the greatest gathering of pizzerias ever across an afternoon and evening dining session. In addition to the iconic pizzerias, the famed event will also feature interactive pizza experiences and saucy activations from partners including Bilt, Ferraro Foods, Proper Wild and more. Interested in attending this culinary Mecca of Pizza? All-you-can-eat pizza tickets begin at $149.99 and will offer fans unprecedented access to the world's best pizzerias. Tickets to the event's two sessions will be available starting Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. ET on www.onebitepizzafest.com . Make sure to register for the pre-sale now to lock in the best pricing.Dave Portnoy's One Bite Pizza Festival Featuring Dave's top-rated One Bite Pizzerias, fans will experience the likes of: Lucali, Sally's Apizza, John's of Bleecker, Di Fara, Frank Pepe Pizzeria, Rubirosa, Joe & Pat's, De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies, Prince Street, and 25+ more. Pizzerias will be popping up and serving all-you-can-eat pizza at the festival - utilizing best-in-class wood-burning, electric, coal ovens, and more, showcasing New York-style, Neapolitan, Sicilian, New Haven, Tomato Pies, Bar Pies, Grandma slices, and so much more. Plus, all fans will receive complimentary access to an Italian Dessert Village featuring NYC favorites.Spread across two sessions for the first time, fans can select if they would like to purchase All-Inclusive Pizza afternoon or evening tickets starting at $149.99 or opt in for VIP experiences inclusive of open bar and early access should they choose to. Session 1 will be held from 12-12:30 p.m. for VIP guests and open up for general admission guests from 12:30-4 p.m. Session 2 will follow a similar format, opening from 6-6:30 p.m. for VIP guests and 6:30-10 p.m. ET for general admission pizza lovers. If you are seeking the world's most luxurious pizza experience, snag a seat at Dave's Chef's Tasting VIP Table featuring a seated full-service non-stop buffet of the world's best pizza makers delivered directly to your seat."One Bite Festival is back bigger and better in year two, featuring more iconic pizzerias and an all-new venue in Manhattan. I spent the last year perfecting this festival recipe with my team and after touring America and reviewing thousands of pizzerias, I am gathering 35 of my all-time favorite pizzerias in one place and one time. Come chow down with me and enjoy a day full of all-you-can-eat pizza, the Italian dessert village, fun brand activations, and so much more. Pizza's greatest gathering ever One Bite, Everyone Knows The Rules!" - Dave PortnoyBilt has joined the party as the Official Rewards Program partner of the festival. Bilt is the Membership that rewards residents at home and in their neighborhood - including at their favorite local pizza spots. Bilt Members can purchase or use their Bilt Points to get tickets to One Bite Pizza Festival. Once they're in, they'll enjoy exclusive experiences within the festival, including access to the Living Room by Bilt, a space exclusively for Members. A lucky festival-goer will even get their rent paid by Bilt. Not a Bilt Member? Not a problem, you can sign up on-site or today to join in on the fun. Visit biltrewards.com or download the app.Ferraro Foods, the premier Italian foodservice distributor, is proud to partner once again for the second annual festival. Ferraro will be showcasing its exceptional offerings at the iconic Italian Food Village. Renowned for supplying the finest ingredients to your favorite pizzerias, Ferraro will bring back its beloved Ferraro Piazza - an ultimate Italian village experience. Visitors can enjoy delicious samples from Ferraro's famous brands, capture memorable photo moments, and immerse themselves in a vibrant setting filled with authentic Italian charm. At The Ferraro Piazza, you'll be sure to have more than just one bite.Proper Wild is bringing INNOCENT ENERGY to One Bite Pizza Festival. As the Official Energy Shot Partner, Proper Wild will be sampling its clean energy shots at the One Shot One Bite Bar, giving guests the perfect boost to power through the pizza. Proper Wild shots will be available to all attendees for FREE throughout its activation, as well as the VIP area.High Noon will be bringing its #1 Best Tasting Hard Seltzer* to the One Bite Festival grounds this fall. Look for Dave Portnoy's favorite vodka hard seltzer made with Real Vodka & Real Juice which will be available throughout the grounds for fans 21+. High Noon is made with real spirits, is gluten-free, has no added sugar and is now available as Vodka Seltzer, Tequila Seltzer and new Vodka Iced Tea. High Noon. Sun's Up! *Source: The Tasting Panel, September 2023. Rated via blind tasting of industry professionals. Vodka Flavors: Peach, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grapefruit. Tequila Flavors: Lime, Strawberry. The following brands were tasted for each flavor, where available: White Claw, Truly, Bud Light Seltzer, Topo Chico, Vizzy, and Corona.Coca-Cola is excited to partner with One Bite Pizza Festival for the second year in a row. Bringing Real Magic to all festival attendees, Coca-Cola will not only provide attendees with its signature products and flavors, but create an unforgettable experience at the Coca-Cola activation. Simply put, nothing goes better with your favorite slice of pizza than an ice cold Coca-Cola.Marra Forni, the official brick and electric oven partner of the One Bite Pizza Festival, is best known for its innovation, customization, and quality. Together with Marra Forni, some of One Bite's greatest pizzerias will have the ability to fire up their pizzas on the best wood and coal-fired pizza ovens in the business, as well as on the most advanced Electric Stackable Ovens for the second year in a row.Beast Equipment is a proud, family-owned foodservice e PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 20:47:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 331 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, ""Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq.310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.comwww.schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 13:40:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 562 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Preliminary dumping rates - 283.27%; Preliminary subsidy rates 748.58%WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / The U.S. Commerce Department ("Commerce") today announced preliminarily antidumping duties ("AD") of 283.27 percent and countervailing duties ("CVD") of 748.58 percent on all imports of ferrosilicon from Russia. Commerce's determination is in response to petitions filed by U.S. ferrosilicon producers, CC Metals and Alloys, LLC ("CC Metals") and Ferroglobe USA, Inc. ("Ferroglobe"), requesting eight AD and CVD investigations into unfairly priced and subsidized imports of ferrosilicon from Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil. All eight investigations were initiated on April 17, 2024.The significant duties announced today on Russian ferrosilicon imports address unfair pricing of Russian imports and improper subsidies received by Russian producers and exporters. CC Metals and Ferroglobe welcomed Commerce's announcement."Today's announcement confirms that Russian producers and exporters received massive government subsidies that have allowed them to flood the U.S. market with unfairly traded ferrosilicon imports. This allowed Russia to be the dominant import source, accounting for over 30% of all imports in 2023," said Marco Levi, Chief Executive Officer of Ferroglobe PLC. "These preliminary duties begin the process of removing the market and price distortions caused by improper Russian government intervention and support." "Commerce's decision validates our analysis that Russian producers and exporters have not been playing by the rules of international trade that they agreed to follow," said Chris Cobb, Plant Manager of CC Metals and Alloys, Inc. "We are grateful to Commerce staff for its hard work and commitment to enforcing U.S. trade laws and ensuring that everyone complies with their international obligations. We look forward to seeing a level playing field restored." Once Commerce's determination is published in the Federal Register in the coming days, all importers of Russian ferrosilicon will be required to post cash deposits or a bond to secure the significant potential duties they may owe.Commerce also is continuing its investigations of imports from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil. In those investigations, preliminary CVD determinations will be made no later than August 12, 2024, and AD determinations will be made no later than October 24, 2024. If the determinations in those cases are also affirmative, provisional duties on imports from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil will be collected based on the preliminary margins calculated by Commerce.About the CC Metals and FerroglobeCC Metals traces its roots back to 1949, when it was founded as a producer of large-volume commodity ferroalloys for the steel industry in Calvert City, Kentucky. Today CC Metals is an ISO 9001 certified leading manufacturer of more than 40 different products including 18 different ferrosilicons and more than 20 different magnesium ferrosilicon inoculants, high purity, 3%-9% magnesium and proprietary alloys. CC Metals ships over 100,000 metric tons of finished product annually from its manufacturing facility in Calvert City, KY via barge, rail and truck.Ferroglobe USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Ferroglobe PLC, a world leading producer of silicon metal and ferroalloys, serving a customer base across the globe in dynamic and fast-growing end markets, such as solar, automotive, consumer products, construction and energy. Through its subsidiaries, Ferroglobe operates metallurgical manufacturing facilities and mining sites in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia.For more information, visit https://www.ccmetals.com/ and https://www.ferroglobe.com/ Contact DetailsElizabeth Heaton+1 202-445-9858elizabeth@ eahstrategiesllc.com SOURCE: CC Metals PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-25 19:34:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 662 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2024 / Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces it has filed a lawsuit against UiPath, Inc. ("UiPath" or the "Company") (NYSE:PATH) and certain of the Company's senior executives. Investors have until August 19, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in UiPath securities between December 1, 2023 and the close of trading on May 29, 2024 inclusive (the "Class Period"). The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Zack Steiner v. UiPath, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-4702.If you suffered losses on your UiPath investment, you are encouraged to submit your information at https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/uipath-inc-investigation What is the Lawsuit About?The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements concerning the success of UiPath's turnaround strategy. For instance, defendants represented that the Company was "executing against that strategy, and we're seeing [the] results in the deal quality and the customer quality," asserted that "our strategic investments in innovations and our go-to-market ecosystem positions us well for continued momentum," and that "there's no doubt there's [been] better execution" since the implementation of the turnaround strategy.These statements were allegedly materially false and misleading. In truth, UiPath's turnaround strategy had failed. Fruitless investments and inconsistent execution plagued the Company's overhauled go-to-market strategy. Additionally, UiPath's AI-powered Business Automation Platform caused "confusion" among customers and was not able to be adequately scaled. As a result, UiPath experienced significant difficulties closing and/or expanding large multiyear deals.On May 29, 2024, UiPath announced the sudden departure of CEO Robert Enslin. On the same day, UiPath announced disappointing 1Q 25 financial results and significantly cut its FY 25 revenue guidance by 10%, or $150 million. The Company attributed the poor results and guidance to several factors related to its failed turnaround strategy, including an inadequate "execution strategy to scale" the Company's AI-powered growth products "to reach their full potential," and that AI had "create[ed] a little bit of confusion with our customers." Ui Path also described how the "investments we have made to reaccelerate growth have fallen short of our expectations, [and] made us less agile in responding to customer needs" while experiencing "contract execution challenges on large deals." This news caused the price of UiPath stock to decline $6.23 per share, or more than 34%, from $18.30 per share on May 29, 2024, to $12.07 per share on May 30, 2024, resulting in significant harm to investors.Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/uipath-inc-investigation What Can You Do?If you invested in UiPath, Inc. you have rights and are encouraged to submit your information to speak with an attorney.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The Firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information:Or contact us at:Ross Shikowitz ross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Tuesday said there is no dirty fuel being imported into the country. The Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure at the NMDPRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, disclosed this while speaking to journalists after a meeting with the oil marketers and local refiners at the headquarters of the NMDPRA in Abuja on Tuesday. There is no dirty fuel that we would encourage to come into Nigeria. And there is no dirty fuel being brought in, Mr Ukoha said. The Vice President, Oil and Gas, at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin, had earlier accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria of doing everything to frustrate the survival of Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals. Speaking to a group of energy editors at a one-day training programme organised by the Dangote Group, Mr Edwin also lamented the activity of the NMDPRA in granting licences indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country. On Tuesday, the NMDPRA said it takes seriously its statutory mandate to ensure that only quality petroleum products are supplied and consumed in Nigeria. Mr Ukoha, explained that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) heads of state in 2020 endorsed a declaration adopting the Afri-5 fuel roadmap that requires that certain products have minimum 50 parts per million (ppm) litres of sulphur. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Whilst it encouraged almost an immediate enforcement against imports to comply with that standard, the same treaty deferred enforcement for local refineries up to 31 December 2024. He said section 317 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 also captured and upheld this ECOWAS treaty. So as an authority, what have we done since we came into being? We started by engendering compliance. We saw a downward trend up to December 2023. In December and in January of this year, we noticed a spike in the sulphur contents of products being imported. And we again now began strong enforcement from 1 February. I am happy to tell Nigerians that up until as we speak in June, the average sulphur content in every Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) that is brought into Nigeria is far below, the average is far below what the 50 ppm provision is in the law. With the local refineries, remember that declaration deferred it and so they continue to produce at a higher level. But we are not very anxious about that because even the new refineries that are coming in have within their design of the plant desulphurisation units that will see in the nearest future that sulphur going down as low as 10 ppm, he said. He assured that this is a mandate that the authority takes very seriously and that it is determined to guarantee the well-being and health of Nigerians. There is no dirty fuel that we would encourage to come into Nigeria. I said there is no dirty fuel being brought in and I have given you the statistics for June. What we have on the average from imports have continued to go down from 200 on the average ppm and now we have it far below the 50 ppm that is in the law, provided under the law. And then with the refineries, there is no need to enforce that until the end of this year. But they themselves are already taking steps to see that is also guaranteed, he said. Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Mr Ukoha said the meeting was aimed at promoting collaboration in a manner that ensures and guarantees energy security within the country. Our discussions covered considerable issues, very significant and profound. Issues of pricing, competition have been raised and we will continue to engage with every operator to see that we land at a place that is ultimately beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians, he added. In his remarks, Gabriel Ogbechie, the Group Managing Director of Rain Oil Limited, said: One of the things we have agreed on is that theres going to continually be a level playing field between the marketers and the refiners and we will continue to collaborate for the best interest of the industry. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Management of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced a 14-day postponement of the application process for student loans for state institutions. The postponement is due to low data submissions, NELFUND said in a statement made available to journalists by the Head, Media and Public Relations of the Fund, Nasir Ayitogo, in Abuja on Tuesday. Mr Ayitogo said the decision was necessitated by the failure of several state-owned institutions to upload the required student data and fees information to the NELFUND Student Verification System (SVS). To date, only a limited number of state-owned institutions have successfully completed the data submission process. These include 20 state universities out of 48; 12 state colleges out of 54, and two state polytechnics out of 49, he said. He acknowledged the efforts of the institutions who had completed their data. He however noted that the failure to submit data from the remaining state institutions would pose significant challenges to ensuring a seamless and accurate verification process for student loan applicants. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He added that the application window, initially set to open on 25 June would now commence on 10 July 2024. This extension will provide additional time for state institutions to comply with the data submission requirements and ensure their students can benefit from the Federal Government student loan scheme. To facilitate an efficient and error-free application process, it is crucial that all state institutions provide complete and accurate information. This includes JAMB numbers, matriculation numbers, admission numbers, full names, level, faculties, departments, duration of program, fees and gender of all eligible students. Incomplete or incorrect data submissions will result in application delays and potential disqualification for affected students, he added. He urged all state institutions to expedite their data submission processes and ensure the accuracy of the information provided. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The oil-rich Rivers State is bracing for a court verdict that may serve as a tie-breaker in the political debacle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. In a third of its one year in office, the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly has not known peace as the power tussle between Messrs Fubara and Wike has battered the state legislature, splitting lawmakers into two factions. The hallowed chamber has become the hotbed of revolts and dissension between the minority Fubara-backed three-member assembly and the majority 27 pro-Wike lawmakers. Victor Oko-Jumbo, the second Fubara-backed Rivers assembly speaker, had, shortly after his emergence, secured a court order restraining Mr Wikes allies from parading themselves as members of the assembly. The Rivers State High Court also invalidated all the resolutions made by pro-Wike lawmakers from last December when their seats were declared vacant after they defected to the All Progressives Congress. The pro-Wike lawmakers filed an appeal but the appellate court, in its first ruling, declined to vacate the trial courts order and ordered parties to maintain the present status quo pending the determination of the appeal. The appellate court, in its second hearing on the matter last Friday, reserved judgment on the matter to a later date to be communicated to parties. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The crisis last week snowballed to street violence among supporters of Governor Fubara and those of Mr Wike, leading to the death of two persons, including a police officer, prompting the police to take over all the 23 local government secretariats in the state. Amidst the anticipation of the verdict, PREMIUM TIMES takes a look at the fundamental issues in the appeal and the possible consequences for either party in the appeal. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Uwemedimo Nwoko, said he wants the appellate court to make its decision very clear to avoid speculations and conjectures in the matter. I believe the effect of the judgement will depend on what the court says. If the (appellate) court says it agrees with the trial court, automatically, that will stand. The (appellate) court can agree with the trial court completely, partially and can disagree completely and partially. While functioning as assembly members, the pro-Wike lawmakers passed several laws by overriding Governor Fubaras veto. In one of the bills, the lawmakers amended the Local Government Administration Law, stripped Governor Fubara of the power to appoint caretaker committees for local government council, and extended the tenure of the elected council officials by six months. Reacting to whether vacating the trial court order will revalidate the local government administration law done by the pro-Wike lawmakers, Mr Nwoko, a former attorney general in Akwa Ibom State, said Rivers State had gone beyond that level. That would appear to be the case, but as we are talking now, we have gone beyond that point. The governor has inaugurated caretaker committees at the expiration of the tenure of the last local government administration. Having done that, anybody that wants to challenge him will go to court. But even if the Court of Appeal makes the pronouncement, Rivers State Government, if its dissatisfied with such a judgment, has the right to appeal to Supreme Court and ask for a stay of execution of whatever order the appellate court had made and the situation would remain so until parties return from the Supreme Court, Mr Nwoko said. In a separate interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, responding to the same concern, said the issue of tenure extension for council officials is not before the appellate court for consideration. When asked if vacating the order would result in two parallel assemblies for the state the pro-Wike and the Fubara-backed three-member assembly, Mr Effiong said, It depends on what the court would say. Mr Effiong backed Mr Nwokos submission that the court should clarify the issue and bring some stability to its decision. I do not expect a parallel assembly in Rivers State, he said. On the importance of the anticipated verdict, Mr Effiong said the appeal would go either way but either side that is not satisfied with the appellate court verdict can approach the Supreme Court. The position of the side that is favoured would stand until the Supreme Court decides otherwise, Mr Effiong stressed. Speaking on the taking over of council secretariats by the police, Mr Nwoko described the action as totally unlawful and accused the Inspector-General of Police of taking sides in the matter. The Inspector-General of Police is directly undermining the constitutional authority of the governor to run Rivers State. It is a direct sabotage. In normal circumstances, he should be asked to resign. He has no business and has no moral right to remain in office right now. I actually expect the attorney-general of Rivers State to be more proactive. He needs to know that he is a wartime attorney-general and not in normal circumstances, Mr Nwoko said. At the moment, Governor Fubara has the upper hand having inaugurated his loyalists as caretaker committees across the 23 local councils. His three-member assembly is also in charge of the legislature. The vacation of the high courts order may have far-reaching consequences for the governor. However, analysts say Mr Fubara can appeal for a stay of execution at the Supreme Court if he is dissatisfied with the appellate courts ruling. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The management of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Innova8 Hub, an innovation start-up organisation, have collaborated to boost innovative ideas among researchers and academics in Nigeria. The Deputy General Manager of the Hub, Deji Ige, said the collaboration has yielded grants from the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) for 18 selected participants grouped into four teams through the TETFund Research for Impact (R4i) programme. He added that as the technical partner, the collaboration would yield more fruit for human capital development, research and development advancement, home-grown solutions, and Economic Growth and National Development. Mr Ige, who spoke during the inauguration of the funding on Monday at the Innova8 Hub centre, Abuja, noted that the 18 members selected from the Nigerian academia will use the grant to advance their innovations already developed at the Innova8 Hub during their R4i programme. He said: The beneficiaries, from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria, were selected after a critical assessment of their projects developed at R4i. This success story would not have been possible without TETFund, and the paradigm-shifting collaboration with Innov8 Hub, through which Nigerian academics are now translating their ideas into innovations, solutions, and prototypes worthy of advancement to the next level of Minimum Viable Product. He added that the grant will create more opportunities for lecturers to research solutions, innovation, and venture into creation, and impact, as opposed to the previous pattern of researching just for the sake of publication and promotion. The inauguration, themed: Driving African Innovation through Research and Development, brought together stakeholders from the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the Association from African Universities, Ghana. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later TETFunds ES speaks In his speech, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said the initiative was born out of the research for impact programme (R4i), which he said started about a year ago. He noted that for the project, the agency would ensure timely and effective reporting of the project and financial reporting when due. The TETFund boss, represented by the agencys Director of Research and Innovation, Salihu Bakari, assured the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) that the projects are being implemented in the expected way and manner. On behalf of the Executive Secretary, this project we are funding through the SCGI is one of the many we have been executing so far. Out of the 2024 intervention project for this year, we have set aside N24 billion naira for research and innovation ecosystems in Nigeria through TETFund. Between last year and this year, we have established about 30 centres in 30 institutions in Nigeria. We have started, and the bid has been open for an additional 18 this year, he said. Mr Bakari also commended the grantees initiatives and encouraged them to always think beyond the box and be creative. He said, We are investing money so that we can pick. There were more than enough ideas, not because we didnt have funding for them but because we only picked the best prototypes submitted. We are investing more in research, development, and digital infrastructure. Beneficiaries projects The 18 selected participants, grouped into four teams, are to carry out four different projects. The first project is titled: Development of Technology to Mitigate the Effect of Drought in Desert Areas of Northern Nigeria. Its team members include Hussani Majiya from Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University, Niger State; Masud Eneji, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; Sani Yahaya, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano State, and Agim Chimnobi, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State. The second project is titled: Development of Automated Garri Frying Technology (Jollyfryer), and has the team members as Masok Bitrus, Plateau State University, Bokkos; Mohammed Suleiman, Federal University Lokoja; Ibrahim Geidam, Yobe State University, Damaturu; Joseph Ukpata, University of Cross River State, Calabar, and Cecilia Oluwamodupe, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State. For the third project, which is titled: Creation of Biosensor Device for Water Purification Using Solar Energy, the team members include Usman Waziri, Bauchi State University, Gadau; Victor Nwaugo, Abia State University, Uturu; Osita Chiaghanam Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, and Oluwaseun Babalola, Lagos State University. The fourth project is titled: AirVolt: An Affordable Access to Electricity with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, and has its team members as Abdullahi Kunya; Abdulsalam Galadima; Ramatu Shaaba; James Samson and Rashidatu Abdulazeez, all five from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. Beneficiaries speak In an interview, the representative of the Development of Automated Garri Frying Technology, Cecilia Oluwamodupe, said her teams research focuses on food, specifically on the production of garri to improve productivity and advance the method of its production. She said: Garri is one of the most common foods in Nigeria, and from our findings, the method of production is not conducive for the producers, which has not given room for increased productivity and also exposes the producers to the danger of smoke from firewood and the food getting mixed up. So we designed a technology that can fry a minimum of 50kg of garri within a short time without smoke. This technology will do the sieving and frying. These grants for each team is $50,000 to sponsor the prototype to commercialisation level. Mr Nwogo, the representative of the Creation of Biosensor Device for Water Purification Using Solar Energy project, said the main objective of the project is to make portable water available in all homes. In the prototype, we produce the technology in different sizes so that people can easily afford it. It can also be used where there is no electricity in the rural areas so that water can be consumed at its best quality, he said. He added that after the implementation of the device, there will be a policy for commercialisation where employment will be created for people to produce and then sell so that people can have access to the equipment from different parts of the country. Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) is a multi-funder initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of 17 Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in sub-Saharan Africa. These councils contribute significantly towards strengthening national research and innovation ecosystems in their respective countries. This goal is mainly achieved through funding mechanisms that involve competitive calls for proposals targeting research and innovation projects. TETFund is one of 17 members of the Sub-Saharan Africa Science Funding Councils Initiative (SGCI) which seeks to strengthen Science Financing Councils in supporting research and evidence-based policies that contribute to the socio-economic development of countries. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A road accident which occurred at about 9.33p.m. on Monday night at Ogere along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has claimed seven lives and left 11 others critically injured. In a statement by the Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Ogun State Command, Florence Okpe, she confirmed that the accident involved a truck with no registration number and a Mazda bus, with registration number MNY894 YN. She stated that the injured victims had been taken to PATMAG Hospital, Ogere, for medical attention while the corpses were deposited at FOS morgue, Ipara. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the suspected cause of the accident was excessive speed by the Mazda bus driver, who rammed into the moving truck from the rear. The Corps cautioned motorists to shun excessive speed and use speed limits, especially at night and during the rain due to poor visibility. It sympathised with the family of the crash victims and advised passengers to always be on the alert to correct some mistakes of the drivers. In a related development, a team from FRSC Ibafo Command carried out a rescue operation at an accident scene at Kara at the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The crash, which occurred at about 0530hrs, involved two vehicles with the following details: A blue Peugeot bus with registration number WRA224XA and an Orange DAF Truck with registration number ANC711XA. Four people were involved in the crash. Two people died, the injured victims were taken to the nearest hospital, while the corpses were handed over to the family members, she added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Badagry Division, Lagos State, has condemned Mondays attack on the partys chairperson in the state, Cornelius Ojelabi, during a protest at the party secretariat in Ikeja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that some members of the party in Alimosho had, during the protest, manhandled the party chairman and attempted to beat him before he was seized by security agents and whisked into his office. The protesters were allegedly angry that members of their caucus were denied access to a meeting convened by Mr Ojelabi to reconcile disagreeing groups in the local government area. The Public Relations Officer of APC Youths, Badagry Division and Legislative House Leader, Oto Awori Local Council Development Area, Moses Aina, in a statement on Tuesday, said the attack on the chairman was unacceptable. It has come to our attention that some members of APC from Alimosho recently carried out an attack on the State Chairman of our great party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi. This act is both condemnable and unacceptable. As APC youths from Badagry Division, we strongly condemn this act of violence and call on the leadership of our party to investigate the matter. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We urge the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) of the party to take swift action against those that would be found to be culpable in this uncivilised act, Mr Aina said. According to him, if anybody or group within the party has any problem with the leadership of the party, such should follow due process by bringing the matter to the knowledge of the party for amicable resolution. Resorting to jungle justice, such as launching an attack on the state chairman of our great party, leaves much to be desired and can never help in solving misunderstanding, he added. Mr Aina said that the APC, under Mr Ojelabis leadership, had a reputation for hard work and adding value. We will not allow ugly and unholy behaviour from some disgruntled elements to tarnish the image and reputation of our ever-performing party. We will not tolerate any form of violence or intimidation within our party. We must uphold the principles of our party and ensure that those who violate them are held accountable, he said. The councillor representing Ward D in the LCDA said Badagry Division would continue to stand in solidarity with Mr Ojelabi and the leadership of the APC in Lagos. He called on all members of the party to remain peaceful and refrain from any form of violence. Let us work together to build a stronger and better APC for the good of Lagos State and our great nation. Let us all stand together and work as a team towards a better future for ourselves and generations to come, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked state governors to respect traditional institutions in the country. He also called for a constitutional reform that would recognise traditional institutions and define the responsibilities of their offices. Atiku said this in a statement on Tuesday. Although he did not mention any particular crisis, the former vice president last month blamed the one in the Kano emirate on the Bola Tinubu administration. Rumours also circulated that the Sokoto State Government is planning to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, but that has been denied by the government. Atiku said that recent developments in the country had seen a growing tendency of state governments to exert influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections described the trend as a reality that stared Nigerians in the face from every corner of the country. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said it was understandable that traditional institutions were in the exclusive purview of the state government through the local government authorities. Atiku, however, said it must be established that traditional institutions constituted a component of the countrys governance structure. Traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threatens their stability. When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities. Although our constitution, in its current format, does not ascribe any recognition to traditional institutions, our experiences show clearly that they perform enormous roles in the economic life of their domains, as well as maintenance of peace and security in communities, he said. Atiku noted that the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. They governed well; the institutions must be protected, preserved and not be destroyed. It is, therefore, on this basis that I lean toward the advocacy that calls for constitutional reform that will not just recognise traditional institutions in our body of laws, but also define the responsibilities of their offices. This reform is even more important given the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels. I must also appeal to state governors to accord the necessary respect to the offices of traditional institutions. The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people, Atiku said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Deputy Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), Yusuf Saidu, was on Monday murdered by marauding bandits terrorising Nigerias North-western region. The university announced this on its Facebook page on Monday evening. Mr Saidu, a professor of Biochemistry, was said to have been shot dead around Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Monday afternoon on his way to Kaduna State from Sokoto State. Until his death, he was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development of the university. The death has occurred of Prof. Yusuf Saidu, the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Innovation and Development Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, the university wrote in a short statement posted on its Facebook page. The university described the deceased as a man of integrity, religion, dedication and courage. May Allah accept his soul and forgive his sin, but this is a painful loss to all members of the university community and the academia at large. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Students and staff mourn Students and colleagues of the deceased have also taken to social media to mourn the late professor, sharing stories of how he positively impacted their lives. Uchenna Emelife, a former student who convened the Sokoto Book and Art Festival (SOBAFest) while he was a student, said the late professor supported and guided the group of students. Since the first edition in 2021, SOBAFest has continued as an annual event in the state. I remember our first meeting in 2021 and his keen interest in SOBAFest. One of the very few academics who held our hands and patted our backs when it seemed like we were orphans without direction, Mr Emelife wrote. Another student, Victoria Eneze, narrated to PREMIUM TIMES how the late professor saved her friend, Hadiza Abubakar, from dropping out of school when she couldnt pay her school fees. We were in the 400 level when my friend was not able to pay her school fees due to financial challenges, she said. She noted that Ms Abubakar, studying Microbiology, approached Mr Saidu after she was referred to him by a member of the executive committee of her departments student union leadership. She told him, and he paid the school fee for her. A former student of Mr Saidu, Shuaib Kura, described him as a man of simplicity and humility. He supports and encourages us to be the best we can, he posted on Facebook. The institutions social media manager, Salahuddeen Bala, said: Some of our conversations are rather confidential, but the efforts he has made for me to excel in the discharge of my duty as the universitys social media handler are enormous. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from prison in the United Kingdom, after he agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of breaching the espionage law in the United States. He is travelling home to Australia after regaining his freedom. Mr Assange, 52, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to a filing in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He was freed from the UK prison on Monday morning after spending 62 months. A High Court in London granted him bail and was released at Stansted airport on Monday afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, WikiLeaks said in a statement on X. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. The charges Mr Assange is anticipated to plead guilty to as part of a US deal, and for which he will be sentenced to time served, are drawn from the 1917 Espionage Act, for conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information related to the national defense of the United States. Although the WikiLeaks founder is expected to walk free from the US district court in Saipan after Wednesdays hearing, the Espionage Act will still hang over the heads of journalists reporting on national security issues, not just in the US, according to the Guardian. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In 2010, WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washingtons wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The revelations WikiLeaks published brought to light possible human rights abuses by the US military in those wars, among other things. They were published by several news organisations on the grounds there was a strong public interest in those secrets being brought to light. Officials in the US had alleged that Mr Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables. The cables were not only embarrassing but more importantly potentially endangered confidential sources. Many contained top secret information regarding Iraq war-related activity reports and information related to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know, WikiLeaks said on X. MR Assanges wife Stella said she was elated and it was incredible that her husband was set to be freed. Im just elated, she said in a video shared by Al Jazeera on Tuesday. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by the judge and that will happen sometime tomorrow. In February, the government of Australia made an official request for the US to drop charges against Mr Assange and President Joe Biden said he would consider it. At the time, the Australian government said Mr Assanges case had dragged on for too long. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday he wanted Mr Assange back in Australia as soon as possible. Regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange [and] his activities, the case has dragged on for too long. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Andrew Essien, a deputy comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), died on Tuesday after collapsing while being questioned by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts. Mr Essien, who was in charge of revenue in the NCSs Account Unit, was answering questions about customs revenue when he coughed and requested water. Sir, I might need to take some water, Mr Essien said while struggling to open the bottle of water in front of him. Before he could be helped to open the water by his colleague, the officer collapsed and was rushed to the National Assembly Clinic, where he was pronounced dead. Announcing Mr Essiens demise, Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson of the House, said the officer developed health complications during the interaction with the lawmakers. During the engagement, which occurred around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, the official developed sudden health complications. Despite the immediate and diligent efforts of first responders and medical personnel at the National Assembly clinic, he unfortunately passed away, Mr Rotimi said in a statement. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun), was conducting its routine investigation into the NCSs activities when the incident occurred. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later NCS will forever remember Essien CGC The NCS, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, expressed sadness over the death of the officer. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. His exemplary service and unwavering commitment to duty will be remembered and cherished by the entire NCS community. The Nigeria Customs Service will forever remember Deputy Comptroller Essien for his outstanding contributions, his exemplary service, and his dedication to the nation. We honour his memory, and his legacy will continue to inspire us all, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, was quoted as saying. Mr Essien was born on 16 November 1967 and joined the Nigeria Customs Service on 27 November 1989. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A Nigerian man has accused police operatives from Anambra State of extorting N800,000 from him. A human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, drew the attention of the Nigerian police to the alleged extortion via a post on his X handle on Tuesday. Mr Gwamnishu uploaded on the X handle a voice note of the unidentified man and screenshot of his transaction receipt indicating that the N810,000 was withdrawn from his bank account. Dear Nigeria Police Force, kindly look into this case and help us fish out these officers that have continued to destroy the image of the Police Force, the human rights activist wrote. How it happened In the voice note uploaded by Mr Gwamnishu, the victim said he was heading to a mechanic workshop on Friday when police operatives flagged down his vehicle at Upper Iweka Onitsha in Anambra State. He said there were four police operatives from the Area Command Onitsha, Onitsha North Local Government Area of the state. I can identify four of them, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The victim said the operatives requested his car particulars and an explanation for using tinted glass in the vehicles. He said the head of the police team, upon receipt of the documents, immediately claimed that the car documents and a doctors report permitting his use of tinted glass were fake. But I have been using the doctors report since 2022, yet he said it is fake, the victim said. He said three of the operatives subsequently searched his car and immediately one of them brought out a pack of marijuana from the vehicle. But I dont smoke. I had just washed my car at a car wash stand. He implanted weed in my car, the victim said. Weed is another word for marijuana. Dont tell anyone The victim said immediately they brought out the pack of marijuana, they siezed his car and his mobile phone and asked him not tell anybody where he was going to. It was like an act of kidnapping, he said. He said when they arrived the Commands office, the operatives told him that he should pay N5 million to be freed or they would transfer him to Force Headquarters, Abuja. They had already printed two transfer papers to transfer me to Abuja immediately, he said. He said he repeatedly asked what his offence was, but they responded that they would consider accepting N2 million from him to free him. The victim said the operatives refused to give him back his mobile phone, until he informed them that he wanted to call someone who would bring the amount they demanded. He said he subsequently reached a relative who came along with a lawyer to the police facility. But the lawyer, according to him, strangely began negotiations with the operatives and allegedly lied to them that the victim had accepted to pay N800,000. They forced me to appear in a video, snapped me with the weed, forced me to say that I am a smoker and that I am a Yahoo boy. They forced me to say everything (that could incriminate me), he said. Yahoo boy is a Nigerian slang for an internet fraudster. After that, one of them removed his uniform, put on a plain cloth, followed me outside to force me to withdraw N900,000 first because they had checked my account balance after seizing my phone and opening my bank application, the victim added. He said he finally withdrew and gave the operatives N800,000 which he did through a Point on Sale (PoS) operator, but they further asked him to go his bank to transfer additional N1 million to their account. PREMIUM TIMES understood that out of the N810,000 allegedly extorted from the victim, N10,000 was the service charge for the PoS withdrawal. So, it was when I went outside that I had the chance to call somebody and say, please, I am in trouble. Come to the station. This is what is happening, he narrated. He said the operatives got angry when they noticed that he had made a phone call. They said why did I call somebody. That they will deal with me. That they will finish me and that they will end my life, he said. The victim said it took the intervention of the lawyer and one other person he phoned earlier to be freed by the operatives. Police speak When contacted on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attention of the police in the state had been drawn to the allegation. Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said efforts were already on to identify the officers involved in the alleged extortion. The police spokesperson said information about the incident has been escalated to Area Commander Onitsha for necessary actions. Meanwhile, the Command also wishes to invite the victim to come to Police Command Headquarters, Awka at the Police Public Relations Office to help us with more information that will help in facilitating the necessary procedures involved in the process, he stated. Earlier, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in response to the X post, asked the victim to reach out to commissioner of police in Anambra State through Mr Ikenga. Mr Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police, dropped the phone number of the police spokesperson and asked the victim to contact him. This must be investigated and the police must act appropriately, he assured. Not the first time Cases of police extortion in the country have continued despite punishment by police authorities, such as dismissal from service. The latest extortion allegations came days after an operative was dismissed in Abia State for allegedly shooting dead an entrepreneur over his refusal to bribe him. Earlier in March, another operative was dismissed while two others were suspended for allegedly extorting $3,000 from two Nigerians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A Divisional Crimes Officer of Abraka Division in Delta State was also removed from office for allegedly extorting over N2 million. This newspaper reported the detention of some operatives at the police headquarters in Abuja for allegedly extorting N30.3 million. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As Nigeria battles with the cholera outbreak, the country has recorded seven new confirmed cases of Lassa Fever. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed in its latest situation report for week 24 of 2024, spanning 10 to 16 June. This is around the same period NCDC issued an alert on cholera outbreak which has now claimed 53 lives with over 1, 500 suspected cases recorded across 107 LGAs in 31 states as of 24 June. While no deaths were recorded from Lassa fever in the reporting week, NCDC noted that 162 deaths were reported in 2024 with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.6 per cent, higher than 17.1 per cent recorded for the same period in 2023. It stated that 66 per cent of all confirmed cases in 2024 (918) were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 34 per cent were reported from 25 states. In total for 2024, 28 states have recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 125 Local Government Areas, it noted. Cholera outbreak In response to the alarming surge in cholera cases across the country, the NCDC on Monday, activated the National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate a robust response to the outbreak. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later According to Jide Idris, Director General of NCDC, an expert risk assessment placed Nigeria at high risk of increased cholera transmission and impact. The NCDC DG explained that the activated EOC will be the central hub for coordinating and directing the countrys response to the cholera outbreak. In a statement on Monday, the Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, also advised Nigerians to avoid locally made drinks like kunu, zobo, and fura to prevent the spread of cholera disease. Avoid locally prepared drinks like kunu, zobo, fura da nono, koko, and fruit juice among others except it is certain that the preparation was done hygienically and safely, Mr Salako said. Wash hands regularly with soap under running water, especially after using the toilet, cleaning a child who has gone to the toilet, before preparing food, before and after eating, and after playing with animals. About cholera, Lassa fever Cholera is a food and waterborne disease, caused by ingestion of the organism Vibrio cholera in contaminated water and food. Symptoms of cholera include acute, profuse, painless watery diarrhoea (rice water stools) of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea and fever. Severe cases can lead to death within hours due to dehydration (massive body fluid loss). However, most infected people may only show mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced the global resurgence of cholera, Lassa Fever remains an issue of public health concern in Nigeria. Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons. Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The management of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State has spoken on an allegation that its staff were extorting post graduate students from the institution. How it started Rufai Oseni, a programme anchor at Arise TV, on Tuesday, shared a post on his X handle from an unidentified student of the university alleging that there were ongoing cases of extortion of post graduate students in the department of political science of the university. The student, according to the X post, was pursuing a doctorate degree in the department. In the X post earlier on Tuesday, the unidentified student alleged that some lecturers- mainly the departments head and the coordinator of the universitys postgraduate programme were extorting between N35,000 and N500,000 from postgraduate students. The student pointed out that the lecturers allegedly carry out the extortion using class representatives who usually report back to them. Well investigate the allegations Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the university spokesperson, Okwun Omeaku, said the institution would investigate the allegations against the lecturers. Mr Omeaku said the university strictly prohibits any form of extortion of both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The spokesperson argued that the university upholds stringent ethical standards for all staff and students and suggested that the institution would promptly address the allegation. The UNN management will conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations of extortion in our department of political science, he said. We urge the affected students to cooperate with the process by providing evidence that will aid in identifying the culprits. Bad eggs Mr Omeaku said the university management would continue to protect students from the activities of a few bad eggs within the institution. However, we encourage our students to first report their grievances to the university administration through the appropriate communication channel established to safeguard the complainant, he said. The latest allegation is happening two months after a lecturer from the university was accused of attempting to sexually molest a female student in the institution. The alleged sexual attempt on the female student occurred in April 2024. The lecturer, Mfonobong Udoudom, who works at the Universitys School of General Studies Programme Unit, was later suspended indefinitely. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Two witnesses testified on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened its money laundering case against former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, on Tuesday. A branch manager of Fidelity Bank, Tochukwu Nnadi, and an Onitsha-based businesswoman, Chinwe Patricia Egbunam, were led in evidence as first and second prosecution witnesses by EFCCs lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The case came up before the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Obiano was Anambra State governor between March 2014 and March 2022. EFCC charged the former governor with nine counts of misappropriating over N4 billion from the states security vote accounts. At Tuesdays proceedings, Mr Nnadi, the first prosecution witness (PW1) told the court that he was the manager of a branch of Fidelity Bank in Awka, the capital of Anambra State. The witness said: My lord, as part of our responsibilities, we manage customers accounts and interface with various security and anti-graft agencies in terms of enquiry on a customers account. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We usually comply by providing the requested information. I know the defendant in this matter. He is the immediate past governor of Anambra State. In April 2022, I was informed by our compliance unit that I was needed at EFCC in respect of activities of the past administration of Anambra State. I went there with two of my colleagues. The EFCC told me that my invitation was in respect of an ongoing investigation. I was told that it was because I was the manager of the branch that handled most of the financial activities of the then-state government. The state government maintains various accounts with our bank, and one of such accounts was for security votes. He said there was nothing special about the security votes account. It was like every other account we managed for the state government. The account was mostly funded by the office of the Accountant General of the state and bulk of the funds came from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state. Payments into the account were made on a weekly basis and all transactions out of the account were always based on the advice of the account operators. The payments we made out of the account were to various entities and corporate organisations. We supplied documents containing names of all the beneficiaries to the EFCC, the witness added. However, he declined request by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Tahir, to mention names of some of the beneficiaries in open court. Nnadi said doing so would amount to a breach of his oath of secrecy. He said the accounts were mostly funded every week. Cash withdrawals, managers cheques, transfers and drafts were instruments that were used to remove the funds, based on instructions from the operators of the accounts. Some of the documents I submitted to the EFCC, included the certified true copies (CTCs) of the statements of account, cover letter for the statements of account, packages used to open the account, as well as certificates of identification for each of the accounts, he said. Meanwhile, the bundle of documents from the bank, totaling 794 pages were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court as Exhibit PW1 (A1-A 794). Another bundle of documents dated 1 June 2023, showing the debits that were made from the accounts, were also admitted in evidence. Mr Obianos lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, said his client would reserve his objections to the exhibit in his final address. Asked by the prosecution lawyer to read to the court from the exhibit, the witness named three companies Moment of Peace Ventures, Easy Diamond Integrated Links and Nasda Ventures as the beneficiaries of the funds transfer from the account. Cross-examination Under cross-examination by the defence lawyer, Mr Nnadi told the court that all the transactions that involved his bank were done in compliance with the mandate on each account. He said the mandates were also in accordance with banking practice. Second witness Shortly after Mr Nnadi concluded his evidence-in-chief and was discharged from the box, Mrs Egbunam mounted the box and testified in the matter. She told the court that she is a trader specialised in Turkey wear. She told the court that, on 20 May, she received a call that she was needed at the EFCC office over some funds that passed through the account of her company, C.I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited. When I got to the EFCC, I told them that I did not know anything about the money but that I knew that I told my account officer, Mr Ugochukwu Otibelu, to help me to upgrade my account to enable me to meet the requirement of the Embassy of Turkey. It was to upgrade the account to enable me to be able to travel and the upgrade was for him to help me and post money into my account. My account officer accepted my request and collected my company account and cheque. However, at the EFCC (office), I was told that about N156. 8 million passed through my account from the Anambra State Government, she said. Second witness cross-examination Under cross-examination, the witness told the court that the arrangement was for her account officer to facilitate the inflow of funds into her companys account. She told the court that she did not touch the money transferred into the account as it did not belong to her. More so, the witness told the court that the companys directors were her family members. Outside the fact that the defendant was the governor of Anambra State, I never had any dealings with him, she added. Asked to tell the court about the security situation in the state while Mr Obiano held sway as governor, the witness said: I currently stay in Anambra State. There is usually no movement in the state every Monday because of a sit-at-home order. I know ESN and IPOB, and they operate fully in Anambra State. She said during Mr Obianos tenure, the former governor worked with organisations and churches to maintain peace in the state. This was because churches, organisations and even mosques were under threat during that period, the witness added. Mr Ekwo adjourned the matter until Wednesday to continue the trial. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has denied vowing to ensure the purchase of new presidential aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima irrespective of the cost of living crisis Nigerians are facing. According to a statement by his office, Mr Akpabio made his stance known on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, when he paid a condolence visit to the senator representing Borno North Senatorial District, Tahir Monguno, over the death of Mr Mongunos father. PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that a House of Representatives committee urged the federal government to purchase new aircraft for the president and vice president despite the economic challenges facing Nigerians. The committees counterpart in the Senate also expressed support for the purchase. However, many Nigerians, including Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, have criticised the National Assemblys decision since the recommendations became public. According to a statement from his spokesperson, Jackson Udom, Mr Akpabio clarified his position while speaking to journalists in Borno. I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that the senate president said he will buy a new plane for the president and his vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything good in what we are doing. Be rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and prosperity to all, he said. However, the statement did not clarify whether the senate president supports purchasing new aircraft for the president and his deputy. Peace in Borno According to the statement, Mr Akpabio also said that President Tinubus security reforms had helped restore peace to troubled communities in Borno State. He urged residents of the state to continue to support the Tinubu administration. I am happy to see that peace has returned to Borno, as a result of the hard work of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to tell the good people of Borno to continue to support the administration. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Leader of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has tasked the leadership of the party to continue in its efforts towards reconciling all aggrieved members and supporters, even as he vowed to ensure that every discord is addressed in no distant time. The LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election also pleaded with the NLPTC protesters led by Abdulwaheed Umar, who stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, to sheath their swords and take the option of achieving their demands through legal means. Mr Obi, who attended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP on Tuesday at the party secretariat, also commented on the reported reconciliation between the party and its estranged former leaders, led by former Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa, insisting that the move was for its greater good. He stressed that a family does not fight forever. Let me tell you one thing, their reconciliation is all about our party and I can assure you that everyone must reconcile with each other, he said. Mr Obi explained that he attended the NWC meeting to initiate a peace and reconciliation process in the party hence the brouhaha involving a faction of Labour Party groups. During our meeting before we learnt that our people were outside, I told them that my first assignment was reconciliation, my second assignment was reconciliation and my third assignment, reconciliation and I can tell you that what you witnessed earlier is a normal thing in our lives, I do the same thing. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It is what I do every day, even in our families. When we quarrel with our wives and children, we reconcile. Even today, during the meeting, I made one instance, which is that I have come to start the work of reconciling the family. So these people here are members of the family who we must reconcile with. We are going to sit down around a table and decide the future of our party. I am ready for a reconciliation meeting any day you choose. And I like what happened here today. This means we have just started the reconciliation process and what we achieved today was so much. As I told you, sometimes it happens in my house and I allow it because that is the only way I know how mature my children have become, he said. Earlier in his speech, the National Chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, expressed satisfaction with the leadership roles Mr Obi has been playing in the party in making sure that it returns to a formidable entity capable enough to engender the new Nigeria hoped for. He said, Labour Party is happy with your reconciliation project and we will give you all the support. We are not the aggressor here; we have always wanted peace because we cant go into future elections with divided loyalty. We have said that we are focused on 2027, that is why we are the only party that has produced its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We know where we are going and we have refused to be distracted. We will definitely get to our destination of giving Nigerians a better nation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Sokoto State Government says the speculation about an alleged plan to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saad, was the work of mischief makers. The governments spokesperson, Sambo Danchadi, in a statement on Tuesday, said an executive bill forwarded to the State House of Assembly has no provision (s) to dethrone the Sultan. The governments clarification followed Vice President Kashim Shettimas comments on the development cautioning the state government about the development. In all developmental issues in this country, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, I want to use him as a point of reference to recognise and appreciate all our royal fathers present here, Mr Shettima had said. And to the deputy governor of Sokoto, I have a simple message for you. Yes, the Sultan is the Sultan of Sokoto, but he is much more than that; he represents an idea, he is an institution that all of us in this country need to jealously guard, protect, promote, preserve, and project for the growth of our nation, Tribune Newspaper quoted Mr Shettima as saying at the North West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina on Monday. Below is the full statement from the Sokoto Government Following the submission of a bill by the Sokoto State Government for the amendment of the Law on the appointment of Traditional Rulers to the Sokoto State House of Assembly, after its passage by the State Executive Council a few weeks ago, some faceless groups and individuals harboring doubtful intentions, have inundated the Social Media with cooked up stories aimed at tarnishing the good name of the Sokoto State Government. We had wanted to remain silent and ignore the write-ups because they have mostly been written by anonymous individuals, but due to the excessive discussions they have generated and the fear that the misinformation they contain, could further misguide innocent members of the public, we have been compelled to offer some explanation. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The mischievous rumour mongers are alleging among other lies that:- 1) The bill in question will seek to dispossess the Sultan of the power to appoint, suspend, punish, transfer etc any traditional ruler down to the ward head 2) that the same powers shall be wholly, completely and entirely vested to the Governor without having to consult anybody 3) that how the Sultanate Council will react to this political change, re-inventment or amendment will go a long way to determine its survival. The Sokoto State Government wishes to remind members of the public that ever since the creation of Sokoto State out of the defunct North-Western State to date, spanning through the reign of the late Sultan Abubakar 111, to Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, Sultan Muhammadu Maccido (all of Blessed memory), indeed up to the present Sultan, His Eminence Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, the Sultanate Council has always remained responsible in both Law and Practice, for Collating applications of all aspirants to the thrones of District and Village Heads. The Sultanate Council has been responsible for shortlisting and Submitting recommendations of three Candidates to the Governor for approval. It has been the Governor, who approves One of the recommended Candidates for appointment as District or Village Head. It is at this point that the Sultanate Council conveys the Governors approval to the appointee and subsequently arrange for his turbanning by the Sultan. It was only in 2007, during the reign of Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, when the Law was amended to give Sole Powers to the Sultan to appoint Village Heads without recourse to the State Government. This has been the practice up to date. Indeed, the essence of resubmitting this bill for amendment is not in any way intended to alter the already existing Powers of the Governor or the role of the Sultanate Council in the appointment of District and Village Heads. For the avoidance of doubt, the bill will soon be on the floor of the State House of Assembly for all to see. In other words, the amendment is only seeking to align the law with what has been in practice for decades. The amendment also seeks to review the tenure of Local Government Councils from Two to Three years for better and more effective performance of the Councils. As far as the Sokoto State Government is concerned, its relationship with the Sultanate Council has always been cordial and will continue to remain so. All mischief makers are therefore seriously advised to find alternative means of dissipating their energy. Signed Sambo Bello Danchadi Commissioner of Information and Orientation 25-06-2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Police allegedly fired live ammunition at anti-government protesters in Kenyas capital on Tuesday, as thousands of people continued protests against proposed tax hikes in the East African nation. At least five people were shot dead during Tuesdays clashes between police and protesters in Nairobi, according to Amnesty International. Another 31 people were injured, the organisation said, adding that at least 52 protesters have been arrested. Hundreds of protesters entered Kenyas parliament, setting part of the building ablaze. Images and videos circulating online purportedly show several protesters with bullet wounds in the Kenyan capital. For several days, Kenyans have been demonstrating against a new finance bill that introduces unpopular tax proposals that have drawn a lot of anger across the nation. The controversial bill, which has provisions that are seen as imposing extra burdens on ordinary citizens and businesses, has sparked a huge outcry from a public already weighed down by the high cost of living. BBC reports that the government has dropped some of the bills contentious proposals, but this has done little to assuage public anger. Many now want the entire bill scrapped. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later While protesters initially focused on the finance bill, their demands have broadened to demand President William Rutos resignation. Mr Ruto will address a press briefing on Tuesday evening, the presidency said, in what will be his first public comments on Tuesdays events in Kenya. The protests, according to multiple media reports, have spread across the country to Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret and other urban areas. Kenya is deep in debt and the government says it needs to raise taxes. But many Kenyans say they cant afford the proposed increases in prices of imported staples like eggs, onions, and cooking oil. The Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video on the social media platform X showing police shooting at protesters as they marched near Nairobi City Hall. The watchdog body said its staff witnessed at least one protester die from the gunshots. We strongly condemn the police killing, the Kenya Human Rights Commission wrote in a post on X. Such actions are unacceptable and constitute a grave violation of human rights. Justice and accountability are imperative. We will vigorously push for police accountability. What were some of the original plans that sparked anger? Taxes on basic items on the Finance Bill Some of the controversial provisions initially put forward included a plan to introduce a 16 per cent sales tax on bread and a 25 per cent duty on cooking oil, according to the BBC. A planned increase in the tax on financial transactions and a new annual tax on vehicle ownership, amounting to 2.5 per cent of the vehicles value, were also announced. The government said it was dropping these measures amid a public outcry. The eco levy The eco levy, described as a charge on products that contribute to e-waste and harm the environment, was another key provision of the bill that the government has now suggested amendments to, the BBC reports. Critics pointed out that it would lead to the increase in the cost of essential items such as sanitary pads, which was seen as insensitive, as there are many girls who, unable to afford these products, often miss school during their periods. Following an outcry, the government said the levy would apply only to imported products, arguing that this would boost the growth of local industries. The other key target of this eco levy is digital products, including mobile phones, cameras, recording equipment, and TV and radio equipment. A rise in the cost of these products is seen as harmful to the growth of the digital economy, which many Kenyans rely on for their livelihoods. Kenyas chief judge reacts to alleged abduction of protesters In a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday, Chief Justice Martha Koome condemned the recent abductions of protesters amidst the ongoing mass demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024. The Chief Justice highlighted the importance of constitutional rights and the rule of law and called for immediate action to address these serious violations. Ms Koome expressed deep concern regarding the allegations of abductions carried out by individuals who failed to identify themselves and did not present the abducted individuals before a court of law. Such actions amount to a direct assault on the rule of law, human rights, and constitutionalism, she said, noting that these principles are core national values enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution. She added that Article 49 specifies the rights of arrested persons, including the right to be informed of the reason for the arrest, the right to communicate with an advocate, and the requirement to be presented before a court within 24 hours. Article 51 further addresses the rights of detained persons, including their entitlement to petition for an order of habeas corpus. Any deviation from the stipulations of the Bill of Rights and the law not only invites anarchy and lawlessness in our country but also constitutes a severe assault on the value-order of governance stipulated in Article 10 of the Constitution. She called on all agencies within the justice sector to uphold their constitutional duties. Justice Koome concluded, We will not tolerate any actions that undermine the constitutional rights of the people of Kenya. The Judiciary stands firm in ensuring that the rule of law prevails and that justice is served. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has requested permission from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, where he is facing corruption charges, to travel abroad for a medical check-up. Mr Emefieles lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, drew the trial judges attention to the pending application at Tuesdays proceedings. The defence lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), did not provide details of the destination of the intended medical trip or his clients ailment. The trial judge, Hamza Muazu, had ordered the seizure of Mr Emefieles passport as part of his bail conditions. The defendant seeks in his application the release of his passport to enable him to embark on the foreign trip. Mr Muazu fixed 8 July for the hearing of the defendants application. The prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has yet to comment on the application. The agency can oppose or support the application. It can also choose to be indifferent. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In the case, EFCC charged Mr Emefiele with 20 amended counts of conferment of corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining about $6.23 million by false pretence. Mr Emefiele, governor of the CBN for nearly a decade, faces corruption charges in separate trials in Abuja and Lagos instituted against him after President Bola Tinubu removed him from office last June. Trial continues Meanwhile, the former CBN governors $6.23 million corruption trial continued on Tuesday, with the EFCC calling two more prosecution witnesses. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the seventh prosecution witness, Michael Agboro, on Monday, insisted that Mr Emefiele, as CBN governor, awarded contracts to companies belonging to his wife and a brother-in-law. The prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, a SAN, presented the eighth and the ninth prosecution witnesses at Tuesdays proceedings. Umar Abba Tilde, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, testified as the eighth prosecution witness. The ninth prosecution witness was Abibiya Ockiya-Ogeleye, a lawyer with A&A Legal Consociate, which offered legal services to Architekun Nigeria Limited, a contractor company for CBN. EFCC said the company is owned by the former CBN governors wife, Margaret Emefiele, and her brother, Jonathan Omoile. Eighth prosecution witness testifies In his testimony, Mr Tilde identified Mr Emefieles statement of account and certificate of identification. The banks sent the documents to EFCC upon request in July 2023. Upon accepting the documents, the court marked them Exhibits ED1, ED2 and ED3. Mr Tilde disclosed in his testimony that Mr Emefiele authorised the transfer of N4 million to Architekun Nigeria Limited. He also said the former CBN governor had 10 bank accounts with Zenith Bank. He listed the Zenith Bank accounts as 2020000064, 5370000045, 5160000523, 5400000128, 5380056733, 1020000098, 5070019307, 20200000064, 2010001617 and 9013054534. According to the witness, these are salaries, investments and savings accounts. Ninth prosecution witness testimony The ninth prosecution witness, Ms Ockiya-Ogeleye, also testified that her firm rendered legal services to Architekun Nigeria Limited. We rendered incorporation matters with CAC for the company, filed their annual reports, and changed the directors and shareholders of the company. Sometime in 2021, one Madam Esther Omoile called and asked me to add her as a company director, she said. She said she added Esther Oyeladun to the list of directors as instructed. The witness added: The transfer of shareholders was in Pages 5 and 6. The shares of Omoile Lakunbo were transferred to Omoile Margaret. The shares are 90,000 ordinary shares, and the date was 4 March, 2020. Lakunbo also transferred 100,000 shares to Esther. Three directors in the company during registration with CAC are Omoile Lakunbo, Omoile Margaret and Esther Oyeladun. The judge, Mr Muazu, adjourned the matter till 21 October. He fixed 22 and 23 October for the continuation of the trial. Charges The prosecution charged Mr Emefiele with 20 counts of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the CBN governor. It also alleged that the former CBN governor forged a document titled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201, which he allegedly claimed to be from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). EFCC accused him of using his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantages on two companies April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Some police operatives in Anambra State have returned N810,000, which they allegedly extorted from a Nigerian. How it happened PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how four police operatives allegedly extorted the money from the man last Friday. A human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, had drawn the attention of the Nigerian Police to the alleged extortion via a post on his X handle on Tuesday. Mr Gwamnishu uploaded on the X handle a voice note of the unidentified man and a screenshot of his transaction receipt indicating that the N810,000 was withdrawn from his bank account. In the voice note, the victim narrated how the operatives allegedly flagged down his vehicle at Upper Iweka Onitsha and forced him to withdraw the money. The operatives who were from the Area Command Onitsha, according to the victim, subsequently planted a pack of marijuana in his vehicle, which they planned to use to incriminate him. He said the operatives also accused him of being an internet fraudster and forced him to handle the pack of marijuana while they filmed him, apparently to manufacture evidence against him. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The police in Anambra State, in response, said their attention had been to the extortion allegation. In a statement on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police had initiated efforts to identify the officers. On his part, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, vowed that the incident would be investigated. Money recovered Mr Gwamnishu, the human rights activist, would later announce that the N810,000 had been recovered from the operatives and returned to the victim. I wish to inform you all that the money has been recovered and handed over to the victim, he wrote on his Facebook page Tuesday evening. He suggested it was unclear if police authorities would prosecute the operatives for the alleged extortion. Handover Mr Gwamnishu uploaded a video clip on the Facebook page showing when the money was being handed over to the victim. An unidentified woman in plain cloth was seen handing over the money to the victim, whose face was blurred in the clip. Some officials of the Behind Bar Initiative, a human rights group headed by Mr Gwamnishu, were also present during the handover of the money to the victim. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday stepped down the memo on the report of the Tripartite Committee on the New Minimum Wage. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to the State House correspondents after the councils meeting in Abuja. Mr Idris said the memo was stepped down to allow President Bola Tinubu to make further consultations since the federal government is not the only one involved in fixing a minimum wage. He said the state governments, local government areas, labour unions and the organised private sector are also involved. I want to inform Nigerians here that the Federal Executive Council deliberated on that (minimum wage), and the decision is that because the new national minimum wage is not just that of the federal government, it is an issue that involves the federal government, the state governments, local governments, and the organised private sector and of course, including the organised labour. That memo was stepped down to enable Mr President to consult further, especially with the state governors and the organised private sector, before he makes a presentation to the National Assembly before an executive bill is presented to the National Assembly. So I want to state that on the new national minimum wage, Mr President is going to consult further so that he can have an informed position because the new national minimum wage, as I said, is not just an issue of the Federal Government, Idris stated. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Tripartite Committee had last month submitted its report to President Tinubu. At its last meeting, while the federal government reviewed its offer of N62,000, labour brought down its demand to N250,000. Mr Idris said President Tinubu had gone through the committees report and would consult wider before a final submission is sent to the National Assembly. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Combating the illegal harvesting of and trade in organs will take work to achieve. The government has an important role to play in this. However, data-driven responses, inter-agency information and intelligence sharing will help. Medical professionals and hospitals where organ storage and or transplantation happen should be made to give information about the origin and destination of these organs to security agencies. Furthermore, existing legal frameworks should be strengthened Tales of unlawful trafficking of human organs for sale, otherwise known as organ harvesting, used to sound like some distant fiction that happened in faraway climes. Many Nigerians have never believed it and are often shocked to hear about it. Yet, it has become an almost unhindered growing criminal enterprise in the country. It is probably one highly under-reported transnational organised crime involving a chain of illicit actors kidnappers, medical professionals, ritualists, and sometimes with the connivance of security agencies. The high demand for organ transplants and rising inequality are contributory factors to the upsurge in this crime. The practice is unethical and exploitative and targets vulnerable persons who are financially disadvantaged. Those who know about it say it takes a network of rogues to carry out the act successfully. The first set of actors dismember the organs of their targets, which must be preserved to ensure that they remain fresh and useable till they reach their desired destinations. Other actors specialise in luring unsuspecting but vulnerable individuals, especially young people from low economic backgrounds, to sell their organs to syndicates for one form of reward or another. Disturbing Evidence Points to the Likely Involvement of Security Officials Media reports once pointed at some reprobate units of the Nigerian Police, especially the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the police anti-kidnapping units, as alleged accomplices in the organ harvesting of detainees. Interviews and documented experiences of survivors and family members of victims reveal that some policemen invite people who come secretly to detention centres to harvest organs at night. Stories from the dreaded SARS unit in Awkuzu, Anambra State validate these findings. Organ harvesting is said to be the reason why many detainees have disappeared and remain unaccounted for till date, while others are extra-judicially murdered after their organs have been removed. The increasing rate of kidnapping for ransom across the country is also contributing to the harvesting of organs for sale. Several accounts from rescued victims reveal harrowing experiences whereby the organs of abductees are harvested, especially those whose relatives are unable to come up with ransom payments. Recently, a suspected criminal operating through the social media was apprehended in connection with the disappearance of two ladies who were allegedly kidnapped for organ harvesting. A civil society group known as Action Group for Free Civic Space in Nigeria alleged that police officers reportedly sell bodies illegally to teaching hospitals. Following this claim, the leadership of the Nigerian Police set up an investigative panel whose report is yet to be made public. Okechukwu Nwanguma, the director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), expressed worry that little has been heard about the panels findings. The whistleblower, Nnamdi Daniel Emeh, who made the revelation, is still reportedly in detention, despite having fulfilled his bail conditions. Kidnappers and Ritualists As Part of the Trade Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The increasing rate of kidnapping for ransom across the country is also contributing to the harvesting of organs for sale. Several accounts from rescued victims reveal harrowing experiences whereby the organs of abductees are harvested, especially those whose relatives are unable to come up with ransom payments. Recently, a suspected criminal operating through the social media was apprehended in connection with the disappearance of two ladies who were allegedly kidnapped for organ harvesting. In 2023, a student of the University of Port Harcourt reportedly murdered his girlfriend and harvested her organs for ritual purposes. Another suspect was also arrested for a similar crime. The phenomenon of unknown gunmen is said to be linked to the network of organ traffickers for ritual purposes. In May, officers of the Nigerian Police in Lagos State arrested a gang of suspected ritualists who specialise in killing people and harvesting their body parts for sale. Regulatory agencies in Nigeria try to do their bit to curb illegal organ harvesting and trade. However, the existing laws governing organ transplants in Nigeria still need to be expanded in depth. Some prevailing regulations allow kidney recipients to source for donors and present them to hospitals for screening for compatibility and fitness. Section 51-56 of the National Health Act 2014 prohibits the illegal transplantation of organs. Syndicates Offer Fictitious Jobs to Unsuspecting Persons Abroad Many young people seeking greener pastures abroad have ended up becoming victims of organ harvesting. They fall into the hands of syndicates operating from locations in India and China, North Africa and the Middle East, which advertise fictitious jobs with mouth-watering salaries. These desperate job seekers and potential migrants often fall into the trap of these deceptive criminals who forcefully harvest their organs for sale. Impoverished communities, illegal migrants and displaced populations are at greater risk of this form of primitive exploitation. The menace is not peculiar to Nigeria but is evident across Africa. A researcher, Sean Columb, revealed how migrants predominantly from West Africa sell their organs to criminal networks operating within and across Egypt, Libya and Sudan to defray the cost of smuggling them across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Regulations Exist, But they Still Need to Be Improved Regulatory agencies in Nigeria try to do their bit to curb illegal organ harvesting and trade. However, the existing laws governing organ transplants in Nigeria still need to be expanded in depth. Some prevailing regulations allow kidney recipients to source for donors and present them to hospitals for screening for compatibility and fitness. Section 51-56 of the National Health Act 2014 prohibits the illegal transplantation of organs. Donors are expected to sign a consent form in the presence of two adults and swear an affidavit stating their age and affirming that their decisions are by free will and without compulsion or financial inducement. The poor enforcement of the regulations remains a crucial challenge, as these criminals find ways to subvert them and stay a step ahead of the law. Data-driven Responses and Strong Legislation Will Help Combating the illegal harvesting of and trade in organs will take work to achieve. The government has an important role to play in this. However, data-driven responses, inter-agency information and intelligence sharing will help. Medical professionals and hospitals where organ storage and or transplantation happen should be made to give information about the origin and destination of these organs to security agencies. Furthermore, existing legal frameworks should be strengthened, while the existing health infrastructure is improved. Creating a DNA bank could help security agencies investigate the sources of organs in circulation. Awareness about the trade, human trafficking and insecurity must be raised, especially among the youth, alongside the scaling up of poverty alleviation efforts. Uche Igwe is a senior political economy analyst and visiting fellow at Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics and Political Science(LSE). He can be reached at u.igwe@lse.ac.uk Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print With a distinguished career spanning several decades, Akpan Ekpo has exemplified patriotism, expertise, and dedication in these roles In economics and policy formulation, he has demonstrated a deep understanding of Nigerias economic environment and commitment to excellence, and his insights have been instrumental in guiding policymakers and shaping economic strategies to foster growth, stability, and inclusivity. A few weeks ago, I received a call from a University of Uyo community member about a valedictory seminar and book presentation in honour of Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo, the schools former vice chancellor. The caller requested that I should send in a tribute. I wonder if Professor Ekpo is a wine or whiskey connoisseur. Even if he is not, maybe today, given his background and tour of duties, he undoubtedly knows much about pre-dinner cocktails or excellent after-dinner drinks. Regrettably, we are in a country where, despite the best efforts of some government agencies, unscrupulous citizens are still bent on importing substandard food products, with some brazenly extending the madness to manufacturing supposedly choice drinks in unhygienic environments. So, anyone who has fallen prey to and consumed these drinks may never know the taste of a meticulously brewed drink. Lovers of good brews often identify a few things that go with the quality: colour, taste of wood, complexity, persistence, passion, and maturity. Age matters, just as it does in human life. Professor Ekpo undoubtedly comes in many shades of quality, not the least shaped by his upbringing and, unsurprisingly, now tamed by age. The younger Prof was different, and Akwa Ibom State couldnt produce a better prototype! Wherever he found himself, from primary to secondary school and university, through dint of hard work and perseverance, he conquered. His parental background was never a setback, and he has always been authentic, proudly sharing his roots with any audience, local or international. This is probably one reason, despite numerous job opportunities, that he returned to Nigeria after his academic pursuits in the United States of America. He desperately wanted to contribute to developing his state, country, and the continent. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I first encountered Akpan Ekpo during his sojourn as a young lecturer at the University of Calabar. Like many intellectuals of that time, the bug of the African Renaissance had bitten him, and they were collectively at the forefront of the liberation struggle, especially of Southern Africa. Interaction with most young people, students, and fresh graduates in Calabar was easy, given their age. They recruited, nay indoctrinated, many into their leftist ideology. I was not part of that school, but there were a few of his ilk, both on and off campus, who I admired. Bassey Ekpo Bassey was a journalist whose vibrant articles were a delight to read. Edwin and Bene Madunagu, a young couple, were unrepentantly dogged in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I greatly admired both and remain grateful that many years after, my good friend, Kayode Komolafe, would reconnect me with Professor Madunagu when he visited Lagos. Who can forget the no-nonsense and blistering Professor Eskor Toyo, whose class was always packed, not necessarily with students offering Economics, but anyone, including young lecturers, engaged in the stumping of Western democracy and its capitalist institutions. There was also Professor Eteng, Comrade Amah T. Amah, Dr Biko Agozino and Dr Yakubu Ochefu. How can I forget the one who drank from Eskors fountain right from home, a veteran journalist, Ikpoto (Comrade) Okon Osung! Whether fully persuaded or not, this bunch afforded many a broader view of issues and taught the importance of authenticity, transparency, and commitment. I am indeed grateful for such orientation at a young age. Interestingly, Professor Ekpo would utilise his skills beyond the academic community to help positively influence our public institutions, at the federal, state and even local levels. In his home state, his service spans several decades, whether as a member of an Economic Advisory team, crafting the blueprint for the development of the state or superintending as Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Investment Promotion Council (AKIIPOC). He was a known name, especially when Obong Victor Attah held sway as the state governor between 1999 and 2007. This was also a challenging time for the oil and gas industry, given the conflict between the oil producing states and the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo, because of the paltry revenue allocation for crude oil extraction. Tagged the agitation for resource control, the international oil companies, though in a joint venture with Nigeria (through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC), contributing their fair share of operational costs and paying the relevant fees and royalties, were largely signposted as the culprits. After all, they were the operators of these oil and gas assets and, therefore, closest to the people. While there were relationship challenges with the oil-bearing communities, truth be told, these companies were also victims, trapped in the dishonesty and inefficiency dotting our landscape, which have negatively impacted the ability to improve the lives of citizens, even till date. In Akwa Ibom State, no love was lost between the Governor and Mobil Producing Nigeria. However, as one of the companys leadership members, I must admit that he treated me courteously. But there was an incident that beggars belief till date. And this is where my path crossed again with Professor Akpan Ekpo after over two decades. Eventually, the government resorted to strange tactics, including issuing a warrant to arrest some key company staff. Though not directly responsible for the matter, I was also listed for arrest. This was comical but frustrated my ability to visit my aged parents in the village. There were also mixed messages from the Governor whenever we spoke, leading me to believe he was not fully aware of what his appointees were doing. A state government-appointed auditor reviewed the companys payroll to ascertain the appropriateness of taxes paid by its staff working in the Qua Iboe Terminal and all field locations in Akwa Ibom State. This routine exercise, conducted every few years, was appropriately concluded, and a satisfactory clearance report was issued. To the companys surprise, a few months later, a letter was received jettisoning that report and an outrageous amount was slammed on the company as a penalty. Despite several attempts to understand the basis of its computation, the matter could not be resolved. Eventually, the government resorted to strange tactics, including issuing a warrant to arrest some key company staff. Though not directly responsible for the matter, I was also listed for arrest. This was comical but frustrated my ability to visit my aged parents in the village. There were also mixed messages from the Governor whenever we spoke, leading me to believe he was not fully aware of what his appointees were doing. After a year of back-and-forth and a weighty petition from the company, the Governor requested Professor Akpan Ekpo to review the case. By this time, I had lost confidence in the ability of any government official to objectively review the matter, as it appeared everyone was singing from the same songbook. My first shock at the meeting was how elementary Profs questions were. Disinterested in long speeches, he asked the state auditor to comment on the accuracy of the initial clearance report issued. With the affirmation of authenticity, he asked about the basis for the penalty, for which additional payments were demanded. There was silence. An angry Professor Ekpo was unmistaken in his reprimand, and I was embarrassed at how some officials had misled the government and created a rift with such a significant investor. It was unusual for a government representative to be so direct and transparent. What a relief that someone finally understood the issues! On how MPN offered medical support to its staff through a quarterly reimbursement, he advised that such payment was subject to taxation. This case was resolved in under forty-five minutes. Neither the outgoing nor incoming Governor opposed his recommendations. Still, it was never lost on me that though locally situated, Prof was quick to think globally, focusing on the implications of impeding smooth business operations in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State. He connected the dots quickly, enabling the much-touted ease of business. As mentioned earlier, Professor Ekpo has advised all levels of government (local, state, and federal) in Nigeria, and his contributions have impacted the countrys journey towards economic advancement. With a distinguished career spanning several decades, Akpan Ekpo has exemplified patriotism, expertise, and dedication in these roles. In economics and policy formulation, he has demonstrated a deep understanding of Nigerias economic environment and commitment to excellence, and his insights have been instrumental in guiding policymakers and shaping economic strategies to foster growth, stability, and inclusivity. You can, therefore, imagine how excited I was to serve under him as the chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Post-COVID-19 Economic Reconstruction Committee, set up by Governor Udom Emmanuel in May 2020. For posteritys sake, I will provide some insights and use this forum to plead with the state government to find comfort in entirely going through and utilising that committees recommendations. Luckily, most of the current players in government, including the State Governor, were either part of the initial committee works or were aware of its activities. While I cannot attest to everyones support, as you will soon know, one thing is sure. In the usual duplicitous posturing, this report would have been given an elaborate unveiling if we were gathered for the funeral service of any of the committee members. The family would have been told they died in the service of the people and that such a person would be immortalised. We worked for the Akwa Ibom people when most were sheltered indoors, except for essential service workers. Regrettably, the lacklustre attitude of some people concerning the pandemic, including officials who refused to mask up or respect the established control protocols, was not helpful and may have contributed to the loss of lives to COVID-19. It could have easily been one of us, as significant breaches occurred when we arrived at Uyo for the committee meetings. Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, the then secretary to the state government (SSG), called to inform me that the Governor would like me to be part of a committee to fashion out a blueprint for the state, post-COVID-19. This was a few days after I retired from ExxonMobil. I was looking forward to resting but was happy to contribute my knowledge and experiences towards the development of my state. This was not the first time I had served the state. During Governor Victor Attahs tenure, I recall working with Dr Ebebe Ukpong, the then commissioner for Economic Development, to design a roadmap for developing the oil-bearing communities of Akwa Ibom State. I was part of Governor Godswill Akpabios transition team in 2007. By 2015, when Governor Udom Emmanuel assumed duties, I volunteered to serve on the Agriculture Technical Committee, working with Professor Edet Udoh. However, given the importance of leadership, it was a no-brainer that I would ask Dr Ekuwem about who would drive the committees work. I was surprised that though listed as a member, it was not Professor Ekpo. I must credit Dr Ekuwem for seeing my viewpoint and reverting shortly on the Governors approval for Prof to chair the team. Professor Ekpos leadership was characterised by inclusivity and collaboration. He actively engaged stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including government officials, business leaders, civil society organisations, and academia, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action By harnessing the expertise and resources of various stakeholders, he ensured that the committees efforts were comprehensive, responsive, and sustainable. The government was audacious in its timing, inaugurating the 20-member committee with nine terms of reference and a one-month time frame to complete the assignment. Professor Ekpos leadership was indispensable. He led with foresight and determination, steering the committee during a pandemic to meet the deadline. The committees initiatives encompassed various sectors, from mindset change to healthcare, finance, agriculture, and infrastructure, reflecting his holistic approach to economic development. His advocacy for evidence-based policymaking was critical, recognising the need for data-driven decisions. He always wanted to be guided by reliable information, not emotions, to respond effectively to the issues. Furthermore, Professor Ekpos leadership was characterised by inclusivity and collaboration. He actively engaged stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including government officials, business leaders, civil society organisations, and academia, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective action. By harnessing the expertise and resources of various stakeholders, he ensured that the committees efforts were comprehensive, responsive, and sustainable. In addition to his immediate focus on managing the COVID-19 crisis, Professor Ekpo emphasised the importance of long-term vision and structural reforms. He advocated policies that would mitigate not only the immediate impact of the pandemic but also lay the foundation for a more resilient and dynamic economy in the future. His vision encompassed investments in human capital, innovation, infrastructure, and reforms, to enhance transparency, accountability, and governance. As Prof put it: there is a paucity of relevant data on the state. Establishing a State Bureau of Statistics is important to ensure that policy pronouncements are evidence-based. The State needs an Economic Advisory Council to assist in the conceptualisation, formulation, and implementation of government policies. Such exercise would be evidence-based. It would advise the government and serve as a think tank. The State should have a Reserve Fund an agreed percentage from federal allocation should be deposited into the fund to meet unforeseen circumstances and save for a rainy day. The Fund should be invested in, and strict conditions should be established for withdrawal. The government should have an exit plan for its commercial investments. the state needs a 30-year Perspective Economic Plan (2021-2050) with five-year consecutive plans to execute the long-term plan. This would ensure balanced development of the state. This report was presented on 9 June, 2020. Unfortunately, because of scheduling challenges, three Lagos-based members, including the Chairman, were huddled at the private aviation terminal awaiting the Aviation ministers approval of a flight to convey them to Uyo. Professor Emmanuel Onwioduokit, the Committees secretary, had to represent the chairman. The Governor was so impressed with the quality of work done and decided at that meeting to set up a five-member committee to do a deep-dive, creating actionable plans and timelines for immediate implementation. Professor Ekpo was retained as the chairman, and Professor Onwioduokit as secretary. The other three members were Dr Glory Edet (as dean of commissioners), Mr Ime Uwah (senior special assistant to the Governor) and I. We were domiciled in one of the government guest houses and were excited to deliver on the mandate. To our chagrin, and despite the Governors earlier compliments to the team, empowering it to solicit information from any public servant, including himself, things fell apart shortly. Even close allies of the Governor were non-cooperative, putting the chairman under pressure. Oliver Holmes Sr. reminds us that the young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. I am thankful that age enabled Profs sobriety throughout this moment of trial. The young, radical, and activist Professor Ekpo would have acted differently. He earned my respect for his sustained calmness at every point. The ill-treatment was signposted earlier. Given that travelling was restricted during the pandemic, no sufficient arrangements were made for us to arrive in Uyo, and even while we were yet to finalise our study, one of the committees recommendations was contracted out for implementation without any courtesy to the chairman. Upon arrival in Uyo, there were logistical and directional challenges. The team had no vehicle to visit locations, and the one assigned to the chairman would immediately attract the displeasure of even the driver. It eventually led to an altercation with a senior government official and remained unused throughout the assignment. I was embarrassed at such a level of treatment meted to a renowned son of Akwa Ibom State. I was more pained knowing the courtesies usually extended to outsiders, with little or no value-addition to the state. In contrast to the Governors message, there was also the reluctance of some government officials to respond to requests. Given the nature of the information solicited, such reactions, in certain instances, were laughable. On this auspicious occasion of Professor Ekpos retirement, I pray that this report will not be consigned to the dustbin, at least for the following reasons:.. In my opinion, the committees recommendations still represent a roadmap for revitalising the economy of Akwa Ibom State and mitigating the socio-economic impacts of not only the COVID-19 pandemic but also our current economic challenges. They provide valuable insights, and its unnecessary to reinvent the wheel. For example, a particular commissioner was unwilling to share rudimentary financial information with two Economics professors he knew had access to the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Ministry of Finance, and the Debt Management Office. It took a phone call, and the committee obtained the needed data. Even a committee member, largely absent from meetings, would stonewall several times on information disclosure. These necessitated the chairman to seek clarity from the Governor on the committees status/relevance. To his disappointment, the Governor had been informed that the committee was investigating the government, an allegation which was a blatant lie. Throughout his career, Professor Ekpo exemplified the role of a thought leader, strategist, and implementer, driving positive change at local and regional levels. He came to serve the state, and all he got was backstabbing. That was most unfair. When he returned from that meeting, he contemplated resigning from the committee. I have never seen him so livid. It took much persuasion to have him continue, and we are grateful he obliged. But we now knew all was not well, despite the Governors statements and assurances. Undoubtedly, a third force had emerged, undermining either the committee or the Governor and the ultimate beneficiaries of the study, the people. We all know that one of Professor Ekpos career hallmarks has been his crucial role in leading institutions dedicated to developing human capital. At the University of Uyo, where he served as the Vice-Chancellor, he demonstrated uncommon courage to confront the monsters of cultism and certificate racketeering, even at the risk of his life. As the Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), he spearheaded initiatives to enhance the capacity of policymakers and financial practitioners across the region. Under his stewardship, WAIFEM emerged as a beacon of excellence, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among West African nations. So, who was afraid of his efforts to re-position the state? If there was any suspicion of going outside the mandate, why was no one bold enough to confront him? We recognised that the future of Akwa Ibom state was at stake, and unless disbanded by the Governor, there was no need to discontinue our work. We visited the Minister of Solid Minerals to support authenticating and registering the needed solid minerals data in Akwa Ibom State. Professor Linus Asuquo of the National Metallurgical Development Centre was very useful in facilitating this meeting. We also visited the leadership of MainOne Nigeria regarding internet penetration in Akwa Ibom State. A visit to some of the leading farmers in the state was refreshing and comical, as some confessed that they have never been visited or supported by the government, despite the massive intervention of the State Government, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, in agriculture. A comprehensive report with viable solutions and actionable recommendations was submitted to the Governor promptly. He was thankful, and we had no reason to doubt him. On this auspicious occasion of Professor Ekpos retirement, I pray that this report will not be consigned to the dustbin, at least for the following reasons: In my opinion, the committees recommendations still represent a roadmap for revitalising the economy of Akwa Ibom State and mitigating the socio-economic impacts of not only the COVID-19 pandemic but also our current economic challenges. They provide valuable insights, and its unnecessary to reinvent the wheel. That study was conducted despite severe danger to members health. For example, the Chairman was seriously ill; unfortunately, no official extended courtesy to him during that period. His recovery was a miracle, and we remain grateful to God. We owe him and others who risked their lives some gratitude by implementing the recommendations. Unsurprisingly, but not to be glossed over, no team member received a thank you letter. We should always appreciate knowledge and commitment to the general interest, knowing that these are valuable tools for societal growth and collaborative governance. I am pleased to have penned these few words in honour of a professor who has earned his place at the top. I look forward to a well-garnished okpo ebot in his Ikot Obio Eka home. That is, if the 1.5-kilometre road to his abode, abandoned since 2022, is passable. I pray that the government will restart work on that road as a modest demonstration of gratitude for Profs services to the state over the decades. Prof, enjoy your retirement and the company of your family members! Udom Inoyo is advisor, Inoyo Toro Foundation and former vice chairman, ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print One of the other major challenges he faced on assumption of office was managing the trade embargo between ECOWAS states and Niger Republic due to a coup. Despite the public outcry over border closures affecting business people and border communities, Adeniyis crisis communication strategies involved consultations with community leaders, youth groups, and business stakeholders towards providing relief, alternatives and legitimate options. On 13 June, an email from Janice Hills of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) announced a Campaign, 100 Days of Impactful PR at Customs Service, as a finalist for the 2024 Golden World Award (GWA) in Public Relations. As a finalist, the campaign will now proceed to the second round, where more materials, including documents, relevant web links, images, and videos, will be submitted to enable the jury from various countries to decide on the winning entries. The campaign, a testament to the strategic leadership of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was previously honoured with a Certificate of Excellence at the 2024 SABRE African PR, a prestigious recognition at the annual conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) in Cote dIvoire. The campaign recognised the strategic deployment of Public Relations (PR) tactics by Adeniyi, in 100 days of acting as Comptroller General, to raise awareness about the New Customs Act and the Reform Agenda within the sector a testament to his visionary leadership and innovative approach. Upon assuming the role of acting Comptroller General on 19 June, 2023, Adeniyi was presented with a unique opportunity. The immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari had on 23 May 23, precisely a week before his handover to President Tinubu, assented to the Nigeria Customs Act, amending it for the first time in over 64 years. This presented a key opening for Adeniyi to use the campaign to raise awareness about the transformative import, value, expenditure, and accountability changes promised by the new Act and the stricter penalties and sanctions for Excise duty violations. The Act specifies that appointment of the Comptroller General of the service would no longer be open to non-career individuals, as it empowers the President to appoint a CGC from career-serving officers, provided they hold a rank not lower than that of an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG). Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later As a distinguished Fellow and former Vice President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Adeniyi played a pivotal role in fostering stakeholder collaboration. His efforts were instrumental in aligning the NCSs core responsibilities with President Tinubus priorities in trade facilitation, revenue collection, societal protection, and cooperation. This demonstrates the NCSs unwavering commitment to national goals. In just three months of his acting capacity, Adeniyi had intensified awareness campaigns through capacity-building programmes, stakeholder engagements, and media interactions. One of the other major challenges he faced on assumption of office was managing the trade embargo between ECOWAS states and Niger Republic due to a coup. Despite the public outcry over border closures affecting business people and border communities, Adeniyis crisis communication strategies involved consultations with community leaders, youth groups, and business stakeholders towards providing relief, alternatives and legitimate options. His leadership and managerial skills through strategic communication enhanced stakeholder collaboration ensured border security, influenced the citizenrys compliance with Customs reforms, significantly boosted revenue generation and instilled a sense of optimism and hope for the future. It also considerably contributed to the productivity of his management team. Impressed by the unparalleled feat and strategy deployed, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the confirmation of Adeniyis appointment as substantive Comptroller General from 19 October, 2023. Interestingly, Kabir Abdulsalam of PRNigeria and Maryam NaAllah of Spokespersons Digest, both staff writers at Image Merchants Promotion Limited, studied and documented Adeniyis public relations strategies in their forthcoming book titled Impactful PR in Customs Management. With a blurb by Vice President Kashim Shettima and a foreword written by the President of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, the book highlights well-coordinated PR approaches in leadership and management. Key aspects covered in the literature include how press coverage and media engagement created required awareness and sensitisation of customs reforms. Similarly, the effect of regular engagement with stakeholders in facilitating interagency collaboration and earning public support is also highlighted. Organised special events through lively interactions and fruitful deliberations have been valuable in promoting the new legislation and other service efforts. The book emphasises other strategies for engagement and communication during crises and recognises the effectiveness of third-party narratives. It further focuses on primary PR tools in its twelve chapters, such as media relations, event management, crisis communication, stakeholder engagement, press release writing, social media, lobbying decision-makers, corporate social responsibility (CSR), reputation management, in-house publications, employee relations, and media monitoring. In less than a year in office, through his trade facilitation measures, including 24-hour port decongestion/clearance and removal of multiple checkpoints with dedicated import and export terminals, the Customs Service under Adeniyi has achieved an unprecedented revenue collection of 75 per cent, compared to the previous year. A humble and detribalised Nigerian, Adeniyi has demonstrated inspirational leadership that motivates staff across all levels and backgrounds to strive for excellence and make sacrifices in the nations service. His selfless approach has created a culture of unity and dedication, inspiring others to work towards a common goal of serving the national interest. His anti-smuggling campaign efforts, through strengthening collaborations, have also led to massive seizures of wildlife products, deadly weapons, and hard drugs, among other contrabands that are injurious to the economy and life of the people. Adeniyis groundbreaking communication approach and proactive strategies have significantly influenced public perception and showcased the tangible benefits of effective PR strategies for excellence. His visionary leadership has transformed the Customs Service, restored trust and elevated its reputation. His exemplary model of effective PR at the management level has the potential to inspire future leaders to harness the power of strategic communication, leaving a lasting legacy in the industry. The accomplishments of the Customs Service under Tinubus administration are quite obvious, as the book will be unveiled at the forthcoming annual Economic Confidential Summit in Abuja next month. Yushau A. Shuaib is author of Award Winning Crisis Communication Strategies, www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yashuaib.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print This one year in office is indeed a time to commend General Lagbaja for his purposeful leadership and determination in combating insurgency and criminality in the country. This calls for support from all Nigerians to sustain the tempo of taking the battle to the adversaries. Indeed, it has been one year of unquantifiable sacrifice in blood and treasure and one can confidently say without equivocation that within this year, the Army has shown commitment, determination and focus The appointment of General Lagbaja as the 23rd Chief of Army Staff was greeted with a lot of commendations by many across the country. According to the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, on his X handle, this will be a new kind of chief of army staff who without a doubt will wipe out terrorism, banditry, vandalism and militancy in Nigeria. Several other Nigerians expressed optimism in his ability to do the job dispassionately. This is not unconnected with his firm stand and determination to achieve success in any task given to him. The Chief of Army Staff leads in the front, right in the battle field. He is not the kind of soldier who sits in the comfort of his office giving commands to troops. General Lagbaja would lead the battle against the enemies right in the theatre of war. He is referred to as a no nonsense soldier, a professional soldier by training, in appearance, words and actions. Having participated in several operations across the country, the Chief of Army Staff came in with a clear-headed philosophy to transform the Nigerian army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment. With this philosophy, the Chief of Army Staff set out to confront the insecurity that has devastated the country for over two decades and stretched the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to the limit of their capabilities. His operational philosophy rests on three cardinal pillars: leadership, operational effectiveness, and sound administration. This insecurity ranges from the attacks of ISWAP/Boko Haram, bandits, IPOB, in addition to the militant activities that have hindered the nations crude oil output, the perennial herders and farmers clashes, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality in the country. Thus, the Nigerian Army needed to be forward thinking and progressive in training, strategy and sophistication to confront these criminality in such a dynamic environment. General Lagbaja noted that, Never in recent history is the requirement for proactive, adaptive and inclusive leadership more needed than Nigerias security environment of today. The Nigerian Army, therefore, needed determined leadership. Building on the breakthroughs recorded by his predecessors, the Chief of Army Staff has spectacularly demonstrated so much understanding of the current security challenges in the country and preempts the enemies next moves. He effectively understands the importance of collaboration with sister agencies and other security agencies. The COAS believes that leadership is instrumental to bonding followership. While delivering a lecture to students of course 46 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna State, titled Crafting My Command Philosophy As Chief of Army Staff, Nigerias Contemporary and Emerging Security Environment, Lagbaja charged mid-level commanders of the Nigerian Army to lead their subordinates by example, in the ongoing effort to combat the security challenges bedeviling some parts of the country. He maintained that exemplary leadership will correspondingly impact positively on operational efficiency in the ongoing effort at tackling insecurity. General Taoreed Lagbaja insists that the troops involved in operations across the country need training and retraining to rejuvenate their fighting spirit. The training will expose the them to modern warfare and the use of newly acquired equipment. As such, the army must continue to review its tactics, techniques and procedures, and come up with implementable strategies to defeat the adversaries with both kinetic and non-kinetic means, he pointed out. So far, General Lagbajas robust strategy and clear vision have brought the activities of ISWAP/Boko Haram to their knees. This has resulted in the killing and arrests of notorious Boko Haram commanders, their informants and foot soldiers, with several operational camps bursted and destroyed. In confronting these forms of criminality, the COAS stated that the army under his watch has acquired modern equipment, and we no longer rely on 1970 or 1980 equipment to fight the battle of 2023. The Nigerian Army has procured various modern equipment and also has internally built ones. We have adequate equipment to ensure troops are ready to perform their task and tackle those challenges confronting Nigeria in 2023. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We have asked Research and Development to build some of those equipment we used to import from abroad; if you go to our command in Kaduna, you will see what the mechanical engineers are doing. They are building vehicles; very soon we may be exporting some to neighbouring countries. General Taoreed Lagbaja insists that the troops involved in operations across the country need training and retraining to rejuvenate their fighting spirit. The training will expose the them to modern warfare and the use of newly acquired equipment. As such, the army must continue to review its tactics, techniques and procedures, and come up with implementable strategies to defeat the adversaries with both kinetic and non-kinetic means, he pointed out. Lagbaja considers the welfare of the troops a topmost priority. He emphasised that this would boost their morale and ultimately enhance operational effectiveness. He has introduced initiatives such as the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers (AHOOAS), which is aimed at alleviating the hardship that soldiers face in securing personal accommodation following their years of service. Through the post-service housing development limited, five per cent of the AHOOAS scheme in each estate is for allocation to soldiers with operational related disabilities. Also, he introduced the Nigerian Army Welfare Loan in April to improve the well-being of the Nigerian soldier. Under Lagbaja, the army has reinvigorated its complimentary welfare flights for troops in the North-East, to facilitate travels for them during leaves and passes. The one year in office of General Lagbaja as the chief of Army Staff has given assurance and renewed hope in the ability of the Nigerian Army to stamp out all forms of criminality in the country and protect it against external aggression. The COAS has always stated that under his watch, all Nigerian Army personnel must remain professional, law-abiding and loyal to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as they discharge their constitutional responsibilities. Within the COAS one year in office, the army has purchased over 200 gun trucks, thousands of personal protective equipment, over 100 mines resistant ambush protected vehicles and several other sophisticated equipment awaiting arrival into the country in the shortest possible time. The army, which had nurtured the desire to have an aviation wing since 1984 has purchased aircraft to be used for logistics, surveillance, training and casualty evacuation, among others, in the first one year of General Lagbaja as chief of Army Staff. Significant successes have been recorded in the fight against oil theft, oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the oil producing Niger Delta region. And, the activities of these criminals have reduced the nations crude oil production. But with the strategies put in place by Lagbaja to protect the region, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has acknowledged that improved security in the Niger Delta is responsible for the increased crude oil production to 1.65 million barrels per day, as against the 1.25 million bpd previously recorded. Another disturbing security situation was the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security (ESN) Network, both of which had killed many, destroyed properties worth millions of naira, and crippled socio-economic activities in the South-East. However, on assumption of office, General Lagbaja declared the infamous sit at home order of these groups over and enforced this through operation Udo ka, leading to the restoration of sanity, and the abolishment of the sit at home order of these non state actors. Total sanity will be achieved in due course. While there are still a couple of cowardly security breaches here and there across the country, the soul of the insurgency and banditry afflicting Nigeria has been destroyed. The one year in office of General Lagbaja as the chief of Army Staff has given assurance and renewed hope in the ability of the Nigerian Army to stamp out all forms of criminality in the country and protect it against external aggression. The COAS has always stated that under his watch, all Nigerian Army personnel must remain professional, law-abiding and loyal to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as they discharge their constitutional responsibilities. This one year in office is indeed a time to commend General Lagbaja for his purposeful leadership and determination in combating insurgency and criminality in the country. This calls for support from all Nigerians to sustain the tempo of taking the battle to the adversaries. Indeed, it has been one year of unquantifiable sacrifice in blood and treasure and one can confidently say without equivocation that within this year, the Army has shown commitment, determination and focus in tackling insurgency, marauding bandits, and other forms of criminality that have bedeviled and disturbed the peace of the country. Michael Msuaan writes from Makurdi, Benue State. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As I left the NYSC camp, I wondered if, as a government pikin I could get away with wrongdoing or be celebrated for it. God save us, for as law-abiding and obedient citizens, we will strive to serve our country with all our might, while dedicated to peace, unity, and progress. Upon arrival at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, I suddenly became nostalgic as the affection for my family and relatives left behind kept clouding my mind. Without wasting time, we unloaded our belongings at the gate and the security personnel, including soldiers, approached us and ran safety checks on the luggage as usual. Furthermore, the security forces inquired whether we had in our possession, sharp objects like knives, glass cups bottles, etc. However, these precautionary measures are very essential for maintaining security and preventing any potential conflicts, because some people might get aggressive and bring out such objects to harm others upon the slightest provocation. Inside the camp, the atmosphere was vibrant with the sounds of the band and the sight of fellow corps members practicing their drills on the parade ground. Despite missing some initial excitement due to late arrival, I could not help but feel a sense of familiarity among us, a part of what the National Youth Service Scheme preaches peaceful coexistence, and living as one Nigeria, irrespective of tribal, geographical or religious affiliations. The soldiers were very professional and disciplined in discharging their functions within the environment and as such added a touch of humour to the camp experience, with their jovial demeanour and witty remarks. Their chants and songs echoed throughout the camp, creating a lively atmosphere. One particular tradition stood out as we are referred to as government property and government pikin, a colloquial term for a ward of the government, who is now under the care of the government and not his or her parents or guardians, during the service year. This sense of ownership was both symbolic and endearing, highlighting the unique bond formed during our time in the camp. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Someone claimed that a government pikin is above the law and cannot be arrested or prosecuted for any wrongdoing. While I found this claim amusing and enjoyed the fantasy of being considered innocent like a baby, I didnt bother to verify its accuracy. I think all this made us all realise that this is not our parents house, where anyone could do anything s/he likes. The discipline there was uniform and there was a routine schedule being followed for every activity in the camp. This is a lesson that we should all bear in mind to have a list of schedules that one must follow judiciously, no matter what, as the NYSC anthem states in part: Let us build our nation high, under the sun or in the rain with dedication and selflessness.. Amidst the laughter and camaraderie, the importance of security consciousness remained paramount. From morning devotion to camp registration, every activity was conducted with precision and discipline, instilling a sense of responsibility among us. The governments commitment to our welfare was evident in the provision of meals and facilities, although there were opportunities for improvement, particularly in infrastructural maintenance and facility upgrades. Through the NYSC scheme, we not only served our nation but also cultivated a deeper understanding of security consciousness, which I believe is part of discipline and alertness. By embracing this experience, we not only become certified government property but also contribute to the collective goal of building a safer and more secure nation. The government might enhance its responsibility by creating more facilities to ensure the welfare of corp members, within and outside the camp, but the officials and corp members need to also have a maintenance culture, in relation to the amenities. The stakeholders can do a community development service by providing more amenities across the camps to strengthen the living conditions of every prospective corps member during their stay. In the NYSC journey, every step taken is a testament to our commitment to security consciousness and national service. No doubt, this experience continues to resonate in my mind and always reminds me of the vision of the NYSC scheme to foster unity and national cohesion among the citizens. As I left the NYSC camp, I wondered if, as a government pikin I could get away with wrongdoing or be celebrated for it. God save us, for as law-abiding and obedient citizens, we will strive to serve our country with all our might, while dedicated to peace, unity, and progress. Haroon Aremu Abiodun is a youth Corp Member with PRNigeria center, Abuja and wrote in via exponentumera@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Pastor Daniel Taiwo Odukoya lived his life believing and praying for positive change in Nigeria through good leadership. The only honour we can all do him, now that he is no longer with us, is to imbibe and live out the principles he stood for and the ideals he preached. That way, Nigeria will indeed manifest the great future he saw and prayed for all his life. If there was ever a man who believed in the potential of his country for greatness, he was the late Daniel Taiwo Odukoya. As a child, he knew beyond any doubt that he would play a significant role in the development of Nigeria. He had felt at some point that it would be as a politician or someone occupying a public office. His call to full time ministry subsequently, however, put paid to that. Odukoya trained as a Petroleum Engineer and contributed his quota to the oil sector through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, where he worked for 12 years before retiring to concentrate on the ministry that God had committed to him. He even served as Secretary to the Acreage Committee under the then Honourable Minister of Petroleum, Professor Jubril Aminu, and left with his hands untainted or unsoiled. Even after becoming the senior pastor of a vibrant church in Lagos, his heart continued to beat for Nigeria and its development. He was not only a pastor, but he was also a relationship and leadership expert. For him, Nigeria was a project he had a personal stake in, so he committed all he could to its development and was intentional about raising leaders. It is therefore no wonder that some of his initiatives were geared towards enhancing private and public leadership. Whether it was Discovery for Men, Discovery for Women, The Woman Leader or Leadership Training with Pastor Taiwo, the goal was the same: to raise an army of leaders who would inspire change and make a difference in their spheres of life. Odukoyas articles at various times in national newspapers and programmes on radio and television focused majorly on the leadership question. He was not only highlighting and analysing leadership problems, but also proffering solutions and challenging leaders to live up to their responsibilities. A book titled Reclaiming the Nigeria Dream came out of the many articles on leadership he had published in a leading national newspaper. He also paid for a bi-monthly front-page advertorial in the same national newspaper for over two years, in spite of the frightening cost, in order to get his message across to those in public leadership. Such was his zeal to see things turn around for this country through effective leadership. In the years preceding his death, he often ended his articles on leadership with the catchphrase Nigeria has a great future! Although it was difficult for many to believe, Odukoya held on to that belief till his death. It is therefore not surprising that on his first posthumous birthday on 15 June, his children decided to continue his legacy with a public lecture. With the theme Strengthening the Christian Voice in Government and Public Office, the lecture, which is designed to be an annual event, held at the prestigious Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. On hand to deliver the lecture was the immediate past Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr Ben Akabueze, with a keynote address from former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. They both echoed Odukoyas messages throughout his lifetime on governance and public leadership and challenged Christians in public leadership to walk the talk. They also called on Nigerian pastors to stand and preach against bribery, corruption, stealing, and other vices. If well practised, Christian values, they said, could bring transformative change to the country. Before giving his lecture, Akabueze told the story of his personal encounter with Odukoya. In his words, Pastor Taiwo was a man who walked his talk. I have a personal testimony which I will never tire of sharing. About twenty years ago, when I was Managing Director of NAL Bank PLC, a member of the banks staff was indicted in a fraud case. The investigators traced some of the stolen funds to cheques issued by the staff in favour of The Fountain of Life Church. I reported the matter to Pastor Taiwo, who promptly directed the churchs finance department to determine how much of such funds came to the church, and to issue a cheque to return the same to the bank. This exemplary display of integrity shut the mouths of those who were poised to vilify the body of Christ, and endeared Pastor Taiwo to me. Such was the nature of the man who preached integrity in all things and demanded probity from those in leadership positions. As he always believed and said to his congregation, God has made you the light; so, let your light shine wherever you find yourself. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Pastor Daniel Taiwo Odukoya lived his life believing and praying for positive change in Nigeria through good leadership. The only honour we can all do him, now that he is no longer with us, is to imbibe and live out the principles he stood for and the ideals he preached. That way, Nigeria will indeed manifest the great future he saw and prayed for all his life. Sylvester Ojenagbon wrote in from Lagos. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Aarti Steel Nigeria which has been into roofing sheet production for many years with considerable market foot prints may finally be saying good bye to Nigeria, according to sources. The Ota, Ogun State-based Steel plant has allegedly not been operating smoothly for almost a year with intermittent production which made it impossible for the company to meet the funding requirements for the continuation of its operations. A source hinted that the impact of severe indebtedness due to forex exchange losses, adverse economic policies and other factors which depressed the local pricing mechanisms forced the company to sell at a price lesser than its cost of production. These factors were said to have been primarily responsible for the shut-down of the plant. The source further disclosed that two other major steel companies based in Nigeria and a couple of Indian steel companies have shown interest to buy the closed plant and continue the companys operation in order to save thousands of direct and indirect jobs associated with its value chain. The Chairman of Galvanized Iron Steel Manufacturers Association (GISMA), a sub-sector of Basic Metal, Iron & Steel and Fabricated Metals Products under MAN expressed disappointment over the proposed sale of Aarti Steel engendered by the economic downturn the company has found itself. He, however remains optimistic that Nigeria has committed indigenous companies like KAM HOLDING with the right expertise, financial strength and tenacity to revamp and turn around such distressed steel plants without much fuss. On the onset of such business collapses, MAN and NACCIMA have reiterated their stand to the federal government at different fora for prompt action to arrest the menace. Addressing economic, forex, power, ease of doing business-related challenges requires coordinated efforts from all government agencies at topmost level. Aarti Steel Nigeria has been in business in the country for over a decade and had established itself as a reliable business partner for numerous customers in Nigeria and beyond. Before the prevailing economic downturn, the company had built an enviable reputation for providing high-quality products at competitive prices, backed by prompt and efficient service. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print After two weeks of fruitless search, both by family members and security agencies, Gideon Akindoyo, a 300-level student of Computer Engineering at Al-Hilmah University in Kwara State, is still missing. The student was reported missing on 11 June at Ode Irele in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State when he returned home to meet his father on a farm in the community. He is believed to have been kidnapped between Igbobini and Ode Irele communities. According to reports, it was Mr Akindoyos intention to go to the farm with his motorcycle to harvest cassava. The motorcycle had been recovered at the place where he was kidnapped. Hundreds of Ondo State students from tertiary institutions took to the streets of Ode Irele on Monday to protest the kidnap of their colleague. The students, under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), called on the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the security agencies in the state to intervene and find the missing student. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Singing different solidarity songs, the students carried placards with various inscriptions such as Bring back Gideon dead or alive, Mr Governor, we need UR Help, Akindoyo Gideon missing since 11th June 2024, Where is he?, and Gideon where are you, among others. Speaking during the protest, the Senate President of NANS, Henry Olukunomo, expressed the belief that the missing student was kidnapped and called on his abductors to release him dead or alive. Mr Olukunomo confirmed that the missing student was a 300-level student of Computer Engineering in Al-Hilmah University in Kwara State. He said the students union had enough documents to confirm Gideons studentship. We are calling on those who kidnapped Comrade Gideon to release him to us dead or alive, he said. If he is dead, they should release his body to us to give him a befitting burial. But if he is alive, they should release him to relieve his parents of unnecessary trauma. We have gathered here to solidarise with the people of Irele and Igbobini, and we are using this opportunity to call on the governor to end the lingering crisis between these two communities, he said. The mother of the missing student, Janet Akindoyo, said her son arrived Irele on Sunday, 10 June, went to the farm to harvest cassava the following day but he had not returned up to the time of filing this report. He has not returned. The search party saw his motorcycle where he parked it but we havent seen him, she lamented. I am appealing to the security agencies and the people to help find him. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed that the student was still missing. She, however, noted that efforts were still ongoing to find him. Our men are working in the forest in search of the person, and investigation into the matter has begun, the PPRO stated. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday congratulated the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on his birthday. Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said this in a statement in Abuja. The statement noted that Mr Sanwo-Ou had a successful career in the private sector before joining the public service, scaling the leadership ladder. Mr Sanwo-Olu was elected governor of Lagos State in 2019 and re-elected in 2023 for a second term in office. The president prays for many more years in good health for the governor and wishes him more wisdom and energy in his service to Lagos State and the nation, said the statement. Tinubu congratulates Gbajabiamila President Tinubu has also extended warm congratulations to his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on his birthday. Mr Tinubu, in a statement by Mr Ngelale described Mr Gbajabiamila as a statesman and prolific public administrator. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said Mr Gbajabiamila was also an accomplished lawyer who previously served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. Owing to the quality of leadership and representation he provided for Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Gbajabiamila maintained a perfect streak of re-elections across decades from 2003 until 2023 when he was appointed as the chief of staff to the President. President Tinubu joins family, friends, and staff of the presidency to celebrate an exceptional leader on this special occasion. The president commends Honourable Gbajabiamila for his diligence, high sense of responsibility, patriotic zeal, and commitment to the common good, the statement read. President Tinubu wished Mr Gbajabiamila many more years in good health and renewed strength in his service to the nation. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Copyright 2024 - Todos los derechos reservados AUSTIN, Texas, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Add Value Machine (www.addvaluemachine.com), a pioneering force in enterprise generative AI security, is delighted to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Malcolm to its Board of Directors. With a wealth of experience spanning global business development, strategic consulting, and executive leadership, Malcolm is poised to help Add Value Machine scale globally and drive significant new customer acquisition and growth. "We are honored to welcome Jeffrey Malcolm to our Board of Directors," said Ravi Singh, President and Co-Founder of Add Value Machine. "His strategic vision, coupled with his extensive experience in value acceleration, technology, and his deep understanding of enterprise solutions, will be invaluable as we embark on our journey to become the Generative AI observability platform. We are confident that his guidance will help us unlock new opportunities, enhance our offerings, and create lasting value for our customers." Jeffrey Malcolm's impressive career has been marked by his ability to propel companies to new heights in the technology sector. His current role as a Value Accelerator Operating Advisor at Goldman Sachs positions him perfectly to contribute to Add Value Machine's ambitious growth targets within regulated industries. Jeffrey's deep-rooted expertise in consulting, honed during his time at Accenture, coupled with his experience as CEO of his own venture, showcases his versatility and strategic acumen across diverse business landscapes. With a proven track record of scaling startups and guiding companies of all sizes towards sustainable growth, Jeffrey's insights and guidance will be instrumental in creating enablements across the Gen AI lifecycle, empowering Add Value Machine to deliver unparalleled value to its customers. As a board member, Jeffrey will collaborate closely with Add Value Machine's leadership team to craft and execute strategies that will propel the company's growth, expand its global footprint, and cement its position as a leader in the industry. "I am thrilled to join the Add Value Machine Board of Directors and contribute to the company's transformative journey," said Jeffrey Malcolm. "Add Value Machine's potential is immense, and I am eager to work alongside the talented team to help the company scale new heights, drive customer acquisition, and develop groundbreaking solutions that harness the power of secure Gen AI." For more information about Add Value Machine and its innovative offerings, please visit www.addvaluemachine.com . About Add Value Machine: AVM is a leading Generative AI security company that provides 360-degree observability, enabling enterprises to monitor all of the Generative AI usage no matter where it happens. The accelerated use of generative AI at large corporations has also accelerated customer data leakage and presents new challenges for companies looking to maintain security compliance. At AVM, we believe that the accelerated adoption of Generative AI needs the strict adoption of advanced security protocols. Contact: Julie Kehoe [email protected] SOURCE Add Value Machine BARCELONA, Spain, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetion, the global leader in real-world evidence (RWE) technology and analytics, announced today the creation of an RWE technology hub in Barcelona, Spain, to convene the most capable group of dedicated RWE technologists in the industry. Aetion also announced the appointment of Ken Watson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Ken draws upon his decades of experience at companies such as Microsoft, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and WeWork as well as several startups he co-founded and is responsible for leading Aetion's overall engineering and product strategy. Aetion established a presence in Barcelona in 2021 and has steadily grown its team there since. As part of the launch of its technology hub, Aetion will more than double the size of its engineering team in Spain, drawing top technical talent locally and from around Europe. The Barcelona team will work across Aetion's product suite, enhancing existing offerings and continuing to innovate at the forefront of RWE technology. The recent release of Aetion Discover the first Aetion product to be built in Barcelona was a turning point in establishing the city as Aetion's new technology hub. Aetion Discover is a visual-first application designed for exploratory analyses on wide-ranging research questions from disease burden to unmet need, real-world value, and more, and it is already transforming the way clients generate insights quickly and at scale. Ken joined Aetion in August 2023 as SVP of Engineering and, early on, led the successful launch of Discover and product enhancements such as an R development environment integrated with Aetion applications, workflow updates to Aetion Substantiate, and new data management capabilities in the Aetion Evidence Platform. "As a technology leader of companies at all stages and sizes, and as a multi-time founder himself, Ken is the ideal person to lead Aetion's overall technology and product organization and our Barcelona technology hub," said Jeremy Rassen, Aetion President and Co-Founder. "His expertise in building global teams, combined with the mission-driven engineering talent in Barcelona, will be put toward solving complex problems and further accelerating our ambitious software roadmap." Ken shared, "I am honored to be stepping into the CTO role at this inflection point for Aetion. Building high-quality software in a rapidly evolving field takes entrepreneurial spirit and technical know-how, and I'm thrilled to bring my skills to help answer today's most pressing questions in healthcare. With our expanded and co-located Barcelona team working closely with our world-class epidemiologists and data scientists, I am confident in our ability to deliver the next wave of software innovation that's so critically needed in this era of novel treatment proliferation." Aetion is the only company to offer a full range of software products to turn real-world data into real-world evidence. All Aetion applications are built upon its flagship Aetion Evidence Platform, providing interoperability across applications while consistently drawing upon virtually any source data and hosting environment. Contact [email protected] for more information on Aetion software and services, or [email protected] to inquire about roles in Aetion's Barcelona Technology Hub. About Aetion Aetion is a healthcare analytics company that delivers real-world evidence for the manufacturers, purchasers, and regulators of medical treatments and technologies. Aetion's suite of real-world data analytics applications analyzes data from the real world to produce transparent, rapid, and scientifically validated answers on safety, effectiveness, and value. Founded by Harvard Medical School faculty members with decades of experience in epidemiology and health outcomes research, Aetion informs healthcare's most critical decisionswhat works best, for whom, and whento guide product development, commercialization, and payment innovation. Learn more at aetion.com. SOURCE Aetion WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) commends U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy for releasing a new advisory today: Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America . Tragically, suicides by firearm comprise more than half (55% in 2022) of all suicide deaths in the United States. AFSP encourages several community-based approaches to prevent firearm suicide, several of which are reflected by the Surgeon General's advisory, as well as the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention . These approaches must include collaborative suicide prevention education efforts within gun-owning communities. Research shows that the risk of suicide is greater when firearms or other lethal means are present in the home or readily accessible. Ensuring that a person at acute risk for suicide does not have easy access to a firearm saves lives; research has consistently shown that when a chosen method of suicide is not accessible, most individuals will not move on to another method of suicide and if they do, it is less likely to be lethal. In addition, suicidal urges can intensify quickly so easy access to lethal means can be fatal; putting time and space between a person in crisis and lethal means allows time for the acute urge to pass and for the person to engage with healthy coping strategies. AFSP strongly encourages further support at the state and federal levels of government for legislation, policies, funding and executive action to prioritize firearms-related research, provide education on the relationship between suicide and firearms, implement voluntary firearm removal initiatives, expand lethal means education and counseling practices within healthcare systems, and increase access to mental health, substance use, and trauma-informed care. These include: Continued investment in mental health and crisis care services. AFSP urges lawmakers at the state and federal levels to prioritize sustained investment in mental health services and crisis care support. This includes the need for full implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which will save lives, including through the expansion of school-based mental health services and professionals. AFSP urges lawmakers at the state and federal levels to prioritize sustained investment in mental health services and crisis care support. This includes the need for full implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which will save lives, including through the expansion of school-based mental health services and professionals. Training for healthcare professionals on lethal means safety counseling, screening for suicide risk, and making referrals to mental health resources and care. Individuals with heightened risk for suicide are often seen in clinical settings, particularly emergency departments. Incentivizing health systems to implement suicide prevention protocols, including training health professionals to identify, support, and provide referrals for patients who may be at elevated risk will help save lives. When a patient's suicide risk is detected if the patient has access to a firearm in the home, healthcare professionals should work with the patient and their family when possible on voluntary strategies to store household firearms away from the home, or otherwise ensure secure firearm storage, until the patient recovers. Individuals with heightened risk for suicide are often seen in clinical settings, particularly emergency departments. Incentivizing health systems to implement suicide prevention protocols, including training health professionals to identify, support, and provide referrals for patients who may be at elevated risk will help save lives. When a patient's suicide risk is detected if the patient has access to a firearm in the home, healthcare professionals should work with the patient and their family when possible on voluntary strategies to store household firearms away from the home, or otherwise ensure secure firearm storage, until the patient recovers. Public investments to support research regarding firearms and suicide prevention. More data are needed on which firearm policies are most effective in preventing suicide, which educational efforts are most effective in promoting secure firearm storage, and how best to bring promising practices to scale so we can implement more widespread change nationwide. This includes AFSP's strong support for continued federal investment in gun violence prevention research. More data are needed on which firearm policies are most effective in preventing suicide, which educational efforts are most effective in promoting secure firearm storage, and how best to bring promising practices to scale so we can implement more widespread change nationwide. This includes AFSP's strong support for continued federal investment in gun violence prevention research. Community storage options and temporary transfer exceptions. When an individual is at risk for suicide, being able to store firearms outside the home can save lives. This includes storage options at gun shops, shooting ranges, police departments, community lockers, and other special storage facilities. To support the ability for an individual in crisis to store their firearm outside the home, AFSP supports temporary transfer exceptions in background check laws in cases of suicide risk. When an individual is at risk for suicide, being able to store firearms outside the home can save lives. This includes storage options at gun shops, shooting ranges, police departments, community lockers, and other special storage facilities. To support the ability for an individual in crisis to store their firearm outside the home, AFSP supports temporary transfer exceptions in background check laws in cases of suicide risk. Voluntary do-not-sell list programs. These are lists where individuals can register themselves to voluntarily restrict their own ability to purchase and/or own a firearm. Only the person in question can enter themselves onto such a voluntary do-not-sell list, and the list is used for no other purpose than for firearm purchases or firearm ownership. AFSP supports the establishment of voluntary do-not-sell lists at both the state and federal levels and commends the multiple states that have successfully established voluntary do-not-sell lists. These are lists where individuals can register themselves to voluntarily restrict their own ability to purchase and/or own a firearm. Only the person in question can enter themselves onto such a voluntary do-not-sell list, and the list is used for no other purpose than for firearm purchases or firearm ownership. AFSP supports the establishment of voluntary do-not-sell lists at both the state and federal levels and commends the multiple states that have successfully established voluntary do-not-sell lists. Laws that call for the creation and dissemination of educational materials and/or training on the relationship between access to lethal means and suicide prevention, and secure firearms storage. These include efforts to publish and distribute brochures on firearms safety and suicide prevention, distribute secure firearm storage devices, educate firearms instructors and clinicians in lethal means safety, and to put suicide prevention information on firearm warning labels and on the premises of licensed firearm dealers. These include efforts to publish and distribute brochures on firearms safety and suicide prevention, distribute secure firearm storage devices, educate firearms instructors and clinicians in lethal means safety, and to put suicide prevention information on firearm warning labels and on the premises of licensed firearm dealers. Extreme risk protection orders. AFSP urges policymakers at all levels of government to support policy initiatives to allow for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) to be used as a tool to help prevent suicide when voluntary efforts to separate an at-risk individual from firearms are unsuccessful or impossible and suicide risk is imminent. AFSP appreciates the Surgeon General's leadership, and we look forward to working alongside our chapters, partners, and policymakers to promote the advisory and save lives. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss . AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , LinkedIn and TikTok . Media interested in comment on this news are encouraged to fill out this press request form and review AFSP's Ethical Reporting Tips . SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ARCO Design/Build (ARCO), a leading national design-build firm, in partnership with NTS Development, a full-service real estate developer, proudly announces the groundbreaking of the "815 Building." This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a new office for Heaven Hill Brands, the largest independent, family-owned and led distilled spirits supplier in the United States. Once complete, the "815 Building" will serve as a new office for Heaven Hill Brands, the largest independent, family-owned and led distilled spirits supplier in the United States. Photo Credit: Steven Estes The project exemplifies the successful collaboration between ARCO, NTS, and Heaven Hill Brands, culminating in the design and construction of the "815 Building". Situated within NTS's exclusive ShelbyHurst Office Campus, the 48,190-square-foot building will be exclusively occupied by Heaven Hill. Designed to enhance collaboration, productivity, and employee well-being, the building will feature modern AA+ finishes, a unique sampling bar with connecting doors to a nearby amphitheater, and a grand staircase that fosters openness and connectivity. By utilizing tilt-wall construction, ARCO is able to deliver the project quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. ARCO's tilt-wall construction solution allows for a faster construction timeline and provides a viable alternative to more conventional steel framed construction methods; showcasing ARCO's ability to offer tailored solutions for unique project needs. "At ARCO, trust and transparency are paramount," said Cody Sunderhaus, Division Manager for ARCO Design/Build Louisville. "NTS has a long history of being a respected developer in all types of real estate. During our expansion into the Louisville market, we saw an opportunity to collaborate on this build to suit parcel in the highly desirable ShelbyHurst development. Our proposal to use tilt-wall construction was key in advancing the project for NTS. This project is a milestone for our Louisville office, and we are grateful to NTS for their trust and collaboration." NTS's selection of ARCO as the design-build partner emphasizes the strong collaborative spirit between the firms. ARCO's dedication to value-driven planning and trust building, from initial project design through to execution, ensures exceptional outcomes and steady progress. This aligns perfectly with NTS's vision for the project, giving them confidence in a smooth and successful development process. "ARCO's team has been exceptionally responsive and instrumental in advancing our project. Their expertise in design, competitive pricing, efficient procurement, permitting, and construction has surpassed our expectations. We are enthusiastic about seeing this project through to completion and look forward to fostering a long-term partnership with ARCO," said Matt Ricketts, Managing Director of NTS. "Expanding our operations in Louisville allows us to showcase our design-build expertise in new markets," stated Ben Titus, CEO of ARCO Design/Build Louisville, Indianapolis and Columbus. "The 815 Building is more than just a new office; it represents our dedication to creating inspiring workplaces that foster collaboration and support business growth. Our partnership with NTS Development and Heaven Hill reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and making a positive impact on the communities we serve." About ARCO Design/Build ARCO Design/Build (ARCO) is widely recognized as a construction industry leader for various industrial project types, including cold storage warehouses, light industrial distribution, and manufacturing. As a national design-build firm, ARCO offers turn-key design-build services that provide a direct relationship with a single point of contact, resulting in cost savings and clear lines of communication. ARCO's capabilities span from project feasibility studies, site selection, and complete design to value engineering, code consulting, and full general contracting. Additionally, ARCO is 100% associate owned as an ESOP. With integrated partners for architectural services and structural engineering, ARCO provides clients with a streamlined and efficient process, ensuring exceptional results. SOURCE ARCO Design/Build NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global artificial fur market size is estimated to grow by USD 184.2 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 18.92% during the forecast period. Growing prominence for online shopping is driving market growth, with a trend towards product developments by market vendors. However, availability of animal fur as artificial fur poses a challenge. Key market players include Ambassador Textiles Ltd., Aono Pile Co. Ltd., Bartfeld, DealTask Pty Ltd., ECOPEL, EZ Fabric, JiangSu Unitex Co. Ltd., Kolunsag Muflon Sanayi Ltd., Nanjing Eastsun Textiles Co. Ltd., Pahwa Fur Fabrics Pvt. Ltd., Peltex Fibres Sarl, Ramtex Inc., Shannon Fabrics Inc., Sommers Plastic Products Co., Texfactor Textiles, Trims Lannd, USA Knit Products, Wayfair Inc., Youngman Woollen Mills Pvt. Ltd., and Zhejiang Fur Co. Ltd.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global artificial fur market 2024-2028 Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Application (Apparel, Upholstery and home textiles, and Other accessories), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline), and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled Ambassador Textiles Ltd., Aono Pile Co. Ltd., Bartfeld, DealTask Pty Ltd., ECOPEL, EZ Fabric, JiangSu Unitex Co. Ltd., Kolunsag Muflon Sanayi Ltd., Nanjing Eastsun Textiles Co. Ltd., Pahwa Fur Fabrics Pvt. Ltd., Peltex Fibres Sarl, Ramtex Inc., Shannon Fabrics Inc., Sommers Plastic Products Co., Texfactor Textiles, Trims Lannd, USA Knit Products, Wayfair Inc., Youngman Woollen Mills Pvt. Ltd., and Zhejiang Fur Co. Ltd. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The global shift towards reducing animal fur use in apparel manufacturing is driving market growth for artificial fur. Ecopel's introduction of Flur, a plant-based, biodegradable alternative, showcases this trend. DuPont's Sorona fibers and recycled polyester blend are key components. Nanjing Eastsun Textiles' long pile faux Raccoon fur, made of acrylic and polyester, also contributes to this trend, with applications in puffer collars, scarves, and hats. These developments underscore the commitment of fashion retailers and brands to animal care and sustainability, increasing demand for artificial fur. The artificial fur market is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing demand for animal-friendly alternatives in fashion and home decor. Producers are focusing on improving the quality and appearance of synthetic fur to mimic real fur closely. New technologies like Russsian ukrainge fabrics and geographic advances in marketing are expanding the reach of artificial fur. The use of volumetric textiles and advanced production processes enable the creation of more realistic textures and colors. Additionally, the rise of e-commerce and the convenience it offers has made purchasing artificial fur easier than ever. The future looks bright for this industry, with revenue expected to grow steadily. Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend. For more details- Download a Sample Report Market Challenges The global artificial fur market is experiencing growth due to the rising preference for cruelty-free alternatives to real fur. However, concerns over mislabeled products containing real animal fur have emerged. In 2017, Sky News exposed the sale of rabbit, raccoon dog, mink, and cat fur as artificial fur on the British high street by retailers such as Boohoo, Missguided, House of Fraser, and Boots. In 2022, Amazon, TK Maxx, and Groupon faced similar accusations. These incidents can damage consumer trust and hinder market expansion. The Artificial Fur market faces several challenges in its growth. Consumption patterns and preferences for real fur are decreasing due to ethical concerns and animal welfare issues. This shift in consumer behavior poses a significant challenge for manufacturers and retailers of artificial fur. Additionally, the production process of artificial fur involves the use of volatile chemicals, which can be harmful to the environment and human health. Regulatory compliance and sustainability are key concerns for businesses operating in this sector. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of synthetic alternatives, such as faux leather and other plant-based materials, adds to the competition in the market. Despite these challenges, the demand for affordable and ethical alternatives to real fur continues to drive growth in the artificial fur market. For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This artificial fur market report extensively covers market segmentation by Application 1.1 Apparel 1.2 Upholstery and home textiles 1.3 Other accessories Distribution Channel 2.1 Online 2.2 Offline Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 Europe 3.3 North America 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Apparel- Artificial fur market experiences consistent growth due to increasing consumer demand for ethical and sustainable alternatives to real fur. Businesses manufacture and sell this synthetic material in various forms, including coats, hats, and rugs. Major players in the industry include companies like China Rasno Group and Shenzhen Orient Fur. These businesses invest in research and development to improve the quality and appearance of artificial fur, making it a viable option for both fashion and home decor. For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report Research Analysis The Artificial Fur Market is witnessing significant product developments, with an increasing focus on sustainability. Recycled plastic is being utilized to create eco-friendly alternatives to real fur. Private label brands are capitalizing on this trend, offering consumers ethical and sustainable options. Bartfeld, ECOPEL, EZ Fabric, Texfactor Textiles, and Trims Land are among the initiatives spearheading this shift. The market scenario is favorable for growth, with governments offering incentives to encourage the use of artificial fur. Handmade and machine-made fur are both popular choices, catering to different consumer preferences. The banning of animal fur farming poses risks for traditional fur industries, making development areas crucial for better decisions at both the national and local levels. Emerging markets are also presenting opportunities for growth strategies in the artificial fur industry. Market Research Overview The Artificial Fur Market encompasses the production and distribution of synthetic fibers designed to mimic the appearance and texture of natural fur. These fibers are commonly used in various industries, including fashion, home decor, and automotive, to create products that resemble real fur without the ethical concerns or environmental impact. The production process involves the use of materials such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon, which are extruded into fibers and then processed to create the desired texture and appearance. The market for artificial fur is driven by increasing consumer demand for ethical and sustainable alternatives to real fur, as well as advancements in technology that allow for more realistic and high-quality synthetic fibers. Additionally, the growing trend towards veganism and animal welfare is further fueling the growth of this market. The textile industry is a significant contributor to the global economy, and the artificial fur segment is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Apparel Upholstery And Home Textiles Other Accessories Distribution Channel Online Offline Geography APAC Europe North America South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Pet Retail Franchise Brands Continue to Lead the Pack with Consistent Growth and Proven Business Model LIVONIA, Mich., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the economic output of franchising is expected to reach $893.9 billion this year, two pet retail franchise brands maintain their position as leaders with consistent, yet rapid growth. Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash report double-digit mid-year growth with 23 sold franchise agreements and 16 store openings. While each franchise has a unique offering, both legacy brand Pet Supplies Plus and emerging concept Wag N' Wash have the billion-dollar backing of 30+ years of franchise and industry experience. As the largest pet retail franchise in North America, Pet Supplies Plus continues to be the number one player within its sector by providing best in class support, technology, and buying power, with the lowest fees in the industry. Wag N' Wash, the emerging self-wash, grooming and natural pet food franchise, has grown its store count by 100% since being acquired in early 2022 and opened its first location in South Carolina in May. Collectively, the brands are projected to sell a total of 70 franchise units and open at least 45 stores by year-end. Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash Report Double-Digit Mid-Year Growth as Industry Continues to Surge Post this More than 65% of U.S. households have a pet, and with consumer spending in the pet industry increasing year over year, there is vast potential within both the Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash franchise opportunities. "Heading into 2024, we were focused on growing Pet Supplies Plus's footprint and bringing Wag N' Wash to new markets, and we've achieved some of these goals and are making strong progress on others," said Nick Russo, Chief Development and Stores Officer of PSP Group. "We are continuing to receive high interest in both franchise opportunities, especially from existing franchisees who are looking to diversify their portfolios with a concept that is primed for success in a thriving industry. With the stability of both brands and strength of each system, the future couldn't look any brighter." The success of Pet Supplies Plus has not gone unnoticed. The brand was recently named the top pet franchise in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, the world's first and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Landing No. 21 on the overall list, this is the tenth consecutive year Pet Supplies Plus earned the top spot in its category. The franchise brand also earned a ranking on Forbes' inaugural list of 'Best Customer Service' which is a core pillar for the brand. Both of these prestigious awards further position Pet Supplies Plus as an industry leader, for both franchising and pet retail. In addition to prioritizing innovation to meet the changing needs and wants of its consumers with private brand offerings and new launches, Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash are rooted in a booming industry and supported with advanced marketing strategies, supply chain efficiencies and omni-channel shopping options. Additionally, FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, reports that Pet Supplies Plus's 2023 FUND Score is 905 out of 950 this means Pet Supplies Plus franchisees have access to the best credit terms including fixed rate financing, low equity payments and easier processes. Both Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash are actively seeking single and multi-unit owners to join their growing families. To learn more about the Pet Supplies Plus franchise opportunity, visit petsuppliesplusfranchising.com. To learn more about the Wag N' Wash franchise opportunity, visit wagnwashfranchising.com. About Pet Supplies Plus Pet Supplies Plus, a subsidiary of Franchise Group, Inc., is focused on making it easier to get better products and services for your pet. With 730 locations in 43 states and counting, the stores have a streamlined design making it easy to navigate a wide assortment of natural pet foods, goods, and services. Additionally, petsuppliesplus.com provides neighbors with additional shopping options to better meet their pet-shopping needs. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, Pet Supplies Plus ranked No. 21 in Entrepreneur's Annual Franchise 500 list and No. 44 on Forbes' list of 'Best Customer Service' brands in 2023. For more information on Pet Supplies Plus franchise opportunities, visit petsuppliesplusfranchising.com. About Wag N' Wash Wag N' Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming, a full-line dog grooming and self-wash specialty retail destination, has a mission to recognize, promote and foster the positive impact that companion pets and their humans have on each other. Wag N' Wash provides full-service grooming, self-wash facilities, baked dog treats, natural food, supplements, and toys. Wag N' Wash has ranked on Denver Business Journal's Colorado-Based Franchisors List, Franchise Times' Top 200+ List and Franchise Gator's Top 100 Franchisees List. Today, there are 24 Wag N' Wash locations open across the nation. To learn more about Wag N' Wash, please visit wagnwashfranchising.com. Media Contact: Marisa Beaumont, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847.945.1300 SOURCE Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N' Wash TAIPEI, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AsiaRF, a pioneering brand in wireless communication solutions, proudly announces the groundbreaking development of Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh technology. This advancement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of wireless network solutions, demonstrating AsiaRF's commitment to advancing connectivity technologies. AsiaRF's cutting-edge Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh technology marks a milestone in enhancing AIoT and Wi-Fi HaLow network solutions. Revolutionizing AIoT with Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh Paul Lai, CEO of AsiaRF, states, "The launch of our revolutionary Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh technology sets a new standard for AIoT connectivity. Our firm commitment to enhancing wireless infrastructure paves the way for innovative global partnerships." Strategic Collaboration and Standards Development As proactive participants in the Wi-Fi Alliance and Wireless Broadband Alliance, AsiaRF is instrumental in shaping the new standards for Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh architecture. Future publications, including a white paper featuring case studies on the practical applications of HaLow Mesh technology in U.S. collaborations, will further promote this innovative architecture. Key Features of Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh Technology: Extended Coverage and Stability: Utilizes advanced frequency and modulation techniques to maintain reliable connections in challenging environments. Utilizes advanced frequency and modulation techniques to maintain reliable connections in challenging environments. Robust Mesh Network: Features automatic routing and backup paths, ensuring network resilience and seamless connectivity. Features automatic routing and backup paths, ensuring network resilience and seamless connectivity. Scalability for Major IoT Projects: Supports a broad spectrum of AIoT applications, fulfilling the demands of smart city infrastructure. Compliance and Certification AsiaRF's Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh Gateway has received Wi-Fi HaLow certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance, affirming its industry compliance and reliability. Powering these devices, Morse Micro's Wi-Fi HaLow chips are at the core of AsiaRF's Wi-Fi HaLow module MM610X-001, known for their ultra-low power consumption and long-range capabilities, ideal for IoT applications. The Wi-Fi HaLow module MM610X-001 complies with international regulations, including the FCC, IC, CE, and Japan's TELEC, ensuring it meets stringent global safety standards. AsiaRF's full range of Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh gateways, which includes the Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh indoor gateway (ARFHL-AP), Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh portable gateway (ARFHL-UM), and Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh outdoor model (ARFHL-OD), also adheres to these standards, ensuring robust and secure wireless networking for diverse AIoT environments. Explore Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh Technology Discover more about our innovative Wi-Fi HaLow Mesh technology and explore our product range by downloading our comprehensive white paper: https://asiarf.com/subscribe-and-download-white-paper/ Stay Updated with AsiaRF Follow our developments and innovations on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. About AsiaRF As a leader in wireless networking and AIoT innovations, AsiaRF is committed to transforming the industrial IoT landscape and fostering connectivity worldwide. With nearly three decades of expertise, AsiaRF is a key player in ODM services, offering bespoke wireless solutions across diverse industries. Find out about AsiaRF's capabilities: https://asiarf.com AsiaRF #WiFiHaLow #WiFiHaLowMesh #IoTConnectivity #MeshTechnology SOURCE AsiaRF Co., Ltd PHOENIX, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- B2Gnow , the leader in business diversity, procurement, and grant management software solutions, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Over the last quarter-century, B2Gnow has grown from a small diversity management and procurement solution provider into a multifaceted, dynamic company with 120 team members and over 400 public and private sector customers nationwide. B2Gnow, the leader in business diversity, procurement, and grant management software solutions, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Today, the company has 120 employees and over 400 public and private sector customers nationwide. B2Gnow was founded in 1999 with a mission to facilitate the procurement processes of large organizations in a seamless digital environment. The company integrated feedback from buyers and vendors to refine its focus, and by 2022, had enhanced its existing technology to include a dedicated Business Diversity Management System. The system was designed to automate compliance and certification processes, saving both time and money and eliminating the need for paperwork. In 2020, B2Gnow partnered with Polaris Growth Fund for strategic growth investment, catapulting the company to further expand the reach and impact of its industry-leading solutions to organizations across the country and drive substantial benefits to small and disadvantaged firms. Further, following the acquisition of Panther International in 2021, B2Gnow added a comprehensive suite of grant management software providing customers with a cloud-based system that simplifies and streamlines the entire grant management process. Frank Begalke, B2Gnow's COO, who joined the leadership team in 2006, has played a crucial role in advancing the company's growth and success. He explains, "Like any enduring business, we've navigated numerous challenges, progressing from crawling to walking and eventually running, despite a few stumbles along the way that we learned from. Each strengthened our resolve and sharpened our focus on innovation and product excellence. In addition to mastering security and data protection, we've honed our skills in innovation, scalability, and adapting to evolving technologies. Our journey hasn't been easy, but it's shaped us into the steadfast, customer-centric organization we are today." Over the last year, the company has continued to evolve while remaining laser-focused on its unyielding commitment to customer success. Such developments involve hiring key team members, including the newly appointed President Bryan Proctor, supporting hundreds of customers subject to the new US Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) rule, and launching major new products like B2G FairSource . B2G FairSource streamlines the sourcing of small and diverse firms for primes and general contractors by simplifying tracking, reporting, and Good Faith Effort (GFE) documentation, providing a straightforward and cost-effective solution to support small and diverse supplier programs and expanding their networks of qualified subcontractors. B2Gnow CEO and founder Justin Talbot-Stern reflects on the significance of reaching the company's 25th anniversary, "As we mark B2Gnow's 25th anniversary, it's a proud moment for all of us. In an industry where longevity is rare, we've focused relentlessly on serving our customers and supporting our team. It hasn't been about chasing growth for growth's sake but about earning our customers' trust, one interaction at a time. We've never aimed for overnight success but built it over 25 years of dedication and commitment. This milestone is a testament to our team's perseverance, our customers' loyalty, and our unwavering commitment to empowering small and disadvantaged firms." Today, the B2Gnow platform continues to drive business opportunities and empower organizations by effortlessly managing compliance in supplier diversity and grant management initiatives. With a database of over 500,000 certified small and disadvantaged businesses, B2Gnow supports federal, state, county, city, airport, prime contractor, and corporate supplier diversity and compliance programs, ensuring transparency and fairness in contracting. B2Gnow President Bryan Proctor adds, "Looking ahead, I am excited about B2Gnow's future. We're dedicated to delivering innovative solutions for equitable and efficient government contracting. Our commitment to excellence will strengthen B2Gnow's pivotal role in advancing equitable business practices and fostering community growth as we build more solutions to meet evolving needs." About B2Gnow: B2Gnow is a leader in providing business diversity and grant management solutions. With a focus on compliance and equity, B2Gnow's innovative software streamlines vendor certification, project data collection, compliance, and reporting processes, ensuring transparency and fairness in contracting practices. B2Gnow maintains North America's largest database of over 500,000 certified, disadvantaged business entities, helping the federal government, more than half of state governments, hundreds of counties, cities, airports, prime contractors, and Fortune 500 companies manage their supplier diversity and compliance programs through technology solutions for 25 years. For more information, visit https://b2gnow.com. Contact: Erin Westerman B2Gnow 725 W McDowell Rd. Phoenix, Arizona 85007 [email protected] SOURCE B2Gnow QUITMAN, Miss., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UB Community Development, LLC (UBCD), a community development partner of United Bank, was pleased to provide a combined $10 million in Federal and Mississippi New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) funding to aid in construction of a utility pole mill in Quitman, Mississippi. Bar Pole and Piling, LLC purchased the site of the former Bazor Lumber Co. sawmill in Spring of 2023. The site spans approximately 40 acres and includes a rail spur and switch. Once construction is complete, the new BP&P facility will include office space, a scale house and maintenance building, as well as new technology and equipment that detects defects in logs prior to being processed into poles. The poles will then be sold to pressure treatment plants. Upon reaching full capacity, the mill is expected to create twenty full-time jobs. "UBCD is excited to provide impactful financing to Bar Pole & Piling which allows them to transform the former Bazor Lumber mill into a job-creating business," stated Alex Jones, President of UB Community Development. "They took an abandoned site and have brought it back to life creating 20 jobs. Furthermore, this site will support 22 logging and trucking jobs across the region. This is another project that falls squarely into UBCD's mission!" Bar Pole and Piling will partner with local loggers who harvest and deliver the bark poles to the facility. This project will help expand their presence into the southeast portion of the country, tap into new markets, expand its customer base, and increase output to meet the demand of the southeastern region. About UB Community Development Headquartered in Atmore, AL, UB Community Development's strong history and experience in New Markets Tax Credit transactions, coupled with our passion for improving the communities around us, make UBCD Alabama's premier financial partner for economic and community development. Through our NMTC projects, Community Facilities Lending Program and Community Housing Capital Fund, UBCD is working with community development partners in the fields of healthcare, education, manufacturing, public works, affordable housing and more to positively affect growth in regional communities. For more information about UB Community Development, visit our website at www.UBCommunityDevelopment.com. SOURCE United Bancorporation QUIMPER, France, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Benjamin Verlingue, previously Deputy CEO, takes over from Jacques Verlingue, who will become Chairman of the Group Strategy Committee. He will be supported by Gilles Beneplanc and Audrey Verlingue, both Deputy CEOs. Following a carefully planned transition, the helm of the Group has now been handed over to the fourth generation of the founding family. New governance and a new strategic plan for 2028 This latest step in an entrepreneurial saga marked by nine decades of growth comes at a time of rapid expansion, with the Group tripling its sales over the last ten years. "I am extremely proud to hand over the helm to Benjamin, accompanied by his sister Audrey, whose experience and vision are major assets for the future of the Group. In his previous roles, Benjamin proved his leadership. I am confident in his knowledge of the business and his determination to uphold our business model to ensure our continued development" says Jacques Verlingue, former Chairman of the Adelaide Group. "I am very proud and enthusiastic to be taking on this new role. Under Jacques Verlingue's leadership, Adelaide has become a major European brokerage player. I am going to devote my energy to continuing to grow the Group by contributing to a better future for all our stakeholders, while preserving the Group's independence over the long term," adds Benjamin Verlingue, the new Chairman and CEO of the Adelaide Group. The Better Future 28 plan is part of this drive and reveals a clear ambition: to double the Group's turnover by 2028 to 800m. Adelaide intends to establish itself as the leading family brokerage company on the European market. The Better Future 28 strategic plan is structured around four main areas: Organic and external growth Developing human capital Technological innovation A positive impact Leading companies in their core markets With a team of 2,500 employees, the Adelaide Group has set itself the target of recruiting more than 250 new talents in 2024. The plan also unveils a firm commitment to operational excellence for each subsidiary: Verlingue, which specialises in corporate insurance brokerage, is aiming for a new stage in its growth, with an aggregate turnover target of 450 million in 2028 and the employment of 400 new employees. and the employment of 400 new employees. Generation aims to reinforce its status as the benchmark Third-Party Administrator (TPA) in social protection, with a target of 3.5 million policyholders with health insurance cover and 1.5 million with personal protection cover by 2028. Cocoon, which specialises in individual insurance, aims to double in size by 2028 by offering tailored insurance solutions for families based on ethical and responsible practices. A commitment to financial and non-financial performance The Better Future 28 plan also focuses on non-financial performance, integrating ESG issues at all levels of the company. The Adelaide Group has set itself 9 clear performance indicators for 2028 that illustrate its commitment to pursuing sustainable and balanced growth : Turnover of 800m 6 million policyholders Volume of premiums brokered: 6bn 100% of employees trained in ESG issues 15% of employees certified at Adelaide University 2-fold increase in the number of mobility schemes 98% client retention rate 95% customer satisfaction 50/50: Gender balance among managers About the Adelaide Group The Adelaide Group specialises in insurance consultancy, intermediation, distribution and management. It is geared towards enabling its customers to run their businesses through effective risk management. For over 90 years, the Group has been tirelessly reinventing itself to become one of the main players in insurance brokerage in France, with three thriving companies: Verlingue, Generation and Cocoon. Organic and external growth, the development of human capital, technological innovation and positive impact are the four priorities the Group has set itself to achieve its goal of becoming Europe's leading family-owned insurance broker. 2,500 employees| 3,000bn in premiums brokered|2.4 million policyholders with health insurance cover and 1.1 million with life insurance cover| 5 locations in Europe: France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy| www.adelaidegroup.fr/en Press contact Agence EpokaLucie Fortin [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380073/4781860/Groupe_Adelaide_Logo.jpg SOURCE Groupe Adelaide 8th Annual $50,000 Grant to be Awarded to a US-Based Early Researcher for the Study of Gut Microbiota in Human Health and Disease BEDMINSTER, N.J., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation , an independent organization founded by Biocodex , is announcing the 2024 open call for applications for its annual USA research grant. The $50,000 grant, now in its 8th year, is juried by a panel of medical and scientific experts. It will be awarded to a US-based investigator studying gut microbiota in human health and disease. The application can be downloaded here in the Rules section under "How to Apply." The deadline for entry is October 1, 2024. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation US grant theme for 2024 is "Gut Microbiota in Human Health and Disease, focusing on groundbreaking research areas such as circadian rhythms, neurological conditions, metabolic disorders, and oncology." The grant will be awarded in early December and may be applied to a new or ongoing study. It can also be used to fund all or a portion of the research project. "Grants provided by the Foundation reinforce our commitment to supporting early career researchers and their projects," said Marie Emmanuel LeGuern, President, Biocodex Microbiota Foundation. "Microbiome research is a cornerstone for redefining health and disease, paving the way for revolutionary therapeutic strategies and improved patient outcomes. We are proud of the impact the grant has had on our past US recipients, many of them having published their research and adding to the breadth of microbiota discoveries in scientific literature." Dr. Shahla Bari, Assistant Professor in GU Oncology at Duke Cancer Institute, the recipient of the 2023 grant, is advancing her research in immuno-oncology with an emphasis on investigating gut microbiome and metabolome as a predictor and modulator of response to immunotherapy. "Winning the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation grant is not just a personal milestone, but a pivotal step in our journey to understand and harness the power of microbiota in cancer treatment," said Dr. Bari. "This funding accelerates our research, driving us closer to equitable and groundbreaking therapeutic strategies for all patients." The ideal grant candidate is a US-based researcher with five or fewer years of research experience in microbiota seeking to establish themselves as an independent researcher. All completed applications must be sent to [email protected] by the October 1, 2024, deadline. Late or incomplete applications or those that do not meet the grant program or research topic criteria will not be considered. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's annual call for grant applications is part of a multi-year research initiative to understand the interaction between microbiota and different pathologies. The applications will be reviewed, and a recipient selected by the US Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's scientific board, comprised of Dr. Ruth Ann Luna from Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Mindy Engevik from the Medical University of South Carolina and Dr. Erica Sonnenburg from Stanford University. About the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's mission is to support research into microbiota and its interaction with various pathologies. Research is supported through grants given to projects that investigate the implication of microbiota in human health. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation supports both foundational and applied research, and projects are selected annually by a committee of independent scientists. The foundation's primary activity remains the awarding of annual grants to innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of microbiota. In addition, the foundation also runs and helps establish programs to improve our understanding of microbiota and disseminates this knowledge as widely as possible, including scientific communities and via public projects aimed to help improve human health. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation is a non-profit, general-interest organization. For more information or questions about the USA Call for Projects email: [email protected] SOURCE Biocodex Microbiota Foundation Six-episode series brings Gen Z singles together to spark connection over Caribou's new iced drink lineup featuring Fruit Shakers and Energy Drinks MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coffee shops are often hailed as the perfect first date destination, but this summer, Caribou Coffee is taking it a step further. In celebration of its new iced drink menu created with its Gen Z guests in mind, the premium coffeehouse brand is set to premier a new dating show on TikTok that will attempt to spark connection between young singles looking for love (or at least a summer fling). Caribou announced today that comedian and reality TV star Hannah Berner will serve as the host of the six-episode series, "Dream Date: A Sip At Love." Comedian and reality TV star Hannah Berner will serve as the host of Caribou Coffee's new dating show on TikTok, Dream Date: A Sip At Love. Berner, best known for her comedy and podcasts, Giggly Squad and Berner Phone , was selected as the host based on her ability to get people of all backgrounds to open up, laugh a little, and spark genuine conversation and connection while embracing their true authentic selves. "I don't know what I love more - a good energy drink or forcing two strangers to answer personal questions," said Berner. "So, when Caribou approached me with their idea for Dream Date (and the promise of unlimited Blue Raspberry Energy drinks), I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. We had so much fun with this match-making experiment, and I can't wait for everyone to tune in and get inspired to search for their own sipsuationship at Caribou this summer." Each short-form episode will feature two contestants in a speed-date-style setting with Berner at the helm to help determine if it's a dreamy match or a real pass. Caribou also released today the trailer for the series , which can be viewed on Caribou's TikTok channel ( @cariboucoffee ). The contestants on the show were selected during a casting call earlier this summer that was held in Minneapolis, Minn., where Caribou is headquartered. "We really wanted to shake it up this summer, and after lots of conversations with our Gen Z guests, we concluded that they love four things: energy drinks, Fruit Shakers, afternoon treatsand dating shows. What better way to connect with this important audience through a TikTok dating show than with the beloved Hannah Berner," said Caribou Coffee Chief Brand & Marketing Officer, Erin Newkirk. "Caribou is already known for being a place of community - a familiar spot where people feel at home while making new connections or catching up with lifelong friends. We can't wait to help spark even more relationships this summer!" Guests who frequent Caribou will recognize the drinks featured on the show from the brand's latest drink menu innovations, which include both Fruit Shakers and Energy drinks. The new, permanent iced beverage line that launched in early May boasts 11 options made with fruit-forward flavors that make for the perfect first date drink. Fruit Shakers are expertly crafted with real ingredients. These shaken, caffeine-free beverages combine real fruit and fruit juices with coconutmilk to provide a creamy texture that enhances the flavors. Fruit Shakers are available in three flavors: Strawberry, Peach and Berry Punch. For guests looking for a bolder beverage, Caribou's Energy drinks come in four fun, fizzy flavors and a caffeine boost to help supercharge the summer. The Blue Raspberry, Strawberry Pineapple, Peach Mango and Pomegranate Acai options can also be customized with a lemonade base to switch-up the taste without losing the caffeine. All of Caribou's handcrafted drinks are clean label, meaning there are no artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors or preservatives. The first episode will air on June 26, 2024 on Caribou Coffee's TikTok channel, with highlights on Instagram (@cariboucoffee). New episodes will air each week throughout the summer. For more information, follow Caribou Coffee on TikTok or visit cariboucoffee.com . About Caribou Coffee Caribou Coffee provides high-quality, handcrafted coffee-forward beverages and craveable food options in more than 800 coffeehouses worldwide. Known for a commitment to sustainable practices and making a difference, Caribou Coffee serves 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans and crafts each menu item with the purpose to create day-making experiences. This passion for premium is also why Caribou Coffee makes every handcrafted beverage with only high-quality ingredients, like real chocolate chips, and no artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives. Caribou Coffee has 334 company-owned, 143 non-traditional and 335 franchise locations in 11 countries, as of March 26, 2024. Caribou Coffee is part of a portfolio of complementary brands bound by common values, Panera Brands, comprised of Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels. To learn more about Caribou Coffee, visit CaribouCoffee.com and follow the coffeehouse on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X or LinkedIn . Sign up for Caribou Coffee's loyalty program, Caribou Perks, at cariboucoffee.com/perks or text "Perks" to 762-CARIBOU. Media Contact: Taryn Parker [email protected] 847-380-0375 SOURCE Caribou Coffee Property Restoration and Remediation Franchise Honors Charles Atkins for Community Service During their Annual Convention CLEVELAND, Tenn., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles Atkins, owner of PuroClean in Cleveland, TN, was recently honored with the PuroClean Cares Award at the company's Annual International Convention. Of nearly 500 franchise locations across North America, Atkins received the PuroClean Cares Award for his commitment to giving back to his community through not only his work in water, fire, mold, and biohazard restoration and remediation but also for his charitable participation within his community. Pictured L-R: Mark W. Davis, Chairman and CEO, Sharon Atkins, Charles Atkins, Frank Torre, Vice Chairman, and Steve White, President and COO. "I get many opportunities to be able to go and help, and I don't get to do all of them, but this Appalachian Christians Project that we do - it's our 25th anniversary this year. For the week of Thanksgiving, we all go. There's usually about 25 of us, at our own expense, and we pay for everything; it's all new clothes, new blankets, food," Atkins said. "These communities that we go to in the Appalachian Mountains - they're in desperate need of it, and we're the ones that end up being blessed. I do a lot of missions, but I'm always the one that ends up blessed. Thank you." Having spent over a decade in the construction sector, Atkins has extensive restoration and housing experience. In 2004, he ventured into entrepreneurship, establishing his own mold remediation and restoration company. After a decade, he seized the opportunity to broaden his scope by joining PuroClean, enabling him to undertake projects nationwide, serving both residential and commercial clients. Beyond his professional endeavors, Atkins' dedication to disaster relief and ministry reflects his profoundly caring and honest nature, setting him apart as a genuinely compassionate individual. Over the past five years, Atkins has been recognized with numerous distinguished accolades for his outstanding contributions. He has been a member of the President's Circle four times, a testament to his exceptional leadership and performance within the PuroClean franchise network. In 2020, Atkins also received the prestigious Rainmaker Award, further emphasizing his dedication and success in the industry. His commitment to excellence and service has not only elevated his own achievements but has also positively impacted the communities of Cleveland and surrounding areas through his philanthropic endeavors. "The PuroClean Cares Award acknowledges Franchise Owners who exhibit a servant's heart, surpassing expectations not only in their local community but also through charitable acts and service," said Steve White, the PuroClean President and COO. "Charles and his team exemplify true servant leadership, volunteering for missions and supporting various community initiatives throughout the Cleveland area, showcasing exceptional dedication and impact." For more than 20 years, PuroClean has helped home and business owners with their restoration and remediation needs. With a network of more than 500 offices, PuroClean serves communities across the United States and Canada. As a leading franchise concept, the PuroClean model is ideal for business entrepreneurs passionate about contributing to their communities during times of need or natural disasters. PuroClean Franchise Owners receive extensive training on proper remediation and restoration techniques through the PuroClean Academy, both hands-on and classroom-based, and are provided with pre-opening training courses to help prepare for the launch of their local PuroClean business. The company also offers marketing support to help its Franchise Owners reach success. For more information about PuroClean in Cleveland, TN, call (423) 790-3500, or visit https://www.puroclean.com/ppde-tn/. About PuroClean PuroClean is a leading, world-class service brand for property water damage remediation, fire and smoke damage mitigation, mold removal, and biohazard clean-up services, working with both residential and commercial customers across the US and Canada. Founded in 2001, PuroClean is a diverse, fast-growing network of 500 North American franchise locations, each independently owned and operated. With a commitment to respond within two hours, the professionals at PuroClean are thoroughly screened, insured, and trained in utilizing the latest cutting-edge mitigation technology to complete the remediation task at hand. SOURCE PuroClean HOUSTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective with the sale of his company to Kimmeridge, Commonwealth LNG Founder and Executive Chairman Paul Varello has announced his retirement, capping an illustrious energy sector career spanning more than five decades. Prior to establishing Commonwealth LNG in 2014, he was Founder and Chairman of Commonwealth Engineering and Construction, an engineering and project management company. He also previously served as Chairman and CEO of Sterling Construction Company; CEO of American Ref-Fuel Company; and 18 years at Fluor Corporation, culminating in the role of President of the Process Sector. "Commonwealth LNG has always focused on developing a project that brings exceptional value to the LNG industry," said Varello. "I'm proud that our team will now be part of Kimmeridge's broader strategy to provide reliable and sustainable energy on a global basis." "The technical challenges of an engineering career and a legacy of successful projects around the world have been exciting" Varello noted. "But I most value the countless relationships with employees, customers, contractors, and other stakeholders who brought those projects to fruition." He added, "In Commonwealth LNG, we've attracted some of the best talent in the business. I eagerly look forward to the success they'll achieve within the comprehensive Kimmeridge energy strategy." Commonwealth LNG Chief Executive Officer Farhad Ahrabi, who joined the company in 2022 following a seven-year tenure at Cameron LNG, will continue in his current role under Kimmeridge ownership. ABOUT COMMONWEALTH LNG Commonwealth LNG is developing a 9.5 mtpa liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project located on the Calcasieu River at the Gulf of Mexico near Cameron, Louisiana. The project's leadership team is committed to building a world-class LNG facility while relentlessly focusing on safety, managing risk and achieving best in class environmental standards. Website: www.CommonwealthLNG.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonwealth-lng/ Media Inquiries Lyle Hanna Vice President, Corporate Communications Tel. 346 352 4444 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Commonwealth LNG HOUSTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Core Laboratories (NYSE: "CLB") will broadcast its second quarter 2024 conference call over the Internet at 7:30 a.m. CDT / 8:30 a.m. EDT on July 25, 2024. Larry Bruno, Chairman and CEO, Chris Hill, CFO, and Gwen Gresham, SVP Corporate Development and Investor Relations, will discuss financial and operational results. An earnings press release will be issued after market close on July 24th and may be accessed through the Company's website at www.corelab.com. To participate in the live webcast, simply log on to www.corelab.com at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the call. For those who are not available to listen to the live webcast, a Podcast will be available immediately following the conference call and a replay will be available on Core's website shortly after the call which will remain on the site for 10 days. To listen to the conference call via telephone, please contact Lena Brennan at [email protected] for the dial-in number. Core Laboratories Inc. (www.corelab.com) is a leading provider of proprietary and patented reservoir description and production enhancement services and products used to optimize petroleum reservoir performance. The Company has over 70 offices in more than 50 countries and is located in every major oil-producing province in the world. SOURCE Core Laboratories Inc - The Coway Environmental Technology Research Institute attained top ratings in the US ERA's proficiency testing across all drinking water evaluation categories - The Seoul-based R&D Center has successfully passed proficiency testing for 17 consecutive years, setting an industry record in South Korea SEOUL, South Korea, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coway, the "Best Life Solution Company," announced today that its Seoul-based R&D Center, the Environmental Technology Research Institute, has been recognized for its technical expertise by earning the highest rating in the Water Supply for Drinking Water Proficiency Testing. Coway Environmental Technology Research Institute Proficiency Testing (PT) is an internationally recognized assessment program that evaluates a laboratory's analytical performance across a range of analytes at environmentally significant concentrations in unknown samples. Coway has participated in the Water Supply for Drinking Water PT Scheme provided by ERA, the global providers of Proficiency Testing (PT) products and Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) to thousands of laboratories around the world and across multiple industries. While participating in the testing, Coway Environmental Technology Research Institute met all evaluation criteria across all categories to be named a certified Laboratory of Excellence. Coway received the highest grade, 'Satisfactory,' in all 18 performance evaluation categories. Seventeen of these were related to drinking water, including testing for heavy metals, organic substances, and ion materials. The additional category was for mattress material emissions. The evaluation marks the Coway Environmental Technology Research Institute's 17th consecutive year of being internationally recognized for meeting the requirements in the performance testing of its water quality analysis capabilities, setting an industry record. Since becoming the industry's first drinking water quality inspection agency accredited by South Korea's Ministry of the Environment in 2008, the Coway Environmental Technology Research Institute's test and analysis capabilities have been annually verified by external certification bodies. The laboratory has been approved as a designated TUV SUD testing laboratory, TSP (Technical Service Provider) by WQA (Water Quality Association), and an international testing laboratory with accreditation from KOLAS (Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme). Its world-class water quality analysis capabilities allow it to issue approximately 20,000 test reports annually. About Coway Co., Ltd. Established in Korea in 1989, Coway, the "Best Life Solution Company," is a leading environmental home appliances company making people's lives healthy and comfortable with innovative home appliances such as water purifiers, air purifiers, bidets, and mattresses. The company's most recent venture, the BEREX brand, aims to improve sleep and wellness through cutting-edge mattresses and massage chairs. Since being founded, Coway has become a leader in the environmental home appliances industry, with intensive research, engineering, development, and customer service. The company has proven dedication to innovation with award-winning products, home health expertise, unrivaled market share, customer satisfaction, and brand recognition. Coway continues to innovate by diversifying product lines and accelerating overseas business in Malaysia, USA, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, and Europe, based on the business success in Korea. For more information, please visit http://www.coway.com/ or http://newsroom.coway.com. SOURCE Coway Co., Ltd. The companies' products and networks will combine into a best-of-both-worlds offering that builds and powers the next generation of AI tools for sales, marketing, and partner ecosystems. PHILADELPHIA, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Crossbeam, the Philadelphia-based Ecosystem-Led Growth platform, announced today that Reveal, the Paris-based Nearbound Revenue platform, would be joining forces with the company in an all-stock transaction. The combined company, which will be called Crossbeam, will lead a new category of go-to-market software that enables marketing, sales, and partnerships teams to leverage their partner ecosystems to attract, convert, and grow customer relationships. The two companies will combine their innovative product offerings and user networks to create an unparalleled scale of ecosystem data and insights from over 25,000 companies globally. The unified network will represent the world's largest repository of ecosystem data, a critical input to all AI systems used by go-to-market teams. The transaction builds further on the two companies' strategic product integrations with AI leaders including Gong, Salesforce, HubSpot, and others. Crossbeam will also build its own AI-driven products powered by the network. "This merger is about innovation," said Crossbeam CEO and co-founder Bob Moore. "Our most successful customers are leveraging AI powered by ecosystem data to write the new revenue playbook, and by joining forces with Reveal, we'll become a catalyst for this important change across all industries and geographies." The success of current and new customers is at the forefront of the integration plan of the two companies. Both companies have seen high customer growth across all industries and both their networks have grown tenfold since the beginning of 2021. Customers will benefit from the unified vision to create a best-of-both-worlds customer experience that includes a roadmap of new innovative products for all go-to-market teams and a single data platform and network to enable new, powerful playbooks for efficient growth. "This is a very exciting milestone for the market and for all Crossbeam and Reveal customers. Users will no longer have to switch between each network and product depending on who they are partnering with and will be able to fully leverage the power of ecosystem data," said Reveal CEO and co-founder Simon Bouchez. "We're all excited to move forward together and looking forward to some truly great things ahead." "We're so excited to rally behind these teams in their mission of changing the way companies grow," said a16z General Partner and Crossbeam Board Member Sarah Wang. "This is a category creation moment. Efficient, scalable growth has never been more important in the technology landscape, and it's undeniable that businesses with ecosystem-led strategies are the most successful." Bob Moore will serve as co-founder and CEO of Crossbeam. Simon Bouchez will lead multiple teams across Crossbeam as co-founder and COO. Executives from both companies have taken leadership posts across the combined entity. The company's Board of Directors will consist of Simon, Bob, and representatives from each company's key investors: Sarah Wang from a16z, Brad Fiedler from Insight Partners, Logan Bartlett from Redpoint Ventures, and Matt Turck from FirstMark Capital. Learn more about this announcement here. About Crossbeam Crossbeam is the first and largest Ecosystem-Led Growth platform, used by more than 25,000 companies to attract, convert, and grow customer relationships using their partner ecosystems. Sign up for free today by visiting https://www.crossbeam.com . For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] SOURCE Crossbeam SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Curiox Biosystems, a global leader in providing innovative and automated sample preparation solutions for accurate and reproducible cell analysis, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Curiox Innovation Center for the Curiox C-FREE Pluto LT System at the Human Immune Monitoring Center (HIMC) at Stanford University. This new Innovation Center for the Pluto LT system will empower researchers with the opportunity to experience and gain deeper insights into the system's capabilities, and how it can enable enhancements in their scientific workflows. The Pluto LT system is a compact, benchtop liquid handling workstation, acknowledged for its ability to provide automated and consistent sample preparation for suspension cells, which are critical for accurate cell analysis. The HIMC at Stanford University, directed by Dr. Holden Maecker, is dedicated to offering standardized, state-of-the-art immune monitoring assays at the RNA, protein, and cellular levels. In addition to these services, HIMC provides comprehensive support for clinical and translational studies, including archiving, reporting, and data mining. The center actively collaborates with the research community to test and develop new technologies for advanced immune monitoring. Additionally, Dr. Kavita Mathi, a Senior Scientist at the HIMC, recently presented data on the Pluto LT system at the June 2024 meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) in San Francisco. Dr. Mathi's presentation highlighted the improved cell retention and reproducibility provided by the Pluto LT system over manual workflows. "We are thrilled to partner with Stanford University's Human Immune Monitoring Center to launch the Curiox Innovation Center featuring the Pluto LT system," said Namyong Kim, CEO of Curiox Biosystems. "This collaboration will not only facilitate greater access to our advanced Pluto LT system, but also support the groundbreaking research being conducted at Stanford and the surrounding biotech community. Together, we aim to drive forward the frontiers of immune monitoring and cell analysis." For more information about the Curiox Innovation Center for the Pluto LT system, please contact [email protected]. About Curiox Biosystems Curiox Biosystems is committed to revolutionizing sample preparation in life sciences through innovative technologies that ensure accurate and reproducible cell analysis. Our solutions are designed to meet the needs of researchers worldwide, enabling breakthroughs in various fields of biological research. Contact Information: For Curiox Biosystems Co. Ltd: Attn: Mahrukh M Banday, EVP/GM [email protected] USA: 400 W Cummings Park #6650, Woburn, MA 01801 Corporate office #212 Samsung Harrington IT Tower, 9 Gil 41 Digital-Ro, Geumchun-Gu, Seoul 08511, Korea SOURCE Curiox Biosystems In a world where the fashion industry can feel inaccessible and overwhelming, Designable Fashion is setting new standards of business for brands wanting to make a splash. MIAMI, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Co-founders and seasoned experts James Chapman, and Jacob McIntyre, of Designable Fashion have 20+ years of combined experience navigating the world of fashion. Unlike traditional corporate-run firms, what they offer is a hands-on, personalized approach, ensuring client needs are met with a roadmap to success and industry expertise. Click HERE for Designable Fashion's services and more information Why did they start Designable Fashion? James: We saw a need in the industry for more guidance, accessibility, and transparency. We realized if we changed the way things are done, it could make a positive impact on new brands entering the marketplace. Jacob: We've both done enough corporate collaborations to see firsthand how crucial the right team is to a brand's success. We knew we needed to carefully curate services with that focus in-house as a pivotal piece to changing the market. What sets them apart? James: When a client says we are like an extension of their team, for us, that is the highest praise and reflection of what we do. We truly have our clients' best interests in mind from start to finish, and we take pride in that level of partnership and support. Jacob: Additionally, large corporate firms tend to take cues from the client without offering much guidance. Clients don't have access to the same industry knowledge and insights, so it's important we offer expert advice that best positions them for success. Designable Fashion offers a comprehensive suite of services, including design and development, brand concept and market research, customer fit profile and grading blocks, and production management. Each phase of their servicefrom pre-launch to post-launchis meticulously designed to ensure client success. Designable Fashion helps clients understand the importance of market research, market positioning, price points, and fabric choices. The Designable Fashion team's expertise in fitting and creating products that align with target customers helps clients avoid common mistakes, make informed decisions, and ultimately enhance their brand's success and profitability. Designable Fashion is ideal for boutique startups, helping them find their niche and enter the market, as well as established brands, refining products to ensure they thrive in a competitive marketplace. By offering a one-stop shop for all design and production needs, James and Jacob ensure that every client receives tailored solutions that drive their brands forward, making the complex fashion landscape easier to navigate. Designable Fashion stands out in the fashion industry for its invaluable expertise, personalized approach, and commitment to client success. About Designable Fashion: Designable Fashion is a one-stop shop delivering innovative design, development, and production services to new and established fashion brands. With a commitment to creating quality, attractive, and profitable brands, we provide strategy, design expertise, and a vetted network of suppliers and manufacturers. Designable Fashion has launched over 25 brands and is dedicated to the success, innovation, and longevity of their clients. For more information about Designable Fashion and the services we offer, please contact us at [email protected]. Contact: Designable Fashion Email: [email protected] Website: www.designablefashion.com SOURCE Designable Fashion Inc ARLINGTON, Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Hill Consulting is a 2024 Top Workplace according to The Washington Post. This is the company's seventh win for this coveted award, a clear signal that Eagle Hill consistently cultivates a work environment that places an equal importance on its employees and clients. Earlier this year, Eagle Hill earned top workplace and consulting awards from Forbes and Vault. ALM recently named Eagle Hill an Innovator and Pacesetter. "In today's labor market, it isn't easy to retain top employees and build meaningful employee engagement," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "Since we opened our doors for business 20 years ago, we have stayed focused on creating a workplace where employees can thrive, grow, innovate, have fun, and bring their full selves to work. Landing this Washington Post recognition is evidence that Eagle Hill's culture remains on the right track." "One focus at Eagle Hill is supporting flexible schedules for our team, as we know this help reduce stress. A program we've implemented is "Summer Quiet Days" to actively support flex time and encourage employees to log off early on select days throughout the summer, especially around long weekends. On the five designated quiet days, we don't schedule company-wide meetings nor send company-wide emails, and we encourage teams to do the same," Jezior explained. "Eagle Hill also remains intentional about fostering a work environment that is diverse, inclusive, and where all employees feel respected and connected to one another. We have a company-wide strategy to monitor our goals, and this year we built upon our programs with a multicultural potluck and heritage month celebrations. Both were opportunities for employees to learn more about other cultures, build strong connections, and have some fun." Award selection is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, which measured several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection. Read more about the award. Read more about career opportunities at Eagle Hill. Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com. SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting LLC Oversubscribed financing led by strategic investor, with participation from new and existing investors MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Endogenex, a clinical-stage medical device company dedicated to improving outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes, announced it has closed an oversubscribed Series C financing totaling $88 million. The new capital will be used to complete the pivotal ReCET Clinical Study, which has been granted an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A group of new investors, including Hatteras Venture Partners, Lumira Ventures, and Orlando Health Ventures, joined an undisclosed strategic lead investor and existing investors Intuitive Ventures, Longitude Capital, Mayo Clinic, and Sante Ventures in the Series C funding. "We are excited to take this significant step forward in our mission to transform diabetes care," said Stacey Pugh, CEO of Endogenex. "This funding will enable us to complete our pivotal clinical study, bringing us closer to offering a groundbreaking solution for type 2 diabetes patients. The therapeutic landscape in diabetes continues to evolve, especially around the earlier use of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA. However, there remains a considerable unmet need to address the underlying pathophysiology and progression of the disease." "We are very proud of the company's progress, and this successful funding round is a testament to Endogenex's innovative technology," said Juliet Tammenoms Bakker, Endogenex Board Chair and Managing Director at Longitude Capital. "This milestone underscores our investors' confidence in the company's vision and the impact it can make in treating the epidemic of type 2 diabetes around the world." About the ReCET Clinical Study The ReCET Clinical Study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled study assessing the safety and effectiveness of the ReCET System. The pivotal study received IDE approval in November 2023. The study will enroll up to 350 patients at clinical sites in the United States and Australia. About the ReCET Procedure ReCET is a novel, endoscopic outpatient procedure that targets the cellular pathology of the duodenum. This pathology may contribute to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. The ReCET System aims to initiate the body's natural regenerative process by applying highly controlled, non-thermal pulsed electric fields to the mucosa and sub-mucosa duodenal tissue. This approach may help restore proper cellular signaling from the duodenum and improve metabolic function, including better control of blood glucose levels. The ReCET System has been evaluated in feasibility clinical studies, such as REGENT-1 US, REGENT-1 Australia, and EMINENT in the Netherlands. These studies assessed the safety and efficacy of the treatment in adults with type 2 diabetes whose blood glucose levels were inadequately controlled despite using insulin and non-insulin medications. Preliminary outcomes from these studies have been presented at medical conferences globally. The ReCET System has received an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for treating type 2 diabetes in adults inadequately controlled by glucose-lowering medications. About Endogenex Endogenex, founded in partnership with Mayo Clinic, aims to revolutionize treatment options for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The company's innovations focus on resetting the body's metabolic signaling system by harnessing its natural regenerative capabilities to improve metabolic function. Through the development of the ReCET System and the novel application of precise, controlled, non-thermal pulsed electric fields, Endogenex is establishing a new era in T2D therapy, helping patients regain control of their blood glucose levels and slow disease progression. For more information, please visit www.endogenex.com. Media Inquiries: Brent Collins [email protected] +1(612) 227-6949 SOURCE Endogenex Provides unparalleled insights into the geospatial intelligence needs and challenges of the U.S. national security community MCLEAN, Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Stack AI, Inc. , the leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning solutions for automated detection of man-made vertical obstructions (VO), proudly announces the addition of Vice Admiral (VADM) Robert (Bob) Sharp, U.S. Navy (Ret.), as a strategic advisor. With an illustrious career in intelligence, defense, and national security, VADM Sharp's expertise will help shape strategic growth and innovation at Foundation Stack AI. VADM Bob Sharp served as the 7th Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from February 2019 to June 2022. He led a team of over 14,000 employees, delivering world-class geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals, first responders, and international partners. His leadership spanned over 120 global locations, ensuring around-the-clock intelligence operations. During his tenure at NGA, VADM Sharp reimagined business processes in response to the global pandemic, enhancing the agency's agility and resilience. His innovative approach resulted in a stronger, more adaptable, and human-centric organization. With over 34 years as a Naval Intelligence Officer and as a pioneer in the Navy's Information Warfare Community, VADM Sharp is celebrated for building and motivating cohesive teams to address complex problems in dynamic environments. "We are thrilled to welcome VADM Sharp to our advisory board," said Constantine Saab, Co-Founder of Foundation Stack AI, Inc. "His extensive experience in intelligence and national security will be invaluable as we continue to innovate in AI/ML and accelerate detection of objects that pose a survivability risk to the Military aviation community. Bob's insights will help us navigate the complexities of AI in Defense and beyond, ensuring we deliver cutting-edge solutions to our clients." VADM Sharp shared his enthusiasm about joining Foundation Stack AI: "I'm not only excited about what Foundation Stack is doing, but how they're doing it. The team is showing the power of partnering with machines to do what machines do best so that we can focus our humans on what they do best think critically. The process improvements in speed and accuracy are truly revolutionary and provide a great example of how we need to be doing business." About Foundation Stack AI, Inc. Foundation Stack AI provides automated vertical obstruction (VO) data solutions to increase mission success and survivability of low-altitude aviation operations. Foundation Stack's GlobalVO solution is the world's only machine learning solution that detects, curates, quality controls, and accelerates the end-to-end human workflow for VO data production. For more information about Foundation Stack AI and its innovative technologies, please visit www.foundationstack.com SOURCE Foundation Stack AI, Inc. NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GenNx360 Capital Partners ("GenNx360") is pleased to announce Pacteon Group's ("Pacteon" or "the Company") acquisition of Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions ("Descon"). Pacteon is a portfolio company of GenNx360, a New York-based private equity firm investing in middle market business services and industrial companies. Descon is a prominent provider of integrated conveyor systems for the food and beverage industry. Descon represents Pacteon's fourth acquisition. This strategic move marks a significant milestone in Pacteon's growth strategy and reaffirms its commitment to product handling expertise. The acquisition of Descon aligns with Pacteon's vision to be the one source for end-of-line packaging automation equipment and strengthens its portfolio of offerings. By capitalizing upon the expertise, technologies, and resources of both organizations, Pacteon aims to deliver even greater value to its customers and partners. "We are thrilled to welcome Descon into the Pacteon family," said Mike Odom, CEO of Pacteon. "This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity for us to provide more complete solutions for our customers to automate the supply of life's products. Together, we will continue to innovate, deliver exceptional solutions for our customers, and differentiate ourselves in the packaging industry." GenNx360 Managing Partner, Monty Yort said, "Pacteon's strategic acquisition of Descon positions the Company to deliver unparalleled end-of-line packaging solutions, opening new opportunities for growth and expansion." Pacteon is committed to ensuring a seamless transition for customers, employees, and partners of both organizations. About GenNx360 Capital Partners GenNx360 Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on investing in middle market business services and industrial companies. GenNx360 partners with companies having proven and sustainable business models in expanding industries, with the objective of implementing and supporting value enhancing organic and inorganic initiatives to accelerate growth, deliver efficiencies and generate strong financial returns. GenNx360 was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New York City. www.gennx360.com About Pacteon Group Pacteon Group's mission is to offer a responsive and committed single source solution to design, integrate, and service complete packaging solutions. Through the acquisition of businesses offering complimentary products and shared core values, Pacteon Group, currently Schneider Packaging Equipment, ESS Technologies, Phoenix Wrappers, and now Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions is your one source for end-of-line packaging equipment solutions. Whether it is a cartoner, case packer, conveyor, palletizer, pick and place robot, or pallet stretch wrapper, our machines are backed with the Pacteon Group Promise: We Make It Right! www.pacteon.com About Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions is a turnkey provider of customized conveyor solutions for the packaging industry in the food and beverage marketplace. With a reputation for customer service and innovation, Descon Integrated Conveyor Solutions has established itself as a trusted partner to customers in North America. https://www.desconconveyor.com/ For media inquiries about this press release, please contact: GenNx360 Capital Partners Alicia Francis, Head of Investor Communications Email: [email protected] Tel: 212.202.2913 SOURCE GenNx360 Capital Partners SINGAPORE, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GenScript, the world-leading biotechnology company specializing in life science research and applications, hosted the inaugural Asia-Pacific (APAC) Distributor Meeting in Nanjing, China. The event, which took place from 3rd to 6th June, brought together distributors from across the APAC region to discuss strategies, share insights, and strengthen collaborations to better serve the scientific community. Attendees from the Asia-Pacific region gathering for the distributor meeting. Distributors touring GenScripts cGMP facility. The cGMP product lines meet regulatory aseptic processing requirements for sterile medicinal products. The comprehensive meeting agenda included keynote presentations from GenScript's executive leadership team, new product training sessions, discussions on market trends, and workshops aimed at enhancing sales and marketing strategies. The event also provided a unique platform for distributors to network, share best practices, and explore potential collaboration opportunities. "We are thrilled to host our APAC Distributor Meeting, which marks a significant milestone in our efforts to deepen relationships with our valued partners," said Dr. Janice Jin, President of GenScript APAC. She continued, "The APAC region is rapidly becoming a hub for scientific innovation, and through collaborative efforts with our distributors, we are committed to facilitating cutting-edge research and contributing to the global scientific community." During the meeting, GenScript showcased its most recent advancements in gene synthesis, protein engineering, and cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices). Distributors also toured the new cGMP facility specialized for the production of single guide RNA (sgRNA), non-viral DNA payloads and peptide. This new development offers a quick and reliable supply of essential, high-quality materials for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, accelerating the progression of innovative treatments from research to clinical application and ultimately to commercial availability. GenScript's APAC Distributor Meeting signifies the company's dedication to fostering strong relationships with its partners and its continuous investment in the APAC region. GenScript remains committed to empowering scientists by facilitating their research. About GenScript GenScript Biotech Corporation (HK.1548) is a world leader in technologies and services for life science R&D and manufacturing. Built upon its solid DNA synthesis technology, the company comprises four major business units: a life science services and products business unit, a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), an industrial synthetic products business unit, and an integrated global cell therapy company. GenScript accelerates scientific discovery and therapeutic breakthroughs for its customers. Since its founding in New Jersey, USA in 2002, GenScript has expanded its operations to serve more than 200,000 customers across 100 countries with a dedicated team of 6,900 employees. As of December 31, 2023, GenScript's services and products have been cited by 87,700 peer-reviewed journal articles worldwide. Guided by its mission to make people and nature healthier through biotechnology, GenScript strives to become the most trustworthy biotech company in the world. For more information, please visit GenScript Biotech's official website: https://www.genscript.com Kay Chuang Head of Marketing, GenScript [email protected] SOURCE GenScript Biotech Corporation Program expansion approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission now available ATLANTA, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power has expanded a program previously known as the "Income-Qualified Senior Discount" to benefit many more customers who have limited incomes and financial resources. The program expansion follows approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) in December 2023, and went into effect on May 1, 2024. Through the expanded program, the company expects to make the discount available to tens of thousands of additional customers each year. The discount program is available to customers on a variety of rate plans, and customers meeting at least one of the below criteria may qualify for the expanded discount program: Be 65 years of age or older, with a household meeting the income qualification requirements (a combined household income that is 200% or less of the federal poverty level $30,120 adjusted for household size) adjusted for household size) Receive Social Security Disability Insurance Receive Supplemental Security Income Participate in the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (HUD Section 8) Program participants may receive a discount of $33.50 on their bill each month. Full program details are available on Georgia Power's website . "Georgia Power believes that everyone should have access to clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, we understand that energy costs are an important part of every family's budget, and we want to be there when our customers need us the most," said Latanza Adjei, senior vice president of Customer Experience for Georgia Power. "The expanded Income-Qualified Discount is just one example of how we work with the Georgia PSC to develop programs to meet the needs of our customers. We're committed to connecting customers including senior citizens, those with one-time or ongoing special needs, and those with limited incomes with the right programs and resources that can aid them in lowering and paying their bills." In addition to the Income-Qualified Discount, Georgia Power offers various other income-qualified programs such as Energy Assistance for Savings & Efficiency (EASE), and partners with community action agencies across Georgia that offer services such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), emergency assistance, home weatherization and more. The company's Energy Assistance team also regularly meets with customers across the state and hosted more than 230 local outreach events in 2023 to help connect customers with energy assistance resources available to them. For more information and additional resources and available options, including information about rate plans and energy efficiency tips, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com/MyEnergy . About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.7 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook ( Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower ), X ( X.com/GeorgiaPower ) and Instagram ( Instagram.com/ga_power ). SOURCE Georgia Power Growing Coupa community of 10 million suppliers and $6 trillion in economic spend informs its community-generated AI, helping make margins multiply FOSTER CITY, Calif., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coupa , the margin multiplier company, today announced that it has helped over 3,000 global customers achieve more than $194 billion in savings that could be reinvested to fuel business growth; with over $12 billion in bottom-line savings in the last quarter alone. "With Coupa, we've been able to digitize and standardize processes across finance and procurement teams. We have access to real-time data, giving us better control and visibility of which businesses we are transacting with, and we're able to provide more strategic support to the business," said Shaun Carroll, Group Director of MSS and Chief Procurement Officer, Mitie. "Coupa's helped us realize 15M in savings and is being used to support Mitie's target to reach operating profit margins of 4.5-5.5% in the near term." "In the past quarter, more than 1 billion actions were taken by customers using Coupa AI on our platform. Coupa's evolution as the margin multiplier company is being fueled by the multiplier effect our AI drives for our global customer community every single day. Our customers have been leveraging Coupa's community-generated AI for years to outperform and drive more growth, resiliency, sustainability, efficiency, and productivity," said Leagh Turner, Coupa CEO. "We had over 300 companies expand or initiate their relationship with Coupa in the last quarter. We're honored and proud to be partnering with, and growing with, so many leading brands to help them transform their operations and truly thrive in this complex global economy. Today our dataset represents more than $6 trillion in global economic spend across a growing network of 10 million buyers and suppliers. As our community grows, our data grows and our AI gets smarter, with all of us becoming exponentially smarter together," said Turner. Coupa community highlights for the fiscal quarter include: 300+ global businesses initiated or expanded their partnership with Coupa including Abnormal Security, Sendas Distribuidora S/A, BayCare Clinic, Changan Ford, Grand America Resorts, Lexicon, Marshall Motor Group, Northern Illinois Food Bank, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, and Paragonix Technologies. Coupa proudly counts 20 customers among Gartner's newly released Global Supply Chain Top 25 . including Abnormal Security, Sendas Distribuidora S/A, BayCare Clinic, Changan Ford, Grand America Resorts, Lexicon, Marshall Motor Group, Northern Illinois Food Bank, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, and Paragonix Technologies. Coupa proudly counts 20 customers among Gartner's newly released . 4,000+ attendees from more than 40 countries experienced Coupa's flagship global community events, Inspire Americas and EMEA . Attendees heard stories from over 200+ customers including leading brands such as Aldi, Barclays, Cisco, HSBC, Mitie, Microsoft, Mastercard, Schneider Electric, and Uber who are leveraging Coupa for productivity, efficiency, sustainability, growth, and margin improvements across their businesses. Schneider Electric took home the title of Coupa's Spendsetter of the Year during the annual Spendsetter Awards . Eight other companies were recognized as category winners for their innovation and excellence. and . Attendees heard stories from over 200+ customers including leading brands such as Aldi, Barclays, Cisco, HSBC, Mitie, Microsoft, Mastercard, Schneider Electric, and Uber who are leveraging Coupa for productivity, efficiency, sustainability, growth, and margin improvements across their businesses. took home the title of Coupa's Spendsetter of the Year during the annual . Eight other companies were recognized as category winners for their innovation and excellence. 10 Global Executive Summits kick off this summer . These one-day events take place in cities all over the world, connecting finance and procurement leaders to gain exclusive insights from Coupa experts and customers on everything from the value of a margin multiplier, a total spend management platform, community-generated AI, industry benchmarking, ESG, and more. . These one-day events take place in cities all over the world, connecting finance and procurement leaders to gain exclusive insights from Coupa experts and customers on everything from the value of a margin multiplier, a total spend management platform, community-generated AI, industry benchmarking, ESG, and more. Coupa released its latest 2024 Total Spend Management Benchmark Report , providing CFOs and their finance and procurement teams actionable insights and productivity benchmarks based on Coupa community performance. The report informs leaders on how they measure up versus their peers and provides guidance on how to optimize business processes. , providing CFOs and their finance and procurement teams actionable insights and productivity benchmarks based on Coupa community performance. The report informs leaders on how they measure up versus their peers and provides guidance on how to optimize business processes. 110+ new product capabilities and features were launched with a focus on AI and Gen AI, including Coupa Navi, an AI agent that provides real-time support and guidance to help teams make smarter and more profitable business decisions. Additional new AI-driven product innovations included solutions for Contract Intelligence, Purchase Order (PO) Collaboration, and Forecast Collaboration. Coupa was recently ranked #4 in Supply Chain Digital 's top supply chain companies in Gen AI. About Coupa Coupa makes margins multiply through its community-generated AI and industry leading total spend management platform for businesses large and small. Coupa AI is informed by trillions of dollars of direct and indirect spend data across a global network of 10M+ buyers and suppliers. We empower you with the ability to predict, prescribe, and automate smarter, more profitable business decisions to improve operating margins. Coupa is the margin multiplier company. Learn more at coupa.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter). SOURCE Coupa Software Leading digital asset trade association selects esteemed scholars and legal professionals to recommend a set of disclosure guidelines for certain digital asset tokens to advance the maturity and adoption of the blockchain industry. CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association (Global DCA), a leading trade association for the digital asset and cryptocurrency industry, in collaboration with Global Blockchain Business Council, The Digital Chamber, and The Proof of Stake Alliance, has organized a Steering Committee to propose disclosure guidelines for digital asset tokens offered in the United States. The Global DCA Steering Committee announces that the following distinguished scholars and senior legal professionals have agreed to volunteer in the public interest as members of the Steering Committee: Chris Brummer , Professor of Law, Georgetown University , and Faculty Director of Georgetown's Institute of International Economic Law , Professor of Law, , and Faculty Director of Institute of International Economic Law Lewis R. Cohen , Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP , Partner, & Reindel LLP Patrick Daugherty , Partner and Head of Digital Assets Practice, Foley & Lardner LLP, Adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell and Northwestern , Partner and Head of Digital Assets Practice, Foley & Lardner LLP, Adjunct Professor of Law at and Daniel Davis , Partner and Co-Chair, Financial Markets Regulation, Katten, Muchin Rosenman LLP, former General Counsel, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission , Partner and Co-Chair, Financial Markets Regulation, Katten, Muchin Rosenman LLP, former General Counsel, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Zachary O. Fallon , Partner, Ketsal PLLC , Partner, Ketsal PLLC Merrit B. Fox , Professor of Law & Director of the Program in Law and Economics of Capital Markets, Columbia Law School , Professor of Law & Director of the Program in Law and Economics of Capital Markets, Columbia Law School Carol Goforth , Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law , Distinguished Professor of Law, School of Law Yuliya Guseva , Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School , Professor of Law, Joel Hasbrouck , Kenneth G. Langone Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business , Kenneth G. Langone Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business Lilya Tessler , Partner & Head of FinTech and Blockchain Group, Sidley Austin LLP , Partner & Head of FinTech and Blockchain Group, Sidley Austin LLP Yesha Yadav , Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School The Steering Committee is composed of top law and finance scholars across the United States, along with U.S. attorneys leading in the field of blockchain, digital assets and Web3. The Committee was designed independently of industry stakeholders to provide an objective and impartial disclosure proposal. The Steering Committee is to be advised by the Advisory Group composed of key industry stakeholders. "Investors, and responsible entrepreneurs, thrive most when there are clear, fit-for-purpose guidelines with which companies can communicate with their stakeholders. This superbly talented group is part of a larger research effort moving the conversationand policytowards that goal" said Chris Brummer, Professor of Law at Georgetown and member of the Steering Committee. "The Global DCA recognizes the fundamental need with respect to a disclosure framework for digital asset tokens offered in the United States. This is why I am so excited to announce such a strong engagement and industry collaboration on this effort bringing together the brightest minds and veteran experts in our capital markets and the financial system to propose disclosure guidelines for digital asset tokens. This initiative is designed to serve as a fundamental tool for this up-and-coming industry to emerge as a much stronger contributor in the global financial system," said Renata Szkoda, the Chair of Global Digital Asset & Cryptocurrency Association. About Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association The Global DCA is a global trade association for the digital asset & cryptocurrency industry. It was established to guide the evolution of digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and the underlying blockchain technology within a regulatory framework designed to build public trust, foster market integrity, and maximize economic opportunity for all participants. For more information, visit www.global-dca.org Media Contact: Christina Sciotto [email protected] 312-593-5119 SOURCE The Global Digital Assets Cryptocurrency Association BELLAGIO, Italy, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global leaders gathered at The Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy and issued an urgent letter to the UN Secretary-General expressing outrage that Afghan women are excluded from the upcoming UN-convened meeting of Special Envoys and the UN Special Representative on Afghanistan to take place next week in Doha, Qatar. Signatories include: Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of the Republic of Kosovo Hillary Clinton , 67th United States Secretary of State , 67th Secretary of State Former Presidents and Prime Ministers of Australia , Finland , Lithuania , New Zealand The letter states: "As the international community engages with the Taliban, Afghan women must be actively included and central in discussions. Their exclusion is inconsistent with the UN Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and nine subsequent, related resolutions, and conventions including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Furthermore, it contradicts the international community's stance on Afghan women's rights, and undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the Doha gathering. We agree that it is urgent to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people. We support efforts by the UN and other international organizations to distribute food and other necessities. That said, the status and rights of women are fundamentally relevant to all discussions. We must not open a pathway for the Taliban to gain broader legitimacy, including for its oppressive treatment of women. Allowing the Taliban to dictate the terms of the Doha dialogue legitimizes their draconian abuses, which amount to gender apartheid. This is a decisive moment for the UN and the international community to demonstrate unwavering commitment to Afghan women and girls by insisting that Afghan women are at the table." The letter was signed by members of the Global Women Leaders Network convened by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and The Rockefeller Foundation: Shaharzad Akbar, Executive Director of Rawadari and Former Chairperson, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Hillary Clinton, 67th United States Secretary of State Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister, New Zealand Dalia Grybauskaite, Former President, Lithuania Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister, Australia Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly Patricia Espinosa, Former Executive Secretary, UNFCCC and Former Foreign Minister of Mexico Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister, Finland Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President, the Republic of Kosovo Monica McWilliams, Former Member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Carla Koppell, Vice Dean, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service About Global Women Leaders Network The Global Women Leaders Network includes former and current heads of state, ministers, and high-level government and private sector representatives. Together, they form a united force to advance gender equality and address the world's most pressing challenges. The Network was first convened in 2022 by The Rockefeller Foundation and Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) and is chaired by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Melanne Verveer. SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation BEIJING, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The English edition of The History and Sovereignty of the South China Sea Islands was officially released at the 2024 Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in Beijing on Thursday, China's most international book event. The book written by Anthony Carty, an Irish professor of international law and now visiting professor at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of Peking University as well as the School of Law of Beijing Institute of Technology, shows China's indisputable sovereignty in the South China Sea. The Chinese edition of the book was published in November 2023. In the book, Carty explains how official British and French archives back China's claims by examining foreign historical records spanning 120 years. This book bridges the gap between historical research and international law studies on the South China Sea issue. In April 2009, Carty moved from his position as a chair professor of public law at the University of Aberdeen to Hong Kong, coinciding with the increasing tensions in the South China Sea due to claims by the Philippines and Vietnam. Curious about this issue, he decided to investigate further during his summer visit to the UK. To his surprise, the British National Archives contained substantial archives indicating that the Nansha Islands were considered Chinese by default. He later expanded his research to include French historical documents. "What seemed at first an obscure and marginal research topic, remote and tiny islands, gradually became more and more clearly a hugely urgent issue requiring great attention. Reluctance to engage in even more extended archival research took on the character of a passionate quest and a compelling necessity," said Carty at the release ceremony held at BIBF. While both the Chinese and English editions of the book have been released, work on publishing the book in other languages is currently in progress, introduced Ma Rujun, head of the New Star Press, publisher of both editions of The History and Sovereignty of the South China Sea Islands. Boasting a total of 220,000 books from China and abroad, the 2024 BIBF runs from Wednesday to Sunday, attracting 1,050 overseas exhibitors, 150 more than 2023. Global publishing powerhouse countries like Germany, the UK and France also have pavilions at the book fair. SOURCE Global Times DUBLIN, Ohio, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grasp Technologies LLC, the leading provider of travel data management, visualization and payment solutions in the T&E industry, today announced the addition of Chris Wilson to its executive team as Chief Executive Officer. As CEO, Wilson will build off Grasp's success to date to ensure that current and future customers are able to leverage Grasp's solutions to exceed their business objectives. "We're thrilled that Chris has come on board as CEO," said Mike Rozenfeld, Founder and CEO of Waverock Software. "He's a seasoned executive who has a track record of go-to-market success, and his expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our product offering to better serve our customers around the globe." Wilson brings more than 28 years of experience in technology, software, accounting, and sales leadership experience to Grasp. His hire follows Waverock Software's strategic investment in Grasp in 2021. Waverock saw what the travel industry already knows, which is that the Founder & then CEO, Erik Mueller, had built a wonderful company, trusted by hundreds of customers, that was very well known & respected throughout the travel industry. Waverock is a long-term holder, committed to providing a stable home for businesses, employees, and customers when Founders are looking to exit their business, but also care deeply about their legacy. Wilson began his software career selling time & expense reporting software, but more recently spent two years as the CRO at PSPDFKit, and six years as CRO at Hazelcast, where he helped grow those businesses through major revenue milestones in the tens of millions of dollars each. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Sales at Skytree and Magnet Systems, Inc., where he led and built out high-performing sales, customer success, and business development teams. He also spent many years honing his sales and leadership skills at Oracle Corporation. "There's a great opportunity with Grasp to continue serving the travel management industry, as well as large enterprise corporate travel centers. Grasp's unmatched, highly comprehensive integration engine, specifically developed over many years to identify, collect, sanitize, and deliver travel related data from numerous legacy and modern-day systems, and to produce highly customizable industry-specific reports and dashboards, positions us well for the future," Wilson said, "Additionally, our software is built by travel data experts, for travel data experts. While Grasp has been around for a while, I feel like we're just getting started!" About Grasp Technologies Founded in 1996, Grasp Technologies provides data management, reporting, and virtual payment solutions. We help fast growing and Fortune 500 companies, TMCs, agencies, and CTDs get more out of their data. Grasp powers over $40 billion in transactions and serves customers worldwide. Your Data, Within Grasp Media Contact: Peter Sebio Email: [email protected] Phone: 866-278-3821 SOURCE Grasp Technologies Alongside accolades for staff service and business class comfort, the carrier also celebrates a major safety milestone and expanded service offerings LONDON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 24, SKYTRAX, the global airline and airport service evaluator, unveiled the World Award 2024 in London, UK, with Hainan Airlines receiving the prestigious SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline accolade for its exceptional services and products for the thirteenth consecutive year. The carrier also triumphs in three categories: Best Airlines in China, Best Airlines Staff Service in China, and Best Business Class Comfort Amenities. Ding Yongzheng, Chairman of HNA Aviation Group, attended the World Award Ceremony. Ding Yongzheng, Chairman of HNA Aviation Group, attended the World Award Ceremony 2024 in London Edward Plaisted, Chairman of Skytrax said: "We congratulate Hainan Airlines on the fabulous achievement of winning the Best Airline in China award for a remarkable thirteenth time. Their success in winning the Best Airline Staff Service in China award is a great reward for both the management and front-line staff of Hainan Airlines. Their final award for the Best Business Class Airline Amenities underlines the importance they place upon providing business class customers with the highest comfort levels onboard flights." Mr. Zhu Tao, Chairman of Hainan Airlines said,"We are deeply honored to receive three prestigious awards at the 2024 World Award. This recognition is not only for Hainan Airlines' consistent efforts in product innovation, but also for our staff. With forward looking concepts, Hainan Airlines works on innovative service models by technology and strives for eco-friendly operations. In the future, Hainan Airlines will promote this honor through five-star service, continuously pursuing excellence to provide travelers with safer, more convenient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly travel experiences." Since joining the Liaoning Fangda Group, Hainan Airlines has begun a new chapter in its growth trajectory. By the end of February 2024, the airline had achieved a significant milestone of 10 million consecutive safe flight hours, earning the prestigious "Flight Safety Diamond Award" from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Hainan Airlines has also intensified its route recovery efforts, expanding its route network and enhancing its service offerings. Its commitment to safe, efficient, and high-quality aviation services has garnered widespread praise and favor among travelers. Hainan Airlines continues to bolster the recovery of international routes and to broaden its network. For the 2024 summer and autumn seasons, the airline will operate nearly 500 domestic routes and over 40 international and regional routes, providing service to multiple cities across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and beyond. The airline has consistently prioritized the utilization of cutting-edge technologies to facilitate hardware upgrades, enhancing its service capabilities through travel intelligence. Initiatives include the introduction of a nationwide baggage tracking system across 14 airports, the deployment of a 787-9 fleet with air-ground interconnection services that surpass the 3,000-meter altitude limitation for seamless network connectivity, and the launch of an intelligent customer service robot powered by big data and artificial intelligence technology. These innovations have enabled travelers to benefit from a range of enhanced services, including baggage inquiries, air-ground connectivity, and intelligent customer support. Hainan Airlines and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have partnered to introduce a new range of Chinese meals for Business Class passengers. The collaboration leverages the expertise of both companies in meal research, development, and in-flight catering. Additionally, Hainan Airlines has integrated Sofitel Hotels' exclusive MyBed bedding experience into its Business Class, a move that has contributed significantly to the airline's multiple victories in the Best Business Class Comfort Amenities category worldwide. To further streamline the travel experience, Hainan Airlines has enhanced its "Simplified Business" service, offering passengers greater convenience through self-service check-in, online check-in, and baggage tracking features. Moreover, the airline has launched its Pet Cabin Care service on select domestic flights departing from 23 cities, including Beijing, Haikou and Xi'an, among others. The service enables passengers to travel with their pets in the cabin, subject to certain restrictions. Hainan Airlines is intensifying its commitment to environmental sustainability, viewing it as crucial for its strategic growth. In February 2024, the airline's initiative, "Green Aviation, Dream Flight Hainan Airlines Green Aviation Construction," was recognized as a model project under the Belt and Road Initiative, reflecting its efforts to contribute to a low-carbon economy. The airline continues to focus on innovation in its services and products, aiming to ensure a travel experience that aligns with its five-star ratingprioritizing safety, comfort, and convenience for its passengers. Through these efforts, Hainan Airlines not only seeks to enhance its customer offerings but also to position itself as a leader in sustainable aviation. SOURCE Hainan Airlines DENVER, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Peterson, a rising senior at Evergreen High School and CEO of award winning business - HighSchoolBabysitters.com, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully spearheading the passing of Senate Joint Resolution 24-019 , designating the first week of June as "Colorado Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Week" and creating a statewide Governor's Youth Business Contest. This legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Rachel Zenzinger and supported by Governor Jared Polis, aims to shine a spotlight on youth businesses and encourage entrepreneurial education among young Coloradans. Aspen serves on the youth advisory board of the Young Americans Center for Financial Education and Young Americans Bank, the only bank in the world exclusively for individuals 21 years of age and under. The passing of this resolution highlights Colorado's ongoing commitment to fostering financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills among its youth. Aspen Peterson continues to advocate for all youth entrepreneurs in Colorado, and on June 7th was honored by Governor Polis, celebrating her efforts in passing the legislation by proclaiming the first week of June as "Colorado Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Week." About HighSchoolBabysitters.com HighSchoolBabysitters.com is the nation's only online babysitter/parent matching service exclusively made for babysitters under the age of 18. HighSchoolBabysitters.com is bringing over 17 million high schoolers to the online babysitting market. With over 3,000 high schoolers registered across all 50 states and over $350,000 in babysitter jobs matched, HighSchoolBabysitters.com is the fastest growing online babysitter platform in the country. For more information, please contact: Aspen Peterson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aspen-peterson-47b1ba280/ Email: [email protected] Website: https://highschoolbabysitters.com/ Resolution SJR24-019: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2024a_sjr019_signed.pdf Watch senator Zenzinger's Facebook video of Governor Polis and Aspen Peterson: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=497807092680465 Link to video - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DueExN57bm4DubU313Wvz2LkQesQhbtK/view?usp=sharing Here is a picture of Aspen and Governor Polis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zv1Zr6tE3MGuqPlDYS9DXwViqDeUcGXb/view?usp=drive_link SOURCE High School Babysitters LLC NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilco Global is pleased to announce the completion of a successful engagement with Express as it is sold to Phoenix Retail. Phoenix Retail, a new retail business, is a joint venture between WHP Global and mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Properties. ReStore Capital, an operating company of Hilco Global and a credit focused investment manager, agented a $65 million Second Lien Term Loan to Express in September 2023, and later agented a $25 million new money DIP Term Loan in support of the Express' efforts to effectuate a going concern sale of the business after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. These loans were repaid in full from the proceeds of the sale to Phoenix Retail. "I am incredibly proud of the collaborative efforts and the strong partnership we've built with Express over the past seven years," says Ian Fredericks, President and COO of Hilco Consumer - Retail. "Our relationship goes beyond just providing financial solutions; it demonstrates our commitment to supporting our clients through every phase of their journey. The successful sale of Express is a testament to the resilience and dedication of all parties involved. We congratulate WHP Global, Simon Property Group, and Brookfield Properties on this strategic acquisition and look forward to seeing Express continue to thrive under their new ownership." Throughout the process, both Hilco Consumer - Retail and its parent, Hilco Global - a privately held diversified financial services company and the world's preeminent authority on maximizing the value of assets for both healthy and distressed companies - played an integral role in partnering with both Express and its stakeholders to manage through a challenging operating period, and ultimately, accomplishing a successful sale of the business. Beyond the financing support provided by ReStore Capital, Express engaged Hilco Merchant Resources (HMR) to provide various services given their operational and asset monetization expertise. These included running store closing sales for approximately 115 underperforming stores that were non-core to Phoenix Retail's go forward business plan. The Hilco Global/Express partnership is a perfect example of how Hilco Global can serve as a one-stop-shop for clients given its breadth of experience and expertise across various industries and asset classes. Over the past seven years, Hilco Global cultivated an ongoing partnership with Express; indeed, Mr. Fredericks recalls that one former Express senior executive would remark, "Call Hilco. I'm sure they can help," whenever Express was confronted with a challenge without an obvious solution. The Hilco Global and Express relationship began in 2017 when Express solicited proposals from HMR and competitors to close its Canadian business. HMR ultimately won the mandate and achieved a result that far exceeded expectations. Thereafter, from Q4 of 2018 through 2022, HMR was engaged by the Company to conduct strategic store closings and clearance sales in the US and Puerto Rico. Additionally, in Q4 2020, Hilco Valuation Services was able to leverage HMR's experience closing stores to conduct an inventory appraisal after a competitor improperly dropped the appraised values due to COVID, failing to take into account the true intrinsic value of Express' inventory. Had Hilco not stepped in to provide an accurate appraisal, it's possible Express would have met the COVID fate of other retailers in 2020 and been forced to liquidate. Around the same time, Hilco Enterprise Valuation Services was also engaged to conduct an intellectual property appraisal for the Company. These Hilco appraisals were used to support Express' financing efforts at the tail end of 2020 and early 2021. Later, in the Fall and Winter of 2021, Express had significant staffing challenges not unlike other retailers at the time and approached Hilco to "help". Leveraging Hilco's CareerFlex solution, Hilco provided Retail SWAT Teams and its Restore for Retail Virtual Store Management Platform to assist Express with preparing for and executing during the all-important holiday season. In November 2022, ReStore Capital was approached to provide new financing for Express and closed a $90 million FILO Term Loan, which was paid off shortly thereafter in January 2023 from proceeds of WHP's acquisition of Express' intellectual property. Hilco Valuation Services continued to perform Express' inventory appraisals per the cadence required by the lender group in connection with their ongoing financing support of the business, which scope later grew to include Bonobos following Express' acquisition of the business in April 2023. It was this successful partnership between Hilco Global and Express over the years that laid the groundwork and led to ReStore Capital's mandate to agent another loan in September 2023 and various Hilco Global service engagements that followed, resulting in the ultimate sale of the Express to Phoenix Retail in June 2024. "The successful transition of Express is a prime example of how we leverage our extensive expertise to support businesses through challenging times and position them for future growth," Mr. Fredericks explains. "Hilco Global is a comprehensive financial services provider, offering tailored solutions that drive value and success for our clients." "Our enduring partnership with Express showcases Hilco Global's extensive range of services beyond asset monetization," Mr. Fredericks further adds. "By providing strategic financial solutions and operational expertise, we have supported Express through various phases, culminating in a successful transition. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to being more than just a financial partner we are a catalyst for sustainable growth and success. We are excited to see Express continue to flourish under WHP's stewardship." Hilco Global looks forward to continuing to foster such partnership-based relationships with clients of the past, present and future. In this regard, Mr. Fredericks continues, "Hilco Global has often experienced the mischaracterization in the marketplace of merely serving as a 'liquidator' of businesses. This stigma has further contributed to the 'lend-to-liquidate' moniker following the launch of Hilco Global's ReStore Capital platform in 2020. While ReStore Capital does leverage Hilco Global's asset valuation and monetization expertise, allowing us to lend deeper into asset values at a higher rate of conviction than others in the market, Hilco Global's ability to monetize such assets securing ReStore Capital's loan portfolio merely serves as a hedge to ensure repayment in full of their loan exposure." The Express story exemplifies how ReStore Capital can deploy creative financing solutions that serve the best interests of all stakeholders, regardless of what side of the table they may sit on. ReStore Capital's solutions combined with Hilco Global's breadth of services and expertise allow businesses not only a fighting chance survive, but also pave the way for them to write their next chapter as a success story in today's transformative and often challenging consumer and retail market landscape. Other Stakeholders: ABL Agent: Wells Fargo Wells ABL Participants: Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank. U.S. Bank National Association Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank. U.S. Bank National Association ABL Counsel: Goldberg Kohn Ltd. Goldberg Kohn Ltd. Term Loan Participants: First Eagle Alternative Credit and Gordon Brothers First Eagle Alternative Credit and Term Loan Counsel: Ropes & Gray LLP Ropes & Gray LLP ABL & Term Loan Advisor: AlixPartners AlixPartners Store Closing JV Partner: Gordon Brothers Company Counsel: Kirkland & Ellis LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Company Financial Advisor: M3 Advisory Partners LP M3 Advisory Partners LP Company Investment Banker: Moelis & Company LLC About Hilco Global: Hilco Global (http://www.hilcoglobal.com/) is a privately held diversified financial services company and the world's preeminent authority on maximizing the value of assets for both healthy and distressed companies. Hilco Global financial services leverage a unique blend of deep restructuring, and principal investing. Hilco Global delivers customized solutions to undervalued, high potential companies to resolve complex and stressed situations and enhance long-term enterprise value. Hilco Global operates as a holding company comprised of over twenty specialized business units that work to help companies understand the value of their assets and as needed monetize the value. Hilco Global has almost 4 decades of a successful track record of acting as an advisor, agent, investor and/or principal in any transaction. Currently, the company has $3 Billion in assets under management. Hilco Global works to deliver the best possible result by aligning interests with clients and providing them strategic insight, advice, and, in many instances, the capital required to complete the deal. Hilco Global is based in Northbrook, Illinois and has more than 800 professionals operating on five continents with US offices located in Boston, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and internationally in Australia, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico and throughout Asia. About Hilco Consumer - Retail: Hilco Consumer - Retail (www.hilcoglobal.com/companies/hilco-consumer-retail/) provides a wide range of analytical, advisory, asset monetization, and capital investment solutions to help define and execute a retailer's strategic initiatives with operations on 4 continents. Hilco Consumer - Retail activities fall into several principal categories including: acquisitions; disposition of underperforming stores; retail company or division wind downs; event sales to convert unwanted assets into working capital; facilitation of mergers and acquisitions; interim company, division or store management teams; loss prevention; and, the monetization of furniture, fixtures and equipment. Additionally, Hilco Consumer - Retail includes among its subsidiaries the nation's premier fixture and equipment liquidation firm, Hilco Fixed Asset Recovery (www.hilcoffe.com), the SaaS-based mobile visual merchandising and operations platform ReStore for Retail (www.restoreforretail.com) and an innovative sale locater website called Shop Genius (www.shopgenius.com). About ReStore Capital: ReStore Capital (www.restore-cap.com) is a commercial finance and alternative investment firm providing capital solutions to leading retailers and consumer products companies. Directly, and through its affiliates, the company leverages decades of retail and wholesale consumer goods and brand expertise to provide and unlock additional capital for inventory procurement, capex improvements, expansion and turnaround initiatives, and debt refinancing. Hilco Consumer Retail and ReStore Capital are part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com), the world's leading authority on maximizing the value of business assets by delivering valuation, monetization, advisory, and capital solutions to an international marketplace. Hilco Global operates more than twenty specialized business units offering services that include asset valuation and appraisal, retail and industrial inventory acquisition and disposition, real estate and strategic capital equity investments. SOURCE Hilco Global In recent years, Washington deliberately stretched the concept of "national security" when dealing with China, conjuring up absurd threats and hyping them up. BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- In the eyes of U.S. politicians, garlic, batteries, cranes, electric vehicles (EVs), or social media apps -- irrelevant stuff in ordinary people's eyes -- all share one conspicuous and suspicious trait if they come from China: they pose potential threats to U.S. national security. In recent years, Washington deliberately stretched the concept of "national security" when dealing with China, conjuring up absurd threats and hyping them up. Scholars have named this kind of mindset "anything but China," meaning opposing everything about China. The U.S. government is given to exaggerating external threats to safeguard the interests of special groups at home, the military-industrial complex, for example, and to seek American hegemony. This approach not only undermines the interests of the American people but also endangers global peace and development. U.S. PARANOIA ABOUT CHINA The United States has stepped up its rhetoric of the so-called "Chinese security threat" in recent years, with its fabrications including "the spy balloons," "China's rapid nuclear force expansion," and "China's overseas port investments." During the 21st Shangri-la Dialogue held in Singapore in early June, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin again tried to shift focus to the "China threat," alleging China's "coercive behavior" towards the Philippines and its growing nuclear power, and space and cyber capabilities. His true intention was to incite confrontation in China's neighborhood and create an excuse for the United States to intervene in Asia-Pacific affairs. Over the years, the United States has been clamoring "China's military threat" to intimidate and win over allies, and win budgets for the U.S. military and the interest groups behind it, with the fundamental purpose of containing China's development and maintaining its hegemony, analysts have said. In March this year, the Biden administration announced the defense budget for fiscal year 2025, which totaled 849.8 billion U.S. dollars, another record high. The Air Force's budget reached 188.1 billion, surpassing that of the Army for the first time in decades. But Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall was still not satisfied, complaining at a Senate hearing in April that the appropriations were "insufficient," citing the so-called "threat of China." U.S. politicians have also been picking on China's renewable energy and infrastructure sectors, accusing operating systems in Chinese EVs of transmitting sensitive information to the Chinese government and taking this as a justification to ban them. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo claimed in March that China could access data about location or personal messages transmitted through Chinese-made cars, saying the United States would only allow Chinese electric cars to drive on U.S. roads if "there were enough government controls on software and sensors." Meanwhile, although the American Association of Port Authorities stated in March 2023 that there is no evidence of Chinese-manufactured cranes being used as espionage tools and that modern cranes "can't track the origin, destination, or nature" of cargo shipped in U.S. ports, the U.S. government still decided to replace Chinese-manufactured cranes at ports nationwide. With similar paranoia and without any evidence, the U.S. government has also accused TikTok, a social media platform owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, of undermining national security and democratic values. However, in a humorous twist, both U.S. presidential candidates are now wooing voters on the app they had pushed to ban. Even garlic imported from China was turned into ingredients for concocting "China threat." In December last year, U.S. Senator Rick Scott claimed that the garlic from China uses human waste as fertilizer, and poses security risks to the United State. "America's collective national body is suffering from a chronic case of China anxiety," Rory Truex, an associate professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, wrote in a New York Times op-ed. "Nearly anything with the word 'Chinese' in front of it now triggers a fear response in our political system, muddling our ability to properly gauge and contextualize threats." Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, also pointed out the U.S. Congress' "hysteria and alarmism" on China. "When the two parties agree on an issue, that doesn't necessarily mean they are right. It could mean they are falling prey to a collective delusion," he said. "SCARE THE HELL OUT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" Fabricating threats has been a significant component of U.S. foreign strategies since World War II and China is not the only target. The U.S. government has frequently employed the tactic of concocting threats as a means to justify its decisions and mobilize public support for military intervention. This approach involves the deliberate exaggeration and manipulation of perceived dangers posed by foreign entities or ideologies. In February 1947, Britain, when facing economic difficulties, informed the United States that it could no longer aid Greece and Turkiye economically. To counter what was termed the "spread of communism," the U.S. government decided to seek congressional approval for a support bill for the two countries. Arthur Vandenberg, then chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, advised Former U.S. President Harry S. Truman that the best way to ensure the bill's passage was through a public speech designed to "scare the hell out of the American people." This speech is often seen as a precursor to Cold War rhetoric, successfully galvanizing public support for the aid bill. In April 1950, the White House National Security Council formulated a seminal document outlining strategic guidance towards the Soviet Union known as NSC-68. The report propagated the notion of a Soviet threat to the "free world," advocating for significant increases in military spending and recommending a military response to "Soviet aggression." Today, many American scholars argue that this report deliberately exaggerated the threat. "Qualification must give way to simplicity of statement, nicety and nuance to bluntness, almost brutality, in carrying home a point," then U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson said. WHO BENEFITS "One of the biggest challenges I've ever faced was when the Cold War ended ... We lost our best enemy at that time," Colin Powell, U.S. secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, recalled in 2012. "Our whole structure depended on there being a Soviet Union that might attack us, and it was gone." Today's "pacing threat," as the Pentagon calls it, is China, a country with a far larger population, a far more robust economy, and a far more developed technical sector than the Soviet Union ever had, said William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "For Pentagon contractors, Washington's ever-more intense focus on the prospect of war with China has one overriding benefit: it's fabulous for business. The threat of China's military, real or imagined, continues to be used to justify significant increases in military spending," said Hartung. Fabricating external threats has enriched a small number of groups in the United States, but the ultimate victims are not only countries like Iraq that suffer from U.S. aggression and interference but also the American people. "One of the main dangers to U.S. security is our tendency to greatly exaggerate the threats we face," said Stephen Walt, professor of international affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, in an interview with Yale Journal of International Affairs. "We seem to live in a remarkable state of paranoia. At a minimum, exaggerating threats in this fashion leads us to waste resources; at a maximum, it leads to great follies like the 2003 invasion of Iraq," he said. We Are All Human Foundation/Hispanic Star Amplifies Voices; Latinos Deliver Unified Message to Brands and Agencies Latino representation at Cannes increased significantly across the Festival, notably a 20% spike in jury leadership, as well as in the number of events and panel participants. increased significantly across the Festival, notably a 20% spike in jury leadership, as well as in the number of events and panel participants. A unified message was delivered that now is the time for brands, agencies to invest big in Latinos or risk an erosion of trust and future growth potential as the Latino population increases. Companies must take responsibility that AI has the power to widen or bridge the gap of Latino stereotypes and visibility. NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Latinos gained greater representation than ever at this year's Cannes Lion International Festivity of Creativity. In a major breakthrough, the number of Latino Jury presidents accounted for 20% of all jury Presidents, leaping from 0 to 6 out of 29 juries from the previous year. Latino interests also gained greater representation at events and panels this year, with more than 20 sessions by or about Latinos, starting at the Palais with the first-ever Latino Happy Hour; Havas seize the opportunity panel, Whalar's panel about the intersection of sports, AI and marketing strategies in the Hispanic community; Meta's VIP Cannes Hispanic Mixer, as well as the first-ever Latino Day, to name a few. The surge in interest came with more sponsorships and partnerships with major brands than ever before, including the Cannes Festival's Chair, Phil Thomas, and partners including Republica Havas, P&G, NFL, Lerma/MEL, Remezcla Media Group, Malka and Nielsen. We Are All Human Foundation CEO & Founder, Claudia Romo Edelman, stated: "We have been working hard to create visibility for Latinos at global platforms such as Davos and Cannes. We are proud that we brought Latinos together at Cannes, in part by creating a digital hub that gave information, access and built an immediate community for Latinos attending the Festival." The non-profit organization, dedicated to the progress of Latinos through its Hispanic Star initiative came to Cannes with the message that companies looking for future growth will find it in the Latino population. Latinos are the youngest and fastest-growing population in the United States, and already account for a staggering $3.4 trillion in purchasing power. By 2030, Latinos will be 30% of the population. The industry has yet to make a full commitment to the Latino market. Only 5% of US ad spend is targeted at the Hispanic Market. New data underscores the need for change. The new Edelman Trust Barometer found that 66% of Latinos have experienced racism in the past year, which connects to a second data point that 66% of Latinos feel that diversity is a key consideration for brand and marketing success. "Latinos don't feel that big brands and media are reflecting their values, which makes them feel excluded from the American narrative. That is a loud and clear message to brands and agencies to take a big bet on Latinos. Brands that bet small will get small results," Romo Edelman states. "But taking the big bet means more than marketing spend, though. We have to keep driving for greater representation because it is impossible to make work that is about us without us," she added. One key area for increased representation must be AI, which will have the power and accountability for either bridging or widening the gap of stereotypes and visibility. The enormous support from the Festival was essential to the group's goal of driving representation and inclusion of Latinos as a key driver of the future growth of brands and all communications about them. "Our partnership with We Are All Human this year was a wonderful coming together of Latinos and allies. We believe that the greater involvement of Latinos will not only enhance the bottom line for brands but also enhance the creativity of the work. The Festival this year showcased the power of Latinidad, and we believe this will impact how brands tap into the Hispanic market," said Gabrielle Perez, Senior Partnerships Manager of Cannes Lions. Work for next year's Cannes Festival has begun, including plans to increase Latino representation at Cannes through sponsorships that will fund Latino entries and travel to the Festival. About the We Are All Human Foundation/Hispanic Star: The We Are All Human Foundation (WAAH) is a registered (501c3) non-profit. The WAAH's mission is to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, and it has mobilized more than 300 companies to create more inclusive environments and provide assistance to the underserved. The Hispanic Star is a brand that acts as a platform to unite businesses, non-profits, community leaders and celebrities to accelerate the advancement of Hispanics in the US and to improve perception by celebrating the incredible contributions of Latinos to the country's progress. www.weareallhuman.org Media Contact: Marisa Garcia de Celis [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447160/4780587/We_Are_All_Human_Logo.jpg SOURCE We Are All Human HERISAU, Switzerland, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HUBER+SUHNER is proud to announce that it has been selected by MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA) a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly expanding global space industry, as part of the company's supply chain for MDA AURORA, a game-changing product line driving the transition from analog to digital satellite technology. HUBER+SUHNER will provide over 60,000 multi-channel radio frequency (RF) and DC Board-to-board connectors as part of this contract. The MDA AURORA supply chain will help support product deliveries for anchor customer Telesat's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation Telesat Lightspeed, an innovative, advanced global network that will bring enterprise-class connectivity to customers worldwide. "For decades, HUBER+SUHNER has been designing and manufacturing microwave and photonic technologies, enabling outstanding data transmission for the global space industry. We are honoured to be working closely alongside MDA Space in this vital partnership for Telesat Lightspeed, providing robust interconnectivity solutions towards this operation." said Reto Bolt, Chief Operating Officer, Industry Segment at HUBER+SUHNER Designed to meet the changing technical and business requirements of the satellite industry, the software-defined MDA AURORA product line provides operators with unparalleled flexibility and functionality, dramatically enhancing constellation performance at reduced cost and time to market. This media release can also be found under https://www.hubersuhner.com/en/company/media/news HUBER+SUHNER Group The globally active Swiss company HUBER+SUHNER develops and produces components and system solutions for electrical and optical connectivity. The company serves the three main markets Industry, Communication and Transportation with applications from the three technologies of radio frequency, fiber optics and low frequency. HUBER+SUHNER products excel in excellent performance, quality, reliability and long service lives - even under the most demanding conditions. Through a global production network, combined with subsidiaries and representatives in over 80 countries, the company is close to its customers worldwide. ABOUT MDA SPACE Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space (TSX: MDA) is a trusted mission partner to the global space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure. The MDA Space team of more than 3,000 space experts in Canada, the US and the UK has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable mission bringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that's been in the company's DNA since day one. For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we'll take you there. For more information, visit mda.space. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2440370/Huber_Suhner_AG_Logo.jpg SOURCE Huber + Suhner AG TAMPA, Fla., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Identity Dental Marketing, a trusted provider of marketing solutions for dental practices, offers unlimited pages of custom content for all custom dental websites . This innovative service underscores the company's commitment to delivering tailored solutions that resonate with clients and drive tangible results. Identity Dental Marketing Identity Dental Marketing Grace Rizza "At Identity Dental Marketing, we understand the power of personalized content," said Grace Rizza, CEO at Identity Dental Marketing. "Our team crafts compelling content that reflects each client's unique services, selling points, and values. We prioritize client satisfaction by ensuring they have full control over the content creation process, from initial consultation to final approval, and ongoing revisions at any time." Identity Dental Marketing is set apart by its dedicated team of professionals with actual experience in dentistry. By leveraging their insider knowledge and years of experience, the company produces content that not only appeals to search engines like Google, but also resonates with prospective patients. Clients often rave about a streamlined review and approval process, noting how easy it is to review and approve both written and designed website and social media content. This hands-on approach ensures that content aligns with the dentist's vision and objectives. To learn more about Identity Dental Marketing's comprehensive suite of services and schedule a complimentary marketing planning session, visit https://identitydental.com or contact (847) 629-4646. About Identity Dental Marketing: Identity Dental Marketing is a digital marketing agency specializing in custom solutions including: SEO for Dentists, Google Ads Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Implant Marketing and clear aligner marketing for dentists and dental specialists. For media inquiries, please contact: Grace Rizza Identity Dental Marketing (847) 629-4646 [email protected] SOURCE Identity Dental Marketing Dr. Anthony Yanni publishes a wide-ranging case for patient-centered healthcare delivery and treatment developmenta "long-overdue disruption." SCRANTON, Pa., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthony J. Yanni, MD, today announced the publication of his book, A Bandana and A Bluebird: The Path to a Patient Centric Healthcare System. Dr. Yanni emerged in the last decade as one of the foremost champions and practitioners of patient-centered healthcare delivery and development worldwide, having served as a clinician, Chief Medical Officer of a hospital system, and Global Head of Patient Centricity for a major pharmaceuticals company. "This book shares the profound patient experiences that shaped my views, offers practical ways to implement patient-centered approaches across healthcare, and pushes back hard on the objections to this long-overdue disruption," said Dr. Yanni. "I wrote this book to promote dialogue and progress on Patient Centricityand I look forward to both as a result of its publication." A Bandana and A Bluebird will be released by Amazon Publishing on July 1, 2024in hardback, paperback, and e-book formats--and can be pre-ordered on Amazon beginning today. Requests for appearances, interviews, and advance copies can be made via Adriel, [email protected]. Patient Centricity can improve many aspects of medicine development and care delivery. Post this Dr. Yanni currently serves as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centricity at Astellas Pharma, Inc., where he has led efforts to implement patient-centered culture and decision-making changes on a transformative scale. Previously, Dr. Yanni served in a similar role at Sanofi, as Chief Medical Officer of a Pennsylvania-based hospital system, and as a physician specialized in internal medicine for more than a decade. "There are few companies in other industries that would develop a product if they didn't understand the end users' expectations, access, and usefulness of impact. Why has healthcare been so slow to understand this?" Dr. Yanni asks in his new book. "Patient Centricity can improve many aspects of medicine development and care delivery. It's not the answer to everything but it's a leap worth taking towards better outcomes while providing the respectful care of each individual in need." SOURCE Dr Anthony Yanni CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HITEC 2024 -- InfiniG, a pioneer in solutions for in-building wireless, today announced the successful deployment of its groundbreaking Mobile Coverage as a Service (MCaaS) solution at the luxurious Gale South Beach Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. This revolutionary deployment ensures that guests can seamlessly connect to their preferred mobile network, whether they are savoring authentic Italian cuisine at Dolce Italian Restaurant, sipping handcrafted cocktails at the chic Medium Cool Cocktail Lounge, or unwinding in the hotel's stylishly appointed guest rooms. The InfiniG MCaaS solution consists of two key components: InfiniG On-Ramp: Advanced hardware installed on-site to provide robust mobile coverage throughout the hotel. InfiniG Cloud Service: A cloud-based platform that manages and optimizes the mobile network performance. InfiniG's MCaaS solution at the Gale South Beach is currently live with multiple mobile operators, making it the first hotel of its kind to offer this type of multi-carrier mobile coverage service. Hotel guests will now automatically connect to their preferred mobile network, enjoying uninterrupted access to superior voice and data services. This enhancement positions the Gale as a leader among boutique properties, offering the superior connectivity previously limited to larger hotels with DAS, and ultimately driving higher occupancy rates. "We are excited to partner with the Gale South Beach to deliver an unparalleled mobile experience for their guests," said Joel Lindholm, CEO of InfiniG. "Our 4-year collaboration with industry leaders Airspan and Druid Software has enabled us to create a truly innovative solution that sets a new standard for in-building mobile coverage in the hospitality sector." Key benefits of InfiniG's MCaaS solution for the Gale South Beach Hotel and its guests include: Seamless connectivity: Guests automatically access their mobile network without the need for additional authentication or log-ins. Guests automatically access their mobile network without the need for additional authentication or log-ins. Multi-carrier support: The solution supports major US mobile networks and their MVNO partners, ensuring guests can use their preferred provider. The solution supports major US mobile networks and their MVNO partners, ensuring guests can use their preferred provider. Enhanced safety: Reliable in-building coverage ensures guests can make emergency calls anywhere on the property. Reliable in-building coverage ensures guests can make emergency calls anywhere on the property. Improved guest experience: High-quality mobile services significantly increase guest satisfaction and loyalty. "Here at the Gale South Beach we strive to provide guests with the best possible experience. Having reliable and robust connectivity is crucial to achieving that," said Seth Wasserman, Vice President of Information Technology at Gale Hospitality Group, which operates the hotel. "InfiniG's MCaaS solution guarantees us far superior levels of service for our guests, for both work and play, but also safety, reinforcing our position as a leading destination in Miami Beach." The InfiniG MCaaS platform revolutionizes in-building mobile coverage for boutique hotels like the Gale, which previously relied on inadequate solutions such as cellular repeaters that often resulted in poor performance and guest frustration. By integrating Airspan's advanced Radio Access Networks and Druid's cutting-edge Raemis MOCN Gateways, InfiniG's solution ensures seamless multi-carrier support and 5G-readiness, elevating the guest experience and setting a new standard for exceptional connectivity at smaller properties. "Airspan is thrilled to be part of the InfiniG groundbreaking MCaaS solution," said Glenn Laxdal, CEO of Airspan Networks. "Our innovative radio access technology, combined with the power of the CBRS spectrum, is helping to bridge the in-building coverage gap and unlock new opportunities for the hospitality industry." "Druid's Raemis MOCN Gateway is a key enabler for scalable, multi-carrier mobile coverage deployments," added Druid Software CEO Liam Kenny. "We are proud of our multi-year work with the InfiniG team to enable this transformative solution at the Gale South Beach Hotel, showcasing the immense potential of shared mobile networks and addressing the growing demand for mobile connectivity along with economic and environmental concerns." InfiniG's successful deployment at the Gale South Beach marks a significant step forward in addressing the in-building coverage challenge, which impacts an estimated 5.9 million commercial buildings in the US alone. As the MCaaS model gains traction, InfiniG is poised to revolutionize mobile connectivity across various verticals, including hospitality, healthcare, education, and enterprise spaces. For more information about InfiniG's Mobile Coverage as a Service solution, please visit www.infinig.io. To request a meeting with InfiniG executives at HITEC 2024, please email [email protected]. About InfiniG: Founded by the first industry experts to deploy a CBRS neutral host network at a Fortune 50 company, InfiniG is at the forefront of solving the in-building mobile coverage challenge. The company's innovative Mobile Coverage as a Service (MCaaS) solution leverages the CBRS shared spectrum and intelligent infrastructure sharing to deliver seamless, cost-effective mobile connectivity for building owners and mobile network operators. For more information, visit www.InfiniG.io. About Druid Software: Established in 2000, Druid Software is a global leader in Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) Gateways, enabling seamless multi-carrier support and network sharing for neutral host deployments, trusted by CSPs and enterprises worldwide. With its unique features designed specifically for business and mission-critical use, Druid's Raemis platform simplifies the deployment and management of shared mobile infrastructure, unlocking new possibilities for operators and venue owners. For more information, visit www.druidsoftware.com . About Airspan: Airspan Networks Holdings Inc. is a U.S.-based provider of groundbreaking, disruptive software and hardware for 5G networks, and a pioneer in end-to-end Open RAN solutions that provide interoperability with other vendors. As a result of innovative technology and significant R&D investments to build and expand 5G solutions, Airspan believes it is well-positioned with 5G indoor and outdoor, Open RAN, private networks for enterprise customers and industrial use applications, fixed wireless access (FWA), Air-To-Ground, Neutral Host Networks and Utilities solutions to help mobile network operators of all sizes deploy their networks of the future, today. With over one million cells shipped to 1,000 customers in more than 100 countries, Airspan has global scale. For more information, visit www.airspan.com. SOURCE InfiniG Pilates Franchise Studio Continues Franchise Expansion by Opening its First Location in the Golden State MIAMI, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JETSET Pilates the Miami-based, modern Reformer Pilates franchise, combining curated music and fitness for the ultimate revitalizing experience is thrilled to announce its plans to expand into California for the first time through franchising. With one multi-unit deal already signed in San Diego, the brand is seeking aspiring entrepreneurs to bring its 360-workout experience to local communities in Northern California as well as Orange County and the L.A. metro area. The first San Diego location is set to open later this year. JETSET Pilates With the San Diego development deal marking its entrance into the state, JETSET Pilates is looking to capitalize on its growth and ramp up expansion throughout California. The state's thriving culture of health and wellness, coupled with its year-round sunshine and reputation as a fitness trendsetter, make it a perfect fit for JETSET's continued expansion. With a large and affluent population eager for innovative workout experiences, JETSET is poised for success in the Golden State. The brand plans to open multiple locations in San Diego, with further expansion across various markets within California. "We are thrilled to be entering the California market, a state renowned for its health-conscious population and embrace of innovative fitness trends," said Tamara Galinsky, Founder and Brand President of JETSET Pilates. "With our first development deal secured in San Diego, we see tremendous potential for JETSET Pilates to thrive in the different communities throughout California." JETSET Pilates has grown to become an internationally recognized brand with a growing, loyal community devoted to the unique 50-minute workout that challenges mind, body and soul. Instructors have been trained to create a personal connection with clients, ensuring everyone receives a workout that is effective and appropriate for their personal goals. The intricate designs, intuitive settings and high-performance reformer equipment allows the brand to create a 360 experience like no other for every client. Bert Albertse, CEO of JETSET Pilates, shared his enthusiasm about the California expansion: "At JETSET Pilates, we combine high-performance equipment with expert instruction to deliver a truly transformative workout experience. Our experienced leadership team, boasting decades in franchising and boutique fitness, is dedicated to supporting our franchise partners every step of the way, ensuring their success in this exciting new market." Boasting a collective 37 years of franchising experience, coupled with 55 years of combined expertise within the boutique fitness industry, potential franchise partners can trust they are joining a seasoned leadership team dedicated to their success. JETSET Pilates also offers a comprehensive post-opening support and training initiative, providing franchise partners and studio leaders with implementation, operational, and strategic support. Components include collaborative meetings for alignment, financial reviews for optimization, personalized mastery sessions, and seamless integration of operational initiatives. Additionally, the brand's product and talent department provides ongoing support through workshops, skill enhancement opportunities, and structured feedback for instructors. Since launching its franchise opportunity, JETSET Pilates has rapidly gained traction, establishing itself as a leading concept in the boutique franchise business space, and is now seeking driven professionals nationwide to share its personalized workout experience. To learn more about JETSET Pilates or if interested in the opportunity to own a franchise in your community, please visit https://jetsetpilates.com/franchise/ About JETSET Pilates Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2022, JETSET Pilates has rapidly established itself as one of the most attractive concepts in the boutique franchise business space. JETSET Pilates currently has plans to open studios in Florida, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Washington D.C., California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah and Australia, with over 50 studios in development. JETSET now offers franchising opportunities to entrepreneurs in some of the largest and fastest-growing markets within the fitness franchise sector. For more information, please visit https://jetsetpilates.com/franchise/ . Contact: Elise Fricilone, Franchise Elevator PR, [email protected] SOURCE JETSET Pilates Lawler brings 30+ years of experience in the sector with an expansive track record of growing energy platforms, responsibly expanding production and implementing effective emissions reduction strategies Commonwealth on track to reach final investment decision on best-in-class LNG export facility by the first half of 2025 and to commence deliveries in 2028 HOUSTON and NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimmeridge, an alternative asset manager focused on the energy sector, today announced that its affiliate, Kimmeridge Texas Gas ("KTG"), has appointed David Lawler as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Lawler will advance KTG's efforts to become a fully integrated provider of LNG from well-head to water providing reliable, secure and clean energy to global markets. Mr. Lawler brings more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector, with a distinguished track record across each of the positions he has held. Most recently, he served as Chairman and President of BP America, which accounted for nearly 40% of corporate global revenue. While at BP America, Mr. Lawler spearheaded the formation and implementation of an integrated strategy to achieve net-zero production by 2050. In addition, Mr. Lawler served as CEO of BPX Energy, BP's onshore unconventional and midstream business. He led the $10.5 billion acquisition of BHP's onshore assets, BP's largest acquisition in more than 20 years, and built a world class operating team that delivered significant year-on-year improvements, including growing production over 125% while significantly reducing emissions in the Permian Basin. To further accelerate KTG's growth trajectory, Kimmeridge also announced the closing of a follow-on control investment in Commonwealth LNG ("Commonwealth"). The funding will support a 9.5 million tons per annum (mtpa) LNG export facility in Cameron, Louisiana, through anticipated final investment decision (FID) in 1H 2025, and will raise Kimmeridge's equity ownership in Commonwealth to over 90%. Ben Dell, Managing Partner of Kimmeridge and Director at KTG, said, "We welcome David to the KTG team as it enters a compelling new era of growth, while accelerating carbon neutrality through the development of environmentally responsible, low-cost energy assets. David has shaped and led large-scale, best-in-class operations that align with Kimmeridge's commitment to enhancing capital efficiency and reaching net-zero operations. Additionally, we would like to thank Mike Wieland for all his contributions as CEO of KTG since September 2022, helping to build it into the high-quality, scaled asset it is today." Mr. Dell continued, "We are excited to take a controlling interest in Commonwealth LNG as we integrate our business from well-head to water, and look forward to the completion of a best-in-class LNG export facility in Louisiana." Farhad Ahrabi, Commonwealth CEO and President, said, "We are delighted to integrate into the Kimmeridge team as we work towards FID in 2025. Kimmeridge shares our vision of bringing a differentiated offering to the LNG market, and we look forward to commencing delivery to our customers in 2028." David Lawler, CEO of KTG, said, "I am very pleased to join the KTG team and look forward to advancing the Company's plans of becoming a fully integrated provider of LNG from well-head to water, including through our expanded partnership with Commonwealth, with an option for net zero cargoes. When produced responsibly, LNG is a reliable, easily accessible energy source. In the future, KTG will export clean energy across the world, helping economies accelerate their transition ambitions." About David Lawler In addition to his roles at BP and BPX, Mr. Lawler served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at SandRidge Energy, a US-based oil and gas independent. Prior to SandRidge, he was Chief Executive Officer and President of PostRock Energy Corporation. He also worked for Shell E&P Co. as an engineering and operations manager with full P&L and HSE responsibility for the South Tex and Mobile Bay E&P assets. Mr. Lawler began his career as a Production Engineer with Conoco and as a Drilling Engineer with Burlington Resources. Mr. Lawler graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering in 1990 before earning an MBA from Tulane University in 2003. He is also a Trustee of the Colorado School of Mines, appointed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis in 2022. About Kimmeridge Founded in 2012 by Ben Dell, Dr. Neil McMahon and Henry Makansi, Kimmeridge is an alternative asset manager focused on the energy sector. The firm is differentiated by its direct investment approach, deep technical knowledge, active portfolio management, proven sustainability track record and proprietary research and data gathering. About Kimmeridge Texas Gas Kimmeridge Texas Gas is a conventional producer of natural gas committed to accelerating carbon neutrality by developing environmentally responsible, low-cost energy assets. With approximately 148,000 net acres in Texas overlaying the dry gas window of the Eagle Ford Shale within Webb, La Salle, McMullen and Karnes counties, the Company produces approximately 400 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas and oil per day, selling into the South Texas market with access to Mexican export channels, to LNG terminals for global sales, and into pipelines directly servicing Gulf Coast petrochemical facilities. About Commonwealth LNG Commonwealth LNG is a 9.5 mtpa liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project located on the Calcasieu River at the Gulf of Mexico near Cameron, Louisiana. The project's leadership team is committed to building a world-class LNG facility by staying relentlessly focused on managing risk and lowering capital cost. Media Daniel Yunger / Hallie Wolff / Emma Cloyd [email protected] 917.574.8582 / 917.842.1127 SOURCE Kimmeridge BERKELEY, Calif., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kivu Consulting, a leading cybersecurity solutions provider, announced the launch of its CyberCertainty Managed Extended Detection and Response (XDR), the next generation of its leading managed security service. "The combination of Kivu's threat expertise along with innovative, leading technology enables us to provide powerful proactive hunting, detective, and response capabilities to our clients in a solution with a fast time-to-value that's effective in countering modern threat actors," said Gary Alterson, VP of Managed Services, Kivu. Supported by Kivu's SOC, CyberCertainty Managed XDR enables agile protection, detection, and blocking of modern cyberattacks across multiple attack paths including endpoint, network, identity, cloud, and more; combining leading technology with the ability to ingest and analyze any client security telemetry available. CyberCertainty Managed XDR leverages insight from Kivu's 15+ years as a leader in incident response and cyber-extortion, along with open-source, commercial, and proprietary threat intelligence to identify new and emerging threats faster and more effectively, giving our clients the cyber certainty to focus on growing their businesses. Kivu Expands Partnership with CrowdStrike CyberCertainty Managed XDR is powered by CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen SIEM , which brings enhanced benefits to our valued customers with up to 150x faster search performance than legacy SIEMs and solutions positioned as SIEM alternatives. This means quicker detection and response to potential threats, ensuring our clients' data and systems remain secure. "The speed and sophistication of modern adversaries requires that security teams be able to rapidly ingest and analyze massive amounts of data to detect, investigate and respond to attacks at machine speed," said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer, CrowdStrike. "Adding the cutting-edge technology of Falcon Next-Gen SIEM into Kivu's CyberCertainty Managed XDR will assure customers that they have the best tools and expertise at their disposal to stop breaches." Kivu Partners with Lumu to Expand Threat Detection and Response To provide enhanced network visibility and response capabilities across client networks, Kivu partnered with Lumu Technologies. Lumu's AI powered network real-time detection, analysis and response engine provides leading network defense capabilities that are easy to integrate into client networks. "Adding Lumu's advanced network metadata analytics to CyberCertainty Managed XDR enables us to provide unparalleled visibility and response across multiple attack paths in a way that few others can match," said Alterson. Ricardo Villadiego, Founder and CEO of Lumu, said "We are thrilled to partner with Kivu to elevate their cybersecurity operations through our robust threat detection and response platform. Lumu for MSPs/MSSPs was purposefully built to help TSPs operate cybersecurity efficiently, making the best use of their existing technologies and human talent." About Kivu Kivu is a leading, global cyber security firm established in 2009 that offers a full suite of cybersecurity services specializing in forensic incident response and business restoration from cyberattacks, ransom negotiations, and 247 managed security operations. Kivu is a trusted partner to the insurance, legal, and government communities worldwide. For Additional Details on Kivu CyberCertainty Managed XDR, please see our website at https://www.kivuconsulting.com/managed-services or email [email protected]. SOURCE Kivu Consulting Funding Supports LanzaJet Global Growth and Establishes MUFG's Interest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer, today announced an investment from MUFG, one of the world's leading financial groups with total assets of approximately $2.9 trillion. The investment enables LanzaJet to continue building its capability and capacity to deploy its proprietary ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) process technology. "We continue to build a leading team of investors along the SAF value chain who believe in LanzaJet's ability to decarbonize aviation, which will both address climate change and enable the global economy," said Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet. "The investment from MUFG further enables LanzaJet's efforts to scale SAF production, with one of the world's leading financial groups enabling the development of infrastructure globally." MUFG's investment is part of LanzaJet's current $100 million growth equity funding round, with support from leading companies across industries and around the world. In the last few months, LanzaJet has announced investments from Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Groupe ADP, and now MUFG. While SAF production continues to scale, LanzaJet maintains its role in developing the industry by continuing its work building the ecosystem required to decarbonize aviation through SAF. LanzaJet continues to be at the forefront by commercializing its next generation ethanol-to-SAF technology and opening its fully-funded LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels biorefinery the world's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF plant. Located in the United States, the historic plant will produce SAF and renewable diesel from low-carbon and sustainable ethanol and achieve International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). "MUFG is deeply committed to redefining the future of finance by prioritizing innovative and sustainable industry solutions. Our strategic support for LanzaJet is a prime example of this commitment, signifying our belief in the critical role of sustainable fuels for the economic and environmental well-being of the businesses we serve," said Koichiro Oshima, Managing Executive Officer, Head of Financial Solutions Group, MUFG Bank, Ltd. "This partnership not only aligns with our mission to drive progress but also showcases our dedication to catalyzing positive change. By investing in sustainable pathways, we aim to ensure the resilience and success ofour stakeholders, paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all." In addition to MUFG, LanzaJet's portfolio of investors and funders includes All Nippon Airways (ANA), Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Mitsui & Co., Shell, Southwest Airlines, and Suncor Energy. ABOUT LANZAJET LanzaJet is a leading sustainable fuels technology company dedicated to accelerating the clean energy transition. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by catalyzing the deployment of SAF and other clean energy critical to addressing the climate crisis and transforming the global economy. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/ ABOUT MUFG Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world's leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,100 locations in more than 40 countries. MUFG has nearly 120,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to be "the world's most trusted financial group" through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. SOURCE LanzaJet NEWARK, N.J., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Levy Konigsberg attorneys Moshe Maimon and Corey Briskin filed a lawsuit on behalf of six men and women who suffered sexual abuse during their confinement as juveniles at Essex County Juvenile Detention Center ("ECJDC"). Levy Konigsberg sued Essex County, alleging that it failed to protect children from rampant sexual abuse at ECJDC. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of six men and women who were abused as children at ECJDC, is the latest in a string of New Jersey juvenile detention abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg. As detailed in the complaint, there is a well-documented history of abuse at ECJDC, with reports of abusive practices dating back to the early 2000s. At the time, the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission criticized ECJDC for employing forbidden restraints, including straightjackets and long-term isolation, to discipline juveniles detained there. In 2012, the United States Department of Justice issued a report finding that New Jersey has some of the highest rates of sexual abuse among juvenile detention facilities nationwide and that much of this abuse goes unreported. As a result of the County's failures, children suffered abuse at the hands of guards and other staff members at UCJDC who were responsible for their care. The suits filed by Levy Konigsberg were brought under New Jersey's Child Sexual Abuse Act ("CSAA"), a 2019 law that expanded the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits in cases of child sexual abuse. Most of the survivors seeking justice in these lawsuits were abused many years ago, some as far back as the 1980s, suffering in silence until their claims were finally made possible by the CSAA. Despite the years separating their experiences, the six men and women whose claims were filed this week experienced disturbingly similar patterns of abuse, evidencing Essex County's systemic failure to protect the children in its care. In announcing this week's filing, Levy Konigsberg Partner Moshe Maimon stated: "For too long, vulnerable children in Essex County's custody have suffered unthinkable abuse at its juvenile detention centervictims of a broken juvenile justice system. The County had a responsibility to these children, and it failed to uphold that responsibility." Levy Konigsberg has filed hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse nationwide and is at the forefront of CSAA litigation in New Jersey, having filed some of the first lawsuits about the widespread sexual abuse in the State's juvenile detention facilities. Earlier this year, the Associated Press covered Levy Konigsberg's lawsuit on behalf of 50 men who were abused at the New Jersey Training School, known as Jamesburg. Interested parties can read the article here. Since then, Levy Konigsberg has filed separate lawsuits on behalf of scores of men and women who were sexually abused as juveniles in juvenile detention facilities across New Jersey. Levy Konigsberg represents hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse at New Jersey juvenile detention facilities and plans to continue fighting tirelessly on their behalf. For additional information about child sexual abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg, please visit the firm's website or reach out to Partner Moshe Maimon using the firm's contact form. Contact: Erica Helcher [email protected] SOURCE Levy Konigsberg U.S. Air Force Retiree from Hurlburt Field Opens Franchise Business to Answer Local Demand for In-Home Care and Senior Living Referral Services ROSEVILLE, Calif., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Always Best Care Senior Services, one of the leading senior care franchise systems in the United States, announced today the opening of its first location in the Florida Panhandle. Always Best Care of Shalimar is owned and operated by local resident and military veteran Jeremy Meng, who is now providing award-winning in-home senior care and senior living referral services throughout Shalimar and surrounding areas such as Crestview, Niceville, Milton and Eglin Air Force Base. "We are thrilled to have Jeremy expanding Always Best Care's reach in Florida, where we now have six locations throughout the state providing the highest level of personal care to seniors and their families," said Jake Brown, President and CEO of Always Best Care. "With the demand for quality senior care growing, it's more important than ever to have passionate entrepreneurs like Jeremy who can pair their experience in managing people and processes with a commitment to helping others. We look forward to watching him grow and make a difference in his community." Jeremy Meng served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, retiring from Hurlburt Field as the Superintendent/Special Agent of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment in 2018. Although his federal service is complete, he is continuing to help his local community by providing daily life services for in-need individuals and their families. "I have had the pleasure of living in the Shalimar area for the past eight years and know there is a large group of retirees here who want to stay as independent as possible as they age," said Jeremy Meng, owner of Always Best Care of Shalimar. "Along with my team of professional caregivers, I look forward to providing trusted companionship, personalized care plans, and comfort to them right in their home." For those who are ready to transition to senior living, Always Best Care of Shalimar helps them find the ideal community to meet their financial, geographical and cultural needs. "We provide full-service guidance to seniors and their families, scheduling tours and accompanying them during the facility tours. We ask the questions clients may not know they need to ask," Meng added. Always Best Care is one of the nation's leading providers of non-medical in-home care and senior living referral services, with skilled home health care in limited markets. The company delivers its services through an international network of more than 250 independently owned and operated franchise territories throughout the United States and Canada. By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors, and families, Always Best Care franchise owners provide affordable, comprehensive solutions that can be specifically matched to meet a client's particular physical or social needs. Always Best Care of Shalimar is located at 60 2nd Street, Suite C-1. For additional information or to schedule a care consultation, call 850-797-8710 or visit alwaysbestcare.com/shalimar. About Always Best Care Founded in 1996, Always Best Care Senior Services is based on the belief that having the right people for the right level of care means peace of mind for the client and family. Always Best Care has been assisting seniors with a wide range of conditions and personal needs for over 27 years and currently provides thousands of hours of care every year. Franchise opportunities are available to individuals interested in leveraging the company's clear strategy and proven track record for delivering affordable, dependable service to seniors in their local areas. Always Best Care also offers exclusive programs such as Always in Touch, Balance Tracking System, remote patient monitoring and a 24/7 Virtual Care. For more information regarding Always Best Care's solutions, visit www.alwaysbestcare.com. CONTACT: Nicole Hunnicutt Fish Consulting 404-558-4108 [email protected] SOURCE Always Best Care Appointment ushers in new phase of growth and innovation for MRP LAKE FOREST, Ill. and SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MRP Solutions ("MRP" or the "Company"), a provider of closures and other rigid packaging components to the health & wellness, food, and other specialty markets, today announced the appointment of Mark Shafer as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors. MRP Solutions is backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, "Clearlake"). Mr. Shafer has nearly 20 years of experience leading specialized industrial organizations, with the last nine years spent in the packaging sector, and has demonstrated a history of growth, operational achievement, strategy development and execution. Most recently, he served as Chief Customer Officer at Altium Packaging where he was responsible for leading the sales, customer service, quality, and select aspects of the supply chain functions. "I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead MRP as we position the Company for the next phase of its evolution," said Mr. Shafer. "MRP's broad and customizable product offering, reputation for innovation, track record of quality and customer service, and focus on post-consumer recyclable solutions provide an appealing value proposition to customers. I am excited to join the Company and partner with MRP's leadership team and employees, valued customers, and Clearlake to drive future growth in the business." "Mark's background and vision complement MRP's customer-centric and innovation-oriented strategy, and his operating experience aligns well with Clearlake's O.P.S. approach, making him an ideal choice to lead the Company in the next stage of its development," said Jose E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Arta Tabaee, Partner and Managing Director, at Clearlake. Mr. Shafer succeeds outgoing CEO Jim Fitzgerald, who will transition to senior advisor. "I am thankful for the opportunity to have led MRP and believe the Company is on the right track as we return to a normalized operating environment," said Mr. Fitzgerald. "On behalf of Clearlake and MRP, we would like to thank Jim for his leadership," said Dilshat Erkin, Principal at Clearlake. "Jim's dedication, particularly during the market challenges presented over the past several years, has helped position MRP well for future growth." About MRP Solutions MRP Solutions provides rigid packaging components used by millions of consumers while serving a diverse set of end-markets. Delivering packaging with purpose, MRP products can be found on many national and private label brands in markets including health and wellness, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, personal and home care, as well as specialty food like spices and sauces. The Company has a library of 900+ tools used to support a product offering of nearly 13,000 SKUs and the ability to create a meaningfully higher count of variations. With a product line comprising child-resistant closures, continuous thread caps, dispensing closures, and jars, MRP Solutions specializes in flexible and efficient operations for small- to medium-sized customers with short-run production needs. MRP serves its customers through three production facilities in North America, and is headquartered in Lake Forest, IL. For more information, please visit www.mrpsolutions.com. About Clearlake Founded in 2006, Clearlake is an investment firm operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S.. The firm's core target sectors are technology, industrials, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $80 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK, Dublin, Ireland, and Singapore. Learn more at www.clearlake.com. Media Contact: Jennifer Hurson Lambert Ph: +1 845-507-0571 [email protected] SOURCE MRP Solutions Impact data from a 5-year study of Statewide Family Engagement Centers in each state demonstrates student and family gains LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently published results from a five-year study of Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) led by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) in Arizona and Nebraska demonstrate important family learning gains. Parenting adults who participated in SFEC programming in both states demonstrated increases in their technology skills and their confidence to support their children's education, while also making progress towards other important goals, including earning a GED, improving their English skills, and becoming a better teacher of their child. Additionally, participating Nebraska children demonstrated reading score gains that surpassed matched peers. Both the Arizona and Nebraska SFECs were established in 2018 thanks to five-year grants from the U.S. Department of Education; work was completed on each grant in late 2023. NCFL established the Arizona SFEC alongside a consortium of state and local organizationsincluding Unite for Literacy, Southwest Human Development, PBS Arizona, Make Way for Books, Read on Arizona, and the Arizona Department of Education. During the grant period, NCFL and its partners created school-based family literacy programs in fourteen public schools across six districts; instituted a statewide professional development network for family literacy practitioners and educators; and developed a Parent Leadership Council to incorporate family voice into the education decision-making process. In Nebraska, NCFL worked alongside Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Nebraska Department of Education, and Unite for Literacy to serve families across eight of the state's 19 Educational Service Units. Throughout the five-year grant period, NCFL and its partners developed a statewide professional development network to support family-school partnerships; instituted school-based family literacy programs in 14 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across the state; and created parent leadership opportunities through representation on the Nebraska SFEC State Advisory Board and other opportunities. The need for robust, cohesive family engagement systems is a longstanding one.In A New Wave of Evidence , Henderson and Mapp note that children whose parents are more engaged with their education are more likely to have higher school attendance, achieve better learning outcomes, demonstrate improved social emotional well-being, and be more adaptable and comfortable in school settings. The Arizona and Nebraska SFECs worked to leverage the power of family engagement in education while centering socially, culturally, and economically diverse families who have been historically underserved. These efforts were grounded in the latest research and applied Mapp's Dual Capacity-Building Framework as the gold standard in family engagement practices. Arizona PBS Senior Director of Education and Community Impact, Kimberly Flack, is pleased with the way the work of the Arizona SFEC helped expand access to early childhood education resources for the state's families. "We have been so appreciative of the opportunity to work alongside NCFL in community," says Flack. "We were already doing early literacy work with families to help children be prepared for kindergarten and to help parents realize how they can assist their child with learning with everyday activities. With NCFL, we were able to equip children and families with numerous resources to help make this learning even more robust." "The partnership between Nebraska Children and Families Foundation (NCFF), Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), and NCFL exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing the educational needs of diverse communities and responding to the educational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," says Joe DiCostanzo, NCFF Vice President of Education. "This collaboration convened state-level decision makers, including legislators, to underscore the critical role of adult literacy in enhancing family success and improving student outcomes." "Through initiatives like "Together Better" and the Afghan refugee family engagement program," says Zainab Rida, NDE Equity Officer & Administrator of the Office of Coordinated Student Support Services, "this partnership not only supports NDE's mission but also enriches the lives of countless families across Nebraska. By fostering meaningful connections and promoting cultural sensitivity, NDE, NCFF and NCFL are paving the way for a more inclusive and supportive educational landscape." NCFL President and CEO Dr. Felicia Cumings Smith is pleased by the impact of NCFL's work alongside partners in both states. "Families reach their full potential when parents and children learn together," says Smith. "Thanks to the work of strong partners from across the state, both the Nebraska and Arizona SFECs provided literary opportunities for the whole family while also supporting parenting adults in developing the confidence to engage with and advocate for their children's education. At NCFL, we know that strong families are the foundation on which strong communities are built. By engaging children and families in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their learning journeys, the Arizona and Nebraska SFECs have planted the seeds of lifelong success in communities across both states." About the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) NCFL is a national nonprofit that has worked for more than 35 years to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families. We believe education is a shared, nonpartisan responsibility and that collaboration among families, schools, and community members can lead to powerful learning experiences. NCFL's vision is to establish coordinated and aligned family learning systems in 60 communities by 2030, built with and for families, to increase education and economic outcomes and create more equitable communities. For more information on NCFL, visit familieslearning.org . To learn more about our vision or become a Family Learning Community partner, visit familieslearning.org/60x30 . MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Foster Parish, 703-472-5997, [email protected] SOURCE National Center for Families Learning Facility Marks Tenth DC Location for $3 Billion Supply Chain Management Company BURLESON, Texas, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- National DCP, LLC, (NDCP), the $3 billion supply chain management company serving Dunkin' franchisees, today broke ground on its new food service distribution center in Burleson, Texas. Representing NDCP's tenth distribution facility nationwide, the company is partnering with ARCO Design/Build, an industry-leading design-build construction firm, to complete this project. Rendering National DCP Burleson, Texas Distribution Center "We are proud to support the continued growth of Dunkin' with the construction of our new Burleson Distribution Center," said Stephen Down, Chief Executive Officer of National DCP. "This centralized location will allow us to better serve members throughout Texas and the region. The City of Burleson has been a terrific partner, and their local investment in education will enrich our future workforce." Located in a suburb of Fort Worth, the Burleson facility spans 79,296 square feet. The building is being designed to offer flexibility and scalability to accommodate Dunkin's future growth trajectory in the region. It is slated for completion in Q3 2025. "NDCP's Burleson DC is a strategic investment that will support our future growth for years to come and help us deliver excellent service to members," noted Sanjay Jain, National DCP Board Chairman. "We are honored to be National DCP's design-build partner for this project, exemplifying ARCO's commitment to designing and constructing innovative cold storage solutions," said Brian Osterloh, Executive Vice President of ARCO Design/Build. "In collaboration with National DCP and Dunkin', we are leveraging our expertise in temperature-controlled environments to design a facility that enhances efficiency, ensures optimal product quality, and accommodates future growth." About National DCP, LLC (NDCP) National DCP, LLC (NDCP) is the $3 billion global supply chain management company serving Dunkin' franchisees. The organization supports over 10,000 quick service restaurants in the U.S. and distributes products to more than 40 countries. NDCP's expertise includes strategic sourcing of food and non-food items, equipment services, distribution, business services, supply chain and full visibility, traceability, continuity, and sustainability of supply. Each year, its extensive distribution network makes 700,000+ deliveries of over 86+ million cases, driving more than 30 million miles. Innovative practices with strategic sourcing, inventory, warehousing, transportation, and program management have allowed NDCP to generate more than $2 billion in cumulative savings for Dunkin' franchisees. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, the award-winning company has nearly 2,000 employees nationwide at its nine distribution centers and 30+ logistics hubs. For more information, visit www.nationaldcp.com. About ARCO Design/Build ARCO Design/Build (ARCO) is widely recognized as a construction industry leader for various industrial project types, including cold storage warehouse, light industrial distribution, and manufacturing. As a national design-build firm, ARCO offers turn-key design-build services that provide a direct relationship with a single point of contact, resulting in cost savings and clear lines of communication. ARCO's capabilities span from project feasibility studies, site selection, and complete design to value engineering, code consulting, and full general contracting. Additionally, ARCO is 100% associate owned as an ESOP. With integrated architectural and structural engineering services, ARCO provides clients with a streamlined and efficient process, ensuring exceptional results. To learn more about our design-build process, visit arcodb.com. SOURCE National DCP, LLC 128 MW Wild Springs Solar in Pennington County will contribute millions in new tax revenue MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, National Grid Renewables announced the start of operation at its Wild Springs Solar Project (Wild Springs) in Pennington County, South Dakota. The largest solar project in South Dakota to date, Wild Springs is a 128 megawatt (MW) solar project located in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) with a 114 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric). Watch the construction of the Wild Springs Solar Project in Pennington County, South Dakota. "The completion of Wild Springs marks a significant step in our commitment to bringing clean, sustainable energy solutions to the state of South Dakota," said Blake Nixon, President of National Grid Renewables. "We're excited to see the impact of this project reach local and state residents through additional tax revenue, charitable contributions, and above all else clean energy solutions." "Basin Electric has been evaluating solar generation for many years," Chris Baumgartner, Basin Electric senior vice president of Member and External Relations, said at the event. "We are excited to add solar to our all-of-the-above generation portfolio which includes dispatchable resources such as coal and natural gas and non-dispatchable resources such as wind and now solar. This diverse portfolio allows all these resources to work together to provide the maximum amount of reliability at the lowest-possible cost for our members." Last summer, Wild Springs celebrated its groundbreaking with a "Solar Does Good" community event, which highlighted the many benefits for local and state communities. The project is anticipated to provide approximately $29.5 million in direct economic impact over the first 20 years of operations, including $12 million in new tax revenue over the same time period. Additionally, and unique to National Grid Renewables, Wild Springs plans to contribute $500,000 in charitable giving to the local New Underwood school district over the first 20 years of operations. "It's exciting to add Wild Springs to the New Underwood Community. Since the groundbreaking of the Wild Springs Solar Project, National Grid Renewables has been a great neighbor," said Jack Trullinger, Mayor of New Underwood. "The predicted tax revenue along with the generous charitable contribution to the school district is a very welcome bonus." In addition to the economic benefits provided by the project, Wild Springs is anticipated to avoid 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually the equivalent to removing roughly 42,000 cars from the road for one year. The project will also generate enough clean, homegrown energy to provide the equivalent electrical usage of an estimated 37,000 homes each year, or 740,000 homes over the first 20 years of operation. About National Grid Renewables National Grid Renewables develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States, including solar, wind, and energy storage. As a farmer-founded and community-focused business, National Grid Renewables repowers America's electricity grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid Renewables supports National Grid's vision of being at the heart of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more about National Grid Renewables, visit www.nationalgridrenewables.com or follow the company on LinkedIn. Contact: National Grid Renewables [email protected] Media Relations: 612.429.7050 SOURCE National Grid Renewables Webinar on July 11th to Review Research WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As state and local governments across the nation continue to struggle filling public safety positions, new research from the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) explores how defined benefit pension plans are a critical workforce management tool for public safety employers. The Role of Defined Benefit Pensions in Recruiting and Retaining Public Safety Professionals examines data from a nationally representative sample of 28 police and fire pension plans, as well as national datasets. The analysis finds that a majority of these pension plans expect 75 percent or more of current employees to retire from the plan, and more than half of new hires (52 percent) are projected to stay until retirement. The analysis also finds that police officers have an average tenure of 18 years, firefighters have an average of 20 years, and all public safety workers combined have an average of 17.6 years of service. This retention rate contrasts sharply with the private sector where the median tenure in 2022 was 4.1 years. The research finds that after the fifth year of service, public safety employee turnover flattens and is incredibly low until a public safety worker reaches retirement eligibility. This data indicates that pension plans are working as intended by retaining workers during their career and helping employees transition to retirement when appropriate. Read the research. Register for a webinar on, Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 2:00 PM ET for a review of the research with the report authors. "It's widely known that pension plans are an effective tool for employee recruitment and retention, especially among employers seeking a career model for its workforce," said Tyler Bond, NIRS research director and report co-author. "This new research is important because it details precisely how pensions are magnets for public safety employees who fill critical roles that are increasingly difficult for state and local governments to staff. " "The research also considers the negative public safety workforce implications when employers move away from pensions. For example, Alaska closed both of its statewide public pension plans in 2006 and is realizing the unfortunate workforce consequences. Municipalities throughout Alaska now struggle to recruit and retain firefighters and police officers and, in some jurisdictions, the issue has reached crisis levels. The City of Fairbanks does not have police officers on duty between 8 am and 12 pm due to severe staff shortages, and the Alaska Department of Public Safety specifically cited the lack of a pension plan as an impediment to success," Bond explained. The research also finds: States and localities that have made significant changes to public employee pension plans in recent years have seen a marked increase in employee turnover. Sponsorship of public safety pension plans varies. Some states almost exclusively provide plan coverage at the state level, while others almost exclusively provide coverage at the local level. Other states have a mix of sponsorship at the state and local levels, with the difference sometimes being between police and fire pension plans. Public safety pension plans are largely similar to all state and local government pension plans in terms of funded status, demographic ratio, and assumed rate of return on investments. The main differences lie in benefit provisions relating to retirement eligibility. Many firefighters and police officers do not participate in Social Security through their public safety job, and the majority of non-covered public safety professionals are concentrated in several states. Firefighters and police officers were among the first groups of public employees offered pension plans, with the first public pension plan in the U.S. established in 1857 for New York City police officers. Today, nearly all public safety employees are provided a pension plan. Public safety employees contribute to their pensions throughout their tenure and are provided a stable retirement benefit after a public service career. Pension plans are viewed highly favorably among public safety employees, with most indicating that a pension was a reason they chose a public service job and a pension is a major reason they stayed at their job. The report is authored by Paul Baugher, Foster & Foster retirement consultant; Alisa Bennett, Cavanaugh Macdonald president and consulting actuary; Tyler Bond, NIRS research director; Dan Doonan, NIRS executive director; Larry Langer, Cavanaugh Macdonald principal and consulting actuary; Joe Newton, Gabriel, Roeder, Smith and Company pension market leader; Daniel Siblik, The Segal Group vice president and actuary; and Matthew Strom, The Segal Group senior vice president and actuary. This research examines data from a nationally representative sample of 28 police and fire pension plans, as well as national datasets. It considers a number of aspects of pension plans that are significant for public safety professionals, including Social Security coverage and whether or not a Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) is available. The National Institute on Retirement Security is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established to contribute to informed policymaking by fostering a deep understanding of the value of retirement security to employees, employers, and the economy as a whole. Located in Washington, D.C., NIRS membership includes financial services firms, employee benefit plans, trade associations, and other retirement service providers. More information is available at www.nirsonline.org. SOURCE National Institute on Retirement Security In conjunction with this expansion, Northpoint Roofing Systems welcomes John Howard as the new General Manager of the Nashville branch. With years of experience in the home service industry, John brings valuable expertise and leadership to the team. "We are thrilled to bring Northpoint Roofing Systems to Nashville," said John Howard, the newly appointed General Manager. "Our team is committed to upholding Northpoint's reputation for quality roofing services and exceptional customer satisfaction. We look forward to serving the Nashville community and exceeding their expectations." Patrick Maginn, CEO of Northpoint Roofing Systems, also shared his excitement about the expansion. "Expanding to Nashville is an exciting step for Northpoint Roofing Systems," said Maginn. "We are dedicated to providing the highest quality roofing solutions to homeowners and businesses in Nashville. With recent storms affecting the area, we are eager to assist the community by offering education and support to minimize damage and ensure long-term protection for their properties." Northpoint Roofing Systems is renowned for its commitment to excellence, professionalism, and integrity in every project they undertake. From roof installations and repairs to inspections and maintenance, the company offers a comprehensive range of roofing services tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. The expansion to Nashville reinforces Northpoint Roofing Systems' commitment to providing exceptional roofing solutions and unparalleled customer service to communities across the United States. For more information about Northpoint Roofing Systems and their services, please visit their website at https://www.northpointroofingsystems.com. About Northpoint Roofing Systems: Northpoint Roofing Systems is a leading provider of quality roofing services, specializing in residential and commercial roofing solutions. With a focus on excellence, professionalism, and customer satisfaction, Northpoint Roofing Systems delivers superior roofing solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. With a team of skilled professionals and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, Northpoint Roofing Systems has earned a reputation as a trusted leader in the roofing industry. SOURCE Northpoint Roofing Systems Operating, LLC The global Offshore Support Vessel Market is anticipated to grow at a higher level. There are various drivers responsible for the growth of the market such as government policies and incentives and technological advancements among others. The rising global demand for energy, particularly from developing countries, pushes the need for increased offshore exploration and production, subsequently driving the OSV market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1212 Browse in-depth TOC on "Offshore Support Vessel Market" 260 - Tables 70 - Figures 300 - Pages Offshore Support Vessel Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $25.6 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $36.3 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% Market Size Available for 20192029 Forecast Period 20242029 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) / Volume (Units) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Offshore support vessel Market by materials used, fuels used, type, application, end-user and region. Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increased ultra-deepwater exploration activities, especially in Arctic region Key Market Drivers Increasing investments in offshore wind and oil & gas projects Shallow water, by application, is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period. Maintenance and refurbishment of aging offshore infrastructure in shallow waters are critical activities that heavily rely on the support of offshore support vessels (OSVs). Over time, offshore installations such as oil platforms, pipelines, and production facilities deteriorate due to harsh marine conditions, necessitating regular upkeep to ensure their safety, efficiency, and compliance with environmental regulations. OSVs play a crucial role in these operations by providing the necessary transportation, logistical support, and specialized equipment needed for maintenance tasks. These vessels are equipped to handle a wide range of activities, including inspection, repair, and replacement of structural components, as well as the deployment of divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater work. Additionally, OSVs offer essential services such as supply runs, waste removal, and crew transport, ensuring that maintenance operations proceed smoothly and without interruption. The presence of reliable OSVs ensures that aging infrastructure can be effectively managed, reducing the risk of accidents and prolonging the operational lifespan of offshore assets. This ongoing demand for maintenance and refurbishment services drives the growth and development of the OSV market, particularly in regions with extensive shallow water installations. Offshore Oil & Gas, by end-user industry, is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period. The expansion of exploration and production activities in emerging offshore markets, particularly in deepwater reserves and Arctic regions, is creating significant new opportunities for offshore support vessel operators and manufacturers. These frontier areas are attracting substantial investments from oil and gas companies seeking to tap into previously unexplored or underexplored hydrocarbon reserves. Deepwater reserves, often found off the coasts of countries like Brazil, Guyana, and West Africa, present unique challenges and opportunities. The complex and demanding nature of deepwater drilling operations necessitates specialized support vessels equipped with advanced technology and capabilities. These vessels must be able to operate in harsh conditions, provide reliable support for drilling rigs, transport personnel and supplies, and ensure safety and efficiency in deepwater environments. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1212 North America is expected to be the fastest growing region in the Offshore Support Vessel Market. The relentless global demand for energy continues to drive significant growth in offshore exploration and production activities, especially in resource-rich regions like the Gulf of Mexico. This area's abundant oil and gas reserves attract major energy companies and independent operators, making it a prime target for exploration and production initiatives. Offshore support vessels (OSVs) play a crucial role in these ventures, providing essential services such as transporting supplies, equipment, and personnel, as well as performing specialized functions like anchor handling and subsea construction support. Technological advancements in OSV design, including dynamic positioning systems and automated tools, have enhanced operational efficiency and safety, further boosting their importance in offshore operations. Key Market Players of Offshore Support Vessel Industry: Some of the major players in the Offshore Support Vessel Market are A.P. Moller-Maersk (Denmark), Tidewater Inc. (US), BOURBON (France), Edison Chouset Offshore (US), and Deltamarin Ltd (Europe). The major strategies adopted by these players include new product launches, acquisitions, contracts, agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, investments, and expansions. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=1212 Related Reports: Marine Engines Market by Engine (Propulsion and Auxiliary), Type (Two Stroke and Four Stroke), Power Range (Up to 1,000 hp, 1,001-5,000 hp, 5,001-10,000 hp, 10,001-20,000 hp, and Above 20,000 hp), Fuel, Vessel and Region - Global Forecast to 2029 Offshore Wind Market by Component (Turbines (Nacelle, Rotors & Blades, Tower), Substructure, Electrical Infrastructure), Location (Shallow Water, Transitional Water, & Deepwater) and Region (North America, Asia Pacific, & Europe) - Global forecast to 2026 Get access to the latest updates on Offshore Support Vessel Companies and Offshore Support Vessel Industry Growth About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. 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Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Cyber Pros Focusing More on AI and Machine Learning to Thwart Attacks DENVER, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Optiv, the cyber advisory and solutions leader, has published its 2024 Threat and Risk Management Report, which examines how organizations' cybersecurity investments and governance priorities are keeping up with the evolving threat landscape. Based on an independent Ponemon Institute survey, the report reveals a 59% increase in cyber budgets year-over-year. Additionally, 63% of organizations with more than 5,000 employees had an average of $26 million allocated to cybersecurity investments in 2024. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities are another growing focal area for cybersecurity organizations looking for ways to accelerate their threat detection, prevention and process automation capabilities to keep up with threat actors who are also using these tools. While organizations are investing in more technologies, 40% of respondents believe they have too many, hindering overall effectiveness. By contrast, only 29% feel that they have the right number of tools. This underscores the need for a strategic approach to cybersecurity investment, focusing on streamlining existing tools and ensuring a seamless technology stack integration. The report shows a significant rise in data breaches and security incidents, with 61% of respondents experiencing a data breach or cybersecurity incident in the past two years, and 55% of respondents experiencing four or more incidents in that timeframe. These numbers highlight the urgent need for organizations to further prioritize cybersecurity investments and strategies. Download the full report: https://www.optiv.com/insights/discover/downloads/2024-cybersecurity-threat-and-risk-management-report "Cyber incidents are not slowing down, which means organizations must work at a speed above those of the threat actors attacking their environments. As we see security budgets increasing, many organizations are also recognizing the need to make smart investments in process and governance assessments to ensure compliance," says Jason Lewkowicz, executive vice president and chief services officer at Optiv. "Establishing a more consistent, strategic approach to security technology, process and people management will be essential for organizational risk management and resilience." Additional key findings include: Security Tool Overload While organizations are investing in more technologies, 40% of respondents believe they have too many, hindering overall effectiveness. By contrast, only 29% feel that they have the right number of tools. This underscores the need for a strategic approach to cybersecurity investment, focusing on streamlining existing tools and ensuring a seamless technology stack integration. While organizations are investing in more technologies, 40% of respondents believe they have too many, hindering overall effectiveness. By contrast, only 29% feel that they have the right number of tools. This underscores the need for a strategic approach to cybersecurity investment, focusing on streamlining existing tools and ensuring a seamless technology stack integration. Top Investment Areas The top three areas of investment for 2024 cybersecurity budgets are internal security assessments (60%), identity and access management (IAM) programs (58%) and the acquisition of additional cybersecurity tools (51%). The top three areas of investment for 2024 cybersecurity budgets are internal security assessments (60%), identity and access management (IAM) programs (58%) and the acquisition of additional cybersecurity tools (51%). Lack of Formal Budgeting Practices Despite increasing budgets, only 36% of respondents have a formal approach to determining cybersecurity budgets. This lack of formal budgeting practices can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities to address critical security gaps. Despite increasing budgets, only 36% of respondents have a formal approach to determining cybersecurity budgets. This lack of formal budgeting practices can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities to address critical security gaps. Rising SOAR Adoption The use of security orchestration automation and response (SOAR) technology is increasing, with 73% of respondents leveraging SOAR to automate incident response activities. This automation can help security teams respond more efficiently to threats. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities are another growing focal area for cybersecurity organizations looking for ways to accelerate their threat detection, prevention and process automation capabilities to keep up with threat actors who are also using these tools. More companies are leveraging AI in the form of use and prevention: 44% of respondents use AI/ML to prevent cyberattacks 35% purchased use-case specific tools 31% use existing tools 34% use automated processes and audits Optiv's report delves deeper into best practices employed by high-performing organizations, offering valuable insights for those seeking to strengthen their cyber defenses. It also explores additional challenges, such as the inconsistency of cybersecurity incident response plans (CSIRPs), navigating cyber insurance/governance requirements and the need for improved communication of cybersecurity risks to senior management. "Our independent research for Optiv reveals the positive steps organizations are taking to reduce risk, while also addressing the challenges they face in the evolving cyber threat landscape," said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute. "Part of the complexity organizations continue to face in dealing with threats is due to the number of ineffective technology tools. Recognizing this, IT professionals and senior leadership are becoming more cognizant of the importance in strengthening their security posture, resulting in the increase of cybersecurity budgets and allocating funds based on proven effectiveness in reducing security incidents." Findings from Optiv's report are based on responses from 650 IT and cybersecurity professionals. For the latest news and updates from Optiv, visit https://www.optiv.com/newsroom. Follow Optiv LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/optiv-inc Facebook: www.facebook.com/optivinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OptivInc Blog: https://www.optiv.com/explore-optiv-insights/blog Optiv Security: Secure greatness. Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to nearly 6,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential. For more information, visit www.optiv.com. About Ponemon Institute: Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting the management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations. We uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our business research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions. SOURCE Optiv Security Inc. Experienced High-Growth Financial Executive Joins Osano's Leadership Team to Help Steer Company's Rapid Evolution AUSTIN, Texas, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Osano, the leading provider of data privacy management solutions, has named Ryan Macia as the company's CFO. Macia steps into the CFO role during a phase of rapid growth for Osano, whose privacy management platform helps companies navigate the complexities of global compliance, risk management, and privacy operations excellence. Macia is seasoned financial executive with deep experience guiding high-growth technology companies. In financial leadership positions at QuotaPath, Praetorian, TrendKite and SolarWinds, he successfully guided companies through multiple funding rounds and various buy-side and sell-side transactions. Macia earned his B.S. and master's degrees in accounting at the University of Texas at Austin. "Ryan is an outstanding addition to our leadership team, and his experience will be an enormous asset to us as we continue to grow both organically and through acquisition," said Arlo Gilbert, Founder and CEO of Osano, "Ryan has helped lead many technology companies through periods of rapid growth in highly dynamic markets. He also has great experience leading successful M&A deals. He shares my vision for Osano to be the most trusted privacy partner for companies around the world, and I am very happy to have him on our team." "Osano is well positioned to be a global market leader for data privacy management an industry where we will see tremendous growth over the next decade," said Macia. "The regulatory landscape is evolving quickly in every corner of the world, and Osano is the go-to partner to help companies successfully navigate those privacy laws and build trust with customers. I'm excited to be part of this excellent leadership team." Macia assumes the role from Jonathan Grant, who will continue to support Osano's growth as a senior strategic advisor. About Osano: Osano, the leading data privacy management platform, empowers businesses to successfully navigate the complexities of privacy management by providing the necessary tools and insights for building, managing, and scaling holistic privacy programs. Designed with privacy professionals in mind, Osano's premier platform addresses the full spectrum of privacy needs, including assessments, vendor risk management, data mapping, and consent and subject rights management. As a public benefit corporation and certified B-Corp, Osano is dedicated to emphasizing the critical role of privacy as a trust cornerstone, upholding the belief that embracing privacy principles propels organizations into the next wave of trusted brands. Learn how Osano can simplify data privacy for you at https://osano.com. Media Contact: Rich Miller Miller Strategic Communications 303-877-3966 [email protected] SOURCE Osano Detroit, Memphis, and San Antonio bring network's footprint to 10,000+ truck parking spaces AUSTIN, Texas and SEATTLE, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Outpost ( outpost.us ), a leading network of managed semi-truck parking facilities, today announced that it is adding three new locations to its nationwide fleet yard network. The new properties in Detroit, Memphis, and San Antonio strengthen Outpost's presence in the Midwest and South, bringing the company's footprint to more than 10,000 semi-truck parking spaces nationwide. The yards are strategically located in markets critical to the US supply chain. Memphis acts as vital link for freight movement across the country, while Detroit and San Antonio provide essential gateways for trade with Canada and Mexico, respectively. The 5-acre Memphis yard, located at 563 Winchester Road, provides 150 spaces for tractor-trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles. Its location near I-40, I-240, I-22, I-55, and I-69 offers access to nearby logistics hubs. Space can be booked online at outpost.us/memphis . The Detroit and San Antonio yards will add 55 combined acres and 1,500 new spaces to Outpost's network. The company has acquired the properties and is developing them for semi-truck parking with openings planned for 2025. "Truck yards and terminals are critical infrastructure for the US supply chain, but their high costs and long-term commitments make them incompatible with shifting freight demand," said Trent Cameron, Outpost co-founder and CEO. "Through our expanding network of outposts, we're transforming this real estate from a long-term capital cost to a flexible operating expense. We look forward to helping fleets use our three new yards in the Midwest and South as a virtual extension of their terminal network." The Detroit, Memphis, and San Antonio locations are part of Outpost's deployment of $500 million to expand its network of industrial outdoor storage sites. Real estate owners and brokers with potential deals should contact Dennis Nabors and Tres Teschke . About Outpost Outpost is a leading network of truck parking facilities, with 21 locations and more than 10,000 spaces. We help asset carriers, private fleets, and owner-operators use truck parking as a flexible part of their transportation infrastructure without the need for major capital investments. Our network of yards provides trucking fleets with secure locations for their drivers and cargo, hassle-free access to each location, consistent billing, and visibility into their assets and reservations. For trucking companies looking to expand operations and better serve your customers, contact us at outpost.us . Media Contact Ari Bixhorn ([email protected]) 512-817-0747 SOURCE Outpost MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Carlson, a leader in mobile acute care, has joined Lifespark as Vice President, Acute Response Services. He will apply his nearly 20 years' experience in paramedicine and health care management by building the architecture for an Urgent Response Service (URS) into Lifespark's flagship product, Lifespark COMPLETE. Peter Carlson, VP, Acute Response Services, Lifespark "High utilization of the hospital system continues to have a rippling effect on the work we and others in health care face. The biggest area of over usage can be found in the emergency room (ER) where more than 50% of visits are unnecessary," explained Carlson. "For seniors especially, visiting the ER shouldn't be the default alternative when issues arise in between provider visits and yet, it is." There's been growing market demand to integrate ER or more urgent-level care into value-based efforts. "The work being done within value-based care has shown greater success in keeping people home and avoiding unnecessary and unplanned ER visits," said Joel Theisen, BSN, RN, Lifespark CEO. "It's a natural integration within our Lifespark COMPLETE product. Focusing on preventing unnecessary ER or hospital visits is a key area we can influence." According to Carlson, the true differentiator of Lifespark's Urgent Response Services (URS) is the ability to know the member. "With ER and urgent care clinics, the providers don't often know the senior or have time to ask the deep questions that matter, but we do including a clear understanding of their contingency plans," said Carlson. As emergency rooms across the United States continue to hit capacity, the addition of URS fills a much-needed gap for Minnesota seniors. "This isn't about ER avoidance," said Carlson. "We know that seniors often can be better served at home where we become the eyes and ears. We want the ER to be used for true emergencies and support how we address the overuse that is currently happening. The focus shouldn't be on measuring days in the hospital seniors but measuring how often they aren't. I'm excited to put my expertise and passion towards solving this." Lifespark's Urgent Response Team can provide 80% of what is done in the ER at home. "From x-rays, lab work, and EKGs, to sutures, our team of LPNs, RNs, and community paramedics can keep seniors out of the hospital through in-person visits including telehealth options, and support transitions to the hospital if it's needed," shared Carlson. "It's an honor and a privilege to be invited into a person's home. It's much better than waiting in an ER for 6+ hours exposing them to more things that can cause harm." Before joining Lifespark, Carlson was Chief of Paramedicine for Medically Home, Community Paramedic Coordinator/Operations Manager for Mayo Clinic, and Community Paramedic Administrator for North Memorial Health. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Healthcare Management from the same university, and a degree in Community Paramedicine from Hennepin Technical College. About Lifespark Lifespark, formerly Lifesprk, is a complete senior health company headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Lifespark's global risk model is proven to reduce total cost and improve outcomes. It provides a flexible, home-based delivery system that meets clients where they are using an integrated tech platform that seamlessly combines capabilities, data, and client experience. This scalable approach has few fixed costs and a clear path to grow. For more on Lifespark, visit: www.lifespark.com MEDIA CONTACTS: Meaghan Puglisi, 952-873-738, [email protected] SOURCE Lifespark NEW YORK, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NYC whistleblower attorney Timothy J. McInnis announced a $354,085 settlement against The Raleigh Racquet Club, Inc. (RRC), a non-profit social and recreational club located in Raleigh, North Carolina and its former president, Kurt Harrison Ihly concerning COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. The settlement resolves FaIse Claims Act allegations in a qui tam whistleblower complaint filed under seal in April 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina by former club member Lindsey Flower. On June 21, 2024, the case was unsealed by order of United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Today, Flower filed a notice to dismiss the action, as required by the Settlement Agreement. The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which did not formally intervened in the action, spearheaded a government investigation and oversaw the settlement negotiations, according to Attorney McInnis. Flower's qui tam complaint alleged that RRC unlawfully applied for and received a loan under the Payment Protection Program ("PPP"), and falsely certified in the submitted application for the PPP loan, that it was eligible to obtain a loan under the PPP. Specifically, the complaint alleged that on April 15, 2020, RRC improperly received a first-draw PPP loan in the amount of $307,900. It subsequently applied for and obtained complete forgiveness of the loan sum plus accrued interest. According to the complaint, RRC was organized as a tax-exempt private club under Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, a category of non-profit organization explicitly excluded from PPP first draw eligibility. Additionally, the qui tam complaint alleged that not only was the SBA's rule barring 501(c)(7) social clubs from participating in the PPP program "clear and unambiguous" but also "widely disseminated trade publications and websites covering the 501(c)(7) social club industry repeatedly advised such clubs that they were not eligible for such loans." According to the Settlement Agreement, the bank that processed RRC's PPP application, North State Bank, checked a box on the application form wrongly stating RRC was a for profit "S-Corp," suggesting this was why the SBA approved RRC's unlawful loan application since S-Corps were permitted to obtain PPP loans. According to the Settlement Agreement, the PPP program was established pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act. The CARES Act was enacted in March 2020, and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This included authorizing forgivable loans to small businesses for employee payroll and certain other expenses through the PPP. To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying organization was required to submit a PPP loan application signed by an authorized representative. The loan application required the authorized representative to acknowledge the PPP rules and make certain affirmative certifications regarding the organization's eligibility to obtain a PPP loan. PPP loan applications were processed by participating lenders, which received processing fees from the SBA. Following the approvals of loan applications, the participating lenders funded the loans, which were 100% guaranteed by the SBA. Non-profit corporations organized under Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code were not eligible to receive first-draw PPP loans pursuant to SBA, Interim Final Rule, Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program, 85 Fed. Reg. 20811, 20812 (Apr. 15, 2020). Attorney McInnis noted that PPP fraud was rampant because so much PPP money was given out to so many people during the height of the pandemic without normal lending controls and oversight. A Government Accounting Office report has acknowledged that the government sacrificed safeguards for speed in disbursing funds. PPP loans were granted on a first-come, first served basis and the initial PPP appropriation was depleted after just 13 days. In this haste, many small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic were shut out of the program. One way PPP fraud is now being addressed, according to McInnis, is through False Claims Act qui tam lawsuits by private citizens who can not only redress PPP fraud but also receive a reward for prompting a government investigation. In this case, under the Settlement Agreement Flower received $46,185. On behalf of Flower and her attorneys, McInnis expressed appreciation for the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the SBA's Office of Inspector General in recouping the PPP loan proceeds from RRC. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Lindsey M. Flower, v. The Raleigh Racquet Club, Inc., et ano., 5:23-cv-0189-BO, United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division. For additional information, please contact Attorney Timothy J. McInnis, of McInnis Law, 521 Fifth Avenue, l7th FI., New York, NY lOl75, at (2l2) 292-4573 or [email protected]. SOURCE McInnis Law SAN JOSE, Calif., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- What is the lawsuit about? The lawsuit contends that certain statements Abbott Laboratories ("Abbott") made on the labels of certain PediaSure Grow & Gain and PediaSure Sidekicks products ("PediaSure Products") are allegedly false or misleading because they convey that the PediaSure Products are healthy, nutritious, and balanced, when they allegedly contain excessive amounts of added sugar. Plaintiffs also allege that Abbott omitted material information by not disclosing the effects on children's health of consuming the added sugar found in the PediaSure Products. This case does not cover physical harm that may have been caused to your child from consuming PediaSure products, nor are Plaintiffs seeking any monetary compensation for any such physical harm. Abbott maintains that its labeling statements are true, that the amount of sugar is disclosed on every PediaSure package, that the PediaSure Products provide nutritional benefits for children, particularly children who are behind in growth, and that, in any event, consumers purchase PediaSure for multiple, highly individualized reasons having nothing to do with PediaSure's labels, including because a healthcare professional recommended PediaSure. The Court has not determined whether Plaintiffs or Abbott are correct. The lawsuit is proceeding as a class action on behalf of all persons who purchased certain PediaSure Products in person at a retail location in California at specified time periods since March 2015. There is no money available to members of the class now and no guarantee that class members will ever be entitled to money due to this lawsuit. However, your legal rights will be affected if you are a member of one or more subclasses and do not exclude yourself. Who is included? The Court has certified two subclasses that could potentially recover money for their purchases of PediaSure, as part of this class action lawsuit ("Monetary Subclasses"). You are a member of a Monetary Subclass ("Subclass Member") if you bought one of the PediaSure Products covered by a subclass in a retail store in California for household use, and not for resale or distribution, during certain date ranges. If you purchased a PediaSure Product on the internet (including via a computer, cellular phone, tablet, or other device), but never purchased a PediaSure Product in person at a retail location, you are not a Subclass Member. You also are not a Subclass Member if you purchased a PediaSure Product due to a doctor's prescription. For a complete list of the PediaSure Products and date ranges for purchases covered by the Monetary Subclasses, please visit www.PediaSureClassActionLawsuit.com or call 1-888-920-8364. What are your options? If you do nothing, you will remain a Subclass Member. If you stay in the Subclass and Plaintiffs obtain benefits for that Subclass in the class action, either as a result of a trial or a settlement, additional notice will be distributed about how to obtain those benefits. You also will be bound by the Court's orders, including any judgment against Plaintiffs and in favor of Abbott, and will lose any right you may have to sue Abbott over the claims in this case in the future. If you ask to be excluded, you will not be a Subclass Member, will not be bound by what the Court decides, and will keep any right you might have to sue Abbott separately. If you exclude yourself, you cannot share in any money that may be awarded to the Subclass(es). You cannot exclude yourself from the injunctive relief sought in this case. If you want to stay in the Subclass, you do not have to do anything now. If you want to exclude yourself from the Subclass, you must complete, sign, and submit an exclusion request form or send a letter asking to be excluded. Instructions for making this request can be found at www.PediaSureClassActionLawsuit.com. Exclusion requests must be made or postmarked by September 3, 2024. If you do not request exclusion, you or your own lawyer may (but do not have to) participate or speak in this lawsuit. Detailed information is available at www.PediaSureClassActionLawsuit.com and toll-free at 1-888-920-8364. SOURCE Epiq NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Quinlan Partners is pleased to announce that the firm has again earned recognition by Chambers & Partners as a leading global investigation and business intelligence firm in both its 2024 Litigation Support and Crisis & Risk Management Guides. The firm was ranked in Chambers' 2024 Litigation Support Guide for Business Intelligence & Investigations. Founder and Managing Partner Paul Quinlan was ranked a leading U.S. Business Intelligence & Investigations practitioner, as was Partner and Director of Investigations, Dorothy Baker, her second time ranked in this area. Quinlan Partners was also ranked in Chambers's 2024 Crisis & Risk Management Guide for Investigative Due Diligence. Paul Quinlan was ranked as a leading practitioner in Investigative Due Diligence, global-wide. "We are proud to have our practices recognized and highly ranked for the second year in a row by Chambers & Partners," said Paul Quinlan. "We continue to be immensely appreciative of our clients and the trust they place in us. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and excellence of our team." Chambers, whose in-depth research process includes interviews with clients and peers, wrote: "The team specialises in due diligence, litigation support and internal investigations. Market commentators attest to Quinlan's experience in dealing with complex and high-value due diligence." They added that the firm's "group of specialists are on hand to deep-dive into background investigations, civil and criminal litigation support as well as fraud issues" and that "Quinlan often works alongside top global law firms and in response to key U.S. regulatory body investigations." Chambers noted the firm draws on its team's "impressive experience" in investigative journalism. "Quinlan Partners are consummate professionals," it wrote. "They know the space, are growing and ambitious, and hire and maintain strong talent." Here is some of what our clients told Chambers: "Quinlan is efficient, fast and reliable. They jump in and get to work quickly. The team is very responsive and produces exceptional work product." "They have done a great job for us and really understand our pace and sensitivity. They seem to have great commercial judgment. They are able to understand the dynamics of a business and situation." "Their work has been incredibly valuable and provided insight for our clients on issues involving transactions and potential hires of key principals." "Paul (Quinlan) is obsessive about customer solutions and always offers white-glove service." "Dorothy (Baker) is a consummate professional. She has great expertise." "Dorothy is excellent. Very responsive and attentive to our clients' needs." "Paul is a trusted advisor who helps us generate intelligence and insights about businesses we're considering investing in and the people who run them." "The depth of quality of the research they were able to do was exceptional. It goes far beyond a background check." "Quinlan Partners are smart at figuring out how to frame and ask questions and who to reach out to." "Quinlan's client service is excellent. The team is very responsive and provides useful information. Read more about what Chambers had to say about Quinlan Partners in its 2024 Litigation Support and Crisis & Risk Management guides. To read more about our firm's complete suite of services, click here. About Chambers & Partners Chambers & Partners is the leading independent professional legal research company operating across 200 jurisdictions. Their guides deliver detailed rankings and insight into the world's leading lawyers and law firms, business intelligence firms, and litigation support consultants. Its rigorous selection process includes independent research by over 200 research analysts, and interviews with clients and professional references. About Quinlan Partners Quinlan Partners is a global investigations and business intelligence firm whose team of top former investigative journalists, corporate intelligence and investigations professionals, attorneys, and data and digital investigators excels at uncovering actionable information and intelligence, finding assets, and gathering evidence around the world. Clients include leading law firms, investment firms, corporations, and financial institutions. For more information on its services, including Due Diligence & Business Intelligence; Litigation Support & Corporate Disputes; and more, visit www.quinlanpartners.com. CONTACT: Crandall Page [email protected] +1 202.618.5610 SOURCE Quinlan Partners AUSTIN,Texas, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ratio Technologies, Inc. (Ratio) is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Nom Nom Data, Inc., a pioneer in AI, data management, and labelling. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in driving the mass adoption of Nom Nom Data's cutting-edge managed data services and AI solutions. "By joining forces with Ratio, we are breaking new ground in the data engineering and AI landscape," said Niko Kontogiannis, Chairman and Co-founder of Nom Nom Data. "Our innovative approach eliminates the traditional barriers to AI evolution for organizations of all sizes. Ratio's expertise seamlessly aligns with our vision to elevate data quality and security for AI deployments, thereby empowering our clients to enhance their business intelligence, operations, and outcomes." A key highlight of this partnership is the integration of Ratio's flexible payment options, including an innovative Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) solution for SaaS companies. This approach not only sets us apart in the market but also positions both companies to scale rapidly. "With Ratio's financial solutions, we are uniquely equipped to offer our clients the flexibility they need to advance their AI initiatives without the burden of upfront costs," Kontogiannis added. This strategic partnership underscores our commitment to providing unparalleled value to our clients, ensuring that they can seamlessly integrate advanced AI solutions into their operations, improve data security, and achieve superior business results. Together, Ratio and Nom Nom Data are set to transform the AI deployment landscape, making high-quality, secure, and flexible AI solutions accessible to a broader range of organizations. Ratio is revolutionizing how Nom Nom Data, an AI, data management and labeling company sells services, funds growth, and competes with a fully integrated Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) platform. Our innovative platform combines financing, payments, predictive pricing, and a seamless quote-to-cash process, designed specifically for SaaS and technology companies. Ratio redefines how these businesses accelerate sales and leverage capital to drive growth. By using Ratio, SaaS companies can offer flexible payment options to their customers, removing the final friction point towards the end of the sales process. While customers enjoy flexible payment plans, SaaS companies receive the full contract value upfront, avoiding unnecessary discounting to close annual contracts. This approach not only boosts sales conversion and customer satisfaction but also enhances financial stability and predictability. "We are excited to collaborate with Nom Nom Data to remove the traditional barriers in technology purchasing by offering flexible payment options to their customers through our innovative Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) solution for SaaS. Both Ratio and Nom Nom share the vision of leveraging the latest BNPL platform to serve our customers' needs," said Ashish Srimal, founder and CEO of Ratio. About Nom Nom Data Inc. Nom Nom is a pioneer in data engineering, management, labelling and AI optimization. Our knowledge and expertise improves data quality and security for AI and enhances business intelligence, operations and outcomes. Our solutions reduce OpEx/CapEx, streamline operations and ensure a competitive edge. In today's digital landscape, generating an unprecedented volume of data, businesses are in dire need of sophisticated, real-time analytics and adaptable, scalable solutions. Nom Nom emerges as a global leader in addressing the difficult challenge of managing, cleansing, integrating, securing, disposing and automating vast volumes of data for businesses, offering services designed to simplify complex data ecosystems. This urgent need for advanced data management, makes Nom Nom a key partner in the data-driven world and artificial intelligence. For more information, please visit: https://www.nomnom.ai/ Contact: [email protected] About Ratio Technologies, Inc. Led by a team of serial technology entrepreneurs, SaaS, and finance veterans, Ratio is a new type of buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider and financing platform for recurring revenue businesses across three continents. Ratio introduces BNPL for SaaS and tech companies that combine finance, predictive pricing, analytics and payments, allowing B2B SaaS firms and other recurring revenue businesses to boost sales while gaining immediate access to the value of their contracts. Ratio allows companies to leverage their recurring revenue to unlock new financing without diluting equity or surrendering control of their business. For more information, please visit: https://www.ratiotech.com/ SOURCE Nom Nom Data RADNOR, Pa., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Roblox Corporation ("Roblox") (NYSE: RBLX). The action charges Roblox with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Roblox's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Roblox's investors have suffered significant losses. The lead plaintiff deadline is August 12, 2024. If you suffered Roblox losses, you may CLICK HERE or go to: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/roblox-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=rblx&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERE. YOU CAN ALSO COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK IN YOUR BROWSER: https://youtu.be/KwIsAM7ucQo You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. of Kessler Topaz by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at [email protected]. DEFENDANTS' ALLEGED MISCONDUCT In November 2023, Roblox provided investors with material information concerning the company's expected revenue for the first quarter of 2024 and fiscal year 2024. This was the first time Roblox offered earnings and revenue guidance to its investors since the company went public in 2021. Roblox's statements included, among other things, that Roblox expected $4.14 billion to $4.28 billion of "bookings" in fiscal year 2024reflecting 25%-27% annual growthand $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion annual revenue. Then on February 7, 2024, during an earnings call, Roblox reiterated its first quarter 2024 and fiscal year 2024 earnings projections as well as its strength in its new technology and digital economy. On May 9, 2024, Roblox reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and provided updated guidance. Among other things, Roblox advised that the company expects bookings revenue of $870 million to $900 million for the second quarter of 2024, compared to analyst expectations of $929 million, and bookings revenue of $4 billion to $4.1 billion for the full year, significantly lower than the Roblox's earlier forecast of $4.14 billion to $4.28 billion. On this news, Roblox's stock price fell $8.61 per share, or 22.06%, to close at $30.42 per share on May 9, 2024. WHAT CAN I DO? Roblox investors may, no later than August 12, 2024, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Roblox investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Roblox, Li v. Roblox Corp., et al., Case No. 24-cv-03484, is filed in the United States District Court for the Norther District of California. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE OR GO TO: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/roblox-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=rblx&mktm=r WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Jonathan Naji, Esq. (484) 270-1453 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 [email protected] May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP PUBLICATION AND POSTING OF AMENDED AND RESTATED OFFER DOCUMENT AND UPDATE TO THE OFFER TIMETABLE NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24 May 2024, Meridian Bidco LLC ("Bidco") made an offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MariaDB plc ("MariaDB") (the "Offer") with the terms and conditions of the Offer set out in the offer document despatched and filed by Bidco as Exhibit (a)(1)(A) to the Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement filed on Schedule TO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on 24 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"). Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meaning given to them in the Offer Document (as amended and restated). On 17 June 2024, Bidco announced that it had exercised the Rollover Withdrawal Right to withdraw the Unlisted Unit Alternative from the Offer in accordance with the terms of the Offer Document. Bidco today announces that an amended and restated Offer Document has been filed with the SEC to reflect the exercise of the Rollover Withdrawal Right, the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative and certain updates to disclosures. Other than the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative, no changes have been made to the terms and conditions of the Offer. The amended and restated Offer Document will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ). Updated Offer Timetable Bidco further announces the following updates to the expected timetable for the Offer: Event Time and/or Date Acceptance Cut-off Time 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 9 July 2024 (unless extended) Acceptance Unconditional Time/End of the Pre-Acceptance Unconditional Period 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 9 July 2024 (unless extended) Expiration Time/End of the Post-Acceptance Unconditional Period 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on 23 July 2024 (unless extended) A full version of the updated expected timetable is included in the amended and restated Offer Document. For the avoidance of doubt, the Acceptance Unconditional Outside Time (being 23 July 2024) has not changed. To the extent that further changes are required to the expected timetable, the revised dates and/or times will be the subject of a further announcement, which will be made available on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ). Enquiries Lazard (Financial Advisor to K1 and Bidco) Adrian Duchini, Keiran Wilson, Charles White Tel: +44 20 7187 2000 Haven Tower Group (Public Relations Advisor to K1) Donald Cutler, Brandon Blackwell Tel: +1 424 317 4850 Important Notices The K1 Responsible Persons (being the investment committee of K1), the Bidco Officers and the Topco Officers accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the K1 Responsible Persons, the Bidco Officers, the Topco Officers, (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this Announcement for which they have accepted responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, together with its affiliate Lazard & Co., Limited (which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority) ("Lazard"), is acting exclusively as financial adviser to K1 and Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than K1 and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this Announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise. Disclosure requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of MariaDB or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. Dealing Disclosures must also be made by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with them in accordance with Rule 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules. In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. Details of the offeree company in respect of whose relevant securities Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020. Further Information This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. In particular, this Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offer of securities shall be made in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this Announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland. Overseas Shareholders The laws of certain jurisdictions may affect the availability of the Offer to persons who are not resident in Ireland. Persons who are not resident in Ireland, or who are subject to laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility and liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or K1 or required by the Irish Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance from within a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, K1, the K1 Group and Bidco disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person. MariaDB Shareholders who are in any doubt regarding such matters should consult an appropriate independent professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document. If you are a resident of the United States, please read the following: This Announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer (including the Offer), invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any acquisition or disposition of the securities referred to in this Announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable Law or regulation. This Announcement is not a substitute for the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance or any other document that Bidco may file with the SEC in connection with the Offer. An offer to buy MariaDB Shares has been made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule TO that Bidco has filed with the SEC. MariaDB has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. MARIADB SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER. SUCH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. Investors and MariaDB Shareholders are able to obtain free copies of these materials (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about MariaDB and the Offer once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to the Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that may be different from those typically applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. In addition, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Irish Takeover Rules and Irish disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in the United States. MariaDB is incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Some of the directors on the MariaDB Board at the date of this Announcement are resident in a country other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for United States holders of MariaDB Shares to effect service of process within the United States upon MariaDB or some of the directors of MariaDB or to enforce against any of them judgements of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue MariaDB or its officers or director(s) in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. In addition, US holders of MariaDB Shares should be aware that, if K1 and Bidco elect to proceed pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (as described herein), the federal securities laws of the United States may not be applicable. Publication on website A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published pursuant to Rule 26 of the Irish Takeover Rules will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, will be made available on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Neither the content of any such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement. SOURCE K1 Investment Management The FoodTech company is on a mission to clean burger labels with an upcycled ingredient WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FoodTech company revyve has cracked the code to removing animal-derived texturizers and additives from burgers and impart a meaty bite. Introducing a new world of food texture, revyve is launching its high-performance egg-replacement ingredient at IFT FIRST 2024. Revyve delivers the sensory experience that consumers expect in their foods. The clean, minimally processed egg alternative is the first to be available on a broad commercial scale. Eggs: the "bread and butter" of texture Revyve debuts egg replacer ingredient for plant-based burgers at IFT FIRST (Credit: Alessa Joseph) For generations, eggs have been staple texturizers and binders in processed foods like meat and plant-based burgers. Recently, manufacturers have been seeking to swap out eggs with more sustainable and ethical solutions. Eggs have also lost their appeal because of shifting prices, unstable supply, food safety concerns and allergy risks. Mimicking the performance of eggs without stealth starches, emulsifiers, unfamiliar binders and E-numbers is easier said than done. And consumers are not quick to compromise on the unique texture and mouthfeel that eggs impart on burgers and other foods. Flexitarians and foodies who care about the planet do not want to compromise on the look and feel of plant-based foods, especially burgers. They also demand cleaner food with a short list of simple, easy-to-understand ingredients. Found: Creating a meaty bite with an animal-free solution Revyve has developed texturizing ingredients made from upcycled brewer's yeast that create an enticing food experience. "The science-backed ingredients revyve has pioneered produce the sensory appeal that consumers want in burgers," says Cedric Verstraeten, CEO of revyve. "Revyve delivers the meatiness and juicy firmness that cater to consumer appetites. These nutritious, wholesome ingredients are all-natural and non-GMO. There's more to come in Q3 2024 when we release our gluten-free, allergen-free ingredients." First came the chicken and the egg and then came revyve In establishing revyve, the company set its sights on shaping the innovation behind crave-worthy animal-free foods. "In the process, we discovered that we could introduce a natural and sustainable twist to mainstream products, which was a top priority for manufacturers," continues Verstraeten. "We realized we could help consumers feel good about what they eat without compromising on the food experiences they know and love." The superpowers of yeast "Yeast has been the star of the show in beer brewing, winemaking and bread baking for millennia," explains Edgar Suarez Garcia, PhD, revyve's Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder. "At revyve, we have taken yeast functionality to the next level. Products manufactured with revyve single-ingredient yeast proteins take on true-to-form textures. Revyve offers exceptional heat-set gelling, binding and emulsification. Burgers retain water and oil at hot and cold temperatures; they brown and sizzle on the grill and hold their shape when flipped and sandwiched in a bun." Suarez Garcia adds, "When burger producers ask how revyve performs, we explain that it behaves like egg whites. When cooked in a patty mixture, revyve becomes firm yet springy, forming a binding network around the other ingredients. Revyve's secret lies in the unique combination of functional proteins and fibers created by our patented technology. Manufacturers appreciate that when paired with other ingredients, revyve can eliminate the need for methylcellulose, which has numerous functional and labeling downsides." Earth-friendly practices "Sustainability is a way of life at revyve," says Verstraeten. "So, it only makes sense that our proprietary production method steers clear of chemicals and harsh processing. Our clean-label products help manufacturers shorten their ingredient lists, using sources that consumers recognize. To make our ingredients, we repurpose brewer's yeast, which is a beer making co-product." The single ingredient designed for straightforward substitution and formulation Revyve is price-competitive with eggs, which is why dozens of companies are working with revyve to redesign products and formulate new ones to target emerging trends. The revyve egg replacer is manufacturing-friendly, making it easy to use with standard processing equipment and complying with all international regulatory requirements. Abundant revyve supply means that manufacturers can manage their production plans and their budgets. Revyve is gaining royal attention "Last month, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visited revyve during the Foodvalley NL delegation to the Wageningen Plus Ultra II incubator and business facility. Her Majesty was treated to a full behind-the-scenes tour, where she learned about revyve's upcycled yeast-based ingredients and sampled several prototypes we prepared for her. Revyve was honored by Her Majesty's "two royal thumbs up" for the hamburger she tasted and by her keen interest in the company," concluded Verstraeten. About revyve Revyve is the purpose-driven food-tech company committed to creating a more sustainable planet. The team of scientists and food-industry experts share a common vision of maximizing the sensory experience of food. The revyve spark was lit by the company's founding scientists at world-renowned Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Researching how to make the most out of food-production side streams, they discovered the superpowers of upcycled yeast to mimic the power of eggs. The company's new plant-based ingredients introduce authentic textures that help clean up product labels. Revyve has raised over $15M in funding from venture capital firms and industry leaders Anheuser-Busch InBev and Royal Cosun. Visit revyve at IFT FIRST, July 15-17, 2024, Chicago, IL, USA, Booth #4474W South Building, STARTUP Pavilion. For more information, contact: Company contact: Revyve Arianne Douwma, Sales Director Email: [email protected] Web: www.revyve.bio Press Contact: NutriPR - Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-974-2893 E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @NutriPR Web: www.nutripr.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446328/Revyve_Burger.jpg SOURCE Revyve $1 Million Donation Will Help Accommodate Transferring Jewish Students NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Yeshiva University, the nation's flagship Jewish University, today announced the establishment of the Blue Square Scholars program by leading philanthropist Robert Kraft. This new program is timely as it will help the University accommodate transferring students who are switching to YU for its quality education and nurturing campus atmosphere. In the aftermath of October 7th, YU has been at the forefront of universities fighting the rise of antisemitism on college campuses across the country and has opened its doors to transfer students who feel unsafe on their current campuses. In this environment, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism founded by Robert Kraft has been a leader in the public battle to fight Jewish hate and all hate. The Foundation's Blue Square has served as a symbol for unity and its message has spread throughout the world, promoting positive connections of mutual respect among diverse communities. The Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University will help provide the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the best and the brightest students who are rooted in the university's values of compassion and respect for all. These students will become the leaders and bridgebuilders our society so desperately needs. "We express our deep gratitude to Robert Kraft and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism for establishing the Blue Square Scholars program, and for all they have done to foster a more inclusive society throughout our country," said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University. "Robert sets the standard for impactful leadership in this country and this program will support top tier students who will follow his example to become the leaders of tomorrow." "I am honored to establish the Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University in order to give students a welcoming place to further their education and grow into leaders who will serve as advocates for unity and respect and will push back on all hate" said Robert Kraft, Founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. "At a time where hate has been unleashed across our universities, Jewish students are feeling isolated and unsafe. Yeshiva is providing a safe haven for these students and I look forward to seeing them thrive in an academic environment where they could live and study free of fear for being who they are". Robert Kraft directed $1 million to fund the Blue Square Scholars program at YU to further the university's efforts to support Jewish college students throughout the country during the most recent rise in antisemitism on college campuses. Following the October 7th terror attack on Israel by Hamas, Rabbi Berman convened a groundbreaking coalition of over 100 university presidents who united against the terrorism of Hamas, including public, private, faith-based, and historically Black colleges and universities. In line with this effort, Rabbi Berman recently led a diverse group of university presidents on the March of the Living, for university leadership to commemorate life in Auschwitz on Holocaust Memorial Day. About Yeshiva University As the flagship Jewish university, Yeshiva University is animated by its five core Torah values: Seek Truth (Torat Emet), Live Your Values (Torat Chaim), Discover Your Potential (Torat Adam), Act With Compassion (Torat Chesed) and Bring Redemption (Torat Tzion). Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the ancient traditions of Jewish law and life, and the heritage of Western civilization. More than 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students study at YU's four New York City campuses: the Wilf Campus, Israel Henry Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, and Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. YU's three undergraduate schools Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, and Sy Syms School of Business offer a unique dual program comprised of Jewish studies and liberal arts courses. Its graduate and affiliate schools include Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, the Katz School of Science and Health and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is ranked among the nation's leading academic institutions. SOURCE Yeshiva University WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lycoming College President Kent Trachte has appointed Sandra Kingery, Ph.D., as interim provost and dean of the faculty at Lycoming College effective July 1. She will succeed Philip Sprunger, PhD., who will return to the economics department faculty after 13 years in the post. An outstanding scholar, teacher, and member of the faculty since she was hired as a tenure track faculty member in the modern language studies department in 1998, Kingery has held two different faculty chairs, including the Richmond Chair from 2017-2023 and the W. Gibbs McKenney Chair in International Studies and Professor of Spanish, which she currently holds. Kingery has served multiple terms on Faculty Executive Council, including serving as the chair of the faculty, and full terms on both the Promotion and Tenure, and the Budget, Salaries and Benefits committees. She has also chaired the General Committee on Academic Affairs four different times, worked on Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaccreditation teams, and directed the Faculty Mentor Program. During her time at Lycoming, Kingery has also served on more than 50 peer evaluation committees and 55 search committees. One of Kingery's first strategic projects will be leading a group of faculty members and administrators that have been charged with developing proposals for additional academic offerings to build upon Lycoming's already strong academic reputation. She will also work with the Office of the President on inclusive hiring policies and practices that will support a commitment in the 2021 Strategic Plan to diversify the faculty and staff. "The breadth and length of her outstanding service to Lycoming College has prepared Sandy well to take on the role of interim provost and dean of the faculty," said Trachte. "The Faculty are very pleased that Sandy has been named to this role, and I am confident that she is the right person to build upon Provost Sprunger's exceptional work." "I am thrilled to come into this role after Phil's 13 years of tremendous service," said Kingery. "Lycoming is a place where I have enjoyed both teaching and leadership roles, and I look forward to continuing to work with our extraordinary faculty." Kingery earned both her master's and doctoral degrees from University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a bachelor's degree from Lawrence University. About Lycoming College Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is one of the nation's oldest and most respected liberal arts colleges. Today, our community of 1,100 active learners from 25 states and territories and 15 countries comprises a student body that is 30 percent domestic students of color or international, all of whom work with our renowned scholars to craft customized combinations of market-driven majors, minors and concentrations across our 40+ academic programs. Students compete in 19 NCAA Division III sports, participate in faculty-driven research, thrive in a robust program of internship experiences, and study abroad in more than two dozen countries. Lycoming College has one of the highest endowment-per-student ratios in the country. The institution is a member of the Annapolis Group of Liberal Arts Colleges and is recognized by The Princeton Review as one of The 389 Best Colleges. Lycoming College is dedicated to providing a high-quality liberal arts and sciences education for all students. Learn more at http://www.lycoming.edu. SOURCE Lycoming College NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota" or the "Company") (NYSE: TM). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether Toyota and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until August 23, 2024 , to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Toyota securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On June 3, 2024, Toyota filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission an English translation of an announcement that Toyota filed with the Tokyo Stock Exchange earlier that day. Toyota's announcement said that after "investigat[ing] its model certification applications as per instructions from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)", Toyota discovered that "seven models . . . were tested using methods that differed from the government standards[.]" That same day, The New York Times published an article entitled "Toyota and Other Japanese Carmakers Say They Mishandled Safety Tests." The article reported that "Toyota [. . .] and other top Japanese automakers [acknowledged] that internal investigations found they had mishandled vehicle testing on dozens of models over the past decade." Further, "Toyota said it had failed to gather proper data when doing pedestrian and occupant safety tests for three models, including its popular Yaris Cross sport utility vehicle." On this news, Toyota's American depositary share ("ADS") price fell $5.34 per ADS, or 2.45%, to close at $212.17 per ADS on June 3, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP The 51st annual conference demonstrates advancements in the computer graphics industry across all avenues while sparking inspiration, starting conversations, and looking toward the trends of tomorrow DENVER, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- While celebrating more than 50 years of being the world's leading education experience in the computer graphics industry, SIGGRAPH 2024 understands the value of sparking conversations about the content of the future. With this, the conference, held from Sunday, 28 July to Thursday, 1 August, 2024, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, will feature several opportunities for attendees to get a closer glimpse at the future of the industry's trends. There will be Production Sessions dedicated to the future of production, exploration of the new age of immersive experiences in the VR Theater , and spotlights of the ingenuity of diverse creators in the Electronic Theater . SIGGRAPH 2024 Electronic Theater Best in Show, The Art of Weightlessness Mahler The SIGGRAPH 2024 Production Sessions allow attendees to go behind-the-scenes with an international community of production leaders in films, games, VR/MR/XR, and more to explore the challenges faced and opportunities in modern production pipelines. Within these sessions, SIGGRAPH 2024 sought stories highlighting a macro view of behind-the-scenes innovation, creativity, inclusion, and collaboration demonstrated during recent productions. Through 60-minute presentations, leaders from across the industry will showcase their learnings and developments. "We're seeing a wide variety of new tools being developed for all sorts of different aspects of production, whether it's grooming fur and hair or virtual production tools. It's across the board different workflow improvements that we're seeing," Jonathan Nitiparsong, SIGGRAPH 2024 Production Sessions Chair, noted. "SIGGRAPH showcases some of the most cutting-edge tools and interactive techniques that make things better, and Production Sessions are often the first place where people are able to see some of these new technologies and production skills in use," he added. Of the 30 submissions received, 10 were selected for this year's Production Sessions including "Monkeys, Chimps & Gorillas: Weta FX's (r)Evolutionary Work with Primates"; "Oozing Hand Crafted 2D Illustration Into a 3D Ninja Turtle World"; "Visual Data Stories for Climate Action: The Making of NASA's Earth Information Center Public Exhibits"; "Yin and Yang: The Balance of Animation in Kung Fu Panda 4"; and "Pushing the Limits: Crafting an Immersive Mega-Canvas for Phish's Music Shows at Sphere". In addition to this year's Production Sessions, SIGGRAPH 2024 will offer immersive VR Theater experiences. The VR Theater is a world-class showcase of exemplary virtual reality storytelling and a staple SIGGRAPH program since 2017. The main program will be experienced in a high-end, seated, panoramic, multi-viewer immersive space, running approximately one hour from start to finish. New this year, participants will enter a mixed reality SIGGRAPH-branded lobby before each experience. SIGGRAPH 2024 aims to give attendees a fresh perspective on innovative, important, and inspiring virtual reality stories through a curated selection of short-form narratives. The experience will feature a diverse array of stories, from a musical journey aboard a space-train to an immersive empathy documentary about losing and regaining sight. It will highlight various intriguing uses of the VR medium for storytelling, including showcasing technical innovations. "More than any other year, the pieces we're involving carry more serious topics. I would say it's a reflection of the world, as well. Art reflects the pulse of the world. For example, one of the pieces we are showcasing is about femicide in Mexico, a problem they are using VR as a medium to really put you in the seat of a woman in Mexico. When creators make a VR experience, it's very important to ask yourself, 'Why am I making this into a VR experience and not, let's say, in a flat medium?' So, I think these pieces answer that question very clearly," SIGGRAPH 2024 VR Theater Director Yangos Hadjiyannis said. "I'm glad to see the medium's evolution in that way. In the early days, I thought, creators would sometimes make experiences to test out the VR space. Now, it's more like I'm doing this more purposefully considering the best ways to tell a story spatially. We experience our world in 3D and that is starting to be reflected uniquely in this medium, particularly with an emphasis on presence. I think that's what really makes it unique," he added. The VR Theater will also be announcing its Best in Show award for immersive experiences during the conference. This year's VR Theater will feature pieces including: "Spots of Light" : A piece that puts you in the situation of someone who has lost their sight, regained it, and then lost it again. It's a personal journey of acceptance and hope. : A piece that puts you in the situation of someone who has lost their sight, regained it, and then lost it again. It's a personal journey of acceptance and hope. "Astra" : This mixed reality experience turns your living room into a life-size spaceship that takes you to explore and understand the composition of different materials on different planets. : This mixed reality experience turns your living room into a life-size spaceship that takes you to explore and understand the composition of different materials on different planets. "Draw for Change" : A powerful experience about femicide in Mexico , walking in the shoes of a woman in Mexico who is resisting and raising awareness on the problem through beautiful mural work. : A powerful experience about femicide in , walking in the shoes of a woman in who is resisting and raising awareness on the problem through beautiful mural work. "Traversing the mist" : A poetic journey of discovery of a gay man that takes you with them to the bathhouse, as you discover a deep sense of loneliness and reflection. : A poetic journey of discovery of a gay man that takes you with them to the bathhouse, as you discover a deep sense of loneliness and reflection. "Emperor": A spectacular piece about the condition of Aphasia, told in a bigger-than-life way, with intuitive interactions that move the medium forward. The SIGGRAPH 2024 experience also features an Electronic Theater , which qualifies for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is widely recognized for its groundbreaking contributions from artists, researchers, and innovators around the world. The Electronic Theater once began as an annual showcase of computer graphics advancements. Today, it celebrates computer graphics as a cornerstone of the mainstream mediums of animation, visual effects, gaming, scientific/data visualization, and storytelling. "Given how much buzz is going around with generative AI, it's more enhanced. I think when the audience sees the show, they will hopefully appreciate the aesthetic value in choices made to use those tools beyond what is traditionally known as the process of putting text-prompted imagery into a project," John Kalaigian, SIGGRAPH 2024 Electronic Theater Director, said. "Sometimes, the results could be jarring and very obvious. So I think the most important thing is the caliber of which SIGGRAPH holds the content that it presents is increasingly getting higher." Participants were invited to submit their best work for a chance to be featured in this prestigious showcase. An internationally recognized jury reviewed the work and awarded prizes for Best in Show, Best Student Project, and Jury's Choice, whereas the Audience Choice prize is awarded after the premieres. Previous Best in Show winners have been nominated for and have received the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. SIGGRAPH 2024 Electronic Theater awards were presented to: Best in Show: " The Art of Weightlessness " Moshe Mahler with Carnegie Mellon University An animated short film documentary that chronicles the evolution of Artist and Performer, Bill Shannon . Born with a degenerative hip condition, Bill developed new ways to express himself through dance and skateboarding on crutches. with Carnegie An animated short film documentary that chronicles the evolution of Artist and Performer, . Born with a degenerative hip condition, Bill developed new ways to express himself through dance and skateboarding on crutches. Best Student Project: " After Grandpa " Juliette Michel, Swann Valenza , Florian Gomes Freitas , Axel Sence , and Victoria Leviaux with Ecole MoPA Haunted by the terrifying ghost of his Grandpa, Loup , a little boy obsessed with insects, will have to overcome his fear to discover why it came back. Juliette Haunted by the terrifying ghost of his Grandpa, Jury's Choice: " Patterns " Alex Glawion Struck by a barrage of intrusive encounters on his weekly commute, a perceptive traveler struggles to uphold the positive mindset that wards against the ever-lurking grayness. "We are on the heels of a monumental year in 2023, celebrating the 50th conference. I think there's still a little sense of celebration in the air but definitely a homecoming of sorts returning back to Colorado not too far from the first conference site in Boulder. The Computer Animation Festival is excited to bring back additional screening opportunities, which we're calling the Animation Theater Daytime Selects. These will be two independent show reels that will also accompany the main Electronic Theater show," Kalaigian added. Learn more about how SIGGRAPH 2024 is an important element in identifying the trends of tomorrow and what participants can expect here . The ACM SIGGRAPH Blog , including an interview with Paul Story, Phillip Leonhardt, Erik Winquist, Aidan Martin, and Kevin Smith to discuss their SIGGRAPH 2024 Production Session "Monkeys, Chimps & Gorillas: Weta FX's (r)Evolutionary Work With Primates," highlights additional details of the Production Sessions, VR Theater, and Electronic Theater programs. About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2024 ACM , the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2024 , the 51st annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place live 28 July1 August at the Colorado Convention Center, along with a Virtual Access option. SOURCE SIGGRAPH New 27,000-square-foot manufacturing facility now in operation to produce therapeutic Magnetodrones MONTREAL, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant stride for cancer treatment, Starpax Biopharma Inc. ("Starpax") today unveiled its Starpax Cancer Treatment Platform, a groundbreaking innovation that marks a monumental achievement in the company's journey towards pioneering new frontiers in cancer treatment. With a 100% remission rate and no meaningful side effects in all the subjects of the company's preclinical trials, this technology is conceived to address all solid tumors, representing 90% of cancer and 89% of deaths. The Starpax technology is addressing a major resistance problem to treatment that chemotherapy and immunotherapy haven't solved for over a century. Studies have demonstrated that 90% of the volume of a tumor receives little or no drug at all. Drugs or immune cells don't swim; they need blood vessels to be distributed in a tumor and reach cancer cells, yet blood vessels and lymphatics in a tumor become chaotic, malfunctioning, or collapse. More studies have also demonstrated that as little as 1% of the dose of systemic chemotherapy, such as nanocarriers, antibodies, and precision target drugs, reach a tumor, leaving 99% of the toxic doses free to circulate in the patient's body, attacking healthy organs and creating unwanted side effects. The Starpax Magnetodrones are the first component of the Starpax Cancer Treatment Platform. They are living, self-propelled, non-pathogenic bacteria that carry anticancer drugs on their surface and are sensitive to magnetic fields. They are injected directly into a tumor and can swim in tumors without using blood vessels or circulating in the bloodstream. The Starpax PolarTrak is the second component of the platform. It is a proprietary medical device in which the patient is installed. It generates unique magnetic fields to keep the Magnetodrones captive inside the tumor, preventing them from escaping into the rest of the patient's body and forces the Magnetodrones to spread throughout the whole volume of the tumor, including in hypoxic zones where the cancerous stem cells are located. The process is managed by the Polartrak artificial intelligence, based on the data of the patient's tumor taken from the MRI imagery scanner days before the treatment. Magnetodrones have faced over 800 mutations in the laboratory and therefore are able to detect low levels of oxygen in the tumor's hypoxia areas where the stem cells are located. Then, they penetrate and accumulate in these areas to introduce the anticancer therapeutic. "Our breakthrough Starpax platform can save countless lives, offering new hope in the fight against cancer," said Michael Gareau, Founding President of Starpax. "The unveiling of the Starpax Magnetodrones and PolarTrak lays the foundation for the future of cancer treatment. These technologies are not merely company milestones but keystones in developing solutions that completely transform the way we treat cancer today." Direct delivery and spread of anticancer therapeutics into tumors increases efficacy and minimizes damage to healthy tissues. Compared to modern systemic treatments, Starpax's technology allows the administration of up to 50 times more drug directly in the tumor, including hard-to-reach hypoxic zones. By focusing treatment specifically on the tumor, Starpax's technology significantly lowers the risk of adverse effects. It allows 800 times fewer toxic molecules to be introduced into the body than standard chemotherapy treatments, drastically reducing toxicity and side effects. The two-part platform of Magnetodrones and PolarTrak creates a safer, more effective alternative to traditional treatments, promising a significant leap in patient care and recovery. Dr. Gerald Batist, Director of Segal Cancer Center at Jewish General Hospital, stated, "Finally, with the Starpax technology, we have bacteria that actually move towards and can be accumulated in the hypoxic zone. This represents a big step in responding to a challenge that has been there and persists resistance to treatment." To manufacture the Starpax Magnetrodrones, the company has also announced its new facility in Montreal is now in operation. When fully operational, the 27,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to produce Magnetodrones to treat 10,000 patients annually. A second Magnetodrones manufacturing plant is being discussed, with a capacity of 110,000 patients annually. Starting with two patents in 2017, Starpax now holds 57 key patents and pending patents for its Magnetodrones and PolarTrak, as well as the interventional procedure ensuring a competitive edge in the field. Since its founding, Starpax has collaborated with top cancer research institutions, including McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Polytechnique Montreal, and TransMedTech Institute. In September 2023, the company announced a $24 million Regulation A+ capital raise. It will begin clinical trials in 2025. About Starpax Biopharma Inc. Starpax Biopharma Inc. is a biopharma tech company that unites four scientific disciplines: biochemistry, microbiology, electromagnetism engineering, and artificial intelligence to create a never-before-seen technology that is transforming cancer treatment. Its technology aims to overcome the major hurdles of systemic treatments and precisely reach cancer cells throughout tumors, including hypoxic zones, without circulating in the bloodstream, thereby avoiding side effects. To learn more, visit https://starpaxbiopharma.com . Media Contact Leigh Brandt [email protected] SOURCE Starpax Biopharma, Inc. WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is pleased to announce that the firm has been named among "Top Workplaces" in the Greater Washington, D.C. area by The Washington Post for the eleventh consecutive year. The firm is one of just eight employers that has garnered the recognition annually since the award was established in 2013. The "Top Workplaces" distinction features private, public, nonprofit, and government agencies that have scored the highest ratings in an anonymous employee survey administered by Energage, LLC. This year, the annual survey identifies 250 of the highest-ranked workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area, of which nine are law firms, and Sterne Kessler is one of four law firms in the mid-size employer category that includes 100 companies. Sterne Kessler Chief Operating Officer Robert K. Burger remarked, "Earning the 'Top Workplaces' recognition for more than a decade is a true testament to the incredible commitment and spirit of our Sterne Kessler community. Our people are the heart of our firm, and we take pride in providing an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and inspired. We are grateful to our employees for their continued trust and support, and we're proud of the individual contributions that make Sterne Kessler a remarkable place to work." The "Top Workplaces" recognition comes on the heels of the firm being ranked for excellence in IP law. Sterne Kessler has been awarded the sole Band 1 ranking in the 2024 Chambers USA guide in the Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution category among Washington, D.C.'s leading law firmsthe sixth straight year the firm has received this honor on its own. Additionally, the firm's new 76,000 square-foot office at 1101 K Street NW garnered "Best New Office Space" at Washington Business Journal's 2024 Best Real Estate Deals Awards. Occupying the top four floors, including the eleventh-floor penthouse, the new office offers stunning views of the city, abundant natural light and plants, and a thoughtfully designed space that supports employees whether they are working in person or virtually. The firm's vibrant community and culture were also at the core of recent reviews from the firm's associates in the 2024 Chambers Associate guide released earlier this month. To learn more about The Washington Post's 2024 "Top Workplaces" click here. About Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox Based in Washington, D.C. and renowned for more than four decades for dedication to the protection, enhancement, and enforcement of intellectual property rights, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is one of the most highly regarded intellectual property specialty law firms in the world. Its team of attorneys, registered patent agents, technical specialists, specialized trademark paralegals, and law clerks include some of the country's most respected practitioners of IP law, tackling innovations across a broad spectrum of industries. The firm's practitioners represent Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, inventors, venture capital firms, and universities in a client service driven environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating. Visit the firm online at sternekessler.com. SOURCE Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox BEIJING, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A program called Opportunity China: Global Gen Z Views on Jinan has been launched in the capital of Shandong province, marrying aesthetic beauty with modernity. In order to establish its credentials as a modern capital, Jinan has adopted a global perspective, fostering cultural exchanges, championing young people's views, and enthusiastically embracing cultural diversity. Gen Zers after being awarded the Spring City Ambassador certificate. At the event on June 22 Gen Zers from Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States expressed their affection for Jinan in numerous ways. The British mezzo-soprano Phoebe Georgina Haines was effusive about the city and China with her renditions of the songs I Love You, China, Beautiful Jinan, and Yimeng Mountain Tune. A young Frenchwoman, Oceane Anna Rivoire, underscored the importance of global cultural respect, encouraging young people to adopt diverse perspectives and cultures. Leopold Lind, a German studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing, highlighted the historical ties between the old commercial port and Germany, emphasizing Shandong's profound cultural heritage as the birthplace of Confucius and Zhuangzi. Jinan, a century-old commercial port with a rich history, acts as a bridge between tradition and modernity, seamlessly blending old and new. Over two days the Xiaoguanghan Museum and Weisaner Road at the Old Commercial Port provided the Gen Zers with a taste of Jinan's history and cultural heritage. They also visited the Shandong Energy Internet Industry Concentration Area and engaged with experts from Fudan University in Shanghai and Shandong University of Political Science and Law in Jinan, discussing how young people can disseminate Jinan's message. As young ambassadors, they are telling Jinan's stories and promoting Chinese culture through social media, appealing to a broader audience as they enthuse about the city's beauty and historical significance. Jinan is evolving into a modern socialist provincial capital, distinguished by its strength, innovation, excellence, prosperity, and beauty. Overseas Gen Z representatives received certificates declaring them to be Spring City Ambassadors, recognizing their role in promoting Jinan's rich history, culture, and urban identity to the world. The event highlighted the city's evolution, including its modernization, as part of celebrations for the 120th anniversary of Jinan's opening as an independent port. SOURCE China Daily NASSAU, Bahamas, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation took center stage as a platinum headline sponsor at this year's Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Caribbean Week in New York City, held from June 16th to June 21st. The event, which brought together industry leaders, government officials, and tourism stakeholders from across the region, provided a platform for The Bahamas to showcase its unique offerings and highlight its commitment to sustainable tourism development. The Bahamas delegation, led by the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, along with Director General Latia Duncombe, engaged in fruitful discussions, networking opportunities, and hosted a vibrant series of events aimed at enhancing regional partnerships and driving tourism growth. "CTO Caribbean Week was a pivotal gathering that united tourism leaders and stakeholders across the dynamic Caribbean region, navigating the evolving landscape of global travel and embracing the transformative power of technology," reflected the Honourable I. Chester Cooper. "We were proud to host a lively media event where over 50 top-tier media representatives gathered. This event showcased our commitment to innovation with 360-degree wall mapping projection, featuring captivating videos highlighting the islands of The Bahamas." Additionally, The Bahamas made a significant impact on New York's media landscape, with a feature on WPIX 11 news. This exposure allowed Bahamian culture to shine, captivating audiences with the rich tapestry of our traditions and hospitality. Director General Duncombe added, "The Bahamas is dedicated to creating exceptional tourism offerings through arts, culture, culinary delights, and sustainable travel experiences that benefit our visitors and locals and preserve our natural resources. We are thrilled to have shared updates on our exciting new hotel projects, enhanced airlift services, and significant infrastructure developments. During Caribbean Week in New York, we engaged in deep discussions on the transformative role of AI, explored synergies to promote our vibrant culture and culinary excellence, and discussed the new role of influencers in the public relations field." She continued: "We take pride in presenting our vision for the future of tourism in The Bahamas with our regional partners and look forward to continued collaboration to drive growth and prosperity throughout the Caribbean." Marv "Mr. Mix" Cunningham and Chef Kevyn Pratt joined the delegation to highlight the culinary excellence of The Bahamas, further enriching the cultural exchange and showcasing the island's gastronomic delights during the week's festivities. Throughout the event, The Bahamas delegation participated in panel discussions, workshops, and networking events, sharing insights on best practices in tourism marketing, sustainability, and destination management. The engagement underscored The Bahamas' commitment to leadership in Caribbean tourism and its proactive role in shaping the industry's future. For more information about The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, please visit https://www.bahamas.com/. About The Bahamas The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the Earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram. PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation [email protected] Bahamas USA FINN Bahamas [email protected] SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dominican Republic (the " Republic ") announced today the aggregate principal amount of bonds that have been validly tendered pursuant to its previously announced offer to purchase for cash the bonds (the " Existing Bonds ") listed in the table below (the " Offer "), pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions described in the offer document dated June 17, 2024 (the " Offer Document "). The Offer expired as scheduled at 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on June 25, 2024. The aggregate principal amount of Existing Bonds validly tendered was US$1,009,904,000. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Offer Document. The following table indicates the aggregate principal amount of Existing Bonds that had been validly tendered pursuant to the Offer as of 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on June 25, 2024. Title of Existing Bonds ISIN / CUSIP Aggregate Principal Amount Tendered(1) Percentage of Aggregate Principal Amount Tendered(2) Purchase Price(3) 5.500% Bonds due 2025 P3579E BD8 / USP3579EBD87 (Reg S) 25714P CV8 / US25714PCV85 / (144A) US$1,009,904,000 79.38 % US$1,000 ___________________ (1) Information regarding the aggregate principal amount of Existing Bonds tendered is based on information received from the Tender and Information Agent (as defined below). (2) Principal amount of Existing Bonds tendered pursuant to the Offer expressed as an approximate percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Bonds outstanding. (3) Per US$1,000 principal amount of the Existing Bonds validly tendered and accepted for purchase. Holders whose Existing Bonds were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will also receive Accrued Interest. The Offer is conditioned, among other things, on the concurrent (or earlier) closing of an issuance by the Republic of one or more series of DOP-denominated and/or U.S. dollar-denominated, New York law-governed debt securities, in an aggregate principal amount, with pricing and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Republic in its sole discretion (the " New Notes Offering "). The Republic intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the New Notes Offering to purchase the Existing Bonds accepted for purchase. The New Notes Offering has been made solely by means of one or more offering memoranda relating to the New Notes Offering, and neither this announcement nor the Offer Document constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any such new debt securities. The Republic reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any valid orders to tender Existing Bonds in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer or to terminate the Offer for any reason. In the event of a termination of the Offer, tendered Existing Bonds will be returned to the tendering Holder. The total purchase price for the principal amount of the Existing Bonds validly tendered by a Holder and accepted by the Republic will be an amount in cash equal to the outstanding principal amount of such Existing Bonds, multiplied by the Purchase Price, plus Accrued Interest (the " Total Purchase Price "). If the Total Purchase Price minus Accrued Interest for all validly tendered Existing Bonds (the " Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price ") would exceed the Maximum Purchase Price, then the Republic will, in its sole discretion, apply a proration factor to the Tenders. If the Republic accepts all or a portion of a Holder's tender of Existing Bonds, the Holder will be entitled to receive for such Existing Bonds the Purchase Price plus Accrued Interest, payable on the Settlement Date (as defined below) in U.S. dollars if the conditions of the Offer are met. The settlement of validly tendered and accepted Existing Bonds is expected to occur on Monday, July 1, 2024, subject to change without notice (the " Settlement Date "). On June 25, 2024, at or around 5:00 p.m. (New York City time), subject to change without notice, the Republic expects to announce: (i) the Maximum Purchase Price; (ii) the Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price; (iii) the aggregate principal amount of Tenders of the Existing Bonds that has been accepted; and (iv) any proration of Tenders of the Existing Bonds. The Offer Document may be downloaded from the website of Global Bondholder Services Corporation (the " Tender and Information Agent ") at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/dominican/ or obtained from the Tender and Information Agent or from any of the Dealer Managers at the contact information below. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the below contact information. The Dealer Managers for the Offer are: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, 4th Floor Trading New York, New York 10013 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 Email: [email protected] J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179 United States of America Attn: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279 Toll-Free: +1 (866) 846-2874 The Tender and Information Agent for the Existing Bonds is: Global Bondholder Services Corporation 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America Attn: Corporate Actions Banks and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774 Toll free +1 (855) 654-2014 Email: [email protected] Offer Website: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/dominican/ By facsimile: (For Eligible Institutions only): +1 (212) 430-3775/3779 Confirmation: +1 (212) 430-3774 By Mail: By Overnight Courier: By Hand: 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America Important Notice This announcement is for informational purposes only. It is not complete and may not contain all the information that you should consider before tendering Existing Bonds. You should read the entire Offer Document. This announcement is not an offer to purchase for cash or a solicitation of invitations for offers to purchase for cash any Existing Bonds. The distribution of materials relating to the Offer and the transactions contemplated thereby may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is being made only by the Offer Document and in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. The Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. Each person accepting the Offer shall be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed (in respect of itself and any person for whom it is acting) that it is not a person to whom it is unlawful to make the Offer pursuant to the Offer Document, it has not distributed or forwarded the Offer Document or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer to any such person, and that it has complied with all laws and regulations applicable to it for purposes of participating in the Offer. Neither the Republic nor the Dealer Managers accepts any responsibility for any violation by any person of the restrictions applicable in any jurisdiction. The materials relating to the Offer, including this announcement, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. This announcement and the Offer Document do not constitute an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the Offer is required to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and in which any Dealer Manager or any of its affiliates is so licensed, it shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Managers or such affiliates on behalf of the Republic. SOURCE The Dominican Republic CHICAGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a triumphant return as a weekly broadcast, The Kevin Trudeau Show is thrilled to announce its expansion to twice-weekly episodes. As of May 20th, fans can now look forward to new episodes every Monday and Wednesday, offering even more of the uplifting and insightful content they have come to love. The Kevin Trudeau Show Announcement The Kevin Trudeau Show made a powerful comeback in February 2024 as a YouTube livestream and podcast, airing only once a week. The overwhelmingly positive reception and growing demand from its listeners have inspired this exciting move to a bi-weekly schedule. Episodes are available on Rumble, YouTube, and other major social media platforms. With a legacy of global syndication reaching over 100 million listeners on radio, Kevin Trudeau returns to the airwaves with his vast experience as a #1 New York Times bestselling author, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and communications expert. The show continues to champion consumer advocacy, natural health, and free speech, remaining true to its mission of empowering listeners. Under Trudeau's inspiring leadership, listeners are guaranteed an engaging, informative, and entertaining experience. The show delves into a variety of topics, including societal issues, leadership, and both physical and mental health and well-being, offering hope and guidance in an ever-changing world. "We are expanding to twice a week to continue exposing the things that 'they' don't want you to know about," Trudeau said. "The main focus is helping people attain their goals and dreams and, most importantly, achieve inner peace, joy, and bliss by sharing love and compassion to all humanity." Tune in to The Kevin Trudeau Show for thought-provoking discussions, inspirational stories, and practical advice that can make a real difference in your life. Subscribe on YouTube and Rumble and enable notifications to stay updated with every new episode. SOURCE Kevin Trudeau COLUMBIA, Md., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mexico Fund, Inc. (NYSE: MXF), today issued its fiscal 2024 Semi-Annual Report for the period ended April 30, 2024. A full version of the report is available at the company's website www.themexicofund.com Semi-Annual Report 2024 Highlights During the first half of fiscal year 2024, the Fund's NAV per share registered a total return of 21.62%, compared with a return of 21.58% registered by its benchmark, the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Mexico Index, while the Funds market price registered a total return of 22.06%. The Funds NAV per share has outperformed its benchmark during the one-, five-, ten- and fifteen-year periods ended on April 30, 2024, as shown in the table below: Annualized % Return in USD 1-year 3-years 5-years 10-years 15-years MXF Market Price 13.20 12.67 9.36 1.85 8.89 MXF NAV 11.38 14.93 10.91 3.35 9.00 MSCI Mexico Index 9.55 15.06 9.78 2.56 7.16 As of April 30, 2024, the Fund's market price and NAV per share were $17.99 and $22.62, respectively, reflecting a discount of 20.47%, compared with a discount of 20.40% at the end of fiscal year 2023. The Fund's Expense Limitation Agreement was renewed for fiscal year 2024, with a cap on the ordinary expense ratio, which excludes the performance component of the Investment Advisory fee, of 1.40%, so long as Fund net assets remain greater than $260 million. The Fund's ordinary expense ratio during the first half of fiscal year 2024 was 1.34%, below the limit of 1.40%. The Board of Directors of the Fund has ratified the continuation of the Fund's quarterly distributions under its MDP during 2024. As a result, it declared a distribution of $0.22 per share to be paid on July 25, 2024, to stockholders of record as of July 17, 2024. About The Mexico Fund, Inc. The Mexico Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company with the investment objective of long-term capital appreciation through investments in securities, primarily equity, listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Fund provides a vehicle to investors who wish to invest in Mexican companies through a managed non-diversified portfolio as part of their overall investment program. This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Fund's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, in particular, the risks and uncertainties described in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events, and performance may differ. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Fund undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by The Mexico Fund or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. CONTACT: Tofi Dayan +5255-9138-3350 Email: [email protected] SOURCE The Mexico Fund, Inc. SAN DIEGO , June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALA Annual 2024 Conference -- Thorndike Press from Gale , part of Cengage Group, will hold a large print book signing for awarding-winning YA author, Neal Shusterman. The signing will take place on June 28 during the American Library Association Annual (ALA Annual) Conference in San Diego, California at the Gale booth, #1317. Book signing details are as follows: Book signing for award-winning author, Neal Shusterman at ALA Annual 2024 Conference hosted by Thorndike Press. Who: Neal Shusterman will be signing and giving away free copies of his large print edition books Scythe and I Am the Walrus while supplies last. When: Friday, June 28, 2024 Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm Pacific Time Where: Gale Booth #1317, ALA Annual Conference, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA Author Bio: Neal Shusterman is the New York Times best-selling author of over thirty novels for children, teens, and adults. He is the recipient of the 2024 Margaret A. Edwards Award, winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for Challenger Deep-and his novel, Scythe, was a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor book-and is in development with Universal Studios as a feature film. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country-and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. He co-wrote his most recent novel, Dry, with his son Jarrod, and in addition to being on numerous award lists, Dry is currently in development with Paramount Pictures. His upcoming novel, Game Changer, is in development with Netflix as a TV series, and he is co-writing the pilot episode. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube or on the web at storyman.com. About Thorndike Press As the leading large print publisher, Thorndike Press from Gale , part of Cengage Group, helps readers of all ages enjoy books. Publishing unabridged reprints in large print format for middle grade and young adult readers started in 1999 and our catalog of more than 1,000 titles grows monthly with high-interest fiction and nonfiction books, including contemporary classics, award-winners and bestsellers. Founded in Thorndike, Maine, in 1977, our commitment to producing high quality, 100% guaranteed large print books supports young readers as they develop the skills necessary to become successful, confident, lifelong readers. Follow Thorndike Press on: About Cengage Group and Gale Cengage Group, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Group, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 65 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.gale.com . Follow Gale on: Media Contact: Kayla Siefker, Gale, part of Cengage Group 248-378-3376 [email protected] SOURCE Gale, part of Cengage Group BEIJING, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: The development of the new energy industry is crucial for the future of planet Earth. It is important to promote the emergence of high-quality production capacity through fair competition in the industry and enhance global development momentum through open cooperation. Fair competition is the fundamental principle of a market economy. It is precisely through sufficient market competition that China's new energy industry has forged international competitiveness. Chinese new energy companies continuously optimize production processes, improve production efficiency, and promote technological innovation, consistently offering high-quality products at more competitive prices. China ranks among the top globally in terms of the number of patent applications in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products. Many multinational companies have realized that the fiercely competitive and innovative Chinese market is a "well-equipped gym," and they have successively established new energy research and production bases in China to promote industry upgrading and overall development progress. Maintaining fair competition is the best way to enhance consumer welfare. Sufficient market competition drives companies to offer high-quality products that better meet market demands at more favorable prices, resulting in maximum benefits for consumers. In recent years, facing intense market competition, Chinese new energy vehicle companies have continuously introduced new models covering different price ranges and catering to diverse consumer needs, providing consumers with more quality choices. Chinese photovoltaic companies have launched products such as large-scale photovoltaic power stations and residential rooftop photovoltaic systems, enhancing the diversity of products and application scenarios. These efforts have significantly increased the market penetration of new energy products, benefiting consumers. Only through fair competition can green and low-carbon transformation be promoted globally. To achieve sustainable development, it is essential to have high-quality capacity as the foundation. Chinese new energy enterprises have actively engaged in international cooperation, helping more and more developing countries embrace green development, as indicated by the De Aar wind power project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, a photovoltaic power plant in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh, the Chinese-manufactured electric buses running in Mexico City, and Chinese companies investing in and constructing new energy vehicle and power battery factories in Hungary. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, pointed out that China's provision of relevant services and support to other countries has significantly improved the accessibility of clean energy technologies and reduced the cost of using green technologies globally. Protectionism goes against the principle of fair competition. It not only fails to protect domestic industries but also distorts the international market, hampers resource allocation efficiency, and hinders the development of the new energy industry around the world. Currently, the world is at a critical moment of transitioning from old to new growth drivers. Adopting protectionist measures for emerging industries like new energy would result in global resource waste and efficiency losses, impacting the sustainable growth of the global economy and limiting or even stifling incremental opportunities. The international community should collectively oppose protectionism, and properly address differences according to market economy principles and WTO rules, so as to create a favorable international environment for the healthy development of the global new energy industry. Upholding fair competition does not mean that the government has no role to play. In history, developed countries have successfully achieved industrial upgrading, not only because of the role of the market, but also because of the guidance and support of industrial policies introduced by their respective governments. Since joining the WTO, China has earnestly complied with subsidy-related rules and promoted the development and growth of its production capacity under market economy conditions. The continuous emergence of high-quality new energy capacity in China today is a result of the effective collaboration between a functioning market and an active government. When governments guide the development of their own new energy industries, the key is to not violate international rules, exclude competition from other countries through industrial policies, or maliciously suppress the industrial development of other countries. What the world needs is environmental protection, not protectionism against green products. The new energy industry is a promising sector that empowers global development and creates a greener future. The optimal solution to promote the development of the industry and achieve mutual benefits is through fair competition and open cooperation. Protectionism will only lead the global green transition to a dead end. In the future, countries should adopt an open mindset, uphold fair competition, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. Together, they should strive to build a global market that is competitive, efficient, expansive, innovative, and highly interconnected. This will create new opportunities for the development of the new energy industry and provide a favorable environment for the long-term growth of businesses in all countries. Company Recognized in Alliance Program Excellence Category MAPLE GROVE, Minn., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC (Upsher-Smith) today announced that it has been named by The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) as an ASAP Alliance Excellence Award winner. ASAP recognized Upsher-Smith's achievements in the Alliance Program Excellence category during a virtual ceremony on June 12, 2024. Upsher-Smith named as a 2024 ASAP Alliance Excellence Award Winner. The ASAP Alliance Excellence Awards are the highest honor in the alliance management community, recognizing exceptional contributions to strategic alliance management across various industries. Upsher-Smith's nomination highlights its dedication to effective alliance practices and its significant impact on business outcomes, including revenue growth, market expansion, and product development. "Several years ago, we set out to acquire niche technical experience, expand our commercial portfolio, and enhance access to near-term products for commercial sale through strategic alliances," said Jim Maahs, Vice President, Specialty & Rare Disease. "This success has fostered an improved alliance mindset and a scalable platform for growth. Through diverse licensing and co-development relationships, Upsher-Smith has become a preferred alliance partner. Winning this ASAP Alliance Program Excellence Award affirms our efforts and strengthens our position as a leader in strategic partnerships." Upsher-Smith's strategic approach to alliance management has significantly expanded its commercial portfolio and acquired specialized technical expertise. The company's established alliance practices and successful specialty and generic pharmaceutical product launches have driven its growth and strengthened its market position. By leveraging best practices and fostering strong partnerships, Upsher-Smith has built a robust platform for growth, positioning itself to better serve its customers. To learn more about Upsher-Smith or to discuss strategic partnerships and product collaborations, visit https://www.upsher-smith.com. About Upsher-Smith Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC, now a member of Bora Group, is a trusted U.S. pharmaceutical company that strives to improve the health and lives of patients through an unwavering commitment to high-quality products and sustainable growth. The company brings brands and generics to a wide array of customers, always backed by its attentive level of service, strong industry relationships, and dedication to uninterrupted product supply. For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com. About Bora Founded in 2007, Bora Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Bora" or "the Company", 6472.TW) now is the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Taiwan with well-connected global distribution to supply more than 100 countries around the world. Headquartered in Taiwan, Bora has dedicated itself to becoming a global leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing by offering its clients the best quality, efficiency and reliability. For more information, visit https://bora-corp.com/. About ASAP The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) is a nonprofit, global membership organization for partnering professionals in all industries who manage strategic alliances, ecosystems, go-to-market partnerships, key channel partner relationships, and other business collaborations. As the go-to community for alliance and partnering success, ASAP offers many resources to its members, including tools, publications, education, and networking events, and more. ASAP is also the only association that awards CA-AM and CSAP certification to qualified alliance professionals. ASAP global, corporate, and individual members represent a wide variety of industries that include high tech, biopharma, life science, finance, fintech, insurance, energy, consulting, and many others. For more information, visit https://www.strategic-alliances.org/. SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU) proudly announces its recognition as one of the Greater Washington area's top workplaces by The Washington Post. This esteemed accolade underscores USSFCU's unwavering dedication to creating an exceptional workplace environment and fostering a culture of excellence. The Washington Post's annual Top Workplaces list celebrates organizations that prioritize their employees' well-being, job satisfaction, and overall workplace culture. Being named a Top Workplace signifies USSFCU's dedication to its team members and their professional growth. Impressively, USSFCU ranks within the top 2% in its industry for making employees feel appreciated. "Our employees are the heart of our organization. This recognition is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the positive culture we strive to maintain every day," said Timothy Anderson, CEO of USSFCU. "We are committed to supporting our team members and ensuring that USSFCU continues to be a place where they can thrive both personally and professionally." Recent survey feedback from USSFCU employees highlights the positive atmosphere at the credit union: "Our CEO truly cares about the credit union, the membership, and each employee." "This is honestly the best and most caring company I have ever worked for. The culture and people are honest and nice. The work is challenging, and they strongly support work and home life at a great balance." "Our mission is 'People Helping People.' This is a win-win and at the end of the day we can rest knowing that we left people better than we found them." "I feel part of something bigger." "Each day I am presented with new challenges and situations, which really helps me to stay focused and interested." In addition to this significant recognition, USSFCU has also received the following accolades: Top Workplaces USA 2024: Ranked #76 nationwide by USA TODAY, highlighting USSFCU's employee-focused culture. Ranked #76 nationwide by TODAY, highlighting USSFCU's employee-focused culture. 2024 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards: Celebrated for exceptional Work-Life Flexibility, enabling employees to balance their personal and professional lives effectively. These awards reflect USSFCU's ongoing efforts to foster a positive workplace culture and provide employees with the tools and support they need to succeed. At USSFCU, employees are considered the greatest asset. Their dedication and hard work drive the credit union's success, and USSFCU is committed to maintaining an environment that nurtures their talents and promotes their well-being. About USSFCU Since 1935, USSFCU has provided the Senate and Capitol Hill communities with world-class financial stability, security, and service. Now a $1.6 billion financial institution with 140 plus paths to membership, access to these exclusive financial resources is at your fingertips. For more details and to view USSFCU's profile on the Top Workplaces website, click here . View this press release on our website at ussfcu.org/press. SOURCE U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union "Millions of U.S. workers are at risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement. The situation is intensifying with Social Security's and Medicare's projected funding shortfalls, population aging, skyrocketing costs of long-term care, and workers' obstacles in saving and investing," said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and TCRS. The Multigenerational Workforce: Life, Work, and Retirement is part of TCRS' 24th Annual Retirement Survey, one of the largest and longest-running surveys of its kind. The report examines the retirement outlook of U.S. workers aged 18 and older who are employed by for-profit companies. It provides comparisons of responses by Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. Priorities for the President and Congress to Improve Retirement Security Workers' top priority for the President and Congress to help people have a financially secure retirement is addressing Social Security's funding shortfalls (58%), according to the survey's findings. Other priorities include addressing Medicare's funding shortfalls (46%), making out-of-pocket health care expenses and prescription drugs more affordable (46%), ensuring all workers can save for retirement in the workplace (45%), increasing access to affordable housing (37%), implementing financial literacy curriculum in schools (37%), innovating more affordable solutions for long-term care (35%), supporting family caregivers (34%), creating incentives for continuing education (27%), and providing and/or subsidizing additional broadband access (27%). How to Address Social Security's Funding Shortfall "American workers are stressed out about Social Security," said Collinson. Almost three in four workers (73%) are concerned that Social Security will not be there for them when they are ready to retire. Forty-three percent of Baby Boomers and 29% of Generation X expect it to be their primary source of retirement income, according to the survey's findings. When asked how Congress should address Social Security's funding shortfall, workers are lukewarm about possible actions such as increasing the maximum earnings subject to payroll taxes (40%), increasing the Social Security payroll tax rate (38%), preserving retirement benefit payments for retirees in greatest need (34%), and raising the retirement age (23%). Just 4% say that Congress should "do nothing." "Workers are counting on Social Security for retirement income. The clock is ticking with the Social Security trust funds' estimated depletion in the next decade. The sooner Congress takes action, the more time workers will have to adjust their financial plans, if needed, before they retire. The longer Congress waits, the more disruptive the changes could be," said Collinson. Key Indicators of Retirement Readiness Across Generations "Increasingly, today's workers are expected to self-fund a greater portion of their retirement income compared with prior generations, but they are not fully equipped to take on the responsibility and associated risks. Many are on a collision course toward insufficient savings," said Collinson. The survey finds just one in five workers (21%) say they know "a lot" about personal finance and only 32% use a professional financial advisor. Some good news is most workers are saving for retirement through an employer-sponsored plan and/or outside the workplace. Younger generations are getting a head start. Among those who are saving, Generation Z started at age 20, Millennials started at age 25, Generation X at age 30, and Baby Boomers at age 35 (medians). Seventy-six percent of workers are offered a 401(k) or similar plan by their employers. Generation Z (69%) and Baby Boomers (65%) are less likely than Millennials (80%) and Generation X (78%) to be offered a such plan, which can partly be explained by their being more likely to be employed part time. Many workers lack adequate emergency savings and, in the event of a financial setback, some are tapping into their retirement savings by taking hardship withdrawals and/or early withdrawals including Generation Z (23%), Millennials (21%), Generation X (16%), and Baby Boomers (14%). Baby Boomers, the generation closest to retirement, have saved just $194,000 in total household retirement accounts, while Generation X has saved $93,000, Millennials have saved $50,000, and Generation Z has saved $40,000 (estimated medians). "Now is the time for the President and Congress to restore confidence and strengthen the U.S. retirement system by addressing Social Security, Medicare, access to workplace retirement plans, financial literacy, and other drivers of retirement security," said Collinson. "At the same time, policymakers and the retirement services industry must focus on implementing the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 and its provisions that make it easier for employers to offer retirement benefits and help workers save, invest, and protect their savings." The Multigenerational Workforce: Life, Work, and Retirement explores the health and well-being, employment, personal finances, and retirement preparations of the multigenerational workforce including Generation Z (born 1997 to 2012), Millennials (born 1981 to 1996), Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), and Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964). Visit www.transamericainstitute.org. Listen to Transamerica Institute's podcast ClearPath Your Roadmap for LifeSM. Follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) @TI_insights and @TCRStudies. About Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) is an operating division of Transamerica Institute, a nonprofit, private foundation. Transamerica Institute is funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates. TCRS and its representative cannot give ERISA, tax, investment, or legal advice. This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as ERISA, tax, investment, or legal advice. Interested parties must consult and rely solely upon their independent advisors regarding their situation and the concepts presented here. www.transamericainstitute.org/about About the 24th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey The analysis contained in The Multigenerational Workforce: Life, Work, and Retirement was prepared internally by the research team at Transamerica Institute and TCRS. The 25-minute online survey was conducted within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of Transamerica Institute between September 14 and October 23, 2023, among a nationally representative sample of 10,002 adults and an oversample of 2,020 workers in a for-profit company employing one or more employees. The data in this press release is shown for a subsample of 5,730 workers in a for-profit company employing one or more employees. Data was weighted where necessary for age by gender, race and ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income and propensity to be online to being them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval and the worker sample data is accurate to within +1.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percent. News Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies Los Angeles, Calif. Media Contact: Kyle Moschen [email protected] SOURCE Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies NEW YORK, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- National law firm Wilson Elser today announced an expansion of its Miami office with the hiring of five lateral partners accompanied by a team of associates, paralegals and legal assistants. The addition of this lateral group from MG+M The Law Firm a national litigation firm with 15 offices advances Wilson Elser's strategy of growth in the South Florida region. The laterals, led by partners and experienced trial lawyers Raul Chacon Jr. and Russell Pfeifer, are joined at Wilson Elser by partners Kaylin Grey, Jonathan Dunleavy and Gustavo A. (Gus) Martinez-Tristani. Chacon focuses his practice on admiralty and marine and product liability matters and was the chair of his former firm's maritime practice. Chacon received a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1993 and a B.S.E.E. degree from the College of Engineering at the University of Miami in 1990. Pfeifer handles matters related to product liability, insurance coverage with a specific focus on first-party property, and general casualty litigation and wrongful death matters. Pfeifer was an associate in Wilson Elser's Miami office from 2006 through 2013. Pfeifer received a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 2003 and a B.S. degree from Nova Southeastern University in 1999. Grey is a trial lawyer who focuses her practice on high stakes complex commercial litigation matters and provides business counseling to her clients. Her practice is also centered on general and premises liability, property management litigation and maritime matters. She is a former prosecutor in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, and was Pro Bono Committee Chair at her previous firm. Grey received her LL.M. degree in Trial Advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2010, a J.D. degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 2006 and a B.A. degree from the University of South Florida in 2003. Dunleavy represents clients in a broad range of insurance cases, from slip-and-fall matters to complex, multi-party wrongful death and high-dollar property claims. He focuses on admiralty and maritime law and insurance defense. Dunleavy received a J.D. degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1997 and a B.S. degree from Michigan State University in 1994. Martinez-Tristani focuses his practice in general maritime law, including the Jones Act, unseaworthiness, and maintenance and cure claims; cruise passenger personal injury claims; and related issues; he also handles cargo claims and collision cases. Martinez-Tristani received his LL.M. degree in Admiralty and Maritime Law from Tulane University Law School in 1993, a J.D. degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 1991, and a B.A. degree from the University of Puerto Rico. "I am happy to welcome Raul, Russell, Kaylin, Jonathan and Gus and their team to the Miami office," said Sean McDonough, regional managing partner of Wilson Elser's Miami and Orlando, Florida, offices. "And I am especially pleased to welcome Russell back to Wilson Elser's Miami office." "Wilson Elser continues to grow to meet client demand in South Florida," said Wilson Elser Chair Daniel J. McMahon. "Our new Miami team and their expertise in maritime, product liability, insurance coverage, and complex tort and general casualty are a good fit for our clients in these key practice areas." Earlier this year, the Miami office hired three of counsel: Rachel Walters, a 10-year veteran of the Miami-Dade County Attorney's office; Amy Talisman, formerly with a Ft. Lauderdalebased litigation firm; and Regina Franco Murphey, who worked the previous four years at insurer AIG. The firm plans to build out office space at the current Miami location to accommodate the new group. About the Miami office Miami, FL (wilsonelser.com) About Wilson Elser Wilson Elser is the preeminent defense litigation firm in the United States. At any given time, our more than 1,000 attorneys are engaged in some 100,000 defense and coverage matters, with many defending clients in various local, state and federal courts. Indeed, over more than four decades, our litigation, coverage and trial lawyers have gained a reputation for taking on and prevailing in the most challenging and technical cases, frequently "parachuting in" to assume unresolved matters from other law firms. Our success also derives from winning on our clients' terms and rigorously adhering to their guidelines. We are ranked 103 in the Am Law 200 and 55 in the National Law Journal's NLJ 500. For more information, go to www.wilsonelser.com . PR Contact: Andrew Blum, AJB Communications [email protected] | 917.783.1680 SOURCE Wilson Elser If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Seoul, June 25 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for showing heartfelt hospitality during his visit to Pyongyang last week, saying bilateral ties have been boosted to an "unprecedentedly high level", North Korea's state media reported on Tuesday. In a message to Kim, Putin said his trip to the North has opened ways for the two countries to achieve beneficial cooperation in various fields, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "He said that his recent state visit to the DPRK was of special significance as it raised the relations between Moscow and Pyongyang to an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership," the KCNA said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Putin said the North's leader is an "honoured guest" that Russia always waits for, wishing for Kim's good health and success. After summit talks on Wednesday, Putin and Kim signed a treaty of comprehensive strategic partnership that calls for providing military assistance without delay if either side comes under attack. It marked Putin's first trip to North Korea in 24 years. Putin also voiced hope to hold the next summit with Kim in Moscow, according to Russian media outlets. Meanwhile, North Korea condemned Ukraine troops for "staging attacks on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula this week with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) missiles supplied by the United States". "Puppet groups in Ukraine have been clinging to reckless terrorist acts as the country has faced repeated defeats with military confrontations with Russia," the KCNA said in a separate dispatch, calling the attack the outcome of Washington's "madness against Russia". In a similar message to show solidarity with Moscow, Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, slammed Washington's military support for Ukraine on Monday. Washington, June 25 : US President Joe Biden has designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) of his country. "By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k)..., I hereby designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act...," stated a memorandum published by the White House on Monday. The MNNA status is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defence trade and security cooperation. According to the US Department of State, the MNNA designation is a "powerful symbol of the close relationship the United States shares with those countries and demonstrates our deep respect for the friendship for the countries to which it is extended". While the MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments to the designated country. Biden had pledged to designate Kenya as a major non-NATO ally during Kenyan President William Ruto's three-day visit to the US last month. New Delhi, June 25 : Amid the ongoing water crisis in the national capital, Delhi Water Minister Atishi, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, was admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital early this morning due after her health condition deteriorated. According to the doctors, Atishi's blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low, reaching 43 at midnight and further plummeting to 36 by 3 a.m. Medical professionals immediately recommended hospitalisation. There was also a significant drop in her blood pressure and weight, marking her condition as increasingly perilous. Additionally, rising urine ketone levels indicated a severe threat to her health. The Aam Aadmi Party leader is on an indefinite hunger strike demanding Haryana release Delhi's share of water. On the fourth day of her fast on Monday, doctors from LNJP checked her health. Observing her deteriorating condition, they recommended hospital admission. Atishi decided not to break her fast. "Ensuring water for the people of Delhi is more important than my life. My fast will continue until the people of Delhi receive their rightful share of water," she said. The Aam Aadmi Party leader initiated her hunger strike to demand Haryana release Delhi's "rightful" share of water. Since June 21, the Delhi Water Minister has been fasting to ensure water from Haryana for 2.8 million Delhi residents. Hyderabad, June 25 : About 6,000 junior doctors in government hospitals across Telangana continued their indefinite strike for a second day on Tuesday, affecting the normal healthcare services With the talks held with Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha on Monday evening failed to resolve the deadlock, the junior doctors continued their strike. The medicos boycotted outpatient services, elective surgeries, and ward duties. However, they were attending emergency duties. Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) has made it clear that the strike will continue till their demands are met. Their demands include establishment of a green channel for timely stipend disbursement, honorarium for superspeciality senior residents, deployment of police personnel to prevent violence against doctors in hospitals, construction of new hostels, adequate faculty at medical colleges, and a new building for Osmania General Hospital (OGH). The government, which has responded positively to address some demands of the striking medicos, has appealed to them to ensure that healthcare services were not affected. About 1,000 junior doctors in Gandhi Hospital and OGH in Hyderabad were boycotting their duties. Holding placards in support of their demands, junior doctors staged protests at both the major government hospitals. TJUDA president Dr. G. Sai Sri Harsha said that security at hospitals is their main demand. He said though the government in 2019 had agreed to deploy a Special Protection Force (SPF) to provide security to doctors, no action was taken. The Health Minister on Monday directed Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr N Vani to meet with the head of the home department to discuss deploying the SPF. TJUDA leaders said they had been placing their demands before the government since January and went on strike only as a last resort. They said they would end the stir only after a categorical commitment from the government. Kolkata, June 25 : Maniktala Assembly constituency, one of the seven under the Kolkata-Uttar Lok Sabha constituency, is heading for an interesting three-cornered bypoll next month. The main concern for the ruling Trinamool Congress in retaining Maniktala is the falling victory margin in this constituency as per the Assembly-wise results in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Maniktala is going for bypolls following the demise of the three-time Trinamool Congress legislator from there, Sadhan Pande. Trinamool Congress wants to win this seat banking on the popularity of the deceased legislator and hence has fielded his widow Supti Pande in the bypolls scheduled on July 10. The BJP has re-nominated Kalyan Chaubey, the party candidate who got defeated by Pande in 2021. The third candidate in the fray is the leading face in the CPI(M)as theoretical front Rajib Majumdar. According to poll statistics, Trinamool Congressa popularity in Maniktala has taken a hit substantially in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. In 2021, Pande got elected from that constituency by a margin of 20,238 votes. However, in the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congressa winning margin from Maniktala came down to just 3,575 votes. After the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congress leadership reviewed the causes behind its waning popularity among urban voters. In the case of Kolkata-Uttar Lok Sabha, which includes Maniktala Assembly, it was factionalism that led to the partyas popularity taking a hit. Now it remains to be seen whether in the run up to the bypoll the party can maintain a united front and ensure the victory of Sadhan Pandeas widow on the seat. At Maniktala, the percentage of Muslim voters is a paltry 2.4 per cent and of SC/ST voters it is a little less than 5 per cent. A sizable portion of the voters in the constituency are non-Bengali speaking ones. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to depute 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at Maniktala on polling day. The counting will be held on July 13. New Delhi, June 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a bail plea filed by a land developer, an accused in a money laundering case linked to the forgery of Army and government land in Ranchi. "The proceeds of crime are created directly or indirectly from a transaction relating to the predicate offence. Don't think this is a case for grant of bail," a vacation bench presided over by Justice Abhay S. Oka told the counsel representing accused Talha Khan. "We don't find that at this stage a case is made out for grant of bail. Hence, the special leave petition is dismissed," ordered the Bench also comprising Justice Rajesh Bindal, observing that it is always open for the petitioner to file bail petition afresh if the trial is delayed. Earlier, the Jharkhand High Court had dismissed the bail plea filed by accused Khan after noting that copies of the sale agreement and sale deeds were recovered from his premises and he transferred Rs 44 lakh into the bank account of his company F2R Construction Pvt. Ltd. A bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad of the high court said that prima-facie it appeared that the petitioner was also the beneficiary of proceeds of crime and as such the part of the racket involved in fraudulent activities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested several persons for the alleged purchase and sale of Army land. Several deeds, fake documents, government registers of zonal offices, etc., were recovered during the simultaneous raids conducted by the ED at 21 locations belonging to 18 people in Jharkhand, Bihar and Bengal. Seoul, June 25 : South Korean fire department officials have said that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the massive fire at a battery plant in Hwaseong, city south of Seoul, but the exact figures still need to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, Xing Haiming, late on Monday on the accident and the progress of the search and rescue efforts at the scene. South Korean officials said the accident has killed 22 people, 17 of them presumably to be Chinese nationals. Eight other people were injured, including one Chinese who was slightly wounded, and all the injured have been properly treated. Firemen are still searching for the missing, Xinhua news agency reported. The South Korean side deeply mourns the tragic death of Chinese citizens in the accident and will assist China in doing its utmost to rescue and deal with the aftermath. Xing urged the South Korean side to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, properly deal with the aftermath, and provide all necessary support for the families of the Chinese victims. Xing told media at the scene that the Chinese embassy is working with the South Korean side to do its best to deal with the accident's aftermath. It is hoped that South Korean businesses will learn a painful lesson, refrain from similar incidents in the future and earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in South Korea. Lucknow, June 25 : Referring to Emergency, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that only faces have changed in the Congress while the character of the party has remained the same. "When we recall those memories of the Emergency after 50 years, naturally the faces in the Congress would have changed but its character and its demeanour are still the same as they were in 1975," Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said while addressing a press conference at his official residence. He said that the people in the country have only seen the barbaric face of the Congress. "How they tried to destroy the soul of the Constitution by amending its Preamble. How the Congress had completely banned the fundamental rights of the citizens of the country at that time. How the rights of the court were held hostage by the Congress at that time. And even today, even though the leadership in the Congress party may have changed, the face may have changed, but its character is the same," the Chief Minister said. He added that a conspiracy to strangle the constitution and democracy was hatched in the darkness of night, 50 years ago on this day and a black chapter was written, when the then Congress government conspired to completely end democracy by strangling the Constitution of India. "How the Congress government led by Indira Gandhi tried to destroy the democracy of India in the darkness of night on 25 June 1975. An attempt was made to strangle democracy by imprisoning all the opposition leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morarji Desai, Jai Prakash Narayan, Lal Krishna Advani," the Chief Minister said. He said that the dictatorial attitude of the Congress is seen not only today or in 1975 but also immediately after independence when within just two years of adopting the Constitution it tried to challenge the integrity of the country by amending the Constitution and forcibly inserting Article 370 in it. The Chief Minister said that even after this, from time to time, sometimes by banning the media, sometimes in other ways, directly or indirectly, the Congress tried to weaken all the pillars of democracy. Attacking the current leadership of Congress, he said that these people today cry for democracy but when they go outside India they question India's democracy and question India's election system. "These people curse India and its democracy when they go outside India. Even when in the country, they try to impose the blame of their inefficiency on EVMs by creating obstacles in the process of every election," the Chief Minister said. He said that the Congress, which tried to destroy the Constitution in 1975, is still walking on the same path. Wherever there are Congress-led governments, their attitude, their working style and their actions present examples of this. "The people who suffered jail torture to protect the country's democracy, Constitution and civil rights in 1975, the people who sacrificed everything for democracy in that period, it is surprising that their present generation is sitting in the lap of the same Congress and is again making a malicious attempt to push the country towards the dictatorship, anti-democracy and anti-constitution policies of Congress," the Chief Minister said. He said that looking at the working methods of the allies of Congress, whether it is Bengal's TMC, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, one will find that these people are misleading the public and disrupting the proceedings of Parliament in the name of saving the Constitution. The Chief Minister said that the country will never forgive those who weaken democracy. "Is it not true that a senior Congress leader tore the bill? He has done many such acts which have weakened democracy and are continuously weakening it even today. The people of the country will never forgive the Congress for this," he added. Scarlett Johansson wanted to join Jurassic World franchise for 10 years, even if it meant dying in first five mins. Image Source: IANS News Los Angeles, June 25 : Actress Scarlett Johansson has confirmed that she will be starring in the next 'Jurassic World' movie, directed by filmmaker Gareth Edwards, who has previously helmed films such as 'Rogue One' and 'Godzilla'. An 'enormous' 'Jurassic Park' fan, Johansson shared that she has always wanted to be part of the franchise, even if it meant "dying in five minutes." Speaking to ComicBook.com, Johansson said: "I've been trying to get into this franchise in any possible way for over 10 years. I'm like, 'I'll die in the first five minutes!' " "I am an enormous 'Jurassic Park' fan," Johansson said, reports Variety. "It is one of the first movies I remember seeing in theaters. I remember it so vividly. It was life-changing and mind-blowing. I cannot express how excited I am." The script for the upcoming film is by David Koepp. The screenwriter is returning to the franchise after writing for Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' in 1993 and 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' in 1997. Johansson said that "the script is so incredible" for the fourth 'Jurassic World' movie, which will be an entirely new story that's separate from the first 'Jurassic World' trilogy, which features Chris Pratt. "David Koepp wrote it and returned after 30 years to write it, and he's so passionate about it," Johansson said. "I've been trying to get into this franchise in any possible way for over 10 years. I'm like, 'I'll die in the first five minutes! I can get eaten by whatever! I'll do the craft service!' I'll do anything for it. The fact that it's happened in this way at this time is just actually unbelievable." It was earlier reported that 'Jurassic World 4' will be shot in the picturesque locales of Thailand, as well as in studios in Malta and the UK. New Delhi, June 25 : BJP MP Om Birla is set to run for the Lok Sabha Speaker post for the second consecutive time after the the ruling BJP finalised the name of the new Speaker of the Lok Sabha after consulting with all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties. Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju held discussions with opposition parties to build consensus for the Speaker's position. Before the commencement of Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday, Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Prime Minister's office in the Parliament building. Here, the Prime Minister held a meeting with MP Om Birla, Union Ministers Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda. However, the government's discussions with the opposition parties regarding the position of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are still underway. Meanwhile, a meeting of NDA leaders convened in Rajnath Singh's office in the Parliament building to finalise the nomination process. Key leaders present included Union Ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lalan Singh), Chirag Paswan, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Anupriya Patel, among others. Seoul, June 25 : Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister on Tuesday expressed hope that South Korea would "calmly" accept Moscow's new partnership treaty with North Korea, a news report said, amid condemnation over deepening military cooperation between the two countries. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the treaty, signed by the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin after their talks in Pyongyang last week, is not directed at either South Korea or third countries, reports Yonhap news agency. The treaty calls for, among other things, the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other "with all means" at its disposal and "without delay" if either of the two gets invaded or put in a state of war. Last week, South Korea said it could consider a possible supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine in response to Moscow's commitment to military cooperation with North Korea. South Korea also joined the United States and Japan in issuing a joint statement condemning, "in the strongest possible terms," the expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. "We hope that Seoul will accept the new agreement with an understanding, and a sound approach will prevail there, including in relations with Russia," Rudenko was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency Sputnik. He stressed the deal is a "warning for those countries planning to solve regional problems using military means." South Korea has maintained a policy of not providing lethal aid to Ukraine. In response to Seoul's possible policy shift, Putin earlier warned it would be a "very big mistake" if South Korea provided arms to Kyiv. Touching on Kim's potential visit to Russia, Rudenko said the trip could take place when "all the necessary conditions are right." During last week's summit, Putin expressed his hope of holding the next summit with Kim in Moscow. "I think as soon as all the necessary conditions for such a visit are right, and a certain base for those documents that must be signed at this level will be developed, this visit will take place," Rudenko said. Earlier in the day, North Korea's state media carried Putin's thank-you message to the North Korean leader, in which the Russian leader called Kim an "honoured guest" that Russia always waits for. New Delhi : MPs at Parliament House during the First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha. Image Source: IANS News Jaipur, June 25 : Om Birla, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Rajasthan's Kota-Bundi, on Tuesday, filed his nomination after the NDA announced him as the official candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. Birla, a three-time MP, served as Speaker during Modi 2.0 tenure. Jaipur, June 25 (IANS) Om Birla, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Rajasthanas Kota-Bundi, on Tuesday, filed his nomination after the NDA announced him as the official candidate for the Lok Sabha Speakeras post. Birla, a three-time MP, served as Speaker during Modi 2.0 tenure. If Birla is elected Lok Sabha Speaker in the Modi government again, he will be the first BJP leader to serve the coveted position for the second consecutive time. The late Balram Jakhar of the Congress has the record of being the only Lok Sabha Speaker to be elected twice in a row, three and a half decades ago. Jakhar completed both his terms from 1980 to 1985 and 1985 to 1989. Leaders like G.M.C. Balayogi, and P.A. Sangma became Lok Sabha Speaker twice but did not complete the full 5-year term. If Birla is elected Speaker, Rajasthan will once again hold the top post in both Houses as Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Party sources said that the central leadership did a lot of homework to bring in the formula of four ministers and one Lok Sabha Speaker from Rajasthan. A consensus was reached in NDA on the name of Birla. Rajnath Singh and some senior leaders also tried to make a consensus on his name among the leaders of opposition parties. Birla made several significant decisions as Speaker during Modi 2.0's tenure. Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Rahul Gandhi said that he would support the NDA candidate, but at the last moment, the opposition also announced its candidate. Congress MP K Suresh is now the candidate of the INDIA Bloc for the Speakeras post. Election for the same will be held on Wednesday. Kochi, June 25 : In a bizarre incident, the Cochin International Airport police on Tuesday took into custody a man who was booked to travel on an Air India flight from Kochi to London, after he was identified as the sender of a bomb threat to the airline. Now, the 29-year-old Malappuram resident Suhaib is in the custody of the police and is being interrogated. Police became alert as Suhaib, due to catch the London flight on Tuesday, was behaving suspiciously at the airport. The cops questioned him and later it was discovered that it was he who had sent a threatening mail to the airline on Monday night from his official email. He arrived at the Cochin International Airport along with his family and the family members are also being questioned now. According to airport officials, the threatening email was sent to the Air India call centre at Mumbai late on Monday night. At the time of the receipt of the threat, the Air India flight had departed from Delhi for Cochin Airport. When the flight landed at Kochi, it was quickly moved to the isolated parking area of the airport and after a thorough check, it was found to be a hoax threat. On questioning Suhaib it was revealed that he was nursing a grudge against the airline as his daughter fell sick after consuming food on an Air India flight a while ago. Later, the flight after all mandatory checks departed for London. Seoul, June 25 : President Yoon Suk Yeol boarded a visiting US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on Tuesday ahead of joint drills between South Korea, the United States and Japan aimed at enhancing their responses against rising threats from North Korea. Yoon visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), which made a port call at a naval port in the southeastern city of Busan. The carrier is set to participate in a trilateral naval drill, dubbed Freedom Edge, the first-ever trilateral multidomain exercise, which kicks off on Wednesday. Yoon said the aircraft carrier's visit is part of "extended deterrence" measures outlined in the Washington Declaration adopted at his summit with US President Joe Biden in April last year, reports Yonhap news agency. Extended deterrence refers to Washington's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its ally. "It symbolises the firm US security commitment to South Korea, including strong extended deterrence," Yoon was quoted as saying. The aircraft carrier's visit came amid rising concerns over evolving threats posed by North Korea after it signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty with Russia, which includes a pledge for the two countries to come to each other's aid if attacked. Yoon stressed the importance of enhancing trilateral security cooperation with the US and Japan. "The cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan, which share the values of liberal democracy, will become another powerful deterrent alongside the South Korea-US alliance," he said. This marks the third time an incumbent South Korean president has boarded a US aircraft carrier, following former President Park Chung-hee in 1974 and President Kim Young-sam in 1994, according to the presidential office. The USS Theodore Roosevelt made a port call for the first time in South Korea. It also marked the first arrival of a US aircraft carrier here in seven months. Earlier in the day, Yoon condemned the deepening military and economic cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as "anachronistic" acts that go against the progress in history and blatantly violate UN Security Council resolutions. On Monday, North Korea slammed the arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea and warned of taking "overwhelming and fresh" deterrence measures against what it called a "provocative act." Pyongyang has long denounced joint military drills between Washington and Seoul and also the US dispatch of its strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula as a rehearsal for an invasion of the North. Hyderabad, June 25 : Upset over the Congress party admitting BRS MLA M. Sanjay Kumar, senior leader T. Jeevan Reddy on Tuesday announced that he will resign as member of Legislative Council. Despite the efforts by several leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to pacify him, the former minister refused to change his stand. He, however, made it clear that he has no plans to join any other party. The senior leader was unhappy over not being consulted before admitting Jagtiyal MLA Sanjay Kumar into the party. Sanjay Kumar, who had defeated Jeevan Reddy in the recent Assembly elections, joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday night. Jeevan Reddy said he would decide his future course of action after consultations with his supporters. Congress leaders had been trying to pacify Jeevan Reddy since Monday. State minister D. Sridhar Babu had also held a meeting with the MLC in Jagtiyal. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Sridhar Babu and other leaders held further talks with Jeevan Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad on Tuesday. However, the former minister stuck to his decision to resign as MLC. Vikramarka told media persons that they would convey the sentiments of Jeevan Reddy to Congress leadership. During the meeting with Jeevan Reddy on Monday, Sridhar Babu had given a similar assurance. Jeevan Reddy was unhappy that the sentiments of party workers were not taken into consideration over the joining of Sanjay Kumar. In the November 2023 Assembly elections, Jeevan Reddy had lost to Sanjay Kumar in Jagtial constituency in Nizamabad district. The Congress leader had lost to the same rival in 2018. Jeevan Reddy had defeated him in 2014. Jeevan Reddy had also found fault with the Chief Minister for admitting senior BRS leader and former Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy into the party. He also questioned the need for encouraging defections from other parties when the Congress government is stable with 65 MLAs. The Chief Minister had personally visited Srinivas Reddyas house on June 21 to invite him to join the Congress. The former minister immediately accepted the invitation and joined the party. Sanjay Kumar was the fifth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since Congress came to power in December last year. BRS had won 39 seats in the 119-member Assembly. Its tally has come down to 33 as it also lost the recent Secunderabad Cantonment by-election to the ruling party. Patna, June 25 : Even as the CBI began its probe into the NEET question paper leak case on Monday, 13 arrested accused filed for bail and the main accused Sanjeev Mukhiya, who is absconding, filed for an anticipatory bail in Patna's civil court on Tuesday. The court however told them to file their bail pleas in the Special CBI Court as the case is now with the central agency. Uday Shankar Singh, the Public Prosecutor and lawyer of the main accused Sanjeev Mukhiya filed for anticipatory bail in the court of Additional District Judge (ADJ)- 5 Rajendra Kumar Sinha. "The hearing for the bail of 13 accused and the anticipatory bail plea of the main accused Sanjeev Mukhiya will be held in the Special CBI Court on July 15. We will submit the case transfer order letter in the CBI Court today," Singh said on Tuesday. The NEET examination was held on May 5 and Patna Police exposed this case on the same day. It arrested 13 accused including six people linked to the education mafia, four candidates and three parents. An FIR (Number 358/24) in this regard was also registered at the Shastri Nagar Police Station in Patna. The case was later transferred to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar on May 15 and the EOU had arrested six more accused from Deoghar in Jharkhand on Sunday. After the recommendation of the Union Education Minister, the case was transferred to the CBI on Sunday. Bengaluru, June 25 : Karnataka BJP on Tuesday criticised the government over hike in milk prices, saying that the prices were increased as a gift to celebrate the Emergency anniversary by the Congress. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has hiked the price of milk twice in the last 13 months. They hiked the milk prices only to celebrate the Emergency anniversary. People are distraught following the increase in the price of petrol and diesel. By increasing the milk prices now, they are rubbing salt to the wounds of the poor," Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said. He said that the government should immediately roll back these prices. He said that Congress thought they would cross double digits in the Lok Sabha election in Karnataka but the people decided not to vote for them. "To avenge this, the government has increased the price of milk," the LoP said. BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra reacted by saying that the state government is becoming an expert in increasing prices. He accused the government of not being helpful for the poor and not aiding the lives of farmers who depend on dairy farming. Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association President P.C. Rao said that despite the rise in petrol and diesel prices and the proposed water tariff hike, hotel owners have not increased the prices of food items in the interest of customers. He noted that the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is selling Nandini milk for the lowest price in the country. However, the KMF President Bheema Naik said that the price of milk has not been increased. "We are charging Rs 2 additionally for the 50 ml extra milk which is going to be added to each packet," he stated. Canberra, June 25 : Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the news that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to be released by US authorities. Assange, 52, on Tuesday agreed to plead guilty to US espionage charges in a deal that ended his imprisonment in the United Kingdom (UK), allowing him to return to Australia pending court proceedings in Saipan on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Albanese welcomed the news and said he plans to speak more once the legal process is complete. "While this is a welcome development, we recognise these proceedings are crucial and delicate," he said. "We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership." He reiterated that the US case against Assange has dragged on so long that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. Penny Wong, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said in the Senate that Albanese had raised Assange's case with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since coming to office in 2022 and that the government had offered Assange and his family consular support while he was imprisoned in the UK. Biden said in April that he was considering a request from Australia to drop the prosecution of Assange over WikiLeaks' 2010 release of classified military records relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and diplomatic cables. New Delhi, June 25 : The 18th Lok Sabha has begun on a not-so-healthy note. For the first time in the history of Independent India, the Congress and some of its allies have taken a confrontationist path in the election of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha by deciding to field an Opposition candidate for the post. A direct contest for the Speaker's post between the candidates of the ruling alliance and the Opposition bloc has not been witnessed in the last 75 years since the time of Independence because the Speakeras chair is a bi-partisan Constitutional post who not only has the responsibility to run the House as per the rules and established norms, but is also the protector of the rights and duties of all members of the House, irrespective of their political affiliations. There has so far been a general unanimity that the beginning of a new term of the Lok Sabha shouldnat be on a sour note, with an open proclamation of distrust against the person nominated by the ruling dispensation as the candidate for the Speaker's post. This is thus no ordinary decision of the Congress to field its MP from Kerala, K. Suresh, as the candidate of the Opposition bloc. It implies two things. First, the Congress and its allies in the Opposition believe that they need to be in maximum aggression mode right from day one and do everything possible to counter any move made from the government's side. Secondly, this means even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge thrice on the issue, there was practically a breakdown in communication between the government and the Opposition even before the newly-elected members of Lok Sabha were sworn-in. The Parliament this time may see far more disruptions and noisy scenes in both the Houses than in the past. It should be noted that last week, Congress spokesperson Supriya Srinate was quoted as saying: "I can tell you one thing - fasten your seat belts because the temperature of the House is going to rise tremendously. Now the House will not be run dictatorially as was done earlier." The BJP, after rounds of consultations with its NDA allies, has decided to go for continuity by reposing faith in Om Birla whom it nominated for the Speaker's post for a second consecutive term. In the previous Lok Sabha, Birla was perceived to have run the House well even as the Congress on some occasions expressed its dissatisfaction over how the proceedings were conducted. The Congress may have broken the convention by going for a contest, but itas not going to be easy. Itas commonly known that Congress does not have the required numbers to make its candidate win the Speaker's election. If it had a majority, it would have sat in the treasury or ruling benches, and not in the opposition. But the problem for the Congress becomes far bigger. While it was trying to portray a united Opposition or post-election INDI Alliance unity, it ended up exposing the schism in that grouping. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress raised a red flag over Congressa unilateral decision. The Congress argues that it was compelled to take this decision because the BJP was not giving any assurance to them that the Deputy Speakeras post would be given to the Opposition. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goel countered this by saying that there was no such convention (of offering the Deputy Speajer's post to the Opposition). The BJP released a list showing that in none of the Opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh, the Deputy Speakeras post has been given to the parties sitting in the Opposition bench. Also, it was generally unheard of that there would be a war of words between the ruling party and the main bloc in the opposition over the nomination of a Pro-tem Speaker. But the Congress raised a hue and cry over the nomination of the Pro-tem Speaker -- Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term, longest continually serving MP from Odisha. Mahtab was sworn in for the position by President Droupadi Murmu, as is the norm, for a few days with limited purpose -- to administer the oath of office to the newly-elected MPs and be on the chair to conduct the Speaker's election. New Delhi, June 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court to assign a bench for the disposal of a bail plea filed by Pune-based builder Avinash Bhosale in a money laundering case linked to the Yes Bank-DHFL fraud case. A vacation bench, headed by Justice Manoj Misra, took note of the submission that the matter was repeatedly being adjourned before the high court due to paucity of time or non-availability of the counsel representing the other side despite being listed 5-6 times first on the board. "In these circumstances, we dispose of this petition (seeking release on bail on grounds of delay) by requesting the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court to assign a bench for disposal of the bail application if a request is made by the petitioner through a proper application in that regard," ordered the Bench, also comprising Justice S.V.N. Bhatti. The apex court said that it was not inclined to pass any direction for "expeditious" disposal of the bail plea and that the petitioner should approach the assigned bench of the Bombay High Court with such a request. The Bombay High Court, in an order passed on May 17, directed Bhosale to be released on bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI. The Pune-based realtor was arrested by the CBI in May 2022 and subsequently by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Yes Bank-DHFL scam. Bhosale, the founder of the ABIL Group, has been accused of allegedly routing ill-gotten money through his Maharashtra-based real estate companies. In 2018, Bhosale had received around Rs 68.82 crore from DHFL. It was said that it was consultancy charges received by him. The ED probe revealed that Bhosale didn't provide any consultancy service to DHFL and the money received by him was nothing but alleged proceeds of crime. The ED had attached the assets worth Rs 164 crore of Bhosale under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Lucknow, June 25 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to expand the boundaries of the state's three big cities -- Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj, an official said. According to a government spokesperson, a number of villages will be included in the Development Authorities of these cities. In another important decision, the proposal to give life imprisonment to those who leak the question paper in Uttar Pradesh has also been approved by the Cabinet. Under this, a fine of up to Rs 1 crore will be imposed on those found guilty of leaking the paper. For this, the ordinance of the proposed law has been approved by the Yogi Adityanath-led government. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has also approved the proposal to allot free land near Shakumbhari Devi temple to the Tourism Department. Along with this, the proposal to lease Rahi tourist house in Amethi, Bulandshahr, Barabanki and Sitapur has also been passed. The Cabinet has passed the proposal to build helipads on PPP model in Lucknow, Prayagraj and Kapilvastu. The proposal to reuse ancient heritage (Barsana Jal Mahal Mathura, Shukla Talab Kanpur) on PPP model has also been passed. The Yogi Adityanath government has further approved the proposal to give land to Paramhans Yogananda Sthal in Gorakhpur to make it a tourist destination. In Ayodhya, the Tata Group will build a temple museum at a cost of about Rs 750 crore from CSR fund and the Tourism Department will give land for free on lease for 90 years. Both these proposals have also been passed by the Cabinet. Over 3,350 pigs killed by African Swine Fever so far this year. Image Source: IANS News Aizawl, June 25 : With 160 more pigs killed by the African Swine Fever (ASF) infection in the past two days, the death toll of pigs following the outbreak of the disease in Mizoram since February has crossed 3,350, officials said on Tuesday. Officials in the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AHV) Department said that deaths of pigs in the past two days were reported from mainly from Saitual, Aizawl, Serchhip, and Khawzawl districts. At least 300 pigs were culled on Monday and Tuesday to prevent further spread of the contagious disease, raising the total number of pigs culled in the state this year to 6,504. The officials said that pigs in at least 120 villages in six districts a" Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei, Saitual, Khawzawl and Serchhip -- have been infected by the ASF outbreak so far. AHV officials said that 33,420 pigs and piglets died due to ASF in 2021, 12,800 in 2022, and 1,040 in 2023. The first case of ASF in Mizoram was reported in mid-March, 2021, from Lungsen village in Lunglei district along the Bangladesh border and since then, the disease resurfaced every year. An official said that under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009, the department has declared various villages and localities in the six districts as infected areas following the outbreak of ASF. With the fast spreading of the infection, the department has barred the supply of pigs, piglets and pork from the infected areas. The state government also banned the import of pigs and piglets from neighbouring states and countries where perpetual ASF infestations are being reported. According to officials, the outbreak of ASF mostly occurs when the climate begins to warm up and pre-monsoon rain commences in the state. The government has so far provided compensation to over 3,000 families for the loss of pigs due to the disease. According to experts, the outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the adjoining states of the northeast. Pork is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by both the tribals and non-tribals in the northeastern region. With heavy demand for pork in the region, its annual business is worth around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore in the Norteast, with Assam being the largest supplier. New Delhi, June 25 : Meshal Mustafa Jasim Alshemali, the newly appointed Ambassador of Kuwait to India, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, marking his first meeting with the EAM after assuming his new post. During the discussions, EAM Jaishankar and Ambassador Alshemali focused on the bilateral ties between India and Kuwait, with particular emphasis on the Indian community and workers residing in Kuwait. Expressing his best wishes for the Ambassador's tenure, EAM Jaishankar shared on X, "Good to receive Ambassador Meshal Mustafa Jasim Alshemali of Kuwait this afternoon. Discussed our bilateral relations, interests of the Indian community and welfare of Indian workers in Kuwait. Conveyed my best wishes for a successful tenure." India and Kuwait share strong ties, with many Indians travelling to the Gulf country for employment opportunities every year. Recently, a tragic incident occurred on June 12, where over 50 people, including 45 Indians, died in a fire that broke out in a building housing workers in Kuwait City. In response to this tragedy, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, went to Kuwait and met its Foreign Minister, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. During the meeting, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister assured full support and the early repatriation of the mortal remains of the Indian nationals who perished in the fire. San Francisco, June 25 : The European Union (EU) on Tuesday accused Microsoft of breaching antitrust rules with the 'abusive' bundling of its Teams and Office products. "The European Commission has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules by tying its communication and collaboration product Teams to its popular productivity applications included in its suites for businesses Office 365 and Microsoft 365," the commission said in a Statement of Objections. The commission mentioned that it is concerned that, since at least April 2019, Microsoft has been tying Teams with its core SaaS productivity applications, thereby restricting competition on the market for "communication and collaboration products and defending its market position in productivity software and its suites-centric model from competing suppliers of individual software." The EU began an antitrust investigation of Microsoft's inclusion of Teams nearly a year ago, in July 2023 -- two years after a complaint from Teams competitor Slack. Following this investigation, Microsoft announced in late August last year that it would partially unbundle Teams. However, when announcing the results of its initial inquiry on Tuesday, the European Commission stated that it believes the changes made by Microsoft to distribute Teams last year were not sufficient to address its concerns. The tech giant is being urged to take further action. "We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive VP in charge of competition policy. "If confirmed, Microsoft's conduct would be illegal under our competition rules. Microsoft now has the opportunity to reply to our concerns," she added. A formal finding of a breach of EU competition rules could lead to Microsoft being fined up to 10 per cent of its annual worldwide turnover. The bloc could also impose remedies if it determines that steps are necessary to restore competition. Bengaluru, June 25 : A court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) on Tuesday sent former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, prime accused in a sex video scandal, to Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till June 29. Sources explained that Prajwal's custody has been secured to probe the fourth case lodged against him by the victim, a woman from his native city Hassan. The complaint has been registered against Prajwal Revanna, former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda and his aides Chetan and Sharat. The case has been registered under IPC Sections 354A (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe), 354B (using criminal force on a woman, abets such act with intention of disrobing), 354D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 66E under the IT Act, according to sources. Earlier on Monday, Prajwal was remanded to judicial custody by the court till July 8. Meanwhile, the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), probing the sex video scandal, is preparing to issue a notice to former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda in connection with the distribution of pen drives containing sex videos, sources confirmed on Tuesday. It is alleged that Preetham Gowda had purchased pen drives in which the alleged sex videos of Prajwal Revanna were transferred and distributed ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Sources explained that the SIT might summon Preetham Gowda for questioning at any time. Preetham Gowda has been named the fourth accused in the case, and there are high chances of the SIT arresting him. When contacted, Preetham Gowda said, "I don't know about the case being lodged. I will get to know about the case and then come back to the media." Preetham Gowda won the Hassan assembly seat for the BJP in 2018, breaking the monopoly of the JD(S) at the time. Preetham had challenged the Deve Gowda family and opposed the alliance between the BJP and JD(S). He reluctantly campaigned for Prajwal Revanna. New Delhi, June 25 : India's Domestic Pharma Formulations (DomForm) market, which includes branded generic medicines, is expected to more than double and cross Rs 5.5 trillion in the next 10 years at a CAGR of 10 per cent, according to a new report. The report, by investment banking firm Avendus Capital, showed that currently the market is valued at Rs 2 trillion, with a growth rate of 11 per cent over the last 20 years. However, with a gradual transition from a primarily doctor-branded prescription model, more stringent quality compliance, and government policies and regulatory measures, the market is expected to make a significant growth. "We are encouraged by the government of India's Pharma Vision 2047, which is aimed at making medicines more equitable, accessible, and affordable while ensuring high quality and more sustainable manufacturing practices. We believe that the sector will more than double from today, comfortably crossing about Rs 5.5 trillion in value by 2034," the report said. The report also predicted shifts in channel volumes, with trade generics and the unbranded "Generic Generics", including Jan Aushadhi centres and government hospital procurement, gaining more traction. "We estimate that the DomForm market will continue growing at 9-10 per cent CAGR in the next 10 years. With the expansion of trade generics and Jan Aushadhi channels, we expect about 30 per cent volume contribution from these in 10 years," the report said. Although off-patent generics currently account for nearly 100 per cent of the market, because of local manufacturing and process innovations, the prices of medicines are significantly lower than the global average. Currently, more than 3,000 companies and almost 10,000 manufacturing units exist, yet they come with significant variations in quality standards. Substandard, spurious and counterfeit drugs account for a staggering 20 per cent of the market, as per official testing. New Delhi, June 25 : Increased active human, animal, and entomological (of insects) surveillance is needed to keep the deadly Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) at bay, said health experts on Tuesday, as the disease reportedly infected 13 in Pakistan. The CCHF is caused by a tick-borne Nairovirus. Animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, and hare carry the virus, which can be transmitted to humans through tick bites or contact with infected blood or tissues during and after slaughter. The virus, known for its high fatality rate, can cause severe hemorrhagic fever, leading to symptoms like high fever, muscle pain, dizziness, bleeding from the nose, etc. "The recent spread of the Congo virus in Pakistan is concerning and calls for stringent control measures in India as well," Dr Nidhin Mohan, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City, Bengaluru, told IANS. "We must heighten surveillance, particularly in border areas, and educate the public on prevention methods such as using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing as well as cleaning any wound that has been caused by cattle; goats etc," he added. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), CCHF has a mortality rate of up to 40 per cent and is difficult to prevent or treat. It is also on the WHO's list of 'priority' diseases and was found last year in Eastern Europe, France, Spain, and Namibia. In 2023, CCHF affected hundreds and caused deaths in Iraq and Pakistan. "Clinical features are very similar to dengue (high-grade fever, vomiting and headache). In India, overlapping symptoms of hemorrhagic fevers like dengue, Kyasanur forest disease, Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever, and other diseases (Malaria, meningococcal infections, and leptospirosis) are of major concern," Dr Dhiren Gupta, Co-Director PICU, Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS. The experts called for early diagnosis through PCR testing, as ignoring symptoms can be deadly. "Early diagnosis of CCHF is critical for the management of patients, to prevent the transmission of the disease to the community and potential nosocomial infections," Dr Dhiren said. General supportive therapy is the mainstay of patient management in CCHF. Intensive monitoring to guide volume and blood component replacement is required, the doctor said. However, "there is no need not to panic. The government should start doing active human, animal, and entomological surveillance. Isolation and treatment of cases following universal precautions, contact tracing, and monitoring contacts, spraying cattle in the affected area with anti-tick agents, spraying human dwellings with residual sprays, and communicating the risk to the public should be done," Dr Dhiren said. Strict measures and awareness can help remove the risk and control the spread of this deadly virus, the experts said. New Delhi, June 25 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observed 'black day' on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi-led Congress regime on June 25, 1975. PM Modi led the charge in slamming the Congress party for the Emergency and said: "The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly." However, the fight against unilateralism and dictatorial attitude of the then Congress government was resisted by PM Narendra Modi in his early twenties, also. As a RSS Yuva Pracharak, PM Modi stood against the oppressive regime and proved instrumental in resisting the Emergency. Many eyewitnesses and victims of the Emergency have narrated how their privacy was breached, rights snatched during the period and how a young Narendra Modi resorted to various means to oppose and foil it. Ajit Singh Gadhvi, recalling the horror of the Emergency, says that PM Modi used to travel across the country by concealing his identity. He went to Punjab, dressed up as a 'Sardar' and sought to mobilise people against the Emergency. Kirodilal Meena, the BJP leader recalling his meeting with PM Modi for the first time during Emergency days, says that he often visited Gujarat to collect anti-Emergency literature. He further says that it was PM Modi, who, while staying underground, looked after the publication and proliferation of anti-Emergency literature across the country. Rajan Dayabhai Bhatt gets emotional while sharing his story. Remembering the times, he says that he was very young at that time and his mother was alone. He informs that Narendra Modi would often visit his house and assure his mother on not worrying about basis essentials. Devgan Bhai Lakhia, sharing his memory of the Emergency, says that Narendra Modi devised a special plan to evade the police while also keeping the crusaders connected. He says that during those days, telephones in Gujarat used to have 5 digit numbers. Narendra Modi invented a unique plan of getting last two digits reversed as this would be a signal for the anti-Emergency forces to unite. Dr. R.K. Shah narrates how Narendra Modi served a common fulcrum for all anti-Emergency voices, irrespective of their political affiliations. He says that all arrangements for meetings and deliberations were held in Ahmedabad, despite him staying underground. Kantibhai Vyas showers praise on the RSS for its valiant fight against the 'dark era' of Democracy and narrates Narendra Modi's pivotal role in reversing the Emergency. Nagar Bhai Chawada says that RSS was banned during Emergency. He says that the oppressive forces infringed upon the basic rights but there also ran a parallel movement to stall it and Narendra Modi was one of the key figures behind this movement. He used to impersonate as sadhu and don other roles too to evade police lens. Nagar Bhai also shares his own instance of doubling up as the son of Power Minister Markand Bhai Desai, on one of the missions. Prakash Mehta recalls the various facets of Narendra Modi during those days. He says that PM Modi donned many roles during the dark period and visited his house often, sometimes dressed as Sadhu, sometimes as Sardar. "Interestingly, many wouldnat know about the roles assigned to them until it was achieved," he reminisced while informing about how the literature published in Gujarat was ferried to other states to fan the fire against Congress-imposed Emergency. Rajiv Dave recollects the incident of Narendra Modi being dressed as sardar and also conversing with fellow sardar auto driver to reach the desired destination. Later, he told the driver that as he was brought up in Gujarat, he lacked the good spoken skills in Punjabi. Rohit Bhai Agarwal shares a story of how an impersonated Narendra Modi and police came face to face but the latter did not get a whiff of him. "Police asked about the whereabouts of Modi, we said we don't know and then my brother dropped him to his destination." Vishnu Pandey recalling a meeting of March 12 says that he along with Narendra Modi and Shankarsinh Vaghela were all present at an important meeting. "We all were given important responsibilities," Pandey said. Sharing a particular incident of Bhavnagar prison, housing about 200 inmates, he says that Narendra Modi came there, distributed food materials and spoke to many of them for almost an hour. For hours, many didnat know that the man they met was Narendra Modi. Ahmedabad, June 25 : Around 24,500 units of blood (nearly 9,800 litres) were collected during the blood donation drive to mark the 62nd birthday of Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, which can help more than 73,500 patients. The collection this year surpassed last year's 20,621 units of blood. The drive was conducted in 152 cities across 21 states on Monday on the occasion of Gautam Adani's birthday, said Adani Foundation, the community engagement arm of the Adani Group. Organised under the guidance of the Adani Healthcare team, the drive received an overwhelming response from the employees. "I want to thank every member of our Adani family for their generous contribution to this noble cause. Their dedication, year after year, not only demonstrates their compassion but also reinforces our collective commitment to serve those in need," said Dr Priti Adani, Chairperson, Adani Foundation. The collected blood can help more than 73,500 patients through the use of different components, such as whole blood, PCV, platelet concentrates, plasma, FFP, cryoprecipitate, and albumin. The drive was organised in partnership with the blood banks of the Red Cross and government hospitals. A team comprising over 2,000 doctors, paramedics, data operators, and staff of Adani companies played a key role in making the blood collection drive a big success, according to the Foundation. Since 2011, Adani Foundation has been organising an annual blood donation drive to mark the birthday of the Group Chairman. Adani Foundation is currently operating in 6,769 villages across 19 states, positively impacting 9.1 million lives. New Delhi, June 25 : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi stoked a major controversy in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during his swearing-in as the Member of Parliament (MP) by raising a slogan in favour of Palestine. The Hyderabad lawmaker soon after taking oath as MP in the 18th Lok Sabha, chanted 'Jai Palestine' in the House, thereby inviting quick backlash from the treasury benches and also leading to chaos in the House. BJP members created an uproar over Owaisi chanting 'Jai Palestine' slogans and demanded that it be expunged from the proceedings of the House. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the chair at the time, assured the members that nothing extra would go on record, except the oath ceremony. Prior to this, when he moved to the podium to take the oath, he was greeted by Jai Shri Ram slogans. Kiren Rijiju, replying to questions on Owaisi's Jai Palestine remarks during the oath ceremony, said: "We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. While taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise a slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules if it is appropriatea" Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy also expressed reservations against Owaisias slogan and termed it "absolutely wrong". "On one hand, he is taking an oath in the name of the Constitution and, on the other, giving a slogan against the Constitution. The real face of Owaisi is out," Kishan Reddy said. According to reports, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has also registered a formal complaint against Owaisi, seeking action against him for an insulting act. Owaisi, remaining unrepentant over his conduct, also defended his remarks in hailing the conflict-ridden West Asian region and said: "Everyone is saying a lot of thingsa I just said 'Jai Bhim, Jai Mim, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine'a how is it against the Constitution? "Show me where this provision is there in the Constitutiona You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to," he added. Last year, when the war between Israel and Gaza broke out, the AIMIM leader had hit out at Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and described him as a 'devil'. Jaipur, June 25 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said on Tuesday that there are immense possibilities for investment in the state. "Our government will create a favourable environment for the investors by helping them at every level so that maximum investment comes to the state from both within the country and abroad, and Rajasthan emerges as the largest investment hub in India," the Chief Minister said while addressing a meeting to review the preparations for the Rajasthan Investment Summit-2024 to be held later this year. He also directed the officials to work wholeheartedly to make the upcoming Rajasthan Investment Summit-2024 a success. The various MoUs to be signed at the Summit should not remain only on paper, but should be implemented on the ground, he said. CM Sharma also said that the effective implementation of the single-window system should be ensured to provide all kinds of investment-related facilities to the industries under one roof. The Chief Minister said that migrants from Rajasthan are present in every part of the world and they always want to remain connected to their soil. "They are always looking for opportunities to invest in the state," the Chief Minister said as he instructed the officials to ensure maximum participation of migrant Rajasthanis in the Summit. Separate sessions should be organised for them so that they can invest in their state and play an important role in making Rajasthan industrially prosperous, he said. CM Sharma also said that 'PM Ekta Malls' are being built across the country on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide market place under one roof. "Under this, the Rajasthan Unity Mall will be constructed in Jaipur soon to promote quality indigenous products besides helping rural artisans to sell their products," he said. Industry Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Devasthan Minister Joraram Kumawat, Minister of State for Industry K.K. Vishnoi, Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant, Principal Secretary (Industry) Ajitabh Sharma, Principal Secretary (CMO) Alok Gupta and other senior officials were present at the meeting. Jaipur, June 25 : A testament to Indian design and craftsmanship has been realised with the completion of the new terminal at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, which bespeaks the story of a collaborative masterpiece of two design pioneers -- Incubis Consultants and Jaipur-based AKFD Studio for the Adani Group. Conceptualised by Incubis Consultants, the project's design envisions a unique celebration of Indian heritage with a specific focus on interpreting the unique culture, iconic architecture, and rich craft heritage of Uttar Pradesh within a modern airport setting. The Adani Group's objective was to enhance the passenger experience and make the journey through this important gateway to Uttar Pradesh a spectacular and memorable celebration. Incubis Consultants, one of India's respected architecture and design companies having extensive experience in delivering an enhanced passenger experience at airports such as Terminal 3 in New Delhi and Terminal 2 in Mumbai, was selected to bring the Adani Group's vision to life. All important touchpoints of the passenger's journey through the airport terminal were carefully mapped by team Incubis and a series of creative interventions were meticulously designed. An interdisciplinary UNESCO award-winning lifestyle and furniture design enterprise, the AKFD Studio based out of Jaipur is renowned for its expertise in working with Indian crafts at a large scale. The enterprise was chosen to transform the designs into a breathtaking reality through a collaborative and interactive process. The team led by designer Ayush Kasliwal has handled a vast variety of projects, from craft-based products, furniture and spaces, to large-scale projects like the Mudra installation at Terminal 3 in the IGI Airport in Delhi. Passengers arriving at the new terminal in Lucknow will be immersed in the rich cultural tapestry of the city. Artistic installations like the 'Swagat Wall', 'Basant Bahar', 'Skylights', 'Chikankari Wall', and 'Aalap Wall' showcase traditional Indian handicraft techniques. Here, age-old artistry is seamlessly integrated with modern technology, creating a smooth and memorable travel experience. "A unique opportunity arose to collaborate with Incubis Consultants and showcase the immense potential of Indian craftsmanship on a global stage. It was a journey brimming with dedication, creative problem-solving and, of course, a lot of tea! We are incredibly proud to have been a part of bringing this vision to life," said Ayush Kasliwal, Founder and Design Director at AKFD Studio. "The new terminal stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the beauty of integrating tradition with modern innovation. We are confident that this project will not only elevate the travel experience for passengers, but also serve as a source of pride for the Indian design community. "Working with AKFD Studio on the Lucknow Airport project was a truly inspiring experience. Their expertise in executing intricate Indian craftwork at such a grand scale was instrumental in bringing our design concept to fruition," said Amit Krishn Gulati, Co-Founder, Incubis Consultants (India). The successful completion of the new terminal in Lucknow marks a significant milestone not only for the city, but also for the Indian design and handicraft community. Mumbai, June 25 : The BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra have criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab's announcement to move a private member's Bill during the monsoon session of the Assembly seeking 50 per cent reservation in flats in the new residential projects in Mumbai for Marathi Manoos. Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) The BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra have criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parabas announcement to move a private memberas Bill during the monsoon session of the Assembly seeking 50 per cent reservation in flats in the new residential projects in Mumbai for Marathi Manoos. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said, "When the Maha Vikas Aghadi government waived 50 per cent premium to builders, why didn't the government decide to reserve 50 per cent houses for Marathi people? After being in power in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation for 25 years, what did you do for the Marathi people?" Shelar also claimed that the BJP gave houses to the mill workers and the Marathi-speaking people from BDD chawls. Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande described the demand for reservation as an extortion and blackmail attempt by the Shiv Sena (UBT) against the builders. She also questioned the motive behind the Shiv Sena (UBT)as push for housing reservation, suggesting that it is a tactic to blackmail the builders and collect extortion ahead of the Assembly elections. She claimed that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government neglected Marathi families citing the financial scam in the Patra Chawl redevelopment project that left many families homeless. Kayande also challenged Anil Parab to clarify under which law 50 per cent houses should be reserved for the Marathi-speaking people. New Delhi, June 25 : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living founder and global spiritual leader, was received by Iceland's Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson in Reykjavik, where they discussed the importance of mental health and societal welfare. Their meeting focused on the current peace situation in Europe, the need to address mental health issues, and on the importance of putting individual well-being at the core of societal prosperity. Sri Sri shared about the work of the Art of Living Foundation which uses time-tested meditation and breathing techniques to help individuals get rid of stress, tension and anxiety, and which facilitates overall physical and mental wellbeing. He also spoke about how the Art of Living is rehabilitating prisoners and gang members in Denmark with the "Breathe Smart" programme to reduce the cycle of violence and drug addiction among offenders, and which promotes inner peace and a sense of care for one another. As part of the meeting, the Art of Living founder also commended Prime Minister Benediktsson for Icelandas contribution to combat climate change. Nearly 100 per cent of Iceland's electricity production comes from renewable sources. Sri Sri visited Iceland following meetings and keynote speeches at events at the United Nations in Geneva, and prior to travelling further to public events in the US. Mumbai, June 25 : Several stone steps around the historic Banganga Tank at Malabar Hill were damaged while undertaking desilting works for the monsoon season, sparking outrage, here on Tuesday. The Banganga Tank, estimated to be over eight centuries old, finds mention in the ancient texts of Ramayana and Skanda Purana. It has rich religious and cultural significance associated with Lord Ram. Following an uproar, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated repairs to the old site. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and ex-minister Aditya Thackeray, meanwhile, slammed the BMC's contractor for the 'lapses', as he sought his immediate arrest. "Is this a kind of revenge by the BJP for every (Lok Sabha) seat lost by them? It is unfortunate that the Banganga Tank has been damaged by the regime and its contractors," said Thackeray. Ruling Shiv Sena MP Milind M. Deora also expressed his concerns and said that the civic body has been plundered like an ATM for almost three decades and the BMC's misgovernance will not be tolerated. BJP Minister and local MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha also said that the steps leading to the Banganga Tank were damaged by a bulldozer during the cleaning works. He assured that the government is committed to preserving and conserving Mumbai's historical heritage, and the Banganga Tank site would be restored to its former glory within 72 hours. Lodha said he has spoken with Mumbai Commissioner of Police, Vivek Phansalkar, to direct the cops to file an FIR against the contractor responsible, while the BMC has been ordered to blacklist him. The civic body has also been asked to set up a committee, investigate the entire incident, and submit its report in five days, the minister said. According to legend, during his 14-year exile, when Lord Rama was in the region to search for his kidnapped wife Sita, he asked his brother to fetch some water. Lord Lakshman immediately shot an arrow into the ground, and a tributary of the holy River Ganga - over 1,600 km away from here - sprang out. Hence, the place derived its name from 'Baan' (arrow) and 'Ganga' (River) - as Banganga. Mumbai, June 25 : The Maharashtra State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday proposed an annual credit plan of Rs 41,00,286 crore for 2024-25 against Rs 33,90,601 crore, which is 20.93 per cent higher than the previous year. Of the total Rs 41,00,286 crore, the priority sector lending is proposed at Rs 6,78,541 crore. The thrust areas other than agriculture, including MSME, housing and education covered in priority sector is at Rs 5,05,186 crore. Amid strong objection by farmers, Shinde directed that the banks should not make the CIBIL Score condition mandatory while granting crop loans. The CIBIL Score works as a first impression for the lender. The higher the score, the better the chances of the loan being reviewed and approved. During 2023-24, of the total annual credit plan of Rs 33,90,601 crore, the state's achievement was of the order of Rs 38,70,381 crore which is almost 114 per cent. The overall achievement under priority areas was Rs 6,40,295 crore which is 98 per cent of the target of Rs 6,51,401 crore. For the agriculture sector, the banks have provided credit worth Rs 1,54,120 crore against the target of Rs 1,68,481 crore in 2023-24. Shinde said that the state government stands firmly behind the farmers as agriculture is the backbone of the state economy. Banks should support farmers in times of trouble, and they should be more liberal in providing crop loans to small and marginal farmers. "If the banks do not provide financial support to the farmers during the crisis, they have to raise money through other sources. This is why they resort to extreme steps like suicide," he added. Shinde said that it was decided at the meeting that priority should be given to the strengthening of district central cooperative banks and primary agricultural credit societies in the state. "Banks should make efforts to strengthen these institutions for farmers. Urban cooperative banks, agricultural credit institutions, and district banks should be assisted by nationalised banks. Maharashtra has huge potential," he added. Mumbai, June 25 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed the authorities to take stern action against hoarding as well as bogus seed companies. CM Shinde during the meeting also stressed that the farmers should get seeds, fertilisers and other agricultural items as per their requirements in a timely manner. At a meeting here, the Maharashtra Chief Minister also directed the district administration to complete the distribution of financial aid to farmers and the citizens affected by the natural calamities by June 30. He also asked the regional officers to immediately implement decisions taken by the farmers. Shinde said the district administration should pay special attention to tehsils and districts where the rainfall is less than 25 per cent. Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that the department has made a comprehensive plan to ensure that the farmers do not face shortages of seeds, fertilisers etc., during the Kharif season. However, in case of hoarding, the farmers should make a complaint through WhatsApp on 9822446655. This year, the expected area under Kharif cultivation is 142.38 lakh hectares, including 40.20 lakh hectares under cotton, 50.86 lakh hectares under soyabean, 15.30 lakh hectares under rice, 9.80 lakh hectares under maize, 17.73 lakh under pulses. About 24.91 lakh quintal seeds are available in the state while a stock of 1.50 lakh metric tonnes of urea and 25,000 metric tonnes of DAP have been kept ready. Washington, June 25 : A top US aviation security official on Tuesday called for a one-stop security screening arrangement with India to reduce duplication of efforts at both ends for passengers as part of a broader cooperation between the two countries in civil aviation. "If we have a one-stop agreement with the government of India and with Delhi airport, we would not need to re-screen a passengers and their check bags would go from aircraft to aircraft in almost every situation," David Pekoske, head of the US Transportation Security Administration said at the start of a three-day India-US civil aviation summit here. "This is a really powerful concept. It offers a number of important benefits. It raises global aviation security standards that need to flex and debounce the United States are more secure if there's a reverse agreement between the United States and India where US screening satisfies Indian requirements." US-bound passengers will be screened for security at the airport of embarkation in India, say Delhi, under this arrangement and when they land in the US and have a connecting domestic flight to another US destination, their checked-in baggage will transfer straight from their aircraft to the next. And likewise in the opposite direction, for India-bound passengers. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN body that promotes civil aviation between member countries, encourages one-step security (OSS), saying: "OSS agreements enable the avoidance of unnecessary duplication of security controls and increase the global sustainability of the aviation security system, and provide for a more straightforward transfer process for passengers and their belongings resulting in shorter connections, fewer missed connections and fewer missing bags at destination." Pekoske suggested a few more areas of cooperation mostly to "harmonise" aviation security between the two countries, including on data sharing and cyber-security. He would like to post a TSA representative - called TSAR - in New Delhi, he added, noting: aLocal interaction is so critically important for developing our partnership which already has a very strong foundation." The seventh iteration of the summit is taking place after a gap of seven years, disrupted mainly by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is being hosted by the US Trade Development Agency (USTDA) with the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry. Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, who is leading the Indian delegation, started by bringing the summitas participants up to speed on Indiaas growing civil aviation industry in the intervening years. "I'm happy to start by saying that in India, we have seen a robust recovery post-Covid. Our air passengers have reached levels, both in the domestic and in the international flights, to the pre-Covid levels. Our airlines have been resilient, and they have passed through the Covid period. And in fact, new airlines have started in these last few years, and even more are in the pipeline. So I think it's been a long time since we met, but it's been a good time for civil aviation in India." The Secretary presented figures to illustrate his point a" the number of airports has gone up from 74 to 157 in the last 10 years, for instance a" and detailed that "the robust framework within which this progresses" was made possible. He spoke about the availability of land, which is the responsibility of state government, the transparency with which airport tariffs are determined by an autonomous body - which is "an arm's length from the mainline government", to the availability of trained commercial pilots, and ongoing efforts to streamline the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry. Above all, he said in conclusion, there is a government in Delhi that listens. Enoh T. Ebong, head of the US Trade Development Agency, Michael Whittaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, which is the US regulator for civil aviation, and Sripriya Ranganathan, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the India Embassy also spoke at the inaugural event. New Delhi, June 25 : Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday announced that the Rs 10,000 crore PLI scheme will be expanded to the garment sector to boost domestic manufacturing and exports. In his inaugural address at the India International Garment Fair (IIGF) here, Giriraj Singh said that the ministry is poised to revive the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) to create internationally standardised parks. He emphasised that the government will focus on revamping textile parks and promoting green textiles. Singh also said that there were plans to make small clusters for smaller players in India to boost the exports of ready-made garments. The PLI scheme has been a huge success in the electronics sector with India's production of electronic goods such as smartphones shooting up and even emerging as a major item in the export basket. The minister urged industry to adopt the 'hub and spoke' model to enhance domestic manufacturing of textiles and underscored the importance of establishing Indian brands. "Developing world class manufacturing facilities is a must for realising the Prime Minister's vision of 'Make in India' with 'Zero Effect; Zero Defect' at each level of the value chain," he added. The minister said that the International Garment Fair, being held at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre here, offers a unique marketing platform for micro, small, and medium exporters, showcasing India's latest trends and diverse offerings to the rest of the world. "Today, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a GDP growth rate of 7.2 per cent and is expected to be the third largest economy by 2027-28," he observed. The convergence of a positive domestic outlook with a growth-orient$ed political establishment has provided a conducive ecosystem for business in India. Several measures have been taken by the government of India to enhance the infrastructure sector and ease of doing business, he added. Further, the Minister stated that, the Indian Apparel and textiles market is of the size of $165 billion which has to touch $350 billion; a target, which has been fixed after consulting the industry. "I request you to take it to 50 billion by 2030. The Prime Minister made a roadmap to promote technical fibre and Geo textiles, which is providing huge options for growth. I have said that my challenge is not Bangladesh. I would like you to take it ahead of China in time to come," the minister remarked. Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman AEPC during his address underlined, "the global headwinds negatively affected Indian apparel exports. But despite these adverse scenarios, the Indian apparel export industry was able to hold its own and contain the damage to quite an extent" Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General said that there is a greater chance for Indian apparel exporters to expand its footprint across developed countries in coming years. The Indian apparel industry must in-cash this opportunity and start dreaming big. Knowledge sessions are also being organised on the sidelines on the June 25 and 26, covering various topics like Navigating Global Trade. "More than 600 buyers from 50 countries are participating in the event. The 71st Edition will also host two fashion shows each day, from 25th to 27th June'2024, showcasing the best of the collections exhibited during the show. Gurugram, June 25 : Former Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu, senior BJP leaders, and party workers observed 'black day' at the party office in Gurugram on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. Gurugram, June 25 (IANS) Former Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu, senior BJP leaders, and party workers observed ablack daya at the party office in Gurugram on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. Speaking on the occasion, the BJP leaders said that Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, who are accusing the BJP of changing the Constitution, have forgotten that the same document was insulted by the Congress during the Emergency. Captain Abhimanyu said that Indira Gandhi arbitrarily declared an Emergency without consulting anyone to satisfy her self-interest and retain power as the Prime Minister of India. aAs a responsible political organisation, the BJP has taken the responsibility to make the people of the entire nation aware about the dark side of Emergency declaration as a measure to avoid such anti-constitutional activities in the future," he said. The Emergency was declared at midnight on June 25, 1975, which lasted till March 21, 1977. Mumbai, June 25 : In a significant development, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday suspended senior IPS officer Quaiser Khalid over his alleged involvement in the Ghatkopar hoarding scam. The governmentas move came days after a former BJP MP had urged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home Department, to suspend Khalid, a 1997 batch officer. The Special Investigation Team, which is currently conducting an inquiry into the May 13 collapse of a hoarding, erected by Ego Media on a BPCL petrol pump at Ghatkopar, in which 17 people died, has come out with documentary proof of financial dealings between Khalidas wife Summannaas firm and Ego Media. The probe also revealed that Bhavesh Bhinde of Ego Media had transferred Rs 46 lakh to the Govandi-based Mahpara Garments in FY 2022-23. Summana and Mohd Arshad Khan are directors of Mahpara Garments, incorporated on June 28, 2022, by the Registrar of Companies with a paid capital of Rs 1 lakh. The land was in possession of the Government Railway Police and permission to erect the hoarding near a petrol pump was given to Ego Media for 10 years with the consent of Khalid. As per the order, the Maharashtra government "has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Md Quaiser Khalid IPS (MH 1997), additional director general of PCR, the then CP Railway, in respect of administrative lapses and irregularities in sanctioning the hoarding, on his own, without approval of the DGP office and in respect of the misuse of powers by allowing massive hoarding side of 120 x 140 sq ft deviating from the approval norms as pointed out in the report of DGP, Maharashtra" and "is satisfied that it is necessary desirable to place Md Quaiser Khalid under suspension in accordance with the Provision of Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969". As per the order, Khalid is not permitted to accept any private employment or engage in any other trade or business during suspension. However, he will be paid subsistence allowance, dearness allowance and other allowances. "Any breach of this condition shall be treated as an act of misconduct rendering him liable for disciplinary action," it added. London, June 25 : Finland's World No. 88 Emil Ruusuvuori continued his domination of British players, extending his perfect record to 6-0 on British soil with a straight sets win against Cameron Norrie in Eastbourne on Tuesday. The Finn, who was once ranked No. 37 in the ATP list, scored a 7-6(9), 6-3 win against Cameron Norrie in the opening round of the Rothesay International as he continued to spoil the chances of native players. In the process, the 25-year-old Ruusuvuori snapped a five-match grass-court losing streak (including matches on the ATP Challenger Tour) by improving to 10-3 against Brits at all levels and 2-1 in his ATP head-to-head series against Norrie. "Cam is one of the toughest players out there," the Finn was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour after his match on Tuesday. But playing a Brit here is good. I got on centre court and just tried to enjoy it. I played a very good level today in tough moments, so it was very good." Ruusuvuori saved all seven break points against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including two as he served out the match. He also saved two set points in an extended opening-set tie-break before snatching the lone break of the match in the sixth game of set two. The Finn lost just two points on the second serve (16/18), winning those points at an 89 per cent clip in the 95-minute match. He will next meet China's Shang Juncheng, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4) on Monday. Thiago Seyboth Wild also advanced early on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Aussie John McCabe. The Brazilian saved five of six break points in the victory to set up a second-round showdown with top seed Taylor Fritz. New York, June 25 : With just one month to go for the start of the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, the chief of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday made a solemn appeal to the UN Member States for the observance of the Olympic Truce. The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, on Tuesday called on all warring parties around the world to agree to "true mutual ceasefires" for the duration of the Truce. New York, June 25 (IANS) With just one month to go for the start of the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, the chief of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday made a solemn appeal to the UN Member States for the observance of the Olympic Truce. The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, on Tuesday called on all warring parties around the world to agree to "true mutual ceasefires" for the duration of the Truce. The resolution for the observance of the Olympic Truce for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 was formally adopted by the UN in November last year, calling for the Olympic Truce to be respected from seven days before the start of the Olympic Games until seven days after the Paralympic Games. "I solemnly appeal to all Member States to demonstrate their commitment to the Olympic Truce for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and to undertake concrete actions at the local, national, regional and world levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace and harmony based on the spirit of the Truce," said UNGA President Francis. "I also call upon all warring parties of current armed conflicts around the world to boldly agree to true mutual ceasefires for the duration of the Olympic Truce, thus providing an opportunity to settle disputes peacefully." The Paris Olympic Games will be held in the French capital from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Francis also noted that Paris 2024 would be "breaking new ground in gender equality and inclusivity" by allocating the same number of quota places to male and female athletes and emphasised that the participation of the Refugee Olympic Team would be "a powerful symbol of inclusion and our shared humanity". International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach welcomed the UN's appeal while emphasising the enduring significance of the Olympic Truce. "The Olympic Truce represents the very essence of what the Olympic Games stand for peace, unity and the hope of building a better world. In these difficult times, when we are all facing so much confrontation, division and polarisation, the Olympic Truce is more relevant than ever. And, as an event that unites the world in peaceful competition, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be a powerful reminder that we can all come together peacefully, even in times of wars and crises," he said. The IOC has suspended the membership of Russia and Belarus for the war in Ukraine and sportspersons from these two countries will be participating in Paris Olympics as neutral athletes. Islamabad, June 25 : Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called on the Modi 3.0 regime to work towards a sober reflection on the future of bilateral relations between the two nuclear-powered neighbours. In his address at an event here, he reiterated his previous statements about relations with India, stating that Pakistan has always been desirous of having good relations with India. "To our east, the relationship with India has historically remained troubled. Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute," Dar said. However, he also emphasised that while Pakistan would take every step to ensure better relations with India, it would not refrain from responding effectively to any Indian military misadventure. "We also take every step needed to maintain strategic stability in South Asia and would respond effectively and decisively to any ill-considered military misadventure" in New Delhi, he added. His statements come at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken office for the third consecutive term, heading a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Dar hoped that the new term of PM Modi would use this opportunity to carve a more sober reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations. "In our view, as the BJP-led NDA government starts a new term, it is time for a sober reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations and the cross-cutting issues affecting the entire region," he said. He contended that Indiaas decision to abrogate Article 370 and 35A to change the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir through what he termed as a unilateral and illegal action on August 5, 2019, had adversely affected the overall environment of bilateral relations between the two countries. "The onus remains on India to take necessary steps to create an enabling environment for purposeful engagement and result-oriented dialogue on all issues," he said. However, he said that in this context, it is equally important that India "eschews its relentless smear campaign against Pakistan", stops its alleged "state-sponsorship of terrorism and extrajudicial killings inside Pakistan", and "takes tangible steps to move the relationship in a positive direction". New Delhi, June 25 : Pakistan's Baloch and Pashtun populations encounter systemic discrimination within the country's socio-political landscape. Despite their rich cultural heritage and historical contributions, these communities face pervasive marginalisation and stereotyping, primarily from the dominant Punjabi demographic. This discrimination is evident in economic disenfranchisement, social stigma, and political exclusion. Predominantly residing in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, respectively, Baloch and Pashtun groups are often misrepresented and marginalized, seen through a lens of prejudice and ignorance. The Punjabi majority, holding significant political and economic influence, often marginalises these communities, viewing them as obstacles to progress rather than essential parts of the national identity. Socio-Economic and Political Disenfranchisement Systemic discrimination against Baloch and Pashtun communities is evident in the persistent underdevelopment of their regions. Despite Balochistan's wealth in natural resources, it remains one of Pakistan's poorest and least developed provinces. The Pakistan's federal government's exploitation of these resources, without adequate reinvestment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, highlights ongoing economic marginalisation. Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces insufficient economic opportunities and developmental neglect, widening socio-economic gaps compared to more prosperous Punjab. Politically, both Baloch and Pashtun groups experience significant exclusion. Power centralised in Islamabad, influenced by Punjabi elites, consistently sidelines these communities from meaningful participation in national decision-making. This political disenfranchisement perpetuates their marginalisation, sustaining a cycle of neglect and underdevelopment. Cultural Stereotyping and Social Stigmatisation Cultural stereotyping intensifies the discrimination faced by Baloch and Pashtun communities. Within the Punjabi majority, there's a widespread belief that these groups are uneducated and inherently prone to violence. These stereotypes distort the rich cultural fabrics of Baloch and Pashtun societies and justify their marginalisation. The perception of Baloch and Pashtun people as uneducated stems from systemic neglect rather than inherent shortcomings. Educational infrastructure in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is severely lacking due to deliberate policy choices favoring other regions. This educational marginalisation is then used to perpetuate stereotypes, reinforcing a cycle of under-achievement. Similarly, the stereotype of innate violence among Baloch and Pashtun communities lacks foundation. It often justifies harsh military actions and stringent security measures in these areas, violating their basic rights and portraying them as perpetual threats to national security. This narrative dehumanises Baloch and Pashtun individuals, reducing them to simplistic portrayals of aggression and instability. Blame for National Underdevelopment Discrimination against Baloch and Pashtun communities is exacerbated by the Pakistani population's tendency to blame these groups for the country's broader socio-economic challenges. Pakistan's issues are intricate and varied, yet Baloch and Pashtun people often bear disproportionate blame for impeding national progress. This scapegoating shifts accountability away from the central government and dominant ethnic groups, directing public dissatisfaction towards already marginalised communities. The narrative that holds Baloch and Pashtun people accountable for Pakistan's underdevelopment disregards systemic inequalities and neglect embedded in the nation's socio-economic fabric. It fails to acknowledge these communities' contributions to Pakistan's cultural and economic landscapes, perpetuating divisive and harmful rhetoric. Escalating Mistrust and Heightened Discrimination Recently, there has been a notable increase in mistrust towards the Pashtun community, intensifying their discrimination. This heightened mistrust often stems from security concerns and geopolitical dynamics, particularly concerning Afghanistan. Due to their ethnic ties across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pashtuns are frequently regarded with suspicion and face heightened scrutiny and discrimination. This escalated mistrust takes various forms, including increased surveillance, policing, and social exclusion. Pashtun individuals, regardless of their societal contributions or economic status, are often treated as suspects and subjected to racial profiling. This atmosphere of suspicion not only violates their civil liberties but also fosters feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement. Discriminatory practices against Baloch and Pashtun communities not only violate principles of equality and justice but also undermine social unity crucial for national advancement. Marginalising these communities impedes their potential contributions to the nation and perpetuates cycles of poverty, unrest, and instability. Discrimination against Baloch and Pashtun communities in Pakistan is a complex issue that demands a thorough and consistent approach to resolve. Both the state and society need to acknowledge the historical and systemic injustices contributing to this marginalisation and undertake genuine reforms promoting inclusivity. Creating a fair and just environment will allow Pakistan to harness the full potential of its diverse population, fostering comprehensive national development and unity. While the path to rectifying these issues is challenging, it is essential for achieving a genuinely inclusive and equitable Pakistan. Continued discrimination against Baloch and Pashtun communities in Pakistan will drive the country deeper into division and instability. Marginalising and prejudicing these ethnic groups not only widen societal divides but also impede national unity and progress. By perpetuating such inequalities, Pakistan risks intensifying current tensions and fostering persistent discord. It is crucial for the nation to acknowledge and rectify these injustices to pave a path towards a future that is inclusive and harmonious. Pune, June 25 : The minor boy accused in the Porsche crash case in Pune was released from a juvenile correctional centre on Tuesday night after spending some 35 days in custody, officials said. His lawyer Prashant Partil told mediapersons that the boy - son of a prominent realtor - was set free from the juvenile home at around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, after completing all the legal formalities. The boy's custody has been handed over to his paternal aunt, Pooja G. Jain, following an order of the Bombay High Court on her writ petition. The boy was arrested hours after a speeding Porsche allegedly driven by him killed two techies on May 19. The same day, he was enlarged on bail but following a nationwide uproar, the Juvenile Justice Board ordered him to be taken into custody and sent to a correctional centre on May 22, where he was lodged since. New Delhi, June 25 : To provide a seamless and barrier-free tolling experience for motorists on National Highways, NHAI subsidiary Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) organised a day-long international workshop here on Tuesday to discuss the rolling out of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Electronic Toll Collection in India. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was the chief guest at the event attended by senior officials. Industry experts from the US and Europe, attending the workshop, deliberated on various aspects related to smooth implementation of the free-flow tolling system based on GNSS technology in India. Nitin Gadkari said Global Navigation Satellite System technology enhances navigation and positioning, playing a crucial role in modernising toll collection systems, ensuring seamless travel, and reducing congestion on our roads. "We are continuously working towards easing citizens' lives, making governance more transparent, and providing faster services," the Union Minister said. Apart from senior officials from Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, NHAI, IHMCL, representatives from IITs, NIC, NPCI, C-DAC, HOA(I), NHBF, IRF, SIAM, financial institutions and leading global technology companies were present on the occasion. Kohima, June 25 : Amidst the boycott call in the state's eastern parts by the influential Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), over 2.76 lakh voters would decide the fate of 523 candidates in Wednesday's elections to three municipal councils and 36 town councils in the northeastern state. Of the 523 candidates, 198 women aspirants are contesting the civic polls being held after a gap of 20 years, officials said on Tuesday. State Election Commissioner (SEC) T. John Longkumer said that 670 nominations were submitted and subsequently 79 candidatures were withdrawn while 64 candidates were elected unopposed. Four nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny. He said that no candidate is contesting in the town councils in eastern Nagaland, where ENPO gave a vote boycott call in support of their statehood demand for 'Frontier Nagaland Territory'. Longkumer, a former Director General of Police of Nagaland, said that a total of 2,76,229 voters, including 1,40,167 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the urban bodies poll. Of the total of 418 wards in the urban civic bodies, 142 wards are reserved for women. SEC officials said that 108 companies of state security forces would be deployed to maintain security while 8,100 polling officials and staff would be posted to conduct the civic polls. Longkumer said that many national and local parties are contesting the elections. These include the ruling BJP, the Congress, the Janata Dal-United, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), the Naga Peopleas Front (NPF), the Rising Peopleas Party, the Republican Party of India-Athawale, and the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio urged the voters to cast their votes in Wednesdayas civic polls. "As Nagaland participates in the ULB elections, I request all eligible voters to cast your vote. ULBs are crucial as they provide a platform for citizens' participation in urban management, and development of our towns & cities. Best wishes for a peaceful & successful polling day", he said on his X handle. Governor La Ganesan, Chief Minister Rio, the state government and many organisations have earlier urged the ENPO to withdraw their vote boycott call but the Naga body remained firm on its stand. The SEC earlier served a show cause notice to the ENPO, the apex body of seven backward Naga tribes in eastern Nagaland who urged the people to abstain from participating in the civic polls to press for its statehood demand. People in the six districts, which have over four lakh voters, remained indoors on April 19 in polling to the state's sole Lok Sabha constituency, responding to its call. Meanwhile, the powerful Naga Students' Federation (NSF) appealed to the people of Nagaland to elect "Nagas by blood and not by adoption" in Wednesdayas elections to ULBs in the state. NSF Vice President Mteisuding said that electing non-Nagas to local governance would pose a significant risk to the preservation of the Naga cultural heritage. Significantly, the upcoming local body polls in three municipal councils and 36 town councils are the first-ever municipal elections in the state to be held with 33 per cent reservation for women. The ULB polls were delayed by around 20 years after the tribal bodies and civil society organisations were against the reservation for women. After hectic consultations with the Naga organisations and civil societies by the state government, the state Assembly, in November last year, passed the Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023 with 33 per cent reservation for women. Guwahati/Agartala, June 25 : On 50 years of imposing Emergency across India by the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi, the BJP on Tuesday took out protest rallies in different northeastern states. Turning the imposition of Emergency a 'dark chapter' in Indian democracy, BJP leaders criticised the 'misuse of power' and 'blatant display of dictatorship' during that period. In Guwahati, Assam BJP President Bhabesh Kalita said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi curtailed the democratic rights of the people by imposing Emergency. A discussion against the imposition of Emergency was also held at the state BJP headquarters in Guwahati. In Agartala, a big rally was taken out with placards and banners against the imposition of Emergency. Chief Ministers of different northeastern states also criticised the imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975. Assam Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X: "On this day in 1975, our democracy witnessed its darkest hour. We salute all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the dark days of Emergency despite the excesses committed. Our democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset." Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a post on X: "It's 50 years of Emergency but nothing has changed in the Congress. They still misuse the Constitution. They still appreciate slavery more than empowering values. No one has the right to speak against them. And the biggest dilemma is that they talk of protecting the Constitution when they reflected the biggest disrespect to it during the Emergency." Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said, "The two-year-long Emergency, which started on June 25, 1975, and lasted till March 21, 1977, is considered the darkest period in the history of Independent and democratic India." "The Emergency was an attempt by the Congress regime to dissent the voice of the people and consolidate power. The Congress' actions during the Emergency left a lasting scar. It reflected their disrespect for democratic principles and the rights of the Indian people," Singh added. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said: "Today marks 50 years since a dark chapter was written in India's democracy. The Emergency was a blot, a sordid tale when the country was turned into a prison, freedom was attacked, the press was shackled and the sacred Constitution was disregarded." Panaji, June 25 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday that the Constitution of India was in danger during the Congress rule, while the BJP is trying to protect it. At an event organised to mark 50 years of the imposition of Emergency by the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi as 'black day', Sawant criticised Rahul Gandhi for "spreading lies" that the BJP will tamper with the Constitution. "It was the Congress which changed Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution several times. The Constitution was in danger because of the Congress during its rule," Sawant said. Senior BJP leader Govind Parvatkar claimed that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency after she was disqualified as an MP for corrupt practices by the court to protect her chair. "All the opposition leaders and prominent karyakartas were arrested at midnight (on June 25, 1975) and more than one lakh political and social activists were jailed during the 21 months of Emergency. The media was gagged, and all civil rights were withdrawn as dictatorship prevailed in the country for 21 months," he said. "Rahul Gandhi, who is talking about the Constitution now, should be ashamed of the acts of his grandmother," Parvatkar added. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanavade said the young generation should know about the black deeds of the Congress. "I appeal to the karyakartas to be vigilant of the canards and lies being spread by the Congress," he said. Amaravati, June 26 : YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu to recognise his party as the principal opposition party. In a letter to the Speaker on Tuesday, Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded that he be recognised as the Leader of Opposition. He mentioned that YSRCP is the sole party in opposition to the ruling coalition comprising TDP-JSP-BJP. "There is already a discussion in the public domain to the effect that I would not be entitled to the position of Leader of Opposition (LoP) on the ground that YSRCLP does not have 10 per cent of the strength of the August House. "It is to be noted that the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly notified under Article 208 of the Constitution of India do not prescribe any such mandatory percentage of seats to be secured by a political party for recognising its leader as Leader of Opposition (LoP). "Nor has there been any convention of insistence of 10 per cent strength on the floor of the August House for the opposition party, in the unified State of Andhra Pradesh to grant such recognition as LOP," wrote Jagan Mohan Reddy. He cited different instances including the instance of P. Upendra of TDP being granted the position of LoP in the Lok Sabha in the year 1984 even though TDP only secured 30 out of a total of 543 Seats. "I am constrained to address this letter in public interest seeking to exercise my right to speak substantially and substantively with due according of sufficient time to air the grievances of the people at large. Absent such status and given the hostilities already displayed, my opportunities and duration of time to speak on public issues, would be at the mercy of the ruling combine which has an overwhelming majority and the discretion of the Honourable Speaker, who wishes to see me dead," reads the letter. The YSRCP leader also enclosed a copy of the video of the Speaker's comment about him. "It is in the public domain that the Honourable Speaker in a conversation which has since been published on YouTube, alluded to me as a 'person defeated but not yet dead', and that I should be beaten until I die. A copy of the video is enclosed. The gloves are off as regards the hostilities displayed by the ruling combine towards me and imbibed by the Honourable Speaker." Jagan also drew the attention of the Speaker that during administering oaths to the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, the customary tradition of calling the Leader of Opposition after the Leader of the House was not followed. He said this gave an impression that there is already a decision taken not to grant the status of Leader of Opposition to him. He also pointed out that YSRCP secured a vote share of 40 per cent in the recently concluded elections. "I owe a duty to the people of Andhra Pradesh to represent their concerns on the floor of the August House. In view of the open and undisguised hostility exhibited by the leaders of the ruling combine as also by the Honourable Speaker the YSRCLP is constrained to evaluate the utility of its participation in the proceedings of the August House if it is treated as a party with eleven MLAs with no status of Leader of Opposition," he added. Rachel Lynn Solomon recently traveled from her home in Amsterdam to the U.S. to present her new YA novel Past, Present, Future (SimonTeen). The sequel to Today, Tonight, Tomorrow traces Rowan and Neil as they head off to different colleges and face the troubles of a long-distance relationship. During Solomons five-city tour, she made appearances at several bookstores to chat with fellow authors and romance fans about writing a sequel and crafting a swoon-worthy romance. Weve gathered highlights of her trip. Solomon (l.) kicked off her tour on June 4 with an event at the Lake Forest Park location of Third Place Books in Washington to discuss her new book with conversation partner Rachel Griffin. Solomon and the audience at Third Place Books celebrate a successful evening. Solomon (r.) with conversation partner Marisa Kanter ahead of her event at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles. Writer's Block Bookstore hosted Solomon at Orlando Family Stage in Orlando, Fla., on June 5, where she held a conversation with author Alicia Thompson (r.). On June 6, Solomon made a stop at Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, Mass., for an event featuring Desmond Hall (r.) with moderator Jenny L. Howe (l.) highlighting YA literature. (From l.): romance authors Kristina Forest, Solomon, and Dahlia Adler dropped by Barnes & Noble Upper West Side in New York City to discuss writing about love. Solomon with a Past, Present, Future-themed cake given to her by an audience member after her Barnes & Noble Upper West Side event. Solomon signed stock at Barnes & Noble Union Square in New York City on June 11. On June 12, Solomon and her agent, Elizabeth Bewley (third from r.), visited the Simon & Schuster offices to meet with the SimonTeen team. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has revealed the recipients of its 2024 Carle Honors, who will be feted at an event this fall. This years honorees were selected by a jury chaired by Leonard S. Marcus, childrens literature historian and founder of the Carle Honors Committee. Uri Shulevitz, the Caldecott Medalist and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator, was selected as Artist Honoree, in recognition of his work in a wide variety of media... [which] demonstrates remarkable versatility as he interprets an equally wide range of literature. Shulevitz depicts his journey fleeing the German invasion of his native Warsaw and immigrating to New York in his books Chance and How I Learned Geography. His work was spotlighted in the Carles 2015 exhibition Tall Tales and Short Tales: The Art of Uri Shulevitz, and he intends to leave much of his archive to the museum. We Need Diverse Books has been named Angel for its work advocating for essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects the lives of all young people. Now in its 10th year, the nonprofit organization has grown from a grassroots social media movement to become a major force for diversity, through its many awards, grants, mentorships and internships, public programs, book lists, and a recent initiative, Indigenous Reads Rising. Ellen Oh, founding member and honorary trustee, will accept the award. KidLit TV is the 2024 Bridge Honoree. Founded by Julie Gribble, the multi-media company connects picture book creators with children around the globe through resources promoting a love of reading. The platform also offers access to author and illustrator interviews, read-alouds, interactive drawing tutorials, and other book-related activities, making reading engaging and accessible. KidLit TV has been recognized with a Parents Choice Gold Award and was selected as one of the American Association of School Librarians Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning. Gribble will accept the award. The Horn Book, the worlds first critical journal dedicated to childrens literature, founded in Boston in 1924, has been named Mentor. The magazine, The Horn Book Guide, and the prestigious Boston GlobeHorn Book Award together form a cornerstone in youth literature review that has endured over the past century. The awards will be presented at a benefit gala on September 26 at the New-York Historical Society in New York City. In lieu of the traditional art auction, the Carle will shine the light on new work added to its permanent collection, including art by Ludwig Bemelmans, Lucy Cousins, Leo and Diane Dillon, Barry Moser, LeUyen Pham, Beatrix Potter, and Mo Willems. The event will also feature honoree tributes from Grace Lin, Dr. Claudette S. McLinn, and more, as well as a musical performance by Marlo Thomas and Friends, in celebration of the 50th-anniversary exhibition of the book Free to Be. You and Me, which will open at the museum in November. A reception will follow. Children's and YA author Lee Wind, who is also chief content officer at the Independent Book Publishers Association, is creating a limited collectors edition in hardcover format of his latest novel, A Different Kind of Brave. The YA novel, which Wind calls a "love letter to James Bond movies," was published in March by Chicago Review Presss Duet Books/Interlude imprint in paper and ebook formats. Wind is releasing the hardcover edition as an incentive for donors to a Kickstarter fundraiser that he launched last week. The fundraiser aims to purchase at least 350 copies of the paperback edition of A Different Kind of Brave to donate to Brave Trails, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ teens and their allies. The paperback books will be provided free to readers ages 12-17 who will be attending Brave Trails overnight camps in California and in New York state this summer. The collectors edition, which Wind says is being released with the permission of his publisher, does not have an ISBN and is available only through Winds Kickstarter campaign. Every copy will be numbered and signed. The cover was designed by CB Messer, who also designed the paperback edition. Messer has also designed character trading cards to promote the hardcover edition, which Wind is giving away to donors. I thought character cards would be cooler than a bookmark, Wind said. Chicago Review Press publisher Cynthia Sherry told PW that she was happy to give Wind permission to create a collector's edition of A Different Kind of Brave for such a worthy cause. "I love the creativity of this Kickstarter campaign," she said, "and I wanted to support Lee any way I can in his mission to empower and entertain LGBTQ teens who will see themselves in this novel." Describing A Different Kind of Brave as a gay teen globe-trotting, high-stakes adventure with the heroic courage of the James Bond movies and the ongoing romanceand queer group of friendsof Heartstopper, Wind maintains that it is the kind of read that would have totally changed my life had I read it when I was a closeted gay teen; since I dont have a time machine to send it back to my younger self, Im paying it forward. It's important, escapist literature that centers two queer teens who fall in love and try to save the world. The Kickstarter fundraiser, which launched on June 20, has raised to date more $3,588 of its $13,275 goal with more than three weeks remaining of the campaign. The financial goal has to be reached in full, Wind noted, or it doesnt happen at all. Kickstarter is conditional. Wind will be at the ALA conference in San Diego this weekend, in his capacity both as an IBPA representative and as an author. He will be giving away the character trading cards at the IBPA booth (1837) throughout the conference, and a sample copy of the hardcover edition will be available for perusal (along with 368 other books by IBPA members on display). He will also appear on Saturday, June 29, at 11 a.m. PT at the Chicago Review Press booth (632) to sign copies of the paperback edition of A Different Kind of Brave and will give away trading cards there as well. Free winter school holiday activities and things to do in Victoria Explore a new playground Weve rounded up some of the best playgrounds in regional Victoria and around Melbourne. Whether your kids love playgrounds shaped like a pirate ship, exploring musical play equipment, challenging obstacles or just a fun play on the good old swing and slide, a playground is the perfect place for some free outdoor fun in the sun. Have a family bake day Got a budding sous chef in your midst? Get the kids together for a play in the kitchen and let budding hands make some of their own marvellous creations. Let them experiment with these child friendly recipes from the RACV Club kitchen, including salted caramel choc-chip cookie recipe, mini pancake cereal, or a chocolate mousse cake recipe. Go on a scenic hike Hiking is one way to stay warm, and Victoria's rainforests and waterfalls look their best in winter. Whether you want to go chasing waterfalls, or youre looking for family friendly walks, fun dog trails or nature hikes around the state, theres always somewhere new to explore on foot. Best of all these experiences are free to do. Get on your bikes and ride Children usually have energy to burn, so don't let the colder weather put you off going for a family ride around your suburb. Its free, fun, and a healthy way to explore the great outdoors. If you want to explore a new region, you can head on one of these family-friendly bike routes, from a trip taking in the solar system exhibit along Port Phillip Bay, to the Capital City Trail, which goes past the zoo and through parklands. Brush up on the latest cycling road rules here. Visit the libraries, galleries and museums Did you know that there are many libraries, galleries and museums with free entry and activities over the school holidays? The NGV, ACMI, the Australian Music Vault, The Immigration Museum and The Australian Sports Museum all have free entry, while kids under 12 are also free to visit The Heide Museum of Modern Art, Scienceworks, and The Melbourne Museum. We've put together a list of our favourite libraries and their facilities here, along with the best modern art galleries in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Free day trip guides to regional areas Did you know there are ways to explore greater Victoria without breaking the budget? There are plenty of things to do in the Melbourne school holidays without spending much at all. Check out our guides for how to have a fun, free day out in the Yarra Valley, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and even right here in Melbourne. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Porterville, CA (93257) Today A few clouds. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Adani group plans to invest about Rs 1.3 lakh crore across its portfolio companies this fiscal as it doubles down on its $100 billion investment guidance over the next 7-10 years to grow businesses, group CFO said on Tuesday. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters The investment across portfolio companies that range from ports to energy, airports, commodities, cement and media will be 70 per cent met through internal cash generation and the remaining through debt, Group CFO Jugeshinder 'Robbie' Singh told reporters in Ahmedabad. The group will look to refinance $3-4 billion of debt maturing in the year and raise an additional $1 billion in project financing, he said, adding the annual $2-2.5 billion of equity infusion by bringing in new investors is also likely to continue. "This year will be more about asset completion," he said. Renewable energy firm Adani Green will complete 6-7 GW project, while the solar wafer manufacturing unit will attain scale. Also, the new airport at Mumbai will be completed, he said. The projected capital expenditure or capex for 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025) fiscal is 40 per cent higher than what the portfolio is estimated to have incurred in FY24. The group had previously guided a $100 billion capex over the next 7-10 years. Most of this investment is going to go into the group's fast growing businesses -- renewable, green hydrogen and airports and infrastructure, he said. As much as 70 per cent of the planned capex will go into its green portfolio -- primarily renewable power, green hydrogen, green evacuation. Of the remaining 30 per cent, the majority will be spent towards airports and ports businesses. Adani Group companies posted a record 45 per cent rise in pre-tax profit (Ebitda) to Rs 82,917 crore (about $10 billion) in FY24, Singh said. Emerging from a damning report of a US short seller, which hit the market value of its listed companies, Adani Group in 2023-24 focused on containing debt, reducing founder share pledge and consolidating the business in core competencies. The five-year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for profit growth was 54 per cent. A school drop-out, group chairman Gautam Adani started out as a commodities trader and rose to be counted among world's richest with an empire spanning across ports, power generation, airports, mining, renewables, gas, data centres, media and cement. Today, Adani Group is the world's second largest solar power company, it is the largest airport operator with 25 per cent of passenger traffic and 40 per cent of air cargo, the largest ports and logistics company with 30 per cent of national market share, largest integrated energy player, and the country's second largest cement manufacturer. With strong emphasis on green energy transition, it will be allocating more than 70 per cent of this $100 billion to its green businesses including renewable power, green hydrogen, and green evacuation transmission lines. The conglomerate is building the world's largest renewable park at Khavda, Gujarat, spanning over 530 square kilometers - an area five times the size of the city of Paris. A large portion of total investments is earmarked for expansion and development of its fast-growing airports business and ports business. With a portfolio boasting eight airports including the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport and 14 domestic ports, Adani wants to further solidify its presence in these sectors. Led by a new generation of entrepreneurs, Indias family offices are shifting from traditional investments in physical and tangible assets like real estate to investing in technology, healthcare, and retail stocks. This new wave of family offices is engaging in stock market investments, including pre-IPO placements and secondary market operations. Born into a world of technology, the next generation, especially those born after 2000, view technology as equally crucial as finance for running a business. "This perspective drives them to assemble teams with the necessary capabilities, including technological expertise, to operate successful family offices and provide effective stewardship across all their ventures, said Falguni Shah, a partner with PwC India, a multinational consultancy firm. Media reports recently said US beverage major Coca Cola is also in talks with a series of Indian family offices to sell part of its stake in its bottling company in India for $1 billion. Similarly, Oyo, a hospitality start-up, is in talks to raise Rs 1,000 crore from family offices -- valuing the company at $2.5 billion. Some of the prominent family offices making investments include L&T Chairman AM Naiks family office, Marico Chairman Harsh Mariwalas family office, Burman family office and Bhartia family office which is running the Jubilant group and Parekh family of the Pidilite Industries that makes Fevicol brand of adhesives. Crishna Godrej and daughters are also looking to set up a family office, media reports said on Monday. Experts attribute the unprecedented stock market boom to several promoters selling stakes in their traditional businesses and seeking new opportunities both in India and abroad. In the last decade, the trend of entrepreneurs exiting businesses has gained momentum. "This shift is driven by favourable valuations and the diminishing stigma associated with selling a family business, which is no longer relevant to the next generation, says Ketan Dalal, managing director of Katalyst Advisors, a tax consultancy firm that advises several family offices. In this context, if the funds are substantial, a passive approach to deploying such funds may be sub-optimal. "Hence, an actively managed investment approach through a family office generally makes sense, Dalal added, noting that several new entrepreneurs are setting up family offices with a corpus of Rs 250 crore and above. Punit Shah, a Partner with Dhruva Advisors, a consultancy firm, notes that many families want to set up offices to manage wealth after selling their traditional companies. We have also seen enhanced interest in setting up Family Investment Funds (FIFs) in GIFT City, says Shah. The Gift City in Ahmedabad, however, has not seen any registration so far as investors seek more clarity on regulatory norms. Dalal explains that managing substantial family funds often involves a combination of instruments. For example, if a Rs 500 crore fund needs to be deployed, then Rs 250 crore could be managed by the family office, another Rs 100 crore by a multi-family office, and the rest through a combination of AIFs (alternative investment funds), portfolio management schemes, or other managed funds. Overseas Offices As more Indians join the rich club, several families debate whether to set up an office in India or overseas. Experts say opening an office overseas depends on various factors, including availability of funds through the LRS (liberalised remittance scheme) remitted over a period of years from India, a family member based abroad, or special regulatory dispensations obtained, particularly if the investments intended are international. Given the high setup and running costs, as well as the cost of investment professionals, the quantum of funds that would justify a foreign office would probably need to be much higher than an office in India, Dalal said. Shah adds that family offices have consciously diversified their investments over time, keeping geographical, currency, and political risks in mind. As a result, overseas family offices are rapidly becoming a norm. Family offices are also looking at different classes of investments with an open mind, Shah says. Tax regimes are also a consideration when deciding to set up an office. Family offices are usually run through a corporate form but could also be through a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). "The issue with an LLP is that a pure investment LLP could face regulatory issues since LLPs (and partnerships) are intended for carrying on a business, as opposed to only investing. "Also, the LLP tax rate is 35 per cent as opposed to 25 per cent for companies, though for capital gains, the lower concessional rates would apply in either case. "Incidentally, in a company scenario, there is a cash trap since dividends entail extraction costs, Dalal explains. The maiden, critical mineral auction in India has failed to enthuse the mining industry, with the first tranche achieving less than a 50 per cent success rate and the auction of several mines was cancelled owing to low response. Photograph: Steve Marcus/Reuters The results, announced by the Ministry of Mines on Monday, showed that six lesser-known companies emerged as preferred bidders. Among these were Agrasen Sponge, Kundan Gold Mines, Dalmia Bharat Refractories, Sagar Stone Industries, and Maiki South Mining. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy announced the results and launched the fourth round of auction of critical and strategic minerals in which 21 blocks have been put on sale. This round of auction is a step towards self-sufficiency in the critical minerals sector, Reddy said during the launch event in New Delhi. The auction, by the Centre, is intended to boost the domestic production of crucial minerals and reduce dependence on import. However, the absence of major players has raised questions about the attractiveness and feasibility of the blocks offered. The lacklustre response is due to the lack of clarity on the potential data of the reserves. "Nobody wants to invest when there is no data available on the reserves. "Whether these companies have the capability to mine is a big question now. "These companies may also fail to do mining, an industry player said. The development comes days after the ministry cancelled the auction for 14 of the 18 blocks of critical minerals launched in the second tranche on February 29. According to a Mines Ministry notice dated June 21, five of the 14 blocks cancelled did not receive any bidders, while nine got fewer than the mandatory minimum of three bidders. This is not the first time the Centre has cancelled an auction due to limited interest from bidders; in the first tranche, the ministry had to cancel 14 of the 20 blocks put up for auctioning. The six blocks announced include deposits of graphite, manganese, phosphorite, lithium, and rare earth elements located in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The highest auction premium of 400 per cent was for Uttar Pradeshs phosphorite block, awarded to Sagar Stone. The lithium block of Chhattisgarh was awarded to the Maiki South Mining at an auction premium of 76.05 per cent. An auction premium refers to the additional financial commitment that a bidder agrees to pay over and above a predetermined base price or reserve price set by the government or the auctioning authority. This premium is typically expressed as a percentage of the mineral revenue generated from mining operations. The ministry handed over the certificates to two newly notified private exploration agencies (NPEAs) in the programme. With the notification of these two private agencies, the number of NPEAs has increased to 22. Till now, 31 projects for different commodities have been taken by the NPEAs from National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) funds, amounting to approximately Rs 35.23 crore. The minister handed over the sanction letters of grant of funds to research and development (R&D) institutes and startups. The Ministry of Mines has allocated Rs 12 crore for R&D projects and Rs 20 crore for science and technology programme in 2024-25. The ministry also announced a scheme for partially reimbursing exploration expenses of the exploration-licence holders. Under the scheme, exploration expenditure of up to 50 per cent of the cost, subject to various component-wise limits, will be reimbursed. The concept of exploration licence was introduced through an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) in 2023. A total of 20 blocks for exploration licence were handed over to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. In focus are the assembly polls in 2026. From a BJP perspective, their attack on the ruling DMK, using the 'Hindutva' card, and Annamalai's targeting of both Dravidian majors on corruption has not worked, points out N Sathiya Moorthy. IMAGE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra D Modi at an election meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha polls at Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, April 10, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo On the face of it, AIADMK boss Edappadi K Palaniswami's decision to not have the party contest the July 10 assembly by-poll for the Vikravandi seat in northern Tamil Nadu is escapist, after having led the party to three massive defeats in a row over the past five years. However, there is a hidden agenda aimed at a possible realignment ahead of the more important assembly elections two years hence, in 2026. The Vikravandi seat fell vacant after the ruling DMK legislator died of a massive heart attack during the run-up to the April 19 first-phase Lok Sabha elections that covered the entire state. For the ruling DMK-led combine under Chief Minister M K Stalin, it was a third straight sweep after the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and the state assembly elections (2021), when the AIADMK with EPS as chief minister lost power. In Edappadi's words, the AIADMK boycott owes to the conviction that the by-election will not be 'free and fair' under the DMK regime. That he was insinuating against the Election Commission did not seem to have registered, especially with state BJP president Kuppusamy Annamalai, who has been firing on all pistons even after losing the Lok Sabha polls personally and for the party, making Narendra Modi 'teary'. However, before deciding on Annamalai's fate and future, the BJP high command has to re-think on the party's future strategy for Tamil Nadu that has proved to be a standalone exception to the Mo-Sha wave of Hindutva politics across the country over the past ten years, if not more. Truth be acknowledged, the BJP high command has to begin by accepting gracefully that the 'Modi magic' lost the state so very completely for the party after the prime minister made himself the key election issue in 2014, 2019 and now 2024. He visited the state eight times during poll time and many more in the past years, all political rallies wrapped up as official functions. This time round, he also fired on all guns at Tamil Nadu, from elsewhere in the country. That simply was not acceptable to the Tamil voters, whose pride was wantonly hurt beyond repair. It is another matter that the BJP did not understand the hurt to repair it. Despite BJP-friendly and at times DMK-hating sections of the national media pumping up Annamalai's leadership of the state party as if manna from heaven and re-interpreting the victory of a single BJP councillor, a woman, in the Madras City Corporation for the first time two years ago -- and now following it up with an unsustainable defence of Annamalai's claims to a two-digit vote-share in the Lok Sabha polls. After providing for contributions by allies, the figure should stand closer to the conventional figure of three per cent -- or, five per cent, and not 11-plus per cent, as packaged. This would mean that the high command has to decide which way to go in the short and medium terms, the long term will have to wait. In focus are the assembly polls in 2026. From a BJP perspective, their attack on the ruling DMK, using the 'Hindutva' card, and Annamalai's targeting of both Dravidian majors on corruption has not worked. If anything, despite the high dance and drama attaching to the ED/IT raids on incumbent minister Senthil Balaji, who completed one year in pre-trial imprisonment post-poll, the DMK combine swept the poll all across. The BJP has to remember that despite a stayed court-ordered conviction and sentencing of J Jayalalithaa, the party swept the 2001 assembly polls against the incumbent DMK government of Karunanidhi, and she herself won from all four constituencies she contested from, as if to make a point. There is something more to Dravidian politics than the BJP can fathom, what Stalin calls the 'Dravidian model', which is welfare-centric at the individual and individualist level that the voter can touch, feel and benefit from. IMAGE: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami speaks to the media during a protest against the government in connection with the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy during the Tamil Nadu assembly session in Chennai, June 21, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The by-election has three main contenders, respectively from the DMK, the Vanniar-strong PMK, which is continuing in the BJP-NDA alliance from the Lok Sabha polls, and the NTK of actor-politician Seeman. The simple question is if the AIADMK wants to and is capable of transferring its substantial vote share to the PMK candidate, especially when the latter is still in the company of the BJP, which the EPS leadership especially continues to love to hate. Despite EPS's fears that his candidate would lose in the follow-up to the Lok Sabha poll-wave and he will have to bear the cross when breakaway factions under three-time chief minister O Panneerselvam and Jayalalithaa's confidante Sasikala Natarajan are making a move for a straight re-entry. Between the two, the former seems to be less ambitious after his own single-seat disastrous defeat in the BJP's company in the Lok Sabha poll. However, Sasikala, who is yet to wade into the political waters after completing her four-year jail-term in the 'wealth case' against her deceased boss and mentor, in a post-poll statement has hinted at a leadership role for herself. Independent of stray talks and unclear initiatives at reunification of multiple AIADMK factions, including the one under Sasikala's estranged nephew T T V Dhinakaran, another Lok Sabha poll loser in the BJP's company, there is no imminent threat to EPS's leadership of the party. That is mainly because all of them are sailing in the same loser's boat -- with or without the BJP's company. Yet, Vikravandi could be another cuppa. If the AIADMK lost yet another time, that too in a multi-cornered contest, there could be internal re-thinking inside the party that he leads now. The reasons are not far to seek. In the assembly by-polls that accompanied the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK, then in power, defeated the rival DMK by a massive margin, 113,000 votes to 66,000. The by-poll victory was sweetened when in the simultaneous Lok Sabha polls to the Villupuram seat the AIADMK polled only 83,000 votes against the DMK rival's 74,000 -- but maintaining the electoral superiority in the constituency, all the same. Losing Vikravandi is thus not an option for the AIADMK, especially to EPS's leadership. While OPS and TTV have joined the BJP ally in backing the PMK, the DMDK partner of the AIADMK too has announced a boycott. This may lead to a realignment of forces for the assembly polls, whoever wins the by-election. On the face of it, the temptation would be to conclude that the AIADMK may be prima facie aiming at weaning away the PMK from the BJP's company. Otherwise, attempts would be aimed at re-inventing the BJP-NDA alliance all over again under the AIADMK, as in 2019 and 2021. Already, multiple schools of thought exist that the DMK combine swept the Lok Sabha polls only because of the division of rival votes, between the AIADMK and the BJP-NDA. There is no explanation however why the combine lost when it was together in 2019 and 2021. Unless some soul-searching is done, it may be difficult for them all to come out of the current mess in which they find themselves in, divided or united. There is no denying an anti-incumbency factor against the three-year-old Stalin-led DMK government. Thanks to the never-say-die attitude of EPS and Annamalai, not necessarily in that order, anti-incumbency against the ruling party has resurfaced. Incidents like the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that has claimed 55 lives, attack on a senior government official for targeting the sand mafia and revived talks of upward revision of tax and tariffs have only helped the divided Opposition, but there is no knowing if they are capable of converting them into votes two years hence, collectively or otherwise. Right now, the hooch tragedy is in the news during campaign time in Vikravandi in the neighbouring Viluppuram district. But if it will impact the by-election as much as the possible, independent transfer of AIADMK and allied votes to the PMK candidate is the question. From the time the then DMK government of M Karunanidhi lifted total prohibition since the pre-Independence era as a 'temporary measure' measure in 1971, liquor sales and deaths, hooch or not, have not influenced poll results. In the very next year, for instance, the DMK-Congress-I alliance under then prime minister Indira Gandhi swept the twin-polls to the state assembly and the Lok Sabha. IMAGE: BJP's Tamil Nadu president Kuppusamy Annamalai meets families of the Kallakurichi hooch victims. Photograph: Kind courtesy K Annamalai/X For EPS, there are three factors for such unification. One, transfer of AIADMK votes to the PMK candidate in Vikravandi, if ordered, as the latter is still in the company of the 'Hindutva' BJP that party voters despised in the past elections. For him, pre-poll acknowledgement that he would be the CM candidate of the alliance, with or without the BJP, is even more important at a personal level. These were the two reasons why the AIADMK had to unilaterally break the alliance, when Annamalai as the state BJP boss kept talking about the party leading an alliance for the assembly polls when it was still light years away. Even after the Lok Sabha poll debacle under his leadership, he remains unchanged. He still spoke all the right phrases that would irritate a hurt AIADMK, both leaders and cadres alike. If some AIADMK leaders responded in kind, the party cadres were not amused by what they consider as Annamalai's congenital hatred for Dravidian politics, including the AIADMK. They are askance at why the BJP national leadership has not silenced him even after the Lok Sabha poll defeat if they desired a re-think for 2026. While it may be true that other powerful voices within the state BJP, like former Telangana governor Tamizhisai Soundararajan's, too have risen against Annamalai after the Lok Sabha poll, there is no knowing if the BJP high command is ready to replace him as state party chief. For the EPS leadership of the AIADMK, that alone would suffice -- as the signal has to go all across, to party cadres and also voters alike. Otherwise, the AIADMK and the PMK may want to re-unite for the 2026 assembly polls. As past poll figures show, both in 2016 assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the votes polled by the losing AIADMK and the PMK together surpassed those of the DMK by yards. It is another matter that the DMK won the seat in 2016, when the ruling AIADMK retained power with Jaya 'Amma' continuing as chief minister until her death later that year. IMAGE: DMK President M K Stalin speaks at a public meeting after the DMK's spectacular performance in the Lok Sabha election. Photograph: Kind courtesy M K Stalin/X All of it turns the focus back to the DMK and Chief Minister Stalin. Despite criticism to the contrary from all sides and in all forms, the man has emerged as a 'gentle colossus' in Dravidian politics without any of the frills and fanfare attaching to Jayalalithaa and his late father Muthuvel Karunanidhi. The exit of the two contemporary giants around the same time, leaving a void on either side of the Dravidian political divide might have helped -- but his longer innings in active politics too may have helped in fending off the likes of EPS and Annamalai, whether jointly or severally. Unknown to self and unacknowledged by others, Stalin may have moved away from the kind of acrimonious politics from the Dravidian past, where he and he alone from the top joins ideological issues, whether with Governor R N Ravi or with Prime Minister Modi, after seemingly weighing all options and giving them time. This seems to have worked with the new generation voters, who do not seemingly want to live the political lives of their fathers and grandfathers. Today, it may not be as visible as it was in the case of Karunanidhi and more so, Jaya. But especially through welfare schemes targeting women and youth, Stalin has gone to the voter over the head even of the once cadre-based party like the DMK. This could mean that in the coming months, he could act as a strong chief minister and party boss, which role he was possibly not cut out for but will have to wear on his sleeves, if only to enforce discipline, both in the bureaucracy and the party. It was a missing element in his first three years as CM, and contributed to anti-incumbency in no small measure. And after the Lok Sabha polls, anti-incumbency factors have revived. For Stalin to ask party cadres at the DMK's annual 'Mupperum Vizha' in Coimbatore to work for winning 200 of the 234 assembly seats in 2026, based on the fact that the alliance led in 221 segments in the Lok Sabha polls, is one thing. But for the party to win a simple majority in the company of its existing allies, comprising the Congress, the two Communist parties and the VCK, among others, is another. And that is what Tamil Nadu politics until 2026 is going to be. N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The strong message from the prime minister is of continuity of policies he considers right with strong emphasis on execution, points out T N C Rajagopalan. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi addresses the media before the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha as Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal and L Murugan look on, at Parliament House, June 24, 2024. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo The constitution of the Union council of ministers, and the allocation of key portfolios send a clear message that the Prime Minister is firmly in control. The allies in the ruling coalition have been accommodated but relegated to relatively less important ministries. The key portfolios have gone to the loyalists in the major constituent of the ruling coalition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and there again, mostly to the ministers who held the same portfolios earlier. The ministries dealing with the economy and logistics infrastructure, that are of interest to the exporters, importers, and businesses at large, like finance and corporate affairs; commerce and industry; ports, shipping and waterways; road transport and highways; railways; electronics and information technology; petroleum and natural gas are now headed by the same ministers from the BJP who held the charge earlier. The ministries like renewable energy, chemicals and fertilisers, communication, power, agriculture, coal and mines now have new ministers but from the BJP. In the ministries like civil aviation, steel, heavy industries, micro, small and medium industries, fisheries, food processing, animal husbandry and dairying that are headed by the allies of the BJP, it is more likely that the top bureaucrats will call the shots under directions from the prime minister's office. Thus, the second strong message from the prime minister is of continuity of policies he considers right with strong emphasis on execution. Of course, some earlier policies may be tweaked depending on the feedback he receives. One of the policies of interest to exporters and importers relates to building transport infrastructure that will reduce logistics costs substantially, and thus improve the competitiveness of our producers. The government has substantially improved the road infrastructure. However, the eastern and western dedicated freight corridors of the Railways have not yet been completed. The Railways carry only 25 per cent of our cargo and the balance 75 per cent cargo moves through the road. The cost of moving cargo by road is at least three times that of moving cargo through the Railways. So, the Railways should shift the focus to improving network capacity and getting a higher share of cargo traffic. The government must implement its plans to privatise the Container Corporation of India. The new international airports at Navi Mumbai and Noida must be completed quickly. The ports infrastructure must be strengthened by quickly completing the ongoing projects. The government should make sure the monopolies in the logistics infrastructure sector do not misuse their dominance. In recent years, the government has relied heavily on public expenditure to boost growth. Domestic consumption and merchandise exports have not picked up. The capacity utilisation of industries is around 75 per cent and so, private investment in manufacturing is rather tepid. With technological advancements, the private industries are investing more in modernisation that will lead to higher output at lower costs. So, fewer jobs are getting created in the manufacturing sector. According to some analysts, joblessness was one of the reasons for the BJP getting 63 fewer seats in the Lok Sabha elections. It is not clear whether the top leadership of the BJP is of the same view. So far, there is no clear admission of any failure on the economy front, or any need for course correction. Much depends on how the prime minister reads the situation and gives clear policy directions. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Aspiring doctors have put in years of their lives to study in preparation for NEET exams as they start studies from Class 9 to get good marks.' 'And today, after the NEET paper leak, these students even after getting good marks are unable to get admission in any good medical college (because of inflated merit marks due to the paper leak).' 'They are thinking, was it worthwhile to study so hard for the examinations to become a doctor?' IMAGE: NEET paper leak accused leave the Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital in Patna after undergoing a medical test, May 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo On Monday, June 24, 2024, when Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took the oath as the Lok Sabha member from Sambalpur, the Opposition started raising 'NEET' slogans to embarrass him. Pradhan has had to face embarrassment after news broke of the question paper leak during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET-UG) for aspiring medical students. Pradhan initially denied there was any wrongdoing, but his National Democratic Alliance government soon ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the matter. More bad news followed for the students who wanted to appear for NEET-post graduate on Sunday, June 23, 2024, as the government decided to postpone the exams hours before it was to be conducted. Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Dr Dhruv Chauhan, health activist and National Council Coordinator of the Indian Medical Association: Junior Doctors Network, to know more about the issue. How do you see the situation unfolding in the ongoing NEET controversy after the PG exams were cancelled? Right now the situation is very pathetic. As a health rights activist and a doctor myself I feel the situation was already bad due to the assault on doctors by mobs in different hospitals across the country. But then, this mob violence was after you became a doctor. Right now, what used to happen to doctors after entering the profession is happening to them before they enter the medical profession, thanks to the NEET question paper leak. To become a doctor is becoming toxic in this country. They (medical students) are going through mental agony post the NEET paper leak issue. Aspiring doctors do not know about the fair conduct of exams in which they are appearing after putting in so much effort. They have put in years of their lives to study in preparation for NEET exams as they start studies from Class 9 to get good marks. And today, after the NEET paper leak, these students even after getting good marks are unable to get admission in any good medical college (because of inflated merit marks due to the paper leak). They are thinking, was it worthwhile to study so hard for the examinations to become a doctor? Their future is a question mark now. What about the NEET-PG exams? Here you see there were three back to back exams that were cancelled or postponed, so why did the government not take care of NEET-PG sooner? They knew NEET-UG was under a scanner but still took a late decision to act on NEET-PG. Why did they cancel this exam just 12 hours before? In NEET-PG there were around 250,000 students who were to appear for the exams. Some travelled a great distance to reach their examination centres in the morning only to know that the exams got cancelled 12 hours before. Money, time and investment, everything gone waste. The most educated profession in the country is losing hope in the education sector. As this was the first time NEET-PG has been postponed, isn't your comment on losing hope in the education sector too strong? In one month four exams were either postponed or under suspicion of paper leak. This is not only about NEET-UG or NEET-PG but also about CSIR-NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test) and UGC-NET (University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test). NEET-UG is still under suspicion and only the government knows why they did not take action in NEET-UG and took action in the three other exams that were postponed. Are you saying there is some gadbad or wrongdoing in NEET-UG? There is no NEET gadbad but a scam. And this scam is in front of the 1.3 billion strong Indian population. Everybody knows that there were arrests on May 5 due to paper leak when exams were being conducted for NEET. Even after that the government and ministry of education denied the paper leak allegations. They said then that there was no leak of papers and now the police investigations show students admitting that there was a paper leak in NEET-UG. This is not restricted to one isolated state but in various states of India. If the NEET question papers were leaked in various states, why should we not call it as an NEET scam? That is my point. What should the government do now as they have already ordered a CBI probe into the case? The government has to do a lot as they did not take action on time. Mental agony and mental pressure on aspirant doctor students are something that this government cannot reverse now. The only thing that can be demanded from the government now is that they must conduct fair examinations on time. They must have clarity on this issue and what measures they have taken to ensure that there won't be any paper leak in future. This has to be transparent to the aspiring doctors who are appearing for exams. 'Nitish may take such a decision because he was the first person who was with the INDIA front.' 'He went back only because he did not get proper encouragement from the Congress.' 'Nitish will take a decision provided there is a strong alternative.' 'If he feels ours is a weak coalition, he will not come.' 'Then, this government will continue for five years.' IMAGE: Nitish Kumar, president of the Janata Dal-United party, at the swearing-in ceremony of the Union council of ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan, June 9, 2024. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters "Indian democracy is always saved by the people. No dictator can easily take over. Modi came back as a weak leader. People have given him the right caution; behave, or else...", P C Chacko, the new working president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in the concluding segment of a two-part interview. Part 1 of the Interview: Revealed! What Amit Shah Promised Ajit Pawar You are the working president of the NCP now... Yes. We had our party working committee meeting in Mumbai and 12 state presidents attended the meeting, and 20 state presidents gave us the affidavit. Soon, there will be the Maharashtra assembly elections, we along with the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena will be a strong combination. Are you happy with the way the INDIA alliance performed in the 2024 election? Not at all. The INDIA alliance got some seats in UP because the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav alliance was strong. Next to UP is Bihar but we did not do well there. If Nitish Kumar was made the convenor of the INDIA front, the results would have been different. He was with us in the beginning. Because there was no convenor for the front, there was no organisational structure even though there were some occasional meetings. There was no central figure to contact everyone. There was no election co-ordination. That was where we lost. And the responsibility for the lapse lies with the Congress and not with anybody else. If the Congress had made Nitish Kumar the convenor, he would not have gone to the BJP. Nitish Kumar and the INDIA front in Bihar would have been a formidable combination. If the Congress was a little more positive, we could have capitalised on the anti-Modi wave that was there among the voters of India. Had the Congress been positive, the results would have been different. To the question whether we are happy, we are happy because the final results were different from what was predicted. We are happy because the Congress improved its tally to 100. We are happy because without Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu, (Prime Minister Narendra D) Modi alone cannot function. But the fact is, that is not enough. When there was an anti-Modi wave in the country, we could not capitalise on it fully. And that was because of the dilly dallying of the Congress. If the alliance with AAP was stronger, if Nitish Kumar was with us, we would have got the majority. IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) Chief Sharad Pawar with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and others after the INDIA Bloc leaders' meeting in New Delhi, June 5, 2024. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo Do you expect Naidu and Nitish Kumar to come back to the INDIA alliance? It is very much a possibility. Chandrababu, I don't know. But Nitish may take such a decision because he was the first person who was with the INDIA front. He went back only because he did not get proper encouragement from the Congress party. Nitish will take a decision provided there is a strong alternative. If he feels ours is a weak coalition, he will not come. Then, this government will continue for five years. But the Modi-Amit Shah style of functioning will not work now, they will have to change their style of functioning. The authoritarian tendency of Modi, like arresting a chief minister and putting him in jail, or sending ED after everybody... all these things have to be stopped. They cannot do such things without consulting these two parties. They will not agree also. Though Modi called this a historic verdict, many say that the result was against his style of functioning. What do you say? The verdict is against his style of functioning. After (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal was arrested in Delhi, people realised they were blatantly using the State machinery against political opponents. The days of Modi taking all decisions unilaterally are gone. This is a personal defeat of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah. These two have taken decisions in a dictatorial way. People opposed this and voted against them mainly because of the way they were handling political opponents. Do you see a rejuvenation of the Congress in this election? Yes, the Congress is the main Opposition party. Though there is a new party president, division of power is not there even now. If the Congress organisation is again going to be in the pockets of this (Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi-Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) family, I think the party has no future. The Congress has to develop new leaders in all the states. Chamchagiri should be stopped. IMAGE: N Chandrababu Naidu, right, president of the Telugu Desam Party, and Nitish Kumar, left, at the swearing in ceremony of the Modi ministry, June 9, 2024. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters What kind of future do you see for India? If the BJP alone had got a majority, and the coalition had 400 plus, they could have thought of a Constitutional amendment to make India a theocratic State. This is the centenary year of the RSS, and even when it was formed, they wanted India to be a theocratic State like Pakistan. The BJP was trying for that. You feel people of India told them something else? People of India are very secular in nature. The best example is the BJP losing in Faizabad where Ayodhya is, and the INDIA front winning there when their (the BJP's) main trump card was the Ram temple. This shows people are secular. Indian democracy is always saved by the people. No dictator can easily take over. Modi came back as a weak leader. People have given him the right caution; behave, or else... This election result and the election result after Indira Gandhi's Emergency period show that India is a mature democracy, more mature than America or Britain. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Observing that bail matters should not be adjourned unnecessarily, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said it hoped the Delhi high court would decide the bail plea of jailed former Aam Aadmi Party minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case at the next hearing. IMAGE: Former Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain leaves his residence for Tihar Jail after the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea in the money laundering case, in New Delhi, March 18, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti made the observation while disposing of Jain's plea against the high court's decision of adjourning the hearing of his bail application for six weeks. "It goes without saying that bail matters are not to be unnecessarily adjourned. Therefore, we hope and trust that the high court shall take its call on the next date of hearing," it said. The high court has listed Jain's bail plea for hearing on July 9. During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Jain, said he had challenged the long adjournment order. Singhvi said a substantial question of law has arisen from the case as to whether an incomplete chargesheet can be filed by the investigating agency to defeat an accused's right of default bail. He said a similar matter was under consideration of a three-judge bench of the apex court and urged the vacation bench that Jain's bail plea be tagged with it. Justice Misra told Singhvi that the bench is sitting in combination of two judges and therefore cannot decide the issue which is pending consideration of the three-judge bench. "Let the issue be decided by the high court and then we will take it up. The high court will deal with the merits of the case taking into account the factual aspect," the bench said, adding that the impugned order before the court is just a one-line adjournment order. It said that the three-judge bench of the top court is considering a point of law and it may not be appropriate for a two-judge bench to deal with it. The bench ordered, "This petition is against an order of the Delhi high court adjourning the hearing of the bail application to July 9. Mr.Singhvi submits that the question of law which would govern the decision of the high court is engaging the attention of a 3-judge bench of this court and therefore it is appropriate that this matter is tagged with that matter. "We do not find any merit in the submission because the high court will decide the matter on its own merits and if the petitioner is aggrieved with the high court's order, he can challenge it." On May 28, the high court had sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate on Jain petition and asked it to file a status report on the investigation. The court had also called for the nominal roll of Jain from prison and listed the matter for further hearing on July 9. Nominal rolls maintained in jails contain among other things the conduct of a prisoner. Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. He has challenged a trial court's May 15 order by which he was denied default bail in the case. Jain has contended that the ED failed to conclude the investigation in all respects within the statutory period and the prosecution complaint (charge sheet), which was incomplete, was filed in an attempt to deprive him of his right to default bail under the provisions of Section 167(2) of the CrPC. The ED arrested Jain on May 30, 2022 in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial court on September 6, 2019, in the case lodged by the CBI. Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday clarified that any decision on inducting leaders from the rival NCP led by Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be taken on a case by case basis and it will not be a sweeping call. IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray (second from left) along with NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar (second from right) president Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan (right) and others address the MVA joint press conference, in Mumbai, June 15, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Responding to a question at an event about speculation that many leaders from the ruling NCP want to join his party ahead of the state assembly polls, Sharad Pawar maintained there was no issue in welcoming people whose entry will benefit the opposition outfit and boost the morale of workers. However, induction in the NCP-SP will come with riders, asserted the former Union minister. "Opinion of party colleagues needs to be taken about those who stayed in the party and got a lot from it, but worked to damage the organisation. That (opinion of party colleagues) has to be respected. It will be a case by case issue and not a general decision," the senior Pawar insisted. The Rajya Sabha MP was speaking at an event in Mumbai where former Union minister Surykanta Patil joined the NCP-SP. Patil had quit the undivided NCP to join the BJP in 2014 and has now returned to the party fold. Sharad Pawar emphasised opinion of party leaders from districts will be taken into consideration before deciding on inducting leaders from that area. Role and contribution of such leaders will also be taken into consideration before approving their re-entry into the party. NCP-SP legislator Rohit Pawar last week claimed 18 to 19 MLAs of the Ajit Pawar-led outfit will cross over to their side after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature. The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. This will be the last session before the state heads for assembly elections which are due in October. In July last year, Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government along with eight other MLAs, leading to a split in the 1999-founded party with a majority of legislators leaving the senior Pawar's side. However, speculation is rife that many leaders in the Ajit Pawar camp want to switch sides post the NCP's drubbing in the just held Lok Sabha polls. The NCP, an ally of the BJP and the Shiv Sena, contested on four Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as part of the ruling coalition and won only one. The ruling outfit lost the prestigious Baramati constituency in Pune district, where Ajit Pawar's wife was its candidate. On the other hand, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, contested 10 Lok Sabha seats and won eight. The undivided NCP had won 54 assembly seats in the 2019 polls. When the party split in July 2023, the Ajit Pawar-led faction had claimed the support of around 40 MLAs. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will occupy the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a letter about the decision has been sent to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab by the Congress party. IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with floor leaders of INDIA Alliance, in New Delhi, June 25, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The decision on Rahul Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was announced soon after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. AICC general secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal told the media that CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written to the Pro-tem Speaker about the decision of the Congress party. "Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha," Venugopal told reporters after the meeting. He said the decision on other appointments will be decided later. The floor leaders of opposition INDIA bloc had got together at the Congress chief's residence to discuss the Speaker's election and sources said they were informed about the "good news". With this decision, Rahul Gandhi finally bites the bullet in taking up this role, as he would now get the status of a cabinet minister's rank. This will also enhance his position in the protocol list and could be a natural claimant to the post of prime minister of the opposition bloc. Gandhi as the LoP of Lok Sabha would also be a member of important panels on key appointments of Lokpal, CBI chief, Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, besides the selection of Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission and the NHRC chief. The prime minister heads all such panels. Kharge hailed the decision, saying in the 18th Lok Sabha, the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Rahul Gandhi becoming their voice. "As Congress president, I am confident that a leader who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and from Manipur to Maharashtra shall raise the voice of the people especially the marginalised and the poor," he said in a post on X. "The Congress party is strongly committed to protect Democracy and the Constitution, by upholding its eternal principles of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity," Kharge also said. Several leaders lauded and thanked Rahul Gandhi for accepting the position and hoped he would remain the voice of people in Parliament by raising their issues. "We are confident that as LOP, Rahul ji will be a bold voice for the common people of India and ensure that the NDA government is held firmly accountable at all times," Venugopal later said in a post on X. Earlier, the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the grand old party, had passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to take up the position of Leader of Opposition, saying he is the "right person" to hold the post. Rahul Gandhi, who turned 54 last week, is the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi. He took oath as an MP on Tuesday while holding a copy of the Constitution. Though he won from two constituencies -- Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he resigned from the Wayanad constituency, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would now contest. Rahul Gandhi entered politics in 2004 when he won for the first time from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, being the single largest opposition party, gets the post of Opposition leader after a gap of 10 years. It had failed to get the 10 per cent members required in the Lok Sabha to secure the post in the 2014 and 2019 elections. The Congress had contested this Lok Sabha election with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge as its key campaigners and the party emerged a strong force this winning 99 seats. The Kerala high court on Tuesday granted bail to 17 accused Popular Front of India members in the 2022 murder case of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Srinivasan in Palakkad district of Kerala, who were also facing trial for allegedly instigating communal violence in the state as well as various parts of the country. IMAGE: Popular Front of India activists during a protest march in Kochi, Kerala. Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Syam Kumar VM also upheld an National Investigation Agency special court's decision denying the relief to nine other PFI members who were also accused in the cases. The high court's 111-page order came on the appeals moved by the 26 accused against the special court's orders denying them bail. Granting bail to 17 out of the 26 accused, the high court imposed stringent conditions on them. They have been ordered to share their mobile numbers and real-time GPS locations with the investigating officer. Besides that, the accused shall not leave the state of Kerala, shall surrender their passports and keep their mobile phones charged and active round-the-clock, the high court said. It directed the 17 accused to "present themselves before the special court which shall enlarge them on bail on such conditions as the special court may deem necessary". Initially, 51 persons were arraigned as accused in connection with the murder of Srinivasan on April 16, 2022. One among those arrested died and seven of the accused could not be arrested because they were absconding. Chargesheets against the remaining were filed in two phases in July and December 2022. While police were investigating the murder, the Centre received information that the office bearers and cadres of the PFI and its affiliates in Kerala had conspired to instigate communal violence and radicalise its cadres to commit terrorist acts in Kerala and various parts of the country, the high court noted in its order. Therefore, the Centre in September 2022 directed the NIA to take up and investigate the case against the accused. Thereafter, by an order dated December 19, 2022, the Centre, referring to Srinivasan's death, opined that there was a larger conspiracy hatched by the leaders of the PFI "which has grave national and international ramifications" that needed to be "thoroughly investigated to unearth the wider conspiracy and to identify the other accused", the HC noted in its order. The Centre accordingly directed the NIA to take up the probe in the murder case as well, and the agency filed its consolidated chargesheet in 2023 with two supplementary chargesheets later. It was immediately after the respective chargesheets were filed by the NIA before the special court that the accused moved it seeking bail. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday maintained its streak of continuity in its third term by fielding previous Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the crucial parliamentary position again, but its bid for a consensus was thwarted by the opposition which forced an election by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate. IMAGE: Om Birla and K Suresh. Photograph: ANI on X The Opposition's last-minute decision to go for a rare contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to its precondition that the INDIA bloc must be offered the post of deputy speaker in lieu of supporting Birla, who is the clear favourites in case of an election. A brief interaction involving Congress leader K C Venugopal and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's T R Baalu from the Opposition side and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and J P Nadda, who is also the BJP president, at Singh's office in Parliament to evolve a consensus ended in acrimony as both sides stuck to their position. Both Opposition leaders walked out, with Venugopal accusing the government of not following the "convention" of an opposition candidate for the deputy speaker's position and announcing the decision to field a candidate against Birla. Union ministers Piyush Goyal of the BJP and Lalan Singh of the JD-U accused the Opposition of resorting to pressure politics and putting forth preconditions despite senior ministers' assurance that its demand will be considered when the time to pick the deputy speaker comes. "There can be no pressure politics," Union minister and JD-U leader Lalan Singh told reporters, while Goyal said democracy cannot be run on preconditions. The scheduled day for picking the Speaker is Wednesday and if an election occurs, it will be only the third time in the Lok Sabha's history, official sources said. With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233, numbers clearly favour Birla in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the Opposition. BJP sources claimed that the Congress has been the main aggressor on the issue and some other INDIA bloc members are not very keen on a contest. If Birla, the BJP MP from Kota, is elected, it will be fifth time that a speaker would serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. Though Congress leader Balram Jakhar is the only presiding officer to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha. A third-term MP, Birla is also a three-term former Rajasthan MLA and has risen through the ranks in the BJP. Suresh, his rival for the speaker's post, is a eighth-term MP from Kerala and hails from a Dalit community. If a division of votes takes place in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, then paper slips will be used as the electronic system is not operational yet in the new Lok Sabha where members are still in the process of being allocated their seats. Seasoned BJP leader Rajnath Singh had taken the lead in reaching out to Opposition parties over the issue as Birla emerged as the NDA's consensus choice and met its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Suresh said it is not about winning or losing, but about a convention that the speaker will be of ruling party and deputy speaker from the Opposition. "Last two Lok Sabhas, they denied us the deputy speaker's post because they said you are not recognised as the Opposition. Now we are recognised as the Opposition, (and) deputy speaker post is our right. But they are not ready to give us. Till 11.50, we were waiting for a reply from government's side but they did not give any reply," he told reporters. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said this has come barely 24 hours after the prime minister advocated consensus in running the country. "Convention has been that the speaker is elected unanimously and the deputy speaker's post goes to the Opposition," Ramesh said. He accused Prime Minister Modi of breaking this tradition. "It is actually no surprise. He has still not woken up to the reality of the 2024 poll verdict which was a PPM defeat for him -- personal, political and moral," he posted on X. Sources said more than 10 sets of nominations (called notices for motion) were filed in support of Birla's candidature, including from Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh and Nadda, and members of BJP allies like TDP, JD-U, JD-S and LJP-R. Three sets of nominations were filed in support of Suresh. Known of its knack of springing surprises, the BJP leadership chose to stick to Birla in line with its decision to retains its old hands in key positions. Though the speaker is independent of political and executive control, realpolitik considerations are often the driving force behind the choice for the chair which is the nerve centre of Parliament's functioning. Before she was hospitalised on Tuesday, June 25, morning, three Trinamool Congress MPs met Delhi's Water Minister Atishi on Monday, the fourth day of her indefinite fast over the water scarcity in the capital, and assured her they would raise the issue in Parliament. The TMC delegation -- Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose, Mahua Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar, and Pratima Mondal, the Lok Sabha MP from Jaynagar -- met the Aam Aadmi Party leader at the protest site where she sat on indefinite fast on Friday, alleging that Haryana was not releasing Delhi's rightful share of water in the Yamuna. IMAGE: Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra, Sagarika Ghose and Pratima Mondal meet Delhi Water Minister Atishi during her indefinite hunger strike over the Delhi water crisis. Photographs: ANI Photo IMAGE: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were also present at the meeting. Photograph: ANI Photo "We have come here to support Atishiji. The water scarcity being faced by 30 lakh people of Delhi is only because of the BJP, because as per the treaty between Delhi and Haryana, they should give 613 MGD (million gallons per day) water every day, but Haryana is giving 100 MGD water less," Mahua told reporters. "One MGD water meets the needs of around 28,000 people. Delhi's population has grown by three times since 1994. People are facing this water crisis and the BJP government in Haryana is to be blamed," Mahua said. "We will raise this issue in Parliament and we hope that this struggle will get the people of Delhi their rightful share of water," the TMC MP said. According to Atishi, Delhi has been getting 100 MGD water less for the last three weeks. Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi Tuesday hailed a conflict-hit West Asian country after taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches that led to the Chair ordering that the remarks be expunged. IMAGE: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha during its second day, at the Parliament, in New Delhi, June 25, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Owaisi, however, justified his slogans after he came out of the House and told reporters there was nothing wrong in him saying "Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine". Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, said he has received complaints from some members about the mention of Palestine. Asked about his remarks, Owaisi told reporters, "Other members are also saying different things... How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution? You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine". Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, "They are oppressed people." The AIMIM leader, who has been elected from the Hyderabad seat for his fifth term, took oath in Urdu. He also recited a prayer before taking oath. After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM's slogan for Muslim, along with the West Asian country. His remarks led to uproar in the Lower House. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, assured the members that anything apart from the oath will not go on record. The uproar continued for a few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab returned to the Chair soon, and said that only oath or affirmation is being recorded. "I have said earlier please avoid invoking anything other than oath or affirmation. That is only to be recorded... That should be adhered to," Mahtab said. Talking to reporters outside Parliament later, Rijiju said he would check the rules regarding remarks. "We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. The only issue is, while taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules. Some members have come to me and complained about raising of Palestine slogan at the end of oath," Rijiju said. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, took a jibe at Owaisi, questioning if he could say "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" (hail mother India). He said Owaisi's remarks were "totally wrong and against the rules of Parliament". "Living in India, he cannot say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', but he can hail Palestine. Such people are doing anti-Constitutional work in the name of Constitution, that should be understood." BJP leader Amit Malviya, meanwhile, objected to the prayer said by Owaisi. "Palestine apart, is invoking religious idioms kosher, while taking oath in secular India? Is Owaisi guilty of infusing religion and communalising a solemn occasion?" Malviya said in a post on X. Malviya claimed Owaisi could be disqualified for this. "As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine." He posted the clip of the rule that said "any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign state" as one of the factors for disqualifying a member. A section of senior Shiromani Akali Dal leaders on Tuesday revolted against Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding that he should step down as party chief following the SAD's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. IMAGE: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal arrives to cast his vote for the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, at Badal in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, June 1, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Addressing a press conference after a meeting in Jalandhar, they also announced that a 'SAD bachao' movement would be launched next month. The rebel leaders met in Jalandhar when SAD chief Badal was holding a meeting with the district presidents and other leaders in Chandigarh to review the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The party called the rebel leaders "frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP" to weaken it. The SAD faced a drubbing in the general elections as it managed to win only one of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Badal's wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal retained the Bathinda seat. SAD's 10 candidates lost security deposits in the polls while its vote share dropped to 13.42 percent from 27.45 percent in 2019. After around five-hour-long meeting, the rebels asked Badal to step down as party president. Talking to reporters, former Akali MP Chandumajra said they held a detailed discussion on the party's "past mistakes and shortcomings" which have led to its current position. They also discussed ways to revive the party. He said it has been decided to seek forgiveness for the "past mistakes and shortcomings" at the Akal Takht on July 1. A letter in this regard will be submitted to the office of the Akal Takht, which is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. A 'Shiromani Akali Dal bachao' movement will also be launched on that day, he further said. A resolution, which was passed in the meeting, said it was felt that the leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal was "losing connect" with the common people, which led to disillusionment among the people. There was a need to launch a 'Shiromani Akali Dal bachao lehar' to re-connect with people, who had drifted away from the SAD and to regain their trust. Replying to a question, Chandumajra said keeping in mind the sentiments of party workers in view of the current situation, an appeal has been made that Badal should show the sentiments of 'tyag' (sacrifice). He said the party leadership should be given to a personality having strong religious and political understanding. Apparently pointing towards Badal, Maluka said one should think about why the party performed badly in the 2017 and 2022 assembly polls and now in the Lok Sabha polls. In Chandigarh, the Akali Dal said the "frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP" are trying to "weaken" the party from within can be seen in full swing. But these will not be allowed to succeed, it said. In the resolutions passed unanimously by the SAD district presidents and the 'halka in charges', the party said that BJP and government agencies "are behind attempts to weaken or break the Shiromani Akali Dal." The resolutions placed on record the party's wholehearted appreciation of and faith in the "clear-headed, far-sighted and resolute leadership of the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal." As many as 33 out of the existing 35 district presidents and 96 out of the existing 105 'Halqa' (constituency) in-charges of the party lauded the leadership of Badal. Of these 33 district presidents, 28 attended the meeting while the five who could not make it informed the party of their support for the president in writing. The members strongly urged the party president to take strict disciplinary action against those who are "acting as agents of the enemies of the party, panth and Punjab and trying to create dissensions and misunderstandings among the 'Sangat' about the party's 'panthic' agenda." The resolutions also praised the president for standing up to "unprecedented pressures from the powers that be and for refusing to compromise on matters of high principles of Sikh qaum, Punjab and the party". Addressing the meeting, Badal shared personal details of how he had gone out of his way to accommodate everyone. "But nothing is above the interests of the party. My own family comes only after my party," said Badal. A university in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has set up a probe panel following complaints of some students that a professor was propagating Islam and harassing Hindu students, a senior varsity official said on Monday. IMAGE: Swarna Jayanti Gate at Vikram University campus in Ujjain. Photograph: Courtesy Skapil334/Wikimedia Commons The professor has denied the allegations and said he will present his side before the probe committee. A dispute had started after some members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused Vikram University's guest professor Anis Sheikh of sharing material related to propagation of Islam on WhatsApp and harassing students of the Hindu community. The ABVP members also staged a protest in this connection on the university campus on Friday. Vikram University's Vice-Chancellor Akhilesh Pandey on Monday told reporters that after receiving a complaint from students, a committee has been constituted for the probe, looking at the seriousness of the issue. The committee will submit its report in 15 days, he said. Sheikh, the guest professor at the Institute of Pharmacy in the university, has been asked not to come to the department during the probe period, the VC said. When contacted, Sheikh told PTI that he has nothing to do with the WhatsApp group and the chat shared on it. "It is the WhatsApp group of the department and the HOD (head of the department) is its admin. I have nothing to do with the chat. It was a year-old chat which was related to Ramzan greetings and was posted by a student," Sheikh said. After the post, a dispute occurred among students following which the HOD directed them to stop making such posts, he said. Sheikh also claimed that students who did not attend lectures were pressuring him to give them 80-85 per cent marks and the dispute which arose lately was after he did not give in to their demand. He said only three-four students belong to the minority community among 60 students in his class. Sheikh also claimed he was being pressured and his image was being maligned. "I will present my side before the probe committee. The allegations against me are baseless," he said. ABVP's Ujjain mahanagar secretary Adarsh Choudhary told PTI that complaints against Sheikh were being received for a long time. He was awarding more marks to students of a particular community while harassing students of the Hindu community by giving them poor grades, Choudhary alleged. The ABVP office-bearer claimed his organisation got a screenshot related to a post on the institute's WhatsApp group about propagating Islam, a chat related to Roza, Ramzan and benefits of performing namaaz. A Muslim student even offered namaz in a classroom, he claimed. "We have given a memorandum over all such things to the vice chancellor," he added. The opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is unlikely to contest the Lok Sabha Speaker's post and the National Democratic Alliance nominee is likely to be elected unopposed, sources said Tuesday ahead of filing of nomination for the key post. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and others during the First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha, at the new Parliament building, in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo However, the Opposition has demanded that they be given the choice to pick the deputy speaker. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge late on Monday night and sought the support of the opposition on the issue. Singh, however, gave no assurance to the opposition on its demand for the deputy speaker's post, the sources said. There has been no deputy Speaker in the last tenure. The NDA candidate for the key parliamentary position will file his nomination on Tuesday. Besides Kharge, Singh also spoke to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Stalin among other opposition leaders in efforts to build a consensus. The NDA, which enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, has given little indication about its choice as it weighs its options and looks to deny the opposition any opportunity to mount a political attack. With the theme of continuity marking much of its choices since it returned to power for a third term, there is a view in a section of NDA leaders that Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha, may be nominated again. However, there was no official word on such a prospect. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal from Tata Sons to build a 'museum of temples' in Ayodhya for Rs 650 crore. IMAGE: : Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan offers prayers at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, May 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Sharing details about the decision, tourism minister Jaivir Singh said the tourism department would provide the company land for the international-level museum on a 90-year lease for a token amount of Re 1. "Tata Sons had proposed the project through the Central government, offering to build the museum at a cost of Rs 650 crore under its corporate social responsibility fund," Singh said at a press meet here after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A 'museum of temples' in Ayodhya has been talked about since last year. In September, Adityanath and senior officials made a presentation on it before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The prime minister liked the idea of the temple museum very much and it was discussed in detail," an official had told PTI then. The plan then was to showcase the history and architecture of famous temples in the country. Also discussed was setting up a light-and-sound show at the proposed museum. The state cabinet also okayed another proposal of Tata Sons for carrying out development works in the temple town at an additional cost of Rs 100 crore, Singh said. Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Other proposals approved during the cabinet meeting included the launch of helicopter services in Lucknow, Prayagraj an Kapilvastu under the public-private partnership model by building helipads, Singh said. The cabinet also cleared a proposal to develop dormant heritage buildings into tourist spots, the minister said. Three such heritage buildings- Kothi Roshan Dulha in Lucknow, Barsana Jal Mahal in Mathura and Shukla Talab (pond) in Kanpur -- were selected for development as tourist spots, he said. He added that researchers would be selected under the Mukhya Mantri tourism fellowship programme for the purpose. Urban Development Minister AK Sharma and finance minister Suresh Khanna were also present in the press meet. These "cyber commandos" will be different from personnel at cyber police stations and will work with local administration to tackle cyber threats. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Pixabay.com A special wing of "cyber commandos", being worked on by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for over a year, has now found mention on its 100-day agenda and may be announced in the upcoming Budget, according to officials in the know. An official privy to the development told Business Standard that this special wing will have members from the state and Union territory police forces as well as central police organisations. These officials will have intensive hands-on training in cyber security and digital forensics. However, these "cyber commandos" will be different from personnel at cyber police stations and will work with local administration to tackle cyber threats. At a conference in January last year in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended setting up such a unit. Later, in October, the MHA wrote to states and Union territories (UTs) to identify 10 "cyber commandos" and refer them to the ministry. "The final details of this are being worked out," another official said. "This unit may be announced in the Budget if it is done by then." The officials added that the ministry is also working on launching a mobile application called "Cyberdost" for reporting and alerting users about cybercrimes. Currently, the MHA runs a handle on social media platform X with the username @CyberDost to spread awareness about cyber crimes and how to prevent them. "The ministry thinks it is more suitable to have a separate app for this," one of the officials quoted above said. However, it is not yet clear if the app will be launched for Android, Apple, or both. The MHA did not respond to a questionnaire sent by Business Standard on these developments. The development comes at a time when India has been witnessing a rising number of cyberattacks of late. According to a recent report by application security firm Indusface, Indian websites saw a massive 261 per cent jump in cyberattacks between January and March this year compared to last year. It was much higher than a 76 per cent increase globally. According to Akshay Garkel, partner of Cyber at Grant Thornton Bharat, the state and central law enforcement agencies are well-staffed and equipped with their own cyber cells but the dynamic nature of cyber-attacks requires "continual adaptation". "In India particularly, a lot of such issues lack adequacy in enforcement. And a special unit will most certainly be a good step towards creating a robust system for incident response," said Shreya Suri, partner at IndusLaw. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Recorded Future said cyberespionage targeting Taiwan has intensified with a focus on its technology industry. A hacker, who requests not to have his name revealed, works on his laptop in his office in Taipei July 10, 2013. Taiwan has become a rehearsal area for the Chinese cyberattacks and has endured at least a decade of highly-targeted data-theft attacks. Suspected Chinese state-sponsored hackers have intensified cyber-espionage activities against Taiwanese targets since late last year, with a particular focus on its technology sector, an online security company said in a new report. U.S. cybersecurity company Recorded Future said RedJuliett a likely Chinese state-sponsored group has conducted a campaign to collect intelligence on government, academic, technology, and diplomatic organizations in Taiwan over the six months from last November. The RedJuliett campaign likely aimed to support Beijings intelligence collection on Taiwans economic and diplomatic relations, as well as critical technology development, Insikt Group, a team of researchers from Recorded Future, said in the report. The hacking group likely operates from Fuzhou, the capital of southeastern Chinas Fujian province, according to the researchers. Fujian is on the west of the Taiwan Strait and is the closest Chinese province to Taiwan. Insikt added RedJuliette exploited known vulnerabilities in network edge devices such as firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), and load balancers for initial access. The hacking group, believed to be active since at least mid-2021, also used the aliases Flax Typhoon and Ethereal Panda. RedJuliett conducted network reconnaissance or attempted exploitation of more than 70 Taiwanese organizations, including representative offices overseas. Within Taiwan, we observed RedJuliett heavily target the technology industry, including organizations in critical technology fields, the cybersecurity company said. RedJuliett conducted vulnerability scanning or attempted exploitation against a semiconductor company and two Taiwanese aerospace companies that have contracts with Taiwans military, as well as eight electronics manufacturers, two universities focused on technology, an industrial embedded systems company, a technology-focused research and development institute, and seven computing industry associations. Besides Taiwan, the group also expanded its operations to compromise organizations in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Laos, South Korea, the United States, Djibouti, Kenya, and Rwanda, according to the U.S. firm. Chinas destabilizing actions When asked about the Recorded Future report, Chinese foreign ministrys spokesperson Mao Ning said she was not aware of it. Mao, however, said that the U.S. firm has fabricated disinformation about China in the past. International security companies have warned against multiple hacking campaigns linked to the Chinese state and targeting foreign governments and organizations. China has repeatedly denied any involvement. Beijing considers the self-governed Taiwan a Chinese province that should be reunified with the mainland, by force if needed. Last Friday, China warned that supporters of independence for Taiwan could be tried in absentia and sentenced to death for splitting the country. The U.S. on Monday condemned Chinas escalatory and destabilizing language and actions against Taiwan. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing that threats and legal warfare will not achieve peaceful resolution to cross-strait differences. We continue to urge restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo. And we urge the PRC to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan, Miller said, referring to China by its official name the Peoples Republic of China. Edited by Taejun Kang. Two former students remember the 2019 Hong Kong protests as seen from democratic Taiwan. Five years after millions of people took to the streets of Hong Kong over plans to allow extradition to mainland China, the movement has largely gone into exile. Many people are still leaving the city amid an ongoing crackdown on all forms of public dissent, while some former protesters continue to keep a low profile for fear of endangering loved ones back home. Five years after the protests, two former supporters told RFA Mandarin that the movement changed their lives forever. A former Taiwanese college student who gave only the nickname Amy for fear of reprisals still vividly remembers boarding a flight to Hong Kong in September 2019 to lend her voice to the protest movement, which sprang up as a form of resistance to the erosion of the city's promised freedoms. She'd heard that there would be some large protests on Oct. 1 that year, and packed for the occasion. Little did she expect to be hauled in for questioning at the border and asked about the purpose of her trip. "I felt like Oct. 1 was something I had to witness in person," she told RFA Mandarin in a recent interview. "On Sept. 30, I was stopped as I went through immigration in Hong Kong." "The officer took me to a small room, where there were two or three other groups of Taiwanese being questioned," she said. The officer took Amy's passport, copied it, and asked her a string of "very detailed" questions. "[They] asked me who I was with, where I was going, the address of my hotel, and so on," Amy said. "I was really scared, and my whole body was shaking." Amy was worried that her bag would be searched and her laser pointers and small protest placards discovered. "Fortunately, I had thought about how I would deal with this, so I played dumb and cute, and said I was going to Disneyland, and then everything was fine," she said. "They questioned me for about 40 minutes before letting me go." They were ready to fight Amy stayed in Hong Kong for 10 days, ignoring her friends' concerns, and taking part in protest activities every day. She was touched by the extent to which local protesters looked out for her when they heard she had flown in from Taiwan, helping her to leave the area when police started firing tear gas. Crowds gather outside the Sogo department store in the Causeway Bay shopping district during the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong. (Courtesy of Amy) What she saw was an intense and organized operation, run by local people who were fighting the erosion of their freedoms. "There was a point where protesters were demolishing a public building, and Chinese tourists were taking photos," she said. "The protesters shouted at them fiercely, telling them to delete the photos." "Only then did I realize that this demonstration was different from the ones in Taiwan," she said. "Hong Kong was serious -- it really felt like they were ready to fight." "The intensity was really different from some of the marches in Taiwan that were about demands," she said. By the time she got back to Taiwan, she was deeply overjoyed to be on free ground again. "When I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport, I was like, oh my god! I could shout out loud, 'I love Hong Kong, come on Hong Kong!'," she said. "In Taiwan, I didn't need to be afraid, and there wouldn't be any tear gas." A first for me A Chinese national who was studying in Taiwan at the time of the 2019 protests who gave only the nickname Tom for fear of reprisals told RFA Mandarin that the Hong Kong protests changed his life, even though he didn't attend in person. "I had just arrived in Taiwan, and I didn't expect to have this democratic baptism right away," he said. "Back in China, I had never seen a group of citizens sitting down together to discuss how to resist the government. That was a first for me." "I was amazed, and shocked, but it was an education." Slogans and messages supporting the 2019 Hong Kong protests are displayed on a Taiwanese university campus. (Courtesy of Tom) Under Chinese Communist Party rule, Tom had been trained along with the rest of his generation never to speak or think about politics, because it was too dangerous. Suddenly, he was at university with fellow students from Hong Kong, who held public and passionate debates about what was happening back home. "When I saw my Hong Kong classmates expressing themselves so bravely, and loudly talking about the five demands [of the 2019 protests], not one less, I was shocked and excited," Tom said. "I could feel their enthusiasm so strongly." So Tom started turning up to events organized to support the protests in Hong Kong. "I stood beside them, and shouted along with them," he said. Its dictatorship that is fragile Yet he still had to keep quiet in front of fellow students from China, for fear of being reported to the authorities back home. "It would have been very dangerous to actively recruit other students from China to take part in [supporting] the Hong Kong protests, because under Chinese Communist Party rule, everyone's factory setting is 'little pink," Tom said, in a reference to young, nationalistic supporters of Beijing. "Unless they have some kind of awakening, Chinese students are pretty incompatible with a democratic society," he said. "A lot of them were very unhappy whenever we talked about what was happening in Hong Kong, and were very rude about Hong Kong and Taiwan." "There were some Chinese students at my university who ripped down our Lennon Wall and beat up students from Hong Kong," said Tom, in a reference to the walls of sticky colored messages and artwork that were a feature of the 2019 protests. "I couldn't just stand up and say that I supported Hong Kong, because the little pinks would have reported me," he said. "I did say it when I was talking to my Taiwanese classmates." The slogans 'The CCP is not China,' 'Red terror,' and 'Resist the CCP, protect our country,' are displayed on a Taiwanese university campus in support of the 2019 Hong Kong protest movement. (Courtesy of Tom) The movement made such a big impact on Tom that he decided he wouldn't be going back to China after graduation, and moved to live in another country. But while the movement was suppressed and replaced with a citywide crackdown on all forms of public dissent, Tom doesn't think the movement could have done much more to defend the city's traditional way of life, which is now a thing of the past. "Hong Kong's failure wasn't Hong Kong's fault, because mobilizing more than two million people to take to the streets was already about the limit of what it could do," he said. "The anti-extradition protests were more like a seed that continues to inspire us, ignites our courage, and teaches us that it's dictatorship, not democracy, that is fragile," he said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. UPDATED at 3:00 p.m. ET on June 25, 2024. Chinese police have detained a man accused of stabbing three people, including a Japanese mother and her young child, who were waiting for a bus used by a local Japanese school, local authorities said. An unemployed man in his 50s was arrested after attacking the mother, her preschooler and a Chinese woman in the city of Suzhou, which is near Shanghai, according to the Suzhou Public Security Bureau. The Chinese woman was the most critically injured in the knife attack, Reuters reported, and had to be hospitalized. The Japanese mother and her child did not receive life-threatening injuries, the report said. At a press briefing Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the attack regrettable but an isolated incident. Such isolated incidents could happen in any country in the world, she said. China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreign nationals in China like protecting our own citizens. The attack was the latest in a string of knife attacks in China. Earlier this month, four American teachers were stabbed in a park in the northeastern city of Jilin. Last month, a knife attack at a hospital in Yunnan province left two people dead and 21 people injured. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing warned Japanese nationals living in China to take precautions against stabbing incidents while in public places including schools and parks, the Associated Press reported. Japanese schools in China had also requested extra security in the wake of Mondays stabbings, Japanese media outlet NHK said. Updated to include information from local authorities. Farming families often rely on their land as a last resort to keep everyone fed and housed. Minority women collect cabbages at a farm near their village houses built by the Chinese government for the ethnic minority members, Sept. 10, 2020, in Ganluo county, Sichuan province. Local governments in China are offering to buy up farms from rural families, offering vouchers for apartments in smaller cities in a bid to encourage more people to give up farming and move into urban areas, according to official announcements posted online this month. Authorities in the eastern provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang and the central province of Hubei are rolling out trial housing voucher schemes targeted at rural communities in a bid to boost the countrys flagging real estate sector and accelerate the mass relocation of rural communities, according to announcements posted to official government websites and social media accounts. The move is part of a nationwide bid to resettle rural communities in urban areas, both piecemeal and en masse, as part of the ruling Chinese Communist Partys poverty alleviation policy and attempts to stabilize the food supply. But commentators said it doesnt look like a very attractive deal for families who have farmed the same land for generations. A farmer plants red pepper seeds with a machine, May 8, 2022, at a field in Bozhou in Chinas eastern Anhui province. (AFP) Rural land in China is typically leased to farmers on 30-year household responsibility contracts, with the ownership remaining with the government. In 2016, the administration of supreme party leader Xi Jinping made it easier for farmers to be bought out of those leases. In a trial being rolled out in Anhuis Fengyang county from June 20, farming families who voluntarily release their leased farms back to government ownership will be given a subsidy, or voucher, worth 50,000 yuan (US$6884) to help them buy an apartment in a smaller, regional city, according to the Nantong county governments official WeChat account. Meanwhile, authorities in Zhejiangs Changshan county are trialing a scheme that would set the value of the housing voucher based on the size of the farm being handed back to the authorities. Details of the voucher deal appear to vary from region to region, but are generally being announced by village, township and district governments as part of measures to boost a flagging real estate market, according to announcements seen by Radio Free Asia. Fob them off on us In Zhejiangs Longyou county, voucher holders wont get their hands on the whole lump sum all at once, instead receiving it in increments across a two-year period. A farmer who gave only the surname Sang for fear of reprisals said his local government hasnt announced a similar scheme yet, but that he wouldnt take it even if they did. Im definitely not giving up this land, Sang said. Rural land is supposed to be used for growing food. A farmer sprays pesticide with a tractor in a wheat field, Feb. 28, 2023, in Taizhou, in Chinas eastern Jiangsu province. (AFP) It was handed down to us by our ancestors, so we could grow vegetables and have somewhere to bury the elderly when they die, he said. Some online comments appeared to agree. Blogger Xiao Ans Reason commented: Nobody wants to buy these apartments, so theyre trying to fob them off on us farmers ... they want us to give up our farmland. They will leave us with no place to call home, and turn us into slaves forever, the blogger wrote. Authorities in Zhejiangs Jiangshan city said they would be targeting villages that are prone to flash flooding and landslides, areas with dilapidated housing, and areas designated part of land improvement schemes, as well as areas where housing has been deemed to be illegally constructed. Those who opt for apartment housing voucher resettlement ... shall voluntarily give up the legal right to use their farms, and the right to build on them, and shall vacate their original dwellings and facilities and return them to the village collective, according to trial regulations published on the municipal government website. Hollow out the countryside A June 24 post about the move from the Hebei-based Sina Weibo account @Husky_who_really_keeps_cats commented: Whats the point of this? If you cant sell these apartments, then lower the price. Theyre just trying to cheat elderly farmers. They want to hollow out the countryside and mess up the cities, commented @Temple_victory, while @Today_I_woke_up_from_my_dream added: They have to take away the last bit of security. A farmer dries harvested corn at a village, Sept. 21, 2023, in Lianyungang, in Chinas eastern Jiangsu province. (AFP) @A_turtle_is_smaller_than_a_tortoise commented that 50,000 yuan wasnt much compensation for leased land on which people could at least practice subsistence farming and ensure that everyone had somewhere to live and enough to eat. Theyd be giving up a permanent benefit for 50,000 yuan, the user wrote. Other comments pointed out the rapid aging of the population, saying that rural governments dont have enough people paying into social security schemes to be able to pay pensions to the elderly, while still others said farmers pensions were miniscule anyway. Current affairs commentator Zhang Jianping, who hails from a rural community, said the scheme didnt take into account the value of farms to farming families. They should know that farmers houses have been built with the blood and sweat of several generations, Zhang said. Grabbing their farms back with a subsidy of just 50,000 yuan shows total disrespect for farmers property rights. He warned that while the scheme is being trialed as voluntary, it could soon become coercive, citing waves of rural land grabs across China over decades of Communist Party rule. A farmer dries crops during the harvest season, Sept. 22, 2023, in Linyi, in Chinas eastern Shandong province. (AFP) Current affairs commentator Ji Feng said the rural farms are often home to, and support, large families of up to a dozen people. Farmers, who also move around the country in large numbers in search of work, have typically relied on being able to go back and support themselves through subsistence farming if their lives in urban areas dont work out, Ji said. This practice will push people into a desperate, dead end, he said. If the farmers sign up for these schemes, they will have been severely cheated. He said the authorities under Xi want to reclaim as much privately controlled land as possible for government use. That could involve selling the land back into private hands for a huge profit, especially if its in a more valuable area on the outskirts of a city. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. President Lai Ching-te says China has no right to punish Taiwanese for their opinions. Supporters of Taiwan, right, confront protesters opposed to Taiwanese independence outside a Los Angeles hotel where Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to arrive, on April 4, 2023 , in Los Angeles. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te hit out on Monday at Beijing's warnings of prison and even the death penalty for supporters of Taiwans independence, saying China has no power to prosecute people on the island. "I want to stress that democracy is not a crime, whereas autocracy is," Lai told a news conference in Taipei. The Chinese Communist Party had "no right nor jurisdiction" to punish Taiwanese people for expressing their opinions, he said. "According to China's logic, not supporting unification equates to supporting Taiwan independence," Lai said. "So whether you are for Taiwan, the Republic of China, or the Republic of China, Taiwan, in their eyes these all mean supporting Taiwan independence." Taiwan is currently ruled as the 1911 Republic of China, a sovereign state formed after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and whose Kuomintang government fled to the island after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists in 1949. While Beijing has never ruled out a military invasion to enforce its territorial claim on Taiwan, it has more recently vowed to achieve "peaceful unification" with the island through propaganda and other forms of pressure. Lai was responding to China's announcement on Friday that supporters of independence for Taiwan could be tried in absentia and sentenced to death for "splitting the country," in a move designed to step up pressure on the democratic island, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party. President Lai Ching-te signs a document to seek Constitutional Court's review on bills passed by the Legislature to strengthen the law-making body's power, June 24, 2024, in Taipei. (Taiwan Presidential Office) China's law enforcement agencies and courts should "severely punish Taiwan independence diehards for the crimes of splitting the country and inciting secession ... and resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity," a directive issued Friday by the Supreme People's Court and four law enforcement agencies said. While those agencies have no jurisdiction in Taiwan, the directive targets anyone working to further formal independence for a Republic of Taiwan, including holding a referendum, promoting the island's membership in international organizations. Higher risks Analysts said the move could make it much riskier for Taiwanese to travel to China or to countries willing to engage in extradition or unofficial renditions there. It has also prompted warnings of similarities with attempts to enforce Hong Kong's national security legislation far beyond the city's borders. Pro-independence supporters hold banners outside the inauguration ceremony of the new Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, May 20, 2016, in Taipei. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP) International law scholar Soong Cheng'en called for a diplomatic and security response to the threat. "Now that China is weaponizing the law, Taiwan needs to be active in setting up diplomatic and security networks along the lines of its response to the Article 23 legislation or the Hong Kong National Security Law, so that the international community understands that any prosecutions are an abuse of its power and a violation of international human rights treaties and international law," Soong told a symposium on Monday hosted by the China Asia-Pacific Elite Exchange Association. "Other countries should not become China's accomplices," Soong said. Wu Se-Chih, a researcher at Taiwan's Cross-Straits Policy Association, said the risk of Taiwanese independence activists being sent to China under the new measures was real, adding that 69 countries have existing mutual assistance treaties with China covering civil and commercial law and criminal justice. "The fact that they have signed a judicial assistance agreement doesn't necessarily mean that these countries will carry out renditions to China," he said. "That will depend on how friendly their ties with China are." He said Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam have all sent Tibetan independence activists to China using such agreements, however. Exporting its brand Lin Ting-hui, a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan International Law Society, warned that Friday's announcement is further evidence that Beijing wants to export its authoritarian model of government to the rest of the world. "China wants to unilaterally promote its domestic legislation to the rest of the world," Lin said. "This will have a huge impact on human rights, and on international law in the international community." The U.S. State Department said the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy in the island, had met with representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States in talks that "focused on expanding Taiwans meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other international fora." Taiwan's F-16 fighter (L) jet monitors one of two Chinese H-6 bombers that flew, May 25, 2018, over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and the Miyako Strait, near Japan's Okinawa Island. (Taiwan Defense Ministry/AFP) "Our support for Taiwans meaningful participation in international fora is in line with our one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances," the State Department said in a June 22 statement. "U.S. participants reaffirmed the United States longstanding commitment to Taiwans meaningful participation in the UN system and the international community, including at the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization," it said. Since President Tsai Ing-wen swept to a landslide victory in 2016 promising to stand up to Beijing and seek a more active role in world affairs, China has used its considerable influence at United Nations agencies to ensure that Taiwan, now ruled by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, is excluded from participation, citing its claim on the island. President Lai, Tsai's successor, has called on Beijing to stop threatening his country, and respect the will of its 23 million people, the majority of whom have no wish to be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party. Sending a message Wang Chih-sheng, Secretary General of the China Asia-Pacific Elite Exchange Association, said the State Department response sent an important message. "They are telling Beijing that even if there is a so-called [Chinese law banning] Taiwan's independence, the United States and other allies still support Taiwan's participation in the international community," Wang said. He said the U.S.' interpretation of its own laws has loosened considerably in recent years, in line with widespread popular support in Taiwan for a greater role in international agencies. Lai also vowed on Monday to seek a ruling from Taiwan's Constitutional Court on recent legislation passed by pro-China parties that greatly expand the powers of its parliament to summon and sanction officials. Lai said he doesn't support the "unconstitutional" expansion of legislative power, the islands Central News Agency reported. A group of 177 arrested Taiwanese and Chinese nationals are held at the Indonesian immigration building, June 10, 2011, in Jakarta as part of an operation against syndicates involved in scams mainly targeting mainland Chinese. (Romeo Gacad/AFP) "Any reforms to the Legislative Yuan must comply with the law and the Constitution," he said, citing concerns that a recent package of legislative amendments could infringe people's right to privacy, endanger commercial secrets and freedom from being compelled to speak. He said the expanded parliamentary powers to command the president to address the legislature and answer questions were an "attempt to change the constitutional design of responsible government." Currently, the president isn't accountable to the Legislative Yuan and isn't required to deliver an address, but may choose to do so. Lai said he was willing to address the legislature if it was deemed constitutional by the court. The Legislative Yuan last Friday voted down a request from the island's cabinet to reconsider the recently passed amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power and the Criminal Code. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Government worker says that a 2nd floor air conditioner unit was the most likely cause. Smoke billows from a fire at the Ministry of Technology and Communications building in Vientiane, June 24, 2024. A fire in the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications building in the same complex as the prime ministers office sent billows of black smoke into the sky on Monday and forced workers out into the street before it was brought under control. Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze but a ministry employee told Radio Free Asia it appeared to have been sparked by an air conditioner on the ministrys second floor. Its a hot day in Vientiane, the employee said on condition of anonymity. The fire started at around 12:30 p.m. Then it spread to the carpet, ceiling and walls. The air conditioner might have short-circuited, he said. The state power enterprise, Electricite du Laos, cut off power for much of the afternoon in many Vientiane neighborhoods. A video posted to Tholakhong, a Facebook page associated with the Lao government, showed black smoke coming from the building. A woman can be heard in the background of the video complaining of the slow response from firefighters and describing her escape from the building. Look at the building, its burning, she said. I almost couldnt make it. I was on the fourth floor. I yelled fire, fire! After she said that the fire truck is so slow, a male voice responded that the fire truck might be going to get water. No casualties were reported. Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Matt Reed and Taejun Kang. Recent military air attacks pushed the Three Brotherhood Alliance to respond, insurgents said. A member of ethnic rebel group Taang National Liberation Army smokes as he guards a checkpoint, March 9, 2023, near Namhsan Township in Myanmars northern Shan state. Fighting broke out in northeast Myanmar on Tuesday as a five-month ceasefire brokered by China between junta forces and ethnic minority insurgents fell apart, with clashes including air strikes by military jets, residents of the area told Radio Free Asia. An official in the Taang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, insurgent force said the fighting in Shan state started because of attacks by junta forces on their positions. Fighting erupted around 5 a.m. and can still be heard, said one resident of the area, about 220 km (140 miles) northeast of the city of Mandalay. Fighter jets shot and bombed near the side of Kyauk Kyan village, said the resident who declined to be identified for security reasons. The villagers have fled. We cant leave through Kyauk Kyan because the road is closed and theres fighting there. The TNLA is a member of the Three Brotherhood Alliance of insurgent factions that launched an offensive in October and made significant gains against junta forces, especially in areas of Shan state near the border with China. Members of ethnic minority armed group Taang National Liberation Army walking past a police station seized from Myanmars military, Dec. 12, 2023, in Namhsan township in Myanmars northern Shan state. (AFP) Chinese officials brokered a ceasefire between the insurgent alliance and junta forces on Jan. 11 and organized talks between the rivals in May in the Chinese city of Kunming. Sources with knowledge of the talks said China was keen to protect its economic interests on the border and in Rakhine state on the coast. The other two members of the insurgent alliance are the Arakan Army, from Rakhine state, and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, based on the Chinese border. Airstrikes in recent weeks A TNLA statement on Tuesday said the junta has repeatedly violated the January truce over the last two weeks by conducting airstrikes and drone and artillery attacks in Kyaukme, Nawnghkio and Mogoke townships in Shan state. The TNLA will defend itself if the junta continues to use airstrikes and heavy weapons, said the groups general secretary, Major Gen. Tar Bone Kyaw. Members of ethnic minority armed group Taang National Liberation Army preparing their weapons amid clashes with Myanmar's military, Dec. 13, 2023, in Namhsan township in Myanmars northern Shan state. (AFP) The TNLAs head of information, Lway Yay Oo, told RFA that the fighting began after junta troops attacked their camps. Fighting broke out with the junta army at the intersection of Nawnghkios Ohn Ma Thee village and Kyaukmes Nyein Chan Yay Kone village, she said. Junta jets struck on the outskirts of Nawnghkio town, near an army camp at Kyauk Kyan village, residents said. Fighting spread to the villages between Nawnghkio and Mandalay regions Pyinoolwin, along a 56 km (35 mile) stretch of road where junta troops were attacking villages by air. TNLA forces surrounded Kyaukme town while junta troops were shelling them from the camps in the town, residents said. Members of ethnic rebel group Taang National Liberation Army patrol, March 9, 2023, near Namhsan township in Myanmars northern Shan state. (AFP) Two civilians were killed and four others were injured when the shells dropped in neighborhood No. 8 and in Kyaukme townships Tilin ward, according to a volunteer for war-displaced persons. The official death toll is two until now, the volunteer said. But casualties are expected to be higher. A death toll report hasnt been received from nearby Man Hkar village, which faced a barrage of artillery shells. Artillery attacks also hit two other villages, he said. Could grow wider The junta has yet to release any information about the renewed fighting. RFA called its national spokesperson, Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun, for comment but he did not respond. A former military officer told RFA that the resurgence of fighting in northern Shan state is likely aimed at reducing pressure on the Arakan Army. This will prevent the military from sending reserve troops to Rakhine state, he said. A man digs a bomb shelter near his house amid clashes between the ethnic minority armed group Taang National Liberation Army and Myanmars military on Dec. 14, 2023, in Namhsan township in northern Shan state. (AFP) However, political analyst Than Soe Naing said the renewed fighting could grow into a wider effort to capture more towns. The TNLA will decide if they take control of Kyaukme and Lashio townships, he said. If they continue to fight to control these townships, MNDAA will also join in the offensives. The junta appears to be preparing for wider conflict as well. Earlier this month, troops used bulldozers and other heavy equipment in northern Shan State to make several key roads impassable as the TNLA and MNDAA began to reassemble forces. The main road to Kyaukme was one of the roads that was destroyed and blocked. As a result, the cost of transporting goods into the area has nearly doubled, one truck driver said. I no longer wish to continue. Theres no profit left, he said. Crossing the creek now costs about 700,000 kyats (US$180), including payment to both sides. The military junta has also imposed restrictions on the transportation of rice, edible oil, medicine and fuel into the area, according to several sources who have traveled through the area. That has led to a severe shortage of items like meat, fish and medicine, a shop owner in Hseni said. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Kiana Duncan, Mike Firn and Matt Reed. Canadian and Chinese flags are displayed at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Dec. 5, 2017. Canadas ambassador to China expressed concern over documented human rights violations against Uyghurs with top officials during a visit to Xinjiang, sparking criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Canada that said her concerns were based on fabricated rumors and reports with ulterior motives. Ambassador Jennifer May visited the far-western region on June 19-22 and met with Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui and other senior regional government officials, according to a statement issued by Global Affairs Canada, the government department that manages diplomatic relations. Very few Western diplomats have visited Xinjiang in recent years. It was the first visit to the region by a Canadian diplomat in 10 years. Last August, a group of diplomats from Mexico, Pakistan, Iran and other countries visited the region as part of a government-sponsored tour. May went to Xinjiang as part of Canadas diplomatic engagement with China and to raise concerns over credible reports of systematic violations of human rights occurring in Xinjiang affecting Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, the statement said. Specific concerns included restrictions on Uyghur-language education and the forced placement of Uyghur children in boarding schools, it said, but did not provide detail about the places May visited or what she saw. In February 2021, Canadas House of Commons passed a motion declaring the Chinese governments mistreatment of Uyghurs including the arbitrary detention of Uyghurs in state-sponsored camps, the use of Uyghur forced labor, the suppression of Uyghur religious practices, and the forced sterilization of women a genocide. May also repeated Canadas calls for China to allow U.N. independent experts unfettered access to all regions of the country, including Xinjiang, the statement said. Until an independent investigation team can visit, assess the situation, and release an unbiased report, Canada is signaling that China's propaganda and staged displays showing Uyghurs as content are ineffective and disregarded, said Memet Tohti, executive director of the Ottawa-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project. Jennifer May, Canadas ambassador to China, appears on CTVNews, June 18, 2024. (CTVNews screenshot) A 2022 report by the then-U.N. Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet, who visited Xinjiang, found that Chinas mass detentions of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the region may constitute crimes against humanity. Uyghur rights groups criticized the tightly organized trip as a staged tour. Beijing has denied accusations of severe rights violations. Mays visit coincided a call by international human rights organizations and Uyghur advocacy groups on June 20 for the U.N.s current human rights chief, Volker Turk, to provide a public update of measures taken by the Chinese government and his office to address the situation in Xinjiang. Same old rhetoric On Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Canada issued a statement saying that Canada repeated the same old rhetoric, expressing so-called concerns based on fabricated rumors and reports with ulterior motives, without mentioning what Ambassador May really saw and heard in Xinjiang. The embassy urged Canada to be objective and unbiased and to show Canadians what May saw during her visit. It also said that Xinjiang enjoys social stability, economic prosperity, ethnic unity and religious harmony. Human rights of people of all ethnic groups, including their right to use and advance their own ethnic languages, are fully protected, the embassy said. Canada has repeatedly made unwarranted remarks about other countries human rights situation, while turning a blind eye to its own racial issues, the embassy went on to say, citing systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment of indigenous people, homeless people whose rights are not protected, and racial discrimination against Black civil servants in the federal government. Canada has long upheld human rights protections and has voiced its concerns about them periodically, said John Packer, a law professor and director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa. This has been a contentious part of the relationship because China does not share the same perspective and considers these issues a matter of internal affairs, feeling it is inappropriate for Canada to raise them, he told Radio Free Asia. Because Canada and China are parties to international treaties, including human rights agreements such as the U.N. Charter and the Genocide Convention, they are bound by certain multilateral standards, making it legitimate to discuss such matters in international forums and in bilateral relations, Packer said. Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. They say police block access to temples and even attack followers. While the state-recognized Hoa Hao Buddhist Church has been allowed to celebrate its 85th anniversary, followers of two independent Hoa Hao Buddhist groups say police in An Giang province stopped them gathering. On Sunday, the Central Executive Committee of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church held a ceremony in An Giang to commemorate the religions founding by Huynh Phu So, the Tuoi Tre online newspaper reported. It said Nguyen Anh Chuc, deputy head of the government Committee for Religious Affairs, attended along with community leaders. However, at the Quang Minh Tu temple, about 20 km (12.4 miles) away, only a few followers made it past police surrounding the pagoda for a ceremony. The pagodas abbot, Vo Van Thanh Liem, told Radio Free Asia that Hoa Hao believers who dont follow the state-approved church have been victimized for nearly four decades with their treatment in recent years being particularly harsh. For the last two years, during the three days of the teacher's holiday [the police] blocked people from coming to the temple, he said. This time, they also beat people and snatched their phones. The police used rocks to attack, and forced people to sign a pledge not to come again." He said on June 19, police beat a man who was coming out of the temple leaving him with head injuries. On June 21 and 22, police arrested two groups of followers, held them for several hours and forced them to sign letters promising not to visit the pagoda again, he said. While hundreds or even thousands of believers come to the temple to pray on full moon days, only about a dozen people attended Sundays ceremony at Quang Minh Tu, the abbot said. RFA Vietnamese called the commune police to verify the abbots account but no one answered the telephone. Vietnam's constitution allows religious freedom but religious groups that do not register with authorities often say they are not free to worship and that in fact the government frequently oppresses them. Just words Followers of the Pure Hoa Hao Buddhist Church also say they have been harassed by police. The churchs chief secretary, Le Quang Hien, told RFA that 10 days before a ceremony on June 23, police stopped people visiting the church headquarters in Long Giang commune to hang a banner there. Vietnam says it respects human rights, freedom of movement, and freedom of religion, but that's just words, he said. In reality, incidents happen to the Pure Hoa Hao Buddhist Church and other independent religions. There is no freedom of religion in Vietnam except when religions are recognized by the state and members of the Fatherland Front, which oversees groups aligned with the Communist Party of Vietnam. Ha Van Duy Ho, head of the Pure Hoa Hoa Buddhist Association of An Giang province, said police waited outside his home and kept tabs on him when he went out because he organizes the groups religious holidays. He said the police allow the group to hang banners that dont include the word pure whereas in other provinces followers can put up banners saying Pure Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, and are allowed to gather to celebrate the groups founding. RFA Vietnamese called the director of An Giang provincial police department, the chief of Cho Moi district police, and the security team leader of the district police to verify the information Hien provided, but no one answered the telephone. Edited by Mike Firn. After the Taliban's de facto government cut ties with a number of diplomatic missions operated abroad by diplomats loyal to the ousted Afghan republic, the British and Norwegian authorities have opted to shut down Afghan embassies on their soil. Both Oslo and London say their decisions in no way represent official recognition of the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, which no country recognizes due to concerns over a woeful human rights record and other failures to live up to promises it made before seizing power in August 2021. But experts say the embassy closures are likely to pave the way for more engagement with the Taliban, which controls all of Afghanistan's territory and has increased its hold on power. Diplomats who served the former Afghan government were left in limbo when the Taliban took control, but remained open for business in some Western states and continued to assist Afghan citizens. The window on their operations began to close when the Taliban announced in July that it was cutting ties with 14 such missions in Western countries and that it would not accept any consular documents they processed, a critical source of funding to keep them running. Many of the consular services, such as verification of identity documents or police clearance, offered by the embassies do require a degree of cooperation from the country's government because diplomatic missions might not be able to access all government data. This month, the British Foreign Office announced that it was shutting down the Afghan Embassy in London, explaining to RFE/RL on September 9 that the decision was made after the "dismissal of its staff by the Taliban." Norway quickly followed suit, announcing that the Afghan Embassy in Oslo would be shut down on September 12. Both the British and Norwegian governments have indicated that the move does not amount to a formal recognition of the Taliban's hard-line government. And the embassy buildings, which are Afghanistan's properties, will be eventually handed over to a "recognized" government of Afghanistan. But Hameed Hakimi, an Afghanistan expert, says the decisions to shut the embassies can be taken as "reality setting in" that the Taliban is "unlikely to be replaced in the immediate future." And for the Taliban, he says, it creates an opportunity to argue that its rule is being acknowledged, even without formal recognition. "The Taliban can use this to their advantage in their pursuit of claiming legitimacy with the Afghans and internationally," said Hakimi, an associate fellow at London's Chatham House think tank. More than a dozen countries, mostly Afghanistan's neighbors, already operate embassies in Kabul, and some have accredited Taliban diplomats. The Taliban government also partially controls diplomatic missions in some countries, and has established working relations with Afghan diplomatic missions in the Czech Republic, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and the Afghan Consulate in Munich. The missions operating in Western countries staffed by diplomats appointed by the previous government are the outlier. Hakimi said that if all those missions are shut down, it "truly signifies the closure of the chapter of the Afghan Islamic Republic." The Afghan Islamic Republic, as it was formally known, emerged soon after a U.S.-led military alliance toppled the Taliban government in November 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Nearly two decades later, the internationally recognized Afghan republic collapsed as the Taliban seized power in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban, meanwhile, recreated its brutal emirate from the 1990s by imposing harsh bans and discriminatory laws that resulted in widespread human rights violations. Afghan women and girls are deprived of education and employment in most sectors and lack fundamental freedoms. These Taliban policies have so far kept its government from being officially recognized. This absence of recognition has complicated engagement with the Taliban government on important issues, such as humanitarian aid, and made it difficult for the estimated 2 million Afghans living in Western countries to access consular services. Graeme Smith, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, says Western governments might be acting on the UN special coordinator's recommendation to facilitate the processing of documentation for Afghans abroad. In his report endorsed by the UN Security Council in December 2023, Feridun Sinirlioglu, the UN special coordinator for Afghanistan, called for better cooperation between the Taliban regime and the outside world to ensure that Afghans can obtain the paperwork they need to continue with their daily lives. "Afghans have been suffering in limbo without clarity about where to go when they need identity papers or travel documents," Smith said, describing how Afghans who still do not have travel documents from another country suffer from the lack of consular services. "The steps we are witnessing now may represent practical efforts by some governments" to remedy the situation, Smith said. The challenge remains, he said, to ensure that efforts "aimed at pressuring the regime do not sabotage the lives and livelihoods of Afghans." Many Western capitals are also grappling with the complex issue of what to do with Afghan asylum seekers whose applications were rejected. Last month, Germany deported 28 Afghan men convicted of crimes in the country to Kabul, with Qatar playing an intermediary role in securing the Taliban's cooperation in accepting the returning Afghans. Smith said that some countries "are discovering the usefulness" of having a consular presence "connected to the authorities in Kabul" if they need to arrange the return of Afghan migrants. "But it's unclear if that motivated the recent closures," he said. Both Britain and Norway have not said anything about whether they will allow the Taliban government to offer consular services in London and Oslo. The fates of the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and consulate in Bonn are not clear, although the consulate in Munich is likely to remain open because it cooperates with the Taliban government on consular services. In London, Afghanistan expert Hakimi said the closure could create an "opportunity for the Taliban to lobby with the Western countries" and allow its representatives to at least run counselor services. These Afghan diplomatic missions can remain closed indefinitely, similar to what happened in the United States, where the Afghan Embassy and two consulates have been closed since March 2002. The Afghan Embassy in Canada offers remote consular services to Afghans living in the United States. In Norway, Afghans have mixed feelings about their embassy's closure. Sima Nouri, an Afghan woman living in Oslo, is worried over how her compatriots will now access consular services. "There is a possibility that the process of forced deportation of Afghan refugees will begin," she told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "This process, however, must be stopped." Mina Rafiq, another Afghan woman in Norway, prefers shutting the embassy down to cooperating with the Taliban. "This might work to the advantage of Afghan asylum seekers," she said, "because the Norwegian government will now have to give them necessary documents." At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on October 10 after an Israeli strike on a school sheltering Palestinians in Gaza killed dozens of people. Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported two evening air raids in central Beirut. The first targeted an eight-story building and the second a four-story building that completely collapsed as a result of the strike, NNA said. A Lebanese security source quoted by Reuters said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month targeting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia and sparking fears of an all-out regional war. Hezbollahs Al Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside of either of the targeted buildings. Hezbollah kept up rocket fire into Israel on October 10. The military said several drones heading toward Israel were intercepted. Earlier on October 10 an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said, while a separate Israeli strike hit UN peacekeeper headquarters in southern Lebanon, prompting Italy to summon the Israeli ambassador. The Israeli military said it carried out a "precise strike on terrorists" who had a command and control center embedded in the school. "This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization's systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law," a military statement said. The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has denied such accusations. People who had been sheltering at the school said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers and injured 54 other people. Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across Gaza as it battles Hamas militants even as the war broadened to include Hezbollah in Lebanon amid rising tensions with Iran. In a separate incident on October 10 the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released. The UN peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system. The Italian Defense Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in protest, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that "hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base...could constitute war crimes." Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation "because it was not a mistake." The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French solider was injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation. The Israeli military announced earlier on October 10 that it had eliminated another important Hezbollah member as it kept up its attacks against the Iran-backed group. Adham Jahout, a member of Hezbollah's Golan Terrorist Network was killed in an air strike in the area of Quneitra in Syria, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said. Jahout was relaying intelligence from Syrian regime sources to Hezbollah and facilitating operations against Israel in the Golan Heights, the IDF said. Israel annexed the Golan Heights after capturing them from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war. The annexation has not been recognized by most countries. Separately, the Israeli military said on October 10 that it had eliminated two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon and its warplanes attacked munitions depots in the Beirut area and in southern Lebanon. It did not immediately reveal the identities of the two commanders. Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its party, which has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The latest strikes came as the United States, Israel's main ally, warned against bombardments in Lebanon similar to those that caused large-scale destruction in Gaza as Israel retaliated against Hamas following the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that left more than 1,100 people dead. Israel's bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials say. "There should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists on October 9. The warning came after U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call on October 9 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. The United States warned Israel on October 9 against launching a military action in Lebanon like the one it has conducted in Gaza, and U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. Biden also condemned Iran's ballistic-missile attack on Israel on October 1, a White House statement said. Biden "affirmed Israel's right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut," the statement said. Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues: the battle over the EU's top jobs and what the bloc plans to do about Georgia (In case you missed my note last week, the newsletter will now be coming out every Tuesday morning.) Briefing #1: Jockeying Well Under Way For The Top EU Positions What You Need To Know: Leaders of the 27 EU member states are meeting in Brussels on June 27-28, where they are expected to decide who will take the top jobs across the bloc's various institutions. The key roles are the three presidents -- of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament -- and the bloc's foreign policy chief. In all likelihood, the German center-right candidate from the European People's Party (EPP) group, Ursula von der Leyen, will get another five years as president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, as will her fellow EPP member and Maltese politician Roberta Metsola, who is expected to retain the presidency of the European Parliament for another two and a half years. Metsola would then hand over the role to a candidate from the second-biggest group in the chamber, the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialist and Democrats (S&D) in a classic European Parliament power-sharing deal. The general consensus is that former Portuguese left-wing Prime Minister Antonio Costa will replace Charles Michel as the president of the European Council, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas from the liberal Renew group will succeed Spaniard Josep Borrell as the EU foreign policy chief. Deep Background: There were high hopes that this process could have already been wound up last week, on June 17, at an informal EU leaders' meeting in Brussels. But according to several sources I have spoken to who are familiar with the discussion, two things prevented a deal. Firstly, the EPP, which emerged as the winner of the recent European Parliament elections, is asking for more. According to my sources, in addition to the presidencies of the European Commission and European Parliament, the EPP also wants to get half of the European Council president's job. But how would this work? While the European Council president serves a term lasting five years, after two and a half years, the 27 EU heads of state and government evaluate the job done by the office holder and -- at least so far -- renew the term for another two and a half years. The vote has to be carried by qualified majority voting, which means 55 percent of the EU member states, representing 65 percent of the bloc's total population. Normally, the largest political group in parliament gets to put forward its candidate for the European Commission president's post, whereas the second and third groups get dibs on the European Council president and the foreign policy chief jobs. The EPP suggested Costa, the main candidate for the post, just serve half a term and then be replaced by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, an EPP stalwart. Needless to say the EPP's suggestion didn't go down very well. Why is the EPP feeling so confident? It certainly had a good result in the European Parliament elections as the only major group to gain ground, finishing first by some distance with 190 seats. It's more, however, to do with the composition of the European Council, which comprises the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states. Thirteen leaders on the council belong to the EPP, although they are mainly smaller countries, with the biggest being Poland. The EPP is banking on more, calculating that within two years there will be future EPP-affiliated leaders coming from heavyweights such as Germany and Spain. If that bears out, the EPP would have more than a qualified majority in the room. The second factor that prevented a deal last week was the process itself. Apparently, the chief negotiators from the three main parliamentary groups -- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the EPP, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for the S&D, and Renew's French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte -- hammered it out for over three hours, leaving the other leaders waiting around. Right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, was, according to my sources with knowledge of the meeting, furious about being excluded from the talks. Her Brothers Of Italy party is the strongest component of the ECR, which finished in a respectable fourth place in the European elections. And since the June 17 summit, the ECR has managed to mop up a few unattached members of parliament, leapfrogging Renew into becoming the third biggest group in the chamber. Drilling Down It's not exactly clear what Meloni wants to get out of taking this stance. It's not thought she's interested in securing one of the four top EU positions but is instead keen on pushing for an Italian portfolio in the European Commission. (That could mean, for instance, a vice president with a mandate on the economy or migration.) A reminder once again that, more important than the four names, it's the jockeying behind the scenes that really matters. If the EU leaders eventually agree on the top jobs, the real test will come from the European Parliament. EU leaders don't actually have a vote when it comes to the parliament's president. That's the sole responsibility for the parliament itself, which is set to elect Metsola with a simply majority in Strasbourg on July 16. On the other hand, the parliament doesn't have a say when it comes to the president of the European Council. That position just needs a qualified majority of member states' leaders to sign off. For the European Commission president and the foreign policy chief, the situation is more complex. Those positions need a qualified majority of leaders, but then, on top of that, they also need to pass the European Parliament with a simple majority. In short, all the positions are up for negotiation. In 2019, the commission's current president, Von der Leyen, scraped through parliament with just nine votes. A July vote might even be tighter this time around, as there are fewer MEPs from the four major groups (EPP, S&D, Renew, and the Greens) than last time, and Von der Leyen probably can't count on votes from anywhere else. If the European Parliament flexes its muscles and rejects her, the leaders will have to go back to the drawing board and find an alternative candidate that could muster the 361 votes needed in parliament. Briefing #2: How The EU Is Expected To Respond To A Backsliding Georgia What You Need To Know: The European Union is starting to prepare a response to Georgia in light of Tbilisi passing last month a controversial "foreign agent" law that requires NGOs and media groups receiving at least 20 percent of their funding from outside the country to register as organizations "pursuing the interests of a foreign power." The legislation has been compared to a law in Russia, first passed in 2012 and expanded since, which has been used to stifle opposition and clamp down on free media. A recent options paper seen by RFE/RL and authored by the EU's diplomatic arm, the European External Action Service, considers how Brussels could reorient its policy toward Georgia and notes that the government in Tbilisi has also "taken other worrying steps in recent months." That's a reference to other controversial laws passed recently, for example those on so-called LGBT propaganda, amendments to the electoral code, and also "steps affecting the independence of the Georgian National Bank." Deep Background: What does the paper actually propose? Essentially it spells out three levels of potential measures. Firstly there are the "short-term measures" that can be adopted immediately and, according to the document, be "lifted once the ['foreign agent'] law is repealed, and provided that EU concerns on democratic backsliding are sufficiently addressed and...accompanied by clear public messages." According to the options paper, these short-term measures would consist of scaling down engagement with the Georgian authorities and halting the disbursement of EU funds to the country. That could mean high-level bilateral visits are suspended and ongoing negotiations on, for example, lowering roaming tariffs between the bloc and Georgia are paused. Regarding the EU funds, it could simply be a matter of reallocating financial assistance to civil society and independent media organizations, instead of the Georgian government. The paper also mentions the possibility of freezing the impending adoption of a 30 million euros ($32 million) package of nonlethal military aid. All these measures could be taken swiftly by the European Commission, without member states having to give their approval. Yet it is customary in Brussels that the commission seeks "guidance" from the member states in order to proceed. This is what happened at the EU's Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on June 24 when the bloc's foreign ministers had an initial discussion on the options paper. While some countries already wanted to move ahead, notably Estonia and Lithuania, other member states such as Hungary and Slovakia preferred to proceed more slowly. The issue will certainly come up again, most likely at the EU summit in Brussels on June 27-28. Draft summit conclusions, seen by RFE/RL, do not include any potential punitive measures, with the leaders instead expressing their concern about recent developments in Georgia and calling on the government "to clarify their intentions by reversing the course of action, which puts into question Georgia's progress on its EU path." Drilling Down What about the other two levels of measures? The second level spells out the potential action to take "in case of further deterioration," such as the use of violence against peaceful protesters and intimidation or major irregularities in the electoral process. Under such circumstances, the recommendation would be for member states to introduce a temporary Schengen visa requirement for all holders of Georgian diplomatic passports. The paper notes that "this measure could have a symbolic value to restrict the privileges of the government officials/diplomats, while not affecting the general population." Another possibility for the second level of measures could be visa bans and asset freezes on people and entities under the EU's Global Human Rights Regime. For example, under this sanctions instrument, the EU has targeted those it deems responsible for the imprisonment and death of the Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny. The problem with these more severe measures is that they require unanimity among the EU's 27 member states, and consensus is often hard to find. And finding concrete evidence linking serious human rights violations to the actions of officials is not always easy. Such measures likely wouldn't target high-ranking Georgian officials but rather lower-level judges and police chiefs -- which was the case with the Navalny sanctions listings. The final, most severe tier of measures would be applied in the case of a "significant deterioration of the situation." In this case, according to the options paper, there would be "steps related to the enlargement path." Georgia officially become an EU candidate country in December 2023 and the European Commission is due to present its annual EU enlargement report in October. Unless anything changes dramatically, the summit conclusions will be far from complimentary toward Georgia. In terms of the country's EU application, it's most likely Georgia won't move forward for now. That means it won't follow Ukraine and Moldova with the opening of formal EU accession talks, which is expected to happen on June 25. It could, of course, also lose its candidate status, but this has never happened before and would require all member states to be on board. The nuclear option would be suspending visa liberalization to the EU that Georgian citizens have enjoyed since 2017. If this did happen, it would take place in the fall when the European Commission presents its annual report on visas. For a initial suspension of nine months, it is enough if a qualified majority of EU member states are in favor. A suspension of this kind is unlikely, however, and is thought to be a rather blunt instrument only used once in EU history: against the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The options paper acknowledges as much by stating that "while this measure could be powerful leverage for Georgia to reconsider the law at stake, its immediate negative impact would be on the Georgian population" and adds that the focus should be on "entry bans against individuals" and member states committing to not granting "visa exemptions to service or diplomatic passport holders." Looking Ahead The Intergovernmental Conferences with Moldova and Ukraine on June 25 in Luxembourg will mark the official opening of EU accession talks with the two countries. The talks will likely last for many years, but it is a symbolic and historic moment for Chisinau and Kyiv. A day later, on June 26, Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti, the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo, respectively, will meet in Brussels for an EU-mediated dialogue for the first time since September 2023. A few days after that unsuccessful meeting last year, an armed group of Serbs attacked Kosovar police in the northern town of Banjska killing one officer. Three Serbs were also killed in the clashes. That's all for this week! Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on X @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org. Until next time, Rikard Jozwiak If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition subscribe here. Flash Floods Wreak Havoc in Himachal Pradesh's Gambhar Pul Area Authorities swiftly initiated relief and rescue operations, deploying teams to aid stranded residents and restore essential services. Himachal Pradesh Flash Flood, Solan Cloudburst and Weather Update News Today: Heavy premonsoon rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, particularly devastating the Gambhar Pul area in Solan district. The torrential downpours led to flash floods, inundating large areas and severely disrupting daily life. The Meteorological Department reported significant rainfall across the state, with Shimla recording 78 mm, Dharamshala 65 mm, and Solan town itself receiving 72 mm of rain. These figures exacerbated the flood situation in Gambhar, causing local rivers and streams to swell suddenly and submerge homes, agricultural fields, and roads. Advertisement Residents faced immense challenges as rising waters disrupted electricity and water supply, halting local transportation temporarily. Temperature variations were notable, with Shimla at 24C, Dharamshala slightly higher at 27C, and Solan reaching 26C amidst the crisis. Authorities swiftly initiated relief and rescue operations, deploying teams to aid stranded residents and restore essential services. The state disaster management team collaborated closely with local authorities to assess damages and provide immediate support. Meteorologists issued warnings for more rainfall in the coming days, urging residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. Both tourists and locals were advised to avoid landslide and flood-prone areas. Advertisement Sanjay Awasthi, MLA, and Congress Party Working President, expressed sorrow over the havoc near Gambhar Pul, promising financial aid to affected families. He dispatched an administrative team to assess damages and ensure compensation, with the state government pledging extensive support. The Gambhar Pul flash floods underscored the unpredictability of premonsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced preparedness and resilient infrastructure to mitigate future natural disasters. (For more news apart from Himachal Pradesh Flash Flood, Solan Cloudburst and Weather Update News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Atishi Health Update: Delhi Min Hospitalized Amid Hunger Strike for Water Rights Atishi's health deteriorates on fifth day of hunger strike against Haryana's water withholding Advertisement Atishi Health Update Latest News Today: In a major turn of events, the health of Delhi Minister Atishi, who was on indefinite hunger strike over Delhi's water crisis, deteriorated after which she was admitted to the hospital. Atishi was admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital early Tuesday. Her hunger strike, which began on June 22, entered its fifth day today. Atishi asserts that Haryana is withholding Delhi's rightful share of water. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reported that doctors advised hospitalizing Atishi due to a dangerous drop in her blood pressure and sugar levels. Despite this, Atishi remains determined to continue her strike until Haryana releases the water and opens the gates of Hathnikund Barrage. Advertisement The AAP has accused Haryana of supplying 100 MGD less water daily, severely impacting 28 lakh residents of Delhi and exacerbating the water shortage amid high temperatures and heat waves. Many Delhites now rely on water tankers for their daily needs, with such scenes becoming common throughout the summer. Atishis strike highlights the pressing water scarcity issue in Delhi, drawing attention to the urgent need for Haryana to fulfill its water-sharing obligations. (For more news apart from Atishi Health Update Latest News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Bombay High Court Orders Release of Minor in Pune Porsche Accident Case The minor, involved in a fatal accident on May 19, 2024, had been remanded to an observation home despite being granted bail. Bombay High Court Order on Pune Porsche Accident Case: The Bombay High Court today ordered the release of the minor accused in the Pune Porsche accident into the care of his paternal aunt. The court ruled the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) remand orders illegal and beyond its jurisdiction. The minor, involved in a fatal accident on May 19, 2024, had been remanded to an observation home despite being granted bail. Advertisement The court criticized the JJB for nullifying the bail's effect and questioned its authority to remand a juvenile already on bail. The minors inability to attend court-ordered counseling due to mob lynching fears was also noted. Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda argued that remanding a bailed juvenile is illegal under the Juvenile Justice Act. Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar countered, citing the minor's safety and well-being with his family in custody. The court directed that the JJB-ordered counseling sessions continue post-release. The minor's father was granted bail last week. Advertisement (For more news apart from Bombay High Court Orders Release of Minor in Pune Porsche Accident Case, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Sukhbir Badal to resign as SAD president? Here's what we know A high-level meeting of Shiromani Akali Dal's top leaders was held in Jalandhar. Sukhbir Singh Badal resignation from SAD president news, Punjab politics today: In a shocking development, the senior leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal have passed a resolution in a meeting held on Tuesday to go to Sri Akal Takht Sahib and apologize for the committed crimes and mistakes. It is being reported that Sukhbir Singh Badal might have to resign from the presidency as the resolution has been passed regarding the same. The rebel faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal is set to visit Sri Akal Takht Sahib and apologize for the committed crimes and mistakes by the party. Reportedly, the conflict has increased such that Sikander Singh Maluke has demanded Sukhbir Singh Badal's resignation. Advertisement According to information, a high-level meeting of Shiromani Akali Dal's top leaders was held in Jalandhar on Tuesday under the supervision of Gurpratap Singh Wadala, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prof Chandumajra, and others. During the meeting, discussions were held on the falling principles and standards of the party. Talking to the media after the meeting which lasted for about 5 hours, the top leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal said that from 2017 to 2024, the level of SAD has fallen, due to which they were worried. They have also decided to run the Akali Dal Bachao wave, under which, first of all, on July 1, they will go to Sri Akal Takht Sahib, and Sri Harmandir Sahib and bow down and apologize for the crimes and mistakes that have been committed. Along with this, they have asked the party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to also have the spirit of sacrifice to raise the party on that date. The Akali Dal leaders, though not directly, but in conversations said that Sukhbir Singh Badal should now resign from his post. Advertisement When asked, he said that, right now, he will put forward his point to Sukhbir Singh Badal and after that, he will take the next step. (For more news apart from Sukhbir Singh Badal resignation from SAD president news, Punjab politics today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Punjab's Drug Crisis Worsens Despite Government's Efforts Youth Still Gripped by Addiction While Critics Slam Ineffective Measures Punjab drug crisis, Punjab addiction, Aam Aadmi Party, Bhagwant Mann, Narcotics Control Bureau, Udta Punjab, drug abuse, political criticism, alcohol abuse, public health, drug epidemic, punjab drug rehabilitation programs, punjab drug policy, punjab health crisis. Punjab Drug Crisis News: Punjab is grappling with a grave drug crisis, with alarming reports and videos surfacing of individuals overdosing and collapsing from drug abuse. The situation has drawn stark comparisons to the drug epidemic in Philadelphia, with descriptions likening Punjab to a 'living hell' or the 'Udta Punjab,' a reference to the film that underscored the state's drug issues. Advertisement The crisis remains acute, with the youth of Punjab still heavily entangled in drug and alcohol abuse. Despite the efforts of various police units and organizations, including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which has launched awareness campaigns and public meetings, the government's efforts appear insufficient. Political debates and accusations have intensified, with critics arguing that the government has failed to achieve its goals regarding drug abuse in the state. Although the Punjab government has taken multiple initiatives, the condition does not seem to improve. Over the past two years, little to no progress has been made, leaving Punjab's condition largely unchanged. The persistent and escalating drug problem has sparked widespread concern, reflecting a deepening crisis that the government seems unable to effectively address. Advertisement (For more news apart from Punjab Drug Crisis News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Canada Halts Post-Graduation Work Permit Entry for Foreign Students Government directive closes door for PGWP applications at borders effective immediately Canada Post Graduate Work Permit, PGWP, criteria for students change news: Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) will no longer be valid for entry into Canada. Canada government has stopped the admissions for foreign students through PGWP. Applications for the Foreign National Post-Graduation Work Permit are closed after June 21, 2024. The Government of Canada has directed Border Services Officers not to consider post-graduation work permit applications for entry into Canada. Advertisement According to a statement from the Government of Canada, foreign nationals can no longer apply for post-graduation work permits at the border. This decision will come into effect with immediate effect. According to Financial Express, applicants can apply for PGWP from within Canada if their study permit has not expired. Applicants who apply for their work permit while their study permit is still valid may be allowed to work without a permit pending a decision on the work permit application. Advertisement (For more news apart from Canada Post Graduate Work Permit, PGWP, criteria for students change news, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) June 25, 2024 UPDATE A roundup of the main local and international news Newsflash Newsroom, 25.06.2024, 20:04 EU The ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on Tuesday officially kicked off their EU-accession talks. According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the path ahead will be challenging, but also filled with immense opportunities for Moldova and Ukraine. Together, we can forge a larger, more dynamic and forward-looking Europe. The first talks are taking place in Luxembourg and along the process Chisinau and Kyiv must bring their legislations in line with the EU one. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, since they were given the candidate status the two countries have carried out adjustments in key areas proving their readiness to bring their legislation in line with that of the EU. Starting with these inter-governmental conferences, the accession roads of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are splitting now and the two countries will be treated differently, according to the speed they are applying reforms. Pundits believe this could be an advantage for the Republic of Moldova, which, from the European Commissions viewpoint, has progressed better than Ukraine, heavily affected by war. DATE The ruling PSD-PNL coalition in Bucharest on Tuesday postponed their decision on the presidential election as they failed to reach an agreement in this respect after several hours of talks. Two days are being considered for the first round of voting, September 15th or 29th. The government has a deadline by the beginning of the next month to endorse an emergency ordinance over the presidential election schedule, if the ballot is to take place in September. However, the Liberals insist that the election be held later this year, although they had initially agreed for the month of September. They argue the September election will disrupt the beginning of the new school year and the election campaign will overlap the period of summer holidays. The SocialDemocrats are ruling out the idea of changing the election date. The two parties also have to decide whether they will have one candidate or will each present their own candidate. On June 9th PSD and PNL ran on joint tickets in the election for the European Parliament but had their own candidates for the local administration. FUNDING On Monday Romania received close to EUR 1.1 bln from the European Union for projects in the energy sector, particularly for renewable energy production. According to an EU news release, Romania and 9 other countries received total funding of EUR 3 bln, intended for 39 programmes. The largest amount was given to Romania, followed by the Czech Republic (EUR 835 mln) and Poland (EUR 700 mln). THEATRE The Performing Arts Market opened in Sibiu (central Romania) on Tuesday as part of the famous Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Currently in its 27th edition, the Performing Arts Market has, this year as well, face-to-face, hybrid and online components. More than 80 officials for cultural organisations and institutions in over 30 countries convene in Sibiu to establish contacts and implement joint projects. The Festival founder and president, Constantin Chiriac, says this is the only performing arts market in Romania and in Eastern and Central Europe. (bill) Funds for Ukraine Romanias Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, took part in Mondays meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxemburg. Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu (Credits: mae.ro) Roxana Vasile, 25.06.2024, 14:00 Romanias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, represented Romania in Mondays meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, held in Luxembourg. The number one point on the agenda for talks was Russias aggression against Ukraine. Minister Odobescu highlighted the importance of accelerating the provision of military assistance to neighboring Ukraine, recalling, in this context, the recent decision of Romanias Supreme Defense Council regarding the transfer to Ukraine of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system. At the same time, Minister Odobescu referred to the importance of the EU-Ukraine security commitments and emphasized the importance of the Unions involvement in helping Ukraine restore its civil infrastructure, seriously affected by Russian attacks. The Romanian Foreign Minister also hailed the adoption of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The new sanctions target 116 entities, companies and individuals, Russian liquefied gas, introducing bans for vessels that transport LNG to European ports, but also for the export of some components necessary for the Russian energy industry. On the other hand, Hungary continues to block some important decisions regarding Ukraine, worth 2.4 bln EUR. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, in addition to European institutions, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said he came up with a solution to make the first funds available this month. From a legal point of view, Josep Borrell argued, if a Member State was not previously involved in the decision regarding the use of profits, it cannot be part of the decision regarding the allocation of said profits. The subject will be discussed this week at the summit of European leaders. Meanwhile, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are officially negotiating their accession to the European Union as of Tuesday, a long-term process during which the two states must align their national legislation with the provisions of the community bloc. Since obtaining EU candidate status, Kyiv and Chisinau have made general adjustments in key areas, proving their determination to get closer to Union legislation. But now, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova will have to operate comprehensive changes in nearly all sectors, so that they may join the European Union in a few years time. Minister Odobescu also reiterated Romanias support for the European integration efforts of the two candidates. (VP) Revised quarterly national accounts data from Spain is due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Statistics Sweden is slated to issue producer prices for May. Prices had increased 0.9 percent annually in April. At 3.00 am ET, Spain's INE releases revised GDP and producer prices figures. The preliminary estimate showed that the grew at a steady pace of 0.7 percent sequentially in the first quarter. At 4.00 am ET, unemployment data is due from Poland. The jobless rate is forecast to fall slightly to 5.0 percent in May from 5.1 percent in April. Track market moving Economic Events that impact Commodities, Stock, and Forex by using realtime RTTNews Economic Calendar this week. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News AstraZeneca (AZN.L,AZN) said high-level results from the ADJUVANT BR.31 Phase III trial, sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, showed Imfinzi did not achieve statistical significance for the primary endpoint of disease-free survival versus placebo in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer after complete tumour resection in patients whose tumours express PD-L1 on 25% or more tumour cells. The safety profile for Imfinzi was consistent with its known safety profile. Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "We are disappointed in the ADJUVANT BR.31 results. We are committed to addressing the remaining unmet need in lung cancer through our broad development programme." The company noted that Imfinzi is also being investigated as monotherapy and in combinations in several other early-stage lung cancer settings, including in medically inoperable or unresected Stage I-II NSCLC and unresectable, Stage III NSCLC. For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hong Kong's foreign trade deficit decreased notably in May from a year ago amid further strong acceleration in export growth, data from the Census and Statistics Department showed on Tuesday. The trade deficit narrowed to HK$12.1 billion in May from HK$26.4 billion in the same month last year. In April, the trade shortfall was HK$10.2 billion. The visible trade deficit of HK$12.1 billion was equivalent to 3.1 percent of the value of imports. The annual increase in exports was 14.8 percent in May, versus an 11.9 percent surge in April. Exports to the Mainland of China alone expanded by 23.6 percent from last year. Total exports to Asia as a whole grew by 18.7 percent. Within this, shipments to Malaysia advanced the most, by 50.2 percent. This was followed by Thailand, with a 23.2 percent jump in exports. Apart from destinations in Asia, outflows to the United States rose sharply, by 26.6 percent. At the same time, exports to the Switzerland plunged by 25.7 percent. Imports logged an annual increase of 9.6 percent in May, faster than the 3.7 percent gain in the prior month. "Looking ahead, Hong Kong's export performance should stay positive if external demand holds up well, though geopolitical tensions will continue to bring uncertainties," a government spokesman said. Track market moving Economic Events that impact Commodities, Stock, and Forex by using realtime RTTNews Economic Calendar this week. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Qatar Airlines was named the World's Best Airline at Skytrax Awards, known as the Oscars of commercial aviation. Qatar Airlines won the prestigious award for the eighth time in recognition of the quality of service being offered to passengers on its modern fleet. The 2024 World Airline Awards were announced at a ceremony held at the Fairmont Windsor Park, close to London Heathrow Airport. More than 325 guests attended the event from airlines across the world, with a large number of airline CEO's, Presidents, and Senior Management present to accept their awards. In addition to being named the World's Best Airline 2024, Qatar Airways also scooped the top awards for the World's Best Business Class, the World's Best Business Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, said, "This is a proud Qatar Airways moment and it is my honor to share this award with my hardworking colleagues. This award is testimony to our relentless dedication to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to more wins in the future." Qatar Airways notched the top spot pushing the 2023 Airline of the Year winner Singapore Airlines to the second rank. Emirates came in third place, followed by ANA All Nippon Airways at No. 4 and Cathay Pacific at No. 5. The winners were selected on the basis of an independent customer survey about more than 350 airlines. Singapore Airlines took top honors with the award for the World's Best Cabin Staff and their First Class Suites continuing to dominate by winning the award as the World's Best First Class. Singapore Airlines is also the Best Airline in Asia. All Nippon Airways won the award for the World's Best Airport Services and the Best Airline Staff Service in Asia. Saudi Arabian Airlines wins the 2024 award as the World's Most Improved Airline. AirAsia was the winner of the World's Best Low-Cost Airline award, a title it has won each year since 2010. The award for the World's Most Family Friendly Airline was won by British Airways. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Derek Chollet has been appointed as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Chief of Staff. "He is one of the most distinguished, far-sighted, and skillful national-security practitioners of his generation, and I am grateful to him for taking on this key assignment at such an important moment," Austin said in a statement announcing Chollet's appointment. Derek Chollet will assume his new role in July. Chollet has served with distinction in senior policy roles at the White House, the Pentagon, and the Department of State, including his current role as Counselor of the Department of State, where he has performed as one of the top policy advisers to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During his time at the State Department, he has taken on some of the toughest diplomatic assignments, from the Balkans and Myanmar to Pakistan and Northern Ireland, and for the past nine months has been key to shaping Washington's response to the crisis in the Middle East. Blinken announced that he is appointing Tom Sullivan as the next Counselor of the Department of State. He has been serving as Blinken's Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Chollet will be returning to the Pentagon after serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during 2012-15. He has also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Council staff and as the Principal Deputy Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. Until 2020, he was Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor for Security and Defense Policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News This series, Block by Block, is supported by FHLBank Indianapolis, IFF, and CEDAM, and follows emerging and diverse developers building affordable housing in Michigan. Micah 6 executive director Coleman Yoakum meets with community kids at the Micah 6 hoop house near the new community center that is under renovation. Coleman Yoakum, executive director, Micah 6 Community Micah 6 is repurposing Webster Elementary, vacant since 2008, into a multi-purpose community center. 80% of community members polled wanted the former Webster school to be a place where children could play and where families could access healthy foods. MACC Housing Were expecting the building to receive 200,000 visits a year from about 17,000 people." Coleman Yoakum Rendering, McClellan Early Childhood Education Center Beverley Loyd Deutsche Bank downgraded Airbus to hold from buy on Tuesday after the company cut its earnings guidance and delivery targets on Monday. The bank cut its price target on the shares to 155 from 186, describing the profit warning as "rather damaging". "We sharply cut our EBIT and free cash flow estimates by 13-20% for 2024-2026, as the delivery ramp-up is deferred by a year on persistent supply-chain issues," DB said. "In addition, Space systems continues to underperform, after an already difficult 2023. The situation is reminiscent of the 2022 delivery miss, but further compounded by Space this time." Deutsche said the dust needs to settle before it can turn positive again. "June deliveries are apparently sluggish and there is no guarantee at this stage that the new delivery target will be easy to achieve by year-end," it added. At 1250 BST, Airbus shares were down 11.6% at 131.50. Deutsche Bank hiked its price target on Rolls-Royce to 555p from 465p on Tuesday as it revisited the valuation ahead of first-half results. The bank said the first-quarter update provided evidence that execution at Rolls-Royce is improving. "While our 2024-2027 estimates are broadly unchanged, our degree of confidence in the company's ability to deliver on its transformation programme has increased," it said. "Ahead of the H1 release on 1 August, we adopt a scenario described in a previous note: we move our valuation to 2027e, based on increased confidence in 2027 target attainment." DB rates the shares at buy. At 1215 BST, the shares were down 3.8% at 453.40p, taking a hit from the profit warning from Airbus late on Thursday. European stocks extend gains on Monday as investors waited on key US price data later in the week and the results of the first round of voting in the French parliamentary elections on 30 June. The pan-regional Stoxx 600 index was up 0.73% at 518.87. All the main regional indices were higher with France's CAC 40 adding 1.03% a week out from the first round of national elections on 30 June. The euro, oil and 10-year Bund yields were all in the black. Polls put France's far-right National Rally party and its allies in the lead with some now anticipating the second round on 7 July might become a contest between NR and a coalition of left-wing parties. Incumbent president Emanuel Macron and his allies were trailing in third place. Come Friday, the Department of Commerce would release a report on US personal consumption expenditures, which is the Federal Reserves preferred measure of prices. Policymakers in Sweden and Turkey were set to unveil rate decisions later during the same week. Flash GDP readouts were scheduled in France, Italy and Spain, all also on Friday. German business sentiment deteriorated in June, a closely followed survey released on Monday by the Ifo Institute showed. The business climate index fell to 88.6 from 89.3 in May. In equity news, Eurofins Scientific shares fell 16% after Muddy Waters, which recommends a "short" position on the stock, claimed the company had raised and then consumed billions of dollars supposedly to finance its growth. "At best, Eurofins has a parasitic controlling shareholder who has been siphoning money from the company for two decades. However, we believe that Eurofins' account statements may contain significant overstatements of earnings, cash balances and other asset values. Eurofins is a company of oddities and contradictions," the hedge fund said. Prudential shares gained 7% at one point as the insurance giant unveiled a $2bn share buyback after revising its free surplus requirement ratios. Britvic shares fizzed as Carlsberg said PepsiCo had agreed to waive a change of control clause in its bottling arrangements with Britvic, potentially removing a hurdle from the Danish brewer's path to bid for the British company. Hochtief was near the top of the Stoxx 600 throughout much of the session after Jefferies upgraded the German construction firm to 'buy' from 'hold'. Belgian pharmaceutical company argenx surged 11% following FDA approval for its Vyvgart Hytrulo treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. AstraZeneca announced contrasting results from two phase three trials involving its immunotherapy drug Imfinzi, or durvalumab, on Tuesday. The FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals giant said the ADJUVANT BR.31 trial, sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), investigated Imfinzi in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It said the trial did not achieve statistical significance in its primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS) compared to placebo in patients with PD-L1 expression on 25% or more tumour cells. Despite that, the safety profile of Imfinzi remained consistent with previous data, and no new safety concerns were identified. Detailed findings would be presented at an upcoming medical meeting, AstraZeneca said. We are disappointed in the ADJUVANT BR.31 results, said the companys executive vice-president of oncology research and development, Susan Galbraith. Imfinzi has helped change the treatment landscape and achieved multiple positive Phase III trials for patients with earlier stages of lung cancer. We are committed to addressing the remaining unmet need in lung cancer through our broad development programme. In contrast, the NIAGARA phase three trial yielded positive results for Imfinzi in combination with chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The study showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone. Patients received Imfinzi alongside chemotherapy before cystectomy, followed by Imfinzi as an adjuvant monotherapy. The combination was generally well-tolerated, with no new safety concerns and no increase in adverse event-related discontinuations. AstraZeneca said those results would also be discussed at a forthcoming medical meeting, and shared with regulatory authorities. The NIAGARA results support our strategy to move immunotherapy to the early stages of cancer treatment, Susan Galbraith added. This perioperative regimen with Imfinzi improved survival and reduced the rate at which patients experience disease recurrence or progression. We are eager to bring this regimen with the potential to transform the standard of care to patients as soon as possible. Imfinzi was still the only approved immunotherapy for unresectable, stage three NSCLC in patients whose disease had not progressed following chemoradiotherapy, based on the PACIFIC phase three trial, AstraZeneca noted. It was also under investigation for various other early-stage lung cancer settings. At 0825 BST, shares in AstraZeneca were up 0.34% at 12,522p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. The European Union (EU) accused Microsoft of violating competition regulations on Tuesday, through the abusive bundling of its Teams and Office products. According to CNBC, the accusation stemmed from Microsoft's practice of tying its Teams communication tool to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 productivity suites, which the EU claims restricts competition. Despite Microsoft's efforts to address the concerns by unbundling Teams from Microsoft 365 last year, the European Commission reportedly found the measures insufficient. It said on Tuesday that further changes were necessary to restore fair competition in the market. The EU's investigation into Microsoft's practices started last July after a complaint from Slack, a competitor owned by Salesforce. As part of its probe, the EC had now issued a formal Statement of Objections to Microsoft. If the commission finds that Microsoft indeed breached competition rules, it would be able to prohibit the conduct and impose a fine of up to 10% of the company's global revenue. CNBC reported that Microsoft had not commented on the EU's statement by Tuesday morning. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. EDF, Utilita and British Gas have been named as the worst energy suppliers for customer service, as research shows industry standards have slipped sharply. Citizens Advice said customer service ratings across the industry were among the lowest ever between January and March and average ratings had fallen by 10.5% compared with the same period in 2021. Guardian Qantas has dropped out of a ranking of the top 20 best airlines in the world a month after it agreed to a $100m fine for allegedly selling flights to customers which did not exist. In this years world airline awards by Skytrax, Qantas dropped seven places, from 17th to 24th, while Qatar Airways was named the worlds best airline ahead of Singapore in second place. Guardian Boeing should face criminal charges after violating a settlement over two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, US prosecutors have said. The aerospace giant has been accused of breaching a settlement related to the crashes, which took place in 2018 and 2019. The two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people, resulting in the longest grounding of a commercial jet in US history for the 737 Max. US prosecutors have said that Boeing violated the terms of its settlement and have recommended that the Department of Justice bring criminal charges, according to Reuters. Telegraph Britains ambitions to become a global leader in artificial intelligence are being put at risk by substandard mobile data networks, the boss of Vodafone has cautioned. In a strongly worded warning, Margherita Della Valle told The Times that this means the UK will be less quick to adopt and take advantage of the technology than its rivals. The Times A Labour government would be opposed to renationalising Thames Water, the troubled utility firm with a highly uncertain future. Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business and trade secretary, said people should not expect the state to bail out bad investments. His comments come days before the general election next Thursday. The Times The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Arun Kumar Singh, a retired Chief General Manager of the RBI, as an additional director on the Board of Bandhan Bank. His term will span from June 24, 2024, to June 23, 2025. This appointment comes in anticipation of the upcoming retirement of Bandhan Bank's Managing Director and CEO, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh. Bandhan Bank announced this development in a communication to stock exchanges, noting Singh's one-year term. Singh brings nearly 36 years of experience at the RBI, where he has held various positions in Non-Banking Supervision & Regulation, Banking Supervision & Regulation, Financial Inclusion, and Monetary Policy. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh is set to retire from his role on July 9, 2024, after which he will take on a larger strategic role within the Bandhan Group. The bank has engaged the recruitment firm Egon Zehnder to assist in finding a new CEO. Information Technology, Enforcement Actions, and Government Banking. Additionally, he has served as an RBI nominee director on the boards of five banking and non-banking entities. Singh also completed a three-year tenure as Regional Director for the State of Rajasthan. Arun Kumar Singh's extensive career includes work in departments such as, Enforcement Actions, and Government Banking. Additionally, he has served as an RBI nominee director on the boards of five banking and non-banking entities. Singh also completed a three-year tenure as Regional Director for the State of Rajasthan. Bandhan Bank, based in Kolkata, is managing this leadership transition amid ongoing strategic growth. Singh's appointment is expected to enhance the bank's governance and support its commitment to regulatory compliance and operational excellence. The trailer for Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants dropped on Tuesday, and it looks like next weeks premier of the series will have a few revelations and perhaps one about Saquon Barkley. Fans were particularly thrown by one clip of general manager Joe Schoen on the phone saying, Saquon, can you give me your word on that? Or are you not going to give us a chance? Want to bet on the MLB? See the best NYC Sports Betting sites Wait so saquon lied? one user on X wrote in response to the trailer. Other confused fans responded similarly: I thought he didnt hear from them??? They knew he was gone Boo the hell out of Saquon when hes back in NY He gave you a chance the previous season. No more chances for you. Barkley said last month that the Giants never gave him a formal contract offer before he signed with Philadelphia. Its possible that the Giants were looking for the opportunity to match offers Barkley received elsewhere before he made the decision to leave New York. But Barkley and the Giants failed to come to an agreement on a long-term deal for over a year and the running back joined the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal. Barkley, the Giants former No. 2 overall pick, spent six seasons in New York and in 2023 played under the franchise tag. Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants will premiere on July 2 on HBO Max. Bridget Hyland may be reached at bhyland@njadvancemedia.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is looking to double the amount of money college students receive from the Federal Pell Grant Program. Gillibrand announced today that the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act, should it be passed, would do five things to benefit low-income college students, according to a written statement: In the following academic year, 2025-2026, the Pell Grant ceiling would be raised to a maximum benefit of $10,000 for eligible recipients. By the time the 2029-2030 academic year comes, the grant would reach a maximum benefit of $14,000. The current maximum Pell Grant benefit is $7,395. Should a student entering college be enrolled in federal benefit programs like SNAP or Medicaid, they would automatically be qualified for the $14,000 maximum, plus an extra award of up to $1,500 in addition to the maximum Pell award ($15,500 total). Expand the duration of the Pell Grant, transitioning it from a 12 semester cut-off to an 18 semester cut-off so that students who may not complete their college requirements in a traditional timeframe can continue to receive money. Assure that the Pell Grant is given fully mandatory funding to ensure that students can count on receiving their Pell Grants throughout their time in college, irrespective of potential federal budget cuts. Increase the Pell Grants availability for part-time college students, so that they can continue to receive money. As the cost of college skyrockets and federal financial aid programs fail to keep up, too many low-income students are forced to take on crippling amounts of debt or to drop out of school entirely, Gillibrand said. This bill acknowledges that $7,395 - the maximum current Pell Grant - simply isnt enough to help with cost of attendance of $30K or more. By doubling the maximum Pell Grant, expanding access for part-time students, and automatically qualifying the families most in need, the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act will help put a college degree within reach for all students who want one, regardless of background. I look forward to getting it passed. Should this legislation pass, it would impact about 370,000 New York college students. According to the statement, more than a third of SUNY students are entitled to receive a Pell Grant. 63% of Pell Grant funds go to students whose families earn $30,000 annually, and an estimated 92% of Pell Grant recipients had a total family income at or below $60,000, the statement explained. Back in the 1970s, the grants maximum benefit covered more than 75% of the cost of attending a four-year public college. Today, it covers less than a third. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As Americans witness a rise in antisemitism at home and abroad, Jewish community leaders found it important to hold a town hall-style discussion Monday night at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Sea View. Sponsored by the Council of Jewish Organizations Staten Island (COJO) and featuring guest speaker Josh Kramer, director of the American Jewish Committee New York, several dozen people gathered at the Joan & Alan Bernikow Center. Many people feel frustrated, and the goal is to hear from some of the experts and have a discussion on how to handle all these types of problems, COJO President Mendy Mirocznik told the Advance/SILive.com when asked about the impetus for the event. In the wake of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and public schools throughout the country, the event focused predominately on what the American Jewish Committee refers to as education advocacy, which means advocating for Jewish students and Jewish teachers. The organization also offers learning institutions guidance on how to help better educate students at all levels about antisemitism. Dozens gathered at the Jewish Community Center in Sea View for a town hall to address antisemitism on Monday, June 24, 2024. (Courtesy of Debra Killen/COJO)COJO COJO CEO/Executive Vice President Scott Maurer expressed concern over the tidal wave of anti-Israel sentiment hes encountered across social media, adding that he believes Oct. 7 was the most tragic event for Jewish people since the Holocaust and telling the group that he believes the hate seen that day was the same type of hate seen on 9/11. The stark meteoric rise of antisemitism over the course of the last year has been disorienting for the Jewish community to say the least, Kramer said. The community is often in need of opportunities to gather and be with one another to understand the root causes of antisemitism and what is being done to combat antisemitism. Its so important that the community be together in solidarity at this time. Alan Weintrauv of Willowbrook came to the evenings event feeling as if a lot of Jews are still trying to reconcile with how to identify and combat the current wave of antisemitism in the country and was hoping to learn more about some of the different manifestations of antisemitism. Lois Kurpiel of Arden Heights showed up hoping to be brought up to date on whats being done to combat antisemitism, rather than relying on what she hears on the news. Joe Silver of New Jersey said he felt it important to attend because hes very concerned about real issues in regard to threats against the Jewish community and Jewish students. Mirocznik claims that both during area protests and several incidents in the borough, individuals spouted antisemitic statements including Hitler didnt gas enough Jews and Do you believe that Israel has a right to exist? toward those walking in the street who appeared to be Jewish. These comments go beyond debating the war, they are antisemitic in nature, he said. Were very fortunate to have a district attorney who takes the job very seriously, but at the same time, were seeing during school walkouts that outside influencers are coming in and causing a feeling of intimidation among students and children in our public schools, Mirocznik said, adding that COJO recently met with Dr. Marion Wilson, schools superintendent for Staten Island, to express the organizations concerns. With members of the NYPD also in attendance, Deputy Chief Terence Hurson expressed that the police department has always had a positive relationship with the Jewish community. Were here tonight and we will continue to be here as we look forward to a peaceful resolution to this situation, he said. As the event wound down, Mirocznik offered up a prayer: For all those who harbor evil in their hearts, recognize the error in their ways, and may they use that negative energy as a positivity to help make this world a better place for all. Council of Jewish Organizations Staten Island (COJO) President Mendy Mirocnzik was joined by NYPD Chief Terence Hurson at the Jewish Community Center in Sea View during a town hall to address antisemitism on Monday, June 24, 2024. (Courtesy of Debra Killen/COJO)COJO STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Mayor Eric Adams wants changes to the citys governing document, but if turnout at a Monday night event in St. George is any indication, Big Apple residents are seemingly uninterested. A sparse crowd made up mostly of city workers filled Curtis High Schools auditorium for the sixth meeting of the Charter Revision Commission, while several other attendees joined the hearing virtually. Adams convened the Commission in May to review the City Charter, the document that establishes the workings of local government. Low turnout at public input meetings has been a theme for the body tasked with reviewing the City Charter and composing ballot questions New Yorkers will have the chance to vote on in the November election. Former State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), a senior advisor at City Hall and executive director of the commission, tied the low turnout to changes post-pandemic. She also said the commission has seen a greater desire from people to participate virtually. Its hard to get people to come out now and participate. Whether its in things like public forums, whether its community board meetings, or even in voting, she said. The pandemic changed the way people participate in their communities and people arent going back. While this is the first Charter Revision Commission of Adams administration, they arent entirely uncommon with six held since 2000, including one specifically focused on racial justice that former Mayor Bill de Blasio convened in 2021. Most of the people who testified virtually Monday, including Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens), spoke in favor of having a vote on local sanctuary city policies, which precludes law enforcement cooperation with the federal government on immigration issues. The City Councils most conservative members, including Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore) and Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island/South Brooklyn), have been pushing for an end to local sanctuary city policies. In person, five people testified. One wanted to know more about Adams City of Yes initiative, which isnt under the Revision Commissions purview, and four others local Democratic Party Chair Laura Sword, College of Staten Island professor Richard Flanagan, radio host and political activist Frank Morano and Al Wacker testified about possible changes to the municipal voting. City voters approved ranked choice voting in 2019 following a prior charter revision commission. In 2021, local residents had their first experience with the system that allows voters to rank up to five candidates in municipal primary and special elections. It received mixed reviews, particularly from the citys political class. People who testified Monday night and members of the Commission including former Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), the only Staten Islander on the Commission expressed desire for further change to the electoral system, but its unlikely to occur under this Commission Earlier Monday, only a few hours before the meeting, the Commission released a preliminary staff report with four subject matters of focus fiscal responsibility, public safety, minority-and-woman-owned business enterprises, and modernization of city government. The report included a specific recommendation to defer electoral changes to a later revision commission. According to a press release from the Commission, their initial report was based on 80 pieces of testimony from New Yorkers and 1,400 written comments in a city of more than 8 million people. The release of Mondays report drew swift backlash from some of Adams political opponents, including City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) who is in something of a power struggle with the mayor and is engaged with the administration in the annual city budget. [The] Commission has shown a lack of understanding of the legislative process, the charter, and the law, or is intentionally failing to provide the public with total clarity, she said. This is a poorly constructed attempt to attack the City Council and its oversight of the executive branch, seeking to undermine representative democracy at a time when the Council is fighting to protect New Yorkers from the mayors excessive budget cuts. The lack of independence of this showing has been disappointing, and has made a mockery of a very serious process. Before he started a company 15 years ago selling the worlds smelliest fruit, Eric Chan had a well-paying job writing code for satellites and robots. His family and friends were puzzled when he made the career change. The fruit, durian, has long been a cherished part of local cultures in South-East Asia, where it is grown in abundance. A single durian is typically the size of a rugby ball and can emit an odour so powerful that it is banned from most hotels. When Chan began his start-up in his native Malaysia, durians were cheap and often sold from the back of trucks. Eric Chan had a well-paying job writing code for satellites and robots before he started a company 15 years ago selling durian. He is now a millionaire. Credit: NYT Then China acquired a taste for durian in a very big way. Last year, the value of durian exports from South-East Asia to China was $US6.7 billion ($10.1 billion), a twelvefold increase from $US550 million in 2017. China buys virtually all the worlds exported durians, according to United Nations data. The biggest exporting country by far is Thailand; Malaysia and Vietnam are the other top sellers. For a group of parliamentarians affectionately known as the Facebook uncle caucus owing to their stentorian views on vaccines, gender pronouns, nu-cu-lar power and those dang pesky Greens Tuesday seemed like a visit from the King. Ralph Babet and Barnaby Joyce are Tucker Carlson fans. Credit: John Shakespeare The royalty in question was Tucker Carlson, the former Trumpian star of Fox News (before he defected to streaming content on social media platform X). The Tuck had stopped off in Canberra in the midst of his Australian tour bankrolled by billionaire mining magnate and part-time political agitator Clive Palmer. Thus far, Carlsons Freedom Tour has been a bit of a flop. With Palmer and friends struggling to get bums on seats, some ticket prices were slashed to as little as $50. Big Clive himself was stricken with laryngitis and unable to join in the fun at Mondays event in Perth. But he was a big hit in Canberra, selling out a lunchtime event at Canberras Hyatt Hotel, a stones throw from Parliament House. The United Australia Party moneybags was again too ill to attend, but instead his $110 million Victorian senator Ralph Babet had the honour of introducing Carlson. When Chilean national Valentina Olivares arrived in Sydney in 2016 as an international student, the reality of life in Australia was far from the rosy picture painted by migration agents. She had to work cash-in-hand jobs and didnt realise she had any employment rights. Then there was the struggle to find liveable accommodation, dealing with bullying landlords and dodgy share houses. Valentina Olivares, a Chilean international student. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone The agents say they will support students to find a job and say they have a list of employers with many jobs waiting with good salaries, she said. But this is not the reality. People are misled, there is misinformation. A new report from the Migrant Workers Centre has found significant problems with migration and education agents practices, which are often marred by high costs, low standards of professionalism and incorrect advice. Jarryd Hayne will not face a fourth trial over the alleged sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman in her Newcastle home on the night of the 2018 NRL Grand Final. In a statement on Tuesday evening, the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said: Having carefully considered the many competing factors that inform the assessment of the public interest in this case, the ODPP has determined not to proceed to a fourth trial against Mr Hayne. The decision was made in accordance with the Prosecution Guidelines. As the reasons for the decision are legally privileged, they will not be disclosed and the ODPP will not comment further. Jarryd Hayne outside the NSW District Court last year. Credit: Nikki Short Haynes sexual assault convictions were quashed by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal on June 12 in a majority 2-1 decision, which found a miscarriage of justice had occurred at his third trial. Hayne was released on bail that afternoon from Mary Wade Correctional Centre in Lidcombe, after spending more than a year behind bars. Risky synthetic stimulants have been found in samples people thought were ecstasy and cocaine at Brisbanes fixed-site drug-checking facility in its first month of operation. CheQpoint opened on April 19 in inner-city Bowen Hills, making Queensland the first state in Australia to legalise free and confidential checking of illegal drugs. In its first month, 80 substances were submitted for testing by 37 people. The results of the first month of Brisbanes fixed-site pill testing service can be revealed. Credit: Tracey Nearmy/ Getty Images One of the ecstasy samples tested not only contained MDMA but 4-CMC, a synthetic cathinone or fake ecstasy, described by The Loop drug checking service in the UK as up to twice as strong as MDMA. Guilty of murdering Clay. If the air pressure had expanded with expectation, it expelled itself at the delivery of these short, sharp words. A sort of dazed lassitude settled upon those gathered on the floor of the court and in the public gallery above, as if time were needed to absorb the contrasting judgments. Neither immediate relief nor much disbelief registered on those most affected. Lynn looked straight ahead, as impassive as hed appeared on every long day of his trial, now no longer the accused, but a convicted murderer. His son, Geordie, seated barely two metres away from his father, dropped his head and shook it a little from side to side for a moment, but otherwise offered no emotion. One of Hills daughters, Colleen Turnbull, seated maybe a metre behind the murderers son, looked at her hands, but allowed no display of passion, either. Russell Hill and Carol Clay were a couple in their youth and rekindled their relationship years later. Murder trials are frequent enough that some of them pass without causing more than a few paragraphs to appear on a website or a short item on the TV news, accompanied by pictures of lawyers in the street and the tears or words of condemnation and that much-used term, closure, from a victims family. But the Wonnangatta camper deaths was a mystery that morphed into a trial that transfixed Victorians, small squadrons of journalists reporting long tracts of evidence, camera crews camped day after day on the steps of the great pile of bricks arranged in the classical revival style that is the Victorian Supreme Court building. A major trial like this strips all veneer of privacy from both accused and victims and often enough, the dignity and illusions of the innocent who love them. This one had so much too much, perhaps of the elements that fire the human imagination. Russell Hills daughter, Colleen Turnbull, outside court in May. Credit: Wayne Taylor Secret love. Violent deaths. Inexplicable disappearance in a faraway mountain valley eventually explained as a near unthinkable act: the remains of two bodies burnt to cinders by the man who insisted their deaths were accidental, but who has been found now to have murdered one of them. The mortal story of the two dead campers excited headlines for uncompromising days. Hill, 74, and Clay, 73, were lovers in their youth, it emerged, and the relationship was rekindled years ago, though both were married by then to different people. Russell Hills wife, Robyn, outside court in May. Credit: Joe Armao Clay left her husband, but Hill, whod initially introduced Clay to his wife, Robyn, as his cousin, couldnt find it within himself to dissolve his marriage. Robyn Hill, frail but stoic, told the court last month that she had thought the affair was over. Shed packed her husbands medication and a few drinks for him on the day he left for his camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley not knowing he was to be joined by Clay. He was happy, Robyn Hill told the court. He liked going up there. Its a lovely place. And in that lovely place, unknowable violence occurred and Hill and Clay vanished forever. Even with the verdicts, we are left to ponder precisely what happened up there in the High Country in the early autumn four years ago. Only Gregory Lynn, self-described hunter since the age of 16, knows for certain. He is the only witness living. He admits he burnt and wiped away the evidence horrendous, he called the scene of what occurred at Bucks Camp. Loading Months later, he returned to the place where hed hidden the dead pair and spent an entire night stirring the embers of a fire in the remote alpine bush to ensure nothing but ash remained of their bodies. All along, from the interview he gave police after they arrested him in November 2021 until the end of his trial, Lynn, 57, maintained the deaths of Hill and Clay were dreadful accidents. His shotgun discharged when an argument with Hill over a drone escalated to a struggle, he upheld, and Clay died of the shotgun blast to her head. Hill then came at him with a knife, and the blade penetrated the older mans chest when they fell. As to why he had destroyed the evidence, Lynn said he wanted to get on with his life and leave the events at Bucks Camp behind. His security clearance as an airline pilot, and thus his livelihood and his familys wellbeing, would be at risk if a death associated with his shotgun was revealed. A police crime scene photo of Bucks Camp in the remote Wonnangatta Valley. And he worried that his membership of two sporting shooters clubs, gained only recently, would evaporate, too. His only crimes, he told the court, were disposing of evidence and the improper storage of a firearm. Nonsense, the prosecution insisted. Hill was killed first and Lynn killed Clay because she was witness to Hills murder, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu said. Reporters and camera crews outside the Supreme Court last week, as the jury deliberated. Credit: Eddie Jim But without bodies to be studied forensically, the prosecution had an uphill battle to prove its charge of murderous intent. Be careful of Lynns account, Porceddu urged the jury when considering the lack of forensic evidence, because it was Lynn who was responsible for its destruction. His account was nothing but an elaborate fiction, the prosecutor said. Lynns defence barrister, Dermot Dann, KC, calculated how many answers Lynn gave in his police interview, and reached for a courtroom flourish that, bizarrely, channelled former treasurer Paul Keatings enthusiasm for the national accounts in December 1989. Lynn had supplied, Dann said, 1057 pieces of information. Zero lies. They are truly a beautiful set of numbers. No one was unkind enough to mention in court that a year after Keating released his beautiful numbers, Australias economy slid into what he called the recession we had to have. And now, after long days of what the judge said had surely been difficult deliberations, the jury has unravelled Gregory Lynns story. A Defence official sought a bottle of champagne from defence giant Thales during discussions over the possible supply of vital explosives and munitions, a scathing auditor-generals report into a $1.2 billion contract has revealed. The official, who supplied internal Defence Department advice to the company that ultimately won the contract despite its response to the tender being found not to offer taxpayers value for money, would later take up a senior position with Thales. A Defence official sought a bottle of champagne while negotiating a billion-dollar munitions contract. Credit: Istock The auditor-general found the department had been only partly effective in managing the contract signed in 2020, noting evidence of unethical conduct. Australias Defence Force relies on explosives and propellants from a single plant based at Mulwala on the NSW-Victoria border. Some of these are supplied to a munitions factory at Benalla, about 100 kilometres to the south of Mulwala. Both have been operated by Thales since 1999. Labor senator Fatima Payman has become the partys first member to cross the floor in decades after she voted with the Greens to recognise Palestinian statehood in a vote on Tuesday. The federal government moved quickly to quell expectations the WA senator would be expelled from Labor, despite the fact MPs have previously been thrown out for not toeing the party line. Payman, a first-term senator, said she was proud she had upheld her convictions, although she was bitterly disappointed her Labor colleagues had not joined her. Labor senator Fatima Payman crossed the floor to vote with the Greens to recognise Palestinian statehood. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen My decision to cross the floor was the most difficult decision I have had to make, and although each step I took across the Senate floor felt like a mile, I know I did not walk these steps by myself, and I know I did not walk them alone, Payman said during a snap press conference held minutes after the vote. I walked with the people of Palestine, for the 40,000 killed, for the hungry and scared boys and girls who now walk alone without their parents, and for the brave men and women who have to walk alone without their children. I walked for humanity. I am proud of what I did today, and Im bitterly disappointed that my colleagues do not feel the same way. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on June 25, 2024. The Central Committee meeting, which was adjourned on June 17, 2024, will be reconvened on Tuesday at 10:00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be present. The agenda point is: Discussion on the state of affairs and potential solutions at the utility company NV G.E.B.E. (IS/800/2023-2024 dated June 11, 2024) Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Honorable Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Lyndon Lewis, accompanied by his delegation in the Hague, the Netherlands, held an introductory meeting with representatives from the Halt Het Alternative (The alternative) foundation, Ms. Linde de Klein and Ms. Esther Cornelissen. This meeting provided valuable insight into the broad scope and impactful work of the Halt Foundation. Halt is a well-established system, operational for over 40 years, dedicated to monitoring youth during their early stages with regard to minor criminal offenses. This includes young people aged 12 to 18 who are guilty of vandalism, mischief, petty theft, or violation of the Compulsory Education Act, which can be referred to the Halt Foundation. Their objective approach and commitment to spreading awareness throughout the Dutch Kingdom have made significant contributions to youth development and delinquency prevention. Minister Lewis expressed his satisfaction with the meeting and conveyed his keen interest in collaborating with the foundation. He aims to incorporate a similar system in St. Maarten to support and monitor the youth, thereby fostering a safer and more supportive community. Minister Lewis looks forward to future collaborations and the positive impact such initiatives will bring to the youth of St. Maarten. PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday announced that he has decided to distance himself from the URSM/DP/PFP/ NOW government's approach to handling NV GEBEs crisis. The NOW leader said he does not support the solutions presented by NV GEBE simply because he does not trust the company and its Temporary Manager, Troy Washington. Emmanuel also made it clear that he did not promise anyone he would not politicize the crisis NV GEBE is facing; he said he would politicize the matter to every extent. Emmanuel asked the chair of parliament and the Prime Minister of St. Maarten, Dr. Luc Mercelina, several questions regarding the proposals they submitted to parliament on Tuesday. He wanted to know what financial statements NV GEBE provided to the government since their statements for the years 2020 to 2023 have not yet been finalized. He also asked the Prime Minister about the exclusive Memorandum of Understanding signed with NV GEBE and the grid market that was leaked to certain coalition members. He asked the Prime Minister if he believed the responses provided to him by NV GEBE since the people of St. Maarten would only see relief until the end of July 2024. He also asked the Prime Minister if he saw the proposals supervised by EnergyNautics. Emmanuel made it clear to Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina that he should have dismissed the Supervisory Board of NV GEBE and its Temporary Manager Troy Washington, but that has not been done to date. Emmanuel said this is an election year, and the NV GEBE crisis will fall on the current coalition since they are responsible for finding a solution. Even though Emmanuel is not part of NV GEBE's management board, he could present all the figures from NV GEBEs bank accounts. He asked where GEBE would get the financing from since the government-owned company's accounts do not have liquidity. Former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament Silveria Jacobs also called out parliament for leaking confidential documents relating to GridMarket's MOU, which were leaked to some members of parliament supporting the current 2x4 coalition government. Jacobs said that at least one Member of Parliament confessed to her that he received the MOU prior to Tuesdays meeting, thus allowing him to prepare for it through the documents leaked to him. Jacobs warned the chair of parliament about cherry-picking who gets confidential information and who does not. The leader of the United Peoples Party, MP Omar Ottley, also shared the same sentiments about the documents that were shared with MPs supporting the government, not all 15 MPs of the Parliament of St. Maarten. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina did clarify that he did not leak any confidential documents. Still, the documents were sent Tuesday morning so that they could be shared with all members of parliament. Workers embrace AI and prioritise skills growth amid rising workloads and an accelerating pace of change: PwC 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey Almost half (45%) of workers say their workload has increased significantly in the past year, as almost two-thirds (62%) say the pace of change at work has increased over the same time More than one-quarter (28%) say they are very or extremely likely to switch employer in the next 12 months a higher proportion than during the Great Resignation (19%) in 2022 Employees prioritise skills-growth: fewer than half (46%) strongly or moderately agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills. This is particularly important for workers considering leaving: two-thirds (67%) say opportunities to learn new skills are a key factor in any decision to job-switch More than 80% of workers who use generative AI daily expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months. Half (49%) of all users expect it to lead to higher salaries Cost-of-living pressures ease slightly: the proportion of workers with money left over each month rises to 45% (compared to 38% in 2023). However, 52% say they are still financially stressed Among more than 56,000 workers across 50 countries and territories, many say they are prioritising long-term skills growth to accelerate their careers amid rising workloads and heightened workplace uncertainty, according to PwC s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, published today. In the last 12 months, workers say they have experienced rising workloads (45%) and an accelerating pace of workplace change. Nearly two-thirds (62%) say they have experienced more change at work in the past year than the 12 months prior, with two-fifths (40%) noting their daily responsibilities have changed to a large or very large extent. Almost half (44%) don t understand the purpose of changes taking place. In the midst of this growing mix of employee pressures, the findings suggest workers are alert to opportunities elsewhere, and are highly focused on skills growth and embracing AI. More than one-quarter (28%) say they are likely to switch employer in the next 12 months, a percentage far higher than during the Great Resignation (19%) of 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of those considering moving say skills is an important factor in their decision to stay with their current employer or switch to a new one. Carol Stubbings, Global Markets and Tax & Legal Services (TLS) Leader, PwC UK, said: As workers face heightened uncertainty, rising workloads and continue to face financial stress, they are prioritising skills growth and embracing new and emerging technologies such as GenAI to turbocharge their growth and accelerate their careers. The findings suggest that job satisfaction is no longer enough. Employees are placing an increased premium on skills growth in a climate characterised by constant technological change. Employers must ensure they are investing in their employees and technological platforms to mitigate employee pressures and retain the brightest talent. Workers embrace AI to ease workplace pressures and unlock personal growth As employees face heightened workplace pressures, they are also turning to new and emerging technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) to help. Among those employees who use GenAI daily, 82% expect it to make their time at work more efficient in the next 12 months. Employees are also optimistic about opportunities for GenAI to support their growth. Half (49%) of all users expect GenAI to lead to higher salaries an expectation that s even higher (76%) among employees who use the technology daily. More than 70% of users agree that GenAI tools will create opportunities to be more creative at work (73%) and improve the quality of their work (72%). The skills imperative Workers are placing an increased premium on skills growth to mitigate their concerns and accelerate their careers. Employees who say they are likely to switch employers in the next 12 months are nearly twice as likely to strongly consider upskilling in that decision than workers planning to stay (67% vs. 36%). This comes as fewer than half (46%) of all employees moderately or strongly agree that their employer provides adequate opportunities to learn new skills that will be helpful to their careers. Employees who are likely to leave in the next year may be more attuned to skills changes that are needed than the general workforce, with 51% moderately or strongly agreeing that the skills their job requires will change in the next five years (vs. 29% of those unlikely to change employer). There is particular interest in the impact of AI on skills development, with 76% of all users expecting it to create opportunities to learn new skills at work. However, employers will need to invest heavily in new and emerging technology training and access. Among employees who have not used GenAI at work in the last 12 months, one-third (33%) don t think there are opportunities to use the technology in their line of work, while 24% don t have access to the tools at work, and 23% don t know how to use the tools. Despite the pace of change, there are also signs of optimism and engagement at work. 60% of workers expressed at least moderate job satisfaction (up from 56% in 2023) while more than half (57%) of employees who view fair pay as important agree that their job is fairly paid. Cost-of-living pressures have slightly eased since 2023 (the proportion of workers with money left over each month has risen to 45%, up from 38%). However, more than half (52%) say they are still financially stressed to some degree. Pete Brown, Global Workforce Leader, PwC UK, said: Technology is fundamentally transforming the way work gets done and the types of skills employers are looking for. Employees are therefore placing an increased premium on organisations that invest in their skills growth so that they can stay relevant and thrive in a digital world. Businesses in turn must be proactive in their upskilling programs prioritising the employee experience and being transparent. Because when you meaningfully engage your workforce, they become an accelerant for successful transformation. Notes to Editors: About the Survey In March 2024, PwC surveyed 56,600 individuals across 50 countries and territories who are in work or active in the labour market. The sample was designed to reflect a range of industries, demographic characteristics and working patterns. You can read the full report on pwc.com. About PwC 2024 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. Contact: Imran Javaid, Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, PwC UK: imran.javaid@pwc.com Dan Barabas, Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, PwC UK: dan.barabas@pwc.com Logo https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1121790/PWC_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/workers-embrace-ai-and-prioritise-skills-growth-amid-rising-workloads-and-an-accelerating-pace-of-change-pwc-2024-global-workforce-hopesfears-survey-302180793.html Contact: dan.barabas@pwc.com; +44 (0) 7483 385703 ; Imran Javid, Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, PwC UK: imran.javaid@pwc.com; +44 (0) 7483344407 Original-Content von: PwC, ubermittelt durch news aktuell Foreign diplomats tour Beirut airport after weapons claims Beirut, June 24 (AFP) Jun 24, 2024 Senior Lebanese officials on Monday defended procedures at Beirut airport during a tour for journalists and diplomats, a day after a British daily alleged Hezbollah was storing weapons at the facility. The accusations came during escalating exchanges of fire and bellicose rhetoric between Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and Israeli forces, which have engaged in near-daily fire since war in Gaza began. Hezbollah has been acting in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas since the militant group's October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war. On Sunday, British daily The Telegraph reported that Hezbollah was storing missiles and rockets at Beirut airport, where "whistleblowers" had reported the arrival of "unusually big boxes" from Iran. Hezbollah has not made any official comment. "The airport adheres to international standards," said Transport Minister Ali Hamieh, who led the visit together with Lebanon's ministers for foreign affairs, tourism and information. Representatives from foreign missions including Egypt, Germany and the European Union delegation joined the tour of the airport's warehouse facilities. Hamieh on Sunday held a press conference to reject The Telegraph report as false and "to say that there are no weapons entering or leaving Beirut." He invited ambassadors and reporters for the tour. At the airport, Hamieh described The Telegraph report as part of "psychological war" on Lebanon and said it was a "distortion of the reputation" of Lebanon's only international airport. The tour "included an import and export centre... that accounts for 20 percent of the import traffic and is concerned with services for Iranian planes which were the subject of The Telegraph report", Hamieh said. Another warehouse accounted for the remaining 80 percent of imports and exports, he told a press conference. - 'Lies' - Israel has for years accused Hezbollah of keeping weapons in installations throughout Lebanon, including near Beirut airport, an accusation Hezbollah has denied. Israel bombed Beirut airport when it last went to war with Hezbollah in 2006. The airport's manager, Fadi El-Hassan, said all aircraft arriving at the facility, including Iranian planes, "are subject to the same customs procedures". Egyptian ambassador Alaa Moussa said that while diplomats were not responsible for inspecting the airport for prohibited items, "our presence (at the tour) is a message of support" to Lebanon and "a message to all parties that what is needed... is calm". The United States, Israel's key ally, said its ambassador did not attend the tour of the Beirut airport but that Washington had been in touch with Lebanese authorities over the allegations in the Telegraph article. "We've seen the statement from the government of Lebanon that the report's not grounded in fact. We take these issues extremely seriously and monitor them very closely," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, without offering a US assessment on whether the report was accurate. More than eight months of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have left at least 481 people dead in Lebanon, mostly fighters, but also including 94 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north. Housewife Rola Qassem, aged around 50, who had just arrived from Ivory Coast to spend summer in south Lebanon with her family, said she didn't believe the reports of weapons being stored at the airport. "It's all lies so that people are afraid to go to Lebanon, to stop tourism," she told AFP. Philippines eyes China talks after violent sea clash Manila, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 The Philippines is eyeing talks with China to discuss a violent clash last week between their sailors in the South China Sea, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Tuesday. Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a June 17 Filipino navy attempt to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship that sits atop Second Thomas Shoal. It was the latest and most serious incident in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to nearly all of the strategically located waterway. Manila hopes to convene the Philippines-China Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in early July "specifically to discuss the recent incidents," Manalo told a Philippine senate public hearing on the confrontation. "We still believe in the primacy of dialogue, and diplomacy should prevail even in the face of these serious incidents, though I admit it's also a challenge," Manalo said. A Filipino soldier lost a finger in the clash, with Manila also accusing the Chinese coast guard of looting guns and damaging three boats as well as navigational and communication equipment. Beijing insisted its coast guard behaved in a "professional and restrained" way and blamed Manila for the clash. In previous confrontations, Chinese forces have used water cannon and military-grade lasers and collided with Filipino resupply vessels and their escorts. The two countries launched the consultative mechanism in 2017 to promote the peaceful management of conflicts in the South China Sea. Manalo said the proposed July meeting will look to establish "confidence-building measures" that can create the basis for "more serious discussions". The two sides convened a working group last week to prepare for the meeting, Manalo said. Following the clash, Manalo said his office had approached China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy in the country. "We sternly communicated to our counterparts that (it) was really incomprehensible how the delivery of basic necessities to our troops... could be considered a provocation that would justify an increased level of Chinese actions," he said. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters around the shoal and has turned several reefs into artificial militarised islands. Gaza civil defence says Israeli strike kills 10 relatives of Hamas chief Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 The Gaza civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike early on Tuesday killed 10 members of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's family, in an attack the Israeli military did not immediately confirm. The strike hit the Haniyeh family home in Al-Shati refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, said Mahmud Basal, spokesman for the Hamas-ruled territory's civil defence. "There are 10 martyrs... as a result of the strike, including Zahr Haniyeh, sister of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh," Basal told AFP. He said a number of bodies were likely still under the rubble but "we do not have the necessary equipment" to extract them. Civil defence crews transferred the bodies to Al-Ahli hospital in nearby Gaza City, Basal added, also reporting "several wounded" in the attack. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it "was aware of the reports but we cannot confirm" them. Haniyeh, Hamas's Qatar-based political leader, lost three sons and four grandchildren in an Israeli strike in April in central Gaza, with the military accusing them of "terrorist activities". Haniyeh at the time said that about 60 members of his family had been killed since the Palestinian militant group's war with Israel broke out on October 7. The war began after Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's blistering air, land and sea campaign since then has killed at least 37,626 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. Israel top court rules army must draft ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students Jerusalem, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 Israel's top court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to military service, a decision that could upend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition. The High Court of Justice's decision on the politically volatile issue came amid growing calls that ultra-Orthodox men, who have historically been granted sweeping exemptions from mandatory service, join the ranks as Israel wages an ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and prepares for potential fighting in Lebanon. "The executive branch has no authority to order not to enforce the Security Service Law for yeshiva students in the absence of an appropriate legislative framework", the court said. Without a law granting exemptions to students at Jewish seminaries, "the state must act to enforce the law," the justices said in the ruling. They also ordered state to cease funding for yeshivas whose students dodge military service. The court's ruling was a response to several petitions by civil society groups calling for mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Jewish Israeli men are generally required to perform military service, which is widely considered a cornerstone of civic duty. Religious women are exempt by law. The ultra-Orthodox community, whose political representatives are part of Netanyahu's government, has long received exemptions, allowing men to study in religious seminaries which they regard as critical to preserving the nation's Jewish identity. These exemptions, which successive governments have failed to regulate in legislation, have been a source of growing political friction for decades. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment toppled a previous Netanyahu-led coalition government in 2018, precipitating years of political deadlock. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been deployed to Gaza, the occupied West Bank and along the northern border with Lebanon since the outbreak of war with Hamas on October 7. A growing chorus of Israelis have called for ultra-Orthodox men to share "an equal burden" in military service. Netanyahu heads a coalition comprised of two ultra-Orthodox parties, who have vehemently opposed military draft for yeshiva student, as well as religious ultranationalist factions. The court's ruling could undermine the stability of Netanyahu's government, whose members have been at loggerheads over the issue. Ultra-Orthodox politician Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of the United Torah Judaism party and housing minister in Netanyahu's cabinet, condemned "an expected but very unfortunate and disappointing decision". "The State of Israel was founded in order to be the home of the Jewish people, for whom the Torah is its bedrock. The holy Torah will be victorious," he said on social media platform X. Opposition lawmakers welcomed the ruling. Labor party chairman Yair Golan said on X that the court issued "a just decision" and that national service should be required "of every young Israeli man and woman, without difference of religion, race or sex". ibz/jd/ami Israel top court rules army must draft ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students Jerusalem, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 Israel's top court unanimously ruled Tuesday that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to military service, a decision that could upend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition. The High Court of Justice's decision on the politically volatile issue came amid growing calls that ultra-Orthodox men, who have historically been granted sweeping exemptions from mandatory service, join the ranks as Israel wages an ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and prepares for potential fighting in Lebanon. "The executive branch has no authority to order not to enforce the Security Service Law for yeshiva students in the absence of an appropriate legislative framework", the court said. Without a law granting exemptions to students at Jewish seminaries, "the state must act to enforce the law," the justices said in the ruling. They also ordered state to cease funding for yeshivas whose students dodge military service. The court's ruling was a response to several petitions by civil society groups calling for mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, known in Hebrew as Haredim, adhere to a strict interpretation of Jewish custom and largely live in insular communities in Israel and elsewhere. They make up around 13 percent of Israel's nearly 10 million citizens, according to the country's statistics bureau. Jewish Israeli men are generally required to perform military service, which is widely considered a cornerstone of civic duty. Religious women are exempt by law. The ultra-Orthodox community, whose political representatives are part of Netanyahu's government, has long received exemptions, allowing men to study in religious seminaries which they regard as critical to preserving the nation's Jewish identity. These exemptions, which successive governments have failed to regulate in legislation, have been a source of growing political friction for decades. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment toppled a previous Netanyahu-led coalition government in 2018, precipitating years of political deadlock. A growing chorus of Israelis have called for ultra-Orthodox men to share "an equal burden" in military service since the outbreak of war with Hamas on October 7. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been deployed since then to Gaza, the occupied West Bank and along the northern border with Lebanon. - Divided coalition - Netanyahu heads a coalition comprised of two ultra-Orthodox parties, who have vehemently opposed military draft for yeshiva students, and religious ultranationalist factions. The court's ruling could undermine the stability of Netanyahu's government, whose members are divided over the issue. Netanyahu's Likud party said in a statement the solution to the draft issue was a bill revived earlier this month that would set benchmarks for increasing ultra-Orthodox enlistment. "It's surprising that the High Court of Justice, which has avoided forcing the enlistment of yeshiva students with a decision for 76 years does it especially now, on the eve of completing the historic draft bill," said the party, which last year sought to curb some of the court's powers in a reform package that triggered mass protests. Israel was founded 76 years ago. Critics say the bill, which is still being debated in parliament and awaits two more votes to become law, falls short of the military's personnel demands since October 7. Some members of Netanyahu's party said they would vote against the draft bill in its current form. Ultra-Orthodox politician Yitzhak Goldknopf, United Torah Judaism party leader and housing minister in Netanyahu's cabinet, condemned "an expected but very unfortunate and disappointing decision". "The State of Israel was founded in order to be the home of the Jewish people, for whom the Torah is its bedrock. The holy Torah will be victorious," he said on social media platform X. Opposition lawmakers welcomed the ruling. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the court's decision meant "no more exemptions for Haredim", calling on the defence ministry "to uphold the law and issue tens of thousands of draft orders for young Haredi men who evaded military service until now". Labor party chairman Yair Golan said on X that the court issued "a just decision" and that national service should be required "of every young Israeli man and woman, without difference of religion, race or sex". ibz/jd/ami Israel top court rules ultra-Orthodox men must serve in army Jerusalem, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 Israel's top court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into military service, potentially destabilising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition. The High Court of Justice's decision on the politically charged issue comes as calls grow for ultra-Orthodox men, historically exempt from mandatory service, to enlist as Israel wages war on Hamas in Gaza and prepares for potential fighting in Lebanon. "The executive branch has no authority to order not to enforce the Security Service Law for yeshiva students in the absence of an appropriate legislative framework", the court said. The justices ruled that without a law granting exemptions to students at Jewish seminaries, "the state must act to enforce the law". They also ordered the state to stop funding yeshivas whose students evade military service. The court's ruling was a response to petitions from civil society groups advocating mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. Ultra-Orthodox Jews adhere to a strict interpretation of Jewish custom and largely live in insular communities in Israel and elsewhere. They make up about 13 percent of Israel's nearly 10 million population. In Israel, military service is mandatory for Jewish men while religious women are exempt. The ultra-Orthodox community, represented in Netanyahu's government, has historically received exemptions for men to study in religious seminaries, viewed as crucial to preserving Israel's Jewish identity. The lack of legislative regulation for these exemptions has been a source of political tension for decades in Israel. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment led to the collapse of a previous Netanyahu-led coalition government in 2018, sparking years of political deadlock. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been deployed since October 7 to Gaza, the occupied West Bank and along the northern border with Lebanon. - Divided coalition - Netanyahu heads a coalition comprised of two ultra-Orthodox parties vehemently opposed to a military draft for yeshiva students, along with religious ultranationalist factions. The court's ruling could undermine the stability of Netanyahu's government, which is divided over the issue. Netanyahu's Likud party, which sought to limit the court's powers last year with a reform package that triggered protests, proposed a bill this month aimed at setting benchmarks for increasing ultra-Orthodox enlistment to resolve the draft issue. "It's surprising the High Court of Justice, which has avoided forcing the enlistment of yeshiva students with a decision for 76 years, does it especially now, on the eve of completing the historic draft bill," the party said in a statement. Critics say the bill, which has not yet passed committee and requires two parliamentary votes to become law, falls short of the military's personnel needs since October 7. Some members of Netanyahu's party have stated they will vote against the draft bill in its current form. Ultra-Orthodox politician Yitzhak Goldknopf, United Torah Judaism party leader and housing minister in Netanyahu's cabinet, condemned "an expected but very unfortunate and disappointing decision". But opposition lawmakers welcomed the ruling. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said it meant "no more exemptions", calling on the defence ministry "to uphold the law and issue tens of thousands of draft orders for young... men who evaded military service until now". Labor party chairman Yair Golan said on X that the court issued "a just decision". Gilad Malach, expert on the ultra-Orthodox community at the Israel Democracy Institute, said there could be a "large gap" between those eligible for conscription -- nearly 70,000 -- and those mobilised by the army. "It is possible that the army will issue orders to recruit all ultra-Orthodox candidates but in practice only a few thousand will be recruited this year," he said. "Although the ultra-Orthodox parties have no alternative to the current government, it is possible that they will resign so as not to contribute to the recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox." If they do, Netanyahu will lose his parliamentary majority with the two ultra-Orthodox parties holding 18 seats out of the Knesset's 120 available. ibz/jfx/jd/dv Iraqi Kurds detain suspected smugglers in deadly Italy sinking Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 Iraqi Kurdistan announced on Tuesday the arrest of four suspected human traffickers linked to the sinking of a sailboat off Italy's coast, leaving more than 30 people dead. More than 60 people were reported missing after the boat sank near southern Italy's Calabria region in mid-June, with 11 people rescued. According to non-governmental organisations and accounts from victims' families, the boat was carrying mostly Kurdish migrants from Iraq and Iran, along with Afghan families. "Four people considered to be leaders in human trafficking were arrested," the Asayish, security forces the northern Iraqi autonomous region, said in a statement. They gave only the initials of the four "suspected of being involved in the illegal travel of residents of the Kurdistan region to the Italian coast, which led to the sinking of their yacht". The four were arrested in the province of Sulaimaniyah, a security official told AFP, requesting anonymity. So far 36 bodies have been recovered by the authorities in Italy, according to the latest report on Tuesday, with ongoing efforts to locate those still missing from the boat that departed Turkey. In mid-May, Kurdistan authorities announced the arrest of a migrant smuggler nicknamed "Scorpion", wanted in several European countries. The International Organization for Migration says about 3,155 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean last year and more than 1,000 people have died or gone missing so far this year. The central Mediterranean migration route, on which Italy lies, is the deadliest in the world and represents 80 percent of the deaths on that sea. Thousands of migrants depart from Libya and Tunisia by boat towards Europe, with Italy often the first landing point. Twenty-one die in Niger attack: defence ministry Niamey, Niger, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 An armed group killed 20 troops and one civilian in jihadist-plagued western Niger on Tuesday, the defence ministry said, announcing three days of national mourning. "A coalition of terrorist armed groups" attacked security forces near the village of Tassia, leaving "21 martyrs including one civilian" and nine injured, the ministry announced in a statement on national television. It said "several dozen" of the assailants were killed and that aerial and ground reinforcements were being deployed to track down the rest of the attackers. Three days of national mourning will begin from Wednesday with flags lowered to half-mast, the ministry said, speaking of the security forces' "unshakeable determination" to "continue this fight for sovereignty". Tassia lies in the Tillaberi region bordering Mali and Burkina Faso where rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a bloody insurgency for almost a decade. * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. She had painted the dining room the same bright red colour as the dining room in Althorp. The Countess had overseen an infamous redecoration of the Spencer family seat, which she also opened to the public. Charles Spencer once described her chosen aesthetic as "the wedding cake vulgarity of a five-star hotel in Monaco. Addressing a human rights committee (Pace) of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the 52-year-old said: Justice for me now is precluded as the US government insisted in writing into its plea agreement that I cannot file a case at the European Court of Human Rights or even a Freedom of Information request over what it did to me as a result of its extradition request. Sir Ed, who was a carer as a teenager for his mother, and more recently for his disabled son, said: We are putting forward a bold and ambitious plan to make sure everyone can get the support they need people who need care, the amazing care workers who provide it, and the unpaid family carers who provide it too. He said in his acceptance speech: "If I'm honest I'm a little depressed by the fact that acknowledging that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it as long as they're not hurting anyone else should merit any kind of special award or special mention because it's common sense, isn't it? But he is not being investigated by the Gambling Commission because he staked the money earlier in the year, before the period covered by the watchdogs probe. Mr Stride defended his colleague, telling Times Radio: The important thing with Alister I think, is the fact the bet or bets or whatever it may have been that he placed did not occur in May. The SNP also wants the next UK government to at least match the 500 million already pledged by the Scottish Government for a transition fund for the north east of Scotland, where much of the UKs oil and gas industry is centred. The airline said that passengers due to travel between Wednesday June 26 and next Tuesday July 2 will continue to be given the option to change their flights for free, or to cancel their flight and claim a refund or voucher. Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin said: We do hope that the talks between Aer Lingus and Ialpa are substantive, and that they lead to a pathway to a resolution of the dispute and relieve the anxiety and stress that thousands and thousands of people are feeling at the moment in respect of proposed industrial action. I felt completely alone after the whole ordeal in court last week but to know I have so much support, I know I have so many people behind me, that people are so proud of me for speaking up about something that I think everybody can relate to and everybody is not happy about, its great to be able to use my voice and hopefully make a difference because thats why Im talking about this, she said on Virgin Medias Ireland AM. Cowell then went on to offer to buy the name from the lads, saying: "So if you're listening, I'll buy it back from you. But that's the only thing I do regret. If one of the band members, for whatever reason say they don't want to tour, it can stop the others touring, so if it was me who owned the name, it wouldn't be a problem." Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front-row taxi ride. The Melbourne mum was in disbelief at the actions of her neighbours which she caught sight of through her kitchen window. Fierce flames burning outside a family home this weekend sparked disbelief in a "quiet neighbourhood" after neighbours decided they didn't want their couch anymore and burned it. Aussie mum VonnieM* was in her Melbourne home making lasagne on Sunday evening when she spotted 10-foot tall flames burning extremely close to her home and a large tree nearby, casting a bright glow outside her windows. "We saw big flames just on the other side of our fence. [It was] very strange because they were so tall," she told Yahoo News. "My husband and I were concerned because it was close to the fence line and near a big tree... I think that's a little bit dangerous." She later learned the intense fire, which continued for the best part of 20 minutes, was started by her neighbours who simply decided to set their unwanted couch alight. The neighbours in question were standing beside the flames "keeping an eye on it", VonnieM said, and even answered questions when the mum asked what they were doing. "This doesnt normally happen, that's why it was such a shock... I have the craziest neighbours," she said. Hefty fines for residents who start fires without permit Permission to start backyard fires differs between council areas and states but in the northeast of Melbourne where this particular incident occurred, burning furniture in this way is illegal. "In accordance with Councils Local Law, we can issue permits to residents that allow them to burn off green waste, such as grass, tree branches and untreated wood," a Banyule City council spokesperson explained to Yahoo News. However, burning other items or burning green waste without a permit can result in a $400 fine. The council confirmed it is investigating the matter. *The woman requested Yahoo News refer to her as VonnieM. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A series of theatre and dance performances, concerts, films and meetings with artists will be included in the TNB Summer Season program, hosted, from mid-July to September, by the amphitheatre on the roof of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre in Bucharest (TNB). "When the city goes on vacation, we meet you on the roof of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre in Bucharest, at the open-air Amphitheatre, to open the summer season together! (...) Concerts, theatre and dance performances, collection films or the latest cinematographic productions, meetings with artists, will be able to be seen and experienced, this summer, under the starry sky of Bucharest, at the TNB Amphitheatre", reads a press release sent on Tuesday by TNB. Tickets for the events at the amphitheatre will be sold exclusively online, the July schedule being available on tnb.ro & billet.ro. The outdoor amphitheatre is a unique scene in Romania, a place located on the roof of the National Theatre, 24 meters above the University Square. Here, from mid-July to September, culture and artistic genres, diversity and summer (and cultural) debate meet under the sky of summer nights, right at km 0 of the capital city, in an exciting and varied nocturnal program. The deposits of residents of non-governmental clients increased in May 2024 by 0.5% compared to the previous month, to the level of 592.575 billion RON, and compared to the same period of the previous year they increased by 11% (5.6% in terms reals), informs the National Bank of Romania (BNR), through a press release. Deposits in RON of residents, with a weight of 70.7% in the total deposits of non-governmental clients, increased by 0.7% compared to April 2024, up to 418.806 billion RON. Compared to May 2023, they increased by 15.2% (9.6% in real terms). Household deposits in RON decreased by 0.1% compared to the previous month, up to 230.987 billion RON, and increased by 21.3% (15.4% in real terms) compared to the same period of the year previous. Deposits in RON of other sectors (non-financial companies and non-monetary financial institutions) increased by 1.7% (up to 187.818 billion RON) compared to the previous month, and compared to May 2023, it registered an increase of 8,5% (3.2% in real terms). Foreign currency deposits of residents, expressed in RON, representing 29.3% in the total volume of deposits of non-governmental clients, increased by 0.05% compared to April 2024, reaching the level of 173.769 billion RON (expressed in EUR, it increased by 0.03%, up to 34.916 billion euros). Compared to May 2023, the indicator expressed in RON increased by 2.0% (1.9%, if the indicator is expressed in EUR). Foreign currency deposits of households, expressed in RON, decreased by 0.2% compared to April 2024, up to 120.352 billion RON (similar evolution in the case of expressing the indicator in euros). Compared to the same period of 2023, the decrease of this indicator expressed in RON was 0.3% (-0.5%, if the indicator is expressed in euros). Foreign currency deposits of other sectors, expressed in RON, increased by 0.7% compared to April 2024, up to 53.417 billion RON (expressed in euros, it increased by 0.6%, up to 10.733 billion Of euro). Compared to May 2023, the indicator expressed in lei increased by 7.8% (7.7%, if the indicator is expressed in euros). The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) on Tuesday nullified the election for the position of mayor of Costinesti, Constanta County, and ordered a rerun for July 7. BEC accepted to take up a request for nullification of the Costinesti mayoral election filed by the Constanta chapter of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). "It is hereby nullifying the election for the position of mayor of Electoral Constituency number 29 Costinesti, Constanta County, held on June 9, 2024. Ordering a rerun on July 7, 2024 ," reads the BEC decision. In Costinesti, vote counting was repeated six times, and in the end the National Liberal Party (PNL) candidate was declared the winner to the detriment of the Social Democratic Party (PSD ) candidate, with a difference of one vote. The situation of the election at Costinesti was put back into discussion at BEC, after the request for nullification of the election at the Electoral Constituency no. 29 Costinesti, filed by PSD. In a petition submitted by the Costinesti District Electoral Bureau to BEC, several irregularities were mentioned, backed by supporting evidence, including the fact that two people, including a Ukrainian national, voted without having the right. A new Sikorsky S-70M "Black Hawk" helicopter for extinguishing wildfires in Europe will be operationalized by our country, following the signing of a purchase contract on Tuesday at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "We are witnessing an extremely important project, different from the project that was and through which seven Black Hawk helicopters have already arrived in Romania - six for emergency situations and one for the police. Here we are talking about a helicopter that will be coordinated at the European level by the European Civil Protection Mechanism - it is 100% funded by the European Union through which intervention equipment was contracted, and Romania is contracting the first RescEU helicopter that will be made available to the European Commission. This helicopter will be operated by General Aviation Inspectorate (IGAv) and will be located in Romania, but when needed it can be mobilized anywhere in the European space", the head of Emergency Department (DSU) Raed Arafat said on Tuesday. He added that RescEU projects have shown great efficiency in emergency situations and is one of the most successful measures that have been taken by the European Civil Protection, ensuring additional capacities when those available were insufficient. "Thus, the RescUE program is considered a 'last resort' program, it is used when other solutions can no longer work or are no longer sufficient", Arafat also said, who specified that the delivery of the helicopter will have place in a maximum of two years. The project is coordinated by the DSU and implemented in partnership with the General Aviation Inspectorate (IGAv), with the general objective of developing a capacity to extinguish forest fires, consisting in the purchase of a medium-heavy multi-role helicopter, within the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union. The Right Force will continue its "battle with the Social Democratic Party (PSD)" and will fight so that the PSD candidate will not win the presidential election, Right Force national leader Ludovic Orban said on Tuesday. "As far as the strategy for the presidential and parliamentary elections is concerned, the Right Force is a liberal, centre-right party, a party that continues the battle with PSD and that will fight with all its might to prevent a PSD candidate from winning the presidential election. It will continue to fight with all legal, constitutional and political weapons to ensure the success of a democratic candidate, a centre-right candidate, a candidate who will lead Romania in the right direction," Orban said. The National Council of the right-of-centre Right Force Party has mandated a negotiating team led by Orban to hold talks with centre-right political parties, first of all with the People's Movement Party (PMP), in an attempt to prevent the continuation of a PSD government. "We will also hold discussions with other parties from the centre-right pool to try to find a formula for the presidential and parliamentary elections, which will give us a chance to represent the Right Force and, in general, the political parties from the centre-right pool, in order to prevent the continuation of a government by the PSD," Ludovic Orban also said. Asked if he will also negotiate with the National Liberal Party (PNL), Orban said: "If they are willing to break out of their coalition with PSD. Obviously, we can start discussions even with PNL." He explained that the MPs of the Right Force were mandated to hold talks in order to initiate a motion of censure against the Ciolacu Government, given that there are serious misunderstandings in the coalition. "If PNL really wants to break away from PSD, it can participate in supporting and voting on a motion of censure that would lead to the fall of the Ciolacu government." The training ship "Mircea" will leave, on Wednesday, on a new international training march on the Mediterranean Sea, with students of the Naval Academy, for a period of 40 days, informs the General Staff of the Naval Forces. 86 students from the second year of the "Mircea cel Batran" Naval Academy from Constanta and eight foreign students from partner academies from five states will board the school ship. According to the quoted source, the training ship "Mircea" will depart from the Constanta military port, in this year's international training march of the students of the "Mircea cel Batran" Naval Academy. During the more than 40 days at sea, the sailing ship will cover approximately 3,400 nautical miles and will dock in the ports of Piraeus (Greece), Livorno (Italy), Toulon (France), Palermo (Italy) and Bodrum (Turkey). 86 second-year students from the Naval Academy, as well as eight foreign students from partner academies from Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Spain and Turkey, will train on board the ship, the symbol of the Romanian Naval Forces. "The young cadets will train under the supervision of the teaching staff from the Naval Academy 'Mircea cel Batran' and the instructors on board the ship. In addition to the mission of preparing the future Navy officers and inspectors from the structures of the Border Police, the school ship "Mircea " also has an important role of representation, the sailing ship being the Honorary Ambassador of Romania on the seas and oceans of the world, as well as the Ambassador of sustainable Romania," it is stated in a press release sent by the Romanian Naval Forces. The ship's departure ceremony will take place on June 26, starting at 10:00 hrs The sailboat will return to the Constanta military port at the beginning of August. As part of the 2026 edition of the International Theatre Festival (FITS), Sibiu will host the annual meeting of the most important European network of contemporary circus and outdoor arts, which will be attended by about 100 professionals, members of the Circostrada network "I am very happy to announce that in 2026 we will host the annual meeting of the Circostrada network for the first time in Sibiu. We will bring around 100 professionals, members of the network. They will be here to connect with the Romanian artistic and cultural scene, and also to meet artists from the region. We want to create a space where we can connect and develop new projects," says Stephane Segreto-Aguilar, coordinator of the Circostrada network. FITS has been part of the Circostrada network since 2022 and has quickly become one of the most involved members of the community. "It is an important moment for all the associated organisations of FITS. We think many years in advance about the development of strategic projects for Sibiu, Romania and the entire region. We are glad to be able to announce holding the meeting in 2026, when Sibiu is also an example of what it means to develop street performances through the arts, through all the departments starting from the Culture Factory, to the integration of all the spaces where shows are played at the moment. Year after year, we bring to life several spaces in Sibiu, from the Great Square, the Small Square, Huet Square, Habermann Square, Nicolae Balcescu Pedestrian Square and the parks of Sibiu. Let's not forget the important communities around Sibiu, the Saxon fortified churches and many other spaces. It is a great joy that we can organise such a meeting, which will become a central point of dialogue worldwide," says Constantin Chiriac, chairman of FITS and the Performing Arts Exchange. Circostrada, founded in 2003, is the main European network for contemporary circus and outdoors Arts, comprising 158 organisations from 45 countries. The network aims to initiate meaningful change in the performing arts and policy-making, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable cultural landscape, through participatory research labs, training initiatives, networking events and advocacy measures. Circostrada is coordinated by ARTCENA and supported b Three citizens from Sri Lanka were caught by the Arad border police while trying to leave the country hidden in cardboard boxes transported in a truck, the Romanian driver being investigated for migrant smuggling. The driver is 19 years old and was checked at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point, while driving a truck registered in our country in which, according to the documents accompanying the goods, cardboard boxes were being transported on the Romania-Hungary route. "Based on the risk profile, a detailed control of the means of transport was carried out, as a result of which the border police discovered, in the compartment intended for the transport of goods, in the cardboard boxes being transported, three foreign citizens. The persons in question were led at the headquarters of the border police sector for investigations. During the checks, our colleagues established that they are citizens from Sri Lanka, between the ages of 31 and 40, who entered Romania legally," the Arad Border Police informed on Tuesday. The driver is under criminal investigation for migrant smuggling and the foreigners are under investigation for attempting to fraudulently cross the state border. Julys concert schedule packs plenty of heavy hitters: Niall Horan, Phish, Luke Bryan, Alanis Morrissette, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maren Morris, Santana, AJR and others. But there are also a lot of terrific comedy shows happening, too, including Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show), Sarah Sherman (Saturday Night Live), Demetri Martin and Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall). You can laugh or rock out all month or both! Its your choice. Iron & Wine with Amythyst Kiah When: 8 p.m. July 6 8 p.m. July 6 Where: The Pageant, 6133 Delmar Boulevard The Pageant, 6133 Delmar Boulevard How much: $37.50-$47.50 $37.50-$47.50 More info: ticketmaster.com Sam Beam, once again dba Iron & Wine, has returned with a new album, Light Verse, his first in yikes, seven years. Light doesnt mean to imply happy, however, and the album is mostly mellow and melancholy. Get there early enough to catch opening act Amythyst Kiah a fine solo artist as well as a member of Our Native Daughters. Kiah recently released a new single, In the Pines, a treatment of the traditional folk tune. Jeezy When: 8 p.m. July 10 8 p.m. July 10 Where: The Pageant The Pageant How much: $65 and up $65 and up More info: ticketmaster.com Divorce, custody battles and nasty accusations are dominating headlines involving Jeezy these days, but this is the guy who titled his 2023 memoir Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. Kind of along the same lines, the Atlanta rappers latest album also from last year is titled I Might ForgiveBut I Dont Forget. Hmm. Niall Horan The Show Live on Tour When: 7:30 p.m. July 12 7:30 p.m. July 12 Where: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights How much: $22-$149 $22-$149 More info: livenation.com Niall Horans 2020 tour was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the former One Direction heartthrob has been making up for lost time for more than a year now touring behind his album The Show. Were happy his fans finally get to see him again, but youd better bring earplugs to this one; not to block out the music, but rather the high-decibel scream-singing of the Niallers. Its all in good fun, but tinnitus is real, people. Lake Street Dive Good Together Tour When: 8 p.m. July 16 8 p.m. July 16 Where: St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights St. Louis Music Park, 750 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights How much: $30-$75 $30-$75 More info: ticketmaster.com Lake Street Dives latest album, Good Together was only recently released, but early listens reveal its what weve come to expect from the group: impeccable musicianship, great lead vocals from Rachael Price, and well-constructed, tuneful material. For the first time, all of the band members got together to write the songs from scratch. Jordan Klepper Suffering Fools When: 8 p.m. July 20 8 p.m. July 20 Where: The Factory, 17105 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield The Factory, 17105 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield How much: $39-$49 $39-$49 More info: ticketmaster.com In this insane political climate, has anyone captured the absurdity and cluelessness of both the pols and the general public better than Jordan Klepper? The Emmy-nominated Daily Show correspondent and sometimes host recently released a new comedy special, Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Moscow Tools. It (along with everything else Klepper does) is recommended viewing. Maren Morris 'RSVP Redux Tour' When: 8 p.m. July 21 8 p.m. July 21 Where: The Factory The Factory How much: $50-$70 $50-$70 More info: ticketmaster.com Earlier this month, Maren Morris went on Instagram and wished everyone Happy pride. She also announced that she was happy to be the B in LGBTQ+. Thats neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things, but if it further infuriates the haters that drove Morris from country music to pop, so be it. Ever since her hit The Middle, shes been heading that direction anyway. Morris other hits include My Church, 80s Mercedes and The Bones, and shes also a member of the supergroup the Highwomen. Alanis Morissette The Triple Moon Tour When: 7 p.m. July 23 7 p.m. July 23 Where: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre How much: $37-$307 $37-$307 More info: livenation.com The Triple Moon Tour offers a strong triple bill of artists from different eras. Alanis Morissettes prime time was the 1990s and into the aughts, with albums such as Jagged Little Pill and Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Joan Jett, who started rocking in the 70s, at first with the Runaways and then on her own, generating undeniable hits including I Love Rock n Roll and I Hate Myself for Loving You. Fast-rising country star Morgan Wades time is now. Her second album, calmly titled Psychopath, was released last year. Barry Manilow The Last St. Louis Concert When: 7 p.m. July 25 7 p.m. July 25 Where: Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Avenue Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Avenue How much: $15.50-$245.50 $15.50-$245.50 More info: ticketmaster.com Barry Manilow isnt under oath, and thats a good thing. This concert is billed as The Last St. Louis Concert, and it may indeed be true. But Manilow purveyor of a plethora of hits including Mandy, Looks Like We Made It and Copacabana has been saying that hes retiring since at least 2015. He just turned 80, so maybe this time its true. But dont be surprised if its not. Santana and Counting Crows Oneness Tour When: 7 p.m. July 27 7 p.m. July 27 Where: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre How much: $41-$171 $41-$171 More info: livenation.com Man, its a hot one, is the opening lyric to Santanas 1999 mega-smash Smooth. And really, couldnt every St. Louis meteorologist lead their forecast with a few bars of that nowadays? Summer is also when Santana seems to show up here and the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers shows tend to be pretty hot, too. This time, Counting Crows, of Mr. Jones and A Long December fame are coming along, making for a fine double bill. Phish When: 7:30 p.m. July 30-31 7:30 p.m. July 30-31 Where: Chaifetz Arena, 1 South Compton Avenue Chaifetz Arena, 1 South Compton Avenue How much: $78-$251 $78-$251 More info: ticketmaster.com If you havent seen Drew Careys unabashed and we mean REALLY unabashed rant on TVs After Midnight about seeing Phish at Las Vegas Sphere well, check it out, but its NSFW. Trey, Page, Jon and Mike are playing other cities, too, of course, including a two-night stand in ours. Maybe it wont be as visually splendiferous as the Sphere shows, and maybe it wont melt your brain like it did Drews. But its Phish, man. The real show is inside your own head. Honorable Mentions Musiq Soulchild, 6 and 9:30 p.m. July 2-3 and 5, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, $65-$85, citywinery.com/st-louis Celebrate St. Louis Lupe Fiasco, Locash, the Urge, Feel, 4:15 p.m. July 4, Gateway Arch Park, free, celebratestlouis.org Def Leppard and Journey The Summer Stadium Tour with Cheap Trick, 6 p.m. July 6, Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Avenue, $49-$550, mlb.tickets.com AJR The Maybe Man Tour with mxmtoon and Almost Monday, 6:45 p.m. July 6, Enterprise Center, $45.50-$145, ticketmaster.com The Kid Laroi First Time Tour with Glaive and Chase Shakur, 7:30 p.m. July 9, the Factory, $50-$70, ticketmaster.com Hiatus Kaiyote, 7 p.m. July 10, the Big Top, 3401 Washington Avenue, $35-$40, metrotix.com Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago Heart & Soul Tour, 7:30 p.m. July 10, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $41-$171, livenation.com Futurebirds with Pernikoff Brothers, 8 p.m. July 10, Old Rock House, 1200 South 7th Street, $22, etix.com Sarah Sherman, Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh, 7:15 p.m. July 11, Helium Comedy Club St. Louis, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street, $27-$37, st-louis.heliumcomedy.com Demetri Martin, 8 p.m. July 12, River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Boulevard, $20-$50, ticketmaster.com Whiskey Myers with Whitey Morgan & the 78s and Reid Haughton, 6:30 p.m. July 13, St. Louis Music Park, $36-$99, ticketmaster.com OK Go with Winona Forever and Mirthquake, 7:30 p.m. July 13, the Pageant, $30-$45, ticketmaster.com Train and REO Speedwagon Summer Road Trip with Yacht Rock Revue, 6:25 p.m. July 16, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $37-$245, livenation.com The Wallflowers with William Matheny, 8 p.m. July 16, the Pageant, $29.50-$49.50, ticketmaster.com Chuck Mead, 7 p.m. July 17, the Golden Record, 2720 Cherokee Street, $20, etix.com Loserville 2024, 6:30 p.m. July 18, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $48-$221, livenation.com Pecos & the Rooftops 8 p.m. July 18, the Hawthorn, 2231 Washington Avenue, $22, ticketweb.com Alex Bugnon, 7:30 p.m. July 19, City Winery, $40-$48, citywinery.com/st-louis Dan + Shay Heartbreak on the Map Tour, 7 p.m. July 20, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $30-$134, livenation.com Fruit Bats, 7 p.m. July 20, the Big Top, $30-$35, metrotix.com Kidz Bop Live 2024, 4 p.m. July 21, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $37-$152, livenation.com Jazz Triple Play featuring Norman Brown, Paul Taylor, and Brian Simpson 7 p.m. July 21, Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill Circle, $55-$75, touhill.universitytickets.com The Head & the Heart with Phosphorescent, 8 p.m. July 21, St. Louis Music Park, $39-$59, ticketmaster.com Lucky Daye The Algorithm Tour with Fana Hues, 8 p.m. July 21, the Pageant, $32.50, ticketmaster.com Mates of State, 8 p.m. July 21, Old Rock House, $25, etix.com Jason Mraz & the Superband, The Mystical Magical Rhymical Radical Ride with Molly Miller Trio, 7:30 p.m. July 23, St. Louis Music Park, $25-$99, ticketmaster.com Kevin McDonald featuring stories from The Kids in the Hall, 7:30 p.m. July 24, City Winery, $30-$40, citywinery.com/st-louis Vampire Weekend Only God Was Above Us Tour with Ra Ra Riot, 7 p.m. July 25, St. Louis Music Park, $47-$89, ticketmaster.com Dailey & Vincent, 8 p.m. July 26, $36-$51, the Sheldon, metrotix.com Kaskade, 10 p.m. July 26, Ryse Nightclub, 1 Ameristar Boulevard, $55-$1350, ticketmaster.com The Struts with Barns Courtney, 8 p.m. July 27, the Factory, $32-$54, ticketmaster.com Luke Bryan Mind of a Country Boy Tour, 7 p.m. July 28, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $58-$248, livenation.com Red Hot Chili Peppers Unlimited Love Tour with Otoboke Beaver and Irontom, 7 p.m. July 30, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, $133-$542, livenation.com Tate McRae Think Later Tour, 8 p.m. July 30, St. Louis Music Park, $154-$588, ticketmaster.com ST. LOUIS Rob Connoley has closed his acclaimed Grand Center restaurant Bulrush, saying he can no longer operate in a state that is actively working to harm the LGBTQ community. Connoley was a finalist earlier this month at the prestigious James Beard Awards, and Bulrush had drawn nationwide raves for its Ozark cuisine since opening in 2019. Connoley, who is gay, cited Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys actions toward transgender people, including attempts to seek their medical records. Ive done LGBT advocacy for a long time, 30-plus years, and Ive never seen something like this, Connoley said. Normally, its legislative, and theres work you can do with your representatives and constituents. But here, its one person doing hate politics. Baileys office did not immediately return a request for comment. Bailey last year launched an investigation of Washington Universitys Transgender Center in St. Louis. He has since broadened the probe to other gender-affirming-care providers, such as Planned Parenthood, as well as therapists and social workers who work with minors seeking gender-affirming care. Connoley, a St. Louis native and self-taught chef, returned to the area in 2016 from Silver City, New Mexico, where he had run his first restaurant to national notice. Bulrush featured modern interpretations of historical Ozark cuisine, focusing on local ingredients and aiming for zero waste. Connoley also directed research into the indigenous and enslaved persons who had lived in the Ozarks. Connoley termed Bulrushs community-minded business model reparative restauranting. Both chef and restaurant have won local and national acclaim. Bulrush was ranked No. 1 in the 2024 edition of the Post-Dispatchs annual STL 100. Connoley is a three-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundations Best Chef: Midwest award. This year, he was one of five finalists for the honor. Bulrushs final service was Sunday. The restaurant invited many of its frequent regulars, including two couples that had each dined there more than 30 times over the past five years. Connoley said Bulrush was a successful business at the time of its closure. Were at capacity every night, he said. Weve paid off all of our investors (and) all of our people who provide stuff to us. We paid off our lease. Everythings paid off. Connoley said he began thinking about closing Bulrush one year ago. He traveled to London to teach Ozark cooking for National Geographic, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Tourism. And even at that time, Im like, This feels really weird, promoting a state thats actively trying to oppress me, he said. Connoley intends to move out of Missouri but declined to discuss his future plans. All I know is I can make sure that this city and this state and this region knows that one of the best restaurants in the region isnt going to do business here anymore because its not a place that is safe for LGBT families, Connoley said. Connoley argued that its time to elect leaders who represent the entire state, rather than those with extremist policies. He believes his own experience in the Ozarks bears this out. Before he moved back to St. Louis, he read a Vice article titled You probably dont know about Ozark cuisine because of the KKK. But that has not been Connoleys experience. The people down there (in the Ozarks) have always been so hospitable and so welcoming, he said. And Ive always been myself, so its not like they dont know (who I am). So the attorney general is not lined up with the majority of the people. Hes lined up with the people who get him on Fox News and get (him) elected. <&rule> Blogger and OnlyFans model Billie Beever said she'd planned on travelling to the states for a little over a week. She never made it past the airport. Australian adult entertainer Billie Beever said she was subjected to 'inhumane' treatment at LAX for over 35 hours last week and escorted (pictured) by security. Source: Supplied An Australian adult entertainer has blasted what she claims were "completely inhumane" conditions she was subjected to for over 35 hours at Los Angeles Airport, after being intercepted by immigration officers and refused entry into the country. Blogger and OnlyFans model Billie Beever, from Brisbane, said she'd planned on travelling to the US for a little over a week, to visit friends in LA and in Las Vegas. The young mother said no sooner had she landed was she intercepted by airport officials at LAX last Thursday, who questioned how much money she was travelling with and grilled her about her career choices and her past. Beever said she answered all questions honestly, providing intimate details about her personal life, but was still taken into a cell and detained for almost two days, with both her phone and passport confiscated. She's still not fully sure why. Beever, from Brisbane, said she was refused proper food, given inadequate supplies and had her passport and phone confiscated. Source: Instagram Influencer's family close to filing missing persons report She claimed officers for hours questioned how much money she was travelling with, then asked about her career in sex work, and then "asked me if I'd ever taken drugs". Beever said the "degrading" treatment which included refusing to serve her food and providing a face cloth to use as a towel to shower left her "traumatised" and "scared to travel again in general". Eventually turned around and flown back to Australia via New Zealand, with officers escorting her the entire way, Beever said the ordeal left her shaken. "My family were about an hour away from filing a missing persons report," Beever told Yahoo News Australia. "The whole thing was so inhumane. It was just so messed up, they took my phone, my passport... they didn't give a flying f***k. "The lights were blaring, there was people screaming. I was crying at this point. Because I was like, I was exhausted and just kept thinking, how is this even legal to keep me here? They had nothing on me." 'Inhumane' conditions blasted According to Beever, officers appeared to simply be looking for a reason not to let her into the country. Previously, another Aussie OnlyFans model shared a similar story. "It went from how do you support yourself? And I said with money. And I showed them my bank account, which I had a lot of money. And then they went through my job, went through my messages all the way back to 2021. "They accused me of wanting to come for a Green Card, they just did anything to find something on me." Eventually, after hours of interrogation, Beever said she'd realised she had in fact filled out a small detail incorrectly on her visa application, but neither her nor the responding officers even realised at first. She said that was the tipping point that sealed the deal, and she was sent packing. "I was wearing warm clothes but I was freezing," she said. "There was an air conditioner facing me, a little portable AC blowing cold air onto my face. I was freezing. I had a jumper and long pants on, and I was so cold like freezing cold. And they refused to turn it off. "It was honestly the most traumatic experience. I'm actually scared to go anywhere now and I absolutely will not be going back to the US." Yahoo News has contacted Los Angeles Airport for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. OLIVETTE Latch Inc., announced this week its plans to acquire HelloTech, Inc., a technology support company. Latch is the latest endeavor headed by Ring doorbell founder Jamie Siminoff. Its a smart lock system designed for multi-unit residences. Through Latch, users are able to access apartments, common areas, package rooms, garages, elevators and gates without a physical key and can instead rely on phone access or passcodes. This year, Latch will be rebranded into Door, with the Door app launching July 4. According to a press release, HelloTech will serve as the foundation for Door Services, which enables users to hire a local dog walker or cleaner who already has clients in the user's building. It will work in tandem with another Siminoff company, Honest Days Work. HelloTech installs technology and provides 24/7 in-home and remote support through a network of over 2,500 agents nationwide in partnership with retailers and electronics brands. The company offers diagnostic solutions, support and hands-on training for things like setting up and training new smartphone users on device capabilities, consolidating smart home technology, enhancing IoT connectivity, boosting WiFi and cable networks and installing and mounting TVs. By integrating HelloTech's installation expertise and service capabilities, DOOR will provide end-to-end solutions that enable residents across the country to easily book service providers for their home electronics and beyond, Greg Steiner, CEO of HelloTech, said in a statement. As a result of the acquisition, Micah Stone, the chief growth officer for Latch, will become president of Door Services, which comprises DOOR Property Management, the JAMES app, future DOOR Services and when the acquisition is complete, HelloTech. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. HelloTech was founded in 2014 and is based in Los Angeles. Last year, Latch relocated its headquarters from New York City to a 48,000-square-foot facility at 1220 North Price Road in Olivette. Joe Holleman Political correspondent/columnist Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today CLAYTON A state representative has filed a federal complaint against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page for his move to entice her to drop out of a County Council primary. And a second Missouri legislator on Tuesday said Page also enlisted her help in the effort. State Rep. Ladonna Appelbaum told the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday that she, too at Pages request called Rep. Gretchen Bangert to see if Bangert would withdraw from running against former Creve Coeur council member Nicole Greer in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary. Appelbaum, a north St. Louis County Democrat, said she agreed to make the call because she is friends with both Page and Bangert, a Florissant Democrat. I hate primaries, Appelbaum said. I dont like seeing my friends run against each other. Pages office did not respond to a request for comment. Bangert, an eight-year veteran of the Missouri House, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Attorneys office and the Missouri Attorney General. Bangerts complaint was filed electronically late Friday afternoon with U.S. attorney Sayler A. Fleming and assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the FBIs tip line were copied on the complaint. I wish to report what I believe could be an illegal misuse of taxpayer funded governmental resources ... in connection with the primary election for County Council, said Bangerts complaint. The U.S. Attorneys Office said it neither confirms nor denies receiving complaints. Baileys office was unavailable for comment. The 2nd District council race is a key battle for Page, who has lost a majority of the councils support in recent years. The outgoing council member in the 2nd District, Kelli Dunaway, has been one of Pages most ardent supporters. Greers campaign has close ties with Pages camp, picking up official endorsements from Appelbaum, Dunaway and Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, another staunch Page supporter. Last week, Bangert told the Post-Dispatch that on three separate occasions, Page told her of jobs she could have in his administration if she would refrain from running in the primary. Bangert recorded the third conversation she had with Page, on May 11, and has also given authorities a copy of the 15-minute recording. Bangert said in the first two conversations, Page mentioned possible employment in the auditor and recorder of deeds offices. She declined the offers each time and remains in the Aug. 6 primary. Page previously has said the conversations did not constitute a job offer, and that he talked with Bangert and Greer simply to avoid having a primary fight between Democrats. Most of Bangerts complaint to authorities reiterates the story she told the newspaper except it also makes mention of a job offer coming through an intermediary. Bangert claims she heard from the third-party caller on May 10 which Appelbaum confirmed Tuesday one day before Page called Bangert about the job situation for the third time. That was me, Appelbaum said. Bangert said in the complaint that Appelbaum informed me Page would be offering me a six figure job in county government any job I wanted to get out of the Council race, Bangert wrote in the complaint. On Tuesday, Appelbaum said that although she discussed the possibility of Bangert taking a taxpayer-supported job with the county, I dont remember speaking to a dollar amount. Appelbaum said she had no reservations making the call, given that Gretchen is my friend and that she and Page are also friends and political allies. Appelbaums husband, Thomas D. Appelbaum, is an attorney with the County Counselors office. Bangert said the call from Appelbaum contributed to her decision to record her May 11 conversation with Page. I got extremely uncomfortable that ... (Appelbaum) knew about the phone meeting, was able to tell me what the call would be about, and clearly wanted me to believe they had authority to speak for Page ..., Bangert says in the complaint. Greer, after declining to respond to several messages left by the Post-Dispatch, finally issued a statement late last week. It mentioned only one conversation with Page, on May 10, one day before Bangerts recorded conversation with him. He asked me to consider whether I could achieve my goals of improving county government in a staff position, Greers statement said. He mentioned that he felt he could work with either candidate in the race and wanted to avoid conflict between county Democrats. At no point during that conversation was an offer of employment made, the statement said. In the recorded conversation with Bangert, Page said if Bangert was not interested in dropping out, he would have another discussion with Greer. Greers statement makes no mention of any other conversations between Greer and Page. Since issuing the statement, neither Greer nor Sydni Jackson, her campaign manager, have responded to calls from the Post-Dispatch seeking more specific information. JENNINGS A man has been charged with shooting and killing a man in May when a group of people tried to steal the victims Kia. Terry Thomas, 19, was breaking into a Kia Stinger about 8:40 p.m. on May 6 in the 5300 block of Fletcher Street when the cars alarm went off, police wrote in court documents. The cars owner, 36-year-old Darryl Mischeaux, confronted the group, police said. He was shot and died at a hospital. The group then drove off in the Kia and the car in which they arrived, police said in court documents. Investigators said Thomas cellphone data put him near the scene of the shooting, and police said they later learned Thomas destroyed his phone when he heard he was being investigated. In an interview with police, officers said Thomas told them he was involved in the shooting and there were two other people with him. Prosecutors on Friday charged Thomas with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. He was arrested on Thursday and remains in custody on a $750,000 cash-only bond, according to online records. Rates of stolen Kias and Hyundais exploded in the St. Louis region in 2022 a trend also seen nationally because of a viral TikTok video that shows how to break into and drive off in many 2011-21 models of the South Korean-made vehicles, using just a screwdriver and a USB charging cable. The method works on some vehicles because manufacturers did not install engine immobilizers, an electric anti-theft security device that prevents most vehicles from being started unless a code is transmitted from the vehicles smart key. Like the Jennings incident, some thefts in the region have turned violent. St. Louis prosecutors filed charges against Brett Kress in January after authorities say Kress shot and killed a man who tried to steal his car in Soulard. A St. Louis County woman in December 2022 was charged with two counts of murder after police said she tracked her stolen Hyundai to a gas station and killed two men during a shootout. Earlier in December 2022, a 43-year-old man was shot and killed outside a gas station while confronting teenagers he believed had stolen his vehicle. On Halloween in 2022, police say a man used GPS to track down a family members stolen car in Sunset Hills and shot at the suspects on U.S. Highway 40 (Interstate 64). The man and some of the theft suspects were arrested That same day, two teenage boys were shot after stealing a womans Kia from her home in north St. Louis. The woman tracked down her stolen car to two different locations before the teens were shot, and police said it was unclear who did the shooting. ST. LOUIS The prime contractor for a major Interstate 55 bridge project has agreed to pay for replacing girders damaged last year during the ongoing rehab work, state officials announced Monday. The Missouri Department of Transportation said KCI Construction Co. will replace several dozen steel girders the steel beams holding up the highway on a northbound I-55 span south of Loughborough Avenue on the citys south side. MoDOT said KCI also will pay for bearings to be installed under the girders and is responsible for all costs associated with engineering, design and installation of the girders. MoDOT on Monday wouldnt say how much KCI is incurring as a result of the girder mishap, which has delayed completion of the work in the immediate area by more than a year and added to traffic snarls. Youll have to ask the contractor, MoDOT spokesman Andrew Gates said. Our (original) agreement is to provide a certain product for a certain cost. KCI didnt immediately respond Monday to a Post-Dispatch request for comment. KCI is the main contractor on the $63 million project rehabbing 26 bridges along I-55 in the city and south St. Louis County. The work began in 2022, with the end date now expected to be the fall of 2025. That will be followed by resurfacing of I-55 between downtown and Lindbergh Boulevard, continuing into 2026. MoDOT last November said the damage to the girders occurred in October, when work crews were demolishing the concrete driving surface. Officials said it was discovered during cleanup at the end of the process. The girders were not originally supposed to be replaced or repaired. Crews have since removed the damaged girders from the northbound bridge, which crosses Union Pacific railroad tracks, but the replacements will not be delivered until next fall. Once work on the northbound span is wrapped up, the rehab of a companion bridge on southbound I-55 over the tracks will start. Two-way traffic is squeezed onto one side of the highway while rehab work is underway on the other. Stephen Strum, an attorney for Premier Demolition Inc., said in November that Premier was a subcontractor for the concrete demolition on the bridge at issue but that there was significant dispute as to what if any damage was caused by Premiers workers. Asked about the issue on Monday, Strum said in an email that the case is in arbitration and that he is not at liberty to discuss any further. MoDOT said KCI, in addition to covering the girder replacement and related work, has paid for a new crossover taking traffic from the northbound side of I-55 to the southbound side. Gates said the new crossover is north of the River Des Peres, replacing one south of the river. The change is allowing crews to do rehab work on a separate southbound I-55 bridge over the river. Gold Coast couple Johnny Konings and Charlotte Gordon are meant to be celebrating their engagement, but instead are facing up to six months in a spinal ward. Gold Coast couple Charlotte Gordon and Johnny Konings are facing up to six months in hospital for Johnny's recovery. Source: Instagram A heartbroken surfer who suffered a broken spine, broken ribs and a collapsed lung after he was speared into a sandbank earlier this month has vowed to one day walk again, no matter how long the road ahead. New Zealand national Johnny Konings, who lives on the Gold Coast with his partner Charlotte Gordon, nearly lost his life during the freak wipe-out at Duranbah Beach on the NSW-Queensland border last Tuesday, on his first wave of the day. The 31-year-old is now paralysed from the waist down and doctors say he may never walk again, but Konings is determined to prove them wrong. The recently engaged pair are facing a journey of up to six months at Brisbane Hospital in the spinal ward, with Konings' recovery expected to be both long and challenging. Gordon said "life as we knew it" was "changed in an instant" after the freak accident, which ironically took place at Konings' "favourite Gold Coast surfing" spot. The surfer suffered a broken spine, broken ribs and a collapsed lung after he was speared into a sandbank at Duranbah Beach on the NSW-Queensland border last week. Source: 7News Three to six months in hospital for Kiwi surfer Speaking to media from his wheelchair, Konings said "he knew straight away" that something was gravely wrong after he came off his board. Through tears, the 31-year-old branded the harrowing ordeal as "like a worst nightmare" come true. But he vows to one day walk again. 'I'm up for it [the challenge] extremely determined to get back on my feet again," he told 7 News "Increasingly, it's the mental challenges that's going to be the hardest part," he said, praising the onlookers who banded together to save his life. "They all came together to get me out of the water safely," he recalled. "It was just incredible". Gordon said she was thankful for the fact "he's alive" under the circumstances. "[It's] such a miracle we're so fortunate," she said. Thanks to the efforts of quick-thinking onlookers, Konings was brought to safety and transported to hospital immediately after the accident. Source: 7News Couple vow to stay positive amid unimaginable crisis Gordon has since set up a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs associated with Konings' long road to recovery. "When life gives you lemons, you throw in some lime, salt, a s***t ton of tequila and make a bloody strong margarita," she wrote, adding that her partner's recovery will be "the biggest journey of our lives". "He is currently paralysed from the waist down with no sensation, we remain incredibly positive and are going to throw everything we possibly can at this. Day by day those that know Johnny know he doesnt give up easy. His sense of humour is still intact and theres a lot of positivity coming from this hospital ward," she wrote. The couple "were supposed to be in New Zealand" last week "celebrating our engagement with friends and family" but were forced to pivot those plans to the spinal ward. "Not quite how we imagined celebrating, but incredibly special all the same," Gordon said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A Honda Fit involved in a hit-and-run June 22, 2024, is impounded at a police lot in Okinawa city, June 25, 2024. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa Japanese police arrested a U.S. soldier assigned to Kadena Air Base over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving, colliding with another vehicle and fleeing the scene. The 22-year-old Army specialist was taken into custody at 7 a.m. Saturday on a road in the Rycom district of Kitanakagusuku village, a spokesman for Okinawa Prefectural Police told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday. A witness told police the specialist hit another vehicle at 5:17 a.m. and left the scene, the spokesman said. Police found her car, a Honda Fit, about a mile from the crash site at 5:24 a.m., he said. The spokesman declined to provide details of the crash citing ongoing investigations. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Stars and Stripes could not reach the specialist for comment Tuesday. A Breathalyzer test at the scene measured her blood alcohol content at 0.09%, three times the legal limit for driving in Japan, the spokesman said. By comparison, all 50 U.S. states have set 0.08% as the legal limit for driving under the influence or while impaired. The specialist was still in police custody Tuesday, the spokesman said. Police sent the case to prosecutors on Monday, he said. No court date has been set in the case. U.S. Army Garrison Okinawa did not respond to an email Tuesday seeking information on the soldier. Driving under the influence of alcohol may result in up to five years in prison or up to $6,277 in fines, according to Japans Road Traffic Act. Leaving an accident scene may result in up to one year in prison or up to $627 in fines, and failing to report an accident could bring up to three months in prison or up to $313 in fines. A small detachment of Marines is expected to arrive at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz on Guam sometime in late 2024. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes) A small detachment of U.S. Marines is scheduled to relocate to Guam at the end of the year as the island prepares for thousands more transferring from Okinawa, according to the Marine Corps. An undisclosed number of logistics Marines will move to Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz this winter, where theyll help ready new facilities for an influx of new troops, according to Marine Corps Headquarters spokeswoman Capt. Brenda McCarthy. Camp Blaz is expected to house 1,300 Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force and another 3,700 Marines as a rotational deployment force. The base is scheduled to be at full operational capacity by 2028, base spokeswoman told Maj. Diann Rosenfeld told Stars and Stripes in December. The Marines transfer is part of the Defense Policy Review Initiative, an agreement by the U.S. and Japan to relocate some Marine assets from Okinawa to Guam. The deal includes Japan funding $3 billion of the estimated $8.6 billion cost to build Camp Blaz and its surrounding infrastructure. This commencement of force flow honors a concurrence with the Government of Japan and secures a U.S. Marine Corps posture in the Indo-Pacific region that is more geographically distributed, operationally resilient, and politically sustainable, McCarthy told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday. McCarthy didnt elaborate on the timeline or disclose the number of Marines slated to relocate. Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, in a June 17 interview with Japanese outlet Kyodo News, estimated the detachment will include about 100 Marines and will arrive sometime in December, according to an audio recording of the interview provided by her office Friday. Camp Blaz currently only has about 80 Marines or U.S. sailors, Rosenfeld told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. The relocation likely wont be completed until the Marines finish construction of Camp Blaz in two to three years, Guerrero added. Camp Blaz, an approximately 4,000-acre facility on the northwest edge of Guam, was activated in 2020 as the first new Marine Corps installation since 1952. Construction on the base is progressing rapidly, with 23 projects completed since work began and another 50 projects underway, Rosenfeld said. All projects were slightly delayed due to Typhoon Mawar, which passed just north of Guam in May 2023 bringing 150 mph winds and more than 2 feet of rain in some areas. Most delays were caused by lost time due to site preparation and recovery, she told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. A few projects were negatively impacted by the destructive winds, but this type of damage was not widespread, she said. Significant portions of evidence were barred from the jury in Greg Lynn's double murder trial after Justice Michael Croucher deemed it had been obtained through reprehensible conduct of some officers. Lynn spent nine hours over the four days following his 2021 arrest on November 22 sitting in an interview room with two detectives who repeatedly peppered him with questions about the deaths of Carol Clay and Russell Hill and pushed him to answer the questions. Police had not planned to arrest him but swooped on a campsite where he was over fears he planned to take his own life after bugging his car and listening to his self-talk. Greg Lynn. After a phone call with a lawyer in the morning of November 23, he repeatedly declined to answer their questions but became increasingly desperate as time went on. He eventually told them he would ignore his lawyer's advice and tell them "what happened right from the start". Both Sergeant Brett Florence and Senior Constable Daniel Passingham were found by the court to have engaged in deliberate efforts to undermine his lawyers advice. Justice Croucher found the two detectives had deliberately and egregiously undermined the solicitors advice through a withering barrage of oppressive and improper inducements to influence Mr Lynns decision to make admissions and reveal the location of the remains. Today, Lynn was found not guilty of the murder of Russell Hill and guilty of the murder of Carol Clay. Read more here. The Naha District Court building in Naha, Okinawa, as seen on June 24, 2024. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa A U.S. Marine pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a convenience store on Okinawa, a crime he testified he committed to retrieve money he lost in an online scam. Lance Cpl. Andrew Torres, 20, of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group, entered his pleas Monday morning in Naha District Court to one charge of robbery and one of attempted theft. He is still in custody and faces up to five years in prison when hes sentenced July 12. Prosecutors allege Torres took the equivalent of $840 when he robbed a convenience store clerk at knifepoint April 3. Two weeks later, he attempted to take money from another convenience store register but was frustrated in the attempt and caught in the parking lot, fleeing the store, according to prosecutors. Both convenience stores are in Ginowan city within a quarter mile of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Its all true, Torres said in court after hearing a prosecutor read the charges. Torres said he paid a woman offering sex online but quickly realized he was scammed. He said he never met the woman. Torres paid about $1,570 worth of yen in BitCash, Torres attorney, who did not provide his name before leaving court, said to Stars and Stripes. Initially, he was asked to pay $125 worth of yen in BitCash. Following the first transaction, he faced an escalating series of payment demands. BitCash is a form of electronic money in Japan used for online payment of games, videos and music downloads. Torres withdrew the money from the store ATM to purchase BitCash from the clerk and made several payments from the convenience store, his attorney said. Realizing the fraud, he then asked the clerk to cancel the BitCash transactions, Torres said in court. The clerk refused, Torres said. Torres reported for duty that day but was unable to concentrate, he said. He decided to rob the convenience store that night because he knew that there was cash in the register, he said He came away with only $840 worth of yen and decided two weeks later to rob another convenience store, he testified at the hearing. Local police caught Torres fleeing the second store with a knife April 18. I should have sought help from family and friends, he said. There were better ways, I wasnt looking into all my options. Torres, questioned by Judge Tetsuro Sato, said he would have kept going until he acquired the $1,570. Prosecutors asked for five years in prison. Torres attorney requested a suspended sentence. Torres attorney said that Torres paid $188 worth of yen as an apology to both convenience stores, and both agreed to forgive him. He also paid $840 to an insurance company. I realized its not a small incident given my status with the military in Okinawa, Torres said, crying, as his hearing concluded. This is not a reflection of who I am. The new Rise of Icarus waterslide tower stands 145 feet at Mt. Olympus theme park and resort in Wisconsin Dells, making it the tallest waterslide in North America. (Simon Peter Groebner, Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) The new tallest waterslide in North America is dubbed the Rise of Icarus, after the mythical Greek guy who flew too close to the sun, then plummeted into the sea. That was not lost on me as I sat alone at the top of the 145-foot tower, high above the commotion of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park and the treetops of the Wisconsin Dells region, mentally preparing to launch my body feet-first into a long, serpentine tunnel. I had already climbed some 260 steps to the top of the slender open-air structure during an after-hours preview in late May. Sixty feet up, Id passed the towers four lower slides, and shuddered to realize that I was still less than halfway to the main attraction. I huffed it to the top, resisting the temptation to look down. The attendant gave me the all-clear, so I lay back and let go, slipping into the void. I let out a couple screams of genuine fear as I dropped, then felt the gravitational force as I made several wide, whipping loops around the tower. After what felt like forever, I was thrust out into the evening light. Only then, I exhaled. That was intense. And insane. And terrifying. But on subsequent runs the next morning, my screams transformed into whoops of joy. Im not big on waterslides that are a straight-down free fall, which describes many of the worlds tallest. Rise of Icarus, on the other hand, takes advantage of its altitude by actually giving the rider time to savor the descent, with a total length of 780 feet at up to 30 mph. I actually clocked about 20 seconds inside Icarus luxurious by waterslide standards at a speed of 26 mph, according to my own jittery GoPro video (taken with permission). The Rise of Icarus tower features one 145-foot-tall waterslide starting at the top and four 60-foot-tall slides (in blue/green). (Simon Peter Groebner, Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) Greek empire in the Dells Icarus journey to becoming the tallest waterslide in America is the culmination of more than 50 years of ambition for the Mt. Olympus waterpark resort in the vast, kitschy middle-class vacationland that is Wisconsin Dells. My parents have always wanted to be the biggest and the best, marketing director Fotini Laskaris Backhaus told me on a tour of the park, referring to the three-generation family business to which she belongs. Her grandfather, Greek immigrant Demetrios Jim Laskaris, started the venture as the Big Chief hot dog stand in 1970. That evolved into a go-kart and roller-coaster attraction that was rebranded Mt. Olympus in 2004, beginning a cheeky commitment to the theme of Greek antiquity and myth. For years, the parks main claim to fame was the genuinely impressive 65-foot-tall Trojan Horse replica that towers over a go-kart track in the heart of the Wisconsin Dells strip. Over time, the park usurped neighbors and added attractions, wave pools and 1,600 rooms, including the basic Hotel Rome and small cabins, to become a 200-acre faux-Greco-Roman empire. In 2022, it added Medusas Slidewheel, the countrys first mechanically rotating waterslide. But in the hypercompetitive waterpark scene of the Dells, something was still missing. So second-generation owners Nick and Eva Laskaris opted for even more spectacle. For the Rise of Icarus, Mt. Olympus tapped leading waterslide manufacturer WhiteWater, which created the log flume at the Mall of America, the massive new Meryal waterpark in Qatar and Royal Caribbean cruise lines Perfect Day at Coco Cay in the Bahamas. The new Rise of Icarus closely resembles Daredevils Peak on Coco Cay, but exceeds it in height by 10 feet and you dont need to take a cruise to ride the one in the Dells. An adjacent outdoor kids water play area with cabanas was slated to be ready for the July 4th weekend. Now waterpark lovers are getting a crash course in Greek mythology this summer. But take a lesson from Icarus: Check your hubris and pack a waterproof sunscreen. If you go Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort: 1881 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy., Wisconsin Dells. Admission $45-$50. Cabanas and reserved poolside seating available. Family-friendly resort rooms, cabins and tent sites available from $25; park admission included with lodging (mtolympuspark.com). Tallest waterslides in the world Height is not the most important feature in a waterslide. Duration, speed, short lines and overall fun factor are also essential. But with the Rise of Icarus staking its claim to tallest in North America, lets take a look at some other qualified record holders. Do these sound like too much? Well catch you over in the Lazy River. Worlds tallest: Icon Tower | Meryal Waterpark, Qatar 260 feet In the age of artificial intelligence, we cant be 100% sure that this dystopian Doha monstrosity, which opened over the winter and looks like something out of Mad Max, is for real. But the 12-slide spire appears to have blown away the previous world-record holder, the 163-foot Kilimanjaro flume in Brazil. YouTube waterpark influencer @MillaChats confirms the Icons existence with a series of video reviews. Its highest slides, Vertigo and the Fractionator, include a one-minute journey in sometimes translucent tubes that allow riders a look at the world around them. The former tallest in the Dells: Scorpions Tail & Point of No Return | Noahs Ark Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells 100 feet Noahs Ark, which still claims to be the countrys largest waterpark, set the Dells thrill-ride standard for over 20 years with its slides that start from the same 10-story platform. Built in 2001, Point of No Return, as the name suggests, is a four-second free fall thats over before you can resist, and will give you wedgies for days. More interestingly, Scorpions Tail followed in 2010 with a trapdoor launch and an initial drop that leads to a translucent loop-de-loop body slide, said to be Americas first nearly vertical waterslide loop. A news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, broadcasts images of a North Korean missile launch on June 26, 2024. (Ahn Young-joon/AP) SEOUL, South Korea North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile early Wednesday that is presumed to have failed, according to the Souths military. The missile was fired from near Pyongyang around 5:30 a.m. and flew toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters Wednesday. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a press release Wednesday condemned the launch but said it does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies A Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman told reporters on the customary condition of anonymity that the missile flew about 155 miles before exploding in mid-air, Yonhap News reported. The spokesman said the projectile may have been a hypersonic missile, according to Yonhap. North Korea has fired over a dozen ballistic missiles in seven separate days of testing so far this year. It last fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on May 30. Hypersonic weapons travel at more than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5. North Korea claimed to have fired a solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a hypersonic warhead on Jan. 14. The communist regime fired another solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile on April 2; South Koreas military said at the time that a hypersonic glide vehicle mounted on the missile was unsuccessful in its final gliding phase. The latest launch comes four days after the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier sailed into Busan, South Koreas largest port, to deter North Koreas provocations. The warship will leave port Wednesday to participate in Freedom Edge, the first large-scale exercise between the United States, South Korea and Japan, according to a statement Tuesday from Seouls presidential office. The launch was also conducted a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang. The two leaders signed a defense pledge on June 19 that allows their countries to provide military assistance to each other during a state of war by an armed invasion, according to North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency. South Koreas government has long accused North Korea of supplying millions of artillery shells to Russia for its two-year war in Ukraine in exchange for food and military technology. The U.S. State Department and foreign ministries from Seoul and Tokyo in a joint statement Monday condemned the military cooperation between Kim and Putin. The two leaders pledge should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russias brutal aggression, the statement said. The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier arrives in Busan, South Korea, June 22, 2024. (South Korea Navy) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea An American aircraft carrier steamed into South Koreas largest port over the weekend for the first time this year as a demonstration of will to deter North Koreas provocations, according to the Souths navy. The carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and destroyers USS Halsey and USS Daniel Inouye docked at Busan on Saturday for a scheduled port call that aims to strengthen Seouls defense against Pyongyang, according to a South Korean navy news release that day. The Theodore Roosevelts arrival precedes the start of the large-scale Freedom Edge military exercise between the United States, South Korea and Japan. The exercise is scheduled to start in the summer and will encompass land, air and sea for an unspecified duration, South Korean military officials said at a livestreamed news conference Monday. South Korean officials customarily speak on condition of anonymity. The port call marks the first time the Theodore Roosevelt docked in Busan, roughly 200 miles southeast of Seoul, according to the Souths navy. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was last near South Korean waters in April, when it conducted a rare trilateral naval exercise with five other warships from South Korea and Japan. North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday condemned the warships arrival on the Korean Peninsula and threatened possible overwhelming action against the allies. The U.S. Navys 7th Fleet headquartered at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by email Tuesday. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson docked in Busan on Nov. 21 as part of a combined naval exercise with Japan and South Korea. Five warships from the three countries conducted a one-day air-defense and maritime maneuver exercise. Freedom Edge will be the first exercise of its kind between the three countries. Historical disputes between South Korea and Japan previously stymied U.S. efforts to create a combined front against North Korea; however, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to make amends with Tokyo in order to deal with Pyongyang. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Yoon met in August for a summit at Camp David, Md., where they pledged to renew their bonds of friendship through a stronger trilateral relationship. The United States unequivocally reaffirms that its extended deterrence commitments to both Japan and [South Korea] are ironclad and backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, the leaders said in a statement Aug. 18. Our three countries announce today that we intend to hold annual, named, multi-domain trilateral exercises on a regular basis to enhance our coordinated capabilities and cooperation. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik reaffirmed their intent to deter and counter provocations effectively, during a trilateral ministerial meeting June 2 in Singapore, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. North Korea has fired over a dozen ballistic missiles in six separate days of testing so far this year. The communist regime last fired at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles on May 30 into the Sea of Japan. Dental chairs and equipment at the Docs Dental clinic in the exchange mall at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The clinic, which had its grand opening in October, is temporarily closed because of a licensing issue an insurance company raised. The practice expects to reopen in mid-July. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes) KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany A private dental practice that opened on Ramstein Air Base about eight months ago has temporarily shuttered to sort out additional licensing requirements, its parent company said this week. The Docs Dental clinic closed on June 14, John Suggs, vice president of marketing and communications for the Pipersville, Pa.-based Docs Health, said in a statement Monday. A receptionist who answered the phone Friday said that only the pediatric dentist was still able to see patients. The closure was necessary after an insurance company notified the office that its U.S.-licensed providers would also need German credentials for reimbursement, Suggs said. Suggs called the decision unexpected. The companys legal team, in consultation with German authorities and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, had determined that as long as services were being provided on a United States military base, Docs only needed U.S.-licensed dentists to perform care at our facility, he said. Staffers at the Docs Dental clinic at the Ramstein Air Base exchange mall celebrate its grand opening, Oct. 2, 2023. Other than a pediatric dentist, the clinic is temporarily closed because of an unexpected insurance company requirement that U.S.-licensed dentists get German credentials, the company said. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes) Ramstein Air Base is part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, which has tens of thousands of Defense Department personnel and their families and is the largest overseas American military community. Suggs did not specify which insurance company had raised the licensing issue. But several people seen by Docs Dental spoke about their recent experiences on social media. One person shared a screenshot last month of correspondence from United Concordia, which administers the Tricare Dental Program for active-duty service members and their families. The statement referred to a claim submitted by a dental office at Ramstein. At this time, we cannot verify the licensing eligibility for providers in this office to treat (Tricare) military families in Germany, the message said. Under the Tricare Dental Program, claims from unverified providers can be paid up to three times, the statement said, adding that after the third time, the enrollee is responsible for the cost. German dental officials told Docs Dental when the practice sought to verify licensure compliance that they did not have jurisdiction over any office located on a U.S. military base, Suggs said. The Docs Dental providers are licensed and credentialed in the U.S., Suggs said, and have met Germanys strict work permit requirements to perform as dentists in Germany. The practice expects to reopen in mid-July, with plans to see some patients in the interim, Suggs said. Germany-based providers employed by Docs Dental are preparing their schedules to accommodate our patients with a few dates, he said. The offices two U.S.-based providers are beginning the German credentialing process required by the insurance company, he said. An AAFES concessionaire, the office in the mall sharing the exchange store is the first overseas Docs Dental clinic. It had six dentists, two hygienists and three dental assistants on staff when it opened in October, the practice said at the time. The arrival of the clinic was expected to reduce dental appointment wait times, which can extend up to six months or more for even a checkup or cleaning because of a lack of providers on and off base that see Americans. Docs Dental operates nearly two dozen offices on U.S. military bases stateside, according to the company. Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the Lebanese-Israeli border on June 21, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (Rabih Daher/AFP via Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Lebanese government officials took more than 100 foreign diplomats and journalists on a tour Monday of the countrys only international airport in a bid to refute a British newspaper report alleging that the facility was being used to store Hezbollah weapons. The unusual tour followed Sundays article in the Telegraph that quoted anonymous airport workers claiming the existence of a Hezbollah weapons cache in the airport, including artillery, ballistic and antitank missiles and explosives. According to the un-bylined Telegraph story, one Beirut airport staffer reported seeing unusually big boxes arriving on a flight from Iran in November and that a high-ranking Hezbollah member oversaw customs shipments. Coming amid escalating tensions between the paramilitary group and Israel, the report set off a frenzy of denials from Lebanese officials and raised fears it would be used by Israel to justify a strike on the airport. It comes at a delicate time for the country: Since October, when Hezbollah launched a support front aimed at reducing pressure on Hamas, the Iran-backed group and Israel have traded daily strikes across the Lebanese-Israeli border. So far, at least 481 people have been killed in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah operatives but also 94 civilians, according to tallies by monitoring groups and news outlets. In Israel, 17 soldiers have been killed, Israeli authorities say. Though hostilities between the two sides have been mostly around the border, fighting escalated in recent weeks, with many fearing a wider assault is only one miscalculation away. The caretaker Lebanese Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh, a Hezbollah ally, dismissed the Telegraphs report as ridiculous, saying that the airports cargo operations adhered to international standards. He said that consultations had already begun with other parts of the Lebanese government to launch legal proceedings against the Telegraph. Attending the tour were representatives of diplomatic missions from the European Union, Germany, Spain, Egypt, China, India and Pakistan, among others. As part of the tour, diplomats and journalists visited two cargo areas in the airport that Hamieh said accounted for all traffic there including the Iranian shipments mentioned in the Telegraphs report. With this article, weve gone from (Israeli) airspace violations to a psychological war through written articles, he said during a news conference after the tour. He referred to the Israeli militarys frequent flying of its warplanes into Lebanese airspace. And now weve shown the falsehood of those articles, he told the group. They are silly articles. Ihab Hamada, a member of Hezbollahs political bloc in the Lebanese parliament, told the state-run National News Agency that the group did not need the airport for its weapons. The Israeli foreign ministrys official account on the social media platform X, retweeted the Telegraph article, commenting that in normal countries, airports are used for travel. Israel has targeted Beiruts airport before. In 1968, Israeli special forces destroyed 12 passenger planes and two cargo planes on the airports tarmac in retaliation for a Palestinian attack on an Israeli airliner. In 2006, the same day that Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers, Israel bombed the airport and cut off all sea access to the county. During the tour, journalists and diplomats were taken through a large warehouse, with airport workers looking nonplussed as the group walked between shambolic piles of boxes and floor-to-ceiling shelving units. Responding to questions about the report, an airport security officer who did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak to media insisted everything at the airport was above board. Of course we havent seen anything of what these reports are saying, the officer said. Richard Mujais, the head of the state-run Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG), the company which handles all cargo at the airport, said the airports cargo center was certified by several world bodies, including the European Commission, the International Air Transport Association, and that multiple security agencies were involved in checking any incoming shipments even before they entered the country. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would reduce operations in Gaza and would shift their attention to Israels north, with the intention of securing the area and allow the return of some 60,000 Israelis displaced from the border areas. In Lebanon, roughly 100,000 people have had to leave their homes due to Israeli bombardment. If we can do it politically, that would be great, Netanyahu said. If not, we will do it in another way, but we will bring everyone back home all the residents of the north and the south. 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein, Pool photo via AFP/Getty Images/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met in Washington on Monday as the Biden administration struggles to forge a cease-fire in Gaza and prevent a war with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. The meeting occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly accused the U.S. of withholding weapons as it pursues its Gaza campaign, which began nearly nine months ago with an assault on Israel by Hamas. The White House has denied that weapons have been held back, and a State Department account of the Blinken-Gallant encounter did not mention the arms dispute. Blinken, the department said, discussed efforts to free Israeli hostages and urged Gallant to take additional steps to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza and deliver assistance throughout Gaza in full coordination with the United Nations. The secretary also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to the Middle East last week in a bid to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which are threatening to spiral into a full-blown war. Gallant was also expected to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of Israels offensive in the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union. Some 37,000 people have been killed in the ensuing war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants. 2024 Bloomberg LP Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC The Dali, the container ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing a deadly collapse, arrives at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth to unload shipping containers on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) (Tribune News Service) The container ship that crashed in March into a Baltimore bridge, killing six construction workers, arrived Tuesday in Hampton Roads. The 984-foot Dali crossed the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and entered Norfolk waters around 5 a.m. The ship was escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard as it entered the Elizabeth River the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish, an 87-foot patrol boat, provided a 500-yard safety zone around the Dali, according to a Coast Guard news release. Coast Guard watchstanders also monitored the ships progress. The ship is currently at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, where crews are unloading containers to reduce draft, according to the Coast Guard. It will then head to Norfolk International Terminals in Norfolk for more repairs and salvage. A third-party contractor will perform those repairs at Norfolk International Terminals, said Joe Harris, Virginia Port Authority spokesperson. He did not know the extent of repairs that would be performed there, however. The ships manager, Synergy Marine, did not respond for a request for comment. But Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for the ships owner Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. told the Baltimore Sun this week that after the ship is patched up in Norfolk, it will head to another shipyard for more extensive repairs. That shipyard is yet to be determined, the Sun reported. The Coast Guards 5th District Public Affairs Office in Portsmouth declined to answer questions beyond a news release on Tuesday and did not return an email asking where such repair work might be performed. The Coast Guard said the cargo ship is sailing under a 22-person crew and six salvage experts from Resolve Marine. The Dali departed from Baltimore just before 8:30 a.m. Monday. The Dali had been in Baltimore since it lost power in the early hours of March 26, colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and collapsing the structure into the Patapsco River. Debris from the disaster blocked Baltimores shipping channel for more than two months. 2024 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit at pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Attorney General Merrick Garland appears at a House hearing at the Capitol on June 4, 2024. (Joe Gromelski/Special to Stars and Stripes) Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday decried a proposal from House Republicans to slash the Justice Departments budget by nearly $1 billion for next year, saying such cuts would risk undermining progress in reducing violent crime nationwide. This effort is unacceptable, Garland said at a news conference in Cleveland, where he traveled to mark the opening of a new intelligence center to help state and federal prosecutors combat gun violence. Garlands remarks came hours after the House GOP unveiled a fiscal 2025 budget proposal that would set Justices funding at $36.5 billion, about $3 billion less than the amount President Biden is seeking. Some conservatives have targeted the Justice Department for cuts as part of their opposition to the criminal prosecutions of former president Donald Trump. Trump was convicted last month on 34 felony New York state counts of falsifying business records. He faces state charges in Georgia for election interference and federal charges in Washington for election interference and in Florida for illegally retaining classified documents. Garland has appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to oversee the federal cases. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of his indictments. He and his Republican allies have sought to paint the prosecutions as politically motivated, accusing the Justice Department and Democrats of targeting the former president. Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to face Biden in the November election. House Republicans voted this month to hold Garland in contempt over his refusal to turn over audiotapes of special counsel Robert K. Hurs interview with Biden during an investigation last year into the presidents handling of classified documents. Biden exerted executive privilege to shield the tapes after Garland said their public disclosure could hamper the Justice Departments ability to conduct future investigations. Garland has lashed out at what he says are baseless attacks and conspiracies from Republicans that have threatened to undermine the rule of law. I will not be intimidated, he said this month. A House Appropriations subcommittee is scheduled to hold a markup hearing on the GOPs budget proposal Wednesday. This bill prioritizes fiscal sanity and the liberties of the American people, Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in a statement. It halts the weaponization of the federal government against its citizens and enhances congressional oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. In Cleveland, Garland and Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, hailed progress in combating violent crime, which fell nationwide by 6 percent in 2023, according to FBI data. Murders, which had spiked in many cities during and after the coronavirus pandemic, dropped 13 percent last year, one of the steepest annual declines, officials said. Dettelbach cited a $50 million cut to ATFs budget last year and said the new House GOP proposal would impose even deeper cuts. Such budget reductions would mean an inability to open other centers like this, Dettelbach said of the intelligence center, which aims to use technology and federal tracking systems to pursue investigations into gun crimes in the Northeast Ohio region. It will threaten the closing of facilities like this, he said, and mean leaving our communities less protected and, thus, less safe. Queensland man Ray Aitkens says he buys high-quality produce from farmers and sells it back to the community with little markup, helping those in need. An Aussie pensioner and fruiterer who sells "a lot of fresh, cheap and affordable" produce to locals from his pop-up grocery stall said he risks going bankrupt thanks to a council demand. Queensland man Ray Aitkens, from Bundaberg in the state's northeast, said he's been buying high-quality fruit directly from local farmers and selling it to residents in the area from his roadside stall, to much success. Aitkens says he adds little markup to the produce, claiming his business "helps our farmers, it helps our poor community, it helps all our poor pensioners in the area". Shoppers who frequent the disability pensioner's stall insist the produce is "cheaper than the supermarkets" with Aitkens saying he gets people from all around town coming to buy his fruit. While seemingly popular within the community, Bundaberg Regional Council appear less than impressed with the set-up, warning that Aitkens is operating commercially on council land without a permit. He was already moved on from the spot once last year, but after doing so failed to attract the same success due to the speed limit in the area, which saw few cars stop as they drove by. Ray Aitkens says people come from far and wide for his produce, which some say is even cheaper than supermarkets. Source: ACA Pensioner claims he lost his life savings after being forced to move shop "I paid for a permit to go out to Goodwood Road to sell fruit on the side of the road out there," Aitkens told A Current Affair. "I told council at the time I didn't think it'd ever work out there because the traffic speed is 80km/h and a lot of old people don't like pulling off the road at 80km/h." He said as a result of being forced to move, he lost a whopping $40,000 of his hard-earned. "I lost all my savings last year, $40,000 that I'd made in fruit over a period of five or six years that I'd saved up and saved up," he said. "It's the most money I've ever had in my whole life and I lost a whole lot of it to fruit." Now, the retiree's taken matters back into his own hands and moved back to his original spot, despite the knowledge it's against local by-laws and it didn't take long for council to notice. Have your say Ray Aitkens vows to fight until the end "The day they handed me the fine there was three cars here having a crack deal ... and I was getting the fine," he said. "I'm selling mandarins here, not drugs." Aitkens was issued with another fine for operating illegally, and ordered to immediately shut up shop. Despite understanding that he is "not operating in the rules", the Queenslander feels so strongly that he should be granted a permit to trade, he's even willing to take the battle to court. "[It's] not just me who's gonna lose out on the deal, the community's gonna lose out," he said. "This rule has been passed by members of council and it needs to be changed." One customer, Richard, said "he's actually a lot cheaper than what I can buy from the supermarket" and "I don't think it's really fair, he's not doing any harm to anyone." Yahoo News Australia has contacted Bundaberg Regional Council for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The House is set to vote this week on an annual defense spending bill that President Joe Biden said he would veto for harming service member access to reproductive health care, threatening the health of safety of LGBTQ+ troops and undermining readiness. Pictured is an undated photo of the White House. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON The House is set to vote this week on an annual defense spending bill that President Joe Biden said he would veto for harming service member access to reproductive health care, threatening the health of safety of LGBTQ+ troops and undermining readiness. The legislation provides $833 billion to the Defense Department for a 4.5% pay raise for troops and investments in national security in fiscal 2025 but also contains conservative social policy riders that Democrats have revolted against. The House is expected to hold a vote on the spending bill by Friday. The Senate has yet to release its version of the legislation. House Republicans are again wasting time with partisan bills, the White Houses Office of Management and Budget wrote Monday in a statement criticizing the bill. The administration earlier this month also objected to parts of the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual defense policy bill that is funded by the spending bill. The White House aimed it harshest criticism at provisions in the spending bill that would stop funding a travel reimbursement program for troops who need to cross state lines for abortion and other reproductive health care, strip funds from the Defense Departments diversity and inclusion initiatives and prohibit funding of gender-affirming care for transgender service members. More divisive amendments could be added to the legislation as the House Rules Committee meets Tuesday to decide which proposals will get a vote on the House floor. One amendment, which successfully passed the House last year but was removed during negotiations with the Senate, would reduce Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins salary to $1. House Republicans have stressed their efforts to slash spending on social programs are geared toward refocusing the Pentagon on its war-fighting mission and preparing the military for long-term competition with China and other adversaries. The White House argued the cuts, including $621 million from climate change initiatives and $53 billion from diversity programs, would have devastating consequences for military readiness and prevent the Defense Department from recruiting a total force representative of Americas diversity. The administration also said it disagreed with a proposal to give junior enlisted service members an extra 15% pay raise ahead of a Pentagon review of the military basic pay table. The total 19.5% pay raise for junior troops would cost more than $3.3 billion in fiscal 2025 and is not fully funded by the Houses draft spending bill, according to the White House. Funding cuts to parts of the White Houses budget request for defense also rankled the administration. The bill eliminates two planned ship procurements and provides $761 million less for shipbuilding than requested. It also fails to include money for a longstanding weapons acquisition and training program for Ukraine. Eliminating all Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding would undermine U.S. national security, undercut Ukraines ability to fight Russian aggression, and could cause Russia and other would-be aggressors around the world to question Americas commitment to a critical partner on the frontline of aggression, the White House stated. Administration officials said they also strongly opposed a provision that prohibited funds for any pier or structure built off the coast of Gaza. A $230 million temporary pier the U.S. military installed in May to rush food and aid to the embattled enclave has been plagued with operational issues but the White House said it was a vital link in the humanitarian assistance chain. There is also White House resistance to a proposal that would transfer Mexico from Northern Command, which oversees military activity in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas, to Southern Command, which is responsible for security cooperation and operations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The White House said the transfer would unduly impinge on the presidents authority to organize military command and control as well as disrupt North Americas unified defense approach and create a seam between two combatant commands on the U.S. border. Mohammed Abu Hashem in Akron, Ohio, in mid-June. He left his job in the U.S. Air Force after 22 years, citing disillusionment with the United States role supporting the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. (Amber N. Ford for The Washington Post ) Though hed been in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, Mohammed Abu Hashem felt like he had more to give. But that changed in October, when urgent messages poured in from family in Gaza. An Israeli airstrike had killed Abu Hashems aunt and more than 20 neighbors, and left other relatives injured, he was told. Twelve children were among the dead, his family said. His thoughts turned to Washingtons ironclad support for Israel through policy and vast amounts of weaponry, and soon he concluded that 22 years was in fact enough. It was extremely emotional for me, knowing the amount of bombs that are being supplied to Israel was the cause of her death, Abu Hashem, who is Palestinian American, said in an interview after retiring from the military in June. I knew right then that I cant be part of the system that enabled this. Abu Hashem, 41, said he was compelled to enlist after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on his adopted country. Today, he is among the smattering of experienced government officials and service members who have left their jobs disillusioned, they say, by the Biden administrations management of the Gaza crisis and unflinching support for Israel in its campaign to destroy the militant group Hamas. His is the first known departure with such a direct connection to the wars staggering civilian death toll. Others have sought conscientious objector status. Saida Saleh Abu Hashem, Mohammeds aunt, is at least the second Palestinian relative of an American service member to be killed in the Gaza war. This account is based on interviews with the former airman and people who know him, a review of messages he exchanged with Air Force superiors expressing alarm about the attack on his relatives home, text and voice messages shared by his family, and images of the damage to their apartment building in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces, which has faced allegations of using indiscriminate force throughout the conflict, told The Washington Post that its target that day was a Hamas operational structure within a building and that the operation involved two precise munitions. The strike was planned, a spokesperson said, to avoid excessive civilian deaths. The IDF declined to provide further details. Abu Hashem cast doubt on that assertion. If this is true, he said, and my familys home was targeted by precise GPS-guided munitions, it wouldnt be difficult for the Israeli military to release the evidence and the name of the Hamas operatives publicly. It has not done so, he noted, or demonstrated that the strike was imperative. Humanitarian groups have said Israels tolerance for civilian deaths when striking militant targets is far too high. Abu Hashem said he spoke to Air Force superiors about his concern that Israel, Washingtons closest ally in the Middle East, had potentially committed a human rights violation, and may have used U.S.-supplied weapons in doing so. He called their response unsatisfying, and said it was a factor in his decision to end his government service. I cant serve an administration that disregards facts, he said, and denies U.S. and international law to defend and enable such horrific violence. An Air Force official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe Abu Hashems interaction with his superiors, defended their handling of the situation and characterized their response as empathetic. This official said an enlisted leader who joined Abu Hashems unit in December offered him assistance, as did a predecessor, but acknowledged that they were at a loss over what to do. They behaved in a manner I would have expected, the Air Force official said. As you know though, no one in the Air Force has the ability to change foreign policy decisions. Both sets of Abu Hashems grandparents were farmers in Yibna, a village outside Tel Aviv. In 1948, he said, they were forced to flee when Israeli soldiers seized the territory, among more than 700,000 Palestinians who were driven from their land that year after Israel declared independence and the first of several Arab-Israeli wars ensued. The family reached Gaza, where his father, Saady, was born in a refugee camp. As an adult, Saady Abu Hashem fled to Qatar, where Mohammed and five of his six siblings were born. Mohammed recalled, as a 4-year-old, meeting his extended family in Gaza and touching their hands through the Egyptian border fence. In 1991, when he was 8, Abu Hashems parents moved their immediate family to the United States, eventually settling in Ohio where his father started a successful jewelry store. Abu Hashem said he joined the Air Force because he felt that sense to protect my family. He worked on KC-135 refueling aircraft, a job that deployed him ten times, including three mobilizations to Qatar, where he was able to connect with other family uprooted from Gaza. As he climbed the ranks, Abu Hashem switched careers and became a first sergeant, a leadership position responsible for advising commanders on training and quality-of-life issues. He said he relished the role, working for several units before arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland in April 2023. On Oct. 10, Mohammeds aunt, Saida Saleh Abu Hashem was home in northern Gazas Jabalya neighborhood with her husband and two of her three sons. At least two other families shared their apartment building, including children. It was three days after Hamas militants led the stunning cross-border attack into Israel in which they killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Israeli forces fired a warning shot at a building two doors down the street that was loud enough for most in the neighborhood to hear, Mohammed Abu Hashem said. The practice, known as roof knocking, involves munitions with little or no explosives. Though largely abandoned now, it was intended to signal to civilians that a strike was imminent. What happened next was described in voice messages sent to Abu Hashem by his aunts other son, whose name also is Mohammed. He was attending school in Turkey when his mother was killed. Hearing the warning shot, families evacuated, but nothing happened. After waiting outside for about 90 minutes, they returned to the home. Saida Saleh Abu Hashem was in her living room when the bomb struck. She was 49. Suddenly, stones were falling on them, Abu Hashems cousin said in the recording, surmising the Israelis had waited for everyone to go back inside and then demolished the entire house. In all, 23 people died as a result of the strike, Abu Hashems cousin tallied. Among them was a family of six who lived in the same apartment building, according to a death registry maintained by the Gaza Health Ministry. The youngest was a 1-year-old girl. I know everyone there, and all of them, without exception, are civilians working in civilian jobs, including teachers, car drivers and a supermarket seller, Abu Hashems cousin said in the recording. I am certain that there are no resistance fighters or armed elements in this building. In its response to The Post, the IDF did not address questions about whether commanders assessed civilians were harmed in the attack or if they are confident the correct building was hit. Israeli and U.S. officials have said Hamas militants hide among civilians, though the two sides have had sharp disagreements about Israels efforts to limit civilian casualties. The home was probably struck by U.S.-made MK82s, guided 500-pound bombs, or similar Israeli weapons, said Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army bomb technician who reviewed photos and videos of the strikes aftermath at The Posts request. The MK82 is one of several American munitions that has been provided to Israel. The imagery, captured by neighbors and bystanders, does not include any identifiable munition components or fragments. Abu Hashem said he sought to channel his grief into something productive. He confided in a friend, a senior enlisted leader in the Air Force, that he was struggling but hopeful that providing information about the strike on his familys home would lead to the discovery of a war crime or reveal to the Israelis that a tragic accident had occurred. His friend, he said, told him she would pass along the details to contacts in the intelligence community. Nothing came of it, Abu Hashem said. His friend, who has since left the service, did not return a request for comment. Frustrated by the inaction, Abu Hashem decided in late October that it was time to go. He took a temporary position at a company in the Akron, Ohio, area through a program for service members transitioning to civilian careers. In February, he was introduced to a younger man also leaving the Air Force. They exchanged pleasantries, but Abu Hashem made no mention of why he had left the military. Days later that airman, Aaron Bushnell, doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Free Palestine were among his last words. Greg Kennedy, who oversaw Abu Hashems work at the company, Leaf Home, confirmed the two mens brief encounter. Abu Hashem said he wonders what, if anything, he could have done to steer Bushnell toward another path, but that his grief was too overwhelming to share. I had an opportunity to talk to this young man about my life, he said. I chose silence. Abu Hashem said his relatives in Gaza face an uncertain fate. Theyve been relocated to a camp for the displaced in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where Israel began an offensive weeks ago that has forced more than 1 million people to flee. His uncle, in a voice message, spoke of the tents baking in the summer heat, hepatitis infections, and starving people grinding corn and animal feed as a last resort. Abu Hashem criticized the Israeli military for not disclosing any evidence to back up the reasoning for the strike on their home. There are no checks and balances to their narrative, he said. What we should really be asking here, he said, is why my aunts life and the lives of innocent children were considered so worthless that they could just be considered collateral damage. Hazem Balousha in Cairo, Hajar Harb in London, Reem Akkad and Meg Kelly contributed to this report. Raffique Khan, who served three tours in Afghanistan, holds his Purple Heart medal and certificate at his home in Queens. (Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News/TNS) NEW YORK (Tribune News Service) Purple Heart recipient Raffique Khan still cant believe he was pulled over while driving his BMW in Brooklyn for no apparent reason then arrested for carrying a legal gun. Sadly, he says, he can only conclude he was charged because hes Black. Khan, 40, retired from the U.S. Army and now working as an armed federal environment protection specialist assigned to Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging discrimination, wrongful arrest and a denial of his Second Amendment right to carry a firearm. There was no probable cause, to stop [Khan] other than he was a person of color operating an expensive late model vehicle said the suit, filed in Brooklyn Federal Court by his lawyer, Cory Morris, on May 21. A similar suit was filed by Morris on June 14 in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn. To be honest, Im disappointed, Khan, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, told the Daily News in an interview. I never thought I would serve and come home to be treated in this manner. I love my country. I wasnt born here, but what better way to pay your country than to serve. I did it honorably. I could understand if I was arguing or trying to fight, being belligerent but it was nothing like that. The criminal complaint filed after Officer Matthew Bessen, who Khan described as white, arrested Khan last Nov. 26 in East New York clearly indicates that the NYPDs own database indicates Khan has a license to carry a firearm. The complaint said Khan can only carry the weapon while at work, but Morris said Khan has no such restrictions on his license. The case was dismissed in February, but Khan said the damage is done. Besides the embarrassment, I dont want to run into this situation again, Khan said. I thought I was doing everything the correct way. I dont want to sound like a saint or anything but I always felt you do the right thing, good things will happen to you. Khan got a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for rescuing fellow soldiers trapped in the wreckage caused by a suicide truck bomb that killed two Americans and badly injured some three dozen troops in Afghanistan in 2012. Before the car stop, he was out with family for a gathering in honor of what have been his recently-deceased mothers 70th birthday. When it was over, he, a cousin and a friend got into Khans BMW his license plate adorned with a Purple Heart and reminisced some more and nibbled on a late-night snack. Khan, a father of three, remembers seeing an unmarked car pass by and not thinking much of it. When he drove off, two cops in the same car pulled him over a few minutes later. Khan said he was not told why he was stopped and there is nothing in the complaint to indicate it, either. But Kkan, noting his great respect for law enforcement, said he immediately told Bessen he was a licensed gun holder and that the weapon was in his glove compartment. With that, Khan said he and his passengers were ordered out of the car, with Bessen reviewing Khans documents including his carry permit and military identification and questioning how he got them. Maybe he didnt expect a minority to have credentials like that, Khan said. I did not say that to him, but I was saying that to myself. I wanted to still give him the respect he deserves, but even though Im asking him what is going on he didnt explain anything to me at all. After about a half hour, Khan, his cousin and his friend were handcuffed and taken to the 75th Precinct, with Khan eventually charged and the other two let go. Khan was released without bail even though a prosecutor requested bail be set at $50,000 after more than 35 hours in custody, according to the lawsuit, filed May 21 at Brooklyn Federal Court. Khan was able to convince his superiors he was not AWOL. But he was forced to surrender his second weapon, for which he has a premise permit for his home in Queens, until the charges were dismissed. Morris said Khans arrest is a classic case of police pulling over a Black man for no reason and working under the presumption every gun is illegally owned. There was not so much as a traffic stop alleged here, Morris said in an interview. The police are enforcing an unlawful policy based on unlawful racial stops and [making] an unlawful arrest simply based on firearm ownership. The NYPD said it does not comment on cases involving pending lawsuits. It refused to answer any questions about the stop. Bessen, a five-year veteran, did not respond to a request for comment. Records show he has made 189 arrests and has been cited 13 times for good police work. He was issued a command discipline in January for an incident in which he wrongfully questioned someone. And the Civilian Complaint Review Board has substantiated eight of 38 allegations against him for his tactics in 13 incidents. Records show he received command disciplines the loss of vacation days for a number of the substantiated allegations. 2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Mr Ward (31) and Mr O'Driscoll (22) are charged with possession of firearms and reckless discharge Brothers Glen Ward and Eric O'Driscoll, who are accused of discharging an assault rifle in a Dublin residential area, are to apply for bail at the Special Criminal Court. Mr Ward (31) and Mr O'Driscoll (22) are charged with possession of firearms and reckless discharge on dates in January 2022 in the Finglas area of north Dublin. One charge alleges that Mr O'Driscoll was in possession of a military submachine gun. Yesterday at the three-judge court defence lawyers Keith Spencer BL, for Mr Ward, and Oisin Clarke BL, for Mr ODriscoll, said their clients were seeking a date for a bail hearing. Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the non-jury court would hear the bail application at a later date. In February at the High Court, bail for the brothers was denied with gardai objecting to it being granted. Earlier this month, a solicitor for the State applied through the Offences Against the State Act to have the trials transferred to the Special Criminal Court. Mr Justice Hunt, presiding, granted the applications. Mr Ward, who has an address in Finglas, is charged that on January 1, 2022, at Ratoath Drive in Finglas he had in his possession or control a .223 Remington AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he did not have it for a lawful purpose. He is also charged that on the same date and at the same location he discharged a firearm, being reckless as to whether any person would be injured. Mr O'Driscoll, also of Finglas, faces two charges identical to those against Mr Ward plus three further charges. Two relate to the alleged possession of a .223 Remington AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at Ratoath Drive on January 9, 2022. Another alleges that on the same date he had in his possession or under his control a .380 ACP calibre military armament corporation make Ingram M11 submachine gun in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable inference that he did not have it for a lawful purpose. The offences are contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 and the Firearms Act 1964. Woman told court that cheque was donation to the church after the death of her husband The reputation of a Church of Ireland rector has been irrevocably tarnished after a jury convicted him of taking a 1,000 donation from a grieving widow to line his own pockets. The Craigavon Crown Court jury deliberated for just short of three and a half hours before returning with a unanimously guilty verdict against Rev Adrian McLaughlin on count two convicting the 50-year-old of abusing his position at St Colmans Parish Church, Dunmurry, to commit fraud. The particulars of the offence outline that having accepted a 1,000 cheque, he failed to give or declare the said donation to the treasurer of Church Vestry and made the cheque payable to yourself personally. While the jury of 10 men and two women returned a guilty verdict on that charge, they unanimously acquitted the minister of four other similar offences of fraud by abuse of position. Standing in the dock wearing a three-piece tweed suit, McLaughlin turned to relatives in the public gallery as the jury announced the first guilty verdict. He appeared to shrug his shoulders before turning back to face the judge as the jury foreman continued to announce the four acquittals. On the final charge accusing McLaughlin of a 10,000 fraud by writing a cheque out to himself Judge Patrick Lynch KC told the jury he could accept a majority verdict on which at least 10 of them agreed, before asking them to retire again. An hour later, he sent them home for the evening and they are expected to return to court today to continue their deliberations on the last count. While the minister claims there had been an agreement at an ad hoc vestry meeting that he should be reimbursed for thousands he had spent out of his own pocket, the prosecution contend that the defendant abused his position as rector in order to serve his own personal interests. The jury earlier heard evidence from Mrs Elizabeth Fletcher that, following the death of her husband, she had attended church one Sunday morning and gave a cheque for 1,000 to McLaughlin with the payee line blank. She testified that the cheque was a donation for the church and as she did not know how the cheque would be used or where it should be lodged she had left the payee line blank of her own volition. Giving evidence on his own behalf, the clergyman claimed he told Mrs Fletcher he would use the money to reimburse himself for two antique, ornate candle sticks he had purchased from a shop in Saintfield for 800, further claiming she was more than happy with that. He outlined to the jury how he had to withdraw extra cash from an ATM to pay for them and that his now ex-wife was with him at the time. Mrs Fletcher told the jury, however, there had been no such conversation that Sunday morning and McLaughlin had told her he had no idea what he was going to do with the money. Prosecuting counsel Joseph Murphy also said in his closing speech that there was no corresponding cash withdrawal from the defendants bank account. He also told the court McLaughlins former wife Dr Christine Burns had said in her evidence that she had not been in any Saintfield antique shop with him and, in any event, she was a chemistry teacher and this supposed transaction was, according to the defendant, completed on what would have been the middle of a school day. He may giveth, said the lawyer, but he also taketh away. McLaughlin had claimed that Mrs Fletcher was mistaken and that she had come under the nefarious influence of others involved in the case a version of events rejected by the jury in their guilty verdict on that charge. In court, McLaughlin had labelled others who gave evidence against him as liars whose evidence was nonsense and part of a conspiracy to have him convicted. The court heard that despite his ex-wife maintaining she was faithful during their marriage, McLaughlin testified that he believed that she and her lovers have brought this campaign against me and theyre trying to get me a prison sentence, get my children taken off me and get me out of my house. According to the Crown case, the minister received 775 in donations and collections from three funerals, 345 of which had been destined for the Royal Victoria Hospitals Liver Support Unit but which ended up in the defendants pocket. The prosecution further contended that in the space of just over a year, he had received more than 5,000 from a lady who ran a weekly Slimming World class in the halls of St Colmans. During police interviews and while giving sworn evidence on his own behalf however, McLaughlin emphasised that much of the evidence against him had come from his ex-wife and those who had stayed friends with her following their messy break up. Denying that he had ever been paid for a funeral, believing that to do so would be immoral, the minister told the jury that any money he received did not find its way into his coffers but rather was spent on the beautification and betterment of St Colmans Parish Church and was done with a pure heart. During his closing speech, defence KC Richard McConkey submitted that in relation to the 10,000 cheque, McLaughlin was not acting dishonestly; he was getting reimbursed for money he had spent in the church. Directing the jurors, Judge Lynch told them there could no reconciliation between the defence and prosecution claims, and there has to be one side that cannot be right. Reminding the jurors it was solely their decision, the judge told them one of them is telling lies it comes down to as brutal an issue as that. The trial continues. OConnor (46) of Whitestown Grove in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, had been accused of the attempted murder An attempted murder accused has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to conspiring to murder a man who was shot at his Dublin home eight years ago. Jason Jay OConnor (46) of Whitestown Grove in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, had been accused of the attempted murder of Charlie Cooper at Parslickstown Green, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, on December 5, 2016 but today pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of conspiracy to murder. Mr Cooper was seriously injured when he was shot multiple times at his home, however, he was treated in hospital and made a recovery. Mr OConnor is also charged with the possession of a 9mm firearm and 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition with intent to endanger life at the same location and on the same date. Last month, Mr OConnor was further charged with facilitating a criminal organisation with the commission of two serious offences, to wit: murder and the sale or supply of drugs. Today at the Special Criminal Court, OConnor, represented by Michael Bowman SC and Keith Spencer BL, instructed by solicitor Wayne Kenny, pleaded guilty (GUILTY) to conspiracy to murder Charlie Cooper under Section 4 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Also at todays sitting, OConnor pleaded guilty to the charge that he did between August 2, 2016, and December 7, 2016, both dates inclusive, within the State and with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, participate in, or contribute to, activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could, facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation or any of its member, to wit: murder. O'Connor spoke only to answer "guilty" when the two charges were read to him by the registrar. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the matter to July 30. Mr OConnor was also charged last month that he did between August 2, 2016 and December 7, 2016, both dates inclusive and within the State, with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, participate in, or contribute to, activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by that criminal organisation, or any of its members, to wit: the sale and supply of controlled drugs. Flamingos are notoriously hard to count, so the last time anyone had tried to count the flock on this popular lake had been a decade ago. How many flamingos can you count in 30 seconds? Source: Getty Counting a small crowd of people in a room is hard enough. So imagine trying to estimate how many uniformly coloured flamingos had descended on a lake. Because up to half a million birds will routinely congregate together, counting them from the ground was a near-impossible task. Footage taken by drones improved accuracy, but it could take hours to analyse a single frame now thats about to change. I tried manually counting 10 images myself and that took me a few hours. But thats just 10 images and there are thousands of images in our data sets, University of NSW researcher Sophie Yang told Yahoo News. But now a full collage of images would take maybe less than 20 minutes. How were over 500,000 flamingos counted in just minutes? The key to this remarkable time-saving innovation was getting machines to do the work instead. Yangs team collected 3,715 photographs shot from a plane soaring at speeds of up to 195 kilometres per hour, at heights of 50 to 600 metres. They then taught a computer to recognise each of the pink dots as a flamingo and ignore any blurring caused by flight turbulence. Flamingos in Africa are facing a range of climactic and environmental threats. Source: Richard Kingsford/UNSW Sydney This new artificial intelligence advancement quickly produced an estimate of 532,197 flamingos congregating on the northern basin of Sua Pan in Botswana. Because the task of counting them had been so painstaking, their count was the first to be completed in a decade. Yang reflected on the moment her computer first started accurately counting the birds on Tuesday, after her research paper was published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. It was exhilarating, just a huge amount of work. And to have like the accuracy of the machine learning base so high, it's definitely very satisfying. More exciting wildlife stories Why would anyone want to count flamingos? Having accurate population estimates has become increasingly important, particularly with the lesser flamingo species because its now listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of species facing extinction. To protect it from further declines its essential to regularly track how pollution, habitat destruction, and changes to the climate are impacting numbers. The Sua Pan where the flamingos were filmed is one of the lesser flamingos six major breeding sites. For the birds to successfully reproduce they require the weather conditions to be just right. To protect the chicks from predators, the right amount of flooding is needed so that small island refuges are created. Researchers are particularly concerned there are not enough protections in place to prevent tourism developments and dam building from affecting their habitat. These fragile environments must be protected if we are to conserve these incredible birds, which are an important part of these rare ecosystems and a major tourist attraction, UNSW Professor Richard Kingsford said. Terry Graham (41) was on his way to the toilets with the bag when plain-clothes gardai spotted him A Gaelic football fan has been spared jail for swallowing a bag of suspected cocaine when stopped for a search at an All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park. Terry Graham (41) was on his way to the toilets with the bag when plain-clothes gardai spotted him and he panicked. Judge Gerard Jones gave him a three-month suspended sentence at Dublin District Court. Graham, a father of two and out-of-work scaffolder with an address at Collins Drive, Finglas, pleaded guilty to obstructing a garda drug search. The case was heard earlier this year and had been adjourned for the production of a probation report. After reading the report, Judge Jones sentenced the accused to three months, suspended in full for two years. Previously, Garda David OCallaghan told the court he was on patrol at Hill 16 in the stadium on July 15 last year when he saw Graham go into the toilets with a plastic bag of suspected cocaine. When told he would be searched, the accused placed the bag into his mouth and swallowed it. He was arrested and taken to Store Street garda station. Asked if children were present, Grahams lawyer said it was the less familial side of Hill 16 but a judge said it was still a family day out with children present. The accused did not have an addiction to cocaine and it was for recreational use on the day, his lawyer said. It was on offer because of the day that was in it, he said. He panicked at the time, he added of the obstruction charge. It was a once-off stupid mistake and he was embarrassed by it, and apologetic. The court heard Graham had previous convictions but not for drugs offences. Imperiales island getaway is known as Thailand which he purchased back in 2008. Villas were to have private pools The Italian legal system has seized a 30 million island in Dubai owned by Kinahan cartel ally, Raffaele Imperiale. The mobster, known as the Van Gogh Boss because he stole two of the painters works, is currently facing a 14-year prison sentence in Italy. For many years, Imperiale was one of the most wanted criminals from Italy, alongside mafiosi Matteo Messina Denaro, Giovanni Motisi and another Camorra member, Renato Cinquegranella. Imperiale had been on the run for five years before being lifted in Dubai in August 2021. He was extradited to Italy in March 2022. Public prosecutor Maurizio De Marco wants specifically 14 years and 9 months in prison for the gang leader. The Camorra boss had previously offered to hand over his pricey Middle Eastern plot in a bid to get reduced prison time. This week, Naples court judge Maria Luisa Miranda ordered the seizure of his archipelago in "The World", a cluster of land shaped as a map of the globe. The budding resort is built just off Dubais coast. "Thailand" is circled in red (Google maps) Imperiales specific island getaway, known as Thailand, which he reportedly purchased back in 2008. The archipelago is currently almost completely abandoned. After he was nicked, Imperiale reportedly began to spill the beans about his criminal activities. Through his lawyer, he made documents available to investigators about the purchase of the island. His Thailand spot is registered in the name of a company managed by an Italian businessman, who reportedly lives in Dubai. Imperiale claims to have paid 30 million quid for the patch of sand. Planned villas yet to materialise Back in 2010, a plan was drawn up for the construction of 12 luxury villas on the beaches for a price of between eight and nine million euro each. The current value of the island is difficult to estimate because a large part of the artificial archipelago is abandoned. Nowadays, the canals that serve to connect the islands to the mainland are blocked. Almost most all the buildings constructed are uninhabited. Imperiale was busted in Dubai because his encrypted phone messages were intercepted, something which could potentially implicate the Kinahan cartel in a future trial. Since turning pentito (supergrass) last year Imperiales information has seen a major cocaine smuggling operation in northern Europe taken down as well as 1.8 million in crypto currency handed over to the Italian state. Villas were to have private pools In March last year, cops found more than 80 weapons hidden under the garage floor of Imperiales house, including three Kalashnikov rifles, a grenade, and 5,067 rounds of ammunition. Imperiale declared his wish to be a pentito last October, in a move that potentially left the Kinahans feeling the heat. He was already co-operating with police even before he attended Daniel Kinahans wedding at the Burj al Arab Hotel in 2017. The Van Gogh paintings stolen in 2002 in Amsterdam were discovered by Italian police acting on information in 2016. Imperiale getting nicked Imperiale told an Italian newspaper he didnt steal the paintings, which have since been returned the Netherlands, but bought them after they were offered to him for sale. It also emerged during the trial that Encrochat and SkyECC messages were specifically hacked by French cops. Imperiale, who began his criminal career from a coffee shop in Amsterdam, is believed to have been at the top of the drug cartel, along with Dutch criminal Ridouan Taghi, Daniel Kinahan and Bosnian drug trafficker Edin Gacanin. The group was observed having meetings in the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai in 2017 and attended the Kinahan nuptials. The cartel is considered to be one of the biggest in the world with almost complete control over the sale of Peruvian cocaine. Daniel Kinahan, his father Christopher and brother Christopher Jr are still at large despite a US $15 million bounty on their heads. Judge Jonathan Dunphy said there had clearly been a misunderstanding on Mahers part that one of the injured parties had taken his stash of drugs A robber who invasively searched a young woman for drugs, ripping her bra and slamming her on the ground has been jailed for three years. Shem Maher (26) knocked the young woman to the ground, punched her and kicked her to the head before ripping her bra and grabbing her breasts. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that bystanders heard him shouting, Wheres my drugs? Maher initially denied the offences but forensic tests found his DNA inside her bra. Maher, with a former address at Marrowbone Lane, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery at Usher Street, Dublin 8 on October 27, 2021. He has seven previous convictions and has been in custody since March. Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Dunphy said there had clearly been a misunderstanding on Mahers part that one of the injured parties had taken his stash of drugs. Judge Dunphy said it was a violent robbery in which the young woman was searched invasively while she pleaded to be left alone, and feared she would be raped. He noted she had bravely kicked Maher and run off to seek help. He noted that her companion, the second injured party, had also been in fear and froze during the robbery as Maher was significantly larger and younger than him. He noted the mans keys to his flat had been taken and he was told he would not get them back until Maher got his drugs. The judge said there was no evidence that either injured party had drugs on them at that time. He said Mahers grievance was unfounded and would not have been an excuse in any case. He said it was clear the offences had a negative effect on both injured parties. Judge Dunphy set a headline sentence of six years and taking into account the mitigating factors, such as his guilty plea and remorse, imposed concurrent sentences totalling four years. He suspended the final year and gave Maher credit for time served. Garda Matthew Kennefick told David Perry BL, prosecuting, that the female injured party went to Oliver Bond Flats in the early hours of the morning to buy drugs but did not succeed as gardai were present. She left in the company of a friend and they walked to an alley at the back of the flats. Maher cycled up behind them and began shouting at the woman: Where is it? The woman said she had met Maher one time previously. Maher ran up to her punched her in the face and knocked her to the ground. He continued punching her on the face and head. He picked her up from the ground by her jacket and then hit her off the ground, slamming her head on the ground and then kicked her in the head. Maher pulled at her bra which ripped, he then grabbed the womans breasts, pulled at them and squeezed her left breast hard. Maher kept screaming at her: Where is it? while the woman told him she didnt have it. The woman described herself as being in pain and feared Maher would rape her. She told him she did not have anything and asked him to leave her alone. She ended up curled in a ball as he continued to punch her and grab at her breasts, before taking 27 euro from her pockets. Maher then stood over her and pulled her off the ground by her bra. The woman kicked him as hard as she could and ran away. Her male friend, who was in his 60s, had been standing nearby shouting at Maher to stop. After the woman left the scene Maher ran at the man put his hands into the mans pockets, pulling out his flat keys and searching for drugs. The man was scared and feared he would be attacked also. The two injured parties made their way to a nearby Circle K, followed by Maher who chased them around the forecourt shouting until staff called gardai and he fled the scene. Gardai found the young woman upset and bleeding, with scratches to her face. She declined medical attention but came back to the garda station and made a statement. Gardai recovered CCTV footage from the area, a montage of which was shown in court. Maher was arrested and interviewed but denied involvement. His DNA was found on the inside the bra. The court heard both injured parties had a history of homelessness and drug use and were currently not contactable by gardai to obtain victim impact statements. Mr Perry read to the court from the womans statement to gardai in which she had outlined some of the effects the offence had on her at that time. I feel so small and upset, she said, outlining she did not deserve what had happened to her. No one deserves to be beaten and broke like that, she said, Its not human. She said at that time she had been sleeping all day, crying and afraid to answer the door or go out. She said her face and body were sore where she had been hit and thrown around. Conor Devally SC, defending, said Maher had found a great deal of focus while in custody and was engaged in education. He said his client had held down employment and was a decent provider to his children. He asked the court to take into account his guilty plea and that he had faced up to the matter. Helplines: If you have been affected by the contents of this article, click here for more information. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and threatening to kill his first female victim at Gate Lodge Apartments, Willow Park, Athlone, Co Westmeath on January 1, 2023. A man who beat and threatened a former partner at knifepoint "to pick a finger or a toe" and later subjected another ex-girlfriend to a 40-minute attack remains at a high risk of re-offending, a court has heard. Ben Curry, 24, of Fossagh, Mount Temple, Moate, Co Westmeath, has been warned he faces a possible seven-year sentence but had his case adjourned until November pending psychological assessments. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and threatening to kill his first female victim at Gate Lodge Apartments, Willow Park, Athlone, Co Westmeath on January 1, 2023. Curry held a knife to her face and said he would "cut off her finger to stop her texting boys". He also admitted another attack and robbing the next woman on May 22, 2023, at the rear of Athlone Town Shopping Centre when she met him to break it off after a brief relationship. Curry, who has been in custody on remand for year, appeared at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court today. Judge Keenan Johnson heard from forensic psychiatric reports that Curry, who had been placed into care at the age of four, had been diagnosed as having anger-management issues stemming from childhood abuse and abandonment. He said Curry had gone off the rails from the age of 20. He also noted that a probation report had been furnished and said the court cannot release him while he remains a high-risk of re-offending. Defence barrister Andrea Callan said the court had ordered 10 therapeutic sessions with a psychologist ahead of sentencing but funding was not available for all of them through legal aid. She said Probation Service could facilitate them if he was moved from Castlerea Prison to a Dublin prison. Judge Johnson adjourned the case for the accused to arrange a transfer, an updated probation report, and for Curry to complete the counselling ordered by the court. Earlier, described the incidents as "disgusting, disturbing and obnoxious" and said the level of violence was concerning. He has said he would consider terms totalling seven years but backdate them to when Curry went into custody on remand. He has also told Curry he may suspend the remaining portion for five years, however, he has stressed that the indicative sentences were subject to positive reports and ongoing engagement with treatment programmes. Curry has been getting on well in custody and attended music classes, which helped calm him, the court also heard. The defence had said the incidents were "shocking" but submitted they left Curry overcome with remorse, so much so that he could not address the court. The court heard Curry was couch surfing at the time of the first attack on the young woman who was in student accommodation and who had taken him in. She had been having a shower while he looked at her phone and allegedly saw she had been texting an ex-boyfriend. The court heard he told her to get out of the shower, got aggressive, punched a hole in the wall and caused 1500 of damage. Curry "slapped her in the face, put his arm around her and lifted her off the floor". He dropped her onto a bed and punched and slapped her in the face. The court heard he then left and turned with a kitchen knife and told her, "Pick a finger or a toe", and at this stage, she was screaming. "He held the blunt side of the knife to her face and said he would cut off her finger to stop her texting boys," the court heard. When he calmed down, she managed to get out of the apartment and rang her mother from a local shop. Photos of the injuries Curry inflicted were furnished to the court. The court heard during the second attack, Curry, who was on bail at the time, met the young woman at Athlone Town Centre after she had already tried to tell him via Snapchat that she did not want to see him again. Curry pushed her onto the ground, head-butted, punched and kneed her in the face, and took her 900 iPhone. The court heard she was bleeding because "her piercings had been pulled from her ear", and she suffered swelling. Earlier, Judge Johnson said the incident went on for 40 minutes, which must have been terrifying for that young woman who provided a victim impact statement. In it, she outlined how she is in "constant fear", has trust issues and "hated the way she looked after the assault". The judge considered that Curry's guilty pleas spared the two women having to give evidence and being questioned in court. Curry, who also had an address in Co. Carlow, also admitted involvement in three violent disorder incidents in Longford and Athlone on other dates. He had six prior convictions for drug possession, carrying a knife, trespassing, threat to kill or cause serious harm and production of an article in a dispute, and had already received two-year sentence. The 37-year-old was one of ten men arrested in Cork last March in connection with a garda drugs investigation into a sophisticated drugs operation A Fermanagh truck driver accused of conspiring to import a large amount of drugs into the State following a major garda operation in West Cork earlier this year has been granted bail after successfully appealing a previous High Court decision refusing his application. Sean Curran, with an address at Carrickyheenan, Aughnacloy, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh is charged with conspiracy to import drugs valued at 13,000 or more under Section 71 (1) (a) (4) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The 37-year-old was one of ten men arrested in Cork last March in connection with a garda drugs investigation into a sophisticated drugs operation. It is alleged that he conspired with one or more of nine other named individuals to import drugs worth in excess of 13,000 on dates between February 27, 2024 and March 14, 2024. If convicted, the offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Mr Curran was denied bail in the High Court in April by Ms Justice Karen OConnor and he appealed this at the Court of Appeal yesterday. After hearing arguments from lawyers on behalf of Mr Curran and the State, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath said the court would admit the appellant to bail subject to a number of conditions, including that he reside at an address in the Republic of Ireland, that he sign on daily at a garda station near this address, that independent surety of 15,000 is provided and that he surrender his passport and other travel documents. Bernard Condon SC, for Mr Curran, had earlier told the court that the appeal related to two grounds on which bail was opposed in the High Court; whether or not the accused would turn up for his trial and a concern that there would be interference with witnesses or exhibits. In relation to the concern that Mr Curran was a flight risk, he submitted that the judge erred in finding that strict conditions could not adequately deal with this aspect of the objection. He said the judge had stated there was no grounds on which she could be satisfied that Mr Curran would turn up for trial, relying on the strength of the evidence and the seriousness of the sentence likely to be imposed if convicted. Thats really all they have, theres no Google searches for flights, nothing of that nature, said Mr Condon. He submitted the court should have looked for reasons why it could grant bail and said in this case three were offered; a residence in the republic for Mr Curran to reside at located in Monaghan, money as surety in the form of 10,000 from Mr Currans mother and an undertaking to sign on twice a day. Counsel said the applicant in this case was at the lower end of this with gardai stating during the bail hearing that his alleged role was as a driver transporting a truck from Northern Ireland to Cork. He said the evidence was that this man worked for a company in Northern Ireland which runs trucks. Thats what hes always done. Mr Condon said it was his submission that in dealing with the flight risk aspect, the judge was wrong from the start. In relation to the issue of interfering with exhibits, Mr Condon said the concern was that people might be released on bail who might then go and to delete the contents of phones. He said this was because gardai had various phones but did not have pin numbers for all of these devices. He said what had to be established was the likelihood of interference. In relation to my client the likelihood cannot be anything other than speculative because he gave his phone [to gardai] and he gave his pin numbers. Counsel submitted the trial judge was very wrong in her assessment of how to approach this evidence, stating in her judgement that she could not be certain there would not be interference. In relation to the flight risk concern, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for the State, said what is alleged is a most serious offence of a highly sophisticated nature involving complicated logistics. The strength of the evidence against Mr Curran, a man who is not resident in the jurisdiction, was such that there was no error in refusing him bail, she said. We say there is no error, either in the approach she took or the conclusion she drew. In relation to the interference of evidence, Ms Lawlor said the fact that there was the capacity to access other particular types of technology could lead to the destruction of other evidence and that this seemed to be the evidence that was given in the round. She said this was something which had occurred in many cases and was not a manufactured concern. One has to recognise that what occurred here was a joint enterprise and you are looking at people acting in concert, she said. You are entitled to look at some level to global truths. Ten men were arrested in west Cork after anti-drug operation In delivering judgement, Mr Justice MacGrath said the court was satisfied that the trial judge ought to have considered the situation of the appellant in a more defined way than the other accused in the case, noting that Mr Curran resides on this island. Mr Curran proposes to reside at an address in Monaghan, said Mr Justice MacGrath. The fact that he has no extensive travel history sets him apart from his co-accused. He noted that Mr Curran maintains that he was simply driving his employers truck. He said that while the court believes that the fact the alleged offences were in furtherance of an organised crime group was a consideration, it stopped short of suggesting that Mr Curran is a member of such an organisation. He said in the circumstances, the court had come to the conclusion that this is an appropriate case in which bail ought to have been granted. The judge said the court was admit Mr Curran to bail on his own bond of 1,000. The conditions of bail imposed include that Mr Curran must reside at an address in the Republic of Ireland, that independent surety of 15,000 is provided, that he is not to have any contact with his co-accused, that he surrender his passport and any other travel documents and that he is not to leave the jurisdiction of the State, that being the 26 counties. He must also sign on daily between 8am and 8pm at the nearest garda station at which he is residing and give an undertaking not to leave the jurisdiction of the State, that being the 26 counties. In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there Julian Assange has left prison and flown out of the UK, WikiLeaks said (PA) Julian Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning after having spent 1901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. It followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Julian Assange has left prison and flown out of the UK, WikiLeaks said (PA) Speaking on Assanges release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. A letter to the United States chief judge of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Ramona V Manglona, as seen by the PA News Agency, also confirmed Assange intends to return to Australia once proceedings conclude. The WikiLeaks statement also thanked all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. It said: After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. In a separate post on X, Mrs Assange said: Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, told Australias Sky News that she is grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end. She said: This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agenda, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy. Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said Assanges family is elated at his release, telling Sky News: Its been very taxing. Its no secret, being so many years in a maximum security jail. Why on earth somebody who is a journalist, who never harmed anybody in his life, is locked up in a jail with the worst terrorists in the UK its very difficult for anybody to justify. Assange had been locked in a lengthy legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which saw him enter and live in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 before his detention in Belmarsh prison. In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be sent to the US, citing a real and oppressive risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues. Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assanges extradition. Assange was due to bring his own challenge to the High Court in London in early July after he was recently given the go-ahead to challenge the original judges dismissal of parts of his case. Assange has been in custody at HMP Belmarsh for more than five years, fighting a lengthy legal battle against extradition to the United States. Full statement from WikiLeaks announcing Julian Assange has left UK Julian Assange has been released from prison and has left the UK following negotiations towards a plea deal with the US authorities, WikiLeaks said. Here is the full statement from Wikileaks which was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of June 24, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. After more than five years in a 23 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. WikiLeaks published ground-breaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Four suspected drug dealers were arrested over the course of the weekend Alfie the Detector Dog and some of the seized drugs More than 16,000 of drugs and 4,000 in cash was seized by Gardai in Co Donegal following a number of raids using a sniffer dog at the weekend. The raids were carried out as tens of thousands of revelers arrived in the county for the Donegal International Rally. Four suspected drug dealers were arrested over the course of the weekend. Gardai, along with Revenue Customs Service sniffer dog Alfie, assisted in a number of the finds as part of Operation Tara. Gardai today revealed that controlled drugs with a market value of 16,000 (subject to analysis) and 4,000 cash were seized this weekend. Drugs and items seized by Gardai in Donegal. Drugs paraphernalia associated with the sale and supply of controlled drugs were also seized. A number of people appeared before special court sittings in Letterkenny on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As well as drugs offences, a number appeared on a range of other offences including traffic violations, passing forged notes and public order. A Garda spokesperson confirmed "Four males were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs for the purposes of sale and supply. They were interviewed and released, pending analysis of the seized items and submission of a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions." Gardai say the focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute those involved in drug trafficking networks, at all levels. Gardai in Donegal seized 16,000 worth of controlled drugs along with 4,000 in cash and other paraphernalia over the weekend. Under Operation Tara, individuals and groups involved in the drug trade will be the target of enforcement activity based on intelligence and latest crime trends. Anyone who may have information in relation to the sale and supply of controlled drugs may contact the Donegal Divisional Drugs Unit in confidence on 0749167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. However, Gardai have also stressed that the vast majority of those attending the rally weekend were law-abiding people out to enjoy themselves. Stop talking nonsense on social and get this lad found, mentioning my name all this and that A man who was attacked by a gang that included missing teenager Jay Slater has told social media users to give it a rest. Tom Hilton (20) was injured when a gang carrying a machete and an axe set upon him back in 2021. Jay Slater was convicted for his part in the incident at Manchester Crown Court three years ago. Detectives in Tenerife are now trying to determine whether Jays disappearance is linked to something else. The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, from Lancashire, vanished last Monday morning in Tenerife after attending a dance music event. Many people online have posted disparaging messages about Jay since details of his conviction were revealed. The victim of the attack in 2021 has now spoken out on social media, reported in the Daily Mail. Whoever is writing on these TikToks, give it a rest. This young lad's missing and his family's heartbroken, Mr Hilton wrote this week. Put yourself in their shoes. Stop talking nonsense on social and get this lad found, mentioning my name all this and that. Have some respect and help find this boy and get him back to his family. Tom Hilton (social media) A report of the attack in the Manchester Evening News from last August describes how Mr Hilton described the machete gang as a pack of wolves. He was left with severe skull injuries in the incident. Preston Crown Court was told that the young gang members did not take proceedings seriously. Judge Parry said the young men showed disrespect to the court. Many of you have found these proceedings amusing throughout the trial and yesterday and today. I hope for the sake of all your families, the public and the people who have offered you jobs and apprenticeships and the sort that you all grow up. Every one of you deserves to be sent to youth detention. Some of you played a more active role in the violent disorder than others, some of you carried weapons, some wore balaclavas but the seriousness of the this is the group nature of it. As a group you were all more threatening than you would have been as individuals. Jay was given an 18-month community order with 25 days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work for violent disorder. After finishing his sentence, Jay went to Tenerife to celebrate, reportedly. Conspiracy theorists have put forward the idea that Jay was kidnapped over alleged criminality and that a fundraiser was going to be used to pay a ransom. Others have alleged that he has already pocketed the cash and will emerge when the story dies down. The family of Jay Slater Jay's mother Debbbie allegedly received a message saying: Kiss goodbye to your boy, you're never going to see him again, he owes me a lot of money. Spanish cops have told reporters the strange nature of the disappearance requires deeper investigation. In cases of missing people it's natural to investigate their background in case it's relevant to the hunt. This case is unusual as it's been a week and there has been no sighting or leads on him at all and searches have thrown up no clues. We have to consider the possibility of something else happening. Meanwhile, Jays friend Lucy Law has angered the Spanish with comments that their police are not doing enough to find Jay. Lucy was the friend Jay phoned when to say he was thirsty and lost in unknown terrain, after cutting his leg on a cactus. Lucy stated she wants the UK police to get involved in the investigation. These comments have angered Canarians in Tenerife and the Spanish press. Locals allege she is bringing into question the abilities of the islands police and the specialist rescue teams, who know the terrain and processes involved in a search like this much better than a young British TikToker, according to Canarian weekly. Atlantico Hoy newspaper commented by saying that it is necessary to point out two things. Firstly, the Guardia Civil, Agents from the Special Mountain Intervention Rescue Groups (GREIM), Civil Protection of Buenavista del Norte, and the volunteer firefighters of Santiago del Teide have deployed a significant operation on the ground, with Canine Division dogs, drones, and helicopters from the air. Secondly, it should also be noted that the Guardia Civil is not leading the search party, but is carrying out an investigation of the events that involves records and interviews with the last people who saw Jay Slater, online teams looking at CCTV, social media and other leads on the internet, and that, since the investigation is still ongoing, the results of these have not been made public because they are being conducted under the secrecy act. Jays father has described the ordeal as a living hell as the search enters its second week. Speaking to reporters in Santiago del Teide, approximately four miles (6.4 km) from the search area, Warren Slater said: I just want him found. Somebody must know something. Despite efforts by specialist dog teams and police focusing on the rugged terrain of Rural de Teno National Park, the search has been likened to looking for a needle in a haystack. The right-wing figure was held on Monday before being released, having been ordered to stay in the country and hand in his passport, Tommy Robinson said he had been ordered to hand in his passport and told not to leave Canada after being arrested on suspicion of immigration offences (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Tommy Robinson has been arrested in Canada on suspicion of an immigration offence after speaking at an event in Calgary. The right-wing figure was held on Monday before being released, having been ordered to stay in the country and hand in his passport, he said. Footage posted online showed him being handcuffed and led to the back of a waiting car. A man who appeared to be a plain clothes police officer told him he was being arrested under an outstanding immigration warrant. Tommy Robinson is arrested in Canada Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, said on X, formerly Twitter: None of this makes sense, Im now detained in Calgary, prevented from leaving the city, these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada and meeting with guests for podcasts. Im not even allowed to leave to travel home. The 41-year-old had been booked to speak in three Canadian cities by an outlet called Rebel News. Ezra Levant from Rebel News made appeals on X for donations to cover Robinsons legal fees. Robinson has regularly posted about immigration levels in Ireland and visited the country in 2023 to shoot a documentary. In a message on his Telegram page, Robinson claimed that was in Ireland to ask questions and put together a piece, to show whats happening. He also denied he was invited here and that he travelled to Dublin as a journalist to go where the news is. At the time, he said he was not here to take over the anti-immigration movement. In a video, he asked followers: Are you chasing out the media that come to report on your demonstrations? Are they allowed to come to your demonstrations and report on them? Are they? Because theyre there to do hatchet jobs on you, nothing else The arrival of Robinson who previously wore a badge supporting an ex-British soldier facing prosecution for two murders on Bloody Sunday underlined the involvement of serious criminal figures in the rise of the far-right here. On the night of his arrival he posed for pictures, arm in arm, with notorious Ballyfermot heroin dealer Anthony Harpo ODriscoll. Robinson, who has been banned from most major social media platforms at one time or another, was previously kicked off Facebook for dehumanising language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims. In 2021, he lost a libel case taken against him by a Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being attacked at school. Stephy Scaria, who was living in Abbeyfeale, County Kerry, sadly lost her life on Friday, June 21 Almost 71,000 has been raised for the family of a young woman who lost her life after having a C-section at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on Friday last. Stephy Scaria, who was living in Abbeyfeale, County Kerry, sadly lost her life on Friday, June 21 after undergoing a caesarean section in Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH). Now her husband Baiju has organised an online GoFundMe page to help fund her funeral costs in India. Writing online he said: My name is Baiju, and I live in Abbeyfeale, County Kerry. Tragically, my wife Stephy passed away on 21/06/2024 after a caesarean in Cork University Hospital. We are absolutely devastated by Stephys passing and are struggling to find the funds to cover the cost of her funeral and the repatriation of her remains to India. He added: We will need to pay all funeral costs, and we have started a fundraiser to collect donations for Stephys funeral service. Please consider donating if you are able to do so. We are very grateful for every donation during this difficult time. To date 2000 people have contributed just short of 71,000 to the online fundraiser. Donations have come from all over the world and not just from Ireland. A spokesperson for Cork University Maternity Hospital confirmed that there had been a tragic maternity death at the weekend. He said: "Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) is confirming that a maternal death has occurred in recent days. The Coroner has been notified and in line with the HSE policy on all maternal death an external review will be undertaken. He added: "CUMH is providing bereavement support to the family at this very sad time. Hospital management and staff at CUMH wish to express their condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased during this very difficult period." Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation Jay Slaters family have released a blurry image (right) of a figure they believe could be the missing teenager The search for a British teenager who went missing during a holiday in Tenerife has entered its second week. Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus. The apprentice bricklayer (19) had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance and was last heard from on Monday of last week. The walk from Mr Slaters last-known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot. A fundraiser set up by the last person to speak to Mr Slater hit its target of 30,000 (35,500) on Sunday. The GoFundMe created by Lucy Law to get Jay Slater home had received 34,000 in donations by last night. A post on the page from Mr Slaters mother, Debbie Duncan, confirmed the fundraiser was approved by our family. The post, published on Sunday, said: We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves. The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page. We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay. A GoFundMe spokesperson said: We are in touch with Jay Slaters mother, Debbie, and working with her to keep everyone updated on how their donations will be used in the search. For now, the money is with GoFundMe as we work through the next steps. Ms Law said her friend told her in a frantic phone call on June 17 at 8.30am that he was lost in the mountains, he wasnt aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1pc. Search teams in Tenerife narrowed their efforts over the weekend to focus on small buildings close to where his phone last pinged. Officers from the Guardia Civil in the Canary Islands could be seen circling two structures at the bottom of a ravine in Rural de Teno Park on Sunday. Efforts appeared to be solely focused on the one area after days of searches in the village of Masca and the surrounding landscape. The efforts come after the teenagers mother issued a direct plea to her missing son, saying: We just need you home. Ms Duncan said she had not slept since the 19-year-old disappeared. Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and carrying a black bag. Asked how the family was coping with the situation, Ms Duncan said: Were not. Im not coping very well at all. Ive not slept, Im exhausted. Its been awful. I cant give up on him, I just cant. Lancashire Police said it had made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources, which was rejected by Spanish authorities. Questioned on whether Spanish police should have accepted help from the UK force, Ms Duncan said: I believe they said theyve got enough resources and they dont need the help from English police. I dont know if they find it an insult I really dont know. I really dont know. They say theyve got enough resources to get on with the investigation... I dont know, I dont know. Speaking about what message she would have for her son, Ms Duncan added: We just need you home we just need him home. Family friend Rachel Hargreaves said those close to Mr Slater were staying in Tenerife until weve got an outcome. She said: Weve got to live in hope, havent we? You cant give up on anything, can you really? Were here and were staying until weve got an outcome. The NRG festival issued a statement in which it said it was able to give some practical support to Mr Slaters family. The Firearms Registry which was launched one year ago yesterday is designed to help improve firearms oversight and safety by providing a record of all lawfully held firearms. Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority Executive Director Angela Brazier says the one-year anniversary of the Firearms Registry is an opportunity to look at progress on the five-year journey to fully populate the Registry. More than 220,000 firearms have been registered by more than 46,000 licence holders. This is 20 per cent of all licence holders and is a significant milestone at the one-year mark. Around 30 per cent of those who have registered have done so proactively without waiting for an activating circumstance. The Firearms Registry was about closing a gap in the system and was one of the reforms following the March 2019 terror attack in Christchurch. When complete it will link all lawfully held firearms to an individual licence holder, improving visibility and accountability when firearms are moving around the community. "Registering a firearm is just another aspect of being a responsible firearms licence holder in New Zealand, like keeping firearms secure, transporting them correctly, or using them safely and responsibly," says Angela. In June, the government announced details of the review of the Firearms Registry. "While the Ministry of Justice review is underway it is important that licence holders keep complying with their legal obligations because the law has not changed. This means licence holders must continue to enter and update details in the Registry when they have an activating circumstance, like changing address or buying or selling a firearm or parts. As the Registry links lawfully held firearms with licence holders, this will mitigate the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands by disrupting one of the pathways that criminals acquire firearms. Alongside other Police initiatives to target organised criminal groups and gangs, the Registry will ultimately make the flow of firearms to the black market more difficult once it is fully rolled out. Firearms licence holders can register through the MyFirearms portal on the Authoritys website www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz or call 0800 844 431 between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. A police investigation has turned the heat up on a cold-calling scammer claiming to be an officer. In recent weeks, 18 New Zealanders have allegedly been duped out of more than a quarter of a million dollars. Police have issued a recent advisory to the public about the scam in which victims receive a call to their landline phone, by someone pretending to be a police officer and providing a fake badge number. Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton says victims are told a story about needing their assistance with an investigation. The scam will always involve this so-called officer asking for financial information or asking you to withdraw cash to be collected as part of an investigation into banks, he says. On Monday, real police officers caught up with the scammer following a foot chase through central Auckland. Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says a 25-year-old UK national was taken into custody. He faces 22 charges of obtains by deception, attempting to obtain by deception and escaping custody. He appeared in Auckland District Court on Tuesday. Police will be opposing his bail. We will allege in court that this man, who only arrived in New Zealand in early June, was on his way at the time to collect more cash from a previous victim, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says. Instead, real detectives turned up at the victims doorstep to advise him he was about to be scammed out of $20,000 in cash. Financial Crime investigators from all three policing districts' fraud teams in Tamaki Makaurau have been working together to piece together this offending, and this is a great outcome. Those who fell victim of the scam were aged between 56 and 90, with the majority over 80. This mans alleged actions betrayed the good-will of vulnerable and elderly members of our community, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says. The offender has victims from right across Auckland, with a total of $297,700 in cash lost. Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says enquiries are ongoing, and Police will work to recover as much of the cash as possible. Please remember: - Police will never call to ask you for bank details, pin numbers or passwords - Police do not offer prize money - Police will not ask you to go to a bank to withdraw money - If you receive a call out of the blue of a similar nature: challenge the caller to identify themselves, ask for their details. - Hang up, contact 105 to verify the ID and request the officer to contact you - If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thirty-one school sustainability projects around the rohe are about to get underway, thanks to Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Councils School Sustainability and Resilience Fund. Established in 2022, the SSRF aims to support educational facilities that want to raise awareness and understanding of climate change, hazards, resilience and sustainability within local communities. This year up to $85,000 was available thanks to additional funding from TECT, BayTrust and Trust Horizon. Regional Councils community engagement team leader Stephanie Macdonald says the applications received this year are of an extremely high calibre. Every application we received was well thought through and its encouraging to see so many people, especially our tamariki, willing to get started on their own project. Its our responsibility as a Regional Council to support, educate and empower local communities to make a difference in their own backyards. The School Sustainability and Resilience Fund is just one way we can help do this." Te Puke High School is one of the successful applicants, with their project focused on harvesting rainwater for a sustainable irrigation system. Teacher in charge, Hayley Dodd, says the school appreciates the help the Regional Council has given them. Were looking forward to making our school more sustainable. The School Sustainability and Resilience Fund is founded in being by the community, for the community, with all funding allocated by the public through two rounds of voting. This year, more than 700 people cast their votes. For the projects that missed out during the first round, a Youth Panel consisting of 21 members aged 16 to 24 years gave them their second chance. 2024 School Sustainability and Resilience Fund Youth Panel member Caitlin Harrison says she enjoys the unique learning opportunity that being involved in the panel gave her. It was awesome to learn about the amazing projects happening in our community and the positive impact they will have. I really enjoyed discussing ideas with panel members and considering other perspectives. For the full list of successful applicants, visit: participate.boprc.govt.nz/ssrf In July, Tauranga will choose who will be running their city for the first time in five years. A mayor and nine councillors will replace the four-person commission that has been in place since February 2021. To keep people informed ahead of the election on July 20, Local Democracy Reporting asked the 15 mayoral candidates their thoughts on four topics. Before voting opens on June 29 readers will hear from each of the mayoral candidates. John Robson is running for mayor and in the Bethlehem Ward, where he lives. He has lived in Tauranga since 2003. He and his partner raised their two sons here, sadly, his youngest passed away last year at the age of 19. Before returning to New Zealand in 2000, Robson was a management consultant for 12 years. Now in his 60s, Robson retired at 40 and then was elected to Tauranga City Council in 2013, serving a term. He won a by-election in 2018 and was re-elected in 2019, serving until February 2021 when the council was discharged of its duties and replaced with the commission. The skills of a successful management consultant are an almost perfect match for those required to be an effective mayor or councillor, he says. Tauranga is the least affordable city in New Zealand because of an infrastructure and housing deficit. How would you address this? Housing affordability is not unique to Tauranga. Its caused by successive Governments providing insufficient social housing, fiscal and monetary settings favouring land banking and property investment and lax immigration settings. The resultant high housing prices, combined with Taurangas lower household incomes, challenging topography, and attractiveness as a place to live, result in our unaffordability ranking. That said, Tauranga should prioritise housing-critical infrastructure and fix its flawed development contribution regime. These wont make a significant difference, but they will demonstrate to central government that we are serious about the issue and will share growth costs more equitably. What would you do to keep young adults in Tauranga and attract others to the city? Tauranga is a regional centre of more than 160,000 residents. From a New Zealand Inc. perspective, the most important thing about Tauranga is our port. It is natural for some of our young people to seek experiences and opportunities that our city cant provide, both in New Zealand and around the world indeed, I would encourage them to do so. That said, we are growing, and if we manage our growth successfully, and deliver an attractive and affordable city, then some of our young adults will return, and we will attract others. My position: Dont panic, the young adult sky is not falling. Tauranga will have its first Maori Ward this election. The Government plans to require councils to hold a binding referendum on Maori wards established after March 2021. This means the Te Awanui Maori ward could only be in place for one term. Given the change in Government policy, is it important for Tauranga to keep this ward? No. One councillor elected by Maori on the Maori roll cannot speak for all Maori, yet may be assumed, or even claim, to do so. More challenging is the oath every councillor must swear on taking office requires them to put the interests of the city ahead of the interests of their ward. I believe there are better mechanisms for ensuring the voices of Maori are heard at the council table and play a role in the decision making as required by the Local Government Act. Starting with electing all councillors at large using single transferable voting and engaging more effectively with Te Rangapu. [Te Rangapu Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana Partnership is an autonomous body made up of 17 representatives from each of the hapu and iwi in the Tauranga City Council area.] Hypothetically, if Tauranga won the lotto and there was no budget what big ticket item would you want for the city? Excluding infrastructure, like roads and water, more housing etc. Lotto wins range from $4m to the largest ever being $44m. My point, even in Lotto World, there is a budget. So, key criteria for me are bang for buck and avoiding significant ongoing costs to the community after the spending sugar-rush wears off something the commission, and some current candidates, clearly give no thought to. For Tauranga, I would spread the love, and accelerate the greening of the Kopurererua Valley, endow a Democracy Tauranga trust to keep residents accurately informed about the performance of Tauranga City Council, and associated entities now and into the future. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Yolanda Veiga Madrid Tuesday, 25 June 2024, 11:53 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Sore throat? There is a season' to throat problems, but they can strike at any time of the year. While peak season is late autumn into winter, typically up to February, it helps for now to keep in mind how best to treat this classic winter discomfort. Most sore throats are generally caused by viruses and, to a lesser extent, by bacteria. Knowing if the source is one or the other is essential to applying the best treatment. The hard truth is that we will have taken antibiotics many times for our throats when there was absolutely no need for them. "The majority of sore throats, around 80%, are of viral origin and are cured without the need to prescribe antibiotics, which are necessary only when its a bacterial infection," explains Manuel Mozota, head of the ENT (ear, nose and throat) working group for the Spanish Society of General and Family Doctors (SEMG). At first glance, no doctor can know what the origin of the infection is as both usually present with similar symptoms such as fever, spots and blisters of different colours, pain when swallowing. "The strep test is a test that collects a sample from the throat and in about fifteen minutes tells us whether or not it is due to bacteria." Coughing, another classic symptom in winter but present year-round Acute cough: It starts suddenly. It lasts two to three weeks and then goes away. It is usually due to some type of respiratory tract infection: cold, bronchitis, pharyngitis. It can also be due to allergic reactions or asthma," as explained by DosFarma, the market-leading online pharmacy in Spain. Chronic cough: Dry or unproductive cough: It is the kind that lasts more than eight weeks. Smokers are prone to suffer from such a cough, as are patients with lung cancer or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, aka acid reflux). Dry but productive cough: There is no mucus, it itches and irritates the pharynx, which again generates the urge to cough. It's most annoying at night. Propolis can prevent but not cure: It is accompanied by the expulsion of phlegm, sputum or other fluids. It is the body's defence mechanism to eliminate those secretions that are obstructing the airways. We notice a noise or some discomfort in the chest due to the accumulated mucus that is trying to be expelled. It is common for it to be at its worst in the mornings." Propolis, applied directly to the throat or diluted in water, is one of the must-haves for the medicine cabinet in the home. Dr Mozota endorses it as a preventive remedy. When there is a virus or bacteria, they affect the defences. A kind of war is declared between the external agent and our body. If we are caught with our defences down, we will respond worse to that attack. However, our defences are high, the body will be more effective in eradicating the infection, avoiding subsequent infections, and there will be fewer symptoms." Propolis, confirms the doctor, along with a vitamin A supplement, "improves our defences and is a good prevention, but it is no miracle cure." Symptoms If viral... It hurts when swallowing (the intensity can vary), spots or blisters may appear on the throat area and you might develop a fever, "which is the bodys natural defences to fight the virus," explains Dr Mozota. "It shouldn't last more than two or three days, and the pain will go away in about five." If bacterial... "In this case, in addition to discomfort when swallowing, there are usually more spots than when it is viral and the fever is also higher, reaching 39 or 40 degrees." Treatments If viral... Analgesics such as ibuprofen and paracetamol relieve the pain. And it also provides some relief to drink milk with honey or lemon (but never apply lemon directly to the throat though, because it is acidic and can irritate), chamomile infusions and placing a small scarf around the neck to keep that area warm. Such measures will alleviate, "but do not eradicate the virus." Neither will antibiotics, which have no effect whatsoever in this case. "The virus will go as quietly as it arrived," says Dr Mozota. If bacterial... It is necessary to take antibiotics for seven to ten days. In fact, if we don't take them we can suffer some serious complications, such as blood infections, bronchitis and even pneumonia. If the sore throat is accompanied by mucus, then the phlegm heads down to the lungs and there may be respiratory issues," explains Dr Mozota. Once treatment has started, "in 48 hours we should notice a clear improvement and a significant drop in fever," although we must complete the treatment even if starting to feel better. "Many people say that taking antibiotics leaves them knocked for six, but it is not the medication, rather the fever, that causes this state of affairs." Is it contagious? "Yes, it is contagious regardless of whether it is caused by a virus or bacteria," warns the expert, who attributes the decrease in sore throat cases in recent winters to people continuing to use a mask when unwell. "The most dangerous days are the early ones because there is a greater viral or bacterial load and, therefore, more possibilities of contagion." In fact, as the ENT specialist explains, in the case of a sore throat caused by bacteria, two days after taking the antibiotic "there is hardly any chance of contagion." And, as with coronavirus and other viruses, the doctor adds a note of caution: "a person can be a carrier without having symptoms and can infect another person. Alekk M. Saanders Tuesday, 25 June 2024 | Updated 27/06/2024 11:10h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads The car manufacturer Santana Motor, S.A. was founded in Linares, Jaen province, as part of the provincial development plan in 1954. The aim of Metalurgica de Santa Ana was to produce agricultural machinery. However, it soon began producing off-road vehicles, with much success. First steps on the automobile market Almost from the very beginning of its creation, the Andalusian company was negotiating with Land Rover to produce their Series II all-terrain vehicle for the Spanish market. The British company didn't object to the collaboration under their licence. After the unexpected success of its 4X4, Rover was transferring the licence to produce the vehicle to several European factories because it could not keep up with the demand itself. The situation in Spain in that period was unusual. In 1940, the Spanish government reduced imports as much as possible for two reasons. The first was economic: foreign currency was apparently unavailable. The second reason was political: the state was trying to create a patriotic, wholly Spanish industry that would not depend on another country. These two measures led to the adoption of an import-substitution economy and government intervention in industry that was considered important to the nation. However, the country's industry had been so devastated by the Civil War and the decade of economic isolation that followed that made it very difficult to revive the auto industry. In the 1950s it was still in the process of recovery. This is probably why cooperation with Great Britain was accepted without much delay. Some sources say that this cooperation allowed the company in Linares to avoid paying extremely high import taxes. Some sources emphasise that initially the authorisation stated that the first machines were to have at least 75% of the components manufactured in Spain. Gradually, this percentage was to increase to 95% once the 2,500th machine was built. It is reported that in order to fulfil this quota, the Andalusian factory had to resort to tricks such as removing the spark plugs of imported engines and installing Spanish-made plugs. In 1959, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line at the Linares plant. This project allowed the Andalusians to enter the Spanish car market Preparations took a couple of years. In Linares they installed the machinery that had previously been used by the Belgian company Minerva to build the Land Rover I series under licence. The cars were shipped over in pieces to be assembled in Andalucia. In 1959, the first Land Rover rolled off the assembly line at the Linares plant. This project allowed the Andalusians to enter the Spanish car market. A great success in sales The vehicles under the name Land Rover - Santana produced in Andalucia became a great success in sales, as there were no other four-wheel drive cars in Spain at that time. Unsurprisingly, the enthusiasm of the Andalusians was so high that midway through production they began to adapt the British design to local needs and tastes for even more popularity. Santana Motor redesigned the doors and taillights. It is reported that different engine options were offered as well. Finally, the Land Rover Santana Series III had numerous differences in comparison with the Series III produced at the Solihull plant in England. By the 1980s, Rover had fallen into serious financial difficulty due to increased Japanese competition. The British company struggled, announcing the Defender in 1983 and cancelling its participation with Santana Motor. The Linares plant used the break-up with Land Rover as a start to produce its own cars. In 1984, Santana Motor introduced the Santana 2500 The Linares plant used the break-up with Land Rover as a start to produce its own cars. In 1984, Santana Motor introduced the Santana 2500. It incorporated technical innovations over previous models produced under licence from Land Rover, such as more powerful engines, front disc brakes and a 5-speed gearbox, although it retained the leaf spring suspension and plug-in four-wheel drive. Incidentally, the Andalusian model was adapted to the growing popularity of off-road vehicles in Spain, and not just for work. Therefore, some technological features were added and the interior was modernised for greater comfort. For example, the Santana 2500's seats were wider than those of its British Land Rover Defender counterpart. Despite being the first model to be produced independently of the Land Rover, the Santana 2500 still had similarities with the Defender and shared a large number of components with it. It is also worth noting that the Santana Motor-developed LT85 gearbox (known as the Spanish Box) was fitted not only to the 2500, but also to the Defender. Land Rover purchased LT85 gearboxes directly from Santana to use in its successful model with the Rover V8 engine. The Santana Motor developed LT85 gearbox (known as the Spanish Box) was fitted not only to the 2500, but also to the Defender The Santana 2500 was widely popular throughout Spain's varying terrain during the 1990s. The off-road vehicle was produced until 1994. It was reported that the last models manufactured under the name 'Land Rover Santana' were sent at the request of the Spanish government as a donation to Colombia, and several others to Mexico. Today, Santana vehicles are still travelling the roads of Spain and other countries. The model is in great demand, especially in the UK, where the cars are sold at auctions for quite high prices. Their resemblance to the scarce original Land Rover cars and durability have made Santana desirable among collectors and an icon of four-wheel-drive cars. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Tuesday, 25 June 2024, 11:46 | Updated 11:54h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads It has only just started and this summer is already atypical. That's not to say that it can't rain in this season, and decades ago it did rain more frequently. But in recent years it has been very rare to find situations like this. During previous weeks there has been a succession of depressions that have barely touched Malaga province; but the one that is on its way has set off alarm bells. Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) has activated a yellow warning (risk) this week due to the arrival of a Dana. This will mainly affect the Ronda area and could leave downpours of up to 15mm in just one hour on Thursday. These may be accompanied by thunderstorms and hail. The most likely period is from midnight to 6pm on 27 June. The warning has only been activated for the Serrania area, but it does not mean that other parts of the province may also experience occasional heavy rain, especially on the western Costa del Sol and in the Vega de Antequera area. On the other hand, in the Guadalhorce valley, Malaga city and the Axarquia there will be only token showers. On Friday there could be a few more showers in the areas mentioned above, but of a lesser degree. Uncertainty The cause of this instability will be a 'Dana' (high level depression) weather system that will affect Galicia in the north of Spain from today and over the next few days will move along the Atlantic coast of Portugal to the south, and on Thursday will be located in the Gulf of Cadiz. From there, bands of precipitation are likely to reach Malaga province, although there is still much uncertainty, as the director of the Aemet Meteorological Centre in Malaga, Jesus Riesco, explained. If it happens, the European weather model forecasts a significant amount of rain for the Malaga province countryside, especially in the Ronda area, where a possible accumulation of up to 35mm is expected; and around 20mm in the Vega de Antequera, according to data provided by Jose Luis Escudero, an expert in Malaga meteorology who is monitoring this weather system minute-by-minute. History In 1974, specifically on 14 June, a Dana dumped 74mm of rain in Malaga city. This is the closest precedent in time to the phenomenon that could occur this week, and for which the Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) has issued a special warning at a national level, given the risk of "heavy storms" of rain and hail happening his week in large areas of the mainland. The report by Mr. Enrico Letta focusing on the future of the Single Market has highlighted the need for the European Commission to present a Single Market Strategy in 2025, writes Cemille Ustun and Tuomas Nousiainen, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise engaged actively in providing input to Mr. Letta throughout the drafting process of the report. We are pleased to note that several of the issues that we together with Europe Unlocked, a coalition of 19 like-minded business organisations across Europe, raised have been taken onboard, such as the lack of free movement in services, the need to improve the quality of the regulatory framework including proper enforcement mechanisms and addressing persistent fragmentation within the Single Market in various sectors. Mr Lettas report shows the complexity of improving our internal market. The report covers a range of topics, from free trade, transport, and telecommunications to a capital markets union (CMU) and even a fifth freedom regarding intangible growth drivers. The report is broad and comprehensive, hence there are topics that the business community can support but also topics which, from a Swedish perspective, could be problematic or at least require further reflection to ensure his ideas can stand the test of boosting EU competitiveness. Areas that our Confederation considers a priority when discussing the future of our Single Market include further integration, efficient enforcement and better regulation while maintaining a level playing field both internally and globally. Mr. Lettas report needs to be considered in this broader context so as not to lose sight of the basic and indispensable building blocks of the Single Market. Swedish Enterprise believes that forthcoming discussions on the Single Market need to focus on the core issues of removing barriers and reducing the administrative burdens in order to improve the four freedoms so that the EU can boost long-term competitiveness and productivity, By enabling trade and competition on a level playing field, harmonised rules in many cases facilitate entrepreneurship and promote innovation. Mr. Letta is right in highlighting the need to remove obstacles to trade, mobility and competition in the internal market not least on the service side, where much remains to be done. Member States should provide political momentum for the European Services sector to develop. We need to bring about more uniformity in implementation and enforcement and better monitor compliance. Herein lies a big task for the European Commission. Mr. Letta also proposes an increased degree of integration via harmonisation. In many cases this is the preferred option. By enabling trade and competition on a level playing field, harmonised rules in many cases facilitate entrepreneurship and promote innovation. In policy areas where EU competence is and should remain limited, better functioning markets can be facilitated by an exchange of good practices between Member States. Take energy and capital markets as examples. Changes to the functioning of these markets have a systemic impact and are therefore of great importance to the competitiveness of Swedish businesses. In Sweden, as in a number of other EU countries, these are relatively well-functioning markets. Therefore, in parallel to the discussions on increased integration, we also need to ensure that Member States undertake the necessary reforms, underpinning reform efforts by means of the exchange of good practices. On the energy side, each Member States first needs to ensure a certain degree of self-sufficiency in order to develop a robust, balanced and efficient interconnected energy system. Similarly, dynamic capital markets must play an increasingly important role in supporting growth, innovation and competitiveness of the European economy. Swedish Enterprise considers that the focus on state aid instruments and EU level funding through industrial policy risk obscuring policies on how the EU can and must create better conditions. The Single Market needs to attract investments. This is particularly important in view of the green and digital transitions, and other emerging long-term needs. The saving and investments union that Mr. Letta suggests must be inseparably intertwined with a market-driven competitiveness agenda, where the role of broader framework conditions impacting the business environment, and hence firms willingness to invest, is of paramount importance. When it comes to encouraging household investment in equity markets, our successful tradition in Sweden of facilitating private savings on the stock market could serve as a useful example of how to build trust and change household saving patterns at national level. However, regarding the question of maintaining a level playing field both internally and globally, our views differ from those expressed by Mr. Letta. Swedish Enterprise considers that the focus on state aid instruments and EU level funding through industrial policy risk obscuring policies on how the EU can and must create better conditions and an enabling environment for private investment. State aid, whether distributed via member states or EU institutions, should not be considered a miracle solution to building long-term European competitiveness. Last but certainly not least, Mr. Letta briefly touches upon the topic of free trade at the end of his report. Swedish Enterprise cannot stress enough the importance of not detaching the Single Market from the rest of the world. Read more More trade opportunities, please The EU is the largest economy in the world and the worlds largest trader of manufactured goods and services. Almost 40 million European jobs depend on our exports to countries outside the union. Trade, both imports and exports, are needed in order to keep the Single market valid and competitive. The EU must stand up for freer global trade and openness and protectionist tendencies in the world economy must be countered recalling that the free trade zone that the internal market has been a driver of prosperity, peace and freedom within the EU. Two incredibly rare animal events involving a seal and a shark occurred on the same day. Could they be linked? Could the rare sighting of a great white shark (left) and a seal on the boardwalk (right) be linked? Source: DroneSharkApp/Supplied An extremely rare occurrence has been filmed near one Australias most popular tourist sites. A 1.8-metre great white was discovered hooked just 500m from Sydneys Bondi Beach on Monday. On the same day, a second strange occurrence was documented. The suburb's resident seal, Alex, swam out of the ocean and took up temporary residence on the sand. Many locals have theorised the two events could be connected. "Now I know why Alex the seal swam onto land," one local wrote after seeing video of the shark online. "The modern day shark alarm: when a seal is on land - Everyone swim to land yall," another quipped. While linking the two events is speculative, Humane Society International marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck told Yahoo News it's "definitely conceivable" that Alex fled the water to avoid a shark. "A seal's behaviour is very much dictated by predators in the area. They have very keen senses of smell and taste and are definitely better at detecting whether sharks are in the area than we are," he said. "There's no way to tell for sure, but it's definitely conceivable." How Bondi Beach locals became aware of the great white shark Bondi's human population only became aware of the sharks presence after drone footage was uploaded to social media. While the apex predators are known to inhibit waters further out to sea, its rare to spot them so close to Bondi Beach where the ocean floor is sandy and there is a lack of fish. Although local man Jason Iggleton surveys the suburbs waters most mornings, its the first time he has seen one since 2019. I'm assuming great whites are out there. They're just not seen. Maybe it was a really hungry little shark and it took the bait, he told Yahoo News. Related: Does being the furthest out to sea increase your risk of a shark attack? Bondi's resident seal Alex was spotted on the boardwalk on Monday. Source: Supplied The great white shark was released by fisheries contractors off Bondi Beach. Source: DroneSharkApp Why was the great white shark hooked? Iggletons video shows the shark being released from a drum line which had hooked it near Marks Park on the southern end of Bondi Beach. Two men can be seen tethering the shark to the side of the boat and then setting it free. The juvenile shark is visible for just seconds before it disappears under the cloudy waters. Great whites are known to swim large distances, and Iggleton believes it could have now deserted the area. Drum lines are baited with mullet thats designed to catch sharks venturing close to shore. But some believe rather than keep the beaches safe, they could actually lure them closer to shore. However, The Department of Primary Industries, which implements the NSW shark mitigation program argues there is no evidence to support this claim. In the case of this great white shark, Iggleton believes it also could have been lured by a sudden influx of wild salmon spotted nearby. How rare are sharks at Bondi Beach? DPI confirmed with Yahoo News that one great white was caught on a drum line in 2019. And since that year 14 others have been caught between Cronulla and Palm Beach. "In addition to this, the tagged shark listening stations at Cronulla, Maroubra, Bondi, Manly, North Narrabeen and Palm Beach have all had white sharks detected on them," a DPI spokesperson said. "These detections are then sent out in near real time to the public via the SharkSmart app and twitter feed. Eleven white sharks have also been caught in the shark nets at Bondi and nearby Bronte since 1991." DPI warned beachgoers great whites can be present "anywhere along our coast at any time of the year" but noted juvenile sharks have been recorded migrating during the year. "More than 1173 white sharks have been tagged by [DPI] since 2015, and researchers can now see a general pattern of movement thanks to the network of 37 satellite-linked tagged shark listening stations," a spokesperson added. "Our tagging program has shown that most juvenile white sharks make their way north in late autumn for the winter, and then head south in late spring and early summer, back to the cooler waters of the southern states." Mysterious behaviour of great white sharks The population of great whites along Australias east coast and across to New Zealand is thought to number just 750 adults, according to the CSIRO. Much is still to be learned about the species. Larger numbers of great whites do not equate to more attacks on humans. In Florida, Australia and South Africa attacks occur on beaches where numbers are lower. But in California, surfers often swim alongside them without getting bitten, and thats something hes seen repeated on the NSW South Coast. I see a few whites down there and sharks go straight past surfers, Iggleton claimed. I've seen a surfer fall off the wave and land almost on top of one. The shark just darted away. Some of the smaller ones can be quite timid. Its the bigger one in deeper water youve got to worry about. But then the smaller ones are known to take a test bite out of a swimmer, and that can be fatal. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Tom Cruises daughter drops last name Tom Cruises daughter is no longer going by Suri Cruise. Page Six reports the 18-year-old child of the Syracuse-born actor and Katie Holmes was listed in her high school graduation program as Suri Noelle, dropping her famous dads last name. According to E! News, Holmes attended the ceremony at the United Palace Theatre in New York City, while Cruise did not. The Top Gun star allegedly severed ties with Suri since she and Holmes would not participate in the Church of Scientology, while he does maintain a public relationship with his kids Isabella, 31, and Connors, 29, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. Holmes has not said what Suris future plans are, but she may be headed off to college after appearing with a Carnegie Mellon sweatshirt in a TikTok video earlier this month. Im very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent, the former Dawsons Creek actress told Glamour last year. Shes an incredible person. Shrek 5, Donkey movies coming Eddie Murphy says Shrek 5 has begun production and a Donkey spinoff movie is also on the way. We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago, Murphy said in a new interview with Collider. I did this. I recorded the first act, and well be doing it this year, well finish it up. Shrek is coming out and Donkeys gonna have his own movie. Were gonna do Donkey as well. So were gonna do a Shrek, and were doing a Donkey [movie]. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz are expected to return as Shrek and Fiona in the new sequel, but its unclear who might join Murphy in the Donkey film. MORE BUZZ: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis begin filming Freaky Friday 2 ( E! Steve Martin interrupts Martin Short guest-hosting on Kimmel ( RS Sabrina Carpenter hits No. 1 for first time with Please Please Please ( BB Elon Musks ex-wife marries Love Actually actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster ( E! Nosferatu trailer makes vampires scary again ( SF Ben Affleck accuses paparazzi of putting his daughter in danger ( E! Superman movie starts filming in Cleveland ( ET Posthumous Sophie album on the way ( RS Rapper Julio Foolio dead at 26 in shooting ( E! Lauryn Hill, Fugees announce new tour dates ( BB Mindy Kaling gives birth to third child ( E! The Bear season 3 now coming June 26 ( ET Josh Duggars appeal in child porn case rejected by Supreme Court ( E! Corey Feldman invokes Goonies, MJ in new Fred Durst-directed video ( BB Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. The Daily Show star Ronny Chieng is coming to Syracuse on his The Love to Hate It tour dates. Chieng will perform at the Landmark Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 25. The stand-up comedy show will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Prices have not been announced. Chieng is best known as a correspondent for The Daily Show for nearly a decade, and has hosted the Comedy Central program multiple times since Trevor Noah left the show. Chiengs acting credits include M3GAN, Crazy Rich Asians, Godzilla vs. Kong, American Born Chinese, Kung Fu Panda 4, Young Rock, Unfrosted, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. and Marvels Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The Malaysian comedian also starred in the Australian comedy series Ronny Chieng: International Student and has released multiple stand-up specials, including 2022s Speakeasy and 2019s Asian Comedian Destroys America on Netflix. The Syracuse show is currently the final date on Chiengs tour and the only stop in Upstate New York. The legendary Beach Boys are returning to Upstate New York for their 2024 Endless Summer Gold tour. The pop-rock band, best known for 60s hits like Good Vibrations, California Girls and Kokomo, will perform at the Chautauqua Amphitheater in Chautauqua, NY on Friday, June 28 (6/28/2024). The concert starts at 8:15 p.m. The tour will continue through the end of September, but this will be the final stop in Upstate New York. Earlier this year, the band performed in Saratoga Springs, Hammondsport and Utica. Members of the touring band include founding frontman Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Tim Bonhomme, Christian Love, Brian Eichenberger, Randy Leago, Keith Hubacher, John Wedemeyer and Jon Bolton. Where to buy The Beach Boys concert tickets: The venue website has limited standard admission seating available, as well as resale platforms like Vivid Seats and SeatGeek. Heres a look at the best prices available: Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change. A complete list of The Beach Boys Endless Summer Gold tour dates is available here. Listen to the bands 2022 expanded reissue of the albums Carl and the Passions So Tough (1972) and Holland (1973), titled Sail On Sailor 1972, on Apple Music (free trial). Syracuse, N.Y. Central New Yorkers will vote Tuesday in primary elections for Congress, the state Senate and a seat on the Lysander town council. At the top of the ballot, Democratic voters will choose between state Sen. John Mannion and DeWitt Town Councilor Sarah Klee Hood in the 22nd Congressional District. The winner will face Rep. Brandon Williams, R-Sennett, in November. Democrats also will vote in a primary election for the 50th Senate District seat between Onondaga County Legislator Chris Ryan and former Oswego County Legislator Tom Drumm. The winner will face Salina Supervisor Nick Paro in November for the seat that Mannion is leaving to run for Congress. In the 48th Senate District, Republicans will choose between Fanny Villarreal and Caleb Slater. The winner will face Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, in November. Republicans in the 24th Congressional District which includes Oswego County and part of Cayuga County will vote in a primary election between Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-Cleveland, and Mario Fratto, a Geneva businessman. Heres what you need to know about the election, including when and where to vote, and whos on the ballot where you live. When can I vote? Polling sites across New York are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 25. Who can vote? Anyone who is registered to vote and in enrolled in a political party that is having a primary. You can look up your registration here. If you voted during New Yorks nine days of early voting, you cannot vote today. Who is on the ballot? You can find sample ballots through the links below. See Onondaga County ballot See Cayuga County ballot See Madison County ballot See Oswego County ballot Where do I vote? Each voter must vote at their assigned polling place. To find out your polling site, you can look it up through the state Board of Elections. Do I need to bring an identification card to the polling site? Government-issued ID cards are not required in New York state. But if you bring a drivers license, poll workers can use it to find your voting information more quickly. What if I go to the wrong polling place? Poll workers can look up your voter registration and provide the address of your assigned polling site. What happens if my name is not on the voter registration lists? Voters who dont appear on the registration list can ask poll workers to check with the county Board of Elections. If the problem cant be resolved, voters will be allowed to cast affidavit ballots. Those ballots, if verified as legal after Election Day, will be counted. What if I have trouble reading the ballot? An enlarged sample ballot will be posted on the wall at polling sites in Onondaga County. Free magnifying glasses will be available upon request. Also, ADA-accessible voting machines at each polling site will allow users to see a larger image. Can I still vote by absentee ballot? Yes. Any ballot postmarked by June 25 and received at the Board of Elections by July 2 will be counted. You can also drop off an absentee ballot at a polling place in the county where you are registered or at your county Board of Elections through June 25. The Onondaga County Board of Elections is at 1000 Erie Boulevard W., Syracuse. How do I find out who won each local election? Check back at syracuse.com after the polls close at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Well provide updates throughout the night with coverage from a team of reporters and photojournalists. Read more about the election 22nd Congressional District What separates Sarah Klee Hood and John Mannion on the issues Mannion, Klee Hood spar in syracuse.com debate, first of House Democratic primary All stories about the 22nd District election 48th Senate District Fanny Villarreal and Caleb Slater battle in nasty GOP primary for state Senate seat Conservative pick to challenge NY Sen. Rachel May didnt sign papers in time. Now hes out 50th Senate District Priorities, but not much else, separate candidates in Dem primary to replace Mannion Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 UPDATED with WikiLeaks footage showing Julian Assange leaving UK: Julian Assange has struck a plea deal with the U.S. authorities that will see him avoid extradition to the U.S. on espionage charges. Court documents show that the Wikileaks founder will instead attend a hearing in Saipan in the U.S. commonwealth territory of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific at 9 a.m. local time on June 26. More from Deadline WikiLeaks shared footage of Assange boarding a 5 p.m. flight out of the UKs Stansted Airport on Monday, after news of the plea deal broke around midnight UK time. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 A letter released by the U.S. Department of Justice states that Assange will be tried on the single charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the U.S. under the Section 793 Espionage Act and be sentenced for that offense. In return for pleading guilty to the charge, Assange will be sentenced to time served, 62 months the same amount of time he has spent in the UKs high-security Belmarsh prison. After the hearing, he will be sent to his native Australia. The deal ends a 14-year extradition battle with authorities in the U.S. where Assange is wanted on charges related to WikiLeakss 2010 internet dump of more than 500,000 secret government, military and diplomatic documents and other reports connected to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The operation follows a UK High Court ruling in May allowing Assange to challenge U.S. assurances over how a trial would be conducted in the U.S. and whether his right to free speech would be infringed. U.S. prosecutors had accused Assange of conspiring with U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and then release classified diplomatic cables and military files. He has always denied the allegations. His supporters have said the leaks were in the public interest. Assange faced 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse under the U.S. Espionage Act. His lawyers feared he faced up to 175 years in prison if convicted, while U.S. authorities said the sentence would be much shorter. Journalism organizations worldwide said that the prosecution of Assange under the U.S. Espionage Act would be a serious blow to press freedom. In one of the most high-profile state whistleblowing cases of recent times, Assange has been trying to avoid extradition to the U.S. since 2011. His battle began in August 2010 after Swedish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant against him following rape and sexual assault accusations, which were later dropped. He left Sweden for the UK shortly after the allegations. A London court ruled in 2011 he could be extradited back to Sweden. Assange continued to deny the allegations but said he did not want to travel to Sweden to testify for fear it would result in him being extradited to the U.S. more easily. He skipped bail and sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden. He remained in the embassy until April 2019 when Ecuador withdrew his asylum status after he fell out of favor with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, who replaced original protector President Rafael Vicente Correa in 2017. UK police immediately arrested Assange for breaching bail conditions related to the 2012 Swedish charges, as well as on behalf of the U.S. authorities. He has spent the last five years in Belmarsh prison in southeast London, battling extradition. Reporters Without Borders RSF hailed the outcome as a historic victory for press freedom and the right to information. RSF has been fighting to secure Julian Assanges release for the duration of his incarceration. In fact, our team, and in particular Director of Campaigns Rebecca Vincent, were the only NGO representatives present in the London court room for every single one of Assanges hearings and the only NGO to visit him in prison, said RSF USA Executive Director Clayton Weimers. His release represents a vindication of that years long fight. This is a victory for press freedom, but until the Espionage Act is reformed to include a public interest defense, this ordeal could happen to any publisher of leaked classified material, including journalists and media outlets. Also responding to the news of the plea deal, Electronic Frontier Foundation Civil Liberties Director David Greene welcomed the fact that Assange had been freed but warned it set a dangerous precedent. The United States has now, for the first time in the more than 100-year history of the Espionage Act, obtained an Espionage Act conviction for basic journalistic acts: obtaining information from a source and expressing an openness to receiving more highly newsworthy information, he said. This sets a dangerous precedent, and all those who value a free press should work to make sure that it never happens again. While we are pleased that Assange can now be freed for time served and return to Australia, these charges should never have been brought. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Irish farmers' mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour explored in FarMHealth study Research has found that a lack of awareness of the symptoms of mental ill health, social stigma, self-stigmatisation, rural masculine norms and poor social support are barriers that prevent farmers from seeking help from mental health services. Martin Heydon, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine pictured (second from left) on a visit to the School of Health and Human Performance to learn about the FarMHealth study into farmers mental ill health help seeking behaviours. Also pictured from left to right are Dr John McNamara (Teagasc), Dr Siobhan O'Connor, Dr Anna Donnla O'Hagan, Dr Sinead O'Keeffe and Professor Timo Gans, Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Science and Health. "An important part of taking care of your mental health is knowing when, where and how to seek help when necessary; we call this mental health literacy." Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, Martin Heydon T.D., visited the Dublin City University (DCU) School of Health and Human Performance (SHHP) today for a presentation on Skills for Resilience, an educational intervention which improves farmers knowledge of their mental health and how to seek help while addressing the stigma against doing so. The intervention forms part of the overall FarMHealth project which was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Reflecting on the findings, Minister Heydon said: Awareness around the importance of positive mental health is growing across society and farmers are not exempt. FarMHealth has highlighted that many farmers lack the knowledge to recognise poor mental health and how to seek the appropriate supports. There is also a reluctance among farmers to seek professional help when they are struggling." It is encouraging to see how the once-off Skills for Resilience educational programme, when included in discussion groups, can improve farmers knowledge of mental wellbeing and help remove the stigma around discussing mental health and seeking help. Speaking about the FarMHealth project, Dr Siobhan OConnor who is the lead investigator on the project said: An important part of taking care of your mental health is knowing when, where and how to seek help when necessary; we call this mental health literacy. In our research, we found that farmers deal with a massive amount of adversity in their daily lives and want support. We found that many farmers would seek mental healthcare if it was tailored for farmers, if there wasnt a stigma against it, and they knew how to access services. Dr Anna Donnla OHagan, co-lead investigator on the project said: This initiative was created in collaboration with the Irish farming community to increase farmers mental health literacy and empower them to get help when they need it. The research involved 72 Irish farmers from across the country participating in facilitated discussions on resilience, mental health and healthcare as part of their regular Teagasc-led discussion groups. After participating in this discussion, farmers reported increased knowledge of mental health supports and how to access them, greater intentions to seek help if struggling, increased confidence in seeking mental health care, and greater comfort in discussing their mental health. Dr Anna Donnla OHagan added: Farmers told us that even this short discussion on resilience that broached the topic of mental health at a discussion group, done in a way that they could relate to, made a big difference in addressing the stigma around mental health. Dr John McNamara who is the Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist said: The intervention addresses the stigma around seeking help and equips farmers with coping skills. The research shows that when a farmer-centric approach is used, farmers can both benefit from, and enjoy mental health skills training. For more information, visit the FarMHealth website at www.farmhealth.wixsite.com/farmhealth to find information videos on how to recognise the signs of poor mental health, how to be resilient, and how to access support. There are also real-life stories from farmers describing their own mental health challenges and how they sought help. The FarMHealth project was funded (210,569) by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under its 2021 Thematic Research Call. The research team for the FarmHealth project included: Dr. Siobhan OConnor; Dr. Anna Donnla OHagan; Dr. Joseph Firnhaber, Ms. Sandra Malone and Dr. Sinead OKeeffe, School of Health & Human Performance, Dublin City University along with Dr. John McNamara of Teagasc. The team would like to sincerely thank all those who participated in the research. GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,676 Thanked: 311,005 Times View My Garage Re: Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz - W221 S350 initial ownership review Quote: holyshash Originally Posted by May I ask you about your views on the listing of the W221 S63 up on the classifieds? Is it worthy to be bought at the price point of 42L at 31k kilometres and being a 14 y/o car? Though the description says its pushing 600 horses with a Decat UK remap. An S-Class is a money-no-object car. An AMG even more so. The price you pay for a 14-year old S63 AMG is just the "downpayment", and the monthly EMIs start soon. It looks beautiful, stunning. But remember that a 14-year old car will have a lot of parts worn out. Buy it only if you can keep it as the 2nd or 3rd or 4th car of the house. Even a 14-year old Honda Civic requires work & part replacements due to age, this is but an S-Class. What I would suggest is getting a newer W222 S-Class for 50-lakhs (or more) since you clearly have the budget. No such thing as a cheap S-Class. Buy the newest one you can find, with the lowest odometer reading in your intended spend. A regular S-Class will average out at 2-3 lakhs per year in maintenance. An AMG, a lot more, especially if you drive it. Most likely, it will be the best car you ever bought. Although, a lot of people who buy very old German cars say that the two best days with their old luxury car was the day they bought it....and the day they sold it. Dropping a link to the ad so that others can also check it out - You will hear from two types of owners. One who found the maintenance levels to be acceptable, the other who burned their fingers. Usually, the former are those who have owned the car for many years, maintained it well and built a great network of independent mechanics / spare part suppliers. See how Androdev keeps his car.An S-Class is a money-no-object car. An AMG even more so. The price you pay for a 14-year old S63 AMG is just the "downpayment", and the monthly EMIs start soon.It looks beautiful, stunning. But remember that a 14-year old car will have a lot of parts worn out. Buy it only if you can keep it as the 2nd or 3rd or 4th car of the house. Even a 14-year old Honda Civic requires work & part replacements due to age, this is but an S-Class.What I would suggest is getting a newer W222 S-Class for 50-lakhs (or more) since you clearly have the budget. No such thing as a cheap S-Class. Buy the newest one you can find, with the lowest odometer reading in your intended spend. A regular S-Class will average out at 2-3 lakhs per year in maintenance. An AMG, a lot more, especially if you drive it.Most likely, it will be the best car you ever bought. Although, a lot of people who buy very old German cars say that the two best days with their old luxury car was the day they bought it....and the day they sold it.Dropping a link to the ad so that others can also check it out - classifieds listing Last edited by GTO : 23rd June 2024 at 07:18 . topse BHPian Join Date: May 2020 Location: Kolkata Posts: 60 Thanked: 299 Times An Offroad Trip to Sandakphu with Thars and Pajero Schedule: 10th April: Land in Siliguri. Drive Pashupati - Tumling 11th April: Drive Tumling - Sandakphu 12th April: Drive Sandakphu - Phalut - Sandakphu 13th April: Drive Sandakphu - Siliguri 14th April: Fly back from Siliguri Informed my office and got the leave orally approved. Now eagerly waiting for the final day as I was way too much excited to join my first mountain expedition with my beast (Thar diesel automatic). 7th April,24: Started of from Kolkata in the morning and reached Jalpaiguri in the night, 12 hours journey, as Ranaghat railway overbridge is now completed followed by smooth Berhampore bypass, also the construction work of the second bridge over river Ganga in Farakka has started in full fledge. Only found the Raiganj bypass is still pending due to uncompleted railway bridge within that 4-lane bypass expressway. Reached home in the night, next day got my vehicle throughly cleaned in my favourite car wash center in Jalpaiguri town. Spent another day resting and arranging for dry fruits, protein bars etc after visiting nearby reliance store and scouring for winter clothes from the shelve. Participants: 1. Adhiraj Singh (white Pajero) along with Gonu & Suvendu, 2. Sumit Periwal (Red old version Thar) and his brother Sameer Jhawar, 3. Vivek Bansal and his son Shivraya Bansal + their driver Kamat (Red soft-top Petrol automatic Thar), 4. Harsh Agarwal + his driver Manoj( mystic copper color soft-top petrol automatic thar) & 5. myself Tapas aka topse (aquamarine color hardtop diesel automatic thar). Total five vehicles & eleven participants. 10th April24 (Day 1): Sumit & Sameer started from Kolkata and reached Bagdogra the previous night but they had to face much ordeal at Plassey due to crowd gathering in a cow fair and road blockade because of that. Adhiraj along with Gonu & Suvendu started off from Liluah, Howrah in his Pajero ( but they were able to avoid Plassey ordeal by crossing Hoogly river on boat) and reached Bagdogra. Manoj was bringing Harshs thar and Kamat was bringing Viveks thar and they came along with Adhiraj da as a convoy. Vivek, Sivaraya and Harsh took a flight to reach Bagdogra from Kolkata. I started off from Jalpaiguri at 8:00 in the morning and joined Adhiraj da and others at Glenarys next to Marinas hotel at around 9am. Adhiraj da briefed us about our next route and itinerary at the coffee table and we formally started our Sandakphu expedition from there. Sumit and Sameer joined remaining of us at Dudhia Gaon. As I was driving alone Gonu gave me company from Dudhia, Adhiraj da provided us walkie-talkies for each of the five cars. As the convoy gathered at Dudhia we stopped for few clicks with our machines which are going to be our vahaan for our this Himalayan adventure. We reached Pashupati Phatak at 13:10, Adhiraj das friend Pemba Sherpa was there. We vehicle owners had to show our vehicle RC, DL & Aadhar card both to the SSB (India side) and APF (Nepal side) counters. After document verification we were given permit to enter Nepal upon payment of a nominal fee. After getting the formal welcome by our guide friend Pemba we resumed our journey from there. We reached Naya Bazar situated in Mechi village at 16:20. We were late to had our lunch, so it was our first Pahari lunch which was very tasty. We had our lunch with hot rice, beans, daal, aloo fry and chicken curry. We resumed our journey at 17:00 only to find the road blockade due to a massive landslide in-front of us. We waited 15mins till one JCB cleared out the road. It was getting dusky, we were traversing though unpaved jungle road, it was a continuous driving till a view point at Mechi, the place was windy and chilled, and the sky was glowing with the setting sun. We took few group photos and started off. It was a hour long mostly bumpy ride due to unpaved boulder filled rocky road surface. We reached our first destination Tumling at 19:00. It was too chilly and windy outside. Took our bags out and checked into the homestay. Till the time we settled in, the feat for reaching our first destination for the day has just started. We sat together at the dinner table and sang together and enjoyed with all those 70s songs till our dinner was served at around 21:30. Food was rice, chicken curry, home grown pahari sabji and salad. The dinner tasted awesome. Entered our room, there was very high wind outside and the cyclone like noise made us feel a bit uncanny, somehow able to closed the windows. Jumped into the warmth of our bed and called it a day. The Day-1 in Film: https://youtu.be/4Ljirm2mqnU Photo Memories From Day-1 Dawa Homestay, Tumling, Nepal Naya Bazar, Mechi, Nepal It was a march ending month that kept me busy in finishing off yearly closing related work. I was pondering about an after march trip to the unknown and craving for something new. Got a post from Adhiraj Singh, the man behind our KO group. He and few of his friends planned a trip to Sandakphu via Nepal. It was scheduled to start from 20th March till 23 March24. I had shown my keen interest to join although knew that it will be almost impossible for me to get a 5days leave during this year ending month. 12th of March, I enquired again and to my relief Adhiraj da told me the trip was postponed and will be scheduled during the days between 9th-20th April24. He informed that he got few Thar owners to join him in the trip. Without much thinking I jumped in. The plan was to go up via Pashupati Side (driving almost through the Nepal side.) I was worried about documentation and he assured that not much documentation will be required since his friend Pemba Sherpa will be there to ensure a smooth passage.10th April: Land in Siliguri. Drive Pashupati - Tumling11th April: Drive Tumling - Sandakphu12th April: Drive Sandakphu - Phalut - Sandakphu13th April: Drive Sandakphu - Siliguri14th April: Fly back from SiliguriInformed my office and got the leave orally approved. Now eagerly waiting for the final day as I was way too much excited to join my first mountain expedition with my beast (Thar diesel automatic). 7th April,24: Started of from Kolkata in the morning and reached Jalpaiguri in the night, 12 hours journey, as Ranaghat railway overbridge is now completed followed by smooth Berhampore bypass, also the construction work of the second bridge over river Ganga in Farakka has started in full fledge. Only found the Raiganj bypass is still pending due to uncompleted railway bridge within that 4-lane bypass expressway. Reached home in the night, next day got my vehicle throughly cleaned in my favourite car wash center in Jalpaiguri town. Spent another day resting and arranging for dry fruits, protein bars etc after visiting nearby reliance store and scouring for winter clothes from the shelve.1. Adhiraj Singh (white Pajero) along with Gonu & Suvendu, 2. Sumit Periwal (Red old version Thar) and his brother Sameer Jhawar, 3. Vivek Bansal and his son Shivraya Bansal + their driver Kamat (Red soft-top Petrol automatic Thar), 4. Harsh Agarwal + his driver Manoj( mystic copper color soft-top petrol automatic thar) & 5. myself Tapas aka topse (aquamarine color hardtop diesel automatic thar).Total five vehicles & eleven participants.Sumit & Sameer started from Kolkata and reached Bagdogra the previous night but they had to face much ordeal at Plassey due to crowd gathering in a cow fair and road blockade because of that. Adhiraj along with Gonu & Suvendu started off from Liluah, Howrah in his Pajero ( but they were able to avoid Plassey ordeal by crossing Hoogly river on boat) and reached Bagdogra. Manoj was bringing Harshs thar and Kamat was bringing Viveks thar and they came along with Adhiraj da as a convoy. Vivek, Sivaraya and Harsh took a flight to reach Bagdogra from Kolkata.I started off from Jalpaiguri at 8:00 in the morning and joined Adhiraj da and others at Glenarys next to Marinas hotel at around 9am. Adhiraj da briefed us about our next route and itinerary at the coffee table and we formally started our Sandakphu expedition from there. Sumit and Sameer joined remaining of us at Dudhia Gaon. As I was driving alone Gonu gave me company from Dudhia, Adhiraj da provided us walkie-talkies for each of the five cars. As the convoy gathered at Dudhia we stopped for few clicks with our machines which are going to be our vahaan for our this Himalayan adventure.We reached Pashupati Phatak at 13:10, Adhiraj das friend Pemba Sherpa was there. We vehicle owners had to show our vehicle RC, DL & Aadhar card both to the SSB (India side) and APF (Nepal side) counters. After document verification we were given permit to enter Nepal upon payment of a nominal fee. After getting the formal welcome by our guide friend Pemba we resumed our journey from there.We reached Naya Bazar situated in Mechi village at 16:20. We were late to had our lunch, so it was our first Pahari lunch which was very tasty. We had our lunch with hot rice, beans, daal, aloo fry and chicken curry.We resumed our journey at 17:00 only to find the road blockade due to a massive landslide in-front of us. We waited 15mins till one JCB cleared out the road.It was getting dusky, we were traversing though unpaved jungle road, it was a continuous driving till a view point at Mechi, the place was windy and chilled, and the sky was glowing with the setting sun. We took few group photos and started off. It was a hour long mostly bumpy ride due to unpaved boulder filled rocky road surface.We reached our first destination Tumling at 19:00. It was too chilly and windy outside. Took our bags out and checked into the homestay. Till the time we settled in, the feat for reaching our first destination for the day has just started. We sat together at the dinner table and sang together and enjoyed with all those 70s songs till our dinner was served at around 21:30. Food was rice, chicken curry, home grown pahari sabji and salad. The dinner tasted awesome. Entered our room, there was very high wind outside and the cyclone like noise made us feel a bit uncanny, somehow able to closed the windows. Jumped into the warmth of our bed and called it a day.Dawa Homestay, Tumling, NepalNaya Bazar, Mechi, Nepal Last edited by topse : 24th June 2024 at 00:32 . Reason: typo GutsyGibbon BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Southern Calif. Posts: 787 Thanked: 4,756 Times A weekend in Baja California, Mexico Crossing the border into Mexico is rather eventless. You get the last US exit, you miss it - you are in Mexico. Lots of officials, lots of boards, but one cant make a U turn here. Unexpected issues I faced. My mobile network warning about roaming, constantly quit navigating. I had to resort to listening to instructions through the helmet speakers. I never do this, and I had set the preference to Indian English, so she was butchering the Spanish names of streets so bad, that I could not understand a single word. I was lost in Tijuana. I pulled over, memorized the streets, put it in Airplane mode, and then got on the scenic highway. Gorgeous views. The Tijuana- Ensenada highway is a toll road that is simply gorgeous. 110kmph, with ample warning signs for everything. The driving culture of Mexicans is mind blowing. I did not hear a single honk for the entire two days. The streets of Tijuana, and Ensanada are jam packed. The traffic is insane and it barely moves. Lots of streets have 4 way stop signs. Everyone takes turns to cross. It is heart warming to see a 18 wheeler stop for a grandma and her grand child to cross a highway at a zebra crossing/pedestrian crossing. Bigger towns have over bridges, and I saw lots of people using them. They had stairs and no elevators. La comida - the food. I have a thing for good mexican food. I can have them make it exactly the way I am going to love it. I watched the Mexico Jamaica Copa America match as I ate my dinner. The roads south of Ensenada do not have tolls, lots of really small towns here. There are lots of vineyards and wineries here. I am going to use these pictures to see if anyone else wants to go with me the next time I decide to ride south of the border. I did check out a couple highrise condos with ocean views. They are like $600K USD, not really a deal, but it goes to say how much of a demand ocean views have. If you cant see it, I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time. Closing with a panoramic picture. It has been on the back of my mind to go explore parts of Mexico on my Motorcycle. I see lots of people ride all over Mexico, but almost all the people I know would not want to venture here. I have been learning Espanol for 4 years now, I can certainly manage that aspect. So last week, I bought Mexico insurance for the weekend, and a hotel reservation at a random town that was after a 5 hour ride. It was a solo to San Quintin. I did not have the nerve to do much off roading, I mostly stuck to the highway.Crossing the border into Mexico is rather eventless. You get the last US exit, you miss it - you are in Mexico. Lots of officials, lots of boards, but one cant make a U turn here.Unexpected issues I faced. My mobile network warning about roaming, constantly quit navigating. I had to resort to listening to instructions through the helmet speakers. I never do this, and I had set the preference to Indian English, so she was butchering the Spanish names of streets so bad, that I could not understand a single word. I was lost in Tijuana. I pulled over, memorized the streets, put it in Airplane mode, and then got on the scenic highway. Gorgeous views.The Tijuana- Ensenada highway is a toll road that is simply gorgeous. 110kmph, with ample warning signs for everything.The driving culture of Mexicans is mind blowing. I did not hear a single honk for the entire two days. The streets of Tijuana, and Ensanada are jam packed. The traffic is insane and it barely moves. Lots of streets have 4 way stop signs. Everyone takes turns to cross. It is heart warming to see a 18 wheeler stop for a grandma and her grand child to cross a highway at a zebra crossing/pedestrian crossing. Bigger towns have over bridges, and I saw lots of people using them. They had stairs and no elevators.La comida - the food. I have a thing for good mexican food. I can have them make it exactly the way I am going to love it. I watched the Mexico Jamaica Copa America match as I ate my dinner.The roads south of Ensenada do not have tolls, lots of really small towns here. There are lots of vineyards and wineries here.I am going to use these pictures to see if anyone else wants to go with me the next time I decide to ride south of the border. I did check out a couple highrise condos with ocean views. They are like $600K USD, not really a deal, but it goes to say how much of a demand ocean views have. If you cant see it, I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time.Closing with a panoramic picture. Last edited by Gannu_1 : 25th June 2024 at 13:50 . Reason: Rule #11. Thanks! :) Blackmagic Camera unlocks the power of your phone by adding Blackmagic's digital film camera controls and image processing. Now you can create the same cinematic 'look' as Hollywood feature films. You get the same intuitive and user friendly interface as Blackmagic Design's award winning cameras. It's just like using a professional digital film camera. You can adjust settings such as frame rate, shutter angle, white balance and ISO all in a single tap. Or, record directly to Blackmagic Cloud in industry standard files up to 8K! Recording to Blackmagic Cloud Storage lets you collaborate on DaVinci Resolve projects with editors anywhere in the world, all at the same time. Blackmagic Camera has all the controls customers need to quickly setup and start shooting. Everything is interactive, so customers can tap any item and instantly change settings without searching through confusing menus. The heads up display, or HUD, shows status and record parameters, histogram, focus peaking, levels, frame guides and more. Show or hide the HUD by swiping up or down. Auto focus by tapping the screen in the area customers want to focus. Customers can shoot in 16:9 or vertical aspect ratios, plus customers can shoot 16:9 while holding the phone vertically if they want to shoot unobtrusively. There are also tabs for media management including uploading to Blackmagic Cloud, chat and access to advanced menus. Blackmagic Camera for Android Features Works with Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. Shoot in 16:9 or vertical aspect ratios. Stealth mode for shooting 16:9 while holding phone vertically. Capture in H.264 and H.265 with auto proxy generation. Frame rate, shutter speed, exposure, white balance, tint and color space camera controls. Focus assist, zebra, frame guides, histogram. Time of day or run time, timecode recording. VU or PPM audio meters. Thumbnail view of all recorded clips in media tab. Preview clips with scrubber, duration, timecode and file name display. Fully integrated with Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve. Record to phone, select recorded clips to share via Blackmagic Cloud or sync automatically. The heads up display, or HUD, has the most important camera controls such as lens selection, frame rate, shutter angle, timecode, ISO, white balance, tint, histogram and audio levels. Customers can adjust settings such as exposure by touching the ISO indicator, or customers can change the audio levels simply by touching the audio meters. Everything is interactive, so if customers tap any item they can instantaneously change its settings without having to search through complex menus. Customers can clear the heads up display to reveal the full screen image by swiping up or down with their finger. The settings tab unlocks the full power of the phone's camera, with quick access to advanced settings such as monitoring, audio, camera setup, recording and more. The record tab allows control over video resolution and recording format including space efficient H.264 and H.265. Professional audio options include VU or PPM audio meters. Blackmagic Camera also includes professional monitoring tools such as zebra settings for checking exposure, focus assist, frame guides and more. Blackmagic Camera features a built in chat workspace so Blackmagic Cloud project members can talk about shots and quickly share creative ideas, all without leaving the app. Simply log in to Blackmagic Cloud and select the project customers are working on and start typing a message. Customers can quickly message editors, assistants, colorists or VFX artists to talk about shot selection or to receive an update on the project. Everyone on that project can see their message and reply instantly. All this means customers can keep in touch with other project members without leaving the app and missing a critical shot. The Blackmagic Camera media tab has all the controls needed to browse or scrub clips for quick review, search and sort and view the upload status of their media. Customers can also link to their DCIM folder and select clips to upload to the Blackmagic Cloud. Simply access their media from Blackmagic Camera's all clips folder by choosing the Media button to see the thumbnails for each clip customers have stored. Customers can save their media to the my files folder on the phone, send it to Blackmagic Cloud Storage via Blackmagic Cloud or manually choose which clips to upload to a project library. Customers can even sync media from Blackmagic Camera directly into a DaVinci Resolve project so users are ready to edit and color grade. Media management on Blackmagic Camera is easy, with three options depending on location and mobile data coverage. Customers can record to their phone and transfer clips to a computer. This allows customers to free up valuable storage space on their phone and share their files later to other users globally. Or customers can log into Blackmagic Cloud and select a DaVinci Resolve project before recording. After each individual recording the media will automatically upload and sync to all members of that project. Blackmagic Camera also has a manual option where customers can record their footage to their phone and then select which clips they want to upload via Blackmagic Cloud when they have a network connection. Creating their Blackmagic ID allows customers to have access to Blackmagic Cloud. It's easy and there's no charge. Simply tap on Blackmagic Cloud in the media tab to go to the Blackmagic Cloud website to register. Once customers have created their Blackmagic ID they can log in and set up their project library. This is where projects to upload to Cloud Storage are created. With a project library set up, select for Blackmagic Camera to sync directly to Cloud Storage from the app. Invite others using their Blackmagic ID to share the project and instantly collaborate with editors and colorists globally, working on the same project. When shooting with Blackmagic Camera, the video customers capture can be instantly uploaded as a proxy file, followed by the camera originals, and saved to Blackmagic Cloud Storage. These will then automatically sync to all members of the project anywhere in the world. This means customers can start editing quickly using their proxies, speeding up their workflow. Media can be constantly added to the project by multiple cameras in different locations which is automatically synced to other project members via Blackmagic Cloud. Everyone can use the proxy media and the colorist or finisher can download the original high res camera originals and render. It's a fast, seamless and automatic way to collaborate. What's New "The Blackmagic Camera app for iPhone has been incredibly popular since it was launched last year," said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "We are excited to be able to give customers with Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel phones the same controls for shooting digital film as our professional cameras. Plus, the Blackmagic Cloud workflow lets customers record to Blackmagic Cloud Storage and automatically sync with DaVinci Resolve. It's really exciting to be able to give even more customers the ability to get their footage to the newsroom or post production studios in literally seconds." Global governance school set to boost country's role on world stage 08:08, June 25, 2024 By Zhou Wenting ( China Daily The Shanghai University of International Business and Economics inaugurated the School of Global Governance, the first of its kind in Shanghai, on May 27, with the aim of training young talented Chinese to work in the global arena. For the first time in the country, a school will provide undergraduate, graduate, and PhD degrees in global governance to respond to the nation's rising need to provide talent for international organizations. The main academic courses will combine politics, economics, and law, with instruction given in English. All graduates will be required to be fluent in English and French, two of the official working languages of the United Nations. Qi Ming, Party secretary of SUIBE, said the school is dedicated to cultivating professionals who are focused on international economic organizations, familiar with national guidelines and policies as well as international rules, and proficient in international negotiations. They must also understand China's national conditions while having a global perspective. The world's economic and trade pattern is currently undergoing deep adjustments, experts said. As China increasingly moves toward the center of the world, it has an obligation to further participate in global governance. "Such a situation raises an urgent need for the country to prepare a large number of talented people who have international vision, are familiar with international rules, and are capable of participating in international affairs and negotiations," said Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization. At present, there is a considerable gap between the scale of Chinese staff at international organizations, their rank and influence, and China's international standing, said Yi, who worked at the WTO for eight years. "In order to enhance China's voice in the international economic and trade arena, we must participate in more international economic and trade negotiations and have talent familiar with international rules and proficient in Sino-foreign negotiations and communication," said Hong Xiaodong, former director of the Department of WTO Affairs under the Ministry of Commerce. Opening global economy A report delivered at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022 said that China's development should provide opportunities for the world, promote the construction of an open world economy, and build a new type of international relations. "As one of the largest developing countries, China can push global governance in various fields forward in a more just and reasonable direction. This is not only for its own benefit but also for many other developing countries as well," said Yi. Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of the WTO, said the reshaping of international trade and investment rules will be quite important, especially when global trade is facing various difficulties, including the adjustment of global supply chains in the post-pandemic era, as well as the digital divide and climate change. The Ministry of Education unveiled a work plan to optimize university majors in April last year, with support for universities to establish departments, such as those relating to global governance, based on their own advantages. Qi said the new school of governance was founded in this context. The school is committed to becoming a training base to provide talent for international organizations, as well as a research institution and a think tank for global economic governance. It will also be a platform for communication and exchanges in international economic and trade negotiations. Another tertiary institution, the Shanghai International Studies University, has sent more than 100 students to work as interns at international organizations, including the UN Headquarters, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Volunteers, UNESCO, and the UN Refugee Agency, in recent years. From September 2023 to now, the number was 22. The interns have worked in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and other international cities. Last year, the school also provided a training course for more than 260 tertiary students that focused on international organizations. Instructors with work experience at international organizations and in the foreign affairs and diplomatic sectors, gave lectures on diplomatic negotiation strategies, the growth path of Chinese diplomats in the new era, and the core values and abilities of international civil servants. Lack of representation The number of Chinese staff at international organizations is still disproportionate to the country's standing as the world's second-largest economy, said several experts. China, for example, accounted for more than 15 percent of United Nations' financial contributions from 2022 to 2024, second only to the United States. However, China has just over 1,300 people working in the UN system, accounting for only 2.3 percent of the total. The US, France, and Kenya, by comparison, have about 5,500, 4,400, and 3,700 people employed in the system respectively. There are even fewer Chinese staff members working at non-language posts at the UN Secretariat, the lowest level among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, according to Yi. Most of the Chinese in the UN system do translation, conference affairs, and logistics work, among other tasks. Only a small proportion of Chinese work at senior levels, and have the opportunity to participate in management and decision-making. "China's underrepresentation in international organizations leads to restrictions on its right to speak in such organizations, and makes it somewhat difficult to exert influence on international affairs. Such a situation also makes it hard to effectively demonstrate the image of a responsible big country," Yi said. "In the WTO, I've always hoped that young talent from China can join its legal department or work in dispute settlement. Several UN officials at senior levels told me that Chinese candidates usually have strong logical thinking and are very diligent. However, many of them have shortcomings when it comes to the drafting of legal documents," he said. Ian Phillips, director of the news and media division of the Department of Global Communications at the UN, said that he has witnessed a growing number of Chinese staff in the UN system, even though they might still be underrepresented. "I see a growing Chinese influence, especially with young people, including interns. In our department, we have a Chinese team that creates news in formats of written stories and video pieces on a daily basis. They are very capable, innovative, and solution-focused. They do important work," Phillips said. "Perhaps the underrepresentation of Chinese staff in the UN system is because China's growth has been rapid. It's just that the number of staff members has not increased as rapidly as that," he said. Peter Dawkins, chief of the Web services section of the Department of Global Communications at the UN, said that the requirement of working languages at the UN Secretariat could be an extra barrier for candidates from China. If a candidate from China applies for an information technology post, for instance, they will be competing against applicants from the United Kingdom, the United States and France who are fluent in English or French and have a natural advantage, he said. Playing to strengths Interdisciplinary competency is one way Chinese talent can prepare for international organizations, several experts said. Lu Xiankun, who was formerly a Chinese counselor to the WTO, said that today there are diversified global challenges, such as climate change, public health, and food security, and many different international organizations are working in those fields. However, when it comes to solutions they are also always concerned about economics and trade. Young talent, therefore, must have good knowledge in this area plus another major, Lu said. Citing the WTO as an example, he explained that while it is a trade organization, the real work usually involves a combination of politics, economics and trade, and the law. While WTO employees must have outstanding capability in their academic majors, they must also think outside the box and "consider the subject of negotiation from the perspective of international relations and national strategy", Lu said. In addition to good professional skills, a global perspective, and the ability to adapt to a multicultural environment are also necessary for any applicant to international organizations, said Wang Xiaoyuan, a master's student from Shanghai and an intern at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. "I studied in Australia and New Zealand through exchange programs, which allowed me to get an in-depth look at the aquaculture industry in different countries. It laid a foundation for this internship in Rome," said the 24-year-old. Hong, the former WTO official, said potential employees of such organizations must also be equipped with the ability to look into new subjects that require attention. "These may include digital trade, the environment and new energy, and empowering women," he said. Dawkins from the UN said it is always good to have general skills, such as communication, teamwork, being able to think creatively, leadership, and data analysis, for young talented people to work for international organizations. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Australians are being warned not to trivialise the dangers after several deaths have been recorded. Tourists heading to Europe are being warned as extreme heat batters the continent. Source: Getty A surge in tourist deaths overseas has raised concerns for travellers planning on heading to Europe and the US to enjoy a second summer in the northern hemisphere. In the last month, five tourists have died in Greece and two in Cyprus, including TV host Dr Michael Mosley, from the suspected effects of heat exhaustion and Aussies are being warned to not trivialise high temperatures despite being more accustomed to them than other tourists. "These tragic deaths underscore the lethal risks posed by heatwaves," Compare Travel Insurance's Natalie Ball said. "Travellers should be mindful when planning vacations during the hottest months of the year. While a European summer is undeniably appealing, it's crucial for travellers to understand the seriousness of heatstroke and its potential dangers." Heatwaves across Europe, where the temperature has soared over 40 degrees in some south-eastern countries despite only being early summer, have caused schools and tourist attractions to close due to safety concerns. Meteorologists are predicting the heat will intensify as the summer continues and it is a major concern as thousands flock to Europe for the Paris Olympics next month. Many parts of the US has been scorched by high temperatures, with authorities in New York urging people to brace themselves for the first heat wave of the summer as it moves across to the country's east. Parts of Asia and the Middle East have recorded high temperatures, with one Aussie dying in this year's Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca where temperatures reached above 50 degrees. What can Aussies do to protect themselves? All the standard safety guidelines, such as slip slop slap, consuming plenty of fluids and following instructions from local authorities, are best adhered to when travelling in extreme heat. People are being warned to be heat conscious as many parts of the world experience hot temperatures, from Thessaloniki in Greece (pictured) to the US. Source: Getty Ensuring travel insurance has heatwave coverage also helps travellers to be protected if they need assistance while abroad. "Heatstroke can develop as a result of sudden and dramatic exposure to heat, which is often the case when tourists travel to hotter destinations, says Ball. The key is being prepared and taking the time to acclimatise." "The majority of comprehensive travel insurance policies provide unlimited medical cover which would usually include emergency medical assistance and overseas hospital expenses." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A hot potato: CEOs, bosses, and the those who make the technology love to assure people that artificial intelligence isn't going to replace everyone's jobs; it will merely augment them working alongside humans to make life easier. Yet we keep hearing stories like the one about a writer whose employer fired his 60-person team and replaced them with an AI. A writer using the pseudonym Benjamin Miller told the BBC that his company wanted to use AI to cut costs in early 2023. He led a team of more than 60 writers and editors who published blog posts and articles to promote a tech company that packages and resells data. The new workflow involved feeding headlines into an AI model that would generate an outline based on the title. The writing team would then create articles based on these ideas, rather than coming up with their own, with Miller editing the final pieces. That might sound like the definition of AI working alongside humans, but things inevitably changed. It wasn't long before bosses decided that ChatGPT should write the articles in their entirety, leading to most of Miller's team being fired. Those who were left had the task of making the chatbot's text sound more human-like. Eventually, Miller was the only human employee left on the team. The task of making AI-generated content sound like it came from a human was down to him alone. "All of a sudden I was just doing everyone's job," he said. "It was more editing than I had to do with human writers, but it was always the exact same kinds of edits. The real problem was it was just so repetitive and boring. It started to feel like I was the robot." Several months later, the company decided that not even Miller was needed. The ironic twist in the story is that the best work he could find was at a tech firm called Undetectable AI, which builds software to make AI writing harder to identify. Miller's final comment on the matter will likely resonated with those who believe in Dead Internet theory. "I contributed to a lot of the garbage that's filling the internet and destroying it," he said. "Nobody was even reading this stuff by the time I left because it's just trash." Despite the hallucinations, questionable quality, and public anger at its use, more companies are using generative AI to replace humans. Very few positions are 100% safe, with everyone from software engineers and IT technicians to call center agents and administrators potentially at risk. It's led to calls for a universal basic income to help alleviate the impact on society as a whole. Webb of Stars: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reached its assigned destination, the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, around 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, in January 2022. Since then, the new space-based observatory developed by NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency has provided invaluable images and scientific data about the cosmos. The James Webb telescope just set another first for astronomy when it detected a group of "protostellar outflows." These ejections are jets of high-speed gas from newborn stars, which scientists have not observed until now. A peculiar trait of these outflows is they all pointed in the same direction, like "sleet pouring down during a storm." Webb detected the phenomenon within the Serpens Nebula, a vast cosmic gas cloud hosting a "particularly dense" cluster of newly forming protostars. The ESA notes that the discovery was possible thanks to the JWST's spatial resolution and sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths. The data will provide scientists with new insights about the fundamental laws governing the creation and growth of stars. At about one to two million years old, the Serpens Nebula is very young in cosmic terms. Its protostars are even younger at around 100,000 years old, with the recently discovered outflows around 200 to 1,400 years old. Scientists could detect at least 20 newborn stars emitting protostellar outflows in the JWST images. The aligned gas jets were coming from a group of 12 stars, as seen in the upper left corner of the image below. Aligned protostellar outflows are rare and have never been observed, so little is known about them. Scientists theorize that the 12 stars formed around the same time along the same gas filament. A powerful magnetic field is likely steering this filament and could direct the protostellar outflows in the same direction. Astronomers expect this complex, majestic cosmic interaction to dwindle over time as the newborn stars start interacting with other objects around them. The gas jets will likely fade or realign in a few thousand years or so. These protostellar outflows in the Serpens Nebula are a once-in-a-lifetime, time-limited occurrence, explaining why scientists couldn't detect the transient phenomenon before Webb. The researchers' next step is to make new observations of the Serpens Nebula star nursery with JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec). This instrument allows them to analyze the chemical composition of the region. In a nutshell: An EU investigation accuses Microsoft of breaching antitrust regulation by bundling Teams with its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions. This move is deemed to have restricted competition from communication software rivals like Slack and given Microsoft an unfair market advantage. If found guilty, the company could face heavy fines. European Union regulators have accused tech giant Microsoft of breaching their antitrust laws by tying Microsoft Teams to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscription services, after a lengthy investigation into the company's practices. In a Statement of Objections released today, the European Commission stated that their objections to Microsoft's practices revolve around the company gaining an unfair distribution advantage by not allowing consumers to choose whether or not to adopt the communication service. "The Commission is concerned that Microsoft may have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice whether or not to acquire access to Teams when they subscribe to their SaaS productivity applications," the statement reads. EU on a roll also see: European Commission finds Apple violated the DMA, threatens huge $38 billion fine "This advantage may have been further exacerbated by interoperability limitations between Teams' competitors and Microsoft's offerings. The conduct may have prevented Teams' rivals from competing, and in turn innovating, to the detriment of customers in the European Economic Area." The Commission says that if proved true, these practices would infringe upon Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which aims to prevent the abuse of a dominant market position by an entity. The EU Commission began their investigation into this issue on July 27, 2023, after a complaint was filed by rival Slack Technologies, Inc. A subsequent complaint was also filed by German video conferencing company Alfaview, who had similar grievances. Microsoft unbundled Teams from some of its SaaS packages in an attempt to rectify these complaints in July 2023, but the Commission says that the changes have not been sufficient enough to "restore competition." The competition in this case being other communication services like claimants Slack and Alfaview. Since Windows and the Office suite are dominant across the globe, it means that many private and commercial consumers adopt Teams as their de facto communication application since it comes bundled with those software packages. This, in turn, can restrict competition. "Preserving competition for remote communication and collaboration tools is essential, as it also fosters innovation on these markets," says Margrethe Vestager, the VP in charge of competition policy. "If confirmed, Microsoft's conduct would be illegal under our competition rules. Microsoft now has the opportunity to reply to our concerns." Microsoft president Brad Smith has already issued a statement to the Financial Times, saying "having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the Commission's remaining concerns." The company faces heavy fines of up to 10% of its worldwide annual turnover if it is found to have breached Article 102, and the EU Commission may also go on to impose other "remedies" they deem "proportionate" to end the infringement. Microsoft still has a right to defend itself against the allegations. This isn't the first time Microsoft faces these kind of antitrust allegations. Last year, the company faced heavy pressure from the US FTC and its UK equivalent when it tried to acquire gaming giant Activision Blizzard because of its market dominance Microsoft ultimately did acquire the gaming publisher, however. SpaceX successfully conducted a doubleheader launch of two groups of Starlink internet satellites from the east and west coasts of the United States. Space.com reported that a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT) on June 24. Later on, the second rocket, carrying 20 Starlinks, including 13 direct-to-cell, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11:47 p.m. EDT (8:47 p.m. local; 0347 GMT). The spacecraft maker posted on X a video of the liftoff in California. Watch it below: Watch Falcon 9 launch 20 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities https://t.co/UYd5Afh3rU SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 24, 2024 Starlink provides high-speed internet access globally, especially for those living in remote areas, via its over 6,100 operating satellites in orbit. According to ABC News, once the Falcon 9 rockets launched the satellites, they will go back to Earth, landing on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX, NASA Team Up The launch doubleheader comes as SpaceX and NASA gear up to blast off a Falcon Heavy rocket with the final GOES-R satellite, GOES-U. Teams monitored weather conditions for liftoff and rollout, delaying the rocket's deployment to Launch Complex 39A from Sunday morning. The blastoff goal is on Tuesday, June 25, at 5:16 p.m. EDT (2116 UTC). The latest weather forecast, given on Sunday, June 23, predicts a 30% chance of favorable weather during liftoff on both the original launch day and the 24-hour backup window on June 26. Starliner Undocking Delayed Again In separate news, NASA and Boeing officials have extended the Starliner crew capsule's stay at the ISS again, postponing its June 26 re-entry. According to Spaceflight Now, this late Friday decision allows more time to analyze and evaluate mission-observed helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. Before determining a new Starliner landing date, a formal re-entry readiness check will occur. An ongoing study may delay the capsule's undocking and return to Earth beyond the two scheduled spacewalks on June 28 and July 2. However, Starliner captain Barry "Butch" Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams can undock and return if urgent concerns emerge on the space station. Officials promise the crew is safe. NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich noted that they are adhering to NASA standard mission management protocols and their decision is based on collected data "on tiny helium system leaks and thruster performance concerns during rendezvous and docking." Stich stressed the necessity for an agency-level evaluation, like NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission's 2020 return to Earth after a two-month orbital mission, to approve the Starliner mission. Starliner engineers are fixing helium leaks and thruster abnormalities in the capsule's service module, which burns up in the Earth's atmosphere upon re-entry. Although actual hardware investigation after separation is impractical, NASA and Boeing are emphasizing comprehensive telemetry assessment, continuing testing, and contingency measures in case more concerns arise post-undocking. A leaker recently unveiled a new feature from Samsung called 'App Lock,' claiming it will join the next Android 15 update, also known as One UI 7 for South Korean tech. This means that this feature may arrive on the next major update for Samsung devices, alongside its touted 'Secure Folder' feature. In this latest spot, App Lock will offer an experience that allows users to keep things private on a specific app, especially when that app does not offer the feature itself. App Lock is Coming to Samsung Phones via Android 15 Update A renowned leaker, Tarun Vats, shared a discovery on Samsung's upcoming Android 15 update, centered on its One UI 7, which will deliver a new experience called 'App Lock.' Through this feature, users can put a passcode or biometric lock on a specific app and keep it away from being accessed by anyone who is borrowing the device or knows the lock screen passcode. This feature was recently discovered via Samsung's device settings under One UI 7, but the system version is not yet available. However, other users claim that this is not exactly new for Samsung, as this feature is only coming back after different platformsApple and Google. One UI 7's Upcoming Security Features with Secure Folder One UI 7's App Lock is only one of the many security features coming for Samsung's devices once Android 15 drops and the UI update arrives for users. The earlier announced 'Secure Folder' feature will provide a second space for users to stow their apps or files, which separates the experience, unlike App Lock, which is still on the main UI. Android 15 Features from Google Google began previewing the new features coming to Android 15 in the past few months, focusing on significant privacy and security features available here. One of them was the much-anticipated Pixel-special feature known as Private Space, which would give users a separate place where all their activities are hidden away. Another special Android 15 feature that is expected soon is the arrival of 'Powered Off Finding' under its Find My Device network, which would allow users to track their devices offline. This means that whenever the smartphone depletes the battery or is turned off by a bad actor, users may still be able to locate the device and retrieve it. Google is still working on many features for Android 15, but in its recent I/O showcase, the company already revealed a lot of what to expect and look forward to for later this year's OS release. That being said, new features are still popping up, including the App Lock, which will allow specific apps to be secure away from prying eyes and those who invade others' privacy. Scientists have long believed that industrial chemicals used in plastic water bottles might mess with human hormones. Until now, most evidence has been observational, showing a connection between plastic exposure and certain diseases without proving a direct cause. The Impact of BPA on Insulin Sensitivity A new study has found direct evidence that bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical often used in food and drink packaging, can lower the body's sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. A reduced ability to respond to insulin, called insulin resistance, can lead to consistently high blood sugar levels and a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers shared their findings at the 2024 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, suggesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) might need to reevaluate the safe exposure limits for BPA found in plastic bottles, food containers, and other packaging materials. Researchers at California Polytechnic State University conducted a study involving 40 healthy adults, who were randomly divided into two groups: one received a placebo, while the other received a small daily dose of BPA. After four days, the group exposed to BPA showed reduced insulin sensitivity, whereas the placebo group exhibited no change. The BPA dose administered, 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day, is currently considered safe by the EPA. Todd Hagobian, the study's senior author and a professor at California Polytechnic State University, emphasized the need to reconsider the US EPA's current safe dose of BPA. Read Also : Stanford Study Reveals Surprising Benefits of Vegan Lifestyle, Unlocking Cardiovascular Wellness Global Regulations, Public Concerns The FDA considers BPA safe at low levels found in food containers, allowing up to 5 mg per kg of body weight per day, significantly higher than the dose identified as risky in the new study. This discrepancy has prompted some researchers to argue that the FDA's guidelines may be outdated. On the other hand, regulatory bodies in other parts of the world have taken a more stringent approach toward BPA. For example, the European Commission has proposed a ban on BPA in products that come into contact with food or beverages by the end of 2024. There is growing worry about the effects of BPA, reflecting a broader concern over everyday exposure to potentially harmful substances. Recent studies also highlight the risks associated with microplastics, minuscule particles capable of penetrating human cells and posing potential health threats. These particles have been detected in diverse places, including human lungs and reproductive organs, raising significant health concerns. Studying the potential long-term health impacts of everyday substances could guide us in making informed choices to mitigate risks linked to chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Todd Hagobian emphasized the importance of investigating even minor contributors to diabetes, a leading cause of death in the US. The study's findings suggest that minimizing BPA exposure, for example by opting for stainless steel or glass containers and BPA-free cans, might help reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified combatting cyber threats from the People's Republic of China (PRC) as its primary infrastructure security goal through 2025. DHS Priority on Cyber Threats from China DHS released a memo outlining its top 'priority risk areas' for critical infrastructure, emphasizing the need to address threats posed by China. This initiative underscores a comprehensive societal approach to protect critical infrastructure from external risks. In addition to countering Chinese threats, DHS's priorities include managing risks associated with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, reducing vulnerabilities in supply chains, preparing for climate change impacts on critical infrastructure, and addressing reliance on satellite-based services and communications. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized the critical role of safeguarding infrastructure, stating it is crucial for national security, economic security, and public safety. Both the federal government and intelligence community regard China as a primary threat to national security, specifically highlighting concerns over China's capability and readiness to launch cyberattacks on US infrastructure. The memo also raises alarms about additional risks from other malicious 'gray zone' activities, such as financial investments, traditional espionage methods, and insider threats. In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray cautioned that hackers affiliated with the Chinese government had infiltrated vital US infrastructure and were poised to strike at a critical juncture. Speaking at the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, Wray disclosed that cyber operatives associated with the Volt Typhoon group had breached multiple American firms operating in the telecommunications, energy, and water industries. Read Also : Chinese Threat Actor Goldfactory Deploys Android-Banking Malware Through Deepfakes DHS Initiatives, Plans for Mitigation In 2020, the DHS formed a China Working Group to tackle the escalating concerns surrounding China's disruptive actions in trade, cybersecurity, immigration, and intellectual property, as stated by then-acting DHS Secretary Wolf. DHS developed a detailed plan to tackle China's security threats. This plan covers various issues, including illegal immigration and protecting American inventions from copying. DHS also wants to increase trade with countries like India and Taiwan to make more computer chips. They're also focused on defending America's important systems, like electricity and water, from attacks by Chinese hackers. Last year, DHS started a 90-day "PRC Threats Sprint" to improve its fight against cyberattacks from China. It's also using its powers to catch people from China who come to America to spy, steal ideas, or harm people who disagree with its government. In 2013, the House Homeland Security Committee's cybersecurity subcommittee convened to address threats to US infrastructure posed by China, Russia, and Iran. Recently, congressional actions targeting China, such as efforts to force TikTok to sever ties with its Beijing-based parent company, reflect heightened national security apprehensions. This month, the House Committee on Homeland Security pushed forward legislation to prevent DHS from purchasing batteries from six Chinese companies. Toyota is taking a massive move for its electrification experiences in Japan, as it reportedly announced that Lexus charging stations all around the East Asian country are now available to access by other EV brands. It was recently revealed that all EV owners may now be able to access Lexus' charging stations despite being initially exclusive to the brand. In this latest move, Toyota is doing the same thing as Tesla's massive focus on the NACS and Supercharger access to other brands in the US. Toyota's Lexus Charging Stations Now Open for All EVs Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that its luxury car brand Lexus, particularly its charging stations, is now available for all EV brands, according to a Japan News report. The latest announcement makes Lexus charging stations accessible for all kinds of electric vehicles that need charging via its 150kW max quick chargers. Previously, Lexus charging stations were exclusive to Lexus owners and accessible via the My Lexus app. It offers its users complimentary refreshments while waiting, workspaces, reserved spots, and discounts for various services. Additionally, users may reserve a spot up to 60 days in advance to access the charging stations and pay conveniently via the app. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus Charging Locations Currently, there are two Lexus rapid charging stations in Japan: the first one is in Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, and the other is at Karuiza Common Grounds, Karuizawa, in the Nagano Prefecture. Toyota Motor Corp. plans to add two more stations in Osaka and Nagoya by March 2025 and expand to as many as 100 stations throughout Japan by 2030. Tesla's Supercharger and NACS in the US The massive adoption of Tesla's NACS, a.k.a. the North American Charging Standard, saw a significant focus last year, with Ford being the first one to announce its pledge to this experience. With this, Tesla also threw in Supercharger access for companies that will adopt NACS, best known as Elon Musk's charging standard, which he wants to be the main port for all. Soon after, different companies began announcing their switch to NACS, leaving behind the CCS charging experience in favor of the Tesla port with the complimentary Supercharger pass. From American brands to European and Asian vehicles, many have already announced their partnership with Tesla, including Honda, Toyota, Lexus, and more. After a year since these announcements, there is already an eligibility rollout for brands that pledged on NACS to access Superchargers, with Ford, GM, Rivian, and more. The same experience is taking place in Japan thanks to Toyota's efforts, leveraging Lexus charging stations for all to access. The company is looking to expand more of its stations across the country, allowing more to experience it. The latest development on NASA's space junk of ISS batteries thrown back to the planet is a new lawsuit the agency faces now, as the aggrieved family is seeking damages after the incident last April. It is known that an uncontrolled re-entry of the battery trash broke down, and instead of the entire package dropping to the sea, one made an unwelcome crash into a home in Naples, Florida. Space garbage, a.k.a. space junk, has already been a growing problem, and it affects many things, including missions to orbit, satellites, and their dangerous return to the surface. NASA Faces a Lawsuit for its ISS Battery Space Junk NASA has been served a lawsuit that condemns and holds them accountable for the April incident in which a piece of space debris from its ISS battery tore through a ceiling and roof in a home in Naples, Florida. The latest filing by the family's attorney, Mica Nguyen Worthy, seeks damages against the space agency's garbage, which left a lasting impact on the family. The lawsuit is now asking NASA to fairly compensate the family for property damages, business interruption, emotional and mental anguish, and third-party fees, such as their legal counsel's, among other things. This specific lawsuit is a "first-of-its-kind," with NASA facing a novel case regarding their space junk's effects on humans and properties, especially for its fault behind the incident. Read Also : NASA Space Station Batteries Hit Florida Home After It Was Released Florida Home Crash: Uncontrolled Re-Entry of Space Garbage The crash, which occurred in April, had no casualties, despite having one family member at home when the incident took place. Worthy called this a "near miss situation," and while it did not strike anyone, the ISS battery space debris may have brought "catastrophic" effects, with the piece known for breaking off the entire package that went down on the Gulf of Mexico. The Growing Problem of Space Garbage Old and forgotten satellites failed missions that exploded into smithereens, and more have a collective name: space garbage. Their presence in the low-Earth orbit is already a massive issue that many are looking to fix moving forward. There was previously an international, legally binding treaty that compelled space agencies and companies to a massive clean-up, looking to get rid of space junk present now. Numerous incidents have already been recorded regarding space junk dropping from the sky, one that is potentially dangerous if it hits a person, property, animals, and more. In 2022, it is known that Spain shut down its airspace after a piece of space debris fell to the surface, and after its analysis, it was determined that this cosmic garbage was from the Chinese. Researchers claim that the amount of space debris present in orbit now could potentially prevent humans from escaping the planet should there be a global catastrophe. Now, NASA is facing a lawsuit from the family whose home was torn a hole through its ceiling and roof after a piece of ISS battery fell and changed their lives from that incident. Computer scientists at Graz University of Technology have uncovered a new security vulnerability that could enable unauthorized surveillance of internet users' online activities. SnailLoad: New Loophole Found That Could Enable Spying According to the researchers, this loophole, known as "SnailLoad," bypasses conventional data protection measures such as firewalls, VPN connections, and browser privacy modes. Unlike traditional methods involving malware or data interception, SnailLoad exploits fluctuations in internet connection speed to track users' actions online. This method does not require deploying malicious code, making it particularly insidious. The researchers at the Institute of Applied Information Processing and Communication Technology (IAIK) noted that the vulnerability hinges on monitoring the latency variations that occur during the transfer of seemingly innocuous files from attacker-controlled servers to unwitting victims. Stefan Gast from IAIK explained that every online activity leaves a distinct latency pattern similar to a unique fingerprint. When a user interacts with websites, watches videos, or engages in video calls, the latency fluctuations pattern reflects the content being accessed. By analyzing these patterns, attackers can reconstruct the sequence of a victim's online actions. The technique involves pre-collecting latency fingerprints of popular websites and YouTube videos. The researchers identified users' activities during experiments by correlating observed latency patterns with the stored fingerprints. This approach effectively circumvents conventional security measures blind to such subtle indicators. Daniel Gruss, another researcher involved in the study, noted that the success rate of the SnailLoad attack can be remarkably high, especially under conditions where internet speeds are slower and data volumes are higher. Read Also : Change Healthcare Begins Notifying Hospitals, Customers Who Had Data Exposed in Massive Cyberattack 98% Accuracy During tests, the researchers achieved up to 98% accuracy in identifying activities like video consumption, albeit with slightly lower success rates for simpler web browsing activities. Gruss warned that the loophole is exceptionally difficult to mitigate. Traditional fixes like software updates or firewall adjustments are ineffective against a method that exploits inherent properties of internet traffic dynamics. According to Gruss, the potential countermeasure of deliberately slowing down internet connections in a randomized manner could degrade the user experience, particularly for real-time applications such as video conferencing and online gaming. The implications of SnailLoad extend beyond individual privacy concerns to a broader impact on cybersecurity strategies. The Graz University team advocates for heightened awareness and research into more robust defenses against such sophisticated tracking methods. Gast and Gruss' team has established a website outlining SnailLoad. They plan to present their scientific paper on this vulnerability at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2024 and USENIX Security Symposium conferences. Robyn Hill said she was 'hoping for a better verdict' by the end of the 'very long process'. Robyn Hill has broken her silence following yesterday's verdict in which Greg Lynn was found guilty of murdering Carol Clay, but not guilty of murdering Hill's husband Russell. Source: NCA Newswire The heartbroken widow of Victorian man Russell Hill conceded she was hoping "for a better verdict" after a jury yesterday found Greg Lynn not guilty of murdering her late husband. But, she said she was pleased Lynn was convicted of the murder of Hill's secret lover Carol Clay. Speaking through tears outside of her Drouin home, in the West Gippsland region, 90 kilometres east of Melbourne, Robyn Hill spoke of the "very long process" and of her "concerns" about the trial, saying she's glad "it's finally over" despite the outcome not being what she'd hoped. Twelve jurors on Tuesday found Hill, a 57-year-old former Jetstar pilot, guilty of murdering camper Clay on March 20, 2020, but not guilty of killing her lover Russell Hill. Clay, 73, and Hill, 74, who were having an affair, went missing from the Wonnangatta Valley, part of Victoria's alpine region, while camping. Lynn pleaded not guilty, claiming the two deaths were accidental, but admitted burning the crime scene and destroying their bodies. Greg Lynn admitted burning the couple's campsite. Source: Supreme Court of Victoria 'Could've been a better verdict', widow says Speaking with the Herald Sun, Hill admitted that "it could have been a better verdict". "Its been a very long [process] and I was very concerned about what the verdict was going to be. When I heard Russells [verdict] first, I was really concerned it was going to be Carol not guilty as well. "An innocent person doesnt get rid of the bodies thats how I looked at it." Clay and Mr Hill were high school sweethearts who had rekindled their relationship in secret in 2006. Ms Hill who listened to the verdict via audiovisual link said she was satisfied that Lynn was convicted on at least one of the charges. "Now weve just got to wait for his sentence in July," she said. Greg Lynn repainted his 4WD which he used to dispose of the bodies. Source: AAP Victoria Police issue statement Meanwhile, Victoria Police on Tuesday issued a statement in the wake of the verdict, acknowledging "how difficult these past four years have been for" the involved families. "Our thoughts are with the Hill and Clay families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past four years have been for them. Their courage and resilience in the face of their grief, amidst enormous public attention, has been nothing short of extraordinary. We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," a spokesperson said. "We would also like to acknowledge the determination and perseverance of Missing Persons Squad detectives over the course of this exhaustive and complex investigation, as well as the significant support received from a number of specialist areas and local police from right across Victoria Police." Lynn pleaded not guilty, claiming the two deaths were accidental, but admitted burning the crime scene and destroying their bodies. Source: AAP Lynn spent his first night behind bars on Tuesday. He earlier testified he had been deer hunting when he returned to threats from Hill he had drone footage of him too close to the campsite and he would hand it to police. Later that evening, he said Hill took a shotgun from Lynn's car. Lynn claimed he went to get his gun off Hill, who fired a few warning shots before turning the gun on Lynn. The men struggled over the gun, Lynn said, when another shot went off and hit the side of a ute mirror, which ricocheted and went into Clay's head. Shot fragments were later found, proving Clay died in a shooting. The former pilot claimed Hill charged at him with a knife, with a second struggle ensuing. Lynn said he was trying to defend himself when the knife went into Mr Hill's chest, but no evidence was shown to the jury to prove how Hill died. Lynn admitted burning the campsite, putting their bodies in a trailer and driving to the Union Spur Track where he unloaded them and covered them with sticks. He returned twice, including in November 2020 when he set fire to the couple's remains. He was arrested a year later, when he told his story to police and led investigators to the bodies, by then comprising 2,100 bone fragments. with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The European Commission could imposed a fine on Microsoft for illegally bundling its Teams app with its popular Office productivity suites. This fine will be the first antitrust penalty for Microsoft in two decades, following a previous 2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) fine for similar violations. Microsoft Fined for Bundling Teams with Office Microsoft's move to integrate Teams into Office 365 for free in 2017, replacing Skype for Business, significantly boosted Teams' popularity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This move, however, drew criticism from competitors who argued that bundling gave Microsoft an undue advantage in the burgeoning market for communication and collaboration tools. The EU investigation, which could led to a fine, was triggered by a complaint filed in 2020 by Slack, a workspace messaging app owned by Salesforce. Slack argued that Microsoft's practice of bundling Teams with Office 365 and Microsoft 365 gave Microsoft an unfair advantage in the market. The European Commission claims that Microsoft has been bundling its Teams software with its main productivity apps since April 2019. This limited customer options and made it harder for Teams' competitors to work with Microsoft products, putting them at a significant disadvantage. Margrethe Vestager, the EU antitrust chief, stressed the importance of maintaining competition in the market for remote communication and collaboration tools, stating, "Preserving competition for remote communication and collaboration tools is essential as it also fosters innovation on these markets." Read Also: Microsoft to Lay Off More Than a Thousand Employees at Azure Cloud Unit: Report Microsoft Addresses Regulatory Actions In response to the investigation, Microsoft made efforts to address the Commission's concerns. Reuters reports that Microsoft President Brad Smith mentioned that the company had unbundled Teams and taken steps towards improving interoperability. He stated, "Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the Commission's remaining concerns." However, the European Commission found these measures insufficient to restore fair competition. Despite these steps, the Commission concluded that more changes were necessary. The regulator's preliminary findings indicated that Microsoft's bundling practices potentially infringed Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which prohibits the abuse of a dominant market position. If the Commission's preliminary findings are confirmed, Microsoft could face a fine of up to 10% of its global annual turnover. In Other News The EU has accused Apple of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for the first time. The DMA, a regulation to limit the power of big tech companies, requires them to allow app developers to offer alternative purchasing options outside their platform. The EU claims Apple's App Store rules prevent this, stopping developers from telling customers about cheaper alternatives. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton stated they believe this is a violation of the DMA. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Amazon workers injured on the job have increasingly relied on online fundraising to cover expenses while they experience a challenging process for obtaining compensation and disability benefits. Three current employees shared their experiences of the bureaucratic hurdles they faced, leading one to homelessness. Is the e-commerce giant neglecting their concerns in the workplace? Struggles for Compensation and Support Injured workers at Amazon's warehouses described a grueling process to secure financial support. They reported that the company often prioritized productivity over worker well-being, denying compensation requests and ignoring concerns about the physical strains of warehouse work. There's no doubt that this is possible since the previous CBS News report tells us that nearly half of the company's warehouse workers suffered from injuries and even burnout. Amazon acknowledged a few issues but claimed the workers provided inaccurate information without specifying what was incorrect. Keith Williams' Battle with Injuries and Homelessness Keith Williams, an Amazon worker at the SWF1 warehouse in Rock Tavern, New York, experienced two significant injuries within a few months. In August 2023, a computer desk fell on his head, leading to nausea and dizziness. Despite seeking urgent care, he was put on light duty and faced constant pressure from managers. In February, lifting heavy packages caused a severe wrist and elbow injury, rendering him unable to work. Williams has been fighting for disability benefits and, due to financial struggles, became homeless with his family. They were forced to move into a motel and started a GoFundMe campaign to cope with the financial impact of his injuries. Christine Manno's Ongoing Fight for Benefits Christine Manno, who worked as a picker and stower at Amazon's STL8 warehouse in Missouri, developed severe carpal tunnel symptoms in August 2021. Although she underwent two surgeries, she was forced to return to work with restrictions. As The Guardian reports, a subsequent back injury in May 2022 exacerbated her condition. Manno faced resistance in her claim for disability benefits, prompting her to hire an attorney. She eventually received approval but struggled with ongoing pain and financial difficulties. Manno turned to crowdfunding to manage her expenses as she continued to fight for long-term benefits. Nik Moran's Experience with Workplace Safety Nik Moran, a stower at the SWF1 warehouse, sustained a finger injury in August, requiring stitches. He returned to work immediately despite the injury due to Amazon's workers' compensation policy. Moran criticized Amazon's focus on productivity over safety and faced challenges in getting his medical care covered. He emphasized the need for a more supportive approach to worker safety. How Amazon Answered These Criticisms Amazon, one of the world's largest employers with 1.5 million staff globally, has faced ongoing criticism for its warehouse working conditions. The company pledged to become "Earth's safest place to work" and aimed to halve its workplace injury rate by 2025. However, reports from labor advocacy groups indicated that injury rates remained high. The Strategic Organizing Center reported a 2023 injury rate of 6.5 per 100 workers, only slightly reduced from previous years. Amazon disputed these findings, claiming a 28% decline in overall injury rates. A Glimmer of Hope for Williams Williams recently received positive news. After raising funds through an online campaign, his family's rental application was accepted, and they hoped to move into a new apartment soon. Despite this relief, Williams continues to fight for his disability benefits, highlighting the significant gap between Amazon's profits and the support provided to its workers. The experiences of Amazon workers like Williams, Manno, and Moran shed light on the struggles faced by injured employees in securing the necessary support and compensation. While Amazon claims to prioritize safety, the reality for many workers indicates a need for substantial improvements in addressing workplace injuries and providing adequate financial assistance. The US has launched an investigation into Chinese telecommunications giants China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom. Reuters reports that the primary concern revolves around these firms potentially exploiting their access to American data through their US-based cloud and internet services, posing a risk to national security. US Looks Into How Chinese Tech Firms Handle American Data The investigation, confirmed by three sources familiar with the matter, is a continuation of efforts by the US government to safeguard American data from potential exploitation by foreign adversaries. Despite the companies maintaining a relatively small presence in the United States, their roles in providing cloud services and routing wholesale internet traffic grant them significant access to American data. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has historically been vigilant about the presence of Chinese telecom firms in the US market. In recent years, the FCC has taken substantial actions to curb their operations: In 2019, the FCC denied China Mobile's application to provide telephone services. In 2021 and 2022, the FCC revoked China Telecom and China Unicom's licenses for telephone services. Also in 2021, the New York Stock Exchange delisted the companies above in compliance with Executive Order 13959, which targets investments in companies linked to the Chinese military. In April, the FCC barred these companies from providing broadband services. These actions were influenced by concerns that China Telecom, for instance, had misrouted US internet traffic through China on at least nine occasions, increasing the risk of data being intercepted or manipulated. The FCC has maintained that such operations provide "Chinese government-sponsored actors with openings to disrupt and misroute US data and communications traffic." Read Also : China Warns of Trade War Over EU Tariffs on Electric Vehicles Broader Implications Experts are concerned about Chinese companies controlling key points in the internet's infrastructure. These companies are sophisticated and could potentially exploit this control. They stress how crucial it is for regulators to address all potential risks associated with this situation, as it could have serious implications for national security and law enforcement. The investigation extends to the US cloud services offered by these Chinese firms. Commerce Department officials are particularly concerned about the potential for these companies to access personal information and intellectual property stored in their clouds and provide it to the Chinese government. This is the same concern that prompted US lawmakers to consider banning TikTok. They are concerned that the Chinese government may force ByteDance to hand over data on TikTok's 170 million US users. China Reacts Reuters reports that the Chinese Embassy in Washington has responded to these developments, urging the US to "stop suppressing Chinese companies under false pretexts." They emphasized that China would continue to defend the rights and interests of its companies. This investigation is part of a broader strategy by the US to mitigate risks posed by Chinese technology firms. Aside from strict tech sanctions targeting China's access to advanced chips, the US has recently imposed massive tariffs on more Chinese products, such as electric vehicles. Stay posted here at Tech Times. A recent study conducted by security experts from Stanford University has uncovered a major security concern for users of the Google Chrome Web Store. The researchers have published their findings on the arXiv preprint server, revealing that millions of people are at risk due to malicious extensions available on the Google Chrome Web Store (via TechXplore). Millions of Users At Risk of Accessing Extensions Infected with Malware The study involved a comprehensive analysis of approximately 125,000 extensions that were available on the Chrome Web Store between July 2020 and February 2023. The researchers took two primary approaches: examining data from previous research on security issues with Chrome extensions and analyzing the code of the downloaded extensions for signs of malware and policy violations. One of the most alarming findings from this study is that around 346 million users downloaded what the researchers refer to as security-noteworthy extensions (SNEs). These are extensions that either violate Google Chrome Web Store policy or contain malware or vulnerable code. Of these, 280 million users were affected by extensions that contained malware. The researchers noted that this starkly contrasts with Google's claim that less than 1% of extensions hosted on the Chrome Web Store contain malware, as the company asserts that it vets all extensions before they are made available. Malware-Infected Extensions Pose Serious Risks The study also underlined the lifespan of these extensions. It was found that many extensions do not last long in the store, with about 60% being removed within a year. However, some problematic extensions remain in the store for years, continuing to pose security risks to users. The researchers noted that users seldom report these problematic extensions, contributing to their prolonged presence in the store. A large portion of the extensions analyzed shared similar code, often sourced from public repositories or forums. This code reuse can propagate outdated and vulnerable code across multiple extensions, increasing the risk to users. The study revealed that 60% of the extensions had never been updated, and half of the known vulnerable extensions remained in the store two years after their vulnerabilities were disclosed. Additionally, a third of the extensions used outdated and vulnerable libraries, further exacerbating the security risks. The researchers aimed to raise awareness about these issues to help make the Chrome Web Store more secure. They stressed the need for better maintenance practices for extensions and increased vigilance from both users and the platform itself. As of June 2021, there are around 130,445 Chrome extensions available in the store, catering to an estimated 3.45 billion global users of the Chrome browser. Malware Risk Everywhere In related news, Apple's macOS has recently been targeted by a new data-stealing malware dubbed 'Cuckoo', capable of accessing and extracting sensitive data from various applications. Additionally, a new malware named 'Cuttlefish' has been identified, targeting enterprise-grade and small office/home office (SOHO) routers to steal authentication information and exfiltrate data discreetly. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, has been released from the UK prison after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage law. This plea deal will allow him to return home to Australia. The deal ended Assanges14-year legal battle with the U.S. government and his five-year jail term in a maximum security prison at Belmarsh in the UK while fighting to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face charges. The 52-year-old Australian pleaded guilty to one criminal count to one count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disclose classified reports of the U.S. defense documents, reveals the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He was freed from the Belmarsh prison at 5 pm on Monday and taken to the Stansted Airport where he flew out of the country. Assange will appear in a court in Saipan, a U.S. Pacific territory, at 9 am on Wednesday (23:00 GMT on Tuesday), where he is likely to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served. Following his plea and sentencing, he is expected to return to his home country of Australia once accepted by a judge. Julian is free!!!! his wife, Stella Assange, shared the news on the social media platform X, adding, Words cannot express our immense gratitude to everyone who supported the global push for his release. In a post on X, WikiLeaks said, Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stanstead airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK . JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 WikiLeaks even expressed deep gratitude to its supporters around the world, saying, This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. It added, This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. In April 2010, WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which also included a substantial amount of diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts, as well as a 2007 video of two U.S. Apache helicopters carrying out a series of air-to-ground attacks in Iraq, killing a dozen people. The release was considered by the U.S. government as the largest compromise of classified information in the history of the U.S. military. The indictment against Assange was done during former U.S. President Donald Trumps administration over WikiLeaks extensive disclosure of confidential documents. These documents were originally leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom, WikiLeaks post concluded. Small changes in ocean temperatures are having a very big impact on the melting of ice. Deep beneath the frigid surface of Antarctica, researchers have detected a worrying change. While its long been known that melting ice caps are causing sea levels to rise, researchers have discovered a previously unknown occurrence that could be speeding up the process. The problem could directly impact the 900 million people who live in low-lying coastal cities around the world. So efforts to protect these towns from coastal inundation may need to be rolled out faster than previously thought. Related: Ice shelf half the size of Canberra breaks off from Antarctica How does this 'worrying' new melting occur? The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) found the problem occurs where ice sheets that rest on land meet the sea. These stretches, known as grounding zones, are usually several kilometres long and known to be sensitive to atmospheric and oceanic change. Its here that increasingly warm seawater caused by climate change is accelerating the creation of new cavities in the ice. These holes allow more water to tunnel from the sea into the space between the ice and the ground it rests on. This lubricates the ice bed above and hastens the pace with which it melts back into the sea. A very small change in ocean temperature can cause a very big increase in grounding zone melting, which would lead to a very big change in flow of the ice above it, BAS ice dynamics researcher Alex Bradley said. Warming water is effecting grounding zones across Greenland (pictured) and Antarctica. Source: Getty More worrying changes to Antarctica Sea level rise predictions could be underestimates Changes in this region are responsible for a lot of the water that enters the ocean and causes sea level rises. The BAS says the find illustrates a "new and worrying way" that large ice sheets melt. Bradley is concerned the impact of warming waters on grounding zones in both Antarctica and Greenland have not yet been accounted for in climate modelling by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our projections of sea level rise might be significant underestimates, he warned. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Japan urged to triple renewables capacity by 2035 Tokyo, June 24 (AFP) Jun 24, 2024 Hundreds of multinational corporations on Tuesday urged Japan to triple its capacity to generate renewable power by 2035, as the heavily coal-dependent country updates its energy policy. Dubbed RE100, the group of more than 400 large companies that have committed to work towards using all-renewable electricity includes 87 Japanese firms such as Sony and Panasonic. "By increasing its domestic renewables capacity, Japan can significantly improve its energy security, safeguard its international competitiveness, and increase private investment in more renewables projects," the group said. It called for Japan to use its Strategic Energy Plan -- set to be unveiled later this year -- to triple installed renewables capacity from 121 gigawatts in 2022 to 363 gigawatts before 2035. At the COP28 climate talks in December, nearly 120 nations including Japan pledged to triple the world's renewable energy within seven years -- a global effort in which each country's contribution may vary. Japan, at 22.6 percent, and the United States are the Group of Seven countries with the lowest share of renewables in their current power generation, according to International Energy Agency figures from 2022. The Japanese government is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050 but was reluctant to set a date to phase out coal-fired power plants at this year's G7 climate meeting, where ministers agreed to a goal of the mid-2030s. They also preserved a place for coal power if it is "abated", meaning its emissions are captured or limited by technology -- something panned by many as unproven and a distraction from cutting fossil fuel use. RE100 was founded 10 years ago by the international non-profit Climate Group in partnership with global NGO Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which tracks and rates companies' climate pledges. Ahead of Japan's revised energy strategy, it has set out six policy recommendations to improve "the availability, accessibility, and affordability of renewables in Japan." The world's fourth-largest economy is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, partly because many nuclear reactors remain offline after the 2011 Fukushima meltdown. Death toll from central China floods rises to five Beijing, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 The death toll from mountain floods in central China has risen to five, state media reported Tuesday, as the country braces through a summer of extreme weather. Record rainfall struck hilly Hunan province on Saturday, leading to "severe waterlogging" and sudden deluges, according to state news agency Xinhua. Citing "relevant authorities", state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday that a person missing after inundations in Yuanling county had been found dead, bringing the number of fatalities to five. The toll had stood at four as of Monday afternoon. China has been enduring extreme weather conditions in recent months, from torrential rainfall to searing heat waves. The country is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say drive climate change and make extreme weather events more frequent and intense. Persistent downpours are forecast across a swath of central, eastern and southern China until Thursday, according to the weather office. An extreme heat alert was in place in the capital Beijing on Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). UK police arrest four at PM's property for 'trespassing' London, June 25 (AFP) Jun 25, 2024 British police arrested four people Tuesday on suspicion of trespassing after they entered the grounds of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's property in northern England, police said in a statement. The arrests come during a general election campaign where Sunak is battling to overcome the centre-left Labour Party's large lead in the polls. "We have arrested four people in the grounds of the Prime Minister's constituency home this afternoon," North Yorkshire Police said in a statement. "Our officers were with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds," it added. The suspects, aged between 20 and 52 and from different parts of the country, were brought into police custody for questioning and investigations are ongoing, police said. A video posted on X (formally known as Twitter) by the group Youth Demand shows a young man entering a property and defecating into what it says is a lake on Sunak's property. "We have so much to thank the Tories for," a statement from the group said, from the polluted rivers to "crumbling schools" and "destruction of the NHS." This is not the first time that Sunak's home has been targeted. Last summer, Greenpeace activists covered it in oil-black sheets to protest against the Conservative government's decision to grant new oil and gas licences. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. XPENGs He Xiaopeng predicts 2025 as 'ChatGPT moment' for full autonomous driving XPENGs Chairman He Xiaopeng, after testing Tesla's FSD V12.3.6 and Waymos autonomous driving technology in California, stated that while Waymo performs better in San Francisco, Tesla's FSD excels in Silicon Valley and on expressways. He expressed admiration for FSD's rapid progress and believes 2025 will be the "ChatGPT moment" for full autonomous driving. Photo credit: Weibo@He_Xiaopeng SGMW Baojun Cloud Set for Q3 Launch with Enhanced Features SAIC-GM-Wulings Baojun brand revealed more details about the Yunhai SUV model, highlighting its turning radius of just 5.6 meters. Built on the Tianyu architecture D platform, the vehicle will feature a battery-powered range of 600 km. The model is slated for release in the third quarter of this year. IM Motors so far delivers 4,100 units of IM L6 IM Motors announced on June 25 that the company has delivered 4,100 units of the IM L6 model. Zotye Automobiles subsidiary allies with EEZI Technology to build smart EVs Recently, Jiangnan Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Jiangnan Automobile) and Qingcheng Shidai (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. (EEZI Technology in English) signed a strategic cooperation agreement, according to the official WeChat post of Zotye Automobile. Valeo breaks ground on new intelligent driving-related project in Shanghai On June 24, Valeo Intelligent Transportation Systems Shanghai Co., Ltd. held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new project in Shanghai, reaffirming its commitment to further strengthen its presence in the Chinese market. GAC Group-backed mobility platform ONTIME passes listing hearing on HKEX On June 24, information disclosed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) revealed that GAC Group-backed mobility service platform ONTIME (Chenqi Technology Limited) has passed the Main Board listing hearing. JOYNEXT, Huawei team up to build one-stop service solution for HUAWEI HiCar Recently, JOYNEXT, the automotive intelligence subsidiary of Joyson Electronics, extended its comprehensive cooperation agreement with Huawei Devices BG during the Huawei Developer Conference 2024. NavInfo, Huawei to co-promote global deployment of HMS for Car solution On June 22, at the Huawei Developer Conference 2024 (HDC 2024), NavInfo and Huawei Terminal Cloud Services signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement. This partnership aims to promote the global expansion of Huaweis HMS for Car solution, aiding automotive manufacturers in building a global intelligent in-car ecosystem. Dongfeng Motor's DONGFENG, MHERO, VOYAH brands debut in Netherlands Recently, Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor showcased its DONGFENG, MHERO, and VOYAH brands products in Alkmaar, Netherlands. Simultaneously, the first VOYAH showroom in the Netherlands officially opened in Alkmaar. U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 he would not run for any elective office in the near future. In this file photo Graves tours part of the Comite River Diversion Canal project where stone has been laid down along the canal on June 29, 2023 in Zachary. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Recently, JOYNEXT, the automotive intelligence subsidiary of Joyson Electronics, extended its comprehensive cooperation agreement with Huawei Devices BG during the Huawei Developer Conference 2024. Signing ceremony; photo credit: JOYNEXT Leveraging its global professional team and extensive project experience, JOYNEXTs software subsidiary, NESINEXT, aims to develop a one-stop HUAWEI HiCar service solution. This initiative will provide automakers with software development, language support, and overseas road testing services, enhancing efficiency and supporting the application of the HUAWEI HiCar platform in domestic and overseas markets. During the conference, NESINEXT CEO Lu Haitao delivered a speech, sharing insights into the global solutions based on the HUAWEI HiCar system. NESINEXT utilizes its expertise in cabin software integration and adaptation, supported by a highly flexible professional team, to achieve deep understanding of complex codes and efficient integration of multiple systems (Linux, Android). To date, Joyson Electronics has successfully assisted several international luxury automakers in integrating HUAWEI HiCar in the Chinese market. JOYNEXT operates under Joyson Electronics' intelligent vehicle networking division. Headquartered in China, it has business operations in Germany, Poland, France, the USA, Japan, and other locations, with 8 R&D centers, 3 global manufacturing bases, and 7 customer centers worldwide, employing over 1,600 staff. JOYNEXT has over 20 years of experience as a Tier1 supplier for global automakers, partnering with brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, and NIO. On the other hand, NESINEXT is a dedicated software company that focuses on providing professional and efficient software development tools and services for the global automotive industry. It seems that Qantas and its new chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, have been doing a lot of apologising lately. And so they should, with the latest World Airline Awards showing our national carriers decline from fifth in 2022, to 17th in 2023, to a new low of 24th in the latest results. When an airline descends that rapidly, alarms usually go off: not in the cockpit, in the boardroom. The Skytrax World Airline Awards have been described as the Oscars of the aviation industry. So its not as though Qantas can look at this result and shrug its shoulders. Instead, it should roll up its sleeves. Qantas is currently a shadow of its former self. Credit: Getty Images The bad result is hardly surprising, with the airline flying from one bad news story to the next of late. No need for a passenger manifest of gripes here; a brief summary would include illegally sacking 1700 ground crew during the pandemic and selling seats on non-existent ghost flights. Essentially, it all boiled down to criticism that the airlines arrogant management was more concerned about corporate profits and putting their own interests ahead of customers and staff. Advertisement Tips & adviceThe dish The hidden gems that chef Dan Hong loves to eat at The Sydney celebrity chef goes the extra mile for kitchen inspiration, but he was almost refused entry to one of Australias most revered restaurants. These are the places that light his fire. Jane Rocca June 26, 2024 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 Australian chef Dan Hong returns to TV screens in the SBS series The Streets Hong Kong, visiting Kowloons hidden gems to uncover traditional recipes before returning to the kitchen to recreate them. We wanted to discover old-school places that specialise in certain dishes and explore institutions that have been run for generations, and its been a treasure to access some of these spots, says Hong, the executive chef of Sydney restaurants Mr. Wong, MuMu and Ms. Gs, among others. Dan Hong scoured Hong Kong for time-honoured dishes. SBS Publicity From old tofu factories and wonton noodle ones, to seeing where whole pigs are cooked underground in the last underground charcoal ovens of Hong Kong, I learnt so much and got to put my own twist on what I saw, he says of the series, a sequel to his 2022 project exploring street food around the world. The father of two visits Hong Kong every year for inspiration. I would be lying if I said it wasnt hard to always be innovative in the kitchen, says Hong. I rely on my head chefs and collaborate with them to continue to be creative. Advertisement At the end of the day, its not just one person but the effort of multiple people across all venues who are key in what happens next on the menu. In his latest series, Dan Hong aims to put his own spin on traditional Hong Kong dishes. SBS Publicity Eating in Go-to dish at home At weekends, I like to cook Korean barbecue. I buy quality wagyu beef, lettuce wraps, kimchi and rice and we grill our own meats with a gas cooker on the table the kids love it. Sometimes I make marinated short ribs in salt and pepper seasoning. Advertisement From soy sauce to seaweed: A chefs guide to shopping for Korean ingredients Guilty pleasure A McDonalds breakfast at the airport when I have to catch an early flight is a ritual. I also love frozen party pies for the nostalgia factor, and instant noodles hit the spot, although I dont have them too often any more. Kitchen wisdom It may sound simple, but this is something I learned from chef Tetsuya Wakuda. He told me to taste your food. A lot of home cooks people dont taste every step of the way and this is often the reason meals dont have much flavour. Advertisement Eating out Favourite food city It has to be Tokyo. I have visited seven times already and keep going back for inspiration. No other city compares because the attention to detail they put into every aspect of their life, including food, is phenomenal. Always visit the lower ground floor of a department store to be blown away by the food court. The displays alone are outstanding, from fruits to baked goods. And visit a 7-Eleven for a simple egg sandwich. Itll be the best you will have in your life. Chef Masamichi Amamoto prepares hay-smoked bonito at Tokyo omakase restaurant Higashiazabu Amamoto. Plan Japan Advertisement My tip when eating in Tokyo is to look for restaurants that specialise in one area of cooking from sushi and udon or soba noodles to ramen and cocktails. I highly recommend Higashiazabu Amamoto omakase sushi restaurant. They only have eight seats inside. I have been there three times and its the best sushi in the world. Owner-chef Masamichi Amamoto has won two Michelin stars. I love his hay-smoked bonito he sets the hay on fire in front of you. He is also known for marinated sea urchin with Chinese wine sauce. He is respected because he doesnt have anyone helping him with the dinner. He has two women who pour your sake, but he does everything in the kitchen. I booked via [bespoke travel consultancy] Plan Japan, which organises luxury food tours in Tokyo. You cant book for Japans best restaurants, but this Aussie can get you in The best pizza I have ever eaten was at Pizza Studio Tamaki in Minato, Tokyo. It might sound weird, but people know theres good pizza in Tokyo and youll find some of the best in the world to rival Italy. Tsubasa Tamaki isnt afraid to burn the pizza, but it adds to the flavour and character. Advertisement Chicken skewers are the stars at yakitori restaurant Toriyoshi. Luke Burgess/Hardie Grant Books Toriyoshi is a fantastic yakitori spot in Ginza. You can eat omakase style and tell him when to stop. He cooks every part of the chicken grilled on sticks parts you dont know were even on a chicken, from heart arteries to unborn eggs. I stay at the Conrad Tokyo and frequent areas like Roppongi and Shimbashi, which are very cool. Stir-fried pearl meat at Flower Drum. Simon Schluter Favourite Australian restaurant Advertisement It has to be Flower Drum in Melbourne. When I dine there, I am really inspired. Every meal there is memorable, which has as much to do with the service as what turns up on the plate. The first time I ate at Flower Drum was in 2011 with a friend, Davis, who has been eating there since he was a kid. I rocked up wearing shorts, and they almost didnt let me in. Davis had made the booking and when they knew I was his guest, they said, Thats fine, come in. Phew! I remember eating stir-fried meat from the pearl oyster for the first time the dish was incredible. They also make noodles from barramundi, another stir-fried dish I always order. I also recommend the drunken squab, a small pigeon poached in Chinese wine, which is served cold with jellyfish. Toshihiko Oes Sushi Oe in Cammeray. Supplied Favourite restaurants in Sydney Advertisement I am a big sushi fanatic and my favourite restaurant is Sushi Oe, a six-seat omakase restaurant in Cammeray run by chef Toshihiko Oe. Hes the sushi master and makes between 30 and 35 small dishes of sushi and sashimi and some cooked items, too. I make sure I go there four to five times a year, but its the hardest booking to get in Sydney. He has a sashimi dish called kinmedai, made using a rare white fish, sometimes known as the golden eye snapper. He serves two slices of it raw with salt and fresh wasabi. It may sound super simple, but its something I look forward to every time I visit. The Royal Pavilion in Haymarket is another favourite. It only has private dining rooms, and chef Master Ken specialises in live and dried seafood dishes. He makes a lobster three ways and it must be a minimum weight of three kilos to do three ways. The best way to dine here is with a group of six or more order the imperial lobster. Imperial lobster (lobster three ways) at Royal Pavilion in Haymarket. Supplied Youll also find me at the Sussex Street Food Court in Chinatown. I love going to Happy Chef, where youll find some of the best noodle soups in Sydney. They serve everything from seafood noodle soups to laksa. Advertisement I like to order a burger and drink a glass of burgundy at Rockpool Bar and Grill. This is a favourite spot for birthday parties I have celebrated here and at Sushi Oe for the past seven years. Yakikamis grilled skewers are impressive, says Dan Hong. Kate Pascoe Favourite restaurants in Melbourne A hidden gem and recent discovery in Melbourne is Chaozhou Malaya Bistro Cafe in Balwyn North. Its run by two women, who make the most exciting Chaozhou dishes. The Chinese restaurant Chopstick Delight in Mulgrave arguably has the best duck in Melbourne. Advertisement The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox. Sign up The City of Sydney council will consider scrapping its contracts with companies linked to Israel, including a printing agreement with Hewlett Packard, after Lord Mayor Clover Moore supported a renewed push from the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Moore and her independent team backed a Greens motion on Monday night calling for the states wealthiest council to audit divestments that had or could be made to ensure it did not invest in or profit from human rights violations, including the illegal occupation of the settlements in Palestinian territories, and the supply of weapons. Now more than ever, we must use our voices to call for peace: Lord Mayor Clover Moore. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer This should include both investments and supplier contracts, the motion stipulated, and explicitly sought to review financial arrangements with companies that might be involved in human rights abuses in Palestine. It did not commit the council to any immediate boycott or divestment. Further action arising from that report due within three months would be at the discretion of councillors. For a group of parliamentarians affectionately known as the Facebook uncle caucus owing to their stentorian views on vaccines, gender pronouns, nu-cu-lar power and those dang pesky Greens Tuesday seemed like a visit from the king. The royalty in question was Tucker Carlson, the former Trumpian star of Fox News (before he defected to, um, streaming content on social media platform X). The Tuck had stopped off in Canberra in the midst of his Australian tour bankrolled by billionaire mining magnate and part-time political agitator Clive Palmer. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson hit Canberra this week. Credit: AP Thus far, Carlsons Freedom Tour has been a bit of a flop. With Palmer and friends struggling to get bums on seats, some tickets were slashed to as cheap as $50. And big Clive himself was stricken with laryngitis and unable to join in the fun at Mondays event in Perth. The United Australia Party moneybags was again too ill to attend Carlsons sold-out lunchtime event at Canberras Hyatt Hotel, a stones throw from Parliament House. Instead, his $110 million Victorian senator Ralph Babet had the honour of introducing Carlson. Teachers are threatening to rip up their memberships of the powerful education union after it opposed the Victorian governments mandated shift to structured phonics in public schools. The Australian Education Unions (AEU) fiery statement this month attacking the roll-out of synthetic phonics to teach reading to all prep to grade 2 students was described by one classroom professional as scandalous and outrageous. The Australian Education Union president Meredith Peace. The union accused Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll of lacking respect for the profession and of not understanding the current curriculum and pedagogy. The main complaint from the AEU, which represents more than 50,000 teachers, principals and support staff across the state, is that the government failed to consult the profession before its big announcement this month. Among those critical of the AEU contacted by The Age was primary school teacher Brad Nguyen, who said the AEU itself was guilty of not consulting its own membership on the hot-button phonics issue. Two international farmworkers have died and nine others were injured when a minibus rolled over and crashed into a tree near Mildura. Victoria Police said the bus was travelling south along the Calder Highway on Tuesday morning when it crashed at Carwarp, about 36 kilometres south of Mildura. The crash scene on the Calder Highway on Tuesday. Credit: Nine News Sadly, two passengers died at the scene, police said in a statement. Two others the male driver and a passenger suffered life-threatening injuries. The passenger was flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, arriving in a critical condition shortly before midday. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On June 24, Valeo Intelligent Transportation Systems Shanghai Co., Ltd. held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new project in Shanghai, reaffirming its commitment to further strengthen its presence in the Chinese market. Photo credit: Valeo The project is set to focus on the R&D and production of intelligent driving cameras, LiDAR, domain controllers, and more, providing vital support for Valeo's deeper expansion into Chinas intelligent driving field. With a broad product portfolio in the intelligent technology domain, Valeo offers ultrasonic sensors, cameras, millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, and related sensor cleaning systems, next-generation domain controllers, integrated artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm software, meeting multifaceted development needs in intelligent driving and smart cabins. According to Marc Vrecko, CEO of Valeo Brain Division and Group Executive Vice President, approximately one in every three new vehicles globally is equipped with Valeo's advanced driving assistance technologies and products. The establishment of this new factory is expected to leverage the advantages of Shanghai and surrounding areas' automotive industries, further driving innovation and development of smart traffic systems. In recent years, with the rapid development of intelligent driving, Valeo has continuously deepened its layout in the Chinese market. In 2022, Valeo established the Innovation and Mobility Center in Beijing, focusing on exploring smart mobility solutions. In 2023, Valeo successively unveiled the third phase of its Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems R&D Center in Wuhan and the Shanghai R&D Center. In April of this year, Valeo officially launched the Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems Vehicle Testing Base in Jingzhou, further strengthening its local manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the intelligent driving field. Valeo currently has 35 factories, 14 R&D centers, and over 18,000 employees in China, including over 4,500 R&D personnel. In 2023, Valeo's total sales in China reached 30 billion yuan, accounting for 17% of the group's total sales. Global fast fashion brand Shein has managed to revive its planned three-day pop-up store in Perth just weeks after it was scrapped by a northern suburbs shopping centre. The ultra-cheap online retailer announced the Shein Air pop-up would now take place at the Claremont Showgrounds from July 5, complete with a live DJ, beauty bar, photo booth and promotional giveaways. At its peak, the e-commerce company Shein was valued at $US100 billion. Credit: Bloomberg More than 2500 bargain hunters have already registered their interest online, with the temporary store marking the fashion and lifestyle retailers first physical shopfront in WA. Earlier this month, WAtoday revealed Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre had scrapped the event slated for June 21 less than a fortnight after it was announced. Normally, when someone lending support to a fascist leader or a potentially genocidal war announces a visit to Australia, we see a public outcry and calls to deny them a visa. This happened when historian David Irving was refused a visa three times between 1993 and 2003 thanks to his theories denying the Holocaust. The same occurred in 2019 with conspiracy theorist David Icke and far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos. Tucker Carlson and Clive Palmer hold a press conference at one of Palmers homes in Brisbane. Credit: Glenn Hunt So you would think there might have been more scrutiny when right-wing American media personality Tucker Carlson announced he would be visiting Australia. Undertaking a nationwide speaking tour called the Australian Freedom Conference, which is sponsored by mining magnate Clive Palmer, Carlson who was once a top-rating Fox News anchor well known for promoting conspiracy theories relating to the US 2020 election touched down in Australia last week. Palmers Senator Ralph Babet also planned a reception for Carlson at Parliament House on Tuesday, but the event was abandoned after TV camera crews arrived and appeared to spook organisers. This is the biggest press freedom case of this generation. Yet those who tout themselves as the biggest proponents of press freedom notably the US government were behind the assault on Julians freedom. Credit: Matt Golding The campaign to save Julian, running over a decade and a half, has included a surprisingly wide spread of grassroots campaigners around the world, as well as a plurality across the media, civil society and politicians of all persuasions from Australia, the US, Europe and Latin America. Despite the darkness of his experience, there are many great successes here most of all in the way that people across the world stepped forward to fight for the freedom of an Australian publisher and journalist. Grassroots activism really matters people worked worldwide for Julians freedom on different levels of influence, with some acting in public and others behind the scenes. The activism came from groups of doctors, lawyers, politicians, philanthropists, artists, organisers people contributed what they could, and did so generously. People signed petitions, organised town hall events, held public debates, made films, created art, projected banners on public buildings, designed billboards (and drove them around the country on trucks), wrote books, reported on his case, gave legal and safety advice, built computer software, painted astonishing street art the list goes on. This was a victory for hundreds of millions made by tens of thousands. In more than 25 years of civil society work, Ive never seen anything like it. Also extraordinary has been the parliamentarians from opposing ends of the political spectrum who have gone, hand in hand, to Washington, DC to fight Julians corner. That includes sincere efforts by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as many crossbenchers and members of the major parties. Its not often that such a broad range of politicians work together for one goal. The take-home message is inspiring: being active in the causes that matter can right a wrong. Its a message Julian has long subscribed to. Julian has become an enormous symbol of oppressed journalism; many institutions let him down along the way, as did some journalists, who should have known better. Their sniping and lazy re-circulation of lies is now a matter of public record for the world to judge. It may have taken more than a decade, but as Julian used to say when editing WikiLeaks, truth will out. Julian has revolutionised journalism, using technology to force change. He has created or mainstreamed so many changes that are now regular practice: the anonymous, encrypted dropbox to protect whistleblowers going to the media, the move towards collaborative publishing where investigative journalists from dozens of media outlets work together on analysing a large dataset, and the publication of original source documents to verify what the journalist has written is true. Perhaps of equal importance, Julian has led the charge to mainstream whistleblowing. Once universally despised as dibber-dobbers and rats, they now have a place in our society, and in our laws, particularly in fighting corruption. Theres still a way to go; Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus (no relation), now is the moment to stop punishing ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle and Defence whistleblower David McBride. Also, theres embarrassingly little thats been actioned from the courageous Brereton report into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Loading The Biden White House has been smart to settle the US governments case against Julian. You cant go around the world claiming to be the greatest champion of free speech when youre simultaneously trying to lock up a publisher and journalist for doing their job. What Julian published on WikiLeaks might have been embarrassing to governments, but there is no dispute as to its accuracy. The US has held on to a single face-saving charge, which Julian will plead to in the Northern Mariana Islands this week. Its a novel outcome a US district court on a tropical island is to host a guilty plea from an Australian digital publisher for things he did in the name of investigative journalism and free speech some 15 years earlier. The campaign to free Julian Assange has reached a dramatic final moment that will divide opinion just as much as every other phase in his remarkable life. In a twist worthy of a thriller, the WikiLeaks founder is likely to emerge from a courtroom on a remote Pacific island to be flown to Australia and welcomed by political leaders who have campaigned for years to gain his freedom. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange Credit: SMH/Age To some, however, he will remain an enemy of the United States, no matter what happens in the Saipan court in the Northern Mariana Islands. To them, the plea deal to secure his release is a capitulation after a long effort to put him in prison for life. Some may gloss over the disputes about Assange when he is welcomed home, but the deep division helps explain why it has taken so long for Australia to exert maximum pressure to gain his release. Pill testing will be permanent in Victoria, with an 18-month trial to determine the best model to introduce the drug reform that Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt says is already backed by evidence. A mobile site will visit up to 10 festivals across two summers from this December, and a fixed site within a party district in Melbourne will open from mid-next year. The location and specific events were yet to be determined. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt (left) in April. Credit: Justin McManus This wont be a trial about the efficacy of drug checking because the evidence is already in, Stitt said. The model is what we want to trial and I certainly wouldnt want to pre-empt the evaluation of the model. The 18-month trial would cost about $4 million, Stitt said. The Suburban Rail Loop is a transport project like no other in Victorias history. And its not just its enormous cost the bill for the first stage could reach $34.5 billion that is unprecedented. The project is also triggering a development boom. The state Labor government hopes to by 2056 cram twice as many residents as there are now and jobs into a 1.6-kilometre radius around each of the six new stations earmarked for the first stage: Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill. Box Hills evolving skyline, seen from Whitehorse Road in February last year. Credit: Scott McNaughton To reach that target, residential towers of up to 25 storeys will be allowed above most stations, while in Box Hill, a 50-storey tower has already been given the green light. The building spree is being expedited by the governments Development Facilitation Program, which fast-tracks projects by bypassing the usual council planning hurdles. All up, the new high-rise towers are expected to deliver more than 70,000 homes to cater for Melbournes booming population, which is expected to hit 6.45 million by 2034 an increase of more than 1 million on todays population. Thats a lot of people to manage in a city where much of the health, education and transport infrastructure is already under pressure. New York: Just days after the body of Fahim Saleh, a successful tech entrepreneur, was found dismembered in his luxury condominium in Manhattan in July 2020, his former personal assistant, Tyrese Haspil, made a series of unsettling web searches. Fahim Saleh. Murder of tech C.E.O. in New York. Dismembered body. Tyrese Haspil, 21, is escorted out of the 7th precinct by NYPD detectives on July 17, 2020. Credit: AP The search queries were just some of the chilling details that emerged during Haspils murder trial this month in Manhattan Criminal Court. And on Monday jurors convicted him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Saleh and then killing him and cutting up his body in an effort to conceal what he had done. Haspil, 25 is expected to be sentenced on September 10. Washington: Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off this week for one of the most consequential events of the campaign so far: the first presidential debate. Its been four years since the pair last shared a debate stage, and polls suggest they are virtually tied as they edge towards an election rematch in November. With so much at stake, Fridays debate (AEST) offers a crucial chance for both candidates to make their case for another four years in the White House. Here are five things you should know: Donald Trump and Joe Biden will appear in two presidential debates before Novembers poll. Credit: Marija Ercegovac This debate will be unlike any other in history Never before has a debate been held this early in an election year, and never before has it involved a sitting president and a former president. Fridays event is also the first time since the inaugural presidential debate in 1960, when John F Kennedy went head-to-head with Richard Nixon, that there will not be an audience. Instead, the 90-minute verbal sparring match will take place at CNNs studios in Atlanta at 9pm on Thursday (11am Friday, AEST), moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Recently, Jiangnan Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Jiangnan Automobile) and Qingcheng Shidai (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. (EEZI Technology in English) signed a strategic cooperation agreement, according to the official WeChat post of Zotye Automobile. The two companies will leverage their respective strengths to engage in "multi-dimensional" strategic cooperation in areas such as new energy vehicle (NEV) product development, vehicle intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, intelligent manufacturing, and domestic and overseas marketing and services. Jiangnan Automobile, a technology-driven smart electric vehicle brand under Zotye Automobile, boasts comprehensive independent R&D capabilities for smart electric vehicles. It focuses on creating sophisticated, tech-savvy pure electric models tailored to the needs of young consumers. EEZI Technology, an intelligent mobility ecosystem hardware and software solutions provider, focuses on smart cockpit, intelligent driving, software ecosystem, and user operations, offering full-chain design, development, and operational capabilities. Through this collaboration, both parties will jointly develop and adapt intelligent NEVs throughout their entire lifecycle, delivering smarter and more cost-effective products. Photo credit: Zotye Automobile The first jointly developed model, the Jiangnan U2, is an all-electric smart car built on the J-Smart 1.0 electric platform. It features the J-Pilot 1.0 intelligent driving assistance system, cross-terminal intelligent connectivity, diverse application ecosystems, customizable smart PAD interfaces, full-duplex voice interaction, and a separation mode for the car and PAD. Jiangnan Automobile plans to release additional models, including the U3, U5, and U6, forming a complete product lineup. bestmanufacturer2024 In some dark and stupid corners of the internet, you will find people calling Toyota an outdated legacy car maker, daft in being slow to full electrification, foolish to pursue hydrogen avenues and having left its best days behind it. (Now check out my Tesla referral code!) It wont come as a surprise to the sensible, though, that Toyota at the start of May recorded full-year operating profits of 5.35 trillion (26 billion) the first time ever that a Japanese company had banked more than 5tn. In 2023, it sold more than 10 million cars worldwide for the first time. Couldnt we all do with a crisis like that? ADVERTISEMENT In truth, harder times are ahead. Chinese car makers operating in core sectors will threaten every mass-market car maker, with no exceptions. But while we wonder how some will survive the onslaught, Toyota has several key things on its side. For one, theres the reputation of its vehicles for exceptional durability and reliability, hard-earned over decades of making cars that people simply expect to last and last well. It isnt a coincidence that its market share is huge in some of the worlds most remote markets. And closer to home, its not a surprise that you will find its cars used so extensively by private hire drivers. Second, while Toyota might be behind the curve on introducing fully electrified cars, its proven hybrid powertrains offer great efficiency in everyday driving. But where we think Toyota has an edge over perhaps any other mass-market brand when it comes to surviving and thriving in an increasingly difficult, increasingly crowded global market is in that its a company run from the top down by people who understand and love cars and driving. Last year, Akio Toyoda stepped down as CEO to become chairman and let someone younger guide the company, but under Koji Sato Toyota has shown no indication that it will let up in making cars that car people want to buy and, crucially, drive. Toyota engineers admit that without enthusiastic leadership, it wouldnt be able to make cars like the GR Yaris, GR86 and GR Supra. At virtually all points in the car market, from the most affordable supermini to the most rugged 4x4, Toyota competes and thats what makes it our best manufacturer for 2024. ]]> Read the full story on The Auto Wire Honda Civic Smokes Arkansas Trooper We didnt think wed be covering a Honda Civic smoking Arkansas State Police anytime soon, but then again weve seen a Toyota Camry do it so we guess it was only a matter of time. While many believe a Civic isnt capable of such things, we contend that the car is only part of the equation in any race and thats what a police chase is, after all. Toyota Camry tries teaching Arkansas State Police a lesson. Really, the driver is far more important. Weve seen guys with Scat Packs and Hellcats absolutely fail at running from cops even though their muscle car is far superior to anything pursuing them. So when this Honda driver changes lanes on the highway to start tailgating an Arkansas trooper, well you know the guy is either dumb or looking to teach a cop a lesson. ADVERTISEMENT We jump into the dashcam footage after the tailgating when the trooper pulls onto the shoulder to let the Civic pass. When it does, the trooper notes its bearing an unreadable paper tag thats the first sign this suspect knows what it takes to get away. As the trooper tails the little car, we bet he was thinking if the guy were to run he would be super easy to catch. Thats a fair assumption, one we would probably make ourselves. But you never know what someone has going on under the hood of their ride. Maybe everyone can speculate if this Honda is modified or not and what mods it might be running. At first, the suspect drives normally, even for a bit after the trooper lights him up. Then the guy pushes his little four-banger to over 100 mph. Before the trooper and get into position to PIT, the guy strafes suddenly, cutting across the gore point to take an exit ramp. The trooper follows, but the suspect shoots the gap between two lanes of traffic at a stop light and gets back on the highway. The trooper has to wait for traffic to part for him before giving chase. By that point the suspect has a commanding lead. Pretty soon, the trooper is just chasing ghosts. You can hear him at the end when he shuts off his lights and sirens sigh loudly. Story continues Yep, he got smoked by a Honda Civic. Image via LRHNCash/YouTube Follow The Auto Wire on Google News. Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. The Antiquary returns with new expressions and new look Tomatin has announced a trio of new expressions from its blended Scotch whisky brand the Antiquary. The new whiskies, produced by Tomatin, have been made with malt whiskies from Highland and Speyside distilleries and grain whisky from the Lowlands. They have been launched with a redesigned bottle, which takes cues from antique Victorian and Edwardian glassware, and new-look packaging. The new trio comprises: The Antiquary 15 Years Old (45), which has been married in Bordeaux claret red wine casks before bottling; The Antiquary 21 Years Old (100), which has used tawny port casks from Symington Family Estates in Portugal; and The Antiquary 30 Years Old (275), which was married for more than three years in sherry casks sourced from Jerez. The trio is the result of an extensive research project by Tomatin's global brand ambassador and blender Scott Adamson to uncover details of the Antiquary's heritage and the historical techniques that its founder, J & W Hardie, used to produce it. Adamson said: Although Tomatin is a modest producer in todays terms, it was once the biggest distillery in the world, and we are very fortunate to have a vast collection of incredibly high-quality whiskies from around Scotland. This provided us with a fantastic arsenal to work with when it came to the creation of these three new releases for this important milestone in the Antiquarys history. J & W Hardie were passionate about working with the finest whiskies and understood the complexity of cask maturation, all with intricate attention to detail. Our work has been inspired by these traits but looking at it through a new lens to appeal to self-expressionists inspired by history. The blends have enjoyed unusually long marriages, using casks that bring plenty of character to this exciting new era for The Antiquary. We know how much the whisky landscape is changing and, with the steady revival of blends, it feels like the ideal time to give the Antiquary brand a new lease of life, said Derek Scott, marketing director at Tomatin. Scott and the team have developed an exciting premium range to bring to market, which is enhanced by the distinct and bold packaging design that appeals to todays consumers. The Antiquary will be available through specialist retailers and the distillery website. More details can be found at tomatin.com/the-antiquary 25 June 2024 - Bethany Brown Aldi Scotland collaborates with Fierce & Friends for beer range Aldi Scotland has linked up with Aberdeen-based brewery Fierce Beer to release six beers. The Fierce & Friends range is the product of a collaboration between Firece and six craft breweries from the UK. The beers will be brewed exclusively for Aldi Scotland, all made at Fierces brewery in partnership with each collaborator. Graham Nicolson, regional managing director, Aldi Scotland, said: Im proud of the strong partnership weve built with Fierce Beer over the years and looking back on when we first championed them in our annual Scottish Beer Festival eight years ago, this years collaboration feels like a celebration of our relationship and their growing success. The Scottish Beer Festival gives customers the opportunity to sample locally produced, top-quality brews at everyday prices and Im certain shoppers will enjoy the range of exciting products on offer. The new range includes three beers with Scottish breweries and three with English producers: Session Pale Ale with William Bros, Alloa Belgian Witbier, Cromarty Brewing Co, Cromarty American IPA, Stewart Brewing, Midlothian Guava Sour, Brew York, York German Chocolate Cake Stout, Neon Raptor, Nottingham Double IPA, Northern Monk, Leeds Craig Cargill, sales manager of Fierce Beer, said: Its been incredible to build on the success of the past few Beer Festivals and bring together a brand new range of beers that have been curated, designed, and brewed alongside some of our best friends in the industry! This entire project has been testament to the support Aldi and their customers have given us over the years, so were really excited to share these beers with everyone. The Fierce & Friends range will be available in all Scottish Aldi stores from 27 June. 25 June 2024 - Lucy Schofield outstandingleader2024 Few guardianships of brands have been as successful as that of Mini under BMW. We say guardianship because it is so much more than ownership, given Minis unique place in British culture, the wealth of personal stories involving its cars and, as a result, the emotional investment that people place in the brand and its development. The person tasked with directing this guardianship recently is Stefanie Wurst, who took over as head of the Mini brand in early 2022, having previously led the BMW Group in the Netherlands. She joined at a time when the marque was heading towards something of an identity crisis. In the words of BMW board member Jochen Goller, Mini had become a little bit too generic. ADVERTISEMENT The standard hatchbacks proportions looked bloated and the brand was portraying itself with a more serious tone. Its iconic Oxford plant was also in need of investment if it was to be able to go fully electric. Wurst, our Outstanding Leader for 2024, has tackled all of these in short order and achieved a remarkable amount at the brand in a very brief space of time. The new Cooper, Aceman and Countryman models largely developed before her arrival but launched under her leadership sit much more comfortably together in size and shape than any previous Mini range and the Cooper is far more compact-looking than its predecessor. Wurst has secured the future of the Oxford site: a 600 million investment from BMW means it will go fully electric. She says shes had 40-year Oxford veterans tell her the employee meetings shes regularly hosted there are the best they have ever seen. Simply, she gets the brand, its people, the cars and what it needs to succeed. But then cars are in Wursts blood. Growing up in Munich, her dad was a BMW engineer, including for the Formula 1 team, her uncle was a racing driver and her grandfather was a car dealer. Some of her earliest memories are of being at the Nurburgring as a five-year-old and later spotting her dad on TV at F1 races. So I had lots of inspiration from cars, she says. They were a very important topic. Story continues The automotive industry is actually Wursts second successful career, though, after one in advertising. She rose through the ranks of Scholz & Friends to become a partner at its Berlin office (I found a new interpretation of German humour, innovation and creativity in Berlin at the time), where her biggest client was Mercedes-Benz. She says: I thought Id achieved all I wanted to in advertising and I was open to other options. I was pretty sure I didnt want to go into, say, the cheese business or banking or insurance. The automotive industry is simply what interested me the most. I think everything that happens in society and politics in Germany is somehow reflected in our industry. Besides that, I find the products attractive, complex and really interesting, so the industry also reflects where technology standards are at any point in time. Wurst chose an opportunity at BMW over one at another car maker, starting out as head of marketing for the BMW Group in Germany, then CEO of its Netherlands operations and ultimately the top job at Mini. She had always admired Mini and believes it has found success because it is a democratic brand. You dont have to prove anything or show status, as Mini is an effort not to show class. Its about expressing an attitude to life rather than your social status. Mini buyers dont buy a car to go from A to B: they like the product and have a relation to it. One of the first things she did on becoming head of Mini was to make John Coopers grandson, Charlie Cooper, a brand ambassador and an integral part of the team. Wurst says: Im experiencing the brands history as a family history as well. It gives a smaller brand meaning as its a family business as well, so I see it as a continuation. I create my own reference points even though I wasnt there, by listening to Charlie and how he talks about his grandad. Everyone has an opinion about the Mini brand and it is more often about what a car wearing the Mini badge shouldnt be. The new Mini family being launched under Wurst includes its largest model yet, the 4433mm-long Countryman. She says: I was with our designer Oliver Heilmer and I think it is even harder to be a designer. Youre getting rave reviews or people think its crap, not within the brand DNA whatsoever. Youre getting the unfiltered comments. Everyone has an opinion but thats true internally too. At BMW Group internally, were quite happy with what we see. Shes comfortable with the size of the new Countryman a car she uses herself as a daily driver and everyone seems to have a place where they think it fits well in their environment in all the countries in which she has shown it so far. Wurst is obviously fond of Oxford and enjoys visiting the factory. I find it a very emotional place because people clearly feel very emotional about working there, she says. Its a tradition for the brand as well and I want to honour that and make people feel how important it is to me. On the decision to secure the investment in its future, Wurst says it was not difficult to convince BMW bosses to do so. I dont know any board member that doesnt find it important and many of them have worked in the UK. In her daily work, Wurst likes being with people who not only ask the right questions but then really work to find the right answers. You need people who are highly intelligent but also down to earth. To that end, she believes inconvenient people make a good team and while I can be bossy, this is not my preferred leadership style: that is sitting around a table, discussing and a solution naturally comes up. Much of Wursts time has been spent launching products to dealers and the likes of Autocar and this conversation with her took place at the Beijing motor show, the day after she unveiled the new Aceman hatchback to the world at an event with around 800 largely Chinese media, dealers and investors setting the brand up for what is the fourth-generation Mini range created under BMW. Setting up the brand will be Wursts final act for Mini. A few days after our chat, it was announced that she will be leaving the brand at the end of July, to be succeeded by BMWs current corporate strategy boss, Stefan Richmann. Wurst will stay within the BMW Group, moving onto even bigger and better things, and our desire to give her this award is unwavering off the back of her remarkable achievements during her time at Mini. Wursts own guardianship of Mini may have been short-lived, but her impact on the brands 65-year history will be felt for many years to come. ]]> Big charge by Cong against Amarwara by-poll candidate Shah Staff Reporter Media Cell incharge of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Mukesh Nayak interacting with the press slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kamlesh Shah who is contesting from Amarwara legislative constituency in the July 10 by-poll. Nayak alleged that the candidate is involved in serious malpractices of developing an illegal colony in a place registered as an agricultural land and the administration has also turned a blind eye towards the issue inspite of being aware of everything. He emphasised, A case is also going on in the court over the issue where the wife of candidate, Madhvi Shah is on bail. As per the rules, the police need to present a challan within 90 days but allegedly they have been under pressure and no challan has been presented by the police over the matter. Nayak alleged, BJP leader created pressure on the Kamlesh Shah and forced him to join the party. While his tenure as a Member Of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Kamlesh Shah took full benefit of the post and allegedly engaged in malpractices. In the Harai village of Amarwara, he sold his land on a stamp paper of Rs 100 and no attempts were made for the registry of the land. Plots were allocated in around 10 acres of land. Moreover, in this illegal colony, several works were initiated with the support of local administration revealing a scandal of crores. Interestingly, the land is registered as agricultural land in the files of the Land Revenue Department but in reality, 500 illegal homes have been constructed at the place, Nayak alleged. He further added that Shah and his wife have taken inappropriate benefit of their post and through planting did several works of road, sewage, light and others which is a direct case of corruption. The complaint regarding the same was filed by a resident of the area, Manish Kumar Sahu, in the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) and despite of having proper proofs no action has been taken, he claimed. Nayak said that in the year 2016 and 2017, when the wife of Shah was the chairperson of the municipal body, she was indulged in a scandal worth crores and currently is on bail. They did plotting of 1,000 plots and have taken huge amount of money from the buyers. They were able to sell the plots easily since the money of the municipal body was also involved in the alleged project and there are proofs available for everything about the whereabouts of the plots purchased by every buyer. The administration should ensure proper action against the same and a proper challan should be presented in the court in this regard and the money which has been extorted from the municipal body should be also recovered, he demanded. Leaders and office-bearers of the party also accompanied the media chief during the press conference. Book accused of atrociticies on Gauvansh under NSA, demands VHP Staff Reporter Atrocity on Gauvansh will no longer be tolerated in the State. Strict laws should be made to book the accused of Gauvansh atrocity and book them under National Security Act (NSA) while the Government should provide State-wide toll free number for lodging complaint against Gauvansh atrocity, said Umesh Mishra, Regional Organisation Secretary, Mahakaushal Prant, Vishwa Hindu Parishad while addressing a press conference, on Monday. Regional Secretary, Verma informed that Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and entire Hindu community had strongly registered their protest against brutal killing of dozens of cattle in Seoni district and conducted Seoni Bandh. Taking cognisance over the issue, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav had immediately transferred the District Collector and Superintendent of Police in Seoni district. He raised demand towards the State Government for issuing a toll free number for receiving complaints against atrocity on Gauvansh and strict checking of vehicles at toll plazas and providing information of law pertaining to Gauvansh killing at toll plaza, immediate seizure of vehicles engaged in illegal Gauvansh trafficking, closing all the illegal butcher houses and cattle markets etc. VHP, Regional Organisation Secretary also raised demand towards State Government for establishing Cow Sanctuary and removing encroachments from grazing lands. CBI takes over 5 cases of malpractices in NEET-UG from Bihar, Guj, Raj NEW DELHI, THE CBI has taken over the investigation of five new cases of alleged malpractices in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG that were being probed by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, officials said on Monday. They said the central agency has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR, while it is also likely to take up another case from Maharashtras Latur. Barring the case from Bihar, the other four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials, invigilators and candidates, the officials said. The CBI has already registered its own FIR in connection with the case on a reference from the Union Education Ministry to conduct a comprehensive probe, they said. After taking over these new cases, the CBI is now probing a total of six cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, the officials said. NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. The examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the test. The first CBI FIR was registered on Sunday, a day after the ministry announced it would hand over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam to the central agency, a demand raised by a section of students protesting in several cities. The Ministry of education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen, a CBI spokesperson said earlier. CM flies to New Delhi Cabinet expansion expected in State Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Amid speculation about a Cabinet expansion in the Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai left Raipur for New Delhi on a late-night flight on Monday. Upon his arrival in the National Capital, Chief Minister Sai stayed overnight at Chhattisgarh Sadan in New Delhi. According to official sources, Chief Minister Sai is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament House on Tuesday. The discussions with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister will focus on the expansion of his Cabinet. Two new ministers are expected to be inducted into the Cabinet of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sais BJP Government in Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister will finalise the names of these two Cabinet ministers after consulting with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. Currently, the BJP Government in the State comprises 10 Cabinet ministers and the Chief Minister. The maximum number of Cabinet Ministers allowed, including the Chief Minister, is 13. With the recent resignation of Brijmohan Agrawal from his ministerial post, there is now room for the induction of two additional Cabinet ministers. Several MLAs are considered frontrunners for these cabinet positions, including Bilha MLA Dharamlal Kaushik, Bilaspur MLA Amar Agrawal, Durg Town MLA Gajendra Yadav, Kurud MLA Ajay Chandrakar, Raipur North MLA Purandar Mishra, and Kondagaon MLA Lata Usendi. A BJP leader mentioned that the swearing-in ceremony for the two new Cabinet ministers might take place before the monsoon session, which is expected to commence on July 22. In the interim, Chief Minister Sai is handling the departments previously overseen by Brijmohan Agrawal. Political sources also suggest that there could be opportunities for some new faces to join the cabinet in the Sai Government. The government will need to appoint members to various boards and corporations which is pending. This process will occur only after the full cabinet is constituted and those not getting a place in the cabinet may look for opportunities in the boards and corporations. But all the previous governments had delayed appointments to these positions in the past may be to lessen financial burden on the government. I.N.D.I.A. blocs show of strength in Parliament,Raises call to save Constitution NEW DELHI : I.N.D.I.A. bloc MPs gathered in the Parliament complex on Monday in a show of strength on the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, holding copies of the Constitution and raising slogans on saving democracy. Opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMKs TR Baalu, among others assembled at the spot where the Gandhi statue once stood in the Parliament complex. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi also joined the MPs. Holding copies of the Constitution in their hands, they raised slogans such as long live Constitution, we will save Constitution, save our democracy. Rahul Gandhi said they would not allow the Constitution to beattacked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. This attack is not acceptable to us and that is why we held the Constitution and took oath, he said. Our message is reaching the public and no power can touch the Constitution of India and we will protect it, Gandhi added. Congress leader KC Venugopal said the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders entered the 18th Lok Sabha with Mahatma Gandhis blessings. The I.N.D.I.A. alliance enters the 18th Lok Sabha with Bapus blessings and with a fresh resolve to give voice to peoples issues, challenges, hopes and aspirations in Parliament and keep the Government in check every single minute, he said in a post on X. NDA LEADERS SLAM OPPOSITION MPS FOR SAVE CONSTITUTION MARCH TO LOK SABHA: THE NDA leaders criticised the Opposition MPs for taking out save Constitution march to Lok Sabha on Monday, saying they should now consider how to take the country on the path of progress ending political matters as the elections are over. This came after the Oppositions I.N.D.I.A. bloc MPs gathered in the Parliament complex and, in a show of strength, marched to Lok Sabha together on the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha raising slogans tosave Constitution. It was not right to do such politics, make such comments and create such an atmosphere on a day when everyone (newly-elected MPs) would like to take oath in a good atmosphere, TDP MP and Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu told PTI when asked to comment In death, Ramchandra Jampalwar gives new lease of life to three Staff Reporter Four years ago Ramchandra Jampalwar, 56-year-old man of Chandrapur district, met with an accident. Fortunately, he survived the accident. Recently, he again met with an accident as a four-wheeler hit him as he was travelling on a two-wheeler. This time luck did not favour him and he was declared brain-dead. But in death, he gave new lease of life to three persons. Ramchandra Jampalwar, a 56-year old was running a salon. He had a small family of wife Vimal (46), truck driver son Rajkumar (27) and Mahadev (25) also in salon profession. After an accident, Ramchandra was brought to the Government Hospital at Rajrua. His health got deteriorated so he was admitted to Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH), Wardha. After a treatment for a day, a team of doctors including Dr Chandrashekhar Mahakalkar, Dr Tushar Patil, Dr Amol Andhale and Dr Shrinivas K conducted complete investigation and declared him brain dead. The coordinator at AVBRH explained to the family and counseled them for organ donation. The family gave consent to donate the organs--kidneys, liver. The hospital informed Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre about the consent of organ donation. The ZTCC President Dr Sanjay Kolte, Secretary Dr Rahul Saxena and Coordinator Dinesh Mandpe swung into action. The committee allotted the organs as per waiting list. The liver was given to a 60-year old man at Max Care Hospital. First kidney was allotted to a 31-year old man at AVBRH, Wardha and second to 31-year old man at Wockhardt Hospital. India, Pakistan delegations reach J&Kto inspect Indus Water Treaty projects JAMMU : DELEGATIONS from India and Pakistan on Monday flew to Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district with neutral experts and began inspection of two power projects under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), officials said. About 40 people reached Jammu Sunday evening and flew to Kishtwar this morning for inspection of various underconstruction power projects in the Chenab valley region, the officials said. This is the first visit by a Pakistani delegation to Jammu and Kashmir in more than five years under the dispute settlement mechanism of the 1960 treaty. India and Pakistan signed the IWT after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory of the pact which sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of waters of a number of cross-border rivers. A three-member Pakistan delegation inspected the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai hydroelectric power projects under the provisions of the IWT for the last time in January 2019, before the ties between the two countries froze following the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Immediately after landing at an army camp, the delegation visited the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) headquarters, the officials said, adding, they left for the 85 MW Ratle hydroelectric power project site at Drabshalla for dam inspection. They will also visit the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project on river Marusudar, a tributary of river Chenab, and other power projects during their stay in Kishtwar, the officials said. Pakistan had in a request to the World Bank in 2016 objected to the design features of the two hydroelectric power projects and sought a settlement through a Neutral Expert. The country, however, later withdrew the request and sought adjudication through a Court of Arbitration. India, on the other hand, insisted that the issue should be resolved solely through Neutral Expert proceedings. After failed negotiations, the World Bank appointed a Neutral Expert and the chair of the Court of Arbitration in October 2022. Issuing a notice for the modification in the Treaty, India warned that such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of the IWT. Jabalpur airport, Madan Mahal flyover will be named after Veerangana Rani Durgavati: CM Staff Reporter Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has said that the Rani Durgavati not only defeated Akbars army thrice but also made many innovations in the field of good governance and water management. She provided a people-oriented governance system to the region. The flyover passing through Jabalpur airport and Madan Mahal will be named after Rani Durgavati. The State Government will also try to get permission from the Government of India for a stadium in the name of Rani Durgavati in the Garha. Ponds and water structures in the area will also be renovated on priority basis as a tribute to Rani Durgavatis bravery and valour. Chief Minister Dr Yadav said that Akbars era was a difficult one, on one hand Maharana Pratap was fighting with him and on the other, brave Rani Durgavati fought against Akbars army in Vananchal. CM addressed the gathering in Jabalpur on the Balidan Divas of Rani Durgavati. He said that to familiarise the country and the world with the bravery and the innovations she made for good governance, her life will be added to the school curriculum and seminars will also be organised on these subjects. A reward of Rs 5 lakh has also been announced for bringing out the various aspects of the heroic queen. Cultural and intellectual events will also be organised every month in the State, including Jabalpur. He said that the first Cabinet was organised in Jabalpur to show respect and gratitude to Rani Durgavati in her 500th Birth Centenary year. CM Yadav said that continuous work is going on under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to acquaint the general public with the untouched aspects of the life struggle of personalities like the brave queen Rani Durgavati, who sacrificed her life for the respect and protection of Indian culture, civilisation, and traditions. CM said that Veerangana Rani Durgavati and Rani Avantibai Lodhi have been expressions of women power. They have proved that whether it is war or governance, women did not lag. President Droupadi Murmu, from a tribal background, has made not only the country but also the world aware of the potential of Indian women. The State Government is dedicated to the welfare of the weaker sections. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Monday offered prayers and paid tributes at the Samadhi site of Rani Durgavati of the Gondwana Empire, a symbol of indomitable bravery, valour and self-respect, at Narai Nala on her 461st Balidan Diwas. He garlanded the statue of the queen at the Samadhi site amidst slogans Rani Durgavati Amar Rahe. He also offered prayers to Badadev, the deity of the tribal community. CM paid floral tributes to Veeranarayan, son of Queen Durgavati, at the Samadhi site itself. Jabalpur airport, Madan Mahalflyover to be named after Veerangana Rani Durgavati Staff Reporter Paying tributes to the utmost courage, bravery and valor of Veerangana Rani Durgavati, the warrior queen of Gondwana regime, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced that the under construction flyover from Madan Mahal and the Jabalpur Airport will be named after her. The Chief Minister was addressing a huge gathering of tribal people and locals during a programme organised to mark the 461st Balidan Diwas of Rani Durgawati at Veterinary College ground, on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, CM Dr Yadav stated that Rani Durgavati not only defeated Emperor Akbar's army three times but also provided an innovative and people-centric governance system in the areas of good governance and water management. He said apart from naming the fly-over and the airport in Jabalpur after the warrior queen, the state government will also make efforts to obtain permission from the central government to name a stadium after Rani Durgavati in Garha. He said the Government is also focusing on restoration of lakes and other water structures in the region, which is a real tribute to the queens bravery and valour. Chief Minister Dr Yadav stated that the era of Akbar was challenging. While Maharana Pratap was struggling against him on one side, Veerangana Rani Durgavati also fought against Akbar's army in the forest region. He said in order to display the life, valor and innovative initiatives taken by Veerangana Rani Durgavati, seminars will be organized alongside incorporating her courageous deeds in the curriculum. He said an award of Rs 5 lakh has been announced to bring forth various aspects of Rani Durgavati. Monthly cultural and intellectual events will be organised in the State, including in Jabalpur. Our Correspondent Katni, Katni police unravelled the case in which Manager of a private company was burnt in kiln of the company, within 72 hours. SP Abhijeet Kumar Ranjan in a press meet disclosed the murder mystery and informed about arrest of the four accused. It must be mentioned that the Manager of a private company was murdered by employees of the same company. They thrashed him with sticks, then choked him to death by smothering him with a pillow. To erase the evidences, they wrapped the body in a mattress and dumped it in the lime kiln. The incident occurred in SIMCO company. On Wednesday night, four employees reached the Company to commit theft. The Manager, who was sleeping in the office, woke up listening to some noises. The four employees attacked him with sticks and murdered him. On June 20, half burnt body of the Manager was taken out the from the kiln. He was identified as Samnu Vishwaarma, a resident of Mudhara village. Police, during investigation, caught hold of the four accused including two siblings. The mother of these two accused brothers have also been named in FIR for her involvement in the crime. Police recovered from possession of accused Rs 60,000 and a register of expenses. Police has arrested the accused Ashish, son of Devi Singh Thakur (28); Vinod Gyan Singh (35), Rajeet Devi Singh (24), and Sanam Virendra Singh (19). Ashish and Ranjeet are siblings. Their mother Brajrani Singh has been named as accused as she was aware of the murder committed by her sons. She has also kept Rs 20,000 from Rs 1.25 lakh stolen by accused. Stellantis Ellesmere Port vans Stellantiss UK boss Maria Grazia Davino has warned that the company could stop building vehicles in the country if the governments electrification initiatives create a hostile trading environment. Speaking at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders annual summit in London, Davino cautioned of the existential threat posed by measures like the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate and proposed 2030/2035 bans on the sale of new combustion-engined cars. Asked by Autocar whether Stellantis can continue to grow its UK business under the current terms of the ZEV mandate which mean a rising proportion of each manufacturer's sales in the UK must be electric from 2024-2030 Davino said: "Yes, we can continue to grow. We can survive because we are fit for every circumstance." ADVERTISEMENT But, she said: " In the UK, for sure there will be consequences on the production set-up. "Stellantis UK does not stop. Stellantis production in the UK could stop." Davino echoed recent comments by Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis, which labelled the ZEV mandate terrible and wanted it could kill the UK automotive industry. Stellantis currently builds small and mid-sized vans and MPVs at its factories in Ellesmere Port and Luton, respectively, having ended UK car production on the retirement of the last-gen Vauxhall Astra in 2021. Its not what we want to do, said Davino, adding that she does not have a plan or a projected timeframe for ending UK production if the need arises. As of 2024, 22% of every manufacturer's UK sales must be pure-electric, or punitive penalties are imposed. This proportion rises in increments to 80% in 2030, before combustion sales are banned completely in 2035 - under current Conservative policy. Labour has said it will bring this ban back to 2030. But Davino said the current market demand does not back up this projected timescale: "This trajectory could be very damaging in the near future for the industry. It's not only what happens in 2030 or 2035, but what happens in 2024, 2025, 2026... Story continues "Because if demand does not follow the offer, then we will be forced to take decisions because we manage profit and loss, we manage operational decisions that are impacting the UK." "I can't answer the question about 'when?', because we don't plan this. It's not what we want to do, and we will fight for our production in the UK. "But you have to have advantages to build in a country." Davino pointed to substantial recent investments in the Cheshire and Bedfordshire plants as proof of Stellantiss commitment to the UK, but said why should we continue investing if operations at those plants are rendered unviable by "hostile" market conditions. "We will enter into an evaluation of producing elsewhere; we produce for the UK but also largely for export reasons, so we will invest elsewhere or disinvest from here." She emphasised that the decision is not "on the table" and future plans are contingent on evolving market conditions. She referred back to the "proactive proposals" presented by Carlos Tavares to UK officials recently. These included counting UK-built EVs towards each manufacturer's ZEV quota, and bundling together electric light commercial vehicles and passenger EVs. Tavares said recently: "I think the fact that [the UK government] is imposing a ramp-up of [EV sales] makes sense" but added: "The problem is the magnitude and the positioning of the ZEV mandate vis-a-vis the natural demand of the market." He estimated that demand for EVs in the UK is currently at half of the mandated 22% for 2024, and said the imposition of fines for non-compliant manufacturers could dent profitability to such an extend that "then destroys the company". ]]> NURSING SCAM Heads continue to roll Staff Reporter Heads continue to roll on in the infamous nursing colleges scam in the State as the Madhya Pradesh Nursing Councils former registrar Chandrakala Digvaiya has been terminated on Monday after she was found guilty in an inquiry that was conducted for granting recognition to ineligible nursing colleges. This is the second big step in nursing scam as recently former registrar Sunita Shiju was suspended. National Students Union of India (NSUI) alleged that ineligible nursing colleges were granted recognition during working tenure of former registrar Chandrakala Digvaiya in year 2019. Ravi Parmar, medical wing in-charge NSUI said, we were demonstrating against the scam continuously but former medical education minister and officials were supporting the culprits. He further informed that working tenure of Chandrakala Digvaiya was from September 2020 to September 2021 and on May 6, 2021, she released the affiliation list of 667 nursing colleges. He said that in this list, 219 nursing colleges were new. Ravi Parmar alleged that there were various scams during the working tenure of Chandrakala Digvaiya. NSUI also demanded action on former medical education minister, former medical education commissioner and Madhya Pradesh Ayurvigyan Vishwavidyalaya vice Chancellor Ashok Khandelwal, Registrar Pushpraj Baghel. NSUI also demanded action against Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Health and Medical Education Department Mohammed Suleman and former Medical Education Commissioner Nishant Warwade. Criticising the Government, Ravi Parmar said that it is good step that former registrar of Nursing Council Sunita Shiju and Chandrakala Digvaiya have been suspended but why they are not taking action against the main accused. He alleged that ACS Suleman is involved in scams since the pandemic . He said Nishant Warwade is also involved in this scam and these people are running the council. According to National Students Union of India (NSUI), Government has said to take action against the six officials who prepared false report after inspecting the nursing colleges. Health and Medical Education Commissioner Tarun Pithore informed that in session 2021-22, ten nursing colleges were granted approval for the session in a false way but later, their affiliation was cancelled in short of following parameters. He said that out of these ten nursing colleges, poor report was presented for eight colleges by the inspectors but then registrar issued their affiliation against the rules in year 2018. Taking cognisance in this case, former registrar has been terminated. TRULY WISE PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modis statement outside the Parliament building on the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha session shows his dynamic and deeply embedded democratic spirit and innate wisdom. He used the occasion to communicate to the larger society the thought of how democracy has become the second nature of Indian polity over time. Referring to the imposition of Emergency on June 25 (1975) which he called as a black spot, the Prime Minister indicated that the country has left that scar far behind and has strengthened democracy in India. And in the same breath, he then appealed to the Opposition to understand the responsibility it has to shoulder in furthering the democratic cause by participating in parliamentary functions in the most sincerely manner to promote a healthy debate and multi-partisan dialogue so that the country finally benefits from the churning. Without doubt, this speech of Mr. Narendra Modi needs to be categorised as one of the best made by any Prime Minister -- as a tribute to democratic spirit and the peoples ability to handle the worlds best but also the worlds toughest system of governance. Mr. Modi also paid rich compliments to the nation for going through the electoral motions in the most exemplary manner. When 65-crore-plus people vote to elect their parliamentary representatives, democracy gets honoured, he suggested. His veiled reference was obviously to the baseless accusations of some political elements that democracy and Constitution were in danger of being subverted if Mr. Narendra Modi were to be elected again. Though he did not make any direct assertions in this regard, Mr. Modi did indicate clearly that the people failed all such allegations and establish the primacy of democracy beyond political game of fake narratives. The Opposition must listen to the Prime Ministers words with an open mind, to say the least. For, his appeal was to the good sense of everybody -- that fullest participation in parliamentary practices without the idea of blocking their flow would ensure better results for the people of India. In the last full five-year term, the Opposition had adopted the obstructionist mode by refusing to take part in debate and discussion on the floor of the two Houses of Parliament. Though the Government insisted that it was ready to have full discussion on each and every issue, the Opposition kept stalling the process by raising issues that had no solution. In other words, we may describe the Oppositions conduct of its own role as that of a person who is pretending to be in deep sleep, and thereby refusing to be woken up. Mr. Narendra Modis appeal to the good sense of the Opposition in particular and the political community in general, therefore, fell in the category of wise word -- expecting that at least in the ensuing five years of his third term as Prime Minister, the Opposition would facilitate the democratic flow and not obstruct it. The appeal, therefore, makes a great sense. It is worth reflecting on the Oppositions conduct post-elections. In the past three weeks post results (that came following the legitimate processes and procedures), the Opposition has been making non-sensical claims about the abuse -- hacking -- of the Electronic Voting Machines by the Government, even when the Election Commission of India has explained in full detail once again how the EVMs are stand-alone systems that cannot be hacked from a distance through the mechanism of One-Time-Password (OTP). Following the Prime Ministers appeal, the Opposition must really understand its responsibility and redefine its own role in the spirit of genuine democracy -- beyond narrative. MIAMISayUncle has released four new scenes starring performers Gio Carrera, Leo Louis, and Brody Kayman, among others. Blu Twink stars in a new scene for Latin Leche titled "The New Guy in Town." David Torres co-stars in the scene, featuring a scenario of welcoming the new guy to the neighborhood. A new Missionary Boys episode starring Gio Carrera and Leo Gates was released. The episode is titled "To Show You Gratitude." SayUncle AllStars brings Leo Louis into the feature, titled "A Secret Locker Room Session." Ryan Jacobs stars alongside Leo in this scene that takes place in a locker room. "Mr. Kayman's Hardest Lesson" is the latest scene from Bully Him. The scene stars Brody Kaymen and Donavin Rece. Visit SayUncle.com and follow the brand on X @sayunclenetwork. HC directs | IMPHAL, Jun 25 : The High Court of Manipur has issued notice to the Chief Secretary to take up necessary steps to fill up the vacant posts in the office of the Manipur Lokayukta. The Chief Secretary has been directed to file an affidavit pertaining to the matter on July 17, 2024. Raising ST call a notch or two higher August deadline set for Govt | Remains to be seen how the Government will respond, but perhaps this is the first time that a deadline has been set for the Government to send the socio-economic and ethnographic report of the Meiteis to the Centre to study whether the said community fits the bill to be included in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of not. And it is the World Meetei Council which has set the ultimatum this time and one wonders how the other ST for Meitei champions such as the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM), the Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU) and others which have been raising the same demand would respond to the timeframe, but it should be clear that the WMC has already set a time frame for the Government to act. There could be reasons why Imphal is still reluctant to send the report, but it should be clear to all that the job of the State Government is to just send the report and see how the different Ministries at the Centre respond to the report. And it was way back in 2013 that the Centre had sought the report, so it is not something new. It was not out in the public platform that the Centre had sought such a report, and it was through the sustained campaign launched by the STDCM, WMC, MMTU and others that it became public knowledge. The question then is, if the Meiteis do not fit the bill to be included in the ST list, then why should there be such a strong opposition to it ? The Tribal Solidarity March of May 3, 2023 was staged on a lie, a lie that has been debunked many times in this column and the violence that erupted at Churachandpur during the rally should more than underline the point that the real objectives of the rally were something very different. It is not the judiciary which can decide whether the Meiteis fit the bill to be included in the ST list or not but Parliament and all that the High Court had asked the State Government was to send the report which Delhi had sought back in 2013. Delimitation exercise which will be taken up in 2026 is the reason why the WMC has set the time frame for Imphal to send the report and the logic behind this stand should be understood. If at all delimitation is carried out on the basis of the 2011 census then chances of the 40 Assembly seats, which are not scheduled may go the scheduled areas, where the Meiteis will not be allowed to contest the election. A look at the Assembly seats from the valley area which fall in the Outer Lok Sabha seat should drive home the point that is sought to be made here. A false sense of superiority and a misplaced understanding associated with the term tribals, led the Meiteis to miss the bus on more than one occasion in the past and one just has to recall how the proposal to send the needed report to include the Meiteis in the ST list fell flat on its face. This was 1981 when the late Rishang Keishing was the Chief Minister. The same error was repeated when former Governor of the State, the late Ved Marwah offered to use his office to see if the Meiteis can be included in the ST list, but then again this proposal was turned down by Meitei leaders themselves. A line recalled by the late Governor in his book, India in Turmoil : Jammu and Kashmir, the North East and Left Extremism and the proposal was made while he was Governor of Manipur from 1999 to 2003. A classic case of missed chances, but there is no reason why the Meiteis should continue treading the same erroneous path and this is a point which Imphal should acknowledge. As repeatedly mentioned in this column, it will do the place and the people good if the ST for Meitei champions such as the STDCM, WMC, MMTU and others reach out to the other indigenous group of people, the Nagas and see if a common meeting ground can be reached with them. Should not hurt anyone in trying to take everyone along with the demand of the Meiteis. August is the deadline served by the WMC and one will have to wait and see what steps WMC takes up in case the Government fails to send the report sought by New Delhi. With a set of judicial guidelines targetting diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists, China on Friday revealed a new weapon, precise and legal, to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession were jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security, state security, and justice and took effect upon release. The guidelines can be regarded as a refinement and supplement to the country's Anti-Secession Law. By clarifying the criminal nature of "Taiwan independence" separatist acts, their criminal liabilities, and the procedure to impose penalties, it draws the bottom line and facilitates law enforcement. In the long run, it will undoubtedly play an effective role in advancing reunification across the Taiwan Strait. This move came against a backdrop of escalating tensions across the Strait triggered by repeated separatist attempts made by those advocating "Taiwan independence," particularly since the island's new leader Lai Ching-te, who holds a stubborn separatist stance, took office in May. This judicial document surely serves as a blow to Lai and his fellow separatists. It allows Chinese courts to bring diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists to trials in absentia. In the most severe cases, a convict may receive death sentence. It also acts as a warning and deterrent to external forces who would not keep their hands off affairs related to Taiwan. Those who are found to have colluded with any foreign or overseas institution, organization or individual in conducting or inciting secession, would be given a harsher punishment. Despite being a stern action against separatists, the document draws a clear line between a few stubborn separatists and the rest of Taiwan people. Under the influence of the "Taiwan independence" ideology and due to political differences between the two sides, some in Taiwan may have a misguided understanding of their identities and the nature of cross-Strait relations. They are given chances to free themselves from misunderstandings and be aware of the harmfulness and danger of separatist activities. For over 70 years, although the two sides of the Strait have yet to achieve complete reunification, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been divided. The historical facts and the legal ground for the facts that both sides of the Strait belong to one country and people on both sides of the Strait belong to the Chinese nation have never changed and will not change. A peaceful and prosperous future for people on both sides of the Strait hangs on a strong and reunified nation. In order to facilitate reunification, separatists must face criminal prosecution. High hopes are placed on people of Taiwan to have a clear mind, weigh the pros and cons, and stand on the right side of history. Central forces and the police marched together to the BJPs south Bengal headquarters here last night when the two BJP groups clashed on distribution of alcohol. The groups clashed after BJP MLA and states Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari left the office at 7 pm. He attended the families, who have taken shelter at the party office from different blocks after the alleged attack by the TMC on their houses. The group, a pack of new BJP members, according to the partys long-time members, has been regularly arranging alcohol parties within the headquarters and refused to pay any heed to repeated objections on the matter. Yesterday, the loyalists of the veteran members suddenly gushed in when the new group members were consuming alcohol and a clash ensued. They broke office furniture, glassware and continued to attack each other till the central forces arrived. Soon, a contingent from the Burdwan PS arrived to quell the warring members. The next day after the Lok Sabha election results were declared, the groups clashed on the same issue. Earlier, the police had arrested several old timers, following complaints by Abhijit Ta, the district president of the BJP. Advertisement West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly resented the reported discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, over the sharing of the water of Ganga and Teesta, bypassing the state Bengal government. The Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) will expire in 2026 and the Centre is in the process of renewing the treaty. In a letter to Mr Modi, Miss Banerjee wrote, It is to convey my strong reservation that no discussion on sharing of Teesta water and the Farakka Treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the involvement of the state government. The interest of the people of West Bengal is paramount which should not be compromised at any cost. In the letter she brought to the notice of the PM that the river morphology has changed in the eastern part of India and Bangladesh over the years, which has deprived West Bengal and negativity impacted the water availability in the state. There has been eastward migration of the Ganges (and Padma in Bangladesh) over the last 200 years, disrupting their link with several rivers in West Bengal. She further said after the Treaty was signed, keeping in view of the likely change in river morphology after the barrage construction, the then PM HD Deve Gowda in December 1996 had assured the state government that central assistance will be provided for maintenance and dredging. However, no funds were sent by the Centre. In 2005, the jurisdiction of the Farakka Barrage Project Authority (FBPA) was expanded to 120 km (80 km in the downstream and 40 km in the upstream) so that necessary anti-erosion work can be taken by the FBPA in the region. Advertisement Monday was a great day for the daily commuters of Singur to find the southern side railway ticket counter open. The southern side ticket counter at Singur railway station used to be easily accessible to the daily commuters. After the pandemic, when train services returned to normalcy, the northern side ticket counter was only opened. Daily commuters had to climb up the railway overbridge or cross the tracks to reach the northern side railway ticket counter. Senior citizens, the ailing, suffered the most. The All Bengal Citizens Forum took up the issue and approached the then DRM of Eastern Railways. They also communicated with the railway ministry headquarters. As A result, the southern side railway counter was opened but only for a week. The demand to reopen the southern side ticket counter was again taken up by All Bengal Citizens Forum. Senior official of Eastern Railway assured that steps are being taken to reopen the closed ticket counter at Singur. Advertisement Ashit Mukherjee, a retired person and other daily commuters have hailed the decision of the Eastern Railway to keep the southern side railway ticket counter open from morning till night. Henceforth, the commuters need not climb the railway overbridge and can purchase tickets easily. The president of All Bengal Citizens Forum Sailen Parbat has also thanked the Eastern Railway for their positive step towards serving the train passengers. Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, on Monday launched the auction of 21 blocks of critical and strategic minerals as part of the fourth tranche. Out of these 21 blocks, 11 are fresh blocks spanning six states, including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. These blocks contain a variety of minerals, including graphite, glauconite, phosphorite, potash, nickel, PGE, phosphate, and rare earth elements (REE). Further, as part of this tranche, 10 critical mineral blocks are on offer as second attempt blocks of previous tranches of auction. These 10 blocks are located in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, containing important critical minerals like tungsten, vanadium, graphite, glauconite, cobalt, and nickel. Advertisement Critical minerals are essential raw materials for sectors like electronics, electric vehicles, renewable energy, defence, and high-tech telecommunications. Currently, the extraction of these minerals is dominated by a few countries such as China, which makes the supply chain vulnerable to geopolitical uncertainties. India is viewed as part of the alternative supply chain that needs to be developed to break Chinas dominance in this crucial segment. The occasion also witnessed a string of other events that included the declaration of preferred bidders for the six blocks put up for auction during the first tranche, handing over of certificates to two newly Notified Private Exploration Agencies (NPEAs), and the issuance of sanction letters to R&D institutes in the critical mineral sector. Till now, 31 projects for different commodities have been taken by the NPEAs from the NMET fund amounting to approximately Rs 35.23 crore. The Minister also handed over the sanction letters of grant of funds to 24 R&D institutes and 10 startups for a total amount of Rs 12.37 crore and Rs 11.26 crore, respectively. On the occasion, Minister Reddy announced a scheme for partial reimbursement of exploration expenses of the exploration licence holders. Under the scheme, exploration expenditure of up to 50 per cent of the cost, subject to an upper limit of Rs 20 crore, will be reimbursed. The provision of exploration licence was introduced through an amendment in the MMDR Act in 2023. A total of 20 blocks for exploration licence were handed over to various states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Karnataka and Rajasthan are the first states to notify the auction of exploration licence. Currently, the auction for nine exploration licences has been notified by various states. The Minister also announced that the Mines Ministry has made a plan to launch the first tranche of auctions of offshore mineral blocks within the first 100 days of the new government. Leading low-cost airline IndiGo on Monday announced the launch of additional daily, non-stop flights between Mumbai and Jeddah from August 15 this year. The airline said it would double the frequency of flights between Jeddah and Mumbai to 14 every week. This strategic expansion caters to the growing demand for travel between India and the Middle East and will provide more convenience and flexibility for travellers, it added. Vinay Malhotra, IndiGos head of global sales, said: With these additional daily flights connecting Mumbai and Jeddah, we will now operate 42 weekly flights to Jeddah from 5 cities in India. These flights will not only enhance trade and tourism opportunities between India and the Middle East but also provide customers with even more options to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, is a vibrant hub renowned for its stunning Red Sea coastline, historical architecture, and thriving cultural scene. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday said Delhi Minister Atishi had to end her indefinite hunger strike over Delhis water crisis after her health deteriorated and she was hospitalized. Addressing a press conference here, he said Atishis health took a hit after fasting for nearly five days, and her blood sugar level dropped to as low as 36 mg/dL, following which she had to be admitted to the hospital at around 3.45 am. He said that the minister put her life at stake for the people of Delhi, demanding their rightful share of water. Advertisement Atishi was admitted to the ICU of LNJP Hospital, and in view of all these circumstances, the fast is being called off, however the struggle does not end here and the party will continue to raise the voice through other means of protest and will also take this up in Parliament to provide water to Delhi, Singh added. The RS MP further said that all opposition parties will raise their voice in Parliament to get Delhi its rightful share of water. Her sugar level initially reached 43, and then dropped to 36, after which the doctor told her that her life could be at risk, as the situation was very serious, and she will have to be hospitalised. Singh further prayed to God that the minister may get well soon, and added saying that he will write to the PM and also raise the issue in the parliament. Singh further stated that on Tuesday the party will write a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting him to ensure that the people of Delhi get the water they are entitled to. He also informed that a representative delegation has also met Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena, and was requested to talk to Haryana CM to get the issue resolved. Considering all these developments, now this Jal Satyagraha is being given a break. But all the opposition parties together will raise the problem of water inside the Parliament. The weather is also fine, it has also rained so I hope that the situation will get better now. Now the water level will also rise slowly and the situation will improve, I hope, Singh added. The party informed that as per LNJPs doctor, when she was brought to the hospital, her blood sugar level had reached 36, which is very worrying, and apart from that, there were increased ketones in the urine. At present, after she was admitted in the ICU her health is fine and a team of doctors is taking care of her situation. Her medical tests have been done, and the reports are yet to come, the doctor had said. Meanwhile, slamming the BJP government of Haryana, Singh alleged that it has been continuously giving 100 MGD less water for the last 3 weeks, due to which Delhis residents are facing water shortage. He further said that despite an increase in the citys population by three times during the past 30 years, Delhi is getting water as per agreement made in 1994. The AAP leader added that the people of Delhi elected all seven MPs of the BJP in Lok Sabha elections, yet the partys government in Haryana stopped water for Delhi, he alleged. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the city on Tuesday. In a statement, the civic body said, The MCD conducted a joint encroachment removal action today at Municipal Park in Y Block, Mangolpuri, Kanjhwala Road, near Petrol Pump, Ward No 42, Rohini Zone. This initiative was part of our ongoing efforts to address unauthorised religious encroachments and uphold the integrity of public spaces. With the support of the police force of five companies, the MCD said it commenced the demolition of the illegally extended boundary wall, an encroachment, of a masjid. Advertisement The operation successfully removed 20 meters of the unauthorized structure. However, the situation escalated as a large mob gathered, forming a human chain to obstruct the entry of JCBs into the area. Additionally, the presence of female protesters sitting on the unauthorised structure complicated the law and order situation, the civic body said. The MCD further said, Despite the diligent efforts, the authorities were unable to safely disperse the crowd. In light of these developments, the police advised the MCD to temporarily halt the encroachment removal operation to maintain peace and order. A status report regarding this issue has been filed with the High Court of Delhi. Reiterating its commitment to enforcing the rule of law and ensuring the orderly development of the city, the MCD said, We are currently in the process of rescheduling the encroachment removal program and will provide updates as further developments occur. Actor Woody Harrelson isnt known for prompt responses and will get back to you when he can. The Now You See Me star has taken an old-school approach and doesnt keep his cell phone with him. Recently, on the podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the Oscar-nominated actor opened up about his past addiction to his phones screen and not carrying his cell phone for the past three years. In the podcast, the co-host and Woodys Cheers co-star shared about the actor, Let me explain something about Woody: He doesnt have a phone. Hes one of those people who make others carry his phone for him. Hey, we need to know something immediately, call Woody. And I just kind of laugh at whoever says that to me. To this, Harrelson responded, Well, thats not exactly true. I just dont like to have to be readily available to any human being at any time. And plus, thats not the reason. I like to be in touch with people, in a way, but I dont like the appendage on my appendage. Advertisement Elaborating further, the actor revealed that he gave up using his cell phone a few years ago because he was addicted to it. At first, the True Detective star set a time limit for himself but couldnt stick to it. The actor recounted that his addiction to his phone reached a point where he was distracted even during dinner conversations. Analyzing his habits, Woody said that it wasnt calls or apps that kept him glued to his phone, but all the texting. I never used it as a phone, ever, he recalled. Admiring Harrelsons commitment to a technological detox and living a life free from its distractions, Danson commented, I admire what you do with phones, by the way, Woody. I need to emulate that. On the work front, Woody Harrelson was last seen in Suncoast, and his upcoming film Fly Me to the Moon is set to release on July 12. Tollywood, the vibrant Telugu film industry, has been buzzing with activity beyond the silver screen. Recently, some of its prominent Tollywood producers gathered for a significant rendezvous with none other than Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan. Their agenda? To delve into the challenges gripping the industry and brainstorm ways to propel its growth across Andhra Pradesh. The rendezvous took place at the Camp Office in Vijayawada, setting the stage for a crucial dialogue. Among the notable attendees were seasoned producers like Allu Aravind, C Ashwini Dutt, and Dil Raju, to name a few. With State Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh in tow, the atmosphere was ripe for candid discussions. Acknowledging Pawan Kalyans recent political triumphs, the Tollywood producers extended their congratulations before diving into the nitty-gritty of industry concerns. From tackling production expenses to enhancing distribution networks, every aspect was dissected meticulously. The focus remained unwaveringly fixed on fostering an environment conducive to the sectors expansion. Advertisement Pawan Kalyans recent elevation to the post of Deputy Chief Minister added a layer of significance to the rendezvous. With portfolios spanning diverse domains like Panchayat Raj, Environment, and Science & Technology, his involvement signaled a holistic approach to addressing industry challenges. The event also served as a reminder of the political landscapes intertwining with Tollywood. Pawan Kalyans Janasena Party, having contested both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in alliance with BJP and Telugu Desam Party, exemplifies this nexus. As the curtains drew on the meeting, a palpable sense of optimism lingered. The convergence of political will and industry expertise hinted at a promising trajectory for Tollywood in Andhra Pradesh. With collaborative efforts underway, the future indeed seems bright for one of Indias most dynamic film industries. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the three-day 64th Council Meeting of the International Sugar Organization (ISO) at Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday. Experts from over 30 countries participated in the meeting to discuss and deliberate on the future possibilities, challenges, and strategies in the sugarcane, sugar, and allied sectors. Earlier, India hosted the 41st session of ISO council Meeting in 2012. During his inaugural address, Mr Joshi said nearly five crore farmers were engaged in cultivation of sugarcane and the industry was providing ample employment opportunities both directly and indirectly. He emphasised that the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi accords top priority to the welfare of farmers and safeguarding interest of consumers as well as the industry thereby ensuring collaborative efforts to improve agricultural practices. Advertisement He expressed pride in hosting the ISO conference and highlighted Indias commitment to advancing technology and skills in the sugar and biofuel sectors. Emphasising Indias cultural and economic reliance on sugar, the minister noted Indias status as the worlds largest sugar consumer and a significant biofuel producer, achieving over 12 per cent ethanol blending with petrol and aiming for 20 per cent soon. The minister underscored the role of biofuels in combating climate change and detailed the positive impacts of Indias Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme on the sugar industry and farmers. Mr Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary Department of Food & Public Distribution and Chairman, ISO talked about a bigger role of ISO in times to come. He emphasised the urgent need for the global sugar and ethanol industry to tackle climate change through sustainable practices, including developing drought-resistant sugarcane, conserving water, and promoting biofuels. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhis Congress government , Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the Congress and its allies, accusing them of continuing to undermine the Constitution. Speaking at a press conference held at his official residence here on Tuesday, he remarked that although Congress faces may have changed over the past 50 years, its character and actions have remained unchanged since 1975. He recalled the harsh measures taken during the Emergency, such as the Congresss audacious attempt to undermine the Constitution by amending its Preamble, the complete suspension of citizens fundamental rights, and the judiciarys rights being held hostage. CM Adityanath underscored that despite changes in leadership, the character of the Congress remained the same. The Chief Minister stated, Fifty years ago, on this day, late at night, a dark chapter was written when the Congress government conspired to undermine democracy by strangling the Constitution of India. He added, The government led by Indira Gandhi attempted to destroy Indias democracy on the night of June 25, 1975. During this period, democracy was stifled by imprisoning opposition leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morarji Desai, Jai Prakash Narayan, and Lal Krishna Advani. He noted that Congresss dictatorial attitude was evident not only in 1975 but also immediately after Independence. Within two years of adopting the Constitution, the Congress challenged the countrys integrity by amending it and forcibly inserting Article 370. Over the years, Congress has consistently tried to weaken the pillars of democracy, by banning the media and using other indirect methods. The nation and the world witnessed the culmination of these actions on June 25, 1975, he added. Chief Minister Adityanath also accused the current Congress leadership of hypocrisy. He claimed that while they advocate for democracy, they undermine it by questioning Indias electoral system and democracy when abroad. He accused them of denigrating India and its democratic processes internationally. He also alleged that they deflected their inefficiencies within India by blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and obstructing the election process. He claimed that the Congress, which attempted to dismantle the Constitution in 1975, continues to follow the same path today. According to him, Congress-led governments attitudes, working styles, and actions exemplify this behavior. Chief Minister Adityanath also criticised Congress allies. He pointed out that the current generation of leaders, whose predecessors endured imprisonment in 1975 to defend democracy, the Constitution and civil rights, now align with the same Congress. He expressed surprise that these leaders are now complicit in efforts to steer the country back towards dictatorship and anti-democratic & anti-constitutional policies. He argued further, If you examine the working methods of Congress allieswhether in Bengal with the TMC, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, or other Congress-led governmentsyou will see that they are misleading the public and disrupting parliamentary proceedings under the guise of upholding the Constitution. Chief Minister Adityanath urged Congress leaders to introspect and question whether they have genuinely adhered to the Constitution. He highlighted that a senior Congress leader once tore a bill on the floor of Parliament, an act that undermined democracy. Such actions, he argued, have continually weakened democratic principles. The CM asserted that the people of India will never forgive the Congress for these transgressions, nor will they accept political parties that have directly or indirectly supported Congress authoritarian tendencies. On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, he called for the Congress and its allies to apologise to the nation for repeatedly disregarding Constitutional provisions. Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS), a farmers forum, demanded Central funding for Himachal Pradesh in view of the states contribution to national development and environmental conservation. HKS President and former Conservator of Forests Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said here on Tuesday that Himachal Pradesh has made notable contribution to the safety, security, and development of both the nation and the world. Advertisement He emphasised the pivotal role played by the forests in Himachal Pradesh in carbon sequestration and ecological equilibrium. The estimated total carbon stocks in the forests of Himachal Pradesh amount to 7204 MT. Furthermore, the state has an extensive protected area network, encompassing approximately 15 percent of its geographical expanse. This network comprises five national parks, spanning an area of 2407 square kilometres, and 26 sanctuaries, covering 5965 square kilometres, he said. Considering the states high forest cover, significant carbon stocks, and protected area network, it is only fair that payment be received for these eco-services, he added. By allocating sufficient funds, we can greatly enhance conservation efforts, promote afforestation, safeguard the environment, encourage sustainable development, and strengthen resilience in this Himalayan state, he asserted. Tanwar, expressing concern over the current situation in the state, highlighted that due to the implementation of the Forest Protection Act and the new Forest Policy, the Central government has gained control over 67 percent of the state. However, the state is not receiving any compensation for the loss of revenue, which used to amount to approximately Rs. 1000 crore annually from the forest. Consequently, farmers are being deprived of their rightful Nautod land, he said. He pointed out that at present both the country and the world are facing the challenges of climate change and global warming. However, Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a key player in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem by taking up the responsibility of preserving a substantial amount of carbon through forest conservation, he added, lamenting that this noteworthy contribution goes unnoticed, and the state is not receiving any recognition or compensation for this invaluable ecological service. Himachal is the largest and most significant watershed area for the plains because of its forest conservation efforts. Additionally, Himachal plays a crucial role in water conservation, he stated. He further mentioned that Himachal Pradesh has allocated 1 lakh hectares of agricultural land out of 6 lakh hectares for various hydroelectric projects, including Bhakra and Pong Dam. These projects have resulted in benefits for the plains, such as electricity and irrigation. However, the people who were displaced from this land are still awaiting rehabilitation, he maintained. Even after losing its water, forest and land, if the Central government and Finance Commission look at Himachal with the same perspective as any other state, then it will be short-sighted and impractical, he asserted, adding that Himachal may be a small state but its challenges are big and its contribution is also higher than other similar states. The financial allocation should better reflect the sacrifices and contributions made by this small hill state, which has lost revenue and resources due to the utilization of its water, forest, and land. It is crucial for the Finance Commission and the Central Government to respect the diversity of the country and take into account the specific circumstances when determining financial allocations, he said. Tanwar stressed the need for the 16th Finance Commission that is on a visit to Himachal Pradesh to acknowledge the revival of the previous pension scheme and appealed for additional grants and financial provisions to be allocated to the state in order to facilitate environmental protection, promotion, and ecosystem services. For the first time in Lok Sabha, there will be an election for the Speakers post as the government and the opposition failed to reach a consensus, with former Speaker Om Birla and K Suresh of the Congress filing their nominations. So far, there has been a tradition to elect the Lok Sabha Speaker through consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition. However, this tradition has been disrupted this year when the Congress-led INDIA bloc insisted on securing the Deputy Speakers post in exchange for supporting the NDA candidate for Speakership. Both, the ruling BJP as well as the main Opposition Congress Party, have issued three-line whips to their members to be present in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday from 11 am till the end of the proceedings, which include the Speakers election, and support the party stand. Advertisement Senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal said there was no precedent to suggest that the deputy speakers post must go to the Opposition, and the Opposition was needlessly choosing a showdown. He said the Opposition insisted that first the name of the Deputy Speaker should be decided and only then we will support the Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. He said a good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, he said, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha, he said. In a twist to the INDIA position, Trinamul Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said his party was not consulted on the Oppositions decision to field Congress MP K Suresh as the INDIA blocs joint nominee for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. As Mr Suresh filed his nomination for the June 26 election of Speaker, the Trinamul Congress was not among the INDIA bloc parties that signed his paper. Mr Banerjee said that party chief Mamata Banerjee will decide over the issue of supporting Congress K Suresh as INDIA blocs nominee for Speaker. Efforts by the BJPs top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to naught when the INDIA bloc decided to field eight-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJPs Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Mr Birla was the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well. This will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the Lower House. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. There was however no Deputy Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had reached out to the Opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build a consensus. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had conveyed to Mr Rajnath Singh that the opposition was ready to extend support to NDAs Speaker candidate, but the post of Deputy Speaker should be given to the Opposition. On 27 June, President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. In a setback to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted bail to 17 members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), who were accused in the murder case of RSS leader Srinivasan. The murder that took place in the Palakkad district dates back to 2022. A Division Bench comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Syam Kumar V M granted bail to the seventeen accused on finding that there exists no reasonable ground to believe that the accusations made against them were prima facie true. Advertisement Over and above the principles gleaned from the precedents referred above, we feel that in cases such as the present, where the allegation against the accused is that they were complicit in terrorism-related offences, a court examining the evidence against the accused under Section 43D of the UA (P) Act has also to guard itself against any confirmation bias that might creep in based on ideological biases and false narratives prevalent in society. ....The role of any court, not just the constitutional courts, must be to lean in favour of the fundamental rights of the accused, and not in favour of the restrictions that can be imposed on those rights, the court said. While granting the bail, the high court imposed stringent conditions on them. They have been ordered to share their mobile numbers and real-time GPS locations with the investigating officer. Besides, the accused shall not leave the state of Kerala, shall surrender their passports and keep their mobile phones charged and active round-the-clock, the high court said. The court directed the 17 accused to present themselves before the special court which shall enlarge them on bail on such conditions as the special court may deem necessary. The high court, however, denied bail to nine appellants (Saddam Hussain MK, Ashraf, Noushad M, Ashraf Moulavi, Ansari EP, Mohammad Ali K @ Kunjappu, Yahiya Koya Thangal, Abdul Raoof C A and Abdul Sathar) on finding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations made against them by the NIA were prima facie true and that they were disentitled to bail under Section 43D (5) of the UAPA. Proceeding thus, we feel that it is only in respect of those appellants/accused, against whom the material relied upon by the prosecution, when taken as a whole, crosses the threshold of general allegations coupled with overt acts that would clearly suggest the complicity of the accused in the offence with which he is charged, that we can say with any degree of conviction that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against that person is prima facie true. the court said. Marking the 49th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the dark days showed how the Congress subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution. Taking a dig at the opposition, he said those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for the Constitution. His response came a day after the INDIA bloc mounted a massive protest inside the Parliament premises against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Advertisement In a series of posts on X, Modi wrote, Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly, Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution, he said. The prime minister added that the mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again, he said. June 25, 2024, marks the 49th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency by the countrys first woman prime minister, Indira Gandhi. The Emergency, spanning from 1975 to 1977, was a period marked by suspension of civil liberties, censorship of press, and widespread persecution of political opponents under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Modi said the then Congress government had disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation a jail. He said those who disagreed with the Congress were tortured during the Emergency, and socially regressive policies were unleashed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the episode is the biggest example of the Congresss long history of attempts to kill democracy. BJP president J P Nadda said on X that those who claim to be the guardians of Indian democracy today had spared no efforts to suppress the voices raised in the defence of constitutional values. Defence minister Rajnath Singh also said the Emergency is a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy. On Monday, INDIA bloc leaders had staged a protest by holding out copies of the Constitution inside the Parliament premises. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and DMK M Kanimozhi were among several Opposition leaders who took part in the protest. Former Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP MP from Kota, Om Birla on Tuesday filed his nomination for the post of Speaker. The Oppositions INDIA bloc fielded its eight-term MP K Suresh for the post. Mr Birla, who served as the Speaker in the previous term, is likely to become the Speaker again as the ruling coalition has enough numbers in case there is an election. As per the tradition, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected uncontested. Advertisement However, the government and the Opposition failed to agree this time, resulting in rate contest between the NDA and INDIA blocs candidate for the Speakers position. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke with Oppositions INDIA bloc leaders to build a consensus on the Speakers post. The opposition has proposed that they should be given the Deputy Speakers post. During talks with Rajnath Singh, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge stated that the Opposition is prepared to back the governments nominee for Speaker but he demanded the Deputy Speakers position in return. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi confirmed Rajnath Singh has spoken with Kharge to request support for the post of Speaker. He said that the Opposition agreed to support the government but according to tradition, the Deputy Speakers post should go to the Opposition. Todays newspaper reports that PM Modi urged the Opposition to cooperate with the Government constructively. Rajnath Singh contacted Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting support for the Speaker. The entire Opposition agreed to support the Speaker, but the tradition dictates that the Deputy Speaker position should go to the opposition. Rajnath Singh promised to call back Mallikarjun Kharge, but he hasnt done so yet PM Modi seeks cooperation from the Opposition, yet our leader faces disrespect, Rahul told reporters. INDIA bloc constituent and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also reiterated the Oppositions stand and said the Deputy Speakers post must be given to the Opposition. Everything will be revealed shortly The Oppositions demand was for the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha to be from the Opposition Our party shares the same view, he said. Prominent INDIA bloc leaders including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the BJP-led NDA government of violating the convention by not giving the post of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha to the Opposition, forcing them to field candidate for the Speakers post, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that give and take of posts was not right. However later, Congress MP K Suresh filed his nomination for the post of Speaker as INDIA blocs nominee. Talking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi informed that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge received a call from Defence Minister Rajanth Singh on Monday seeking support from the INDIA bloc for the BJP-led NDA candidate for the Speakers post. Advertisement We spoke to everyone, the entire Opposition has said that we will support. But the convention is that the Opposition should get the Deputy Speaker post, he said. The Congress MP said the Defence Minister was informed about this by Kharge and he told he will call him back but he did not. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, Prime Minister says there should be cooperation and everyone should work together. He does not want any constructive cooperation, because the convention is that the Deputy Speaker should be from the Opposition. If the convention is followed then we will give our support for the post of Speaker. Referring to the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, he said, We had given during the time of UPA. Echoing similar sentiments, the SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yadav said the only demand was that the Deputy Speaker post be given to the Opposition. The demand was that the Deputy Speaker should be from the Opposition. The opinion of our party is that the Deputy Speaker post should be from the Opposition, he said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju said this give and take of post of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker was not right. He also termed the filing of nomination from the Opposition for the post of Speaker as unfortunate and added that it should be elected unopposed with consensus. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav on Tuesday voiced his anger over the persistent water crisis in the national capital, accusing both BJP and AAP governments of failing to address the issue effectively. With the water pipes running dry for weeks, Yadav claimed people of Delhi are left at the mercy of the rain god for their water needs. Commenting on Delhi Water Minister Atishis Jal Satyagraha, Yadav described it as a mere publicity stunt. Advertisement The Delhi Congress chief argued that AAP government came to power with promises of free power and water, however it has failed to deliver on its commitments. The dependence on Haryana for water supply exposes the flaws in Kejriwals free water scheme, which he described as a sham. Yadav further highlighted the plight of the poor, claiming that they are forced to spend 100 rupees on a daily basis to purchase drinking water. He also criticized the saffron party, asserting that the seven BJP MPs elected to the Lok Sabha from Delhi have done little to manage the water crisis. He further hit out at the central government for consistently failing Delhis residents during the crisis, including water shortages, water- logging, pollution, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The water crisis is not the only environmental issue plaguing Delhi, he said, expressing shock over the Supreme Courts inquiry into whether the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had illegally cut trees in the citys ridge forest on directions from the Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. With extreme heat wave conditions attributed to the diminishing green cover, Yadav called for the DDA to plant more trees instead of bringing down the existing ones. He pointed out that Congress workers celebrated Rahul Gandhis birthday last week by planting saplings, emphasizing the partys ongoing commitment to enhancing Delhis green cover. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea by Congress leader Ajay Rai seeking the quashing of the criminal proceedings against him under the Uttar Pradesh Gangster and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. Rai has challenged the Allahabad High Courts order refusing to quash criminal proceedings against him at Varanasi court under the provisions of Indian Penal Code and the Gangsters Act case registered in 2010. Issuing notice to Uttar Pradesh government and also to one Bhanu Pratap Singh on whose complaint FIR was registered against Ajay Rai, a vacation bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Rajesh Bindal refused to stay the proceedings against the Congress leader before the trial court. Advertisement Ajay Rai had contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi seat in the just concluded Lok Sabha election. Rai is Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president. The vacation bench posted the matter for hearing on July 15, 2024. On May 19, the High Court had dismissed Rais plea seeking the quashing of the case against him under the Gangster Act. Earlier, the High Court had refused to accept the compromise entered between the accused persons and the complainant on September 28, 2023. The High Court had said that the offence punishable under the Gangsters Act is an independent offence and it was not imposed at the instance of the complainant but it has been imposed by the State government to achieve the aim and object of the said Act. The High Court had said that there is no statutory basis to quash the proceedings under section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act and section 3(1) UP Gangsters Act even after compromise between the complainant and accused for the offence under IPC. The FIR against Rai was registered on March 26, 2010, by Bhanu Pratap Singh at Chetganj police station at Varanasi. Besides Rai, another five persons were named in the FIR. An Ordinance to prevent unfair practices and paper leaks in public examinations will be introduced by the Uttar Pradesh government very soon. The Ordinance was approved by the state cabinet here on Tuesday, which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This ordinance includes stringent penalties for violators, with punishments ranging from 2 years to life imprisonment and fines up to Rs one crore. Advertisement The Yogi government had previously implemented strict measures against paper leaks, and this ordinance is another significant step in that direction. Finance and Parliamentary Minister Suresh Khanna, while briefing media persons, said: A total of 44 proposals were presented to the Cabinet of which 43 were approved. Among the approved proposals was the Prevention of Unfair Means and Paper Leaks in Public Examinations Ordinance 2024. According to the Finance Minister, this ordinance mandates severe penalties for those involved in paper leaks, including institutions and associated individuals, with punishments ranging from two years to life imprisonment and fines of up to Rs one crore. The ordinance covers the Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Board, Uttar Pradesh Board, universities, authorities, or institutions nominated by them. It applies to all recruitment examinations, regularization or promotion exams, and entrance exams for degrees, diplomas, or certificates. The ordinance also criminalizes the distribution of fake question papers and the creation of fake employment websites. He said: If an examination is compromised, the financial burden will be recovered from the solver gang, and the involved institutes and service providers will be permanently blacklisted. The Act also includes provisions for property attachment in case of a crime. All offences under this ordinance are classified as cognizable, non-bailable, and triable by the Sessions Court and are non-compoundable. Stringent conditions for bail have also been established. He added: In the absence of an Assembly session, an ordinance has been proposed in place of a bill. The Council of Ministers has approved the proposal, after which the ordinance process will be completed and implemented. Meanwhile, in other decisions of the Cabinet, the UP government has also approved extension of the Varanasi, Bareilly, and Moradabad development authorities with inclusion of several revenue villages. Finance Minister Suresh Khanna informed that with the proposed extension, the Varanasi Development Authority will include 215 revenue villages. Similarly, 35 revenue villages have also been included in the Bareilly Development Authority and 71 revenue villages in the Moradabad Development Authority. State Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh informed that Tata Sons will construct a world-class Indian Temple Museum in Ayodhya with an investment of Rs 750 crore from its CSR fund. The Cabinet has approved the proposal for the world-class museum. The Government of India has collaborated with Tata Sons on this initiative, earmarking Rs 650 crore for the museum and another Rs 100 crore for ancillary development. Rs 750 crore has been sanctioned for the Indian Temple Museum project. Tata Sons will oversee the construction, with the Tourism Department leasing the land at a nominal rate of one rupee for a period of 90 + 90 years. The UP Cabinet has also approved the Chief Minister Tourism Fellowship Program, which aims to select researchers through the Tourism Department. These researchers will promote tourism in the state and facilitate investment acceleration in this sector. Additionally, they will assist in resolving issues faced by investors. Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh highlighted these researchers pivotal role in supervising and monitoring Tourism Department schemes, developing ecological sites comprehensively, evaluating both central and state government schemes, and advancing plans for fairs and festivals. They will contribute significantly to creating a favourable environment for investors and tourists while supporting the preservation efforts of the District Tourism and Culture Council, particularly under the Tourism Directorate. Initially, 25 researchers will be chosen for this program. They will receive an honorarium totalling Rs 40,000, with Rs 30,000 allocated for remuneration and Rs 10,000 for field visits. Additionally, they will be provided with a tablet for their work. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant the Centres clearance to 24 hydro power projects. He also sought the Centres nod to Dehradun-Mussoorie rail project. In an important meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Dhami requested him to review the final report of Expert Committee-2 constituted by the Supreme Court of India on the banned 24 HydroElectric Power Projects (HEPs) proposed on Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and their tributaries. Dhami informed the PM that these projects were cleared by the Experts Committee-2 constituted by the SC in 2014, after reviewing all 70 HEPs in the state, and were awaiting nod from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Union Ministry of Power. Advertisement The CM said: HEPs are the key sectors for increasing a states Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Early clearance of these projects will help the state achieve its target of states economic growth. He also sought the centres nod for the 24 projects which will also lead the state to meet its power requirements as Uttarakhand has to purchase electricity worth Rs 1,000 crore annually from the open market. Dhami also requested the PM to direct the departments and authorities concerned to clear the pending forest land transfer proposals to expedite development works of strategic importance. Uttarakhand has 67 per cent forest area cover leading to less availability of land for the developmental works. The state has its strategic importance having international borders. In view of this, there is undue delay in getting approvals from the Centre for the developmental projects mainly due to non-availability of compensatory lands owing to the provisions of Forest Conservation and Development Act 2023. This hinders the road constructions and other infrastructural works by the state government, Government of India agencies like NHAI, BRO, ITBP, Railways and Indian Army, said Dhami. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister further stressed upon the need to grant the Centres approval for Dehradun-Mussoorie rail line project for the expansion of rail services in Uttarakhand, especially in the hills. Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from West Delhi Kamaljeet Sehrawat on Tuesday met the kin of the four family members who died of suffocation in Delhis Prem Nagar, following a fire at their residence. Upon hearing the tragic news, Delhi BJP General Secretary and MP Sehrawat visited Prem Nagar to assess the situation. She also offered her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members on behalf of the entire party. Sehrawat gave instructions to Councilor Amit Kharkhari, who had accompanied the MP to meet the bereaved family, to provide every possible assistance to them. Advertisement She said that the death of four members of the family in this incident is tragic and serves as a reminder to use electrical appliances cautiously during the current intense hot weather condition. During the early hours of Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in a house at Prem Nagar, Najafgarh, due to a suspected problem in the inverter battery, which later filled the house with suffocating smoke. As a result, four members of the family including husband, wife and their two sons passed away. They were rushed to the hospital after the Fire Department reached the spot on receiving the call, but unfortunately they were declared brought dead by the doctor. As the ruling NDA coalition and the Oppositions INDIA bloc fielded their candidates for the election of Lok Sabha Speaker, the former has blamed the old mentality of the Congress for not building consensus. The NDA coalition has named Kota MP and former Speaker Om Birla as its candidate for the Speakers post, while the Opposition has fielded senior MP K Suresh. This will be the first time since 1946 that elections will take place for the Lok Sabha Speaker, who is traditionally elected unopposed. Advertisement Speaking on the issue, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said The government tried to reach out the Opposition Congress to seek their support to elect the Speaker but the Congress showed their old mentality that we will dictate the terms and put condition that first Deputy Speakers post will be decided. In the morning, Rajnath Singh ji wanted to discuss with Mallikarjun Kharge ji but he was busy so he said that (KC) Venugopal ji would talk to you. But after speaking with TR Baalu and KC Venugopal ji, the old mentality that we will dictate the terms was shown again that the condition is that first decide who will be the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and then support will be given for the Speaker, we condemn this type of politics, Goyal said. Union Minister Lallan Singh said that BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh informed Congress leader KC Venugopal about the NDAs candidate for the Speakers post and asked for their support but he was adamant on deciding the Deputy Speakers candidate. Venugopal said that the name of the deputy speaker should be accepted The Defence minister said that when that election comes, we will sit together and discuss They were adamant on their condition. Sharton ke aadhar par wo loktantra chalana chahte hain, dabaav ki rajneeti karna chahte hain( They want to run a democracy based on conditions, they want to do politics of pressure ) This does not work in a democracy, the JD-U leader said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the entire Opposition was ready to support the NDAs candidate but wanted Deputy Speakers post in return. Rajnath Singh promised to call back Mallikarjun Kharge, but he hasnt done so yet PM Modi seeks cooperation from the Opposition, yet our leader faces disrespect, Rahul told reporters. Vladimir Putins recently concluded visit to Pyongyang was closely watched by the West, mainly because the two countries, Russia and North Korea, remain the most sanctioned on the planet, alongside Iran. The visit was expected to be fruitful for both. Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, visited eastern Russia and met Putin in September last year. The current visit gained greater media coverage and analysis than the recently concluded Switzerland peace summit. Pyongyang is an outlying Chinese colony, its largest trading partner and a major recipient of Beijings aid. However, China has been unable to control Kim Jong-un from conducting nuclear and missile tests, resulting in a joint pact between South Korea, Japan and the US. This implies greater US presence in its vicinity. Symbolically, visiting North Korea and Vietnam displayed to Western leaders that Putin is not as isolated as they believe. He has support in different parts of the world. The stage-managed welcome put up by North Korea indicated, from the start, that both highly-sanctioned nations are together and can jointly impact western plans. For North Korea, the visit highlighted that it is not alone in taking on the West, it has the backing of two permanent members of the UN, China and Russia. Pyongyang is known to be providing munitions to the Kremlin to support it in its war in Ukraine. As per CNN, North Korea has supplied over 10,000 munition containers to Russia, containing about 260,000 metric tons of ammunition thus far, though denied by both. In return Moscow has backed North Korea in the UN. In March this year, Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts that monitors enforcement of UN sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. Russias shift adds credence to reports of munitions being provided by Pyongyang. Both leaders placed their best foot forward conveying proximity in ties. Putin commenced the visit by publishing an article in North Koreas newspaper praising Kim and promising to build a trade and payment system not controlled by the West. Putin also promised to back Kim against US pressure, blackmail and military threats. While with Beijing, Moscow is a junior partner, with North Korea it is not. Advertisement The three nations together form a close alliance in Asia. The comprehensive strategic pact, inked between Moscow and Pyongyang is almost similar to NATOs Article 5 and was the highlight of the visit. The pact mentions provision of mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement. Does this imply that in case Russia desires, North Korea could threaten to open a new front against South Korea and Japan? The wording also hints at military-technical cooperation between the two states. This could mean that Russia could transfer missile and nuclear technology to North Korea, adding to western concerns. The visit and the joint statement irked South Korea. It announced that it would reconsider supplying arms to Ukraine. Thus far, Seoul was only providing humanitarian aid to Kiev while backing sanctions against Moscow. Putin retaliated, warning he would commence arming Pyongyang. Putin had visited Beijing in May, his first visit after his re-election. It was initially planned that Putin would visit Pyongyang directly from Beijing, but that was shelved on a request from Xi Jinping. The joint statement issued at the end of the visit mentioned, (We) intend to increase interaction and tighten coordination in order to counter Washingtons destructive and hostile course towards the so-called dual containment of our countries. China alongside Russia is a formidable challenge for the West. It is known that Beijing is providing Russia with dual use technology, which despite western pressure and threats of sanction has not ceased. For China, Russias success in Ukraine would open doors for its planned operation against Taiwan. An addition to the grouping is Iran, another heavily sanctioned nation. Western sources have confirmed that Iran is supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and drones. Reports mention Iranian assistance in establishing a drone manufacturing unit in Russia. As expected, these accusations are denied by both parties. In return, Russia will provide Iran with Su-35 aircraft, submarines, attack helicopters, etc. Iran and China are also close, with China investing in the country as also procuring oil from it. The US has been pressurizing China to use its influence on Tehran to curb its proxies in the Middle East. Chatham House in an article quoted an Iranian official who stated that China conveyed, If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran. So, tell the Houthis to show restraint. This led to the Houthis granting Russian and Chinese ships immunity. Many believe that China does not hold much sway over Tehran as it seeks to balance its relations with Tehran alongside those with Riyadh. While this axis is slowly gaining strength in Asia, Russia displayed its Cuban alliance. Cuba has remained under US sanctions for decades and is a historical Russian ally. A group of Russian ships, including a frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine, recently visited Havana for five days. The Cuban President made a formal visit to the Russian frigate. While the US stated that the Russian naval visit was not a threat, it however dispatched one of its nuclear-powered submarines to its Guantanamo Bay base. Western sanctions, for multiple reasons, have pushed Russia, China, North Korea and Iran together. Officially it may not appear so. However, all three have been supporting Russia in its war effort in different ways, thereby ensuring that Moscow possesses the ability to continue its operations without hindrance. Evidently it is the West against this axis. No wonder Putin has been mentioning the possibility of a third world war. Astana in Kazakhstan will host the forthcoming SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit on 3-4 July this year. It will be attended by heads of state of all member nations. Bilateral interactions including those with Putin will dominate the event. The BRICS summit in Russia is scheduled later this year. The message emerging is that attempts by the West to isolate Putin are unlikely to succeed and they must rethink their Ukraine policy and conditions for talks to resolve the conflict. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) Reading books and news reports on the Emergency declared in India on 25 June 1975 invariably gives us goose-bumps. What follows is a range of uncontrollable emotions: of feeling aghast, ashamed, horrified, scared, and then vengefully angry. To a vast audience of young readers, it is The Judgement by veteran journalist-editor-pacifist Kuldip Nayar which provides the Inside Story of the Emergency in India, with drama, heroism, and political manipulations on every page. Published in 1977 soon after the Janata Partys thundering victory and rise to power 47 years ago, the book captures horrors and hopes ignited during the Emergency years from 1975 to 1977. It was midnight on 25 June 1975, when the telephone woke me up, is the classic opening line by Kuldip Nayar, the ace raconteur-reporter-editor, The caller said that he was speaking from Bhopal. Streets there were teeming with police and could I find out why? I said sleepily I would and he hung up. But as soon as I put the telephone down, it rang again. It was from a paper in Jullundur and the caller said that the police had seized the press and all copies of the days paper. This was followed by a call from my office, the Indian Express reporting that the electricity to all newspaper offices in Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhis Fleet Street, had been cut off, and unofficial sources said, that it was not likely to be restored in the near future. Nayar soon got a call reporting the arrest of leaders including Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai and Chandra Shekhar; then followed the announcement of the Emergency and censorship. A nation had been trussed and gagged, he wrote. Such was the atmosphere of terror and intimidation that few would talk. I did get some facts but I was arrested on 26 July. Advertisement It was only after my release, seven weeks later, that I could pick up the thread again. I also travelled through most of the country twice during the Emergency, once in October-November 1975 and again in the middle of 1976. His reflections ring true till date: One thing that I have observed during my tours and interviews is that, however submissive almost everyone was, very few people had accepted authoritarian rule. There was fear, obedience, but not acceptance. Who were the people who instilled that fear and why did practically nobody in the government or elsewhere try to withstand the pressure? It was 12 June which was the pivotal date in the lead up to the declaration of Emergency on 25 June 1975, the day Justice Jag Mohan Lal Sinha of the Allahabad High Court gave his judgement on the petition Raj Narain filed against the prime ministers election to the Lok Sabha in 1971. Nayar described the courtroom drama: Sinha, with his 258-page judgement before him, said, I shall read out only my findings on the various issues involved in the case. Then he added, The petition is allowed. There was a moment of stunned silence and then a burst of applause; newspapermen ran to telephones and intelligence men to their offices. At 10.02 am, the teleprinters of news agencies were flashing the message: Mrs Gandhi Unseated. Justice Sinha held Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of two corrupt practices in the election. The first was that she had used Yashpal Kapoor, officer on special duly in the prime ministers secretariat, to further her election prospects. As a government servant, he should not have been put to such use. The second impropriety was that Mrs Gandhi had obtained assistance of Uttar Pradesh officials to build rostrums from which she addressed election rallies; the officials had also arranged for loudspeakers and electricity to feed them. Raj Narain had lost by a margin of over 100,000 votes; improprieties would not have materially changed the outcome, wrote Nayar. These corrupt practices were too thin to justify unseating a prime minister. Said Nayar: It was almost like unseating the prime minister for a traffic offence. But the law was the law, and it was quite clear that any assistance sought from a government servant for the furtherance of the prospects of a candidates election was a corrupt practice. Justice Sinha himself said in the judgement that he was left with no choice. Between 12 June to 25 June 1975, the nation witnessed upheavals and unrest of the kind reminiscent of the freedom struggle; it did not spare the wellentrenched Congress party, nor the Prime Ministers Office. The scattered Opposition parties realized the once-popular and powerful Indira Gandhi was facing the biggest political-legalconstitutional challenge of her life. The call for her ouster as PM grew louder by the day; when the non-communist Opposition leaders met President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, it was to request for an order to Indira Gandhi to relinquish office. Dharnas were planned outside Rashtapati Bhavan to intensify the agitation; Congress party-members were contacted and appeals made to uphold the prestige of the prime ministers office. There is no doubt, wrote Nayar, the Prime Minister was beginning to feel hemmed in. Who were her pillars of strength in this hour of siege? The strongest pillar was Sanjay Gandhi, her favourite son considered mature for his young age by the PM, his cronies included RK Dhawan and Bansi Lal, ready for extra-constitutional arm-twisting. Sidhartha Shankar Ray, Nandini Satpathy, DK Barooah and Jagjivan Ram were the heavyweights whose advise Indira Gandhi normally relied on. In this abnormal, unfamiliar, and unfathomable situation which seemed to be erupting, Mrs Gandhi decided to show her political clout in a vast rally on 20 June. She was ready for legal battles in court; in public, she wanted to be the invincible Desh ki Neta. At the 20 June solidarity rally in New Delhi, she said she would continue to serve people in whatever capacity she could till her last breath, service had been her family tradition. Nayar noted: For the first time, she mentioned her family at a public meeting. The family was present on the dais ~ Sanjay, Rajiv and his Italian wife, Sonia. Mrs Gandhi said big forces had been working not only to oust her from office but to liquidate her physically. Beyond the public domain in the proverbial corridors of power, the legal-eagle Sidhartha Shankar Ray was pursuing ideas on doing something to silence the press and opponents of Mrs Gandhi. To be constitutionally correct, Rays team found sanction for internal emergency an action plan with dictatorial motives. Notes were prepared on imposition of Emergency powers, suspension of fundamental rights, with courts ordered not to entertain any suit seeking to enforce these rights. The powers would be sweeping and Mrs Gandhi was relieved, commented Nayar, she would be acting under the Constitution in declaring the emergency. How different was her attitude from that of Nehru. In October 1962, when the entire country was turning against him because of the reverses against China, Krishna Menon, then defence minister, had suggested the imposition of internal emergency. Nehru ruled it out on the ground that it would harm democratic traditions. The time set for action was midnight, 25 June. Secrecy was the key point. None but Mrs Gandhi, Sanjay, Dhawan, Bansi Lai, Om Mehta, and Ray, knew of the imminent operation, though orders had started going out to hundreds of men, mostly relating to arrests. Opposition leaders were busy preparing for the 25 June rally. Jayaprakash Narayan, now hailed as Loknayak (the peoples hero), conducted one of the biggest rallies Delhi had seen. Jayaprakash announced formation of a Lok Sangharsh Samiti, (peoples struggle committee), with Morarji Desai as chairman and Nanaji Deshmukh, a top Jana Sangh leader, as secretary, to start a countrywide agitation on 29 June to force Mrs Gandhi to resign. There were to be non-violent hartals, satyagrahas and demonstrations. Ironically, this was precisely the Congress partys own stand in the 1930s. Mrs Gandhis grandfather, Motilal Nehru, was the moving spirit in getting the party to move a resolution urging police to disobey illegal orders. Judges of the British raj ruled that there was nothing wrong in asking the police to disobey illegal orders, observed Nayar. For Mrs Gandhi, Sanjay and their supporters, however, JPs appeal to the police and the military was the best propaganda ammunition they could hit upon. Now they could say Jayaprakash was trying to foment trouble among the armed forces; this was treasonable. But that was only a pretext. Much before the rally, Sanjay Gandhi and his trusted men were getting ready for the kill. The formal declaration of Emergency on 25 June 1975, commented Prof Arvind Rajagopal of New York University, marked the end of the Nehruvian era. (The writer an authorresearcher on history and heritage issues and a former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya) Representatives of doctors and the government in South Korea are expected to sit down for talks as early as this week, as both sides have hinted that they would hold negotiations to seek a breakthrough to end the months-long standoff over the governments medical reforms. The move came as Lim Hyun-taek, the hawkish head of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), stepped back from the standoff, prompting the KMA to form a committee to cope with potential talks with the government, Yonhap News Agency reported. After holding its first meeting last Saturday, the committee said it welcomed the governments stance that negotiations with doctors are possible regardless of agenda and formality. Advertisement In response, the Health Ministry asked the committee to hold talks without conditions. In another indication of an olive branch by the KMA, the group said it will not begin an indefinite walkout on Thursday as announced. Instead, the groups committee will hold a meeting on Saturday to decide on how it will proceed with such a walkout. An official at the KMA, however, said that the group will not stop its fight against the government. The standoff over medical reforms has appeared to lose steam after medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital and its affiliates decided to end their indefinite walkout, saying they could not put patients at risk anymore. Since late February, about 12,000 trainee doctors have left their worksites in protest against the medical school quota increase. Last month, the government finalised an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools, marking the first such increase in 27 years. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Meta Platforms reached out to Apple to integrate the social media giant's AI chatbot into iPhone some months ago but the Cupertino giant rejected the offer, said a report. The two tech giants are currently not in discussion for an AI partnership, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing sources. ALSO READ: Meta AI rolled out in India, can be accessed on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger Why did Apple shun Meta AI? The potential partnership failed to reach a formal stage as Apple was not keen on integrating Meta's in-house Llama 3 LLM (Large Language Model) with the iPhone or other devices. One of the main reasons for Apple's rejection is the Facebook parent company's privacy norms, which the iPhone maker believes are not stringent enough, according to Bloomberg News. Meanwhile, Apple, which unveiled its "Apple Intelligence" features in the recent WWDC event, where it said OpenAI's ChatGPT will be brought into its devices. An agreement with Google-parent Alphabet over its Gemini AI chatbot is also under consideration. Apple is already collaborating with Google with regard to its Safari web browser. Meta AI rolled out in India On Monday, Meta AI was rolled out to Indian users who can now access the Llama chatbot on Meta apps including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Users can click the blue-pink ring seen on the search bar of Meta apps to access the AI. Its functionality is similar to that of OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles Gemini, and Anthropics Claude. Like rival AI chatbots, Meta AI can perform task such as composing emails, planning trips, suggesting recipes, writing code, summarise text and translating besides creating images and GIFs. One of the unique features of Meta AI is its availability on WhatsApp and Messenger avoiding the need to access a dedicated app. Meta AI can also access Google and Bing to answer queries to run web search. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi, known for his penchant for stirring controversies, sparked off yet another political row on Tuesday when he chanted Jai Palestine while taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. The five-time MP from Hyderabad, who defeated BJPs Madhavi Lata by 3.3 lakh votes in the recent elections, concluded his oath, saying: Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine. Owaisi took his oath in Urdu. According to reports, a section of BJP MPs had chanted Jai Shri Ram as he went to take oath. #WATCH | AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha; concludes his oath with the words, "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine" pic.twitter.com/ewZawXlaOB ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024 The AIMIM chief later defended his speech, saying theres no provision in the Constitution that barred him from saying Jai Palestine "Everyone is saying a lot of things...I just said Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine How it is against, show the provision in the Constitution, he said. The BJP has, however, demanded action against the MP. "We do not support or oppose any country, but it is not right to take the name of any country in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said. The BJP on Tuesday launched a counter-offensive to the Opposition's Constitution jab, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi using the 49th anniversary of the Emergency as a reason to hit out at the Congress. In a scathing attack on the Congress, Modi wrote on X that those who imposed the Emergency had no right to profess their love for the Constitution. "Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution," he said. The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2024 He accused the Congress Government of disregarding democratic principles to cling on to power. "Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections," Modi added. He further said the mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency was very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. "They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again," the Prime Minister added. Besides Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah too called Emergency the biggest example of the opposition party's long history of killing democracy and harming it repeatedly. BJP president J P Nadda said on 'X' that those who claim to be the guardians of Indian democracy today had spared no efforts to suppress the voices raised in the defence of constitutional values. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Emergency, imposed by the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 before she lifted it in 1977 and called for elections, is a black chapter in Indian democracy which cannot be forgotten. The BJP leaders' statements come amid a coordinated campaign by opposition parties to paint the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as working against the Constitution. The Congress and other opposition members carried copies of the Constitution in Parliament on Monday as the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began to highlight the campaign. The first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed a war of words between Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over the imposition of Emergency. Amid Mamata Banerjee's claim that the West Bengal state government was not consulted over the Ganga Water Treaty with Bangladesh, sources within the Union Ministry have said that the Chief Minister's claims were false and that the West Bengal government was consulted on the review of the treaty. Sources quoted by PTI said the joint secretary (works) in the irrigation and waterways department of the West Bengal government conveyed in April the state's total demand for the next 30 years from the stretch downstream of the Farakka Barrage. This came as Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concerns over the talks on water sharing between India and Bangladesh. "I am writing this letter in the context of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable," she said in her letter. However, the sources added that the Centre had, on July 24 last year, sought a nominee of the West Bengal government in the committee for carrying out an "Internal Review of the India-Bangladesh Treaty of 1996 on Sharing of the Ganga/Ganges Waters at Farakka". They said the West Bengal government had, on August 25 last year, conveyed the nomination of the chief engineer (design and research) in the irrigation and waterways directorate to the committee. Mamata had also chaired a meeting with the chairman of municipalities and municipal corporations in Howrah, where she accused the BJP of renewing the Farakka Treaty without considering the livelihoods of the people of Bengal. Terming the BJPs 'Bangla Birodhi' (anti-Bengal) mindset, she said the people of Bengal will not remain silent. What's the treaty India and Bangladesh signed the Ganga Water Treaty or the Farakka Treaty in 1996. The 30-year treaty is due to expire in 2026 but may be extended by mutual agreement. The treaty between the two nations came after the commissioning of the Farakka barrage in 1975 to divert water from the Ganges to the Hooghly to ensure the navigability of the Calcutta port. However, both countries have had differences over the water share. The first treaty was signed on November 5, 1977, between then-Prime Minister Morarji Desai and Major-General Ziaur Rahman. The second arrangement was signed on December 12, 1996, between Sheikh Hasina and H.D. Deve Gowda. With two years left for the treaty to expire in two years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries have decided to start talks at the technical level for the renewal of the Ganga River treaty. This coincided with Bangladesh Prine Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit to India last week. A technical team will also travel to Bangladesh to review the protection and management of the Teesta River in Bangladesh, Modi said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that a joint technical committee will initiate discussions for the renewal of the Ganges water-sharing treaty. He said that conservation and management of the Teesta River will also be undertaken in Bangladesh with suitable Indian assistance. The attempts by the government to arrive at a consensus on the Lok Sabha Speaker's post appeared to have failed as Congress MP Kodikunnil. Suresh filed the nomination for the post. With this, the opposition has scripted history as it is the first time that the post of the speaker has been contested. The voting will take place at 11 am on Wednesday. The move comes amid speculations that Kota MP Om Birla was to be reelected as Speaker again. Birla files nomination Meanwhile, Om Birla also filed his nomination for the post. JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said Birla's name was decided unanimously by all NDA parties and that senior Rajnath Singh also reached out to the opposition for their support. Hitting out at the opposition, he said they wanted a decision on the post of deputy speaker immediately despite Rajnath Singh requesting that everyone should sit together and discuss the issue when the time comes for the selection. Union minister Piyush Goyal said it would have been better to have an consensus candidate and criticised the opposition for putting forth conditions. Democracy cannot be run on conditions, he asserted. Why did Congress choose to contest? Congress leader K.C. Venugopal had said the opposition would contest the speaker's election and accused the government of being non-committal on giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition. Failed consensus Amid reports that Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh was attempting to build a consensus over the posts of both Speaker and deputy speaker, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if they give the deputy speaker's post to the opposition bloc. "Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge, and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said we would support the Speaker, but the convention is that the deputy speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Kharge, but he has not done that yet," Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying. Besides Kharge, Singh had also to DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin among other opposition leaders in an effort to build a consensus. Birla had earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid indications that he will again be the NDA's candidate for the post. A few days ago, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju too had pitched for a consensus for the post saying, "It is always better if there is a consensus." Veteran Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh, who has filed his nomination as opposition candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker polls, said the opposition decided to contestthe first time in the history of Parliamentbecause of the government's belligerence. It's not solely about numbers, Kodikunnil Suresh said, adding that it is about upholding the tradition of the Lok Sabha. Historically, the Speaker's position is assigned to the ruling party, while the deputy speaker's role is designated for the opposition. However, the government is unwilling to concede the deputy speaker's position to us. Hence, we've decided to contest, Kodikunnil Suresh said. After filing his nomination for the post, he said, "I have filed my nomination. It is the party's decision, not mine. There is a convention in Lok Sabha that the Speaker will be from the ruling party and the deputy speaker will be from the opposition. The deputy speaker is our right. But they are not ready to give it to us. Till 11:50 am we were waiting for a response from the government, but they did not give any response. That is why we filed the nomination." ALSO READ: Who is Kodikunnil Suresh, the Congress MP contesting against Om Birla for Lok Sabha Speaker post An eight-term MP, Kodikunnil Suresh was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 and then again in the 1991, 1996 and 1999 elections. He lost the polls in 1998 and 2004. Suresh, who has an LLB degree, again won in 2009, 2014, 2019 and the just-concluded 2024 elections. In 2009, he won again but his victory was challenged by his nearest rival who alleged that Suresh produced a fake caste certificate and that he was a Christian. The Kerala High Court had declared his election invalid but the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court. On the backdrop of Trinamool Congress's (TMC) poor performance in several municipal areas in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has held a series of meetings to address the issues that affected her party's prospects and revive its fortunes before the 2026 state assembly polls. Ever since the announcement of the results of the 2024 general elections, where TMC bagged 29 out of 42 seats, the West Bengal chief minister has held review meetings with officials of all levels belonging to the state, district and police administrations. The TMC saw the BJP taking the lead in at least 69 out of 125 civic areas in the state. The BJP is believed to have taken lead in almost 60 per cent of the wards in 125 municipal bodies. Interestingly, TMC runs the administrative boards in 124 of these bodies. During her latest meeting in Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Monday, Banerjee reprimanded her party leaders, MLAs, civic body chiefs, bureaucrats and police officials for inaction and poor administrative service in the state's urban areas. The BJP has won in more than 40 out of 144 wards under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, including in some wards that are part of the TMC supremo's home assembly constituency. In several municipal areas of North 24 Parganas, Bankura, Jhargram and Hooghly districts and North Bengal, the BJP took a substantial lead. If the trend continues, the TMCs tally in the assembly could come down from the partys 2021 figures. The TMC is currently trailing in assembly constituencies represented by eight ministers. Banerjee seems to have dictated to her party workers to put their best efforts into beating the persisting anti-incumbency in municipal areas as she came down heavily on the officials for their poor services. Issues raised by her included water accumulation on roads, negligence in waste cleaning, and encroachment of government land, among others. "It is my turn to speak today," she asserted. "I don't want masters of extortion. I want candidates who can serve people," she added in her unprecedented reproach, observing that civic body members are best placed to work for people at the grassroots. She pointed out the poor condition of roads in the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. "Do I need to go and clean roads now," an annoyed Mamata Banerjee asked. "[You people] don't look at [the conditions] of roads and street lamps. [You are] just bringing new people and increasing taxes. The administration is not taking any action whatsoever." About poor civic services in Howrah, Banerjee told Howrah Madhya MLA and the party's district president Arup Roy that concerned officials and representatives are not bothered about cleanliness and roads. She claimed that they were not taking action against encroachment as it was helping them in earning illegal money. As a result, she said, the Bengali identity of the region is in danger. The TMC supremo particularly expressed her dissatisfaction with the civic bodies in Siliguri Howrah and Salt Lake. Regarding encroachment in Kolkata's Salt Lake and New Town, she pointed towards Sujit Bose, a minister and a senior party leader from the region, and said, "Sujit has started a competition of encroachment. Why do councilors of Salt Lake not work?" The chief minister further claimed that the activities of land mafias in Siliguri have become a major issue. She blamed Siliguri Municipal Corporation Mayor Goutam Deb for failing to restrict the land mafias under his watch. "You can't avoid your responsibility. I will not spare the group of land mafias." The secretary of the urban development & municipal affairs department also faced the wrath of the chief minister. Sub-divisional officers in charge of civic bodies in Howrah, Haldia and Nadia's Cooper Camp were sent show cause notices. Banerjee dictated that no development fees could be charged in any municipality outside the rules. She also set up several committees for the transparency of the work and ordered to conduct tenders centrally, meaning civic bodies are not authorised anymore to call tenders at their whim. The teenage driver allegedly involved in the Porsche car accident in Pune was released from the observation home on Tuesday evening following a high court order. Two techiesAshwini Koshta and her friend Anish Awadhiyawere killed when the luxury car rammed into their two-wheeler in the early hours of May 19. The teen, who the police claim was drunk while driving the car, was lodged at an observation home in the city. The Bombay High Court, however, quashed the orders issued by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) remanding the minor to the observation home, and ordered his immediate release. "We allow the petition and order his release. The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) shall be in the care and custody of the petitioner (paternal aunt)," said a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande. Amid the kneejerk reaction and the public outcry, the CCL's age was not considered by the JJB, the court noted. The court said the accused is already under rehabilitation, which is the primary objective, and he is already referred to a psychologist and the same shall be continued. The order was passed on a plea filed by the 17-year-old boy's paternal aunt, who claimed he was illegally detained and sought his immediate release. The JJB had earlier granted bail to the minor boy on the same day the accident took place, but later sent him to the observation home till June 5 amid outrage over the lenient treatment and a review application by the police. As the Lok Sabha is all set for the historic elections for the post of Speaker, both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress on Tuesday issued whips to their MPs to remain present in the house from 11 am onwards on Wednesday. "All members of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11 a.m. onwards till the adjournment of the House on June 26 without fail and support the party stand, the whip issued by the grand old party said. The opposition has nominated Kodikunnil Suresh for the post of Speaker after attempts to reach a consensus on the appointment of BJP MP and former Speaker Om Birla to the pivotal post failed. The INDIA bloc claims that they would have supported a consensus candidate if the government had agreed to their demand for the Deputy Speaker post. The scheduled day for picking the Speaker is Wednesday and if an election occurs, it will be only the third time in Lok Sabha's history. With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233, numbers clearly favour Birla in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the opposition. As Maharashtra braces for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and the Assembly polls, dissent is brewing within the Congress unit in the state. Some leaders have reportedly sought the Congress High Command to bring in leadership changes to the Mumbai unit of the party, said reports. Currently, the Mumbai unit of the party is helmed by Varsha Gaikwad, who was recently elected to the Lok Sabha from Mumbai North East. Some leaders of the Congress, re-energised after the good show in the Lok Sabha elections, have reportedly written to Party president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the present Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) leadership of not taking leaders in Mumbai in confidence. However, the letter makes no direct request to change Gaikwad, ANI quoted a senior Congress leader. The letter, signed by 16 Congress leaders, stresses the need to focus on the organisational framework in Mumbai and enhancing coordination among party workers in Mumbai. Those who signed the letter include senior leaders Chandrakant Handore, Arif Nassim Khan, Dr Amarjit Manhas and J C Chandurkar. The letter also mentions that senior leaders are not even being updated about the regular programmes of the MRCC and the lack of coordination could be harmful in the upcoming assembly and BMC elections. To form an MVA government in Maharashtra, a victory in Mumbai is an important precondition, the letter says. However, one of the senior leaders told the Economic Times that the leaders wanted Gaikawad removed. He added that the new MP has not been able to build the organisation and has been unilaterally making decisions. He also accused Gaikwad of ignoring measures suggested by other leaders to improve the Congress's performance. "There is no dialogue, she does what she wants. Consequently, there are divisions within the party. If this goes on, then we will not be able to win the Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls, forget the upcoming assembly polls," said the senior leader. Meanwhile, the leaders are meeting at AICC headquarters in New Delhi to prepare for the Maharastra Assembly polls. Most of the signatories to the letter are already in Delhi to attend the meeting at 4 pm and are expected to deliberate on the topic. For the first time in the history of the country, the Lok Sabha will witness an election for the Speaker's post. While the ruling NDA government has picked Om Birla again, Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh has filed nominations for the post, after consensus talks helmed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh failed. As Suresh, one of the two senior-most MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha, files a nomination, the House will witness history as the Speaker has always been chosen via consensus. Earlier, there was a controversy after Suresh was snubbed for the post of pro-tem Speaker in favour of seven-term Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, despite the convention of the senior-most MP occupying the post. Who is Kodikunnil Suresh? Suresh was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and thereafter he won consecutively in the 1991,1996 and 1999 General Elections to the Lok Sabha from Adoor constituency for four straight terms. However, he was defeated in the 1998 and 2004 general elections. The veteran Parliamentarian from Kerala's Mavelikkara constituency, Suresh overcame the anti-incumbency factor to register consecutive wins. The Kerala faction of Congress has always staunchly stood behind him despite Suresh himself urging Congress to find a replacement for him before the elections so that he can focus on state politics. The MP served as Union Minister for State for Labour and Employment in the second UP government led by Manmohan Singh. He is now a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee meetings. Suresh, a prominent Dalit candidate, was earlier disqualified by the High Court after his opponent in 2010, R S Anil of CPI, argued that he didn't belong to the SC community. Suresh had then won from Mavelikkara, a reserved seat. Anil argued in the High Court that Suresh belonged to the OBC Cheramar Christian Community and not the Cheramar Hindu community, which was categorised as Scheduled Caste. However, Suresh approached the SC, winning the case and retaining his seat. He also had several run-ins with the law, after being booked six times for rioting, unlawful assembly and obstructing a public servant from doing his duty. With the High Court of Justice unanimously ruling that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, the young Haredi men are no longer eligible for exemptions from army service. The Law for Security Service, allowing blanket military service exemptions to Haredi men had expired last year. The government decision from June 2023 instructing the army not to begin drafting eligible Haredi men was termed "illegal" by the court. The government must therefore actively work to conscript ultra-Orthodox recruits to the IDF, said the court. Haredi Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is more conservative and highly religious. There are around 12,80,000 Haredi people in Israel as per the 2022 records. Reportedly, they constitute around 13.3 per cent of Israel's total population. The courts ruling comes at a time of raging Israel-Hamas war. Non-enforcement of the provisions of the Security Service Law creates severe discrimination between those who are required to serve and those who are exempted from army service, read the courts ruling. In these days, in the midst of a severe war, the burden of inequality is more acute than ever and requires the promotion of a sustainable solution to this issue, the court declared. Without a law differentiating between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel's compulsory military service system must apply to the ultra-Orthodox just like any other citizens, ruled the court. We determine that there is no legal basis for avoiding the recruitment of yeshiva students at this time; that the state must act to enforce the Law for Security Service on yeshiva students; that there is no legal authority to continue transferring the [financial] support for these students; and that government resolution 1724 was issued without authority and is void, the court ruled. However, the blanket exemptions for the Haredi men were not well received by the secular men. Since the war with Hamas, the divide has widened as the IDF has called up tens of thousands of soldiers in order to increase its manpower as the war rages on. Meanwhile, the court's ruling is a big blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. Ultra-Orthodox parties' powerful figures are key partners of the Netanyahu government and if exemptions are ended it could even lead to the collapse of the coalition leading to new elections. The lawyers appearing for the government had argued that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would tear apart the Israel society. The court pointed out that the state was carrying out invalid selective enforcement in serious violation of the rule of the law and the principle under which all individuals are equal before the law, reported the Times of Israel. The court also ruled that state subsidies for seminaries where exempted ultra-Orthodox men study should remain suspended. Reacting to the courts ruling, cabinet minister Yitzhak Goldknopf said that it was very unfortunate and disappointing. Goldknopf heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition. The state of Israel was established in order to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence. The Holy Torah will prevail, he wrote. In June, the government had sought a time of 10 months for formulating and passing a new law reinstating the exemptions for the Haredi men. Ukraine is set to officially launch membership talks with the European Union on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described it as a dream come true for Ukraine's citizens in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration will be leading Ukraine's delegation at a conference in Luxembourg. Presently, there are 27 EU member states. Along with Ukraine, Moldova is also set to launch the official EU membership talks. Ukraine's EU aspirations go back a long time ago. The country had even adopted changes to its constitution to join the EU in February 2022, days after Russia's full-scale invasion. EU leaders were quick to act on it then though later the proceedings slowed down. Ukraine is hoping to join by 2030. Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey, Georgia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Herzegovina and some other candidates with membership aspirations. Turkey's accession talks have lasted almost two decades without result. Since the beginning of Russias invasion, EU member states have stood with Ukraine in its war. Now, the official beginning of the talks gives a strong signal of the EU's solidarity. EU has been offering financial support to Ukraine as well. Even Moldova has faced its own challenges with Russia. Zelenskyy had said that "these are truly historic moments". "Ukraine is and will always be part of a united Europe," said Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, the road to being an EU member is filled with dozens of institutional and legal reforms. Candidate countries must bring their laws and standards into line with those of the EU in 35 policy areas, known as chapters, ranging from the free movement of goods through fisheries, taxation, energy and the environment to judicial rights and security. All 27 member countries must give a unanimous agreement to open or close chapters, providing ample opportunity for EU nations to demand more work or to delay proceedings. Hungary, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency from Belgium in July, has routinely put the brakes on EU and NATO support for Ukraine. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been freed from the UK prison after he agreed to plead guilty with the US to violating espionage law. The deal would allow him to return home to his native Australia. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. He will be sentenced to 62 months at a hearing on the island of Saipan on Wednesday morning. But, Assange wouldn't be serving a jail term as he will be credited for the five years he has already served. A US Justice Department official, in a letter to a federal judge in the district court for the Northern Mariana Islands, said Assange was being sent to Saipan because of its "proximity to the defendants country of citizenship". He will leave for Australia after the sentencing hearing is done. WikiLeaks, which announced the news, also posted a video that showed Assange boarding a plane on Monday afternoon at Stanstead Airport to depart the UK. He has been held in the high-security Belmarsh Prison since 2019. "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations," the statement said. WikiLeaks also shared a video showing Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 Assange's wife Stella took to X to confirm his release: "Julian is free!. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true", she said while thanking Assanges supporters. Australia's government, which has been pressing for Assange's release, has not yet commented. A lawyer for Assange has not yet commented. The leak In the largest security breaches of their kind in the US military history, WikiLeaks, in 2010, released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is besides a huge amount of diplomatic cables that were released along with it. The over 700,000 documents included battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. Following the leak, Assange was indicted by President Donald Trump's administration along with Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act. According to prosecutors, Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables that potentially endangered confidential sources, Iraq war-related significant activity reports and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees. However, Assange's supporters argued that he should not be facing the charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. The WikiLeaks founder was arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex crime allegations. However, the charges were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. However, Assange was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He has been in London's Belmarsh top security jail ever since, from where he has for almost five years been fighting extradition to the United States. Nagpur, Jun 24 (PTI) The Nagpur airport was on Monday thoroughly searched by security personnel after authorities received a bomb threat via an email, but nothing suspicious was discovered in the premises, officials said. This was the third bomb threat message received at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport since April. When contacted, a senior airport official told PTI that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) received an email about a pipe bomb being planted in the aerodrome's toilet. Content of the email was communicated to Nagpur airport authorities in the morning. Security personnel thoroughly checked the airport complex, but did not discover any suspicious items, he said. Security has been stepped up at the airport. On June 18, Nagpur was among more than 40 cities whose airports had received hoax bomb threat emails. The Nagpur airport had got a similar bomb threat in April too, which turned out to be a hoax. JAIPUR, India, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine a royal gala evening set in a majestic mansion adorned with intricate carvings and ornate archways, setting the stage for an evening of opulence and sophistication. The leading lady, a vision of timeless beauty, descends the grand staircase with grace and poise adorning a breathtaking statement necklace from Raniwala 1881's new collection. Raniwala 1881's latest collection of exquisite Polki jewellery takes centre stage, unveiling their Pre-Fall 2024 Collection "A Royal Evening Soiree." The collection showcases Raniwala 1881's leading ladies, whether brides or bridesmaids, adorned in shades of azure and gold, radiating an aura of understated elegance with every graceful movement. Adorning her neckline is a breath-taking statement necklace from Raniwala 1881's new collection, its intricate design reminiscent of twinkling crystal chandeliers. Each delicate petal is adorned with shimmering Polki diamonds, catching the light with every step she takes. Paired with matching earrings and a stack of slim bangles, the jewellery adds a touch of regal splendour to her ensemble, elevating her cocktail look to new heights of sophistication. 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Address: Raniwala 1881, 1, Hawa Sadak, Geejgarh Vihar Colony, Bais Godam, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302006 About Raniwala 1881: Raniwala 1881's illustrious history began with Rai Bahadur Champalal of Beawar, the great-great-grandfather of Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala the current generation behind the brand. Raniwala 1881, the purveyor of crafted Flat-Cut Diamond (polki), is based out of Jaipur. Their pieces hold within them a history of Indian royalty, with patterns, motifs and compositions inspired by the heritage of Rajasthan which shines through the signature polki jewellery, timeless and lustrous like the desert sun. As custodians of traditional jewels, Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala showcase treasured collections. Artisanal techniques, finest gemstones and intricate settings coalesce to form award-winning jewellery that combines the old and the new. The gems echo the imperial history of the land and the rich promise of a brand that embraces time and has evolved with it. Specialists in polki-crafted jewellery, the Raniwala family continues to create award-winning pieces with the finest gemstones using traditional, artisanal techniques. For several years, Raniwala 1881 remains the leading name behind most Ethno-Contemporary polki collections, endorsed by India's leading jewellers. Having successfully carved a niche in the jewellery trade, Raniwala 1881 will now directly cater to its bespoke clientele with collections ranging from delicate, everyday polki jewellery to traditional bridal wear through its atelier in Jaipur. Connect with Raniwala 1881: Raniwala 1881 - raniwala1881.com Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447230/PreFallraniwala.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Ahmedabad, Jun 25 (PTI) Cryptocurrency exchange Pi42 co-founder and CEO Avinash Shekhar on Tuesday said lowering TDS and allowing losses to be adjusted against profits would not only boost trading volumes for Indian crypto exchanges but also increase tax revenues as investors will shift to domestic bourses from offshore ones. Speaking with reporters here, Shekhar said the Indian exchanges are hopeful that the Centre would take into account the requests of domestic crypto exchanges and bring in necessary changes during the union budget. Shekhar in February co-founded 'Pi42', India's first Crypto-INR Perpetual Futures Exchange, which is outside the TDS net for being a 'futures' exchange. After the government imposed 1 per cent TDS on spot crypto transactions, volumes of Indian exchanges came down as traders moved to international exchanges which are beyond the compliance net, said Shekhar. "Trading in Indian cryptocurrency exchange has reduced due to TDS rule. People are now trading more on foreign exchanges. Government's objective was to control this activity to an extent and bring transparency and visibility, like who is doing what. But that objective is not fully met. Foreign exchanges are not providing information to the government," he said. If Indian exchanges are handling a trade of Rs 100, international exchanges are doing trade of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, nearly five to ten times more than Indian exchanges, he said, adding that even customer protection laws cannot be enforced on international exchanges operating from outside India. He said there are three major issues which are adversely affecting our business and exchanges have conveyed this to the government also. The first major issue is 1 per cent TDS levied on each spot transaction, he said. "If a trader does 10 transactions of Rs 1 lakh each, he will have to pay Rs 10,000 as TDS and it will be refunded may be after a year. So your entire capital gets blocked after a few transactions in a month and you will not be able to trade further. So the biggest hindrance is 1 per cent TDS," he said, adding that the government introduced TDS with an aim to ensure reporting and track activities. "So what we are recommending is that information will reach the authorities even with 0.1 per cent TDS instead of 1 per cent. TDS of 0.1 per cent will further enhance market efficiency and it will stop migration of investors to overseas exchanges. Low TDS will also increase government revenue because investors will choose Indian exchanges over international ones" he said. "Another issue is that the government does not allow set off of losses. If you gain Rs 100 in one trade and lose 60 in another. Generally, in stock exchanges, you are supposed to give tax on the remaining profit of Rs 40. But, here the government ignores the losses and asks us to pay 30 per cent tax on the profit of Rs 100. So instead of profit, you end up losing money after paying tax," he said. He said though 30 per cent tax on crypto gain is also an issue, it is not as big as the first two issues. However, Shekhar said the Centre can think of lowering the rate. "India has nearly 8 large crypto exchanges while five to six international exchanges are also active in the country. TDS is not deducted if a transaction is done through an international exchange. That is why most of the trades are taking place in offshore exchanges. If these three issues are resolved, the business would eventually shift to India" said Shekhar. Colombo, Jun 25 (PTI) Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has approved the debt restructuring deal with its creditors while the negotiations with international sovereign bondholders are to be continued further, cabinet spokesperson and minister Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday. Gunawardena also said that top treasury officials along with the minister of state for finance have been sent to Paris to sign the relevant agreements with the Official Creditors Committee which comprises two types of creditors called Paris Creditors and Non-Paris Creditors. There are a group of 15 countries under the Paris Creditors group whereas seven countries, including India in the Non-Paris Creditors. "Sri Lanka on Tuesday approved the debt restructuring deal with creditors committee while the negotiations with international sovereign bondholders are to be continued further," Gunawardena, the minister for Transport, Highways and Mass Media said. "Sri Lanka faced its worst crisis since independence when we were no longer able to meet our debt repayments. The president had long and extensive talks with the Indian prime minister and finance minister, leaders of China and Japan and the Paris Club debtors, Gunawardena added. Officials said the agreements would involve restructuring over USD 10 billion of debt with the bilateral creditors, including China. Gunawardena also said that the details of the approved debt restructuring deal would also be presented in Parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and also make a national address on June 26 after the deal is signed. The deal would be a major step in the islands economic recovery process after Sri Lanka announced its first-ever sovereign default in 2022. The deal was a condition for the USD 2.9 billion International Monetary Fund bailout as the global lender stressed the islands debt sustainability. Jaipur, Jun 25 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed confidence in Rajasthan's investment potential, underscoring abundant opportunities for investors in the state. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to facilitate a conducive environment for both domestic and international investments. Chairing a high-level meeting focused on preparations for the 'Rajasthan Investment Summit-2024', Sharma directed officials to ensure meticulous planning and rigorous oversight throughout the event. He stressed that agreements signed during the summit must translate into tangible actions on the ground. Sharma emphasised on effective coordination between departments for the summit's successful execution, top-notch hospitality for attending investors. He urged officers to craft a comprehensive action plan to enhance global visibility and discourse surrounding the summit. Recognising the importance of a streamlined single-window system for investment services, Sharma instructed officials to expedite the resolution of investment cases using available resources efficiently. He highlighted the global influence of Rajasthanis abroad and encouraged their active participation and investment in the state's growth. Sharma also discussed the upcoming 'PM Ekta Malls' initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announcing plans for the 'Rajasthan Unity Mall' in Jaipur to promote high-quality indigenous products and support rural artisans. Lahore, Jun 25 (PTI) Pakistan's Punjab province government on Tuesday approved the Sikh Marriage Act 2024 enabling couples of 18 years and above from the community to register their marriage and divorce. The provincial cabinet approved the Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Registrar and Marriage Rules 2024 on Tuesday during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Punjabs first Sikh Minister for Minorities and Human Rights Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora termed it a historic day for Sikhs. "Today, Punjab has become the first province in the world to implement the Sikh Marriage Act, Arora told PTI. He said Sikhs from other provinces and countries could come to Punjab to register their marriages. Arora said that in a few months, the Hindu Marriage Act will also be submitted for the cabinets approval. He said he had been striving to get the Sikh Act approved since 2017. He said the Punjab government has also been working to purge the school syllabus of hate material replacing it with interfaith harmony and diversified content. Under the Sikh Marriage Act, the Sikh boy and girl should be at least 18 years of age, while a five-member Sangat will make recommendations on any issue between the bride and groom. The union council chairman should be selected from the bride's council. The couple seeking divorce shall be bound to send a written notice to the chairman. Both parties shall be required to provide a copy and within 30 days of receiving the notice, the chairman shall constitute a conciliation committee, if the couple fails within 90 days or if they still fail to reconcile, a certificate will be issued. Owing to the non-registration of marriages, several legal issues arise, including the distribution of inherited assets. Melbourne (Australia), Jun 25 (AP) Australian leaders cautiously welcomed an expected plea agreement that could set free Julian Assange, who was pursued for years over WikiLeaks' publication of a trove of classified documents. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday there was nothing to be gained by keeping the Australian incarcerated. A plane thought to be carrying Assange landed Tuesday in Bangkok as he heads to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Pacific midway between Australia and Japan, where he is expected to appear in a US federal court Wednesday local time. He is expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the US Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. Assange is expected to return to Australia if a judge accepts the plea agreement. Public support for Assange has grown in Australia during the seven years he has spent avoiding extradition to the United States by hiding in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London and later during his five years in Belmarsh Prison. Albanese has been lobbying since his government was elected in 2022 for the United States to end its prosecution of Assange, and his plight was seen as a test of the prime minister's leverage with President Joe Biden. Albanese had been a senior minister in a center-left Labor Party government that in 2010 staunchly backed US criticisms of WikiLeaks' classified information dumps. But Assange has breached no Australian law. Albanese told Parliament that Australian High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith had flown with Assange from London. The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States. While this is a welcome development, we recognize that these proceedings are crucial and they're delicate, Albanese told Parliament. Regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. There's nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia, Albanese added. Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the advocacy of a range of lawmakers on Assange's behalf, including delegates of the Bring Julian Assange Parliamentary Group who traveled to Washington last year with a letter signed by 60 Australian lawmakers calling for the prosecution to end. Wong said Albanese had led the Australian effort, personally raising Assange with Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. We want to see Mr Assange reunited with his family in Australia, Wong told the Senate. Wong also revealed that Assange has rejected Australia's offer of consular visits for years until April last year when Smith made the first of his several prison visits. Australia had argued there was a disconnect between the US treatment of Assange and US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, a WikiLeaks source. Then-US President Barack Obama commuted Manning's 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pushed back against Albanese's position during a visit to Australia last year, saying Assange was accused of very serious criminal conduct in publishing a trove of classified US documents more than a decade ago. Support for Assange crossed political party lines in Australia. Opposition lawmaker and Assange supporter Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister, said the plea deal was an encouraging development. We've just got to be still cautious, still cautious on how this proceeds because the end has not arrived, Joyce told reporters in Australia's Parliament House. He said Assange should not prosecuted because be committed no offense in the United States. If you ask me do I think what he did was morally correct? No, it wasn't, Joyce said. But the issue for me is extra-territoriality. Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs Simon Birmingham also welcomed the apparent end to the prosecution. We have consistently said that the US and UK justice systems should be respected, Birmingham said on social media. A motion that called for the US and Britain to bring the matter to a close so that Mr Assange can return home to his family in Australia was supported by 86 lawmakers including Albanese in the 151-seat House of Representatives in February. Assange's mother, Christine Assange, said the plea deal shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end, she said in a statement. His father John Shipton used a radio interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp. in Melbourne to thank his son's supporters. It looks as though Julian will be free to come back to Australia and my thanks and congratulations to all his supporters in Australia who made it possible and of course Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Shipton said. Julian Assange's wife and mother of his two children, Stella Assange, was in Sydney awaiting for her husband's return to Australia. She posted on social media an image of her talking to her husband on FaceTime and with the Sydney Opera House in the background. She said he was speaking from London's Stansted Airport before leaving the UK. Julian Assange's lawyer Geoffrey Robertson likened the case to the government-to-government negotiations behind a plea deal in 2007 that enabled Australian al-Qaida supporter David Hicks to be repatriated from the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. He was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 by the US-backed Northern Alliance as a suspected enemy combatant. It was much tougher with Assange because the Pentagon was so determined to punish him, Robertson told ABC. In the end, I think partly because Mr Biden wanted to clear this off his desk in an election year ... it has been resolved. Julian Assange was living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2013 when he made failed bid for election to the Australian Senate as a candidate for the short-lived WiliLeaks Party. (AP) NPK NPK The Hague (Netherlands), Jun 25 (AP) The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it has issued arrest warrants for Russia's former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the third time the global court has issued warrants for senior Russian leaders. The court is accusing former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of staff Gen Valery Gerasimov of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. Judges who approved the prosecutors' request for arrest warrants said the suspects are charged with inhumane acts because there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of civilians in Ukraine. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued Monday because judges considered there were reasonable grounds to believe that the men are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023. During this time frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine, the court added. Under the leadership of Shoigu and Gerasimov, the Russian military has launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that have killed thousands and damaged the country's energy system and other vital infrastructure. Moscow has insisted that it only has targeted military facilities despite daily casualties in civilian areas. The court said missile attacks covered in the warrant allegedly targeted civilian objects. They added that in the case of any installations that could have been considered military targets the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. Details of the warrants were kept under seal to protect witnesses, the court said. There is no immediate likelihood of either suspect being detained. Russia isn't a member of the global court, doesn't recognize its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Last year, the court also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. In March this year, the court also issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine that judges said happened pursuant to a state policy. Putin replaced Shoigu as defense minister in a Cabinet shakeup in May as he began his fifth term as president. Shoigu, 69, has been widely seen as a key figure in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraine's much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops. Instead, the conflict galvanized Ukraine to mount an intense defense, dealing with the Russian army's humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counteroffensive that drove Moscow's forces out of the Kharkiv region and near Kherson in the south in the fall of 2022. Shoigu, who had personal ties with Putin, got a soft landing with the high-profile post of secretary of Russia's Security Council. At the same time, Shoigu's entourage faced purges. A longtime associate and deputy, Timur Ivanov, and several other senior military officers were arrested on corruption charges, and other senior Defense Ministry officials lost their jobs. Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff since 2012, has so far kept his job. The 68-year-old career military officer has directly overseen Russian military operations in Ukraine. (AP) NPK NPK Lahore, Jun 25 (PTI) Pakistan's Punjab government has disclosed that it has arrested nearly 4,800 supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan under a public security order since the unprecedented protests of May 9 last year, a step described as a black chapter of Pakistan's history by his party. The Punjab government on Monday told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it arrested 4,770 miscreants under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) in the province since the May 9, 2023, riots and later released 3,511 of them. Following the arrest of Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, in a corruption case in May last year, riots erupted in the country in which dozens of state and military installations were attacked. According to the PTI, the law enforcement agencies had arrested over 10,000 workers and leaders of the party following the violence. Over 100 PTI leaders and workers have been handed over to the army for their trial under military courts. The Punjab government, however, did not tell the court how many PTI workers were detained under different charges of terrorism or the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for attacking the state and military installations. The government told the LHC that it had released 3,511 out of 4,770 supporters of Imran Khan detained under the MPO. The Maryam Nawaz government of the Punjab province was prompted to file a reply following a petition of PTI leader Zainab Umair challenging the detention of thousands of Khan's supporters through 'abuse of powers by the deputy commissioners in the province.' The petitioner told the court that the government issued 'wholesale' detention orders of PTI leaders and workers under sections 3 and 16 of the MPO in the wake of the May 9 violence. LHC Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq adjourned the hearing till June 28 and sought the personal appearance of the advocate general of Punjab. Reacting strongly to the state government's severe action against Khan's supporters, the PTI said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrest of around 5,000 citizens under a public security order is a black chapter of Pakistan's history. The PTI said under the guise of the false flag operation of May 9, brutal atrocities and human rights violations were committed against the citizens of Pakistan. A time will come when all those involved in these brutalities will be brought to justice, the PTI said. Washington, Jun 25 (PTI) India is a key ally of the United States, an influential American lawmaker who recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, adding that it is a "key country" to ward off the threats of China. These remarks were made by Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. It's tremendously important, and the reason you're talking about 1.3 billion people. But the ally that India is for the United States is important, Meeks told CNN in an interview on Sunday. When you look at what Joe Biden has done pulling people, pulling countries together, for example, India is an integral part of the Quad, our relationship with India, as well as South Korea and Japan, United States, and Australia, he said. Meeks was part of a high-powered delegation that recently travelled to India and met Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi. Then you... about India also part of the trilateral agreement that's moving forward. You know, they have been key, but we have the trilateral with South Korea and Japan. But India is a key ally and key country as we make sure that we ward off the threats of China and the Indo-Pacific and work with the Philippines. That's important, he said. So, you know, we've had that conversation and that dialogue with Prime Minister Modi, India being the world's largest democracy and the United States the oldest. It's about democratic countries coming together and working collectively together against autocratic countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. So it's the world coming together. India is a part of that and tremendously important as we move on and move together, Meeks said. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. The US, India and several other world powers have been discussing the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. Kathmandu, Jun 25 (PTI) Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Tuesday said that his government is clear and determined that all territories east of Mahakali River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu pass, come under Nepalese territories. Prachanda made the remarks while responding to queries raised by lawmakers during the discussion on headings of the Foreign Ministry under the Appropriation Bill, 2081 in the House of Representatives. He recalled that as per the Sugauli Treaty signed between Nepal and East India Company government in 1816, these territories belong to Nepal and a political map incorporating these territories has also been published. Nepal's government unveiled its new political map with the inclusion of Lipulek, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas within its territory in May 2020 during the government led by K P Sharma Oli. It was later endorsed by Parliament unanimously. After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. India maintains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to it. The Nepal government replaced the old map used in all the official documents with the new map despite Indias objection. Nepal shares a border of over 1,850-km with five Indian states Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Prachanda said that during a meeting with his Indian counterpart in the course of his India visit, an understanding was reached to revise and update the existing treaties and agreements including the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship as well as to resolve border-related issues through the existing diplomatic mechanism. Prachanda said that during his recent visit to India, he requested his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to resolve all outstanding issues including those concerning the border at the earliest and the Prime Minister had responded positively and agreed to move forward with the matter. A letter has been sent to the Indian side through diplomatic channels for the seventh meeting of the Border Working Group related to the Nepal-India Border as per the commitment made in the seventh meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission to conclude the works in the remaining section of the Nepal-India border, Prachnda added. Stating that the border problems that occasionally surfaced between Nepal-China are resolved through bilateral talks and consensus, he said that a consensus was forged during the meeting between the Foreign ministers of Nepal and China in March 2022 to forward activities related to Nepal-China Joint Border Monitoring, through mutual consultation. Brussels, Jun 25 (AP) The European Union officially launched membership talks with Moldova on Tuesday on what it's prime minister described as a historical day for a country that Russia still sees as belonging to its sphere of influence. Moldova's talks with the 27-nation bloc were set in motion at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg. As he arrived at the venue, Prime Minister Dorin Recean described it as a historical day for Moldova in historically significant times for Europe. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, neighbouring Moldova has faced several crises that have at times raised fears the country might also be in Russia's crosshairs, from errant missiles landing on its territory, to an energy crisis sparked after Moscow cut gas supplies. We are very much affected by the brutal war of Russia in Ukraine, and we are helping each other in the security matters but also in the European accession and we will continue to do so, Recean told reporters, just a few hours after Ukraine's membership talks were launched. (AP) GSP Washington, Jun 25 (AP) A group of 50 people and firms across Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands that have been acting as a sprawling shadow banking network for Iran's military were hit with economic sanctions Tuesday, the US Treasury Department said. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control says the entities and individuals are involved in the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals, which have helped Iran's military and government gain illicit access to the international financial system. The income pays for weapons and funding to proxy groups, including Yemen's Houthis, as well as drone transfers to Russia, Treasury says. Iran is accused of supplying Russia with drones that are used to bomb Ukrainian civilians as the Kremlin continues its invasion of Ukraine. Included in the sanctions are Seyyed Mohammad Mosanna'i Najibi, an Iranian-Turkish money-changer, 27 cover companies controlled by Najibi based in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands, and a Tehran-based currency exchange business, among others. An inquiry through the Iranian branch of Najibi's company, known as Sadaf Exchange, was not immediately answered. Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and firms access to any property or financial assets held in the US and prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the US "will continue to pursue those who seek to finance Iran's destabilising terrorist activities. We continue to work with allies and partners, as well as the global financial industry, to increase vigilance against the movement of funds supporting terrorism. The US has already sanctioned Iranian shadow banking businesses. In March 2023, the US imposed economic sanctions on 39 firms linked to a shadow banking system that helped to obfuscate financial activity between sanctioned Iranian firms and their foreign buyers, namely for petrochemicals produced in Iran. (AP) GSP Pune, June 25 (PTI) The Pune police probing alleged use of drugs at a local bar have held two men which took the count of those arrested in the case to 16, an official said on Tuesday. The duo, identified as Nitin Thombre and Karan Mishra, were seen with a drug-like substance in a video captured at the bar that went viral, he said. The video had prompted the police to launch the probe. It was suspected that mephedrone was consumed at the party, the official added. Thombre was held from Mumbai. The two were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody till June 29, said Sandip Singh Gill, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1). Pubs in the city came into focus after the video, allegedly from Liquid Leisure Lounge or L3 on Fergusson College Road in Pune city, showed some youths with drugs-like substance in its toilet. According to the police, the bar remained open till 5 am on Sunday and liquor was served beyond the permissible time. Bars and pubs in Pune are allowed to remain open till 1.30 am. The duo were arrested in the main case in which eight persons, including the bar owners, staff and the event manager, were arrested earlier for operating the bar beyond the permissible limit. Besides them, the excise department has arrested six waiters of L3 for allegedly flouting norms related to the serving of liquor and its stocking. "Following further investigations and blood reports, sections related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act will be added," DCP Gill said. Four police personnel were suspended earlier after the L3 bar was found operating beyond the permissible time limit. A senior police official claimed that Thombre and Mishra admitted that they were consuming drugs. They were possibly consuming mephedrone, he said. Thombre is an architect and lives in Goregaon in Mumbai, while Mishra is a software engineer who lives in Pune city. They became friends through social media platforms, the official said. The drug used in the party was allegedly brought by Thombre from Mumbai, but police were verifying this information further, he said. Meanwhile, DCP Gill said police were also probing the role of another club in Hadapsar area. "Before conducting a party at L3, one of the accused, Akshay Kamthe, an event organiser, had organised a party at another club in Hadapsar area late Saturday night. After the party got over at 1 am on Sunday at the club, Kamthe allegedly brought some people who were partying there to L3 by charging entry fees," he said. He added that police were probing if the staff or manager of that club were involved in sending the people to L3. Pune, Jun 25 (PTI) The Pune police have detained two persons from Mumbai in connection with the alleged use of drugs at a bar here, a top official said on Tuesday. The detained duo was seen with a drugs-like substance in a video that went viral earlier, he said. Pubs in the state's second largest city came into focus after the video, allegedly from Liquid Leisure Lounge or L3 on the Fergusson College Road in Pune city, showed some youths with some drugs- like substance. According to the police, the bar was operating till 5 am on Sunday and liquor was being sold beyond permissible time limit. Bars and pubs in Pune are allowed to remain open till 1.30 am. "We have detained from Mumbai a total of two persons who were seen in the viral video with the drugs-like substance," said Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar. Earlier, the police have arrested eight persons in this connection, including an event organiser, and suspended four police personnel after the L3 bar was found operating beyond the permissible time limit. Besides, the excise department has arrested six waiters of L3 for allegedly flouting norms related to serving of liquor and its stock. The police have collected samples from the toilet of L3 and sent them for an examination to check the presence of a narcotic substance. Kolkata, Jun 25 (PTI) A sound and steady China-India relationship is in the interest of both countries and conducive to peace and development in the region and the world, Chinese Consul General to Kolkata Xu Wei said on Tuesday. Speaking at a reception organised by the Chinese consulate here, Xu mentioned that China is India's largest trading partner and emphasised the importance of both countries working together to benefit from development opportunities. "We are two largest developing countries and major emerging economies, both at a critical stage in national development and revitalisation. A sound and steady China-India relationship is in the interest of both countries and conducive to peace and development in this region and the world," he said. Xu expressed readiness from the Chinese side to work with India, "to act in accordance with the important consensus reached by our two leaders, enhance political trust, manage differences properly, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, and move bilateral relations forward along the right track." Highlighting bilateral trade and economic relations, Xu noted the growth in the area. Addressing reporters later, Xu emphasised his focus on enhancing people-to-people exchanges, particularly in the cultural sector, during his tenure as the new Chinese consul general in Kolkata. "We hope to see more Chinese businessmen in India and vice versa, facilitating more fruitful cooperation," he added. On the resumption of direct flights from Kolkata to China, Xu expressed optimism about their restart. Guwahati, Jun 25 (PTI) The CBI on Tuesday said it has filed a case against four employees of Assam Gramin Vikash Bank (AGVB) for an alleged criminal conspiracy that resulted in a loss of Rs 8.28 crore to the lender. According to an official statement, the accused, stationed at Madhapur branch in Jorhat district, purportedly conspired amongst themselves and with others to defraud the bank. Among them were three assistant managers and an office assistant (multi-purpose). The CBI alleged that the accused orchestrated fraudulent sanctioning and disbursement of funds into fictitious self-help group (SHG) loan accounts. Subsequently, they allegedly transferred these funds into the savings account of one of the accused and other accounts, the agency said. "The accused thereby caused an estimated loss of Rs 8,28,42,900 to the bank, while benefiting themselves financially," the statement read. In response to these findings, the CBI conducted searches at seven locations across Assam, including the residences and workplaces of the accused in Jorhat, Tinsukia, and Dibrugarh districts, as well as one location in West Bengal, leading to recovery of incriminating documents, it added. New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) As firefighters struggled to break open the locked gate of a house in Dwarka that caught fire on Tuesday, causing delay in the rescue operation, the residents inside tried saying themselves using wet towels, according to officials. The firefighters had to cut through the iron gate, the only entry point of the house, locked from inside, rescued the family members and rushed four of them to a hospital, however none could be saved, they added. The blaze erupted on the first floor of the two-storey house in Dwarka's Prem Nagar area early Tuesday morning, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said. The fire department was informed around 3.30 am, following which two fire tenders were sent to the spot, he said. The blaze was caused by an inverter and it spread to an adjacent sofa on the first floor of the two-storey building, leading to the four victims inhaling smoke, he added. The fire was doused within a few minutes but there was a lot of smoke inside the house, the officer said. The victims were taken to the Rao Tularam Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them dead, the police said, adding that the deceased were identified as Heera Singh Kakkar (48), his wife Neetu (40) and their sons Robin (22) and Lakshay (21). Kakkar's mother Seeta Devi who was sleeping on the ground floor was unharmed, they said. People in the neighbourhood said Robin was differently-abled. The police and Delhi Fire Services personnel said there was a delay in the rescue operation as the main door was locked from inside and had to be broken down. "Our team from Chhawla police station rushed to the spot after getting information about the fire. On reaching the spot, the police found that the main iron gate was locked from inside," a senior police officer said. "With the help of firefighters, the gate was broke open and the injured were taken out," the officer added. Harish Chopra, nephew of Neetu, said, "We got information about the fire at around 4 am and we rushed towards the house." "I got to know from the firefighters that my aunt along with her son Lakshay rushed towards the bathroom and covered their faces using wet towel in a bid to save their lives," Chopra said while speaking to PTI. After the door was broken open, it was seen that the rooms were completely filled with toxic fumes from the batteries of the inverter and sofa, he said. "The main iron door was close to the fire area which got heated up and they were unable to open the door on time. There was no ventilation due to which they suffocated to death," Chopra said. The bodies were shifted to a mortuary for postmortem. A case under relevant sections is being registered and further probe is underway, the police said. New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested an engineer-turned-rapper from Ayodhya for allegedly robbing a cab driver in southeast Delhi's Amar Colony area, an officer said on Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said the cab driver was shot at and wounded by the accused, identified as Aryan Rajvansh, a native of Ayodhya. The incident took place near the Indian Oil Petrol Pump in Shriniwas Puri around Monday night. Rajvansh allegedly robbed a mobile phone of a cab driver and fled after firing a gunshot at him, he said. The injured driver was admitted to the AIIMS hospital where he told police that Rajvansh had hired his cab from Dwarka Mor to go to ISBT Kashmiri Gate but robbed him of his mobile phone at gunpoint. After his arrest, Rajvansh told police that he had done his BTech in computer science from a private college in Tamil Nadu. After completing his course, he became a rapper and started releasing his songs on social media. But he could not find much success in it and started falling short of money, another officer said. The officer said Rajvansh had opened a studio in Delhi but had to shut it over a dispute with the owner. Rajvansh had procured the gun to threaten that person and robbed the cab driver since he needed money, the officer said. Ghaziabad (UP), Jun 25 (PTI) A court in this Uttar Pradesh district sentenced a man to 10 year of rigorous imprisonment on Tuesday for raping a girl in 2017. Deepika Tiwari, special judge of a court that deals with cases lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, also slapped a fine of Rs 27,000 on Jai Gopali alias Kaku, who raped his minor sister-in-law in the Sahibabad area of the district on September 29, 2017. The girl, who was a Class-8 student, was alone at home when she was raped, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Utkarsh Vats said. The convict had also threatened to kill her. The parents of the girl got an FIR registered at the Sahibabad police station under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 376 (rape), as well as the POCSO Act. The court has ordered that the fine amount would be paid to the rape survivor. In case of non-payment of the fine, the convict will have to spend three more months in jail. Chennai, Jun 25 (PTI) Nearly 12 kilograms of gold worth Rs 7.58 crore was recovered at the Chennai airport here and 10 air passengers were arrested in this connection, the Customs department said on Tuesday. Acting on specific information from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Customs officials intercepted 10 passengers who arrived from Dubai and Abu Dhabi on July 24. Initial examination of the passengers revealed that they were in possession of gold biscuits in their baggage and also in paste form concealed in their under garments, an official release from the Principal Commissioner of Customs R Srinivasa Naik said. The 10 passengers were arrested and the precious metal worth Rs 7.58 crore was retrieved from them under the relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962, the release added. New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) A 25-year-old man was arrested after he made a ransom call to a jewellery shop in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar in the name of dreaded gangsters, police on Tuesday said. The accused was influenced by watching videos of gangsterism on YouTube, they said. The accused identified as Badal Kumar Pathak, who has now been arrested, employed the same method used by the criminals, police said. To make the extortion call, he used one of his old keypad phones for this purpose and borrowed a SIM card from his friend and then made calls to several jewellery shop owners, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Apoorva Gupta said the manager with Alukka Gold Palace in Mayur Pankaj Plaza received a call on June 23 from an unknown person claiming to be a member of a criminal gang and demanded Rs five lakh as ransom. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and began probing the matter after forming a team. "Based on technical surveillance and further investigation, a trap was laid in Smriti Van, Mayur Vihar. At around 2 pm, a person wearing a navy blue T-shirt and blue lower was apprehended who was later identified as the accused Badal Pathak," the DCP said, adding that upon his cursory search, the mobile phone used in the commission of the crime was recovered. On interrogation, the accused revealed that he was influenced by videos related to a criminal gang on YouTube and made a plan to extort money from the jewellery shops in the Mayur Vihar area. The accused called the owners of several jewellery shops, threatening to kill them, police said. The accused's connection with the criminal gang is under scrutiny, the official said, adding, however, nothing has been substantiated so far. A former employee of Donald Trump has come forward with a disturbing allegation, claiming that the former president once made a joke about Nazi ovens to a group of Jewish executives. Barbara Res, who worked in the Trump Organization from the 1980s to the 1990s and led the Trump Tower project, shared the incident with MSNBC. She recalled that Trump had hired a German residential manager and was praising him to a group of four executives, including two Jewish individuals. According to Res, Trump said, Watch out for this guy, he sort of remembers the ovens, and then smiled. Everybody was shocked, Res said. I couldnt believe he said that. But he was making a joke about the Nazi ovens and killing people, and thats the way he was. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Donald Trump has challenged President Joe Biden to take a drug test before their highly anticipated debate on Thursday. The two presumptive nominees will face off for the first time this election cycle, and Trumps campaign is pulling no punches. I watched him with Paul Ryan and he destroyed Paul Ryan, Trump recently said of Bidens performance in the 2012 vice presidential debate. So, Im not underestimating him I assume hes gonna be somebody that will be a worthy debater. However, Trumps campaign has also portrayed Biden as old and feeble, if not outright senile. This depiction has lowered the expectations for Bidens debate performance, making any competent showing likely to receive rave reviews. On Monday, Trump took to Truth Social, writing, DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!! Last week, he suggested Biden would use cocaine before the debate. Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, echoed Trumps call, saying, Its embarrassing that I have to do this but we dont have any choice based on whats going on. Jackson demanded that Biden submit to a drug test before and after the debate, specifically looking for performance-enhancing drugs. Fox News host Sean Hannity has also suggested Biden may have used pick-me-ups, calling him Jacked-Up Joe after this years State of the Union address. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Former President Donald Trump has suggested that migrants should be pitted against each other in a fighting league. During a speech to conservative Christians in Washington, DC, Trump claimed to have suggested the idea to UFC President Dana White, saying, I said, Dana, I have an idea. Why dont you set up a migrant League of fighters and have your regular league of fighters, and then you have the champion of your league. These are the greatest fighters in the world. Fight the champion of the migrants. I think the migrant guy might win. Thats how tough they are. MSNBCs Ana Cabrera hosted a panel discussion on the issue, featuring former Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo and Trump campaign correspondent Vaughn Hillyard. Hillyard denounced Trumps comments, saying, I dont know to what extent to even begin to legitimize or provide any sort of credence to the suggestion made by the former president We know that most migrants coming to the US are men, women, and children seeking a better life and leaving dire circumstances. Hillyard also highlighted Trumps history of dehumanizing rhetoric towards migrants, calling them vermin, dangerous and sick criminals and promising the largest deportation program in American history. He concluded, Its going to be up to voters to determine whether its that sort of rhetoric that they want to install back into the White House in 2025. The Biden campaign swiftly condemned Trumps remarks, saying, Fitting that convicted felon Donald Trump spent his time at a religious conference threatening to round up Latinos, bragging about ripping away Americans freedoms, and promising to be even more extreme if he regains power. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) With the Republican National Convention just weeks away, former President Trumps search for a vice presidential running mate has narrowed down to three top contenders: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. According to Trump allies and sources close to the former presidents orbit, these three are considered the likeliest picks, although a surprise choice cannot be ruled out. Trump has teased the selection process for months, dropping hints about his short list and when he might make the announcement public. While he has suggested the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month as a possible reveal, strategists and those in Trumps orbit say the timing remains fluid, and he could announce his pick as soon as early July. The three front-runners bring different strengths to the ticket, with Burgum offering a traditional conservative approach, Vance representing the next generation of the America First movement, and Rubio appealing to more moderate Republicans and minority voters. However, each also has their drawbacks, with Burgum potentially lacking the excitement factor, Vances past criticism of Trump resurfacing, and Rubio requiring relocation due to constitutional requirements. Other contenders, including Senator Tim Scott, Representatives Elise Stefanik and Byron Donalds, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, have received vetting materials but appear to have faded into the second tier of potential running mates. Regardless of Trumps choice, there is skepticism from both sides of the aisle about the impact on the November election outcome. Trump himself has downplayed the significance of the pick, while Democrats are focusing on the policies of the Trump presidency rather than the VP selection. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) President of Israel Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal hosted Rabbi Pini Dunner, rabbi of Beverly Hills Synagogue, as their guest at the Presidents Residence. He was accompanied by a delegation of 40 members of his community in Israel for a solidarity visit. During the meeting, Rabbi Dunner presented the President with a new edition of Ohr Hayashar, a Talmudic halakhic book written by the Presidents great-grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchok Hillman. Rabbi Hillman (1868-1953) was considered one of the greatest rabbis of his time. He served in various rabbinical roles in large communities in Lithuania, and then in Glasgow, Scotland, and finally as the head of the Beth Din in London, England. Besides his rabbinical duties, Rabbi Hillman devoted his time to helping communities in need and establishing Jewish life in the communities where he served. He was also awarded a medal by King Albert of Belgium as a mark of appreciation for his work helping Belgian Jewish refugees in England during the First World War. In 1934, Rabbi Hillman moved to Palestine and settled in Jerusalem, where he founded the Ohel Torah yeshiva in the Rechavia neighborhood. Among the rabbinic luminaries who studied at this institute of learning were prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rabbi Sholom Yosef Elyashiv, Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, Rabbi Binyamin Yehoshua Silber, Rabbi Baruch Yitzchak Levin, and many more. Rabbi Hillmans daughter, Sarah, was the wife of Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, the mother of the Israels sixth president Chaim Herzog, and the grandmother of President Isaac Herzog. After many years of work, the new and expanded edition of Ohr Hayashar on Meseches Shabbos by Rabbi Hillman has now been published. The first copy was presented to President Herzog this past Sunday. It deals with all aspects of Shabbos and its halachos. The original first edition, which included four madechtos in Moed, was published in Jerusalem during the authors lifetime in 1941. The new edition was published in the United States by Rabbi Pini Dunner, the rabbi of the Beverly Hills community. The President and his wife commended the delegation for visiting Israel, and showing solidarity with the residents of Israel. During the meeting, Rabbi Dunner presented the President with the first volume. The new edition, edited by Rabbi Dunner, stands out for its enlightening insights and explanations of Rabbi Hillmans words, clarifying the authors thoughts and ideas on every topic covered in Madeches Shabbos. In the first edition, the section dedicated to the Shabbos was just 32 pages long, which has now been expanded by Rabbi Dunner to 439 pages in the new edition, showcasing the depth and breadth of Rabbi Hillmans work. Dr Felix Klein, the German Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life and Combating Anti-Semitism, was awarded the esteemed Rabbi Moshe Rosen Prize by the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) on Monday evening. The ceremony took place at the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Berlin, attended by German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser. The CER recognized Dr Kleins exceptional dedication to promoting Jewish life in Germany and his resolute fight against anti-Semitism. The prize is named in honour of the former Chief Rabbi of Romania, who made significant sacrifices to protect his community during the Communist era. The award has been given to individuals who have significantly contributed to positive societal change. Dr Felix Klein, who has served as Germanys Commissioner for Combating Anti-Semitism since May 2018, previously had a distinguished career in the German Foreign Service, notably as a special representative for relations with Jewish organizations and anti-Semitism issues. In his role, Dr Klein has spearheaded the development of a comprehensive strategy to combat anti-Semitism in Germany. He has focused on integrating Jewish life into political and social spheres during challenging times, raising awareness about Jewish life. He has consistently advocated for identifying and addressing the roots of anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel, pushing for robust legislative measures and educational initiatives, as highlighted by the CER. German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser commended Dr Klein: We must unite all societal forces law, politics, business, and civil society to combat anti-Semitism and protect Jewish life. Dr Felix Klein exemplifies this commitment. Since 2018, he has steadfastly fought against hatred of Jews, reflecting our states dedication to strengthening Jewish life. The European Rabbinical Conferences decision to honour him with the Moshe Rosen Prize is well-deserved. This award is a reminder for all of us to do everything in our power to protect Jews in Germany. Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the CER, praised Dr Kleins work: Few people in such roles speak out as consistently as Dr Klein, analysing, identifying, and combating anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews in all its forms. His efforts are invaluable for Jews in Germany and beyond. We are profoundly grateful to him and the German government for prioritising the future of Judaism. This prize is a testament to his dedication. Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt also emphasised the ongoing need for action: Anti-Semitism, whether from left-wing, right-wing, or Muslim extremists, is not just a Jewish problem but a societal one. It threatens our liberal way of life, unity, justice, and freedom. We must ensure clarity in this debate and be consistent in protecting Jewish communities, prosecuting perpetrators, and managing migration and integration. Addressing groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi, and the Muslim Brotherhood, and listing Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, are crucial steps. Now is the time for decisive action. Dr Felix Klein expressed his gratitude: I am deeply honoured to receive the Rabbi Moshe Rosen Award. Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt and the CER tirelessly work to ensure that Jewish life in Europe continues to flourish. The CERs recent move from London to Munich demonstrates their confidence in Germany, a source of pride for us all. Dr Klein received a painting by Moscow-born French-Austrian Jewish artist Alexander Aizenshtat, dedicated to the victims of the Nazi regimes T-4 programme, a precursor to the Holocaust. The artist noted that the efforts of individuals like Dr Klein aim to prevent such atrocities from ever recurring. The award ceremony featured music by Jewish and Israeli composers such as Jacques Offenbach, Ernest Bloch, and Shlomo Gronich. Dr Klein, a member of the Diplomatic String Quartet Berlin, surprised attendees by playing the violin to the cheerful melody of Yeshli Simpatia. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling on voters to reject anti-Israel Rep. Jamaal Bowman in Tuesdays primary, citing his stance on Israel and a past incident where he pulled a fire alarm in Congress. Jamaal Bowman should pull the fire alarm again because he is going to be smoked by @LatimerforNY today, Cuomo wrote on X. The message is clear: anti-semitism in any and all forms will not be tolerated in New York. And you cant call yourself a progressive without making progress. Vote! Bowman, a member of the progressive Squad in the House, is facing a tough primary challenge from Westchester County Executive George Latimer, 70, who is expected to win by a significant margin. The race has become the most expensive House race in history, with over $25 million spent, largely due to the $15 million contributed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committees super PAC, United Democracy Project. Bowmans troubles began when he pulled a fire alarm during a government funding vote in 2023, causing Congress to be evacuated. Although he was censured, no House Ethics investigation ensued. He claimed he thought the fire alarm was a lever to open the door he was trying to get through. High-profile figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders have rallied behind Bowman, but their efforts have failed to move the polls in his favor. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need for Israel to take additional steps to protect humanitarian workers and ensure the delivery of aid throughout Gaza. The meeting comes as the Israel-Hamas war continues, with ongoing efforts to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal. According to a State Department readout, Blinken emphasized the need to take additional steps to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza and deliver assistance throughout Gaza in full coordination with the United Nations. He also updated Gallant on US planning for the post-war governance of Gaza, emphasizing the importance of this work to Israels security. The US has repeatedly criticized Israel for its handling of the situation in Gaza, arguing that failure to plan for the day after will lead to either permanent occupation or chaos in the Strip, allowing Hamas to reconstitute. Regarding the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Blinken underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes. He reaffirmed the United States ironclad commitment to Israels security. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A group of Rabbanim have appealed to the Israeli Defense Ministry and the army to permit the family of a fallen soldier to add HYD to his Kever. The request comes after the ministry refused to include the letters on the gravestone of Yisroel Yudkin HYD, a soldier who fell in battle in Gaza on May 22. The Tzohar rabbinical group wrote to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi, asking them to allow the family to add the acronym. The ministrys refusal was based on formalistic grounds, citing that the acronym is outside protocol for military headstones, which generally follow a uniform format with only a few permissible deviations. However, the rabbanim argue that the familys sacrifice and interests should take precedence over uniformity. In light of the familys sacrifice, we would ask that the decision be granted to forego the need for uniformity in favor of the familys interests, the letter reads. Yudkins burial plot currently lacks a headstone, as talks between the ministry and the parents continue. In an emotional Channel 14 television interview, Yisraels brother Dubi said, Its greatly disturbing us as a family that on Thursday, we must submit the wording of the headstone to the Ministry of Defense and my mother has asked that the words Hashem shall revenge his blood be written on his tombstone. This is the wording that frum people write on their gravestones. The Ministry of Defense does not approve the word Hashem, nor the root of the word Yikom, because revenge is forbidden, so the Ministry of Defense has not approved this. He added: If you dont respect the fallen Charedi soldiers, then how do you want me to stay in the army? If you dont respect my brother who fell during his service, why should I respect you at all? Im talking about a Charedi soldier who is killed, the family wants it to be written, Hashem will avenge his blood, on the tombstone. Its quite simple, its a simple request from my parents, and thats what will show him respect. He grew up as a Charedi, he was killed in the Charedi regiment. They want these words to be written on the tombstone, so they come to the Ministry of Defense but they say, No we are not approving these words, he said. Tens of Knesset Members have come out in support of the Yudkin family and the allowance of writing HYD on the tombstone. The issue is scheduled to be brought up in a Knesset hearing on Wednesday. Cpt Yisrael Yudkin, Hyd, 23 was a resident of Kfar Chabad. He served as a company commander in the Netzach Yehudah battalion and lost his life in a Hamas sniper attack in northern Gazas Beit Hanoun. Yisrael Hyd, is the son of Reb Tuvia and Tzipi Yudkin, long-time residents of Kfar Chabad. His grandfather, HaRav Schneur Zalman Yudkin Ztl, was Niftar two weeks before him in Crown Heights. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an IDF airstrike in the Shati neighborhood of Gaza City, Arab media reported on Tuesday morning According to the reports, 13 people were killed, including nine of Haniyehs relatives. The IDF spokesperson responded to the reports by stating: Air Force fighter jets, with the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and IDF, attacked two buildings in Shati and Daraj in the northern Gaza Strip while they were being used by Hamas terrorists. The terrorists were operating from school premises that the organization used as a shield for terrorist activity. The terrorists were involved in planning many terrorist plots against Israel, and some of them were involved in holding hostages and took part in the October 7 massacre. The spokesperson added that in order to minimize harm to civilians, the attack was carefully planned, using aerial surveillance, precision munitions and additional intelligence information. In April, three of Haniyehs sons were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. The sons were killed as they were engaging in terror activities. One of the sons was a Hamas commander and another one was involved in holding Israeli hostages. Also in April, one of Haniyehs sisters who married an Israeli Bedouin was arrested at her home in Tel Sheva in southern Israel for terror-related charges and was later indicted on charges of identifying with a proscribed terrorist organization and incitement to terrorism. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Biden envoy Amos Hochstein last week warned Lebanese officials that the US will not be able to stop Israel from invading Lebanon if Hezbollah continues to escalate its attacks, Axios reported. Hochstein visited Beirut last week after his visit to Israel and met with Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the commander of the Lebanese military Gen. Joseph Aoun and other officials. According to the report, during his meeting with Berri, Hochstein asked him to convey a message to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that his assumption that the U.S. controls Israel is wrong. According to a Western diplomat, Hezbollah later sent a message to the US saying that although it doesnt want a war, the terror organization is confident is can significantly harm Israel if it invades Lebanon. Politico reported on Monday that theres a growing sense in Washington and beyond that escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is inevitable. Israels gotta do what they gotta do, a Defense Department official said. Senior Biden administration officials told senior Israeli officials last week that the US would fully back Israel if a full-scale war breaks out between Israel and Lebanon but wont deploy US troops on the ground. On the other hand Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Sunday that the U.S. wont likely be able to help Israel defend itself against a broader Hezbollah war as well as it helped Israel fight off an Iranian barrage of missiles and drones in April. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) In a series of overnight counter-terror raids, Israeli security forces arrested 24 suspects and uncovered arms stashes in the West Bank, the military announced. The raids, which took place in several locations, resulted in the confiscation of weapons and the destruction of explosives. According to the IDF, 14 of the suspects were arrested in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, where troops uncovered a significant cache of weapons and explosives. The IDF statement noted that the troops destroyed the explosives on site. In other incidents overnight, gunmen opened fire on a military vehicle in the northern West Bank, but no injuries were reported. The IDF is currently searching for the attackers. Additionally, rioting erupted in Ramallah following the arrest of a suspect, with soldiers using riot dispersal means to respond to rock-throwing by protesters. Since October 7, the IDF has arrested approximately 4,150 suspects in the West Bank, with around 1,750 of them belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) An Israeli couple, Yitzhak Cohen, 37, and his friend Geneva Lopez, have been reported missing in the Philippines since Friday, according to local media. The couple was last seen leaving to look at a property for sale in the city of Capas, but have not been heard from since. On Saturday, their vehicle was discovered burned, with Lopezs identity card found inside. The family has been frantically searching for the couple and has reached out to authorities for assistance. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it is aware of the situation and is working closely with the Israeli Embassy in Manila and the Department for Israelis Abroad to locate the missing couple. The Israeli Consul in the Philippines is handling the matter in coordination with local authorities, and the Department for Israelis Abroad is in contact with the family, the Ministry said. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog welcomed Senator John Fetterman to Israel on Tuesday, marking the senators first visit to the country, with Herzog expressing his deepest thanks to Fetterman for his steadfast support and solidarity with the Israeli people. During the meeting, Senator Fetterman revealed a poignant symbol of his commitment to the cause, showing President Herzog a bracelet given to him by families who lost loved ones in the Nova Festival massacre on October 7th. The Senator vowed to wear the bracelet until all hostages are returned home to their families. President Herzog warmly addressed Senator Fetterman, saying, Welcome to Israel, my friend. I know that you come out of passion and love for this country. And I want to say thank you, on behalf of our nation and on behalf of Israel. Those who stand with us, showing moral clarity, we shall never forget them. And we want to thank you; youre a true leader. Senator Fetterman humbly responded, Im honored by those words, but I dont really believe I should be thanked for just doing my job. Its been a very easy and clear choice throughout all of this, through everything your nation has been through after October 7. Ive always wanted to be a very consistent voice throughout all this. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Cancer patients in your community need YOUR help to beat the disease. Will you help open doors for them? RCCSs Two-day campaign is now live! This is your chance to partner with Klal Yisroels premier organization that assists cancer patients in our communities in so many ways. No matter where you live, the word cancer is a frightening reality for all too many of your neighbors, Rl. This dreadful disease and its treatment regimens afflict men, women, teenagers, even young children, of all ages and backgrounds as well as their family and friends. In our communities, virtually every one of these suffering souls relies on RCCS as a lifeline the one-stop resource that guides them from diagnosis through recovery and makes sure that everyone has access to the absolute best medical care available anywhere in the world. RCCS provides medical referral and support, getting each patient to the best doctor for their diagnosis; this includes handling their medical records and expediting appointments. To this end, they conduct extensive medical research to avail patients to the most cutting-edge medical treatment. They provide crucial financial support to cover insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses. In essence, they serve as the patients virtual back office from beginning to end. They arrange insurance guidance and advocacy, helping a patient navigate the complex world of insurance, and advocating for them when an insurer rejects a claim. They ensure that finances never stand between a patient and world-class treatment. In addition, the RCCS Care Management team helps patients and their families access the full gamut of financial and logistical assistance available through individual donors and other organizations. It now costs over $29 million a year for RCCS to cover its global operations; including paying insurance premiums and other patient expenditures. RCCS is currently helping over 5,000 patients and their families with everything they need to fight cancer with dozens of new patients reaching out for help each week. Jewish communities around the country have united to support RCCSs lifesaving operations through a special two day KNOCK KNOCK online fundraising campaign. This is RCCSs primary community fundraising event in these communities for the year. NOW IS THE TIME for you to make sure that RCCS can save the lives of your friends and neighbors. The RCCS KNOCK KNOCK campaign is now live, until tomorrow evening. Please donate without delay. It is only through the widespread participation of Yidden from a cross section of communities that the goal will be reached iyH. (Donate Now) Thank you for doing your part! Tortilla Mexican Grill has consolidated its position in the European fast-casual Mexican restaurant market with the acquisition of its largest competitor. The London-listed firm told shareholders it had acquired France's Fresh Burritos for a total consideration of 3.95million (3.33million), thereby taking on its brand, 13 company-owned leasehold restaurants across Paris and other major cities, and a network of 19 franchised locations. Funded via a mix of cash payments and existing debt facilities, the deal forms part of Tortilla's 'Vital Five' growth strategy, which aims to develop the brand internationally and 'double-down on franchise'. Tortilla said the deal 'provides a springboard for franchise growth across Europe', while providing 'compelling synergies for the enlarged group'. Tortilla Mexican Grill moves to consolidate dominant position in Europe's Mexican food market The acquisition is expected to contribute 2.5million of additional annual adjusted earnings before nasties 24 months after completion. In the meantime, the deal is forecast to generate an adjusted earnings loss of 500,000 this year before adding 500,000 in profit in 2025. Fresh Burritos delivered revenues of 9million and a loss before tax of 100,000 in its last financial year. Andy Naylor, Tortilla boss, said: 'With Mexican cuisine surging in popularity, these prime French locations give us a solid launchpad. We're set to leverage this acquisition, just in time for the Paris Olympics. 'The brand synergies are clear, a new central kitchen is in the works, and our dedicated team is raring to go. We're primed for sustainable growth abroad.' Tortilla Mexican Grill shares were up 6.7 per cent to 55.5p by mid-afternoon on Tuesday, bringing 2024 gains to around 15.7 per cent. However, the shares have lost more than 70 per cent of their value since listing in October 2021. Broker says Tortilla shares could more than double Tortilla is the largest fast-casual Mexican group in the UK and Europe, with 89 locations, and is now more than twice the size of its nearest European competitor. The group hopes to capitalise on the growing global Mexican food market, which is expected to grow to $114billion by 2026, according to Technavio Research figures cited by Tortilla. But it was forced to lower profit expectations in December on the back of weaker consumer confidence hitting sales across the eating-out sector. It said on Tuesday that its core UK business is trading in line with the full year expectations ahead of a market update in July. Liberum analyst Anna Barnfather reiterated the broker's 'buy' rating of Tortilla, which it believes looks undervalued. She said: 'The shares have been flat over the last month but are up[year-to-date]. 'However, this is still down 44 per cent versus a year ago[and] at a discount to the UK restaurant sector on 6.8x and a significant discount to US restaurant peers on an average of 14.8x. 'Furthermore, at these levels, the entire business (market cap c.20million) is valued roughly equally to one [US competitor] Chipotle store (Market cap of 69.2billon, which is equivalent to 20.1million per owned store). 'Our target price of 115p is based on a blend of [discounted cash flow and return on employed capital] and peer comparisons and implies an 8x multiple for FY24E. 'This still represents 120 per cent upside for Europe's largest burrito-led business. Major catalysts include improving sales growth and margin-rebuild.' Britains biggest winemaker could be sold as it tries to meet booming demand for English fizz. Chapel Down has launched a strategic review to explore ways to find fresh funding to pay for its ambitious growth plans. Options include raising cash from current or new investors or even hoisting the for-sale sign over its Kent headquarters in Tenterden. It is understood that the Chapel Down board would be open to a range of buyers, from private equity groups and champagne houses to wealthy individuals. The firm has enjoyed huge success in recent years as appetite for English sparkling wine soars. Growth plans: Chapel Down, led by chief exec Andrew Carter (pictured), has launched a strategic review to explore ways to find fresh funding The group, set up in 2002, sold a record 887,000 bottles last year, with profits surging 87 per cent to 2.3million. It has been publicly listed since 2003 but joined AIM in December in what chief executive Andrew Carter said was part of the companys evolution from a start-up into being Englands leading and largest winemaker. The board which includes City tycoon and Conservative Party donor Lord Spencer, who is Chapel Downs biggest shareholder with a 26 per cent stake is pushing ahead with a strategic review to cement profitable growth in the long-term. Chapel Down already has plans for new vineyards and a winery as well as major investment in its headquarters. Chapel Down shares The site has been a big money-spinner and welcomed 65,000 tourists last year for wine tastings and tours. Chapel Down whose bottles of English sparkling wine start at 30 owns around a tenth of the UKs 10,000 wine growing acres. Even though 95 per cent of Chapel Down is guzzled in the UK, the firm is keen to expand overseas. Carter told the Mail last year that the US market is of particular interest thanks to the American love for all-things British. A Chapel Down spokesman said yesterday: The board believes that it is now appropriate to review the full range of long-term funding options that support this plan. And analysts appeared to agree with this assessment. Russ Mould at broker AJ Bell said: Chapel Down has made a name for itself over the years but the business appears to have a hit the ceiling in terms of scale. To grow even more, it really needs a big slug of cash to invest in the business and that might be better coming from a new, bigger owner, rather than going cap in hand to shareholders on an ad hoc basis. Wine is the UKs fastest growing agricultural sector with business booming at the likes of Chapel Down as well as rivals Nyetimber and Gusbourne. The chalky soil in the south-east of England is similar to that found in the Champagne region of France. Warmer temperatures in recent years have meant higher sugar content in the grapes, which makes for higher alcohol levels. Taittinger became the first Champagne house to invest in English sparkling wine in 2015 when it snapped up land near Chilham in Kent. LVMH the company behind world-leading champagne brands Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot has also been eyeing up plots on British soil. Aside from Kent, West Sussex and East Sussex are also becoming key pillars of the growing English wine market, where the process from planting a vine to pouring a glass of bubbles takes at least seven years on average. More than 11billion was wiped off European aerospace and defence stocks after an Airbus profit warning sent shockwaves through the sector. The plane makers shares tumbled 9.4 per cent after it slashed forecasts for the year and revealed a 760million charge on its troubled space division. A continent-wide index of aerospace and defence stocks suffered a drop of nearly 4 per cent following the update. Heavy turbulence: Airbus shares tumbled 9.4% after the plane-maker slashed forecasts for the year and revealed a 760m charge on its troubled space division Analysts said the profit warning was stunning and that the downgrades to delivery guidance had come as a real surprise. It dragged down shares in suppliers and competitors, which had been on a roll as air travel recovered from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions saw governments bolster their defences. Shares in Rolls-Royce, which has seen its stock soar more than 200 per cent over the last year, dropped as much as 4.9 per cent yesterday. It recovered most of its losses and closed 1.1 per cent down at 466p. Babcocks share price ended the day more than 3 per cent down at 533p. Shares in London-listed aerospace technology supplier Melrose Industries fell 2.3 per cent to 567.8p. British defence giant BAE Systems saw its stock take a 1.1 per cent hit, falling to 1337p. Explosives maker Chemring dropped 1 per cent to 379p. The market capitalisation of the Stoxx Europe Total Market Aerospace and Defence Index fell from 296billion to 284billion, a drop of around 4 per cent. It came after a shock update in which Airbus said it will build fewer planes this year. The company which has its headquarters in the Netherlands will deliver just 770 jets instead of the planned 800 due to supply chain issues that have affected engines, aerostructures and cabin equipment. The business delayed plans to ramp up the output of its best-selling A320neo model by a year to 2027. And the companys underlying operating income forecast for the year was slashed from between 5.5billion and 5.9billion to 4.6billion. Free cash flow expectations were cut from 3.4billion to 2.9billion. Meanwhile, Airbus said it will take a 760million hit in the first half of the year following a review of its space unit. Chief executive Guillaume Faury told analysts: We are facing headwinds right now. We have to bite the bullet. Analysts at Deutsche Bank said the aerospace giant had issued a stunning profit warning as the bank downgraded the stock to hold. Deutsche Bank research analyst Christophe Menard said: Supply chain remains a very wild card at Airbus. We are troubled by the sudden reversal in company guidance over deliveries. The delivery guidance downgrade comes as a real surprise. Airbus comes across as not being in full control of the supply chain. Invest Buffalo Niagara (InBN), a non-profit dedicated to economic development in the Buffalo area, has partnered with a local Buffalo website design firm, Williams Media, to revamp their website. The goal? To create a more user-friendly and visually appealing platform that highlights the region's strengths and attracts businesses looking to expand or relocate. "The refreshed website provides a front door for those considering expanding or relocating their business to Buffalo Niagara," said Sarah Larson, Brand and Creative Director at InBN. "The modern look and feel perfectly illustrates the innovative spirit of our local economy." Williams Media, known for its expertise in website design and development, SEO, and digital marketing, completely overhauled the InBN website. This included crafting a new content strategy targeted at business owners and site selectors, along with a stunning new user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. "We are thrilled with the results of our partnership with Williams Media," Larson added. "Their Buffalo website design expertise is exactly what we needed to showcase the potential of our region." The Buffalo firm also implemented a "precision-crafted development architecture" to ensure the website functions flawlessly and effectively communicates InBN's value proposition. Additionally, InBN will benefit from ongoing website management services provided by Hueston, a sister company of Williams Media. "Growing up here and seeing the amazing resurgence in Buffalo made being a part of this project very special for my team and I," said Michael Williams, CEO and Founder of Williams Media. "Working with the InBN team was so refreshing their passion for Buffalo is contagious and the work they are doing is incredible!" With its new website, InBN is confident it will be even better positioned to attract businesses and continue fostering economic growth in the Buffalo Niagara region. The new platform serves as a valuable resource for potential investors, offering them a clear picture of the many benefits of doing business in Buffalo. InBN believes this website makeover will be a major step forward in achieving their economic development goals. Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content. A Jamestown woman has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in a drug trafficking operation, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced. Tracey Wynn, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara following her conviction on a charge of conspiring with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Prosecutors said Wynn sold methamphetamine supplied by Jamestown drug dealer Douglas Beardsley between September 2018 and January and sold the drug to an undercover agent on four occasions. Prosecutors said Wynn also was found with a bag of marijuana and plastic bags of methamphetamine when she was searched in October 2019 after she she was stopped by Jamestown police for a traffic violation. Arcara sentenced Beardsley, 39, to 14 years and eight months in prison on drug and gun charges in June 2023. - Dale Anderson Midtown Kansas City is one of the most populous areas near Kansas City and other news outlets have noted the Mayor Q is now a denizen of this expansive community -- So, don't get your panties in a bunch, WE'RE NOT DOXXING ANYBODY, merely reporting that KC's worsening homicide count is cause for concern for EVERYONE who resides in this cowtown up to and including the top city hall boss. Actually, this deadly altercation was less than a five blocks from Mayor Q but, in reality and thankfully, a safe distance far away. Additionally and probably more importantly . . . This is the second KCMO homicide in 24 hours. Here are the basics of the investigation and more deets: Homicide 1000 blk of W 38th This afternoon around 2:30 PM officers were dispatched to the 1000 blk of W. 38th street on a reported sound of shots. While en route the call was upgraded to a shooting. Upon arrival officers were directed to an apartment building. Upon entering the building they located an adult male victim in a common access stairwell. The victim was suffering from apparent gun shot wounds. Officers immediately started performing life saving measures and ordered EMS. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by medics. Detectives and crime scene personnel are gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, and looking for surveillance footage to determine what led up to the incident. The incident occurred in a heavily populated neighborhood, if anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ########### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Fatal shooting near 38th, Belleview in KCMO under investigation The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a homicide in the 1000 block of W. 38th Street. Police respond to homicide near Roanoke, Midtown-Westport neighborhood The Kansas City Police Department stated the scene was in the 1000 block of West 38th Street. Kansas City, Missouri police investigating deadly shooting after man found in apartment Kansas City police are investigating a homicide in the 1000 block of West 38th Street. Developing . . . So far . . . The science tells us that most adorable creatures locked up for the amusement of humans might not have any politics. Don't get it twisted . . . TKC isn't going down the same route that got Alex Jones stripped of most of his cash in legal battle that relied on default judgements and not any real debate on Free Speech. TKC doesn't claim that anybody is turning the frogs gay. However . . . A lack of consent doesn't stop the Kansas City Zoo from parading around their prisoners in order to garner public support from "progressives" who, strangely, endorse this kind of captivity . . . Take a peek: "In continuation of our celebration of inclusivity and diversity for #PrideMonth, the animals received a colorful array of enrichment to explore!" A quick educational collage via www.TonysKansasCity.com . . . Developing . . . Startup Qatar has showcased the exclusive advantages and extensive opportunities offered to startups and entrepreneurs aiming to establish and expand their ventures in Qatar at Collision 2024 tech conference in Toronto. Dr Khalid bin Rashid Al-Mansouri, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar in Canada, visited the Startup Qatar pavilion, underscoring the importance of this initiative. Throughout the four-day conference, the pavilion facilitated connections between attendees and key stakeholders in Qatars startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. It highlighted the countrys thriving business ecosystem, multi-sectoral opportunities and customised benefits aimed to empower ambitious startups and support their long-term growth. Additionally, Invest Qatar led various business engagements to promote the nations strategic vision in fostering a sustainable and innovative tech ecosystem. Significant strides Fahad Al-Kuwari, Senior Manager of Investor Relations, participated in a panel discussion titled Government and Industry Roles in Building a Sustainable Tech Hub. Al-Kuwari shed light on Qatars significant strides in accelerating innovation and tech advancements and provided valuable insights into the policies and initiatives Qatar is implementing to reinforce its position as a thriving hub for innovation and startups. Invest Qatars participation at Collision 2024 builds on the significant interest and record success of the Startup Qatar initiative during the Web Summit Qatar, the largest technology event in the Middle East. The initiative, launched ahead of the Summit, recorded over 250 business registrations facilitated by QFC and received more than 1,000 applications for the Startup Qatar Investment Programme by QDB. This programme offers funding of up to $500,000 for seed-stage and up to $5 million for growth-stage companies.--TradeArabia News Service It is said that the best way to know a place is to walk it, and Utah's walkable towns are no exception! Known for its epic landscapes and national parks, Utah has some hidden spots that are perfect for those who love to explore on foot. Think of charming streets, historical sites, and scenic views all within a stroll's reach. Whether you are into boutique shopping, delicious local eats, or just soaking up the vibes, these towns have got you covered. In this post, we will dive into five of Utah's most walkable towns that offer the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. From the lively Main Streets to the calm parks, each town has something fun and exciting to offer. Park City According to World Atlas, Park City is a standout in Utah for those who love to hit the slopes or enjoy scenic trails. You can roam around downtown Park City easily, where boutique shops, art galleries, and cozy eateries await your discovery. Accommodations like Sheraton Park City and Park Regency Resort are just steps away from all the action. The historic Union Pacific Rail Trail also offers more adventurous walking paths that take you through breathtaking landscapes. This town ensures that every step you take is packed with beauty and excitement. Moab Moab is an adventurer's paradise and a delight for those who prefer urban trails. Downtown Moab is highly walkable, with specialty shops and restaurants against stunning red rocks. The Moab Museum and Mill Creek Parkway add cultural spice and greenery to your walks. This Utah town serves as a perfect base for exploring nearby national parks like Arches and Canyonlands. You will never run out of sights to explore on foot here. Related Article : Visit Utah: Five Reasons To Visit Zion National Park Midvale As shared by Redfin, Midvale ranks as one of Utah's top walkable cities with a walk score of 53. The areas around Fort Union and Midvale City Center are bustling with activity, offering everything from parks to theaters. Midvale Main Street Theatre and Bingham Junction Park are local hotspots. If you are shopping or enjoying nature, Midvale makes it easy and fun. This town is ideal for those who enjoy having a variety of activities within walking distance. Ogden Ogden's walk score of 44 might surprise you with its charm. You can explore neighborhoods like East Central Ogden and Jefferson on foot to discover a variety of amenities. The historic 25th Street is a must-visit, offering a range of dining and shopping options. This Utah city combines history with modern convenience, making it perfect for leisurely explorations. Ogden's vibrant community and scenic spots ensure there is always something new to see. Logan Logan is popular for its walkability with a walk score of 40. Utah State University adds a youthful vibe to the town, with plenty of cafes and shops around. The Logan River Trail is a favorite for both locals and visitors looking to unwind. You can also enjoy the culinary delights of The Crepery or embark on a trip to Logan Canyon. This town offers a blend of academic spirit and natural beauty, making it a great stop in Utah. Etihad Airways has introduced a new online chat feature. The tool is designed to help travelers check the necessary documents they need before flying. It is available on the airline's etihad.com website under the 'Get In Touch' section on the Help page. Etihad Simplifies Travel with Smart Chatbot The new system guides users through a series of questions. After that, it provides a list of required travel documents such as visas and tickets. John Wright, Etihad's Chief Operations and Guest Officer, emphasized the importance of this feature. He stated that it is vital for travelers to feel confident that they have all the required documents for their trips. As per Breaking Travel News, the chat feature uses up-to-date information from IATA's Timatic solution. Timatic is known for providing reliable, real-time data on travel document requirements globally. It is a trusted resource for the travel industry and government bodies around the world. Frederic Leger, a senior vice president at IATA, praised Etihad Airways for this initiative. He said that it not only helps travelers prepare better but also supports the move towards automating the travel experience. Leger expressed pride in IATA's role in supporting Etihad Airways through the Timatic AutoCheck system. The launch of this chatbot by Etihad Airways aims to save passengers time. It eliminates the need to search the internet or call customer service centers to verify travel documentation requirements. This development is part of Etihad Airways' ongoing efforts to enhance its customers' travel experiences by incorporating advanced technology solutions. Related Article: Instant Refunds Now Mandatory Under New Airline Transparency Rules Etihad Enhances Travel with New Route Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched new flights to Jaipur, India. The inaugural flight was celebrated with a special ceremony at Jaipur International Airport. This new service operates four times a week, directly connecting Jaipur to Abu Dhabi. Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, expressed excitement about the new flights. He highlighted Jaipur as a key cultural and commercial hub in India. Neves stated that the introduction of this route is a response to the growing demand for travel from India. It provides easier access to Abu Dhabi and our wider global network. He added that the service aims to offer travelers a premium experience. Jaipur, known for its rich history and lively culture, attracts visitors to its famous forts and palaces. In another report released by Breaking Travel News, travelers from northwest India can now enjoy direct access to Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways' new flights. This connection opens up more frequent travel options through Etihad's extensive network. The route also benefits travelers heading to the United States. They can utilize the US Customs and Border Protection facility at Abu Dhabi Airport, simplifying their entry into the US. Overall, the development reflects Etihad Airways' commitment to expanding its presence in the Indian market. The airline has increased its operations in India by one-third over the last year. The Jaipur flights will be serviced by the Airbus A320 aircraft family, ensuring a comfortable journey in both Business and Economy classes. Barcelona has announced plans to stop allowing tourists to rent apartments by 2028. The city's mayor, Jaume Collboni, revealed the decision last Friday. This bold move aims to tackle the city's sharp rise in housing costs and improve living conditions for its residents. Barcelona Curbs Tourism to Protect Locals The beautiful city of Barcelona is Spain's most popular destination for foreign tourists. But this popularity has pushed up housing prices. In the last decade, rent has jumped by 68% and the cost to buy a home has increased by 38%. The mayor pointed out that these rising costs are making it tough for many, especially young people, to afford living in the city. Barcelona's government believes that the surge in short-term tourist rentals is a big part of the problem. Many apartment owners prefer renting their properties to tourists because they can charge more money. This has left fewer homes available for locals and pushed prices up. In response, CNN reported that the city will end the licenses of over 10,000 apartments currently used for short-term rentals by November 2028. No new licenses for tourist apartments have been given out recently. The city has also been strict about finding and closing illegal tourist apartments. Since 2016, they have shut down around 9,700 illegal rentals. The decision is part of a wider effort seen across Europe where cities like Lisbon and Berlin have set similar rules. These cities are trying to control the impact of tourism on local housing markets. Hotels might see more guests because of this change. The previous government stopped new hotels from opening in popular areas of Barcelona. But Mayor Collboni is thinking about relaxing this rule. Meanwhile, the city plans to keep a strong check on illegal rentals even after the ban starts. Reviving Local Communities Barcelona plans to ban short-term rental properties by 2028, a move driven by the need to tackle the city's housing crisis. Mayor Jaume Collboni announced that the city will no longer allow over 10,000 apartments to be rented out to tourists. These apartments will either be used by residents or put up for sale or long-term leasing. The decision is expected to bring more locals, including artists and entrepreneurs, back to the city center. As a result, the neighborhoods around central Barcelona are likely to regain their original charm and vibrancy. The presence of local residents is hoped to enhance the authenticity that once made Barcelona special. According to Wanderlust, the ban could also improve the experience for visitors. With fewer tourists, popular sites like the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia might become less crowded. The change is set to benefit small, independent hotels in Barcelona, which are anticipated to see an increase in bookings. These hotels have been the backbone of the city's accommodation sector since the government restricted the opening of new hotels in 2015. Collboni emphasized the importance of this policy as a "turning point" for the city. He believes that while the effects might take time, the measure marks a significant step towards resolving the housing issues caused by tourism. Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, one of the Philippines' top hotels in its National Capital Region, has announced that it will hold a gastronomic celebration known as OPA! Santorini Barbecue Night. It will be held on June 29, 2024, which happens to be the hotel's second to the last day of operations. Sofitel previously announced that it was closing its doors effective July 1. Sofitel's OPA! Santorini Barbecue Night OPA! Santorini Barbecue Night will be held at Cocos, which is the hotel's outdoor dining venue. In a Facebook post, Sofitel encouraged those interested to attend to wear all-white outfits. The details of the even can be viewed below. Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila to Close on July 1 As previously mentioned, Sofitel announced its closure, which is set to take effect on July 1. As of press time, it remains unclear whether the closure is temporary or permanent. According to reports by local media, the surprise closure of the hotel is due to safety reasons. "In the past two years, so many incidents have happened already," Esteban Pena Sy, the president of Philippine Plaza Holdings Inc. (PPHI), said in an interview. PPHI is the entity that owns the hotel in the Philippines. "In fact, last September, we had to evacuate more than 1,000 guests and transferred to other hotels because the water pipeline burst," he further elaborated. "So, we want to close for safety reasons." By Janice Phelan, June 25, 2024 Members of the CBHE toured the Missouri Innovation Campus, including a stop in the Extended Reality Studio. LEES SUMMIT, MO - The University of Central Missouri (UCM) hosted the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE) at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lees Summit. UCM was chosen from seven other universities that applied to host their annual work session, said David Pearce, UCMs executive director for governmental relations. It was quite an honor for UCM to be chosen to host the CBHE meeting. The state board met on the UCM MIC campus for two half-day sessions. Members also made time for a tour of the unique Missouri Innovation Campus including stops at the Center for Workforce and Professional Education, the School of Nursing and its simulations center, as well as UCM's cutting-edge Extended Reality Studio which offers both virtual and augmented reality. The MIC was chosen for the CBHE work session due to our commitment to Workforce Development, and our ability to work with the local school district, community college and business community, he added. In addition to the campus tour and work session, the board participated in a reception with local community members and a public session. During UCM President Roger Bests welcome remarks to the CBHE members, he discussed the one-of-a-kind Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) program, a collaboration among UCM, the Lees Summit R-7 School District, Metropolitan Community College and leading area businesses. He also shared information about MIC undergraduate programs, graduate and certificate programs and the student population. UCMs selection for the annual work session demonstrates the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Developments recognition of the importance of the UCM campus mission, Pearce said. They could see the cooperation with our school partners and business community, he added. At the same time, they could see the state-of-the art facilities and how they offer so much for our students. The nine-member CBHE oversees the states Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. This was the first time the board has met at the Missouri Innovation Campus, and the first time in more than 20 years that the CBHE has met at UCM. Typically, the board meets seven times annually in Jefferson City with its annual work session taking place on a Missouri college or university campus. UCM offers classes at campuses in Warrensburg and Lee's Summit, as well as online. By Alex Greenwood, June 24, 2024 Veteran Voices from the Heartland MA student Joey Lake and undergraduate student Truman Harrow of UCM attend the session at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri. Faculty and students from the University of Central Missouri (UCM) joined partners to participate in professional development sessions for K-12 educators at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri, and the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri, on June 17-18, 2024. This opportunity was made possible by funding from the Veterans Legacy Memorial Grant Program. On June 17, nineteen educators who teach grades 7-12 in the areas surrounding the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery attended a professional development seminar on uncovering and documenting the life stories of World War II era veterans interred at the cemetery. The following day, the teachers continued their research using the extensive resources available at the Midwest Genealogy Center. During the first day, participants toured the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery and learned research techniques to uncover the personal histories of these veterans. They also explored how to teach their students these research skills and how to upload veteran biographies to the Veterans Legacy Memorial platform. On the second day, the teachers utilized the Midwest Genealogy Center's resources to deepen their research and provided feedback on a draft handbook developed by the UCM team. This handbook is designed specifically for 7-12 grade teachers and aligns with state standards. The Veterans Legacy Memorial grant, received in August 2023 by UCM and its partners, funded this professional development event as part of the Veterans Voices from the Heartland grant. UCM faculty members who presented at the event included Lauren Hays, associate professor of education technology; Sara Sundberg, professor emerita of history; and Jon Taylor, professor of history. Tina Ellsworth, assistant professor of education at Northwest Missouri State University, served as an outside consultant for the grant. UCM History graduate student Joey Lake and undergraduate student Truman Harrow, who conducted preliminary research about the World War II veterans interred in Higginsville for the sessions, also participated. UCMs Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity provided support and oversight for the project. Other partners included Katie Kline, director of the Greater Kansas City Writing Project, and Katie Smith and Kim Alberg from the Midwest Genealogy Center. For more information, please contact Dr. Jon Taylor at jtaylor01@ucmo.edu. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a phone call on Tuesday discussed the situation at the front and the massive shelling of Kharkiv and Pokrovsk. That's according to a statement posted on the website of the head of state, Ukrinform reports. "Andriy Yermak provided an update on the operational situation at the front, noting the intensification of Russian attacks on Ukrainian communities and strikes on energy infrastructure. He specifically reported on the massive shelling of Kharkiv and Pokrovsk, which has resulted in casualties," the statement reads. The parties discussed the outcome of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland and further implementation of the points of the Peace Formula, as well as the meeting of leaders in the framework of the G7 Summit. They noted the importance of a bilateral security agreement signed between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States. During the conversation, special attention was paid to preparations for the NATO Summit to be held on July 9-11 in Washington, DC. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Ukraine will do everything within its power to complete the process of achieving a full membership in the European Union. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at the first Intergovernmental Conference at ministerial level to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. Thousands of the best sons and daughters of Ukraine have given their lives for an independent European, Ukraine. I bow my head in the memory of the fallen Ukrainian heroes. I bow my head in gratitude to the Ukrainian military for making this day possible, for enabling Ukraine to start this negotiation process that will ultimately lead to our membership in the European Union. We will do everything within our power to achieve this, Shmyhal said. At the same time, he stressed that there is still a lot of work to be done on the path to accession. We are ready for it, we have demonstrated that we can move swiftly and achieve the impossible. Today's event clearly shows this," Shmyhal said. The Ukrainian prime minister expressed confidence that European partners will positively perceive Ukraine's official negotiating position. Ukraine's future membership is Europe's best response to current challenges and a unique opportunity to strengthen the European Union, he said. We believe that aiding Ukraine in defeating the Russian aggressor and overcoming the challenges of post-war reconstruction could become Europe's greatest achievement indicates," Shmyhal stressed. According to the head of the Ukrainian government, a strong Ukraine is impossible outside the EU, just as a strong EU is not possible without Ukraine. "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union, he said. The start of negotiations is a significant step towards our shared great Victory. Together we will prevail, together we will build a safe, prosperous and strong Europe from Lisbon to Luhansk," the Prime Minister summed up. As reported, negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union started at the first Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg on June 25. Photo: FB/Denys Shmyhal Ernest Sternberg These have been tough months on campuses across the country for Jewish students and for supporters of a peaceful future in which Israel can live safely alongside its neighbors. The University at Buffalo has not been spared. The hate began immediately after the Oct. 7 massacre of over 1,200 Israeli men, women and children. The national Students for Justice in Palestine issued its Day-of-Resistance Toolkit, which claimed the massacre as a historic win for Palestinian resistance. It justified confrontation by any means necessary, including armed general strikes, and stated that Israelis cannot be civilians because they are military assets. In effect, the toolkit called for the extermination of Israeli Jews. The common campus chant From the River to the Sea means the elimination of Israelis. By any means necessary justifies mass rape, torture, and child kidnapping. UB has seen firsthand the antisemitic effects of this rhetoric. Posters on campus of Israeli hostages many of whom have been murdered by Hamas were torn down within a day. As for posters put up by the Israel haters, one pictured a UB Jewish student leader, targeting him as a Zionist child. He is one of the few who wears a yarmulka on campus. On a social media page discussing UB affairs, postings use vile insults against him and demand that he be punished. After pro-Israel students and faculty walked peacefully on UBs North Campus on May 6, carrying U.S. and Israeli flags, still another hater posted their picture with a banner asking for them to be shot. A student has been arraigned in the Town of Amherst for allegedly making the threat. Even the malicious, the naive, and the bigoted have the right to protest. But the university must regulate the time and place;, because it is, first, a place for education. With wisdom, UB prohibits overnight demonstrations and encampments. On May 1, when protesters tried to extend their demonstration into the evening,apparently to set up an encampment, police officers repeatedly announced the deadline for dispersing. Most demonstrators left peacefully, but 15 were arrested, some unaffiliated with UB. It is very hard to judge from video snippets, but it appears that one or two of the demonstrators tried to assault police officers. Despite conflicting claims and many rumors about what happened during the arrests, the UB Faculty Senate bypassed its normal procedures to quickly pass a resolution against the arrests, without an investigation. What is clear is that UB has remained an orderly institutionto which students come from around the world, eager for education. We thank UB President Satish Tripathi and the rest of the UB and SUNY leaderships for their foresight in keep our campus from going the way of Columbia and other campuses racked by turmoil. The entire university community should be grateful. Samuel Abramovich, Education; Joseph Atkinson, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering; Assaf Berger, Neurosurgery; Anna Blumenthal-Perry, Biochemistry; Richard Cohen, Jewish Thought; Iris Danziger, Otolaryngology; Kenneth Dauber, English; Philip Glick, Surgery and Management; Leonard Katz, Medicine and Gastroenterology (Emeritus); Michael Langberg, Electrical Engineering; Elad Levy, Neurological Surgery; Yaron Perry, Surgery; Carol Schmeidler, Safety Manager; Diane Schwartz, Biomedical Informatics; Stanley Schwartz, Medicine and Pediatrics; Andrew Symons, Family Medicine; Bernard Weinstein, Physics (Emeritus); Gil Wolfe, Neurology Despite his administration's history of blocking high-skilled immigrants, Donald Trump recently expressed support for granting green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities. His remarks during a podcast interview sparked significant attention and debate, highlighting a stark contrast between his past policies and his current statements. This article examines Trump's podcast interview, his record on high-skilled immigration as president, and the practical and political obstacles to his proposal becoming law. The Podcast Interview On June 19, 2024, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, participated in a podcast interview with venture capitalists on the show All-In. Trump stated, "What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from college. I think you should automatically get a green card as part of your diploma to be able to stay in this country." This bold declaration, which proposes green cards for every college graduate, including those from community colleges, diverges sharply from his prior immigration policies. Following media interest, Trump's campaign released a statement from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, which emphasized a rigorous vetting process for these graduates. Leavitt emphasized that President Trump proposed the strictest vetting process in U.S. history to exclude certain groups before considering skilled graduates for significant contributions to America. This highlights how Trump's proposal is contingent on stringent immigration controls, consistent with his past emphasis on strict policies. READ MORE : Trump Proposes Granting Green Cards To Foreign Graduates Of US Colleges, Marking Shift In Immigration Stance Trump's Record on High-Skilled Immigration as President During his presidency, Donald Trump frequently advocated for "merit-based" immigration. However, his administration implemented numerous restrictions that adversely affected high-skilled immigrants, international students, and H-1B visa holders. The H-1B visa, essential for high-skilled foreign nationals to work in the U.S., faced increased scrutiny under Trump's policies. The rate of denial for initial H-1B employment petitions spiked to 24% in FY 2018 and 21% in FY 2019, exceeding historical norms. In 2020, a legal settlement required U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to stop several restrictive practices, leading to a decrease in the denial rate to 2%. Despite this, Trump's administration continued to enforce policies that hindered the entry of high-skilled workers. In June 2020, Trump used his authority under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to suspend the entry of H-1B, L-1, and other temporary visa holders, along with nearly all categories of immigrants. These actions, unprecedented in their breadth, reflected Trump's overall restrictive approach to high-skilled immigration. Practical and Political Obstacles to Trump's Proposal Becoming Law Despite Trump's recent statements, several factors make it unlikely that his proposal to grant green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities will become law if he is elected. His long-time immigration adviser, Stephen Miller, is a significant obstacle. Miller, known for his efforts to reduce legal immigration, would likely oppose any policy that could increase the number of immigrants to America by one million annually. His influence was evident in past immigration policies that restricted even high-skilled immigration. Additionally, political dynamics within Congress present substantial hurdles. Many Republicans, including influential figures like Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Chip Roy, have expressed opposition to Trump's proposal. Moreover, historical resistance to similar measures, such as the 2022 negotiations over the CHIPS and Science Act, illustrates the bipartisan challenges such a policy would face. During these negotiations, Sen. Charles Grassley blocked an exemption from green card limits for international graduate students in STEM fields despite the provision's potential to benefit the U.S. economy. Trump's recent advocacy for an expansive immigration proposal may be an attempt to appeal to the podcast's venture capitalist hosts, one of whom hosted a fundraiser for him in Silicon Valley. This context suggests that Trump's statements might be more about political posturing than a genuine legislative priority. Given his track record and the expected opposition from key advisers and legislators, it is improbable that Trump will pursue this proposal seriously if re-elected. Donald Trump's mixed messages on high-skilled immigration reflect a complex interplay of political strategy and past policy. While his recent statements on granting green cards to foreign graduates of U.S. universities have garnered attention, the practical and political challenges suggest that such a policy is unlikely to materialize under his administration. When a student at Lafayette College displayed a poster with the phrase "from the river to the sea" during a protest last October, it sparked immediate action from college officials. This incident and subsequent events led to a Title VI investigation by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) into whether the college had adequately responded to allegations of antisemitism. The findings and resolutions from this investigation highlight the complex balance colleges must maintain between protecting students from harassment and upholding free speech rights. The Incident and Immediate Response During the October protest, college officials swiftly identified the student holding the controversial poster and discussed the phrase's potentially antisemitic implications with them. The student agreed to refrain from using the phrase in the future, and the college president addressed the issue in a campuswide email, emphasizing the serious nature of the incident. However, when another student anonymously reported an Instagram post containing the same phrase the next day, the college deemed it protected under free speech and took no further action. This inconsistency in response became a focal point in OCR's investigation. The college's approach to different incidents involving the same phrase revealed gaps in its handling of harassment allegations, particularly those arising from social media. READ MORE : House Of Representatives Votes To Codify Broad Definition Of Antisemitism Into Federal Civil Rights Law Title VI Investigation and Findings The Title VI investigation concluded that Lafayette College's inconsistent responses to complaints of antisemitic harassment on social media failed to meet federal civil rights requirements. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates that educational institutions receiving federal funding must protect students from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. This protection extends to harassment that occurs both on and off campus, including on social media platforms. OCR's findings indicated that while the college took some steps to address a potentially hostile environment-such as offering support services and mediating discussions-it did not consistently recognize or address all incidents that could contribute to such an environment. This inconsistency was particularly evident in how the college responded to complaints depending on whether they originated on campus or online. Balancing Free Speech and Anti-Discrimination Obligations The OCR's resolution agreement with Lafayette College underscores the delicate balance institutions must strike between safeguarding free speech and fulfilling anti-discrimination obligations. Colleges, especially private ones like Lafayette, have a certain degree of flexibility in regulating speech but must also ensure they do not create or perpetuate a hostile environment for any student group. First Amendment experts have expressed concerns that the OCR's findings might prompt colleges to overly restrict political speech to avoid potential violations of Title VI. This could lead to a chilling effect on campuses, where institutions might choose to censor speech on contentious topics rather than fostering open dialogue and debate. Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment scholar, highlighted the potential implications of the OCR's stance. He argued that if universities are required to take effective action to end harassment, they might feel compelled to threaten disciplinary measures against students for offensive speech, which could infringe on First Amendment rights. However, the OCR has clarified that its guidance does not necessitate infringing on free speech. Colleges can address harassment by expressing opposition to discriminatory opinions, providing counseling, and promoting a respectful campus environment. Moving Forward Under the agreement with OCR, Lafayette College has committed to enhancing its anti-discrimination training, reviewing its response to harassment reports, and ensuring transparency by providing OCR with relevant complaints for the next two years. These steps aim to ensure a consistent and effective response to all forms of harassment, whether occurring on campus or online. Lafayette's president, Nicole Hurd, emphasized the college's dedication to combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate speech. The college's actions following the OCR agreement are intended to protect the safety and well-being of all students while maintaining a campus environment conducive to free expression and respectful discourse. The Lafayette College case highlights the ongoing challenge educational institutions face in navigating the intersection of free speech and anti-discrimination obligations. The OCR's findings and subsequent actions taken by Lafayette serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of consistent and fair responses to harassment while upholding the fundamental principles of free expression. Columbia University has garnered significant attention by placing three senior administrators on leave following reports of their exchanging sarcastic and insensitive text messages during an antisemitism panel. The messages, deemed crass and inappropriate, were exchanged during a discussion intended to address serious concerns about Jewish life and antisemitism on campus. This incident has prompted an internal investigation and raised significant questions about the university's commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment. Incident Overview Columbia University has placed three administrators on leave following reports that they exchanged sarcastic and insensitive text messages during a campus panel discussion on antisemitism. The incident, first reported by The Washington Free Beacon, occurred on May 31 during a Columbia College reunion event focused on Jewish life on campus. The individuals involved are Susan Chang-Kim, who holds the roles of vice dean and chief administrative officer at Columbia College, along with Cristen Kromm and Matthew Patashnick. According to reports, the messages exchanged by the administrators included derogatory remarks and emojis that were considered dismissive of the serious nature of the panel's topic. One particular message reportedly mocked an op-ed about widespread antisemitism on campus written by Columbia rabbi Yonah Hain. Another message accused a panelist of exploiting the event for potential fundraising opportunities. Columbia College Dean Josef Sorett was also mentioned in the exchanges, responding affirmatively to some of the derogatory comments, though he remains in his position while cooperating with the ongoing investigation. READ MORE : Columbia University Settles Lawsuit Over Campus Safety Amid Protests Administrative Actions and Responses The university has initiated an investigation into the incident but has not publicly named the administrators involved, aside from the details provided by The Washington Free Beacon. In response to the controversy, Columbia University has placed Chang-Kim, Kromm, and Patashnick on leave. Dean Sorett, despite his involvement in the exchanges, has expressed remorse and continues to serve as dean during the investigation. In a statement to the Columbia College Board of Visitors, Sorett acknowledged his part in the incident, stating, "I am committed to learning from this situation and to the work of confronting antisemitism, discrimination, and hate at Columbia." His commitment to addressing these issues underscores the university's broader dedication to fostering an inclusive and respectful campus environment. The university spokesperson emphasized that the investigation aims to thoroughly examine the incident and address any lapses in behavior and judgment by the involved administrators. Broader Implications and University Climate This incident at Columbia University has broader implications for campus climate and the administration's handling of sensitive topics such as antisemitism. The exchange of insensitive messages by senior administrators during a panel intended to address serious concerns about Jewish life on campus has sparked outrage and concern among students, faculty, and the wider community. It raises questions about the commitment of university leaders to tackling issues of discrimination and bias effectively. The university's prompt action in placing the administrators on leave and initiating an investigation indicates a recognition of the gravity of the situation. However, it also highlights the need for a more profound cultural shift within the institution to ensure that all members of the university community feel respected and heard. The incident follows a series of recent events that have put Columbia University in the spotlight regarding its handling of sensitive social and political issues. Notably, the Manhattan district attorney's office recently dropped charges against 31 pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested for trespassing after occupying Columbia's Hamilton Hall. This event, along with the insensitive text messages incident, underscores the complex and often contentious nature of campus activism and administrative responses. As Columbia University navigates these challenges, the ongoing investigation and the administrators' leave will likely lead to discussions about improving administrative accountability and fostering a more inclusive campus culture. The outcomes of these discussions and subsequent actions will be critical in rebuilding trust and demonstrating the university's commitment to addressing and combating all forms of discrimination and bias. The insensitive text messages exchanged by Columbia University administrators during an antisemitism panel have prompted a significant response from the university and highlighted the need for a deeper commitment to addressing discrimination on campus. As the investigation proceeds, the university community will be looking for meaningful changes and assurances that such behavior will not be tolerated in the future. News / National by Staff reporter Moses Mpofu, a businessman associated with Blackdeck (Private) Limited, has clarified that his company received US$4.3 million (RTGS1.6 billion) under the controversial Presidential Goats Scheme in 2022, not the previously reported US$40 million. Mpofu emphasized that his business partner, Mike Chimombe, is not involved in the goats deal as he is neither a shareholder nor director in Blackdeck.Mpofu and Chimombe recently appeared before the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) regarding a US$40 million tender scandal involving the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. While Zacc mentioned Chimombe in its statement, Mpofu insisted this was incorrect.According to a media statement, Blackdeck participated in a tender process with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development and was awarded the contract to supply goats. The contract, signed on November 16, 2021, involves supplying goats over a five-year period.The total payments received by Blackdeck amounted to RTGS1.6 billion, which is approximately USD$4.3 million at the interbank rate. These funds were used for various purposes including procurement of goats, setting up holding pens and goat centers, vaccination and veterinary services, logistics across provinces, security, feeding during quarantine, tagging, and employee-related costs.FULL STATEMENT24 June 2024"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"Clarification Regarding the Presidential Goat Scheme ProcurementIn light of recent media reports and allegations, Blackdeck (Private) Limited feels compelled to issue this statement to set the record straight and provide accurate information regarding the Presidential Goat Scheme.BACKGROUNDBlackdeck (Private) Limited participated in the tender process conducted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development alongside three other companies.It was awarded the tender as the lowest bidder meeting the required specifications.On November 16, 2021, Blackdeck entered into a contract with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development to supply goats over a five-year period.Key Contract Terms: Supply of goats over five years- Mashona Buck: 15 557- Matebele Buck: 16 444-Mashona Doe: 360 895-Matebele Doe: 239 105Year 1 supply: 3 113 Mashona Buck, 3 292 Matebele Buck, 72 179 Mashona Doe, and 47 821 Matebele Doe.Payment terms: RTGS (not USD), Clause 29.2 of the contract.Payments Received and its use:Cumulatively total payments recieved amounted to RTGS 1 600 000 000.00 (One billion and six hundred million; approximately USD$4 282 885.45 at the interbank rate). The funds were used to cover the procurement of the goats, set up holding pens and goat centers, provide vaccination & general veterinary service to the goats, logistics to different provinces, security, feeding of the goats whilst in quarantine, tagging and salary and labour-related costs of the employees amongst many other costs and expenses.On the 19th August 2022 the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development wrote to Blackdeck informing them of cancellation of contract for its convenience.Despite the Ministry's purported cancellation, Blackdeck has so far supplied over 5000.Negotiations regarding the cancellation are ongoing, and Blackdeck remains committed to fulfilling its contractual obligations.CLARIFICATIONSMr. Mike Chimombe is not a shareholder or director of Blackdeck (Private) Limited.He is not a signatory to any Blackdeck accounts.We did not receive USD$40 000 000 from the Government of Zimbabwe.Our tender was awarded based on our lowest bid meeting specifications, and we take exception to allegations of corrupt practices.CONCLUSIONBlackdeck (Private) Limited is committed to transparency and accountability.We hope this statement clarifies the facts and sets the record straight.We will continue to engage with stakeholders to resolve any outstanding matters.Public Relations,Blackdeck (Private) Limited. On Friday, Arizona's Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, vetoed House Bill 2735, a Republican-supported measure that aimed to significantly reduce faculty involvement in the governance of the state's public universities. The bill, if passed, would have altered existing laws that currently mandate faculty participation in decision-making processes related to academics and personnel. Governor Hobbs' decision has been welcomed by many in the academic community, who view it as a critical step in preserving the collaborative nature of university governance. The Bill and Its Implications House Bill 2735 proposed a shift in the balance of power within Arizona's public universities. Under current law, faculty members are required to "participate in" or "share responsibility for" key decisions related to governance, academic policies, and personnel. The new bill sought to change this to a system where faculty could only "consult with" university leaders, thereby diminishing their influence and formal authority in decision-making processes. The implications of such a change were significant. By reducing the role of faculty to mere consultants, the bill would have effectively concentrated decision-making power in the hands of university presidents and state regents. This shift could undermine the diversity of perspectives and expertise brought by faculty members, potentially affecting the quality of academic and research affairs. Critics of the bill argued that excluding faculty from meaningful participation in governance would weaken institutional integrity and could lead to decisions that do not fully consider the academic and educational mission of universities. READ MORE : Arizona Governor Signs Bill Allowing Students To Opt Out Of Funding Certain Student Organizations Governor Hobbs' Rationale for the Veto In her succinct veto message, Governor Hobbs emphasized the critical role that faculty play in the governance of academic institutions. She emphasized the vital role that faculty members play in overseeing academic and research matters within a university. Reducing their involvement in managing academic affairs could weaken the institution and restrict the range of perspectives and expertise in decision-making. Governor Hobbs' decision aligns with a broader understanding of shared governance as a foundational principle in higher education. Shared governance is seen as a way to ensure that those who are closest to the educational process faculty members have a say in decisions that affect teaching, research, and academic standards. This collaborative approach is believed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of educational institutions by integrating diverse viewpoints and fostering a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to institutional goals. Reaction from the Academic Community The academic community, particularly faculty members, responded positively to Governor Hobbs' veto. Leila Hudson, who chairs the University of Arizona faculty, conveyed her appreciation in a message to fellow faculty members. "This bill sought to overhaul the academic decision-making process, excluding educators from curriculum review and approval while consolidating academic authority in the hands of university presidents alone," Hudson wrote. "Such measures posed a threat to our institutions' excellence and to the standards of world-class higher education." Hudson's sentiments reflect a widespread concern among educators that reducing faculty involvement in governance could degrade the quality of education and research. Faculty members bring specialized knowledge and a commitment to academic integrity, which are crucial for maintaining high standards in curriculum development and other academic affairs. By ensuring that faculty retain a significant role in governance, universities can continue to benefit from their expertise and dedication to educational excellence. The narrow, party-line votes by which the bill passed through the Arizona House and Senate indicate a deep partisan divide on the issue. The final Senate vote, which took place just three days before the legislature adjourned, further underscored the contentious nature of the proposed legislation. Ultimately, Governor Hobbs' veto represents a significant stance in favor of maintaining a collaborative and inclusive approach to university governance. Governor Katie Hobbs' veto of House Bill 2735 underscores the importance of faculty participation in the governance of public universities. By rejecting a measure that would have significantly curtailed faculty influence, she has preserved the collaborative spirit that is essential for maintaining high standards in higher education. The academic community's positive reaction to the veto highlights the critical role that shared governance plays in fostering institutional excellence and ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making processes. As Arizona's public universities continue to navigate the challenges of the modern educational landscape, maintaining a strong faculty voice in governance will be key to their success and resilience. Ph.D. training provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with many opportunities to gain useful skills for navigating entrepreneurship and the startup industry. Here are Chris Smith's eight key ways that doctoral and postdoctoral training translate into entrepreneurial success. 1. Project Planning and Management Writing a doctoral dissertation requires strong project planning and management skills, covering everything from initial idea development to implementation and sharing of findings. This directly correlates with the capacity to strategize and oversee substantial projects in an entrepreneurial context. Entrepreneurs must possess the ability to envision a project, break it down into manageable tasks, and see it through to completion skills that Ph.D. students and postdocs refine throughout their academic journeys. READ MORE : 5 Proven Strategies To Boost Classroom Participation Without Grading 2. Independent Work Ph.D. students, particularly postdocs, frequently operate autonomously with limited supervision, fostering self-motivation and responsibility essential for completing tasks without strict external timelines. This self-motivation and accountability are crucial for entrepreneurs, who frequently need to self-direct to achieve their goals. The capability to sustain progress and accomplish goals independently is fundamental to succeeding as an entrepreneur. 3. Networking and Collaboration Networking is vital for both academic and entrepreneurial success. Ph.D. students and postdocs build strong professional networks by engaging with industry professionals, attending conferences, and collaborating across disciplines. These activities enhance their connections, opening doors to job opportunities, collaborations, and funding sources. Entrepreneurs also thrive on robust networks that support and amplify their business ventures, making these networking skills invaluable. 4. Thirst for Knowledge A fundamental requirement for a Ph.D. is a relentless thirst for learning and expanding one's knowledge. Entrepreneurs must constantly step out of their comfort zones and learn new skills to adapt to changing market dynamics. The ability to embrace continuous learning and development enables both Ph. D.s and entrepreneurs to remain competitive and innovative in their respective fields. 5. Research Skills Doctoral training prepares individuals to locate, assess, and integrate high-quality information from diverse sources. These research skills are vital for navigating the unfamiliar territories of entrepreneurship. Making informed decisions based on thorough research can determine the success or failure of a business venture. 6. Curiosity About the Big Questions Launching a business involves posing and addressing significant inquiries concerning target demographics, value propositions, and strategic orientation. Ph.D. holders are trained to integrate diverse information into coherent narratives to tackle intricate questions. Successful entrepreneurs do the same, developing strategic business plans and identifying key market opportunities. 7. Problem-Solving Navigating research challenges and unsuccessful experiments sharpens the problem-solving skills of Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers. Entrepreneurs constantly face new challenges, and the ability to find innovative solutions is indispensable in this dynamic environment. The problem-solving skills developed during Ph.D. training are critical for entrepreneurial success. 8. Resilience and Adaptability The journey of earning a doctoral degree involves navigating numerous setbacks and failures and teaching students to be resilient and adaptable. These qualities are crucial for entrepreneurs, who must be prepared to take risks, overcome failures, and pivot their strategies in response to changing market conditions. The resilience and adaptability learned during Ph.D. training prepare individuals for the dynamic marketplace of their products and ideas. In summary, the rigorous training and self-driven nature of doctoral programs and postdoc positions cultivate a range of skills- project management, independent and collaborative work, learning agility, strategic thinking, and problem-solving- that are invaluable for successful entrepreneurship. By embracing an entrepreneurial mindset in their career development, Ph.D. graduates and postdocs can identify opportunities across various sectors, including industry, start-ups, government, and nonprofits, or create their own positions through entrepreneurship. Even those who choose not to pursue entrepreneurship can benefit from innovative thinking and treating their career development like a start-up, propelling them toward professional growth and success. Cultivating entrepreneurial skills is a win-win for any graduate student or postdoc, enhancing their potential in both academic and non-academic careers. New Day: Visiting a Pathbreaking Coffee Cooperative in Rural Lao PDR UN in Lao PDR Girl from the community at coffee plantation in Houaphanh province, Lao PDR. Houaphanh (Lao PDR), 25 June 2024 - Latte hon, please! Those who know me will know how much I love coffee. I love everything about it the smell, the anticipation of a good cuppa, the discovery of charming cafes, the conversations that flow. Perhaps no one was happier than me when the coffee cooperative Vanmai opened a cart in UN House, significantly improving the mood of weekday morningsand afternoons! So, when I got the opportunity to take a field trip to Houaphanh, I made sure to arrange a visit to the Vanmai cooperative, an alternative development project supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It was the first visit for the UN Resident Coordinator Bakhodir Burkhanov together with Director General Daovy Vongxay of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the province. What sets Vanmai meaning New Day in Lao apart from other coffee cooperatives is that the farmers had previously grown opium or live in areas at risk of such illicit cultivation. The transition from opium to coffee is a story of perseverance and passion. It took eight years, numerous trainings and persistent advocacy to convince 800 households to convert to growing coffee. Like opium, growing coffee is hard work. Unlike opium, thanks in part to UNODC, coffee is proving to be more lucrative and more sustainable for farmers and the wider community. While Lao PDR is not traditionally a coffee-drinking culture, anecdotal evidence suggests that domestic coffee consumption is increasing. In 2023, Vanmai won a national award for the best washed arabica coffee in Laos. Vanmai is also sold internationally a well-known French coffee company is a long-term buyer of Vanmai, bringing Lao coffee and its story into homes in France and abroad. Our field visit in Houaphanh started with meeting the UNODC project team at the office in the main city. We did an aroma test to identify the aroma notes of the coffee that coffee lovers claim are more than wine! From there, we drove to the nearest plantation, which was 45 minutes from the main road and navigable only in a 4X4. UN in Lao PDR Coffee plant at one of the Vanmai plantations at Houa Phanh province, Lao PDR. We were shown around the village and coffee plantation by an agriculture extension worker a young woman who teaches farming techniques. In the village, we visited the nursery, where each plant is looked after diligently for eight months before it is transferred to the plantation. At the plantation, we plucked what looked like red cherries, and inside discovered the coffee beans. I was struck by the sustainability of the process the red covering is separated and is used to make fertilizer or cascara tea. The coffee plantations require tall shade trees that bind the soil together, thereby preventing erosion and promoting reforestation. New plants can grow on the same soil, unlike crops grown here before, which required shifting cultivation. Next, we went to the village to see the coffee processing. There, the red cherries were washed and separated by machine. The coffee beans were then put into a large bucket of water to ferment for 24 hours. Next, the beans would be laid out to dry and then sorted. In the beginning it takes some three years for a coffee tree to grow, to go from seed to coffee bean ready to roast. At first, we didnt believe the UNODC team when they explained why we should grow coffee. Now, we are envied by those who did not join our cooperative, said one farmer, smiling as he accepted the token of appreciation that we gave him. Back in UN House, I showed the Vanmai coffee barista photos from our trip. He is from Houaphanh. Now, in addition to my perfect latte hon from the cart, I also get a warm smile, which makes the start of my day even better. This blog is written by Shairi Mathur, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office, Lao PDR as part of an official mission led by the UN Resident Coordinator to visit the UNODC project.The blog post was originally published in UN in Lao PDR. (@ChaudhryMAli88) London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be a "free man" after a US judge signs off on his landmark plea deal expected to take place in remote US territory on Wednesday, his wife Stella said. Stella Assange said the end of his years-long legal drama that saw him board a plane from London to Bangkok on Monday had been a "whirlwind of emotions". "I'm just elated. Frankly, it's just incredible," she told BBC radio. "We weren't really sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening." Assange was on Monday freed on bail from a high-security prison in southeast London. He had been held there for five years as he fought extradition to the United States which sought to prosecute him for revealing military secrets. He has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information, according to a document filed in court in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific where the hearing is expected to take place. Assange said the plea deal involved her husband pleading guilty to the single charge. "The charge concerns the Espionage Act and obtaining and disclosing national defence information," she said. "The important thing here is that the deal involved time served that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free," she added. A charter plane flew the 52-year-old Australian publisher from London to Bangkok, where it made a scheduled stop to refuel. From there it is set to fly to Saipan, the capital of the US territory where Assange is due in court on Wednesday morning. "What there is, is an agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice, and that has to be signed off by a judge in these Northern Mariana territories... in the Pacific Ocean where he is going to be headed," she added. "He will be a free man once it has been signed off... and that will happen some time tomorrow." Sydney, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) The mother of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said Tuesday his "ordeal is finally coming to an end", in a statement to Australian media following news of a plea deal for his release. US legal documents showed the Australian citizen had struck an agreement to secure his freedom by pleading guilty to a single count of revealing national defence information. Assange was scheduled to appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific. "I am grateful that my son's ordeal is finally coming to an end. This shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy," Christine Assange said in a statement carried by public broadcaster ABC and other media. "Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first," she said. "The past 14 years has obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy." Rafah, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) Rafah city centre in Gaza lies deserted after most residents fled weeks of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups led by Hamas that punctuated daily life there. Those who are left in the city feel trapped. Israeli officials have described Rafah as the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip. In early May troops entered the city in the south of the Palestinian territory, bombarding areas near the border with Egypt and forcing tens of thousands of residents to leave. "There is no more water or food. We are totally trapped," said Haitham Abu Taha. He is one of the few Palestinians who returned to Rafah with his family after Israel's army recently announced a daily pause on a southern route. "It was better than staying in tents or with relatives because we were separated from each other," he remembered thinking, before returning to find that soldiers "had not really withdrawn". There is "almost no one left" in Rafah, Abu Taha said, barring a handful of people who refused to leave their homes or who also came back later. Over the desolate city's sea of rubble, Palestinians say Israeli drones fly precise manoeuvres at low altitudes. Almost silent, they offer a detailed view of the terrain and have been used, Palestinians say, to carry out precision strikes since the Israel-Hamas war began more than eight months ago. - Quadcopter drones - Abu Taha, 30, spoke of the "danger of quadcopter drones which mercilessly target anyone walking" in the streets. "Many people were killed" by the quadcopters, 22-year-old Ismail Abu Shaar told AFP, claiming to have stayed at home to "protect" the area. "The artillery, the shooting and the clashes" never stop, he said. The Israeli military said on Monday it was "continuing intelligence-based targeted operations" in and around Rafah, adding that it had found "large amounts of weapons". "We are clearly approaching the point where we can say we have dismantled the Rafah Brigade (of Hamas), that it is defeated not in the sense that there are no more terrorists, but in the sense that it can no longer function as a fighting unit," army chief Herzi Halevi said in a statement after touring Rafah late on Sunday. However, Palestinian armed groups, notably Hamas armed wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, say they regularly operate in the area. William Schomburg, representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Rafah, told journalists on Saturday that the city is now a "ghost town". "We see very few people, very significant destruction," he said. The distress of the 2.4 million people in the narrow strip of land that is Gaza, already impoverished before the war, has increased with the fighting. - 'Afraid to move' - International organisations have said for months they face extreme difficulties in providing humanitarian aid to civilians, while the Israeli authorities say they have allowed the aid in but it has not been collected for distribution. Plumes of smoke rise regularly above Rafah, to which Egypt partly controlled access until the war changed the situation on the ground. Before the Israeli ground offensive on the city began in early May, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians took refuge there, displaced from across the territory as the fighting intensified. Many have left homes where they had lived for years or apartments they had rented at high prices after the war began -- or tents erected in haste as the war tightened its grip on the city. At the end of May, AFP correspondents saw hundreds of Palestinians fleeing Tal Al-Sultan, a district of Rafah which had just been hit by an Israeli strike that left 45 dead, according to the local authorities in the Hamas-run territory. After strikes last week killed dozens, the east and centre of the city are becoming even more empty as the people flee. On flatbed vans and donkey carts, families piled patched-up solar panels, foam mattresses covered with flowers, wooden planks and plastic pipes. A young boy pushed sheets of metal on an office chair. Many say they simply do not have the means to embark on a new move, as the war closes in on the few who remain behind with them. "We're afraid to move because we fear being killed," said Abu Taha. str-bur-crb/jfx/jd/srm (@ChaudhryMAli88) Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) Masaki Kubota's delight at reuniting with his two sons gave way to heartbreak when the younger, two years old, stared at him uncomprehendingly as if to say: "Who are you?" It was their first encounter since his wife left with the boys a year earlier -- the kind of painful separation that Japan's new parental custody rules aim to prevent. The country enacted laws last month allowing joint custody after divorce, replacing a decades-old system where it was granted to only one side, and almost always to the mother. But the change has proved polarising in a country where campaigners say sole custody acts as a bulwark against forms of domestic abuse courts may fail to recognise. Rights groups argue that mothers who have escaped economic or psychological violence -- exacerbated by financial inequalities -- risk being dragged back into abusive relationships under joint custody. Pressure had long been building on lawmakers, including from the United Nations, which recommended in 2019 that Japan allow joint custody "when it is in the child's best interests". A French father's high-profile hunger strike during the Tokyo Olympics also drew global attention to the issue. Kubota, who is not yet divorced from his estranged wife, hopes the new provision will allow them to share "important" decision-making for their children. "It's painful -- I'm sorry I cannot be part of their lives and watch them grow," the 43-year-old told AFP. He says his wife, who left him in 2022, felt she had been disproportionately saddled with domestic duties, but he argues that he contributed where he could. Having sought access to his sons through the courts, Kubota sewed train and cartoon patches onto his jacket to make them smile at their reunion. But he was devastated by his son's reaction. "I felt like I was being erased from his memory," he said. Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) A new pill that slowly releases ketamine could treat people with severe depression without giving them the psychedelic side effects of the often-misused drug, early trial results suggested on Monday. First developed in the 1960s as an anaesthetic, ketamine's hallucinogenic and dissociative effects led to it becoming a party drug dubbed "Special K". However, mounting research has demonstrated that ketamine is effective for the roughly quarter of people suffering from depression who see little benefit from common anti-depressant drugs. In many countries, ketamine has been prescribed for depression for years. US billionaire Elon Musk told CNN in March that he regularly uses a small amount of prescribed ketamine because it is "helpful for getting one out of the negative frame of mind". The drug has long been administered intravenously in clinics, but more recently a nasal spray using a derivative called esketamine has increased in popularity. Both can cause patients to have side effects such as dissociation, high blood pressure and an elevated heart rate. There are also fears that medical use of the drug could slide into abuse. The pill described in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday takes more than 10 hours to break down in the liver, lead study author Paul Glue told AFP. "The really interesting feedback from patients is the lack of side effects -- no euphoria, no dissociation," said the researcher at New Zealand's University of Otago. "I don't think these tablets would appeal to people who are abusing ketamine." - Electro-shock alternative - The phase 2 trial involved more than 270 people with depression who had previously tried an average of four different anti-depressant drugs. More than half taking the ketamine pill went into remission for their depression, while 70 percent of the placebo group relapsed after 13 weeks, the study said. Julaine Allan, an expert on mental health and addiction at Australia's Charles Sturt University who was not involved in the study, praised the trial while emphasising that more research is needed. Ketamine does not work for everyone, and the "positive effects may wear off over time," she told AFP. Michel Hofmann, a psychiatrist at Geneva University Hospitals, said there is "real enthusiasm" in the medical community for ketamine's potential for treating depression. "For patients who don't respond to conventional drugs, ketamine offers a way to avoid electro-shock therapy," he told AFP. This last-resort treatment, which involves sending electric currents through the brain, has been proven to be effective. But it can cause memory loss -- and some patients fear the procedure after seeing depictions of it in films such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". - Fears of 'opioid style crisis' - Some psychiatrists remain hesitant to prescribe ketamine for depression, fearing their patients could end up misusing the drug. Last year, "Friends" actor Matthew Perry became the latest high-profile death from a ketamine overdose. US police are investigating how Perry obtained the doses that caused his death -- he had reportedly not had a supervised infusion session for several days. One potential benefit of quick-acting ketamine seen in previous research is that it could help patients considering suicide. But there is "the plausible concern that the widespread use of ketamine might trigger a new opioid style crisis," Oxford researcher Riccardo De Giorgi said in a 2022 BMJ editorial. By ridding ketamine of the side effects sought by some partygoers, the slow-release pill could alleviate some of these concerns. There were still some side effects from the pill, the most common being headaches, dizziness and anxiety. More research including phase 3 trials is needed before the drug can be reviewed by national medicine agencies, meaning it will be at least two or three years before patients could potentially access the pills, Glue said. Yangon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2024) Myanmar ethnic armed groups seized a popular beach resort town in the west of the country and launched dawn attacks on junta positions in the north, a military source and residents told AFP on Tuesday. Fighting is raging across swathes of the Southeast Asian nation as ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy "People's Defence Forces" battle the military, which seized power in a 2021 coup. In western Rakhine state Arakan Army (AA) fighters have battled security forces for days around Ngapali beach, home to upmarket hotels and resorts owned by military-backed businesses. Junta troops and police had retreated to an airport in the town of Thandwe, around two kilometres (more than a mile) away, a military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Hundreds of kilometres away in northern Shan state, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched dawn attacks on the military in the town of Kyaukme, the group and residents said. One resident of the town, which sits on a vital highway to China, said they had heard artillery and gunfire around the town since the morning. "Most people from the town are hiding inside their houses," another Kyaukme resident who works for a volunteer rescue team told AFP. The TNLA had restricted travel around Kyaukme, they said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. The AA and TNLA are members of the so-called "Three Brotherhood Alliance" that launched a surprise offensive against the junta last October across northern Shan state. Their fighters seized swathes of territory and several lucrative trade crossings with China, dealing the junta its biggest blow since it seized power. In January China brokered a ceasefire that allowed the alliance to hold on to territory it had captured, but both sides have recently accused each other of breaking the truce. These two moose were spotted in the Sand Lake area of the Snowy Range as part of the UW Biodiversity Institutes 2022 Summer Moose Day. (Dennis Saville Photo) Summer Moose Day activities will span a weekend -- Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21 -- and will include the usual routine of volunteers heading out on various trails to spot and count moose in the mountains outside of Laramie. However, this years event includes a new wrinkle: a group hike in Curt Gowdy State Park. We will be partnering with Wyoming State Parks this year to offer a group Summer Moose Day hike Saturday, July 20, at the North Crow Reservoir in Curt Gowdy State Park, says Mason Lee, senior project coordinator in the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute. The hike begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. Well start the hike with a short moose biology talk, and then well conduct our Moose Day survey as a group while following Moose Day protocol, Lee adds. Participation in this guided hike does require the purchase of a daily Wyoming State Parks pass for Curt Gowdy. For the traditional portion of Summer Moose Day, volunteers can look for moose either day but do not have to participate both days. There are slightly more summer routes than during Winter Moose Day because there are a few routes that volunteers can drive rather than hike. There are 22 routes in the Snowy Range; 19 in the Pole Mountain area; and one route in the Arlington area. Like the past few years, there may be multiple survey groups surveying each route, Lee says. This repetition is very important for our data analysis. While volunteers can make their treks any time of day, Lee strongly recommends an early morning start, which is when moose are most active. Community scientists will record observations of moose or their signs, which include tracks/hoofprints, bed areas, scat droppings and browse on aspen and willows. During the last Summer Moose Day, conducted in 2022, 16 moose -- 10 males, five females and one calf -- were spotted. That number tied for the record of most moose witnessed, which first occurred in 2016. We will not be holding an in-person training for Summer Moose Day, so new volunteers will need to watch the prerecorded online training and complete a training quiz before participating, Lee says. Moose Day registration opens today (Tuesday) and runs through Monday, July 15. To register, click here. The data gathered from Summer Moose Day are shared with biologists at UW. Biologists use the data collected by community scientists to further their understanding of the population densities of local moose, their reproductive rates, summer habitat quality, their winter ranges and how these variables change over time. More will be learned after Dave Christianson, an associate professor in the UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, and his graduate students analyze the Summer Moose Day data as well as external factors that can affect moose counts, Lee says. Both summer and winter Moose Day events are geared toward increasing the publics understanding of moose in the Laramie area and involving the public in asking and answering questions. The events are an extension of the original program, Moose Day, held by Nature Mapping Jackson Hole (NMJH) in Jackson each winter. NMJH is a citizen science program created by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. The UW Biodiversity Institute fosters conservation of biodiversity through scientific discovery, creative dissemination, education and public engagement. In this setting, scientists, citizens, students and educators come together to share a wealth of perspectives on the study and appreciation of biodiversity -- from microbes to poetry and ecosystems to economics. To learn more, visit www.wyomingbiodiversity.org. News / National by Staff reporter On Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda criticized the media for alleging that Zanu-PF was using its parliamentary majority to suppress opposition MPs. This follows several incidents where opposition members were blocked from discussing controversial issues.Last week, CCC legislator Gladys Hlatywayo was prevented from discussing President Emmerson Mnangagwa's diplomatic error in Russia. On Tuesday, Mudenda blocked another MP who wanted to address "criminals surrounding President Mnangagwa." Acting Speaker Tsitsi Gezi also halted debate on the recent arrest of CCC activists at ex-senator Jameson Timba's home.Mudenda additionally stopped a push for a lifestyle audit of tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivhayo and his associates. Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu proposed using legislative powers for the audit, emphasizing transparency and tax compliance. However, Mudenda argued that parliament should await the conclusion of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigations, highlighting the principle of separation of powers.Mudenda defended his actions, asserting adherence to parliamentary rules and denying media claims of gagging MPs. He emphasized the necessity of allowing the executive branch to complete its investigations before parliamentary intervention. Apples Suppliers in Vietnam (2022 List): Where They Are and Why In the past year a number of key announcements have confirmed Apple is well and truly diversifying out of China. Apple suppliers of a range of products now have factories in Vietnam. Heres who they are, where they have decided to set up their operations, and why. Apple is reportedly planning to produce MacBooks in Vietnam from this year adding to a long line of products that are now being made in the Southeast Asian electronics manufacturing powerhouse. Taiwans Foxconn, for example, a key Apple supplier, is set to establish a factory in Vietnam to the tune of US$270 million this year, according to Nikkei Asia. BOE Technology Group, is also set to follow suit, with Reuters reporting the Chinese display maker, which not only supplies Apple but Samsung too, is planning a US$400 million investment. Foxconn and BOE, however, are just two companies in a growing line of Apple suppliers moving their operations south of the border. Apple suppliers and manufacturers in Vietnam According to Apples supplier list for 2022, there are currently 26 suppliers with 28 factories in Vietnam servicing the tech giants electronics manufacturing needs. These factories are spread around 15 provinces with the majority located in the north. Apple manufacturing plants in Vietnam by province and region Province Region Supplier Bac Giang North Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Limited (Foxconn) Bac Giang North Lens Technology Company Limited Bac Giang North Lingyi iTech (Guangdong) Company Bac Giang North Luxshare Precision Industry Company Limited Bac Ninh North Biel Crystal Manufactory Limited Bac Ninh North GoerTek Incorporated Bac Ninh North MYS Group Company Limited Bac Ninh North Nissha Company Limited Bac Ninh North Samsung Electronics Company Limited Bac Ninh North Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited Bac Ninh North Shenzhen YUTO Packaging Technology Company Limited Binh Duong South Sharp Corporation Da Nang Central Murata Manufacturing Company Limited China mainland Dong Nai South Yageo Corporation Ha Nam North Seoul Semiconductor Company Limited Hai Duong North Nanofilm Technologies International Private Limited Hai Duong North R.R. Donnelley and Sons Company Hai Phong North Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Incorporated Hai Phong North LG Display Company Limited Hai Phong North LG Innotek Company Limited Ha noi North Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited Ho Chi Minh City South Intel Corporation Hung Yen North NOK Corporation Nghe An Central Luxshare Precision Industry Company Limited Phu Tho North INB Electronics Limited Tien Giang South Murata Manufacturing Company Limited China mainland Vinh Phuc North Compal Electronics Incorporated Vinh Phuc North Young Poong Corporation Source: Apple Supplier List 2022 Why does Apple make products in Vietnam? For electronics manufacturers like Apple, Vietnam is a very attractive alternative to China. Vietnams north in particular offers a number of advantages that few other locations can match. Most predominantly this is its proximity to China and the ability for manufacturers to integrate the region into existing supply chains. There are, however, several other key benefits to electronics manufacturing in Vietnams north. These include transport infrastructure and the availability of low-cost, high-skilled labor. Infrastructure in northern Vietnam Hai Phong, for example, has the largest deep-sea port in Northern Vietnam. The provincial government is also planning to expand the port to accommodate vessels of 100,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT). See also: Vietnams Hai Phong: An Industrial Gateway and Port City Hai Phongs port is also linked to the surrounding provinces by both road and rail. This has allowed for other parts of northern Vietnam to also develop strong manufacturing bases with industrial parks spread out across the north of the country. For Apple, this has materialized in three key manufacturing hubs in: Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and Hai Phong. This is also leading to a snowball effect whereby greater investment in the manufacturing sector is leading to greater investment in surrounding infrastructure facilitating smoother and easier transportation of goods. See also: Bac Giang: An Emerging Investment Destination Vietnam Briefing News Labor in northern Vietnam Vietnam also has an abundance of low-cost, yet relatively high-skilled labor. Northern Vietnam, in particular, has been an electronics manufacturing hub for years and this has allowed for workers to flourish in terms of skill development. Hanoi, Vietnams capital, is also located in the north and is Vietnams second biggest population center. With the full gamut of amenities of any metropolis in the world, workers can have a high quality of life within its borders while also commuting to factories beyond the cities bordersmany companies bus their staff into and out of the city. See also: Salary and Wages in Vietnam Vietnams role in Apples diversification strategy Apple has for some time now been in the process of diversifying its supply chain. Though China-plus-one is often touted as the new paradigm, in reality, what is more likely is a China-plus-many strategy. India, for example, is shaping up as a key competitor to Vietnam for FDI. Vietnam, however, as a manufacturing location, with its vast coastline, proximity to China and to the United States, and its youthful, low-cost workforce has distinct advantages that its competitors do not. In this light, as part of Apples diversification strategy, Vietnam is set to become Apples largest final assembler. As a result, Vietnam, and northern Vietnam in particular, should see a much more experienced, higher-skilled workforce develop which will benefit the manufacturing sector more broadly, including new entrants into the market. That said, choosing the right location can be difficult and understanding what each location offers may be key to a manufacturers success. For location selection support contact the business intelligence unit at Dezan Shira and Associates. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. News that the U.S. Justice Department has reached a plea deal that will lead to freedom for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange brings a stunning culmination to a long-running saga of international intrigue that spanned multiple continents. Its central character is a quixotic internet publisher with a profound disdain for government secrets. A look at Assange, the case and the latest developments: Who is Julian Assange? An Australian editor and publisher, he is best known for having founded the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, which gained massive attention and notoriety for the 2010 release of almost half a million documents relating to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His activism made him a cause celebre among press freedom advocates who said his work in exposing U.S. military misconduct in foreign countries made his activities indistinguishable from what traditional journalists are expected to do as part of their jobs. But those same actions put him in the crosshairs of American prosecutors, who released an indictment in 2019 that accused Assange holed up at the time in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London of conspiring with an Army private to illegally obtain and publish sensitive government records. Julian Assange is no journalist, John Demers, the then-top Justice Department national security official, said at the time. No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers. What is he accused of? The Trump administrations Justice Department accused Assange of directing former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history. The charges relate to WikiLeaks publication of thousands of leaked military and diplomatic documents, with prosecutors accusing Assange of helping Manning steal classified diplomatic cables that they say endangered national security and of conspiring together to crack a Defense Department password. Reports from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq published by Assange included the names of Afghans and Iraqis who provided information to American and coalition forces, prosecutors said, while the diplomatic cables he released exposed journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and dissidents in repressive countries. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act and other offenses for leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven years behind bars. Why wasn't he already in U.S. custody? Assange has spent the last five years in a British high-security prison, fighting to avoid extradition to the U.S. and winning favorable court rulings that have delayed any transfer across the Atlantic. He was evicted in April 2019 from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had sought refuge seven years earlier amid an investigation by Swedish authorities into claims of sexual misconduct that he has long denied and that was later dropped. The South American nation revoked the political asylum following the charges by the U.S. government. Despite his arrest and imprisonment by British authorities, extradition efforts by the U.S. had stalled prior to the plea deal. A U.K. judge in 2021 rejected the U.S. extradition request in 2021 on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. Higher courts overturned that decision after getting assurances from the U.S. about his treatment. The British government signed an extradition order in June 2022. Then, last month, two High Court judges ruled that Assange can mount a new appeal based on arguments about whether he will receive free-speech protections or be at a disadvantage because he is not a U.S. citizen. The date of the hearing has yet to be determined. What will the deal require? Assange will have to plead guilty to a felony charge under the Espionage Act of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, according to a Justice Department letter filed in federal court. Rather than face the prospect of prison time in the U.S., he is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing. Those proceedings are scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Northern Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. On Monday evening, he left a British prison ahead of a court hearing expected to result in his release. Is this case connected to the 2016 election? It's not, but beyond his interactions with Manning, Assange is well-known for the role WikiLeaks played in the 2016 presidential election, when it released a massive tranche of Democratic emails that federal prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. The goal, officials have said, was to harm the electoral effort of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and boost her Republican challenger Donald Trump, who famously said during the campaign: WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks. Assange was not charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. But the investigation nonetheless painted an unflattering role of WikiLeaks in advancing what prosecutors say was a brazen campaign of Russian election interference. Assange denied in a Fox News interview that aired in January 2017 that Russians were the source of the hacked emails, though those denials are challenged by a 2018 indictment by Mueller of 12 Russian military intelligence officers. Record floods that killed over 170 people and displaced half a million in southern Brazil are a warning sign of more disasters to come throughout the Americas because of climate change, an official at the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. Roughly 389,000 people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul remain displaced from their homes because of the intense rain and flooding, which local officials say was the worst disaster in the region's history. Scientists say climate change made the flooding twice as likely to happen. Andrew Harper, special adviser on climate action to the refugee agency, UNHCR, visited a flooded neighborhood in state capital Porto Alegre over the weekend and called it "a ghost town." "It was underwater for almost 40 days. There wasn't even any rats running around. Everything had died," Harper said in an interview on Tuesday. Since the floodwaters subsided, residents have not returned to the neighborhood, where streets are piled high with waterlogged garbage and debris. Many are still living in shelters, including Venezuelan refugees who had resettled in Porto Alegre. UNHCR is helping the local government build temporary housing. Residents of some hard-hit areas may never return, having been forced to move by repeated flooding, Harper said. But how many would become so-called climate migrants will only be known years after the disaster. The floods surpassed all expectations that local authorities had for climate disasters, and governments need to do more to prepare for these events, Harper said. "We're seeing the emergence in Brazil of what we may be seeing throughout the Americas. So to ignore this, they do it at their own peril," Harper said. Governments need to understand where the people most vulnerable to climate change live, such as the neighborhood he visited in Porto Alegre, and include those people in their climate plans, he said. "It's a warning signal, but we've been seeing warning signals now for five, 10 years," Harper added. "At what point do you basically have to slap somebody in the face and say, 'Wake up, you're not going to ignore this.'" An aggressive Russia, an emboldened China, a tempestuous Middle East and the fragile global relationships needed to confront these challenges are major foreign policy issues neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump can dodge if either wins Novembers election. As the two men hold their first presidential debate on Thursday, theyll likely use their talking points to paint a picture of the role they want the United States to occupy on the world stage. The difference couldnt be starker, said Jeremi Suri, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Bidens approach is a combination of liberal internationalism and forceful realism, echoing the Cold War, he said. Trumps approach is a combination of isolationism and unilateralism, echoing the United States before World War II. Heres a look at how they view major foreign policy hot spots. Russian aggression Bidens administration sounded the alarm ahead of Russias February 2022 invasion and has vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes. But that support faltered this year, when congressional Republicans stalled for six months on a $61 billion aid package. At the NATO summit in Washington in July, Biden will seek to boost allies support for the conflict while passing Ukraine coordination duties to allies in Europe moves seen as insulating the conflict from a hostile U.S. Congress or future president. Trumps view of the conflict is complicated, contradictory and colored by his own experience with that nations leader. It was, after all, a July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that sparked his first impeachment. A majority of the Republican-dominated Senate acquitted him of the charges that he improperly sought help from a foreign power to boost his reelection chances by asking Zelenskyy to help him discredit Biden politically. On the war, Trump told a recent interviewer, I will have that settled prior to taking the White House as president-elect. Analysts say he hasnt made clear how. "He advocated only for the need to start some types of talks and negotiations, and he said that he could be willing to engage in these negotiations between [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Zelenskyy, but he never specified the design of the future outline of this peace agreement, said Sergiy Kudelia, an associate professor of political science at Baylor University. Biden recently assured Zelenskyy that their new 10-year bilateral security agreement serves as another reminder to Putin: Were not backing down. In fact, were standing together against this illegal aggression. But this tough stance is not limited to Biden, analysts say. "We do know that Trump perceives himself as a strongman and does not want to be associated with foreign policy failure, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told VOA. And a Russian victory in Ukraine, if Trump is president, would look very much like a foreign policy failure." Chinese ambition Bidens mantra on Beijing is competition, not conflict and economic statecraft is Washingtons tool of choice in this high-stakes game. This narrowed view of the relationship with China ties into what a consistent majority of Americans identify as a top election priority: the economy. In May, Biden highlighted the risks he believes China poses, by imposing steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment. American workers can outwork and outcompete anyone as long as the competition is fair, Biden said. But for too long, it hasnt been fair. For years, the Chinese government has poured state money into Chinese companies. ... Its not competition, its cheating. And Trump, a self-professed fan of tariffs, recently proposed a tariff on all imported goods and another levy of 60% or more on Chinese imports. On China, professor Konstantin Sonin of the University of Chicago said, both men are aggressive. Biden, analysts note, has not reversed many of the Trump administrations tough tariffs on China. Eight years ago, it sounded as if he would be a very different kind of U.S. president, he said of Trump. But actually, he was not that different. And a lot of things that Trump did were then continued by the Biden administration. But on Taiwan, where the policy of American strategic ambiguity comes into play the idea that Washington refuses to signal how it would react if Beijing were to invade Taiwan this hits different, depending upon whos in charge, Sonin said. I think that these are still very different presidents, he said. For example, if it escalates around Taiwan, then perhaps Donald Trump would react differently. But, he added, further emphasizing Trumps rhetoric, In foreign policy, sometimes he sounds harsher than he acts. And this is true in respect to China, not only China [but] with respect to Mexico, as well. Middle East malaise Trumps ambivalence and use of superlatives come wildly into play when it comes to the Middle East. While Biden has publicly styled himself as Israels strongest supporter yet increasingly publicly letting slip that he is often annoyed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the war in Gaza rages on Trumps personal relationship with the Israeli leader seems to shape his view of the region. I had a bad experience with Bibi, Trump said, using the prime ministers nickname, in a wide-ranging April interview with Time. And it had to do with [the U.S. strike that killed Iranian military officer Qasem] Soleimani, because as you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack. ... And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something. But then in May, when Biden pledged to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces were to launch a major ground assault on the highly populated Gaza city of Rafah, Trump fired back. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump described Bidens words as "taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses." Here, Trump uses a particular rhetorical trick: using one issue in this case, Israel to bring up a keyword terrorism that polls say is a top voter concern, and then using that to reach back to domestic issues. In this case, he noted growing campus protests over the war in Gaza with loaded language that appeals to voters feelings. Americans top foreign policy issues, as documented by the Pew Research Center, appear to be focused through the same, particular lens that also seems to motivate voters: fear. The majority of Americans say preventing terrorist attacks (73%), keeping illegal drugs out of the country (64%) and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (63%) are top priorities, the group said in its most recent roundup of Americans foreign policy priorities. But then, Pew says: Even with these priorities, foreign policy generally takes a back seat to domestic policy for most Americans. Local officials and family members said an Israeli airstrike Tuesday in northern Gaza killed 10 relatives of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar. The strike hit a house in the Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City. Israeli strikes earlier in the war killed three of Haniyehs sons. Israels military said its forces carried out airstrikes targeting buildings in Shati and another area in northern Gaza that it said were being used by Hamas militants who were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. The latest fighting came as Israels Supreme Court ruled that the military must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students. The unanimous decision Tuesday could put additional pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, which relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties in its coalition. The war in Gaza and Israels clashes with Hezbollah militants along the border with Lebanon have made the issue even more prominent as people question the long-standing exemptions that allow the seminary students to avoid the military service required of most Israeli men and women. In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, that a heightened conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could touch off a regional war and urged a diplomatic solution. Even as the Israel-Hamas conflict has extended into a ninth month of fighting, Israeli forces have exchanged fire with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah on a near-daily basis. "Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East," Austin said. "Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation." Gallant, speaking before talks with Austin, said, We are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness on every possible scenario. Israels army said last week that it has plans "approved and validated" for fighting Hezbollah. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also urged Israel to avoid escalation in Lebanon when he met with Gallant on Monday. Israel and Hezbollah last fought a full-scale war in 2006 when a cross-border Hezbollah attack sparked 34 days of fighting that took a heavy toll on Lebanon, especially the country's southern region. The Israeli defense leader also met with CIA chief Bill Burns, the key U.S. official in negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas, which launched the unprecedented attack on Israel in October that triggered Israels counteroffensive in Gaza. Netanyahu has said Israeli forces are winding up the most intense part of the Gaza war and will redeploy to the northern border, although he has cast the move as defensive. Blinken also pressed Gallant to take more steps to protect aid workers in Gaza. Earlier Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg that the risk of the Gaza war spilling over into Lebanon is growing bigger every day. "I think that, unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding," Borrell said. He also said a cease-fire in Gaza is desperately needed to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, saying, "Delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible." A temporary pier that was built for delivering aid into Gaza via a sea route paused deliveries Monday due to "scheduled maintenance," Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters. Sunday marked the U.S.-built pier's largest delivery day to date, moving 720 metric tons of aid to the Gaza beach that day. Since operations began on May 17, the U.S. military has delivered more than 6,200 metric tons of aid via the sea route to the Gazan coast destined for Palestinians, according to Ryder. However, aid organizations say corridors intended to funnel that aid from the Gazan shore to Palestinians in need are unsafe and unusable. Ryder also told reporters Monday that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group will "remain briefly" in the Mediterranean Sea before returning home. The aircraft carrier left the U.S. Central Command region after being deployed for more than seven months. The USS Theodore Roosevelt will leave the Pacific region in the coming days to deploy to the Middle East "to promote regional stability, deter aggression and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," he said. The war was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,600 Palestinians, mostly civilians, but including thousands of combatants, according to the territory's health ministry. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The Israeli Supreme Court, in a landmark decision, said that the ultra-orthodox are not exempt from military service. Protesters in Nairobi have raided parliament over a new tax and budget bill. An update from Kyiv as Ukraine proceeds with EU accession negotiations and two high-ranking Russians are accused of war crimes. Plus, the latest on Julian Assange and Evan Gershkovich. Julian Assange is due to plead guilty to violating U.S. espionage law. The European Union opens formal accession talks with Ukraine on Tuesday after Kyiv's decade-long effort to join the organization. We talk to Amy Verdun, a professor of Political Science at University of Victoria. The European Investment Bank intends to ramp up its investments in European defense such as drones and cyber security, aiming to inject 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion) into the sector. UN chief Antonio Guterres accuses Israel of spreading misinformation about him. And TV personality Rachael Ray is a US based chef, author and celebrity. But Ukrainians know her better thanks to her charity work to help the war-torn country. Kenyan police arrived in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Tuesday as part of a U.N.-backed multinational security mission to combat gang violence. Last July, Kenya offered to head an international force to combat violence in Haiti, where gangs control most of the capital and killings, kidnappings and sexual violence are rampant. The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families, and enjoy democratic freedoms. Haitis future depends on the return to democratic governance, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them, he said. More than 580,000 people across the country have been left homeless because of the gangs. "We hope to see further measurable improvements in security, particularly with respect to access to humanitarian aid and core economic activity, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in advance of the arrival of the Kenyan force. The gangs organized attacks on government infrastructure to prevent former Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country. They controlled more than two dozen police stations, fired on the main airport and released more than 4,000 inmates from the countrys two largest prisons. Henry, who was in Kenya when the violence broke out, resigned in late April. A transitional presidential council was formed, choosing U.N. official Garry Conille as prime minister. Yet conflict continues. "You did not distribute weapons in working-class neighborhoods," said gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, addressing the new prime minister in a recent video. "Do not play into the hands of traditional politicians and businessmen, who used violence for political and economic ends, and who now want to recover, by force, the weapons they had distributed. The problem that exists today can only be resolved through dialogue," he added. Court challenges and decreasing security in Haiti have caused delays in the arrival of the police force. Before arriving in Haiti, the 400 officers of the first contingent saw a departure ceremony hosted for them. This mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity. It is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a mission to take a stand for humanity, Kenyan President William Ruto said. Biden said he was thankful for the many countries that have promised personnel and financial support to this mission that will grow to 2,500 multinational personnel, led by Kenya and including Benin, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Spain. He said the U.S. is the missions largest financial contributor at $300 million and up to $60 million in equipment. What happens in Haiti, Biden said, matters to its neighbors, the region, and the world. Some organizations and Haitian leaders have welcomed the police force. "The government and the Haitian people hope this multinational mission will be the last one to help the county stabilize so it can renew its political personnel and return to an effective democracy," said Haitian Prime Minister Conille on X. BINUH welcomes the arrival today of a first contingent from Kenya to support the Haitian National Police it is a crucial step in the fight to restore security in the Haitian capital and its surroundings and protect the rights of Haitians, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) posted on X. Others are less optimistic. Previous missions have not been successful, leaving allegations of civilians killed, a cholera outbreak and a sexual abuse scandal. The legal legitimacy of the agreement with the Kenyan government also remains a question. "The ground for this application is that when the then-prime minister of Haiti was signing this agreement with Kenya, there was no known government in Haiti. The president had been assassinated; there were no elected leaders in Haiti. So, where does he drive the mandate to negotiate an agreement on behalf of his country, Haiti, comes into question," said Wallace Nderu, a lawyer and program officer at the International Commission of Jurists in Kenya (ICJ Kenya), a nongovernmental, nonprofit, member-based organization. So, concern is raised that this particular agreement is very secretive. We are not aware of the content of the agreement it raises the legitimacy of the government deploying the police to Haiti, he also told VOA, adding the agreements should be sent to the government publication the Kenya Gazette. The recent arrival would be the fourth notable foreign military intervention in the country. VOAs Mariama Diallo contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press and Reuters. European Union regulators have accused Microsoft of breaking antitrust rules by tying its Teams messaging and videoconferencing app to its popular business software. The European Commission the EUs antitrust enforcer says that making Teams automatically available with Office 365 and Microsoft 365 limits options for customers who might prefer other messaging apps such as Slack. Alfaview, a German competitor and complainant, welcomed the commission's action against Microsoft. Teams was integrated into Office 365 in 2017 and replaced Skype for Business. Its popularity surged during the pandemic, but rivals argue that bundling gave Microsoft an unfair edge. Microsoft has been given an opportunity to respond to the accusations, formally referred to as a statement of objections, before the commission reaches a final decision. If found guilty of antitrust violations, it could face a fine of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. The action comes two decades after Microsoft's previous fine from the EU. It was fined $2.4 billion for bundling products and violating other antitrust laws. Microsoft implemented changes in April to avoid a penalty, including providing customers worldwide with the ability to get Microsoft 365 and Office 365 without Teams. Those suites include programs such as Outlook, Excel and Word. The European Commission said that Microsofts actions hadnt adequately addressed the concerns and that more changes are necessary to restore competition. EU regulators are urging the company to sell Office without Teams at a reduced price. Competitors are pushing for clearer interoperability terms and more incentives to attract users to their platforms. Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the commissions remaining concerns. Microsoft President Brad Smith said. Nigerian authorities have declared a national emergency and activated response operations to control the spread of a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 50 people. The Nigerian Center for Disease Control, or NCDC, said Tuesday that its decision to activate the National Cholera Emergency Operation center followed a risk assessment conducted by authorities last week. NCDC said the assessment showed the country was at high risk of the disease and that the fatality rate from cholera stood at 3.5% of cases. So far, 53 people have died out of more than 1,500 recorded cases in the country. Nigeria's largest city and economic hub, Lagos, is the most impacted. "Having considered all the details available, there's still an increasing trend of suspected cases nationwide," said Jide Idris, director general of the NCDC. "We have four levels of risk low, medium, high and very high. We've seen more cases in more states than we did last year." National health authorities say they will work with affected state authorities to ensure rapid case detection, analysis and management. The latest outbreak comes as the European Union pledged millions to help fund vaccine production in Africa. The continent depends on imports for more than 90% of its vaccine doses. Last week, the NCDC said Nigeria had no cholera vaccines and is waiting for fresh supplies. Public health analyst Chukwunonso Umeh said the threat is serious. "I'm happy that the government has actually declared an emergency on this," said Umeh. "The virulent level is very high, so there's a possibility of transmutation; in terms of the severity of the symptoms, it's kind of higher and the rate at which it is being transmitted is also higher." Cholera is a seasonal disease in Nigeria, and authorities warn the impact could worsen with the rainy season. The disease spreads through contaminated food and water, causing severe diarrhea and death if not treated. Umeh said socioeconomic problems are affecting the way the disease impacts Nigerians. "Cholera is a hygiene-related disease," said Umeh. "With the current hardship in the country, people are struggling ... there are a lot of risk factors that people are being exposed to. You don't know the source of the water that they use in making some of those foods. One of the basic things in terms of minimizing this for now is improving awareness of what people are supposed to do, sensitizing people, community mobilization." In 2018, Nigeria recorded 830 deaths from more than 42,000 cases of cholera the highest numbers in recent years. In 2016, Donald Trump's presidential campaign echoed with a frequent vow to crush "radical Islamic terrorism." Fast forward to today, as he seeks a second chance in the White House, Trump rarely mentions the phrase, his erstwhile rhetoric about Islamist terrorism eclipsed by a focus on immigration, crime and other domestic issues. The shift came into sharp relief on Sunday when a coordinated terrorist assault on a police station, churches and synagogues in southern Russia left at least 20 people dead. What might once have prompted a flurry of tweets went unmentioned on Trump's Truth Social platform. Why the silence on what was once a rallying cry? Experts suggest two factors: diminished public concern about terrorism and a possible strategic play for the Muslim American vote. Brian Levin, an extremism expert who has closely followed Trump's rhetoric, said the former president "more of an opportunist than an ideologue" is zeroing in on issues that resonate with voters. "Eight years ago, when the threat of foreign-inspired extremism polled among the top concerns of voters, Trump successfully invoked terror attacks to drum up support," Levin said. "Today, however, Trump has to pivot somewhat to domestic issues relating to the economy, democracy, crime and the border as well as the record of an incumbent he hopes to unseat." Defending his record in office, including his handling of southern border immigration, President Joe Biden has made protecting democracy a centerpiece of his campaign, casting Trump as a grave threat to the country. But Biden's staunch support of Israel during its military campaign in Gaza has angered many Muslim voters, opening a rare opportunity for Trump, according to experts. Gabriel Rubin, a justice studies professor at Montclair State University, said Trump may be eyeing the Muslim vote in key battleground states with large Muslim populations that could determine the outcome of the November election. "He has an avenue not to mention ['radical Islamic terrorism'] too much," Rubin, who has written about Trump's past rhetoric about Muslims and terrorism, told VOA in an interview. "I think he can win some of these Midwestern states if he plays his cards right." To be sure, the threat of international terrorism hasn't vanished. In the months since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza, U.S. officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, have been sounding the alarm about an increased potential for terrorist attacks. But while the warnings seem to have raised the public's worries about terrorism, "overall concern about the issue still doesn't match the higher levels of concern it garnered" in 2015 and 2016, according to an April Gallup report. Trump's 2016 campaign rhetoric from claiming "Muslims hate us" to calling for a "complete and total" shutdown of Muslims entering the country did not happen in a bubble. Though on the run, the Islamic State (IS) still controlled large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq and advocated attacking the West. Adding to Americans' angst about terrorism were a spate of IS-inspired terror attacks across Europe and the United States. In the 12 months leading up to the November election, Trump tweeted 164 times about Islamic State, "radical Islam" and terrorism nearly twice as much as he did about border security and immigration, according to one estimate. Trump's vitriolic comments on Muslims and Islam, welcomed by his supporters, unnerved many in the Muslim community, drawing charges of Islamophobia against him, which he and his allies reject. VOA reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not receive a response. The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Biden's stance on terrorism, particularly Islamist terrorism, also has evolved over the years. While he is not known to have used the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism," in the past he was more willing to employ similar language while taking a tough stance on terrorism. In 2014, as vice president under President Barack Obama, he criticized Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for supporting jihadi groups in Syria and "the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts to the world." He later apologized for the comment. Since becoming president in 2021, Biden has focused on terrorism more broadly without singling out any one region or religion, moving away from the rhetoric of the "War on Terror" of the 2000s. On the day he entered the White House, he repealed the Trump administration's "Muslim ban," calling it "a stain on our national conscience." In the wake of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, moreover, his administration placed a greater emphasis on domestic terrorism as a significant threat to homeland security. In 2021, it launched the first-ever national strategy for countering domestic terrorism. After the October 7 Hamas attack, Biden condemned the attack as "pure, unadulterated evil" while putting a distance between the perpetrators and the broader Muslim community. "You know, I know many of you in the Muslim American community or the Arab American community, the Palestinian American community, and so many others are outraged and hurting, saying to yourselves, Here we go again, with Islamophobia and distrust we saw after 9/11," Biden said on October 10. Trump is not known for moderating his rhetoric, even while in office. But after his second year in the White House, the volume of his rhetoric about Muslims and terrorism fell dramatically as he shifted his focus to a new area: border security and illegal immigration. That trend has continued into the current campaign. A VOA examination of his most recent social media posts and campaign statements found fewer than 20 references since the start of his reelection campaign, including only one mention of "radical Islamic terrorists." That came last July when he announced that he'd reinstate a travel ban on several Muslim countries that he imposed during his first term in office and which Biden later repealed. "We don't want people coming into our country that hate us. We want people that love us," he told a rally, citing anti-police riots in France sparked by the killing of a French Moroccan teenager. Trump supporters dismiss his rhetoric about Muslims and terrorism as just that rhetoric. "Let's forget about what this guy says. Let's look at what he does," a Muslim Republican activist said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another activist questioned whether Trump has ever said he hates Muslims, adding that more Muslims will likely vote for the former president than did in 2016. But if there is one thing both Trump supporters and detractors agree on, it is that Trump will likely follow through on his vow to bring back the "Muslim ban." "The legal structure that allowed the Muslim ban to be implemented in the first place is still on the books so we have to start planning as if a new Muslim ban will come into existence," said Corey Saylor, research and advocacy director for the Council on American Islamic Relations. With his head recently shaven, American journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared briefly in photos taken before his closed-door trial began on Wednesday in Russia, nearly 15 months after he was jailed on espionage charges that are widely viewed as baseless and politically motivated. A correspondent with The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 on spying charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The State Department has also declared Gershkovich wrongfully detained. Press freedom experts have said that they expect the trial against Gershkovich to be a politically motivated sham. Its certainly a sham trial. Its a travesty of justice. The charges brought against him are spurious and unsubstantiated, and the whole thing is just a masquerade, Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, told VOA. The trial is taking place in Yekaterinburg, where Gershkovich, 32, was first detained. The Ural Mountains city is about 1,400 kilometers, or 870 miles, east of Moscow. Russian authorities have accused Gershkovich of gathering secret information about a Russian tank manufacturer. But to date, Moscow has not publicly provided any evidence to substantiate the charges against Gershkovich, who was accredited by Russias foreign ministry to work in the country. Russias Washington embassy did not immediately reply to a VOA email requesting comment. Secret trials are common practice in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material. But that means it will be difficult for observers and watchdogs to monitor the trial, according to Paul Beckett, an assistant editor at The Journal who is leading the newspapers campaign to secure Gershkovichs release. I dont have high hopes that we will be able to see much, if anything, thats happening there. And I think that just speaks to the opacity of the whole system and its arbitrariness, Beckett told VOA. It is not clear how long the trial will take, but based on similar past cases, CPJs Said believes it will last a few months. She added that the trial is likely intended to foster a facade of rule of law in Russia. U.S. embassy officials were present at the courthouse and given brief access before the proceedings began, the diplomatic mission in Moscow said in a statement on Wednesday. According to the court, the next hearing has been scheduled for August 13, Daniel Kanigan, the spokesperson of the U.S. embassy, told VOA. Kanigan told VOA on Tuesday that the embassy will make efforts to attend any future proceedings. Journalism is not a crime. Evan should not have been detained and both he and Paul Whelan should be released, Kanigan added in the email. Whelan is a former Marine who is serving a 16-year spying sentence in Russia. The State Department has also declared him wrongfully detained. If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years behind bars. Some press freedom experts believe a conviction regardless of its illegitimacy is a necessary yet imperfect step to eventually securing Gershkovichs release through a prisoner swap. Theyre trying to kill two birds with one stone. One is to silence Evan, Said told VOA. The second goal is, obviously, to get him exchanged for someone who is important for the Kremlin and for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Putin has previously indicated that the Kremlin would be willing to trade Gershkovich for a convicted killer jailed in Germany. Prisoner swap negotiations between Moscow and Washington have been taking place for months. Although Beckett said a conviction is likely, he added that he hopes the U.S. government can find a way to short-circuit the trial process and secure Gershkovichs release as soon as possible. Its high time that the U.S. government reached a settlement with Russia over how to get Evan, and other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia, back home and back to their families, said Beckett, who is based in Washington. In a Wednesday statement, Gershkovichs family also urged the U.S. government to do everything it can to secure the reporter's release. These past 15 months have been extraordinarily painful for Evan and for our family. We miss our son and just want him home, they said in the statement. Were deeply disappointed that he will have to endure further attempts to discredit him and to paint a picture that is unrecognizable to anyone who knows him. Gershkovichs case underscores the poor state of press freedom in Russia, according to media experts. At the end of 2023, the CPJ in New York documented the jailings of 22 journalists in Russia, including 12 foreign nationals. The Kremlin has clamped down severely on independent reporting, effectively turning journalism into a crime, The Journals editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, wrote in a Tuesday open letter on Gershkovichs trial. Gershkovich is one of two American journalists currently jailed in Russia. Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S.-Russian national who works at VOAs sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, has been jailed since October 2023 on charges of failing to self-register as a foreign agent and spreading what the Kremlin views as false information about the Russian army. Kurmasheva, 47, rejects the charges, which carry a combined sentence of 15 years in prison. The U.S. government has also called for her immediate release. South Koreas military says North Korea is sending more balloons southward and that they likely contain trash. It would be the latest balloon campaign by North Korea since late May. According to South Korea, the North sent trash-filled balloons headed south on Monday. South Korea said that the trash included articles with Hello Kitty characters and soil with traces of human feces and parasites. There was apparently no major damage, and South Korea asked the public to avoid balloons and report any sightings to police. The balloon launches come within a larger back-and-forth of Cold War-style campaigns between the two countries that sometimes resume during periods of heightened tension. On Tuesday, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Sung Joon, warned that the country might restart anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts. According to a written Joint Chiefs of Staff statement, the renewed broadcasts would depend on North Koreas course of action. In the past, South Korean activists have sent political leaflets via balloon, and North Korea has sent its own balloons, possibly in response. North Korea bans most of its people from access to foreign news, making the issue of the broadcasts and leaflets a sensitive tactic. After a free speech case in South Korea in 2023, officials affirmed that they do not restrict activists from deploying leaflets to the North. North Korea has relied on the South for chemical fertilizer in its chronic food shortage, aid that was halted in 2007 when Pyongyang increased its weapons development. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also boarded a visiting U.S. aircraft carrier on Tuesday, making him the first sitting South Korean president to do so since 1994. According to Yoon, the aircraft will leave on Wednesday, traveling for a trilateral exercise, called the Freedom Edge, among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. North Korea has previously responded to U.S. drills with missile tests. The European Union and Ukraine began membership talks Tuesday, a process that could take years and which Russia has historically tried to prevent. The talks come a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to keep Ukraine from forming relationships with the West. The accession negotiations began during an intergovernmental conference held in Luxembourg. Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, spearheads Ukraines delegation. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the start of the talks. In a post on the social media site X after the EU agreed to talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, Generations of our people are realizing their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe. Moldova is due to start EU membership talks later on Tuesday. A candidate country must align its laws and standards with EU policy on issues that include movement of goods, environmental concerns and security. All 27 member countries must agree to an EU addition. Hungary has historically been an obstacle to Ukraines EU and NATO support. We are still at the beginning of the screening process. It's very difficult to say at what stage Ukraine is in. From what I see here, as we speak, they are very far from meeting the accession criteria, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka said. If given member status, Ukraine would exceed France in territory to become the largest member of the bloc. Its status as a top grain producer would also affect EU agriculture policy. Talks, while a milestone, could take years to finalize. Formal negotiations are unlikely to start for a few months. Turkey has been in accession talks for almost two decades without an outcome. Other waiting countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Ukraine is seeking membership by 2030 but must first complete dozens of institutional and legal reforms. The United States and its key European allies clashed with Iran and Russia over Tehrans expanding nuclear program, with the U.S. vowing to use all means necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran in a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday. The U.S., France, Britain and Germany accused Iran of escalating its nuclear activities far beyond limits it agreed to in a 2015 deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, and of failing to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran and Russia accused the U.S. and its allies of continuing to apply economic sanctions that were supposed to be lifted under the deal and insisted that Tehrans nuclear program remains under constant oversight by the IAEA. The clashes came at a semi-annual meeting on implementation of the nuclear deal between Iran and six major countries the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Under the accord, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for the peaceful use of nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018. Trump said he would negotiate a stronger deal, but that didnt happen. The council meeting followed an IAEA report in late May that Iran has more than 142 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade level of 90%. The IAEA said this was an increase of over 20 kilograms from February. The IAEA also reported on June 13 that its inspectors verified that Iran has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges more quickly enrich uranium and planned to install more. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the council that the IAEA reports show that Iran is determined to expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible civilian purpose. Wood said the U.S. is prepared to use all means to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, but said it remains "fully committed to resolving international concerns surrounding Irans nuclear program through diplomacy. The three Western countries that remain in the JCPOA France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement after the council meeting also leaving the door open for diplomatic efforts that ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. They said Irans stockpile of highly enriched uranium is now 30 times the JCPOA limit and stressed that Iran committed not to install or operate any centrifuges for enrichment under the JCPOA. Their joint statement also noted that Iranian officials have issued statements about its capacity to assemble a nuclear weapon. Irans U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani blamed the unilateral and unlawful U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the failure of the three European parties to the deal to honor their commitments, saying it is crystal clear they are responsible for the current non-functioning of the agreement. In the face of U.S. and European sanctions, he said, Iran has the right to halt its commitments under the JCPOA. Iravani reiterated Irans rejection of nuclear weapons, and insisted its nuclear activities including enrichment are for peaceful purposes and are subject to robust verification and monitoring by the IAEA. The Iranian ambassador strongly endorsed the JCPOA, calling it a hard-won diplomatic achievement that effectively averted an undue crisis. It remains the best option, has no alternative, and its revival is indeed in the interest of all of its participants, he said. Our remedial measures are reversible if all sanctions are lifted fully and verifiably." But France, Germany and the UK said some of Irans nuclear advances are irreversible. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said U.S. promises to abandon the policy of maximum pressure on Tehran and to return to the nuclear deal remained empty words. He accused some other JCPOA parties, which he didnt name, of doing everything possible to continuously rock the boat, jettisoning opportunities for the implementation of the nuclear deal. Nebenzia urged the European parties to the agreement and the United States to return to the negotiating table in Vienna and demonstrate their commitment to the objective of restoration of the nuclear deal. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the coordinator of the JCPOA, said the compromise text he put forward two years ago for the U.S. to return to the JCPOA and for Iran to resume full implementation of the agreement remains on the table. One special tree will be making its way from deep in the forests of Alaska to the heart of the nation's capital just in time for the holiday season. "It's an honor to have the 2024 U.S. Capitol tree come from Alaska," Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said. In 1964, John McCormack, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, placed a Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn. Thus, the tradition of the Capitol Christmas tree, or "The People's Tree," was born. The U.S. Forest Service began providing the tree in 1970, at the request of the Capitol Architect. Since then, a different national forest has delivered the tree each year. "The Forest Service rotates the responsibility, or really the privilege, of harvesting the Capitol Christmas tree amongst all of its regions, and within each region, they will select which forest it comes from for that given year," Brandon Raile, a public affairs officer for the Forest Service, told VOA. This year, the tree will come from the Tongass National Forest, the countrys largest national forest. The only other time a Capitol Christmas tree has come from Alaska was in 2015, when a nearly 23-meter-tall Lutz spruce was selected from the Chugach National Forest, The tree selection process can be involved. Tom Roland, who works for the Chugach National Forest as a silviculturist someone who controls the growth and health of a forest, said a team searches for a full, conically shaped tree thats 18 to 24 meters tall. He said between eight and 12 trees are offered to the Capitol Architect, who makes the final decision. "One of the things that makes this year's U.S. Capitol Christmas tree so unique is that it's coming from Alaska. The two national forests in Alaska cover about 21.9 million acres. To cover that kind of ground and work through the process of the selection here is really exceptionally challenging," Roland told VOA. Once cut, the tree begins its long trek from Alaska to Washington. "Keeping a tree healthy during a journey like this is really hard," Roland said. While traveling, the tree is kept at a stable temperature, shielded from the wind and kept moist through a hydration system. On its way to the Capitol, the Alaska tree will travel on an expandable trailer, two different barges, and a truck. The tree also is part of a "whistle stop" tour; it will make brief stops in communities across the country so the public can see the tree. When the tree is finally displayed at the Capitol, it will be adorned with thousands of ornaments that Alaskans made by hand. Roland said this year's tree selection would be finalized around July 19 and harvested sometime in October. The tree species will be announced later. The U.S. is expected to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine valued at up to $150 million as soon as Tuesday, two U.S. officials tell VOA. The package is being provided to Kyiv under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which pulls weapons, ammunition and equipment from U.S. military stockpiles to fulfill Ukraines short-term needs. One of the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the package ahead of its planned announcement said the latest round of aid would include munitions for HIMARS and other critical munitions. It does not include cluster munitions, according to the official. Asked whether the aid package includes long-range missiles known as ATACMS, the official replied, For operational security reasons, we arent going into further details. ATACMS have a range of up to 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) and nearly double the striking distance of Ukraines missiles. When asked by VOA on June 12 if the United States had provided Ukraine with more ATACMS since mid-March, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown said, "We're working through the ATACMS piece, and we continue to provide that capability through our PDAs." Russia has accused Ukraine of using some of the U.S.-provided ATACMS in deadly strikes this week inside Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and in Russias Belgorod region bordering Ukraine. Russia summoned the U.S. ambassador in Moscow on Monday to protest the use of the missiles. This weeks aid package for Kyiv will dip into the $61 billion in Ukraine funding signed into law by President Joe Biden in April. The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on nearly 50 entities and people it accused of moving billions of dollars for Iran's military. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said those targeted on Tuesday constitute a "shadow banking network" used by Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both of which are under U.S. sanctions. The network helped the MODAFL and IRGC which earn money notably from the sale of oil and petrochemicals gain access to the international financial system and process the equivalent of billions of dollars since 2020, the Treasury said. The Treasury said the revenue generated by the MODAFL and IRGC through networks of Iranian exchange houses and foreign cover companies supported the provision of weapons and funding to Iran's proxy groups, including Yemen's Houthi group, and the transfer of drones to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. Washington has issued rafts of sanctions targeting Iranian drones and the Houthis, who have been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza. "We continue to work with allies and partners, as well as the global financial industry, to increase vigilance against the movement of funds supporting terrorism," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately comment on the action. Tuesday's action targeted dozens of companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Marshall Islands, as well as Iran and Turkey-based firms. The Treasury said the MODAFL Supply Division uses exchange houses in Iran that manage numerous cover companies registered in jurisdictions such as Hong Kong or the UAE to launder revenue, including from oil sales conducted by Sahara Thunder, which the U.S. imposed sanctions on in April. The Treasury at the time accused Sahara Thunder of being a front company that oversees MODAFL's commercial activities in support of the IRGC and Russia's war in Ukraine, playing a key role in Iran's design, development, manufacture and sale of thousands of drones. The move freezes the U.S. assets of banned companies and individuals, and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis on Tuesday, calling for greater gun control, including the banning of assault rifles. Murthy issued the first Surgeon Generals Advisory on Firearm Violence to address his concerns. The advisory highlights strategies to reduce firearm deaths, such as implementing universal background checks for gun buyers, prohibiting assault weapons for civilian use, and requiring safe firearms storage. The document says firearm violence is the leading cause of death among 1 to 19-year-olds in the U.S. The increasing number of children and adolescents dying from firearm related injuries and the reverberating mental health impacts on society make firearm violence an urgent public health crisis in America, the advisory reads. The advisory says that 48,204 people in the U.S. died from firearm-related injuries in 2022, which includes suicide, homicide and unintentional deaths. Rates of firearm violence in the U.S. are high compared to that of other countries. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) found that, in 2015, the overall firearm related death rate was 11.4 times higher in the U.S. compared to 28 other high income nations, the report reads. A surgeon generals advisory is meant to raise awareness on public health issues. This is the first time a U.S. surgeon general has issued an advisory on firearms. Murthy, who was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden, described firearm violence as an urgent threat and said that the problem has continued to grow, in his statement announcing the firearm advisory. The Biden administration supports greater controls on gun ownership, citing the frequent mass shootings at schools and other public places. But it faces stiff opposition from gun rights advocates, who say the U.S. Constitutions 2nd Amendment allows them to own a wide variety of firearms. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse. Violence broke out again Monday on the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, as anger over a controversial electoral reform bill lingers. Authorities say protesters set fire to a police outpost and an emergency vehicle in the community of Dumbea, located north of the capital Noumea, while the town hall in Koumac, another nearby community, was also set on fire. The latest round of violence occurred two days after pro-independence leader Christian Tein and six other activists were sent to mainland France to stand trial for provoking the initial unrest that broke out in mid-May. The violence was sparked by a bill introduced in the French Parliament to allow French-born residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in local elections. Leaders of the islands pro-independence movement say the measure would dilute the voting power of the Indigenous Kanak people who have suffered under decades of discrimination. Protesters ransacked scores of homes and businesses in Noumea and established roadblocks leading in and out of the capital, preventing deliveries of food and medicine to citizens and tourists trapped in their homes and resorts. Nine people were killed in the violence. Nearly 1,500 people have been arrested since mid-May, including 38 people Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron suspended the proposed reform after visiting New Caledonia late last month. Some information for this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has arrived in Saipan ahead of an expected guilty plea in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will set him free to return home to Australia. The plane carrying the eccentric computer expert and internet publisher touched down more than two hours before the scheduled start of a plea hearing, in which he is set to admit to a felony for publishing U.S. military secrets under a deal that spares him prison time in America after years spent jailed in the United Kingdom while fighting extradition to America. The hearing, taking place in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific, is the stunning culmination of the U.S. government's yearslong pursuit of the publisher who has been painted both as a hero and a reckless criminal for exposing hundreds of thousands of sensitive military documents. The U.S. Justice Department agreed to hold the hearing on the remote island because Assange opposed coming to the continental U.S. and because it's near Australia, where he will return after he enters his plea. The deal disclosed Monday night in court papers represents the final chapter in a more than decade-long legal odyssey over the fate of Assange, whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. U.S. prosecutors have said his actions recklessly put the country's national security at risk. Though the deal with prosecutors requires Assange to admit guilt to a single felony count, it also allows him to avoid spending any time in an American prison. He will get credit for the five years he has already spent in a high-security British prison while fighting extradition to the U.S. to face charges. Before being locked up in London, Assange spent years hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he has denied. The abrupt conclusion enables both sides to claim a degree of success, with the Justice Department able to resolve without trial a case that raised thorny legal issues and that might never have reached a jury at all given the plodding pace of the extradition process. Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. His wife, Stella Assange, told the BBC from Australia that it had been touch and go over 72 hours whether the deal would go ahead but she felt elated at the news. A lawyer who married the WikiLeaks founder in prison in 2022, she said details of the agreement would be made public once the judge had signed off on it. He will be a free man once it is signed off by a judge, she said, adding that she still didn't think it was real. Assange on Monday left the London prison, where he has spent the last five years, after being granted bail during a secret hearing last week. He boarded a plane that landed hours later in Bangkok to refuel before taking off again toward Saipan. A video posted by WikiLeaks on X, showed Assange staring intently out the window at the blue sky as the plane headed toward the island. Imagine. From over 5 years in a small cell in a maximum security prison. Nearly 14 years detained in the UK. To this, WikiLeaks wrote. The top Australian diplomat in the United Kingdom accompanied Assange on the flight. The guilty plea resolves a criminal case brought by Republican President Donald Trump's administration over the receipt and publication of war logs and diplomatic cables that detailed U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prosecutors alleged that Assange conspired with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain the records and published them without regard to American national security, including by releasing the names of human sources who provided information to U.S. forces. Former Vice President Mike Pence called the new arrangement a miscarriage of justice," writing on X that Assange "endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." But Assange's activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. Australia for years has been calling on the U.S. government to drop the case against Assange, arguing there's a disconnect between the treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Mannings 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assanges activities, the case has dragged on for too long, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Theres nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange had remained in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition fight with the U.S. Assange made headlines again in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that years election on behalf of Trump. U.S. and European officials are warning of the possibility of the war in Gaza expanding, with the prospect of an Israeli offensive in Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters Monday in Luxembourg that the risk of the war spilling over is growing bigger every day. I think that, unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding, Borrell said. He also said a cease-fire in Gaza is desperately needed to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, saying delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible. Borrells comments came hours after the top U.S. military officer warned an Israeli offensive in Lebanon would raise the risk of a broader conflict that draws in Iran to aid Hezbollah. Israel has been battling Iran-backed Hamas in its offensive in the Gaza Strip for months while also engaging in daily skirmishes with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that Iran would be more inclined to provide greater support to Hezbollah, describing the militants as having more resources than Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the "intense phase" of fighting against Hamas in Gaza will be ending "very soon." But he added that Israel will likely shifts troops to the border with Lebanon. SEE ALSO: In his interview with Israel's Channel 14, Netanyahu said moving troops north would bolster the country's defensive posture against Hezbollah and allow Israelis who fled the fighting near the Lebanon-Israel border to return home. He added that while he hopes a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah could be found, Israel can "fight on several fronts, and we are also preparing for it. The war in Gaza, and the risk of a wider conflict, will be the focus of talks Monday in Washington as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in more areas," Gallant said in a statement. Postwar Gaza While Netanyahu expects fighting in Gaza to wind down as Israeli forces conclude their offensive in Rafah, he stressed that Israel expects to have a military presence there for the foreseeable future. "We also want to create a civilian administration, if possible, with local Palestinians and maybe with external backing from countries in the region to manage humanitarian supply and later on, civilian affairs in the [Gaza] Strip, he said. Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to either Hamas or the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority having a role in managing Gaza. The U.S. has previously cautioned Israel against a long-term military occupation of the territory. SEE ALSO: U.S. arms shipments Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu said he believes a dispute with the United States over the pace of its arms shipments to Israeli forces fighting Hamas militants in Gaza would be resolved soon. "About four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the U.S. to Israel. We got all sorts of explanations, but... the basic situation didn't change," he told a Cabinet meeting. "In light of what I have heard in the last day, I hope and believe that this issue will be resolved in the near future," he said. Top U.S. officials said last week they were puzzled by Netanyahus claim. Israeli officials said they lobbied their U.S. counterparts at "the highest levels... at all levels" for speedier weapons deliveries, with Netanyahu saying, "After months of no change in this situation, I decided to give it a public expression, which angered Washington. U.S. officials said they were not aware of what Netanyahu was referring to. The U.S. is Israels main arms supplier in Israels war against Hamas, now in its ninth month with no immediate end in sight. President Joe Biden has outlined what he said was an Israeli-proposed six-week halt in the fighting and the release of Hamas-held hostages. Hamas has said any agreement must result in an end to the war, a demand Israel has rejected. While the U.S. has maintained its support for Israel, it has grown increasingly frustrated at Netanyahus conduct of the war. It was triggered by a shock Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israels counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians but also thousands of combatants, according to the territorys health ministry. U.S. President Joe Biden delayed delivering certain heavy bombs since May over concerns about the continuing Israeli attacks in Gaza, but his administration fought back last week against Netanyahu's charges that other shipments had also been affected. Biden, running for reelection to a second four-year term, is facing conflicting political pressures over the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Progressive Democrats have called for him to adopt a tougher stance toward Israel, with Biden warning Netanyahu against an all-out assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. But the Biden administration has avoided any suggestion that Israel's expanding push into Rafah has crossed a red line. Opposition Republican critics say Biden has moderated his support for an essential Middle East ally. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Defense chiefs drawn from 32 African nations, excluding Zimbabwe, are attending a two-day U.S Africa Command conference in Gaborone, Botswana, focusing on the security situation on the continent. Zimbabwe was not invited to the conference but a junior officer, Charles Shumba who is attached to the countrys embassy in the country, is attending the meeting at the invitation of the host nation. A senior U.S military official attending the conference says Botswana included Zimbabwe in the list of participants but Washington objected. U.S-Africa Command (AFRICOM) director of intelligence, Rose Keravouri, told VOA, it was the decision of the civilian leadership to exclude Zimbabwe. We take instructions from our civilian leadership. Because of some policies in Zimbabwe, the Security Council said they will not be invited to the conference, Keravouri said. However, she said the move does not mean Zimbabwe is being isolated. (But) thats not to say we cannot learn lessons from Zimbabwe. I want to push back on the statement that we are isolating Zimbabwe. That is not the intent. The intent is we come in when we are asked. If any African partner wants support or wants us to help in a certain region that is what we help with. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in a meeting with Russian leader, Vladimir Putin earlier this month, said his country was being isolated by the U.S. He said America was aiding neighbors Malawi and Zambia with security and military support. The statement has angered Zambian President, Hichilema Hakaindes administration, which has reported the issue to regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well as the African Union (AU). USA imposed targeted sanctions on Mnangagwa and his inner circle over alleged corruption, human rights violations and election rigging. The southern African nation has strong relations with Russia backdating to the countrys 1960s liberation war. Its support for Russias invasion of Ukraine has also angered the West. Meanwhile, while officially opening the conference, Botswana President, Mokgweetsi Masisi expressed concern over Africas spate of military coups. He said undemocratic removal of leadership presents a challenge for the continents security chiefs. It is imperative that we come together as one cohesive force to achieve Africas noble vision of silencing the guns by 2030 and ensure peace and stability across the continent, he said. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to face a growing disquiet about the disrespect of the democratic ideal of constitutionally elected governments on the African continent by the military, Masisi added. Between 2021 and 2023, West Africa witnessed seven coups. Masisi said the Gaborone meeting provides the right platform to find solutions to the conflicts. This kind of regression in our continents political order portends a serious threat to the stability of nations, which should be functioning as well as interconnected units and planks for both regional cooperation and integration, continental unity, peace and sustainable development. U.S-AFRICOM commander, General Michael Langley, it is time for hard discussions on security and stability threats in Africa. The coups have provided opportunities for Russia to expand its influence by making security support deals with the military juntas. This year we look to understand a bigger picture on how we expand our cooperation and how we share our values, Langley said. We discuss how we bring all the instruments of national power together and put them on the table and also the importance of civil-military relationship and closing that gap, he added. It is the first time since the inaugural conference in 2017, that the annual meeting is held in Africa. The Israeli Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevi, met with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. In application of the agreements signed with them, he informed them that Israel would attack Lebanon on the evening of Saturday June 22. News of this secret meeting spread rapidly across the web. Various official sources confirmed it. We also learned that an agreement had been reached between Tel Aviv and Riyadh. This information explains why Saudi Arabia, alongside the Western alliance, was involved in protecting Israel during the Iranian retaliation on April 14. Throughout the days of Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd, chancelleries around the world were buzzing with contradictory information and statements. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has declared that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can never be resolved by force of arms. "The peoples of the region and of the world cannot allow Lebanon to become a new Gaza (...) On both sides of the Blue Line, many lives have already been lost, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and homes and buildings have been destroyed (...) Unexploded ordnance (...) poses an additional threat to the inhabitants of Israel and Lebanon, as well as to UN and humanitarian personnel (...) It is time for the parties to engage in a practical and pragmatic way in the diplomatic and political channels open to them", he told a press conference. But Israel refuses to negotiate, and Hezbollah, refusing to abandon the Palestinians, has declared that it will not negotiate the demarcation of the Israeli-Lebanese border as long as the massacre in the Gaza Strip continues. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz replied to Guterres: "Israel cannot allow the terrorist organization Hezbollah to continue attacking its territory and its citizens, and we will soon take the necessary decisions. The free world must stand unconditionally by Israel in its war against the axis of evil led by Iran and extremist Islam. Our war is also your war, and Nasrallahs threat against Cyprus is just the beginning. [1]. He announced that he would "soon take the necessary decisions" on the matter. Meanwhile, the two sides stepped up their skirmishes. Israel fired shells at Yaroun (Bint Jbeil caza) and Naqoura (Tyre). It also hit an area between Taybe and Deir Seriane (Marjeyoun) with white phosphorus weapons, setting off a fire in the area. In the evening, two consecutive attacks hit the locality of Khiam, in the same caza. Israeli aircraft also carried out an attack in the Kandouli district of Meiss el-Jabal. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for at least four attacks during the day. It targeted the maritime military site of Ras Naqoura (which corresponds to the Israeli site of Rosh Hanikra, opposite Naqoura) "using several suicide drones, in response to an Israeli strike in Deir Kifa (caza of Tyre)" on Thursday, which killed a Hezbollah fighter. He claimed "to have destroyed part of the site and wounded several people". It also launched another suicide drone attack on "an Israeli artillery base" in Zaoura, northern Israel, and carried out attacks on the Israeli sites of Rouaissat el-Qarn and Zebdine, located in the disputed Shebaa farms, as well as on Sammaka, in the Kfarchouba hills. The United States, which since January 29 has been advising its citizens not to travel to Lebanon for fear of kidnappings [2], remained silent, while the Iranian mission to the UN tweeted: "Any imprudent decision by the Israeli occupation regime to save itself could plunge the region into a new war, the consequence of which would be the destruction of Lebanons infrastructure as well as that of the territories occupied in 1948. There can be no doubt that this war will have one big loser: the Zionist regime. The Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, has the capacity to defend itself and Lebanon - perhaps the moment has come for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime" [3]. Indeed, the balance of military power has shifted considerably since the Israeli-Lebanese war of 2006 [4]. Back then, Hezbollah had little experience. Today, on the contrary, it has lived through 12 years of war in Syria against jihadists armed by NATO and protected by the Israeli Air Force [5]. Today, it is said to have 2,500 Special Forces (Radwan), 20,000 highly-trained men, 30,000 reservists and 50,000 less-experienced fighters. It used to have short-range missiles. Today, it has 120,000 projectiles of all kinds, including 150,000 guided missiles, several thousand Zelzal ("earthquake"), with a range of over 120 kilometers, and several hundred Fateh-110 ("Liberation-110") guided missiles [6], with a range of 300 kilometers, and still tens of thousands of short-range missiles such as the Iranian-made Fajr-1 and the Chinese-made Type-107. This gigantic arsenal should enable it to saturate the Iron Dome and thus deprive Israel of its anti-aircraft defense [7]. If it fails to saturate it, Hezbollah has already demonstrated since December 2023 that it can destroy elements of the Iron Dome, rendering it inoperative. Above all, it has Sayyad-2 (Fighter-2) surface-to-air missiles and possibly Russian SA-22 Pantsir batteries [8], with the former of which, on May 20, it put an end to 76 years of Israeli air domination. While it is not certain that Herbollah can shoot down aircraft at high altitude, it is clear that it can destroy helicopters and aircraft at low altitude. In addition, Hezbollah has acquired all kinds of drones, including al-Hodhod ("Wavy Oyster"), which infiltrated Haifa and filmed the naval base and the RAFAEL (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd) arms factory, undetected by Israeli radars. And thats not all: it now has Russian AT-14 Kornet and Iranian Toophan anti-tank missiles, as well as heavy armor such as Russian-made T-72 tanks. It also possesses ground-to-sea missiles, such as the Russian Yakhont. There can be no doubt that if Hezbollah were to confront Israel alone, without US intervention, it would destroy the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a matter of days. We dont know what would happen if the Pentagon came to the rescue of its historic ally. In this perspective, opposition to the Israeli occupation, which is growing particularly among young American voters, is a challenge. To be re-elected, President Biden must abandon Israel. But abandonment means the disappearance of the Hebrew state. On the contrary, the entry of the US armada into the war would also provoke that of Iran. But since April 14, we have known that Teheran has hypersonic missiles, probably of Russian origin, which the West as a whole is incapable of intercepting [9]. How did Russia and the Axis of Resistance achieve such progress in weaponry and military science? Back in 2012, Israeli intelligence services claimed that Hezbollah had increased its bombing capacity 400-fold (four hundred times). At the time, they were only talking about quantity. Today, we need to be aware of quality too [10]. The reversal took place during the war against Syria. We described it at length, but the Atlanticist press denigrated our remarks. Indeed, it was essential to convince Western public opinion that Syria was a weak state, and that the Republic was going to be overthrown by a bunch of hooligans. Today, all Nato armies are in a sorry state, with the exception of France for its atomic capabilities and the United States, not only for its deterrent capabilities, but also for its pre-1991 conventional armaments. For 23 years, NATO has been transformed into an anti-jihadist coalition, certainly strong, but incapable of waging a "high-intensity war". Planning to destroy the tarmacs of Israeli military airbases, Hezbollah anticipated the relocation of IDF aircraft to the British military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. Hassan Nasrallah thus warned Nicosia that, if it allowed Israeli military aircraft to land on its soil, it would become involved in the conflict and would have to bear the consequences. Since the start of Operation Iron Sword (October 8, 2023), the IDF has been massacring people, while Hezbollah has taken great care to cause as few casualties as possible. While 37,000 Palestinian civilians were killed in Gaza, only around 15 Israeli soldiers were killed by the Lebanese Resistance, compared with over 300 Hezbollah fighters killed by the IDF. This contrasting picture gives the impression, at first glance, that Israel is always the stronger, whereas in reality it shows that Hezbollah is trying to fend off a war that it anticipates will be terrible. In 1944, the fall of the Third Reich was brutal under the blows of the Red Army. In 2024, it could be just as brutal for Nato. The balance of power has shifted. It is no longer reversible, either in the short or medium term. From this point of view, it is astonishing to see NATO behaving as if it were still the master of the world. This stubbornness will make its fall all the more painful. The only alternative for the United States and Israel would be to encourage a military coup in Tel Aviv. Already, some 1,000 senior officers and non-commissioned officers have come together with this in mind, under the slogan: "Anyone who thinks there is a manoeuvre at Rafah is mistaken. Anyone who knows there isnt and says there is, is lying!" [11]. They are ready. The White Houses decision is unknown, but the State Departments top official on the subject, Andrew P. Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, resigned on June 22. The State Department claims it was for personal reasons, but everyone knows that he was opposed to President Joe Bidens Bear-Hug strategy [12]. He had implemented sanctions against Jewish supremacists. Photo: Focus Features After The Bikeriders, I am not worried about Austin Butlers career. The movie asks him to be both a fetishized golden god of rough-and-tumble American masculinity and a young man performing that identity to make himself feel a little less alone, and Butler steers his chopper through both parts well enough. When I saw the film in a theater, a group of teenage girls behind me gasped when Butler appeared onscreen for the first time, and I someone whose similar formative moment decades ago involved Leonardo DiCaprio and Radioheads Talk Show Host really do get what that feeling is like. But I know Im in my late 30s with a body perpetually in need of physical therapy, because what I also thought when Butler made his Bikeriders entrance was this: I am worried about this mans neck. Tons of actors make a certain sort of physicality a part of their identity and appeal. Timothy Olyphant and Brad Pitt are great leaners; Tom Cruises running form is famous; Julia Robertss toothy smile is a multigenre asset across rom-coms, metafiction, and populist thrillers. And Butler? His screen presence is defined by a recurring tendency to squish his neck downward toward his torso and angle his head at a variety of not-90-degree angles. Nothing suggests that hes hurting anyone else on set with this level of commitment (unlike some people, ahem). This mans body, though! Is it not in pain from the array of crushed, cramped, and squeezed positions he keeps putting himself into? Consider the evidence from The Bikeriders. In nearly every scene as Chicago Vandals motorcycle club member Benny, Butler is working the hunch-and-tilt. When flirting with his future wife, Kathy (Jodie Comer). When turning down club president Johnnys (Tom Hardy) offer to become the next leader of the Vandals. When getting ready to fight hostile customers at a bar where hes drinking, or seated at a campfire, or attending a funeral, or realizing that maybe being an outlaw isnt all its cracked up to be. His physicality doesnt really change, and it always looks like hes either working through a cramp or about to get one. I almost experienced I just woke up from a crappy nap in a too-small airplane seat, and everything is stiff sympathy pains watching all this. Clockwise from top left: Photo: Focus Features Photo: Focus Features Photo: Bryan Schutmaat/Focus Features Photo: Focus Features From top: Photo: Focus Features Photo: Focus Features Photo: Bryan Schutmaat/Focus Features Photo: Focus Features Benny doesnt seem uncomfortable in his own body, so Im not sure theres a narrative reason why hes so constantly scrunched. Without a textual answer, then, we must look at Butlers prior filmography to try and understand why he chooses to look so often like a strikingly handsome and very grumpy bird. My first guess: Maybe this position is a holdover from Elvis and how many times in that movie Butler sang into a mic that didnt seem placed high enough for his six-foot frame: Clockwise from top left: Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Clockwise from top left: Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. Or maybe it became Butlers routine after Dune: Part Two, where the knifeplay enthusiast na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen had a real reptilian, serpentine vibe to contrast with Paul Atreidess more heroic, upstanding comportment (well, at least until the films end): From left: Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. From top: Photo: Warner Bros. Photo: Warner Bros. But lets go back further. Maybe we should be wondering what inspired Butler to do this exact same move in The Dead Dont Die, in which he plays a destined-to-die friend of Selena Gomez, going on a road trip through a zombie-infested town. Butler isnt so tall that he can only meet people at their level by slanting and contorting. Jim Jarmusch, explain yourself. From left: Photo: Focus Features Photo: Focus Features From top: Photo: Focus Features Photo: Focus Features Quentin Tarantino could be responsible too, because Once Upon a Time in Hollywood may have kicked off this Butler-bearing trend when he played Charles Manson acolyte and Manson Family member Tex. Look at Butlers Gumby-like skew on that horse. Are this mans shoulders ever level? From left: Photo: Sony Pictures Photo: Sony Pictures From top: Photo: Sony Pictures Photo: Sony Pictures Will anyone answer for this? And if not, may I make some suggestions? Perhaps Butler needs a more supportive pillow, or an inversion table, or to work with a director who will be brave enough to let him stand upright. Next time, get some apple crates for Hardy to stand on, elongate the mic stand, and stop making Butler stand like this like a collapsed accordion, an undercooked sausage that doesnt fill its external casing, a sheepish giraffe. Butler is one of our few future A-list contenders. Protect those vertebrae at all costs. This content is expired! Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again. Funaro defeats former Uffizi director Schmidt. The Italian city of Florence on Monday elected Sara Funaro as its first woman mayor in a decisive win for the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) councillor. Funaro won 60 per cent of the vote in a run-off against the German-born former Uffizi head Eike Schmidt who was backed by Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government. Funaro, 48, was previously a city councillor for education, welfare and immigration in the administration of outgoing centre-left mayor Dario Nardella who wrote on X: "The joy of today is indescribable. Sara Funaro was a great councillor. She will be a great mayor of Florence." Funaro, a psychologist and psychotherapist by training, also had the backing of the populist Movimento 5 Stelle and the left-wing Greens and Left Alliance (AVS). She dedicated her victory to her grandfather and former Florence mayor Piero Bargellini who is revered for his handling of the fallout from the city's catastrophic flood in 1966. Unemozione incredibile. Grazie di cuore: saro la sindaca di tutte e di tutti i fiorentini pic.twitter.com/wGBrTxFA8B Sara Funaro (@sarafunaro) June 24, 2024 Art historian Schmidt, who obtained Italian citizenship last year, was recently appointed director of the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, while retaining a seat on the city council in Florence. Describing his 39 per cent as "an excellent result", Schmidt told Tgr Toscana: "From today I have won the title of leader of the opposition". The mayoral ballot completed a round of elections in which centre-left parties won in five regional capitals - Bari, Campobasso, Florence, Perugia and Potenza - after winning in the Sardinian capital Cagliari two weeks ago. In a post on X, the PD leader Elly Schlein wrote: "A historic victory for the PD and the progressive camp. We won in all 6 regional capitals, wresting three from the right and with three new mayors. The cities rejected the right that governs and sent a clear message to Giorgia Meloni. No more cuts to healthcare, no more low wages and no more differentiated autonomy." The result comes after Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party topped the polls in the European Parliament elections in Italy earlier this month. High Court reporters A three-judge Court of Appeal (CoA) has been split in its decision to permit siblings to reside in Ireland with their mother instead of being returned to their home country, where their father lives. Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh, supported by Mr Justice Donald Binchy, said the fact the mother has twice abducted the children weighs heavily with her. She said there is no doubt that the policy of deterring child abduction which is central to the Hague Convention governing the law of wrongful removal and cross-jurisdictional rights of custody would be best served by returning the siblings to their EU home state. However, she added, the eldest child had a strong objection to this idea, and the court ordering their return to the other country does not seem to be in the childs best interests at this point in time. The judge noted the child, now aged in their mid-teens, associates the home country with deep unhappiness and isolation. Where the children live will in due course be considered as part of a full custody and welfare assessment by a court in the other EU country, the judge added. Not without reluctance, she decided to overturn the High Court order for the childrens return pending any further decision of the family court in their home country. Mr Justice Brian OMoore disagreed with his two colleagues, and felt the order made last February by the High Courts Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty should stand. Attrition In his dissenting judgment, he noted the parents have been divorced for some years and there is a chronic level of attrition between them. A court in their home country ordered that the children would live with their father, while their mother enjoyed joint custody and rights of contact. The children were abducted by their mother last year for the second time. The Irish High Court again ordered for the childrens return, but on this occasion the order would not apply if living arrangements could be made for Ireland. Ms Justice Gearty rejected the mothers claim that the children would be at grave risk if returned home. She paused her return order as there then appeared some prospect the father would move to Ireland. However, no such agreement was reached. Mr Justice OMoore noted the mother made claims that were utterly without foundation, such as seeking to cast doubt on the original birth certificates of their children. All three appeal court judges agreed the habitual residence of the children was the other EU country. Mr Justice OMoore noted the mother forged the fathers signature to enrol the children in Irish schools. He said applications under the Hague Convention are not intended to be inquiries as to the best interests of the child, which is a matter for the court of the country of habitual residence. The fundamental objective of the Convention is discouraging child abduction. He believed, from reading troubling assessor reports, that the eldest childs tendency to self-harm is not produced by living in the home country but, rather, because of unhappiness at the parental conflict and family break-up. He added there is a risk of self-harm regardless of where the child resides. The judge noted the eldest childs first preference was to live in Ireland with both parents, which is not going to happen. Each child said they would prefer Ireland and wanted their parents to stop arguing. Considering all the evidence and the aims of the Hague Convention, Mr Justice OMoore concluded the children should be returned to their home country. Christine visits with Gwichiin language speaker Brandon Kikyvichik about how their language is part of the Athabaskan family of languages and the different dialects within each language group, and sub-dialects or regional dialects within the major ones. Christine also vistis with Bobbi Rose Koe about her adventure tourism company and how she wraps it in culture. There are no tracks in this playlist. The Gardai in Waterford are investigating an incident that occurred in the Ferrybank area of the city during which a quantity of cash was taken from a strawberry seller. The incident occurred on Friday, June 21, at around 4.45pm at Marymount, Ferrybank, close to a well-know grotto on Ross Road. A Garda spokesperson sad the strawberry seller had a sum of money stolen from her. Strawberry stands are a familiar site on local roads throughout the country during the summer months. The spokesperson said two young males approached the stand and asked the price of a punnet of strawberries. As she turned to get a bag for the punnet, the two males made off with the cash tray that was on the counter. Gardai in Ferrybank are looking for any dashcam footage that may assist with the investigation or information from any witness who may have observed two males running from the stand towards the church in Ferrybank. This was a busy time on Friday afternoon with commuter traffic passing this location, said the spokesperson. The two males were described as being in their teens. One had light blonde hair and was wearing a wind breaker jacket. He was described as being of medium height and build. The second male has brown hair and was wearing a black hoody and grey pants. Anyone with information can contact Ferrybank Garda Station on 051 830240 or Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300. There were great scenes of celebration in De La Salle College in Waterford recently as the schools choir celebrated another very successful year. The choir was founder in 1980, as an SATB choir, with younger boys singing soprano and alto. The choir was led by Brother Ben at the time, however, in 2000, a group of Transition year students founded the present senior choir as a TTBB (male voice) choir. Since its establishment the choir has enjoyed a rich history of success, and this year was particularly noteworthy. The choir garnered high commendations across the country in several competitions including the Cork Choral Festival, where it was awarded the Sing Ireland Trophy for best choral performance for a rendition of Anthem, from the musical Chess. This particular piece was arranged by Brother Ben Hanlon and conducted by past pupil and former Senior Choir member, Paddy OBrien. The choir also participated in the Navan Choral and Instrumental festival, a renowned choral celebration in Ireland. Entering three categories, the choir came first out of 20 secondary schools competing in the event and was only one mark away from the overall winner. This is a phenomenal achievement, a spokesperson for the school told Waterford News & Star. The choir also came second in the Pop Music competition with Only You, and Music to Watch the Girls Go By, earning high praise throughout the festival. Closer to home, the final competition the choir participated in was the AIMS Choral Festival in New Ross, where the members faced off against six other groups and clinched first place with high marks for their performances of Fite Fuaite and Anthem. The De La Salle senior choir's exceptional year was bolstered Paddy OBrien, who returned as a teacher and conducted the choir at competitions. His collaboration with Brother Ben Hanlon, the choir's founder, and the dedication of the 6th-year students were key to their success. The determination and commitment of these students during rehearsals and competitions were invaluable, said the spokesperson. This year's achievements underscore the unique talent and hard work of the De La Salle choir, solidifying their reputation as a leading choir in Ireland. An artist from Waterford has decided to put her creative talent to good use and raise money for charity. Dungarvan artist, Miriam Twomey is very well know locally and regularly exhibits her work in the Old Market House Arts Centre, located in Lower Main Street, Dungarvan. Miriam currently has a portrait featuring John Martyn, exhibited in the Art Centre, and prints of the painting, which was a commission on its way to Edinburgh, are now for sale in the Old Market House. There are also prints of the late Irish rock legend, Rory Gallagher, also for sale and the nett proceeds from the sales will go towards the St Vincent de Paul, in aid of those who are homeless locally. St. Vincent de Paul is a leading charity operating across the Island of Ireland, supporting some of the most marginalised individuals, couples and families experiencing homelessness. They provide support across the broad range of necessity in the community and countless numbers have benefitted over many years through the broad range of support which they offer. Buying one or both of Miriam's prints will not just benefit a very worthy cause but will also make a great addition to any music fans memorabilia collection. Brian OHalloran from Annestown, Co. Waterford, has been selected for the next stage of the prestigious Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition. The competition aims to find the best astronomy photographs taken in Ireland over the past year. Mr OHalloran has been shortlisted in the Out of this World Planetary category for his image, The Devil Comet Nears Perihelion. Brian said, "Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a Halley-type comet that approaches us every 70 years or so. As it has entered the inner solar system, it has let off huge eruptions of dust and gas that have caused it to brighten greatly, in the process of which it had a horned appearance that gave it the 'Devil Comet' nickname. "During the spring of 2024, it glided across the evening dusk sky. This was my final attempt to image it before it slipped into the sun's glare, not to be seen again until the 2090s from Ireland." Over 230 images were submitted to the competition in total this year the most ever received with 50 selected for the shortlist and public vote. Entrants were invited to submit entries across five distinct categories in the competition. While a high-profile judging panel will select the overall winning entries in the coming weeks, an online vote has already been launched, so members of the public can also have their say. All shortlisted images can now be viewed on the Reach for the Stars website, www.reachforthestars.ie, and members of the public can cast their vote for their favourite image. Commenting, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: Im so impressed by the level of creativity and skill we have amongst photographers in Waterford and right across the country. This year has seen the highest number of entries in the history of the competition, and we hope to see the interest in our night skies continue to grow. By Grainne Ni Aodha, David Young and Rebecca Black, PA A woman who was assaulted by a serving soldier has told a solidarity rally in Dublin that she will keep the pressure on politicians to take action on tackling violence against women. Natasha OBrien (24) told political leaders and the Defence Forces to do your jobs and address the issues around gender-based crimes. The Limerick woman earlier watched from the public gallery of the Dail as politicians discussed the controversial case. At one point, TDs on all sides of the house rose to give her a standing ovation. Natasha OBrien (left) addresses protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Later on Tuesday, hundreds attended the demonstration outside the parliament at Leinster House. Thousands attended similar rallies across Ireland at the weekend. Ms OBrien told Tuesday evenings event: I sat up in the public gallery, I was looking down at the Taoiseach [Simon Harris] and the Minister for Justice [Helen McEntee], and [thought] What are you going to do, what are you going to do? Im right here. Im going to keep doing that and theyre going to feel the pressure. Ms OBrien said she felt a little bit hopeful after receiving so much support and said she believed she had found a purpose in speaking up. I am not the first by a long way to speak up, and I know Im not going to be the last, but if I can achieve anything with what I am doing right now it is to make it easier for the next person that something heinous and violent might happen to, she said. Commenting on the standing ovation she received in the Dail, Ms OBrien added: I was honoured, it was incredible, however, you know, your applauses are amazing, but lets use those applauses and lets actually do something and do your job. Earlier, Mr Harris warned the Defence Forces that there should be no place in the military for personnel with criminal convictions. Mr Harris issued the stark message to commanders after making clear he was not satisfied with how they had handled the fallout from the case. The Taoiseach demanded to know if there are other members of the military who are hiding with convictions for domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Taoiseach Simon Harris at Government Buildings in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court last week when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Ms OBrien. The 22-year-old soldier, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting her on a night out in Limerick city in 2022. Ms OBrien watched from the Dails public gallery as Mr Harris fielded opposition questions on the controversy over the suspended sentence. The Ceann Comhairle of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail, said he was breaking with tradition to ask TDs to stand and applaud her. After the ovation, Mr O Fearghail looked up at Ms OBrien and said: We are on your side. The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, has undertaken an audit to establish whether there are other serving members with convictions for gender-based violence. The findings were due to be handed to Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin on Tuesday. The Defence Forces have emphasised that any conviction in a civilian court has implications for a member of the military, but the organisation said it cannot act until the court processes have been completed. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called for urgent action (Brian Lawless/PA) In relation to the sentence handed to Crotty, the Director of Public Prosecutions does have the ability to make an application to have it reviewed. Mr Harris said he wanted to meet Ms OBrien after the end of any further legal proceedings that may arise, and commended her for coming forward. We need more people to be coming forward, we need to have a zero-tolerance approach, and what we certainly dont need is anybody being put off coming forward, he said. Mr Harris also expressed anger at a flurry of activity by the Defence Forces now, questioning whether it was prompted by the public interest in the case. Its a harsh thing for me to have to say as Taoiseach but I feel I need to say it, would the Defence Forces be carrying out their review that theyre now carrying out was there not so much public interest in this? he told reporters outside Government Buildings in Dublin. There are people in the Defence Forces who clearly knew this was happening, why did they do nothing? These are very serious questions and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied in relation to this, I am not satisfied at all. I am really angry about it because we are now seeing a flurry of activity but that flurry of activity is only coming about because of the bravery of Natasha OBrien and I want to know how many other people are hiding with convictions in relation to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. Holly Cairns said women were fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians on ending violence against women. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA They have no place, absolutely no place, in the Defence Forces. Later, in the Dail, Mr Harris was pressed by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns on the matter. Ms McDonald said the outcome of the court case was shocking. Women know that this case is not a standalone case, she added. This isnt an aberration, or something that happened in splendid isolation. This is a symptom of an epidemic in our society, a case that sadly has parallels and echoes throughout the courtrooms and the experiences and stories that women and girls carry with us throughout our lives. Experiences of not feeling safe, of not being safe, and not being able to have confidence that the system will keep you safe. Ms Cairns said women were sick of hearing platitudes from the Government on ending violence against women. Natasha and so many other women out there are fed up of hearing never again, theyre fed up of hearing platitudes from politicians, and theyre fed up of hearing promises of reform, she said. What they want are answers as to why the system keeps failing them and action to stop it from happening again. Mr Harris rejected any attempt to portray his call for zero tolerance as a platitude. Im absolutely furious at whats happened in this country, just to be very clear, and theres nobody in this house more disgusted than anybody else, nobody, he said. Natasha O'Brien (left), with Ruth Coppinger, joins protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Im not just a Taoiseach, Im a father, a son, a husband. Everybody wants to live in a country with zero tolerance. And nobody suggests zero tolerance is some sort of slogan or platitude. Zero tolerance is the cultural change we need to bring about in this country. And it requires every single person in this place, in the judiciary, in the Defence Forces, in our public services, in our homes, in our schools, working to bring it about. Mr Harris said it was utterly unacceptable for him as head of government not to have been informed if there are other serving members of the Defence Forces with criminal convictions. We need to actually start speaking in plain English here, if you have a criminal conviction, you have no right to be in our Defence Forces, plain and simple, he said. We need to know how many people in the Defence Forces have a criminal conviction and when are they leaving and that is not too much for me as head of government to ask. Earlier, Tanaiste said there were members of the Defence Forces at all levels who were appalled at what has happened. There can be no toleration, there has to be zero tolerance for violence of the kind that we witnessed against Natasha OBrien quite shocking and indeed, in other cases that have come to light, he said. The first time my 97-year-old granddad took a bullet train in Japan was during the 1970s. He was supposed to be shaving 23 minutes off what would otherwise have been a half-hour drive to a business meeting, but that seven-minute trip ended up taking him more than a day. Why? Because he didnt realise how quickly he would be disembarking and ended up nearly 200 kilometres away from his intended destination. Millie Muroi at a bullet train station in Japan. Nearly five decades later, Ive taken dozens of bullet trains to visit relatives in different parts of the country. Reaching speeds of up to 320km/h, these trains still fill me with awe. High-speed rail has been written off by critics in Australia for decades, mostly owing to the countrys smaller population and density compared to Japan and the seemingly huge cost of building the infrastructure required. But with Australian property prices chugging along aggressively and NIMBYs putting the brakes on housing density, theres an ever-growing need to encourage decentralisation. While satellite cities such as Parramatta in greater western Sydney and Dandenong in south-eastern Melbourne are gaining traction, theres still a strong need for people to be connected to our countrys major business districts or inner suburbs, whether for work or leisure. This time last year, I wrote a story with the headline: Who will win the Gold Logie? And why will it be Hamish Blake again? As it turned out, the piece was a misfire. Blake didnt win his third Gold Logie. Instead, Sonia Kruger (whose employer, Channel Seven, was broadcasting the Logies for the first time since 1995) took out the top gong. Fast-forward 12 months, and I wont be making the same mistake. Mostly because Blake isnt nominated, and its easier to seem right in retrospect if you hedge your bets. All of which leads me to declare this years Gold Logie race will be a three-way battle between ABCs Tony Armstrong, the nicest man on TV Larry Emdur, and Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! co-host Robert Irwin. Who will it be of these three? Tony Armstrong, Robert Irwin and Larry Emdur are up for the Gold Logie. Credit: Marija Ercegovac The Logies nominations were announced in Sydney yesterday, with Emdur, Armstrong and Irwin named alongside Andy Lee, Asher Keddie, Julia Morris, and Kruger as contenders for the gold. You can argue anyone on that list deserves to win, but realistically, only three people have a chance. Lets unpack. A bipartisan parliamentary committee has urged that public servants be stripped of awards they were given for their congestion-breaking ways to fast-track government grants that breached the law and ignored advice they were unconstitutional. In a report released today, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit accused members of the Department of Health of effectively trolling the public by rewarding staff involved in the Morrison government-created scheme that has since been the basis of a scathing review by the auditor-general. Loading The $2 billion Community Health and Hospitals Program was created in late 2018 to funnel cash into projects to take pressure off the health system, such as specialist hospital services, drug and alcohol treatment and mental health. But an auditor-generals investigation found the scheme had been ineffective while falling short of ethical requirements. In some cases, the Department of Finance had warned the health department it did not have the legal power to award grants. Health had to monitor the media to keep track of announcements made by the Morrison government which did not involve the department in some decisions. The parliamentary committee, chaired by Labor MP Julian Hill, found it was almost beyond belief that some Health Department officials involved in managing the health program received awards despite the damning findings of the auditor-general. It found that the advice to the health department from both the finance department and the Australian Government Solicitor that in many cases, the health department had no legal ability to financially support certain projects, was clear. Labor MP Julian Hill, who chairs the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Frankly, the committee wishes that breaking finance law was indeed innovative and a new situation, but unfortunately the evidence in this and numerous other inquiries makes clear that it most certainly is not, it found. What appears truly innovative in this instance, however, was that a corporate award was given for performance within a program where the law was deliberately broken. In retrospect, the provision of any award for administering a scheme where ultimately public money was paid without any legal authority, in defiance of legal advice, seems to be not just wrong, but a form of trolling that perverts the proper purpose of internal agency awards to recognise good practice and desired behaviours within an organisations culture. Loading The committee recommended Department of Health secretary Blair Comley, who took over the department last year, should review the appropriateness of the awards and whether they should be revoked. It also found that department officials were not acting with probity and ethically in administering the CHHP. The committee raised concerns that departments defended their actions where they had breached Commonwealth regulations and laws by saying they had no malicious intent. It was concerning to hear during the inquiry that even when officials were found acting contrary to finance law, multiple witnesses and entities referred to a lack of malintent, to having acted in good faith, and delivering on decisions of government, it found. The committees firm conclusion is that any claim or view that it is somehow acceptable for an officer to breach finance law and fail to act with probity, but still be acting in good faith and for a proper purpose, is clearly and unambiguously wrong. Loading There are nine different potential offer rounds for year 12 students starting university in semester 1, 2025, with each round having different deadlines for application and payment, document upload and preference change, so be sure to check the key dates carefully here. The other key date is the early bird processing charge deadline on September 30, 2024. If youre planning to apply, be sure to make your UAC account and pay the $80 early bird processing fee before October 1 to avoid paying the larger standard fee of $215. Victoria The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) doesnt have an early offer round for year 12 students, only what they call timely applications. VTAC applications open from July 29, with the timely application deadline of 5pm, September 30, 2024. The application fee increases from $60 to $150 after this date. To avoid higher fees, you need to create a VTAC account and submit a course application by September 28. Dont worry, youll still be able to change your preferences after that date. There are then two further deadlines for late (November 1) and very late (December 6) applications, which both have even higher fees. VCE students and select interstate students will receive the first round of offers on December 23. The second offer round for all domestic students takes place on 10 January 2025. Queensland Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) is yet to confirm the key dates for year 12 applicants for semester 1 2025 but, based on previous years, it is expected applications will open in early August 2024. The early offer rounds usually commence in the second half of August, while the main offer round is in early to mid-January 2025. Loading QTAC generally release specific dates in mid-July, so check back then for more details. Western Australia In WA, the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) applications are already open. There are five conditional early offer days for WA year 12s on September 2 and 24, October 14, November 18 and December 2. TISC suggests you submit your applications at least two weeks before the offer day to be considered in that round. This type of offer is only made on first preferences and can be confirmed in the main round if all conditions have been met with actual results and if the course has been retained as the first preference. Not all courses are part of the conditional early offer schemes and such offers are non-binding, so you can change your mind. Wednesday, December 11 at 11.59pm is the final date to upload transcripts and documents to be considered for the main round of offers, which are made on December 21. How do you apply for early entry? Early entry applications are generally the same as main round applications and require you to fill in your details and order your preference. Youll need to go to the website of the relevant authorities for the state you want to apply in UAC for NSW and the ACT, VTAC for Victoria, QTAC for Queensland and TISC for WA make an account and follow the prompts to submit your preferences. What kinds of courses follow a different timeline? Generally speaking, courses such as veterinary sciences and direct-entry pathways to Medicine often have different application requirements, but no matter your interest, its important to check the deadlines for your specific course preferences in case they follow a different timeline. Loading How many uni courses can I apply for? Every state allows applicants to enter a series of preferences. That means you place the courses you want to be considered for in order of your preference. Each state allows a different number of preferences to be entered. In Victoria, you can enter eight courses, in NSW and the ACT its five courses, and in WA and Queensland, you can list six courses. Youll only receive one offer per round, so make sure the course you want to be accepted into most is listed first. How do I change my preferences? Once you have submitted your application, you can log back in and change or reorder your preference as many times as you like before the deadlines. You can also reorder your preference after each offer round if you change your mind and want to be considered in a different order or for different courses. How do the preferences work? In most states, you can only receive one offer in each offer round, and institutions will consider your course preferences according to the order in which you list them. So your courses must be listed in order of how keen you are. All preferences are given equal consideration, so it doesnt matter if its your fourth preference and someone elses first preference, youll be offered the highest preference on your list that you are qualified for. Anyone who knows anything about ABC chair Kim Williams will vouch that he is always on top of absolutely everything. The media executive, sports lover, arts patron and polyhistor (look it up we had to) was setting the pace as ABC chair with a headland speech last week when he accompanied the board and executive to that ABC regional outpost known to the rest of Australia as Melbourne. ABC chair Kim Williams Credit: John Shakespeare Williams put his staff on notice, in a speech to the Redmond Barry Society at the State Library of Victoria, about his desire for ABC renewal. He also said Aunty was well placed to be a national campfire, inoculating the country against the threat from anti-democratic populist actors weaponising social media. It was quite the intellectual hit-out. But there is one aspect of work/life balance where Williams has lost control his inboxes. Over to the WA Supreme Court now, where Justice Paul Tottle has set down fresh dates for Linda Reynolds defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins. The parties agreed to delay the highly anticipated trial by more than one week to August 2, to accommodate Higgins new WA-based counsel Rachael Young and ensure evidence did not interfere with parliamentary sitting dates. The trial is anticipated to span four weeks, the first two of which will be dedicated to Reynolds 22 witnesses including former prime minister Scott Morrison and WA Senator Michaelia Cash. This afternoon it was revealed that list now also includes Tasmanian senator Wendy Askew and Reynolds own parents. The former defence minister is also expected to spend three days in the witness box, while Higgins will spend up to one week on the stand. The trial centres around allegations Higgins made via several social media posts Reynolds claims were false and defamatory of her in 2023, for which she is now seeking damages and aggravated damages. Reynolds launched an almost identical action against Higgins husband David Sharaz, who bowed out last month after declaring he did not have the financial means to take the matter to trial. Higgins has fiercely defended the action, which was the subject of two unsuccessful mediation attempts. Read the full story here. Senators have delayed a vote on saving money in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, sparking claims the hold-up will cost taxpayers $1 billion at a time when some of them will be on a study tour in the United States and Brazil. The Greens and Liberals joined forces in parliament on Monday to postpone the vote on the overhaul until at least August, in the latest upset to a reform plan that has worried NDIS recipients and angered state premiers. NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has vowed to scale back the strong growth in spending on the NDIS by cutting fraud and imposing tougher checks on programs. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen NDIS Minister Bill Shorten blamed the senators for adding $1 billion to the cost of the scheme, saying savings would be delayed while some headed overseas for cocktails in Copacabana when they should be doing their jobs in parliament. His claims triggered a rebuke from Senate NDIS committee members who said they needed to hear from participants in the scheme at two more public hearings and consider potential amendments to the draft law. The Albanese government has also committed $20 billion to underwrite transmission-line construction and has set up a fund called the Capacity Investment Scheme, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars. It will underwrite new renewable projects, and if private investors fail to achieve forecast returns, taxpayers could be on the hook to subsidise operations but will get a cut of the profits when they exceed a set threshold. Nuclear energy will deliver cheaper power bills: False Dutton said on Wednesday last week his plan would see Australia achieve our three goals of cheaper, cleaner and consistent power. The opposition has committed to release the costings of their plan before the next election. Many experts disagree with Duttons claim, arguing nuclear power delivers the most expensive form of electricity. The same report cited by the opposition for a $1 trillion cost of the renewables rollout says there is no role for nuclear power in Australias energy mix. Loading We only see a potential role for nuclear electricity generation if its cost falls sharply and the growth of renewables is constrained, said Net Zero Australias report in July last year. Internationally recognised financial services firm Lazard also found renewable energy sources continued to be much cheaper than nuclear. It said onshore wind was the cheapest, with a cost between $US25 and $US73 per megawatt hour. The second cheapest was large-scale solar at between $US29 and $US92. Nuclear was the most expensive, at between $US145 and $US222. The CSIRO found the cheapest electricity would come from a grid that draws 90 per cent of its power from renewables, which would supply electricity for a cost of between $89 and $128 per megawatt hour by 2030 factoring in $40 billion in transmission lines and batteries to back up renewables. CSIRO calculated that a large-scale nuclear reactor would supply power for $136 to $226 per megawatt hour by 2040. The renewables rollout needs 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines: False Labor has promised 28,000 kilometres of new poles and wires, theres no transparency on where that will go, and weve been very clear about the fact that we dont believe in that model, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said last week. The AEMO releases a document each year called the Integrated System Plan, after consulting private industry, that details a road map of what the most efficient energy system will look like in coming years, including new infrastructure, up to 2050. The Integrated System Plan includes directives set by policymakers, such as the Albanese governments commitment to reach 82 per cent of energy generation coming from renewables by 2030, and to hit net zero emissions by 2050. The most recent plan, from January, says about 5000 kilometres of transmission lines are needed in the next 10 years to deliver the Albanese governments goals, including 4000 kilometres of new lines and upgrading 1000 kilometres of existing lines. The AEMO said 10,000 kilometres of transmission lines would be needed for Australia to reach net zero by 2050. The 28,000-kilometre figure cited by the opposition resembles the 26,000 kilometres of transmission the AEMO said would be needed by 2050 if Australia was to transform its economy to a clean energy export powerhouse, including large-scale production of green hydrogen and decarbonisation of other industrial processes. The first reactor would be built before 2037: Questionable The opposition says if elected, they would build a nuclear reactor and have it hooked up to the grid within 12 years of forming a government. Its nuclear energy policy document, released last week, states that depending on what technology it chooses to prioritise, a large-scale reactor would start generating electricity by 2037 and a small modular reactor by 2035. Small modular reactors are a developing design not yet in commercial production. Loading This rollout would be as quick as anywhere in the world. The United Arab Emirates has set the global pace. It announced in 2008 that it would build four reactors under contract from Korean company KEPCO. Construction began in 2012, and the first reactor connected to the grid in 2020. There are significant differences between the UAE and Australia. The former is a dictatorship without comparable labour laws or planning regulations that relies on cheap imported labour, whereas the latter has rigorous workforce protections, environmental laws and planning processes. Opposition energy spokesman Ted OBrien said a Coalition government would establish a Nuclear Energy Co-ordinating Authority that would assess each of the seven nuclear sites it had identified and determine what specific type of reactor would be built where, while also committing to 2 years of community consultation. A new safety and management regime would need to be developed, and parliament would have to repeal the current federal ban on nuclear energy within this timeframe. If the Coalition forms government in May next year, following the consultation phase, it assumes construction could begin in late 2027 and would take 10 years for a large-scale reactor. That is far quicker than other Western nations have achieved recently. The UKs Hinkley Point nuclear plant began construction in 2018 and is not expected to be completed until at least 2030. The only reactor now under construction in France is the Flamanville EPR. Construction began in 2007 and it is incomplete. A reactor at Olkiluoto Island, Finland, began in 2005 and was completed in 2022. The annual waste from a reactor fits into a Coke can: False Opposition Leader Peter Duttons claim that the annual waste generated by a small modular reactor amounts to the size of a Coke can is incorrect, experts say, with such facilities likely to generate multiple tonnes of high-level radioactive waste each year. If you look at a 450-megawatt reactor, it produces waste equivalent to the size of a can of Coke each year, Dutton said on Tuesday. Multiple experts told this masthead a 450-megawatt reactor referenced by Dutton would generate many tonnes of waste a year. Loading Large-scale reactors, which have been deployed in 32 countries around the world, have a typical capacity of 1000 megawatts and generate about 30 tonnes of used fuel a year. This includes high-level radioactive waste toxic to humans for tens of thousands of years, and weapons-grade plutonium. Small modular reactors are still under commercial development, and expert opinion is divided over whether they would produce more or less waste per unit of energy compared to a large reactor. Sams big fat pay rise isnt quite what you think it is. Look, I am as irritated as the rest of you that we still have a governor-general in this country. Bring on the republic ASAP. And Im even more irritated by the appointment of Sam Mostyn, now Samantha, as governor-general because she is way too good for that gig. Her contributions to Australian life go well beyond the parade of military blokes weve had so far. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in April announced Sam Mostyn as Australias next governor-general. Credit: AAP Get as worked up as you like about soldiers and sailors, but weve had a lot of peace in this country, thank God, and their service isnt what it used to be. Comparing like for like, Mostyn has contributed to not-for-profits most of her working life, including six years on our most serious battlefield, violence against women. She was a director and then chair of Australias National Research Organisation for Womens Safety, before running the Womens Economic Equality Taskforce for the government. Sure, she has no brass buttons and no medals, but this is all hard, intense work. No pension. Fighting the war on women doesnt come with lifelong wealth. So I am not at all infuriated by the pay rise shes just received. Heres why. Neither Mostyn nor the PM gets a say in what the governor-general earns. Its a formula, tied to what the chief justice earns. Heres the relevant bit from the new bill to set the new G-Gs pay: In line with past practice, the proposed salary is calculated by reference to the estimated average salary of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia over the notional five-year term of the appointment of the Governor-General. In 2010, WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washingtons wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and diplomatic cables leaked by former US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning the largest security breach of its kind in US military history. Assange was indicted during the Trump administration and faced 18 charges carrying a total sentence of up to 175 years. The plane thought to be carrying WikiLeaks Julian Assange, on his way to enter a plea deal in U.S. court, departs Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: AP The plea deal follows determined lobbying by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who raised Assanges case in meetings with US President Joe Biden, and by Australian politicians from across the political spectrum. Speaking from France, Shipton said Assange had been involved in the nitty-gritty of the deal in recent days and was excited by the prospect of freedom after 12 years in some form of confinement first in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and then Belmarsh Prison from April 2019. He will be looking to rest and recuperate with his family away from the cameras for a while, Shipton said, indicating Assange may seek a stint in the Australian bush. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, said his release showed the importance and power of quiet diplomacy. Many have used my sons situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julians welfare first, she said. The past 14 years have obviously taken a toll on me as a mother. Assanges wife, Stella, told the BBC she was elated, frankly, its just incredible, it feels like its not real, adding that she had experienced a whirlwind of emotions in recent days. Not everyone was so delighted, with former US vice president Mike Pence blasting the deal as a miscarriage of justice that dishonours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Pence said in a post on social media platform X. Albanese told parliament on Tuesday that the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. We have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership, he said. Assanges supporters in federal parliament welcomed the prospective plea deal, saying it was a reward for years of energetic lobbying. Labor MP Julian Hill, a leading advocate of Assange, said: Whatever you think of Assange, he is Australian and enough is enough. The prime minister deserves enormous personal credit for his judgment and determination, never giving up in pursuing resolution of this case. Lets hope for the best now. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, who travelled to Washington last year to lobby for Assanges release, thanked American politicians from across the partisan divide for advocating on Assanges behalf and praised Shipton for his relentless advocacy on his brothers behalf. Joyce said his main concern with the case was the issue of extraterritoriality, given Assange was not on US soil when the alleged crimes were committed. I dont want to be in a place in Australia where if I offend the Koran, Im off to Riyadh; if Ive offended the Chinese Communist Party, Im off to Beijing, he said. US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy flagged a possible plea deal in an interview with this masthead last year, saying there absolutely could be a resolution to the Assange case. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts, such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. The hearing is taking place in the Mariana Islands because of Assanges opposition to travelling to the continental US and the courts proximity to Australia. Loading The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters, who have long argued that as publisher of WikiLeaks, he should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who stole or leaked information. Many press freedom advocates argued that criminally charging Assange represented a threat to free speech. Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex crime allegations. After exhausting legal avenues in the British Supreme Court to stop his extradition to Sweden, in June 2012 he sought asylum in Ecuadors embassy in London, where he remained for seven years. Credit: Matt Golding Assange was dragged out of the embassy in April 2019 and jailed for skipping bail. He was held at Londons Belmarsh top-security prison and spent most of the following five years fighting extradition to the US. The Swedish sex crime investigation was discontinued in November 2019. While in Belmarsh, he married Stella, with whom he had two children while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy. Sean McCarthaigh The lack of an adequate compensation scheme for victims of crime has been branded an absolute disgrace by a judge. Judge Keenan Johnson said it was completely and utterly wrong that innocent victims were often faced with large bills as a result of crimes being committed against them. He claimed Ireland had one of the meanest systems in Europe for compensating victims of crime. Judge Johnson made his remarks in a case before Portlaoise Circuit Criminal Court where a Dublin man stabbed another male in the stomach during an aggravated burglary at the home of his former partner eight years ago. The court heard the victim, Kevin Kenny, suffered losses totalling 7,900 as a result of his injuries. We spend a fortune on housing prisoners but very little on victims, Judge Johnson remarked. Gavin Hanway (53) of Limekiln Green, Walkinstown, Dublin was found guilty of a charge of assault causing serious harm to Mr Kenny at a house in The Hermitage, Portlaoise, Co Laois on July 26th, 2016 following an eight-day trial last January. The court heard Mr Kenny suffered a stab wound to the abdomen in the incident. Hanway, a single man and former courier, was also convicted by a jury of an aggravated burglary at the same address which was the home of his former partner, Teresa Ryan, on the same date. An ambulance was called to the scene and rushed the victim to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise before he was subsequently transferred to hospital in Tullamore for surgery. Sergeant Kieran Shortall told the court that Ms Ryan was able to tell gardai that Hanway, with whom she had previously been in an on-off relationship, was the intruder. The court heard terrifying details of how Ms Ryan and members of a band who had played at a wedding including Mr Kenny were confronted by a male dressed in black with his face covered and carrying a knife shortly after arriving back to her home in the early hours of July 26th, 2016. Sgt Shortall said that mayhem ensued as the intruder started waving the knife in the direction of men in the house before Mr Kenny was stabbed. He told counsel for the DPP, Will Fennelly BL, that a standout feature of the incident was how the attacker approached Ms Ryan who was cowering in a corner and stated: I told you I would get you back. Sgt Shortall said Ms Ryan had been in a turbulent relationship with Hanway that she had ended a few months earlier. The witness said a relative of Ms Ryan also reported seeing the accuseds car in the locality a few hours earlier. The court heard Hanway denied any role in the incident after he was arrested by gardai and claimed he was in a cousins home in Dublin at the time, although he accepted he was in Portlaoise a short time earlier. Sgt Shortall said the accused also maintained he had an alibi witness. However, he said a forensic examination of Hanways car had found glass fragments from Ms Ryans house. He said the stab wound to Mr Kenny had lacerated the victims small bowel in what was a potentially life-threatening injury if he had not received appropriate treatment. The court heard Hanway, who acts as a full-time carer for his elderly mother, had several previous convictions including one for stabbing someone in the face at a nightclub. In a victim impact statement, Ms Ryan told the court that she had always been a people person but now kept herself to a small circle of friends. She outlined how she is afraid to be anywhere on her own and is living in constant paranoia as well as jumping at every sound she hears during the night. Ms Ryan said she required medication and counselling after the events of that night eight years ago. I dont think the fear will ever leave me completely, she added. She described how Hanway regularly gave her abuse and tried to isolate her from her friends and make her account for wherever she went. He tried to control everything, she remarked.Ms Ryan said her former partner was a coward who had tried to make her feel herself to be a bad person. She recalled how she feared Hanway could turn up uninvited at her home with a knife. My fears were justified, she observed. The court heard how she had to leave her home and find new accommodation. Ms Ryan said she was also deeply troubled that someone had been injured in her house. However, she said she had tried to move on with her life and would finally get closure after Hanway had been found guilty of the charges. Judge Keenan Johnson praised both victims over what he claimed was an absolutely horrific experience. Defence counsel, John Peart SC, said Hanway was not a serial criminal and was not a serious knife attack monster. However, Judge Johnson observed that Hanway had not expressed any remorse and had not accepted the verdict of the jury in his trial. The judge adjourned finalisation of sentencing in what he claimed was an extremely serious case until July 5th. Ballina TikTok sensation Garron Noone is in talks to get a prime-time show on RTE 2fm, according to the Irish Mirror . Noone, who has taken the social media platform by storm with nearly one million followers to date, is reportedly being shortlisted for The 2 Johnnie's former drivetime slot. Johnny 'B' and Johnny 'Smacks' departed their radio role at the end of May with David OReilly and Lottie Ryan taking over the reins. 2FM recently lost Doireann Garrihy from their breakfast show while Jennifer Zamparelli also left her position. The Irish Mirror is reporting that the radio station is "road testing" some of Irelands aspiring comedians and influencers to replace these departed hosts, with Mayo man Garron "sparking interest" amongst the RTE headhunters. Noone's short clips provide viewers with laughter on everyday topics such as food, and the viral social media star also possesses musical talent. Mayo TD Dara Calleary is among the frontrunners for a major Ministerial post. The leaders of the three Government parties were expected to discuss the name of Irelands next European commissioner on Monday, before the nomination is approved by the Cabinet at its meeting today. Minister for Finance Michael McGrath was expected to be named for the prestigious EU role in advance of a summit of European leaders in Brussels later this week. There is widespread circulation that Junior Ministers Dara Calleary and Jack Chambers are among the potential replacements if Mr McGrath leaves his post immediately. Chambers who also has Mayo connection was last week named as the new deputy leader of Fianna Fail. Michaeal Martin may well move either Norma Foley or Darragh O'Brien to the finance portfolio and put the new addition in their vacated role. A prime Ministerial posting would be a huge boost to Ballina and Mayo and would signal a significant show of faith in Dara Calleary after the rollercoaster of 2020 when he was forced to quit as Minister for Agriculture. As part of the coalition agreement, the Tanaiste will choose the nominee for the EU Commissioner post While he wouldn't be drawn on speculation Micheal Martin said the candidate will be "high-calibre". Mayo native Pippa Hackett is battling to become the next leader of the Green Party. The Ballindine woman is going head to head with Minister for Children and Integration Roderick OGorman in a bid to replace Eamon Ryan who announced his resignation from the role last week. The party said it expects to reveal the name of Eamon Ryans replacement as leader on July 8. Nominations for the leadership of the party opened on Thursday and the names of those standing for leader will be made public this morning (Tuesday). Candidates need 50 nominations from full party members. Among those backing Senator Hackett are Green Party chairwoman Senator Pauline OReilly, Minister of State Ossian Smyth and TDs Brian Leddin and Steven Matthews. Mr OGorman took an early lead when it came to support from recently elected councillors and is being supported by Ministers of State Malcolm Noonan and Joe OBrien as well as TDs Marc O Cathasaigh and Patrick Costello. Senator Hackett, who is Minister of State with Responsibility for Forestry, said that the results of the local and European elections sparked her interest in running for party leadership. Senator Hackett told Newstalk she believed she could be a fresh start for the party and played up her rural roots. Im not your conventional Green. I live in rural Ireland. Im a beef and sheep farmer. Ive also been in Cabinet for the last four years, she added. Offaly-based Senator Hackett, a super junior Minister of State for agriculture with a seat at Cabinet, said the party has never had a non-Dublin or woman leader, adding that her perspective and certainly my different life experiences can make the Green Party relevant and relatable. Senator Hackett lives on a farm in Co Offaly with her husband Mark and their four children. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mainly clear and diminishing winds; areas of frost, and a view of the Northern Lights may be visible.. Tonight Mainly clear and diminishing winds; areas of frost, and a view of the Northern Lights may be visible. A recently approved software upgrade will help investigators in the Cumberland County forensic lab solve child pornography and narcotics trafficking cases. Eric Radnovich, director of the forensic investigation division of the county District Attorneys office, briefed county commissioners last week on a capital project request for $185,000 for the purchase of Cellebrite software. Its an upgrade to what we have now, Radnovich said. The cost is broken down over five years. Its a tool used in the lab to crack mostly Android devices used in drug and child porn cases. With corporate headquarters in Virginia and Israel, Cellebrite describes itself as a global leader in digital investigative solutions for the public and private sectors. In other business last week, the commissioners authorized the Bureau of Elections to apply for a $9,125 Election Security Grant through the Pennsylvania Department of State. This is a grant they are offering all the counties, said Bethany Salzarulo, director of elections and voter registration. This can be used for voter registration equipment security, cybersecurity and paying employees who help on Election Day. We will certainly find good ways to spend it. The commissioners also approved a $69,000 county bridge maintenance contract with the Harrisburg-based engineering firm of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. Drawn from liquid fuels funds, the money will be put toward maintenance work on 15 county-owned bridges starting this fall with completion expected by the end of the calendar year, county Director of Planning Kirk Stoner said. This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. Tucked deep in Pennsylvanias verdant southwest pocket, at the elbow of a river flowing south to north, is one of the states wettest places. Fayette Countys Ohiopyle State Park, named for its waterfalls, sees an exceptional amount of precipitation each year. It is lush. It is biodiverse. But is it a rainforest? Appalachia claims several temperate (not tropical) rainforests, and at least one website lists Ohiopyle State Park as a northernmost example. The park appears to meet several criteria established in 1991 by forest ecologist Paul Alaback, the internets preferred temperate rainforest standard-setter. It has infrequent fires, relatively mild temperatures and a dormant plant season coinciding with winter. But it falls short just short of a critical metric. Alaback's definition is annual rainfall greater than 1,400 mm, Ben Lee, a former postdoctoral research fellow in biology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, said by email. While not an authoritative source, this reference lists Ohiopyle's annual rainfall at 54.21 inches, or ~1,370 mm per year, so just under the threshold. As far as I am aware, there is nowhere in Pennsylvania that would be considered a temperate rainforest. Data from the parks nearest National Weather Service weather station dont reach the minimum either. The closest area meeting Alabacks conditions, then, would be Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia an hour and 15 minutes due south. And there are bigger qualifiers further down in Tennessees Smoky Mountains and North Carolina. But this is where things get fluid. As a result, whether Appalachias rainy forests actually qualify as rainforests depends largely on who you ask. Outside of the Pacific Northwest, temperate rainforests have, and continue to be, loosely defined and overlaid on eastern deciduous forests, said Eric Burkhart, program director of Appalachian botany at Shavers Creek Environmental Center in Huntingdon County. Burkhart, whos also a teaching professor at Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences, said: There is a Wikipedia page that seems to lay out an authoritative statement as if this is accepted fact, but note that the information page is disputed and the references are selective and dont include many of the authoritative references for North American vegetation classification. The most scientific and up-to-date treatment of North American forest types is [the U.S. Forest Service atlas], and note that there are no designated temperate rainforests outside of the Pacific Northwest, unless you see a footnote somewhere I have missed. The U.S. Forest Service, in an email to PA Local, confirmed: The classification for forest types varies by organization, with that being said, the short answer is no, the Forest Service does not classify forest types as temperate rain forests in Appalachia. Its worth noting, Ben Lee said, that a slightly broader definition than Alabacks original followed the publication of the 2011 book Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World, which Alaback himself contributed to. Ohiopyle still doesnt qualify, but its undoubtedly special and ecologically significant regardless. Were on the leeward side of the mountain picking up all the moisture as its coming across the plains, and this is the first resistance it hits this part of Chestnut Ridge gets a lot of precipitation, Amos Ludwig, an environmental education specialist at the park, said by phone. The Youghiogheny River Gorge provides a kind of microclimate, and as far as the state of Pennsylvania goes, there are a lot of species that are only found here in the park. These species come up from the south and this is their only foothold in the whole state, he said. The endangered Barbaras buttons, for one, thrives there. Of course, climate change is already altering forests, ecosystems and weather patterns, meaning one day rainforest rosters could be upended too. As someone who grew up in the 1990s, an era of Captain Planet and Save the Amazon benefit concerts, this part feels familiar. And for all of that cultural moments commercial trappings, Vox reports the '90s saw concrete conservation progress in places like Costa Rica home to the lungs of the world. Thirty years later and anxiety is rising elsewhere. Barbara Wallace, another environmental education specialist at Ohiopyle, told PA Local that anecdotally theyre seeing more flooding events, less snowfall, crazy amounts of storms, and, last year, a rare tornado. With climate change in mind, Wallace said the park is doing large-scale resource management with its forests and favoring types of trees, like oaks, that are more resistant to fire and other extremes. Ephraim Zimmerman, science director for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, said Ohiopyles weather will continue to intensify and change, meaning maybe the thing it has most in common with the rainforests I fixated on in my youth is an existential threat and a chance to do something about it. BEFORE YOU GO: If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Gilead results on injectable lenacapavir for PREP First HIV prevention trial in history to show zero HIV infections with an intervention. The Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI) co-managed the Wits RHI Research Centre Clinical Research site in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, in South Africa, where 212 young women were enrolled. The groundbreaking results from Gileads Phase 3 Purpose 1 trial indicated that the twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir, demonstrated 100% efficacy for the investigational use of HIV prevention in cisgender women. This marks a significant step forward in HIV prevention. Gilead is a US-based pharmaceutical company. Wits RHI's Professor Thesla Palanee-Phillips, a lead researcher on the trial, says, "Our study team is both thrilled and humbled to have contributed to this Phase 3 trial that is the first HIV prevention trial ever in history to show zero HIV infections with an intervention. This is a pivotal moment in HIV prevention and we stand proud and with gratitude alongside the women in South Africa and Uganda who contributed to this outcome. We look forward to next steps and expanding HIV prevention choice for women in Africa and the world. Wits RHI's Dr Nkosiphile Ndlovu, co-Principal Investigator and clinician on the trial, adds, This is an exciting time to be alive. These exceptional results will help us expand HIV prevention options for African women. For once, we are in the forefront of groundbreaking research as Africans. Read the Gilead media release here. An aerial drone photo taken on June 12, 2024 shows tourists visiting Xiaohezhi Street historical and cultural block along the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. [Xinhua/Weng Xinyang] An online campaign was launched on June 22 to promote China's Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the north and south of China, aiming to use the internet to share the ancient transportation artery's development stories and cultural heritage. The launch event in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, was attended by over 300 people, including representatives from the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, National Cultural Heritage Administration, relevant government departments of Jiangsu Province and Yangzhou City, and People's Daily, as well as journalists from various media outlets. Guests at the launch ceremony jointly kicked off an online promotional campaign for the Grand Canal, a Grand Canal-themed integrated media project, and an online promotional activity for the host city. The event included a segment called "Jiangsu Moment," which saw the release of several integrated media projects and the announcement of significant archaeological discoveries along the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal. Niu Yibing, deputy head of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), and Xu Ying, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Jiangsu Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, presided over the ceremony. Officials delivered speeches at the launch event, stressing the significance of the Grand Canal and the importance of safeguarding and carrying forward the country's cultural heritage. Zhuang Rongwen, head of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, said the campaign coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Grand Canal's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. He emphasized the need to use the internet to showcase the waterway's rich cultural heritage, advance cultural inheritance in the new era, and elevate its global prominence. Zhuang called for the use of new technologies and applications to ensure that the "Song of the Grand Canal" echoes in the digital realm. He encouraged everyone involved to carry out multilingual, multi-channel, cross-platform, and cross-cultural communication activities, showcasing the harmonious coexistence of Chinese and foreign civilizations. Jiangsu Governor Xu Kunlin stated that as the main area for the Grand Canal National Cultural Park, Jiangsu is responsible for safeguarding the canal's sustainable development. Xu pledged to continue advancing the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park and create a high-quality water corridor for the eastern route of the country's South-to-North Water Diversion Project. This initiative aims to showcase the Grand Canal as a crucial component in the story of China's prosperity and growth. Yu Shaoliang, editor-in-chief of People's Daily, remarked that the launch ceremony would inject new vitality into the ancient canal, bringing the charm of excellent traditional Chinese culture to a broader audience, especially young people. Li Qun, vice minister of culture and tourism, noted that the CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the Grand Canal. He emphasized that over the past decade, China has been dedicated to protecting and preserving the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal. China's experience in protecting the Grand Canal has gained international acclaim, breathing new life into the ancient waterway, Li said. He called for intensified efforts to protect, inherit, and promote the Grand Canal's cultural heritage and enhance exchanges and mutual learning with other countries in relevant fields. These efforts aim to share the Grand Canal's culture with people worldwide and present a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive view of China. The event was jointly hosted by the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, People's Daily, and the Office of the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee. (Source: People's Daily Online) Editor: Lei Yang Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi delivered an important speech at the meeting here on Monday. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei] BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday underscored the importance of sci-tech modernization and innovation in pursuing Chinese modernization and high-quality development. Noting the strategically leading and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged efforts to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and expedite high-level sci-tech self-reliance to realize the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035. Xi presented China's top sci-tech award and made the remarks at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Ding Xuexiang announced the award decision. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the meeting. Xi presented medals and certificates for the country's top sci-tech award to Li Deren, an academician of CAS and CAE from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University. He then shook hands with the two scientists and extended his congratulations. Xi and other Party and state leaders, together with the two winners of the top sci-tech award, presented certificates to other award recipients. China has made new breakthroughs in basic frontier research, taken new strides in strategic high-tech fields, achieved new results in high-quality development driven by innovation, opened up new prospects in the reform of the sci-tech system, and made new progress in sci-tech opening-up and cooperation with the rest of the world, Xi said. Xi pointed out that experience accumulated from the sci-tech development in the new era must be adhered to and continuously enriched in practice. The experience includes adhering to the overall leadership of the Party, the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, innovation-driven development, deepening reform to stimulate innovation vitality, the virtuous cycle of education, sci-tech development and talent, the cultivation of innovation culture, as well as sci-tech opening-up and cooperation for the benefit of mankind. Xi pointed out there are still some weak spots in the development of the country's sci-tech undertakings. The country must further enhance its sense of urgency and intensify its efforts in sci-tech innovation, so as to secure a leading position in sci-tech competition and future development, he said. Xi urged giving full play to the advantages of the new national system for mobilizing nationwide resources, improving the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over sci-tech work, and building a coordinated and efficient decision-making and command system, as well as organization and implementation system. China must fully leverage the decisive role of the market in allocating sci-tech resources, and better utilize the role of the government, he said. Xi urged the promotion of the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation to facilitate the development of new quality productive forces. He called for an increase in high-quality sci-tech support for major sectors and vulnerable links in the construction of modern industrial system, fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries, and actively using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries. Xi called for deepening the comprehensive reform of sci-tech systems and mechanisms, and emphasized the importance of an integrated reform in educational, scientific and talent institutions to cultivate a large, well-structured and high-caliber team of innovative talent. Xi also called for achieving sci-tech self-reliance and strength through openness and cooperation. He called for the further implementation of international sci-tech cooperation initiatives, broadening channels for exchanges and collaborations at both governmental and non-governmental levels, and leveraging platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative to support collaborative research by scientists worldwide. Xi urged efforts to engage in the global innovation network, participate in global technology governance, and work together to tackle global challenges. Xi expressed the hope that academicians of the CAS and the CAE will serve as pioneers at the forefront of science and technology, undertake important tasks, guide the growth of young talent, and exemplify the spirit of scientists. He called on all sci-tech workers to actively align their academic pursuits with the great cause of building a nation that is strong in science and technology. Presiding over the conference, Li Qiang pointed out that Xi's remarks summarized the important experience of sci-tech development, elaborated the role of sci-tech innovation in promoting Chinese modernization and building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and clarified the basic connotation and main tasks of building a strong country in science and technology under the new circumstances. Monday's meeting was attended by about 3,000 people and honored 250 projects and 12 sci-tech experts, with two scientists winning the top award, 49 projects the State Natural Science Award, 62 projects the State Technological Invention Award, 139 projects the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and 10 foreign experts the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting here on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents medals and certificates of China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren (R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Xi Jinping communicates with Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Xi Jinping communicates with Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet and pose for a group photo with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Li Qiang presides over a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] Ding Xuexiang announces the award decision at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Lei Yang As a long-running debate over banning menthol cigarettes comes to a head, Henrico County-based Altria Group has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market menthol-flavored vaping products, the first e-cigarette company to win this. Altrias NJOY ACE was already the only pod-based e-cigarette to win FDA marketing orders, covering its tobacco-flavored products. The FDAs latest marketing orders cover four menthol pods of varying strength and follow the agencys review of Premarket Tobacco Product Applications submitted in 2020. The orders mean the FDA has determined that NJOY menthol e-vapor products are appropriate for the protection of public health, said Billy Gifford, Altrias CEO. We believe that, for tobacco harm reduction to succeed, adult smokers must have access to a robust marketplace of FDA-authorized smoke-free alternatives, said Paige Magness, Altrias senior vice president, regulatory affairs. FDA authorization of NJOY menthol e-vapor products provides adult smokers and vapers with regulated alternatives to the illicit flavored disposable e-vapor products on the market today. We believe the NJOY menthol marketing orders are a positive outcome for public health, Magness said. Now that the FDA has issued the orders, Altria must pay an additional $250 million to NJOYs former owners under terms of its merger agreement. Altria, meanwhile, is asking the FDA to approve a new NJOY ACE product that uses wireless technology to unlock the device and so prevent underage use. It is also asking the FDA to review blueberry- and watermelon-flavored pods to work with the lockable device. Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said the FDA action is deeply troubling given the extensive scientific evidence that menthol is a flavor that appeals to kids and the FDAs repeated conclusions that flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavored products, have driven youth e-cigarette use. She said it is especially concerning because Altrias Marlboro cigarettes are the most popular brand used by underage smokers. Todays decision is even more troubling in light of the FDAs failure to do its job and clear the market of illegal, unauthorized e-cigarettes, including many flavored products that attract kids, she said. The action comes as the Biden administration reviews FDA proposals to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars. The menthol cigarette ban has stirred controversy because those cigarettes are particularly popular with Black smokers. But the NAACP has called for a menthol cigarette ban. Now, its time for the Biden Administration to put people over profits and swiftly enact a rule that will save countless Black lives. Were done waiting, said Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO. Enough is enough. Our lives are at stake, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei] BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged China's willingness to work with Poland to push bilateral relations to a higher level and inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world. Xi made the remarks while holding talks in Beijing with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China. Noting Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained steady progress since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 75 years ago. Since China and Poland decided to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have expanded and deepened in an all-round way, benefiting the two peoples, he added. Noting that great changes are unfolding globally in an unprecedented way, Xi said China is ready to work with Poland to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, push bilateral relations to a higher level, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world. The key to the enduring relationship lies in that the two nations can draw wisdom and strength from their respective national history and cultural traditions, and independently develop their bilateral friendship, Xi said. The two sides should continue to adhere to the China-Poland friendship featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and mutual learning, understand and support each other's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, jointly oppose the Cold War mentality and camp confrontation, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and promote an equal and orderly global multipolarization and an economic globalization that benefits all, Xi said. Xi urged the two sides to make good use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee to strengthen strategic coordination and planning of cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance cooperation in major projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express, and strengthen cooperation in trade, agriculture, digital economy, green industry and clean energy. China welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Poland into the Chinese market, supports the expansion of two-way investment, and hopes Poland will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Xi said. China has decided to adopt a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens, Xi said, adding that both sides should vigorously promote exchanges in culture, youth, academia and media. China is willing to work with Poland and other countries to promote the sustainable development of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism, and advance the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations, he added. Duda said President Xi's state visit to Poland in 2016 was an important milestone in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi represents huge development opportunities for Poland, and the Belt and Road cooperation has strongly propelled Poland's infrastructure construction and economic development, he said. Poland greatly appreciates the principles China adheres to in international affairs and its contributions to world peace and development, Duda said, stressing that Poland firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Poland is willing to advance the Belt and Road cooperation with China, deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, infrastructure, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and expand cooperation in new areas such as innovation, digital economy and new energy vehicles, he added. Duda said Poland is willing to maintain close multilateral communication and coordination with China to further develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to world peace and stability. Noting that Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, Duda said Poland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and advancing cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi stressed that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace talks and political settlement. At present, efforts should be made to avoid further escalation of the conflict, cool the situation down and create conditions for peace talks. "This is in the interests of the international community, including Europe." China opposes some individuals using the normal trade between China and Russia as an excuse to divert focus and smear China, Xi said, adding that China encourages and supports all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis, and promotes the building of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture. China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in its own way. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. The two sides also issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Poland (2024-2027). Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Duda and his wife. A welcome banquet was also held for the guests in the evening. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei] Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda prior to the talks between Xi and Duda in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Lei Yang With the skyline of the city behind her, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger addressed a crowd of roughly 100 people Monday in Richmond, where she hopes to occupy the Executive Mansion in two years time. But with the 7th District Democrats term in Congress almost over, and her gubernatorial run just beginning, Spanbergers focus Monday was not her own track record or campaign but on Joe Bidens, specifically on the incumbent presidents work to protect womens access to abortions, contraceptives and fertility treatment amid challenges in courts and state houses nationwide. Flanked by U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, state Sen. Louise Lucas and actress Ashley Judd, Spanberger spent the warm summer morning at Richmonds Church Hill Overlook urging supporters to protect womens reproductive rights and reelect Biden this November. While the president was not in attendance, the Monday event marking the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision was organized by his campaign. The Supreme Courts Dobbs decision in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped federal protections to abortion access in the U.S. The decision was made possible by three justices appointed to the high court by former President Donald Trump, who is once again vying for the presidency this year. Two dozen women clad in white, a nod to the color worn by American suffragettes fighting for the vote in the early 1900s, stood behind Spanberger Monday. One held a sign reading, This is Trumps fault. Spanberger said the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago was only the beginning and that womens reproductive rights have been under attack across the country since then. The reality is that as we see attacks on abortion rights, on contraception, on IVF, these are attacks on the rights and the freedoms of our fellow citizens and of our future generations here in the United States, Spanberger told the crowd. Each of the four speakers who took the microphone Monday shared personal stories, including Double Jeopardy actress Ashley Judd, who was a major figure in the #MeToo movement and is a survivor of rape. My story includes abortion. A guy Ive known since I was a kid raped me, the actress said. And when I became pregnant, I was so grateful that I was able to access safe and legal abortion. Judd said that having access to abortion spared her from having to parent a child with her rapist, as her home state of Kentucky grants paternity rights to rapists. McClellan said that she and her daughter almost died when McClellan was giving birth. When I was wheeled into the emergency room, I knew my doctor could make decisions based on what was best for her patient and not second guess, Could I get arrested if things go wrong? the 4th District Democrat said. Lucas, who walked out on stage with a cane, addressed her injury shortly after stepping up to the microphone. You all know why I walk with this cane. I had total knee surgery for keeping my foot up Glenn Youngkins ass all session, Lucas said to laughs. The Democrat from Portsmouth serves as president pro tempore of the Senate and has been a thorn in the side of the Republican governor, shooting down his plan for a massive stadium project in Alexandria and thwarting his attempt to increase abortion restrictions in the commonwealth. Last year, Senate Democrats killed a Youngkin-backed bill that would have banned abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk. It also would have punished any doctors who violated the law, with up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. And last session, Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have protected Virginians' right to contraceptives. Lucas said that Youngkin has built a reputation as a moderate, but he is nothing more than an ineffective MAGA placeholder. Its Democrats in the General Assembly who have successfully curbed his more conservative ambitions, she said. Youngkin has tried time and time again to pass restrictions on reproductive health and an abortion ban in Virginia, and each time he tried, it we said, Hell no, Lucas said. I mean at one point he even thought he was going to be the next president of the United States. Can you believe that shit? she said. We cannot afford Republican-controlled governance. We cannot afford a Republican-controlled Congress, Lucas added. Our freedoms are at stake: freedom to vote, freedom to contraception, freedom over our bodies. Powerful Democrats such as Lucas will be important allies if Spanberger wins her race for governor in 2025, and they could give her an opportunity not just to protect abortion access in the commonwealth but expand it. Spanberger said she was on the House floor in Washington when the Dobbs decision came down, and her phone quickly began to ring as she received calls from friends of all different political persuasions. People who never had an interest in politics before because they had never before seen rights rolled back, she said. This November is our chance to once again at the ballot box say, This is unacceptable. You cannot attack our freedoms. You cannot roll back our rights. And to be very clear, in Virginia, we are in a place where we have seen desperate people come from other states, because Virginia is the only state in South that has not put additional restrictions in place. In 2020, under then-Gov. Ralph Northam and a Democrat-controlled state House and Senate, Democrats used the trifecta to expand abortion rights and pledged to make the state a safe haven for abortion in the South. It remains the only Southern state where abortion is legal and not severely restricted. Spanberger asked voters to deliver another Democrat trifecta this November so a similar law can be passed at the federal level. We need a president of the United States to sign the bill codifying our rights, codifying what existed under Roe into law. That is on the ballot this year, Spanberger said. Mondays event comes as Trump supporters are arguing that Virginia, which has two Democratic senators and hasnt elected a Republican president in two decades, is suddenly in play this November. On Friday, Trump will hold a rally in Chesapeake where hell be joined by Youngkin, who is rumored to be on Trumps shortlist for vice president. And Fox News recently reported that Trumps campaign is working to erect 11 field offices across the commonwealth. But for now, it would be wrong to interpret Mondays Biden campaign rally as a sign that Democrats are especially worried about losing Virginia. I think if Biden himself had been at the Richmond event, it would be of more interest, Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginias Center for Politics told The Daily Progress, adding that it would be more telling if either Biden or Trumps campaigns begin spending heavily on television advertisements in the commonwealth. Virginia is not unwinnable for Trump, but I also expect it to vote more Democratic than the nation this year, just like it did in both 2016 and especially 2020, Kondik said. He expects the key states this November to be Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. If Trump wins Virginia, or even comes close, Kondik believes it will almost certainly mean hell win the election. If Democrats are going to prevent Trump from returning to the White House, and if Spanberger is going to be governor, focusing on abortion rights will be key. The issue has proven to be a winner for the party nationally and in other states. On Monday, Spanberger urged voters to send McClellan back to Congress and praised Lucas. Last week, she congratulated Eugene Vindman on his victory in the Democratic primary in her district, where he aims to succeed her. Spanberger chose not to run for reelection in the swing district so that she could run for governor. Its presented an opportunity for Republicans who hope to flip the seat. Former Green Beret Derrick Anderson, who applauded the Dobbs decision in 2022, will face Vindman in the general election this November. In her congratulations of Vindman, best known for his and his brothers role in Trumps first impeachment, Spanberger announced that she would be joining him on the campaign trail. In the U.S. House, Ive been proud to focus on the issues that matter most to Virginians, Spanberger said in a statement. But there is hard work ahead including protecting our fundamental rights and defending our democracy from ongoing attacks. Conservative Party withdraws support for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr candidate amid betting scandal This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024 The Conservative party has withdrawn support for two candidates who are alleged to have placed bets on the date of the general election. Craig Williams, who is running for MP in the new Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, is one of the candidates under investigation. The constituency encompasses mid-Wales and large parts of Wrexham, including Rhosytllen, Ruabon and Johnstown. Craig Williams and Bristol North candidate, Laura Saunders, are both being looked into by the gambling commission after allegedly placing bets on the date of the upcoming general election before the official announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. There had been growing calls for the Conservatives to suspend the two candidates. Today it was confirmed that the party had withdrawn its support for both Craig Williams and Laura Saunders. A party spokesperson said: As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. Both candidates will still appear on the ballot paper on July 4 as Conservative candidates due to proximity to the election. On Monday MyWelshpool reported that Mr Williams is believed to have informed party activists via a Whats App message, and this morning the Conservatives have confirmed they have pulled the plug. MyWelshpool add that they have been told by Mr Williams office that he is due to release a video statement later. Candidates standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr are: Jeremy David Brignell-Thorp: Green Party Oliver Lewis: Reform UK Glyn Preston: Welsh Liberal Democrats Craig Williams: Welsh Conservatives Elwyn Vaughan: Plaid Cymru Steve Witherden: Welsh Labour You can read our election coverage here. So far Mr Williams is the only candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr who has yet to respond to our Q&A. Criminal Behaviour Order for man who intimidated hospital staff and patients This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024 A man who disrupted hospitals and minor injuries units across North Wales, intimidating staff and patients, has received a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order. Stephen Mark Evans, pictured and from Abergele, was ordered not to attend any hospitals in North Wales unless he had genuine need of treatment, assessment or assistance and must leave when requested to do so for the duration of the order. Among the further four conditions imposed, he must not use foul, abusive, insulting, offensive, threatening, disorderly or intimidating language or behaviour in any public place in England and Wales or towards any person. It was alleged Evans visited hospital emergency departments and minor injuries units in our Health Board area more than 100 times since January 2023. Staff felt his anti-social behaviour was so bad, colleagues were advised not to be left alone with him. Evans, also known as Saggs, left hospitals before being officially discharged on numerous occasions, forcing healthcare workers to leave their posts to look for him each time he did so. This caused potential delays and disruption to staff and patients. Betsi Cadwaladr CEO Carol Shillabeer said: It is always a difficult decision about whether to resort to criminal proceedings against someone but the safety of our staff and patients is paramount. Our colleagues go above and beyond the call of duty to try and help people every single day, often in the most trying of circumstances, and they deserve respect. This prosecution sends a very clear message to those who abuse, intimidate and threaten our staff and other patients. I want to give thanks to our colleagues in North Wales Police for their help in securing it. We have zero-tolerance towards abuse, threats and aggression in our hospitals and we will use the full force of the law to prevent such behaviour, if necessary. Team hatches plans to help boost under-threat species This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024 A project team is getting ready to protect little arrivals to help an under-threat bird survive. The Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes is taking part in the project Curlew Connections Wales, a Curlew Recovery Wales partnership project working with Bannau Brycheiniog and GWCT. This is under the all-Wales partnership project Gylfinir Cymru an all-Wales partnership project that aims to help breeding curlew across the country, including Denbighshire. Curlews are under severe threat and is Red Listed on both the Welsh and UK Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC). Since the 1990s more than 80 percent of the breeding curlew population has been lost across Wales. The decline in numbers is due to a number of reasons including habitat loss, farming pressures during nesting season and the impact of predation on the birds. But now work is on to protect the birds across 12 areas in Wales which is funded by Welsh Government through the Heritage Lottery fund (HLF). Local Curlew and People Officer Sam Kenyon is leading the work for the area which takes in large areas of Denbighshire, parts of Flintshire and parts of Wrexham. Working alongside farmers and volunteers Sam and her team have located nearly 30 curlew pairs and are preparing for what will be the busiest phase of the project yet. The project is going really well, we are getting a lot of knowledge about our birds this season by getting to know them and the pairs better and how they behave thanks to the local knowledge we have in and around our communities, explained Sam. The farmers have been amazing to work with. Weve had such great support which has been hugely helpful to the project. Eleven people from eight different farms recently met the team at the Berwyn Arms and the knowledge exchange was so valuable. Working with the farmers, Sam and the team have carried out simple interventions to protect the Curlews and nests over the ICA (Important Curlew Area). At the moment the team are monitoring seven nests some which have seen electric fencing surrounding each nest to help keep off predators. Sam explained With this being our first year, doing the interventions we have taken, were looking to bring up the hatching rate from say 30 percent to around 90 percent successful. Signs of the first possible hatchings of chicks are approaching fast and Sam and the Team are ready to move into the next stage of protecting and monitoring the birds with the help of local farmers. Well be monitoring the chicks on the ground and working closely with our farmers to keep the chicks as safe as possible, added Sam. Because theyre on the ground for six weeks till fledging, all in all its around 10 weeks from egg laying to take off. The male Curlew will take care of most of the chick rearing while the females make the most of being able to feed themselves back up and regain their condition. Sam added: The chicks wont really leave the electric fence area for the first couple of days, but then quite quickly they can build up to covering a few hundred metres across the ground on those little legs, meaning they can move through fences, to other fields and onto other farms, and thats another place in the project where our network of farmers helps us to keep track of the birds. Emlyn Jones, Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, said: This is a very important project for a bird that was once a popular sight not just in Denbighshire and North Wales but across the whole of the UK. We are grateful that this project and funding allows the Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes to really move forward with protecting the curlews we have and encouraging the populations to survive and hopefully thrive in the future. For further information on the project or to report any sightings or hearings of curlews in the areas listed please email samantha.kenyon@denbighshire.gov.uk Welsh Government announce 5 million to 15 million ChatGTP arrangement or so AI tells you This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024 Updated 4:20PM Humans at Welsh Government have been in touch to make it clear that the Welsh Government hasnt given any money to OpenAI as part of this partnership. This has obviously now been highlighted, by a human, and the nugget of factual information will likely be ingested by AI as a factual source. That fact can then regurgitated if and when others report on this matter in the future after using AI as a source. (Updated 11:30am with Welsh Government human statement below) This morning Welsh Government announced Our new partnership with OpenAI will improve how ChatGPT works in Welsh. We asked ChatGTP about the partnership, the AI system has speculated that the partnership value might range from 5 million to 15 million. Humans at Welsh Government have not released a figure but have previously mentioned investment and working with OpenAI. https://x.com/WelshGovernment/status/1805493656331133367 Be aware the below is answers from OpenAIs ChatGTP, and most of the information created via its AI model was collated from existing information on the internet, with the AI filling in the gaps. Wrexham.com cant confirm the accuracy of the information provided to us by OpenAI: (Our questions in bold) Does ChatGTP know any Welsh? ChatGPT Yes, I do know some Welsh! Welsh (Cymraeg) is a Celtic language spoken in Wales. If you have any specific phrases, questions, or sentences youd like translated or if you want to learn something specific about the language, feel free to ask! Tell us more about the OpenAI and Welsh Government partnership announced today? ChatGPT Searched 5 sites Today, OpenAI and the Welsh Government announced a new partnership aimed at enhancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within Wales. This collaboration focuses on leveraging OpenAIs cutting-edge AI technologies to improve public services and foster economic development across the region. Key aspects of the partnership include: Language Technology Development: One of the primary goals is to enhance the Welsh languages presence in the digital world. This includes developing AI tools that can process and generate Welsh, supporting initiatives that promote the use of Welsh online, and ensuring that AI services are accessible to Welsh speakers. Education and Skills: The partnership aims to integrate AI into the educational sector, providing resources and training to help educators and students harness AI tools. This will also include developing curriculum content that incorporates AI literacy, preparing the workforce for future technological advancements. Public Service Improvement: AI technologies will be applied to streamline and improve public services, making them more efficient and responsive. This includes areas like healthcare, where AI can assist in diagnostics and patient care, and other public sectors that can benefit from automation and data analysis. Economic Growth and Innovation: By fostering an environment conducive to AI innovation, the partnership aims to attract tech companies to Wales and support local startups. This initiative is expected to create new job opportunities and drive economic growth in the region. This collaboration underscores the Welsh Governments commitment to embracing digital transformation and ensuring that Wales remains at the forefront of technological innovation. For more details, you can visit the official announcements on the Welsh Governments website (Gov.Wales). Let us know the pros and cons of this agreement ChatGPT The OpenAI and Welsh Government partnership has several pros and cons that can impact various sectors in Wales: Pros Promotion of the Welsh Language: Enhanced Digital Presence: AI tools that support and generate Welsh can increase the languages visibility and usability online, promoting cultural preservation (Gov.Wales) Educational Resources: Developing AI-driven Welsh language educational tools can improve language learning and accessibility for students and the general public (Gov.Wales) Job Creation: The partnership can attract tech companies to Wales, fostering a tech-friendly environment that creates new job opportunities (Gov.Wales). Support for Startups: Local startups can benefit from access to advanced AI technologies, boosting innovation and economic development (Gov.Wales). Efficiency and Effectiveness: AI can streamline public services, making them more efficient and responsive to citizens needs, particularly in healthcare, education, and other critical sectors (Gov.Wales). Data-Driven Decisions: AI can provide valuable insights through data analysis, helping policymakers make more informed decisions (Gov.Wales). AI Literacy: Incorporating AI into the curriculum can prepare students for future technological advancements, enhancing their skills and employability (Gov.Wales). Training for Educators: Providing resources and training to educators can improve teaching methods and outcomes, leveraging AI tools in the classroom (Gov.Wales). Cons Data Privacy: Increased use of AI in public services might raise concerns about data privacy and security, necessitating robust measures to protect sensitive information (Gov.Wales) Ethical Issues: The implementation of AI must address ethical concerns, such as bias in AI algorithms and the potential for misuse (Gov.Wales). Economic Disparities: Unequal Access: There is a risk that rural or disadvantaged areas might not benefit equally from AI advancements, exacerbating existing economic disparities (Gov.Wales). Economic Disparities: Unequal Access: There is a risk that rural or disadvantaged areas might not benefit equally from AI advancements, exacerbating existing economic disparities (Gov.Wales). Job Displacement: While AI can create jobs, it can also lead to job displacement in sectors where automation reduces the need for human labor (Gov.Wales) Over-Reliance on AI: Increased reliance on AI technology might lead to reduced human oversight and decision-making, potentially causing issues if AI systems fail or make errors(Gov.Wales). Skill Gaps: Rapid technological changes can create skill gaps in the workforce, requiring continuous training and adaptation (Gov.Wales). Overall, the OpenAI and Welsh Government partnership presents significant opportunities for advancement in language preservation, economic growth, and public service improvement, but it also requires careful consideration of privacy, ethical, and implementation challenges. If you had to speculate a sum that Welsh Government has paid OpenAI for the partnership, what would it be? ChatGPT Speculating on the exact sum that the Welsh Government might have paid for the partnership with OpenAI requires considering several factors such as the scope of the project, the typical costs of similar initiatives, and budget allocations for technology and innovation. Factors to Consider Scope of Partnership: Developing AI tools for the Welsh language. Integrating AI into public services and education. Fostering economic development and supporting tech startups. Previous government investments in tech initiatives can provide some benchmarks. For instance, the Welsh Government recently allocated 3 million for food partnerships (Sustain UK). Other tech partnerships, like those involving AI research and development, can range from a few million to tens of millions, depending on their scale and impact. Government Budget Allocations: The Welsh Governments budget documents for 2024-2025 detail various expenditures and strategic investments in technology and public services (Gov.Wales) (Gov.Wales). These documents indicate a significant commitment to innovation, though specific figures for this partnership are not listed. Speculative Estimate: Given these considerations, a reasonable speculative estimate for the cost of the OpenAI partnership might range from 5 million to 15 million. This range accounts for the development and deployment of AI technologies, training and educational programs, and support for economic initiatives. Rationale: Lower End (5 million): This figure would cover initial development costs and pilot projects, focusing primarily on language technology and public service enhancements. Upper End (15 million): This would allow for a more extensive rollout, including comprehensive educational programs, broader economic initiatives, and significant AI infrastructure investments. Without specific details, this estimate is a broad approximation based on similar governmental investments and the strategic importance of the partnerships goals. (AI is rolling out throughout the news sector and is likely to create accuracy, fact checking, and other issues in the future. There is also an issue where primary sources are still vital to create the original news that is then scooped up and reprocessed and republished. How society deals with all this is an unanswered question. We would ask AI, but as above, it looks likely to give a fundamentally limited answer. ). UPDATED: Welsh Government have said in the Senedd later today, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, will outline his key priorities for the Welsh language, with technology a golden thread running through each one. His stated priorities include: Publishing a Welsh Language Education Bill in the coming weeks which will enable all school pupils in Wales to become independent and confident Welsh speakers; Supporting economic development in communities with a high density of Welsh speakers to ensure the language flourishes alongside economic growth; Creating opportunities to speak and to enjoy through the medium of Welsh by increasing language transmission, both within families and within communities. Jeremy Miles said: Cymraeg belongs to us all, and we all have a duty to protect it and to make sure it grows in all aspects of society. I want to see more Welsh for more people, and the priorities Im setting out today will ensure were on the right path to meet our target of a million Welsh speakers and increasing the daily use of the language by 2050. All of us use technology one way or another, and increasingly, were seeing AI being used in more situations. Im excited to see how the new data partnership with OpenAI will lead to improving how AI-technologies work in Welsh. Working with OpenAI in the past, weve been able to share Welsh language resources and Welsh Government funded components. Welsh Government say the partnership will build open data archives to contribute data to the research community, to improve linguistic performance of AI models and applications. Anna Makanju, VP of Global Affairs at OpenAI, said: The Welsh Government has been a great partner in creating an open-source dataset for training language models. At OpenAI, we want our models to understand as many languages and cultures as possible, so they can benefit as many people as possible. Jeremy Miles added: Im very proud of what weve achieved under the Welsh language technology action Plan, but this work is never done and dusted. So today, Im inviting people to submit information or ideas about what technological developments would help them use more Welsh, and what needs to happen to make it easier for them to use technology in Welsh. The Nation magazine in the US, with its publication of The Case of Julian Assange by columnist Katha Pollitt (posted December 22, 2010), has joined the right-wing campaign against WikiLeaks co-founder Assange, a campaign directed by the highest levels of the American state. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds up a court document for the media after he was released on bail, outside the High Court, London, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. [AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth] The sexual assault charges against Assange in Sweden are part of an orchestrated effort to divert public attention from the content of the WikiLeaks exposuresthe duplicity, hypocrisy and criminality of American and world imperialismand bury the important revelations in a pile of scandalous garbage. Pollitt has eagerly lent a hand to that effort. Such a development was predictable, given the history of the journalist and the publication, but that does not make it any less reprehensible or educational. The arguments employed by Pollitt shed further light on the politically rotten character of contemporary feminism and identity politics generally. Pollitt has written for the Nation, one of the principal voices of American left liberalism, since 1980 and has had a column in the publication since 1995. In her recent piece on Assange, Pollitts modus operandi is to remove the sex charges from their political contextthe determined effort to destroy WikiLeaks and its founderand assert that defenders of Assange are insensitive to rape and sexual violence against women. This is hardly a new, or persuasive, ploy. What she has learned from the furor over the allegations against Assange, Pollitt begins by writing, is that when it comes to rape, the left still doesnt get it. The self-appointed enlightened one then attempts to set the left straight. She dismisses the concerns of WikiLeaks supporters, among whom she obviously does not number herself, about the zeal with which Swedish authorities are pursuing Assange, arguing that it could also be that Sweden is following up because prosecutors get mad when world-class celebrities flee the country and then thumb their noses at themcf. Roman Polanski. This is an obvious and malicious distortion of the Polanski case, but more importantly, it suggests that Assange belongs in the category of world-class celebrities trying to get off scot-free for their crimes, i.e., privileged, well-connected miscreants. The picture painted here turns reality on its head. Assange is being relentlessly pursued and persecuted by the most powerful governments and agencies on earth, with almost unlimited resources at their disposal. Elements within the US media and right-wing political figures have openly called for his assassination. This is a man whose very life is in danger. Why? Because he has helped expose a portion of the Holy of Holiesthe secrets of imperialist foreign policy and diplomacy. WikiLeaks has revealed, for the benefit of the worlds population, how the US government and its allies lie to their populations, conspire against democratic rights, repress opponents, plot regime change and prepare aggressive wars. Assange is not a spoiled, arrogant world-class celebrity, except in the imagination of the human rubbish on the Murdoch payroll and such. What is Pollitt talking about? This is not the first time we have noted the alliance of the extreme right and feminism (see: The sordid coalition pursuing filmmaker Roman Polanski). The latter has assumed deeply reactionary characteristics, misappropriating the movement for womens rights that at one time was an element of the struggle against oppression. Pollitt goes on to lambaste Assanges supporters who have denounced the trumped-up and politically motivated character of the rape charges, including Truthouts Dave Lindorff, filmmaker Michael Moore, MSNBC talk show host Keith Olbermann and feminists Naomi Wolf and Katrin Axelsson. Whats disturbing, she writes, is the way some WikiLeaks admirers have misrepresented the allegations, attacked the women and made light of date rape. Date rape has nothing to do with it, by the womens own statements. The case involves consensual relations. Each of the women actively sought a sexual involvement with Assange. It has been widely reported that one of the victims hosted a party for Assange after the alleged crime and publicly boasted about the fact. The same individual once published a guide on the Internet on the means of revenging oneself on a cheating lover. Assange may be guilty of naivete in associating with these women, but not of anything criminal. The sexual assault case was taken up, after Swedish authorities first dropped it in embarrassment, and promoted by a prominent lawyer with connections to the upper-echelons of the Swedish ruling elite. The precise role played by the various parties is unclear, along with their respective political or psychological motivations, but the frame-up character of the case against Assange is unmistakable. The stamp that reads Made in the USA is all that is missing. Pollitt, however, has a different view of things. In response to the revelation that one of Assanges accusers had connections to an anti-Castro group supported by terrorist and former CIA agent Luis Posada Carriles, she exclaims, You would think the left would be more sensitive to charges of guilt by associationsince when did marching in a demonstration mean you sign on to everything its supporters support? One has to rub ones eyes. The Assange affair is preeminently a political affair. It involves the concerted attempt to silence a critic of the US government and military-intelligence apparatus, which includescentrallythe CIA. Does the dubious political background of one of the alleged victims, which Pollitt does not refute, have no bearing on the case? This is simply part of the Nation journalists dishonest effort to hack away at the socio-political sinews of the affair and present it purely as a matter of sexual misconduct. Pollitts argumentation, couched in the subjective, self-satisfied tone peculiar to Nation columnists, is similar to that of the New York Times Katrin Bennhold (The Female Factor), whose article, Is It Rape? It Depends on Who Is Asking, begins: Is it rape when you have sex with someone who didnt tell you it was OK, but told you it was OK earlier that night? Bennhold presents this scenario as the generally accepted reality of the Assange case. Pollitt concludes her December 22 piece, blandly: WikiLeaks is revealing information citizens need to knowits a good thing. Assange may or may not have committed sex crimes according to Swedish law. Why is it so hard to hold those two ideas at once? As though those two facts were equivalent! Here you have the outlook of the petty-bourgeois philistine summed up. WikiLeaks has exposed, among many other things, thousands of unreported civilian deaths in Iraqa world-historical war crime committed by American imperialism. That weighs no more with Pollitt than the complaints of Assanges jilted or disappointedor worselovers. Pollitt is the representative of a social milieu. From a Stalinist family background, she belongs to the comfortable left circles around the Nation and such publications. In what, however, does this leftism consist? In her autobiographical Learning to Drive: and Other Life Stories, Pollitt writes: Toward the end of the 1990s I joined a Marxist study group. This was something I had avoided throughout my twenties and thirties, when Marxism still had some life to it. The trend in question was the anti-Bolshevik tendency of council communism. The passages in her book dealing with this venture are revealing. Pollitt makes cheap jokes about her short-lived little group, but this dilettantish and impotent activity appears to be the sum-total of her connection to Marxism or socialism. She belongs to the generation of middle-class lefts whose earlier association with protest, often identified with Stalinism or Maoism, has long since receded into the past. Upward mobility has brought them affluence, and their endless fixation on gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity is a means of promoting their own immediate economic and social interests. There is nothing remotely progressive about such politics. Pollitt doesnt oppose the attacks on the working class or imperialist interventions, much less champion those persecuted by the state, as her role in the Assange case makes eminently clear. Her conceptions and values flow into and merge with those of the privileged layers attached to the Democratic Party and the media establishment. It is not for nothing that one of the pillars of that establishment, the Washington Post, has called her column the best place to go for original thinking on the left. Feminist opinionas the Assange case and the Polanski affair before it have demonstratedhas become one of the means of legitimizing the suppression of nonconformists and political dissidents, and of changing the subject from the great social issues, above all, class oppression and social inequality, to stale and self-pitying concerns. Those supervising the attack against Assange are no doubt congratulating themselves on its clever design. Mounting it in the guise of a campaign against the sexual molestation of women how else could such a filthy operation, with its threat of a sweeping assault on democratic rights, be mounted and even legitimized today? The powers that be know the Pollitts of this world, and the Nation. The magazines editor, Katrina vanden Heuvel, is, after all, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading ruling class think tank whose membership has included numerous CIA directors, along with dozens of US generals and admirals. Identity politics in America is increasingly exposed for what it isa method of duping people, of covering over the enormous social divide, and, not accidentally, enriching a layer of African-Americans, gays and professional feminists. Political charlatans like Pollitt should be objects of derision and contempt. The most recent decisions made in Berlin and Brussels to outsource asylum procedures to regimes outside the European Union are aimed at forcing refugees hoping for a better future in Europe back to countries where they face war, violence, poverty and even death. Refugees in the Mediterranean Sea in 2018 during a Sea-Watch rescue operation [Photo by Tim Luddemann / flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 When the crew of the Nadir received a call for help on Monday night, June 17, they had no idea of the gruesome scene they would encounter. That night, the sea rescuers were able to save 51 half-drowned, exhausted people from an overloaded wooden boat drifting south of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean. On the lower deck they discovered the bodies of 10 young men. They had drowned in the overloaded hull, stunned by toxic petrol fumes. Two unconscious men, severely hypothermic and dehydrated, were stabilised and rescued, together with the other survivors. The crew and their motor sailer Nadir belong to the rescue organisation RESQSHIP e.V. Their motto is Protect peoplenot the borders. The heads of German state governments who met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Berlin on June 20 are pursuing opposite goals. On the agenda was a discussion about measures allowing federal states to also deport refugees to Afghanistan and Syria in future. The main topic of the meeting was the outsourcing of asylum procedures to regimes outside the EU. The official motto, Curbing irregular migration, in plain speech means: Lets hand over those seeking protection to their executioners! The state premiers were presented with a report by the German government that focused in particular on the potential outsourcing of asylum procedures based on the British model (to Rwanda) or the Italian model (to Albania). The report comes to the highly questionable conclusion that such inhumane projects are extremely expensive and lengthy, but legally possible (!), provided the EU creates the appropriate rules. Out of sight, out of mind, commented Der Spiegel. It seems to be all about how Germany can get rid of all unwanted people in need of help. There is hardly any talk about integration, language courses and professional qualifications. Instead, discussion centres on how Germany can organise more deportations and ideally keep new asylum seekers at bay. The solution is supposed to be simpleasylum procedures far beyond our borders. More than 300 organisations, including PRO ASYL and numerous refugee associations and sea rescuers, Doctors Without Borders, the Joint General Association, Bread for the World, VVN, Amnesty as well as trade unions and church associations, protested against the meeting in Berlin, in an open letter. According to the letter, such a blanket deportation of refugees would lead to serious human rights violations. The letter refers to the misery on Greek islands as a result of the EU-Turkey declaration. The inhumane treatment of refugees by the Greek government and coastguard is well documented. A recent BBC investigation on the subject is based on numerous witness accounts. According to these accounts, the Greek coastguard not only condoned the drowning deaths of dozens of migrants, including children, over a period of three years, but deliberately caused them. For example, according to reports from refugees, at least nine people were deliberately thrown into the water on the high seas. In total, at least 43 people apparently died because members of the Greek coastguard forced them out of their countrys territorial waters, sometimes at gunpoint. In total, the researchers analysed 15 incidents between 2020 and 2023 for the documentary Dead Calm: Killing in the Med? In five of the cases, the migrants stated that Greek officials had thrown them directly into the sea. In four of the cases, they explained that they had landed on Greek islands but were then forced to leave. In several other incidents, the refugees reported that they had been abandoned on rubber dinghies without engines, which were then deflated or even deliberately punctured. The following report was given by a Cameroonian who landed on the island of Samos in September 2021 and was arrested immediately after his arrival. He said: As soon as we had docked, police came from behind. There were two policemen dressed in black and three others in plain clothes. They were masked, you could only see their eyes. Together with a second Cameroonian and a man from the Ivory Coast, he was quickly taken onto a coastguard boat. Taken out to sea, they were pushed overboard. He continued: They started with the Cameroonian. They threw him into the water. The Ivorian screamed: Help, I dont want to die, but soon only his hand was visible as his body sank into the water. Slowly, the hand also disappeared and the water swallowed him whole. The eyewitness was then forced into the water with brutal blowsBlows were raining down on my head. It was as if they were beating an animalbut he was able to swim and reach the Turkish shore, where the bodies of the two other victims were also recovered. They were identified as Sidy Keita and Didier Martial Kouamou Nana. The Greek coastguard has denied all allegations of illegal pushbacks. But a former senior coastguard officer, who was shown the dramatic footage, said in an unguarded moment (when he was unaware that his microphone was still switched on) that these were obviously illegal practices, an international crime. In Greek, he said to an attendant, I didnt tell them much, right? Thats quite clear, isnt it? After all, its not nuclear physics. I dont know why they did this in broad daylight. Its ... obviously illegal. Its an international crime. However, the crimes cannot be blamed solely on the Greek coastguard or its government. They are the deliberate policy of the EU, largely determined by the German government. According to all pertaining law, pushbacks and pullbacks are highly illegal, but in reality, pushing back and handing over migrants is common practice. It is part of the strategic partnerships to curb irregular migration. German and EU politicians have been working towards such measures for months. They include German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who are working closely with far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. They have visited one authoritarian regime after another to recruit them as territorial bouncers and prison guards. Huge sums of money are being channelled from Brussels and Berlin to strengthen the respective security apparatuses of these countries. In addition to Turkey, the countries with which the EU has concluded migration pacts include Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Lebanon and even Libya. The EU has not shied away from providing the Libyan coastguard with financial support for a long time, even though its methods have been labelled war crimes by UN observers and its detention camps are considered to be similar to concentration camps. Matyla Dosso and her six-year-old daughter Marie died of thirst on the Tunisian-Libyan border. Her father Mbengue Nyimbilo Crepin (center)survived. [Photo by Mbengue Nyimbilo Crepin] Tunisia is also an EU partner that receives money for its services as a brutal doorkeeper. It is known that Tunisian security forces abduct migrants to the Libyan border and abandon them in the middle of the desert without food or water. The picture of 30-year-old Matyla Dosso and her six-year-old daughter Marie, who died this way, circulated around the world a year ago. None of these murderous crimes prevent German and European politicians from concluding yet more deals, which will not stop migration, but only result in ever more dangerous and deadly escape routes being taken. Shortly before state elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, all parties, including the Left Party in Thuringia, adopted the deportation and refugee programme of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). On June 20, of all days, World Refugee Day, politicians from Germanys federal and state governments discussed how they could deport refugees even more effectively and keep them out of Germany. The 10 people who died on the Nadir Monday night are just some of the hundreds who have paid with their lives for the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in recent months. According to the UNHCR, at least 3,760 people drowned or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2023 alone. In addition, at least 868 people died or have since gone missing on the even more dangerous Atlantic route last year. Together, that is 4,628 people killed or missing, or almost 13 a day. The number of dead and missing can only be estimated and the exact number of victims will forever remain in the dark, writes the UNHCR. Craig Murrays agreeing to toss a coin to decide whether he or independent Adnan Hussain should stand as general election candidate in Blackburn, England, offers the working class an object lesson in the electoral opportunism of Murray and of George Galloways Workers Party of Britain (WPB). Murray announced his offer to a coin toss for Palestine on Thursday. Under the heading, The Leaving of Blackburn, he wrote on his blog: I feel I am letting down all those who helped and crowdfunded me, and all our local supporters, adding somewhat jarringly, The amazing support is swelling every day. Craig Murray seated alongside Workers Party of Britain leader George Galloway at a Greater Manchester meeting on March 17, 2024 [Photo: Workers Party of Britain/X] Murray announced he was contesting Blackburn with an article on his blog in April, I stand in Blackburn. He wrote: 1) I am standing because of the Genocide in Gaza. 2) I am standing because of the appalling pro-Genocide stance of the Labour Party and Keir Starmers continued support of arms exports to Israel. 3) I am standing because the Blackburn Independent Councillors and the Workers Party invited me to. He explained: While Gaza motivated me to stand, it is by a long way not the only issue on which the voters of Blackburn deserve an alternative choice. Labour has abandoned working people he declared, proclaiming his determination to oppose its pledge to increase military spending at the expense of health, education and welfare, and its anti-immigrant policies and defence of the super-rich. Screenshot of Murray's article, "The Leaving of Blackburn" [Photo: craigmurray.org.uk] Murray was seeking election as part of a wider movement in England which is seeking to challenge the two-party conservative duopoly... Informal organisation is developing. I expect the Workers Party to have a slate of hundreds of candidates, while Andrew Feinstein spoke alongside me in Blackburn on Saturday and will be challenging Keir Starmer directly in the election. Jeremy Corbyn will romp back into parliament in Islington North. He promised, We are going to give Starmer a roasting, we are going to take on the zionist monopoly of power, and it is going to be great fun! Boasting that his candidacy was backed by Amaar Hijazi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Palestine, Murray later spoke of volunteers arriving from Turkey, the US, Australia, Italy, Germany and Lithuania to join him on the hustings. A public meeting in Blackburn on June 13 was addressed in-person by Pulitzer Prize-winning US-based journalist Chris Hedges. Support from these quarters is for Murrays vague and reformist proposals for the fundamental reform of laws around the formation and ownership of capital, with Murray adding: For that reason, I am happy to ally with the Workers Party, which recognises this truth. Murray, a member of the Scottish nationalist Alba Party headed by Alec Salmond, has (in his own winged phrase) allied with Galloways pro-Brexit Workers Party of Britain, whose manifesto combines opposition to the Gaza genocide with a populist defence of the British nation-state and its military and police force, advancing opposition to mass migration on behalf of British workers. His jumping-in with Galloways party was agreed by Salmond, demonstrating that Scottish nationalism can happily co-exist with the promotion of British nationalism when the need arises. If Murray was forced to justify his embrace of Galloways partytelling supporters in Scotland that Workers Party candidates would not contest seats against Albaany awkwardness was a small price to pay. After Galloways landslide election victory in Rochdale in February, Murray had his sights set on a higher purpose: a seat in the House of Commons. Speaking on the Not the Andrew Marr Show on June 11, Murray explained how his candidacy was decided: Back in March, I came over and met with George Galloway, The Muslim Vote people and the independent councillors in George Galloways office in Rochdale shortly after he won the election. They all agreed that I would be the candidate here... We had a big public meeting where I was endorsed and all the independent candidates for the council were there with George Galloway. We endorsed them for the local elections, and they endorsed me for the general election. This horse-trading, in Murrays account, was off to a swimming start until Hussain, much to my astonishment, broke the alliance, announcing his intention to contest Blackburn. He was supported by the independent councillors, who had resigned from Labour over Gaza, and by The Muslim Vote, a group recommending candidates in each electorate based on their nominal opposition to the Gaza genocide and support for a ceasefire. Murray told Not the Andrew Marr Show in no uncertain terms: The people who are behind him [Hussain], who are putting him up, and backing him, and providing him with money and support for his campaign, are all the people who were behind [Labour Foreign Secretary] Jack Straw and his candidacy, including Jack Straws previous agent. So I strongly suspect that this is a Labour Party thing to split the Independent-Workers Party vote and help get the Labour Party back in. I think this is redolent of Labour Party dirty tricks. Im pretty sure thats whats going on. Murray speaks from first-hand experience. In 2005 he stood against Tony Blairs Foreign Secretary in Blackburn following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Straws then campaign manager, Ibrahim Master, has suddenly reappeared as campaign manager for Hussain, Murray reports. Labour is leaving nothing to chance. It has not waged a near decade-long purge of the partys left-wing membership to allow protest candidates to walk through an open door. Its campaign against Corbyn, waged in collusion with British and US intelligence agencies, Zionist lobby groups and the mainstream media, was Labours preparation for office amid the deepest capitalist crisis since the 1930s and imperialist war targeting the Middle East, Russia and China. The manufactured campaign against left-wing antisemitism, which Corbyn refused to challenge as Labour leader, has since morphed into a frontal assault on the right to protest and free speech targeting all those opposing the genocide in Gaza. Murrays response to Labours alleged dirty tricks operation against him in Blackburn, is, like that of Corbyns response to the witch-hunt, one of utter prostration. His three-paragraph announcement last Thursday concluded: As I was unable to agree in a late night meeting with their young candidate yesterday who should step down, I find myself obliged to agree to a coin toss in the wider interest of the Palestine movement. Murray justifies his willingness to make way for Hussain as preventing the real danger that Genocide Labour will win. But he does so for a candidate he has accused of fronting a spoiler operation mounted by the Blairites! A newly released audio recording of the May 23 meeting between Murray and the independent councillors underscores the opportunist character of their abortive alliance. Murray explains the most important question in Blackburn is who can win, and argues he is best placed to capture both the Muslim vote and those of indigenous residents. He would appeal to the left-wing socialist tradition in Blackburn, while also possessing a CV that in some ways appeals to Tory voters. During the meeting he repeatedly assures the councillors that he is not a member of Galloways party, is not a party man, and would split from Galloway if necessary. He was running under the party badge because it would attract more votes. George was very anxious for me to stand with his party badge because if the WPB receives 150,000 votes and sends two MPs to the Commons, the party will be entitled to government funding. Finally, and for all his denunciations of Labour, Murray told the meeting: Im doing this because I think we have a moment here, where we can really change politics, where we can force the Labour Party to maybe go back eventually to representing the people. The shambolic fate of Murrays election campaign in Blackburn flows from its unprincipled political foundations: the cobbling together of an electoral alliance based on the lowest common denominator irrespective of the class aims of its component parts. Similar horse trading has taken place throughout Britain as Galloway has assembled candidates who have recently split from the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, the Tories and worse in an effort to rescue their political careers from the fallout from Gaza. Murray and his allies are seeking to leverage the anger of Muslim workers and youth over the Gaza genocide for the purpose of corralling them behind their own petty-bourgeois, pro-capitalist and nationalist programme. But this is not confined to Galloways party. The Corbynite Collective group, alongside No Ceasefire, No Vote and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), are all advocating permutations of the same reformist and pro-capitalist perspective. The Gaza genocide is rooted in the violent worldwide eruption of imperialism, which Lenin and Trotsky described as the death agony of capitalism. Imperialism gives rise to world war and to revolutionary struggles by the international working class that pose the urgent necessity for socialism. The working class does not need an improvised cross-class alliance of political bankrupts and dilettantes, but disciplined revolutionary parties built on the foundation of great principles, tested by history. That party is the Socialist Equality Party, the British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Its candidates in the general election are Tom Scripps in Holborn and St Pancras and Darren Paxton in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire. Follow the SEPs campaign Attend our London election rally The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the German government are not fighting against the far right, but rather strengthening itin Germany and internationally. This was emphasised by the meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Argentinas fascist president, Javier Milei, in Berlin on Sunday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, welcomes Argentina's President Javier Milei for a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, June 23, 2024. [AP Photo/Markus Schreiber] Milei is a fascist who openly defends the bloody military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. During the election campaign, he regularly appeared with a chainsaw and threatened to cut all social spending and suppress any opposition to it. This is exactly what is happening now. While Scholz rolled out the red carpet for Milei in front of the Chancellery, the Argentine security forces were brutally cracking down on protests in Argentina to enforce the dictates of the banks against the growing working class resistance. Scholzs government is not much different. Students, academics, those working in culture and workers protesting against Israels genocide in Gaza and the return of German militarism are being censored and violently repressed. Like the fascist Milei, the Scholz government is also waging a war against Marxism. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (as Germanys secret service is called) first branded the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) anti-constitutional, naming it as left-wing extremist. Now, it has also included the SGPs youth organisation IYSSE in its report, in the tradition of Bismarcks anti-socialist laws. Mileis reception in Berlin is in every way a warning to workers and youth: the German government will continue to intensify its militarist and anti-working-class agenda, relying on the most right-wing forces. Before the meeting with Scholz, the neoliberal Hayek Society awarded Milei a medal. Among the 200 or so cheering participants were the far-right former president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentarian Beatrix von Storch. Milei and Scholz also see eye to eye on foreign policy. Both are among the most aggressive supporters of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians and the NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. One of the few heads of government who received Milei before Scholz is the extreme right-wing Israeli prime minister and genocide perpetrator Benjamin Netanyahu. The Ukrainian president and dictator Volodymyr Zelensky had already paid his respects to Milei at his inauguration last December. In addition to the escalation of war against Russia and in the Middle East, Scholz and the parties in his coalition government hope that the relationship with Milei will also open up new sales markets and sources of energy and raw materials for German imperialism in Latin America. It was agreed that the negotiations on the free trade agreement between the EU and the Latin American MERCOSUR states should be concluded swiftly, announced government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit after the meeting between Scholz and Milei. The media are even more open about what is at stake: Argentina has many raw materials, such as lithium, which is needed for German industry, explained broadcaster Deutschlandfunk in a news item. Scholzs solidarity with Milei confirms what the World Socialist Web Site wrote at the weekend about the fight against the rise of fascist forces, which is being promoted by the entire ruling class: The fight against the AfD requires the unconditional rejection of the SPD, the Greens, the Left Party, the BSW and the trade unions allied with them, which themselves advocate an extreme right-wing programme and suppress the class struggle. It requires the development of an independent movement of the working class and youth that combines resistance to war, fascism and social inequality with the struggle against their cause, capitalism. This past Saturday at a sparsely attended Bronx rally for Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and US Representative Jamaal Bowman, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders declared that the Zionist government of Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorist attack. Jamaal Bowman, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York City on June 22, 2024. [Photo: Bernie Sanders] Sanders defense of Israel is not a surprise; in addition to endorsing and campaigning for Genocide Joe Biden, Sanders himself has been pro-Zionist his entire political career. Since the outset of the US-backed Israeli extermination campaign in Gaza, he has refused to characterize it as a genocide, even as the death toll officially surpasses 38,000 with another 10,000 missing or buried under the rubble. Drawing boos from a few dozen of the fewer than 300 people who were allowed near the stage at St. Marys Park in the Bronx, Sanders declared that while Bowman understands what is going on in Gaza is totally unacceptable, Israel has the right to defend itself against the terrorist attack. The Vermont senators defense of Israel drew a much louder response, which came from several hundred counter-protesters located hundreds of feet away behind security barriers. The counter-protesters were predominately with the group Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian organization based in New York City. Throughout the rally, WOL protesters denounced the progressives for endorsing Biden, as well as the previous support by Sanders, Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez for Israeli military funding. WOL protesters chanted, Sanders, you cant hide; we charge you with genocide! and AOC, your hands are red! After the rally concluded WOL protesters surrounded buses for the Bowman campaign and blocked them from leaving for several minutes. Some protesters marked up the buses with pro-Palestinian slogans, while virtually all of them chanted their opposition to Genocide Joe. Reflecting the complete collapse in support among broad layers of the population for the phony progressivism and fake socialism offered by Sanders, AOC and their left sidekick, the DSA, there were nearly as many if not more counter-protesters at the rally as there were supporters for Sanders, Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez. The complete lack of working class support for Sanders is all the more notable given that not only was this a rally for Bowman, who is currently trailing in his primary race against his Hillary Clinton-backed challenger, George Latimer, but it was for Ocasio-Cortez as well. In October 2019, Ocasio-Cortez appeared at a rally in New York City with Sanders that drew some 20,000 people. Now, less than five years later, the pair can summon only a small fraction of that on a warm summer Saturday. In an embarrassing attempt to hype up the small crowd, Ocasio-Cortez came bouncing out on the stage to the music of Cardi B and asked the crowd if they were ready to take this borough back? Are you ready to win this country back? Are you ready to fight for peace on Earth and a ceasefire in Gaza? While the words capitalism, genocide, working class, or socialism never passed her lips, Ocasio-Cortez declared that Brother Jamaal Bowman was under attack from the forces of racism, greed and corruption. Ocasio-Cortez ended her comments by pointing out, whats happening out there is connected to why our schools arent funded here. We know that the absolute leveling of Gaza is being paid for with the funds that are being kept from our healthcare, our schools. These words are completely empty, given her support for Biden, and the rest of the Democratic Partys unstinting support for spending billions in the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, which threatens all of humanity with nuclear annihilation. In his brief comments, Bowman swore at the audience in a phony display of his supposed ability to relate to a working class audience. He, like his upper middle class supporters, views workers with hostility, as backward and primitive. We have been organizing for criminal justice reform and to get f****ng big money out of politics, Bowman bellowed. I am the hip hop congressman, he later declared. We are going to show f***ing AIPAC the power of the mother f***ing south Bronx. ... Were going to show them who the f**k we are. In between his condescending vulgarity, the former middle school principal called for a movement to come together as a people, across race, across class, across background, across religion. Bowmans call for the unity of all classes is a demand that the working class subordinate itself to electoral politics, in the political graveyard known as the Democratic Party. The truth is masses of people already came together to support Sanders, Bowman, Ocasio-Cortez and other members of left members of the Democratic Party, falsely believing that they represented an insurgent force that would push the Democrats to fight for more egalitarian and pro-worker policies. However the elevation and election of DSA members in recent elections has not pushed the Democratic Party to the left. Instead, Ocasio-Cortez and others have provided a left cover for the Democrats warmongering agenda in alliance with the increasingly fascistic Republican Party, while denouncing left-wing critiques of the Democrats as privileged and even antisemitic. Masses of workers and youth are looking beyond these pseudo-left frauds and seeking an actual socialist alternative to the capitalist parties and politicians that have nothing to offer humanity but war, fascism and death. That is offered by the Socialist Equality Party, which is standing Joseph Kishore and Jerry White in the US presidential elections. The critical task now is not voting for Democrats but building the independent, socialist, anti-war movement in the working class that will end the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and the source of war and inequalitythe capitalist system. Julian Assange walked free from Belmarsh Prison yesterday, where he has been incarcerated for more than five years. Footage posted by WikiLeaks showed the journalist at liberty as he boarded an international flight leaving Britain. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport, June 24, 2024 [Photo: @wikileaks] Assange has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to a single count under the US Espionage Act. He will appear tomorrow morning in a US court in Saipan, capital of the American territory of the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. When the agreement is signed off by a judge, Assange is set to be free under time served and to return to his native Australia. The arrangement represents a massive victory for Assange, whose liberation will be welcomed by defenders of democratic rights and opponents of imperialist war around the world. It is an enormous climbdown by the American government, which since 2019 had sought Assanges extradition so that he could be prosecuted under 17 Espionage Act charges carrying a maximum sentence of 170 years imprisonment, i.e., life. The plea deal demonstrates there was never any legal basis to this attempted prosecution, even within the hollowed-out framework of bourgeois law and draconian national security legislation. It was always a brutal and politically motivated witch hunt, aimed at silencing and destroying Assange because he had exposed historic US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, Washingtons criminal conspiracies the world over, and gross violations of human rights. Assange is being freed as a result of his own extraordinary and courageous resilience in the face of vast state persecution, and the indefatigable efforts of his supporters, including his family, legal team and WikiLeaks colleagues. A protracted global campaign demanding Assanges liberty won the sympathy and support of millions. For years, masses of people have regarded Assange as an heroic figure, and his persecution as unjust and criminal. Julian Assange with his legal team, June 24, 2024 [Photo: @wikileaks] In a statement earlier today, WikiLeaks declared: Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. WikiLeaks stated that this was the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders, which had created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice. It added that: After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. In a video prerecorded last week and released today, Stella noted that it was exactly twelve years since Assange had entered Ecuadors London embassy to seek protection from the US vendetta. This period of our lives, I am confident now, has come to an end, she said. Stella hailed an incredible movement, involving people from around the world, that was committed to Assanges freedom, the wellbeing of his family and what Julian stands for: truth and justice. She appealed for ongoing support, including for an emergency fund to assist with Assanges new life, including medical treatment he will require. Acting WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristin Hraffnson added, The cost to Julian, of course, has been to be deprived of freedom for all these years in the battle for journalistic freedom, the freedom to publish, the foundation of democracy. He concluded: I can say in earnest that without your support, this would never have materialised, this day of joy, this day of Julians freedom. The US persecution will be recorded as a milestone in the breakdown of democracy and the increasing criminality of the ruling elite. For years, successive American governments and their allies in Britain, Australia and elsewhere proceeded with the pursuit of a journalist, as civil liberties and human rights groups globally condemned it as a mortal assault on press freedom. In 2019, then United Nations Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer announced his finding that Assange had been the victim of medically verifiable psychological torture, perpetrated by the American and allied governments, along with official institutions and a complicit corporate media. The same year, hundreds of doctors first warned that Assanges health was declining dramatically in Belmarsh Prison and that he could die behind bars. Further exposures of the witch hunt followed. In 2021, Sigurdur Siggi Thordarson, a convicted Icelandic criminal and star witness for the US government, admitted that his testimony against Assange had consisted of lies proffered in exchange for immunity from American prosecution. Then, in September 2021, former US officials confirmed to Yahoo! News that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had spied on Assange while he was a protected political refugee in the Ecuadorian embassy. This included illegal surveillance of his privileged legal conversations. Most explosively, they stated that leaders of the CIA and then President Donald Trump had in 2017 discussed abducting Assange and rendering him to the US or assassinating him. The US agreement to a plea deal was undoubtedly motivated by fears that these criminal activities and more would be exposed and that they would not stand up to scrutiny, even in a stacked national security court. The deal was also struck under conditions of a major political crisis in the US, associated with this years presidential election. There were likely fears within the ruling establishment and state apparatus that Assanges extradition could intensify this crisis and further inflame opposition to the bipartisan program of imperialist war and increasing authoritarianism. A Department of Justice court filing stated that the federal District Court in Saipan had been selected to finalise the plea deal in light of the defendants opposition to traveling to the continental United States and its proximity to the defendants country of citizenship, Australia, to which we expect he will return at the conclusion of the proceedings. Assange had been compelled to plead guilty to a single Espionage Act charge of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information. That is one last act of petty vindictiveness by the Department of Justice and the Biden administration, directed against a journalist who has already had more than ten years of his life taken away in an illegitimate pursuit. It has the character of an attempt by the American government to save face amid its backdown. Assanges liberation is a major victory. The US decision to employ the Espionage Act in the plea deal, however, underscores that the American government has not repudiated the dire threat to press freedom and civil liberties contained in its protracted pursuit of Assange. As the World Socialist Web Site and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties have insisted since 2010, the Assange case has been a spearhead of a crackdown on opposition to war, amid an eruption of militarism and imperialist barbarism. That is underscored by events today, including the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the escalating US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and advanced preparations for a catastrophic conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific. To fight war and the assault on democratic rights that accompanies it demands the building of a political movement of the working class, against all of the governments and a capitalist system which, as the Assange case has demonstrated, is hurtling towards authoritarianism. Following his visit to North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Vietnam last week for a state visit on Thursday. Putin visited the region to try to counter efforts by Washington to isolate Moscow as the US and NATO ramp up their war against Russia in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vietnamese President To Lam inspect honour guard at the Presidential Palace, in Hanoi, Thursday, June 20, 2024 [AP Photo/Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik] In Hanoi, Putin met with Vietnamese President To Lam and other senior officials, including General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong. The trip was Putins fifth to Vietnam, the last being in 2017. Putin and Lam issued a statement to mark 30 years of the Russian-Vietnamese Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations. The two sides agreed to deepen ties, signing 11 agreements dealing with fields such as energy cooperation, oil and gas exploration, technology, and education. Putin hailed economic relations between Russia and Vietnam, pointing out that bilateral trade had grown by 8.3 percent in 2023, reaching $US5 billion. Moscow and Hanoi also agreed to expand military cooperation. Putin stated, The discussion of the situation in the Asia-Pacific region showed mutual interest in building a reliable and adequate regional security architecture based on the principles of the non-use of force and a peaceful settlement of disputes, in which there will be no place for selective military-political blocs. Lam added the pair would further cooperate in defense and security to cope with non-traditional security challenges. While stating that the agreement is not directed against third countries, the two leaders are clearly concerned about rising geopolitical tensions in the region, driven above all by US imperialism. This is highlighted by recent clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels around the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, encounters fueled by Washington. They agreed to hold joint military drills, ostensibly aimed at improving rescue operations. Lam, conscious of the reaction that Putins visit would generate in Washington, sought to emphasize that Vietnam was not lining up with any particular power while also maintaining longstanding ties with Moscow. Vietnam has pursued an independent foreign policy of peace but we attach importance to developing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia and consider Russia as one of Vietnams foreign policy priorities, he stated. Such comments will not placate the US. Last September, President Biden visited Hanoi to sign a comprehensive security partnership, which opened the door for closer military and economic cooperation between the two countries. Like the Philippines, Vietnam also has territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, which Washington is seeking to exploit as part of its war drive against China. Prior to his arrival in Vietnam, the US embassy in Hanoi denounced the Russian presidents visit, stating that no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities. The Biden administration dispatched its Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink to Hanoi for a two-day visit only hours after Putin left the country. Both legs of Putins trip to Asia have drawn condemnations from the US and its allies who are seeking to further isolate Moscow as part of the US/NATO-instigated war in Ukraine. Washington would not have been pleased by Putins article for Nhan Dan, the official newspaper of the Vietnamese Communist Party, which declared: We are grateful to our Vietnamese friends for their balanced position on the Ukraine crisis and their desire to facilitate the search for practical ways to settle it peacefully. Like China, Vietnam has refused to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine. While Moscows invasion was entirely reactionary and aimed at defending the interests of the Russian oligarchs, the US and its NATO allies deliberately provoked the war by fomenting the 2014 coup that ousted the elected pro-Russian president and by moving to incorporate Ukraine into NATO. In fact, Washington is increasingly working to spread the Ukraine war to the Indo-Pacific region, linking the efforts to overthrow Putin and carve up Russia with the ongoing attempts to provoke a war with China. The US has placed emphasis on improving relations with Vietnam in an effort to draw Hanoi away from Moscow and Beijing. At the beginning of June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unannounced visit to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore where he berated China for not lining up behind the US/NATO war against Russia. This was not only directed at Beijing, but other countries in the region, including Vietnam, that have attempted to take a neutral position in the conflict. In a move no doubt made in close coordination with Washington, on Thursday, after Putins summit in Pyongyang, South Koreas National Security Advisor Jang Ho-jin stated that Seoul was reconsidering its stance on supplying only nonlethal aid to Ukraine. Jang stated, We plan to reconsider the issue of arms support to Ukraine, adding that specific measures will be revealed later. Seoul is already indirectly one of the largest suppliers of 155mm shells to Kievby replenishing US stocks so that shells can be provided to Ukrainea fact revealed by the Washington Post late last year. Jang also pledged to further boost military cooperation with the US and Japan, a move that will increase tensions and which will ultimately be directed at China. In response to Seoul, Putin warned that supplying additional weaponry would be a very big mistake. I hope it will not happen. If it does, then we too will then make the respective decisions, which South Koreas current leadership is unlikely to be pleased with. While in Vietnam, as in North Korea, Putin attempted to dress up his confrontation with the US and NATO in progressive-sounding phrases. He hailed the Soviet Unions aid to Vietnam in its struggles against French and US imperialism in the 20th century, writing in Nhan Dan, Our country significantly contributed to the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people against foreign invaders. In reality, the Soviet Stalinist bureaucracy only aided the struggle of the Vietnamese people during the so-called Cold War to use it as a pawn in its dealings with imperialism. Putin is not leading an anti-imperialist struggle against the US, but desperately seeking diplomatic and economic support to counter the escalating US-NATO war to crush Russia and to subordinate it to imperialist interests. Teamsters President Sean O'Brien with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, January 3, 2024. [Photo: @Teamsters] Teamsters General President Sean OBrien will speak at the Republican National Convention next month, a major step in the union bureaucracys growing ties with the extreme right. The announcement was made by Donald Trump on Truth Social, his right-wing Twitter/X alternative. The appearance by a Teamsters head at the RNC is truly unprecedented, a union assistant director of communications said. Although Teamsters President James P. Hoffa attended the 2000 RNC as a guest of the Republican Party chair and did not speakthis is of an entirely different character. OBrien will be speaking at a meeting that will be, for all intents and purposes, a fascist rally. In addition to the Republicans candidate for the would-be Fuhrer Donald Trump, it will be addressed by countless other co-conspirators in the plot to overthrow the 2020 elections and install Trump as dictator. Speech after speech will attack immigrants, communists, the Chinese and other so-called enemies of the American nation. Much of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin will be locked down by local police and Secret Service for the convention. While Biden, hated for his role in the genocide in Gaza, feebly tries to present himself as the last best hope for American democracy, Democrats at the city, state and federal level will work to shield this right-wing cabal at the RNC from protesters. This contrasts sharply with the brutal bipartisan crackdown on anti-war protests, which led to over 3,000 arrests. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit over the decision of authorities to approve a route for a protest march blocks away from the convention center. In addition to attacks by the government on the right to protest, there is also the real danger they will be met by right-wing militia working with the police. While guns will not be allowed inside of the inner security zone or in the convention hall itself, they will be allowed in the outer perimeter where the demonstration is set to take place. Officially, the Teamsters bureaucracy has not yet endorsed a candidate, and OBrien is also seeking a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention in Augustwhere protests are also certain to be met with a brutal police response. But whether or not the Teamsters apparatus chooses to endorse Trump or side with the majority of the union bureaucrats in backing Genocide Joe, the Teamsters officials have already done their utmost to help normalize and legitimize fascism. The appearance at the RNC is the latest in a series of escalating engagements. In January, OBrien met Trump at his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida for a private meeting. This was followed by an appearance by Trump at the Teamsters headquarters for a candidate roundtable the following month. Following the meeting, the content of which was kept secret, the Teamsters gave Trump a union-branded podium from which to attack immigrants and stump for trade war with China. The Teamsters have also donated $50,000 to the Republican National Committee and $5,000 to Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a key figure in the January 6 coup, whom they also welcomed at a picket line in St. Louis. Trump has used these meetings to promote his nationalist program as a boon to American workers. But nothing could be further from the truth. What his America first program really means is preparing the country for world war and dictatorship. The catastrophic costs of this policy will be borne by the working class in the United States and around the world, first through brutal austerity to free up resources to the military, then through ripping up democratic rights and finally through conscription of working class youth and their deployment to foreign killing fields. Trumps continued political prominence is due to the fact that the basic framework of this war policy is supported by both parties. The main line of attack by the Democrats against Trump has always been his perceived weakness against Russia, against which the US has fomented a bloody proxy war in Ukraine. If elected, however, he would only escalate American imperialisms wars for global domination. Meanwhile, both parties are in basic agreement on the need to launch a major war against China. Biden has imposed a raft of unprecedented tariffs against Chinese imports, to the applause of the Teamsters, the United Auto Workers and the bureaucrats of other major unions. Under conditions of a political monopoly by two capitalist parties, the Democrats open identification with the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza have enabled Trump to become the undeserved beneficiary of some of the popular opposition to war. The Biden White House has heavily relied on the union bureaucracy, including in the Teamsters, to enforce labor peace by selling out major struggles and smash the growing wave of resistance from below to inequality and brutal social conditions. This is seen as key to securing the home front in preparation for war. The Teamsters have been fully engaged in this. Last year, they sold out 340,000 UPS workers, pushing through a contract which is now being used to cut over 12,000 jobs, close hundreds of facilities and automate everything. In 2022, OBrien was in constant contact with the White House while stalling for time to prevent a strike on the railroads, buying Biden and Congress the time they needed to pre-emptively ban it. Biden presents his industrial policy as the new Arsenal of Democracy, a reference to the mobilization of American industry to fight World War II. In reality, that policy was based on a no strike pledge imposed on workers by union bureaucrats and through the prosecution of anti-imperialist socialists in the Trotskyist movement. Today, Bidens policy has more in common with the corporatist policy of Mussolinis fascist regime in Italy. In a statement on OBriens appearance, Socialist Equality Party candidate for US vice president, Jerry White, said: The union bureaucracy has long been fertile soil for the cultivation of fascistic tendencies. Long before Trump appeared on the political scene, the union bureaucracy espoused extreme forms of nationalism, anti-communism, groveling subservience to capitalism and racist agitation against foreigners and immigrants. This reactionary outlook arises from the social interests of the bureaucracy, based on its deep connections with management and the state. The bureaucracy hates and fears the working class because it understands that the development of a powerful movement against the capitalist ruling class would imperil its own six figure salaries and affluent lifestyle. It remains to be seen whether the Teamsters will back Trump or Biden, or whether either will even turn out to be the candidates in November. The unions ties with Trump have, at least partially, the character of hedging its bets, under conditions where Biden is both deeply hated and visibly faltering mentally and physically. If Trump were elected, however, the Teamsters and the whole union bureaucracy would have no problem offering their services to the fascistic president to crush working-class opposition to war, austerity and dictatorship. The reliance of the capitalist class on these discredited, corrupt union bureaucrats is a sign of its own fundamental crisis. But there is no time to lose. To defend their living standards, democratic rights and guarantee a future to the next generation that is free from war, workers have to break with the entire capitalist political framework of which the bureaucracy is part. The interests of the working class can only be advanced through the development of powerful industrial and political counter-offensive of the working class, which is independent of corporate-controlled parties, and fights for the international unity of all workers and the replacement of the capitalist system with socialism. The visit of war criminal and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to Washington demonstrates once again American imperialisms support for Israels genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza as part of a region-wide war targeting Iran. Gallant, who infamously labelled the Palestinians human animals as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began its genocidal onslaught on Gaza, held discussions on securing more US weapons and expanding the war to confront Hezbollah in Lebanon. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Nov. 30, 2023. [AP Photo/Saul Loeb] Gallant arrived in Washington almost exactly one month after Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, applied for arrest warrants for him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on war crimes charges. He has overseen the inhuman blockade of all basic necessities into the Gaza Strip, which has led to the spread of hunger, disease and misery on a horrific scale. On the second day of Israels onslaught on Gaza, he declared, I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. A recent United Nations report accused the Israeli regime, of which Gallant and Netanyahu are leading representatives, of extermination, war crimes, and other crimes against humanity. Gallants Defense Ministry oversees what the report described as one of the most criminal armies in the world. This army has officially killed over 37,000 Palestinians in less than nine months, the vast majority of them women and children. By rights, Gallant and his entourage should have been arrested immediately after exiting their aircraft and transferred to the ICC for prosecution. But the defense minister had nothing to fear during his trip to Washington. Far from being held accountable for his barbaric crimes, Gallant was welcomed in the cockpit of world imperialism with open arms by fellow war criminals drenched in the blood of Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghans, Ukrainians and Russians. These war criminals never tire of invoking the precepts of international law to denounce the targets of US imperialisms wars of aggression, but they refuse to be bound by any such restraints as they and their allies pursue the defense of the rules-based international order. Gallant held meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Biden administrations special envoy for the Middle East Amos Hochstein and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham remarked following his discussion with Gallant that any attack by Hezbollah on Israel that breaches the Iron Dome defense system would be considered an Iranian attack against Israel. He continued: The world must hold Iran accountable for the actions of its proxies, including Hezbollah, at this crucial moment in the life of the State of Israel. It must be made crystal clear to Iran that if they try to use Hezbollah to destroy Israel, were all coming after the Iranian regime. Gallants consultations in Washington have the character of a war council plotting precisely how best to expand the war throughout the Middle East, a prospect that is viewed by multiple international players as imminent. Following the IDFs announcement last Tuesday that the operational plans for a war in Lebanon had been approved, the European Unions foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated Monday, The risk of this war affecting the south of Lebanon and spilling over is every day bigger. We are on the eve of the war expanding. According to Israels Channel 12, the Canadian government has already dispatched military personnel to the region to begin planning the evacuation of 45,000 Canadian citizens in Lebanon when the war breaks out. This reality is covered over in official media coverage with talk about the Biden administrations efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Even the IDF has stated that its large-scale operations in Rafah, where upwards of a million people have been forced to flee since early May, are coming to an end. Gallants Defence Ministry spoke in a recent statement of phase three in the Gaza conflict, characterised by low intensity strikes to eliminate what remains of the Palestinians infrastructure after almost nine months of continuous bombardment. But this would only mean a potential shift in focus for Israels war from Gaza to what Gallant and former War Cabinet member Benny Gantz refer to regularly as the northern front, i.e., Hezbollah and Lebanon. The principal force escalating the region-wide war is American imperialism. As the World Socialist Web Site has explained, Washington fully endorsed Israels genocidal final solution of the Palestinian question in Gaza as part of its preparations for a war to consolidate US imperialist hegemony in the energy-rich Middle East. The International Committee of the Fourth International presciently warned in a October 9 statement denouncing the launch of the Zionist regimes onslaught in response to the events of October 7: The imperialist leaders and their media echo chamber are opposing not terrorism but mass opposition to occupation and the terror inflicted daily by Israel. And they will do so up to and including supporting genocide against the Palestinians and extending this to a regional war against Iran, Syria and Lebanon. US imperialism is pushing towards a region-wide war against Iran on the Middle East front of a rapidly developing third world war. The major powers are locked in a ruthless redivision of the world aimed at securing access to raw materials, markets and geostrategic influence, and outdoing and ultimately subjugating their competitors. For American imperialism, which has waged over three decades of uninterrupted wars in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa in a desperate bid to offset its economic decline through the use of its overwhelming military force, the preservation of its global dominance is at stake. To this end, it is determined to inflict a devastating strategic defeat on Russia in Ukraine and throughout Eastern Europe as a stepping stone to the crushing of its main economic rival, China. In these conflicts, the North American and European imperialists are prepared to commit any crime and risk everything, including the outbreak of a nuclear conflagration that would call the very survival of humanity into question. This is why governments in the United States, Germany and the other imperialist centres have backed Israels genocide to the hilt, and employed brutal state repression against all opposition to the extermination of the Palestinians. They intend to wage their world war on all fronts no less ruthlessly and with just as little regard for the lives of their victims as the Zionist regime has shown for those of Palestinian civilians. The embrace of the war criminal Gallant by both parties of the US political establishment underlines the basis upon which the World Socialist Web Site has called for a demonstration on July 24 in Washington D.C. to coincide with Netanyahus planned address to Congress. The WSWS International Editorial Board wrote in its statement calling for the rally: The purpose of this demonstration, however, is not simply to protest Netanyahu but the role of American imperialism and the entire political establishment in directing, financing, arming and politically justifying the genocide. In defense of its interests and the capitalist profit system, the corporate and financial oligarchy is driving mankind toward an abyss. The permanent war of the ruling class must be answered with the perspective of permanent revolution by the working class, the strategic goal of which is the abolition of the nation-state system and the establishment of a world socialist federation. Months after purchasing a $53 million Tadao Ando designed home, Kanye West demolished the carefully crafted home and replaced it with his own unconventional designs wanting to turn it into a post-apocalyptic shelter, and causing its value to drop by $14 million. Kanye West has shocked the real estate world by demolishing a $53 million beachfront mansion in Malibu, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Purchased in September 2021, the home, which was once a stunning blend of glass and nature, has seen its value drop by $14 million due to the destruction. This is going to be my bomb shelter. This is going to be my Batcave, Ye reportedly told a laborer during the destruction process, as revealed in an interview with The New Yorker. But the mansion, which was finished by Tadao in 2013, was left abandoned and is now a skeletal shell, stripped of plumbing, electricity and its iconic clouded glass windows. Kanye Wests $57 million dollar mansion, which was finished by Tadao in 2013, is now a skeletal shell, seen here stripped of plumbing, electricity and its iconic clouded glass windows. @CelebCandidly / MEGA West never turned the home into the bomb shelter he once had great visions of. Now, the former architectural haven lost nearly $15 million in value due to Wests ambitious renovation project that never materialized. In December 2023, West officially decided to part ways with the house and ambitious project altogether, initially listing it at $53 million already $4.5 million less than he paid for it in 2021. In April, the home received a whopping $14 million price cut, and is currently on the market for $39 million. It is likely to drop even further in the coming months, sources told The Post. Despite efforts to sell the mansion, including enlisting the help of Jason Oppenheim from Selling Sunset, the property remains for sale. Andos once-pristine design has been completely gutted, leaving only gaping hollows where bedrooms and galleries once stood. The 3,665-square-foot, concrete-heavy house was designed by award-winning starchitect Tadao Ando, seen here before the renovations. Diggzy/Jesal/Shutterstock The blackened exterior, perched on stilts above the golden sands, stands in stark contrast to neighboring homes. With his wife Bianca Censori and a team of gonzo laborers from New Jersey, Ye transformed the mansion into a structure befitting his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Censori, who holds degrees in architecture from the University of Melbourne, helped steer the radical overhaul. The transformation included dismantling majestic staircases and replacing them with a foam slide. The home has been devalued by $14 million after West demolished the original design, seen here. Diggzy/Jesal/Shutterstock Bianca Censori took part in the demolishment process of the home. WWD via Getty Images Laborer Saxon, who worked long hours gutting the home, revealed to the New Yorker, There was so much rebar in the concrete. It was absolutely brutal. He described Yes vision as simple fresh and cleeeeeean. Saxon recounted the extreme conditions, often sleeping on-site and surviving on Clif Bars and Red Bulls. I stink, I havent showered for two days, he told The New Yorker, describing the grueling work. Saxon was tasked with painting over marble walls and tearing out expensive wooden cabinets, drastically altering the homes original aesthetic. Initially listed at $53 million, the home, seen here in 2022 after Kanye bought it, saw its value drop to $39 million and it is likely to drop even further in the coming months, sources told The Post. @CelebCandidly / MEGA The destruction extended to toppling chimneys, smashing marble bathroom walls and dismantling the glass balustrade. The house was stripped of its kitchen, bathrooms, AC, windows, light fixtures, heating, water and power, leaving it a barren shell. But there came a time when Saxon had reached a breaking point, reluctant to change the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ocean that had faded from the outside. According to Saxons recollection, West demanded If you dont do what I asked you to do, Im not going to be your friend anymore. Youre not going to work for me anymore. And youre only going to see me on TV. Saxon told Ye that he didnt watch TV. And then I walked the fk out. Saxon is currently in an ongoing lawsuit with West over unpaid wages. Japanese architect Tadao Ando. AFP via Getty Images Before he ended up ditching the property entirely and listing the home, Wests vision for a Batcave included imposing ramps replacing stairways and the bomb shelter that he hoped would be the mansions standout feature. Yes fascination with architecture isnt new. Hes met with renowned architects like David Adjaye and Jacques Herzog and even rapped about Ando, whom he once visited with Kim Kardashian. But according to architect Kulapat Yantrasast, To be honest, he did not like the house he did not like the interior, he told the outlet. Instead, this drastic attempt at a full redesign aligns with Wests history of bold and unconventional choices that have left the once iconic and historical property virtually unrecognizable and significantly devalued. After authorities confronted Sherri with evidence that she faked her own kidnapping, she continued to deny her involvement for years, her ex-husband says Courtesy Keith Papini Sherri Papini, left, and Keith Papini Four years after Sherri Papini vanished while on a jog near her California home, Shasta County Sheriff's detectives called in her and her husband, Keith Papini, to talk. "I felt before we went into that meeting, 'Hey, something good's about to happen,'" Keith tells PEOPLE. Keith believed that finally, investigators had discovered who kidnapped his wife Sherri in 2016. On Nov. 2 of that year, Sherri disappeared in Redding, Calif., then miraculously was found 22 days later on a highway in Yolo, Calif., on Thanksgiving Day. She had a chain around her waist and was wearing restraints. Sherri claimed to authorities and her family that she was abducted at gunpoint and tortured by two Hispanic women. For years, Keith had tried to solve the case, frequently contacting authorities and encouraging his wife to write down and explain details about where she was held. In 2020, when the Papinis received the call to come into the FBI office, he believed they had finally cracked the case. Chloe Aftel Keith Papini, left, and Sherri Papini's missing persons poster "We sit down and [detectives] start displaying everything and as soon as they start putting the photos out, you can see my excitement," Keith says. For more on the how Sherri Papini's hoax kidnapping, subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up last week's issue, on newsstands now. Authorities showed him and Sherri multiple photos of a room that mirrored the description of the room Sherri said she was held captive in. Immediately, Keith thought this meant the detectives had a solid lead on the suspects, or had possibly even caught them. But he was perplexed by his wife's reaction. "Sherri is just calm, cool, and collected," he recounted. "She doesn't get excited." Related: Sherri Papini's Ex-Husband Offered Kids to Change Last Name So They Wouldn't Be Identified with Notorious Mom (Exclusive) Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Then, the detectives told them something even more shocking: The DNA found on Sherri's clothing when she was found linked back to her ex-boyfriend and they were confident that Sherri concocted the kidnapping story and lied to everyone for years. Shasta County Sheriff's Office Sherri Papini, Keith Papini and detectives during the 2020 interrogation Keith who shares two children with Sherri and was still married to her at the time of the interrogation says he was completely blindsided. "I'm just stunned and disgusted," Keith says. "I realized that she lied to everyone, or at least I thought in that moment." After the interrogation, Sherri still claimed she was innocent and was not arrested at the time because of a lack of evidence. "She says she didn't do it, she swears," Keith says. "Then she proceeded to tell me that when she was in the room with the FBI when I wasn't, they were telling her that I never passed the lie detector test and that I might have something to do with her kidnapping which I started laughing. I was like, 'There's no way that's what they said.' So it starts immediately with Sherri. She starts planting her seeds." Related: Keith Papini Says Ex-Wife Sherri Lied to Him About Her Faked Kidnapping and Torture for 6 Years: 'I'll Never Know the Truth' (Exclusive) But authorities continued their investigation into Sherri's claims. Nearly two years later, she was arrested in connection with the kidnapping hoax in 2022 and eventually pleaded guilty to one felony charge each of lying to law enforcement and mail fraud in April of that year. (The ex-boyfriend who detectives determined Sherri stayed with for the 22 days she was missing was never charged.) Days after her plea deal, Keith filed for divorce. Sherri was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and was released early in 2023. Keith now has sole custody of their children, who are 9 and 11 years old, and no longer has contact with Sherri. Keith Papini tells his story in Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, a new three-part documentary series that began streaming on Hulu on June 20. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Kenya Moore has had an eventful few weeks, and now her whopping RHOA salary has been revealed. First, theres the bad news. She reportedly owes several thousand dollars in back taxes. Shes also been suspended from Real Housewives of Atlanta for an as-yet unspecified amount of time The good news is that her ugly, never-ending divorce from Marc Daly was finally settled and she doesnt have to pay him alimony. She probably really lucked out there, because recent court documents show that her RHOA salary is pretty Gone with the Wind fabulous. Kenya was earning about $90k a month from RHOA Photo Credit: Bryan Steffy/Bravo Radar Online obtained court documents filed during Kenyas messy, three-year-long divorce from Marc. According to the docs, Kenya earns $89,050 monthly from RHOA. That totals just over $1 million per year. Not that RHOA is filming all 12 months of the year. The filing indicated that Marc makes $5,000 per month. Despite Kenyas way higher income, Marc agreed to pay $2,000 monthly in child support plus an additional $1,000 for a college savings account for their five-year-old daughter, Brooklyn. Kenya was granted primary custody and final say over Brooklyn appearing on the show. Neither Kenya nor Marc are expected to receive alimony. Of course, this could all change given that Kenyas cushy job might be on the line. Kenyas indefinitely suspended from RHOA after allegedly displaying explicit posters of newcomer, Brittany Eady, at Kenyas salon opening party. The tax man also wants his cut. Kenya vehemently denied engaging in revenge porn. Even though she expressed her innocence, shes now reportedly planning to sue anyone who attended the event and leaked about the posters, since they signed an NDA. Apparently, being the Shade Assassin is (was?) a lucrative gig. Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is expected to return in 2025. Old seasons stream on Peacock. TELL US IS KENYAS RHOA SALARY SURPRISING? The post Kenya Moore Divorce Documents Reveal Huge RHOA Salary appeared first on Reality Tea. Queen Camilla Goes Glam in Tiara for State Banquet at Buckingham Palace with King Charles and Prince William The Emperor and Empress of Japan's state visit to the U.K. kicked off earlier in the day KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty From left: Queen Camilla, Empress Masako, Emperor Naruhito and King Charles at the Buckingham Palace state banquet on June 25, 2024 King Charles and Queen Camilla are hosting a glamorous gala. Members of the royal family stepped out on the evening of June 25 for a state banquet honoring Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan during their state visit, which kicked off earlier in the day. Queen Camilla, 76, sported the Burmese Ruby Tiara with a white gown for the evening event. She previously made her debut in the headpiece in November 2023, when she sported it at the state banquet honoring the President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeo's state visit to the U.K. According to The Court Jeweller, the tiara was made by jeweler Garrard in 1973, constructed from diamonds and rubies that the late Queen Elizabeth received as wedding presents. The rubies came from the people of Burma, while the diamonds came from the deconstructed Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. Queen Elizabeth, who died in September 2022, wore the headpiece on several occasions during her historic 70-year reign. She also debuted a new accessory: King Charles' Family Order. The portrait by Elizabeth Meek of the British monarch is based on a Hugo Burnand photograph taken in 2023. Queen Camilla wore the new piece pinned on a blue sash just above Queen Elizabeth's Family Order. Missing from the gala was Kate Middleton. The Princess of Wales, 42, usually helps host state visits, but she is continuing to stay largely out of the public eye amid her cancer treatment. Princess Kate joined the royal family at Trooping the Colour on June 15 in her first public appearance in six months, but the outing did not signal a return to royal work and public life. She said in a personal letter shared on June 14 that she is "starting to do a little work from home" and expressed a "hope to join a few public engagements over the summer," but any upcoming outings will be based on when she feels able and under medical guidance. Princess Anne was also unable to attend the state banquet due to her current hospitalization. King Charles' sister, 73, sustained a concussion and minor injuries consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs at her Gatcombe Park home on June 23. The Telegraph reports that the Princess Royal is suffering memory loss related to the incident, which is thought to be temporary. AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty The Japanese state banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 25, 2024 Related: The Surprising Reason Japan's Empress Wore a Face Mask During Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride with British Royals The diplomatic dinners, which usually happen on the first day of a state visit, call for elegant evening dresses and often tiaras. Ahead of the June 25 gala, the royal family's official social media pages shared a peek at the intricate setup for the dinner at the ballroom of Buckingham Palace. Gloved staff set the perfectly lined-up table with floral centerpieces, silverware, glasses and ornately arranged napkins, including name cards for "The King" and "The Emperor of Japan." According to the Royal Collection Trust, the tables are arranged in a horseshoe shape, with the monarch and their guest of honor seated at the top table. King Charles and Queen Camilla reviewed the decorations before getting changed into their evening wear. The video also showed a look at the food being served. The Royal Collection Trust explains that the royal chef usually puts together a four-course meal: two savory dishes followed by pudding and fruit for dessert. The Clerk of the Royal Cellars and the Yeoman of the Royal Cellars, in conjunction with the Head of Government Hospitality, choose wine to complement the food. Finishing touches and a sneak peek ahead of this evenings State Banquet pic.twitter.com/BFVRNKx1g7 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 25, 2024 Related: Why Kate Middleton Isn't with the Royals at Japan State Visit Despite Trooping the Colour Appearance Prince William led the royal welcome for the state visit earlier in the day, greeting the Japanese Emperor and Empress at their hotel before they headed to Horse Guards Parade in London for the ceremonial welcome. A carriage ride brought the British royals and their guests back to Buckingham Palace for lunch and a viewing of items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan. The Emperor and Empress also visited Westminster Abbey, where they placed a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left: Empress Masako, Queen Camilla, King Charles and Emperor Naruhito on June 25, 2024 On June 26, Emperor Naruhito will pay a solo visit to the Francis Crick Institute, the nation's leading biomedical research center. Later in the day, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will join the Emperor and Empress for a banquet at the Guildhall organized by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation. On June 27, the Japanese royals will bid farewell to King Charles and Queen Camilla as the state visit comes to a close. They will continue their time in the U.K. with a visit to the Young V&A museum, which is highlighting the exhibit "Japan: Myths to Manga." Emperor Naruhito will then privately visit St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to lay a wreath at Queen Elizabeth's grave in the King George VI Chapel. The emperor and his wife were among the 2,000 guests who attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Queen Rania of Jordan Makes the Case for Two-Tone Dressing in Elie Saab Dress, Brigitte Macron Takes on Hosting Duties in Classic White Suit in Paris Queen Rania of Jordan joined her husband, King Abdullah II, for a visit to France. The royal couple was greeted and joined by Frances President Emmanuel Macron and French first lady Brigitte Macron, who hosted the royal couple at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday. For the state visit, Queen Rania favored contrasting colors in a two-tone ensemble with a coordinated purse and white pumps. Elie Saab was the designer behind the royals look, which featured a two-tone color scheme in green and black. More from WWD Jordans King Abdullah II (2ndR) is welcomed by Frances President Emmanuel Macron (R) as Jordans Queen Rania (3rdR) and French first lady Brigitte Macron (C) look at Elysee Palace on June 24 in Paris. The garment featured a pleated skirt and short sleeves, along with gathered fabric detailing around the neckline. Queen Rania carried a purse by Elie Saab as well in a light shade of green. Her white, pointed-toe pumps were designed by Jimmy Choo. Queen Ranias hair and makeup matched the formal occasion. Her hair was styled in long waves that cascaded down her shoulders. Her makeup featured a smoky eye and bold eyebrows with a soft pink lip. Jordans King Abdullah II (2ndR) is welcomed by Frances President Emmanuel Macron (R) as Jordans Queen Rania (3rdR) and French first lady Brigitte Macron (C) look at Elysee Palace on June 24 in Paris. Queen Rania posed for a series of photos alongside her husband, Frances President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron. Brigitte opted for a similar color motif she previously wore on June 6 for the D-Day anniversary commemoration in Normandy. Frances first lady seemingly coordinated her outfit alongside Queen Camilla, who also fashioned a monochrome white look for the sobering occasion. Brigitte chose all-white dressing for Mondays visit from the royals, fashioning a double-breasted blazer with ornate lapels and collar. She also wore a crisp white coordinated skirt with a hemline just above the knee and wore white pumps that complemented her ensemble. Jordans King Abdullah II (2ndR) is welcomed by Frances President Emmanuel Macron (R) as Jordans Queen Rania (3rdR) and French first lady Brigitte Macron (C) look at Elysee Palace on June 24 in Paris. Like many royals, Queen Rania utilizes her fashion to make subtle sartorial statements evocative of the occasion she attends. The royals style has always matched classic silhouettes with contemporary twists, favoring designers who merge the two qualities. While her style has evolved over the years, her sensibility and approach to fashion largely remains the same. LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania of Jordan attend attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 21: Jordan's Queen Rania attends the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu on May 21, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 25: Queen Rania of Jordan attends the UN Foundation's Gender Equality Discussion at The Four Seasons Restaurant on September 25, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images) View Gallery Launch Gallery: Queen Rania of Jordan's Dresses Through the Years: A Royal Style Evolution [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Sean Penn who's been divorced thrice says he's 'thrilled every day' to be single Sean Penn, 63, says he's "thrilled every day" to not be in a serious relationship. "I don't sense I'll have my heart broken by romance again," Penn told The New York Times. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey of 6,034 US adults showed that about 30% of those over the age of 50 are single. Sean Penn, 63, is embracing not being in a serious relationship. In an interview with The New York Times, Penn opened up about how his perspective on romance has changed over the years. "I'm just free," Penn told the Times. "If I'm going to be in a relationship, I'm still going to be free, or I'm not going to be in it, and I'm not going to be hurting. I don't sense I'll have my heart broken by romance again." The Academy Award-winning actor has been married and divorced thrice. Penn was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989. In 1996, he married actor Robin Wright, with whom he has two children. They divorced in 2010. In 2020, Penn married Australian actor Leila George. A year later, George filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2022. He added that he feels "thrilled every day" that he's not currently in a serious relationship. Looking back on his past relationships, Penn says he's had experiences when "the first thing I see in the morning are eyes wondering what I'm going to do to make them happy that day. Rarely reciprocated." He also spoke about how draining his relationships sometimes felt. "On one of my marriages, the background noise of life was a 'Housewives of Beverly Hills' or another thing called 'Love Island,'" he said. "Not even being in the room I'm not saying this to be cute I was dying. I felt my heart, my brain shrinking. It was an assault." Penn added that he's past the stage of liking drama in romance, and if there's any unnecessary drama or visits from "the trauma gods," his feelings for the person will disappear. "I look at my dogs and say, 'Hey, it's us again,'" he said. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey of 6,034 US adults showed that about 30% of those over the age of 50 are single. Additionally, among all single adults surveyed, 57% say they are not currently looking for a relationship or casual dates. Although there is a stigma around being single especially for older women research has shown that there are numerous mental and physical benefits to singledom. Bonnie Scott, therapist and founder of Mindful Kindness Counseling, previously told Business Insider that single people can make decisions independently, which leads to more freedom. A representative for Penn did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider See the Best Photos of the Royals at the Japan State Banquet It was a glamorous affair at Buckingham Palace tonight: King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at a state banquet, kicking off the imperial couple's three-day state visit to the UK. The visit was a long time comingthe Japanese royals were set to travel to the UK in spring 2020, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. This week marks the third state visit King Charles has hosted during his reign. The first, in honor of South Africa's President Ramaphosa, took place in November 2022, and the second, in honor of South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, was in November 2023. On the first evening of a state visit, a state banquet traditionally takes place in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom. Also in attendance tonight were Prince William and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Kate Middleton, though she appeared at Trooping the Colour earlier this month, is still undergoing cancer treatment and is not back to work, so she was not among the royals at the banquet this evening. Princess Anne, who was hospitalized with a head injury, also missed the banquet. Here, see all the best photos of the royals (and their guests) at the Japan state banquet: Queen Camilla, Empress Masako, Emperor Naruhito, and King Charles pose for a formal portrait. KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH - Getty Images The royals seemed to be in good spirits. KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH - Getty Images Queen Camilla wears the Burmese Ruby Tiara and a dress by Fiona Clare. She also wore a new honor from King Charles for the first time. Read more about her tiara Read more about her honor KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH - Getty Images Empress Masako wore the Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara for the first time, while Emperor Naruhito wore the star of the Order of the Garter. Read more about Masako's tiara WPA Pool - Getty Images A view of the Buckingham Palace ballroom. AARON CHOWN - Getty Images King Charles III's cypher is on the dinner plates. AARON CHOWN - Getty Images You Might Also Like Empress Masako sported an unexpected accessory as she and Emperor Naruhito were officially welcomed to the U.K., but only for the procession to Buckingham Palace Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Queen Camilla and Empress Masako at the ceremonial welcome for the Japanese state visit on June 25, 2024 in London. Empress Masako of Japan slipped on an unexpected accessory on the first day of the state visit to the U.K. hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla. On June 25, the Japanese empress wore a face mask that matched her white ensemble for the horse-drawn carriage ride following the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade which kicked off the trip. Once the group stepped inside Buckingham Palace for lunch and to browse items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan, Empress Masako removed the accessory. There was a practical reason for wearing the mask outdoors: Empress Masako is allergic to horses, according to royal reporter Rebecca English of the Daily Mail. The Empress isn't the only one to allegedly be affected by the horses during royal pageantry. Prince Louis, 6, had a hilarious reaction, apparently to the animals' smell, when he briefly held his nose during a carriage ride at Trooping the Colour in June 2023. PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Prince William, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in London on June 25, 2024. Related: Prince William Dances Like No One's Watching to Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' at Eras Tour in London Maskao, 60, was all smiles sans face mask when the day officially began as Prince William greeted her and her husband, Emperor Naruhito, at their hotel in London. The Prince of Wales, 41, stepped out solo for the key role highlighting his position as heir to the throne, a duty that his wife Kate Middleton has joined him for before. The Princess of Wales, 42, continues to remain outside of the spotlight while receiving cancer treatment. Although she appeared in public for the first time in nearly six months at Trooping the Colour on June 15, it didn't signal a return to work. "She has been doing whats right for her and recovering privately at home. She is dealing with it the best she can," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's cover story. Prince William accompanied the Emperor and Empress of Japan to Horse Guards Parade, where they greeted King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 76, at the ceremonial welcome. KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Empress Masako and Emperor Naruhito greet King Charles and Queen Camilla at the ceremonial welcome for the state visit on June 25, 2024 in London. Related: Princess Anne Hospitalized with Concussion Following an 'Incident' at Her Country Home Presentations were made, the Guard of Honour gave a Royal Salute and the Japanese national anthem was played. King Charles and Emperor Naruhito, 64, then inspected a Guard of Honour formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (of which Prince William serves as honorary colonel) before the carriage ride along The Mall in London, decorated with Japanese and Union Jack flags, to Buckingham Palace. State visits are an important part of the British royal familys diplomatic duties, organized to strengthen relationships with other nations around the world. The incoming state visit from Japan was announced in late April as part of King Charles' return to public duties amid his cancer treatment. Peter Nicholls/Getty Queen Camilla and Empress Masako travel by carriage at the ceremonial welcome on June 25, 2024 in London. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On June 4, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the state visit would be held from June 25 to June 27, ending speculation around the plans in light of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's May 22 announcement of a general election on July 4. At the time, the palace said the royals would postpone outings "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign." Members of the British royal family are constitutionally non-political and usually leave the public space during campaigns to focus public attention on the election and the issues it presents. Chris Jackson/Getty Images (From left) Empress Masako, Queen Camilla, King Charles and Emperor Naruhito the ceremonial welcome during the state visit on June 25, 2024. The Emperor and Empress of Japan arrived in England on June 22 for a series of private engagements before the state visit officially kicked off on June 25. The British royals will reconvene with the Emperor and Empress for a state banquet at the palace tonight. The glam occasion might mean a tiara moment for Queen Camilla, though Princess Anne is not expected to attend after being hospitalized following an accident at her country home on June 23. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. As Kenya Moores peach for The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16 remains in limbo, one person coming to her defense is longtime friend and RHOA alum, Kandi Burruss. Its been widely reported that Moore, whos been on the show since Season 5, was suspended amid production for Season 16 as production investigates whether she revealed controversial images of newcomer Brittany Eady. Eady has taken to social media with posts about revenge porn being a crime, while Moore maintains her innocence. I dont like the fact that they suspended Kenya. I know a lot of people was like she shouldnt have shown that but this is housewives, Burruss said during an interview with Streetz 94.5s Streetz Morning Takeover. How many times we done did something that you think somebody shouldnt do? So who made the rules? Why do you all of a sudden got such an issue with somebody doing something crazy to somebody? Burruss also said the alleged images in question of Eady were already searchable online. She also said its par for the course on a show like RHOA, believing that when a person throws shade, the other party has a right to react however they choose. She added, If it was on the internet and the girl came at her then its like ok well. You dont get to choose how she comes back at her. But I guess well see when we watch the episode. Moore has denied being involved in any type of revenge porn. In a recent comment on Instagram in response to a fan, she once again defended herself. No one credible including my corporate employer has confirmed anything whatsoever. Therefore, everyone is literally running with unsubstantiated claims and false narratives patience is a virtue and so is due process, she wrote, per Bossip. 10 South Carolina state parks to put on your summer bucket list: 4 are in the Upstate Escaping into nature has never been more fun than visiting the local state park. With wooded terrain rolling thousands of acres and mountaintop views reminding us of how expansive our world is, there is much beauty to appreciate and discover. When it comes to state parks worth venturing to in South Carolina, Tripadvisor readers gave their say, narrowing down their favorites. Four from the Upstate made it into the top 10. What state parks made the top 10, and what do they have to offer travelers? Here's what to know. No. 5: Table Rock State Park Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Table Rock State Park will take the average hiker five hours to complete, with three hours traveling up and two hours going down. The park has three waterfalls within the area; Carrick Creek, Mill Creek, and Green Creek Waterfalls. How the park got its name makes for an interesting story to tell. Legend has it that a Cherokee Chieftain named the Table Rock Watershed "Sah-ka-na-ga." After hunting, he would stay there and use Table Rock Mountain as a dining table while sitting on Stool Mountain to dine on his venison, according to South Carolina Parks. Table Rock State Park during a peak time to view leaves in Upstate South Carolina in the first week of November 2021. No. 6: Paris Mountain State Park If you plan on going camping on a summer afternoon, try visiting Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville. The park includes paved camping sites, including 13 with tent pads. There are also five trailside campsites within the vicinity of the North Trail Loop. First time visitors can try hiking Lake Placid Trail, which is less than a mile. In the Park Center, history buffs will get to learn more about the park's origins, which date back to the Great Depression. During the era, the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which can be felt through the preserved exterior of the bathhouse, now the Park Center. More: 5 best waterfalls in the Upstate: See the tallest, falls with short hikes, more No. 7: Caesars Head State Park Caesars Head Park in Cleveland has got it all, from panorama views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to mountain river fishing in the Middle Saluda. Caesars Head, Jones Gap State Park, and other nature preserves make up the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, which offers a variety of hiking trails and waterfalls, according to Discover South Carolina. Raven Cliff Falls, one of the most photographed waterfalls in the state, is in the area, its beauty making it worth the 4-mile round trip hike. People take in the view of Table Rock from an observation deck at Caesers Head State Park. No. 8: Devils Fork State Park This state park has the only public access point to the crystal-clear Lake Jocassee, one of the state's most popular summer spots. Spotted bass, redeye bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout, and rainbow trout are species of fish that have been recorded at the reservoir by the state, making the spot excellent for fisherman. Hunting, kayaking, and waterfall watching are recreational activities also enjoyed at the lake, located in Salem. First-time visitors of Devils Fork will want to keep their eye out for the lovely Oconee Bells which bloom in early spring. More: Teeth on the beach: Search for megalodon teeth in South Carolina on Memorial Day weekend Oconee Bells in bloom at Devil's Fork State Park. Tripadvisor's top 10 state parks in SC No. 1: Huntington Beach State Park, Murells Inlet No. 2: Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort No. 3: Myrtle Beach State Park, Myrtle Beach No. 4: Caesars Head State Park, Cleveland No. 5: Table Rock State Park, Pickens No. 6: Edisto Beach State Park, Edisto Island No. 7: Paris Mountain State Park, Greenville No. 8: Devils Fork State Park, Salem No. 9: Isle of Palms County Park, Isle of Palms No. 10: Santee State Park, Santee Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Upstate, SC state parks for summer bucket list, ranked by Tripadvisor Everything you need to know about 12-year-olds, from physical and cognitive milestones to emotional and social development. Medically reviewed by Bree Lustre, MDMedically reviewed by Bree Lustre, MD During the tween years, your child inches closer every day to being a full-fledged teenager. Immense changes happen during the teen years from growth spurts and acne to increasing independence and focus on friends. Typically, 12-year-olds have moments of both acting like the child you have always known and suddenly turning into a little adult right in front of you. This is the time to make sure your child has the skills they need to thrive during their teenage years. Read on to discover how to prepare for the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development that happens for 12-year-olds. Parents / Emily Roberts Related: 13-Year-Old Child Development Milestones 12-Year-Old Language and Cognitive Milestones A 12-year-olds brain may have stopped growing in size, but its nowhere near done developing. Here are some things you may notice: Reasoning is more complex Abstract thinking, problem-solving, and logic are all becoming easier. They show improvement in reasoning and information processing as they continue to mature, says Chris Cardona-Correa, MD, a pediatrician at Children's Minnesota in West Saint Paul. The young adolescent may demonstrate the capacity for long-range planning and the ability to consider other points of view and feelings, and this capacity continues to develop as they grow older." They may be impulsive However, the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that plays a role in impulse control and organizational skills, is still maturing. So dont be surprised if your 12-year-old engages in some potentially impulsive or risk-taking behavior. Say hello to sarcasm By 12, most children have a strong command of language and communication skills. They are able to think beyond literal interpretations, and proverbs and idioms wont fly over their heads anymore. You will probably get your first taste of sarcasm and teen slang, and they will understand the tone and the actual language in a conversation, says Jen Trachtenberg, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and parenting expert from New York. 12-Year-Old Physical Development By 12, many kids with ovaries have started puberty. It's also right at the beginning of the typical age that kids with testicles start going through puberty as well. However, exactly when puberty begins depends on genetics, sex, and a range of environmental factors. Early adolescence is a time of many physical changes, explains Dr. Cardona-Correa. At age 12, many adolescents are beginning to show signs of pubertynew smells, hair growth in new places, acne, growth spurts. Here are some physical milestones you may notice in 12-year-olds: While these changes are physical, they can have psychological impacts on your 12-year-old, too. For many adolescents, these changes can be stressful or uncomfortable, explains Dr. Cardona-Correa. The physical changes the early adolescent experiences often create a stage of self-focus that itself may lead to concerns and psychological distress. You can support your child through their transition into adolescence by talking with them them about what to expect and reassuring them about the process. If you havent already, now is the time to initiate open conversations surrounding the normal physical changes they will encounter. 12-Year-Old Emotional and Social Milestones Teenage emotions are no joke, and you will probably get a taste of the wild ride over the next year. Twelve-year-olds love their parents but also seem to want nothing to do with them, and friends become more important than ever. Here are some social-emotional milestones to watch for in 12-year-olds: Friends are a big deal As early adolescents are beginning to separate from family, the adolescent will be more dependent on peer groups for support, says Dr. Cardona-Correa. Peer groups are usually associated with strong solitary friendships with the same gender that at times can seem intense. Your 12-year-old may also be interested in developing romantic relationships and friendships with all genders. Developing a sense of identity Around now, your child will begin to explore their sense of personal identity. Dr. Trachtenberg says they will begin exploring topics of interest more in-depth and have a more heightened level of self-consciousness, becoming more independent and seeking their own solutions rather than asking for adult assistance. However, it is still important for them to feel like they belong. This often means finding independence from parents and other family members, but with that comes the risk of peer pressure and complicated friendship dynamics. Budding leadership skills Your child will also start to develop leadership skills and understand the idea of giving back to the community. Encourage these skills by letting them take part in decision-making processes in the home and supporting involvement in community or school activities. Exploring different ideas Many 12-year-olds begin exploring the morals of their peer group. Don't be surprised if your 12-year-old announces they want to adopt a new lifestyle so they can live like their friend's family or that they want to explore a new religion or spirituality. Exploring morality is a normal part of the development process. While it's important to explain your morals and establish rules that promote morality in your household, don't worry too much when your child says they don't agree with your beliefs. It's all a part of them developing their own identity. Emotional and Social Checklist Starts to show a rebellious streak Emotions frequently ricochet between happiness and sadness Begins to question family values and develop personal morals Shows concerns about being liked and accepted Fluctuating self-esteem Related: Teenagers and Toddlers Are Eerily SimilarHere's the Proof How to Help Your 12-Year-Old Learn and Grow It's natural to feel as though your preteen is pulling away from you. However, showing an interest in their friendships, hobbies, and opinions will help you stay connected throughout their transition into adolescence and beyond. "Be present," advises Dr. Trachtenberg. "Have them invite friends to your house, and let them express their individuality without comment or shaming [and] be supportive." Here are some ways to support your 12-year-old: Maintain a close connection This will make it easier to tackle any difficult conversations that may come up, such as their growing sexuality. This isn't the time to turn a blind eye, so talk to your child's health care provider if you need advice on how to broach the subject of sexuality with your child." Talk about difficult and often tough topics frequently, adds Dr. Cardona-Correa. Stay on top of school concerns Additionally, school may become increasingly challenging for your 12-year-old. Stay in contact with your childs teacherswithout becoming a nuisanceand remain active in their academic life. Dont wait until the report card comes home with a bad grade to ensure that your pre-teen is performing well academically. If there are academic issues, find the root cause rather than get upset, as it could be anything from an eye problem to a learning disability. Maintain house rules and responsibilities "Home family routines and family time [are] important," says Dr. Trachtenberg. Create a supportive environment at home while maintaining house rules and responsibilities. Your 12-year-old will likely resent any boundaries you attempt to lay down, so be prepared for push-back. "Be a parent and not a pal," advises Dr. Cardona-Correa. "But choose your battles carefully." Encourage healthy habits Nutrition, exercise, and sleep continue to be important to your children. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends eight to 10 hours of sleep for a 12-year-old, so now isn't the time to ditch their bedtime routine. Set clear boundaries for any electronic devices they use and encourage your tween to stay active, even if theyre not into organized sports. Tweens should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. How to Keep Your 12-Year-Old Safe Safety goes beyond just the physical at this age. Keep the communication channels open and available to your 12-year-old. Your child is establishing their independence, but that could result in them experiencing situations that they're not ready for or don't know how to deal with. That includes all that goes along with peer pressure. Let them know that they can always talk to you. Here's what to watch out for when raising your 12-year-old: Communication needs Even though your tween is establishing their independence, they still need to know that their parents are available for support. Talk frequently about the things your 12-year-old would like to be able to do on their own and continually make compromises when it feels appropriate. "Communication is key," says Dr. Trachtenberg. "Ask open-ended questions [and] listen, don't just offer advice." Signs of mental health issues At 12 years old, your child may feel uncomfortable or self-conscious about their changing body. While this is common, keep a close eye on any changes in their eating patterns or any signs that they feel negative about their appearance. Eating disorders are common among this age group, so it's important to check in with how your child is feeling about their body. Monitor screen time Of course, screen time continues to be an activity to monitor during the tween years. Stay in the loop on how much screen time your 12-year-old is using, and install parental controls to ensure they only have access to age-appropriate material. Social media safety While most tech companies require a minimum age of 13 for users, your child will likely have already broached the topic of social media and smartphone use with you. As well as adhering to company guidelines, other ways to help keep your child safe on social media include setting clear limitations and helping them navigate it positively. But proceed with caution: Once your child has their own social media account, they are then at risk of cyberbullying. When to Be Concerned About Your 12-Year-Old Physical and emotional development dont always go hand-in-hand when a child is becoming a teenager. Dont be concerned if your child doesnt seem emotionally ready for activities that others their age are doing, or vice versa. Mental health issues, such as depression or cell phone addiction, can pop up at this time, so it's important to keep an eye out for any warning signs, including: Anxiety Depression A change in eating patterns Sleep issues Isolation from friends Loss of enjoyment or refusing to participate in activities they previously enjoyed Sudden rage Angry outbursts Discuss any concerns about your 12-year-olds health or mental well-being with a pediatrician or mental health provider. If you have concerns about a tweens academic life, such as their inability to keep up in class, schedule an appointment with their teacher. They often have resources to help you and may be able to offer insight that you might not have considered. "The developmental milestones of adolescence can vary somewhat from person to person," says Dr. Cardona-Correa. "I recommend to parents, whenever there seems to be a concern about behavior or development, to always remember to keep the lines of communication open between you and your adolescent." That includes staying closely aligned with your tweens emotional state of mind. Related: Dont Know What to Get Your 12-Year-Old? We Have 55 Gift Ideas Theyll Love For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents. This $18 Million Wyoming Ranch Is Surrounded by an Elk Refuge and a National Park Looking for a rustic and secluded retreat in Wyoming? How about a 40-acre spread near Jackson? Known as Wapiti View Ranch, the picturesque property is on the market for just shy of $18 million and comprises a massive 40-acre inholdinga privately owned, federally protected parcel of landthat is nestled within the Grand Teton National Park. The ranch is surrounded by wilderness on all sides, including an impressive 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge to the west and the Gros Ventre Wilderness and Bridger-Teton National Forests to the north, south, and east. Dating back over a century to 1912, the refuge is essentially a wildlife sanctuary, and in the colder months, residents and visitors can expect to see thousands of elk grazing the nearby snow-covered plains during their annual winter migration. More from Robb Report The National Elk Refuge is not just an important ecological haven; its a pivotal part of the Jackson community that enriches the quality of life for its residents and enhances the appeal of real estate investments in the area, notes the listing, which is being held by Compass broker Richard Lewis. RELATED: This Secluded Wyoming Home Fuses Rustic Mountain Style With Clean-Lined Modern Elegance The ranch includes an unpretentious and comfortably appointed two-bedroom, two-bath log cabin. The ranchs log-style cabin was built in line with traditional Rocky Mountain style and comprises two bedrooms and two bathrooms in about 2,300 square feet of living space. The home has been updated throughout the years; however, as the listing points out, there is plenty of room to expand the building or even to start from scratch. In addition to the Elk Refuge, the ranch has access to Flat Creek, a legendary blue ribbon trout stream. And, if youre more of a horse rider, the property is an equestrian paradise with over a million acres of national park to trot through. There are also tons of other recreational opportunities that dont involve wildlife, like hiking and mountain biking. The residence has been renovated over the years. RELATED: One of Wyomings Most Storied Ranches Returns to Market for $67 Million A parcel of this size, level of privacy, proximity to town, and unobstructed views of the greatest landscape in North America simply does not exist anywhere else in the Mountain West, writes the listing. Wapiti View Ranch is less than five miles from the new and improved Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, which in recent years has undergone several upgrades, including installing a faster gondola, a base lodge, an observatory, and even a concert venue. Click here to see more photos of Wapiti View Ranch. Wapiti View Ranch wyoming Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. An American mom raising teens in Paris said French parents don't track their kids' phones and give them privacy for sex Pamela Druckerman (not pictured) said that French parents tend to be more relaxed about teenagers having sex as long as they take precautions. Getty Images Pamela Druckerman wrote "Bringing Up Bebe" arguing that parenting in France is superior to the US. The 2012 book caused a sensation because it said Americans could learn from French moms and dads. Druckerman's kids are now teens and she largely believes similar lessons apply today. When Pamela Druckerman published her ground-breaking book, "Bringing Up Bebe," in 2012, her daughter was around 5, and her twin sons were toddlers. It caused a stir because the author compared the parenting style of the French with that of the US. Druckerman, a transplant to Paris from Miami, concluded that, unlike in America, moms and dads in France called the shots in the family, not the kids. The book's title in the UK was "French Children Don't Throw Food," summing up her observation that they were better behaved because of the less angsty approach. Now Druckerman's kids are 18 and 15, she has returned to her theory. She told Business Insider that while a few US parenting styles had begun to cross the Atlantic, most French parents raise their older children differently. She said they shared some concerns with their American counterparts particularly over the influence of social media but highlighted three common attitudes from which US parents might learn. Most French parents don't track their teens' location In "Bringing Up Bebe," Druckerman noted that so-called Helicopter Parenting when parents hover over their kids and cater to their whims was an alien concept to many French people. She said that, as is often the case in America, they don't follow them around the playground. Instead, adults can have interrupted conversations while their children are left alone to play independently and manage their own interactions. Druckerman, who lives in Paris. is the mother of three teenagers Courtesy of Dimitry Kostyukov She said the same "hands-off" approach extends to the teenage years when parents rarely interfere in their relationships with friends. "In America, I've met plenty of parents who monitor their teenagers quite closely, feeling entitled to read their private text messages," Druckerman said. She said it was unusual for French parents to track their adolescents' location using the GPS on their phones. "I don't see that happening," she added. "Parents expect them to have a private life." They respect their privacy in terms of sex after the age of consent of 15 Druckerman said the age at which kids in France have sex for the first time is around 17. She said the average American loses their virginity at a similar age. She said what's different is that the French tend to acknowledge it, while Americans prefer to shy away from the fact. "There is a lot of discussion here about adolescent sexuality an expectation that teens will be having sex," the author said, adding that they're afforded their privacy. "In the US, I get the impression that parents pretend it's not happening when, of course, it is," she told BI. French pharmacies dispense free condoms to young people under the age of 26, and girls have easy access to birth control and morning-after pills funded by the public health system. "There are no questions asked, and parents aren't consulted," Druckerman said. Most French moms and dads ensure their children know they have a life outside parenting Druckerman cited research by the Financial Times showing that parents in most developed countries, including the UK, Spain, and Canada, spend more time with their children than in the past. Druckerman's ground-breaking book about French parenting came out in 2012 Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images The study found that, in 2020, Americans spent three hours a day practicing "hands-on" parenting, such as helping with homework or playing with their kids, up from two hours in 1965. In contrast, French parents spent almost an hour less "together time" with their kids in 2020 than they did 55 years earlier. "It had gone up dramatically in almost every single country that they tracked except for France, where the number of hours parents spend per day with their kids has declined," Druckerman said. The mom added that French parents ensure that they are not defined as such. "They have their own lives to lead," she said. "Children are raised to see them as individuals who need time and space for themselves." Do you have an interesting story highlighting the differences between parenting in the US and other countries? If you'd like to share it with Business Insider, please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider For several years now, I have been fortunate to have Benita Albert as a writer for "Historically Speaking." She features Oak Ridge Schools' graduates who have been highly successful in their chosen careers. She has written one book and has another one in the works again featuring these high achievers from Oak Ridge. She has received the following special recognition recently: "To honor the extraordinary contributions of Mrs. Albert over her 45-year career at Oak Ridge High School as a pioneering woman mathematics teacher, the Benita Albert STEM Teaching Fellowship is being established. The program focuses on enhancing the teaching ability of K-12 educators in the Oak Ridge Public Schools and will be administered by the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation. For further information contact Dr. Donald Johns at axonalguidance@gmail.com." Mark and Benita Albert in 2017 at their daughters wedding. Jessica Steed has written the following "Historically Speaking" column about Benita. *** For many Oak Ridgers, Benita Albert needs no introduction. She has been a teaching legend in Oak Ridge Schools for many decades. Perhaps she was your math teacher, or that of your children, your neighbor, your teacher, or your friend. Maybe you heard of her 6 a.m. Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus study sessions, the weekend study sessions she hosted in her home, or her challenging classes and high expectations. Maybe you learned of Benita by reading one of her many fascinating articles showcasing various Oak Ridge High School alumni and their successes. A quick search online will produce records of Benitas many titles, teaching accolades, and accomplishments - too many to name here. But who is Benita as an individual? Has she always loved math? How did a young woman aspiring to be a computer scientist become one of the nation's top math teachers? Benita was born in Moberly, Missouri. She started first grade at age five. According to Benita, There was no kindergarten offered, and Mom decided that I was ready to start school. Technically, per the rule book, I should have started one year later. By beginning early, I was able to have dear, sweet Mrs. Earline Dennis in her last year of teaching before retirement. I dont remember much more about first grade other than learning to print letters then words and learning to read. The latter was the most precious gift I ever received from school. By the end of first grade I had read every book marked for first and second grade readers in the schools library. Benita attributes her love for mathematics to Cottage Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse which provided a rare learning opportunity to see the future of math and to fall in love with the subject. Benita shared, Mrs. Betty Wright conducted her math lessons at the chalkboard where she and students worked on problems. By second grade, I joined the arithmetic being done at the board by quietly working the same problems at my desk. I didnt always catch on to what the older kids were doing, but I copied notes that I worked on and tried to comprehend. I also listened intently for concepts I missed on the following day. Before I left at the end of my fifth year, I could do all the arithmetic through eighth grade. Benitas family moved to Illinois, West Tennessee, and then to Kingston, Tennessee, where her love for math continued to grow in public schools. According to Benita, I was always the best in class when it came to math. At least, I was the best until I met new students from Oak Ridge whose families relocated to Kingston. They were placed in my Algebra II class in my sophomore year at Roane County High School. I was awed by what they knew. I quickly made friends with them, so glad to work with them and to have them teach me more. Mrs. Mildred Carroll, my Algebra I and II teacher, introduced me to higher, symbolic thinking and problem solving and sealed my intent to pursue mathematics. I always qualified for the state math contests, a position made even harder to secure once the Oak Ridge math geniuses joined my classes. Surprisingly, as a high school student, Benita never once thought she would go on to become a teacher. Benita explained, Unfortunately, outside of my high school math teachers, I felt a lack of academic inspiration and encouragement. Thus, I rated teaching as one of the last things I would ever choose to do. In retrospect, I now realize that I also learned a lot about what I would never do with students. I would never presume to come into a classroom unprepared or unenthused, or without true caring and investment in them personally and in their potential to learn. Benita began her college education at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (later renamed Tennessee Tech University) to study mathematics. She chose to transfer to the University of Tennessee (UT) for her junior and senior years. Benita shared, I was tired of being the only girl in my math classes, and only one of two girls in a full-year, 90-member physics class. I was never discriminated against as a female, but it was lonely. I was privileged to have caring, full professors at Tennessee Tech for all six quarters of my Calculus instruction, an experience that provided me with an incredibly strong foundation. However, I also wanted to add a computer science concentration to my undergraduate program, and UTs newly forming computer science curriculum met my wishes. During college, Benita worked every summer to earn money to help pay for her education at the Roane County Newspaper Company, which her mother co-owned. I usually set headlines on an antiquated, dial-up letter wheel, a machine which printed out headlines for later pasting in place on the newspaper pages. I collated books, proof read stories, and ran errands to the many outlying newspaper offices the company served. Her summer job never seemed to leave her in a great financial position considering the costs of attending college. Providentially, the first day of her senior year at UT she received a phone call from a UT math professor, Dr. Donald Dessart. Benita explained, He was a math education professor who needed a teaching assistant to help him with a large class of sophomores who were studying to certify for elementary math teaching. I was so excited! The assistantship meant that all my tuition would be paid, and I would also earn a small check each quarter. It was more than I needed to finish paying for my senior year. I was so excited that I readily accepted while also telling Dr. Dessart of my financial situation and how his job offer had resolved my worries. He was so gracious; and I was so foolish. Within two hours, Dr. Dessart called me back to ask about my graduate status. He had looked at my transcript too quickly, noted that my coursework included graduate course work and thereby assumed that I was a graduate student. I was not. He apologized profusely, said it was his mistake, but he had to offer the job to a graduate student. I went from over-the-moon excited to disconsolate within one day. However, God was on my side. The next morning there was another phone call from Dr. Dessart asking me to stop by his office. He had spent the previous afternoon trying to find a graduate student to no avail, and thus, he was reinstating his offer. When asked about her experience as a teaching assistant, Benita stated, That Math for Elementary Teachers course was pure magic, at least for me, if not for the much less interested students. Dr. Dessart built the structure of mathematics and mathematical thinking before my hungry eyes each day of class. It was my job (actually, my pleasure) to attend every class, record class attendance, hold office tutoring hours, and help grade their tests. I was chagrined at the lack of interest and investment from many students. They attended class because it counted as a part of their final grade. They rarely came to tutoring sessions until the day before tests when they expected me to cover numerous days of lecture content and tell them what was on the test (to which I was not privy.) Reading test answers was a too often discouraging task. I was shocked! I began to worry that these were the future teachers of my and the nations children. This experience further deepened my dismissiveness for teaching as a profession. At the end of her senior year, in early May, Dr. Dessart asked Benita for a meeting. She shared, I had no idea why. I was quite surprised to learn that he wanted to offer me a National Science Foundation fellowship for graduate studies at UT. Asking further questions of him, I learned that the fellowship program, Prospective Mathematics and Science Teachers Fellowship, was a government funded initiative to recruit highly qualified undergraduates toward a career in teaching. I thanked him for the wonderful offer, but I added that I had no interest in teaching, that I had taken no education classes. He said that was the point of this recruitment fellowship, and he asked me to think about it over the coming weekend. When I told my mother about his offer and that I had decided to decline, she was aghast! She rejoindered: What are you thinking, you are marrying a sailor, and the one job you can count on finding when you travel with him is as a teacher. I went back and apologetically asked if the fellowship was still a possibility. Benita went on to say, I spent one year of my two-year fellowship completing courses that met teacher certification requirements. I did not enjoy my education classes, and this experience made me further question a teaching career. However, the fellowship required that I teach for at least two years. I secured a teaching assignment at Berkeley High School in California nearby Treasure Island where my husband, Mark, was stationed. Benita Albert's photo in the 2007 Oak Log yearbook. 'They were my strength' Just before my last quarter of grad school, Mark called to say that he was being shipped to Midway Island and that I could not go with him. Dismayed by his news, I quickly found an interview opportunity with the Oak Ridge Schools, and I was blessed to be hired the same day. I have no doubt that this opportunity to teach in one of the nations best school systems changed everything for me as I entered the profession. I would later describe my immersion into teaching as a bed of hot coals (very challenging) made better by the many students who lifted me up and inspired me to be my best. They were my strength. Benita shared, I knew the Oak Ridge Schools were exceptional in their innovations and expectations, but to learn that they trusted me to teach an Advanced Placement Calculus course was overwhelming to this first year teacher. I was replacing a legendary teacher, Ruth Benson, who initiated the teaching of Calculus in the early 1960s at ORHS and who later aligned her curriculum with College Boards AP Calculus guidelines. Such an offering was extremely rare in public schools in 1968 when I took on the course. I was asked to visit Miss Benson and receive instructional materials from her inventory to begin my course planning. I met her in my future ORHS classroom, where she handed me three textbooks for the courses I would teach - Geometry, Math Analysis, and AP Calculus. None of the books were teacher editions and there were no ancillaries, no lesson plans, nor pacing guidelines. When I asked her about ancillaries, she asked me what I meant. I specifically stated that a solutions book would be most helpful. She brusquely replied, If you have to have that, then you should NOT be teaching these courses. Whew! I fearfully started from scratch and with a new and profound humility for the task ahead. Benita continued teaching at ORHS for a second year due to her husbands subsequent deployment to the Western Pacific, including Viet Nam War support. Benita explained, He served on guided missile destroyers, an assignment that ultimately sent him to every hot spot in the world. We were together only one month out of each of our first five years of marriage. I stayed with ORHS beyond my two-year teaching requirement because I fell in love with my incredibly bright and inspiring students. Mark came home with a first-class electronics training experience from the U.S. Navy, which he turned into an electrical engineering degree at UT and a 36-year career in Oak Ridge government plants. We were thrilled to be able to see our two daughters graduate from ORHS in 1997 and 2000. I retired in 2013 due to my moms increasing illnesses and care needs. I still miss the classroom, the banter with my students, and the many lessons I learned from them. I found my calling via a crooked route, and it now doubly rewards me via reconnections to students with whom I shared the classroom. I tell everyone that I saw the future daily and it always looked so bright! Benita never got to teach computer science at ORHS, but her Calculus assignment and the incredible AP scores of her students earned her a very young appointment to College Board and the AP Calculus Test Development Committee. She served as an AP Calculus consultant from 1975-2020, leading workshops, authoring the 1985 AP Calculus Teachers Guide, and teaching AP teachers in week-long, university summer programs across the nation. When asked about Calculus II and the Math Thesis courses she created, Benita replied, In the 1970s I taught sophomore-level Calculus (Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations) in UTs night school. There were several ORHS students completing AP Calculus under me as early as their sophomore or junior year. I offered to take those students with me to my UT night class should they want. By 1978, my car was full. It was then that the chair of the UT Math Department (who had allowed my students to attend free of charge) recommended I install a course in the above-mentioned three subjects at ORHS, named Calculus II, where my students could opt to register for UT college credit. Also, I began to deal with the above-mentioned sophomores who needed something for their ORHS senior-year math course. My mind raced back to the math enrichment projects students presented when I taught Math Analysis. I wanted to create a course structured around a cooperative research agreement with Oak Ridge National Lab mentors. It was quite the political battle, but I found advocates within ORNL to support my cause. A tough hurdle was arranging security clearances for underage student applicants, but eventually Lab officials agreed with me that this was a symbiotic benefit between the Lab and ORHS. Math Thesis was created in 1983, and the rest is history. The Thesis course brought me a new passion for learning as year after year I oversaw the cutting-edge science projects my students completed. We won an obscene number of science competitions over time, including national finalists (top six research papers in the nation) six times in the Siemens Math and Science Competition - two of those years we placed first, and my student teams won $100,000. Thesis taught me to never fear questioning when my skills were not equivalent to the mentors overseeing my students. If I could not follow the logic of a presentation, I had to be taught and/or convinced by my students. Quite often my students told me that in their meeting with contest judges, similar questions to mine were posed. I was their unwitty learner, advocate, and cheerleader. An additional blessing was that Thesis offered me a return to my computer science roots as much of the Labs computer code at the time was still in Fortran, the primary language background from my UT studies. With all her rich experiences across 45 years at ORHS, Benita also includes another of her passions, namely, teaching Algebra I. She wrote, I felt it was important to include a foundational course in my yearly schedule. I needed to meet and to understand the beginning learner in a critical course for their future in math. Many students came to ORHS having completed Algebra I in middle school (or junior high), and therefore, it was often the case that my ORHS Algebra I classes were peopled by students with low confidence and interest in the subject. I knew that none of that was their fault, and it was my honor to help reset their minds and attitudes in one of the most beautiful subjects in all of math, Algebra I! I am sure that if any of my former students read this, they are laughing and remembering that we did math every precious minute in my classroom. If we partied it was always something to do with math. I am so proud of the many students who went on to take more than the required math credits, who proved to be creative problem solvers and thinkers, and who now hold down many important positions in this community. When I hear Ms. Albert, are you still teaching? in various venues around town, it is most often one of my Algebra I students. I love those joyful reunions and the pride they show in the time we spent together. I can honestly say that teaching is the hardest job you will ever love. And who would have thought that lucky me found it. I am now honored to write about many incredible former Oak Ridge students who are capably leading us into the future in so many innovative and expansive careers. I am proud to count among my former students many who are educators across all levels and fields of study, educators who I know loved learning and who are now igniting the same in their students. God bless them all. Jessica Steed: Benita is not retired Benita has been retired for over a decade now, and I can tell you she is anything, but retired. During the eight years I served as executive director of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation (ORPSEF) I had the privilege to work alongside her as she serves on the ORPSEFs board.https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/politics/county/2019/03/20/historically-speaking-online-archive-features/5665446007/ Working with her on the Foundations book project, "Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence in the Oak Ridge Schools:1944-2018," I learned that what Benitas former students always told me was true. She sets lofty goals and has high expectations, but she also comes alongside you with encouragement, and rolls up her sleeves to teach and help where needed. She continues to be a fierce advocate for academic excellence at ORHS, continuing to serve on the ORPSEF board, and writing to highlight many of the remarkable stories you read of ORHS alumni in this column. When asking a current ORHS English teacher about his experience teaching with Benita, he said, Benita Albert is one of those extraordinary teachers whose legacy sometimes feels like the weight of the world. The pressure I feel to live up to her impossible standard is the best kind of motivation. For instance, when I meet a graduate who has had Benita as a teacher, they will inevitably share a story about how Ms. Albert influenced their life or the impact that her instruction had on their chosen profession. Mark and Benita Albert on their 55th wedding anniversary in 2022. These encounters are a constant reminder of the tradition of excellence established at ORHS, and a reminder of my responsibility to inspire my students to reach for success in the same way that Benita did. We are fortunate to have had such an excellent educator in Oak Ridge Public Schools for 45 years and just as fortunate that Benita remains an ever-faithful advocate of excellent public education in Oak Ridge Schools. *** Thank you Jessica for bringing us such a delightful story of a truly amazing lady! I am proud to know Benita Albert and am so pleased she has chosen "Historically Speaking" as the vehicle to share her marvelous stories. If you would like to know more about her efforts, you might enjoy "Hidden History: Stories from the Secret City" videocasts featuring her: D. Ray Smith is the city of Oak Ridge historian. His "Historically Speaking" columns have been published weekly in The Oak Ridger for many years. D. Ray Smith, writer for the Historically Speaking column. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Who is Benita Albert? She's excelled in teaching math for 45 years Boiled peanut season in SC is here! These expert tips will help you make an amazing batch Hot summer is the perfect time for cool treats like popsicles and ice cream. But in South Carolina, soaring temperatures also mean its time for the states official snack: boiled peanuts. From ball games to road trips, the snack is a popular summer favorite. Peanut Boiling Culture Despite their name, peanuts arent actually nuts at all. The legumes grow well in South Carolinas climate and the practice of boiling them is so beloved locally that in 2006 then-Governor Mark Sanford signed a law making boiled peanuts the states official snack food. People in this area have always boiled peanuts, and its about like the Loris Bog Off everybodys got their own recipe, said state Agriculture Commission member Benjie Andrew. I know several different ways to actually boil them. Its just kind of according to whatever flavor you want. Like many locals, farmer Johnny Graham has been boiling peanuts since childhood. When I was a boy, my granddad used to boil peanuts, Graham said. We never sold them, but they grew them and we boiled them at home and Ive always enjoyed it. As an owner and operator of J & J Farms, Graham has been growing, boiling and selling peanuts in the Myrtle Beach area for more than 20 years. His classic recipe uses a salty brine for boiling but more recently hes introduced a spicier Cajun blend as well. Different Flavors The simplest recipes, like one published on the official Discover South Carolina website, just call for raw, in-shell peanuts, water and salt. But others experiment with spice blends for unique flavors. If youre interested in boiling your own batch, the first step is finding the right peanut. Look for green peanuts or raw peanuts at grocery stores, produce stands and farmers markets. Green here doesnt actually mean green in color but fresh peanuts that havent yet been dehydrated. Raw peanuts are also uncooked, but unlike green peanuts theyve been dried out and require the extra step of re-hydrating before boiling. Next youll need to decide what to boil your peanuts in. While Graham keeps his recipes secret, he does have a recommended salt to legume ratio: 2 pounds of salt per bushel of peanuts. For a smaller batch, Discover South Carolina recommends three-fourths of a cup of salt for 2 to 3 pounds of in-shell peanuts. If you want to get more creative, consider what flavors you enjoy with other foods and experiment with spice blends, herbs, dried peppers, sauces and more. [People] may put crushed red pepper water while they boil [the peanuts] in the liquid, and it gives a little bit of a pepper taste, just seasons it up, Andrew said. Some people put seafood seasoning, like Old Bay The older way would be salt and then they would put some type of cured meat inside the pot, like a ham hock or or a big piece of bacon thats been cured, or something like that, to flavor [the peanuts]. Where to Shop While you can find raw and green peanuts in plenty of grocery stores around Horry County, if youre in the market for peanuts that have already been boiled, consider looking for local options. You want to buy peanuts from a farmer-owned stand if the sign says farmer-owned, then you know youre going to get good peanuts, Graham said. PROVIDENCE Even as a kid growing up in Cranston and playing with Legos, Andrew Grover was charmed by older city buildings the ones that had character and soul. He couldn't understand why people would rave about the latest suburban subdivision or strip mall. Decades later, Grover, now 44 and living in Providence, is using that childhood Lego hobby to commemorate historic Rhode Island buildings and structures, especially those vulnerable to the wrecking ball or victimized by neglect. With ancestors dating back hundreds of years in Rhode Island, Grover holds a tremendous affinity for the Ocean State, the people who built it and those who have lived and learned in its houses, schools, libraries. This month, Andrew Grover began offering for sale Lego kits of iconic Rhode Island structures, such as Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, one of his favorites. "I like those things that have stories and soul," Grover says. He's especially fond of old public buildings like schools and libraries. "We used to build them as statements of our values, and we don't do that now," he says. "We have very intense connections to these structures," Grover says. "We built them, and we made our stories there, too." He acknowledges it's a quirky way to honor the state's rich history and architecture, but his work has been commissioned by some big players looking to pay homage to venerable structures. Where you can find his work Grover has built Lego replicas of the Providence Public Library, Providence's historic Union Station Building, which is now home to the Rhode Island Foundation, and the Slater Mill at the Slater Mill National Historic Landmark in Pawtucket. Each of the replicas is on display in its parent building. Grover's reproduction of the Union Station Building "sits prominently" in the Rhode Island Foundation's lobby, where almost every visitor stops for a look and is mesmerized by Grover's reproduction of the "century-old landmark in amazing detail," says former Mayor and later U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, now president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. "Andrew works at the intersection of art, historic preservation and the fun of seeing a well-known landmark in such detail," Cicilline says. This month, Grover began offering for sale Lego kits of iconic Rhode Island structures, including a mill building, which are "some the most distinctive buildings in the Northeast"; Pawtucket City Hall, "one of the art deco masterpieces" of New England, and the infamous Washington Bridge. Andrew Grover with a Lego version of Pawtucket City Hall, one of his replicas of Rhode Island's iconic buildings. Can you build the Washington Bridge in Legos? "Oh vey, the Washington Bridge," Grover writes on his website, Rhode Island Lego Artist. "Can you build it faster than the actual bridge?" The kits range in price from $30 to $120. With most kits, Grover will donate proceeds from a portion of the sales to nonprofit organizations for efforts such as historic preservation, land preservation and the arts. Andrew Grover has been offering Lego kits of the Washington Bridge for sale. How did Grover start building Lego replicas? A former public-school teacher, Grover is now an adjunct professor at the New England Institute of Technology, teaching physics and chemistry. He's also an avid hiker who spends a lot of his spare time reveling in Rhode Island's natural beauty, occasionally rediscovering pieces of Rhode Island history that have been reclaimed by the woods, like a Colonial-era cemetery in Cranston. He rediscovered his Lego hobby about eight years ago, when Warwick decided to close two older schools Samuel Gorton and Nelson Aldrich junior high schools. Then living in Warwick, Grover followed the issue closely, and while Gorton would eventually be repurposed for administrative offices, Grover was disappointed by the decision. Working through his emotions, Grover had a "Eureka!" moment while waiting for the Novocain to kick in at the dentist's office he would build replicas out of Legos. "I liked both buildings, and long had strong empathetic feelings for beautiful, neglected buildings tossed aside by a society that had become so 'throw-away,' " Grover says on his website. He withdrew several hundred dollars from savings to buy enough Legos to build the Aldrich school. At his then-husband's suggestion, Grover later applied and received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts to buy Legos for the Gorton project. In the lobby of the Rhode Island Foundation's offices, Elgin Tagger looks on as Andrew Grover installs a Lego replica of the Downtown Providence building. While the building, facing Burnside Park, is probably best known as the capital citys former railroad station, it has also been the foundation's home for more than two decades. Since then, Grover, as part historian, part artist and part storyteller, has built some 50 Lego models, with many thousands of pieces. Still, he grades himself only as a "B+" Lego artist and says, "There are a lot of people out there who are better than me." Which replica is his favorite? A favorite of Grover's is Providence's Mount Pleasant High School. The Providence Preservation Society describes the school, built in 1938, as "a monumental four-story red-brick-and-limestone building in the Collegiate Gothic mode so popular for educational institutions across the country but relatively scarce in Providence." Grover says, "Thousands and thousands of Rhode Islanders have a connection to Mount Pleasant." His own connection includes a relative who laid bricks for the school and a grandmother who was in one of its first classes. Grover's biggest project to date is the Providence Public Library, which took "months" to complete and includes more than 10,000 tiny bricks. Lisbon, Dublin and Providence With its inspiring old architecture, Grover likens Providence to great European cities Lisbon and Dublin. "Providence is my Dublin," he says. "I want it to be treated with reverence." It's not always the biggest or most well-known buildings that stand out to Grover he hasn't done the "Superman Building" or any Newport mansions. He says people don't have trouble recognizing beautiful buildings on Federal Hill, but they often overlook admirable architecture in other, more beaten-down parts of the city. As he walks a city street, he says, "a random house in Providence will speak to me." He often replicates houses and has produced commissioned work for homeowners. Three of his six custom kits are modeled after the mansard-style houses common in Providence. He hopes his work will help others appreciate some of the city's overlooked but beautiful buildings. "I'm inviting people to look at these structures a little differently," Grover says. "Let's not forget them." Like so many other places, he believes Providence lost some of its history and character to redevelopment, but he still sees beauty in much of the city's architecture. "We were at our best when we were a city of these wooden triple-deckers, before we tore them down and turned them into parking lots," he says. "We messed up," Grover says, "but some of it's still there." This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island Lego artist makes replicas of iconic buildings At long last, vacation. We are on a gorgeous island that feels far, far away, but near enough to mainland Rhode Island to run into somebody we know before the week is out, including, over the years, two governors, more than a few tipsy legislators, Donald Trump's Rhode Island campaign chairman and a onetime mayor who soon after landed in jail. We're a short walk from the nearest beach but under doctor's orders to stay out of the sun ("as much as possible") and way too out of shape to bicycle the hills. But we're on Block Island! What CAN we do between our vacation-size breakfast and a sunset dinner overlooking Block Island Sound? We hike. OK, we walk. Rodman's Hollow offers an interconnected network of trails where you're bound to meet an occasional hiker, trail biker or horseback rider. In fact, we walk the same Greenway Trails we've walked or, in hubby's case, used to run every summer for 30 years, filled with fresh delight each year that 1) we can still do it; 2) it is just as beautiful as we remembered; and 3) we might I stress might find a hidden glass orb. (More to come on that later for the non-orbivores.) As the week goes by, we lament what has changed, what erosion has done to some of the paths and the cliffs, how much farther back the ropes have been moved on the Clayhead Trail to keep us away from the edge and we delight in how much hasn't changed. The first sound of the waves, just over the hill. The lone tree in the meadow. The butterfly that follows us. Open space, rolling hills and plenty of wildlife can be found along the 28 miles of Block Island's walking trails. The adventure begins with overstuffed dufflebags with, in my case, too many T-shirts, shorts, bathing suits (for late-day dips), hiking pants, tick repellent, tubes of No. 50 sunblock and Ivy Block, hiking shoes, socks, flip-flops, our all-important wide-brimmed Tilley Airflo hats and lots of books, including our dog-eared 20-year-old copy of "On This Island: The Block Island Trail and Nature Guide." We look like happy (almost unrecognizable) geeks. (Pro tip: If you want a conversation starter on B.I., wear your frayed old Benny's T-shirt.) Favorite walking trails on Block Island Trails on Block Island are as numerous as they are diverse. You will find open pastures with tall grass waving in the breeze, enclosed paths through thick woods, lush vegetation and scenic vistas of the ocean. All of them deliver beauty and solitude. A view of the bluffs from the Clayhead Trail. We start slow, with the Lewis-Dickens Farm Wildlife Refuge Trail, only 0.9 miles in each direction. We work our way up to the breathtaking Clayhead Trail (a personal favorite), at least 2 miles in each direction, that overlooks steep cliffs, then winds down and around to the end of Corn Neck Road, where some years there has been a food truck to greet us with chilled "Arnold Palmers." Another day, another favorite: a walk along West Beach, just past the transfer station, where we collect sea glass nestled in the rocks along the water's edge on our way down the beach, past a thick colony of seagulls that are just a bit frightening (think: Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds") to the North Light at the far end of the island that looks out over Sandy Point, where the seals gather and the waves collide. By now, we're up to 5, 6, 7-plus miles a day, feeling very proud of ourselves. The roosters tell us when we are nearing Beacon Hill Farm and the familiar bench next to a shady apple tree where we met a goat that got up close and personal one year and left a memorable black-and-blue mark. What's the Glass Float Project? After a brief stop, we cross the road and head up the incline to the trail leading to the Enchanted Forest that magically led us to our first and only hidden glass orb, glinting up at us from the base of a tree. (Never since! But we keep searching every year.) A glass orb that was found in the Enchanted Forest trail on Block Island. The orbs are hidden throughout the island for lucky searchers to find, part scavenger hunt, part art installation. For the uninitiated, the "Glass Float Project" is "a world famous art installation" initiated and re-created every summer since 2011 by artist Eben Horton. The back story from BlockIsandinfo.com: "With help from a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Eben created the first 150 floats, modeling them after the Japanese fishing net floats that occasionally break free from their nets and float up onto beaches worldwide. "With permission, he began hiding them on the beaches and greenway trails that connect conserved parcels of land on the island. "He and his wife, Jennifer Nauck, and the team at their studio, The Glass Station Studio and Gallery in Wakefield, RI, now make upwards of 550 floats every year. They are dated with the year and numbered between 1 and 550 ...[hidden] a few at a time, from June until October ... on beaches and greenway trails or other public areas." A bench provides a welcome and scenic respite on a trail off Old Mill Road. Our last day on the island, after checking out, we have a tradition: We walk (slathered in No. 50 sunblock) from our hotel, through town, down a path to the beach in front of the former Surf Hotel (now known as the Beach House), past the pavilion at the Fred Benson Town Beach, along Scotch and then Mansion Beach, to the beach off the Clayhead Trail. Miles? Lots. By now, we are no longer counting. We are treasuring another summer of memories. For more on Block Island's trails, visit alltrails.com/us/rhode-island/block-island, blockislandinfo.com, and natureblockisland.org. With staff reports from Peter Donahue. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Guide to the best walking and hiking trails on Block Island In 1916, cities across America hosted "baby parades" to focus the community on parenting and babies' welfare. President Woodrow Wilson would deem 1918 the Childrens Year a national campaign focused on addressing child and maternal health outcomes and the relationship between poverty and poor health. Last week, more than 100 years later, there was a baby parade in Flint to celebrate a similar effort here in Michigan, rooted in the same American values of lifting up our littlest ones as our countrys future. Rx Kids is the first-ever citywide cash "prescription" program in the nation specifically designed for pregnant women and babies in their first year of life. We launched it this year in the city of Flint, and hosted last weeks parade as a celebration of the positive impact Rx Kids has already had on participating families and the Flint community as a whole. Our streets were filled with friends and families, waving American flags, and enjoying games and music. But in a matter of days, the Michigan Legislature will finalize the state budget and we hope increase funding so Rx Kids can help even more moms and their little ones in our great state. Deyna Smith blows a bubble at the Baby Parade, held last week in Flint. Detroiters make the best of fireworks night, but deserve more For many American families, pregnancy and the first year of a babys life is one of the most financially challenging periods they will face. Income plunges, and poverty can spike. Science is clear that financial strains can have detrimental impacts on babies development, leading to delayed language skills, risk of poor health outcomes and even reduced earnings later in life. We created Rx Kids to help eliminate infant poverty, bolster families financial security and improve babies health before theyre even born. The program provides a $1,500 payment to pregnant women and $500 a month for each month of their babys first year. Since January of this year, weve enrolled more than 800 moms, prescribing over $1.8 million in cash payments. Rx Kids is built on the success of the expanded Child Tax Credit, which also offered families cash during the pandemic and successfully brought child poverty and food insecurity to historic lows. When given cash through programs like the tax credit and others, families spend the provided funds on the essentials they need to raise healthy kids: food, diapers and child care. Like the tax credit, cash through Rx Kids has no strings attached, because research makes clear that moms know best how to spend for their families. Young participants in Flint's Baby Parade, held last week, take a break. Money for Rx Kids payments comes from a mix of public and philanthropic dollars. Michigan has so far dedicated funding for the Flint program from a federal block grant called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is intended to support families and kids. Because heres what our state leaders have caught onto: The benefits of these types of investments extend far beyond the homes of those who receive them. They put money directly into communities, supporting small businesses and creating jobs. In 2021, the expanded child tax credit was estimated to funnel nearly $20 billion into local economies. Flint shouldnt be the only city that gets to reap these rewards. With this years budget, Michigan has the chance to become a national leader in setting the bar for what it means to truly support babies and moms. We should seize it. In doing so, wed be sending a clear message to the rest of the nation that investments in families are investments in all of us, in generations to come, and in the American values we all hold so dear. Wed also be giving towns and cities across this great state a big reason to celebrate baby parades and all. Dr. Mona Hanna Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids , is a pediatrician and associate dean of public health, and director of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Flint. She is the author of What the Eyes Dont See : A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. H. Luke Shaefer H. Luke Shaefer, PhD,co-director of Rx Kids, is the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy and director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. He is the co-author of $2.00 a Day and The Injustice of Place . Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online or in print. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan cash payments for parents, kids would help families How far would you go for a 20-minute wave? Tidal bores, a phenomena that occurs when a strong tide pushes up a river that empties into the ocean, can create surfable waves that stand up for far longer than their oceanic counterparts. Some of them, like the Bono in Sumatra (also known as The Seven Ghosts) are even big enough to have rippable sections. Though tidal bores are rare, Jamie OBrien proved in a recent video that one need not travel to the furthest reaches of the globe to experience them. OBriens latest video comes from a mission just outside of Anchorage, Alaska. It starts with JOB and company standing at the bank of the Turnagain Arm, waiting for a 30-foot tide that promised to create a surfable bore. As he explained to the camera, they ended up there essentially by accident. The original plan was to surf a river mouth that sounded like it had amazing potential, but their boards went missing instead. In desperate need of equipment, they hit up a local river-wave surf guide, and their reward was a ridiculously long ride that turned out to not only be a major test of endurance, but also just a surprisingly difficult wave to master. They also ran into a fair share of locals who were shocked to find an internet celebrity cruising up beside them on a river in Alaska, of all places. As JOB recalled, The best part about it, [youre] riding a wave and you dont see anyone forever. Then someone catches the wave and you can tell theyre looking at you and theyre like Jamie OBrien? The post Jamie OBrien Rides a 20-Minute Wave in Alaska first appeared on The Inertia. Keep your Americanized pad Thai. I go to this KC restaurant for authentic Thai feasts Editors note: Welcome back to our series Lets Dish, Kansas City, showcasing some of our favorite restaurant meals. When my boyfriend and four of his friends visited Kansas City to celebrate his birthday, we knew the first place these Californians needed to go: Waldo Thai. They landed at the airport, picked up a rental car and drove straight to the restaurant at 8431 Wornall Road, where I met them. As we dug into our feast, they were surprised to find pungent and authentic Asian flavors at a restaurant in the Midwest. Other Thai restaurants around the area serve American favorites, like pad Thai and pad see ew. But in 2018, executive chef Pam Liberda told her husband, Ted, that she wanted to open a restaurant that served the flavors she grew up eating in Northern Thailand and that no one else in the city was serving. (The couple now run Thai restaurants across the metro area, also including Buck Tui BBQ in Overland Park and, their newest addition, MuNi in the River Market.) That popular fare is fine, Liberda said. It is good. We can cook that food very well, Liberda told her husband. But, dont you think its time for change for Kansas City? At first, he was hesitant and didnt know if their customers would adapt to the flavors, herbs and spices specific to the Lanna cuisine of Northern Thailand. But Liberda told him to give her two years to prove she could make the restaurant a mainstay. Pam Liberda is chef and owner of Waldo Thai. The first six months after opening Waldo Thai in 2018 were difficult, Liberda said. She and her staff had to say no to customers often. No, they wouldnt serve pad Thai. No, they couldnt adjust the spice level of their dishes or make them without spice. If those aspects changed, the dishes would be completely different, Liberda said. But then foodies spread the word about Waldo Thai, and more customers arrived for authentic meals as they were meant to be prepared, Liberda said. The menu changes every few months, but some staples include two Lanna platters the Khan Toke Lek ($90) and the Khan Toke Yai ($140). We ordered the latter for my boyfriend Leons birthday in March. Leon visited again this month, and once again we ordered the Khan Toke Yai, which comes with 10 Lanna dishes. They include nam prik orng, a pork-based relish with tomatoes, serrano peppers and fermented soy beans and shrimp paste; kia ma thua ma kheur, with chopped eggplant and long beans cooked with serrano peppers and fermented fish paste and shrimp paste; and gaeng hung lei, a curry with braised pork belly, palm sugar and spices that Liberda ate only on special occasions growing up. All the dishes are served alongside fried pork skin, seasonal vegetables and jasmine and sticky rice. The flavors of each dish are distinctly different, but, whether or not youve enjoyed Northern Thai food before, everything in the Khan Toke Yai is comfort food that melts in your mouth. One appetizer, the miang khum, comes with betal leaf wraps that customers top with dried shrimp, toasted coconut, peanut, ginger, shallot, lime, Thai chili, fermented shrimp paste and palm sugar. We also enjoyed some appetizers. The miang khum ($15) came with betal leaf wrap that we sprinkled with dried shrimp, toasted coconut, peanut, ginger, shallot, lime, Thai chili, fermented shrimp paste and palm sugar. Liberda described the mix of flavors as a perfect marriage. The khao tod nam sod ($15), a crispy rice salad with cured pork sausage, scallion, onion, cilantro, peanuts, Thai chili and mint, also offered a great mix of sweet and savory flavors with the added crunch of the crispy rice. The khao tod nam sod is a crispy rice salad that comes with cured pork sausage, scallion, onion, cilantro, peanuts and Thai chili. You also cant go to Waldo Thai without enjoying drinks from the ever-changing cocktail menu created by bar manager Darrell Loo. When the menu changes, Loo asks the staff for songs that match various themes that he can build drinks around and then creates a playlist customers can find by scanning a QR code on the menu. Right now, the menu is based on songs the staff loves dancing to. As a superfan of Missouris own pop princess Chappell Roan, I ordered the Red Wine Supernova, with Mekhong Thai spirit, red wine, lemongrass and berries, and Leon got the Run Away with szechuan peppercorn-infused Bombay Sapphire gin, Dolin vermouth blanc and orange bitters. Beyond the food, its the ambience at Waldo Thai that keeps us coming back. During that birthday trip, we ate and laughed until we realized the restaurant was closing around us. General manager James Chang, who has recognized us every time weve returned to Waldo Thai, congratulated us on making a sizable dent in the huge Khan Toke Yai. (Even with six people, we took a decent amount of leftovers home.) He wished Leon a happy birthday and gifted him a jar of chili oil that he makes in small batches it sells out quickly online and around the area. Chang and other staff have also provided recommendations and introduced us to some of our other favorite spots around the city. For days after we eat at Waldo Thai, we talk about the mouthwatering food and the genuine kindness of the staff, and that isnt unique to us. Years ago, Liberda was working at an event in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and an older man, who had never eaten one of her dishes, told Liberda the food transported him back to his grandmothers home. Throughout her career as a chef, Liberda said it was the best compliment shes ever received. Leon and I would certainly agree with that man. Leon likes to say that the food at Waldo Thai cures homesickness, even if its for a home youve never been to. This embedded content is not available in your region. A tech start up is trying to help make travel safer for the LGBTQ+ community with a platform described as the world's largest short-term vacation rental marketplace for gay travelers. The site is called MisterBandB.com. It features one million hosts in countries worldwide, all confirmed to be LGBTQ+ friendly. One host in San Francisco told CBS News Bay Area he loves providing a safe travel space for LGBTQ+ vacationers. Joaquin Aran has lived in his San Francisco home for three years. "I love my neighbors. I love my neighborhood," said Arana. His love of traveling safely as a gay man and his love of the Bay Area is why he wanted to be a host on the website. More than one million LGBTQ+ travelers can not only find housing on the site, but also connect with locals to get safety tips and plan trips and activities. Mattieu Jost, the creator of Mister B&B, came up with the idea after experiencing homophobic harassment when he booked a room at a home in Spain with his partner. "She really reacted badly and so we decided to leave. And on the way back to the airport, this is how I created Mr. B and B," said founder Jost. The global traveler and entrepreneur is now living in Paris, France. The website is getting support from investors and hosts like Arana, who also uses the site to travel himself. "We have traveled to Norway, the Philippines, Taiwan, Portugal and India," said Arana. He admitted traveling can be risky in some states and countries if you are gay. "There are places where the politics and people are not necessarily aligned. There are people who are welcoming LGBTQ communities," explained Arana. He says it's about finding community in other parts of the world. "In those places, our people need to be supported. They need to be seen and they also need to see that they need to see us. The world needs to see us that we have families and jobs and are home," said Arana. He regularly cooks for the travelers he hosts and makes sure his home is a welcome all year long. "I like having a flag out. It is home and it's part of who I am. It is a large part and important to understand," said Arana. When Social Security mistakenly overpays benefits, you might get a bill | 60 Minutes Couple who went viral for recreating Taylor Swift's album covers give back Some states consider face mask bans after harassment incidents, protests NJ heat wave got you craving a pool? Here are the pros, cons, costs New Jersey is in the throes of its first heat wave of the summer as a mid-summer weather pattern sends temperatures soaring. And July 4 is just a week away. You wouldnt be alone if you decided now is the best time to get into a pool. If you dont have one in your yard, maybe its time to spend the money. Despite the costs construction of an in-ground pool can cost as much as $59,000 in New Jersey interest in pools, like the temperature, is soaring. Story continues below photo gallery More people want pools, and need to get them serviced, as the prime swimming season has stretched beyond the typical summer months. There were 374,000 residential pools in New Jersey as of this year, according to the luxury real estate firm RubyHome. Climate change has changed the swimming pool, said Isaac Keselman, founding president of the Aqua Doctor, a pool service company in East Hanover. If I dial it back to the 1980s, it was very popular as Memorial Day to Labor Day, he said. Thanks to climate change, the pool season in New Jersey has been stretched to April through October, continued Keselman, also vice president of the Northeast Spa and Pool Association. Of the 15 warmest summers in New Jersey since 1895, 12 have occurred since the year 2000, according to data provided by David Robinson, New Jersey's state climatologist. This is due, primarily, to human-induced climate change, said Robinson, who also teaches at Rutgers University. Pool permit applications have spiked in NJ Hotter weather and more of it has meant more treatment and pool servicing, such as pool chemistry, because of heat waves or excessive rain, said Christine Chemerov, who works for Crystal Clean Pools in Montvale. We have a lot of weekly service" customer calls, she said. The number has gone up. Pool permit applications in New Jersey have spiked in recent years, according to data by the nationwide group the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance: 2020: 1,414 applications 2021: 1,729 applications 2022: 4,949 applications 2023: 4,625 applications People are investing in their homes and their backyards, and the pool industry is certainly a part of that, said Dominick Mondi, a longtime landscaper and executive director of the Northeast Spa and Pool Association. In the long run, does a pool make you better off? Finance website Bankrate estimated that the addition of a pool can boost ones home value by roughly 7%. But that comes with a major asterisk that the cost of pool installation and ongoing maintenance expenses may outweigh the potential value increase. The average swimming pool takes between 18,000 and 20,000 gallons to fill, and that does not factor in water splashing out, as well as water lost to evaporation. Theres also the environmental consideration: Advocates say pools have a detrimental impact on the environment. The average swimming pool takes between 18,000 and 20,000 gallons to fill, and that does not factor in water splashing out, as well as water lost to evaporation. And the pool pump could use up between 3,000 and 5,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, costing between $480 and $800, according to Angi (formerly Angies List). Traditional pools invoke the trifecta of environmental destruction: high water use, high energy use, and harmful chemicals, reads a post by the environmental group the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club recommends covering your pool when not in use, if not every summer night, then at least during the pools off season. Story continues below photo gallery Keeping it covered for a few extra weeks each year can save hundreds of gallons of water, the Sierra Club said. Rather than chlorine to kill bacteria and algae, saltwater pools might be a cleaner alternative, as would a natural pool that uses plants to filter out harmful biological material, according to the University of Rochester. How to save money on your pool The pool cover has the added benefit of protecting water from evaporation, and thus less money is spent on refilling the pool, said Leslies Pool Supplies. A pool cover has the added benefit of protecting water from evaporation, and thus less money is spent on refilling the pool. Tools and equipment should be kept out of the sunlight so they dont have to be replaced as frequently. Run your single speed pump one hour for every 10 [degrees Fahrenheit] of air temperature each day to keep the water clean and moving to prevent algae. If you have a variable speed pump, run the pump on high speed for at least [three to four] hours, and run it on low speed for an additional [eight to 10] hours per day to keep the water healthy, said Leslies. Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record. Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ heat wave got you craving a pool? Here are pros, cons and costs The Putnam Museum & Science Center was lighter on staff for 14 days earlier this month, as five employees and a board member joined a group of 18 on an unforgettable Putnam-sponsored tour of Egypt, from June 4 to 17. The intensely hot trip routinely exceeded 100 degrees, and the high in some places reached 120 degrees, but otherwise those interviewed recently by Our Quad Cities News thought it was the coolest experience imaginable. Reuniting seven days after returning from Egypt are (L-R) Chris Chandler, Onnica Marquez, Nora Moriarty, Chris Kastell and Emily Van Waardhuizen at the Putnams Egypt exhibit, June 24, 2024 (photo by Jonathan Turner). This was really special to me, because I wanted to share something I love with the people I work with, and my friends, and some of my students, tour leader Onnica Marquez said. I dont have kids, but I imagine this is what mothers feel like at Christmas time just watching them love everything and enjoy everything. It really meant the world to me, and I know this is cheesy, but this is like the jewel in my crown. The archivist for St. Ambrose University (who also teaches courses on Collections Management and Exhibitions Planning for the Art History & Museum Studies program), Marquez led the trip after going on solo outings to Egypt in June 2023 and this past winter for 21 days. Last June, the heat was about the same, when she literally felt her shoes melting. Onnica Marquez riding a camel in a previous Egypt excursion. The hardest part is when youre inside and theres no air and you turn into this pile of sweat, Marquez said Monday in an interview at the Putnam (1717 W. 12th St., Davenport). Some of the pyramids felt like an oven. Marquez worked at the Putnam from 2011-16 as registrar and archivist. She did a talk on Egypt at the Putnam last September as the first in the new History on Tap monthly lecture series. All the sites I chose were all things I had already done and I loved, she said Monday. It really was the best of my two trips. I ran them ragged. I did some of the more active stuff at the beginning, Marquez said. Also, I designed so it would build on itself start with the Pyramids. The Pyramids are the least interesting, most boring in comparison with everything else. Everything in Egypt gets better after the Pyramids. Everyone wants to see them, until they see everything else, which is so much more wonderful. There is so much more artwork, detail, its amazing, she said, noting she warned the group about the heat. The positive tradeoff was they had many sites all to themselves. June is more the off-season in Egypt, since its summer and hotter, and the peak tourist season is more in April, Marquez said. The Putnam-sponsored group toured Egypt from June 4-17, 2024. Its so intimate when you have a tomb all to yourself, or a temple, she said. I love it. Its like a sacred experience. Marquez handpicked their tour guide, Ahmed El Mouni, who she toured with her first 2023 trip. Hes the best, thats why I chose him, she said. His sole purpose in life, he claims, is to make me happy. And he did just that. He really wanted to make this trip perfect for me and he did. They traveled as a group by air-conditioned bus, and got to different cities in small planes. The tour included: Cairo, the Pyramids and a four-night Nile cruise. National Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and Royal Mummies exhibition hall. Grand Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and treasures of King Tut. Valley of the Kings, including King Tut tomb, and Valley of the Nobles. Luxor Temple Valley of the Queens, including Nefertari tomb and Deir El Medina. Horus in Edfu, one of the well-preserved temples. Nubian Museum and Nubian Village. Marquez (foreground) called it a perfect 14-day trip. The $4,170-per-person cost of the trip included travel accommodations throughout Egypt, lodging, most meals and travel insurance (not including the flight there and back, estimated to cost $1,600). One Ambrose student brought her mom, and Nora Moriarty of the Putnam staff also brought her mom. Erin Williams, a 2024 St. Ambrose graduate, posted on Facebook: It was truly the greatest experience of my life and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. In addition, we traveled with an amazing group of people. I even created some new friendships along the way. 2024 St. Ambrose graduate Erin Williams in Egypt. The Putnam helped promote the trip, and Marquez held an informational session before the trip there. Of the total cost for each participant, $100 also went to the Putnam (meaning they got $1,800), so it was like a built-in fundraiser, she said. My whole life my top item on my bucket list was going to Egypt. Realistically, I never thought it would happen. I am still in awe over what I experienced, Chris Marie posted about the trip on Facebook. The pictures do not do justice for the beautiful sights we saw. One of Chris Maries photos from the two-week trip. It could not have been a more perfect and memorable trip, she said. The Putnam Museum group from Davenport, Iowa was the most wonderful group of people to travel with. Other impressions Here are thoughts from other trip participants: Christina Kastell, Putnam curator of history and anthropology Kastell had been to Germany twice but never Egypt. Nothing prepared me for Egypt. When I was a kid, I really wanted to be an archeologist, which is what I ultimately became, she said Monday. They told me when I was in college, there was nothing to do in Egypt. Isnt that amazing? All the kings have been found, no need to do more work there. It wasnt even on my bucket list, so this opportunity was so amazing, to be able to fulfill a dream I didnt even know I had, Kastell said. Her favorite sites were the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Workers. The more wonderful tombs were ones for the workers, she said. Theres a big difference between the workers tombs and the royals tombs theyre better. They were the artists and they were free to do what they wanted to do. Kastell noted the famed King Tuts tomb has the least detail in painting, since it was small and hurried in its completion. Some people were disappointed; I was not, she said. Here I was, I couldnt believe it, in his actual tomb. It was so amazing to be there. The Putnam had hosted a large King Tut traveling exhibit in 2016 that re-created artifacts from the tomb. B.J. and Mabel Palmer were at the original excavation of King Tuts tomb in 1922, and were given a private tour by excavator Howard Carter, Kastell said. The tomb is the burial place of King Tutankhamun (reigned c. 13321323 BC), pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, in the Valley of the Kings. Palmer acquired an Egyptian mummy and coffin in the U.S., and did chiropractic studies on her. The Putnam has displayed it since 1966. In 1965, a gift from the B.J. and Mabel H. Palmer Memorial Trust added over 2,000 artifacts and objects to the Putnam collection, and a new wing was added to the museum building to house and display the collection. The Palmer bequest included a mummy and the sarcophagus of Isis Neferit (an Egyptian temple chantress). Marquez enjoying one of her trip shots in Egypt. Kastells recent Egypt experience makes her appreciate the Putnams Unearthing Ancient Egypt permanent exhibit more. I can put stuff more in context for people, she said. It was very exciting to see things that are very similar to ours. The group saw the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which is in its trial phase, official grand opening date to be determined. The group got to go behind the scenes for the big new Grand Egyptian Museum, as well as toured the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Emily Van Waardhuizen, Putnam visitor services event coordinator Ive always wanted to travel but never had anyone to go with. When this opportunity came up where I knew a lot of people going, I decided I had to, and it seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up. This was her first time leaving the U.S. Van Waardhuizen (whos worked full-time at the Putnam since November 2023, and part-time starting April 2022) said one of her highlights was an alabaster shop, getting to see how they made vases. Chris Chandler and Onnica Marquez. Just seeing a lot of the geology was really cool, seeing a lot of different types of stone, and monuments, she said. The stuff they used was really hard material and it was fascinating to see how they got such detail. Christine Chandler, Putnam curator of natural history Ever since I was a little kid, Ive been interested in Egypt, Chandler said in the Egypt exhibit at the Putnam. Its so hard to pick a favorite place. I really wanted to see the mummified crocodiles and that was at the Kom Ombo Temple. Being a natural history person, I was interested in animal bones. Were talking big crocodiles. The group got a special tour of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, near the Giza Pyramid complex. The other one, I loved being on the island of Philae and there were cats everywhere, Chandler said. Philae is a temple complex in Aswan that contained the Temple of Isis, one of the best-preserved temples in ancient Egypt. Cats and dogs were everywhere they visited in Egypt, she added. Nora Moriarty, the Putnam assistant curator I have had a love for Egypt probably since middle school, ancient history in general. I had a special place in my heart for Egyptian history, Moriarty said. It was the trip of a lifetime it fulfilled all your dreams of visiting all these sites in Egypt, she said. Moriarty has taken part in excavations in Greece twice in the past 18 years. She loved this month to travel with friends and co-workers, also people knowledgeable in the subject matter. It was really an invaluable experience, Moriarty said, noting not everyone knew each other beforehand. She and her mom had talked years before about how it would be a dream to do a Nile cruise one day. They actually spent four days cruising the Nile in the trip. Moriarty loved that the group had the Karnak Museum (an open-air archeological site in Luxor) to themselves. Hot air ballons at sunrise over the Nile in Luxor. Its a giant temple complex, and there is a big hall of columns that the nobles would have gone through, and theres still color on the columns, she said. What was so remarkable about Egypt was these monuments and these tombs still have the original colors the original blue, the original yellow and original red. They used minerals to create these colors and theyre still bright. They date back 3,500 years, Moriarty noted. Her favorite food was at the Nubian Village near Aswan, and there was a fantastic spicy chicken dish. It was so good, so delicious and Ive been trying to find a recipe since weve been back, she said. An Egyptian delicacy is Hamam Mahshi, or stuffed pigeon (left). This dish is traditionally eaten with the hands and is stuffed with flavorful rice. Marquez also picked the meals (the package included 12 breakfasts and lunches, and 13 dinners), which were very generous (sometimes four-course lunches). She chose stuffed pigeon for one, and she found out later that pigeon is called Egyptian Viagra. Pigeon doesnt do it for me, but all right, she joked. Clare Tobin, assistant director and curator for German American Heritage Center & Museum, Davenport Tobin has known Marquez for years and she was a professor of hers at St. Ambrose (from which Clare graduated in 2019). At a cafe in Cairos Khan el-Khalili Market, pictured are (L-R) Clare Tobin, Onnica Marquez getting a henna tattoo, and Riley Lucas, who works for the Putnams visitor services. She is now a good colleague and friend and I was thrilled to hear that she was leading a trip to Egypt, she said by email. She is a fun and incredibly knowledgeable person and I love traveling so it sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime. Closeup of hieroglyphs on a wall in one of the burial chambers in Valley of the Kings. The colors are all original pigments. I probably never would have gone to Egypt otherwise and it was fantastic that the itinerary and all of our accommodations were planned, said Tobin, who had been to Morocco but never Egypt. My favorite parts of the trip were visiting the Red Pyramid, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, the Nubia Museum, and walking through the markets in the cities. The archaeological sites were incredible and going into a handful of pyramids and royal tombs was unlike anything I couldve imagined, she said. It was hot and difficult to climb into most of the sites, but it was definitely worth the trouble. Clare Tobin climbing in the Red Pyramid. Being able to walk through the markets and bustling streets was unlike anything here in the states, Tobin said. We got a small glimpse into what daily life is like for Egyptian families and saw how they interacted with one another. Everyone was so kind and accommodating, and despite poverty and corruption, the people seem happy and prioritize their families. We visited during one of the major Muslim holidays, Eid al-Adha, so the energy was joyous and exciting. Another one of my favorite parts was hearing the call to prayer throughout the day. This is something that I had not seen or heard before, Tobin said. There were a few instances where we saw the locals stop in the streets, face Mecca, and pray on a prayer rug during some of the calls. Heather Dunn of Bettendorf, associate professor for the University of Iowa College of Nursing, and a Putnam trustee Dunn is on the museums board collections subcommittee, and she heard about the trip from Kastell at a spring collections meeting. I was amazed at the itinerary as I read through and that piqued my interest, she said, noting: The trip started out at the Pyramids and just kept getting better after that. Blair Foreman and Heather Dunn inside the Tomb of Inherkha at Deir el-Medina, the ancient Egyptian workmans village next to the Valley of the Kings. Initially, I did not give the Egypt trip much thought because I had a sailing trip planned to Sardinia during the same time frame. But, after going home at the end of our meeting, I could not get the Egypt trip out of my mind, Dunn said. I told my partner I wanted to go to Egypt instead of Sardinia, as this was an amazing opportunity at an unbelievable price! Her partner (Blair Foreman) recently retired from medicine after a 30-year career, so they took this trip as a celebration of his retirement and fondly referred to it as our retiremoon. Dunn said Valley of the Kings was a tour highlight. The Egyptologist and tour guide, Ahmed El Mounir, with Marquez (right) and Erin Williams outside of the historic Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor. Nothing that you read, see, or study can prepare you for what you will see and feel when you are standing in the tombs of the pharaohs, she said. The vibrancy of paint color and the density and concentration of hieroglyphs, art, and stars on the ceiling amongst a background of deep blue. The stories that are told on the tomb walls. Collectively, it all paints a vivid picture of a life that happened so long ago it is hard to imagine was real, Dunn said. It was unexpected, but I had an emotional response to being there that day. Our guide, Ahmed El Mounir, was the other highlight of the trip. His depth of knowledge is astounding, she added. He brought ancient Egypt to life while helping us to understand modern day Egypt, its people, custom, and culture. Marquez hopes to offer a panel presentation on the trip at some point at the Putnam, where the audience can ask questions. Every time I tell people Ive been to Egypt, they have questions, she said. Do they have ice cream over there? Do they have McDonalds, is it safe? (In short, yes, yes and yes). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. What U.S. counties are best for off-grid living? See what Kentucky spots to visit Darlene Campbell poses for a portrait outside of her studio in Adair County, Kentucky on September 13, 2023. Public acknowledgement of her familys Indigenous ancestry was a rarity for her. At nine years old, Franklin-Campbell had already been trying to learn about her heritage by studying her family tree. (Michael Swensen For The Courier-Journal) Are you looking to get away from hectic city living? A recent study found the top 150 counties in the nation for off-grid living, which could offer a more serene and peaceful lifestyle.. Here's what we know. Lexington, Kentucky: What Southern cities are the friendliest? Lexington recognized for Southern hospitality in Kentucky Best Kentucky counties for off-grid living In a poll of 3,000 people nationwide, BusinessElectric.com found these counties to be the most popular choices in the Bluegrass State for off-grid living. No. 38: Adair County Adair County, located in south-central Kentucky, is around a two-hour drive from Louisville with a population of less than 20,000 people, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The area has a median household income of $49,690 and an employment rate of 50.3%, both below the state average. No. 67: Knox County Knox County, located in southeastern Kentucky, is about three hours from downtown Louisville with a population size of just more than 30,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county has an annual median income of $34,254 with an employment rate of 38.9%. No. 141: Breathitt County Breathitt County, located in the eastern Appalachian part of Kentucky, is about two and a half hours from downtown Louisville. According to Census data, the county has a population size of below 15,000 with a median household income of $38,209 and an employment rate of 41.1%. Top 10 U.S. counties for off-grid lifestyle According to the study, the top ten counties are as follows. Wasco County in Oregon Hot Springs County in Wyoming Meriwether County in Georgia Bienville Parish in Louisiana Somerset County in Maine Litchfield County in Connecticut Lake County in Michigan Harney County in Oregon Pope County in Illinois Rabun County in Georgia This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 3 Kentucky counties named popular choices for living off the grid Wichitas 75-year-old Petroleum Club gets new owners, will soon get a new name, identity Wichitas Petroleum Club is turning 75 this year, and for the first time in its history, it has outside owners. Soon, those new owners will give it a new name. The Petroleum Club, a private club that operates from the ninth floor of the The Ruffin Building, 100 N. Broadway, has historically been member-owned and run as a 501c6, with a board of directors making decisions. But recently, leaders of the club approached Scott Welsh, general manager of Terradyne Country Club, about taking over the club, which now has only about 100 members compared to the 800-plus during its heyday in the 1980s. Over the past 24 years, the clubs ninth-floor real estate, which offers panoramic views of downtown Wichita and features a main room that can accommodate 215 people, has mostly been used for private events like weddings and weekday meetings of groups like The Pachyderm Club, The Wichita Independent Business Association and the International Facility Management Association. Most of the Wichitans who have enjoyed its views over recent years have been guests at weddings or office holiday parties rather than dues-paying members of the club. The Petroleum Club has been operating mainly as an event venue for the past 24 years. But its new owners want to put emphasis back on growing the clubs membership. Welsh, who purchased it along with Rob Patton, a Terradyne owner and a one-time member of the Petroleum Club, says that the new owners want to change its identity and make sure it survives past its 75th birthday. Rob, being a past member here, did not want to see the club go away, Welsh said. Hoping to take the club in a new direction and with a goal of increasing membership the partners plan to share details of their vision for the Petroleum Club at an open house on Thursday night. Soon, Welsh said, The Petroleum Club will be known as The Ninth Floor Club and Venue. The main room at The Petroleum Club, pictured here with its new chandeliers, has seating for 215. The name change is meant to reflect a new direction for the club, which was founded by a group of oil men in 1949 but whose membership is now open to anyone not just people working in that field. The new owners want to make sure the community understands that. I felt there was a disconnect in the community, no doubt, said Welsh, who wants to attract new members without alienating legacy members, some of whom have belonged for 50 years or more. We have to be very careful with the current membership, he said. Make no mistake about it: There still is a connection from a lot of those members, and we dont want to offend them. We dont want to ruin the history of the club. The Petroleum Club, on the top floor of the Ruffin Building at Douglas and Broadway since the mid-1970s, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Camaraderie and cocktails The Petroleum Club was founded by Wichita oil producer Jack Heathman, who visited a similar club in Denver and wanted to replicate it. At the time, said the clubs current general manager Kathy Latham, Wichita did not allow liquor by the drink, and the men wanted a private club where they could get together, talk and enjoy cocktails. A group of 12 invested the up-front money and sold 200 memberships, opening the club in the basement of the old Lassen Hotel. Three years later in 1952 it moved to the ninth floor of the KFH Building (now known as Sutton Place) at Market and William. The club which during its early days was open only to those working in the oil and gas industry flourished, and photos from the 1950s and 1960s show smartly dressed families smiling at Easter buffets and businessmen in suits meeting over coffee and pastries. People attending dancing at a high school reunion at The Petroleum Club in 1990 In 1956, Heathman moved the club to the Union Center Building (now known as The National) on the southeast corner of First and Main, where it occupied most of the second floor. It didnt move to its current spot until 1975, when the building was brand new and known as Fourth Financial Center. The Petroleum Club was flush with members until about 1986, when oil prices plummeted. Membership steadily declined over the years, and by 2000, Latham said, the club was in danger of closing. But she had an idea to save it: private events. She began offering the big party room, which was sitting empty most nights, for weddings, company holiday parties and more. For the last 24 years, our primary success has been the revenues from events, she said. And the vision of Rob and Scott is to turn that the other direction. We still want to have events. But we also want to now be able to take care of membership the way they need to be taken care of. The 16 candelabra chandeliers original to the Petroleum Club space at Douglas and Broadway were removed to make way for more modern fixtures. Members only Part of the plan to attract new members includes a freshening up of the space, which has the same American Southwestern motif with adobe-like walls and wood-beam ceilings that it opened with in the mid-1970s. The owners already have put down new carpet and removed the main rooms 16 original chandeliers, replacing them with more modern ones. (The owners plan to sell the 1970s candelabra chandeliers). People looking down from the west-facing windows of The Petroleum Club have a view of the Ruffin Building lobby. Theyve spruced up the entryway to the club, painted the restrooms and plan to remove the adobe separation wall in the spacious lobby, whose windows overlook the Ruffin Buildings main lobby below. They envision the future lobby as a modern-looking space where members can meet for casual gatherings or to watch a sporting event. Another major renovation, which the owners hope to start working on at the beginning of 2025, will involve expanding the clubs footprint west from the lobby. They plan to open up the west wall and turn existing storage space into a swank bar and dining room exclusive to members. In an ode to the clubs history, they plan to call it The Petroleum Room. The east-facing view from The Petroleum Club, which operates on the ninth floor of The Ruffin Building at Douglas and Broadway. There are times when we have events going on, Latham said. ...but we have a member that wants to come up and have a business conversation and have dinner. And where do we put them? So with this expansion, well be able to have an exclusive member area and have an event going on. Included in the purchase of The Petroleum Club was the buildings second-floor cafeteria, known as the Walk Way Cafe. It includes a massive dining space open not only to the buildings tenants but also to the public that was open for weekday breakfast and lunch until the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down. Before that, business there was booming, Latham said. The new owners of The Petroleum Club, soon to be known as The Ninth Floor Club, plan to reopen The Ruffin Buildings second-floor Walk Way Cafe later this year. Its been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The new owners plan to have it reopened by the end of the year, though theyre not sure what theyll call it. Until then, members of the public are able to dine at the weekday lunch buffet on the ninth floor. The event on Thursday night, which will last from 4 to 8 p.m., is designed to show prospective members what the club has planned for its next chapter. Anyone is welcome to attend. The new vision will be outlined at 5:45 p.m. The event also will include music by Whitnie Means, complimentary appetizers, house wine and domestic beer, and liquor tastings by Una Vida Tequila and Terradyne Country Club. Welsh said hed love to sign up at least 100 new members during the event. Though Petroleum Club members usually pay a $300 initiation fee then $75-a-month dues, those who sign up on Thursday will have the initiation fee waived and will get reduced dues of $50 a month for the rest of 2024. The Petroleum Club, which will soon be known as The Ninth Floor Club, has operated on the top floor of The Ruffin Building at Douglas and Broadway since 1975. Member benefits, Welsh said, include access to the clubs private dining room and bar, special rates at Terradyne, and access to the many reciprocal clubs across the country. Members also can use the club as a downtown workspace or meeting space for their clients. Welsh said he and his team want to rebuild the kind of camaraderie that the club had in its earliest days. To do that, he said, they have to walk the line of preserving the past while looking to the future. The original adobe-style walls in the lobby of The Petroleum Club will soon be removed so that the space can be opened up and modernized. There certainly are members that like this feel, Welsh said of the clubs longtime aesthetic. And then there is the newer generation that might be interested in a little bit different feel. Our job as a team is to protect the history of the club and maybe protect the feel of the club but also introduce it as something new as well. Two of three suspects accused in the 2023 shooting death of 18-year-old Corey Mumford in Laurel await sentencing after pleading or being found guilty of murder, while a third was found not guilty in Sussex County Superior Court. Judge Francis Jones heard the cases of 28-year-old Jhalir Henry of Delmar and 29-year-old Donregus Holland of Hurlock, Maryland this month and rendered his verdict Monday morning. Henry was found guilty and Holland not guilty of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, conspiracy and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. A third suspect, 22-year-old Shyheem Latham-Purnell of Laurel, took a guilty plea May 30, before his trial. He and Henry will be sentenced in July. Mumford, a 6-foot-6-tall basketball player at Laurel High School set to graduate that year, was on spring break April 14, 2023. He was walking with friends in Wexford Village apartments when the shooting began, just before 3 p.m. While he was not the intended target, he was shot nine times, state attorneys said in court. "I dont want another mother to have to feel the pain Im feeling, Mumford's mother, Tesha Horsey said in April 2023. Something has got to be done about the violence. Three people were killed and nine wounded by gun violence in Laurel last year, less than only Wilmington and Dover statewide. In November, Gov. John Carney traveled to Laurel to attend a town hall-style event addressing the violence. So far this year, one person has been killed and four wounded by shootings in the small western Sussex town. Court documents show several of the shootings are connected. What happened April 14, 2023 Henry and Holland's nine-day trial ended with closing arguments from deputy attorney generals representing the state, Henry's attorney, Patrick Collins, and Holland's attorney, Natalie Woloshin. A firearms expert testified at trial that, of the at least three guns involved in the shooting, only one of them fired the bullets that struck and killed Mumford. One of the witnesses at trial was also the first person to call 911 after the shooting. The call was played in court during closing arguments, with the witness screaming and gasping for breath as they tried to explain what happened while aiding Mumford. They were the only person to name one of the shooters in both police interviews and at trial: Jhalir Henry. However, the evidence presented at trial showed Henry was not the shooter of the bullets that killed Mumford, Collins said. "Legally speaking," Ewart said, "It does not matter whose bullets caused Corey's death because they were all acting in concert together." Another witness identified Holland as one of the shooters to police but changed their story at trial, Ewart said, while another said they thought one of the shooters was Latham-Purnell. Much of the state's case rested on video evidence of three cars that left Hollybrook Apartments across town not long before the murder. Surveillance video showed the cars traveling through town and stopping at Holland's grandmother's house on Gibson Avenue before moving on, according to Ewart, but there are no cameras in Wexford Village. Tesha Horsey speaks at a meeting on violence in Laurel at the former Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School Nov. 12, 2023. Woloshin pointed out video footage of the Gibson Avenue house does not show who ultimately got in the cars before leaving. Following the verdict, some friends and family of Mumford were upset. They could be heard shouting throughout the courthouse for about 10 minutes, but eventually left peacefully. Connections to other cases The witness that testified that Henry was one of the shooters was sitting in a car in the parking lot of Wexford Village when the shooting began, Ewart said. There were two other people in that car, according to Ewart, one of which may have been the intended target in the shooting. The other was another 18-year-old victim of gun violence in Laurel, Kylee Robinson. Robinson was shot and killed a few months later in an incident in which two other boys, ages 13 and 15, were shot but survived. No arrests have been made in that case. More: Mother, son indicted after antique guns, swords and more stolen from Seaford home A few hours after Mumford was killed, there was another shooting in Laurel, on Shiloh Church Road, in which one person was injured, police said. Henry was likely the victim in that shooting because a witness told police the shooting "was in retaliation for the shooting that Jhalir was involved in earlier," according to court documents. The witness was sure the intended target in Mumford's shooting was the person who fired the shots on Shiloh Church Road, court documents say. And two days before Mumford's shooting, a "male adult victim" was shot multiple times at Hollybrook. They survived the shooting, but no other information has been released by police. During Henry and Holland's trial, Ewart said Henry "had gotten out of the hospital" earlier on the day of Mumford's killing. Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 1 of 3 suspects found not guilty in murder of Corey Mumford of Laurel CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Crews are putting the finishing touches on a new park at a Kent District Library branch. On Saturday at 11 a.m., Cascade Township and its library, Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch, will celebrate the grand opening of Friendship Park, a 3.5-acre park located right next to the library at 2870 Jacksmith Ave. off of 28th Street. The grand opening will include remarks from project leaders, park tours and food from local businesses. Crews are putting the finishing touches on Friendship Park at Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch. (June 25, 2025) The native plant park will offer everything from a fountain and outdoor instruments to walking paths and a pavilion with a green roof. It will host library events and pop-up concerts. With plenty of seating, community members can spend time there reading, eating lunch and connecting with family and friends. Kent District Library receives top national award Crews are putting the finishing touches on Friendship Park at Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch. (June 25, 2025) Crews are putting the finishing touches on Friendship Park at Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch. (June 25, 2025) Friendship Park really started based on what we were experiencing after COVID, Lulu Brown, regional manager for KDLs Cascade and Caledonia branches, explained. A lot of people were looking for a way to connect with other people, but also we were doing a ton of our programs outside. As we started looking at what do people need from us post-pandemic, we really realized there was a missed opportunity with this amount of space on this side of the library. She said the space will have an educational focus with the addition of the native plants. The goal is to really educate people about the importance of native plants, how it supports our local ecosystem, which actually supports our food sources, she said. Crews are putting the finishing touches on Friendship Park at Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch. (June 25, 2025) The $1.75 million project was funded by the Cascade Township Downtown Development Authority, the Friends of the Cascade Library and private donations. It was also funded with a $450,000 Revitalization and Placemaking Program grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which the project received with help from the Right Place, a regional economic development organization. Inside WOODTV.com: West Michigan libraries A busy summer is already underway at Cascade Public Library, with lots of people stopping by Tuesday to see animals from the Critter Barn and to check out a kids and teens craft sale. Kent District Librarys Cascade Township Branch. (July 25, 2024) It typically has two programs a day, with the biggest events taking place on Tuesdays and Fridays, Brown said. We love programs because we love serving people, she said, highlighting the upcoming Exotic Zoo event on July 2 and the Magical Creatures Party on July 30. The townships annual Independence Day celebration on July 4 will be anchored by the library and Friendship Park, with local band Soul Syndicate set to play music at the pavilion. Starting Aug. 5, the librarys annual Vibes Fest will be taking place at the new Friendship Park. Were actually going to do our librarys take on a local music festival, Brown said. Its going to be a full week. Itll take place in the pavilion and were going to have food trucks, there will be beer tents, but also just good clean fun with local artists for families to come and just enjoy. This embedded content is not available in your region. Sign up for the News 8 weekly recap newsletter Brown said Friendship Park helps the library continue to serve as the last true community center, and she expects other libraries will have similar expansions. You can come in just as you are no matter what your income level is, no matter how you look and theres a spot for you. Its the place where you belong. So I imagine a lot of libraries are already starting to look at expanding their green spaces, she said. I envision, especially with the epidemic of loneliness, that theres going to be a lot of libraries expanding their footprint, because were accessible to everyone. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. 12-Year-Old Rescues Classmate Struggling to Swim During Class Field Trip: 'Ive Got to Help Him' I jumped in and swam to him," Alex Dupuis said WPRI/YoutTube Alex Dupuis (left) with his parents Lisa Beausoleil and Matt Dupuis A local Rhode Island middle school student turned into a hero when his quick instincts saved a fellow classmate from an emergency in the water that could have turned tragic. On June 13, Alex Dupuis, 12, was on a class field trip to Spring Lake Beach in Burrillville, R.I., when he noticed his classmate was in the water struggling to swim and keep himself afloat. Upon recognizing the issue, the sixth grader rushed into action to help. I was just thinking, Ive got to help him, Dupuis told local outlet NRI NOW. The Burrillville Middle School student, whose parents, Matt Dupuis and Lisa Beausoleil, are both first responders with the Pascoag Fire Department, knew what to do immediately and quickly swam out to his classmate. I jumped in and swam to him. He grabbed onto me and I went underwater, but I was able to get us back up, Dupuis recalled of the panicked moment to CBS affiliate WPRI-TV. Representatives from the Burrillville School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. 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. Related: 15-Year-Old Boy Saves Toddler Who Fell Into Canal: 'I Just Did What Anyone Else Would Do' After helping his classmate from going under, Dupuis stayed with the student until lifeguards arrived to take them both back to shore. In a post on Facebook, the Pascoag Fire Department praised Dupuiss courage. We are so proud of this young man, who we have watched grow up in our firehouse. We are happy to have him as a member of our Pascoag Fire Family!, their statement read. Related: Indiana Officer Saves Woman and 8-Year-Old Daughter from Drowning in River by Carrying Them His Back After the incident, Dupuis kept the courageous act to himself, as WPRI-TV reported that his parents only found out via a school email. His father said his sons actions speaks volumes to the type of person he is. As for how he feels about being seen as a local hero, Dupuis told WPRI-TV, I dont really think of myself as a hero. I know a lot of first responders save people every day and anyone could have done what I did. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Weeks ahead of the Aug. 1 primary elections, Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins has sent letters to 14,375 potential non-U.S. citizens asking for proof of citizenship and noting penalties for illegal voting, raising concern in Tennessee's immigrant communities and sparking outrage from Democratic lawmakers who called the move an attempt at voter intimidation. Recipients of the letters remain registered to vote, and are not required to respond. It is unclear if voters who received a letter who are already U.S. citizens must take any required action before participating in the Aug. 1 elections. That information is not contained in the letter. Tennesseans across the state received letters dated June 13, requesting them to mail in proof of citizenship to the state Division of Elections in the form of a copy of their birth certificate, passport, or naturalization document or request to be removed from the states voter rolls. A postage-paid envelope was included with the letter so that recipients can respond at no cost. Our office has received information that appears to indicate that your voter information matches with an individual who may not have been a United States citizen at the time of obtaining a Tennessee driver license or ID card, the letter reads. Illegal voting is a felony, Goins wrote, citing penalties of up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 for those caught voting illegally. In a statement to The Tennessean, Goins said the Division of Elections identified potential non-citizens when comparing Tennessee voters with data supplied by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which indicated the person may not have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the transaction. Letter recipients may have been naturalized since applying for a drivers license, but have not yet updated their records with the agency. Accurate voter rolls are a vital component to ensuring election integrity, and Tennessee law makes it clear that only eligible voters are allowed to participate in Tennessee elections, Goins said. Goins' letter did not indicate that registered voters who fail to respond to the letter will be purged from the voter rolls. Voters are always required to present a valid driver's license, U.S. passport or a valid photo identification issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security or federal government agency, even if it is expired. College student IDs are not acceptable for voting. Pratik Dash, political director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said Tennesseans "deserve the freedom to vote without fear and have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives, whether we were born in this country or naturalized as citizens." "Instead of adding additional requirements for already registered voters, our appointed and elected officials should be doing everything in their power to make voting easier and more accessible for all," Dash said in a statement. "We are working closely with our community members and partners to support immigrant voters and ensure they have the tools and information they need to cast their ballot confidently in the upcoming elections." Democrats call letters 'a scare tactic' In response, state Reps. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, and John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, decried the letters as an an effort to target new American citizens and suppress voter turnout. "On its face, this letter is an egregious and unlawful act by a state official that targets a certain population of citizens who are lawful voters with the clear intent to intimidate them, Clemmons said in a statement. By all accounts, these letters were only mailed to Tennesseans who, in pursuit of the American dream, immigrated to the United States, chose to make Tennessee their home, worked hard to obtain U.S. citizenship, and lawfully registered to vote. I am proud to represent thousands of these new Americans and their families residing in the wonderfully diverse District 55, and it angers and offends me that a state official would abuse his office and state resources to unlawfully target them for dubious purposes." Tennessee state Rep. John Ray Clemmons during a House session at the Tennessee Capitol in April. Powell said the letters burden voters with "re-proving their own voter eligibility" while being "threatened with imprisonment in a scare tactic reminiscent of Jim Crow laws." "Mark Goins needs to cease with these threatening letters immediately and refrain from purging anyone who is eligible to vote from the voter rolls," Powell said. House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Tre Hargett asking for answers on how state officials determined who should receive the letters, and questioning which state laws permit his office to demand proof of citizenship, writing that the action has raised significant concerns among my constituents and within the broader community. The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and it is imperative that all actions taken in the name of election security do not undermine voter confidence or disenfranchise eligible voters, Camper wrote. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, who is running for U.S. Senate, shared on social media that a respected Oak Ridge scientist who became a citizen and registered to vote at their citizenship ceremony in 2022 received a letter. This letter came to a resident of HD90, a well respected scientist in Oak Ridge and at UTK who became a US citizen in 2022, maybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal govt . before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens. pic.twitter.com/KoB1f6GbEg Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) June 24, 2024 Maybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal govt before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens, Johnson wrote. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee requests citizenship proof ahead of 2024 election HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) A teenager died on Thursday after he was found unconscious on a park bench in Harlem two days earlier, according to police sources. Tresaun Clements, 16, was found near West 149th Street and Bradhurst Avenue just before midnight on June 18, according to police. More Local News Police sources told PIX11 News that Clements had no visible injuries. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced brain dead. On Thursday, Clements was pronounced dead, according to police. Police said no one has been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. PIX11 News reached out to the medical examiners office for a cause of death but did not immediately receive a response. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. The Oconaluftee River flows behind the Mountain Farm Museum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in this file photo. A 16-year-old drowned in the river June 24, 2024. A 16-year-old boy drowned in the Oconaluftee River in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 24, according to park spokesperson Emily Davis. In a news statement, Davis said that at about 5 p.m., park rangers and Cherokee Search and Rescue responded to a report that a teenager didnt resurface after he lost his footing in the Oconaluftee River behind the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee. Responders trained in swiftwater rescue recovered the boy's body around 6:30 p.m. She said life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. Davis said the victim was from out of town and "was visiting with family." Cherokee Fire and Rescue, Cherokee Police Department, Smokies Life employees and National Park Service staff and volunteers responded to and helped with the incident. She said no other details about the incident were yet available. The Citizen Times asked if swimming or wading are prohibited at this location on the river, which is easily accessible along a trail at the Cherokee Visitor Center just inside the park's boundaries. This is not the first drowning in the popular river. In February 2022, a 34-year-old woman from Ohio drowned in the Oconaluftee River while kayaking. Witness accounts said she went over swift rapids before being pinned between a fallen tree and the riverbank. In June 2020, a 32-year-old man drowned in the Oconaluftee after he "heroically jumped into the river to save a juvenile family member in distress," according to a park statement. Davis said that water recreation is not recommended in the national park "due to numerous hazards and dangers." The Great Smokies, which sprawls across a half-million acres of rugged, forested terrain in Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, is the most-visited national park, with some 13.3 million visitors in 2023. There are about 100 search and rescue operations in the park each year. Davis said this is the third fatality in the park this year that she is aware of. When recreating in the outdoors, Davis said to always use caution around any swift moving water. There are no lifeguards in the park and help can often be hours away. It is important to understand water safety in and around the tempting water of the Smokies. Use extreme caution when walking along riverbanks. Do not dive or jump into the water. Stay on the trail if you dont feel confident in the water or dont know how to swim. More: Update: Missing 62-year-old man found safe in Great Smoky Mountains National Park More: Word from the Smokies: DNA study yields new estimate of Smoky Mountain elk population This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Teenager drowned in Great Smoky Mountains National Park river June 24 170 combat clashes on frontline over past day, with Russians trying to reach Toretsk Over the past 24 hours, 170 combat clashes took place on the frontline, with Russian troops assaulting nine fronts and trying to approach Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 10:00 on 25 June Details: Since the beginning of this day, 48 combat clashes have already taken place. The Russians carried out four airstrikes using nine guided bombs and fired more than 550 times on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas. On the Kharkiv front, two clashes continue near Vovchansk. The situation is under control. The updated information indicates that on this front, the Russians have lost 93 people killed and wounded, and an armoured combat vehicle, four artillery systems and seven vehicles were destroyed. On the Kupiansk front, six Russian attacks have taken place since the beginning of the day near Stepova Novoselivka, Pishchane and Stelmakhivka. Three Russian attempts to advance were repelled by Ukrainian defenders, and the same number of attacks are ongoing. No positions were lost. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian troops repelled five Russian attacks near Kopanky and Makiivka. Another firefight is ongoing. On the Siversk front, the Russians carried out three unsuccessful attacks near Bilohorivka and Vyimka. The situation is tense in the vicinity of Verkhnokamianske, where four combat clashes are currently taking place. The Ukrainian defence forces are controlling the situation. On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian troops successfully repelled a Russian attack near Andriivka. The Russians keep trying to force Ukrainian defenders out of their positions near Chasiv Yar and Ivanivske, where seven combat clashes are currently taking place. The Russians are trying to get closer to Toretsk. Today, Ukraines defence forces units have successfully repelled one Russian attack here, while Ukrainian soldiers are holding back another Russian assault in this area. On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian defenders are taking measures to prevent Russian troops from advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory. There have been 13 combat clashes so far today. The Russians are trying to break through from the area of Ocheretyne towards Yevhenivka, Novooleksandrivka and Vozdvyzhenka. Eight Russian attacks were successfully repelled by Ukrainian defenders, and five more are ongoing. The situation is under the control of the Ukrainian defence forces. The updated information indicates that Russian troop losses on this front yesterday amounted to 210 soldiers killed and wounded, and a mortar and two vehicles were destroyed. On the Kurakhove front, an assault by the Russians near Heorhiivka was unsuccessful. The updated information indicates that over the past day, Russian losses on this front included the destruction of a Russian tank and two vehicles. On the Vremivka front, two Russian attacks near Kostiantynivka and Urozhaine were unsuccessful. On the Orikhiv front, an assault by Russian forces near Robotyne was unsuccessful. The situation did not change significantly on the other fronts. Support UP or become our patron! A Clayton County officer shot and killed a teen after police say they responded to a suspicious person call. CCPD confirmed that an 18-year-old was killed in the shooting on Monday evening. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News App for alerts as news breaks] Clayton County police said officers got a call about multiple people going into a vacant home on Chippewa Drive. According to CCPD, officers arrived at the scene saw two people climbing out of the back window of the home, while two others remained in the house. Officers started giving verbal commands for the suspects to come out of the house. While doing so, CCPD said one of the suspects, Hakim Al-Nas, came out of the back of the home and made contact with an officer who was stationed at the front of the home. The officer said Al-Nas was armed. TRENDING STORIES At that moment, CCPD said the officer asked Al-Nas to stop because he was running in the direction of the other officers who were trying to get the other suspects out of the home. The officer then pulled out his gun and shot Al-Nas. CCPD said it did not appear that Al-Nas fired his weapon but it is still under investigation. Police removed three other suspects from the home and took them into custody; two 18-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Al-Nas was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. CCPD said the officer involved is being placed on administrative leave. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation. IN OTHER NEWS: 2 in custody after multi-county pursuit on I-75 Two people are in custody after a multi-county pursuit that went on Interstate 75 early Tuesday morning. >>22-year-old woman IDd as victim killed in Dayton mass shooting; 6 others injured Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) troopers assisted Sidney Police in a pursuit that began around 2:27 a.m. on Fair Road and went on Southbound Interstate 75, according to OSHP dispatchers. They confirm to News Center 7 that two people are in custody. We continue to update this story. Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri blocked student-loan forgiveness and cheaper payments through the SAVE plan. A range of SAVE provisions set to go into effect July 1 are now halted. Borrowers can still remain on the SAVE plan as the legal process continues. President Joe Biden's new student-loan repayment plan just got dealt two blows by federal courts. On Monday, judges in Kansas and Missouri district courts handed down their rulings on two separate lawsuits filed by GOP state attorneys general seeking to block the SAVE income-driven repayment plan, introduced last summer to lower borrowers' monthly payments. Earlier this year, the Education Department started implementing a SAVE provision ahead of schedule that canceled student debt for borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less who made as few as 10 years of qualifying payments. The attorneys general argued that relief was unconstitutional, among other things, and requested that the relief and the plan overall be blocked. The Missouri court ruled on one of the lawsuits led by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey that the Education Department can no longer carry out student-loan forgiveness via SAVE as the legal process continues. The ruling still preserves borrowers' abilities to enroll and make payments through the plan. "These borrowers have already made payments under the program, have already had those payments calculated under the early implementation of certain provisions of the Final Rule, and some borrowers anticipate imminent forgiveness," the ruling says. "These borrowers and the public have an interest in ensuring consistency in loan repayment programs, and any preliminary injunction would harm their expectations of such consistency." The Department of Education didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The Kansas court meanwhile ruled that it would preserve actions the Education Department had already implemented through the SAVE plan but that it would halt the new provisions set to go into effect on July 1, including cutting payments for undergraduate borrowers in half. Kansas' ruling is set to go into effect on June 30. Both of the rulings are preliminary, and while student-loan forgiveness is blocked for the time being, courts have yet to hand down their final rulings. Mike Pierce, the executive director of the advocacy group Student Borrower Protection Center, said in a statement that "millions of borrowers are now in limbo as they struggle to make sense of their rights under the law and the information being provided by the government and their student loan companies." "Are borrowers' bills accurate? Are interest charges correct? Will the amount due today be the same due tomorrow? Will borrowers' promised cancellation still receive critical relief? These basic, essential questions have no answers," he said. Judge Daniel Crabtree, who delivered the Kansas ruling, was previously skeptical of the GOP attorneys general's case and ruled on June 7 that just three of the original eleven states had standing to challenge the plan. Still, these two rulings are setbacks for borrowers who were hoping to benefit from the SAVE plan that the Education Department has been touting for the past year. While the department continues to carry out separate relief for borrowers through one-time account adjustments, its broader plan for debt cancellation expected to benefit more than 30 million borrowers is highly likely to encounter legal challenges this fall as well. Kansas and Missouri's attorneys general celebrated the rulings. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wrote on X: "Kansas's victory today is a victory for the entire country. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Biden's administration is attempting to usurp Congress's authority." Read the original article on Business Insider ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Two men accused of killing a man outside his workplace during a robbery gone wrong are due in court next month as the case moves closer to trial. According to the University City Police Departments probable cause statements, the homicide took place just after 2 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2023, at the Circle K gas station in the 7400 block of Olive Boulevard. Police claim Eddie Wafer Jr. and Ahmad Blackmon conspired to rob Ahmad Guerin of the victims handgun. Wafer and Blackmon parked at Circle K, where Guerin worked, and got Guerin to get in their vehicle, a white Buick Regal. At one point, Guerin realized he was being robbed and went to grab his gun. Police claim Wafer got into a physical altercation with Guerin and Blackmon shot him. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Blackmon and Wafer took Guerins backpack and drove away, leaving Guerin in the parking lot. Guerin was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. Investigators reviewed surveillance video and pinged Blackmons cellphone, which they claim led them to locate the Buick in the 700 block of Baden Avenue. Video from the neighborhood showed Blackmon and Wafer exiting the vehicle with Guerins backpack. Police and prosecutors claim Wafer told friends that hed set up Guerin for the robbery and that Blackmon shot him when things went bad. Wafer fled to Texas and was arrested several weeks later. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Blackmon with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree robbery. Blackmon remains jailed on a $1 million cash-only bond. Hes due in court for another pre-trial hearing on July 26. Meanwhile, Wafer faces the same charges but a $500,000 cash-only bond. Wafer appeared in court on Monday for a bond reduction hearing to secure house arrest pending trial. The judge denied any modification of the existing bond. Wafer is due back in court on July 17 for a preliminary hearing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 2-year-old boy drowned in a backyard swimming pool Monday evening, June 24, according to the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD). At around 9:20 p.m. on Monday, Las Cruces police and fire personnel were dispatched to the 1000 block of Second Street after the boys parents discovered their child unresponsive, police said. The child was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, LCPD said. LCPD says they are investigating the incident as a standard procedure to determine what led to the childs drowning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. 2 Women Were Found Dead Weeks Apart at Texas Marina, as Police Investigate A second woman was found dead at the same marina where the half-submerged body of Giselle Salazar-Tapia, 30, was found hanging from a dock on May 31, say police Gofundme Giselle Salazar-Tapia Two women were found dead just weeks apart at a Texas marina and police are investigating the cases. On Wednesday, June 17, a woman was found dead on a boat in a League City marina, close to where a mother of four was found hanging off of a dock in May, a spokesperson for League City confirmed to PEOPLE. At 12:45 p.m., on June 17, police responded to a call about a woman who wasnt breathing on a boat at the Wharf Marina at Clear Lake, about a half hour from Houston. There are currently no signs of foul play in this womans death, Officer Jose Ortega, Public Information Officer for the League City Police Department told PEOPLE. It appears, according to the reporting party, this death is possibly drug-related, but that will be confirmed after detectives receive the medical examiners report along with the toxicology report. Authorities say they do suspect foul play in the death of Giselle Salazar-Tapia, 30, of League City, who was found dead at the same marina on May 31. At 1:48 p.m. that day, the League City Police Department received 911 calls about a woman hanging off a dock of a marina in the 700 block of Davis Rd., the LCPD said in a statement on May 31. Callers told LCPD the woman appeared to have been lifeless as she hung by a rope from the dock, according to police. Salazar-Tapias neighbor, Christian Allen, found her half-submerged in the water, KHOU reports. "At first, I thought it was a mannequin and then we realized ... we recognized her," Allen said, KHOU reports. Officers and League City Fire Department personnel quickly arrived on scene and confirmed the woman was deceased. Initially, her death seemed like a suspected suicide. Related: Texas Mom Was Found Hanging from a Dock. Police Believe It Was a Staged Suicide and Suspect Foul Play Given that Allen said he found Salazar-Tapia with her arm was in a strange, twisted position, "I didn't buy the whole suicide thing," Allen told KHOU. On June 12, given the attention surrounding the case, the LCPD provided an update on the case, saying, detectives and officers work every death investigation as a homicide until it can be confirmed that it was not. In this particular case, investigators immediately were suspicious of the positioning of one of the victims arms being in an upright position with nothing holding it up, police said. Detectives believe the victim passed away in another location with her arm raised, police said in the statement. The arm then went into a state of rigor mortis, as it stiffened, police said in the statement. They believe the victim was then positioned in the hanging position off the dock. Detectives are still waiting for the Medical Examiners office for the cause of death. Detectives have two persons of interest in the incident, but no charges have been filed. Detectives with the League City Police Department have been reviewing close to 2,000 security video clips ranging from a few seconds long to several minutes long, according to the statement. The Galveston County District Attorneys Office wants to wait for her toxicology report before filing any charges, Officer Ortega told PEOPLE. Salazar-Tapia's brother, Nathan Paz has started a GoFundMe to help pay for her funeral expenses and to support her four children. "Giselle was the most charismatic person you could ever meet, sharing a smile and making a friend of everyone she came across" Paz wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Giselle always looked for the best in people, even when they didn't deserve her kindness." LCPD is asking the public if anyone has any information regarding this case to contact Detective Bell at 281-554-1904 or Galveston County Crime Stoppers at 409-763-8477 (TIPS) if they would like to remain anonymous. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 2024 Election Guide: Who to Vote foror Againstif You Care About Gay Rights Everyone knows 2024 is an election yearbut its not enough to pay attention to the presidency. There are 33 Senate seats up for grabs, all in different states. And all 435 spots in the House of Representatives are in play. Election Day offers a major opportunity to shake things up in Congress. And since thats where national laws are made, those races are worth paying attention to. More from StyleCaster Over the last four years, Congress has made huge progress in expanding and protecting LGBTQIA+ rights. The Respect for Marriage Act, sponsored by New York representative Jerry Nadler, codified marriage equalityrequiring every state to recognize the validity of same-sex marriage. At the same time, some legislators have proposed bills to restrict LGBTQIA+ rightsan unwelcome reminder that democracy requires vigilance, attention, and participation. While staying engaged can feel overwhelming, it certainly doesnt have to. To help you brush up on all the Congressional action, weve crafted an election guide highlighting key races to watch for LGBTQIA+ rights. This isnt an exhaustive list. With hundreds of seats up for grabs, weve focused on the standouts: openly queer politicians, endorsed allies, and incumbents whove sponsored bills that help the queer community. Weve also highlighted some egregious anti-LGBTQIA+ offenders who we have a chance to unseat. We looked to the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the LGBT Equality PAC, LPAC, and GLAAD for guidance on who to include. Think were missing someone? Email us. Wed love to keep this guide updated. 1. Alabama U.S. House of Representatives: Elizabeth Anderson, a democrat, hopes to make history as Alabamas first openly queer representative. Shes running against Gary Palmer, a republican incumbent whos opted not to protect same-sex marriage and voted to keep transgender athletes out of school sports. (District 6) Alabama voter registration deadline: 15 days before Election Day 2. Arizona U.S. Senate: Ruben Gallego, a democrat, has a great track record on LGBTQIA+ rightsone thats earned him an endorsement from the Human Rights Campaign. Hes currently running against several republicans and Green Party members, though the field should narrow after the primaries on July 30. U.S. House of Representatives: Arizona voter registration deadline: 29 days before Election Day 3. California U.S. House of Representatives: California voter registration deadline: 15 days before Election Day (online), Election Day (in person) 4. Colorado U.S. House of Representatives: Ike McCorkle is one of three democrats running in Colorados fourth district, and hes the only one who lists equal rights as a campaign priority. Hes running against several republicans, including Lauren Boebert, whos been flagged by GLAAD for speaking out against the queer community and fighting to limit LGBTQIA+ rights. Boebert currently represents a different district (District 3), and primaries are slated for June 25. (District 4) Colorado voter registration deadline: 8 days before Election Day 5. Delaware U.S. Senate: Lisa Blunt Rochester, a democrat, is running for Delawares open Senate seat. Blunt Rochester has voted to protect and expand LGBTQIA+ rights during her time in Congress, and shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign. Shes running against several republican and independent candidates, and primaries will be held September 3. U.S. House of Representatives: Sarah McBride, a democrat, made history as the first openly transgender state senator in the country. And now, shes running for Delawares only House seat. Shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the LGBT Equality PAC, and LPAC. And there are several republican and democratic candidates vying for the seat in the lead-up to the September 3 primaries. (At-large) Delaware voter registration deadline: 24 days before Election Day 6. Florida U.S. Senate: U.S. House of Representatives: Democrats Manny Lopez and Matthew Montavon are running against republican incumbent Greg Steube, who sponsored a bill that would keep transgender athletes out of school sports. Both Lopez and Montavon list LGBTQIA+ rights among their priorities, and primaries will be held August 20. (District 17) Florida voter registration deadline: 29 days before Election Day 7. Georgia U.S. House of Representatives: Shawn Harris, a democrat, is taking on republican incumbent Marjorie Taylor Greene. While Harris hasnt listed LGBTQIA+ rights as a focus of his campaign, Taylor Greene is one of the politicians GLAAD has flagged for speaking out against the queer community and voting to limit LGBTQIA+ rights. (District 14) Georgia voter registration deadline: 29 days before Election Day 8. Illinois U.S. House of Representatives: Eric Sorensen, a democrat who made history as the first openly queer congressperson to represent Illinois, is running for reelection. Sorensen has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LBGTQ+ Victory Fund, and LGBT Equality PAC, and hes running against Joseph McGraw, a republican. (District 17) Illinois voter registration deadline: 16 days before Election Day (online), Election Day (in person) 9. Kansas U.S. House of Representatives: Sharice Davids, a democrat who made history as the first openly queer Native American member of Congress, is running for reelection. Shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the LGBT Equality PAC, and LPAC. Several republicans are running against her, and primaries are scheduled for August 6. (District 3) Kansas voter registration deadline: 21 days before Election Day 10. Louisiana U.S. House of Representatives: Mel Manuel is a democrat, member of the queer community, and LGBTQIA+ rights activist. Manuel hopes to unseat republican incumbent Steve Scalise, whom GLAAD has flagged for voting against LGBTQIA+ rights. Louisiana voter registration deadline: 20 days before Election Day (online), 30 days before Election Day (in person) 11. Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives: Angie Craig , a democrat who made history as the first openly queer congressperson to represent Minnesota, is running for reelection. Shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and LGBT Equality PAC. There are currently several candidates running against her, and primaries will be held August 13. (District 2) Jeanne Hendricks is one of the democrats hoping to unseat republican incumbent Tom Emmer, whos been flagged by GLAAD for voting to limit LGBTQIA+ rights. Hendricks lists equality among her campaign priorities. (District 6) Minnesota voter registration deadline: 21 days before Election Day (online), Election Day (in person) 12. Missouri U.S. Senate: December Harmon is a member of the queer communityand one of the democrats hoping to unseat republican incumbent Josh Hawley. Fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights is one of Harmons priorities. Meanwhile, GLAAD has flagged Hawley for speaking out against the queer community and voting to limit LGBTQIA+ rights. Missouri voter registration deadline: 27 days before Election Day 13. New Hampshire U.S. House of Representatives: Chris Pappas, a democrat who made history as New Hampshires first openly gay congressperson, is running for reelection. Hes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and the LGBT Equality PAC. And since primaries wont be held until September 10, hes currently running against several candidatesone democrat and seven republicans. (District 1) New Hampshire voter registration deadline: 13 days before Election Day (by mail), Election Day (in person) 14. New York U.S. House of Representatives: New York voter registration deadline: 10 days before Election Day 15. Ohio U.S. Senate: U.S. House of Representatives: Tamie Wilson, a democrat, hopes to unseat republican incumbent Jim Jordan. Wilson wants to protect and expand LGBTQIA+ rights during her time in Congress. Jordan, on the other hand, has consistently fought against marriage equality. (District 4) Ohio voter registration deadline: 30 days before Election Day 16. Tennessee U.S. Senate: Marquita Bradshaw and Gloria Johnson are among the democrats hoping to unseat republican incumbent Marsha Blackburn, whose bad record on LGBTQIA+ rights has gotten her flagged by GLAAD. Both Bradshaw and Johnson have voice support for the queer community, and Johnson has voted to protect LGBTQIA+ rights during her time in the state legislature. U.S. House of Representatives: Megan Barry, a democrat, is taking on republican incumbent Mark Green. Green has said some truly egregious things about the queer community. Berry, on the other hand, supports expanding LGBTQIA+ rightsand earned an Ally Award from the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce in 2015. (District 7) Tennessee voter registration deadline: 30 days before Election Day 17. Texas U.S. Senate: Colin Allred, a democrat, is taking on republican incumbent Ted Cruz. Allred supports the queer community and wants to expand LGBTQIA+ rights. Cruz has consistently spoken out against the queer community and voted to limit LGBTQIA+ rights during his time in Congress. U.S. House of Representatives: Julie Johnson, a democrat, is running against republican Darrell Day. She was one of the first openly gay officials in her county, and shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and LGBT Equality PAC. Texas voter registration deadline: 30 days before Election Day 18. Vermont U.S. House of Representatives: Becca Balint, democratic incumbent, made history as the first openly queer person to represent Vermont in Congress. Shes seeking reelection against republican Mark Coester, and shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and the LGBT Equality PAC. (At-large) Vermont voter registration deadline: Election Day 19. Washington U.S. House of Representatives: Emily Randall, an openly queer politician and activist, is one of the democrats running in Washingtons sixth district. Shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the LGBT Equality PAC, and LPAC. Several candidates are currently vying for the seat, and primaries will be held August 6. (District 6) Washington voter registration deadline: 8 days before Election Day (online), Election Day (in person) 20. Wisconsin U.S. Senate: Tammy Baldwin, democratic incumbent, is running for reelection against several republicans. (Primaries will be held August 13.) Baldwin made history as the first openly queer woman elected to the House and then the Senate, and shes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and LPAC. U.S. House of Representatives: Mark Pocan, democratic incumbent, is an openly gay politician and the current chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. Hes been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBT Equality PAC. Pocans currently defending his seat against two republicans. (District 2) Wisconsin voter registration deadline: 20 days before Election Day (online), Election Day (in person) Best of StyleCaster The 2024 election is shaping up to be a tight race. How big is Gen Z's voting bloc? Every vote is important in a presidential election, but campaigns often set their sights on a few key groups they believe could help tip the scales in their favor during a close election. One of those groups could be young voters, or more specifically, Gen Z voters, the generation with the youngest eligible voters. How old is Generation Z? Gen Zers are between the ages of 27 and 12, nestled between Millennials and their younger counterparts, Gen Alpha, with birthdays ranging from 1997 to 2012. How many Gen Zers are eligible to vote in 2024? Although the tail end of this generation will still be too young to cast a ballot this November, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement estimates that "40.8 million members of Gen Z (ages 18-27 in 2024) will be eligible to vote, including 8.3 million newly eligible youth (ages 18-19 in 2024) who will have aged into the electorate since the 2022 midterm election," many of whom are people of color. A young man draped in the U.S. flag attends a campaign rally attended by former U.S. President Donald Trump at Crotona Park in Bronx, New York on May 23, 2024. Young political leaders: Where are the Gen Z candidates? Take a look at your local ballot Gen Z's importance in the November election As the first presidential debate nears on Thursday, June 27, USA TODAY previously reported on some of Gen Z's topics of interest: foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war came to the forefront, along with Donald Trump's convictions in the hush money trial and Joe Biden's age. Historically, young voters tend to have lower turnout than older age groups. This year, though, young voters have stepped into the political sphere in significant ways, like organizing protests calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. According to Pew Research, the Democratic party tends to have more support from young voters than Republicans. Gen Z voters: Young people's declining perception of the president: What Trump taught Gen Z The Democratic National Committee has taken an interest in young voters in part by giving media credentials to select influencers and social media creators with thousands and millions of followers at the Democratic National Convention. All eyes will be on how many young voters turn out this November and which presidential candidate they support more after an election cycle steeped in activism from college-aged voters. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Young voters could decide in Biden v. Trump. How many are Gen Z? What is the 2024 forecast for Oregon wildfires? Experts weigh in By most metrics, Oregon is heading into wildfire season in good shape for a quiet wildfire season. Thing is, it doesn't feel that way with infernos bringing evacuations, smoke and even destruction across southern, central and eastern parts of the state this week. As each year reminds us, with wildfire, you just never know until it happens. What experts are saying about the 2024 wildfire season There is reason to believe that this will be a quieter fire season. Theres no drought statewide in June for the first time since 2017, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Its been a relatively cool late spring and early summer. And forecasters say the transition from El Nino to La Nina weather patterns could mean a wetter than normal summer. Were in a pretty good spot, said Jessica Neujahr, wildfire spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Its actually a little bit similar to what we used to see heading into fire seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. With the exception of southeast Oregons rangeland, most of the state is forecast to see a typical or even quiet season. I think the region as a whole will end up with below normal fire activity, Jon Bonk, fire weather meteorologist for the Northwest Coordination Center, said at a meeting where he briefed Oregons congressional delegation on the upcoming fire season. The wildfire risk map keeps most of Oregon with the exception of the southeast corner at normal levels for all of this summer. But Bonk pointed out and this past week illustrated a forecast doesn't mean much once the winds start blowing, lightning flashes and humans spark fires. All three already took place in the space of one week. The 2020 wildfire season the worst in Oregons history had very little fire activity until a historic east windstorm hit in early September. Hotter summers and more people in the forest also make forecasting wildfires more difficult than ever. Its all about confidence, and I wouldnt say we have the confidence to say its going to be a below normal fire season, Bonk said. Active wildfires already roil central, eastern, southwest Oregon Oregon already has seen a spate of impactful wildfires this season. The Darlene 3 Fire in Central Oregon ignited and grew rapidly on Tuesday, throwing up massive smoke plumes above La Pine (population 2,536) and prompting level 3 "go now" evacuation orders across the east side of town. As of press time, it had blackened 3,889 acres but was 50% contained a big accomplishment that required a major effort from hundreds of firefighters along with aircraft and heavy equipment. To the east, a lightning strike ignited the 17,900-acre Little Valley Fire, the state's largest, near Ontario. Meanwhile, the Long Bend Fire near Maupin briefly closed the Deschutes River to rafting and the Upper Applegate Fire, which was human-caused, brought evacuations and required 400 firefighters to quell the blaze in southern Oregon. Even in this type of year, were still going to see some large wildfires, said John Saltenberger, fire weather program manager for NWCC. The Long Bend Fire burns on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon on June 22, 2024 and brought an evacuation of two popular campgrounds. Fire season normally begins in northwest Oregon in July Northwest Oregon has remained relatively quiet. This wetter and cooler part of the state typically enters fire season around early July. The rest of the state enters fire season earlier and is in fire season currently. Both Central Oregon and Southern Oregon forests have outlawed campfires except in designated campgrounds and placed other restrictions on open flames and cooking. Why are experts predicting a quieter season? In projecting a quieter wildfire season, Bonk looked at drought, fuel moisture, long-term weather projections and other factors. But one place he zeroed in on was the transition from an El Nino to La Nina weather pattern. He looked at past years with similar conditions and picked out 2010 and 2016 as analog years where weather patterns were similar to this year. Both of those turned out to be some of the states quietest wildfire seasons. In 2010, about 87,000 acres burned, and in 2016, 220,000 acres burned both well below normal. Over the past decade, Oregon has burned an average of over 600,000 acres per year. Were expecting more onshore flow from the Pacific, which typically means higher precipitation amounts and more frequent weather systems, he said. The thunderstorms (instead of coming from inland) tend to come off the Pacific with more moisture. Bonk said that in 2010, the state had above average lightning but that it came with wetter systems. And in 2016, which represented a warmer scenario, there was a lower lightning strike count than normal. Firefighter Cole Campbell from Prineville prepares for another day on the fireline as the Lookout Fire burns above his camp at Tokatee Golf Course in McKenzie Bridge east of Springfield in August 2023. Forecasts can always be wrong In 2017, there were signs that it could be a quiet wildfire season. There had been an excellent snowpack, no drought, and it had generally been a wet year. The Statesman Journal published a story quoting experts saying it could be a quieter wildfire season than normal. That, of course, didnt happen. Instead, it was one of Oregon's worst wildfire seasons, with the Eagle Creek, Chetco Bar, Milli and Whitewater fires bringing some of the scariest wildfires in recent history. August and September always arrive, its almost always dry, and at that point its very difficult to predict whats going to happen, Neujahr said. Higher than normal fire danger for southeast Oregon The one place Oregon has above-normal fire danger is the southeast rangeland. Weve seen two years of buildup of fuel from the rain, so were anticipating more fires than normal in the southeast, Saltenberger said. The area is also expected to see a decent number of lightning strikes something that happened last week. Those would largely be grass fires in areas that are not heavily populated. Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, a nonprofit, is the lead group often fighting fires in that remote part of the state. They operate on a really tight budget but play a huge role, Neujahr said. Central Oregon also has some area of abnormal dryness, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And wildfires have been popping up there as well. Were keeping an eye on that area as well, Neujahr said. Urban wildfires on the rise in Oregon A view of the Liberty Fire damage in August 2023 looking northwest toward Salem. Lingering smoke in the tall fir trees off in the distance is captured by a Salem Police Department drone pilot. One of the biggest trends from the 2023 wildfire season and the last few years overall has been the rise of urban wildfires. For the past three years, residents of south Salem have faced evacuations due to fast-growing wildfires. Multiple wildfires outside Eugene brought evacuations last summer. Neujahr said hotter summers in metro areas have brought fire danger to places people aren't used to it. "We're seeing more human-caused fires in areas where fuels are drying out in ways they didn't in the past," she said. "There seems to be a learning curve where people have trouble getting used to the fact that maybe they can't pile burn as late in the summer as they could when they were growing up. There isn't an awareness of what could ignite and spread a fire." A good example is the Liberty Fire in south Salem, which last summer led to the evacuation of 600 residents and cost more than $1 million to fight. A report on the fire's cause and origin revealed the fire likely ignited when the hot exhaust of an ATV contacted dry vegetation. Two years earlier, the Vitae Springs Fire sparked when a car crashed into a telephone pole near tall grass and ignited a brush fire. Firefighters narrowly contained it to 15 acres. "It's just becoming easier for fires to get started and spread," Neujahr said. The area atop Moon Mountain in Eugene in the aftermath of a July 2023 fire. Firefighter staffing in Oregon One issue that could plague the Northwest this summer is whether the state has enough wildland firefighters. The U.S. Forest Service said it was at about 80% of firefighting capacity this season. We continue to struggle to staff at our full level, said Ed Hiatt, assistant director for fire, fuels and aviation management for the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service. Neujahr said the Oregon Department of Forestry was staffing close to previous years with about 700 firefighters and wasnt facing a major shortfall. Firefighters march toward the blaze on Moon Mountain while working the fire in Eugene Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Hurricane season could limit emergency personnel numbers Another possible drain on emergency personnel is the likelihood of a busy Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricanes obviously arent going to hit us, but what happens is that once they make landfall, there is a big demand on resources and emergency personnel, Saltenberger said. And their peak hurricane season late August and September comes at almost exactly the same time. It just creates a lot of competition for emergency relief. Mountaintop cameras, with some using AI, monitor wildfires There has never been more eyes on Oregons forests, thanks to the proliferation of remote mountain cameras. ODFs system of mountaintop cameras numbers 77 statewide, and will grow to 95 in the next two years. The cameras are watched by remote fire-watching centers in multiple parts of the state. In addition, the Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon in partnership with ALERTWest currently operates 45 remote cameras with plans to deploy 30 more. All firefighting agencies can tap into that system, which also uses artificial intelligence to monitor for smoke. When the algorithm detects smoke or heat, someone verifies its an actual incident, and then it goes out to dispatch, Doug Toomey, UO professor of earth sciences and director of OHAZ, said in a news release. This enables faster response times and helps fire managers better allocate resources when battling many blazes at once. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Hiking Southern Oregon. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What is the 2024 forecast for Oregon wildfires? Qatar-based telecoms player Ooredoo Group announced on Sunday that it has signed a deal to become an Nvidia Cloud Partner (NCP) to enable development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the MENA region. Under the deal, which was signed last week during TM Forums DTW24 event in Copenhagen, Ooredoo will collaborate with Nvidia to develop an AI-ready platform powered by Nvidias full-stack innovation across systems, software, and services. Part of the plan involves Ooredoo deploying thousands of Nvidia Tensor Core GPUs in its AI data centres to create a GPU-as-a-Service offering for the region, providing governments, enterprises, and startups with access to advanced AI and machine learning tools, including generative AI. Ronnie Vasishta, SVP of telecom at Nvidia, said the offering will optimise processes and drive operational efficiencies across industries. Ooredoo Group combines deep enterprise and consumer relationships with the ability to invest in and deploy AI infrastructure and services, he said in a statement. By providing Nvidias full-stack AI computing platform to customers, Ooredoo will help make it easier for their customers to deploy generative AI applications and services. Ooredoo Group CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo added that its collaboration with Nvidia is part of its broader strategy to boost AI infrastructure in the MENA region by enabling countries where Ooredoo operates to establish local clouds. This will not only facilitate the development of local AI ecosystems and applications and reinforcing data security measures, but also drive economic growth, job creation, and technological innovation across the region, he said. Implementing Nvidia's full-stack platform for accelerated computing and generative AI, Ooredoo is equipped to be at the forefront of the AI revolution in MENA, driving digitalisation and innovation as the leading digital infrastructure provider in the region, he said. Working with Nvidia, we aim to meet the significantly growing demand for accelerated computing infrastructure to support advanced AI models. The deal has raised media speculation on how this plays in the context of a move by the US government in August 2023 to restrict exports of Nvidia GPUs to select countries in the Middle East. That restriction is an extension of an existing ban on exports to China and Russia. The US has never disclosed which Middle Eastern countries are covered by the ban. It also never gave a specific reason for the expansion, although experts have speculated it may be related to countries such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates developing closer AI ties with China. The export controls apply only to Nvidias advanced A100 and H100 chips. The Ooredoo/Nvidia announcement did not specify which Nvidia GPUs would be deployed. However, the fact that the deal was signed at all indicates that the expanded US export controls wont apply. Nvidia told Reuters at the time the Middle East restrictions were announced that they would not have an immediate material impact on its results. It may also depend on which countries Ooredoo plans to offer GPU-as-a-Service. The announcement specifically mentions in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives. It does not mention Iraq and Palestine, where Ooredoo also has operations. Ooredoos Indonesian unit, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, signed a similar deal with Nvidia during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. $25K in CVPAWS donations to be matched after assistance from anonymous allies SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Concho Valley PAWS has announced that thousands of dollars in donations given to it will be matched for a limited time as part of a campaign facilitated by unknown allies. According to CVPAWS, the matching gift campaign began on Friday, June 21, and will last until Wednesday, Aug. 3. Up to $25,000 in monetary gifts will be matched cent-for-cent during this time, allowing the organization to potentially receive $50,000 in donations should donors turn out in force. The nonprofit claims that the campaign was made possible by friends. These friends wish to remain unidentified, however, leaving San Angelo residents to guess who the mysterious benefactors are. We are so grateful to our friends who made this matching campaign possible, CVPAWS said. They wish to remain anonymous, but we are honored to have their support. Concho Valley Dragway nears finish line, soft opening on horizon The event comes amid rising costs for the organizations operations due to a rapidly growing pet population within San Angelo. CVPAWS stated that it spent over $400,000 on veterinary care during 2023, a portion of which was spent on programs and medical procedures needed to rescue and rehome an average of 2,000 pets each year. Such growth has resulted in the San Angelo Animal Shelter a shelter operated by the City of San Angelo, which contracts CVPAWS repeatedly reaching its legal maximum capacity of 180 dogs, forcing it to consider euthanizing dogs to compensate. CVPAWS said that it has absorbed all veterinary care costs associated with saving 130 San Angelo shelter dogs scheduled for euthanasia in the past several months in its efforts to spare the pets. All donations will be used for animal care, according to CVPAWS. To donate, visit cvpaws.org/match or mail a donation to 3134 N. Hwy 67, San Angelo, TX 76905. Your gift will be doubled and will have double the impact on pets in need, CVPAWS said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. UPDATE: The Village of Ruidoso provided an update on Tuesday evening, June 25, and has revised the number of missing people down to 11. The number of fatalities still stands at two, according to a spokesperson. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A spokesperson with the Village of Ruidoso confirmed with KTSM on Tuesday morning, June 25, that 29 people are missing as a result of the wildfires. The spokesperson says theyre expecting an update later Tuesday afternoon. The South Fork Fire is estimated at 17,556 acres with 54 percent containment. The Salt Fire is estimated at 7,947 with 38 percent containment, the New Mexico Forestry Division said Tuesday. The New Mexico Forestry Division provided an updated map on Tuesday, June 25, on what the wildfires in the area are looking like. The Forestry Division says fire activity has reduced across both fires due to persistent scattered storms and growth potential is minimal. Scattered thunderstorms caused localized flooding again on Monday, June 24, but crews were still able to access areas of the fire and made good progress on structural assessments and containment operations, the Forestry Division said. Today, crews will focus on constructing direct control lines and mopping up hot spots where needed. Mop-up will continue until full containment is reached, including the removal of hazard trees and securing the fire perimeter. Additionally, crews will assist utility cooperators in gaining access to damaged areas to conduct assessments, the Forestry Division said Tuesday. Over 1,000 personnel are currently at the fire sites and are staffed with 12 crews, eight helicopters, 61 engines, nine bulldozers, and 18 water tenders. El Paso Electric says it will be assisting the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) on Tuesday with power restoration. Twelve team members from El Paso Electric, including linemen and safety representatives, went to Ruidoso, taking bucket trucks and all-terrain vehicles to help PNM. Crews are tentatively scheduled to be in Ruidoso for 14 days. Their main priority is to restore power and do it safely and as efficiently as possible, El Paso Electric said. PNM says around 1,500 of 10,000 power poles have been destroyed or damaged by the wildfires. An additional 50 miles of power lines have also been damaged or destroyed. PNM also says it stopped billing and automatic drafting of payments for customers impacted by the wildfires. Full-time residents of the Village of Ruidoso were allowed back into the village on Monday. However, road barriers were still in place in some areas. Some full-time residents in Lincoln County were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday night, June 22, while others were allowed to return home on Sunday morning, June 23. New areas near the wildfires opened up on Tuesday, according to a Ruidoso re-entry map. The green shading indicates areas that are open to residents. The red-shaded areas are still Exclusion Zones and residents are still not allowed into those areas. The blue-shaded areas are No Entry Zones that have multiple access points to the Exclusion Zones and can still not be accessed by residents, according to the re-entry map. To access that map, click here: Ruidoso wildfires public map. No evacuations are currently in place. However, there will be some areas that are considered no entry/exclusion zones that will not be accessible to residents because they are considered crime scenes, according to the Village of Ruidosos Facebook page. The Village of Ruidoso confirmed that two people have died as a result of the fires and says that search-and-rescue teams have identified potential fatalities that could add to the number of deaths. These areas will also be secured by officers. The FBIs Albuquerque Field Office announced this past Saturday that its offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for starting the fires. FBI offering reward for information about cause of Ruidoso fires A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued last week for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, roads, and trails are closed to the public. A temporary flight restriction is also in place over the fire area. This prohibits any and all drone use by the public. Tribal members who have been displaced outside of the Mescalero Apache Reservation can contact the Tribes Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help them get back to the reservation. Those who are stranded out of town at other evacuation sites can call the EOC at (575) 464-9214 for more details. For those seeking reunification with friends and loved ones, call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. Residents returning who need food, water, personal hygiene items, or toiletries can click here: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire. For the latest on road closures, click here and scroll to the Evacuations section: https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. 2nd man convicted in 2016 murder where Atlanta father was killed over $50 A man was recently convicted for the 2016 cold case murder of an Atlanta father. Dontavian Jones, 22, was convicted on June 14 for the 2016 murder of Dewenzell Spence, 41, of Atlanta. Jones was found guilty of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On June 3, 2016, Cobb County police responded to a report of a dead body found in the woods in Mableton. Officers found a highly decomposed man, later identified as Spence. According to the Cobb County District Attorney, detectives accessed Spences bank account and found two withdrawals from a Bank of America ATM in Mableton. When they checked the banks surveillance video, they saw Spence at the ATM for seven minutes with two unidentified men and a white van in the background. One of the men had a shirt on his head and a mask and the other made no effort to hide his identity. In January 2020, detectives used facial recognition software to identify the unmasked man as Terrance Marshall from Cochran, Georgia. Marshall, then 19, was arrested on June 1, 2016, after a high-speed chase in Alabama involving a white Dodge caravan similar to the van in the banks surveillance footage. Jones was also involved in the chase, which ended with the two men running from the van before it exploded. Marshall was arrested about nine hours later, while Jones was captured 18 hours later, covering 20 miles before being caught. Detectives confirmed both Marshall and Jones as the men in the banks surveillance footage. During interviews, detectives learned that Jones, just 14 at the time, traveled to Atlanta with Marshall in a stolen van, where they saw Spence walking down Hank Aaron Boulevard toward the MARTA station. TRENDING STORIES: They forced Spence at gunpoint to get into the van, drove him to Mableton, forced him to withdraw $50 from his bank account, and then drove him to a wooded area where they executed him. What happened here is what we want to believe only happens in scary movies. Mr. Spence was walking to work when he was approached by two teenage strangers, forced to walk several blocks with a shotgun to the back of his head, pushed into a van, taken to an ATM, and driven to foreign woods where he was executed. I cannot imagine the fear he suffered in the last hours of his life. I hope these men never see the light of day for what they did to this innocent, hard-working father, said Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green. Marshall was convicted in January 2024 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus an additional five years in prison. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Three more states are holding congressional primaries on Tuesday. Voters in Colorado, New York and Utah will cast ballots. The Beehive State will also vote in a gubernatorial primary. Colorado Polls close at 9 p.m. ET. The last day to register to vote in the primary and receive a mail-in ballot was June 17. Absentee ballots must be received by Tuesday, June 25, 9 p.m. ET. Early voting was from June 17 to 24. Republican and Democratic primaries for several races -- including the U.S. House, state House, state Senate and state Board of Education -- will take place Tuesday. Rep. Lauren Boebert announced in December that she will switch congressional districts when she runs for reelection. PHOTO: Rep. Lauren Boebert speaks at a press conference on President Trump's involvement with January 6 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., February 06, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Boebert, a House hardliner who made a name for herself as a staunch advocate for gun owner rights, said she will be running in Colorado's 4th Congressional District rather than the 3rd Congressional District, which she currently represents. The winner of Tuesday's Republican primary for District 3 will face Adam Frisch, the main Democratic challenger. PHOTO: Rep. Ken Buck arrives for an intelligence briefing by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Feb. 15, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Republican Ken Buck previously represented the 4th Congressional District. Buck, who had already announced he would not be seeking reelection, left Congress in March. The district leans more Republican than the seat Boebert currently holds. There is a special election Tuesday to replace Buck, and the winner will serve the remainder of his term; Boebert is not running in the special election. 1st Biden-Trump debate: What to know and how to watch New York Polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mail-in ballots should be postmarked no later than Tuesday, June 25. Primary voters can also drop their ballots at their respective county Board of Elections Office no later than 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday. They can also deliver them to a poll site on Tuesday no later than 9 p.m. Early voting was from June 15 to 23. PHOTO: Rep. Jamaal Bowman is seen in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act vote in Washington, D.C., July 14, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) One of the most anticipated congressional races is in District 16, where Rep. Jamaal Bowman faces Westchester County Executive George Latimer in the Democratic primary. District 16 includes a portion of the Bronx and the southern half of Westchester County. PHOTO: Democratic candidate for New York's 16th District George Latimer speaks at the Mount Vernon Democratic headquarters in Mount Vernon, NY, June 24, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Utah Polls close at 10 p.m. ET. June 18 was the last day residents could request a mail-in ballot for the regular primary election, and Monday, June 24, was the last day ballots could be postmarked. PHOTO: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a news briefing in Salt Lake City, UT, March 1, 2024. (Rick Bowmer/AP) Incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox and state Rep. Phil Lyman are on the ballot in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and Natalie Clawson are on the GOP primary ballot for lieutenant governor. PHOTO: Utah Rep. Phil Lyman speaks during Utah's gubernatorial GOP primary debate in Salt Lake City, UT, June 11, 2024. (Issac Hale/AP) In Utah's Senate GOP primary, voters will begin the process to elect a successor to Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who announced in September 2023 that he would not seek reelection. Romney -- who once served as the governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and earned the 2012 GOP nomination for president -- has had a storied career as a conservative public official. However, as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and Trump's GOP, Romney has virtually lost his place in his party. Trump supporters Brad Wilson, the former state House speaker, and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs are on the primary ticket. U.S. Rep. John Curtis is also on the ballot. 3 more states to vote in congressional primaries Tuesday originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Ryan Nichols, the 20-year-old white man who prosecutors accused of fatally shooting a Black man in Jacksonville near a dumpster in 2023, was sentenced to 40 years in prison last week. Daniel DeGuardia, 19, and Holden Dodson, 22, were charged with accessory after the fact. The three men managed to avoid hate crime charges in the murder of Gary Jackson, 39. When the men were arrested, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office stated there was no evidence that racism played a factor in the killing. During Nichols sentencing, Judge Anthony Salem said the murder showed a lack of respect for human life. My heart breaks for Mr. Jacksons family. I hope today, in some small way, brings some sort of closure, Salem had said. However, Dodson said that Nichols used a racist slur to describe Jackson after he shot him several times behind the dumpster. [Nichols] said, I just blew that N-words head off, was one the things that were said. And, nobody steals from me. Almost bragging, Dodson recalled. According to detectives, surveillance footage from local businesses showed a man chasing Jackson with what appeared to be a handgun,as a Jeep Grand Cherokee followed them. The Jeep was later seen driving south, but when the victim was seen running north, Nichols jumped out of the car and chased him on foot, according to his arrest report. Dodson called 911 to report a stolen gun but not Jacksons murder, prosecutors said. Nichols later insisted he acted in self defense and that Jackson was armed. However, the report said Jackson was trying to hide. Nichols pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; Dodson and Deguardia both pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact for their actions. Dodson and DeGuardia are scheduled to be sentenced on June 28. They face up to 15 years in prison. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 32-Year-Old Woman Arrested After Dead Body Was Found in Her Car Following Accident on Minnesota Highway "It was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident, police shared Getty Stock image of police tape A 32-year-old woman was arrested in Minnesota after a dead body was found in her car following a single-vehicle accident, according to police. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office shared on social media that officers arrested Margot Lewis, 32, for the charge of interference with a dead body. The sheriff's office shared that officers discovered the dead body after responding to a single-vehicle accident on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90, near the Highway 42 Exit in Olmsted County around 7 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 22. Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Eyota Fire Department and other first responders arrived at the scene where they found Lewis outside of her car being tended to by a bystander. When police checked to see if there was any one else in her car, they found a deceased 35-year-old woman in the backseat, according to the release. The condition of the deceased was suspicious, and it was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident, police said in a statement. Police have identified the woman, but her name is being withheld as they work to notify her family. They also did not give any additional details into what led officers to believe the woman in the backseat had been deceased at the time of the crash. Olmsted County Sheriff's Office extends sincere condolences to the friends and family of the deceased, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Police said Lewis was transported to the hospital in an ambulance and was medically cleared before she was placed under arrest. She was later transported to the Adult Detention Center. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage, and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The sheriff's office said that the investigation into this case was still ongoing and said that no further information would be released at this time. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the incident. According to local outlet Post Bulletin and ABC News, Lewis is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, June 25. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. "No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident," the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said Stafford County Sheriff A 4-foot-long snake was discovered in a Goodwill donation box in Stafford County, Virginia You might have heard of bookworms, but have you heard of book snakes? A 4-foot-long snake was discovered in a Goodwill donation box full of books in Stafford County, Virginia, according to NBC News affiliate News Channel 8. The reptile, whose species is unknown, as per the local Patch, was found slithering around among a box of books. Captain J.A. Bice of Animal Control responded to Goodwill's call and removed the snake from the store. It remains unclear how the animal wound up among the donations. The Virginia Goodwill does not accept live snakes as donations, along with other items listed online. Stafford County Sheriff The Stafford County Sheriff's Office posted a photo of the snake on Instagram Related: Driver Spots Live Snake Dangling from a Car Speeding Down a Highway in Alabama The Stafford County Sheriff's Office also posted about the incident on their Instagram account, letting all know that the matter was resolved without issue and apparently had some fun with the caption while giving an informative update. "Slytherin Suspect Seized," they began their caption, referring to one of the four Hogwarts Houses in the Harry Potter franchise. "With the rise in temperatures recently everyone is trying to beat the heat, even the local wildlife," they continued. "This four-foot-long basilisk was unearthed yesterday by an employee of Goodwill, located at 72 Doc Stone Road, in a box of donated books." Getty Stock photo of book donations Related: S.C. Woman Finds Snake on Her Cars Windshield While Driving to Work: They're 'My Biggest Phobia' "Luckily, the Captain of Animal Control, Captain J.A. Bice, was nearby and responded quicker than any Seeker could," the caption cheekily continued. "Using his powers of persuasion, and a bit of Parseltongue, Captain Bice was able to safely remove the snake and release it back into the wild." They concluded their post by noting that No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident." This isn't the first time a snake was unexpectedly found in a box. In June, a live snake was found in a couple's Amazon delivery when they were expecting a video game controller instead. Meanwhile, in March, a woman discovered a 6-foot-long snake when changing her bed sheets. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. 4-foot snake found in box of donations at Virginia Goodwill STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WDCW) Virginia authorities said a Goodwill employee recently discovered a 4-foot snake in a box of donated books. No snakes, employees, or deputies were harmed during the incident, the Stafford County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) said in a news release. (Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office) The captain of animal control responded to a Goodwill, located at 72 Doc Stone Road, after a 4-foot-long basilisk was found slithering in a box of donated books. Stafford County Sheriffs Office looking for owner of missing goat Stafford Sheriff officials couldnt resist adding in a Harry Potter reference while explaining what happened to the Slytherin Suspect. Using his powers of persuasion, and a bit of Parseltongue the captain was able to capture the snake and release it into the wild again, SCSO said. Its not clear how the reptile ended up in the box, but it goes without saying that live snakes are not accepted donations at the Virginia Goodwill, along with flammables, guns, old TVs, mattresses and broken furniture, among other items. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Brazils National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved financing worth R$41 million (US$7.5 million) for Um Telecom, a B2B operator focused on Brazil's Northeast region, to deploy the first Tier III data centre in the State of Pernambuco. Once operational, the facility will, it is claimed, have ample space on site for other companies to join an ecosystem that will allow the provision of digital services such as cloud computing, 5G, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things. At more than 150 racks, the data centre, which will be located in the state capital Recife, will be the first large-capacity data centre with Tier III classification in Pernambuco. In Brazil, there are reportedly 87 Tier III facilities, of which 85% are in the Southeast region. In the Northeast region, Fortaleza (pictured above) has three units for commercial use and Joao Pessoa only one. There is, of course, a renewable element to this as well as a developmental one. As the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, points out, digital infrastructure is important for the development of the Northeast. He says: BNDES is aware of this regional opportunity for the northeastern company Um Telecom, which will operate partly with solar energy, and will sell services to companies in different segments, including large global technology companies. That isnt the only recent telecoms first for northern Brazil. As we reported last week, Peru-based telecoms operator Global Fiber says it has selected Brazilian fibre optic vendor Padtec and Peruvian telecoms firm Satelital as primary suppliers for a subsea festoon network connecting two provincial capital cities in Brazil: Belem in Para state and Fortaleza in Ceara state. As officers at the Oakland County Sheriffs Office grieve at the loss of Deputy Bradley Reckling fatally shot in the line of duty in Detroit the Detroit Police Department is asking for the publics help in solving the crime. And Crime Stoppers has offered $5,000 for any tip that moves this case forward, according to a news release. Reckling was shot at 10:48 p.m. Saturday in the area of Park Grove and Schoenherr streets, on the citys east side several blocks south of 7 Mile and two blocks west of Gratiot. Reckling had been following a Chevrolet Equinox, stolen from an Oakland County park in Madison Heights, when the vehicle suddenly stopped, two men emerged and they repeatedly fired at Reckling, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy Bradley Reckling, fatally shot in Detroit on June 22, 2024, leaves behind three daughters and a wife who's expecting the couple's fourth child. More: Fatal shooting of Oakland County Sheriff Deputy Bradley Reckling: What we know On Monday night, Detroit police issued a request for anyone with information about the shooting to call the Homicide Task Force at 313-596-2260. Also, tipsters seeking the reward can call Crime Stoppers at 800-Speak-Up (800-773-2587). Reckling was a 9-year veteran of the Oakland County Sheriffs Office. He was the father of daughters ages 5, 4 and 1, and his wife is expecting their fourth child, officials have said. To send a donation to the family, go to www.oakgov.com/sheriff and click on the donation line. You will be directed to the site of Mission Oakland, a nonprofit that will direct 100% of any donation to support the family, said officials with the Oakland County Sheriffs Office. Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: $5,000 reward for tips on fatal shooting of Oakland County deputy 5 arrested after shots fired at Nashville detective, leading to pursuit in Wilson County NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The chase to capture five suspects who allegedly shot at a Nashville detective ended overnight in Wilson County. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), an undercover TITANS Unit detective was surveying the area of Howerton Street and North 6th Street around 11 p.m. on Monday, June 24 when a group of people began shooting at him. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The detective had reportedly gone to the area after developing information that a person involved in a recent shooting was in that vicinity. He initially saw the group of men holding guns in a parking lot off North 6th Street and drove his undercover police car down Howerton Street to turn around to get a better view. As he did, the men began walking toward the detectives car and he reported hearing bullets whiz by his vehicle. Police said the suspects fired more than 30 rounds at him before running to a stolen Infiniti Q50 and fleeing from Nashville on I-40 into Wilson County. Around 20 shell casings were later found scattered across the area. However, the detective was not injured. Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department After the shooting, officials said the detective radioed information about the fleeing suspects to other MNPD units, including a helicopter crew that was already in the air. The crew then tracked the Infiniti to Golden Bear Gateway and Volunteer Boulevard in Wilson County. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee Mt. Juliet police said they were able to place spike strips on the I-40 exit onto Golden Bear Gateway, where the five suspects bailed out of the car and ran into the woods. With the assistance of the MNPD Canine Unit and Wilson County authorities, the five men were quickly surrounded and taken into custody. The Lebanon Police Department, Wilson County Sheriffs Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol all assisted. Guns and drugs recovered after a pursuit from Nashville into Wilson County. (Courtesy: MNPD) According to authorities, six guns were tossed from the Infiniti during the chase. The guns recovered included a Glock .40 caliber pistol that had been modified to make it a fully automatic weapon; a Glock 9-millimeter pistol that had been modified to make it fully automatic; two additional Glock 9-millimeter pistols; a Glock 10-millimeter pistol; and a Draco pistol that resembled a short rifle. One of the nine-millimeter pistols was reported stolen from an SUV parked on West End Avenue last July 17. Another of the 9-millimeter pistols was reported stolen in Louisville, Kentucky. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Omar Yussuf (Courtesy: MNPD) Abraham Mario (Courtesy: MNPD) Mahamed Muganga (Courtesy: MNPD) Ronny Edmonds (Courtesy: MNPD) Eric Mario (Courtesy: MNPD) The five men arrested were identified as: Eric O. Mario, 23, of Sanborn Drive, who is believed to have been the driver Ronny I. Edmonds, 19, of Jay Street Mahamed M. Muganga, 18, of University Court Abraham G. Mario, 19, of Galaxie Drive Omar A. Yussuf, 18, of North 6th Street. All five are charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated assault on a first responder, using guns in the commission of a dangerous felony, auto theft, gun theft, felony marijuana possession, and evading arrest. The police department plans to confer with the United States Attorneys Office about potential federal prosecution of the five suspects. No other information was immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. The Supreme Court is poised to issue its decision on presidential immunity as soon as this week, with the potential to reshape the powers of the nations highest office and hurl the 2024 presidential election into uncharted territory. At the heart of former President Trumps challenge stemming from federal charges he faces for efforts to subvert the 2020 election is whether an ex-commander in chief has criminal immunity for official acts carried out while in the White House. As the justices weigh the extent of that protection, here are five things to watch for when the imminent decision is handed down. How far does presidential immunity go? Nearly diametric versions of presidential immunity were presented by Trumps attorneys and special counsel Jack Smiths team during arguments this spring, giving the justices significant latitude to decide the issue. Trumps attorneys asked the high court to embrace a far-reaching view of presidential immunity, asserting that presidents are fully immune for official acts in the White House and once they leave it. D. John Sauer, who argued Trumps case, contended that most hypotheticals raised by the justices could be covered by presidential immunity including ordering the military to take out a political rival. Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smiths team claimed that only sitting presidents are immune from criminal prosecution and that criminal conduct would be given a free pass under Trumps interpretation of the law. Its likely that the justices will land on a more nuanced answer to the question. They seemed to lean toward ruling that former presidents can be prosecuted for private conduct while still enjoying immunity on actions core to their presidential responsibilities. How might Trump-appointed justices land? Three of the high courts nine justices were appointed by Trump himself, making any decision on his immunity even more striking. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett each seemed interested in threading the needle between official and private acts. Barrett ran down numerous allegations in Trumps federal election subversion indictment, questioning Sauer over whether each act was private and thus, could go to trial even if the justices rule that there is presidential immunity for official acts. Gorsuch indicated that the question at hand is how to segregate private from official conduct that could enjoy immunity. And Kavanaugh sought to pinpoint exactly where the line between the two kinds of acts lies. Just to clarify this: The presidents not above the law, the presidents not a king. The Founders thought that, Kavanaugh said. I think your point in response to that is the president is subject to prosecution for all personal acts, just like every other American for personal acts. The question is acts taken in an official capacity. Thats correct, Sauer replied. Will Trump go to trial in DC? Trumps federal election subversion case has already been on ice for months, but the Supreme Courts decision stands to cause further delays. The justices could decide former presidents are immune for official actions, while also determining that none of the actions alleged in Trumps indictment were official, allowing the case to head toward trial this year. However, the court could also choose to remand the issue back to a lower court, asking U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to reconsider whether Trumps efforts to stay in power qualify as official under their new test effectively paving the way for Trump to appeal the issue all the way up to the Supreme Court again. Will it help or hurt Trumps other cases? Any decision the justices hand down will likely have implications for Trumps other criminal cases mainly, in the form of delays. If the Supreme Court sides with Trump, its all but guaranteed the judges overseeing his other criminal cases will be asked to weigh in on the matter. That stands to push any future trial even further down the road. Trump faces federal charges in Florida and state charges in Georgia. He was convicted last month in New York of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money deal his ex-fixer made with an adult film actor ahead of the 2016 presidential election, a conviction hes vowed to appeal. If Trumps efforts to slow down his cases are successful, and he wins the presidency, he could order the Department of Justice to drop the federal cases against him. Though he couldnt direct state prosecutors to dismiss their cases, experts agree its unlikely a sitting president could be put on trial while in office. Should the Supreme Court align itself with Trumps sweeping immunity argument, his New York conviction could also be thrown into peril. Will it be addressed at the debate? The question of presidential immunity could very well be decided before Trump and President Biden go toe-to-toe during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. The Supreme Court will issue decisions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. It could be the final week of the high courts busy opinion season, though its possible the justices decisions could spill into the first week of July, with 14 total argued cases yet to be decided. The debate is scheduled for Thursday evening. If the Supreme Court has ruled on presidential immunity by then, it could become fair game on the debate stage. So far, President Biden himself hasnt weighed in very much when it comes to immunity but he told reporters last December that he cant think of one reason for total immunity. A close ally of Bidens, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), said Biden is willing to accept whatever outcome the Supreme Court lands on the matter. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Before Detroit's fireworks display, styrofoam footballs sailed overhead while sweet sugar aromas from funnel cakes filled the air at Hart Plaza. Attendees flooded into downtown Detroit on Monday evening to catch a glimpse of the city's annual fireworks. Detroit police officers directed traffic as cars crowded onto the city's streets ahead of the fireworks show. Police closed off some roadways and local freeways amid the event. The sound of music playing from cars and the smell of cooking food wafting through the air filled Detroit's riverfront Monday night as throngs of revelers lined the streets, sitting in the backs of their cars and trucks, on the ground or in lawn chairs along the sidewalks. The annual show came on a warm, clear evening, with Detroit seeing a high around 80 degrees Monday, cooling to the mid-70s overnight. Junias Jones, of Detroit, holds his daughter Juni Jones up while watching the Ford Fireworks display at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit on Monday, June 24, 2024. The city of Detroit closed several riverfront parks in light of the fireworks, including the RiverWalk, AB Ford Park, Gabriel Richard Park, Elliott Park and others, the city announced Friday. There is also a curfew in effect for minors age 17 and under from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday for parts of the city. After walking through a metal detector at Hart Plaza and down the slope through a collection of food trucks, lit-up toy stands and a giant boombox promoting the new "Beverly Hills Cop" movie on Netflix, participants found themselves facing the Detroit River and a collection of lawn chairs and blankets set up at the edge of the RiverWalk concrete. Along Detroit's riverfront, revelers packed local parking lots, grassy fields and gas stations alike, setting up tents and barbecues to enjoy the fireworks. People set up chairs along Jefferson Avenue, securing their prime viewing spot for the show. The fireworks show began at 10 p.m., with thousands watching from Hart Plaza, Belle Isle and Spirit Plaza. The fireworks lit up the sky with bright red, green and orange explosions. The event was also broadcast on WDIV-TV (Channel 4). Demand for in-person viewing began to fill up Monday evening, with Belle Isle closing to vehicles around 6 p.m., the Belle Isle Park's Facebook page posted. Larry Brown, 50, of Detroit, who said his cousin brought him to Hart Plaza to experience the fireworks, was parked under the shade of a giant tree. "It was my cousin who made me come out today," Brown said. "This is my first time (at Hart Plaza), I've never been here before." Bernard Mason plays the tambourines with the Cold Cut Band during the rooftop fireworks party for residents at The Residences Water Square in Detroit before the start of the 66th Ford Fireworks show on Monday, June 24, 2024. Detroit and Michigan state police monitored downtown Detroit to ensure public safety, with officers in cars, on foot and on horseback. Hosted by the Parade Company, the annual fireworks display lit up the night sky with vibrant colors over the Detroit riverfront. Hart Plaza featured metal detectors at the entrance, food trucks and a live DJ. Jalen Williams is an intern at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford Fireworks light up night sky as thousands attend annual show War prisoners are expected to just survive day-to-day. But some prisoners say screw that and find ways to make the prison easier for their peers and more frustrating for their enemies. Here are 7 POWs who were total badasses after being taken captive: 1. A Navy officer saves his camp from both Japanese and U.S. attacks. Cmdr. Richard Antrim Photo: US Navy The Japanese in World War II considered surrender dishonorable and expected Americans to fight to the death. So, when they started taking American prisoners, they were exceptionally cruel. Cmdr. Richard Antrim was in a prison camp when a guard began savagely beating a prisoner. Antrim tried to convince the guards to discuss the mans case, but they couldnt understand one another. The camp commander ordered 50 lashes for the offending prisoner. When the prisoner collapsed only partway into the lashing, Antrim asked that he be allowed to take the rest of the punishment. The camp commander ceased the punishment instead and gained respect for the Naval officer. He allowed Antrim to begin overseeing prisoner work details. Antrim used this new trust to redraw the plans for trenches for the prisoners, creating the letters US in the sand so that Allied bombers would know to avoid those trenches during bomber raids. Antrim was awarded the Medal of Honor for risking his life for his fellow prisoner and a Bronze Star for redrawing the trenches. 2. Special Forces officer beats up his executioners and escapes with the help of his beard. James N. Rowe. Photo: US Army Then-1st Lt. James N. Rowe was the military advisor to a group of South Vietnamese civilian irregulars who stumbled into an ambush in 1963. Rowe was captured in the fighting and spent the next five years in captivity. He attempted escape three times, but was recaptured each time. The North Vietnamese decided to execute him, and took him into the jungle on New Years Eve in 1968. Luckily, an American helicopter came by at that moment and Rowe beat up his guards. He flagged down the helicopter whose pilot initially thought he was an enemy fighter until he saw Rowes beard and decided it looked American. Rowe went on to play a key role in the development of the Army training program that prepares soldiers to evade the enemy and survive captivity. 3. Senior officer in Hanoi Hilton beats himself with a stool and cuts his scalp and wrists to resist North Vietnamese propaganda attempts. Admiral Stockdale. Photo: US Navy Vice Adm. James Stockdale was leading his carrier group back to the USS Oriskany after a bombing run over North Vietnam. He was downed by anti-aircraft fire, broke his back and dislocated his knee, and was sent to the infamous prison camp known as the Hanoi Hilton. There, as the senior officer, he took over efforts to build morale and resist Vietnamese efforts to create propaganda. When the Vietnamese attempted to use him in a parade for foreign journalists, Stockdale slashed his own scalp and beat himself with a stool, bruising himself so severely that he was useless for propaganda purposes. Later, he learned that another prisoner had been tortured to death and slashed his own wrists to convince his captors that Americans would rather die than give up information. The captors then ceased their torture. For his efforts, Stockdale was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1976, three years after his release. 4. Double amputee begins his escape attempts while his second prosthetic leg was still damaged. Douglas Bader. Photo: Royal Air Force photographer Devon S A Douglas Bader had to fight his way into the cockpit in 1939 since he left the Royal Air Force in 1931 after a crash that took both of his legs. He spent the first 18 months of the war commanding formations of RAF fighters before he was downed and captured. One prosthetic was damaged in the incident, but Bader still attempted to escape the prison on the damaged leg. After the Nazis who saw Bader as a celebrity allowed him a replacement leg air dropped by the British, he made a few more attempts and was sent to the inescapable Colditz Castle. Bader didnt spend all of his time in prison attempting to escape. He would also regularly bait the guards until they aimed their pistols at him, just to hurt their morale. He once refused to go to roll call saying, My feet would get cold in the snow. 5. French general escapes an inescapable prison to celebrate Hitlers birthday. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Records of the Office of War Information French Gen. Henri Giraud was experienced at escaping German prison camps, having slipped out of one in North Africa during World War I. When he was captured in World War II, he faced more challenging conditions at Konigstein Castle, which sits 240 meters above the surrounding valley and had thick stone walls. Giraud spent two years planning and preparing for his escape. He convinced the guards to teach the prisoners German, smuggled in the clothing worn by the local populace, and spent a year creating a 150-foot rope from thin twine. He slipped down the rope, out of the prison, and onto a train on April 17th, 1942, over Hitlers birthday weekend. Hitler ordered him assassinated, but he escaped to North Africa and rejoined the war. 6. Holocaust survivor escaped his Korean War prison camp every night to forage for food for fellow prisoners. Tibor Rubin. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Hungarian-American Tibor Rubin was a Korean War hero before he was captured, once holding a hilltop for 24 hours on his own against determined Chinese attacks. When he was captured in a later engagement, the Chinese offered to send him home to Hungary instead of keeping him prisoner. Rubin had been saved from a concentration camp when he was a child by American troops, and decided to stay in the prison. He began sneaking out of the camp every night and back in every morning, stealing food and medical supplies from Chinese soldiers and local farms. His actions were credited with saving the lives of 40 other prisoners and he was awarded the Medal of Honor. 7. Czechoslovakian draftee escapes prison hundreds of times to visit his girlfriend. A thin but defiant Horace Greasley stares down Heinrich Himmler during a prison inspection. Photo: Wiki Commons Horace Greasley was a British soldier taken prisoner by the Germans early in World War II*. While that is a horrible start to a love story, Greasley managed to turn it around by wooing the daughter of the quarry manager at the camp. A year later, he was transferred to another camp. Rather than let the romance die, he began sneaking out of his camp to visit the young Rosa Rauchbach. He would visit his girlfriend overnight and then sneak back into his own camp. The arrangement ended with the war when the pair separated and Greasley returned to Britain. In the above photo, Greasley stares down Heinrich Himmler like its no big deal. *Editors Note: An earlier version of this article stated that Greasley was Czech. Though he was called up after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, he was called up by his own native country, Britain, to serve in its army. The post has been corrected. View comments LAS VEGAS (KLAS) An 82-year-old man died Monday eight days after he was involved in a collision in the southeast valley, according to Metro police. The man, who was not identified by police pending notification of relatives, was taken from the scene with minor injuries from a crash at S. Lamb Boulevard and E. Hacienda Avenue just after 8 p.m. on June 16. The Clark County Coroners Office informed Metro on Monday that the man had died. Police said the man, who was driving a 2021 Kia Soul that collided with a 1997 Lexus LS 400, was pronounced dead by hospital staff at St. Rose Dominican Hospital. The driver of the Lexus, 19-year-old Andrik Martinez Enriquez, was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center on June 16 with severe injuries, police said. An update on his condition was not provided. Evidence and witness statements indicated the Kia was southbound on Lamb approaching a stop sign at Hacienda. The Kia failed to stop, according to police, and collided with the Lexus in the intersection. The death was the 82nd traffic-related fatality in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments jurisdiction so far this year. The collision remains under investigation by the LVMPDs Collision Investigation Section. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Photo: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War 90 Ukrainian soldiers returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity on 25 June. Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media Quote: "Home is not just a word. Home is Ukraine. Today, 90 more of our people have returned home from Russian captivity. Soldiers of the National Guard, the Navy, the Army, the territorial defence, border guards. Those who defended Mariupol. Those who defended the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Those who were on the Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk fronts." Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media pic.twitter.com/EIbviBIIvf (@ukrpravda_news) June 25, 2024 Details: The President thanked the UAE for its assistance in the liberation of people, and also thanked the Ukrainian team: the chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the head of the Office of the President, the head of Security Service of Ukraine, interior minister and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russians claim that an equal exchange of 90 for 90 took place. The coordination headquarters reports that 32 National Guardsmen, 18 border guards, 17 representatives of the Navy, 15 Armed Forces soldiers and 8 territorial defence soldiers returned home. Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media Photo: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War In particular, 59 defenders of Mariupol were returned, including 52 soldiers who defended the Azovstal steel plant. Five National Guardsmen who guarded the Chornobyl nuclear power plant were released from captivity, too. Photo: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War Support UP or become our patron! Athena Salman, executive director of Arizona Reproductive Freedom for All, speaks at a press conference on June 24, 2024, about the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court stripping Americans of the right to receive abortions. Photo by Gloria Rebecca Gomez | Arizona Mirror On the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, Democrats in Arizona urged voters to reject former president Donald Trump in November, saying that the lives and safety of women are at stake. And a failure to do so will spell disaster for reproductive health care across the country. Trump and his MAGA loyalists will not stop until every state in our union lives under a full-scale abortion ban, and the only that we can stop it is if we turn out at the polls and vote for Democrats, Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano said during a Monday morning news conference. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX With the November election on the horizon, Democrats have gone on the offensive, highlighting the GOPs anti-abortion platform and, in particular, slamming the partys likely presidential nominee for his role in overturning Roe v. Wade. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices during his presidency, and has repeatedly bragged about being responsible for the fall of Roe. Democrats have also pointed to Trumps continued support for restrictive abortion policies as a reason to reject him. In April, Trump stated that the regulation of abortion should be left up to individual states, but he previously signaled an interest in a national 15-week ban. Such a ban would nullify abortion rights movements, like the one in Arizona, that seek to enshrine the procedure in state constitutions. And Trumps allies, including one of his top legal advisors, are preparing to use the Comstock Act, a federal law from the 1870s, to effectively ban abortion nationwide. Bejarano said Arizonans face attacks on abortion access from Republicans at both the federal and state level. Republicans hold a razor-thin majority in the Arizona legislature and have spent the last several years passing increasingly restrictive abortion laws, including a 15-week gestational ban that is currently in effect. And earlier this year, after the Arizona Supreme Court revived a near-total ban from 1864 that threatened doctors with prison time, Republican lawmakers resisted repealing the law for a month and shot down several Democrat-led bids to strike it down. Arizona voters will keep that in mind at the ballot box, Bejarano warned. Arizonans deserve access to every form of reproductive health care, and the right to access that care solely belongs to us. MAGA Republicans are on the record wanting to ban abortion and Arizonans will remember that in November, she said. Athena Salman, executive director of Arizona Reproductive Freedom for All, was near tears as she discussed the potential harm women in the Grand Canyon State and across the country could face if Trump regains the presidency. She shared a recent meeting she had with an Arizona woman who was prevented from obtaining an abortion shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court derailed access to the procedure in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization and catapulted Arizona into uncertainty as state officials vied over the 1864 law and a 15-week gestational ban. Salman said the woman, who had an unviable pregnancy, nearly died before she was able to obtain an abortion. As her 5-year-old daughter was talking to our intern and playing, she looked at her and she said, My daughter almost grew up without a mother, Salman said, her voice shaking. Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, D-Tucson, called on voters to flip the legislature blue, saying that, if Democrats had held the legislative majority, access to abortion would never have seen the disruptions it did under Republican rule in the past two years. The truth is, if Democrats were in control of the legislature, the 1864 law could have been taken off of the books years ago, she said. And, certainly, the 1864 ruling would have been repealed in one day. Thats why we must elect a new legislative majority this November. Attorney General Kris Mayes added that Arizona voters have the power to cement or doom reproductive rights in the state, and every vote counts. The Democrat, who made abortion a focal point of her 2022 campaign, said that her Republican opponent, who lost by just 280 votes, would have upheld the 1864 near-total ban. Instead, her office has supported legal challenges that preserved access to mifepristone, the most widely used abortion drug, amid a federal challenge from GOP-led states, and won a critical 90-delay in the case against the Civil War-era ban that helped ensure it will never be enforced. Vote as if your life, or your friends life or your daughters life, depends on it because it very well might. Attorney General Kris Mayes Showing up at the polls to support pro-choice candidates this year can mean the difference between life and death for many, Mayes said. Vote as if your life, or your friends life or your daughters life, depends on it because it very well might, she said. Mayes added that, even with the threat of the 1864 near-total ban virtually neutralized, her office has been told by doctors and medical professionals that theyre still hesitant to provide potentially life-saving abortion care. Thats because the state is under a 15-week gestational ban that carries with it a class 6 felony. The law includes exceptions for women facing death or the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. But the latter exception is defined broadly and includes everything from cell growth to the normal functions of the reproductive, neurological, respiratory, circulatory, bowel, digestive, bladder or endocrine systems. Mayes has been asked by Democratic lawmakers to clarify the laws exceptions, and she said she expects her office to issue a formal legal opinion on Thursday. Providing clarity, she said, is imperative when the health and lives of women are on the line because doctors are worried about being criminalized for providing critical care. One emergency room doctor from Banner looked at me and said, (Attorney) General Mayes, how close to death do I have to allow a woman to get before I know that I wont be prosecuted under these abortion bans? Mayes said. While uncertainty about the 15-week law exists in the medical community, its unlikely that any doctor will be taken to court for violating the laws mandates. An executive order issued by Gov. Katie Hobbs last year centralizes all prosecutorial authority for the law in the state attorney generals office, and Mayes has vowed never to take any healthcare provider to court over it. On Monday, she reiterated that promise, and warned that any county attorneys seeking to go over her head to take up cases of their own would face lawsuits from her office. Soon after Hobbs issued her executive order, a group of county attorneys voiced their disapproval of it and warned that they would issue a legal challenge over it, but none has yet materialized. Reproductive rights advocates hope that Arizona voters will approve an abortion rights ballot measure in November that would effectively eliminate any confusion or hesitancy from doctors by striking down the 15-week ban and other hostile abortion laws. The Arizona Abortion Access Act seeks to add abortion as a right in the state constitution and guarantee access to it up to 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions beyond that point if a health care provider deems an abortion necessary to safeguard a patients life, physical or mental health. Proponents are optimistic it will pass with broad support, as has happened when similar measures have been on the ballot in other states in recent years, including Republican strongholds like Kansas, where voters turned out in record numbers to preserve abortion access. Democrats and reproductive rights groups alike are counting on the same enthusiasm in Arizona to deliver wins not just for the abortion rights ballot measure, but also for pro-choice candidates. Our fundamental rights are always at risk in the hands of extremist politicians, Dawn Penich, spokeswoman for the Arizona for Abortion Access Campaign, said in an emailed statement. The only way Arizona can reliably restore and protect access to abortion once and for all is to enshrine this right in our states constitution putting these decisions back in the hands of patients, our families and our trusted healthcare providers, out of reach from the whims of politicians. The campaign has far exceeded its signature requirement to qualify for the November ballot and will turn in its signature sheets for verification on July 3. While Democrats and abortion rights groups marked the overturning of Roe as a call to action for voters, some anti-abortion organizations celebrated the anniversary and advocated for increased restrictions. Alliance Defending Freedom, a Scottsdale-based legal firm that has been at the forefront of many high-profile anti-abortion cases, and pushed for the reinstatement of Arizonas 1864 near-total abortion ban in court, said Dobbs righted a 50-year-wrong. Dobbs was a monumental victory, wrote ADF, in a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter. It will always be worth celebrating. But it wasnt the end. Now, a new chapter of the pro-life story has begun. Our movement must work to rebuild a culture of life not just in the courtroom, but in our local pregnancy centers, neighborhoods, schoolseven our own homes. Cathi Herrod, president of the anti-abortion Center for Arizona Policy, which has been behind many of the states laws restricting abortion access, including the current 15-week gestational ban, criticized the move to add abortion rights to Arizonas Constitution. She praised the Dobbs decision and the subsequent abortion restrictions passed across the country. The Dobbs ruling and the subsequent changes to abortion law reflect the American system of government at work; the judiciary interpreting law, and the legislative branch making policy reflective of the people represented, Herrod said in an emailed statement. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. Editors note: This is the fifth installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, the third is here, and the fourth is here. Anne Angus has been ready to start growing her family for years now. She got pregnant on her first try and felt lucky to escape the morning sickness and extreme fatigue that often comes with the first trimester of pregnancy. She quit her job in anticipation of being a full-time mom. It was so exciting, I was so ready, said Angus, who lives in Montana. Shed bought a few items off Facebook Marketplace by the time she was close to the halfway point, including a bassinet, some toys, a bouncer and the teddy bear onesie that she holds onto when she tells the story of her doomed pregnancy. At her routine 19-week anatomy scan, Angus doctor said something didnt look right with the abdomen. But that could mean any number of things with varying degrees of severity, according to her doctor, and they wouldnt know more until further tests could be completed. And those tests would need to be done by a team of specialists almost 700 miles away, at a childrens hospital in Denver, Colorado. Her appointment was four weeks out from the anatomy scan. At the end of a series of tests, she met with a team of doctors at the childrens hospital to discuss the diagnosis and next steps. It was called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause the partial or complete absence of stomach muscles, urinary tract malformations and abnormalities of the testes. The little glands running from the kidney to the bladder his were three times the size of an adults, Angus said. Youre not even supposed to be able to see them at an ultrasound, let alone have them be very obvious. Theres a 50-50 chance her future pregnancies would have the same mutation, which led her to decide in vitro fertilization was the safer way to get pregnant and be able to test embryos prior to implantation in the uterus. But like abortion, access to IVF treatments is becoming another political argument at the state and federal level, leaving Angus to worry that her remaining option for having a child is also at risk. Following Dobbs decision, clinic was overrun with patients Before arriving in Denver, Angus had told her husband that even if the diagnosis was severe, she didnt want to terminate. He understood and supported whatever decision she wanted to make, she said. But after determining the status of the fetus condition, the Denver doctors started to discuss dialysis, kidney transplants, and a variety of other courses of treatment that would be needed after birth. All of which sounded to me like they would just be experimenting on my baby, with the experiment being, How long can we keep him alive? Angus said. That did not feel loving and compassionate to me. While talking it over with her husband, Angus said they discussed a family member who had a terminal illness. It has been devastating to the family to watch this persons pain increase as they slowly fall apart over the years, she said. We didnt want that for our son. It was at that time that they made the decision to let him go without the medical interventions and the idea that he might just slowly slip away in a neonatal intensive care unit, she said. By that time, it was mid-October 2022, four months after the Dobbs decision that allowed states to once again regulate access to abortion and the ensuing legal and legislative chaos. One of the only places in the country where Angus could terminate at her stage of pregnancy was a clinic in Boulder, Colorado. Montana has a gestational age limit of 21 weeks for termination, so she knew she couldnt go back home. That clinic (in Boulder) was overrun because all of the states that used to have access now didnt have it, or they were being pushed until much later, Angus said. We had a two-week wait from when we made the decision. By the time she got to the intake appointment, she was at 26 weeks. There were protesters outside of the clinic, so an escort with an umbrella covered Angus and her husband as they walked inside. I remember feeling so much anger and rage at them. You have no idea whats going on, she said. You dont care at all about my babys suffering if hes born. The termination was a few days later. Angus said it was difficult to face the reality of letting go of any shred of hope she had left. That was probably the most scared Ive ever been. Nobody talks about what its like to get an abortion at the end of your second trimester. What am I supposed to feel? Whats going to happen? Who do I talk to about this? she said. After the procedure, the doctor told her it was a difficult process because of the amount of water retention in the fetus body. Angus said she could tell just by looking at him. I didnt see his whole body just because of how medically fragile he was, but you could just tell that it wouldve been a really ugly death for him earthside, she said. Insurance didnt cover the costs. With the travel, lodging and the price of the procedure, Angus and her husband spent $10,000 of their savings. Frustration continues for Angus as IVF becomes new political target Throughout 2023, Angus had many appointments for egg retrievals, but she said the process has been emotionally and financially draining. We are extremely lucky that my husband has benefits through his work, but were also at the end of (those benefits), which is why this is our last IVF retrieval cycle, she said. She has a planned embryo transfer in September, but if its not successful, she worries about future political decisions around IVF limiting her options. There is only one clinic that offers IVF treatment in Montana. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children and several IVF clinics in the state closed their doors over liability concerns. In the months since, some states have taken steps to ensure access to the treatment, but congressional bills to protect IVF federally have failed to advance and a politically influential religious sect came out against it for ethical reasons, potentially igniting more ideological battles. The new political fight over IVF on top of her experience getting an abortion has made Angus fearful about not having explicit protection for the treatment in her state. It has also made her passionate about telling her story, including at the Montana Legislature in early 2023, when legislators did not advance a bill that would have eased some of the remaining restrictions to abortion access in the state. Although access is still broadly available in Montana, Republicans have tried to change that since the Dobbs decision. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed several anti-abortion bills in 2023, including a 20-week ban, but theyve so far been blocked in the courts. Gianforte continues to use executive authority to try to limit Medicaid funding and who can perform abortions. Republicans in the legislature have also made it clear they dont support a November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution with a right to abortion access, and at least one candidate endorsed by a national anti-abortion group is running for a congressional seat. Im so angry that politicians are inserting themselves into an extremely intimate part of my life. I am trying to grow my family in a way that I can and in a way that is loving and sustainable, and they think they know better than me, and I am so insulted by that, she said. The post After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. appeared first on Michigan Advance. The Pacific island of Tonga is set to get a second subsea cable connection after the governments of Australia and New Zealand agreed to construct a new cable connecting it to the Hawaiki Cable. According to a joint statement from both governments on Thursday, the 383-kilometre Tonga Hawaiki Branch System will provide a link between the Hawaiki Cable and a landing station in Vavau. A survey of the route to identify the most efficient and resilient cable lay route has already been conducted. Digital infrastructure operator BW Digital will work with Tonga Cable Limited to oversee project delivery and assist in increasing local knowledge and capacity to support service delivery and maintenance into the future, the statement said. The 15,000 km Hawaiki Cable went live in 2018 with an initial design capacity of 30 Tbps. It links Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Oregon on the US West Coast, with branching units for American Samoa and New Caledonia. The Tonga Hawaiki Branch System will connect Tonga to Auckland and Hawaii in a few milliseconds and empower the development of Tongas digital economy, said Prime Minister Huakavameiliku in a statement. The Tonga Hawaiki Branch System will be Tongas first direct link to a major transpacific cable system. Currently, its only source of terrestrial-subsea capacity is the Tonga Cable owned by Digicel Tonga, Government of Tonga and Tonga Communications Corporation that connects to Fiji. The islands vulnerability to internet disruptions was graphically illustrated in January 2022, when that link was damaged by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano. The Australia/New Zealand statement noted that the new Hawaiki branch is a response to that incident. The Australian government said it provided financing for immediate repairs, followed by a A$2 million investment in 2023 to permanently repair the domestic cable. It also co-funded a feasibility study with New Zealand to provide a comprehensive assessment of international cable redundancy options to the Government of Tonga. Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, Brek Batley, said the Tonga Hawaiki Branch project is part of Australias broader investment in secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure across the region, including through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific. New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, Matthew Howell, said the project will support resilience and connectivity and be an important enabler for economic growth. The new Tonga branch is expected to be in place by late 2025. Apart from giving Tonga a redundant international connection, it will also add sorely needed internet capacity. According to the Broadband Speedchecker website, the average downlink speed in Tonga is 3.5 Mbps, with Digicel Tonga at the top range with 8.59 Mbps. Some people have been illegally importing equipment from LEO satellite operator Starlink into Tonga as a workaround. The Tonga government is currently considering whether to grant LEO satellite operator Starlink a licence to operate legally on the island. After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. A blanket given to Anne Angus at the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado, one of the only clinics in the country that offers termination after the second trimester. Angus said a former patient makes the blankets, called Bananas for Annie, for others who had to terminate for medical reasons. (Photo courtesy of Anne Angus) Editors note: This is the fifth installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, the third is here, and the fourth is here. Anne Angus has been ready to start growing her family for years now. She got pregnant on her first try and felt lucky to escape the morning sickness and extreme fatigue that often comes with the first trimester of pregnancy. She quit her job in anticipation of being a full-time mom. It was so exciting, I was so ready, said Angus, who lives in Montana. Shed bought a few items off Facebook Marketplace by the time she was close to the halfway point, including a bassinet, some toys, a bouncer and the teddy bear onesie that she holds onto when she tells the story of her doomed pregnancy. At her routine 19-week anatomy scan, Angus doctor said something didnt look right with the abdomen. But that could mean any number of things with varying degrees of severity, according to her doctor, and they wouldnt know more until further tests could be completed. And those tests would need to be done by a team of specialists almost 700 miles away, at a childrens hospital in Denver, Colorado. Her appointment was four weeks out from the anatomy scan. At the end of a series of tests, she met with a team of doctors at the childrens hospital to discuss the diagnosis and next steps. It was called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause the partial or complete absence of stomach muscles, urinary tract malformations and abnormalities of the testes. The little glands running from the kidney to the bladder his were three times the size of an adults, Angus said. Youre not even supposed to be able to see them at an ultrasound, let alone have them be very obvious. Theres a 50-50 chance her future pregnancies would have the same mutation, which led her to decide in vitro fertilization was the safer way to get pregnant and be able to test embryos prior to implantation in the uterus. But like abortion, access to IVF treatments is becoming another political argument at the state and federal level, leaving Angus to worry that her remaining option for having a child is also at risk. Following Dobbs decision, clinic was overrun with patients Before arriving in Denver, Angus had told her husband that even if the diagnosis was severe, she didnt want to terminate. He understood and supported whatever decision she wanted to make, she said. But after determining the status of the fetus condition, the Denver doctors started to discuss dialysis, kidney transplants, and a variety of other courses of treatment that would be needed after birth. All of which sounded to me like they would just be experimenting on my baby, with the experiment being, How long can we keep him alive? Angus said. That did not feel loving and compassionate to me. While talking it over with her husband, Angus said they discussed a family member who had a terminal illness. It has been devastating to the family to watch this persons pain increase as they slowly fall apart over the years, she said. We didnt want that for our son. It was at that time that they made the decision to let him go without the medical interventions and the idea that he might just slowly slip away in a neonatal intensive care unit, she said. By that time, it was mid-October 2022, four months after the Dobbs decision that allowed states to once again regulate access to abortion and the ensuing legal and legislative chaos. One of the only places in the country where Angus could terminate at her stage of pregnancy was a clinic in Boulder, Colorado. Montana has a gestational age limit of 21 weeks for termination, so she knew she couldnt go back home. That clinic (in Boulder) was overrun because all of the states that used to have access now didnt have it, or they were being pushed until much later, Angus said. We had a two-week wait from when we made the decision. By the time she got to the intake appointment, she was at 26 weeks. There were protesters outside of the clinic, so an escort with an umbrella covered Angus and her husband as they walked inside. I remember feeling so much anger and rage at them. You have no idea whats going on, she said. You dont care at all about my babys suffering if hes born. The termination was a few days later. Angus said it was difficult to face the reality of letting go of any shred of hope she had left. That was probably the most scared Ive ever been. Nobody talks about what its like to get an abortion at the end of your second trimester. What am I supposed to feel? Whats going to happen? Who do I talk to about this? she said. After the procedure, the doctor told her it was a difficult process because of the amount of water retention in the fetus body. Angus said she could tell just by looking at him. I didnt see his whole body just because of how medically fragile he was, but you could just tell that it wouldve been a really ugly death for him earthside, she said. Insurance didnt cover the costs. With the travel, lodging and the price of the procedure, Angus and her husband spent $10,000 of their savings. Frustration continues for Angus as IVF becomes new political target Throughout 2023, Angus had many appointments for egg retrievals, but she said the process has been emotionally and financially draining. We are extremely lucky that my husband has benefits through his work, but were also at the end of (those benefits), which is why this is our last IVF retrieval cycle, she said. She has a planned embryo transfer in September, but if its not successful, she worries about future political decisions around IVF limiting her options. There is only one clinic that offers IVF treatment in Montana. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children and several IVF clinics in the state closed their doors over liability concerns. In the months since, some states have taken steps to ensure access to the treatment, but congressional bills to protect IVF federally have failed to advance and a politically influential religious sect came out against it for ethical reasons, potentially igniting more ideological battles. The new political fight over IVF on top of her experience getting an abortion has made Angus fearful about not having explicit protection for the treatment in her state. It has also made her passionate about telling her story, including at the Montana Legislature in early 2023, when legislators did not advance a bill that would have eased some of the remaining restrictions to abortion access in the state. Although access is still broadly available in Montana, Republicans have tried to change that since the Dobbs decision. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed several anti-abortion bills in 2023, including a 20-week ban, but theyve so far been blocked in the courts. Gianforte continues to use executive authority to try to limit Medicaid funding and who can perform abortions. Republicans in the legislature have also made it clear they dont support a November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution with a right to abortion access, and at least one candidate endorsed by a national anti-abortion group is running for a congressional seat. Im so angry that politicians are inserting themselves into an extremely intimate part of my life. I am trying to grow my family in a way that I can and in a way that is loving and sustainable, and they think they know better than me, and I am so insulted by that, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. A blanket given to Anne Angus at the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado, one of the only clinics in the country that offers termination after the second trimester. Angus said a former patient makes the blankets, called Bananas for Annie, for others who had to terminate for medical reasons. (Courtesy of Anne Angus) Editors note: This is the latest installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, the third is here, and the fourth is here. Anne Angus has been ready to start growing her family for years now. She got pregnant on her first try and felt lucky to escape the morning sickness and extreme fatigue that often comes with the first trimester of pregnancy. She quit her job in anticipation of being a full-time mom. It was so exciting, I was so ready, said Angus, who lives in Montana. Shed bought a few items off Facebook Marketplace by the time she was close to the halfway point, including a bassinet, some toys, a bouncer and the teddy bear onesie that she holds onto when she tells the story of her doomed pregnancy. At her routine 19-week anatomy scan, Angus doctor said something didnt look right with the abdomen. But that could mean any number of things with varying degrees of severity, according to her doctor, and they wouldnt know more until further tests could be completed. And those tests would need to be done by a team of specialists almost 700 miles away, at a childrens hospital in Denver. Her appointment was four weeks out from the anatomy scan. At the end of a series of tests, she met with a team of doctors at the childrens hospital to discuss the diagnosis and next steps. It was called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause the partial or complete absence of stomach muscles, urinary tract malformations and abnormalities of the testes. The little glands running from the kidney to the bladder his were three times the size of an adults, Angus said. Youre not even supposed to be able to see them at an ultrasound, let alone have them be very obvious. Theres a 50-50 chance her future pregnancies would have the same mutation, which led her to decide in vitro fertilization was the safer way to get pregnant and be able to test embryos prior to implantation in the uterus. But like abortion, access to IVF treatments is becoming another political argument at the state and federal level, leaving Angus to worry that her remaining option for having a child is also at risk. Following Dobbs decision, clinic was overrun with patients Before arriving in Denver, Angus had told her husband that even if the diagnosis was severe, she didnt want to terminate. He understood and supported whatever decision she wanted to make, she said. But after determining the status of the fetus condition, the Denver doctors started to discuss dialysis, kidney transplants, and a variety of other courses of treatment that would be needed after birth. All of which sounded to me like they would just be experimenting on my baby, with the experiment being, How long can we keep him alive? Angus said. That did not feel loving and compassionate to me. While talking it over with her husband, Angus said they discussed a family member who had a terminal illness. It has been devastating to the family to watch this persons pain increase as they slowly fall apart over the years, she said. We didnt want that for our son. It was at that time that they made the decision to let him go without the medical interventions and the idea that he might just slowly slip away in a neonatal intensive care unit, she said. By that time, it was mid-October 2022, four months after the Dobbs decision that allowed states to once again regulate access to abortion and the ensuing legal and legislative chaos. One of the only places in the country where Angus could terminate at her stage of pregnancy was a clinic in Boulder, Colorado. Montana has a gestational age limit of 21 weeks for termination, so she knew she couldnt go back home. That clinic (in Boulder) was overrun because all of the states that used to have access now didnt have it, or they were being pushed until much later, Angus said. We had a two-week wait from when we made the decision. By the time she got to the intake appointment, she was at 26 weeks. There were protesters outside of the clinic, so an escort with an umbrella covered Angus and her husband as they walked inside. I remember feeling so much anger and rage at them. You have no idea whats going on, she said. You dont care at all about my babys suffering if hes born. The termination was a few days later. Angus said it was difficult to face the reality of letting go of any shred of hope she had left. That was probably the most scared Ive ever been. Nobody talks about what its like to get an abortion at the end of your second trimester. What am I supposed to feel? Whats going to happen? Who do I talk to about this? she said. After the procedure, the doctor told her it was a difficult process because of the amount of water retention in the fetus body. Angus said she could tell just by looking at him. I didnt see his whole body just because of how medically fragile he was, but you could just tell that it wouldve been a really ugly death for him earthside, she said. Insurance didnt cover the costs. With the travel, lodging, and the price of the procedure, Angus and her husband spent $10,000 of their savings. Frustration continues for Angus as IVF becomes new political target Throughout 2023, Angus had many appointments for egg retrievals, but she said the process has been emotionally and financially draining. We are extremely lucky that my husband has benefits through his work, but were also at the end of (those benefits), which is why this is our last IVF retrieval cycle, she said. She has a planned embryo transfer in September, but if its not successful, she worries about future political decisions around IVF limiting her options. There is only one clinic that offers IVF treatment in Montana. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children and several IVF clinics in the state closed their doors over liability concerns. In the months since, some states have taken steps to ensure access to the treatment, but congressional bills to protect IVF federally have failed to advance and a politically influential religious sect came out against it for ethical reasons, potentially igniting more ideological battles. The new political fight over IVF on top of her experience getting an abortion has made Angus fearful about not having explicit protection for the treatment in her state. It has also made her passionate about telling her story, including at the Montana Legislature in early 2023, when legislators did not advance a bill that would have eased some of the remaining restrictions to abortion access in the state. Although access is still broadly available in Montana, Republicans have tried to change that since the Dobbs decision. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed several anti-abortion bills in 2023, including a 20-week ban, but theyve so far been blocked in the courts. Gianforte continues to use executive authority to try to limit Medicaid funding and who can perform abortions. Republicans in the legislature have also made it clear they dont support a November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution with a right to abortion access, and at least one candidate endorsed by a national anti-abortion group is running for a congressional seat. Im so angry that politicians are inserting themselves into an extremely intimate part of my life. I am trying to grow my family in a way that I can and in a way that is loving and sustainable, and they think they know better than me, and I am so insulted by that, she said. The alleged neo-Nazi accused of murdering a college student home for the holidays from university displayed a selective memory when he took the stand and testified in his trial. Samuel Woodward, now 26 and a reported member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, said he was high on marijuana when he repeatedly stabbed Bernstein with a pocketknife in a Southern California park on January 2, 2018, the Forward reported. Bernstein, a 19-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, was home on holiday visiting family in Lake Forest when he was killed. His body was found the following week on January 9 buried in a shallow grave in Borrego Park in the Foothill Ranch neighborhood. An autopsy revealed he had been stabbed about 20 times. Woodward appeared unkempt and nearly catatonic at times last week as he described how the two former high school classmates matched on Tinder and then moved their discussion to Snapchat. Woodward suggested the pair hang out and Bernstein responded that he was free that evening. Woodward testified he drove to Bernsteins house with a sleeping bag, snacks, drinks, and marijuana, and that pair then drove to Borrego Park at Bernsteins suggestion. His testimony was inconsistent, according to media outlets. Woodward said he passed out after taking a few hits of marijuana and that he could not recall the specific chronology of what was said and happened when he awoke later to find Bernstein had allegedly undone his pants, had his penis in one hand while holding his cell phone in the other hand as if taking pictures of his genitalia. When Woodward said he asked Bernstein what he was doing, the student reportedly told him to Calm down, its not a big deal and also I got you, you f*cking hypocrite. Woodward said a struggle ensued for the phone and that he stabbed Bernstein repeatedly, destroying the phone as well. He explained that he feared Bernstein had sent the photo to friends, and that he feared if his father or racist friends were to learn of the picture and encounter. He said he experienced anger like nothing Id ever felt in my entire life during the attack. Woodwards rest of his cross-examination testimony was filled with factual inconsistencies. He denied being gay. He claimed the selfies he sent to Bernstein were found online, even though the background in some of the pics matched the tile in his bathroom. He also claimed he did not kill Bernstein because he was Jewish and gay. Woodward is also facing hate crime charges that could increase the time sentenced to prison. Under cross-examination on Monday, Woodward admitted he had created a Grindr profile that read All fags and fakes are in for it, get ready to die. The rest of his testimony was filled with an inability to remember key details of the murder, the Orange County Register reported. He replied "I can't remember" when asked how he could stab Bernstein 14 times on the left side of the neck when he was seated next to him, and he used the same response when asked how he could also stab the gay university student five times on the right side of his next from the same seated position. Woodward denied he was an anti-Semitic neo-Nazi despite his alleged membership in the Atomwaffen group and even when he was confronted with a picture of himself in an Atomwaffen group mask and doing the Nazi straight-arm salute. That is a skull mask, Woodward said in response. As for the salute, that is a completely different story. Woodward became an immediate suspect in the case. The two young men had communicated on the night of Bernsteins disappearance, and investigators questioned Woodward after encountering him days later in Borrego Park. At the time, Woodward admitted he had been with Bernstein on the evening he went missing, saying he became angry and the pair split up after Bernstein tried to kiss him. At the time, police noted Woodward had dirt under his fingernails and scratches on his arms. They later reportedly found in his possession a knife and sleeping bag stained with Bernsteins blood. Bernstein was out, and was known for his writing abilities and fondness of cooking. He was the managing editor of his school's cooking magazine, Penn Apetit. Although not friends, Bernstein and Woodward had together attended the Orange County School for the Arts, a public charter school for artistically gifted students. Bernstein excelled as a writer at the school while Woodward was known as a loner who reportedly sought to offend and intimidate others. Woodward identified as a member of the neo-Nazi online group Atomwaffen Division as early as 2016, according to Pro Publica. He reportedly traveled to Texas to attend a three-day training program in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, outdoor survival tactics, and more. His social media was reportedly littered with anti-LGBTQ+, racist, and anti-Semitic posts. Bernstein and Woodward allegedly communicated online prior to meeting in person on January 2. Despite his extremist views, rumors had swirled at OCSA about Woodwards sexual identity, with many suspecting he was gay and in the closet. Bernstein found his profile on a dating app, superliked Woodwards photo, and the pair soon started chatting. Bernstein told friends of the conversation in real-time, according to a report in 2019 from Mother Jones, coaxing Woodward into revealing his gay sexual identity. Oh shit, hes about to hit on me, Bernstein messaged a friend named Alex. He had me promise not to tell anyonebut I have texted everyone uh oh. Investigators say the pair agreed to meet up later that evening with Woodward driving. Bernstein met Woodward in his cul-de-sac around 11 p.m. on January 2. He was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt and left behind his glasses and wallet leading investigators to believe the student intended only to be out a short while. Around 11:30 p.m. Bernstein texted his friend Lily with an update during the meetup. The gist of it was, You wont believe whats happening right now, Lily told Mother Jones. One of the last messages he sent was a cryptic text that said he had done something horrible possibly just before he was killed. Bernstein never came home but his parents were not worried until he missed a dentist appointment later that day, as he was known for his punctuality. His body was found the following week. The cross-examination continues on Tuesday. The prominence of cybersecurity and cyber defense as paramount elements of national security took a significant step forward, as demonstrated through the 2023 Cyber Strategy of The Department of Defense (DoD). Released to the public in September 2023, the unclassified version of the report, which supersedes its 2018 counterpart, provides a forward-looking outline of the DoDs priorities in the cyber domain only; it does not establish policy for what the DoD calls the information environment. While the document reveals some modified imperatives, the DoDs new strategy draws on lessons learned from years of conducting cyber operations and our close observation of how cyber has been used in the Russia-Ukraine war, as stated by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. It has driven home the need to work closely with our allies, partners, and industry to make sure we have the right cyber capabilities, cyber security, and cyber resilience to help deter conflict, and to fight and win if deterrence fails. The DoD cites four areas where it plans to focus its efforts: Defend the nation, prepare to fight and win the nations wars, protect the cyber domain with allies and partners, and build enduring advantages in cyberspace. Lets delve a bit deeper into what this means for our nation moving forward. The DoDs Focus Areas: A Closer Look The summary report gives a 50,000-foot view of the departments vision going forward. There are no key performance indicators, no indication where the new strategy starts or when it ends and nothing that necessarily describes what success looks like. And thats understandable, as this is not the classified version with detailed milestones and tactics. What the report does say, however, is that there is a new battlefield. Just as the Navy focuses on sea dominance, the Air Force controls the sky and the Army establishes ground supremacy, cyberspace has become a new domain where battles will be fought, and the military unveiled its general plan to establish dominance here as well. Proactive defense in cyberspace A new code of conduct is required for proactive defenses simply responding to incoming cyberattacks will not be enough. This is a sea change in that it says we will explore all aspects of the web to see whats going on, gather threat intelligence and then determine a preemptive course of action. We also can choose to allow the intelligence to play out, should that be appropriate. Additionally, the nation-state enemies of the United States have advanced the sophistication of their own cyberattacks greatly over the years. The strategy indicates that we will invest in shoring up defenses and identifying threats and vulnerabilities with an eye to eliminating these threats in the cyber domain where they exist. Certainly, the U.S. has been active covertly on the internet; most nations have been. But these likely have been small teams, probably from the National Security Agency or a similar entity. What this document lays out are the ground rules for a national, public effort to defend ourselves, our allies and our partners. We will be defending forward. I expect this new effort will operate the same way that the military operates. If they think that a country or group is doing something illegal against U.S. interests, they will send in a covert ops team, verify it, validate it and gather as much intelligence as they can. When they find it, they want to tap into the source. So, if you look at this from the cybersecurity personnel and functional standpoint, they will operate in cyberspace just as they operate other branches of service. If we look at this holistically, we will find where a potential attack is coming from and attempt to eliminate it at the source. There likely will be a status of forces agreement, a legal framework that establishes how U.S. military personnel operate in a foreign country. The military will be working within the law, but the difference is they will be doing so proactively, rather than waiting for a cyber version of Pearl Harbor to the nations or an allys critical infrastructure. New rules of engagement will be defined for this unregulated space, and layers upon layers of cybersecurity and network defenses will protect the nations IT systems and major commands just as the other services protect their domains. Domestic implications and challenges We will undoubtedly see the Defense Department enforce more rules on itself to harden its own environment. The DoD is a prime target for threat actors from unfriendly countries. Will it be making a concerted effort to reduce its own vulnerabilities and invest in more cybersecurity defenses to make itself less of a target? That is unknown for now, but it would be a very big task. The DoD is a huge organization with diverse IT systems. Getting Congress to invest in the network upgrades required by the new cybersecurity guidance will be challenging. However, this summary document and its implications are necessary first steps in shifting our nations military focus on cyber threats from primarily defensive to a more proactive stance, where the potential for offensive efforts in defense of the country, its allies and partners are mandated. Kevin Paige is CISO & VP of Product Strategy at Uptycs. RAPIDAN TOWNSHIP, Minn. New aerial images from Tuesday morning show strong water continuing to rush around a dam that has partially failed in southern Minnesota. Aerial footage taken Tuesday morning of Rapidan Dam. / Credit: WCCO The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office says debris started accumulating on Sunday at the Rapidan Dam, a 114-year-old structure located about 10 miles southwest of Mankato, placing it "in imminent failure condition." As of Wednesday moring, the dam is still intact and there are no plans for a larger evacuation. Aerial footage taken Tuesday morning of Rapidan Dam. / Credit: WCCO Officials said that there had been a partial failure on the west abutment. That's where part of the river has been diverted, causing erosion and forcing an evacuation of the family home of the owners of the nearby Rapidan Dam Store. Most of the home collapsed into the river on Tuesday night. Aerial footage taken Tuesday morning of Rapidan Dam. / Credit: WCCO Le Sueur County residents in low-lying areas of the Minnesota River Valley are advised to closely monitor the situation and potentially evacuate, according to the county's emergency management office. / Credit: WCCO In 1972, the historical society says the county board ruled the dam should either be rebuilt or torn down since the dam would cause "considerable damage" to the surrounding areas should it collapse. To address safety concerns, engineers added more concrete reinforcement to the Rapidan Dam in the 1980s. The National Society of Professional Engineers called the renovations "one of the top engineering feats of 1986." The National Inventory of Dams rated it in poor condition as of April 2023, classifying its hazard potential as "significant." Aerial footage taken Tuesday morning of Rapidan Dam. / Credit: WCCO Meanwhile, Iowa residents have needed rescue from record-setting flooding. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said water in some areas rose above records from 1993, a flood many in the Midwest remember as the worst of their lives. The floods have also hit parts of South Dakota and Nebraska. The Minnesota National Guard has been activated to help with the toll. Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency for the state over the weekend, which allowed the National Guard to deploy. Homeowners enlist "Squatter Hunter" to get back their homes Sneak peek: The Night of the Idaho Student Murders What to know about the "CBS Mornings" Mixtape Music Competition The Afghan Project: Art made by women artists smuggled to an OKC gallery The Afghan Project: Art made by women artists smuggled to an OKC gallery OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Threads that wont break, links in a chain that stretch the limits of war and repressionthe work in this show at the 1515 Art Gallery, which includes exquisite embroidery, handmade clothing, lapis jewelry, and even hand picked saffron, is made by women artists and artisans in secret beneath the Taliban regime, then smuggled out to the world. Its not easy, said Afghan artist Hasina Aimaq. For more than 20 years, as the Taliban were pushed into the shadows, Aimaq and her mother patiently produced their own work and made connections to show work from other women artists. All those struggles and challenges through those 20 years, more specifically the women? Everything was gone in a minute, she said. Her own art made a statement. She fashions beautiful dresses from traditional head-to-toe burkas. I have a freedom of choice on how I want to use it, she smiles. A long way from Afghanistan and within the supportive confines of the gallery, Hasina can expand on her art and the work of the friends she had to leave behind. My vision was that I had to open the doors for them, she argues. I need to connect them with the world. previous More Great State Stories Her family was the first aided by a group of Oklahomans, among them gallery owner Susan McAlmont, who managed to get close to a hundred others out of the country. She recalls, I wrote letters to everyone I knew pleading her case. Aimaqs own traumatic experience is aided by helping the world see that beauty, hidden but still surviving in the shadows. I never stop, she tells us. I will never stop. Nothing can stop me. In the weeks before she was forced to leave, Hasina packed up a box full of samples to send the gallery here. I was a different person at that time, she tells a small gathering. Those samples have been waiting for nearly 3 years. She unpacked them for the first time Saturday morning, helping open a show delayed by war, but kept alive in beautiful, unbroken threads. For more information about 1515 Art Gallery and the Afghan Project go to 1515lg.com. Great State is sponsored by Oklahoma Proton Center Follow Galens Great State adventures on social media! Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. The African Cultural Festival returns to Milwaukee this summer to celebrate art, music and food For the first time in years, Milwaukeeans can celebrate African culture during an ethnic and cultural showcase at Brown Deer Park in July. This year's celebration features a day full of traditional African Art, curated music, food tasting and a dance demonstration. Three woman came together to bring the African Cultural Festival back to the Milwaukee area and hope it will share culture with community and also help raise funds for African refugee programming. "This event is about truly sharing culture and the contributions of native Africans to our economic, social, political and cultural fabric of Milwaukee," said Yollande Tchouapi, one of the organizers. "Milwaukee is stronger when diversity is showcased and when the vibrancy of our city is shared." Here's what to know about this year's African Cultural Festival hosted in Milwaukee this July. When is the African Cultural Festival? The African Cultural Festival is scheduled for July 6, 2024 from noon until 7 p.m. The festival will be at Brown Deer Park (areas 2 and 3). The park is at 7835 N. Green Bay Road in Milwaukee. You can find a map and directions to the event here. You do not need a ticket to attend the festival. It is free to attend and open to the public. What's the African Cultural Festival 2024 lineup? Lucky Diop runs an African drum circle at Summerfest on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Passersby stopped to join the circle and play for as long as they liked while many festival attendees stopped to observe. Kicking off around noon, the festival starts with opening remarks and a "parade of nations," highlighting more than a dozen different African nations. Attendees can also enjoy a taste of African cuisine, a showcase of African art and a children's area run by Fit 4 Life. The 2024 lineup also includes the following musicians, dance groups and artists: African Gospel Music-City of Praise Traditional Dance- Umu-Ada Dance Group Fashion Show-Traditional and Contemporary African Attire Medley of African Musical Instruments-Lucky Diop Traditional Dance-The Nefertari Group During the festival, vendors will also sell various arts, fashion and jewelry in the park. For more information: You can visit its website at africanstakeholdersinc.org or direct questions to its email at info@ACFestivalmke@gmail.com. You can also follow the African Cultural Festival on Facebook and Instagram. Here's how to sponsor or donate to the festival: The festival is looking for sponsorships and donations to help provide programming for African immigrants and refugees. To donate to support African refugee programming you can give via Zelle at acfestivalmke@gmail.com or via mail to the African Cultural Festival Committee at 11512 N. Port Washington Road, Suite 201D in Mequon. RELATED: Recap: Milwaukee celebrates Juneteenth This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: African Cultural Festival 2024: Food, music, culture, fashion Agriculture innovation will be in spotlight at UMES showcase. What you can learn. Agricultural producers from farms of all sizes can get the latest information geared toward increasing their bottom lines at the University of Maryland Eastern Shores Ag Showcase, set for Aug. 7. The free event is sponsored by UMES Extension in partnership with Atlantic Tractor LLC and Simplot Grower Solutions. The focus of this years showcase is corn field trials highlighting hybrids and strip-till liquid fertilizer application. Interactive demonstrations, along with the latest in smart-farm technology and equipment, and UMES agricultural research and extension activities, round out the days events. Among the topics are phosphorus management, weather and pest technology for crop scouting, and precision agriculture equipment and tools. More on Assateague Beach ratings Travel company names Assateague Island National Seashore a 'best beach in the world' 'Farming is a partnership' Lyle Jarrett with Atlantic Tractor speaks at the 2022 Ag Showcase held at UMES Research, Extension and Teaching Farm, School of Agricultural and Natural Scicences. This year, were excited to demonstrate John Deeres ExactShot in-furrow dosing fertilizer application system. It can reduce starter fertilizer by up to 60%. Well be showcasing the value of ExactShot by evaluating continuous vs. dosing starter fertilizer by tracking emergence, crop health and yield, said Travis Ford, an agronomist with Atlantic Tractor. Ford also noted the event is aimed at helping farmers be economically and environmentally sustainable. Partnering in the trial, Simplot Grower Solutions crop advisor Adam Smith will point to differences in new corn varieties planted and the application of strip-till liquid fertilizer, along with other Simplot Smartfarm technology. Simplot and I are grateful for the opportunity to showcase that farming is a partnership, Smith said. We work with the grower to find local solutions that fit their unique needs. The experiments and local field trials at the UMES Ag Showcase are collaborative efforts that start many months before the event. According to UMES, the research and data that has come from these local field trials support options to help increase yields while being suitable year after year. More on bridge rebuilding latest Dali, the cargo ship that triggered Baltimore bridge collapse, set for journey to Virginia How to sign up for UMES Agriculture Showcase The Ag Showcase takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the universitys Research, Extension and Teaching Farm on Stewart Neck Road in Princess Anne. Its traditionally been a beautiful day for farmers, university researchers and extension specialists, and other agricultural stakeholders to connect and share their knowledge and experiences, said Berran Rogers, UMES Extensions Small Farm Program coordinator. Were thankful for our partners who make the event possible, helping us fulfill our mission of service to the agricultural community. Agricultural exhibitors and vendors will be on site to showcase their products and services, Rogers added.Pre-registration for general admission is required by Aug. 2 by visiting the official event website. The event is free and includes lunch. Email smallfarms@umes.edu or call 410-651-7351 for more information, or to request special accommodations. Vendor registration is $100 by July 26 and includes one general admission ticket, a booth space with table and name recognition. More on area burn bans Dangerous drought conditions lead Lower Shore counties to impose burn bans. All to know. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: UMES showcase puts agriculture innovation in spotlight. How to sign up NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has collected a bit of air along with the rock samples plucked from the Red Planet surface, which may offer valuable insight on the planet's ancient past. | Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS Scientists are interested in more than just the rocks NASA's Perseverance rover has cached throughout its trek across Mars. They want the air, too. Since landing on Mars in 2021, Perseverance has collected 24 samples of Martian rock and dust, also known as regolith. These rock cores are believed to hold insight about the planet's ancient past and whether life ever existed on Mars, but the air sealed inside the sample tubes could prove just as important. Scientists think this fresh Red Planet air could reveal new clues about the Martian atmosphere, too. "The air samples from Mars would tell us not just about the current climate and atmosphere, but how it's changed over time, Brandi Carrier, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a statement . "It will help us understand how climates different from our own evolve." The samples are sealed in titanium tubes that allow for "headspace," or air in the extra room around the rocky material, providing scientists an opportunity to study the interaction between the Martian atmosphere and the planet's surface. Related: Perseverance Mars rover stashes final sample, completing Red Planet depot The headspace may also reveal trace gases in the Martian atmosphere which is composed mostly of carbon dioxide but may also contain small amounts of other gases dating back to the planet's formation and lend valuable insight on the size and toxicity of dust particles, from which scientists can better assess the risk for future crewed missions to Mars. "The gas samples have a lot to offer Mars scientists," Justin Simon, a geochemist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, said in the statement. Simon is part of a group of over a dozen international experts that helps decide which samples the rover should collect. "Even scientists who don't study Mars would be interested because it will shed light on how planets form and evolve," Simon said. RELATED STORIES: If life exists on Mars, don't count on sample-return missions to find it, scientists say Handle Mars with care: Guidelines needed for responsible Red Planet exploration, experts say Perseverance Mars rover digs into intriguing 'Bright Angel' rock formation (photo) The samples are being collected and stored for eventual delivery to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. However, it will be many years before the samples are opened and analyzed by scientists in laboratories on Earth, given the cost and complexity of a sample return mission. That's why NASA recently called for a simpler and quicker approach to bring the samples home. When, or if, the samples are returned to Earth, scientists would extract the gas into a cold trap, where it would be condensed into a solid or liquid. A similar process was used to study air captured in samples collected from the moon during the Apollo 17 mission . With the Mars samples, researchers also hope to better understand how much water vapor hovers near the Martian surface, and, in turn, why ice forms where it does on the planet. Water vapor captured in the air samples may also shed light on how Mars' water cycle has evolved over time . The Pullman Good Food Co-op is entering a pivotal moment in its development, and needs the communitys support to establish a store. Andy Jacobs, incoming chairperson of the co-ops Board of Directors, said its been frantically fundraising to secure a property on Bishop Boulevard that could meet all the stores needs. Jacobs is replacing Justin Peters as chairperson. He said its goal is to raise half a million dollars in three weeks to put a down payment on the former Unify Family Dental location, and finance other immediate costs. Jacobs said the co-op is offering several different fundraising options to meet this goal, including donations, membership investments, member loans and a variety of sponsorships. This Wednesday, it held an open house as part of the fundraising campaign, where the community toured the space and asked questions about the venture. Co-op leadership expressed interest in the building last fall, and announced plans of signing a purchasing sale agreement. The 8,000-square-foot property costs $3 million, Jacobs said, and requires a down payment of $270,000 before July 8. He said the co-op has spent more than five years searching for a location. In that time, he added, it reviewed more than 25 sites across Pullman. The property checks all the boxes and has plenty of potential, Jacobs said. It comes equipped with around 45-60 parking spaces, loading docks for food delivery trucks and plenty of space for a start-up co-op, he added. Its also highly accessible, he said, because the location is on one of Pullman Transits routes, and it is near the Bill Chipman and Wil-Ru trailheads. The store anticipates opening in late 2025 after a 12-month construction period, Jacobs said. The business would be complete with a meat department, bakery, wellness section, beer and wine section, cafe, prepared deli foods and community space, he added. The shop would place a heavy emphasis on selling locally sourced products and goods, he said. Alabama man accused of killings in 2 states enters not guilty pleas to Oklahoma murder charges This image from video provided by KATV shows police officers at the scene where Stacy Lee Drake was taken into custody Thursday, June 20, 2024 in Morrilton, Ark. An Alabama man wanted in connection with homicides in Oklahoma and Alabama was apprehended Thursday in Arkansas after a search that spanned multiple southern states, Arkansas State Police said. (KATV via AP) SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) An Alabama man accused in a string of killings in Oklahoma and Alabama has pleaded not guilty to two Oklahoma killings. The pleas were entered on behalf of Stacy Lee Drake, 50, during a Monday court appearance, KHBS-TV reported. He faces two charges of enhanced murder. Drake has has until Aug. 7 in the Oklahoma case to find a lawyer to represent him, or a public defender will be appointed for him, KHBS reported. Relatives and friends of the victims packed the courtroom where Drake appeared. Drake was apprehended Thursday in a wooded area in the Morrilton, Arkansas, area after a search that spanned multiple southern states, Arkansas State Police said. Drake is accused of homicides and carjackings in Oklahoma, Arkansas State Police said. They said hes also wanted on other felony warrants from multiple jurisdictions on charges including aggravated robbery, carjacking and murder. A man and a woman were found dead inside a business near Gans, Oklahoma, near the Arkansas state line, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said. Both had injuries consistent with homicide, and the agency said Drake is a person of interest. In Alabama, Drake is accused of killing Russell Andrews on May 14, according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office. Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said there is a warrant for Drake on a murder charge. News outlets reported that Andrews, 62, was found dead inside the Alcoholic Anonymous building. Tuscaloosa authorities said Andrews vehicle was stolen when he was killed and hours later was picked up by cameras travelling along an interstate near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. We should all be alarmed by a partisan police the Met must not be seen to cosy up to Labour Losing support: Conservatives have now disowned Craig Williams, candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr -one of the only seat they are predicted to win in Wales - Matthew Horwood/Getty The betting scandal at Number 10 has provided voters with a perfect example of the kind of political arrogance and entitlement that has signalled the end of this administration. Its hard to imagine a more egregious example of privilege in this case privileged access to the prime minister being cynically monetised by a chosen few who placed bets on the date of the general election. The latest twist in this sordid tale, allegations that the Metropolitan Police themselves deliberately leaked the names of those being investigated into the public domain, might be dismissed as deflection: typical Tories trying to divert the blame for this scandal away from themselves. Such a dismissal would be understandable, even justified. Let us not dilute the blame for this appalling (and at this stage, alleged) betrayal of trust by public servants by casting the net wider to include a he said, she said debate about process. And yet the Met Police story matters, if not very much as regards the current investigation (which includes at least one police officer as well as a handful of Downing Street aides), then certainly as we move forward under a Labour government and home secretary, to whom the Commissioner of the Met is accountable. First, it is important to reflect on the fact that without the leak of the identity of those under investigation, there would be no story at all. In this respect, we should be grateful that this information became known; such allegations of sharp practice among those surrounding the prime minister, those at the very heart of government, should be subject to the disinfectant of daylight, preferably this side of a general election. Such revelations have undoubtedly helped many previously undecided voters decide where they should place their cross next week. But theres no escaping the fact that it was the leaking of those names that made this story so sensational in the first place. However much of a service the act of revealing these identities has been to the country, there is little doubt that they were leaked deliberately in order to embarrass the government at a delicate political time. Quite right too! most voters will reply, and theyd be right, for all the reasons given above. Nevertheless, after our anger has been vented and our voting intention decided, we are left with the uneasy possibility that the Met themselves are playing politics. And just because that act has exposed bad behaviour that should certainly have been exposed, does not mean that officers should blithely enter the realm of party politics. We need to be clear: just as the courts job is to dispense justice impartially, the polices job is to rise above the politics of the day and to carry out investigations neutrally and professionally without an eye on the political weather or the political consequences of their actions. There are two threats here to the forces integrity and public reputation. The first is officers own predilection to dispense their own justice, to leak information about an investigation in order to encourage the media to draw their own inevitable conclusions about the guilt of those being investigated. The officers in question might think they are doing the right thing, that they are on the side of the angels. But they would be wrong. Their personal opinions about the government or politicians are of no importance. The second threat comes from a different direction: from politicians to the force. We have already seen numerous complaints about Londons two-tier police response to different types of political demonstrations, leaving us with the impression that pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel marches are treated more tolerantly by officers than those from the political Right. We are about to see the first Labour government and home secretary in 14 years, and it would be perfectly natural for officers to want to curry favour with their new political masters. Natural but wrong. Woefully wrong. However grateful the next home secretary might be for the immense level of embarrassment and humiliation heaped on the outgoing Conservative government by the leaked information about those being investigated for their betting activities, he or she must avoid the temptation to allow the Met to politicise itself in a Left-wards direction. The police are not a political organisation, even if it is accountable to the public via elected politicians. The bond of trust it requires to carry out its day-to-day functions would be fatally undermined by any perception that it is remotely partial towards either Right or Left. The next home secretary would do well to remind the Met Commissioner of that sacred trust, rather than seek to politicise the force even further. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. An aerial program to remove predators from caribou calving grounds in Southwest Alaska has wrapped up its second year with a total of 81 brown bears and 14 wolves killed between May 10 and June 5, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced on June 14. The removals are intended to improve calf survival of the Mulchatna caribou herd, which has declined by about 94 percent since 1997. This spring ADFG employees tracked caribou in the western half of the herds calving grounds while patrolling for evidence of predators chasing or actively feeding on caribou. The removal of the 95 total predators was conducted on state land only, according to officials, with efforts focused on an area of about 530 square miles. Thats half the size of the 2023 predator-control area, when 104 total predators were removed (94 brown bears, five black bears, and five wolves). The herds eastern calving grounds were not subject to predator removal this year, as officials plan to compare calf survival between the two regions. ADFG officials say its efforts seem to be working. Following the 2023 removals, staff documented an increase in calf survival through the fall with a caribou cow-to-calf ratio of 44 calves per 100 cows. Thats well above the 10-year average of 23 calves for every 100 calves, the agency notes in the release. Based on last fall, I anticipate were going to see another pretty strong showing of calves pretty quickly, ADFG director Ryan Scott told Anchorage Daily News. A wolf carries off a caribou hindquarter. While wolves prey on caribou calves, researchers found that brown bears were the primary predator. Photo by Ken Conger / N Some calves are fitted with GPS collars, and agency employees will continue to monitor calf survival through their first year of life. ADFG plans to conduct a photo census once the Mulchatna herd arrives en masse on its summer range, as well as another herd composition survey in October. While the state-operated killing of brown bears and wolves to help caribou has sparked controversy and a couple lawsuits, ADFG has no population concerns for either bears or wolves as a result of the program. Bear and wolf populations are healthy in western Alaska, according to the agency, which noted that hides and skulls were salvaged when possible. The removals of wolves and bears in the western spring calving control area are occurring in a relatively small area that is surrounded by intact habitat on state and federal lands where control activities are not occurring. Wolf control has been underway in the region since 2012; in March 2023, the state decided to expand those efforts with the current five-year intensive caribou management program. While the agency acknowledges that other factors like disease and habitat loss can contribute to a reduction in caribou numbers, theyre less easily addressed. Instead, predator control is an immediate tool the department can use to attempt to reverse the herds decline while officials conduct ongoing nutritional research and disease monitoring. Research from 2011 to 2021 found that predators especially brown bears were responsible for nearly 90 percent of newborn caribou calf deaths in the first two weeks of life. The Mulchatna herds population from 1974 to 2022 (represented by the gray bars and left axis of the graph) compared to hunter harvest numbers (the gray line, plotted against the right axis). Note that hunter harvest numbers are actually much lower than the total population of the herd. ADFG The Mulchatna herd peaked in 1997 at 200,000 animals and has since declined to a little more than 13,000 animals in 2019, where it generally remains. This is well short of the states management objective of 30,000 to 80,0000 caribou for the herd, which it views as necessary to sustain a huntable population. Many stakeholders remain concerned that poaching could be contributing to the low population. Hunter harvest by Native, resident, and non-resident hunters topped out in 1999 at a reported take of 4,770, but that figure sharply declined thereafter and generally followed herd population trends. Read Next: Proposals Would Close Non-Resident Caribou Hunting in Northwest Alaska Unreported subsistence harvest has been documented across the range of Mulchatna and currently a multi-agency effort is underway to increase education and awareness about the hunt closure and monitor for out-of-season harvests, the agency noted in a June 20 draft of FAQs about the intensive-management program. Out-of-season harvest appears to occur at a similar rate as other remote areas of the state and has not had a profound impact on the population. The predator-removal program cost about $309,200, according to reporting by the ADN, though an estimate for this years program wasnt yet available. ADFG officials were not immediately available for comment. View comments Supporters of jailed ethnic Greek politician Fredi Beleri are seen in front of the appeal court in Tirana Supporters of jailed ethnic Greek politician Fredi Beleri are seen in front of the appeal court in Tirana By Fatos Bytyci TIRANA (Reuters) -An Albanian appeals court on Tuesday upheld a lower court conviction on vote-buying charges of ethnic Greek politician Fredi Beleris, three weeks after he won a seat in the European Parliament elections. Beleris was arrested in May 2023 during a mayoral election campaign in his hometown of Himare, which has an active ethnic Greek community. He subsequently won, but was never sworn in while being held in pre-trial detention. He was jailed for two years in March this year for election fraud. Beleris's case has strained relations between Albania and Greece, Balkan neighbours whose ties have often soured over cultural and historical differences, as well as the many Albanian immigrants in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania. In a statement to Reuters, Beleris accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of organising a plot against him and said he had already initiated a procedure to appeal his case at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg. "Those who had delusions that Rama will act as a leader of a country that wants to join the European Union rather than as another authoritarian leader have been disproved," Beleris said. Rama has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Beleris case, saying it was a judicial, not a political, matter. Greece demanded Beleris's immediate release, warning the matter could impact Albania's bid for European Union membership. "Mr Beleris is already an elected member of the European Parliament," Greek Ambassador to Albania Konstantina Kamitsi said on Tuesday, criticising the outcome of the appeals process. "It's an absolute democratic requirement and a requirement under the rule of law that elected MEPs can attend in person all sessions of the European Parliament, starting with the plenary session of the European Parliament in July." Beleris won a seat in the EU parliament as a candidate for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy Party. Beleris, who has dual citizenship, has been viewed by some in Albania as a polarising figure. He said the fact he won the votes of both ethnic Greeks and Albanians in Himare, an ethnically-mixed area, proved he was a unifying candidate. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Karolina Tagaris in Athens; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; editing by Mark Heinrich and Gareth Jones) Albert Einsteins theory of relativity may be too complicated for some to understand. But the expected price of a letter the scientist wrote makes a great deal of sense. A missive that Einstein sent to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 will hit Christies auction block in September, where its expected to hammer down for up to $6 million. In the letter, the scientist warns Roosevelt about the possibility of Germany creating an atomic bomb. In response, the president formed a committee that would become the precursor to the Manhattan Project, The Wall Street Journal noted. More from Robb Report Roosevelt wouldnt have understood the science right away, but he wouldve trusted the sender, William Harris, the director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, told the WSJ. Harriss institution actually has the original letter than Einstein sent to Roosevelt. The one coming up for sale at Christies is a second, shorter missive that Einsteins friend and fellow scientist Leo Szilard kept in his possession until he died. Szilard had helped Einstein write the letter to FDR while the two were at a cabin on Long Islands North Shore, The Wall Street Journal wrote. After Szilard died in 1964, his heirs sold the letter, and it eventually ended up in the hands of Malcolm S. Forbes. The publisher and collector then auctioned off the letter in 2002, when it was snatched up by the Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen for $2.1 million. He undoubtedly knew it was one of the most important documents in the history of the 20th century, and thats not the kind of thing you just hang in your office, Marc Porter, the chairman of Christies Americas, told the WSJ. Rather, Porter believes that Allen kept the letter safe, somewhere where it wouldnt be affected by sunlight. Christies is bringing the Einstein letter to auction as part of a larger sale of Allens belongings, which is being split among three separate auctions. Other notable pieces include a computer from 1971 ($30,000 to $50,000) and a Gemini spacesuit that belonged to the astronaut Ed White ($80,000 to $120,000). And while the Einstein missive may break the record for a letter written by the scientistwhich was set in 2018, when one of his notes sold for $2.8 millionits unlikely to achieve the $13 million that a theory-of-relativity record hammered down for in 2021. Even still, very few people can say that they have such an important piece of scientific history. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The court-appointed trustee overseeing the liquidation of Alex Jones estate plans to shut down his conspiracy site Infowars and sell off its assets, according to a new filing on Monday. The trustee, Christopher Murray, filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court after the parents of a child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre asked another court in Texas to turn over the assets of Infowars parent company, Free Speech Systems. The parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, won a $50 million verdict against Jones in 2022 over his lies that the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which killed 20 children and six adults, was a hoax. That verdict is separate from the $1.5 billion Jones owes to other family members of victims after a lawsuit in Connecticut. A Texas judge approved the handover on Friday, but the trustee asked a federal court to step in and stop it, as it would interfere with his plans to conduct an orderly wind-down of Free Speech Systems and his plans to liquidate its inventory. Its the first time the trustee has said publicly he plans to shutter Infowars. The specter of a pell-mell seizure of FSSs assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment of the interests of the chapter 7 estate for which the trustee is responsible, Murray wrote in the emergency motion. The Trustee seeks this Courts intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course. Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wipes his forehead as he speaks to the media after arriving June 14 at a federal courthouse in Houston for a hearing in front of a bankruptcy judge. David J. Phillip/Associated Press Families involved in the Connecticut judgment said they were frustrated by the complicated nature of the cases against Jones. The Connecticut families are disappointed by this attempt to undercut the orderly and long overdue wind down of Alex Jones InfoWars platform, a lawyer for the group, Christopher Mattei, said in a statement to CNN. From the beginning, they have led with dignity toward a resolution that is fair for every family and are grateful that the Chapter 7 Trustee has already filed a motion with which eight of the nine families agree supporting an equitable distribution of the FSS assets. Earlier this month, a federal judge approved the conversion of Jones Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to a liquidation in an effort to streamline the sale of his personal assets. The conspiracy theorist had filed for bankruptcy shortly after the $1.5 billion judgment. He is now appealing the judgments in state courts. The Associated Press notes its unlikely families will receive anywhere near the full amount: Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, according to recent financial filings, and Free Speech Systems has about $6 million in cash on hand. The judge in May allowed Jones to sell a large game ranch in Texas to help pay for his legal expenses. He is expected to keep his primary residence in Austin, Texas. Related... Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones fiction-spewing media empire Infowars will be shut down and its assets sold for parts, his bankruptcy court-appointed trustee, Christopher Murray, confirmed in an emergency court filing, HuffPost reported. Earlier this month, a bankruptcy judge ordered Jones to liquidate his personal assets to pay nearly $1.5 billion to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre. However, at the time the judge also ruled that Infowars parent company, Free Speech Systems, didnt need to be liquidated because that would be costly time and money-wise. Now, with the dismissal of the bankruptcy case against the outlet's parent company, families have the liberty to go after assets like Infowars in state court; since Jones was the owner of the parent media company, a trustee had to be appointed by the court to take charge of it as it underwent bankruptcy proceedings, CNN reported. In the court filing, Murray wrote that he had been "planning to wind-up (Free Speech Systems) operations and liquidate its inventory ever since he was first appointed. But the process was derailed when one of the victims parents filed a motion in a Texas court to turn over the assets of Infowars parent company. Other families Because of this, Murray was forced to file for an emergency stay in the case so they could conduct an orderly wind-down and sale process of Infowars, he wrote. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis won a $50 million verdict against Jones in 2022 because of his lies that the mass shooting that killed 20 children and six adults was a staged government ploy to confiscate guns, HuffPost reported. The Texas judge had ordered the assets of Free Speech Systems to be handed over to them. But the trustee, in his filing, said that could derail the Infowars business and efforts to compensate others. In a statement, an attorney for Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, said: This is precisely the unfortunate situation that the Connecticut families hoped to avoid when we argued that the Free Speech/Info Wars case should have remained with the bankruptcy court rather than being dismissed." Referring to the parents attempt to go after Free Speech Systems, Mattei continued: The Connecticut families are disappointed by this attempt to undercut the orderly and long overdue wind down of Alex Jones InfoWars platform." Detectives with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office are investigating a triple homicide that left three women dead after a killing spree in Bradenton and Palmetto. The sheriffs office said the alleged shooter, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, is also dead after a shootout with deputies in North Florida. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother, a cousin and the partner of an ex-girlfriend late Monday night. Just before the killings began, Brice went to Palmetto Trace Apartments where his sister and ex-girlfriend were, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said during a Tuesday morning news conference. He looked at the ex-girlfriend and said, I have to kill you. Somehow, the sister was able to talk him down and talk him out of him shooting this ex-girlfriend, Wells said. Wells said the sister later told investigators that Brice was acting very strange. At one point while there, Wells said he asked if he could take a shower, which they declined. In social media posts that had garnered thousands of likes, shares and comments on Facebook as of Tuesday morning, Brice appeared to post updates as he murdered his loved ones, according to the sheriffs office. Accused killer shot dead after Manatee killing spree After leaving the Palmetto apartments, Wells said Brice headed to a Motel 6 where his mother, her boyfriend and two little girls were staying. This would be the first stop in what Wells described as a killing spree that would leave Brices mother, Titimysha Scott, 48; his cousin, Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice; and an ex-girlfriends new partner, Charel Carter, dead in three separate shootings. Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office said they responded to a shooting Monday at around 9:15 p.m. at the Motel 6 at 660 67th St. Circle E. in Bradenton. When they arrived, deputies said they found Scott dead from a gunshot wound. Three women are dead after deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office say 28-year-old Javontee Brice shot and killed them before deputies in North Florida shot him dead during a shootout. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother at Motel 6 near Interstate 75 Monday night. Witnesses told deputies that Brice came to the motel and shot his mother for unknown reasons and then fled the area, possibly heading to Georgia, according to a news release. He walked into that hotel room, looked at the mother and said Im sorry, Wells said. She asked, What did you do? And he shoots her three times in front of the boyfriend and these two young juveniles, Wells said. At 9:40, deputies were dispatched to another shooting in the 900 block of 26th St. Court E. in Palmetto, where they say Sacouya Brice had been shot while sitting inside a parked SUV. As deputies arrived, officers with the Palmetto Police Department were attempting life-saving measures, but Sacouya died about an hour later. The sheriffs office said witnesses again identified Brice as the shooter. The victim, Wells said, Javontees cousin who was at the Palmetto house for a cookout. Wells said Javontee shot his cousin as she was getting into her car to leave. Three women are dead after deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office say 28-year-old Javontee Brice shot and killed them before deputies in North Florida shot him dead during a shootout. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother at Motel 6 near Interstate 75 Monday night. 3 women killed in Manatee County, deputies say While investigating those cases, deputies received information about another shooting shortly after 10 p.m. in Bradenton at 4800 51st St. E. As officers with the Bradenton Police Department arrived, they said they learned that Brice shot an adult woman before fleeing the area. Police say this woman was taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where she died from her injuries. The woman, Wells said, was identified as Charel Carter and was the new partner of an ex-girlfriend. The Manatee County Sheriffs Office issued a statewide BOLO or be on the lookout alert for Brices vehicle. The sheriffs office said multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in tracking Brice to Hamilton County in North Florida, near the state line. Detectives said they learned Brice was traveling to Georgia with the intent to kill another person. This person, Wells said at Tuesdays press conference, was possibly another ex-girlfriend. At around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office pulled Brice over, at which point Wells said Brice got out of the car and started firing at officers. Deputies shot and killed Brice in return fire, Wells said. Deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office were not injured during the shootout, according to Wells. Wells said a woman was with Brice when he was pulled over and may have been with him during all of the alleged incidents. As of Tuesday mornings press conference, Wells said she is still being interviewed by detectives. We dont know her relation to him at this point, but she was in the car when the shootout took place, Wells said. Shooter posted about killings on Facebook, deputies say Brice appeared to post to Facebook multiple times around the time the shootings happened Monday. Pig I love you but you had to go, an account with the name Scoota Brice posted at 10:05 p.m. Monday. Several Facebook posts from people who say they knew Brice say that Scoota was a nickname he often used. Another Facebook post from Brices account told a woman he loved her but added see you in hell. Wells said that Brices motive is still unknown. But Wells added that deputies are aware of the social media posts and said they will be very important in figuring Brices motive out. He seemed to have an agenda, Wells said, adding that he knew exactly who he wanted to kill and he did not have a hard time locating them. This family is devastated, sheriff says Wells said investigators will interview relatives to try and determine what Brice may have been going through the last few days and to see if they can determine a motive. He also said 911 calls will likely be released in time, but added that he wants to be sensitive to the families throughout the process. I just want to stress this family is devastated. This is going to be a very difficult thing for them to overcome, Wells said. Wells said the sheriffs office will also review recent dispatch calls to see if there were any involving Brice that might give them any clues into his mindset leading up to the shootings. We dont know what set this man off. We dont know why he chose to kill his loved ones. We may never know, but were going to continue to investigate, Wells said. Multiple investigations are ongoing, according to the sheriffs office. This is a developing story... Visit Bradenton.com for updates. Three women are dead after deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office say 28-year-old Javontee Brice shot and killed them before deputies in North Florida shot him dead during a shootout. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother at Motel 6 near Interstate 75 Monday night. AUSTIN (KXAN) Allegiant Air will end its base operations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport early next year, citing space constraints as preparations continue ahead of the closure of the South Terminal. Allegiant established the base for employees and aircraft in 2021 at a cost of $75 million. At the time, the airline said it would create at least 89 new jobs. Base operations are scheduled to end on Jan. 7, 2025, according to an airline spokesperson. Despite the closure, Austin is still an important city to Allegiants network, the spokesperson said. Because of the South Terminals closure, Allegiant will eventually relocate to the main terminal, the spokesperson told KXAN in a statement. Unfortunately, the gate space we have been offered will not allow us to sustain our base at AUS. However, we will continue to serve Austin with all flights operating as turns from other bases, providing our customers with the exceptional service they have come to expect from Allegiant. The closure of the South Terminal is anticipated in early 2026 as part of the airports Expansion and Development Program. A new midfield concourse is planned in its place, along with supporting infrastructure, such as a new connector tunnel to the main terminal and new taxiways. Because of the closure, Allegiant and Frontier Airlines will move flights to the Barbara Jordan Terminal. Lawsuit against city regarding South Terminal closed following settlement An airport spokesperson confirmed to KXAN that options were offered to Allegiant to move its crew base to the main terminal, but further details could not be provided. The spokesperson reiterated that the base closure does not mean Allegiant will stop flights from AUS. We remain committed to supporting their numerous nonstop flights from AUS and appreciate the important value they bring to Central Texas travelers, the airport spokesperson said. Their nonstop flights from the South Terminal will continue until its time to relocate them to the Barbara Jordan Terminal. AUS Data Hub: Passenger totals, busiest months & new routes in 2024 In the first five months of 2024, Allegiant carried more than 121,000 passengers in and out of AUS, accounting for 1.4% of passenger traffic at the airport. Allegiant currently operates 18 nonstop routes from Austin, including a new route to Eugene, Oregon, which launched on May 31. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. OZARK-The chief executive officer of the Dale Medical Center in Ozark has been named chairman- elect of the Alabama Hospital Association Board of Trustees. Vernon Johnson of Ozark was elected to the post at the associations recent annual meeting. Founded in 1921, the Alabama Hospital Association is a statewide trade organization dedicated to assisting member hospitals in effectively serving Alabamas healthcare needs through advocacy, representation, education, and service. Johnson has served the association in numerous capacities, including chairing the Image Task Force and the AlaHA Psychiatric Constituency Section and serving as President of the Southeast Regional Hospital Council. He has also served on the Finance Committee, State and Federal Legislative Committees, and as Secretary-Treasurer of the AlaHA Executive Committee. With decades of distinguished leadership in hospital administration, Vernon is exceptionally qualified for this role on the AlaHA board, said Dr. Donald E. Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. His extensive service in the Wiregrass region, combined with his representation on various statewide entities, positions him as an exemplary leader at this critical juncture for healthcare in Alabama. Johnson chaired the Alabama Board of Respiratory Therapy and is an active Medical Equipment Licensure Board member. Locally, he holds the position of Vice-Chairman of the Ozark Dale Economic Development Board, is a Past President of the Ozark Chamber of Commerce and has led the Dale County United Way. His commitment to community service is further demonstrated by his involvement with the Boys and Girls Club of Ozark, the Wallace College Associate Degree Nursing Program Advisory Board, and the Wiregrass United Way Board. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Johnson was honored with the George C. Wallace Alumni of the Year award in 2014. I am truly honored to be trusted to serve in this capacity, said Johnson. I will be working with some of the most talented healthcare professionals in the state as we seek to improve healthcare for the citizens of Alabama. I am blessed to be able to do what I love. Johnson began his career at DMC in 1994 as a respiratory therapist before becoming chief executive officer in 2003. He has an undergraduate degree in business, an associate degree in respiratory therapy, and a Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dale Medical Center is an 89-bed acute care facility, located in Ozark, with a qualified medical staff specializing in internal medicine, family practice, cardiology, psychiatry, pediatrics, radiology, ENT, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, general and endoscopic surgery. Hills Creek Dam is located on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River three miles upstream of Oakridge and 42 miles upstream of Eugene and Springfield, Oregon. It is one of eight hydro-producing dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Willamette River Basis. (Courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Hills Creek Dam is located on the Middle Fork of the Willamette River three miles upstream of Oakridge and 42 miles upstream of Eugene and Springfield, Oregon. It is one of eight hydro-producing dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Willamette River Basis. (Courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) If your business was slated to lose nearly a billion dollars, would you stay the course? A federal study projects that hydropower production at Willamette River Basin dams will lose a stunning $939 million over 30 years because the operating costs far outweigh the revenue. The Public Power Council and Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde may not agree on everything, but on this matter, we are aligned: It is time to change how we operate the Willamette Basin dams. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates eight hydropower-producing dams on the Santiam, McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette subbasins. Built in the early 1940s, the primary purpose authorized by Congress was, and is, flood control. The corps also operates the dams to produce a small amount of electricity, despite the outrageous economics to do so. The corps could alter how it operates these dams to boost the success rate for salmon migrating through these dams. Less than 3% of the once-great runs of Upper Willamette River Chinook remain. Federal scientists found that Chinook and steelhead the only native salmonids that historically ascended the Willamette Falls in Oregon City have a very high likelihood of extinction. The salmon are an essential part of the culture and lifeways of the Grand Ronde Tribe and critically important to Oregonians. We will not allow salmon to go extinct on our watch, especially to produce extremely expensive electricity. Public Power Council and its nonprofit member utilities support hydro projects that power our communities with large quantities of clean power and provide effective and proven fish passage. However, the high and climbing cost of producing a small amount of power at the Willamette projects simply doesnt pencil out. Removing the power function from these dams and utilizing them for flood control purposes and for optimized fish migration is the opportunity upon us. For anyone who cares about salmon or their electricity bill, the best solution would be to stop producing power at these Willamette projects. The dams would stay in place, but the corps could lower the water level in the reservoirs to create more natural flow to help juvenile salmon complete their miraculous journeys out to the ocean. Moreover, low reservoirs are good for flood risk mitigation. Congress has already asked the corps twice to study the impacts of removing the hydropower function from these Willamette dams. Now, Congress could direct the corps to stop wasting money on expensive electricity production and transition to operating the dams to reduce flood risk while boosting salmon survival. We believe this is a win-win for salmon and ratepayers. The post Altering use of Willamette River Basin dams would save money, help salmon appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has made himself the Republican gadfly attempting to sting Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan D.A. who has secured the first, and so far only, conviction of former president Donald Trump. But now the biter appears to have been bittenby none other than Bragg. Braggs office is taking credit for being part of efforts to have YouTube restrict content that shows people how to build firearms or make illegal modifications that allow them to rapidly fire ammunition on a fully automatic setting, confirming an angry claim made by Jordan. Last week, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee sent the sites parent company a letter demanding to know the story behind YouTubes recent decision to block videos that provide such content. Jordans letter is a legal request for Alphabets communications regarding its interactions with the executive branch and other entities regarding changes to its firearms content policy. It also called out Bragg by name, given that the prominent prosecutor publicly pressured YouTube in April over his concerns about the proliferation of how-to videos of ghost guns, homemade firearms that arent stamped with a serial number and are virtually untraceable. But in the wake of that letter, Braggs office is actually doing something of a victory lap. The office stands by any efforts made to encourage companies to act responsibly and prevent children from accessing tutorials to manufacture dangerous guns that can be used in violent crimes, a spokeswoman told The Daily Beast. Alvin Braggs Case Against Trump Is Stronger Than You Think YouTube did not respond to questions about whether Braggs public pressure campaign was the deciding factor in its decision to finally clamp down on gun videos. However, in reality, Bragg wasnt the only one. In 2021, the policy group Everytown for Gun Safety called on YouTube to take down videos that serve as detailed step-by-step instructional manuals on how to build unserialized pistol and rifle frames. Everytown warned the company that this trend allows potentially dangerous or prohibited individuals to manufacture and own untraceable weapons without serial numbers or background checks. Theres even a danger to experienced firearms enthusiasts who otherwise pose no harm to the public, given that 3D-printed guns are sometimes made of plastic that cant withstand the explosion of a fired round inside the chamber. The next year, five Democratic senators pleaded for YouTube to remove ghost gun videos as well, noting how this content is a clear and direct violation of YouTubes existing community guidelines on firearms. And in 2023, the Tech Transparency Project, which is funded by several social advocacy groups, released a study showing how YouTubes video recommendation algorithms steer preteen and teenage gamers toward content about real life shootings and weaponsdespite company assurances that its engineers made delivering responsible recommendations their top priority. Viewed in that light, Braggs letter to YouTube in April requesting to meet face-to-face with YouTube representatives was merely the latest entreaty asking the company to abide by its own rules. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speaks during a campaign rally hosted by Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Forum River Center in Rome, Georgia, U.S. March 9, 2024. Alyssa Pointer/Reuters But to Rep. Jordan, who sees conspiracies everywhere he looks, its all part of some underhanded leftist coercion schemeas opposed to the desperate attempts of policymakers who are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Any politician who wants to zero-in on gun violence is essentially prohibited from trying to cut off the flow of weapons. For decades, Democrats havent made any headway with Republicans, who wont agree to any kind of new gun restrictions whatsoever. And they cant even fully utilize the Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) law enforcement agency, which remains critically underfunded and just had the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturn the Trump-era ban on bump stocksthe easily configured attachable gear that uses a fired weapons recoil to keep it jiggling in place to rapidly pull the trigger faster than anyone could naturally, essentially making it shoot like a sloppy machine gun. In his letter, Jordan claimed that YouTube has censored First Amendment-protected speech as a result of government agencies requests and demands in the past. He went on to write that these revelations raise serious concerns about whether and to what extent the executive branch is working with third parties and other intermediaries to coerce and/or collude with YouTube to censor lawful speech regarding the Second Amendment and firearms. However, Jordan couldnt resist turning the letter into yet another partisan screed that somehow connected guns on YouTube to his fervent love of MAGA. In his letter to the company, Jordan wrote that Bragg hired the third highest-ranking Department of Justice official to assist in his partisan prosecution of President Trump, alluding to the fact that Bragg brought a prosecutor onboard to help develop the criminal case against Trump, which ended with a trial in which jurors concluded the former president committed 34 felonies. However, it isnt clear that YouTube is going very far at all with its new restrictions. Although the company claimed it would no longer allow videos that provide instructions on manufacturing things like ammunition, many videos are still online. Popular videos still show how to assemble a kit for making ammunition at home, a popular option for budget-conscious firearms enthusiasts whod rather avoid the high prices of professionally manufactured hunting ammo. Others run through the basics, with detailed looks at how to operate machinery in a safe and clean manner. Taking these down would arguably endanger otherwise responsible gun owners who merely want more control over their own ammunition supply; for example, competition shooters and hunters sometimes prefer hotter loads that exceed the power of most factory-made cartridges. Then again, YouTube has yet to eliminate the hundreds of videos that explain how to use milling machinery to professionally turn a hunk of metal into the functional part of a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle. An 80 percent lower, as it's called, is essentially a metal piece that is four-fifths completean item that's easily purchased online without any government paperwork. As of Monday afternoon, typing in 80 percent in YouTubes search bar immediately triggers the algorithm to recommend 80 percent lower milling instructions. The list of results is virtually endless. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. America needs solutions, not slogans, to modernize our infrastructure and boost the economy Photo by Jenna Miller | Cronkite News Every day, it seemed Donald Trumps administration would announce the launch of Infrastructure Week. Instead of proposing and working with Congress to modernize our nations transportation facilities, Trumps Infrastructure Week became a running joke. There never was an Infrastructure Week, or policy, or funding from the Trump administration. Much like Repeal and Replace for the health care system, it was all talk, no action! The transportation program of the Trump administration was heavily focused and dependent upon private investment. The result? Little was done during the Trump years to modernize the nations highways, bridges, tunnels, rail and transit systems, or ports and airports. It should be further noted that there was no effort on the part of Trump to build bipartisan support in Congress for the federal funding that transportation improvements would require. Under Trump, there was so much talk, so many promises, but so little progress and so few results. In the first year of Joe Bidens presidency, he brokered with Congress the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This legislation, which passed with bipartisan support, reauthorized and expanded funding to local, regional and state transportation agencies. It also funded intercity and commuter passenger rail; renewed our aging highways, bridges, and tunnels; and modernized the nations ports and airports, to enhance freight mobility. It was a comprehensive solution for economic growth and jobs. These initiatives and investments are critical to renewing and enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the American economy and improving the quality of life of every citizen. These solutions were ignored by Trumps inaction. In addition, this legislation and other Biden initiatives addressed the impact of the transportation sector on climate change, an area of policy ignored, if not adversely impacted, by the Trump administration. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to the nations greenhouse gas emissions (almost 1/3 of such emissions) and is the only significant part of the American economy still almost totally dependent upon petroleum. Given the weather crises we are already facing attributable to human-caused climate change rising sea levels, increased storm surges, excessive rainfall, severe coastal and river flooding, droughts and wildfires and the financial and human risks that the nation faces from these catastrophic events, action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate transportations impacts on the climate, is essential. During his four years in office, Trump called climate change a hoax. His administration sought to reverse efforts to reduce emissions. On the other hand, Biden has created 100,000 new jobs just related to electric vehicles and charging stations. And that is only the beginning impact. There are incentives for the purchase of EVs, thus stimulating domestic auto production in this important new global industry. President Biden has also tightened automobile and truck fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles, which is an additional step to reducing transportations impact on climate and saving commuters their gas money. During my years at the U.S. Department of Transportation under President George W. Bush, we secured funding for transportation infrastructure and climate change. By doing this, we recognized we cannot depend solely on private investment and the marketplace to meet the nations critical transportation goals. The need to use public funding and leverage private investment should be the foundation for transportation policy throughout this decade and in the future. However, during its time in office, the Trump administration showed no understanding or appreciation for the need for such a public-private partnership, reliant on strong bipartisan cooperation. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST American Airlines adds new nonstop flight from Sarasota to New York City TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Travelers will soon be able to take a nonstop flight from Sarasota to New York City. American Airlines announced Tuesday that it will launch daily nonstop service from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to LaGuardia Airport starting Nov. 5. We are thrilled to announce that American Airlines will be adding New York City, NY (LGA) as their sixth nonstop destination from SRQ, said Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. American Airlines currently offers nonstop service from SRQ to Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington, D.C. (DCA), Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW), Chicago, IL (ORD) and Philadelphia, PA (PHL). American looks forward to beginning service to New York LaGuardia Airport starting this November, said Joe Sottile, Americans Director of Domestic Network Planning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Can American farmers trust the government to let them repair their own tractors? | Opinion American farmers welcome the news that the Environmental Protection Agency has told heavy machinery manufacturer John Deere it must allow us to repair our tractors instead of succumbing to monopolistic practices that cost us billions each year. All I can say is its about time. For years, American farmers have been denied their right to repair their equipment. Instead, companies such as Deere have forced us to go to dealers for repairs by embedding proprietary software in their products, even if it means waiting months. The result is that our crops have not been planted as timely as possible, costing valuable yield, and have too often been left to rot in the fields. My family on my mothers side has been farming in Bates County, Missouri, since the 19th century and on my fathers side for more than 100 years. Parts of our farm are constructed with boards from trees felled and milled on site prior to the Great Depression. Ive been riding tractors for as long as I can remember and driving them since I was 11. I remember rebuilding the cutting edge on the platform head when I was in the second grade. Today, we farm about 4,000 acres of corn and soybeans and have 250 cow-calf pairs. I have personally lost tens of thousands of dollars in yield from delays in getting my equipment repaired by my local dealership. Im not alone. Estimates of crop loss due to delayed repairs are as high as $3 billion annually. Now farmers are fighting back, and public officials are finally taking notice. An antitrust lawsuit against John Deere is making its way through the court in the Northern District of Illinois. More lawsuits are expected. Several states, most notably Colorado, have also passed right to repair laws. Further action by state attorneys general is likely to follow the EPAS lead. In 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order promoting agricultural right to repair. The order requires the Federal Trade Commission to establish rules for product repairability that do not limit consumers right to use independent repair shops or to fix their own products. While the order focused on agriculture, several other industries are also guilty. Cars, computers, appliances and pretty much everything with a computer chip are increasingly difficult if not impossible to repair. Some manufacturers go even further, intentionally designing products that are essentially unfixable. The clear strategy is to force consumers to buy new. In the case of John Deere, the companys software prevents independent repair shops or particularly handy farmers from diagnosing problems, let alone fixing them. Instead, we have to get in line at the local Deere dealership where, as with any monopoly, prices are high and service is often inadequate. Its a shame that it has taken the EPA so long to enforce the law they have oversight of. Well see if it is just paying lip service by forcing John Deere to change some language in its operating manuals, or whether the agency will hold manufacturers accountable for what that language actually means to working people in the real world. Either way, we are glad the EPA is engaged on the issue of right to repair. In the meantime, farmers will continue feeding the world. We are hopeful that we will have trusted partners in Washington and in the private sector as well who not only understand the importance of our work, but respect us enough to run our businesses efficiently, freely and profitably in a highly competitive global market. It is, after all, the American way. Jared Wilson is a fifth-generation farmer in west-central Missouri. Authorities find cell phone of Chicago woman who has been missing in the Bahamas for a week after attending a yoga retreat The family of a Chicago woman missing in the Bahamas says they are deeply concerned for the safety of the 41-year-old, who traveled to the islands for a yoga retreat. Taylor Casey was last seen on June 19 around Paradise Island, a small resort enclave just off the shore of the island of New Providence, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. The organizers of the retreat asked Bahamian police to investigate, according to a statement from the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat obtained by CNN on Tuesday. The retreat learned of Caseys disappearance when she failed to attend morning classes, according to the statement. She was last seen late on the evening of June 19 and the organization has also advised the US Embassy as well as Taylor Caseys family, the statement said. A missing person flyer released by police did not provide details of the circumstances of her disappearance or say whether foul play is suspected. Authorities said Wednesday that they found Caseys cellphone in the waters, but its unclear the distance it was from the yoga retreat. We have conducted extensive investigation into the matter, Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said in a press conference Wednesday. Our priority is to find Taylor and to find Taylor in good health. Skippings said police have utilized drones, search-and-rescue dogs and divers in the investigation. They are also working with Caseys family, checking CCTV cameras and interviewing retreat attendees, Skippings said. Caseys family is pleading with the public for help finding her and urging anyone with information to contact police in the Bahamas. We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, said Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, in a release posted on a Facebook page dedicated to locating Casey. We love Taylor and want her home. Taylor, who has been practicing yoga for 15 years, went to the yoga retreat to fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice, the family said in the release. Seymore found out her daughter was missing when she received a call from the retreat where Casey was training for her yoga certification, she said in an interview with ABCs Good Morning America Wednesday. A young lady called me and said, Have you heard from Taylor? Seymore said. And then she said, Taylor hasnt showed up for yoga classes. A mothers intuition and answers I was getting just didnt correlate just wasnt what I wanted to hear, Seymore told ABC. Seymore earlier on Facebook said she fears Casey is in danger because her daughter was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return. Taylor would never disappear like this, the mother added. Seymore told CNN she was headed to the Bahamas on Tuesday but provided no further comment. CNN has reached out to a family spokesperson for more information. Caseys family described her as a light-skinned Black woman, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 145 pounds, with has brown hair and brown eyes. The US State Department in January issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Americans traveling to the Bahamas, warning them to exercise increased caution due to crime. The advisory notes the majority of crime occurs on the islands of Grand Bahama and New Providence. It adds that violent crime, including burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults, impact both tourist and non-tourist areas. CNNs Carlos Suarez, Elizabeth Wolfe and Sydney Bishop contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE PHOTO: Season's first heat wave to scorch parts of Western, Southern US By Shivansh Tiwary (Reuters) - Heat warnings have made Americans rethink their July 4th travel plans and triggered a rush to cooler vacation spots, data from Booking.com showed. Coastal destinations and ones that offer aquatic activities have emerged as the top pick with one-third of Americans looking for water-centric vacations, including floating yoga, the travel booking website said in an email to Reuters. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT More than 100 million people across the U.S. were under heat warnings as of Sunday, with cities on the East Coast bracing for record-breaking temperatures as the heat dome causing the dangerous conditions expands to the West Coast. The scorching temperatures have prompted vacationers to review their plans ahead of the 4th of July holiday, a time when a significant number of Americans tend to travel. BY THE NUMBERS Nearly 64% of American travelers indicate that rising local temperatures are influencing them to seek vacation spots with bearable temperatures, data from Booking.com showed. For the July 3 to July 7 period, Panama City Beach, Florida, experienced a 32% year-over-year increase in searches, while Myrtle Beach in South Carolina saw a 30% rise. These are among other popular locations that have observed similar trends. CONTEXT Major U.S. airlines have predicted bumper travel demand for the summer season. United Airlines expects this fourth of July weekend to be its busiest on record and expects to fly an average of 520,000 people every day during the period. However, data from searches for accommodations demonstrate a heightened interest in various destinations near water, indicating a clear connection with the current heat wave. (Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) As population and economic downturns hit many parts of the American heartland, some policy analysts and elected officials have begun to throw their support behind place-based visas that would bring high-skilled immigrants to those areas facing decline or stagnation. The idea got another nod this weekend. The U.S. Conference of Mayorsa nonpartisan organization of mayors and other elected officials who represent cities with populations of 30,000 or morecalled on federal lawmakers to establish a "heartland visa" that would bring high-skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs to communities facing population and economic decline. "Mayors understand the critical role of high-skilled immigrants in boosting the prosperity and economic resilience of our cities," said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who sponsored the resolution. "We urge Congress to enact a Heartland Visa program to spur innovation, revitalization, and job creation in cities like Cleveland and many others throughout the Heartland." The mayors list many reasons why a heartland visa could help communities facing decline. Immigrants found a high number of startups, comprise a high share of U.S. inventors, and frequently contribute to advances in science and technology. Population growth in the 2010s "was among the slowest of any decade in the nation's history," posing a threat to cities' "economic dynamism," "health of municipal finances," and "housing markets," the mayors note. "The current immigration system falls short by letting in too few skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs and is heavily skewed towards a handful of major metropolitan areas," the resolution explains. The Economic Innovation Group (EIG), a bipartisan public policy organization, pitched a heartland visa program in 2019. The group's updated framework calls for dual opt-in, where "eligible counties must opt into the program, while visa applicants could apply to the participating region of their choice." Eligible counties could be facing population decline or slow growth or could have hit their peak populations before 1980. "Places with high-cost, restrictive housing markets would not be eligible," the report says. Visa holders would need to live in an eligible area for a determined period of time, but they could work remotely. The framework proposes an annual floor of 100,000 visas, each one good for three years and renewable for another three years. High-earning heartland visa holders "would become eligible for an expedited, self-sponsored path to permanent residency free of burdensome labor market tests," notes the EIG report. The EIG report suggests that a large number of heartland visa recipients may settle in their host communities for the long term, citing a similar program in Canada. "The share of Canadian immigrants who remain in their sponsoring province after five years averages 85 percent, with a much shorter required period of residency that is rarely enforced in practice," it notes. Heartland visas and other place-based visas see more bipartisan support than many immigration proposals. Roughly three-quarters of voters said they'd support allowing "struggling towns and cities with shrinking populations the ability to recruit highly skilled immigrants to their region," according to an April poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian advocacy group. Republican lawmakers have introduced state-sponsored visa bills in Congress multiple times. Last year, two Republican governorsIndiana's Eric Holcomb and Utah's Spencer Coxpitched state-sponsored visas as a way "to solve our national immigration crisis." Such a pathway "would give states a dynamic means to attract new residents," they wrote. "Though border security is a national concern, and a nonnegotiable requirement of national security in a world with drug cartels and terrorists," the governors said, "we believe that states should be able to sponsor whatever immigrants serve the needs of their communities." The post America's Mayors Say the Heartland Needs Immigrants appeared first on Reason.com. Americus Police say June 16 shooting on Apple Blossom lane was murder-suicide AMERICUS, Ga. (WRBL) The Americus Police Department (APD) has released new details regarding the shooting death of two Americus citizens. APD says after investigating the scene and interviewing family members, investigators determined Clyde Anthony, 72, shot and killed Connie Anthony, 68, and then shot himself. The investigation has been active since June 16, when officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Apple Blossom Lane for a wellness check. After gaining entry to the residence, officers found Clyde Anthony and Connie Anthony dead. APD says the investigation is now closed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, September 20, 2023, at 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) Bracing for a boatload of backward-looking, precedent-ignoring, legally-ludicrous ideological rulings from controlling extremists on the U.S. Supreme Court is unnerving, to say the least. Compounding the dread of whats to come are the ethical scandals and conflicts of interest swirling around some of the more dogmatic decision-makers on the bench. In 2024, the highest court in the land is no respected bulwark of judicial integrity. How can it be, with disclosures of justices being wined and dined and flown to exotic locales aboard private jets by billionaire patrons with business before the court? How can it be with justices who refuse to disqualify themselves on highly consequential cases even as the conflicting interests they bring to the proceedings ensures that their impartiality might be reasonably questioned? Were stuck with a broken court of right wingers on a mission from MAGA. We cant vote them out of lifetime appointments to SCOTUS. The president holds all the cards on that score. It is the convicted felon running for his old White House job who built the courts current hardline majority that ended half a century of abortion rights, rolled back a slew of other liberties and deregulated whatever public health and safety protections it could. The court has dragged its feet on Donald Trumps desperation for immunity to avoid prosecution over the 2020 election he lost. Two justices poised to rule on that travesty, along with another Jan. 6 case, should be nowhere near either. Flags flown by rampaging insurrectionists on Jan. 6 were similar to ones flown at homes owned by Justice Samuel Alito. Justice Clarence Thomas is married to a MAGA zealot involved in the attempted coup that culminated on Jan. 6. All we can do is watch as public trust in the institution drops to zilch and wait for the flood of major rulings to engulf us in despair. Our fate is sealed. For generations. Our recourses to fix whats horribly wrong at the Supreme Court are limited to who we put in the Oval Office and elect to the U.S. Senate. But in Ohio, voters can fix whats wrong with their state supreme court and change what doesnt work for them. They can retire justices who are unethical, dont recuse themselves in cases with obvious conflicts of interest, or reliably rule as partisans, not impartial jurists. Ohioans hold all the cards on who sits on the state supreme court and impacts their lives. Besides judicial temperament and stellar track record, theres the question of a candidates fealty to law regardless of a party. Will the states constitutional right to abortion be upheld as approved by an overwhelming majority of voters or be whittled away on a party line vote of the court? Will Ohios gerrymandering, skewing legislative and congressional districts to unfairly advantage one party, be struck down as a lawless mockery of the state constitution or be sustained in perpetuity by one party in the courts majority? Unfortunately, thanks to a 2021 Republican-backed law, political affiliation has gained outsized importance in Ohio court races. The measure politicized judicial elections as a means to partisan ends (more Republican judges). It requires certain judicial candidates, including state supreme court justices, to now run with partisan labels. Voters typically know little and care less about court races on the bottom of the ballot. Party labels attached to candidates running for judgeships make choices easier for the uninformed inclined to vote a straight-party ticket. The partisan tags, first applied to supreme court justices in the 2022 general election, worked like a charm. Republicans swept all three supreme court races to cement a 4-3 majority on the bench. Its up to Ohio voters now. Between now and Nov. 5, do some homework on Ohios super high stakes down-ballot supreme court races. Start here and here and here. Be an engaged voter. Not a lazy one. Who gets the last word on state laws in Ohio cannot be left to chance or to partisan labels meant to obscure unqualified, unprincipled players. Or well be bracing for an Ohio Supreme Court that mirrors SCOTUS. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Amid U.S. Supreme Court controversy, state judicial races could give voters their voice appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. While labour market crunches may come and go, the challenge faced by business owners of how to find the best people for the right jobs will never go away. No matter what the economic climate, for businesses looking for productive workers to join their teams, it all boils down to how to find the right people from the talent pool available to them. And yet therein lies the problem: too many business owners still dont realise that instead of fishing in a talent pool, they could be opening themselves up a far wider ocean of talent. There are whole swathes of candidates all across Australia ready and willing to make a valuable contribution to businesses everywhere, with the only thing stopping them being out-dated assumptions and an inability to approach recruitment a little differently and with an open mind. So, who are all these workers and where have they been hiding? Theyre in plain sight all around us in Australias Indigenous people, the long-term unemployed, people with disability, ex-convicts, and mature-aged workers. Like it or not, conscious or unconscious, too many business owners are restricting their access to talent because of the misconception that recruiting people from marginalised backgrounds comes with too many challenges and uncertainties attached. How then do businesses move beyond this way of thinking? Perhaps the first step for all of us in taking a more inclusive attitude to embracing people from different backgrounds is to put ourselves in their shoes, and properly consider the extra challenges they face in trying to find jobs that the vast majority of the workforce simply dont have to contend with. When it comes to Indigenous Australians, that means understanding what it must be like trying to overcome a history of discrimination and societal barriers to be given fair and equal consideration for roles. For the long-term unemployed it means empathising with the erosion of confidence and the stigma that is often attached to large career gaps. For ex-convicts, it means appreciating what it must feel like to be met with suspicion and mistrust in every job application, having paid your debt to society. For people with disability, that means giving thought to the constant daily challenges of contending with accessibility and acceptance. And for mature-aged workers, it means imaging the feeling of disappointment and frustration each time a lifetime of experience is disregarded simply because of age. By being more mindful of these different start points for millions of workers-in-waiting, it not only becomes easier for business owners to see it as a moral responsibility to give people from these backgrounds a fair go, but it has transformative potential for the economy. And yet, no-one expects business owners to put their focus on survival and growth second to the good of the nation at-large; but when workers from marginalised backgrounds bring with them so much potential, theres simply no need to. Employees from diverse backgrounds can help to foster innovative thinking, with different viewpoints leading to creative solutions and approaches that keep a company dynamic and forward-thinking. Companies that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusivity not only benefit from an enhanced reputation among customers, but also among employees, whose sense of pride in their employer can boost productivity and reduce turnover. When it comes to team cohesion and up-skilling, mature aged workers can offer invaluable mentorship, passing on their experience and knowledge to younger employees, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Whats more, these benefits can be compounding and cyclical, meaning that companies who recruit with diversity and fairness at their core, increase their appeal among talented members of the workforce who share those values. But above all, by doing recruitment differently, business owners dramatically increase the pool of potential employees available to them during tight labour markets, and beyond. If going down this road feels like too much of a sea change, it neednt be. Some simple steps towards recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce include things like: Investing in education, upskilling, vocational training, and digital literacy to ensure that new starters from all backgrounds are given equal opportunity to succeed. Offering flexible work arrangements to make jobs more accessible, especially for people with disabilities and those with caregiving responsibilities. Creating supportive onboarding processes by introducing mentorship and support networks that can help new hires from marginalised backgrounds to settle in more effectively. Fostering an inclusive culture by introducing diversity training and anti-discrimination policies to help new and existing staff to feel more welcome and secure at work. Partnering with community organisations that support marginalised individuals in order to provide valuable insights and help develop more effective hiring practices. Looking beyond the CV by realising that a persons age and experience in the workforce are not always reliable indicators of their ability to thrive in a new job. At the end of the day, the inclusion of marginalised groups in the recruitment process is not just a moral duty; its a smart business move. By adopting inclusive hiring and retention practices, businesses can access a broader talent pool, spark innovation, and build a more engaged and productive workforce, with companies that embrace diversity better equipped for sustainable growth and success in the modern economy. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office is asking the public for help in finding a 59-year-old missing woman. The Sheriffs Office says Leticia Lopez, 59, was last seen on Monday, June 24, at her residence on Buttonwillow Court in Las Cruces. Photo: Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office. The Sheriffs Office says Lopez was last seen wearing tan shorts and a gray and pink shirt. Lopez may be in a 2004 white Lincoln with New Mexico plate BWCN96. Anyone with information on Lopezs whereabouts is asked to call the Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office at (575)-526-0795 or dial 911. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Animal Humane New Mexico has helped rescue animals from another natural disaster in the state. The shelter on Friday rescued 27 cats and kittens from Las Vegas after flooding caused a water crisis in the city. Also last week, Animal Humane rescued 59 homeless cats and dogs in Ruidoso, where the South Fork and Salt wildfires are burning. Story continues below We normally dont see these type of situations where were getting, you know, back-to-back weeks of calls for help with bringing in this many pets all at once, said Val Wilson, executive director of Animal Humane New Mexico. To help conserve water for the pets and people of Las Vegas, the shelter transferred all cats and kittens at the Las Vegas Animal Care Center to Animal Humanes Main Campus shelter in Albuquerque. We definitely are reaching our capacity when it comes to our cat population. And we know, you know, dog-wise, because we brought so many from Ruidoso last week, thats why we were unable to help with the Las Vegas dogs this week, Wilson explained. Animal Humane New Mexico is asking community members to help by considering adopting, fostering, or donating money to the nonprofit shelter. We also have an adoption special right now for our fire evacuation efforts. All adoptions are donation-based fees, so anything that anyone can afford to provide as a donation, they can adopt any of our pets that are available, said Wilson. For more information on how to adopt, foster, or donate to Animal Humane New Mexico, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-Durham) speaks at a North Carolina Legislative Building press conference at which Senate Democrats called for passage of a bill to protect the right to contraception (Photo: Ahmed Jallow) On the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, which overturned abortion rights, North Carolina Senate Democrats renewed their push at a Monday Legislative Building press conference for Senate Bill 808, a measure protecting access to contraception. Sen. Lisa Grafstein of Wake County highlighted the significance of the bill, particularly in light of the Supreme Courts 2022 ruling. I think the arguments before the Dobbs decision that people were being hysterical about the fall of Roe have been proven to be false, said Grafstein. Grafstein, a cosponsor of the bill, said it seeks to protect against potential conservative efforts to restrict access to contraception. We are seeing the same trajectory happen with birth control as it did with abortion, Grafstein said. Dr. Amy Bryant, a Triangle-based OB-GYN, lamented the spread of misinformation that she said has followed in the wake of the Dobbs ruling. She specifically called out anti-abortion advocates in several other states who are inaccurately labeling hormonal IUDs as abortifacients, equating birth control with abortion procedures. This is misinformation, said Bryant. It is not actually the correct mechanism of action for how these things work, but I think that is the way theyre trying to make it seem. Earlier this month, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked similar legislation that would have established a federal right to access contraception, defeating the Democratic-led measure. Republicans said that the legislation was unnecessary since the use of birth control is already protected under Supreme Court precedent. There was a time when we would not have been fearful of losing the right to contraception, said Sen. Natalie Murdock of Durham, urging Republicans to pass the bill in this short session, though it is highly unlikely due to the Republican supermajority in both legislative chambers. At Mondays press conference, Democratic lawmakers said they circulated a discharge petition last weeka procedural move to bring the bill to a vote despite opposition in committeebut no Republicans have agreed to sign it. Fourteen Republican-controlled states have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organization. In three other states, its barred after six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant. Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the passage of Senate Bill 20, legislation that banned abortions in North Carolina after 12 weeks. At Mondays event, Robin Wallace, a physician and an abortion provider for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said the law burdens families and health care providers. We are already witnessing the bad outcomes, Wallace said. Pregnant people are being denied care in emergency rooms here in our state and future physicians are refusing to train in states with abortion restrictions. Sen. Mary Wills Bode of Wake County said she never expected to have to advocate for reproductive access. The right I believe was non-negotiable, but now clearly hangs in the balance, Wills Bode said. We know that when women have control over their reproductive health, they are healthier, their families are stronger, and our society thrives, said Wills Bode. We cannot afford to turn back the clock. We must protect and expand access to birth control before its too late. The post On anniversary of Dobbs ruling, NC Senate Dems renew calls to protect contraception rights appeared first on NC Newsline. Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has announced more commitments to strengthen Ukraine's air defence. Source: Interfax Ukraine, citing Kuleba, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kuleba noted that the work on strengthening Ukraine's air defence continues without interruption. Quote: "You see the announcements already made, the latest from Romania, and there will be more announcements. The work on this issue does not stop. Ukraine will receive additional Patriot systems," Kuleba stated. He said that it is "difficult for partners to part with the Patriot" because "everyone sees what ballistic strikes are like and imagines what if it hits them and there is nothing to shoot it down with". "Although the situation with the Patriot is undoubtedly the most difficult in terms of military assistance (the most difficult I have encountered), the president is pushing this issue at state leader level. We, diplomats, counterparts on the military line and the Defence Ministry, are all working as well to prepare for these decisions. And they will come. Some have already been made, and there will be more," emphasised the foreign minister. Background: Speaking at a meeting of the foreign ministers of EU member states, Kuleba emphasised the need to accelerate the delivery of military aid to Ukraine, particularly in the area of air defence, and to expand defence industry production. On 20 June, Romania officially decided to send a Patriot system to Ukraine, despite the Romanian Defence Ministry not approving such a step. Meanwhile, the White House has confirmed that the United States will prioritise the delivery of anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS systems to Ukraine over other countries that have placed similar orders. Support UP or become our patron! Another attempt by Lake and Finchem to revive their tabulator case was dismissed Photos by Gage Skidmore (modified) | Flickr and Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 Yet another attempt from Kari Lake and Mark Finchem to revive a lawsuit that sought to ban the use of electronic ballot tabulators in Arizonas most populous counties has been dismissed by a federal appeals court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on June 20 issued a two-sentence ruling, saying without further explanation that it would not take up the case a second time. Lake, a Republican U.S. Senate hopeful, and Finchem, a former state representative who is now running for Arizona Senate, have been shot down at every turn since they first filed the suit in April 2022. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX At that time, Lake was running for Arizona governor while Finchem was a candidate for secretary of state. Both lost to Democratic candidates, and then filed lawsuits seeking to overturn the results of their races. Judges found that neither candidate could prove that there was any fraud, malfeasance or maladministration that changed the outcome and rejected their election challenges. In the tabulator suit, Lake and Finchem alleged that the electronic ballot tabulators used to count ballots in Maricopa and Pima counties and required to be used by Arizona law were hackable and that the courts should place an injunction on their use ahead of the November 2022 election. In August 2022, U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi threw out the case and issued a scathing ruling. Later, he ordered the attorneys representing Lake and Finchem to pay $122,000 in sanctions because their claims amounted to mere conjectural allegations of potential injuries. Tuchi also accused the attorneys of making false claims about Arizona elections. The judge put a particular focus on their claims that Arizonans use electronic devices to vote: In fact, more than 99% of voters in Arizona mark paper ballots, which are then counted by electronic tabulating machines. In October 2023, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals concurred with Tuchis decision to throw out the case, agreeing that it was frivolous. None of Plaintiffs allegations supported a plausible inference that their individual votes in future elections will be adversely affected by the use of electronic tabulation, particularly given the robust safeguards in Arizona law, the use of paper ballots, and the post-tabulation retention of those ballots, the appellate court wrote. Lake and Finchem again tried to revive their case in March when they petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and overrule the lower courts, but about a month later, the highest court in the nation declined to take up the case. Kurt Olsen and Andrew Parker, who represented Lake and Finchem in the tabulator case both face discipline from the courts for bringing the case. Parker previously admitted in court that the Republicans had no evidence to support their claims that tabulation equipment or any voting equipment in the state had been hacked. Tabulators in Arizona are not connected to the internet and paper ballots are used across the entire state. Olsen, an employment attorney from Washington, D.C., faces additional discipline for lying to the Arizona Supreme Court in Lakes 2022 election challenge case as well. In their June 13 filing, Lake and Finchem asked the federal appeals court for a second time to reverse the lower courts decision to dismiss the case. This time, Olsen asked the appeals court to send the case back to the trial court because, he alleged, Maricopa Countys attorneys had misled the trial court, the Supreme Court and the appeals court. He used some of the same allegations that Lake has been unsuccessfully using in her other court cases: that Maricopa County never conducted logic and accuracy tests on its electronic tabulators in 2022, and that it also used software that was not approved by the Election Assistance Commission or the secretary of state. Maricopas violations of Arizona law mean its elections have not been shown to be any more reliable than a Ouija board, Olsen wrote. Olsen argued that, because Maricopa Countys lawyers lied to the courts about logic and accuracy testing and certification, and the courts relied on that information for their rulings, those decisions should be struck down. Maricopa County has vehemently denied the allegations. Our clients have fully complied with Arizona Law regarding the logic and accuracy testing of tabulator equipment and software and have always testified accurately about the said L & A testing and all other matters, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. Mitchell declined to comment on the irony of Olsen accusing the countys attorneys of lying when he is facing discipline from the Arizona Supreme Court for lying in court filings. When the county objected to the claims that its lawyers had lied to the courts, Olsen accused them of willful deceit. In an April 10 letter to Olsen, replying to his insistence that the countys attorneys had lied in court, Mitchell said that Lakes so-called experts who had determined the county lied about logic and accuracy testing didnt know what they were talking about. These claims are false, Mitchell wrote. Your declarants are not experts in and do not even fully understand election law, election administration, and election processes. She also pointed out that one of the experts, Ben Cotton, was involved in the Arizona Senates debunked partisan audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County. For nearly four years, Maricopa County has spent countless hours and taxpayer funds to debunk your experts and others false and misleading claims, Mitchell wrote. What is more, judges have considered opinions offered by your experts and found them wanting, Mitchell said in the letter. No judge has considered testimony offered by your experts and found it determinative of the issue at hand, or even overly persuasive. The judges have given the various declarations and testimony of your experts the weight they have deserved, which has not been much. After reviewing the new declarations, we found them to be substantially similar. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST After 21 years of service, the University of Utahs LGBT Resource Center will close on Friday, as the second-largest public university in the state comes into compliance with HB 261, Utahs version of the anti-DEI legislation that has swept the country and gutted inclusionary programs at several public universities. As weve evaluated how best to comply with the legislation, I want to be clear that weve faced very difficult decisions, the vice-president for student affairs, Lori McDonald, said in a statement. The law and subsequent guidance require a foundational change in how we approach student support, and we will follow the law. This isnt about changing the words we use; were changing how we approach the work. The law prohibits schools and government offices from using the phrase diversity, equity and inclusion and from asking job applicants to submit statements on their beliefs in diversity, and it bars some diversity trainings. As of 1 July, when the legislation goes into effect, there will be a hotline for people to report alleged government violations of the new law. Related: California school board president who led conservative culture war loses recall vote The University of Utahs Center for Equity and Student Belonging, LGBT Resource Center and Womens Resource Center are all closing to comply with the law. Those centers student services and cultural offerings will be reorganized under two new centralized centers. Still, the university will continue to observe Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr Week, Pride Week, Womens Week and cultural heritage months, according to the school. The Utah board of higher education will now require board review of existing centers and approval of new centers. With guidance from the Utah commissioner of higher education and the Utah board of higher education, the University of Utah will create a new community and cultural engagement center focused on cultural education, celebration, engagement and awareness. In this new model, the Womens Resource Center, LGBT Resource Center and the Black Cultural Center student support services that are allowed under the law will be incorporated into the Center for Student Access and Resources, a statement by student affairs reads. The cultural and community engagement functions of the three centers will be incorporated into the Center for Cultural and Community Engagement. The Black Cultural Center building will continue to operate as a space for broader community engagement. Further, the schools American Indian Resource Center will be renamed the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement. Under the new name, the university says it will continue to work with tribal nations, including as the liaison with the Ute Indian Tribe. The Veterans Support Center will continue to exist. Unlike at campuses such as the University of Texas, at which anti-DEI legislation led to the elimination of 300 positions, the University of Utahs restructuring has, as of yet, not required any staff or faculty to lose their jobs. On Friday, the LGBT Resource Center is inviting the campus to come out for a farewell celebration, according to an Instagram post. Lets come together to honor the centers legacy of support, advocacy and resilience, as well as to honor the 21 years of commitment that went into creating a safe environment where everyone is valued, not despite of their identities, but because of them. Antisemitism rose more than 80% in Germany last year, watchdog says FILE PHOTO: Protest against antisemitism at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - Antisemitic incidents in Germany, from graffiti to attempted arson, rose around 83% last year, watchdog RIAS said on Tuesday, surging after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Around half the 4,782 recorded antisemitic incidents were linked with anti-Israel activism, with many involving a relativisation or denial of the Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were killed, RIAS said. While antisemitism has been on the rise worldwide, it is a particularly sensitive subject in Germany, where Jewish institutions are under heavy police protection. Critics including prominent Jewish-German intellectuals say this has led to German authorities and media failing to differentiate sufficiently between antisemitism and criticism of Israel and as a result curbing freedom of speech. In the week after the Hamas-led attack, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated the idea of Israel's security as a "reason of state" or matter of national interest for Germany. In its antisemitism report, RIAS cited incidents such as the destruction of Israeli flags hung in solidarity with Israel after Oct. 7. In another incident, "Free Palestine from Zionists" was scrawled on a toilet door and the words "Save Israel" and Star of David scratched off. Felix Klein, the government official charged with coordinating the fight against antisemitism, has said antisemitism was already on the rise before Oct. 7, in part driven by the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). The AfD has said Germany, which has a Jewish population of about 225,000, should move on from atoning for its past crimes, with members accused - and in some cases convicted - of using Nazi language. Klein said many incidents since then could be traced back to Germany's growing Muslim community, and urged Muslim associations to speak up more against this. Anti-Muslim incidents registered in Germany also rose last year, the CLAIM network of NGOs monitoring Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred said on Monday. Israel says around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages seized in the Oct. 7 attack. The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation in Gaza has killed more than 37,600 people, Palestinian health authorities say. (This story has been refiled to remove extraneous words in paragraph 5) (Reporting by Sarah Marsh, editing by Hani Richter and Timothy Heritage) Attorney General Aaron Ford held a press conference at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building to discuss the recent indictments of six Nevadans who falsely presented themselves as presidential electors from the state of Nevada in the 2020 election. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current) Policy, politics and progressive commentary Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who on Friday vowed to appeal a Clark County judges ruling that she had no jurisdiction over the criminal case brought against Nevadas fake electors, is now considering additional legal options. Were appealing and considering other strategies, including refiling, Ford said via text Monday. He declined to elaborate further. It is possible Ford could refile in Reno or Carson City on only the forgery charge, which has a four-year statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for the other dismissed charge offering a false instrument for filing expired three years after the alleged crime, or about a week after Ford announced a grand jury indictment against state Republican Party chairman Michael McDonald, national committeeman Jim DeGraffenreid, Clark County Republican Party chair Jesse Law, state party vice chair and Storey County clerk Jim Hindle III, Shawn Meehan, and Eileen Rice. On Dec. 14, 2020, the six Republicans gathered outside the Legislative Building in Carson City and cast electoral votes for Donald Trump, although Joe Biden had clearly won the state. Their Certificate of the Votes of the 2020 Electors from Nevada was intended to be filed, registered or recorded with the president of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Archivist, the Nevada Secretary of State, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Their illegitimate signing coincided with similar efforts in other swing states designed to prevent Congress from certifying the election for Biden on Jan 6, 2021. On Friday, Clark County Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed the states case, saying she lacked jurisdiction over events that took place in Northern Nevada. The NV GOP believes Judge Holthus reached the correct decision, and is thankful all criminal charges have been dismissed, the Republican party said in a statement. The post Appeal not Nevada attorney generals only option for pursuing fake electors appeared first on Nevada Current. U.S. support for Ukraine during Russias brutal attacks is more than just supporting a close partnership. It is a commitment to uphold international rules and norms, to defend democratic values and stand up to dictators, said Vice President Kamala Harris at the recent Switzerland Summit on Peace in Ukraine. Russia's aggression is not only an attack on the lives and the freedom of the people of Ukraine. It is not only an attack on global food security and energy supplies. Russia's aggression is also an attack on international rules and norms and the principles embodied in the UN Charter, she said. Ignoring the long-established norms of the United Nations Charter is a serious threat to global security. There will be devastating consequences if nations can succeed in unlawfully attacking neighboring countries. If the world fails to respond when an aggressor invades its neighbor, other aggressors will undoubtedly become emboldened. It leads to the potential of a world of conquest and chaos, not order and stability, which threatens all nations, said Vice President Harris. To counter Russias destabilizing actions, Vice President Harris says the peace summit has the dual benefits of working to boost energy and food security, and to ensure that nothing about the end of this war can be decided without Ukraine. However, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has put forward a proposal that does just that, she said. [W]e must speak truth. He is not calling for negotiations. He is calling for surrender. America stands with Ukraine not out of charity, but because it is in our strategic interest. We stand with delegations from more than 90 nations who also have a strategic interest in a just peace in Ukraine. Russias unprovoked and unjustifiable war against Ukraine threatens global unity and security. The United States will continue to support Ukraine and continue to impose costs on Russia, said Vice President Harris. And we will continue to work toward a just and lasting peace based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the will of the people of Ukraine. Columbia Housing Authority Moving Ahead Program staff and the students they serve pose for a group photo May 24, 2023 in celebration of the after school and summer education program's 20-year anniversary. Program coordinator Michaela Flores recently was selected as an ambassador for the Missouri After School Network. The model used for Columbia Housing Authority's Moving Ahead Program, an after school and summer education and tutoring program, may help other communities with their after-school programs, says Michaela Flores, program coordinator. She recently was selected as an ambassador for Missouri's After School Network, which "builds partnerships and systems across the state that improve, support, and sustain high-quality after school programs." Moving Ahead is held at the J.W. Blind Boone Community Center and Flores hopes to bring the model used in Columbia to other communities, she said. Her recent selection as a MASN ambassador came after she was asked to speak two years ago at the organization's conference by its associate director, Brad Lademann, Flores said. Last year at the conference, she hosted a training session. "I got a lot of encouragement and support along the way," Flores said about her application to be MASN ambassador. "When I was accepted, I was really excited. I think that this role will be really good for Moving Ahead and for Columbia because it gives me a bigger, broader platform to be able to spread awareness about the importance and necessity of after-school programs." Michaela Flores is the program coordinator for Moving Ahead, Columbia Housing Authority's after school and summer youth program. She also is ready to learn from other after-school programs and what they do, she said. In Columbia, the Moving Ahead program is more than just about the students it serves, Flores said. "We are really focused on positive behavior intervention support and trauma-informed care and we believe in wraparound services," she said. "We don't only help the student, we help the entire family. We want to give parents the tools to be able to carry on the things their kids are learning at the center, at home." Moving Ahead works specifically with low-income families and at-risk youth, Flores added, noting the work done with parents is about bringing down food, health, clothing and financial insecurity barriers, among others. "I have seen a lot of transformation in our students. They were kicked out of every program in Columbia and we were able to use these positive intervention strategies to help them reintegrate back into school or other programs," Flores said. "I also have seen the transformative power of our family development program. ... It gives parents the tools to deal with whatever current issue or barrier they face. "If we have parents who have financial insecurity, we might do a financial literacy class. We do trauma-informed parenting classes and trauma-informed treatment groups. We have music therapists and art therapists come in. We believe in all-encompassing care." Flores background is in Journalism and English, so she has a passion for literacy. While her background doesn't seem like a match for an after school and summer program focused on addressing behavioral issues, she has gone through various trainings and has received certifications to be able to do the work she does. More: 'Foster Grandparents' volunteer in Columbia schools. Here's how they help kids learn "Moving Ahead is my very first job and the only job I have ever worked. I started here as a volunteer at 18 and then once I turned 19 was hired. I started out just as a teacher in a classroom, then became a lead staff and then behavior specialist. I then was an assistant coordinator and now am program coordinator," Flores said, adding she is exploring more education avenues, such as through social work or child development associate credentials. She already has credentials in youth development through MASN, trauma-informed care and trauma-informed expressive arts, expressive therapy continuum and suicide prevention. "So, throughout my seven years at Moving Ahead, I have been very fortunate to do a lot of training that gives me knowledge and grounding on dealing with behaviors," Flores said. More: How Columbia Housing Authority's Moving Ahead Program has broken down educational barriers for 20 years Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia after-school program may go statewide through new ambassador BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - An Argentine scientific institute has cracked the genome of the leafhopper, the insect which carries the bacteria responsible for wiping out vast swathes of the South American nation's latest corn crop, the government said on Tuesday. The development, which determined the Dalbulus maidis' genetic makeup, will serve future efforts to fight off the leafhopper, according to the government statement. Experts argue that the leafhopper population has surged in recent months largely due to the lack of frosts during last year's Southern Hemisphere winter, which likely would have killed off the insect. The tiny bug, which sucks sap out of plants, transmits a bacteria that produces stunt disease in corn, causing the key grains crop to grow ears with loose or missing kernels. In the 2023/24 season, the Rosario Grains Exchange expects local farmers to harvest 47.5 million metric tons of corn, about a fifth less than originally estimated due to losses caused by the leafhopper. "This research will help us understand the biology and evolution of the insect, which in turn will help predict and mitigate future outbreaks," the statement said, adding that the scientific advance could also lead to the development of new varieties of leafhopper-resistant genetically modified corn. Agricultural analysts have said that farmers will likely plant smaller corn fields in the 2024/25 season due to the pest, although fall and winter frosts should improve prospects for the crop. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sandra Maler) Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, left, and Sheriff Russ Skinner speak Tuesday, June 25, 2024, during a news conference about a tabulator security fob theft from the elections office in Phoenix. Authorities are investigating whether a 27-year-old temporary election worker had political motivations when he stole a fob that allows access to vote tabulators in Arizona's largest county. (AP Photo/Serkan Gurbuz) PHOENIX (AP) Arizona authorities on Tuesday said they were investigating whether a 27-year-old temporary election worker in the state's largest county had political motivations when he stole a fob that would allow him access to vote tabulators just before the July 30 primary. This is not your average theft, Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said at a news conference in Phoenix, adding that he had no information yet on the suspect's beliefs. Skinner said authorities were reviewing Walter Ringfield's social media feeds and phone to determine whether he was working with anyone when he took the small black fob that allows access to the tabulators used in the county, which has been the subject of election conspiracy theories ever since President Joe Biden narrowly beat former President Donald Trump in the state four years ago. Trump falsely claimed there was massive fraud in Maricopa, leading to Republican lawmakers launching an error-riddled review of the ballot count and a long string of threats against the local GOP officials who stood by their staff's tallies. As the county geared up for the primary in which the Republican county recorder and a Republican county supervisors are being challenged by election conspiracy theorists it hired more than 2,000 temporary workers to help with the election. Ringfield was one of them. On Thursday, according to a statement from the sheriff's office, surveillance footage showed Ringfield taking one of the fobs from a desk shortly after 5 p.m. He was arrested at his Phoenix home the next day after election workers realized that one of the fobs was missing, authorities said. Ringfield told the sheriff's department he took the fob because he was trying to help clean up. He also said he had hoped to get a permanent position in the elections office, according to the agency's statement. The public defenders office said a lawyer had not yet been assigned to represent Ringfield. Skinner and Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said election officials reprogrammed the tabulators to make sure they could not be accessed by the fob and then conducted a new test of the counting equipment to make sure it worked, with observers from both major parties. A Republican, Gates stressed that the incident shows the security of the county's operation. The suspect was arrested the day we determined it was missing, Gates said. This incident has shown all of the protocols that are in place. We have cameras. We have observers. Alluding to the years of turmoil around elections in the county, Gates added: I certainly hope people don't take this incident to spin up further conspiracy theories. The Republican National Committee in a statement said it dispatched staff to Maricopa in response to the incident. The party's election integrity operation is led by Christina Bobb, an attorney and former reporter for a conservative news network who promoted the conspiratorial review of the 2020 election in the county. "This incident raises serious questions about election security in Arizona that must be answered - we will be constructively engaged with Maricopa County officials to ensure that the remedies to this security breach sufficiently address our concerns, RNC chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. On June 21, a cat stuck in a pine tree was rescued in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The tuxedo kitty was found in a strange pose when rescuers first spotted him, with the NPS members unable to stop themselves from snapping some pictures before promptly saving him. Fortunately, the feline has been returned to his humans and is back home safe. Cat stuck in tree at Grand Canyon National Park rescued and reunited with owner On Friday, the Grand Canyon NPS posted pictures of the feline on X formerly known as Twitter. The cat was stuck in the tree in a strange pose, barely balancing himself on a branch until he was rescued. The branch pressed into the middle of his stomach as he rested his front paws on a broken branch so as not to fall off the pine tree at the Grand Canyon National Park. Update (6/21 at 7 pm): Owners have been located. Thanks to all for your support and well wishes in getting this kitty home safe! Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) June 22, 2024 The feline was finally rescued due to the joint efforts of first responders and firefighters. One of the park spokespersons told People that the cat had escaped from a residential area in the national park. The two-year-old kitty goes by the name Archie. His humans live near the Mather Campground in Grand Canyon National Park. Fortunately, people spotted and rescued him on time. Archie was stuck about 15 feet above the ground, balancing himself on a ponderosa pine tree branch. The felines predicament could have proven fatal if the Grand Canyon NPS hadnt taken action promptly. Moreover, the cat was rescued in the early afternoon and reunited with his owner the same evening. In a similar case, another cat was stuck in a tree for five days in New York City, per WABC. The feline was finally rescued on June 18, swiftly making their escape as soon as they were rescued. The residents named them PL Dunbar, and the kittys whereabouts are unknown. The post Arizona Cat Stuck in Pine Tree in Strange Pose Rescued appeared first on CatTime. A Republican in Arizonas largest county threatened to lynch the top county election official during a public event three months ago, according to a newly unearthed video clip circulating on social media. The election official, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, posted a video of the comment to X on Monday. In it, Maricopa Republican Party Vice Chair Shelby Busch points to one of Richers reelection campaign opponents and calls him a good Christian man. She then contrasts him with Richer, who is Jewish. If Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him, Busch says in the video. I don't unify with people who don't believe in the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country. In a statement to POLITICO Tuesday, Busch said the remark was a joke. Everyone knows that I don't like Richer, Busch wrote. The statement was a joke and made in jest. I do not condone and would never condone violence against anyone. It was hyberbole. The remark was made during a March 20 campaign event in Mesa, Ariz., for Republican Jerone Davison, who is running for a U.S. House seat, and was first live streamed on the conservative social media platform Rumble. Davison on Monday defended Busch on X as a woman of faith and said she was not expressing any kind of racial hatred. No one ever knew or cared if you were Jewish or not, Davison wrote to Richer. Richer was made aware of the video of Buschs remark over the weekend. He told POLITICO that he has not received any outreach or apology from her since the video made it online. I don't think the word lynching should be part of your vocabulary, Richer said in an interview Tuesday, emphasizing that Buschs sentiment should not be supported by the Republican Party. Buschs comments drew condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix, which noted that Richer is Jewish and condemned extremists on X for amplifying her Jew-hatred. The opponent of Richer who Busch singled out as a good Christian at the event, Don Hiatt, did not respond to a request for comment. Buschs remarks come amid intensifying rhetoric against election officials in Arizona, who have been in the crosshairs of continuing threats, the state U.S. Attorney's Office said earlier this year. Busch is an activist with We the People AZ Alliance, a conservative group that has falsely claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and which has been cited in the past by Senate candidate Kari Lake. Richer has worked publicly to combat conspiracy theories about elections in Arizona, including through an alliance with the states Democratic secretary of state. Richer noted that Buschs rhetoric was especially sensitive in Maricopa County, after an Iowa man was imprisoned last year after threatening to lynch the Republican county supervisor because he did not investigate false allegations of voter fraud. Buschs remarks, Richer said, underline how public officials need to be conscious of how what they view as a joke or hyperbole can spread online. Their words have reach, and they have impact, he added. A temporary election worker in Arizona is accused of stealing keys and a security fob used to access the countys ballot tabulation machines a month before the state is set to hold its primary election. Walter Ringfield Jr., a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, was arrested by Maricopa County detectives on Friday while working at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, according to Votebeat. County workers noticed that a lanyard containing the security fob and plastic key was missing and accused Ringfield of taking it. Ringfield - who previously expressed an interest as running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate - reportedly told detectives he took the security fob for 20 minutes but gave it back. His arrest comes as Arizona continues to be a battleground in presidential elections. Maricopa County, the largest in the state, has faced allegations of election fraud and improper counting of ballots in recent elections. Walter Ringfield Jr .was arrested and charged with theft and criminal damage on Friday after stealing a fob and keys that access ballot counting machines in Marciopa County, police said (Maricopa County Sheriffs Office) Ringfield was fired, taken into custody and will not be released until a judge permits it. According to reports, county staff noticed the lanyard holding the key and fob was missing on Friday morning. Both items are used to vote-counting access machines to program them. Voting machines had already been tested and programmed at the time of the incident, in advance of mail-in ballots being sent out on July 3rd. After reviewing security footage from the previous day, the county election staff members allegedly discovered a video of Ringfield putting the red wrist lanyard into the right pocket of his shorts. When staff confronted him, Ringfield insisted he did not take it, and if he did it was accidental. County staff and security discovered the red plastic lanyard and key in the center console of his vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant of Ringfields home on Friday and found the fob on top of a dresser. Now, the countys election department will re-do pre-election logic and accuracy testing. High speed tabulation machines for counting early ballots stand secured in the tabulation room at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona Primary and General elections in Phoenix on June 3 (AFP via Getty Images) The incident happened ahead of the states July 30th primary election that will determine who appears on the November ballot in several state and federal races. Arizona held its presidental primaries months earlier. Marciopa County was subject to controversy during the 2020 election when Donald Trump and his allies launched accusations of widespread voter fraud and false election results in the state notably in the states largest county. An audit of 2020 presidential election results in the state found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The new development out of the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center sparked concern from officials who quickly dismissed any feelings of election insecurity in the county. Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process, a statement from the Arizona Secretary of State read. While this event is unwelcome, it speaks the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizonas election systems. The secretary praised the quick response and swift action of county election staff and their decision to reconduct logic and accuracy tests on the ballot counting machines saying it builds in extra layers of protection of all affected equipment. Election workers proofread sample ballots for voters with disabilities in a tabulation room at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ahead of the 2024 Arizona Primary and General elections in Phoenix on June 3 (AFP via Getty Images) This quick response will prevent any potential impact on the upcoming elections. The Secretary of States office will collaborate with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice, the statement continued. Ringfields father, Walter Ringfield Sr, said in a phone interview with Votebeat that he will wait to pass judgment until all of the facts come out. I love my son, he said, adding the suspect recently graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in political science. Ringfield submitted a candidate statement of interest in January, indicating he would pursue the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the states primary election. The Independent has reached out to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office for comment. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin says he is suing the Chinese e-commerce company Temu for illegally accessing the personal information of online customers in the state. Griffin said that Temu had violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA) and the Arkansas Personal Information Act (PIPA), and he had filed a first-of-its-kind state lawsuit against Temus parent companies, PDD Holdings Inc. and WhaleCo Inc. Temu is not an online marketplace like Amazon or Walmart. It is a data-theft business that sells goods online as a means to an end, said Griffin. Though it is known as an e-commerce platform, Temu is functionally malware and spyware. It is purposefully designed to gain unrestricted access to a users phone operating system. It can override data privacy settings on users devices, and it monetizes this unauthorized data collection. Griffin said that while this is the first state lawsuit against Temu over its deceptive trade practices, it is not the first time Temus tactics have been called into question. He said Apple suspended Temu from its digital app store in 2023, prompting multiple investigations into thecompanyss dealings. Temu is led by a cadre of former Chinese Communist Party officials, which raises significant security risks to our country and our citizens. For my part, I will aggressively fight efforts to profit at the expense of Arkansans privacy rights, said Griffin In a 2023 U.S. congressional report, lawmakers said there was an extremely high risk Temus supply chains are contaminated with forced labor. Temu is owned by Pinduoduo Inc., a popular e-commerce site in China. It was launched in the U.S. in 2022 and has grown in popularity by offering cheap goods, from apparel to home products, from China-based sellers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announces a lawsuit against Temu, an online shopping platform with Chinese ownership, on June 25, 2024. (Screenshot from livestream) Temu, an online shopping platform with Chinese ownership, is the subject of the latest lawsuit from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. Griffin filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Cleburne County under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Personal Information Protection Act and for unjust enrichment. The lawsuit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions to prevent Temus parent company, PDD Holdings, from acquiring, maintaining and utilizing information from Arkansas residents. It also demands a trial by jury and requests the state receive $10,000 per violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. 2024-06-25-Temu-12CV-24-149-Complaint We are the first state to take this kind of action, Griffin said at a press conference. I anticipate, I predict, there will be many, many more. When asked about the decision to not file a multi-state lawsuit against Temu, Griffin said he wasnt interested in waiting on others. Temu launched in 2022 and sells discounted products to buyers worldwide. Products range from clothing and automobile accessories to kitchen appliances, furniture and more. Several products are listed for less than $1, and prices also reach $1,000. The phone app has several million downloads, and the site can also be accessed on a computer. Griffin said Tuesday that Temu has targeted young people, such as with its animated Super Bowl commercial. The 51-page complaint alleges that Temus app is purposefully designed to gain unrestricted access to a users phone operating system including the camera, location, contacts, texts and other apps. It also claims that users without the app on their phone are at risk if any of their information is on the phone of a Temu user. When using Temu, Griffin said, a user is not only opening up their consumer and purchasing behavior, but their whole lives. You may have seen these unbelievably low prices, and you may be thinking, How can they sell that so low? Griffin asked. Because its not their business. Their business is the data. The alleged monetization of collecting data and selling it to third parties is at the direct expense of Arkansans privacy rights, according to the lawsuit. I have a responsibility to ensure that Arkansans data is protected, and thats what this is about, Griffin said. The lawsuit includes screenshots of Arkansas-related products sold on Temu, claiming that PDD Holdings has purposefully availed themselves of the privilege of doing business in the State of Arkansas. Products include state flag lapel pins, Razorback merchandise and keepsakes related to the April 8 total solar eclipse, which passed through Arkansas. Griffin also cites the poor quality of products customers receive from Temu as part of its deceptive practices. Goods often are of low quality, contrary to the companys marketing, and sometimes items received do not resemble online photos, according to the lawsuit. Furthermore, the discounted price of Temus products are deceptive through false-reference pricing, Griffin writes. The lawsuit also alleges that the site includes fake reviews to attract and maintain users. Griffin spoke Tuesday about what he said was a general increase of awareness of practices from China. People who have been following Chinas rise over the last few decades, have known for a long, long time that theyre not just a competitor economically, theyre up to no good militarily, theyre up to no good in terms of a hegemon in the east, Griffin said. There are a number of ways theyre doing this, and data is part of that. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Arkansas is suing Minnesota-based Optum Inc. and another pharmacy benefits manager, Express Scripts, for fueling the opioid crisis. Court documents describe "the misuse, abuse, diversion and over-prescription of opioids" as "the worst man-made epidemic in modern medical history". Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said the companies, which run prescription drug coverage for insurers, should be held accountable "for their roles in a crisis that has ravaged our state." "The (companies) benefited financially from the opioid crisis in Arkansas by negotiating favorable deals with opioid manufacturers," Griffin said in a news release. Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, denies the claims. "Optum did not cause the opioid crisis or make it worse, and we will defend ourselves in this litigation," the company said in a statement. "Optum takes the opioid epidemic seriously and has taken a comprehensive approach to fight this issue, including the Opioid Risk Management Program available to all Optum Rx clients, to address opioid abuse and promote patient health." Arkansas had the second-highest opioid prescription rate in the nation for many years, according to the suit, and remained the most commonly prescribed controlled substance as recently as 2022. Pharmacy benefit managers "sit at the center of prescription-drug dispensing" and intentionally caused an oversupply of opioids in the state, the suit says. The lawsuit accuses Optum and Cigna-owned Express Scripts of "colluding with Purdue Pharma and other opioid manufacturers to increase opioid sales through favorable placement on national formularies in exchange for rebates and fees." Formularies are lists of drugs covered by insurance plans. The state is seeking unspecified damages and restitution for claims of creating a public nuisance, negligence and unjust enrichment. Armadillos can carry leprosy and they're moving into Indiana. Are we at risk yet? EVANSVILLE Armadillos are spreading into Indiana. The disease they bring with them, though, could take a long time to get here. The squat, sharp-clawed mammals are confirmed carriers of Mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria behind leprosy, or Hansens disease. And southeastern states where nine-banded armadillos lumber in large numbers have seen their reported cases double since 2013. Indiana isnt in the same danger at least not yet. Brad Westrich, mammalogist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said leprosy is a density-dependent pathogen that requires a large number of armadillos we dont have as of now. Since were on the leading edge of the armadillos national expansion into Indiana, we arent necessarily exposed to Hansens disease, he said. Where you have lots of armadillos over a long period of time, youre going to have a greater likelihood or prevalence of that bacteria. Armadillos are spreading into Indiana. One was spotted at Evansville's Reitz Bowl a few years ago. A study by Southern Illinois University illustrates just how long it takes. According to Westrich, researchers there have been tracking armadillos there for years, ever since the animals shuffled across the states southern border in the 1990s. While tracking the armadillos movements, researchers extracted blood and tissue samples to test for leprae. All the tests came back negative, meaning despite their growing numbers in Illinois, there still need to be more armadillos to render leprosy a concern like it is in states such as Florida and Texas. F. Agustin Jimenez, an associate professor of zoology at SIU and one of the members of the study, didnt respond to a request for comment. The work, though, shows the problem is even farther away for Indiana, which didnt see its first reported armadillo sighting until the early 2000s. Itll be a number of years decades before we even think about starting to look for that here in Indiana, Westrich said. How humans can contract leprosy from armadillos Human can contract the serious disorder from armadillos in several ways. Blessed with insanely strong and sharp claws, Westrich said, armadillos tunnel into the ground to create shallow burrows. Their feces then spreads leprae into the dirt. When humans handle that dirt, the bacteria get passed on. Anyone who eats armadillo risks infection, too. Destitute Texans turned to them for a source of meat during the Great Depression, calling them Hoover Hogs or poor mans pork. And you can still find the occasional armadillo recipe online. Of course the most direct way to risk infection is the simplest handling an armadillo. And direct contact has never been more likely in Indiana. According to DNR, sightings here have ramped up in recent years, with more than 80% of them coming since 2017. But that doesn't mean they're easy to get ahold of. The little fellas arent exactly extroverts, and they can run as fast as 30 mph to avoid a social engagement. Then theres the jumping. I think I heard from some armadillo biologists down south that probably the number-one injury people get is getting hit in the face with them, Westrich said. Armadillos tend to jump when theyre spooked. So people will lean over them to try to grab them and an armadillo will jump up and hit them in the face." Just like all wildlife," Westrich said, "I definitely wouldnt want people to handle them." This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Armadillos in Indiana: Is there a leprosy risk to humans? The proposed landfill would be build a half-mile from Forest Lake in the small North Country town of Dalton. (Amanda Gokee | New Hampshire Bulletin) Residents will have a chance on Wednesday to ask questions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is weighing a permit application to build a landfill half a mile from Forest Lake in the small North Country town of Dalton. The corps has authority over waters of the United States, including wetlands, giving it powers of approval over the project proposed by Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems. Casella, which already operates a landfill in Bethlehem, has also submitted a permit application to the state Department of Environmental Services. The landfill has divided the small town and faced heavy opposition from some residents. Ahead of the public meeting scheduled in the Dalton Municipal Building from 5 to 7 p.m. some local residents are planning to rally against the dump. The public meeting will include information on the corps review process, a description of the project, and a question-and-answer session. Afterward, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., there will be a roundtable discussion on environmental justice concerns. The corps is accepting public comments on the permit until July 3. If Casellas plan is approved, the company would build a 70-acre landfill with a capacity of 10.75 million cubic yards of waste over an 18-year lifespan, according to the permit application. It would be double-lined, as required by the Department of Environmental Services, and Casella has proposed an additional geosynthetic clay liner. If approved by the corps and DES, the construction of the landfill and related infrastructure, such as an expanded access road, would run from around 2025 to 2027, with operations beginning around 2027 or 2028, according to the permit. Developing the site would result in half an acre of temporary wetland impact and around 11.5 acres of permanent wetland impact, according to a letter in the permit application from John Gay, an engineer with Casella. In his letter, Gay said the site was chosen based on a multi-state siting analysis, but residents and environmentalists have expressed fears about its proximity to the lake and the impact it might have on the surrounding nature and communities. The Dalton project has been a flashpoint for other conflicts over solid-waste issues in the state. This legislative session, the Senate killed bills that would have pumped the brakes on new landfill development and slowed the import of out-of-state trash, currently dumped in New Hampshire at a rate of about 900,000 tons a year. The project has also been ever-present in the dialogue on proposed landfill regulations in the state, which critics, including Dalton-area advocates, have said the solid-waste industry played an outsized role in shaping. Artificial intelligence has spread lies about my good name, and Im here to settle the score Getty Images Artificial intelligence lies. Everyone knows this by now, of course. Programs such as ChatGPT and Googles AI overviews routinely generate nonsense when queried by users. Tech enthusiasts call these mistakes hallucinations, as though AI just needs to sober up and come to its senses. I dont see it that way. Because AI has started fibbing about me and my family. Last week, my husband received a spam email from a salesman. It included a history of our last name, as follows: The last name Wirestone is believed to have originated in Germany. It is a locational surname, meaning it was likely given to individuals based on where they lived. The name Wirestone may have derived from a place name that no longer exists or has changed over time. The surname Wirestone first appeared in records in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States, with immigrants from Germany bringing the name over. Some variations of the surname include Wierstien, Wierstone, and Wierston. Today, the surname Wirestone is relatively rare and is primarily found in the United States. Individuals with this last name can be found in various states across the country, but they are most concentrated in the Midwest region. The only problem with this account is that it is entirely incorrect. I know this firsthand because the last name Wirestone didnt exist before 2010, when my husband and I made it up. We took the letters from our original last names and arranged them to create a new one. We also considered Cointower and McWren as options. At the time, we researched to make sure that no one else had the last name of Wirestone. No one did. A marketing company bore the name Wire Stone, but that seemed sufficiently separate for our purposes. We lived in New Hampshire at the time, and the state had just legalized same-sex marriage. We wanted to share a single last name, and we wanted to share that last name with our son. I even wrote a column mentioning this back in 2013! (Yes, Ive been churning out copy for a long time.) But when it comes to large language models, the facts dont matter. The email my husband received looked like the work of ChatGPT to me, so I headed over and put that AI through its paces. Sure enough, it generated loads of lies about my last name, all of them along the same lines. Heres a paragraph from one, this time including a linguistic breakdown: The last name Wirestone is not as common as some others, but it does have a history rooted in Germanic origins. Wire likely comes from the Middle High German word wir, meaning wire or metal, indicating a possible occupational origin for individuals who worked with wire or metal. Stone suggests a connection to a place or geographical feature, possibly indicating someone who lived near a notable stone or rocky area. Sounds authoritative! Also, completely false. You might ask how AI generates something so completely bananas. Its because AI cant tell the difference between true and false. Instead, a complex computer program plays probabilistic language guessing games, betting on what words are most likely to follow other words. If an AI program hasnt been trained on a subject unusual last names, for instance it can conjure up authoritative-seeming but false verbiage. ChatGPT later spawned a different etymology for our last name: The surname Wirestone appears to have German origins. It is derived from the Old High German name Wiro, which means warrior or army, and stein, which means stone. Thus, the surname Wirestone likely originated as a combination of these elements, possibly indicating someone who was strong like a stone in battle or had characteristics associated with a warrior. To summarize: My ancestors were either metalworkers who lived near rocky outcroppings or toughened fighters. You might dismiss this all as mere silliness. I would agree with you, except that leaders have decided over the past year that AI will transform the global economy. Google, which has become the default source of definitive world knowledge, began employing AI in its search results. Users soon reported that Google was telling them to smoke cigarettes while pregnant, add glue to their home-baked pizza, sprinkle used antifreeze on their lawns, and boil mint in order to cure their appendicitis, according to Slate. The company has since rolled back some of the changes. Facebook has tacked gaudy AI features across the platform. In the meantime, it managed to block Kansas Reflector and remove every link we had ever posted. Users who attempt to share our stories still report problems doing so, even though we were assured in April by spokesman Andy Stone that the problem had been corrected. All the while, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, continues to raise money and investor expectations ever higher about the future of its technology. Yet were not living in the future. Were living in the now, and AI has massively underperformed in every instance where users asked it to perform accurately and reliably. Writing blender instructions in the style of the King James Bible is a fun party trick. But folks turn to the internet to answer real, pressing questions about their world. I can tell you firsthand, from information I know personally, that the technology does not deliver. Ten years ago, if you searched on Google for information about my last name, you would links to my work, the marketing company, and the column I had written. You would be able to figure out the truth of the situation Now, that column has fallen prey to link rot. Those curious about the name may well turn to ChatGPT, as students have done since the technology made its debut. They will be fed lies. The experience of a curious person online has therefore degraded, not improved. Perhaps AI technology will improve in the months and years to come. Perhaps not. In the meantime, treat the output of opaque AI systems with extreme skepticism. Follow actual news reported and written and edited by actual humans. Visit Kansas Reflectors website. Subscribe to our newsletter. Focus on reality, and leave the hallucinations behind. Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and X. The post Artificial intelligence has spread lies about my good name, and Im here to settle the score appeared first on Michigan Advance. Artificial intelligence has spread lies about my good name, and Im here to settle the score Artificial intelligence might seem like a helpful wave of the future, writes opinion editor Clay Wirestone, but it can offer wholly incorrect answers to user questions. (Getty Images) Artificial intelligence lies. Everyone knows this by now, of course. Programs such as ChatGPT and Googles AI overviews routinely generate nonsense when queried by users. Tech enthusiasts call these mistakes hallucinations, as though AI just needs to sober up and come to its senses. I dont see it that way. Because AI has started fibbing about me and my family. Last week, my husband received a spam email from a salesman. It included a history of our last name, as follows: The last name Wirestone is believed to have originated in Germany. It is a locational surname, meaning it was likely given to individuals based on where they lived. The name Wirestone may have derived from a place name that no longer exists or has changed over time. The surname Wirestone first appeared in records in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States, with immigrants from Germany bringing the name over. Some variations of the surname include Wierstien, Wierstone, and Wierston. Today, the surname Wirestone is relatively rare and is primarily found in the United States. Individuals with this last name can be found in various states across the country, but they are most concentrated in the Midwest region. The only problem with this account is that it is entirely incorrect. I know this firsthand because the last name Wirestone didnt exist before 2010, when my husband and I made it up. We took the letters from our original last names and arranged them to create a new one. We also considered Cointower and McWren as options. At the time, we researched to make sure that no one else had the last name of Wirestone. No one did. A marketing company bore the name Wire Stone, but that seemed sufficiently separate for our purposes. We lived in New Hampshire at the time, and the state had just legalized same-sex marriage. We wanted to share a single last name, and we wanted to share that last name with our son. I even wrote a column mentioning this back in 2013! (Yes, Ive been churning out copy for a long time.) But when it comes to large language models, the facts dont matter. The email my husband received looked like the work of ChatGPT to me, so I headed over and put that AI through its paces. Sure enough, it generated loads of lies about my last name, all of them along the same lines. Heres a paragraph from one, this time including a linguistic breakdown: The last name Wirestone is not as common as some others, but it does have a history rooted in Germanic origins. Wire likely comes from the Middle High German word wir, meaning wire or metal, indicating a possible occupational origin for individuals who worked with wire or metal. Stone suggests a connection to a place or geographical feature, possibly indicating someone who lived near a notable stone or rocky area. Sounds authoritative! Also, completely false. You might ask how AI generates something so completely bananas. Its because AI cant tell the difference between true and false. Instead, a complex computer program plays probabilistic language guessing games, betting on what words are most likely to follow other words. If an AI program hasnt been trained on a subject unusual last names, for instance it can conjure up authoritative-seeming but false verbiage. ChatGPT later spawned a different etymology for our last name: The surname Wirestone appears to have German origins. It is derived from the Old High German name Wiro, which means warrior or army, and stein, which means stone. Thus, the surname Wirestone likely originated as a combination of these elements, possibly indicating someone who was strong like a stone in battle or had characteristics associated with a warrior. To summarize: My ancestors were either metalworkers who lived near rocky outcroppings or toughened fighters. You might dismiss this all as mere silliness. I would agree with you, except that leaders have decided over the past year that AI will transform the global economy. Google, which has become the default source of definitive world knowledge, began employing AI in its search results. Users soon reported that Google was telling them to smoke cigarettes while pregnant, add glue to their home-baked pizza, sprinkle used antifreeze on their lawns, and boil mint in order to cure their appendicitis, according to Slate. The company has since rolled back some of the changes. Facebook has tacked gaudy AI features across the platform. In the meantime, it managed to block Kansas Reflector and remove every link we had ever posted. Users who attempt to share our stories still report problems doing so, even though we were assured in April by spokesman Andy Stone that the problem had been corrected. All the while, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, continues to raise money and investor expectations ever higher about the future of its technology. Yet were not living in the future. Were living in the now, and AI has massively underperformed in every instance where users asked it to perform accurately and reliably. Writing blender instructions in the style of the King James Bible is a fun party trick. But folks turn to the internet to answer real, pressing questions about their world. I can tell you firsthand, from information I know personally, that the technology does not deliver. Ten years ago, if you searched Google for information about my last name, you would find links to my work, the marketing company and the column I had written. You would be able to figure out the truth of the situation. Now, that column has fallen prey to link rot. Those curious about Wirestone may well turn to ChatGPT, as students have done since the technology made its debut. They will be fed lies. The experience of a curious person online has therefore degraded, not improved. Perhaps AI technology will improve in the months and years to come. Perhaps not. In the meantime, treat the output of opaque AI systems with extreme skepticism. Follow actual news reported and written and edited by actual humans. Visit Kansas Reflectors website. Subscribe to our newsletter. Focus on reality, and leave the hallucinations behind. Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and X. The post Artificial intelligence has spread lies about my good name, and Im here to settle the score appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. In the Spotlight is a Sacramento Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email metro@sacbee.com. Asian voters were a driving force in the Sacramento mayoral primary in March, data from The Sacramento Bee shows, and experts say the demographic may help determine how the mayoral election turns out in November. During the primary, Asian voter turnout exceeded Black and Latino in Sacramento, said Bill Wong, a Democrat strategist. This follows a trend which shows political involvement in Asian communities has increased in recent years, he added. As with the general population, accessibility and increased popularity with mail-in ballots plays a role. With the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian communities are becoming more politically involved, said Wong. While Asian communities have been unified by fighting against anti-Asian hate. A shared interest in social justice has brought the group together as a consolidated global AAPI identity, he said. After multiple years, almost three and a half years of post COVID anti-AAPI hate, the Asian American community, statewide and nationally are far more engaged in politics then theyve ever been, Wong said. Asian communities come together over a commonalities in political interest, theyre all vastly different and diverse from one another, said Kevin Liao, a Democrat strategist. These findings really show how the AAPI community is not a monolith, said Liao. It really shows for candidates, you cant talk to the broader Asian American community in one way. You have to really dig into the cultural nuances behind each community. Figure out a unique message thats going to resonate with each of them. Sacramentos Asian population is growing fast, and becoming a bigger player in city politics. About 106,000 Sacramento residents identified as Asian in 2022, up by about 20,000, or 24%, from a decade prior. By comparison, the rest of the citys population grew by about 8% over the same time period. All told, about one in five of the citys residents identify as Asian. The citys Asian population is not monolithic. About 21% identify as Chinese; 17% identify as Hmong; 14% identify as Filipino; 14% identify as Asian Indian and the remaining 33% identify with another Asian ethnic group, primarily Vietnamese, Japanese, Pakistani or Laotian. Asian residents live throughout the city, but are most concentrated in a few neighborhoods: the southern end of the Pocket; Meadowview; Valley Hi and in and around Glen Elder and in parts of North Natomas, particularly near I-80. Its hard to extrapolate how Asian residents vote compared to the communities that surround them. Even in the communities where Asians are most prevalent, they are still usually a minority of residents, and their votes are lumped into totals with everyone else in their precincts. Still, some patterns emerge when looking at the 38 voting precincts in city census tracts with the highest concentration of Asian residents. In those precincts, Richard Pan did better than any other candidate, earning about 28% of the vote. Elsewhere in the city, he earned about 20% of the vote. Pan, who did not make the general election runoff for mayor, would have been the citys first elected Asian American mayor. The other three leading candidates for mayor - Flo Cofer, Steve Hansen and Kevin McCarty - each did worse in those precincts than in the rest of the city. Again, though, the Asian community in Sacramento is not monolithic, and digging deeper into the data reveals other patterns. Among the 38 precincts with the highest concentration of Asian residents, Pan won the most votes in communities where Chinese residents comprised the largest Asian ethnic groups. Cofer won the most votes in communities where Hmong and Vietnamese residents comprised the largest Asian ethnic groups. Communities where Asian Indians and Filipinos comprised the largest Asian ethnic group were almost evenly split between Cofer and Pan. Income and class intersect with these patterns. Across the entire city, Cofer did best in lower- and middle-income areas. Looking specifically at the 38 precincts with the highest concentration of Asian residents, Pan did best in middle-class and higher-income Asian communities largely located near the Pocket and North Natomas. Cofer did best in lower-income Asian communities largely located near Meadowview, Glen Elder and Valley Hi. Wong said the economics of different Asian subgroups plays a role. The divide between Pan and Cofer with low income to higher income areas, shows that race is not the only deciding factor in someones political decision, he explained. If youre in a lower income community, you are not going to relate to (someone from) Pocket or Greenhaven, Wong said. What does this mean for November? Theres power in representation and having someone with culturally common life experienceswhich was proven with the voter turnout for Pan, Wong said. Whenever there has been an Asian candidate, turnout has increased. Pan, who could have been Sacramentos first Asian mayor, is now out of mayoral race entirely. With him out, Asian Sacramento residents will have to decide on the two remaining candidates: Cofer and McCarty. While a Pan endorsement could make the difference, alliances with public figures in Asian communities will also garner votes. For example, Cofer has a close relationship with Mai Vang, who serves a councilmember representing District 8 and is the daughter of Hmong refugees. In the past, Cofer has also down well with certain Southeast Asian communities, Wong said. Endorsements by themselves doesnt necessarily mean a guaranteed vote though, Wong said. Mailing ads to Asian voters will make the difference in outreach. Itll rely heavily on whether or not those candidates are going to be able to obtain those endorsements and then utilize and serve them directly to the voters, Wong said. Its one thing to have the endorsement, but if nobody sees your endorsement or hears about it, then it really doesnt matter. Liao emphasized the importance of investing in Asian communities. Both Cofer and McCarty need to show up, listen to Asian communities and base community needs into their message. For example, South Sacramento has a significant Vietnamese population and deserves attention when serving that population. Liao recommended the remaining candidates show up for Asian communities across Sacramento. Just spend time in the community, hear from people about what they care about, and then base your message on that, Liao said. Assange arrives in US territory of Saipan for court hearing A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange (L) following his release from prison. Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has arrived on the island of Saipan ahead of his court hearing, Wikileaks said on Wednesday. On Tuesday it was revealed Assange had struck a deal with the United States in the long-running dispute over his extradition. Assange is expected to plead guilty at the court hearing to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain and distribute classified documents as part of a deal with the US justice system and be sentenced to more than five years in prison. The sentence corresponds to the length of time the whistleblower has already spent in a high-security prison in London. The 52-year-old is then expected to travel on to his homeland in Australia. Washington accuses Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with the whistleblower Chelsea Manning, thereby allegedly endangering the lives of US intelligence sources and others. Assange was released from prison in London on Monday without being noticed by the public and left the UK on a chartered plane. After a stopover in the Thai capital Bangkok, he flew on to Saipan. Assange headed to Pacific island on way to freedom in Australia A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange boarding a plane to leave the UK following his release from prison. Mr Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa A plane in which Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is believed to be travelling on arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday, in the first part of a deal with the United States that set him free from prison in Britain and ends a long legal odyssey. After his layover in Bangkok, the Australian national flies to the Northern Mariana Islands, a remote US Pacific island territory. There he is to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents at a federal courthouse. In return, Assange will be spared imprisonment in the United States. Following his plea hearing on the island of Saipan, Assange can travel on to his home country Australia as a free man. Assange, 52, had been held for the past five years in Belmarsh prison in London, from where he has fought a US extradition request. He is accused of having stolen and published, in 2010, secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, putting the lives of US informants in danger. He was facing up to 175 years in US prison if convicted. His supporters see the Wikileaks founder as a journalist who brought war crimes to light. Wikileaks posted a photo of Assange on the plane on X and wrote: "Approaching Bangkok airport for a stopover. Moving closer to freedom." According to Australian media, the aircraft was due to take off from Bangkok at 9 pm (1400 GMT) on a roughly 11-hour flight to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. A letter from the US Department of Justice to the judge in charge, Ramona Manglona, states that the location was chosen because Assange did not want to travel to the United States and the archipelago is close to Australia. Australia welcomes its citizen's release Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday welcomed the development and said his country was providing assistance to Assange. "The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States," Albanese told Australia's parliament during Question Time, calling the news a "welcomed development." Family waiting in Australia Wikileaks told X that there had been long negotiations with the US Department of Justice. "After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," Wikileaks wrote on X. His wife published a photo on X that was reportedly taken in Sydney and shows a video call with her husband from Stansted Airport. "Frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real," Stella Assange told the BBC in an interview. She had not yet had time to discuss what the couple would do after their release, but said his health is a priority. Assange's parents thanked the supporters who had campaigned for their son for years and said they were grateful that their ordeal is over. US former vice president Pence unhappy "Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Pence wrote on X. "The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever. The Assange deal could be a topic for Thursday's debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump. Unnoticed departure from Britain It had been speculated for several months that such a deal would put an end to the Assange case. Nevertheless, the timing comes as a surprise. Unnoticed by the public, Assange was released from the London prison on Monday and taken to Stansted Airport. A video released by Wikileaks overnight showed the Australian boarding the jet in a shirt and jeans, glasses pushed into his hair. WikiLeaks founder julian assange speaking to the media inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/dpa A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange (L) following his release from prison. Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa WASHINGTON (AP) Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of classified documents, according to court papers filed late Monday. Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific, to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. governments years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause celebre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, by contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the countrys national security at risk. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. The deal ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from any additional prison time. He had spent years hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Swedish authorities sought his arrest on rape allegations before being locked up in the United Kingdom. Prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of the five years Assange has already spent in a high-security British prison while fighting to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face charges, a process that has played out in a series of hearings in London. Last month, he won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by rape allegations, which he has denied. The Justice Departments indictment unsealed in 2019 accused Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Prosecutors had accused Assange of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the U.S. and its allies and aided its adversaries. The case was lambasted by press advocates and Assange supporters. Federal prosecutors defended it as targeting conduct that went way beyond that of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. It was brought even though the Obama administration Justice Department had passed on prosecuting him years earlier. The plea agreement comes months after President Joe Biden said he was considering a request from Australia to drop the U.S. push to prosecute Assange. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act and other offenses for leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after about seven behind bars. Assange made headlines in 2016 after his website published Democratic emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, but the inquiry laid bare in stark detail the role that the hacking operation played in interfering in that years election on behalf of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Justice Department officials mulled charges for Assange following the documents 2010 publication, but were unsure a case would hold up in court and were concerned it could be hard to justify prosecuting him for acts similar to those of a conventional journalist. The posture changed in the Trump administration, however, with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 calling Assanges arrest a priority. Assanges family and supporters have said his physical and mental health have suffered during more than a decade of legal battles, which includes seven years spent inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled he should be extradited to Sweden as part of a rape investigation in the Scandinavian country. He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail when he first took shelter inside the embassy. Although Sweden eventually dropped its sex crimes investigation because so much time had elapsed, Assange has remained in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison during the extradition battle with the U.S. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Assange to plead guilty and return to Australia in deal with US Nationals member for New England Barnaby Joyce speaks to the media during a doorstop interview at Parliament House in Canberra. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce discusses Julian Assanges plea deal. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to enter a plea deal with the Biden administration that would allow him to avoid prison in the United States. Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty in a deal with the US Justice Department and return to Australia, court documents filed on Monday state. The agreement would see Assange pleading guilty to one charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to court documents published on Monday evening. The deal is still to be approved by a US federal judge. Assange is expected to attend a hearing on the island of Saipan on Wednesday before returning to Australia, the court documents state. Assange is accused of having stolen and published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, putting the lives of US informants in danger. His supporters see Assange as a journalist who brought war crimes to light. British police arrested Assange in 2019 at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he had taken refuge for seven years, for failing to surrender to an earlier warrant linked to Swedish charges that were eventually dropped. The police swooped in after Quito revoked Assange's asylum status. Wikileaks said Assange, an Australian citizen, left the high-security Belmarsh prison in London on bail on Monday and had departed the UK from Stansted Airport at 5 pm local time (1600 GMT). "Julian Assange is free," a post on the Wikileaks account on social media platform X said. "He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK." The post was followed by a brief video appearing to show Assange being driven to the airport and boarding an aircraft. A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange boarding a plane to leave the UK following his release from prison. Mr Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa The plane carrying Julian Assange, who according to the Wikileaks whistleblowing publisher he founded has been released from British custody, took off for the Western Pacific on Tuesday evening after a stopover of several hours in Bangkok. The Bombardier charter plane is flying from Thailand's capital to the island of Saipan, which belongs to the Northern Mariana Islands and is a foreign territory of the United States. The aircraft is expected to arrive early Wednesday morning. On the flightradar24 flight-tracking platform, flight number VJT199, which Assange's wife Stella and Wikileaks had previously mentioned on social media, was the connection most monitored by users worldwide. The Australian is due to appear in court in the US territory on Wednesday. Assange is expected to plead guilty at the court hearing to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain and distribute classified documents as part of a deal with the US justice system and be sentenced to more than five years in prison. The sentence corresponds to the length of time the whistleblower has already spent in a high-security prison in London. The 52-year-old is then expected to travel on to his homeland in Australia. Washington accuses Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan - thereby jeopardizing the lives of US citizens - with the whistleblower Chlesea Manning. A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange (L) upon his arrival in Bangkok. Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on 24 June following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa The Associated Press will launch a new nonprofit organization to raise funds to help state and local journalism, the media cooperative announced on Tuesday. The sister organization will be governed by an independent board of directors and will be classified as a 501(c)3 charitable organization, allowing it to help raise funds to support local news. The crisis in local news is only exacerbating, said AP president and CEO Daisy Veerasingham in a statement. Its APs role as the cooperative at the heart of the news ecosystem to both reinforce our own state and local reporting as well as support other organizations who share our commitment to local journalism. State and local news is essential, both to the democratic process and to combatting misinformation. Simply put, its a public good. Local news has been hit hard by the contracting media landscape, resulting in many local outlets relying upon non-local sources for funding and newsgathering, such as the Sinclair Broadcast Group conglomerate. The news of the APs nonprofit launch comes a few months after Gannett, publisher of USA Today and hundreds of local newspapers, said it would stop using (and, thus, paying for) the APs content. The move marked a significant blow to the wire service. Tuesdays announcement follows several content sharing collaborations AP recently announced with nonprofit news outlets across the U.S., including CalMatters, The Texas Tribune, South Dakota News Watch, Honolulu Civil Beat and others. These collaborations are aimed at expanding the reach of local journalism ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The Associated Press struck a two-year deal with ChatGPTs parent company OpenAI last year to share content, making it one of the first news organizations to partner up with the AI superpower. The news organization firmly supports a framework that will ensure intellectual property is protected and content creators are fairly compensated for their work, Kristin Heitmann, AP senior vice president and chief revenue officer said at the time. News organizations must have a seat at the table to ensure this happens, so that newsrooms large and small can leverage this technology to benefit journalism, Heitmann continued. News of the APs nonprofit was first reported by Axios. The post Associated Press to Launch Nonprofit to Help Fund Local News appeared first on TheWrap. (Reuters) -AstraZeneca's blockbuster cancer drug Imfinzi has failed as a follow-up therapy to improve disease-free survival in a late-stage trial in patients with a type of early-stage lung cancer, the group said on Tuesday. Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody, which works to block a tumour's ability to evade and dampen the immune system, while also boosting the body's anti-cancer immune response, offering an alternative to chemotherapy. The trial, known as ADJUVANT BR.31 Phase III, sought to evaluate Imfinzi in the adjuvant treatment of 1,415 patients with an early stage of non-small-cell lung cancer following complete tumour removal with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. An adjuvant therapy is an additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment to lower the risk of relapse. Disease-free survival is the length of time after treatment that a person lives without the cancer returning. "We are disappointed in the ADJUVANT BR.31 results," said Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology research and development at AstraZeneca. Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, and non small-cell lung cancer is the most comment type of the disease. A majority of patients with resectable, or operable, disease eventually develop recurrence despite complete tumour removal and adjuvant chemotherapy, according to the drugmaker. The latest results were a contrast to the ones published in April, when the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said Imfinzi had in a separate trial helped improve survival in patients in the early stages of small-cell, or aggressive type, of lung cancer, meeting two key trial goals. The ADJUVANT BR.31 Phase III study is a randomised, double-blinded trial sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group and conducted across Canada, the U.S., Australia, Europe and Asia. Imfinzi made $4.24 billion in sales last year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved the drug in 2017 to treat a type of bladder cancer. It won approval for use in mid-stage non-small cell lung cancer a year later and in March 2020, the FDA approved Imfinzi to target extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Jan Harvey) FILE - Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz spoke to the media along side Police Chief Jerry Saulters on community safety initiatives following the alleged murder of Athens nursing student Laken Riley on Feb. 22, 2024. In two recent court filings, the Athens-Clarke County government contends it should be dismissed from legal action filed by Mayor Kelly Girtz challenging a recall effort against him. The mayor named the county as a respondent in an April petition in Superior Court challenging the recall effort led by Winterville conservative firebrand James Lee DePaola. Girtzs petition contends, in part, that the county elections office violated its duties under the state Recall Act to notify him of the status of various steps in the recall effort. On June 7, outside counsel for the county filed documents contending that other than failing to provide Girtz with timely notification that DePaola had filed a completed application for a recall petition, the local government is not a necessary party to this action and can offer no relief to Girtz whatsoever. Instead, the filings contend, the only proper parties to Girtzs petition are Girtz and DePaola. According to the filings, Girtz got written notice from the county of the return of the application for a recall petition on April 2, instead of on March 28 -- the date he should have received notice -- when DePaola filed his application for a recall petition with the county elections office. More: Winterville man spearheading recall effort against Athens mayor fires back at legal challenge Regarding the admittedly late notification, the county nonetheless contends in its June 7 filings that Girtzs legal action has failed to establish any harm suffered by the failure of (Athens-Clarke County Elections Director Charlotte) Sosebee to provide written notice of DePaolas return of the Application. Beyond the notification issue, the motion to dismiss the county from the case contends the local government has no role in determining whether DePaolas stated grounds for recalling Girtz are legally sufficient to allow the effort to continue. The county, according to its counsels filings, by law, is not to evaluate the validity or lack thereof of any factual allegations connected with the recall effort. The judge assigned to the case has halted all proceedings pending completion of a court review of the recall initiative. Girtz had asked the court for such a review to consider the sufficiency of the grounds (for the recall), if any, and the facts, if any, upon which the grounds in the Application are based. DePaola initially was not a target of Girtzs petition. He was added as a respondent to the case last month by Judge J. David Roper, a retired Superior Court judge from outside the local judicial circuit hearing it. Girtz contends in court documents that DePaolas application for a recall petition is not legally sufficient because it did not check off any of the specific grounds malfeasance, violation of oath of office, misconduct, failure to perform prescribed duties, or willful misuse of public funds listed in the official state form for an application for a recall petition. The form lists those specific grounds, along with a space for physically marking which grounds are being applied to a recall. A copy of the recall application filed with Athens-Clarke County shows that DePaola did not check off any specific grounds for recalling Girtz. Instead, the document comprises an unsupported statement signed by DePaola asserting that Girtz violated oath & failed to perform duties prescribed by Ga. law by knowingly operating Athens as a sanctuary city without a voice or vote from citizens of Athens & secretly entering into contract with federal officials and or NGO (non-governmental organization) to make Athen (sic) a refugee resettlement area. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: See what's happening in the recall effort for the Athens mayor Staunton City Council returns STAUNTON - The Staunton City Council is coming back from its scheduled time off in early June. On Thursday, the council will hold a 6 p.m. work session with updates from Mary Baldwin University, the comprehensive plan update process, and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court construction. Once the regular meeting begins at 7 p.m., council will take up a budget revision, and two agenda items. Liberty Point Behavioral Healthcare LLC requested a permit to "have a medical care facility in an existing building" at 339 Sharon Lane, according to the agenda packet. The property was purchased in 2007, and already has authorization to be used as a group home. "The applicant proposes to use the property for daytime mental health therapy for children ranging in ages between 12 and 17," reads the agenda packet. "The applicant proposes to cap the number of patients seen daily at 10." Second, council will consider allowing the Staunton250VA Committee, part of the Road to Revolution Trail program dedicated to remembering the American Revolution, to build a historical marker near the intersection of South Augusta Street and West Beverley Street. "This historical marker will highlight this propertys role in serving as a hub for Stauntons participation in Americas Revolutionary War," reads the agenda packet. Placing the sign on in sidewalk means council must approve it before it moves to the Historic Preservation Commission next. Staunton City Council in April. Augusta County School Board examines literacy standards VERONA - According to the Augusta County School Board agenda, the Virginia Literacy Act requires the school division to adopt a comprehensive literacy plan. The board plans to do just that during its late June meeting. The Act was passed by the 2022 General Assembly. The Virginia Department of Education notes it will support school divisions to "improve early literacy outcomes for Virginia's young learners." This includes kindergarten instruction with "scientifically based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, online resources, and reading plan interventions for students not meeting benchmarks. The changes to reading instruction are coming after national discussion about how flawed ways of teaching reading skills hurt kids and the adults they grow into. The Virginia Literacy Act Implementation Playbook notes good literacy outcomes use a "sounds first" phonics approach with individual practice, while worse outcomes emerge from students relying on pictures or cues, asking students to guess rather than look things up, and lack of student-centered practice. No agenda from Augusta supervisors VERONA The Augusta County Board of Supervisors will meet on Wednesday, June 26. As of Monday evening, the agenda has not been published. Augusta's reassessments considered once again VERONA Landowners hoping to change their property's assessments have a chance on Thursday. The Augusta County Board of Equalization will take up challenges to the 2024 reassessment in the county, which saw property values raise by an average of 54%. According to the county's online landing page for the reassessments, applications for the board of equalization to change an assessment are due "no later" than Sep. 1 of this year. Tuesday, June 25 Wednesday, June 26 Thursday, June 27 Monday, July 1 Community Policy Management Team 1:30 p.m. Augusta County Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane, Verona. Waynesboro Electoral Board Meeting 5 p.m. Suite 106, 503 West Main Street, Waynesboro. The agenda is online. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Augusta reading comprehension, Staunton council returns: THE AGENDA Editors Note: The above video shows KXAN News top morning headlines from Monday, June 24, 2024. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Police Department is asking community members to help find anyone responsible for the death of 27-year-old DAndre Isaiah Day on Sept. 4, 2022. Day was found dead at the corner of Sixth and Brazos streets around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 4. Detectives learned throughout their investigation hed been involved in a disturbance near the intersection of 7th and Colorado streets prior to his death, with detectives adding they believe his injuries are a result of that incident. PREVIOUS: Man killed in downtown Austin stabbing identified Officials havent yet determined a motive behind his death and are seeking community assistance on leads. APD detectives said in a release Monday they believe Days death was an isolated event and there are no extenuating threats to the general public. Detectives released the following surveillance footage depicting possible witnesses. Austin Police released surveillance footage of possible witnesses to the death of DAndre Isaiah Day on Sept. 4, 2022 in downtown Austin. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance footage of possible witnesses to the death of DAndre Isaiah Day on Sept. 4, 2022 in downtown Austin. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Footage also captured three persons of interest along with a vehicle possibly involved in Days death. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Austin police look for new leads in deadly September 2022 stabbing The first person of interest is described as a white male with a skinny build and long, blonde hair. Hes depicted below. Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) The second person of interest is a shorter male with a skinny build and black hair, which possibly had blonde highlights. Hes shown on surveillance footage below. Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) A third person of interest in the footage captured is a Black male with possible dreadlocks. Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Austin Police released surveillance images of a person of interest possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Police also released an image of a vehicle potentially involved in Days death. APD described it as a silver 2003-2005 Honda Accord and is seeking community members help in identifying the vehicles owner. Austin Police released a surveillance image of a vehicle possibly connected to the September 2022 death of DAndre Isaiah Day. (Courtesy Austin Police Department) Those with information or video surrounding Days death are asked to call APDs homicide unit at 512-974-8477, its Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 512-372-8477 or by either using the Crime Stoppers App or emailing APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. The department is offering a reward up to $1,000 for any information that leads to an arrest, per the release. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Australia's Albanese says Assange case 'has dragged on for too long' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during Question Time session at the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Mick Tsikas/AAP/dpa Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said his country was providing assistance to Julian Assange following the news that the Wikileaks founder agreed to plead guilty in a deal with the US and that he has left the UK. "The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States," Albanese told Australia's parliament during Question Time, calling the news a "welcomed development." According to court documents filed on Monday, Assange was set to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents in return for being spared further imprisonment in the US, in a deal with the Justice Department. Assange is expected to attend a hearing on the Pacific island of Saipan on Wednesday before returning to Australia, the court documents state. Saipan, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan, is under US administration. The deal is still to be approved by a US federal judge. Albanese said that he would not provide "further detailed comment" as the proceedings were ongoing, but did confirm that UK High Commissioner Steven Smith "travelled with Mr Assange when he left the United Kingdom," while Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd was also providing assistance. "The case has dragged on for too long," Albanese said. "There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia." "I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time," the prime minister said. Wikileaks said Assange left the high-security Belmarsh prison in London on bail on Monday morning and departed the UK from Stansted Airport at 5 pm local time (1600 GMT). Assange is accused of having stolen and published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, putting the lives of US informants in danger. His supporters see the Wikileaks founder as a journalist who brought war crimes to light. British police arrested Assange in 2019 at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he had taken refuge for seven years, for failing to surrender to an earlier warrant linked to Swedish charges that were eventually dropped. The police swooped in after Quito revoked Assange's asylum status. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Authorities said they are keeping an eye on any further violence after the death of Jacksonville rapper Charles Jones, also known as Julio Foolio. During a Monday briefing, Jacksonville Sheriff T. K. Waters said his agency is on alert for clashing groups after Jones was gunned down at a Holiday Inn in Tampa Sunday morning. Pasco family murders: Witness said he saw bodies before they were burned in pit, document says Jones was in Tampa at the time to celebrate his 26th birthday, as seen on posts in his social media. Three other people were also injured in the shooting. According to WTLV, Jones was allegedly involved with a gang in the Jacksonville area that has had a feud with another group. These groups, I wont name them, Waters said. They know who they are. were not going to tolerate any retribution, any revenge. The rapper was also shot three times in the past four years before he was killed Sunday. In addition to being the target of violence, Jones also had a music video called When I See You mocking the deaths of three teenagers, Trevon Bullard, Royale DVon Smith Jr., and Jercoby DaShad Groover. These teens, along with rival rapper Yungeen Ace, were the targets of a shooting in retaliation for the death of Jones cousin Zion Brown, according WTLV. However, Yungeen Ace, also known as Kenyatta Bullard, survived his injuries. Reports state that Bullard is a member of the gang that is in the feud with the group allegedly affiliated with Jones. During his briefing, Waters condemned the glorification of violence, saying that young people think this is a game. This is real life, the sheriff said. He has a mother. He has parents, siblings probably, friends. They have to deal with these kind of losses and its unfortunate. He also said the reaction to the violence has been disturbing. Ive never seen so much devaluing of human life, he said. Waters said he has contacted other agencies to coordinate their observations of the gangs. Were not going to allow you to just arbitrarily run around and spray bullets into peoples houses and cars, the sheriff said. Meanwhile, back in Tampa, police chief Lee Bercaw said his detectives have developed some good leads while working with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, FBI, ATF, and the state attorneys office. I can guarantee that were going to be following up and making an arrest in that case, Bercaw said at a Monday town hall meeting. The Tampa police chief said the shooting does appear to have some connection to gang activity. The indications are that the groups came from Jacksonville, he said. If you have information on the shooting, call the Tampa Police Department by calling 813-231-6130. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Infant who died after being left in car for 9 hours identified Infant who died after being left in car for 9 hours identified SANTEE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Authorities have released the identity of the two-month-old baby who died after being left in car for nine hours in East County earlier this month. In an update on Monday, the San Diego County Sheriffs Department identified the child and provided more information into what happened that night. The department reports the family arrived home around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12, and the infant was found unconscious and still inside the SUV shortly after midnight on Thursday, June 13. Officers responded to the home in the 10000 block of Settle Road in Santee around 12:30 a.m. when a family member called 911 after finding the infant. Baby dies after being left in car in East County Deputies with the Santee Sheriffs Station and paramedics with the Santee Fire Department attempted life-saving measures and rushed her to a hospital where she later died. The San Diego County Medical Examiners Office has identified the infant as two-month-old Diana Sofia Aleman Roman. Her cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiners Office, pending forensics, laboratory and toxicology results. The sheriffs department warned the summer months means warmer weather and potentially dangerous temperatures, and emphasized it is illegal to leave your child alone in a car, even if the engine is running or the key is in the ignition. It only takes minutes for the temperatures inside your car to heat up like an oven. The sheriffs department says if you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 9-1-1. If the child is in distress, take action to get the child out of the car and spray them with cool water. Body found believed to be missing hiker: SDPD Heatstroke in children can happen quickly, their bodies are smaller, heat up faster, and are more prone to the effects of extreme temperatures. Learn more safety tips at wheresbaby.org. The Sheriffs Child Abuse Unit is investigating the death. Anyone with information can call the Sheriffs Child Abuse Unit at 858-285-6222. After hours, call the Sheriffs Department non-emergency line at 858-868-3200. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Automatic Textbook Billing: Does it help students save money or cost them more? Textbooks can set college students back hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Now some universities are turning to digital course material to try to lower those prices. However, some students have mixed reviews about this effort. I was kind of confused why I was getting that extra charge. I budget for my tuition, and I wasnt expecting that, said Sydney Greenway, senior at the University of Pittsburgh. >> 22-year-old woman IDd as victim killed in Dayton mass shooting; 6 others injured That was Sydney Greenways reaction when she was automatically charged for textbooks as part of her tuition and fees. She was enrolled in an Inclusive Access program. Its an agreement between publishers and universities to negotiate lower prices for digital course material which is automatically added to students tuition and fees each semester. But a new consumer report from U.S. PIRG Education Fund reveals some of these programs may be doing the opposite. Its totally inconclusive, whether students are getting savings at all, and you know, you can promise that youre saving students money, but promises are not receipts, and we want the receipts, said Dan Xie, political director with Student PIRGs Researchers evaluated nearly 200 contracts between publishers, bookstores, and universities. Xie said they found some contracts require high participation quotas for schools to receive discounted prices which may discourage them from promoting less expensive options like used books or rentals. Greenway said students also have limited access to the content they buy. >> Female seriously injured after being hit by car in Beavercreek For example, if it was a Physics I class, and I wanted to re-reference it for a Physics II class, I wouldnt have been able to do that because it was an access code. I would have lost access to it that last day of class, said Greenway. Xie said theres also being a rise in open textbooks which is a free option for students These are textbooks that professors can write and copy under open copyright. And open copyright means that any other professor in the country, you can choose the book and assign it to their students, and they can access it online totally for free, said Xie. But the National Association of College Stores (NACS) argues automatic textbook billing plans are saving students money. According to Student Watch, the research arm of the organization, these programs have led to a 57% drop in student spending for course material over the last decade. In a statement, the organization said, when colleges have the economies of scale to negotiate bulk discounts on required course materials and textbooks, students win. Additionally, some research shows improved academic outcomes for students in these programs too. Were seeing course completion rates 15 and a half percent higher for students who stay in the program, opposed the opposite, opting out, said Mike Moore, affiliate research assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire. Moore reviewed test results from universities nationwide as part of this research. He said enrollment in these textbook programs helped minority students at even higher rates. >> Man hit by Kings Island roller coaster dies Students who identify as Black in the whole campus model of those who opted out only 39% were completing the course, compared to 60 when they stayed in, so these programs in providing access, are helping our students be more successful, said Moore. The Department of Education is considering a proposal that would require universities to get students to sign off on the costs before adding them to their tuition and fees. Statement from the National Association of College Stores: This is a proven premise: when colleges have the economies of scale to negotiate bulk discounts on required course materials and textbooks, students win. Since the Obama-Biden administration approved regulations to promote affordable access programs with strong consumer protections in 2016, student spending on course materials has dropped by 57% and students have improved day one access to materials they are required to have. First time student satisfaction with the programs in 2023-2024, according to Student Watch was at 59% versus only a 13% dissatisfaction rate. During negotiated rulemaking, the proposed rule was widely opposed. Even student and veteran negotiators expressed concern will reduce timely access for students to required materials and also would weaken the ability of institutions to negotiate lower prices by removing a requirement that books and supplies costs be below competitive market rates. Further, many students will see higher sales taxes and loss of valuable federal tax credits as a result of the PIRG proposal. Colleges and universities, as well as NACS, are actively engaging the Biden Administration and the Department of Education to offer insight into the efficacy of Inclusive Access programs, including individual cost savings and positive impact on student academic outcomes, and we look forward to helping to inform a final rule that will not undermine the savings students rely on and continue to safeguard student protections and access. >> 31-year-old man who died while trying to save children at Eastwood MetroPark identified Statement from Association of American Publishers The report in question is rife with bogus claims about findings based on data they admit they do not actually have access to. As such it is designed to distract from the real facts. The actual data on higher education is unanimous in its conclusion that the course material programs known as Inclusive and Equitable Access which were created under Obama-era rules -- have driven a dramatic decline in student spending in the category, with NACS Student Watch citing a drop of 57% over the last ten years; independent research firm Student Monitor citing a similar decline of 45%, and the College Board reporting annual student spending of just $310 dollars a year on course materials (see page 11), making the category a rare bright spot in higher education affordability. Legitimate scholarship has also made it clear that these programs offer immense benefit to underserved populations, with research by Dr. Michael Moore of the University of New Hampshire demonstrating that Inclusive Access significantly increased success rates, with students who identify as Black seeing improvements by as much as 13%. In the first ever study on Equitable Access, Dr. Moores data demonstrated that students who participated in the model had an average course completion rate 15.58% higher than those who opted out, with the number climbing as high as a 22% completion rate increase for some student groups. The public outcry over the Department of Educations proposal to eliminate the rules that make these remarkable programs possible speaks for itself, with students from across the country, joining professors, college administrators, and researchers calling on the department to leave the existing rules in place. TOPEKA (KSNT) Law enforcement has issued thousands of speeding tickets in Shawnee County over the years, with some for drivers found going at extremely dangerous speeds. 27 News reached out to the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and Topeka Police Department to learn how many speeding tickets have been doled out over the past decade, including how many have been issued so far in 2024. These statistics also include how many drivers were caught going over 100 mph in the county and Capital City. Shawnee County Sheriffs Office Total speeding tickets 5283: 2024 196 2023 289 2022 331 2021 319 2020 424 2019 750 2018 606 2017 666 2016 579 2015 668 2014 455 Tickets in excess of 100 mph: 2024 6 2023 6 2022 9 2021 4 2020 3 2019 2 2018 1 2017 10 2016 6 2015 6 2014 2 Kansas insect expert warns people to watch out for black widow, brown recluse infestations Kansas Highway Patrol Total speeding tickets: 2024 680 2023 2,529 2022 3094 2021 2956 2020 3091 2019 4288 2018 3153 2017 3166 2016 3883 2015 2689 2014 2661 Tickets over 100 mph: 2024 29 2023 86 2022 123 2021 110 2020 127 2019 97 2018 94 2017 138 2016 183 2015 130 2014 100 Do you still have to slow down for work zones on the weekend in Kansas? Topeka Police Department Total speeding tickets: 2024 368 2023 1,162 2022 1,161 2021 1,103 2020 953 2019 3,419 2018 2,423 2017 3,772 2016 4,433 2015 3,929 2014 3,716 Tickets in excess of 100 mph: City of Topeka spokeswoman Rosie Nichols said very few tickets have been issued to drivers caught going more than 100 mph in city limits. No specific numbers were given. Topeka man arrested after allegedly attacking vehicle containing children, police chase For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Mohammad Mustafa (R), Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, shakes hands Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister. During her visit to the Middle East, Baerbock will hold talks with officials from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is discussing the future role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, with an eye toward reforming the PA. Before the meeting with Mustafa on Tuesday, Baerbock had Oliver Owcza, head of the German Representative Office for Palestine in Ramallah, show her the situation in the West Bank and the border area with Israel. Critics accuse the right-wing extremist sections of the Israeli government of wanting to strangle the PA by cutting Israeli payments to the body. As a result, some salaries of PA employees can no longer be paid. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also recently announced that he wanted to withhold funds totalling $32.5 million from the PA and use that money to pay Israeli terror victims instead. At the Herzliya Security Conference near Tel Aviv on Monday, Baerbock condemned these measures. "In the current situation, its dangerous and self-defeating to destroy and destabilize established PA structures," she said. She said if the PA wants to assume the role of the legitimate governing authority in Gaza at some point, it had to be in a position to back its legitimacy - including with police and security forces. Baerbock also plans to meet with her counterpart Israel Katz in Jerusalem. Against the backdrop of growing concerns about an escalation of the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Baerbock will fly on to Lebanon in the afternoon. Mohammad Mustafa (R), Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, speaks with Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, during their meeting. During her visit to the Middle East, Baerbock will hold talks with officials from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Mohammed Mustafa (R), Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, welcomes Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister. During her visit to the Middle East, Baerbock will hold talks with officials from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Terry Swanson casts his vote Tuesday in the primary elections, June 25, 2024 at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City. While turnout numbers for the Republican and Democratic primary elections appeared to be underwhelming early Tuesday, election watchers expect to see a good turnout to cap off a robust primary election season across the state. The Utah Republican Primary is underway, with mail-in ballots and in person-votes being processed throughout the day to produce preliminary results Tuesday night. The last day to postmark mail-in ballots was Monday, but voters can still drop their ballots off in designated drop-boxes and visit their local polling center to cast their ballot in person. Polls are officially open throughout the state. If you have not yet voted, you can: 1. Return ballot via drop box 2. Vote in person 3. Register to vote in person Do not use USPS to mail your ballot todayit had to be postmarked by yesterday. https://t.co/Mb1WY6NazI Deidre Henderson (@DeidreHenderson) June 25, 2024 To vote in-person, you must be in line by 8 p.m. to have your vote counted. Ballots must be place in drop-boxes before 8 p.m. How is polling in Salt Lake County looking? While polling centers like the one in the Salt Lake County Government Building tend to be busy on election day, Annabel Garcia, the poll center lead, told the Deseret News that as of midday Tuesday crowds had been slow to come in. There were no lines out the door, and at any given time at least a worker or two were not engaged with helping voters. Usually, Garcia expects to see a sizable turnout of people coming into the center to vote, many of whom need to register to vote for the first time. But by midday, Garcia was a touch surprised by the turnout, though she remarked there would likely be more voters arriving in the after-work hours. Having worked for many years in polling, a good portion of which at this center, Garcia said shes accustomed to the chaos and variety of Election Day, though she expressed surprise at one major factor bringing people into the polling center Tuesday: people not receiving their ballots in the mail. Unaffiliated ballots werent sent out, she explained. In other words, people who arent registered as Republicans, Democrats or other parties didnt receive ballots in the mail. Due to the nature of closed Republican primaries meaning only Republicans can vote in GOP primaries people who dont register their affiliation or switch their affiliation, by a certain date, will not be mailed a ballot. Many of these people, though, show up to polling centers confused and intent on voting, especially if they had switched their affiliation on time. The experience at the center is largely a pleasant one, election officials and voters said. One voter, Paul, who did not want to share his last name, said hed voted many times by mail and only showed up to vote in person because he is an unaffiliated voter who did not get a ballot in the mail. He was able to vote in person and said it was a good experience overall. Andy Goss, provisional ballot specialist at the center, echoed Garcias observations, and added that the provisional voter count is unusually low. Provisional voters are those whose identification could not be verified immediately at the polling center, but who are still allowed to cast their vote and fill out their voter registration. They must show their I.D. within a certain time frame and the county must then verify their identity before their vote can be counted. Goss said that hed been told in advance to prepare for long lines of provisional voters today. By noon, hed only processed four provisional ballots. He said he thinks this change could be because more people have learned to register early. Steven Burnett drops his ballot off outside of the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Joy Dantine, left, gets some help from Annabel Garcia, vote center lead, while voting at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A VOTE HERE sign is displayed outside the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Sierra Hastings, of Salt Lake City, drops off her ballot outside of the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A Vote here sign is displayed at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News A woman places ballots into the container as voters turn out to cast their primary votes at the Salt Lake County Library in Sandy on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A voter walks to cast her vote at the Salt Lake County Library in Sandy on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Voters turn out to cast their primary votes at the Salt Lake County Library in Sandy on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Kelly Roestenburg votes his primary vote at the Salt Lake County Library in Sandy on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News How are votes being processed on Election day? Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman said ballot processing is underway in Salt Lake County. Votes are already being counted for voters who showed up early and those who mailed in their ballots. As of Monday night, about 26% of mail-in ballots that had been sent to voters had been processed. By noon on Tuesday, 10,000 ballots from post offices and ballot boxes had been processed. Total voter participation from mail-in ballots and in-person voting was 27% by Monday night, Chapman said, with less than 1% of votes being cast in-person. That percentage is expected to jump with election day participation. Mail-in ballots, Chapman said, are the main way people cast their vote, with about 90% of votes coming from mail-in ballots each cycle beginning in 2012. In recent years, though, that number has increased slightly, with about 95% of votes coming from mail-in ballots. This primary is unusual because the ballot is longer than in recent years, Chapman said. With local, state and federal races on the ballot and few candidate withdrawals, people have needed to sit down ... and really make sure were voting for whoever aligns best with our values and not based on name or party affiliation, she said. Ultimately, Chapman said she sees this as a good thing because it produces a much more educated voter. According to state turnout results, Cache County has had about 26% of ballots returned, while Davis County sits at 30.9% and Utah Country trails behind at 16.6%. Statewide turnout results can be found at vote.utah.gov. Results will start to roll out after polls close at 8 p.m., and will include all processed ballots at that point. One to two more updates will be sent out Tuesday night after the initial one, and ballot processing will continue on Wednesday. Election results can be viewed here once they come in. Ban smartphones in the classroom. They are ruining our children's ability to learn When my son looked around the classroom during the test, he knew what was happening. He had a choice to make: Pull out his cell phone and cheat like his classmates or be graded on what he actually knew. By allowing personal technology in the classroom, were academically hobbling a generation of students and sending the wrong message to kids with character. At a minimum, Tennessee should ban electronic devices in public school classrooms if theyre not part of active instruction. Set clear classroom expectations and enforce the rules Were raising a generation of twitchy children who cant be without technology because we lack self-restraint as adults. The devastating impacts of screen addiction are well researched and increasingly common. Cincinnati Country Day freshman, Omika Monga, 14, left, and Emily Mixson, 15, work together on a service project, Monday, April 15, 2024. At the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, the school, in Indian Hill, instituted a no cell phone policy. Though excited to have their phones in school as freshman, they quickly adapted. Theyve developed closer friendships because theyre interacting with each other and not their phones. They also said they have less homework, because theyre able to get it done during school hours. That dependency is spilling over into the education system, and were not responding well. Dont hide behind the fig leaf of school safety. We can easily allow students to store their phones in the same classrooms where theyre supposed to be learning. In the exceedingly rare instance of an attack on a school, phones wouldnt be out of reach. Budgets cant be the issue either. Amazon sells a phone storage solution which hangs over the back of a classroom door for about ten dollars. Great bathrooms, beef jerky and art: Buc-ees is the key to uniting a divided America This is solely a matter of setting clear expectations and enforcing the rules. Kids who are not distracted by devices learn better A 2023 UNESCO report noted that banning smartphones from schools in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Belgium improved learning outcomes, especially for underperforming students. Student sitting at a desk while using a smartphone in the classroom. This isnt complicated. Switching between Shakespeare, YouTube, and TikTok doesnt exactly promote the sustained focus learning so often requires. Technology may enhance the learning experience, but only in a structured environment that is conspicuously absent in too many classrooms. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 77% of schools ban non-academic use of smartphones during the 2019-20 school year. While that might sound like the problem is being addressed, it isnt in reality. Having a policy and actively enforcing it are worlds apart. Young people know technology better than their parents Just ask any parent whose child has been given a personal computer by the school system. Kids have always been ahead of the adults with technology. I was pirating music with Napster before I knew it was illegal and my parents even understood the internet. My sons managed to set up virtual private networks to get around school restrictions before I recognized they were using their computers for games. Immersive technology is one hell of a temptation for teens whose prefrontal cortex and corresponding self-control arent fully developed. If Nashville calls for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war, it should be for the right reasons Were also putting teachers in the position of enforcing squishy policies. Teachers cant interrupt class time to divine whether a student is engaging in acceptable technology use. In a classroom where smartphones are permitted, doing so would be a full-time job. Tennessee legislature should take up anew cell phone ban bill A 2023 Common Sense study on phone use of 11 to 13-year-olds provided some insights into the modern classroom. During school hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays), 97% of participants used their phones for a median of 43 minutes (ranging from less than one minute to six and a half hours), the study notes. Rebecca Alexander Measured against Tennessee's 6.5-hour school day, roughly 11% of the academic day goes to social media, YouTube, and gaming on average. That translates to a week shaved off the school year without considering any lost learning due to distractions and cheating. Again, the kids most harmed by technological distractions are the ones who can least afford the academic setback. In the last session of the Tennessee General Assembly, Rep. Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, and Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, introduced legislation (House Bill 2758/Senate Bill 2809) which would require schools to prohibit students from using electronic devices during instructional time without permission. Jon Lundberg The House version failed to advance from the Education Administration Committee with eight votes in favor, eight votes against, and one present not voting. The Senate version fizzled in committee as well. If were serious about educational results for children and supportive of our teachers, that result cant be good enough. Cameron Smith, columnist for The Tennessean and the USA TODAY Network Tennessee Tennessee should send a message that our future is more important than our fears by ensuring that technology doesnt hinder students any longer. USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney who worked for conservative Republicans. He and his wife Justine are raising three boys in Nolensville, Tenn. Direct outrage or agreement to smith.david.cameron@gmail.com or @DCameronSmith on X, formerly known as Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor to letters@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee classrooms smartphone ban would help students learn better The trustee in charge of Alex Joness bankruptcy proceedings said Monday that he will move to shut down his Infowars media site and liquidate Joness business assets as he attempts to repay the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Court-appointed trustee Christopher Murray said in an emergency motion that he will conduct an orderly wind-down of Infowars and sell off its assets. The announcement comes weeks after a federal judge in Texas ruled to liquidate Joness personal assets. The judge did not determine the fate of Infowars at the time. The conservative media host used the platform to repeatedly call the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, Conn., a hoax, resulting in a nearly $1.5 billion judgment against him that forced him to declare bankruptcy. Families of the victims also sought to take over Joness social media accounts. Jones has continued to broadcast on Infowars amid the bankruptcy proceedings but has said he expects the platform to be shut down in the coming months. He has pledged to continue his show on another platform or as an employee under potential new ownership, though specifics on the plan are unknown. This is probably the end of Infowars here very, very soon. If not today, in the next few weeks or months, Jones told reporters outside court before a hearing earlier this month, The Associated Press reported. But its just the beginning of my fight against tyranny. Murray also asked Judge Christopher Lopez to pause efforts from Texas victims families to collect funds from Jones during the sale process, arguing they would interfere in the process. Proceeds from asset sales would be returned to the families. Jones lost two suits related to the Sandy Hook shooting: one $50 million judgment from a Texas family, and a $1.4 billion judgment from 20 Connecticut families. Referring to the Texas familys collection efforts, Murray said in the Sunday court filing that, The specter of a pell-mell seizure of [Infowarss] assets, including its cash, threatens to throw the business into chaos, potentially stopping it in its tracks, to the detriment of his duties in Joness personal bankruptcy case. The Trustee seeks this Courts intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course, Murray said. An attorney representing the Connecticut families involved in the suit said they support Murrays efforts and were disappointed by the Texas familys attempts to recover funds separately. This is precisely the unfortunate situation that the Connecticut (lawsuit) families hoped to avoid, attorney Christopher Mattei told AP. The families have not yet received any funds from Jones and appear unlikely to receive any significant portion of the sizable penalties. Jones has estimated in court records that he has less than $12 million in assets, meaning he will carry an enormous legal debt even after the media platform and his other assets are sold. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Auma Obama, a Kenyan activist and the half-sister of former president Barack Obama, was among protestors who were tear-gassed during a protest in Nairobi against a new finance bill. Obama, a Kenyan national, was seen on camera rubbing her eyes with a cloth and telling CNN reporter Larry Madowo that she had just been tear-gassed. I cant believe that these young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights; I came to join them, Obama said, crouched on the ground while a chaotic scene ensued around them. Thousands of protestors have joined in on demonstrating against a new controversial tax bill that has been passed. The bill would introduce new taxes, including an eco-levy raising the price of goods like period products and nappies. A proposal to tax bread was removed after public outcry - with many Kenyans frustrated over the rising cost of living. The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7bn in taxes as part of an effort to lighten the heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37 percent of annual revenue. Auma Obama spoke to CNN amid the ongoing protests after being struck by teargas, she says (CNN) Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenyas parliament leaving a number of people dead and dozens more injured. We are being tear-gassed. We have flags and banners, nothing else; these people have nothing else, Auma Obama added. Obama questioned how the authorities could teargas your own people, listen to them. Listen to these children; they are the future please listen to these young people. The activist referred to the fact that Kenya has a very youthful population, with over 80 percent of the population aged 35 years and below, a statistic also recorded by Kenyas National Council for Population and Development in 2017. Protesters hold a Kenyan flag outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building during a nationwide protest against a tax bill (AFP via Getty Images) Obama also touched on the significant unemployment problem that faces the country, saying that young people have no jobs and criticized the government for taxing the jobless. That is why I am here; I am here to tell them I support them, she said, calling on the authorities to create more jobs for them. Obama was also at the protest with her daughter, as pointed out by CNNs Madowo, but the reporting crew had to hurry away from the scene after what appeared to be more teargas were deployed near them. Dozens of protesters have been shot dead and injured while storming the Kenyan parliament on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images) Obama, the half-sister of the 44th president, has her own foundation called Sauti Kuu, which aims to help disadvantaged youths with new opportunities to help them live independent lives, their website states. The foundation has been involved in several projects, including the launch of a vocational center in 2018. Her brother Barack Obama traveled to Kenya for a two-day visit to support the launch six years ago. Auma Obama, born and raised in Kenya, has previously worked as a freelance journalist and a German lecturer at a university in the United Kingdom, before returning to Kenya in 2007 to start humanitarian work, later founding Sauti Kuu in 2010. Barack Obamas half-sister was tear-gassed in the middle of a live interview with CNN amid protests in the Kenyan capital Tuesday. Auma Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, showed up to support demonstrators taking part in nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes. Police opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas outside the parliament, with the chaos unfolding even as Obama tried to speak with CNN. Im here because look at whats happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners, she said. Moments later, she began coughing along with fellow demonstrators as tear gas enveloped the group. I cant even see anymore, were being tear-gassed, she said. BREAKING: Auma Obama is tear-gassed by Kenya police live on CNN as she joins peaceful protests against over-taxation pic.twitter.com/XLpsvLlDyz Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) June 25, 2024 Several bodies were seen by journalists outside the parliament after police opened fire, according to the Associated Press. A paramedic cited by Reuters said at least 10 demonstrators had been shot dead, though there was no immediate confirmation from police. The unrest hit a fever pitch Tuesday as protesters stormed the parliament and legislators fled. Parts of the building were set ablaze before reportedly being put out by police water cannons. Protesters have raged against a finance bill that would raise an extra $2.7 billion in taxes at a time when Kenyan citizens are already struggling. They are budgeting for corruption, one protester told Reuters. We wont relent. Its the government that is going to back off. Not us. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Youth-led protests and militarized police reactions have rocked Nairobi, Kenya, as the government pushes a controversial new tax policy. Amid the turmoil in the East African nations capital, former United States President Barack Obamas sister and niece were caught in the heavy police response as they joined protestors, all captured on live television. Who is Auma Obama? Auma Obama, an activist, journalist and author whos the 44th presidents older half-sister, was interviewed on Tuesday in the middle of the protest by CNN International correspondent Larry Madowo. As loud blasts, possibly from teargas canons, pop nearby, the 64-year-old explained that she joined the protests because young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. As the air around Obama and the other protestors became cloudy, she expressed, I cant even see anymore. We are being teargassed before she, Madowo and the others in the crowd were overcome by teargas and began fleeing the scene. BREAKING: Auma Obama is tear-gassed by Kenya police live on CNN as she joins peaceful protests against over-taxation pic.twitter.com/XLpsvLlDyz Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) June 25, 2024 These young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights The CNN broadcast returned to Madowo and Obama less than a minute later. Struggling to breathe, Obama said, I cant believe that these young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights, and we are being teargassed. We have flags and banners, nothing else. She explained that the protests are driven by young people objecting to policies such as taxing ancestral land, which she compared to a colonial situation. She also explained that the governments new taxes target young people who cannot afford them. Over 50% of our population who are under 35 have no jobs. We cannot tax them when they have no jobs, she said. Obama remarked that she was inspired to participate in the protests on behalf of her daughter, Akinyi Obama-Manners, who was also present and teargassed. Auma Obama and her daughter Akinyi Obama-Manners teargassed while live on CNN @festolang pic.twitter.com/wlpvLPMQHp Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) June 25, 2024 Controversial tax policies opposed by Gen Z This is one of the most heavy military responses I have seen, Madowo reported, saying that the authorities in Nairobi were turning the city center into what appears to be a war zone as they cracked down on unarmed protestors who had organized over social media. As The Washington Post reported, the chaotic scene occurred as Kenyans objected to a new financial bill, advocated by President William Ruto and pushed through the legislature by his ruling party, that would raise new taxes on the population. The bill increases income taxes and value-added tax, among other provisions. These new financial obligations have been particularly unpopular among young people, with the current demonstrations being called a Gen Z protest. Police crackdowns, which have included beatings and the use of teargas as well as live ammunition, killed at least one protestor last week. Several more deaths were mentioned Tuesday over social media. Also on Tuesday, protestors surged into the Parliament building, lighting part of it on fire. The government reportedly dropped some controversial measures from the tax bill before it was passed, but it remains to be seen whether it will make more concessions or continue to suppress demonstrations. However, with younger citizens mobilized against these new policies, heavy police response will not get rid of the discontent that these young Kenyans and their allies like Auma Obama are expressing. A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) PRAGUE, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. Noting at a ceremony held at the airport that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao expressed the hope that the renewed flight service will promote exchanges and interactions between the peoples of the two countries, as well as revitalizing bilateral tourism cooperation. Jiri Pos, chief executive officer of the Prague Airport, said, "We have trust in the potential of the market in both directions. Together with Hainan Airlines, we are building a bridge." The Czech tourism sector is "very much looking forward to getting a new wave of Chinese tourists coming to the Czech Republic," he added. Wen Rui'an, a Chinese student who was preparing to board the return flight to Beijing in the afternoon, said she had long been looking forward to the resumption of direct flights. "The return flight is faster, taking just over nine hours to reach Beijing," she said. "I also know some Czechs who are starting businesses or engaging in trade in China. The resumption of direct flights will bring convenience to their future travels as well," she added. Hainan Airlines is now offering three flights a week between Beijing and Prague, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. According to an official from HNA Aviation Group, with the successful resumption of this route, Hainan Airlines now has 11 destinations in Europe, with routes spanning Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe. A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines arrives at the Prague Airport, Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) Passengers from a Hainan Airlines plane are welcomed upon their arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) Editor: ZAD BARNWELL, S.C. (WJBF) South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that a Barnwell woman has been arrested for exploiting a vulnerable adult. Phyllis J. Daniels, 36, of Barnwell, S.C., was charged with of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and Financial Transaction Card Fraud. She was booked into the Aiken County Detention Center on Monday, June 24. In a joint investigation with the Attorney Generals Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit and Federal Bureau of Investigations, they uncovered that Daniels made unlawful and unauthorized use of the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult. It is alleged that Daniels obtained the victims debit card to use funds without permission between December 2021 and January 2022. The victim, who is classified as a vulnerable adult under state law, lived at Shadow Oaks Assisted Living Community in Aiken during the time of the alleged incident. The case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Wilsons office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. Politicians are joining leaders of Los Angeles Jewish community in condemning the actions of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who they say blocked access to a synagogue on Sunday, resulting in fistfights. The violence erupted outside Adas Torah in L.A.s heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood. Witnesses say the protestors, who oppose Israels military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on civilians blocked congregants from entering the synagogue, leading to skirmishes that left some people bloodied. Police eventually formed a skirmish line and brought the situation under control. One person was arrested. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators clash outside synagogue in L.A. Pico-Robertson neighborhood on June 23, 2024. (X: @LosAngeles_Scan) Protesters and counter-demonstrators are seen outside Adas Torah in Los Angeles on June, 23, 2024. (Photo by Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators clash outside synagogue in L.A. Pico-Robertson neighborhood on June 23, 2024. (X: @LosAngeles_Scan) Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators clash outside synagogue in L.A. Pico-Robertson neighborhood on June 23, 2024. (X: @LosAngeles_Scan) Pro-Palestinian protesters face off with LAPD officers in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood on JUne 23, 2024. (Photo by Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Adas Torah says some members of the community were maced and bear sprayed by demonstrators. [Sundays] violence in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood was abhorrent, and blocking access to a place of worship is unacceptable, said L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. I want to be clear that Los Angeles will not be a harbor for antisemitism and violence. Those responsible for either will be found and held accountable. Bass said LAPD had increased patrols in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood and outside other houses of worship. Bass announced several other components of the citys response at a Monday afternoon news conference at the Museum of Tolerance where she was joined by other elected officials, LAPD Chief Dominic Choi, and Jewish community representatives. Bass said local and state leaders would seek tens of millions of dollars in security grants for non-profits. Officials would also examine the common tactic of protesters wearing masks to conceal their identities and the permitting process for demonstrations. On Monday, President Joe Biden also condemned the demonstration as antisemitic. Im appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles, Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American. Sundays incident was the worst violence surrounding the Israel-Hamas war in L.A. since April 30, when pro-Israel demonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of UCLA. The full press conference can be viewed by following this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Wildlife officials in Tennessee euthanized a bear matching the description of a bear that wandered into a concession stand and helped itself to food before charging at an employee, authorities said. The bear was caught on camera inside the concession stand fittingly named Bear Can on Thursday night at Anakeesta, an outdoor adventure park in eastern Tennessee, officials said in a news release. The bear stood on its hind legs for a few seconds while looking at customers and eating food, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The bear appeared to be on its way out of the stand when it encountered a worker, startling them both and resulting in "brief physical contact" with a park employee, the agency said. The worker suffered minor, superficial injuries to her arm and back. Afterward, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency caught several bears. One bear "fitting the description of the bear involved in the concession stand incident" was euthanized after being caught, the agency said. Two others a female with four cubs and a larger male bear were caught and then released. "TWRA does not enjoy having to euthanize any wildlife, especially bears, and we don't do it indiscriminately," Dan Gibbs, a state black bear coordinator, said. The agency uses a Bear Conflict Matrix to determine if euthanization is appropriate, Gibbs said, adding that this bear was not a candidate for relocation because it had entered a stand with people present and made physical contact with a worker. Officials with the wildlife agency and the park met on Monday to discuss temporary garbage storage and food access issues inside the park. After the incident with the bear, Anakeesta bought temporary electric fencing and electrified "unwelcome mats" for use when the park is closed to guests, state officials said. The park also ordered steel caging to secure concession stand doors. There is a large population of black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which surrounds Anakeesta on three sides. "Bears are a big part of the magic in the Great Smoky Mountains," said Austin Martin, Anakeesta communications manager. "The Anakeesta team works diligently to create a safe space to co-exist with the native wildlife." Tennessee is home to approximately 5,000 to 6,000 bears. When Social Security mistakenly overpays benefits, you might get a bill | 60 Minutes Westmoreland County township to test paying volunteer firefighters a stipend_MB YT Clip Test 062524 What to do with your 401(k) when changing jobs NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) As of Monday night, the owner of a popular Wedgewood-Houston restaurant remains unconscious. Loved ones have asked for help in finding the suspect that hit him and took off. Matt Carney suffered serious head trauma when he was hit by a pickup truck in the parking lot of his restaurant, Smokin Thighs, Wednesday night. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Loved ones have prayed for progress as the beloved owner has shown little brain activity. We need to know what happened and who caused this, and we are determined we are going to figure it out, stated Robert Young, the CEO of Covert Results. It was around 5:40 Wednesday night when Carney stepped out of the side door of the restaurant with plans of heading home. What unfolded over the next 10 minutes in the back parking lot of the business is unknown, but it ended with Carney left unconscious in the middle of Wedgewood Avenue. We believe there could have been some sort of altercation and this may not be your typical hit and run that happened on the streets of Nashville, Young said. Carneys vehicle was parked in the rear of the restaurant. It was found running with the door open. As a friend, retired police officer and owner of a private investigation company, Young is on the case. One of the investigators working with me is retired police and spoke with a witness who was actually sitting on the patio and according to the witness he had just happened to look to his left and see what he described as a person hanging on to the side of or on the hood of a truck, Young explained. Witnesses reported seeing a 1980s to early 2000s model black pickup truck come from the rear of the restaurant at a high rate of speed and take a right onto Wedgewood Avenue. There, the Metro Nashville Police Department said that Carney was thrown off the truck and onto the pavement. The driver of the truck is then believed to have turned right onto Bransford Avenue and left. Young has asked neighbors to check surveillance footage and has called on witnesses for help. We are talking 5:45-5:50 on a Wednesday, its light outside and [theres] probably tons of traffic. One of the potential witnesses that was running in the area said there were two females who identified themselves as nurses who stopped, Young said. We would like to talk to them, wed like to see: did they see anything? Cause as oncoming traffic is coming towards Smokin Thighs, they might have seen or had a little bit better of a description on the actual getaway truck. Thats what we are looking for, said Young. Carney opened Smokin Thighs as a food truck in 2012 before opening a location in the Wedgewood-Houston area in 2014. (He) loves this community, loves grilling food and is just such a great guy, Young said. As a community, as a whole and for Matts friends and family, we just ask that everybody pray. Pray for Matt, pray for the family, pray for the business and everyone involved. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The Entrepeneur Organization, of which Carney is a long-time member, is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward in addition to the $10,000 privately funded amount. Tips can be submitted at 615-74-CRIME and callers can remain anonymous. A GoFundMe page has been created to help his wife during this difficult time, for more information click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Once again, Michigan is expected to be a key swing state in the next presidential election. Data from a new state report illustrates how turnout among young voters could be the deciding factor. Sign up for breaking news alert emails Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson hosted a youth voting roundtable on Monday in Detroit and released a new report on the disparity between active registered young voters and election turnout. Michigan led the nation in voter turnout rate among citizens aged 18-29 in the 2022 midterm elections, but numbers were still underwhelming with nearly 60% of active registered votes in that group choosing not to cast a ballot. In 2022, Michigan led the nation in youth voter turnout, and what this new report makes clear is weve still got work to do, Benson said in a statement. There are still too many young people in Michigan whose voices are not being heard at the ballot box. Trump holds slight edge over Biden in key swing states post-conviction There were approximately 1.361 million active registered voters in the 18-29 age range in Michigan for the 2022 midterm election, and only 556,000 cast ballots. That may have been the highest rate nationally, but it was a far cry from the 2020 turnout. In 2020, Michigan had 1.401 million active registered voters in that range, and more than 865,000 cast ballots. Voter turnout among that age range varies greatly by demographic. Rates were lower in more rural areas compared to counties with more urban areas. Counties with colleges and universities were also likely to see higher youth voter turnout. Washtenaw County home to the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University had the best turnout in 2022, with 56.3% of registered voters in the 18-29 age range casting a ballot. Ottawa County (Grand Valley State University) and Clinton County werent far behind at 50.2%. Kent County had the eighth-best turnout with 47.1%. Meanwhile, Luce County and Lake County each tied for worst youth voter turnout at 24.4%. Luce County had only 586 active registered voters in the 18-29 age range, and only 143 cast ballots in the 2022 midterm elections. Michigan breaks recycling rate record for third straight year Branch County (26.9%), Cass County (27.7%) and St. Joseph County (28.6%) were also in the bottom 10 for youth voter turnout. Benson says it is important that all residents who are legally able to vote understand the importance of their ballot. The SOS Office will work with outside agencies to promote the vote, she says. In 2024, we will work with nonpartisan partners across the state to give every eligible young voter no matter who they vote for the tools and information they need to fully participate in the upcoming elections, Benson stated. Lisa Wozniak, the executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, echoed Bensons belief, calling young people an incredibly important part of our electorate. Voting is more accessible in Michigan than every before, and its on all of us to meet young people where they are so they know all of the ways they can make their voice heard, she said. This portion of the electorate is civically engaged and will be key to defining the future of our democracy. To learn more about Michigans upcoming elections and early voting options, head to the SOS Office website at Michigan.gov/vote. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. In the vibrant tapestry of Washington, D.C.s LGBTQ+ community, few threads have been as brilliantly woven as that of Bernie Delia, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday at the age of 68. Delias life was a masterclass in advocacy, leadership, and unwavering commitment to equality, leaving an indelible mark on the fabric of Capital Pride and beyond. Delia, a founding member of the Capital Pride Alliance, began his tenure as board president in October 2011, coinciding with Ryan Boss start as executive director. He has been there through my entire Pride journey in this role and was my rock, friend, mentor, and confidant who I trusted 110 percent, Bos told The Advocate. He supported and contributed to the organization in many ways, creatively, through his experience as an attorney, communication skills, and his genuine passion for the role Pride can and should play in lifting the voices of our LGBTQ+ community. Delia was a trailblazer who broke barriers as one of the first out gay appointees at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a prosecutor for 26 years and served a notable stint in the Clinton White House. His leadership extended to Dignity Washington, where he provided essential spiritual support during the worst of the AIDS epidemic. Delias work in these arenas not only advanced the cause of LGBTQ + rights but also inspired countless individuals who witnessed his dedication and courage, according to Capital Pride. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her condolences to his family on social media, highlighting Delias profound impact. We are heartbroken at the news of Bernie Delias passing. Bernie leaves behind an incredible legacy in our city and country through his life and advocacy, he helped pave a path for LGBTQIA+ residents in our city and within the federal government to live and work openly and proudly. He helped transform Capital Pride into one of the largest and most inclusive Pride celebrations in the nation a true reflection and representation of our people and values, Bowser wrote. That is the DC that Bernie helped build and that he leaves behind. Bernie made it his mission to bring World Pride to DC, and next year, on the 50th anniversary of DC Pride and in his honor and memory, we will welcome people from across the country and around the world to a proud and beautiful DC. (@) Delias early years were marked by a relentless pursuit of justice and equality, reports The Independent. Raised on Long Island, he attended college in Maryland before pursuing law school in Texas . His legal career took him from clerking for a judge in the U.S. Virgin Islands to making significant strides in the nations capital. It was in D.C., in 1982, that Delia truly began to embrace and champion his identity within the LGBTQ+ community. By 1986, he was attending his first Pride celebration amid the shadow of the AIDS crisis that was devastating the community he had just begun to immerse himself in, the outlet reports. In the 1990s, Delias influence grew as a political appointee in the Clinton administration. He worked closely with figures like Attorney General Janet Reno, who was instrumental in removing barriers for LGBTQ+ people seeking security clearances, reports The Independent. Delias recent crowning achievement was his role as co-chair for World Pride 2025. His vision and determination were instrumental in securing Washington, D.C., as the host city for this global event, ensuring that the capital remains a beacon of inclusivity and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. We will always reflect on his life and legacy as a champion, activist, survivor, mentor, friend, leader, and a true inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community, the Capital Pride Alliance said in a statement . He leaves us with a legacy as a champion, activist, survivor, mentor, friend, leader, and a true inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community. Bernie will continue to guide us forward to ensure we meet this important milestone as we gather with the world to be visible, heard, and authentic. Delias influence was not confined to his public roles. He was also a mentor and friend to many within the community. Bos highlighted Delias impact, noting, He was someone I could share anything with. It wasnt just a collegial relationship; it was a friendship, a kinship. He was solid, he was steady, WTOP reports . Looking forward, the community Delia helped build and nurture will continue to honor his legacy through their ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and equality. World Pride 2025 in Washington, D.C., will serve as a crowning achievement of Delias vision and a poignant reminder of the enduring impact one individual can have on the world. The Biden administration is moving toward lifting a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine, four US officials familiar with the matter told CNN, to help the countrys military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems. The change would mark another significant shift in the Biden administrations Ukraine policy, as the US looks for ways to give Ukraines military an upper hand against Russia. The policy is still being worked on by administration officials and has not received final sign-off yet from President Joe Biden, officials said. We have not made any decisions and any discussion of this is premature, said one administration official. The president is absolutely firm that he will not be sending US troops to Ukraine. Once approved, the change would likely be enacted this year, officials said, and would allow the Pentagon to provide contracts to American companies for work inside Ukraine for the first time since Russia invaded in 2022. Officials said they hope it will speed up the maintenance and repairs of weapons systems being used by the Ukrainian military. Over the last two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and particularly US troops, stay far away from the Ukrainian frontlines. The White House has been determined to limit both the danger to Americans and the perception, particularly by Russia, that the US military is engaged in combat there. The State Department has explicitly warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine since 2022. As a result, US-provided military equipment that has sustained significant damage in combat has had to be transported out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs, a process which takes time. US troops are also available to help the Ukrainians with more routine maintenance and logistics, but only from afar via video chat or secure phonean arrangement that has come with inherent limitations, since US troops and contractors are not able to work directly on the systems. Administration officials began to seriously reconsider those restrictions over the last several months, officials said, as Russia continued to make gains on the battlefield and US funding for Ukraine stalled in Congress. Allowing experienced, US government-funded American contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they will be able to help fix damaged, high-value equipment much faster, officials said. One advanced system that officials say will likely require regular maintenance is the F-16 fighter jet, which Ukraine is set to receive later this year. Companies bidding for the contracts would be required to develop robust risk mitigation plans to mitigate threats to their employees, an official said. The discussions follow a series of decisions the US has made in recent months to try to help Ukraine beat back the Russians. In late-May, Biden gave Ukraine permission to strike targets inside Russia, near the border with the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, with US weaponsa request the US had repeatedly denied in the past. Last week, that policy appeared to expand once again, when National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Ukraine could counterstrike anywhere along the Ukraine-Russia border using US weapons. Current and former officials familiar with the discussions about deploying contractors to Ukraine emphasized that the policy change will not result in the kind of overwhelming American contractor presence there that existed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, it would likely result in anywhere from a few dozen to a couple hundred contractors working in Ukraine at a time. This would be a much more focused and thoughtful effort to support Ukraine in country, said retired Army officer Alex Vindman, who served as the director for European Affairs on former President Donald Trumps National Security Council. Vindman has been pushing the administration to lift the restrictions for nearly two years and said the administration has been working on a plan to ease the restrictions since earlier this year. Ukraine is an ally, Vindman told CNN. The US has keen, critical national security interests in supporting Ukraine, and there are plenty of risk mitigation measures. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Joe Biden on Monday joined a chorus of prominent Democrats in condemning a pro-Palestinian protest that devolved into chaos outside a synagogue in Los Angeles over the weekend, decrying the demonstrators as antisemitic and un-American. Tensions on the street escalated and gave way to violence after the protesterswho took issue with a My Home in Israel Real Estate event hosted at the Adas Torah synagogue which promised to provide information on how Americans can invest in Anglo areas of Israel and the West Bankclashed with Israel supporters whod assembled in counter-protest. Video circulated on social media showed the scene, which included people shoving one another, throwing punches, and wrestling on the ground. The Los Angeles Police Department, which responded to reports of the brawls, said one person was arrested at the protest for carrying a spiked post. Im appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship and engaging in violence President Biden (@POTUS) June 24, 2024 In a social media statement, Biden said he was appalled by the incident. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American, he added. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worshipand engaging in violenceis never acceptable. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued similar statements, with Bass saying shed ordered the police department to ramp up patrols in Pico-Robertson, the heavily-Jewish neighborhood where the protest was staged. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Gov. Kim Reynolds and members of her cabinet oversaw northwest Iowa impacted by flooding in a helicopter tour June 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Gov. Kim Reynolds' office) President Joe Biden has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for flooding in Iowa, allowing federal funding for residents and businesses in areas impacted by recent severe weather. The expedited declaration follows a request from Gov. Kim Reynolds in response to severe flooding from beginning June 16 in northwest Iowa. Heavy rainfall has caused flooding along the Missouri River and connected waterways, with some areas surpassing river levels from the historic 1993 floods. In the areas impacted by flooding and severe storms last weekend, Reynolds said at a Sunday news conference that 1,900 properties were affected or destroyed by water damages, and thousands of people were evacuated from flood areas. Iowa Emergency Management Director John Benson said that the total damages and costs remains unknown, but that the impacts of the weekend flooding are extensive. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Small Business Administration can now provide aid in Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth, and Sioux counties with Bidens declaration. People in these five counties can apply for assistance through FEMAs Individual Assistance Program for funds for costs of destroyed property as well as expenses for medical and legal services related to the severe weather. Area businesses can apply for low-interest loans through the SBA Disaster Loan Program. People seeking federal assistance can apply through the FEMA disaster assistance website and the SBA loan portal. Federal assistance for Iowa communities was also approved by Biden in May for areas impacted by tornados. Additionally, federal funding was made available through FEMAs Public Assistance Program for state, tribal and local governments, as well as certain nonprofit organizations, for disaster response work such as debris removal and emergency protective measures in Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, OBrien, Osceola, Plymouth, and Sioux counties. Funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide, according to FEMA. The flooding seen by Iowa communities like Rock Valley and Spencer over the weekend were part of a larger trend of major storms that hit the upper Midwest, also impacting areas of South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota. At least two people have died due to the extreme weather, including one man in Clay County who attempted to drive through floodwaters. Flooding has also caused the collapse of a bridge on Sunday connecting Sioux City in Iowa with North Sioux City, South Dakota. Rainfall up to 600% above normal The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported Monday that some stations of northwest and north central Iowa received several months worth of rainfall between 300% and 600% above the normal rainfall. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement weather forecasts show a reprieve from rainfall in northwest Iowa, but those downstream need to be prepared as this water heads south. Our hearts go out to all the Iowans affected by this devastating flooding. We do not yet know the full picture of damage to homes, businesses, farms, crops, livestock, communities and public infrastructure, but we know that it is likely to be substantial and costly, Naig said. Iowans are resilient and we will get through this together, but this recovery will certainly take some time and require considerable resources. Storms and subsequent flooding have not subsided yet. Another evacuation in the towns of Smithland and Rodney occurred early Tuesday after a levee broke on the Little Sioux River. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Transportation announced it plans to close a portion of Interstate 29 near Council Bluffs and portion of I-680 west of I-29 beginning Tuesday night due to rising flood waters, with timing based on Missouri River water levels and weather patterns. Governors ask Iowans to stay off Missouri River As flooding continues along the Missouri River, Reynolds and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen released a joint statement Monday urging people to stay off the river until water levels come down. Now is not the time to be on the water, Reynolds and Pillen said in the release. In addition to higher-than-normal flow, theres also the potential for more debris in the water, which poses a significant risk to anyone on the Missouri. Its best to wait until levels return to normal to resume regular activities. The National Weather Service has also predicted more heavy rainfall hitting other areas of the state in coming days. Donna Dubberke, meteorologist-in-charge at the Des Moines NWS said Sunday that eastern and central Iowa could see severe weather and flooding in the upcoming week. The post Biden approves federal aid for Iowa counties impacted by flooding as severe weather continues appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged China's willingness to work with Poland to push bilateral relations to a higher level and inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world. Xi made the remarks while holding talks in Beijing with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China. Noting Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained steady progress since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 75 years ago. Since China and Poland decided to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership eight years ago, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have expanded and deepened in an all-round way, benefiting the two peoples, he added. Noting that great changes are unfolding globally in an unprecedented way, Xi said China is ready to work with Poland to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, push bilateral relations to a higher level, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world. The key to the enduring relationship lies in that the two nations can draw wisdom and strength from their respective national history and cultural traditions, and independently develop their bilateral friendship, Xi said. The two sides should continue to adhere to the China-Poland friendship featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and mutual learning, understand and support each other's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, jointly oppose the Cold War mentality and camp confrontation, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and promote an equal and orderly global multipolarization and an economic globalization that benefits all, Xi said. Xi urged the two sides to make good use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee to strengthen strategic coordination and planning of cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance cooperation in major projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express, and strengthen cooperation in trade, agriculture, digital economy, green industry and clean energy. China welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Poland into the Chinese market, supports the expansion of two-way investment, and hopes Poland will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Xi said. China has decided to adopt a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens, Xi said, adding that both sides should vigorously promote exchanges in culture, youth, academia and media. China is willing to work with Poland and other countries to promote the sustainable development of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism, and advance the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations, he added. Duda said President Xi's state visit to Poland in 2016 was an important milestone in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi represents huge development opportunities for Poland, and the Belt and Road cooperation has strongly propelled Poland's infrastructure construction and economic development, he said. Poland greatly appreciates the principles China adheres to in international affairs and its contributions to world peace and development, Duda said, stressing that Poland firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Poland is willing to advance the Belt and Road cooperation with China, deepen exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, infrastructure, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and expand cooperation in new areas such as innovation, digital economy and new energy vehicles, he added. Duda said Poland is willing to maintain close multilateral communication and coordination with China to further develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to world peace and stability. Noting that Poland will assume the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, Duda said Poland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting EU-China relations and advancing cooperation between Central and Eastern European countries and China. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi stressed that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace talks and political settlement. At present, efforts should be made to avoid further escalation of the conflict, cool the situation down and create conditions for peace talks. "This is in the interests of the international community, including Europe." China opposes some individuals using the normal trade between China and Russia as an excuse to divert focus and smear China, Xi said, adding that China encourages and supports all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis, and promotes the building of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture. China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in its own way. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in economy, trade, agriculture and more. The two sides also issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Poland (2024-2027). Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Duda and his wife. A welcome banquet was also held for the guests in the evening. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Duda, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda prior to the talks between Xi and Duda in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi held talks with Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Editor: WXL President Joe Biden said he is deeply disturbed by the reports of an attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American at a neighborhood pool in Euless, according to a social media post on Monday. A woman in Euless is charged with attempted capital murder after police said she tried to drown a 3-year-old girl at an apartment pool on May 19. Police said the woman, who witnesses said was intoxicated, made racist comments before trying to drown the girl. No child should ever be subjected to a violent attack, and my heart goes out to the family, Biden wrote in the post. His statement joins those of local leaders, including District 92 State Rep. Salman Bhojani of Euless, who denounced what authorities have described as a hate-motivated attempted murder of two children. Bhojani said Texans cannot tolerate hate or let crimes motivated by it become the norm. The trauma and pain this has caused for the immigrant community broadly and Muslim community more specifically cannot be understated, Bhojani said at a news conference Saturday. The children were in the shallow end of the swimming pool at the apartment, watched by their mother, on May 19 when a woman, identified as Elizabeth Wolf, 42, approached and asked the mother where she was from, according to police and witnesses. The mother was wearing a hijab and speaking Arabic to her children. The mother said in a news release from the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the woman jumped into the pool and pulled the children to the deep end, where she attempted to drown them. Police said in a news release that Wolf attempted to grab the 6-year-old boy but he managed to get away. The mother went to help her son, but Wolf grabbed the 3-year-old girl and forced her under the water. Wolf is accused of kicking at the mother as she tried to get to her daughter and pulling off her hijab, hitting her with it, according to police. A man jumped into the water and helped rescue the girl from Wolf, according to CAIR. The woman was approached by Euless police officers as she tried to leave and placed under arrest for public intoxication. As Wolf was being handcuffed by police she shouted, I will kill her, and I will kill her whole family, according to a news release. President Biden and prominent Democrats condemned protests of an Israeli real estate sale at a Los Angeles synagogue on Sunday, calling the protests antisemitic. Groups protesting the Israel-Hamas war and U.S. policy towards Israel gathered outside the Adas Torah, synagogue where organizers held an event advertising real estate for sale in housing projects in all the best Anglo neighborhoods in Israel. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American, Biden said in a statement posted Monday on social media. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship and engaging in violence is never acceptable. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) also denounced the protests. Protest group CodePink blasted Bidens characterization as lies in a statement Monday. It is outrageous that President Biden and certain media outlets have misrepresented this protest as an anti-Semitic attack on worshippers, the group said in a statement, making clear that the protest was against the real estate sale and not related to the synagogue itself. This rhetoric is reminiscent of the McCarthy-era smears used to discredit and, at times, deport activists for peace & civil rights, it continued. Not only is his narrative false but also dangerous the protest aimed to address the unethical sale of Palestinian land, not to target any religious group. It was unclear if real estate in the event included property on disputed land in the West Bank, which would be illegal under international law. The protest group also said Bidens rhetoric fans the flames of Islamophobia, pointing to an attempted drawing of a 3-year-old Palestinian-American girl in Texas last month. The group called out Biden for not yet making a public statement about the crime after the woman was charged with murder on Sunday. Just hours after CodePinks statement, Biden denounced the Texas attack. Conflict over the protest comes as discontent continues to increase over Bidens response to the Israel-Hamas war. The conflict has divided Democrats as the Israeli government appears reluctant to embrace a Biden-led cease-fire agreement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. It was September 1983, and a young senator named Joe Biden had a message for President Ronald Reagan. "I would not support any authorization for troops in Lebanon of any duration absent much more clearly defined goals and a reasonable prospect of attaining those goals," Biden said, commenting on a proposed congressional war powers resolution. U.S. Marines had been deployed to Lebanon as part of peacekeeping mission in the wake of an Israeli invasion aimed at destroying Palestinian militias, and Congress was debating whether to continue the mission. A month after Biden's warning, a truck bomb killed 241 American and 58 French peacekeepers in their barracks, and Reagan pulled out the Americans. Today, Biden is considering sending U.S. forces back into the fraynot as bystanders but as direct combatantswith far less permission from Congress. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, a parallel border conflict has been raging in the north. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah and the Israeli army are shelling into each other's territory, forcing around 100,000 people on each side of the border out of their homes. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has said that it will continue until an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Israeli officials are considering a "blitzkrieg" offensive to neuter Hezbollah. Last year, Biden dissuaded Israel from launching an invasion of Lebanon. He has also dispatched U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, an Israeli army veteran who previously secured an Israeli-Lebanese border agreement, to mediate between the two sides. But while he's discouraging an Israeli invasion, Biden is also promising to back one up if it happens. CNN reported on Friday that the Biden administration was offering "assurances" of U.S. military support to Israel if a major war breaks out, "though the US would not deploy American troops to the ground in such a scenario." Then, on Monday, Politico reported that Biden was contemplating "more direct military support" if Israel comes under "severe duress." And that's a real likelihood. Separately, a U.S. official told CNN last week that Israel's Iron Dome air defense system "will be overwhelmed" in the event of a full-on missile war, according to U.S. assessments. A week ago, Hezbollah published a video of one of its drones hovering over the Israeli port city of Haifa. The Politico report "has been my understanding of how Biden specifically would like to react," says Sam Heller, an American who lives in Lebanon and works as a fellow at Century International, a nonprofit New Yorkbased research institute. "Israel's performance since October has really indicated that to sustain this [war], they will require a substantial and continuous input from their American partner, inputs of many kinds," Heller adds. "It seems U.S. intervention along those lines will also be a real mess and will also invite reprisals against U.S. forces around the region." Over the past six months, U.S. forces have already come under attack from Iraqi and Yemeni militias. Publicly and privately, pro-Iran forces from around the region are offering to send troops in defense of Lebanon. Biden's support for Israel has been steadily escalating. At the beginning of the war, the Biden administration rush-shipped American weapons to Israel. In November, the U.S. military began sharing targeting intelligence with the Israeli army. In April, after Israel bombed an Iranian consulate in Syria, the U.S. military shot down most of the drones and missiles that Iran launched in retaliation. In May, Biden eventually held up a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, arguing that this type of weapon had harmed too many civilians. "Israel doesn't need them for Gaza, but it would if the conflict in Lebanon escalates further," CBS News reported, citing a U.S. official. Ironically, the Israeli-Lebanese conflict is pitting American taxpayer-funded weapons against American taxpayer-funded weapons. For years, the United States has tried to finance and train Lebanese government forces in order to reduce Hezbollah's influence. During recent talks, Hochstein proposed that Hezbollah could withdraw from the border and the U.S.-funded Lebanese troops could take its place. But Israeli forces struck Lebanese government troops at least 34 times between October and December, according to CNN. (The Israeli army denied that these were intentional attacks.) The White House's National Security Council told CNN that it "do[es] not want to see this conflict spread to Lebanon and we continue to urge the Israelis do all they can to be targeted and avoid civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilian farmland, the [United Nations], and the Lebanese Armed Forces." Although Congress has approved aid to both Israel and Lebanon, it did not intend to fund a war between the two countries. Nor did it ever discuss U.S. forces getting involved themselves. The National Security Council and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Direct U.S. involvement would "raise significant issues" with the president's war powers, says Brian Finucane, a former U.S. State Department lawyer and adviser to the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit research organization. "The White House would cite Article II of the Constitution as authority for something like providing air defense to Israel, and may try to skirt the War Powers Resolution, as it did back in April," he adds. A younger Biden had a lot to say about that notion. "I hope what we have learned from our encounters in Southeast Asia is that a foreign policy, absent the consent of the governed, is not likely to last very long," he commented during the debate over the 1983 resolution, "so it is best to get as many people on board at the outset." The post Will Biden Drag Americans Into a War in Lebanon? appeared first on Reason.com. President Biden announced Tuesday that an international police force led by Kenya has deployed to Haiti to fight armed gangs and that the troops will provide much-needed relief to the crime-stricken Caribbean island. An initial wave of 400 Kenyan forces arrived Tuesday, the first phase of the eventual deployment of 1,000 troops. The police force will now have to take on heavily armed gangs, who have taken almost complete control of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and have run amok since February, when gang members consolidated power and freed prisoners. Biden said that rampant gang violence has killed or wounded thousands of Haitians, left more than half a million people displaced and has forced nearly 5 million to face severe food insecurity. The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families, and enjoy democratic freedoms, he said in a statement. Haitis future depends on the return to democratic governance. While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them. The Kenyan-led force will work with the Haitian National Police fighting against the gangs, but who have been overwhelmed by the strength and numbers of the criminal groups. While the police force is led by Kenya, several countries are contributing to the mission: Benin, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Spain. The U.S. is not deploying forces but has committed more than $300 million for the mission, along with another $60 million for equipment. Biden hosted Kenyan President William Ruto at the White House last month and said he was confident that the police force could break the backs of the armed gangs. Ruto has also fully supported the mission, which was first approved by the United Nations last fall. The Kenyan president held a press conference with his troops on Monday ahead of the deployment. Your presence in Haiti will bring hope and relief to communities torn apart by violence, Ruto said at the briefing. Kenya has dealt with delays and court challenges related to the deployment, and some are opposed to it in the country. On Tuesday, as Kenyan forces deployed, protests swept Nairobi against a proposed bill authorizing a tax hike, which is not related to the Haiti deployment. Haiti has been consumed by overwhelming gang violence since the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, but the conflict has only deepened in recent months and has now plunged the small island of around 11 million people into a severe humanitarian crisis. Haitis former prime minister, Ariel Henry, was forced to resign in the spring, when gangs swept into power in Port-au-Prince. A transitional government was formed in April to create a new governmental body when peace is restored. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Biden needs to focus on infrastructure, Trump during Atlanta debate, supporters say We are just over two days away from the presidential debate here in Atlanta and were hearing what each candidate will try to tell Georgia. There are two sayings that are really relevant right now: Atlanta influences everything and Georgia is the center of the political universe. Both candidates trying to get their message across during Thursday nights debate and remember, both want that message to resonate here in Georgia because Georgia is a battleground. Channel 2s Richard Elliot spoke one-on-one with Georgias Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff moments after he had a news conference in downtown Atlanta. I think the president is in a strong position, Ossoff told Elliot. He also hosted a rally for the Biden campaign. Just two days before the debate, Ossoff said he thinks Biden needs to remind Georgia voters what hes done for them -- especially in terms of infrastructure. RELATED STORIES: Georgia is benefiting from the bipartisan infrastructure law. When you look at the investments that are coming in advanced energy, electric vehicle production, semiconductor manufacturing through the manufacturing incentives, Georgia is making out better than just about any state in the country, Ossoff said. New polling shows Biden slightly behind Trump in Georgia, 43% to 38%. The same polls show Robert Kennedy, who isnt officially on the ballot yet but is expected to be, at 9% with 8% undecided. But with a 3.1% margin of error, Georgia is still up for grabs. Caroline Sunshine is the deputy communication director for the Trump campaign. He has a great record to run on, and hes looking forward to standing on that debate stage, Sunshine told Elliot. She said Trump plans to focus on his record as president and draw comparisons with Biden. But no matter what they throw at him, you cannot dispute President Trumps record, you know, and you are going to see that on that debate stage. Under Joe Biden, we have the worst border crisis in U.S. history. Thats a fact, Sunshine said. The debate is Thursday night and you can watch it LIVE on WSB-TV at 9 p.m. RELATED NEWS: How Biden and Trump insiders say their candidates are preparing for the debate Donald Trump and Joe Biden will stand face to face for the first time since 2020 (AFP via Getty) With barely two days to go until Joe Biden and Donald Trump stand face to face for the first time since 2020, the presidents closest aides and confidants say they are leaving nothing to chance. Since last week, Biden has been hunkered down with a close coterie of his most trusted advisers first at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, and for the last five days at Camp David, the US Navy-run, rustic and remote presidential retreat in Thurmont, Maryland. Its there, in the arborous setting where Biden convened the leaders of Japan and South Korea for a historic summit last year, that the presidents brain trust has been dutifully preparing him for a debate with Trump. Thursday nights TV debate is impossible yet unavoidable, one White House insider said in a brief conversation with The Independent. Since decamping to Thurmont several days ago, Biden has been going through a period of intensive policy discussions and rhetorical workshopping with a cast drawn from his current campaign staff, his White House aides, and his longtime circle of Democratic greybeards, including his current and former White House chiefs of staff, Jeffrey Zients and Ron Klain. Also making the trip to Camp David? His 2020 campaign boss, Jen OMalley Dillon; his current campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez; former Democratic congressman Cedric Richmond; senior advisers Bruce Reed, Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; and Bidens White House and campaign communications directors, Ben LaBolt and Michael Tyler. A Biden campaign official told The Independent that the presidents focus there will be on prepping to hold Trump accountable for his extreme record and the dangerous things hes been saying on the trail. Specifically, that means hammering his rival on ripping away reproductive rights, promoting political violence and undermining our democratic institutions, and doing the bidding of his billionaire donors to fund tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy and corporations by hurting seniors and the middle class. The official contrasted Bidens efforts this year with his 2020 campaign, when he was able to spend months on prep due to the relatively light schedule he undertook while working from his Delaware home during the pandemic. These days, the official said, Bidens day job of public attendances connected to being president has taken up most of his time. But the official also pointed out that Biden has been increasingly punchy in comments hes made about Trump. He plans to come out swinging while still projecting himself as the wise and steady leader in contrast to Trumps chaos and division. If contrast with Trump is what Biden is looking to show, then Trump is certainly doing his part. The first convicted felon to seek the presidency after losing a re-election contest, Trump has largely eschewed structured debate preparation in favor of freewheeling policy discussions with a retinue of sycophants and right-wing fellow travelers, including several vice-presidential hopefuls such as Ohio senator JD Vance and North Dakota governor Doug Burgum. His longtime senior adviser, Jason Miller, said in a statement that Trump simply does not require formal preparation because he takes on numerous tough interviews every single week and delivers lengthy rally speeches while standing, demonstrating elite stamina. He does not need to be programmed by staff or shot up with chemicals like Joe Biden does, Miller added. The accusation that Biden will be drugged during the debate is a familiar theme for Trump, whose allies began circulating similar claims after the president delivered a bombastic and raucous State of the Union address in March. Theres no evidence that Biden has needed chemical enhancements of any kind, though accusations of Adderall dependence have dogged Trump for years in liberal circles. Still, the claims have persisted because Trumps most fervent supporters have become invested in the idea that Biden is a walking vegetable who isnt supposed to be able to defeat their leader in an honest debate. Thats why one Trump ally, disgraced former White House doctor turned Texas congressman Ronny Jackson, actually went so far as to demand that Biden undergo a drug screening before this weeks debate. One longtime Republican operative who spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity called the tactic sad and tired and suggested it was born out of desperation because Trump refuses to stop attacking Biden as senile. Its never been a good idea to constantly lower the bar for your opponent, but thats what [Trump] does because it makes him feel better about himself, they said. But, expectations having been lowered, the Biden team is confident that the president will turn in a solid performance and banish the first-debate curse that has befuddled incumbent presidents for decades. One former campaign official who remains close to Bidenworld said the president is hoping that the debate, which will be the earliest that two general election candidates have met during the election cycle in decades, will jump-start his relatively moribund re-election bid. He will then head into what his campaign is billing as a frenetic period of activity over the next few weeks. Theres a lot of folks who havent tuned into this race and arent really paying attention. Theres also a lot of folks who maybe havent really internalized the decision that its Joe Biden or Donald Trump [whos] going to be president next January, they said. And it is critically important that they kind of see that that is the choice in this election. And thats what the president and his team really want to do they really want to illustrate how that is the binary choice coming up in November. The former official, who has done preparatory work with the president many times, said Bidens process is multifaceted in how he prepares for things. They stressed that his most difficult but important task will be distilling relatively dense talking points into 30-second soundbites. They also suggested that Biden will have a more difficult task than Trump because of the need for him to both discuss the progress of his last three and a half years in office and lay out what he wants to do in his next four years. And he wants to contrast that with what Donald Trump would do. Thats also a not small amount of ground to cover in 60 seconds, and then you fold in the fact that Trump will lie about the presidents record or say false things that arent immediately fact-checked, they said, and it becomes quite a challenge for the president to decide what hes going to do with a relatively short amount of time. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are working to meet vastly different expectations for their performances at Thursday's debate -- expectations that, for each, have been largely set by Republicans. With enduring voter concerns expressed in polls over Biden's age and mental fitness, but also fueled largely by a robust conservative social media and cable ecosystem, operatives in both parties suggested to ABC News the bar for Biden has been lowered to the point that even a coherent message would exceed expectations. At the same time, Trump and his allies have emphasized what they tout as the former president's stamina, setting a standard that could prove difficult to exceed. "I think the Republicans have made the mistake of saying, 'Joe Biden's barely alive and Trump's Mr. Vigor,'" said Peter Giangreco, a Democratic strategist and Barack Obama campaign alum. "They've set those expectations. They've really set Trump up to fail." PHOTO: Donald Trump and Joe Biden in 2020 U.S. presidential debates. (Getty Images) Raising questions about Biden's fitness for office has been a cornerstone of GOP strategy, with Trump, Republican lawmakers and allies in the media making unsubstantiated claims about his mental faculties based on verbal mishaps and floating the idea that the president wouldn't live through a second term, including by disseminating deceptively edited video clips of his public appearances. The Republican messaging has at times veered into conspiratorial waters, with Trump and others suggesting any strong showing by Biden, similar to his energy level in his State of the Union address in March, would be due to performance-enhancing drugs. "Joe Biden doesn't have a clue. Now we're going to watch. Is anybody going to watch the debate? He's going to be so pumped up," Trump said at a rally last week in Racine, Wisconsin. In Philadelphia on Saturday, he claimed Biden would be "jacked up" by getting a shot "a little before debate time." PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Festival Park in Racine, WI, June 18, 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) The White House and Democratic allies have ridiculed the drug-use allegations but also have been relatively conservative in public about how strongly Biden will perform on Thursday. MORE: Biden heads to Camp David to prepare for 1st presidential debate with Trump On the flip side, Republicans have elevated Trump as a paragon of vitality, citing his numerous media interviews and long speeches at rallies, which themselves are often pockmarked with factual errors and flubs. "President Trump takes on numerous tough interviews every single week and delivers lengthy rally speeches while standing, demonstrating elite stamina," Trump senior advisor Jason Miller told ABC News. That kind of rhetoric has some Republicans wondering whether they've boxed themselves in on the expectations game. "The Republicans, and particularly the conservative media, have not done any favors here by portraying Biden as meandering, stumbling, can barely put a sentence together, because they've just lowered his expectations to the floor. All he's going to have to do is basically show up and sound halfway decent, and he will meet the expectations he has," said GOP strategist David Kochel, who advised Jeb Bush's 2016 campaign. Trump appeared to try to bump expectations for Biden, saying on a podcast on Thursday that he "will be somebody who will be a worthy debater" and that "I don't want to underestimate him." He and his campaign have also cast CNN moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper as out to get him, another apparent attempt to influence the expectations game. Yet, when asked if Republicans could effectively raise Biden's expectations before Thursday, Kochel replied, "It's too late for that." "I think there should have been a meeting or an agreement that you're gonna have Biden's expectations a lot higher, but it is what it is," he said. "They've been driving this doddering old narrative for a while." PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 07, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Democrats, meanwhile, are hopeful that Biden could emerge from Thursday with a boost, a departure from a level of hand-wringing that has become cliche in political circles. "Anything short of Biden forgetting his first name or having a major physical, mental, psychological breakdown on stage means Biden is likely to, at least from the expectations game, walk away the winner. That's how poorly the Republicans have managed expectations," said one Democratic pollster. Strategists of both parties said exceeding expectations and having a strong debate could be a rare opportunity for both candidates to change voter perceptions of them and try to alter stubbornly stable polling. Trump is anticipated to light into Biden over the economy and the border, two issues polls show are top voter concerns, with Republicans a contrast, posed effectively, could help supercharge Trump's campaign -- particularly if viewers also see a more visual contrast in verve between the two candidates on stage. "Voters want him to be a disruptor, whether it's in performance, whether it's in rhetoric, or whether it's in results, and all he has to do is point to his first term as president as being disruptive with a model of economic success, and that's what he has to do. That's what wins this debate," said one former Trump campaign official who remains in touch with the former president's current team. Still, some Republicans wanted a disruptor with a milder temperament on stage, worrying that attempts to shout down Biden would rub voters the wrong way. "Good performance for Trump is not to be over aggressive toward Biden," one attendee of a Trump fundraiser in Louisiana told ABC News when leaving the event on Monday. "Let Biden run." For Biden, Democratic strategists said, a strong performance on such a large stage could help tamp down worries over his age -- a voter concern perceived to be a major obstacle in Biden's path to reelection. "I see the debates as a real opportunity for him to demonstrate that he has what it takes to do the job of president effectively and assuage a lot of those concerns that are currently holding back a lot of Democratic-leaning voters from supporting him," said one source familiar with the Biden campaign's strategy. Still, it's unclear precisely how much the narrative around Biden's age could be tamped down. While Biden delivered what was widely regarded as a strong State of the Union in March -- leading Democrats to cheer the demise of talk about Biden's fitness -- their concern continued after only a brief reprieve. MORE: Republican women are more motivated than Democratic women to vote in 2024: Survey The source familiar with the Biden campaign's strategy said focus-group data suggest voters view an unscripted debate as different from a State of the Union. But it remains to be seen how much a clear debate win would supercharge Biden's campaign while polls show voters trust Trump more on top issues. "That narrative is very ingrained already, and the biggest challenge for the for the Biden campaign is that their entire campaign is based on telling people 'what you see with your own eyes, what you feel in your own pocketbook, what you see happening going on at the southern border isn't real, believe me,'" said former Trump campaign official Marc Lotter. "That's a difficult position for any campaign to be in." Still, falling short of expectations could become a significant stumbling block for either candidate. Operatives said an "unhinged" Trump who focuses more on Biden's family and voter fraud could remind swing voters who backed Biden in 2020 why they first rejected the former president, while a faltering performance by the president could inflict one of the worst kinds of damage a campaign could suffer -- reinforcing a preexisting idea. "If Trump seems unhinged, Biden's campaign will gain a lot of momentum. He'll quickly excite his base, and you will see independents shift to him. If Biden appears too old, doesn't seem in control, doesn't seem able to do the job, that will depress his base's excitement, it will scare independent voters and really energize the Republicans in a way that will make it hard for his campaign to recover," said Alex Conant, who worked on the 2016 presidential campaign of Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, whose own White House ambitions were dashed partially by a poor primary debate performance. "Both candidates," Conant said, "have a lot on the line." Soo Rin Kim contributed to this report. Biden, Trump spin, navigate expectations game ahead of debate: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi delivered an important speech at the meeting here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday underscored the importance of sci-tech modernization and innovation in pursuing Chinese modernization and high-quality development. Noting the strategically leading and fundamental supporting role of science and technology, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged efforts to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and expedite high-level sci-tech self-reliance to realize the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035. Xi presented China's top sci-tech award and made the remarks at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Ding Xuexiang announced the award decision. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the meeting. Xi presented medals and certificates for the country's top sci-tech award to Li Deren, an academician of CAS and CAE from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University. He then shook hands with the two scientists and extended his congratulations. Xi and other Party and state leaders, together with the two winners of the top sci-tech award, presented certificates to other award recipients. China has made new breakthroughs in basic frontier research, taken new strides in strategic high-tech fields, achieved new results in high-quality development driven by innovation, opened up new prospects in the reform of the sci-tech system, and made new progress in sci-tech opening-up and cooperation with the rest of the world, Xi said. Xi pointed out that experience accumulated from the sci-tech development in the new era must be adhered to and continuously enriched in practice. The experience includes adhering to the overall leadership of the Party, the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, innovation-driven development, deepening reform to stimulate innovation vitality, the virtuous cycle of education, sci-tech development and talent, the cultivation of innovation culture, as well as sci-tech opening-up and cooperation for the benefit of mankind. Xi pointed out there are still some weak spots in the development of the country's sci-tech undertakings. The country must further enhance its sense of urgency and intensify its efforts in sci-tech innovation, so as to secure a leading position in sci-tech competition and future development, he said. Xi urged giving full play to the advantages of the new national system for mobilizing nationwide resources, improving the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over sci-tech work, and building a coordinated and efficient decision-making and command system, as well as organization and implementation system. China must fully leverage the decisive role of the market in allocating sci-tech resources, and better utilize the role of the government, he said. Xi urged the promotion of the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation to facilitate the development of new quality productive forces. He called for an increase in high-quality sci-tech support for major sectors and vulnerable links in the construction of modern industrial system, fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries, and actively using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries. Xi called for deepening the comprehensive reform of sci-tech systems and mechanisms, and emphasized the importance of an integrated reform in educational, scientific and talent institutions to cultivate a large, well-structured and high-caliber team of innovative talent. Xi also called for achieving sci-tech self-reliance and strength through openness and cooperation. He called for the further implementation of international sci-tech cooperation initiatives, broadening channels for exchanges and collaborations at both governmental and non-governmental levels, and leveraging platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative to support collaborative research by scientists worldwide. Xi urged efforts to engage in the global innovation network, participate in global technology governance, and work together to tackle global challenges. Xi expressed the hope that academicians of the CAS and the CAE will serve as pioneers at the forefront of science and technology, undertake important tasks, guide the growth of young talent, and exemplify the spirit of scientists. He called on all sci-tech workers to actively align their academic pursuits with the great cause of building a nation that is strong in science and technology. Presiding over the conference, Li Qiang pointed out that Xi's remarks summarized the important experience of sci-tech development, elaborated the role of sci-tech innovation in promoting Chinese modernization and building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and clarified the basic connotation and main tasks of building a strong country in science and technology under the new circumstances. Monday's meeting was attended by about 3,000 people and honored 250 projects and 12 sci-tech experts, with two scientists winning the top award, 49 projects the State Natural Science Award, 62 projects the State Technological Invention Award, 139 projects the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and 10 foreign experts the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents medals and certificates of China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren (R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of CAS from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 to Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, together with the two winners of the national top sci-tech award, present certificates to representatives of winners of the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Xi Jinping communicates with Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping communicates with Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Prior to the meeting, Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state meet and pose for a group photo with representatives of the national sci-tech award winners prior to a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Li Qiang presides over a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Ding Xuexiang announces the award decision at a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Editor: WXL Bill could offer owners of threatened oceanfront homes along the NC coast a way out An oceanfront home in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks collapsed into the Atlantic in late May. It was the sixth home since 2020 to fall into the ocean in the small village on Hatteras Island. A new bill could give beachfront property owners an added incentive to remove threatened homes before they fall into the ocean and become health, safety and environmental hazards. But is it still too little, too late for condemned structures? Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress this month would allow federal flood insurance funds to be used to remove teetering oceanfront structures on the brink of falling into the water. The proposal, dubbed the Prevent Environmental Hazards Act, comes after yet another home in late May fell into the Atlantic in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks. That makes six properties that have collapsed into the ocean in the Hatteras Island village that has some of the highest erosion rates along the East Coast since 2020, and the fourth along the small stretch of Ocean Drive since 2022. The U.S. House bill, one of whose two primary sponsors is North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy and who represents the Outer Banks, would allow homeowners to receive payouts from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to demolish or relocate condemned structures before they fall into the ocean. Collapsed homes in Rodanthe have left debris fields that ocean currents can send for miles along the beachfront, which is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The most recent collapse sent debris washing several miles along the coast and threated the southern end of the neighboring Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Cleaning up the structural waste can require dozens of officials and volunteers and cost thousands of dollars not to mention the economic damage to local businesses from having beaches closed and the potential environmental impacts on wildlife. In a release, Murphy said homeowners shouldn't have to wait until their home has literally washed away before receiving compensation from the national flood insurance program. "Proactive planning will better serve eligible beneficiaries, improve public safety, save taxpayer dollars, and protect the surrounding environment," the congressman said. "This effort gives homeowners more options to protect their livelihoods and expands forward-thinking approaches to the many coastal challenges we face. Additionally, it prevents environmental hazards along our pristine coastlines before they occur." The other primary sponsor of the bill is U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. The congresswoman said the bill would allow local governments and property owners to be proactive rather than reactive, adding that the problem of threatened coastal structures isn't limited to just one section of the U.S. coastline. "Giving our coastal communities more funding options is crucial to mitigating future climate change impacts and I am happy to be a part of this bipartisan effort," she said in a release. Under current rules, property owners can only receive payouts from the national flood insurance program after a home has collapsed. Flood insurance is almost universally only offered by the federal government because of the inability of private insurance companies to offer policies priced to cover the true costs of their potential liabilities. Because local governments have limited legal means beyond condemnation to force private property owners to undertake the expensive task of demolishing or relocating a threatened structure, that can leave homeowners and oceanfront communities stuck in a holding pattern until a structure collapses or the sand comes back either naturally or via a beach nourishment project. Local governments dont have a lot of tools in their toolboxes to get people off the beach, said Dr. Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. This is the first real tool they will have to get these structures off the public beach." While proposals like this bill wouldn't be a magic wand to solve the overall problem of derelict buildings along the coast, Young said it's a start. For those of us interested in getting threatened homes off the beach and not creating debris streams miles long when they do collapse, we need some mechanisms like this to make that happen," he said. "This is certainly a positive step in that direction." The proposed legislation would: Authorizes flood insurance payouts for structures condemned due to chronic erosion or unusual flooding. Allows advance payouts for demolition or relocation: up to 40% of the homes value or $250,000. Limits payouts to 40% if owners neglect to act before a collapse. Reduces confusion in attributing damage to specific floods. Encourages proactive demolition or relocation to prevent collapses and reduce cleanup costs. FALLING DOWN: Another Outer Banks house collapses into the ocean, the latest such incident along NC coast CHANGING TIDES: On the Outer Banks, structures rise and fall as climate change looms Oak Island officials are hoping to pump an estimated 3 million cubic yards of material onto the town's 9-mile-long beachfront this winter to help restore dunes and "fatten" up the beach. Among the areas seeing the worst erosion is the town's western end near Lockwood Folly. What could the bill mean for Southeastern N.C.? While the epicenter for oceanfront homes threatened by chronic erosion in North Carolina is along the Outer Banks, there are beachfront areas in the southern third of the state where homes are just a few failed sandbags or a very bad nor'easter from finding themselves in a similar situation. The north end of North Topsail Beach, which is also in Murphy's district, has suffered from severe erosion woes for decades due to storm-related damages and the meanderings of New River Inlet. Farther south, sandbags have lined parts of the southern tip of Kure Beach in front of The Riggings apartment complex since the Reagan presidency. Sandbags also have been a common presence along parts of Bald Head Island and parts of Ocean Isle Beach for years. Among the newest areas where an eroding beach is leading to growing concern is the west end of Oak Island, where Hurricane Isaias raked the Brunswick County shoreline nearly four years ago, chewing away a lot of the town's beach. Storms, king tides and gradual sea-level rise has since then added to the pain, leaving nearly a dozen homes near Lockwood Folly Inlet relying on sandbags for protection from the encroaching Atlantic. PHOTOS: Erosion along Oak Island's west end Oak Island hopes to undertake a beach nourishment this winter to rebuild much of the town's beach line, although some environmentalists and others have raised concerns about the plan to pump 3 million cubic yards of material primarily from a borrow site 18 miles offshore. With sand becoming an increasingly scarce and contested commodity among Wilmington-area beach communities, not to mention the increasing threat from climate change in the form of stronger and bigger storms and sea-level rise, it's likely only a matter of time before waves are licking at the foundations of more oceanfront homes. One of the cosponsors of H.R. 8637 is U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., who represents much of Southeastern N.C. Its always better to be proactive rather than reactive," the congressman said in a statement. "Addressing the problem on the front end will save taxpayer dollars. "Waiting for these properties to collapse in the ocean will cost the National Flood Insurance Program that much more not to mention the environmental cleanup associated with it. Young, the coastal expert from Western Carolina, said the legislation could be that proverbial win-win for property owners stuck with unusable properties and local officials looking to protect the beaches and the environment. "This is much more than just trying to compensate these property owners," he said. Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Proposed bill could help owners of threatened homes along NC coast Bill to ensure access to contraception advances in Pennsylvania, aided by dozens of GOP House votes FILE - The Pennsylvania Capitol is seen, Feb. 6, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pa. A proposal to ensure access to contraceptives cleared the Democratic majority Pennsylvania House on Tuesday, June 25, drawing dozens of Republican votes but facing an uncertain future in the GOP controlled state Senate. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A proposal to ensure access to contraceptives cleared the Democratic majority Pennsylvania House on Tuesday, drawing dozens of Republican votes but facing an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled state Senate. The bill was approved 133-69, with 14 women among the 32 Republicans voting yes. A spokeswoman for the Senate Republican caucus did not directly answer when asked if GOP senators or their leadership were generally supportive of the measure. There was no debate in the House before the vote only brief remarks by the sponsor, Rep. Leanne Krueger, a Delaware County Democrat. The bill would have the state health secretary or physician general issue a statewide standing order for FDA-approved over-the-counter contraceptive drugs, including emergency contraception. It would mandate that health insurance and government programs cover all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices and other products that have been prescribed, without copays. It also would provide a religious and moral exception for employers, modeled on federal law, but that exception would not apply if the medication is needed for medical needs other than pregnancy prevention. There are also confidentiality provisions. The vote occurred almost three weeks after Republicans in the U.S. Senate blocked federal legislation designed to protect womens access to contraception. The issue took on new significance nationally when former President Donald Trump told a Pittsburgh TV station in May that he was open to supporting regulations on contraception. Trump later said his comments had been misinterpreted and that he has never and never will advocate to restrict such access. Planned Parenthood PA Advocates executive director Signe Espinoza called the proposal an enormous shift toward control over our bodies. We must have control over if and when we decide to start our families, but Pennsylvania has for too long allowed loopholes, exemptions and oversights to stand between us and our autonomy, Espinoza said in a statement. Rep. Krueger said in an interview Monday that she also was concerned about Justice Clarence Thomas concurring opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion access two years ago. Thomas wrote that the Supreme Court "should reconsider all of this Courts substantive due process precedents, including cases that found married people have the right to obtain contraceptives, people can engage in private, consensual sex acts and the right to same-sex marriage. A state law could help people obtain contraceptives if federal law changes, Krueger said. We have seen that access to reproductive health care, including contraception, is coming down to a state's rights issue, Krueger said. In other states, contraception has been a politically contentious issue. A review earlier this month by the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for abortion access, found several states have proposed or enacted laws to reduce access to contraception this year. KFF, a nonprofit that studies health care issues, said in May that 14 states have legal or constitutional protections for the right to contraception, with six states and Washington, D.C., enacting them since the high court's decision on abortion in June 2022. The News AI and data center companies can push down the costs of climate tech by leveraging their power as massive buyers of clean energy and industrial materials and they should, Bill Gates told Semafor. Gates, arguably the worlds top individual investor in climate tech, broke ground this month on the first next-generation nuclear power plant in the US. He has since pledged to invest billions more in plants like it, which he sees as the most promising way to supply the upcoming boom in power demand for data centers and EVs. But theres a key hurdle that the new plant, in Wyoming and others to come needs to overcome: It has to produce cost-competitive electricity, a prerequisite for widespread adoption. Gates is confident that it will. But much of his broader climate tech portfolio has yet to pass that test. The next generation of climate tech is critical for emissions that remain unaddressed. Whats holding it back, he said, is that there still arent enough early buyers willing to stomach the green premium until it can gain enough scale. Tims view There are some problems in the energy transition even pockets as deep as Gates cant solve. The lesson he takes away from a decade investing in climate tech is that the green premium how much more expensive the low-carbon option is compared to conventional power is the only data point that really matters. Few consumers and businesses are willing to pay a green premium no matter how much they might care about the environment. If that premium can be eliminated in key technologies, Gates believes, it will be a tipping point on the way to solving climate change; if we dont, climate will be much more difficult to solve. The crucial first-line climate technologies wind, solar, EVs have either already erased their green premium or are poised to. But for the next, harder round of emissions from industrial manufacturing, transportation, and aviation, the current landscape of government incentives and private startup investment doesnt get us there fast enough, Gates said. To reach the scale at which they can be cost-competitive, they need to be able to draw investment not just from the niche climate crowd but from mainstream Wall Street, what Gates calls normal money. For that, they need to be viable as businesses, and that means they need customers, not just investors. Its a chicken-and-egg problem that tech companies, which are putting unprecedented demands on the grid and have the resources to pay more now for green power and construction materials, can be very constructive in solving, Gates said. Since Gates launched his climate tech investment vehicle, Breakthrough Energy, at the landmark 2015 Paris climate summit, it has invested $2.2 billion to build one of the most impressive stables of companies in climate tech, including green steel producer Boston Metal, electrolyzer manufacturer Electric Hydrogen, geothermal power producer Fervo Energy, battery recycler Redwood Materials, and the carbon removal startup Heirloom. The group is bagging eye-popping fundraising rounds, including $1 billion last year for Redwood, building its first commercial-scale facilities, and locking in early sales contracts, thanks largely to Breakthroughs patience, willingness to write big checks for risky first-of-a-kind projects, and long-term support for companies from inception to maturity. Breakthrough has about another $2.3 billion standing by for future investments. When we started, green investing was really weak and kind of out of fashion. The venture model really didnt fit, given the capital intensity and timeframes involved, Gates said. But since then it has gone better than I could have expected. Most of the Breakthrough companies are surviving having a green premium, for now, by relying on various forms of taxpayer support and a small group of early buyers. But for Gates, who has spent most of his philanthropic career focused on public health crises in developing countries, thats a major limitation on how much climate tech can get adopted outside the US and Europe. Middle-income countries are 60% of emissions, and they will not adopt high-premium stuff, he said. Tech companies cant solve the green premium issue alone. Another part of the solution popular among the conservative-leaning climate lobbying groups that have received funding from the Breakthrough Energy Foundation is a price on carbon. But that will always be a tough sell in the US. So Gates key question whos going to do the bootstrap? still doesnt have a decisive answer. Q&A Tim McDonnell: Whats the most important thing youve learned in the last decade of running Breakthrough Energy? Bill Gates: We definitely have a political atmosphere where you cant go to voters and say, Pay more for this green product. The Breakthrough theory of change, that middle-income countries and even rich countries arent willing to bear green premiums, is, sadly, being borne out. So you hear [policymakers say], you must buy a heat pump, or, heres the deadline for internal combustion cars. But its a collective action problem. To get these technologies to what I call zero green premium, requires either tax credits or project financing or both. These companies are doing well, but our current trajectory doesnt get you anywhere near climate goals, not even close. You really have to see things like steel or cement or airplanes, which are very hard, come out of the lab, scale up, and get the cost down. But who is going to be a customer for the original green steel or cement, when the product coming out of the lab [is more expensive]? TM: If avoiding green premiums is so important, what do you think about the Biden administrations tariffs on clean tech imports from China? BG: Theres no doubt that when you put a tariff on, say, solar panels from China, youre creating somewhat of an impediment to climate progress. But ideally, we get the [other costs of solar project development] down so much that even if costs are slightly higher for the panel, its not a very big deal. The eventual view is that panel costs will be super low. But with China, whether its on EVs or batteries or panels, the politicians are making a choice, and you can often slow down your climate progress by prioritizing industrial goals. TM: Closer to home, now that youve broken ground on the TerraPower plant, can you say more about where you see advanced nuclear going in the near future? BG: We love wind and solar. But people underestimate and are sometimes naive about how hard it is to maintain reliability. So you need a baseload form of green energy. But we have a lot of work to do over the next six years to get fully certified and prove that our cost of electricity is super low. Were not asking ratepayers to take that risk, which in the past was not a good experience for them. The risk is entirely held by private investors and the federal government. Fission doesnt have any science problems, its just got cost and engineering problems. So ideally well have five or six of these reactors built by 2030 in the US, and then we would go to other pro-nuclear venues like the UK, France, Japan, or South Korea. I did TerraPower not because its easy to make money in nuclear fission. I did it because of the potential climate benefits. And I hope we eventually get competition between fission and nuclear fusion. At times people see both as a dead end, and thats not what I see. TM: Having led a tech company, whats the responsibility of tech companies to mitigate, from their side, the potential climate consequences of the AI and data center boom? BG: The tech companies need to be legitimate buyers of green electricity, making sure that theyre not just taking green electricity and making other people buy more dirty electricity. You have to be careful to get that right. The US electricity system is not great at dealing with large increases in demand. And so we are just going to be behind. But [the tech companies] dont want to do it in an illegitimate way, and I think they will be very constructive as buyers for clean energy and other technologies. When theyre building buildings, are they willing to buy green steel and green cement? TM: When you think about the decade ahead, whats something you think will be very different about our lives in 10 years that most people arent expecting now? BG: The application of AI to everything is the biggest change agent. People say, these digital guys overhype everything. I claim were not this time. AI is accelerating innovation, its not some stupid mania thing. I hope a decade from now we can say that in every area of emissions were either at a zero green premium or we have a clear path there. But even when you get to zero green premium, you have to come up with the capital base to allow all the steel plants and cement plants to make the transition. I hope in 10 years that fission and fusion are clear tools to solve this problem. Id hope in fission wed have 30 or 40 [advanced] reactors going. I hope geologic hydrogen has worked out. And from an investment point of view we need to show that [climate tech] is very attractive. You hear these gigantic [investment] numbers for what it will take [to decarbonize the economy]. Thats mostly project finance, and once you prove you can build reactor 10, then thats low-risk, gigantic-volume kind of money. In some sectors like EVs or solar we are starting to tap into that normal money. But in many sectors like geothermal or nuclear, they appropriately still say, youre just too risky for normal money. Rick Caruso, right, endorsed Nathan Hochman for district attorney during a news conference Tuesday at Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Billionaire mall magnate and 2022 mayoral hopeful Rick Caruso announced Tuesday that he is backing Nathan Hochman for L.A. County district attorney, adding perhaps the biggest name yet to a growing list of endorsements for George Gascon's challenger. "There's not a more important race in the state of California than this race," Caruso said at a news conference outside the historic Casa Vega restaurant in Sherman Oaks. "It really will change the trajectory of the region, which I think then changes the trajectory of the state." Hochman triumphed over a historic field of 12 challengers to clinch a spot on the November ballot against the progressive Gascon, who has grown deeply unpopular with some swaths of the electorate since defeating Jackie Lacey in 2020. The campaign to unseat the incumbent has so far capitalized on distress over property crime and a growing sense of lawlessness among everyday Angelenos. "On election night, George Gascon got 25% of the vote. That is a historic low for a district attorney sitting for reelection," Hochman said Tuesday, referencing the March primary. Read more: L.A. teen got a second chance from Gascon after killing. Now he is accused in a new homicide He characterized Gascon's reform policies as a failed "social experiment" and said voters were fed up with it. Now, the longtime defense attorney and former Republican challenger for state attorney general must unify those unhappy with the incumbent behind his moderate, law-and-order platform something Caruso tried and failed to do in his mayoral campaign against Karen Bass in 2022. "It's bad enough to feel unsafe," Caruso said at the news conference Tuesday. "It's worse to actually be unsafe, and people are unsafe throughout Los Angeles County." That rhetoric echoed a familiar theme from his 2022 bid for City Hall. In that race, Caruso cast Los Angeles as a dystopian Gotham plagued by crime and mayhem. The billionaire developer relentlessly touted the belief that a silent majority of voters in liberal Los Angeles wanted a more punitive response to crime and homelessness. Those same feelings are far more mainstream now than they were two years ago, the magnate said. "The problems that I talked about have continued to get worse," he said. "It's not just the moderates everybody's touched by this." Read more: When prosecutor is defendant: L.A. D.A. George Gascon's legal battles with his own staff Caruso also brushed aside concerns that Hochman's history as a Republican, like his own, could alienate the candidate from liberal voters. Hochman ran as a Republican against California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta in 2022, but has since become an independent. "It's a disservice to the people who are actually suffering because of the crime" to focus on party affiliations, Caruso said. "They could care less if the D.A. is to the right or to the left they want to be safe." Caruso ultimately lost to Bass by close to 10 percentage points, despite spending a record $104 million, in what became the most expensive mayoral race in the city's history. The current D.A.'s race could likewise break spending records. This spring's 12-way primary was the largest and most expensive in the office's history. Read more: George Gascon survived the primary. Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.? Hochman alone raised more than $2.7 million in the primary, more than double his nearest competitor. He has continued to fundraise aggressively since clinching a spot on the November ballot, crisscrossing the county in a whirlwind tour. "If you ask voters across this county, either themselves, their family member, dear friend, community member or neighbor has actually personally suffered from one aspect of these crimes," Hochman said at an event with crime victims Tuesday afternoon. "We don't have to talk about statistics anymore, we can talk about real-life stories. Those real-life stories is what is going to get George Gascon voted out of office." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. STEGER, Ill. A Bloom Trail High School teacher was charged after allegedly sexually abusing a former student. Ron Giglio, 49, of Cedar Lake, is facing two counts of child seduction after being taken into custody last week in Northwest Indiana. Giglio is a current teacher at Bloom Trail High School and the charges date back to alleged sexual abuse of a minor, his former student, in 2000 through 2002. According to court documents, Giglio and the unnamed girl had sexual intercourse when she was a minor. The sexual relationship continued on for years, documents state. In April of this year, the woman recorded a conversation between Giglio and herself. Documents state the 49-year-old said she was going to ruin his life and that he was going to lose his job. Stop acting so innocent you were in this just as much as I were, Giglio allegedly told the girl. He then reportedly admitted he was wrong. A detective looked into statute of limitations in Indiana and learned an exception can be made to typical time limits due to a recording being made. He bonded out of Lake County Jail on Friday with $1,000 the required ten percent of his $10,000 bond. Giglio was the subject of a meeting called by the district in May following a civil lawsuit. The districts school board listened to everyone who wanted to speak, but did not answer any questions from the public. A woman who graduated from Bloom Trail told WGN News Giglio allegedly called her pet names he shouldnt be calling teenage girls. School board meeting held following allegations of sexual assault, abuse by longtime Bloom Trail High School teacher In a statement, the district said their internal investigation is unrelated to the previous lawsuit. Ron Giglio has been on administrative leave since May 14, 2024, when the District was served with the Jane Doe complaint. Since then, the District has been conducting its internal investigation with the assistance of the District attorney, which is still ongoing. This investigation is not related to Giglios arrest in Indiana. Giglios initial hearing is scheduled for July 8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. The decision to blow up five tanker cars loaded with toxic chemicals following the fiery derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, last year was unjustified, federal investigators concluded Tuesday. The freight train cars full of vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing chemical used to make plastic, were burned three days after the train careened off the tracks and released massive plumes of toxic smoke into the sky. As incident commander, East Palestine fire chief Keith Drabick ultimately gave Norfolk Southern, the trains operator, the green light to torch the cars. He told federal investigators last year that Norfolk Southern and its contractors presented intentional burning as the only viable and safe option, and gave him 13 minutes to make the decision a request that he said left him blindsided. Norfolk Southern has repeatedly defended the move, citing the purported risk of the tanker cars suddenly exploding. But the National Transportation and Safety Board threw cold water on that narrative Tuesday during a hearing on the findings of the agencys lengthy investigation into the Feb. 3, 2023, derailment. Investigators said there was no imminent sign of the chemical reaction, known as polymerization, that wouldve cause tank cars to explode. They said Norfolk Southern and its contractors misinterpreted and disregarded evidence in advocating for whats known as a vent and burn operation, which involved blasting holes in tanker cars, draining the vinyl chloride into pits in the ground and setting it on fire. Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent and burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusions, Paul Stancil, a hazardous materials investigator at the NTSB, said Tuesday. A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after responders set fire to rail tanker cars full of vinyl chloride on Feb. 6, 2023. via Associated Press Norfolk Southern overlooked alternatives and compromised the integrity of the vent and burn decision by withholding complete and accurate expert opinions and information from the incident commander, Stancil said. He noted that representatives of OxyVinyls, the company that manufactured the vinyl chloride onboard the train, repeatedly told the railroad that there were no signs of polymerization in the tanker cars, but that assessment was not relayed to the incident command team. The pattern of dismissing contradictory evidence while interpreting ambiguous evidence in support of Norfolk Southerns and its contractors original belief was consistent with confirmation bias, he said. Whatever the underlying explanations were for the continued support of a vent and burn action, none justifies failing to communicate accurate and complete information, including dissenting expert opinions, to the incident command. NTSB made a number of recommendations on Tuesday, including that Norfolk Southern update its incident report to accurately represent the facts surrounding the burn decision and that the Federal Railroad Administration revise its guidance for when venting and burning chemicals is appropriate. Although a vent and burn action was not necessary in East Palestine to prevent a polymerization-induced catastrophic tank rupture, such action could be appropriate under different circumstances, Stancil said. The significant impact of a vent and burn action to a community demonstrates the need for widely available federal guidance on what circumstances and what products are warranted for the procedure. The vent and burn operation has received widespread scrutiny from scientists, lawmakers and current and former federal employees, as HuffPost previously reported. Some experts, including a retired Environmental Protection Agency official of nearly 40 years who spoke exclusively with HuffPost, have slammed the EPA for not stepping in to prevent the chemical burn. EPA has said it was not consulted on the final decision and that the incident command team was presented with no feasible option that did not include releasing vinyl chloride. The vent and burn exposed area residents to potentially dozens of different chemicals at once. As HuffPost previously reported, its not known how such chemical cocktails can harm human health. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, speaks during a board meeting concerning the February 3, 2023, train derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in East Palestine, Ohio. via Associated Press In an statement Tuesday, Norfolk Southern maintained there was a strong possibility of a catastrophic, uncontrolled explosion, disputed the boards conclusion that the company withheld information and blamed OxyVinyls for not sufficiently warning decision-makers on the ground. The vent and burn effectively avoided a potential uncontrolled explosion., the rail company said in its statement. There was no loss of life and contractors took steps to manage environmental impact. The vent and burn effectively avoided a potential uncontrolled explosion, the rail company said in its statement. There was no loss of life, injuries, or damage to property, and contractors took steps to manage environmental impact. In her opening remarks at Tuesdays hearing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy apologized to the residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities, which are still reeling from the chemical disaster. Unfortunately, some have sought to minimize the wide-ranging impacts of this derailment, pointing to the fact that there were no fatalities or injuries, she said. For this, we are certainly grateful, but the absence of a fatality or injury doesnt mean the presence of safety. Homendy, who first outlined a lack of evidence to support the vent and burn operation during a March Senate hearing, called Norfolk Southerns response to the safety boards findings insulting and disgusting. As part of its investigation, Homendy said NTSB obtained text messages in which Norfolk Southern employees described the drastic scene during the vent and burn, including a picture of the smoke plume taken from an airplane, as cool. Its not cool, Homendy said on Tuesday, voicing concern about the risks it posed to area residents. The NTSB was scheduled to vote on adopting the investigative report at the end of Tuesdays hearing, and the final report is expected to be publicly released within four weeks. Related... Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said Monday he will try to block the certification of election results in the biggest city in his district as he continues to trail his Trump-backed primary challenger by a few hundred votes in the closely watched Virginia contest. In Mondays episode of Steve Bannons War Room podcast, Good doubled down on his claims of election irregularities and raised doubts about the security of the election drop boxes in the key city of Lynchburg. The bottom line is we cant certify this election. Theres great concern of inappropriate activity relative to the biggest city in the district, Lynchburg City, Good told Bannon. They did not secure their drop boxes. Theres no accountability for when those boxes were open. They were apparently left to be stuffed for two or three days after the election. Theres no accountability for who opened those, how many ballots came out. A spokesperson for Goods campaign said they are pursuing the recount because our donors, our volunteers and our supporters expect it. This isnt about Bob Good. This is about the people of the district. Already thousands of dollars in donations have come in for our recount efforts, Diana Shores, a senior campaign manager, told The Hill in an emailed statement. We will pursue the recount to settle any questions about the fairness or transparency of the election process. This way, voters can confidently move forward to the general election. Shores noted that the election results will not be certified until July 2, giving the campaign just 10 days to submit a recount request. She added that they expect the recount at the end of July. The questions Good raised about the vulnerability in the elections echo the concerns of the Stop the Steal movement, which aimed to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in former President Trumps favor. Good, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, and Bannon both noted the broader implications of their election security concerns, invoking the November elections, which will see Trump and President Biden battle once again for the presidency. Good, in recent days, has raised concerns about malfeasance in the election, pointing to fire alarms blaring in three voting locations as evidence of suspicious activity. Elections officials have noted no voters were turned away at the locations that dealt with the alarms on election day. So were going to do everything, Steve, to try to block certification of this election, to have a full investigation of the evidence of potential malfeasance here and make sure this election actually reflects the intent of the voters who legitimately and legally participating, Good said. And were going to be making a legal challenge in the next couple of days to demonstrate that Lynchburg the biggest city cant be certified, he added. Good faces Trump-backed candidate John McGuire III, a former Navy SEAL and state senator, in the primary race, which took place last Tuesday. The race has yet to be called, but according to Decision Desk HQs latest vote tally on Monday afternoon, Good trailed McGuire by fewer than 400 votes. Updated June 25 at 6:49 a.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. TOPEKA (KSNT) Local Robin Wikle noticed a larger-than-usual feline walking around her home last week in east Topeka. Wikle spotted the big cat walking through her yard in the area near the intersection of SE 21st Street and SE Wittenberg Road on June 16. Wikle said this was the first time one of the cats has been spotted in the area in a few years and posted a warning to local pet owners on social media. (Photo Courtesy/Robin Wikle) (Photo Courtesy/Robin Wikle) 27 News reached out to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) to find out if local homeowners should be concerned. KDWP Wildlife Research Biologist Matt Peek said in a written statement that people shouldnt be worried about finding a bobcat in the area. Bobcats are not a threat to people including small children, Peek said. However, they will prey on cats and small (cat-sized) dogs, and people are generally advised to take the same precautions with their pets as they do when coyotes are around. Bobcats also prey on poultry if given the chance, with complete enclosure or attend while free-ranging being the best solution. These are precautions that many probably already take to protect poultry from coyotes or red foxes. How to coexist with the coyote next door Bobcats are about three or four times larger than your average house cat and can weigh around 30 pounds. You can tell them apart from domesticated cats or mountain lions by looking for their short, black-tipped tails or spotted fur. Misidentification with mountain lions is pretty common because many people significantly overestimate the weight of bobcats by applying domestic animal weights to the bobcats dimensions and they also expect bobcats to be more visibly spotted than most are, Peek said. Peek said you dont need to report bobcat sightings to authorities like the KDWP as they are a native species which can be found throughout the Sunflower State. If you see one in your neighborhood, you shouldnt need to take any actions in most cases. Bobcats have become common suburban and even urban wildlife in recent years, and sightings are particularly common in the summer months when shady, manicured yards offer a much more comfortable resting place than heavily vegetated timber or unmaintained grass areas they use to better avoid detection other times of year, Peek said. Security cameras and doorbells also result in detections year-round now. Bobcats typically focus on hunting rabbits, squirrels, birds, rats and mice in the wild. Keeping your yard maintained and avoiding feeding wild animals will help prevent bobcats from prowling around your property. Most bobcats hunt between dawn and dusk. What to do if you see a mountain lion in Kansas To keep pets safe, Peek recommends keeping an eye on them while outside, especially if they are small in size. Even fenced-in yards are not safe for pets to roam at will. A small and completely enclosed area in your yard is the best precaution for leaving your pet outside unattended. For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. AUSTIN (KXAN) Austin Travis-County medics found a dead body in an east Austin lake Monday. ATCEMS, Austin Police and Austin Fire all responded to a call for a water rescue, and it described a body floating in Lake Walter E. Long off of Blue Bluff Road. ATCEMS tweeted about the call at 7:21 p.m. and then followed it three minutes later to confirm an adult had died. This embedded content is not available in your region. This is a developing story and will be updated once more information is released. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Li Deren (1st R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and his wife (2nd R), pose for a group photo with Xue Qikun (1st L), an academician of the CAS from Tsinghua University, and his wife at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Li Deren and Xue Qikun won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Photogrammetry and remote sensing expert Li Deren and condensed matter physicist Xue Qikun were presented with China's top sci-tech award for the year 2023 on Monday. They were awarded at a meeting combining the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), which was held in Beijing to honor the distinguished scientists and research achievements. Li, born in 1939, is an academician at both the CAS and the CAE. He has dedicated his career to advancing China's capabilities in surveying and remote sensing for Earth observation. Li, also a professor at Wuhan University, is celebrated for his expertise in core technologies of high-precision global positioning and mapping via satellite remote sensing. He solved the high-precision processing problems of remote sensing satellite images, and has led his team to develop a fully automatic high-precision airborne and ground measurement system, making outstanding contributions to the building of China's high-precision and high-resolution Earth observation system. Li noted that the award represents the country's recognition of both him and his peers working in the field of remote sensing. "My fellow colleagues engaged in this field are all very happy. For the younger generation of scientists, I hope they will continue to advance China's capabilities in sky, land and sea remote sensing, Earth observation, and deep space exploration, thereby making greater contributions to the world," Li said. "I will learn throughout my life and contribute to my country and my people," the veteran scientist added. Born in 1963, Xue, a CAS academician and a professor at Tsinghua University, is a distinguished scientist of condensed matter physics, who has achieved multiple scientific breakthroughs. His team conducted the first experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in 2012 and later published their findings in the journal Science, which was called by Nobel laureate Yang Chen-ning "the first physics paper of Nobel Prize level published by a Chinese lab." They also discovered interface-enhanced high-temperature superconductivity in the heterostructure system, which opened up a new direction of research in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. "We are in the golden age of scientific research. As the country has created such good conditions for us to carry out our work, we should cherish it and strive to achieve more breakthroughs," Xue said. At the Monday meeting, research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials and 48 other achievements were honored with the State Natural Science Award. Dozens of projects received the State Technological Invention Award. More than 100 projects, including the Fuxing high-speed train project, received the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. A total of 10 foreign experts won the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, speaks on behalf of all the national science and technology award recipients at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from Tsinghua University, who won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023, speaks on behalf of all the national science and technology award recipients at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) Li Deren (L), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and Xue Qikun, an academician of the CAS from Tsinghua University, communicate at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Li Deren and Xue Qikun won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) Editor: JYZ Body found next to I-15 on-ramp in Salt Lake City, no foul play suspected SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A body was found next to an I-15 on-ramp in Salt Lake City on Monday afternoon. Lt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol told ABC4.com that the body was found between the on-ramp and the main flow of traffic. While details are few as of this writing, Roden said there doesnt currently appear to be any foul play involved. READ NEXT: Homicide suspect, 21, returns to Utah, gets arrested at Salt Lake airport Roden said the Medical Examiner has been called out to the scene near northbound I-15 at 1300 South. A person was reportedly out looking for their friends when they found the body, Roden said. Officials did not immediately provide more information, but the investigation is ongoing. There is no further information at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Body found in search for missing hiker, 50, who had called relatives saying she needed water Body found in search for missing hiker, 50, who had called relatives saying she needed water The body of a woman has been found in the search for a missing hiker who disappeared from a trail in San Diego after she got separated from her group during the extreme temperatures hitting the region. Diem Le Nguyen, 50, identified by police, went missing on Sunday morning after she got separated from her hiking group of around 100 people while they were traversing the Nighthawk Trail in Black Mountain Open Space Park in north San Diego, said the San Diego Police Department. On Monday, while a search helicopter was scanning the location, a body was spotted in the area where Nguyen was hiking, said Lieutenant Daniel Meyer, a spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department. The police could not confirm if the body found is Nguyen, because they are still awaiting autopsy results, but they did say that the search and rescue mission has now switched status to a death investigation. The female body was found off the trail at 9.15am, around a quarter mile from an intersection, Lieutenant Meyer said. He added that the body will be assessed by the medical examiner for identity and cause of death, but police do believe that female to be Ms Diem. Nguyen set out on Sunday morning at around 8am with her hiking group when around halfway up the mountain, many decided to turn around and head back, said Lieutenant Meyer at a news conference on Monday. The huge hiking group was part of a fundraising hike on Black Mountain to raise money for the Build a School Foundation, NBC San Diego reported. Police released a picture of Diem Le Nguyen taken on Sunday before she went missing (San Diego Police Department) The woman, however, decided to continue to hike to the Black Mountains peak, Meyer said, adding that she did that on her own, and had nobody with her. Jimmy Thai, who organized the fundraising hike, also told the outlet that everyone is still in shock and cannot believe what just happened. Just after 10am, Nguyens family received a phone call from her, sounding distressed and telling them she was at the end of the trail and stating that she was very hot and needed water. Meyer said that this was the last time anyone heard from her. The National Weather Service warned San Diego residents of hot conditions on Sunday, with some temperatures peaking in the low 90Fs for some areas. Not long after, at around 11.30am, police and the San Diego County Sheriffs Departments helicopter responded to the scene and started a search-and-rescue mission, including drones and K9s. When Nguyen disappeared, she was wearing a black shirt with a pink heart on the front, black pants, a sun hat, sunglasses, and a backpack, police said. Search and rescue teams worked well into the night, spending a total of five hours in the air across seven different flights, but the search did not turn up anything until 9.15am on Monday morning. Nguyen, 50, went missing after she got separated from her hiking fundraising group (San Diego Police Department) While the medical examiner has yet to officially say if the body found is that of Nguyen, family members have already spoken about how devastated they are about the news. It was really sad because losing someone is not easy. Its just not today, family member William Do, who was on the trail searching for Nguyen when he heard the news, told NBC San Diego. I still cant believe it, Do added. Do told the outlet that Nguyen works for the US Navy, is a mother to three adult children, and is devoted to her family and friends. I want people to remember she is a great person. How she always thinks about other people before herself. She always takes care of her family and friends first, Do said. Do said that Nguyen is a very careful person, and that he was surprised to see she ran out of water. She always prepares well for what she is doing. The Independent has contacted the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego Medical Examiners Office for further information. DENVER (KDVR) Emergency responders are investigating a death at Chatfield State Reservoir. On Tuesday morning, South Metro Fire Rescue tweeted that Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office were responding to a water rescue. Around 45 minutes later, the sheriffs office confirmed they were recovering a body. The sheriffs office later said there were no signs of trauma on the 47-year-old mans body, but the investigation would continue into his cause of death. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Chatfield is located in Douglas and Jefferson counties and is popular for camping, boating and paddleboarding. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A boil order was issued last week for Diamond Valley, a small community near St. George, after E. coli bacteria was found in water samples, according to the Diamond Valley Water Company. The company said water samples taken June 19 tested positive for E. coli bacteria which can indicate water is contaminated with human or animal waste and total coliform bacteria, a broader array of bacteria that can be a sign of other bacteria. Because a test last month was positive for E. coli, the company sent samples to two separate laboratories. One test was positive for E. coli and the other was positive for total coliform, without E. coli. A subsequent mandatory test was done on June 20, following the positive results, the company said. "The E. coli bacteria were reported as absent in the repeat samples; however, some of the samples were positive for total coliform," an update on the company's website read. The company said it has turned off the Whitaker Well where one of the total coliform samples was taken and is chlorinating and testing the water supply to ensure safety. Residents of Diamond Valley a small, unincorporated area just northeast of Snow Canyon State Park are advised to boil water for at least a minute before using it for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth or washing dishes, until further notice. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva talk about the LEARNS Act and what it means for K-12 education in Arkansas at an invitation-only town hall in El Dorado on June 6, 2023. (Randall Lee/Courtesy of the Governor's Press Office) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva talk about the LEARNS Act and what it means for K-12 education in Arkansas at an invitation-only town hall in El Dorado on June 6, 2023. (Randall Lee/Courtesy of the Governor's Press Office) This story has been updated to include an interactive map showing the percentage of teachers and average amount of bonuses in each school district. Nearly 3,000 Arkansas teachers can expect a boost to their paycheck by the end of the month, according to an announcement from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Tuesday afternoon. The bonuses are part of the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program, which was created through a major education overhaul in 2023, the Arkansas LEARNS Act. The law also raised the minimum starting salary for all Arkansas teachers to $50,000 a year. Great education starts with great teachers. Thats why one of my first acts as governor was to raise teacher pay across the board and reward our best educators, Sanders said in a statement. This years merit bonuses will incentivize teachers to continue tackling our states toughest assignments and help every Arkansas student thrive. Bonuses will reach approximately 10% of Arkansas certified teachers with Cross, DeWitt and McGehee school districts reporting the highest percentage of their staff receiving bonuses. Statewide, the average bonus is approximately $3,300, and nearly three dozen educators will receive the maximum $10,000 bonus provided through the program. (Source: Arkansas Department of Education) A total of $10 million in bonuses will be distributed, Sanders said. Awarded teachers include those who demonstrated outstanding growth in student performance, served as a mentor to aspiring teachers who participated in yearlong residencies or taught in a subject, geographical, or designation area experiencing a critical teacher shortage, according to the governors office. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education identified recipients through a variety of state systems and student assessment data. We know for a fact that the teacher in the classroom has the biggest impact on student learning, said Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The best educators deserve recognition for their excellence, and we are proud to recognize these educators for demonstrating a commitment to learning and ensuring their students succeed in the future. While the Cross, DeWitt and McGehee districts have a higher percentage of teachers receiving bonuses, those districts do not also have the highest average bonus in the state. In the Clinton School District, for example, just 5% of teachers will receive a bonus through the program, but the average bonus is valued at $4,000. The average bonus at the Genoa Central district in southwest Arkansas is $6,429, and 7.1% of teachers can expect a boost. At least 16 school districts have no teachers receiving a bonus, according to the state education department. Among those schools are Cedarville in Northwest Arkansas, Mammoth Spring along the northern border and Marvell-Elaine along the Mississippi River. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST TOPEKA (KSNT) Experts are weighing in on two major plans passed in a one-day special session at the Kansas Statehouse. The first is a plan to lure the Kansas City Chiefs or Royals to Kansas using STAR bonds to pay for new stadiums. The other plan focuses on tax relief. The question is, will either pay off in the end? And, how much money will go back into peoples pockets? 27 News Capitol Bureau Chief Rebekah Chung sat down with political analyst Bob Beatty and local economist Paul Byrne to discuss both plans. Exclusive Interview: Jeff Kahrs throws hat into race for Kansas District 2 race | KSNT.com You can watch Inside Kansas Politics Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. only on KSNT (check your local listings). To get the latest news on Inside Kansas Politics, check out our X account, or follow us on Facebook. If you have a story you think we should cover, email us at ikp@ksnt.com. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Get the latest in weather alerts by downloading our Storm Track Weather App. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Born from the tragedy of gun violence, this program teaches children how to stop a wound from bleeding out When I visited Rocklin Elementary school, I sat in on a lesson with a third-grade class a lesson I would never have imagined as a father, a journalist or a trauma surgeon. Chances are, youre never ever going to have to use this. If you do, its gonna be scary, Kate Carleton told the 20 or so 8- and 9-year-olds. But because weve taught you what to do, it makes it a little less scary. She spent the next 30 minutes teaching them how to stop a wound from bleeding out. The lesson is appropriately titled Stop the Bleed. Carleton is a trauma nurse at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, a level 2 trauma center in Rocklin, California, a northern suburb of Sacramento. At the beginning of her 17-year career, she saw a lot of car crashes, motorcycle accidents and falls. More recently, the number of gunshot wounds coming through her hospital has increased, most often from domestic violence or suicide. Kate Carleton, center, teaches children at a California elementary school how to stop a wound from bleeding out. - CNN On this day, she was kneeling on the ground to show these little kids the techniques paramedics often use in the field to stop bleeding. And as I looked around the classroom, I could tell that the kids were really listening. Now, if youve got that bleeding to stop on that person, what did you do for their life? she asked the kids. Hands flew up. You saved their life, answered one little girl. Born out of tragedy A litt le more than seven years ago, Carleton was watching a special about the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, and like so many parents, she wondered about her own children, then in kindergarten and second grade. Was there anything she could do to make a difference and help keep them safer in a moment like that? Carleton approached her daughters kindergarten teacher and asked whether it was possible to create a curriculum to teach them how to handle these injuries. She wasnt sure what the response would be because after all, these were young children. But as the number of mass shootings continued to grow, so did the realization that anyone could suddenly become a first responder even a child. The proposal was approved, and since then, she has been teaching classes to students throughout the Rocklin school district on the basics of bleeding control. Carleton is part of a larger movement also known as Stop the Bleed, a campaign that was born out of the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Hartford Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Lenworth Jacobs was tasked with reviewing the autopsies of the 20 children and six adults killed that day, to find any lessons that could be learned out of the horror. You cannot imagine what the kinetic energy of an AR-15 does, or a bullet does, to a 6-year-old, Jacobs said. This is not civilized. School shootings are rare, but gunshot injuries are not Although a child dying at school in a mass shooting may be unlikely, a child dying from a gunshot is not. Firearms are the leading cause of death among people 18 and younger in the US, accounting for nearly 19% of all childhood deaths. The most recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that both the rate and the number of children dying from gunshot wounds are the highest they have been since 1999, when data on childrens mortality and firearms was first collected. And although firearm mortality in the adult population is most often from suicide, for children, homicide is driving the deaths. After poring over the autopsies, Jacobs gathered trauma specialists from across the country and developed a protocol for national policy to enhance survivability from active shooter and intentional mass casualty events, known as the Hartford Consensus. The nearly 100-page document included a letter from then-Vice President Joe Biden, who said the report was a call to action. With very little training and equipment, the individuals closest to the scene of an accident or mass casualty situation can control bleeding until first responders arrive to take over treatment, Biden wrote. Much of the Hartford Consensus was adopted from lessons learned in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the military, its known as buddy aid: the practice of fellow troops being trained in first aid to help wounded colleagues on the battlefield. The practices are basic, but stopping bleeding, using a tourniquet and putting these steps into practice before a wounded soldier reaches the hospital greatly improves their chances of survival. Those troops who had tourniquets applied before their bodies went into shock had a survival rate of 96%, compared with just 4% of those who got a tourniquet after blood loss caused them to go into shock. A driving tenet of the Hartford Consensus was time. Pretty much all of these (mass casualty) events are over in 15 minutes, and it takes more than that to get the system to respond to you, Jacobs explained. Experts say that the average response time for an ambulance in urban areas in the US is about eight minutes more time than it takes for a person to bleed out from a gunshot wound. Turning bystanders into first responders To give a person the best chance at survival after being shot, the priority is simple. Stop the bleeding. Keep the blood inside the body, Jacobs said. The most efficient and quickest way to do that: turn bystanders into immediate responders by teaching them to pack a wound and use a tourniquet. Eleven years after Jacobs and other experts first met to discuss what would ultimately become the Hartford Consensus, more than 3 million people worldwide have learned the basic principles of Stop the Bleed through a certification program developed by the American College of Surgeons and the American Red Cross. According to the ACS, bleeding control kits containing gauze and tourniquets are now required in schools in at least 10 states, and teachers and staff are required to be trained in at least three states. Two states require schools to offer Stop the Bleed training to students: in Arkansas for students in ninth grade and above and in Texas for those in seventh grade and above. After 19 fourth-graders and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, a state representative introduced a bill proposing to lower the minimum grade for Stop the Bleed training to third grade. The bill never made it out of committee because of pushback. Carleton says shes not surprised. Why it got started is frightening, she tells me, but I do think theres a way to teach the information where its not. Meeting kids where theyre at When Carleton speaks to the kids, she doesnt mention guns or violence at all. During the class I visited, she asked the kids how many of their parents use power tools or could be hurt working around the house. If Im working in the kitchen and Im cutting vegetables, can I get cut? Can that cause me to bleed? she asked the students. She uses language that kids can easily grasp: Look for when blood puddles or when it rains like a sprinkler. The first step, take any cloth you can find and stuff a corner of it into the wound as deep as you can. She was teaching them the basic principles of packing a wound. On the day I was there, she told the kids they could use anything to pack a wound, even a dirty, smelly sock. Stopping the bleeding was most important, and they could give antibiotics later in the hospital to prevent infections, she said. Do whatever you can to just stop the bleed. Its the same kind of approach that pediatric trauma nurse Missy Anderson takes when she teaches Scout troops and childrens groups in Denver. Anderson is the pediatric trauma program manager at Denver Health and describes the tourniquets as magical bracelets a concept that most kids can immediately understand. Carleton stopped bringing up gun violence after a handful of parents complained, but she doesnt shy away when someone raises it. In a sixth-grade class I visited, a student asked, if someone was shot in multiple places, where should they try to stop the bleed? Carleton answered quickly, Where they are bleeding the most. I try to acknowledge the kids on where theyre at, she told me. I acknowledge it and we move on so that we can continue to talk about how to get the bleeding to stop. But the topic of gun violence gives her pause. It tugs at my heartstrings a little bit, for sure, she said. Like Carleton, Anderson keeps the focus on safety, not violence. What if no guns existed in the whole world? We wipe them all out, theres not a single gun in the whole universe? People still get hurt, and they still can have bleeding, Anderson said. This course should not be affiliated with gun violence. This is about helping people that are bleeding in any scenario. The goal of the campaign has always been to train everyone, including children, said Dr. Kenji Inaba, chair of the Stop the Bleed Committee for the American College of Surgeons. Inaba said he taught his now-teenage son, an avid mountain biker, how to pack a wound and use a tourniquet by the time he was 10 years old. Hes always in the middle of nowhere, by himself or with some friends, and I want him to know that knowledge. Inaba said that after discussion with pediatric surgeons, pediatricians and parents, the committee concluded that there really is no age limit on who should be taught these skills. Every child is different in their development. Every child is different in their experience, he said. One trauma nurse describes tourniquets as magical bracelets, a concept that most kids can immediately understand. - CNN Inaba added that the group is in discussion with child development experts and teachers to create a curriculum for younger kids. Reaching kids where they are means designing education that meets not only their emotional needs but their physical needs. For example, Carleton explained to me that younger kids can more effectively put pressure and stop bleeding by using all of their body weight. She showed the kids how to put their knee directly on the wound. Itll make it a little bit easier for you, and you wont get tired, she told them. I watched as she stood in front of the class and demonstrated how to apply pressure with a rubber dummy limb, the same kind used to train EMTs. Carleton explained that adults will typically use their hands and press down as hard as possible over a packed wound, because Im stronger than you, she said. One kid shouted out Mom power! and the class giggled. Carleton then quickly divided the class into groups of four or five kids, led by volunteers from the fire department, to practice on dummy limbs. If you were in that situation, do you think you could do it now? Does that make you nervous at all? I asked Harlow, a third-grader. Just the feeling of how it would be an actual person instead of a fake leg. Thats scary, she said. But you think based on what you learned, if it was an actual person, youd be able to do that? I responded. Yeah, Harlow responded confidently. Even young children know how to help Studies find that young people can learn lifesaving lessons. Though they arent as young as the students I visited, a 2019 study of high school students found that more than 80% of them were able to position a tourniquet correctly after being taught either in person or online. A small 2022 study of 11- and 12-year-olds found that 97% of the students grasped the lessons of bleeding control and tourniquet use after Stop the Bleed training. A recent study from the American Heart Association found that children as young as 4 know how to call for help in a medical emergency and that by age 10 to 12, children can administer effective CPR. Harlows classmate Jeremy told me that the best part of learning all of this was that he was prepared to help anyone. Its that feeling you get when you get to see them go to the hospital and know that theyre OK and the feeling that youve saved someones life, he said. And the lessons seem to stick with them. A sixth-grader, Piper, told me that although she would probably be nervous to apply these skills in a real situation when someone was actually bleeding out and there was a puddle, she was glad they had a trial run through the lessons in the classroom. It kind of loosens things up and doesnt make things so scary. Carletons daughter and Pipers classmate, Quinn, agreed. When a situation comes for something like this, it wont be as scary, since we know what to do because weve already practiced it, she said. A new stop, drop and roll As impressed as I was with how quick and engaged the kids were, I couldnt help but feel sad that this is where we are as a country. A time when tourniquets and bleeding control kits are as routine as stop, drop and roll, the fire safety instructions that generations of children have learned in their classrooms. When I shared that with Carleton, she told me that she felt the same way at first, but she had to change her approach. When I would initially go into that with that kind of feeling, I just found that I couldnt teach the information in a way that it really resonated with them. It was being taught out of fear from me, and I dont want that, she said. It is hard, however, to disentangle gun violence from the situations where these lessons could be most impactful. Gun violence has become such a prevalent part of American life, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has now issued an advisory calling firearm violence an urgent public health crisis. The advisory notes that half of children ages 14 to 17 worry about school shootings and nearly 60% of them have thought about what would happen if a person with a gun entered their school. According to the Gun Violence Archive, last year alone, 1,682 children died and another 4,512 were injured by gun violence. So a grass-roots movement to train elementary-age children continues, with people like Carleton leading the charge. We can teach it, like teaching hands-only CPR or how to use an AED. It just becomes part of what we do, Carleton told me. It can be used in all situations, whether its a violent situation or not. But either way, its saving somebodys life. CNNs Nadia Kounang contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November Abortion rights protesters at the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters away from approving ballot questions in more than a dozen states this November that could bolster protections for abortion. Several will be decided in states that will have an outsized role in determining control of Congress and the White House. Abortion opponents are also preparing a game plan to implement if former President Donald Trump regains the Oval Office, a prospect that could lead to sweeping executive actions on abortion access as well as at least one more conservative Supreme Court justice. Reproductive rights organizations are honing in on the numerous ballot questions as a crucial way to remove decisions from the hands of lawmakers, especially in purple or conservative-leaning states. They are also trying to shore up support for Democrats in key races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as hoping to keep President Joe Biden in office for another four years. $100 million to be spent by abortion rights advocates Both sides plan to spend millions to win over voters. The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Related stories Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC announced they would dedicate $92 million to make contact with at least 10 million voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement released Monday that there is still much work ahead to ensure that every mother and child is supported and protected. Meanwhile we are just one election cycle away from having every gain for life ripped away, Dannenfelser wrote. Joe Biden and the Democrats are hell-bent on banning protections for unborn children, spreading fear and lies, and forcing all-trimester abortion any time for any reason even when babies can feel pain as national law. Democrats have tried repeatedly to enact protections for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization in Congress both when they had unified control of government following the fall of Roe in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and during divided government. None of Democrats bills have garnered the support needed to move past the Senates 60-vote legislative filibuster. In addition to calling on Congress to restore the protections that existed under Roe, the Biden administration is attempting to defend abortion and other reproductive rights through executive actions as well as in front of the Supreme Court. Abortion pill, emergency care Earlier this year, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued two cases on abortion access. The first case, brought by four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors, addressed access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. The justices unanimously ruled earlier this month that the groups didnt have standing to bring the case in the first place, though they didnt address any other aspects of the case. The second case, yet undecided, has to do with when doctors can provide abortions as emergency medical care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA. Jennifer Klien, assistant to the president and director of the Gender Policy Council, said on a call with reporters Monday that theres not much the Biden administration will be able to do if the justices side with Idaho in the case. If the court rejects our current interpretation, our options on emergency medical care are likely to be limited, Klein said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in July 2022, shortly after the Dobbs ruling came out, released a letter saying that EMTALA protected health care providers who use abortion as stabilizing care. The letter stated that if a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department, including certain labor and delivery departments, is experiencing an emergency medical condition as defined by EMTALA, and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment. And when a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition that state law is preempted, Becerra wrote. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently established a new portal that is supposed to make it easier for people to file complaints under EMTALA if theyre denied an emergency abortion. Comstock Act repeal Klein also said on the call the White House will likely support a bill introduced last week in Congress to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law, that could be used to bar the mailing of abortion medications during a future GOP administration. We support all actions by Democrats in Congress to protect reproductive freedom, including this one, Klein said, after noting the interagency process for determining whether the Biden administration will support the bill was still ongoing. The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass in a Congress with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. And divided government appears likely to continue during the next four years, regardless of which presidential candidate wins in November. Ballot questions in states Outside of court cases and executive actions, ballot referendums are shaping up to be the more fruitful battleground for those supportive of abortion access, though anti-abortion groups are hoping to make some headway this fall. Advocates in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have either secured questions for the November ballot or are in the process of doing so, according to the health news publication KFF. Residents in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all previously decided to bolster or add protection for abortion access in the two years since the Supreme Court ruling was released. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Bidens and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Maryland Matters. For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November Abortion rights protesters at the U.S. Supreme Court. Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom. WASHINGTON Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters away from approving ballot questions in more than a dozen states this November that could bolster protections for abortion. Several will be decided in states that will have an outsized role in determining control of Congress and the White House. Abortion opponents are also preparing a game plan to implement if former President Donald Trump regains the Oval Office, a prospect that could lead to sweeping executive actions on abortion access as well as at least one more conservative Supreme Court justice. Reproductive rights organizations are honing in on the numerous ballot questions as a crucial way to remove decisions from the hands of lawmakers, especially in purple or conservative-leaning states. Abortion rights supporters are also trying to shore up support for Democrats in key races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as hoping to keep President Joe Biden in office for another four years. $100 million to be spent by abortion rights advocates Both sides plan to spend millions to win over voters. The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and PAC Women Speak Out announced they would dedicate $92 million to make contact with at least 10 million voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement released Monday that there is still much work ahead to ensure that every mother and child is supported and protected. Meanwhile we are just one election cycle away from having every gain for life ripped away, Dannenfelser wrote. Joe Biden and the Democrats are hell-bent on banning protections for unborn children, spreading fear and lies, and forcing all-trimester abortion any time for any reason even when babies can feel pain as national law. Democrats have tried repeatedly to enact protections for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization in Congress both when they had unified control of government following the fall of Roe in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and during divided government. None of Democrats bills have garnered the support needed to move past the Senates 60-vote legislative filibuster. In addition to calling on Congress to restore the protections that existed under Roe, the Biden administration is attempting to defend abortion and other reproductive rights through executive actions as well as in front of the Supreme Court. Abortion pill, emergency care Earlier this year, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued two cases on abortion access. The first case, brought by four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors, addressed access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. The justices unanimously ruled earlier this month that the groups didnt have standing to bring the case in the first place, though they didnt address any other aspects of the case. The second case, yet undecided, has to do with when doctors can provide abortions as emergency medical care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA. Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein said on a call with reporters Monday that theres not much the Biden administration will be able to do if the justices side with Idaho in the case. If the court rejects our current interpretation, our options on emergency medical care are likely to be limited, Klein said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in July 2022, shortly after the Dobbs ruling came out, released a letter saying that EMTALA protected health care providers who use abortion as stabilizing care. The letter stated that if a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department, including certain labor and delivery departments, is experiencing an emergency medical condition as defined by EMTALA, and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment. And when a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition that state law is preempted, Becerra wrote. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently established a new portal that is supposed to make it easier for people to file complaints under EMTALA if theyre denied an emergency abortion. Comstock Act repeal Klein also said on the call the White House will likely support a bill introduced last week in Congress to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law, that could be used to bar the mailing of medication abortion during a future GOP administration. We support all actions by Democrats in Congress to protect reproductive freedom, including this one, Klein said, after noting the interagency process for determining whether the Biden administration will support the bill was still ongoing. The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass in a Congress with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. And divided government appears likely to continue during the next four years, regardless of which presidential candidate wins in November. Ballot questions in states Outside of court cases and executive actions, ballot referendums are shaping up to be the more fruitful battleground for those supportive of abortion access, though anti-abortion groups are hoping to make some headway this fall. Advocates in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have either secured questions for the November ballot or are in the process of doing so, according to the health news publication KFF. Residents in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all previously decided to bolster or add protection for abortion access in the two years since the Supreme Court ruling was released. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Biden and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November Supporters of reproductive rights protested outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as justices heard oral arguments over access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortion. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters away from approving ballot questions in more than a dozen states this November that could bolster protections for abortion. Several will be decided in states that will have an outsized role in determining control of Congress and the White House. Abortion opponents are also preparing a game plan to implement if former President Donald Trump regains the Oval Office, a prospect that could lead to sweeping executive actions on abortion access as well as at least one more conservative Supreme Court justice. Reproductive rights organizations are honing in on the numerous ballot questions as a crucial way to remove decisions from the hands of lawmakers, especially in purple or conservative-leaning states. Abortion rights supporters are also trying to shore up support for Democrats in key races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as hoping to keep President Joe Biden in office for another four years. $100 million to be spent by abortion rights advocates Both sides plan to spend millions to win over voters. The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and PAC Women Speak Out announced they would dedicate $92 million to make contact with at least 10 million voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement released Monday that there is still much work ahead to ensure that every mother and child is supported and protected. Meanwhile we are just one election cycle away from having every gain for life ripped away, Dannenfelser wrote. Joe Biden and the Democrats are hell-bent on banning protections for unborn children, spreading fear and lies, and forcing all-trimester abortion any time for any reason even when babies can feel pain as national law. Democrats have tried repeatedly to enact protections for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization in Congress both when they had unified control of government following the fall of Roe in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and during divided government. None of Democrats bills have garnered the support needed to move past the Senates 60-vote legislative filibuster. In addition to calling on Congress to restore the protections that existed under Roe, the Biden administration is attempting to defend abortion and other reproductive rights through executive actions as well as in front of the Supreme Court. Abortion pill, emergency care Earlier this year, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued two cases on abortion access. The first case, brought by four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors, addressed access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. The justices unanimously ruled earlier this month that the groups didnt have standing to bring the case in the first place, though they didnt address any other aspects of the case. The second case, yet undecided, has to do with when doctors can provide abortions as emergency medical care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA. Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein said on a call with reporters Monday that theres not much the Biden administration will be able to do if the justices side with Idaho in the case. If the court rejects our current interpretation, our options on emergency medical care are likely to be limited, Klein said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in July 2022, shortly after the Dobbs ruling came out, released a letter saying that EMTALA protected health care providers who use abortion as stabilizing care. The letter stated that if a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department, including certain labor and delivery departments, is experiencing an emergency medical condition as defined by EMTALA, and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment. And when a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition that state law is preempted, Becerra wrote. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently established a new portal that is supposed to make it easier for people to file complaints under EMTALA if theyre denied an emergency abortion. Comstock Act repeal Klein also said on the call the White House will likely support a bill introduced last week in Congress to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law, that could be used to bar the mailing of medication abortion during a future GOP administration. We support all actions by Democrats in Congress to protect reproductive freedom, including this one, Klein said, after noting the interagency process for determining whether the Biden administration will support the bill was still ongoing. The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass in a Congress with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. And divided government appears likely to continue during the next four years, regardless of which presidential candidate wins in November. Ballot questions in states Outside of court cases and executive actions, ballot referendums are shaping up to be the more fruitful battleground for those supportive of abortion access, though anti-abortion groups are hoping to make some headway this fall. Advocates in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have either secured questions for the November ballot or are in the process of doing so, according to the health news publication KFF. Residents in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all previously decided to bolster or add protection for abortion access in the two years since the Supreme Court ruling was released. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Biden and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. This report has been updated to reflect Maine is not on the list of states with ballot questions this fall. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November Abortion rights protesters at the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters away from approving ballot questions in more than a dozen states this November that could bolster protections for abortion. Several will be decided in states that will have an outsized role in determining control of Congress and the White House. Abortion opponents are also preparing a game plan to implement if former President Donald Trump regains the Oval Office, a prospect that could lead to sweeping executive actions on abortion access as well as at least one more conservative Supreme Court justice. Reproductive rights organizations are honing in on the numerous ballot questions as a crucial way to remove decisions from the hands of lawmakers, especially in purple or conservative-leaning states. Abortion rights supporters are also trying to shore up support for Democrats in key races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as hoping to keep President Joe Biden in office for another four years. $100 million to be spent by abortion rights advocates Both sides plan to spend millions to win over voters. The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and PAC Women Speak Out announced they would dedicate $92 million to make contact with at least 10 million voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement released Monday that there is still much work ahead to ensure that every mother and child is supported and protected. Meanwhile we are just one election cycle away from having every gain for life ripped away, Dannenfelser wrote. Joe Biden and the Democrats are hell-bent on banning protections for unborn children, spreading fear and lies, and forcing all-trimester abortion any time for any reason even when babies can feel pain as national law. Democrats have tried repeatedly to enact protections for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization in Congress both when they had unified control of government following the fall of Roe in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and during divided government. None of Democrats bills have garnered the support needed to move past the Senates 60-vote legislative filibuster. In addition to calling on Congress to restore the protections that existed under Roe, the Biden administration is attempting to defend abortion and other reproductive rights through executive actions as well as in front of the Supreme Court. Abortion pill, emergency care Earlier this year, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued two cases on abortion access. The first case, brought by four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors, addressed access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. The justices unanimously ruled earlier this month that the groups didnt have standing to bring the case in the first place, though they didnt address any other aspects of the case. The second case, yet undecided, has to do with when doctors can provide abortions as emergency medical care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA. Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein said on a call with reporters Monday that theres not much the Biden administration will be able to do if the justices side with Idaho in the case. If the court rejects our current interpretation, our options on emergency medical care are likely to be limited, Klein said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in July 2022, shortly after the Dobbs ruling came out, released a letter saying that EMTALA protected health care providers who use abortion as stabilizing care. The letter stated that if a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department, including certain labor and delivery departments, is experiencing an emergency medical condition as defined by EMTALA, and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment. And when a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition that state law is preempted, Becerra wrote. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently established a new portal that is supposed to make it easier for people to file complaints under EMTALA if theyre denied an emergency abortion. Comstock Act repeal Klein also said on the call the White House will likely support a bill introduced last week in Congress to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law, that could be used to bar the mailing of medication abortion during a future GOP administration. We support all actions by Democrats in Congress to protect reproductive freedom, including this one, Klein said, after noting the interagency process for determining whether the Biden administration will support the bill was still ongoing. The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass in a Congress with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. And divided government appears likely to continue during the next four years, regardless of which presidential candidate wins in November. Ballot questions in states Outside of court cases and executive actions, ballot referendums are shaping up to be the more fruitful battleground for those supportive of abortion access, though anti-abortion groups are hoping to make some headway this fall. Advocates in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have either secured questions for the November ballot or are in the process of doing so, according to the health news publication KFF. Residents in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all previously decided to bolster or add protection for abortion access in the two years since the Supreme Court ruling was released. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Biden and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November Abortion rights protesters at the U.S. Supreme Court. (Jane Norman/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters away from approving ballot questions in more than a dozen states this November that could bolster protections for abortion. Several will be decided in states that will have an outsized role in determining control of Congress and the White House. Abortion opponents are also preparing a game plan to implement if former President Donald Trump regains the Oval Office, a prospect that could lead to sweeping executive actions on abortion access as well as at least one more conservative Supreme Court justice. Reproductive rights organizations are honing in on the numerous ballot questions as a crucial way to remove decisions from the hands of lawmakers, especially in purple or conservative-leaning states. Abortion rights supporters are also trying to shore up support for Democrats in key races for the U.S. House and Senate as well as hoping to keep President Joe Biden in office for another four years. $100 million to be spent by abortion rights advocates Both sides plan to spend millions to win over voters. The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and PAC Women Speak Out announced they would dedicate $92 million to make contact with at least 10 million voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement released Monday that there is still much work ahead to ensure that every mother and child is supported and protected. Meanwhile we are just one election cycle away from having every gain for life ripped away, Dannenfelser wrote. Joe Biden and the Democrats are hell-bent on banning protections for unborn children, spreading fear and lies, and forcing all-trimester abortion any time for any reason even when babies can feel pain as national law. Democrats have tried repeatedly to enact protections for abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization in Congress both when they had unified control of government following the fall of Roe in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, and during divided government. None of Democrats bills have garnered the support needed to move past the Senates 60-vote legislative filibuster. In addition to calling on Congress to restore the protections that existed under Roe, the Biden administration is attempting to defend abortion and other reproductive rights through executive actions as well as in front of the Supreme Court. Abortion pill, emergency care Earlier this year, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued two cases on abortion access. The first case, brought by four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors, addressed access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. The justices unanimously ruled earlier this month that the groups didnt have standing to bring the case in the first place, though they didnt address any other aspects of the case. The second case, yet undecided, has to do with when doctors can provide abortions as emergency medical care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA. Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein said on a call with reporters Monday that theres not much the Biden administration will be able to do if the justices side with Idaho in the case. If the court rejects our current interpretation, our options on emergency medical care are likely to be limited, Klein said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in July 2022, shortly after the Dobbs ruling came out, released a letter saying that EMTALA protected health care providers who use abortion as stabilizing care. The letter stated that if a physician believes that a pregnant patient presenting at an emergency department, including certain labor and delivery departments, is experiencing an emergency medical condition as defined by EMTALA, and that abortion is the stabilizing treatment necessary to resolve that condition, the physician must provide that treatment. And when a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life and health of the pregnant person or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition that state law is preempted, Becerra wrote. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently established a new portal that is supposed to make it easier for people to file complaints under EMTALA if theyre denied an emergency abortion. Comstock Act repeal Klein also said on the call the White House will likely support a bill introduced last week in Congress to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law, that could be used to bar the mailing of medication abortion during a future GOP administration. We support all actions by Democrats in Congress to protect reproductive freedom, including this one, Klein said, after noting the interagency process for determining whether the Biden administration will support the bill was still ongoing. The legislation, however, is unlikely to pass in a Congress with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. And divided government appears likely to continue during the next four years, regardless of which presidential candidate wins in November. Ballot questions in states Outside of court cases and executive actions, ballot referendums are shaping up to be the more fruitful battleground for those supportive of abortion access, though anti-abortion groups are hoping to make some headway this fall. Advocates in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have either secured questions for the November ballot or are in the process of doing so, according to the health news publication KFF. Residents in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio have all previously decided to bolster or add protection for abortion access in the two years since the Supreme Court ruling was released. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Biden and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Voters in Colorado, New York, South Carolina and Utah will cast ballots Tuesday in key contests that are set to highlight friction within both parties and test former President Trumps endorsement power. In particular, all eyes will be on Rep. Jamaal Bowmans (D-N.Y.) high-profile primary, which has turned into a proxy battle between competing wings of the Democratic Party. But there are other highlights around the country as well. Here are five things to watch. Bowmans moment of truth Bowmans primary in the Empire State has divided Democrats and put a spotlight on party tensions around the Israel-Hamas war. Bowman, a member of the progressive Squad and one of the voices who called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, is on a rocky path to reelection against Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Bowman is supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), while Latimer is backed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). Latimer also has support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which has poured millions into campaigns this cycle. A poll from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill earlier this month showed Latimer with a 17-point lead. The race could serve as both the end for Bowman and the first instance of an incumbent House Democrat losing this year. Another test of Trumps endorsement power Trumps endorsement power has been on display in several primaries since his historic conviction in a Manhattan criminal trial last month. The legal blow has largely failed to dent the former presidents momentum as he heads toward a rematch with President Biden, and his candidates have continued to notch wins in key races. Trumps influence will again be put to the test in several Tuesday contests. In Colorados 5th Congressional District, he has backed state party Chair Dave Williams over talk radio host Jeff Crank. In Utah, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R) is running for a full term in the seat she filled through a special election last year, and though she has Trumps backing, the state party passed her over for their official nod. Trump has also endorsed long-shot conservative candidate Trent Staggs against the more moderate Rep. John Curtis for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romneys (R) Utah seat, though Curtis is seen as the favorite. Boeberts likely resurgence Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) nearly lost to Democrat Adam Frisch by a razor-thin margin of 546 votes for her seat in the 3rd Congressional District during the midterms. When fellow Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck announced last year that he was vacating his seat in the 4th Congressional District, Boebert switched over to that district, which is seen as more favorable to Republicans. Buck expedited his retirement, stepping down earlier this year and narrowing the House GOPs thin majority. Though the controversial Boebert has been accused of carpetbagging as she faces a crowded primary field for Bucks seat, shes the clear favorite to win Tuesdays primary. And if she gets the partys nod, she will be the clear front-runner in the general election in November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates her old seat in the 3rd District as leaning Republican while the 4th District is solidly Republican. A Colorado special election will test Dem, GOP enthusiasm Bucks exit from the House triggered a special election to fill his vacancy, which is separate from the race that will see Boebert battling for a full term. The Republican candidate for Bucks seat is former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, who is not running for a full term. Meanwhile, the Democrats pick, speechwriter Trisha Calvarese, is in both contests. Theyre up against two other third-party contenders and will appear on the ballot alongside the full-term race. Though the seat is a long shot for Democrats, observers will be closely watching turnout in the special election to see how Democratic enthusiasm compares with that of the GOP. A special election in a ruby-red Ohio district earlier this month took many by surprise when the Democrat came close to winning. It remains highly unlikely that Democrats will flip the 4th District, but if any Republican can put it in play, they believe its Lopez, Cook Political Reports Matthew Klein said in an analysis. Are there any surprises in the Utah governors race? The Utah state GOP snubbed popular incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox when it backed a primary challenger from his right, exposing strains among Republicans in the red state. Moderate Cox is still the favorite to win another term in the governors mansion, but the state partys 4,000-some delegates booed him and sided with Phil Lyman, a staunch Trump supporter, at their convention earlier this year. Cox has told news outlets that he hasnt voted for a major presidential candidate since 2012, while Lyman has said hes supported the former president unapologetically since 2016. Lyman was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after being convicted of a misdemeanor in connection with an unlawful all-terrain vehicle ride on public lands. Cox collected enough signatures to secure an alternate path to the ballot and will appear in Tuesdays primary despite not snagging his partys nomination. Polling has put him as the clear front-runner over Lyman, but as Republicans also scramble to replace retiring Romney, an outspoken Trump critic, the results could still show a notable share of voters souring on moderates in the GOP. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Voters in New Yorks 16th Congressional District will head to the polls Tuesday to determine whether progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) will remain in his seat or if centrist George Latimer, who has the backing of high-profile figures like Hillary Clinton, will replace him. The explosive and expensive fight has put competing special interests, outside spending, and personal attacks front and center. However, Polls suggest Bowman, a member of the squad, is in serious danger of losing after his criticism of Israel sparked an all-in effort to remove him from Congress. Follow the live results from Decision Desk HQ here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MOUNT VERNON Westchester County Executive George Latimer stood with a line of Black ministers in a second-story meeting room on Monday to present one final piece of his hard-fought campaign for Congress: the announcement of their full-throated support for him. "George is our guy," said Bishop Troy DeCohen, senior pastor of Mount Vernon Heights Congregational Church. "And this is not a Black-and-white issue for us. This is an issue about who's right, and who's better for the job and the position." A few hours later and just three blocks away, the incumbent made his own Mount Vernon stop one day before the election. Rep. Jamaal Bowman stood with two fellow "squad" members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City and Ayanna Pressley of Boston at Hartley Park to speak to the media and a group of his supporters before the House trio was set to knock on voters' doors in the neighborhood. Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks at a press conference in Mount Vernon on June 24, 2024 to announce the endorsement of eight Black clergy members for his primary race for Congress "This race is going to come down to buildings like these," Ocasio-Cortez said, gesturing to the apartment buildings surrounding the park. "This race is going to coming down to people behind each and every one of those windows believing that they matter, believing that their votes matter, that their decisions matter." Related: What to know about primary elections in 2024 in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam A last stand in Mount Vernon After six months of campaigning, four TV debates and wall-to-wall ads, the second-term House member and the longtime elected official looking to unseat him each chose as one of their last spots before Tuesday's primary a working-class, majority-Black city of 71,000 at the southern edge of Westchester, bordering the Bronx. Rep. Jamaal Bowman stands with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley at a campaign stop in Hartley Park in Mount Vernon on June 24, 2024. Both Democrats clearly coveted its voters. For Bowman, the first Black congressman to represent New York's 16th Congressional District, the stop was a chance to stoke turnout in one of the communities of color he invokes as the focus of his work in Washington. For Latimer, who grew up in Mount Vernon and was endorsed by its Democratic Party leaders, it was an opportunity to show the relationships and support he has built during his long political career in Westchester, regardless of color. Nine days of early voting in the race ended on Sunday, leaving the main event on Tuesday and the remaining mail-in votes. More than 28,000 votes already had been cast by Monday morning in the Westchester portion of the district the southern half, from White Plains to New York City. How many had been cast in the district's sliver of the north Bronx was unclear; the Bronx-wide early-voting total was 6,445, excluding mailed ballots. A man of integrity Latimer's Mount Vernon stop was held at the headquarters of the Mount Vernon Democratic Party, whose members unanimously endorsed him in March. Joining him there were eight clergy members from the 16th District who had endorsed Latimer, some of whom extolled him for interactions that began when he was a state lawmaker before becoming county executive in 2018. Some went back even further with him. Suffragan Bishop Judith O'Savio, executive pastor of Mt. Olivet Apostolic Faith Church in Mount Vernon, went to high school with him more than 50 years ago and even worked on the school newspaper with him, she said after the press conference. Westchester County Executive George Latimer casts his early ballot in the primary election at Mount Vernon City Hall on Saturday, Jun 22, 2024. Latimer is running against Representative Jamaal Bowman for the 16th Congressional seat in New York in the Democratic Primary. Even as a Mount Vernon teen, O'Savio said, Latimer showed a sense of civic-mindedness that she saw later in life through his attentiveness to her congregation as an elected official. "He is a man of integrity," she said. "I believe that he will do what he says he wants to do for the cities of our communities. And I know that he's concerned about women issues, youth, the gun violence and things that are so prevalent and pressing us down in every one of communities." Latimer, in his own remarks, rejected what he said was a skewed perception about his competition with Bowman: that race or "demographics," as he put it was "the only thing you need to assess." "What you really need to assess is record, what people have actually done in office," he said. A human rights approach At the rival campaign gathering that took place nearby later, Bowman sounded buoyant, despite trailing by 17 points in an Emerson College poll this month. He said his campaign had been relentlessly contacting voters to mobilize them for months, not just the final days of the campaign, and had spoken with 22,000 of them. Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16th) talks with supporters at his primary election rally at MacEachron Park in Hastings on Hudson on Friday, Jun 21, 2024, prior to his supporters going out to canvas the lower Westchester towns. "And the vast majority of them are with Team Bowman," he said. "Because they believe in not just a human rights approach to foreign policy, where every life is precious and every life is sacred, but they believe in a human rights approach to how we govern right here in this district and across our country." Pressley spoke passionately in support of Bowman, whom she described as "this unapologetic Black man, this truth teller, this disrupter of the status quo." "He is pro-peace, pro-humanity and pro-justice," she told cheering supporters. "And exactly who we need in this moment." Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Bowman, Latimer tout support in Mount Vernon in final push to primary A 16-year-old boy turned himself in and was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of retired Chicago police Officer Larry Neuman, police announced Monday. Authorities said they were still searching for a second suspect in Neumans slaying Thursday morning near his home in Garfield Park. The boy, whose name wasnt released Monday, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and is set to appear in court Tuesday, the Chicago Police Department said. Police Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said Neuman, 73, had been outside his house paying someone for cutting the grass when he saw two people approaching. Neuman pushed the other person out of the way and exchanged fire with the two suspects, who shot him multiple times. Ursitti said the department received an abundant amount of information from neighbors and former residents of the area and said a community member accompanied the teen when he turned himself in. She didnt elaborate on the relationship between the suspect and the community member. During the investigation, a detective recognized the suspect from a previous arrest, Ursitti added. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling called Neumans killing a brazen and senseless act of violence and said Neuman would have done whatever he could to help a teen who was at risk of being involved with violent crime. Larrys life was taken by the very people he committed his life to helping, he said. Neuman served with the U.S. Marines, retired as the longest-serving explosives technician for the Police Department and spoke out against violent crime as a pastor after he left the department, Snelling said. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx noted that Mondays news conference was the second in a week to see felony charges announced against a minor. Officials on Friday charged 16-year-old Raysean Comer with murder in the fatal shooting of JaiMani Amir Rivera, 7. Comer appeared for a detention hearing in court Saturday and will be tried as an adult. Foxx said that while Neuman was a retiree and the other victim was a young boy, the common thread is other children taking their lives. Snelling called for an accountability factor and pleaded with Chicagoans to step in with children who begin to get involved in illegal activity. Todays armed robber whos 13, 14 years old is tomorrows murderer at the age of 15 or 16, he said. If we dont intervene now, we will be announcing felony murder charges for a 16-year-old. Snelling also said he had attended a memorial event Sunday for Neuman and saw how much respect Neuman had earned in the Garfield Park area. He was a hero in that community, he said. He was loved in that community. He was a person to be proud of. FILE - The Brazilian Supreme Court meets during the session regarding Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's corruption conviction, in Brasilia, Brazil, April 4, 2018. The Supreme Court decriminalized possession of marijuana for personal use on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Brazils Supreme Court on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use, making the nation one of Latin Americas last to do so, in a move that could reduce its massive prison population. With final votes cast on Tuesday, a majority of the justices on the 11-person court have voted in favor of decriminalization since deliberations began in 2015. The justices must still determine the maximum quantity of marijuana that would be characterized as being for personal use and when the ruling will enter into effect. That is expected to finish as early as Wednesday. All the justices who have voted in favor said decriminalization should be restricted to possession of marijuana in amounts suitable for personal use. Selling drugs will remain illegal. In 2006, Brazils Congress approved a law that sought to punish individuals caught carrying small amounts of drugs, including marijuana, with alternative penalties such as community service. Experts say the law was too vague and didnt establish a specific quantity to help law enforcement and judges differentiate personal use from drug trafficking. Police continued to arrest people carrying small quantities of drugs on trafficking charges and Brazils prison population continued to swell. The majority of pre-trial detainees and those convicted of drug trafficking in Brazil are first-time offenders, who carried small amounts of illicit substance with them, caught in routine police operations, unarmed and with no evidence of any relationship with organized crime, said Ilona Szabo, president of Igarape Institute, a think tank focusing on public security. Congress has responded to the top courts ongoing deliberations by separately advancing a proposal to tighten drug legislation, which would complicate the legal picture surrounding marijuana possession. In April, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment criminalizing possession of any quantity of illicit substance. The lower houses constitutional committee approved the proposal on June 12, and it will need to pass through at least one other committee before going to a floor vote. If lawmakers pass such a measure, the legislation would take precedence over the top courts ruling but still could be challenged on constitutional grounds. Speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia, the Senate's president, Rodrigo Pacheco, said it isn't the Supreme Court's place to issue a decision on the matter. There is an appropriate path for this discussion to move forward and that is the legislative process, he said. It is something that, obviously, arouses broad discussion and it is a subject of preoccupation for Congress. Last year, a Brazilian court authorized some patients to grow cannabis for medical treatment after the health regulator in 2019 approved guidelines for the sale of medicinal products derived from cannabis. But Brazil is one of a few countries in Latin America that hasnt decriminalized the possession of small quantities of drugs for personal consumption. The Supreme Courts ruling has long been sought by activists and legal scholars in a country where the prison population has become the third largest in the world. Critics of current legislation say users caught with even small amounts of drugs are regularly convicted on trafficking charges and locked up in overcrowded jails, where they are forced to join prison gangs. Today, trafficking is the main vector for imprisonment in Brazil, said Cristiano Maronna, director of JUSTA, a civil society group focusing on the justice system. Brazil ranks behind U.S. and China in countries with the highest prison populations, according to the World Prison Brief, a database tracking such figures. Some 852,000 individuals were deprived of liberty in Brazil as of December 2023, according to official data. Of those, nearly 25% were arrested for possession of drugs or trafficking. Brazilian jails are overcrowded, and Black citizens are disproportionately represented, accounting for more than two-thirds of the prison population. A recent study by Insper, a Brazilian research and education institute, determined that Black individuals found by police with drugs were slightly more likely to be indicted as traffickers than white people. The authors analyzed over 3.5 million records from Sao Paulos public security secretariat from 2010 to 2020. An advance in drug policy in Brazil! This is an issue of public health, not security and incarceration, leftist lawmaker Chico Alencar wrote on X after the ruling. By contrast, Gustavo Scandelari, a specialist on Brazils penal code at law firm Dotti Advogados, said he doesn't foresee the ruling bringing about a significant shift from the status quo, even after the top court establishes a maximum quantity of marijuana for personal use. Scandelari argued that the amount will remain one determinant of whether authorities consider a person a dealer or a user, but not the only one. Some Brazilians, like 47-year-old Rio de Janeiro resident Alexandro Trindade, have managed to be upset with both the Supreme Court decriminalizing marijuana and Congress pushing to keep it illegal. The Supreme Court is not the right place (for such decision). This should be submitted to a plebiscite for the people to decide, Trindade said. Both the Supreme Court and Congress have been very opposed to society in this. As in other countries in the region, like Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, medicinal use of cannabis in Brazil is allowed, though in a highly restricted manner. Uruguay has fully legalized the use of marijuana, and in some U.S. states recreational use for adults is legal. In Colombia, possession has been decriminalized for a decade, but a law to regulate the recreational use of marijuana so that it can be sold legally failed to pass in the Senate in August. Colombians can carry small amounts of marijuana, but selling it for recreational purposes is not legal. The same goes for Ecuador and Peru. Both distribution and possession remain illegal in Venezuela. Argentinas Supreme Court ruled in 2009 it was unconstitutional to penalize an adult for consuming marijuana if it didnt harm others. But the law has not been changed and users are still arrested, although most cases are thrown out by judges. Uruguay became the first country to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2013 although it was only implemented in 2017. Uruguays whole industry, from production to distribution, is under state control and registered users can buy up to 40 grams of marijuana per month through pharmacies. ___ Sa Pessoa reported from Sao Paulo. Associated Press journalists Mauricio Savarese, Mario Lobao, Regina Garcia Cano and Manuel Rueda contributed to this report. Brazilian to become first head of Interpol from developing world FILE PHOTO: Director of the Federal Police's International Cooperation department and Interpol Vice-President for the Americas, Valdecy Urquiza, attends an interview with Reuters in Brasilia FILE PHOTO: Director of the Federal Police's International Cooperation department and Interpol Vice-President for the Americas, Valdecy Urquiza, attends an interview with Reuters in Brasilia By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) -Interpol's executive committee on Tuesday for the first time elected a police official from a developing nation to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza from Brazil. Urquiza, 43, who is currently Interpol's vice president for the Americas and head of international cooperation at the Brazilian federal police, will succeed Juergen Stock of Germany to lead Interpol from 2025 to 2030. Urquiza, a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, received eight votes against two for Britain's candidate Stephen Kavanagh and one for Mubita Nawa from Zambia. His election must be ratified by Interpol's general assembly in November in Glasgow, the Brazilian government said in a statement. The assembly has always followed the committee's recommendations for secretary-general. "This is recognition of Brazil's neutrality," Urquiza told reporters after his election at the agency's headquarters in Lyon, France. "Interpol has much to gain from diversity and the experience of other countries," he said. Urquiza plans to strengthen Interpol as "an absolutely necessary platform for police work in the world" and avoid the agency being used for political ends, he told Reuters by phone. Russia escaped suspension from Interpol after invading Ukraine in 2022 when critics accused Moscow of abusing the agency's tools, such as its "red notice" system, to get political opponents arrested abroad. "Interpol has to remain a technical platform," Urquiza said, without naming any particular country. Interpol is the world's largest police organization with 196 member countries. In its 100 years, Interpol has been run by men from just five developed Western countries, four in Europe and the U.S. "The organization runs the risk of losing credibility and legitimacy if it isolates itself. What we need for Interpol's success is plurality. We need all countries to feel included, for all regions to be served," Urquiza told Reuters in an interview in February. (Reporting by Anthony BoadleEditing by Bill Berkrot and David Gregorio) The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on June 25 that it has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, and Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, for war crimes against Ukraine. Shoigu served as Russia's Defense Minister at the time of the alleged crimes. Shoigu was replaced in May by Andrei Belousov, a former economy minister with no previous military experience, after serving as defense minister since 2012. Shoigu and Gerasimov are charged with the war crimes of "directing attacks at civilian objects," "causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects," and the "crime against humanity of inhumane acts." The charges relate to Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023, the ICC said. The court found that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged strikes were directed against civilian objects." While the energy infrastructure "may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time," the ICC said that "the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage." "Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars," President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted on X. The ICC's decision "clearly demonstrates that no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability," Zelensky said. The charges against Shoigu and Gerasimov follow similar arrest warrants issued against two lower-ranking Russian commanders deemed allegedly responsible for carrying out strikes on Ukraine's electrical infrastructure during the same time period. Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov "are each allegedly responsible" for a number of war crimes, including "directing attacks at civilian objects," the ICC said in March 2024. Russia launched 84 missiles and 24 kamikaze drones at Ukraine on Oct. 10, 2022, the first of a long series of devastating attacks targeting the countrys critical infrastructure through the winter. By the end of the winter, the strikes had caused an estimated $10 billion in damages across Ukraine and left 12 million people with no or limited access to power, according to the United Nations Development Program. Energy workers battled to repair the infrastructure as quickly as possible, with 22 out of 36 of Ukraine's power generation plants damaged or destroyed. The ICC also previously issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, for the forcible transfer of children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Russia withdrew from the ICC in 2016 following its criticism of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Tampa travelers will soon be able to visit another destination with Breeze Airways. The airline announced Tuesday that it will begin service from Tampa International Airport to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania starting Oct. 18. Fares for the new route start at $79 for one-way tickets if purchased by July 1 for travel by Jan. 7, 2025. Breeze also announced that it is offering a 35% discount off roundtrip base fares if travelers use the code DUPE online. The promotion is available for select flights until Thursday. American Airlines adds new nonstop flight from Sarasota to New York City Last month, the airline started service from TPA to Orange County, California and Myrtle Beach and Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. Breeze will start nonstop service to the following routes in the coming months: City Travel days Start date Pensacola Mondays and Fridays June 28 Manchester, New Hampshire Thursdays and Sundays Sept. 5 Bangor, Maine Mondays and Fridays Oct. 4 Breeze currently offers more than 170 year-round and seasonal nonstop routes between 56 cities in 29 states. To learn more, visit Breezes website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. It's the return of the mailbag! I've skipped a few weeks because there's been a ton of news to cover. I do have some fun questions to catch up on, though, so I'll try to get to them in a future mailbag. For this edition, I'm sticking to questions about the wild month we're having in Indiana politics. If you'd like to submit a question, email me or fill out the form at the bottom of the online article page. Onto the mail! Caren Lettofsky: The more I read about Micah Beckwith, the more scared I get. Real question: As a non-Christian with ZERO interest in converting and as only a second-generation American, in your opinion, how realistically scared should I be? I caution against treating political figures as scary. There's enough to worry about in life without catastrophizing politicians. That said, the media, myself included, have correctly framed Beckwith as an extreme figure on the right. He is an avowed Christian nationalist who believes in harnessing political and governmental power to enact an agenda in line with his rigid interpretation of Christianity. He's also uniquely effective at pursuing that agenda, in large part because he has charisma and communication skills honed by his work as a pastor. Beckwith this month won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor and most likely will hold statewide office in a few months. But what does Beckwith's ascent actually mean for our lives? And is it scary? I'd argue these are the things most of us have to worry about, in order of greatest to least probability: State government will get worse. Beckwith will embarrass Indiana. Laws could get more extreme. Beckwith could become governor. To take a step back, I think Gov. Eric Holcomb is a good and effective governor who has led Indiana in the right direction over two terms. I've already discussed how Holcomb handled the pandemic well (and reopened Indiana faster than far-right conservatives seem to recall). He's also been an outstanding governor for Central Indiana. Holcomb has respected, and contributed to, the region's economic might while using state resources to juice important initiatives, such as the long-overdue Circle Centre redevelopment. Indianapolis and its suburbs are better off because of Holcomb. Holcomb is a vestige of pre-MAGA Republicans focused on pragmatic governance. By contrast, Holcomb's probable successor, Sen. Mike Braun, came to office as a MAGA acolyte, which is increasingly a prerequisite for winning elections in red states. Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Micah Beckwith is congratulated by Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican nominee for governor, Saturday, June 15, 2024, during the 2024 Indiana GOP State Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Braun, not coincidentally, is less accomplished than Holcomb during his one U.S. Senate term, and he has been more willing to waste time and energy on silly political fights (like, you know, overturning a U.S. election). All that to say, I already expected Indiana's next four years to get less fruitful and more annoying even before Beckwith joined the Braun ticket. I am much more confident in that prediction now. Republican delegates chose Beckwith for the purpose of holding Braun's feet to the MAGA fire. At best, Beckwith will be a constant distraction for Braun, making day-to-day governance more difficult. At worst, Beckwith will be a chaos agent, exerting influence over appointments and policy objectives and diverting the Braun administration's time toward trivial matters, such as which books are in libraries. Which brings me to the second point. Beckwith already has been a low-key embarrassment to Indiana in his video messages and during his time on the Hamilton East Public Library board. Now, he's gaining a platform that warrants national attention. When Beckwith says crazy things going forward like that God sent the Jan. 6 rioters people across the U.S. will hear about it and assume Indiana is just a bunch of Beckwiths. That's embarrassing. Beckwith won't be alone among facepalm-inducing statewide office holders. After all, he'll share a ballot with Todd Rokita in November, and Diego Morales is still secretary of state. But Beckwith is a truer believer in American theocracy and, unless he submits himself to Braun's handlers, he's likely to operate as a loose cannon, often overshadowing his ostensible boss. Briggs: Trump is leading Indiana Republicans to a dangerous place If you're looking for a bright side of sorts, I'd say it's doubtful that Beckwith will lead to more extreme laws. After all, Indiana has already had Mike Pence as governor and the Indiana General Assembly doesn't exactly need a lieutenant governor's help to file bills pertaining to the Fox News cultural freakout of the day. Perhaps the most frightening aspect to Beckwith's impending position is that, as I noted in a previous column, Braun is 70 years old. Once the Braun-Beckwith duo takes office, Indiana will be one Braun health scare away from swearing in Beckwith as one of America's worst governors. Thankfully, Braun seems to be in good health. In many ways, Beckwith is the product of an accelerating political trend in Indiana. Republicans dominate state government and accomplished all their policy goals years ago, so far-right conservatives stake out increasingly extreme positions and push the party to the right. That movement dovetailed with the Trump era, incentivizing grown adults to act like children having a food fight in the cafeteria. Republicans have much to fear going forward because the party is abandoning Indiana's median voter. There will be electoral consequences for that some day. Meanwhile, Braun's career is culminating with a job that will not be nearly as enjoyable as he might have imagined. Those are the stakes. If you've generally enjoyed living in Indiana until now, I don't see any reason why life will change for you specifically because of Beckwith. You might just have to explain a lot of embarrassing stories to your out-of-town friends. Bob Williams: About your story on the continued pattern of Indiana democrats (small d on purpose) to self-immolate. Theyve been doing it for a generation or so. My question to you: Why do Indiana democrats insist on being so incompetent, irrelevant, Keystone Kopish? First, per my answer above, I'd note that Indiana Republicans are a mess, too. Republicans just happen to be heavily favored by Indiana's demographics at the moment. Winning covers up dysfunction well, at least until it doesn't. Speaking of, Democrats used to win a lot in Indiana. Now, they lose most of the time in most places. So, we're seeing internal battles between old-school Democrats, who took part in better days and think they have tactical answers, and newcomers, who have never known winning in Indiana, yet have lots of ideas about how to do it. Briggs: Indiana Democrats need Destiny Wells more than she needs them We're also seeing an ideological war between leftist Democrats, who see progressives winning elsewhere in America and think they can emulate that here, and moderates, who (in my view) have a more realistic sense of the Indiana electorate and what's possible. These are not unusual fights to have in party politics indeed, similar fights are playing out among Democrats at the national level, even as the party controls the White House and the Senate. To Democratic insiders, these are immensely important arguments to determine when, and how, the party competes again. To outsiders, Democrats' infighting takes on the optics of hyenas fighting for scraps. Thank you for reading! If you want to send questions for future mailbags, fill out the Google form on the online article page or email james.briggs@indystar.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Should Micah Beckwith's Christian nationalism scare Hoosiers? In a stunning fall from grace, four members of the billionaire Hinduja family were sentenced to jail in Switzerland late last week over allegations that they subjected their household staff to illegally oppressive conditions. The conviction will surely cause their roster of high-profile connections to pull back from the family, which remains Britains wealthiest clan. The Sunday Times pegs their net worth at more than $45 billion. (Forbes estimates a more modest $20 billion.) Prakash Hinduja, who chairs the European operation of the familys namesake conglomerate, received a four-and-a-half-year sentence, as did his wife, Kamal. Their son Ajay received a four-year sentence, alongside his wife, Namrata. U.K.s Richest Family Spent More on Dog Than Paying Staff, Court Hears According to prosecutors, the Hindujas spent more money on their dog than on staff members at their Lake Geneva compound. Servants were allegedly coerced to work up to 18-hour days, in some cases earning less than $10. The family was also accused of restricting their employees ability to travel, including by taking their passports. Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa accused the four members of the Hinduja family of spending more per year on their dog than on pay for members of their staff. In the most egregious case, prosecutors said, a staff member was allegedly paid less than $8 to work for up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, The Telegraph reported. The Hindujas were also accused of denying their employees freedom of mobility by taking their passports and preventing them from leaving the house without their employers permission. Lawyers for the Hindujas disputed the allegations. No other family would have been treated in this way. Our clients remain determined to defend themselves and have confidence in the judicial system, one of their attorneys, Romain Jordan, said prior to the conviction. The Hindujas were charged with human trafficking, in addition to the allegations of exploitative and illegal employment. They beat the trafficking charge but expressed outrage at their conviction on other counts. Our clients have been acquitted of all human trafficking charges. We are appalled and disappointed by the rest of the decision made in this court of first instance, and we have, of course, filed an appeal to the higher court, thereby making this part of the [judgment] not effective, their attorneys said in a statement. Indian-Swiss billionaire family members Namrata Hinduja (L) and Ajay Hinduja (2ndR) arrive at the Geneva's courthouse with their lawyers Yael Hayat (C) and Robert Assael (R) at the opening day of their trial for human trafficking on January 15, 2024. Gabriel Monnet/AFP via Getty Images The Hindujas owe their wealth to their Indian-based conglomerate, which has a vast number of global subdivisions specializing in chemicals, banking, media, real estate, and other sectors. The company, which says it has more than 200,000 employees, was founded by Prakash Hindujas father, Parmanand. Its not yet clear how the convictions will impact the business operations. Other family members will likely step in if the defendants are ultimately sent to jail. Prakash, known as PP, began working for the company in Iran after graduating from college, then relocated to Geneva to lead the European outfit. He has lived in Monaco since 2008. It wasnt long ago that the Hindujas were gladhanding with dignitaries and celebrities. In 2023, Prakash and Kamal were photographed with Princess Annedaughter of Queen Elizabethat the unveiling of Hinduja Groups new luxury hotel in London. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reportedly also dropped by, and Andrea Bocelli and Andrew Lloyd Webber performed. Prakash and his brother Ashok previously met with Juan Carlos I, the former King of Spain; Prakash has also posed with a South African minister, the president of Nigeria, and the Dalai Lama, and has soaked up the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France. Other members of the Hinduja dynasty who were not named in the criminal complaint have schmoozed with Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Scherzinger, King Charles, and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Perhaps most infamously, Labour politician Peter Mandelson resigned as a British minister under Tony Blair in 2001 amid allegations that he helped Prakashs late brother, Srichand, gain U.K. citizenship in exchange for the familys donation to a public project. I do not accept in any way that I have acted improperly in respect of any application for naturalization as a British citizen, Mandelson said at the time. As The Guardian reported in 2001, the tentacles of the Hindujas have touched prominent figures in all the main parties, and roughly a dozen candidates at the last election, Labour and Tory, [were] rumoured at Westminster to have received donations from the brothers. The outlet noted that some members of the family were facing possible corruption charges in India over an arms scandal. The charges against them were later thrown out. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Emperor Naruhito of Japan inspects the Guard of Honour formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards during a ceremonial welcome for him and Empress Masako on the occasion of their state visit to Britain, at Horse Guards Parade, London, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP) LONDON (AP) King Charles III welcomed the Japanese emperor and empress for a state visit that began on Tuesday, offering the best in pomp and circumstance as the U.K. seeks to bolster its role as the most influential European nation in the Indo-Pacific region. Emperor Naruhito and Empress of Masako are to attend a banquet hosted by the king, lay a wreath at Westminster Abbey and tour one of Britains premier biomedical research institutes. But the emperor began this weeks trip by visiting a site that has special meaning: The Thames Barrier. The retractable flood control gates on the River Thames seemed a natural destination for a royal long interested in the waterway that runs through the heart of London. Naruhito studied 18th-century commerce on the river as a graduate student at the University of Oxford some 40 years ago. He chronicled the interest in his memoir The Thames and I, together with his fondness for Britain and its people. The future emperor got a chance to experience life outside the palace walls, including doing his own ironing, going to the bank and taking part in pub crawls. Tuesday's ceremonial welcome seemed warm. Charles and Naruhito, who have known each other for years, settled into the back of a carriage and chatted like old chums. Masako wore a mask in her carriage because of a horse hair allergy. Both countries look to each other as a source of stability and mutual reassurance at a time of potentially destabilizing global political change. Weve had a long history of engagement,'' said John Nilsson-Wright, the head of the Japan and Koreas program at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge. But ... this current visit (is) a reflection of both the personal ties of affection between the two royal families (and) perhaps most importantly of all, the geopolitical significance of the relationship. THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) The NYPD is looking for two people who brutally hit a female bodega worker with a hammer in an unprovoked attack on Saturday. Oralia Abad, a 41-year-old mother of three, was assaulted at the A&D Deli Grocery on East 188th Street in the Bronx. She received 20 stitches and has undergone five CT scans and one MRI. The NYPD is looking for two people who brutally hit a female bodega worker with a hammer in an unprovoked attack on Saturday. (Credit: United Bodegas of America) The two people accused of attacking Abad were shoplifting, according to the NYPD. PIX11 News learned that the duo went to the store two days earlier, demanding their money back for a hookah they purchased. Members of the United Bodegas of America were outside of St. Barnabas Hospital Monday evening where Abad remains hospitalized. More Local News Shes in a lot of pain, Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for United Bodegas of America, told PIX11 News. Bodega owners and workers are once again calling for the state to invest in security. Its not right: Organizer reacts to latest bodega stabbing These incidents couldve been prevented. There are panic buttons, Mateo said. You also need bullet-proof, better quality camera. All these things will create a safe haven. Panic buttons cost around $2,000-$3,000, and none of the 30,000 bodegas in New York City have them, according to Mateo. We dont need the money tomorrow, we need the money today, Mateo said. The issue of safety, this is an alarm they have been sounding for a very long time, so it is really important that we listen, New York City Councilmember Oswald Feliz told PIX11 News. He agreed that bodegas need financial assistance to deter crime and is hopeful the new city budget will help. We are hoping to be able to bring in the city at least $10-15 million for small business specifically for bodega owners, Feliz said. She came to this bodega four months ago thinking it would be a safer place, Mateo said of Abad. PIX11 News reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochuls office about funds to protect bodegas. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A tarantula and assault charges were flying in the Hennepin County Board race this weekend. Political hopeful Marisa Simonetti spent the weekend in jail and emerged, twirling and triumphant, with a pledge to stay in the race for sixth district county commissioner. Before we get into why she allegedly threw a spider at the woman renting her Airbnb, let's look at the how. Her tenant apparently captured the entire bonkers incident on video. Here we have Simonetti dumping a hapless spider on the stairs while invoking the name of Jesus at the top of her lungs. Here we hear Simonetti banging on pots and pans and whooping it up while the woman on the receiving end of a tarantula tearfully tells the 911 operator that she's afraid to leave. And here, Simonetti brags that she just bought a tarantula for the sole purpose of deploying it as nightmare fuel. Minnesota might have been tempted to think we hit political rock bottom when a state senator allegedly broke into her stepmother's house, dressed all in black like an incompetent ninja. Marisa Simonetti to the exhausted voters of Minnesota: Hold my tarantula. As Kare 11s Lou Raguse posted each video of the incident, Simonetti responded with giggly emojis and then began reposting the video on her own social media. By mid-morning Tuesday, Simonetti who once claimed she was tired of hearing that Minnesota is "an embarrassment" had rebranded as the "tarantula tosser" and was trying to raise money off her newfound notoriety. Simonetti is running for county commissioner as "the only conservative candidate in this race" on a platform of "rebuilding safety through family values." Like too many politicians these days, she is under the impression that she can only appeal to her base by being as unappealing as possible. But never mind her. Let's focus on what's really important here. That poor tarantula. Spiders are friends, not ballistic missiles. If you find yourself in a dispute use your words, not your spiders. Tarantulas are fragile little creatures. You could hurt one by tossing it down the stairs. If Minnesota can agree on nothing else, let's agree on this. Marissa Simonetti should stay at least eight feet (get it?) away from the nearest tarantula. And at least 800 light years away from any position of public trust. Her uninspired campaign motto is "Do more with less." Let's start with less tarantula tossing. He Was Buried in 'Makeshift Tomb' Under Stairs for Nearly 8 Years. Prosecutors Think They Know Who Put Him There The suspect allegedly the victim over the head with a frying pan, cut his throat with a box cutter and placed his body in a backyard storage area in 2014 San Bernadino Police Department Eric Israel Mercado. Eric Israel Neno Mercado left his California home on October 11, 2014. No one saw him return. His family created missing persons posters which they circulated on a Facebook page dedicated to his disappearance. In September 2019 about five years after Mercado was last seen the San Bernardino Police Department issued a formal missing persons poster. Now, his ex-girlfriend, Trista Ann Spicer, will face trial on a murder charge. Spicer's most recent ex turned her in, The San Bernardino Sun reported from the courtroom last week. Spicer who is charged with felony murder and of use of a deadly weapon has previously pleaded not guilty in the case, according to her online court record. (Her lawyer, Gary W. Smith, did not respond to PEOPLE in time for publication.) San Bernardino Police Department Trista Ann Spicer. At the preliminary hearing Friday, June 21, the ex-boyfriend, Waylan Gentry recalled a conversation the couple had in 2022 ahead of her planned move to Illinois, per the newspaper. She said she needed to take care of something first. She needed my help, Gentry testified, alleging that she eventually told him she needed his help to get rid of her ex. I didnt know what she meant, Gentry told the court. She said he was buried under the stairs. I did not believe her. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage, and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Gentry alleged that Spicer proceeded to detail a night in 2014 in which she had approached her boyfriend sleeping, who was on their loveseat, before hitting him over the head with a frying pan, cutting his throat with a box cutter and stuffing his body in her backyard storage area. On August 23, 2022 about eight years after Mercados disappearance San Bernardino Police Homicide detectives searched Spicers home for possible human remains, according to a press release from the time. There, they allegedly found a makeshift tomb on the property, and, entering the tomb located human remains inside. The San Bernardino Sun reported that investigators allegedly found Mercados body wrapped in a sliced-open air mattress. Facebook Eric Israel Mercado with his mother. Detective Tiffany Montez testified, per the newspaper, that Mercados nose and eye socket were obliterated and that the medical examiner told her that the force of the frying pan against Mercados head would have killed him within seconds. Gentry testified that Spicer claimed Mercado often beat her. In a 2022 interview in The San Bernardino Sun, his family said they believed the couple to get along. During the preliminary hearing, the judge allowed Spicer whose hands and feet were shackled to have her handcuffs removed so she could take notes, the newspaper reported. During proceedings, prosecutors presented photographs of two couches inside the home, the back of the couch and an outdoor staircase, per the courts portal minute order obtained by PEOPLE. Spicer is set to return to court on July 12 at 8:30 for an arraignment on the criminal information. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Burn ban in effect days before Fourth of July, fireworks permitted SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The Tom Green County Commissioners reinstated a burn ban within the county on June 25, just a week before the Fourth of July. Although the burn ban is in effect due to the dry conditions within Tom Green County, fireworks will still be allowed. While fireworks are still permitted within Tom Green County, the San Angelo Police Department reminds citizens that a fine is punishable by possessing or using fireworks within 5,000 feet of the city limits. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Its a hotter start to the week, but storms continue. Rain chances increase through the middle of the week, with burn scar flash flooding likely Wednesday and Thursday. Fewer storms have developed Monday thanks to slightly drier air and a building area of high pressure directly over southern New Mexico, but what storms did form still dropped heavy rain. Flash flood warnings were in effect earlier for Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon and Ruidoso burn scar areas. Temperatures were hotter this afternoon as well thanks to the area of high pressure. The high will continue to build over the state through Tuesday, when high temperatures will be even hotter. Scattered storms will again develop by the afternoon, favoring parts of southern and southwestern New Mexico, but isolated storms will be possible across the rest of the state. Storms could produce locally heavy rainfall, which could cause more flash flooding. Another surge of monsoon moisture moves into New Mexico Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure slides to the east. This will bring more widespread and numerous showers and storms both of these days. These storms will also be capable of heavy rainfall. Burn scar flash flooding is likely Wednesday and Thursday. Drier air briefly returns on Friday. but more moisture gets drawn up into the state again this weekend. This will bring more widespread showers and thunderstorms through at least early next week. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Apache Fire destroys two structures and injures one person (FOX40.COM) Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for several areas in southeast Butte County as the Apache Fire sees some overnight growth, according to CAL FIRE Butte County. Zones under evacuation orders include, 865, 866, 868, 884, 885, 886, 887. Those zones under evacuation warnings are, 867 and 883. Wildfire Information Zonehaven, CAL FIRE and NIXLE: Websites you can use for wildfire information AlertCalifornia live cams to provide more insight into natural disasters These are the items to include in your emergency kit in case of a disaster CAL FIREs Tuesday morning report places the fire at 673 acres, 15% containment, two structures destroyed and one fire fighter injured. The fire is burning in the area of Apache Hill Road and Cresmont Drive, about 12 miles south of Oroville and around 70 miles north of Sacramento. For more information visit www.buttecounty.net, or call (833) 512-5378. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the dismissal of Vinnytsia Oblast Governor Serhii Borzov, Taras Melnychuk, the Cabinet's representative in parliament, announced on June 25. Melnychuk did not provide a reason for the dismissal. According to Borzov, he had to resign due to health reasons. "I ask you not to waste time on any manipulations. A lot has been done during my tenure and there is a result," Borzov wrote on Facebook. Borzov's dismissal has yet to be approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Borzov became the governor of Vinnytsia Oblast, which is located in central Ukraine, in June 2020. Prior to that, since 2019 he had been head of the State Affairs Directorate, an agency that provides material and technical support to the president, Cabinet and parliament. The Nashi Hroshi investigative media project reported in 2016 that the State Affairs Directorate provided Borzov with a free apartment in the Pechersk district of Kyiv worth Hr 10 million ($246,000). Read also: Zelensky dismisses Lieutenant General accused by soldiers of heavy losses Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Californias business groups and labor interests have seemingly done the impossible: struck a deal to reform one of the states worst laws, the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The agreement could provide a lifeline to the countless employers who have been unfairly targeted by the threat of PAGA lawsuits. The key to success is drafting clear language to guard against misinterpretation by trial lawyers and the courts. PAGA took effect in 2004 to address an enforcement shortfall at the states labor department, allowing workers to hold bad actors accountable without requiring state resources to investigate each violation. However, the significant financial incentives for filing PAGA lawsuits which award one-third or more of the total payout to the plaintiffs counsel turned the system into a gold mine for trial lawyers. As a consequence, PAGA lawsuits, and threats of lawsuits, exploded. Opinion In 2023, nearly 8,000 PAGA notices were filed with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, a 34% increase from the previous year and a nearly 400% increase over the prior decade. Since 2013, at least $10 billion has been paid out in PAGA settlements, with billions going into the pockets of trial lawyers who file these claims. PAGA abuse was aided, however unintentionally, by the courts. Thats why its so important to get the language right in PAGA reform. Consider the issue of standing (whether an employee has the right to sue his or her employer under PAGA). Looking at PAGAs legislative history, final bill analysis and group of original proponents, its clear that the law was intended for plaintiffs who suffered actual harm for an alleged violation of the states labor code. But trial lawyers convinced the California Supreme Court to adopt a broader view of standing, where employees could sue for alleged violations even if no harm had been suffered. If it sounds ludicrous, it is. Appropriately, this issue of standing is front and center in the PAGA reform deal. Per Gov. Gavin Newsoms summary of the reform deal, the revised law would require the employee to personally experience the alleged violations brought in a claim, and sets a one-year look back period for the violation. In writing this section, the legislature needs to be explicitly clear about this goal and close the door to future creative interpretations by trial lawyers or state Supreme Court justices. The reform package also appears to remove one of trial lawyers most potent weapons: The threat of crushing financial penalties for alleged violations. PAGA attorneys have realized that minor technical violations of the states complex labor code, multiplied across thousands of employees, can add up to seven- and eight-figure potential penalties that scare even the best-capitalized employers into settling. Per the governor, the reform package will cap penalties for employers who quickly fix alleged labor law violations and reduce penalties for frivolous violations (e.g. a paystub typo) where the employee did not suffer economic harm. For PAGA cases that do go to trial, the proposed reform package will give lower courts the ability to rein in PAGAs excesses. This would restore a power known as manageability, which the state Supreme Court took away in a decision earlier this year. If youre an employer facing hundreds of PAGA claims, you could technically face hundreds of trials if you wanted to fight each one in court. This creates an insurmountable financial barrier for most business owners, and also clogs up the court docket. If worded correctly, these provisions will make it easier for employers to go to trial and for courts to manage their time. But this deal isnt all good news. If enacted, PAGA plaintiffs would be empowered to seek injunctive relief (an order from the court) to force an employer to fix alleged labor law violations. This power could be weaponized by labor unions and trial lawyers seeking to target a specific employer over a disfavored employment practice (e.g. the use of independent contractors). Employers could be forced to make radical changes to their business, close their doors or risk the criminal penalties that come with being in contempt of court. Hurdles still exist to get reform done. But if the legislature can get the language right, its a reform worth supporting. Tom Manzo is the president and founder of the California Business and Industrial Alliance. Is California Gov. Gavin Newsom a national Democratic star? Why his State of the State speech could help Gov. Gavin Newsom gave a State of the State address Tuesday that could easily be viewed across the countryand for that matter, delivered to the partys national convention in August. It was the sort of speech a president or presidential candidate might give. In fact, Joe Biden pretty much did just that while running in 2020 and addressing Congress in March. Newsom, whose term as governor ends in 2027, has said repeatedly hes not running for president in 2024. His office has not returned a request for comment. For months Newsom has been taking the sorts of steps prospective presidential candidates do, traveling the country raising money, vigorously defending the Biden administration and aggressively spreading its message. Tuesday he delivered his State of the State address in an unusual fashion, as a video message that could be viewed just as easily in New Hampshire or Iowa as it was in Sacramento. Instead of speaking in person to the state legislature, he was on camera, flanked by three flags -- two American and on California. It was an address whose first parts centered on broad themes. Hes very aware of his national audience when he does anything. The fact he did macro themes is not surprising, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducts the NPR/PBS Marist News National poll.. Newsom stressed how Californias successes and qualities could be the nations. Our state and this legislature are called upon to show America that an agenda of freedom over fear is not only achievable, its inevitable, Newsom said.. Newsom gets national attention Analysts said speeches like Tuesdays could keep Newsom in the national conversations about presidential politics, dialogue thats dominating news talk shows this week. There will potentially be a couple of news hooks Newsom would not mind being mentioned in, said John Fortier, senior fellow at Washingtons American Enterprise Institute. Suppose, for instance, Biden does not do well in Thursdays debate with former President Donald Trump. Newsom wont criticize Biden, but others may talk about the governor as an alternative. Being somebody on that list and talking about the party as a whole might just remind people hes part of the story, said Fortier. While Newsoms address included the traditional list of boasts, wishes and promises, it also had the heft of the sort of speech given at a national level. We are presented with a choice between a society that embraces our values and a world darkened by division and discrimination., Newsom said. Thats a similar message to the one from Biden in his State of the Union address in March: What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack, both at home and overseas, at the very same time. And heres Newsom Tuesday on his opponents: They want to impeach the very things that have made us successful, as a tactic to turn America toward a darker future. They do so in the name of liberty and freedom. Then heres Biden accepting the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020: America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities.We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided, he said. Newsom and the administration also had identical views on abortion. Today, our daughters know fewer rights than their grandmothers. This is a health care crisis, Vice President Kamala Harris told a Maryland audience Monday. Newsom emphasized the point Tuesday. For our detractors, the distorted prism of political pandering means cutting health care benefits and telling a woman shes not in charge of her own body, the governor said. When it comes to reproductive rights, their lies are designed to control. Newsom in the summer spotlight Newsom could have a lively summer in the national spotlight. Newsom is likely to be a surrogate touting Bidens performance in the Thursday debate. On July 15, Republicans gather for their national convention. Democrats traditionally offer their own speakers off site to counter the GOP claims. Then comes the Democratic convention starting August 19. While no formal schedule has been announced, a strong convention speech has long been a ticket to stardom. Most famously, Barack Obama, then a little-known Illinois U.S. Senate candidate, vaulted to national stardom when he delivered the conventions prime time keynote address. Newsom has created the sort of political infrastructure that those thinking of a presidential run normally use. Hes set up fundraising committees, including one that can raise and spend unlimited amounts. The money can be used to build loyalty in the party by promoting turnout and running ads with the Democratic message. Newsom has traveled around the country to campaign and meet personally with Democrats. Any presidential bid in 2028 faces immediate hurdles. Most obvious is that if Biden wins a second term, Harris would be the favorite to succeed him. Harris political resume is similar to that of Newsomthree statewide victories in California, roughly the same age (Harris 59, Newsom is 56), both from the San Francisco Bay area. Harris, though, could be the first Asian American and Black woman to win the White House giving her a constituency that Newsom could find harder to tap. California hiker lost for 10 days in the thick Big Basin Redwoods, surviving solely on drinking water from his boot Lukas McClish was found in the Big Basin Redwoods after going missing for 10 days without food or supplies. | SLV Steve For more than a week, 34-year-old Lukas McClish roamed the Big Basin Redwoods without food or supplies. According to the Los Angeles Times, the strategy that saved McClishs life was when he began screaming for help, pushing his fatigued body to its limit. Multiple people heard his cries directing rescue teams to his remote location. McClish told ABC News that he left with a pair of pants, some hiking shoes and a hat. The New York Post reported McClish didnt even put a shirt on when he began his hike on June 11 and was reported missing six days later when he didnt show up for Fathers Day dinner, per ABC7 Los Angeles. McClish told KSBW News, I didnt bring anything because I thought I was doing a three-hour hike to go to work. Three hours turned into 10 days for the California hiker as he got lost in the thick Santa Cruz mountains. So I kind of just hiked each day. I go up a canyon, down a canyon to the next waterfall and sit down by the waterfall and drink water out of my boot, McClish said in an interview with KSBW News. Surviving only off of contaminated water, McClish lost 30 pounds and even had an encounter with a mountain lion. McClishs mother Diane said in an interview with KSBW News, Some nights, I just had to trust God that he was going to be OK, and that was hard to do. Some nights when we would go to bed at night because I would worry about where he was, where he was sleeping and how cold he was and where he was if he was alive. The National Park Service encourages individuals to hike smart through detailed preparation. Leave details regarding your trip with family and friends, make sure someone knows where you will be hiking, when you will be returning and who you are going with. For more tips for beginner and experienced hikers, visit the National Park Service website. McClish said that his hiking shoes are going to be hung up for the rest of the year. I did enough hiking for probably the whole rest of the year, he said in an interview with ABC7. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A California man was arrested on I-15 near the Point of the Mountain over the weekend after allegedly attempting to kidnap a woman. Johny Efrain Sanchez Macha, 27, has been charged with one count of second-degree felony kidnapping and six counts of third-degree felony possession of forged documents. Police said Macha came to Utah from California to visit his girlfriend, who would become the victim of the alleged kidnapping. According to court documents, the two went to lunch and to Walgreens before Macha started driving on I-15 toward California. The victim asked if he was taking her back to California. [Macha] denied this, but continued to drive. He would not stop and would not pull over to let the victim out, court documents said. Utah flight instructor dies in tragic Alaskan plane crash According to court documents, the victim then began calling family in tears, saying she was being taken to California and that she did not want to go. Her family called law enforcement and provided a description of Machas car and the area it was in. Police were then able to find Macha and the victim near Timpanogas Highway on I-15. After a brief closure of multiple lanes on I-15, police were able to safely take Macha into custody. Law enforcement allegedly found three different permanent resident cards and three social security cards with Macha, which he reportedly admitted were fake. An agent with Homeland Security reportedly reviewed the cards and confirmed all six documents were fraudulent. Utah Highway Patrol confirmed an investigation into the kidnapping is ongoing. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Both the woman and the man's bodies were recovered from the water near Angel Falls, police said GoFundMe James Hall (left) and Monica Ledesma A man who died trying to save his girlfriend from drowning was found dead alongside her in the waters near Angel Falls, just outside of Yosemite National Park. The Madera County Sheriff's Office shared on social media on Wednesday, June 19 that shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time officers received an emergency call about an unresponsive female in the water near Angel Falls. When officers arrived, she was confirmed dead on the scene. The sheriff's office said search and rescue teams, along with USFS, Madera County Fire & CALFire, Sierra Ambulance and the CHP H-40 helicopter, also located items which led them to believe an adult male may also be missing. They eventually recovered a man from the water as well. Our hearts go out to the families of those who were lost at Angel Falls today, Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue shared in a statement, adding that he applauded the efforts of the rescue and recovery teams, who performed their duties diligently and respectfully. Related: 26-Year-Old Woman Drowns After Getting Swept Up into Waterfall at Glacier National Park The Madera County Sheriff's Office did not say how the pair may have died, but shared a warning to hikers to take extra caution when hiking around water, especially since rocks can be slippery and one missed step can result in a serious injury or fatality. They recommended wearing a life vest or bringing a life preserver when doing so. The water is extremely swift and deadly cold, the sheriffs office warned. "Warm air temperatures do not mean warm water temperatures. Cold water can very quickly remove heat from the body and lead to a loss of movement in the limbs. The Madera County Coroners Office identified the pair as Monica Ledesma and James Hall, both 35, from Madera County, according to The Fresno Bee. Related: Body Found in Search for Hiker Who Continued on the Trail Alone and Then Called Family in Heat Distress A GoFundMe for Hall shared that he had died a hero trying to save his girlfriend Ledesma, and "unfortunately, they both were taken from us." A separate GoFundMe for Ledesma described her as a loving mother, sister and daughter, who left two children behind. Halls mother told KFSN-TV at a vigil for the pair held on Friday, June 21, This may be the hardest day of our lives, but it's here for a reason and I think it's in the name of love." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A friend of the couple also remembered the pair for their kindness. "Not only were they kind and considerate, and took care of us old folks, took care of the young folks," Nancy O'Hara told the outlet. She added, "Monica and James were important here. They were important because they were family. Not related except by heart. Kindness is something that run through all of them and they were examples." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A Tahoe City man pleaded guilty Monday to one count of smuggling goods after law enforcement found 81 live newts in his home, some of which tested positive for a poisonous fungus. The Placer County resident, Andrew Laughlin, told an undercover agent that he was participating in an international amphibian smuggling ring to acquire hard-to-find newts, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California. The man shipped or received at least four packages of amphibians, which contained Eastern Box and spotted turtles and Asian warty, fire belly and native Californian newts, prosecutors said. The boxes were falsely labeled as they made their way to or from Hong Kong and Sweden as rubber toys, toy cars and ceramic art piece, according to the news release. As part of his plea deal, Laughlin will have to undertake a voluntary public education campaign about the harms of smuggling illegal amphibians at the kayak store he owns, as well as pay fees for the costs of caring for and testing the newts. Bd, the fungus that some of the seized newts tested positive for, has spread through illegal amphibian trade and significantly reduced populations of over 500 newt species, scientists said, 90 of which are now extinct. The fungus originated in Asia and can sporadically kill amphibians or kill all those infected. Laughlins sentence will be determined by the court, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7. Fresno Police Chief Juan F. Paco Balderrama has resigned following an investigation into an alleged affair with an officers wife. It is with a heavy heart and mixed feelings that we announce today the resignation of Fresno Police Department Chief Balderrama from the city of Fresno, said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer at a news conference at City Hall at 11 a.m. Tuesday. City Manager Georgeanne White said Balderrama handed in his resignation letter Tuesday morning. His resignation is effective July 25, and he would not receive a severance package, officials said. Deputy Chief Mindy Casto will serve as the interim chief while a national search for a chief is conducted, a process city leaders estimate can take four to five months. Balderrama will be available to assist Casto during the transition. Dyer praised Balderramas accomplishments in the city of Fresno, but said the chiefs resignation was needed. We do believe this resignation by the chief is in the best interest of the community, the police department and our employees, as well as for Chief Balderrama and the families involved, given the intense media scrutiny that this matter has received, Dyer said. City officials said the investigation had ended and that the allegation that Balderrama had abused his power was not sustained. While I cannot get into the specifics of the investigation, I am able to state that this allegation was not sustained, and evidence to the contrary was presented, White said. This does not excuse Chief Balderramas behavior as it relates to the inappropriate relationship, because, as he has stated, those actions cannot be justified or defended, and are the standards that he holds for himself and that we hold for the chief of police for the city of Fresno, she said. Two high-ranking city officials confirmed to The Bee last week that Officer Jordan Wamhoff alleged Balderrama had passed him over for a promotion in order to continue the roughly two-year affair with Wamhoffs wife. Wamhoff is also a Madera County Board of Supervisor. City officials did not name Wamhoff directly in Tuesdays news conference, but they did mention an affair with an officers wife. Dyer and White criticized local media coverage of the investigation, particularly local outlet SJV Sun, referring to coverage as a media circus. White said The Sun repeatedly reported incorrect information related to the alleged abuse of power. Shown in a Janurary 2023 file photo, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama details the results of an investigation involving a violent armed robbery from 2022. Balderrama, following an investigation by the City of Fresno regarding an inappropriate relationship, resigned from his position June 25, 2024. Chief Balderramas message about resignation City officials distributed a printed statement from Balderrama at Tuesdays news conference in which he stated it was time for him to step away from his role to focus on his faith and his family. Serving as Chief of Police for the City of Fresno over the last three and one-half years has truly been the privilege of a lifetime. I want to thank the administration for giving me this opportunity. The men and women of the Fresno Police Department are second to none. Balderrama, 47, became the first chief of Hispanic descent to be hired in Californias fifth-largest city when he joined in January 2021. Balderrama listed his efforts as chief, namely the ability to grow the department to 926 allotted positions, reduced violent and property crimes, the use of more technology to improve efficiency and the emphasis on community engagement to improve trust. The people of Fresno are beautiful, diverse, and very supportive of their police department. Even through my most difficult trials you have been kind, forgiving, and uplifting. Thank you for being there for me, Balderrama wrote. Dyer thanked Balderrama during the news conference for his work to help reduce violent crime, embrace technology and for his efforts to recruit and hire around 300 police officers. All of these are admirable accomplishments for a police chief, Dyer said. The investigation of police chief Dyer said Balderrama offered to resign earlier in the process, but the mayor asked the chief to stay on at least until the investigation was complete. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said the investigation was conducted by Andrew Aller, a Fresno attorney with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. Janz said he hired an outside firm to avoid even the appearance of bias. As the investigation continued, The Bee confirmed through two unnamed high-ranking city officials that Wamhoff had made demands with the city or else threatened to sue. He said he would retract any claim of damages if the city were to fire Balderrama within 30 days and give Wamhoff a more flexible position in the department. The Bee also reviewed the demands in the text message sent to city leaders. The message also called for a nondisclosure agreement between Wamhoff and the city. Dyer on Tuesday noted the scandal had gotten national attention, saying leaders from other cities were aware of it during his recent time at the United States Conference of Mayors. Balderrama had applied for the chiefs job in Austin, according to the Austin American-Statesman. It was not clear when he applied for the job that stopped taking applications on June 10, four days after the investigation into Balderrama became public. Dyer said he believed Balderrama would be able to work as a chief in another city despite the scandal. I do believe that he has hiring potential, and I do believe hell receive another police chiefs job in the future should he choose to pursue one, Dyer said. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer addresses the media while standing next to City Manager Georgeanne White and City Attorney Andrew Janz during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz addresses the media while during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White addresses the media while during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. California Republicans denounced Gov. Gavin Newsoms pre-recorded State of the State address, which he released Tuesday morning and in which he called out conservatives and delusional California bashers. Members of the CAGOP mocked the governor for recording the address instead of facing the electorate live especially after it was delayed so many months. Its no wonder he chose the cowards way out by giving a pre-recorded message 99 days late rather than face Californians in a live address, said CAGOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson in a statement Tuesday. Instead of daydreaming about the White House and scheming up new ways to take voters rights away, make California more expensive and make our streets less safe, Newsom should take a look in the mirror and realize he and the Democrats are the cause of countless hardships for Californians throughout our state. Members of the Legislature agreed. While this pre-recorded speech fulfills the governors legal mandate, it does not in any real way fulfill his responsibility to Californians who deserve a safe, affordable and opportunity-filled future, said state Senator Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, in a pre-recorded video posted by Senate Republicans, featuring Seyarto and Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita. California remains the countrys homeless capital, businesses are closing their doors, and crime continues to rise. The state of this state is simply not good under Newsoms leadership and any claims to the contrary he makes in his speech will be patently false. The good news is, it can be fixed and Legislative Republicans continue to work to that end. In the 28-minute speech, Newsom celebrated Californias pluralism and its diversity, and called it the tentpole of the American economy, directly addressing Republican naysayers who call it a failed state. Here is a simple question for Republicans, Newsom said. If California is a failed state, why are four of the seven most valuable companies in the world based here? Why does the Bay Area remain the top-ranked region for venture capital? Outside the Capitol Tuesday morning, Senators Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, and James Gallagher, R-Yuba City said Newsom pointing to the success of Californias wealthy venture capitalists when the majority of Californians are struggling was tone deaf. Gallagher used the term unhinged twice to describe Newsoms recording. My first impression is (that) this is a person thats on the defensive, said Gallagher, who serves as Assembly Republican Leader. This is a person thats kind of unhinged. Both senators said Newsom should have delivered remarks in person. Come on, man, said Dahle, who ran against Newsom in 2022. Come and speak to the Legislature and the people that have crafted legislation and are working on the budget and be a partner with us. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon follows Sheriff Robert Luna offstage after a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. in September. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) A large majority of California voters support term limits for local elected offices, including county supervisors, district attorneys and sheriffs, according to a new poll released Tuesday, which some experts say could signal a desire for new leadership in the November elections. Of more than 5,000 registered voters surveyed, the poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that roughly three-quarters of respondents said they would like to see term limits enacted or shortened for county supervisors (77%), district attorneys (77%) and sheriffs (73%). The poll, conducted by Berkeley researchers on behalf of the Evelyn and Walter Jr. Haas Fund, found bipartisan support for restricting how long local key local officials can serve, with majorities of Republicans, Democrats and nonpartisan voters all in favor. The preferred limit among respondents would be two four-year terms, the poll found. Read more: When prosecutor is defendant: L.A. D.A. George Gascon's legal battles with his own staff Among Los Angeles County voters, 78% said they strongly or somewhat favor term limits while 10% said they strongly or somewhat oppose them. L.A. County supervisors can serve a maximum of three four-year terms, though most counties don't have those limits. Alameda County's Keith Carson, first elected in 1992 and set to retire at the end of this term, is the state's longest serving county supervisor. The L.A. County Superior Court voided term limits for the sheriff in 2004 and for the district attorney in 2006, according to county documents. The longest serving district attorney in the state is Michael Ramsey in Butte County, where he's served for more than 36 years. L.A. County Dist. Atty George Gascon is up for reelection in November after serving his first term. He unseated incumbent Jackie Lacey, who served from 2012 to 2020. "Term limits are universally popular," said political consultant Brian Van Riper in an interview. "I think people generally want to reel in their elected officials a little bit and term limits sound like a good idea." Read more: George Gascon survived the primary. Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.? Los Angeles voters have been signaling that they're ready for change, Van Riper added. "Locally in the city of L.A., there's been incumbents defeated recently, which in years prior was was somewhat unheard of," he said. "Maybe voters are tired of politics as usual." Beyond terms limits, the Berkeley poll looked at a broad range of issues. Two out of three respondents said there should be a requirement for the top two finishers in primary elections to face off against each other in the general election. Under the current system for county supervisor, district attorney and sheriff, primary winners who receive more than 50% of the vote in a primary automatically win the race. According to California Common Cause , 53 of the 57 contests for district attorney in the 2022 election cycle were decided in the primary. For county supervisor, 80 of the 129 contests ended after the primary. Californias current approach to county primary elections results in incumbent supervisors, district attorneys and sheriffs consistently winning reelection in low-turnout primary elections, said Jonathan Mehta Stein executive director of California Common Cause. It also keeps low-profile county offices that are critically important permanently under the public radar, he said. Evidently, Californians want county elections to be run in a way that will result in more representative electorates and representative elected. The Berkeley poll found that 47% of voters think it would be better to hold local elections at the same time as presidential elections, which usually draw a higher turnout. Twenty-seven percent said they would prefer local elections be held at the same time as gubernatorial elections, while 26% had no opinion. Read more: Will these drones 'revolutionize' 911 response? L.A. suburb will be first to test California voter turnout in the June 2022 primary was 27% compared to 41% for that year's November general election. In 2020, when the presidential race was on the ballot, statewide turnout reached 70%. The poll also found that three-quarters of voters believe it is important for their local elected officials to reflect the diversity of their community. Forty-nine percent said it was very important and 25% said it was somewhat important. Voters of color were more likely to value representation in their local elected officials, the poll found. Sixty-seven percent of Black voters and 57% of Latino voters said it was very important for elected officials to reflect the diversity of the community. Only 41% of white voters said the same. People deserve to see themselves and their values reflected in their local elected officials, said Angelica Salceda, director of the ACLU of Northern Californias Democracy and Civic Engagement Program. When leaders mirror the diversity of their communities, it fosters trust and a sense of equitable representation. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on June 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C., as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, left, seen as a possible vice presidential pick, and other Republicans look on. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, was visiting Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans and participate in additional meetings. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate. A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month. So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election. In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character. Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) during a working session regarding the Opportunity Zones provided by tax reform in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 14, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Scott is endorsing Trumps bid for a second term. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket. Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity. Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will be at Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta. Confidence and a coalition Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table. I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said. I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is. Good relationships across the spectrum Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda. The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said. Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said. For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk. We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor. Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe. A stint in the military Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience. I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said. Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party. Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required. I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November. Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate. When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people. But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said. A sitting senator Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January. Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate. I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president. Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee. I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table. When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration. Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected. I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said. Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said. Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. The remaining states Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election. All of Trumps picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors. The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum encourages voters to support Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in the basement ballroom of The Margate Resort on Jan. 22, 2024, in Laconia, New Hampshire. Burgum ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination but later dropped out and endorsed him. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate. A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month. So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election. In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character. Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part in the scheme. That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket. Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity. Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will be at Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta. Burgum plans to attend the debate, campaign spokesman Dawson Schefter told the North Dakota Monitor. Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on June 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C., as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, left, seen as a possible vice presidential pick, and other Republicans look on. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, was visiting Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans and participate in additional meetings. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Confidence and a coalition Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table. I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said. I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is. Good relationships across the spectrum Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda. The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said. Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said. For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk. We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor. Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe. A stint in the military Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience. I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said. Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party. Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required. I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November. Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate. When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders, but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people. But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said. A sitting senator Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January. Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate. I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president. Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee. I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table. When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration. Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected. I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said. Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said. Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. The remaining states Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election. All of Trumps picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors. The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) at the National Republican Senatorial Committee building on June 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. Trump is visiting Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans and participate in additional meetings. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate. A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month. So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election. In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character. Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part in the scheme. That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket. Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity. Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will attend Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta. Confidence and a coalition Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table. I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said. I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is. Good relationships across the spectrum Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda. The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said. Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said. For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk. We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor. Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe. A stint in the military Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience. I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said. Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party. Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required. I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November. Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate. When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders, but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people. But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said. A sitting senator Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January. Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate. I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president. Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee. I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table. When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration. Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected. I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said. Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said. Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. The remaining states Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election. All of Trumps likely picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors. The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. CHICAGO On a recent, beautiful June day in Lake Michigan, several first responders set sail on a Thin Blue Line Fishing charter. The excursion was seriously mission critical but full of lots of laughs and hopes for lots of fish. The charter is a recipe to help to alleviate PTSD and free of charge for those who have paid much already. The invited guests on the trip include some of Chicagos finest: Chicago police officers Fernanda Ballesteros and Carlos Yanez as well as one-time Office of Emergency Management and Communications dispatcher Keith Thornton. Ballesteros was shot while conducting a traffic stop in 2022. Yanez was also shot on duty while making a traffic stop in 2021. His partner, Officer Ella French, was shot and killed. Previous Coverage: We did it: Officer hurt in Ella French deadly shooting celebrates 7-year CPD anniversary Thornton fielded the French/Yanez call for help after both had been shot. Each of them still is grappling to one degree or other by those traumatic events. It was the boats captain, Ernesto Amparan, who conceived of this outing. He believes that several hours on the water can help wash away some of the blues. Amparan is a retired CPD officer himself. Ive gone through a lot. Ive been in responder for over 20 years, he said. So Ive seen my share of things. Ive lost friends. Ive lost you know coworkers. So it takes a toll on ones mental well-being. Our daily lives are impacted. Our families lives are impacted. This is something we obviously all signed up for, we understand that the consequences, we understand everything that comes with the job. Ballesteros partner drove her to the hospital after the shooting and most likely saved her life. She is thankful to have survived and has her vision back, too. Thank God I got my vision back, she said. (I am) one hundred percent grateful for that. Yanez, assisted by a walker, was among the first to greet her as she left the University of Chicago Medical Center. He was shot several times, lost an eye, walks with a gate and still has bullet below his right ear where a bullet remains. Frenchs memory remains in his heart and soul as well. He says he thinks of French every day. More: Fallen Chicago police officers memorialized at Illinois State Capitol Thornton left policing to become a dispatcher, thinking it would be less stressful. He has total recall of that fateful summer day and readily admits he was wrong about the less stress thing. I thought it would be a bit easier behind the computer screen. Its even harder, especially when youve done it before and you know the lifestyle that officers go through, in particular here in Chicago, he said. So being able to hear officer down times two and you know that (someone is possibly) dead. I cant be out there to help them, and youre just hearing a bunch of other backing officers who want to save their life, but theyre just narrowminded and going crazy as well. It really sends your mind just through a ton of emotions. Talk therapy is not what you will find on the water on this trip. It was just time to taking things lightly and have fun. A time where the heaviest things is landing that big fish, and perhaps for a time a horizon that is a little brighter. Ballesteros is happy to be back on the job. Her mom does not echo those feelings. Previous Story: Officer shot in West Englewood released from hospital My mom doesnt like it, telling me to stop being a police officer and go back to what I initially was going to be, a nurse, she said. But thats not what I want I wanted to do. Its not my passion. Yanez is on permanent disability and misses the job. I love the job. I miss it every day. I would give anything to be back in the squad car with my brothers and sisters, he said. It was doing what I love to do, protecting the community. Thornton has moved on to private security. Thin Blue Line Fishing charter is online at ThinBlueLineFishingLLC.com and on Facebook at /ThinBlueLineFishingLLC Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada on Tuesday reiterated a call for its citizens to leave Lebanon while they can, saying the security situation in the country was becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable due to the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "My message to Canadians has been clear since the beginning of the crisis in the Middle East: it is not the time to travel to Lebanon. And for Canadians currently in Lebanon, it is time to leave, while commercial flights remain available," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa) Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second left, and Minister of Innovation and Science Francois-Philippe Champagne greet people during a walkabout on Fete Nationale in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Monday, June 24, 2024. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal party has suffered a major upset in a special election for a Toronto district it has held for three decades, raising doubts about Trudeaus leadership ahead of next years general election. Elections Canada reported Tuesday that opposition Conservative candidate Don Stewart won the Toronto-St. Pauls district by almost 600 votes, 42.1% over the Liberal candidate's 40.5% with all 192 polling stations reporting results of Monday's voting. This was obviously not the result we wanted, but I want to be clear that I hear the concerns and frustrations, Trudeau said in Vancouver. These are not easy times. And it is clear, that I and my entire Liberal team, have much more hard work to do to deliver tangible, real progress that Canadians can see and feel. The Liberals had held Toronto-St. Pauls since 1993. It is one of 338 seats in Canadas House of Commons. Losing in Canadas largest city, a traditional Liberal stronghold, does not bode well for Trudeau ahead of the election expected in the fall of 2025. Trudeau has said he intends to lead the party into the next election. The Liberals have been in power since 2015 but are trailing badly in the polls amid concerns over the cost of living. Justins position is seriously weakened inside the party, Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said. Bothwell said there had been solidarity with Trudeaus leadership, noting some have just left the government rather than publicly grumble, but he expects comments now. One of Trudeau's closest allies backed him. The prime minister is committed to leading us into the next election and he has our support, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. The result in St. Pauls is certainly disappointing. We knew it was going to be a hard fight. We know that these are hard times for Canadians. We know that we have to work hard to earn back their trust. The vote marks the first time Conservatives have beat the Liberals in Toronto proper since 2011. Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded that the prime minister call a snap election after what he described as a shocking upset. Here is the verdict: Trudeau cant go on like this, Poilievre said on X. Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said the Liberals lost the district not because of a wave of support for Poilievre and his party but because of deepening distaste for Trudeau. The pressure on Trudeau to announce that he will be stepping down is now insurmountable, Wiseman said. Toronto-St. Pauls was one of only 40 seats the Liberals won when they experienced their worst performance ever, in 2011." If the Liberals cannot win this district, Wiseman said, "how can they hope to win a general election? Wiseman said the already anxious Liberal caucus will now go into a kind of panic mode. He noted the average shelf life of prime ministers since the 1950s has been about a decade. This is a very ominous sign for the Liberals, said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. The Conservatives have scored major political points by blaming him for the cost-of-living crisis." Canada's annual inflation rate ticked higher in May, raising doubts about what the country's central bank will do when it makes its next interest rate decision in July. Statistics Canada, a government agency, said Tuesday the annual rose to 2.9% in May and noted Canadians are paying 22.5% more for groceries compared with May 2020. Trudeau reasserted the countrys liberal identity in 2015 after almost 10 years of Conservative rule. His legacy includes opening the doors wide to immigration. He also legalized cannabis and brought in a carbon tax to fight climate change. Trudeaus father, Pierre Trudeau, swept to power in 1968 on a wave of Trudeaumania and led Canada for almost 16 years. Candidate profile on Stephen Varela GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The Republican primary is just one day away and Stephen Varela is making sure you know his name. Varela is a U.S. Army veteran who served for four years experiencing active combat, deploying twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served as a member of Colorados Army National Guard for four years. Varela currently serves as a member of Colorados Board of Education, representing the 3rd District. WesternSlopeNow talked with Varela about the issues he would address if he were to become your next representative in Congress. Immigration and the border were some of those top issues. People are afraid of what is happening over the border and whats coming over from over the border. We have terrorists that are coming into the country and when we say terrorists, a lot of folks think right away, the Middle Eastern. Somebody thats over there that is an actual part of Hamas or Al-Qaeda. We have people that are coming in from South America when theyre coming into this country that are not acting or operating as an American citizen. Theyre essentially criminals. Varela sees himself as the middle ground when compared to the other Republican candidates running in CD-3. When youre looking at the other candidates in this race like myself, Ron Hanks and Jeff Hurd You have Jeff Hurd who is the very anti-Trump candidate, and then you have Mr. Hanks who is the Anti-Johnson, and then you have myself who is this middle ground guy whos saying Lets bring everybody together and lets start focusing on our district and lets get back to legislating.' Varelas campaign has knocked on more than 10,000 doors in the district, all in hopes of becoming the first Latino Republican to represent CD-3 in Congress. Click here to visit Stephen Varelas campaign website. Click here to learn where the voting drop boxes are located. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. Transmission towers carry electricity in LaPlace on Dec. 28, 2021. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) One race in this Novembers election will be for perhaps the most influential seat on one of the most powerful state-level boards in Louisiana. Last weeks news that an incumbent wont seek reelection is prompting considerable interest from three potential Republican candidates, and it remains to be seen if Democrats can develop a viable candidate. Up for grabs is the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC). The incumbent, Craig Greene, made headlines last week when he announced this year will be his eighth and final on the commission. An orthopedic surgeon, Greene said he wants to spend more time with his family and patients. The Public Service Commission regulates energy policy and public utilities, such as Entergy and Atmos. Although commissioners arent considered full-time elected officials, they represent large constituencies and have great influence on things that directly affect their daily lives. They get to decide how electricity and other forms of energy are generated and determine the price at which it is sold to customers. Greene, a moderate Republican, holds enormous power as the lone swing vote between two GOP members and two Democrats on the panel. He has wielded that influence in subtle but impactful ways, casting the deciding vote on several controversial proposals. Whoever takes his seat gets to decide whether to hold onto that power with a similarly moderate stance or relinquish it and toe the party line. The qualifying dates for the race are July 17 through July 19. So far, three Republicans have confirmed their intent to qualify for the election: state Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan of Lafayette and former state representatives Barry Ivey of Central and Scott McKnight of Baton Rouge. The news that Commissioner Green will not be seeking re-election is very unexpected, Ivey said. I have had people reach out to me, and it is something I am considering. McKnight has unofficially declared his LPSC candidacy on social media. Some have speculated that U.S. Rep. Garret Graves could also make a run for the seat. State lawmakers redrew Graves Republican stronghold into a majority-Black congressional district, sidelining his chances for reelection. Coussan said he is preparing a campaign team but is anxious to hear whether Graves decides to run, though a Graves candidacy wouldnt necessarily discourage his own, he said. Coussan would not have to give up his state senate seat to join the race. I do think I would be able to hit the ground running, Graves told Jeremy Alford on Fridays LaPolitics Report podcast. Ive done a lot of work with climate and energy issues. Graves said he is not at the point where he would make a decision on running for the Public Service Commission, although he has ruled out running for Baton Rouge mayor. So far, no Democrats have announced their intentions to run, though Commissioner Davante Lewis, D-Baton Rouge, said he is confident the Louisiana Democratic Party will field a candidate. Former congressional candidate and U.S. Navy pilot Luke Mixons name was floated as a potential Democratic candidate, but he told the Illuminator on Monday that he has no plans to run. The Public Service Commission 2nd District includes the Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma-Thibodaux areas. Conservative candidates will have an edge in the race with 76% of registered voters in the district being white, but a number of factors could still tilt it towards a more progressive or moderate candidate, according to pollster John Couvillon with JMC Analytics. In previous elections, there was kind of a gravitational pull between the Baton Rouge area and the rest of the district, Couvillon said. A substantial portion, roughly 40%, of the votes come from the East Baton Rouge Parish area. About 30% are in the Lafayette area, and another 22% come from Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. The district supported Donald Trump with 70% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election. Such figures could prompt Democrats to play it safe by throwing their support behind a moderate Republican or independent who has a base of support in Lafayette or the Bayou Parishes. One possible scenario is if several hard-right candidates from the Baton Rouge area enter the race, they could split the Republican vote enough to allow for a moderate Republican or independent from Houma to win in the primary with support from their hometown and from Democrats in Baton Rouge, Couvillon said. On the other side, a race with multiple Democrats could easily tank the partys chances and hand the GOP an easy win, he said. The district includes about 960,000 people, of whom roughly 600,000 are registered to vote. These are races that require substantial investment, Couvillon said. Were talking some massive districts here. Greene won the seat during an off-year special election in 2017 with a very well-funded campaign, he said. I think its tough but not dead on arrival, Lewis said of a Democratic victory. The issues at the PSC arent partisan. Voters want someone to stand up for them, keep their rates low and improve our electric grid. Perhaps the only path for a Democratic victory would require getting into a December runoff and sharing a ballot with a Baton Rouge mayoral runoff election, Couvillon said. Democrats in Baton Rouge would be compelled to turn out for the mayoral runoff and get to vote in the PSC runoff while voters outside of Baton Rouge would be more likely to stay home, no longer paying attention to politics a month after the presidential election. That could certainly benefit a Democrat in a PSC runoff, Couvillon said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Candidates emerge for soon-vacant Public Service Commission seat appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) The Carlisle Borough Police Department is warning residents of a veteran magazine scam spreading across the borough. According to authorities, a man is claiming to be a Lieutenant Jeffrey Daniels who runs a veteran magazine. The so-called magazine owner calls businesses to help veterans find employment. Police say he asks for donations to put an ad in the magazine, and when refused, may become hostile towards the call-taker. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Carlisle Borough Police are warning business owners and citizens to be cautious when receiving calls or emails requesting money. One must verify the information and remember that no legitimate business will request payments with business cards. Anyone with questions can reach out via Crimewatch or email Officer DiMartile at jdimartile@carlislepa.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. A rendering by RAMLOW/STEIN depicts a proposed school building that would be part of the Carmen Schools of Science and Technology network. It would be built at 2005 W. Oklahoma Ave. Leaders of a major Milwaukee charter school network will ask a city board this week to allow them to build a $55 million school on the south side though they say they're not sure yet who will attend it. The proposal, which leaders say started as a dream project for the Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, is now also a fallback plan for two of the network's campuses that could be booted from their current homes in buildings owned by Milwaukee Public Schools. Carmen leaders said they don't want to move their campuses out of the MPS buildings. Ivan Gamboa, chair of Carmen's board of directors, said ideally the network would move its South Middle School to the new building and would enroll additional high school students. But if Milwaukee School Board members approve a resolution by board member Missy Zombor to non-renew the leases for Carmen's South and Southeast High Schools at the end of the 2025-26 school year, Carmen leaders plan to move those students into its proposed new building. Zombor, who presented the idea in April, said it's important for the Carmen campuses to find new locations in order to make space for the the crowded and growing district-run schools that operate in different rooms of the same buildings: Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes (ALBA) and Pulaski High School. Both buildings are already over capacity. Brenda Martinez, the lead teacher at ALBA, said the school has grown because theres a high demand for the bilingual education ALBA offers from kindergarten through eighth grade. If she can expand the school, which carries a waitlist, Martinez said the school would gradually add a class to each grade level. Pulaski, which also has a waitlist, is also short on space, staff said. The school has grown since adding an International Baccalaureate program. Administrators said they're working on building the state's only bilingual International Baccalaureate diploma program. School board members were scheduled to discuss the resolution Tuesday, but Zombor said she plans to postpone the discussion until October. She said that will provide more time to understand the feasibility of Carmen's plans for a new building, and for MPS administrators to gather more information to answer questions that board members have about the potential consequences of ending the leases. The Milwaukee School Board and MPS administrators also have other pressing matters on their plate, including managing an accounting crisis and finding a new superintendent. Gamboa said he has asked board members to make a decision at the meeting Tuesday to give Carmen leaders time to make plans if they will need to leave the MPS buildings in 2026. Carmen makes plans for new building, asks for extension on leases Carmen leaders are seeking a special-use permit from the city in order to build a new school on a property they would purchase from Wheaton Franciscan. At 2005 W. Oklahoma Ave., the property is a few blocks from Carmens Southeast campus and about 2.5 miles from the South campus. Carmen leaders said they had been interested in that property before Zombor's resolution, as a location for other students. Carmen's application with the city notes that the school would serve up to 1,100 students in grades 6-12. A rendering by RAMLOW/STEIN depicts Carmen Schools of Science and Technology's proposal for a new school building and turf soccer field at 2005 W. Oklahoma Ave. If Carmen does build on the site, Gamboa said the project would take at least two or three years to complete, making it unclear whether it could be ready by 2026. "Typically it takes longer than that but we would work to meet any deadlines, but it would be very tight," Gamboa said. "Theres a small percentage (chance) that we could, but it remains to be seen." If board members do not plan to renew Carmen's leases long-term, Gamboa said he has asked board members to extend the current leases for one more year, through the 2026-27 school year. Board member Marcela "Xela" Garcia, who represents a region that includes the Carmen South campus, said she supports the idea of moving the Carmen schools out of the MPS buildings but said she would support a one-year extension. "I think our priority should not be to destabilize a school community; if anything, our job is to provide as much support specifically through transition periods," Garcia said. "I just don't think it's in our benefit to ostracize a group that has been part of our school portfolio." Henry Leonard, who represents the board district that includes the Carmen Southeast campus, said he also believes the schools should be separated but was considering supporting a one-year lease extension if it's not possible for Carmen to complete its new building in time. "I dont want any parents to be worried about not having a place to go to," Leonard said. Zombor said she was open to discussing the idea of an extension but also said there is an urgency to provide more space for ALBA and Pulaski. "My main concern still is that ALBA and Pulaski are turning away students," Zombor said. She said she's also concerned about students already enrolled at those schools who don't have the space they need, especially for special education services, because of the overcrowding. Questions remain about potential financial impacts of Carmen's departure from MPS Several MPS board members have said they need more information, including the potential financial consequences for the district. If the school board decides to end leases with Carmen, the district would lose lease revenue, which was about $776,000 for the two campuses this school year. Separately from the leases, the Carmen South and Southeast campuses are authorized as charter schools under contracts with MPS. Through those contracts, Carmen's state funding gets routed through MPS, and some of it stays with the district. If MPS kicks the two Carmen campuses out of its buildings, Gamboa said the network would "lean heavily" toward cutting ties with MPS as its authorizer. Carmen could seek authorization instead from the the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which already authorizes two different Carmen schools. "Without providing facilities, it makes it very hard to continue the partnership," Gamboa said. It's hard to measure the financial impact of such a decision. A 2018 Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis found MPS collected about $10,572 per Carmen student in core state and local funds, and paid Carmen about $8,311 per student. With the $2,261 it kept per student, MPS paid for district-wide services. It was difficult to tell if the funding matched the value of services that Carmen might have benefited from, the Forum found. This school year, MPS collected about $13,366 per student in core state and local funds, according to the Forum. Under Carmen's charter contract, MPS gives Carmen a payment that matches what state lawmakers set as a payment amount for independent charter schools, after keeping a 1% administrative fee, working out to about $11,271 per student this school year. That leaves about $2,095 per student earmarked for district-wide services. As a counterpoint, former Milwaukee Teachers Education Association executive director Ben Ward sent school board members a report that argued MPS could also gain funding if the Carmen schools move out. If the MPS-run schools are able to enroll more students who otherwise might have gone to non-district schools, it stands to gain over $13,000 per student. What's next? At a Tuesday meeting of the school board's Committee on Accountability, Finance and Personnel, Zombor plans to postpone discussion about Carmen's leases until October. The committee is scheduled to meet Oct. 22. The city's Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled on Thursday to consider Carmen's application for a special-use permit to build its proposed school at 2005 W. Oklahoma Ave. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Carmen plans new Milwaukee charter school, fights to keep MPS leases (KRON) A longtime hot dog spot in the East Bay is closing after eight decades. Caspers Hot Dogs is closing its Hayward location next month, the business said in a news release on Tuesday. The last day for Caspers, located at 951 C St., will be on Saturday, July 13. That restaurant has been in business since the 1940s. It is one of a handful of Caspers located across the Bay Area. A look outside Caspers Hot Dogs on C Street in Hayward (Photo courtesy: Caspers Hot Dogs) McDonalds at Stonestown closes after more than 30 years in San Francisco Caspers will still have another restaurant open in Hayward on Foothill Boulevard. Four other locations across the East Bay remain open: Pleasant Hill, Dublin, Richmond and Oakland. The owners said they were faced with a difficult decision to close this Hayward location but called it a necessary move to strengthen the health and future sustainability of the company. We are deeply grateful to our loyal, multi-generational customers who have supported us over the decades, co-owner and general manager Ron Dorian, grandson of founders Ardam and Stephen Beklian, said in a press release. We appreciate the memories our customers have made in downtown Hayward and encourage them to visit our Caspers location just a mile up the road on Foothill Blvd. to continue their traditions and create new ones for generations to come. Bobs Donuts plans to relocate San Francisco location Caspers is a family-owned and operated hot dog chain based in the Bay Area. It opened its first restaurant 90 years ago in 1934. Last year, Caspers shut down its restaurant in Walnut Creek, according to Yelp. It was located at 1280 Newell Place, which is now occupied by Jersey Mikes Subs. We also want to express our sincere appreciation to our employees who provided friendly service and exceptional dedication in making Caspers C Street a favorite among local Hayward residents, said co-owner and general manager Paul Rustigian, grandson of founders Rose and Paul Agajan. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Cause of Death Revealed for Boy, 12, Found Dead at N.C. 'Troubled Teen' Wilderness Camp The boy was found unresponsive on the campsite at Trails Carolina on Feb. 3, a day after he arrived there Fox Carolina Trails Carolina, the camp where 12-year-old Clark Harman was found "smothered" to death Authorities in North Carolina have revealed the cause of death for a 12-year-old boy who was found dead at a camp for troubled teens a day after he arrived there in February. The boy was found unresponsive at Trails Carolina, a camp which describes itself as an "adventure therapy program," PEOPLE reported at the time, citing a statement from the organization. According to a Medical Examiners report obtained and then published by FOX Carolina, the child, who has not been identified in the media, was "smothered" and died from asphyxiation, and his death has been ruled a homicide. On Feb. 3 morning, Trails Carolina officials called 911 when they could not wake the child up, the camp said at the time, as previously reported by PEOPLE. Google Maps The campgrounds of Trails Carolina, where Clark Harman died from asphyxiation, per police The Medical Examiner's report released this month notes that the child suffered a "swelling of the brain" and "mild injuries" on his legs. The report states that he was placed in a bivy a small camping tent resembling a sleeping bag on the night before his death. Camp protocol requires each bivy to have an opening that holds an "alarm" to notify cabin counselors if the occupant tries to exit, per the report. Because the internal mesh on the boy's bivy was "torn," the opening of the bivy was replaced by an outer layer, which was opaque. Therefore, cabin counselors who checked on him throughout the night couldn't actually see him, the report states. He "stopped moving" inside the bivy around 1 a.m., per the report. When emergency personnel arrived after being called around 8 a.m., they determined he had likely been dead for a few hours, the report states. Related: 12-Year-Old Boy Dies 1 Day After Enrolling at Wilderness Therapy Camp in North Carolina Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In February, the camp said it was shattered by the tragic loss and that personnel was cooperating with authorities, FOX Carolina reported, citing the company's statement. The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office said it believed the boy's death was not natural and claimed that the camp was not completely cooperating, officials reportedly told FOX Carolina. In a follow-up statement in February, the camp said any speculation surrounding the childs death was irresponsible and anyone spreading information not true or misleading will be publicly identified and held accountable," per the outlet. The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office and Trails Carolina did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's inquiries on Tuesday. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Public records released by Florida A&M University following a historic $237 million donation announcement have revealed numerous red flags officials now admit they overlooked. While potentially embarrassing for the university, these widely reported revelations will likely prevent other colleges from making similar mistakes when future donors come calling. And a third-party investigation in progress is expected to reveal even more about FAMUs dealings with Gregory Gerami, the Texas hemp farmer whose generous gift has been heavily scrutinized and raised questions about whether Geramis donation is legitimate. Coastal Carolina University had a similar opportunity to shine light on its own failed relationship with Gerami in 2020 a gesture that might have prevented FAMU from accepting his gift. CCU officials have consistently fought to hide the details of their interactions with Gerami, including any mistakes. Instead, university officials have gone to court to keep their relationship with Gerami secret and heavily redacted or outright refused to release records. CCU even has refused to publicly acknowledge Gerami by name. CCU officials have refused to comment on the donation beyond what was included in press releases, and former employees within the schools fundraising arm who were involved have declined interview requests. One former employee cited a nondisclosure agreement she signed as the reason. Records the university are trying to keep hidden include the results of an internal investigation conducted by the universitys public safety department that preceded CCUs decision to cut ties with Gerami. One perspective is Coastal Carolina is embarrassed, said Jay Bender, longtime SC Press Association attorney and a University of South Carolina media law professor. ... I dont blame them for wanting to keep it secret, but thats not the way the government is supposed to operate. The Sun News has been involved in litigation with CCU since Nov. 2023 in an effort to obtain these records and determine what CCU knew when. Both parties recently jointly petitioned the court to set a date for a hearing. CCU obscures relationship with Gerami as anonymous donor Years before Gerami appeared at FAMUs graduation ceremony announcing a gift that would be the largest ever given to a historically Black college or university, CCU announced on July 27, 2020 that it had secured a $95 million planned gift from an anonymous donor. Gregory Gerami (fourth from left), president and CEO of Batterson Farms Corp, recently announced a $237 million donation to Florida A&M University at schools 2024 graduation ceremony. Its the largest ever for a historically Black college or university. But many are skeptical after a similar donation he pledged to Coastal Carolina University in 2020 collapsed. That deal fell apart less than four months later when CCU announced Nov. 3, 2020 that it was terminating its relationship with that donor, who would remain anonymous, because he had failed to fulfill an early expectation of their agreement. The Sun News began filing Freedom of Information Act requests last year with CCU to determine why the donation fell through so quickly. But the university refused to provide any gift agreement, stating that it was in the possession of the Coastal Educational Foundation, a nonprofit fundraising affiliate not subject to open records laws. Geramis agreement with Florida A&M was similarly directed to the nonprofit FAMU Foundation. But that agreement was provided to media outlets who requested it. CCU did provide hundreds of internal emails that provided a glimpse into the anonymous donor relationship, but it redacted the donors name and any potential identifying information, citing an exemption in South Carolina law that allowed it to withhold information relative to the identity of the maker of a gift to a public body if that gift maker specifies the gift is contingent on them remaining anonymous. When asked to reconsider and questioned how this exemption could be cited since no gift was ultimately made, CCU responded that while the relationship with that donor ended prior to the fulfillment of the terms of any gift agreement, it is the universitys position that this exemption continues to apply to the identification of the maker in an anonymous gift agreement. The Sun News was able to identify Gerami as the anonymous donor through other means, and Gerami reluctantly admitted he was the donor after multiple conversations with the newspaper, initially asking to remain anonymous and then saying he was part of a team representing a different donor. The emails included a timeline of the universitys interactions with Gerami, showing university officials were consistently skeptical of his net worth. But they spoke with others whose titles included investment advisor, financial advisor and attorney who led them to believe Gerami was worth about $600 million. Gregory Gerami, president and CEO of Batterson Farms Corp, recently announced a $237 million donation to Florida A&M University, the largest ever for a historically Black college or university. But many are skeptical after a similar donation he pledged to Coastal Carolina University in 2020 collapsed. CCU redacted Geramis name from the timeline as well as others who appeared to vouch for his wealth, again citing the anonymous gift maker exemption. FAMU, by contrast, provided communications from Raymond James Financial Services that showed the bank had verified the value of assets in Geramis account before revoking those assurances weeks before the university announced his donation. The CCU timeline also revealed that, separate from the $95 million planned gift, Gerami and university officials signed a gift agreement during May 2020 for $464 million. They decided only to mention the planned gift in their July 2020 press release in order to reduce risk to the university, the timeline states. Internal emails show then-CCU President David DeCenzo wanting to be careful about the language within the press release if he doesnt follow (through) and wanting to avoid public scrutiny. Jerry, heres my concern. This says the commitment has been made which means an agreement exists which then gets FOIAd, DeCenzo wrote in a June 2020 email to communications director Jerry Rashid. Thats one thing we all wanted to avoid. CCU conducted its own investigation The CCU timeline was put together as part of an internal investigation led by Kenneth Tad Reed, then-captain of the universitys public safety department, internal emails show. Lynn Fox, the director of research within CCUs philanthropy office at the time, confirmed to The Sun News that she and others within the office were interviewed as part of the investigation. She declined to talk about the anonymous donor situation, citing a nondisclosure agreement she signed. Fox and others within the philanthropy office now called the Office for Advancement were let go around the time the deal with Gerami collapsed. A CCU spokesman has told The Sun News that turnover was in response to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to the situation at FAMU, CCU officials appeared to become weary of Gerami quickly after the donation was announced. Bryan Steros, the universitys interim vice president for philanthropy at the time, emailed DeCenzo a spreadsheet of expenses related to employee visits to Gerami in Texas and Alabama and Geramis visit to CCU for the investigation on Aug. 1, 2020, less than a week after the press release announcing the planned gift was distributed. Gregory Gerami (middle), president and CEO of Batterson Farms Corp, signs documents next to Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson (right). Gerami recently announced a $237 million donation to Florida A&M University, the largest ever for a historically Black college or university. But many are skeptical after a similar donation he pledged to Coastal Carolina University in 2020 collapsed. The Sun News requests for those expense reports and any report compiled as the result of CCUs internal investigation were fully denied. As part of its litigation with CCU, The Sun News is requesting a judge rule the university has violated the S.C. Freedom of Information Act and order that it provide and remove redactions from the requested records. Without knowing what the internal investigation uncovered, its unclear whether the universitys findings would have prevented FAMU from announcing its own multi-million dollar gift from Gerami. Gerami has admitted that The Sun News June 2023 story linking him to CCU has made other colleges skeptical of him. One of the advantages of making information public is it allows others to avoid the same problems, Bender said. FAMU officials have admitted they never contacted anyone from CCU. Despite previously admitting to The Sun News he was the anonymous donor, Gerami has since refused to acknowledge that fact to other media outlets, which have reported CCU is also refusing to identify the donor. CDK Global says small group of dealers have systems restored following hack CDK Global said in a message to clients its system shutdown is expected to continue at least until the end of the month, but select dealers are starting to see certain applications return. The company that provides software to car dealerships in North America does not expect to get "all dealers live" before Sunday, June 30, according an update to customers earlier this week. "We are continuing the restoration process of our core applications and are making significant process," the update said. "Should you need to make alternate plans for your month-end financial close process, you should do so." CDK, which continues to grapple with cyberhack and ransom demand, has been working to restore systems used by 15,000 auto dealers nationwide. On Wednesday, spokesperson Lisa Finney said the company had successfully brought a "small initial test group" of dealers live on its dealer management system. "Once validation is complete, we will begin phasing in other dealers," Finney said in an emailed statement. "We are also actively working to bring live additional applicationsincluding our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Service solutionsand our Customer Care channels." Rows of Toyotas are parked in a line at the world's largest auto dealership, Longo Toyota, which enjoys continued strong sales after a record quarterly report for Toyota April 24, 2007 in El Monte, California. Group demands millions in ransom A group that says it hacked software company CDK Global is demanding tens of millions of dollars in ransom, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The company intended to pay the ransom but discussions are subject to change, according to the Bloomberg report, which cited a person familiar with the situation. The source said the group behind the hack is believed to be based in eastern Europe, Bloomberg reported. Outages upend dealership sales and operations Auto dealers including AutoNation and Peer Lithia Motors said they have experienced disruptions that are likely to negatively impact business, Reuters reported Monday. Some dealerships have reverted to paper methods to conduct business. At Oxmoor Auto Group, based in Louisville, Kentucky, nearly every dealership in the network Ford, Toyota, Hyundai among others has had their system down since the cyberattack occurred. This attack has dramatically impacted salespeoples ability to process orders for customers. Across town at Jeff Wyler Honda in Louisville, the service department has resorted to handwriting orders in an effort to fulfill service needs while the software is down. Oxmoor Toyota and Oxmoor Ford are only able to complete oil changes for customers, as the hacking depleted the dealerships' ability to do more intensive maintenance work. What is CDK Global? One of the leading providers of cloud-based software to dealerships in the country, CDK's software helps dealerships manage vehicle acquisitions, sales, financing, insuring, repairs and maintenance. The company's website says it offers a three-tiered cybersecurity strategy to prevent, protect and respond to cyberattacks. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CDK Global update: As hack response continues, systems slowly return LITTLE ROCK, Ark Little Rock and North Little Rock are opening cooling centers to address the heat wave that has settled into central Arkansas. LITTLE ROCK Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. East Little Rock Community Center, 2500 East 6th Street, 501-374-2881 Dunbar Community Center, 1001 West 16th Street, 501-376-1084 Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road, 501-918-3975 Stephens Community Center, 3720 West 18th Street, 501-603-9974 West Central Community Center, 4521 John Barrow Road, 501-379-1890 NORTH LITTLE ROCK Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. North Little Rock Community Center, 2700 Willow Street, 501-812-0225 Arkansas Storm Team Forecast: Dangerous heat continues Tuesday, then storms into mid-week Officials say the cooling centers are open to residents who need a safe and comfortable space to take a break from the heat. City officials will monitor weather forecasts through the summer to determine when they will open during extreme heat. Residents are asked to check on neighbors (especially those over 65, children under age four or anyone with a disability or medical condition.) Millions baking across the US as heat prolongs misery with little relief expected Also, a reminder to never leave a child or pet alone in a parked vehicle and to always carry water to hydrate during peak heat times. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. A new public charter school seeking to create an inclusive environment for its students is looking to open in Waukesha County. Autumn Hill Academy is a proposed sixth through 12th grade school that seeks "to provide a supportive, inclusive environment where students are empowered to live authentically and achieve their full potential," according to its website. Autumn Hill Academy board chair Maria Luther (right) is pictured with her daughter Britney Seaborn (left). For Autumn Hill to become a charter school, it needs a qualified authorizer to approve it. The school has applied to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Office of Charter Schools, which will review the application this fall before sending to UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone for final approval. Here's what to know about the proposed school. What is a charter school? A charter school is a public, non-religious school that allows for "freedom from most state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability for results," according to the Wisconsin Department of Instruction's website. Charter schools can be run either by public school districts or independently. Independent charter schools can be authorized by the Milwaukee Common Council, the chancellor of any Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) institution, each technical college district board, the Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, and the UW Office of Educational Opportunity, according to the DPI. More: Here's what charter schools are and how they work in Wisconsin Where did the idea for the school come from and what will the school's focus be? The school is the idea of parent Maria Luther, who said she's noticed disappointing mental health statistics regarding teens and preteens. "We know that more needs to be done. There is a mental health crisis among our kids right now," Luther said. The school's website cites statistics from Waukesha County's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which found that in Waukesha County, 23% of high school students were bullied, 50% experienced anxiety and 30% experienced depression. Luther said the school will focus on being "radically proactive in preventing negative mental health situations" by creating an environment that's "laser-focused on mental well-being as well as a strong academic path with college preparatory courses." To do so, Luther said it's about creating peer relationships where students bond with each other from the beginning in a smaller school environment. However, it's not just about being a small school, Luther says, but also about having strong resources like social workers. "Right now, you're finding in some of the larger schools the ratio is very poor for students to social worker resources, so we're going to be stronger in that area," Luther said. Luther also said the school will provide curriculum to teach students tools for managing emotions and having more self-awareness. The school also cites statistics from Waukesha County's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey that found 41% of LGBTQ+ high school students experienced bullying, 80% of LGBTQ+ high school students experienced anxiety and 40% of LGBTQ+ high school students contemplated suicide. "Autumn Hill Academy will be a place where LGBTQ+ youth are fully accepted and valued. Students will find supportive policies, educators and staff, and inclusive curricula highlighting LGBTQ+ history and role models," the school notes on its website. The school's website also notes that "students of all races are appreciated and celebrated." "We will promote racial equity by highlighting the contributions of people in racial and ethnic minority groups, teaching accurate American history, and creating an anti-racist, culturally sensitive learning environment," the school says on its website. The school is also focused on special education services. "We have high expectations for our Special Ed program and will dedicate significant resources to ensure it excels in meeting student needs," the school's website says. Luther said the school is already seeing interest from potential special education teachers. "We already have teachers that are emailing us telling us about their interest in coming to Autumn Hill and teaching based on what we're offering and the environment that we're going to create. We think we're going to have the pick of the very best teachers and this is going to help us with all of our programs, but it is key in special ed," Luther said. When is the school expected to open? The school is looking to open in the fall of 2025 with grades six through 10, then adding 11th and 12th grades over the first two years. Luther said the school is seeking authorization through UW-Milwaukee's Office of Charter Schools. She said the school submitted its first phase application at the end of February by providing a general overview of the school's concept, which she said was approved. Now, she said the school is working on submitting a more detailed plan that will be evaluated in September. UW-Milwaukee's Office of Charter Schools' director Adrienne Woods confirmed her office received and approved the school's initial application. Woods said her office's application review committee will review the school's full application and then hold interviews with Luther and any others affiliated with the school in September. Woods said she'll notify the applicant by the end of September of the committee's decision. In January, the office's advisory committee would then send the contract to the UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone, who then decides whether to approve the final contract. Where will the school be located? No location has been determined, as the school says "facility planning is in its early stages." It says it is looking "near the center of Waukesha County" for its location, according to its website. Luther said the school is looking at locations that are very close to an I-94 exit, either off the Highway F or Highway 164 exits, and within 25 minutes of Wauwatosa and about 25 minutes away from Oconomomowoc. "This will really service a broad area within almost all of Waukesha County," Luther said. Who is eligible to attend? The school is open to any Wisconsin resident regardless of where their home school district is, the school's website says. Will the school provide busing? Luther said in its startup years, the school would probably not be able to provide busing. "There are families out there; they will seek out a school like this even if in early years we can't have the bus transportation," said Luther. How will the school be governed? The school has a seven-member board of directors that is responsible "for establishing and maintaining the school's mission, vision and strategic goals, as well as ensuring legal and fiscal oversight," according to the school's website. Members are elected to two-year terms, "which are staggered to maintain continuity," according to the school's website. Meetings are generally held monthly and are open to the public, but are not open for public participation. The members of the board are Luther, who is the board chair; and Susan Byshenk, Patricia Jackson, Maura McMahon, Jeff Peterson, Brook Stanley and Martha Ziegler. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New charter school looking to open in Waukesha County Chicago police offer warning to Northwest Side residents following string of armed robberies carried out by cyclist Chicago police offer warning to Northwest Side residents following string of armed robberies carried out by cyclist CHICAGO Authorities are offering a warning to residents on the citys Northwest Side after a string of armed robberies perpetrated by a bicyclist. According to Chicago police, the robberies unfolded in Albany Park and Irving Park between May 31 and June 9 in the late-evening and early-morning hours. This embedded content is not available in your region. Chicago police provided the following list of times and locations where the robberies occurred: Armed robbery unfolded at 11 p.m. on Friday, May 31st, in the 3800 block of West Montrose Avenue, in Albany Park. Armed robbery unfolded at 1:35 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, in the 3900 block of West Montrose Avenue Armed robbery unfolded at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, in the 4300 Block of North Pulaski Road in Irving Park. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Officers say during each incident, the person responsible approached the victims on a bicycle before pulling out a gun and announcing the robbery. After stealing the victims belongings, the individual fled the scene on the bicycle. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. Chicago police shared photographs of a person who officers believe is responsible for a string of armed robberies on the citys Northwest Side. On Monday, Chicago police shared photos and a video of the man officers believe is responsible. In the video, the perpetrator, who has short dark hair, can be seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt or jacket and pants with a stripe down the side. Police say they believe the man is between 40 and 50 years of age, stands between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11 and weighs between 195 and 215 pounds. Officers advise the public to remain aware of their surroundings and stay free from distractions. Police advise the public to remain aware of their surroundings and stay free from distractions. According to officers, anyone who is confronted by an assailant should try to remain calm. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines Those who fall victim or witness a crime should call 911 immediately and provide authorities with a detailed description of the offenders. Authorities warn the public never to pursue a fleeing assailant and instead work to remember any unique physical characteristics of the offenders. Anyone with information on the string of robberies is asked to contact CPD Area Five detectives at 312-746-7394 or dial 911. Those with information that could help detectives in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. The family of a Chicago woman is deeply concerned for her well-being after the 41-year-old disappeared from a yoga retreat in the Bahamas. Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen in the area of Paradise Island on Wednesday, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a public bulletin. HuffPost emailed the agency for additional information but did not receive an immediate response. Casey, who has been doing yoga for 15 years, had traveled to Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas to fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice, according to a press release from a family spokesperson. Taylor Casey is shown in an image provided by her family. Family Handout The retreat center told CBS News that it asked authorities to investigate after Casey was absent from class Thursday morning. The Ashram is asking anyone with information on Ms. Casey to contact the local police, the retreat center told the outlet. In the interim, it is collaborating with the authorities on their investigation. In the familys press release, mother Colette Seymore said she thinks Casey is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return to the U.S. Taylor would never disappear like this, said Seymore, who is now heading to the Bahamas to help find her daughter. The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for the Caribbean country earlier this year, saying, Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Related... A Chicago Woman Traveled to the Bahamas for a Yoga Retreat. Now She's Missing and Mom Says She's 'in Danger' Taylor Casey, 41, was reported missing by the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas after she failed to show up for class Facebook Taylor Casey, 41, disappeared in the Bahamas An American woman who traveled to the Bahamas for a yoga retreat earlier this month has gone missing, according to local police, along with her family and retreat organizers. Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen on Wednesday, June 19, in the area of Paradise Island, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement on June 21. The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas, organizers of the yoga certification retreat that Casey was attending, also confirmed her disappearance to PEOPLE. The organizers were the first to report her absence, the group told PEOPLE on Tuesday. The retreat organizers grew concerned when Casey, of Chicago, did not show up for class on June 20, they said, and determined that she had disappeared. Facebook Taylor Casey disappeared while attending the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas Caseys family believes she is in danger because she had big plans for her future once she completed the program in the Bahamas. I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return, her mother Colette Seymore said in a statement posted in a Facebook page created to help locate her. Taylor would never disappear like this, Seymore said in the statement shared on the Find Taylor Casey" page. Casey has been a yoga practitioner for 15 years. Attending the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat was part of her long-term goal of deepening her practice, her familys statement said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Her friends say they looked through images and videos of the Bahamas retreat group but did not find her in any of the photos or videos, according to the CSJ Report, a local independent outlet. Casey is described as a light-skinned Black woman with a slim build. She is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 145 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She has natural hair often covered by a durag. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force at at 502-9991/2 or Crime stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477). For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Chick-Fil-A is set to unveil a new location in Raleigh this week A new Chick-Fil-A location will hold its grand opening in Raleigh this week. The chicken sandwich behemoth will unveil its latest Triangle restaurant June 27 at 4411 New Bern Ave., just outside the Raleigh Beltline. The new Chick-Fil-A will be owned and operated by Raleigh native Donovan Carless Jr. This is the first Chick-Fil-A owned by Carless, who previously managed the Triangle Town Center location. This is Raleighs 15th location for Chick-Fil-A, which continues to be a wildly popular fast food option in the Triangle. Recently Chick-Fil-A has tested new menu items in the area, with the Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich being the latest this spring. The new Chick-Fil-A will have a dedicated drive-thru line for mobile orders and the restaurant opening will add 125 new jobs. As part of the opening, Chick-Fil-A is donating $25,000 to Feeding America, which will distribute the funds to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. The restaurant has also picked 100 people it calls Local Heroes in Raleigh to receive a years worth of free Chick-Fil-A entrees. The New Bern Ave. Chick-Fil-A will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, with the chain famously closed on Sundays. Raleigh restaurant and its sister bar close after being open only 6 months Children are dying of starvation in their parents arms as famine spreads through Gaza Younis lays disorientated on a green mattress in Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza. His long brown eyelashes rest delicately on his pale sunken face, as he drifts in and out of sleep. The 9-year-old Palestinian boy lies in his mothers arms, clearly wasted from severe malnutrition and suffering from dehydration. His blue jogging bottoms hang off his emaciated legs, as his tiny ribcage protrudes from his billowy orange T-shirt. I call on people with conscience to help me find health care for my son, so that he can go back to normal, his mother, Ghanima Jumaa, told CNN last week at the hospital in Khan Younis. I am losing my son in front of my eyes. Two months ago, the family was forced to flee the southern city of Rafah as Israel ramped up its attacks there. These days, they struggle to survive, living along the polluted coastline of Asdaa near the Al-Mawasi tent camp where they cannot find enough food, water, or even shade from the Gaza heat. We have to keep moving from one area to the other because of the war and the invasion Life is difficult, his mother said. We dont even have a tent over our heads. Israels war in Gaza has depleted the territorys health system, leaving staff unable to treat malnourished children. Doctors told CNN they are being forced to turn away parents begging for baby milk, unable to even triage young patients with chronic illnesses compounded by severe hunger. And as Israel continues its siege on Gaza, preventing aid groups getting enough food into the enclave, parents say they have no choice but to watch their children starve to death. More than eight months of bombardment has shredded infrastructure, wiped out communities and laid waste to entire neighborhoods. Sanitation systems already stressed by water shortages from extreme heat have been heavily destroyed, according to the UN, diminishing access to clean water. A report published Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which assesses global food insecurity and malnutrition, warned that almost all of Gaza will face famine within the next three months. The UNs food agency earlier warned that southern Gaza could soon see the same catastrophic levels of hunger recorded previously in the north, where Israel concentrated its military offensive in the early days of the war. At least 34 children have already died of malnutrition in Gaza, the government media office reported on June 22. The true number could be higher, as limited access to Gaza has impeded aid agencies efforts to fully assess the crisis there. More than 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition, the UNs agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said earlier this month. Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on southern Israel, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were abducted. Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed 37,658 Palestinians and injured another 86,237 people, according to Gaza health officials. Severe water shortages As Younis suffers in his mothers arms in Gazas south, children in the north have been dealing with food shortages even longer. In the Jabalya refugee camp, they queue at a water truck, beads of sweat rolling down their faces, as they weave through the rubble-filled streets. Dozens of other Gazans crowd together to access water as aid workers nearby distribute thick, steaming red soup from large saucepans. Its rare access to food and clean water. Those in the north told CNN they have resorted lately to drinking polluted water, which does little to help dehydration and spreads infectious diseases. Hassan Kalash, pictured on June 12 in Jabalya refugee camp, in northern Gaza, says civilians are relying on thin water aid, as rights agencies warn of severe dehydration in the besieged territory. - CNN Israel insists there is no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza, but its inspection regime on trucks, restrictions on land routes and increased bombardment means relief is barely trickling in. Even when aid enters the besieged territory, the risk of hungry Palestinians scrambling over convoys hampers distribution efforts. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently warned the absence of police authorities in Gaza during the conflict had led to total lawlessness. Earlier this year, the UN warned that Israel is creating an entirely man-made disaster in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied allegations by the International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor that he has used starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. The only water we have is what we get as aid. People are suffering as a result, it is indescribable, said one civilian named Hassan Kalash. We are ill and dont have the strength to transport the water The water pipe is broken. We do not have water infrastructure. Civilians there told CNN they have no access to running water, relying on scant aid entering the area. At least 67% of water and sanitation facilities in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged in the eight months of bombardment, UNRWA said last week. All of five wastewater treatment plants in Gaza have shut down, according to the UN Environment Programme. Palestinian children fill containers with water in Jabalya, in northern Gaza, on June 3. The UN says at least 67% of water and sanitation facilities in the ravaged territory have been destroyed or damaged. - Omar Al Qatta/AFP/Getty Images The UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has accused Israeli authorities of obstructing humanitarian access to northern Gaza. In the first three weeks of June, 36 trucks carrying aid which were facilitated by Israel were allowed to reach Gaza, while another 35 were either denied access, impeded or canceled due to logistical, operational or security reasons. The impact on the ground is visceral. In Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, 5-year-old Razan wears a gold ring on her finger, which is covered in red sores. The Palestinian girl is sprawled on a trolley in the central Gaza facility, her grey eyes weary with exhaustion. She changed after the war. She became weak, her aunt, Um Razan Mheitem, told CNN, adding that her niece had developed skin inflammation due to malnutrition. We cannot find anything for her. Everything in the market is expensive, or not available. Waiting for them to die, one by one Newborn babies and pregnant women are among the most at risk of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, according to aid agencies and health workers. Undernourished mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely, with newborns dying because they weigh too little. At the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, doctors were unable to keep baby Amal alive just four days after her birth. CNN filmed the moments before her death, showing Amal drawing heavy breaths in an incubator, after her mother, Samaher, gave birth two months prematurely. Her tiny pink toes are covered in plastic tubes. These babies are dying. It is Gods decision, but it is caused by people, her father, Ahmed Maqat, told CNN, after she died on Saturday. Samaher had endured months of her pregnancy without sleeping, eating or drinking, Maqat said. Everyone in these beds today is at risk of dying. We are waiting for them to die one by one, he added, his voice quivering with grief. We have no life. Newborn babies pictured at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, in Deir Al Balah, in central Gaza, on June 22. Undernourished infants and pregnant women are more likely to give birth prematurely. - Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images Dr Ahmed Kahlot, head of the incubators department at Kamal Adwan, told CNN that Samahers poor health meant her daughter was just waiting for death. Many of those who do survive are too dehydrated and malnourished to breastfeed their children. But health workers told CNN there are few alternatives, with shortages of lactose free or soya milk for infants. Another Palestinian in Kamal Adwan Hospital told CNN that her son, who suffers from an inflamed esophagus, is unable to access soya milk, which he needs in his condition. He hardly sits, she said of her 2-year-old child. He cannot even crawl, cannot walk. Around 250 patients are receiving treatment for malnutrition at the hospital, and there are only two functioning stabilization centers for severely malnourished children in Gaza, OCHA reported earlier this month, endangering almost 3,000 children, who were receiving treatment for acute malnutrition in the south prior to the military escalation in Rafah. Doctors say they are often unable to treat babies who show symptoms of malnutrition, including breathing problems, chest infections, and severe dehydration, amid dwindling medical supplies. Malnourished patients with chronic or infectious illnesses are less likely to recover, a local pediatrician told CNN, as the spread of disease spikes in displacement shelters. Authorities in Gaza have recorded more than 1.4 million cases of infectious diseases since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health there. Children line up for food aid in Jabalya refugee camp, the northern Gaza, on June 13. Relief agencies have accused Israeli authorities of blocking humanitarian access to the area, amid dire food shortages. - Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images As hunger worsens and parts of the enclave hurtle towards widespread famine, aid agencies have repeatedly called for the opening of land crossings into Gaza, which they say are the most effective way of getting relief into the strip. A US-built floating pier designed to bring in aid in by sea has been beset by problems from unfavorable sea conditions to distribution issues once the aid ins transferred on land failing to make a meaningful difference to the crisis. Back in Khan Younis, Ismail Madi told CNN last week how worried he was for his 4-year-old son, Ahmad, who was suffering jaundice from malnutrition. My son will not be able to survive this, he said. I call on the American president Joe Biden to intervene, added Madi, to save this child who has nothing at all to do with any political conflict. But just days later, the boy died. With other young children to provide for, Madis life as a parent is full of stress. Its very hard to feed a family of 10 in these difficult times. CNNs Abeer Salman, Tim Lister, Richard Roth and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Children's Wisconsin names its new CEO; last was president of an Indianapolis children's health system Children's Wisconsin has named Gil Peri as its next president and CEO, effective Aug. 12. He will replace Peggy Troy, who has held the role since 2009. Children's Wisconsin has named a new president and CEO who will succeed longtime CEO Peggy Troy in mid-August. On Aug. 12, Gil Peri will become president and CEO of the Wauwatosa-based health system, which has nearly $1.8 billion in annual operating revenue and operates hospitals in Wauwatosa and Neenah, as well as primary care and specialty clinics throughout southeast Wisconsin, according to a press release issued Monday by Children's Wisconsin. The health system, as an affiliate of the Medical College of Wisconsin, also does research and trains doctors, nurses and other health care providers. Peri was named by Children's Wisconsin's board of directors following a national search that began in 2023, after Troy, who has served as president and CEO for the past 15 years, announced her intention to retire, the release says. Troy was the first woman to head the organization. I am pleased to welcome Gil to Childrens Wisconsin, Troy said in Monday's news release. His values, expertise, and strategic vision are perfectly aligned with our organization and where we are headed in the future. Gil has an unwavering commitment to improving whole-child health, and I am confident that he will serve our organization and our community with passion and integrity for years to come. Peri last was president of Riley Children's Health in Indianapolis, a 485-bed children's health system part of Indiana University Health and the Indiana University School of Medicine, the release says. News outlets in Indiana reported he left the Indiana hospital system in February, after less than three years with the organization. Before that, he was president and chief operating officer of Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford, according to a previous Riley Children's Health press release. Prior to that, Peri held leadership roles at other childrens hospitals, Childrens Hospital Colorado in Aurora and Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. I look forward to working alongside the tremendously talented and dedicated Childrens Wisconsin team and partnering with individuals and organizations across the state who are committed to ensuring all kids have a chance to grow up healthy and happy," Peri said in Monday's news release. Children's Wisconsin is the latest Milwaukee-area health system to undergo a change in leadership. Last year, Bernie Sherry left his position as CEO of Ascension Wisconsin and was replaced by Daniel Jackson, who formerly led a Detroit hospital. Froedtert Health President and CEO Cathy Jacobson also announced last year that she would retire in 2024. Under Troy's tenure, Children's Wisconsin embarked on a multi-year $385 million expansion project starting in 2018, which recently culminated in the opening of a new, expanded emergency department at the Wauwatosa hospital that medical professionals hope will better serve the more than 70,000 patients who visit the ER each year. Peggy Troy is president and CEO of Children's Wisconsin In 2019, Children's Wisconsin announced a five-year plan to improve access to mental and behavioral health care for children and adolescents. Since then, Children's has placed therapists in all of its primary care offices, using money from a $20 million gift from former Fiserv CEO Jeffery Yabuki. The hospital also opened the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-In Clinic in 2022, to help children and adolescents experiencing urgent mental health issues. Toward the end of Troy's tenure, Children's Wisconsin came under fire for recently closing a primary care office in Metcalfe Park, where there is a shortage of primary care providers and where the rate of lead poisoning in young children is among the highest in the city and the state. Among the reasons cited in the press release for selecting Peri was "his demonstrated ability to build key strategic partnerships among organizations with missions focused on improving the health and well-being of kids and families." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Children's Wisconsin names Peri its new CEO, successor to Peggy Troy A handmade four-leaf clover with the inscription "Arian come home" hangs on a fence. A farmer found a child's body while mowing in the German state of Lower Saxony, the police reported on Tuesday. Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa A farmer found a child's body while mowing in the German state of Lower Saxony, the police reported on Tuesday. The farmer discovered the body on Monday at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) in Estorf municipality in the district of Stade, about 80 kilometres west of Hamburg, the police statement said. The police said that no information could be provided about the exact location and the circumstances of the discovery, and that it was not initially possible to determine the identity of the child. A six-year-old boy named Arian has been missing in the region since April 22. For about a week, emergency services and volunteers, at times up to 1,200 of them, searched for the boy day and night. Specialists from the investigation group of Arian's case have conducted a forensic analysis of the discovery site, but no further details were initially released. The police have multiple theories about Arian's disappearance. The most likely scenario is that Arian had an accident without any involvement of third parties. Small footprints found near the Oste River, likely Arian's, could indicate this is not a criminal case, according to the police. Chinas Change-6 lunar module returned to Earth Tuesday, successfully completing its historic mission to collect the first ever samples from the far side of the moon in a major step forward for the countrys ambitious space program. The reentry module successfully landed in a designated zone in Chinas northern Inner Mongolia region just after 2 p.m. local time, according to state broadcaster CCTV. A livestream carried by CCTV showed the module touching down via parachute to a round of applause in the mission control room. The Change-6 lunar exploration mission has been a complete success, said Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), from the control room. A search team located the module minutes after its landing, according to CCTV. The livestream showed a worker carrying out checks on the module, which lay on grassland beside a Chinese flag. The successful mission is a key milestone in Chinas eternal dream as articulated by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to establish the country as a dominant space power and comes as a number of countries, including the United States, also ramp up their own lunar exploration programs. In a congratulatory message Tuesday, Xi hailed the mission as another landmark achievement in building a strong country in space, and science and technology. Beijing plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 and build a research base at the lunar south pole a region believed to contain water ice, where the US also hopes to establish a base. The Change-6 probe is expected to have returned to Earth with up to 2 kilograms of moon dust and rocks from the lunar far side, which will be analyzed by researchers in China before being opened for access by international scientists, according to the CNSA. The Change-6 probe is seen raising a Chinese flag with a robotic arm on the moons far side earlier in June. - Chang'e 6 lunar rover/Weibo Results from the analysis of the samples could help scientists peer back into the evolution of the moon, the Earth and the solar system while also aiding Chinas aim to utilize resources on the moon to further its exploration there, experts say. The samples were collected using a drill and robotic arm from a location within the sprawling South Pole-Aitken basin, an impact crater formed some 4 billion years ago on the moons far side, which is never visible to Earth. An ascender then lifted them off the lunar surface and transferred them in lunar orbit to a re-entry vehicle, which then traveled back to Earth after separating from its lunar orbiter. The progress of Change-6 Chinas most technically complex mission to date has been followed with intense interest within the country since its launch on May 3. Earlier this month, images of the lunar lander displaying the Chinese flag and appearing to have drilled the character zhong shorthand for China on the lunar surface went viral on Chinese social media. The return of the lunar module Tuesday also comes after suspected debris from a separate Chinese rocket was seen plummeting to the ground in southwest China on Saturday, leaving a trail of bright yellow smoke and sending villagers running, according to videos on Chinese social media and sent to CNN by a local witness. Treasure from the far side The far side of the moon has been a point of fascination for scientists since they first peered at it in grainy, black and white images captured by the Soviet Unions Luna 3 spacecraft in 1959 and realized how different it was from the side facing Earth. Absent were the lunar maria, or large, dark plains of cooled lava that pockmark much of the moons near side. Instead, the far side appeared to show a record of impact covered in craters of different sizes and ages. Decades later, and some five years since the Change-4 mission made China the first and only country to complete a soft landing on the far side, scientists both from China and around the world have high hopes for the information that can be gleaned from the samples. Its a gold mine a treasure chest, said James Head, a professor of planetary geosciences at Brown University, who together with European scientists, collaborated with Chinese scientists analyzing samples from the Change-5 mission that returned near-side samples. International scientists are totally excited about the mission, he said. Head pointed to the destruction of many clues of evolutionary history due to the shifting of the Earths plate tectonics and erosion that has obscured the planets first several billion years, including the period when life emerged. The moon is really the cornerstone for understanding that because its surface does not have plate tectonics its actually a frozen record of what it was like in our early solar system, he said, adding that understanding the moons makeup can not only aid our understanding of the past but future exploration of the solar system. While the stated focus of the Change-6 mission is these broader scientific questions, experts say analysis of the composition and physical properties of the samples could also help advance efforts to learn how to use resources on the moon for future lunar and space exploration. The (Change-6) mission is focused on answering specific scientific questions, but the lunar soils collected from the mission can support future resource utilization, said Yuqi Qian, a planetary geologist at the University of Hong Kong. Lunar soil could be used for 3-D printing to produce bricks for construction of research bases on the moon, while some scientists were already working on finding more economical and practical technologies to extract gases like Helium-3, oxygen and hydrogen from the soil, which could support further lunar exploration, he said. Once they receive the samples, Chinese scientists are expected to share data and carry out joint research with international partners, before Beijing later opens the samples for access by international teams, according to statements from CNSA officials. International teams had to wait roughly three years to apply for access to samples from the Change-5 mission, but some of the earliest published research on those samples was from teams of Chinese and international scientists. Race to the moon Change-6 the sixth of eight scheduled missions in the Change series is widely seen as an important step forward for Chinas aim to put astronauts on the moon in the coming years. Each step in the sample return mission process is exactly what you need to do to land humans on the moon and return, Head said. It shouldnt be lost on anyone that while, on one hand, this is a scientific mission, the command and control aspects (are) exactly what you need for lunar human exploration as well as things like Mars sample return. Chinas ambitions to send astronauts to the moon come as the US targets launching a crewed Artemis mission as early as 2026 in what would be Americas first such attempt in more than 50 years. NASA chief Bill Nelson has appeared to point to Chinas pace as a driver in US progress, telling lawmakers in April that the two countries were in effect in a race. My concern is that they (get to the south pole) first and then say, this is our area, you stay out, because the south pole of the moon is an important part We think that there is water there and if theres water, then theres rocket fuel, Nelson said. China has sought to dispel concerns about its ambitions, reiterating its position that space exploration should benefit all mankind and actively recruiting country partners for its planned international lunar research station. China and the US are not alone in eyeing the national prestige, potential scientific benefits, access to resources and further deep space exploration that successful moon missions could bring. Last year, India landed its first spacecraft on the moon, while Russias first lunar mission in decades ended in failure when its Luna 25 probe crashed into the moons surface. In January, Japan became the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the moon, though its Moon Sniper lander faced power issues due to an incorrect landing angle. The following month, IM-1, a NASA-funded mission designed by Texas-based private firm Intuitive Machines, touched down close to the lunar south pole. China is scheduled to launch its Change-7 mission to the lunar south pole region in 2026, while Change-8 will be launched in 2028 to carry out tests aimed at utilization of lunar resources in preparation for the lunar research station, Chinese space authorities said earlier this year. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- A Philippine sailor detailed for the first time on Tuesday how he lost his thumb in the June 17 clash between Beijing and Manilas boats in the South China Sea. Most Read from Bloomberg The scuffle started when around eight Chinese vessels approached two Philippine rubber boats near the Southeast Asian nations military outpost in Second Thomas Shoal, Navy Seaman Jeffry Facundo told a Senate hearing. Manila regularly brings supplies and troops to the outpost, a rusty World War II-era ship thats been beached there since 1999. The Chinese vessels came without warning and rammed our boat straight away, the Filipino crew member said. He said his thumb was caught under the keel of a Chinese vessel that partially mounted the boat he was riding, causing the injury. The sailors narrative, along with videos released by the Philippine military, paints a picture of how encounters between Manila and Beijing in the disputed sea have become closer and more intense, risking more casualties. China has maintained that its actions were lawful. Why China, Philippines Keep Clashing at Sea and What Comes Next The Filipino crew member also said Chinese forces punctured a boat that was supposed to be used for his medical evacuation. He repeated earlier accounts from defense officials of how Chinese crew held customized spears, and seized guns from Philippine troops. Manila is hoping to arrive at confidence-building measures with China during possible talks in early July where recent maritime encounters will be tackled, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said at the same hearing. The Philippines is trying to balance asserting its sovereignty with protecting troops and preventing miscalculation in the disputed sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also told the Senate. We are playing a very, very delicate balance here, he said. The US earlier called out China for its escalatory moves. Philippine officials have, however, said that Beijings actions, while deliberate, cant be considered yet an armed attack that would trigger a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the US. (Adds comments from foreign affairs, defense chiefs.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: The Chang'e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province By Eduardo Baptista BEIJING (Reuters) -China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe landed on Tuesday in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, making the country the first to bring back samples from the moon's far side. The reentry capsule touched down at 2:07 p.m. Beijing time (0607 GMT), according to state broadcaster CCTV, carrying lunar soil collected earlier in the month by the probe after a successful landing on the moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater on the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth. Soon after the capsule landed, Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, announced the successful completion of the Chang'e-6 lunar mission. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the mission's completion was a "landmark achievement" in China's quest to become a space and scientific powerhouse. The Chang'e-6 probe was launched on May 3 on a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on the southern island of Hainan. The samples will be transported by air to Beijing for analysis, according to CCTV. While it is yet not known whether the planned 2kg of samples were successfully returned, whatever the amount, the samples will be closely analysed by Chinese and foreign scientists, who believe that they will reveal new details about the formation of the Earth, moon, and solar system. Samples from the Chang'e-5 mission, which brought back lunar samples from the near side of the moon, led to the discovery of new minerals and more accurate ranges for the moon's geological age. The success of the Chang'e-6 mission could give China's lunar and space exploration program, already in close competition with the United States, greater pull among foreign governments and scientists. China's retrieval of samples from the moon's far side comes as the exploration of lunar resources and the militarisation of space are becoming increasingly pressing questions shaped by geopolitical tensions. NASA administrator Bill Nelson this year expressed concern at China's lunar exploration program and described an intensifying "space race" between the two superpowers. "I'm glad there has been a resurgence in this (space) race, but of course I would like to see us racing alongside each other and together," said Neil Melville-Kenney, a technical officer at the European Space Agency (ESA) who is working with Chinese researchers on one of the Chang'e-6 payloads. As the European Union and China are at loggerheads over a wide range of geopolitical issues, from trade to the war in Ukraine, European space agencies and scientists are working closely with Chinese counterparts on data and samples collected by China's lunar missions. "We know that (the far side of the moon) is literally a different place, it is made of different materials than the near side of the moon, it has a different history... it's really of fundamental scientific importance to get these samples back, Melville-Kenney said. The engineer added that the ESA will meet with the China National Space Administration in October to discuss further collaboration. "This collaboration that we have at the moment (with China) is a small step, this was started quite a while ago, perhaps the situations were a little bit different then. Going forward I hope there will be more collaboration," he added. (Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Gerry Doyle) In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses the opening plenary of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via AP) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Open markets and green technologies are vital for stabilizing global growth, China's premier said Tuesday, while criticizing trade tensions as he opened a conference in northeastern China. Premier Li Qiang told political and business leaders attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos," that China is on track to attain Beijing's growth target this year of 5%. Countries should work closely together, reject bloc confrontation, oppose decoupling and disconnection, maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, Li said in a speech to the conference. We cannot slow down our pace in green transition in exchange for short-term economic growth nor practice protectionism in the name of green development or environmental protection, he said. China is facing pushback over its electric vehicle exports, which some governments fear will flood markets and hurt domestic producers. The European Union and Canada among others are mulling surtaxes on Chinese EVs. China and the E.U. said over the weekend they are open to talks over the tentative tariffs after Beijing last week announced an anti-dumping probe into European pork, largely seen as retaliation for the EV duties. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined the business leaders and economic and technology ministers attending the forum, held in the port city of Dalian. China's economy grew at a 5.3% annual pace in January-March, though it has slowed significantly in recent years. Shutdowns and other disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic worsened a longer-term weakening of growth as authorities cracked down on excess borrowing by property developers, tipping the industry into a downturn. Li compared China's economy post-COVID to a person recovering from a serious illness who needs to readjust gradually. Beijing is aiding the recovery with tools such as industrial upgrades and support for the silver economy businesses aimed at the countrys ageing population he said. ___ Associated Press video producer Caroline Chen in Beijing contributed to this report. Chinese space probe brings back first rock samples ever from far side of moon The News A Chinese space probe returned to Earth with the first-ever samples of rocks from the far side of the moon. Change 6 landed in the desert in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday after journeying to the lunar surface last month. The moon rotates exactly once for each time it orbits the Earth, meaning it always shows the same side; the far side therefore has a different history and different materials to the near side, and many scientific questions remain unanswered about its precise nature. The samples are of fundamental scientific importance, a European Space Agency scientist told Reuters. And while Europe and China may be at loggerheads on various geopolitical issues, their scientists will work together closely on investigating the data Changes samples provide. Chinese Spacecraft Lands on Earth With First Samples in Human History from Far Side of Moon Return Address China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe has officially returned the first samples collected from the far side of the Moon to scientists here on Earth, a major achievement highlighting the country's rapidly advancing space ambitions. The probe touched down in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday, delivering the incredibly rare package, which is expected to include 2.5-million-year-old volcanic rock. The mission launched in early May and landed roughly a month later. Within just over 48 hours, the probe scooped up some samples using a drill and launched back into space to embark on its weekslong return journey. It even had time to drop off several scientific payloads on the lunar service, including an instrument that immediately detected the presence of negative ions. China became the first to touch down on the far side of the Moon in April 2019 and has remained the only country to have ever done so let alone twice. https://twitter.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1805506104618536991 Crater Face The Moon's far side, which permanently faces away from Earth, remains far less explored than its much better-understood near side. Its difficult terrain, which includes tall craters and massive boulders, makes it an extremely challenging place to explore. Scientists are hoping to discover usable resources there, including water ice, which future explorers could use as a source of water, oxygen, and hydrogen. "Its incredibly exciting to see this landing successfully," Scotland astronomer royal Catherine Heymans told the BBC. "The geological activity on the Moon is very different on the near side and the far side and its been a big puzzle why we see those differences." Researchers are now ready to pore over the over four pounds of samples as they look to uncover the mysteries surrounding the Moon's formation and evolution. And they can barely contain their excitement. "Its a gold mine... a treasure chest," Brown University professor of planetary geosciences James Head told CNN. "International scientists are totally excited about the mission." More on the mission: Chinese Lander Instrument Detects Negative Ions on Far Side of Moon Three people who once lived in a homeless encampment on Third Street in Downtown Cincinnati before the city kicked them out six years ago praised a new agreement that would allow encampments if there is no available shelter space. Leon "Bison" Evans, one of the 2018 camp's leaders, said Tuesday that he wants people to know no one living in the encampment was there by choice. Leon Bison Evans, 38, who was called mayor of the tent city along Third Street in Downtown Cincinnati back in 2018, said Tuesday he hopes a new city policy on homeless encampments will help people living on city streets. "I do apologize," said Evans, 38 and still homeless. "But I had to do what I had to do. I'm glad there is a resolution." And hopefully, he added, "it will do something more for homeless people." Six years ago, the city of Cincinnati forced Patrick Chin and dozens of other people living in a tent camp Downtown out of what they considered their homes. The move opened a debate about how people without shelter are treated and sparked two lawsuits, including one in federal court that concluded earlier this month. The city settled with Chin and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition for $83,000. That money will be shared by the coalition and Chin. Chin is now living in Alaska. Many of the people who lived in the encampment, once numbering almost 100, have since died, Evans said. The settlement led to a new written police policy for "interaction with individuals residing in homeless encampments," aimed at better treatment of people experiencing homelessness. Cincinnati police officers check an abandoned tent along Third Street in downtown Cincinnati in 2018, just after the city shut down the encampment created by people experiencing homelessness. "The city recognizes that imposing criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping or laying on public property against individuals experiencing homelessness who cannot access shelter is prohibited by the Eighth Amendment," the city's new policy reads. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishment. The biggest changes: City policy now says that before there can be police involvement with a homeless encampment, an outreach service provider must have engaged with individuals living there and shelter space must be available and offered. The prior policy said when a complaint about an encampment was made, it would be referred to a police supervisor. If, under the new policy, both those things happen and a person refuses to move, he or she can be cited for trespassing. Potentially criminal violations like illicit drug use or physical assault can be addressed immediately by police. The city still needs more affordable housing to prevent homelessness, according to Josh Spring, executive director of the the Great Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, right. With him at a Tuesday press conference at Our Daily Bread in Over-the-Rhine were Bennett Allen, an attorney for the coalition (left); Allen Howard, who lived in one of the tents; and Leon Bison Evans, 38, who was called mayor of tent city at the time. Attorney Bennett Allen, who represented the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless in the settlement, called the new policy a "tremendous victory for social justice." So could the encampments return to Downtown? They are still there, said Josh Spring, executive director for the coalition, just hidden. Spring said as word spreads among people living in encampments, there could be a return of visible sites if there are no shelter beds available, which is often the case. "I don't know if we'll see visibly large camps," Spring said. "The question is 'What will the city do?' " The answer, one he has long pushed for, is for the city to build and incentivize more affordable housing, he said. Encampments out in the open bring the problem to the forefront, he said. Cierra Burgan, 38, who also lived at the Third Street encampment and has since found housing, said she feels like the homeless population in Cincinnati is still treated unfairly. But she too is hopeful the settlement will change that. As for Allen Howard, 43, who also lived in the encampment and remains homeless: "I just want affordable housing for everyone who needs it." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Three people who experienced homelessness praise new city policy. The City of St. Augustine will discuss King Street Improvement Project at public meeting City of St. Augustine's King Street Improvement Project The City of St. Augustine will host a public discussion on the King Street Improvement Project on Thursday, June 27, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Engineering consultants Hanson Professional Services, Inc. and Marquis Latimer + Halback, Inc., will review design plans for building a streetscape into the heart of Americas oldest city. Touted as The Best Mile in Florida," the streetscape is slated to travel from Malaga Street to Charlotte Street. Livability, history and beauty are factors being considered within designs that tout improved pedestrian and cyclist experiences along with smoother and improved traffic flows. Plans are categorized by Malaga - plan A and Plan B; Central Section plans A and B; The Plaza Section Cathedral Place - One Lane and the Plaza Section Cathedral Place - Two Lane. The two designs include Concept A: inserting a brick center turn lane with mid-block pedestrian crossings between intersections (businesses and residences will remain accessible through access patterns that shift the traffic lanes north); and Concept B: incorporating a transit-lane only for circulators, buses, carriages, trolleys, and trains. According to a recent press release, Concept A has received more consistent support. Both plans will enhance and expand the sidewalks; add pedestrian and vehicular scale lighting at intersections; and build mid-block crossings. Cabbage Palms (the Florida state tree) will be added to provide shade. Plans also include upgrading the area's street drainage systems and adding sharrows road markings consisting of two inverted V-shapes above a bicycle to guide cyclists sharing the road with motor vehicles. Plans will also streamline improvements for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists at the Plaza de la Constitucion (the plaza) and Cathedral Place. More information is available at https://www.mlhhub.com/. To submit public comment, visit https://www.mlhhub.com/engage. Submissions also can be sent to Reuben Franklin, the citys assistant manager, at rfranklin@citystaug.com. The postal address is City Hall, Attn: Reuben Franklin, 75 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084. This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: The City of St. Augustine to publicly discuss the King Street Improvement Project Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reacted to Julian Assanges plea deal Monday, saying that the WikiLeaks founder has sort of paid his dues already. Clapper who served as director of national intelligence in 2010, when WikiLeaks published the trove of classified military and intelligence documents said Monday that Assanges plea deal came out pretty well. I think critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage. I think the law enforcement community and the Intelligence Community wouldnt have bought into this without that, he said on CNNs Laura Coates Live. But he has served essentially seven years of incarceration in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He was released from that and then the Brits arrested him. He did 62 months in jail. Hard time in London. So, he has sort of, you know, paid his dues, he added. Assange has spent the last five years in a British prison to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face the charges in connection to the documents. He agreed Monday to plead guilty to one felony charge under the Espionage Act, in a deal that would allow him credit for time served in the U.K., avoiding prison in the U.S. Assange was indicted on 18 charges, including 17 espionage charges and one for computer misuse, following the release of the classified documents. Clapper said that while he thinks Assange has served his time, people should not think it is okay to reveal classified information. I think another issue here, speaking on behalf of the Intelligence Community, is you cant have a system where people on their own unilaterally decide, well, I just think its okay to expose all this classified information when theyve made a commitment to protect it. That, to me, is very important principle to bear in mind here, he said. But again, where I began, I think justice is served, he added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FORT PIERCE, Fla. A testy exchange Monday between a skeptical U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and one of special counsel Jack Smiths prosecutors led to an apology for unprofessional conduct by the lawyer as he sought to persuade the court to restrain Donald Trump from making inflammatory statements against federal agents in the governments classified documents case against the former president. Prosecutor David Harbach argued that Trumps recent social media comments about the FBIs search last year of his Mar-a-Lago estate were way out of bounds and were nothing like speech that should be protected by the First Amendment. Trump had said the agents were authorized to use deadly force during the search for classified documents and raised the specter that they would do harm to his family. But Cannon suggested that the governments request for proposed restrictions on Trump were vague and she struggled to persuade Harbach that he needed to be more specific. In its request to the court to modify Trumps bail conditions, the government stopped short of seeking an actual gag order, suggesting instead that the court is empowered to craft a remedy. Cannon said that despite 11 government exhibits in her possession, she did not see direct evidence of Trumps angry statements about the search characterized by the defense as a raid that would pose a safety risk. There still needs to be a factual connection between A and B, Cannon said of forming an evidentiary link between Trumps comments and potential threats. Harbach, sounding irritated, said he hadnt gotten to all of this examples. That prompted Cannon to tell Harbach that she did not appreciate his tone. We have been here before, she told the prosecutor, referring to a prior episode in open court. If he could not change his approach, she suggested that a colleague might take his place presenting the governments case. Harbach, though, continued with a more subdued presentation. I just want to apologize about earlier, he said before taking his seat. I didnt mean to be unprofessional. Im sorry about that. The defense, meanwhile, took the opportunity to defend Trumps language. Todd Blanche, Trumps lead attorney, said that prosecutors were trying to set a dangerous precedent by seeking to change the former presidents conditions of release. Blanche also seized upon what he called the vagueness of the governments proposal for controlling the statements of Trump and his supporters. Steve Bannon making a comment is potentially the kind of thing that could send President Trump to jail, Blanche said, referring to the former Trump White House aide. Cannon did not rule on the governments request. She set a Wednesday deadline for both sides to submit supplementary evidence. Over the weekend, the government had filed a sharply worded supplemental argument to a previous one seeking a limited gag order from the court, reiterating that Trumps statements placed the agents and even their families in danger. In late May 2024, defendant Donald J. Trump made a series of false and inflammatory public statements about the law enforcement professionals who conducted the court-authorized search at Mar-a-Lago, telling his audience that the FBI was out to kill him and his family, wrote prosecutors led by Jay Bratt. Trump knew that this was false, and he intended that his comments would inflame his listeners; indeed, that was the whole purpose. Comments like those create an immediate threat to the safety of law enforcement professionals men and women who dedicate themselves to enforcing the law and protecting the American public every day, and who are entitled to do their work without fear of violent retribution. Rather than address the risk of harm that his recent false statements created, Trumps opposition (to a gag order) focuses on his political campaign and the timing of campaign events, the prosecutors wrote. But the Government has absolutely no interest in those matters. None. The prosecutors argued that the restraint they seek is exceedingly narrow, focused and fully consistent with the First Amendment. This is a pending criminal case, and like any other criminal defendant, Mr. Trump does not have an unlimited right to engage in speech that poses a risk to witnesses and threatens the integrity of the proceedings, the prosecutors added. In their own filings, Trumps lawyers have called the bid for restraining Trumps rhetoric as a tactic to disrupt his reelection bid. Since the indictment was handed up in June of last year, Trumps defense lawyers have filed multiple motions not only to dismiss the case but to delay it until after the presidential election. While many judges expedite decision-making on most dismissal criminal cases, Cannon has delayed rulings on many of the filings tendered by Trump, holding hearings on many of them. This has raised a chorus of objections from legal community critics who assert she is slow-walking the case to accommodate the former president, who did not appear at last Fridays hearing and is not expected to be in court Monday or Tuesday, just days ahead of his scheduled nationally televised debate against President Joe Biden. Special counsel funding Earlier Monday, the judge at Trump teams request focused on the funding of the special counsels office in the presence of Smith, who attended the hearing. Trump and employee/co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira did not appear in court and were not required by the judge to be there. All three have pleaded not guilty in a case that alleges Trump illegally retained classified documents after he left the White House in 2021 and sought to block government efforts to retrieve them from Mar-a-Lago. Cannon on Monday pressed the government with detailed questions about how the special counsels office is funded. Informed by prosecutor James Pearce that there is no cap on funding, she said she believes there is a separation of powers concern between the executive, which oversees the Justice Department, and Congress, which appropriates money to run the government. Pearce responded that if the judge found that Smiths office was not properly funded, the Department of Justice would find the money to do so from other sources. The Department of Justice, at least in the 2023 appropriations cycle, (has) over $1 billion, Pearce said, adding that the department is maintaining a full commitment to fund the prosecution of Trump. For his part, defense attorney Emil Bove said Congress needs to provide more oversight over the appointment and conduct of special counsels, asserting there are extraordinary things occurring in the documents case against Trump. Asked by the judge what injury might befall his client if the case was not dismissed, Bove replied: There is a liberty threat at issue here. Cannon did not immediately rule on the defense motion to dismiss over the special counsel challenges. Defense lawyers, by raising questions about the validity of Smiths appointment, have hit a rhetorical sweet spot for consuming more time to delay a trial once scheduled for May 20 but now on hold. The legal history of presidential administrations appointing special counsels dates back to 1875 and the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. In the succeeding decades, the legal language for authorizing them has varied about as much as the reasons for naming them. The controversies, among others, have included scandals over whiskey tax revenue, government petroleum reserves, the Watergate burglary that led to the end of Richard Nixons presidency, the illegal arms sales case known as Iran-Contra during Ronald Reagans presidency, and a land deal inquiry that morphed into the disclosure and investigation of a sex scandal involving President Bill Clinton. More recently, special counsels have probed Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, conducted an investigation of that investigation by Robert Mueller III, and examined the handling of classified documents by President Joe Biden as well as the illegal activities of his son, Hunter. During arguments before Cannon on Friday, Trumps defense lawyers aided by outside attorneys invited by the judge known as friends of the court jumped at the chance to pick at the arcane laws and regulations authorizing the special counsel appointments over the years. The judge noted that other courts had established precedents that support the naming of Smith by Garland. What do you make of this potentially tolerated practice? Cannon asked Gene Schaerr, an outside attorney who represented two former Republican attorneys general including Edwin Meese, who served Ronald Reagan. Schaerr suggested that those including judges who green-lighted previous special counsel appointments had erred. Its an imperfect world, and people make mistakes, he said. And just because other people have made mistakes doesnt mean this court should too. _____ Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to offer a warning to all American voters in an upcoming book, according to a Tuesday press release. For the first time, she shares the story of her operation to evacuate Afghan women to safety in the harrowing final days of Americas longest war, reads the press release from Simon & Schuster announcing the book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty. But we also meet the brave women dissidents defying dictators around the world, gain new personal insights about her old adversary Vladimir Putin, and learn the best ways that worried parents can protect kids from toxic technology. We also hear her fervent and persuasive warning to all American voters, the release continues. Clintons book is set to be published Sept. 17, according to the release. It is described as a testament to the idea that the personal is political, and the political is personal, providing a blueprint for what each of us can do to make our lives better. Clintons husband, former President Clinton, also has a forthcoming book in the fall, on his 23-plus years since leaving the White House, according to a statement from the former president. I knew as I entered this new chapter of my life that Id keep score the way I always have: Are people better off when you quit than when you started? Do our children have a brighter future? Are we coming together instead of falling apart? he said in the statement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CNN CEO Mark Thompson said he is hoping the network will host an enlightening but not nasty debate between President Biden and former President Trump on Thursday. The fact that we got it was something of a moment for us, Thompson told The New York Times. Much of the reaction of the public, the rest of the media and other politicians is going to depend on President Trump and President Biden, who are the stars of the show. Thompson, who took over as CNNs chief executive last fall, said of the format for Thursdays clash, Its been done in a way, at least in principle, that is designed to get as much light as possible, and not to be overwhelmed with heat. CNN has said microphones will be muted throughout the debate except when its that candidates turn to speak. Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will also be empowered to use all tools at the disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion, the outlet said. This week, CNN has come under heavy criticism from the Trump campaign, accusing the network of bias against the former president, who regularly ridicules the channel. That fury was ignited when CNN morning anchor Kasie Hunt cut off an interview with Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, after she tried to attack Tapper and Bash. The onslaught of criticism against Tapper and Bash led CNN to issue a statement Monday afternoon defending the two longtime cable news anchors, saying there are no two people better equipped to co-moderate a substantial and fact-based discussion. Tens of millions are expected to tune into CNNs debate from Atlanta, which will be simulcast on several other national news networks and streamed by millions more online. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CNN: US may allow deploying its military contractors to Ukraine Washington is moving closer to lifting a de facto ban on U.S. military contractors deploying to Ukraine, CNN reported on June 25, citing four unnamed American officials familiar with the matter. Such a move would help the Ukrainian military maintain and repair weapons systems provided by Washington much more quickly. U.S.-supplied military equipment that has been heavily damaged in combat has to be taken out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repair, which takes a long time, CNN reported. The policy is still being worked on and has not yet received final approval from U.S. President Joe Biden, the sources said. "We have not made any decisions and any discussion of this is premature," said an unnamed administration official, ruling out Biden sending troops to Ukraine. If approved, the changes would take effect this year, allowing the Pentagon to award contracts to U.S. companies to work in Ukraine for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion, officials told CNN. One advanced system that is likely to require regular maintenance is the F-16 fighter jet, the first of which Ukraine is expected to receive this summer. Ukraine could have anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred U.S. contractors working at a time in the country, current and former officials familiar with discussions told CNN. Biden reportedly opposed French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to send military trainers to Ukraine. Macron said in early June that he wanted to finalize a coalition of countries for such an initiative. In late May, Washington allowed Ukraine to use some of its weapons to strike Russian territory near the border with Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts. Read also: Ukraine-US 10-year security deal: 5 key takeaways Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Wichita contractor has been ordered to pay more than $171,000 after his work on a couples house fell apart and he stopped responding to their concerns, according to court records. The couple were worried about their front porch collapsing and pulling away from the house as well as repeated flooding in the basement. A judge made the order against Robert Bryan, who was doing work under Finest Construction, in June after he didnt respond to court orders. The money includes $50,454.50 to the couple who were affected, $120,000 for violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and other court-related fees. Bryan could not be reached for comment. Someone who answered a number associated with the business Tuesday morning said they used to work for Bryan and would pass along a message. When asked their name, the person said umm and then hung up. Bryans violations of the consumer act include not being licensed or having permits to do the work. In January, Bryan organized a new Limited Liability Company, Nathan Fine Construction LLC, court records show. Here is what court records say happened: The Wichita couple, who are older than 60, contacted Bryan in March 2021 after he was recommended to them by their real estate agent. They asked him about fixing a leaky foundation. Bryan said there would be a 25-year warranty on the work. The couple paid him more than $50,000, including $2,812 to build an external staircase and paint walls and trim around the additional door, court records say. He never did the staircase. Defendant dug a trench around the front of the (couples) home, and replaced the wood front porch with a concrete one, court records say. For months in 2022, after the work he did started to fall apart, Bryan told them he would fix it, but then eventually stopped responding to texts. He did respond to the Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office once an investigation was started. Bryan said that heavy rains were an act of God beyond his control and that the (couple) needed to accept some of the risks, court records say, but then he stopped responding to the legal requests. A licensed engineer inspecting the issue said that the most likely cause of the current ongoing settlement problems was improper compaction and voids in the fill material below the porch slab, court records say. The engineer recommended the work be redone. The couple hired a contractor to do the work for about $10,600. Despite a series of personal scandals, Lauren Boebert, a hard-right Colorado Republican who narrowly avoided defeat in 2022, won out over a crowded field of other Republican primary candidates in the fourth congressional district previously led by Ken Buck which leans more heavily Republican. Boeberts primary win is one of the most closely watched results of Colorados primary elections, which chose the winners in several bitter intra-party fights among the states Republicans, including in two competitive House districts that could help determine control of Congress in November. Boebert had moved from one politically divided congressional district in Colorado to a more safely Republican district, which will allow her to avoid a rematch with the Democratic opponent who nearly defeated her last election cycle. In Boeberts former district, Jeff Hurd, who is seen as a more old-school and mainstream Republican, won the GOP primary and will face Adam Frisch, the Democrat who came within 546 votes of defeating her in 2022, but is likely to face a tighter race against the winner of the Republican primary there. Voters in the district supported Trump with 53% of the vote in 2016 and 2020. Related: Charlie Kirk once unified conservative youth for Trump. Why are Republicans now turning on him? Colorados most competitive US House race this fall will probably be in the eighth congressional district, where the first-term congresswoman Yadira Caraveo is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Her Republican opponent will be either state representative Gabe Evans, an army veteran and former police officer, or former state representative Janak Joshi, a retired physician who has the state partys endorsement. Colorados primary landscape was reshaped by the sudden resignation this March of Buck, a former Republican congressman and staunch conservative. Buck cited his frustration with his own party in his resignation, telling CNN: Instead of having decorum instead of acting in a professional manner this place has really devolved into this bickering and nonsense. The fierce Republican infighting through the primary election has prompted accusations that the state GOP chair, Dave Williams, is running an inquisition and has decided he must purify and purge the Republican party, as the former GOP chair Dick Wadhams said at an event hosted by Axios in Denver. Williams has faced allegations that he has improperly used the state partys email list to announce his campaign for Congress and that he spent party money to buy mailers that included an attack on the political consultant and talk radio host Jeff Crank, his Republican primary opponent. The GOP chairman also faced criticisms for asking party candidates to fill out a policy questionnaire that was also an explicit loyalty test, with questions such as Do you support President Trumps populist, America-first agenda? Williams is cannibalizing the Republican party so he can go to Congress, Kelly Maher, a veteran GOP operative who filed a complaint against Williams with the Federal Elections Commission, told the Associated Press. Buck, the former Republican member of Congress who resigned from his seat in March, triggered a special election for a candidate who will serve out the remaining six months of his term. The race appears on the ballot alongside the regularly scheduled primaries on Tuesday. The former Parker mayor Greg Lopez is seen as likely to win in this race, but he is seen as a placeholder who plans to step down after the general election winner is sworn into office in January. The Associated Press contributed reporting COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A recent study found Columbus has one of the highest birth rates out of Americas largest cities. SmartAsset, a financial technology company, examined U.S. Census Bureau data for 37 of the largest cities where data was available to determine where birth rates were the highest. The study found the birth rate in major U.S. cities is lower than the national average. Across the U.S., the average rate of women 15-50 who had a child in 2022 was 5.2%, compared with 5% in major cities. Petland facing two new lawsuits in Ohio, accused of selling sick puppies Out of the largest American cities, Columbus ranked as having the ninth highest birth rate in the country. In 2022, 14,009 women between 15 and 50 gave birth, equating to 5.6% of women in the state. Taking the number one spot as the city with the most births was Indianapolis; 14,482 women, or 6.5%, gave birth in the state in 2022. In second place was Dallas, with 21,862 women, or 6.3%, giving birth in the state. Las Vegas had the third highest birth rate, with 9,477 women, or 6.1%, giving birth. Completing the top 10 is Fresco, California (4), El Paso, Texas (5), San Antonio, Texas (6), Oklahoma City (7), Houston (8), and Nashville, Tennessee (10). Texas cities dominated the top 10, with four making the list for the cities with the highest birth rates. The major U.S. city with the lowest birth rate is Seattle, with 5,760 women, or 2.6%, giving birth in 2022. Seattle is followed by Milwaukee (3.2%), Boston, (3.4%), Portland, Oregon (3.5%), and Austin, Texas (3.8%). Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The majority of the 10-seat Columbus Council appears ready to change a city law that would help retired police officer Byron Hickey accept the controversial and delayed appointment to fill the governing bodys vacancy. Despite the Columbus Consolidated Governments pension board declining June 13 to recommend a proposed amendment to the CCG employee pension plan, the council is scheduled to vote July 9 to do exactly that. The CCG charter considers councilors to be part-time employees and they are paid like it, earning around $22,000 per year. But they have the option to participate in the citys health insurance plan, and about 8% of their pay automatically goes to the pension plan because the it considers councilors to be full-time employees. If Hickey accepts the councils appointment to serve as the District 1 representative, current city law would suspend his pension. This proposed amendment would allow Hickey or any other CCG retiree to still receive their pension payments while serving on the council. Byron Hickey When the amendment was presented during the June 18 council meeting, several councilors spoke about the issue. Since then, the Ledger-Enquirer tried to contact each councilor to find out whether they will vote yes or no and why. Combining their public comments during that meeting and what they told the L-E, only one councilor has expressed concern about the amendment. Hear are their responses: Glenn Davis of District 2 Davis is listed as the sponsor of the amendment, but he emphasized it was written by the pension plan attorney. Answering why the amendment makes an exception for retired city employees who want to serve on only the council instead of any elected office, Davis noted all the other elected CCG officials receive full-time salaries. In this case, the class of people were talking about, if they want to serve on this council, they would be losing money to the tune of 10, 12, $16,000 a year, Davis said during the meeting. Whos going to do that? Nobodys going to do that. They cant make ends meet. But if you get a salary where youre making 85, 100, 150 (thousand), I think thats far more than what were talking about as far as being able to hang on to your pension. Davis said the amendment allows a class of people who have served our city well, who have experience, knowledge, that they need their pension, but they want to serve as well, but they cant because they cant survive without their pension. Its simple, but its the right thing to do. Bruce Huff of District 3 Huff is the only councilor who expressed concern about the amendment during the meeting or to the L-E. I understand theres no impact to the pension, but I think we are basically solving one problem and going down a rabbit hole because were going to limit the people who can run for public office, Huff said during the meeting. So youre picking and choosing. As long as theyre running for city council, then were fine? Huff added, Everyone who has a pension needs their pension, regardless of how much it is. We have a lot of talented people that have been with this government for 25, 30-plus years. If they wake up one day and want to run for one of these (other) seats because they decided they want to serve their community, how do we not allow them to run when weve done it for city council? Toyia Tucker of District 4 Tucker told the L-E she will vote yes because city council is a part-time position, making $22,000, and the other (elected) positions are full-time. Ive spoken to several people who possibly want to run for a city council seat, but they receive a retirement check (from the city). If your retirement check is $36,000, youre giving up $14,000. Thats crazy. I dont think thats right. This would be opening it up for more individuals who have government experience to serve on city council. We should afford the opportunity to those individuals without doing any harm regarding their pay. Charmaine Crabb of District 5 Crabb told the L-E she will vote yes for three reasons: 1. It will not hurt the pension plan going forward, in fact we have been told it may help it. 2. City Council gets paid below minimum wage, so a retired employee pulling a pension should not be hurt financially in order to serve when it can be so easily resolved. This is not the case for any other elected position, they are paid a living wage. 3. Other retired employees can work part time within the city and still be paid their pension. Walker Garrett of District 8 Garrett told the L-E he will vote yes because it is prohibitive to our retired city employees to force them to give up their retirement income they earned in order to earn an essentially part time salary on city council. Other councilors Gary Allen of District 6, Joanne Cogle of District 7 and Judy Thomas of citywide District 9 didnt speak about the amendment during the meeting or answer the L-Es query before publication. This was the last meeting on the council for Tyson Begly of citywide District 10. Travis Chambers won the runoff election to replace Begly, who was appointed after John House resigned in April 2023 spend more time with his ailing wife. The swearing-in date for Chambers hasnt been announced. The L-E didnt reach Chambers before publication to find out how he would vote on the amendment if he were sworn-in before or at the July 9 meeting. The council voted 6-3 May 28 to appoint Hickey. Davis, Tucker, Crabb, Cogle, Garrett and Thomas voted yes. Huff, Allen and Begly voted no. Begly wont be on the council for the July 9 vote on the amendment, but he spoke in favor of it during the June 18 meeting. City council is a bit different because its a part-time role, even though its defined as full-time in the pension plan, and weve got a bit of an urgency here, he said. I think it makes sense for the pension board to review from a holistic, comprehensive point of view, but while they do that, I think we can go ahead because time is of the essence for the city council role make a change for this specific city council, and have the pension board review overall and come back with a more comprehensive solution that addresses all elected official offices. Mayor Skip Henderson, who votes on the council only to break a tie, said during the meeting that the pension board sort of resolved that this was more of a political issue than it was an actuary issue. So they kind of pushed it back out to the political arena, which is this council. They will not be picking that back up again. More background about Byron Hickey controversy Nobody mentioned this conflict in city law when the council appointed Hickey on May 28 to succeed the late Jerry Pops Barnes and fill the remaining two years of the four-year term. Barnes, who died April 14 at age 80 from an undisclosed illness, was the District 1 representative on the 10-member council for 17 years. Rev. Valerie A. Thompson, pastor of Revelation Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, leads a memorial service for Councilor Jerry Pops Barnes on April 25, 2024. A week after he was appointed, and the same day the citys probate court judge swore him into office, Hickey received an email from CCG human resources director Reather Hollowell informing him that his city pension would be suspended while he served on the council because the citys pension ordinance considers councilors as full-time employees, despite the charter treating councilors as part-time employees. Thats why Hickeys other half of the swearing-in process, the one that was supposed to be conducted by a superior court judge at the June 4 council meeting, was indefinitely postponed. But nobody would explain why at that point. At the June 11 council meeting, two of Barnes children criticized the six councilors who voted to appoint Hickey. They refuted the narrative that Barnes was mentoring Hickey to be his successor. Allen had nominated one of Barnes children, licensed professional counselor Simeone Simi Barnes, to fill her fathers seat, but the council didnt vote on that motion because a majority already had approved Hickey. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus police said they shot a suspect after he allegedly stabbed three people Tuesday on the east side of the city. According to a Columbus police dispatcher, officers responded to the original stabbing incident around 3 p.m. in the 300 block of Hoskins Way. According to Columbus Police Sgt. James Fuqua, several people called 911 to report the stabbing. Two killed in south Columbus shooting This embedded content is not available in your region. When officers arrived, they found the suspect on the porch of the home holding a knife. Fuqua said the man appeared to have injured himself with the knife before officers arrived. After several repeated attempts to get the suspect to put down the knife, at least one officer fired their weapon. It took two Taser deployments to put the man down, Fuqua said, at which point, officers were able to get the knife away from him. Officers at the scene of an officer-involved shooting out of a stabbing incident on the 300 block of Hoskins Way on June 25, 2024. (NBC 4) Officers at the scene of an officer-involved shooting out of a stabbing incident on the 300 block of Hoskins Way on June 25, 2024. (NBC 4) Officers at the scene of an officer-involved shooting out of a stabbing incident on the 300 block of Hoskins Way on June 25, 2024. (NBC 4) Officers at the scene of an officer-involved shooting out of a stabbing incident on the 300 block of Hoskins Way on June 25, 2024. (NBC 4) We do know, like I said, at least one officer did discharge their firearm, but its unclear at this point if the injuries sustained (by the suspect) was just from a stab wound or a gunshot wound as well, Fuqua said. According to Fuqua, the three victims have been upgraded to stable condition. At least one of the victims was over the age of 70. Fuqua added that the suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but was upgraded to stable condition. No officers were injured in the incident, Fuqua said. Meal program providing benefits for families while school is out The Ohio Attorney Generals Offices Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating, a common practice in shootings that involve law enforcement officials. We understand, we talk about it all the time; as the temperatures go up, we know the tendency for violent situations can also go up, so I just want to commend every officer who not only responded to the scene and did everything in this particular neighborhood, but every officer, Fuqua said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. There's good news and bad news about a legal settlement that New York state just reached with the giant health insurer UnitedHealth over its denial of contraception coverage for a member, which violated state law. The good news is that UnitedHealth got caught and has been ordered to reimburse the member and all others in her situation for the out-of-pocket costs they incurred. The bad news is that in addition to the reimbursement order, New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James imposed a penalty of only $1 million on the company. The ability to access birth control and the legal right to it are being threatened by extremists. The threat goes against the will and the desires of the American public, which overwhelmingly supports birth control and overwhelmingly use it. Gretchen Borchelt, National Women's Law Center For UnitedHealth, that's the equivalent of about one-hundredth of a penny based on its annual revenue. In other words, if someone dropped a packet worth $1 million on the street in front of the company's chairman, he might not even bend over to pick it up for fear of creasing his trousers. A couple more bits of bad news: Not only is UnitedHealth a "repeat offender" in breaching contraception access laws (in the words of Gretchen Borchelt of the National Women's Law Center), but it's also not the only health insurer engaging in sophistry and pretexts to deny members access to birth control in violation of state and federal laws. The center has documented cases in which Blue Cross and Blue Shield affiliates, the pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark and others have charged customers illegal out-of-pocket payments or imposed prior authorization rules before approving reimbursements for contraceptives. Vermont regulators last year reported that they discovered 14,000 instances affecting 9,000 residents who were illegally charged for contraceptives that the law required to be dispensed without costs. The state's three largest health insurers Blue Cross Blue Shield, MVP Healthcare and Cigna illicitly shifted $1.5 million in costs for contraceptives, tubal ligations and vasectomies to consumers over the prior two years. The health plans were ordered to reimburse their members. In 2022, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform found widespread violations by health plans and pharmacy benefit managers of the Affordable Care Act's mandates that the full range of FDA-approved birth control be offered to all customers. The committee cited the National Women's Law Center's findings and specifically queried five of the largest insurers (including UnitedHealth) and four of the largest pharmacy benefit managers to determine whether they were complying with the law. But that was when the committee was under a Democratic Party majority. Since it came under GOP control last year, it's been preoccupied with chasing the Hunter Biden case and harassing scientists and government officials as part of a fruitless effort to prove that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a Chinese lab. So women's healthcare rights have fallen off its radar screen. Read more: Column: Two key antiabortion studies have been retracted as junk science. Will the Supreme Court care? Protecting access to contraceptives is more important today than it has been since 1965, when the Supreme Court guaranteed married couples' access to contraceptives on privacy grounds in Griswold vs. Connecticut; that decision was augmented in 1972 in Eisenstadt vs. Baird, which extended access rights to single women, and of course by Roe vs. Wade, which brought privacy protections to the right to abortion in 1973. The Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade two years ago Monday, fomenting sheer chaos and pain and suffering for women in the states that have jumped in to quash abortion rights since that moment. Politicians and judges in antiabortion states have been talking about extending the Supreme Court's abortion ruling to contraception. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion to the Dobbs decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, listed Griswold among the precedents he thinks should be "reconsidered." A popular claim is that contraceptives fall into a ban on the mailing of those products enacted as part of the Comstock Act in 1873. Past practice and legal tradition relegated the act, which Congress passed at the behest of Anthony Comstock, one of the outstanding bluenoses of American history, to the scrap heap long ago. Most rational legal experts, including those at the Department of Justice, interpret it today as banning the shipment of materials destined for illegal use; since contraceptives are legal nationwide and only 14 states have total abortion bans, it's maybe hard to make the illegality claim stick. Nevertheless, the Comstock Act was cited in the ruling by federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk outlawing mifepristone for medical abortions and by U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James C. Ho in his partial dissent from an appellate decision placing some of Kacsmaryk's ruling on hold; both judges are certified antiabortion fanatics. The Supreme Court threw out their restrictions on the drug, protecting access nationwide for the present, on June 12. As recently as June 5, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to install a right to contraception in federal law. The Democratic measure won 51 votes a majority, but not enough to forestall a filibuster threat, which would have required 60 votes. The UnitedHealth case illustrates how contraceptive rights can fall victim to the complexities of America's fragmented healthcare system, though that's not an excuse for the company's legal violation. In response to the settlement, UnitedHealth told me by email that it aims for all its members to have "timely access to a variety of high-value and affordable FDA-approved contraceptives when they need them." It says it provides "access to more than 150 FDA-approved contraceptive options with $0 cost-share." Read more: Column: Conservative attacks on abortion depend on a law that courts have snubbed for 150 years Under New York law, that may not be enough. The state requires health plans to provide access to all contraceptive options approved by the Food and Drug Administration without cost-sharing. That goes further than the Affordable Care Act, which requires health plans to provide access to at least one treatment in each of several contraceptive categories "without co-pays, restrictions, or delays." California's Contraceptive Equity Act requires health plans to cover certain birth control methods without co-pays; voters enshrined rights to abortion and contraceptives in the state Constitution via Proposition 1 of 2022, which passed by a decisive 2-1 majority. UnitedHealth ran afoul of New York's law when it denied coverage to a member whose doctor had prescribed Slynd, a progestin-only oral contraceptive. The product is aimed at patients for whom the more conventional estrogen-based birth control is medically unsuitable. The patient filed a complaint with state regulators last year. UnitedHealth refused to cover the product because of safety concerns, according to the state. It insisted on prior authorization and step therapy (in which patients are required to try cheaper treatments first) before approving coverage, and continued to deny the patient coverage even after an appeal and queries by the state attorney general and other regulators. The insurer says it has dropped these requirements for Slynd. The settlement requires UnitedHealth to identify and reimburse all members who were denied contraceptive coverage without co-pays or restrictions at any time since June 1, 2020, plus 12% annual interest. How James and UnitedHealth came to the $1-million penalty isn't clear the contraceptive access law itself doesn't carry a penalty clause, but other potentially relevant state laws do. The attorney general's office noted that the penalty was imposed after only a single complaint, suggesting that it took the matter seriously. What is clear, however, is that if the penalty is meant to be a disincentive to deliberately flouting the law or doing so through inaction or inattention, it's laughable. UnitedHealth collected $371.6 billion in revenue last year that's more than $1 billion a day. Of that sum, nearly $291 billion came from insurance premiums. The firm reported more than $29 billion in pretax profits last year. Imposing unnecessary, burdensome or illegal restrictions on contraceptive access is one way that health insurers or other healthcare providers make themselves complicit in the conservative project to narrow women's reproductive health options. Read more: Column: A spineless Walgreens bows down to antiabortion crusaders It should be remembered, for example, that the drugstore chain Walgreens announced last year that it wouldn't distribute or ship mifepristone in at least 21 red states, including at least four where abortions remain legal. The company was unnerved by a saber-rattling letter it received from the attorneys general of those states warning vaguely of consequences for shipping mifepristone, a drug used to induce abortions. The letter cited the Comstock Act. Walgreens said in March that it would start distributing the product to physicians, but not directly to patients and not in states where abortion is banned. "The ability to access birth control and the legal right to it are being threatened by extremists," Borchelt says. "The threat goes against the will and the desires of the American public, which overwhelmingly supports birth control and overwhelmingly use it." Surveys by the National Women's Law Center and patient complaints filed via its CoverHer hotline document that restrictions on coverage for legal birth control have been endemic. Some plans have refused to cover products such as the vaginal contraceptive ring or contraceptive patch, arguing that other "hormonal" contraceptives were covered and therefore patients didn't need access to the ring or patch, which are obviously discrete methods. That was an argument used by UnitedHealth. Other health plans have covered only certain IUDs, or covered only generic contraceptives even when patients had difficulty tolerating any but brand-name products. Women who underwent tubal ligations were told that their insurers would cover only the direct cost of the procedure, but not anesthesia, medications or facility charges. Some have been denied coverage for innovative, FDA-approved birth control methods, such as a hormone-free gel. Patients denied coverage are often forced to undertake lengthy appeals and continue their efforts through repeated denials. Whether because it is the nation's largest health insurer or it has continued to place barriers in the way of members seeking coverage to which they're entitled by law, UnitedHealth is "one of the insurance companies we hear about most often through our CoverHer hotline as being problematic," Borchelt says. "They have been on notice that it has been violating the law in numerous ways; while the New York attorney general has done incredible work that will make a real difference for consumers not just in New York, but it shouldn't have come to this." Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. I really didnt want to write about the latest Kevin de Leon move but Gen. John J. Pershing made me. Or rather, his statue in Washington, D.C. It stands at the National World War I Memorial, a 1.75-acre park just to the southeast of the White House. Cap in one hand and binoculars in another, the American icon looks out to a fountain, maps and inscriptions that tell the story of the Great War. Behind him is a wall with his name and rank: General of the Armies, an honor no other living U.S. general has held and bestowed posthumously on George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant. The muted memorial was empty when I accidentally walked by it this past Saturday afternoon on the way back to my hotel after a conference. It was smaller and emptier than L.A.s homage to the general: downtown's Pershing Square, which the City Council voted to rename from Central Park in 1918 and which critics have long pilloried as an underachieving lump of public space. Im not the biggest war nerd, but Pershing was on my mind thanks to De Leon, who faces a tough City Council reelection campaign because of his role in the City Hall tape leak scandal that upended L.A. politics nearly two years ago. As reported last week by my colleagues Ruben Vives and David Zahniser, the embattled Eastsider wants to rechristen Pershing Square which is in his district after Biddy Mason as part of its long-delayed, multimillion-dollar renovation. Read more: Kevin de Leon seeks to rename Pershing Square for Biddy Mason, ex-slave and unsung L.A. hero Im actually surprised the five-acre park has kept Pershing's name this long. Although "Black Jack" led our country to victory in World War I, his resume is chockablock with cancel-culture no-nos. He participated in the Indian Wars and the brutal occupation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, and enforced segregation in the U.S. armed forces during World War I even though he had commanded Black soldiers in the American West. Pershing also infamously invaded Mexico in a futile search for Pancho Villa, a failure Mexicans still ridicule more than a century after it happened. Mason, meanwhile, is one of the most inspiring reinvention stories in a city where its an art: an ex-slave turned downtown landowner, philanthropist, midwife and co-founder of L.A.s First African Methodist Episcopal Church. A timeline of her life and an image of her stand at Biddy Mason Memorial Park, a long concrete wall off Spring Street between Third and Fourth streets located roughly in the middle of what was the original Mason homestead. But not enough Angelenos know about her. De Leon told The Times hes been in conversation with Masons descendants since early 2022 about how to publicly honor their matriarch, and swears his plans have nothing to do with his City Council race. Cynical eyes will always be around, he told The Times. You cant change cynical. But it's hard not to think of political cynicism since De Leons starring role in the tape leak scandal that roiled City Hall and L.A. A statue of Gen. John J. Pershing at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Gustavo Arellano / Los Angeles Times) Even before joining the council in 2020, De Leon marked himself as a politician whose naked ambition and yearning for public adulation was part Jay Gatsby, part Donald Trump. De Leon has only reinforced that perception in the aftermath of the leak, which he treats as if it were a blip on his career. He refused to resign despite calls coming from the streets to the White House and has used hundreds of thousands of public dollars to send mailers to constituents that are ostensibly about city services but just happen to bear his name. Nevertheless, he and ex-Councilmember Gil Cedillo (who was also heard on the tape, along with ex-council President Nury Martinez and former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor head Ron Herrera) are still pursuing a lawsuit against a couple they allege illegally recorded the conversation, claiming irredeemable harm to their reputations. De Leon wasn't known for trumpeting Black issues or history during his time in Sacramento, his failed 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, or his first two years on the City Council unsurprising, since his constituents have always been overwhelmingly Latino. But now we're supposed to believe that De Leon wants to be a champion for a long-overlooked pioneer of Black L.A. out of the goodness of his heart? As a reminder, the tape torpedoed his career because it captured him mocking Black political power as a Wizard of Oz-like mirage, accusing former Councilmember Mike Bonin of flashing his Black son in public appearances like a luxury handbag, and not uttering a peep as Martinez called the child a negrito and compared him to a little monkey. His move to honor Mason, while ultimately righteous, comes off as politically manipulative. And it's not just me: First AME Church Pastor Robert R. Shaw, II was supposed to join the Juneteenth news conference at Pershing Square where De Leon announced his renaming plans but pulled out, posting on Instagram that he felt "there are ulterior motives that conflict with my values" while nevertheless offering his support to the main cause. Read more: Op-Ed: Why we hate Pershing Square It's the second time in less than a year that De Leon has joined in the commemoration of a Black L.A. legend. In September, he was at the dedication of Willis O. Tyler Square at the intersection of 2nd and Spring Streets, just a block away from Mason's homestead. Tyler was an attorney who unsuccessfully represented a Black family whose beachfront property in Manhattan Beach was taken away from them in the 1920s. That same stretch of land is known today as Bruce's Beach, which made headlines after the County of Los Angeles returned it to the descendants of the original owners in 2022 (they, in turn, sold it back to the county last year). Even when we fall off track from our values and principles as a society, or even as individuals, De Leon said during the naming ceremony, heroes like Willis O. Tyler help redirect us, help center us, help put us back on the track to adhering to the values that make us stronger as a society and better individuals. Biddy Mason. (Seaver Center for Western History Research) Perhaps De Leon has truly atoned and I'm being too cynical. I'd love to talk to him about his recent interest in the history of Black L.A., but he and his staff have consistently declined my interview requests for reasons known only to them. So when I returned home from D.C. on Sunday afternoon, I walked around Pershing Square before the Los Angeles Press Club awards banquet across the street at the Biltmore for some perspective. The steps leading in smelled of urine. An MS-13 tag desecrated the base of a doughboy statue erected 100 years ago this Fourth of July. One of the three plaques originally dedicated to Pershing was missing from a pillar. Young people and families still gamely tried to make a pleasant afternoon of it. The general's most famous quote from his 1931 memoirs ran through my mind: A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops. De Leon seems to be daring critics to oppose his Biddy Mason measure. Well, he's just the type of politician whose feel-good measure any reasonable person would want to oppose. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Since the beginning of the year, the Russian occupation forces have launched 2,277 Shahed-type attack drones at the territory of Ukraine, and Ukraine's air defence system has destroyed about 86% of the Russian drones. Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force, on Telegram Quote: "Morning reports from the Air Force in the form of infographics are not just results with dozens of downed Shaheds; they are powerful anti-aircraft battles every night. Here are several successful and emotional episodes of combat work of the Air Force mobile fire groups." Details: Ukraines Air Force reports that since 1 January 2024, the Russians have launched 2,277 Shahed attack drones on the territory of Ukraine. Air defence destroyed about 86% of them, or 1,953 Shaheds. Oleshchuk stressed that such results were achieved due to the increase in combat capabilities of the Ukrainian defence forces' mobile fire groups. These are thousands of soldiers who go to firing positions almost every night and shoot down Russian UAVs with all the weapons they have. Currently, the small arms, anti-aircraft guns, and man-portable air defence systems in service with the mobile firing groups have been modified and equipped with additional equipment capable of ensuring good combat performance. These include night vision devices, thermal imagers, optics, laser pointers, searchlights, electronic warfare equipment, software, and off-road vehicles. This allows Ukrainian forces to engage Russian targets more efficiently and rationally. Quote: "More than 80% of the downed Shaheds are accounted for by the mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian defence forces. So, I thank everyone who increases the accuracy of the mobile firing groups by providing them with the necessary equipment for effective work! These are charitable foundations, local communities, volunteers and activists, Ukrainians and the international community." Support UP or become our patron! CHICAGO A trio of greystones near Wrigley Field that pre-date the ballpark moved one step closer to demolition Tuesday. The city councils Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards approved plans to tear down the buildings on the 3600 block of North Sheffield Avenue and replace them with a single, a 29-unit, five-story apartment complex. The redevelopment plans drew opposition and prompted a neighbor to create a change.org petition to save the 1901-built homes. The petition after two weeks had collected 2,315 signatures of its 2,500 goal. In a lot of our opinions, these are three historic (homes), said Lisa Sorenson, the neighbor behind the petition. They should actually be landmarked buildings. In responding to the opposition, Ald. Bennett Lawson, who is a vice chair on the committee and the alderman for the 44th Ward that includes Wrigley Field, called the community involvement robust. He said the development project since it was announced earlier this year has gone through a number of revisions to get a building that fit with the neighborhood. We understand we didnt want a glass and steel building here. We wanted it to look like Wrigley. We want it to have brick, he said. Lawson added that commercial activity on the privately-owned buildings is no longer viable since rooftop seating was largely obscured by a massive video scoreboard that went up in 2015. The plans still need the support of the full City Council. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Jessica Alonge, right, auditor for Stutsman County, speaks to members of the county canvasing board at the county courthouse on June 24, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) JAMESTOWN, N.D. An election judge in Stutsman County is under investigation for failing to initial multiple ballots given to voters during North Dakotas primary election on June 11. Secretary of State Michael Howe said a complaint thats under review also involves other potential violations of the poll workers oath of office and the election worker code of conduct. The reports that we have received are concerning, Howe said. It doesnt necessarily influence the integrity of the election or any results in Stutsman County. Stutsman County Auditor Jessica Alonge said she received three reported instances of an election judge failing to put her initials on ballots as required by law. Alonge said she also observed one instance herself and warned the election judge that she would be relieved of her duties if she forgot to initial a ballot a fifth time. Howe said every ballot needs to be initialed by an election judge. But if a ballot is inserted into a vote tabulator without initials, the vote would still count, except in the case of a recount. In some cases, the election judge approached voters and handled the ballots after theyd been marked by voters, according to a complaint written by Alonge. In addition, an election observer reported that the same election judge talked at the Stutsman County Vote Center about election machines being rigged, alleging they could be hacked because they are connected to the internet. The vote tabulator machines are not connected to the internet. The election judge also opened up her cellphone to text messages that falsely claimed that U.S. House candidate Julie Fedorchak had withdrawn from the race, according to the election observer. The Fedorchak campaign has filed complaints about the text messages with the Federal Election Commission and other agencies. Alonge also received a report that the same election judge wore a pin for U.S. House candidate Rick Becker on her purse at the polling place, an apparent violation of displaying candidate signage at a polling location. In addition, another election worker reported that the election judge had asked him about his religious and political views while they were working the election. Alonge reported the information to the Stutsman County sheriff, who forwarded it to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. According to the complaint, the election judge attended poll worker training for the primary on June 6 and signed the countys code of conduct for being a poll worker. She also signed an oath of office with the county on June 11. The code of conduct prohibits expressing personal political opinions to other election workers or voters and says election workers should help stop the spread of misinformation. The oath of office says election judges will endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit and abuse. In a letter, Howe directs Alonge to work with the BCI and the Stutsman County states attorney to investigate. The North Dakota Monitor is not naming the election judge at this time because no charges have been filed. When contacted for comment on Monday, the election judge said, Wow, and hung up. Alonge said the situation is frustrating, especially at a time when its difficult to find poll workers for each precinct. The county had a similar issue with the same election worker during the 2022 election where ballots were discovered to not have the required initials when the ballots were handed to voters, Alonge said. Same thing, same poll worker, she said. That year, the election judge demanded that the vote-counting machine be opened because of the forgotten initials. Alonge said the machine was not opened because that would have violated state law. Howe said his office was not aware of a complaint about the same worker from 2022. The election judges behavior was not discussed Monday as the Stutsman County Canvassing Board met to review absentee ballots. The State Canvassing Board meets on Wednesday to certify the results of the election. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Complaint alleges Stutsman County election worker failed to initial ballots appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. An investigation is underway after a 42-year-old inmate in Southern California sentenced to life with the possibility of parole was fatally stabbed over the weekend, prison officials announced. Investigators at the California Department of Corrections Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, eastern Riverside County, said that on June 22 around 7 p.m., three inmates attacked Luis Padilla, leaving him with multiple stab wounds. Staff immediately sounded the alarm, a CDCR news release states. The three assailants fled the area but were quickly located and detained without incident. Life-saving measures were performed on the 42-year-old, and he was transferred by medical staff to Ironwood State Prisons triage and treatment area. Padilla, who was transferred to the facility from Los Angeles County in 2001, was pronounced dead at 7:38 p.m., prison officials said. Juan Madrigal, 26. (CDCR) Jonathan Orduno, 23. (CDCR) Samuel Ricardez, 28. (CDCR) Luis Padilla, 42. (CDCR) At the scene of the attack, investigators found two inmate-manufactured weapons. Family-run retail theft crew in Southern California taken down by L.A. police The three suspects in the fatal attack, 28-year-old Samual Ricardez, 23-year-old Jonathan Orduno and 26-year-old Juan Madrigal, all transfers from San Diego County serving life with the possibility of parole, were moved to restrictive housing while Investigative Services Unit and the Riverside County District Attorneys Office investigate. Ironwood State Prison, which opened in 1994, houses more than 3,100 minimum, medium and maximum-security inmates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Condo safety: Tampa urging associations to comply with law created after Surfside collapse TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Monday marks three years since a deadly condo collapse in South Florida. Families and city leaders remembered the 98 lives lost in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South high-rise in Surfside. Its hard to believe that three years ago was the last opportunity to hug our loved ones and tell them how much we love them, said Martin Langesfeld, the brother of a Surfside victim. It was the last time I was able to see my beautiful 26-year-old sister Nicky and her 28-year-old husband Luis. After the collapse, Florida legislators passed a law requiring inspections on buildings more than 30 years old and three stories high. The City of Tampa is working to ensure condo associations follow regulations. Now, it is statewide. There are structural requirements that every jurisdiction must receive to review to make sure that these properties stay in compliance and are structurally sound, said JC Hudgison, the City of Tampas chief building official. Condos that are three stories or taller and 30 years and older qualify for the recertification process. Hudgison said there are 40 condos that fall under this requirement. The city has sent two notices in the mail hoping the other 23 buildings comply by the Dec. 31 deadline. Right now, we have about 17 that Ive submitted, so were about 50%, said Hudgison. Mostly what weve seen is that theyve been in compliance. Most of them say Phase 1 is complete. No further inspections are required. For those not in compliance, an architect or engineer completing the inspection will flag the building and notify the city about it needing repairs. A more detailed Phase 2 milestone inspection will be required. We understand the gravity of the situation our job every day is building and life safety, so this is just another phase of that to make sure these buildings that have been existing for 30+ years are safe and sound, said Hudgison. While Langsfeld is thankful for this law to improve safety, he still has questions about how the Surfside tragedy happened and oversight for condo boards that would make sure something like that never happens again. Three years have passed without answers as to why a 136-unit building collapsed in 12 seconds, killing 98 beautiful souls, said Langesfeld. Who will be held accountable for this negligence? If the milestone inspection is not completed by the end of the year, condo associations will face citations. For more information, you can contact the citys Construction Services at CSDLSP@tampagov.net or call (813) 274-3100. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators are advocating for ending no-fault divorce, laws that exist in all 50 US states and allow a person to end a marriage without having to prove a spouse did something wrong, like commit adultery or domestic violence. The socially conservative, and often religious, rightwing opponents of such divorce laws are arguing that the practice deprives people mostly men of due process and hurt families, and by extension, society. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas have discussed eliminating or increasing restrictions on no-fault marriage laws. Defenders of the laws, which states started passing a half-century ago, see legislation and arguments to repeal them as the latest effort to restrict womens rights following the overturning of Roe v Wade and passage of abortion bans around the country and say that without such protections, the country would return to an earlier era when women were often trapped in abusive marriages. Related: They have no options: Texas court dims hope of timely abortion care for high-risk patients No-fault divorce is critical to the ability, particularly the ability of women, to be able to exercise autonomy in their own relationships, in their own lives, said Denise Lieberman, an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law in St Louis, who has a specialty in policies concerning gender, sexuality and sexual violence. Before 1969, when then California Republican governor Ronald Reagan, who had been divorced, approved the countrys first no-fault divorce law, women, who are more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, were often forced to stay in marriages. If they could not prove that their husband had been abusive or persuade him to grant a divorce, they would not be able to take any assets from the marriage or remarry, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. States around America gradually followed suit and passed similar laws allowing unilateral divorce until 2010, when New York became the last state to approve the practice. Between 1976 and 1985, states that passed the laws saw their domestic violence rates against men and women fall by about 30%; the number of women murdered by an intimate partner declined by 10%; and female suicide rates declined by 8 to 16%. Without such laws, its hard to prove anything in court relating to a family because you dont have any witnesses, said Kimberly Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Its very difficult to get evidence to show abuse of children. How do you do it? Do you put your kids on the stand? Conservative commentators such as Matt Walsh, Steven Crowder and lawmakers such as the Republican senator JD Vance of Ohio have argued that the laws are unfair to men and hurt society because they lead to more divorces. The divorce rate in the United States increased significantly from 1960, when it was 9.2 per 1,000 married women, to 22.6 in 1980. But by 2022, the rate had fallen to 14.5. On the increase in divorces, Vance said in 2021: One of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace is the idea that these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy, and so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, thats going to make people happier in the long term. Beverly Willett, a writer and attorney, argues that unilateral no-fault divorce is also unconstitutional because it violates a persons 14th amendment right to due process. The defendant has absolutely no recourse to say, Wait a minute. I dont want to be divorced, and I dont think that there are grounds for divorce. I would like to be heard. I would like to call witnesses, said Willett, who experienced a divorce she didnt want because she thought her marriage could be saved. I believed in my vows and didnt want to give up. But Willetts argument relies on the idea that women are either property or that somehow mens liberty is restrained by not allowing them to stay in a marriage with someone who does not want to be married, said Wehle, who also wrote about it in the Atlantic. I disagree with the idea that women are somehow property interests of their husbands. That is an arcane relic of law that has no place in modern society. Willett responded to Wehles critique by writing that nobody has suggested a return to antiquated laws of the 18th and 19th century. Considerable reform that protects women and ensures their equality in family court has been enacted since then. On the argument that no-fault divorce reduces domestic violence, Willett points to data that most domestic violence occurs between unmarried couples and says regardless, with any contract, any lawsuit, you still have to follow the constitution. But without such laws, victims of domestic violence would then have to navigate a court system that can be time-consuming, very adversarial and very costly because the plaintiff often must then pay for child care and transportation, said Marium Durrani, vice-president of policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Any sort of additional barrier that we add to the ease of legal proceeding is, frankly, a nightmare and an enormous burden for survivors, said Durrani. Im not trying to be an alarmist, but it can increase death [if] a survivor of domestic violence has to prove that they are being abused in a divorce proceeding. Still, Lieberman does not think Republicans will succeed in their efforts to make it more difficult for people to get divorced. I do believe that that train has left the station. I mean, we have had no-fault divorce now for 50 years, Lieberman said. But I didnt think the supreme court would overturn Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, so I suppose we will see. Presidents have no sway over the tax code. kittimages / Getty Images Restaurant checks have long been a way to transfer information to front-of-house workers generous gratuities on the tip line, a number for a cute server, doodles because you just had a great meal and were given a blank canvas and a pen. But a new trend of leaving messages on checks has restaurant staff and Internet users baffled. Some diners are sharing their input on the upcoming election on their credit card receipts, adding the message Vote for Trump and tips wont be taxed in the space for the signature. The idea for the guerilla-style messaging comes from the former president and current candidate himself, who encouraged supporters to write no tax on tips on their restaurant receipts this summer. During an event on Friday, June 14 at Club 47 in West Palm Beach, Trumps remarks on the celebration of his 78th Birthday included boasting about a new tax plan part of his 2024 campaign for re-election. Initially introduced at a rally in Las Vegas on June 9, the plan suggests not taxing tips for restaurant workers, hospitality workers, and anyone else that gets tips. And Republican Senators just passed the No Tax on Tips Act a bill that excludes tips from income tax. However, not taxing tips could lead to a federal revenue deficit of up to $250 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). But is this a strategy straight out of the billionaire playbook for tax evasion or a real suggestion to try and help hard-working people in the increasingly tough service industry? To start, the President of the United States is not in charge of the tax code. Congress works on taxation policy, but Trumps allies could potentially help create legislation to further his idea. Various Republican representatives have shared support of the idea this week, while others have voiced concerns about the practicality of the decision and its impact on the federal deficit. Congress would also have to fight to change the federal tax code to exclude tips from income, particularly since tips are a significant part of income for restaurant workers who make less than minimum wage. The restaurant industry is also not convinced that this plan, if it even became tax law, is good for workers. Relief is definitely needed for tip earners, but Nevada workers are smart enough to know the difference between real solutions and wild campaign promises from a convicted felon, said culinary union secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge said in a statement following the Vegas Trump Rally. Further, the plan is not equitable for workers earning minimum wage who arent in tipped jobs, say, working the deep fryer at McDonalds or preparing frozen burger patties in a warehouse. The Federal Minimum Wage hasnt increased since President Obama was in office, growing from $6.55 per hour in 2008 to $7.25 per hour in July 2009, 14 years ago. $7.25 per hour equates to a salary of $15,080, which puts individuals earning minimum wage at the poverty line. Its pandering to workers, Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, told the Wall Street Journal about Trumps proposal. It doesnt actually solve the problem of economic instability and poverty and struggles that most of these workers are facing right now. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Controversial lawmaker Mykola Tyshchenko has been charged with illegally detaining a former soldier, the State Bureau of Investigation announced on June 25. The charges followed videos widely circulated earlier in June that showed Tyshchenko and his bodyguards arguing and then fighting with a former soldier, later identified as Dmytro Pavlov, who was walking in the city center of Dnipro with his child. Videos showed Tyshchenko and his bodyguards approaching Pavlov and asking him for documents, which reportedly instigated the argument and ensuing fight with Pavlov. According to the bureau, Pavlov was detained for an unspecified period of time and received physical injuries in the process. Tyshchenko confirmed later that he had been in Dnipro at the time of the attack and claimed that he was there to investigate a purported network of bot farms. The Prosecutor General's Office remanded Tyshchenko to house arrest. After the videos circulated, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said that Tyshchenko's behavior was "absolutely disgraceful." Yermak added that he has known Tyshchenko for a long time and previously christened his son. The story caused a widespread backlash from activists and soldiers, with many calling for Tyshchenko's arrest. The video was then spread on social media by various accounts critical of Ukraine, who falsely characterized it as depicting enlistment officers forcing a young father into the army. Tyshchenko is no stranger to controversy and was expelled from the parliamentary faction of Zelensky's Servant of the People party in January 2023 following a reportedly unsanctioned trip to Thailand during wartime. Previously, Tyshchenko was fired from the position as party chief in Zakarpattia Oblast in July 2022, which the party attributed to his bad reputation. Read also: Zelensky dismisses Lieutenant General accused by soldiers of heavy losses Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Conviction upheld for New Mexico man who raped and killed 6-year-old girl NEW MEXICO (KRQE) The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld the conviction for the man who raped and killed a six-year-old girl. Leland Hust is serving a life sentence for the August 2018 murder of Ariana Jade Romero. Federal trial pushed back for man accused in Clovis double murder Hust appealed the conviction on several grounds including issues during closing arguments. In particular, Hust took issue with the prosecutor telling jurors to do the thing and the defense being unable to bring up other molestation claims against another family member. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. High-profile anti-LGBTQ+ consumer boycotts last spring left corporations little time to reconsider long-planned marketing campaigns for Pride Month, experts previously told ABC News. Over the past year, major companies have had ample opportunity to prepare their advertising for the time of year when public attention centers on the LGBTQ+ community. In this case, however, Pride Month coincides with a growing conservative backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI) in the private sector. Experts who spoke with ABC News differed about the scale of LGBTQ+-themed advertising so far during Pride Month, but they agreed the anti-DEI movement has made it more difficult for companies to align their policies with the support for LGBTQ+ employees voiced in such marketing. "When you have this level of political animosity as part of our public discussion, it will show itself in the market," Joanna Schwartz, a professor of marketing at Georgia College & State University who focuses on LGBTQ+ advertising, told ABC News. MORE: Map: The impact of anti-DEI legislation In recent months, some business leaders have sharply criticized corporate DEI programs, including prominent figures such as billionaire investor Bill Ackman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. At least 10 states have implemented restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Some of these policies ban state funds for diversity-based programs, activities, and offices on college campuses, as seen in Alabama. Some states, like Texas, ban diversity offices at universities altogether. Florida's law also targets diversity training or programs in private workplaces. The political push accelerated after a Supreme Court decision last year disallowing affirmative action programs at undergraduate colleges that previously considered a candidate's race as part of their admissions process. PHOTO: Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, speaks during the Leadership Forum at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Dallas, Texas, May 18, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images) "We know that politics are elevated in the current climate and we know companies are facing that," Tammi Wallace, president of the Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, an advocacy group that works with corporations headquartered in the area, told ABC News. "I have heard of some companies that have pulled back DEI budgets," Wallace added. "That's probably the biggest impact that we've seen." Christie Lindor, a diversity strategist and CEO of Tessi Consulting, said she has heard from LGBTQ+ employees frustrated with what they perceive as risk aversion in company programming around issues of gender and sexuality. "I've seen a lot of companies dilute organizational programming," Lindor told ABC News. "LGBTQ programming is part of that." "It definitely has created opportunities where people, especially those in the LGBTQ community, are questioning the authenticity of their organizations," Lindor added. Still, executives at large corporations overwhelmingly support DEI initiatives, according to a Morning Consult poll in December. Diversity programs are considered important for business by 82% of executives at companies with 1,000 or more employees, the survey found. More than two-thirds of executives said they expect such programs to become more important in the coming years. In response to the public scrutiny, some corporations are preserving DEI programs but doing so quietly, Frank Dobbin, a professor of sociology at Harvard University who studies corporate diversity, told ABC News. "Some companies are changing the names of their DEI activities, so moving them from a focus on equity or diversity to a focus on talent," Dobbin added. The political push against DEI places even greater importance on the outward posture of corporations toward the LGBTQ+ community, Dobbin said. "It's a mistake for companies not to continue to express their support, especially in the face of all these people who are leading the charge against any kind of DEI programming." Experts who study LGBTQ+ advertising differed about the relative volume of corporate marketing during Pride compared to previous years. Schwartz described a "pull back" in advertising during Pride as a result of consumer boycotts and a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ political sentiment among some conservatives. Instead of mass-market advertising and LGBTQ-themed merchandise displays, companies have prioritized targeted ads that are more likely to reach LGBTQ+ customers and less likely to stoke criticism, Schwartz said. MORE: Bud Light boycott still hammers local distributors 1 year later: 'Very upsetting' "Companies are finding other ways to connect with this community," Schwartz said. "They are having to be more careful this year, and will probably have to be more careful for several years." Michael Wilke, founder of AdRespect, an archive of LGBTQ+ representation in marketing, disagreed with the assessment of a dropoff in themed advertising. Rather, he added, corporations have largely maintained their advertising, albeit in a quieter fashion. "We're in a golden era of inclusion of LGBTQ -- and that extends to advertising," Wilke said. "In the past year, companies that are staying the course may not be touting that they're doing so," he added. "They're not promoting it to avoid attracting a pile on." ABC News' Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report. Corporations face challenge aligning policies with Pride marketing, some experts say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A corrupted, partisan United States Supreme Court is how we will lose our democracy. Right now, two Supreme Court justices have a demonstrable inability to be impartial on partisan matters, including those related to former President Donald Trump. Furthermore, they have received financial benefits from parties they have ruled in favor of. The justices have also failed to live up to the requirements that members of our judiciary conduct themselves with good behavior, as stipulated in Article III, Section 1 of the United States Constitution. That is why, upon election and being sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, I will introduce a resolution to begin an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Mike Davey As a check and balance on the judiciary, Congress holds the power to impeach federal judges, including Supreme Court justices. Though Congress has not often used this power, there have been instances in which members of the judiciary were impeached dating as far back as the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. In order to overturn the will of the people, 2020 election deniers attempted to subvert democracy by pursuing a legal challenge with the expectation that the deniers would have allies on the court in Alito and Thomas. In fact, in September 2021 Trump attorney Sydney Powell admitted that Alito was who they were counting on to back their plot to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. In addition, Thomas wife, Virginia Thomas, actively worked on Trumps attempt to overthrow the legitimate results of the 2020 election. Alito and Thomas have damaged the integrity and credibility of the Supreme Court through their unethical behavior, including: Their failure to recuse themselves from cases involving Donald Trump and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was a clear violation of their ethical duty given the involvement and activism of their partners; Their recurring refusal to recuse themselves from cases in which parties provided them with gifts and other material benefits; Alitos acceptance of a luxury trip to Alaska he failed to disclose until it was going to be disclosed by journalists, then not only refusing to recuse himself on matters involving his benefactor but voting to rule in his favor; and, Thomas acceptance of several gifts from a party who had a matter come before the court, including the payment of school costs for his godson, the purchase of his mothers home (in which Justice Thomas continued to live rent-free), a luxury recreational vehicle, and refusing to recuse himself from matters involving this benefactor and voting to rule in their favor. The fact that the justices participated in those matters was unethical and Congress must determine whether their actions rise to a level sufficient to be deserving of consequences, including impeachment and removal from office, as it has with other federal judges. As a long-serving elected official and with extensive experience with judges through my private practice as an attorney, I understand that the appearance of impropriety should be avoided whenever possible. The American people must have confidence in the integrity of our government, its courts and legal institutions, and all officials who swear an oath to protect and defend our constitution. It is clear that Alito and Thomas had personal connections and received personal benefits from parties who appeared before the Supreme Court. What is also clear is that neither justice reported the benefits until they were discovered by journalists, nor did either recuse himself from the relevant matter that came before the court. Such behavior is not ethical, must be challenged and should not be allowed to continue in any court across America. Upon my election to Congress, I intend to defend the integrity of our courts and the foundation of our democracy. Mike Davey is a workers rights attorney and former mayor of Key Biscayne. Hes currently a Democratic candidate for Floridas 27th Congressional District. Earthsights Fashion Crimes report sounded the alarm bells: European retail giants were accused of using cotton linked to illegal deforestation, land grabbing, human rights violations and corruption in the Brazilian cotton sector. Specifically, H&M and Zara were called out for relying on Better Cottons certification process instead of carrying out their own due diligence in the ecologically sensitive Cerrado region. Less than two weeks after this report was published, Better Cotton clapped back. More from Sourcing Journal The worlds largest sustainable cotton initiative said that a third-party audit found no breaches of its standards at the certified farmsexcluding the questionable agricultural businesses Grupo Horita and SLC Agricolatied to Earthsights allegations. But the London-based nonprofit wasnt satisfied by the scope of Better Cottons independent audit, calling the so-called investigation so flawed that its almost worthless. And Earthsight had more digging to do. Better Cotton was notified two months later that Earthsight intended to release a second output. While the specific content of that output wasnt shared with Better Cotton, Earthsight reached out on June 6 to allow the organization to comment on and clarify its missteps. In the spirit of full transparency, Better Cotton took the opportunity. Better Cottons action update addresses the sustainability schemes plans to expand its due diligence process and breaks down the companys mass balance chain of custody system, among other details. Regarding the Better Cotton Platform (BCP), the group made clear that members of [its] staff can, at no time, change or manipulate any of the data entered into the system and, instead, Better Cotton constantly monitors the transactions entered, and in case of inconsistencies, we can proactively reach out to the respective actor to correct possible errors. That is the exact opposite of what Earthsights second output claimed. In the wake of our expose of Better Cottons abject failure to detect illegal activities and conflicts of interest in cotton supply chains, the nonprofit said, Earthsight has now been privy to startling new revelations from one of the schemes former employees. The whistleblower told Earthsight that some Better Cotton staff in its Swiss and UK-based offices have manipulated the schemes data on its online platform. Meaning that brands using Better Cottonincluding H&M and Zaramay be making sustainability claims based on defective data. Its important to know how the BCP works to understand what manipulation has allegedly occurred. For registered companiesincluding cotton ginners, yarn producers, garment manufacturers and retailersthe BCP is how 13,000 users document volumes of cotton sourced as mass balance or physical (or traceable) Better Cotton as they pass through the supply chain. Better Cotton uses annual authorized volume (AAV) codes which are unique numbers generated by Better Cotton for licensed producers that allow gins buying from licensed farmers to enter purchases of seed Better Cotton into the BCP system. Access to the BCP allows organizations to participate electronically in the Better Cotton Chain of Custody by recording information about cotton-containing orders sourced as Better Cotton, managing the required documentation and recording information about cotton-containing sales to customers, the multistakeholder governance group wrote on its website. However, smaller farmers are organized into groups, Earthsight said, with up to 4,000 sharing a single code. Considering that a groups AAV informs the amount of physical Better Cotton these farmers are expected to sell during a growing season, its unclear how errors can be traced back to specific farms when so many farmers are sharing a single code. The problem lies with how those volumes are entered into the platform. Earthsights source has revealed that the volumes of physical Better Cotton purchased by thousands of companies each season are not verified, leaving the platform unreliable and potentially full of inaccuracies, Earthsight said in a statement. According to our whistleblower, this lack of data verification creates a system vulnerable to data manipulation. It allows ginners to enter greater volumes of physical Better Cotton than they purchase. This leads to discrepancies between the amount projected to be produced and the amount subsequently declared on the platform. When this happens, per the source, Better Cottons European offices allegedly manipulate those numbers to match, meaning that conventional cotton (grown without any sustainability assurances) is potentially traded as physical Better Cotton. Furthermore, the former employee alleged that Better Cotton rarely checks supply chain companies for compliance with its chain of custody standard, illustrating how Better Cotton should move through the supply chain. Per the ex-employee, many new BCP users only need to complete online training before they begin trading. At the same time, companies using BCP arent required to provide invoices or any supporting documents, as the platform cannot hold large volumes of data, according to the ex-employee. Not to mention, Better Cotton allegedly doesnt have the resources to analyze that data. As such, compliance checks only happen when companies appear to be involved in suspicious transactions, the source said. As for the source, the issue at hand is that Better Cotton is seemingly more concerned with growth than with ensuring compliance with its own standard. Considering that the initiatives brand and retail members are charged membership fees as well as volume-based fees linked to how much Better Cotton they purchase, Earthsight argues that theres a financial incentive for Better Cotton to recruit new members and then have those members purchase tons of cotton. In a clear conflict of interest, the same members of staff who recruit and onboard new companies are then tasked with assessing their compliance, Earthsight said. The former employee is blunt in affirming that the schemes chief operating officer and chief executive officer have been in their roles too long and have become complacent. Better Cotton did not immediately respond to Sourcing Journals request for comment. The LED strip lights Karla Brown set up in her room remain on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rotating through her favorite colors. They shine as brightly as they did in November, when the 19-year-old woman was shot at the Independence Center mall, the victim of a dispute between two groups that escalated to gunfire. At the time she was shot, Karla was four months pregnant. She had been at the mall to shop for baby clothes. Her parents, Christopher and Jennifer Brown, have kept her room in their Kansas City home largely the same as it was before her death. They feel she still visits them. They let the lights shine. We cant change them, her mother said, a tremble in her voice as she scrolled through photos on her phone, reminiscing about her late daughters life. We havent touched it for a while, Christopher Brown said of the room. In the months since their daughters death, the Browns have turned their attention toward seeking accountability through a lawsuit against both the mall and its hired security company, alleging both were negligent in providing adequate security. The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court in April, points to a series of incidents at the mall in the years leading up to the shooting, saying they were sufficient to have put the companies on notice that other similar incidents could endanger patrons. To the Browns, its about making change, even if its a small change. Were not looking to change the world, as much as wed like to, Christopher Brown said. We just need to change what we can change. I think thats a reasonable goal, is to make change in a mall like that. Matt Johnston, a Kansas City attorney representing the Browns, said theres no question the incident was preventable, and said the facility should have more armed security guards to serve as a deterrent to criminal activity. Theyre looking for answers, and were going to get them, Johnston said. Their primary concern from the moment they contacted us: We dont want this to happen at Independence Center or anywhere else. Change is needed, he said. Jennifer Brown pages through a photo album containing memories of her daughter, Karla, who was killed in a shooting in November. The lawsuit identifies 13 prior incidents at the mall recorded in police reports since December 2020. Those noted in the familys complaint include one in December 2020 involving multiple disturbances and brawls involving a large fight at the mall and another that month in which a juvenile was shot and approximately 15-20 gunshots were fired at the Foot Locker store in the mall. There was an armed robbery in the parking lot of Dicks Sporting Goods in August 2021; a September 2022 shooting inside the mall after which investigators found shell casings in a common area; and a September 2023 armed robbery in the parking lot. With all those prior incidents there, it was never a matter of if something would happen, it was when, Johnston said. We cannot take pepper spray to a gun fight In an email to The Star, Holly Solomon, a spokesperson for the mall, said the shooting was not a security issue, but rather an unfortunate incident. The individuals involved were all acquainted with one another, Solomon wrote. All events and leading up to, have been thoroughly documented and captured on camera, she said. Police responded within 46 seconds; we employ officers as well as other stores located inside the center do. The Independence Center prioritizes the safety of the community through ongoing assessments and enhancements to ensure the well-being of both our tenants and customers. In a filing earlier this month, attorneys representing the mall asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, describing the shooting as a spur of the moment dispute between two groups who appeared to have a personal grudge against each other, as they were passing each other, such that there was insufficient time to prevent the incident. Attorneys said the familys damages, if any, were caused by other parties. The Independence Center mall on June 4, 2024. According to the lawsuit, at the time of the shooting, the security group Patrol KC LLC was contracted to provide security at the mall. Patrol KC Chief of Security Ryan Borgstadt told The Star in an email that as a subcontractor, the company doesnt make calls on the amount of security present and is not actually in charge of the security. He also said the company had only been assigned to the mall for three days before the shooting. Staff are not armed, a suggestion he said the group had made, and so the company does not engage if theres any gun violence. The groups primary job at the mall is to report things like petty shoplifting and falls, he said. In the event of a shooting in the mall, he said, securitys primary job is to get patrons inside stores and to make sure stores close their security gates, as they did on the day of the shooting. We have made several suggestions to mall ownership but have not gotten anywhere with it, he wrote. We cannot just add staff without the approval of mall ownership as they ultimately make those decisions. Even if we were to add several other unarmed officers, if someone wants to bring a weapon into the mall, they are going to. We cannot take pepper spray to a gun fight, Borgstadt said. The mall was purchased by IGP Business Group, based in California, for $57 million in 2019, according to reporting at the time of the purchase. Earlier this year, the mall was listed for sale by the real estate firm Matthews Real Estate investment Services. The shooting Surveillance footage of the Nov. 10 shooting showed a confrontation between two groups at the mall, according to court documents. Karla Brown had been with one of the groups, but didnt accompany them as they followed the other group into the breezeway where the shooting occurred. Karla was sitting on a mall chair about 30 feet away when she was shot in the head, according to Independence police. According to court documents, an argument started after someone in the group with Karla said hello to the girlfriend of one of the alleged shooters. Two members of the group she was with said that man then opened fire on them and shot back into the mall before they fled for cover, according to court documents. Those two members said they were also armed, but said they did not fire. The shooting sent afternoon shoppers scrambling for exits and drew a major police response. MarkAnthony Greer, of Independence, was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon following the shooting. Another man, Leandre Peterson Jr., of Independence, faces a tampering with physical evidence charge connected with the incident. Speaking with investigators, Greer allegedly recalled being involved in an incident at the mall but said he was not armed. Both cases are still pending in Jackson County Circuit Court. Jennifer Brown holds out a locket that contains the ashes of her daughter Karla, who was killing in a fatal shooting in November. We keep her with us In Karlas room, tiny booties hang on a wall, a reminder of Max, Karlas unborn son. Jennifer Brown pulled up a photo of a baby onesie that Karla had put up on a wall, the first outfit she bought for Max. She was happy about becoming a mom but knew she was young, her mom said. She had a vision of one day becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist herself, of delivering babies. After the shooting, Maxs heartbeat was lost, and Karla was kept on life support so her organs could be donated. Jennifer Brown ticked down a list of beneficiaries: there were heart valve, skin, liver, lung and bone donations. A cornea went to a recipient overseas. Shes still seeing the world, Jennifer Brown said. As Jennifer and Christopher Brown recall their daughters life, one thing they remember most was her compassion. Jennifer Brown lays out photos of her daughter, Karla Brown, who was killed in a fatal shooting at the Independence Center mall in November. As a child, shed play with a classmate who had cerebral palsy, who they said others would ignore. She loved animals. She was independent, hard-headed even. Sassy with a big heart, her mother said. Karla Brown had been diagnosed with diabetes, and insisted on managing it herself. She hadnt graduated from high school, but worked to amass hours at IHOP and had set a goal of getting her GED. She bought cars with her own money. She did it all on her own, Jennifer Brown said. A display at the familys home reminds the couple of their daughter every day. They see her when they head out to work in the morning, and again before they go to bed at night. They both wear lockets that contain her ashes. We keep her with us, Jennifer Brown said, every day. Now, theyre hoping her death, and their lawsuit, can bring some small change. The Stars Bill Lukitsch and Robert Cronkleton contributed to this story. Could this retail cannabis lawsuit in Rhode Island end up in the U.S. Supreme Court? Rhode Island will ask a federal judge next month to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a California woman challenging the requirement of residency to hold certain retail cannabis licenses in the state. Lawyers for the state declared their intentions in court papers filed in U.S District Court as they argued for more time to answer an injunction request by Justyna Jensen, of Beverly Hills, to stop the state's Cannabis Control Commission from taking any further steps toward issuing new retail licenses. Destined for the U.S. Supreme Court? The court papers also shed light on the larger intentions of Jensen and her lawyer and husband, Jeffrey, who are challenging other states' cannabis programs with similar license set-aside provisions: Similar appeals are pending in other circuits brought by plaintiffs counsel on behalf of plaintiff or other applicants, which are fully or partially briefed, and plaintiff wants them resolved around the same time for the petition for certiorari. A petition for certiorari is a formal request to an appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case for error or violation made by a lower court. What's driving this lawsuit? In 2022 Rhode Island lawmakers legalized the sale of recreational cannabis. The new law mandated the creation of a Cannabis Control Commission that would, among other duties, write regulations for future issuance of at least 24 more retail licenses. Half of those new licenses are to be reserved for so-called social equity applicants and store cooperative owners who are members of Rhode Islands minority communities disproportionally hurt by the war on drugs. Jensens Rhode Island lawsuit argues the state's criteria are illegal exclusions that violate the so-called dormant commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution, which restricts states from enacting laws or policies that impede interstate trade. In filing her Rhode Island lawsuit in May, Jensen said she planned to be a majority owner of a social equity marijuana business, but because she lives out of state the law deprived her of equal protection by preventing her from qualifying. A photo of Justyna Jensen included in a 2019 application for a license to sell retail cannabis in Pasadena, Calif. Jensen's lawsuits in other states In Maryland, where Jensen asked for a ban on issuing social-equity licenses, U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson noted in February that this case comes before the court amidst a backdrop of opposing case law from districts all over the country regarding the dormant commerce clause's application to the cannabis industry. Hurson denied Jensens preliminary injunction there, saying he was strongly persuaded by the District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma's reasoning that it is not the place of a federal court to facilitate federally prohibited activity. Cannabis remains illegal on the federal level. In Maine; however, as Jensen notes in her injunction request, officials voluntarily abandoned the residency requirement in the states recreational cannabis licensing program after various courts had differing interpretations of the dormant commerce clause. How might this play out in Rhode Island? Jensen says, based on experiences in other states, if the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island denies her preliminary injunction, defendants will scramble to issue the disputed licenses while the case is on appeal. That tactic has been used in New York state, Los Angeles and Washington state. But lawyers for Attorney General Peter Neronha countered that the rules and regulations for issuing more retail licenses here not yet been finalized nor has any application period been set to apply for either a general retail license or a social-equity license. Therefore, they argue, there is no immediacy that would warrant a denial of an approximate four (4) week extension of time for state defendants to respond to plaintiffs preliminary injunction" request. Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: California couple want to take their cannabis lawsuits to the Supreme Court On Tuesday 25 June, the Council of the European Union extended temporary protection to more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression until 4 March 2026. Source: press service of the Council of the EU, as reported by European Pravda Details: The interim protection mechanism was implemented on 4 March 2022. The decision to extend today does not modify the March 2022 decision on the categories of people eligible for temporary protection. The Temporary Protection Directive grants Ukrainians the right to reside, access to the labour market, housing, social, medical, and other benefits. It also assists member states in managing the entry of migrants in a systematic and efficient manner. "Day after day, Russia terrorises the Ukrainian people with its bombing war. These are not safe circumstances. Those who fled from Russias aggression can continue to count on our solidarity," said Nicole de Moor, Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, who represents the country that holds the rotating presidency of the Council. Currently, over 4.2 million people displaced from Ukraine are receiving temporary protection in the EU, with children accounting for one-third of this total. Background: On 11 June, the European Commission proposed to prolong the temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine for another year, from 5 March 2025 to 4 March 2026. On 10 June, Polish President Andrzej Duda signed an amendment to the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the ongoing war in the country, which extended the period of legal stay of Ukrainian citizens in Poland. Support UP or become our patron! LANCASTER The Fairfield County commissioners have announced a new program to give veterans and seniors a 10% discount on water and sewer rates. Called the Senior and Veteran Assistance (SAVA) program, participants must be 65 or older 65 years of age or older and be a part of Ohios Homestead Exemption or be a military veteran. Fairfield County commissioner Dave Levacy Homestead exemption is eligible to homeowners who meet one of the following requirements: homeowners who are permanently and totally disabled, military veterans who have received a 100% disability rating, those who already receive it, spouses of a first responder killed in the line of duty, and those over the age of 65 who meet certain income requirements. The total household income requirements for homeowners 65 and older and those who are permanently and totally disabled must not have exceeded $36,100 in 2023, or $38,600 in 2024. We are honored to offer this discount to our senior citizens and veterans, county commission president Dave Levacy said in a statement. This program reflects our gratitude and respect for their contributions and sacrifices. We hope this discount will help ease financial burdens and show our appreciation for their service and dedication. Utility account owners who meet the qualifications can apply by submitting a SAVA application to the county utilities office at 6670 Lockville Road in Carroll. Visit the utilities department website at https://www.co.fairfield.oh.us/util for more information and to print off an application. Paper applications are available at the utilities office, the county auditor's office at 210 E. Main St. and the county veterans service office at 3044 Columbus-Lancaster Rd NW. jbarron@gannett.com 740-681-4340 Twitter/X: @JeffDBarron This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: New county utility plan can help seniors and veterans pay the bills A couple was walking in a rainstorm across a square in front of a train station in Jinzhou, a city in Liaoning province, China, each carrying an umbrella, when a bright flash of lightning zipped through the air and struck them in an explosion of sparks. The pair were knocked off their feet and were lying in a heap on the ground. According to the Taihe District Emergency Management Bureau of Jinzhou, the 30-year-old man was there to meet a woman on June 13 when they were struck. Video of the aftermath shows the stunned man with a bloodied face and shirt being helped by bystanders, who immediately rushed to help and called emergency services, according to Newsflare. The man, who appeared to suffer the brunt of the strike, was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Incredibly, his companion walked away with minor abrasions. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness program, comes to a halt. The latest Biden student loan forgiveness scheme, is illegal, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said. Kobach led this multi-state effort. This is transferring $475 billion of debt from these students to the American taxpayer, and only Congress can do that. That was at the core of both of these decisions rendered in federal district court, Kobach said. The Presidents SAVE plan eliminated debt for some and lowered monthly payments and loan terms based on a borrowers income. The judges rulings prohibit the Biden administration from moving forward with the plan. Zack Smith with the Heritage Foundation says the program was unfair. To many of the workers who either did not take out student loans or repaid, their student loans in the process, Smith said. Democrats say this program is a fair standard helping millions of Americans. The Attorney General is wrong, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said. Gillibrand argues that since the program is based on a borrowers ability to pay, it is appropriate, especially for those who choose to do service jobs. Those are among the lowest paid careers there are. And so when our students choose to serve our nation as opposed to make the big bucks, we should reward them, Gillibrand said. In a statement, the White House said these rulings wont stop our Administration from using every tool available to give students and borrowers the relief they need. The White House also said the Department of Justice would work to defend the plan. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. In two court rulings Monday night, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri halted key aspects of President Joe Biden's hallmark student loan repayment program. The SAVE plan, a student loan repayment plan that ties how much someone pays each month to what their income is, has been in place for almost a year and is the jewel of Biden's surviving student loan efforts -- one that he has touted heavily in his reelection campaign. The rulings will stop the Biden administration from any further implementation of the program for now, including a plan to slash payments next month and to continue granting debt relief to certain enrollees. Aside from those aspects, though, the rulings will still allow people to keep using the program as is until the cases are fully litigated. The biggest impact will be a pause on phase two of SAVE, which would've kicked in on July 1 and reduced monthly payments from 10% of a borrower's discretionary income down to 5% for those with undergraduate loans, significantly lowering bills for many. Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group that represents the major loan servicers, said he expected the rulings would instead keep the status quo in place and borrowers would be charged the same amount come August, instead of seeing a decrease from their June bill. But the lawsuit has thrown the program into a state of confusion, leaving implementation of the rulings to be sorted out by the Department of Education. Officials from the Office of Federal Student Aid were in ongoing conversations with loan servicers on Tuesday, Buchanan said, and there were many details up in the air. Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, suggested that the Department of Education could take a different route completely and direct servicers to pause all payments for enrollees of the SAVE program while the litigation gets ironed out, potentially leading to a monthslong moratorium for millions. The rulings also call on the administration to halt any further cancellation of debt under SAVE, another major tenet of the program. Under SAVE, people who took out smaller initial loan payments had a shorter path to forgiveness compared to other income-driven repayment plans that are available to borrowers. With other plans, borrowers pay a portion of their income toward their loans for 20 to 25 years and then the Department of Education cancels their remaining debt. With SAVE, borrowers who took out $12,000 or less can have their debt canceled after just 10 years of payments. For every $1,000 more, borrowers pay for one more year -- so someone who took out $14,000 would have their debt canceled after 12 years of payments. The goal is to target debt relief to people who took out relatively small loans for community college or uncompleted degrees and have struggled to pay them back, Department of Education officials have said. So far, the Biden administration has used this component to cancel $5.5 billion in debt for almost 414,000 borrowers -- all people who enrolled in SAVE over the past year and had been paying down their small initial balances for over 10 years. The White House on Tuesday highlighted its larger debt relief efforts, including fixes to other income-driven repayment and public service loan forgiveness programs that have been marred by administrative failures, to emphasize that relief will be ongoing despite this legal setback, Debt relief through SAVE accounted for just 3% of the $167 billion in debt thats been canceled for 4.75 million Americans, the White House said. Still, just as unprecedented debt relief has been a tenet of President Joe Bidens first term, so too has borrower confusion caused by policies that are implemented but then halted by court decisions questioning legality. Were supposed to be telling borrowers what they are eligible for and what benefits they could get. When those benefits are legally questionable, it's very difficult to do the job to counsel borrowers about options, Buchanan said. The collection of research on financial aid also shows that programs are more effective when theyre able to be consistently offered to and accessed by borrowers, said Nicholas Hillman, a professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There's a degree of predictability, a degree of security that borrowers really need to be able to stay current on their payments, Hillman said. And so I feel like that's going to be something that we find out when we see how this plays out but it definitely would have a toll on borrowers to not have certainty right now, he said. SAVE is similar to other income-driven repayment plans which have been used for decades, but is more generous an aspect that made it a target of Republican critics who argued that the government was giving borrowers too much leeway on debts they knowingly took out. SAVE also allows people who make a minimum wage to pay as little as $0 a month and subsidizes interest so that if a borrower pays what they owe each month, remaining unpaid interest will be wiped out. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, April 8, 2024. (PHOTO: Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (Bloomberg via Getty Images) The lawsuits were brought by Republican states who argued that the Biden administration lacked authority from Congress to enact the SAVE plan. Many of the states were also part of the lawsuit that overturned Biden's initial debt relief plan to cancel between $10,000 and $20,000 in debt for over 40 million borrowers. The Biden administration said the Department of Justice would appeal the rulings. "We strongly disagree with the Kansas and Missouri District Court rulings, which block components of the SAVE Plan that help student loan borrowers have affordable monthly payments and stay out of default. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement late Monday night. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized Republicans for blocking access to a policy that could provide their constituents with lower student debt payments. "It's unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness -- and that courts are now rejecting authority that the Department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans," she said. To Pierce, whose group represents student debt borrowers and has advocated for widespread debt relief, the actions taken by the Biden administration over the next few days will be critical in retaining voter trust on this issue. "I think that the politics of this are better than the economics are for people. You know, nobody that cares about student loan borrowers would have chosen this. But it feels like a huge unforced error for Republicans to be the face of jacking up millions of people's monthly payments, taking more of their rights to debt relief," Pierce said. Courts block aspects of Bidens hallmark student loan repayment plan originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A pair of federal judges on Monday halted key parts of President Joe Bidens new student loan repayment program, imperiling the administrations plan to lower monthly payments and erase student debt for millions of Americans ahead of the November election. The two court rulings, in response to lawsuits filed by Republican-led states, prohibit the Education Department from moving ahead with major provisions of Bidens SAVE loan repayment program. The decisions prevent the Biden administration from further reducing the monthly payments of millions of borrowers as planned in July or canceling more debt under the program. More than 8 million loan borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE plan, which the Biden administration launched last year, touting it as the most affordable option ever for federal student loan borrowers. The Education Department already invoked the loan forgiveness provisions of the plan to cancel $5.5 billion of debt for 414,000 borrowers, with more scheduled. The SAVE program has been a cornerstone of the Biden administrations efforts to provide student debt relief to borrowers even as the Covid-era payment pause expired last year and Bidens bigger ambitions for mass loan forgiveness were blocked at the Supreme Court. But Republicans have argued that the program is the latest in a string of Biden executive actions to ease or erase student debt that far exceed the administrations legal authority. On Monday, a pair of Obama-appointed federal judges partially agreed with them, issuing separate preliminary injunctions against different parts of the SAVE program. District Judge John A. Ross of the Eastern District of Missouri blocked the Education Department from carrying out any further loan forgiveness for borrowers under the SAVE program until he decides the full case. Ross ruled that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and other GOP states who sued were likely to succeed on their claims that the Biden administration lacks the authority to forgive student debt under the SAVE program. He agreed that the programs loan forgiveness provisions would likely harm Missouri because it would reduce the fees that the Education Department pays to the Missouri Higher Education Assistance Agency. Thats the same state-created entity that was at the center of the Supreme Court case over Bidens first mass student debt relief program. Federal student loan borrowers typically must repay their debts for 20 or 25 years to have their remaining balances discharged under the Education Departments income-driven repayment plans. But the SAVE plan had offered a new, shorter timeline for forgiveness, canceling debt after just 10 years for borrowers who initially took out less than $12,000. Meanwhile in Kansas, District Judge Daniel Crabtree blocked the Education Department from implementing a part of the SAVE program that would further lower some borrowers monthly payments, in some cases cutting them in half. The SAVE plan has already lowered monthly payments or eliminated them entirely for low-income borrowers for millions of borrowers. But a second phase of the program, which was set to take effect July 1, was supposed to recalculate borrowers monthly payments and cap them at 5 percent of their discretionary income, down from the current 10 percent. Crabtree ruled that the Republican states were likely to succeed on their claims that the Education Department lacked clear authority from Congress to enact the SAVE plan. But he declined to block the entirety of the program, citing concerns about the feasibility of unwinding the parts of the program that had already been implemented. He also wrote that the Republican states delay in filing the lawsuit months after the plan was announced undercut their arguments that there was an immediate need to block the entire program. The Education Department did not immediately have a comment on the ruling. The order from the Missouri-based judge blocking the loan forgiveness provisions takes effect immediately. The Kansas-based judge deferred his injunction blocking the lower monthly payments until June 30 to give the administration time to appeal the order. Groups advocating for student debt relief slammed the ruling saying that borrowers are now in limbo. Mike Pierce, the executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, blasted the courts for creating chaos across the student loan system and said the Biden administration should consider shutting the student loan system down until borrowers have access to the rights they were promised under the law. Two federal judges in Missouri and Kansas halted sections of a Biden administration initiative intended to lower student loan payments, raising questions for the millions of Americans impacted by the program. In Kansas, Judge Michael Crabtree ruled that the Department of Education cant enact the full scope of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program. Program participants with undergraduate student loan debt were scheduled to see their payments half next month, from 10 percent to 5 percent of their income 225 percent above the poverty line. Crabtree, an Obama appointee, said the department did not get explicit authority for that portion of the program from Congress. That challenge was led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) and joined by 11 other Republican states. Crabtree ruled earlier this month that eight of the 12 states did not have standing in the case, leaving only Alaska, Texas and South Carolina. In Missouri, Judge John Rossalso an Obama appointeeruled that the Department of Education cannot forgive any loans under SAVE, finding that forgiving federal loans illegally deprives state loan operators of revenue. Five other states joined Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys (R) challenge. The argument is the same that the Supreme Court sided with in ruling against President Bidens initial attempt at mass student loan forgiveness. Congress never gave Biden the authority to saddle working Americans with half-a-trillion dollars in other peoples debt. A huge win for the Constitution, Bailey wrote in a social media post on X. Ross also remarked that SAVE may be too broad to fit under its Congressional mandate, leaving the door open to future challenges over the entire programs legality. SAVE has canceled over $5.5 billion in debt for over 400,000 borrowers since its inception, as Biden attempted to maneuver around the Supreme Court block of his more sizable forgiveness plan. More than 8 million people have enrolled. The program is Bidens marquis student loan forgiveness policy, though is separate from efforts to cancel debt of public sector workers and for those defrauded by for-profit schools. SAVE will continue to operate as the two lawsuits continue to be litigated, though Mondays ruling effectively freezes the programs extent and pauses all future loan forgiveness. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona denounced the rulings in a statement Tuesday. The Biden-Harris Administrations SAVE Plan is the most affordable repayment plan in history, Cardona said. But Republican elected officials and special interests sued to block their own constituents from being able to benefit from this plan even though the Department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. We will continue to provide this long-overdue relief, no matter how many times Republican elected officials and their allies try to stop us, he added. Updated at 10:11 a.m. June 25 Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A visitor takes in the "weird and scenic landscape" of Craters of the Moon. President Calvin Coolidge established Craters of the Moon by using that phrase and issuing a proclamation on May 2, 1924, for the purpose of protecting the unusual lava terrain in southern Idaho. (Courtesy of the National Park Service) Editors note: This is the third in a series of six guest opinions commemorating the Craters of the Moon National Monument Centennial. The first, about its weird and scenic landscape, can be found here, while the second, about the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Connection to Craters of the Moon, can be found at this link. On the northern edge of Idahos Snake River Plain, one of the most developed landscapes in the state, lies an area that in contrast remains as it has been for thousands of years, a wilderness area often overshadowed by better known, larger wildernesses like the Sawtooth and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. But its a mistake to overlook the Craters of the Moon Wilderness Area, because here visitors can explore one of the most incredibly diverse and ruggedly wild landscapes in Idaho. The Craters of the Moon Wilderness showcases a remarkable display of the geologic forces that shaped much of southern Idaho. Lava flows, tubes, fissures and craters stretch off into the horizon. Even in a state like Idaho, whose wilderness areas run the gamut of rugged alpine peaks to sheer walled desert river canyons, the Craters of the Moon Wilderness stands out as one of the most unique areas in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Initially, the idea of wilderness often didnt include many landscapes like Craters of the Moon. The initial nine million acres of wilderness designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act were managed by the U.S. Forest Service. But the Wilderness Act directed all federal lands 5,000 acres or more in size be studied for possible wilderness designation. That mandate was the genesis of the Craters of the Moon Wilderness. A wilderness study of the Craters of the Moon National Monument was undertaken and finished by the National Park Service in 1965, recommending a wilderness area of 41,000 acres. Craters of the Moon National Monument Superintendent Roger Contor recommended naming the wilderness the TuTimbaba, a Shoshoni term for Black Rock Overpass which referred to the thousand feet the lava landscape rises above the adjacent valleys. Contor wrote an article on the special values of the proposed wilderness area for the Winter 1966-67 issue of The Living Wilderness, the magazine published by The Wilderness Society. Contor wrote that the proposed wilderness remains the most interesting and least disturbed segment of the entire Snake River Plain. Those who spend time here will soon feel its lonely and unusual charm. The National Park Service conducted public hearings on its Craters of the Moon proposed wilderness, and groups like The Wilderness Society recommended expanding the proposed area slightly to include more features of the landscape. U.S. Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho In April 1969, U.S. Sen. Frank Church introduced legislation to designate a Craters of the Moon Wilderness Area. In his floor statement Church included for the congressional record Superintendent Contors article from The Living Wilderness to document the uniqueness of the area. Church stated there is no doubt that this is one of the most astonishing landscapes in America. In June the Senate passed the legislation. The House of Representatives, responding to advocates to include more features like Big Cinder Butte and the lava tree molds within the wilderness area, increased the size of the wilderness to 43,000 acres and passed legislation in September 1970. The Senate concurred, and in October, President Richard Nixon signed the bill into law, making Craters of the Moon Wilderness, along with the Petrified Forest Wilderness, the first designated wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service. Like Idahos other wilderness areas, the Craters of the Moon Wilderness represents a commitment to future generations that there are places in Idaho that deserve to be respected and preserved just like they are, just like theyve been, for millennia. Wilderness recognizes that society need not extract minerals, timber, or other finite resources from a landscape for that landscape to have a value. Each wilderness in Idaho has come about because Idahoans who know and love these lands didnt want them lost to development and so came together to advocate for their permanent protection. Its always been this way. Every landscape in Idaho that people want to see preserved in its natural state requires advocacy to make it happen. Thats why therell be future wilderness areas in Idaho. Idahoans love wild places. Whether its Scotchman Peak, the Great Burn, or Borah Peak, people from all backgrounds will work to ensure these lands stay wild, just like theyve always been, where future generations will have the opportunity to savor, just like we do today, the wild character that defines much of Idaho. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) A Lake Wales woman was charged with several crimes after she allegedly ran over her boyfriend and child Monday afternoon, according to deputies. The Polk County Sheriffs Office said Aaliyah Ross, 27, of Lake Wales got into a domestic argument with the victim, named Devon, that escalated when he threw a cinderblock onto her Toyota Corolla. Man killed in shootout with deputies after killing mom, 2 other women in Manatee County shooting spree It made Aaliyah even madder, Sheriff Grady Judd said. Deputies said in response, Aaliyah Ross put two small children, a 4-year-old and a 6-month-old, in the car, got behind the wheel, and lunged forward. Aaliyah Ross (Photo provided by Polk County Sheriffs Office) She lunged again and ran over Devon and her 16-month-old baby, Judd said. Surveillance video showed the victim run from Ross before falling behind a fence. The Corolla is then seen running over the man and his child. Like bump, bump, bump, run over him, the sheriff said. According to Judd, Aaliyah Ross ran the car into a neighbors home after hitting her family. Her boyfriend was headed to the hospital when he called the suspect, asking her to take the toddler to the hospital. She said no Im going to leave him at the house, the sheriff said. So she drives back to the house and puts the child in the house by himself, and she takes off again. The toddler finally got medical attention after his father returned and took him to the hospital. The sheriffs office said the child was in critical condition with a broken left shoulder and collar bone, multiple broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung, and abrasions and bruising on his body. Aaliyah Ross made a series of incredibly unthinkable choices Monday: running over a man and a baby with a car, leaving the baby alone, and failing to get medical treatment for the obviously injured baby, Judd said. Someone who does this to a baby will do this to anyoneher uncontrollable rage is a threat to the public. Deputies tracked the suspect down to her sisters home in Orlando. Detectives said she told them that she has acted as if she was going to run over her boyfriend but would swerve at the last second to avoid running him over. According to the sheriffs office, Aaliyah Ross said she thought he wouldve moved out of the way, but he didnt. You wanna talk about crazy? Heres a crazy woman, Judd said. The suspects two other children were taken by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Ross has been charged with aggravated child abuse, aggravated battery-domestic, negligent child abuse, battery-domestic, and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Like many kids his age, my 5-year-old loves wearing nail polish. Sam makes me paint each fingernail a different color: a mint green, a sparkly navy, deep violet, and two different shades of pink. It astounds me that he's capable of sitting patiently at the dining table for a full 10 minutes while his nails dry. (He can keep still for 30 seconds during dinnertime.) I dont know who my son will love or how hell identify as he grows, but Im grateful both of my children live in Croton-On-Hudson, our small village in upper Westchester that largely supports the LGBTQ community. After learning about Pride at her elementary school last year, I asked my 8-year-old daughter what Pride is about, and she responded: Its about being proud to be yourself. Last week, three parents within my childrens school district, Croton Harmon, filed a lawsuit with the support of the national anti-DEI organization, Parents Defending Education with the argument that their children have the right to not use the pronouns that transgender or nonbinary students identify with, claiming free speech violations. Using the correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary youth and respecting how they identify can protect their mental health and even save lives. This comes a year after the New York State Department of Education updated its guidance to protect gender-expansive students desire to be addressed by their correct pronouns. The guidance reads: The student is in charge of their gender transition and the schools role is to provide support. I first learned about the lawsuit when I ran into a fellow district parent who has a gender-expansive child. Did you see this? she said, handing me her phone to read the headline. Im a wreck about it. We were at a school function which should have been joyful. Im sure it will get thrown out of court," she askedm "but what if it intimidates the district? She, and several other parents, have been working hard to create a safe environment for LGBTQ youth in the schools. Our district is not the first to be targeted by the organization, which has been filing lawsuits against various school districts across the country in the interest of further propelling the DEI backlash that has been dominating the public conversation nationwide. The irony is that while the parents behind the lawsuit claim their efforts to depoliticize the school district, in reality it will only create more division and polarization among the community and distract the students from what theyre there for: to create a learning environment that is respectful and safe. It doesnt feel unintentional that this lawsuit is being filed during Pride Month. More importantly, what the parents behind this lawsuit havent considered are the dangerous consequences of their actions. Across the country, one in twenty young adults now identify as nonbinary or transgender. But bullying is still rampant across the country: In 2019, nearly half of transgender youth have been bullied on school property. Studies also show bullying and discrimination have a direct impact on their mental health. In 2021, over half of trans and nonbinary youth have considered attempting suicide. But LGBTQ youth who had access to spaces that affirm their sexual orientation and gender identity report lower rates of attempting suicide. Trans and nonbinary youth who reported having their pronouns respected by all the people they lived with attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected by anyone with whom they lived.So, the research is clear: using the correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary youth and respecting how they identify can protect their mental health and even save lives. Does allowing our children to bully their peers really trump the safety and lives of our young people? Im thankful Croton Harmon School District isn't taking the bait. In their statement in response to the lawsuit, they said: [W]e see schools as places where students feel comfortable in, and celebrated for, their own identity and are positioned to make positive contributions to our society. Speech that is harmful to students is not welcome in our schools, and does not align with our beliefs as a school district community. [W]e will not allow a lawsuit, or other extraneous political factors, to distract us from the work of making that vision into a reality for all of our students, staff members, and community. This is a stance to be proud of. And I feel safe knowing that as my kids grow up, they are learning in an environment where they are proud to be themselves. In other words, their humanity is accepted, and not endangered. Those are values we should all strive for for our children, and no bogus attempt to divide our beautiful and accepting community will take that away from us. Vanessa Valenti is a media consultant and writer. She lives with her two children in Croton-on-Hudson. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Croton Harmon Districts anti-harassment policies save lives UPDATE: TUESDAY 6/25/2024 6:18 p.m. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) reported the 14-year-old boy was found. CSPD said Phoenix Gragg had been located safely. ORIGINAL STORY: CSPD looking for missing at-risk teen last seen downtown The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is asking for the communitys help finding a 14-year-old boy last seen in the downtown area. According to CSPD, on Tuesday, June 25, 14-year-old Phoenix Gragg was reported missing. He was last seen walking in the area of North Tejon and East Kiowa Streets. Gragg is described as a boy with blond hair and around 5 feet tall. He was last seen wearing grey shorts, a black t-shirt with watermelon imprints, green shoes, a back/blue Paw Patrol drawstring bag, and carrying an Ohio water bottle. If you have seen or have information on Graggs whereabouts contact CSPD at (719) 444-7000. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Victim Advocacy Unit (VAU) is seeking volunteers to help provide critical resources and support to crime victims. The VAU provides services to support those who have been victimized by crimes that are covered by Colorados Victim Rights Act. Participants work side-by-side with CSPDs full-time staff. Applicants can submit an application online. They provide services such as: Immediate crisis intervention and safety planning (24-hours a day, 7 days a week on-call victim assistance) Information on Colorado Victim Rights Act (VRA) Assistance in completing applications for the Crime Victim Compensation Fund Referrals to community agencies and resources Support during the investigative process and education on the criminal justice system Arrangement of interpretation services for victims with limited English proficiency Information and assistance on obtaining protection orders Volunteer applications are open until Friday, July 19. Those who are selected to become a VAU volunteer will be provided 40 hours of specialized training at the VAU Victim Advocate Training Academy starting Sept. 21 to Oct. 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will be trained in victim advocacy skills including crisis intervention, community resources, and VAU operations. They will also gain a general understanding of the various units and functions of CSPD. On-the-job training will also be provided to those volunteers recruited to the unit. All applicants are required to complete a criminal background check and polygraph prior to enrollment in the training academy. For more information or to enroll, click the link above. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (PIX11) Police in Florham Park, New Jersey, are recommending residents have a landline and hardwired security system after a burglary that used Wi-Fi jamming technology. Wi-Fi jamming is a technology used to disable devices on a wireless network. Dr. Stanislav Mamonov, a cybersecurity expert and associate professor at Montclair State University, said wireless camera systems and the technology used to circumvent them have become more affordable and accessible. Wi-Fi jammers are illegal at the federal level but can be purchased on the black market for less than $1,000. More Local News I think these are the early warning signs of new types of attacks that are likely to occur with emerging technology, said Dr. Mamonov. Jamming is actually extremely easy to do, said Dr. Mamonov. And so the technological sophistication is actually fairly rudimentary. In Florham Park, police said suspects used a jammer to disengage the wireless security cameras at a home burglarized on June 10. A resident who was home at the time was unable to use their cellphone to call 911. Man tried to sexually assault woman in Central Park: NYPD The suspects fled and have not been caught. Police believe they are part of a theft ring out of South America, known for using Wi-Fi jammers and carrying out sophisticated operations, often fleeing the country before they are caught. Theyll set up cameras on victims homes Theyll have spotters, theyll be using walkie-talkies, theyll be listening to local police on scanners, said Florham Park Police Lt. Brian Ford. Depending on the model, Lt. Ford said Wi-Fi jammers can also disable cellphone carriers, making phone calls impossible, even if Wi-Fi is turned off. Theyre normally the size of a cellphone, said Lt. Ford. They may have several antennae coming out of them. So they can be held in your hand, held in your back pocket, in a backpack while youre committing a crime. Florham Park police recommend residents install a landline phone and use hardwired security cameras that cannot be disabled by a jammer. The burglary has also prompted neighbors to consider their own home security options. We have Blink and, you know, all the different cameras around the home, but I think were going to consider putting in something more sufficient, said Danielle Kelly, who lives around the corner from where the burglary took place. Bob Palladino, who lives just a few doors down from the burglarized home, said he is satisfied with his current level of protection and realizes that no system is foolproof. How much protection do you want, because no matter what you do, its defeatable, said Palladino. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Ukraine has received the first batch of artillery shells under the Czech-led initiative, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on June 25. Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Canada, and the Netherlands, have since contributed funds to the Czech initiative, which may result in the delivery of 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in late March. More than 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 million) have been allocated for the effort, according to the prime minister. "The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes," Fiala said. Lipavsky said in mid-June that the first shells purchased under the initiative were arriving in Ukraine "these days." Czech officials did not specify the amount of incoming ammunition. Pavel launched the initiative against the backdrop of Ukraine losing the key front-line city of Avdiivka in February amid a severe ammunition shortage. Russia has since intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and launched a new offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, which has reportedly been halted by the first line of defense. Some of the Russian forces are withdrawing from the area near the embattled town of Vovchansk for replenishment due to a loss of combat capability, the Ukrainian military said on June 22. Moscow is still outpacing the West in securing artillery supplies on international markets, the Czech government said, fearing that delayed payments to arms companies could result in millions of munitions being shipped to Moscow rather than Kyiv, the Financial Times reported in late May. Read also: FT: Around $855 million in Serbian ammunition reaches Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Dagestan political elite to be vetted for links to radical Islam after shootings By Andrew Osborn (Reuters) - The Kremlin-backed head of Dagestan on Tuesday ordered background checks to be carried out on the Russian republic's political elite to make sure nobody had links to radical Islam after a weekend attack in which 21 people were killed. Sergei Melikov, the governor of the majority-Muslim southern region where gunmen attacked churches and synagogues on Sunday evening, said he was also opposed to local women wearing a niqab face veil after reports that one of the gunmen had planned to escape in a niqab disguised as a woman. The attack, at least the third serious incident inside Russia this year linked to Islamist militants, is a headache for President Vladimir Putin who says the country needs to focus its resources on winning the war in Ukraine, something Moscow calls a special military operation. "I've given an order for the personal affairs of all those who occupy leadership posts in Dagestan to be studied and checked, including deputies of the people's assembly (local parliament). We'll do it in several stages," Melikov told lawmakers. Melikov's decision reflects fears that Dagestan's political elite has been infiltrated by radical Islamists after two of the gunmen were identified as sons of a local official, another as having a past affiliation with a pro-Kremlin party, and another gunman identified as the relative of a former senior official. Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov has alleged that the attack had shown that Dagestan's elite had been "infected" by radical Islam. STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE Located 1,600 km (1,000 miles) south of Moscow, Dagestan, though poor, is strategically important for the Russian military which is having a naval base built there for its "Caspian Flotilla." To its west lies Chechnya, also a majority-Muslim region, where Moscow has fought two wars with separatists since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The RBC news outlet cited Melikov as referencing Magomed Omarov, the head of a district in eastern Dagestan whose two sons he said were among the attackers. Omarov has since been fired from his post, excluded from the ruling United Russia party, and was jailed for 10 days on Tuesday on charges of petty hooliganism after being questioned by investigators, the Russian news agency TASS reported. The Baza news outlet, which is known for its law enforcement sources, reported Omarov as saying he had not spoken to his sons for a long time but was aware of their Islamist views. "How could a district head run a municipality if he couldn't bring up his own children? Maybe we have more district heads where sleeper cells (of Islamist militants) operate?" RBC quoted Melikov as saying. The gunmen had all come from well-off families and had good prospects, Melikov added. Reports that one of the gunmen had planned to escape wearing a niqab veil played into an ongoing debate across Russia about whether such items of clothing should be banned, with Konstantin Malofeyev, a prominent Russian Orthodox businessman and nationalist, arguing in favour of such a move. Residents of Makhachkala, Dagestan's regional capital, on Tuesday reported tighter security measures with more heavily-armed police patrols and vehicle checkpoints as the city observed a second official day of mourning. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn, Editing by Timothy Heritage) The container ship that crashed in March into a Baltimore bridge, killing six construction workers, arrived Tuesday in Hampton Roads. The 984-foot Dali crossed the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and entered Norfolk waters around 5 a.m. The ship was escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard as it entered the Elizabeth River the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish, an 87-foot patrol boat, provided a 500-yard safety zone around the Dali, according to a Coast Guard news release. Coast Guard watchstanders also monitored the ships progress. The ship is currently at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, where crews are unloading containers to reduce draft, according to the Coast Guard. It will then head to Norfolk International Terminals in Norfolk for more repairs and salvage. The Coast Guard said the cargo ship is sailing under a 22-person crew and six salvage experts from Resolve Marine. The Dali departed from Baltimore just before 8:30 a.m. Monday. The Dali had been in Baltimore since it lost power in the early hours of March 26, colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and collapsing the structure into the Patapsco River. Debris from the disaster blocked Baltimores shipping channel for more than two months. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com Chief Inspector Megan Williamson processes absentee ballots at the Hawthorne Library on Madison's East Side. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner) Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell issued a temporary injunction Tuesday that will allow voters with print disabilities to cast absentee ballots by email. Mitchells order came in a lawsuit brought by Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and four voters with disabilities. The lawsuit alleges that the current absentee voting system discriminates against voters with disabilities such as blindness because they cant cast their ballots without assistance under the current rules, violating the right to cast a secret ballot. On Tuesday, Mitchell issued the temporary injunction, ordering the Wisconsin Elections Commission to facilitate the availability of electronically delivered (i.e., emailed) accessible absentee ballots for the November 2024 general election for absent electors who self-certify to having a print disability and who request from their municipal clerk an electronically delivered absentee ballot in lieu of mailing. The emailed ballots must be able to be read and marked electronically using assistive technology such as a screen reader. Despite a request from the groups bringing the lawsuit that ballots be allowed to be returned electronically as well, the completed absentee ballots will still need to be printed and mailed back to voters municipal clerks, with Mitchell writing that the order shall not be construed to permit electronic return of a marked absentee ballot. At a hearing on Monday, attorneys from the state Department of Justice pushed back on the request for email ballots, saying that the process opens the absentee system up to confusion and security risks just months before this years presidential election. Assistant Attorney General Karla Keckhaver said at the hearing the ruling could cause confusion for the more than 1,800 local election clerks working to administer this years elections. She added that some clerks dont use official government emails that dont have the added security that a .gov address has and that theres not enough time to train clerks before November on the change, including how to verify if a voter is disabled. Keckhaver also pointed out that disabled voters assistants could be subject to criminal penalties if they divulge a persons vote and that assistive technologies are available for in-person voting at the polls. The plaintiffs arent being forced to forfeit their right to vote, she said. They can vote the way they always have. The post Dane Co. Judge issues temporary order allowing email absentee voting for disabled voters appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. WASHINGTON (WFXR) The City of Danville was awarded a $4.1 million grant for the construction of a new aviation training facility by the Department of Economic Development Administration (EDA). It is critical we maintain the facilities that drive economic growth in the Commonwealth, said Governor Glenn Youngkin. This major investment toward the City of Danville will play a pivotal role in enhancing community infrastructure and building a skilled workforce. New store in Salem providing all outdoor needs with an archery experience The grant will fund the construction of a new, 12, 532-square-foot training facility at the Danville Regional Airport to support aviation maintenance and flight instruction training activities. The EDA investment will be matched with $2.7 million in local funds. The Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support place-based economic growth, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. This investment in the Danville Regional Airport will support the creation of critical jobs and the development of a resilient regional economy. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Daughter of Fordyce victim killed in shooting says he tried saving others, drove himself to hospital LITTLE ROCK, Ark. We continue to learn more about those who were killed in the Mad Butcher mass shooting in Fordyce on Friday. Roy Sturgis is remembered for his bravery and strength around the small town and now online and across national news, but tonight, for the first time, his daughter is sharing his story and the heroic actions he took that day. Hanna Sturgis told KARK 4 in her first news interview that her dad was in his truck in the parking lot when the shots first started. At that point, he went into the store to help victims, including their cousin Callie Weems. Weems also died following the shooting. Victims killed in Fordyce mass shooting identified Hanna said at that point, after her dad went inside, he was shot in the chest. He then drove himself to the hospital up the street. He died at the hospital that day. Sturgis told our team that this selflessness is ultimately what cost her dad his life, but it is also what gets her through the grief today. He couldve gotten away, she said. He had every chance to go, and he chose to go back in there. Its actually brought a lot of closure knowing how strong he was to be able to do that. Its made me a lot stronger too. Sturgis said she told herself she wouldnt be able to come back to that grocery store, its parking lot, or even the road passing it. She initially planned to start going the long route when driving around town to avoid the sight of where her dad was shot. That changed Sunday night thanks to the communitys prayer vigil. The parking lot was packed with people from the small town and neighboring areas, and with their support, she inched her way closer and was able to come to the former-crime scene and face the sight and the flowers and candles now left in memory of the victims. Fordyce community honors victims in Friday shooting, holds candlelight vigil Sturgis said aside from inspiration from her dads strength, the Fordyce community is what has helped her navigate the heartbreaking first few days following her dads tragic death. If youd like to help the Fordyce community and those impacted, you can visit any of the Fordyce Bank & Trust branches or mail donations to 200 W 4th Street Fordyce, Arkansas, 71742 Organizers said to add a note if you want to clarify if it is for all victims or a specific victims family. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. By Hyunsu Yim and Daewoung Kim HWASEONG, South Korea (Reuters) - In tears, Chae Sung-bum rushed to a battery factory on the outskirts of South Korea's capital on Tuesday hoping to find the body of his daughter, or at least the necklace that would identify her, after a deadly blaze there killed her and 22 other workers. "My daughter used to say batteries are dangerous, dangerous," Chae said, adding that she called several days ago and talked about another fire at her factory. He said his daughter, a Chinese national, was 39 and due to be married within a few months. Most of the victims are yet to be identified because of the intensity of Monday's blaze and explosions. Seventeen of those who died were Chinese, and one was Laotian. Most of them were temporary workers at the plant packing lithium batteries, run by a South Korea-based company, Aricell. The National Forensic Service, police and the fire department are holding a joint investigation into the accident. Aricell has said the company had fully complied with safety procedures and training for workers. Chae's daughter was among hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in South Korea who make up a large portion of the work force but also face a disproportionately greater risk of injury and death as they take on dangerous jobs shunned by many young South Koreans, according to experts and activists. Foreign labour is an increasingly crucial part of the workforce in South Korea with its shrinking and aging population. The government is expanding foreign labour quotas to tackle a shortage of workers, especially at small factories, shipyards and farms. A record number of 923,000 foreigners are working in South Korea, of which one-third are Chinese nationals of Korean descent, according to government statistics last year. The foreign workers are almost three times more likely to die in industrial accidents as they work under more unsafe conditions than domestic workers, according to a study last year published in the Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science. The number of industrial accidents among foreign workers has increased to 8,286 in 2022 from 6,404 in 2012, with about 100 deaths every year, the labour ministry said. Such data are leading activists to question why foreign workers are not receiving the same level of protection as South Korean workers. "Laws and regulations are already there but the issue is lack of pre-emptive checks to see if these rules are implemented on the ground," said Choi Jung-gyu, a lawyer who specialises in labour issues. "Every year more than 100 migrant workers die from workplace accidents. We need to protect their rights and safety, that is good for our national interests," Choi said, adding the victims from the battery plant fire might have been doing the "most dangerous" work without proper safety training. China's ambassador to South Korea, Xing Haiming, visited the scene late on Monday and requested all necessary support be given to the Chinese victims and their families. He said he hoped the fire would be "a painful lesson" for South Korean businesses to ensure the safety of workers. Near the factory, a funeral home where the bodies of four foreign nationals were brought on Monday night was quiet with few visitors. An official at the funeral home said the bodies were impossible to identify immediately. ($1 = 1,387.4900 won) (Writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jack Kim and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Johannesburg There was chaos outside the Parliament of Kenya on Tuesday as police opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas at young protesters amid demonstrations against proposed tax hikes. Protesters overwhelmed police and managed to break into part of the parliament building in Nairobi and start a fire. At least five people were shot and killed while treating the injured, according to a joint statement from Amnesty International and other organizations, which also said 31 people were wounded. The Reuters news agency quoted a medic earlier as saying at least 10 people were killed by gunfire. EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes images of injury and possible death that some readers may find disturbing. Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed that it started receiving injured protesters from about noon local time, with at least 45 being admitted, but no confirmed fatalities. Social media feeds were flooded with images of protesters carrying wounded people away from the mayhem, and international photo agencies showed what appeared to be at least several dead bodies on the streets. Inside the parliament, amid the chaos, lawmakers voted in favor of the government finance bill with the contentious tax increases. It will now go to Kenya's President William Ruto, who can either sign it into law or send it back to the legislators for changes. A protester is seen perched on a police water cannon as it attempts to repel demonstrators with chemically treated water jets next to an advertisement featuring a photo of Kenya's President, William Ruto, during a nationwide protest against tax hikes, in downtown Nairobi, June 25, 2024. / Credit: TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Police had been warned that tens of thousands of protesters would take to the streets across the country Tuesday as anger over the proposed tax hikes reaches fever pitch. Parliament and at least one other government building in Nairobi were ringed with security in anticipation of the protests, but the forces deployed around the legislature were overwhelmed. The U.S. embassy in Nairobi and other embassies and high commissioners said in a joint statement Tuesday they were "shocked" by the scenes outside parliament and "deeply concerned" with violence nationwide. "We regret the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained including by the use of live fire," they said, calling for "restraint on all sides." The protests have been led by younger Kenyans demanding that President William Ruto abandon the plan to raise taxes, which many say would be borne unfairly by younger generations. The protests were launched under under a banner of "7 Days of Rage," and the country is bracing for more days of upheaval ahead. Two people were killed in similar demonstrations last week, including at least one man who is believed to have been shot by police. Ruto said recently that he was proud of Kenya's young people for using their voices, and he said he wanted engage with them in a dialogue about the country's finances. Protesters try to evacuate a wounded man as other victims lay on the pavement during a nationwide protest against tax hikes in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2024. / Credit: KABIR DHANJI/AFP/Getty Rights advocacy group Amnesty International, meanwhile, said at least 12 prominent people involved in the protest movement had been abducted in the five days leading up to Tuesday's unrest, including on Monday night, in what it said appeared to be an effort to keep them away from the protests. "It is unacceptable that individuals exercising their democratic rights to peaceful assembly and expression are being forcibly detained," said a statement from the Police Reforms Working Group in Kenya, referring to the same disappearances. In May, President Biden hosted Ruto at the White House, an honor bestowed on an African leader for the first time during Mr. Biden's presidency. Mr. Biden followed up that honor on Monday by designating Kenya a "major non-NATO ally" of the U.S., making it the first sub-Saharan nation to carry the designation. The finance bill approved by parliament on Tuesday aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in federal taxes to lighten a very serious national debt load. Almost 40% of Kenya's total national revenue have gone to interest payments on its debt in recent years, and international finance organizations have been urging the government to get its finances under control. The COVID pandemic and other issues saw some of the harsh measures delayed, and the government did abandon some of the proposals that had drawn ire, such as higher taxes on staples such as cooking oil, bread, and some financial transactions. U.S. surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis Julian Assange pleads guilty to publishing U.S. secrets Raging flood waters wreak havoc across Midwest HOGANSVILLE, Ga. (WRBL) The Hogansville Police Department is investigating what led to the death of a LaGrange resident who was found unconscious in a pool on Sunday. Police said on the morning of June 23, the department was alerted about an accident at a residence in Hogansville. Police responded to Wellstar Hospital in LaGrange, Georgia, where authorities were made aware that the victim was found unconscious in a pool during a gathering. The victim, Juan Velaquez was pronounced dead at the hospital. Hogansville PD says the death appears accidental, but the case is still under investigation by the police department and the Troup County Coroners Office. At this time, Velaquezs body is being sent to the GBI for an autopsy. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Death of Woman Who Accused Cop of Sex Abuse Was Ruled Suicide. But Prominent Pathologist Doesn't Think So Sandra Birchmore was pregnant at the time of her death in 2021 Facebook Sandra Birchmore A well-known former medical examiner concluded in a report that the 2021 death of a pregnant Massachusetts woman, who authorities have said was sexually abused by a former police officer, was a homicide not suicide, which had officially been ruled as her manner of death. Sandra Birchmore died in February 2021 when she was 23 years old. PEOPLE previously reported that a lengthy internal investigation conducted by the Stoughton Police Department alleged that three former officers in the department had allegedly engaged in inappropriate relationships with Birchmore, with one allegedly sexually abusing her beginning when she was 15 years old. The Boston Globe reported that Birchmores family hired Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner for New York City, who wrote a letter dated June 18 to the familys attorney that expressed disagreement with the official ruling that Birchmore's death was a suicide by hanging. In his letter, reported by the Globe, Baden says Birchmores cause of death was strangulation and that her manner of death was homicide. Related: 3 Mass. Police Officers Allegedly Had 'Inappropriate Relations' with Young Woman Who Died by Suicide In the letter, Baden said Birchmore had a fractured bone in her neck, an injury he says is seen rarely, if at all, in suicidal hanging and does occur in half of homicidal strangulations of women. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara released a statement in response to the Globes report and Badens letter. I was profoundly disturbed and troubled by what I read, McNamara said, in part. While I am not a trained medical examiner, and I am not qualified to draw any direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further examination at the highest level. As always, we will continue to assist with any effort to ensure that truth and justice prevail. McNamara noted that the Stoughton Police Department does not have jurisdiction in the investigation into Birchmores death, since she was found in Canton, Mass.. In a 2022 press conference regarding a report stemming from the internal investigation, McNamara previously alleged that former officer Matthew Farwell began an inappropriate sexual relationship with Birchmore beginning when he was 27 and she was 15. The report also alleged that Farwells twin brother and fellow officer William Farwell and Robert C. Devine, another former cop, similarly engaged in inappropriate relationships with Birchmore. Birchmore had been a part of Stoughtons Explorers program, which gives interested youths a chance to explore a law enforcement career and interact with officers, from 2010 to 2016. The report further alleged that Matthew Farwell was the the last known person to have seen Birchmore alive, having been seen on surveillance video at her apartment for 20 minutes four days before she was found dead. None of the three officers has been charged with a crime. All three resigned from the department in 2022, the Globe reported, and have denied allegations brought forth in a suit filed by Birchmores family. Every good and decent police officer should be aware of and angry about the injustices inflicted upon Sandra Birchmore, McNamara said in her statement released on June 24. Sandra idolized police officers and what policing stood for in America, and she was victimized as a result. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The two leading presidential candidates are set to debate on live television on June 27, 2024. Neither will yet be the official nominee of his party, which is expected to happen at the parties conventions in the coming weeks. The timing of the debate on the Thursday leading into the week of the Fourth of July, far earlier than the usual fall debates virtually guarantees a much smaller audience than would usually watch a presidential debate. The event itself will be unlike most previous debates between presidential candidates, though it will be broadcast live on several TV channels and online, as is the norm. It is sponsored and hosted by CNN, not by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has sponsored every presidential debate since 1988. The debate rules say there will be no audience the candidates will be in a television studio with just the moderators and production personnel. During the two commercial breaks, the candidates will not be allowed to interact with their campaign staff. CNN will mute the microphone of each candidate when it is not his turn to speak. As a former political communications consultant who now teaches political communication at Auburn University, I believe there are key ways this new type of debate, at a different place and time than usual, could affect the presidential election. Opportunities for errors Historically, debates tend to have greater effects on the outcome of elections when one of the candidates says or does something stupid. For instance, in 1976 GOP candidate and then-President Gerald Ford insisted, wrongly, that Poland wasnt under Communist rule. In 1988, Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis answered a question about his wifes safety with a dispassionate speech on drug policy. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush repeatedly looked at his watch while debating Bill Clinton. All three men lost their races for the White House. Both candidates in the June 27 debate have weaknesses that could lead to similar problems or worse. If Biden appears lost or confused at any point in the debate, it could raise questions about his competence and seriously hurt his chances for reelection. If Trump launches into one of his tirades about any number of subjects, he could frighten moderates into voting for Biden or not voting at all. Because neither political party has held its nominating conventions, it is not out of the question that a very poor showing by either candidate could lead to serious discussions about replacing that candidate as the partys nominee. These two have met before. Jim Bourg/Pool via AP A focus on words The rules for the debate create some challenges and opportunities for each candidate. The fact that microphones will be muted for the candidate who isnt being asked a question should make it easier for Biden to stay focused and on message without being constantly interrupted by Trump, as he was when they debated in 2020. It should also make it easier for Trump to appear more like a statesman and less like a bully, since television audiences will be less likely to hear any interruptions or outbursts. CNNs moderators face the challenge of managing the speaking times and microphones in a way that does not appear to favor one candidate over the other. Ideally, with no live audience to react to the candidates, viewers attention should be more easily focused on the substance of the candidates words. Whether that happens will depend on the moderators. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash need to be careful not to appear to interrupt or challenge one candidate more than another. Many conservatives are already suspicious that CNN will show favor to Biden by asking him fewer follow-up questions or doing more on-the-spot fact-checking of Trumps responses. Partisan spin With fewer viewers in real time, there will be more opportunities for partisans to put their post-debate spin on what happened, both in traditional media and online. Spin doctors are not new to presidential debates, but with fewer people having seen the full event in context, there will be more opportunity for selectively editing clips by the right to make Biden appear dazed and confused or by the left to show Trump as a bigot and a bully. Even if the intent of a debate is for the candidates words to matter most, what carries a debate in the publics eye is not the wise policy discussion or the nuanced diplomacy: Its the sound bite. Examples include Ronald Reagans quip about not making an issue of Walter Mondales youth and inexperience in 1984 and Lloyd Bentsens Senator, youre no Jack Kennedy reply to Dan Quayles 1988 assertion that he had as much experience in the Senate as John F. Kennedy had before becoming president. The single advantage of the June 27 debate is that it gives both campaigns the chance to test their candidates and messages while very few voters are paying attention. This could allow the campaigns to adjust their messages or if things go terribly, horribly wrong even letting the party choose another candidate. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Susan Fillippeli, Auburn University Read more: Formerly worked as a political campaign consultant for Republican candidates and served as a member of the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee. Both affiliations ended in 2016. Is Decaf Coffee Safe to Drink? Advocates Say Chemical Used in Production Linked to Cancer Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer Health advocacy groups have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove a chemical used to produce decaf coffee from the food supply. The chemical, methylene chloride, has been linked to cancer in humans and animals. However, the amount of methylene chloride in decaf coffee is so low that it isnt harmful, experts agreed. With its minimal caffeine content, decaf coffee is often touted as a better-for-you alternative to traditional coffee. But in recent months, concerns have cropped up over a chemical used to make decaf coffee that some say is dangerous. The conversation over the potential health risks of decaf coffee began back in December 2023, when a number of health advocacy groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of a chemical called methylene chloride. It is frequently used in the production of decaffeinated coffee. Their petition states that methylene chloridein addition to three other substanceshas been shown to cause cancer in humans and animals and is, therefore, unsafe to include in the food supply. Currently, the FDA permits concentrations of methylene chloride below 10 parts per million (ppm) in decaffeinated beansbut is considering the groups petition to prohibit the use of this additive entirely. Further, in April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned most commercial uses of methylene chloride to protect workers health. Despite the safety concerns, when it comes to decaf coffee, experts largely agree concerns over methylene chloride are a bit of a tempest in a tea (or coffee) pot. Heres what experts had to say about methylene chloride exposure and whether its safe to continue sticking with decaf. Grace Cary / Getty Images What Is Methylene Chloride? Methylene chloride is a colorless liquid that has a range of uses. When it comes to food production specifically, the FDA allows for methylene chloride use in three different circumstances. One is in decaf coffee productionthe chemical is used to remove the caffeine, explained Taylor Wallace, PhD, food scientist and founder of the Think Healthy Group, a food science and nutrition consulting firm. Coffee beans are first boiled in hot water and then rinsed with methylene chloride, which selectively bonds with caffeine, Wallace told Health. The methylene chloride/caffeine compound is then removed. From there, he said, coffee beans are dried and roasted at approximately 400 degrees or higher, which removes basically all of the remaining methylene chloride, minus a very tiny residual amount. The FDA also permits small amounts of methylene chloride residue in hops extract, which is used to manufacture certain beers. The chemical is also sometimes used in spice production. Beyond this, methylene chloride is most widely used as an industrial solvent and paint stripper. The chemical can also be found in aerosol products, spray paints, car cleaners, and can be used to manufacture camera film. Is Methylene Chloride Dangerous? To choose more minimally-processed foods, youve probably heard the admonition not to consume ingredients you dont recognize. So its understandable if methylene chlorides nameand function as a paint strippermake it sound like something to avoid. As the EDFs petition mentions, methylene chloride has been linked to cancerits considered a probable human carcinogen. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also states that workplace exposure to methylene chloride can lead to an increased risk of cancer and problems with the heart, liver, central nervous system, and skin. This exposure can happen via inhalation or contact with skin while people are working. Despite this, experts agree people dont necessarily need to panic about their decaf coffee consumption. The FDA keeps tight control over methylene chloride in the food supply, said Toby Amidor, RD, CDN, award-winning nutrition expert and author. The FDA has set rigorous standards of 10 parts per million of the methylene chloride to coffee, she told Health. That equates to 10 drops of water to 10 gallons. According to Wallace, most decaf coffee manufacturers are cautious about keeping methylene chloride levels low in their products. The process of decaffeination leaves methylene chloride residues well below the 10-ppm levels currently allowed by the [FDA], he said. Past reportsincluding a 2023 report by the Clean Label Projecthave highlighted elevated levels of methylene chloride in certain coffee brands decaf products. However, even those coffees with more methylene chloride residue still fell far below the 10-ppm level established by the FDA, Wallace said. Choosing a Safe and Healthy Cup of Joe While it is accurate to claim that methylene chloride is associated with cancer and other health problems, the dosage is what makes the difference, experts agree. There isnt a direct link in the research showing moderate intake of decaffeinated coffee increasing risk for cancer, Meggie Connelly, RDN, founder of Be Balanced Nutrition Services, told Health. Its important to remember that dosage is crucialtrace amounts in a cup of decaf coffee are significantly lower than levels causing acute toxicity. Even when something is a carcinogen, it doesnt always cause cancerthe kind of exposure, the amount a person is exposed to, and other factors play a role. In this situation, its unlikely that you could even drink the amount of decaf coffee it would take to increase your cancer risk, Wallace said. He speculated that it might take millions of cups of decaf to hit a dangerous threshold. Though theres little data on the subject, older research found that a person drinking 5 cups of decaf coffee a day might be exposed to about 12 micrograms of methylene chloride. This is a tiny amountfor comparison, there are more than 28.3 million micrograms in an ounce. However, if youre concerned about your exposure to methylene chloride, some companies use a decaffeinating process that avoids the chemical entirely. Opt for decaf coffee brands that use the Swiss Water Process or carbon dioxide method for decaffeination, both of which do not involve methylene chloride, Connelly recommended. Switching to a coffee brand that doesnt use methylene chloride is an easy fixtheres no apparent need to stop drinking decaf or to switch to regular coffee to avoid carcinogens. In fact, said Amidor, many of us could use less caffeine, not more. Overdoing it on caffeine can lead to feelings of jitteriness, an increase in anxiety, and sleep problems. With caffeine now being inserted into everything from water to chocolate to bars and more, there is a need to keep caffeine at the 400 milligrams per day recommended by the FDA, said Amidor. A typical cup of decaf coffee contains only about 2 milligrams of caffeine, she noted, compared to a typical cup of regular coffee, which has about 95 milligrams. Related: How To Know if Your Coffee Habit Is Too Much Caffeine For more Health.com news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Health.com. 'We have more to talk about:' Columbus School board votes not to close schools Tuesday Booing, jeering, and then applause came from the crowd Tuesday night as the Columbus City school board voted to take additional time to consider whether to close nine school buildings. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to not take action on the recommendations, but also to receive them and thank the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force for its work examining school closures. Board President Christina Vera told the media that the board needed to take more time to hear from the community. More: Task force recommends Columbus City Schools board close nine schools, realign four Columbus City school board president Christina Vera speaks during a board meeting Tuesday where the Superintendent's Communities Facilities Task Force made its final recommendation that the district close nine schools and realign grades at four others. "We have to really put in the time and energy to ensure authentic engagement when we say that it can't just be a tagline," Vera said. "We're okay with taking the time that we need to go out and to have these conversations. It can't just be on the task force, it can't just be on our superintendent. As your elected officials. We also need to go out and we need to be able to have these conversations directly with our community." Before the vote, members of the audience jeered and booed the board and task force, but after the vote they received a standing ovation from the audience. Throughout the process, concerned parents and community members held rallies and "tailgates" outside the CCS board meetings, urging them to pause the process. Elizabeth Brown, a parent of a student in the district and former city council member, said she was pleased that the board listened to the community. "I think what we saw tonight was community unity behind the idea of engagement," Brown said. Last month, the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force presented preliminary options where up to 20 possible school buildings in the state's largest district would face the possibility of closure under nine different recommended scenarios. But on Tuesday, the task force recommended six elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school and its Downtown administrative building for closure. Jim Negron, task force co-chair, said he was proud of the work that the task force had done to progress discussions around school closings. "We took steps forward, the board is going to hear things and we're going to continue to make progress as a district," Negron said. Al Edmondson, left, and Jim Negron, co-chairs of the Columbus City Schools Superintendent's Community Task Force, present the group's final recommendations for closure of nine schools and realignment of four others to the school board at their meeting Tuesday. 'We have more to talk about:' board members say more feedback necessary During the meeting, board members said they had heard from the community that more opportunity for feedback was needed. Board Member Michael Cole thanked the task force for their work and thanked the community for their input, and said a "no today from me only means not now." A Cranbrook Elementary School supporter waits for the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force announcement of recommended school closures and consolidations Tuesday at a meeting of the Columbus City school board. Cranbrook Elementary, like almost all schools where parents and community members spoke out against closure at board meetings, escaped closure. "Today, I was in no position knowledgeably to make the decision that I think is best for 47,000 children and our 9,000 plus employees," Cole said. Board Member Jennifer Adair said the district would be "committing educational neglect by not doing anything," but the board needed to have the "right conversation" with the public about the future of the district. "This isn't about taking things away from our students. This is about creating a district of the future," Adair said. "We have more to talk about with you. We have to do this together." What schools are considered for closure? The task force recommended closures of seven schools, and two buildings currently housing programs: Broadleigh Elementary School: Students would be redistributed among the Eastgate, East Columbus, and Fairmoor elementary schools. The task force said the transition will maintain the quality of education and provide students with a broader range of academic and extracurricular opportunities. Buckeye Middle School: Students would move to Marion-Franklin High School, creating a 6-12 grade site. Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys: Students would join the Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls. Fairwood Elementary School: Students would be moved to the Ohio Avenue or Livingston elementary schools. Lindbergh Elementary School: Students would be redistributed among the Binns, Burroughs, and West Mound elementary schools. Moler Elementary School: Students would be moved to the Lincoln Park or Livingston elementary schools. North Linden Elementary School: Students would be redistributed among the Huy, Maize, Innis, or Northtowne elementary schools. West Broad Elementary School: Students would be redistributed to the Westgate, Highland, or Valleyview elementary schools. McGuffey Road Facility: Columbus Alternative High School would move its programming to East High School, which would remain open and CAHS would share space in the building. The task force also recommended that Marion-Franklin High School, Linden-McKinley STEM Academy, South High School and Starling K-8 be adjusted to include additional grade bands. Community members: slow down process Parents and community members held another rally before the meeting Tuesday, urging the board to pause the vote. Stacie Proitsis, a parent of Valleyview Elementary students, said before the meeting that if the school chose to close her school she would consider an alternative like homeschooling. Valleyview was not among the schools proposed for closure Tuesday night. She also said she has been disappointed in how the district chose to communicate with parents during the process. Opponents of school closures and consolidation rally Tuesday before a Columbus City school board meeting where the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force made its recommendations to the board. "As a parent, I've had to do all of my own research on everything," Proitsis said. Hanif Abdurraqib, Columbus resident and award-winning author, was also at the rally and said he was concerned that more school closures would mean more gentrification in Columbus communities. "I want everyone who is here to have an opportunity to build up the city as I've come to love it," Abdurraqib said. "And you cannot do that when the city is transforming from in front of your eyes, and exiling you from places where you felt you once belonged." Throughout the closure process, the district has faced concern from parents and community members about the closure process. Concerns focused on the schools facing closure that had strong English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, the speed of the closing process and uncertainty about where children will attend school if their current school closes. In addition to speaking out during meetings, parents and advocacy groups also held several events, including a "tailgate" before a June board meeting, as well as a rally at a Downtown church to call for a pause to the closure process so more community input could be provided. District facing financial headwinds, could deficit spend by next year Last month, Interim Treasurer Jennifer Vanover presented Columbus City Schools' five-year financial forecast, which showed that the district may be deficit spending (meaning it is spending more than it is making in revenue) by the 2025-2026 school year. While the district currently has over $350 million in cash on hand, the five-year projection shows that the district will only have just over $36 million in cash balance by the 2027-2028 school year and a negative $135 million, 60-day cash balance by 2028. A Columbus City Schools five-year financial projection shows the district will have just over $36 million in cash balance by 2028 under the current forecast. Last year, voters approved a nearly $100-million, permanent improvement levy. Adair said bluntly Tuesday that the board would need to come back to taxpayers in coming years and ask for more money from the public. "We are going to be coming back for more money," Adair said. "It is what it is. Money is important. Our community does not have unlimited funds. We have to speak about money in a way that is very clear and understandable." Under Ohio law, charter schools get first dibs on old schools for sale Columbus City Schools currently maintains a dozen properties it doesn't use directly for academic purposes, with seven vacant buildings, four properties rented to tenants and one vacant lot. More: As Columbus Schools looks at closing schools, it already maintains 12 closed properties Under state law, when a district declares a property "surplus," or property a government body does not need, it must first solicit bids from "high-performing" community or charter schools if it has been unused for over a year. Declaring a property surplus is different than maintaining a vacant property. If the district receives a bid, it must sell to the charter school at market rate. If more than one applies, it goes to an auction. If no "high-performing" charter schools solicit bids, all other charter, STEM or college preparatory schools will be permitted to bid on surplus schools. Only then, if there are no takers, does the property go to the public for sale. Columbus City Schools currently has no surplus properties, according to public records. The board does have the option to lease property, according to board policies. Board Member Ramona Reyes encouraged the public in attendance to stand up to the state legislature and encourage lawmakers to change the law and allow the district more flexibility with what to do about vacant properties. "Let's go, and go after these folks and tell them these are buildings we paid for. You, me, everybody in this room," Reyes said. "We paid for those buildings, why can't we do what we need to do in order to make sure that our community is prospering?" Leaked memo scandal roiled district early in closure talks In May, Board Member Brandon Simmons found himself at the center of a scandal after the district's teachers union released a leaked memo and called on him to resign. The document was a draft of a proposed strategy for handling opposition to the district's closure plan and alls for driving a wedge between the district's two unions, bringing in loud machines if unions hold a news conference on school property, not ignore "racial dynamics" in the effort to divide the unions, and even to make last-minute changes on the location of public input meetings on the closures to keep opponents confused. In May, the board voted to censure Simmons and in June voted to release an external legal investigation that concluded that Simmons acted alone in authoring the document and possibly attempted to destroy evidence related to it. On Tuesday, Simmons arrived at the meeting more than a half hour after it began and did not speak during it except to vote. The board's next scheduled meeting is Aug. 6. @Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus school board said more talks needed before closure decisions A womans once-in-a-lifetime trip to see Taylor Swift perform on her Eras Tour in Phoenix last year was tainted by a Delta Air Lines employee accused of sexually assaulting her on her flight home, according to federal prosecutors. Duane Brick groped the 24-year-old woman sitting next to him in the window seat as she seemed to be asleep on the Delta flight to Seattle on March 20, 2023, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington. A passenger in the aisle seat in the same row witnessed the assault and reported it to the flight crew, prosecutors said. The woman had saved her money up for months and traveled to Phoenix, Arizona all so that she could catch a glimpse of her hero performing, prosecutors wrote. A moment that should have been filled with elation, inspiration, and lightheartedness after seeing Swift was fleeting as the womans reality took a dark turn after she was seated next to Mr. Brick, according to a sentencing memorandum. This isnt the first time Brick groped someone on a plane, according to prosecutors, who said he repeatedly touched a man on a Delta flight five years earlier in 2018. Brick, 53, a former longtime Delta mechanic, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact on March 5 in connection with assaulting the woman, McClatchy News previously reported. On June 24, Brick was sentenced to six months in prison on the charge, the U.S. Attorneys office announced in a news release. This was a serious and frightening crime. He was clearly a predator, U.S. District Judge James H. Chun said during his sentencing hearing. According to Bricks defense counsel, he was an alcoholic and completed a treatment program several months following the assault in November 2023. This was the unfortunate rock bottom he hit and immediately realized he needed professional help with his alcoholism, one of his attorneys, Cristine Beckwith, said in a news release. Due to his accountability and treatment success we asked the court to take a restorative justice approach. Lifetime consequences for Mr. Brick were inevitable, Beckwith said, adding that he lost his career of 29 years and is facing a substantial civil lawsuit from the woman. The Court did not follow his counsels recommendation to sentence him to electronic home monitoring, Beckwith said. Brick and Delta are also facing a lawsuit from the woman over the sexual assault. She is seeking economic, exemplary and non-economic damages, a complaint filed March 28 shows. The civil case is set to go to trial in King County, Washington, on March 31, 2025. The womans attorney, Mark Lindquist, told McClatchy News they are both grateful to the F.B.I. and the U.S. Attorneys Office for treating sexual assault cases with the seriousness and sensitivity they deserve. We are now focused on holding Delta Air Lines accountable, Lindquist said. Delta declined to comment on the pending litigation in a statement to McClatchy News on June 25 and confirmed Brick no longer works for the company. Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will work with law enforcement entities to that end, the airline said. When he was caught, he blamed her On the March 20, 2023, flight, the woman, who prosecutors said had anxiety while flying, took anti-anxiety medication and fell asleep while next to Brick. She then awoke to find Brick had grabbed her hand and placed and pressed it on his crotch and was frozen in shock, prosecutors said. Brick began tapping on her face, head, arm, and breast to see if she was sleeping, and then reached under her shirt and bra and groped her breast, according to prosecutors. Brick further assaulted her, trying to put his hands down her trousers, leading her to push him away and tell him no, prosecutors said. She was in total shock, prosecutors wrote. After flight attendants were alerted to the assault, Brick told them that he might have accidentally touched the woman due to her weight and size, according to the sentencing memorandum. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Zoller said the assault was intentional, methodical, and prolonged. He knew she was not consenting and when he was caught, he blamed her, Zoller said in the release. Delta failed in multiple ways After flight attendants were informed of the assault, the woman told them she wanted them to call authorities, prosecutors said. The flight crew is accused of failing to call law enforcement over to the plane upon landing. Brick, as an airline employee, was allowed to leave the plane quickly when it landed at Seattle, prosecutors said. Lindquist told McClatchy News that Delta needs to do a better job of training employees how to prevent and properly address in-flight sexual assaults and that in this case, Delta failed in multiple ways, he said. In 2018, Brick was reprimanded by Delta over how he continuously touched a man next to him on another flight while appearing intoxicated, resulting in Delta issuing him a corrective action notice, prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memorandum. Just as Mr. Brick should have learned from this prior experience, Delta should have as well, Lindquist said. Neither did. According to Delta, the airline worked with the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys office during Bricks prosecution. Meanwhile, Beckwith said Brick is ready to accept what the court imposed and do his best to keep improving to make amends. His sentencing will be followed by five years of supervised release, according to prosecutors. 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. Passenger assaulted flight attendant who helped nurse try to give him Narcan, feds say Passenger groped teen trying to sleep on flight as she traveled with family, feds say Man sneaks on Delta flight and hides in plane bathroom then he gets caught, feds say Passenger kept groping woman on flight, quickly left once plane landed, feds say MADISON Democrats leaned hard this week into the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade to tout efforts to protect abortion access, an issue theyre counting on to fire up key base voters in President Joe Biden's reelection bid. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke to a crowd of about 400 people Monday night at Madison's Majestic Theatre, where she focused on the impact of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization Supreme Court ruling and slammed what she characterized as former President Donald Trumps threats to reproductive rights. "Donald Trump and the extremist Republicans are coming for access to abortion, access to contraception and access to IVF and it is up to us to stop them," Warren said. "The very notion that health care is a private decision between a patient and a physician, that is on the ballot on Nov. 5." U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., second from left, speaks at Madison's Majestic Theatre on Monday, June 24, 2024, to rally voters on abortion rights issues ahead of the November elections in support of Democratic President Joe Biden and Sen, Tammy Baldwin. Warren was joined on stage by, left to right, Tanya Atkinson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin; reproductive rights advocate Amanda Zurawski and University of Wisconsin-Madison medical student Laurie Lapp. Wisconsin Democratic Chair Ben Wikler, Lt. Gov Sara Rodriguez and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski joined Warren. The event followed earlier ones Monday, including a roundtable led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is locked in a reelection battle with Republican Eric Hovde. Similar events were planned in Eau Claire and Hudson on Tuesday. You know those moments, those points in history that just stay in your brain forever when something shocking happened? That's what overturned Dobbs was for all women across the United States," Rodriguez said. Warren said more than one in every three women in the country who are of reproductive age live in states that enacted abortion bans at six weeks of pregnancy or less. "They're not stopping until it's three out of three women," Warren said. Abortion proved a salient issue in high-profile races across the state, and Democrats are trying to make their message resonate with the same potency ahead of the November elections. Gov. Tony Evers in 2022 and state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz in 2023 campaigned on abortion access following the Dobbs ruling. After the decision revived an 1849 state abortion law banning the practice in situations except when the mother would die without one, abortion rights were suspended for 15 months until a Dane County ruling reversed the ban a decision that is being appealed to the state Supreme Court. Trump declined to weigh in on the ban during a May trip to Waukesha. Trump has frequently taken credit for knocking down Roe v. Wade and has also suggested states should set their own abortion policies, not the federal government. After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, Trump wrote in a May 2023 post on Truth Social. Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Advocates increasingly frame abortion as issue of bodily autonomy, emphasizing contraception, in vitro fertilization and medication. "This is about control of our bodies and having the freedom to decide what happens to our bodies and in our lives," Jessica Mackler, the president of liberal EMILY's List, told the Journal Sentinel prior to speaking at the Warren event Monday evening. Abortion could prove pivotal to a close election in Wisconsin The most recent Marquette University Law School poll found abortion policy ranked third in issues following the economy and immigration and border security. Stances on abortion have remained stable, with 70% saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases compared to 30% that say it should be illegal in all or most cases. Still, a record share of U.S. voters say theyve become one-issue voters on abortion rights, especially among women ages 18 to 49. Wikler said candidates who pushed abortion rights saw successes in 2022 despite similar polling that it didnt top the list of issues. Advocates said abortion usually isnt the first thing on voters minds because its not something people need access to every day, unlike gas or groceries. When there was a clear choice between someone who would take their freedom away and someone who would fight to defend that freedom, voters chose the pro-freedom candidate, the candidate that believes abortion should be a personal decision, Wikler said. Trump has warned his supporters the issue could hurt Republicans, particularly if Congress were to pursue a federal abortion ban, and said states should set their own abortion policies, not the federal government. Republicans in Wisconsin have struggled to unify around a position on the issue, with the Republican National Convention in July fast approaching. At the partys state convention in May, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson urged attendees to unify their position and warned Democrats will seek to make the 2024 presidential election a referendum on the issue. The issue could help make or break the election in Wisconsin, where Trump lost the 2020 election by under 21,000 votes. That Democrats chose Madison to deliver their message Monday wasn't surprising. Fast-growing Dane County has become an essential base for the party. Madison and its nearby suburbs generated about 35,000 more votes in 2020 than in 2016's martchup between Trump and Hillary Clinton. Democratic politicians Monday evening called on voters to door knock, text and volunteer with the Biden-Harris team. "You're really the wedge point here," Warren told the room at the Majestic Theatre. "What I want to do is remind all of you how much power you have. You are in a state which is going to be key to who the next President of the United States." In an interview Tuesday, Warren told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Bidens biggest challenge ahead of November is making sure that people see the contrast between Trump and Biden. The difference between Joe Biden and Donald Trump couldnt be sharper, Warren said. "Donald Trump is bragging about overturning Roe vs. Wade, taking full credit. Joe Biden is fighting for healthcare decisions to be made by a patient and a doctor, not a politician in Washington. The Biden-Harris campaign has made abortion rights a touchstone of their campaign and often deployed surrogates to push their message in the Midwest. Biden or campaign officials have made 14 visits this year. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Gov. Tony Evers on June 17 in a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour in January in Waukesha County. Wisconsin Republicans criticized Warrens visit to Wisconsin. From pushing to abolish ICE to parroting Hamas propaganda, Elizabeth Warren represents everything wrong with the extremist agenda of the Wisconsin Democrats, Wisconsin GOP spokesperson Matt Fisher said in a statement. Wisconsinites are tired of failed leftist politicians prioritizing special interest groups over our national interests. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Elizabeth Warren seeks to energize Wisconsin swing voters on abortion MADISON, Wis. Democrats leaned hard this week into the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade to tout efforts to protect abortion access, an issue theyre counting on to fire up key base voters in President Joe Biden's re-election bid. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke to a crowd of about 400 people Monday night at Madison's Majestic Theatre, where she focused on the impact of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization Supreme Court ruling and slammed what she characterized as former President Donald Trumps threats to reproductive rights. "Donald Trump and the extremist Republicans are coming for access to abortion, access to contraception and access to IVF and it is up to us to stop them," Warren said. "The very notion that healthcare is a private decision between a patient and a physician, that is on the ballot on November 5." Wisconsin Democratic Chair Ben Wikler, Lt. Gov Sara Rodriguez and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski joined Warren. The event followed earlier ones Monday, including a roundtable led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is locked in a re-election battle with Republican Eric Hovde. Similar events were planned in Eau Claire and Hudson on Tuesday. You know those moments, those points in history that just stay in your brain forever when something shocking happened? That's what overturned Dobbs was for all women across the United States," Rodriguez said. Warren said more than one in every three women in the country who are of reproductive age live in states that enacted abortion bans at six weeks of pregnancy or less. "They're not stopping until it's three out of three women," Warren said. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., second from left, speaks at Madison's Majestic Theatre on Monday, June 24, 2024, to rally voters on abortion rights issues ahead of the November elections in support of Democratic President Joe Biden and Sen, Tammy Baldwin. Warren was joined on stage by, left to right, Tanya Atkinson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin; reproductive rights advocate Amanda Zurawski and University of Wisconsin-Madison medical student Laurie Lapp. Abortion proved a salient issue in high-profile races across the state, and Democrats are trying to make their message resonate with the same potency ahead of the November elections. Gov. Tony Evers in 2022 and state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz in 2023 campaigned on abortion access following the Dobbs ruling. After the decision revived an 1849 state abortion law banning the practice in situations except when the mother would die without one, abortion rights were suspended for 15 months until a Dane County ruling reversed the ban a decision that is being appealed to the state Supreme Court. Trump declined to weigh in on the ban during a May trip to Waukesha. Trump has frequently taken credit for knocking down Roe v. Wade and has also suggested states should set their own abortion policies, not the federal government. After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, Trump wrote in a May 2023 post on Truth Social. Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Advocates increasingly frame abortion as issue of bodily autonomy, emphasizing contraception, in vitro fertilization and medication. "This is about control of our bodies and having the freedom to decide what happens to our bodies and in our lives," Jessica Mackler, the President of liberal EMILY's List, told the Journal Sentinel prior to speaking at the Warren event Monday evening. Abortion could prove pivotal to a close election in Wisconsin The most recent Marquette University Law School poll found abortion policy ranked third in issues following the economy and immigration and border security. Stances on abortion have remained stable, with 70% saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases compared to 30% that say it should be illegal in all or most cases. Still, a record share of U.S. voters say theyve become one-issue voters on abortion rights, especially among women ages 18 to 49. Wikler said candidates who pushed abortion rights saw successes in 2022 despite similar polling that it didnt top the list of issues. Advocates said abortion usually isnt the first thing on voters minds because its not something people need access to every day, unlike gas or groceries. When there was a clear choice between someone who would take their freedom away and someone who would fight to defend that freedom, voters chose the pro-freedom candidate, the candidate that believes abortion should be a personal decision, Wikler said. Trump has warned his supporters the issue could hurt Republicans, particularly if Congress were to pursue a federal abortion ban, and said states should set their own abortion policies, not the federal government. Republicans in Wisconsin have struggled to unify around a position on the issue, with the Republican National Convention in July fast approaching. At the partys state convention in May, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson urged attendees to unify their position and warned Democrats will seek to make the 2024 presidential election a referendum on the issue. People march down State Street to the Capitol during the National Women's March marking 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, in Madison on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. Protesters demonstrated their opposition to last year's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made Wisconsin the epicenter of a national battle over abortion access. The issue could help make or break the election in Wisconsin, where Trump lost the 2020 election by under 21,000 votes. That Democrats chose Madison to deliver their message Monday wasn't surprising. Fast-growing Dane County has become an essential base for the party. Madison and its nearby suburbs generated about 35,000 more votes in 2020 than in 2016's martchup between Trump and Hillary Clinton. Democratic politicians Monday evening called on voters to door knock, text and volunteer with the Biden-Harris team. "You're really the wedge point here," Warren told the room at the Majestic Theatre. "What I want to do is remind all of you how much power you have. You are in a state which is going to be key to who the next President of the United States." The Biden-Harris campaign has made abortion rights a touchstone of their campaign and often deployed surrogates to push their message in the Midwest. Biden or campaign officials have made 14 visits this year. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Gov. Tony Evers on June 17 in a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour in January in Waukesha County. Wisconsin Republicans criticized Warrens visit to Wisconsin. From pushing to abolish ICE to parroting Hamas propaganda, Elizabeth Warren represents everything wrong with the extremist agenda of the Wisconsin Democrats, Wisconsin GOP Spokesperson Matt Fisher said in a statement. Wisconsinites are tired of failed leftist politicians prioritizing special interest groups over our national interests. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Elizabeth Warren seeks to energize Wisconsin swing voters on abortion Voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo By Karen Pulfer Focht/ Tennessee Lookout) Tennessees top Democrat in the state House wants the secretary of state to explain why more than 14,000 people received a letter warning them they might not be able to vote in the upcoming election. House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a Memphis Democrat, wrote to Secretary of State Tre Hargett, asking him to explain how his office identified who should receive the election letters and what the state plans to do with the information. I am concerned about the necessity and timing of this additional verification measure, Camper said in the letter sent Monday. Democratic House Minority Leader has asked Secretary of State Tre Hargett about a letter sent to 14,000 Tennessee voters warning them about voting illegally. (Photo: John Partipilo) The election letters, signed by Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins, were sent out in early June. They warned recipients that when they received their drivers licenses, they might not have been U.S. citizens and therefore are not allowed to vote. The letter points out that illegal voting is a felony, punishable by two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. It offers U.S. citizens a prepaid mailing option to submit proof of their citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate. Nashville Democrats Reps. John Ray Clemmons and Jason Powell joined Camper in expressing outrage over the letters. They requested an investigation by the state attorney general into whether Goins letter constituted a voter intimidation tactic. On its face, this letter is an egregious and unlawful act by a state official targeting a certain population of citizens who are lawful voters, with the clear intent to intimidate them, Clemmons said in a statement. The Lookout reached out to a spokesperson for the secretary of states office on Tuesday morning and had not received a response to its question by the time of publication. Goins election letter Letter Campers letter Camper Letter to Hargett (1) The post Dems demand answers after Tennessee officials send 14k letters warning against illegal voting appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. Denmark will stop training Ukrainian F-16 pilots by the end of this year as the country transitions to operating F-35 fighter jets, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on June 24. We will be transitioning to flying the F-35, so we need to spend our energy on that, and so we cannot continue training Ukrainian pilots after 2024, Poulsen said at a press conference on Monday. The first Danish F-16s are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine this summer. The country will send 19 F-16 aircraft to Kyiv, as well as equipment for F-16 fighter jets. Kyiv also expects to receive the aircraft also from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway. Denmark will soon finish training about 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots at the Skrydstrup air base. Poulsen noted that Ukraine will be able to "make its contribution" to the training of F-16 pilots in another capacity, although he did not provide details on future training. Efforts are currently ongoing to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots in Romania and the United States. A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Denmark has already allocated 64.8 billion Danish kroner (over $9 billion) in military aid under its Ukraine fund for the period of 2023-2028. Denmark is anticipating the arrival of 27 new F-35 fighter jets - the first of which arrived in Denmark in September 2023. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia increases use of chemical weapons on battlefield, Kyiv says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Deputies search for a vehicle connected to Halloween homicide in Fresno Deputies search for a vehicle connected to Halloween homicide in Fresno FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Detectives are searching for a car they believe could be connected to the death of 19-year-old Fresno teen Angel Zuniga, according to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office on Monday. WATCH: Information wanted in 2022 Halloween homicide in Fresno Though the photo is quite pixelated, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office has determined that the vehicle is a late 90s light-colored Lexus LS400 with a partial license plate of #8YKX***. On Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, at nearly 2 a.m., the Fresno County Sheriffs Office says the dispatch center received a 911 call of shots fired at 8096 E. Hedges Ave. in Fresno. Officials say a large Halloween costume party was taking place there with about 200 guests when a fight broke out and shots were fired. Angel Zuniga was struck and died at the scene, sheriffs officials say. Anyone with additional information on this vehicle or the case as a whole should call Fresno County Sheriffs Detective Jose Diaz at 559-600-8204 or the dispatch center at 559-600-3111. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. HART TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Authorities a 16-year-old moped driver was flown to the hospital after a crash near Hart. The Oceana County Sheriffs Office said it happened around 10 p.m. Monday at the intersection of W. Tyler Road and 72nd Avenue in Hart Township. The moped was heading northbound on 72nd when it struck an eastbound vehicle, according to the sheriffs office. The teen was flown by Aero Med to Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids, where they are listed in critical condition. This embedded content is not available in your region. The sheriffs office said alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. UNION GROVE, Wis. (WFRV) Authorities in southeastern Wisconsin released bodycam footage of deputies responding to a fire at an apartment complex on Friday morning. According to a release, the Racine County Sheriffs Office was sent to the Carriage Hills Apartments, located on the 800 block of 18th Avenue in the village of Union Grove, for a possible fire in one of the units. EF-1 tornado hits north of Keshena causing several campers to flip over The complainant reported smelling smoke, seeing smoke coming out of the apartment from under the door, and hearing a crackling sound. Despite knocking on the door, there was no response, prompting the complainant to activate the fire alarm. After two deputies arrived on the scene, they observed smoke billowing out of a second-story window. The two issued evacuations of the building and attempted to make contact with anyone inside the apartment that was reportedly on fire, but there was no answer. One deputy checked the doorknob and felt it was hot to the touch. The deputies got breaching equipment and a fire extinguisher from the squad car. One deputy breached the door with a sledgehammer, and the other deputy entered the apartment. The deputy encountered black smoke and active flames on the floor and around a window. The deputies called for anyone in the apartment, but again, no answer. On multiple occasions, the Racine County Sheriffs Office says the deputy had to retreat from the apartment and then re-enter because he was inhaling the smoke. The deputy sprayed the floor with the fire extinguisher, which caused the flames to retreat momentarily, but the flames quickly returned. Recognizing the fire extinguishers ineffectiveness, the deputy went back to his squad car and retrieved a Fire Suppression Tool V4. The deputy deployed the orange box into the apartment while the other deputy continued to evacuate residents. Eight seconds after the Fire Suppression Tool V4 is activated, an aerosol mist is generated. This mist expands and can fill a space of up to 5,300 cubic feet for approximately 35 seconds. This interrupts the bond between the heat and oxygen molecules, suppressing the flames. The Fire Suppression Tool V4 can reduce the temperature in a structure significantly (up to 1,000 degrees) and can prevent back-drafts without removing any oxygen from potential victims. Once outside the building, as the fire department arrived on the scene, the deputies were told that the tenant from one of the units was unaccounted for. The deputies provided this information to the firefighters, who located the person sleeping. After being evacuated, they were treated for smoke inhalation. No other tenants required medical treatment. Firefighters contained the flames a short time after. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling commended the deputies for their bravery during the incident. Staff member in critical condition after fight at a northern Wisconsin youth prison I am proud of the deputies who utilized their training and equipment to quickly control the spreading fire, said Sheriff Schmaling. Their heroic actions prevented any further injuries or loss of property. I thank the Masons for providing the Sheriffs Union Grove squad with the Fire Suppression Tool, which was instrumental during this incident. No additional details were provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Featured video: DeSantis awards $5.5M infrastructure grant to Plant City for loop construction HIALEAH, Fla. (WFLA) Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order suspending a Hialeah city councilwoman Tuesday. The governors office announced that councilwoman Angelica Pacheco would be suspended after a federal grand jury indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Home sellers are slashing prices in these Florida cities, according to Realtor.com Under state law, the governor of Florida is allowed to suspend any official who is indicted on a federal felony. It is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Hialeah, and the citizens of the State of Florida, that Angelica Pacheco be immediately suspended from the public office which she now holds, DeSantis executive order stated. Under this suspension, the councilwoman would be barred from performing any official duties as a councilwoman, receiving any pay for her position, and would be kept from any privileges of her public office. The order will last until either DeSantis issues another order or as dictated by law. NBC affiliate WTVJ reported that Pacheco, who was elected in November, was accused of billing insurance companies for over $19 million in claims for services at Florida Life Recovery and Rehabilitation, Pachecos former treatment center. The indictment stated that the center, which is no longer in business, made the claims over a three-year period. In response to the indictment, the councilwoman denied the all in a Spanish statement saying that while the accusations did originate in Hialeah, she claimed the mayor was behind the investigation due to her extensive network of contacts. Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo Jr. released a statement of his own, saying that the federal charges were not related to her work as a councilwoman but that it is still an unfortunate occurrence. This decision comes as a result of Mrs. Pachecos grand jury indictment for defrauding the United States of millions of dollars announced last week, Bovo said in a statement after DeSantis order. I reiterate my disappointment in Mrs. Pachecos actions and hope to put this dark chapter for the City behind us. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Hialeah Councilwoman Angelica Pacheco from office on Tuesday, days after she was indicted on healthcare fraud charges. Seven months and 12 days after she was sworn in as a councilwoman in Hialeah following four runs to win a council seat, Pacheco was removed from office after she was accused of falsely billing private insurers millions of dollars for medically unnecessary services at her addiction treatment center. Angelica Pacheco, second from left, takes the oath during the Hialeah Council swearing-in ceremony, after defeating incumbent Vivian Casals-Munoz. On Monday, November 13, 2023 in Hialeah, Florida. The suspension is effective immediately, according to the executive order. Angelica Pacheco is prohibited from performing any official act, duty, or function of public office, reads the order. She is also prohibited from receiving any pay or privileges associated with holding public office. Minutes before the order was issued, Pacheco posted a video on YouTube where she repeated her claim that her FBI investigation has political motivations because she was exposing things that put many people in danger. They have to do something scandalous to silence me, creating a media scandal to distract the public and the press from what it is really happening in the City of Hialeah, she said. Pacheco told el Nuevo Herald that she is innocent in an interview Tuesday. I respect his decision, but I have the confidence that I will be able to occupy this position again, she said. I know my innocence is going to be proven. In a statement released Tuesday, Mayor Esteban Steve Bovo Jr. reiterated his disappointment in Pachecos actions and said he hopes to put this dark chapter for the city behind us. Hialeahs charter specifies that a permanent vacancy resulting from death, resignation, recall, court order, or other lawful action shall be filled by appointment, by resolution, by an affirmative vote of at least four council members within 30 days of the vacancy. The suspension was handed down just hours before the last scheduled City Council meeting before the summer break at Hialeah City Hall, prompting politicians to quickly consider appointing someone to fill her vacancy. Jesus Tundidor, the council president, told the Herald that the situation marks a very sad moment for Hialeah. It always hurts when we see the city filled with this kind of news, a reputation from which we have tried very hard to free ourselves, he said. Tundidor noted that Tuesday nights council meeting will include a discussion on this matter to coordinate a special session to address the vacancy left by Pachecos removal. READ MORE: Hialeah councilwomans arrest could leave vacancy, but mayor doesnt want special election The day after the councilwoman surrendered to the FBI, Bovo held a press conference where he said he expected the City Council to appoint someone to replace her. The council has had the ability to appoint a person that usually holds the position until the next election because a special election in the city costs half a million dollars, the mayor said, ruling out the possibility to conduct an special election in November for her vacancy. My advice to the councilors would be ... I dont think it is even feasible at this time to be able to conduct an election to try to have it in November, Bovo said. On Friday, Roberto A. Rodriguez, deputy supervisor of the Miami-Dade County Elections Department, told the Herald there is still time for Hialeah to conduct an election this year for any vacant seat. Rodriguez said because this year is a presidential election year, if Hialeah decides to conduct an election for Pachecos seat in November, it would cost about $44,000, not the $415,000 that the city paid in 2023 for an election for four council seats. With Pachecos suspension, Hialeah will have two open seats by the end of the year following Bryan Calvos resignation in November. Calvo has to resigning because he is running for tax collector. A couple of weeks before Pachecos indictment, she and her colleague Calvo debated about his soon-to-be-vacant seat in City Council meeting. Hialeah attorney Rafael Suarez-Rivas explained to the council that the city is governed by state statutes, which stipulate that the resignation is effective when indicated in the letter, and in this case, it is November 1st. The front page of the Deseret News on June 25, 1950, as North Korean troops invade their southern neighbor. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. The world plunged into another challenging conflict as the Korean War began when communist North Korean forces invaded democratic South Korea on June 25, 1950. The Deseret News covered the blossoming war. Initially, it was labeled a police action by U.S. government officials, but for more than a year, it felt every bit like another full-fledged conflict. In South Korea, it is referred to as the 625 War; in North Korea, the Fatherland Liberation War. And unfortunately, for most Americans, its more often remembered for the M*A*S*H war. The history: The unexpected surprise attack pushed the South Korean forces and the small number of American troops in the country to the southeastern corner of the peninsula, holding a line around the city of Pusan. With a United Nations mandate approved to defend South Korea from northern aggression, the United States and its allies began sending troops to hold the Pusan perimeter. In September, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who commanded the U.N. forces from Tokyo, launched a surprise amphibious raid behind North Korean lines, with the intent of trapping North Korean forces in the south and cutting them off from a line of retreat. Moving too slowly, MacArthur was unable to trap the North Koreans, but the Inchon landings did force the North Koreans out of the south in a panicked rout. On Nov. 25-26, 1950, the Chinese Army entered the Korean War in earnest with a violent attack against the American and United Nations forces in North Korea. The 300,000-man Chinese offensive caught the U.N. forces off guard, largely because of MacArthurs belief that China would not openly enter the war, and vastly expanded the conflict. The conflict displaced millions of people, inflicting 3 million fatalities and a larger proportion of civilian deaths than World War II or the Vietnam War. Alleged war crimes include the killing of suspected communists by Seoul and the torture and starvation of prisoners of war by the North Koreans. Virtually all of Koreas major cities were destroyed. No peace treaty was ever signed, making this a frozen conflict. Tensions remain high in the region to this day. As anniversaries of the events come and go, it is worth understanding the dynamics of the era and how to avoid future conflicts. Other stories from many perspectives from Deseret News archives: 70 years after the Korean War began, we must not forget its heroic veterans Remembering the Korean War `Forgotten war in Korea finally remembered Korean War vet says prospect of peace gives him hope This week in history: China enters the Korean War Korean War armistice and todays world North Korea marks war anniversary Families still separated 60 years after Korean War Many who did not live through those wars (World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War), perhaps gained a stilted view of war from the novel (MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors), film (M*A*S*H) and popular TV series (M*A*S*H). MASH, of course, is the acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The television show aired from 1972 to 1983, then moved to syndication, where it remains a staple. Often tragic, usually humorous, some of its themes and portrayals have become outdated and offensive. The 4077th reunites in a "MASH: 30th Anniversary Reunion Special" in 2002. Clockwise from left: Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicut, William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy, Jamie Farr as Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, David Ogden Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Loretta Swit as Head Nurse Major Margaret Houlihan, Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce, Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter. | Fox Here are some archived stories on that topic: `M*A*S*H stars turn out as unit in Korea is deactivated MASH filmmaker says he hates series No cameras, but 144ths `M*A*S*H in operation Reunion revives a 54 miracle When the Sacramento City Council met in closed session earlier this month to evaluate the performance of City Manager Howard Chan, it was not supposed to be yet another conversation about his pay. Now that City Attorney Susana Alcala-Wood is investigating whether an illegal discussion took place, the city needs to come out of this as transparently as possible. Only one member of the council requested this investigation, District Fours Katie Valenzuela. It may be no coincidence that she is leaving the council at the end of the year and thus has little to fear. I do want to publicly ask for an investigation into whether any rules were broken, she said last Tuesday. The Brown Act, Californias open meetings law that all cities must follow, is beyond clear on this subject. According to the League of California Cities, the Brown Act specifically prohibits (closed session) discussion of employee compensation, except in context of labor negotiations. No closed session convened for a performance evaluation of a city manager may include a discussion between the manager and the council about compensation in closed session. Opinion Whose job is it to make sure the Brown Act is being followed in a closed session? A city attorney should not sit quietly while a council veers off-topic. according to the cities association. When present in closed session, whatever else the city attorney may be there for, the public should be able to count on the city attorney to speak up if the council discussion exceeds the scope of the permissible closed session. In response to Valenzuelas request, Alaca-Wood said, Given the confidential nature of closed session proceedings and .the vague limitations that are set forth, its really unclear what meaningful remedy could be achieved. A thorough investigation would be extremely meaningful. It would have to include the following. If Alcala-Wood determines that a closed session on Chans performance included an unlawful discussion of the city managers pay, the city must officially declare that it violated the Brown Act. Any portion of this closed session that illegally discussed the city managers pay should not be afforded any confidentiality or protection. In essence, what should have been a public session discussion wrongly happened in private. Alcala-Woods investigation should include as detailed a transcript of the discussion as possible. The identity of who initiated this discussion of the city managers pay must be revealed. How this violation occurred must be clarified. Was Alcala-Wood present and knowingly let the conversation happen? Was she unaware that the Brown Act prohibits a discussion of pay in a private performance evaluation? Was no attorney present at all? Chan was the highest-paid city manager in California in 2022. The Brown Act sets the floor, and not the ceiling, on meeting transparency. A city can develop its own rules, such as requiring Chan to provide questions in advance to the council for his performance evaluation so all parties better understand the boundaries of the discussion. Open meeting rules for Sacramento would be an excellent next step, Valenzuela said. Alcala-Wood deserves credit for suggesting the idea herself as a possible discussion item for a future council meeting - in public. If, as we suspect, Chan was shilling for a raise inappropriately in this closed session, that would be quite the performance. That would be two illegal meetings about his pay in only seven months. The first flub was in December when the city held a special meeting with barely 24 hours notice to discuss a 5% raise for Chan plus six weeks additional vacation. The approval was nullified because the Brown Act specifically prohibits special meetings for manager raises. Chan has been trying to get a raise ever since. Earlier this month, as the city was putting the finishing touches on a grim budget that jacks up fees and ends free parking downtown and midtown on Sundays, was Chan out for himself yet again? A Brown Act violation would be another black eye for City Hall. More than half of states, all with Republican attorneys general, have sued to block a recent U.S. Department of Education final rule seeking to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination. (Credit: Getty Images) Quality Journalism for Critical Times Broward County Public Schools has voted to close a minimum of five of its campuses amid declining enrollment, a trend in counties across Florida amid increasing taxpayer-funded enrollment in private and charter schools. The board on June 18 told Superintendent Howard Hepburn to begin the closure process in light of an internal report finding that 66 of Browards more than 200 traditional public schools were operating at 70% or less capacity. Board member Jeff Holness called for a complete plan as opposed to what the official initially called a closed plan the latter focused on closing rather than on a future of growth. How will be we competitive? Because otherwise we are going to still continue to close schools, to repurpose schools, because we are losing students, Holness explained. Other board members echoed the need to bolster the remaining schools. Board member Nora Rupert advocated for schools to advertise their programs and plans for improvement to attract in-district families who have used the choice option to attend alternatives like charter schools. Charter schools are considered public schools, although they are not subject to as much government overrsight but rather are subject to rules put in place by their governing boards. The Broward board instructed Hepburn to take action district-wide to expand programmatic options at our schools, to recommend the closure of a minimum of five schools and develop a plan to attract students back to our schools for the 2025-26 school year and approve the recommended timeline. The board will decide during a special meeting in November which schools are optimal for closure based on school grade, historical significance, facility conditions, and percentage of students in their neighborhoods attending charter schools. Such developments in Broward and elsewhere are in keeping with the DeSantis administrations policy of giving parents control over their childrens educations and the states top education official is asking traditional public schools to do better, even those serving disadvantaged communities, while facing decreasing budgets. Thats how this works Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. has argued that administrators contemplating closing schools because of the drain from Floridas expanded voucher programs should innovate to make themselves more attractive to parents. Youve seen these reports of some districts having to close schools; well, thats how this works, Diaz said during a May 29 Board of Education meeting. Two of the three districts discussed in a Politico report published three days before Diazs remarks, Broward and Miami-Dade, have voted to close schools, and the third is collecting feedback on the best route forward. Similar closures are possible in other districts. Districts have to make decisions, and sometimes these districts in the past have made decisions that have kicked the can down the road and now have to make harder decisions, Diaz said. But what they need to do is continue to innovate and provide programming that is attractive to parents, so that in that open competition they have the best option for those parents to choose. In a previous presentation to the board about Browards redefining our schools initiative, Hepburn included a goal to Be the Choice for Students and Families while exhibiting fiscal responsibility. A survey of more than 2,000 charter and private school parents in Broward County found that factors influencing decisions to switch to a traditional public school include enhanced academic programs, increased extracurricular opportunities, improved safety measures, better transportation services, and greater options for parent involvement. At Oakridge Elementary School, one of the three campuses once proposed for closure in Broward, 36.1% of public-school students in its boundary attended charter schools during 2023-24, not including those attending private schools. At Olsen Middle School, another campus possibly targeted for closure, 45.1% of public students within its neighborhood attended charter schools during 2023-24. Those boundaries are in part made up of a Census tract in which more than 50% of students in grades 5 through 8 attended private schools during 2022. Fewer students Between the 2012-13 school year and the 2022-23 school year, 3.59% of enrolled students within Broward shifted from public to private education (not including charters), compared to the 2.76% statewide rate. Browards traditional public schools share of total enrollment was 87.39% in 2012-13 before dropping to 83.8% in 2022-23. The shift during that decade equates to 5,494 fewer public-school students and 11,768 more noncharter private-school students in the county. The overall student population increased by 6,274. There are 300 public schools in Broward County, 87 of them charter schools. There are 309 private schools in the county, not including charters, according to a board report. Other counties facing closures Up the coast in Duval County, outside consultants to the school board proposed closing 30 of its 197 schools to help address a projected $1.4 billion deficit reflecting $2.51 billion in resources against $3.91 billion in costs. The plan looks to right size schools in the Duval district, where 24% of available seats for students sat vacant during the 2022-23 academic year and 85% of the 152 schools were below seat utilization in 2023-24, a number that encompasses enrollment and capacity. The Duval district has lost 0.14% of its share of total students to private schools since 2012-13. According to Duval district documents, the choice option to go to charter or private schools is used by more than half of middle and high school students. Students who choose to enroll in non-traditional public schools take their state per-pupil allocation with them. The declining enrollment creates bigger gaps between classroom expenses and state allocations for every student that takes their allocation elsewhere. According to a Senate fiscal impact report, 374,960 students received vouchers in 2023-24, up from 255,361 from the year before. Vouchers for tuition vary for different schools and students but typically range around $8,000 per student. Local options The Duval district hosted seven forums to address enrollment and budget changes since the growth of charter and private school enrollment, preceded by a panel discussion of school closures and the role of public education in the county. The district has hired a new superintendent since the proposed closures were announced, and advocacy groups in opposition to closures have formed. Duval and Broward are not alone. For example, Hillsborough County Public Schools closed five schools in May; a Leon County school board member prompted discussions about closing schools amid declining enrollment during an April meeting; and Martin County recently started offering controlled enrollment, whereby students can switch from their assigned campuses to other traditional public schools within the district with spare capacity to balance enrollment. Miami-Dade Public Schools voted June 18 to repurpose campuses and establish new neighborhood boundaries for schools, including two historically serving Black and immigrant communities. Antonio White, first vice president of United Teachers of Dade, said during a news conference before the board meeting that the "powers that be in Tallahassee" are penalizing public sector unions. "Tallahassee politicians need to fully fund our schools so that students in these communities have the resources they need without having to be bused to other locations," White said. "Schools do not need to be closed or be repurposed for Dade County Public Schools to become more efficient. Local neighborhood schools can remain open and still be more efficient if the district makes small changes in how they operate these schools. This is a concerted effort, and we intend to stand to fight against that," he added. The Miami-Dade school board opted to convert two campuses from traditional public schools to "exceptional student education facilities" serving children with disabilities or special needs Shadowlawn and Parkview elementary schools and transform the Myrtle Grove school from a K-8 school to an elementary school. Daniella Pierre, Miami-Dade NAACP branch president, called for equal access to education across the district. In Broward, too, came warnings of harm to marginalized communities from closure of public schools, which can serve as community centers and focuses of neighborhood identity. "We are Shadowlawn; we are Parkview; we are the schools of this community," Pierre said, referring to minority residents. "And we call for the full funding of public education in our schools. We're calling on everyone else to join in with us. We understand and know since the beginning of time, as we recognize the seventh anniversary of Brown v. Board, we are continuing the same fight for education," Pierre said. Driving the shift in enrollment Florida's school choice program previously limited eligibility based on income, but now offers universal school choice, which increases greatly the number of students eligible to receive vouchers. That massive voucher expansion in 2023 could mean a more drastic drop in traditional public-school enrollment in the years to come. School vouchers apply state funding to cover, or assist in covering, education of students if their parents choose to send them to a nontraditional public school, including charter or home schools. The number of home-schooled children has more than doubled since 2012-13, when 75,801 students were home schooled compared to 154,289 during 2022-23. The number of children attending private schools in 2013-14 was 325,502 and rose to 445,067 in 2022-23. Ben Gibson, chair of the State Board of Education, agreed with Diaz that disruption in education in many ways can be a good thing, because its forcing everyone to rethink about how we are delivering education. I think sometimes theres a narrative that somehow were abandoning public education or that were not prioritizing it, and I think really the way to think about it is were prioritizing all forms of education, and certainly public education is a major, the primary, part of that, Gibson said during the recent state board meeting. Diaz insists it is not the job of the state to choose where students enroll, but to provide options. And we are doing that, he said. Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, warned that students in districts that may close schools could face longer commutes to the traditional public schools that remain open. That's what we're seeing happen in Florida, and the commissioner is celebrating that because that's their intent," Spar said during a news conference following the board meeting. "[The Department of Education doesn't] want strong public schools in every community. They want to use those taxpayer dollars to pad the bottom lines of their corporate interests, those that are in the business of making money off of education, not those who are actually trying to educate every child. The FEA pointed to a WLRN series about elected officials and their ties to charter schools and the nonprofit Step Up For Students, which reported $208 million more revenue than expenses in 2021. Diaz, a former state legislator, was chief operating officer at Doral College for nearly 10 years before becoming education commissioner. Doral, a private college, creates programs for charter schools and is affiliated with for-profit charter school network Academica, which oversees more than 200 charter schools. As a member of the Florida Senate, Diaz sponsored various education bills, including 2021 legislation that created school choice opportunities for some Florida students and 2017 legislation that brought accusations of a conflict of interest that provided $140 million to charter schools. The post Districts are closing traditional public schools as charters, etc., lure students appeared first on Florida Phoenix. The Spanish 1715 Treasure Fleet sunk off the Florida coast holding riches bound for Europe. Over 300 years later, treasure hunters are still rummaging the ships for fabulous finds. The latest discovery comes from a group of Florida divers who recovered over 200 silver cob coins. A fleet of Spanish ships heading home from the New World didnt get the moniker Treasure Fleet for nothing. Sunk in a hurricane in 1715, the group of ships now known as the 1715 Treasure Fleet continues to yield amazing findsthe latest taking the form of over 200 silver cob coins. You dont expect that, Grant Gitschlag, captain of the boat bringing divers to the exclusive site off Floridas east coast, told Fox. You always hope for it, but you never expect it. Another diver called the find almost numbing. Part of the reasoning for not expecting much is the 1715 Treasure Fleet is a well-known wreck. The 12 ships traveling from Cuba to Spain encountered a hurricane within a few days of beginning the voyage, resulting in the tragic sinking of 11 of the ships and the deaths of nearly 900 people. It was common from the mid-16th century to the mid-18th century for armed fleets to transport New World treasure back to Spain, according to the National Park Service. The ships were often filled with silver, gold, gems, tobacco, spices, and indigo. But while the extra security was likely useful in the face of pirates and privateers from rival European countries, theres not much armed guards can do about hurricanes. A treasure worth an estimated 14 million pesos was thrown into the ocean. Some of it immediately washed ashore, and more of it was salvaged over the next few weeks as cargo continued to escape from wrecks and wash toward the Florida coast. The shipwrecks were soon forgotten, but the coins never were. Spanish coins continued to wash up on the beaches through the 1950s and 1960s, leading to a dive that showed the location of the wreck and an exclusive salvage contract. For years, that contract has led many a treasure hunter toward the wrecks, each hoping to grab a piece of the treasure once bound for Spain. Finding such a haul now shows that the 1715 Treasure Fleet was full of bountyand may still be. To get this kind of quantity in a period of a couple of days, Gitschlag said, is a very exciting start. Those on the modern discovery were thrilled. Its the find, Corinne Lea, a treasure hunter, tells Fox. Its all about the find. I love the history, being the first person up in 309 years to find what was once lost in a tragedy. You Might Also Like In the two years since federal abortion protections were overturned, Kentucky OB-GYNs say theyve witnessed how Kentuckys abortion bans have forced them to compromise their health care expertise and, in doing so, increase risk to the health of their patients. Dr. Alecia Fields, an OB-GYN in central Kentucky, said shes had to sit and wait until someone becomes sick enough to intervene with basic, necessary health care, because of these laws. The restrictions on her ability to provide care is directly tied to increased experiences of pregnancy complications, Fields added. Fields spoke alongside other health care providers and reproductive rights advocates in Lexington Monday to highlight how the two-year anniversary of the fall of Roe v. Wade continues to hamper providers ability to provide the standard of care to their pregnant patients. As a doctor, I have been faced with decisions that I never thought possible, she said. Decisions that are not based on good medicine, but are driven by state law. Such laws that restrict her ability to provide care undercut her skills and expertise as a physician, Fields said. Through a combination of Kentuckys trigger law and a six-week ban both of which became law when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 legal abortion has been all but eliminated statewide. Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics Newsletter A must-read newsletter for political junkies across the Bluegrass State with reporting and analysis from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Never miss a story! Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics newsletter to connect with our reporting team and get behind-the-scenes insights, plus previews of the biggest stories. The trigger law criminalizes physicians from providing abortions except in medical emergencies that threaten a pregnant persons life. The six-week ban, or fetal heartbeat law, bans the procedure after fetal cardiac activity begins, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy. Organized by the Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund, the event also kicked off a statewide media campaign that will feature five mobile billboard trucks, five billboards and a handful of digital ads featuring messaging on the harms of the current laws and encouraging Kentuckians to sign a pledge calling for an end to those bans. This campaign sends a clear message to our elected officials: Kentuckians are tired of lawmakers interfering in our private medical decisions, KYRFF Founder Ona Marshall said. The Kentucky Reproductive Freedom Fund announced on Monday that it was launching a statewide media campaign in an effort to restore abortion rights. Marshall and her husband, Dr. Ernest Marshall, operated EMW Womens Surgical Center, previously one of two outpatient abortion providers in Kentucky that closed its doors last June. Earlier Monday morning in Louisville, Planned Parenthood and its allies also pleaded for lawmakers to restore access. Im concerned about balancing medically standard care with legal risks. Im worried about how I can counsel patients on their options, especially regarding birth control and preventing pregnancy, said Dr. Michelle Elisburg, a pediatrician. My main fear is conflict between medical ethics and non-medical legislation. Fields and Elisburg joined a chorus of health care providers across Kentucky who have decried the impacts of both laws. Close to 300 doctors signed a KYRFF letter this spring urging the legislature to, at minimum, add exceptions to the ban. They say the ban as-is prevents them from providing the standard of care to their patients, including by forcing women with nonviable pregnancies to travel out of state for care that was previously legal. Kentuckys abortion bans do not include exceptions for rape or for fatal fetal anomalies that compromise a fetus ability to survive. Two bills to add such exceptions were filed during the General Assemblys regular session earlier this year, but neither received a committee hearing. A test of basic human decency Gov. Andy Beshear also called for an end to the states abortions bans on Monday a point he has publicly emphasized recently at out-of-state events. When Roe was overturned, it activated a trigger law in Kentucky that put into place what I believe is the most restrictive law on reproductive rights in the country, he said at a Democratic Governors Association United in Defense of Reproductive Freedom event in Minnesota. In Kentucky right now, unless the life of the mother is at risk, there are zero options, Beshear said. If you have a nonviable pregnancy, if youre going to hear your child die moments after its born, you still have to carry that child. That means victims of rape and incest are told they have to carry the child of their rapist. The rapist has more rights in Kentucky right now than his victim. Beshear said restoring abortion access is a test of basic human decency. We ought to start thinking about this as being about human beings and not about a political party. Beshear also mentioned 22-year-old Hadley Duvall of Owensboro, whom he spotlighted in a re-election campaign television ad in 2023. Duvall, who was raped and impregnated by her stepfather at 12, has become a national advocate for abortion access, appearing recently with First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. If you are a candidate right now and youre saying leave things to the states, then you are not pro-exceptions, because it leaves my people out, Beshear said, taking a swipe at former President Donald Trump, who has said the issue should be left for individual states to decide. It leaves out the victims in Kentucky that become pregnant through no fault of their own through a horrible act that violates them, Beshear said. I think its incredibly important, as we look at this presidential race, to see who truly supports our people. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown speaks to a supporter at a Democratic Party campaign event for Franklin County voters. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) Its been two years since the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision sent the question of abortion rights back to the states, and despite new constitutional protections in Ohio, Democrats believe it remains a potent political issue. The party is trying to portray this Novembers U.S. Senate race as a choice between maintaining reproductive rights or opening the door to a nationwide ban. What theyre up against Republicans muddled messaging on the topic has only encouraged that line of attack. Former President Donald Trump brags about overturning Roe v. Wade and even floated the idea of punishing women who sought out abortions. While he was in office, he expressed support for a 20-week abortion ban and this March, he floated the idea of a 15-week ban. A month later, he tried to wash his hands of the debate, stating he wouldnt sign a national ban and arguing in a video its up to the states to do the right thing. Bernie Moreno, Ohios GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, has wrestled with the issue as well. As a U.S. Senate candidate in 2022, he described himself as 100% pro-life with no exceptions. He now argues there should be exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. Earlier this year during a debate, Moreno rejected a nationwide ban on abortions before arguing for a a 15-week floor. Shortly after the Alabama Supreme Court ruling threatened access to in-vitro fertilization he dismissed the incident as a manufactured issue. In an emailed statement, Morenos campaign spokeswoman argued Democrats are knowingly lying about Bernies stance. He has made clear throughout this entire campaign that he supports exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, according to the statement. He has long stated that abortion should primarily be decided at the state level. Process wise, hes comfortable with any path forward that ends elective, late-term abortions with reasonable exceptions and saves as many babies as possible. The problem is Republican candidates find themselves between a rock and a hard place: a primary electorate where the slightest moderate stance is seen as a liability and a general electorate who favor abortion rights by wide margins. Does that translate? Dobbs was two years ago, and since then, Ohioans have added reproductive rights protections to the state constitution by a convincing margin. While Republicans tie themselves in knots over the issue, Democrats have to decide if it remains salient enough to drive voters to the polls. To U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, the answer is an emphatic yes. The fight is still on, he said in a Monday press conference. The energy from last fall will continue into this year and beyond, in this race and Supreme Court races and others. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Connie Schultz, who is also Browns wife, said shes 66 and regularly hears from women her age or older who have become activists for the first time. I feel like a confessional here, she said, because so many times former Republicans come up and want me to know theyre former Republicans, and they want to name the date that they became former Republicans its either Trumps election or Issue 1. Brown and Schultz were joined at the press conference by Gloria Steinem. The leader of second-wave feminism and as Brown was quick to note, Toledo native argued questions of bodily autonomy are at least as basic as freedom of speech or freedom of assembly. It is fundamental to every democracy that we all women and men are able to have bodily integrity, she argued. Abortion Forward executive director Kellie Copeland argued the people galvanized by the Dobbs decision are still engaged. Copeland was one of the chief organizers behind the reproductive rights amendment. When I said it was nearly a million people that got Issue 1 on the ballot and passed it, Im not talking about voters. Im talking about activists, she said. We have a trained army of citizen activists across this state, in every county, who understand that abortion is on the ballot again. If I was Bernie Moreno, I would watch out. A walking tomb Brown sought to tie Moreno directly to the campaign against Ohios reproductive rights amendment, criticizing him for contributing to the campaign against Issue 1. You have a candidate that is arrogant enough to say, well, yeah, I might have tried to defeat Issue 1 I gave $100,000 and even though the voters decided, Im still for a national abortion ban, Brown said. The incumbent U.S. Senator and others argue that kind of arbitrary cutoff isnt built to handle the wide range of potential complications in a pregnancy. A woman named Katie May spoke at the press conference, telling the story of her experience in 2022, when she and her husband were thrilled to be pregnant. But not long after the Dobbs decision, they learned shed had a missed miscarriage. Meaning the baby had died, she explained, but my body hadnt let go of that pregnancy. Because Ohios six-week abortion ban took effect following Dobbs, May couldnt immediately get treatment. Instead, her doctors told her shed have to wait at least 10 days before getting an additional ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy was non-viable. I had to walk around the world for another 12 days pretending to be having a normal life, feeling pregnant, all while knowing that I was carrying a dead baby inside, she described. I just felt like a walking tomb, she said. May said those 12 days were an unnecessary risk to her health and described that second ultrasound as traumatic. Last August, May and her husband had a little boy. I love being a parent, and I want more kids in the future, but Im at high risk for future miscarriages, she said. With abortion bans and without access to the appropriate health care options, trying to get pregnant again would be significantly risking my life. Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post On Dobbs Anniversary, Ohio Democrats warn reproductive rights remains a major issue appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. More than 200,000 signatures were gathered to qualify a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights into the Nevada Constution. (Photo courtesy of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom) Policy, politics and progressive commentary The U.S. Supreme Courts landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization two years ago has brought an onslaught of attacks on reproductive health care that has been felt even in states like Nevada where the right to an abortion is still protected at the state level. On May 20, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom turned in more than 200,000 signatures to qualify a proposed abortion rights constitutional amendment ballot question for the November general election. The amount of signatures, which were gathered over three months this year, is well over the 102,362 required. The group confirmed Monday they are still waiting for signature verification and certification of their proposed ballot measure. Counties have until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday to complete the signature verification process, according to the Nevada Secretary of States Office. The right to an abortion is currently protected in Nevada through state law, which voters approved via a 1990 referendum. Changing that law, which mirrors the protections that were maintained nationwide by Roe v Wade for nearly five decades, would require a direct vote of Nevadans. However, putting the protection directly into the state constitution would offer a higher level of protection, say advocates, which is important in a post-Dobbs political climate. Constitutional amendments proposed through an initiative petition must be passed by voters twice, meaning if voters approve the measure later this year, they will need to approve it again in 2026 before it can go into effect. Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom on Monday released an endorsement letter for their ballot measure signed by more than 175 medical professionals in the state. Dr. Philip Malinas, a psychiatrist in Reno, was one of providers who signed the letter endorsing the proposed constitutional amendment. He shared that hed recently spoken to a woman who described the day she found out she was pregnant as the happiest day of her life and later miscarried. She told me had she had to wait months to pass the fetal remains, or until she got so sick and near death that shed qualify for abortion care, she would have felt like killing herself, he said. Weve seen the harm these bans cause. Additional protections According to an analysis released Monday by the Center for Democracy & Technology, Nevada is one of 17 states that bars state agencies from assisting out-of-state investigations centered on activities like abortion that are legal within the state. After the fall of Roe v. Wade, states like Idaho, Texas and Alabama with strict abortion bans have passed legislation aimed at patients who seek abortion care in states where it is still legal, as well as people who assist those seeking out-of-state abortions. In Nevada, those protections were originally put in place in early 2022 via an executive order issued by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak. They were put into law by the Nevada State Legislature and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo during the 2023 session. Nevada last year also established a data privacy law prohibiting the collection, use or sharing of health data without a consumers consent and the use of geofencing within 1,750 feet of a healthcare facility. The law was inspired by concerns that states with severe abortion laws might attempt to access data stored within peoples menstrual cycle or fitness apps. Some states have embraced additional types of shield laws, notes the Center for Democracy & Technology. Some states have banned private companies from disclosing protected health data even when they receive warrants, court orders and subpoenas. Some barred judges from issuing subpoenas to out-of-state agencies requesting information related to reproductive health care services. Lawmakers have also passed laws to protect patients and providers of gender-affirming care. Some states, including Texas, have passed laws to restrict access to gender-affirming care within their borders and allow for the revocation of licenses for health care providers who provide the care. Nevada Democrats last year passed a bill that would have prohibited health care licensing boards from disqualifying or disciplining a provider for offering gender-affirming care and prohibited the governor from surrendering a person charged with a criminal violation in another state for receiving gender-affirming services in Nevada. Lombardo vetoed the bill. State Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas), who sponsored the gender-affirming shield law bill, has already vowed to reintroduce the bill in the 2025 session. An election issue Think Big America, a nonprofit established in 2022 by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to support and broaden abortion rights across the country, announced Monday they would launch a six-figure digital ad buy highlighting the negative impacts of severe abortion restrictions that have gone into place following the fall of Roe. The ad will run on YouTube and connected television platforms in Nevada and other swing states. The ad is not Think Big Americas first foray into Nevada. The nonprofit has contributed more than $1 million to the Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom PAC in support of the proposed ballot initiative. Nationwide, The Center for Reproductive Rights, National Womens Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations announced Monday theyre putting at least $100 million toward building a long-term federal strategy to codify the right to abortion, including lobbying efforts, grassroots organizing, public education, and comprehensive communication strategies to mobilize support and enact change. Anti-abortion lawmakers have already banned or severely restricted abortion in 21 states with devastating consequences, and they wont stop until they can force a nationwide ban on abortion and push care out of reach entirely, even in states that have protected abortion access, they wrote. Polling from the Pew Research Center conducted earlier this year shows that 63% of Americans support abortion access being legal in all or most cases, while 36% say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The polling shows that Democrats and Republicans hold views in both directions, with 41% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats saying it should be legal in most or all cases, while 57% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats say it should be illegal in most or all cases. The issue, as well as Biden and Trumps records on abortion, are likely to be a central part of the first presidential debate on Thursday, just three days after the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling. States Newsroom reporter Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report. [Editors Note: This article has been updated to include information on the signature verification deadline.] The post As Dobbs decision turns 2, a look at where abortion protections stand in Nevada appeared first on Nevada Current. An abortion rally in downtown Nashville took protesters on a route to the state Capitol and the federal courthouse. (John Partipilo) In Arizona, the states highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. Meanwhile, anger and fear unleashed citizen-driven ballot initiatives around the nation that sought to protect abortion access, and in some cases, competing efforts to codify no right to abortion in some state constitutions. And amid all of that, emergency room physicians in Idaho and other states nationwide are still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether they are subject to criminal penalties for providing an abortion even during a medical emergency. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision after 50 years and ushered in the Dobbs era, allowing states to freely regulate abortion access for the first time since 1973. Dobbs triggered confusion and chaos in the reproductive health care landscape as patients and providers attempted to parse an ever-changing patchwork of laws around the country during considerable legal wrangling. Some trends have emerged with particular salience and offer a possible preview of what is to come before and after the November election. Ban states see as much as 26% reduction in medical residency applications One of the most significant effects of Dobbs is among obstetric providers in the 14 states with abortion bans. The Association of American Medical Colleges published data in May showing fewer new graduates of U.S. medical schools applied to residency programs in states with bans. The decreases were particularly noticeable in ban states such as Tennessee and Alabama, with decreases of about 20% in both between 2023 and 2024. Missouri showed one of the largest decreases at 25.7%, a drop from the previous year, which was still down almost 11%. Arizona experienced an even steeper decline of 26.4%, even though it is a state with a 15-week ban rather than a near-total ban. Kendal Orgera, lead research analyst at the Associations Research and Action Institute, said the data is collected between September and May 31 each year, and overall, there was an increase of just eight applicants for OB-GYN specialties nationwide. The biggest thing is the areas that already have problems with access to care are going to feel the impact first and foremost, Orgera said. Some ban states, such as Idaho and Mississippi, do not have residency programs specifically for OB care and have to rely on outside recruitment. That can make it especially difficult to fill positions in those states, Orgera said, in part because many people who match with a residency program tend to stay in that state to practice full time. People (who are in residency programs) are in their 20s and 30s, and they want to choose a home for the long term, she said. These are people who want to settle down and have families. Would a physician who wants to become pregnant choose a state with ban laws? It was the reason Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung left her job in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after her fellowship. In January 2023 she moved to Denver, Colorado where abortion is legal. It became abundantly clear I had a giant target on my back as the only person doing this kind of care, she told Tennessee Lookout last year. There was nothing that anyone, including the hospital, could do to protect me from criminal prosecution. For now, Orgera said she cant say with certainty whether the restrictive abortion laws are actually the reason for the drop in applications, but the Association is working on a survey that would be given to prospective residency applicants in September asking them to give those reasons. Im hoping the sample size is large enough to give us some good data to work from, she said. Infant, maternal mortality rates expected to rise in states with restrictions Prior to the Dobbs decision, maternal and infant mortality rates were already higher in states that attempted to restrict abortion access as much as possible without outright bans, including placing limits on who could provide an abortion and instituting waiting periods. Now, as physicians in some states struggle to determine sometimes vague language in the law about when an abortion is deemed acceptable, pregnant patients have been forced to wait to receive care, resulting in near-catastrophic consequences. A doctor in a rural area of Idaho said in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that after a patient of hers experienced a very premature rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac breaks, she felt forced to wait until the patient developed a serious infection called chorioamnionitis before she felt safe to intervene and terminate the pregnancy. Florida resident Anya Cook had a similar story of her water breaking at 16 weeks just after the deadline of 15 weeks for an abortion that existed in Florida at the time and she was sent home. She later miscarried and hemorrhaged so much blood she nearly died. A group of women in Texas sued the state over its abortion ban because they experienced serious medical complications and said they couldnt receive proper treatment. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit at the end of May, but similar lawsuits are still pending in Tennessee and Idaho. Maternal mortality rates across the country decreased between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it remains much higher among Black women and higher in states with more abortion restrictions. As of 2022, the rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.0 among white women and 16.9 for Hispanic women. Cumulative data from the CDC between 2018 and 2022 showed Tennessee with the highest maternal mortality rate of 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Mississippi with 39.1 and Alabama at 38.6. All three states have high Black populations and are often classified as maternity care deserts, with entire counties that do not have hospitals or providers for obstetric care. Research has shown that maternal mortality increased between 1995 and 2017 in states that increased their abortion restrictions. The numbers are much lower in states with broad abortion access, including California with the lowest number at 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Minnesota at 12.3. The data for post-Dobbs years is still undetermined, but experts have predicted those numbers will increase further now that the procedure is criminalized for providers in 14 states. Some experts have also speculated that the data in states with bans may become less reliable as well because of fears of prosecution. Numbers for infant mortality are consistent with the maternal mortality trends as well. The same set of CDC data between 2018 and 2022 shows the highest infant mortality rate in Mississippi, with a death rate of 8.7 infants per 1,000 births. The next highest is in Arkansas, with a rate of 7.63, followed by Louisiana with 7.56. Inadequate access to prenatal care is again cited as a contributing factor, and one recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine linked abortion restrictions with an increase in unintended pregnancies among families that already struggle to access adequate health care. With the widening gap in comprehensive reproductive care access across the U.S., it is very concerning to consider that the current disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes will likely be exacerbated, the study said. Unless policies are implemented to improve the equitable access to and provision of comprehensive reproductive care, birthing individuals will have very different experiences of care and health outcomes depending on geography. This includes not only access to abortion facilities but to health insurance and access to care in rural areas. We are still in the very nascent stages of abortion ballot initatives With lawmakers and special interest groups continuing to pass abortion bans and restrictions, some citizens have taken matters into their own hands and asked voters to weigh in on what state policy on abortion should be. So far, four state ballot initiatives meant to enshrine abortion access have officially qualified for the November ballot, in Colorado and Maryland, where access is already broadly legal, and in Florida and South Dakota, where a six-week ban and near-total ban are in effect, respectively. As of Friday, the organizers working to ensure abortion access remains in Montana said they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot there as well. Arizona, Arkansas and Nebraska face deadlines for signatures in July, according to the Fairness Project, a ballot initiative-focused group that has been assisting volunteers with financial and organizational resources in Arizona, Florida, Montana and Missouri. The Project also worked on the successful ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio over the past two years. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the initiatives require significant financial resources. Even if it looks like abortion-rights advocates have a lot more funding than the anti-abortion rights side, as was the case in Ohio and Kansas, the resources required to pass an initiative are vast in order to gather enough signatures and reach out to voters ahead of the election. They arent in a place where theyve had to show any of their cards, Hall said. Their side is just getting to sit on whatever war chest they have to use later this year. Kansas was the first testing ground for a ballot measure focused on abortion in the wake of the Dobbs decision. That election took place on Aug. 2, 2022, less than two months after the opinion was released. It would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion and given the legislature authority to then pass laws regulating and potentially banning it. It was resoundingly defeated by a nearly 59-41 point spread, and abortion is still legal in Kansas until 22 weeks. However, legislators in Kansas have continued to pass anti-abortion measures, including a bill in April that requires providers to ask patients for the most important reason for their abortion before the procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are suing the state over the law. Although some could take that as a negative sign of the effectiveness of successful ballot initiatives, Hall said that initiative was different because it was not affirming access to abortion. In Ohio, voters gave explicit approval to add reproductive rights to the state constitution. Ohio had a six-week abortion ban that was poised to go into effect, Hall said. The courts dismissed that ban and now Ohio lawmakers (are) saying, The voters have spoken, and you need to recalibrate your expectations. So Kansas is not the right comparator, because their lawmakers still do feel that they have a lot of wiggle room about what they can do because theres no explicit constitutional protection. Hall said for as many states as there are already going after initiatives, she thinks this is just the beginning. We are still in the very nascent stages of reproductive rights ballot measures being a thing in this modern era, she said. Litigation overload is a strategy for a national ban, ACLU attorney says One thing thats certainly been difficult to keep track of in the post-Dobbs era is how many cases are pending in courts nationwide at the state and federal level, including two recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving access to mifepristone and emergency abortion care. Jennifer Dalven, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the firestorm of litigation is part of the overall strategy of anti-abortion activists. In the Dobbs majority opinion, there was this notion that the decision would somehow end litigation, and the briefs on our side certainly said that wasnt true, that wasnt going to happen, in part because the other side this was never their endgame, Dalven said. The endgame is to ban abortion nationwide and not to stop there. Abortion is obviously at the forefront of what were seeing most often but were seeing other aspects of reproductive care, including IVF and contraception, under threat. While the mifepristone and ER abortion care cases are examples of anti-abortion litigation, many more lawsuits are taking place at the state and district court levels to challenge the bans and other abortion-related laws that have passed since 2022. Many challenges to the overall abortion bans have been unsuccessful, while others are still pending. Other lawsuits are still underway to preserve access to the abortion pill, to challenge abortion laws meant to restrict interstate travel, or to clarify that an abortion is permitted in medical emergencies to preserve a patients health, not just to prevent death. Another recent lawsuit is challenging Kansas recent law requiring providers to gather information about a patients most important reason for getting an abortion. If former President Donald Trump wins in November, Dalven said she expects anti-abortion litigation and lawmaking to increase, especially if Trump follows the outline of the Heritage Foundations abortion and reproductive health care wish list in Project 2025. Its incredibly important that people know that when they are thinking about casting their ballot in November, she said. Some advocates find silver linings in the past two years Some reproductive rights scholars, even those who have been researching the issue for more than 30 years like Tracy Weitz, have found reasons to hope in the post-Dobbs era. I think whats inspiring is the extent to which the resilience of the abortion delivery system has shown up, Weitz said. During the COVID pandemic, access to medication abortion through the mail rapidly expanded, she said, and it made it easier to ramp up that system further when the Dobbs decision came in June 2022. Now, about 18% of all abortions in the U.S. are obtained through telemedicine, particularly in states that have passed shield laws to protect providers from prosecution by other state governments where abortion is banned. Many of us knew that before Dobbs, access was terrible, Weitz said. Even in states where access was good before Dobbs were seeing increased utilization of abortion because some of the barriers in those states have been reduced. She added that more people are realizing there is more than just one type of abortion patient not just those who dont want to have a baby and both populations are hurt by abortion bans. I think people who banned abortions really thought you could distinguish between the kind of OB care thats necessary when someone has a wanted pregnancy and the kind of OB care that you do in abortion, and they didnt understand that its the same medical intervention, Weitz said. You cant ban one without impacting the other. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post The Dobbs effect: Abortion ballot initiatives, expected higher mortality, more litigation appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Demonstrators wait for lawmakers to arrive before the South Carolina Senate passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy at the South Carolina Statehouse on May 23, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. (File/Sean Rayford/Getty Images) In Arizona, the states highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. Meanwhile, anger and fear unleashed citizen-driven ballot initiatives around the nation that sought to protect abortion access, and in some cases, competing efforts to codify no right to abortion in some state constitutions. And amid all of that, emergency room physicians in Idaho and other states nationwide are still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether they are subject to criminal penalties for providing an abortion even during a medical emergency. Monday marked two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision after 50 years and ushered in the Dobbs era, allowing states to freely regulate abortion access for the first time since 1973. Dobbs triggered confusion and chaos in the reproductive health care landscape as patients and providers attempted to parse an ever-changing patchwork of laws around the country during considerable legal wrangling. Some trends have emerged with particular salience and offer a possible preview of what is to come before and after the November election. Ban states see as much as 26% reduction in medical residency applications One of the most significant effects of Dobbs is among obstetric providers in the 14 states with abortion bans. The Association of American Medical Colleges published data in May showing fewer new graduates of U.S. medical schools applied to residency programs in states with bans. The decreases were particularly noticeable in ban states such as Tennessee and Alabama, with decreases of about 20% in both between 2023 and 2024. Missouri showed one of the largest decreases at 25.7%, a drop from the previous year, which was still down almost 11%. Arizona experienced an even steeper decline of 26.4%, even though it is a state with a 15-week ban rather than a near-total ban. Kendal Orgera, lead research analyst at the Associations Research and Action Institute, said the data is collected between September and May 31 each year, and overall, there was an increase of just eight applicants for OB-GYN specialties nationwide. The biggest thing is the areas that already have problems with access to care are going to feel the impact first and foremost, Orgera said. Some ban states, such as Idaho and Mississippi, do not have residency programs specifically for OB care and have to rely on outside recruitment. That can make it especially difficult to fill positions in those states, Orgera said, in part because many people who match with a residency program tend to stay in that state to practice full time. People (who are in residency programs) are in their 20s and 30s, and they want to choose a home for the long term, she said. These are people who want to settle down and have families. Would a physician who wants to become pregnant choose a state with ban laws? It was the reason Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung left her job in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after her fellowship. In January 2023 she moved to Denver, Colorado where abortion is legal. It became abundantly clear I had a giant target on my back as the only person doing this kind of care, she told Tennessee Lookout last year. There was nothing that anyone, including the hospital, could do to protect me from criminal prosecution. For now, Orgera said she cant say with certainty whether the restrictive abortion laws are actually the reason for the drop in applications, but the association is working on a survey that would be given to prospective residency applicants in September asking them to give those reasons. Im hoping the sample size is large enough to give us some good data to work from, she said. Infant, maternal mortality rates expected to rise in states with restrictions Prior to the Dobbs decision, maternal and infant mortality rates were already higher in states that attempted to restrict abortion access as much as possible without outright bans, including placing limits on who could provide an abortion and instituting waiting periods. Now, as physicians in some states struggle to determine sometimes vague language in the law about when an abortion is deemed acceptable, pregnant patients have been forced to wait to receive care, resulting in near-catastrophic consequences. A doctor in a rural area of Idaho said in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that after a patient of hers experienced a very premature rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac breaks, she felt forced to wait until the patient developed a serious infection called chorioamnionitis before she felt safe to intervene and terminate the pregnancy. Florida resident Anya Cook had a similar story of her water breaking at 16 weeks just after the deadline of 15 weeks for an abortion that existed in Florida at the time and she was sent home. She later miscarried and hemorrhaged so much blood she nearly died. A group of women in Texas sued the state over its abortion ban because they experienced serious medical complications and said they couldnt receive proper treatment. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit at the end of May, but similar lawsuits are still pending in Tennessee and Idaho. Maternal mortality rates across the country decreased between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it remains much higher among Black women and higher in states with more abortion restrictions. As of 2022, the rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.0 among white women and 16.9 for Hispanic women. Cumulative data from the CDC between 2018 and 2022 showed Tennessee with the highest maternal mortality rate of 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Mississippi with 39.1 and Alabama at 38.6. All three states have high Black populations and are often classified as maternity care deserts, with entire counties that do not have hospitals or providers for obstetric care. Research has shown that maternal mortality increased between 1995 and 2017 in states that increased their abortion restrictions. The numbers are much lower in states with broad abortion access, including California with the lowest number at 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Minnesota at 12.3. The data for post-Dobbs years is still undetermined, but experts have predicted those numbers will increase further now that the procedure is criminalized for providers in 14 states. Some experts have also speculated that the data in states with bans may become less reliable as well because of fears of prosecution. Numbers for infant mortality are consistent with the maternal mortality trends as well. The same set of CDC data between 2018 and 2022 shows the highest infant mortality rate in Mississippi, with a death rate of 8.7 infants per 1,000 births. The next highest is in Arkansas, with a rate of 7.63, followed by Louisiana with 7.56. Inadequate access to prenatal care is again cited as a contributing factor, and one recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine linked abortion restrictions with an increase in unintended pregnancies among families that already struggle to access adequate health care. With the widening gap in comprehensive reproductive care access across the U.S., it is very concerning to consider that the current disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes will likely be exacerbated, the study said. Unless policies are implemented to improve the equitable access to and provision of comprehensive reproductive care, birthing individuals will have very different experiences of care and health outcomes depending on geography. This includes not only access to abortion facilities but to health insurance and access to care in rural areas. We are still in the very nascent stages of abortion ballot initiatives With lawmakers and special interest groups continuing to pass abortion bans and restrictions, some citizens have taken matters into their own hands and asked voters to weigh in on what state policy on abortion should be. So far, four state ballot initiatives meant to enshrine abortion access have officially qualified for the November ballot, in Colorado and Maryland, where access is already broadly legal, and in Florida and South Dakota, where a six-week ban and near-total ban are in effect, respectively. As of Friday, the organizers working to ensure abortion access remains in Montana said they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot there as well. Arizona, Arkansas and Nebraska face deadlines for signatures in July, according to the Fairness Project, a ballot initiative-focused group that has been assisting volunteers with financial and organizational resources in Arizona, Florida, Montana and Missouri. The Project also worked on the successful ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio over the past two years. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the initiatives require significant financial resources. Even if it looks like abortion-rights advocates have a lot more funding than the anti-abortion rights side, as was the case in Ohio and Kansas, the resources required to pass an initiative are vast in order to gather enough signatures and reach out to voters ahead of the election. They arent in a place where theyve had to show any of their cards, Hall said. Their side is just getting to sit on whatever war chest they have to use later this year. Kansas was the first testing ground for a ballot measure focused on abortion in the wake of the Dobbs decision. That election took place on Aug. 2, 2022, less than two months after the opinion was released. It would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion and given the legislature authority to then pass laws regulating and potentially banning it. It was resoundingly defeated by a nearly 59-41 point spread, and abortion is still legal in Kansas until 22 weeks. However, legislators in Kansas have continued to pass anti-abortion measures, including a bill in April that requires providers to ask patients for the most important reason for their abortion before the procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are suing the state over the law. Although some could take that as a negative sign of the effectiveness of successful ballot initiatives, Hall said that initiative was different because it was not affirming access to abortion. In Ohio, voters gave explicit approval to add reproductive rights to the state constitution. Ohio had a six-week abortion ban that was poised to go into effect, Hall said. The courts dismissed that ban and now Ohio lawmakers (are) saying, The voters have spoken, and you need to recalibrate your expectations. So Kansas is not the right comparator, because their lawmakers still do feel that they have a lot of wiggle room about what they can do because theres no explicit constitutional protection. Hall said for as many states as there are already going after initiatives, she thinks this is just the beginning. We are still in the very nascent stages of reproductive rights ballot measures being a thing in this modern era, she said. Litigation overload is a strategy for a national ban, ACLU attorney says One thing thats certainly been difficult to keep track of in the post-Dobbs era is how many cases are pending in courts nationwide at the state and federal level, including two recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving access to mifepristone and emergency abortion care. Jennifer Dalven, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the firestorm of litigation is part of the overall strategy of anti-abortion activists. In the Dobbs majority opinion, there was this notion that the decision would somehow end litigation, and the briefs on our side certainly said that wasnt true, that wasnt going to happen, in part because the other side this was never their endgame, Dalven said. The endgame is to ban abortion nationwide and not to stop there. Abortion is obviously at the forefront of what were seeing most often but were seeing other aspects of reproductive care, including IVF and contraception, under threat. While the mifepristone and ER abortion care cases are examples of anti-abortion litigation, many more lawsuits are taking place at the state and district court levels to challenge the bans and other abortion-related laws that have passed since 2022. Many challenges to the overall abortion bans have been unsuccessful, while others are still pending. Other lawsuits are still underway to preserve access to the abortion pill, to challenge abortion laws meant to restrict interstate travel, or to clarify that an abortion is permitted in medical emergencies to preserve a patients health, not just to prevent death. Another recent lawsuit is challenging Kansas recent law requiring providers to gather information about a patients most important reason for getting an abortion. If former President Donald Trump wins in November, Dalven said she expects anti-abortion litigation and lawmaking to increase, especially if Trump follows the outline of the Heritage Foundations abortion and reproductive health care wish list in Project 2025. Its incredibly important that people know that when they are thinking about casting their ballot in November, she said. Some advocates find silver linings in the past two years Some reproductive rights scholars, even those who have been researching the issue for more than 30 years like Tracy Weitz, have found reasons to hope in the post-Dobbs era. I think whats inspiring is the extent to which the resilience of the abortion delivery system has shown up, Weitz said. During the COVID pandemic, access to medication abortion through the mail rapidly expanded, she said, and it made it easier to ramp up that system further when the Dobbs decision came in June 2022. Now, about 18% of all abortions in the U.S. are obtained through telemedicine, particularly in states that have passed shield laws to protect providers from prosecution by other state governments where abortion is banned. Many of us knew that before Dobbs, access was terrible, Weitz said. Even in states where access was good before Dobbs were seeing increased utilization of abortion because some of the barriers in those states have been reduced. She added that more people are realizing there is more than just one type of abortion patient not just those who dont want to have a baby and both populations are hurt by abortion bans. I think people who banned abortions really thought you could distinguish between the kind of OB care thats necessary when someone has a wanted pregnancy and the kind of OB care that you do in abortion, and they didnt understand that its the same medical intervention, Weitz said. You cant ban one without impacting the other. The post The Dobbs effect: Abortion ballot initiatives, expected higher mortality, more litigation appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. An abortion rally in downtown Nashville took protesters on a route to the state Capitol and the federal courthouse An abortion rally in downtown Nashville took protesters on a route to the state Capitol and the federal courthouse. (John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) In Arizona, the states highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. Meanwhile, anger and fear unleashed citizen-driven ballot initiatives around the nation that sought to protect abortion access, and in some cases, competing efforts to codify no right to abortion in some state constitutions. And amid all of that, emergency room physicians in Idaho and other states nationwide are still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether they are subject to criminal penalties for providing an abortion even during a medical emergency. It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision after 50 years and ushered in the Dobbs era, allowing states to freely regulate abortion access for the first time since 1973. Dobbs triggered confusion and chaos in the reproductive health care landscape as patients and providers attempted to parse an ever-changing patchwork of laws around the country during considerable legal wrangling. Some trends have emerged with particular salience and offer a possible preview of what is to come before and after the November election. Ban states see as much as 26% reduction in medical residency applications One of the most significant effects of Dobbs is among obstetric providers in the 14 states with abortion bans. The Association of American Medical Colleges published data in May showing fewer new graduates of U.S. medical schools applied to residency programs in states with bans. The decreases were particularly noticeable in ban states such as Tennessee and Alabama, with decreases of about 20% in both between 2023 and 2024. Missouri showed one of the largest decreases at 25.7%, a drop from the previous year, which was still down almost 11%. Arizona experienced an even steeper decline of 26.4%, even though it is a state with a 15-week ban rather than a near-total ban. Kendal Orgera, lead research analyst at the Associations Research and Action Institute, said the data is collected between September and May 31 each year, and overall, there was an increase of just eight applicants for OB-GYN specialties nationwide. The biggest thing is the areas that already have problems with access to care are going to feel the impact first and foremost, Orgera said. Some ban states, such as Idaho and Mississippi, do not have residency programs specifically for OB care and have to rely on outside recruitment. That can make it especially difficult to fill positions in those states, Orgera said, in part because many people who match with a residency program tend to stay in that state to practice full time. People (who are in residency programs) are in their 20s and 30s, and they want to choose a home for the long term, she said. These are people who want to settle down and have families. Would a physician who wants to become pregnant choose a state with ban laws? It was the reason Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung left her job in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after her fellowship. In January 2023 she moved to Denver, Colorado where abortion is legal. It became abundantly clear I had a giant target on my back as the only person doing this kind of care, she told Tennessee Lookout last year. There was nothing that anyone, including the hospital, could do to protect me from criminal prosecution. For now, Orgera said she cant say with certainty whether the restrictive abortion laws are actually the reason for the drop in applications, but the Association is working on a survey that would be given to prospective residency applicants in September asking them to give those reasons. Im hoping the sample size is large enough to give us some good data to work from, she said. At a Planned Parenthood Great Northwest rally on April 21, 2024, Idahoans advocate for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that federal law protects access to abortion procedures in emergency situations, even in states like Idaho with strict abortion bans Infant, maternal mortality rates expected to rise in states with restrictions Prior to the Dobbs decision, maternal and infant mortality rates were already higher in states that attempted to restrict abortion access as much as possible without outright bans, including placing limits on who could provide an abortion and instituting waiting periods. Now, as physicians in some states struggle to determine sometimes vague language in the law about when an abortion is deemed acceptable, pregnant patients have been forced to wait to receive care, resulting in near-catastrophic consequences. A doctor in a rural area of Idaho said in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that after a patient of hers experienced a very premature rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac breaks, she felt forced to wait until the patient developed a serious infection called chorioamnionitis before she felt safe to intervene and terminate the pregnancy. Florida resident Anya Cook had a similar story of her water breaking at 16 weeks just after the deadline of 15 weeks for an abortion that existed in Florida at the time and she was sent home. She later miscarried and hemorrhaged so much blood she nearly died. A group of women in Texas sued the state over its abortion ban because they experienced serious medical complications and said they couldnt receive proper treatment. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit at the end of May, but similar lawsuits are still pending in Tennessee and Idaho. Maternal mortality rates across the country decreased between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it remains much higher among Black women and higher in states with more abortion restrictions. As of 2022, the rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.0 among white women and 16.9 for Hispanic women. Cumulative data from the CDC between 2018 and 2022 showed Tennessee with the highest maternal mortality rate of 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Mississippi with 39.1 and Alabama at 38.6. All three states have high Black populations and are often classified as maternity care deserts, with entire counties that do not have hospitals or providers for obstetric care. Research has shown that maternal mortality increased between 1995 and 2017 in states that increased their abortion restrictions. The numbers are much lower in states with broad abortion access, including California with the lowest number at 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Minnesota at 12.3. The data for post-Dobbs years is still undetermined, but experts have predicted those numbers will increase further now that the procedure is criminalized for providers in 14 states. Some experts have also speculated that the data in states with bans may become less reliable as well because of fears of prosecution. Numbers for infant mortality are consistent with the maternal mortality trends as well. The same set of CDC data between 2018 and 2022 shows the highest infant mortality rate in Mississippi, with a death rate of 8.7 infants per 1,000 births. The next highest is in Arkansas, with a rate of 7.63, followed by Louisiana with 7.56. Inadequate access to prenatal care is again cited as a contributing factor, and one recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine linked abortion restrictions with an increase in unintended pregnancies among families that already struggle to access adequate health care. With the widening gap in comprehensive reproductive care access across the U.S., it is very concerning to consider that the current disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes will likely be exacerbated, the study said. Unless policies are implemented to improve the equitable access to and provision of comprehensive reproductive care, birthing individuals will have very different experiences of care and health outcomes depending on geography. This includes not only access to abortion facilities but to health insurance and access to care in rural areas. Ashley All, spokeswoman for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, gives a speech Aug. 2, 2022, at a watch party in Overland Park after primary results verified Kansans voted to preserve abortion rights. (Lily O'Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector) We are still in the very nascent stages of abortion ballot initiatives With lawmakers and special interest groups continuing to pass abortion bans and restrictions, some citizens have taken matters into their own hands and asked voters to weigh in on what state policy on abortion should be. So far, four state ballot initiatives meant to enshrine abortion access have officially qualified for the November ballot, in Colorado and Maryland, where access is already broadly legal, and in Florida and South Dakota, where a six-week ban and near-total ban are in effect, respectively. As of Friday, the organizers working to ensure abortion access remains in Montana said they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot there as well. Arizona, Arkansas and Nebraska face deadlines for signatures in July, according to the Fairness Project, a ballot initiative-focused group that has been assisting volunteers with financial and organizational resources in Arizona, Florida, Montana and Missouri. The Project also worked on the successful ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio over the past two years. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the initiatives require significant financial resources. Even if it looks like abortion-rights advocates have a lot more funding than the anti-abortion rights side, as was the case in Ohio and Kansas, the resources required to pass an initiative are vast in order to gather enough signatures and reach out to voters ahead of the election. They arent in a place where theyve had to show any of their cards, Hall said. Their side is just getting to sit on whatever war chest they have to use later this year. Kansas was the first testing ground for a ballot measure focused on abortion in the wake of the Dobbs decision. That election took place on Aug. 2, 2022, less than two months after the opinion was released. It would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion and given the legislature authority to then pass laws regulating and potentially banning it. It was resoundingly defeated by a nearly 59-41 point spread, and abortion is still legal in Kansas until 22 weeks. However, legislators in Kansas have continued to pass anti-abortion measures, including a bill in April that requires providers to ask patients for the most important reason for their abortion before the procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are suing the state over the law. Although some could take that as a negative sign of the effectiveness of successful ballot initiatives, Hall said that initiative was different because it was not affirming access to abortion. In Ohio, voters gave explicit approval to add reproductive rights to the state constitution. Ohio had a six-week abortion ban that was poised to go into effect, Hall said. The courts dismissed that ban and now Ohio lawmakers (are) saying, The voters have spoken, and you need to recalibrate your expectations. So Kansas is not the right comparator, because their lawmakers still do feel that they have a lot of wiggle room about what they can do because theres no explicit constitutional protection. Hall said for as many states as there are already going after initiatives, she thinks this is just the beginning. We are still in the very nascent stages of reproductive rights ballot measures being a thing in this modern era, she said. Litigation overload is a strategy for a national ban, ACLU attorney says One thing thats certainly been difficult to keep track of in the post-Dobbs era is how many cases are pending in courts nationwide at the state and federal level, including two recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving access to mifepristone and emergency abortion care. Jennifer Dalven, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the firestorm of litigation is part of the overall strategy of anti-abortion activists. In the Dobbs majority opinion, there was this notion that the decision would somehow end litigation, and the briefs on our side certainly said that wasnt true, that wasnt going to happen, in part because the other side this was never their endgame, Dalven said. The endgame is to ban abortion nationwide and not to stop there. Abortion is obviously at the forefront of what were seeing most often but were seeing other aspects of reproductive care, including IVF and contraception, under threat. While the mifepristone and ER abortion care cases are examples of anti-abortion litigation, many more lawsuits are taking place at the state and district court levels to challenge the bans and other abortion-related laws that have passed since 2022. Many challenges to the overall abortion bans have been unsuccessful, while others are still pending. Other lawsuits are still underway to preserve access to the abortion pill, to challenge abortion laws meant to restrict interstate travel, or to clarify that an abortion is permitted in medical emergencies to preserve a patients health, not just to prevent death. Another recent lawsuit is challenging Kansas recent law requiring providers to gather information about a patients most important reason for getting an abortion. If former President Donald Trump wins in November, Dalven said she expects anti-abortion litigation and lawmaking to increase, especially if Trump follows the outline of the Heritage Foundations abortion and reproductive health care wish list in Project 2025. Its incredibly important that people know that when they are thinking about casting their ballot in November, she said. Some advocates find silver linings in the past two years Some reproductive rights scholars, even those who have been researching the issue for more than 30 years like Tracy Weitz, have found reasons to hope in the post-Dobbs era. I think whats inspiring is the extent to which the resilience of the abortion delivery system has shown up, Weitz said. During the COVID pandemic, access to medication abortion through the mail rapidly expanded, she said, and it made it easier to ramp up that system further when the Dobbs decision came in June 2022. Now, about 18% of all abortions in the U.S. are obtained through telemedicine, particularly in states that have passed shield laws to protect providers from prosecution by other state governments where abortion is banned. Many of us knew that before Dobbs, access was terrible, Weitz said. Even in states where access was good before Dobbs were seeing increased utilization of abortion because some of the barriers in those states have been reduced. She added that more people are realizing there is more than just one type of abortion patient not just those who dont want to have a baby and both populations are hurt by abortion bans. I think people who banned abortions really thought you could distinguish between the kind of OB care thats necessary when someone has a wanted pregnancy and the kind of OB care that you do in abortion, and they didnt understand that its the same medical intervention, Weitz said. You cant ban one without impacting the other. The post The Dobbs effect today: Abortion ballot initiatives, expected higher mortality, more litigation appeared first on Kansas Reflector. An abortion rally in downtown Nashville took protesters on a route to the state Capitol and the federal courthouse. (John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) In Arizona, the states highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. Meanwhile, anger and fear unleashed citizen-driven ballot initiatives around the nation that sought to protect abortion access, and in some cases, competing efforts to codify no right to abortion in some state constitutions. And amid all of that, emergency room physicians in Idaho and other states nationwide are still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether they are subject to criminal penalties for providing an abortion even during a medical emergency. It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision after 50 years and ushered in the Dobbs era, allowing states to freely regulate abortion access for the first time since 1973. Dobbs triggered confusion and chaos in the reproductive health care landscape as patients and providers attempted to parse an ever-changing patchwork of laws around the country during considerable legal wrangling. Some trends have emerged with particular salience and offer a possible preview of what is to come before and after the November election. Ban states see as much as 26% reduction in medical residency applications One of the most significant effects of Dobbs is among obstetric providers in the 14 states with abortion bans. The Association of American Medical Colleges published data in May showing fewer new graduates of U.S. medical schools applied to residency programs in states with bans. The decreases were particularly noticeable in ban states such as Tennessee and Alabama, with decreases of about 20% in both between 2023 and 2024. Missouri showed one of the largest decreases at 25.7%, a drop from the previous year, which was still down almost 11%. Arizona experienced an even steeper decline of 26.4%, even though it is a state with a 15-week ban rather than a near-total ban. Kendal Orgera, lead research analyst at the Associations Research and Action Institute, said the data is collected between September and May 31 each year, and overall, there was an increase of just eight applicants for OB-GYN specialties nationwide. The biggest thing is the areas that already have problems with access to care are going to feel the impact first and foremost, Orgera said. Some ban states, such as Idaho and Mississippi, do not have residency programs specifically for OB care and have to rely on outside recruitment. That can make it especially difficult to fill positions in those states, Orgera said, in part because many people who match with a residency program tend to stay in that state to practice full time. People (who are in residency programs) are in their 20s and 30s, and they want to choose a home for the long term, she said. These are people who want to settle down and have families. Would a physician who wants to become pregnant choose a state with ban laws? It was the reason Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung left her job in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after her fellowship. In January 2023 she moved to Denver, Colorado where abortion is legal. It became abundantly clear I had a giant target on my back as the only person doing this kind of care, she told Tennessee Lookout last year. There was nothing that anyone, including the hospital, could do to protect me from criminal prosecution. For now, Orgera said she cant say with certainty whether the restrictive abortion laws are actually the reason for the drop in applications, but the Association is working on a survey that would be given to prospective residency applicants in September asking them to give those reasons. Im hoping the sample size is large enough to give us some good data to work from, she said. Infant, maternal mortality rates expected to rise in states with restrictions Prior to the Dobbs decision, maternal and infant mortality rates were already higher in states that attempted to restrict abortion access as much as possible without outright bans, including placing limits on who could provide an abortion and instituting waiting periods. Now, as physicians in some states struggle to determine sometimes vague language in the law about when an abortion is deemed acceptable, pregnant patients have been forced to wait to receive care, resulting in near-catastrophic consequences. A doctor in a rural area of Idaho said in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that after a patient of hers experienced a very premature rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac breaks, she felt forced to wait until the patient developed a serious infection called chorioamnionitis before she felt safe to intervene and terminate the pregnancy. Florida resident Anya Cook had a similar story of her water breaking at 16 weeks just after the deadline of 15 weeks for an abortion that existed in Florida at the time and she was sent home. She later miscarried and hemorrhaged so much blood she nearly died. A group of women in Texas sued the state over its abortion ban because they experienced serious medical complications and said they couldnt receive proper treatment. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit at the end of May, but similar lawsuits are still pending in Tennessee and Idaho. Maternal mortality rates across the country decreased between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it remains much higher among Black women and higher in states with more abortion restrictions. As of 2022, the rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.0 among white women and 16.9 for Hispanic women. Cumulative data from the CDC between 2018 and 2022 showed Tennessee with the highest maternal mortality rate of 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Mississippi with 39.1 and Alabama at 38.6. All three states have high Black populations and are often classified as maternity care deserts, with entire counties that do not have hospitals or providers for obstetric care. Research has shown that maternal mortality increased between 1995 and 2017 in states that increased their abortion restrictions. The numbers are much lower in states with broad abortion access, including California with the lowest number at 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Minnesota at 12.3. The data for post-Dobbs years is still undetermined, but experts have predicted those numbers will increase further now that the procedure is criminalized for providers in 14 states. Some experts have also speculated that the data in states with bans may become less reliable as well because of fears of prosecution. Numbers for infant mortality are consistent with the maternal mortality trends as well. The same set of CDC data between 2018 and 2022 shows the highest infant mortality rate in Mississippi, with a death rate of 8.7 infants per 1,000 births. The next highest is in Arkansas, with a rate of 7.63, followed by Louisiana with 7.56. Inadequate access to prenatal care is again cited as a contributing factor, and one recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine linked abortion restrictions with an increase in unintended pregnancies among families that already struggle to access adequate health care. With the widening gap in comprehensive reproductive care access across the U.S., it is very concerning to consider that the current disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes will likely be exacerbated, the study said. Unless policies are implemented to improve the equitable access to and provision of comprehensive reproductive care, birthing individuals will have very different experiences of care and health outcomes depending on geography. This includes not only access to abortion facilities but to health insurance and access to care in rural areas. We are still in the very nascent stages of abortion ballot initiatives With lawmakers and special interest groups continuing to pass abortion bans and restrictions, some citizens have taken matters into their own hands and asked voters to weigh in on what state policy on abortion should be. So far, four state ballot initiatives meant to enshrine abortion access have officially qualified for the November ballot, in Colorado and Maryland, where access is already broadly legal, and in Florida and South Dakota, where a six-week ban and near-total ban are in effect, respectively. As of Friday, the organizers working to ensure abortion access remains in Montana said they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot there as well. Arizona, Arkansas and Nebraska face deadlines for signatures in July, according to the Fairness Project, a ballot initiative-focused group that has been assisting volunteers with financial and organizational resources in Arizona, Florida, Montana and Missouri. The Project also worked on the successful ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio over the past two years. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the initiatives require significant financial resources. Even if it looks like abortion-rights advocates have a lot more funding than the anti-abortion rights side, as was the case in Ohio and Kansas, the resources required to pass an initiative are vast in order to gather enough signatures and reach out to voters ahead of the election. They arent in a place where theyve had to show any of their cards, Hall said. Their side is just getting to sit on whatever war chest they have to use later this year. Kansas was the first testing ground for a ballot measure focused on abortion in the wake of the Dobbs decision. That election took place on Aug. 2, 2022, less than two months after the opinion was released. It would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion and given the legislature authority to then pass laws regulating and potentially banning it. It was resoundingly defeated by a nearly 59-41 point spread, and abortion is still legal in Kansas until 22 weeks. However, legislators in Kansas have continued to pass anti-abortion measures, including a bill in April that requires providers to ask patients for the most important reason for their abortion before the procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are suing the state over the law. Although some could take that as a negative sign of the effectiveness of successful ballot initiatives, Hall said that initiative was different because it was not affirming access to abortion. In Ohio, voters gave explicit approval to add reproductive rights to the state constitution. Ohio had a six-week abortion ban that was poised to go into effect, Hall said. The courts dismissed that ban and now Ohio lawmakers (are) saying, The voters have spoken, and you need to recalibrate your expectations. So Kansas is not the right comparator, because their lawmakers still do feel that they have a lot of wiggle room about what they can do because theres no explicit constitutional protection. Hall said for as many states as there are already going after initiatives, she thinks this is just the beginning. We are still in the very nascent stages of reproductive rights ballot measures being a thing in this modern era, she said. Litigation overload is a strategy for a national ban, ACLU attorney says One thing thats certainly been difficult to keep track of in the post-Dobbs era is how many cases are pending in courts nationwide at the state and federal level, including two recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving access to mifepristone and emergency abortion care. Jennifer Dalven, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the firestorm of litigation is part of the overall strategy of anti-abortion activists. In the Dobbs majority opinion, there was this notion that the decision would somehow end litigation, and the briefs on our side certainly said that wasnt true, that wasnt going to happen, in part because the other side this was never their endgame, Dalven said. The endgame is to ban abortion nationwide and not to stop there. Abortion is obviously at the forefront of what were seeing most often, but were seeing other aspects of reproductive care, including IVF and contraception, under threat. While the mifepristone and ER abortion care cases are examples of anti-abortion litigation, many more lawsuits are taking place at the state and district court levels to challenge the bans and other abortion-related laws that have passed since 2022. Many challenges to the overall abortion bans have been unsuccessful, while others are still pending. Other lawsuits are still underway to preserve access to the abortion pill, to challenge abortion laws meant to restrict interstate travel, or to clarify that an abortion is permitted in medical emergencies to preserve a patients health, not just to prevent death. Another recent lawsuit is challenging Kansas recent law requiring providers to gather information about a patients most important reason for getting an abortion. If former President Donald Trump wins in November, Dalven said she expects anti-abortion litigation and lawmaking to increase, especially if Trump follows the outline of the Heritage Foundations abortion and reproductive health care wish list in Project 2025. Its incredibly important that people know that when they are thinking about casting their ballot in November, she said. Some advocates find silver linings in the past two years Some reproductive rights scholars, even those who have been researching the issue for more than 30 years like Tracy Weitz, have found reasons to hope in the post-Dobbs era. I think whats inspiring is the extent to which the resilience of the abortion delivery system has shown up, Weitz said. During the COVID pandemic, access to medication abortion through the mail rapidly expanded, she said, and it made it easier to ramp up that system further when the Dobbs decision came in June 2022. Now, about 18% of all abortions in the U.S. are obtained through telemedicine, particularly in states that have passed shield laws to protect providers from prosecution by other state governments where abortion is banned. Many of us knew that before Dobbs, access was terrible, Weitz said. Even in states where access was good before Dobbs were seeing increased utilization of abortion because some of the barriers in those states have been reduced. She added that more people are realizing there is more than just one type of abortion patient not just those who dont want to have a baby and both populations are hurt by abortion bans. I think people who banned abortions really thought you could distinguish between the kind of OB care thats necessary when someone has a wanted pregnancy and the kind of OB care that you do in abortion, and they didnt understand that its the same medical intervention, Weitz said. You cant ban one without impacting the other. An abortion rally in downtown Nashville took protesters on a route to the state Capitol and the federal courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) In Arizona, the states highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. Meanwhile, anger and fear unleashed citizen-driven ballot initiatives around the nation that sought to protect abortion access, and in some cases, competing efforts to codify no right to abortion in some state constitutions. And amid all of that, emergency room physicians in Idaho and other states nationwide are still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether they are subject to criminal penalties for providing an abortion even during a medical emergency. It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision after 50 years and ushered in the Dobbs era, allowing states to freely regulate abortion access for the first time since 1973. Dobbs triggered confusion and chaos in the reproductive health care landscape as patients and providers attempted to parse an ever-changing patchwork of laws around the country during considerable legal wrangling. Some trends have emerged with particular salience and offer a possible preview of what is to come before and after the November election. Ban states see as much as 26% reduction in medical residency applications One of the most significant effects of Dobbs is among obstetric providers in the 14 states with abortion bans. The Association of American Medical Colleges published data in May showing fewer new graduates of U.S. medical schools applied to residency programs in states with bans. The decreases were particularly noticeable in ban states such as Tennessee and Alabama, with decreases of about 20% in both between 2023 and 2024. Missouri showed one of the largest decreases at 25.7%, a drop from the previous year, which was still down almost 11%. Arizona experienced an even steeper decline of 26.4%, even though it is a state with a 15-week ban rather than a near-total ban. Kendal Orgera, lead research analyst at the Associations Research and Action Institute, said the data is collected between September and May 31 each year, and overall, there was an increase of just eight applicants for OB-GYN specialties nationwide. The biggest thing is the areas that already have problems with access to care are going to feel the impact first and foremost, Orgera said. Some ban states, such as Idaho and Mississippi, do not have residency programs specifically for OB care and have to rely on outside recruitment. That can make it especially difficult to fill positions in those states, Orgera said, in part because many people who match with a residency program tend to stay in that state to practice full time. People (who are in residency programs) are in their 20s and 30s, and they want to choose a home for the long term, she said. These are people who want to settle down and have families. Would a physician who wants to become pregnant choose a state with ban laws? It was the reason Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung left her job in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after her fellowship. In January 2023 she moved to Denver, Colorado where abortion is legal. It became abundantly clear I had a giant target on my back as the only person doing this kind of care, she told Tennessee Lookout last year. There was nothing that anyone, including the hospital, could do to protect me from criminal prosecution. For now, Orgera said she cant say with certainty whether the restrictive abortion laws are actually the reason for the drop in applications, but the Association is working on a survey that would be given to prospective residency applicants in September asking them to give those reasons. Im hoping the sample size is large enough to give us some good data to work from, she said. Infant, maternal mortality rates expected to rise Prior to the Dobbs decision, maternal and infant mortality rates were already higher in states that attempted to restrict abortion access as much as possible without outright bans, including placing limits on who could provide an abortion and instituting waiting periods. Now, as physicians in some states struggle to determine sometimes vague language in the law about when an abortion is deemed acceptable, pregnant patients have been forced to wait to receive care, resulting in near-catastrophic consequences. A doctor in a rural area of Idaho said in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that after a patient of hers experienced a very premature rupture of membranes, when the amniotic sac breaks, she felt forced to wait until the patient developed a serious infection called chorioamnionitis before she felt safe to intervene and terminate the pregnancy. Florida resident Anya Cook had a similar story of her water breaking at 16 weeks just after the deadline of 15 weeks for an abortion that existed in Florida at the time and she was sent home. She later miscarried and hemorrhaged so much blood she nearly died. A group of women in Texas sued the state over its abortion ban because they experienced serious medical complications and said they couldnt receive proper treatment. The Texas Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit at the end of May, but similar lawsuits are still pending in Tennessee and Idaho. Maternal mortality rates across the country decreased between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it remains much higher among Black women and higher in states with more abortion restrictions. As of 2022, the rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.0 among white women and 16.9 for Hispanic women. Cumulative data from the CDC between 2018 and 2022 showed Tennessee with the highest maternal mortality rate of 41.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Mississippi with 39.1 and Alabama at 38.6. All three states have high Black populations and are often classified as maternity care deserts, with entire counties that do not have hospitals or providers for obstetric care. Research has shown that maternal mortality increased between 1995 and 2017 in states that increased their abortion restrictions. The numbers are much lower in states with broad abortion access, including California with the lowest number at 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Minnesota at 12.3. The data for post-Dobbs years is still undetermined, but experts have predicted those numbers will increase further now that the procedure is criminalized for providers in 14 states. Some experts have also speculated that the data in states with bans may become less reliable as well because of fears of prosecution. Numbers for infant mortality are consistent with the maternal mortality trends as well. The same set of CDC data between 2018 and 2022 shows the highest infant mortality rate in Mississippi, with a death rate of 8.7 infants per 1,000 births. The next highest is in Arkansas, with a rate of 7.63, followed by Louisiana with 7.56. Inadequate access to prenatal care is again cited as a contributing factor, and one recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine linked abortion restrictions with an increase in unintended pregnancies among families that already struggle to access adequate health care. With the widening gap in comprehensive reproductive care access across the U.S., it is very concerning to consider that the current disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes will likely be exacerbated, the study said. Unless policies are implemented to improve the equitable access to and provision of comprehensive reproductive care, birthing individuals will have very different experiences of care and health outcomes depending on geography. This includes not only access to abortion facilities but to health insurance and access to care in rural areas. We are still in the very nascent stages of abortion ballot initiatives With lawmakers and special interest groups continuing to pass abortion bans and restrictions, some citizens have taken matters into their own hands and asked voters to weigh in on what state policy on abortion should be. So far, four state ballot initiatives meant to enshrine abortion access have officially qualified for the November ballot, in Colorado and Maryland, where access is already broadly legal, and in Florida and South Dakota, where a six-week ban and near-total ban are in effect, respectively. As of Friday, the organizers working to ensure abortion access remains in Montana said they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot there as well. Arizona, Arkansas and Nebraska face deadlines for signatures in July, according to the Fairness Project, a ballot initiative-focused group that has been assisting volunteers with financial and organizational resources in Arizona, Florida, Montana and Missouri. The Project also worked on the successful ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio over the past two years. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the initiatives require significant financial resources. Even if it looks like abortion-rights advocates have a lot more funding than the anti-abortion rights side, as was the case in Ohio and Kansas, the resources required to pass an initiative are vast in order to gather enough signatures and reach out to voters ahead of the election. They arent in a place where theyve had to show any of their cards, Hall said. Their side is just getting to sit on whatever war chest they have to use later this year. Kansas was the first testing ground for a ballot measure focused on abortion in the wake of the Dobbs decision. That election took place on Aug. 2, 2022, less than two months after the opinion was released. It would have amended the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion and given the legislature authority to then pass laws regulating and potentially banning it. It was resoundingly defeated by a nearly 59-41 point spread, and abortion is still legal in Kansas until 22 weeks. However, legislators in Kansas have continued to pass anti-abortion measures, including a bill in April that requires providers to ask patients for the most important reason for their abortion before the procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are suing the state over the law. Although some could take that as a negative sign of the effectiveness of successful ballot initiatives, Hall said that initiative was different because it was not affirming access to abortion. In Ohio, voters gave explicit approval to add reproductive rights to the state constitution. Ohio had a six-week abortion ban that was poised to go into effect, Hall said. The courts dismissed that ban and now Ohio lawmakers (are) saying, The voters have spoken, and you need to recalibrate your expectations. So Kansas is not the right comparator, because their lawmakers still do feel that they have a lot of wiggle room about what they can do because theres no explicit constitutional protection. Hall said for as many states as there are already going after initiatives, she thinks this is just the beginning. We are still in the very nascent stages of reproductive rights ballot measures being a thing in this modern era, she said. Litigation overload is a strategy for a national ban, ACLU attorney says One thing thats certainly been difficult to keep track of in the post-Dobbs era is how many cases are pending in courts nationwide at the state and federal level, including two recent cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving access to mifepristone and emergency abortion care. Jennifer Dalven, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the firestorm of litigation is part of the overall strategy of anti-abortion activists. In the Dobbs majority opinion, there was this notion that the decision would somehow end litigation, and the briefs on our side certainly said that wasnt true, that wasnt going to happen, in part because the other side this was never their endgame, Dalven said. The endgame is to ban abortion nationwide and not to stop there. Abortion is obviously at the forefront of what were seeing most often but were seeing other aspects of reproductive care, including IVF and contraception, under threat. While the mifepristone and ER abortion care cases are examples of anti-abortion litigation, many more lawsuits are taking place at the state and district court levels to challenge the bans and other abortion-related laws that have passed since 2022. Many challenges to the overall abortion bans have been unsuccessful, while others are still pending. Other lawsuits are still underway to preserve access to the abortion pill, to challenge abortion laws meant to restrict interstate travel, or to clarify that an abortion is permitted in medical emergencies to preserve a patients health, not just to prevent death. Another recent lawsuit is challenging Kansas recent law requiring providers to gather information about a patients most important reason for getting an abortion. If former President Donald Trump wins in November, Dalven said she expects anti-abortion litigation and lawmaking to increase, especially if Trump follows the outline of the Heritage Foundations abortion and reproductive health care wish list in Project 2025. Its incredibly important that people know that when they are thinking about casting their ballot in November, she said. Some advocates find silver linings in the past two years Some reproductive rights scholars, even those who have been researching the issue for more than 30 years like Tracy Weitz, have found reasons to hope in the post-Dobbs era. I think whats inspiring is the extent to which the resilience of the abortion delivery system has shown up, Weitz said. During the COVID pandemic, access to medication abortion through the mail rapidly expanded, she said, and it made it easier to ramp up that system further when the Dobbs decision came in June 2022. Now, about 18% of all abortions in the U.S. are obtained through telemedicine, particularly in states that have passed shield laws to protect providers from prosecution by other state governments where abortion is banned. Many of us knew that before Dobbs, access was terrible, Weitz said. Even in states where access was good before Dobbs were seeing increased utilization of abortion because some of the barriers in those states have been reduced. She added that more people are realizing there is more than just one type of abortion patient not just those who dont want to have a baby and both populations are hurt by abortion bans. I think people who banned abortions really thought you could distinguish between the kind of OB care thats necessary when someone has a wanted pregnancy and the kind of OB care that you do in abortion, and they didnt understand that its the same medical intervention, Weitz said. You cant ban one without impacting the other. The post The Dobbs effect today: Abortion ballot initiatives, expected higher mortality, more litigation appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. A cardiologist arrested in a child-prostitution sting has surrendered his license to practice medicine in Kentucky. Yogesh Patel reached the agreement with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) to resolve a pending investigation without a hearing, according to an order the board released Monday. Patel, an interventional cardiologist, listed Brighton, Col., as his residence. He had been licensed in Kentucky since September 2019 and said he planned to practice in Kentucky this year, according to the board. In a January application to renew his Kentucky license, Patel said he hadnt been the subject of a criminal investigation or been charged with a crime since his last renewal. However, regulators in Illinois, where Patel attended medical school, suspended his license in February based on an allegation he had been arrested in Colorado in November 2023 for soliciting sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to the KBML order. The Daily Sentinel newspaper in Grand Junction, Col. reported that Patel was one of 10 men arrested in a sting operation. Police said Patel, who was 56 at the time, talked with an undercover police officer posing as a mother who was prostituting her daughter, according to the report. Patel arranged to pay $300 for an hour with the teen to have sex, according to the report. Police arrested Patel after he arrived at a motel where the meeting was allegedly going to happen. The Mesa County, Col., Sheriffs Office said Patel was charged with soliciting for child prostitution and pandering of a child. Patel surrendered his license in Illinois but didnt report that action to the Kentucky board as required, according to the KBML order. The Kentucky board offered Patel the opportunity to give up his license in lieu of issuing a complaint and emergency order of suspension against him, according to the document. Patel did not admit or deny the criminal allegations against him, but agreed to surrender his license to practice medicine in Kentucky permanently. If the board learns of anything he does that would constitute the practice of medicine in Kentucky, it will aggressively pursue a criminal prosecution, according to the order. A patient of heatstroke receives treatment at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Various parts of the country continued to experience an intense heat wave conditions, with the temperatures reaching 47 degree Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit) in Nawabshah and other cities, according to the press release of Pakistan Meteorological Department. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) A days-long intense heat wave has disrupted normal life in Pakistan, especially in its largest city, Karachi, where doctors treated thousands of victims of heatstroke at various hospitals, health officials said Tuesday. Several people fell unconscious in the city and some of them later died, local media said. Temperatures soared as high as 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sindh province on Tuesday. Authorities in Karachi, the provincial capital, are urging people to stay indoors, hydrate, and avoid unnecessary travel. Weather forecasters say the heat wave, which began in May, will subside next week. According to local media, the days-long heat wave also killed more than two dozen people in Karachi, but no government spokesman was available to confirm the number of heatstroke-related deaths. On Tuesday, Faisal Edhi, the head of the Edhi Foundation, which runs the countrys largest ambulance service, said they received dozens of bodies of heatstroke victims in Karachi the previous day. Imran Sarwar Sheikh, the head of the emergency ward at the state-run Civil Hospital in Karachi, told The Associated Press that they treated 120 victims of heatstroke the previous day. Eight of those patients later died, he said. On Monday, more than 1,500 victims of heatstroke were treated at other hospitals in the city, according to local media. Sardar Sarfaraz, the chief meteorologist in Karachi, said temperatures will continue to rise this week across Pakistan. Today, the weather is dry. In such conditions, the temperature starts rising, he said. Pakistan's climate is warming much faster than the global average, with a potential rise of 1.3 to 4.9 degrees Celsius (2.3 to 8.8 degrees Fahrenheit) by the 2090s over the 19862005 baseline, according to a World Bank expert panel on climate change. The country, which is one of the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, also faces the risk of heavier monsoon rains, in part because of its immense northern glaciers, which are now melting as temperatures rise. Warmer air can hold more moisture, intensifying the monsoon. This year's monsoon will start in July, causing flash floods, according to a statement released by Pakistans National Disaster Management Authority. The warning from the agency comes less than two weeks after a top U.N. official said an estimated 200,000 people in Pakistan could be affected by the upcoming monsoon season. However, officials say this years rains would not be as heavy as those in 2022 when devastating floods killed 1,739 people, destroyed 2 million homes, and covered as much as one-third of the country at one point. The 2022 floods caused more than $30 billion in damage to Pakistans already cash-strapped economy. Pakistan says despite contributing less than 1% to carbon emissions worldwide, it is bearing the brunt of global climate disasters. The ongoing heat in recent months also had a large impact on agriculture, damaging crops and reducing yields, as well as on education, with school vacations having to be extended and schools closed in several countries, affecting thousands of students. Climate experts say extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent. The study found that extreme temperatures are now about 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.5 Fahrenheit) hotter in the region because of climate change, and this year Pakistan witnessed above-normal rains and heat. Its Lee Atwater time for the Trump campaign. Its understandable if the name escapes you. Atwater hasnt been in the news much since he died in 1991, having made a deathbed apology for pretty much his entire political career as an avatar of the Republican Southern Strategy that used racism to strip voters away from the Democratic Party and convince them to vote for such cuddly Republican racists as Strom Thurmond. But what Atwater was most famous for, and what Republicans revere him for, was his authorship of the so-called Willie Horton ad. The 1988 George H. W. Bush campaign commercial attacked Democrat Michael Dukakis for his policy as governor of Massachusetts that allowed prisoners out for furloughs if they had records of good behavior. Horton, in prison for stabbing a boy to death during a robbery, was released on furlough and promptly kidnapped a young couple and raped the woman repeatedly while the young man watched. Atwater declared he would make Willie Horton Dukakis running mate with the ad. Now there are reports that Donald Trump has a plan to do the same thing to Joe Biden during the debate on Thursday by tying him to two migrants who murdered a 12-year-old girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, after they had been released from custody on immigration holds by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump has already begun his attack, telling the Christian Nationalist Faith and Freedom Conference on Saturday, Just this week, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was found strangled to death and dumped in a creek in Houston. Trump told the crowd that the young girl was Allegedly murdered by two recent illegal border crossers from Venezuela, viciously murdered. These monsters should never have been in our country. Trump has used other examples in his stump speech to crowds at rallies as he attacks the Biden administration for an increase in violent crime, especially by migrants. There has been no such increase in violent crime, however. In fact, all crime is down across the United States, and crimes by migrants have historically been lower than crimes by citizens. A July 2023 study by the Stanford Institute for Policy Research revealed that immigrants are 30 percent less likely to be incarcerated than are U.S.-born individuals who are white. The study goes on to note that when the analysis is expanded to include Black Americans whose prison rates are higher than the general population the likelihood of an immigrant being incarcerated is 60 percent lower than of people born in the United States. Im supplying the figures from the Stanford study for information purposes alone, because this is exactly the kind of facts and figures Biden should completely avoid citing in the debate on Thursday. Trump has told so many lies about migrants and crime and everything else that his base voters are immune to argument at this point, and of course, so is Trump. So, what should Biden do? He should talk about the dozens and dozens of American citizens who lost their lives to mass shootings while Donald Trump was in the White House, refusing for his four years in office to do anything meaningful against gun violence. He didnt do anything about crimes by migrants during the same period, but thats another argument Biden shouldnt make. Instead, he should list deaths by mass shootings, most of which were done by shooters using AR-15 style rifles that Trump nixed putting any sort of controls on. For starters, here is my partial list the White House is free to use of the mass murders by firearms that took place after Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017: Oct. 1, 2017: May as well get things started with the largest mass shooting in American history. A 64-year-old gunman, using multiple AR-15 style rifles, most of them equipped with the kind of bump stocks that Trumps Supreme Court just legalized, killed 64 people and wounded more than 400 at a music festival. Nov. 5, 2017: A 26-year-old man using an AR-15 style rifle killed 26 people and wounded 22 others at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. It remains the deadliest mass killing in Texas history. May 18, 2018: A 17-year-old student at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, killed ten students and two teachers with a handgun and shotgun using ammunition he had bought online without showing proof of age. Thirteen others were wounded. Feb. 14, 2018: A nineteen-year-old shooter using an AR-15 and multiple large-capacity magazines killed 17 people and wounded 17 more at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Oct. 27, 2028: A 46-year-old self-described antisemite and racist walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and killed 11 people in the congregation, including two Holocaust survivors. He wounded six more. Nov. 7, 2018: A twenty-eight-year-old Marine Corps veteran killed 13 people, including a police officer, in a country and western bar in Thousand Oaks, California. One other person was wounded and 13 more were injured in the mayhem. May 31, 2019: A gunman walked into a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Va., and killed 12 people, wounding four others before he was killed by responding police officers. July 28, 2019: A young gunman left 3 people dead and more than a dozen people injured after an attack on the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California. August 3, 2019: A self-described racist and xenophobe walked into a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and killed 23 people, wounding 22 others. Most of those killed were of Hispanic ancestry. The gunman had announced his intention to kill Latinos on social media prior to the killings. August 4, 2019: A gunman armed with an AR-15 style weapon with a 100-round drum magazine killed nine people and wounded 17 others outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio. February 26, 2020: An employee of the Molson Coors Brewing Company killed five co-workers at the brewery before committing suicide. December 8, 2020: A mother used a shotgun to kill her five children in Williamsburg, West Virginia, before setting her house on fire and killing herself. President Biden might mention that there was a fall-off in the number of mass shootings because of the COVID pandemic in 2020, but the pandemic itself managed to take 400,000 American lives during Donald Trumps last year in office. Biden should study his briefing books and be up on disputes over politics and policy, but when it comes to defending himself on immigration, dont bother. With the exception of Native Americans, there is not a human being in these United States who isnt in one way or another an immigrant. Dont make excuses. Dont explain policies. Recognize that Donald Trumps four years in office make him the biggest target of them all. Call him a liar to his face every time he tells a lie, and attack, attack, attack. Donald Trump is free to criticise Stormy Daniels and other witnesses in his hush money trial at the presidential TV debate after a judge partially lifted the gag order in the case. The Republican candidate is expected to use his appearance at the event in Atlanta on Thursday to repeat his argument that he has been unfairly targeted in the courts by Democrats. But until now, he has been forbidden by a New York judge from making any comments about the witnesses in the case, in which he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records last month. Justice Juan Merchan said on Tuesday that Trump was now free to comment on witnesses in the case, which included Ms Daniels, an adult film star with whom he allegedly had sexual relations in the 2000s. Trump was accused of buying her silence with so-called hush money and illegally covering his tracks by failing to disclose the purpose of payments in his records. He denies the sexual encounter and has vowed to appeal his conviction. He is due to be sentenced July 11 four days before the Republican convention that will nominate him as the partys candidate. Mr Merchans revised order allows Trump to speak publicly about witnesses in the case and relaxes another rule on commenting about the jury, but keeps in place restrictions on his statements about individual prosecutors and others involved in the case. A gag order on discussing Stormy Daniels has been lifted for Donald Trump - Ethan Miller/Getty Images Trumps lawyers argued the gag order was stifling his campaign speeches and said it might limit his ability to respond to attacks from Mr Biden during the debate. There is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors, Mr Merchan wrote. Until a sentence is imposed, all individuals covered must continue to perform their lawful duties free from threats, intimidation, harassment and harm, he added. The Trump campaign saw a major boost in donations after his conviction on May 30, and has since used the court cases against him as evidence that he is the victim of a political conspiracy. Three more cases against him, for alleged election interference and mishandling classified documents, are pending in Washington, Atlanta and Miami. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. After a bruising GOP presidential primary, in May 2016 Donald Trump released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees to reassure conservative voters that the presumptive Republican nomineea former Hillary Clinton donor who once mused about putting his liberal sister on the high courtwould nominate judicial conservatives. None of the people on Trumps original list were ever nominated, and only one Supreme Court appointee, Neil Gorsuch, was added to the list before Trump was elected. But the list did serve the purpose of reassuring conservatives who backed Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2016 primary that Trumps picks would be vetted by groups like the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation. In May of this year, Trump said he would be releasing an updated Supreme Court list, but six weeks later, the Trump campaign wont say whenor whetherit will be released. I will be putting out a Supreme Court list, the former president told radio host Hugh Hewitt on May 15. But Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told The Dispatch in a text message last week: I cant get ahead of any potential announcement that we may or may not have. Two of the four GOP senators added to Trumps Supreme Court short list in 2020, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, told The Dispatch they havent been apprised about when an updated list might be released or who might be on it. I have not heard about that, Hawley said in the Capitol last week. I havent. I have no idea, said Lee. Lindsey Graham, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expects Trump to release a list, but he didnt provide any details. I would think so, I think thats sort of what he has in mind, Graham told The Dispatch. Who would Graham like to see on the list? Ill talk to [Trump] first, he replied. The last revisions to Trumps previous lists in 2016 and 2020 werent released until September of each year, so one shouldnt read too much into the fact that the campaign hasnt released a list yet. A quick look at the September 2020 list suggests that theres much work to do if Trump is serious about highlighting a new crop of plausible picks. A key factor for any nominee will be his or her relative youthjust look at the ages of Trumps three appointees at the time they were confirmed: Barrett (48), Kavanaugh (53), Gorsuch (49). But most of the plausible appointees now serving as federal judges who were on the 2020 list are now within a few years of turning 60: Raymond Kethledge, Thomas Hardiman, Barbara Lagoa, Allison Eid, Don Willett. Its also true that Trumps successful campaign tactic from 2016something no other presidential candidate has ever donecould be politically trickier in 2024. For example, if Hawley, who is only 44 years old, is named on Trumps list again hed have to contend with the scrutiny over helping lead the charge in the Senate objecting to the counting of some Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. But Hawley insists he would not accept a Supreme Court nomination. I would say no, absolutely, Hawley told The Dispatch. If I wanted that job, I wouldnt be running for this job, added Hawley, who is running for reelection this year. His Senate colleague Lee, age 53, simply shrugged when asked if hed like to be on the list again: Ive got the job I want. Hawley touted 51-year-old 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James Ho, who was named on Trumps 2020 list, as a potential Trump nominee. I think Jim Ho has done a terrific job on the 5th [Circuit] and would just be tremendous, tremendous, Hawley told The Dispatch. I think hes principled, I think hes tough. I think he will be immune to the Greenhouse effect. But Trump is very skittish of the politics of abortion, and Ho wanted to issue a ruling last year that the FDAs original approval of the abortion drug mifepristone in 2000 was likely illegal. (The 5th Circuit ruled that the statute of limitations prohibited a challenge to the 2000 approval, but also ruled 2016 and 2021 regulations loosening distribution of the drug could be challenged and were likely illegal. Last week, the Supreme Court unanimously reversed the 5th Circuits ruling about the 2016 and 2021 regulations on the grounds that the pro-life doctors challenging the drugs approval lacked legal standing to sue the FDA.) When it comes to creating a new list of Supreme Court nominees, Trump could be cross-pressured by electoral politics and his personal grievances. He has expressed anger at the Supreme Court for refusing to take up his lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 election. When his three Supreme Court appointees were part of a 2022 majority opinion allowing Congress to access his tax records, Trump posted on Truth Social: Why would anybody be surprised that the Supreme Court has ruled against me, they always do! The Supreme Court has lost its honor, prestige, and standing, & has become nothing more than a political body, with our Country paying the price. They refused to even look at the Election Hoax of 2020. Shame on them! Depending on the outcome of the presidential immunity case this week, Trump could further sour on nominees in the mold of Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. The New York Times reported in 2023 that first-term Trump advisers who didnt break with the former president over January 6, including Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, were seeking a more aggressive brand of lawyer in a second Trump term. The Federalist Society doesnt know what time it is, Vought told the Times. But even if Trump wants a more aggressive or unconventional Supreme Court nominee, its doubtful there is political upside for him to advertise that fact in the general election. Whereas Trump was worried about conservative Cruz primary voters in 2016, moderate Nikki Haley voters who are more of a problem for him this time could be turned off by a list of anti-establishment picks in 2024. President Joe Biden certainly thinks the Supreme Court presents a political opportunityeven if Trump sticks to mainstream conservative nominees. He recently said in an interview with comedian Jimmy Kimmel that one of the scariest parts of a potential second Trump term is appointing new justices in the mold of Justice Samuel Alito (a George W. Bush appointee). The Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today, Biden said. If Trump is elected again, hes going to appoint two more flying flags upside down, he added, referring to the recent controversy over the January 2021 actions of Justice Alitos wife. When it comes to confirming Supreme Court nominees (as well as Cabinet officials), Trump could have a difficult time getting a majority of the Senate to vote for nominees seen as too unconventional or extreme. Republicans might have only 50 to 52 Senate seats in 2025, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, neither of whom voted for all of Trumps Supreme Court nominees in his first term. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, like Collins and Murkowski, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. Indiana Sen. Todd Young did not vote to convict but strongly criticized Trump and is refusing to support him in 2024. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, told The Dispatch that releasing a Supreme Court list was smart in 2016. I think it was one of the things that got him elected. Kennedy said hed like people on the bench who dont try to be legislators with robes. But does he think Trump will actually release a 2024 Supreme Court list? I have no idea, Kennedy replied. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) An escaped prisoner from Washington was captured in Beaverton when a drone spotted him hiding in heavy brush after running from a traffic stop. Dean Allen Bromley, who was wanted on a felony warrant for escaping from the State of Washingtons Department of Corrections, was pulled over Sunday near the Elmonica MAX station, Beaverton police said in a release. Bromley, who is 32, initially told police he was 22-year-old Leroy Miller. But he ran when officers tried to detain him for providing false information. Portland police officers begin wearing bodycams Officers did two things quickly: They set up a perimeter and called for a drone. Deputies from the Washington County Remote Operated Vehicle Team arrived and within minutes spotted Bromley. Both Beaverton police and county deputies moved in and arrested him. Hes being held in the Washington County Jail at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. 'Duped': Students of UA's new online college can't get jobs, say school misled them on value of degrees Tracie Frazier, a Navy veteran from Florida, enrolled with the University of Arizona Global Campus in August 2022 to advance her career in behavioral health. Three months later, she abruptly unenrolled when she learned the online school had taken out an over $8,000 student loan in her name without her knowledge. Sonyee Jackson, an Army veteran from Oklahoma City, graduated from the school in summer 2021 with a degree in supply chain management. When he had trouble landing a job, he reached out to the schools career services center. Despite multiple calls requesting help, he said he received no response. He couldn't find work in his field of study and is facing $60,000 in student loan debt. Heather Harris, a first-generation college student from southern Kentucky, completed a master's in psychology in January 2022 with a goal of helping families affected by addiction. But she soon discovered she couldnt get a job in counseling without experience in the field or a state license requirements she said school officials never discussed with her. Harris returned to her previous job: a line worker at a sewing factory, making $9.50 an hour. Shell soon have to start repaying $90,000 in student loans. Frazier, Jackson and Harris are three of two dozen students interviewed by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com who said they felt misled by officials at the school, known as UAGC, about the value and cost of their degrees. They described aggressive recruitment by school enrollment counselors, with promises that a UAGC degree would put them on a path to career success. The University of Arizona acquired UAGC in 2020 with the promise to do business differently than the schools predecessor, Ashford University, which was found liable by a California Superior Court for defrauding vulnerable students. But UAGC kept a vestige of Ashford that new students must sign: a nearly identical 30-page enrollment agreement that in two sentences on the 24th page states, I understand that this program is not intended to prepare students for professional licensure or certification in any field, regardless of concentration or specialization. For example, an education degree from UAGC does not allow a graduate to work as a teacher in any state. That Ashford agreement was used as evidence against the school in the California lawsuit. A spokesperson for UA said the enrollment agreement reflects that "UAGC's goal is to be transparent and to support students at all times." None of the students interviewed said they were made aware of the fine-print disclaimer near the end of the enrollment agreement. Federal regulations require higher education programs to tell students whether the program will lead to licensure and in which states. Ive never heard or seen any such disclaimer, Harris said when The Republic first brought it to her attention. I never would have invested six years of my life in a degree if Id known it wouldn't be worth the paper its printed on. A bachelors degree at UAGC ultimately costs students $55,200, not including technology and course material fees, which were unexpectedly imposed on students receiving full-tuition grants earlier this year despite assurances to the contrary. Master's degrees are $21,600, not including other costs. The University of Arizona declined to make UAGCs interim leader, Gary Packard, available for an interview. A spokesperson for UA said the university could not comment on specific student claims given federal student privacy laws but that UAGC provides students with disclosures regarding their financial aid packages and degree licensure limitations. The university also declined to put the news organization in touch with students who had a positive experience. Instead, they referred The Republic to student success stories featured on its website and invited a reporter to attend the schools graduation. A spokesperson for UA said in a written response that the school lists disclosures about its degrees on its website and encourages students to research additional requirements for state-specific licensure or certification for themselves. The school also refuted the claim, made by UAGC students, that it is functionally the same institution as Ashford. Since it began operations in December 2020 as an accredited institution of higher education, UAGC has been governed by an independent Board of Directors and managed by leaders who have intentionally fostered a student-centered approach, a Culture of Care, and an extensive support network that blends enrollment, financial, academic, and career resources, the statement read. These unique features, among others, distinguish UAGC from Ashford University. But the students' claims echo some of those made in Californias lawsuit. On a recent trip to Phoenix, U.S. Secretary of Education Michael Cardona said his department is watching like hawks to ensure vulnerable students including first-generation students and veterans are not preyed upon by online universities. Though he was asked about UAGC, he said his comments were not directed at any specific university. Look, I'm a big proponent of making sure we're providing more access online colleges, online universities allow flexibility, Cardona said. However the big however there has been a culture of mostly for-profit institutions preying on first-generation college kids, preying on veterans. Theyre offering fancy commercials and shiny brochures saying, You're gonna get this. And then the return on investment is not there. Last August, Cardona oversaw the cancellation of $72 million of federal student loan debt for more than 2,300 borrowers who were enrolled at Ashford University between 2009 and 2020. The University of Arizona may be on the hook for some or all of that money, according to a Department of Education spokesperson. There are bad actors in the education business, Cardona said. Now, we're committed to supporting colleges and working with them. But we're not going to allow a system that takes advantage of students to go unchecked. UA President Robert Robbins told The Republic in February that he was aware of the bad actors involved with Ashford when he orchestrated the acquisition from the schools parent company, called Zovio. We understood all of the negativity surrounding Ashford and particularly Zovio they were bad actors. Our idea was to serve the students to be able to address all of the issues and predatory practices that Zovio had engaged in, to get that fixed, said Robbins, who in April said he would step down as president of UA. That announcement came days after The Republic published an investigation showing Robbins approved the hiring of a lobbyist who sought to persuade Californias attorney general to erase millions of dollars in damages against Zovio. Robbins flatly denied the lobbyist did that work, but backed off the terse position weeks later when The Republic asked about documents it obtained showing the contrary. Since acquiring Ashford, UA set in motion an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at disassociating UAGC from its problematic predecessor. Despite Ashfords history of malfeasance, the Arizona Board of Regents the state body tasked with overseeing public universities approved the deal without independently vetting the acquisition. On the claims made by former UAGC students, Megan Gilbertson, the spokesperson for the Board of Regents, said in a statement that "unlike Ashford, UAGC has the enrollment disclosures posted on its website" and that the board was not able to comment on specific student claims given federal student privacy laws. UA said it has made other substantive changes, including hiring a team of 13 full-time employees to monitor UAGC student-facing communications and marketing compliance; bolstering the team that handles student complaints; and severing ties with Zovio after the company went under in 2022. Part of the pitch to the California attorney general, however, was that UA and UAGC needed Zovio to survive. And experiences described by UAGC students raise questions about how far the school has gone to correct course. If the way they conducted themselves was bad when they were Ashford, doing those same things under the logo of a public university is even worse, said Frazier, who said she was compelled to speak up to help other students, and especially veterans, avoid the same experience. Now, people cant Google them and realize this is a for-profit hustle with fraud claims to their name. People, like me, Google them and see the University of Arizona, a reputable state school. If youre lucky, you realize what you signed up for before its too late. UAGC acquisition: UA President Robbins OK'd online school deal despite red flags. It's costing the university $265M Vestiges of Ashford University's practices persist at UAGC More than a decade ago, the federal government put tougher regulations on for-profit schools, which have led many like Ashford to seek nonprofit status and partner with public universities. That can make them less subject to government scrutiny and offers tax advantages. In exchange, public universities say these marriages allow them to diversify and expand their student bodies while boosting their bottom line. The most recent is the University of Idaho, which has sought to acquire the University of Phoenix, a for-profit college with a predatory past. UA leaders pushed back on skeptics of the 2020 deal by promising that UAGC would become an engine of economic mobility. But critics of these mergers, including lawmakers, policy experts and frequently the faculties of the public universities, argue that the prospect is doomed from the onset. The unbelievable thing is that a public institution is willing to risk its reputation and engage in this kind of practice just for the sake of generating revenue, Barmak Nassirian said about UAs decision to acquire UAGC. Hes the vice president for higher education policy at Veterans Education Success, an advocacy group for student veterans. Nassirian said veterans are prized and targeted by predatory colleges because of the robust education benefits they receive from the government. Nearly one-third of UAGC students are military-affiliated individuals, according to UA. A spokesperson for UA cited a March preliminary finding from Joshua Jacobs, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary for benefits, that said UAGC does not pose a threat to veterans. Over the past four years, UA executed a public relations campaign intended to disassociate UAGC from its problematic predecessor. But vestiges of Ashford persist. UAGC continues to share the same federal identification number as Ashford, which means students must select Ashford for their school on some job applications and when applying for financial aid. A UAGC spokesperson said school leaders are working to address this problem. In the interim, UAGC team members are trained to explain the situation, a UA spokesperson said, including a disclaimer to students that they will still need to select Ashford University as their school's name in federal applications. The disclaimer appears next to an asterisk at the bottom of official UAGC emails and is emailed to students applying for financial aid. UAGC also continues to spend an inordinate amount of its operating budget on marketing, a criticism California prosecutors raised against Ashford. According to numbers provided by the school, UAGC is projected to spend over $49 million on marketing in 2024, more than 20% of its annual operating budget of about $226 million; UA spends less than 1% of its operating budget on marketing, according to UA's fiscal year 2023 annual budget. UAGC also employs 178 enrollment advisers dedicated exclusively to recruiting UAGC students, surpassing the school's approximately 120 full-time academic instructors. By comparison, UA employs 18 enrollment counselors for a student population nearly double the size of UAGC's. And experts express serious concerns that UAGCs current disclosure about licensure and certification in the enrollment agreement falls short of federal requirements, a shortcoming proven in the California trial against Ashford. If a student thinks theyre enrolling in a program to work in a field that requires a license, and, in fact, that program does not lead to licensure, language in an enrollment agreement is not enough, said Carolyn Fast, director of higher education policy at The Century Foundation, a policy group that researches higher education. And if students are getting contrary information? Thats very concerning. This specific issue came up with Ashford you would think they would have addressed it by now. A UAGC online enrollment specialist confirmed that the school does not assist students in fulfilling licensure requirements in their state of employment. In contrast, equivalent degrees from UA and UAOnline, the school's traditional online program, require students to complete necessary internships or clinical rotations to receive their degrees. UAGC, on the other hand, continues to advertise its degrees as career focused even while its programs do not provide students with the field experience necessary to land certain jobs. Professionals with a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development could start careers in such fields as social work, child care, or special education, reads UAGCs website advertising one of its education degrees. One entry on the FAQ page advertising another education degree states: Can I Get a Job in Education With Just a Bachelor's Degree? Yes. If prospective students navigate to the Special Terms and Conditions section would they learn that a UAGC degree would not allow someone to work as a teacher in any state. Students who feel misled by UAGC can file complaints with the Arizona Board of Regents, the state body tasked with overseeing public universities. They can also file to recoup student loans through a federal borrower defense program aimed at protecting students from predatory schools. In a statement, a UA spokesperson said that like all institutions offering distance education programs, UAGC is working to identify and comply with the applicable educational requirements for licensure or certifications in all states where UAGC has enrolled students. The statement was accompanied by 23 pages of social media highlights from the schools 2024 commencement earlier this month, with photos of proud students celebrating their graduation. Senior Vice Provost of Online Initiatives, Gary Packard shakes graduate's hands as they walk at the University of Arizona Global Campus spring 2024 commencement ceremony at Desert Diamond Arena on June 9, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. Its just such an amazing story to watch these students walk across the stage, said Packard, the interim leader of UAs online programs, describing a UAGC graduation when he spoke to The Republic in January. We have students that are not your typical college students who are getting better jobs and supporting their families. I can tell you from anecdotal success stories about how their lives have been changed by the education they received. But the experiences of some UAGC students and graduates are in stark contrast to the picture painted by UA leaders. 'You scammed me out of my money' Tracy Frazier served six years in the Navy before pursuing an education in behavioral health to advance her career as a case manager. She came across UAGC while researching online programs that would allow her to keep a full-time job while in school. According to Frazier, a UAGC enrollment specialist assured her that her military benefits would fully cover the cost of the advanced degree she sought a Ph.D. in criminology for 14 months. I asked her if I was going to be accumulating student loans. And she said no, unless for whatever reason your GI Bill payment doesnt go through, Frazier said. Her military benefits successfully went through, according to time logs reviewed by The Republic. But three months later, Frazier noticed a change in her credit score. When she logged in to her federal student aid account, she was shocked to find a loan for over $8,000 taken out in her name and paid directly to UAGC without her knowledge. I saw that, and I was like, excuse my language, but 'What the f---? Frazier said. The unsubsidized loan was charged to her account, according to her student aid records, and used toward her UAGC expenses in addition to three months of her GI Bill. Frazier immediately reached out to school officials to recoup the loan and demand answers. I was told I wouldnt be accumulating any student loans unless the GI Bill payments did not go through for whatever reason, she wrote in a Dec. 15, 2022, email to the enrollment specialist. She did not receive a response. She submitted a form to UAGCs financial office to cancel the funds and kept calling. For months, she said she fought for a substantive response. Every time I saw that loan still on my account, I would call them, Frazier said. Im like, no, this is unacceptable. You scammed me out of my money, out of my GI Bill, you took this loan out in my name, and I never even saw any of the money from it. Only after threatening the school with legal action was she reimbursed for the loan, she said. I had to bring up the L-word lawyer, she said. In February 2023, she received a letter from UAGCs Financial Services Department informing her the unsubsidized loan for $8,612 was returned to the lending company. With my experience as a veteran, Im wondering have other veterans gone through this? Frazier said. If I collected thousands of dollars in debt just in one semester, how far have they gone? 'I never expected to be dealt like that' Sonyee Jackson, a 35-year-old military veteran, thought his graduation from UAGC would stand out as one of the proudest days of his life. I dressed up in the gown, the tassel, the whole thing, he said of the June 6, 2021, ceremony, which took place at his home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was excited to pursue a career in supply chain management, the subject of his degree, and support his young family. But when he faced several unexpected hurdles as he began to apply for jobs, he said he was met with silence from the schools career service line. I called and called no response, Jackson said. One concern that arose was having to select Ashford University on online forms. I felt like, does this school even exist? Jackson recalled. When Jackson first enrolled in 2019, the school was still Ashford. Over a year into his degree, he, alongside his classmates, received a Dec. 1, 2020, email from Ashfords administration titled Important Changes at Ashford University. We are thrilled to announce that Ashford University is now the University of Arizona Global Campus, the email informed students, without further explanation. As a student, youll be able to continue your degree program without interruption, while also taking pride in the Global Campus affiliation with the University of Arizona, one of the nations premier research institutions. The email concluded with the declaration, in bold: New Name. Same Reliable Support. But when Jackson called University of Arizona support services to discuss how to fill out job applications, they told him he was in the wrong place. "They have the same name, but you dont get the same treatment, Jackson recalled realizing. Multiple UAGC students interviewed by The Republic described feeling confused and misled by the repeated insinuation reinforced by branded water bottles, T-shirts and other paraphernalia with UAs logo that they were equal University of Arizona students when they are denied the same academic opportunities. "I just wish they would honor what they say they are, said Jackson, who said the name change added another layer of confusion. It made us think maybe they would be different than Ashford, but it was the same thing, he said. After trying for months to land a job in his field of study without success, Jackson took a job driving a Frito-Lay truck. In addition to supporting his family, he had to begin paying off his student loans. Jackson needed the loans after he exhausted his military benefits, even though he said an Ashford enrollment specialist promised those benefits would cover the cost of his degree when he enrolled in 2019. All the sleepless nights, studying, trying to do something better for myself, Jackson said. I never expected to be dealt like that. Its hard, you know, on your self-esteem to admit you got scammed. While UA leaders use UAGCs "diverse student population as a talking point according to U.S. Department of Education data, nearly 50% of the schools student body identifies as Black or Hispanic experts say that the data indicates a predatory relationship between the school and minority communities. To me, its an indictment of what they did, not an endorsement, said Dave Wells, research director at Grand Canyon Institute, an Arizona-based policy think tank. Ashford was preying on low-income students of color. Insinuating that UAGC students would have the same opportunities as UA students when that is not the case is a further level of deception, Wells said. UA leaders say the full integration of UAGC students is underway and claim it did not formally begin until last summer, when the university bought the assets for the online school. We're going through the process of reconciliation, Robbins said in February. 'I dont want other people to get duped' Heather Harris, 46, decided to pursue a career in substance abuse counseling at UAGC after losing two people she loved to addiction. I was looking for something that would help me be able to help people affected by addiction, said Harris, who lives in a small town in southern Kentucky with a population of less than 1,000. Not just the addicts, but their families and their loved ones, because theyre going through this too. A recovered addict herself, the career path she chose meant more to her than just a job. I was really pinning my hopes and dreams for my future on getting this diploma and getting to help people that had been where I was, she said. It was the golden pot at the end of the rainbow Id been chasing my whole life. She received her bachelor's degree in applied behavioral science while the school was Ashford and completed her master's degree in psychology after the transfer to UAGC. She recalled feeling excited about the schools transition. I was thinking, instead of being some random, you know, internet college, Im actually going to be affiliated with a state university. Throughout her six years at the school, she said she was assured by school officials, first from Ashford and then from UAGC, that her degree would allow me to do exactly what I wanted to do. I was led to believe that I could walk into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility and get a job as a therapist when I finished my degree, she said. But when she graduated from UAGC in January 2022, she faced a grim realization. Without the experience, supervised work hours, or licensing to go with it, my degree was worth pretty much nothing, Harris said. While at Ashford and UAGC, she said she was assigned multiple educational support counselors. None informed her about the additional licensure requirements, she said. She applied to multiple jobs and faced multiple rejections. She even resorted to applying for a teaching position at UAGC. I didnt even get to the application part, she said. Their requirements to become an instructor at UAGC were not fulfilled by their degrees. Without experience with my degree, it was useless there. Today, Harris has over $90,000 in student debt. Though her payments are deferred while she is on a leave of absence to care for family, she will have to start making them early next year. I want to tell my story because I dont want other people to get duped into believing they're going to be able to aspire to their dreams, Harris said. Her story is reminiscent down to the details of former Ashford student Pamela Roberts, who testified against the school during the California lawsuit. Roberts enrolled in Ashford in 2014 to pursue her dream of becoming a substance abuse counselor after surviving alcohol and drug addiction. A counselor assigned to her assured her that it would be no problem for her to pursue this line of work with an Ashford degree. But a week before graduation, Roberts learned her degree did not meet any of the requirements for certified substance abuse counselors. The experience left her crippled by self-doubt, without career prospects and more than $60,000 in debt. Ive been through it, but the months after I graduated from Ashford are among the lowest moments in my life, said Roberts, now 49. Getting scammed by a place that promised to educate you is a kick in the gut. It undermines your sense of self, your sense of purpose the dreams of what you could be. After pursuing justice against Ashford with the California Attorney Generals Office, Roberts filed for loan forgiveness through the Department of Educations borrower defense program. Her remaining loans owed to Ashford were forgiven last year. She returned to a different school to complete her requirements and today works as a primary therapist. When she learned of Harris story, Roberts said she wasnt surprised, but she was angry. The leopard hasnt changed its spots, she said. Ive had serious concerns since I learned about the merger with the University of Arizona. It was only a matter of time before buying a school like Ashford diminished their reputation for excellence. I dont care what its called the corporation that was Ashford needs to be shut down permanently. They cant keep doing this to people. Republic reporter Helen Rummel contributed to this article. Hannah Dreyfus is an investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hannah.dreyfus@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @Hannah_Dreyfus or Threads @hannahdreyfus. Info for UAGC students If you are a UAGC student who feels you were subjected to misleading promises regarding the value and/or expense of your degree, feel free to contact the reporter at hannah.dreyfus@arizonarepublic.com. Students can also submit complaints to the Arizona Board of Regents, the body that oversees Arizonas public universities, at https://www.azregents.edu/contact-us. Students who feel they enrolled in a school or continued to attend a school based on misleading information can apply to have their student loans forgiven through the Federal Student Aid Borrower Defense Loan Discharge at https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Past University of Arizona Global Campus students say they were misled 'The early universe is nothing like we expected': James Webb telescope reveals 'new understanding' of how galaxies formed at cosmic dawn The Cosmic Gems is one of the most highly magnified objects in space, thanks to a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. | Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Bradley (STScI), A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the Cosmic Spring collaboration The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered what could be the earliest star clusters in the universe. JWST spotted the five proto-globular clusters swarms of millions of stars bound together by gravity inside the Cosmic Gems arc, a galaxy that formed just 460 million years after the Big Bang . The Cosmic Gems arc gets its name from its appearance: When seen from our solar system, the star-studded galaxy looks like a hair-thin crescent due to the powerful gravitational influence of a foreground galaxy, which magnifies and distorts the distant galaxy's appearance. The galaxy is the most highly magnified region seen in the first 500 million years of our universe, giving astronomers an unprecedented window into how the stirrings of the first stars sculpted galaxies during cosmic dawn. Cosmic dawn is the time encompassing the first billion years of the universe. Roughly 400 million years after the Big Bang, the Epoch of Reionization began, in which light from nascent stars stripped hydrogen of their electrons, leading to a fundamental reshaping of galaxy structures . "The early universe is nothing like we expected," study first author Angela Adamo , an astronomer at Stockholm University, told Live Science. "Galaxies are more luminous, they form stars at break-neck speed, and they do so in massive and dense star clusters. We are building a new understanding of how early galaxies formed." The researchers published their findings June 24 in the journal Nature . Related: James Webb telescope confirms there is something seriously wrong with our understanding of the universe Lights on at cosmic down As stars form, they fling out material in the form of winds and jets of ionized plasma a process known as stellar feedback. "To form these 5 star clusters this tiny galaxy had to do so with very high efficiency," Adamo said. "The stellar feedback from the stars in star clusters must have been tremendous." Scientists discovered the Cosmic Gems arc in 2018 using the Hubble Space Telescope. Usually, galaxies from such an early time emit light that is far too faint to be detected by telescopes. But a phenomenon called gravitational lensing can help astronomers view them. star clusters closeup As Einstein outlined in his theory of general relativity , gravity is the curving and distortion of space-time in the presence of matter and energy. This curved space, in turn, sets the rules for how energy and matter move. This means that even though light travels in a straight line, light can be bent and magnified by the presence of gravity. In this case, the galaxy SPT-CL J0615-5746 sits between the Cosmic Gems arc and our solar system, bending and magnifying the early galaxy's light so it can be viewed by telescopes. By pointing JWST at this region of curved space, astronomers observed the Cosmic Gems arc in unprecedented detail, resolving the five globular clusters nestled within. They found that the clusters were incredibly dense, being roughly three orders of magnitude denser than star-forming regions observed closer to Earth. RELATED STORIES Bizarre new cosmic object is the most magnetic star in the universe Bizarre 'failed star' the size of Jupiter is 2,000 degrees hotter than the sun 1st evidence of nuclear fission in stars hints at elements 'never produced on Earth' The clusters are among the first to ever be observed. But it's still unclear whether they are the first to exist, Adamo said. "In principle, I would expect star formation to take place in a clustered fashion even in quite primordial galaxies," she added. "But to form [massive] proto globular clusters, the host galaxy needs to be capable of creating and retaining enough mass in gas. So it all depends on how fast primordial galaxies can grow." To learn more about the cosmos's first embers in the region, the researchers will follow up with a spectroscopic analysis using the JWST. This will enable astronomers to reconstruct the physical properties of the clusters, further constrain their ages, and trace the impact the clusters' stars had on their wider galaxy. Two of the three victims stabbed during a bloody East Village street clash were a married couple, including the husband who died after being slashed in the throat, officials said Tuesday. Suspect Alejandro Piedra, 30, was charged with murder and attempted murder, and faces up to 25 years to life, if convicted. Cops said Piedra told them he was acting in self-defense. I dont care if you are a woman or children, Piedra said, according to cops. If my life is at stake, they are fair game. At Piedras arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, prosecutors said Piedra had an altercation with the husband, his wife and the second man on E. 13th St. between First Ave. and Avenue A. Officials said all four of them knew each other from the neighborhood. During the clash, the man accompanying the couple struck Piedra with a piece of wood, prompting Piedra to take out his knife and stab him in the head and back, authorities said. Piedra admitted that he stabbed the three individuals. But he was adamant that he thought his own life was in danger, officials said. The decedent ran towards the defendant and the two got into a physical struggle, said Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Daniel Makofsky. As the defendant and the decedent squared up for a fistfight, an unidentified male ran up from behind the defendant and struck him in the back of the head with a glass lamp, knocking the defendant to the ground. Makofsky said it was not clear who struck Piedra with the lamp. Piedra then ran after the husband and fought with him some more until they backed off each other. Makofsky said Piedra took out his knife while the husband grabbed the broken lamp on the sidewalk. Instead of advancing towards the decedent, the defendant walked towards his wife, who was standing off to the side of the street and he then stabbed her multiple times, the prosecutor said. He added that the woman posed no threat to Piedra when he attacked her. After seeing that Piedra had stabbed the woman, the husband struck him with the broken lamp. Piedra then stabbed the husband several times, inflicting fatal wounds to his neck, prosecutors said. He then went up to the woman again and stabbed her several more times, they added. In 2018, Piedra was charged with assaulting two women when he struck them with umbrellas. One of the victims was 69 years old. The case was sent to mental health court, which the defendant completed in 2021. Piedra is due in court next on June 28. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued its verdict on the merits in the first interstate case, Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea), recognising the systemic violations of human rights committed by the Russians in occupied Crimea. Source: European Pravda with reference to the court decision. Details: The case Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea) dealt with Ukraine's accusations of systematic violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by the Russian Federation in Crimea since February 2014. It also alluded to charges of systematic persecution of Ukrainians for their political positions and/or pro-Ukrainian activities (Ukrainian political prisoners), which occurred mostly in Crimea, but also in other parts of Ukraine or the Russian Federation, since the beginning of 2014. The Ukrainian government asserts that Russia has effectively controlled the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol since 27 February 2014. It also claims that Russia committed systematic human rights violations as part of a repressive campaign that included disappearances, illegal detentions, ill-treatment, the inability to renounce Russian citizenship, the suppression of work of Ukrainian media and the functioning of the Ukrainian language in schools, and transfers from Crimea to remote Russian prisons. Background: Russia decided not to comply with ECHR decisions issued after 15 March 2022. However, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe stated that according to international law, Russia is still obliged to comply with the decisions of the ECHR taken against it. Recently, oral proceedings were held at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case Ukraine and the Netherlands against the Russian Federation. The proceedings concern Russia's violations of human rights in the occupied territory of Donbas. Support UP or become our patron! Ecuadorean presidential candidate Zurita and his running mate Gonzalez attend their closing campaign rally, in Quito Ecuadorean presidential candidate Zurita and his running mate Gonzalez attend their closing campaign rally, in Quito QUITO (Reuters) - A court in Ecuador on Tuesday started a trial against five people accused of murdering presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year, where the accused could serve up to 26 years in jail if found guilty. Journalist and former legislator Villavicencio was shot while leaving a rally in August 2023, becoming the most prominent victim of Ecuador's spiraling violence. Villavicencio, whose journalism exposed corruption and connections between organized crime and politicians, had long faced threats. Prosecutors say two of the accused are leaders of factions in the Los Lobos criminal gang, although the defense says there is not sufficient evidence to support the accusation. Prosecutors are undertaking a separate investigation into who requested the murder. One of the hitmen died at the scene of Villavicencio's murder and seven other suspects - mostly Colombian citizens - were murdered in October while being held in prisons on pre-trial detention. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Alistair Bell) Few former nurses find themselves in a position to give away $100 million to their former hospital. But Ann Lurie, who died Monday at the age of 79, once was a pediatric critical care nurse at the former Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago, back when it was in Lincoln Park. That experience of watching infants being kept alive by respirators, along perhaps with a mothers admonition to do a good deed daily, led to Lurie funding a flagship downtown institution to which many Illinois families of our acquaintance have cause to be deeply grateful. Chicago has many philanthropists. But Luries work truly was as exceptional as her intelligence. Her resources came from the real estate and investment prowess of her husband, Bob, a partner with the late Sam Zell and possessive of a comparably maverick appearance. But Bob Lurie died in 1990 from colon cancer at the age of 48. After his affairs were untangled from those of Zell (who once was involved with this newspaper), Ann Lurie found she had formidable resources at her disposal. Over the last 34 years, she used them exceptionally well, personally running the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Family Foundation, focused on supporting mostly health-related causes, although it interpreted that mandate as including efforts toward disease prevention. She continued to help the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, named for her husband, but also the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She gave away hundreds of millions of dollars, with the vast majority of that money supporting institutions within the city of Chicago. Wealthy philanthropists often are heralded as leaders by those who depend on their support; its typically an honorific, but in the case of the famously smart and hands-on Lurie, it was singularly accurate. Thanks for your work, Ann, especially all you did to help Chicagoland kids get better. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Edward Burke is going to prison. But the 80-year-old former alderman, arguably the most powerful politician in Chicago for decades, surely wont be incarcerated for close to the two years he got Monday for getting caught red-handed shaking down businesses needing city permits and approvals. The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall was about one-fifth of the nearly 10 years prosecutors recommended. It also was considerably lighter than the minimum 6.5 years Burke would have gotten had the judge followed the federal sentencing guidelines for the crimes he committed. The question for us and for all of Chicago is, was justice served? Well render our verdict further down, but lets start by acknowledging that Burke benefited greatly from the judges considering five decades of good works by the former alderman while being legally restricted from regarding anything but the two years and four specific criminal entanglements that comprised his actual prosecution. Prosecutors tried hard to convince the judge that Burkes sleazy attempts to extort business for his property tax appeals firm long preceded these discrete incidents. Clearly, these were not a one-time lapse in judgment, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker argued. They were the exact opposite. He operated as a seasoned professional. Burkes attorneys jumped up to object, but the judge reassured them immediately that the law didnt allow her to assume Burkes shakedown of a Burger King franchise owner in his ward was just the latest in presumably years worth of similar actions. Surely, everyone else in that courtroom knew better. Having spent five decades as an alderman, Burke didnt amass a $30 million fortune without using his powerful perch to steer business to his firm. In the end, the righteous anger of federal prosecutors was overwhelmed in Kendalls courtroom by the other side of Ed Burke the generous benefactor. Burke attorney Chuck Sklarsky spent most of his time before the judge going through the piles of letters sent on Burkes behalf by both the powerful and the ordinary, extolling the aldermans generosity amid countless examples when he performed extraordinary services for his fellow human beings without seeking credit or asking for anything in return. Kendall expressed amazement. I have never in all my career seen the letters Ive seen for Mr. Burke, she said. She remarked on the distinction between the criminal period at the heart of his conviction and the outpouring of support for the disgraced politician. I have two years, four instances, she said of the crimes, and 50 years of this, she said of the good works. In a brief statement before the judge handed down her sentence, Burke said, Ive been blessed. He was speaking about his family and friends. But he could just as easily have been referring to his good fortune in that courtroom. A lifetime of charity and generosity, both personal and financial, divided by two years of criminality added up to what few would argue was a light sentence given Burkes outsize contribution to Chicagos sad and deserved reputation as a swamp of corruption. The $2 million fine was, on one level, a big bill for Burke to have to pay but also very disturbing to us. As the judge noted, the fine is uncommonly large, but she only levied it because he could easily afford to pay. Thus it left the impression of a powerful man being permitted to purchase years of freedom, simply because he had sufficient resources to do so. Would a two-bit alderman whod been convicted of similar corruption but who lacked Burkes wherewithal to pay a big fine been handed just two years? Burke expressed regret for the way his career ended. The blame is mine and mine alone, he intoned, as if the responsibility should lie anywhere else. That was hardly a sign of contrition or remorse. Only Burke knows what he meant by that, but to our eyes, he appeared simply to be criticizing himself for getting caught. So, was justice done? We wouldnt have wished for the judge to give Burke a decadelong prison term, given his age and health. That might well have amounted, as attorney Sklarsky said, to a death sentence. But two years? The publics primary interest in Burkes fate is ensuring it acts as a deterrent to other aldermen and public servants who are tempted to leverage their offices and enrich themselves. Burkes fall, even before conviction and sentencing, truly has been precipitous given how he was regarded before FBI agents famously papered the walls of his office in November 2018 as they ransacked it for evidence. That alone might dissuade a future criminal in pinstripes. But the scanty two years behind prison walls (in practice, far less) doesnt strike us as particularly daunting. The blame is mine and mine alone. If Burke is about taking responsibility for something, heres what we think the imperious former Finance Committee chairman ought to be sorry for besmirching the reputation of a city he claims to love. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.co QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) If youre interested in farm-to-table eating, youre in luck! Several farmers markets have just opened throughout the city, including one outside Elmhurst Hospital. More Local News GrowNYC, a nonprofit organization that champions sustainability and environmental solutions, operates the market. It runs 25 markets throughout the city year-round. Another 20, like the Elmhurst one, are open from the summer until November. The vendors that sell here may only sell what they have raised, caught, grown or baked themselves within 250 miles of the city, said Andrina Sanchez of GrowNYC. The group said most of the food is picked the day before it is sold. We are uplifting regional farmers, protecting farmland in the northeast and also providing New Yorkers with the freshest, most affordable produce, Sanchez said. Farmer Anthony Gordon is with Terhune Orchards in Salt Point, New York. He said there are many reasons to shop locally. We allow it to develop in time so when it reaches here, it is able to have that flavor youre looking for in a fruit. Most of the time, the fruits in the supermarket use a lot of chemicals, and we try our very best as a small farmer to have minimum spray, said Gordon. Queens Sky Farm LIC offers free produce to kids in need Elmhurst resident Perez Columba shops at the farmers market in her neighborhood as often as possible. I like it- its fresh! Thats why I come here, she told PIX11 News. Many of these consumers said supporting local farmers is a priority. Natalia Nizhnik works in the area. They really work very hard. Its not easy to work in the fields in the hot summer, Nizhnik said. This Elmhurst Greenmarket will be open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until November. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. SCHUYLER COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) An Elmira man is set to be sentenced in August after pleading guilty to using counterfeit money to purchase a vehicle. According to the Schuyler County District Attorneys Office, Billy Joe E. Giggee, 43, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a forged instrument in the first degree, a class C felony, and petit larceny in Schuyler County Court on June 20. Man sentenced for impersonation during traffic stop In court, Giggee admitted to purchasing a vehicle from someone with counterfeit $100 bills. He was later arrested and had additional counterfeit money on him at the time. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1, 2024, by Hon. Matthew C. Hayden. The case was prosecuted by Schuyler County Assistant District Attorney Ariana Marmora. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. SWAT standoff in Minerva ends in one death MINERVA, Ohio (WJW) Officials responded to an incident in Minerva Monday evening. The Carroll County Sheriffs Office said in a press release that deputies came under fire when they responded to the home on Metro St. just after 3 p.m. Man killed in asphalt roller accident: Solon police According to the sheriffs office, several shots hit the deputys vehicles. The sheriff said a woman in the home was able to escape. A man was found inside dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff. Residents had been asked to remain in their homes and avoid the area during the situation. No deputies were hurt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Several officers from the Guardia Civil and the police gather before beginning the search for the young Briton Jay Slater in the Masca Ravine, on the island of Tenerife, Spain, June 24, 2024. A British teenager has been missing for over a week since attending a massive rave on a trip to the Spanish island of Tenerife, and his family is desperate to find him. Nineteen-year-old Jay Slater, from the northwestern English county of Lancashire, was last heard from on the morning of June 17 after attending the NRG music festival in the southern part of the island, according to a GoFundMe page set up by a friend who traveled with him. Lucy Mae, who wrote that she left the rave before Slater did, got a call from him the next morning. He told her that he left the party with two people he had met and went to their apartment, which was miles away from civilization on the mountainous island. Slater told her that he left the apartment at 8 a.m. "and walked half an hour before frantically ringing me when his phone reached 1%." "He was lost in the mountains, he wasnt aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink," she wrote. Slater's last location was on an off-road track about a 10-hour walk from his hotel. The weather was severely cold and windy weather and Slater was only wearing shorts and a T-shirt, Mae wrote. Authorities search mountainous terrain for missing teen The Guardia Civil, Spain's national law enforcement, shared footage on X of officials scouring mountainous terrain and ravines in a helicopter. Dispositivo de busqueda de un joven britanico en la zona de Masca, en el que participa @guardiacivil junto a otros servicios de emergencia pic.twitter.com/K3HMPXrSOm Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) June 23, 2024 The Lancashire Police Force have offered their support to the Guardia Civil despite the case being "outside the jurisdiction of UK policing," the agency said in a statement Friday. The police force also said they have specialist officers supporting Slater's family. The NRG festival also published a statement in an Instagram post Saturday, calling the teen's disappearance a "devastating situation" that "has deeply affected us all." "Despite the widespread coverage and hard work of local authories involved in the search, at the time of posting Jay has not yet been found," the festival wrote. "We have been able to give some practical support to the members of Jays family who have come to Tenerife in such difficult circumstances, and we are inspired by their resilience and determination." Family doing everything they can to find Jay In an update to the GoFundMe post Sunday, Slater's mother, identified as Debbie Duncan, said the family is extremely worried and doing everything possible to find him. It's been "a living hell," the teen's father, Warren Slater, told reporters in the town of Santiago del Teide, according to BBC. "Somebody must know something. I just want him to be found," he said. Slater's employer, construction business PH Build Group, said on Facebook that he's an apprentice bricklayer. "Jay has been with us since he left school and is liked by all," the company wrote. "He needs to be back home where he belongs." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: British teen Jay Slater missing on Spain's Tenerife island for a week China unleashes new quality productive forces in push for reform, innovation Xinhua) 08:08, June 25, 2024 BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- In China's pursuit of high-quality development, the term "new quality productive forces" is grabbing the spotlight, highlighting the direction for the transformation and upgrading of the world's second-largest economy. What are the core elements of "new quality productive forces"? How should they be developed, and what are the implications for the rest of the world? In the sixth episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk platform hosted by Xinhua News Agency, government officials and industry insiders shared their insights on some of the most frequently asked questions about the buzzphrase. This photo shows a view of the China Economic Roundtable. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) INNOVATION AT CORE First introduced in 2023, new quality productive forces refer to advanced productivity freed from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths. It features high-tech, high efficiency and high quality, and comes in line with the new development philosophy. The new strategy comes amid China's push for high-quality development and the surging tide of new scientific revolution and industrial transformation, according to Liu Dongmei, Party chief of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development. "Scientific and technological innovation is the core of the new quality productive forces," she said, noting that through sci-tech innovation, especially in breakthrough and disruptive technologies, new growth impetus can be provided for economic development. China's overall strength in science and technology innovation has steadily improved in recent years, with the country's research and development (R&D) expenditure exceeding 3.3 trillion yuan (about 463.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, an increase of 8.1 percent year on year. Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, said the development of the new quality productive forces covers both emerging industries and traditional industries, and that innovation involves technologies as well as institutions and management. "Sci-tech and institutional innovations are like two wheels propelling the growth of China's total factor productivity," Huang said at the roundtable. Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, speaks at the China Economic Roundtable. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) Qianhai in China's southern tech hub Shenzhen, a modern service industry demonstration zone, has set an example in developing new quality productive forces through technological and institutional innovations. Wang Jinxia, deputy director of the Qianhai Authority, said local authorities focused on fostering an industrial cluster for artificial intelligence, intellectual property protection, strengthening financing support and building large platforms for industrial development. Today, there are around 55,000 tech firms in Qianhai, of which 2,239 are national high-tech enterprises, and 14 are unicorn companies or startups valued at more than 1 billion U.S. dollars, according to Wang. GUIDING FUTURE REFORMS The new strategy has charted a clear path for high-quality development and relevant reforms as China strives to eliminate the bottlenecks that strain the development of new quality productive forces, according to the panelists. Institutional reforms in the field of science and technology essentially involve forming new relations of production that are in line with the new quality productive forces, Liu said. Liu Dongmei, Party chief of the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, speaks at the China Economic Roundtable. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) Liu added that one crucial aspect of these reforms lies in interdepartmental coordination in terms of formulating strategy, allocating resources, and distributing major facilities to maximize the efficiency of resource utilization. Echoing Liu's views, Huang said institutional reforms ought to be multifaceted and comprehensive, thereby facilitating the smooth flow of high-quality factors like capital, data and talent toward high-quality productive forces. Huang also underscored the need to reform the sci-tech system to encourage inputs into basic research for more original and disruptive achievements, and to reform services to expedite the application of technological advancements, transforming them into tangible productivity. In particular, both Huang and Liu highlighted the role of talent management in driving technological innovation. Efforts need to be made to create a more enabling environment for innovation to attract more talents to work and live in China, reform the education system to nurture more future scientists, craftsmen and engineers, and improve evaluation systems to encourage long-term basic research, Liu said. GLOBAL BENEFITS China's ongoing efforts to foster new quality productive forces will inject fresh momentum into global economic growth and provide massive opportunities for investors, according to the panelists and other industry insiders present at the roundtable. "Alongside Chinese companies, global investors are seizing a new round of opportunities arising from the development of new quality productive forces," said Wang with Qianhai Authority. Wang Jinxia, deputy director of the Qianhai Authority, speaks at the China Economic Roundtable. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) China's development of new quality productive forces would generate opportunities for tapping into the country's expanding market, according to Wang. Global investors will also be able to work with China in pushing for the explosion of the new technological revolution, and participate in the latest wave of globalization, he said, adding that foreign companies have already invested over 40 billion U.S. dollars in Qianhai. The development of China's new quality productive forces may have significant impacts on the global economy, influencing innovation and competitiveness across various sectors and industries, said Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business. Driven by China's unwavering focus on innovation, foreign direct investment in the country's hi-tech manufacturing sectors reached 37.76 billion yuan (about 5.3 billion U.S. dollars) during the first quarter of this year, official data showed. As China continues to cultivate new quality productive forces, the country is also sharing its intelligent, eco-friendly and inclusive technologies with other countries, said Liu with the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development. The world is grappling with several pressing global challenges, encompassing food security, natural disasters and climate change. With its rich experience, China has much to offer in addressing these issues, she said. "I am very optimistic that this new, high quality, high-tech, productive forces would be a huge step forward for humans, can make much better and lower-cost products. And we can do it in a much more environment-friendly way," said Erik Solheim, co-chair of the Europe-Asia Center and former under-secretary-general of the United Nations. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A 13-year-old boy with severe epilepsy in the United Kingdom has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant that helps keep seizures under control. Per The Guardian , Oran Knowlson underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London to have the Picostim neurostimulator fitted into his brain to address Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare treatment-resistant form of epilepsy. Knowlson received the neurostimulator in October 2023 as part of a pilot program run by GOSH in collaboration with University College London, Kings College Hospital and the University of Oxford. Since receiving the implant, which was developed by Amber Therapeutics, Orans daytime seizures have been reduced by 80 percent. Previously, his seizures were so severe he required constant care, and would sometimes lose consciousness and need resuscitation. For Oran and his family, epilepsy completely changed their lives and so to see him riding a horse and getting his independence back is absolutely astounding, said Martin Tisdall, the pediatric neurosurgeon at GOSH. We couldnt be happier to be part of their journey. Tisdalls surgical team installed the implant by mounting the Picostim to Knowlson's skull and inserting two electrodes deep into his brain until they hit the thalamus. The electrodes were then connected to the neurostimulator, which sends constant, mild electrical current to his brain to prevent or attenuate seizures. Justine Knowlson, Orans mother, confirmed as much when she discussed how the implant improved her sons quality of life. Weve seen a big improvement; seizures have reduced and are less severe, she said. Hes a lot more chatty, hes more engaged. Hes turned 13 and I definitely now have a teenager hes happy to tell me no. But that adds to his quality of life, when he can express himself better. The Picostim neurostimulator is just one device for seizure treatment being tested. In 2020, researchers in Israel developed a wearable EEG device called Epiness , which can predict seizures up to an hour before they start. Two years earlier, a smart arm bracelet called Nightwatch was created to detect nighttime epileptic seizures and contact the wearers care staff when they strike. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees has adopted a $542 million budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, the district said in a news release. The budget did not include employee raises this year. The budget takes effect on July 1. In 2022, EPISD employees received a 7 percent raise, which the district called the largest in EPISD history. Last year, employees received a 2 percent raise, according to the district. The Board of Trustees and Administration deeply value its employees and will continue to seek opportunities within the budget to consider additional one-time compensation adjustments throughout the coming year, the district said in its news release. The district also said that for the fourth straight year, El Paso ISD employees will not see a cost increase for their health-care plans. The district also said it has adjusted rates in areas of supplemental pay listings such as the extra performance pay/instructional stipends primarily in academic and extracurricular programming. As well as revisions to the miscellaneous pay and substitute pay rate listings, the news release said. Despite the financial constraints many school districts are facing, associated with no increase in state funding since 2019, the district remains steadfast in bringing a budget for the Boards consideration that prioritizes student and staff success. To maintain a competitive edge and fiscal responsibility, the Administration has reviewed and analyzed the compensation plan and other employee supplemental pay. All the while ensuring that resources are strategically allocated to best impact student experience, the district said in its news release. EPISD also touted new initiatives such as the expansion to the Montessori program, extended day learning programs, middle school algebra for all, elementary fine arts expansion, aerospace programming, redesign of the gifted and talented program, to name a few. The new programming is designed to meet the diverse needs of our student body, the district said in its news release. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) Wednesday, June 26, brings a chance for some Escambia County residents to get rid of some old items and household waste as the county prepares to host a neighborhood cleanup. Sailboat washes up on Pensacola Beach after men onboard were rescued south of Panama City According to a press release, the cleanup is scheduled to take place in the North Davis neighborhood on Wednesday. The area where the cleanup takes place is shown as a blue area on the map below. Residents can also see the boundaries of the cleanup area by visiting the Interactive Neighborhood Cleanup Map. North Davis Neighborhood map (Escambia County) UPDATE: Escambia County firefighter dies in Santa Rosa County crash Residents in the cleanup area can dispose of select items. Below is a list of items accepted during the cleanup. Household appliances and electronics Household junk and debris Bicycles and toys Old furniture and mattresses Barbecue grills Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries) Tires (limit 10 per household) Items not eligible for the cleanup are included below. Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber) Explosives or ammunition Auto parts Dirt or sod Vehicles or vessels 55-gallon drums of fluids Residents can also confirm if an item is eligible by contacting Development Program Manager Max Rogers at 850-595-3499 or mprogers@myescambia.com. Man found dead on side of I-10 in Santa Rosa County: FHP For more information on neighborhood cleanups, visit Escambia Countys website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) has found substantial reason to believe that Reps. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) and Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) improperly utilized campaign funds at two social clubs in Texas. In two separate reports released Monday, the OCE an independent, nonpartisan entity that reviews allegations of misconduct regarding lawmakers and staff members found that Jackson and Hunt spent thousands of campaign dollars at two private Texas social clubs in a way that it said violates ethical standards. Campaign finance laws forbid lawmakers from putting campaign funds toward personal use, which includes dues or fees paid at a country club, unless they are for a specific fundraising event. The OCE recommended that the Ethics Committee further investigate the allegations, and the panel said it would review them, according to statements from the chair and ranking member on Monday. Attorneys for both lawmakers have argued that the funds spent at the social clubs were for official purposes. In the case of Hunt, the OCE found that his campaign Hunt for Congress spent $74,525.60 in fees, meals and other services at the Oak Room, a private social club at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, between April 2022 and January 2024. Part of that sum $5,412.50 went toward dues and fee payments in 2022 and 2023. There were two disbursements for $2,706.25 each, with one labeled Membership in April 2022 and another for Food/Beverages in April 2023, according to the watchdog. The OCE said Hunt provided some emails and text messages that demonstrated his use of the club for some campaign-related meetings, but added that the congressmans refusal to certify the completeness of his production to the OCE called into question whether there were other documents demonstrating use of the Oak Room for any personal purpose. Hunt, his wife, his chief of staff and his field representative all refused to sit for an interview with the OCE, it said. [W]ithout cooperation, the OCE could not determine the extent to which Rep. Hunt may have taken advantage of the Oak Rooms unique events or any hotel parking or room discount benefits, the report adds. In a lengthy statement addressed to the Ethics Committee, Chris Gober, Hunts counsel, contended that his client has never used the Post Oak Club membership paid for by Hunt for Congress for any personal purpose. Gober also noted that Hunt does not maintain a campaign office, arguing the cost of a membership at the Oak Room would be a more prudent use of campaign funds. The OCE also zeroed in on two large payments Hunts campaign made to the Post Oak Hotel. The entity said the campaign made a payment of $43,626.52 to the Post Oak Hotel on Nov. 4, 2022, for Facility Rental/Catering, followed by a $4,132.44 payment on Nov. 7, 2022. It noted, however, that it could not determine if the payments were made for legitimate campaign purposes because the congressman would not sit for an interview. Gober, Hunts attorney, said those funds were for an election night party. OCEs position on these expenditures shows a casual disregard for common sense, context, and the documents that the Congressman provided, Gober wrote, pointing out that one of the emails handed over to the entity said the campaign would be hosting an Election Night Party at the hotel on Nov. 7, 2022. The costs that OCE singled out were obviously for the Congressmans victory party, he wrote. Needless to say, the costs of an election night party are legitimate campaign expenses. Jacksons OCE report, meanwhile, is a continuation of a previous probe the watchdog conducted into the congressman. The entity alleged that Jacksons campaign Texans for Ronny Jackson utilized campaign funds to pay for unlimited access at the Amarillo Club, a private dining club in Amarillo, Texas. According to the group, Jacksons campaign has spent $11,928.27 on dues, fees, meals and other services at the Amarillo Club between October 2020 and January 2024. The OCEs report released Monday follows a separate report made available to the public in May 2022, which, similarly, said the watchdog had substantial reason to believe that the congressman used campaign funds for membership dues and other services at the Amarillo Club. In Mondays report, the OCE said it opened another probe into Jacksons use of campaign funds after not learning any new information about the payments in question from the Ethics Committee, and finding that Jackson has continued to use campaign funds at the Amarillo Club. In the period of time since the OCEs December 17, 2021 referral, the Committee has continued to review the OCEs referral pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a) and has offered no additional guidance on Rep. Jacksons membership payments or enjoyment of the private club. In this time, Rep. Jackson has continued to make payments to the club undeterred, the OCE wrote. In light of the enduring use of campaign funds for this purpose, the OCE opened this review, it added. The OCE said Jackson has refused to cooperate with the current probe. The congressmans counsel told the watchdog that a response would not be provided because in their view the present inquiry was merely an extension of the previous investigation that Rep. Jackson intended to reassert all of the arguments made in his official response to the proper OCE matter, according to the report. In a statement responding to the May 2022 OCE report, Jacksons attorney Justin Clark said the Texas Republican bought a membership at the Amarillo Club so he could utilize meeting rooms at the facility for internal and external meetings, including but not limited to fundraising events and other campaign purposes. The OCE, however, said without cooperation from Jackson both he and the Amarillo Club declined to sit for interviews as part of the latest inquiry the watchdog could not determine to what extent his use of the club and the campaign committees food and beverage spending at the club was campaign related. Regardless, the campaign committees payment of monthly dues implicates the prohibition against personal use of campaign funds, the report adds. The Hill reached out to Jacksons office for comment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Wayne Salisbury, Jr. is congratulated as he leaves the Rhode Island Senate chamber after his confirmation vote to become the permanent director of the Department of Corrections on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Will Steinfeld/Rhode Island Current) Less than two weeks into the job, Rhode Islands Department of Corrections director is under investigation by the state ethics panel. The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to open a probe into Wayne Salisbury, Jr. over alleged ethics violations related to omitted out-of-state travel on his annual financial disclosure forms. The complaint against Salisbury was filed by the Rhode Island Brotherhood for Correctional Officers on June 7, days before a legislative hearing on his permanent appointment to the job. Tensions between the union and Salisbury have been growing since Salisbury was named interim director in January 2023, with disagreements centering on changes in prison policy enacted under Salisburys oversight. Despite union protests, the Rhode Island Senate confirmed Salisbury to the cabinet seat anyway, with a decisive 32-4 vote on the final day of the 2024 legislative session. The timing of the complaints suggests to John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, the attack was political in nature. This was an attempt by the brotherhood to give Salisbury a black eye before the advice and consent hearing, Marion said. But, he added, Just because it was politically motivated doesnt mean they were wrong. Ethics Commission Vice Chair Lauren Jones emphasized the vote Tuesday is a preliminary determination that the evidence is enough to warrant an investigation, but does not signify a conclusion or opinion. The Rhode Island Ethics Commission meets in closed session Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) The ethics panels decision, which came after a 30-minute closed-door meeting, starts the clock on what could be a nearly-10 month probe if the commission opts to use its full 180-day investigation period along with the two, 60-day extensions available under state law. At the conclusion of its probe, it could still ultimately find no wrongdoing on Salisburys part. Or, alternatively, a finding of ethical violations could warrant financial penalties. Marion did not think Salisbury was in for a serious punishment based on the commissions track record. The ethics commission tends to treat complaints about financial disclosure with more leniency because theyre largely looking for compliance, he said. Its more of an administrative burden than a substantive one. Salisbury updated his annual financial statement to include the required information about compensated, out-of-state travel after a WPRI-12 investigation revealed his initial filing errors. Salisbury did not attend the ethics meeting. A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections was not immediately available to comment on Tuesday. Richard Ferruccio, president of the correctional officers union who filed the complaint, did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment. Ferruccio also said previously he lodged a second ethical complaint against Salisbury alleging nepotism in the hiring of Salisburys niece. However, only the complaint about financial disclosures was up for consideration Tuesday. Jason Gramitt, the ethics commissions executive director, said the panel can reject initial complaints if they dont apply to the state ethics code or are missing information. He could not confirm whether this was the case with Ferruccios second complaint against Salisbury. Gov. Dan McKee, who nominated Salisbury to the director seat, did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment. Salisbury earns a $174,593 annual salary based on cabinet raises pitched by McKee, which took effect in May. Commission Chair Marisa Quinn did not attend the meeting. The post Ethics panel launches investigation into corrections department director appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Patrice Milos, interim director of the new Rhode Island Life Science Hub board, center, looks to its board chairman Neil Steinberg, left, during the Rhode Island Ethics Commission meeting Tuesday morning, June 25, 2024. Milos asked the commission for an opinion after the fact on whether she can take on a temporary leadership role given she was also on the hub's board. The commission's executive director, Jason Gramitt, stands at the podium at right. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) An appointed member of the new Rhode Island Life Science Hub board can take on a temporary role as the agencys interim president as long as she gives up the board seat, according to the state ethics panel. The Rhode Island Ethics Commissions unanimous vote on Tuesday affirms the already-awarded contract to Patrice Milos, who will start her $25,000 monthly contract job as the interim president of the life science agency on July 1. An early leader in Rhode Islands life science industry and a driving force behind the nascent agencys creation, Milos was one of seven people appointed by Gov. Dan McKee to the hubs 15-member volunteer board of directors. The state ethics code prohibits elected or appointed officials from taking paid positions offered by the group to which they already belong. However, exceptions can be granted with several instances over the last 30 years named in the seven-page advisory opinion when the ethics panel deems there would otherwise be a substantial hardship. Which is exactly the case for the fledgling agency, which faces a ticking clock and monumental challenge to shape Rhode Island into an industry leader like Cambridge or Worcester, Massachusetts, Milos said. We are operating with an absolute sense of urgency, she said. This is truly a unique opportunity to bring this industry to our state. Part of the opportunity hinges on a paid administrative leader to oversee the agencys $45 million in funding (allotted in the states fiscal 2024 budget) and set up the structural and operational foundation. The board is still looking for a permanent president, but the national search has taken longer than expected, and the final selection will also require Rhode Island Senate approval which cant happen until January at the earliest when the legislature reconvenes. (An interim hire skirts the need for a Senate green light). Neil Steinberg, chairman of the board, touted Milos unique qualifications and immediate availability, noting that finding an outside temporary leader would take another four to six months. As part of its approved opinion on Milos hiring, the Ethics Commission requires that she step down from her seat on the hubs board of directors. After her time as interim president ends expected in the next six months she can be reappointed to a seat on the board. There are no plans to replace Milos on the board temporarily, Steinberg said after the meeting. We have 14 other board members, which is plenty, he said. Asked why the hub did not seek the ethics OK before awarding Milos a contract, Steinberg said they needed to confirm a viable candidate first. John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island, thought differently. You should always seek advice before taking action, he said in an interview Tuesday. Commission Chairwoman Marisa Quinn was absent from the meeting. The post Ethics panel rules Patrice Milos must leave R.I. Life Science Hub board to be its interim president appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Insights from Centre for European Reform, The Bulwark, and Foreign Affairs The News The European Union formally began accession talks for Ukraine on Tuesday, marking the start of a process that is likely to take years. It also entered into talks with Moldova. Ukraines deputy prime minister for European integration called the moment historic; President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message we have made this dream a reality. The talks come as Germanys Ursula von der Leyen, Portugals Antonio Costa, and Estonias Kaja Kallas appear poised to take Europes top jobs. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Russia ally Hungary could slow Ukraines accession process down Sources: Centre for European Reform, Ukrainska Pravda Hungary had previously vetoed expansions to the EU to block Ukraine, and while accession is now underway, Hungary could still stall the process, the Centre for European Reform think tank noted, especially as it takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in July. While the presidency has limited policy influence, it could hit the EUs reputation, the think tank added. Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that though Hungary did not agree with Ukraines accession, it would not block negotiations, which he described as a politically motivated process. Bloc needs to focus on hard security Source: The Bulwark The start of accession talks casts an optimistic outlook, but the geopolitical situation in Europe is far less encouraging, The Bulwark, a center-right US outlet argued. The bloc should abandon their traditional emphasis on technocratic reform and reevaluate the region with a focus on hard security The Bulwark added, if they hope to fend off Russia. Ukraine is struggling to prevail in its fight against Russias invasion, while Moldova has experienced Russian-backed interference attempts. One potential solution could be forming a secondary security alliance in Europe to offer more protection and support to these countries without involving NATO. EU enlargement could weaken its stability Source: Foreign Affairs The EU needs to ensure that any expansion preserves its democratic stability, Foreign Affairs argued. Joining the EU involves adopting European laws, but also changes in institutions, market structures, and the foreign relations of candidate countries, which can cause economic and political shifts, Foreign Affairs argued. A dual approach of rapid, security-driven enlargement and slower, thorough integration is essential. To win the peace, the biggest challenge will be to ensure that the enlargement process moves quickly enough to be credible and slowly enough for the candidate countries to manage the huge costs of adjustment, the outlet wrote. The Council of the European Union on June 25 approved a draft security agreement between Ukraine and the EU, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said at a press conference in Luxembourg. Her statement came after Ukraine and EU officially started talks about Ukraine's accession to the bloc. "We have been preparing for the next European Council, which will take place at the end of this week in Brussels. This European Council will give a full picture of our support for Ukraine in all its forms," Lahbib said, without disclosing further details. Ukraine's President's Office announced on June 19 that Ukraine and the EU had finalized the text of the security deal and agreed to sign it "in the near future." President Volodymyr Zelensky will reportedly attend the European Union summit in Brussels on June 27 to do this. The security deal consists of two parts, the Polish media outlet RMF reported, citing an unnamed senior EU diplomat. The first is related to security and defense, including "nine specific commitments:" modern equipment supplies for Ukraine, the training of Ukrainian personnel, demining, and nuclear and cyber security, among others. The second part deals with civilian aspects, primarily Ukraine's prospect of EU membership. Ukraine has signed security agreements with 17 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany and France. At least 10 more agreements are yet to be signed. Read also: Ukraine-US 10-year security deal: 5 key takeaways Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The EU Council approved the draft security agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on 25 June. Source: European Pravda, citing a statement by Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib at a press conference on the EU Council's meeting on general issues Details: Lahbib noted that participants of the meeting were preparing for the next summit of the European Council (EU leaders), which will take place at the end of the week in Brussels. "This meeting will give a comprehensive picture of our support for Ukraine in all ways. I would also like to note that this morning, the EU Council approved the draft joint security commitments between the EU and Ukraine," she said. Earlier, the media reported, citing a high-level European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, that the text of the security agreement between Ukraine and the EU would be approved at an EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday and signed in the coming days, "on Wednesday or Thursday". The media also reported that on Thursday, 27 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would arrive in Brussels for the EU summit. The Ukrainian President's Office announced last week that Ukraine and the European Union had held the final round of negotiations on the bilateral security agreement and that it would be signed shortly. Support UP or become our patron! EU sets out reforms that will determine course of Ukraine's accession talks Ukraines progress in the European Union accession negotiations will first and foremost be determined by its ability to implement a cluster of fundamental reforms, the majority of which focus on the rule of law. Source: European Pravda, with reference to Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, during an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, which launched Ukraines EU accession negotiations Details: Lahbib said that the goal of the negotiations is to ensure that Ukraine adopts and implements the EU acquis, or the fundamental norms and rules of the European Union. "The EU expects that Ukraine will continue demonstrating the credibility of its promises and political will by implementing the necessary reforms and making tangible progress with regards to the fundamental cluster. The active participation of civil society in the reform process remains essential to ensure the reforms successful implementation in the long term," Lahbib said. According to Lahbib, Ukraine needs to press on with reforms concerning the rule of law, basic human rights, and the government apparatus, and to move towards meeting the EUs economic criteria. "Particular attention will have to be paid to the justice system reform, the fight against corruption, and the protection of and non-discrimination towards national minorities," she said. Ukraines "progress on the fundamental cluster will determine the overall pace of the negotiations," Lahbib stressed, adding that "in order to ensure that progress in all these areas is irreversible and that the reforms are complete and effective, the Commission will continue to closely monitor progress and report regularly to the European Council." Background: The first Intergovernmental Conference for Ukraines EU Accession, which officially launches the negotiations regarding Ukraines EU membership, began in Luxembourg on the afternoon of 25 June. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Charles Michel, President of the EU Council, and a number of leaders of the EU member states delivered speeches after the start of negotiations. Support UP or become our patron! The first Intergovernmental Conference for Ukraines EU Accession, which officially starts the negotiations regarding Ukraines EU membership, has begun in Luxembourg. Source: European Pravda Details: The conference started with the speech by Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, via video link. Then the floor was given to Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, which presides in the European Council this semester. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister of European and Euroatlantic Integration of Ukraine. "On behalf of the European Union I am delighted to welcome the respected representatives of Ukraine here today at the opening of the negotiations on your countrys accession to the EU," Lahbib stated. At the intergovernmental conference the sides exchange positions and statements concerning the accession negotiations. The talks themselves will basically start with opening the negotiations chapters. The first chapters and clusters to be opened will be those concerning the fundamental issues of the EU. An optimistic forecast Ukraine hopes for provides for opening first chapters or the first chapters at the beginning of 2025. The negotiations officially start before 1 July when Hungary, which is sceptical about the Eurointegration of Ukraine, will replace Belgium, take on the Presidency in the EU and will have a bigger influence on the adoption of decisions in the EU. The negotiations will start over 10 years after the Euromaidan movement emerged in Ukraine, when thousands of Ukrainians participated in a large-scale protest to fight for their country's movement to the EU, and over two years after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia which has been trying to hold Ukraine in its orbit. Ukraine aims to become an EU member by 2030, even though it is unknown how much time the negotiations will take. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Charles Michel, President of the EU Council, and a number of leaders of the EU member states delivered speeches after the start of negotiations. Support UP or become our patron! A general view of The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) building. Heise Kuhn/dpa The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia committed rights violations in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow occupied and annexed in violation of international law in 2014. The ruling means the judges in Strasbourg have sided with Ukraine, which had filed a complaint with the court. Ukraine's allegations include unlawful detentions, ill-treatment of civilians, and the suppression of the Ukrainian media and the Ukrainian language in schools. Russia does not recognize the court's judgements. MOSCOW (Reuters) -European banks leaving Russia would damage both Western and Russian companies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, pointing to the many Western businesses that still operate and use banking services in Russia. With most major Russian banks under Western sanctions over Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, foreign banks including Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International and Italy's UniCredit, have become key financial bridges with the West, boosting profits in the process. "They perform quite important functions in transferring funds, not only in the interests of our customers of these banks, but also foreign customers," Peskov told reporters. European Central Bank Banking Supervision has asked all banks with significant exposure to Russia to speed up their de-risking efforts by setting a clear roadmap for downsizing and exiting the Russian market. Raiffeisen has faced particular scrutiny over its hefty Russia profits and ties to Moscow. The bank was warned by the U.S. Treasury in writing that its access to the U.S. financial system could be curbed, according to a person who has seen the correspondence. "Don't forget that very many Western businesses work in the Russian economy, they continue to work here," Peskov said. "They have huge, multi-billion investments and the majority of companies have not left, but continue to work in this market. "So they use these banking services. If they stop, well, these companies will be just as damaged as our companies." About 1,000 companies have left the Russian market, a corporate exodus since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has cost foreign companies more than $107 billion in writedowns and lost revenue, a Reuters analysis has shown. Many multinational businesses, Mondelez International, PepsiCo, Auchan, Nestle and Unilever, have maintained a presence in Russia. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Alexandra Hudson) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has delivered an address on the occasion of the first intergovernmental conference on Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the EU, which will officially launch membership negotiations. She said that people in Ukraine and Moldova have shown "unwavering commitment and determination" to be part of the EU. Source: Von der Leyen's video on X (Twitter), European Pravda reports Congratulations to Moldova and Ukraine on opening accession negotiations. This is very good news for the people of Ukraine, Moldova, and the entire European Union. The path ahead will be challenging but full of opportunities. Wishing you a successful start of the negotiations! pic.twitter.com/v0GTnyqOM8 Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 25, 2024 Details: The European Commissioner called it good news that the European Union is starting accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova today. "We are on the threshold of a significant and transformative moment for these two countries and for our Union. And we are celebrating the values and principles that bind us together," von der Leyen said. She said that people in Ukraine and Moldova have shown "unwavering commitment and determination" to be part of the EU. She pointed to the large-scale reforms that have been launched in both countries, despite times of war and turmoil. "The path ahead will be challenging but it is also filled with immense opportunities for Ukraine and Moldova, as well as for our entire Union," she stressed, wishing the talks a successful start. Background: An EU-Ukraine intergovernmental conference will be held in Luxembourg on Tuesday, 25 June, to mark the official opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Prior to that, the EU Council approved the negotiation framework for Ukraine and Moldova, which paves the way for the launch of accession negotiations. Support UP or become our patron! The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Russia guilty on June 25 of committing a "pattern or system of violations" of human rights in occupied Crimea since the peninsula was illegally annexed in 2014. The decision stems from several complaints Ukraine brought to the court in the years following Russia's occupation of Crimea. Ukraine argued that Russia had engaged in a "campaign of repression," which included "disappearances; ill-treatment; unlawful detention; impossibility to opt out of Russian citizenship; suppression of Ukrainian media and of the Ukrainian language in schools; pre-trial detention in overcrowded conditions; prosecution and conviction on fabricated charges without a fair trial in reprisal for any pro-Ukrainian stance; and, transfers from Crimea to prisons in Russia." The court unanimously ruled that Russia was guilty of violating 11 different articles of the European Convention of Human Rights: the right to life the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment the right to liberty and security the right to a fair trial no punishment without law the right to respect for private and family life freedom of religion freedom of expression freedom of assembly prohibition of discrimination limitation on (the) use of restrictions on rights The court also found that Russia had violated three protocols of the European Convention: the protection of property, the right to education, and the freedom of movement. Lastly, the ECHR ruled that Russia had failed in its obligations to "furnish necessary facilities for the examination of the case" and that Russia "had to take measures as soon as possible" to bring back prisoners illegally transferred from occupied Crimea to Russia. While the court's ruling did not address the legality of Russia's unlawful annexation, it said that Russia had a duty "to respect the laws already in force on occupied territory, which in this case would have been the pre-existing Ukrainian law." Read also: Breaking: ICC issues arrest warrants for Shoigu, Gerasimov Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In early February 2022, Tom Van Lent sent a note to his employers: He intended to resign from the Everglades Foundation at the end of the month. He adopted a conciliatory tonemy career at the Foundation has been a source of personal pride, he wrotebut everyone knew that Van Lent, one of the most prominent scientists in Everglades restoration, had been unhappy for years. The Everglades Foundation is an exemplar of a certain strain of nonprofit: well-connected and well-funded, bankrolled by a hedge fund billionaire. The group is open about its focus not on grassroots but on what its CEO calls grasstops, the lobbyists and politicians who set Everglades policy. Van Lent came on board in 2005, tasked with ensuring that this policy was grounded in good science. He was a conduit, in essence, ensuring that the best and latest research reached the desks of decision-makers. By all accounts, he was good at distilling complex subjects into easy-to-grasp form, and by 2016 hed ascended to vice president of programs. Soon, though, he began to feel that his bosses had changed the meaning of his job. Rather than pushing lobbyists to incorporate the best science, they were listening to the lobbyists favored plans and seeking to publish science that conformed. When his final day arrived, after Van Lent wiped clean his work-issued laptop, he couldnt help but take a swipe at the organization: In a note on Twitter, he announced his plan to move to another nonprofit, smaller and scrappierone that put facts over politics, he wrote. Five weeks later, the foundation filed a lawsuit in district court, accusing Van Lent of waging a secret campaign of theft and destruction. Hed destroyed scientific archives, the complaint said, and made off with trade secrets. Van Lent, for his part, accused the foundation of attempting to bully, harass, scare, smear and silence him. Beloved parks like the Everglades usually offer a chance for feel-good politics; polls show that Americans of all stripes support protections for nature, water especially. In Florida, Democrats and Republicans both clamber to position themselves as the Everglades greatest champions. But beneath the veneer of the press releases, there have always been disagreements over the best approach to conservationand differences in how willing politicians are to accept inconvenient science. For somebody to try and shut up the scientists, said Stuart Pimm, one of the worlds foremost conservation ecologists, that is very, very worrying business. The Everglades Foundations case against Van Lent offers a rare glimpse of those tensions, and reveals the extent to which money and power can influence decision-making in the world of conservation. The idea that a science-focused nonprofit might possess trade secrets presents a particular stumbling block to some conservationists. You cannot have trade secrets and call it science, Stuart Pimm, one of the worlds foremost conservation ecologists, told me. He thinks that with this lawsuit, the Everglades Foundation has crossed a threshold, undermining its credibility as a research institution by smothering its own research. For somebody to try and shut up the scientists, he said, that is very, very worrying business. The foundation, of course, contends that this case is not about science or research at all. Its just an employment matteran attempt to seek restitution after Van Lents alleged sabotage. The foundations story and Van Lents are, in most ways, entirely contradictory, but there is one point of agreement: Van Lent was disgruntled. Many people have been unhappy in Florida lately, with good reason. Again and againin 2013, in 2016, in 2018red tides and vast blooms of algae have appeared on its shores. The blooms first appear on Lake Okeechobee, a giant but shallow pool of freshwater that, filled with runoff and baked under the summer sun, serves as a breeding ground for toxic microbes. The lake once spilled its water into the Everglades, but, beginning in the early twentieth century, a dike was built along its southern shore to protect local farms. When the lake grows too filled with rainfall, its tainted water is shunted east and west, through man-made canals, into rivers that reach the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, the water flows through delicate coastal estuaries. The beaches begin to stink of rot; the tourism economy grinds to a halt. Fishermen navigated a toxic algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee in July 2018. Van Lents boss, Eric Eikenberg, came on board in 2012, after serving as chief of staff to a congressman and a governor, both Republicans. In a brief stint as a lobbyist, he helped bring the beloved Pennsylvania convenience store chain Wawa to Florida. He was, in other words, a consummate politician, and he knew how to play a crisis to his advantage. In 2016, he used the latest batch of grim headlines to push for a restoration plan that had long been environmentalists dream. A sprawling reservoir, built south of Lake Okeechobee, could store (and clean) some water before it was sent on to farms and cities and to Everglades National Park. At 60,000 acres, the proposed pool could swallow entire Florida cities. The state Senate president, Republican Joe Negron, promoted a bill that authorized the government to acquire the necessary land, even in the absence of willing sellersa bold move, given the politics involved. Land tends to be the sticking point for conservation projects, not just in Florida, but across the world; conservative groups love to describe restoration projects as authoritarian land grabs. Though Floridians have voted in favor of land acquisition, some environmental groups complain that the designated money is being used for other purposes. Negron eventually grew gun-shy. On a Sunday in spring 2017, he called Eikenberg into his office, where the senator announced hed changed his bill. Hed reduced the size of the proposed reservoirs footprint so that it could be built on property the state already owned. It was presented as a take it or leave it, Eikenberg later told NPR. He decided to take the deal, because he did not want to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Eventually, the reservoir was whittled down to just 10,000 acres. Jacquie Weisblum, the nonprofits vice president overseeing communications, told me that the foundations leadership consulted its science teamincluding Van Lentand determined that, despite the smaller footprint, the reservoir could still meet the needed goals. What mattered was not acreage, but volume; to increase the volume stored, the reservoir could be surrounded by tall walls. Other Everglades conservationists, however, objected to a different element of the compromise law: It prohibited the use of eminent domain. This one reservoir would not be enough, they felt, and the state needed a path to acquire more land. The disagreement made for a confusing and argumentative time, one organizer told me. A map of Southern Florida Van Lent said that he had never endorsed nor condemned the reservoir proposal, just tried to make clear its potential impacts. To that end, and at the request of other nonprofits, Van Lent pulled together a technical FAQ in early 2018. Federal laws, he noted, set strict limits on how much pollution can be in water sent into the Everglades, and the reservoir was unlikely to meet these requirements; the increased depth would inhibit the growth of the vegetation that helps clean the water. Van Lent had questions, too, about the computer models that the South Florida Water Management Districtthe state agency that, in collaboration with the federal government, controls local water flowused to justify the plan. Van Lent sent the document to Eikenberg and to leaders of other environmental groups. Eikenberg, he said, was disappointed he had not had a chance to edit the final version. Soon afterward, the foundation scheduled what was supposed to be a technical meeting with the water district. Van Lent hoped to discuss the flaws he saw in its models. But when he and his colleagues posed questions, Eikenberg stepped in to conduct a cross-examination, Van Lent said. The foundation declined to make Eikenberg available for an interview, but Weisblum described the meeting as a constructive conversation. Van Lent, however, said that he felt he and the science team were under attacknot just by the district, which we kind of expected, but by our own leadership. Eikenberg had not just accepted a compromise; hed become its cheerleader. Eikenbergs view, as Van Lent understood it, was that political science trumped science when it came to getting things done. Soon the two men had what a judge later described as a loud disagreement. One of the foundations executives testified that the event went down in infamy. Though the fight preceded her tenure, shed heard stories that Van Lent had shouted and pounded a table with his fists. According to her testimony, Eikenberg feared that he might be assaulted by his employee. To create the modern world, engineers had to devise an intricate system for moving water. Seawalls hold back the tides; culverts carry rainfall to where its needed. Under every city lies a tangled map of pipelines, feeding our sinks and draining our toilets. Typically, its easy to overlook this system, at least when its working, but not in Florida. Pull up Google Maps as you drive and youll notice the landscape is crossed by perfectly straight lines of blue. These are the canals that allow people to build farms and suburbs atop what, in natural conditions, would be one vast swamp. The dream of draining the Everglades goes back more than 150 years, but this is a relatively new system. The first canals through the Everglades were dug in the early 1900s. And it did not take long for the scientists to discover bad news. At the tip of Florida, the soilsgoopy and black, known locally as mucklay too thin in some places to ever be farmable. So Florida officials settled for a backup plan. In 1947, part of the Everglades was enshrined as the nations first wetlands national park. The park, however, preserved only the southernmost fringe of the ecosystem, and its birth was not the end of the drainage dreams. Indeed, the following year, the federal government announced a very different project in the northern Everglades, where farming had already begun. Even more canalsand levees, toowould be dug to ensure a swath of wetlands was kept entirely dry. The purpose of this project was made clear in the regions new name: the Everglades Agricultural Area, or EAA. Over the next few decades, the population in South Florida boomed. But the newcomers very presence tainted the paradise they were trying to inhabit. Among the most pressing issues was the self-defeating nature of the canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area. By lowering the water table, the canals allowed salt water to infiltrate the aquifers, contaminating urban drinking water. The imperative of keeping Florida paradisial has made for a strange coalition of Everglades advocates. Van Lents first boss at the Everglades Foundation was a former Republican senator named Bob Smith, who once stabbed a plastic fetus with a pair of scissors on the Senate floor, a stunt meant to demonstrate the evils of abortion; he quit the GOP in 1999, calling it too centrist, and ran for president as a third-party candidate. Van Lent said he diverged from Smith on nearly every issue but loved working for him: They were both Everglades warriors. Van Lent saw himself as an honest broker. The foundation could make whatever compromises it wanted; his job was to clarify the consequences. Eric Eikenberg saw it differently, Van Lent explained. I was a member of the management of Everglades Foundation, I therefore had an obligation to fall in line. His FAQ was eventually pulled from the foundations websitea fact that Weisblum acknowledged but declined to explain. Court testimony revealed that, after Eikenberg decided that Van Lent could not be trusted to speak in support of the foundations preferred policies, he was demoted from vice president to senior scientist. By the time that Van Lent developed an exit plan, in early 2022, he realized that disentangling himself would not be easy. His sole computer was a laptop issued to him by the nonprofit, so his personal recordsbanking data, health care paperwork, family photoshad become intermingled with his official work. A few weeks before he sent his resignation letter, Van Lent began his clean-out. He searched for, among other queries, Gmail delete all emails, and followed the instructions to empty his email and calendars. The hardest task, he knew, would be sorting through his work folder on the foundations server. To make the job easier, he said, he pulled it off the server and placed it on an external hard drive, where he could delete the files that were not relevant to the foundation. Then, over the weekend before his last day of work, he said, he attempted to re-upload the cleaned-up folder. Given the volume of datathe original folder contained more than 400,000 files, hundreds of gigabytesthe process would take a long time, especially over the slow internet connection at his home in Tallahassee. So he let the upload run while he left town for a wedding. When Van Lent returned on Sunday, he said, he reset the laptop to its factory settings, presuming the job was finished. On his last day of work, during an exit interview, he explained the steps hed taken, noting that all of his files should be on the server. Then he sent his tweet. The foundations leaders were shocked by Van Lents announcement. Theyd presumed he was retiring. They found his wiped-clean laptop suspicious, too. So, for $275 an hour, they hired a forensic expert to analyze the hard drive and reconstruct what was missing. The investigator quickly noted that Van Lents server folder was empty. According to Van Lent, he realized his upload had failed only when the foundation confronted him with this fact. But he had a backup version of his work on a hard drive, which he copied and delivered to the foundation. To his former employers, this ability to re-create the archive was also problematic. He had copies of models and presentations and strategic plans that the foundation used to seek grants and secure funding. Van Lent told me he was willing to commit to not disclosing trade secretsif the foundation would identify what precisely was considered to be secret. He felt that the foundation was trying to stop him from sharing any Everglades-related informationwhich would have meant he could no longer work. The foundation felt Van Lent was being truculent, and decided by April to file suit. The complaint alleged that by deleting files off its servers, the scientist had destroyed the foundations propertylike setting a filing cabinet on fire while exiting the building. Weisblum indicated that, as of spring 2024, the foundation is still missing some of these documents, though the only specific materials she described were, according to Van Lent, old and irrelevant, deleted weeks before his departure so he could free up space on a notoriously overloaded server. He said that he had, to the best of his ability, restored the foundations materials before they filed suit. The complaints second claim, that Van Lent had stolen trade secrets, was more explosive, and more essential to the foundations case. Citing Floridas trade secret law, the nonprofit requested that the court force Van Lent to turn over his laptop and other devices for analysis. But these allegations were also more legally dubious. Lawyers argue that information about nonprofit donors can be considered a trade secret (which Van Lent, in his testimony, seemed to acknowledge, too). Scientific research used for a publicly funded restoration project is murkier territory. In 2020, a prominent Louisiana nonprofit sued two scientists who, upon leaving to join another research institute, downloaded a computer model. But the nonprofit had not explicitly prohibited the download, and the model had been built with public funding. The case was eventually dropped. The main result was a bad look for the field; the whole idea of trade secrets suggested that some groups were getting rich off an environmental crisis. One key challenge in these kinds of cases is the high burden of proof required by trade secret law. Plaintiffs must prove that the trade secrets are in fact trade secrets, and then establish either that they were improperly acquired or that their disclosure breached a duty of confidentiality. Van Lent testified that, in his 17 years at the foundation, no files had ever been identified as a protected trade secret, and that scientists routinely departed with copies of their worka practice the foundations employee handbook did not expressly forbid. Nonetheless, Carlos Lopez, the judge assigned to the case, decided the foundations trade secret complaint merited a temporary injunction. Lopez was generous to the plaintiffs. He adopted the language of the foundations requested injunction wholesale, changing only the bond amount. He failed even to strike the word proposed from the titlea point of confusion for Van Lent, who said he did not understand it was in effect. Whether he understood it or not, he was now legally required to immediately cease use or deletion of any materials on any form of device that could store digital data. If taken literally, the order would have cast Van Lent out of the modern internet era, unable to use a computer, a laptop, a cell phoneunable to attend his trial, even, which was scheduled to be held on Zoom. Van Lents new job is with the Friends of the Evergladeswhose name is sufficiently similar to the Everglades Foundation that the two are easy to confuse. If theres a silver lining to the whole mess, said Eve Samples, the groups executive director, its that it makes her nonprofits commitment to science clearer: Were not willing to settle for political compromises that wont serve the Everglades in the long run, she said. The two groups have very different origin stories. The Everglades Foundation was formed in the 1990s by two wealthy fishing buddiesbillionaire Paul Tudor Jones II and an Orlando real estate developer named George Barley. Friends of the Everglades, meanwhile, was founded in 1969 by a scrappy 78-year-old writer named Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Douglas began her career as a newspaper writer who cheered on the drainage of the Everglades. Then she was commissioned to write a book about the placeand fell in love. Two decades later, after publishing 10 more books, she grew worried about a plan to build a massive airport just outside the park. In her second career as an environmental warrior, she used her age to her advantage: Nobody can be rude to me, she once told an interviewer. At five feet tall, wearing floppy hats and floral print dresses, she could be as sharp-tongued as necessary. Van Lent encountered Douglas during his first stint in Florida, in the 1980s, when he worked for the South Florida Water Management District as a water resource engineer. At one point, the director asked Van Lent to run the numbers on a small ecological project; hed gotten a call from Governor Bob Graham, he said, who was being pestered by some old lady about doing something to save the Everglades. When the project was done, the governor flew Douglas out in a helicopter: What did she think? he wanted to know. Not enough, she told him flatly. Not nearly enough. Photograph of Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1989 Douglas did not think that the perfect was the enemy of the good. The perfect seemed to be the only thing worth fighting for. And her story offers an example that commitment to hard truths can work. Her sharp little rejoinderNot enoughis often credited with prompting Graham to restore the Kissimmee River, perhaps the most successful Everglades project ever untaken. Van Lent, I think, has something of Douglas in him. When he first came to Florida to work as a hydrologist for the water management district in the 1980s, he had few ecological inclinations. But then he began to explore the Everglades. For years, he spent nearly every weekend in the park with his two sons, paddling through its sloughs. I told him I planned to camp there, too. As he wished me good luck on my trip, his voice faltered. The Everglades for me is a special balm, he said, pausing, seeming to hold back tears. It just talks to me. Perhaps he is a talented actor, or Im a mark, but his passion seemed genuine. In the late 1990s, Congress was working to develop an ambitious plan to restore South Floridaa rare bipartisan effort in a deeply divided moment. Van Lent, who then worked for the National Park Service, co-wrote a report, based on hydrological modeling, showing that Congresss proposal was just a water supply plan for South Floridas farms and suburbs, dressed up in ecological clothes. The park would see almost no benefits. That report constituted the first time that Tom really stuck his neck out, Stuart Pimm told me. Pimm joined five other prominent ecologists in signing an open letter confirming that there were deep, systemic problems in Congresss plan. Pimm himself flew to Washington for meetings, including with President Bill Clinton. He did not succeed in changing the plans water allocations, but he did convince officials that progress toward the goals needed to be routinely assessed by an independent panel from the National Academy of Sciences. If youre going to have a project like this, you have to have peer review, he told me. It has to be open, it has to be transparent, and it has to be out there for people to look at. Tom Van Lent was pushed aside, he wrote, so that he would not voice opinions contrary to the prevailing political regime led by Floridas governor and reigning party. Van Lent said he was recruited to work for the foundation because he had a reputation for speaking truth to power; his first boss, Bob Smith, told reporters that hed wanted scientists who would make clear if he was pursuing the wrong policies. Seventeen years later, however, Van Lent felt isolated. He was pushed aside so that he would not voice opinions contrary to the prevailing political regime led by Floridas governor and reigning party, to which the Foundation had become beholden, he wrote in response to the foundations complaint. The governor in question was Ron DeSantis, who launched his first gubernatorial campaign, in 2018, amid yet another algal emergency. The blooms put a $2.7 billion dent in the local tourism economy alone and upended local politics. The GOP establishment had backed the states agricultural commissioner, Adam Putnam, who had long been allied with the states industrial farmers. DeSantis, at the time a U.S. representative, came out swinging against Putnam, dubbing himnot wronglyan errand boy for Big Sugar. Which is to say a man in cahoots with the industry that almost every Everglades advocate blames for the states modern woes. If youre asked to envision South Florida, you might conjure sandy beaches or glitzy cities or endless sprawl or vast untamable swamps. Youre unlikely to come up with the domain of Big Sugar: the Everglades Agricultural Area, that 700,000-acre swath of farmland just south of Lake Okeechobee. Local farmers like to tout the wide range of vegetables grown here, but the dominant crop, by far, is sugar. Two companiesU.S. Sugar and the Florida Crystals Corp.together control around half of the area. The crop is easy to despise. According to economists, the tariffs, quotas, and price support programs that prop up the sugar industry cost consumers as much $2 billion a year. For decades, sugar growers also benefited from a federal program that allowed workers to migrate from the West Indiesa labor pool the growers felt free to overwork and underpay. By the mid-1980s, scientists discovered that the water running off the EAAs farms was heavily spiked with phosphorus fertilizerconcentrations 20 times higher than the Everglades delicate wetlands could handle. The sugar farms already soaked up more than half the water released by the South Florida Water Management District, while paying less than 1 percent of the taxes. Now, it was clear, their fertilizers were reshaping what wetlands remained. When the Everglades Foundation was formed in 1993, Jones and Barley launched a referendum campaign: They wanted to tax the sugar growers and use the money to restore the wetlands. Barley died in a plane crash two years later, and his widow hired investigators to look into the potential role of Big Sugar. The sugar company owners lived in lavish mansions along the coast; a joke suggested that cane juice flowed out of the capitals drinking fountains. As a business that soaked up tax dollars and tarnished the environment, sugar was an enemy that could unite both sides of the aisle. So the sugar barons lavished both sides with gifts. One moment looms large in the annals of Everglades history: In 1996, as he was breaking off his relations with Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton paused to take a 22-minute phone call from a sugar grower whose family had paid out nearly a million dollars in donations that election season. Soon afterward, the administration amended its proposed Everglades policy in favor of Big Sugar. As a rule, sugar companies do not talk to journalists. But they do talk to tourists. In ClewistonAmericas Sweetest Town, as the signs proclaimI met a farmer who gave guided tours. When I identified myself as a journalist, he did not want to give me his name, but he was chatty. He told me hed put some of his farmland into conservation easementsan effort to protect habitat for the endangered Florida panther. He said that Florida was filled up and did not need to grow any further. But he was not convinced that Everglades restoration depended on farmland. Some of the environmental nonprofits do good work, he said, but others just like to gin up controversy so they can sell more T-shirts and hats. Its not just sugar barons who oppose the land sales. Many locals understand that even as the sugar industry creates only low-paying jobsand leaves as much as a third of some towns residents living in povertythe limited economy of their homeland is nonetheless dependent on agriculture. If the farmers dont do good, you dont do good, one local told a newspaper in 2017, as Florida debated Joe Negrons plan to build a reservoir. The farmer who moonlighted as a tour guide pointed out, rightly, that decades of lawsuits and legislation have led to steep reductions in the amount of phosphorous coming off the EAAs farms. A coalition called Lake Okeechobee Business Alliance claims that farmers have already paid more$450 million over 20 years, per their accountingthan any other group to restore the Everglades. There are other sources of pollution, too, including old septic tanks and suburban sprawl up near Orlando. Still, state and federal laws require the water be cleaned, and that cleaning is mostly accomplished in stormwater treatment areasartificial wetlands where the plants will soak up the chemicals. The trouble for farmers in the EAA is, whether or not they are truly the villains, there is nowhere but their farms to build such infrastructure. DeSantis, after declaring his opposition to Big Sugar, narrowly won his Republican primary. His Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, went on the record opposing radical changes to the EAA, prioritizing the needs of low-income sugar workers instead. But, unlike DeSantis, Gillum emphasized the science behind climate change, a choice that won endorsements from local chapters of the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. But the Everglades Trusta nonprofit with close ties to the Everglades Foundation, but which, as a 501(c)(4), can endorse political candidatesdecided that DeSantis walked the walk. He was its pick for the election. After DeSantis won, Eikenberg, who once sat on the board of the Everglades Trust, was named to his transition team. After the new governor made headlines by calling on the entire board of the South Florida Water Management District to resign, Eikenberg sounded a triumphant note: Here is a governor who is relying on science, he said. As a science-based organization, that is what weve been yearning for. DeSantiss commitment to science seems, given his lack of emphasis on climate, debatable. Its undeniable, at least, that he succeeded at spending money on the Everglades. By the end of his first term, the government had poured $3.3 billion into water quality and Everglades restorationnearly a billion more than DeSantiss already ambitious initial promise. There is real momentum now; engineers are working on restoration projects at remarkable rates, according to the National Academy of Sciences panel. That includes the controversial reservoirthe EAA Reservoir, as its often known. The state is responsible for building the accompanying stormwater treatment area, and DeSantis likes to tout the fact that construction was launched 12 months ahead of schedule, in 2020. But the Army Corps of Engineers, which will oversee construction of the actual reservoir, has noted significant technical, policy and legal concerns with the current plan. In particular, the agency believes there is significant risk that the water inside the reservoir will not meet legal quality standardspotentially limiting how much can be released, or even forcing the reservoir to be taken offline. This, as the National Academy of Sciences panel has noted, may reduce the reservoirs ability to mitigate the kind of algal blooms that stoked DeSantiss campaign. One key issue is the size of the stormwater treatment area that the state is building. Given the shrunken footprint, there was only space for 6,500 acres. One prominent ecologist calculated that, given current water quality issues, 10 times or more space might be needed. Or as Marjory Stoneman Douglas might put it: This project is not nearly enough. Nevertheless, the Everglades Foundation and Ron DeSantis like to portray it as a victory. Its the crown jewel of Everglades restoration, they say. The state needs somewhere to store waterboth to supply the national park, which, thanks to the canals in the EAA, receives too little, and to relieve Lake Okeechobee so that its water wont need to be sent as often into the canals. This project will address that need, Weisblum said. She added that, like other groups, the foundation sees water quality as nonnegotiable, and believes the state will address it. Some groups think that, instead of spending money building massive walls for a deepwater reservoirwhich has a projected $3 billion price tagit would be cheaper to buy EAA land and create a larger, shallower reservoir that more closely mimics the natural state of water in the Everglades. Cris Costello, the senior organizing manager of the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, pointed out that, even in its new, DeSantis-era iteration, the South Florida Water Management District has only studied land-restricted approaches. DeSantis is a master of the greenwash, Costello said. According to her, his battle cries against Big Sugar are all theater: Hes never done anything. And the Everglades Foundation, with all its supposed clout, has failed to push for something better. The DeSantis era has been good for the Everglades Foundation. The nonprofits revenue hit $28 million in 2022. (Eikenberg was paid $356,765 that year, and Van Lent alleges that he receives even more money from the Everglades Trust.) Weisblum suggested those figures should be set against the funding of the adversaries of the Evergladescode, of course, for Big Sugar. Only a well-funded coalition can fight the wealthy sugar industry. A deep-pocketed and well-connected nonprofit may be positioned to drive restoration forwardbut it can also function as a bludgeon, keeping smaller groups in line. The foundation has long steered some of its resources toward other organizations; the Sierra Club, for instance, has received more than $100,000 in grants in past years. But, after it became clear in 2018 that their viewpoints on the reservoir and on land purchases differed, the two nonprofits parted ways. Costello worries other groups might not be able to take such a hit. A deep-pocketed and well-connected nonprofit may be positioned to drive restoration forwardbut it can also function as a bludgeon, keeping smaller groups in line. Van Lents trial, too, has had a David-and-Goliath dynamic. The foundation has retained seven lawyers from three firms, including an attorney who won a billion-dollar settlement in the Surfside condo collapse case in 2022. Van Lent, meanwhile, is represented by a Tallahassee lawyer who mostly deals in real estate closings. Despite his aggressive response to the foundations complaint, five months into the suit, in late August 2022, Van Lent agreed to settle. That meant that the foundations initial allegations were never tried before a jury. The terms of the settlement prohibited Van Lent from sharing any of the Everglades Foundations confidential information, though which specific files that included remained unclear. More importantly, hed finally have to ship his digital devicesand his wifes, too, the foundation claimedto the foundations hired expert. He packed his laptop and handed over the passwords for his emails. And the expert quickly noted a problem: In the weeks before hed signed the settlement, Van Lent had removed 700,000 files from his laptop, including the foundations materials. Some files had been encrypted before deletion. The foundation quickly asked the judge to find Van Lent to be in contempt of court. Van Lent does not deny these allegations. But, he said, the devices contained personal information protected by attorney-client privilege, among other confidential documents. The idea that the judge would require that he turn over such information just does not seem reasonable, he said in court. In May, Lopez decided Van Lent was guilty. In the ruling, the judge made his opinion about the initial allegations clear: Van Lent had meant to deprive the foundation of its research and hold onto files for his future use. But this was an aside, really; the trial was not meant to assess the legality of these acts. The real question was whether the scientist had violated the courts injunction. Van Lent was judged on whether or not he had deleted any files on his computerswhich, clearly, he had. Its important to note that the trial was not about what the scientist did to the nonprofit, then, but what he did to the court. Another way of seeing this is that Van Lent has become tangled in a carefully woven legal web. (Indeed, an appeals judge reviewing the case appears to be worried that Lopez chose to appoint one of the foundations lawyers to lead the prosecution, rather than a more neutral attorney representing the public interest.) Van Lents cleanup efforts were irresponsibly sloppy, sure; his refusal to turn over his data was, if righteous, obviously foolhardy. But the foundation based its request for an injunction on the controversial idea that its science constituted trade secrets, an idea that has not been tested in court. Stuart Pimm, who served as a character witness for Van Lent, finds this alarming. Sure, he said, a tech company might need to protect the discoveries that underlie its productsbut that need signals that its engaged in business, not true science. Ultimately, Pimm sees the case as bigger than the Everglades: Its about whether people who find science discomforting can try to silence it. If were going to restore the Evergladesor fix up nature anywherethen we need the best science, he said. And Tom was doing the best science. Throughout our exchanges, Weisblum put more emphasis on Van Lents acts of deletion than on the allegations of stolen trade secrets. The destruction goes against every scientists ethic of preserving data for future reference, she said, suggesting it was more consequential than the foundations decision to remove Van Lents FAQ from its website six years earlier. But even if the case is just a personnel matter, the foundations scorched-earth approach appears vindictiveand has opened up the nonprofit to valid criticisms. Paul Tudor Jones once told a journalist that the foundation was 100% committed to scientific truth and nothing else. By taking down Van Lents paper, the foundation has demonstrated that it has other commitments, too. Pimm worries that its example might encourage cynical politicians, especially as the climate crisis becomes increasingly hard to deny. They, too, will pursue the easy solutions, promoting new infrastructure, claiming theyre addressing the problemthen quash any research that might suggest theyre not doing enough. In December 2023, citing Van Lents unwillingness to apologize, Lopez imposed a 10-day jail sentence. Van Lent, who had already been ordered to pay some of the foundations legal fees, has filed for bankruptcy and is appealing the decision. I cant apologize for something I didnt do, he told a journalist a few weeks later, when, unbowed, he flew to Miami to attend an annual Everglades conference. That conference was a reminder that the long project to restore the Everglades continued, as did the politickingoften hand in hand. In January, just a few weeks after Van Lents sentencing, officials gathered on a dusty levee at the edge of the Everglades Agricultural Area; the state was ready to unleash water into the treatment area. Eikenberg was there, of course, dressed in a polo shirt; a Biden official attended the ceremony, too. Americas Everglades is a unifying issue, the foundation declared in a press release, announcing its plan to fund a series of radio and television ads that would educate the public about this vital new project. The events emcee lauded Ron DeSantis, who was making his first public appearance after shelving his presidential campaign. Its his direction we follow, its his vision that we execute, he said, and its a big vision. This man-made marsh was supposed to be an example. At 6,500 acres, the emcee noted, it was bigger than all Floridas theme parks combined. He did not mention the science that suggested that DeSantiss vision might need to be far bigger still. The sky was overcasta reminder that the spring rains were coming. Lake Okeechobee was too full already, so it was clear that this year, once more, the canals would open. Soon enough, anyone flying over Florida could see the signs of one more crisis: electric-green ribbons of algae-choked water, bound for the coast. This article was produced in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. EVANSVILLE Students cellphone use at school will be banned during class time districtwide in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp., as a new law passed earlier this year says it must be all over Indiana. The EVSC school board guaranteed that Monday, when it passed a new and very general policy aligning with the statute that bans any portable wireless device from being used during instructional time. The one-page EVSC policy allows some exceptions for cellphone use in schools. It says students can be "disciplined" and may see their devices confiscated by school administrators. But presenting the policy to the school board Monday was the easy part, EVSC administrators said. The real details where EVSC's 22,000 students can use their cellphones and where they cant, where the devices should be kept, what constitutes an emergency that permits use, the definitions of class time, the particulars of consequences for students who do not comply and more await guidelines that EVSC administrators are still developing. The guidelines implementing the policy are intended to be consistent across all grade levels. David Smith "I do understand emergencies," Superintendent David Smith told the school board Monday. "That is not defined in the law, so its not defined in this policy. But in our guidelines, we will make certain that administrators in their individual buildings, be it high school or middle school or elementary, can have what that definition is." Smith also acknowledged the obvious, the rationale for the General Assembly's statute. Teachers all over the state have said they feared that the pervasive use of cellphones during class interferes with students' academic success and their mental health. "They do serve a purpose, but they can be incredibly disruptive," he said. Until now, EVSC schools have dealt with student cellphone use during class time in a variety of ways. "We did have some high schools that basically said you cannot utilize cell phones in class, and they had great success with it," corporation spokesman Jason Woebkenberg said after Monday's school board meeting. At Lodge Community School, students are required to keep their cellphones inside their lockers at all times during the school day. Cellphones brought into classrooms are confiscated. "Students may pick up their cellphone from school administration after the first offense," the school's website states. "Any cellphone offense after will require a parent to come to the school to pick up the cellphone." EVSC administrators told the school board that staff has been consulting the corporation's Teacher Voice group and building administrators to compile the detailed guidelines, which they said will be disclosed to parents before school starts again for students on August 5. The new law, which takes effect July 1, gives school districts discretion on how to implement the ban. "Were going to have to be specific. We understand that, because people will want to know those details," Woebkenberg said. "Theyre going to want to know, Does this apply to the classroom, to the cafeteria, to before school, to after school?' Theyre going to want to know, What constitutes an emergency situation?" About one thing, the policy passed Monday night was specific. The term, wireless communication devices, "shall mean any wireless, web-enabled device capable of allowing voice/messaging/data communication between two (2) or more parties, (e.g. cellular telephones (smartwatches, earbuds/AirPods/headphones), tablet and laptop computers, and gaming devices, etc.)," it states. Woebkenberg noted that all EVSC students K-12 are provided with a tablet or laptop. Lest there be any doubt, they will continue to use that instructional technology in the classroom for academic purposes. There were are questions School board President Terry Gamblin kicked off a flurry of questions Monday with one that went to the heart of where decision-making power lies in EVSC. "When you come up with the guidelines, will they be brought back to us?" Gamblin asked. "That is not our normal process," EVSC Chief of Staff Rick Cameron replied. "Certainly, guidelines can always be shared with the (school) board, but theyre not brought to the board for approval. Because guidelines change periodically, as well." Smith added that, "when we put the guideline in place, if its not working, we dont want to have to bring it back to the board for information and action, and then a month later have to tweak that." "So those are part of the staff responsibilities you charge us with," the superintendent said. Texting on a cellphone. But school board members had questions nevertheless. "Do we as an administration have the bandwidth to take those calls (at schools) when a parent and/or guardian calls regarding an emergency?" Melissa C. Moore asked. Smith was ready for the question. "Sometimes an emergency is a parent calling to see what their child wants for supper that night," he said. "Parents probably will not reach out to the school with those kinds of emergencies, but if we have to get information to students, we certainly will do that." David Hollingsworth asked: How will compliance be monitored? Central High School has had students put their devices in pouches that would go into closets during class time, Cameron said. Other schools favor having devices placed in lockers. "Those are the things that are being worked out with the guidelines," Cameron said. Smith added a complicating factor to that solution, noting that most proposed solutions come with drawbacks. Not all of EVSC's lockers have locks on them, he said. Very secure, military-style lockers? They wouldn't be a problem when students come into school but when they leave, tight bus schedules would turn them into a serious time crunch. How tough will consequences be for using a cellphone during class? EVSC's new one-page policy states: "In addition to being disciplined, students caught using a WCD during instructional time, or in a manner that violates an acceptable use policy, may have their device confiscated by schooladministrators." That's about as specific as it gets about consequences for failing to comply with the guidelines that are to come. Woebkenberg didn't get very specific either, after the school board's meeting. "I think what we are optimistic about is that students are going to understand what the expectation is and schools are going to be very aware of what the new guidelines are so that students are going to be in an environment where they understand what they can and cannot do with their own personal devices," he said. Students on cellphones Students refusing to comply would be dealt with "as we would with any other situation where a student was not wanting to comply," Woebkenberg said. "We always look at every situation on its own merits," the EVSC spokesman said. "We dont have a playbook that says, If a student does this, the following consequence happens, because you have to judge every situation on its own." Smith: EVSC is braced for reactions There will be an adjustment period, Cameron told the school board. There may be a lot of calls at first, but as things shake out and students and parents acclimate to the new policy and guidelines, those may level off. Smith said EVSC is ready for the calls. "As with any change, not everyones going to be happy," the superintendent said. "But I do think that the benefit, (in) other places that have put this type of policy in place, are pretty dramatic." This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: EVSC creating detailed 'guidelines' for law banning cellphones in class Judge considering if ex-gang leader held in Tupac Shakur killing gets house arrest on $750K bail Duane "Keffe D" Davis, who is accused of orchestrating the 1996 slaying of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, arrives in court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, Pool) LAS VEGAS (AP) A Nevada judge said Tuesday she wasn't immediately convinced of the legality of an effort by a hip-hop music figure to underwrite a $750,000 bond to free a former Los Angeles-area gang leader from jail ahead of his murder trial in the 1996 killing of hip-hop music legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny expressed doubts after hearing arguments about granting Duane Keffe D Davis release to house arrest with electronic monitoring, but said she would review financial records submitted by his benefactor Cash Jones, a music record executive who has managed performers such as rappers The Game and Blueface. In recent years, hes gotten into street fights and made controversial comments about the late Tupac Shakur and Nipsey Hussle. The judge promised to post a brief description of her decision in the court record. She did not say when. Davis' attorney, Carl Arnold, told reporters outside court that he hoped for a decision later Tuesday. Prosecutors Binu Palal and Marc DiGiacomo declined to comment. Jones, who uses the moniker Wack 100," offered sworn testimony by internet video link from an unspecified place in California. Under questioning by Arnold, Jones said he paid 15% of the bail amount, or $112,500, as a gift from his business accounts to secure Davis' release. I know him in passing, Jones said of Davis, a 61-year-old self-described head of a Crips gang sect in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton who has been held at the Clark County Detention Center since his arrest last September. Davis and his attorneys have said he isnt getting proper medical care in jail following treatment before his arrest for colon cancer. I know his son," Jones said of Davis. "We talked a few times. I know he's having an issue with his health. Hes always been a monumental person in our community, Jones added during questioning by Palal. Especially the urban community. Asked by the prosecutor if he had any contract or financial agreement with Davis for a television or movie deal based on Davis' self-described gang life and role in the killing of Shakur, Jones twice said, Not as of yet. Nevada has a law sometimes called a slayer statute that prohibits convicted killers from profiting from their crime. Jailhouse visits and telephone calls are also routinely recorded. The prosecutor played clips from a VladTV social media interview in which Jones told his interviewer he would bail Davis out of jail in return for an agreement to do a series on Mr. Davis' life." Palal asked Jones to explain. That's what I said to Vlad, Jones responded, noting that he was paid for the interview to draw viewers. There's nothing about Vlad, nothing about YouTube, that says you have to be truthful. Palal also played a recording of a jailhouse phone call in which Jones describes to Davis a plan to produce 30 to 40 episodes of a television show based on his life story. We talking business. I'm telling you what my idea is," Jones says. You gotta remember bro, this (expletive) can set you up for the rest of your life. Palal told the judge that Jones intended to profit from Davis' story. Mr. Davis is getting the benefits from retelling his story in the killing of Mr. Shakur. As a result, Mr. Jones, in order to benefit from that, is paying the bail bond company, the prosecutor said. Although it's convoluted, it's clear that a fraud is being perpetrated on this court. One way or another ... it is an illegal benefit, profiting from this crime." The judge ended the 45-minute hearing saying she was left with more questions than answers. But she agreed to review Jones' financial records. Davis has sought to be released since shortly after his arrest last September made him the only person ever charged with a crime in a killing that for 27 years has drawn intense interest and speculation. Davis told Kierny in court in February that backers were hesitant to come in here and help me out on the bail because of the media and the circus thats going on. Prosecutors allege the gunfire that killed Shakur stemmed from competition between East Coast members of a Bloods gang sect and West Coast groups of a Crips sect, including Davis, for dominance in a musical genre known at the time as gangsta rap. Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled Nov. 4. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. According to police, prosecutors and Davis own accounts, he is the only person still alive among four people who were in a white Cadillac from which shots were fired in September 1996, mortally wounding Shakur and grazing rap mogul Marion Suge Knight at an intersection just off the Las Vegas Strip. Knight, now 59, is serving 28 years in a California prison for using a vehicle to kill a Los Angeles-area man in 2015. Davis has publicly described himself as the orchestrator of the shooting, but not the gunman. A renewed push by Las Vegas police to solve the case led to a search warrant and raid last July at his home in Henderson. Prosecutors say they have strong evidence to convict Davis of murder based his own accounts during multiple police and media interviews since 2008 and in a 2019 memoir of his life leading a Compton street gang. In his book, Davis wrote he was promised immunity to tell authorities in Los Angeles what he knew about the fatal shootings of Shakur and rival rapper Christopher Wallace six months later in Los Angeles. Wallace was known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Arnold maintains that Davis told stories so he could make money and that police and prosecutors in Nevada lack key evidence including the gun, the Cadillac and proof that Davis was in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting. Expanding extremist groups in Africa fuel worries that they could attack the US or Western allies U.S. Marine Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command, left, speaks to reporters at a conference of military chiefs from across Africa, with Lt. Gen. Placid Segokgo, Botswanas commander of the defense force, Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor) GABORONE, Botswana (AP) Violent extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are growing in size and influence across Africa, fueling worries that as they improve their tactics they could attack the U.S. or Western allies. U.S. defense and military officials described the threats and their concerns about growing instability in Africa, where a number of coups have put ruling juntas in control, leading to the ouster of American troops and a decline in U.S. intelligence gathering. Threats like Wagner, terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations continue to sow instability in multiple regions," Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in opening remarks Tuesday at a conference of African chiefs of defense in Botswana. I think we can all agree, what happens in one part of the world, does not stay in one part of the world." Wagner is the Russian mercenary group that has gone into African nations to provide security as Western forces, including from the U.S. and France, have been pushed out. The group is known for its brutality, and human rights organizations have accused its members of raping and killing civilians. While Brown only touched briefly on the terror threat in the region, it was a key topic among others at the conference and spurred questions from military chiefs in the audience after his speech. They wanted to know what the U.S. could do to help stem the spread of insurgents in West Africa, the Gulf of Guinea and the Sahel. This is the first time that the chiefs of defense conference has been held on African soil. And it is the first time the U.S. joint chiefs chairman has visited a sub-Saharan country since 1994, when Gen. John Shalikashvili visited Rwanda and Zaire. A senior U.S. defense official said al-Qaida linked groups such as al-Shabab in Somalia and Jamaa Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known as JNIM, in the Sahel region are the largest and most financially viable insurgencies. JNIM is active in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and is looking to expand into Benin and Togo, which it uses as hubs to rest, recuperate, get financing and gather weapons but also has increased attacks there. At the same time, the Islamic State group has key cells in West Africa and in the Sahel. The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a threat assessment, said the Islamic State cells were getting increasing direction from the group's leadership that relocated to northern Somalia. That has included how to kidnap Westerners for ransom, how to learn better military tactics, how to hide from drones and how to building their own small quadcopters. A U.S. military airstrike in Somalia on May 31 targeted Islamic State militants and killed three, according to U.S. Africa Command. U.S. officials have said the strike targeted the group's leader, but the defense official said Monday that it's still unclear if he was killed. Roughly 200 Islamic State insurgents are in Somalia, so they are vastly outnumbered by al-Shabab, which has grown in size to between 10,000 and 12,000. The growth of the insurgent groups within Africa signals the belief by both al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that the continent is a ripe location for jihadism, where extremist ideology can take root and expand, the official said. And it comes as the U.S. was ordered to pull out its 1,000 troops from Niger in the wake of last July's coup and also about 75 from Chad. Those troop cuts, which shut down a critical U.S. counterterrorism and drone base at Agadez, hamper intelligence gathering in Niger, said Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command. Surveillance operations before the coup gave the U.S. a greater ability to get intelligence on insurgent movements. Now, he said, the key goal is a safe and secure withdrawal of personnel and equipment from both Agadez and a smaller U.S. facility near the airport. Langley met with Nigers top military chief, Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, during the conference, and said military-to-military communications continue but that it's yet to be determined how much the new transitional government will deal with the U.S. Currently, he said, there are about 400 troops still at Agadez and 200 near the airport. But, he added that "as were in transition and resetting, we need to maintain capabilities to get enough intelligence to identify warnings of a threat out there. Langley said the U.S. is still trying to assess the militant groups' capabilities as they grow. Yes, theyve been growing in number. Have they been growing in capability where they can do what we call external ops attacks on the homeland and attacks on allies, whether were talking about Europe or anyone? Thats what we closely watch, he said. I'd say it has the potential as they grow in numbers. Both Langley and Brown spoke more extensively about the need for the U.S. and African nations to communicate more effectively and work together to solve security and other problems. And Brown acknowledged that the U.S. needs to do better at understanding the perspectives of others, ensuring their voices and expertise dont get drowned out. The U.S has struggled to maintain relations with African nations as many foster growing ties to Russia and China. Some African countries have expressed frustration with the U.S. for forcing issues, such as democracy and human rights, that many see as hypocrisy, given Washingtons close ties to some autocratic leaders elsewhere. Meanwhile, Russia offers security assistance without interfering in politics, making it an appealing partner for military juntas that seized power in places like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years. What to expect in the final days of the Delaware General Assembly's legislative session With some budget bills out of the way, the Delaware General Assembly can now turn its attention to the bond bill and tackle remaining legislation in its final days of session. Delaware lawmakers will return to Dover Tuesday for the last days of legislative session, which will spill into the weekend for a final marathon session on Sunday, June 30. Agendas for the week are still being finalized, but what has been scheduled and what remains on lawmakers' plates set the stage for what may be prioritized by the state House of Representatives and Senate before departing Dover for the season. Delaware lawmakers will return to Dover on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, for the final days of legislative session. SPENDING BILLS: Delaware lawmakers approve $6.1B budget for 2025. What made the cut? Capital spending bill Commonly known as the bond bill, House Bill 325 was first introduced in January and carries a smaller price tag than last years capital spending plan at $943.7 million. But the bill, which funds Delawares construction and infrastructure projects, usually is not taken up until the last day of session and has not gone through any revisions by lawmakers. Last year, the General Assembly passed a $1.4 billion bond bill, about a quarter of which went toward road construction projects. Republicans had used it as a bargaining chip in the final days of the legislative session, seeking to force Democrats to support a charter change in Seaford to allow the Sussex County community to allow corporations the right to vote. SESSION 2023: House Democrats OK Seaford LLC voting charter, leading GOP to pass spending bills The bond bill and the grants-in-aid bill require a voting threshold of 75%. Prohibiting discrimination against unhoused Delawareans Two bills passed by the state House of Representatives on Thursday would protect those experiencing homelessness from discrimination by making a persons housing status a protected characteristic of the states fair housing and employment laws. There are approximately 1,358 people experiencing homelessness in the First State, according to Housing Alliance Delawares 2024 Point-In-Time Count, which represents a 9% increase in homelessness from 2023. House Bill 439 would ensure all Delawareans have equal opportunities in the housing market by banning discrimination based on someones housing status. The law also creates an administrative process to resolve allegations of discrimination, according to House representatives. House Bill 440 prohibits discrimination based on a persons housing status in employment. We are in a crisis, and its time to act. Reducing homelessness requires that we remove barriers for those actively experiencing homelessness as they seek housing, employment, and other services, said state Rep. Sophie Phillips, the primary sponsor of both bills. Our unhoused population is made up of good, hardworking individuals who are trying their best to get out of an unfortunate and scary situation." The bills now go to the Senate for consideration. End-of-life options A bill granting terminally ill people the right to choose the manner and timing of their death may be resurrected in the Senate after that legislative body on Thursday defeated the measure in a 9-9 vote, with two lawmakers absent and one not voting. Prior to the vote being finalized Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, who sponsored House Bill 140 with House Rep. Paul Baumbach, changed his vote to no, allowing for the legislation to return to the Senate floor before the end of session for another vote. Also known as death with dignity or physician-assisted dying, the legislation would allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults who have received a prognosis of six months or less to live to request and obtain self-ingested medication to end their lives peacefully. The legislation, also called the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law after two people who died without these options in their dying days, was approved by the House in April. Long-term care reform Senate Bill 215, which would require annual state inspections of long-term care facilities, will be discussed in the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday. The legislation is part of a package of bills to reform the long-term care industry and ensure adequate oversight of assisted living and nursing homes providing services to a vulnerable population. House Bill 204, creating regulations for the operation of temporary staffing agencies to staff positions at long-term care facilities, is slated for a vote by the Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 216, which increases civil penalties against long-term care facilities, needs to be voted on by the full House. LONG-TERM CARE REFORM: Delaware Senate approves annual inspections of long-term care facilities Senate Bill 150, requiring facilities to have sufficient staff and training for dementia care services, and Senate Bill 151, requiring facilities to disclose information related to dementia care services and establishing requirements for disseminating that information, await Gov. John Carneys signature. Whether the remaining bills targeting the industry will get across the finish line is unclear as they continue through the legislative process. Repealing the death penalty Lawmakers appear to be set to pass an official repeal of the state's death penalty with House Bill 70. The state has no one on death row. Similarly, the state no longer sentences people to death. In 2016, Delaware's Supreme Court invalidated the state's death penalty statute, leaning on rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the law remains on the books and death penalty abolitionists in the state have argued that the ruling was limited so reactionary legislators could pass a law that sees the punishment reinstated. As a result, certain lawmakers have pushed for a full-on repeal. The bill to do that passed the Delaware House last week and awaits a vote in the Senate, where Democrats hold a stronger majority. There is another bill, House Bill 301, which would amend Delaware's constitution to eliminate the penalty as well. Supporters have argued that such an amendment, which requires a greater majority to pass, as well as passage in two consecutive years, would be further protection against future efforts to reinstate the penalty. However, that bill was introduced in February and passed out of committee in March, but has not been raised for a vote in the House since. Read more: The death penalty in Delaware isn't used anymore. So why are lawmakers again debating it? Probation reform Delaware lawmakers introduced what was described as a sweeping reform to the state's probation system in March 2023. Senate Bill 4 aimed to significantly reduce the number of people reincarcerated due to technical violations of their probation, violations like a missed curfew, and reduce the potential period of probation a person can face in Delaware. Since then, pressure from law enforcement and correction-aligned interests have seen the effort paired back significantly over what's now four iterations of the original bill. The bill is currently awaiting Democratic leadership in the Senate to raise it for its first floor vote. In paring back the bill, legislative sponsors are now also pushing a side resolution to create a committee that would recommend future reforms to the probation system. That resolution also awaits its first floor vote. Read more: How this Senate bill would reform parole, probation in Delaware How police seize and keep money Democratic lawmakers are also pushing with House Bill 280 an effort to reform the mechanism police use to take possession of and spend what they claim are the financial proceeds of crimes. The bill would require the state police authorities to meet a higher legal burden to seize and keep peoples' money, require there be a parallel criminal case against the person and allows that person to recover attorneys and other fees if they succeed in a court proceeding challenging the seizure. Pressure from law enforcement interests has also seen this effort pared back. The bill has passed the House and awaits a vote in the Senate. Paying for wrongful convictions Delaware is one of a minority of states that has no compensation program for individuals who spend years, sometimes decades, in prison based on a faulty criminal conviction. Senate Bill 169 seeks to change that by creating a program where such individuals can go through a court process evaluating their innocence and potentially receive recompense based on how long they were wrongfully imprisoned. The bill has been amended several times, has passed the Senate and awaits a vote in the House where there are more conservative lawmakers. Read more: Why Delaware is one of the few states that doesn't compensate wrongfully incarcerated Change to state's bail system Delaware lawmakers are once again considering the idea of reducing the state's reliance on a bail system that emphasizes a person's ability to pay for their pretrial freedom instead of their actual risk to society through Senate Bill 11 and Senate Bill 12. Such efforts have been around for years in Delaware. The latest effort to do that are both constitutional amendments. As constitutional amendments, both bills require a two-thirds vote to pass the House and the Senate and will need to be voted on again next year if they pass this week. So far, both have passed the Senate and await votes in the House. Delaware student wellness Tahiya Cooper, a school counselor at Holly Hall Elementary School in Elton, Maryland, holds a stone painted in the fashion of the title subject in her children's book "The Sunshine Rock," Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Education reform will also hit the floor this week. Highlights include student mental health supports, as one bill looks to establish a mental health services unit across Delaware high schools. Over three years, House Bill 200 aims to reach a final ratio of 250 students per full-time school counselor, school social worker or licensed clinical social worker in schools. The ratio for a full-time school psychologist would be 700 to one. Total cost by fiscal year 2026 is estimated to reach $33.8 million, in combined local and state funds, according to the bill. It now rests with the Senate for consideration this week. Another measure focuses on free meals in school. House Bill 125, as substituted, would require "all public schools to offer only students who qualify for a reduced-price meal, under the federal School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program, a free breakfast and lunch every school day." And it could take effect the next school year, depending on the Senates consideration likely sometime this week. Funding for the measure has already made the states budget, under the $242,000 designated for child nutrition. Free school lunch? Delaware lawmakers consider compromise on free student meals Early childhood education reforms A classroom sits quietly at St. Michael's School and Nursery in Wilmington, pictured here back in 2020. An early childhood education reform package also caught eyes this spring, as a transfer continues of the Office of Child Care Licensing to the state Department of Education. Now, one of its bills awaits likely consideration in the House, though it has not appeared on the agenda as of yet. Senate Bill 295 looks to reinforce that prospective child care workers must provide "service letters" to facilities before they can be hired. Such letters would need to include statements from prior employers regarding "any concerns they have about the job candidate working with children and any warnings, reprimands, suspensions or discharge the job candidate received." It would also require state licensing to report any suspected failure of an employer to adhere to those requirements to the Department of Labor for review and possible civil penalties. A related resolution, introduced with the package in May, would direct the state education department to adopt an electronic licensing record system and registry of childcare professionals by next summer. That has since stalled, alongside another bill eliminating salary schedules for licensing specialists. ICYMI: Bills look to boost Delaware child care standards, student mental health School safety in Delaware A view from where a receptionist sits behind a glass window at Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School. Student and school safety has been another topic on the legislative mind. The House could consider a bill this week concerning future construction projects, requiring that when a new school is built or a major renovation is undertaken, that construction must include certain safety features. Senate Bill 279 describes a secured vestibule, the installation of "ballistic resistant glass or other ballistic resistant materials" in certain areas of the school and more potential benchmarks. Another focus concerns sexual assault on college campuses. Though current law makes training available and many schools implement a version of it House Bill 308 looks to mandate that Delaware students and employees within higher education receive training in sexual assault prevention. The bill would also define the reporting period that these institutions must share campus sexual assault figures from the calendar year to the academic year while also requiring the state Department of Justice to post such annual reports from the previous five years on its website, with aggregate data from the previous five years added in each report. The bill could hit the Senate floor this week. Student behavior: Teachers are battling poor student behavior post-COVID. Delaware lawmakers strain for answers Diversifying the curriculum Y.F. Lou (left) and Devin Jiang speak at a Make Us Visible Delaware event launching under the mission to push for more Asian American history to infuse with K-12 curricula in Delaware in the Chinese American Community Center, of Hockessin, on Sept. 30, 2023. Senate Bill 297 would require the Department of Education to "update content standards and regulations using a non-exhaustive list of racial, ethnic and cultural groups for K-12 education. This would include AAPI studies, as pushed by Make Us Visible Delaware since the fall, but theoretically not stop there. The bill does not get into specifics or accountability guardrails. It does, however, start by adding to state standards in code, if passing possible House consideration this week. It has not appeared on the agenda for Tuesday as of Monday evening. A related bill already awaits Gov. Carneys signature, which would establish a state commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture. AAPI in Delaware: New commission may give Delaware's Asian communities more visibility, political voice Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware General Assembly's final days: What's left to vote on? A historically expensive and fiercely contentious Democratic primary in New York's 16th Congressional District has incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman fighting for his political future and has garnered national attention as a bellwether for the schism fissuring the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war. Bowman, a staunch progressive with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, is being challenged by a local official who is seen, by some, as more moderate: Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Latimer has represented parts of Westchester County in some form since 2005. PHOTO: Representative Jamaal Bowman speaks to the crowd while he campaigns in the Bronx borough of New York City, June 22, 2024. (Joy Malone/Reuters) High-profile Democrats have flooded the zone with endorsements, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Latimer on X two weeks before polls close. Meanwhile, progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are circling their wagons around Bowman, hosting rallies and spearheading get-out-the-vote efforts on his behalf. Bowman's progressive politics have been a frequent basis of attack for Latimer, whose core argument is that Bowman is "putting his extreme ideology ahead of progress." Latimer has also criticized Bowman for voting against President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Bowman has reciprocated these attacks, tying Latimer to Republicans and stressing his support from donors to former President Donald Trump, such as Alex Dubitsky, despite Latimer identifying as a progressive. But it is the candidates' stances on the Israel-Hamas war and their relationships with local groups that raise this race's national profile. PHOTO: Democratic candidate for New York's 16th District George Latimer speaks at the Mount Vernon Democratic headquarters in Mount Vernon, NY, June 24, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Bowman has been one of Congress' most ardent critics of Israel, referring to the Israel Defense Forces' incursions in Gaza as a "genocide" and frequently calling for a cease-fire. Resultingly, Latimer, a pro-Israel candidate, was recruited to run by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to The New York Times. Since reportedly encouraging Latimer to run, AIPAC has been his most powerful supporter -- the organization's United Democracy Project PAC alone makes up for 60% of ad spending in the race, according to AdImpact -- which, as of Monday, clocks in at an eye-popping $23 million total, according to filings compiled by OpenSecrets. AdImpact tracks that the race for N.Y.-16 is the most expensive House primary to date. Even still, whoever wins this primary is likely to win in the general election -- a Republican hasn't been elected in the district since 1949. In an interview with ABC News, Sanders called the primary "one of the most important elections in the modern history of this country" and hoped that the influx of opposition advertising would not deter true progressives. PHOTO: Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont arrives to speak at a 'Get Out The Vote' rally on the weekend before the Democratic Primary in New York, June 22, 2024. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) "What I would say to the people of the district, even if you disagree with Bowman on this or that issue, stand up to the billionaire class and tell them they cannot buy this election and buy the United States government," Sanders said. Bowman railed against AIPAC's funding during a rally on Saturday in the Bronx flanked by progressives Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. "AIPAC is scared to death," Bowman said. "That is why they are spending record amounts of money in this race because they are afraid they have already lost because the district, the American people, and the world are with us." "But they are the money -- we are the mighty, they are the money, we are the many," Bowman said. MORE: All eyes on New York's congressional races as key House seats at play Amanda Berman, founder of the progressive, pro-Israel group Zioness, told ABC News that Bowman's "many versus money" framing encourages gross stereotypes about the Jewish community. "That comment makes Jews' skin crawl, that is petrifying that we are being called 'the money' in the way that singles us out as not part of 'the many,' and it activates a dangerous and age-old antisemitic stereotype about Jews and money. It suggests that there is something nefarious about wanting people who represent us in Washington to care about protecting our safety, especially at a moment of such exploding antisemitism," Berman said. Berman said she sees the influx of support around an alternative candidate as indicative that "progressive Jews and real progressives across the country who are seeing a perversion of progressive values want to reclaim what it means to be a progressive." PHOTO: Israeli troops are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on June 20, 2024. (Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua via Getty Images) Latimer told The Associated Press earlier this month that he supports a two-state solution, but said, "Don't tell me, 'Cease-fire now. Sit down, and let's negotiate,' when the guy I'm negotiating with[,] in Hamas[,] is a terrorist organization that's committed to my destruction." Bowman had previously attacked Latimer at a debate for refusing to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., who broke ranks from other congressional progressives by endorsing Latimer, attributed his decision to Bowman's positions following Hamas' attack on Israel and the effect it has had on the lower Hudson Valley Jewish community. Jones referenced Bowman's denial that Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7, which he has since apologized for, and Bowman's support of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. PHOTO: Rep. Mondaire Jones speaks during a news conference to discuss student debt cancellation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Sep. 29, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Speaking to ABC News, Jones said he has "long disagreed with Mr. Bowman's views and positions on Israel." "But since Oct. 7, they have taken on a different character, even for him. It has had dramatic effects on my Jewish neighbors in the Hudson Valley, and I will always stand up for my Jewish neighbors, especially when they are pointing to the words and actions of a former colleague which have directly contributed to anxiety, anger and fear that they experience," he said. Usamah Andrabi, the spokesperson for Justice Democrats, told ABC News that the United Democracy Project is "a Republican-funded super PAC that disproportionately targets progressive Democrats of color with Republican billionaire funding and endorsed alongside the same Republicans -- hundreds of Republicans -- who have voted to overturn President Biden's election and support banning abortion." When reached for comment, AIPAC told ABC News in a statement: "It is a scurrilous lie to suggest that we target progressive Democrats of color -- the truth is that we support many pro-Israel candidates of color. Our only criterion for supporting or opposing candidates is their position on the U.S.-Israel relationship. In fact, we support nearly half of the Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and Progressive Caucus." MORE: Progressive groups launch 'Reject AIPAC' effort as Democratic divides over Israel deepen The way both men have responded to the conflict has led to a feeling of desertion by some members of the Jewish and Muslim communities within the district. Rabbi Evan Hoffman, who leads the Orthodox congregation Anshe Sholom in New Rochelle and has known Latimer for years, told ABC News that he called the representative to request a statement condemning violence against Jews in advance of a feared "Day of Rage" shortly after the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. "And his reaction was to say, 'That's interesting,' and then he hung up," said Hoffman, who was then chair of the Westchester Board of Rabbis. ABC News has reached out to Bowman's campaign for a response. PHOTO: Rep. Jamaal Bowman speaks during a hearing with subcommittee members of the House Education and the Workforce committee in Washington, D.C., May 08, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Hoffman also noted that prior board members had tried to make inroads with Bowman in 2020 and 2021, but "felt that he was snubbing them, and it was impossible to develop positive relations." Another Westchester rabbi, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told ABC News that Bowman had reached out to a number of rabbis around Hanukkah, but "none of the rabbis on the Westchester Board of Rabbis wanted to attend." Hoffman said he believes that the negative feelings toward Bowman extend to the larger Jewish community, arguing that "the average Jew on the street in Westchester has a very thin view of Jamaal Bowman and would express it even more heartily than I would." Both rabbis told ABC News that a supermajority of their congregation preferred Latimer over Bowman. JVP Action -- the political wing of Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as a "progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization" -- said it disagrees with that characterization. "The Jewish community is not a monolith. And that's true nationally, and it's true in the district, as well," the organization's spokeswoman, Beth Miller, told ABC News, "and no one can really claim to speak for the entire Jewish community." MORE: Biden-Trump debate offers rare chance for change in stubbornly tight race Prominent members of Westchester's Muslim community have expressed a similar frustration with Latimer. Donny Khan, a leader of Westchester Progressives -- an organization that actively helped elect Latimer to county executive but now strongly supports Bowman -- said that Latimer's responsiveness to affluent, predominantly white communities has come at the expense of other constituents. "When he needed our votes, he was here. He came to the community center and took pictures with women in hijabs, and with me and everything," he said. "But then ever since he was recruited to run against Jamaal Bowman, he has cut all contact." Supporters of Bowman argue that part of their fear that Latimer will not be reliable comes from a history of the latter not holding firm positions while serving Westchester. "George Latimer is willing to be anything for anyone," said Andrabi, Justice Democrats spokesperson. Khan offered a similar sentiment, saying, "I think his whole reputation -- the way he survived 35 years in Westchester politics -- is basically never taking a hard stance on anything." Expensive New York primary race between Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer marks schism in Democratic Party originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Explainer-What is WikiLeaks and why did it get Julian Assange in so much trouble? (Reuters) -Julian Assange, founder of whistleblower media group WikiLeaks, is due to strike a plea bargain this week that would free him from jail and allow him to return home to Australia after a 14-year-long legal saga. WHAT IS WIKILEAKS? On its website, WikiLeaks says it is a multinational media organisation that specialises in analysing and publishing databases of censored or otherwise restricted materials involving wars, spying and corruption. It was founded by Assange in 2006 and lists several international media organisations among its co-publishers, research partners and funders. It also says that it is a not-for-profit organisation that is funded through public donations. "WikiLeaks is a giant library of the world's most persecuted documents," Assange said of the organisation in an interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2015. "We give asylum to these documents, we analyse them, we promote them and we obtain more." The most controversial leaks by WikiLeaks featured classified U.S. military documents and videos from the war it waged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early to mid 2000s that it said highlighted issues such as abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody, human rights violations and civilian deaths. U.S. authorities said the leaks were reckless, damaged national security, and endangered the lives of agents. Assange's many supporters said the site upheld free speech and attempts to prosecute him were an assault on journalism. WHAT DID WIKILEAKS PUBLISH THAT CAUSED SUCH A STIR? In April 2010, WikiLeaks released a video showing a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff. In June, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst was arrested for releasing the classified video. The analyst, Chelsea Manning, served seven years in military prison before being granted clemency by former President Barack Obama in 2018. Three months later, WikiLeaks released more than 91,000 documents, most of which were secret U.S. military reports about the war in Afghanistan. That was followed in October by the release of some 400,000 classified U.S. military files chronicling the Iraq war from 2004 to 2009. The releases were the largest leak of their kind in U.S. military history. Later that same year, WikiLeaks released thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables that included candid views of foreign leaders and blunt assessments of security threats. These included cables from the former king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, repeatedly urging the United States to attack Iran's nuclear program and others about China directing cyberattacks on the United States. In the meantime, Assange was fighting against an order by a Swedish court to detain him as a result of an investigation into allegations of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. He was arrested in December 2010 in Britain on a European warrant. Assange denied the allegations and said from the outset that it was a pretext to extradite him to the United States to face charges over the WikiLeaks releases. In 2011, WikiLeaks released thousands of previously unpublished U.S. diplomatic cables from its cache of more than 250,000 State Department reports. WAS WIKILEAKS THE ONLY ONLINE ACTIVIST? No. A loose grouping of cyber activists supporting WikiLeaks launched a spate of online attacks on organisations seen as hostile to the site, and then after Assange's arrest in 2010, they started spreading the leaked documents far and wide online. Another group of internet activists operating under the name "Anonymous" temporarily brought down websites of credit card giants MasterCard and Visa after they had stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks. Today, the site says it accepts donations in crytocurrencies, including bitcoin. (Writing by Miral Fahmy; Editing by Neil Fullick and Daniel Wallis) A firefighter in Los Angeles was injured in an explosion while battling a fire near a homeless encampment. A Los Angeles firefighter was injured in an explosion while putting out flames in a patch of grass near a homeless encampment. On Monday, the firefighter was hurt as he approached the flames. They were transported to a hospital by an air ambulance and is in serious condition, but their injuries are not life-threatening, states an alert published by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officer shot to death on duty: Michigan deputy, dad of 3, shot to death while tracking stolen SUV: 'Terrible loss' The fire turned into an explosion, authorities say The LAFD responded to a grassfire that set half an acre ablaze near the encampment. As they reached the flames, there was an explosion, states an alert that was published to the LAFD's website. The fire occurred around a mile north of Sherman Oaks Castle Park. It took 80 firefighters 30 minutes to stop the blaze from spreading. No other injuries were reported Cause under investigation The cause of the fire is still under investigation, states the LAFD. Around 6 p.m. the same day, the fire department released another alert asking news helicopters keep their distance so units could safely use drones to continue investigating the scene of the fire. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA firefighter hospitalized after explosion at homeless encampment The U.S. Air Force is eyeing a wide range of possible non-traditional missions for the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, its latest fighter aircraft. Those future missions could include operating the F-15EX as a command and control node, a platform for outsized weapons, and potentially as a key enabler in the services concepts for manned-unmanned teaming. TWZ was on scene at Eglin AFB, the epicenter of F-15EX trials, to get a firsthand look at what USAF testers were doing to prep the Eagle II for all the additional capabilities it could potentially assume in the future. The first emphasis for the F-15EX combined test team at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was the initial fielding of the fighter, ensuring the new Eagle II is suitable and ready to replace aging F-15Cs in Air National Guard units. The USAF is recapitalizing single-seat F-15C squadrons as a primary objective, so initial suitability evaluation [of the EX] was mainly geared towards that direct replacement, said Maj. Aaron Kamikazze Eshkenazi, an F-15EX pilot assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) Skulls at Eglin Air Force Base. You can read our first installment of our reporting from Eglin AFB on the F-15EXs testing here. Initial evaluation of the F-15EX was completed in November 2023. That was with dedicated mission sets to prove that this airplane is ready to go into full-rate production. Those flights were intentionally flown solo because thats where the airplane is initially going, so we had to ensure we were not testing something that was not representative of what the CAF [Combat Air Force, or frontline squadrons] is going to be starting out doing. A pilot and WSO from the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB. Jamie Hunter The F-15EX takes the best of both the F-15C and F-15E worlds and combines that with all the enhancements that have been added to the jet. So when we talk about the U.S. Air Force of the future, were actually pushing the F-15EX into that future as a brand-new platform, says Lt. Col. Matthew Juice Russel, the director of operations at the 85th TES. We are inserting the F-15EX into the existing Eagle community, but its 30 years newer than our most modern F-15Es, adds Russel. The Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures [TTPs] that have been developed for the Strike Eagle easily transfer over to the EX, plus it has new technology to take it into the future. The two-seat F-15EX is an off-the-shelf version of Boeings Advanced F-15, and it comes as standard with a two-place cockpit. The F-15EX needs to be effective when flown in a single-pilot configuration to mirror the current operating model of ANG F-15C units. The potential of flying with a Weapons Systems Operator (WSO) in the back seat is also being explored for a variety of possible uses and future mission sets. An F-15EX prepares for a mission with the pilot and WSO wearing digital JHMCS helmets. Jamie Hunter We have also flown with two aircrew onboard, a pilot and a WSO, so we are not staying too narrow, not over-focused, on just flying the jet solo because there is an unknown sight picture of where the Air Force might want to go, says Eshkenazi. So all of those unknown quantities test our perspective to ensure this airplane is ready for whatever the Air Force ultimately decides to do with it. We arent tying multi-role to having a two-person crew. We are absolutely not saying that if youre flying the jet solo you cant do multi-role missions. Its about leaving our options open and covering all of that off from a test perspective. The Eglin-based Combined Test Force has immersed the Eagle II in realistic large-scale exercises as part of its introduction into the USAF fighter community to help testers understand exactly what the F-15EX might be capable of doing and how it will be able to work alongside its brethren fighter aircraft. To illustrate how things run on the Operational Test side, literally two weeks after we received the second F-15EX from the Boeing factory we took it to a Large Force Employment at Exercise Northern Edge 2021 in Alaska, said Maj. Eshkenazi. Weve been integrating it with the F-15C and the F-15E and also with F-22s and F-35s to make sure the airplane is ready to go as soon as it hits the Combat Air Force. Three F-15C Eagles of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, Oregon Air National Guard and two F-15EXs ready for a combined mission from Nellis AFB in October 2021. USAF/William R. Lewis William Lewis The F-15EX has flown on Exercise Black Flag at Nellis AFB, and this week we are flying our F-15EXs on Exercise Checkered Flag thats running at Tyndall [Air Force Base, Florida]. Those squadrons are also flying on the Combat Archer Weapons System Evaluation Program [WSEP], so they are shooting missiles in the Gulf of Mexico ranges too, and we are integrating here too. We arent firing any missiles on this WSEP, but we will be firing the F-15EXs internal 20mm cannon against air-to-air towed gunnery targets. The digital fly-by-wire system in the F-15EX is a big change over the F-15E in terms of increased weapons-carrying capability as it has opened up two additional weapons stations on the wings. For the majority of regimes of flight, you dont really notice a significant difference in the handling of the airplane, explains Maj. Eshkenazi. The main intent of the fly-by-wire is about carrying heavier stores on the airplane. In the F-15C and F-15E, you have a mechanical control system. On the EX you still move the control column in the same way, but now it transitions into a fully electric flight control system that has a similar feel to the other models of F-15. There is actually a lot of developmental test work being done here assessing the digital fly-by-wire system to see how it performs in real-world conditions. says Maj. Joshua Viper Judy, a Weapons Systems Officer assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron. Theres safety of flight workups and some development work needed to assess how the system compares to the legacy systems of the F-15C and E. Theres future planning as well to make sure all the safety of flight requirements are met going forward. The system helps us with lateral asymmetry and aft center of gravity regimes where weapons could potentially cause the airplane to depart controlled flight, adds Eshkenazi. We can now fly with the two outer wing weapons stations because the electrical flight control system keeps the airplane stable in those regimes of flight. The electronics of the fly-by-wire system enable those stations, and that means you can increase your air-to-air missile capacity by four missiles, and thats significant. Maintainers load 12 AIM-120 AMRAAMs on an F-15EX at Eglin AFB. Jamie Hunter The new outer weapons stations on the F-15EX mean the fighter can now carry as many as 12 air-to-air missiles. Its about the number of missiles that youre bringing to the fight, explains Eshkenazi. We potentially dont have as many physical fighter aircraft as our enemy, but carrying that many missiles could put us on a par with them. Its not just the quantity, but also the ability to carry outsized weapons too. The beauty of the F-15 is the physical ability to carry a lot, but currently we arent conducting any physical weapons work here at Eglin other than AIM-9X and AIM-120, but there are future weapons were working on. For example, weve fired two JASSM-ER [AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range] from the F-15EX during Combat Hammer exercises. An F-15EX Eagle II of the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron loaded with 12 AMRAAMs. USAF/SSgt. Blake Wiles Staff. Sgt. Blake Wiles Outsized weapons is the nomenclature we use right now, adds Lt. Col. Joe Gagnon, commander of the 85th TES. We need aircraft that can carry outsized weapons that dont require an internal carriage capability, and right now our best platform for that is the Strike Eagle and the F-15EX. If youre thinking about hypersonics, things like that, one of the platforms most likely is going to be an Eagle, because its the big airplane that can carry it and not have to carry it internally. What the F-15EX brings that other F-15s do not is what you hear being talked about as the digital backbone of the aircraft, adds Maj. Eshkenazi. It has ethernet wiring running throughout the airframe and its linked to the weapon stations. This opens up future potential in terms of integrating weapons. We might have a separate computer or a tablet that can be linked [to the jet] that allows us to connect to the weapons stations while keeping our safety of flight elements [in the mission software] isolated. So we could run apps but not have them running through our main computer, which isolates this from the safety of flight things like the flight controls, for example. This means Im not concerned about an app coming from a vendor that might affect my ability to fly the airplane. One of the big capabilities that the F-15EX brings to the fight is the ability to rapidly put new weapons on it, because of its external carriage capacity and its ability to carry a lot of weight, Col. Daniel Lehoski, 53rd Wing commander, further explained. We have the independent ability to upgrade the jets Operational Flight Program [OFP] as well as actually working around the OFP to add some capabilities. Ill give you an example; we have a jet that were using to push situational awareness and command and control [C2] capabilities to the leading edge of the fight. Were doing that literally with an iPad hooked up to the jet in order to get information into it. That sits outside the OFP. Its a little clunky because you have an iPad in the cockpit, but that is enabling us to add capability in conjunction with our agile OFP upgrades. The iPad is getting power from the jet and then using Link 16 datalink to communicate with the aircraft. We are bringing in other sources of information to the jet other than whats provided by the radar and the other sensors. Weve already added an external antenna to the jet, and its pretty straightforward because we dont have to worry about the radar signature and outer mold line of the design. A formation of F-16C, F-15EX, F-15E, and F-15C assigned to the 85th TES and 40th FLTS from Eglin AFB. USAF/SSgt. Blake Wiles Staff. Sgt. Blake Wiles The USAF is introducing agile software frameworks for all of its fighters, with the F-15EX being part of that strategy, and it is already receiving rapid upgrades to its main computer software to address upgrades and fixes. Some of the jets sub-systems can also be upgraded quickly to react to operational needs. The F-15EXs built-in electronic warfare system, the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System [EPAWSS], is one such system that could be swiftly updated to respond to the battlespace, perhaps a new threat has been found, or a new jamming technique may be needed. EPAWSS is a line update item, its one of those things that we just need to get the appropriate data and maintenance to load updated information, explains Maj. Eshkenazi. The EPAWSS system is currently being added to the F-15E as an upgrade. It comes as standard on the F-15EX. EPAWSS recently completed operational testing, and it is now a fielded system. The F-15EX joined the EPAWSS operational test effort towards the end of the lengthy test work on the Strike Eagle. This fits with the USAF strategy regarding the EX leveraging existing test work where commonality exists between the EX and the existing Eagle fleets. Describing what EPAWSS does, Maj. Judy calls it a significant increase in situational awareness. Lt. Col. Gagnon added: I definitely wouldnt want to be in a jet trying to use my radar against an EPAWSS-equipped aircraft! Long-range kill chains are one of the big things we are looking at right now in terms of what we want to be able to execute, explains Maj. Eshkenazi. Our goal is to be able to shoot weapons further and to be able to extend our datalinks and our comms beyond line-of-sight. Theres a lot of discussion about what potential applications we might have for the back seat [in the F-15EX]. Whether its the existing kind of Weapon System Operator role, a cyber person, or an ABM [Air Battle Manager]. All of those options are available and it really depends upon those mission sets as we continue to expand into the future. The WSOs role is to manage the weapon systems, adds Maj. Judy. We are looking at the role of the back seat in terms of helping dictate the battlespace. Does this involve a Command and Control [C2] role, is it battle management, maybe a combination of things depending on the mission set were talking about flying unmanned fighters out there. The whole goal of this airplane is to optimize both the front seat and the rear cockpit for whatever mission sets were executing as we continue to expand these roles in the future. While there is no current CCA [Collaborative Combat Aircraft] testing going on currently with the EX, I will say from a WSO perspective that having that large area display [LAD] and customizable screens makes for much easier data synthesis compared to the F-15E with its four screens with 1980s-era monochrome. Having that additional situational awareness from the LAD and being able to customize the information that is being displayed to me is helpful in pretty much every mission set that I can fly. An F-15EX gets airborne carrying 12 AIM-120 AMRAAMs. Jamie Hunter Recent test work for the F-15EX team at Eglin has included evaluating the Lockheed Martin Legion Infra-Red Search-and Track (IRST) pod on the jet, as it is a system that will be employed immediately in Air National Guard squadron service. Legion is a sensor that operates in a different wave band to the radar, explains Maj. Eshkenazi. It is long-wave infra-red that helps you detect platforms outside of the X-band, which is typically where the radar is detecting. The F-15C units are already using Legion, and so the intent is to ensure that the F-15EX is able to carry and use that same pod. We are currently software-integrating the Legion Block 1.5 pod, making sure that everything is translated from the C-model to the EX software. We are doing the same for the Sniper targeting pod to make sure that it is also ready to go. F-15Cs also carry Sniper to help identify targets at long range, and Lt. Col Gagnon explains the differences between the two. Sniper is a multi-role pod, designed to do a lot of different things. Sort of a jack-of-all-trades. The IRST is a master of one trade, and I can say that it is absolutely 100 percent the master of that. A Legion pod mounted under an F-15EX. Jamie Hunter In addition to preparing the hardware for the first Air National Guard F-15EX squadron, the team at Eglin has trained the first few ANG aircrews for their new mounts. We just qualified the first guys for the 142nd Wing at Portland [Oregon], says Maj. Eshkenazi. We provided F-15EX academics, they flew the simulators and initial flights to get them qualified on the airplane. The common software means a lot of what we do is just difference training. Our approach removes the burden of having to go back through a Formal Training Unit and a T-X [transition] course, so it all minimizes the transition bill from the F-15C to the F-15EX. The first Portland pilots did just four sim rides and three flights to get qualified thats it! Now that the F-15EX has been deemed suitable for fielding, the Combined Test Force is already eyeing possible upgrades to its brand-new Eagle IIs. Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS) is a capability that might be coming, which is already incorporated into the F-16 and F-35 fighters. Maj. Eshkenazi says this is still in a contracting phase, but that the USAF is hoping to leverage the work previously completed for the F-16 and F-35. Auto GCAS would be software functionality not hardware in terms of a flight control software to actually implement it, he explains. The F-15EX has the mounting and wiring for forward and rear hemisphere Missile Approach Warning Systems, which are fitted to Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SAs and Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QAs. However, currently, there are no publicly acknowledged plans to add them to the USAF jets, but one pilot said any upgrades like this would be desirable. Similarly, there are no official plans to recapitalize the F-15E Strike Eagle fleet with EXs, or to make Air National Guard squadrons multi-role units with WSOs, however, testing mandates that the Air Force should be in a position to keep all of its options open. We are clearly focused on bringing the Eagle communities together, both the air-to-air and the air-to-ground [components], and maximizing the use of all of our aircraft. In a nutshell, thats what were doing with the F-15EX, Lt. Col. Russel concludes. Were experimenting. We want to get the EX ready for what it was bought for in replacing the F-15C, but obviously, it does have that back seat which is fully missionized, and so the realm of possibilities is endless in terms of what you can do with that back seat and it will all depend on the missions you want to use this jet for. Aircrew from the 85th TES following a mission in an Eglin-based F-15EX. Jamie Hunter The first operational F-15EX was delivered to the 142nd Wing in Portland on June 6, 2024, with Fresno Air National Guard Base in California and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Louisiana now selected as preferred locations to host squadrons of 18 F-15EXs each as the F-15C recapitalization continues. Two additional squadrons of Eagle IIs will be forward deployed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where they will fill the gap left by the closing down of a pair of F-15C/D units. The F-15EX appears to be on track as an efficient replacement for the F-15C, while also offering tremendous opportunities for future missions. However, the USAF is currently capped at 98 F-15EXs, as The War Zone has explained in the past. This just about covers five operational squadrons of 18 aircraft, plus a handful of training and test aircraft. Previously, there were plans to cap the number of F-15EXs at 144 jets. Proving the F-15EXs capabilities for future missions such as manned-unmanned teaming, as a C2 or air battle manager node, or as an easily adaptable shooter of new weapons might well earn the Eagle II critical additional roles in the future construct of the USAF. Team Eglin is pushing hard to prove the F-15EXs basic capabilities, while also readying a clear path for adapting the Eagle II to whatever roles it may be asked to assume in the future. Editors note: The sponsor had no editorial involvement in this article. Contact the editor: tyler@twz.com View comments Fact Check: Posts Say 2 US Astronauts Are Stranded in Space Due to Spacecraft Issues. Here's the Truth Claim: Two U.S. astronauts were stranded in space in late June 2024 because of issues with their spacecraft. Rating: Rating: False Context: The two U.S. astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were still in space at the time of this writing, but it was misleading to say they were "stranded." Both were safely on board the International Space Station and were awaiting a date to return to Earth with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. On June 24, 2024, an X user claimed two U.S. astronauts were stranded in space (archived) without a clear plan for when they would return to Earth. The X user wrote: "Crazy that there are two american astronauts stranded in low earth orbit without a clear answer on how or when they are getting home and no one is talking about it" His post had amassed more than 1.3 million views at the time of this writing. (X account @zebulgar) The two American astronauts in question were Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who left Earth for the International Space Station aboard the Boeing Starliner on June 5, 2024, in the spacecraft's first crewed mission. Starliner's return flight suffered several setbacks to allow time to assess technical issues. On June 14, it was pushed back to June 22, before being delayed again to June 26. On June 21, NASA announced another change of plans without giving a clear date for when the spacecraft, along with Wilmore and Williams, would head back to Earth. Following NASA's update, the claim about the two astronauts appeared elsewhere on X in June 2024, in numerous TikTok videos, and in Facebook and Reddit posts. Numerous news outlets also stated the pair were "stranded" in space. https://www.facebook.com/janwriter/posts/pfbid025FyZhsBaesMWsKHZowRKnDHij6naMWUJKWPphT26mMhoEo2rwVVTjnP6kMzoGenhl Although it was true the two NASA astronauts were stuck in space while awaiting a confirmed return date, it was misleading for people to claim Wilmore and Williams were "stranded" because they were safely staying on the ISS, which is why we have rated this claim as "False." A June 21 NASA news release said the agency and Boeing's leadership team adjusted Starliner's return journey to "deconflict" the spacecraft's undocking from the ISS with a series of planned spacewalks. It explained the delay would give mission teams "time to review propulsion system data." It also stated the spacecraft was cleared to return to Earth in the event of an emergency on the ISS but that the crew was "not pressed for time to leave the station" because there were plenty of supplies on board and the space station's schedule "is relatively open through mid-August." "Mission managers are evaluating future return opportunities following the station's two planned spacewalks on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, July 2," the news release said. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement the adjustment would allow the teams to assess technical issues encountered on board Starliner: We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process. We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking Starliner is performing well in orbit while docked to the space station. We are strategically using the extra time to clear a path for some critical station activities while completing readiness for Butch and Suni's return on Starliner and gaining valuable insight into the system upgrades we will want to make for post-certification missions. Boeing Starliner released the same news release on June 21. NASA published updates about Starliner's mission progress in a blog on its website. On June 11, Williams said on X she was happy to be on the ISS. On June 20, NASA's Johnson Space Center posted a GIF on X showing Wilmore and Williams had arrived at the station, thus proving they were not "stranded" in space. What song would you dance to if you arrived at the @Space_Station after testing out a new spacecraft? pic.twitter.com/DpjR9slVAl NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) June 20, 2024 Williams spoke to students at her namesake school, Sunita L. Williams Elementary, from the ISS on June 21, according to the Boeing Space X account. She and Wilmore then appeared in a photo posted on X by the ISS account later that day. Sources: NASA, Boeing Adjust Timeline for Starliner Return. https://starlinerupdates.com/nasa-boeing-adjust-timeline-for-starliner-return/. Accessed 25 June 2024. NASA, Boeing Adjust Timeline for Starliner Return NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test. 21 June 2024, https://blogs.nasa.gov/boeing-crew-flight-test/2024/06/21/nasa-boeing-adjust-timeline-for-starliner-return/. NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test. 21 June 2024, https://blogs.nasa.gov/boeing-crew-flight-test/category/boeing/. NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test - NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/mission/boeing-crewflighttest/. Accessed 25 June 2024. 'X.Com'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/Astro_Suni/status/1800542369898786893. Accessed 25 June 2024. '---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1803798393699103070. Accessed 25 June 2024. '---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/BoeingSpace/status/1804173426296332504. Accessed 25 June 2024. '---'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://x.com/Space_Station/status/1804203798161953183. Accessed 25 June 2024. Claim: Photos shared in viral social media and blog posts authentically depict the same Soviet soldier, Evgeny Kobytev, before and after WWII. Rating: Rating: True On May 22, 2020, a post by X user @Dr_TheHistories claimed to show the same Soviet soldier before and after serving in World War II. The post consisted of two photos stitched together into one image, with the left side showing a fresh-faced young man and the right side showing a man displaying similar features but with a gaunt appearance, furrowed brow, and haunted gaze. (X user @Dr_TheHistories) This is hardly the first time the photos have gone viral since May 7, 2020, when, as Know Your Meme explains, they were posted on the Russian news aggregator site Zen. From there, they quickly spread to Reddit, Facebook, and other corners of the internet. In the English-speaking world, two widely shared posts have claimed to tell the full story behind the photos. One is a post by the blog Rare Historical Photos, which was most recently updated on Jan. 9, 2024, but first appeared in much shorter form in July 2020. The second is a thread by X user @fakehistoryhunt, which had been retweeted around 7,900 times and liked around 25,000 times at the time of this writing. I'm getting a lot of questions about these photos, so here's what I've found; The photos show (Evgeny Stepanovich Kobytev) and yes, it's the same man in both photos and yes, before and after his experiences during WW2. But there's more. Thread; pic.twitter.com/7wTvW7trii Fake History Hunter (@fakehistoryhunt) August 25, 2021 Both the blog post and the X thread identify the man in the photos as Russian artist Evgeny Stepanovich Kobytev (also transliterated from Cyrillic as "Kobitev"), a teacher and artist from Altai who graduated from art school in Kyiv in 1941 and immediately joined the Red Army. A few months later, according to the posts, Kobytev was captured and sent to the "Khorol pit," a notorious German prison camp in central Ukraine. After escaping from the camp in 1943, the posts claim, Kobytev rejoined the Red Army for the duration of WWII and then returned to artistic life in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The photos, the posts claim, subsequently ended up in the collection of an institution called the Pozdeev Museum. Unfortunately for readers who might want to double check the accuracy of this information, neither Rare Historical Photos nor @fakehistoryhunt cited or linked to any sources for the compelling story. However, by turning to Russian-language sources, which we consulted using Google Translate, Snopes was able to confirm that the details provided by Rare Historical Photos, @fakehistoryhunt, and other posts are correct. As a result, we have rated the claim as "True." One informative and authoritative Russian-language source we consulted is a May 7, 2019, article published by Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. The article includes an interview with Kobytev's daughter, Vera PolynskayaKobyteva, who corroborates the major details and dates of the story included the X and Rare Historical Photos posts, including the timelines of Kobytev's service in the war and his artistic career. The article also includes a photograph showing weathered prints of the two pictures of Kobytev before and after the war. (Komsomolskaya Pravda) As for the photos themselves, they are indeed part of the collection of the Pozdeev Museum (officially, the School Museum of the Artist Andrey Pozdeev) in Krasnoyarsk, as the Rare Historical Photos post and some social media posts claim. According to a 2013 post on the museum's Russian-language website, which includes an image of the same two photographs shown in the Komsomolskaya Pravda article, the museum began working with Kobytev's daughter to acquire the artist's personal archives in 2005. While Snopes was unable to confirm the exact year the museum took possession of the photos of Kobytev before and after World War II, a page dedicated to the museum's collection of Kobytev memorabilia clearly explains that the photos are currently on display at the museum and do depict Kobytev as he appeared first in 1941, the year he joined the Red Army, and then in 1945, the year he returned to his adopted hometown of Krasnoyarsk. Because the major details about the photographs as provided by popular English-language coverage of the photographs are corroborated by authoritative Russian sources, we have rated this claim as "True." Sources: "Evgeny Stepanovich Kobytev: A Soldier's Face after Four Years of War, 1941-1945 - Rare Historical Photos." Https://Rarehistoricalphotos.Com/, 4 July 2020, https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/evgeny-stepanovich-kobytev-1941-1945/. "Soldier's Face After Four Years of War." Know Your Meme, 6 Jan. 2023, https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/soldiers-face-after-four-years-of-war. | . http://mus-pozdeyev.ru/p2/news/32/. Accessed 20 June 2024. | . http://mus-pozdeyev.ru/p82. Accessed 20 June 2024. " ": "" . , 7 May 2019. https://www.krsk.kp.ru/daily/26973/4032035. Accessed 20 June 2024. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranians will choose between mostly hardline candidates in an early presidential election on Friday following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Only six candidates from over 80 hopefuls survived screening by the hardline Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists which is overseen by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state. Two hardline candidates dropped out of the race ahead of the election. The president, who runs the government day-to-day and has a particular responsibility for Iran's struggling economy, ultimately answers to the Supreme Leader. Following are brief sketches of three hardliners and one moderate candidate for the upcoming election: MOHAMMAD BAQER QALIBAF A former Iran Revolutionary Guards commander and ally of Khamenei, Qalibaf is the current speaker of the hardline-dominated parliament. He previously ran unsuccessfully for president twice and was compelled to withdraw from a third bid in 2017 to prevent a divided hardline vote in Raisi's initial failed presidential attempt. In 2005, Qalibaf resigned from the Guards to run for president. Following his unsuccessful campaign, he assumed the position of Tehran mayor with the supreme leader's endorsement, a role he occupied for 12 years. In 2009, Qalibaf took credit as Tehran mayor for helping suppress months of bloody unrest that rocked the establishment after a presidential vote that opposition candidates said was rigged to secure hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. To civil rights activists, he is known as someone who crushed protests as national police chief, personally beating demonstrators in 1999, and also played an active role in repressing unrest in 2003. Qalibaf did not reply to a request for comment on those allegations. SAEED JALILI Jalili is a hardline diplomat who lost his right leg in the 1980s when fighting for the Guards in the Iran-Iraq war. Holder of a PhD in political science, Jalili has declared being a pious believer in Iran's "velayat-e faqih", or rule by supreme jurisprudence, a system of Islamic government that provides the basis for Khamenei's position. Appointed by Khamenei, Jalili served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for five years from 2007, a position that automatically made him chief nuclear negotiator. Jalili also served for four years in Khamenei's office and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2013 presidential election. A former deputy foreign minister, Jalili was appointed by Khamenei in 2013 as a member of the Expediency Council, a body that mediates in disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council. MASSOUD PEZESHKIAN An Iranian lawmaker of Azeri ethnicity, Pezeshkian is the only moderate candidate approved by the Guardian Council and backed by the pro-reform camp. His prospects depend on attracting millions of disillusioned voters who have stayed home in elections since 2020. A physician by profession, Pezeshkian served as the health minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami from 2001 to 2005 and has held a seat in parliament since 2008. Pezeshkian has been vocal in his criticism of the Islamic Republic for its lack of transparency about the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman in 2022 that sparked several months of unrest. Pezeshkian was barred from the 2021 presidential election. MOSTAFA POURMOHAMMADI The only cleric in the race, Pourmohammadi served as interior minister during the first term of hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2005 until 2008. He was deputy intelligence minister from 1990 to 1999, and rights groups have alleged that he played a role in the assassinations inside Iran of several prominent dissident intellectuals in 1998. He has not commented on the allegations but an Intelligence Ministry statement in 1998 said: "A small number of irresponsible, deviant and rogue agents of the ministry who were most likely puppets of others committed these assassinations that were in the interest of foreigners. Human Rights Watch, in a 2005 report, documented Pourmohammadi's alleged role in the execution of hundreds of political prisoners in the Iranian capital in 1988. Pourmohammadi has never publicly addressed allegations about his role in a so-called "death committee" in 1988 comprising religious judges, prosecutors and intelligence ministry officials that oversaw the executions. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Stephen Coates) Banners of presidential candidate Saeed Jalili are displayed during a campaign event in Tehran (Reuters) - - Iranians will vote in a snap presidential election on Friday to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, a contest set to be dominated by security hardliners who share his uncompromising anti-Western views. The president runs the country day-to-day, but real power on issues such as Iran's nuclear programme and its foreign policy remain in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who analysts say seeks a fiercely loyal president he can trust. Following are details of the voting process: - Five hardliners and one low-key moderate were cleared to run for president by Irans hardline constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, out of 80 who registered to enter the contest. - The Council, which screens candidates for their political and Islamic qualifications, is a 12-strong panel of clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader and Islamic jurists nominated by the judiciary chief and approved by parliament. - To qualify as a candidate, presidential hopefuls must be of Iranian origin and an Iranian citizen, be considered a distinguished political or religious figure and have an unblemished record of piety and fidelity to the Islamic Republic. - The Guardian Council bars women from standing for president, although some top clerics and human rights lawyers argue that the constitution does not exclude them. - All Iranians aged over 18 can vote, which means that over 61 million of Iran's more than 85 million people are eligible to cast a ballot. - All votes will be counted manually so the final result may not be announced for two days, although partial results may appear sooner. - If no candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one vote of all ballots cast, including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the election result is declared. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William Maclean) A sign advertising an apartment for rent in Richmonds Fan neighborhood. (Wyatt Gordon for the Virginia Mercury) We all deserve the freedom to choose where we live. But even Virginians who have won a lottery struggle to find a way home. Last month, a Richmond mother Ill call her Michelle called my colleagues at Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME of VA). She had recently given birth to twins. Tragically, both passed away one soon after birth, the other after weeks in an ICU. Michelle had received a Housing Choice Voucher, a coupon provided by the federal government to help pay rent in a higher-opportunity neighborhood than the one where she and her other children live. These vouchers are administered locally and support low-income families seeking safe and stable housing. Waiting lists are years long. New vouchers are sometimes issued by lottery. After a long wait, Michelles number had come up. But a severe shortage of housing in our region meant that she struggled to find a suitable home. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking: her voucher was set to expire at the end of this month, unless the local housing authority agreed to extend the deadline due to her heartbreaking situation. This wasnt the only obstacle Michelle faced. Vouchers offset the cost of rent, but they dont cover security deposits. Virginia law allows property managers to require security deposits that can equal two months rent a near impossibility for individuals and families whose low incomes have qualified them for a voucher. Michelle also had a relatively small pool of options. If I were looking for a new home in the Richmond area, I could search throughout the region. But voucher holders living in Virginias cities must first search for housing within their own city, and are only able to transfer their voucher to another possibly more affordable town after waiting a full year. As a result, housing opportunities for Michelle and other voucher holders are limited. Regular violations of housing law make our rental market even more challenging. The Virginia Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against rental applicants based on race, people with Housing Choice Vouchers, and other protected classes. But discrimination complaints about the source of funds used to pay rent are among the most common we see. Falsehoods about voucher holders stereotypes that they are unreliable, untidy, or dangerous put many on a fruitless search. Any one of us could wake up to a nightmare like Michelle did with her newborns. But the desperate housing situation she confronted reflects a failure of policy and enforcement amid a tight housing market ripe for discrimination. It also reflects a lack of investment in ridding our housing landscape of injustice. Throughout the 20th century, public investment made housing inequity possible. Massive outlays funded whites-only mortgages and highways that fueled the growth of segregated suburbs. Today, many Black and Latino Virginians live in areas lacking essentials that most of us would choose for our families: access to well-paying jobs, public transit, grocery stores, childcare, and tree cover to clean the air and offer shade during our blistering summers. These features of well-resourced neighborhoods remain out of reach to many. There is nothing natural about the lack of fairness across communities in our region. Michelles housing struggles were created by policy, by investment, by human actions. In the same ways, we can dismantle them. This is why, for more than a half-century as a fair housing organization, HOME of VA has worked to ensure equal access to housing for all people. We envision empowered communities where everyone has the freedom of housing choice. Where we live shouldnt determine the shape of our lives; people everywhere should have an equal chance to seek their potential. But as Michelle knows, as you know, where we live does matter. It determines which schools our children can attend, how safe we find our streets, how close we find our jobs. Fair access to housing is possible only without discrimination. Elections, naturally, have a role to play in shaping policy that would make Michelles situation rare. But we dont have to wait for November to make meaningful change. Our local elected officials meet regularly. Vulnerable would-be renters apply for housing daily and violations of fair housing law happen just as often. We can push our leaders to enforce fair housing law and provide funds to help voucher holders pay security deposits. Our elected officials can act at any time, especially when we speak up. We might also be surprised by the power each of us has to raise an alarm. Through vigilance and a spirit of helping our friends and neighbors, we can talk about fair housing protections and guide people we know who have experienced violations toward help. At HOME of VA, we receive complaints of housing law violations every week. Our team works hard to help enforce the law. Michelle recently left the hospital, and her spirits are strong. With the support of one of our tireless housing counselors, she has found a home for her family and hopes to move soon. But so many of our neighbors, including others who have won a housing lottery, remain in need. Policy solutions that make housing fair do not magically appear. We must make the case not only at the polls, not only in November, but consistently. Fair housing is up to all of us. The post Fair housing is up to all of us appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Attorneys representing some of the families of those killed in two Boeing 737 Max crashes argued in a court filing Monday that there should be an independent corporate monitor to look over the company as it faces rising concerns over product safety. The filing is tied to a pair of fatal crashes related to defects in the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, killing nearly 350 people in 2018 and 2019. The Department of Justice reached a prosecution deferment agreement with Boeing over claims of fraud in 2021, though it said last month that Boeing is now in violation of that agreement, which it disputes. Citing a pair of tense Senate hearings into Boeings safety culture earlier this year, the attorneys argue that a federal judge in Texas now has more than enough evidence to go back on a ruling last year not to establish such a monitor. This new, reliable, and ever-expanding body of deeply troubling information should change the Courts earlier conclusion that no factual record exists that would justify a finding that Boeing while subject to the Governments continued supervision currently presents an ongoing threat to public safety . the attorneys argued. This new information provides ample basis to make such a finding today. Senators grilled Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun during a Homeland Security subcommittee hearing last week about the Department of Justice agreement and other safety concerns with the airline. I think the truth is, Mr. Calhoun, youre not focused safety, youre not focused on quality, youre not focused on transparency, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said in the hearing. All of this is in the record, but I think actually youre focused on exactly what you were hired to do, which is, that you are cutting corners, you are eliminating safety procedures, you are sticking it to your employees, you are cutting back jobs, because you are trying to squeeze every piece of profit you can out of this company. The families argued that an independent corporate monitor would restore public confidence in Boeings safety. They recommended appointing Massachusetts Institute of Technology aeronautics lecturer Javier de Luis as the monitor, who has previously served on the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) panel investigating Boeings safety culture. The filing comes as the Justice Department considers criminal charges against the company for its alleged violation of the agreement. Reuters reported Sunday that DOJ prosecutors have recommended charges, though a final decision has not yet been made. The looming question of prosecution adds to an ongoing crisis at Boeing over aircraft safety. The company has been reeling since January when a 737 Max 9 aircraft door blew out mid-flight. Nobody was injured, but the incident grounded all similar planes and sparked a massive FAA investigation. The investigation found lax safety checks and manufacturing errors in Boeings build process, and the company has since faced pressure from regulators and Congress to address the issues. There are issues around the safety culture in Boeing. Their priorities have been focused on production and not on safety and quality, FAA Administrator Michael Whittaker said in March. And so, what we are really focused on now is shifting that focus from production to safety and quality. The FAA said its six-week audit of Boeing found multiple instances when the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A multifaith group of Louisiana families with children in public schools is suing to challenge Louisiana's new law requiring all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. HB 71 mandates public schools -- from kindergarten to the collegiate level -- to display the Ten Commandments, a religious set of rules from the Old Testament, in every classroom on a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches. The suit, filed in federal court Monday, argues that the law violates U.S. Supreme Court precedent, pointing to the Stone v. Graham case in which the court overturned a similar state law, holding that the separation of church and state bars public schools from posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The nine families -- who are Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist and nonreligious -- also argue the law is religious coercion and violates their First Amendment rights. The parents represented include rabbis, pastors, and reverends. Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom rendering them unavoidable unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration and adoption of the states favored religious scripture," the complaint reads. It continues, "It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments -- or, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that H.B. 71 requires schools to display -- do not belong in their own school community and should refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the states religious preferences. PHOTO: Workers repaint a Ten Commandments billboard off of Interstate 71 on Election Day near Chenoweth, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2023. (Carolyn Kaster/AP, FILES) Supporters of HB 71 argue that the law isnt about religion: This is not preaching a Christian religion. Its not preaching any religion. Its teaching a moral code, the bill's primary sponsor and Republican state Rep. Dodie Horton said during an April hearing, according to local news outlet WWL-TV. PHOTO: Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public-school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, June 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images) The law argues that the Ten Commandments are also historically significant, reflecting "the understanding of the founders of our nation with respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government," the text reads. If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said last week during the press conference where he signed the bills. The bill is one of 18 signed by Landry as part of his Dream Big education plan that aims to bring back common sense in our classrooms, he said in a recent statement. Horton declined to comment. Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill have not yet returned ABC News' requests for comment. Public schools have until January 2025 to display the poster, which will be paid for by private donations and not state dollars, according to the law. The law does not state what would happen if a school does not comply with the order. Families sue over Louisiana Ten Commandments classroom requirement originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Family of man shot by police during mental health crisis meet with NY AGs Office Family of man shot by police during mental health crisis meet with NY AGs Office NEW YORK (PIX11) The family of a Queens man killed by two NYPD officers while suffering a mental health crisis met with the Attorney Generals Office Tuesday. Last month, the AG released chilling body camera footage of the incident as she continues to investigate the death of Win Rozario. More Local News After leaving Tuesdays meeting, the family was stunned silent and let advocates and an attorneys speak on their behalf. Right now they are just saying its an ongoing investigation, but did not tell us what direction its heading or even when it would be concluded, said Loyda Colon with the Justice Committee on behalf of the family. During the meeting the groups reviewed more police body camera footage of their loved one dying yet to be made public. The AGs Office, as required by law, is looking into the actions of NYPD Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi who shot and killed Rozario. The Officers are on modified duty. Mayor Adams said he will wait for the result of the AGs investigation before taking further action much to the frustration of the family. Thats been really devastating for the family because theyre left to wait, Colon said. Mayor Adams, who has the power to at least suspend these officers and fire them hasnt done so. Family of Win Rozario demands answers from City Hall The investigation has so far resulted in the release of much of the body camera footage from the afternoon of March 27th. It shows when the officers arrived at the Ozone Park home and were told by Rozarios brother Utsho that 19-year-old Win was having an episode. When officers attempt to say hello Win digs through a drawer for a scissors and charging the officers who immediately tase him. His mother and brother beg officers not to shoot and the officers shout back at them to move. Win picks the scissors back up and officers eventually switch to their handguns and fire the deadly shots. The Rozario family said the NYPD could have de-escalated at several points during the less than three-minute encounter. They filed paperwork expressing intention to sure NYC Tuesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Fatal crash on I-15 in Primm, one lane closed to traffic LAS VEGAS (KLAS) One man is dead after a motorcycle crash on I-15 in Primm, Nevada near the Nevada-California border, about 40 miles south of Las Vegas. According to Nevada State Police, the crash was reported just before 11:30 a.m. and involved a single motorcycle. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. State police said the far left southbound lane is closed for the investigation. The far right travel lanes remain open but drivers should use caution in the area. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. On the site of his fatal shooting, mourners seek justice for Deshaun McKinzy at vigil Calls for justice rang out at a Monday evening vigil for 29-year-old Deshaun McKinzy, who was fatally shot last week in Kansas City. McKinzy was found with fatal gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Walgreens at 3845 Broadway Blvd. around 3:30 a.m. on June 16, according to police. About 50 mourners braved triple-digit heat and gathered outside the pharmacy Monday to remember McKinzy at the site of his death. The vigil was hosted by KC Mothers in Charge, an advocacy group supporting family members of homicide victims. As cars of well-wishers filled the Walgreens parking lot, members of KC Mothers in Charge moved the vigil against the wall of the store, after finding used needles scattered by the curb. Police believe that a large group of people had been gathered in the parking lot when the shooting happened early Sunday, the Star previously reported. A second man was taken to the hospital shortly after the shooting with non life-threatening injuries. This young man didnt get a chance, KC Mothers in Charge founder Rosilyn Temple said. He was not out in these streets. He was just having a good time. McKinzys mother, Neatrice McKinzy, wept softly as she talked about Deshaun, who loved fishing and was close to his sisters. McKinzys death was the 70th homicide reported in Kansas City this year, according to data collected by the Star. My son was a star, Neatrice McKinzy said. He was never a troublemakerhe was just a people person. Temperatures reached 100 degrees during the vigil for McKinzy, with a heat index of 105 degrees. But Samaysia McKinzy, Deshauns sister, was cool and composed as she called for progress in the investigation of her brothers death. Every time he called me, I was there with no questions asked, Samaysia McKinzy said. And I will not get no sleep until we figure out who did this to my brother. Temple urged the crowd to come forward with any information they may have about McKinzys death, which is still unsolved, according to the Kansas City Police Department. She also spoke about the prevalence of Black-on-Black homicide in Kansas City. For several years, Missouri has had the highest Black homicide rate in the country. Deshaun McKinzy was Black, as was Temples own son, who was fatally shot in 2011. Family members and friends shouted out their love for McKinzy as they released blue, silver, black, red and white balloons above the Walgreens. As Temple led the group in a prayer for peace, McKinzys sister Glenisha carried a portrait showing the 29-year-old against a calm blue sky. He was a loner by choice, Glenisha McKinzy said. Yall broke my heart, and we need justice. As a final heart balloon slipped into the sky, a tow truck began circling the Walgreens parking lot, scattering the mourners as quickly as they had assembled. Services for McKinzy will be June 30 at Serenity Funeral Home, 1101 Bannister Road. Visitation begins at 1 p.m. and a memorial service is at 2. McKinzys family is asking that mourners avoid wearing memorial RIP T-shirts. As Utahns head to the polls Tuesday, theyre not the only Westerners facing a big decision. But while Utah has been a reliably red state for decades a Democrat has not represented Utah in the Senate since the 1970s other nearby Senate seats are up for grabs, making the West crucial in the battle over control of the Senate. Not far from where the Colorado River flows into California, a local watering hole in this tiny recreation mecca in western Arizona transformed into Americas political epicenter this spring. Behind the run-down bar, four dozen folding tables were dragged into a gravel parking lot and draped with alternating red, white and blue tablecloths. A stage went up, a giant American flag flanking it. So many other American flags dotted the premises on tables, on T-shirts and hanging vertically from a crane overhead that when the audience stood for the national anthem, uncorked beers in hand, everyone was facing different directions. Then Kari Lake took the stage, and everyones attention turned to the woman who has quickly become the most recognizable Republican in Arizona since she traded a career as a Phoenix news anchor for one in politics. She ran for governor in 2022 and lost a close race to Arizonas Democratic secretary of state. Lake refused to concede, however, claiming election fraud, and filed a series of lawsuits. When the courts offered little reprieve, she decided to run again. This time, shes the front-runner for her partys nomination for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Kyrsten Sinema, the eccentric Democrat-turned-independent who is not running for reelection. Lake views this as a race that goes beyond Arizona. But she needs to convince Arizona voters of that first. Sporting jeans and well-polished cowboy boots, she told her Lake Havasu City audience to pay attention. Guess what? she asks. The road to the White House and the road to the Senate majority goes right through Arizona. We are the most consequential, important state in this upcoming election. Do you understand that? One man offered a half-enthusiastic cheer. The rest of the crowd seemed unenthused, as if Lake were simply regurgitating a well-rehearsed talking point. The bit about Arizona deciding the White House is, by this point in an election year, common parlance just about every pundit in America has dubbed Arizona one of a handful of swing states that could decide whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump occupies the Oval Office for the next four years. But Lakes real pitch about why her race matters hasnt seemed to gain much traction. This group of Lake Havasu, Arizona, voters coupled with Americans in other far-flung parts of Arizona, Nevada and Montana could well decide the fate of the U.S. Senate this fall. At present, Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate. This year, 23 of those seats are up for election. At the time of this writing, the Cook Political Report projected 15 of those seats would remain with Democrats, while West Virginia is expected to flip to Republicans with the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, whose recent decision to leave the party and become independent has fueled speculation he may run for reelection after all. Four others lean Democrat, including the race in Arizona, where Congressman Ruben Gallego, a progressive Democrat with deep ties throughout the state, hopes to succeed Sinema. Of the remaining three toss-up races, two are in the West: Montana, where three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester faces a reelection challenge from Tim Sheehy, an ex-Navy SEAL; and Nevada, where mild-mannered Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen seeks a second term against Sam Brown, a retired Army captain. As they have for months, the three races in the West could again shift from leaning to toss-up and vice versa as Election Day approaches. Democrats and Republicans will spend the next several months defining Senate races across the country as critical in many ways. If Democrats can hold on to a seat in Wisconsin, Biden should win that key battleground, too. The same is true in Pennsylvania. But its the Western states the races in Arizona, Nevada and Montana that could determine who controls the Senate. If Democrats hold on to all three, they remain in control. If Republicans manage to win even two of them, the new year could open with a Republican-controlled Senate. And thats not only crucial for the political parties. Voters can be reminded of how a Republican-led Senate during the Trump administration led a conservative transformation of the federal court system, including the U.S. Supreme Court. For better or for worse, depending on your politics, it has been a check on the House of Representatives and the White House agendas. And for voters who have a more provincial perspective on their Senate races, the upper chambers ability to legislate for them is only as effective as its political makeup. Senate races in the Western states really could usher in, if they go in a Republican direction, a sea change in vital issues like land use, water rights, economic development and even labor rights, says Wendy Schiller, director of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University and scholar on the U.S. Senate. Despite the high stakes, its no easy task to convince people that their votes matter. In this kitschy outpost on the California border, where Arizonans and sun-craving tourists mix amid the hum of Jet Skis and wake boats, voters seem oblivious not to the key role they could play in who wins the White House, but that they will also choose which party controls what has long been called the worlds greatest deliberative body. This election could mark the first time since 1952 that both chambers of Congress change hands in a presidential year. No one is certain where that impressive title came from the credit usually goes to President James Buchanan but it is perhaps the best descriptor of what the chamber has become. The Constitutions framers seemed to craft it to that end, prioritizing debate and deliberation. Weeks of discussion went into how representation in Congress would be awarded. Would it be proportional, based on states populations, or would it be equal, as the Articles of Confederation called for? Eventually, the framers settled on a compromise: The House of Representatives would be a larger body, and a states delegation would fluctuate in size, proportional to its population. The Senate, however, would be a smaller body, where each state would receive an equal number of representatives two. At its best, the Senate provides a forum for the priorities of each state to be recognized and heard. The fact that the Senate has kept its original rules of debate and procedure substantially unchanged, is very significant, Woodrow Wilson said in 1907. It is a place of individual voices. Those individual voices often change the trajectory of the country from creating Social Security to enacting civil rights to reforming criminal justice. In recent years, the Senate secured a conservative Supreme Court majority; shepherded historic legislation on infrastructure and clean energy; approved large funding packages for businesses and individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic; and oversaw aid to foreign allies in war. Oftentimes, the House of Representatives or the White House gets credit, or blame, for these milestones. But the true power to legislate, nominate judges and negotiate the federal budget lies with the Senate. The party with majority control of the Senate decides what the groups legislative priorities will be. As the West deals with drought and conservation issues, this years elections determine whether Republican or Democratic voices are louder. As population growth reshapes the West, a Republican majority could lead to a surge of deregulation and tax restructuring; a Democratic majority could continue its emphasis on domestic manufacturing and clean energy. The West has been here before. Just two years ago, in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats secured a one-seat Senate majority by clinching a win in Nevada. Less than a month later, Arizonas Sinema announced shed be leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an independent, putting the majoritys influence in flux. The 1952 election carries shades of the present. Going into that fall, Democrats maintained a narrow two-seat majority in the Senate, but the countrys involvement in unrest around the world particularly the Korean War and the nascent Cold War led to widespread discontent with President Harry S. Trumans Democratic White House. Truman decided not to run for reelection, leading to Republican victories across the board. The victory in the Senate was cemented by flipping two key seats in Western states: Arizona and Wyoming. Both were surprise victories. In Wyoming, Republican Gov. Frank Barrett entered the race late and knocked off a three-term incumbent. And in Arizona, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Ernest McFarland faced a challenge from Barry Goldwater, a fiery member of the Phoenix City Council with little political cachet. When a friend asked Goldwater why he thought he could pull off the upset, Goldwater demurred. I think a guy running for office who says exactly what he really thinks would astound a hell of a lot of people around the country. Eisenhower went on to carry Arizona by double digits, and Goldwater deemed himself the greatest coattail rider in history. Never since have both chambers of Congress changed hands in a presidential year. But 2024, in many ways, is different. Its possible that each states voters split their respective tickets, by supporting a Senate candidate of one party and a presidential candidate of another. And thanks to three distinct races in three very unique states, each could go either way and take control of the Senate with them. Voters seem oblivious not to the key role they could play in who wins the White House, but that they will also choose which party controls what has long been called the worlds greatest deliberative body. In Montana, with its huge land mass but small population there are more cows than people across the state Testers reelection to a fourth term has a small-town feel. A farmer and butcher, Tester is missing three fingers on his left hand because of an accident in a meat grinder. And while Montana is a red state, Tester, an old-school Democrat, is fairly popular due to his pragmatism. It helps that in a small state, he spends a lot of time with his constituents. Voters will say they know Jon Tester, they like Jon Tester, they trust Jon Tester, says Schiller. Tester manages to withstand the winds of polarization and nationalization of these elections because of his individual reputation, and the relationships hes forged with residents of Montana. Where Tester derives strength from his genuineness, his challenger, Sheehy, cant seem to get out of his own way. He claimed a gunshot wound in his arm came from his time in Afghanistan, but he later backtracked, saying it came from falling on a hike at Glacier National Park. (He later changed the story again, telling a park ranger he inadvertently shot himself in the arm.) And in an effort to play up Montanas hominess, he claimed that there are more bears than people in the state a fact that experts dispute. Still, early polls show Tester and Sheehy neck and neck: A March poll from J.L. Partners shows Sheehy up by three points, and another from Emerson College has Tester up by two percentage points. Both results are within the margin of error. Its a veteran-versus-incumbent showdown in Nevada, too. Republican Brown, who received the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, is challenging first-term Democrat Rosen, a former computer programmer with no political experience before her election to the House in 2016. Before entering politics, Rosen served as president of Congregation Ner Tamid, Nevadas largest reform synagogue, making her the first former synagogue president ever elected to the Senate. She has been one of the staunchest allies to Israel in the Senate since the October 7 Hamas attack, and her Republican opponent largely walks in lockstep. But the similarities mostly end there: In addition to preparing for a showdown with Rosen, Brown spent much of the primary mitigating infighting among MAGA Republicans, seeking support from Trump and his allies. Whether Rosen or Brown prevails will be because they ride the coattails of their states party organizations, bolstered in an election year. The states powerful tourism-related labor unions, especially the Culinary Workers Union, are critical to delivering the vote for Democrats in Nevada; in both 2016 and 2020, Trump and the Republican National Committee built extensive ground operations in the state. Nevada, to me, represents probably the best bellwether of the organizational capacity of the two parties, says Schiller. It will be a bellwether of the strength of Trump and Bidens candidacies, too. Nevada is a key swing state, as it has been in every presidential race since 2008. Nevada isnt the only swing state in the West. Arizona will help determine the presidency, too. But the Senate race there is also crucial, where a Lake-Gallego showdown has the same external makeup as the elections in Nevada and Montana: a firebrand Republican taking on an establishment Democrat. Gallego has represented Arizona in the U.S. House since 2015. He neatly personifies some of the states emerging demographic trends, writes Tom Zoellner, an Arizona-born journalist. Hes young, progressive, Hispanic and an out-of-towner he moved here from the Midwest in 2006. Since territorial days, a big part of Arizonas pitch to the rest of the country is how friendly it is to newcomers, despite the heat and cactus thorns, writes Zoellner. You can move here cold and get plugged in fast. Gallego, 44, has quickly become one of the most prominent Democrats in the state. Lake seeks redemption after her 2022 loss in the gubernatorial race that she wont accept. Shes managed to burn bridges within and without the GOP, helping to force the resignation of the former state party chair and install an election denier in his stead. Shes continued her claims of election fraud in her 2022 gubernatorial race, leading to a defamation lawsuit filed by a top election official in Maricopa County. But the far-right schtick may be coming home to roost: After a controversial abortion ruling shook Arizona in the spring, Lake began to moderate her message on abortion, hoping to win over a wider swath of moderate voters. The thing that gives her a chance is that Ruben Gallego is perceived to be quite far-left, and Arizona is not a far-left state, says Tyler Montague, a Phoenix-area political strategist. This is a well-known thing in Nevada, at this point that Nevada is a consistent toss-up state. Its a consistent battleground, says Kenneth Miller, assistant professor of political science at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But are Nevadans used to being key voters in determining the fate of the Senate? Im not so sure, Miller says. Lake Havasu is known for its oddities. The town gets its name from a body of water created by Parkers Dam, 20 miles to the south, backing up the Colorado River to form a particularly wide, lake-like inlet just below the town. The citys main attraction is the old London Bridge the same bridge that once crossed the Thames but was purchased and shipped here brick-by-brick by local tycoon Robert McCulloch in the early 1970s. The true power to legislate, nominate judges and oversee the federal budget lies with the Senate. Another oddity in Lake Havasu and perhaps in other parts of Arizona and Nevada and Montana is that voters dont seem to understand or care about the impact they have in deciding the fate of the U.S. Senate, and in turn, deciding the federal governments priorities. Candidates, like Lake, are trying their best. The stakes are high, she told the rallys attendees, and voters cant afford to stay home: The road to the Senate runs through Arizona. We are ground zero, Lake says. Everything thats going on, Arizona is right there in the middle of it. Many seemed well aware of Arizonas crucial status in selecting the next occupant of the White House. Even at this rally for the Senate race, Biden got far more boos than Gallego. That may be the strategy Senate campaigns are forced to use, says Montague: Hitch your wagon to your partys presidential nominee, and hope that residual momentum from the presidential race carries over. Senate races rank below presidential races in the minds of voters, he notes, but they are still top of the ballot and voters are paying attention. It is easy to sell voters on why the other party is bad, and why the other partys presidential candidate or Senate candidate will destroy America. It is more difficult to explain why the Senate, as an institution, is important, and why their vote will make a difference. When I asked attendees what they thought of Arizonas role in determining control of the Senate, I got mostly blank stares. This elections going to determine the way the state goes, Tony M., a 54-year-old man hovering near the bar at the back of the lot, tells me. (He declined to share his last name.) But what about control of the Senate, where landmark debates over water, jobs and growth will shape the countrys coming years? He shook his head. No ones talking about that. This story appears in the July/August 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe. A judge has frozen up to $39 million in assets potentially held by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's ex-finance officer as newly unsealed court filings bring to light the extent of his lavish spending with allegedly stolen nonprofit funds, including on a condo in Mexico, a yacht, and multiple properties in Georgia, Texas and Michigan. The restraining order issued by Judge Linda Parker on Monday came after federal authorities alleged in court filings that William Smith had begun selling or attempting to sell properties and other assets since coming under investigation for alleged embezzlement. He was charged earlier this month with wire and bank fraud stemming from an alleged scheme that for more than a decade went undetected by the nonprofit governed by some of the regions top business, philanthropic and civic leaders. "The Government has a strong likelihood of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that (Smith) is alienating or disposing of property, and intends to alienate or dispose of property ... including transferring assets to family members or his corporate entities for nominal amounts, and attempting to sell real estate and his yacht to third parties," Parker's order states. "There is a strong likelihood of irreparable injury to Smiths victims, including the Conservancy, Comerica Bank, and the Conservancys donors and financial partners, unless this order is issued." Ex-Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO William Smith walks out of Theodore Levin United States Courthouse in Detroit after pretrial hearing on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The Conservancy has said it's exploring avenues to recoup the nearly $40 million Smith is accused of stealing from the organization from November 2012 through March 2024. It applauded Parker's decision in a Monday statement. We are thankful for the swift action taken by the government and law enforcement to retrieve the money stolen from the Conservancy, said Matt Cullen, Board Chair of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. This is a crucial step in ensuring that no one will get away with stealing from the Conservancy and the people of Detroit." The filings unsealed Monday signal additional charges, including money laundering, are possible for Smith, as the investigation continues. "It appears that Smith has used the millions he defrauded from the Conservancy and Citizens Bank along with a more limited amount of his own funds to amass and/or improve a substantial amount of real property in the states of Michigan (including Northville, Redford, Detroit and Idlewild), Texas, Georgia, and the country of Mexico," Special FBI agent Timothy Hoff writes in an affidavit unsealed Monday, adding: "His efforts are facilitated by numerous LLCs under his direction and control." Hoff went on to state: "Smith's fraud scheme .... involved electronic transfers of approximately $39.3 million ... Those allegations will not be repeated here, other than to summarize the high likelihood of multiple money laundering violations." The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment on the new filings. Smith's lawyer, Gerald Evelyn, did not return calls for comment. According to the government, Smith used his job with the conservancy to line is own pockets for more than a decade, allegedly using stolen nonprofit funds to pay for among other things interior design renovations, airline tickets, hotels, limousines, household goods, lawn care, clothing and jewelry. That includes allegedly spending Conservancy funds to pay nearly $15 million in American Express credit card bills for himself and his family members. And he was careful not to get caught, the government alleges. "Smith appears to have knowingly conducted transactions using the proceeds of his fraud in transactions designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership and control of those proceeds," the affidavit states. The government says this is how Smith moved money around: The affidavit states, on Sept. 1, 2016, Smith wired $85,000 in Conservancy funds to The Joseph Group. The next day, he transferred $65,000 from The Joseph Group account to another account. "Based upon my training and experience, I know that the movement of funds obtained from unlawful activity through multiple accounts is a technique used in money laundering," Hoff writes. FBI: Smith hiding assets According to the latest filing, Smith had notice that he was being investigated months ago, when the Conservancy became concerned about bookkeeping and requested additional explanations of sources and uses of Conservancy funds from Smith. Before the federal government even became involved, the FBI says, Smith was told that the case was being referred to law enforcement. But the FBI says it would soon learn that Smith was engaging "in an ongoing effort to transfer assets that would otherwise be available to repay his victims." For example, the FBI says it discovered a nearly $800,000 home in Atlanta that Smith controls. He bought the home in 2020 for $665,000 and transferred the property by quit claim deed to YBE Investments, LLC, an entity under his control. According to a Zillow listing, the house has been listed for sale since May 28, less than two weeks after Smith was placed on unpaid leave. A condo in Mexico, and a 36-foot yacht According to the government, Smith also appears to control a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Mexico currently listed for sale. A document dated Nov. 3, 2021, located in Smiths office at the Conservancy, shows Smith, on behalf of Alter Ego Properties, granting a power of attorney to an individual tied to a condo unit in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. As of June 21, the condo was listed for sale for $385,000, according to a public website. While investigating Smith, the FBI says it also discovered that Smith owns a 36-foot yacht and is trying to sell it. It's a 2021, Cruiser 35 Express named the "SS Duo." According to the FBI, Michigan records show that Smith purchased the yacht on May 21, 2021. On June 6, the FBI made contact with the attorney for the entity that originally sold the boat to Smith, who advised that the for-sale listing had recently expired, but that it would not be extended because of the notoriety related to Smith. The vessel was listed for sale during the period that Smith was notified that he was under investigation. Similar yachts appear to be listed for sale online at prices ranging from $300,000 to $375,000. The yacht is believed to be dry-docked at a metro Detroit marina. The FBI questioned how Smith could afford such luxuries, noting in its filing: "Given that Smith obtained $39.3 million in fraud proceeds over 12 years, while making less than $3 million total in that timeframe from his Conservancy salary, and his pattern of transferring criminal proceeds to LLCs in his control or spending them on his own pursuits, the United States alleges that Smith obtained or improved the great majority of his numerous assets with fraud proceeds." "This is particularly obvious in the case of the Georgia home, the Mexico condo, and the Cruisers 35 Express yacht, in that these are high-value luxury assets purchased during the fraud period." Meanwhile, the government is hoping to stop Smith from selling his Georgia home, condo in Mexico and yacht, arguing they were bought with illegal proceeds, so any money derived from their sale would be considered illegal. The government also is scrutinizing Smith's recent transfer of his marital home. According to court records, in May, Smith purported to transfer his longtime marital residence in Redford. Although not currently his primary residence, Smith has owned the home since 2003 with his wife, Kimberly Smith, via warranty deed. But on May 6, Smith and his wife purported to transfer the property by quit claim deed to Ross Drive, LLC, for $10. The deed lists Kimberly Smith as the Sole Member of Ross Drive LLC. The mailing address for Ross Drive LLC is the same UPS store mailbox used by William Smiths other entities. The government also cites Smith's recent transfer of various Detroit properties. For example, on April 23, Smith purported to transfer property on Biltmore Street in Detroit from William Anthony Smith to William Smith III for the sum of $10 by quit claim deed. Public real estate websites estimate the true value of the home between $93,600 and $114,000. That quit claim deed was recorded May 21 four days after the Conservancy placed Smith on unpaid leave. Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge freezes up to $39M in ex-Detroit Riverfront CFOs assets FCSO: Deputies searching for man accused of breaking into high school, taking items FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Franklin County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) is asking the public for help to identify a man accused of breaking into a local high school and taking items. FCSO said that the man broke into Vina High School and took items including computers from the school. If you have any information regarding the incident contact the Franklin County Sheriffs Office at (256)-332-8811. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) An Erie County judge reversed the demolition order of a South Park Avenue on the same day that it caught fire, while a federal agency has been called in to investigate the blaze, Buffalo mayor Byron Brown said Tuesday. Judge Sheila DiTullio reversed the decision after a previous order to demolish the building. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also been called in to investigate the cause of the blaze, at the request of the Buffalo Fire Department. The fire broke out at 110-118 South Park on the evening of June 18. Damage was estimated at $1.1 million. We do have some concerns that the fire is suspicious, Brown said Tuesday. And thats what the investigation is all about. We will see where the investigation leads. Cobblestone District fire causes $1.1M in damage The structure, which dates back to the 1800s and is one of the oldest buildings in Buffalo, will not be demolished, officials said last week. The buildings owner, Darryl Carr, had been fighting the city in an eminent domain case. Carr wanted to redevelop the space while the city wanted to save it. Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara Bernice Radle said Carr has wanted to demolish the building for a decade. Preservationists have been trying to save the building for a decade. Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo said that Carr will be interviewed as part of the investigation. In the case of the Cobblestone, they didnt have any utilities, no gas, no electric going through the building, Renaldo said. These buildings generally dont start themselves on fire, so it is suspicious in nature. The ATF investigates serious fires, including acts of arson and bombings, among other cases. It was last called into the Western New York area to investigate the March 2023 fire that killed Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno. Renaldo said that the ATF also offered its services to investigate the fire that destroyed The Old Pink in Allentown one day before the fire at Cobblestone. The coincidence of these events is gravely concerning and necessitates a comprehensive investigation to ensure the safety and preservation of our historic buildings, Fillmore District Buffalo Common Council member Mitch Nowakowski said in a statement Tuesday. The bureau is expected to be on the scene and inside the building within the coming days, possibly on Tuesday. You can view Tuesdays full update in the video player above. Latest Local News Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not begin experimenting with a chemical to try to remove harmful blue-green algae from Lake Mattamuskeet until at least April 2025, according to an order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle. Conservation groups Defenders of Wildlife and the N.C. Chapter of the Sierra Club have sued in the Eastern District of North Carolina to prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from applying Lake Guard Oxy to four bays totaling 400 acres on the 40,276-acre Lake Mattamuskeet. The chemicals label states that it is toxic to birds, and Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolinas largest freshwater lake, is the prime feature of the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. Mattamuskeet is an iconic eastern North Carolina landmark, known for the egrets, north pintail ducks and tundra swans that use it as a resting point on their migratory pathways. Were all so relieved that these birds will not be exposed to toxic chemicals this year while the court reviews the legal problems with the Fish and Wildlife Services rushed and inadequate approval of this dangerous experiment, Ramona McGee, a senior Southern Environmental Law Center attorney representing the conservation groups, said in a statement. The federal government founded Mattamuskeet refuge to protect birds. Conservation groups argue that mission is directly contrary to the application of a chemical whose label says it is poisonous to birds. The risk to wildlife is too high to use the algaecide, McGee argued during a hearing in Raleigh last month, particularly because Lake Guard Oxy doesnt represent a permanent solution to Mattamuskeets water quality problems. At the same May 31 hearing in front of Boyle, Young Kang, a U.S. Department of Justice attorney representing the Fish and Wildlife Service, argued the intent of applying the algaecide would be to create an environment where submerged aquatic vegetation could thrive in Mattamuskeet. The lake has seen a total collapse of the vegetation, Kang said. Taking steps to allow it to thrive once again would provide vital food for birds that use the lake as a stopover while migrating, as well as those that live there year-round, he argued. Ultimately, what the service is trying to do here is to restore Lake Mattamuskeet to its former glory, Kang said. Before applying the chemical, the suit argues, the Fish and Wildlife Service must issue a statement finding its use compatible with the purpose of the refuge, evaluate ways to reduce algae other than chemical treatment, more thoroughly evaluate the impacts applying the chemical would have on wildlife, and produce an environmental impact statement, a more thorough analysis than the environmental assessment under which the service approved the project. The service failed to do its due diligence, McGee said. Jennifer Koches, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, declined to comment on the agreement to delay the initial application of Lake Guard Oxy, citing the ongoing litigation. In his order, Boyle indicated he plans to decide the case before April 1, 2025, when the next window to apply Lake Guard Oxy could open. Were glad that common sense has prevailed and provided more time to scrutinize this flawed plan. We hope that closer review will prove that theres no defensible reason why an algaecide thats toxic to birds should be tested at one of this regions most important bird sanctuaries, Erin Carey, acting director of the N.C. Sierra Club, said in a statement. Lake Guard Oxys path to Mattamuskeet The projects has it roots in a $5 million allocation to the N.C. Policy Collaboratory that was part of the N.C. General Assemblys 2021 budget, The News & Observer has previously reported. That allocation was carefully written to give a preference to chemicals that float on the surface and that time release their chemicals, two hallmark traits of BlueGreen Water Technologies Lake Guard Oxy. Collaboratory officials previously told The News & Observer they did not have a hand in crafting the provision, which came shortly after BlueGreen Water Technologies hired lobbyists to represent its interests in North Carolina. After choosing BlueGreen as the company to provide the algaecide, Collaboratory officials worked with company representatives to sift through five potential water bodies. They settled on Lake Mattamuskeet, a shallow body of water that has for decades struggled with pollutants coming from runoff, allowing harmful algal blooms to thrive there. In addition to pollution, the lake has grappled with a large population of invasive carp which tear up the roots of submerged aquatic vegetation when they eat. In 2016, Mattamuskeet was listed on North Carolinas list of impaired waters because of heightened acidity and levels of chlorophyll a, a nutrient associated with pigmentation that is an indicator of algal blooms. Before Lake Guard Oxy could be applied, the project still needed approvals from both the Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Mattamuskeet refuge, and the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. As those were ongoing, the Collaboratory was placing sensors in Lake Mattamuskeet to collect data about water quality. That work is still happening, Claire Revere, a Collaboratory spokeswoman, wrote in an email. The baseline data collection is ongoing, and the Collaboratory has made it clear to the vendor that subsequent phases of the project, including cost reimbursements for treatment activities, will depend on having all necessary State and federal authorizations in place, Revere wrote. Collecting data will be useful, Revere added, for understanding the impacts harmful algal blooms have an various water bodies throughout North Carolina. In March, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued an environmental assessment for the project, approving the chemical for use on four bays, clarifying that the chemical would only be applied from boats and providing more specific details about when it would be applied to limit exposure to waterfowl. The service also determined that because the project is a pilot and limited to a small proportion of the lake, a more in-depth Environmental Impact Statement is not necessary. This is not a huge, drastic approach. This is a very limited study, Kang said during the May hearing. But McGee argued that the risk to birds is too significant, even if the chemical is applied to a relatively minor portion of the lake. The Fish and Wildlife Service did not consider data from BlueGreen showing toxicity to some species of birds, McGee said, Theyre basically saying, Trust us. Just trust us, McGee told Boyle about potential toxicity.. McGee also argued that the service failed to consider whether a 2019 Mattamuskeet watershed restoration plan from the N.C. Coastal Federation would represent a better approach to cleaning up the lakes water than application of the algaecide. In May, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality issued a certificate allowing Lake Guard Oxy to be applied to Lake Mattamuskeet beginning on June 1. Days later, before the states window opened, the conservation groups filed their lawsuit. NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. If you would like to help support local journalism, please consider signing up for a digital subscription, which you can do here. A Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver cools down at a target range at the Los Angeles Gun Club on December 7, 2012, in Los Angeles. Gun enthusiasts rent the the weapon to try out before making a purchase at a gun store. Leading firearms maker Smith & Wesson reported an almost 50% increase in sales revenue. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian|Getty Images) Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson must release marketing documents sought by a subpoena issued by the New Jersey Attorney General, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The federal appeals court ruled it could not toss the subpoena because of a legal doctrine, called issue preclusion, that bars judges from reconsidering another courts ruling on a single issue of contention between the same parties. A state appellate court upheld the subpoena in 2023 in a case Smith & Wesson called a carbon copy of its federal complaint. Smith & Wesson lost its case at every level of the New Jersey court system, which concluded that the gun companys efforts to evade subpoena compliance were meritless. The decision shows that Smith & Wesson cannot run to federal court when it did not get its way in state court, Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement. The case centers on a subpoena issued to the gun manufacturer to probe whether it had violated New Jerseys Consumer Fraud Act by misstating the legality, safety, effectiveness, and benefits of its firearms. Smith & Wesson has charged the subpoena violates a series of constitutional rights and, in its federal appeal, argued the state appeals court did not properly weigh its constitutional claims, denying the gunmakers appeal based only ripeness a measure of how prepared a cases facts are for trial. But the newer ruling says that is a faulty reading of the state courts decision. New Jerseys Appellate Division had indeed weighed the constitutional claims and found them wanting, the judges wrote. The Appellate Division considered Smith & Wessons constitutional defenses, held they were not legally cognizable, and held that, in the alternative, the claims were not ripe, the federal judges wrote. They also discounted the gunmakers claim that state proceedings did not afford them a chance to state their case, finding Smith & Wesson had a full and fair opportunity to litigate its claims in state court even though it was a pretrial proceeding. One judge on the federal panel took a dissenting view, arguing state court rulings had not delved deep enough into the gunmakers constitutional arguments and, therefore, failed to reach the merits. More than three years ago, Smith & Wesson asked a federal court to decide whether the novel decision by New Jerseys Attorney General to use a state consumer fraud law to investigate ads for ordinary guns and ammo treads on the freedoms recognized by the U.S. Constitution. Today, and four opinions later, those questions remain unanswered, Circuit Judge Paul Matey wrote in his dissent. Smith & Wesson did not return a request for comment, and its unclear whether the firm will petition the matter to the New Jersey or U.S. Supreme Courts. The gunmaker has already furnished documents responsive to the subpoena, though those documents are subject to a protective order that demands their return if the subpoena is declared unlawful. The post Federal appeals court upholds subpoena for gunmakers ads appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. The Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building is five stories tall with numerous windows. A plaza stretches before it, with concrete columns to prevent cars from driving in. The Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, seen on January 24, 2023. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A federal judge Monday began a hearing on allegations of judge shopping in Alabamas gender-affirming care lawsuit by closely questioning two of 11 lawyers facing accusations. U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke warned one of the lawyers to not cover for anybody and tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During the hearing, he questioned why attorneys pulled a second lawsuit challenging the 2022 law making it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to minors shortly after it was assigned to him. If Im randomly assigned a case, why did it create such panic? Burke asked Michael Shortnacy, one of the lawyers questioned before the court. The state of Alabama in 2022 made it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a physician to prescribe puberty blockers and hormones to youth seeking gender-affirming care. A group of transgender youth and their families sued the state shortly after the law was passed, saying access to the treatments was critical to their physical and mental well-being. Burke initially ruled for the plaintiffs and blocked the state law, ruling that the law interfered with parents rights to make decisions for their children and that the state had not proven any harm from the treatments. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned his ruling last year, saying there was no fundamental right to gender-affirming care and citing Justice Samuel Alitos opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which said the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect any right not deeply rooted in the nations history and traditions. The plaintiffs in the case are seeking a full review of the decision by the full circuit. The hearing Monday concerned allegations that attorneys for the plaintiffs attempted to secure a judge that would be favorable to hearing their case. Three days after the first lawsuit, a second lawsuit was filed challenging the same law. When the cases were consolidated and transferred to Burke, he on Friday scheduled a status conference for Monday. That same evening, lawyers for the plaintiffs withdrew the lawsuit at 6:24 p.m., according to Burkes 2022 order closing the case. Burke said the moves, along with contacting U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson, gave the appearance of judge shopping. An investigative panel said in a report in October that the attorneys had intentionally attempted to direct their cases to a judge they considered favorable and, in particular, to avoid Judge Burke. Kathleen Hartnett, the second lawyer questioned on Monday, said lawyers werent prepared for a status conference on such short notice and were caught by surprise without enough time to prepare. It was Easter weekend, she said, and she had been traveling that week and couldnt arrange to leave at the last minute. Burke questioned how they couldnt find anyone who could have attended a short status conference out of the 21 lawyers representing the plaintiffs. Lawyers and judges typically schedule hearing dates in status conferences. This is something someone two days out of law school could have attended, Burke said. Hartnett said that she didnt feel comfortable sending lawyers who may not be as familiar with the same and that status conference hearings can sometimes turn into something else, with questions asked about the case. I dont ever want to have a status conference without knowing more about it. We would not be ready, she said. Hearings for the remaining nine lawyers will be held on Thursday and Friday, with the possibility of going into Saturday. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST The post Federal judge starts hearing on allegations in gender-affirming care case appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Students decorate their graduation caps during Commencement at the University of Colorado at Folsom Stadium in Boulder, Colo., on, May 9. On Monday, two federal judges separately blocked parts of President Joe Biden's plan to forgive student debt. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI June 25 (UPI) -- A pair of federal judges blocked parts of President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan less than a week before it was to go fully into effect. In Missouri, U.S. District Judge John Ross on Monday blocked the Department of Education from further implementation of the the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, which aimed to lower monthly repayments and shorten the repayment period to as little as 10 years, finding the states were likely to succeed on their merits. Ross ruled that the Biden administration "lacks the authority" to forgive loans as part of the Income-Contingent Repayment plan and that doing so would "likely harm Missouri" by decreasing the administrative fees collected by the state's High Education Loan Authority. In Kansas, District Judge Daniel Crabtree enjoined the SAVE plan in part nationwide but decided not to undo actions already taken under the program as the states have failed to show that they would be harmed if the status quo was maintained. The Biden administration has repeatedly sought to cancel billions of dollars in student loans and each time has been met by staunch Republican and conservative opposition. Last summer, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's plan to offer up to $20,000 in student loan relief to millions of eligible borrowers. In response, the White House in February announced the plan, which was to fully go into effect Monday and has already canceled some $5.5 billion in student debt held by 414,000 borrowers. Both Kansas and Missouri followed the announcement with separate lawsuits, accusing the Biden administration of trying to illegally bypass Congress to force taxpayers to pay off the student laws of other Americans. Kansas, leading an 11-state coalition, filed its lawsuit in late March, followed by Missouri and its seven-state coalition suing the Biden administration in early April. Earlier this month, a judge ruled eight states of Kansas' coalition do not have standing. The Republican attorney generals from both Missouri and Kansas issued statements celebrating their separate decisions. "Blue collar Kansas workers who didn't go to college shouldn't have to pay off the student loans of New Yorkers with gender studies degrees," said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey similarly accused Biden of attempting to "saddle working Missourians with Ivy League debt" through his plan. "Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president," he said. "Today's ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone else's debt." Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement that they are reviewing the rulings while remaining committed to fixing "a broken student loan system" and making "college more affordable for more Americans." "We remain proud of our work providing debt relief to more than 4.75 million Americans," he said. "We will continue to provide this long-overdue relief, no matter how many times Republican elected officials and their allies try to stop us." White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the rulings in a statement, sounding a defiant tone in saying that the administration would continue to look for ways to provide student loan relief. "It's unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness - and that the courts are now rejecting authority that the [Education] department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans," she said. "Today's ruling won't stop our administration from using every took available to give students and borrowers the relief they need." U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District Court for the District of Kansas Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the (income-contingent repayment) plan is not one of those circumstances, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri John Ross wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states. Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Kobach also emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of Congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May with significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Missouri Independent. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in September. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District Court for the District of Kansas Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the (income-contingent repayment) plan is not one of those circumstances, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri John Ross wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announces he is suing Pfizer during a June 17, 2024, news conference at the Statehouse in Topeka Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Kobach also emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of Congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May with significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. This story was produced by Missouri Independent, a States Newsroom affiliate. The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Kansas Reflector. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Quality Journalism for Critical Times Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri have blocked full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, U.S. Judge Daniel Crabtree in Kansas ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the [income-contingent repayment] plan is not one of those circumstances, U.S. District Judge John Ross of Missouri wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states. Floridas Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody joined the Missouri case. Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Lack of congressional authorization Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Kobach emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May voicing significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. Moody co-signed the letter. This story first appeared in the Missouri Independent, a member with the Florida Phoenix in the nonprofit States Newsroom network. Michael Moline in Tallahassee contributed. The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Florida Phoenix. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in September. Two federal judges Monday blocked parts of a student loan forgiveness program that were set to go into effect on July 1. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) This story originally appeared on Missouri Independent. Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District Court for the District of Kansas Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the (income-contingent repayment) plan is not one of those circumstances, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri John Ross wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states. Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. A man in a suit speaking to cameras Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Kobach also emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of Congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May with significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X. The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Alabama Reflector. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri have blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District Court for the District of Kansas Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the (income-contingent repayment) plan is not one of those circumstances, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri John Ross wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states, including Iowa. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird celebrated the ruling. With this win, we are on track to save hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars. Many Iowans work hard to pay off their debt or start a family, join the military, or go straight into the work force. They should not have to foot the bill for someone elses loans, she said in a statement Tuesday. Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Kobach also emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May with significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. This story was originally published by Missouri Independent, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X. The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with families at the Mattie Rhodes Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in September 2023. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District Court for the District of Kansas Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Monday. But elements set for July 1, like reducing payments to 5% of borrowers income instead of 10%, are on hold while litigation challenging the program moves forward. A separate ruling out of the Eastern District of Missouri will block only loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan offered forgiveness for those who borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for more than 10 years, with an additional year for each $1,000 additional borrowed. Both judges wrote that the SAVE Plan, which uses the Higher Education Act to authorize approximately $475 billion in loan forgiveness, is beyond the laws legislative intent. The court is not free to replace the language of the statute with unenacted legislative intent. Congress has made it clear under what circumstances loan forgiveness is permitted, and the (income-contingent repayment) plan is not one of those circumstances, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri John Ross wrote. The rulings are the result of lawsuits filed by two coalitions of attorneys general: one led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the other by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, representing a combined 18 states. Crabtree dismissed eight of the 11 states represented in Kobachs lawsuit earlier this month, finding that Alaska is the only state that can claim harm in Mondays ruling over $100,000 in lost (federal family education) loan interest over two years. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks at a May 7, 2024, press conference in Little Rock announcing the filing of a federal lawsuit with Arkansas and four other states against an expansion of Title IX protections to transgender students. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Ross determined that Missouri, through quasi-governmental loan servicer MOHELA, has standing. MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, gave Bailey standing in a U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned an earlier version of loan forgiveness last year. Ross wrote that the allegations of harm to MOHELA are substantially similar to, if not identical to, those argued in last years Supreme Court case. MOHELA has routinely distanced itself from Baileys litigation against loan forgiveness. Bailey, in a press release, lauded the Missouri ruling as a win for Missourians without large amounts of student-loan debt. Only Congress has the power of the purse, not the president, he wrote in a statement. Todays ruling was a huge win for the rule of law, and for every American who Joe Biden was about to force to pay off someone elses debt. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, who joined the Missouri lawsuit coalition, issued a statement Tuesday praising the ruling. With Independence Day fast approaching, another court has reminded President Biden that he is not a king. He cant go around Congress and unilaterally cancel student loans, Griffin said. Kobach also emphasized the judges ruling of a lack of Congressional authorization in the SAVE Plan. Kansass victory today is a victory for the entire country, he said. As the court correctly held, whether to forgive billions of dollars of student debt is a major question that only Congress can answer. Bidens administration is attempting to usurp Congresss authority. This is not only unconstitutional, its unfair. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan. We designed SAVE to cut undergraduate loan payments in half, avoid interest growth for borrowers making zero-dollar or low payments, and allow at-risk borrowers to reach forgiveness faster, he wrote in a statement. Under SAVE, nearly 8 million Americans one out of five borrowers have breathing room from bills that, too often, compete with basic needs. Cardona said Republican elected officials are trying to block the plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. He promised a continued push from the federal government for student-loan forgiveness. The SAVE Plan is the departments second iteration of forgiveness, of which three have been announced. Bailey and Kobach wrote a letter to Cardona in May with significant concerns about the latest plan, which has yet to be implemented. Arkansas Advocate Editor Sonny Albarado contributed to this report. Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X. MEMPHIS, Tenn. One of Memphis largest employers is getting heat from its own workers after ending its free ride-to-work program. Though the intenational shipping company claims that the program is losing riders, there are workers who told WREG that isnt the case. We cant continue to afford groceries for the week or rent for the month, an FedEx employee said. It becomes widely expensive trying to get Uber to the Hub on a regular basis. They wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation. Their reaction comes after a notice from the company announcing that they were discontinuing the Get a Free Ride to Work or GARF program. Resolutions to cut $2M from MRPP on hold Its very upsetting for a lot of reasons, the employee said. We have co-workers all the way from Mississippi who are still getting transportation, but Memphians are being stranded. Weve tried to use the bus system and it could take up to three hours to get to Point A to Point B. In the notice, FedEx said the overall usage declined in recent months. The GARF prgram started back during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic for workers living inside the 240-Loop. That is not entirely true, the employee said. We were told over a year ago roughly August 2023 that we had to be ready for the program to cut down on the number of people who can schedule a ride. Something the employee said isnt true. The employee claims that more often than not they would call for the ride service and get a dial tone or be told there was no space. But then the morning of a regular work day would arrive and there would be only four people on the van making rounds and there were empty seats and many people stranded without a ride, the employee said. State lawmakers say theyll push to get funding back for Elvis Presley Blvd. project WREG reached out to FedEx for comment and the international shipping service said the following: We have made the decision to discontinue the Get a Ride Free to Work program at the Memphis Hub. The programs last day will be August 14, 2024. We remain dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace environment, and we will work closely with affected team members to provide information on alternative transportation options. Shannon Davis, FedEx Media Relations It is bad for business in a way that it was our only means to get to the hub on time to get all of our hours in, the employee said. Another employee who wished to remain anonymous even said that the end of the GARF program has made them look into possibly finding a new occupation. I am keeping my resume updated, the employee said. But I really hope it doesnt come to that. I really do enjoy this job. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. UPDATED with latest: Former Bobs Burgers voice actor Jay Johnston today pleaded guilty to a federal charge stemming from his participation in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has been charged with civil disorder, a felony. Johnston, 55, could see a maximum sentence of five years in prison, but sentencing guidelines suggest a from eight to 14 months in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 7. More from Deadline Johnstons other credits include Anchorman, Men in Black II and Better Call Saul. PREVIOUSLY on June 25: Former Bobs Burgers voice actor Jay Johnston agreed today to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from his participation in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The 55-year-old actor, whose credits also include Better Call Saul and Mr. Show with Bob and David, faces multiple charges including civil disorder and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. His formal change-of-plea hearing is set for July 8 in Los Angeles. Read details of the case below. PREVIOUSLY, June 7, 2023: Jay Johnston was arrested today in Los Angeles for his participation in the January 6 insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol. The benched Bobs Burgers actor surrendered to the FBI at its field office Wednesday, a day after the Justice Department issued warrant for him (read it here). Johnston is expected in federal court later today. (Update, 7:45 PM: Johnston made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court this afternoon. He was freed on $25,000 bail and is set to participate in a remote hearing on June 13.) For taking part in a group assault, according to other court documents, Johnston has been charged with obstruction of law enforcement performing their duties as well as misdemeanors of entering a restricted area and hampering the conduct of government business (read it here). Sought by the FBI since March 2021, the involvement of the man who voiced Jimmy Pesto in dozens of episodes of the Fox animated series wasnt exactly breaking news. An alum of Mr. Show with Bob and David, Better Call Saul and The Sarah Silverman Program, Johnston was sidelined from Bobs Burgers back in December 2021 for being among the Donald Trump-supporting MAGA mob that stormed the Capitol that day nearly 2 ago. As they have with literally thousands of suspects, the feds put out photos of Johnston not long after the January 6 attack: The #FBI is still seeking information on people who took part in the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. If you know this individual, visit https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD. Refer to photo 247 in your tip. pic.twitter.com/CetMHzU190 FBI (@FBI) March 4, 2021 As the screenshot-heavy documents make clear, the circulation of the images of Johnston got a pretty quick response: On or about March 8, 2021, an attorney contacted the FBIs National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) and stated that s/he represented JAY JAMES JOHNSTON, who was the individual pictured in publicly disseminated photographs 247-AFO. The FBI has interviewed three current or former associates of JOHNSTON, all of whom identified JOHNSTON as the individual in the above photographs of 247-AFO. One of these associates provided the FBI with a text message in which JOHNSTON acknowledged being at the Capitol on January 6, stating The news has presented it as an attack. It actually wasnt. Thought it kind of turned into that. It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed and I found it quite untastic. Records from United Airlines show that JOHNSTON had a round-trip flight reservation from Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C. departing on January 4, 2021 and returning on January 7, 2021. More than 1,000 January 6 rioters have been arrested so far, with nearly 280 behind bars or the about 490 sentenced. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It feels unimaginable: Vigil calls for action following deaths of two bicyclists in Cambridge Calls for Cambridge to make the city safer for people on bikes brought out a large crowd before Monday nights City Council meeting. More than 100 people packed the steps and front lawn of Cambridge City Hall following the deaths of two women who were riding bikes in the city. 24-year-old MIT doctoral candidate Minh-Thi Nguyen was hit and killed by a box truck Friday morning at the intersection of Hampshire and Portland Streets near Kendall Square. The tragedy came after 55-year-old Florida native Kim Staley was hit and killed by a box truck while riding a Bluebike near Kendall Square on June 7. Minh-Thi Nguyen (left) and Kim Staley (right) We must do everything together that we can to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again, said Cambridge Vice Mayor Mark McGovern. Family and friends of Nguyen said the deadly crash took away an ambitious and adventurous spirit who still had so much to offer to the world. It feels unimaginable that someone so young and full of life could have been killed so tragically, said Hudson Loughlin, Nguyens friend. Nguyen was a National Science Foundation research fellow in the process of earning a doctorate in atomic, molecular, and optical physics at MIT. Ive had so many of my most beautiful experiences in this city in my life following Minh-This lead, said Nick Krasnow, Nguyens boyfriend. She had wonderful insane ideas all the time, but she could bring them to life. Many of the attendees were people who ride bikes through Cambridge on a daily basis. They urgently called on city officials to make intersections safer for bicyclist and to expand the network of separated bike lanes. The Cambridge City Council added a late agenda item about truck and intersection safety improvements for their meeting that followed the vigil. City councilors outlined a series of requests for the City Manager to report on by September. 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 Few water reforms emerged from the Legislature, but governor says talks will continue Arizona lawmakers adjourned last week after hearing more water bills they had in decades. But of the few measures that made it through to Gov. Katie Hobbs' desk, none addressed rural groundwater management in a way that would protect the state's dwindling aquifers, according to the governor's staff. In the end, the Legislature heard dozens of water bills. Of those that passed, Hobbs signed eight and vetoed 12. Her office said Monday she was ready to talk with policymakers and water users to find reforms they could all agree on. Senate Bill 1221, sponsored by Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, would have designated a process to create groundwater regulation through basin management areas. The designated basins would have to reduce water use by 2% annually, or less. The law would also have prohibited mandatory metering. Water users would report their estimated groundwater use annually based on their well's pumping capacity and power usage. The bill was ultimately held in the House. It didn't meet key guiding principals established by the Governor's Water Policy Council "and it was not quite a product of the consensus we are trying to achieve," said Patrick Adams, Hobbss representative on natural resource issues, at the Water Policy Council meeting last week. A bill with the council's recommendations, SB 2857, never got a hearing. The competing bills contained some similarities but too many differences, said Bruce Hallin, ADWR's special adviser to the director. There is "full agreement" on the need for groundwater legislation, and the conceptual work between parties has been good, Hallin said at the meeting. "The devil is in the details." Hobbs appointed the council early last year to analyze and recommend improvements to the 1980 Groundwater Management Act and develop new water policy. This year, she threatened lawmakers she would take action in critical basins if they didn't. "We are still at the table," said Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, a council member and co-sponsor of SB 1221. "September will be opening up another bill file and we'll see what we can do, and address it next January in the next session." Hobbs would consider a special legislative session before September if consensus could be achieved, Adams said. Council was unaware of key policy Members of the council's rural groundwater and assured water supply committees had different views on the outcome of their discussions. Some believed that concessions have been made in both sides. Others saw disrespect in Republican lawmakers' attempt to pass legislation that had no grounding in a framework built over months of work. "I am not really sure what the point of being here was. Because nothing that we had to say ultimately was heard," said Rep. Stacey Travers, D-Phoenix. The bills were written and debated in "closed-door meetings" and then raced to the finish line without council discussion, she said. "I would like to know who was at the table. Most of us were not," echoed Kathy Ferris, a senior research fellow at the Arizona State University Kyl Center for Water Policy and a former state Department of Water Resources director. At the meeting on June 18, members were also briefed on a new item. The Arizona Department of Water Resources presented models and data analysis that would inform policy around agriculture-to-urban water transfers. That data became public after the policy was close to becoming law. Ed Curry, president of Curry Seed and Chile Company and a member of Gov. Hobb's Water Policy Council, speaks to attendees of the first Farmers Organizing and Creating Opportunities' summit, a nonprofit working to address the issues of small producers, on March 2, 2024. SB 1172, an ag-to-urban proposal, was introduced and had been negotiated among lawmakers and administration staff since late last year, Rep. Tim Dunn, R-Yuma, told The Republic. The bill passed and landed on the governor's desk last week. She vetoed it. The concept allowing home builders to draw on groundwater that had been used to irrigate crops was not new, but many council members said they were uninformed or unaware about the proposal. They hadn't been called to session in seven months. The main opposition to SB 1172 came from the Gila River Indian Community. The tribe was concerned the measure would hurt the aquifer in the Pinal Active Management Area, and asked ADWR to do a thorough analysis. Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis clarified that the tribe supports an ag-to-urban program and insisted policy is created in an "open, transparent data-driven process." "When we raised our initial thoughts they were not only ignored but we and many others were pressured to support the bill because it was going forward regardless," Lewis said at the meeting. ADWR presented its data publicly for the first time at the council meeting. It shared preliminary results with "some stakeholders" a couple weeks prior, the agency's AMA director Natalie Mast told The Republic. Ag-to-urban parameters need work The state water agency conducted a basin-specific analysis on how the ag-to-urban policy could work in the Phoenix and Pinal AMA. "We have reasonable confidence that this type of ag-to-urban program in the Phoenix AMA would result in a substantial benefit to the aquifer," said Mast. "For the Pinal AMA we don't have that same confidence." If all agricultural parcels were urbanized, the change for the Phoenix AMA could be an average reduction of 103,000 acre-feet a year for the next 100 years. An ag-to-urban conversion in the Pinal AMA, for all eligible parcels, could increase water use by about 6,000 acre-feet a year over the next 100 years. "There's a lot of red on the Pinal side," Mast added. "The results there are unclear at best and are definitely a cause of concern, and will require some additional work and analysis." In the ADWR analysis, every acre moving from ag-to-urban would have a final water use of 1.5 acre-feet per year. SB 1172 established a maximum allotment of 2 acre-feet of water for ag-to-urban. If the model used the parameters on the bill, the numbers would be even more on the red. ADWR is still working on additional analysis and scenarios. Adams, with the governor's office, said they are committed to moving this kind of policy forward: "We want to do it right." In a statement late Monday the governor's office said Hobbs would continue to negotiate with stakeholders: "All options remain on the table and the state will continue to evaluate every tool at its disposal to give local communities in every corner of the state a chance to protect their water supplies and thrive for generations to come." Clara Migoya covers agriculture and water issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Gov. Hobbs says she will continue to work on water reforms KANSAS CITY, Mo. Drastically fewer students across the nation and in Missouri and Kansas are applying for federal student aid after months of delays and complications with the FAFSA process. Data from the National College Attainment Network show 12.4 percent fewer students have applied for FAFSA through the same time in 2024 compared to 2023. Missouri is down 12.2%. Kansas is down 14.5%. Man was found shot, dead in Kansas City, Missouri parking lot Monday It started when the Department of Education attempted to streamline this years FAFSA form to make it easier to fill out. Some experts say it is streamlined in some ways but additional steps for students parents and other unforeseen snags in the system created challenges for other students. They didnt anticipate the problems that they had but they had them so everybody had to adjust to all those frustrations, said independent educational consultant James Heryer. The admissions people had to adjust to it, the high school counselors and independents like myself had to adjust to it and the parents and students had to adjust to it. Missouri College & Career Attainment Network (MOCAN) FAFSA Completion Consultant Camry Ivory says those snags coupled with a delayed roll out put some students behind even once workarounds became available. That process really wasnt streamlined until April of this year, almost May, so students and families in those situations didnt really have any recourse, Ivory said. Since the form is so new were seeing a lot of challenges we havent seen before and its just taking time and patience to troubleshoot them. Major cyberattack hits Kansas City area car dealers Heryer says college application offices have been very understanding, moving back deadlines so students can have as much financial information as possible before forfeiting deposits. The University of Missouri moved its admission deposit deadline back from May 1 to May 15. University of Kansas moved its deadline back to May 20. UMKC tells FOX4 it moved the FAFSA submission deadline to July 1 so students could qualify for a Roo Advantage scholarship, helping Pell-eligible students cover tuition gaps. FOX4 asked counselors what students should do to best navigate the application challenges: Take Ownership talking to regional recruiters from schools students are interested in can show initiative in a way that makes a difference. Start Early Heryer recommends starting in the fall of a students junior year in high school to make sure they have plenty of time to pull information together. Financial Aid Office schools say those offices might be able to help students estimate how much aid they can expect to help inform the decision-making process. You can contact the University of Missouri Financial Aid Office here. You can contact the University of Kansas Financial Aid Office here. You can contact the UMKC Financial Aid Office here. If you want in-person help to navigate the FAFSA process, you can get it at these times and dates: Monday, July 1, 5-7 p.m. Mid-Continent Public Library 6131 Raytown Rd, Raytown, MO Monday, July 8, 5-7 p.m. South Independence Branch Library 13700 E 35th St, Independence, MO Monday, July 15, 5-7 p.m. West Wyandotte Public Library 1737 N 82nd St, Kansas City, KS Monday, July 22, 5-7 p.m. Kansas City Public Library: Southeast Branch 6242 Swope Pkwy Kansas City MO Monday, July 29, 5-7 p.m. Mid-Continent Public Library Grandview Branch 12930 Booth Ln Grandview MO Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz will host a live question and answer tonight on fireworks and July Fourth. The Facebook live will be at 7:30 p.m. Click here for more. Ocadiz will answer questions about firework safety, whats legal in Wichita and what you can shoot and cant. Fireworks tents going up in Wichita, but selling must wait Organizations can begin selling fireworks this Thursday, June 27. Ground-based fireworks, also called safe and sane fireworks, will be allowed to be discharged from June 27 through July 5. Safe and sane fireworks include fountains, sparklers, smoke balls, snake-type fireworks, ground-spinning fireworks, pinwheels, most novelty fireworks, toy-trick noisemakers, and crackling fireworks. Aerial fireworks may only be discharged from July 3 through July 5. The hours for all fireworks are from 10 a.m. until midnight. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. First batch of ammunition arrives in Ukraine under Czech initiative Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the first batch of ammunition had been delivered to Ukraine as part of the Czech initiative to purchase shells for the country. Source: Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on X (Twitter), European Pravda reports Quote: "The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes." The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes. Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) June 25, 2024 Background: In mid-June, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated that shells purchased from outside the European Union under an initiative launched by Czechia will arrive in Ukraine "in a matter of days". In February, Czech President Petr Pavel said that he had found 800,000 shells in countries outside the EU and NATO, including 122mm- and 155mm-calibre ammunition, that could be supplied to Ukraine. The Czech initiative could provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with 50,000 to 100,000 large-calibre shells per month. Support UP or become our patron! First debate a chance for Biden to finish the Trump smackdown he started during State of the Union Thursdays debate gives President Joe Biden the opportunity to cash in on his challenge to Donald Trump last month to hold the earliest presidential debate in modern history. Its a clear shot at accelerating the momentum of a three-point swing his way in the polls over the last three months, a trend registered even in the latest Fox News poll. The Biden campaign wants Thursdays debate to galvanize and focus voters attention on an election that will determine whether our constitutional republic survives. Heres how the president can repeat what he did in his State of the Union go on offense, stay on message and keep Big Mo on his side. 1. A convicted criminal whos only out for himself. President Bidens campaign last week launched a $50 million TV ad buy whose key line shows how to capture two central truths about Trump. The first that the former president is a convicted criminal speaks for itself and is hard for Trump to escape. As former Justice Department official Harry Litman has written, Trump is an altered figure in the eyes of that law. No longer presumed innocent, he is proven guilty, a convict, a serial offender. This truth is already registering in a race that will be decided by independent voters. A Politico/IPSOS poll taken last week reported that more than 1 in 5 independent voters are less likely to vote for Trump after his conviction in New York on 34 felony counts. Whatever disillusionment Trump and his enablers have tried to foster in the justice system, those voters can see clearly that Trump got the verdict he deserved. Independents are thinking independently and thats good for democracy. And Bidens success in the debate depends on his ability to appeal to them as he did in 2020. The second part of the ad hes in it only for himself is equally important. Biden can quote Bill Barr, Trumps own attorney general, who said about Trump, He will always put his own interests . . . ahead of everything else. To stick the point, Biden should seize on last months news reporting that Trump promised oil executives that he will scrap all Biden measures to combat the climate change that produced record June heat if, and only if, those executives give Trumps campaign $1billion. Money for Trump, Biden could say, more heat waves, hurricanes and tornadoes for ordinary Americans. This line of attack matters not only because the solid majority of Americans and independents do not like graft. Fighting climate change is about the future, and the future is about the young people Biden needs to go to the polls and support him. 2. Reproductive freedom is on the ballot Equally important to young women indeed, to all women as well as their loving partners is the fundamental right that Trumps Supreme Court took away after nearly 50 years. As an NBC headline put it, Abortion rights have won in every election since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Twelve more states have abortion rights on the ballot or under consideration in November. Trump has bragged about his appointment of the three reactionary justices who tipped the balance against Roe. The former president, despite waffling about abortion now, has previously said he supports national bans and that there has to be some form of punishment for women who get abortions. So Biden should borrow the soundbite that his key ally, Rep. James Clyburn used on Juneteenth: Freedom versus favors. Trump, the president should remind the debate audience, is the man who wants to be a dictator on day one to grant himself and his friends favors while limiting the rights of ordinary Americans. 3. Americans dont want government by vengeance, violence and victimhood During the debate, Biden must tell Americans that all of our freedoms are on the line. For more than two centuries, Americans have cherished our right to speak freely and our freedom of the press. Thats how we help keep our government honest and how we keep our leaders serving us, not themselves. Biden should use the debate to highlight Trumps pledge that, if given a second term, his administration will be guided by vengeance, violence and victimhood. FDR had the four freedoms; Trump has the Three Unfreedoms. Lets take vengeance first. Trump has repeatedly told his MAGA cult, I am your retribution. Biden could point out that Trump said he would terminate the Constitution. Thats where our Bill of Rights resides. Trump has also threatened to go after the press and investigate MSNBC, calling the news network an enemy of the people. Trump will encourage or condone violence and use it to drop an iron curtain on our freedom. He will welcome intimidation of his opponents by his MAGA supporters. Recall that during the September 2020 presidential debate, he told the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by. They did as instructed on January 6, leading the violent mob that laid siege to Congress. Now Trump has embraced the January 6 insurrectionists with promises of pardons. He applauds violence done on his behalf. Youre not for law and order, Biden could say, turning to Trump. Youre for lawless disorder. Thank God for our system of justice, Biden can add. An independent Justice Department in my administration prosecuted those Proud Boys and over 1000 more people who broke the law that day. Those prosecutions told them not to stand by, but rather, we cant stand your violence and will get you sentences of up to 22 years in prison. And finally there is Trumps victimhood. Most Americans dont want a president who still claims he won in 2020, and who says constantly that the world is against him. Biden should contrast Trumps obsession over all the wrongs that have supposedly been done to him with Bidens continuing commitment to the future, as he showed by enacting a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to build roads, bridges and internet groundwork a bill that Trump kept promising but could never get done. The vast majority of voters, especially the crucial independents, dont want a president who supports those who hate America, like Russias Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Americans want a president who will stand tough against them and protect our freedoms. Biden should stress Trumps focus on vengeance, violence and victimhood and his embrace of strongmen who use those means in leading authoritarian nations. The ex-presidents focus on anti-democratic measures helps explain why Mike Pence, Trumps own vice president, will not endorse him in 2024. It also explains why two of Trumps former defense secretaries, two of his National Security Advisers, his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and innumerable former senior White House aides agree that Trump is unfit for office and dangerous to the country and the world. He would be far worse than last time. Biden should close the debate with the memorable words of General John Kelly, Trumps longest serving chief of staff: Donald Trump has no idea of what America stands for and no idea of what America is all about. Oregons Bonneville Dam is the last of 14 dams on the Columbia River before it empties into the Pacific Ocean. (Courtesy of the Bonneville Power Administration/Flickr) The federal government this week acknowledged that the construction and operation of 11 hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers during the last century has had a devastating effect on eight Northwest tribes and more than a dozen native fish stocks, some of which have gone extinct. The acknowledgement came in a report, Tribal Circumstances Analysis, that was published last week. It represents the first time that the U.S. government has comprehensively detailed the harm that federal dams have caused and continue to inflict on Northwest tribes, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which undertook the analysis. Those harms include the inundation of thousands of acres of tribal land and sacred sites and the loss of traditional fishing areas. The government in the analysis acknowledged that it violated treaty promises to the tribes in developing the dams, which brought economic benefits to white settlers hydropower, irrigation, improved river navigation and mining while the tribes lost much of their land as well as many of their traditional fishing grounds and the fish theyve long depended on. Eight tribes most affected by the dams Coeur DAlene Tribe of Indians Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Nez Perce Tribes Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation Spokane Tribe of Indians Over a century ago, the government and private interests began damming the Columbia Rivers tributaries. These actions, along with many contemporaneous actions, perpetuated and were part and parcel of the historical transfer of land, natural resources and wealth away from the tribes, the report said. The government afforded little, if any, consideration to the devastation the dams would bring to tribal communities. The analysis follows a series of promises from President Joe Biden to restore native fish populations in the Columbia and Snake River basins and decades of mounting research and litigation pointing to the role of dams in declining native and wild fish stocks and the subsequent decline in the cultural, physical and economic health of Indigenous peoples who have lived for millennia in the basins. Federal officials announce creation of Columbia River Task Force to restore fish Last week, White House officials announced the creation of the Columbia River Task Force to coordinate interagency and tribal work on restoring wild fish stocks in the basins during the next decade. It will be led by Nik Blosser, former chief of staff to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a special assistant and deputy cabinet secretary in the Biden administration and, most recently, a vice president at Portland General Electric. Leaders of the eight affected tribes named in the report lauded the analysis. Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, said in a statement it is a stark reminder for the federal government. We know we must act urgently to prevent extinction, and this report reaffirms the need for the United States and us to move forward together, he said. The report also prompted criticism. The nonprofit trade group Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, which represents ports and other economic interests in the area and supports hydropower, said the analysis was not based on scientific evidence and deliberately left out other river basin stakeholders. Our concerns with the Biden administrations actions are their excessive lack of transparency and the failure to account for all interests affected by this complex issue, Neil Maunu, the groups executive director, said in a statement. Devastation of fish stocks on Columbia, Snake rivers The analysis references dozens of studies that have shown that the 11 dams and their reservoirs on the Columbia and Snake rivers have caused the rapid decline of salmon and steelhead populations. It further connects those declines to a decrease in the health and economic well-being of members of eight affected tribes. As many as 16 million salmon and steelhead historically returned to the Columbia River Basin each year, according to the report. Millions of them migrated hundreds of miles upstream from the ocean to return to their birthing grounds to spawn, including up to 3.7 million salmon and steelhead that returned to the area above what is now Grand Coulee Dam. More than 1 million spring and summer Chinook are believed to have returned annually to the Upper Snake River Basin from the Pacific to spawn. Tribes in the basin consumed millions of pounds of fish each year, which sustained hundreds of thousands of people as well as more than 130 animal species, according to the report. Today, four of the 16 salmon stocks in the Columbia and Snake rivers are gone, including coho and sockeye runs, the report said. Some populations have left their historic tributaries, such as salmon and steelhead that used to return to the Umatilla River. Today, seven of the 12 remaining salmon stocks in the Columbia River Basin are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Half of the historic populations of salmon, steelhead and lamprey that once inhabited the Snake River Basin are also gone. The rest are in a dire condition and could become extinct, the report said. It also detailed losses of lamprey and sturgeon that are important to Columbia River Basin tribes, and, with the inundation of land near the rivers, the loss of habitat for elk and deer that were hunted by tribes and where other foods were harvested. Federal and state governments have supported hatcheries as their key strategy to reverse fish declines, but the operations have failed to fulfill their promise, the report found. Decades of data show that despite billions in taxpayer investment, salmon and steelhead hatchery programs and restoration projects in the Columbia River Basin have failed to support or boost native fish populations and, in fact, are contributing to their decline. Northwest tribes say analysis acknowledges telling the truth Officials from the affected Northwest tribes welcomed the report. In statements Tuesday, they said they were glad the federal government acknowledged the destructive role dams have played in the loss of their land, food, health, cultural practices and economic well-being. Leaders from the Nez Perce and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation said that in publishing the analysis, the federal government was finally being honest. The United States by telling the truth about the historic and ongoing injustices the federal dams have imposed on our people and by embracing its treaty and trust obligations is upholding the rule of law and highlighting the urgency to act to prevent salmon extinction, said Wheeler of the Nez Perce. Corinne Sams, a board member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla and chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, said in a statement that the analysis was an honest acknowledgment of the devastating impact that the dams have had on Columbia River Basin tribes. Three Northwest tribes and federal agencies have begun work on reviving Chinook and sockeye salmon runs that were among the most abundant in the world before the Columbia River dams were built. As part of that effort, the task force will be charged with coordinating salmon restoration efforts in the Columbia River and Snake rivers across agencies. The administration said in its release that it chose Blosser to lead based on two decades of experience working on salmon and energy issues. The group will be co-chaired by three people: Laura Daniel-Davis, deputy secretary of the Interior; Deputy Secretary of Energy Dave Turk; and Janet Coit, assistant administrator for fisheries at NOAA. Other members will be from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Office of Management and Budget and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Report recommendations The report made vague recommendations to include the historic effects of the dams in federal environmental reviews on Columbia and Snake River Basin projects. It also called for federal agencies to work with the tribes and to consider the recommendation from the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to potentially breach the four lower Snake River dams. NOAA officials have said that breaching the dams would be a good way to restore fish stocks. Opponents of dam breaching point to another NOAA study showing that warming ocean temperatures from climate change are playing a large role in salmon and steelhead declines as evidence that dam breaching wont save the fish. The study, by NOAA scientist Lisa Crozier, found that rising sea temperatures were a dominant driver toward future extinction. But in an email, she told the Capital Chronicle that its inappropriate to use her study in discussing historic salmon declines. My paper was about the future, she said. Dams in Oregon, Washington and Idaho The 11 dams studied in the report include four in Oregon, six in Washington and another in Idaho. Bonneville Dam (Cascade Locks), completed in 1938 The Dalles Dam (The Dalles), completed in 1957 John Day Dam (Rufus), completed in 1971 McNary Dam (Umatilla), completed in 1954 Chief Joseph Dam (Bridgeport), completed in 1977 Grand Coulee Dam (Mason City and Grand Coulee), completed in 1942 Ice Harbor Dam (Burbank), completed in 1961 Lower Monumental Dam (Kahlotus), completed in 1969 Little Goose Dam (Dayton), completed in 1978 Lower Granite Dam (Colton), completed in 1979 The report also considers the Dworshak Dam, which was completed in 1973 and is located on the North Fork Clearwater River just upstream of a tributary to the lower Snake River in Ahsahka, Idaho. Lower Columbia River dams in Oregon: Upper Columbia River dams in Washington state: Lower Snake River dams: This story was originally published by the The Oregon Capital Chronicle, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post A first: Federal government acknowledges dams devastated Northwest tribes and fish stocks appeared first on Daily Montanan. First Lady to visit Charlotte as campaign finance gap between Biden, Trump narrows First Lady to visit Charlotte as campaign finance gap between Biden, Trump narrows CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is set to visit the Queen City Tuesday evening for a presidential campaign finance event. Details surrounding the event other than that it will happen Tuesday night somewhere in Charlotte have not yet been released. The visit comes ahead of Thursdays highly anticipated debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. Biden and his wife will be in Raleigh Friday for a campaign event the day after the debate, which will take place in Atlanta. Queen City News will carry the debate Thursday night at 9 p.m. The First Lady is making her second appearance in Charlotte so far this year. Vice President Kamala Harris has also been in Charlotte twice this year, once for a medical debt event and the other for a small business event. The visit comes as the gap Biden held over Trump in campaign finances has significantly narrowed in recent months, in part due to a near-record donation following his New York conviction from a single donor. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Five people hospitalized, two airlifted after vehicle crash in Carroll County HILLSVILLE, Va. (WFXR) The Hillsville Fire Department reports five people were hospitalized after a vehicle crash on Monday, June 24. According to the fire department, crews were dispatched at 11:07 a.m. to the intersection of Sylvatus Hwy and Beaver Dam Rd for a vehicle accident. Crews arrived and found two vehicles were involved in the crash, with one rolled over off the roadway. $15k reported in damages after fire at Dogwood restaurant in Vinton Crews reported all occupants were able to get out of the vehicles, however, two helicopters were called to the scene called to the scene for two patients due to their injuries. They also say Carroll County Fire and Rescue took three additional patients to a local hospital. The fire department says Virginia State Police and the Hillsville Police Department are investigating the crash. WFXR News will update this story as further information is released. (courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department) (courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department) (courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department) (courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department) Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. "His journey was marked by resilience and a deep-seated desire to strive for greatness," the late rapper's attorney wrote Julio Foolio/Instagram rapper Julio Foolio A Florida rapper was shot and killed over the weekend while celebrating his 26th birthday, his lawyer said. On Sunday, June 23, Julio Foolio, whose real name is Charles Jones, was pronounced dead after reportedly being ambushed in a Holiday Inn parking lot, his lawyer Lewis Fusco, said in a statement obtained by local news outlet First Coast News. The artist rented an Airbnb for a pool party earlier in the day but was later asked to leave "due to exceeding occupancy limits," Fusco said. The Tampa Police Department received 911 calls at approximately 4:40 a.m. local time on Sunday about a shooting at 11606 McKinley Drive, police said in a press release. Getty Police Siren -- stock image Responding officers found "two vehicles that had been shot at," and four people were injured in the shooting, police said. Three people were in stable condition, and one person was declared deceased. Tampa police did not identify the individual who died, adding that, "Positive identification is pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner's Office." PEOPLE reached out to the Tampa Police Department for comment. Although police said the victim's identity was "pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner's Office," Jones' attorney confirmed that the rapper had died after the shooting in statements to First Coast News and the New York Times. Related: Canadian Woman Killed on 'Dream Birthday Vacation' at Mexican Hotel with Boyfriend, Suspect in Custody "Mr. Jones had been in Tampa to celebrate his birthday over the weekend. Law enforcement reports indicate that he initially stayed at an Airbnb but was asked to leave due to exceeding occupancy limits. He subsequently relocated to the Holiday Inn, where he was involved in an incident in the hotel parking lot and reportedly ambushed, Fusco said, per First Coast News. Julio Foolio/Instagram rapper Julio Foolio In an Instagram Stories post on Sunday, Fusco offered his condolences, adding that the rapper was often misunderstood. I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Foolio, Fusco wrote. While most people knew him as the controversial rapper and entertainer, I was fortunate enough to know Charles Jones, the man beyond the public persona. Julio Foolio/Instagram rapper Julio Foolio He was a kid who grew up in challenging circumstances, determined to defy the odds by any means possible and succeed in all that he did. His journey was marked by resilience and a deep-seated desire to strive for greatness, he said. Related: Rapper Killed in North Hollywood After Being Run Over by Trailer Following Altercation: Police Fusco referred to Jones as someone I deeply respected for his authenticity and I considered a friend. In one of his final social media posts, Jones tweeted on Friday, June 21, God thank you for allowing me to see another Year & To celebrate another birthday. Appreciate all the birthday wishes so far. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In the days leading up to the fatal shooting, Jones advertised his then-upcoming birthday plans to his 1.1 million Instagram followers. Tampa Florida my air bnb pool party June 21st (DM ME FOR ADDRESS) and my official birthday party June 22nd at club Teasers, he wrote in a June 14 post, adding the address to the second venue. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. I flew over 22 hours in business class with Turkish Airlines. The food and airport lounge were unreal. I flew 22+ hours in Turkish Airlines ' business class and stopped at its Istanbul airport lounge. The food on my flights and in the airport lounge really blew me away. I had a great experience and found my seats to be comfortable, too. I love flying in business class, but I don't often buy my seats outright because they can cost four figures. I like upgrading to business class by booking flights using frequent-flyer miles and credit-card points. If that's not your thing, good news: Some data suggests flying business class is slightly cheaper than it was a few years ago (even though economy airfare costs are rising). Recently, I used points to book a business-class flight with Turkish Airlines from the Maldives to Los Angeles. If I'd booked with cash, the one-layover flight would've cost me more than $4,690. Here's what it was like spending more than 22 hours traveling in business class with Turkish Airlines. The check-in process was extra fast because I was flying business class. I didn't have to wait long to enter the airport. Kaila Yu The hotel I stayed at in the Maldives had a representative at the Velana International Airport who helped me walk through security. This was a huge bonus, and even better, business-class passengers had their own line for security. The check-in and customs process went quickly for me, though I passed economy travelers waiting in a long check-in line. After making it through security, I had access to an airport lounge. I wanted to save my appetite for the flight. Kaila Yu The Turkish Airlines lounge in the Maldives had plenty of items available for breakfast, including pastries and sandwiches. I didn't eat anything because I knew Turkish Airlines would have delicious food on the flight, and I always overeat when flying business class. My seat was in the front row of the business-class section. I was in the front of business class for the first leg of my flight. Kaila Yu This leg of the flight was on an older Boeing 777-300, with seats in a two-three-two configuration. I was excited to get the business-class amenity kit. The Ferragamo toiletry bag had lots of goodies. Kaila Yu Turkish Airlines partnered with the luxury fashion house Ferragamo for its business-class toiletry bags filled with products such as recycled-plastic earplugs, an eye mask, Ferragamo toiletries, and a wheat-straw toothbrush. I also received comfy socks and slippers. During the flight, many passengers, including me, removed their shoes and put on the provided slippers. After settling into my seat, a flight attendant came by with a selection of juices and lemonade. My first meal was a solid selection of appetizers. Turkish Airlines definitely kept me fed. Kaila Yu I enjoyed the set appetizer plate I got that featured local delicacies such as smoked beef, cheeses, olives, a fruit salad, a raspberry smoothie bowl, homemade apricot jam, and butter. I chose a Turkish specialty for the main course, and it didn't disappoint. After my meal, I immediately went to sleep. Kaila Yu The main course was the homemade Turkish-style borek, a layered pastry with spinach and potato. It was nicely flaked and savory with creamy potato. So far, the flight had been eight hours and 15 minutes. I went to sleep right after my meal. About two hours before landing, the lights came on, and I got another meal. Brochettes are bite-size marinated proteins. Kaila Yu This time, I got a selection of Turkish meze. For my main, I chose the grilled-chicken brochettes with bulgur, tomato, and peppers. The chicken was smoky and tender. For dessert, I had a mascarpone and passion-fruit tart. Then, I had a 16-hour layover at Istanbul Airport. I stayed in the airport during my layover so I could explore the Turkish Airlines lounge. Kaila Yu I had the option of leaving the airport and staying at a hotel provided by Turkish Airlines. Instead, I headed to the private Turkish Airlines airport lounge. I quickly saw why the lounge has a prestigious reputation. The Turkish Airlines business-class lounge in Istanbul is huge. Kaila Yu This Turkish Airlines business-class lounge is often listed as one of the world's best airline lounges, and it was easy for me to see why. It's a sprawling space measuring 60,000 square feet with ample seating, eateries with chefs, resting rooms with beds, and even shower facilities. The lounge was easy to enter and leave. I didn't have to wait in line to enter the lounge. Kaila Yu To get in and out of the lounge, I just scanned my boarding pass. This eliminated the annoying wait I sometimes encounter at check-in counters when there's a rush of customers at airport lounges. Even the baggage storage area of the Turkish Airlines lounge looked stunning. It seemed easy to find your bag after you checked it in. Kaila Yu The area for baggage storage was eye-catching, stylish, and smart. The transparent storage containers seemed to make it even easier to find your bag if you forgot your locker number. The bathrooms were incredibly spacious, too. There were also two well-lit vanity stations in this bathroom. Kaila Yu The lounge bathrooms were large, with tons of hand-washing stations. They were never crowded, and I rarely saw anyone inside other than an attendant. Well-lit vanity areas with seating were also nice additions to the bathrooms. They seemed like good places to reapply makeup or fix hair. During my long layover, I even took a shower. The shower felt rejuvenating after so much travel. Kaila Yu Showers are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the lounge. I didn't wait in line when I showered at about 5:30 a.m. It was refreshing to shower in the airport after a long day of traveling. Above all, the food options in the lounge blew my mind. Dishes were being prepared right in front of my eyes. Kaila Yu The wildest part of the layover was the food: I'd never seen anything like it at an airport lounge. I passed at least five live cooking stations in the lounge, many of which featured Turkish specialties. I even saw someone making pastries from scratch. A coffee station had a barista making drinks to order. You should try the Turkish coffee. Kaila Yu The lounge had various coffee drinks available to order and an impressive selection of Turkish teas. I recommend trying the Turkish coffee, of course. I ate so much while I waited. The food I ate in the lounge impressed me. Kaila Yu I ate constantly (probably every 30 minutes I was awake) during my layover just because there was an overflowing abundance of food. The salad bar was well-stocked and I especially enjoyed the stations serving traditional grilled meats. The Turkish beef patty I ate was perfectly cooked, and I got it hot off the grill. After eating, I found a reclined lounge chair and napped through the night. Eventually, I headed to the second leg of my flight. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was newer than the other plane I was on before. Kaila Yu I was excited to board my flight's longer, 13-hour leg on the newer Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. I had my own plush, private window seat, and no one was seated next to me as I headed from Istanbul to Los Angeles. Breakfast was my favorite meal on this flight. I enjoyed most of my breakfast. Kaila Yu I boarded at 7 a.m., and breakfast service started shortly after takeoff. I'm not usually a huge fan of yogurt, but it was gorgeously displayed on my plate I ate every bite. For my main entree, I selected the eggs Benedict, which was OK, but the eggs seemed overcooked. Before the lights turned down in the cabin, a flight attendant came to make my bed. This service wasn't offered on the first leg of my trip. Kaila Yu The best part of business class is undoubtedly the lie-flat seats that can be customized to any incline. For turn-down service, a flight attendant added a mattress pad and a velvety blanket to my seat. Again, I enjoyed even more food. I wasn't ever hungry for long on my Turkish Airlines flight. Kaila Yu Turkish Airlines really stands out for its food offerings, in my opinion. I really enjoyed selecting appetizers from a meal cart of options. On this flight, I chose the Caesar salad, shrimp salad, roasted eggplant, and cauliflower soup. I especially enjoyed the savory soup. For my main entree, I ordered a pasta dish with shrimp, which was heavily cheesed to my liking. Overall, Turkish Airlines really impressed me especially when it came to food. Turkish Airlines had some great food in its Istanbul lounge. Kaila Yu I loved the flight, especially the last leg with the plush seats. The meals I ate throughout my travel journey were impressive, and I can see why the airline has been nominated for several food awards. I would fly with Turkish Airlines again and revisit its Istanbul lounge just to eat. Read the original article on Business Insider A Cook resident walks through flood waters on River Street on Friday, June 21, 2024. Photo by Jerry Burnes/Iron Range Today. Minnesota lawmakers, who adjourned last month, have begun calling for a special legislative session to confront the destruction of rising floodwaters, as residents, businesses and managers of key infrastructure especially water systems begin cleaning up while bracing for more. State Sen. Grant Hauschild, a Democrat who represents a northeast swing district thats been deluged in recent weeks, said on X Monday that a special session limited to disaster recovery and an infrastructure bill just makes sense. Hours earlier, Gov. Tim Walz said he was open to a special legislative session. Even as legislators began mulling a return to St. Paul, Minnesotans watched spectacular images of the partial failure of the the Rapidan Dam near Mankato. Rapidan Dam this morning. pic.twitter.com/u1iJJOftr0 Jason Leary (@jasonlcvcmn) June 24, 2024 The Star Tribune reported that the west bank of the century-old dam had already washed out, along with several nearby buildings, sending construction material and trees downstream, as the Blue Earth River continued to rise after heavy rains fell on the region over the last several days. Local officials worried the dam could fail but now think it will survive. We believe its intact and it will hold, Eric Weller, emergency management director for Blue Earth County, told the Star Tribune. Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar are scheduled to provide an update Tuesday afternoon on conditions in southern Minnesota following an aerial survey, Walzs office said in a release. Late last week, Walz toured communities in northeast Minnesota that are also getting hammered with rain and flooding, as Jerry Burnes of Iron Range Today reported. Theresa Drift, a local homeless advocate, told Jerry Burnes of Iron Range Today that she thought her home was safe when only minor rainwater seeped into the basement until it wasnt anymore and three or four feet of sewage poured in from her toilets and sinks. Drift and her family were temporarily staying with a friend. I work with homeless people and now Im homeless, Drift told Walz, fighting back tears, as state officials toured one of the hardest hit areas on the Iron Range after several inches of rain flooded the area earlier in the week. Former state Sen. Tom Bakk, who represented Cook for decades, said he hadnt seen water like this since the flood of 1970. Walz said that the damage across the state could rival the 1997 Red River flooding that devastated many cities along the Minnesota-North Dakota border. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, did not respond late Monday to text messages about a special session. Special sessions can be politically tricky: Only Walz can call a special session, but once lawmakers return to St. Paul, they decide on their own adjournment, which means it can turn into a free-for-fall of political grandstanding and gamesmanship. Lakeville Republican state Sen. Zach Duckworth hinted as much Monday, calling for a special session on X that would roll back Democratic spending priorities and use the money on disaster assistance. Minnesotans would be well served by a special session to reconsider how much of the $19.5 Billion surplus commitments can be deferred or diverted to emergency disaster relief and critical infrastructure. We should invest in rebuilding our communities and keeping our people safe. Often governors and legislative leaders work out an agreement ahead of time to keep a special sessions legislation and timeline tightly constrained. The flooding comes after recent years of drought. The drought of 2021 was one of the most severe in 40 years, the Department of Natural Resources reported. The post Flooding news roundup; special legislative session comes into view appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida father was charged with child neglect after his 15-month-old daughter overdosed on marijuana over the weekend, the Flagler County Sheriffs Office said. On Sunday, deputies responded to a Bunnell home after a man said his nieces child, who was visiting her dad, had to be taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Pub-sub thieves: Couple accused of stealing sandwiches from Florida Publix It was later discovered that the girl was hospitalized for ingesting marijuana that her dad, Cody Spiegelhalter, 26, left out at the residence. Deputies arrived at the home to speak to Spieglehalter, finding the home to be covered in garbage, dog feces and urine, along with exposed nails and plumbing, and no working A/C. The father told officials he had rolled a marijuana cigarette and set it down to use the bathroom. When he got back, he said his daughter had eaten most of it and began having medical issues, so he took her to the hospital. Man killed in shootout with deputies after killing mom, 2 other women in Manatee County shooting spree In the home, deputies found loose marijuana scattered all over, within reach of a toddler, along with mushroom and THC wax. The childs current condition is unknown. Spieglehalter was arrested for child neglect without great bodily harm and taken to a nearby jail on no bond. This could have had a tragic ending. Thankfully, this child was removed from this very unhealthy environment, Sheriff Staly said. Based on his irresponsibility, this guy will never be Father of the Year or even for a day, and he will be spending time at the Green Roof Inn where he belongs. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Facing tight finances and shrinking student enrollment, K-12 districts across Florida are making the politically unpopular move of shutting down schools. After a year of stop-and-go planning along with dissent on the school board, Hillsborough closed one elementary school in 2023, made districtwide boundary changes for the coming school year and closed five more schools. The Miami-Dade County school board voted Tuesday to close two underenrolled schools, while the board in neighboring Broward County agreed to shutter at least five schools by fall 2025. Duval County school officials have proposed closing as many as 30 schools to bridge a $1.4 billion budget gap. Pinellas and Pasco counties have undercapacity schools, too. They also face budgetary constraints from rising costs and the end of federal pandemic relief funds. Yet discussion over school closures has not roiled these two districts in the same way it has elsewhere. Nobody is talking, for instance, about the two Pinellas high schools within 3 miles of each other Gibbs and Boca Ciega sitting half full while St. Petersburg High, also within 3 miles, hovers around 98% capacity. Few in the community would entertain closing the cultural institution that a high school represents to its neighborhoods, Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said. Conversation over whether to close Pascos rural Lacoochee Elementary, also half full and shrinking, ran into a wall six years ago and has not returned to the school board, which considers the idea harmful to the community the school serves. Officials in each district say they have less divisive ways to deal with capacity questions. Its a sensitive topic that we have to look at carefully, said Betsy Kuhn, Pascos assistant superintendent for support services. Shrinking Pinellas Unlike Hillsborough and Pasco, which have fast-growing regions and increasing competition from charter schools and voucher programs, Pinellas is experiencing a slow and steady enrollment decrease. Its student count has dipped by more than 12,000 over the past decade not because of mass migration to other schools but primarily because the population is aging as the birth rate declines. This past year, the district graduated about 7,400 seniors and welcomed about 6,200 kindergartners, Hendrick said, explaining how the trend will likely continue. As a result, though about a quarter of the districts schools sit at or above 85% capacity, nearly half of the campuses are at less than 70%, according to district data, with about a tenth of those at 50% or less. There is a lot of shrinking going on in Pinellas County, board member Lisa Cane said. Rather than just closing, were repurposing to benefit the community. That means putting space to better use, rather than letting it sit vacant. For instance, Gibbs and Boca Ciega high schools provide health department clinics for their neighborhoods, and most elementary schools have added prekindergarten and 3-year-old programs that dont count as official enrollment but bring more children into classrooms. Two moves announced in the past year generated little pushback. In April, the administration unveiled a plan to close the Pinellas Secondary alternative school, which had 79 students, sending them to other campuses that also had open seats. It then will convert the school in Pinellas Park to a child care center for employees. In May, district officials told the school board it would merge neighboring Walsingham and Southern Oak elementary schools, which were at 55% and 71% of capacity respectively, into a single K-8 campus. Over time, the district has closed some traditional schools, as it did with Riviera Middle during the financial downturn of 2008. It also has found ways to reenter resurgent areas in different ways, such as a new YMCA partnership school in the spot where Riviera once stood. As school enrollments have declined, the district has reduced staffing accordingly, said 24-year school board member Carol Cook. All of which has kept costs in line, allowing Pinellas to avoid debt and maintain a relatively stable environment. Hendrick said he was hopeful that workforce housing initiatives in areas where schools have shrunk, such as near Lakewood Elementary in south St. Petersburg (59% capacity) and McMullen Booth Elementary in Clearwater (52%), will bring more students. With that possibility, he said, it isnt the best idea to shutter an underused school that might be needed within a few years. Pasco officials share that viewpoint. Growing Pasco Pasco is one of the nations fastest-growing counties by raw count, according to the U.S. Census. The school districts enrollment has climbed by about 17,000 students during the past decade, with projections anticipating another 13,000 by 2032. More than half the districts high schools exceed 90% capacity, and it has started collaborating with charter schools to get more classrooms built quickly. The school board is asking the county commission to raise school impact fees by nearly 50% to help cope with the continued increase. Still, Pasco has pockets of decline near the U.S. 19 corridor, where four middle schools sit below 75% capacity and a handful of elementary schools with adjacent boundaries have dipped close to 60%. In recent years, officials have taken steps to address underused campuses. They closed the aging Moore-Mickens Education Center 10 years ago, converted Ridgewood High School into a career-technical high school six years ago, shuttered long-struggling Hudson Elementary four years ago and reassigned all students out of Mittye P. Locke Elementary two years ago, transforming the campus into an early learning center. We continue to look at the capacity of schools and recommend closures when its appropriate, Superintendent Kurt Browning said, adding that he remains open to revisiting Lacoochees status if he can get board support. The effort has its limits, though, Browning said, because of the rapid growth. For example, he sounded reluctant to close Crews Lake Middle in Shady Hills, which has been around half full since it opened, except for the year it housed Shady Hills Elementary while that school was renovated. Growth is moving north along U.S. 41, meaning the impact is coming to Crews Lake, he said. Similarly, he and other officials did not want to consolidate other schools or otherwise reduce the inventory too much for the same reasons. What happens when we need that space? board chairperson Megan Harding said. At the same time, theyve had little appetite to redraw attendance zones to better balance enrollment, following acrimonious attempts to do so in 2016 and 2017. Better, they suggested, to keep the long view in mind and act accordingly. Candidates to replace Browning, whos retiring as superintendent in November, said they would focus on providing programs that attract more students to the underused schools, rather than closing them. In November 2022, a Florida woman directed a Cuban migrant smuggling venture using a boat overloaded with passengers without life vests, according to U.S. authorities. Sixteen of the Cuban passengers drowned when the vessel sank 30 miles off the coast of Cuba while it was heading towards South Florida, authorities said. Four of the deceased migrants bodies were recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Florida Straits. One of the two survivors told authorities that the vessel was not safe. Yaqulelin Dominguez-Nieves, 25, is being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami on migrant smuggling charges stemming from the tragic crossing after a magistrate judge on Friday found the Sebring woman to be a flight risk. She also pleaded not guilty to a 10-count indictment accusing her of conspiring to bring the Cuban migrants to South Florida on Nov. 16, 2022, resulting in the 16 passenger deaths, and to related offenses. Dominguez-Nieves, who is represented by the federal public defenders office, faces a potential death penalty or up to life in prison as punishment for most of the counts in the indictment, which lists three migrant victims whose bodies were recovered at sea by the Coast Guard. The Justice Department will have final say over whether to pursue the death penalty for Dominguez-Nieves, who was not on the boat during the illicit trip. Her attorney with the public defenders office, Victor Van Dyke, could not be reached for comment on Monday. Human smugglers prey on the migrants hopes for a better life, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe said in a statement after Fridays arraignment in Miami federal court. Tragically, the smugglers exploits pose a grave danger to migrants. Cuba, beset by a worsening economic and political crisis, has experienced historic migration in the past two fiscal years. Nearly 425,000 Cubans have sought coming to the United States, mainly through Mexico, according to U.S. border numbers released in October. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 200,287 encounters with Cubans at U.S. borders nationwide in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September. In fiscal year 2022, CBP had reported another 224,607 encounters with Cuban nationals. In another deadly migrant case, a Bahamian man is awaiting extradition to Miami on charges of conspiring to bring a boat overloaded with Colombians, Jamaicans, Dominicans and Haitians to South Florida. Vandrick Nelson Smith, also known as Muggy and Vans, 33, was arrested in March for his alleged role in organizing three maritime smuggling trips in 2021 and 2022 including one that resulted in the deaths of five migrants. On the evening of Jan. 22, 2022, according to an indictment, numerous migrants boarded a vessel in the Bahamas destined for South Florida for an illegal crossing organized by Smith. Soon after departing, the engines stopped functioning and the boat capsized. Three days later, the indictment states that the Coast Guard rescued the sole surviving migrant, who was found clinging to the top of the overturned vessel. The Coast Guard also recovered the bodies of multiple passengers at sea. In participating states, low-income families will receive $40 each month for each eligible school-aged child, up to $120, to buy groceries, beginning in the summer of 2024. Shown is a sign at a grocery store noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, cards, on Dec. 4, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) By July 10, most children in Arkansas will be well into their second month of summer break with five weeks of sunny, schoolless days under their belts, but some children will have spent those weeks without a reliable source of food. Arkansas has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the nation and is one of only a few southern states that opted into a new summer food aid program, but the state Department of Human Services wont get cards to participants until the second week of July. Three dozen states are participating in a new federal food assistance program called the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer, or Summer EBT. The program is modeled off a similar service implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arkansas Department of Human Services is administering the cards, and spokesperson Gavin Lesnick said there have not been any delays in the distribution plan. The July 10 date reflects the time it takes to stand up a new program, to collect the data on eligible students, and to produce and distribute the cards, he said. The day students will receive their cards varies state to state. For example, children in Tennessee can expect their card within 15 days of an approved application submitted after May 31. In Kansas, eligible children arent expected to get their cards until late July. Students who qualify for the program will receive $120 on a pre-loaded card to use for groceries, similar to whats used for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Multiple children in one family can receive a card, though they each have to apply on their own basis. The card can be used to buy fruits, vegetables, dairy products and grains at participating grocery stores and farmers market booths. More than 250,000 students in Arkansas were automatically eligible for the new program because they qualified for SNAP or the free- and reduced-lunch program. DHS had received an additional 2,320 applicants as of June 19, Lesnick said. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement to receive the federal assistance. The benefits will also not affect a familys ability to remain in the country, get or keep permanent legal resident status, or stop the process of becoming a citizen. The July 10 issuance date in Arkansas was a concern that couldnt be helped, said Patty Barker, a staff member of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the No Kid Hungry Arkansas campaign director. With kids at home during the summer, families can see an increase in their grocery bills as another pull on their monthly budget, Barker said. The Summer EBT program is intended to be used in tandem with other assistance programs including summer meal sites, SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Arkansas participates in other summer meal programs, and residents can find a participating location by texting Food to 304304. Lesnick said he anticipates the state to continue the Summer EBT program next year, though a final decision has not yet been made. Barker said she hopes to see the issuance date get closer to the end of the school year if the program continues. Applications for Summer EBT will remain open until Aug. 26 and benefits last for 122 days after issuance. The latest benefits will be issued in Arkansas on Sept. 30. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Editors Note: This story links to footage that some readers may find disturbing. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Authorities have released body camera footage and identities of four Vancouver police officers in the fatal shooting of a man in the middle of the night on June 17. The officers opened fire on 40-year-old Jonathan West Nelson, whom police say pointed a gun at people in a McDonalds parking lot on Northeast Andersen Road. Shin Shin food factory a total loss after grease fire, still smoking next morning Sgt. James Kelly, Officer Jason Haigwood, Officer Justin Reiner, and Officer Philip Wilkening are all on critical incident leave while an investigation into the shooting continues. Authorities released the body camera footage from each of the officers Tuesday afternoon. It can be seen on the Vancouver Police Departments website. According to Vancouver police, Sgt. Kelly has been with the department since August 2015 and was promoted to his role in January 2022. Officers Haigwood, Reiner and Wilkening all joined the department between November 2019 and July 2020. A suspect is dead after he was shot by Vancouver police officers on June 17, 2024 (KOIN) Vancouver police shot and killed a suspect along NE Andresen Road, June 17, 2024 (KOIN) The officers responded to the scene around 1 a.m. and said Nelson had not responded to commands when they arrived, so they released a K9 on him. The man then allegedly pointed the gun at law enforcement, and the four police officers fired their weapons. They also shot the dog in the tail by mistake, officials said. New York Times names Portland-area pizzeria among best in US Authorities said they tried to aid Nelson at the scene, but he was declared dead by hospital staff. The Clark County Medical Examiners Office determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds on the public sidewalk. The dog underwent surgery on its tail and returned home the following day. The Clark County Sheriffs Office is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Ringgold County Conservation's Dragoon Trace Nature Center in Mount Ayr, Iowa. (Photo courtesy Ringgold County Conservation) The former director of conservation for Ringgold County is suing the county for alleged discrimination, defamation and malicious prosecution. Kathryn Mortensen Zimmerman is suing the county, the board of supervisors, the county auditor, a county deputy and an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation employee in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. According to her lawsuit, Zimmerman began working for the county in 2010 as the director of Ringgold County Conservation, which maintains three public parks for camping. Beginning in January 2021, she alleges, the supervisors, particularly Colby Holmes, engaged in a pattern of gender discrimination, sexual discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, harassment, slander and defamation. The lawsuit alleges Holmes fabricated and disseminated false information pertaining to Zimmermans work ethic, character and competence, while stating at a board meeting that she would be better off as a janitor. Holmes is also accused of falsely claiming Zimmerman hid money within her budget and used it on personal expenses, and of telling the countys conservation board it isnt right that (Zimmerman) is making more money than some other male employees, according to the lawsuit. Holmes is also alleged to have posted a hostile comment to Facebook alleging Zimmerman could not do her job and should leave. The lawsuit alleges that after Zimmerman filed complaints about Holmes with the county auditor, county attorney and the Iowa Public Information Board, Holmes urged the conservation board to reduce her compensation for overtime. In December 2022, the lawsuit alleges, Holmes intentionally physically assaulted (Zimmerman) with his vehicle and yelled, move your ass! and get out of the way! The lawsuit claims that after Zimmerman filed a police complaint on the matter, she was investigated by the DCI and charged with filing a false police report. According to the police report in that case, Zimmerman claimed Holmes struck her with his vehicle a statement that police say was contradicted by witnesses and by Zimmermans own initial statement to officers. A second criminal charge against Zimmerman alleged interference with official acts. According to an April 2023 press release from the DCI, that charge stemmed from a Dec. 5, 2022, incident at Poe Hollow Park. According to the DCI, Zimmerman refused Ringgold County deputies and bomb technicians entrance to the park so they could work on an explosive device found earlier that morning. Court records indicate the two criminal charges are still pending, with no trial date set. Due to the alleged hostile work environment in the county, the lawsuit alleges, Zimmerman was constructively discharged in February 2023. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for sexual discrimination, retaliation, defamation and malicious prosecution. The county and the DCI have yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The post Former conservation director, facing criminal charges, sues for malicious prosecution appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Former deputy sentenced to over two years in prison after beating arrestee in the head MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WRBL) The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Alabama said a former Alabama sheriffs deputy was sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of beating a detained individual in the head and causing multiple injuries. According to the attorneys office, 33-year-old Blake Hicks received 29 months in prison along with three years of supervised release for depriving an arrestee of their civil rights. Based on court records and statements made during his trial, Hicks used unreasonable force against the person who was detained. The U.S. Attorneys Office says Hicks went as far as punching and kicking the person in the head while they were already handcuffed and lying on the ground debilitated. Following the incident, the arrestee suffered from a broken cheekbone, concussion, and lacerations. The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Berstein, Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer with the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Alabama. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, speaks during a financial conference at the Hilton Hotel in Frankfurt. Former EIB president Werner Hoyer facing corruption investigation. Arne Dedert/dpa The former president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Werner Hoyer is under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), his lawyer confirmed to dpa on Tuesday. The EPPO is investigating corruption, abuse of influence and "misappropriation of EU funds," according to a statement released on Monday. The probe centres around a severance payment for a former employee of the EIB that Hoyer signed off on, according to Hoyer's lawyer, Nikolaos Gazeas. As is usual practice, the director general of Human Resources and the secretary general of the EIB discussed a termination agreement for an employee, Gazeas said. A memorandum was then presented to Hoyer to end the person's employment at the EIB and pay a severance payment to the negotiated amount, Gazeas said. Hoyer agreed to the decision. Gazeas added that as the legal requirements for the EPPO to initiate a criminal investigation are very low, it is not unusual for the signatory of a contract to be involved in an investigation. The EIB agreed to lift the immunity of Hoyer and another former employee of the bank based in Luxembourg. This was expressly asked for by Hoyer to clarify the allegations. The allegations are "completely absurd and unfounded," said Hoyer. "I now expect a comprehensive clarification and ask the EIB to cooperate fully with the EPPO." Hoyer, 72, was in charge of the EIB from 2012 until the end of 2023. PENN YAN, N.Y. (WETM) A former Horseheads Village Trustee was sentenced in a Yates County Court on Tuesday almost a year after a DWI crash sent several people to the hospital. According to the Yates County District Attorneys Office, Mark Cronin was sentenced to six months in jail, five years of probation, fines of $1000, and the loss of his license for a year following sentencing on Tuesday morning, June 25. Former Horseheads Trustee pleads guilty to July 4 DWI crash Cronin pleaded guilty to vehicular assault in the first degree, a class D felony, and DWI on April 9, after rejecting a plea deal in December. According to the Yates County Sheriffs Office and Cronins indictment, Cronin was driving a pickup truck on Second Milo Road around 9 p.m. on July 4, 2023, while under the influence of alcohol and didnt stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Second Milo Road and Old Bath Road. Cronins truck hit a vehicle with two adults and six children inside. The indictment said that five of the people inside of the vehicle were severely injured. Original Post: Six kids, two adults in hospital after alleged DWI crash near Penn Yan Following the indictment, Cronin was removed from his position as Horseheads Village Trustee on April 9 by Mayor Kevin Adams and immediately appointed Ron Finefrock to the board at the time the seat was vacated. Along with Cronins sentencing, he was ordered to attend the victims impact pane, and the impaired driver program, install an ignition interlock to his vehicle, and pay a DNA fee and sample. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Former judge Melissa Boyd back in jail again MEMPHIS, Tenn. Former judge Andrewnetta Melissa Boyd was back in Shelby County jail custody again Monday, records show. Boyd was booked Monday. A new case filed against her shows charges of violation of a protection order contempt, and harassment. The victim filed a police report Monday morning, saying Boyd continued to contact her. Back in May, Boyd was booked into jail on a harassment charge after the victim in the original case said the former judge violated her agreement to stay away from her. Former county judge Melissa Boyd back in jail A month before that, Boyd violated her bond conditions. Court documents stated she failed a drug test, and had alcohol and cocaine in her system. Boyd pleaded guilty April 5 to a harassment charge and was given diversion. Former judge Melissa Boyd pleads guilty, will undergo treatment She resigned as a Shelby County criminal court judge in early April, while under fire for both the criminal charges and for repeated allegations of drug and alcohol abuse. The state General Assembly was set to vote on her removal from the bench. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Former Shelby County criminal court judge Melissa Boyd, who was once tasked with upholding the law, is back in trouble with the law after being arrested again. Boyd was back in court Tuesday morning, but she was not donning a judicial robe. Instead, she was wearing a jail-issued uniform. The one-time judge who made about $17,000 a month plus benefits, according to court records, is now asking for a public defender court-appointed counsel requested when someone is unable to afford a private attorney. Boyd stood before Judge Greg Gilbert. This time it is alleged Melissa Boyd violated an order of protection and harrassment. The former judges ex-girlfriend allegedly told police that Boyd would not leave her alone. According to a police affidavit, one week ago, a woman who identified herself in the report as Boyds ex-girlfriend, walked into a police precinct, saying there was a violation of an order of protection. The victim told detectives that Boyd, who is prohibited by the court from contacting her, ignored the order. Former judge Melissa Boyd back in jail again The victim shared with police voice messages and emails Boyd allegedly sent, which in turn sent the 60-year-old back to lockup. The former judge and the presiding judge shared a cordial conversation as Judge Gilbert asked how she was doing, while also offering a bit of unsolicited advice. I dont know who the young lady is youve been talking to, but maybe you dont talk to her. But anyway Im just going to recuse myself, said Judge Gilbert. Boyd was then escorted out. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. For now, she will remain in custody. She will soon face Judge Anderson as she heads back to veterans court. Melissa Boyd is back in jail on a $2,500 bond. She is set to have a bail review hearing on Wednesday morning. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Capt. Richard A. Zaszewski, a former Virginia Beach-based commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group Eight, went before a judge on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to a DWI. Leader of SEAL Group 8 fired after DWI arrest On Jan. 19 around 3 a.m., Zaszewski was pulled over, with court records stating he was weaving in and out of lane, and was unable to maintain a traffic stop. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of .18, more than twice the legal limit of .8. According to a press release from the Navy, Zaszewski was relieved of his role as the commanding officer of SEAL Group 8 on March 20, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command. The report stated Zaszewski failed to initially report the infraction to his bosses. As a part of the plea, Zaszewski will serve five days behind bars, six months probation with good behavior and pay a $250 fine. He is also required to use an ignition interlock device for 12 months. Zaszewski will surrender to the sheriffs department on July 8 to serve the five-day sentence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Aisha Carr, Milwaukee Board of School director for District 4, makes remarks in January as the directors discuss whether to put a referendum on the spring ballot, asking voters to raise taxes for more school funding. Former Milwaukee School Board member Aisha Carr is facing felony charges of fraud and misconduct in office, according to court records filed Tuesday. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office has been investigating for months whether Carr lied about living in the district she was elected to represent, which would be a violation of state law. Carr resigned from the school board May 1 without providing an explanation. In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, the district attorney's office alleged that multiple records, including phone data and utility payments, suggest Carr was living at an address outside the district she represented on the board. Carr told investigators she was using that apartment for work, according to the complaint. Carr, who had shared publicly that she did not live in District 4 while she was campaigning for the north side board seat in 2021, said she was going to move to the district before she was sworn in. She has maintained since then that she lived in District 4 during her term. Carr didnt immediately respond to a message from the Journal Sentinel on Tuesday. Dan Adams, a private defense attorney who led an effort opposing the Milwaukee Public Schools referendum, told the Journal Sentinel on Tuesday he is representing Carr in the case. Carr also opposed the referendum. Aisha Carr, a hero to many in Milwaukee and a champion of our communitys children, is being forced to face criminal allegations," Adams said in an emailed statement. "Let me be clear: Ms. Carr is guilty of nothing more than being a working-class woman who stood up for kids and sought straight answers from Milwaukees failed education bureaucracy. There will be no end to our fight to vindicate Ms. Carr. An initial appearance in the case is scheduled for July 27. District Attorney's Office looked at Carr's cell phone data, utilities and voting locations According to court records, Carr updated her driver's license to a District 4 address in April 2021, the month she won her election. However, the district attorney's office asserted there was evidence that Carr didn't move into District 4 until much later. Investigators obtained records from WE Energies and Charter Communications that showed Carr was responsible for utilities at an address outside District 4 into March 2023. The property owner at that address told an investigator Carr continued to rent the apartment until March 2023, according to the complaint in the case. Investigators also obtained Carr's AT&T phone data, with a warrant, which they said showed Carr's cell phone wasn't connected to a tower "consistent with her living" in District 4 until after March 2023. Additionally, voting records show Carr voted outside District 4 in February 2022, November 2022 and April 2023. When the Journal Sentinel inquired in September about Carr's voting locations, Carr said she had issues at the polls: "My voter registration was changed twice and one year, I went to two different polling sites only to be told I wasn't registered there," she said in a text message. She continued: "The attacks and pursuit of nothing is ridiculous. I honor my oath and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that." This April, records show Carr voted in District 4. Carr told investigators she moved to District 4 when she won her election, according to complaint According to the complaint filed in the case, an investigator for the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office interviewed Carr on March 8. Carr told the investigator she had moved to District 4 in April 2021, when she was elected, but did not pay rent at the District 4 home because it was owned by her cousin. Carr provided a November 2022 bank statement that listed that District 4 address, according to the complaint. Carr told the investigator she had continued paying utilities at her previous apartment because she used it for work and conducting Zoom meetings, according to the complaint. When investigators reached Carr's cousin, the cousin said Carr never lived at the District 4 address, according to the complaint. Carr faces two felony charges with possible fines and prison time The charge of misconduct in office, a Class I felony, carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and two years of extended supervision. Carr is also charged with theft by false representation, or fraud, a Class G felony that carries a maximum fine of $25,000 and maximum penalty of five years in prison and five years of extended supervision. The theft charge stems from allegations that Carr collected a salary for her position on the school board that she "could not lawfully hold." Carr told the investigator from the district attorney's office that she had put the money from her board salary into an account for a future charitable organization she wants to create, according to the complaint. Last year, a school board member in the Hartland-Lakeside School District who was accused of using his father's address on his campaign forms was charged with misdemeanor counts of election fraud. He was sentenced to 30 days at Waukesha County's Huber Facility. Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former MPS board member Aisha Carr charged with misconduct, fraud The abrupt firing of BettyLou DeCroce as Dover administrator last month has resulted in a $15 million whistleblower lawsuit against the town and its mayor. The former assemblywoman initiated a lawsuit that states Mayor James Dodd fired her for refusing to suspend the police chief for criticizing him during a public meeting in February. An amended notice of tort claim further states the "retaliatory and defamatory statements" by Dodd and others at a May 7 council meeting caused DeCroce financial losses, emotional distress and damage to her reputation. Those statements "spread far and wide in the press and on social media, permanently damaging her reputation and holding her up to ridicule and scorn in the region," the lawsuit states. "She was a whistleblower, that's what this case is about," DeCroce's attorney, Neil Mullin, told the Daily Record. A statement from Dodd states the tort claim is "baseless," contains "false claims" and "is nothing less than an attempted money grab by a public official." Dodd said DeCroce "presided over herself obtaining an unearned $60,000 raise to bring her salary in excessive of $240,000 per year making her one of the highest paid administrators of any town this size throughout the state of New Jersey for a part-time position, which is how she and the prior administration classified her title in the state pension system." Dover Mayor James Dodd in 2018. DeCroce's ouster came as part of sweeping changes to the town administration made by Dodd shortly after he regained the office he lost in 2019, ending a turbulent 12-year run as mayor. Last year, Dodd turned the tide on Carolyn Blackman, who defeated him in a close and brutal 2019 election. Dodd's decisive 2023 primary victory paved the way for an easy general election win in the Democrat-dominated town. Shortly after taking office in January, Dodd hired a new town attorney, Ramon Rivera, a new clerk, Tara Pettoni, and named former jail warden Ronald Edwards to the newly created position of director of professional standards, accountability and cybersecurity. Pettoni was later named interim administrator following DeCroce's exit. Mayor Dodd's clash with police chief Dodd also clashed with Police Chief Jonathan Delaney after Councilman Sergio Rodriguez was arrested and charged with harassing homeless men he alleged were drinking in public. Rodriguez is a Dodd ally. That led to a confrontation at a Feb. 26 council meeting involving Delaney, Dodd and Rodriguez. Addressing Delaney, who was in the audience that night, Rodriguez said he wanted "the people around this town to respect our police. I don't want them saying 'Hey, Dover, we can do whatever we want there.' Because let's face it, that's what's being said. And I don't like it." Delaney stood during the meeting and said Dover has "some of the hardest-working officers in the state of New Jersey, if not the nation. They have families, too." DeCroce later issued a letter of reprimand to Delaney for speaking at the meeting without being recognized. The lawsuit states Dodd wanted the chief to be suspended. The tort claim states Dodd told DeCroce "he was worried that Chief Delaney would shoot him." DeCroce refused to initiate the suspension, saying she spoke with the town attorney, who told her Delaney's actions did not warrant suspension. 'Retaliatory' termination? About a month later, on March 28, Dodd informed DeCroce she was being placed on paid administrative leave with the intent of terminating her employment. DeCroce invoked her right to have the council discuss her case during a public meeting in which they passed a resolution to terminate her by a vote of 7-0, with council members Karol Ruiz and Sandra Wittner abstaining. DeCroce's lawsuit details "defamatory statements" by Dodd during that meeting, in which they claim he misrepresented her 22 years as a municipal clerk in Roxbury, which included more than a year serving as acting administrator. "There was absolutely no retaliation in connection with the termination of the administrator," Dodd's statement reads. "Simply put, while we did not legally need a reason to terminate her employment because she served at the pleasure of the governing body, I will say that her performance was extremely poor and was extremely hurtful to the town of Dover. Therefore, we had no choice but to let her go." DeCroce's 10 years in NJ Assembly DeCroce replaced her late husband, Alex DeCroce, in the New Jersey Assembly, where he served as Republican leader before his sudden death in 2012. She spent 10 years in the Assembly and served six years as director of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Blackman hired her as Dover administrator in December 2022. Dodd has blamed the town's serious financial issues some of which can be traced to the COVID lockdown on Blackman and her administration. "I could have fired BettyLou DeCroce on Day One," Dodd said during the May 7 council meeting. "I gave her a chance to prove herself. She didn't do it. Over the past three months, the things we've uncovered, it became painfully obvious that the job we need to be done in that position wasn't happening." Those and other comments amount to "defamatory statements regarding Ms. DeCroce's experience, job performance and character," the lawsuit states. "It wasn't enough that they fired her, they smeared her reputation at that public meeting," Mullin said. Dodd's statement reads that DeCroce's claims of defamation are "without any basis in reality." "DeCroce does not refute the May 7 statement made by a councilman, who was present during the prior administration, that Mayor Blackman and the previous council were on the brink of terminating DeCroces employment and would have done so had I not been elected," Dodd wrote. The suit seeks $15 million The lawsuit seeks $15 million in "compensatory and punitive damages, interest and attorney's fees." "New Jersey has one of the most protective and far-reaching whistleblower laws in the nation," Mullin said. "When you have an employee who's courageous enough to stand up to folks in power, who were violating the police chief's rights, I think she should be commended rather than being fired." "The town will vigorously defend any legal action brought by her and connection with this matter and will explore frivolous litigation penalties under the newly enacted anti-SLAPP Act if DeCroce brings to a court the frivolous allegations of defamation as set out in her tort claims act notice," Dodd stated. This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Former NJ assemblywoman files $15M lawsuit against Dover, mayor Former nurse practitioner arrested in Alexandria gets prison in deal, surrenders license A former psychiatric nurse practitioner accused of trading drugs and cash for sex pleaded guilty to reduced charges Monday, surrendering his license as part of the deal. A former psychiatric nurse practitioner accused of trading drugs and cash for sex pleaded guilty to reduced charges Monday, surrendering his license as part of the deal. Mark Damian DeClouet, 42, will report to jail to begin a two-year sentence with the Louisiana Department of Corrections on July 24. He was before 9th Judicial District Court Judge Patricia Koch on Monday morning, the date set for him either to agree to a plea deal or set a date for trial on seven felony charges. DeClouet had been arrested in February 2022 by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, accused of paying men to bring him females for sex, according to a news release at the time. "This was a gentlemen who was supposed to be helping people with their problems, their issues," said Sheriff Mark Wood during a press conference after his arrest. "Instead, he was taking advantage of them." Mark Damian DeClouet case: Alexandria psychiatric nurse practitioner accused of human trafficking Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office: Armed robbery suspect shoots self after high-speed chase DeClouet was formally charged in October 2022 with three counts of criminal conspiracy, three counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance III and one count of human trafficking. He pleaded guilty to three charges, all reduced but still felonies. Koch sentenced him to five years at hard labor on one count of obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud and two years at hard labor on each charge of possession of a controlled dangerous substance II and possession of a controlled dangerous substance III. He agreed to surrender his license to practice and agreed to accept whatever decision the Louisiana Board of Nursing might render in his case. The remaining charges one each of human trafficking, criminal conspiracy and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance III were dropped, said Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Charles Johnson. In May 2022, DeClouet had agreed to abide by the board's order to suspend his registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurse licenses pending the completion of the criminal investigation. DeClouet had practiced in Arizona, as well as in Lafayette and Rapides parishes. He also dabbled in politics in Lafayette Parish. When he was arrested, law enforcement suspected there could be more victims than they knew about, so Wood and Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain urged any other potential victims to come forward. Law enforcement had received complaints about him in November 2021, and he was stopped by agents with the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement Unit (RADE) as he allegedly was enroute to distribute suboxone films. A search warrant served at his Alexandria home found that drug, along with fentanyl, meth and drug paraphernalia. Because of the plea deal, DeClouet cannot appeal his sentence. His New Orleans-based attorney, Craig Mordock, said he was reserving the right to come back to court after rules for credit on time served for good behavior change on Aug. 1. Currently, inmates convicted of non-violent offenses can get 13 days of credit for every week of good behavior. DeClouet will report to a Rapides Parish jail facility on July 24 to begin his sentence. He requested to serve it in Lafayette Parish. Koch did recommend that, but the Department of Corrections will make the final determination. This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Mark DeClouet gets 2 years in deal that sees him surrender NP license Former President Jimmy Carter Dubbed An 'Outlier' After 16 Months On Hospice Former President Jimmy Carter continues to defy expectations after surpassing 16 months under hospice care. This milestone defies medical predictions and is prompting admiration worldwide. Jimmy Carter's resilience and spirit have made him an "outlier" in the face of health challenges, defying initial concerns when he first entered hospice care. Former President Jimmy Carter Shatters Expectations Of Hospice Care MEGA The Former President entered hospice care in February 2023 after halting aggressive treatment for metastatic melanoma. He has surpassed expectations as he approaches his 100th birthday this October. Despite initial prognoses, Carter has not only celebrated his 99th birthday but also faced personal tragedy with the passing of his wife, Rosalynn Carter. Angela Novas, senior medical officer of the Hospice Foundation of America, emphasized the widespread misunderstanding surrounding hospice care despite its benefits, stressing the importance of advanced care planning. She also pointed out that Carter's decision to choose hospice care instead of continuing ineffective treatments has brought significant attention to the importance and benefits of hospice and palliative care. Novas explained further, "By outliving his initial prognosis and by receiving hospice care for over a year now, he has done much to dispel the myth that hospice is only for people who are bedbound and actively dying." Dr. Joan Teno, an expert in geriatric care, highlighted Carter's exceptional survival on hospice. Describing Carter as an "Outlier," she noted in an email to UPI that "only a small percentage of hospice patients survive more than 15 months." She attributed Carter's longevity to "excellent medical care" and his "will to live," underscoring hospice's focus on enhancing quality of life for those with a limited life expectancy. Expert Weighs In On The Former President's Hospice Journey MEGA Despite not having direct information about Carter's condition, Teno shared her insights on his possible health trajectory. "I suspect that President Carter is following the disease trajectory of [metastatic melanoma, which leads to] progressive fragility, where he needs help in his everyday functions and uses a wheelchair," the doctor shared. Drawing from family members' comments, Teno suggested that Carter likely spends "most of his days sleeping." The adjunct professor at Brown University's School of Public Health also noted that hospice patients who become less alert and sleep more are nearing the end of life. Jimmy Carter's First Anniversary Of Hospice Care MEGA As Carter marked one year in hospice care in February, his remarkable endurance was widely praised. The Blast reported that Professor Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University, was among those who commended him. During his appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Brinkley remarked: "It is tough when you're 99, but Carter has a lot of will. He's alert and eating and has an ability to understand what's going on around him. I'm hoping he makes it to October 1st, 2024, so we can have Jimmy Carter at 100 years old, and we can celebrate." The Presidential Historian expressed awe at Carter's continued focus on the world's happening even after previously overcoming cancer. Concluding his update, Brinkley praised Carter for his numerous achievements during his presidency and his enduring bond with the public. Michelle Obama Sent Rosalynn Carter A 96th Birthday Tribute MEGA Before the passing of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, she joyously celebrated her 96th birthday, much to the delight of many admirers. Among the many tributes she received, one from fellow former First Lady Michelle Obama stood out. Per The Blast, Mrs. Obama took to Instagram that day to extend her birthday wishes. She posted a heartfelt message along with a photo of herself, Rosalynn Carter, and current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Mrs. Obama wrote: "Wishing Rosalynn Carter a wonderful 96th birthday! You've been a source of inspiration for so many people around the world, including me. Thank you so much for your service to our country." Michelle Obama's Birthday Tribute To Rosalynn Carter Resonated With Fans MEGA The former First Lady's heartfelt birthday message to Rosalynn touched many of her followers, who eagerly joined in the celebration. "happy birthday Mrs. Rosalynn Carter ??? we love you ?," one fan wrote alongside heart emojis. Another follower added, "Happy Birthday! Thank you for being a classy First Lady like Michelle and Jill! Enjoy your special day!??" Acknowledging the trio's influence, someone else chimed in, "3 great ladies!! Class and intelligence." A fourth highlighted the collective contributions of the trio, stating, "Each of you are accomplished beautiful ladies who make us proud. Thank you to each of you for your service to our nation." A fifth gushed, "She has always been one of my heroes!" LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Former Las Vegas Raiders player Chandler Jones is not expected to serve jail time after allegedly violating a temporary protection order last year, according to court records. The former defensive end faces two misdemeanor charges for the crime police said happened back in September. According to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrest report, Jones was accused of violating a temporary protection order on Sept. 28, after visiting the home of a person who had filed the protection order. At the time he was also accused of taking items from the persons home and then sending videos that appeared to show him burning the items, according to the arrest report. Days after his arrest, Jones was released from the team. A status check hearing on the requirements is scheduled for Oct. 29. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. ST. LOUIS A former St. Louis middle school principal appeared in federal court on Tuesday to be sentenced for paying a friend to kill his pregnant girlfriend in 2016. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Cornelius M. Green, 42, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and acting upon a murder-for-hire in the death of Jocelyn Peters. U.S. District Court Judge Ronnie White sentenced Green to two consecutive life sentences. I think thats why I can move around, because the last thing that I said to my daughtershe said, I love you, and I said, I love you, too. And that was the last time I physically saw my daughter, Lacey Peters, Jocelyns mother, said. The Peters family has endured heartache for more than eight years, waiting for justice. It was just unbelievable when I had to go and identify her. It was just like I was in a movie or something, Lacey said. I kept telling my aunt, Just pinch me so I could wake up. It was like a nightmare. Its just something I would not want any parent to go through. Phillip J. Cutler, 46, the man Green hired to kill Peters, was convicted in March on the same charges and sentenced on June 18 to two consecutive life sentences. Peters was found shot to death inside her Central West End apartment on March 24, 2016. Peters, 30, was seven months pregnant at the time of her murder. She taught third grade at Horace Mann Elementary School in the Tower Grove neighborhood of south St. Louis. Federal prosecutors reported that Green had sexual relationships with other women in a sentencing memo. He was also researching ways to secretly end Peters pregnancy. When that didnt work, Green contacted Cutler, his longtime friend. Its just a heartbreaking case where two defendants plotted to murder a beautiful, pregnant schoolteacher for senseless reasons, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker said. To avoid child support and to continue a lifestyle of seeing multiple women and avoiding responsibility for a new child. On March 7, 2016, Green sent a UPS package to Cutler containing $2,500 as a retainer for the crime. Green, who was principal at Carr Lane Middle School at the time, used cash stolen from the school to pay for the murder. He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child, Dr. Nicole Conaway said. Conaway was principal at Mann Elementary when Peters worked there. Dr. Conaway said she had to tell Peters class about her murder. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, she said. This trauma will follow them for the rest of their lives. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Cutler arrived in town and Green fled to Chicago to establish an alibi on March 21. Three days later, Cutler went inside Peters apartment and shot her in the eye, using a potato as a silencer. Peters was working on baby shower invitations when she was killed. When Cutler confirmed to Green that both Peters and the unborn baby were dead, Green bought a train ticket and returned to St. Louis. Cutler traveled to North River Front Park to dispose of any evidence. Green called the police when he arrived back at the apartment and reported Peters death. Prosecutors said he made several false statements to law enforcement, claiming he had no prior involvement or knowledge of the murder. When Cutler was told he was being detained that same night, he ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pockets. The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office previously charged Green with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and burglary, and said they would seek the death penalty in his case. Green pleaded guilty in federal court to avoid a death penalty trial in St. Louis Circuit Court. According to the plea agreement, the Circuit Attorneys Office would dismiss its charges against Green if hes sentenced to life imprisonment on each count in the federal case. Jocelyn was a bright light. She loved education, she loved teaching, she loved children; she was just a genuine, loving individual, Dedra Peters, Jocelyns cousin, said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, gives a press conference at the Federal Chancellery. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Former Swiss president Alain Berset is to become the new secretary general of the Council of Europe after the 52-year-old prevailed in two rounds of voting against Estonian Indrek Saar and Belgian Didier Reynders on Tuesday evening. He is due to take office on September 18 following the vote at the council's Parliamentary Assembly in the French city of Strasbourg. Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is an international organization based in the French city of Strasbourg. It is made up of 46 European states. Its aim is to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law in Europe. One of its key achievements is the European Convention on Human Rights. Until the end of 2023, Berset was a member of the seven-member Swiss government for 12 years as minister of the interior and minister of health. The members of the government alternate in the office of president of the Swiss Confederation in addition to their ministry for one year at a time. Berset is a political scientist and economist. Former Trump lawyer accuses judge in classified docs case of playing right into the defenses hands Former Trump lawyer accuses judge in classified docs case of playing right into the defenses hands A former Trump lawyer argued this week that the judge in the classified documents case is playing right into the defenses hands by essentially slow-walking the proceedings. Michael van der Veen, who defended the former president at his second impeachment trial following the January 6, 2021, insurrection, said during an appearance on CNN on Monday night that Judge Aileen Cannon is taking longer than is possibly necessary, showing a bias towards the man who appointed her to the federal bench. Other legal observers have also noted that some of Cannons rulings appear to favor Trump. Judge Cannon has scheduled all these hearings, this is now day two of this hearing. Is she just dragging this thing out? anchor Abby Phillip asked van der Veen on Monday night. She certainly seems to be taking a lot longer than is possibly necessary. Shes a fairly new judge, of course, and shes a smart lady, he said. She has a great temperament in the courtroom, but the decisions arent coming quick enough. Shes asking too many other people to come in and give their opinions ... Its just very unusual. He added: Its really important when on the bench to give your decisions well-reasoned, but also timely and to continue to give people time to supplement the arguments and supplement evidence isnt doing the justice any good. Its really playing right into the defenses hands. Cannon was appointed to the court in the Southern District of Florida in 2020 and has seen two of her rulings in the classified documents case reversed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. (AP) Former President Donald Trump was indicted in federal court for the willful retention of classified documents as well as his attempts to thwart the governments efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty. Cannon was appointed to the court in the Southern District of Florida in 2020 and has seen two of her rulings in the classified documents case reversed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Shes held a number of hearings on motions filed by Trump attorneys which have delayed the proceedings. Cannon has indefinitely postponed the start of the trial despite that both sides said previously they could be ready to begin this summer. At the moment, shes considering a motion filed by the Trump legal team regarding whether Special Counsel Jack Smith was properly appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. It has also been reported that two other judges urged Cannon to pass on the case when she was assigned to it, but that she declined to do so. On Monday, another hearing was held, this time to consider a motion from the prosecution seeking a gag order against Trump. Fort Worth police critic injured in arrest by officer who alleged she interfered with work A 60-year-old woman narrating live video during which she criticized vehicle towing underway in a parking lot in Fort Worth was injured when she was forcibly arrested as she began to argue with police officers on the appropriate location for her to stand. Carolyn Rodriguez, who posts on YouTube recordings of encounters that she and others have with law enforcement officers, mused about the validity of the towing as she walked early Sunday along the perimeter of the parking lot. In the first part of her video recording, Rodriguez is on a sidewalk on Foch Street in the West 7th bar district. She walks into the lot and approaches at least three Fort Worth police officers. When an officer instructs her to move to the other side of the street, Rodriguez declines and asks why. After the officer repeats the instruction, he tells Rodriguez that she is under arrest and that she should turn around. The image from the camera she was holding goes dark. Audio continues in the recording, and the officer is twice heard directing her to stop resisting. Another officer says that Rodriguez is bleeding, and she can be heard breathing raggedly before the video ends. An officer used force to take Rodriguez into custody, according to the police department. She suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. Rodriguez was released and booked into jail on suspicion of interference with public duties, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest, and false alarm or report. In a booking photo taken by the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office, Rodriguez has a blackened eye and cuts on other parts of her face. Although she does not appear to know it, Rodriguez was observing the aftermath of a hit-and-run vehicle collision in the area of 1000 Foch St. A suspected intoxicated driver had crashed into another vehicle and a structure before walking or running from the scene, police said. While officers were conducting an investigation, Rodriguez approached about 3:30 a.m. The Rodriguez encounter, including the use of force, is under investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department. We are committed to accountability and transparency in all our operations and will ensure that this investigation is thorough and impartial, the department wrote in its account of the arrest. The department did not release the name of the officer who used force to arrest Rodriguez. The direct encounter begins when Rodriguez walks into the parking lot and addresses two officers walking away from her. Rodriguez seems to recognize and address by name a third officer, who insists she walk to the other side of the street. No. Im not going to. What for? Rodriguez asks. You can go to the other side of the street or youre going to get arrested. Im not warning you again, the officer says. Why? Tell me why first, Rodriguez says. The video images end. Rodriguezs video had collected more than 60,000 views and over 2,000 comments on YouTube by Monday evening. Many commenters expressed outrage at the arrest and use of force and defended Rodriguezs right to record the officers, calling her a First Amendment auditor. More top stories from our newsroom: More abuse claims surface at Gateway Church protest North Texas community denounces alleged attempted murder of 2 Palestinian kids Roaches found at multiple Fort Worth restaurants [Get our breaking news alerts.] In the description of her YouTube channel, Rodriguez wrote that her goals are to bring awareness concerning our out of control Criminal Justice system and to educate the public as to what rights they have and how to use them. In August 2019, in a case related to another video she made, Rodriguez pleaded guilty in state court to breach of computer security and was sentenced to one day in jail and a $2,000 fine. In June 2023, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office cited its prosecutorial discretion when it filed a motion to dismiss a interference with public duties case in which Rodriguez was the defendant. The Roseville Police Department arrested a woman Monday in connection to the deaths of twin toddlers who drowned while staying with their foster family last year, according to court records and the victims family. Schitara Page, the 37-year-old foster mother, was arrested after a criminal complaint was filed Thursday in Placer Superior Court. An arrest warrant was issued the same day. Page is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday after prosecutors charged her with two felony counts of child abuse or endangering children leading to great bodily injury or death. Roseville police officers were called Oct. 9 at a home in the Waterford Glen neighborhood after receiving reports of two unresponsive children in a swimming pool. They were later identified as Legend and Sincere Strong, 2, who were remembered by their biological mother as children who loved to smile. I am happy that they picked up the case, biological mother Alize Strong said Tuesday in a phone interview. But I want to know more about the case. Legend, bottom, and Sincere Robinson Strong were found unresponsive in a residential swimming pool on Oct. 9. Pages charges include allegations that the children suffered willful harm or injuries which resulted in death, according to court records. She is being held in custody at South Placer Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. The details of the accusation were not immediately clear. Lt. Chris Ciampa, a spokesman for the Roseville Police Department, and Stephanie Herrera, a spokeswoman for the Placer County District Attorneys Office, did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday. Sacramento County Child Protective Services conducted an investigation in November into the deaths and found that a caregiver improperly supervised the boys. But the manner of their deaths was not determined, at that time, to be a crime, according to The Sacramento Bees previous reporting. Page, whose named was redacted in the CPS reports, told law enforcement she looked away for five minutes before she found the twins in the pool, according to the mandatory suspected child abuse report filed to California Department of Social Services officials. She called 911 and began performing CPR, the heavily redacted report said. (Its) unknown how long the children were in the pool, the report said. Page also told authorities she was working upstairs when the incident happened and thought the boys were asleep. The reports noted Page has declined to answer any more questions asked by law enforcement. There were no prior neglect or abuse investigations of Page conducted by law enforcement at the home, a risk assessment of the home said. Strong, the biological mother, said she still doesnt know what happened to her children. But, she said, the arrest gives her hope to get answers for what happened to her boys. Four arrested after Rishi Sunaks home targeted by eco-protesters Police have made four arrests after an environmental protester pretended to defecate in a lake at Rishi Sunaks home. Youth Demand, which opposes arms exports to Israel and oil and gas licences, said the men broke into the grounds of Mr Sunaks 2 million manor house in North Yorkshire on Tuesday afternoon. Four men, aged 20, 21, 43 and 52, were arrested at the scene and remain in custody, North Yorkshire Police said. The force said its officers were with the men within one minute of them entering the grounds. The stunt came 10 months after Greenpeace activists scaled the Prime Ministers Grade II-listed Kirby Sigston Manor, near Northallerton, in August last year to protest against new fossil fuel licences. A man wore a shirt emblazoned with eat s--- Rishi on the back as he waded into the lake shortly before 1pm and appeared to defecate. A silicone stool was used instead of genuine faecal matter, Youth Demand said. Parting gift Youth Demand said four people were detained by North Yorkshire Police at the scene after what they said was a thank you and parting gift to Rishi Sunak. The force was approached for comment. The protest group added that it was planning a week of action in London beginning on July 13. The incident is set to cause concerns about the quality of security at Mr Sunaks constituency home. In footage of the incident, a protester can be seen walking nonchalantly through an unlocked gate into the grounds of the house. Last August, the Greenpeace activists who targeted the Prime Ministers home spent five hours on its roof. North Yorkshire Polices handling of the incident was criticised by a former senior officer who said the protesters could have been terrorists looking to plant a bomb. Mr Sunak was away on holiday with his family at the time of the incident. The Government ceased all contact with Greenpeace in response, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman saying they should not have a seat at the table. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: We have arrested four people in the grounds of the Prime Ministers constituency home this afternoon. Our officers were with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds. They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The men aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Four people were arrested Tuesday at British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks estate in northern England, one of whom entered the property to defecate in Sunaks private lake as a form of political protest. North Yorkshire Police confirmed that four men between the ages of 20 and 52 were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, with questioning and enquiries ongoing. A group called Youth Demand took credit for the splashy stunt, which it described as a parting gift to Rishi Sunak and the Tories for the last 14 years of service. From Number 10 to Number 2, lets face it: [Sunaks] done a shit job, and the Tories are facing an electoral wipe-out, Youth Demand wrote in a press statement on its website, referring to the prime ministers address at 10 Downing Street and then to the nature of the groups latest protest. Video that Youth Demand shared on social media begins with a man later identified as Oliver closing a gate on Sunaks property and purposefully walking down a grassy embankment toward the multi-millionaires private lake. He pauses momentarily to set aside his raincoat, revealing a long-sleeved shirt that reads, in all-caps, EAT SHIT RISHI. He then gingerly lowers himself into the lake, lowers his pants, and appears to pass a bowel movement in the lake. Twitter is the home of free speech according to @elonmusk but theyve still inhibited the reach of this. So heres a safe for work version. Youre welcome! pic.twitter.com/4Jn0MEwwBg Youth Demand (@youth_demand) June 25, 2024 Oliver explained his motives in a written statement released afterward. We have so much to thank the Tories for: from crumbling schools, shit in the rivers and a collapsing NHS; to creating a nation with more food banks than McDonalds and 4.3 million UK children living in poverty, he said. From allowing their mates to get filthy rich from selling weapons to battle-test on toddlers in Gaza, or by drilling for more oil as the world burns its quite a legacy! A second video features an unfailingly polite police officer informing the group theyre on private property and committing an offense. The four men were presumably detained soon after that. Conservatives in the U.K. are on the brink of a potential political disaster ahead of a July 4 snap election. Sunak could become the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat in a general election, with the Conservative Party potentially in danger of failing to win enough seats even to become the official opposition. Related... Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. Iowa has had 11 outbreaks of bird flu in cattle so far this month. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27 as of June 21. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, according to the USDA data. All other states had fewer than 10 cases as of that date, according to USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Nebraska among four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Kirsten Strough/USDA) Editors note: This has been updated to provide information from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. Nebraska dairy interested Christin Kamm, communications director for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said Tuesday a Nebraska dairy expressed interest in participating in the U.S. Department of Agricultures voluntary pilot program. All costs of the testing will be covered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that Nebraska had 53,000 dairy cattle in 2023. By Nebraska Examiner reporter Zach Wendling The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized that he nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Nebraska among four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Kirsten Strough | USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012 (Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Missouri Independent. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Kirsten Strough | USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the monthslong outbreak within dairy cattle and yearslong challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter, and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state, and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, June 25. I believe that participants of the Shusha International Youth Forum will develop a number of recommendations shaping our future, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Salim bin Muhammad AlMalik, said on the sidelines of the forum, Trend reports. "Youth are investors in peaceful coexistence, capable of driving change and shaping our future. We are delighted to have them here. We believe that participants at this forum will generate recommendations to be shared among our member countries and international organizations," he stated. To note, Azerbaijan's Shusha hosts the "By Youth for Youth" international forum. It has drawn official state representatives, high-ranking officials from international organizations and various countries, along with approximately 200 delegates from ICESCO member nations. The forum aims to explore the perspectives and experiences of youth from Islamic countries in peacebuilding, sustainable development, culture, and the environment. It seeks to enhance opportunities for youth engagement in these areas by fostering discussion on innovative solutions and facilitating networking among young leaders. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Michigan Advance. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Kansas Reflector. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. turkeys are shown inside a farm facility FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Holstein milking cows at an Idaho dairy on July 20, 2012. (Photo by Kirsten Strough/USDA) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Franklin County man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening State Senator Doug Mastriano and other local officials. Richard Little, 49, of Franklin County, is facing federal charges for the threats, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Daily Digest Little, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, was served with an eviction notice on June 10 and began lodging threats via video on Facebook. Those threats included references to war, kill zones, as he fired multiple weapons inside his house. According to court documents, Little lodged threats against Mastriano, Franklin County Commissioner Dean Horst, and U.S. Army Sgt. Major Sean Livolsi. He said he planned to use his firearms to engage county tyrants and allegedly tagged Mastriano in a Facebook post on June 21 saying you will leave today, or you will not be found Monday, Senator. Authorities executed a search warrant on his home that day and found 17 firearms, ammunition, marijuana, illegal mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia. A preliminary hearing was held on Tuesday. The maximum penalty under federal law for the charges against Little is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and a special assessment, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. GUILFORD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) A teacher in Franklin County is facing charges after allegedly touching a student inappropriately multiple times. Pennsylvania State Police say on May 30 they received a ChildLine report with allegations against Bonnie Gingrich, a teacher at Shalom Christian Academy. State Police say the victim disclosed Gingrich was reaching out to them and had inappropriate contact multiple times. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Morning Weather The victim told State Police that after receiving messages from Gingrich, that the two hugged, and she eventually put her hand up the students shirt and later down his pants. Gingrich is also alleged to have kissed the victim on the cheek. State Police say all of the incidents occurred on school property between November 2023 and May 2024. Subsequent messages from Gingrich allegedly showed her wanting to meet the student outside of school, creating secret chat accounts, and warning them to delete messages. Gingrich, who lives in Hagerstown, is facing charges of intercourse/sexual contact with a student, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors. She is scheduled for a hearing on July 16 and bail was set at $50,000. In a statement on Tuesday, Shalom Christian Academy said We are deeply saddened by the allegations against a former employee. We are cooperating with authorities. We are praying for everyone involved. Gingrich is not currently listed on the school directory but is listed as a Junior Class Advisor. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. The hearing on whether Donald Trump should be allowed to continue falsely claiming that FBI agents had orders to kill him came a day earlier than initially expected. But a day earlier was still a full month after special counsel Jack Smith had first raised the prospect of modifying the former presidents bail conditions, as good an indication as any of how U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon views the prosecutions claim that Trumps speech poses an imminent threat to law enforcement. I dont appreciate your tone, Cannon said Monday, scolding government attorney David Harbach when, per NBC News, he got frustrated at the judges insistence that the court had already done enough to protect the lives of FBI agents who a Trump supporter earlier this month allegedly threatened to slaughter by redacting their names from court documents. When Harbach said Cannon should not wait for tragedy to strike, she challenged the connection between Trumps rhetoric and the actions of his followers, saying prosecutors still needed to show an actual connection between A and B. To suggest theres not a cause and effect I think is really to ignore what several years now have shown us, former federal prosecutor Mary McCord told MSNBC, noting also that the names of the FBI agents who raided Mar-a-Lago and confiscated Trumps stash of national security secrets have already been leaked. Somebody who is determined can certainly find out the identity of these agents. Its not the first time Cannon has reacted poorly to a prosecutor explaining basic facts to her. Harbach, in particular, is a repeat offender. At a hearing in May, Cannon told him to calm down after he grew frustrated with the judge for failing to grasp the legal argument he was making, forcing him to make it over and over again; on another occasion, she accused him of wasting the courts time for making a legal argument in court that was not also included in one of his briefs (The New York Times noted that Trumps defense has done the same without comment, let alone rebuke). That Cannon, appointed by Trump after he lost the 2020 election but before he incited the January 6 insurrection, might be biased in favor of the defense is evidenced in more than just her courtroom exchanges. More than a year after she was randomly assigned the case, and declined entreaties to step aside, she has indeed wasted the courts time on arguments deemed frivolous by just about every lawyer who doesnt work for the presumptive Republican nominee. Before she ever got to the special counsels concerns about law enforcement, Cannon scheduled two days of oral arguments on the question of whether a special counsel can even exist a question considered settled by other courts. Just Securitys Adam Klasfeld noted she made a blockbuster remark on Monday, just hours before the hearing on Trumps bail conditions, questioning whether Smiths limitless funding makes his position unconstitutional. Whats more, the judge signaled a willingness to consider that challenge seriously by allowing third parties to weigh in on the matter, Klasfeld wrote, referring to Cannons highly irregular decision to let outside, right-wing attorneys make the argument against Smith, in court, on Trumps behalf. The dueling hearings one that shouldnt have happened, one that should have happened weeks ago neatly distill the argument against Cannon and her handling of a case, the most straightforward of all those against Trump, that still has no trial date. Former federal prosecutor Kristy Greenberg said it was frankly laughable that Cannon, in the hearing over whether to gag Trump or not, questioned whether theres actually a connection between the accuseds rhetoric and their supporters actions. Clearly she doesnt see an imminent threat because she didnt deal with it right away, she sat on it, Greenberg said. At one point Monday, she even objected to the prosecution highlighting threats by Trump supporters against those involved in the former president's other legal proceedings, exclaiming: "Are you suggesting I pull facts from other cases? Because that's not going to happen." Instead of chastising prosecutors, who rightly believe that Trumps words (and claims of an attempted assassination) matter, a proper judge would be reminding the criminal defendant that they shouldnt lie about law enforcement officials involved in the case against them. Trump knows the effect that he has, and we know the effect that he has, and so does Judge Cannon, Greenberg said. Any other judge would be scolding a criminal defendant for making statements like this. Its not just that Cannon appears at times inept, her handling of matters slightly unusual; its that her ineptness and weird rulings always seem to favor one side. Its not like shes inexperienced and sometimes gets it right for Trump and sometimes she gets its right or wrong for the government, Andrew Weissmann, an attorney who worked for special counsel Robert Mueller, said Monday. Theyre always siding with Donald Trump and its very, very hard at this point to see her as being anything other than partisan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. We study both the experience gained during the war and the miscalculations, the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov said in an interview with AZERTAC and AzTV, Trend reports. We study both the experience gained during the war and the miscalculations. We also study the weapons used - which of them brought us more benefit, and which did not perform well in battle. This entire analysis showed that after applying the experience gained during the war, during the anti-terror operation, the enemy was defeated in a short time. This anti-terror operation is considered a unique operation in the world, and people are showing interest in it. It is gratifying that the operations of the Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief is being studied in detail today all over the world, the minister added. FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian serviceman prepares a shell for an M109L self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops near a front line, in Donetsk region By Anna Voitenko DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) -Western supplies of artillery shells, slowed by months of political wrangling in Washington before finally being released, have started to reach Ukrainian units on the front lines, relieving pressure on forces outnumbered by the Russians. When Reuters reporters visited one artillery unit in Donetsk region, the focus of Russian troops' slow advance along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front, it fired its M-109 self-propelled howitzer as needed. In the past, soldiers said they had been forced to limit their use of 155 mm rounds against the enemy, compromising their ability to support infantry further forward. "There was 'shell hunger'. Ammunition was rationed quite severely. It had an impact on infantry. They (the Russians) crept from all sides, it hurt the infantry men," said unit commander Vasyl, 46, declining to give his full name. "Now, there is no more 'shell hunger' and we work well." Demand for artillery rounds has soared since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with Kyiv's Western allies running down their own stockpiles as they rushed shells to Ukraine where thousands of rounds are needed every day. Now a fresh influx has begun arriving at units like Vasyl's after the U.S. Congress ended months of delays and approved a $61 billion aid package. But for Oleh, 39, a gunner in the same unit, the problem is not only ammunition. Ukraine has just launched a major mobilisation drive that it hopes will replenish its exhausted and depleted forces in the coming months. Some say it has taken too long. "There are very few of us. There aren't enough people," he said. "We do not even have half of the people we should have." Vasyl is more sanguine as he prepares the howitzer for further action. Convinced that Ukraine will prevail over the Russian invaders, he is dismissive of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's recent diplomatic forays and pledges of cooperation with China and North Korea. "All these talks with Korea and China, they will not help them. We will win, we shall overcome," he said. "It is our spirit, it is our Ukraine, we are defending it. We shall overcome, at any price but we will win." (Writing by Ron Popeski and Mike Collett-WhiteEditing by Michael Perry and Peter Graff) FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The City of Fresno announced on Tuesday the resignation of Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, following revelations about Balderramas inappropriate off-duty relationship which were first made public at the start of the month. Following an investigation, the city announced Tuesday that Balderramas resignation had been accepted and he will be leaving his position as chief of the Fresno Police Department. The resignation will once again prompt a national search to find a new chief for the Fresno Police Department. In the meantime, Deputy Chief Mindy Casto will serve as interim chief and Balderrama will be available as a resource to Casto over the next 30 days during that transition. Chief Balderrama investigation: YourCentralValley.coms complete coverage During Tuesdays announcement, Frsenos Mayor Jerry Dyer expressed mixed feelings and lamented the series of events that led to Balderramas resignation. It is my hope that with the resignation of Chief Balderrama we can move forward, and the police department can continue to focus on what it does best, keep people safe. I wish Paco and his family the best and thank him for his service to our community. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer Dyer also took the time the time to highlight Balderramas accomplishments during his service to Fresno as its Chief of Police, including his focus on violent crime, advancements in technology, and partnerships with other agencies. Despite Balderramas accomplishments, Mayor Dyer said his resignation is in the best interest of the community, the Fresno Police Department, as well as Balderrama and the families involved. Dyer says he still has the utmost confidence in Balderrama as a police officer and wishes him and his family the best in all their future endeavors. I believe he [Balderrama] can serve as an effective police chief in another major city, Dyer said. I believe he will. Balderrama has already applied to be the chief of the Austin Police Department in Texas. Dyer hopes that with Balderramas resignation, the City can put the matter behind them, and the police department can go back to doing what Dyer says they do best. Keep the people of Fresno safe. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@fresnobee.com. Fresno Police Chief Juan F. Paco Balderrama has resigned following an investigation into an alleged affair with an officers wife. It is with a heavy heart and mixed feelings that we announce today the resignation of Fresno Police Department Chief Balderrama from the city of Fresno, said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer at a news conference at City Hall at 11 a.m. Tuesday. City Manager Georgeanne White said Balderrama handed in his resignation letter Tuesday morning. His resignation is effective July 25, and he would not receive a severance package, officials said. Deputy Chief Mindy Casto will serve as the interim chief while a national search for a chief is conducted, a process city leaders estimate can take four to five months. Balderrama will be available to assist Casto during the transition. Dyer praised Balderramas accomplishments in the city of Fresno, but said the chiefs resignation was needed. We do believe this resignation by the chief is in the best interest of the community, the police department and our employees, as well as for Chief Balderrama and the families involved, given the intense media scrutiny that this matter has received, Dyer said. City officials said the investigation had ended and that the allegation that Balderrama had abused his power was not sustained. While I cannot get into the specifics of the investigation, I am able to state that this allegation was not sustained, and evidence to the contrary was presented, White said. This does not excuse Chief Balderramas behavior as it relates to the inappropriate relationship, because, as he has stated, those actions cannot be justified or defended, and are the standards that he holds for himself and that we hold for the chief of police for the city of Fresno, she said. Two high-ranking city officials confirmed to The Bee last week that Officer Jordan Wamhoff alleged Balderrama had passed him over for a promotion in order to continue the roughly two-year affair with Wamhoffs wife. Wamhoff is also a Madera County Board of Supervisor. City officials did not name Wamhoff directly in Tuesdays news conference, but they did mention an affair with an officers wife. Dyer and White criticized local media coverage of the investigation, particularly local outlet SJV Sun, referring to coverage as a media circus. White said The Sun repeatedly reported incorrect information related to the alleged abuse of power. Shown in a Janurary 2023 file photo, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama details the results of an investigation involving a violent armed robbery from 2022. Balderrama, following an investigation by the City of Fresno regarding an inappropriate relationship, resigned from his position June 25, 2024. Chief Balderramas message about resignation City officials distributed a printed statement from Balderrama at Tuesdays news conference in which he stated it was time for him to step away from his role to focus on his faith and his family. Serving as Chief of Police for the City of Fresno over the last three and one-half years has truly been the privilege of a lifetime. I want to thank the administration for giving me this opportunity. The men and women of the Fresno Police Department are second to none. Balderrama, 47, became the first chief of Hispanic descent to be hired in Californias fifth-largest city when he joined in January 2021. Balderrama listed his efforts as chief, namely the ability to grow the department to 926 allotted positions, reduced violent and property crimes, the use of more technology to improve efficiency and the emphasis on community engagement to improve trust. The people of Fresno are beautiful, diverse, and very supportive of their police department. Even through my most difficult trials you have been kind, forgiving, and uplifting. Thank you for being there for me, Balderrama wrote. Dyer thanked Balderrama during the news conference for his work to help reduce violent crime, embrace technology and for his efforts to recruit and hire around 300 police officers. All of these are admirable accomplishments for a police chief, Dyer said. The investigation of police chief Dyer said Balderrama offered to resign earlier in the process, but the mayor asked the chief to stay on at least until the investigation was complete. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said the investigation was conducted by Andrew Aller, a Fresno attorney with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. Janz said he hired an outside firm to avoid even the appearance of bias. As the investigation continued, The Bee confirmed through two unnamed high-ranking city officials that Wamhoff had made demands with the city or else threatened to sue. He said he would retract any claim of damages if the city were to fire Balderrama within 30 days and give Wamhoff a more flexible position in the department. The Bee also reviewed the demands in the text message sent to city leaders. The message also called for a nondisclosure agreement between Wamhoff and the city. Dyer on Tuesday noted the scandal had gotten national attention, saying leaders from other cities were aware of it during his recent time at the United States Conference of Mayors. Balderrama had applied for the chiefs job in Austin, according to the Austin American-Statesman. It was not clear when he applied for the job that stopped taking applications on June 10, four days after the investigation into Balderrama became public. Dyer said he believed Balderrama would be able to work as a chief in another city despite the scandal. I do believe that he has hiring potential, and I do believe hell receive another police chiefs job in the future should he choose to pursue one, Dyer said. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer addresses the media while standing next to City Manager Georgeanne White and City Attorney Andrew Janz during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz addresses the media while during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White addresses the media while during a news conference announcing the resignation of the citys police chief Paco Balderrama following a scandal in which the chief had an inappropriate affair with another officers wife, at Fresno City Hall on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, who had been under investigation since February following allegations he had an affair with an officers wife, resigned Tuesday morning. City officials announced that the investigation had been completed and that Balderrama had submitted his resignation, effective July 25, which they have accepted. The city will begin a national search to find his replacement. We do believe this resignation by the chief is in the best interest of the community, the police department, and our employees, as well as for Chief Balderrama and the families involved, given the intense media scrutiny that this matter has received at the local, state and federal levels, Mayor Jerry Dyer said Tuesday at a news conference. In this particular case, it would have been even more difficult for Chief Balderrama to be able to maintain that trust of his officers and the community. Balderrama informed the mayor and city manager in February that an allegation would likely be made against him related to an inappropriate off-duty relationship he was involved in, according to a written statement released by the city. Balderrama was placed on administrative leave, and City Atty. Andrew Janz said the city hired an outside attorney to handle the investigation "to avoid any appearance of bias or impropriety." In a statement issued through the city, Balderrama said that serving as Fresno police chief "has truly been the privilege of a lifetime." "I want to thank the administration for giving me this opportunity. The men and women of the Fresno Police Department are second to none," he said in the statement. The people of Fresno are beautiful, diverse, and very supportive of their police department. Even through my most difficult trials you have been kind, forgiving, and uplifting. Thank you for being there for me. Read more: Fresno police chief placed on leave over alleged affair with officer's wife The news had ignited what city officials called a media circus and speculation about the alleged affair. Among the allegations made against the former chief was that he abused his position of authority to impede the career trajectory of the officer whose wife he was purportedly involved with. City manager Georgeanne White disputed that allegation Tuesday. The city has not named the officer. While I cannot get into the specifics of the investigation, I am able to state that this allegation was not sustained, and evidence to the contrary was presented, White said. I saw time after time that got repeated and listed as a fact, and talked about as a fact. And that was not true. Evidence presented, not true. Dyer, who is a former Fresno police chief, praised Balderrama. The outgoing chief, who served for about three years, curbed violent crime, Dyer said, advanced the technology used by the department and recruited more than 300 officers and dispatchers to the agency. I think he did some remarkable things as a police chief in Fresno, and we should not forget about that, as we recognize the indiscretion that he had, involving himself with a police officer's wife. That is not excusable," Dyer said. "But we also don't want to forget some of the good things that he did. Balderrama began his career in Oklahoma City at age 22. He served in the Oklahoma City Police Department for 22 years, according to his biography page. He was sworn in as Fresnos police chief in January 2021. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Former President Donald Trump claims he was tortured inside the Fulton County Jail as he was booked on charges that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election here in Georgia. At least thats what a new fundraising ad says. The ad, which is selling things with his now-infamous mug shot, says I want you to remember what they did to me. They tortured me in the Fulton County Jail, and TOOK MY MUGSHOT. So guess what? I put it on a mug for the WHOLE WORLD TO SEE! On Aug. 24, 2023, Trump turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail after negotiating his plea earlier that week. In total, Trump was in and out of the Fulton County Jail in less than 15 minutes. The Secret Service was with him. We had a few individuals that were really stationed to make sure we were very fluid in what we did, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne. He did come in through the back. So his motorcade came in, he ultimately came out, very intentional about making sure we had the right people in place to both take the mugshot and complete the fingerprint and background as we do everyone else. He was then escorted back to the actual motorcade where his bonding paperwork was brought to him. He didnt have to languish here. Did he actually say anything? Winne asked. Not much. Ive said very presidential, very stoic, but in a space that you have to feel for the magnitude of the conversation, so ultimately it was a very short conversation and all business, Labat said. As soon as he was booked in the jail, Trump jumped on the opportunity to fundraise using his mugshot. RELATED NEWS: Former President Trump calls Fani Willis motion to have appeal thrown out a Hail Mary move This current ad is charging $47 for a mug with Trumps mugshot on it. The case against Trump here in Georgia is currently on hold as the Georgia Appeals Court looks at the ruling that allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to stay on the case after it was brought to light that she had a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor on the case. The appeals court is expected to hear arguments over the ruling on Oct. 4. Last month, Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York in a hush-money scheme to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from talking about their affair. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention. Trump and President Joe Biden will be in Atlanta on Thursday for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. Palestinian children wait to receive food donations between the rubble of destroyed buildings in Rafah - Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images The threat of famine in the Gaza Strip has been reignited after the Israeli militarys ground offensive in the southern city of Rafah obstructed the delivery of food aid, leaving more than half a million Palestinians on the brink of starvation, the UN said on Tuesday. Palestinians across the Gaza Strip face a plausible risk of famine in the coming months, with all but four per cent of Gazas population facing acute food insecurity, says the latest analysis by the UNs hunger monitoring system, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). A high risk of Famine persists as long as conflict continues, and humanitarian access is restricted, it said. The IPC found that more than half of households in Gaza have been forced to sell or swap their clothes to be able to afford food, while a third have resorted to selling trash on the streets and more than 20 per cent have gone entire days and nights without eating. In March the UN predicted that famine would take hold in Gazas north by the end of May unless the flow of aid improved. The most recent reports says conditions had been temporarily alleviated in March and April, improving the situation on the ground. In this context, the available evidence does not indicate that famine is currently occurring, the IPC found. But it said earlier gains could be undone. The Israeli militarys ground offensive against remaining Hamas units in Rafah which has caused the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main crossing from Egypt threatened to rapidly reverse the improvements seen in April, the UN said. It is inconceivable that Gaza remains at high risk of famine despite repeated warnings about the enormous scale of the food crisis over the last few months, said the British charity ActionAid. The world must wake up to the gravity and urgency of this crisis and demand a permanent and immediate ceasefire now the alternative is unthinkable. The Israeli military's ground offensive in Rafah threatens to 'rapidly reverse' improvements seen in April - Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty Images Stage five levels of hunger, which affects 22 per cent of Gazas population, is equivalent to famine, but the agencys famine review panel, an external body that usually analyses initial signs of a famine, has said there is not enough data to confirm or reject the phenomenon. Research was obstructed by conflict and humanitarian access constraints, it said. Famine is a technical specification that is only declared when at least 20 per cent of households face an extreme lack of food, at least 30 per cent of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and two people or four children for every 10,000 are dying each day due to starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease. Just two declarations of famine have been made this century in Somalia in 2011 and South Sudan in 2017. The figures in this report are deeply shocking and demonstrate the devastating impact of the failure of world leaders to heed earlier warnings, and to hold Israel to account for its deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war, said Halima Begum, the chief executive of Oxfam in the UK. In the face of these horrors, the world should not wait for a [formal] famine declaration to act. Fighting and looting has made efficient aid distribution extremely difficult - EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images Distributing aid in Gaza remains extraordinarily complex. Even when trucks are able to cross into the strip, fighting and looting make efficiently distributing it to the population extremely difficult. Staff spend five to eight hours waiting at checkpoints every day. Missiles hit our premises said the deputy executive of the World Food Programme (WFP), Carl Skau. The breakdown of law and order means we also face looting and violence amid a large security vacuum. NGOs warn that unless the flow of aid is improved, food parcels ready for distribution would be exhausted by July. In the north of the Strip, where 25 per cent of inhabitants are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, an acute shortage of vegetables, fruit and meat mean that people are only surviving on bread and canned food. Mahmoud Shalabi, Gaza director for Medical Aid for Palestinians, said that people in the area have been suffering from malnutrition due to constantly consuming canned legumes, mainly fava beans, chickpeas and green peas. In the long run its not healthy for peoples health, he said. If there are any vegetables in the market, theyre 10 times more [expensive] than their original price. There is no cash liquidity and people cant actually afford to buy these scarce vegetables. The IPC report recommended that the functioning of markets and bakeries should be restored to reduce the risk of a famine. An entire generation of Palestinian children are at risk, Islamic Relief warns - Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty Images The WFP are already working to reopen bakeries across the enclave, including in northern Gaza. As of Saturday, there are now 12 WFP-supported operational bakeries: six in Deir Al Balah, four in Gaza City, and two in Jabalia. But WFP Country Director, Matthew Hollingworth, said that where these efforts have achieved some small levels of food security, it remains essential for commercial fresh food to enter northern Gaza. The IPC also emphasised the importance of delivering malnutrition prevention services and treatment for acute cases. We know how to prevent malnutrition, we know how to treat malnutrition, but we arent being given the opportunity to do it, said Rachel Cummings, Save the Childrens Team Leader in Gaza. Previously healthy communities are just wasting away. Were seeing increases in children with diarrhoea, jaundice, respiratory conditions, which are all the illnesses that, when combined with extreme hunger, can kill a child in days. Earlier this month, the UNs child agency (Unicef) warned that Israels Rafah offensive cut off almost 3,000 children in southern Gaza from treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition. An entire generation of Palestinian children are at risk, warned Islamic Relief on Tuesday. With extreme hunger and malnutrition causing permanent damage such as stunted physical and cognitive development that will affect children for the rest of their lives. The Israeli government has been approached for comment. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A high risk of famine persists in Gaza and the situation remains catastrophic as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, according to a report released Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Nearly half a million are projected to face catastrophic levels of hunger, the most severe level on the IPC scale where people experience an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion of coping capacities, according to the report. 96% of the population of Gaza more than 2 million people will face crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of food insecurity through at least the end of September, the report projects. A high risk of famine persists across the whole of the Gaza Strip as long as conflict continues and humanitarian access is restricted, the report said. Only the cessation of hostilities in conjunction with sustained humanitarian access to the entire Gaza Strip can reduce the risk of a famine occurring in the Gaza Strip. The last few months have demonstrated that food and humanitarian access and malnutrition prevalence can change very quickly, the risk of epidemics is increasing and eight months of extreme pressure on the lives of the population make them much more vulnerable to collapse into famine, said the report, compiled by the IPCs Famine Review Committee. Given the unpredictability of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian access challenges, any significant change may lead to a very rapid deterioration into Famine, the report said. The findings of the report echo testimonies from those on the ground about the dire humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Nearly nine months of Israels bombardment and siege have depleted the health care system, battered water infrastructure and created dire conditions for the entire population of more than 2.2 million people. Increased Israeli attacks in the southern city of Rafah have triggered mass displacement and an outbreak of infectious diseases in the sprawling tent camps where people cannot access basic sanitation. With no signs of an imminent ceasefire being agreed to stop the fighting, relief workers say the suffering of civilians on the ground will only get worse. The latest data shows that, to be able to purchase food, more than half of the households had to exchange their clothes for money and one third resorted to picking up trash to sell, the report detailed in its special snapshot. More than half also reported that, often, they do not have any food to eat in the house, and over 20 percent go entire days and nights without eating. The report acknowledged there were some improvements to the situation in the north of Gaza, where the IPC warned in March that famine was imminent. Tuesdays report assessed that due to an increase in food deliveries in March and April, the available evidence does not indicate that Famine is currently occurring in the north. However, it notes the possibility remains throughout the entire Gaza Strip. Although there was also some improvement in the south of Gaza in that time, the report said, the situation deteriorated with the launch of Israels military operations in Rafah. The Rafah crossing a key transitway for humanitarian aid to Gaza has been closed since early May, and only a handful of other land crossings remain open. Humanitarian aid workers continue to face tremendous risks to try to distribute the desperately needed aid to Gaza. The majority of the infrastructure to support humanitarian work in Gaza has been destroyed in Israels war against Hamas. The humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip continues to shrink and the ability to safely deliver assistance to populations is dwindling, the reports special snapshot said. The recent trajectory is negative and highly unstable. Should this continue, the improvements seen in April could be rapidly reversed. The report also encourages all stakeholders who use the IPC for high-level decision-making to understand that whether a Famine classification is confirmed or not does not in any manner change the fact that extreme human suffering is without a doubt currently ongoing in the Gaza Strip. It does not change the immediate humanitarian imperative to address this civilian suffering by enabling complete, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza Strip, including through ceasing hostilities, the report continued. Specter of famine continues to hang over Gaza The United States, Israels closest ally, has repeatedly called on the Netanyahu government to do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. US President Joe Biden warned in early April that Israel had to take immediate concrete steps or risk changes in US policy. Thus far, there have been no such changes in policy. A spokesperson for the US humanitarian agency USAID said in response to the report that the scale of food insecurity in Gaza is staggering. More than 2 million people are in need of food assistance And the inability of food to get into the hands of people and the ongoing insecurity is driving that need, the spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. The spokesperson said that civilians and aid workers must be protected; attacks on hospitals, health facilities, ambulances, water services, civilian telecoms services, and IDP shelter locations must stop; and the health, water, and sanitation system must be strengthened in order to avert worse outcomes. Since the conflict first began unfolding, USAID has worked relentlessly to increase assistance into Gaza and we will continue to do so, they said. The IPC report obviously it confirmed what we all know and what weve been dealing with for some time is that the humanitarian situation on the ground is extremely dire. Thats why we have been so incredibly focused on alleviating that situation, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday. We cant wait for a ceasefire, obviously, even as we try to get one and we need to do more to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, he said. Thats what were trying to do through working to resolve these issues between the government of Israel, the Israeli security forces and the UN humanitarian agencies. Meanwhile, humanitarian workers are warning that the situation in Gaza is untenable. In the north, when we raised the famine alarm, we were able to get some more trucks in. And so for the moment, it is better. Not great I dont want to give false illusions here that this is all hunky dory, because its not, said World Food Programme Director Cindy McCain. Theres still great need in the north, and its complex. Its complex for this reason. Its not just food they need. They need water, they need sanitation, they need health care. All of those things contribute to famine. A humanitarian official told CNN, I think were going to very rapidly be back on the sort of trajectory that we were seeing in north. The scale will be much larger because it was 300,000 people give or take in northern Gaza. Its one and a half to 1.8 million people now in the southern middle areas who are in similar boat. Kate Phillips-Barrasso, of Mercy Corps, added, The population cannot endure these hardships any longer. The toll of military action has been far too high, and we fear without dramatic changes to the provision of humanitarian aid, the death toll will climb as people succumb to months of deprivation. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, and the specter of famine continues to hang over Gaza, Phillips-Barrasso told CNN. Despite some aid getting in, the glaring contradictions remain. Commercial trucks are allowed passage, yet humanitarian aid is limited, scrutinized at the border, and, when permitted to cross, typically only reaches some city centers without proper security. Compounding the suffering is oppressive summer heat, no access to clean water, and increasing exposure to garbage and sewage. This lethal equation will undoubtedly lead to acute suffering and mortality, she said. On Friday, the commissioner-general for the UNs agency for Palestinia refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, urged the uninterrupted, regular, coordinated and meaningful flow of humanitarian assistance. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Sana Noor Haq contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com George Conway, the pundit and frequent antagonist of former President Trump, called the presumptive GOP nominee for president a global, planetary joke on a recent podcast episode. In MAGA land they dont appreciate what a global, planetary joke Donald Trump is to the world, Conway said on a Thursday episode of the George Conway Explains it All (To Sarah Longwell) podcast. They think of Donald Trump as this tough guy who scares everybody. Longwell, a Republican strategist and critic of Trump, and Conway were discussing the upcoming debate between Trump and former President Biden, as well as legal hurdles the former president is facing. I think one of the things the Biden campaign needs to do going into the into this debate over Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of next week, is start going after Trump in ways that make him very annoyed, Conway said on the podcast. Talking about the convictions, making fun of his slurred speech, doing all of those things, but doing it in overdrive in the three or four days leading to the debate. The remarks were highlighted by HuffPost on Monday. Biden and Trump are set to debate Thursday night in Atlanta on CNN. Trump has admitted that he interrupted Biden too much in their first debate back in 2020, which The New York Times Maggie Haberman noted last week. The former presidents performance in that debate was notably widely panned. He has said to people multiple times that he knows that he interrupted too much in the first debate with Biden in 2020, and having just rewatched that debate recently, its really striking, Haberman said. I mean, we all talked about it at the time, but Biden could barely get a word in edgewise, and Biden was kind of smiling throughout as this was happening, Haberman added. The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign. This story was updated at 5:55 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Election deniers have put states in a position of having to involve law enforcement more heavily in elections this fall. And while its a crucial step in the direction of better protecting poll workers and voters after right-wing chaos was injected into the 2020 election, the changes also have the potential to create an environment of intimidation at the polls. Georgia has become the first state to require law enforcement to be trained on election intimidation and election interference a direct response to the particularly violent wave of threats against election workers in the state after Donald Trump and his allies pressured officials and questioned the results there following the 2020 election. The newly-approved one-hour mandated training which will educate law enforcement officers on the laws in the states election code that they might need to enforce at polling places is an attempt to get ahead of another potential deluge of violence. The program, experts say, can potentially be used as a model for similar programs in other states. But at the same time its implementation in Georgia highlights a tension between a potentially increased law enforcement presence at polling places and the potential for inadvertent intimidation and the disenfranchisement of voters this fall. David Becker, the executive director and founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, who described the Georgia election officials and law enforcement partnership as outstanding, also told TPM that its right to be concerned about law enforcement inadvertently intimidating or threatening voters. In my experience as a former DOJ lawyer in voting, we were always extremely careful and cognizant of places where law enforcement could be involved in a way that might inadvertently be intimidating or threatening the voters or interfere with the process, said Becker. But other voting right experts are sounding the alarm a bit more aggressively. Chris Bruce, policy and advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia told TPM that the implementation of this program not only gives law enforcement too little time to learn election law, it also has the potential to lead to voter intimidation, voter suppression, and low voter turnout. The new program, which was approved earlier this month by the The Georgia Police Officer Training and Standards Council, will require law enforcement to participate in a one-hour training program dedicated to teaching laws that govern Georgia elections, including educating them on things like voter intimidation, interference with election officials, and interfering with voter equipment. I thought it was important that law enforcement learn what laws theyre going to be expected to enforce if they get called to a polling place, Chris Harvey Former Georgia elections director and current deputy director of Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council told TPM, which I think in some cases is more likely than it was maybe four years or six or eight years ago. Election experts agree the training is an important step in protecting both election officials and voters alike, but also cautioned that law enforcement presence at polling places could have the potential to intimidate voters. Harvey, who spearheaded this program and has himself been the victim of a violent death threat following the 2020 election, said that even though this tension between a potentially increased law enforcement presence and the intimidation of voters exists, the training does not require law enforcement to do anything at all. Rather, they are simply being taught what the laws are and to use their discretion to determine the most appropriate response. This tension is also the reason why the training program includes a section on civil rights concerns with law enforcement at polling places. The training encourages law enforcement to partner with election officials to determine the appropriate level of response by a law enforcement officer in certain scenarios, Harvey told TPM. There are any number of ways that a sheriff could exercise that authority to provide security, and we are not telling anybody, this is how you have to do it, Harvey said. Neal Kelley, the former registrar of voters for Orange County, California and chair of The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections similarly explained to TPM that the fear of greater police intimidation at polling sites is legitimate the key is really to avoid uniform presence and the brandishing of weapons at polling places, which the training program does not mandate. At the end of the day, if this is done correctly and all youre doing is raising awareness, youre not requiring an arm presence in a polling place, Kelley said. Youre just raising awareness on issues that might crop up, so I think thats sort of the difference in all of this. Bruce cautions that issues could arise from law enforcement officers being trained in election law a realm that is not traditionally theirs. Historically, police officers havent used to deal with voter intimidation, which has led to that, said Bruce. So if this is a new rise into that, then we have to talk about other issues that arise from it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. The staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan once again in June, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Representative Office of the ICRC Ilaha Huseynova told Trend. According to her, meetings were conducted with the detainees, and arrangements were made for them to communicate with their families. She emphasized that the ICRC, in line with its mandate, evaluates the treatment and detention conditions of these individuals, facilitating the re-establishment or maintenance of contact between them and their families. Following ICRC protocols, observations and recommendations from visits are solely communicated and deliberated with the detaining party. To note, a total of 15 members of the separatist regime are under prosecution in a criminal case investigated by a joint team from the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Service. Over the years, the Prosecutor General's Office initiated criminal cases against these individuals, who were subsequently placed on the international wanted list. Following last year's anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh, law enforcement agencies apprehended and brought to Baku former so-called "presidents" Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, and former so-called "foreign minister" David Babayan, so-called "chairman of the parliament" Davit Ishkhanyan, and generals Leva Mnatsakanyan and David Manukyan, and former so-called "State Minister" Ruben Vardanyan. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel German authorities "see no evidence of sabotage" following the alleged arson attack at the Berlin factory owned by German metal manufacturer Diehl, Der Spiegel reported on June 25. The factory, which belongs to Diehl Metal Applications, a subsidiary of the Diehl group that manufactures IRIS-T air defense systems used by Ukraine, caught on fire in May, destroying much of the building. According to Der Spiegel, the Berlin police believe an accident was the likely cause of the fire, while the Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe and the Berlin Public Prosecutor General's Office say they have found no evidence of arson. "We assume that the cause was a technical defect that was not our fault," a Diehl spokesperson told Der Spiegel. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 24 that Russian saboteurs were allegedly behind the arson attack on Diehl, citing unnamed security officials. The unnamed security officials told the WSJ that a number of details revealed in the subsequent investigation point to Russian involvement and the direct work of "experienced professionals." At the time of the fire, widely circulated social media posts alleged that Russian operatives had attacked a factory producing defense material, and Russian news claimed that the factory that manufactures IRIS-T systems had burned down. The factory in question was separate from Diehl's defense production subsidiary, and there was no evidence that it was involved in creating military equipment. The factory has since resumed operations and Diehl's insurers issued a report on June 21 saying that it was the result of technical problems. Western intelligence officials have warned about increasing Russian sabotage operations across Europe. Read also: Scholz says his partys support for Ukraine is connected to its declining popularity Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has welcomed a planned plea deal for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with the United States. "I can only say that I am very happy that this case, which has been discussed very emotionally all over the world and has moved many people, has finally found a solution," Baerbock said on Tuesday during a visit to Jerusalem in response to questions from journalists. The agreement in principle will allow Assange - who has been held in jail in the United Kingdom in a years-long extradition dispute - to be released to freedom in exchange for pleading guilty to espionage before a US court. The US accuses Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, thereby allegedly endangering the lives of US intelligence sources and others. Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, speaks at a press conference at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Baerbock holds talks in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, during her trip to the Middle East. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, speaks at a press conference at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Baerbock holds talks in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, during her trip to the Middle East. Hannes P. Albert/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sharply critized the far-right Israeli government over increased settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during a visit to Jerusalem on Tuesday. She also demanded that the Palestinian militant group Hamas accept a proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden, calling it the only realistic path toward a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas has it in its hands to immediately alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza," Baerbock said. Baerbock, though, also accused far-right extremists in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu's government of encouraging conflict in the West Bank. "Parts of the Israeli governing coalition are setting things on fire and endangering Israeli security interests in the long term with their aggressive settlement policy," Baerbock said after a meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz. She also criticized reports of brutal conditions for Palestinians detained by Israel and other reports of alleged rights abused by Israeli forces. "The shocking reports of cruel detention conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli camps and prisons do not match Israel's own claim to be a democracy and constitutional state," Baerbock said. She called for Israel to offer an explanation for "disturbing" images of the Israeli army's operations in Jenin, which "contradict international humanitarian law." On Saturday, videos showed Israeli soldiers driving with an injured Palestinian bound to the hood of a vehicle. Further German aid money for Gaza Earlier on Tuesday, Baerbock travelled to Ramallah in the West Bank to discuss the future role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa. Baerbock said that the PA could play an important role in the post-war order in the Gaza Strip. Hamas drove out the PA and seized control of Gaza by force in 2007. Ahead of the meeting with Mustafa, Baerbock was shown the situation in the West Bank and border area with Israeli by Oliver Owcza, head of the German Representative Office for Palestine in Ramallah. Critics accuse the right-wing extremist parties in the Israeli government of wanting to strangle the PA by cutting Israeli payments to the body. As a result, some salaries of PA employees can no longer be paid. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also recently announced that he wanted to withhold funds totalling $32.5 million from the PA and use that money to pay Israeli terror victims instead. Baerbock criticized Israeli authorities for completely blocking PA access to customs and tax money that was guaranteed under the Oslo Accords, landmark agreements struck between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the 1990s. At the Herzliya Security Conference near Tel Aviv on Monday, Baerbock condemned these measures. "In the current situation, it's dangerous and self-defeating to destroy and destabilize established PA structures," she said. Further German aid funds for Gaza In Jerusalem, Baerbock said that Germany is making a further 19 million ($20 million) available for humanitarian aid for the people in the Gaza Strip. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme are bringing "flour and rice to starving families whose lives are at risk, because every meal, no matter how small, is vital for the children in Gaza," Baerbock said. She added that every box of medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) helps to "restore a minimum level of medical care" in destroyed hospitals in the Gaza Strip, which has been under intense bombardment from Israeli forces for months. Among other things, the money will be used to finance food baskets that cover 90% of daily calorie requirements and contain flour, rice, sugar, oil, chickpeas and powdered milk. As announced at the beginning of April, the German Foreign Office is also resuming regular funding of UNRWA with a first tranche of 5 million to support UNRWA activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, particularly in the areas of education and health. UNRWA hit the headlines in January because of Israeli government claims that 12 employees were involved in the massacre on October 7 and that the organization as a whole had been infiltrated by Hamas. An audit report by independent experts later rejected those claims as without evidence and concluded that UNRWA had established "robust" mechanisms to uphold its principle of neutrality. The latest announced funding brings Germany's humanitarian aid contributions for the Palestinian Territories to 312 million since last year, primarily focused on food and medical care. Further money is being spent on the evacuation of injured people, medical teams, psychosocial support and hygiene measures. To Beirut amid threats of war Baerbock is scheduled to travel on from Jerusalem to Beirut on Tuesday, where the threat is growing of further escalation between Israel and forces of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement along the border between the two countries. She plans to meet Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in the afternoon. Baerbock called the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border extremely dangerous. "All those who hold responsibility must therefore exercise the utmost restraint and, above all, Hezbollah must stop firing at Israel," she demanded. German minister wants up to 15 billion eur munitions deal, says source French Defence Minister Lecornu meets his Polish and German counterparts in Paris BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants to complete a deal to buy up to 2.35 million rounds of artillery ammunition for up to 15 billion euros ($16.06 billion), a source told Reuters on Tuesday. The finance ministry has sent its plans to parliament's budget committee for approval, said the source, adding that under the proposals, an initial 1.3 billion euro order for 200,000 domestically-produced bullets would be made. Provided approval is given, Germany could agree a framework deal with Diehl Defence and Nammo Raufoss, Der Spiegel, which first reported the plans, said. The committee is due to make its decision on July 3, said the source. ($1 = 0.9340 euros) (Reporting by Holger Hansen, Writing by Madeline Chambers; editing by Matthias Williams) Stephan Protschka (R), AfD state chairman of Bavaria, speaks with his lawyers Andreas Geipel (L) and Edgar Weiler in the courtroom of the district court. The reason for the proceedings is a complaint filed by Bavarian Minister President Soeder. Protschka is alleged to have called Soeder "Sodolf" and "traitor to the state", among other things, at the AfD 2023 political Ash Wednesday in Lower Bavaria. Armin Weigel/dpa A defamation case against the leader of the Bavarian state branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) over insulting comments about Bavaria's state premier has been settled with a fine of 12,000 ($12,870). The AfD's Stephan Protschka derided Bavarian state premier Markus Soder as "Sodolf" - an apparent reference to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler - and called him a "traitor to the country" at a political event on Ash Wednesday last year. The local public prosecutor's office office had brought a case against Protschka, but on Tuesday agreed to drop the proceedings in exchange for Protschka's agreement to pay the fine. The dismissal also came after Protschka's defence attorney made a statement to the court in which he said that the AfD politician did not intend to insult Soder but make a point in a political debate. Protschka did not intend to make allusions to Germany's dark Nazi era, but instead had picked up on terms used by a previous speaker, his lawyer asserted. Protschka now has until the end of August to pay the fine, said the judge. In April, the Deggendorf district court had sentenced another speaker at the same event, the Austrian politician Gerald Grosz, to a fine of almost 15,000 for insulting Soder. Grosz had used the same terms as Protschka to describe Soder, the leader of Bavaria's centre-right Christian Social Union (CSU). Grosz argued in court that his statements were satire, and he has appealed the verdict. A court spokesman said the verdict against Grosz is not yet legally binding. Stephan Protschka, AfD state chairman of Bavaria, sits in the courtroom of the local court. The reason for the proceedings is a complaint filed by Bavarian Minister President Soeder. Protschka is alleged to have called Soeder "Sodolf" and "traitor to the state", among other things, at the AfD 2023 political Ash Wednesday in Lower Bavaria. Armin Weigel/dpa German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier takes up his official duties during a visit to his temporary official residence in Weiden. Steinmeier moves his official residence to Bavaria for three days from June 25 to 27 to meet with citizens in the region. Daniel Karmann/dpa German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned of the damage to the European Union the success of populists in the European elections could cause. "We have results in France, in Austria and also in Germany that have given anti-European populists a remarkable increase in votes," Steinmeier told regional public radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk on Tuesday during an official visit to the southern state of Bavaria. "If two or three large countries in the centre of Europe show attempts at disintegration or disintegration tendencies, then this is not entirely harmless for Europe," said Steinmeier. "These election results in Germany and France are something that must cause concern." There is also political work to be done in Germany, he said. The election results were different in the east of the country and the west, and it did not help to constantly prophesize the country's demise. Politicians, he said, must endeavour to properly address the needs of the population. And they simply have to be present, he added. The coronavirus pandemic was not the only reason why young people were now voting for the far right, said Steinmeier, but it had contributed to the problem. "These are the long-term consequences of measures, especially for young people who have not yet been able to find their own way of dealing with the situation, with the lockdown, with the closure of schools, but who had no social contacts during that time." German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier takes up his official duties during a visit to his temporary official residence in Weiden. Steinmeier moves his official residence to Bavaria for three days from June 25 to 27 to meet with citizens in the region. Daniel Karmann/dpa German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned of the damage to the European Union the success of populists in the European elections could cause. "We have results in France, in Austria and also in Germany that have given anti-European populists a remarkable increase in votes," Steinmeier told regional public radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk on Tuesday during an official visit to the southern state of Bavaria. "If two or three large countries in the centre of Europe show attempts at disintegration or disintegration tendencies, then this is not entirely harmless for Europe," said Steinmeier. "These election results in Germany and France are something that must cause concern." There is also political work to be done in Germany, he said. The election results were different in the east of the country and the west, and it did not help to constantly prophesize the country's demise. Politicians, he said, must endeavour to properly address the needs of the population. And they simply have to be present, he added. The coronavirus pandemic was not the only reason why young people were now voting for the far right, said Steinmeier, but it had contributed to the problem. "These are the long-term consequences of measures, especially for young people who have not yet been able to find their own way of dealing with the situation, with the lockdown, with the closure of schools, but who had no social contacts during that time." In the elections to the European Parliament earlier in June, far-right or populist parties came first in five EU countries - France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia - while in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands they placed a strong second. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came second in the poll with 15.9%, a strong performance ahead of all three governing parties, although far behind the conservative CDU/CSU bloc on 30%. In France, the nationalist National Rally topped the poll by a wide margin with 31.37% of the vote. The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) just edged past the two traditional centrist Austrian parties to take first place with 25.4% of the vote. The far right also topped the polls in Italy, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) garnering 28.76% of the vote. Manuela Schwesig, Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, sits on a train at the Przemysl station near the Ukrainian border. Michael Fischer/dpa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks in Kiev on Tuesday with the president of Germany's upper parliamentary chamber, the Bundesrat. During their hour-long discussion, Manuela Schwesig spoke in favour of Ukraine joining the European Union and of further military and economic support for the country as it fends off a Russian invasion. The meeting took place just before the official start of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations in Luxembourg on Tuesday. In addition to her role in the Bundesrat, Schwesig is also the premier of the north-eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Bundesrat represents Germany's 16 federal states at the national level. "This is an important day for Ukraine, but also for the European Union. The states [of Germany] support this accession," Schwesig said afterwards. The talks also covered regional partnerships. Patriot system to be delivered shortly Zelensky expressly thanked the German government for its help, said Schwesig, a member of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). Germany is Ukraine's second most important military supporter after the United States. She said the Ukrainian armed forces must now be further supported, particularly with additional air defence systems. A Patriot missile system currently stationed in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for training purposes is to be delivered shortly. "It is now important that it arrives in Ukraine to further protect the population from Russian attacks," said Schwesig. "This is urgently needed now." Schwesig announced a German-Ukrainian economic conference in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the autumn. The main focus will be on cooperation with her state's partner region of Chernihiv, north of Kiev, which borders Russia and Belarus. Russians locked 350 people in a 200-square-metre cellar After her visit to the capital, Schwesig gained an impression of the damage caused by the Russian war over the past two years. She visited the village of Yahidne, where the Russian invaders imprisoned over 350 villagers in the basement of the local school for almost a month in 2022 in an area of just under 200 square metres. Due to the poor hygienic conditions and lack of water and food, 10 of them died. The capital of the region, which is also called Chernihiv, was one of the first targets of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022 and has been repeatedly attacked with drones and missiles since the Russian withdrawal at the end of March 2022. Schwesig held political talks there about further aid. Setting up shelters and training psychotherapists In January, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern became the first former East German state to agree a partnership with a Ukrainian region and initially provided 250,000 ($267,603) for shelters in four schools in Chernihiv. A further 100,000 per year is to be channelled into other projects, including the training of psychotherapists at two hospitals in the region. Schwesig visited one of these, a paediatric clinic, during her visit. She emphasized that the partnership with the region is not limited to wartime but is designed for the long term. Schwesig has been president of Germany's Bundesrat since November 2023, making her the fourth-highest state office holder in Germany. She is the first head of the upper house of parliament to visit Ukraine. She had already met Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Monday. Former ties to Russia not a topic of discussion Schwesig had a difficult time in Ukraine due to her close cooperation with Russia even after the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and her commitment to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Shortly after the Russian invasion in 2022, she made a U-turn and described her actions at the time as a mistake. According to her delegation, this was no longer an issue during her talks in Ukraine. Mohammed Mustafa (R), Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, welcomes Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister. During her visit to the Middle East, Baerbock will hold talks with officials from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Germany is making a further 19 million ($20 million) available for humanitarian aid for the people in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on Tuesday in Jerusalem. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme are bringing "flour and rice to starving families whose lives are at risk, because every meal, no matter how small, is vital for the children in Gaza," Baerbock said. She added that every box of medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) helps to "restore a minimum level of medical care" in destroyed hospitals in the Gaza Strip, which has been under intense bombardment from Israeli forces for months. Among other things, the money will be used to finance food baskets that cover 90% of daily calorie requirements and contain flour, rice, sugar, oil, chickpeas and powdered milk. Palestinians shop for scarce food items surrounded by the enormous destruction caused by Israeli bombing as displaced Palestinians return to Khan Yunis. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. The Azerbaijani parliament has discussed the draft law on amendments to the law "On the state budget of Azerbaijan for 2024," Trend reports. The amendments were announced by the Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship, Tahir Mirkishili. Following the revision of the 2024 state budget, projected revenues stand at 36.35 million manat ($21.38 million), marking an increase of 2.18 million manat ($1.28 million) or 6.4 percent compared to the previously approved amount. Following the round of discussion, the proposed changes were voted upon and approved during the third reading. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Germany plans to order 15 billion worth of ammunition, some of it likely for Ukraine The German Defence Ministry is planning to order over 2 million artillery shells worth a record 15 billion to replenish its stockpile. Source: Spiegel, citing sources Details: Spiegel reported that German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has submitted a draft contract with manufacturers Diehl Defense and Nammo Raufoss to the parliamentary budget committee. The contract entails the purchase of up to 2.35 million 155 mm artillery shells, with the value of up to 15 billion, which Spiegel called a record. The shells will be manufactured and delivered by 2030. Initially, however, Germany wants to order 200,000 rounds of ammunition to replenish its stockpiles. The contract also stipulates that NATO members and Ukraine can order additional artillery shells under this agreement, with the overall framework providing for the possibility of purchasing 2.3 million rounds of ammunition. Spiegel wrote that Pistorius thus wants to ensure that manufacturers will be incentivised to create additional production lines and increase ammunition production in Germany. The German Finance Ministry appears to agree with this approach. According to Spiegel, this suggests that the German government is preparing for the prospect of a prolonged war in Ukraine and the further threat of confrontation with Russia. This is the second major deal for the purchase of ammunition; the first deal was struck with Rheinmetall and is worth up to 8.5 billion, which should stimulate the launch of new production in Lower Saxony. The Budget Committee is expected to discuss the proposal in the near future. Coalition parties are generally supportive of large orders like this, but may have questions about the Ministry of Defence proposing another deal without funding guarantees. Unofficial reports also suggest that the German Defence Ministry wants to purchase 105 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks. Support UP or become our patron! Germany provides a further 19 million in aid for Gaza Mohammad Mustafa (R), Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, shakes hands Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister. During her visit to the Middle East, Baerbock will hold talks with officials from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa In view of the suffering of the civilian population, Germany is making a further 19 million ($20.4 million) available for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme are bringing "flour and rice to starving families whose lives are at risk, because every meal, no matter how small, is vital for the children in Gaza," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Jerusalem on Tuesday. She added that every box of medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) helps to "restore a minimum level of medical care" in destroyed hospitals in the Gaza Strip, which has been under intense bombardment from Israeli forces for months. Among other things, the money will be used to finance food baskets that cover 90% of daily calorie requirements and contain flour, rice, sugar, oil, chickpeas and powdered milk. As announced at the beginning of April, the German Foreign Office is also resuming regular funding of UNRWA with a first tranche of 5 million to support UNRWA activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, particularly in the areas of education and health. UNRWA hit the headlines in January because of Israeli government claims that 12 employees were involved in the massacre on October 7 and that the organization as a whole had been infiltrated by Hamas. An audit report by independent experts later rejected those claims as without evidence and concluded that UNRWA had established "robust" mechanisms to uphold its principle of neutrality. The latest announced funding brings Germany's humanitarian aid contributions for the Palestinian Territories to 312 million since last year, primarily focused on food and medical care. Further money is being spent on the evacuation of injured people, medical teams, psychosocial support and hygiene measures. Baerbock: Hamas must agree to Biden plan for ceasefire Baerbock called on the Palestinian militant organization Hamas to accept a plan presented by US President Joe Biden for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. The plan is based on an Israeli proposal and is "the only realistic way out of the impasse of the war to free the hostages and towards a humanitarian ceasefire," she said. "Hamas has it in its hands to immediately alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza. " Sharp criticism of Israeli government Baerbock sharply criticized the far-right Israeli government over increased settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during her visit to Jerusalem. Baerbock also accused far-right extremists in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu's government of encouraging conflict in the West Bank. "Parts of the Israeli governing coalition are setting things on fire and endangering Israeli security interests in the long term with their aggressive settlement policy," Baerbock said after a meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz. She also criticized reports of brutal conditions for Palestinians detained by Israel and other reports of alleged rights abused by Israeli forces. She called for Israel to offer an explanation for "disturbing" images of the Israeli army's operations in Jenin, which "contradict international humanitarian law." On Saturday, videos showed Israeli soldiers driving with an injured Palestinian bound to the hood of a vehicle. Further German aid money for Gaza Earlier on Tuesday, Baerbock travelled to Ramallah in the West Bank to discuss the future role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa. Baerbock said that the PA could play an important role in the post-war order in the Gaza Strip. Hamas drove out the PA and seized control of Gaza by force in 2007. Ahead of the meeting with Mustafa, Baerbock was shown the situation in the West Bank and border area with Israeli by Oliver Owcza, head of the German Representative Office for Palestine in Ramallah. Critics accuse the right-wing extremist parties in the Israeli government of wanting to strangle the PA by cutting Israeli payments to the body. As a result, some salaries of PA employees can no longer be paid. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also recently announced that he wanted to withhold funds totalling $32.5 million from the PA and use that money to pay Israeli terror victims instead. Baerbock criticized Israeli authorities for completely blocking PA access to customs and tax money that was guaranteed under the Oslo Accords, landmark agreements struck between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the 1990s. At the Herzliya Security Conference near Tel Aviv on Monday, Baerbock condemned these measures. "In the current situation, it's dangerous and self-defeating to destroy and destabilize established PA structures," she said. Escalation of conflict with Hezbollah takes centre stage in Beirut Against the backdrop of growing concerns about an escalation of the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Baerbock met caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and then caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Baerbock called the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border extremely dangerous. "All those who hold responsibility must therefore exercise the utmost restraint and, above all, Hezbollah must stop firing at Israel," she demanded. In order to stabilize the Lebanese government, the German government is increasing its humanitarian aid to the country by a further 18 million. There are fears that an open war between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate into a regional conflict that would also involve the United States. Abdallah Bou Habib (R), Foreign Minister of Lebanon, and Annalena Baerbock Foreign Minister of Germany, shake hands. During her trip to the Middle East, Baerbock holds talks in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has arrived in Lebanon for crisis talks on an escalation in the conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia. Baerbock is to first speak with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the capital Beirut on Tuesday. Shortly before her return flight to Berlin, a meeting is also planned with the acting Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. At the Herzliya security conference near Tel Aviv on Monday evening, Baerbock demanded a complete and verifiable withdrawal of the Shiite militia from the border area between Lebanon and Israel. "The risk of an unintended escalation and an all-out war is growing daily. Extreme caution is therefore required," said Baerbock. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, there have been daily clashes between the Israeli army, Hezbollah and allied groups in the border area between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah has an arsenal of around 150,000 rockets. In the event of war, it could fire thousands of rockets a day at Israeli cities and take out important infrastructure. A hail of missiles could overwhelm Israel's missile defence. Numerous snow-covered tractors stand on the Strasse des 17 during protest against planned cuts in subsidies by the German government, including for agricultural diesel. Germany's three-party coalition government has agreed on a package aimed at boosting the country's agricultural sector, party leaders announced in Berlin on 25 June. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Germany's three-party coalition government has agreed on a package aimed at boosting the country's agricultural sector, party leaders announced in Berlin on Tuesday. The package includes tax relief for farmers, a reduction in bureaucratic requirements and measures to strengthen the position of farmers in deals with food distributors and retailers. The first parts of the package are set to be passed by the lower house of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, next week, the party leaders said. Implementing other parts of the proposed package will be the responsibility of ministries of Germany's 16 state governments. The German government had pledged relief for the agricultural sector by the summer in response to widespread protests by farmers against the phase-out of diesel fuel subsidies for the sector. Christian Durr, the parliamentary leader from the pro-business liberal Free Democrats (FDP), said that farmers had rightly expressed their displeasure at the beginning of the year. "As a coalition, we agreed to launch a major relief package for farmers," Durr said. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) blasted new Pentagon Chief of Staff Derek Chollet as absolutely unqualified on Monday, urging Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to reconsider his pick for the No. 3 official in the department. Austin named Chollet, currently a senior State Department adviser, as the Pentagons new chief of staff earlier Monday, replacing the outgoing Kelly Magsamen. He is absolutely unqualified for this position, McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement first shared with Politico. With the many national security threats this country is facing, we need real leadership at the Defense Department and Derek Chollet is not that, he continued. I strongly urge the secretary to reconsider this move. The chairman cited his committees investigation into the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, for which Chollet testified. His lack of candor in my committees transcribed interview together with his flippant public remarks about his work at the State Department make it clear he is neither a serious person nor is he trustworthy, McCaul said. Chollet was previously nominated to be the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy last year, though it has been stalled for months due to GOP opposition. Since an initial hearing in September, which featured a grueling questioning by skeptical Republicans, there have been no votes to advance his nomination. Cabinet officials lauded Chollets work in announcing his Pentagon move earlier Monday. He is one of the most distinguished, far-sighted, and skillful national-security practitioners of his generation, and I am grateful to him for taking on this key assignment at such an important moment, Austin said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Chollet as providing wise counsel and steady hand as a leading diplomatic figure over the past nine months since Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Jennifer Siebel Newsom and their children, from left, Dutch, Brooklynn, Hunter and Montana, are shown on Jan. 6, 2023, after Newsom took the oath of office in Sacramento. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 7:36 a.m. June 25, 2024: An earlier version of this article attributed information to a spokeswoman for the governors office. Izzy Gardon is a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom. Gov. Gavin Newsom and wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom plan to move their family back to Marin County, a spokesperson said Monday. Both Newsom and the first partner grew up in Marin County, an enclave just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, and it's where they were raising their four children prior to his becoming governor in 2018. They plan to enroll the children in Marin County schools in the fall. To ensure continuity in their childrens education, the family will split their time between Sacramento and Marin heading into the coming academic year," spokesperson Izzy Gardon said, confirming news first reported by Politico, which added that the children would stay with extended family. Shortly after the two-term governor was first elected, the couple sold their Marin County home and purchased a six-bedroom, 12,000-square-foot house for $3.7 million in the Fair Oaks community, 15 miles from the state Capitol in Sacramento. Read more: Gavin Newsom is writing a book. Is he hoping to take a page from Obama? Newsom, whose current term ends in January 2027, is the third governor in a row to live in multiple locations while serving. In his first public appearance as governor-elect in 2010, Jerry Brown made a point of telling reporters he was keeping his house in Oakland as his permanent address. Five years later, Brown moved into the newly renovated governor's mansion, after living in a downtown Sacramento loft. Arnold Schwarzenegger liked spending his nights at his Brentwood mansion so much that he famously commuted three hours between L.A. and Sacramento by private jet. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WEATHERFORD, Texas (WJHL) A Texas grand jury returned a no bill in the case of a Greeneville truck driver who was accused of murder after a fatal shooting on an interstate, concluding the case against him. Nicholas Kent was arrested and charged with murder on Jan. 8 after shooting a man during an altercation following a crash on Interstate 20, according to police. District Attorney Jeff Swain confirmed that a grand jury deliberated and on Thursday returned a no bill, which means jurors did not believe there was enough evidence for an indictment. When interrogated by Weatherford police, Kent said he fatally shot the other man in self-defense, according to the district attorney. Kent said he had stopped on the side of the interstate after the crash and checked the damage to his vehicle before returning to the cab. Black bear that startled guests, employee at Anakeesta concession stand euthanized Kent said a man then opened the door and started hitting him, according to Swain. Kent said he felt threatened and shot the man twice with a handgun before calling 911 and telling the operator what happened. Mr. Kents contention that the deceased was the aggressor was corroborated by video from a nearby auto dealership that showed him pulling up behind Mr. Kents 18-wheeler, getting out of his truck, and running up to the cab of the rig, Swain said in a release. It was definitely not typical behavior of someone who just wanted to get the drivers license and insurance information of the other person in the accident. Unfortunately, that video was on the wrong side of the 18-wheeler to capture the events that took place at the cab. Swain said Kents descriptions were also corroborated by toxicology from the autopsy, which showed that the other man was under the influence of narcotics that can cause erratic and aggressive behavior. Under Texas law, a person is entitled to use force against another when and to the degree they reasonably believe that that is necessary to protect themselves against the other persons use of force against them, Swain said. A persons use of deadly force is presumed reasonable in Texas if they are defending themselves against another persons unlawful entry into their vehicle. The district attorney said the grand jurys decision marks the conclusion of the case. If we believe in the right to self-defense, we have to apply it not just when it is easy, but also when it is hard, Swain said. I have no doubt this was a difficult decision for the grand jurors. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A church founded by members of the LGBTQ+ community in Grand Rapids is providing an inviting place for people who often feel unwelcome. En Vivo Church in the Creston neighborhood was founded in 2016 by Rev. Ricardo Tavarez. The church has been in its new location near Plainfield Avenue and Caledonia Street for nearly a year. En Vivo Church in Grand Rapids. (June 25, 2024) We like to call ourselves one of the gayest churches in West Michigan. Most of our membership here identifies as LGBTQ+, Tavarez said. Churches prepare to leave CRC following LGBTQ+ decision Tavarez founded En Vivo wanting a place that would welcome him and others in the community. A shift in his denominations policy meant the church had to become independent. Around that time in 2018, I also left the Christian Reformed Church. I was more or less pushed out of the denomination, Tavarez said. CRC doubles down on forbidding deacon in same-sex marriage at GR church The leadership of the church is part of the community, which is something that is unique. The role weve been inhabiting in the community is just being a very welcoming queer-led space thats also a church, Tavarez said. We want to make sure that everyone that walks into this space feels open, feels loved, that they can be themselves. And so we sort have been a refugee kind of church, in the sense that people that have been kicked out of their other churches or been unwelcomed in places because of who they are for being LGBTQ+. Theyve been able to come here and find a place to belong. En Vivo Church in Grand Rapids. (Courtesy En Vivo Church) In eight years, the membership has continued to grow. Many members had almost given up on organized religion. Weve also received a lot of people in this congregation who have not been to church in decades. Theyve felt unwelcomed for so long but wanted to give church one more chance, one more chance to connect with their faith, Tavarez said. The pastor hopes to grow the church and guide others to find a welcoming place to worship. If they feel like theyre in an unsafe space, I encourage them to leave and find places like this. We do exist, Tavarez said. Were not the only gay-friendly church in Grand Rapids. There are others that are willing to receive them and welcome them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Green Bay Area Public School Board opts to close three more elementary schools GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) The Green Bay School Board has voted unanimously to close Elmore, Langlade, and MacArthur Elementary Schools. Officials made the tough decision to close all three schools during a meeting on Monday night. Langlade and MacArthur were approved unanimously, while Elmore received a 5-2 vote. Two EF-2 tornadoes confirmed to have hit communities in Wisconsin, eight tornadoes total from Saturdays outbreak Mondays vote follows the closing of three other elementary schools in the Green Bay Area Public School District: Tank, Keller, and Wequiock, which closed earlier in June. District officials say this will save them about $2.4 million next school year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Members of the Azerbaijani Parliament Malahat Ibrahimgizi, Sevil Mikayilova, and Amina Aghazada will pay a visit to Doha, Qatar, to attend the Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians, Trend reports. According to the parliament, the MPs will participate in the conference themed "The Role of Women Parliamentarians in the Development, Implementation, and Oversight of Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism Legislation, Policies, and Strategies.". Amina Aghazada is expected to address the conference on the responsibilities of parliamentarians in combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism. The visit will conclude on June 29th. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Cool Factor Have industrial emissions been counteracting the worst effects of global warming? Scientists are starting to think so. Burning coal, oil, and gas warms our planet by dispersing greenhouse gases, like CO2, into the atmosphere. And before the introduction of more stringent environmental regulations, these fuel sources would often contain deadly pollutants like sulfur oxide that contribute to the deaths of millions of people globally. World governments have rightly fought to curb pollutants. But as a growing body evidence is beginning to show, these airborne particles, or aerosols, have likely mitigated rising temperatures by reflecting sunlight and boosting the reflectivity of clouds and as a result, concealed just how bad global warming actually is. The extent of the cooling they've caused is more contentious. Nonetheless, it's a grim irony that exemplifies the complexities of understanding nevermind protecting our climate. "We're starting from an area of deep, deep uncertainty," Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist from the University of California, Berkeley, told The Washington Post. "It could be a full degree of cooling being masked." Abandon Ship One of the biggest drop-offs in pollutants may come from the shipping industry, whose regulatory body in 2020 started limiting the use of the dirty, sulfur-spewing fuels its massive vessels once relied on, in favor of cleaner alternatives. But with the resulting decrease in aerosols, recent research has shown that these cuts in shipping pollution has directly led to more solar radiation being trapped in our atmosphere, which could explain why 2023 was the hottest year on record by a margin that alarmed even scientists. That doesn't augur well for the future: the authors of the research suggested that as we curb these deadly pollutants, we could experience double the rate of global warming compared to the average since 1880. As WaPo notes, however, many experts think the warming will be less pronounced, contributing somewhere between 0.05 degrees and 0.1 degrees Celsius of an uptick which, of course, is still significantly worrying. Clear the Air There is, perhaps, a silver lining. The same cooling principle of these pollutants could be wielded in an experimental technique called marine cloud brightening, which would involve deliberately injecting safe aerosols into the atmosphere to cause clouds to reflect more sunlight and to increase cloud cover. This is unproven and controversial, though, and the researchers behind the shipping study have suggested that their findings are an example of the downsides of pursuing that technique: the minute we stop pumping aerosols into the atmosphere, global temperatures will soar again, perhaps even more drastically than before. At any rate, clarifying these gray areas will be paramount for climate scientists. The picture is more complicated than we once thought, and determining how much aerosols figure into it will be essential if humanity is to keep global warming short of even more disastrous levels. "It's not just a story of greenhouse gas emissions," Robert Wood, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington, told WaPo. "Whether you clean up rapidly, or whether you just fumble along with the same aerosol emissions, could be the difference of whether you cross the 2-degree Celsius threshold or not." More on climate change: More Than 1,300 Muslim Pilgrims Die From Extreme Heat Groom Dropped Dead Moments After He Said His Vows, But It's His Last Words That Tug At The Bride's Heart A Year Later Johnnie Davis wedding day was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. The Omaha, Nebraska woman describes her husband, Toraze, as charming, funny and a hard worker, and she said he wanted to make the day they said, I do, a day they would always remember. It was a dream wedding. It was something. He told me pick whatever you wanna do. I dressed him, I dressed us. Everything was going fine until we went outside, Johnnie Davis told 3News Now Omaha. But June 19, 2023, was the last time Johnnie laid eyes on Toraze. The 48-year-old died of a blood clot on the couples wedding day, outside of the church, just moments after the couple exchanged vows in front of their friends and loved ones. According to the CDC, blood clots are a leading cause of preventable hospital death in the United States. They say between 60,000 and 100,000 people in this country die of blood clots each year and others suffer long-term complications. He was there, he went through the whole ceremony. His last words was, Johnnie Mae, I love you, Im sorry. Johnnie said. As KCCI Omaha reports, friends and family stepped in immediately, starting a GoFundMe, a meal train and donations of other supplies and services to support Johnnie and her daughter through their tragic loss. Now, one year after experiencing an unspeakable tragedy, Johnnie Davis is honoring the life of her late husband. She took time to celebrate their special day by releasing balloons and sharing memories with their daughter and other loved ones. I feel good, I mean, its a celebration of life and love. its our anniversary, so its not a sad day, Johnnie told 3News Now. Torazes cousin Tiffani McCowin sees the day as a reminder to appreciate time spent with loved ones while you can. Family is all you got, she said. Treasure and cherish the memories and moments you get to spend with them. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Group wants more action to address New Bedford housing crisis, meeting with mayor NEW BEDFORD - About 130 people filled the Our Lady of the Assumption Church Hall Monday to take action in the city housing crisis. Asked to stand if they or someone they knew had been affected by it, a pronounced majority stood. They were also asked to go to City Hall Thursday at noon to present Mayor Jon Mitchell with form letters handed out Monday calling for more action to be taken. Renee Ledbetter, UIA Board president and a member of Our Lady of the Assumption, addresses the gathering. They will also be calling for a meeting with the mayor to be set within the next 30 days. Leading the call for action Monday was faith-based community group United Interfaith Action. Action on high rents, rising home prices, increasing homelessness The are taking action "with local and state officials and neighborhood residents to address the housing crisis of high rents, rising home prices, and increasing homelessness," according to a press release. The group hosted the community action meeting Monday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church Hall. They cited the following statistics to justify their call for more action: 23% of households are severely cost burdened because they're spending more than 50% of their income on housing vs. the statewide average of 14%. There are 6,888 people on New Bedford's Section 8 wait list (federal subsidy). There are 2,534 people on the city's wait list for public housing. There are 346 individuals in shelters, transitional housing or on the streets. 1,100 New Bedford Public School students have experienced homelessness during this school year. New Bedford has the fourth highest eviction rate in Massachusetts, 879 since October 2020. New Bedford is 40% owner-occupied and 60% renters. Current development and rental costs are trending toward market rates, pricing long-time residents out of their homes. New Bedford needs at least 5,000-6,000 new housing units to stabilize the housing market, so that the supply will meet the demand for housing in the city. Support for Real Estate Transfer Tax The UIA also wants to include the Real Estate Transfer Tax in the five-year Housing Bond Bill currently under consideration in various forms - a $4.2 billion version filed by Gov. Healey and $6.2 billion and $5 billion iterations entertained by the House and Senate, respectively. That would allow a fee on home sales of $1 million or more to go toward city affordable housing development if it were exercised locally. Those in attendance Monday were asked to call state Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, Tuesday to lobby for the Transfer Tax to be added to the housing bill. More needs to be done on local front Locally, the UIA proposes passing inclusionary zoning (10% or more of all future development is affordable), committing to at least 10% affordability of all housing development around the MBTA stations in the city, and changing zoning to allow for ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), while using additional funding from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) and CPA (Community Preservation Act) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) for housing. Asked to stand if they or someone they knew had been affected by the housing crisis, a pronounced majority stood. UIA also wants Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School to change its admission process "from points-based, ranking admissions to a more equitable lottery to give all interested youth a fair opportunity to have a vocational, technical education and graduate with an ability to enter the trades" - particularly to address New Bedfords housing needs, such as filling that need for 5,000 to 6,000 more housing units. The UIA asked those in attendance to call GNBVT Superintendent Michael Watson Tuesday to let him know that they support the admission changes, even providing a sample message. 'Housing has to be a basic human right' Renee Ledbetter, UIA Board president and a member of Our Lady of the Assumption, stated, Affordable housing is affecting all of us - our family, our friends, co-workers, and neighbors. We need housing that is affordable for all income levels and should be no more than 30% of our income. Who can afford, 'affordable housing,' anymore? I spend 60% of my income on housing. Something has to change. Housing has to be a basic human right, where we can all live with dignity. Until we all have access to quality housing, we have more work to do. Among those in attendance Monday, from left, were Jack Livramento, UIA leader and GNBVT school committee member; state Rep. Tony Cabral, D-New Bedford; and City Councilor Shane Burgo. Ledbetter said at the meeting's close Monday that she hoped those gathered had been inspired to take further action. "This is just the first step," she said. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Group rallies New Bedford residents amid housing crisis SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Tuesday, June 25 is the day of Utahs primary election, and if you are a newer voter or are simply looking for a refresher on how things work in Utah, heres what you should know. The primary election will encompass the gubernatorial, attorney general, and U.S. senate races, as well as races for several congressional seats. Those who win the primary election will face the Democratic candidates in the November general election. LEARN MORE: Who is running for office in Utah in 2024? If you want to participate in the primary election, you must be a member of the Democratic or Republican parties or you must request a Democratic ballot. Registered members of those parties should have had ballots automatically sent to them. The Democratic primary is considered open, meaning it is open to any voter regardless of their affiliation. The Republican primary is closed, which means it is open only to voters who are affiliated with that party. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 25% of all ballots had been processed, according to Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. For Utahns who have yet to submit their vote, weve put together a guide. Click on the questions below to jump to that section: . There are several polling locations as well as ballot drop-off areas across the state. To see the closest polling locations near you, visit Vote.Utah.gov and type in your address. This should lead you to a list of the closest polls, county clerk offices, and drop boxes available near you. The polls and ballot boxes will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state of Utah. According to Utah voting resources, those who are in line to vote by 8 p.m. will be permitted to do so. If you have received a mail-in ballot and did not postmark it by Monday, June 24, you can drop it off at a county ballot drop box before 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Legally, Utah employers must allow voters to leave work for up to two hours to vote without deducting anything from their regular wages. If voters have time to access the polls outside of work hours, the employers are not required to grant them time off. Curious about which Voting District youre in? Type your address into this map, and you can see your districts for Congress, the State Senate, State House, and State School Board. . There are three criteria for voters in Utah. First, you must be a resident of the United States in order to be eligible to vote in Utah. Second, you must reside in Utah for at least 30 days prior to the next election. Third, you must be at least 18 years old on or before the general election. If you are 17 years old at the time of the primary election, you may still vote if you are 18 years old on or before the date of the general election. . Did you know that if you are not yet registered to vote you can do so on Election Day? To register on Election Day, you must bring a valid photo ID and proof of Utah residency to an Election Day vote center during polling hours. A poll worker will assist you in registering to vote and casting a provisional ballot on an electronic voting machine, Salt Lake County said. If you want to vote but are unsure if you have already registered, you can check your status online at votesearch.utah.gov. To check your registration status, you need to provide your name, date of birth, and address. That website can also display tracking information for mail ballots or provisional ballots, but not if you voted at a voting machine or in person. Once you register to vote in Utah, you dont need to re-register unless your registration status changes. If you have moved outside of the state and returned, or your name has changed, or your registration has lapsed by not voting in the last two presidential elections you will need to re-register, according to the Salt Lake County Clerks Office. Online voter registration was available at vote.utah.gov, but the deadline for online registration was June 14. The deadline for registering by mail was also June 14. . One form of valid identification for voters should include a voters name and photograph. Examples are as follows: A current and valid Utah drivers license. A current and valid ID card issued by the state or a branch, department, or agency of the United States. A current and valid permit for carrying a concealed weapon. A current and valid U.S. passport. A current and valid U.S. military ID card. The following forms of identification are also valid, even if they do not have a photo of the voter: A valid tribal identification card. A Bureau of Indian Affairs card. A tribal treaty card. Alternatively, you may bring two forms of ID that have your name and show evidence that you reside within the voting precinct. For the full list of additional identifications, click here. . While it is legal in Utah to express favor or disapproval of candidates on election day or attempt to persuade others with cards, signs, and handouts there are some rules to keep in mind. Electioneering is defined in Utah law as any oral, printed, or written attempt to persuade persons to refrain from voting or to vote for or vote against any candidate or issue. This as well as requesting signatures or circulating handbills of any kind is permitted 150 feet away from a polling place, but no closer. Anyone who attempts to do these activities within 150 of a polling place may be subject to a class A misdemeanor. It is also illegal to obstruct any doors that lead to a polling place or attempt to prevent people from accessing it. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Gun violence has created a large-scale cycle of trauma and fear that's damaging Americans mental health, making children fearful of going to school and adults of going to public places, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in announcing a public health crisis Tuesday. Murthy's report cites the mental health toll beyond direct victims in making the case to Congress to pass legislation to stop gun violence. Murthy pointed to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the 2022 law Congress passed after mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, as evidence that lawmakers can work together on the issue. The law, signed by President Joe Biden, strengthened background checks and provided federal funding for mental health interventions. Even so, a deep sense of fear now pervades American society, Murthy told POLITICO, tying it to high-profile mass shootings. "We think about where many of these mass shootings are taking place in schools, at parades, at concerts, in houses of worship these are part of the fundamental components of our day-to-day life. While mass-shooting deaths account for just 1 percent of firearm fatalities, they play an outsize role in how safe Americans are feeling, Murthy said. The report cites a survey which found that half of 14- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. worry about school shootings, with 6 in 10 reporting they've "recently thought about what would happen if a person with a gun entered" their school or a school nearby. Meanwhile, nearly 80 percent of adults report being anxious about the prospect of a mass shooting and more than a third of adults say they dont go to events or certain places for fear of being shot. Why it matters: Surgeon general advisories arent issued frivolously or frequently. A few have influenced the course of public health, like Luther Terrys 1964 report on cigarettes, which helped change Americans perceptions of smoking. Murthys report endorses policies like universal background checks and safe firearm storage laws, regulating guns like other consumer products, and more funding for gun violence research, community-based violence prevention initiatives and emergency preparedness programs. "This isn't one of those issues that has one simple solution that's going to take care of 90 percent of the problem," he said. The backstory: Murthy's advisory is part of his wider agenda on mental health. Hes warned about the danger social media poses and the overlapping risks of isolation and loneliness. Murthy drew ire from the National Rifle Association when President Barack Obama first nominated him to serve as surgeon general in 2013 for Murthys past comments on guns, including a 2012 tweet, in which he wrote: "Tired of politicians playing politics w/ guns, putting lives at risk b/c they're scared of NRA. Guns are a health care issue." The gun group would delay his confirmation for more than a year, with Murthy assuring senators during his confirmation hearing that he had no plans to make waves. ''I do not intend to use my office as surgeon general as a bully pulpit on gun control," he said. He largely kept that promise while serving Obama, instead focusing his efforts on the opioid crisis. In the years since, the public conversation has shifted. In 2015, the American Medical Association, the nation's largest doctors organization, classified gun violence as a public health issue. The NRA's power has dwindled amid internal financial scandals. But gun violence has continued unabated. As Murthy's report lays out, by many measures, gun violence in America is worse than ever, with more than 48,204 people dying from guns in 2022, down slightly after hitting a three-decade peak in 2021. A gunman allegedly killed five people and critically injured a teenager in shootings at two apartments in Nevada, authorities said. Police launched a manhunt for the suspect, 57-year-old Erick Adams, before North Las Vegas police announced later on Tuesday that Adams died by suicide. MORE: US Surgeon General Murthy declares gun violence 'public health crisis' in America The shootings unfolded in North Las Vegas on Monday night. Officers responded to the first apartment just after 10 p.m. and found two women -- one in her 40s and one in her 50s -- both fatally shot, police said. A third shooting victim, a 13-year-old girl, was also found at the apartment and was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. PHOTO: The North Las Vegas Police Department released this photo of 57-year-old Erick Adams, a suspect in multiple shootings. (North Las Vegas Police Department) At a nearby apartment, officer found three more shooting victims: two women and one man, all in their 20s, police said. All three were declared dead at the scene, police said. Police released Adams' name and photo on Tuesday, urging anyone with information to come forward. MORE: Man guns down 3 women, including his mom, in separate shootings within 1 hour: Florida police Police said they learned of Adams' location just after 10 a.m. When officers responded, Adams -- armed with a gun -- fled into a backyard of a home, police said. "Officers began giving Adams verbal commands to drop the firearm, however Adams ignored those commands and died by suicide," police said in a statement. A potential motive has not been released. Gunman allegedly kills 5 people, critically injures 13-year-old in shootings at 2 apartments originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The assailants were not immediately identified, but "Dagestan has in the past been the scene of Islamist attacks". | Credit: National Antiterrorism Committee / Handout via Reuters What happened Gunmen in Russia's southern Dagestan republic carried out what authorities called a coordinated terrorist attack on Orthodox churches, synagogues and police outposts in two cities, Derbent and Makhachkala. Sergei Melikov, Dagestan's governor, said "more than 15 police officers fell victim" in Sunday's attacks, along with a priest and several other civilians. Who said what The assailants were not immediately identified, but "Dagestan has in the past been the scene of Islamist attacks," the BBC said. Sunday's attacks, three months after about 140 people were killed in an assault on Moscow's Crocus City Hall theater, "raise concern about the vulnerability of Russia's internal security as critics have blamed authorities for diverting resources toward cracking down on political dissent" and waging war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal said. Kremlin allies tried to pin the Moscow attack on Ukraine, though ISIS-K claimed responsibility. What next? Since 2022, "Russians have been led to believe that their principal adversaries are Ukraine and the 'collective West,'" the BBC said, and "that's a message Russian authorities are reluctant to change." Dagestan began three days of mourning on Monday. Zahr died along with her husband and children overnight in an attack on Beach Camp, north of Gaza City - Anadolu The sister of Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas political leader, has become his latest family member to be killed in an Israeli strike, the terror group said. Zahr died along with her husband and children overnight on Monday in an attack on Beach Camp, north of Gaza City. Basem Naim, the Hamas spokesman, said it took the number of family members of the exiled leader who have been killed to around 100. Based between Qatar and Turkey, Haniyeh has remained safe from assassination throughout the war with Israel. Qatar remains a key player in negotiations to free Israels remaining 120 hostages in Gaza. But Haniyehs family remain in the line of fire. In April, his three sons were killed during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Hazem, Amir and Mohammad died along with several of his grandchildren. Haniyeh said at the time their martyrdom was a symbol of hope. Through the blood of the martyrs and the pain of the injured, we create hope, we create the future, we create independence and freedom for our people and our nation, he told Al Jazeera. Haniyeh with his sister Zahr At the time, the Israeli military said the three sons were military operatives on their way to carry out terrorist activities in the central area of the Gaza Strip. There has so far been no comment on the latest attack. The blood of my children is not more valuable than the blood of the children of the Palestinian people All the martyrs of Palestine are my children, Haniyeh said at the time of his sons killing. Israel is delusional Amid ongoing US-brokered negotiations, which have not progressed since a short temporary ceasefire last year, Haniyeh pointed out the futility of Israel targeting his family. If they think that targeting my children at the peak of these talks before the movements [Hamass] response is submitted will cause Hamas to change its positions, they are delusional, Haniyeh said in April. In Israel, where Haniyehs sister lives in a quiet Bedouin community in the countrys south, his sister Sabah remains under house arrest charged with affiliations with a terrorist group and incitement to unrest. It followed messages sent, including to her brother, praising the atrocities of Oct 7. More than 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in Israel, with 250 more taken hostage. Hamas has denied media claims of relocating its Qatari outpost to Iraq. Reports had suggested the Gulf mediators were pressuring the terror group to leave the gas-rich state if progress was not made on ceasefire talks but Mr Naim said nothing is true. An Israeli member of the hostage negotiation team said: In the last two months, there have been three such discussions about Qatar forcing Hamas to leave, which so far remain empty threats. We can only understand this to be a means of appeasing the US while no progress is being made with the talks to free the hostages. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Hamas fired at UNICEF aid convoy in Gaza, Israel's military says JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Tuesday that Hamas militants fired a projectile at a UNICEF humanitarian aid convoy. The aid convoy, the IDF said, was coordinated with UNICEF to reunite children from northern Gaza with their families in the south. "During the coordinated activity, the Hamas terrorist organization fired a projectile at the humanitarian route near the UNICEF aid convoy and IDF soldiers securing the area," it said in a statement that was accompanied by a video of the strike. "There were no injuries to international aid workers or IDF soldiers in the attack." (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Today, Azerbaijan celebrates the Armed Forces Day. The process of forming national armed forces started at the beginning of the last century, in 1918. The government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which proclaimed its independence, established the first regular military unit - the Separate Azerbaijani Corps, on June 26 of the same year. The renaming of the Muslim Corps to the Separate Azerbaijani Corps was an important step toward the creation of national armed forces. However, with the downfall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the process of army building in our country also stopped. Only after National Leader Heydar Aliyev came to power in 1969, due to his exceptional merits, did the process of training military cadres have positive dynamics. It was a turning point in the national army's construction and developed as a dynamic process. Thus, a military lyceum named after Jamshid Nakhchivanski was established. The activity of this school led to the strengthening of interest in military art in Azerbaijan and the training of Azerbaijani cadre officers. Following the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence, the Military Lyceum, named after Jamshid Nakhchivanski became one of the main bases of army formation. After National Leader Heydar Aliyev came back to power in 1993 at the insistence of the people, important steps were taken in the direction of army construction. The formation of the Azerbaijani National Army accelerated after the signing of the ceasefire agreement in the Armenian-Azerbaijani military conflict on May 12, 1994. The successfully implemented policy resulted in special attention being paid to improving the material and technical support of the Armed Forces, enhancing the moral and psychological training of the personnel, and raising morale. According to the decree of National Leader Heydar Aliyev dated May 22, 1998, the day of formation of the Separate Azerbaijani Corps - June 26 - was declared the Day of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and this date is annually celebrated as an official state holiday. Furthermore, Heydar Aliyev signed a decree on February 20, 1999, on the establishment of the Military Academy for further development of the military education system. The establishment of the Academy can be considered a qualitatively new stage in the process of forming the national personnel reserve in the military sphere. Following the tradition started by the National Leader, army construction became a priority during the years of independence. Azerbaijan has established cooperative ties with NATO. The production of more than 400 items of defense items by the Ministry of Defense Industry is one of the important indicators of the growth of our country's military power. These achievements have created invaluable opportunities for Azerbaijan to equip its army with the necessary arms and ammunition. The improvement of the defense capability and combat efficiency of the national army, improvement of its material and technical support are constantly at the center of attention. President Ilham Aliyev always pays special attention to the upgrading of the material and technical supply of the Armed Forces, the creation of modern infrastructure, the social protection of servicemen, the improvement of housing, and the development of the defense industry. In recent years, Azerbaijan has been producing various types of military equipment, armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and small arms due to its emerging and dynamically developing military industry. Azerbaijan can equip its army to a large extent with military products manufactured at its plants. Agreements have been signed with several countries on the purchase of arms and military equipment and the production of military products, and military cooperation ties have been expanded. Modernization of the armed forces is one of the strategic directions of the state policy of President Ilham Aliyev. The fact that the dynamic development of our country in recent years has been accompanied by an increase in the budget of the armed forces and, as a consequence, the strengthening of the Azerbaijani army, once again confirms the commitment of the head of our state to his promise on army construction. Nowadays, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are considered to be the most modern army in the Caucasus. The fact that the Azerbaijani Army is among the top 50 strongest armies in the world is also due to such necessary and timely reforms. Azerbaijan has put an end to 30 years of occupation of its territories, thanks to the strength of its army. Under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, who conducted successful diplomatic work to make the world aware of Armenia's occupation policy that led to the violation of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, our brave army won a historic victory over the enemy in the Second Karabakh War, which began with a counter-offensive operation on September 27, 2020. Thanks to the courage and bravery of our heroic warriors, and the sacrifice of our martyrs, the whole world witnessed Azerbaijan's glorious Victory. More than 300 settlements of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli, Shusha, Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin districts were liberated. The Azerbaijani Army proved its superiority on the battlefield. The capitulation of the enemy is the result achieved due to the strength of the Azerbaijani Army, and correct military-strategic decisions. Today, the international community's recognition of the strength of the Azerbaijani Army is clear proof of the development of our country's Armed Forces. The battle tactics used during the Second Karabakh War are considered an innovation in world military history and are studied in the textbooks of the relevant higher military institutions. It is not excluded that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, no matter how strong they are today, will become even more powerful in the future. Ahh, pizza. The beloved pie, be it Detroit-style, Neapolitan-style or wood-fired, it's arguably an American favorite. The phones at Amar Pizza on Jos. Campau in Hamtramck likely will be buzzing. On Tuesday, the New York Times released a list of 22 of the Best Pizza Places in the U.S. paired with its story on "How America Became the Capital of Great Pizza." Amar Pizza's square pizza. Amar Pizza at 12195 Jos. Campau Ave. made the list and was noted for using Bangladeshi ingredients on its pizzas. That use of Bangladeshi ingredients, the New York Times Brett Anderson wrote, was "born of necessity."Were in a neighborhood where there are pizzerias that had been around 20 to 30 years, owner Khurshed Ahmed told the New York Times. We had to come up with something unique, to separate us. Amar Pizza was noted by the New York Times for its pizza made with dried fish paste, a condiment, and another with Naga chiles as an ingredient. More: Grand Rapids TikTok, Instagram star known for viral feta pasta recipe releases cookbook "I am ecstatic, thrilled and honored," Ahmed, reached by phone Tuesday, said. "All of the years of hard work is getting recognized. This is big." On the online menu, Amar Pizza has a dozen specialty pizzas, including its Dry Fish pizza featuring dried shrimp, roasted garlic, mozzarella and provolone cheese blend, onions and cilantro with spicy fish paste sauce. Its Naga pizza is made with chicken, red onions, cilantro and naga sauce. Amar is also home to the Ghost Pepper pizza, described as having extreme heat, with chicken, red onions, cilantro and ghost sauce. Ahmed said he created the Ghost Pepper pizza when customers wanted a spicier version than the Naga pizza. More: Hulu set to drop Season 3 of 'The Bear' earlier than planned The Tandoori Pizza, described on the menu as sweet and tangy, has tandoori chicken breast, cheese, red onions and a tandoori sauce. Thin crust, round and deep dish pizzas are also offered. Amar Pizza was named to the New York Times list of 22 Best Pizza Places in the US. Amar Pizza got its start in 2010 mostly as a takeout place. According to its website, other menu items offered are burgers, Biryanis, sandwiches, subs and salads. There's also a Troy location at 3728 Rochester Road, owned by another family member. Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter.) Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Amar Pizza in Hamtramck named among best in US by New York Times New Hanover Sheriff's Office provides more details in recent homicide investigation Three juveniles have been charged with first-degree murder following the death of a teen in the 2200 block of Teresa Drive, Castle Hayne, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. With three juveniles facing first-degree murder charges following a homicide in Castle Hayne, more details have been made available about the incident. Around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, an incident in the 2200 block of Teresa Drive left one 17-year-old male dead, according to a news release from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. Following an investigation, including witness testimony, detectives with the sheriff's office arrested three 17-year-olds in connection with the crime. The death was the result of a shooting, Lt. Jerry Brewer, public information officer with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, said. The Sheriff's Office referred to the 2200 block of Teresa Drive because the incident did not occur at a specific address. When asked about the circumstances leading to the shooting, Brewer said "that's part of the ongoing investigation." Previous Coverage: Three teens facing first-degree murder charges in New Hanover The identities of the suspects, as well as arrest warrants, have not been released due to their juvenile status. Brewer said that to his knowledge, neither the suspects nor the victim were related. As of Thursday, the three suspects were being held in the New Hanover County Juvenile Detention Center under no bond, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. As of Tuesday morning, Brewer said that to his knowledge, the suspects were still being held in the detention center, but he could not provide confirmation. Three juveniles have been charged with first-degree murder following the death of a teen in the 2200 block of Teresa Drive, Castle Hayne, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. The suspects were scheduled to appear in a secure hearing before a Superior Court judge on Friday, June 21. Details about whether the juveniles will be tried as adults or any other information regarding the case was not disclosed by the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office due to the case being heard in juvenile court, Sam Dooies, assistant to the district attorney, said in an email on Friday afternoon. Reached by phone on Tuesday morning, Dooies said she is unable to comment more on the case. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: More details released in Wilmington, NC, homicide investigation New Development in Search of Chicago Woman Missing in The Bahamas Leaves More Questions Updated as of 7/6/2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET Taylor Casey, a Black woman from Chicago and avid yoga enthusiast, booked a trip to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. But that was back on June 19, and she hasnt been seen since. After seemingly no leads at all to where she disappeared to, the Royal Bahamas Police Force announced they found her cellphone in the nearby waters. They also found other personal items including a journal and Bible. However, her passport is still missing. Authorities said the search is continuing with divers, tracking dogs and drones. Despite these seemingly intense measures to locate Casey, suspicions rose around how serious the investigation is being taken. A statement from the Find Taylor Casey Facebook page claimed the local missing persons fliers of Casey werent found around the yoga retreat where she was staying nor around the police station. The statement also said some of her fellow travelers had no knowledge about the case. I need them on the island to act like its their child, said Caseys mother, Colette Seymore to NBCs Maggie Vespa on TODAY. What We Know About Taylors Vanishing Casey booked her visit to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, which is located in Paradise Island, off the shore of New Providence, according to a family press release. The yoga retreat center contacted Caseys family when she didnt show up for class on June 19, per the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Two days later, the Bahamas authorities issued a missing persons flyer. However, there were little to no descriptors of her appearance before she went missing. The only information available was that shes a light-skinned Black woman, 5 10 in height, 145 pounds with natural brown hair. To Caseys family, this lack of info could indicate foul play. We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, Colette Seymore, Caseys mother, said. I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return. Taylor would never disappear like this. The family could also have reason to believe Caseys in danger based on the Level 2 advisory issued to Americans by the U.S. State Department warning them to exercise increased caution and keep a low profile due to a spike in murders and gang terrorism, per NBC News. The concern for locating Casey has gotten as deep as the creation of a Find Taylor Casey Facebook group for supporters to share tips, attempt to contact Bahamas authorities or the staff of the retreat center, and organize prayer fasts for Taylors safe recovery. Caseys family is also expected to travel Tuesday to Nassau to connect with law enforcement on the progress, if any, in the search for their loved one. We send our love, prayer, and energy to Taylors family as they begin their travels to the Bahamas. Together, we share our strength and our resolve to find our beloved Taylor, read a post from the Facebook page. If you have information regarding Taylors disappearance, please contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2 or Crime stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477). For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Princess Anne made headlines after she was hospitalized after an accident. While details surrounding the incident remain scarce, its been confirmed that the Princess Royal sustained a minor injury. Speculation suggests the incident may have involved a horse, given Princess Annes well-known equestrian background. Heres all we know about Princess Annes accident and injury. Why was Princess Anne sent to hospital? Princess Anne suffered a minor head injury after an incident at Gloucestershire estate. According to Royal UK, Buckingham Palace spoke on behalf of the Royal Family concerning the recent incident. The statement confirms that the King is being kept fully informed of the situation. It reads, The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery. After the mishap, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the Princess is recovering well to the BBC. The spokesman said, Her Royal Highness is recovering well, is in a comfortable condition, and is being kept in hospital as a precautionary measure for further observation. On doctors advice, Her Royal Highnesss engagements for the week ahead will be postponed. Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result, the spokesman added. Princess Anne is expected to make a full recovery. However, she will be unable to attend the upcoming State Banquet with the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Additionally, her trip to Canada scheduled for this week has been postponed. Princess Anne is the second child of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She was first married to Captain Mark Phillips, with whom she shares two children, Peter and Zara. She then married Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence in 1992. During the accident, her husband Timothy and her children were reportedly with her. She was then accompanied by him to the hospital. The post What Happened to Princess Anne? Accident & Injury Explained appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) The Gentilly community is celebrating the opening of a new business. Harbor Freight opened its doors Tuesday morning, on June 25. The business is housed in what was once the old Winn-Dixie at 4600 Chef Highway. New Orleans Carnival Legislative Committee meets to discuss Mardi Gras 2025 New Orleans Councilmember Eugene Green was at the location for the grand opening and said the store would greatly benefit the area. Theyve enhanced the building. Thats good for the economy. Theyre putting people to work. Thats also good for the economy. Its also good for the neighborhood that they dont have to see a vacant and abandoned building every time they drive to get on the interstate. So, all around, this is a good investment for our city, said Green. Nationally, there are more than 1,500 Harbor Freight locations. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. HCSO provides more details on SWAT callout in Dripping Springs HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) On Tuesday, the Hays County Sheriffs Office provided more details related to a SWAT callout in Dripping Springs that happened over the weekend. On June 22, around 1:20 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a suspicious person in the 600 block of Terrace Canyon Drive. The person was described as acting aggressively with neighbors and causing a disturbance in the area, according to HCSO. One person is in custody after the Hays County Sheriffs Office responded to a SWAT callout in Dripping Springs, HCSO told KXAN Saturday. (Nabil Remadna/KXAN News) That person was later identified as Nathan Nattin, 41. As deputies were on their way to the scene, residents nearby reported hearing gunshots and an explosion, according to HCSO. When deputies were on the scene, they were shot at once, officials said. HCSO: Man in custody after SWAT callout in Dripping Springs Hays County SWAT, Crisis Negotiations Team, the Drone Team and detectives were requested to assist with a callout, according to HCSO. Nattin has a history of assaulting and attempting to assault law enforcement, resisting arrest, harassment of public servant, and weapons-related charges. The SWAT callout lasted nearly two hours, and he eventually exited his home and was taken into custody without incident, according to HCSO. Officials obtained a search warrant for Nattins home and found multiple firearms, marijuana and Psilocybin, or mushrooms. A bullet hole was also found in a neighbors home. HCSO said no explosive devices were found. Nattin was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance and deadly conduct discharged firearm at a habitation, according to HCSO. He remained in the Hays County Law Enforcement Center with a total bond set at $560,000. HCSO said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is also helping with the investigation. If anyone has information on the callout, they can contact Hays County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip at 1-800-324-8477, submit the tip on the Crime Stoppers website or the P3 Tips app or email Detective David Maddocks at david.maddocks@co.hays.tx.us. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Trucks loaded with German aid enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says civil order is breaking down in the Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says civil order is breaking down in the Gaza Strip. Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday in Geneva that many lorries carrying relief supplies are being looted, and drivers threatened. Businesses no longer wanted to make lorries available for aid deliveries. To further illustrate the catastrophic situation on the ground, Lazzarini said that 10 children and young people were losing one or both legs every day because of the war. These figures don't include hands or arms, he added. In a speech to the aid organization's supervisory board on Monday, Lazzarini described the situation on the ground as "hell." "In the last nine months, we have witnessed unprecedented failures of humanity," he said, according to the speech transcript. More than two million Gazans are living in "a nightmare from which they cannot wake." The "catastrophic levels" of hunger there is the result of human behaviour. "Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and clean water wait in trucks." In his speech, Lazzarini called for the "critical role" of UNRWA to be protected. It must be able to continue its work until a political solution is in sight, he said. The UN considers Israel to be an occupying power and therefore that Israeli security forces therefore have an obligation to maintain law and order in Gaza. Since its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Israel no longer sees itself as an occupying power. UNRWA made headlines in January because Israel said that 12 of its employees were involved in the massacre on October 7, and that the organization as a whole had been infiltrated by Hamas. An audit report by independent experts later concluded that UNRWA had established "robust" mechanisms to uphold its principle of neutrality. Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraines European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the head of Ukraines delegation in negotiations on Ukraines accession to the European Union, has said that Ukraine was prepared to fulfil Hungarys 11 demands regarding the rights of national minorities in Ukraine. Source: Stefanishyna during the first Intergovernmental Conference for Ukraines EU Accession, which officially launches the negotiations regarding Ukraines EU membership Details: Stefanishyna said that Ukraine has "repeatedly and persistently" reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining good relations with its neighbours, particularly in matters related to the protection of the rights of national minorities. "As of now, we are committed to resolving and, on this basis, fully implementing the 11 issues raised, in particular, by Hungary and aimed at strengthening the protection of the rights of national minorities, and to continuing bilateral consultations with Hungary on this issue," Stefanishyna said. She added that Ukraine is ready to take further steps to protect the rights of national minorities "agreed during the dialogue and on the basis of relevant agreements with Hungary, in good faith and as a contribution to mutual understanding, trust and respect". "We expect the same contribution to further mutual understanding, trust and respect from our neighbouring partners," Stefanishyna said. Background: In January, Hungarys Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto presented Ukraine with 11 demands to guarantee the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Szijjarto later said that these demands were included in the negotiations framework for Ukraines accession to the EU, which was finalised on 21 June. Support UP or become our patron! A free public meeting on the challenges facing Tennessee's rural hospitals and how the community can help is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27, in Room G-107 of Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, 701 Briarcliff Ave. The community panel discussion is organized by SEIU Local 205 and community partners. SEIU Local 205 is a union that represents workers at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge will be the site for a community panel discussion June 27 on keeping rural hospitals open in Tennessee. "The importance of Methodist Medical Center to our region will provide a local context to this state-wide crisis," stated the news release from SEIU Local 205. This event is being organized by SEIU Local 205 and community partners. It is free and open to the public "Strong hospitals are vital to our communities wellbeing, but across our state rural hospitals are underfunded and face major challenges every day. Too many have closed, and the effects on a community losing their hospital are dramatic. "A diverse panel of local citizens, physicians, community advocates, elected officials, and health care workers will share their perspectives and thoughts on these challenges and discuss the consequences when a community loses its hospital and access to care. The panel will also explore what we can do to combat these threats and help our rural hospitals thrive," the release stated. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Panel to speak Thursday on challenges facing TN's rural hospitals Heard the rumors about Knapps? We have, too. Heres what we know about fate of diner The owners of Knapps Restaurant and Lounge in Tacoma said Monday afternoon that, despite rumors to the contrary, the 86-year-old Proctor District establishment is not closing. Sound Restaurant Family provided a concise statement in response to questions from The News Tribune: We have heard the rumors and can confirm that Knapps is not closing. Business will continue as normal. The rumors began swirling on Saturday. A frequent local X (Twitter) user shared a post about unsettling rumors circling the Proctor District today. It seemed the beloved diner, which Ned and Corinne Knapp opened in 1938, and adjacent bar would close after service. Its fate? A Mexican restaurant, maybe. Then, on Sunday, information traveled through the physical and digital ether that maybe it wasnt so. Knapps was open then, and it was open again on Monday. Sources have nonetheless told The News Tribune that a closure is imminent. Staff apparently has been left in the dark. The company did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on where the rumors might have originated and if something, such as a building sale or similar, had occurred that would cause confusion. A phone call to Dan Tweten, who manages the restaurant group with his brother Jonathan Tweten, was not returned Monday. Knapps Restaurant and Lounge was open on Monday, June 24, with a steady flow of customers mid-morning. Before Sound Restaurant Family, Donna R. Lomis was the proprietor for many years. She retired and sold the Gamble Building, comprising 2701-2709 N. Proctor St., for $1.2 million in 2002, three years before her death. It is now valued at $3.8 million by the county assessor, which still show the owner as Gamble Building LLC, affiliated with Todd Clarke and Drew Frame of real estate company Kidder-Matthews in state business filings. The Twetens own other throwback diners in the region, including The Poodle Dog in Fife (established 1933), Burs in Lakewood (1950s but renamed Burs in the 70s) and the Hob Nob (1929) across from Wright Park in Tacoma. Like Knapps, each boasts a next-door 21-and-up lounge frequented by locals. Even the unconfirmed prospect of Knapps demise struck a nerve with locals, who chimed into that Twitter thread. A Tacoma icon, as one commenter put it, families have been sipping coffee and noshing on pancakes and benedicts there for decades. The potential loss recalled an undesirable sequel to the very real news in June 2023 that Harvester, another nearly century-old diner, had closed. At the time, Dan Tweten pointed mainly to struggles at that location with construction of Sound Transits Link extension. He also said the decision to cut Harvester from their portfolio meant they could keep their other businesses on steady ground. Were thankful we have these other restaurants, he said last June. The Twetens grandfather started the family restaurant business, and their father Tim took the helm in the early 1990s. The brothers have expanded their offerings beyond diners with Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery in Puyallup and Coastal Kitchen in Seattle. Another Harvester in Gig Harbor was last operated by a relative until a few years ago when it was sold and became an Original House of Pancakes franchise. The Ray Gamble Building was built in 1929, ordered by Stanley Morrison. Shown here in 1935, on the corner was Nelson Drugs and to the left Ray Sowers Jewelry from 1929-1971. Knapps Restaurant has been in the building since 1938, expanding to several storefronts and its popular lounge space in later years. (Richards Studio 948, Image 1294) Pierce County has lost numerous diners in recent years amid higher costs for everything from bacon to boxes, higher wages for workers, and the overall changing tide of family-style dining. As the owner of Cattins in Puyallup told The News Tribune after it closed in 2022 after 48 years, The ma-and-pa-type restaurant, were kind of a dying industry. The 1920s-era building that houses Knapps is home to a hair salon on the corner. The FernSeed closed last year to focus on its bigger South Tacoma store. Above the ground-floor retail are 13 apartment units, according to property records. KNAPPS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 2707 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-759-9009, knappsrestaurant.com Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Lounge stays open until 9ish on weekdays and later on weekends. Staff writer Debbie Cockrell contributed to this report. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov received a special representative of the Russian Foreign Minister for the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations Igor Khovayev on June 25, Trend reports. Based on the information provided, the meeting delved into various topics, including bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, efforts made within regional platforms, the status and future of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the current and recent developments in the region. Minister Bayramov briefed on the process of negotiations on the draft peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. At the same time, it was noted that the ongoing claims regarding the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the constitution and other legislative acts of Armenia are the main obstacles in this process. The parties also discussed various other matters of shared concern during the meeting. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Heart was in my throat: Woman nearly robbed of $12,000 by scammer at East Boston ATM Megan Bates says she was meeting her friends for lunch Friday in East Boston, and it was a cash-only restaurant, so she went to an ATM on Porter Street to take money out. So I went to the ATM, got cash and as I was walking away, someone said Miss, Miss, and I turned back and there was a guy standing next to the ATM, that pointed out money sticking out of the machine, said Bates. Bates says this man told her she left cash in the ATM and still needed to finish her transaction. She says he was really nice and took her card and put it back into the machine for her. I see this flashing red light on the ATM and Im thinking okay maybe somethings wrong here, and so I go in I start a transaction I cancel it and then the card pops out and the light goes green, and he takes the card out and hands it to me, said Bates. She didnt realize until the next day, this man stole her debit card and handed her another one. Bates believes he also watched her put her pin number in because she soon realized she lost 12,000 dollars. There were 3 pending transactions for 4,000 dollars, my heart was in my throat, said Bates. Bates reported the fraud to her bank and learned the thief withdrew money from her account at different banks in Boston. Now she hopes others learn from her mistake since it can happen so fast. You know that you dont give anyone your pin number, you know that you dont show anyone your card, you know that, thats basic ATM safety, and I just didnt think about it, I got sucked right into it, said Bates. Bates also reported this ATM scam to Boston Police. The police are investigating, I know theyre looking and they have camera footage, so its very possible they could catch him, Im sure theyre going to try it again, said Bates. Bates was also surprised the suspect was able to take out all that cash at a bank without an ID. Luckily, she says the bank was able to give her all that money back Monday night. 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 SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Temperatures were sweltering in San Diego over the weekend as the first warmup of the official summer season set in over the region, but respite from the heat is not exactly on the horizon for some parts of the county. A cooling trend began setting in for most of the region west of the mountains on Monday, bringing temperatures about two to five degrees under Sundays highs, according to the National Weather Service. However, temperatures in these areas are anticipated to remain slightly above season averages throughout the week, with desert areas likely to continue feeling a blistering heat comparable to the weekends heat. Swimming in waters at these San Diego County beaches could mean illness San Diego Countys desert communities are anticipated to see highs this week ranging from about 100 degrees to 114 degrees, NWS said, which could contribute to heat-related illnesses. An excessive heat warning is in effect until at least 8 p.m. Thursday for these areas. Meanwhile, coastal neighborhoods can expect highs in the low to upper 70s through the end of the week, with valley and mountain areas likely to see highs in the low to upper 80s. Minimum temperatures will also remain elevated throughout the week, according to forecasters. It comes on the heels of a weekend where record-breaking lows were set in some parts of the county, including Escondido, Ramona, Borrego, Vista and Campo. This elevated average low temperature was one of the main drivers for the heat risk over the weekend, NWS said. On Sunday, low temperatures were 70 degrees in Escondido, 65 in Ramona, 84 in Borrego, 66 in Vista and 64 in Campo, according to NWS all setting the new record for highest minimum temperature in that respective community. Lows in areas west of the mountains will hover around 60 degrees, with deserts expected to see minimum temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s, forecasters say. Tips on staying safe in the heat. (National Weather Service) Like the past weekend, a slight chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms will also remain on Monday, but the likelihood will lessen by Tuesday. The main culprit behind the humid heat wave has been a high ridge hanging over the south, which expanded west from Texas. Additional warming next week could occur while this ridge will continue to build in the Southeast, but forecasters note it is relatively uncertain given a trough moving through the Pacific Northwest and another ridge over the East Pacific. Firefighters battle large vegetation fire in Otay Open Space Preserve The uncertainty in the temperature forecast is most noticeable for the valleys with narrower spread for the deserts, NWS said on Monday. A complete list and map of County Cool Zone sites can be found here. While the heat continues, people are encouraged to use the countys Cool Zones to prevent heat-related illnesses. A dedicated air-conditioned area, Cool Zones are located at the countys 33 branch libraries, community centers and other locations. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Here's what led Kenyans to burn part of parliament and call for the president's resignation Protesters hide behind a banner as police fire tear gas at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Kenya's president came to power by appealing to the common people, describing himself as a hustler and vowing relief from economic pain. But when he was forced to give up on a controversial tax hike that led to deadly chaos in the capital, Nairobi, it was a clear sign that support for him has turned. Protesters who opposed a law that would have raised taxes stormed parliament on Tuesday, burning part of the building as lawmakers fled. Bodies lay in the streets, and medical workers and watchdogs said police had opened fire. The military was deployed. President William Ruto pushed the law through parliament despite opposition from the youth-led protest movement, and called protesters treasonous" after they stormed parliament. But on Wednesday, with troops in the capital's streets and the smell of tear gas lingering in the air, he conceded that the plan had caused widespread dissatisfaction and said he would not sign the bill. Heres a look at the unrest in East Africas most stable democracy and the most serious assault on Kenya's government in decades. From internet data to diapers The finance bill was meant to raise or introduce taxes or fees on a range of daily items and services including internet data, fuel, bank transfers and diapers. Some measures were stripped as anger grew. The proposals was part of the Kenyan governments efforts to raise an extra $2.7 billion in domestic revenue. The government said the changes were necessary to pay interest on national debt, reduce the budget deficit and keep the government running. Protesters saw them as punitive, since the high cost of living already makes it hard to get by. A 2023 finance bill signed into law by Ruto was also unpopular, featuring a tax on salaries for housing, but the anger was nothing like this. A youth-led protest Young Kenyans have been organizing on social media, organizing peaceful street demonstrations meant to force authorities to drop this finance bill altogether. The protests started on June 18 after the bill was made public for the first time. The protests began in Nairobi but have spread to other parts of Kenya, including the Indian Ocean city of Mombasa and even in Eldoret, a town in the Rift Valley region thats been a bastion of support for the president. Kenyas political opposition stormed out of Tuesday sessions in which the bill was passed. Kenya has seen protests in the past, but activists and others warned the stakes were now more dangerous. We are dealing with a new phenomenon and a group of people that is not predictable, said Herman Manyora, an analyst and professor at the University of Nairobi. We dont know whether these people will fear the army. Deadly violence Ruto deployed police and soldiers to quell the protests, infuriating demonstrators and escalating the situation. At least 22 people were killed on Tuesday, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission said, and police were accused of some shooting deaths. Chairperson Roseline Odede said 50 people were arrested. Ruto acknowledged there were deaths, without elaborating, called it an unfortunate situation and offered condolences. He also said about 200 people were wounded in the chaos. The president is questioned Ruto, elected in 2022, has consistently urged all Kenyans to pay their fair share of taxes. Some Kenyans now mock him as Zakayo, after the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus. Many see his aggressive stance as a form of dictatorship thats out of sync with the realities of ordinary people. In 2023, after the courts blocked some of his tax proposals, the president threatened to disregard court orders. That drew criticism from the Law Society of Kenya, whose leader accused Ruto of seeing himself as above the law. Pro-democracy activists have warned that Ruto's attacks on the judiciary indicate an authoritarian streak. Some see similarities between Ruto and his mentor Daniel arap Moi, the former president who led Kenya during a long period of one-party rule. Common man, chartered plane Ruto in his presidential campaign called himself the anti-establishment candidate and vowed to implement policies to put more money in Kenyans' pockets. But the so-called hustlers who supported him were dismayed when his government removed crucial fuel and maize flour subsidies. Many Kenyans saw it as a betrayal. Ruto, now fabulously wealthy, frequently urges Kenyans to tighten their belts. But his state visit to the United States in May created controversy when he chartered a luxury private jet instead of using the presidential jet or Kenya's national carrier. Ruto later said the chartered jet had been paid for by friends he didnt name. Here's what weather is expected near the Oak Ridge Fire this evening The National Weather Service of Pueblo announced Monday that wind gusts passed over the Oak Ridge Fire likely around 25 to 35 miles per hour and that they are forecasted to persist in the evening. NWS Pueblo stated on X, formerly Twitter, that "outflow from distant thunderstorms" would shift winds over the fire, starting around 4:15 p.m. Michael Garberoglio, a meteorologist with NWS Pueblo, told the Chieftain that the outflow from those storms had already passed over the Beulah area before 5 p.m. Smoke and fire map: Oak Ridge Fire near Beulah forces evacuation "Once the fire is already going, the thing we're most concerned about is going to be wind because wind is going to be the primary ingredient of spreading the fire further," Garberoglio said. "On top of that, humidity will be another important factor that sort of determines how dry ambient conditions are and how east things will catch in the area." Garberoglio forecasted that the winds should die down between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. and continue to lighten overnight, hovering under 10 miles per hour into Tuesday morning. The announcement comes after the Oak Ridge Fire located near Beulah grew to 170 acres late Monday afternoon. Crews battled the fire over the weekend and early Monday before it increased and forced the evacuation of Middle Creek Canyon residents. Map showing the location of the wildfire which started near Beulah in Pueblo County. Live blog: Middle Creek Canyon residents ordered to evacuate amid wildfire The fire was first reported by the Unted States Forest Service on Saturday morning. The Pikes Peak Hotshot Crew was dispatched Monday to help contain the fire. NWS Pueblo earlier on Monday posted to Facebook that heat advisories were in place for El Paso, Pueblo and Fremont counties until Tuesday due to dangerous heat. Temperatures were expected to soar 10 to 15 degrees above normal range. In Pueblo on Monday, temperatures approached and reached 100 degrees during the early and late afternoon periods. The Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District listed the fire danger on Monday as high, which activated fire restrictions. Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Wind to travel around 30 miles per hour near Oak Ridge Fire Drew Whiting is well known in Erie as the CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corp., a business-backed group that has invested more than $100 million to transform the city's urban core. But Whiting, who was hired last July, is also an Erie business owner. He's the controlling partner of Tenth and State LLC, which has been working to develop a Five Iron golf simulator franchise on the southwest corner of the intersection of West Tenth and State streets. More: Erie takes swing into future of golf with virtual simulator downtown. When will it open? Owners had planned to open by mid-April, but missed that deadline because of flooding in the basement of the building. Whiting blames the city's ongoing streetscape improvement project and says the city not only failed to respond to his concerns, but also retaliated by refusing to issue an occupancy permit after he complained. Erie Downtown Development Corp. CEO Drew Whiting Five Iron eventually opened in late May, but Whiting says the delay cost the business more than $100,000, including lost profits, wasted marketing expenses, additional debt service costs and the cost of hiring three employees before they were needed. On Friday, Tenth and State LLC and Swing Project Erie LLC, two entities controlled by Whiting and his partner, Chase Rogan, filed a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Pennsylvania, naming as defendants the City of Erie; Erie Water Works; city building inspector Scott Heitzenrater; Andy Zimmerman, manager of the city's bureau of code enforcement; and Jason Sayers, director of public works. The lawsuit, which claims retaliation in violation of the First Amendment, was filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1983, which provides a cause for action for the "deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and the laws of the United States. What the lawsuit claims The lawsuit, filed by Erie lawyer John Mizner, makes the connection between the building's flooded basement and the city's ongoing streetscape project on State Street that includes new sidewalks, trees and drainage systems. More: Disruptions on State Street are temporary as city works on $5.8 million facelift Matt Casey, of XL Excavating, works in the south-bound lanes of State Street in September of 2023. Crews were at work on millions of dollars worth of streetscape improvements that include new sidewalks and soil cells that help control sediment. The lawsuit highlights several events that are reported to have taken place this past October when construction workers removed underground synthetic liners from around the storm sewer systems. According to the lawsuit, Sayers, who was city engineer at the time, included several flaws in his design for the streetscape project and failed to recognize that the plaintiff's building had a basement. The lawsuit also says that the soil cells, which are considered stormwater holding facilities, violate the city's own stormwater management ordinance, which restricts the placement of such facilities within 25 feet of a building. According to the lawsuit, a small amount of water was observed on the building's basement wall shortly after the new sidewalk and soil cells were installed in October. While that water delayed the electrical work for about a month, the lawsuit claims conditions deteriorated after a significant rainfall in February prompted "large amounts of water" to enter the basement in an area with no history of water problems. An independent lab determined the water flowing into the basement was most likely runoff from the streets. Tenth and State reported that finding to the city and waited for its response. Fire retardant is sprayed near four golf simulators, from near left to back center, at a new Five Iron Golf location under construction in Erie on Feb. 8, 2024. Todd Bruno, a field supervisor for the city, replied that the city planned no further action and to contact the city solicitor with other questions. The lawsuit includes excerpts from Whiting's emails, including one to the city solicitor's office. It read, in part: "If Mr. Brunos email directing me to counsel doesnt look enough like deferred acknowledgement of responsibility, additional testing, which Im also paying for, should serve as additional confirmation in short order." On March 5, less than a week after that exchange, Tenth and State was informed that a building occupancy permit could not be issued because the sidewalk leading up to the building's main State Street entrance was "excessively sloped in violation of the applicable code." But who was to blame for that "excessive slope?" According to the lawsuit, "This was the very sidewalk which the City itself had installed, only five months before, without any input or control by Tenth and State as to their specifications or slope." Erie Water Works is also a defendant A smaller portion of the lawsuit is devoted to Tenth and State's claims against Erie Water Works. Although testing suggested that floodwaters came from the streets and not from the water supply, the lawsuit notes that Erie Water Works performed limited excavation of the sidewalk to expand the water lines serving the building. According to the lawsuit: "During that work, water could be visually observed flowing into the open areas of excavation from the surrounding soil. "Moreover, when Erie Water Works turned off water to the area for the purpose of installing the new piping to the building, the water flowing into the open excavation noticeably decreased." Unconstitutional retaliation? The language of the lawsuit, the content of emails that support the case and interviews with the Erie Times-News all seem to speak to Whiting's frustration. The main entrance to Five Iron Golf, at 1000 State St., is shown in this February file photo. The lawsuit began by quoting Mayor Joe Schember's published comments in the Erie Times-News, writing that he has worked "to support transformational projects throughout Erie." Tenth and State contend the city's handling of its problems suggest otherwise. According to the lawsuit, "Mere weeks before Plaintiff Swing Project Erie was set to open to the public, after months and millions of dollars spent renovating a building on a highly-visible corner in downtown Erie, it was side-tracked twice: first by the negligent misdirection of water into its basement, and second, by retaliation by city employees after the Plaintiffs dared to ask the City for help resolving the issue." Taking the mayor to task In the introduction to the lawsuit, Tenth and State concludes: "No one doubts the Mayor's commitment to economic development and job creation. Unfortunately, either Mayor Schembers aspiration 'to support transformational projects throughout Erie' does not bear the weight to hold his own team accountable to carry out this directive, or he has failed to make his staff understand what it means in the first place." In an interview with the Erie Times-News, Mizner didn't back away from laying blame at Schember's feet. "Mayor Schember's claim about having a 'team' committed to improve the quality of life for businesses is not borne out in reality," Mizner said. "Erie Insurance and its corporate partners have done an incredible job of transforming Erie's downtown. But they cannot be expected to do it all. So, it is deeply troubling that when others invest their private dollars to continue the transformation, and the city causes them significant economic harm." 'They will do it to anyone' Whiting was quick to stress in an interview that he filed a legal action as a private business owner, not as the leader of a highly visible organization that has led Erie's revitalization efforts. Inevitably, though, the lawsuit seems likely to affect the relationship between the city and one of its most visible developers. Whiting said he spoke in advance about his plans to file a lawsuit with Tim NeCastro, who is both CEO of Erie Insurance and president of the EDDC's board of directors. In an email to the Erie Times-News, Whiting explained his rationale for filing the lawsuit, which seeks in excess of $75,000 "My concern here is less about dollars lost in my own business and more the precedent that is being set if we let this stand," he said. Whiting said he hopes the lawsuit will help the city become more responsive to the needs of businesses in the future. "I view it as if they are willing to screw with me, they will do it to anybody. And I might be the last person you want to screw with," he said. "My goal is to make sure you don't have the opportunity to do this again." In email correspondence with the city, Whiting made his concerns clear. "I can be very reasonable and forgiving when I perceive good faith on the other side. This is not good faith," he wrote. "This is the classic bureaucratic approach short-term decision making motivated by self-preservation. Unfortunately, this approach always ends up far more costly to taxpayers, than an action-driven accountability-based approach." An attempted settlement Whiting said he informed Schember during a meeting in April that Tenth and State would likely file a lawsuit if the two parties couldn't come to a resolution. More recently, Whiting said Tenth and State reached out to Travelers Insurance, the city's insurance carrier, presenting the company with its requested settlement. Whiting said the proposed settlement was for more than $100,000. Contacted Monday, Schember said he was unable to comment on lawsuits. However he wrote, "since Ive been mayor, my team and I have always been supportive of new and existing businesses in the City of Erie. We are committed to being pro-business with a focus on growing the local economy. More: Erie Mayor Joe Schember reflects on the state of the city - 'exciting stories to tell' Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie developer files federal lawsuit against city, claims retaliation By Aidan Lewis CAIRO (Reuters) -Gaza remains at high risk of famine as war between Israel and Hamas continues and access to aid is restricted, though delivery of supplies had limited the projected spread of extreme hunger in northern areas, a global monitor said on Tuesday. More than 495,000 people across the Gaza Strip are facing the most severe, or "catastrophic", level of food insecurity, according to an update from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). That is down from a forecast of 1.1 million in the previous update three months ago, but is still more than one fifth of Gaza's population. Under "catastrophic" food insecurity, households suffer an extreme lack of food, leading to acute malnutrition in young children, an imminent risk of starvation, and deaths. The IPC assessment published on Tuesday said that to buy food, more than half of Gazan households surveyed had to sell clothes and one third gathered and sold rubbish. Over 20% reported going entire days and nights without eating. Overall, about 96% of the population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in the period until September. The U.N.-backed monitor said deliveries of food and nutrition services in March and April seemed to have reduced the severity of hunger in northern Gaza, where the IPC had previously forecast a likelihood of famine. However, Israel's offensive around the southern city of Rafah from early May and other hostilities and displacement have led to a renewed deterioration in recent weeks, it added. "The humanitarian space in the Gaza Strip continues to shrink and the ability to safely deliver assistance to populations is dwindling. The recent trajectory is negative and highly unstable," the update said. The Famine Review Committee, a group of experts which reviews IPC findings, said in a report also released on Tuesday that there was "extreme human suffering" in Gaza and the risk of famine had not diminished. "Eight months of extreme pressure on the lives of the population make them much more vulnerable to collapse into famine," it said. DISEASE RISKS The Rafah offensive led to the shutting of the crossing on Gaza's border with Egypt, which had been a main route for the delivery of food and other supplies, as well as an evacuation point for civilians who were critically ill or injured. The closure, along with disruptions at the nearby Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, reduced humanitarian access to two million people in southern Gaza, said the IPC update, which covers the period from May 1 to Sept. 30. Displacement to areas with less water and fewer health services "increases the risk of disease outbreaks, which would have catastrophic effects on the nutritional and health status of large segments of the population", it said. Southern Gaza "may soon reach a tipping point that rapidly leads to a descent into famine", the Famine Review Committee said. Israel's military campaign in Gaza was launched after Hamas-led militants raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli response has killed almost 37,600 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, leaving Gaza in ruins and repeatedly displacing people within the blockaded and densely-populated coastal territory. The IPC is an initiative involving U.N. agencies, national governments and aid groups that sets the global standard on measuring food crises. Its most extreme warning is Phase 5, which has two levels, catastrophe and famine. Famine can be declared if at least 20% of the population in an area are suffering extreme food shortages, with at least 30% of children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease. (Editing by Angus MacSwan, Gareth Jones and David Gregorio) DENVER (KDVR) A hiker was hurt and rescued from Mount Massive over the weekend after a fall on the Southwest Slopes route. The Lake County Search and Rescue team said they received the call at about 9 a.m. Saturday for the injured hiker. The call was coming from a satellite communication device, so information was limited for the first responders, besides the hikers location. 5 ejected from raft on Clear Creek, 2 treated for minor injuries At least one helicopter was on standby for the operation and conducted flyovers, looking for landing zones in case the hiker was in critical condition. According to Taylor Hickey, public information officer for Lake County Search and Rescue, the team hiked 4 miles to make contact with the injured hiker on a trail at about 12,300 feet. Hickey said the hiker had slipped while crossing a snow field, causing him to slide 600 feet vertically. Lake County Search and Rescue shared photos of rescuing an injured hiker on June 22 on Mount Massive. Lake County Search and Rescue shared photos of rescuing an injured hiker on June 22 on Mount Massive. Lake County Search and Rescue shared photos of rescuing an injured hiker on June 22 on Mount Massive. While he was injured, the hiker was able to walk out with the team. This is a great reminder of how high-angle snow fields are very common on the peaks during early summer conditions, Hickey said. Ensure to bring traction devices such as microspikes, and an ice axe in order to self-arrest in case of a slide. The Lake County Search and Rescue team, like most Colorado search and rescue teams, is volunteer- and donation-based. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Hillary Clinton is releasing her new book as a collection of essays highlighting the former first lady's and presidential candidate's experiences with politics, her marriage to husband and former President Bill Clinton and her relationship to her faith. On Tuesday, Simon and Schuster announced Clinton's book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty will be released on Sept. 17. The book is said to be a "warning to all American voters," that will discuss the long-standing Democrat's "unvarnished views on politics, democracy, the threats we face and the future within our reach. "She takes us along as she returns to the classroom as a college professor, enjoys the bonds inside the exclusive club of former first ladies, moves past her dream of being president, and dives into new activism for women and democracy," Simon and Schuster said. This is the Hillary Americans have come to know and love: candid, engaged, humorous, self-deprecating and always learning, the statement concluded. Clinton has written several other books detailing her experiences as a woman in politics but most famously she released the memoir "What Happened" in 2017 after she had lost the 2016 election to former President Donald Trump. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. The 11th consular consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation were held in Baku on June 25, 2024, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Head of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Emil Safarov led the Azerbaijani delegation at the consultations, while Alexey Klimov led the Russian team. Furthermore, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan took part in the meeting. The two countries exchanged views on the current state and prospects for the development of cooperation in the consular sphere, including the possibility of sealing the deal and going digital with consular services during consular consultations. The sides discussed issues of the protection of rights and freedoms of citizens of the two countries and the provision of consular assistance, emphasizing the importance of joint measures to strengthen ties between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in the fields of justice, migration, education, and other important spheres. The meeting's minutes were signed by the two countries' delegation heads after the negotiations. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Hillary Clinton speaks at the Tony awards in New York on 16 June 2024. Hillary Clinton speaks at the Tony awards in New York on 16 June 2024. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Hillary Clinton has said it would be a waste of time for Joe Biden to attempt to refute Donald Trumps contentions in Thursdays presidential debate because its nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are. The former secretary of state wrote in a New York Times opinion piece that Trump starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated, she said. Clinton debated Trump while unsuccessfully running for the White House against him in 2016 and she had also debated Biden during a presidential primary eight years earlier. Related: Hillary Clinton endorses challenger for Jamaal Bowmans New York House seat Trump was later accused of speaking over Clinton and looming over her in a way that she later described as really weird. Clinton predicted in her op-ed that Trumps strategies would fall flat if Biden is as direct and forceful as he was during his State of the Union address in March. Referring to Trump, she added: Expectations for him are so low that if he doesnt literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential. Clinton advised debate-watchers to focus on three things: how each candidate talks about people, whether they focus on the fundamentals, and on the choice between chaos and competence. Referring to Trumps recent conviction in the New York criminal prosecution involving hush money paid to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels, Clinton said the choice between a convicted criminal out for revenge and a president who delivers results was easy regardless of the debates outcome. Clintons comments come as both main political parties are attempting to talk down expectations of a decisive political clash. They also arrived on the same day that she announced a new memoir Something Lost, Something Gained set to be published seven weeks ahead of Novembers vote. Clinton said she will offer a warning to all American voters, along with her unvarnished views on politics, democracy, the threats we face, and the future within our reach. Subjects the 76-year-old former US secretary of state is said to address include her reflections on marriage, friendships with other former first ladies, and, according to the publisher Simon & Schusters editor-in-chief, Priscilla Painton, moving past her dream of being president. The Hilton Head Island Town Council scheduled a meeting to continue the conversation about whether to give the go-ahead for the entire U.S. 278 corridor project or risk losing project funding by letting its environment assessment expire that same day. Town councils special meeting is at 10 a.m. on June 28. The special meeting doesnt have an attached agenda, and the town must give at least 24 hours of public notice before holding any vote. The process in which the town would permit the South Carolina Department of Transportation to move forward with the project is called municipal consent. If the town gives the department municipal consent, it must do so before the environmental assessment, which expires June 28. If the town doesnt hold a vote, its likely the same outcome as a no vote on municipal consent. The town could ask for an extension of the environmental assessment, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but there is no guarantee it would grant one. Without municipal consent, the town risks SCDOT solely addressing the deteriorating bridge over Mackay Creek and abandoning the larger U.S. 278 plan. The larger plan is estimated at $488 million, according to Town Council member Patsy Brison at a June 20 meeting. Historic legislation in NY would foot Big Oil companies with bill for climate damages: 'It's time to make polluters pay' New York lawmakers have passed legislation that would make dirty energy companies pay for the costs associated with an overheating planet, and as of late June the bill is awaiting a signature from Gov. Kathy Hochul. Food & Water Watch announced that the New York State Assembly passed the Climate Change Superfund Act on June 7. If signed by the governor, it will create a 25-year fund of $3 billion annually, which will be financed by big dirty-energy corporations and go toward things like climate resiliency projects, according to Food & Water Watch. Per the organization, a third of those funds will go to disadvantaged communities, which are disproportionately impacted by a warming world. "It's time to make polluters pay," Eric Weltman, Food & Water Watch's Senior New York Organizer, said in a statement urging Hochul to sign the act into law. New York would be the second state to enact similar legislation Vermont passed its Climate Superfund Act in May. Meanwhile, California is considering a similar policy. According to the Guardian, surveys have shown that most voters support making the industry financially responsible for its polluting ways. Legislation such as this is significant, as dirty energy sources like oil, gas, and coal generate more than 75% of all planet-warming pollution. If we don't curb the overheating of the planet, the United Nations predicts extreme consequences, including hotter temperatures that could endanger global food supplies and human health, more severe storms that could threaten lives and property, and more disease. For instance, experts have warned that potentially deadly flesh-eating bacteria are spreading northward up the U.S. East Coast because of warming waters. Meanwhile, Latin America is grappling with the devastating effects of record heat, floods, and drought, as hunger and disease rise across the region. The good news is that a number of big corporations and organizations are making efforts to reduce their dependence on planet-warming energy sources. For instance, the Presbyterian Church is cutting all financial ties to dirty energy. Plus, HSBC, one of the world's biggest banks, has announced it will no longer finance oil and gas fields. New York State Sen. Liz Krueger, one of the bill's sponsors, pointed out to the Wall Street Journal that the $3 billion wouldn't even cover the full annual cost of climate adaptation and mitigation in the state. "We're probably spending a lot more than that a year already, and the numbers keep growing when you look at flooding damage, storm damage, rising water tables, fires, pollution, health all these things being caused by climate change," she told the publication. However, Bill McKibben, an environmental activist living in Vermont who is founder of Third Act and 350.org, expressed relief as New York's climate act inches closer to becoming law. "Finally, some justice for the taxpayers of New York, and finally a past due invoice for the Exxon shareholders who have been profiting off the damage to roads, bridges, and homes across the Empire State," he said, per the Adirondack Explorer. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) went after Senate opponent Angela Alsobrooks (D) in the first attack ad of his campaign on Friday, hitting the Prince Georges County executive over her record on crime. The one-minute ad, titled Just the Facts, claims Alsobrooks isnt telling the truth when she brags about falling crime rates in the county under her leadership. Hogans advertisement says that Alsobrookss claims of a 50 percent decrease in crime on her watch clashes with about 30 percent increase in violent crime in the county since she became its executive in late 2018. The 50 percent claim, however, is based on federal data during her tenure as the countys prosecutor. From 2011 to 2018, when Alsobrooks was states attorney, crime did fall by about half. When she took over as county executive, the county had just experienced its lowest level of crime since at least 1985, according to FBI data. Crime has risen since 2018, with total crime up about 33 percent through 2022, according to the same FBI data. However, the crime rate in Prince Georges County remains lower than any year on record before she was states attorney. As for Hogans claims of a recent rise in crime in the county, total crime is down by 10 percent so far this year, while violent crime is up by 12 percent year-on-year, according to county police data. Much of that increase is tied to an increase in domestic violence and assault arrests, according to county data. The countys 47 homicides so far this year is about the same as 2023. The ad concludes by calling Alsobrooks another typical political who doesnt deliver. Hogan refused to go as far as calling it an attack in an interview with The Washington Examiner on Sunday. I dont know if its an attack ad. Its more of a comparison, Hogan said. Its all factual, and its about her record. Im not attacking her personally. Theyve been pretty personal and pretty negative from Day 1 since the day I announced. This is more, like, Hey, maybe you werent aware of the fact that her record on crime is terrible. Hogans campaign has focused on public safety as one of its top issues, as the former governor leans on his reputation as a moderate. Hogans late announcement that he would seek to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) quickly shook up the race, which was previously expected to be an easy win for Democrats. Alsobrookss campaign has attempted to tie Hogan to former President Trump, which has been helped by Trumps endorsement of Hogan last week. The governor, among his partys most consistent critics of Trump, has said he did not seek or want the ex-presidents approval. Alsobrooks leads Hogan in the limited polling so far in the race. She has an 8.3 percent lead over the former governor, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of polls. The Hill has reached out to the Alsobrooks campaign for comment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A homeless man went on a violent rampage at Santa Monica State Beach, attacking three women and trying to drown one of them in the Pacific Ocean, according to witnesses and police. The attacks occurred Monday morning just north of the Santa Monica Pier and south of the California Incline. I was sitting on the beach and heard screaming from Lifeguard Tower 13. It was a man attacking a young woman, one of the victims, Jenna Wilker, told the Santa Monica Closeup. I pushed him off of her, and then he decided to run after her a second time after punching me in my face. After the attacker stopped chasing the other woman, Wilker, who is also homeless, says he turned his attention back toward her. L.A. County voters to decide sales tax hike for homeless services He tried to strangle me and bit the heck out of my ear and tried to dislodge my pants, she recounted. Moments later, Wilker and police say the man attacked an elderly woman who was walking on the beach with her husband. The assailant grabbed the elderly woman and pulled her in the water and was holding her underwater when lifeguards and police officers arrived, Santa Monica Police Lt. Erika Aklufi told KTLAs Sara Welch. Santa Monica Closeups video shows officers arresting the suspect, identified by police as Jawann Dwayne Garnett, 32, at the shoreline. Jawann Dwayne Garnett Garnett is a registered sex offender with a profile on Californias Megans Law website. A 17-year-old victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening wounds, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. The two other women were not seriously hurt. Ive never seen somebody so devoid of humanity in my life, said Wilker. It was scary. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the SMPD Watch Commander at 310-458-8427. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Homes were ruined, roads were washed out, sinkholes opened up, a railroad bridge was destroyed, and rescuers worked through Sunday night into Monday morning to save people from rising floodwaters in the McCook Lake area of southeastern South Dakota. It looks like the Grand Canyon here, and its just pouring in. What a disaster, said McCook Lake Association President Dirk Lohry while kayaking the lake and surveying the damage Monday morning. He waded through trash and navigated currents that he said rivaled the Missouri River. The lake is a 273-acre, horseshoe-shaped body of water ringed by homes around its northern shore. Its just west of Interstate 29, while the Big Sioux River is just east of the interstate and the Missouri River is a short distance to the south. As of Monday morning, the water on McCook Lake was still rising and was already 10 feet above normal levels, Lohry estimated. While dozens of homes were flooded near the lake, several more were under threat as the water continued to rise. The state, North Sioux City and private contractors built a levee Sunday evening across the interstate at Exit 4 in an effort to tie it in with other protective structures and reduce impacts to North Sioux City from the Big Sioux, which is swollen from three days of rain last week. Gov. Kristi Noem, speaking at a Monday morning press conference in North Sioux City, said the Big Sioux rose higher and faster than authorities anticipated Sunday as they were mobilizing the effort. The river crested at a record 44.98 feet overnight, according to a gauge in North Sioux City, surpassing that segments old record from 2014 by 7.28 feet. Noem said the crest was 2 feet higher and came 17 hours sooner than an earlier forecast. We expected that we had overnight to build a levee, Noem said, adding, and then within an hour that had changed dramatically. We had to build that levee within a few hours. A pile of damaged items from the flooding the citys residents experienced on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Canton Middle and High School in Canton, South Dakota. The state Department of Transportation closed a portion of Interstate 29 at 6 p.m. Sunday to build the levee. Noem said workers used sandbags as the water rose but soon switched to truckloads of clay offered by a local resident. Noem said a levee was built in the same location during a 2014 flood, and water never reached it. This time it did, and Noem said the levee did divert water. State and local authorities did not immediately have a count on the number of homes destroyed at McCook Lake. Union County Emergency Management Director Jason Westcott said rescuers conducted two sweeps of McCook Lake and would do a third, and he was feeling pretty comfortable that almost everybody is out of that area. Westcott said work was underway Monday morning to open a donation site in North Sioux City, to open a shelter for displaced residents, and to draft a debris management plan for the cleanup. He encouraged people to check Union County Emergency Managements Facebook page for updated information. Were also asking everyone this includes residents to stay out of the flooded areas, Westcott said. A lot of these flooded areas are very dangerous at this time. More: Sioux Falls logs wettest two-day span on record, National Weather Service reports The flooding resulted from 10 to 15 inches of rain that fell from Thursday to Saturday in the hardest-hit area of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, with totals exceeding 17 inches in some locations. Twenty-one of South Dakotas 66 counties experienced flooding, and the National Weather Service reported Monday that June 20-21 was the wettest two-day period ever recorded in Sioux Falls (6.49 inches) and Mitchell (7.7 inches). Noem said Sunday that at least one person had died as a result of the flooding, but she declined to provide further details on the death. The state Department of Public Safety separately reported that an 87-year-old man died Saturday near Harrisburg when he accidentally backed a utility terrain vehicle over a washed-out road section. The department confirmed Monday that the 87-year-old mans death was the one Noem was referencing. The heavy rainfall filled rivers and creeks that run south and east to the Missouri River in the southeast corner of the state, putting McCook Lake, North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes in the crosshairs of the collected floodwater. Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for the Dakota Dunes area Sunday. The road in front of Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was washed away overnight. Her familys house is flooded. Some of her neighbors homes are almost entirely submerged, and another is split in half. Speichinger evacuated with her husband, two toddlers and dogs before the water reached her home, alerting neighbors to evacuate as well. There was nobody telling people that water was in our backyards, Speichinger said. Within 30 minutes of us seeing the water and leaving, there was water in our basement. Beyond the damage at McCook Lake, Westcott, the local emergency manager, said some damage in other areas was prevented. What occurred yesterday was a result of a mitigation effort, Westcott said Monday morning. Mitigation is designed to lessen the effects of flooding in our area, and also lessen the effects on critical infrastructure. If we did not take the mitigation effects that we took yesterday, much of North Sioux City would be under water. The Big Sioux overflows into a local park on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Chautauqua Park in Canton, South Dakota. But that diverted water went straight into McCook Lake and into Speichingers backyard, she said. Her house was delisted from the flood zone a few years ago after officials reviewed and updated a flood map, so she doesnt have flood insurance. Shes worried that the actions of Gov. Kristi Noem and other authorities or lack thereof have cost her family their home and that they wont find an acceptable replacement. Im pretty mad at Kristi, because she makes it sound like they did a great thing, but in reality it hurt a huge part of our community, Speichinger said. They said they had this plan set in place since at least the previous flood. Im angry that they saved the Dunes and the business district but not us. Lohry said that his association attempted to have city officials review the diversion plan in 2014, but lamented that they didnt push hard enough and that their concerns fell on deaf ears. Officials should review the plan now, he said. Scott Vetos lakeside house hadnt flooded yet Monday morning, but his pontoon and lift were on the other side of the lake. While the state did build a levee, it wasnt fast enough to help McCook Lake residents, he said. This was intentional. This is basically a triage thing, Vetos said. To us, living on the lake, were not happy about the Lets flood McCook Lake and save Sioux City move. Lohry estimates that once the water stops flowing into McCook Lake, the water level will drop about an inch per day. He said itll take months for the lakes residents to return to normal. Beyond the damage around McCook Lake, Noem said Monday that a BNSF Railway bridge on the Big Sioux River had been destroyed by the flooding. Flood water on the Big Sioux River flows over a collapsed BNSF rail bridge between between North Sioux City South Dakota and Sioux City, Monday, June 24, 2024. Noem encouraged everyone affected by floods to document their damages and share the information with their insurance provider and local emergency manager. She said that information will help the state prepare its application for aid to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson attended the Monday press briefing and said he and the states two U.S. senators will press hard for federal support. Having seen some of the damage, having a sense of how high these waters are, I would be surprised if there will not be a robust federal assistance when we talk about recovery, Johnson said. Some Missouri River tributaries including the James and Vermillion rivers were still rising Monday, with crests not expected until later this week. State Geologist Tim Cowman said the varying pace of crests on those rivers should help prevent further damage in the McCook Lake, North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes area. It will take a while for that water to get down here, Cowman said. Our feeling is that the Big Sioux will obviously be past its crest and will have dropped enough that well be seeing drops in the Missouri by the time those pulses from the James and the Vermillion get here. So I dont anticipate that the Missouri River later in this week would get any higher than it is today, and actually would be lower than it is today. Noem welcomed those projections but cautioned against complacency. As you can tell, clearly, things change quickly. The state Department of Transportation, meanwhile, said the I-29 closure was extended Monday morning between exits 2 and 26. A lengthy detour has been established with maps available on sd511.org. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Homes and roads in McCook Lake area ravaged by flooding TOPEKA (KSNT) Homicide in the capital city is down significantly compared to this time last year. With the fatal shooting of Brian Wright Jr. last week, Topeka police say theyre now on their eighth murder investigation of 2024. By the end of June last year, the city had already seen 19 murders. The Community Inspired Violence Intervention Coalition (CIVIC) is holding town hall meetings across the city to empower neighborhood leaders to take action on violence reduction in their areas. New dance studio in Topeka opens as an outlet for students to find their worth CIVIC held one such meeting at the Oakland community center on Monday. One of the attendees was Robert Soria, who says hes a long-time Oakland resident. Soria says its great violence is down this year, but that doesnt mean the work is finished. He says mental health struggles are a contributor to violent crimes. Obviously, one is too many, Soria said. You dont want to lose anybody in your community to violence like that. Mental health is probably one of the causes. People are stressed and then theres people dealing with mental health issues. So I would like to see the city and county work better together to address those issues. CIVICs next Action Planning Session takes place at Hillcrest Community Center at 11:00 a.m. on June 24. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Hooters to close 'underperforming' restaurants. What does that mean for Wisconsin's one remaining? Hooters used to have a location inside the Grand Avenue Mall in downtown Milwaukee. Hooters, the restaurant chain known for leaning heavily into its servers sex appeal to attract customers, is closing restaurants in the United States. Thats according to a statement sent to USA TODAY on Monday that said a select number of restaurants will close. The 41-year-old company only has one location in Wisconsin, in Madison, and as of Tuesday, it's open and is planning to remain open, according to a staff member. Ensuring the well-being of our staff is our priority in these rare instances," Hooters' statement to USA TODAY said. "This brand of 41 years remains highly resilient and relevant. We look forward to continuing to serve our guests at home, on the go and at our restaurants here in the U.S. and around the globe." The statement explained that the closures are coming due to "pressure from current market conditions." USA TODAY reported that Hooters didn't say which locations will close or when restaurants will close, and the company didn't immediately respond to a Journal Sentinel request for information. Newspapers in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Texas reported that they had closed local restaurants Monday, USA TODAY said. Nation's Restaurant News reported that Hooters had 293 restaurants at the end of 2023. Thats a 12% decline from 2018, when the company had 333 locations. Hooters' closures comes after Red Lobster closed 99 locations, including two in Wisconsin. What Hooters locations are in Wisconsin? According to Hooters' website, there's one Wisconsin location. Thats in Madison at 2639 East Springs Dr., near East Towne Mall. There are no locations in the Milwaukee area. However, Hooters does have a history and a bit of an odd one at that in the area. A Greenfield location was formerly open at 7700 W. Layton Ave., but closed in 2012, according to Journal Sentinel archives. Another suburban location, at 17105 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield, opened in 2008 and plans were announced in 2023 to demolish the building and open a Cafe Zupas, according to The Freeman, a Waukesha County newspaper. Another now-closed Hooters was formerly on West Wisconsin Avenue in the former Grand Avenue Mall. That location was where Milwaukee counterculture mainstay Bob Watt announced a campaign for mayor, according to archives. The beat poet and folk artist ran on a platform that included opening nude beaches and converting jails into music and art schools. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: There's only one Hooters in Wisconsin. Will it close as part of recent announcement? HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) The Horry County Schools Board of Education Monday night unanimously agreed to hire an Illinois-based company to lead a national search for a new superintendent. Board members chose BWP & Associates after hearing presentations from the company and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, which also is based in Illinois. BWP has more than 35 years of experience doing superintendent searches and has conducted between 60 and 70 searches nationwide, including several in South Carolina, Director Kevin Castner told the board. We also have worked with larger systems, whether they be Charlotte-[Mecklenburg] and Savannah and then you talk about Pittsburgh, Prince William, Chicago, Minneapolis, Castner said. Therefore, we are interacting with potential candidates that work in large, cosmopolitan, diverse, districts, and our access to that candidate with our experience is going to help us attract a very strong candidate pool. The board is looking for a replacement for Superintendent Rick Maxey, who is retiring. He has led the district since 2015 and was named the 2024 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year. The board in May announced the hiring of Eddie Ingram as the interim superintendent. He will take over on July 1, following his appointment by the board of education on Wednesday. Ingrams career in education has spanned 42 years and includes a doctorate in education from East Carolina University in 2002, the district said. Most of his time has been spent in North Carolina, including when he was superintendent of Franklin County Schools from 2009 to 2013. Horry County has the states third-largest school district with nearly 50,000 students, trailing only Greenville and Charleston county schools in size. * * * Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. A new housing development in Glasgow but there are not enough properties being built - Alamy House building in Scotland has dramatically collapsed in the past year after the introduction of Nicola Sturgeons rent controls, official figures have disclosed. The SNP government said 16,404 new homes were started in 2023/24, a drop of 3,000 or 15 per cent compared to the previous year. Over the same period, the number of homes being completed dropped by 17 per cent (4,150) to 19,632. In the private sector, the number of new homes being started fell to 12,904, down 16 per cent and the smallest level since 2014/15. This was even lower even than during the pandemic. A total of 14,589 private homes were completed, a drop of 13 per cent and the second lowest annual total since 2017/18, with only the 2020-2021 year of the Covid outbreak being worse. Rent controls introduced by Nicola Sturgeon's administration backfired on tenants, - Ken Jack/Getty Sharp drops were also recorded in the number of council and housing associations homes being started (down 14 per cent) and completed (down 27 per cent). Completions were the lowest since 2020-2021 and starts the lowest since 2012-2013. The drop comes after the SNP cut this years affordable housing budget by 26 per cent and rent controls introduced by Miss Sturgeons administration backfired on tenants, with Scotland suffering the largest rises anywhere in the UK. The SNP introduced an emergency rent cap in October 2022. The policy was supposed to be a short-term measure to support tenants through the cost of living crisis. However, the cap was extended and, while it ended earlier this year, a temporary framework of rent controls is still in place while the SNP finalises the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which aims to make the rent controls fully permanent. The Bill is expected to come into force in 2025. The head of the British Property Federation warned last week that the rent controls had made Scotland a no-go zone for investors. Investment in build-to-rent properties in Scotland slumped 71 per cent last year, according to Savills data, and there have been no deals in the sector so far this year compared to deals worth 555 million across the rest of the UK. SNP ministers declared a housing emergency in May but the announcement was not accompanied by a new plan to fix the crisis and did not trigger any special powers. Miles Briggs, the Scottish Tories shadow housing secretary, said: After 17 years of SNP inaction, Scotland is facing a housing emergency, yet the SNP have totally failed to address this crisis, leaving thousands of Scots stuck in temporary accommodation. Miles Briggs, the Scottish Tories' shadow housing secretary - Ken Jack/Getty He added: Despite rent control schemes not working anywhere else in the world, the disastrous SNP-Green coalition backed yet again by Scottish Labour ploughed ahead with the flawed policy anyway. Mark Griffin, Scottish Labours housing spokesman, said: Far from taking the urgent action needed to fix this crisis, the SNP has fuelled it. While housebuilding plummets once again, the SNP is ploughing ahead with its disastrous plans to slash funding for affordable housing. The figures disclosed that the highest number of private sector homes being completed were in Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian in and around Edinburgh with a rate of more than 54 homes being finished per 10,000 people. Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour's housing spokesman - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty But the lowest rates were recorded in Angus, Stirling, South Ayrshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde and the Scottish Borders. Only 18 or fewer homes were completed per 10,000 people in these areas. Paul McLennan, the SNPs Housing Minister, said: I recently outlined the Scottish Governments plan to tackle the housing emergency with three key pillars forming part of our approach: more high quality, permanent homes, the right homes in the right places and a permanent home for everyone. He also blamed the UK Government, saying that the SNP administrations capital funding was being cut by nearly 10 per cent. Dire statistics Jane Wood, the chief executive of the house building trade body Homes for Scotland, said: On the basis of the figures released today, the people of Scotland deserve more than platitudes and excuses. Our own research also highlights the decline of [small and medium-sized] home builders and thousands of new homes now stalled across the country as a result of affordable housing budget cuts. Sally Thomas, the chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: Todays dire statistics should serve as yet another wake-up call to the Scottish Government about the extent of the housing emergency and the immediate challenges we face in delivering affordable rented housing. Starts and completions of new homes are down in every sector and its clear we are seeing a collapse in housebuilding. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree granting higher military ranks to servicemen of the Ministry of Defense, Trend reports. Will be updated House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a bill to fund the departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as science agencies, for fiscal 2025, legislation that is poised to be at the center of one of the most contentious spending battles this year. Conservative Republicans in the lower chamber have zeroed in on the commerce, justice and science appropriations bill as a way to go after the Justice Department in the wake of former President Trumps conviction in his Manhattan hush money trial and as his three other prosecutions proceed. The legislation strips nearly a billion dollars in funding from the Department of Justice, and likewise blocks the construction of a new FBI headquarters. This bill prioritizes fiscal sanity and the liberties of the American people, House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said in a statement. It halts the weaponization of the federal government against its citizens and enhances congressional oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Investments support our brave men and women in blue, combat crime, and stop the deadly scourge of illicit drugs from reaching our communities. The legislation also safeguards U.S. innovation by confronting Chinas efforts to target every aspect of American enterprise. Attorney General Merrick Garland called it a drastic cut to Justice Department funding that helps keep communities safe. This effort to defund the Justice Department and its essential law enforcement functions will make our fight against violent crime all the more difficult. It is unacceptable, he said during a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. The measure has little chance of becoming law, with Democrats in the Senate and White House sure to reject various funding cuts and policy riders included in the legislation. But House GOP leaders are aiming to put themselves in a better position for eventual negotiations with the Democratic-controlled upper chamber. The commerce, justice and science appropriations bill allocates $78.29 billion in discretionary spending, marking a roughly 2 percent cut $1.28 billion from fiscal 2024 levels, according to Republicans on the Appropriations Committee. It also includes $71.93 billion in nondefense discretionary and $6.36 billion in defense discretionary. The 160-page bill does not mention special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading investigations into Trump, or seek to limit the powers of a special counsel more broadly. Nor does it mention Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), who led the hush money prosecution in New York, or grant money disbursed to local and state offices. But an Appropriations subcommittee is set to mark up the bill on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. EDT, and lawmakers are expected to file a number of amendments. The House Rules Committee will determine which measures receive a vote on the floor. The legislation imposes a sizable funding cut to the Justice Department: It allocates $36.53 billion for the department, which is $987.82 million, or 3 percent, below the fiscal 2024 bill, and $3.06 billion less than President Bidens budget request. The measure also guts funding for the FBI. The agency, which has become a target of conservative lawmakers in recent years, would receive $10.31 billion under the newly released bill, which is $367.71 million 3.5 percent below the fiscal 2024 levels. The proposed allocation is also $1.03 billion 9 percent less than Bidens budget. Stripping funding for the construction of a new headquarters is another GOP pet project with various lawmakers raising complaints about the agency and advocating funding cuts. A government funding package lawmakers passed and Biden signed earlier this year included $200 million to go toward the construction of a new FBI headquarters, angering hard-line conservatives. Last year, the General Services Administration announced the new FBI headquarters would be in Greenbelt, Md., following a bitter fight over the location between Maryland and Virginia lawmakers. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, slammed the GOPs commerce, justice and science funding bill, accusing it chipping away at the justice system. Instead of joining Democrats in decreasing crime and helping Americans feel secure, House Republicans are eliminating law enforcement positions and cutting resources for programs that prevent violence, mass shootings, and terrorist attacks, DeLauro said in a statement. By cutting federal law enforcement and the Department of Justices Antitrust Division, they are making it harder to prosecute dangerous criminals while making it easier for big corporations and billionaires to take advantage of Americans, she added. This bill would hurt the economy by gutting programs that help create jobs, especially in rural communities. The funding cuts and language cracking down on the Justice Department comes after House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) penned a letter to Cole asking that various reforms are included in the government funding process this year, including nixing funding for the FBI that is not essential for the agency to execute its mission, eliminating federal funding for state prosecutors or state attorneys general involved in lawfare and getting rid of federal funding for federal prosecutors taking part in such abuse. Rebecca Beitsch contributed. Updated at 2:46 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Houston County doctor arrested on three drug offenses. Heres what we know. Warner Robins doctor Alan Struth is being held without bond on drug charges over allegations of improper prescribing, Houston County officials confirmed Tuesday. Struth, a 74-year-old internal medicine doctor at Houston Healthcare, was arrested Monday after a joint investigation by the Houston County Sheriffs Office and the Drug Task Force, said Lt. Matt Moulton with the Houston County Sheriffs Office. He faces three counts of attempt or conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act. Moulton said the investigation started in March after several prescription pads from the doctor were found in another persons house, though Moulton said that was an unrelated incident. Through the investigation, it was discovered that the doctor was writing prescriptions for controlled substances to people who were not patients of his, said Moulton. Moulton explained that although the prescriptions were under different names, it is believed that one woman was filling all the prescriptions. It seems like the prescriptions were being filled by one person, said Moulton. In one case, one of the persons who was allegedly provided a prescription was incarcerated when eight of the prescriptions were filled. According to 13WMAZ, the arrest warrant for Struth said he, and a woman, Karen Steele, are accused of distribution of a controlled substance and conspiring to get 1,422 dosage units of Hydrocodone and Oxycodone and 5,850 dosage units of Alprazolam. Moulton said the incident was still under investigation Tuesday. The Human Rights Campaign on Tuesday announced Democratic heavyweight Guy Cecil will serve as chief strategist for its Equality Votes PACs 2024 electoral efforts, managing a multimillion-dollar paid media budget to reelect President Biden in November. Cecil chaired the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA for eight years before stepping down in March 2023. He led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as its executive director for the 2012 election cycle. Cecil, who is gay, warned in a Tuesday statement against a second term for former President Trump, which he said would devastate the LGBTQ community and put all our hard-earned rights and freedoms at risk. Between now and November, Equality Votes PAC will ensure the record-number of Equality Voters understand the existential threat Trump and MAGA politicians pose to our democracy and our very existence and ensure they vote accordingly, he said. The former president has promised to enact at least a dozen policies targeting members of the LGBTQ community if he is reelected, including a nationwide ban on transgender student-athletes competing in accordance with their gender identity and a federal law that recognizes only two genders. He has also vowed to punish health care providers who administer gender-affirming medical care to minors and roll back new transgender student protections instituted by the Biden administration on day one of his presidency. Trump in a pitch to voters last year pledged to restore his ban on transgender people serving in the military, a policy that was reversed by Biden in 2021. Biden, who frequently touts his administration as the most pro-LGBTQ in history, expanded federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and condemned violence and threats made against the community. In 2022, Biden signed legislation safeguarding marriage equality. Bidens reelection campaign in April launched Out for Biden-Harris, a national initiative to mobilize LGBTQ voters, who played a critical role in his 2020 victory over Trump. The campaign earlier this month said it planned to have a presence at more than 200 Pride events in 23 states, including each of the battleground states that will decide Novembers election. The Human Rights Campaign, the nations largest LGBTQ advocacy group, has poured millions into sending Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House. The group in May launched a $15 million swing state campaign meant to mobilize equality voters, who vote based on support for LGBTQ rights. On Tuesday, HRCs Equality Votes PAC released its first digital ad of the 2024 cycle, using Trumps past statements on LGBTQ issues to demonstrate how a second Trump term threatens the community. The one-minute spot is the start of a seven-figure investment in digital advertising meant to drive equality voters to the polls in November, the HRC said Tuesday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Human bones brought into SC Goodwill leads to discovery of skeletal remains in woods ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) The Anderson County Coroners Office is searching a wooded area for skeletal remains. It all began when someone brought human bones into Goodwill. The coroners office said another person at the store saw the remains and notified Anderson City Police Saturday night. Thats where the investigation started. Someone seeing the bones at the Goodwill and that led the police to find the person who found them and that led us to scene, Coroner Greg Shore explained. The police department notified our office, so we looked at the bones that were recovered and they are human. The coroners office said the bones were discovered in a wooded area near Belvedere Plaza and Graylyn Drive. Photos show the area near where officials are searching for more skeletal remains. Photos show the area near where officials are searching for more skeletal remains. When investigators started searching the area, they uncovered more skeletal remains. We went back to the location where the citizens found the bones and we found more bones that are connected to an individual, Shore added. They are scattered, and weve only located about 25 bones, so the human body has more than 200 so we are missing quite a bit of the remains. The coroners office confirmed they are using what resources they do have to try and identify the remains. Bodycam video released of armed man shot, injured by CMPD officer responding to suspected drug activity in north Charlotte It is tough. We did recover a jawbone and a couple of teeth but neither the teeth have any dental work that appears to be done. We will most likely send the bones to SLED or the FBI to find a relative that might be related to this individual, Shore said. We are also looking at our missing person list, the police department and the sheriffs office. The coroners office said investigators will be expanding their search of the area and bringing in cadaver dogs. Officials are asking the public stay away from the area as the investigation continues. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). Across the country, an ongoing education controversy has erupted around queerness. Republicans in Florida and other states have moved to eliminate any mention of queer people from public schools. Drag queen storytimes have been embraced by libraries but opposed by conservatives, with some deploying vicious slogans like kill your local pedophile. Its horrific but unsurprising in a country where more than a third of adults now say they support banning books with stories about transgender youth. School districts across the country are doing just that, with right-wing activists even shutting down libraries to do the same. If youre feeling deja vu, youre not alone. Conservatives and fascists have baselessly accused queer people of pedophilia, obscenity and pornography for more than a century. But what is everyone afraid of? One possibility is that theyre afraid their children will choose to live life as a trans person. As the thinking goes, if queer people and stories are censored, kids wont grow up queer. Its a predictable logic, but also ineffective and cruel. I know because its the kind of system I grew up in. I grew up on Army bases in a Southern Baptist family. I didnt know any trans people. Adults around me would refer to trans people with words like shim or say thats not a man or a woman, thats an it. Mainstream movies and shows like Ace Ventura, Little Nicky, Reno 911, and a million others taught me that men in womens clothes were objects for scorn and disgust. I tried to look up information on trans people, but I couldnt find anything in my schools library or other community libraries and online tools at those institutions filtered queer content. I told therapists that I felt discomfort with my gender, but they said it was a temporary phase because my dad was deployed overseas. My natal puberty progressed, giving me facial hair, six-and-a-half feet of height, and a deep voice. I hated every inch of my hairy, huge body. When my despair drove me to self-harm, yet another therapist insisted it was a phase. I still remember the first time I read an article about a trans person that didnt mock them in the famous Transgender Tipping Point issue of Time magazine in 2014. I was 22. I began my transition almost exactly 8 months later. Its a hard life. The size of my body and pitch of my voice keep me from the passability of trans celebrities with infinite money. Nothing can reduce my height, vocal surgeries are preposterously expensive, and my (pretty good) health insurance doesnt cover facial hair removal. Since I cant hide my transness, Im constantly exposed to transphobia whenever Im in public or applying for a job. And I still deal with constant dysphoria. My body and my pain are a consequence of censorship. It didnt have to be this way. If I had access to books like Imogen Binnies Nevada, T Coopers Real Man Adventures, or Jazz Jennings Being Jazz, I might have known enough to demand treatment sooner, or at least understand my needs better. My life would be safer and less painful in a multitude of ways today. Your own child, or your neighbors, might be in the same position I was. They deserve a chance to learn about trans people so they can save themselves from a lifetime of consequences. They deserve your help making sure no one takes away their opportunity to learn that they might be trans. So speak out in support of public access to queer literature in your community at library councils, school boards, and town halls. Dont let the book-burners erase queer history from right under our noses again. The post The human cost of banning books appeared first on Daily Montanan. The Corpus Christi Fire Department was donning hazardous materials gear and wetsuits to retrieve human remains from a deep well near the intersection of Holly and Lexington roads Monday night. Police said they received a call Monday afternoon in reference to human remains found at the wastewater collection point. Human remains were found by a city employee in a deep well at a waste water collection point located off of Lexington Road near South Padre Island Drive on Monday afternoon, according to Corpus Christi Police Department spokesman Antonio Contreras. The 40-foot deep wet well was drained of waste water so a fire department hazmat team could retrieve the remains. Corpus Christi Police Department Senior Officer Antonio Contreras told reporters that CCPD received a call at about 3:31 p.m. from officials with Corpus Christi Water that alerted them to remains that were found inside what is called a "wet well." The Corpus Christi Fire Department was called out to assist, said Contreras, speaking during a news conference Monday night near the site on a bridge spanning a long ditch running between Ennis Joslin and Lexington roads. The wastewater collection point is located near a ditch in the center of a large field that is directly across from the Cottages at Corpus Christi apartments on 9400 Ennis Joslin Road, where missing 21-year-old Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris was last seen March 4. The well contains wastewater only, the officer clarified. It is located completely underground and had to first be drained for fire personnel to get inside, he said. Additional personnel and equipment had to be called to assist, he said, resulting in the law enforcement personnel staying at the site for most of the afternoon and into the evening hours. The Nueces County Medical Examiner was called out to the incident and was on standby with the other personnel, he said. Contreras said police didn't know exactly what had been located at the collection point, and that the medical examiner would now work to identify the human remains. The close proximity of the collection point to the student's apartment complex led to speculation among bystanders and members of the public that the remains belonged to the missing student. Contreras made clear that the whole area had been searched many times over by police, volunteers and specialized K-9 units. "This whole location was searched days after the initial report," he said. More: Body of missing woman found over the weekend, police say More: Body found at Padre Island National Seashore Wednesday is not missing Texas A&M student This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Human remains found at wastewater collection point Monday afternoon TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB) and Hillsborough County Pet Resources are both making a drastic change to protect dogs in their care. The Hillsborough County Pet Resources will relocate all of the dogs at the center and close for several days this week due to an aggressive strain of canine influenza. Starting Tuesday, staff at the center will move all dogs to another location owned by the county, with most dogs expected to return in mid-July. As for the Humane Society, HSTB is turning away stray and owner-surrendered dogs for the first time in its 112-year history. The Humane Society and Hillsborough County Pet Resources said they came to the decision after consulting experts, veterinarians, and animal welfare leaders in Florida. Canine influenza is circulating right now within the state. There are some other shelters, besides us, that have been hit and are kind of going through the same thing, said Scott Trebatoski, Director of the Pet Resource Center. We tried over the last couple of weeks to try to contain it within the shelter, but it seemed like it was just continuously going even with our containment efforts, so we contacted the University of Florida, Dr. Crawford is the world expert on canine influenza and she told us the only way that we could actually get rid of it was to shut down dog operations. This is the biggest operation weve ever had. Trebatoski said PRC had outbreaks in 2015 and 2018 that they were able to contain. Right now were about 150% capacity so theres no way to contain it here, so we wanted to go to a site where we could get all the dogs in one location, he said. Pasco County Animal Services and Miami Dade Animal Services are also enacting temporary closures to combat the disease, HSTB said. Our leadership did not make this decision lightly, said HSTB CEO Sherry Silk, HSTB prioritizes the health of its animals above all else. Unfortunately, this is an unprecedented situation that calls for extreme and immediate action to protect dogs in Tampa Bay. Beginning Wednesday, June 26, neither the Humane Society nor the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center will accept dogs into the lost/found, adoption, or foster care programs for a couple of weeks. All dogs currently in the shelter or in foster care will be tested for canine influenza and treated accordingly. The Resource Center will be closed from Wednesday until Monday, July 1, and will not accept new dogs until July 14. The shelter will be cleaned and undergo extensive disinfection. Meanwhile, the Humane Society said it would offer free dog food to citizens who are caring for stray dogs while the shelter is refusing to take in new dogs. Food can be picked up at the shelter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Canine influenza is an extremely contagious respiratory disease. Most dogs have mild or no symptoms, but severe health complications can arise, sometimes leading to death. Canine influenza is a very contagious virus, said Dr. Jerika Brooks, Lead Veterinarian at Pet Resource Center. The symptoms tend to be very similar to kennel cough, youre going to see obviously some coughing, fevers, some lethargy and just not feeling great. Its really quite similar to human influenza. Lab tests confirmed that they were dealing with canine influenza. The community should not panic, said HSTB Director of Shelter Operations Danyelle Van Horn, while it should be taken seriously by pet owners, canine influenza is much more dangerous in shelter environments than in private homes because of the sheer number of animals housed together and the multiple avenues of transmission. HSTB is also offering at-cost ($20) canine influenza vaccines to pet owners in an attempt to build herd immunity. Owners must make an appointment online at HumaneSocietyTampa.org/ahc or by calling 813-870-3304. The Humane Society will continue to take in stray cats, rabbits, pocket pets, and exotics during this period of dog intake quarantine. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Hungarian PM dissatisfied with start of Ukraine's EU accession talks but will not block them Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said he does not support the decision to start EU accession talks for Ukraine and considers it a "politically motivated process". Source: Orban, in an interview with the Funke media group, cited by Tagesschau, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Hungary does not agree with this accession process, but we are not blocking it and support the start of negotiations." Details: He called the decision to start talks a "politically motivated process" for Ukraine. He said that it is necessary to first study "what the consequences would be if we accept a country in a state of war whose borders are not defined in practice". Background: An EU-Ukraine intergovernmental conference will be held in Luxembourg on Tuesday, 25 June to mark the official opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Prior to this, the Council of the European Union approved the negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova, paving the way for the launch of accession talks. Hungary, at permanent representative level, blocked the decision, citing "insufficient progress made by Ukraine on national minorities". But after assurances that its demands would be included in the negotiating framework, Hungary lifted its veto. Support UP or become our patron! Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban waits for the start of a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Monday, June 17, 2024. The 27 leaders of the European Union gather in Brussels on Monday evening to take stock of recent European election results and begin the fraught process of dividing up the bloc's top jobs, but they will be playing their usual political game with a deck of reshuffled cards. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) A Hungarian authority tasked with defending the nation's sovereignty against foreign influence has launched an investigation into the Hungarian branch of anti-corruption organization Transparency International. Transparency International Hungary said Tuesday it had received a six-page letter announcing the investigation from Hungary's newly formed Sovereignty Protection Office, which has been condemned by rights groups as a means to stifle dissent. The authority requested financial and operational information and said it had initiated "a specific and comprehensive investigation into Transparency International Hungary's activities. The group said it would comply but that it believes the office is unconstitutional. The Sovereignty Protection Office sprung out of a law passed in December by the nationalist governing party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. It has the power to gather information on any groups or individuals that benefit from foreign funding and influence public debate, and Hungarys secret services can assist in its investigations. The government says the legislation was designed to prevent political parties from receiving funding from abroad for election campaigns, as it claims was done by a coalition of six opposition parties before a 2022 parliamentary election that resulted in Orban handily winning a fourth straight term in power. But opponents have compared it to Russias foreign agent law, and said its broad language can be used to arbitrarily target government critics including non-governmental organizations and journalists. Anyone convicted of violation can face prison terms of up to three years. Later on Tuesday, Hungarian investigative journalism outlet Atlatszo.hu said that it had also received a letter from the sovereignty authority announcing that it too is the subject of a probe. In the letter, the office asked in what ways Atlatszo has cooperated with Transparency International. In its statement, Transparency International Hungary said it was no accident that it had been targeted by the Sovereignty Protection Office. We hereby reiterate our position that this law serves the intention of the government to intimidate citizens and civil organizations that are critical of the government, while it is disguised as allegedly protecting national sovereignty, it said. This is against the Constitution of Hungary, as well as the fundamental values of the European Union." Orban, a champion of what he calls illiberal democracy, has long been accused by his domestic opponents and many in the EU of undermining the country's democratic institutions and taking over large swaths of its media. The EU has frozen over 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) to Budapest over what it sees as its violations of the bloc's rule-of-law, corruption and democracy standards. Late last year, independent media outlets and NGOs signed an open letter condemning the sovereignty protection law as a way to silence critics of Orbans right-wing government. The European Commission, which monitors the application of legislation across the 27 EU member countries, in February launched legal action against Hungary over the legislation, saying it violates several provisions of the blocs law. Responding to the investigation, Transparency International Hungary said it had filed a constitutional complaint with the country's Constitutional Court, arguing that the sovereignty protection legislation violates the fundamental right to legal remedy as well as to freedom of expression. As a non-governmental organization fighting corruption, the success of our investigative, analytical and legal work, and perhaps even our mere existence threatens the regime of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been leading the most corrupt government in the European Union, the group wrote. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree conferring the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan on Natig Gasimov, Trend reports. Natig Gasimov was awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan (posthumously) for special services in protecting the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and personal courage shown during the performance of a combat mission. Hunter Biden has been suspended from practicing law in Washington, D.C., after his federal conviction for lying on a gun application five years ago while abusing drugs. In a Tuesday order, the District of Columbia Courts of Appeals ruled that Bidens conviction earlier this month on serious crimes should result in an immediate suspension pending resolution of this matter. The order added that the Board of Professional Responsibility is directed to institute a formal proceeding to determine the nature of the offense and whether it involves moral turpitude to result in his exclusion from the D.C. bar. Biden, 54, was found guilty earlier this month of knowingly lying on an October 2018 federal firearms application when asked whether he was addicted to drugs. The presidents son on Tuesday filed an official request for a new trial, arguing that his conviction should be vacated because the trial started before a circuit court issued a mandate denying his former appeal. The technical argument does not dispute the merits of the prosecutions case but argues a procedure blunder that should mean the trial court that convicted him did not have jurisdiction over his case. A sentencing date has not yet been set, but Biden faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. Bidens lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The suspension is the latest legal hit against Biden, who was admitted to the D.C. bar in 2007 after graduating from Yale Law School about a decade prior. During the week-long trial, which marked the first criminal trial against a sitting presidents son, prosecutors exposed Bidens tumultuous love life and drug habits over the last decade. The defense, however, insisted the Biden did not knowingly lie on the federal form. No one is above the law, Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise said in his closing arguments. JUST IN: Hunter Biden's law license has been suspended in D.C. pic.twitter.com/651MMPtMjP Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 25, 2024 Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Hunter Biden Requests New Federal Gun Trial in the Wake of His Guilty Verdict Defense attorneys argued that Hunter's three felony convictions "should be vacated" because the trial commenced before a circuit court issued a mandate denying one of his appeals Abaca Press/Alamy Stock Photo Hunter Biden Hunter Biden has requested a new trial after being found guilty of three felony charges in his federal firearm case earlier this month. The son of Joe Biden was convicted on June 11 after being accused of lying about his drug use to obtain a weapon in 2018 and then possessing the weapon for 11 days while addicted to a controlled substance. On Monday, June 24, Hunters attorneys requested a new trial due to a procedural mishap, according to ABC News, The Hill and Reuters. The legal team argued that Hunters convictions "should be vacated" because the trial commenced before a circuit court issued a mandate denying one of his two appeals, thus formally giving the trial court permission to proceed, per The Hill. Related: Hunter Biden's Guilty Verdict: Read the Full Recap of His Final Day in Court Matt Slocum/AP Photo Hunter Biden arrives at a federal courthouse in Wilmington, Del., on June 7, 2024 "Naturally, any district court action taken after it has been divested of jurisdiction by an appeal must be vacated," defense attorney Abbe Lowell wrote in court papers, according to The Hill. Lowell noted that Hunter filed two appeals with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Both appeals were ultimately denied, but the attorney claims that the appellate court has not issued a formal mandate denying one of the appeals. As of now, Hunter faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, though first-time offenders rarely get the maximum sentence and often avoid jail time altogether. Related: Joe Biden Expresses Continued Love for Son Hunter After Guilty Verdict: 'We Are So Proud of the Man He Is Today' Anna Moneymaker/Getty Hunter Biden departs a federal courthouse in Delaware after his conviction alongside his stepmother, first lady Jill Biden, and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden Hunters trial began in Wilmington, Del., on June 3, and reached a verdict the following week. His past substance abuse played a major role in the trial. During testimony, Hunter's ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan recalled his behavior in the months leading up to the gun purchase in question. She described him in court as a distressed man whose difficult situation fueled near-constant crack cocaine usage. Hunter's first wife of nearly 25 years, Kathleen Buhle with whom he shares daughters Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy told the court that his substance abuse and cheating contributed to their divorce in 2017. Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau Biden who later developed a romantic relationship with Hunter, also testified, after being offered immunity from prosecution before taking the stand, according to The Washington Post. Hallie said that after growing closer to Hunter, she began using crack cocaine, too. The two attended meetings for addicts and tried getting clean together, though Hallie was able to curb her addiction before him. Hallie alleged that during their relationship, she feared Hunter was suicidal. When she found the gun that he purchased in his car, she said she "panicked" and threw it in a dumpster. It was a terrible experience that I went through, she said. Im embarrassed and ashamed and I regret that part of my life. Related: Joe Biden Rules Out Pardon for Hunter as He Vows to Respect Any Verdict in Son's Federal Gun Trial Hunter alluded to his journey to recovery when he responded to the guilty verdict. "I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from [my wife] Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome," he wrote in a statement. "Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time." That same day, Lowell said in a statement that he and his client were "disappointed" in the outcome of the trial. He noted, "We respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter." Hunter's sentencing decision rests with District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump with support from both of Delaware's Democratic senators. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The federal gun trial was the first of two criminal trials Hunter faces this year. In December 2023, the first son was also indicted on nine federal tax charges, including three felonies and six misdemeanors that allege he evaded taxes and filed a false return. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and is scheduled to stand trial in Los Angeles in September. He could be imprisoned for up to 17 years if convicted on each of those charges. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Metro police have issued another message to the public as the number of deadly crashes grows three more fatal crashes on the valleys roads on Monday. The message, posted with a video on social media, urged people to slow down. The message closed with a stark question: Sgt. Rich Rundell from our Fatal Detail asks.. are we in a hurry to kill ourselves? SLOW DOWN. The full message said: DEADLY DAY ON OUR ROADS. We have responded to 3 fatal crashes in the past 10 hours, all of them involving excessive speed. LVMPD Traffic fatal detectives are on the scene right now investigating the 81st traffic-related death in our jurisdiction so far in 2024. This occurred near Nellis and Desert Inn involving multiple vehicles, one death, and multiple other people taken to area hospitals. Speed and reckless driving are suspected. A screenshot from Metros video on social media on Monday. As a community, there needs to be some level of personal responsibility. LVMPD is committed to reducing deaths on our roads. We have ramped up enforcement, we have restarted our DUI Strike Team, and we have begged for your improved driving behavior. Sgt. Rich Rundell from our Fatal Detail asks.. are we in a hurry to kill ourselves? SLOW DOWN. The other crashes that Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to on Monday: A deadly motorcycle crash that happened between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. There were no witnesses to that crash, police said. A street race at about 2:15 a.m. on Jones Boulevard ends in a rollover crash that kills the driver of a Dodge Challenger. The driver of a Maserati is charged in the mans death. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the current military chief of staff, on accusations of war crimes in Ukraine. Both are allegedly responsible for "directing attacks" at civilian targets in Ukraine. The ICC judges said there were sufficient grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov bore individual criminal responsibility, either by ordering the attacks for others to carry out or failing to exercise proper control over forces under their command. Specifically, the court alleged that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for missile strikes against Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022 until at least March 9, 2023. "During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine," the court statement said. The Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, former minister of defence of Russia, and Valeriy Gerasimov, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia. Source: European Pravda with reference to the statement of the court Situation in #Ukraine: #ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu and Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov. Learn more https://t.co/fEbWyOnTsC Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) June 25, 2024 Details: The decision was made by Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Presiding, Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez and Judge Haykel Ben Mahfoudh "in the context of the situation in Ukraine for alleged international crimes committed from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023". "At the time of the alleged conduct, are each allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute) and the war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute), and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute," the ICC ruled. Both arrest warrants were issued based on the requests submitted by the prosecution. "Pre-Trial Chamber II considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023," the ICC stated. The Russian armed forces conducted numerous strikes against various electric power plants and substations in various locations in Ukraine during this period. Pre-Trial Chamber II also concluded that, in accordance with article 7 of the Statute, the purported campaign of strikes qualifies as a course of conduct involving the repeated commission of acts against a civilian population, carried out in accordance with State policy. "Therefore, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts, as defined in article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute," the ICC ruled. The content of the warrants are classified to protect witnesses and to safeguard the investigations. "However, mindful that conduct similar to that addressed in the warrants of arrest, which amounts to violations of international humanitarian law, appears to be ongoing, the Chamber considered that public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes pursuant to article 58(1)(b)(iii) of the Rome Statute," the court added. Background: On 17 March 2023 the Pre-Trial Chamber II issued arrest warrants for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. They are suspected of committing the war crime of illegal deportation and displacement of children from occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which has been ongoing at least since 24 February 2024. Later, Russia severed all ties with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Russias Investigative Committee indicted the prosecutor and the judges of the ICC on 21 May. After that the Ministry of Defence of Russia put Piotr Hofmanski, the head of the ICC, on the wanted list. Tomoko Akane, the ICC judge who issued the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova was also put on the wanted list. Support UP or become our patron! The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the current military chief of staff, on accusations of war crimes in Ukraine. Both are allegedly responsible for "directing attacks" at civilian targets in Ukraine. The ICC judges said there were sufficient grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov bore individual criminal responsibility, either by ordering the attacks for others to carry out or failing to exercise proper control over forces under their command. Specifically, the court alleged that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for missile strikes against Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022 until at least March 9, 2023. "During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine," the court statement said. The court determined that "alleged campaign of strikes constitutes a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population, carried out pursuant to a State policy." Given this, "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts," the court wrote in a statement. Shoigu was dismissed as defence minister by Russian President Vladimir Putin in May after having served in the post since 2012. The court had also previously issued an arrest warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes, including the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. The court has no enforcement mechanism but all states parties to the court are obliged to arrest the wanted persons and hand them over to the court if they are on their territory. Insights from Kyiv Post, Vedomosti, and Financial Times The News The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two top Russian officials, alleging they committed war crimes in Ukraine. Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov also allegedly committed crimes against humanity for targeting Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians, according to the Hague-based court. Russia is not a member of the ICC, which has previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The court relies on member states to make arrests, so its unlikely the suspects will face trial. Ukraine cheered the news: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Russia derides ICC decision Sources: RIA Novosti, Vedomosti, Financial Times The arrest warrants were immediately decried in Russia, with the Kremlins Security Council calling the decision insignificant and part of the hybrid war of the West against our country. Russia opened its own criminal case against the ICC last year, accusing the court of illegally accusing Putin of serious crimes. Even so, the growing number of ICC decisions may make life harder for Russian officials, as foreign governments will be under increasing pressure to detain Russian officials who are facing arrest warrants. Last year, Putin skipped a summit in South Africa to avoid ending up in a situation where Pretoria was legally required to arrest him. Ukraines energy crisis will only get worse Sources: Kyiv Post, BBC, RUSI Russias attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure, the core of the latest round of ICC warrants, have only ramped up in recent months. Kyiv has instituted rolling blackouts as half of its electricity-generation has been destroyed since March. The crisis will only get worse as winter approaches and the countrys energy demands increase, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute wrote: The lack of power and heating will become life-threatening for the elderly and young, driving internal and external displacement, unless the West bolsters Ukraines air defenses, Sam Cranny-Evans argued. Trump allies mull peace deal that favors Russia Sources: Reuters, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs Two former White House officials have briefed Donald Trump on a plan to stop military aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv agrees to negotiate with Russia, Reuters reported, as a growing number of the former US presidents associates push ideas for ending the war at odds with Ukraines peace plan. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in this years presidential election, has said privately that he could end the war by forcing Ukraine to give up some territory, The Washington Post reported. But not all his allies appear willing to cut aid to Ukraine: Robert OBrien, Trumps former national security adviser, wrote in Foreign Affairs that Trumps approach would be to continue to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, financed by European countries, while keeping the door open to diplomacy with Russia. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the current military chief of staff, on accusations of war crimes in Ukraine. Both are allegedly responsible for "directing attacks" on civilian targets in Ukraine. The ICC judges said there were sufficient grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov bore individual criminal responsibility, either by ordering the attacks for others to carry out or failing to exercise proper control over forces under their command. Specifically, the court alleged that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for missile strikes on Ukraine's electricity infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023. "During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine," the court statement said. The ICC determined that the "alleged campaign of strikes constitutes a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population, carried out pursuant to a State policy." Given this, "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts," the court wrote in a statement. Russia says the West is behind court decisions Russia's National Security Council, where Shoigu is now secretary after being dismissed as defence minister in May, called the decision ridiculous and insignificant, saying the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia. The court has no enforcement mechanism, but all state parties to the court are obliged to arrest the wanted people and hand them over to the court if they are on their territory. Russia is not a member of the ICC. The judgement "was made in the context of the West's hybrid war against our country," according to the Security Council statement published by Russian news agencies. Zelensky praises warrants, wants more to come Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on X, welcomed the arrest warrants for the "reckless bombings," saying both Russians "are accused of committing heinous crimes against civilians in Ukraine," which Russia is continuing to commit. He said he hoped to see "every criminal" involved in these strikes behind bars. The ICC decision shows that "no military rank or Cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability." He is hoping for additional arrest warrants "to take away Russia's sense of impunity ... Accountability is the only way to put a stop to them." Shoigu was dismissed as defence minister by Russian President Vladimir Putin after having served in the post since 2012. The court had also previously issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes, including the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu virtually attending the May 2023 Summit of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Moscow. The ICC is leveling charges at Shoigu, 69, and his second-in-command, First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov, 68, who currently sits as the countrys chief of the general staff of the Armed Forces. Photo by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/ UPI June 25 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court on Tuesday announced it issued arrest warrants against two top Russian security officials for alleged war crimes in the country's ongoing battle in Ukraine in eastern Europe. The ICC leveled charges against Russia's former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 69, and his second-in-command, First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov, 68, who currently sits as the country's chief of the general staff of the Armed Forces, for events in the war spanning from October 2022 until at least March 2023. The court claims Shoigu and Gerasimov were each allegedly responsible for war crimes involving direct attacks at civilians, causing "excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage" and the "crime against humanity of inhumane acts" "There are reasonable grounds to believe they bear individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes," the Hague-based court said, contending the two Putin allies either committed the acts jointly or through their own direct order, and failed to "exercise proper control over the forces under their command." However, while the Europe-based criminal court notes its key allegations were "duly" supported by evidence and other evidentiary material enough to issue the arrest warrant, it also noted the alleged acts appear to still be ongoing. Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov (L) attend an April 2021 military exercise in Crimea. The International Criminal Court on Monday issued arrest warrants for the two for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Photo Provided by Vadim Savitsky/EPA-EFE A pre-trial inquiry found "reasonable grounds" to believe Gerasimov and Shoigu were guilty of directing missile strikes carried out by Russian armed forces against Ukrainian citizens and electric infrastructure from at least October 2022 to as far as March 2023. "During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine," the ICC says. The ICC in March issued arrest warrants against two other Russian military brass for attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Recent reports said Russia has continued attacks on Ukraine's power grid and in April a series of Russian strikes destroyed the largest power plant in Ukraine's capital Kyiv and damaged two others. The court, which is not recognized by Russia and the United States, in March last year issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the alleged illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. It also said Russia's alleged campaign of military strikes constitutes "a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population, carried out pursuant to a State policy." "Therefore, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts," the ICC said. SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, June 25. The International Forum 'By Youth for Youth' has started its work in Shusha city, Trend reports. The opening ceremony is underway, followed by high-level panel discussions. The event is attended by government officials, high-ranking officials of international organizations and various countries, and guests, including about 200 representatives of countries included in ICESCO. The forum aims to discuss the views and experiences of the youth of the Islamic world in the fields of peacebuilding, sustainable development, culture, and environment, create opportunities for their participation in this area, discuss innovative solutions, and establish contacts among young leaders. Addressing the participants, ICESCO director Salim bin Mohammed Almalik noted that the cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan is developing at a rapid pace. "This year we will also participate in COP29 in Azerbaijan. ICESCO shares all proposals with partner countries with ideas in mind. We are sure that today's youth are the leaders of tomorrow. Through today's development, we will try to build a brighter future". Elvin Aslanov, representing the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, urged young people to actively engage in the International Youth Forum in Shusha. "To our young friends, the future lies in your hands. Utilize this forum to build connections, exchange ideas, and craft well-founded proposals that can influence policies within your countries and beyond. Your ideas have the power to reshape the world. As you participate in discussions, take note of Shusha's restored landmarks and rich cultural heritage. Let this city inspire you to safeguard our legacy while driving innovation and progress," he said. Elvin Aslanov underscored the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's readiness to support young people's initiatives. "Just a few months ago, right here in Shusha, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation signed a cooperation memorandum with ISESCO, underscoring our dedication to advancing education, science, and culture. This partnership, akin to this forum, aims to bridge cultures and foster mutual understanding," he added. To note, the forum will continue on June 2627 in Baku with panel discussions and presentations involving young people. Participants from all four continents will get acquainted with the rich multicultural history and culture of Azerbaijan and its higher educational institutions. This event will help increase youth participation in expanding Azerbaijan's ties with various regions. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Ice cream cakes at VB Wegmans recalled due to possible listeria contamination Ice cream cakes at VB Wegmans recalled due to possible listeria contamination VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Abilyns Frozen Bakery has issued a recall on their ice cream cakes due to a possible listeria contamination. According to Abilyns website, the ice cream cakes, sold in areas of Virginia and North Carolina, including the Virginia Beach Wegmans, have no current indication of contamination but have been recalled out of an abundance of caution. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) informed Abilyns of the presence of possible contamination on June 21, 2024. The impacted flavors of ice cream cake have a best buy date between April 20, 2024 and April 20, 2025. The flavors can be found below: Vanilla and Chocolate 30 ounce Vanilla and Chocolate 60 ounce Cookies and Cream 30 ounce For the Love of Chocolate 30 ounce Cookie Dough 30 ounce Anyone with the impacted product is urged to discard the ice cream cakes or to return to the store of purchase for a full refund. More information on the recall can be found on Abilyns website here. Continue to check WAVY.com for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. A major ice cream producer has recalled products sold by multiple brands due to potential listeria contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said. The manufacturer -- Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland -- has recalled products from more than a dozen brands, including Friendly's, Hershey's Ice Cream, Jeni's and the Frozen Farmer, due to the "possible health risk," the FDA said. No illnesses have been reported to date, the FDA said in its alert on Monday. PHOTO: The Food and Drug Administration released images of the recalled Totally Cool, Inc. ice cream products. (FDA) "Totally Cool, Inc. has ceased the production and distribution of the affected products due to FDA sampling which discovered the presence of Listeria monocytogenes," the FDA said. "The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. are impacted by this recall." ABC News has reached out to Totally Cool for comment. The full list of recalled products can be found here. They were distributed nationwide, available in retail locations and for direct delivery. Consumers who have purchased any of the products are asked to return them for a full refund or throw them away. MORE: Vitamix expands blender recalls due to laceration hazard Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, one of the impacted brands, said it outsourced production of two of its more popular ice cream flavors -- honey graham and key lime pie -- to Totally Cool. "While no listeria has been detected in our ice cream, or any of the ice cream produced at Totally Cool, the FDA is requiring a full recall out of an abundance of caution," Taharka said in a statement. The company said it will begin making pints of the two flavors at its own factory "immediately." PHOTO: The Food and Drug Administration released images of the recalled Totally Cool, Inc. ice cream products. (FDA) Chipwich was also among the brands included in the recall. Crave Better Foods said in a statement Monday that it operates a separate production line at the same Totally Cool facility and has issued a voluntary recall of its vanilla chocolate chip Chipwich ice cream cookie sandwiches "out of an abundance of caution and care for the product and its loyal fans." Crave Better Foods said it received a report from the Totally Cool facility about a "possible health issue" on a production line used to make frozen ice cream cakes. MORE: Cream cheese recall expanded as Tillamook recalls cheese slices sold at Costco Listeria monocytogenes can cause "serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," the FDA said. Symptoms of listeria infection include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Ice cream products from multiple brands recalled due to potential listeria contamination: FDA originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Bonner General Health is a 25-bed critical access hospital, meaning it receives financial help from the federal government to maintain essential services, in Sandpoint, Idaho. More than a year ago, OB-GYNs left the hospital and Bonner General announced it was closing its labor and delivery unit. (Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez/KFF Health News) SANDPOINT, Idaho The ultrasound in February that found a mass growing in her uterus and abnormally thick uterine lining brought Jonell Anderson more than anxiety over diagnosis and treatment. For Anderson and other patients in this rural community who need gynecological care, stress over discovering an illness is compounded by the challenges they face getting to a doctor. After that initial ultrasound, Andersons primary care provider referred her to an OB-GYN nearly an hours drive away in Coeur dAlene for more testing. Getting care for more serious gynecological issues, like a hysteroscopy, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome, has become much more difficult in Sandpoint, a town of about 10,000 people in Idahos panhandle region. A state law criminalizing abortions drove multiple OB-GYNs to leave town about a year ago. The effects have been far-reaching. The OB-GYNs who left Sandpoint were also providing care to patients in nearby outlying areas, like Bonners Ferry, a roughly 40-minute drive into Idahos northernmost county. Doctors have spoken out about not feeling safe practicing medicine where they could face criminal charges for providing care to their patients. Republican lawmakers in Idaho contend doctors are being used in an effort to roll back the ban, and they declined to amend the law this year. According to the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, a group advocating for a rollback of the states strict abortion ban, at least two hospitals, including Bonner General Health in Sandpoint, ended labor and delivery services in the 15 months after the state criminalized abortion in 2022. During that same time period, the number of OB-GYNs practicing in Idaho dropped by 22%. The reports authors noted that many rural residents rely on consultations from medical specialists in urban parts of the state that are already struggling to provide care. Expanded care deserts grow stress for patients, doctors Jonell Anderson drove nearly two hours round trip from Sandpoint, Idaho, to Coeur d'Alene to receive testing for a mass found in her uterus this year. Those departures have expanded care deserts and added obstacles between patients and care, including for Anderson, 49. Andersons car broke down when she was on the way to see an OB-GYN in Coeur dAlene a few weeks after her initial ultrasound. Her husband took off work to drive her to a rescheduled appointment the same day. After hours of mishaps, she arrived for the visit, which lasted about 15 minutes. There, the doctor told her shed need to come back for a hysteroscopy an exam that shows the inside of the cervix and uterus a few weeks later, followed by another appointment to go over results. Four months later, in June, early results showed that the mass in Andersons uterus did not appear to be cancerous. Shes relieved, she said, but still concerned about nearing menopause and not having the support of an OB-GYN nearby to help her manage any symptoms or health issues that could come up. It sure was a whole level of stress that just added on because I had so much further to transport, Anderson said. Three years ago I would have been 10 minutes away from my appointment, not 60 minutes away. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Those hardships patients face weigh heavily on the specialists who left. Amelia Huntsberger, an OB-GYN, said that she and her husband are still grappling with a feeling of grief after being forced out of Idaho last year. They had lived in the state for more than a decade and practiced in Sandpoint. While leaving was a difficult decision, she said, she has no doubt it was the right one for her; her husband, who was a doctor in the emergency room at Bonner General; and their children. I think about things like who we are as a people, Huntsberger said. What do we value, and do our actions reflect our values? Limiting access to care for women, pregnant or not, and their infants suggests lawmakers do not consider them important, she said. We are witnessing the dismantling of our health system, says Idaho medical leader Usha Ranji, an associate director for Womens Health Policy at KFF, said she has heard anecdotally about providers leaving states with strict abortion bans like Idahos. Some recent medical graduates are also avoiding residency positions in states restricting abortion, making it harder to replace the outgoing providers, Ranji said. Jen Jackson Quintano presents the "Worth of a Woman" exhibit, which explores a range of women's health care issues, at a coffee shop in downtown Sandpoint, Idaho. Sandy Brower, a spokesperson for Bonner General, said the hospital is working to hire a gynecologist and is focused on building out its family provider team. She said other providers at the hospital are still treating women before and after pregnancy, but not during delivery unless its an emergency and the person cannot be transported. Susie Keller, CEO of the Idaho Medical Association, said theres a growing number of doctor vacancies in the state and that the number of applicants has absolutely plummeted and those jobs are taking about twice as long as normal to fill. We are witnessing the dismantling of our health system, Keller said. As more community members feel the effects of a strained health system, some are following in the path of the doctors theyre considering leaving. Anderson is among them. Local education issues play a large part in that decision-making process, she said, as she considers her 9-year-old daughters future. But access to womens health care is another piece of the puzzle. If I dont have the care I need and she doesnt have the care she needs, Anderson said, is that really somewhere we want to live? Idaho Democratic legislative candidate fell into OB-GYN care gap Ranji said polling indicates health care is a priority for people, so it could play into decisions about where they want to plant roots. And that leads into another way community members could respond to the changes in local care by voting in state elections. Primary election results from May in northern Idaho, where Sandpoint is located, showed signs of voters backing Republican candidates who hold more moderate views on abortion. Former state Sen. Jim Woodward narrowly beat Sen. Scott Herndon, a fellow Republican who sought reelection to his seat in the legislature. Woodward, a self-described pro-life candidate with a stance against elective abortions, supports efforts to include exceptions for the health of the mother and removing the threat of felony charges against doctors who perform abortions. Herndon, on the other hand, provoked strong reactions during last years legislative session when he sponsored a bill that would have removed the already strict laws current narrow exceptions for rape and incest. Kathryn Larson, 66, has been campaigning as a Democrat for a seat representing most of Boundary and Bonner counties, the two northernmost in the panhandle region, in the states House of Representatives. She also has had recent firsthand experience falling into the care gap created by the exodus of OB-GYNs in Sandpoint. Kathryn Larson, a Democrat running for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives, saw a doctor in the eastern Washington city of Spokane, more than an hour's drive from her community, to treat her prolapsed bladder. She is pictured sitting in front of a window lined with plants. In January, Larson went to the emergency room at Bonner General, a 25-bed critical access hospital, with severe chest pains. A cardiologist suggested an infection could be to blame. Larson said she also experienced vertigo and rapid heartbeat and later developed symptoms of a urinary tract infection. She was given rounds of antibiotics to treat the infection, but the symptoms returned. More testing finally revealed the crux of the issue Larson was dealing with a prolapsed bladder, which is not life-threatening but causes discomfort or pain and affects 1 in 3 women in their 60s. After about five months of back-and-forth communication with providers in Post Falls and the eastern Washington city of Spokane, she scheduled an appointment for surgery in early June in Spokane, more than an hours drive from Sandpoint. Following surgery, during which doctors implanted a mesh structure to support her bladder, Larson is spending six to eight weeks recovering before heading into the final stretches of election season. She said the November election will help others in her party tell if it will be possible to work across the aisle to loosen restrictions on the abortion policy during next years legislative session. She wants to slow the loss of needed providers across the state. People dont feel safe, Larson said. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST After leading the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations for 21 years, Rakesh Mohan is retiring. (James Dawson/Boise State Public Radio) Forty-eight years ago, when Rakesh Mohan moved from India to the United States, he sought out to be a chemist. But years later, he found himself doing deep dives into state government programs. For 21 years, longer than he lived in India, he has directed the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations, an independent agency that conducts critical state government watchdog work ordered by state lawmakers that has spurred legislative and policy reform. To Mohan, the work has been a rewarding public service opportunity. The public will pay attention to it. The press will pay attention to it, and something will happen. And I always have said to people and myself that, If we dont do it, who else would do it? We cannot squander this opportunity that we are blessed with, Mohan told the Sun in an interview last week. This month, hes retiring with high praise from top Idaho public officials. Idaho Gov. Brad Little told the Sun he wishes Mohan a well-deserved retirement. Rakesh and his team have set a high standard for providing impartial analysis of complex issues and evidence-based recommendations. Rakeshs efforts have prompted major improvements to state services and meaningfully impacted Idahoans, Little said in a statement. Idaho Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Winder, R-Boise, called Mohan disciplined and professional in his work. Thats allowed him to be a nonpartisan professional, and get his work done. And people respect that work, Winder told the Sun in an interview. Founded in 1994, the Office of Performance Evaluations in-depth analysis and recommendations on complex issues like a shortage of workers for people with developmental disabilities, a troubled mental health facility and issues with Idahos child welfare system have prompted policy change. The state should be eternally grateful for (Mohans) work. Hes been so dedicated, and committed so many years of his professional services to Idaho, said state Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, which orders reports by the office. His passion and his love of the state has shined through in his work. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX How Mohan approached his watchdog work: What happens if the laws are not right? After he couldnt complete his Ph.D. in chemistry, Mohan got a job as a chemist for the state of Kansas, he told the National Academy of Public Administration. He received his masters degree in public administration at the University of Kansas. In 1988, he began his career as an evaluator for state legislatures in Kansas, Louisiana, Washington and, eventually, Idaho. Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations Director Rakesh Mohan speaks from a conference table in his office, near the Idaho State Capitol Building. His passion for the work continued to grow. I can see the impact of my work. And it had immediate reward, Mohan, who turns 68 years old next month, told the Sun. In Idaho, he imparted lessons from a Kansas evaluation into hazardous waste inspections. What happens if the laws are not right? If the policies are inadequate? Following the law doesnt mean that everything is fine, Rakesh said. That shift for the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations toward evaluations that question laws and policies, rather than just analyzing compliance was one of several he brought to Idaho. And it was well-received, he said. Legislators loved it. Agencies loved it. And stakeholders loved it, Rakesh said. The approach has made a big difference, Wintrow said, to look beyond are you doing what we said youre doing to what should we be doing? During Mohans leadership, the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations conducted studies that have helped the state improve its services and accountability and save millions of tax dollars in unnecessary expenditures, the National Academy of Public Administration wrote. How the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations reports have spurred Idaho policy reform Mohan said the trust that people have placed in his office gives me goosebumps. Because he knows he has to make sure he doesnt disappoint, he said. In a 2019 report, the office found staff injuries and a culture of constant crisis in a mental illness facility in Nampa called the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, the Associated Press reported. When the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations followed up in 2022, it found significant improvements, Boise State Public Radio reported. The offices work also helped spur a bill by Wintrow, signed into law this year, to allow for shortened, temporary holds for people in neurocognitive crises. A new law will establish a new watchdog agency to handle child welfare complaints. This year, an Office of Perfromations Evaluation review found Idaho is one of seven states without such a role, InvestigateWest reported. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US That follows reporting by InvestigateWest of child abuse and neglect allegations at state-licensed Idaho facilities. Lawmakers also ordered the Office of Performance Evaluations to investigate oversight of Idahos youth treatment homes, InvestigateWest reported. This month, Idaho Department of Health and Welfares new director, Alex Adams, announced an emphasis on child welfare, Boise State Public Radio reported. A report this year into Idahos coroner system revealed Idahos autopsy rates fail to meet national standards, the Idaho Statesman reported. Wintrow said legislators are organizing a meeting this week to listen to coroners recommendations following the report. The Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations interim director is Ryan Langrill, a principal evaluator at the agency. Last week, the Legislative Council, a committee featuring legislative leadership, appointed Langrill to the position while the committee conducts a national search for a permanent director. Langrill has worked at the Office of Performance Evaluations for a decade, the Idaho Press reported. In retirement, Mohan said he plans to continue to play an active role in professional associations and find a part-time teaching position. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Is it illegal to pick up and keep cash you find on the street? Heres what Idaho law says So you found some cash on the street. Maybe you considered reporting it but decided it was too much of a hassle to track down the person who lost it. Or perhaps you could use an extra few bucks and figure theres no way to track down the original owner. Are you allowed to slip it into your wallet, or does Idaho law consider that theft? Idaho laws for reporting cash that you find State law explicitly outlines what to do if you find cash or property worth $100 or more. Upon finding the cash or property, if you dont know or cant find the original owner, you must alert the county clerk of which the money or property was found within 10 days of finding it. The only time this rule doesnt apply is if you find a firearm, explosive or deadly weapon, which must be reported immediately to police. Once youve alerted the county clerk of your finding, the discovery must be published in a local newspaper in the county it was found once a week for two weeks. The notice must state: A general description of the money or goods found The address and telephone number of the county clerks office The final date by which the money or property must be claimed If no person claims and establishes ownership of the money or property by three months after the initial notice to the county clerk, the person who found the goods becomes the rightful owner. If the property is claimed by the rightful owner, theyll receive it back after paying for the costs incurred to find, give notice, and take care of it. If you find money or property of less than $100, Idaho law does not specify that you have to turn it in. However, if you can identify the property owner such as a wallet with an ID you still must return the property. Not doing so could be considered petty theft, resulting in a misdemeanor and fines of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail. What if you dont report found cash? According to Idaho state law, anyone who doesnt report the lost property they found will forfeit all right to the property and be liable for the full value of the property to its owner. If you find property or cash worth more than $100 and fail to report it, you become liable to the county for the money or value of the goods. That means if discovered along with the potential of a theft charge you must forfeit the goods to the county treasurer, according to Idaho Law. The county treasurer will then publish the find in a local newspaper using the same steps as above. If the original owner does not come forward to claim their property, money will placed in the countys general fund. Physical objects will be delivered to the county sheriffs office and sold at auction. The proceeds will then be added to the countys general fund. It's illegal to set off fireworks in Knoxville without a permit. Here's where you can Just because people seem to set off fireworks all across East Tennessee on July 4 doesn't mean the pyrotechnics are legal everywhere. It's illegal to sell or set off fireworks without a permit in places like Knoxville and Knox County, but even strict fireworks laws are notoriously difficult to enforce. "We see thousands and thousands of fireworks going off," Mark Wilbanks, assistant chief of the Knoxville Fire Department, told Knox News. "It is next to impossible to enforce. Just chasing all of those down is extremely hard and can be dangerous." In the hot and dry lead-up to Independence Day this year, Knoxville firefighters hope residents follow the law by attending a professional permitted show like the annual Festival on the 4th at World's Fair Park. "Do not go out and buy fireworks. Don't use them," Wilbanks said. "Not only can you be hurt seriously, or even killed, you can hurt someone else with them. ... Especially with any dry conditions we may have, you could start a fire unintentionally that could potentially cost someone else thousands and thousands of dollars." At the state level, some fireworks regulations apply in every town and city. For instance, fireworks cannot be sold in Tennessee without a permit or to anyone younger than 16. Anyone age 16 or 17 must show ID when purchasing fireworks. Some laws only apply in certain places, such as a ban on fireworks sales in any county with a population greater than 355,000 people. Knox County has a population of around 500,669 people as of 2023. The safety concern behind these laws is clear: Fireworks were responsible for 245 fires and $1.13 million in property damages in Tennessee in 2022, according to the state fire marshal's office. Much of this damage isn't covered by insurance companies since it involves something illegal. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found in early estimates fireworks were involved in eight deaths and 9,700 injuries in 2023. Teenagers between 15 and 19 years old and children between 5 and 9 years old were the two most common age groups for injuries. With holiday celebrations around the corner, many Knoxvillians are willing to take risks to celebrate July 4 at home with a bang. Where it's legal to use fireworks in East Tennessee Alcoa: Consumer fireworks may be used in the city July 3-4 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. They cannot be shot onto another person's property without the owner or occupant's permission. Blount County: Fireworks are legal, except between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., per a local noise ordinance. Fireworks are illegal in Townsend. Campbell County: Fireworks are legal in the county, but illegal in the city of LaFollette. An explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the small town killed four people in 1997. Loudon County: Fireworks are legal. Maryville: Consumer fireworks may be used in the city July 3-4 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. They may not be set off on any public property without approval from the city. Sevier County: Use of fireworks is legal in the county, but illegal in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Fireworks also are legal in Grainger, Morgan, Roane and Union counties. Where it's illegal to use fireworks in East Tennessee Anderson County: Fireworks are illegal without a permit from the state and approval from the county, including in the city of Oak Ridge. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville: Fireworks are illegal Knox County: Fireworks are illegal without a permit from the state and approval from the county. Knoxville: Fireworks are illegal without a permit from the city, which can be obtained at knoxvilletn.gov. Failure to secure a permit before setting off fireworks could result in a Class 1 misdemeanor, which can carry a fine up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail. Townsend: Fireworks are illegal Rather than purchase your own variety packs of fireworks, like the ones pictured here at a Chapman Highway fireworks stand in 2020, you could always follow firefighters' suggestion to attend a professional permitted show like the annual Festival on the 4th at World's Fair Park. State and local authorities suggest reaching out to local police and fire departments for additional information on firework codes. Tips for handling fireworks safely Even though it's against the law to set off fireworks in Knox County and several neighboring communities, many residents still choose to do it, risking damages and citations. Local and national authorities say safety is paramount. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends these safety tips: Keep a water supply nearby to extinguish any fires or to put out "duds" that do not ignite or detonate as intended. Do not attempt to relight them. Never point or throw fireworks at people, animals or buildings. Never hold fireworks after lighting them. Over one-third of injuries from fireworks in 2023 were sustained to the hands/fingers, according to the commission. Maintain a safe distance from fireworks after lighting the fuse and move away immediately after lighting. Never allow young children to light or handle fireworks, even sparklers, which can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Douse any used fireworks with water before disposing of them to prevent trash fires. Light fireworks one at a time. Never light fireworks while using alcohol or drugs. Keep dogs and other animals inside or at home while fireworks are being ignited. In Knox County and Knoxville, you can report illegal firework activity to the Knox County Sheriff's Department at 865-215-2243 or the KPD non-emergency hotline at 865-215-4010. Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Are fireworks legal in Knoxville? What to know this July 4th CHICAGO Lake County authorities were readying for Wednesdays hearing that may conclude the criminal prosecution of Robert Crimo III in the mass shooting at the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade that killed seven and wounded dozens. States Attorney Eric Rinehart made a brief statement last week that Crimo intended to change his plea at Wednesdays hearing, which suggests that Crimo plans to plead guilty to some or all of the more than 100 felony counts lodged against him. Rinehart declined to discuss details when the news came out Thursday, and he did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Crimo is being represented by the Lake County Public Defenders Office. Attempts to reach a representative of the office for comment were unsuccessful. Interest in Crimos most recent courtroom appearances had subsided, as prosecutors and defense attorneys worked through an assortment of pretrial matters which are a routine part of any prosecution with an eye toward a February 2025 trial date. However, Wednesdays hearing is expected to generate a lot of interest locally and nationwide. Kasey Morgan, the spokeswoman for the Lake County courts, said her office was working to accommodate survivors and family members of the victims of the parade shooting who want to attend, as well as members of Crimos family who want to be in the courtroom, which can hold about 110 people. The courts office has also received requests for seats from area elected officials, and representatives of national news organizations. The Lake County Sheriffs Office, which is in charge of courtroom security, said it plans to have additional security in place. What everyone will actually see, though, has not been publicly detailed. If Crimo does change his plea to guilty, the case could move immediately into the sentencing phase. That could include testimony from law enforcement officers, detailing evidence that connects Crimo to the shootings. Victims could also give impact statements, attorneys for the state and defense would make arguments regarding punishment, and Crimo would be given the opportunity to make a statement before Judge Victoria Rossetti imposes sentence. Should Crimo plead guilty to the first-degree murder of more than one of the seven people killed, he would face an automatic sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors leveled more than 100 felony charges in the case, including 21 counts of first-degree murder. Crimo has been in custody since the day of the shootings. Authorities said he climbed atop a building in downtown Highland Park and fired dozens of bullets from an assault rifle into the crowd gathered for the Independence Day parade. He initially evaded arrest by donning a disguise and blending into the panicked crowd, police said. Several hours later, after Crimo became a suspect, a police officer stopped his car and took Crimo into custody. _____ Illinois State Police made 15 arrests resulting in 33 criminal charges during a special operation performed in the metro-east June 20 through 22. The names of those arrested were not provided in the new release Tuesday. Troopers during a special detail use information and technology to target high crime areas, violent offenders and structured criminal groups, according to state police. Since last summer, nine special operations have yielded 348 arrests across St. Clair and Madison counties. Of the 33 charges yielded during the most recent three-day sting, 19 were felonies and 22 included firearm charges. Twelve firearms were seized, including three that had been reported stolen, and 28 grams of illegal drugs were taken off the streets, the state police reported. State police highlighted some notable events during the operation: On June 20, troopers attempted a traffic stop on a stolen Hyundai. The vehicle fled, but with the assistance of air support the vehicle was located in Cahokia Heights. Three suspects were taken into custody and two firearms were recovered; one firearm was reported stolen. On June 21, troopers made a stop on a traffic violation. The vehicle fled to the area of 74 th St. and Eureka Avenue in East St. Louis, where three subjects fled on foot. Two of the subjects were taken into custody and three firearms were recovered. On June 22, troopers observed two juveniles walking in middle of the road, near 25th St. and Louisiana Ave. in East St. Louis. Troopers approached the juveniles and they fled on foot. Both juveniles were taken into custody and two stolen firearms were recovered. Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, the former states attorney for St. Clair County, told the BND in March that the agency focuses on areas where the data indicates police activity is needed and welcome. We make our strategic and tactical decisions based upon evidence, based upon facts, Kelly said. Where do the statistics indicate where theres a higher level of criminal activity and the potential for criminal activity? Does the community need us? More than 25 officers from around the state, including Illinois State Police Troop 8, the South Fatal Four Team, Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6, the Public Safety Enforcement Group, and Air Operations joined forces with the Special Operation Group Statewide Anti-Violence Enforcement Unit. The ISP Firearms Investigations Unit provided additional support during the operational period, according to the release. 'I'm not backing Trump': Top official in RI's GOP would rather give up his post than back Trump PROVIDENCE When President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, others in his party insisted it was rigged. When Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a New York jury, his party-mates again implied it was rigged. Steve Frias begged to differ. Despite his high-ranked position within the Rhode Island GOP, Frias was the only Rhode Island Republican who, when asked where he stood on Trump's conviction, publicly said: "It is not rigged ... [And] I am not going to attack judges, whether they are a New York state court judge or a United States Supreme Court Justice. I believe in the rule of law. Period." In the days leading up to that statement, Frias quietly alerted his colleagues in the state Republican Party that he would not run again be one of Rhode Island's two representatives on the Republican National Committee. Rhode Island Republican National Committeeman Steve Frias. Why it matters In the 12 years he was Rhode Island's Republican National Committeeman, Frias got to travel to wherever the party poo-bahs were meeting and have a say in party rules, policies and strategy to promote the Republican political platform and the "party brand" and help coordinate fundraising and election strategy. Among the other expectations: that, as a national committeeman, he would wholeheartedly support the party's nominee for president. That, he decided, he cannot do. The jury's verdict in the New York hush money case had not yet come down, when Frias, 51, informed party leaders on June 2 that while it had been "an honor," he would not run again for the RNC post when the party gathers later this month. Why? "I disagree with the direction the national party is headed, so it's time for me to move on and for someone else to be on the RNC," he wrote, while pledging to "continue to help other Republicans as I've done in the past." And with that, Frias who says he has no plans to run for any elected office has set himself apart from many of his fellow Republicans in a state where they are 14% of the electorate and hold 14 seats in the 113-member General Assembly. Who is Steve Frias? A son of Portuguese immigrants and a graduate of Brown University and Suffolk University Law School, Frias has written numerous opinion columns about state and local government for The Providence Journal and Cranston Herald, as well as a book: "Cranston and Its Mayors: A History." A lawyer, writer and serious history buff, Frias has run four times for a legislative seat. He ran twice for the state Senate from the East Side of Providence, in the early 1990s. "Local Providence Republicans needed someone to run," he remarked. "I lost both times. It was an interesting learning experience, but I should have spent my time focusing on my studies.'' Decades later, he ran two memorable races against then-House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. He lost, but came within 85 votes of beating Mattiello on the election night machine count. That was before the mail ballot count including the discovery of a misplaced box of mail ballots put the speaker over the top. Frias made the race a lively affair, with mailers showing in cartoon fashion how Mattiello rewarded his "Cranston cronies" with jobs and perks. His aggressive candidacy has been credited with nudging the speaker into making a dramatic and popular mid-campaign pledge to phase out the car tax. Along the way, Frias also demonstrated to Cranstonians that he was most definitely a Republican who shared their support for the "Second Amendment," for example, but one who made distinctions. Like Mattiello, he opposed an "assault weapons" ban, but supported the legislative effort to remove guns from people who commit misdemeanor domestic violence. His platform: "For starters, we should repeal the new tolls, implement dramatic reductions in Rhode Island's tax rates to levels below those of its neighboring states' and "restore public confidence in our state government'' by having lawmakers list "legislative grants'' in the budget; approve restrictions on fundraising while the General Assembly is in session; allow the public to vote on term-limits for lawmakers and a "line-item veto'' for the governor. His 2016 and 2018 rallying cry: "It's time we clean house at the State House! Frias won the top post within the Rhode Island GOP in 2012 against incumbent Joe Trillo, who ultimately withdrew but not before painting him as "far right." Frias countered by saying the party needed to focus on "fiscal issues." By emphasizing the GOP's position on "sound budgeting" and "stabilizing taxes,'' he predicted optimistically, as it turned out that more Republicans would be elected to office. What drove the decision? Asked in what way he differs with the direction of the national GOP, Frias told The Journal: "I'm a Republican ... [who] believe(s) in the constitution and the rule of law. I don't believe that the 2020 election was illegitimate; a vice president can unilaterally reject the electoral college votes; [the] January 6th rioters should be pardoned; a former president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution or [that] our legal system is rigged." He made his decision over Memorial Day weekend. Among reasons: "Under the RNC's rules, members of the national committee are required to support the Republican presidential nominee." "Like many Americans, I don't want to support either [Joe] Biden or Trump," he said. What is he going to do? "I have various options," he explained. "I could write in a Republican. I could just skip that part of the ballot. I'm not voting for Biden and I'm not backing Trump." He acknowledged that leaving the top of the ballot blank would be a first for him. Asked what message he hoped his decision would send other Republicans in the state and national party, Frias said: "I think I just have a difference of opinion from them on this." The two Republicans now vying for Rhode Island's open seat on the Republican National Committee are former state GOP Chairman Giovanni Cicione and Bristol Republican Tom Carroll. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Top-ranked Rhode Island Republican steps away from party post over Trump Imogen Stuart in the studio at her home in Sandycove, Dublin; on her right is a small sculpture of Pope John Paul II embracing two children which was later cast as a over-life-size monument at Maynooth University - Nick Bradshaw Imogen Stuart, who has died aged 96, was a German-born sculptor of part-Jewish background who spent most of her life working in Ireland, where she enjoyed the patronage of the Catholic Church. The sense of displacement and loss she felt in her early life contributed significantly to her individual style, which blended the interwar Expressionism of her homeland with the primitive beauty of ancient Irish religious iconography. She was born Imogen Werner in Berlin on May 25 1927. Her father, Bruno Werner, a decorated veteran of the Great War, was one of the Weimar Republics leading art critics and was influential in the Bauhaus movement and friends with such figures as Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Bertolt Brecht and Hermann Hesse. Her mother Katharina was also an art historian. Adolf Hitler came to power in January 1933, and in October that year Bruno Werner signed the so-called Most Solemn Vow of loyalty to the Fuhrer, a controversial pledge of allegiance by 88 of Germanys most influential writers and poets. Goebbels used it as a stick with which to beat those who refused to toe the party line on cultural policy. St Brendan the Navigator, by Ian and Imogen Stuart, in Bantry town centre, Co Cork - George Munday/Alamy It did Bruno Werner little good, however. Though his father was a German Lutheran, his mother was Jewish and in 1935 he was classified under the Nuremberg Race Laws as a Half-Jew. In 1938 he was forced to resign as theatre critic and arts editor at the Deutsche Allgemeine; the Nazis confiscated the family home in Berlin, and Werner went into hiding to evade the Gestapo. He made good his escape from the capital in 1944 through the help of friends, and spent some time in hiding in Dresden, where he had gone to school, luckily arriving after the Allied bombing of the city. Meanwhile, after the bombing of Berlin began in 1941, Imogen and Sibylle had been evacuated to Bavaria and then, after a brief return to Berlin, moved with their mother to a distant relative near Vienna. Late one night in the spring of 1945 Bruno reappeared at their lodgings and, learning that Imogen had been drafted to help dig tank traps against the advancing Red Army, took her with him to a friends house in Bavaria, where they were liberated by the Americans. Katharina and Sibylle remained in Austria, where they were liberated by the Red Army, but they managed to escape to Bavaria, evading the attentions of Soviet soldiers, where the family was reunited. Imogen Stuart at work By the end of the war Imogen Werner had decided to become a sculptor, and in the aftermath of the conflict her father, who went on to serve as a cultural attache in Washington, approached Otto Hitzberger, a sculptor and art professor living in Garmisch-Partenkirchen whose work had been declared degenerate by the Nazis and banned from public exhibition. Hitzberger took charge of Imogens formal training for nearly five years; food shortages in the post-war period obliged the pair to carve gravestones in return for food parcels. Imogen, however, remembered it as one of the happiest periods of her life, her happiness heightened in 1948 by the arrival of a handsome Irishman, Ian Stuart, who had gone to Munich to study under Hitzberger. They married in 1951 and Imogen converted from Lutheranism to Roman Catholicism though she admitted that she could never bring herself to go to confession, asking her husband: What am I supposed to be sorry for? They moved to live in Laragh Castle, Co Wicklow, home of Ian Stuarts mother, Iseult Gonne Stuart, whose mother, Maud Gonne, had been the inspiration for some of WB Yeatss greatest love poems. It was an old barracks which was full of damp, Imogen recalled. On certain days there was water running down the walls and the books became so wet that there was mildew. In 1940 Iseult Stuart had hidden the German spy Hermann Gortz, who had been parachuted into neutral Ireland on a mission to convince the IRA to expand their wartime bombing campaign in Belfast. Iseult spent some weeks in jail but was acquitted for lack of evidence; it was her estranged husband, Francis Stuart, a novelist and poet living in Berlin, who had given his wifes address as a safe refuge. Methos, the Angel of Peace, by Imogen Stuart on the tower of St Teresa's Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin - Alamy The Allies arrested him after the war for making pro-Nazi propaganda broadcasts to Ireland and for writing broadcasts for Lord Haw-Haw, William Joyce, the last man to be hanged for treason in Britain. Imogen and Ian Stuart then moved to a Dublin suburb, where they set up a studio and began working together. Their first significant commission was a 21ft-high copper figure of St Brendan the Navigator in Wolfe Tone Square in Bantry, supporting the Irish claim that the saint known as the navigator beat Christopher Columbus to the New World by several centuries. Imogens work was gaining international recognition and was exhibited at the Salzburg Biennale in 1962. Imogen and Ian Stuart had three daughters but separated in 1972, Imogen feeling that her husband was abandoning his art and her for the hedonistic road to exotic places like Afghanistan, India and Morocco. She continued her work as a sculptor, creating significant pieces for churches and public spaces all over Ireland. Her best-known sculptures include the monumental sculpture of Pope John Paul II in St Patricks college, Maynooth, and a carved altar and baptismal font at the Honan Chapel in Cork City. Examples of her work are held in private and public collections around the world. Imogen Stuart was a fellow of the Royal Hibernian Academy, Commander of the Germany Order of Merit and a recipient of the Golden Torc of Aosdana, Irelands highest artistic honour. She is survived by two daughters. One daughter predeceased her. Imogen Stuart, born May 25 1927, died March 25 2024 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Azerbaijani citizens will now be able to visit Morocco visa-free, Trend reports. At today's session of the Milli Majlis (Parliament), the draft law "On the approval of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco on exempting holders of general civil passports from visa requirements" was presented for discussion. The MPs remarked that the draft would foster the development of relations between the two countries. Following the discussion, the document was put to a vote and adopted. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel In classrooms and educational spaces across our country, a coordinated attack on our students right to learn is underway. Perhaps nowhere are those attacks more pronounced than in Florida, where state officials have led a campaign to restrict free speech in classrooms under the guise of preventing indoctrination. On Jun 13, a federal appeals court in Miami heard arguments in a case involving a 2022 Florida law, and now the court is deciding whether politicians can dictate what educators do or do not teach about race and gender in higher education institutions. The question comes from a group of educators challenging the Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act (Stop Woke Act) a censorship law that restricts educators from teaching viewpoints around race and gender that are disfavored by Florida lawmakers, even where those viewpoints are considered foundational information in their academic disciplines. Championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, this overreaching law specifically targets and places vague restrictions on educators ability to teach concepts such as racism, sexism, privilege and unconscious bias. It also imposes harsh penalties, including ineligibility for all performance funding from the state for the colleges and universities and termination for educators who have been found to violate the law. Such penalties would further imperil Floridas education system by pushing universities to the brink of bankruptcy and driving educators out of the state. Bacardi Jackson Because the law is so vague, it is extremely difficult for educators to determine what they can or cant teach, or what views might be interpreted to violate the law, leaving teachers in a constant state of uncertainty and causing a larger chilling effect in the classroom. It has even brought into question whether teaching strategies such as the Socratic method, which fosters critical thinking and challenges preconceptions, could prompt classroom discussions that violate this censorship law. And thats exactly what the politicians who passed the Stop W.O.K.E. Act were hoping for. Since the law was passed in 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida, along with the national ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Ballard Spahr law firm have been representing a group of courageous educators in their fight to protect free speech in education. At its core, the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas, including in educational settings where diverse viewpoints should be encouraged and explored. The Stop Woke Act, however, undermines this fundamental principle. By dictating what educators can and cannot teach about race and gender, the act effectively censors discussions that are essential for fostering critical thinking and understanding complex social issues. The law poses such serious harm to educators and students that a federal appeals court upheld the district courts preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks Florida from enforcing the Stop Woke Act, which the order itself described as positively dystopian. As the appeal proceeds, the arguments heard earlier this month are a chance for the court to either stand with the free exchange of ideas and robust debate that characterize higher education or enable the government to silence discussion of any viewpoint it disfavors. Florida is just one of over a dozen states across the country that have passed laws censoring discussions around race and gender in the classroom. Upholding the district courts ruling will ensure that our system of higher education is guided by the principle of free speech, not government censorship. Our future depends on independent educational institutions that are free from government intrusion. Our classrooms are meant to be rooms of curiosity, creativity and learning. When we stifle this kind of critical thinking, we risk losing our education system as we know it. Bacardi Jackson is the executive director of the ACLU of Florida. Engine-maker Cummins Inc., is doing another round of layoffs after offering employees buyouts last November, with the goal of reducing administrative layers and focusing on core business, according to an internal message and a Cummins spokesperson. The job cuts come as the demand for trucks has slowed since the first years of the pandemic and as the company shifts its operations to meet increasing regulations for engine emissions. Cummins Inc. revealed plans Tuesday to build an engine for an upcoming version of the Nissan Titan pickup truck. With headquarters in Indiana, Cummins attributed the job cuts to its effort to reach zero emissions by 2050, a goal the company has branded Destination Zero. Engine-makers and manufacturers across the globe have been under the gun to shift toward clean energy after world leaders committed to reaching zero emission by 2050 under the 2016 Paris Agreement. "As part of this evolution, some of our employees may experience reporting, responsibility or role changes as well as position eliminations," spokesperson Lauren Daniel said via email. She added that Cummins is "in the process of improving our business and operational efficiencies to better service our customers, improve our work environment and ensure we are best positioned for success now and in the future." While the company has faced challenges in recent years, including a $2 billion settlement with government officials over allegedly failing to meet emission regulations late last year, Cummins is still regarded by analysts and industry watchers as a top engine maker for the trucking industry and a leader in the shift toward clean energy. In the company's most recent financial report released in May, Cummins emphasized that its financial goals include reducing its debt. Costs increasing for manufacturers Company officials did not say if the recent cuts were related to the financial penalty, which the U.S. Department of Justice called the "largest ever for a Clean Air Act violation." Cummins also did not share how many positions have been cut. But a review of an internal message from CEO Jennifer Rumsey to employees laid out an internal reorganization plan focused on trimming administrative roles to reduce layers in the company reporting structure. Environmental regulations have added costs for engine-makers like Cummins to develop clean technologies and change production lines to meet new standards, said Juan Bu, a professor at Indiana University Kelley School of Business with expertise in international business and sustainability. Most recently, companies have been required to disclose climate-related emissions of their production operations. "There's a huge demand for clean technology and clean products," Bu said. "[Cummins] is targeting global partners." Cummins' environmental fine In December, Cummins shared that it would be paying about $1.7 billion, a preliminary figure, to settle a claim that the company installed devices on thousands of engines to prevent emission tracking and control. Regulators alleged that illegal devices were installed on nearly 1 million RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks, ranging from the 2013 model to the 2023 model. The types of devices we allege that Cummins installed in its engines to cheat federal environmental laws have a significant and harmful impact on peoples health and safety," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a prepared statement at the time. "For example, in this case, our preliminary estimates suggest that defeat devices on some Cummins engines have caused them to produce thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides. The cascading effect of those pollutants can, over long-term exposure, lead to breathing issues like asthma and respiratory infections." Cummins said in its news release regarding the settlement that the company does not admit wrongdoing and has been working to resolve the issues raised. "Cummins has been working with regulators and other entities for more than five years to resolve this matter and we are pleased that we are moving forward," a spokesperson for Cummins told the IndyStar. Engine business in flux The engine-making industry is in flux as climate concerns lead to increasing emissions regulations. The key for Cummins, industry watchers say, will be to adapt to shifting standards and beat out competitors trying to do the same. Cummins could expand its business as it shifts to engine products that reduce emissions, especially if other engine-making companies leave the business, according to an analysis by the Chicago-based investment research firm Morningstar. However, the trucking industry could embrace electric products, which would hurt Cummins' business. Despite some uncertainty and recent challenges, Cummins is expected to grow its revenue, the firm projected. "This is largely due to increasing emissions regulation, which allows Cummins to sell more of its emissions solutions, namely its aftertreatment systems that convert pollutants into harmless emissions," Morningstar Senior Equity Analyst Matthew Young wrote in a June 18 report. The report also noted that the $2 billion settlement with regulators, which initially rattled confidence in Cummins' ability to keep up with regulations, will not likely change the trajectory of Cummins in the long term. Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 and bhuang@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana-based engine maker Cummins plans layoffs, looks to reduce debt How Indiana led the way in legalizing backyard fireworks despite safety concerns Fireworks lovers and haters had at least one viewpoint in common before the turn of the millennium in Indiana: The state's confusing, loophole-ridden fireworks law was a joke. It was illegal for private citizens to shoot off fireworks into the air. But you could buy them from a store in Indiana, as long as you signed a form promising that you would take them out of state within five days. Some called it silly, some crazy. Its a sham, proclaimed former state Rep. David Frizzell, R-Indianapolis, on Indiana's House floor in early 2006. "Lets end it today. And that year, they did. The deal they struck after decades of lobbying and hundreds of thousands in political contributions by the fireworks industry, stymied for a long time by one particular state senator from Fort Wayne made Indiana one of the most liberal states in the country at the time with regard to fireworks. Everything that the feds consider legal, Hoosiers could shoot off on their own property, which is now the case in about half of U.S. states. Today Indiana's law has another element that only one other state, Arizona, has: Local governments are explicitly prohibited from regulating fireworks use for 11 days around the Fourth of July and New Year's. Fireworks facts and laws: What Hoosiers need to know The law has a sweetener that gives it staying power: A fee tied to fireworks sales that pays for firefighter training. It was a deal that even the fire officials couldn't refuse. Perhaps as a result of Indiana's lax laws, the state's fireworks industry is booming. Hoosiers spend more money setting off fireworks than 43 other states, according to a ValuePenguin analysis of 2022 import data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Fireworks stores and billboards dot the state's borders, especially with Illinois, where aerial firecrackers are banned. Hundreds of people are injured each year, according to the most recent data available, but there's no telling how many more were injured during the pandemic-era doubling of sales because the state no longer collects this data. Though a few state representatives from denser areas in central Indiana have tried to introduce legislation in recent years to give more power to local governments, Indiana, whose Statehouse overwhelmingly represents rural interests, appears entrenched in boom-town for the foreseeable future. "Theyre here," said Dale Henson, executive director of the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association, "and theyre here to stay." The fireworks industry gets organized That "silly" fireworks law of the late 20th century stemmed from a raid of a longtime Muncie fireworks wholesaler in 1983 a climax of sorts to years of contention between industry dealers and state fire officials over the state's vague laws. Explosive, aerial fireworks were illegal for private use in Indiana. So North Central Industries in Muncie was selling them wholesale to clients in states where they were legal, like Tennessee. In what the papers then described as an attempt to "test" the laws on the books, state police and fire officials at the start of fireworks season attempted to seize $300,000 worth of product and arrested 28 employees. Boxes of fireworks sit ready to ship Thursday, May 30, 2024, at North Central Industries in Muncie. The distributor sued, earning a settlement amount reported to be a quarter of a million dollars. The parties reached an agreement that those who purchase illegal fireworks from North Central Industries would sign a statement saying they'd take them out of state. The General Assembly then adopted that language into state law in 1985. But since it was impractical to enforce, the law allowed a lucrative black market of illegal fireworks to flourish in Indiana, to the chagrin of both industry folk and fire officials. Almost everyone agreed the law needed to change. Naturally, they didn't agree on how. The industry wanted to legalize everything. From their perspective, it was well known that Hoosiers were buying fireworks from Tennessee and blowing them up here, anyway. "Other states were making all the profit; I pay taxes here but cant profit even though theyre shooting them here," said Richard Shields, owner of North Central Industries who took over from his father in the mid 1990s. Richard Shields is interviewed in the show room of fireworks products Thursday, May 30, 2024, at North Central Industries in Muncie. A sizeable contingent of fire chiefs was adamantly against this. They'd seen the permanence of fireworks-related injuries fingers blown off, eyes permanently damaged. Why not leave it to the professionals? "When I took the oath for the job, my oath was protect lives and property," said Fred Hines, a former Seymour fire chief who had taken the industry to court multiple times. "And how could you possibly say, 'Hey its alright to shoot fireworks?'" By the time the raid happened, the fireworks industry was already getting organized. They formed the Indiana Fire Distributors Association in 1975. In the late '80s, Shields met John Brooke, a departing Delaware County deputy prosecutor who was starting his own private practice in Muncie. Richard Shields walks through the warehouse of fireworks Thursday, May 30, 2024, at North Central Industries in Muncie. "I saw an opportunity really to do some good and to create a niche practice," Brooke said. "I didnt want to do divorces all my life." Whenever a fire marshal somewhere was trying to shut down a retail stand, Shields recommended Brooke, until through word of mouth, he became the country's preeminent fireworks lawyer, with clients in 48 states and 22 countries. The distributors association managed to pull in 90% of the state's retailers, Shields estimates, because Brooke would only represent them if they became members. They got to work on changing the law. Fireworks lobby v. one state senator They hired lobbyists. They started a political action committee called Safe PAC, which is not an acronym. ("We had to be creative," Brooke said.) In the decade leading up to the 2006 law, the Safe PAC would give more than half a million dollars to state political candidates, including $20,000 each to the gubernatorial candidates in 2004: Democrat Frank O'Bannon and Republican Mitch Daniels. A separate PAC called Indiana Pyrotechnics Education PAC gave another quarter million to political candidates between 2000 and 2006. Every year that a fireworks legalization bill was introduced, the industry butted heads with one senator: Sen. Thomas Wyss from Fort Wayne, then-chair of the Senate's influential public policy committee. He was the senator who battled the alcohol industry for a decade to get a bill passed that would lower the drunk-driving threshold from 0.1% blood-alcohol content to 0.08%. One of his peers called him "Senator Safety." The fire chiefs were against these fireworks bills, so he listened to them. Wyss would always kill the bills sent to his committee by not giving them a hearing. "I was always listening to the safety people on any of those issues," Wyss said recently. Then Brooke, the fireworks lawyer, came up with a deal clincher. He had done enough work with municipal law to know that governments were always looking for another source of revenue that didn't mean raising taxes. So how about a 5% "public safety fee" on fireworks sales that generate $2 million to $4 million a year for firefighter training and disaster response programs? "It silenced our critics," Brooke said. "They bit their tongues. The fire chiefs association's tongues were bit so much they were bleeding, but they wouldn't oppose it because they're going to get the benefit of the money." Once then-governor Daniels was behind it, the stage was set. A bill got introduced and shipped to a different committee, not Wyss's. The new law would also require hospitals and trauma centers to report fireworks-related injuries annually to the state Department of Health. "They had more money than us; they pretty much beat us like a drum," Hines, who was part of the fire chiefs association at the time, said of the fireworks lobby. "In my personal opinion, the fire service sold out." The modern battles These days, the fireworks debate isn't so much about whether we should have them. That cat's out of the bag. It's about how much control local governments should have to further restrict those allowable times. Many remember the first year the law changed as mayhem. Aerial fireworks became legal from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. year round or until midnight on holidays. People were celebrating newfound freedom, some said; others compared the scene to the sounds of Baghdad, remembers Steven Graves, executive director of the Indiana Fireworks Distributors Association. Opinion: Indianas backyard fireworks season is too long, too tortuous, too dangerous The following year, lawmakers amended the language to allow locals to further restrict those time periods. But not on Jan. 1 or July 4 or the 10 days before and after. Every year since 2017, retiring state Rep. Donna Schaibley has introduced a bill to chip away at those 11 days. In a 2022 bill hearing, she described Carmel being inundated with booms and explosions during that time period, with local police powerless to clamp down. She acknowledged, too, that this is largely an urban concern. "I think the communities where these people live should have some kind of say-so," Schaibley said. "Frankly, I think most of the communities in the state of Indiana, theyre not going to do anything." State Rep. Donna Schaibley, shown in 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse, has introduced bills annually seeking to give local communities more say over fireworks laws. (Credit: Jenna Watson/IndyStar) Military veterans advocates testified about the plight of those with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom the boom of fireworks can be triggering. Then-city councilor Sue Finkam said she gets calls every year from residents concerned about veterans and needing to sedate their dogs. "All were asking for is the power to have a local conversation with our community," said Finkam, who is now the mayor of Carmel. But for the most part, lawmakers ignored these arguments. The bills never get past the committee stage. The fireworks industry argues that a patchwork system of local laws would be nearly impossible to enforce; the fire chiefs association has remained neutral. That's because the association simply isn't hearing complaints about fireworks laws from its members these days, said legislative chair Steve Orusa, also the Fishers fire chief. "It hasnt been on our radar as of late," he said. They have bigger fish to fry, like solving the crisis of emergency-services deserts in rural Indiana. To boot, they no longer have statewide data to drive concerns: In 2018, lawmakers repealed the part of the law requiring fireworks-related injury reporting, despite injuries trending upward. Even before the repeal, the injury report's authors emphasized how unreliable the data was since the reporting law "was not actively enforced" and not every report submitted was complete or accurate. So while the department reported an average of 175 injuries a year, it cautioned that this was likely an underestimate. Close to half of these injuries were among children. Nationally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported an estimated 10,200 firework injuries in 2022. "For me, if theres only two of 'em, thats too many," said Hines, who is a founding member of the Hoosier Burn Camp, a summer camp for children who've suffered severe burns. "If only two kids in Indiana lose their thumbs, thats two too many." Notably, the number of Indiana fireworks injuries dropped to their lowest in 2012, when a majority of counties issued some form of a fireworks ban due to a drought. Still, other evidence suggests that that fireworks laws are less important than safety education in combatting bone-headed human behavior. The numbers reported before the legalization of explosive fireworks were even higher. State fire marshal Steve Jones is far more concerned with the education piece than changing the law, which he says is "bigger than me." "Everybody's got an opinion," he said. "I don't think if you made it more stricter, that it would change the outcome of people's using it. "I don't think any organization is set up to monitor 6.8 million Hoosiers," he added. "A lot of it's just respecting your neighbor." The Downtown Freedom Fest fireworks show attracted residents to downtown Indianapolis, Thursday, July 4, 2019, filling American Legion Mall, Monument Circle and the streets of downtown with festive red, white and blue attire. He sees the fireworks fee revenue as a "double-edged sword," but not in the same way the fire chiefs did in 2006. The money goes to the state disaster relief fund and a state firefighter training fund, which is in charge of certifying all the training that happens in Indiana and supplies grants to local departments. But it's an inconsistent source of money that varies from year to year it rarely gets above $3 million a year, apart from the COVID-19 years, when Hoosiers doubled their fireworks purchases. It's hard to gauge public sentiment about the state of things other than anecdotally. That there have been new laws proposed means Carmel legislators have gotten phone calls from constituents but even those have trickled off for Republican state Rep. Jerry Torr, who coauthored Schaibley's bills the last three years. He estimates he's gotten maybe a dozen calls or emails in a single year. And it's not an issue rural representatives hear much about. State Rep. Jerry Torr, shown at the Indiana Statehouse in 2021, says fireworks laws aren't a big issue for constituents. "I think most people are going to think, if theyre annoyed by it, 'Oh my neighbors are inconsiderate and gee I wish theyd stop doing that,'" Torr said. "But some people have the mindset, 'Oh there needs to be a law.' Which is where most of the legislation comes from, quite frankly." Graves, of the fireworks association, said if consumers want fireworks, then the job of industry and regulators is to make it as safe as possible and promote respect. "Theres always some dingdong, some careless, unthoughtful person out there who shoots off these fireworks every night. And Im sorry for that," he said. "But the vast vast majority of consumers are respectful. "Dont make this be a nuisance," he said. "Its supposed to be fun." For his part, Wyss, who is now 81, isn't trying to rain on fun. He loves the Fourth of July and enjoys watching fireworks those that are set off by professionals. "Its about celebrating our freedoms," he said. "But safely." Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X:@kayla_dwyer17 This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Indiana led in legalizing fireworks despite safety concerns (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor) After reaching a deal on a new state budget, lawmakers intend to advance the annual spending bill through budget committees on Wednesday with final votes set for Friday, though the timing is still in flux, a top Democrat said during a Monday budget hearing. Legislators must approve and Gov. Phil Murphy must sign a budget by June 30 to avert a state government shutdown, and they rarely approve an annual spending bill without rubbing against the deadline. The timing is still up in the air, said Sen. Paul Sarlo, the Senates budget chair. Because New Jerseys constitution requires bills to sit for a day between moving out of a committee and seeing a floor vote, budget committees must approve a budget no later than Friday and both full chambers must approve them by Sunday to avoid shutting down New Jerseys state beaches, public parks, and government. As part of the budget deal, legislators and the governor have agreed to enact a 2.5% surtax on corporations with more than $10 million in profit. The tax on roughly 600 businesses operating in New Jersey is expected to generate about $800 million annually and is forecast to bring in more than $1 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1 (it will retroactively apply to the first six months of 2024). Murphy proposed that the tax be dedicated to NJ Transit to cover a $766.8 million fiscal cliff the agency faces starting July 1, 2025. Sarlo on Monday said legislators would dedicate the funds in the budget year that begins next week. Every dollar will go to New Jersey Transit, dollar for dollar. No diversion whatsoever, Sarlo told reporters following Mondays Senate Budget Committee meeting. Its not yet clear how that squares with Murphys vision for the next year of spending. His budget proposal calls for the first year of revenue from the surtax, dubbed the corporate transit fee, to be used as a one-shot to boost state revenue as New Jersey continues to spend more than it takes through taxes and fees. Murphys budget proposal includes a $1.8 billion structural deficit that will bring the states surplus down to $6.1 billion, or roughly 11% of proposed spending. The eventual fate of the new tax is also unclear. Murphy has pitched it as a dedicated source of funding for the transit agency, but lawmakers have agreed on a proposal to have the tax sunset after five years. The deal was first reported by Politico New Jersey. That timeline is a boon to business groups that have urged against a surcharge they feared would remain in perpetuity, warning that it would leave New Jersey with the highest tax rates in the nation for highly profitable businesses. The problem is, for me anyway, is the regional competitiveness, because Pennsylvania is on a longer-term plan to keep reducing their CBT, and its usually those surrounding states of Delaware and Pennsylvania that are our biggest competition, said Michael Egenton, executive vice president of government relations for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. At present, the 9% rate charged by New Jerseys top corporate tax bracket is the fourth highest in the nation. Pennsylvania last year put itself on a path to cut its corporate tax rate to 4.99% by 2031. Neighboring New York levies a 6.5% corporate income tax, or 7.25% for firms with more than $5 million in profit, while Delaware levies an 8.7% corporate tax. Theres some question as to whether the tax will actually expire. The prior corporate business tax surcharge which sunset at the end of 2023 was meant to phase down from 2.5% to 1.5% but never did. It was also initially set to expire in 2021. I think the bigger picture is how do we go forward with any of these programs if government is going to say one thing and then ends up doing something else, Egenton said. The post Initial votes on new state budget could come Wednesday, top Democrat says appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Donald Trump provided a small window into his preparation strategy for Thursday nights debate hosted by CNN, and it seems like the former president is in deep, deep trouble. Before Trumps rally in Philadelphia Saturday night, Trump stopped for an interview with conservative radio talk show host Chris Stigall, during which they discussed the former presidents approach to the upcoming presidential debate. Stigall asked how Trump was feeling about CNNs debate terms, including mutable mics and the lack of live audience, suggesting that the terms to which the former president readily agreed suddenly present an unfair burden. Its probably a one-on-three, Trump said, referring to Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the two CNN anchors tapped to host. Amid all of his whining about an event he fully opted into, Trump confirmed that his actual debate prep is nonexistent. People say, How are you preparing? Im preparing by taking questions from you and others, if you think about it, said Trump. Its difficult to imagine how being interviewed by a fan could possibly prepare Trump for the difficult questions that are likely to come his way on Thursday night. Trump will likely face questions about his role in the January 6 insurrection, the millions of dollars he owes author E. Jean Carroll, or the additional millions he owes in penalties from the Trump Organizations civil fraud case in New York. Hell likely also face questions about his recent conviction on 34 felony charges in his hush-money trial, allegations that he stole classified documents and obstructed their retrieval, and his racketeering indictment in Georgia for a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election election. Trump will likely field questions about his whole range of unsavory, in many cases illegal, deeds and dangerous proclamations, which conservative pundits would never deign to ask him about. So, uh, Im preparing by dealing with you. Youre tougher than all of them, right? Trump said, grinning crookedly. Trump said hes preparing for his debate with President Biden by doing friendly interviews with right wing media. pic.twitter.com/xBGHVagvEf PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) June 25, 2024 Stigall burst into laughter, appearing overjoyed. Trump then shook Stigalls hand, and thanked him for being a good friend. Stigall promptly changed his profile picture on X, formerly Twitter, to a photo of him shaking hands with the former president. This is hardly on par with the hostile environment Trumps spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt described during her Monday interview on CNN, which was ultimately cut short. Leavitt said her candidate was wading into dangerous waters so that he could reach the broadest possible audienceadmitting that the debate will be the furthest thing possible from these softball interviews with his own supporters. But appearances like Leavitts, which devolved into airing grievances about Tappers coverage of the former president, are Trumps real debate prep, and it started weeks ago. Through escalating conspiracy theories alleging Joe Biden will be on performance-enhancing drugs, whining about biased moderators and the weaponization of mutually agreed-upon debate terms, Trumps spin campaign and his debate prep are really one and the same: a battle plan that demands no real strategy because it discounts the outcome before the fight even takes place. Its not dissimilar from Trumps election strategy. If you cant beat em, there was no race, right? But for someone obsessed with not being a loser, its shocking how blatantly Trump telegraphs his inability to win. If his comments are anything to go by, Thursday night will be a fiasco. A former Navy chief convicted of attempted espionage in April after sharing classified information with a foreign agent had a financial need for the money the agent paid him, prosecutors argued in trial records obtained by Navy Times. Those records also show how Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents botched a recording of their interview with former Chief Fire Controlman (Aegis) Bryce Steven Pedicini by failing to ensure their video camera had enough batteries. In addition to attempted espionage, Pedicini was convicted on failure to obey a lawful order and attempted violation of a lawful general order charge specifications, following a weeklong, judge-only general court-martial. Formerly assigned to the Japan-based destroyer Higgins, Pedicini was sentenced to 18 years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge and reduction in rank to E-1 late last month. Pedicini initially faced multiple espionage charges, instead of the attempted espionage charge specifications for which he was convicted, but the trial judge opted to convict him of that lesser-included offense. The Navy has declined to fully explain the case or Pedicinis trial, citing the classified nature of the situation, but motion filings from earlier this year provide a deeper albeit incomplete glimpse into events that led a former chief to offer state secrets in return for a payday. Navy chief found guilty of attempted espionage The filings do not include the military judges rulings on the motions by the prosecution and defense, which Navy Times has requested. Still, the records offer more information about what went down in what was the Navys first espionage case in at least the past five years. Pedicini could not be reached for comment. An unidentified foreign agent first contacted Pedicini on Facebook in October 2022, and claimed they were a defense researcher from Japan, filings show. The foreign agent offered Pedicini money in exchange for information about the United States military capabilities and strategies. The agent told Pedicini he could receive more money based on the value and sensitivity of the information [Pedicini] could provide and specifically asked for classified information, the court filings state. Pedicini went on to send multiple documents to the agent from November 2022 to May 2023, according to court records, and he sent the agent photographs of material accessed on the militarys secure internet protocol router, or SIPR, on May 8, 2023. Court filings also suggest that nobody involved in the trial knew the identity of the foreign agent who contacted Pedicini, including prosecutors. One filing notes how the prosecution tried to get the agents contact information from intelligence community agencies at the request of the defense, but that those agencies did not provide that contact information. At one point, while communicating via the Telegram messaging app, the foreign agent noted that Pedicini was only providing information that is available to the public, and that the agent then asked for documents bearing classification markings. How the sea service caught wind of Pedicinis actions remains unclear, but filings show Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents interrogated Pedicini on May 19, 2023, and he was detained from that point on. Pedicini stated he never met this individual in person and made assumptions about who this person was, court filings state. He also told investigators that after he provided opinion articles to the individual, the individual was asking him to provide more detailed information, including non-publicly available information and classified information, the filings state. The filings also reveal that, during the NCIS interview, the agents recorder failed, and a significant chunk of the interview was not recorded. At one point before the recorder failed, Pedicini told NCIS that he had been creating research papers for someone who claimed to be from a Japanese research company, and that he used Wikipedia and Google to write those papers. He also told agents that he had pictures of the front page of two classified documents on his phone, according to the court filings. Roughly 80 minutes into the interrogation, the video recording ended, and the NCIS agent in charge later recalled that they learned the batteries had failed but did not notice until reviewing the recording after the interrogation had ended, according to court filings. According to an agents summary of the remaining portion of the interview that was not captured on video, Pedicini agreed the information contained in the manuals and possibly the information he provided could be used to harm the United States government. Pedicini added that the agent gave him instructions not to use the base Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi in the area of the base to send documents or photographs, court filings state. Pedicini stated he was unsure of the nationality or affiliation of the individual/group who he was communicating with, but he was sure they were not who they said they were and surmised they could be Japanese working for the Chinese, a court filing recounting the NCIS interview report states. When asked if he felt the information he provided could be used to the detriment of the U.S. government [Pedicini] replied absolutely. Pedicinis defense team argued that he was not properly given his Article 31b rights against self-incrimination on the espionage accusations. Instead, Pedicini was only initially advised that he was suspected of the removal and retention of classified material, a distinct act from espionage, the filings argue. The defense also took issue with NCIS failing to ensure their video camera had enough battery for the entire interview. The Government has a duty to preserve and produce evidence for the Defense, however, in this case NCIS failed to properly check and maintain their recording equipment to ensure an interrogation was properly captured, defense attorneys argued in one filing. Prosecutors also provided copies of Pedicinis banking records to show he had a financial need for the money the foreign agent provided him via PayPal after he sent certain documents, according to one court filing. Those banking records show that Pedicinis need was evident in the months leading up to his first interactions with the foreign agent, and that the former chief had taken out several loans in the months leading up to their first messages, prosecutors argued. The military has regularly warned that troops facing financial difficulties are more susceptible to foreign agents. When targeting people, adversaries employ a wide range of methods and may even look for exploitable weaknesses such as financial problems, drug and alcohol issues, adultery, and gambling problems, the Pentagons Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency warns. The loan documents and images of the checks provide context for the large sums of money that is sporadically deposited into the accuseds account, the filing states. The loan documents further establish the accuseds financial need for the money [the foreign agent] sent because it shows the amount and frequency of the loans the accused received and relied on. Like any convicted service member, Pedicini is entitled to a review of his case by a higher court, in this case, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. It remains unclear when that appeals court will issue its opinion on Pedicinis trial. Interior designers share 12 ways to make your home look better without buying anything Interior designers share 12 ways to make your home look better without buying anything We asked interior designers to share their best decorating tips that didn't cost money to follow. To spruce up your space, try moving pillows from one room to another and color-coding bookshelves. Interior designers also suggested using leftover paint or branches from outside to decorate with. First off, decluttering your space can make a huge difference. A medicine cabinet can help conceal clutter. IJMphotos/Shutterstock Javier Fernandez, an interior designer at Transitional Designs, said decluttering can change the look and feel of any room. "Look at your dining room," he said. "Is the dining table stocked high with mail and projects that you had planned to get to? Well, there's no time like the present to clear and organize it." Give the carpets in your home a deep, thorough clean. You may want to scrub the rugs by hand. Ground Picture/Shutterstock Washing your carpets is another free way to spruce up your space, Courtney Turk, the owner of and interior designer at Courtney Turk Interiors, told Business Insider. "Get your hands dirty and scrub your rugs," Turk said. "By giving your rugs a deep clean, it will refresh your home and also help to prolong the life of your carpet as well." Rearrange some items you already have and turn them into decorative, or useful, accents. A lamp isn't just a light source it can also be a decorative element in your space. sellbetter/Getty Images Once you've decluttered, consider adding streamlined accents. These types of carefully curated accents can accentuate a room while keeping the space clean and uncluttered, according to Christina Nielsen, an interior designer at Christina Nielsen Design. Nielsen suggested placing a bowl of fruit or a stack of lemons on top of some cookbooks in your kitchen or adding a small plant or floral arrangement in your entryway. These accents can be practical, too. "If you have a console table in the foyer, make sure everything is easily accessible," she said. "Create a spot for your keys I love leaving a little dish out for this." Organize your bookshelves and try sorting them by color or separating them with pretty knickknacks. You can organize your books by color or size. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images Turk said that if you have shelves filled with books, you should try displaying them in a more unconventional way. "Stack them on top of one another, and add in a few favorite pictures or vases you may have stored away to create some depth and character on the shelf," she told BI. You can also place books of similar colors together and try to create variations to display them. Go "shopping" in your home to find items you may not be using or could be displaying somewhere else. Maybe some items from your attic should see the light of day. nicolamargaret/Getty Images Sometimes the best "shopping" is quite literally done in your own home, Fernandez said. "Check the attic, storage room, and closets. You'll likely find something you put away a while ago," he told BI. "Now, with fresh eyes, you can see how it might work in one of your rooms." For example, he said, a den or a living room can be easily transformed if you hang up different curtains or change the wattage on your light bulbs to create mood lighting. Try angling your furniture differently or positioning it in a new way. Try moving your nightstand to the other side of the bed or angling your couch in a new direction. Shutterstock Rearranging your accent pieces and furniture is one of the quickest and easiest ways to change the look of a room, according to Fernandez. "Adjust the lines of your room by angling your sofa and chairs differently, making sure natural light is the highlight here to enhance the spatiality of a room," Nielsen added. Use leftover paint to breathe new life into a room. You can also use paint to create an accent wall in your room. PlusONE/Shutterstock "Just about everyone I know has some leftover paint sitting in storage," Fernandez said. "In my opinion, there's nothing like a fresh coat of paint." If you don't have enough paint to freshen an entire room, you can just paint one wall as an accent. Or, he added, you can use painter's tape and a bit of precision to create a pattern on the ceiling. Use branches and wildflowers from outside to add natural decor into your home. While walking outside, you may be lucky enough to find some fresh wildflowers to bring back to your home. Shutterstock Flowers can help brighten up a space and bring nature indoors, Fernandez said. "Gather some branches and florals [from] outdoors for a seamless and cost-effective way to update your home instantly," Nielsen told BI. "In the spring, a large array of cherry blossoms are my favorite." Try adding accents and new touches to pieces you already own. A bit of paint can upgrade a piece of decor. Shutterstock If you want to get crafty, try using some of the leftover fabrics, buttons, and lace you may have found while decluttering. These adornments can be used to revamp curtains, throw pillows, or blankets, Fernandez said. "Taking a simple ribbon and adding it as trim to your existing curtains will immediately change the look of them," Fernandez told BI. "Go through the bag of spare buttons, take out the colorful one, and go to town applying them to that old throw pillow." Rearrange your pillows or move them to a different spot. Your couch throw pillows may look even better in your bedroom. Shutterstock Moving your pillows from one room to another is also a way to update your home's look, Nielsen said. "Rearrange them on your sofa, swap in a pillow from another room, eliminate some pillows to create a sleeker space, or stack pillows on top of your bedding preferably all white for a crisp effect," she told BI. Find a new way to hide your wires and cables to create a neater space. You can also use electric tape to keep some wires in place. Joseph Hendrickson/Shutterstock Another great way to neaten up your space is to hide the unsightly cables and wires that may be sticking out of your television or internet router. "By doing so, it immediately upgrades the space from feeling disheveled and incomplete to put-together and high-end," Turk said. Numerous hacks exist to hide them from sight, such as pushing them behind furniture, tucking them into a drawer, or using cord covers. Swap out the photos in your frames. You can also take a walk down memory lane as you flip through old photo albums. Shutterstock Another great way to update your space is to swap out photos in your picture frames with newly printed ones or old ones that you've stored away. If you have wall space, you can also create a gallery wall of your favorite photos, Fernandez added. This story was originally published on April 6, 2020, and most recently updated on June 25, 2024. Read the original article on Business Insider FILE - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, gestures as he speaks to Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov prior to a meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin with the top military brass in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday for Russias former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacking civilian targets in Ukraine.(Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it issued arrest warrants for Russias former defense minister and its military chief of staff for attacks on Ukraine's power plants, the third time the global court has accused senior Russian leaders of war crimes. There is no immediate likelihood of either former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu or chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov being detained to face charges of war crimes and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. Russia isnt a member of the court, doesnt recognize its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects. Still, the move heaps more moral condemnation on Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The warrant is the global courts latest effort to intervene in a major conflict. Earlier this year, the courts chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister and three leaders of the Hamas militant group over the militants deadly attacks in southern Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Last year, the court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. That has occasionally complicated his travel though the practical implications have been limited. Russias Security Council dismissed the arrest warrants as null and void on Tuesday. That is empty talk, considering that the ICCs jurisdiction does not include Russia and the decision has been made as part of the Wests hybrid warfare against our country, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. The court said in a statement that warrants were issued Monday because judges considered there were reasonable grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov are responsible for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from Oct. 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023. Judges who approved the prosecutors request for warrants said the suspects are charged with inhumane acts because there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of civilians in Ukraine. Under the leadership of Shoigu and Gerasimov, the Russian military has launched waves of missile and drone strikes that have killed thousands and damaged the countrys energy system and other vital infrastructure. Moscow has insisted that it only has targeted military facilities despite daily casualties in civilian areas. The court alleged missile attacks covered in the warrant targeted civilian installations. It added that in the case of any installations that could have been considered military targets the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the warrants in a post on social platform X, saying both men are accused of heinous crimes against civilians in Ukraine during Russias reckless bombing of Ukrainian critical civilian infrastructure. These barbaric missile and drone strikes continue to kill people and inflict damage across Ukraine. He added: Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars. Details of the warrants were kept under seal to protect witnesses, the court said. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement that the decision to issue warrants reflects my offices continued commitment to give meaningful effect to the protection that the law provides to civilians and protected objects. Khan said his prosecution office remains focused in pursuing multiple, interconnected lines of investigation in Ukraine. Putin removed Shoigu as defense minister in a Cabinet shakeup in May as he began his fifth term as president. Shoigu, 69, has been widely seen as a key figure in Putins decision to invade Ukraine. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army. Instead, the conflict galvanized Ukraine to mount an intense defense, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counteroffensive that drove Moscows forces out of the northeastern region of Kharkiv and from around Kherson in the south in the fall of 2022. Shoigu, who had personal ties with Putin, got a soft landing with the high-profile post of secretary of Russias Security Council. At the same time, Shoigus entourage faced purges. A longtime associate and deputy, Timur Ivanov, and several other senior military officers were arrested on corruption charges, and other senior Defense Ministry officials lost their jobs. Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff since 2012, has so far kept his job. The 68-year-old career military officer has directly overseen Russian military operations in Ukraine. In addition to the warrant against Putin, the court issued arrest warrants in March for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine that judges said happened pursuant to a state policy. Last year, Russia announced indictments in absentia for a judge and prosecutor at the International Criminal Court who issued a warrant against Putin. ___ Find more coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, June 25. Azerbaijan's Zangilan has hosted the "Environmental consequences of Armenias mining industry" panel discussion on the second day of the Forum for Cooperation among Azerbaijani NGOs, Trend reports. The discussions were attended by about 200 representatives of various NGOs. Ayaz Mirzayev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists' Network Public Union, served as moderator of the panel discussions. Amin Mammadov, Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, stated in his speech that Armenia's mining industry causes significant environmental damage, for which the country has been repeatedly warned. He highlighted that, despite Armenia's relatively scarce natural resources, its contribution to the region's environmental degradation is substantial. "There are already some changes happening within Armenia. They are beginning to recognize the environmental harm caused by their mining industry. We hope that Armenian NGOs will adopt a positive attitude towards cooperation on this issue," he emphasized. Sabit Bagirov, Chairman of the Entrepreneurship and Market Economy Assistance Foundation, stated that Armenia's mining industry lacks transparency and accountability. "A total of 26 companies operate in the mining sector, yet there is almost no information available about them. The website of Armenia's statistical institution is inaccessible. Either the data is not disclosed or deliberately hidden, or access from Azerbaijan has been blocked. As a result, obtaining this information has been impossible," he said. Chairman of the Public Association of Cartographers of Azerbaijan, Mugabil Bayramov, discussed the newly prepared map of Armenia's mining industry. He emphasized that the map, available in three languages, including Armenian, aims to encourage Armenian NGOs to join in addressing the environmental consequences. Bayramov added that the map is undergoing improvements and that the data will be presented again in a more precise and expanded form. Aziz Gasimov, Chairman of the Student Youth Organization of Nakhchivan State University, spoke about the environmental damage expected from the metallurgical plant Armenia is building in Arazdeyan. He noted that 23,000 residents of Sadarak district in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are at risk from the plant's emissions and air pollution. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov in Moscow (This June 25 story has been corrected to change the total number of arrest warrants issued by ICC over Ukraine to six, instead of eight, in paragraph 2) By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defence minister, and leading Russian general Valery Gerasimov on Tuesday for alleged crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It brought to six the number of arrest warrants issued against senior Russian suspects since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. They include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces charges over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The court's move was welcomed by Kyiv, but dismissed as legally meaningless by Moscow. The Hague-based court said Shoigu and Gerasimov were suspected of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine. Judges had found there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure" between Oct. 10, 2022 and at least March 9, 2023, the ICC said in a press release. Russia, which is not a member of the ICC, has repeatedly said Ukraine's energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. Ukraine is also not a member, but has granted the ICC jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on its territory since November 2013. Kyiv applauded move to issue arrest warrants. "Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "And we do hope to see them behind bars." Russia's Security Council said the court's action was part of a hybrid war against Moscow. "This is just shooting the breeze, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, and was made as part of the hybrid war of the West against our country," state news agency TASS quoted the council as saying. PUTIN ALLY Shoigu has been a long-standing friend and ally of Putin and played a key role in the war. He was removed from his post of defence minister last month, and appointed secretary of Russia's powerful Security Council, in the most significant changes Putin has made to his military command since the invasion. Since the ICC has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests, it is unclear if any of the Russian suspects will ever stand trial. Russia has a policy of not extraditing its nationals and the ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, has no provisions in place that would allow for in absentia trials. During the timeframe mentioned in the latest warrants Russia is suspected of having carried out strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations all over Ukraine. According to ICC judges, there were reasonable grounds to believe the strikes targeted mostly civilian objects "and for those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage", making the attacks war crimes. More specific details of the charges remain secret to protect witnesses and safeguard investigations, the court said. CONNECTED CASES In a statement ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he applied for the warrants in February and case was connected to the warrants issued in March for top Russian commanders Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov, who also face charges over attacks on the power grid. Khan said that investigations in Ukraine were continuing along multiple, interconnected lines. One of his top Ukraine investigators, Brenda Hollis, told journalists earlier this month that the ICC's Ukraine investigation is now looking into to crimes committed in detention against prisoners of war and civilians. The ICC has come under scrutiny in recent months after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for three senior Hamas officials. Some of the ICC's vocal allies for its investigations in Ukraine such as Germany, Britain and the United States, have questioned the decision to seek warrants in that case. Most ICC member states, which include all of the European Union countries, have said they respect the independence of the court. Washington, which is not an ICC member, has dismissed the move as "outrageous" and contests the court's jurisdiction over the Israel-Hamas conflict, but continues to support the ICC's Ukraine investigation. (Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Stephanie Van den Berg; Editing by Alison Williams and Alex Richardson) The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants Tuesday for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, Russias top general, accusing them of war crimes related to civilian attacks in Ukraine. Shoigu and Gerasimov are charged with directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, along with the crime against humanity of inhumane acts, the Hague-based ICC said in a press release. Specifically, the ICC said there was sufficient evidence that both Gerasimov and Shoigu are responsible for directing attacks between Oct. 10, 2022, until at least March 9, 2023, on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which has been a major strategy employed by Russian forces during the war. The targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, and the ICC said for any potential lawful targets under the Russian operation, the likelihood of civilian harm outweighed the military objective of the attacks. The arrest warrants were issued by a three-judge panel at the ICC after the prosecution at the court filed evidence in the case. Shoigu was Russias defense minister for years before Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed him as the secretary of his Security Council last month. Gerasimov has been Russias chief of the general staff since 2012; he became the top commander overseeing the war in Ukraine in early 2023. The ICC last year also issued arrest warrants for Putin and his childrens rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children into Russia. An active warrant means any state that is party to the ICC is obligated to arrest the individual, which could restrict the travel of both Shoigu and Gerasimov. Russia is not party to the court. The U.S. has previously backed the ICC arrest warrant against Putin and is likely to do the same for Shoigu and Gerasimov. But the U.S. is not party to the ICC and criticized the court last month after the top prosecutor announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, along with top Hamas officials, for alleged war crimes related to the war in Gaza. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov for alleged international crimes, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court said Tuesday the pair were allegedly responsible for two war crimes: directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects. They are also accused of committing crimes against humanity. On the same day, Europes top court found Russia guilty of systemic human rights violations in occupied Crimea committed since February 2014, marking a victory for Kyiv in its first interstate hearing brought against Moscow over the peninsula that could pave the way for more such cases. Following the ICCs announcement, Russian state news agency TASS quoted the Security Council of Russia, the government body headed by Shoigu, as calling the the courts decision null and void. It is meaningless, as the ICCs jurisdiction does not extend to Russia, and [the decision] was made within the framework of the Wests hybrid war against our country, TASS quoted the body as saying. Ukrainian officials welcomed the ICCs announcement on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision shows that no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability. The countrys human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the ICC decision meant Ukraine was a step closer to getting justice. Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal! he said in a statement posted on his Telegram. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraines presidential office, said Shoigu and Gerasimov were being held individually responsible. This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil, he said in a statement. The arrest warrants put Shoigu and Gerasimov on the ICCs wanted list, although it is uncertain whether they will ever stand trial. The court does not conduct trials in absentia and it is unlikely they would be handed over by Moscow. The two warrants bring the total number of top Russian officials wanted for war crimes to four as the ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. Located in The Hague, Netherlands, and created by a treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC operates independently. Most countries 124 of them are parties to the treaty, but there are notable exceptions, including the United States, Russia and Ukraine. Under the Rome Statue, any country that is a signatory is obliged to arrest and hand over anyone facing an ICC arrest warrant. Crimea human rights ruling In a separate case Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that Russia violated 11 articles of the European Convention of Human Rights in Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow following its illegal invasion of the peninsula 10 years ago. They included violations of the rights to life, liberty, security and a fair trial, and the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, according to a court news release. The court also found that Russia violated three protocols of the European Convention: the protection of property, the right to education, and the freedom of movement. The court ruled Russia must safely return prisoners who were taken from Crimea into Russia. Some of the violations that Russia was found guilty of date back to 2014. Margarita Sokorenko, Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, said the ruling essentially nullifies Russias decades-long claims that human rights in Crimea are respected. Russia has previously denied allegations of human rights violations in Crimea, and was expelled from the Council of Europe in March 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In response, Moscow removed itself from the European courts jurisdiction, and set March 15, 2022 as a cut-off point after which it claimed any rulings made against Russia would not count. Harming civilians Shoigu, one of the Russian nationals wanted by the ICC, is a long-time close ally of Putin who served as Russias defense minister for 12 years. He was fired by Putin last month, replaced with the economist Andrey Belousov. He led the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which caught Kyiv by surprise but was soon pushed back, exposing the weaknesses of Moscows corruption-riddled military. Still, Shoigu has remained a popular politician in Russia. Having spent two decades as the minister of emergency situations, he cultivated an image of an official who brings help when its needed. Gerasimov, meanwhile, has been at the helm of Russias armed forces for more than a decade. He was one of a small group of people responsible for planning the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was formally appointed as the overall commander of the campaign in January 2023. The ICC said the alleged crimes relate to a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations that were carried out by the Russia across Ukraine between October 2022 and at least March 2023. The panel of three judges who made the decision to issue the arrest warrants on Monday concluded that Shoigu and Gerasimov ordered strikes against civilian objects, which constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian laws. The judges also said that even though some of the targets could have been seen as relevant to Russias military campaign at that time, it was clear that striking them would cause harm to civilians and that the expected harm would be excessive compared to the military advantage of hitting them. The courts prosecutor Karim Khan said in a separate statement on Tuesday that the Russian campaign at that time represented a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population. As such, he said, the actions by Shoigu and Gerasimov may amount to a crime against humanity. That designation is reserved for the most serious crimes committed as part of a widespread, systemic attack directed at a civilian population. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Catherine Nicholls, Svitlana Vlasova, Anna Chernova, Vasco Cotovio, Mariya Knight and Lex Harvey contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Hundreds of Iowans rally in the Iowa Capitol rotunda July 11, 2023 during a special legislative session on abortion. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch) On the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Iowa Democrats, reproductive health care providers and advocates said Monday they are preparing for an Iowa Supreme Court decision on the states six-week abortion ban and preparing to campaign on those issues for the 2024 general election. Planned Parenthood North Central States hosted a virtual roundtable discussion Monday on how access to abortion and reproductive health care has changed in the Midwest since June 24, 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, finding that there is not a constitutional right to abortion. The decision overturned more than 40 years of national guaranteed abortion access under the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and gave states the ability to set their own regulations and laws on abortion. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said in the meeting that abortion access, as well as other reproductive and maternal health care resources, have been put at risk by the Dobbs decision. At the end of the day, reproductive freedom is under attack in Iowa, Konfrst said. Folks are looking to control women and to control our bodies, and theyre successful in many ways and elections can help change that. Some states had abortion bans triggered by the court decision, while legislatures in other states passed new abortion bans and restrictions in the months that followed. Iowa was in a unique position when the 2022 ruling was released, with the Iowa Supreme Court having ruled earlier in the year that there is no state constitutional right to an abortion. The decision came during a court battle over a 2018 law that sought to ban most abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy, when cardiac impulses can be detected in an embryo. The law includes exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. That law was blocked from enforcement in 2019, and the injunction was ultimately upheld in 2023 by the state Supreme Court in a 3-3 ruling. In the decision, Justice Thomas D. Waterman wrote that removing the injunction would be legislating from the bench, as the measure was initially passed when abortion was a guaranteed right under both the U.S. and Iowa constitutions. He also wrote uncertainty exists about whether a fetal-heartbeat bill would be passed today. Following the decision to uphold the injunction, Gov. Kim Reynolds convened a special session of the Iowa legislature in July 2023 and signed into law another version of the so-called fetal heartbeat ban. The new measure is currently being weighed by the Iowa Supreme Court, with a ruling expected Friday, June 28. Iowans both opposing and supporting legal abortion have rallied at the Iowa State Capitol in recent days ahead of the anticipated decision. At a March for Life event Saturday, Attorney General Brenna Bird told the crowd that their faith has helped propel the approval of abortion restrictions in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register. We are filled with love, joy and hope because of the faith that we have, because we know that everyone matters and that includes the unborn, the innocent unborn they matter just like everybody else, Bird said. Bird and attorneys representing the State of Iowa have argued laws restricting access to abortion should be evaluated using the rational basis test, a lower legal standard that deems laws constitutional if the state has a legitimate reason to enact the measure. But attorneys with Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Iowa have called for the Iowa Supreme Court to use the undue burden standard determining whether laws are overly burdensome or restrictive of individuals fundamental rights to review abortion laws. Leah Vanden Bosch, development and outreach director for the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, emphasized in the Monday discussion that abortion is still currently legal in Iowa at up to 20 weeks of gestation. However, she said, that it is very difficult to access care in Iowa. There are currently four abortion providers in Iowa Planned Parenthood clinics in Ames, Iowa City and Sioux City, as well as the Emma Goldman Clinic for Women in Iowa City. For people living outside of these cities, travel to the clinics may pose a barrier for those seeking the medical procedure, Vanden Bosch said. Alongside limited provider options, state laws requiring a 24-hour waiting period and an ultrasound before receiving an abortion increase the time and expense associated with accessing abortion care, she said. However, Vanden Bosch said those costs are exactly what the Iowa Abortion Access Fund seeks to address. The Iowa Abortion Access Fund is currently able to fund abortion care specifically, however, there are other funds (where) were able to help with practical support costs such as travel and lodging, child care so were also here to help connect clients to additional resources as needed, Vanden Bosch said. But right now as restrictions continue across the country, the work of abortion funds is so critical. Numbers are showing us that restrictions or a ban will never stop the need for abortion care. Regardless of the state Supreme Court decision, Konfrst said that abortion and reproductive health care will be top-of-mind issues for Iowa voters in the upcoming general election. In addition to abortion restrictions, Konfrst said Democrats will be campaigning on related issues that came up during the 2024 legislative session, such as a bill on unborn person language that could impact access to in-vitro fertilization. Were seeing that this issue is one that Iowans will be considering this fall, Konfrst said. And we encourage folks to support reproductive freedom champions. Not all of these things have passed because of reproductive freedom champions in the Iowa legislature, and we can start to turn things around. The post Iowa Supreme Court decision awaited as advocates reflect on Dobbs anniversary appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gestures in a ceremony to mark the Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Khamenei called Tuesday for "maximum" voter turnout in this week's presidential election to "overcome the enemy," denouncing politicians who he described as believing that everything good comes from the United States. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran's supreme leader issued a thinly veiled warning Tuesday to the sole reformist candidate in the country's upcoming presidential election, saying anyone who believes all ways to progress come from the United States shouldn't be supported. While often speaking in parables like many Iranian politicians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to directly undercut the candidacy of 69-year-old heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, who has aligned himself with officials from the administration of former President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani helped reach Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord Pezeshkian has fully embraced in contrast with his five hard-line opponents, who want an agreement fully on Iran's terms. Khamenei also called for maximum turnout for Friday's vote, which analysts say could support Pezeshkian. Already, the doctor's rallies have drawn large crowds in major cities, though it remains unclear whether his candidacy alone would be enough to push an apathetic public to vote to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of Khamenei who died in a helicopter crash in May. Some politicians in our country believe they must kowtow to this power or that power, and its impossible to progress without sticking to famous countries and powers," Khamenei said in a speech marking the Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir. Some think like that. Or they think that all ways to progress pass through America. No, such people cant run the country well, he said. Khameneis comments in his hourlong speech drew repeated cries of Death to America, death to Israel from a raucous crowd. The 85-year-old Khamenei had to urge the crowd to quiet themselves several times during his remarks. Khameneis call comes after a parliamentary election that saw a record low turnout earlier this year. Voters across the capital, Tehran, who have spoken with The Associated Press have expressed widespread apathy over the election as Iran faces an economy crushed by Western sanctions and after widespread anti-government protests in recent years, particularly after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and women refusing to wear the countrys mandatory headscarf, or hijab. Pezeshkian, little known to the general public before registering for the campaign, has drawn large crowds in Tehran and other major cities. Among his most-prominent allies is former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who led negotiations for the nuclear deal. Khamenei's remarks also can be seen as a warning to Zarif and even Rouhani himself, whose former administration has been blasted by hard-liners in the time since the collapse of the deal in 2018 after then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal. Since then, Iran has advanced its program to enrich uranium up to weapons-grade levels while also hampering the ability of international inspectors to monitor it. Pezeshkian also has been trying to adopt symbols of previous campaigns by popular reformists, who seek to change Irans theocracy from inside. His campaign slogan For Iran, a call to nationalism rather than religion, mirrors an earlier campaign slogan used by former reformist President Mohammad Khatami. Pezeshkian also has been photographed wearing green scarves apparently trying to associate himself with the 2009 Green Movement protests that swept Iran after the disputed vote and bloody crackdown that saw hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected as president. Khamenei made a point to seemingly link the upcoming election to the wider tensions in the Mideast amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Islamic Republic has enemies. One thing that helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies are the elections," Khamenei said. "If a good turnout is seen in these elections, it will make the Islamic Republic proud. However, Friday's vote comes after a record-low turnout in Irans March parliamentary election of just under 41%. Similar numbers could be seen in the presidential election as well. If all the hard-line candidates stay in, they could split the vote against Pezeshkian and could force a second round of voting a week later as Iranian law requires a winner to receive more than 50% of all votes cast. Typically though, candidates drop out after the last debate and coalesce around one clear front runner. Pezeshkian is leading and over the next three days he will definitely widen the gap with others," said analyst Abbas Abdi, who is aligned with reformists. Withdrawing is not going to help them. Noting how all levers of Iran's government had been held by hard-liners under Raisi without any change, Abdi added, "The ruling system has made a policy shift because it has realized that unifying the ruling system doesnt work. Khamenei's remarks appeared timed to give his opponents ammunition for the last televised debate before the election, which happened just a short time later. Pezeshkian did not directly acknowledge the supreme leader's remarks, but stuck to his stance that talks to restore the deal remained key. Who should be blamed for these problems in the governmental offices and the inflation and prices of meat, bread and housing? Pezeshkian said, before sarcastically answering: America probably made these too! Hard-line candidate Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi repeatedly criticized Pezeshkian, particularly his ties to reformists. In one exchange, Ghazizadeh Hashemi sought to suggest Pezeshkian supporters could violently protest if he loses. Who started the troublemaking in the country? Who used to call people to the streets when they didnt gain power? he said. I am worried that if Dr. Pezeshkian doesnt win, his supporters, who have a notable history in this matter, will once again claim fraud and call people to the streets. Pezeshkian responded by mocking Ghazizadeh Hashemi for promising in the 2021 presidential campaign that he would solve all the problems in the country's stock market in three days. The state TV feed of the debate showed Ghazizadeh Hashemi giving Pezeshkian a side-eye glance before cutting away. "I've always taken the side of the oppressed and never taken the side of the oppressor," Pezeshkian later said. ___ Associated Press journalists Amir Vahdat, Nasser Karimi and Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. Irish PM angry as soldier who boasted about beating woman unconscious avoids jail Thousands took to the streets across Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick on Saturday in a show of solidarity with victim Natasha O'Brien - Cate McCurry/PA Irelands Taoiseach has said he was really angry after a soldier who boasted about beating a woman unconscious in the street avoided a jail sentence. Simon Harris was speaking after protests erupted across Ireland over the case, including one attended by the victim, Natasha OBrien. Ms OBrien, 24, was punched repeatedly by Cathal Crotty, 22, in an unprovoked attack in May 2022. She suffered a broken nose and bruising in the assault in Limerick city centre and said she believed Crotty was going to kill her. Last Thursday, Crotty walked free from Limerick Circuit Criminal Court with a suspended three-year jail sentence. Judge Tom ODonnell said an immediate prison sentence would have ended Crottys army career. The court last week heard how Ms OBrien, who had never met Crotty before, politely asked him to stop shouting homophobic slurs at people on the street. Crotty, who had been drinking, grabbed her by the hair and punched her as she fell to the ground. He continued hitting her in the face until she lost consciousness and then fled when a male passerby tried to intervene. Hours after the attack, Crotty boasted to friends online: Two to put her down, two to put her out. Simon Harris says those still serving with domestic, sexual or gender-based violence convictions have 'no place in our defence forces' - Grainne Ni Aodha/PA The Irish Defence Forces said it was conducting a review into the army privates court case and other serving soldiers convicted of such crimes. It has since emerged that an Irish naval service officer was not discharged despite issuing a guilty plea last summer after attacking his former girlfriend in 2020. David OGorman, a heavyweight boxer, left the victim with one of her eyes permanently displaced in another case that raises further questions about the legal systems handling of gender-based violence. Mr Harris has expressed his frustration with the sentence. I am really angry about it, he said, adding that those still serving with domestic, sexual or gender-based violence convictions have no place in our defence forces. Protests took place across Ireland after Crotty was given a suspended three-year jail sentence - Cate McCurry/PA Thousands took to the streets on Saturday across Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick in a show of solidarity with Ms OBrien. I chose to speak up because I couldnt imagine the impact on other victims. This is enough. This is the time for it to end, Ms OBrien told the Limerick rally. She said she had suffered persistent symptoms of PTSD and a concussion. I became numb and detached from reality, living in perpetual fear of seeing him again, she said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military, a decree which creates new political strains for embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's Likud party said the Supreme Court's ruling was "perplexing," given ongoing efforts in parliament to agree on a new conscription law that would address the problem. The prime minister's coalition government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties that regard conscription exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries and out of a melting-pot army that might test their customs. Leaders of those parties said they were disappointed with the ruling but issued no immediate threat to the government. A man carries an Israeli flag next to an ultra-Orthodox Jew as protesters gather for a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, near the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem June 17, 2024. REUTERS/Marko Djurica However, the prospect of the military, backed by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, starting to draft seminary students could widen cracks in Netanyahu's increasingly brittle coalition. The ultra-Orthodox conscription waiver has become increasingly charged in Israel as its armed forces are overstretched by a multi-front war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. "At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute," the court's unanimous ruling said. Israelis are bound by law to serve in the military from the age of 18 for 24-32 months. Members of Israel's 21 percent Arab minority are mostly exempt, though some do serve, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been largely exempt for decades. The law governing the exemption for seminary students expired last year, but the government continued to allow them not to serve. The Supreme Court ruled that in the absence of a new legal basis for the exemption, the state must draft them. Adding further pressure on the ultra-Orthodox coalition parties, the ruling also barred seminaries from receiving state subsidies if scholars avoid service without deferrals or exemptions. Education Minister Yoav Kisch voiced hope that agreement could be reached on a compromise. "Not in a civil war, not in a fight that will tear apart Israeli society in the middle of a tough war. It's possible to do it together," Kisch said. Political scientist Gideon Rahat, of the bi-partisan Israel Democracy Institute, said the ruling had piled fresh pressure on Netanyahu. "He will try to buy time and make every effort to remove this issue from the public agenda," said Rahat. Preserving traditions While the military has said it is in dire need of more conscripts, ultra-Orthodox leaders see the exemptions as existential for preserving their traditions. "There's no judge there who understands the value of Torah study and its contribution to the people of Israel throughout the generations," said ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Moshe Gafni, who heads the powerful parliamentary Finance Committee, referring to study of Judaism's holy books. Security forces operate as Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest after Israel's Supreme Court convened to discuss petitions to change government policy that grants ultra-Orthodox Jews exemptions from military conscription, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's Supreme Court in Jerusalem, June 2, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun T Opposition parties welcomed the ruling. "There's nothing Jewish about dodging military service," said opposition lawmaker and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman. For more than six years, the state had been asking the Supreme Court for more time to pass a new conscription law to resolve the issue. The new draft bill being hammered out in parliament could resolve the crisis if wide agreement is reached. Otherwise, it could have the potential to bring Netanyahu's government down. Gallant, who has taken up independent positions against Netanyahu on more than one occasion, wants a more equal sharing of the burden, a sentiment shared by several other lawmakers in Netanyahu's Likud party and among most of the opposition. The military waiver for the ultra-Orthodox has sparked protests in recent months by Israelis angry that they are shouldering the risk of fighting the war in Gaza. In city streets, ultra-Orthodox demonstrators have blocked roads under the banner "death before conscription". The waivers also have wider economic impact. The ultra-Orthodox make up 13% of Israel's 10 million population, a figure expected to reach 19% by 2035 due to their high birth rates. The conscription waiver keeps some of the community in seminaries and out of the workforce, hindering economic growth and placing a welfare burden on middle-class taxpayers. Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel court ends draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews Israel eyes use of Musk's Starlink in event of war with Hezbollah, Calcalist reports FILE PHOTO: A Starlink satellite internet system is set up on a caravan truck of a tourist, parked in a street in Ronda JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is looking to use Elon Musk's Starlink to maintain Internet connectivity should there be a potential all-out-war with Lebanese Hezbollah on the northern border that causes power outages in Israel, a newspaper report said on Tuesday. The Calcalist financial daily said that the finance and communications ministries were seeking to utilise Starlink's 5,000 low-orbit satellites to ensure stable data and information flow for state authorities during emergencies. Both ministries did not immediately comment to Reuters. In February, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi gave permission to Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to operate in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza, and the sides have been trading blows in the months since then. Hezbollah has said it will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant headed to Washington on Sunday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have stoked fears of wider conflict. A full war in the north could lead to missile attacks on Israel's power grid and other infrastructure. (Reporting by Steven Scheer, Editing by William Maclean) SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, June 25. Participation in the opening of the international forum in the historical Shusha city is a great honor, Director General of ICESCO Salim AlMalik said during the International Forum 'By Youth for Youth' in Shusha today, Trend reports. According to him, Azerbaijan is a country of art, music, and peace. I would like to thank President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people for their efforts. President Ilham Aliyev encourages sustainable peace through initiatives such as the forum that is taking place today, he emphasized. The director general also said that ICESCO places special emphasis on youth participation in its new program. At the organizational level, ICESCO emphasizes the special role of youth in advancing the peace process, he added. The International Forum called 'By Youth for Youth' has opened in Azerbaijan's Shusha city. The event is attended by government officials, high-ranking officials of international organizations and various countries, and guests, including about 200 representatives of countries included in ICESCO. The forum's objective is to facilitate discussions on the perspectives and firsthand encounters of young individuals from the Islamic world regarding peacebuilding, sustainable development, culture, and the environment. It aims to provide opportunities for their active involvement in these areas, explore innovative solutions, and foster connections among emerging young leaders. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli forces killed at least 24 Palestinians in three separate airstrikes on Gaza City early on Tuesday and the dead included a sister of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of militant Islamist group Hamas, Gaza health officials and medics said. Israeli tanks also pressed deeper overnight into western areas of Rafah in the enclave's south, blowing up homes, residents said. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit two schools in Gaza City, killing at least 14 people, medics said. Another strike on a house in the Shati (Beach) camp, one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, killed 10 others. The house in Shati belonged to the extended family of Hamas political chief Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar. One of his sisters was killed along with other relatives, family members and medics said. Haniyeh, who leads Hamas diplomacy and is the public face of the group that has run Gaza since 2007, has lost many relatives in Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7, including three sons. Responding to the latest Israeli attack that killed his sister, Haniyeh reaffirmed the group's demands for reaching a ceasefire agreement with Israel and said killing relatives would not influence Hamas actions. "We still maintain that any agreement that does not guarantee a ceasefire and an end to the aggression is not an agreement. Our position on this will not change at any stage," Haniyeh said in a statement. Hassan Kaskin, a neighbour, said the Haniyeh family house was hit without advance warning before dawn on Tuesday. Footage obtained by Reuters showed the multi-floor building reduced to rubble. "They were 10 individuals, three of them were scattered outside the house and seven under the rubble - with no prior warning, with people around them, and there are injuries among the neighbours," Kaskin told Reuters. Israel's military said its forces had targeted militants overnight in Gaza City who had been involved in the planning of attacks on Israel. The militants, it said, included some who had seized hostages as they took part in the Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year. The Israeli Air Force bombed two structures "used by Hamas terrorists in Shati and Daraj Tuffah in the northern Gaza Strip. The terrorists operated inside school compounds that were used by Hamas as a shield for its terrorist activities", the military said in a statement. Hamas denies using civilian facilities such as schools and hospitals for military purposes. Separately, the armed wings of Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad said in a joint statement their fighters had fired mortar bombs overnight against Israeli forces in the Yibna neighbourhood of eastern Rafah. In the city of Khan Younis to Rafah's north, medics said Israeli tank shelling killed seven Palestinians and wounded several other people at a tent camp in a western district. Gaza health officials said at least 45 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli military strikes across the densely populated coastal enclave on Tuesday. The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said chaos was taking hold in Gaza as smuggling bands form, adding to the difficulties of delivering sorely needed aid to the territory. A high risk of famine also persists across the Gaza Strip as the conflict rages on unabated and humanitarian access remains restricted, a global hunger monitor said on Tuesday. HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT Over eight months into the war, international mediation backed by the U.S. has failed to yield a ceasefire agreement. Hamas says any deal must bring an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas is eradicated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the phase of intense fighting against Hamas would end "very soon", freeing up more forces for deployment on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah have escalated. Israel's national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Tuesday it would spend the coming weeks trying to resolve the conflict with Hezbollah and would prefer a diplomatic solution there. Shelling has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel's ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli offensive in retaliation has so far killed 37,658 people, the Gaza health ministry said on Tuesday, and has left the tiny, heavily built-up Gaza Strip in ruins. Since early May, ground fighting has focused on Rafah, abutting Egypt on Gaza's southern edge, where around half of the enclave's 2.3 million people had been sheltering after fleeing other areas. Most have since had to flee again. Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday that hospitals and medical centres in the enclave were experiencing a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies due to the continued Israeli offensive, Israel's control and closure of all crossings and its targeting of the health sector in Gaza. In particularly short supply are medications needed for emergency, anaesthesia, intensive care and operations, the ministry said in a statement. (Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Gareth Jones, Peter Graff, Sharon Singleton, Mark Heinrich and Deepa Babington) Israelis high court ruled Tuesday that ultra-Orthodox men must be drafted for compulsory military service, a major shift that could break up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government. For decades, ultra-Orthodox men in Israel have been exempt from laws requiring all Jewish Israelis to perform military service. Critics said the laws discriminated against the rest of the countrys population, which is otherwise required to conduct at least two years of military service, usually starting at age 18. In the midst of a grueling war, the burden of inequality is harsher than ever and demands a solution, Supreme Court Justice Uzi Vogelman wrote, referring to the countrys war against Hamas in Gaza and a simmering conflict with Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon. The exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews were first struck down in 2017, but the rulings have been stuck in legal and regulatory limbo since, with delays spurred on by Netanyahus ruling government that is supported by ultra-Orthodox factions. Most Israeli Jewish men are generally required to serve in the military for three years, and women two years, in addition to reserve military service until the age of 40. The exceptions have divided the Israeli public and have become especially controversial since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last year. More than 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Hamass Oct. 7 attack, with the military saying it needs all the manpower it can get to defeat the militant group. Ultra-Orthodox groups argue that their full-time religious work counts for their contributions toward the state. Change to the policy has been strongly opposed by ultra-Orthodox political parties, which form a key part of Netanyahus coalition. It is possible that the parties could leave the coalition over the exemption change, leading to a collapse of government and new elections. Netanyahus Likud Party denounced the ruling, calling on the countrys parliament to pass a law codifying some exceptions but forcing limited ultra-Orthodox enlistment. The real solution to the draft problem is not a Supreme Court ruling, the party said in a statement. In court arguments, government attorneys argued that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would tear Israeli society apart. Israels ultra-Orthodox make up roughly 13 percent of the countrys population of 9.9 million people. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10 percent enlist, according to the Israeli parliaments State Control Committee. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which has helped lead the challenge against the exemptions, called on the government to immediately draft all eligible seminary students. This is their legal and moral duty, especially in light of the complex security situation and the urgent need for personnel in the army, said Tomer Naor, head of the groups legal department in a statement to The Associated Press. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Israel's military must enlist the ultra-Orthodox. What will that mean for Netanyahu and the war? FILE - Israeli police officers remove an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man from the street during a protest against army recruitment in Jerusalem on June 2, 2024. Israels Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 25, ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File) JERUSALEM (AP) Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the army a landmark ruling seeking to end a system that has allowed them to avoid enlistment into compulsory military service. Roughly 1.3 million ultra-Orthodox Jews make up about 13% of Israel's population and oppose enlistment because they believe studying full time in religious seminaries is their most important duty. An enlistment exemption for the ultra-Orthodox goes back to the founding of Israel in 1948, when small numbers of gifted scholars were exempt from the draft. But with a push from politically powerful religious parties, those numbers have swelled over the decades. The court said the exemptions were illegal in 2017, but repeated extensions and government delay tactics have prevented a replacement law from being passed. Two parties belonging to the Haredim, or god-fearing in Hebrew, are essential parts of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus fragile coalition, but the broad exemptions from mandatory military service have reopened a deep divide in the country and infuriated much of the general public during the war in Gaza. Over 600 soldiers have been killed since Hamas Oct. 7 attack. Many reserve soldiers are starting their second tour of duty. What does the ruling mean for Netanyahus government? Netanyahus coalition holds a slim majority of 64 seats in the 120-member parliament, often requiring him to capitulate to the demands of smaller parties like the ultra-Orthodox. If those parties leave the government, the country would likely be forced into new elections this fall. Netanyahu's popularity is low as the war in Gaza drags into its ninth month. Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu's coalition. In a post on X, Goldknopf called the Supreme Court's ruling very unfortunate and disappointing, but did not say whether his party would leave the government. The chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri, denounced the ruling and said religious study was our secret weapon against all enemies. The court this year temporarily froze state subsidies for seminaries where exempted ultra-Orthodox men study. Along with the enlistment decision, the court also ruled Tuesday that that money should be permanently suspended. Many religious seminaries depend on government funding and the general assumption is that the government will not survive this crisis, said Barak Medina, a law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an expert on constitutional law. What did the courts rule? Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women, who serve three and two years, respectively, in active duty, as well as reserve duty until around age 40. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox just like any other Israeli. The judges said that allowing a certain community a sweeping avoidance of service amounted to discrimination. Discrimination regarding the most precious thing of all life itself is the worst kind, the justices wrote in their opinion. In 2017, the Supreme Court struck down a law that codified draft exemptions. Repeated extensions of the law and government tactics to delay a replacement law have dragged on for years. Israels judiciary plays a large role in checking the governments executive power. Netanyahu attempted to overhaul the judiciary last year, spurring massive protests across the country before a major part of the overhaul was struck down. When will this go into effect? It will be challenging for the army integrate a larger number of ultra-Orthodox deeply opposed to service into its ranks. Among Israels Jewish majority, mandatory military service is largely seen as a melting pot and a rite of passage. The ultra-Orthodox say that integrating into the army will threaten their generations-old way of life, and that their devout lifestyle and dedication to upholding the Jewish commandments protect Israel as much as a strong army does. The courts did not set numbers for enlistment in their ruling, but Israels attorney generals office suggested that at least 3,000 ultra-Orthodox soldiers enlist in the coming year. The court said in its ruling that some 63,000 ultra-Orthodox students are eligible for enlistment. For decades, the army has attempted to accommodate ultra-Orthodox soldiers by creating separate units that allow them to maintain religious practices, including minimizing interaction with women. One of the units created for this purpose, Netzah Yehudah, faced possible U.S. sanctions over their treatment of Palestinians, though the U.S. eventually decided not to impose sanctions. What impact will this have on the war in Gaza? The ruling will have little immediate effect on the war in Gaza, where more than 37,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territorys Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The number of ultra-Orthodox who might enlist because of the ruling is too small to have a significant impact on day-to-day fighting. Medina, the law professor, said that if the ruling topples the government, it could give Netanyahu more leeway to reach a deal for a ceasefire that could end the war in Gaza. Currently, one of the main reasons hes prevented from reaching an agreement for the end of the war is because it will mean the end of his coalition, said Medina. If the ultra-Orthodox parties leave the coalition, Netanyahu has nothing to lose, he said. And that could lead to a change in policy without the pressure from far-right ministers opposed to any kind of ceasefire. Netanyahu will also be under a lot of pressure to wrap up fighting if early elections are called, to avoid going into the elections without the hostages and while a war is still ongoing, Medina said. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (L) receives Minister of Defence of Israel Yoav Gallant ahead of their meeting at the Pentagon. Ariel Hermoni/IMoD/dpa During a visit to the United States, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant once again warned against the threat posed by Iran's nuclear armament. "The greatest threat to the future of the world and the future of our region is Iran, and time is running out," Gallant said during a meeting with his counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington on Tuesday, according to his office. "Now is the time to realize the commitment of American administrations over the years to promise to prevent Iran [from] possessing nuclear weapon[s]," said Gallant. Israel has long warned about Tehran's nuclear armament programme. Since the start of the Gaza war following the massacre of Israelis carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas almost nine months ago, various pro-Iranian groups as well as Iran have attacked Israel with rockets, grenades or artillery fire. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu verbally attacked the US government in a recent video over a withheld arms shipment, Gallant on Tuesday praised the cooperation by the two sides in the defence of Israel "against the massive attack by Iran and its proxies." Israel and the US are also working together to reach an agreement in the face of fighting on Israel's northern border. "But we must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario," Gallant said. Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have been firing at each other almost every day for more than eight months. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. Washington is endeavouring to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict - so far without success. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (2nd R) meets Minister of Defence of Israel Yoav Gallant (3rd L) at the Pentagon. Ariel Hermoni/IMoD/dpa US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (2nd R) meets Minister of Defence of Israel Yoav Gallant (3rd L) at the Pentagon. Ariel Hermoni/IMoD/dpa During a visit to the United States, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant once again warned against the threat posed by Iran's nuclear armament. "The greatest threat to the future of the world and the future of our region is Iran, and time is running out," Gallant said during a meeting with his counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington on Tuesday, according to his office. "Now is the time to realize the commitment of American administrations over the years to promise to prevent Iran [from] possessing nuclear weapon[s]," said Gallant. Israel has long warned about Tehran's nuclear armament programme. Since the start of the Gaza war following the massacre of Israelis carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas almost nine months ago, various pro-Iranian groups as well as Iran have attacked Israel with rockets, grenades or artillery fire. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu verbally attacked the US government in a recent video over a withheld arms shipment, Gallant on Tuesday praised the cooperation by the two sides in the defence of Israel "against the massive attack by Iran and its proxies." Israel and the US are also working together to reach an agreement in the face of fighting on Israel's northern border. "But we must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario," Gallant said. Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah have been firing at each other almost every day for more than eight months. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. Washington is endeavouring to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict - so far without success. Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani river, 30 kilometres from the border, in accordance with a UN resolution. Gallant recently warned that Israel is also prepared to launch a major military operation if necessary. According to a report by the US broadcaster CNN, senior US representatives assured members of an Israeli delegation that the US would give Israel its full backing should a major war with Hezbollah break out. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (L) receives Minister of Defence of Israel Yoav Gallant ahead of their meeting at the Pentagon. Ariel Hermoni/IMoD/dpa Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a road during a demonstration against army conscription in Bnei Brak. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must also be required to serve in the Israeli army, the country's highest court said in a unanimous ruling on Tuesday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must also be required to serve in the Israeli army, the country's highest court said in a unanimous ruling on Tuesday. The nine Supreme Court judges in Jerusalem ruled that there is no legal basis for exempting the ultra-Orthodox from compulsory military service and approved two petitions that had called for their immediate conscription. The ruling involves around 63,000 men. "At the height of a harsh war, the burden of an unequal distribution is greater than ever and requires a solution," the court said in its judgement. The issue of conscription has become an headache for the right-wing religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The stability of the coalition is jeopardized by the issue because the strict religious parties reject the conscription of young men from their communities. There have been exemptions from compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox men in Israel for decades. However, these exemptions expired three months ago and Netanyahu's government failed to pass legislation that would have cemented them in law. As a result, the highest court ordered the cancellation of state subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men of conscription age who study in religious schools. At the end of March, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also ruled that the military was obliged to conscript religious students who had previously been largely exempt. Israel's army recently warned of a severe shortage of combat soldiers as it fights the Gaza war and faces a possible escalation of hostilities with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. In Israel, men have to do three years of military service and women do two years. Some ultra-Orthodox men serve voluntarily. Strictly religious women are only recruited on a voluntary basis. The News Israels Supreme Court ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish students must immediately be conscripted into the military, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition. Students in religious seminaries have been exempt from conscription: Ultra-Orthodox groups in Israel have argued that joining the military would expose them to wider social contacts that might challenge their conservative beliefs. The court ruling could be a serious blow to Netanyahu, who relies on two religious conservative parties for his political majority. He sold his soul to the religious right to avoid prison on corruption charges, Thomas Friedman wrote in The New York Times last week, and those extremists were already eyeing their next moves for power before this latest rupture. Jay Bhattacharya is a professor of health policy and economics at Stanford University and a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which rejected COVID-19 lockdowns in favor of focused protection of older Americans and other high-risk groups. Bhattacharya is now involved in a high-profile lawsuit before the Supreme Court, alleging that the government improperly pressured social media platforms to censor scientific opinions that deviated from official narratives. Reason's Nick Gillespie sat down with him in May at Reason Weekend in Boston. Q: You're originally from India, but you grew up here. What did it feel like when you first read that you were on a blacklist at the government's behest? A: It was surreal. The American civic religion is free speech. Blacklists are a thing of the past. That could never happen in modern America. To see my name on a blacklistI didn't know how to process it. Q: Talk about the collusion between the social media platforms and the government that led to the lawsuit. A: The White House, the Surgeon General's office, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]government agency after government agency [saying] things like, "kick these people off or else." If you read the discovery in the [Murthy v. Missouri] case, the response from the social media companies reads like a hostage situation. Q: There's something wrong if the government is saying to a private company, "We don't like this opinion, so we want you to squelch it," right? A: I think that is a direct violation of the First Amendment. Q: The two guys who were running for president at the beginning of the pandemic are runningor perhaps shufflingfor president again. Was Joe Biden worse than Donald Trump on the pandemic response? A: No, I think they both failed during the pandemic, in different ways. For Trump, I think the imposition of the lockdown itself was a failure. If I were advising Trump at the time, I would have said the lockdowns are not likely a good idea. I would also have told him that there's no such thing as two weeks of lockdown. I would have told him the harms of lockdown, especially on kids. There was tremendous literature before the pandemic that suggests you should never close schools in situations like this because it's going to harm kids without having a tremendous effect on the spread of the disease. Q: What was Biden bad on? A: I think the worst thing was the way that he managed the vaccine rollout. Instead of accepting the limitations of the scientific data, he and his advisers assumed that the vaccine would stop you from getting and spreading COVID. The consequence was to create almost a caste system, where if you're vaccinated, you're clean, if you're unvaccinated, you're unclean. It was simply inconsistent with the scientific data. That, I think, vastly undermined American trust in public health and also in vaccines more generally. Q: With science, nothing is ever settled. But does that mean you must talk to the person advancing an argument that is completely nuts? A: If you are a trustworthy public health agency and you are treating people respectfully, even people you think are wrong, you're going to influence a vastly larger number of people than if you say these [other] people are pariahs. It's not like public health is infallible. I want to treat ideas that I disagree with respectfully because I might be wrong. Q: Transparency is really a big value for you, right? You're going to lay your cards on the table and say, "Here it is. Tell me where I made mistakes." A: Exactly. That's how science actually works. In fact, if I'm not [ever] wrong, I'm not being bold enough as a scientist. This interview has been condensed and edited for style and clarity. The post Jay Bhattacharya on COVID, Social Media Censorship, and Trump vs. Biden appeared first on Reason.com. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio meets members of the Academy @ Shawnee football team during the unveiling of the new field and grandstands Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio has received his first evaluation following a year of transportation issues that resulted in more than 17 million lost minutes of instruction time districtwide. The evaluation was presented during an executive session with the Jefferson County Board of Education on Tuesday, with members discussing Pollio's leadership skills ahead of his contract's expiration in June 2025. The evaluation was originally slated to be made public during Tuesday's regular board meeting, but Pollio said he opted to review the draft first because of several "disagreements." The evaluation will come back before the board within the next month, according to JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan. Pollio became acting superintendent of JCPS in 2017 before taking the role on permanently in 2018. His initial contract was set to end in 2022, but the board reappointed him for another term in 2021, just three months after giving Pollio a largely positive evaluation. On Tuesday, Pollio said an announcement about his future plans should be made "in the coming weeks." While Pollio's 2023 evaluation was again largely positive, leading him to receive a 24% raise, his ability to lead Kentucky's largest district through massive changes has been repeatedly called into question in the aftermath of last year's first day of school. That disastrous day, as Pollio called it, put JCPS in the national spotlight. And despite many efforts, transportation woes persisted through the school year. In response, Pollio urged school board members to approve a plan that ended busing for most magnet students, which led the local NAACP to call for his resignation and two parents to file a lawsuit against the district. An investigation into what caused the transportation issues also highlighted a toxic corporate culture within JCPS that prevents staff from questioning leadership decisions out of a fear of retaliation. That was one of the main issues school board members dinged Pollio for in last year's evaluation. Likely due to the district's size, that evaluation stated, "There can be a lack of consistency in positive culture from school to school and department to department. Board members continue to hear concerns from both staff and parents regarding disruptions to classroom learning. The Board is also mindful that disproportionalities continue to exist in disciplinary outcomes." Marty Pollio: Click here to view Pollio's contract The length of Pollio's tenure is abnormal. The Kentucky School Boards Association found that at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the average length of service for all Kentucky superintendents was just over four years. When looking at the Council of the Great City Schools, which is comprised of 78 urban school districts across the country, he has the fourth longest tenure among the group. School board members have previously fought to keep Pollio in his position by increasing his salary to $350,244 in addition to a monthly vehicle stipend. Pollio has also said he's wanted to stay in the high-stress role to see the district's new student assignment plan, new funding formula and other changes through. "I feel a responsibility to ensure that they are successful as we implement (those) over the next year or two," Pollio said at the time. Pollio has also emphasized research showing student outcomes improve when district leadership prevails. "There continues to be a significant amount of turnover in superintendents across America, especially in large districts, and I think that is extremely negative for student outcomes," he said. "I think the districts we've seen be successful have had continuity of leadership in order to get those outcomes. Thats what I want and hope to see here that we reap the benefits for students in all of the changes that we have made. It's the No. 1 thing I continue to focus on." It is unclear if Pollio still views his role in the same light as he did a year ago. In a press conference during the first week of school last August, he became visibly frustrated while defending himself and explaining the emotional toll running JCPS has taken on him and his family. "I am fearful for this community," Pollio said at that time about when he is no longer superintendent. "There will not be many, if any, applications for this job." He mentioned the attack on the district by Republican lawmakers who are once again threatening to split up the system, the teacher sick outs that consumed the start of his tenure, the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the intense scrutiny public education has witnessed in recent years. "My family has suffered a great deal from me having this job," Pollio said. Contact Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS superintendent receives last evaluation before contract expires ZANGILAN, Azerbaijan, June 25. Participants of the Forum for Cooperation among Azerbaijani NGOs held in Zangilan have sent an appeal to President Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports. The appeal reads: "We, the leaders of public associations participating in the Azerbaijan NGO Cooperation Forum, highly appreciate your consistent and purposeful activity in the name of the "green" world. The logical consequence of your policy is that nowadays Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, liberated from occupation, are turning into paradise; these territories are simultaneously declared zones of "green" energy. The fact that the international community unanimously delegated the right to host COP29 this time to Azerbaijan clearly demonstrates the great respect and sympathy for your green energy policy, which urges the world to act in solidarity. The active work of Azerbaijan, as a COP29 country, to provide global support for small island states at risk of being submerged by climate change has further increased the attention of developed countries towards Azerbaijan. Over the past few months, public activists and 367 NGOs from 71 countries, addressing various joint statements in connection with COP29, have expressed strong support for Azerbaijan's struggle against global climate change, 62 of which are from developed countries, which is a vivid demonstration of this," the appeal reads. Azerbaijan, as a member of the OPEC+ platform, is setting an example for the world of how oil- and gas-rich countries should take the lead in addressing climate change issues. Large-scale green transition projects have already been launched under your leadership. Within the next 6 years, Azerbaijan's solar and wind energy capacity will amount to 5000 megawatts (5 gigawatts). It will be possible to export 4 gigawatts of green energy to Europe. Proven reserves of offshore wind energy amount to 157 gigawatts. This clearly demonstrates the green energy potential of Azerbaijan. In the context of global warming, Azerbaijan is sending a wise message to the world that the catastrophe caused by global climate change can be prevented only with global solidarity. We, representatives of the civil society of Azerbaijan, stand with you, we are with you, and we are proud of you. The ongoing forum in Zangilan, jointly organized by the NGO State Support Agency and the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, was predominantly focused on environmental issues, with two out of three panels dedicated to this topic. Following the discussions, we reached a common conclusion: your new energy strategy based on green thinking will bring even greater victories to Azerbaijan in the coming period! You, as the victorious leader of the victorious nation, have raised Azerbaijan to a new stage of development. We are witnessing large-scale construction and reconstruction works in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Regrettably, during the occupation by Armenia, Azerbaijani lands were contaminated with over 1.5 million mines and unexploded ammunition. Nowadays, you are carrying out great work on demining the territory and protecting the environment. We are absolutely sure that the day will come when you will declare Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur a mine-free region. By adopting "The Solidarity Appeal of Azerbaijani NGOs for a Green World," we express our full support for your policy and wish you success in your tireless activities". Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket lifts with the NS-21 crew from Launch Site One in West Texas on Saturday, June 4, 2022. | Credit: Blue Origin A Nigerian could soon make it to space for the first time ever, via Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin. The Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA), a U.S. for-profit company, has guaranteed that one of the six seats for an upcoming flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle will go to a Nigerian, Semafor reports . SERA chose Nigeria as part of its initiative to assist citizens of nations who have historically lacked access to space. The development follows Blue Origin and SERA partnering up in April to fly people on New Shephard tourist flights . The Nigerian government signed a memorandum of understanding with SERA, according to the state-backed Voice of Nigeria. Mathew Adepoju, director-general of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), praised the development. "Not many nations in Africa dreamt of having a space program, but today, NASRDA is the only space agency in Africa whose activities cover the entire space," Adepoju said, according to Voice of Nigeria. Selection will be open and democratic, with Nigerians given the opportunity to select candidates. RELATED STORIES: Facts about New Shepard, Blue Origin's rocket for space tourism The future of space tourism Blue Origin: Everything you need to know about the private spaceflight company "The process of the application will be open to anybody in Nigeria who is over 18 years of age. There are no other qualifications required. You will be able to sign up and encourage others to vote for you," Voice of Nigeria quoted SERA co-founder Joshua Skurla as saying. Nigeria has a modest space sector but has a number of satellites in orbit, built and launched by other nations. NASRDA has stated that the nation's objectives include developing indigenous capabilities in satellite technology and utilizing space technology for sustainable development, as well as getting involved in human spaceflight. Few constitutional principles are more familiar to the average American than the separation of church and state. According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of adults agree that religion should be kept separate from government policies. To be sure, support varies by political or religious affiliation with Democrats supporting the principle in much higher numbers and depending on the specific issue, such as prayer in public schools or displays of the Ten Commandments monuments. Yet only 19% of Americans say the United States should abandon the principle of church-state separation. That said, criticism appears to be on the rise, particularly among political and religious conservatives. And such criticism comes from the top. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson remarked in 2023 that The separation of church and state is a misnomer it comes from a phrase that was in a letter that [Thomas] Jefferson wrote. Its not in the Constitution. And what he was explaining is they did not want the government to encroach upon the church not that they didnt want principles of faith to have influence on our public life. As a scholar of American legal and religious history, I have written extensively about the development of religious freedom in the U.S., and the origins of the separation of church and state. Two of the Founding Fathers shaped American views on these topics more than any other: Jefferson and James Madison. Yet their views have also become lightning rods for controversy as the wall between church and state comes under scrutiny. My forthcoming book, The Grand Collaboration, seeks to answer several questions: What was Jeffersons and Madisons understanding of religious freedom? And why were they so deeply committed to that principle? Bedrock of law in Virgina and beyond Jefferson wrote the Virginia Bill for Religious Freedom in 1777, the most comprehensive declaration of religious freedom at the time. The bill guaranteed freedom of conscience, protected religious assemblies from government oversight, prohibited government funding of religious institutions and boldly declared that religious opinions were outside the authority of civil officials. Thomas Jefferson asked that his gravesite commemorate three of his accomplishments, including writing Virginias statute for religious freedom. Christopher Hollis/Wikimedia Commons Several years later, Madison guided these ideals into law. His Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, a protest against a proposal to support Christian teachers with tax money, affirmed the values of church-state separation and religious equality. He helped defeat the proposal and set the stage for Virginia to adopt Jeffersons bill. As president, Jefferson went on to pen a letter to a Baptist association in Connecticut where he immortalized the phrase a wall of separation between church and state. The Bill of Rights contains two clauses about religion, both in the First Amendment: that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. What qualifies as establishment of religion, however, is open to debate. In 1947, the U.S. Supreme Court embraced church-state separation as the guiding principle for interpreting the religion clauses, relying extensively on the two Virginians writings and actions. As Justice Hugo Black wrote, In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect a wall of separation between Church and State. The duos documents served as the authority for the legal principle of church-state separation, and for more than five decades, their bona fides remained unquestioned in the law. Shift at SCOTUS Criticism of church-state separation intensified in the 1980s. As the religious right grew into a political force, commentators argued that the concept was anti-religious and did not represent the prevailing views about church and state during the founders time. In recent decades, such arguments have attracted politicians and jurists, including members of the Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas has written that the courts earlier separationist interpretations of the Constitution sometimes bordered on religious hostility. Legal scholar Philip Hamburger has declared that the constitutional authority for separation is without historical foundation and should at best be viewed with suspicion. Several recent Supreme Court decisions have rejected a separationist approach to church-state matters. For example, the conservative majority has allowed taxpayer dollars to be used at religious schools, the display of religious symbols on government property, and religious expression by public school employees. In a 2022 dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor bemoaned that the court has turned the separation of church and state from a constitutional commitment to a constitutional violation. The justices earlier reliance on Jefferson and Madison has borne the brunt of criticism that their views on church-state matters did not represent their peers, or that neither man was in favor of separation as he has been portrayed. Exchange of ideas To better understand Jeffersons and Madisons beliefs, I examined many of the 2,300 letters between the two on Founders Online, a National Archives website. I also looked at correspondence with other acquaintances. Both founders had deistic leanings, meaning they believed in a supreme being, but thought science and reason were the best paths to understanding religion. They were only nominally observant Christians, but more protected from religious intolerance than other dissenters due to their high social standing and affiliation with the Anglican Church. Thomas Jeffersons official presidential portrait, painted around 1800 by Rembrandt Peale. White House History via Wikimedia Commons All the more striking, then, that they worked throughout their lives to advance religious freedom. Religious matters were never far from their minds. For instance, in Madison and Jeffersons exchanges discussing the need for a bill of rights, freedom of conscience was invariably at the top of the list. Both were convinced that government should avoid supporting religion, even if no particular religion was given preference. They also insisted that people should have broad religious freedoms. These views were clearly on the vanguard, but other religious rationalists and religious dissenters also advocated a comprehensive understanding of religious freedom. Both men were committed to advancing religious freedom because they saw it as deeply entwined with freedom of inquiry and conscience. Reason and free enquiry are the only effectual agents against error, Jefferson wrote in 1784. Allowing people to investigate ideas freely will support the true religion, because Truth can stand by itself. Similarly, Madison declared the freedom of conscience to be a natural and absolute right. In their view, free inquiry was the fount of other rights. Religious freedom, for example, was a subset of freedom of conscience. And a healthy separation of church and state was key to ensuring those freedoms. A pillar of support The letters reveal the extent to which Jefferson and Madison complemented and reinforced each others attitudes toward church and state. They also reveal the close intellectual and emotional affection that each man held for the other, and how much each man valued the others support. A portrait of James Madison by Chester Harding, painted around 1829, a few years before his death. Daderot/National Portrait Gallery via Wikimedia Commons In their final exchanges before Jeffersons death on July 4, 1826, he implored Madison, To myself, you have been a pillar of support thro life. Take care of me when dead, and be assured that I shall leave with you my last affections. Madison responded with similar affection: You cannot look back to the long period of our private friendship & political harmony, with more affecting recollections than I do. Jeffersons and Madisons half-century of collaboration on behalf of religious freedom and equality is an important chapter in the nations founding history. I believe its legacy should be remembered and celebrated, not discarded. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Steven K. Green, Willamette University. Read more: Steven K. Green 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. Jefferson Police ask for publics help to find missing man JEFFERSON, Texas (KETK) The Jefferson Police Department is looking for a missing man that was reportedly last seen on Thursday morning. Officials search for missing teenage girl last seen near Gladewater Authorities said they are searching for 41-year-old Donovan Byrd, and anyone with information on his location is asked to call police at 903-665-2432. To report anonymously, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11) A Jersey City police officer was accused of forgery within the police department for nearly a year, according to officials. More New Jersey News Justin Rivera, 31, is accused of submitting six altered or forged records that earned him over eight extra weeks of medical leave between March 2022 and January 2023, according to prosecutors. An investigation determined that the six documents were inauthentic, according to officials. Rivera was arrested on Tuesday and is being charged with six counts of forgery and uttering forged documents, prosecutors announced. Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A Jewish American soldier buried alongside Nazis during World War II has been exhumed and laid to rest alongside his fellow U.S. troops. Eighty years after his death, the remains of 1st Lt. Nathan B. Baskind were interred Sunday at the Normandy American Cemetery with full military honors and a Star of David grave marker, according to Stars and Stripes. Baskind, from Pittsburgh, Pa., was reportedly buried in a mass German grave when machine gun fire took his life after Allied forces stormed Normandy in 1944. He landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and led a tank division behind enemy lines in the aftermath of the intense fighting that changed the tide of the war in Europe. He will at last rest with his American brothers and sisters in arms who fought alongside him to defeat fascism and restore democracy, U.S. Consul for Western France Elizabeth Webster said at Sundays ceremony. Baskind and his driver were ambushed on June 23, 1944 at the Battle of Cherbourg while on a reconnaissance mission. His parents reportedly died long ago not knowing the whereabouts of their son, who was drafted into the military in 1942 when he was 26 years old. Webster called him an American hero. Baskinds great-niece Samantha Baskind said at Sundays ceremony the fallen soldiers middle initial may have stood for brother. She based that theory on her understanding Baskinds twin sisters middle name was legally Sister because the pairs Russian-born parents may not have understood the bureaucratic process involved in birth certificates. After nearly eight decades of laying alongside his enemies, Baskins remains began their journey to a proper grave in 2022 when an American genealogist visiting a cemetery for German soldiers saw his surname on a mass grave and contacted Operation Benjamin, which searches for Jewish soldiers given Christian burials in American military cemeteries. The thousands of bone fragments in Baskinds grave were reportedly exhumed in December and identified through DNA testing. German soldiers returned those remains to a U.S. airbase in May. After 80 years, we finally welcomed 1st Lt. Nathan B. Baskind home, Operation Benjamin posted on Facebook Monday. It is an absolute honor to bring closure to the Baskind family after all these years. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans reports 550,000 Jews served in the U.S. military during World War II. Nearly 9,400 Americans are buried at the Normandy American Cemetery. _____ Jocelyn Nungaray's Pants Were Removed Before She Was Dumped in Creek After 'Horrific Crime,' Says D.A. Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, face capital murder charges in connection with the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray GoFundMe Jocelyn Nungaray The two suspects accused of killing a 12-year-old Texas girl whose body was found on June 17 in a shallow creek allegedly removed her pants before killing her near a bridge, according to court documents obtained by multiple news outlets. Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, are being held in Harris County Jail on charges of capital murder in connection with the death of Jocelyn Nungaray, PEOPLE previously reported. Ramos bond was set at $10 million during a court appearance on June 24 while Martinez is scheduled to appear in court later this week, according to KHOU. Its unclear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf. Related: 2 Men Accused of Murdering Texas Girl, 12, Found in Creek, as Police Detail Her Final Moments Houston police Lt. Stephen Hope previously claimed the suspects were seen on surveillance video talking to Jocelyn on June 16 and visiting a convenience store, before all three walked to a bridge. Hope said Jocelyn had sneaked out of her family home that night around 10 p.m. and was found dead early the next morning. Authorities allege in court documents obtained by KHOU, ABC News and KPRC 2 that the suspects asked Jocelyn for directions at the convenience store and lured her to the bridge, where they remained for more than two hours. The men allegedly removed Jocelyns pants and tied her up before killing her and dumping her body into the bayou, the documents state, per KPRC 2. Authorities believe the suspects, who reportedly did not know Jocelyn prior to that night, then walked back to their apartment, per the documents. houston police department Franklin Jose Pena Ramos and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez The men were arrested on Thursday, June 20, after investigators searched their home and allegedly found evidence related to Jocelyns death, Hope previously said. Jocelyn died from strangulation and her manner of death was ruled a homicide, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences previously confirmed to PEOPLE. While the suspects have not been charged with any additional offenses, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said at a press conference on June 24 that they could face the death penalty if evidence leads investigators to believe they sexually assaulted or kidnapped Jocelyn, per Fox 26 Houston. Make no mistake, this is a horrific crime, Ogg said, per ABC News. The suspects are also Venezuelan nationals who were previously detained and released by U.S. border patrol agents after illegally entering the country on an unknown date and at an unknown location, a spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement previously said in a statement to PEOPLE. Related: Suspects Charged with Murder of 12-Year-Old Texas Girl Were Detained, Released by ICE Before Killing Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Ramos had been detained by border patrol agents near El Paso on May 28 and Martinez had been detained near the same city on March 14, the spokesperson said. The men were then released on orders of recognizance with notices to appear in court at a later date. It remains unclear how the men ended up in Houston. In the wake of Jocelyns death, her loved ones created a GoFundMe campaign to help offset funeral expenses. She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was going to go very far, Jocelyn's mother, Alexis Nungaray, previously told KHOU. And, you know, these, these monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Editors Note: Joe Manchin III is an independent representing the state of West Virginia in the United States Senate. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN. Last month, I declared my independence from both political parties and vowed to fight for Americas sensible majority. And now Im taking that fight one step further. Joe Manchin - Marcus Constantino Throughout my time in the US Senate, I have always tried to bring everyone to the negotiating table such as in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Electoral Reform Act and common-sense gun-safety legislation no matter their political beliefs to find common-sense solutions to Americas greatest challenges, including our soaring national debt, the high cost of living for families across the country and the crisis at our southern border. But its become clear after my 14 years in Washington, DC, that our national politics are broken and both parties are finding it more difficult to compromise and find any common ground. Its not just me who sees this as a problem: According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 86% of Americans agreed that Republicans and Democrats are more focused on fighting each other than on solving problems is a good description of our political system. We need a major overhaul of our extreme partisan system in which the Democratic and Republican parties have a duopoly on high-dollar donors, online fundraising and huge checks from political action committees (PACs). Today, I am taking an important and immediate step to right one of those wrongs by turning my Country Roads PAC from one that has mostly given to the Democratic Party into a bipartisan PAC to support Democrats, Republicans and independents at all levels of government who are committed to working across the aisle to get stuff done, such as protecting the filibuster in the Senate, opposing efforts to undermine our democracy, publicly breaking with the party establishment, putting country before party and doing the right thing for America. Most importantly, I will reward people who have worked across the aisle and passed legislation, engaged in bipartisan conversation and stood up to the extremes. The first three candidates I am supporting have a track record of working across the aisle to enact meaningful legislation for our country and their respective states and districts. Maine Sen. Angus King has been an independent voice in the Senate and helped pass significant bipartisan legislation, such as the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act that helped small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act that helps Americans impacted by the opioid crisis. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine has stood up to extremist voices in both parties, is a leader of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and has secured historic legislative victories, such as helping secure votes for the infrastructure bill. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and has spent his entire career in service to our country, serving as an FBI special agent and federal prosecutor before becoming one of the most bipartisan members in the House. Bottom line: all three always put country over party. These are the kind of representatives that Congress and, more importantly, our country need. They dont cater to the fringes of either party to gain followers on X (formerly Twitter), they dont seek sound bites and viral moments on cable news, and they arent worried about talking to or working with the opposing side they are committed to doing what is right for their constituents and our country. They dont care if its a Democratic or Republican idea; they care if its a solution for America. Our two-party duopoly machine is big business. Both Democrats and Republicans alike employ sophisticated external networks of outside groups that raise billions of dollars to amplify their influence and limit Americans choices at the ballot box. In the Pew survey, 85% of Americans agreed that the cost of political campaigns makes it hard for good people to run for office. No matter how good the message or how strong the candidate is, few outside the party establishment have any chance of breaking through that duopoly. Make no mistake, my financial donations will not level the playing field or fix our broken system. But I believe they send an important message to voters, donors and companies that we all can and should do our part to change the system. It sends a message that we can and should support these candidates who will fight for their constituents and not just vote no on everything. Ive always said that no is the easiest vote in Washington. Getting to yes is hard and should be supported and rewarded. In every corner of the country, I will continue looking for candidates who resist party purity tests and do the difficult work required to revive bipartisanship and represent the millions of Americans who feel left behind by both Democrats and Republicans. These PAC checks will be an investment in good governing, not a reward for bad behavior. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com At a recent charity event in Azerbaijan, Huseyn Huseynli, a 17-year old visionary founder of Skycare Logistics, captivated a group of 11th graders from a disadvantaged public school. He shared his journey of creating Skycare Logistics, a non-profit using drones to deliver medical supplies from pharmacies and hospitals to homes, addressing critical healthcare needs in remote areas. Huseynli's story of determination and innovation deeply resonated with the students. He recounted how he turned a simple idea into a groundbreaking solution, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and creativity. His practical tips on starting engineering projects and using technology for social good inspired the students, sparking their interest in pursuing their own engineering endeavors. The enthusiasm was palpable as students were encouraged to dream big and think about making a difference in their communities. Huseynli's mentorship has empowered these young minds to envision a future where they can make a significant impact. Huseyns time with these students shows how powerful inspiration and education can be. His efforts have sparked excitement in future engineers and innovators, encouraging them to be hopeful and ambitious about their futures. In United States v. Rahimi, an 81 decision, the Supreme Court decisively rejected the radical and ahistorical gun rights jurisprudence of Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Antonin Scalia once remarked that although he was an originalist, he was not a nutthat is, that he was not willing to strike down every precedent he disagreed with that came before the court. The Rahimi decision only confirms that Thomas version of this controversial but ascendent theory of constitutional interpretation was, and remains, bonkers. After oral argument, there was little doubt that the Supreme Court would overrule the extremism of the decision, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, that domestic abusers Second Amendment rights were violated by federal laws enacted to protect the victims of intimate-partner violence. (Its worth noting that when the Second Amendment is discussed today by gun rights originalists, it is often written as a plural. The Founders Second Amendment was a singular unitary right, but modern originalists like Scalia have helped rewrite the text, turning it into a plural collection of Second Amendment rights.) Chief Justice John Roberts slim opinion was hardly a surprise to those who have followed his remarks on the Second Amendment in oral arguments. In Heller, the court reversed nearly seven decades of established precedent treating the Second Amendment as a single right tied to the effectiveness of a well-regulated militia. Despite its many faults, Heller at least acknowledged the history of gun rights and gun regulation. This balanced approach was later endorsed by Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was a federal judge, and Roberts has been behind it as well. Essentially, Roberts and Kavanaugh argued that if the same analysis were applied to both sides of the rights-and-regulation equation, many popular commonsense gun regulations would likely survive constitutional challenge. Indeed, this approach was reiterated in their joint concurrence in Bruen, the controversial Thomas decision that wiped away a decade of federal jurisprudence on guns, abandoning the standard tools of modern constitutional analysis in favor of a more fraught and unwieldy approach to history, text, and tradition. Two interpretations of Bruens mode of analysis had emerged among federal courts. Some judges followed the maximalist version, a framework Thomas has now advanced in his Rahimi dissent. This approach relied almost exclusively on statutes, ignoring or misinterpreting the widespread use of common-law methods of protecting the peace and public safety. For these judges, answering the question of whether a law was constitutional involved compiling something akin to a spreadsheet of old laws and looking for something close to a historical twin for the modern law being litigated, an approach Bruen expressly disowned. The few laws that survived this artificial and ahistorical winnowing process were then read in a parsimonious fashion rendering nearly every type of modern gun regulation suspect. An alternative approach, more consistent with the method advocated by Roberts and Kavanaugh, also gained traction in the lower courts. This interpretation of Bruen was still highly solicitous of gun rights and hostile to modern legal tools that acknowledge that consequences matter. This reading of Bruen had the virtue of treating both sides of the rights-and-regulation equation in a consistent manner. Now, with Rahimi, its clear that the Kavanaugh-Roberts school is markedly different from Thomas approach. Their method, not the dissents cramped vision, currently controls Second Amendment law. This correction is significant. Recent legal research has shown a shocking partisan pattern in the way lower courts have applied Bruen. Republican judges and virtually all Trump-appointed judges approach gun rights at a high level of generality but do not treat regulation in a similar fashion. Studies of the application of Heller in the lower courts, by contrast, found that the use of modern tools of constitutional analysis that take account of consequences was less prone to partisan bias, a fact that challenges the claims of the courts originalists that their method is more objective. Turning Second Amendment law into a version of historical Wheres Waldo, rummaging around in old laws with no coherent historical method, is far more prone to manipulation of sources and unconscious forms of confirmation bias. The asymmetrical approach to rights and regulation associated with Thomas and his followers acted as a one-way ratchet, expanding gun rights at the expense of the peoples right to regulate their own affairs (the most fundamental founding-era right.) By contrast, the Roberts approach acknowledged that one has to treat regulations at the same level of generality as rights. Thus, if the founders thought that it was constitutional to disarm dangerous persons, it did not matter if the mechanism and application of this principle today were accomplished in a manner different from the one used by Americans more than 200 years ago. If nothing else, this point alone renders Rahimi an important clarification and refinement of Bruen. Originalists following the Thomas approach are notoriously poor historians, so they have botched the application of Bruens method time and again. Professional police forces were not a fixture of the founding era, and most criminal matters were handled by justices of the peace, not judges. Crucially, there was no interpersonal gun violence problem to regulate at the time of the Second Amendments ratification. Flintlock muzzle-loading weapons are ill suited to impulsive acts of violence. Thus, looking for comparable methods of enforcement between founding-era law and today was premised on a profound ignorance of early American legal history, firearm technology, and the social history of crime. Correcting the asymmetrical approach taken by lower courts was central to Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogars tour de force oral argument in Rahimi. Prelogar deserves enormous credit for the outcome in this case, and she has emerged as one of the finest Supreme Court advocates in recent memory. Her pivots and pirouettes in oral argument, deftly responding to hostile questions from the courts originalists, were remarkable. Prelogars advocacy somehow combines the elegance and fluidity of Misty Copeland with the bone-crushing effectiveness of Jackie Chan. To be sure, Roberts did not accept all Prelogars arguments: He dismissed her claim that gun rights could be limited to those who are responsible and law-abiding citizens, a position well grounded in the founding era. This issue will certainly resurface in ongoing litigation and may well affect Hunter Bidens conviction for lying on federal forms about his drug use when he purchased a handgun. Although the majority opinion clarifies one of the most pernicious misinterpretations of Bruen, the decision did little to clarify the onerous task of applying history, text, and tradition. Indeed, the multiple concurrences written in the case make it clear that there is no consensus about how this test ought to be applied, even among those most wedded to originalism. Indeed, Rahimi will leave most judges scrambling to apply Bruens novel approach to history, text, and tradition to current and future cases. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!) A general view of the logo of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. The Polish-American journalist Anne Applebaum will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2024, the award's Foundation Board announced on Tuesday. Sebastian Gollnow/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa The Polish-American journalist Anne Applebaum will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2024, the award's Foundation Board announced on Tuesday. Applebaum is a writer for The Atlantic magazine in the United States who has written extensively about Central and Eastern Europe. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2003 book "The Gulag: A History," on the Soviet Union's system of prison labour camps. The award is traditionally handed out at the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the world's largest publishing industry events, and will be presented this year on October 20. "At a time when democratic values and achievements are increasingly being caricatured and attacked, her work embodies an eminent and indispensable contribution to the preservation of democracy and peace," the award citation said of Applebaum. She is a frequent critic of authoritarian regimes and has long warned of the threat of violent expansionist policies from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Her other books include "Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine" (2017) and "The Twilight of Democracy" (2020). She previously worked as a correspondent for the UK's Economist magazine, where she covered Poland and the fall of communism in the Eastern Bloc, and was a columnist for the Washington Post. She has "revealed the mechanisms of authoritarian seizure and safeguarding of power with her profound and wide-ranging analyses of the communist and post-communist systems of the Soviet Union and Russia," according to the Foundation Board's citation. "With her research on the interaction between the economy and democracy as well as the effects of disinformation and propaganda on democratic societies, she shows how fragile these are - especially when democracies are undermined from within by the electoral success of autocrats," the citation continued. Applebaum was born to Jewish parents in Washington in 1964. She has lived in Poland intermittently for decades. She is married to Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski and is the mother of two sons. Last year, the British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie was honoured. The German Publishers and Booksellers Association has been awarding the Peace Prize since 1950 in recognition of individuals who have contributed to the realization of the idea of peace in literature, science or art. A general view of the logo of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. The Polish-American journalist Anne Applebaum will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2024, the award's Foundation Board announced on Tuesday. Sebastian Gollnow/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa The Polish-American journalist Anne Applebaum will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2024, the award's Foundation Board announced on Tuesday. Applebaum is a writer for The Atlantic magazine in the United States who has written extensively about Central and Eastern Europe. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her book on a history of the Soviet Union's Gulag system of prison labour camps. The award is traditionally presented at the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the world's largest publishing industry events, and will be presented this year on October 20. "At a time when democratic values and achievements are increasingly being caricatured and attacked, her work embodies an eminent and indispensable contribution to the preservation of democracy and peace," the award citation said of Applebaum. She is a frequent critic of authoritarian regimes and has long warned of the threat of violent expansionist policies from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Applebaum was born to Jewish parents in Washington in 1964. She has lived in Poland intermittently for decades. She is married to Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski and is the mother of two sons. Last year, the British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie was honoured. A Michigan judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the state's mandatory 24-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion, as well as the state's "informed consent" law and a ban on advanced practice clinicians providing abortion care. The ruling, issued Tuesday, is a victory for advocates seeking greater abortion access in Michigan. In February, a lawsuit seeking to strike the existing abortion laws was filed in the Michigan Court of Claims by the Center for Reproductive Rights, on behalf of abortion provider Northland Family Planning Centers and Medical Students for Choice. In a 50-page opinion, Judge Sima Patel wrote that a preliminary injunction against the laws was appropriate due to the passage of Proposal 3 in 2022, a ballot measure which enshrined the right to reproductive freedom in the state's constitution. A sign that reads "Women's Rights Are Human Rights!" sits next to a megaphone during an abortion rights protest at Hart Plaza in Detroit on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Proposal 3's passage, Patel wrote, blocks the state from enforcing the 24-hour waiting period and informed consent laws in Michigan, as well as the state's ban on advanced practice clinicians (APCs) providing abortion care. Preliminary injunctions are court orders that prevent a party, in this case the state of Michigan, from continuing a practice deemed harmful to plaintiffs when a judge determines plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their legal challenge. "Turning to whether the challenged laws burden or infringe upon the freedom to make and effectuate decisions about abortion care, the Court finds, on the record currently before it and for purposes of issuing preliminary injunctive relief, that they do," Patel wrote. Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives had introduced legislation to repeal the waiting period and informed consent laws last year, but didn't have the votes to pass it alongside a series of other abortion access measures which ultimately were signed into law. Patel wrote the waiting period creates a "needless delay" for patients. "That is, at this time, the Court is convinced that the mandatory delay exacerbates the burdens that patients experience seeking abortion care, including by increasing costs, prolonging wait times, increasing the risk that a patient will have to disclose their decision to others, and potentially preventing a patient from having the type of abortion that they prefer," Patel wrote. The informed consent law also requires patients to fill out and submit a confirmation form affirming they've reviewed specific information. On its website, MDHHS states it "does not necessarily endorse all the information it is required to make available under this statute." Opponents of the requirement say the materials include inaccurate information. Patel wrote the material "certainly impacts the patients choice to seek abortion care and encroaches on the patients decision-making process." Not all components of Michigan's informed consent law were enjoined, however. In her ruling, Patel declined to issue a preliminary injunction against a portion of the law that requires abortion providers to determine whether patients have been coerced to receive an abortion. Patel also wrote that a ban on advanced practice clinicians is unconstitutional after Proposal 3's passage, particularly since APCs provide abortion care in other states. The ban currently only limits access to abortion care in Michigan, she wrote. Defendants in the case included Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's Office, which is obligated to defend the state in any litigation brought against it. While Nessel, a staunch proponent of abortion access, and other state officials listed in the lawsuit didn't oppose an injunction against the abortion laws, lawyers from the Attorney General's Office represented the state after a so-called conflict wall was established so an adversarial defense could be provided. An inquiry sent to the Attorney General's Office on a potential appeal to Patel's ruling wasn't immediately returned, although Nessel did issue a statement applauding the ruling Tuesday evening. "These provisions only served to delay and mislead patients, which is contradictory to the goals of healthcare," Nessel said. "We applaud the Court for this decision and remain undeterred in our work to protect reproductive care for all Michigan residents. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also applauded the preliminary injunction. "By removing these barriers to reproductive health care, we will ensure Michigan is a state where you can make the medical decisions that are best for you and your family in consultation with your doctor," Whitmer said. This embedded content is not available in your region. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Judge blocks Michigan's 24-hour mandatory waiting period for abortions Judge Aileen Cannon may actually reject an argument from Donald Trumps defense team in his classified documents trial: on whether the FBIs 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate was constitutional. Cannon heard arguments from Trumps defense team on the matter Tuesday, and she appeared to be skeptical of the attorneys challenge to the search warrant for Trumps Florida home. During the hearing, Cannon appeared frustrated with one of Trumps lawyers, Emil Bove, who seemed to be off-topic. She reminded him that the issue at hand was whether the FBIs warrant had been specific enough. It seems like it is, Cannon said. Bove tried to call attention to Trumps other pending motions in the case, to which David Harbach from the special counsels office objected, accusing Bove of hijacking the hearing. Its not fair, Harbach told Cannon. Its unclear why Cannon entertained a motion from the Trump team contesting the search warrant, if she already seems inclined to believe the warrant was valid. Whether her actions are due to bias toward Trump or ineptitude is unknown. However, Cannon has agreed to hear many of Trumps pretrial motions that have slowed down proceedings, including one questioning if special counsel Jack Smiths appointment is constitutional. These delays give evidence to the theory that Cannon is serving Trumps interests, as she has managed to postpone the trial indefinitely. Even before the classified documents case was assigned to her, Cannon was involved in it. Two years ago, she heard Trumps lawsuit challenging the search of his property and mandated the use of a special master to review the classified documents seized by the Justice Department. Her decision was later struck down by a federal appeals court. Cannons later actions presiding over the case itself have given weight to the accusation that she is prone to exploitation. When she was initially assigned the case, more senior federal judges in her circuit recommended that she turn over the case to a judge with more trial experience, but she refused. Shes ruled that parts of the case should be thrown out, and experts ranging from former Trump lawyer Ty Cobb to ex-federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman have called her judgment into question. Fox News, though, still has her back, despite their history of attacking the judges presiding over Trumps many court cases. A handcuffed Aaron Michael Orlando Rathke spun around in his courtroom chair slowly several times Monday as he waited to be sentenced for murdering his 5-month-old son in their Fridley home. At other times before the hearing, Rathke leaned back and rocked his chair. When his family walked into the Anoka County courtroom, the 24-year-old looked back at them and smiled. Rathke let out a yawn as Judge Suzanne Brown called his case and again shortly after she sentenced him to 25 years in prison for killing Kaiden Michael Rathke, who died of blunt-force injuries on March 1, 2023. Brown had asked Rathke if he wanted to address the court. Nope, he replied. Rathke entered an Alford plea last month to second-degree intentional murder as part of a plea agreement, which included the length of his prison term. An Alford plea means he maintained his innocence while acknowledging the prosecution likely had enough evidence to convict him. Despite the plea, Brown noted Monday, Rathke admitted to conduct that would have harmed the child, who she said had both healing and fresh injuries. It is disappointing not to see any remorse from you in the PSI (presentence investigation) or now, Brown said before handing down the sentence. Babys mother: Dad choked him Rathke and Ahnisah Simone Waters drove their child to the Fridley police department after the boy stopped breathing. He did not have a pulse. Officers began CPR and the child was taken to Childrens Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a half-hour later. According to the charges, Rathke told police that he took the baby into a bedroom to change his diaper. He said the infant vomited and stopped breathing. He said he did chest compressions but they were unsuccessful. They did not call 911, he said, because in other cases when the baby had stopped breathing they had been able to bring him back, the charges say. He said the child would sometimes have trouble breathing or forget to breathe and it had been happening since the baby was 4 months old. He said he would do chest compressions with his fingers to get the baby to breathe again. During further questioning, Rathke told detectives that the baby was a quiet child who would holler if he was picked up or touched. He described changing the babys diaper by saying it was hell and that the baby would scream his lungs out. Rathke said hed been diagnosed as bipolar, which results in him getting angry and having mini outbursts and blank out, where he is unable to remember things. He denied having any of those behaviors with his son. Less than a week later, Rathke gave another statement to police saying he may have hugged the baby a little too hard, adding that he always gave the boy big hugs because that way, I wouldnt lose it. Later, detectives learned that Waters had sent a message to a friend through Snapchat saying that Rathke had killed the baby. Waters then told police that Rathke had killed their child, saying she had been afraid to tell police what really happened because Rathke had been abusive to her. She said she saw him choke the child when he was 3 months old, and that when she intervened, he pushed her away. She said he told her he would put pressure on his sons throat to make him pass out when he was having trouble getting him to go to sleep. Devastated No one gave a victim impact statement at Rathkes sentencing. Prosecutor Brenda Sund said the child suffered a tremendous amount of harm during his young life and that she hopes Rathke reflects on his actions during incarceration. The state is devastated about (Kaiden), she said. As Rathke was being led out of the courtroom by a deputy, he nodded at a family member, who blew him a kiss. Related Articles Federal Judge Aileen Cannon said Tuesday she had a hard time seeing any problems with the warrant the FBI obtained to search former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in the summer of 2022. While she didnt rule from the bench on the third and final day of oral arguments in Fort Pierce, Florida, Cannon appeared to side with prosecutors over whether Trumps defense can suppress boxes of evidence seized by the FBI in August 2022. Trumps attorney Emil Bove had argued that the warrant was overly broad and unjustly allowed agents to search the entire Mar-a-Lago premises. Cannon, however, said the language in the warrant, which a magistrate judge signed off on, seems to have been sufficient. I have a hard time seeing what more needed to be included in the warrants description of where agents could search in Mar-a-Lago and what physical documents they could seize, Cannon said. Trump and his co-defendants, personal aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, are facing charges of mishandling sensitive or classified materials and of obstruction in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. All three have pleaded not guilty. Bove, like in other recent hearings in the classified documents case, wants the judge to hold even more hearings that could probe into the investigators work. But Cannon has had tough questions. Were not talking about the search of a single-family home in the suburbs, Bove said, explaining that the 50-plus-room property wasnt approached specifically enough by the investigators when they told a court in 2022 they wanted permission to search for and seize classified documents. They purported to look for classified documents in a gym and a kitchen, he added. But Cannon challenged Boves complaints by pointing out there may not be legal issues with agents searching much of the property and finding documents in some rooms but not others. You would agree that paperwork, though, could be located anywhere, the judge said. Investigators say they found classified documents in various places at the resort, including a public ballroom, a bathroom and a bedroom. Another tense moment At the conclusion of the hearing, Cannon and prosecutor David Harbach sparred again after terse exchanges between the two on Monday illuminating continued frustration from the special counsels office with the hearings and the approach of Trumps lawyers. Harbach jumped up after Bove concluded his arguments. Trumps attorney had tried to claim, without much evidence in court, that prosecutors should have to provide information about any divisions within the FBI regarding the case or whether any agents involved in the case disliked Trump. Harbach called this an attempt to hijack the hearing. But Cannon, who was already trying to wrap up the almost two-hour hearing, was quick to cut off the prosecutor. She told him the hearing hadnt been hijacked. Harbach asked the judge whether he could speak more in open court about the defense strategy. It concerns the defenses repeated attempts to impart allegations that have nothing to do with whats before the court, he said. Cannon then cut him off, ending the hearing. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A first event gathering mine experts from EU Member States and from the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is taking place today in Baku. This initiative is part of a wider effort by the European Union to support to humanitarian demining in the country. The EU, together with its Member States, is to date the biggest international donor in the field of mine action in Azerbaijan, as illustrated by the launch of a Team Europe Initiative earlier in May. In the wake of President von der Leyens phone call with President Ilham Aliyev on 4 April, the EU is now planning substantial additional financial support to help Azerbaijan tackle the enormous challenge that explosive ordnance represent, with an additional EUR 10 million being planned over the 2024-2025 programming period. This effort is also part of a wider cooperation agenda ahead of COP-29. In this context, todays event is the first in a series to support help set up and operationalise a Centre of Excellence to share knowledge across the region. The Centre run by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action ANAMA - is expected to display specialised training facilities research and development capabilities, and to offer training programs for national and international personnel, focusing on the latest techniques and technologies in the mine action sector. Azerbaijan, who recently hosted the Third International Conference on Mine Action in Baku, ambitions to establish the Centre of Excellence in cooperation with the UN and international partners. With that objective in mind, the first workshop organised today with ANAMA under the Technical Assistance and Information exchange (TAIEX) Instrument of the European offers a platform for sharing best practices, lessons learned and innovative solutions with experts from EU Member States and partner. Experts from Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will share knowledge and long-term experience in the field of strategic planning, gender equality in mine action, victim assistance, quality and risk management, environmental aspects and new technologies. The 16-year-old boy suspected of killing retired Chicago police Officer Larry Neuman was ordered detained Tuesday after prosecutors described a brazen daytime shooting outside Neumans Garfield Park home. The teen, Lazarious Watt, was identified in video surveillance by four witnesses who knew him from the neighborhood, authorities told a Cook County judge during a detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Watt, a Garfield Park resident who has pending juvenile cases, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder in connection with Neumans shooting death after turning himself in. The defendant is a threat to the community based on his actions, Judge Antara Rivera said as she ordered Neuman be detained. Everyone should feel safe at home whether youre inside or outside, and the defendant violated that. Prosecutors said Neuman, 73, was outside his home last Thursday in the 4300 block of West Monroe Street getting ready to pay a man who had helped mow his lawn when he was approached by two gunmen wearing ski masks. When Neuman reached for his own gun, one of the gunmen fired shots. Authorities said they are still searching for that suspect. As the witness ran to escape, he saw Watt aim his firearm at Neuman, and Neuman fired a single round in return, prosecutors alleged. The masked gunmen then ran down an alley. Neuman fell to the ground after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and leg, and was pronounced dead a short time later at Stroger Hospital. The Cook County medical examiners office ruled his death a homicide. Neuman served with the U.S. Marines, retired as the longest-serving explosives technician for the Police Department and spoke out against violent crime as a pastor after he left the department, said police Superintendent Larry Snelling. Snelling called Neumans killing a brazen and senseless act of violence and said Neuman would have done whatever he could to help a teen who was at risk of being involved with violent crime. Police recovered video from surveillance cameras that showed Watt and the other suspect walking from Neumans home throughout the neighborhood. Prosecutors said the shooting itself was also captured on video from a distance, but that specific details cant be seen. Right before the shooting, another witness was riding his bike past Neumans house and saw two people exiting the alley. Prosecutors said the witness identified Watt in a lineup as one of those people. Another neighbor also observed the two men running through a vacant lot, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said that at the time of the shooting, Watt was in court-ordered home confinement after repeatedly violating an electronic monitoring agreement in a separate juvenile court case, facing charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Hes also expected to be charged with vehicular hijacking in a March incident, prosecutors said. Watts public defender, Molly Schranz, questioned the quality of the surveillance footage, and whether the identification of Watt might have been motivated by the substantial reward. She described Watt as an active member of the community who works part time and attends school, and has shown hes willing to cooperate with the investigation by turning himself in. Prosecutors said in response that there is more than sufficient video and eyewitness evidence to implicate Watt. The video captured of this defendant and the co-defendant immediately before was in the area with heavy-looking items in both of their pockets, said Assistant States Attorney Anne McCord. You know what the heavy-looking items are firearms. On Tuesday, the New York judge overseeing former President Donald Trumps hush money trial partially lifted the gag order that has barred him from speaking about the cases witnesses and jurors. However, he is still prohibited from revealing identifying information about members of the panel that convicted him on all counts in late May. There is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan wrote in his five-page order. Trump is also still barred from attacking prosecutors and court staff, although he has always been free to speak about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge. A panel of 12 Manhattanites found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels provided extensive testimony in the trial, as did Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who made the payment on behalf of his boss. The former president faces sentencing in the case on July 11. Merchans order marks a victory for the defense, as Trumps team has always been opposed to the scope of the gag order. Braggs office had not objected to lifting the ban as it related to witnesses, but wanted to preserve the sections about the jury and prosecution. Trump has barely contained his impulse to go after people involved in the trial. He was found to have breached his gag order on 10 separate occasions at one point in his trial, leading Merchan to fine him $1,000 for each instance. A total of 22 people testified as witnesses over the course of six weeks. They included David Pecker, a longtime Trump ally whose company American Media Inc. published the National Enquirer. Pecker spoke at the trial about a scheme to use his magazines to promote Trumps 2016 candidacy by praising him, attacking his enemies and keeping an eye on any information that could be harmful to Trump. Daniels claim that she once had an affair with Trump was deemed potentially harmful to his candidacy, prompting Cohen to arrange the payment. Trump denies the affair. Others who provided testimony included Keith Davidson, an attorney who represented Daniels at the time; Hope Hicks, Trumps 2016 campaign spokesperson who went on to work in the White House; and Madeleine Westerhout, who worked near the Oval Office in the early part of Trumps term. Trumps unquenchable thirst for public attacks online and in campaign speeches has a documented history of real-world consequences for his targets. People who find themselves in his crosshairs have faced threats of violence against themselves and their families from the former presidents supporters. Daniels reacted to the news that Trump could now freely attack her with deference to the judge. Certainly we have nothing but respect for Judge Merchan, she wrote on social media. His decision to impose restrictions on Mr. Trump, as it related to reckless and unrelenting character attacks on court personnel, trial witnesses, and potentially jurors was extraordinary but clearly justified given the defendants uncontrollable daily rants. We also defer to the Judges review of that restriction post-trial in the context of free speech and any continuing danger to the judicial process. My response to everyone asking me about the Trump gag order being modified is: Certainly we have nothing but respect for Judge Merchan. His decision to impose restrictions on Mr. Trump, as it related to reckless and unrelenting character attacks on court personnel, trial Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) June 25, 2024 Related... Judge Juan Merchan has altered Donald Trumps gag order, allowing the former president to comment on witnesses and jurors in his hush-money trial. However, Trump is still barred from talking about lawyers and staff for the Manhattan District Attorneys Office plus any of their family members, as well as the court itself. Merchan also said Trump could talk generally about the jurors but is prohibited from revealing their identities. The ruling is a big win for Trump just two days out from his presidential debate against President Joe Biden given it will allow him to attack his former lawyer Michael Cohen and porn star Stormy Daniels among others. The partial gag order will remain in place until his sentencing on July 11. Trump was convicted on May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying business records after paying off Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election. She has claimed the two had an affair just four months after Melania Trump gave birth to the former presidents youngest son Barron. Trump denies the claims. Merchan issued the gag order on March 26, a few weeks before the start of the trial, during which Merchan held Trump in contempt 10 times and fined him a total of $10,000 for breaching the order. He said Tuesday that the gag order was overwhelmingly supported by the record and that two New York appellate courts had also rejected Trumps attempts to have it lifted. However, circumstances have now changed, Merchan wrote. The trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged. Each of Trumps felony counts carry a maximum penalty of four years in prison, however many expect Merchan to deliver a much lighter sentence which would include no time behind bars. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said despite winning a partial concession on the gage order, the former presidents legal team will immediately challenge the decision. This is another unlawful decision by a highly conflicted judge, which is blatantly un-American as it gags President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election during the upcoming Presidential Debate on Thursday, he said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A New York judge partially lifted a gag order on Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Republican presidential candidate's conviction on criminal charges stemming from an effort to influence the 2016 election by buying a porn star's silence. The revised order now allows Trump to speak publicly about witnesses in the case and eases a prohibition on his commenting about the jury, but keeps in place restrictions on his statements about individual prosecutors and others involved in the case. A separate order barring Trump or lawyers from either side from identifying members of the anonymous jury remains in effect, according to Tuesday's order from Justice Juan Merchan. Prosecutors said last week that Trump supporters had attempted to identify jurors and threatened violence against them. "There is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors," the judge wrote. The former president told Newsmax on Tuesday he felt it was unfair that the gag order was only partially lifted. "What does partial mean?" Trump said. "The gag order has to be lifted in its entirety." Trump's lawyers argued the gag order was stifling his campaign speech and said it might limit his ability to respond to attacks from Democratic President Joe Biden during their forthcoming debate on Thursday. In the first criminal trial of a U.S. president, a Manhattan jury on May 30 found Trump guilty of covering up his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who was threatening to go public before the 2016 election with her story of a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump, elected to a four-year term that year, denies the alleged 2006 encounter and has vowed to appeal his conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, four days before his party convenes to formally nominate him to challenge Biden for president ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Merchan imposed the gag order before the trial began in April, finding that Trump's history of threatening statements posed a risk of derailing the proceedings. The judge fined Trump $10,000 for violations of the order during the seven-week trial and warned him on May 6 that he would be jailed if he ran afoul of the order again. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment. 'FREE FROM THREATS' In his order on Tuesday, Merchan wrote that circumstances had changed now that the trial was over. But he said the restriction on Trump's comments about individual prosecutors on the case, court staff and their families would remain in effect through his sentencing. Until sentence is imposed, all individuals covered ... must continue to perform their lawful duties free from threats, intimidation, harassment and harm, the judge wrote. Bragg's office last week said limits on Trump's speech about trial witnesses were no longer needed. But they urged Merchan to keep the other restrictions in place, citing safety risks. In a June 20 affidavit, the New York police officer in charge of Braggs security detail said Bragg, his family and his staff had received 61 threats in 2024. These included a post disclosing the residential address of one of Bragg's employees, as well as a bomb threat to the homes of two people involved in the case on April 15 - the first day of Trump's trial - according to the affidavit. Defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove in a June 11 court filing argued that holding Trump accountable for "harassing communications" by "independent third parties" violated his right to free speech. The order does not prevent Trump from criticizing the case or from speaking about Merchan and Bragg. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller) CORRECTS NAME: Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Houston. Capital murder charges have been filed against Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos in the strangulation death of the 12-year-old. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP) HOUSTON (AP) A second Venezuelan man living in the U.S. illegally and accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl was ordered on Tuesday to be held on a $10 million bond. Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, is one of two men charged with capital murder in Jocelyn Nungarays death. The other is Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26. State District Judge Josh Hill set the bond during a court hearing in which prosecutors said authorities found evidence on Martinez-Rangels cellphone that they allege showed he was trying to leave the country after police were looking for him following Jocelyns death. Mario Madrid, a court-appointed attorney for Martinez-Rangel, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. During a court hearing Monday, Hill also ordered that Pena be held on a $10 million bond. Nungarays body was found June 17 in a shallow creek after police said she sneaked out of her nearby home the night before. She was strangled to death, according to the medical examiner. Prosecutors allege the men took off her pants, tied her up and killed her before throwing her body in the bayou. She had disappeared during a walk to a convenience store, police said. The two men are Venezuelan nationals who entered the country illegally, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Martinez-Rangel was apprehended by Border Patrol agents near El Paso on March 14 and Pena was apprehended on May 28, also near El Paso. The statement said it is unknown exactly when or where the men crossed the border. Both were released and given notices to appear in court at a later date. Both Pena and Martinez-Rangel are now under immigration holds by federal authorities, meaning they would remain in custody even if they could post bond. Nungarays funeral is set for Thursday in Houston. ___ A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that both suspects entered the U.S. illegally in March. Martinez-Rangel was apprehended by Border Patrol agents in March and Pena was apprehended in May, according to U.S. immigration officials. The federal judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal case for retaining classified documents suggested she would deny his attempt to exclude the documents the FBI seized at the Mar-a-Lago club, saying at a hearing Tuesday that the warrant for the search had been properly granted. The former presidents lawyers had contended the warrant was unconstitutionally vague and the FBI affidavit, used to convince the magistrate judge to find there was probable cause for a crime at the club, contained contextual omissions. Related: Trump mocked for claiming he was tortured in Georgia mugshot arrest But the US district judge Aileen Cannon suggested she considered the warrant sufficiently specific about which items FBI agents could seize at Mar-a-Lago, and told Trumps lawyers the omissions would have made no difference as to whether there was probable cause. The attempt by Trump to suppress the Mar-a-Lago evidence came through a request for a Franks hearing, where a judge applies a four-part test to decide whether false or misleading statements in an affidavit mean the evidence obtained through that search needs to be suppressed. Even before Cannon, who has shown a proclivity for ruling in his favor on motions about evidence, Trumps request was ambitious because the legal threshold to get a Franks hearing is onerous. Trump needed to make a substantial preliminary showing that the affidavit had parts that were recklessly false. The evidence Trumps lawyers presented was limited to complaints that the FBI agent omitted the fact that some top FBI officials preferred a consensual search of Mar-a-Lago, that the FBI tied the need for a warrant to the National Archives, and that Trump did not need a security clearance as president. Cannon suggested she found those omissions unavailing. She asked Emil Bove, who argued on behalf of Trump: Why would it have changed the magistrate judges determination of probable cause if the omissions had actually been included? Trumps lawyers also complained that the warrant itself was too broad, arguing, for instance, that the warrant allowed FBI agents to seize any documents that fell under the Espionage Act and the Presidential Records Act, without defining the technical terms in the statutes. That meant the agents were making unilateral, on-the-fly decisions about whether they could seize a particular document, Trumps lawyers said, suggesting that the warrant should have outlined what national defense information meant under the Espionage Act. Cannon appeared similarly unconvinced by that argument. It just seems like youre making policy arguments. It seems far afield from whether the affidavit reached the probable cause standard. Im unclear what you think should have been included in the warrant, Cannon told Bove. The hearing came after a morning session where Trumps lawyers asked the judge, behind closed doors, to revoke prosecutors access to transcripts of voice memos made by Trumps ex-lawyer Evan Corcoran, which constitute key evidence in the obstruction-of-justice part of the documents case. The Guardian first reported last week that Trumps lawyers would ask the judge to exclude the memos, arguing they should not have been given to prosecutors on the crime-fraud exception, which allows prosecutors to see privileged communications if legal advice is used in furtherance of a crime. The sweeping request could have far-reaching consequences since the memos with, for example, Trump asking whether they could ignore the subpoena, or a later suggestion to pluck out some classified documents instead of returning them to the FBI are the strongest evidence of Trumps obstructive intent. Even if the judge excludes only some of the passages, it could dramatically undercut the strength of the obstruction case. In the worst case for prosecutors, their evidence of Trumps obstructive intent could be reduced to CCTV footage of boxes being moved at Mar-a-Lago by his co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, logs of Trumps calls with Nauta, and testimony about Nautas movements. The obstruction charges center on Trumps incomplete compliance with an 11 May 2022 grand jury subpoena that demanded the return of any classified documents in his possession, months before the FBI seized 101 classified documents when it searched Mar-a-Lago. The Corcoran memos the contents of which were first reported by the Guardian last year have played a major role in bolstering the charge that Trump conspired with Nauta and De Oliveira to play a shell game in hiding boxes of classified documents so Corcoran could not ensure their return. The indictment quoted the memos as saying Trump responded: Well, what if we, what happens if we just dont respond at all or dont play ball with them? and Wouldnt it be better if we just told them we dont have anything here? and Well, look, isnt it better if there are no documents? After Corcoran found 38 classified documents in the storage room, his memos recount Trump asking him: Did you find anything? Is it bad? Good? and making a sort of plucking motion, suggesting if theres anything really bad in there, like, pluck it out. Trumps lawyers were expected to argue that the chief judge in Washington had been overly broad in turning over more than 60 pages of memos, and that the instances of Trump asking whether he needed to comply with the subpoena are questions that every defendant asks to understand the full scope of their obligations. Trumps lawyers were also expected to argue that none of the commentary about Trump asking whether they needed to comply with the subpoena, or the plucking motion satisfied the crime-fraud exception because it did not amount to Trump using Corcorans legal advice for a crime. The federal judge overseeing Donald Trumps prosecution for retaining classified documents expressed deep reservations on Monday with modifying the former presidents bail conditions to prevent him from making statements that could endanger FBI agents, suggesting redacting their names in filings was enough. The US district judge Aileen Cannon also reprimanded David Harbach, the prosecutor arguing on behalf of the special counsel, saying at one point she did not appreciate his tone as he became increasingly frustrated at being interrupted by the judges questions. Related: Trump to ask judge to toss out lawyer notes in Mar-a-Lago documents case The hearing in federal district court in Fort Pierce, Florida, was a particularly bruising day for prosecutors as the judge expressed skepticism at needing to change Trumps bail conditions at this juncture and then questioned the strength of their evidence. The latest dispute over Trumps inflammatory statements stems from his blatantly false characterization of the FBIs lethal force policy when they executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago club in August 2022 and retrieved more than 100 classified documents. The order, which limits FBI agents to use deadly force only if they face extreme danger and became public after the FBIs operational plan for the search was unsealed, used standard language that is routinely used in hundreds of warrants executed across the country. But Trump and some allies twisted the limiting language to claim the FBI was authorized by the Biden administration to shoot him when they searched Mar-a-Lago, even though Trump was not there during the search and the language is standard US justice department policy. Crooked Joe Bidens DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE 25TH AMENDMENT! Trump wrote in a social media post last month. The post raised hackles inside the special counsels office, and prosecutors last month asked Cannon to revise Trumps bail conditions to prohibit him from making any public comments that pose a significant, imminent and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation. The request the first time prosecutors have sought to limit Trumps public remarks in this case was notable as it would dramatically raise the stakes for Trump. Unlike in his other cases where prosecutors sought gag orders, a violation of release conditions carries a risk of jail. The judge, who did not rule from the bench in her typical practice, appeared unimpressed with prosecutors argument. Cannon questioned why her order to redact witness identities in court filings was not enough to protect the FBI agents involved in the case, noting that she could not see anything in Trumps post that amounted to a call to action or incitement of violence. Harbach responded that redactions were insufficient because their identities would become public at trial, but Cannon immediately shot back, asking why it was necessary to proactively change Trumps bail conditions at this juncture as opposed to taking some other gagging action at trial. Cannon also questioned why prosecutors had not found any threats that came directly as a result of Trumps post. Harbach responded that the record showed some of Trumps supporters have acted on his grievances and threats were a regular occurrence in Trumps other cases. Cannon was not satisfied with his answer, reprimanding him to be specific to the documents case and the exhibits prosecutors had presented. In this case, I have 11 exhibits, Cannon said. Are you suggesting I pull facts from other cases? Because thats not going to happen. Attach them on exhibits and Ill review them one by one. And Cannon pulled up Harbach on his contention that she did not have to weigh any first amendment concerns in assessing whether to modify Trumps bail conditions because under the Bail Reform Act, judges have the power to pre-emptively safeguard the proceedings and the community. The lack of a direct link from Trumps posts leading to his supporters actions has long been point of contention for the judge, who criticized prosecutors on the matter when they sought in an earlier motion to force Trump to redact the identities of people involved in the investigation. That has been the case despite prosecutors reminding Cannon that a man tried to shoot his way into an FBI office in Ohio just days after the Mar-a-Lago search, saying patriots should head to Florida to defend Trump and kill FBI agents. But Trumps lawyers in their 20-page response seized upon Cannons issue with the causation, arguing prosecutors had failed to point to a single example of an agent working on the documents case who has faced threats because of Trumps inflammatory statements. President Trump and the defense are similarly unaware of any hostility, harassment or risk of harm directed at any agent involved in this case based on President Trumps statements, the Trump lawyers wrote. Julian Assange agrees to plea deal with Biden administration that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in US WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge related to his alleged role in one of the largest US government breaches of classified material, as part of a deal with the Justice Department that will allow him to avoid imprisonment in the United States, according to newly filed federal court documents. Under the terms of the new agreement, Justice Department prosecutors will seek a 62-month sentence which is equal to the amount of time Assange has served in a high-security prison in London while he fought extradition to the US. The plea deal would credit that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia, his native country. The plea deal must still be approved by a federal judge, but as of Monday morning, Assange had been released from a UK prison, according to WikiLeaks. Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK, WikiLeaks said a Tuesday statement. A video uploaded by the group showed a black van traveling on a motorway followed by footage of Assange boarding a plane. A federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands set a plea hearing and sentencing for Wednesday morning, according to the US District Court there. Justice Department prosecutors had asked the court for the proceedings to take place on the same day because Assange was resistant to setting foot in the continental US for his guilty plea, according to a letter from prosecutors. The court on the islands is near Australia, where Assange is a citizen and is expected to return to after the court hearing, prosecutors said. Prosecutors told the judge they anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge and be sentenced by the Court for that offense. Assange was being pursued by US authorities for publishing confidential military records supplied by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011. He faced 18 counts from a 2019 indictment for his alleged role in the breach that carried a max of up to 175 years in prison, though he was unlikely to be sentenced to that time in full. US officials alleged that Assange goaded Manning into obtaining thousands of pages of unfiltered US diplomatic cables that potentially endangered confidential sources, Iraq war-related significant activity reports and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees. President Joe Biden in recent months has alluded to a possible deal pushed by Australian government officials to return Assange to Australia, though a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN Tuesday that the White House was not involved in the plea deal. This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice and there was no White House involvement, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. FBI and Justice Department officials have opposed any deal that didnt include a felony guilty plea by Assange, people briefed on the matter told CNN. Last month, a UK court ruled that Assange had the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the US, dealing a win to him in his years-long fight to avoid prosecution in the States for his alleged crimes. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Katelyn Polantz, Holmes Lybrand, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Claudia Rebaza and Christian Edwards contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. The remains of 20 more people missing in the first Karabakh War have been identified, the statement of the Azerbaijani State Commission for Captives and Missing Citizens said, Trend reports. Furthermore, the State Commission for Captives and Missing Citizens, representing the expert group of employees from the General Prosecutor's Office, the Main Military Medical Department of the State Security Service, the Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Association of the Ministry of Health, the Mine Action Agency, and the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, have identified 20 more missing individuals from the first Karabakh War. "On June 25, the State Commission working group called a meeting with the families of the missing people. There, they received thorough information and answers to their queries about the people whose fates were made clear. Working with the pertinent governmental agencies, the required preparations are being made to arrange the burial of those people's remains. Extra information in this respect will be made available to the public," the statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Insights from The New York Times and The Guardian The News WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boarded a flight out of the United Kingdom on Tuesday after he accepted a plea deal with the United States. The 52-year-old Australian served more than five years in a London maximum security prison as American law enforcement sought to extradite him over WikiLeaks release of a trove of classified US documents in 2010, including diplomatic cables and military records. Assange will fly to the Northern Mariana Islands, a US Commonwealth region near Guam. He is set to enter his plea in court there, spending no time in US custody, before returning home to Australia. We thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom, WikiLeaks posted on X. Julians freedom is our freedom. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Assange will plead guilty under the US Espionage Act Source: The New York Times The WikiLeaks founder will plead guilty to one felony count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material, and is expected to be sentenced to five years. Assange will not spend any additional time in prison, to account for the time he has already served in jail in London. Without the plea deal, Assange faced a lengthy prison sentence of up to 170 years, The New York Times noted. But fears have proliferated about the agreement among some activists: The United States has now, for the first time in the more than 100-year history of the Espionage Act, obtained [a] conviction for basic journalistic acts, David Greene, director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the Times. Sour relations with Ecuador led to London imprisonment Source: The Guardian Assange spent years in confinement, fleeing to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to seek asylum following sexual assault charges issued by Swedish authorities in 2012. But his relationship with Ecuador soured over the seven years he lived in the embassy, leading the nation to terminate his asylum status in 2019. Quito cited a list of concerns about Assange, including his propensity to skateboard indoors and worries that he was interfering with Ecuadors relationships with other countries. Former Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno had described Assange as an inherited problem and a stone in the shoe. Julian Assange is back in Australia a free man. Heres what we know about his US plea deal WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pled guilty to a single espionage charge in front on a US judge Wednesday and walked free after his 12-year battle against extradition to the United States ended in a plea deal. The controversial figure was released from a British prison on Monday and flew by charter jet to a remote US territory in the Pacific where he officially entered his guilty plea and was sentenced to time already served. He then flew onward to Australia, arriving in his home nation as a free man on Wednesday night. The 52-year-old has spent the past five years in the high-security prison in southeast London and nearly seven years before that holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in the British capital, trying to avoid arrest that could have led to life imprisonment. On Monday, Assange agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge related to his alleged role in one of the largest US government breaches of classified materials after his whistleblowing website published nearly half a million secret military documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The plea deal caps a years-long legal saga that has spanned multiple continents. Heres what we know: Where is Assange? Assange boarded a flight from Londons Stansted airport on Monday after being released on bail from prison, according to a statement from WikiLeaks on Tuesday. Julian Assange is free, WikiLeaks said. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1,901 days there. Traveling with Australias High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Stephen Smith, Assange flew to Saipan, the largest island and capital of the remote Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific. Under the terms of the agreement, US Justice Department prosecutors sought a 62-month sentence which is equal to the amount of time Assange served in the United Kingdom while he fought extradition. The plea deal credited that time served, allowing Assange to immediately return to Australia. With Assange resistant to setting foot in the continental US to enter his guilty plea, a judge conducted the hearing and sentencing together on Wednesday in Saipan, where a US federal district court is located. It appears that your 62 months imprisonment is fair and reasonable, Judge Ramona Manglona said in her sentencing. You will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. The Pacific island chain is a US territory some 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) west of Hawaii and closer to Australia, where Assange is a citizen and traveled onto next. A photo of Julian Assange shared by Wikileaks on X, with a caption that reads, 'Approaching Bangkok airport for layover. Moving closer to freedom.' - Handout/WikiLeaks via X What did Assange do? Assange was wanted by US authorities on espionage charges connected to Wikileaks publication of hundreds of thousands of sensitive military and government documents supplied by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011. The US accused Assange of endangering the lives of confidential sources by releasing the unfiltered cables and had for years been seeking his extradition. He faced 18 charges for his alleged role in the breach and faced a maximum of up to 175 years in prison. British authorities had sought reassurances from the US that he would not receive the death penalty. From Townsville, eastern Queensland, Assange started WikiLeaks in 2006 as an online repository that would publish anonymously submitted material, including the US militarys operating manual for its detention camp in Guantanamo Bay and internal documents from the Church of Scientology. In 2010, WikiLeaks was catapulted to global attention when it released video that claimed to show a deadly 2007 US helicopter attack in Iraq. Soon after, WikiLeaks released thousands of classified US military documents relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a trove of diplomatic cables. Assange described the documents previously to CNN as compelling evidence of war crimes committed by US-led coalition and Iraqi government forces. unknown content item - Fight against extradition Assange had long argued the case against him was politically motivated, that he would not face a fair trial, and his handover would violate the European Convention on Human Rights. Free speech advocates condemned the extradition attempt, saying it would have a chilling effect on press freedom. In August 2010, Assange was accused of sexual assault in Sweden and faced an international arrest warrant. He denied the allegations as a smear campaign and refused to go to Stockholm for questioning. He turned himself in to British authorities but while out on bail in 2012 as he appealed extradition to Sweden, Assange fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy requesting political asylum. During his time in the embassy, WikiLeaks kept up its data dumps, including in 2016 when it released thousands of emails apparently hacked from the Democratic National Committee and emails stolen from the private email account of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, on the eve of the US election. But over time, his relationship with his host soured and Ecuadors president came under pressure from the US to expel him from the diplomatic bolthole. In 2019, Assange was pulled from the embassy by Londons Metroplitan Police on an extradition warrant from the US Justice Department, and spent the next five years living mostly isolated, in a 3-by-2-meter cell at Belmarsh prison. The prison has capacity for more than 900 inmates and is known for once housing infamous terror suspects such as the radical Egyptian cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri within its high-security unit. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange makes his way as he leaves the United States District Court following a hearing, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024. - Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters Support for Assanges release There has recently been increased pressure for Assanges case to be resolved. In May, Londons High Court ruled that Assange had the right to appeal in his final challenge against extradition to the US, and US President Joe Biden had alluded to a possible deal pushed by Australian government officials in April. The UN special rapporteur on torture and Amnesty International were among those who called on the United Kingdom to halt the possible extradition, citing concerns over the risk of abuse and other ill-treatment if Assange was sent to the US. Upon his release Monday, Assanges wife, Stella Assange, posted on social media, Julian is free! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true, she wrote. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, said she is grateful that my sons ordeal is finally coming to an end, in a statement obtained by CNN on Tuesday. Speaking in parliament Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was pleased that (Assange) was on his way home to Australia to reunite with his family. This outcome has been the product of careful, patient and determined work, Albanese said, adding this is what standing up for Australians around the world looks like. Former Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno told CNN he is glad the WikiLeaks founder wont be handed over to the US. Moreno withdrew Assanges asylum in April 2019, which had allowed him to stay at the South American countrys embassy in London. Among those celebrating Assanges release were the presidents of Colombia and Mexico. Assanges eternal imprisonment and torture was an attack on press freedom on a global scale, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Meanwhile, Alan Rusbridger, editor of the UK political monthly Prospect Magazine who previously collaborated with Assange, said in a post on X that it was good news that Assange is apparently free. He continued, Enough was enough. But his treatment was a warning to journalists and whistleblowers to keep quiet in future. And I suspect it will have worked. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Lucas Lilieholm, Manveena Suri, Claudia Rebaza, Katelyn Polantz, Holmes Lybrand, Evan Perez, Devan Cole, Mauricio Torres and Stefano Pozzebon contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Free at long last: Yesterday, news broke that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would be released from Belmarsh Prison, the maximum security facility he's been kept at in the U.K. for the last five years, and would be free to go home. Assange, who has been at risk of being extradited to the U.S. and prosecuted under the Espionage Act for publishing documentsan activity protected by the First Amendmentthat the government says contain classified national security information, will plead guilty to a single felony count and return to his native Australia. Prior to reaching this deal with the U.S. Department of Justice, Assange could have faced up to 170 years in prison if extradited to America. From 2012 to 2019, Assange had been living at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, caught in legal limbo and fearing extradition by British authorities. In 2019, Ecuador's president was angered by allegations of corruption made public via WikiLeaks and pulled Assange's asylum protections. The British authorities rounded Assange up and put him in Belmarsh. To plead guilty and end his legal ordeal, Assange will appear at the courthouse in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands (technically part of the U.S.), and then fly to Australia immediately after. Though Assange's case has been closely followed by advocates for press freedom, who are thrilled to see him walk free, some also caution that this is "an Espionage Act conviction for basic journalistic acts," according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's David Greene, who told The New York Times that "these charges should never have been brought." "WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions," wrote the organization on X (formerly Twitter). "As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know." In 2010, WikiLeaks published a video called "Collateral Murder," which showed a 2007 U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in which several civilians, including two Reuters journalists, were killed. The organization, which received leaks from various government and military personnel, including the now-famous whistleblower Chelsea Manning, received retribution from the U.S. government for publicizing possible violations of military rules of engagement and showing the extreme brutality of war, including the massive civilian death toll in Iraq at the hands of the U.S. Army. For more than a decade, Assange was not treated like a journalist, but like a criminal. Now, his ordeal will finally come to a close. For more on Assange's case, watch this episode of my show with Zach Weissmueller, Just Asking Questions, in which we interviewed Julian's wife, Stella. International aid money allegedly went to Hamas: One hundred Israeli plaintiffs filed suit Monday in federal court in Manhattan, accusing seven United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) officials (both current and former) of "knowing that Hamas siphoned off more than $1 billion from the agency to pay for, among other things, tunneling equipment and weapons that aided its attack on Israel on Oct. 7," per The New York Times. UNRWA is generally regarded as a humanitarian aid organization that helps build hospitals and schools for Palestinians. Other lawsuits have accused the agency of being deeply enmeshed with Hamas, but none have been so specific as to the mechanisms by which the United Nations money ends up in the hands of Hamas officials. "The suit says that in Gaza, unlike other places the agency operates, UNRWA pays its 13,000 local employees in U.S. dollars that must be changed into shekels, the Israeli currency that is used in Gaza, by Hamas-affiliated money-changers who take a cut for the organization," reports the Times. It's not clear what legal battle may lie ahead. "The United Nations, including UNRWA, enjoys immunity from legal process, as do United Nations officials, including those serving with UNRWA," said agency spokeswoman Juliette Touma. "UNRWA is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza," said Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the agency, quite pointedly in a statement issued yesterday. "In the wake of the allegations against individual staff members, 16 Member States temporarily suspended funding to the Agency, amounting to half the expected funding for the year.UNRWA lacks the resources to deliver its mandate." Scenes from New York: OK, this might be a stretch, but I can think of nothing more New York than the smoking vs. vaping discourse. Nothing repulses an Angeleno (or, worse, a Denverite) quite like clouds of smoke outside a bar, billowing toward them. For New Yorkers, that's simply a Monday night. God bless The Free Press for giving us the showdown we truly deserve: cigarettes (defended by Nellie Bowles) vs. vapes (defended by Michael Moynihan). QUICK HITS "On paper, New York's 1st Congressional district reads like a winner for Democrats. For one, it's home to more of them than registered Republicans. And its voters favor abortion access for women, care deeply about the environment and boast high levels of union membership," reports Bloomberg. "Yet the Long Island districtspanning most of Suffolk County to the Hamptonshas eluded the grasp of Democrats for a decade. It's a failure critics chalk up to the party's inability to field a candidate appealing to independents, who make up 30% of the electorate." There's been major, life-threatening flooding in parts of Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota this week. The IRS and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin just reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Griffin related to the IRS' improper handling of his confidential financial information. It is fascinating how much of the late aughts and early '10s internet has gone dark: the way our history just vanishes. for all the nuked blogs and sites, it's already impossible to source accurate writing about the early 2010s. we thought information was invincible online. in fact, millennials will be the first forgotten generation in modern history. https://t.co/6xnE37XTvw Mike Solana (@micsolana) June 24, 2024 The post Julian Assange, a Free Man appeared first on Reason.com. Julian Assange will finally be free from more than a decade of legal troubles after cutting a plea deal with the US this week - Fairfax Media/Getty Julian Assange has been one of the more divisive figures of modern times. To his supporters, the WikiLeaks founder is a champion of free speech and press freedom; a crusader for truth, justice and accountability, who defied establishment efforts to keep the public in the dark about important secrets. A hero for the ages, in the words of Matt Kennard, the co-founder of Declassified UK. To his detractors, however, Assange is anything but a responsible journalist instead a renegade whose indiscriminate information dumps put lives at risk and imperilled national security. Critics have branded some of the releases on the WikiLeaks website as misguided, irresponsible and even reprehensible. Such debate over his legacy is raging anew now the 52-year-old has walked free, having pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act. He was sentenced to time served after reaching a plea deal with US authorities. Assange the truth teller: We are entitled to know the dealings of those that govern us Assange was rarely out of the headlines around 2010, travelling the world to promote WikiLeaks at conferences and events - Bertil Ericson/Getty When Assange set up WikiLeaks in Australia in 2006, he was a relatively unknown journalist and transparency campaigner albeit one on a mission. His open-source website was designed to serve as a repository for secret information shared by whistleblowers who wanted to get it into the public domain. The websites lofty mission statement: to produce a more just society based upon truth. To this end, WikiLeaks says it has published more than 10 million classified files over the years. WikiLeaks is a giant library of the worlds most persecuted documents, Assange told German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2015. We give asylum to these documents, we analyse them, we promote them and we obtain more. Some of the secrets revealed by these documents were explosive and a wide spectrum of supporters from transparency campaigners and civil liberties activists to celebrities felt Assange was right to put them in the public domain. Among the most significant files published by WikiLeaks were hundreds of thousands of US Army intelligence documents relating to US military action in Afghanistan and Iraq. Leaked in 2010, these suggested the US military was responsible for killing hundreds of civilians in incidents during the war in Afghanistan that had hitherto gone unreported. Files on the Iraq war revealed that 66,000 civilians had been killed (a higher number than previously reported) and that prisoners had been tortured by Iraqi forces. He gave a presentation in 2010 to detail the leak of US military documents - Dan Kitwood/Getty One particularly shocking revelation came in the form of a video from a US military helicopter showing civilians and two Reuters journalists being shot dead. All this information, said supporters, told an important story about how the US waged war, and allowed the public to see what was really going on and judge accordingly. This was public service journalism writ large, said defenders of the project. WikiLeaks has revealed that we have been told a great many lies about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that there has been little accountability, the screenwriter and producer Jemima Goldsmith wrote in 2010. The best justification governments can find to shut down information is that lives are at risk. In fact, lives have been at risk as a result of the silences and lies revealed in these leaks. Reporters Without Borders has hailed Assange for exposing war crimes and human rights abuses. They welcome his release as a victory for press freedom. Making the case for its own existence, the WikiLeaks website has declared in the past: We believe that transparency in government activities leads to reduced corruption, better government and stronger democracies. All governments can benefit from increased scrutiny by the world community and their own people, it argued. We believe this scrutiny requires information. Certainly, they had information, and lots of it. In 2008, WikiLeaks published the names, addresses and contact details of more than 13,000 British National Party members. In 2015, it leaked more than 170,000 emails and 20,000 documents from Sony Pictures revealing, among other things, that the actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams were paid less than their male co-stars in the film American Hustle. But by then, Assange was already fighting off what he and his supporters saw as high level attempts to silence him. In 2010, he was accused by the Swedish authorities of raping one woman and molesting another while living there. He has always denied the allegations, which were later dropped, but the UKs Supreme Court decided he should be extradited to Sweden for questioning. Assange's wife, Stella, a human rights lawyer, has spent years fighting the extradition charges - Rasid Necati Aslim/Getty Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in west London, where he remained for seven years. He feared the real goal of this politically motivated smear campaign was to extradite him to the US to face charges of espionage. So began a protracted legal battle that kept Assange in limbo for 14 years. Appalled at what they saw as an attempt to incarcerate an innocent man and a threat to free speech and press freedom high-profile supporters stepped in to offer sureties when Assange made an unsuccessful plea for bail in 2010. They included Khan Goldsmith, the filmmaker Ken Loach, who offered 20,000 and the journalist John Pilger. I think we are entitled to know the dealings of those that govern us, said Loach. Assange the info anarchist: He endangered the lives of our troops Assange gestures to the press after being arrested inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2019 - Jack Taylor/Getty The criticism of Assange is at least as vociferous as the support. Julian Assange is no journalist, said John Demers, the then-top US Justice Department national security official, in 2019. No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers. His argument lies at the heart of much of the criticism of Assange: that his reckless publication of sensitive material endangered the lives of US military personnel and the security of the country. Assange, his critics said, showed no regard for how his actions could impact others. Names of Afghans and Iraqis who provided information to US and coalition forces were included in some of the published documents, they pointed out. Leaving Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in 2011 after a hearing concerning the allegations made against him in Sweden - Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo Both soldiers and citizens were put at serious risk of harm, torture and death, said the US authorities, who charged him with 18 offences under the Espionage Act of 1917. Human rights activists, religious leaders and dissidents in repressive regimes were also exposed by some of the diplomatic cables leaked on his site. Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Mike Pence, the former Republican vice-president, wrote on Tuesday. Meanwhile, James Clapper, a former US director of national intelligence, told CNN: Hes paid his dues. As time went on, even some of Assanges early supporters fell away, including some of the journalists who had worked with him. James Ball, a former WikiLeaks employee and no fan of Assange (in his own words), wrote in The Atlantic in 2019: You do not have to spend a long time in a room with Julian Assange to realise that he will be difficult. It takes a little longer, though, to realise just how difficult dealing with him can be. Ball went on to detail how the journalists Assange worked with wanted to redact information in the leaked documents that could put innocent people at risk, while WikiLeaks wanted to publish everything regardless. Under house arrest near Bungay, England, before he sought refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy - AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth In the run-up to the US presidential election in 2016, WikiLeaks released a cache of damaging emails hacked from the account of John Podesta, the campaign boss for Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. The documents had been stolen by Russian government hackers. The following year, Mike Pompeo, the then CIA director, said: It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia. Assange had just published an opinion piece in the Washington Post, in which he wrote: WikiLeakss sole interest is expressing constitutionally protected truths. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act. The WikiLeaks account on X, formerly Twitter, has announced his release after being granted bail by the High Court in London. It also tweeted a video that appears to show Assange boarding a plane at Stansted Airport. The WikiLeaks founder and former editor-in-chief is expected to appear in a courtroom in the US Northern Mariana Islands on June 26 in order to finalize his plea deal with the US government. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 According to a letter from the US Department of Justice obtained by The Washington Post, Assange is specifically pleading guilty to "conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States." He will also be returning to Australia, his country of citizenship, right after the proceedings. CBS News reports that Justice Department prosecutors recommended a sentence of 62 months, and seeing as Assange already spent more than five years in a UK prison, he won't be spending any time behind bars in the US. Assange was the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks when the website published US classified information, obtained by whistleblower and former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning, about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2010, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of sexual assault by two women. Swedish authorities dropped their investigation into the rape allegations in 2017. Assange sought asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after losing his appeal against the warrant, and he lived there for seven years until he was evicted. Lenin Moreno, the president of Ecuador at the time, explained that his asylum was "unsustainable and no longer viable" because he displayed "discourteous and aggressive behavior." London's Metropolitan Police Service removed Assange from the embassy and arrested him on behalf of the US under an extradition warrant. In WikiLeaks' announcement of his release, it said Assange left Belmarsh maximum security prison "after having spent 1,901 days there." The organization said that the "global campaign" by "press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum" enabled "a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice" that led to the plea deal. Julian Assange walks free after making deal with US to plead guilty in remote Pacific island court Julian Assange walked free after pleading guilty to espionage in a remote US court in the Pacific, concluding more than a decade of legal struggles with the worlds most powerful country. The 52-year-old Wikileaks founder was sentenced on Tuesday afternoon by a federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands, a remote Pacific territory of the US, fulfilling his end of a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. Assange left on a plane bound for Canberra, Australia, after the hearing and was expected to arrive at around 7.30pm local time. Assange was sentenced to five years in prison, minus five years already served in the UK while fighting extradition to the US. That means he is free to return to his wife and children in his native Australia. During the three-hour-long hearing, he admitted guilt to a single felony count for publishing US military secrets but said he had believed the US Constitutions First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities. It appears your 62 months ... was fair and reasonable and proportionate to Ms Mannings actual prison time, said the judge referring to the seven years served by US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. With this pronouncement, it appears you will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man. I hope there will be some peace restored, the judge added. Now there is some peace you need to restore with yourself when you walk out and pursue your life as a free man. Assange left court without speaking to reporters and according to WikiLeaks was set to fly on a chartered jet to Australia. Earlier, he was asked by judge Ramona Manglona whether he was pleading guilty because he is in fact guilty of that charge, he took a long pause and then said: I am. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaves the US Federal Courthouse in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) But he was defiant when pressed by Judge Manglona to explain more, saying he was working as a journalist when he encouraged Manning to share classified information, and that he believed its publication would be protected by the First Amendment. I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case, given all the circumstances, Assange said. After his release, the US Department of Justice released a lengthy statement and said that Assange would not be allowed to fly back into the US as part of the plea deal. Following the imposition of sentence, he will depart the United States for his native Australia. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission, it said. Jennifer Robinson, legal counsel for Assange, told the press outside the court, said it was a historic day but the case set a dangerous precedent which should be a concern to journalists and people around the world. The US is seeking to exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction over all of you without giving you constitutional free speech protections, and anyone who cares about free speech and democratic accountability should stand against it, she said. Ms Robinson thanked the Australian government for its years of diplomacy in securing Assanges release. It is a huge relief to Julian Assange, to his family, to his friends, to his supporters and to us and to everyone who believes in free speech around the world that he can now return home to Australia and be reunited with his family, she said. The self-taught computer expert had previously spent seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in order to avoid being investigated for rape by Swedish authorities, which he has always denied. Assange declined to address the judge over his sentencing, as his lawyers described it as an unprecedented prosecution and said that he had suffered significant consequences and deserved no more prison time. As he entered the court on Tuesday, accompanied by Australias ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd, Assange appeared to be wearing a necktie by Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler likely a tribute to Westwoods longstanding support and friendship before her death in 2022. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaves the US Federal Courthouse in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, on June 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to a single count of conspiracy (AFP via Getty Images) It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long, said Assanges wife Stella on Tuesday. It had become normalized. I am grateful to the people who made this possible, but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Overall I am elated, but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. It was a subdued end to more than a decade of legal struggles between a globe-trotting activist publisher hailed by some as a hero of government transparency and condemned by Western officials intent on keeping their secrets. None other than Joe Biden described him as closer to a high-tech terrorist than a whistleblower, while some American pundits openly called for his assassination. The charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during the first term of Barack Obamas presidency. Between 2009 and 2011, under Assanges leadership, WikiLeaks published numerous classified US government materials leaked by Chelsea Manning, including an infamous video of an American helicopter strike in Iraq that killed two Reuters journalists and two children. The disclosures made him among the most famous and most wanted people in the world, with supporters hailing him as a hero of transparency and freedom of the press while Western politicians accused him of endangering national security and undermining the war on terror. Even some political allies, however, said they were alienated by his divisive and uncompromising personality and by his decision to publish some documents unredacted, potentially putting informants and other individuals at risk. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at the US district court in Saipan, June 26, 2024 (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji) Nevertheless, the US government did not formally indict him until 2019, when officials under then-president Donald Trump charged him with espionage for his work with Manning. By then, Assange had finally been jailed by British authorities for breaking bail while awaiting extradition to Sweden back in 2012. His lawyers had called the allegations a honeytrap engineered by dark forces, arguing that sending him to Sweden could lead to him being extradited in turn to America. When he lost that point in court, he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy, remaining there for seven years until the Ecuadorian government revoked his asylum and turfed him out in 2019. Swedish prosecutors eventually discontinued their investigation, saying that, although the alleged victims claim was credible, the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question. Assange denied all of the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. Regardless, advocates for press freedom have frequently expressed concern about the espionage charges and the plea deal itself, saying that publishing classified documents is an essential part of holding the powerful to account. In recent years, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese began campaigning for Assanges release, arguing that it served no purpose to keep him incarcerated. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, said WikiLeaks in a statement on Monday. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized. Julian Assange Leaves U.K. After Agreeing to Plea Deal with U.S. Government The WikiLeaks founder was seen boarding a flight from London Stansted Airport on Monday, June 24 WikiLeaks/AFP via Getty Julian Assange on June 25 Julian Assange was seen boarding a plane at London Stansted Airport on Monday, June 24 He is expected to appear in court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, on Wednesday, June 26, after reaching a plea deal with the U.S. government "I'm just elated. Frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real," Assange's wife Stella told the BBC Julian Assange, the polarizing activist and WikiLeaks founder, has been released from a British prison and is en route back to his home country of Australia after reaching a plea deal with the U.S. government. On Monday, June 24, following a 13-year legal battle, Assange, 52, left London's Belmarsh Prison and is on his way to resolving the years-long case, per a release shared by the Crown Prosecution Service. According to the Associated Press, Assange landed in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday, June 25, for refueling before continuing his journey to Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands; a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. This is where Assange is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, June 26, the publication stated. Per The Telegraph, papers filed on June 24 stated the U.S. Justice Department had agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him. The AP stated that Assange was now expected to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defense information, per a letter filed in court. WikiLeaks/AFP via Getty Julian Assange boards a plane from London Stansted Airport on June 24, 2024. Assange is expected to be sentenced to 62 months in jail, according to Sky News, but the 62 months he's already spent in prison in London will count as time served. The guilty plea must now be approved by a federal judge. The hearing will take place in Saipan due to Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and how close the court is to Australia, per the AP. Assange was seen boarding a flight at London Stansted Airport at 5 p.m. local time on June 24 in a video posted by WikiLeaks on X (formerly known as Twitter). Assange's wife Stella told the BBC of her husband's plea deal, "I mean, I'm just elated. Frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real." "The important thing here is that the deal involved time served that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will happen some time tomorrow," she told the outlet on June 25. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Julian Assange arrives in Bangkok following his release from prison - @WikiLeaks/PA Julian Assange has paid his dues over his WikiLeaks disclosures, according to the former US director of national intelligence. Assange left the UK on Monday after his release from prison following a plea deal brokered with US authorities. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. The US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. The journalist will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, with the five years he has spent incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh counting towards that period. James Clapper, who was US director of national intelligence when Assange leaked documents in 2010, told CNN: I actually think this came out pretty well critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage. The law enforcement and intelligence community would not have bought into this without that. Hes paid his dues. There was a damage assessment done at the time - there was concern but I dont recall direct proof that assets in Afghanistan and Iraq supporting or helping the US were exposed. Assange will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. It follows WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In a court order released on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Julian Assange had left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after a plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday, June 26 2024, after which the United States has undertaken to withdraw the extradition request. They also said that the lawyers for Assange and the US authorities would need to provide an agreed document related to the pending extradition appeal proceedings by Friday afternoon. Stella Assange said her husband will be a free man once a plea deal with the US is signed off by a judge. Asked if the case involved Assange pleading guilty to one charge, Stella Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Yes, the charge concerns the Espionage Act, and obtaining and disclosing national defence information. Mrs Assange, a lawyer who has worked on her husbands legal team, added: The important thing here is that the deal involved time served - that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will happen some time tomorrow. 01:45 PM BST Thats all for today Thats all for now. Thanks for following our live blog. Here is a summary of what has happened today: Julian Assange was released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia and former high commissioner to the UK said this was an appropriate way to bring the saga to an end Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia Julian Assanges wife Stella Assange told the BBC she is elated and feels a whirlwind of emotion following his release from Belmarsh Prison Assange landed in Bangkok at around noon local time Mike Pence, the former US vice president, criticised Assanges plea deal, calling it a miscarriage of justice James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence when Assange leaked documents in 2010, said the journalist had paid his dues 01:00 PM BST Assange release victory for journalists, says industry organisation Julian Assanges release from prison is a victory for journalists around the world, according to journalist organisations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) described the development as a significant victory for media freedom. A statement said: The dropping of 17 of the 18 charges that he faced avoids the criminalisation of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality. IFJ president Dominique Pradalie said: Julian Assange is free. Victory for the right to inform and to be informed. Victory for journalists around the world. IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger added: The attempted prosecution of Julian Assange cast a dark shadow over journalists, particularly those who cover national security issues. Had Assange gone to prison for the rest of his life, any reporter handed a classified document would fear facing a similar fate. 12:50 PM BST Assange released from prison after reaching plea agreement 12:12 PM BST Plea agreement signed on June 19 In a court order released on Tuesday, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said Julian Assange had left the jurisdiction of England and Wales at 6.36pm on Monday, after a plea agreement was signed on June 19. The judges added that it was anticipated that a plea will be entered and accepted on Wednesday June 26 2024, after which the United States have undertaken to withdraw the extradition request. They also said that the lawyers for Assange and the US authorities would need to provide an agreed document related to the pending extradition appeal proceedings by Friday afternoon. 12:10 PM BST Assange bail hearing held in private, says Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service said a bail hearing for Julian Assange was held in private last Thursday. Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: Thirteen-and-a-half years and two extradition requests after he was first arrested, Julian Assange left the UK yesterday, following a bail hearing last Thursday, held in private at his request. I am proud of the way our extradition unit has dealt with this case. They have acted with expertise and skill, under international scrutiny, to provide legal advice to both the Swedish and US authorities. This case has absorbed considerable time and resource from the criminal justice system over many years. The intended outcome of the plea agreement will be to accomplish the primary objective of delivering justice. It will also save the continuing substantial resource outlay involved in litigating this matter further in England. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the CPS, said: This has been a highly complex matter involving advising and representing the Swedish and US authorities. In this period, the CPSs extradition unit has faced and dealt with novel and challenging legal issues. Mr Assange has also utilised all the legal protections available to him. This has culminated in facilitating the arrangements necessary to enable Mr Assange to leave the UK legally and safely. 11:44 AM BST Huge burden lifted following Assange release, says father Julian Assanges freedom has lifted a huge burden from his family, his father John Shipton told the PA news agency. 11:22 AM BST Telegraph readers give their thoughts on Assange deal 11:02 AM BST Comment: Assange isnt a hero, but a Left-wing dupe who damaged national security I for one will not be celebrating Julian Assanges plea deal. Assange is no hero to me and to many other veterans in this country, and the US, who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere to protect our democracy. He is but a Left-wing dupe who damaged our national security and that of our allies, putting lives at risk. Read the full article by Hamish De Bretton-Gordon here. 10:31 AM BST Assange has paid his dues, says former US director of national intelligence James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence when Assange leaked documents in 2010, said the journalist had paid his dues. Mr Clapper told CNN: I actually think this came out pretty well critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage. The law enforcement and intelligence community would not have bought into this without that. Hes paid his dues. There was a damage assessment done at the time - there was concern but I dont recall direct proof that assets in Afghanistan and Iraq supporting or helping US were exposed. 10:15 AM BST Mike Pence criticises Assange deal Mike Pence, the former US vice president, has criticised Assanges plea deal. He called it a miscarriage of justice, adding that Mr Assange should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the... national security of the United States. Ever. 10:05 AM BST Recap: Julian Assange leaves UK after plea deal Julian Assange has left the UK following his release from prison thanks to a plea deal brokered with US authorities over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Mr Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday morning and boarded a flight from Stansted Airport before landing at Bangkok airport to refuel at around noon local time on Tuesday. Court papers filed by the US Justice Department show Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defence information. The US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. He will return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday morning local time in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific. It follows WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. 09:39 AM BST Assange paying $500,000 for a flight to Australia Julian Assange is paying half a million US dollars for the flight which is taking him to Australia, his wife Stella told the PA news agency. 09:37 AM BST Assange release marks new chapter, says wife Julian Assanges wife Stella said the couple wanted to start this new chapter following her husbands release from prison. Asked what the couple plan to do now, Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: We havent even had an opportunity to have a long conversation about this and I think we dont even know. The priority now is for Julian to get healthy again. Hes been in a terrible state for five years. To just be in contact with nature, thats what we both desire for now. And to have time and privacy and just start this new chapter. Asked about her family life, Ms Assange, a lawyer who has worked on her husbands legal team, said: Its always been quite extraordinary but I am just so emotional now that this is finally over. 09:21 AM BST Assanges children are not yet aware of his release Julian Assanges wife Stella said the couples children are not yet aware that their father has been released from prison. Asked if she had told their children, Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: Not yet. All I told them was that there was a big surprise and on the morning that we left, I told them we were heading to the airport and we got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on. They still dont know - weve been very careful because obviously no one can stop a five and a seven-year-old from shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. And because of the sensitivity around the judge having to sign off the deal, weve been very careful - just gradually, incrementally telling them information. Theyre very excited to be in Australia though. Ms Assange said she would tell her children about their fathers release before they see him. She added: Theyve never seen him outside of Belmarsh. All their interactions with Julian have been in a single visitors room inside Belmarsh Prison. Its always been for a little more than an hour at a time. Its been very restrictive. He cant walk around, he cant go to the tuck shop - he wasnt able to go to the tuck shop and buy a chocolate or anything. You see, I have to change my tenses now - its been so long that Im not used to talking about Julian free in the present. 09:11 AM BST Pictured: Assange speaks from Stansted airport to wife in Australia via video call Julian Assange speaks from Stansted airport to his wife in Sydney, Australia, via video call - Stella Assange/REUTERS 09:08 AM BST Stella Assange says interesting plea deal with US will be made public Julian Assanges wife Stella said her husbands interesting plea deal with the US will be made public. Ms Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: The deal itself will be made public and I think its a very interesting deal. Im sorry, I cant really talk about it in detail. I certainly have views about the deal but I dont want to jeopardise anything. Ms Assange added: I was having discussions with Julian about his freedom. And for me as his wife, and all of our family, the priority has always been that Julian should be able to be free - to regain his freedom. And he has been in Belmarsh Prison for over five years in relation to this outrageous case, which is criminalising the publication and disclosure of information that incriminates states. 09:06 AM BST Pictured: Julian Assange Interpol appeal Interpol appeal for the arrest of the editor-in-chief of Julian Assange - Getty Images 08:46 AM BST Stella Assange says husband will be a free man once deal signed off Stella Assange said her husband will be a free man once a plea deal with the US is signed off by a judge. Asked if the case involved Mr Assange pleading guilty to one charge, Stella Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: Yes, the charge concerns the Espionage Act, and obtaining and disclosing national defence information. Ms Assange, a lawyer who has worked on her husbands legal team, added: The important thing here is that the deal involved time served - that if he signed it, he would be able to walk free. He will be a free man once it has been signed off by a judge and that will happen some time tomorrow. 08:44 AM BST Stella Assange says there is an agreement in principle between US DoJ and husband The wife of Julian Assange said there was an agreement in principle between her husband and the US Department of Justice. Stella Assange told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: What there is, is an agreement in principle between Julian and the Department of Justice. And that has to be signed off by a judge in these Northern Mariana Islands which is in the Pacific Ocean where he is going to be headed, but hes currently in Bangkok on a layover. And once the judge signs off on it, then it is formally real. So Im also a little bit limited as to what I can say right now about the agreement in principle. 08:25 AM BST Stella Assange elated following WikiLeaks founder release Julian Assanges wife Stella Assange told the BBC she is elated and feels a whirlwind of emotion following his release from Belmarsh Prison after reaching a plea deal with the US over an espionage charge. She told BBC Radio 4: Its a whirlwind of emotions. I mean Im just elated. Its just incredible. Asked about the conversations that led to his release, Ms Assange said: Well, its been so touch and go, we werent really sure until the last 24 hours that it was actually happening. We were talking about - I dont know what he needed to do and take from his cell and I also had to pack things up, and head out to Australia 24 hours before he left. So its just been non-stop for the past, I think, 72 hours. 08:22 AM BST Pictured: Plane carrying Assange seen on tarmac at Bangkok airport Plane carrying Assange seen on tarmac at Bangkok airport - NARONG SANGNAK/Shutterstock 08:19 AM BST What did Julian Assange do? Timeline of the Wikileaks legal saga Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail in what will likely be the last legal twist of a complex and high-stakes battle with the courts that has run for more than a decade. The Australian journalist and campaigner, 52, has spent the last five years in HMP Belmarsh, attempting to avoid extradition to the United States. There, it was thought he faced espionage charges that carry a sentence of up to 175 years in prison. Read how the full story unfloded here. 08:06 AM BST Pictured: Julian Assange over the years Stella Moris outside HMP Belmarsh after her wedding ceremony inside the jail to Assange in 2022 - Yui Mok/PA Julian Assange is dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2019 Julian Assange speaking via web cast from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2015 - FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP 08:00 AM BST We want him home, says Australia prime minister Speaking on Assanges release, Anthony Albanese, Australian prime minister told the nations parliament on Tuesday we want him brought home to Australia. He said: Ive been very clear as both the Labour leader and opposition, but also as prime minister that - regardless of the views that people have about Mr Assanges activities - the case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia. Mr Albanese added that Australian diplomatic forces have engaged and advocated Australias interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome, which he took up early in his role after being elected prime minister in 2022. He added: I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time. 07:58 AM BST WikiLeaks statement announcing Assange Belmarsh departure In a statement posted on X just after midnight on Tuesday, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday morning after having spent 1,901 days there. The statement continued: He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. 07:53 AM BST Julian Assange released from prison after reaching plea deal with US Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Papers filed in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Monday revealed Mr Assange will plead guilty to one felony charge in exchange for his immediate freedom. Read the full story here. 07:50 AM BST Watch: Assange boards plane at Stansted airport 07:49 AM BST Assange has admitted to a very serious offence, says former foreign secretary of Australia Alexander Downer, the former foreign secretary of Australia and former high commissioner to the UK, told BBC Radio 4: I think but I dont know that the Australian government has had discussions with the Americans about it and I think its probably fair to say they have wanted this saga to come to an end. And this is an appropriate way for it to be brought to an end. The plea bargain is such that Julian Assange has admitted his guilt in this case to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information which is an extremely serious offence, so hes pleaded guilty to that. And the time he has spent in jail in the UK will be taken into account in determining his release, but I dont think we should walk past the fact that it is a very serious charge that hes admitted to, so in that sense, its no doubt appropriate. He added: Hes pleaded guilty. Thats part of the plea bargain. So the fact is, we can now satisfactorily say he was guilty of a very serious offence. 07:09 AM BST Assange released on bail after plea deal Julian Assange has been released from prison on bail and will return to Australia after reaching a plea deal with the US government over his WikiLeaks disclosures. Papers filed in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean, on Monday revealed Mr Assange will plead guilty to one felony charge in exchange for his immediate freedom. The US Justice Department has agreed to drop 18 espionage charges against him instead charging him only with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. Under the terms of the deal, the journalist will be sentenced to 62 months in prison, but the five years he has already spent incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh in the UK will count against that period. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Through its projects, the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) aims to assist Azerbaijan in achieving its national agenda aligning with the goals of COP29, Ludger Schuknecht, Vice President, Corporate Secretary at AIIB, told Trend in an exclusive interview. "The focus of AIIB includes climate-friendly infrastructure, supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation. To achieve this objective, we are investing significantly in renewable energy and green infrastructure, which is our primary area of focus. Additionally, we are engaged in projects related to digital connectivity, such as upgrading communication networks, roads, railways, and ports, all while maintaining environmental sustainability. We are also pleased to discuss COP29, although preparations are ongoing and the agenda is still being finalized. Our purpose here is to understand Azerbaijan's priorities and explore how our bank can support Azerbaijan in achieving them," he said. According to Schuknecht, the Paris Agreement is crucial in this regard, ensuring that all projects adhere to national commitments under it and meet high environmental, social, and governance standards. "These measures will enable AIIB to support its member countries and clients in meeting their climate objectives". "I believe that AIIB, along with our multilateral development partners like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, will be prepared to support the agendas of COP29 and Azerbaijan. It's truly fantastic that Azerbaijan will host COP29. There will be a need to implement agreements from previous COPs, and naturally, there's always the aspiration to develop new ideas or plans. I think Azerbaijan is ideally positioned to facilitate such consensus-building efforts, bring stakeholders together, and align efforts towards shared goals," the VP added. Ludger Schuknecht then spoke about the objectives of his visit to Azerbaijan. "The corporate secretary essentially serves as the link between our owners, the shareholders, and the management and operations of the bank. With this mandate, we ensure the smooth functioning of all board meetings and our flagship event, the annual meeting. We also prioritize member satisfaction, particularly ensuring that our board of directors is content. Lastly, it's important to note that the corporate secretary at AIIB upholds high governance standards to maintain integrity in governance. COP29 is certainly the main event here in Azerbaijan. However, COP29 is one of the reasons I'm here. Another reason is the importance of visiting our shareholders periodically. This is my first visit, primarily because COVID-19 prevented us from traveling to meet our members, resulting in a backlog that we are now addressing. Additionally, we have the annual meeting in Uzbekistan scheduled for late September this year, which is nearby. We hope Azerbaijan will host a preparatory event for these annual meetings and ensure strong representation there". Further speaking, Schuknecht noted that AIIB works to contribute to the development of green finance in global financial markets. "On the financial side, AIIB upholds high standards in environment, social, and governance criteria and requires Paris alignment. All the bonds we issue and the financing we provide are green and sustainable. Through our financing activities and fundraising efforts, we contribute to the development of green finance in global financial markets". He explained that the bank, through its projects, engages in financial intermediation, which involves financing projects directly, as well as financing banks and other financial intermediaries. "We provide equity, loans, and finance bonds to enable these institutions to finance high-quality, climate-friendly infrastructure. For example, one of our projects involves investing in adaptation by providing equity to companies striving to enhance climate change adaptation. We also manage a bond fund focused on purchasing bonds exclusively from firms that meet AIIB's ESG standards," the VP explained. Moreover, AIIB supports companies in improving their standards and developing markets for green products, Schuknecht added. "For instance, we participate in securitization and equity investments. These financial instruments play a crucial role in promoting the transition to greener economies". "We serve all our members. We have clients in middle-income countries and even some in higher-income countries. However, we are also committed to ensuring that low-income countries have access to funding from our bank. We need to balance this with the overall risk of our portfolio, so we can only allocate a limited amount of financing to such countries. Therefore, we prioritize working with better-rated countries for our projects," he pointed out. To support lower-income countries, AIIB provides financial assistance such as project preparation financing and concessional financing, the official added. "This support may come directly from us or from other member countries that contribute to these projects. While the assistance available for the poorest countries is limited, it does exist". Wrapping up, the VP added that Azerbaijan, by hosting COP29 and with its ministries actively involved in leading negotiations, will position itself as a leader in the climate change agenda. "Hopefully, Azerbaijan will also use this opportunity to develop and strengthen its climate-related infrastructure and capacities. Therefore, bringing people together, fostering consensus, and developing ideas under the COP29 agenda will be Azerbaijan's primary contribution in this regard. From AIIB's perspective, we are proud to be here, engaging in discussions and hopefully supporting Azerbaijan's agenda. In doing so, we aim to contribute to the conference objectives," Ludger Schuknecht concluded. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange agreed to plead guilty Monday to a felony count of illegally disseminating national security material in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department, according to court documents. In exchange, Assange will be released from a British prison after five years behind bars. Assange is scheduled to appear in federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth, at 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain and disclose classified national defense information, an Espionage Act charge, according to a letter from Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie to U.S. District Judge Ramona Manglona. Hes expected to be sentenced to 62 months, with credit for time served in British prison. The Justice Department expects Assange to return to his native Australia following his court appearance. More from Deadline The plea, which must be approved by a judge, will bring to an end a years-long battle that began in late 2009 when, according to the government, Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to obtain and subsequently publish secret reports about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables on his Wikileaks website. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2019 on 17 counts of espionage and one charge of computer misuse related to WikiLeaks dissemination of the material. If convicted, Assange could have faced a maximum of 170 years in a federal prison. Human rights and journalist groups had long urged the Justice Department to drop the charges against Assange, arguing that the public had a right to know, and that he was acting as a journalist to expose wrongdoing by the U.S. military. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) He emerged on the information security scene in the 1990s as a famous teenage hacker" following what he called an itinerant minstrel childhood beginning in Townsville, Australia. But the story of Julian Assange, eccentric founder of secret-spilling website WikiLeaks, never became less strange or less polarizing after he jolted the United States and its allies by revealing secrets of how America conducted its wars. Since Assange drew global attention in 2010 for his work with prominent news outlets to publish war logs and diplomatic cables that detailed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other matters, he has provoked fervor among his admirers and loathing from his detractors with little in-between seen either as a persecuted hero for open and transparent government, or a villain who put American lives at risk by aiding its enemies, and prompting fraught debates about state secrecy and freedom of the press. Assange, 52, grew up attending 37 schools before he was 14 years old, he wrote on his now-deleted blog. The details in it are not independently verifiable and some of Assanges biographical details differ between accounts and interviews. A memoir published against his will in 2011, after he fell out with his ghostwriter, described him as the son of roving puppeteers, and he told The New Yorker in 2010 that his mothers itinerant lifestyle barred him from a consistent or complete education. But by the age of 16, in 1987, he had his first modem, he told the magazine. Assange would burst forth as an accomplished hacker who with his friends broke into networks in North America and Europe. In 1991, at age 20, Assange hacked a Melbourne terminal for a Canadian telecommunications company, leading to his arrest by the Australian Federal Police and 31 criminal charges. After pleading guilty to some counts, he avoided jail time after the presiding judge attributed his crimes to merely intelligent inquisitiveness and the pleasure of being able to whats the expression? surf through these various computers. He later studied mathematics and physics at university, but did not complete a degree. By 2006, when he founded WikiLeaks, Assanges delight at being able to traverse locked computer systems seemingly for fun developed into a belief that, as he wrote on his blog, only revealed injustice can be answered; for man to do anything intelligent he has to know whats actually going on. In the year of WikiLeaks explosive 2010 release of half a million documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the non-profit organization's website was registered in Sweden and its legal entity in Iceland. Assange was living in airports, he told The New Yorker; he claimed his media company, with no paid staff, had hundreds of volunteers. He called his work a kind of scientific journalism," Assange wrote in a 2010 op-ed in The Australian newspaper, in which readers could check reporting against the original documents that had prompted a story. Among the most potent in the cache of files published by WikiLeaks was video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. Assange was not anti-war, he wrote in The Australian. But there is nothing more wrong than a government lying to its people about those wars, then asking these same citizens to put their lives and their taxes on the line for those lies, he said. If a war is justified, then tell the truth and the people will decide whether to support it. U.S. prosecutors later said documents published by Assange included the names of Afghans and Iraqis who provided information to American and coalition forces, while the diplomatic cables he released exposed journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and dissidents in repressive countries. Assange said in a 2010 interview that it was regrettable that sources disclosed by WikiLeaks could be harmed, prosecutors said. Later, after a State Department legal adviser informed him of the risk to countless innocent individuals compromised by the leaks, Assange said he would work with mainstream news organizations to redact the names of individuals. WikiLeaks did hide some names but then published 250,000 cables a year later without hiding the identities of people named in the papers. Weeks after the release of the largest document cache in 2010, a Swedish prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange based on one womans allegation of rape and anothers allegation of molestation. Assange has always denied the accusations and, from Britain, fought efforts to extradite him to Sweden for questioning. He decried the allegations as a smear campaign and an effort to move him to a jurisdiction where he might be extradited to the U.S. When his appeal against the extradition to Sweden failed, he breached his bail imposed in Britain and presented himself to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he claimed asylum on the grounds of political persecution. There followed seven years in self-exile inside the embassy and one of the most unusual chapters in an already strange tale. Refusing to go outside, where British police awaited him around the clock, Assange made occasional forays onto the embassys balcony to address supporters. With a sunlamp and running machine helping to preserve his health, he told The Associated Press and other reporters in 2013, he remained in the news due to a stream of celebrity visitors, including Lady Gaga and the designer Vivienne Westwood. Even his cat became famous. He also continued to run WikiLeaks and mounted an unsuccessful Australian senate campaign in 2013. Before a constant British police presence around the embassy was removed in 2015, it cost U.K. taxpayers millions. But relations with his host country soured, and the Ecuadorian Embassy severed his internet access after posts Assange made on social media. In 2019, his hosts revoked his asylum, allowing British police to arrest him. Ecuadors President Lenin Moreno said he decided to evict Assange from the embassy after repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols. He later lashed out at him during a speech in Quito, calling the Australian native a spoiled brat who treated his hosts with disrespect. Assange was arrested and jailed on a charge of breaching bail conditions and spent the next five years in prison as he continued to fight his extradition to the United States. In 2019, the U.S. government unsealed an indictment against Assange and added further charges over WikiLeaks publication of classified documents. Prosecutors said he conspired with U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Manning had served seven years of a 35-year military sentence before receiving a commutation from then-President Barack Obama. At the time, Australias then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had no plans to intervene in Assanges case, calling it a matter for the U.S. Swedish prosecutors also dropped the rape allegation against Assange because too much time had elapsed. On Wednesday, his guilty plea in an American commonwealth in the Pacific resolved the U.S. legal case against him without any time in an American prison. While he was held in London's Belmarsh Prison as the extradition case wound through the British courts, he was in a terrible state of health, his wife told the BBC on Tuesday. Assange married his partner, Stella Moris, in jail in 2022, after a relationship that began during Assanges years in the Ecuadorian Embassy. Assange and the South Africa-born lawyer have two sons, born in 2017 and 2019. ___ Lawless reported from London. Julian Assange to be released from prison after plea deal with U.S. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be freed after pleading guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department. File photo by Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA-EFE June 24 (UPI) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be freed from prison in Britain when he pleads guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department, according to court papers filed late Monday. On Wednesday, Assange is scheduled to appear in the federal court in the Mariana Islands, which is a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific. He will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court. It was written by Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie to District Judge Ramona Manglona of the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Prosecutors have agreed to a 62-month sentence, which he has already served in a high-security prison near London while fighting to avoid extradition to the United States to face charges. He had spent seven years hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Swedish authorities sought his arrest on rape allegations. He then was locked up in Britain. Supporters of Julian Assange protest in Britain against his extradition to the United States. File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI Assange is expected to return to his native Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The judge still needs to sign off on the plea. Last month, a British court ruled that Assange had the right to appeal his final challenge against extradition to the United States. In 2019, the Justice Department's indictment was unsealed, accusing Assange of encouraging and helping U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published in 2010. Assange was accused of damaging national security by publishing documents that harmed the United States and its allies, and aided its adversaries. U.S. President Joe Biden had said he was considering a request from Australia to drop U.S. efforts to prosecute Assange. Assange's website published Democratic Party emails that prosecutors say were stolen by Russian intelligence operatives. He was never charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Julian Assange to reunite with family that has only known him in prison When WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sets foot in his native Australia Wednesday, he will be a free man for the first time after 14 years spent in some form of confinement while attempting to avoid U.S. prosecution. He will also meet his two young sons for the first time ever outside of prison. Assange is due to appear in federal court in the Northern Marianas Islands, a remote U.S. territory in the Western Pacific, early Wednesday morning local time, where he will plead guilty to one felony count of illegally obtaining and classified information as part of a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors. After that, he is expected to fly to his native Australia. There he will be met by his wife, Stella and their two young sons, who have never known him outside of captivity. PHOTO: Stella Moris stands with her children Gabriel, four, (left) and Max, two, outside Belmarsh Prison, London, following a visit to her partner and their father Julian Assange, June 19, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images) When we met he was under house arrest. It will be the first time that I get to see him as a fully free man, Stella Assange told Reuters on Tuesday, after news of the plea deal was announced. Stella first met Assange as his lawyer in 2011 when he was under house arrest in the U.K. fighting extradition to Sweden on potential sexual assault charges. Shortly afterward, Assange fled to Ecuadors embassy in London to avoid the charges. He remained trapped there for seven years, facing arrest if he stepped outside. Assange and Stella began a relationship while he was confined in the embassy, and they conceived their two sons there. MORE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange expected to plead guilty, avoid further prison time as part of deal with US In 2019, Assange was arrested by U.K. police after Ecuador evicted him from the embassy and a British court sentenced him to 50 weeks in London's Belmarsh prison for violating his bail conditions related to the Swedish sexual assault charges, even though Swedish prosecutors by then had dropped the charges. Since then, Assange has spent the past five years in Belmarsh, one of the U.K.s most high-security prisons. PHOTO: Stella Morris, partner of Julian Assange, speaks to the press outside the Royal Courts of Justice following an extradition hearing on December 10, 2021 in London, England. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) The couples sons, Gabriel and Max, aged 7 and 5, have only ever met their father in visitor rooms during twice-a-month visits to Belmarsh. In 2022, Stella and Assange married in a ceremony held at the prison. Stella Assange described the visits to ABC News last summer, saying each time she and the boys had to endure searches by guards, including in their mouths, and be examined by sniffer dogs. At the time, Stella said she feared Assange wouldnt survive being extradited to the U.S. If hes taken to the U.S. I can feel it that he will never come home, she told ABC outside the prison, following one such visit. MORE: Sweden reopens rape case against Assange as WikiLeaks founder faces extradition Assange was confined to his cell in Belmarsh 23 hours a day, according to a journalist who wrote in The Nation about visiting him in prison last year. A United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture in 2019 criticized British authorities, saying the handling of Assange's case put in doubt the U.K.'s commitment to human rights, and saying his treatment in Belmarsh amounted to psychological torture. Stella Assange said the family now plans to spend time recovering in Australia, where the government has pressed the U.S. for years to free Assange. The sensitivity of the plea deal and the need to avoid leaks meant Stella decided not to tell her sons of their fathers release even as they flew to Australia to meet him, she said in an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday. PHOTO: Stella Moris, the partner of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, is photographed with their sons Max, 3, and Gabriel, 4, at a hotel in London on March 23, 2022 in London, England. (Pool/Getty Images) "We got on the plane and I told them that we were going to visit our family, their cousin, their grandfather and so on. And they still don't know, she told Radio 4. "We've been very careful because, obviously, no one can stop a five- and a seven-year-old from shouting it from the rooftops at any given moment. Stella Assange led the campaign to free Assange over the years, defending him as a journalist being persecuted for his publishing evidence of misconduct by the U.S. government and military. U.S. prosecutors' decision to charge Assange under the Espionage Act alarmed press freedom advocates and also leading U.S. media organizations, which feared the decision risked setting a precedent that could criminalize the publication of government secrets, something news outlets routinely do. Major news organizations, including The New York Times, had urged the Biden administration to drop the case. PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven into Southwark Crown Court in London on May 1, 2019. (Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images) Stella Assange said the plea deal still posed that danger to news organizations in the U.S. because even though it carried no additional prison time, Assange had still been convicted under the Espionage Act. She said Assanges team intends to seek a full pardon following his release. The correct course of action from the U.S. government should have been to drop the case entirely, she told Reuters. The fact that there is a guilty plea under the Espionage Act in relation to obtaining and disclosing national defense information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists." Julian Assange to reunite with family that has only known him in prison originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Julian Assange flies to remote Pacific island in plea deal with US over espionage WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to land on a remote island in the Pacific on Wednesday, where his long-running campaign to avoid extradition to the United States will formally end and he will finally be a free man. The 52-year-old will appear before a judge in the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands to plead guilty to one charge, after the US dropped 17 other espionage charges against him. Having already served 62 months in jail, he will then fly to his native Australia to be reunited with his wife, two young sons and other members of the family. It follows his dramatic release from Belmarsh Prison in London where he has spent five years, largely in solitary confinement, fighting extradition and a deal with US prosecutors. Assanges wife, Stella, said she had travelled to Australia with the couples two young sons, Gabriel and Max, on Sunday when it became clear that Assange would be freed. It is hard to believe that Julian has been in prison for so long, she said. It had become normalised. I am grateful to the people who made this possible, but I am also angry that it ever came to this. Julian Assange in a video circulated shortly after his release from jail in London (via Reuters) Overall I am elated, but I cannot believe it is actually happening until I see Julian. She said her husbands release would not have happened without the intervention of Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, who has been increasingly vocal in demands for the United States to drop charges against Assange. The public climate has shifted, and everyone understands that Julian has been the victim, said Ms Assange. Assange will plead guilty to a charge under the Espionage Act of obtaining and disclosing information of national importance. Assange arriving in Bangkok en route to the Mariana Islands (PA Wire) The charges against him stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during the first term of Barack Obamas presidency. Assange was accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan. The documents included unfiltered US diplomatic cables that potentially endangered confidential sources, significant activity reports relating to the Iraq war, and information relating to Guantanamo Bay detainees. The information was leaked between 2009 and 2011, the documents said, and was shared on Assanges WikiLeaks website. Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the US government had provided blatantly inadequate assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if he were to be extradited from the UK. WikiLeaks announced that Assange had left Belmarsh on Monday after spending 1,901 days there, and had departed on a flight from Stansted airport chartered from VistaJet. British authorities later confirmed that the plea agreement had been signed on 19 June, and that Assange was on a flight that took off at 6.36pm on Monday. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grassroots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations, WikiLeaks said in a statement. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. A filing from the US Department of Justice to the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands describes a plea deal involving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (via Reuters) The statement added: WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the peoples right to know. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Prior to his incarceration at Belmarsh, Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012, and was granted political asylum after courts in England ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden to face a rape investigation there. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 He was arrested by British police after Ecuadors government withdrew his asylum status in 2019, then jailed for the original offence of skipping bail in 2012. Sweden eventually discontinued its sex crimes investigation, with prosecutors saying that, although the alleged victims claim was credible, the evidence has weakened considerably due to the long period of time that has elapsed since the events in question. Assange always denied all of the allegations, saying the sex was consensual. His family and supporters have said previously that his physical and mental health have suffered massively during more than a decade of legal battles. Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soonpic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. He was indicted during former president Donald Trumps administration over WikiLeaks mass release of secret US documents. Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, gives a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London after her husband won a bid at the High Court to bring an appeal against his extradition to the US (PA Wire) Many advocates of press freedom have argued that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech. A plea deal would avert the worst-case scenario for press freedom, but this deal contemplates that Assange will have served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of free speech organisation the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world. The plane carrying Assange on the tarmac at Bangkok en route to the Mariana Islands (EPA) Simon Crowther, Amnesty Internationals legal adviser, said: We welcome the news that Julian Assange is to be released, as we believe he should never have been imprisoned like this in the first place. The fight to protect freedom of expression continues, though. The years-long global spectacle of the prosecution of a publisher for revealing alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations has undoubtedly done historic damage. In Sweden, womens rights advocates expressed regret that Assange had not been questioned over the allegations of rape and other sex crimes, which he always denied, in Sweden. Its a betrayal against the women who reported him and who have not been given a chance for legal redress, said Clara Berglund, head of the Swedish Womens Lobby. Its a chapter of shame and betrayal that ends with his release, she said. This is about a case that takes place on the major political stages, and mens violence against women is given incredibly little weight. However, one of the women who filed complaints against Assange in Sweden, Anna Ardin, welcomed his release. I have had zero power here, but Im happy that he is out, and hope he can fight for transparency and human rights without molesting women, she said. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Espionage Act by leaking classified government and military documents to WikiLeaks. President Obama commuted her sentence in 2017, allowing her release after almost seven years behind bars. Julian Assange spent 5 years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated 23 hours a day before his release on bail, WikiLeaks says Julian Assange spent over 5 years in a 2x3 meter cell before his release, according to WikiLeaks. He was isolated for 23 hours a day before a London court granted him bail on Monday, it said. The prison he was in gained prominence for detaining foreign suspects in the 2000s. Julian Assange spent more than five years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated 23 hours a day before his release on bail, WikiLeaks said in a statement on Tuesday. The WikiLeaks cofounder was released on Monday after being detained for 1901 days, from April 2019 until June 2024, in the UK's Belmarsh maximum-security prison during a yearslong legal fight over his potential extradition to the US. Assange was arrested in the UK in 2019 for breaching bail conditions after seeking asylum in Ecuador's London Embassy to avoid extradition. He was facing various charges, including those related to his role in publishing classified US documents provided by Chelsea Manning. On Monday, the High Court of London granted Assange bail, the WikiLeaks statement said, allowing him to board a plane at 5 p.m. local time and leave the UK. Assange's release was the result of a global campaign that "created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalized," the statement continued. According to court documents published on Tuesday by the United States District Court For The Northern Mariana Islands, Assange was charged under the Espionage Act with conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defense documents. US prosecutors anticipate that he will enter a guilty plea during a court hearing in the Northern Mariana Islands scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. local time, according to a letter from Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie. Britain's 'Guantanamo Bay' Before his release, Assange spent half a decade detained in a prison once dubbed the UK's "Guantanamo Bay." Belmarsh Prison, where Julian Assange was held, pictured on May 20, 2024, in London. Carl Court/Getty Images Belmarsh Prison, located in southeast London, gained prominence in the early 2000s for detaining terror suspects without charge or trial. Nine foreign nationals were detained in December 2001 and held in prison without knowing why under post-9/11 anti-terrorism legislation, according to a 2004 BBC News article. The nine men were kept in their cells for up to 22 hours a day without access to the evidence collected against them, the outlet reported. As a result, the prison earned the epithet 'Britain's Guantanamo Bay.' Judges ruled in 2004 that the indefinite detention of foreign prisoners in Belmarsh without trial under anti-terrorism legislation was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Annual independent inspections of the Belmarsh prison have been conducted since 2003. In 2022, inspectors returning to the prison said they were "encouraged" to see progress had been made since their last inspection in 2021, with reduced levels of violence and more time out of cell for prisoners. However, the latest report by the Independent Monitoring Boards in 2023 found that a quarter of prisoners spent up to 22 hours a day locked in their cells. As part of the plea agreement, Assange is expected to plead guilty to one count, with a proposed sentence of time served. The US will then withdraw its extradition request, and he will be able to return home to Australia a free man. Read the original article on Business Insider BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Iran's non-oil exports to Uzbekistan increased by 29.8 percent in value and 63 percent in weight terms for the first month of the current Iranian year (from March 20 through April 19, 2024) compared to the same month last year (from March 21 through April 20, 2023), the statistics of Iran's Customs Administration said, Trend reports. According to the statistics, Iran exported 43,300 tons of non-oil products worth $26.2 million to Uzbekistan in the first month. The statistics indicate that during the first month of the last Iranian year, Iran's exports of non-oil products to Uzbekistan amounted to 26,500 tons worth about $20.2 million. The information notes that Iran mainly exported milk and dairy products, petrochemical products, various types of pipes, glass containers, agricultural machinery, and so on to Uzbekistan. Furthermore, Iran's exports of non-oil products to Uzbekistan amounted to about 506,000 tons worth about $335 million during the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2023 through March 19, 2024). Compared to the previous year (from March 21, 2022 through March 20, 2023), Iran's exports of non-oil products to Uzbekistan increased by 15.5 percent in value and 23.3 percent in weight. To note, Iran exported 9.7 million tons of non-oil products worth $3.17 billion during the first month of the current Iranian year. Iran's exports of non-oil products decreased by 16.9 percent in value and 9.66 percent in weight compared to the same month last year. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Supporters and former colleagues of the jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have reacted with jubilation to reports that he has reached a plea deal with US prosecutors. Court documents released on Monday showed that the 52-year-old Australian transparency activist has agreed to plead guilty to a charge under the Espionage Act in exchange for avoiding further imprisonment. The agreement marks an end to 14 years of legal struggles for the Wikileaks founder, who repeatedly drew the ire of Western officials for exposing government secrets. "Julian is free!!!!" wrote Assange's wife Stella Assange on Monday evening. "Words cannot express our immense gratitude to you yes you, who have all mobilized for years and years to make this come true." Assange's mother Christine said his release "shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy". "Many have used my son's situation to push their own agendas, so I am grateful to those unseen, hard-working people who put Julian's welfare first," she said. "The past 14 years has obviously taken a toll on me as a mother, so I wish to thank you in advance for respecting my privacy." Julian is free!!!! Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU- yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. tHANK YOU. THANK YOU. Follow @WikiLeaks for more info soonpic.twitter.com/gW4UWCKP44 Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 25, 2024 A statement by Wikileaks said Assange was released from the UKs Belmarsh Prison and would soon be flying back from Australia after appearing before a US judge. Assange had been under investigation by the US since at least 2010 and fighting US extradition from a British prison cell since 2019, when the Trump administration launched a formal prosecution. He had previously spent seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in order to avoid being investigated for rape by Swedish authorities, which he feared could also lead to his extradition to the US. That affair was one of many incidents that alienated allies on the libertarian Left, while some American conservatives had already openly called for him to be assassinated. After more than five years in a 2x3 meter cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars, said Wikileaks official account on X (formerly Twitter). As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Glenn Greenwald, a journalist and lawyer who similarly worked with US government leakers to expose a massive worldwide surveillance program in 2012 to 2014, said on Monday that he was "disappointed" by Assange's guilty plea but supported the decision. "I believe vehemently that he's guilty of nothing, and that if anything he was owed a lot of compensation for unjust imprisonment," said Greenwald. "But he's married. He has two children who are now growing; I think they are seven and eight. And the ordeal that he has been subjected to over the last 15 years is almost impossible to express." He added that he believed the US government never wanted a public trial of Assange, but simply to "crush [him], physically and mentally" while sending a message to "future Julian Assanges" that "we will ruin your life if you publish our secrets." Third party US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy also hailed the deal, saying: "I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero... "Julian had to take this. He has heart problems and he would have died in prison. But the security state has imposed a horrifying precedent and dealt a big blow to freedom of the press." James Ball, a journalist and former Wikileaks member who left the organization in 2011 due to concerns about Assange's leadership described the espionage prosecution as "a risk to press freedom" and questioned why the Biden administration continued it after it was started under Donald Trump. "Neither side can really call this a win," Ball said on X on Monday. "I do not believe for a second that Julian Assange thinks he did anything wrong here. I do not believe the [US] has a win, given Assange will walk free. What a waste, and a costly one in more ways than one, this has been." A spokesperson for Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that his office was providing consular aid to Assange. Prime Minister Albanese has been clear Mr Assanges case has dragged on for too long, and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration, the spokesperson said. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the U.S. government have struck a deal to end his decade-plus legal odyssey and allow him to return to his home country of Australia this week. Assange, whose website revealed American secrets about the war in Iraq and later released embarrassing emails about the Democratic Party during the 2016 election, is expected to plead guilty to a felony charge of conspiring to disseminate classified information. Under the pact detailed in court filings made public Monday evening, he would be sentenced to just over five years in prison but would be entitled to immediate release because thats roughly how long hes been jailed in England while fighting extradition to the U.S. The case has been a diplomatic headache for the Biden administration, which has faced pressure from Australia, a key national-security ally, to end Assanges years in legal limbo. Adding another exotic twist to an already byzantine tale, Assanges guilty plea to a single Espionage Act charge is set to take place Wednesday morning in U.S. District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands a U.S. territory in the south Pacific about 2,000 miles north of Australia. The unusual venue reflects Assanges unwillingness to return voluntarily to the continental U.S., according to a letter Justice Department prosecutors posted on a court docket. The radical transparency activist harbors a deep distrust of the U.S. government. He and his allies have accused U.S. officials of plotting to have him killed with a drone. The saga that led to Assanges prosecution dates back to 2010, when an Army intelligence analyst, Private Chelsea Manning, leaked a vast trove of data to WikiLeaks including videos of deadly U.S. military airstrikes, hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and logs of U.S. military activity in Afghanistan and Iraq. Among the revelations posted online was video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. While the leaks of military and State Department records made Assange a controversial figure in the U.S. and a hero to many anti-war activists, the picture grew more complex in 2016 when his website released large volumes of emails from the Democratic National Committee and from a personal Gmail account of John Podesta, then the chairman of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Among other revelations, the stolen emails showed signs that the DNC had acted favorably toward Clinton during her primary against Bernie Sanders. Many Democrats accused Assange of collaborating with Russian intelligence to undermine Clintons campaign. Assange denied the claim. Assange appears to have been under criminal investigation in the U.S. since shortly after the 2010 leaks, but the first charges against him did not come until December 2017 in the form of a criminal complaint issued by the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. It did not charge Assange with violating the Espionage Act, but with a pair of federal felonies most often charged in computer hacking or fraud cases. Prosecutors secretly obtained an indictment of Assange in 2018 on the computer charge. Then, in 2019, a grand jury indictment was returned publicly against him on 18 felony charges, including for allegedly agreeing to aid Manning in cracking a password needed to access a secret U.S. government computer network. All but one of the counts stemmed from the Espionage Act, a law that prohibits unauthorized receipt or disclosure of information that could be used to harm the United States or aid a foreign nation. Before the plea deal was struck, Assange, 52, faced a maximum possible sentence of 175 years in prison if convicted on all the charges, although defendants typically receive shorter sentences under federal guidelines. Assanges legal travails began long before American authorities brought charges against him. In 2010, sexual assault allegations were leveled at him in Sweden, and two years later, he sought asylum in Londons Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden by British courts. He lived in the embassy for seven years. In 2019, Assange was arrested and his asylum in the Ecuadorian mission was retracted. He was then sentenced to 50 weeks in British prison for skipping bail in 2012 in connection with the Swedish charges. Assange has been in British custody ever since while fighting the Justice Departments efforts to extradite him to the United States. He was held at the high-security Belmarsh Prison in southeast London. Assanges battle against the U.S. charges dragged on for years, both in the U.K. courts and in public. In 2022, five major media outlets the New York Times, the Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais and Der Spiegel called on the U.S. government to drop some criminal charges against Assange that accused him of breaking the law by publishing classified information, something many mainstream news outlets occasionally do without legal consequences. Assanges legal team did not respond to requests for comment. A Justice Department spokesperson had no immediate comment. Assange, a computer programmer, founded WikiLeaks in 2006. The site uses anonymous online submissions to expose sensitive information about war, espionage and corruption. Shortly after the first of Mannings leaked materials began appearing on the site in 2010, the former Army intelligence analyst was arrested on military charges. She eventually pleaded guilty to some charges and went before a court martial on others. While Manning was acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, she was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her other crimes. Days before leaving office in 2017, President Barack Obama commuted Mannings sentence, allowing her release after about seven years in custody. Assanges 62-month sentence under his deal would leave him having served about 10 months less than Manning, a U.S. citizen who was in the military and had signed agreements not to disclose classified information. And Assanges sentence would be one month shorter than that of a prominent leaker convicted in recent years under the Espionage Act, National Security Agency analyst Reality Winner, who admitted to sending the online news outlet the Intercept a classified report on Russian hacking of voting databases. In 2021, Yahoo News reported that, near the outset of President Donald Trumps administration, officials drew up plans containing various options to deal with Assange that included kidnapping or assassinating him. But Trumps own attitude toward WikiLeaks and its promises of sweeping transparency was once far less hostile. WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks! he declared at a campaign rally in October 2016 as he waved a purloined email message in the air. Julian Assange is officially breathing free air. In a statement on its official X account, WikiLeaks said its founder had been released from the British prison where hed been incarcerated for the last five yearsthe result of a plea bargain he struck Monday with American prosecutors. The deal will see him avoid extradition back to the U.S., as well as further prison timeleaving him free to return to his native Australia and bringing to an end his years-long legal odyssey. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, will plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to illegally obtain and disseminate classified information related to U.S. national defense, according to newly filed federal court records. Federal prosecutors recommended a 62-month prison sentence, the length of time Assange has languished in a London prison while fighting tooth and nail not to be returned to the U.S. He is set to be credited with time served and set free, although the deal had yet to be given the final stamp of approval by a federal judge on Monday night. Assange will plead guilty and be sentenced in a single hearing on Tuesday evening, according to a letter from his lawyers filed alongside charging documents. The hearing is set to take place in a U.S. federal court in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the western Pacific Ocean. After being granted bail by a London court Monday, he boarded a plane and departed the U.K. around 5 p.m. local time, the organization said, sharing footage of the white-haired Assange crossing the tarmac and climbing up the stairs of a small plane. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE, it trumpeted in its statement. JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 24, 2024 After starting WikiLeaks nearly two decades ago, Assange ran afoul of the Justice Department in 2010 when he published a cache of classified military and diplomatic documents, including hundreds of thousands of pages related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He fled Sweden that year after local authorities separately issued him an arrest warrant for questioning in a sexual assault investigation. Landing in London, he holed up inside Ecuadors embassy there, where he would remain for the next seven years, reportedly fathering two children in that time. In 2019, the Ecuadorian government revoked the asylum it had granted Assange after U.S. prosecutors began seeking to extradite him on espionage and computer misuse charges. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia, Assange was accused of working with Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, to spread state secrets via WikiLeaks. British police, whod kept constant watch outside, quickly entered the embassy and grabbed Assange, throwing him in Belmarsh Prison on the citys outskirts while he appealed his extradition. (Manning was convicted of espionage in connection with the WikiLeaks dump. Her 35-year prison sentence was commuted in 2017 by then-President Barack Obama.) WikiLeaks said in its statement that Assange had spent 1901 days in Belmarsh, confined to a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day. It said that Mondays plea deal was the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. The organization promised more details would be forthcoming. As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom, it said. Julian's freedom is our freedom. Had he been convicted of the 18 charges he faced in the federal indictment, Assange could have been sentenced to a maximum of 175 years behind bars. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Sen. Chandler Swope, R-Mercer, appears during an August 2023 meeting of the interim committee on flooding, which he chairs. Swope, who lost his seat during the May primary election, has filed a challenge to the election results in Mingo County. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) A hearing has been scheduled in the case of a West Virginia senator challenging the results of the primary election, which he lost. Sen. Chandler Swope, R-Mercer, filed a challenge to the election results in seven Mingo County precincts after losing the Republican primary to opponent Craig Hart. The hearing will be at 9 a.m. July 18 at the Mingo County Courthouse. In a notice filed earlier this month, Swope said he intends to challenge all votes cast in seven precincts in Mingo County. He requested to examine poll books across the county and reserves the right to amend the challenge to include additional precincts if irregularities are found. According to the West Virginia Secretary of States Office, Hart won 75% or 2,152 votes in Mingo County, while Swope captured 364 and former state Del. Eric Porterfield had 344. In total, Hart won the election with 4,847 votes amounting to about 40%, while Swope had 4,384 votes, or approximately 37%. Porterfield had 2,633 or 22% of the votes. Swopes challenge includes four affidavits and an unsworn letter from Mingo County voters alleging irregularities with the primary election. Based on the voter accounts and a Republican turnout of more than 70% percent in 12 of 28 precincts, compared with an approximately 47% Republican turnout for the county during the 2020 primary, Swopes challenge says it appears many Mingo County voters were improperly given a choice about which primary they wanted to participate in, rather than being given the ballot of their respective party registration. These issues span multiple precincts, and in all likelihood, explain the unusually high number of Republican ballots submitted, Swopes challenge said. In a joint motion, Swope and Hart requested a procedural hearing around July 1 to discuss procedural issues ahead of the July 18 hearing. They noted that both have filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Mingo County Clerks Office. Anthony Majestro, a Charleston attorney representing Hart, said the Mingo commission has agreed to allow them to review the poll books Friday to see if its mathematically possible for Swope to win the election in the challenged precincts. Majestro said Swopes challenge of specific precincts raises issues of disenfranchising people who correctly voted and possibly affecting other races. Swopes argument about the high percentage of Republican votes cast in the primary is misleading, Majestro said, because it does not take into account independent voters, the number of which have increased in the past few years as the number of registered Democrats has declined. According to the West Virginia Secretary of States office, in April 2020, Mingo County had 3,291 registered Republicans, 12,691 registered Democrats and 1,987 independent voters. As of April 2024, the county has 5113 registered Republicans, 7,202 Democrats and 2,295 independent voters. It shouldnt surprise anybody that the independents are voting in the Republican primary rather than the Democratic primary, because there were no contested races in the Democratic primary no local races contested, Majestro said. Swope was one of four West Virginia senators to lose seats during the primary election last month. Mingo County Commission President Nathan Brown did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The post July hearing set for senators challenge of election results appeared first on West Virginia Watch. This image taken from a Seattle Police Department body camera shows part of anti-police graffiti written in chalk on a concrete barricade outside of the East Precinct of the Seattle Police Department, Jan. 1, 2021, in Seattle. On Friday, June 21, 2024, the four protestors who were jailed for the graffiti were awarded nearly $700,000 by a federal jury who decided their civil rights had been violated. (Seattle Police Department via AP) Four protesters who were jailed for writing anti-police graffiti in chalk on a temporary barricade near a Seattle police precinct have been awarded nearly $700,000 after a federal court jury decided their civil rights were violated. The Jan. 1, 2021, arrests of the four followed the intense Black Lives Matter protests that rocked Seattle and numerous other cities throughout the world the previous summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man. He was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyds neck for about 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading that he couldnt breathe. The tensions of that summer and the feelings that were alive in the city at that time are obviously a big part of this case, said Nathaniel Flack, one of the attorneys for the four protesters. And what the evidence showed was that it was animus towards Black Lives Matter protesters that motivated the arrests and jailing of the plaintiffs. Derek Tucson, Robin Snyder, Monsieree De Castro and Erik Moya-Delgado were each awarded $20,000 in compensatory damages and $150,000 in punitive damages when the 10-person jury returned its verdict late Friday. The lawsuit was filed in federal court against the city of Seattle and four police officers, Ryan Kennard, Dylan Nelson, Alexander Patton and Michele Letizia. The jury found the city and officers arrested and jailed the four as retaliation, and the officers acted with malice, reckless disregard or oppression denying the plaintiffs their First Amendment rights. Email messages sent Tuesday to the Seattle city attorneys office, Seattle police and the police guild seeking comment were not immediately returned. On New Years Day 2021, the four protesters had used chalk and charcoal to write messages like Peaceful Protest and Free Them All on a temporary barricade near the police departments East Precinct. Body cam images introduced at trial showed at last three police cruisers responded to the scene to arrest the four for violating the citys anti-graffiti laws. The four spent one night in jail, but they were never prosecuted. Flack said testimony presented at trial showed police dont usually enforce the law banning the use of sidewalk chalk. In fact, attorneys showed video of officers writing I (heart) POLICE with chalk on a sidewalk at another event in Seattle. Flack said it was also unusual the four were jailed because it came during an outbreak of COVID-19 and only the most serious offenders were to be incarcerated. These officers were doing what they called the protester exception, which meant that if youre a protester, if you have a certain message or a certain kind of speech that youre putting out there, then they will book you into jail, Flack said. The jury not only found that the individual officers were doing that, but that there was actually a broader practice that the city leadership knew about and was responsible for as well, he said. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said this should be a warning and a lesson to police officers and other government officials across the county who violate the First Amendment rights of citizens. This was a content-based and viewpoint-based law enforcement decision that resulted in our clients being locked up for what they had to say, Flack said. The important thing here is that the police cannot jail people for the content of their speech. ___ Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska. A jury convicted a Chicago teen of murder late Tuesday in a Gary boys slaying. Kriston Barbee, 18, faced a six-day trial for Orie Dodsons Feb. 15, 2023 death. The jury deliberated for about four hours. He was also convicted of a criminal gang enhancement, but acquitted on a gun enhancement. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 1. The moment Dodson disrespected a dead gang member over Instagram Live to members of the 49th Avenue Boys, he was a marked target, prosecutors said. Days later, Dodson was found shot three times in the back in front of Garys Power & Light Church, 1351 Lincoln St. That was Orie signing his death warrant, Deputy Prosecutor Tim Brown told jurors in closing arguments. Prosecutors allege Barbee, co-defendants Dahvee Brunson and Elijah Porter went sliding targeted Dodson in a drive-by shooting. Like Barbee, the pair face a murder charge from the case, plus firearm and criminal gang enhancements. Authorities believe on a two-way Instagram Live video, Dodson was disrespecting Julius Chop James IV, 24 a revered and untouchable figure in the 49th Avenue Boys gang, according to court records. James was gunned down in Gary on Feb. 11, 2019. In closing arguments, Brown argued Barbees role in Dodsons death was mapped out in cell phone location data that put him at the crime scene, texts, Instagram Live videos and rap lyrics he recorded on gang life. The day after Dodsons death, Barbee texted the boy was Playing GROWN MAN GAMES BABY, then adding Delete that, court records show. It was actually Barbee who was, Brown said, helping to gun down a kid. The texts cited a news article that someone left a gun clip at the crime scene. How would he know that if he wasnt there and he wasnt the third shooter, he asked. Brown said those recorded rap lyrics provided a window into his mindset. Some appeared to show Barbee was fine with killing someone so young in Gary, the prosecutor said. We catch an opp (rival) and wipe em down (for real), one lyric read. Brown said there were no weapons recovered. He argued texts showed Barbee may have helped get rid or sell incriminating guns. Hes not an idiot, he said. Brown argued Porters former girlfriend Ladaisha Baker lied on the stand Friday to downplay her own knowledge of what happened. Defense lawyer Casey McCloskey argued prosecutors didnt have direct evidence, including witnesses who saw what happened. Have they had one, he asked. There was no camera footage of the shooting. No direct evidence the murder weapons were sold. The Youtube rap videos meant nothing, McCloskey said. There were lots of songs that glorify violence. They are saying, that has to be the crew that did it, he said. There was nothing proving Barbee was in the vehicle, the lawyer said. If they actually had a single, solitary witness..they would have called them, McCloskey said. They were woefully short on evidence. Evidence linked Porter and Brunson, McCloskey said. Barbees case was death by 1,000 cuts. Brunson and Porter are awaiting trial. During the investigation, the Lake County Prosecutors Homicide Task Force was able to uncover substantial evidence of gang-related crimes involving the 49th Avenue Boys gang including several homicides, drug dealing, illegal firearm possession and sales, and general crimes of violence throughout Lake County. The task force, consisting of detectives from the Gary Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Excise Police, and the East Chicago Police Department, conducted the investigation, with assistance from the United States Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Indiana. mcolias@post-trib.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. ExxonMobil has entered a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SK On, a prominent electric vehicle (EV) battery developer, setting the stage for a potential multiyear offtake agreement, Trend reports. The agreement, valued at up to 100,000 metric tons of Mobil Lithium from ExxonMobils upcoming Arkansas project, aims to support SK On's U.S.-based EV battery manufacturing operations. This collaboration aligns with ExxonMobil's strategic goal, announced in late 2023, to provide lithium for approximately one million EV batteries annually by 2030. It also seeks to bolster the development of a robust U.S. EV supply chain. Lithium demand is projected to surge in the coming years, driven by its critical role in EVs, consumer electronics, energy storage systems, and other clean energy technologies. ExxonMobil's planned project in Arkansas will extract lithium from underground saltwater deposits and convert it into battery-grade material onsite. This method promises greater efficiency and fewer environmental impacts compared to traditional hard rock mining. Dan Ammann, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, emphasized the significance of the initiative: "The global push for emissions reduction demands increased lithium supply, and ExxonMobil is proud to contribute solutions within the United States. Our partnership with SK On underscores our leadership in domestically sourced lithium, supporting energy security, climate goals, and American manufacturing." ExxonMobil plans to leverage its expertise in subsurface exploration, drilling, and chemical processing to produce Mobil Lithium. This will provide U.S.-based EV battery manufacturers with a secure, lower-carbon supply option. The company has already achieved successful lithium carbonate production from the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas through an appraisal drilling program and technology pilot utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. SK On, which currently operates two battery plants in Commerce, Georgia, and is expanding through partnerships with Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Group, anticipates scaling its U.S. production capacity to over 180 GWh annually by 2025. This capacity is sufficient to power approximately 1.7 million EVs each year. Park Jong-jin, Executive Vice President of Strategic Procurement at SK On, affirmed the strategic importance of the collaboration: "SK On is committed to securing critical battery raw materials and bolstering our U.S. manufacturing footprint to lead the electrification drive. Our partnership with ExxonMobil will strengthen the EV battery supply chain in the U.S., reinforcing our commitment to sustainable growth." The MoU between ExxonMobil and SK On marks a pivotal step towards enhancing lithium supply chain resilience and advancing sustainable mobility solutions in the United States. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Savannah Police Department confirmed on Monday that one of its K-9s, Officer Horus, tragically died last Thursday after being left in a hot car overnight. According to Savannah Chief of Police David Vincent, K-9 Horus died following the completion of his overnight patrol shift in the small town where he had served his community for over three years. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures from the closest recording station in St. Joseph on June 20 measured a minimum of 70 degrees and a maximum of 90. The American Veterinary Medical Association has a table that shows the temperature inside a vehicle can go north of 100 degrees in a half-hour, even if its 70 degrees outside. Multiple grocery stores in Kansas City metro to close early Tuesday According to Chief Vincent, Horuss death is currently being investigated. Due to this being an open investigation, there will be no further information released until the investigation is completed. The entire department would appreciate your thoughts and prayers, as we deal with the loss of our partner, Horus, he said. Since K-9 Horuss death, the community of Savannah and many others have been expressing their outrage and seeking justice for the loss of the young German Shepherds life on social media. The big questions many people want answered in this case are whether the police officer and caretaker of Horus will be held accountable in a Missouri court of law, if the police department will reprimand or revoke the officers law enforcement license, and if the officer accidentally or intentionally killed the K-9. The Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney Monica J. Morrey has taken on the case and told FOX4: The Andrew County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is deeply saddened to learn of K-9 Horus passing. We are grateful to him for his service to our community. I have requested a special investigation through the Missouri State Highway Patrol. I will await the results of this investigation prior to making any determination of necessary action. Major cyberattack hits Kansas City area car dealers Although the investigation is ongoing, a bill was recently sent to Gov. Mike Parsons desk called Maxs Law. It was created after a St. Joseph K-9 was killed in the line of duty in 2021 and would increase penalties for injuring and killing animals in law enforcement. It states that if a law enforcement animal is assaulted and dies, the person responsible could face a Class D Felony charge in the state of Missouri. A Class D Felony is the second-lowest class of felonies in the state and could lead to a prison sentence of no more than seven years, one year in a county jail or a court-imposed fine of up to $10,000. The name or status of the law enforcement officer responsible for K-9 Horuss death has not been revealed, nor has there been an explanation for his tragic passing. Stay tuned at FOX4 for the latest updates and information on this case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) The Savannah (Missouri) Police Department confirmed on Monday that one of its K-9 officers died last Thursday after being left in a hot car overnight. According to Savannah Chief of Police David Vincent, K-9 Officer Horus died after completing his overnight patrol shift in the small town where he had served for over three years. Multiple grocery stores in Kansas City metro to close early Tuesday Vincent said the death is under investigation. Due to this being an open investigation, there will be no further information released until the investigation is completed, he said. The entire department would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the loss of our partner, Horus. The name or status of the law enforcement officer responsible for K-9 Horuss death has not been revealed nor has there been an explanation for the animals death. Since Horus death, the community of Savannah and many others have been expressing their outrage and seeking justice on social media for the loss of the young German Shepherd. The big questions are whether the police officer and caretaker of Horus will be held accountable in a Missouri court, whether the police department will reprimand or revoke the officers law enforcement license, and whether the death was accidental or intentional. The Andrew County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is deeply saddened to learn of K-9 Horus passing, Andrew County prosecuting attorney Monica J. Morrey, who has taken on the case, told Nexstars WDAF. We are grateful to him for his service to our community. I have requested a special investigation through the Missouri State Highway Patrol. I will await the results of this investigation prior to making any determination of necessary action. Major cyberattack hits Kansas City area car dealers A bill was recently sent to Gov. Mike Parsons desk after a St. Joseph K-9 was killed in the line of duty in 2021. Called Maxs Law, it would increase penalties for injuring and killing animals in law enforcement. It states that if a law enforcement animal is assaulted and dies, the person responsible could face a Class D felony charge in Missouri. A Class D felony is the second-lowest class of felonies in the state and could lead to a prison sentence of no more than seven years, one year in a county jail or a court-imposed fine of up to $10,000. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Bobby Lamb of Kansas City, Mo. was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole in federal court on June 24. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays also sentenced the 22-year-old to pay $1,500 in restitution. Court documents reveal that Lamb was involved in a conspiracy in which five men broke into vehicles across the metro and stole more than 100 firearms, which they would then go on to sell on social media. Kansas City police investigating deadly shooting in Midtown According to court documents, the conspiracy involving Lamb and his co-conspirators took place from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021. When Lamb was arrested on Sept. 16, 2021, he was in possession of a stolen Glock 9mm handgun. On September 29, 2023, Lamb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive, possess and dispose of stolen firearms. Lamb also pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and possessing a stolen firearm. Lamb is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case, four other defendants, all of Kansas City, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing this year. Man was found shot, dead in Kansas City, Missouri parking lot Monday Drevion Hooker, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 28. Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. Roy Rushing, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Now-Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo campaigns in Lansing on Aug. 27, 2022. | Allison R. Donahue The deposed former head of the Michigan Republican Party wants a judge to reinstall her in that position. An attorney for Kristina Karamo filed a motion Monday with the Michigan Court of Appeals to expedite the request to overturn her ouster, which was affirmed in February by Kent County Circuit Court Judge J. Joseph Rossi. This comes as the 2024 election in Michigan a key swing state is underway, with absentee ballots for the Aug. 6 primary election set to go out this week. A faction of the state party voted at a Jan. 6 gathering in Commerce Township to oust Karamo due to the dismal state of the partys finances and then selected former U.S. Rep Pete Hoekstra to be the new MIGOP chair at a Jan. 20 meeting in Lansing. Pete Hoekstra, a former U.S. House member and ambassador to the Netherlands, speaks to reporters in Lansing on Jan. 20, 2024, before being elected as the new chair of the Michigan Republican Party by a faction that earlier in January voted to oust Chair Kristina Karamo. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) Hoekstra was also named by the Republican National Committee (RNC) as the chair of the MIGOP and endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Karamos request for an expedited decision on the appeal cited the fact that the Republican National Convention is less than a month away. Please help this injustice and rectify with reversal, the Detroit News reported that Thomas Hartman wrote in the filing. Judge Rossi must be reversed, and the permanent injunction rescinded, and it must happen soon with all the scheduled events on the near calendar. Karamo told National Review that the process by which she was removed was invalid. Pete Hoekstra and his conservative-imposter handlers and operatives spent last year sabotaging the Michigan Republican Party, because he and the failed status quo he represents do not want to see progress and growth in the Republican Party, she said via text. Hoekstra, meanwhile, maintains that since he took over as chair, the party has been unified. The Michigan Republican Party is united around one singular mission electing Republicans up and down the ballot this November, said Hoekstra. The grassroots state committee, donors, and elected officials are all supporting this state party and were working as a team. Karamo, the 2022 GOP secretary of state nominee, was elected MIGOP chair out of a crowded field in 2023 to replace retiring Chair Ron Weiser. Hoekstra had considered running at the time, but opted against it. Karamo had won Trumps early endorsement for secretary of state after being a staunch defender of his false claims of election fraud in 2020. While Trump praised Karamos election as chair, the former president had initially endorsed failed attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno, who also pushed Trumps disproven election claims. DePerno is now a candidate for Michigan Supreme Court, while also facing charges for allegedly tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election. No dates have been set to hear Karamos request for an expedited appeal. The post Karamo asks court to reinstate her as Michigan GOP chair appeared first on Michigan Advance. Who is Karen Read? Everything you need to know about Boston's Karen Read murder trial For the past two years, the death of Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, the subsequent discovery of his body outside of a Canton home on Jan. 29, 2022, and the investigation and trial that followed have captured public attention. And at the center of that has been Karen Read, the woman who was dating O'Keefe at the time of his death and who was arrested days afterward on charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly crash. Two narratives have emerged since the arrest. The state alleges that Read killed O'Keefe by backing into him with a car and leaving him to die. Read's defense team argues that the police and other parties have colluded to frame Read for O'Keefe's murder. Here's what to know and Karen Read. Who is Karen Read? What does Karen Read do for a living? Karen Read listens to her lawyer Alan Jackson question Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor during her trial on murder charges in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Read is from Mansfield, Massachusetts. The 44-year-old was an adjunct professor at Bentley College, teaching finance, but was fired from her job after she was arrested. Read and O'Keefe were dating for two years, according to Court TV. In the trial, the relationship has been painted as tumultuous, with arguments about "what Read fed OKeefes two adopted children, and that he witnessed a 2021 fight the couple had in Cape Cod over how OKeefe treated her," according to the Associated Press. A witness also testified that Read became angry after she thought O'Keefe had kissed another woman during a vacation to Aruba. Prosecutors say Read and OKeefe had been drinking at a Canton bar with friends and acquaintances before they got into an argument. They say she hit him with her SUV outside the home of Brian Albert, who was hosting an after-party, shortly before 12:30 a.m. Karen Read trial: Funeral for police officer found dead in Canton draws hundreds of mourners to Braintree But Read's lawyers say Read dropped O'Keefe off at Albert's home, and that O'Keefe was fatally beaten inside before his body was planted on the front lawn. They say she was then framed for his death. On Feb. 1, 2022, Read was arrested; she was freed on bail the next day. Why did the Karen Read trial go viral? The intrigue and scandal the case has generated gets the attention of the online world, as true crime YouTubers, TikTokers and internet sleuths begin following the Read case. Aidan Kearney, the Holden blogger known as Turtleboy, covered the case extensively, and was part of drawing attention to the trial. Kearney is facing multiple counts of witness intimidation tied to allegations he harassed witnesses in Reads case. He has accused some of the witnesses who testified including Brian Albert, the Boston officer who owned the home of being true culprits in the case. Kearney has publicly posted his attempts to contact some of the witnesses, spoke of many of them using crude language and brought followers to protests outside their homes. More: Judge bars Turtleboy from being present for some witnesses in Karen Read murder trial In May, Kearney was barred from covering some of the testimony in person, with the judge ruling his presence could have a "chilling" effect. The trial began on April 21, with witness testimony beginning on April 29. Who is Michael Proctor? Another person to know in the case is Michael Proctor. The defense team has focused scrutiny on Proctor, a state police trooper who led the investigation of O'Keefe's death, accusing him of planting evidence at the crime scene. Karen Read trial: How to watch Karen Read trial closing arguments live During the trial, Proctor was asked to read text communications he had with others regarding Read. These communications revealed what the defense said is a bias against Read in the midst of the investigation. Proctor was also revealed to have made crude jokes, including about searching for nude pictures of the defendant when going through her phone. It has even reached up to the governor's office, with Maura Healey denouncing the disparaging texts made by Proctor after they were revealed during court proceedings. What has public reaction been to the trial? Protesters gather on High Street, 200 feet away from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on Monday, April 29, 2024, for the first day of the Karen Read murder trial in the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Some Massachusetts residents have taken to the streets and protest the trial, calling for Read to be freed and advocating for her innocence. Previous reports by The Patriot Ledger and The Worcester Telegram & Gazette were used in this report. This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Who is Karen Read? Everything to know about the Boston murder trial Is Karen Read a rage-filled cop killer, or the convenient patsy of a vast police cover-up? Thats the question put to a Massachusetts jury on Tuesday in closing arguments of her murder trial in a case that has riveted the Bay State. The case stems from the death of Boston Police Officer John OKeefe, whose body was found bruised and battered in the snow on January 29, 2022, outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer in the suburb of Canton. Prosecutors have alleged Read and OKeefe, who were dating, had gotten into an argument that night, and that she drunkenly drove a vehicle into him and fled the scene, leaving him to die in the cold. What the constellation of the facts and the evidence ineluctably demonstrate here is that the defendant drove her vehicle in reverse at 24.2 miles per hour for 62.5 feet, struck Mr. OKeefe, causing those catastrophic head injuries, leaving him incapacitated and freezing him to death, prosecutor Adam Lally said in closing arguments Tuesday. In contrast, her defense has accused off-duty police inside that Canton home of fatally beating OKeefe, dumping his body on the lawn and then conspiring through fabricated evidence and false testimony to frame Read. Ladies and gentlemen, there was a cover-up in this case, plain and simple, defense attorney Alan Jackson said. Youll surely say to yourself, I dont want to believe it, I dont want to believe that could happen in our community, but sadly over these past eight weeks youve seen it right before your eyes. Read, 45, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision. After closing arguments Tuesday morning, the jury began deliberations at about 1:30 p.m. and continued for about three hours. They will return on Wednesday morning. The closing arguments represent the end of a murder trial that has garnered interest both local and widespread, including accusations of witness tampering, a federal probe into the investigation, and groups of pink-wearing supporters chanting to Free Karen Read. Eva Jenkins, of Bourne, Massachusetts, waves to passing cars as other supporters place a banner a block away from Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. - Steven Senne/AP The prosecutions case also has been hampered by a series of missteps and unusual investigative practices. Most notably, a lead investigator in the case, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, admitted that he sent a series of sexist and offensive texts about Read in a private group chat, calling her a whack job, mocking her medical issues and commenting to coworkers that he had found no nudes while searching her phone for evidence, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. Proctor apologized for the unprofessional comments on the stand, but the vulgar texts have been sharply criticized in and out of court, including from the governor. Its completely unprofessional, Gov. Maura Healey told WCVB of the texts. It does harm, frankly, to the dignity and the integrity of the work of men and women across the state police and law enforcement. So as a former attorney general and as governor, I am disgusted by that. At closing arguments, the prosecution condemned the texts as unprofessional, indefensible, (and) inexcusable but said they had no impact on the integrity of the investigation. The defense disagreed. They cannot distance themselves from the stench of him on this case and this investigation. Those secret group chats illustrate the quality and care of this investigation, Jackson said. How the trial has gone The heart of the trial stems from what happened on one wintry evening in Canton over two years ago. On the night of January 28, 2022, Read and OKeefe went out drinking at two bars with friends. Shortly after midnight, the couple climbed into Reads SUV and drove to the home of OKeefes colleague on Fairview Road for an after-party, court documents show. The prosecution alleged that the couple got into an argument that led to OKeefe getting out of the vehicle. A drunken Read then struck him with the vehicle and fled, leaving him to die in the snowy cold, prosecutors say. However, Read has said she dropped off OKeefe at the house and then drove to his home because she wasnt feeling well, according to court documents. The next morning, when she realized he was still not home, she drove in a snowstorm to look for him, and finally found his body in the front yard of the Canton house. Read and her legal team have alleged OKeefe was injured in a fight inside the house including being mauled by the homeowners German shepherd, Chloe and then tossed out in the snow. They argued that Read was framed for his death and alleged a vast cop conspiracy and a corrupt investigation. Prosecutors have rejected that theory. Firefighters who responded to the scene that morning asked about his injuries, and Read told them, I hit him, I hit him, according to their testimony. In addition, Reads vehicle had a broken taillight, and pieces of the taillight were found outside the Canton home, prosecutors said. From all of those people within that house that evening, none of them at any point in time observed John OKeefe come into that house, Lally said in opening statements. They saw the vehicle pull away and they just assumed that they (OKeefe and Read) left and that no one was coming. The trial began in April and featured testimony from several law enforcement officers, with some as witnesses and others as investigators. The prosecution has presented evidence that Read and OKeefe had a volatile relationship. OKeefes niece and nephew said they heard the couple yelling in arguments prior to his death, and an ATF agent testified about his romantic kiss and text messages with Read, according to WCVB. Further, in the minutes after prosecutors say she hit him with the SUV, she called his phone and left a voicemail yelling, John, I f**king hate you! The defense has sharply questioned witnesses about whether Read truly confessed to hitting him with her vehicle and have challenged investigators about the quality of their work. For example, investigators used red plastic cups to collect evidence from the scene, and surveillance video of Reads vehicle was inexplicably flipped to a mirror image, WCVB reported. Lie, obfuscate, manipulate, alter, and when theyre caught, they just excuse it away, Jackson said in closing arguments. Thats not sloppiness, he added. Thats evidence manipulation. Aidan Kearney, a Massachusetts blogger nicknamed Turtleboy, has fed the ongoing debate with numerous posts alleging a murder coverup by law enforcement and local politicians. In October, Kearney pleaded not guilty to charges of witness intimidation and conspiracy, CNN affiliate WBZ reported, after he allegedly called and sent messages to witnesses and investigators in Reads case. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Karen Read allegedly had nine drinks in three hours during a January 2022 blizzard bar crawl before prosecutors say she rammed her cop boyfriend with her SUV and left him to die while seething in rage. What shes doing is shes getting shot glasses of vodka and then pouring them in the drink, Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally told Norfolk Superior Court jurors in his closing argument on Tuesday, shortly before jurors began deliberating. Hours later, John OKeefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was found lying unconscious on a fellow officers snow-covered front lawn with a bleeding forehead contusion, swollen eyes, and initial stages of frostbite. As authorities descended upon the chaotic scene, Lally said, Read was screaming that her boyfriends death was all her fault, repeating, I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God. I hit him. But the emotional outburst was starkly different from Reads views on her boyfriend as she dropped him off at a party after the bar crawl. Shes screaming, John, I (expletive) hate you!, said Lally, who played jurors an irate voicemail Read left OKeefe as she drove away. Read, a former Bentley College adjunct professor, has been at the center of a case that has garnered national attention and sharply divided the Boston suburb of Canton. Throughout her two-month trial, 74 witnesses have been called to shed light on what exactly happened that booze-filled snowy night. Karen Reads Lawyer Goes Scorched Earth on Key Witness Read, 44, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crime, and faces a life sentence if convicted. Prosecutors say she drunkenly hit and killed OKeefe, leaving him to die in a snowbank, before returning to the scene six hours later with two other women. Her defense team and supporters insist the trial is the latest example of a tall blue wall built to protect the cops truly responsible for OKeefes death. Pick your patsy and pin it on the girl, defense lawyer Alan Jackson said on Tuesday about the investigators mindset, insisting that prosecutors have committed a character assassination of his client. In his closing argument, Jackson argued Read was being framed for OKeefes death and is the victim of an elaborate police cover-up. He insisted to jurors that the prosecutions case spreads into a conspiracy and that OKeefe was actually fatally beaten, attacked by a dog, and left on a fellow cops front lawn long after Read had dropped him off and left. The decision to pin the blame on Read, he argued, was because she was a convenient outsider from the tight-night law enforcement bubble that once included her boyfriend. Youre the only thing standing between Karen Read and the tyranny of injustice, he added. Your job is to make sure you dont ever ever look the other away. OKeefe was ultimately pronounced dead at a local hospital, and an autopsy concluded he died from head trauma and hypothermia. She seemed to be the one that was the most personally affected by it. She was the most distressed on the scene, Canton Firefighter Anthony Flematti testified about Reads reaction. Dr. Frank Sheridan, a retired forensic pathologist and former San Bernardino County chief medical examiner, testified that OKeefe suffered from bruising that suggests more trauma than just being hit by a carand that he also had scratch marks on his arm. Other defense witnesses said that damage to Read's car, including a broken taillight, was also not consistent with OKeefes injuries. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Kate Cox who sued Texas for denying her an emergency abortion announces pregnancy at Dobbs event Kate Cox, who sued the state of Texas after she was denied an emergency abortion, is pregnant again. Cox made the announcement at a a campaign event in Maryland on Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris where they called for restoring abortion access in Texas. In December 2023, Cox sued the state of Texas after she was told that she could not have an abortion despite her fetus having a fatal diagnosis. Texas is one of 14 states that ban abortion at nearly all stages of pregnancy. Although Texas allows exceptions, doctors and women have argued in court that the states law is so restrictive and vaguely worded that physicians are fearful of providing abortions lest they face potential criminal charges. Cox, a mother of two, had caesarians with her previous pregnancies. She learned she was pregnant for a third time in August and was told weeks later that her baby was at a high risk for a condition known as trisomy 18, which has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth and low survival rates, according to the lawsuit. Kate Cox at a Maryland campaign event on Monday (Getty) Doctors told Cox that if the babys heartbeat were to stop, inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her prior caesarians, and that another caesarian at full term would endanger her ability to carry another child. Cox told the court that she should be allowed to have an abortion because her doctor had deemed it necessary to protect her health and her chance of future fertility. Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now, the lawsuit read. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately ruled against Cox, forcing her to leave the state to get an abortion. Cox thanks vice president Kamala Harris, who attended the fundraiser, for fighting tirelessly for reproductive rights (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Wanted, prayed-for pregnancy sometimes ends in abortion, Cox said at the campaign event on Monday. She added: It was every minute that I stayed pregnant, the risks to my health and to a future pregnancy were growing. She went on to describe her doctors assessment as the most painful thing shes ever been told. Today, I am happy to share that Im pregnant again, she said to cheers and applause. Cox told the crowds that she is due in January, adding that she hopes, by then, it will be a world led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The mother of two also thanked Biden and Harris for fighting tirelessly for reproductive rights, and urged voters to restore our reproductive rights in November. Her announcement came on the two year anniversary of the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision overruling Roe v. Wade - eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion nationwide. Since the constitutional right to abortion was banned in the US, total bans on the procedure have been implemented in Indiana and North Dakota. Meanwhile, abortions are banned after six weeks of pregnancy in South Carolina and 12 weeks in North Carolina and Nebraska. Altogether, 14 states have enacted near-total abortion bans. Attorney General Josh Kaul speaks with reporters outside the Wisconsin Supreme Court in February 2023. (Wisconsin Examiner photo) Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul issued a formal opinion Tuesday, finding that a constitutional amendment approved by voters in April that forbids non-election officials from performing election related work does not prevent local election clerks from hiring private vendors for tasks such as printing ballots. The formal opinion had been requested by Dane County Corporation Counsel Carlos Pabellon, who said that clerks need more information to figure out how to interpret the new law, which states only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums. While the amendment seems simple and straightforward on its face, it is not so in application, Pabellon wrote in a letter requesting the opinion. Who is an election official designated by law is not clearly defined in the Wisconsin Statutes. Likewise, what constitutes a task in the conduct of primaries, elections and referendums is not defined. Pabellon wrote that there are a number of examples in which people not employed by the municipal clerk perform crucial election work. There are many tasks that are collaterally related to elections, he wrote. Most counties contract with commercial printers to produce ballots. Municipal and county IT departments assist in maintaining the security of the software and hardware protecting the election technology such as the voter registration system and results tabulated by electronic voting equipment. The vendor of the election systems provides technical guidance regarding operation and maintenance. Municipal clerks often rely upon local law enforcement to transport sealed ballots and election materials to the county clerk and upon other municipal employees to temporarily assist with absentee ballot mailings or other election preparation activities. Conservative groups had objected to Pabellons request, saying the amendment wasnt complicated. The amendment was authored by Republicans in the Legislature because of the belief that outside employees of a non-profit that provided grant funding for election-related costs were too involved in election administration during the 2020 election in Green Bay. Yet election officials had also raised questions about the laws interpretation. Members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission said at a meeting in May that they were receiving questions from clerks and were unsure what to tell them. In his opinion, Kaul found that the measure was written in response to the Green Bay case and only refers to directing or leading the administration of an election. I conclude that election official has the same meaning in the new constitutional provision as it has in the statutes, and that a task in the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum refers to work in directing or leading the administration of an election, Kaul wrote. The legislative record shows that the provision was proposed in response to the perception that a local election official had lost control of the oversight of an election. Article III, section 7(2) does not apply to more ordinary circumstances in which an election official works with or is assisted by non-election officials in ensuring the proper administration of an election, such as work with vendors on the layout and printing of ballots, information technology personnel on software and hardware security, law enforcement personnel on ballot transport, or employees or volunteers assisting with mailings or other clerical work. The post Kaul finds constitutional amendment doesnt block private vendors helping with elections appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. COFFEE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) Emergency units across two Wiregrass counties searched for a lost woman on a Coffee County river for approximately seven and a half hours over the weekend. At around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the Elba Fire Department received a call that a woman had been lost while kayaking on the Pea River. According to Chief Drew Parker with the Elba Fire Department, the woman in her mid to late 40s had been kayaking down the river with her partner when they met another couple and formed a small group; however, the three eventually got ahead of the woman and lost track of her. Parker tells WDHN that after some time, the three kayakers doubled back to find the woman and discovered she wasnt there anymore. Emergency units and the kayakers began searching for the woman shortly after 8:30 p.m., and after about two hours, Elba Fire launched their airboat. The Dale County Sheriffs Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency launched helicopters to assist in the search. The Chief says that around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, the ALEA helicopter spotted the woman on the water in her kayak approximately one mile from where she was last seen. Elba Firefighters and rescue units made their way to the woman and pulled her out of the water. The woman sustained no injuries. According to Chief Parker, after getting separated from her group, the woman exited the water and began walking along the river before realizing she was lost and returning to the water in her kayak. Enterprise Rescue and Elba Police also assisted in the search. Chief Parker says he is thankful for the quick response and cooperation from everyone involved. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and VNG signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation in the field of natural gas and renewable energy, Trend reports citing SOCAR. The memorandum of understanding signed with VNG, one of the leading energy companies in Germany, will contribute to the development of sustainable energy solutions and international cooperation. The document provides for the exchange of experience in studying the possibilities of natural gas supplies and the use of gas infrastructure. According to the memorandum, the parties will explore opportunities for cooperation on projects related to the transition to renewable energy and decarbonized gases. Kenyan President William Ruto denounced protests on Tuesday that saw parliament stormed and at least five people shot dead as treasonous but did not address the swelling outrage against a controversial finance bill that sparked the widespread demonstrations. Kenya is in the grip of nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes, culminating in Tuesdays total shutdown of the country, which quickly turned violent as police used tear gas and live rounds on protesters. The controversial finance bill has unleashed widespread protests movement vowing for 7 Days of Rage. Last week, the government scrapped some tax increases, including a proposed 16% value-added tax on bread along with taxes on motor vehicles, vegetable oil and mobile money transfers. But the concessions have not been enough to quell protests amid the rising cost of living. A CNN team saw two bodies lying motionless on the ground in Nairobi as the countrys parliament was breached. Kenyan police were also seen beating and later arresting some paramedics who were helping injured protesters. During a nationwide address after parliament was set alight, Ruto said the events on Tuesday were a grave threat to national security and that the conversation around the bill had been hijacked by dangerous people. It is not in order, or even conceivable, that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives, and the institutions established under our Constitution and expect to go scot-free, the president said, adding that democratic expression and crime must be isolated from one another. Kenyas defense ministry said the military has been deployed to support the countrys police services as human rights and civil society groups criticize the heavy-handed response by the police on Tuesday. It was reported that at least five people were shot dead and around 31 were injured during Tuesdays protests. Of these, 13 were hit with live bullets, four with rubber bullets, and three with launcher canisters, according to a joint statement by Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and Police Reforms Working Group Kenya. The joint statement also accused the police of shooting at a medical emergency center located at a church. CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police for comment. The use of live bullets must now stop, the statement said. Despite the assurance by the government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, todays protests have spiraled into violence. Human rights observers and medical officers have reported several incidents of human rights violation. The demonstrations, sparked by the Finance Bill 2024, have seen citizens rally under the banner of 7 Days of Rage, as the nation faces more days of upheaval. Protesters run to take cover outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building. - Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images The dramatic scenes that unfolded in the nations capital saw government buildings set on fire and a ceremonial mace stolen from Parliament in the melee. Kenyan lawmakers were evacuated from Parliament as police went up against protesters, CNN affiliate NTV Kenya reported. Internet monitoring site NetBlocks reported a major disruption to internet connectivity Tuesday. Nairobis City Hall, the office of the Governor of Nairobi, was also set on fire, live visuals from CNN affiliate Citizen TV showed. A fire could be seen blazing through a lower-ground window, with other windows also emitting smoke. According to Citizen TV, some people were seen removing furniture, including chairs, from the building. Vehicles parked at Kenyas Supreme Court, which is close to the City Hall, were also set on fire. Earlier on Tuesday, Auma Obama, the half-sister of former United States President Barack Obama, was teargassed by police during an interview with CNN live on air, while protesting against the bill. Kenya protest on June 25. - Festo Lang/CNN I cant even see anymore, were being teargassed, Obama said in dramatic footage captured by a CNN team on the ground. Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, was speaking to CNN alongside a group of young protesters when the group was teargassed in Nairobi. A spokesman for former President Obama declined to comment on the tear gas incident on Tuesday. Im here because look at whats happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners, Obama said. Accusations of abductions Security forces have also been accused of abducting prominent Kenyans, particularly those who have large social media followings Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the whereabouts of up to 12 people who were abducted in the middle of night ahead of Tuesdays planned protests. The list includes bloggers, content creators, human rights defenders, a doctor, and a parliamentary staffer, Amnesty Kenya executive director Irungu Houghton told CNN. We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 24 hours. We have about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up, in many cases, by people who are uniformed or not uniformed, Houghton said, adding that that they had not received legal assistance and their families didnt know their whereabouts. We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances, he said. CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police for comment. Demonstrators react as police stand guard - Monicah Mwangi/Reuters Kenyas opposition leader Raila Odinga called for the government to immediately stop the violence its agencies are meting out on citizens. In a statement on X, Odinga also called for the arrest of police officers who are alleged to have shot and killed protesters, as well as for the immediate withdrawal of the countrys controversial finance bill. International leaders urged for calm on Tuesday. The United Nations Secretary General called on Kenyas police and security forces to exercise restraint, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that he was deeply concerned over the reported violence that weve seen. The African Union Commission called on all stakeholders to refrain from further violence. A statement from the body said its chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urges all stakeholders to exercise calm and refrain from further violence. The chairperson also appeals to national stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue to address the contentious issues that led to the protests in the supreme interest of Kenya. The protests come as Kenyas standing gains global prominence as US President Joe Biden designated the country a major non-NATO ally on Monday, marking the first time a sub-Saharan African nation has received this status. In May, Biden announced his decision to elevate Kenya to this designation while hosting President Ruto at the White House for a grand state visit, celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Tuesday also saw hundreds of Kenyan police officers arrive in Haitis capital to lead a multinational mission to support Haitis National Police in battling deadly gangs that have seized control of much of Port-au-Prince. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- Kenyan police fired on anti-government protests in Nairobi, leaving at least five people dead as demonstrators stormed the National Assembly where lawmakers passed a raft of controversial new tax measures. Most Read from Bloomberg Thousands of largely peaceful protesters converged on the National Assembly building by Tuesday afternoon as part of nationwide protests aimed at shutting down the economy over tax hikes President William Ruto is pushing through despite widespread discontent. The death toll may be as high as eight, according to broadcaster KTN. At least 31 people were injured, including 13 who were shot with live bullets, rights group Amnesty International said in a statement. The sound of live ammunition and tear-gas cannisters exploding rang out across the city as police tried to disperse stone-throwing protesters chanting Ruto must go! The violent police crackdown came as protesters breached the National Assembly, a fire broke out in the Senate building and the authorities disrupted the internet and threatened to shut down local news outlets. Rutos administration proposed the new taxes in an attempt to improve government finances, address its high debt ratio and access more International Monetary Fund financing. Lawmakers in his ruling coalition pushed through a large number of them, but dropped some of the most controversial ones including proposed levies on sanitary pads, bread and cars. The deaths, injuries, and arrests of protesters are alarming, reflecting a troubling trend of aggressive responses by Kenyan police, even towards peaceful demonstrators, said Jervin Naidoo, a political analyst at Oxford Economics. Rutos political legitimacy may never recover from the sight of Kenyans lying dead in the streets of the capital. The yield on Kenyan dollar bonds maturing in 2031 climbed three basis points to 10.67% by 5:18 p.m. in Nairobi. Those due in 2028 climbed 13 basis points to 10.33%. The shilling held on to gains that have helped make it the best performer this year among currencies tracked by Bloomberg. Taxes Dropped Protesters have demanded that legislators scrap the entire bill and want the administration to focus on rooting out corruption and ending non-priority spending. Theyve vowed to return to the streets throughout the week. We are defending our future against this finance bill. The tax is too high, said Derick Nandwa, 20, a computer science student. We dont want amendments. We reject it fully. Other proposed levies that were scrapped in the vote included those on mobile-money transfers, banking services and imports of various goods including diapers and rubber tires. Lawmakers retained duties on products such as batteries and mobile phones, along with an increase in an import-declaration fee and higher betting taxes. Ruto has 14 days to assent to the revised measures, or ask parliament for more changes. Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter The National Treasury introduced the bill with the aim of raising an additional 302 billion shillings ($2.4 billion) for its 2024-25 budget. The governments move to dial back some of the levies a week ago will create a 200 billion-shilling shortfall, according to Treasury Secretary Njuguna Ndungu. To fill the gap created by the concessions, lawmakers approved an amendment to increase an import tax, the proceeds of which help to finance the operations of a Chinese-built railway. A new proposal will be introduced to increase a fuel levy by 39%. The Treasury may also resort to borrowing more or introducing other tax measures. The nations debt equivalent to about 67% of GDP is at high risk of distress, according to the IMF. Under an IMF program agreed in 2021, Kenya committed to borrow less, slash government spending and boost revenue collection. That has made the Washington-based lender an unlikely villain of the protests, where its name is plastered on posters and denounced by angry crowds. The IMF is driving this whole thing, Smiley Mumbua, a 33-year-old technology student, said during the protests. They are putting too many conditions on us. The IMF hasnt provided comment on the situation since protests erupted last week. Kenya isnt the only country to witness such demonstrations. Last year, Pakistan saw protests triggered by IMF-recommended austerity measures, while decades ago Indonesia was wracked by street violence and looting as the government pushed through the lenders plan. You can follow Bloombergs reporting on Africa on WhatsApp. Sign up here. --With assistance from Bella Genga and Eric Martin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By Harold Isaac PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -The first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in the Haitian capital on Tuesday to launch a long-awaited peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country that has been ravaged by gang violence, even as deadly protests back home prompted doubts. "At last the multinational force is here to support our national police," Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille said at a press conference, saying work to retake the country would begin "slowly, without major fights unless necessary." "But I want no one to doubt our objectives," he said. "The state will regain power and reaffirm its authority so all Haitians can live peacefully in this country." The mission was first requested by Haiti's previous government in 2022. But support sagged and Conille's predecessor was forced to resign in early March after traveling to Nairobi to secure Kenyan support while violence escalated back in Haiti. The gang wars have now displaced over half a million people and nearly five million are facing severe food insecurity. Armed groups, which now control most of the capital, have formed a broad alliance while carrying out widespread killings, ransom kidnappings and sexual violence. "Kenya's sole purpose is to serve as agents of peace," Kenyan Foreign Minister Monica Juma told the press conference, saying police would prioritize protecting civilians, opening up routes for movement of people, goods and humanitarian aid, and protecting state institutions. The deployment has lagged, she said, because as it is not a U.N. mission - though ratified by the U.N. Security Council - and time was needed to develop the plans together. But even as uniformed Kenyan police disembarked from a Kenya Airways plane with weapons in hand in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, police back in Nairobi opened fire on anti-tax hike demonstrators trying to storm the parliament, with at least five protesters killed and dozens wounded. Though a Kenyan security source said the Nairobi violence was unlikely to disrupt plans to send more Kenyan police to Haiti, it has led some to question Kenya's ability to lead the security mission. "The police should be able to operate well in their own country, but they can't," said Enock Alumasi Makanga, an ex-Kenyan police officer now working in private security. "How do you think they can manage then when they arrive in Haiti?" FORCEFUL RESPONSE Aid groups on Tuesday expressed concern that armed groups in Haiti would respond forcefully to the mission and that children will e caught in the crossfire - including many who have been recruited into gangs. In a joint statement, Save the Children, Plan International and World Vision called for public disclosure on the mission's training, operational plans, rules of engagement and accountability mechanisms. Previous missions in Haiti left behind slain civilians, a devastating cholera outbreak and a sexual abuse scandal, for which reparations were not made. As the line of Kenyan police streamed out of the plane in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday morning, a small crowd of mostly airport personnel greeted them on the tarmac. The Kenyan police are expected to be joined by officers from some 15 other nations, including other countries in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as Canada, France, Germany, Britain and Spain. All together, the security forces will form a 2,500-strong peacekeeping mission funded primarily by the United States which has pledged $360 million, though much of this has been held up by some lawmakers. In a statement, U.S. President Joe Biden hailed the arrival of the Kenyan police as a turning point that "will bring much needed relief" to the nation of nearly 12 million. Kenya had volunteered to lead the U.N.-backed force last July, but deployment was repeatedly delayed by Kenyan court challenges and worsening violence in Haiti. Willy Mutunga, the former chief judge of Kenya's Supreme Court, said the decision by President William Ruto to send police to Haiti despite security challenges at home was a sign of how his government had put the interests of its foreign backers ahead of those of the people it represents. But at a departure ceremony on Monday for the first 400 officers to be deployed, Ruto said the mission "is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity." At the arrival ceremony, Juma said she considered the mission the start of "a very strong relationship" between two nations tied by a history of forced removals and slavery. Conille said that while gang-controlled areas had become "hell," he believed armed groups were tired of fighting and urged members to lay down their arms so normal life can resume and ministers can prepare for long-delayed elections. "Enough is enough," Conille said. "The government is taking responsibility to affirm itself so activities can resume freely in the country." (Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince; Additional reporting by David Lewis in Nairobi, Joe Bavier in Johannesburg, Costas Pitas in Los Angeles and Kylie Madry and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Rosalba O'Brien and Deepa Babington) A Kenyan Airways flight landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport early Tuesday with the first contingent of an international armed security mission, viewed as a vital step in helping Haiti combat deadly criminal gangs to restore security. The 200 specialized Kenyan officers and their support staff were greeted on the tarmac by members of the Haiti National Police, who have long awaited the forces arrival to help them dismantle armed groups that now control more than 80% of the capital and parts of the Artibonite region, two hours to the north. The Kenyans, who are assigned to several terrorist-fighting elite forces in the East African nation, were accompanied by National Security Adviser Monica Juma. She later described the touchdown on Haitian soil as a sign of her nations mission to serve as agents of peace, stability and hope and commitment to support the Haitian national police to restore public order and security, to build bridges between our people and nations. As the 240-seat Boeing 787 aircraft taxied the runway, even airport workers could be heard calling out gang members by name and warning, Were coming for you. The Kenyan cops, donning camouflage uniforms and white helmets, soon descended the stairwell as other officers waved their nations flag. Before being whisked away in waiting buses to their nearby base of operation on the airports grounds, the Kenyans performed a brief military drill and then a dance. Haitians, confused, responded with chants, They have to go fight the gangs not dance at the airport. The reinforcements have arrived during what seems at least a brief break in four months of rampant violence and attacks in and around the capital city. Though heavy gunfire could be heard around the city of Tabarre on Sunday afternoon, many gang members seem to have gone underground, at least for the moment. Speaking directly to the estimated 200 to 300 armed gangs currently running amok throughout Haiti, Prime Minister Garry Conille later took on an aggressive stance telling armed groups that he and his fellow leaders, who are part of the countrys new political transition, are determined to relieve the suffering of the Haitian people. Together with Kenya and Haitis other partners, Conille said, they were determined to restore security in order to relaunch the country and forge a path so that elections can be held as soon as possible. This is the time for all of those who have been creating chaos and havoc to become conscious of their actions, he said during a joint press conference with Juma at the Office of the Prime Minister. The state will take its responsibility to reaffirm itself so that people can resume their activities and go about their lives regardless of where they are in the country. ...We are going to start working slowly to retake our country without major fights unless it is necessary. Listing the gangs recent attacks against police stations, hospitals, schools and their release of over 4,000 prisoners who remain at large, Conille said the Haitian people are tired. He is also certain the bandits are to, he said, declining to say whether he would accept a request by one of the gang leaders, Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier, for a dialogue. Lay down your guns, recognize the authority of the state and then well see, he said. Approximately 200 Kenyan police officers and support staff arrive in Haiti as part of the first contingent of a United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support mission. Haiti has seen several foreign interventions in its recent history. However, this marks the first time that such a force is being led by an African nation. The Kenyans arrival no doubt is a step forward in helping the country find a way out of its crippling security crisis, bit while it gives a veneer of change, the plan remains untested. Authorized for a year by the United Nations Security Council in October, the Multinational Security Support mission, known as the MSS, is expected to have about 2,500 personnel at full strength and cost about $600 million a year, though the Biden administration has estimated lower costs. With its start delayed by nine months, its future will be discussed next month when U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to address the council about the situation in Haiti and the mission. Juma said she believes that as long as there is a need for the mission, it will be supported but it is their hope that it doesnt become a permanent mission. We must solve this matter and hand over to functioning institutions in Haiti, she said. That is the end state were looking for as soon as possible. As for the missions delay, Juma said the reasons are because of the missions uniqueness, which required several months of developing the fundamental documents defining the mission. In welcoming the arrival of the first Kenyan contingent to Haiti, Guterres on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to member states of the United Nations Security Council for financial support for the mission so that it could successfully implement its mandate. A trust fund managed by the U.N. for the mission has so far amassed only $21 million in contributions. President Joe Biden also welcomed the Kenyans deployment to help Haitian police stabilize the country, and ensure that humanitarian assistance reach those in need. The president said he was deeply grateful to all of the countries that have pledged personnel and financial support to the mission. So far, they number 15 nations with seven of them volunteering to field security personnel to the police-led mission, and the others providing funds that are still far short of the missions estimate cost. The United States, which pledged $300 million, remains the biggest financial contributor to date. The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families, and enjoy democratic freedoms, Biden said, noting that rampant gang violence has killed thousands of Haitian women, men and children in recent years. Haitis future depends on the return to democratic governance. While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them. Approximately 200 Kenyan police officers and support staff arrive in Haiti as part of the first contingent of a United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support mission. Biden has previously said that U.S. troops will not participate in the mission. The United States, however, has been the main supporter, writing the United Nations Security Council resolution along with Ecuador, mandating the international armed force, and lobbying foreign governments to volunteer personnel and provide urgently needed funding. After the deployment was delayed last month because a security assessment team from Nairobi found several key equipment missing, the administration decided to go ahead and override a Republican block on funding and authorized $109 million so that the mission could get off the ground. Biden has also used his executive power to get $70 million in weapons and other equipment to both the Haiti National Police and the multinational security support mission, whose main task will be to support the police in its anti-gang operations. Haiti is an extraordinary country, and the people of Haiti deserve what people everywhere deserve: security, opportunity, and freedom, Biden said. We are enriched by Haitian immigrants and Haitian Americans contributions. The United States has and will continue providing significant security, humanitarian, and economic development assistance, including my Administrations strong support for trade preferences with Haiti. Protests back in Kenya The contingents arrival coincided with a third day of deadly and chaotic protests in Nairobi, Kenyas capital, where youth are demonstrating against new taxes. On Tuesday, protesters stormed Parliament and some were reportedly shot by police who have been accused of using live bullets. During the demonstrations, some protesters chanted at police in Swahili, Tunawapigania sote tukuleWe are fighting for all our rights, (including the police); Tunafight msiende Haiti.. We are fighting so that you (the police) dont go to Haiti. Kenyan President William Rutos decision to lead a foreign intervention into Haiti has been both controversial and contentious at home, and in the Haitian diaspora, where some continue to oppose the idea of foreign boots on Haitian soil even as armed groups fuel one of the worse humanitarian and economic crises in recent memories. In the last three years alone, the violence has forced nearly 580,000 Haitians from their homes and is currently fueling the worst hunger crisis since Haitis devastating 2010 earthquake. Nearly half of Haitis 12 million people are struggling to find enough food to eat, and over a million are at risk of famine, the World Food Program has said. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, said on Tuesday that while the recent resumption of commercial flights at the Port-au-Prince international airport are more than two months has allowed aid organizations to airlift medicine, goods and other equipment that are critical to the emergency humanitarian operations,humanitarian needs remain high in the capital and across the country. For example, UNICEF says it is concerned about the living conditions of some 33,000 people who have been displaced from the capital to Leogane, a city about 40 km from Port-au-Prince, Dujarric told journalists in New York, adding that of the $674 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti the U.N. launched, just 23.5% or $158 million has been funded. Already this year, more than 2,500 Haitians have been killed or injured by armed gang violence, according to the U.N., including 11 people who were massacred earlier this month when a ruthless gang attacked their farming communities in the upper Artibonite region. All of this has placed a lot of hope on the mission, whose ability to help Haiti tackle gangs very much depend on its rules of engagement, which have yet to be made public. The arrival of the specialized police officers from Kenya comes more than 20 months after the Haitian government, then led by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, first requested the international communitys help and nearly a year after Ruto volunteered to answer the call by sending 1,000 of his elite cops to lead a Multinational Security Support mission. The first contingent of specialized police officers from Kenya arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. They are among 1,000 police officers that will lead a Multinational Security Support mission to help Haiti police combat criminal gangs. Since then, however, it has been an uphill battle to get the mission off the ground. Opposition groups in Kenya have opposed the deployment and filed several legal challenges to block it, including one currently in the courts. Republican leadership in Washington also blocked a funding request by the Biden administration, which has supported equipment, training and the construction of a base of operation at the airport. Another blow came with the leadership change in Haiti after armed gangs united and launched a broad assault on key government infrastructure in late February while Henry was in Nairobi signing a security agreement to allow the deployment to occur. READ MORE: Biden administration overrides GOP, authorizes $109 million for Kenyan force for Haiti Shortly after he was forced by Washington to resign and days later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Jamaica where the U.S. and members of the Caribbean community helped broker a new political transition in Haiti on March 11. The transition is headed by a nine-member presidential council, whose mandate is supposed to end in February 2026 when a newly elected president and parliament are supposed to take office. Tasked with finding a replacement for Henry and putting in place a new government, the new transitional leadership has been readying Haiti for the arrival of the U.N.-backed mission. Despite Tuesdays deployment, however, the security mission still has yet to share its rules of engagement with the Security Council, a step that is necessary to make it official. So far, only two agreements have been signed for now between Haiti and Kenya. On Monday, prior to the officers departure, Ruto handed each of them a Kenyan flag, and reiterated his commitment to the mission. In all, 400 of the 1,000 Kenyan police officers had been vetted for the mission by the U.S. Those yet to be deployed will be sent to Haiti as part of a phased deployment that will also consist of police from six other nations including Jamaica, Benin, Chad and Bangladesh. McClatchy writer Michael Wilner contributed to this report. At least five killed, Kenya's parliament on fire amid protests over tax bill A torched military vehicle burns outside of the Parliament during a protest against tax hikes in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA-EFE June 25 (UPI) -- Human rights groups said at least five people were shot and killed amid protests in the capital city of Nairobi that left portions of Kenya's parliament building on fire Tuesday. In addition to the five deaths at least 31 people were injured, including 13 shot with live bullets, four hit with rubber bullets and three struck with launched canisters, Amnesty International Kenya, the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya and Police Reforms Working Group Kenya said in a joint statement. "We urge the State and all parties to de-escalate the situation and stop the use of lethal force to protect life," the groups said. "We urge the authorities to desist from reportedly threatening mass media houses. We appeal for safe medical corridors for all medical personnel and ambulances to access the injured." Some demonstrators broke through police lines in the capital of Nairobi to break into the building where legislators had passed a finance bill that would lead to raising taxes. Hundreds of protesters in the streets essentially paralyzed activity and slowed movement around the capital and demonstrators took part in running battles with police. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the crowds. Auma Obama, a Kenyan-British activist and half-sister of former U.S. President Barack Obama, was teargassed on live television during an interview with CNN. Obama stood with a group of young demonstrators when they were teargassed. "I'm here because look at what's happening," Obama said. "Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners." Local media reports said that Kenyan lawmakers escaped the Parliament building through an underground tunnel as protesters broke into the complex. The Kenyan chapter of Amnesty International said it was investigating the disappearance of 12 people the night before the planned protests on Parliament. "We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 12 hours," Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty Kenya said. He said the missing people were allegedly taken away by people by those "uniformed and not uniformed." Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya, charged intelligence officers with carrying out illegal acts. "Evidently, this was not an arrest as the police did not identify themselves or engage in any conversation prior to the arrest to inform him of his rights," she said. Kenyan President William Ruto has blamed "a group of organized criminals" for the storming of parliament following peaceful protests. The protests had been "infiltrated and hijacked," Ruto said in a televised address on Tuesday. The protests were sparked by a new tax law that introduces additional tax burdens and increases existing taxes. Since Tuesday morning, thousands of people across Kenya have been demonstrating against the legislation. By the afternoon, the protests had escalated into chaos, violence, looting and arson. In several cities, buildings belonging to members of parliament who voted in favour of the law were set on fire. According to Kenyan human rights groups, at least two people were killed during the unrest. "Kenya experienced an unprecedented attack on its democracy, rule of law and the integrity of its ... institutions," said Ruto. "Today's events mark a critical turning point on how we respond to grave threats to our national security." The government has mobilized all the resources at its disposal to ensure that the incidents are not repeated, the president said. In the evening, Defence Minister Aden Duale announced that the military would be deployed to support the police. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. Kazakhstan and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed a Framework Program Agreement in line with the countrys 2050 national development strategy, Trend reports. According to the IsDB, the document was signed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Nurlan Baibazarov and IsDB President Muhammad Al Jasser on the sidelines of the OPEC Fund Development Forum in Vienna. The agreement promotes infrastructure, projects, policies, strategies, capacity building, and sector growth schemes. To note, since 1996, the IsDB Group has given the green light to a whopping $1.64 billion in funding for a wide range of projects in Kazakhstan. King Charles III and Queen Camilla are hosting Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako this week as part of a belated and previously postponed visit originally set for 2020before being railroaded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though this event has been years in the making, the British royals were still reportedly forced to "adapt" their plans amid the family's ongoing health woes and the upcoming special election. As Parade previously reported, Charles and the rest of the British royalsincluding Prince Williamhad to reschedule several engagements in honor of the general election on Thursday, July 4, as the family doesn't want to "divert attention or distract from the election campaign." In a statement from the king and queen published by Sky News last month, the two issued "their sincere apologies to any of those who may be affected as a result" but pointed out that the move does come "in accordance with normal procedure." Fast forward a few weeks, a palace spokesman reportedly told Hello! Magazine in a piece published Tuesday, June 25, that even though the Japanese royals' visit wasn't cut from the amended schedule ahead of the election, this week's plans have been "slightly adapted," presumably since it was initially created. "As a general principle, it has of course been adapted as a result of the current pre-election period of sensitivity," the spokesperson explained. Additionally, several members of the British royal family have been overwhelmed with a series of unfortunate health woes preventing them from carrying out their royal duties as the emperor and empress begin their three-day visit. Though the 75-year-old monarch has appeared in good spirits despite his cancer battle, his sister Princess Anne remains hospitalized following an incident at her home on Monday, while his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton continues to avoid the spotlight to focus on her family and well-being as she undergoes "preventative" chemotherapy following a January 2024 cancer diagnosis. Next: King Charles Spotted Sharing Rare Sweet Moment With His Stepson If Californias Legislative Black Caucus has its way, the nations most populous state could soon pass reparations policies. Members of the Caucus have launched a statewide campaign to elicit support for 14 reparations bills the group has proposed, covering everything from prison labor to affirmative action. Ending forced prison labor, restoring affirmative action and more Several members of the Black Caucus appeared Saturday at an event in San Diego, the first of several planned visits to major cities in the state. The legislators are promoting 14 bills the group has proposed to fight the lingering impact of racism and continuing racial disparities in the state. The proposals include two California Constitution amendments that the Black lawmakers hope to include on Novembers ballot. One amendment would ban forced prison labor, the last vestige of slavery, which is still allowed due to clauses in the California Constitution and the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The amendment would ban prisons from punishing inmates who refused to work while allowing incarcerated individuals to work voluntarily and receive pay or benefits for their labor. A second constitutional amendment would legalize affirmative action policies, which were banned in California by an amendment that passed in 1996. The other 12 proposals from the Black Caucus seek to implement policies to lessen the racial gaps in education, food security and violence. The bills also seek to return property that was taken by the state using eminent domain, particularly in cases where racial bias factored into such dispossessions. The legislators have also proposed that California formally apologize for slavery. While the proposals have been met with opposition from Republicans and even some Democrats in the legislature, members of the Black Caucus are optimistic about their chances to get some or all of their bills passed. Reparations movement grows in California and nationwide The proposals are meant to enact policies proposed by the states reparations task force, which was created in 2020 to explore potential remedies for the legacy of slavery as well as continuing racial inequities in the state. The task force issued its final report on June 29, 2023, and legislators, including members of the Black Caucus, have worked to transform those recommendations into law. If successful, the California reparations program could be the largest in the nation and add to a growing number of state and local-level reparations efforts across the country. Beginning with Evanston, Illinois, cities such as San Francisco and Chicago have proposed or explored reparations, as have states such as New York. Some private institutions, such as churches and universities that benefited from slavery, have also proposed or implemented reparations programs, and the national push for federal reparations legislation continues even as it faces opposition in Congress. The movement for reparations has been long and difficult. While Congress may still be far from implementing a comprehensive program to address the impact of slavery and racism, several governments and entities throughout the country have made significant progress, and Californias proposed legislation could be a huge step forward for the movement. What to know as excessive heat, flash-flood potential linger in Utah this week Miguel Jimenez and Andy McNeil chat in McNeils garage as water from snowmelt rushes past them on Killyons Lane in Emigration Canyon on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Excessive heat remains a fixture in Utahs northern half, while flash flooding is possible across its southern half to start the week. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Extreme heat will linger across the Wasatch Front for a few more days, while flash flooding potential lingers across southern Utah to start this week, as different weather patterns continue to play out across the state. The National Weather Service on Monday issued excessive heat warnings and heat advisories throughout the Wasatch Front, northern Utah, the West Desert and parts of central Utah that will remain in effect through Tuesday night. The hot temperatures are the result of a high-pressure ridge that is set up over New Mexico at the moment, says KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson. Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 90s and lower 100s over the next two days, while overnight lows may "briefly" touch the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service. The agency's alerts advise residents to take precautions by staying hydrated and avoiding the sun as much as possible. It recommends people stay in air-conditioned rooms and wear lightweight and loose clothing as much as possible when outside during the heat of the day. Children and pets should also not be left unattended in a vehicle at any time. But the high-pressure system won't prevent some scattered showers from continuing to impact southern Utah over the next few days, which could produce more flash flooding in the region after moisture tied to the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto primarily impacted central, eastern and southern Utah. The weather service advises flash flooding is "probable" in recreation areas like Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on Monday, and is "possible" at a few other recreation areas across southwest and south-central Utah. It's possible on Tuesday across many of the same areas. There is an elevated risk for flash flood across portions of southern Utah including Capitol Reef, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Glen Canyon Rec Areas today (Monday). The flash flood risk will remain elevated through mid-week as well. #utwx pic.twitter.com/WDh8F5eNYk NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) June 24, 2024 Johnson explains the potential is coming from scattered showers that will likely move into southern Utah as they bounce around the high-pressure system. The flooding risk could increase on Wednesday as more widespread scattered showers are forecast, but that will also put an end to the excessive heat. That's because a storm pattern from the Pacific is expected to produce showers and thunderstorms across most of the state on Wednesday. High temperatures across the Wasatch Front are forecast to drop into the upper 80s and lower 90s by the end of the workweek, as well. Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center. This week's projected rain builds on what Utah received over the past few days. Communities in central and eastern Utah, like Blanding, received 1.37 inches of rain, while Price and Bluff also ended up with over an inch of rain. Some other nearby communities like Moab and Price wound up with just under an inch, although higher and lower totals were possible throughout the region because of the scattered nature of the storms. This was both good and bad news for the impacted regions. On one hand, it helped the driest part of the state, as the U.S. Drought Monitor lists most of eastern Utah as either in moderate drought or "abnormally dry" accounting for nearly all the drought in the state. But Johnson said some of the totals were collected in short bursts, which led to flash flooding that displaced some residents in the impacted regions. The system also provided some decent rain totals in the Wasatch Front, which wasnt initially projected to receive much rain. Salt Lake City received a third of an inch of rain and Magna received over a half-inch on Friday. What to know about the new SUN Bucks food assistance program What to know about the new SUN Bucks food assistance program Story at a glance A new federal food assistance program called SUN Bucks launches this summer. Under the program, eligible families can receive $120 during the summer to help pay for fresh food at grocery stores, farmers markets and other convenience stores About 21 million children are expected to benefit from the program. Hunger worsens in the summer for many children who rely on school lunches for regular meals when class is in session. A new federal program aims to help mitigate that summer food gap by offering funds for millions of families to put toward groceries. Some families have begun to get extra cash for food under the SUN Bucks program, which is launching this summer. The Biden administration announced SUN Bucks in May among a suite of SUN Programs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) would launch to provide additional food assistance to eligible families during the summer months. SUN Bucks are essentially an extra issuance of food assistance dollars to households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or some other forms of food assistance. About 21 million children are expected to benefit from the program this summer, according to the USDA. Heres what you should know about SUN Bucks. How much assistance does the program offer? In much of the U.S., eligible households with school-aged kids can get an extra $120 in food assistance funds to buy fresh food and snacks during the summer through SUN Bucks. The amount will be higher in some states and territories: Households in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands can get more money to adjust for the higher cost of food in those places. For example, SUN Bucks-eligible households in Hawaii will receive a one-time issuance of $177 this summer. Are the funds available nationwide? The USDA made the SUN Bucks program available to all 50 states, tribes and territories, but only 36 states, the District of Columbia, five territories and two tribes have chosen to participate in the program, according to an agency spokesperson. This is the inaugural year of the program, meaning states and tribes are not launching this summer will have future opportunities to opt-into this valuable program, a USDA spokesperson wrote to The Hill in an email. USDA expects even more states and tribes will provide SUN Bucks in 2025. A map of participating states, territories and tribes is available on the USDA website. Interested families can also see if their state is participating in the program by checking the local agency that oversees SNAP. Who is eligible for the funds? Households with school-aged kids that participate in food assistance programs like SNAP, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are eligible to apply for SUN Bucks. In addition, households with children in that age range that meet the requirements for free and reduced-price school meals are also eligible to apply for the program. Families or households that do not receive state or federal food assistance can apply for the SUN Bucks programs, also called summer EBT, through the department that oversees EBT and SNAP in their home state. Interested households that do not receive benefits or that have not previously qualified for free or reduced lunch but still think they might meet the income requirements for the program should first see if the funds are available where they live. After that, interested households should check with the local state agency that oversees SNAP to see if their Summer EBT online application is live. All households with children, regardless of citizenship status, are eligible to apply as long as they meet the income requirements. When are families going to get funds? Households with children already enrolled in other benefits like SNAP will most likely automatically receive SUN Bucks funds this summer if they live in a participating state, territory or tribe, according to the USDAs website. Exactly when those families will see the automatic payment depends on the state. Some, like Louisianna, Arizona , Washington and California, have started to issue those payments to EBT cards or mail out SUN Bucks cards to eligible households already receiving benefits. Participating states have the option of either breaking up the $120 into weekly or monthly payments or issuing one-time payments to households by early September. If a state chooses to break up the $120 into, for example, monthly $40 issuances, it must issue the payments within 122 days of each other, according to a USDA spokesperson. For households not already receiving benefits, when and how they receive SUN Bucks will depend on when and where they apply. Some states like Kentucky are accepting applications for Summer EBT, while others like New York are preparing to accept online applications soon. Different states also have different deadlines to apply for Summer EBT, but they typically fall around early August or early September. SUN Bucks need to bedistributed and available for use 15 operational days after an application is received by a state Summer EBT agency, according to the USDA. Will the amount of SUN Bucks issued each year change? Simple answer: Yes. The USDA chose to issue $120 in extra food funds this year but will adjust the amount annually starting next summer. Changes to the SUN Bucks allotment will be based on changes to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which determines the maximum amount of SNAP benefits eligible individuals and families can receive as a fixed amount every month, according to a USDA spokesperson. The USDA takes a few things into account when adjusting the TFP every year, including the cost of food. If, for some reason, changes to the TFP result in lower SNAP allotments, that decrease will not impact SUN Bucks, according to a USDA spokesperson. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. What to know about Tamayo Perry, the actor and surfer who died in apparent shark attack Tamayo Perry, the pro surfer and actor who died in an apparent shark attack off Oahu's North Shore on Monday, was remembered as a "legendary waterman" and a man of faith by his colleagues and family. Here's what to know about him and the circumstances surrounding his death: Who was he? The 49-year-old was a professional surfer, lifeguard and stuntman who also appeared in the splashy films "Blue Crush," "Charlie's Angels 2" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," as well as the TV series "Hawaii Five-0" and "Lost." "When Im not acting, Im still quite a character, so theres always a ton of fun to be had," he said in his official bio on his company website Oahu Surfing Experience. Read more: Tamayo Perry, surfer in 'Blue Crush' and 'Hawaii Five-0,' dies after apparent shark attack Perry, who was born and raised in a small country town on O'ahu east of the North Shore, was "a knight forged in the fires of the North Shore in the 90s," his family said. He also co-founded and offered surf lessons through Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia and worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore. He began his career with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016. Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all. He was well-known on the North Shore. Hes a professional surfer known worldwide, Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said at a news conference. Tamayos personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more. Prior to that, he surfed professionally for more than 15 years. He boasted about being paid to surf the Pipeline, which he described as "the world's deadliest wave,"according to his professional bio. He launched onto the world stage upon winning the prestigious Pipeline Masters trials in 1999, which opened the door for a "small time island boy" to keep up with the world's best at the Pipe Masters competition. He later competed in Tahupoo, Tahiti, against Andy Irons, Kelly Slater and Vetea David in the industry-billed "Super Final." The surfer said that a "freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience" at Pipeline ultimately led him to teaching his goal was to instill "proper surf etiquette and safety" into those he instructed. What happened? Local authorities said that Perry was surfing at Malaekahana Beach lake, near an area known as Goat Island, on the northeast coast of the Oahu, and died Sunday afternoon in the attack. Honolulu Ocean Safety and the citys fire, police and emergency medical services departments responded to the beach just before 1 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a man who appeared to have suffered more than one shark bite, Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department said Monday in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski and paramedics assisted with the death pronouncement. After the incident, Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area, Enright said. No official cause of death has yet been announced and it's unclear what type of shark attacked him. How frequent are shark attacks in that area? Perry's death is reported to be ninth fatal shark attack in Hawaii in the last 20 years, Honolulu News Now reported Monday. His is said to be the only death in that time that hasnt happened in waters off the island of Maui. The actor's death was one of four shark incidents in Hawaii this year, according to the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources. Only about a dozen of more than 300 species of sharks have been involved in human attacks, the National Ocean Service said, and those attacks typically occur when the shark is confused or curious. Read more: Attention beachgoers: Everything you think you know about sharks is probably wrong Although attacks are still statistically rare, annual shark attacks and human fatalities increased in 2023, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. ISAF, a database of global shark attacks, reported in February that there were 69 confirmed unprovoked cases worldwide last year, 10 of which were fatal. That number aligns with the most recent five-year average (between 2018-2022) of 63 incidents annually. A potential factor in the rise is climate change, researchers have said, but the increase could also be due to a combination of more people being in the ocean each year and a stronger emphasis placed on reporting bites and fatalities. Perry, who described himself as a "Jaws" fan, wrote on Facebook in 2015 that "sharks freak me out" and that "only the Lord can say when it's your time. In another post, he said that he could sense when sharks were around while he was surfing, the Daily Beast reported. What have Perry's family and colleagues said? Tamayo Perry wearing a blue rash guard and surfing in Tahiti In a statement to The Times that was later posted on social media, Perry's family commemorated him as a "hero." He was everyones big brother, stern and uncompromising with an infectious and kolohe smile. He was your rescuer in time of need, your safety when all things fell apart. He was a knight forged in the fires of the North Shore in the 90s, his faith in Christ the rock upon which he stood. Few are those who truly follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Tamayo never took his eyes off the path," the statement said. Tragic though his passing may be, he left this world doing what he loved where he loved to do it. We find strength in knowing he is in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, trading barrels at Pipeline with his friends that have gone before him. How the surf world reacted The ocean community in Oahu is said to be reeling from the attack. An informal memorial for Perry was set up Monday near his lifeguard post on Banzai Pipeline, according to Hawaii News Now. There, his longtime colleague Lt. Dave Wassel of the Honolulu Ocean Department spoke about the "unique situation" the community had been "thrust into." "Theres nothing in the handbook of how to navigate this," Wassel told the news station. "There are people alive today because of the successful CPR he has performed on them. Its something you cant say about a lot of people, so its great to see. In a statement to The Times, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Perry "exemplified bravery, commitment and a deep sense of duty, serving our community with unwavering dedication." "His heroic actions and tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors will never be forgotten, the mayor said. "As we grieve this unimaginable loss, we are reminded of the inherent risks faced by our lifeguards daily, and we extend our deepest gratitude for their service." The World Surf League tweeted condolences to Perry's family as it mourned the "beloved icon," who was a member of the league for many years. Read more: 'Shark!' Swimmers race to save bleeding man off Southern California beach His legacy While the family has asked for privacy, his wife has since set up a GoFundMe fundraiser titled "Supporting Tamayo Perry's Legacy." The campaign launched Monday with a goal raising $100,000. As of Tuesday afternoon, it has exceeded $38,000. His company said that it would announce a celebration of life at a later time. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Wikileaks founder Julian Assanges release from a British prison could not have made Russias top propagandists happier. RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan led the pack early Tuesday with a statement on Telegram paying tribute to the best journalist of our time. Noting that she was awfully happy to finally see Assange win his freedom, she recalled a one-on-one covert chat she said she had with him once in the woods outside London. After asking him why he chose to publish a trove of classified U.S. military intel knowing that he would be hunted down, corralled, destroyed as a result, she said, Assange responded, I just cant stand being lied to. Today, he is free for the first time in years. Almost free, Simonyan wrote. Assange was released from the British prison where hed spent five years after striking a plea bargain with American prosecutors Monday that spares him further prison time and extradition to the U.S. While Assanges 2019 arrest and subsequent plea deal centered on his 2010 publication of a cache of classified U.S. documents, including hundreds of thousands of pages related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Wikileaks founder had also come under scrutiny for his ties to Russia during the 2016 presidential election. EXCLUSIVE: Lone DNC Hacker Guccifer 2.0 Slipped Up and Revealed He Was a Russian Intelligence Officer The group published a trove of emails related to Hillary Clinton that U.S. intelligence officials later said had been passed along to Assange by Russian military intelligence operatives. Whether or not he knowingly conspired with Russian intelligence remains an open question. But Kremlin propagandists certainly were thrilled to see Assange walking free Tuesday. In addition to Simonyan, former Vladimir Putin adviser Sergei Markov hailed Assanges release as a win in the ongoing battle against the deep state. Assange, he said, is a symbol of the uncovering of secret crimes of the U.S. deep state. One popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channel even went so far as to liken Assange to two Russian figures convicted in the U.S., respectively, of arms dealing and drug smugglingarguing that they were all victims of an out-of-control U.S. justice system: The case of Julian Assange is on par with the cases of Russians Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to let voters decide on a potential sales tax hike to fund affordable housing and homeless services. According to the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions & Prevention Now initiative put forward by the Our Future Los Angeles Coalition, the proposed tax increase would fund a comprehensive homelessness response program and invest in new strategies to address encampments and create affordable housing. The measure would terminate and replace the existing quarter-cent sales tax that currently funds the homelessness response system with a half-cent countywide sales tax. The current sales tax measure expires in 2027. Homeless man accused of trying to drown woman at Santa Monica Beach Officials said the proposed sales tax hike would mean a net increase of a quarter-cent for all but five cities in L.A. County: Compton, Lynwood, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica and South Gate. Those cities do not currently contribute to the Homeless and Housing Measure H Special Revenue Fund. Supporters of the initiative, who submitted more than 400,000 signatures to the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk last month, held a rally Tuesday before the Boards vote. We can no longer turn a blind eye to what we see on the streets, one demonstrator told KTLA 5s Kimberly Cheng. [The initiative] willmake housing more affordable and it will create a pathway out of poverty for those who are unhoused. Officials who brought the plan forward cited low housing production as the main reason the homeless problem has gotten so bad across the county, so it is one of the programs main target areas, according to the plan outlined by the Our Future L.A. County Coalition. We do not have a dedicated countywide revenue stream for affordable housing production and preservation or technical assistance to small cities to update their land use and housing policies, the coalitions presentation stated. Less housing is being built now than at any point in the last 80 yearsand we are losing the affordable housing we have [as] between 2009 and 2019, Los Angeles lost nearly 200,000 units that rent for less than $1,000 a month in the L.A. metro area. Opponents of the measure say that there is no real accountability and data to show that spending billions on homeless prevention has worked. Not only have we spent over 24 billion taxpayer dollars on this crisis and seen worse results, but we actually have no idea where any of this money has gone, California Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Sacramento County) told KNX News 97.1., citing audits at the state level. We should be wary of any more dollars that were spending on homelessness until we have metrics in place to actually track where the money is going. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement calling the passage of the vote purely ministerial in nature but also noted that Tuesdays action by the board does not unilaterally approve and impose the initiative. The power to enact this new tax rests in the hands of the voters in the coming general election, Bargers statement read in part. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Ten Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were injured Monday afternoon battling a fire at a homeless encampment near the Hjelte Sports Center in Encino. Investigators were still at the scene Tuesday morning. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles firefighter who nearly lost one of his ears in an explosion while fighting a brush fire has been released from the hospital and is back with his family, authorities said Tuesday. The firefighter had been airlifted to Northridge Hospital after his ear was nearly completely severed but a doctor was able to reattach it, said Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The firefighter will require extensive follow-up care but was released to friends and family, Scott said. On Monday afternoon, crews responded to a brush fire in a homeless encampment near Burbank Boulevard and Woodley Avenue, LAFD spokesperson Melissa Kelley said. An explosion occurred and 10 other firefighters close to the blast suffered from headaches, ringing to ears and potentially shrapnel wounds. Most were evaluated at the hospital and released without serious injuries but one was severely injured. The explosion was caused by a propane tank, said Los Angeles Police Officer Kevin Terzes. The flames were quelled in about 30 minutes and about 80 firefighters responded to the fire, Kelley said. Read more: L.A. firefighter severely injured in explosion while battling blaze near homeless camp The fire department's arson section was at the scene combing through debris Tuesday, looking at burn patterns and interviewing witnesses to determine what sparked the blaze, Scott said. The investigation is ongoing. Crews are also working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department and their bomb squad due to "finding several suspicious objects." No civilians were injured in the fire or blast. "These are some of the inherent dangers of this chosen profession as things continue to change," Scott said. "Were used to explosions in structure or garage fires or ammunition going off but not typically at a brush fire." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ten Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were injured Monday afternoon as crews were battling a grass fire near the Sepulveda Basin. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles firefighter was severely injured in an explosion Monday afternoon as crews battled a brush fire near a homeless encampment at the Sepulveda Basin. The firefighter was airlifted to Northridge Hospital and listed in serious but stable condition, said Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. During the exhaustive firefight, an explosion took place, and one of our members suffered significant head trauma," Scott said. He said 10 other firefighters were also being evaluated at the hospital because of their proximity to the explosion, but none appeared to have significant injuries. Read more: L.A. County firefighter killed in explosion in Antelope Valley Crews first responded to a half-acre fire burning near Burbank Boulevard and Woodley Avenue just after 1:30 p.m., said Melissa Kelley, another LAFD spokesperson. The explosion occurred soon afterward, and additional firefighters were called to continue the fight. It took about 30 minutes to quell the flames; about 80 firefighters responded to the call, Kelley said. Ten Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were injured Monday afternoon battling a fire at a homeless encampment near the Hjelte Sports Center in Encino. Investigators were still at the scene Tuesday morning. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) "The cause and what blasted is all under investigation," Kelley said. Fire officials initially reported the blaze broke out in the homeless encampment. No property was damaged. People nearby were evacuated after the explosion, Scott said. Fortunately it wasnt fatal, like our dear L.A. County firefighter," Scott said, a reference to Andrew Pontious, who was killed earlier this month in an explosion in the Antelope Valley. "This is a reminder of the inherent dangers of this chosen profession." The Los Angeles Police Department is assisting with the investigation, Scott said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. In Rosemead, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, in cooperation with several other county agencies, have hit the streets to connect unhoused people with shelter and services. Deputies from LASDs Temple Station and the departments Homeless Outreach Services Team have been engaged in the initiative alongside L.A. County Probation and the Los Angeles Center for Drug and Alcohol Abuse in an effort to provide comprehensive support, including mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and housing assistance, an LASD news release stated. No one gets better in a homeless encampment, Lt. Bill Kitchin told KTLAs John Fenoglio. From day one, their health deteriorates while they are there. These specially trained deputies, along with their partner agencies, are working to get homeless residents help if they want it. At a Rosemead homeless encampment, Deputy Chris Lewis pointed out the dangerous living conditions. Somebody actually lives over there on that mattress, he said. You can actually see the condition that this encampment is in. It is not a safe environment for anybody to be staying in. There are those, however, living on the streets, like one man identified only as Gilbert, who do not want the help. L.A. Sheriff's program offering services to homeless Id rather struggle out here, he said. I dont like shelters. I dont even like neighbors. Its a little too loose for me. According to the latest data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there are 75,518 unhoused residents in L.A. County. In Rosemead, city officials say theres been a spike in crime committed by the unhoused population. We want to make sure that they understand that were here to try to support them while also supporting our communities, Deputy Lewis explained. A 17-year LASD veteran, Lewis says he and his team usually encounter homeless residents struggling with mental health and substance abuse problems. During Mondays outreach, the deputy met a man named Donald, who had been sleeping in the park. When Lewis offered help, Donald took it. L.A. Sheriff's program offering services to homeless Thats definitely going to be a success story, he said. You could see that Donald was already letting you know he had some mental health concerns. Us coming out here and connecting with him, we were able to get him some of those mental health resources. Despite the hurdles, Deputy Lewis said the homeless outreach has been truly rewarding. The truth is that we are given the opportunity and the time to truly help our communities out, he explained. Youll see when we go out and talk to these people. We spend a little more time with them to find out what is their major concern and what can do to help them. Lewis added that the reward is seeing a person go from living on the streets to getting housing or reconnecting with their family and getting back to life. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Azercosmos OJSC has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Czech company PEKASAT SE, Trend reports. According to the data from the OJSC, the memorandum of understanding is aimed at expanding the compatibility of terrestrial stations and creating new business opportunities for operations with low-orbit satellites. Furthermore, it is reported that the parties will cooperate in the field of telemetry, i.e., the reception of control signals and sending commands to satellites, the transmission of large volumes of data from satellites, and the exchange of experience in the operation of ground infrastructure with customers in both Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic. PEKASAT SE is a European joint-stock company based in Brno, Czech Republic. The company specializes in providing services on antenna systems, IT, and cloud solutions for satellite operators and other clients through its ground stations. To note, Azercosmos aims to become one of the driving forces of the global space industry by participating in a wide range of R&D activities and major global projects, cooperating with international stakeholders and partners, and introducing local know-how. The goal of Azercosmos OJSC is to develop a space ecosystem in Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel LA protesters march to 'activate' on second anniversary of Roe vs. Wade reversal Hundreds protest the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade in Los Angeles on Monday on the steps of City Hall, calling it an "anniversary that we activate" as they urge women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights." Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI June 24 (UPI) -- Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles on Monday to the steps of City Hall to protest the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. "This is not an anniversary that we celebrate. This is an anniversary that we activate," said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents California's 37th district in Los Angeles. The protesters chanted and carried signs to urge women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights," as more than a dozen states have either banned or restricted abortions since the Supreme Court ruling. "It's been two years since Dobbs," Kamlager-Dove wrote Monday in a post on X. "[Twenty-one] states have banned abortion. Many have criminalized patients and providers. One in three women now live in states where their reproductive freedom is under attack, placing burdens on states like California," Kamlager-Dove added. "We must act to ensure access to reproductive care for all." Protesters rally outside Los Angeles City Hall, urging women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights" on the second anniversary Monday of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI It's been 2 years since Dobbs. 21 states have banned abortion. Many have criminalized patients & providers. 1 in 3 women now live in states where their reproductive freedom is under attack, placing burdens on states like CA. We must act to ensure access to repro care for all. pic.twitter.com/SVnQY6Btk0 Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (@RepKamlagerDove) June 24, 2024 A protester attends a rally on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Monday. Demonstrators urged women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights" on the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI "The reversal of Roe vs. Wade, a landmark decision, is a stark reminder of how quickly our freedoms can be eroded," Emiliana Guereca, president of the Women's March Foundation which organized Monday's rally, said in a statement. "We stand united and resolute, continuing to demand that every woman has the right to make decisions about her own body," Guereca added. "Our fight is far from over, and we will persist until justice and equality prevail for all." Hundreds attend a rally Monday on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall, urging women to "walk out and speak out about the importance of reproductive rights" on the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, calling it an "anniversary that we activate." Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI While many protested the anniversary of the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, others celebrated the Supreme Court's decision two years later. "The reversal of Roe vs. Wade brought new opportunities to protect innocent human life," Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in a statement Monday. "Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the cause of life." A 21-year-old Lacey man accused of murdering his pregnant wife and a roommate is being held in the Thurston County jail without bail. John Robert Maupin, an active-duty Army member, attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday. Lacey police arrested Maupin early Friday morning after a multi-agency pursuit that started on Interstate 5 and ended within the Billy Frank Jr. Wildlife Refuge. Maupin was booked into the county jail on suspicion of two-counts of second-degree murder, domestic violence while armed with a firearm, second-degree assault while armed with a firearm and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. Coroner Gary Warnock previously described the victims as a 24-year-old pregnant woman and a 26-year-old man who was an active-duty soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Judge Christopher Lanese found probable cause for the alleged crimes and ordered Maupin to be held without bail until further order. In doing so, he determined there was a substantial danger Maupin may commit a violent crime, he may interfere with the case and the court could not be assured he would reappear for his next court hearing. Lanese also barred Maupin from contacting the mother of the 24-year-old woman as well as the mothers partner. Both of them lived in the same home as Maupin and the two victims, according to court records. In a motion to the court, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cailen Cecil alleged Maupin shot and killed his wife and her friend. She also alleged Maupin pointed a gun at another roommate who investigated the gunshots. Cecil asked the court to deny bail in light of these allegations. She said Maupin has a great propensity for violence In additional to intentionally killing (the 24-year-old woman) and her friend, Mr. Maupin showed depraved indifference for (the womans) nearly full-term unborn child, Cecil said. These actions demonstrate a clear threat to the safety of this community and the likelihood of future violence. Court records show Maupin has no known adult criminal convictions. The investigation A probable cause statement describes the investigation in the alleged crimes from the perspective of law enforcement. Lacey police responded at about 9 p.m. to the 5400 block of 57th Loop Southeast following reports of a shooting. The mother of the deceased woman called 911 to report Maupin had shot her daughter and her friend. As the mother called 911, her partner ran to a neighbors home and called 911 as well. The witnesses told dispatch that Maupin was an Army member stationed at JBLM. He reportedly left the home in a white 2020 Hyundai Sonata after the shooting. At the scene, officers found the deceased male on the floor of the upstairs hallway and the deceased woman on the floor of an upstairs master bedroom. Both of them had trauma to their heads that appeared consistent with gunshot wounds and no detectable pulse, the statement says. Officers reportedly found several 9mm shell casings in the hallway and in the master bedroom. The mother told police Maupin often fought with her daughter and threatened suicide on several occasions, per the statement. The mother said her daughter confronted Maupin about going into her room and taking her phone without her permission earlier that day. Hours of quiet passed until she heard gunshots coming from her daughters room. She told police she heard Maupin say, Oh, the gun went off, before he left the room. A moment later, she heard more gunshots in the hallway. Another roommate was downstairs watching television. He told police he started towards the stairs when he heard gunshots. Thats when Maupin came down the stairs. Maupin allegedly pointed a gun at the roommates head and told him to Get the (expletive) away from me, according to the statement. An Olympia police officer reportedly spotted Maupins white vehicle at about 9:15 p.m. Thursday as it traveled north on Interstate 5. The officer tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the statement says Maupin sped away at speeds over 110 miles per hour. Maupin eventually exited the highway and entered the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge before abandoning his vehicle and fleeing on foot. More law enforcement responded to the area at about 1 a.m. Friday and he was eventually located and arrested, per the statement. A detective and a corporal later interviewed Maupin at the Lacey Police Department. Maupin allegedly told them he had an alter ego named New John who took over and he could not recall what happened at his home. He also allegedly said he remembered telling an officer he had a gun in the glovebox of his car but he did not own a gun, according to the statement. A sergeant reportedly entered Maupins car with a search warrant and allegedly recovered a black handgun. Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton not hired after being finalist in two Florida cities Lake Wales City Manager was a finalist for the same position in two coastal Florida cities, but both cities - New Smyrna Beach and Treasure Island - selected other candidates. It appears that Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton will not be leaving for another city. Slaton had been named a finalist for city manager positions in two coastal Florida cities, but each chose to hire another candidate. New Smyrna Beach announced that it had offered the position to Kevin Cowper, formerly city manager in Dothan, Alabama. Treasure Island, on the west coast, announced last week that it had chosen Chuck Anderson, deputy city manager of Great Falls, Montana. Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent's firing was unfair and unlawful, his attorney says Slaton joined Lake Wales in 2005 as an informational technologist and network administrator. He progressed to become assistant city manager and was promoted to his current position in 2020. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales city manager misses on positions with two Florida cities Former Republican Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham stands outside the University of Louisiana at Monroe library after Gov.-elect Jeff Landry announced he will become the new secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. Gov.-elect Jeff Landry has chosen former Republican Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham as secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health. (Julie O'Donoghue/LAI) Gov. Jeff Landry announced former Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham will be Louisianas first-ever surgeon general after serving as the Louisiana Department of Health secretary for six months. This is going to help us improve the outcome of health care in the state of Louisiana, Landry said at a news conference Tuesday to announce the move. Abraham and newly appointed Secretary Michael Harrington are now expected to run the state health department as co-leaders, though Landry described Harrington as the CEO of the agency. Harrington was previously the undersecretary at the department who reported to Abraham and oversaw the states health care funding. Health care spending makes up nearly half of Louisianas annual state budget each year. Kevin Littlen, a spokesperson for the health department, could not say Tuesday whether salaries for Abraham, Harrington or any other member of the health department had changed as a result of the new surgeon general position. As health secretary, Harringtons pay for the state budget cycle that starts July 1 is $260,000, according to legislative budget documents, but its unclear what Abraham, as surgeon general, will be paid. In total, the new surgeon generals office has been allocated $481,700 to spend over the next year, but the health department has not said whether that money will cover Abrahams salary. Michael Harrington At the urging of Landry, Louisiana lawmakers created the new surgeon general position when they passed House Bill 853, sponsored by Rep. Brach Myers, R-Lafayette. Myers said several others states, including Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and California, have recently created surgeon general offices in their state governments as well. Landry and Abraham had planned to create the surgeon general job even before the governor took office in early January, Landry said. The surgeon general, who must be a medical doctor under the new law, is expected to lead public health efforts and set medical guidelines, leaving many of the financial and administrative responsibilities of Louisianas largest state agency to the health secretary. From day one, our priority has always been to have a doctor overseeing health policies of the state of Louisiana, Landry said. The governor said Abraham, as surgeon general, wont be tethered to the health department either. He is expected to work with the states medical schools, nursing programs and medical boards. Whatever we can do that makes it easier for that patient, we want to do that, Abraham said. Its not clear if all the duties of each position have been worked out yet. When asked who would win out in an argument between the surgeon general and health secretary over how to run the department, Landry replied that he, as the governor, would be the one ultimately responsible for the departments operations. It appears Abraham will continue to be the face of the health department, however. When asked who should be held responsible for the agencys response to another pandemic or a botched evacuation of nursing home residents during a hurricane, Abraham said he is the person who should be held responsible. Now, we will be able to have somebody speaking with one voice who is a doctor. Because we didnt always have a doctor in as the secretary, Landry said. The secretarys position is pretty demanding from an administrative standpoint. Louisiana most recently had a physician as state health secretary from 2016 to 2020, when Dr. Rebekah Gee led the department for most of Gov. John Bel Edwards first term. Before being elected to Congress in 2015, Abraham worked for years as a primary care doctor in rural Northeast Louisiana and was a veterinarian prior to that. He chose not to run again for his U.S. House seat in 2020 after an unsuccessful bid for governor, finishing behind Edwards, a Democrat, and Republican Eddie Rispone in the primary election. Harrington has worked as the chief executive officer and chief operating officer for several nonprofit and for-profit health systems. The post Landry moves Ralph Abraham from health secretary to first-ever surgeon general position appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) Catholic Charities of Acadiana will have $1 million less to spend in the next year due to a line-item veto yesterday by Gov. Jeff Landry. Landry vetoed four specific appropriations from House Bill No. 1 of the 2024 Regular Session, one of which earmarked $1 million to Catholic Charities of Acadiana for sheltering operations across eight parishes. In his letter dated June 24 to the Speaker of the House, Phillip DeVillier (R-Eunice), and the President of the Senate, Cameron Henry (R-Metairie), Landry said the bill included 33 different appropriations to non-governmental organizations totalling over $16.5 million, of which he vetoed four. We reviewed these appropriations to determine if they serve an appropriate government function and it the appropriation was an efficient use of state resources, Landry wrote. The loss will be felt immediately, as the charitys 2024-25 fiscal year starts July 1. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Prior to next legislative session, we plan to work with the legislature to develop criteria for what type of NGO requests represent the best use of our scarce state recourses [sic], Landry wrote. The other three vetoes were $1 million earmarked for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, $50,000 to the Opportunity Industrial Center of Ouachita and $75,000 to Maroon, Inc. The latter is a New Orleans organization that seeks to create an equitable community for small Black- and Brown-owned businesses and leaders to network & support each other, according to its website. Catholic Charities of Acadiana released a statement late Tuesday afternoon stating, in part, that they were saddened to learn about the veto of the supplemental appropriations designated to provide emergency homeless shelter funding. The statement from Chief of External Affairs, Ben Broussard reads: We are deeply saddened to learn that Governor Landry has vetoed the $1,000,000 in supplemental appropriations previously included in HB 1, which were designated to provide emergency homeless shelter funding for Catholic Charities of Acadiana. Currently, Catholic Charities shelters 87 homeless individuals nightly, offering safety to those experiencing homelessness in Acadiana. With Catholic Charities of Acadiana being the largest provider of shelter in the Acadiana region, the vetoed funding will have a crippling impact on its ability to sustain shelter services within the fiscal year 2024/2025, which begins July 1. The vetoed shelter appropriations are a significant setback to our pro-life efforts to care for our vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness, said Kim Boudreaux, CEO of Catholic Charities of Acadiana. Our shelter serves as a critical lifeline for 87 individuals each night who have nowhere else to turn. We face an uncertain future for those who seek shelter with us as a last resort. Last year, Catholic Charities sheltered 410 unduplicated individuals in its emergency shelter. Of those, 81% originated from the eight-parish Acadiana region, 10% originated from a different parish in Louisiana, and 9% originated from out of state. Before entry into the shelter, Catholic Charities of Acadiana assesses the possibility of reconnecting the person with their natural supports because of the traumatic nature of an experience of homelessness. Last year, Catholic Charities of Acadiana successfully diverted 60 households from an experience of homelessness by helping to reconnect them to natural support systems. Also last year, Catholic Charities of Acadiana returned 135 individuals from its shelter to permanent housing. As a pro-life organization dedicated to upholding the dignity of all human life, Catholic Charities of Acadiana represents a comprehensive response to homelessness, hunger, poverty, and situational crisis in Acadiana. Since 1973, its programs have represented a response to the Gospel call to carry out the corporal works of mercy. Catholic Charities of Acadiana urgently advocates for an allocation of local, state, and federal funding to be adequately appropriated to address the root causes of homelessness, the critical basic needs of Lafayettes homeless (such as shelter and food), and an investment in evidence-based solutions to transition those experiencing homelessness to affordable and stable housing with appropriate community-based supports. Latest news Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. LAPD wants help tracking down driver who struck skateboarder, fled scene The Los Angeles Police Department is offering $5,000 for the publics help in tracking down a driver who struck and injured a 14-year-old skateboarder in South Los Angeles in February. The boy, whose identity has not been released, was riding on a sidewalk along Ursula Avenue in Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw just before 7 a.m. on Feb. 2, police said in a news release. Video shared by police showed the teen turn down a driveway in between parked vehicles before he was struck by an SUV, which police say then continued north on Ursula without stopping. Police said they believe the vehicle is a silver or gray four-door SUV, perhaps a Honda Element or Honda Pilot. The teen, meanwhile, suffered pain to his hand and elbow, police said. A reward of up to $5,000 is available for help in tracking down the driver and bringing the case to a criminal conviction or civil settlement. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Hurd at 323-421-2500. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). To report information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A trailer that burst into flames blocked a freeway offramp in Auburn Tuesday morning. The fire started on the northbound State Route 167 offramp to Ellingson Road at around 5:30 a.m. As of 6:10 a.m., the fire was out but firefighters remained at the scene. Video from Washington State Department of Transportation cameras showed the trailer engulfed in flames. Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson said he believed the driver was at first trying to disconnect it from the truck that was towing it. No one was hurt, but the fire and smouldering hulk was a districation to drivers. By 6:35 a.m., the trailer was about to be towed away. UPDATE: The off-ramp on NB SR 167 to Ellingson Rd is fully blocked for a vehicle fire. Fire assistance, WSP and the Incident Response team are on scene. https://t.co/8V7QSZUA2p pic.twitter.com/dp2cHZltL8 WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) June 25, 2024 EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Las Cruces Police are asking for the publics help in locating a man they believe is responsible for shooting and critically injuring another man on Sunday afternoon, June 23 along Telshor Boulevard. Police say they are looking for 30-year-old Sergio Guadalupe Jacquez. At about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting that occurred at an apartment on the 1400 block of South Telshor Boulevard. Officers arrived to find a 36-year-old man unresponsive with at least one gunshot wound. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition. Investigators say they learned Jacquez was at the apartment with his girlfriend when his friend, the 36-year-old victim arrived. The two got into an argument before Jacquez fired at least one round, striking the victim, police say. Jacquez allegedly fled from the apartment before police arrived. Investigators have obtained a warrant for the arrest of Jacquez. The warrant charges Jacquez with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquez is asked to immediately call police (575) 526-0795. Jacquez may still be armed with a firearm and should not be approached, police say. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The man accused of killing his ex-daughter-in-law and her husband during a child custody hearing in a Las Vegas law office fired 12 rounds, including several toward his victims backs, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. On April 8, Joe Houston II, 77, shot and killed Dennis Prince, 57, and his wife, Ashley Prince, 30, during the hearing in Dennis Princes Summerlin law office. Joe Houston, another attorney, was at the hearing representing his son, Dylan Houston, in his custody dispute with Ashley Prince. About two minutes into the deposition, Joe Houston shot and killed the Princes before dying by suicide. Police recovered 12 casings, indicating all 12 rounds hit either the Princes or Joe Houston. Joe Houston shot Dennis Prince seven times, including four times to his back, documents said. He also shot Ashley Prince four times, including three times to the back. Joe Houston then fired a single bullet into his head. Ashley and Dennis Prince. (KLAS) It was unclear in what order Joe Houston shot the Princes or in what order he fired the 12 bullets. Police found the weapon, a Glock 40-caliber handgun, in Joe Houstons lap. Toxicology results did not find any illegal substances in Joe Houstons blood nor that of his victims. The deposition involved a years-long custody dispute involving Dylan Houston and Ashley Princes two young children. Previous reporting from 8 News Now Investigators demonstrated tension in the days and weeks before the deadly shooting, with the eventual gunman having requested that Ashley Prince not be present at the April 8 deposition. On April 1, Joe Houston requested Ashley Prince and another attorney not be present at the April 8 deposition, according to emails the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. Dennis Prince later responded, We dont agree to your requests, adding he did not know if Ashley Prince and the other attorney would be present. On April 3, five days before the shooting, Joe Houston wrote in an email to Dennis Prince: I REQUEST AGAIN THAT ASHLEY NOT BE PRESENT. Ashley Prince had expressed safety concerns before Mondays child custody deposition. Do you have any private security you recommend? she texted private investigator Hal De Becker. Dylan has a ton of guns in that house. On the Thursday before the shooting, Ashley Prince canceled the security: Nothing Monday he will not be there, she stated about Dylan Houston. Five days before the shooting, Dylan Houston, who is also an attorney, emailed Dennis Prince, You have no idea whats coming do you, all your cards are on the table and I havent played one [laughing emoji], according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. A week after the shooting, a family court judge gave partial custody of Joe Houston and Ashley Princes two children to both their father and an aunt. Earlier this month, the Prince Law Group ceased operations, five years after its founding. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Metro police shot a knife-wielding burglary suspect after a fight in the northwest Las Vegas valley, police said. On Tuesday around 9:40 a.m., Metro police responded to the 2000 block of Valley Drive near Rancho Drive after a report of an intruder armed with a knife inside a home. When officers arrived, they learned that the suspect fled to a neighboring home where officers found the suspect in a physical fight with a person while still armed with the knife, police said. Officers approached the suspect and gave verbal commands for the suspect to drop the knife however, the struggle continued between the suspect and the person resulting in an officer shooting the suspect, according to Metro police. Las Vegas Metropolitan police investigate an officer-involved shooting on Valley Drive on June 25, 2024. (KLAS) The suspect was taken to a local hospital, their condition is unknown at this time. This marks the sixth officer-involved shooting in LVMPDs jurisdiction for 2024. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Force Investigation Team at 702-828-8452. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or at www.crimestoppersofnv.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The U.S. Marshals are searching for a woman accused of having sex with her teen sons friend who was underage. Christina Cobb, 41, was scheduled to appear in court in January and never showed up, according to Clark County District court records. There are two warrants for her arrest in connection with two separate cases. Las Vegas Metro police first arrested Cobb on June 13, 2022. She was charged with two counts of statutory sexual seduction and one count of lewdness with a child under the age of 16. The age of consent in Nevada is 16. Christina Leone Cobb is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Office (U.S. Marshals) The month prior, the alleged victim, a teenager, said Cobb provided him alcohol and allowed him to sleep in her bed, police wrote in an arrest report. The teenager also told police he suspected he had eight shots that night before he went to bed. Cobb then sexually assaulted the teen, according to police. She declined to answer investigators questions without an attorney present, police said. A Las Vegas Justice Court judge set Cobbs bail at $20,000 which she posted in February of 2023, according to court documents. Police arrested Cobb again on August 3, 2023. She was accused of swinging a crowbar at a teenage family member, fighting with him, and then lying to police about what happened. She faces two felony charges including assault with the use of a deadly weapon and child abuse or neglect. A Las Vegas Justice Court judge ordered Cobb to be released from jail on Sept. 5 because no criminal complaint was filed for the case, according to court records. She was released on Sept. 16, police said. Cobb was scheduled to go on trial for the first case on Feb. 5. Cobb is believed to be in the Las Vegas area, but it appears she has no family ties elsewhere, according to the U.S. Marshals. A wanted poster states, Considered a sexual predator with violent tendencies. Christina Cobb, 41, was scheduled to appear in court in January and never showed up, according to Clark County District court records. There are two warrants for her arrest in connection with two separate cases. (U.S. Marshals) Anyone with information on Cobbs whereabouts is urged to call the U.S. Marshals at (725) 277-6800. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, you can visit https://www.rainn.org/resources for help. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The latest on the investigation into Daytona Beach's First Step homeless shelter DAYTONA BEACH When First Step Shelter Board members gathered for their regular monthly meeting late Monday afternoon, it was the first time they had met since their specially called June 12 meeting to discuss a whistleblower complaint. That complaint, brought by three First Step employees, paints the shelter for homeless adults as a place with a toxic work environment where some financial records have been fabricated, a few conversations among staff have involved inappropriate sexual subject matter, and employees have felt threatened by some shelter residents. The allegations, which are being looked into by an attorney the shelter board decided to hire, were not on Monday's meeting agenda, but they filled the air with tension when public comments were about to begin at the end of the meeting. "We are engaged in an investigation. If you are involved in it, we'd prefer you discuss that with the person who is investigating," said Mayor Derrick Henry, who serves as First Step Shelter Board's chairman and president. And then Henry made a plea: "Please try not to make this a circus." Five of the nine First Step Shelter Board members gathered Monday for their regular monthly meeting. An ongoing investigation into employee complaints was only briefly mentioned, and received no other discussion. The dozen or so people at the meeting, more than half of whom are current or former employees of First Step Shelter, honored the request and did not speak. Their silence might have also come from City Attorney Ben Gross, who sits in on First Step Shelter Board meetings, advising a few weeks ago that contents of the complaint are confidential until the investigation is complete. It was a switch from the June 12 meeting, when several current and former shelter employees took the opportunity to argue for or against the investigation. Two former shelter residents at that meeting two weeks ago also praised the First Step workers who helped lift them out of homelessness. They are good people who help people when they are at their lowest," said former First Step Shelter resident Karen Wicker. "I believe you need to have their backs and look into this." 'Stop the witch hunt' The three employees who signed onto the written complaint are Patrick Smith, the shelter's former director of philanthropy and engagement; former shelter housing coordinator Pamela Alexander; and shelter nurse Kim Kelly. They have all sought protection under Florida's whistleblower law. Alexander said Thursday morning that she had just been fired. Smith also no longer works for First Step Shelter. First Step Shelter Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg, who has led the facility since it opened four and a half years ago, is the central target of many of the complaints. Some of the allegations are laid out in detail, but Fahlberg has said she doesn't feel she can comment on an ongoing investigation. The shelter board hired Ormond Beach attorney Scott Simpson, who has accounting expertise and has represented Volusia County cities, to conduct a preliminary investigation that will include talking to at least some of the shelter's 15 employees. Simpson will be paid up to $5,000, and he has not been given a deadline to complete his work. After he submits his findings, shelter board members will decide whether to look deeper into the allegations, consider corrective actions, or end the investigation. The First Step Shelter Board has launched an investigation into complaints of a few current and former employees who allege there are numerous problems at the Daytona Beach shelter for homeless adults. First Step Facilities Director Cathy Smith had urged board members not to pursue the investigation. "I'm calling on you to stop the witch hunt, because I believe that's what it is," Smith said June 12. At least a few board members, including Mike Panaggio and Rose Ann Tornatore, initially wanted to end the investigation on June 12. They said shelter officials could still look into complaints without conducting a large, formal investigation. "If there's something wrong at the shelter, we need to find it," Panaggio said. Panaggio and Tornatore later voted along with the rest of the board to hire Simpson. Panaggio said he was very angry about the complaint, particularly since it was brought forward as the Volusia County government and city of Daytona Beach are deciding whether to continue their annual contributions to First Step Shelter past Sept. 30. The complaint was also filed at a time when the shelter has been hitting its stride with fundraising and regularly getting residents into housing. "There's never been a time in our history we've done better," Panaggio said. "We're killing it right now." He and shelter board member Susan Persis were also upset that First Step Shelter was having to dip into its funds for the investigation. "First Step Shelter money needs to go to help people," Persis said. "Now we have to raise more money. I'm not happy about it," Panaggio said. More about Daytona homeless shelter: Employees of homeless shelter accuse director of fraud, discrimination, other misdeeds After a speaker at the June 12 meeting accused some board members of only caring about money, Panaggio pointed out that board members volunteer their time without compensation. "For anyone to think we don't care, they're out of their minds," said Panaggio, who has supported the shelter for years with his money and time. Board member Joan Campanaro said First Step still needed to at least "find out what the facts are." "When I read the complaint, I had concerns," she said. "If we have three people who sign a paper and have concerns, we should do an investigation." Henry concurred. "You don't get away from problems by hiding," he said. You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach homeless shelter investigation continues The Latest | UN tells Israel it will pause aid work in Gaza without better safety, UN officials say U.S. Army soldiers stand next to trucks arriving loaded with humanitarian aid at the U.S.-built floating pier Trident before reaching the beach on the coast of the Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Senior U.N. officials have told Israel they will suspend aid operations across Gaza unless urgent steps are taken to better protect humanitarian workers from Israeli strikes and to curb growing lawlessness hindering aid efforts, two U.N. officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations with Israeli officials. The Israeli army declined to comment Tuesday on the U.N. ultimatum, and the Defense Ministry did not return requests for comment. Israel has acknowledged some military strikes on humanitarian workers, including an April attack that killed seven workers with the World Central Kitchen, and denied allegations of others. Israel says any such strikes are mistakes. International criticism is growing over Israels campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as Palestinians face severe and widespread hunger. The eight-month war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and basic goods to Gaza, and people there are now totally dependent on aid. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza a charge Israel strongly denies. Earlier Tuesday, Israels Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service, a landmark decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition. The conscription decision comes as Israel and Hamas appear to moving farther apart on a cease-fire deal, and Israeli leaders are increasingly signaling that a war with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah could be next. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people mostly civilians and abducted about 250. Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 37,600 people in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. Currently: Israel's Supreme Court says ultra-Orthodox must serve in the military. Netanyahu says he wont agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal. Experts say Gaza is at high risk of famine despite increased aid to the north. Iranian presidential candidates debate foreign policy ahead of Friday vote. A WHO official says the U.S.-built pier in Gaza not sufficient in delivering aid to Palestinians. Follow APs coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war. Heres the latest: World Food Program economist pleads for action to help Gaza's dire food crisis UNITED NATIONS The U.N. food agencys chief economist says designations about whether there's a famine in Gaza miss the point, because the situation is dire with nearly all 2.3 million Palestinians facing acute hunger. The world needs to take action now, said Arif Husain of the World Food Program, citing the example of Somalia's massive famine in 2011 where 250,000 people died. Half of those people died before famine was declared, Husain said. He stressed to reporters Tuesday that averting famine requires more than food it requires clean water, sanitation, health care and medicine on a sustained basis. He was commenting on the new report by the global famine warning network that says the entire Gaza Strip faces a high and sustained risk of famine as long as the Israel-Hamas war continues and humanitarian access is restricted. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification says current available evidence doesnt indicate famine is occurring, but about 96% of Gazas population face acute food insecurity with around 495,000 Palestinians facing catastrophic levels through September. Husain said the threat of famine in northern Gaza was averted because aid was able to get in, including commercial deliveries. But there is now concern in the south where Israeli military operations are taking place and the main Rafah crossing from Egypt is closed, he said. He said if the U.N. and aid organizations have access to places where its needed, we can improve this situation, but if we dont have access, then it is not possible. UN confirms it urged Israel to better protect aid operations, but will not turn its back on the people of Gaza UNITED NATIONS The United Nations is confirming that it urged Israel to protect humanitarian staff and facilitate aid deliveries in Gaza but said it will not turn its back on the people of Gaza. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric gave the response in a briefing with reporters Tuesday. The same day, two different U.N. officials said senior U.N. officials have warned Israel that they will suspend the world bodys aid operations across Gaza unless Israel acts urgently to better protect humanitarian workers. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations with Israeli officials Dujarric confirmed that the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the Mideast, Muhannad Hadi, sent a letter to COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza, on June 17 and further contacts took place Monday between U.N. security chief Giles Michaud and COGAT officials. U.N. and other aid officials have complained for months that they have no way to communicate quickly and directly with Israeli forces on the ground, in contrast with the usual procedures known as deconfliction employed in conflict zones globally to protect aid workers from attack by combatants. Dujarric was asked whether there was any response from Israel and replied, If there had been a great improvement in the situation, I think you would know it. At the Security Councils monthly Mideast meeting Tuesday, Israel again blamed the United Nations for not delivering aid in Gaza. Dujarric responded saying the risks to humanitarian staff from picking up aid at crossings from Israel are unacceptable. To blame those who are trying to help, who are there in Gaza without guns, without real security, to me is a bit far-fetched, he said. Dujarric was pressed several times on whether the U.N. would shut down its operations if conditions werent improved, and what effect that would have on Gaza. Im not talking about suspending operations, Dujarric replied at one point. What Im saying is that every day we assess the situation, how best to move forward. U.S. military says aid brought by sea is piling up on Gaza beach WASHINGTON More than 6,800 metric tons, or 15 million pounds, of food and aid has flowed through the U.S. military-built pier in Gaza. However, the U.S. says very little of it has left the storage area and is stacking up on the beach due to security concerns among the aid agencies who deliver it throughout Gaza. The United Nations wants Israel to do more to safeguard aid operations from strikes by its forces and to curb growing lawlessness hindering humanitarian workers. On Tuesday when asked whether the military would suspend deliveries if the storage area ran out of space, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said certainly weve got to take into account the capacity of the marshalling area. Ryder said theres still room left for now, and the military is in communication with the U.N. World Food Program. U.N. officials say the world body will stop delivering aid throughout Gaza if communications and protections for delivery workers do not improve. 4 United Nations contractors in south Lebanon wounded by gunfire, source of fire not immediately clear BEIRUT A spokesperson for the United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in south Lebanon along the border with Israel says three of their contractors were wounded Tuesday when gunfire hit their vehicle. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, said Kandice Ardiel, deputy spokesperson for the force known as UNIFIL. Asked if the fire came from the Israeli side, Ardiel said: At this point, we cant determine the origin. She said the contractors were returning home from UNIFILs Sector West headquarters in the village of Chama when their vehicle was hit by gunfire. Chama is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the border with Israel. Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly every day since the war in Gaza began in October. We reiterate our condemnation of any attack on civilians, or any action that puts civilian lives in danger, Ardiel said, adding that this includes locals who still live in their villages and provide essential services to support peacekeepers in their work. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah and other militants, but also over 80 civilians and non-combatants. In northern Israel, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed by strikes launched from Lebanon. We have already seen too many injuries and deaths as a result of the exchanges of fire, Ardiel said. She added that UNIFIL urges all actors involved in the conflict to cease their fire and work toward a diplomatic solution to bring the violence to an end. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israels 1978 invasion. The U.N. expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border to help the Lebanese military extend its authority into the countrys south for the first time in decades. Hamas says Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills sister of its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who lives abroad CAIRO Hamas says an Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed the sister of its top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad. In a brief statement, the group said Zahr Haniyeh was killed in a strike Tuesday in Shati, a built-up refugee camp in Gaza City dating back to 1948. Palestinian media reported that over a dozen members of Haniyehs extended family were killed in the strike. Gazas Health Ministry, which tracks Palestinian casualties from the war, has not said how many people were killed in the strike. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are the top two Hamas leaders in Gaza and the apparent masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack. They are believed to be alive, possibly in the groups massive labyrinth of tunnels. Israeli airstrikes killed three of Haniyehs sons and four of his grandchildren in April. Israel said the three sons were Hamas operatives. Later Tuesday, Haniyeh said Israel is wrong if it thinks that, by targeting his family members, Hamas will change its stance. Regarding a cease-fire deal, he said Hamas expressed full flexibility and accepted all initiatives on condition that these end the war and lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. His statement said Hamas will continue to reject any deal that does not include an end to the war and our stance will not change during any period. Haniyeh said that all post-war plans should be an entirely Palestinian decision and no one else has the right to interfere. Haniyeh is based in Qatar, which has long served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are. US defense secretary stresses need for Israel to avoid opening a second front with Hezbollah WASHINGTON U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressed the need for Israel to avoid opening a second front against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as he met with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon Tuesday. Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East, and so diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation, Austin said. Gallant, in response, said in his remarks at the top of the meeting that We are working closely together to achieve an agreement but we must also discuss readiness on every possible scenario. Iranian-backed Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly every day since then, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. The fighting has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown war. Gallant is visiting Washington this week to speak with U.S. officials, and met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday. UN tells Israel it will suspend aid operations across Gaza without urgent steps to improve safety, UN officials say WASHINGTON Senior U.N. officials have told Israel they will suspend aid operations across Gaza unless urgent steps are taken to better protect humanitarian workers, two U.N. officials say. A U.N. letter sent to senior Israeli officials this month said Israel must provide U.N. workers with direct communication with Israeli forces on the ground in Gaza, among other steps, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations with Israeli officials. The U.N. officials say there has been no final decision on suspending operations across Gaza and that talks with Israelis were ongoing. The U.N. World Food Program has already suspended aid delivery from a U.S.-built pier in Gaza over security concerns. The Israeli army declined to comment on the U.N. warning, and the Defense Ministry did not return requests for comment. ___ Associated Press writers Samy Magdy and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed. UN food agency says concerns about Gaza's high risk of famine are confirmed by experts' new report JERUSALEM The U.N. food agency says the latest findings by a leading authority on hunger crises confirm its own concerns about severe hunger in war-torn Gaza. The World Food Program said Tuesday that to truly turn the corner and prevent famine, adequate and sustained levels of humanitarian assistance must be provided, including fresh food, clean water, sanitation and healthcare. It was responding to the latest report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative first set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia that now includes more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies. The IPC found that an influx of aid into northern Gaza earlier this year had eased a crisis there, but expressed concerns about the south following Israels invasion of the city of Rafah. The IPC said the entire territory was still at high risk of famine and projected that over 495,000 people over a fifth of the population will experience the most severe level of hunger in the coming months. The incursion into Rafah displaced over a million people, most of whom had already fled their homes elsewhere. It led to the closure of one border crossing and major disruptions at another, making it difficult to bring in aid. The WFP said it was deeply concerned that the much-reduced ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver critical assistance in the south is jeopardizing the progress made. It said the security vacuum in Gaza has fostered widespread lawlessness that makes it difficult to deliver aid. WFP now fears that southern Gaza could soon see the same catastrophic levels of hunger previously recorded in the northern areas, it said. UN agency for Palestinian refugees says funding crisis has eased GENEVA The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday that most of its donors have resumed funding and new ones have emerged, so it has enough cash through the end of August but faces a shortfall of up to $140 million by year-end. Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, said an independent review of its operations has helped rebuild trust in the agency, which has broadened its donor base by adding contributor countries such as Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and Oman as well as individual giving from Singapore. Speaking to reporters at the U.N. office in Geneva, Lazzarini said aid delivery is becoming more and more complicated and crossings into Gaza are far short of need and looting of delivery trucks is happening too often. Israels allegations early this year that a dozen of UNRWAs staffers had taken part in the Oct. 7 attacks led to the suspension of contributions by the United States and more than a dozen other countries. All but the U.S. and Britain have resumed their funding. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tapped a former French foreign minister to lead a team that issued a report that reviewed UNRWAs neutrality, and the results of an internal investigation are pending. Hamas leaders sister reported killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza CAIRO Hamas says an Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed the sister of its top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad. In a brief statement, the group said Zahr Haniyeh was killed in a strike on Tuesday in Shati, a built-up refugee camp in Gaza City dating back to the 1948 war. Palestinian media reported that over a dozen members of Haniyehs extended family were killed in the strike. Gazas Health Ministry, which tracks Palestinian casualties from the war, has not said how many people were killed in the strike. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israeli airstrikes killed three of Ismail Haniyehs sons and four of his grandchildren in April. Israel said the three sons were Hamas operatives. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are. Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, the top two Hamas leaders in Gaza and the apparent masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack, are believed to be alive and in hiding, possibly in the groups massive labyrinth of tunnels. Haniyeh is based in Qatar, which has long served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. Israel will dedicate long weeks to reaching an arrangement with Hezbollah, senior official says JERUSALEM A senior Israeli official says Israel and the United States will devote an unspecified number of weeks to trying to reach a new arrangement with Hezbollah before resorting to other means to bring calm to the Israel-Lebanon border. Israels low-level conflict with the Lebanese militant group has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of an all-out war. We will now dedicate long weeks in an attempt to reach an arrangement along the border, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Tuesday. Hezbollah began attacking northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas shortly after the Palestinian militants Oct. 7 attack triggered the war in Gaza. Israel has responded with airstrikes, and the low-intensity conflict has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the border. Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, an annual gathering of policymakers and analysts, Hanegbi said Hezbollah may find a kind of ladder to climb down as Israel shifts to less intensive operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. If there is no arrangement through diplomatic means, everybody understands that an arrangement is required through other means. But currently we prefer to focus on the diplomatic campaign," he said. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese and Israeli leaders the week before to try to calm tensions. Hezbollah has said it will continue its attacks until there is a cease-fire in Gaza. Israel's Supreme court rules that ultra-Orthodox men can no longer be exempt from the military draft JERUSALEM Israels Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza. The court ruled that, in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israels compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizens. Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women. These exemptions have long been a source of anger among the secular public, a divide that has widened during the war. Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahus governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could bolt the coalition, causing the government to collapse and leading to new elections. The court decision comes at a sensitive time, as the war in Gaza drags on into its ninth month and the number of dead soldiers continues to mount. Israeli strikes kill at least 21 people in Gaza City CAIRO Israeli strikes on Gaza City early Tuesday killed at least 21 people, including nine women and seven children, officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said. The strikes hit two schools-turned-shelters and a residential home, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense, a rescue body that is often the first to respond after airstrikes. The Israeli military said Hamas militants were operating inside the school compounds, accusing them of planning attacks against Israel and being involved in holding hostages taken from Israel. A strike on the Abdel-Fattah Hamoud school in the Daraj neighborhood killed at least eight people from the same family, including five children and their parents, the Civil Defense said, adding that an 18-month-old and a 77-year-old woman were among the dead. The group said a second strike hit the Asmaa school in Shati, a built-up refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war, killing at least 11 people, including five women and two children. The third strike hit a family house in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, killing two women, the civil defense said. The third strike hit a family home in the Shijaiyah neighborhood, killing two women. Israel has escalated its air raids on Gaza City, in the north, over the past week, killing dozens of people as Israeli ground forces continue battling Palestinian militants in the southern city of Rafah. Israel launched its air and ground invasion of Gaza immediately after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed over 37,000 Palestinians and unleashed a humanitarian crisis. Stock.adobe.com photo by Larry. A poll released Monday in the closely watched race for U.S. Senate found Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) with an 11-point lead over former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in a matchup that included third-party and independent candidates. She had an 8-point margin over Hogan in a head-to-head race. The poll, conducted by the North Carolina firm Public Policy Polling, surveyed 635 registered voters last Wednesday and Thursday. It had a 3.9-point margin of error. PPP is generally hired by Democrats, but does not poll for them exclusively. The firm did not immediately respond Monday to a question about who had commissioned the Maryland poll. In a head-to-head matchup with Hogan, Alsobrooks led 48% to 40%. When other candidates were included, survey respondents gave Alsobrooks 45%, Hogan 34%, Libertarian nominee Mike Scott 3%, and Green Party nominee Nancy Wallace and independent Emmanuel Osuchukwu 1% each. Hogan, who defied political odds by winning two terms as governor in blue Maryland, took 15% of the Democratic vote in the poll with Alsobrooks. But thats just half the percentage of Democratic votes he rang up during his 2018 reelection bid. Recent history suggests that Senate candidates in states that strongly favor the other party see their level of crossover support get smaller and smaller as the election nears, which doesnt bode well for Hogan to close his already double digit gap, the PPP pollsters wrote. The poll also found Alsobrooks with a net favorability rating that surpassed Hogans. She was viewed favorably by 43% of the survey respondents, compared to 16% who viewed her unfavorably. Hogan had a 50% favorability rating, though 33% of the poll respondents said they viewed him unfavorably. Hogan was far better known: 41% of poll respondents said they werent sure how they felt about Alsobrooks, compared to just 18% who said they werent sure what they thought about Hogan. But another potential warning sign for Hogan, who has regularly criticized former President Donald Trump, is that 26% of Republicans viewed him unfavorably. Only 8% of Democrats said they viewed Alsobrooks in a bad light. In the race for the White House, President Joe Biden (D) led Trump 56% to 30% among Maryland voters, a rough approximation of his 65% to 32% victory in the state in 2020. Biden had a 47% job approval rating among Maryland voters, while 43% said they did not approve of the job he is doing. Trump had a 26% favorability rating in Maryland compared to 66% of voters who viewed him unfavorably. Gov. Wes Moore (D) was viewed favorably by 50% of the poll respondents, while 22% said they viewed him unfavorably. The post Latest poll shows Alsobrooks with 11-point edge over Hogan in Senate race appeared first on Maryland Matters. Lauren Boebert runs in GOP race, Democrats clash over Israel: What to know about Tuesday's pivotal primaries A handful of House and Senate primary elections on Tuesday in New York, Utah and Colorado are promising tough fights that have revealed intense intra-party conflicts among Democrats and Republicans ahead of the November general election. Competitive House races in highly partisan New York and Colorado districts appear prime territory for major upsets that could see voters buck incumbent politicians and change the makeup of Congress next year. And in Utah, a GOP Senate primary is shaping up to be a referendum on how Republicans in the state view former President Donald Trumps fiery brand of conservatism. Heres a look at the races to watch across the country on Tuesday. New York Progressive Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing a difficult primary challenge for New Yorks 16th District seat, which spans from the Bronx to the Connecticut border, by Westchester County Executive George Latimer. The race is the latest, and potentially the most high profile, test yet in 2024 of how Democratic divisions over the the Israel-Hamas war are playing out on the campaign trail. U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at SUNY Westchester Community College Valhalla in Valhalla, New York on May 10, 2023. Bowman, who has represented his district since 2020, is among the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress and has accused the country of committing genocide in its war against Hamas. Hes also called for the Biden administration to stop providing aid to Israel. Progressives including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and fellow New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have rallied to support Bowman in the primary. Latimer, meanwhile, is a more moderate, pro-Israel candidate who has received endorsements from establishment Democrats like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a group supporting pro-Israel politicians, has donated more than $1.2 million to Latimer's campaign, according to campaign finance filings through June 5. During a campaign rally over the weekend, Bowman said his supporters would show AIPAC the power of the South Bronx in Tuesdays election. But recent polling has shown Bowman trailing in the race. An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey conducted in early June, for instance, found Latimer with a more than 10-point lead over Bowman, 48%-31%. Bowman was also at the center of a confusing incident on Capitol Hill last year after he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building, prompting an emergency evacuation. The lower chamber later censured the New York lawmaker. Colorado Congressional primaries in Colorado on Tuesday will lay the foundation for general election races that could determine the balance of power in Congress next year. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the GOP firebrand who currently represents Colorados 3rd District, is instead running in the solidly red neighboring 4th District. Boebert announced her decision to switch districts last year, after Republican Rep. Ken Buck confirmed that he would not seek a sixth term to represent the 4th District. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) walks into the Capitol prior to the House approving a bill Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Boebert was hospitalized for a blood clot on April 1 and diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome. Republicans hold a razor-thin majority in the House, and Boebert narrowly bested her Democratic rival for the 3rd District seat by just 546 votes in the 2022 midterms. Still, the district, which encompasses much of the western half of the state, holds a nine-point Republican advantage. Whoever wins the six-way GOP primary for the 3rd District on Tuesday, will face Boeberts former Democratic challenger, Adam Frisch. Former state representative Ron Hanks garnered the endorsement of the state party in the race, while attorney Jeff Hurd led in a poll conducted at the beginning of June. In the 4th District GOP primary, Boebert is competing against five other candidates. A survey from the end of May showed the stalwart Trump conservative with a 35-point lead over her competitors in the race. Utah When Sen. Mitt Romney, R- Utah, announced in September that he would not seek reelection to the Senate, he sparked a battle among GOP Senate hopefuls with competing visions for the future of the party. The race for his seat between Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, former state House Speaker Brad Wilson and U.S. Rep. John Curtis has revolved around how much the politicians have embraced Trumps hard-right conservative politics. Recent polls have shown Curtis with a more than 20-point lead over his competitors. While he has said he plans to vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Curtis is also the only candidate in the race who has stopped short of outright endorsing the former president. Trump and Utahs Republican Party are supporting Staggs. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is also expected to win his primary on Tuesday, despite not receiving the backing of the state party after some of his GOP critics accused him of being too centrist. Contributing: Cy Neff and Natasha Lovato, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boebert runs in GOP race, Dems split over Israel: Tuesday primaries SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A new law in San Diego now expands the physical barrier of protection for people going into churches, schools and health care facilities amid any protests or demonstrations. No one should be afraid to see their doctor, to learn, to pray or to attend a school meeting, City Attorney Mara Elliott said. The new ordinance requires demonstrators to ask for permission to approach someone if they are within the protected 100 feet surrounding the protection location. In the ordinance prior, the burden was on the person entering or leaving the protected place to say they didnt want to engage or talk. Body found believed to be missing hiker: SDPD What weve done in this amendment is flipped that around, and now people who are engaged in their first amendment right to demonstrate have to affirmatively ask for permission to get within 8 feet of the person trying to enter the healthcare facility or place of worship or school, said Heather Ferbert, a deputy city attorney with the City of San Diego. This law hadnt been updated since 1997. It aims to strike a balance between protecting first amendment rights, and also protecting people trying to access healthcare facilities, churches and schools. This update comes after a surge of large protests and demonstrations in recent years, pandemic-era protests and politically-charged protests in San Diego, and around the nation. Authorities release identity of infant who died after being left in car for several hours For nearly three decades the citys laws on this issue have remain unchanged and yet we know that our social and our political landscape has evolved, particularly in recent years and the need to protect the public from undue harassment and intimidation while still preserving their first amendment rights has become even more pressing, Mayor Todd Gloria said. The ordinance also includes a noise limitation, Elliott said there had been complaints of protestors using bullhorns and disrupting employees workdays. With the mayors signature, the new ordinance is already in affect. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Lawsuit challenges new Ten Commandment display law in Louisiana: What to know. This article has been updated. Several civil liberties group have filed a federal suit on behalf of nine Louisiana families Monday challenging the state's new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. Roake vs. Brumley argues that the newly enacted law violates the separation of church and state and the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Louisiana became the first state to require copies of the Ten Commandment be displayed in K-12 public classrooms after Rep. Dodie Horton (R-Haughton)'s bill was signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry on June 19. Horton insisted the displays aren't advocating for any specific religion, even though they are a key tenet in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Civil liberties groups plan lawsuits to block the new Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments in schools, saying it would unconstitutionally breach protections against government-imposed religion Here's what you should know about the newly filed lawsuit. Who is involved in the lawsuit? The plaintiffs include Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Darcy Roake, her husband Adrian Van Young and their two children; Rev. Jeff Simms, a Presbyterian (U.S.A.) minister, and his three children; nonreligious parents Jennifer Harding and Benjamin Owens and their child; Erin and Davis Hawley and their two children a Unitarian Universalist family; Dustin McCrory, an atheist, and his three children; Christy Alkrie, who is non religious, and her children; and Joshua Herlands, who is Jewish and has two elementary-age children. The defendants include Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Education members Conrad Appel, Judy Armstrong, Kevin Berken, Preston Castille, Simone Champagne, Sharon Latten-Clark, Lance Harris, Paul Hollie, Sandy Holloway, Stacey Melerine, Ronnie Morris; East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, Livingston Parish School Board, Orleans Parish School Board, Vernon Parish School Board and St. Tammany Parish School. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, with New York-based Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel. What's the purpose of the lawsuit? The complaint alleges that the newly-enacted law violates longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent and the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment In 1980, in Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court overturned a similar state law, holding that the separation of church and state bars public schools form posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The complaint also alleges that HB 71 "substantially interferes with and burdens" parents' First Amendment right to direct their children's religious education and upbringing, and that, in approving and mandating the display of a specific version of the Ten Commandments, the law disregards the First Amendment's prohibiting the government's taking seconds on question of theological debate. "They [families] all practice different religions some of them practice non at all, but they all have one important thing in common and that's that they believe, correctly so, that they and their children have a right to decide what religious beliefs, if any, they want to hold and practice without pressure from Louisiana, politicians and school officials," Heather Weaver, Senior Staff Attorney for ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion Belief, said. "Louisiana lawmakers have no business intruding on these really important and private decisions that are protected by our constitution. As we explained in our complaint, here, state lawmakers took it upon themselves, first to get the state stamp of approval on a very specific version of the Ten Commandments and then they went and mandated that it be displayed in every public school classroom." In a statement to The Shreveport Times, Brumley said the Ten Commandments law passed with overwhelmingly support in Louisiana's state legislature and was enthusiastically signed by Governor Landry. "I look forward to implementing the law and defending Louisiana's sovereign, interest to select classroom content fundamental to America's foundation." Jonathan Youngwood of Simpson Thatcher Bartlett LLP said the next step will be going to the courts for motion for preliminary injunction which allows to enjoin the defendants from implementing the law. Youngwood said they will seek to declare the law unconstitutional which they hope will result in a hearing this summer and eventually get a ruling from the district court judge. Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinsonand on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Roake v. Brumley challenges Ten Commandment display law. What to know. A nonprofit that raises money to pay cash bail for criminal defendants held in pretrial detention is challenging a new state law that adds to the list of offenses that are ineligible for no-cash bail. The Barred Business Foundation and two individual Georgians, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Monday. The suit is seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against a provision in Senate Bill 63 that prohibits charitable organizations from posting more than three cash bonds per year. The Republican-controlled General Assembly passed the legislation this year, voting along party lines. Supporters said the bill would help enhance public safety at a time violent crime is on the rise. Opponents said it punishes people who have not been convicted of a crime. SB63 is cruel and costly, forcing people to languish in jail because they cant pay for their release and prohibiting others from being able to help them become free, said Cory Isaacson, legal director of the ACLUs Georgia chapter. It is mean, it is unconstitutional, and our hope is that the courts will step in to stop the state from doing more harm. The court has scheduled a hearing on the lawsuit for Friday, three days before the law is due to take effect. Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic as some cities are doing carries hidden costs Flint, Michigan, made headlines in 2015 when tests revealed dangerously high lead levels in its drinking water. The city had switched its water supply to the Flint River a year earlier, and corrosive water had damaged aging lead pipes, exposing thousands of people to lead contamination. The result was a human health crisis that residents are feeling the effects of to this day. And Flint was only the tip of the iceberg. The EPA estimates that 9.2 million service lines that deliver drinking water to U.S. homes and businesses are made of lead. The federal government considers replacing these lead pipes a top priority and has launched a variety of initiatives to help, including the 2021 Infrastructure Law, which committed US$15 billion over five years to lead pipe replacement. The EPA is now proposing to require the removal of lead pipes across the U.S. within 10 years. The agency has been silent, however, regarding what should replace lead. Jessica Owens holds up a baby bottle filed with water from her home in Flint, Mich., during a U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Feb. 3, 2016, to examine the citys lead water crisis. AP Photo/Molly Riley We study water policy and water chemistry, with a focus on plastics and emerging contaminants, as well as on equitable access to clean water. We see concerns with a popular replacement material for lead pipes: plastic. The buried legacy of lead pipes is concentrated in cities with large low-income populations. Seven of the 10 U.S. states with the most lead service lines are Great Lakes states, and our research shows the new federal funding will cover less than one-fifth of the costs of replacing known lead pipes in that region alone. These cities could unknowingly set up new environmental health risks. The problem with lead pipes There is no level of lead exposure considered safe for humans. In children, lead exposure can affect their organs and brain development, causing decreased intelligence, behavioral disorders and learning problems. Adults are also vulnerable. Even low lead exposure can cause kidney problems and high blood pressure. A recent study estimated that 170 million U.S. adults were exposed to high levels of lead in early childhood. Congress, in 1986, amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to prohibit the use of lead pipes in the installation or repair of any public water system, home or business that supplies drinking water. But many communities already had lead pipes that they expected to last for decades longer, and replacing them is expensive. The EPA estimates that replacing each lead service line from a city water main to a home costs an average of $5,066. Copper, iron and plastic are all common replacement materials for lead pipes. Plastic, particularly polyvinyl chloride or PVC, is an increasingly popular choice. Plastic tends to have an initial price tag that is lower than the others. However, while most pipe materials have issues over long periods of time, there are potential hidden costs to using plastic pipes in drinking water systems that are raising serious questions and health concerns. Hidden health costs of plastic One type of plastic, PVC, was first used in U.S. water systems in 1955 and became widespread in the 1970s. Other types of plastic pipes include cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC). Scientific studies have shown that plastic pipes can attract metals and leach out chemicals and micro- and nanoplastics, which are known to exacerbate kidney disease. Over the past decade, researchers have documented the degradation of plastics and the release of chemicals from plastic polymers and additives in plastics and microplastics. A 2023 study found that pipe material and age can contribute to the release of microplastics in drinking water. Biofilm the layer of microorganisms that build up on surfaces in contact with water can also cause problems in pipes. A 2023 study showed how this biofilm can collect heavy metals, such as lead, which can then be slowly released into the water over time. This accumulation is a problem with any pipe. Some studies, however, have reported that the release of organic substances from polymer-based pipes may promote the growth of biofilms, and plastic materials may promote the ability of pathogens to accumulate in pipes. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether biofilm is a more significant concern in plastic pipes. Durability concerns While PVC and other plastic pipe materials have a long life expectancy, they have had durability problems. A study conducted in Dutch wastewater systems, where plastic pipes have been extensively used since at least the 1970s, found deformations, leaks and root intrusion. Some cities that installed plastic drinking water pipes in the U.S. have encountered similar problems. Prescott, Arizona, started using PVC plastic pipes in the mid-1980s and began seeing durability issues in the 1990s. In 2023, citing problems with longevity and leaks, Prescotts mayor announced a switch from PVC plastic to ductile iron. Hamilton, Ohio, started seeing premature failures of HDPE service lines and water mains after only 20 years, despite HDPEs estimated life span of 80 years. The city is now switching to iron and copper. Fire can melt plastic, releasing toxic chemicals Plastic is also vulnerable to fires. Studies have found that when plastic pipes are heated to high temperatures, they can both melt and release harmful chemicals. The 2023 fire that swept through Lahaina, Hawaii, damaged plastic water pipes, contributing to a drop in water pressure when Maui firefighters needed it most. In the aftermath, residents were warned that plastic pipes could contaminate the water supply by leaching dangerous chemicals. Loss of pressure can create a sort of vacuum that sucks chemicals and bacteria into water systems. Burned wires and PVC pipes sit on the side of the road in Lahaina, Hawaii, after a devastating wildfire in 2023. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson Heating during fires can also cause plastic to release harmful chemicals. Water testing in California communities affected by wildfires in 2017 and 2018 found that water systems had been contaminated with volatile organic compounds such as benzene, a carcinogen. Protecting the public With billions of dollars in federal funding available, communities are deciding right now whether to invest in plastic pipes or other materials as replacements for lead. This is an historic undertaking. However, we believe more research on the potential effects of plastic needs to be conducted to better understand both the short- and long-term risks to human health and the environment. All factors need to be considered: health, durability, longevity and fire concerns. The initial price tag is not always an indicator of the hidden costs. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Rajpreet Grewal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Laodong Guo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Read more: Nothing to disclose. Melissa Scanlan and Rajpreet Grewal do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. A total of 37,582 tourists from Turkiye visited Azerbaijan in May 2024, which is 14 percent higher than in the same period of 2023, Trend reports. According to the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, 33,023 tourists from Turkiye visited Azerbaijan in the same period last year. Azerbaijan was visited by 175,288 tourists from Turkiye from January through May this year, which is 23 percent higher than the figure for the same period in 2023 (142,478 people). Meanwhile, 965,555 foreigners visited Azerbaijan from January through May this year, which is 35 percent more than the same period in 2023 (713,386). A total of 2,086,548 foreigners visited Azerbaijan in 2023, which is more than 30.2 percent higher than the figure of 2022 (1,602,600), and 378,204 people from Turkiye, which is 21.27 percent higher than the figure of 2022 (311,880). In total, 1,957,285 people arrived from Turkiye to Azerbaijan in 20172023 (in 2017 - 301,553, 2018 - 291,259, 2019 - 316,404, 2020 - 160,513, 2021 - 197,472, 2022 - 311,880 tourists, and 2023 - 378,204 tourists). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Leaked internal messages show managers at Kim's in Uptown Minneapolis have repeatedly encouraged employees to vote against unionization, saying they believe the restaurant can meet workers' needs without a union. Workers notified management May 28 of their intent to unionize at Kim's, James Beard Award-winning Chef Ann Kim's Korean-American restaurant, citing unpredictable work schedules they said made it hard to earn a living. Because Kim, as the employer, did not recognize the employee union, workers will vote Thursday on whether to form a union, per National Labor Relations Act requirements. Workers at Kim's would join Unite Here Local 17, a hospitality union that represents workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as well as stadiums, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs across Minnesota. In an Instagram post earlier this month, Kim said she "wholeheartedly" believes her staff "can come together as a Kim's team without a union." Local Instagrammer Joe Rosenthal first posted the leaked messages, sent to staff between June 10 and June 24. Rosenthal has a national following and posts regularly about the restaurant industry. Kim's did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The messages encouraged employees to participate in the union election and outlined reasons to vote "no," including the cost of dues, the rigidity of union contracts, the impact on the restaurant's culture, the disconnect between managers and workers during the collective bargaining process and the potential for future strikes. "Unions make a lot of promises during a campaign (more money, better benefits, job protection, a voice in management, or seat at the table, etc.). But that's not how collective bargaining works," read a June 24 message from Kim and her business partner and husband, Conrad Leifur. "The law does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a concession. The legal obligation is simply to bargain in good faith. There are no guarantees, and by law, an employer is not compelled to agree to any union proposal. If a union's promises sound too good to be true, it's because they are." Unite Here said in a statement that it is "disappointed" Vestalia Hospitality the restaurant group that includes Kim's, Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola and Hello Pizza "continues to engage in persistent, textbook union-busting tactics at Kim's rather than respect a supermajority of their workers. We want a seat at the table so we can make our jobs the best they can be and Kim's the best restaurant in Minneapolis. We know hospitality can be a stable, fulfilling career. We're excited to build that future." The messages acknowledged issues workers have raised more respect, more stable hours, the restaurant's service charge rather than a tipping model and encouraged them to bring their questions to managers. "We hear you. Some of these things we can control, like our culture and our desire to work as a team where your individual voices matter," the June 13 message read. "Some things we can't control, like how many guests we have and how many people we need on a particular shift. "We hope you can see our vision for Kim's. There are so many amazing people working incredibly hard here, and we are starting to see signs of growth in the community." At least 13 killed in Israeli attack on northern Gaza, reports say An injured Palestinian boy arrives at Al-Aqsa Hospital for treatment following an Israeli attack on the Nasr family's house in the Maghazi camp in central Gaza. Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa At least 13 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian media in the territory reported on Tuesday. The Israeli army said two buildings in which militants had been hiding had been hit on Monday night in the al-Shati and Daraj Tuffah refugee neighbourhoods. Among those targeted were individuals who had been involved in the October 7 massacres and hostage-takings, the army said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said militants were operating "inside school compounds that were used by Hamas as a shield for its terrorist activities." Palestinian media in Gaza said that at least 13 people were killed in the attack in al-Shati. According to unconfirmed reports, one of them was a sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The IDF made no mention of Haniyeh's sister in its statement posted on social media. The IDF said air surveillance measures, precision-guided munitions and intelligence resources were used to minimize harm to civilians. The Gaza war was triggered by the massacre of more than 1,200 people by Hamas and allied militant groups in Israel on October 7. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 37,626 people have been killed and more than 86,000 injured in Gaza since the start of the war. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified. An injured Palestinian child arrives at Al-Aqsa Hospital for treatment following an Israeli attack on the Nasr family's house in the Maghazi camp in central Gaza. Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Injured Palestinians arrive at Al-Aqsa Hospital for treatment following an Israeli attack on the Nasr family's house in the Maghazi camp in central Gaza. Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa At least 2,000 medical evacuations from Gaza prevented by Rafah crossing closure, says WHO CAIRO (Reuters) - The closure of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza has prevented the medical evacuations of at least 2,000 patients, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday, calling for Rafah and other routes to be reopened. Before the closure, "approximately 50 critical patients a day left Gaza ... It means that since the 7th of May at least 2,000 people have been unable to leave Gaza to receive medical care," said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza. The Rafah crossing was the main conduit for evacuations as well as for humanitarian aid earlier in the war that began between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7. It shut when Israel launched an operation on the southern edge of the Gaza strip in May. The United States, Egypt and Qatar held talks late last week aimed at re-opening the crossing and increasing humanitarian aid flows, according to Egyptian security sources. But Rafah, where Egypt wants Israeli troops to pull back and a Palestinian presence to be restored, remains closed. Movement through the nearby Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, which Peeperkorn described as unsafe, has been impeded by insecurity and logistical challenges. At least 10,000 people are in need of evacuation from Gaza, Peeperkorn said, adding that this was an underestimate of the number needing critical care for both war traumas and chronic diseases. "We need more routes for medical emergency evacuation (medevac), we would like to see Kerem Shalom and other routes also opened for medevac where patients can then be referred to the referral hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank," Peeperkorn said. A group of five children who had been evacuated from northern Gaza to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and were reportedly poised to leave the strip were still awaiting evacuation, Peeperkorn said. (Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (PIX11) At least two people were killed and six injured in a Washington Heights apartment building fire Tuesday morning, according to the FDNY. The fire broke out around 1:45 a.m. at a six-story building on the 700 block of West 178th Street, right by the George Washington Bridge. Around 140 firefighters and EMS crews responded to the scene, according to the FDNY. More Local News Firefighters went inside the building to search for trapped residents. A 74-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman both died after they were taken to Harlem Hospital, per the FDNY. Juanita Alexander, a resident, said she first noticed embers falling outside her window and quickly realized a fire was burning above her unit. Her husband and others went into the burning building to try to help her neighbors. Three firefighters and three civilians were also injured, according to the FDNY. Neighbors told PIX11 News it was a race against time to get themselves and others out of the building before the fire got worse. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Police believe four shooters may have been involved in a mass shooting in the Short North early Sunday morning that injured 10. Columbus Division of Police Assistant Chief LaShanna Potts said officers do not know why the shooters opened fire or whether the victims knew them. Shell casings at the scene indicate four or more gunmen, she said. Detectives are canvassing the area to get more information. Ten males, ages 27 or younger, were injured in the 1100 block of North High Street at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. All are expected to survive. Eight are adults and two are juveniles, police said. Columbus Asst. Police Chief LaShanna Potts (left), Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Short North Alliance director Betsy Pandora talk about the mass shooting Sunday morning that injured 10 people. They spoke from the second floor patio of the Graduate Hotel, 750 N. High St. Potts said police are combing through hours of video. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has offered a $10,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of the shooters. More: Columbus police seek more suspects in mass shooting; $10K reward announced One suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Deangelo Fuller, 19, of Groveport, faces a charge of obstructing official business. Police say Fuller drove away from the scene of the shooting at high speeds, reaching 109 mph on an interstate. His bond was set at $100,000 during his initial hearing Monday. Police have not said whether he could have fired any of the shots. At interviews with local media Tuesday morning, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and other local officials said the shooting was an outlier in an otherwise safe area. They pointed to shootings elsewhere in the state and said Columbus' homicide rate has fallen. Related: Short North mass shooting driver surrenders to Columbus police "In Columbus and Fort Worth, San Diego, and other major cities we're seeing this huge drop in homicides and violent crime," Ginther said. "But then you have this isolated incident, this mass shooting, 10 people injured in one fell swoop at 2:30 in the morning, and it's just a reminder, a stark, stark reminder about how vigilant we have to be in fighting gun violence." Short North safety concerns Not all are convinced by city official's assertion that the Short North is safe. Some people who work, live or visit the area told The Dispatch they have concerns about violence in the area at night, saying they are uneasy to go out after dark or that they close businesses early to prevent trouble. Betsy Pandora, executive director of the Short North Alliance, said in response to community feedback, the Short North has added more officers patrolling streets and added cameras. Those programs will continue, she said, and her organization is meeting with police Tuesday night to discuss safety in the district. The Short North Arts District is the economic and cultural hub of the city of Columbus, Pandora said. "As a community we remain unwavering in our commitment to being an open and welcoming and inclusive community for all where everyone feels safe." Officers will continue to patrol the Short North this weekend to prevent similar shootings, said Potts, who credited police presence during the shooting with preventing a worse outcome. "We will have officers' boots to the ground, doing what we've asked them to do, which is engage our community, be vigilant out here," Potts said. "Which is why you didn't have something more tragic happen, even though you did have 10 injured." Ginther said the community has a responsibility to work to prevent gun violence. Several shootings in Columbus have occurred after young people got access to other peoples' guns, he said. "We need parents to step up," Ginther said. "We need them to impose and enforce curfews. We need them to know where their children are, and who they're hanging out with, to monitor their social media." He repeated the call for the public to send in tips about Sunday's shooting and others like it in Columbus. "We need more information," Ginther said. "We need to hold these shooters accountable, get them off the streets and protect our neighborhoods." Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact detectives at 614-645-4373 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. bagallion@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Short North mass shooting update: Police believe four shooters involved The Libertarian Party's biennial national convention in Washington, D.C., last month was a snapshot of a minor political party in the midst of a major identity crisis. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and independent challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. each spoke on stage, the former landing a coveted prime-time keynote slot. Fourth-place GOP presidential finisher Vivek Ramaswamy, who keeps trying to make a "libertarian-nationalist alliance" a thing, also gave a speech. Michael Rectenwald, the favored presidential candidate of the Mises Caucus faction currently running the party, failed to secure the nomination after making a bumbling, post-Trump speech on stage while stoned, having made a spur-of-the-moment decision beforehand to pop an edible. Longtime party activist Starchild was dragged out by security for heckling the Republican headliner. In short, it was exactly what you might have expected had you been following L.P. drama over the past few years. The fractured party reelected the Mises Caucus' Angela McArdle as chair but also selected as its presidential standard-bearer Chase Oliver, a gay 38-year-old antiwar activist and former Democrat who had pushed the most recent U.S. Georgia Senate race into a runoff election eventually won by a Democrat. In the past three presidential elections, the Libertarian candidate appeared on all 50 state ballots plus the District of Columbia, finished in third place, and was backed by every state L.P. affiliate. None of that seems likely to happen this year. The Montana L.P. after the convention immediately declared that it would not be placing Oliver's name on the ballot. "Similarly situated states should follow our lead," the state party wrote. "We call upon the [Libertarian National Committee] to consider suspending and replacing him." So far, one stateColoradohas followed suit, charging Oliver and running mate Mike ter Maat with being "useful idiots for the regime" who are "unfit to represent our values." Idaho is contemplating whether to do the same and putting pressure on the national party to remove Oliver from the ballot. The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire is predictably vocalizing its distaste and intent to siphon resources away from the candidate, but Oliver is still filing his intent to run with the secretary of state there. Oliver "doesn't represent me and my camp or the things we stand for," comedian/podcaster Dave Smith, who the Mises Caucus had once pinned its hopes on for the 2024 nomination, wrote after the convention. "Look, if us taking over the whole party, if the outcome was this," Smith elaborated on his podcast, "then there's only one word to use to describe that, and that's failure." Oliver's critics say he's culturally woke and was insufficiently opposed to the COVID regime of lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and masking. "I've been against vaccine or mask mandates from government," he countered to me and Zach Weissmueller on our show, Just Asking Questions. "If the COVID messaging was so goodthis divisive messaging saying, If you wore a mask, if you ever took a vaccine, you're just an idiot and you're stupid or whateverthat's what [the Mises Caucus is] putting out there. And guess what? We're bleeding members and donors because people want to make decisions for themselves and not be shamed that they made a decision differently than their neighbor." Meanwhile McArdle, against a pre-convention backdrop of declining party membership, fundraising, and ballot access, has portrayed last month's gathering as a triumph, while positing Oliver as a tool for siphoning away votes from President Joe Biden. "Donald Trump says he's going to put a Libertarian in a Cabinet position. He came out and spoke to us. He said he's a Libertarian. He has basically endorsed us," McArdle said in a June 3 video address. "And so in return, I endorse Chase Oliver as the best way to beat Joe Biden. Get in loser, we are stopping Biden. That's what I think. That's what I think this campaign is about." How did the party get here, to a place where its chair is openly cheering on victory for the decidedly nonlibertarian Trump? The modern-day fracture of the L.P. started in 2017, when a small bloc formed the Mises Caucus, lionizing such figures as Ron Paul and Murray Rothbard. Generally young and extremely online, culturally right of center, attracted to sharp-elbowed podcasters like Smith and Tom Woods, the Mises crew exudes visceral hostility toward the state, the Fed, the war machine, and what they see as the philosophically compromised D.C. libertarian think-tankers (pejoratively termed "Beltwaytarians") who they believe enable rather than meaningfully oppose the "regime." The Mises Caucus arose in revulsion toward the Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 2016 ticket, which they saw as having watered down the libertarian message to the point of being unrecognizable. They were further disappointed by 2020 nominee Jo Jorgensen and downright repulsed by the L.P.'s messaging on Black Lives Matter and COVID lockdowns. In 2022, the Mises Caucus succeeded in a self-styled "takeover" of the party at its convention in Reno, after which the victors wasted little time inflaming the sensibilities of what they saw as the losing libertines. No more overemphasizing the importance of sex work, abortion, or free-flowing immigration, positions the new guard either disagreed with or felt needlessly alienated potential allies. But the Reno Resetters, in their bid to reinvigorate the party, were doing plenty of alienating of their ownof longtime Libertarian Party donors and volunteers who did not share the Mises Caucus' preference for meme clapbacks and helicopter jokes. I chatted with a few of these disgruntled activists about why they pulled their time and money away from the L.P., whether the mixed results from the latest convention gave them reason to hope, and whether there's any way for the fractured party to mend itself. "I became a libertarian because the authoritarian conservative politics I grew up in didn't resonate with me," says Christian Bradley, who started voting Libertarian and volunteering for the party in 2008. But the Mises Caucus has injected "authoritarian conservative politics into the party," Bradley says, transforming it into more like a "twisted social club" for "MAGA edgelords" than something that represents his beliefs. Libertarian Partyaffiliated instances of social media edgelording are almost too numerous to count, whether it's riffing on Adolf Hitler's 14 words, or calling the Uyghur genocide "war propaganda," or telling a black congresswoman to go pick crops, or tweeting out "let Ukraine burn," or calling that country "gay," or telling columnist Max Boot to go kill himself, or advocating prison time for Liz Cheney, or fantasizing about sending ex-presidents to Gitmo. Other edgelording happened behind closed doors, pushing staffers and volunteers away from the party at a time when the organization needed all the help it could get. "In April 2022, the last full month before the Mises Caucus takeover, the L.P.'s end-of-month financial report listed revenues of $125,542," reported Reason's Brian Doherty last month. "In April 2024, that figure was $84,710, a drop of nearly one-third. The number of sustaining members (those who have donated at least $25 in the past year) has fallen from around 16,200 in April 2022 to 12,211 in April 2024." Forty-year-old Ryan Cooper met his now-wife, Casie, while doing outreach for the Jo Jorgensen campaign. "From 2016 to 2021, I gave over $50,000 and countless volunteer hours," Cooper says. But now, the couple no longer wants to be associated with "an organization that supported racists, bigots, white nationalists, and [Vladimir] Putin apologists." The Washington state Libertarian Party has become hollowed out, Cooper contends, with massive declines in attendance at state conventions. All county chapters shuttered except four, and there were only five nonpresidential Libertarians on the 2024 statewide ballot, compared to over 33 in 2016.* Even gaining ballot access for Chase Oliver is no longer a sure thing in the Evergreen State, he says. Cooper has donated $1,000 to Oliver and said that the reactions by some Mises Caucus types to the candidatecalling him a "cultural Marxist" and "woke homosexual," for instancehelped convince him to become a volunteer for the campaign. He maintains that he won't donate money to the national party until McArdle is no longer chair. Mark Tuniewicz, a former finance executive based in South Dakota and member of the L.P. since 1994, tells me he notified the party at the start of this year that he had rescinded his decision to bequeath $650,000 to them in his will; with the takeover, he just doesn't believe the organization is serving his values any longer. Tuniewicz served, up until last month, on the Libertarian National Committee (LNC). "No accountability metrics lead to poor execution and results," he says. There's been "unprecedented organizational dysfunction, resulting in huge turnover on the LNC." And, as he wrote in his letter rescinding his donation, the L.P. has been "corrupted organizationally in a way from which it may never recover." "I stopped donating after the [Mises Caucus] takeover in Colorado in 2021," says Alan Hayman, who's given $3,000 over the years. The state affiliate "proved to be woefully incompetent, wanting to reinvent the wheel on everything, anddeveloped a habit of gaslighting and mistreating members," Hayman says. "They were rude to party veterans, but also felt entitled to their time and knowledge." Bureaucratic sloppiness led to the party being fined by the Colorado secretary of state $12,500 for late donation filings, part of a nationwide pattern of increased spending on noncore activities. Over the first four months of 2024, the national party spent $10,350 on the bread-and-butter line item of securing ballot access while shelling out $24,807 in legal expenses. That lack of emphasis on ballot access is having real effects; on June 13, the New York State Board of Elections declared that the L.P.'s petition for ballot access had insufficient signatures, marking the first time in party history that its presidential candidate has failed to appear on the New York ballot. Some of those legal expenses are coming from the national party suing a faction of the Michigan L.P. that's not under Mises Caucus leadership, but which insists it is legally the state party affiliate. In Michigan, a Mises-affiliated person, Andrew Chadderdon, in 2022 ascended to state chair, due to resignations on the state board. Despite a critical mass of the state delegation voting to remove Chadderdon, the national party continued to recognize him as chair. The national party filed a lawsuit; the state party has been holding separate conventions ever since. "I am a strong believer in voting with feet, dollars, attention," former party activist Casey Crowe says. "The last two years have given me no reason to continue my financial investment when it's spent on suing affiliates, instead of functional needs like ballot access." Many of the disgruntled Libertarians point their ire at McArdle.* Former L.P. employee Michelle MacCutcheon, who had been in charge of onboarding all new volunteers (a "labor of love," as she described it), said the new regime carried out a purge of staffers, with little respect given to coalition building or professionalism. (McArdle, for instance, hired her own romantic partner as a contractor to help with fundraising). "We were on a great trajectory" before, MacCutcheon says. "All of that was just wiped clean." But, counters Florida L.P. member John Thompson, who is more agnostic on the results of the takeover, "If [McArdle] is as bad as they say, then they should have a solid game plan to defeat her and elect a new chair." Instead, she won on the second ballot during the D.C. convention, with 53.44 percent of the vote. The fractures within the Libertarian Party are likely to deepen over the final 20 weeks of the presidential campaign. But the overall picture remains mixedfor instance, L.P. Communications Director Brian McWilliams tells Reason that fundraising is up 16 percent post-convention. A little post-convention bump is, of course, to be expected if historical trends are any indicator. "The 2024 convention will likely rival 2022 for the highest-fundraising convention in the history of the party," wrote Todd Hagopian, the LNC's pre-convention treasurer, in internal emails updating other members. But "the 2024 convention will be the most expensive convention in the history of the party," due to its location in D.C., and the party "will probably not net as much net income" this year compared with 2022. It's unlikely that the millions of Americans who have been voting Libertarian for president the past three cycles are even worried about, let alone paying attention to, the party's internal tensions. But for some activists, there's no reason to continue fighting for a party that feels so far gone. "I'm not even comfortable using the word 'libertarian' to describe myself, after all the damage the [Mises Caucus], LP, and MAGA have done to the word and scene," Bradley says. "At best, members of Mises Caucus are willing to tolerate and associate with known white supremacists, antisemites, Holocaust deniers.At worst, they are those people." *CORRECTION: The original version of this article misquoted MacCutcheon; that quote has been deleted. A member of the Washington Libertarian Party contacted Reason post-publication to clarify details about county chapters and ballot presence. The post How the Libertarian Party Lost Its Way appeared first on Reason.com. Greg Wood, 25, enters a cave on the beach at Leo Carillo State Park in Malibu. Leo Carillo State Park is one of 200 parks across California that library cardholders will be able to visit for free now that the popular state library park pass program has been renewed for the upcoming year. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) Californians can once again borrow a pass from their local library to gain free entry to a state park. The popular state library parks program that began two years ago was on the chopping block this spring, a potential victim of the estimated $45 billion budget deficit for fiscal 2025. But advocates across the state campaigned to save the program, and in the most recent budget deal, it was renewed for another year at $6.75 million. We commend the legislature and Governor for reaching an agreement to restore full funding for this highly effective and popular program providing free access to California state parks, said Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, in a statement. The day passes allow free parking at more than 200 state parks for vehicles with nine or fewer people. Advocates have praised the program for offering low-income families of color access to the great outdoors. "This is a huge bonus for our families," said Amy Boese, a deputy county librarian in Merced County. "[It] really makes family time more accessible and having adventures a more achievable goal." Read more: Opinion: Californians love the state's parks. We just don't know they're state parks A study by California State Parks Foundation found that 70% of surveyed users of free passes made under $60,000 a year and that 63% of users identified as Black, Indigenous or people of color. "It's really in an equity issue for being able to appreciate all of the experiences that California has to offer," Boese said. The entry fee for a state park can cost $10 or more, which makes it inaccessible for some families, she said. Reflecting the growing demand by Merced County residents, some libraries' park passes would be checked out all the time, Boese said. LAist reported that Orange County public libraries loaned out nearly 10,000 passes to local residents in the last year. And in San Francisco, the passes have been checked out more than 2,500 times since the program's inception in 2022. The passes were so successful in Merced that the libraries began to build programming and services to educate local residents about state parks. Boese said local biologists would come to talk about the native flora and fauna, and the library began to lend out backpacks with "things like binoculars and easy guides to birds and trees." Boese is hopeful that they will be able to continue offering these services in the years to come. To her it makes perfect sense why libraries should be offering this service across the state it fits in with a librarian's overall mission to encourage lifelong learning. "Some people learn through reading, some people learn through experience. Most people learn through both," said Boese. "Libraries are not here just to give you books; libraries are here to give you access." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Leadership Akron has selected its Lieberth Community Vision Award recipient for 2024. The organization will honor retired Akron Police Department Capt. Sylvia Trundle in November. "Sylvia's remarkable law enforcement career and her dedication to community service exemplify the leadership qualities we celebrate with this award," said Justin Everett Hilton, president and CEO of Leadership Akron, in a statement. "Her commitment to mentoring future leaders, strategic insights, and heartfelt compassion have profoundly impacted Akron. Sylvia's work has not only enhanced public safety but has also strengthened numerous community organizations. We are thrilled to recognize her achievements and look forward to her continued influence in inspiring the next generation of leaders." Trundle, who retired in 2017, is a graduate of Leadership Akron. Since her retirement, she has volunteered and served on boards for the Cleveland Clinic Akron General, GirlsOn The Run, Akron Community Foundation and Truly Reaching You. The award will be presented at the Lieberth Community Vision Award Breakfast at 7 a.m. Nov. 7 at the John S. Knight Center, Trundle previously was honored by the Women's Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation's Judith A. Read Tribute Award for Service and Advocacy for Women and the Women's Network of Northeast Ohio'sWomen of Achievement award. The Lieberth Community Vision Award is named after David Lieberth, a founder of Leadership Akron. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Retired Akron Police Capt. Sylvia Trundle wins Lieberth award ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. Kazakhstan's Kazcenter Housing and Public Utilities and the World Bank Group have discussed the development of a "Strategy for the reuse of treated wastewater and residual sludge in the conditions of Kazakhstan," Trend reports. Negotiations on this topic took place between the Chairman of the Board of Kazcenter, Adilkhan Umerbaev, and the WB delegation. The parties expressed confidence in the successful implementation of the project and noted the importance of this cooperation for the sustainable development of water resources in Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, in order to improve the environment and sustainable management of water resources, this project is planned to be implemented within the framework of the multi-stakeholder platform Water Resources Group 2030. In this regard, the Ministry has created an Extradepartmental working group on the development of a strategy. The World Bank Group in Kazakhstan plans to explore different models of Public-Private Partnerships and innovative financing, develop a strategic vision, identify key areas of activity, and develop a strategic roadmap for wastewater treatment and reuse. At the same time, the Ministry is implementing the "Program for the construction and reconstruction of sewerage treatment facilities." In 89 cities in Kazakhstan, the construction and reconstruction of 70 sewage treatment plants are required. As the Ministry noted, this initiative makes the reuse of treated wastewater and residual sludge an important step towards sustainable development of water utilities, economic growth, and conservation of natural resources. Also, residual sludge can be used for the production of biogas, fertilizers, construction materials, and land reclamation. Notably, the World Bank's total loan amount for Kazakhstan exceeds $9.17 billion. Kazakhstan took 23rd place among the countries with the largest volume of the loan portfolio from the WB. The World Bank's cooperation in Kazakhstan spans more than 30 years and is presently governed by the Kazakhstan Country Cooperation Framework (CPF 20202025). NEW YORK (PIX11) For Jack Prilock, an average trip to the grocery store turned into a near-death experience. Luckily for him, Dr. Jordan Stern, a vascular surgeon, saw Prilock in distress and saved his life. Now, the pair join PIX11 to talk about their chance encounter, what happened after the incident, and what people should take away from their story. Watch the video player for more on this story. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Last weeks Supreme Court ruling in a Tarrant County firearms case is a victory for victims of domestic violence, a group of activists said Monday. The group of roughly 15 people gathered steps away from Arlington City Hall in response to Fridays ruling in the case, which originated with an Arlington man. The case challenged a 1994 federal law that prohibits people from possessing guns if they have a domestic violence-related restraining order against them. The Supreme Court had the choice: they could either protect survivors of domestic abuse, or side with the gun lobby, said Glenn Javens, a member of the Moms Demand Action gun-safety group. [The Supreme Court] sided with common sense ... the gun lobby cannot and will not be the arbitrator of lives of women and families across this country. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, victims or survivors of domestic violence are five times more likely to die when their partner has access to a gun. This stark difference highlights just how urgent it is for us to address gun violence, especially in the context of domestic abuse, said licensed social worker Alicia Hawley Bernardez. Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells filed a brief in the case, urging the court to uphold the 1994 law. Our office was proud to file an amicus brief helping to defend this important law and ensure the safety of some of the most vulnerable crime victims in our community, an official with Sorrells office said in a statement Monday. COROLLA, N.C. (WNCN) A lightning strike triggered a fire that heavily damaged a beach house at the North Carolina Outer Banks on Monday morning, officials said. The blaze was reported around 6:45 a.m. at a three-story home in the 900 block of Corolla Drive in the Whalehead area of Currituck County, according to reports. Flames were visible coming from the roof as Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad crews arrived at the vacation rental home. Ten people who had rented the home were inside at the time of the fire, according to Sam Walker with OBXNews. Nine people were quickly out of the home, but one man was briefly trapped inside the home, but he soon made it out, Walker reported. It took several fire agencies more than 20 minutes to get the fire under control. The fire was not put out until another hour, Walker reported. Courtesy: Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad Courtesy: Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad Courtesy: Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad Courtesy: Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad Courtesy: Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad Those vacationing in the home were moved to another house, according to the Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad. In addition to Corolla Fire, Duck Fire Department, Kitty Hawk Fire and Southern Shores Volunteer Fire Department assisted, officials said. No one was injured. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. Living with wildfire: How to protect more homes as fire risk rises in a warming climate Humans have learned to fear wildfire. It can destroy communities, torch pristine forests and choke even faraway cities with toxic smoke. Wildfire is scary for good reason, and over a century of fire suppression efforts has conditioned people to expect wildland firefighters to snuff it out. But as journalist Nick Mott and I explore our new book, This Is Wildfire: How to Protect Your Home, Yourself, and Your Community in the Age of Heat, and in our podcast Fireline, this expectation and the approach to wildfire will have to change. Over time, extensive fire suppression has set the stage for the increasingly destructive wildfires we see today. The problem with fighting every fire The way the U.S. deals with wildfires today dates back to around 1910, when the Great Burn torched some 3 million acres across Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. After watching the fires swift and unstoppable spread, the fledgling Forest Service developed a military-style apparatus built to eradicate wildfire. The U.S. got really good at putting out fires. So good that citizens grew to accept fire suppression as something the government simply does. A ranger and forest guard on fire patrol duty near Thompson Falls, Mont., in 1909. Forest Service photo by W.J. Lubken Today, state, federal and private firefighters deploy across the country when fires break out, along with tankers, bulldozers, helicopters and planes. The Forest Service touts a record of snuffing out 98% of wildfires before they reach 100 acres (40 hectares). As a result, many forest ecosystems that would have periodically burned have become clogged with underbrush, new growth and woody debris that can easily ignite. Efforts by the Forest Service to adopt a more selective policy have run into opposition from Western politicians. At the same time, people have built more homes and cities in fire-prone areas. And the greenhouse gases released by decades of increasingly burning fossil fuels have caused global temperatures to rise. The wildland-urban interface starts on the edges of cities where homes are built closer to forests and grasslands. Courtesy of Jessy Stevenson Climate change and wildfires The relationship between climate and wildfire is fairly simple: Higher temperatures lead to more fire. Higher temperatures increase moisture evaporation, drying out plants and soil and making them more likely to burn. When hot, dry winds are blowing, a spark in an already dry area can quickly blow up into dangerous wildfire. Given the rise in global temperatures that the world has already experienced, much of the Western U.S. is actually in a fire deficit because of the practice of suppressing most fires. That means that, based on historical data, we should expect far more fire than were actually seeing. Fortunately, there are things everyone can do to break this cycle. What fire managers can do First, everyone can accept that firefighters cant and shouldnt put out every low-risk wildfire. Remote fires that pose little threat to communities and property can breathe life into ecosystems. Low-level fires that clear out undergrowth but dont kill the trees create space for trees, plants and wildlife species to thrive, and they return nutrients to the soil. Some tree and plant species depend on fires to open their seeds to reproduce. Natural fires can also help avoid catastrophic fires that occur when too much underbrush has built up for fuel. And they create fuel breaks on the landscape that could halt the advance of future flames. Controlled burns are used to clear out undergrowth that can fuel catastrophic blazes under dry, windy conditions. U.S. Forest Service Fire managers have advanced mapping technology that can help them decide when and where forests can burn safely. Thoughtful prescribed burning meaning low-intensity fires intentionally set by professionals can offer many of the same benefits as the flames that historically burned in forests and grasslands. The Forest Service is aiming to ramp up its prescribed burning on more acres in more areas across the country. However, the agency struggles to train adequate staff and pay for the projects, and environmental reviews sometimes cause yearslong delays. Other groups offer beacons of hope. Indigenous groups across the country, for example, are returning fire to the landscape. Adapting homes to fire risk For decades, scientists have understood the relationship between wildfire and community destruction. However, little has been done to live safely with fire on the ground. More than one-third of U.S. homes are in whats known as the wildland-urban interface the zone where houses and other structures intermingle with flammable vegetation. The biggest risk to homes comes from burning embers blowing on the wind and landing in weak spots that can set a house ablaze. Those embers can travel over a miles to nestle in dry leaves or pine needles clogging a gutter, a wood-shingle roof or shrubs, trees and other flammable vegetation close to a structure. Owning a home in the wildland-urban interface means paying attention to fire risks. Risks are highlighted on the left and solutions on the right. Courtesy of Jessy Stevenson Some of these vulnerabilities are easy to fix. Cleaning a homes gutters or trimming back too-close vegetation requires little effort and tools already around the house. Grant programs exist to help harden homes against wildfire. But enormous investment is needed to get the work done at the scale the fire risk requires. For example, nearly 1 million U.S. homes in wildfire-prone areas have highly combustible wooden roofs. Retrofitting those roofs will cost an estimated US$6 billion, but that investment could both saves lives and property and reduce wildfire management costs in the future. Homeowners can look to resources like Firewise USA to learn about the home ignition zone. It describes the types of vegetation and other flammable objects that become high risks at different distances from a structure and steps to make properties more fire resilient. For example, homes should not have flammable plants, firewood, dried leaves or needles, or anything burnable, on or under decks and porches within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of the house. Between 5 and 30 feet (9 meters), grasses should be mowed short, tree branches should be pruned to at least 6 feet (2 meters) from the ground, and the tree canopy should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the structure. What communities can do Many counties and cities have their own wildfire programs to educate homeowners and connect them with resources. Some have started tool libraries to help anyone begin the necessary work on their property. Beyond individual actions, states and communities can enact forward-looking wildfire resilience policies. These can include developing zoning rules and regulations that require developers to build with fire-resistant materials and designs or might even prohibit building in areas where the risk is too high. The International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which provides guidance for safeguarding homes and communities from wildfire, has been adopted in jurisdictions in at least 24 states. Protecting homes from wildfires includes maintaining a safe perimeter clear of potential fuel for a fire. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Living in a world with wildfire Prevention and suppression will always be critical pieces of wildfire strategy, but adapting to our fiery future means everyone has a role. Educate yourself on proposed forest projects in your area. Understand and address risks to your home and community. Help your neighbors. Advocate for better wildfire planning, policy and resources. Living in a world where more wildfire is inevitable requires that everyone see themselves as part of solving the problem. Wildfire can be terrifying, but also natural and essential. Embracing both isnt always easy, but I believe it is the only way forward. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Justin Angle, University of Montana Read more: Justin Angle is under contract with Bloomsbury to publish the forthcoming "This is Wildfire: How to Protect Your Home, Yourself and Your Community in the Age of Heat." Long, fraught time line of tensions over Iran's nuclear program ahead of its presidential election FILE - A worker rides a bike in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, on Oct. 26, 2010. Iran will elect a new president Friday, on June 28, 2024, after the death of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. Whoever takes the helm in the country will inherit Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. (AP Photo/Majid Asgaripour, File) Iran will elect a new president Friday after the death of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. Whoever takes the helm in the country will inherit Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Heres a time line of the major events involving Irans atomic program, which first came to the country under American aspirations of peaceful energy but later drew Western fears over the Islamic Republic's possible development of nuclear weapons through it. EARLY DAYS 1957 Under Irans ruling Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Tehran signs a civilian nuclear cooperation arrangement with its ally, the United States. 1967 Iran takes possession of its Tehran Research Reactor under Americas Atoms for Peace program. 1974 Amid its oil boom, the shah announces plans to build 23 nuclear reactors while also having full control of the nuclear fuel cycle opening the door to being able to build atomic weapons. That rattles U.S. officials, who limit American companies from selling to Iran. The shah lends $1 billion for the construction for the Eurodif enrichment facility in France to be able to purchase 10% of its product. 1975 German firm Kraftwerk Union begins construction of Busher nuclear power plant as part of $4.8 billion deal for four reactors. The shah tells an interviewer: Honestly, I am not really thinking of nuclear arms. But if 20 or 30 ridiculous little countries are going to develop nuclear weapons, then I may have to revise my policies. 1979 The shah, fatally ill, flees Iran amid rising popular protests against him. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran and the Islamic Revolution sweeps him to power. Students seize the United States Embassy in Tehran, beginning the 444-day hostage crisis. Irans nuclear program goes fallow under international pressure. 1980s During its bloody war with Iran, Iraq repeatedly attacks stalled construction at Bushehr nuclear power plant. 1987 Iran makes a deal with Pakistani nuclear scientist and black-marketeer A.Q. Khan for centrifuge designs, which ultimately become the programs workhorse IR-1 units. DIPLOMATIC CONFRONTATIONS August 2002 Western intelligence services and an Iranian opposition group reveal Irans secret Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. June 2003 Britain, France and Germany engage Iran in nuclear negotiations. Washington refuses to join. October 2003 Iran suspends uranium enrichment. February 2006 Iran announces it will restart uranium enrichment following the election of hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Britain, France and Germany walk out of stalled negotiations. June 2006 The United States, Russia and China join Britain, France and Germany to form the P5+1 group of world powers trying to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program. The U.S., however, stays away from negotiations. December 2006 The United Nations Security Council imposes the first set of sanctions on Iran, banning the sale of sensitive nuclear technology. Five more Security Council resolutions follow by 2010, tightening sanctions on the Islamic Republic. November 2007 The number of uranium-enriching centrifuges assembled by Iran reaches about 3,000 and its stockpile of low-enriched uranium grows, increasing fears among nuclear nonproliferation experts. July 2008 Under President George W. Bush, the United States joins the nuclear talks for the first time. June 2009 Irans disputed presidential election sees hard-liner Ahmadinejad re-elected despite fraud allegations, sparking Green Movement protests and violent government crackdown. September 2009 Western leaders reveal Irans covert construction of its Fordo enrichment facility, built under a mountain to protect it from possible airstrikes. October 2009 Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. and Iran open a secret backchannel for messages in the sultanate of Oman. February 2010 Iran begins enriching uranium to near 20%, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. May 2010 Brazil and Turkey announce their own nuclear deal with Iran, but the arrangement quickly falls apart. January 2011 Negotiations between Iran and the six world powers break off for what becomes a 15-month hiatus. May 2011 After Russian assistance, Irans Bushehr nuclear power plant begins operations. November 2011 The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran had a structured military nuclear weapons program that ended in 2003. Iran denies that, though Western governments including the U.S. also say it. January 2012 The IAEA says Iran is enriching to 20% at Fordo. The European Union freezes the assets of Irans Central Bank and halts Iranian oil imports. April 2012 Public negotiations restart between Iran and the six world powers but go nowhere. July 2012 U.S. and Iranian officials hold face-to-face secret talks in Oman. August 2013 Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric and former nuclear negotiator, becomes Irans president. He declares his country ready for serious nuclear talks. September 2013 Rouhani and Obama speak by telephone, the highest-level exchange between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif begin diplomatic exchanges. November 2013 Iran and the six powers announce an interim agreement that temporarily curbs Tehrans nuclear program and unfreezes some Iranian assets. The deal sets the stage for extended negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear accord. April 2015 A framework nuclear deal is announced after months of negotiations, outlining long-term restrictions on Irans nuclear program and the removal of many international sanctions. July 14, 2015 World powers and Iran announce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement. THE DEAL COLLAPSES January through February 2017 Tensions escalate after President Donald Trumps inauguration. His administration bans Iranians and citizens from several Muslim-majority countries. Iran conducts a ballistic missile test, triggering American threats of reprisals. May 2018 Trump unilaterally withdraws the U.S. from the nuclear agreement, calling it the worst deal ever. He says hell get better terms in new negotiations to stop Irans missile development and support for regional militias. Those talks don't happen. August 2018 The Trump administration re-imposes the first round of sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the nuclear accord, targeting a range of sectors from carpets and pistachios to gold and commercial aircraft. November 2018 The U.S. reenforces the most onerous sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the deal, targeting Irans vital banking and oil sectors. April 2019 Trump designates Irans Revolutionary Guard as a foreign terrorist organization, marking the first time the U.S. has blacklisted part of another nations military in this way. May 5, 2019 Citing unspecified Iranian threats, the White House sends the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf in a show of force. May 8, 2019 Iran announces it will begin backing away from the accord, setting a 60-day ultimatum for Europe to compensate for American-led sanctions before it will begin enriching uranium to higher levels. May 13, 2019 Four oil tankers, including two belonging to Saudi Arabia, come under mysterious attack off the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials blame Iran. May 15, 2019 A drone attack strikes a major oil pipeline running across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea. Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility. Riyadh blames Tehran, which denies involvement. June 13, 2019 Explosions cripple two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. blames Iran for the limpet mine attacks, allegations that Iran denies. June 17, 2019 Trump orders another 1,000 troops to the Middle East, on top of 1,500 dispatched the month before to surveil Iranian activities and protect American forces. June 20, 2019 Irans Revolutionary Guard shoots down a U.S. spy drone in the Strait of Hormuz with a surface-to-air missile. Trump announces that he approved retaliatory military strikes on Iran but pulled back at the last minute. June 25, 2019 Trump imposes new sanctions on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, and his associates. July 1, 2019 Iran announces it has exceeded the nuclear deals curbs on its low-enriched uranium stockpile. July 19, 2019 Irans Revolutionary Guard seizes a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The British military had earlier impounded an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar on suspicion of sanctions violations. Sept. 3, 2019 The U.S. sanctions Irans civilian space agency, alleging the program is cover for testing ballistic missile technology. Sept. 7, 2019 Iran begins spinning advanced centrifuges prohibited under the 2015 deal. Sept. 14, 2019 Drone attacks strike two key oil installations in Saudi Arabia, halving the supply of oil from the worlds largest exporter. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility. U.S. and Saudi officials blame Iran, which denies involvement. Nov. 6, 2019 Iran injects uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. Nov. 15, 2019 A hike in government-set gasoline prices amid a worsening economic crisis sparks a wave of demonstrations across Iran. Security forces launch a brutal crackdown, with over 300 people believed killed. December 2019 A rocket attack on an Iraqi military base kills an American civilian contractor and wounds several troops. American retaliatory airstrikes prompt supporters of Iranian-backed fighters to storm the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. Jan. 3, 2020 A U.S. drone strike in Baghdad kills Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Irans top general and the architect of Tehrans proxy wars in the Middle East. Jan. 8, 2020 In retaliation for Soleimanis killing, Iran launches a barrage of missiles at military bases in Iraq that are home to thousands of American and Iraqi troops. More than 100 U.S. service members suffer traumatic brain injuries. As Iran braces for a counterattack, the Revolutionary Guard shoots down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after takeoff from Tehrans international airport, reportedly mistaking it for a U.S. cruise missile. All 176 people on board are killed. Iran initially blames mechanical problems for the crash. Jan. 14, 2020 After days of denial, Irans announces it was responsible for shooting down the Ukrainian jetliner, sparking anti-government street protests. April 22, 2020 Irans Revolutionary Guard launches its first satellite into space, revealing what experts describe as a secret military space program. April 23, 2020 Following tense encounters in the vital Strait of Hormuz, including the brief seizure of a Hong-Kong flagged tanker, Trump threatens to shoot down and destroy Iranian gunboats harassing U.S. Navy ships. July 2020 A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on archenemy Israel. October 2020 A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that banned it from purchasing foreign weapons expires as scheduled under the nuclear deal, despite American objections. November 2020 Joe Biden beats Trump in the U.S. presidential election. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of Tehran's military nuclear program, is killed in an ambush on the outskirts of Tehran. Iran blames Israel. December 2020 In retaliation for the killing of Fakhrizadeh, Irans parliament approves a bill that would suspend U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost uranium enrichment. Jan. 4, 2021 Iran begins enriching uranium up to 20% and seizes a South Korean-flagged tanker near the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Feb. 23, 2021 The IAEA loses access to its surveillance cameras, as well as data from its online enrichment monitors and electronic seals, amid a standoff with Iran. Tehran pledges to hold onto the tapes and give them back when granted sanctions relief. April 6, 2021 Iran and the U.S. begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal. April 9, 2021 Iran frees the South Korean-flagged tanker it earlier seized. April 11, 2021 A second attack within a year targets Irans Natanz nuclear site, with suspicion falling on Israel. April 16, 2021 Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60% its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2, 20121 The largest warship in Iran's navy catches fire and sinks in the Gulf of Oman under mysterious circumstances, a major setback amid confrontations at sea with the West. June 19, 2021 Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wins the presidency in a vote that saw polling places largely deserted despite pleas to support the Islamic Republic at the ballot box. June 23, 2021 An attack targets a centrifuge workshop in the Iranian city of Karaj, also damaging IAEA cameras at the site. July 29, 2021 A fatal drone attack kills two on an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire off the coast of Oman. The U.S. military identifies the drone as Iranian. Tehran denies being involved. Oct. 26, 2021 A cyberattack cripples gas stations across Iran. Dec. 1, 2021 The IAEA says Iran has begun feeding a cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. Dec. 15, 2021 The IAEA and Iran reach a deal to reinstall cameras damaged at Karaj, although inspectors remain limited on what footage they can access. March 5, 2022 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov links restoring Irans nuclear deal to American sanctions targeting Moscow over its war on Ukraine, further complicating negotiations. March 8, 2022 Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says it launches a new reconnaissance satellite as U.S. intelligence agencies warn Tehran could seek 90% enrichment if negotiations fail. March 12, 2022 Nuclear talks in Vienna break off without an agreement due to Russia's demand for guarantees that its ties with Tehran be exempt from Western sanctions over Ukraine. March 13, 2022 Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims responsibility for a ballistic missile attack that strikes near the U.S. Consulate in northern Iraq. May 11, 2022 In a last-ditch diplomatic push, the European Union sends its envoy for the nuclear talks to Tehran, as negotiations hit a deadlock over Irans demand that Washington lift its terrorism designation on the Revolutionary Guard. May 22, 2022 A senior member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is shot dead in downtown Tehran by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike, a brazen attack echoing previous targeted slayings blamed on Israel. May 27, 2022 Iran seizes two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in retaliation for Greeces role in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Mediterranean Sea over sanctions violations. June 8, 2022 IAEA board of governors censures Iran over failing to provide answers on man-made traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites. Iran disconnects two IAEA surveillance cameras. June 9, 2022 Iran begins disconnecting 27 IAEA surveillance cameras at the country's nuclear sites, further blinding inspectors, as it prepares to install more cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Natanz. June 28, 2022 Iran and the United States begin a series of indirect talks in Qatar over the nuclear deal. TENSIONS ESCALATE July 17, 2022 An adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Kamal Kharrazi, tells Al Jazeera that Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb, but has not decided whether to build one. His remarks will be repeated by others in the coming years as tensions grow. Aug. 4, 2022 Negotiators from Iran, the U.S. and the EU hold indirect talks with a tentative deal, but it falls apart. France, Germany and Britain later say Iran has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity. Oc. 5, 2022 An 85-year-old Iranian American, Baquer Namazi, held by Iran over internationally criticized spying charges leaves the country for Oman. Nov. 17, 2022 The IAEA Board of Governors passes a resolution censuring Iran for failing to cooperate with the IAEAs safeguards investigation. Feb. 23, 2023 Iran directly acknowledges an accusation attributed to international inspectors that it enriched particles of uranium to 84% purity for the first time, which would put the Islamic Republic closer than ever to weapons-grade material. The issue ultimately is settled, but puts new pressure on negotiators. March 10, 2023 Iran reaches a deal with Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in the two countries after years of tensions. April 27, 2023 The Iranian navy seizes a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. May 3, 2023 Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seizes a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Sept. 18, 2023 Five Americans detained for years in Iran walk off a plane and into freedom in Qatar as part of a politically risky deal that saw Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets owed by a third country, South Korea. Five Iranians in U.S. custody also are freed. Raisi suggests the exchange could be a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America. Oct. 7. 2023 Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. This begins the most-intense war ever between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Regional tensions spike. Nov. 19, 2023 Yemen's Houthi rebels, long supported by Iran, seize the ship Galaxy Leader, beginning a monthslong campaign of attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor that the U.S. Navy describes as the most-intense combat it has seen since World War II. The attacks mirror tactics earlier used by Iran. Jan. 16, 2024 Iran launches attacks in nuclear-armed Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl. Pakistans air force launches retaliatory airstrikes two days later in Iran allegedly targeting militant hideouts. April 1, 2024 A suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital of Damascus kills 12 people, including two Iranian generals and a member of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. Iran vows revenge. April 13, 2024 Iran seizes the ship MSC Aries in the Strait of Hormuz. April 14, 2024 Iran launches an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching over 300 missiles and attack drones. Israel, working with a U.S.-led international coalition, intercepts much of the incoming fire. A handful of missiles managed to land, causing minor damage to an Israeli military base and seriously wounding a young girl. April 19, 2024 A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defense system by an airport in Isfahan, Iran. May 19, 2024 A helicopter crash in northwest Iran kills Raisi, the country's foreign minister and others. June 5, 2024 The IAEA Board of Governors censures Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency. June 14, 2024 The IAEA says Iran has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges and plans to install others after facing criticism over its nuclear program. June 28, 2024 Iran holds a snap presidential election to replace Raisi. Special Counsel Jack Smith and Judge Aileen Cannon Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images/US District Court for the Southern District of Florida As tensions flare in a Fort Pierce courtroom over pre-trial motions in Trump's classified documents case, a former federal prosecutor says a prosecutor's frustrated tone isn't enough for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to order him replaced. A prosecutor on special counsel Jack Smith's team apologized Monday for unprofessional conduct as he asked the court to limit Trump's statements about law enforcement agents, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Salon that he's not surprised that prosecutors are "frustrated." "They're dealing with a judge who is unlike any other judge," Rahmani said. "She is entertaining some ridiculous arguments. She's allowed outsiders who really have nothing to do with the case, to submit briefs and to argue. No judge would allow that." University of Miami School of Law Craig Trocino said judges do have to keep control of a courtroom and that it's common in high-profile cases for tensions to overrun. Still, he said that lawyers typically avoid doing anything that could antagonize a judge: "Lawyers who've been practicing for a long time know that the judge can get away with saying whatever they want to you, and you can't." The trial remains stuck in limbo after Cannon a Trump appointee indefinitely pushed the trial date back in May. Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 40 criminal charges stemming from the discovery of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after he left office. "She's made it clear that she doesn't really care how long this trial takes," Rahmani said. "So there's a lot of frustration." The newspaper reported that Harbach sounded "irritated" as Cannon pressed him to link Trump's comments and threats against law enforcement agents. Cannon told Harbach she didn't "appreciate" his tone when he said he had not stated all his examples yet. And Cannon said this wasn't the first example of such a dispute over tone, telling Harbach: "We have been here before." According to the Sun Sentinel, Cannon said a colleague could instead take his place. Harbach later said: I just want to apologize about earlier. I didnt mean to be unprofessional. Im sorry about that. Trocino said he's heard "much, much worse" in state court including lawyers yelling at each other. But he said "federal court is a different beast" and that he personally wouldn't have responded to the judge like Harbach did. "You can't respond in that in that manner, you know, but in the grand scheme of things, I didn't think it was horrible," he said. He further explained: "It's the type of thing where you bite your lip, you do what you have to do, and then when you tell the story later, you say: 'What I should have said was,' and then everybody laughs about it." Trocino said he doesn't believe that the judge could have Harbach replaced for "a fairly innocuous comment." He said a judge could ask for a prosecutor to be replaced. "But the prosecution's under no obligation to do that," he said. Trocino said in extreme circumstances, judges could say a lawyer is no longer involved in a case. He said in a recent Miami state-level criminal case, a judge decided to disqualify two prosecutors. "That's a situation where the judge was was actually asked to take action and had a long hearing, hundreds of pages of transcripts, and made that determination, and that litigation is still ongoing," Trocino said. Rahmani said in his view, Harbach should not be replaced. "Judges have a lot of judges have a lot of discretion, but to order a particular attorney off the case because of what I would consider advocacy, that's something that will probably get reversed," Rahmani said. Rahmani said judges need "to be a little more thick-skinned." "There's nothing that has crossed the line, in my opinion," he said. "And if anything, the judge herself has been unprofessional and kind of criticizing the prosecution in a way that, again, most of the judges would not." Smith is seeking the court to approve a motion asking Cannon to modify Trumps conditions of release to ensure he cannot make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Smith referenced Trumps comments concerning the Mar-a-Lago raid claims which have included that President Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out." But there is no evidence of a plot to kill Trump, as The Associated Press reported. Several Louisiana families backed by human rights groups have lodged a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the states new law forcing public schools to display the Ten Commandments. The suit was filed with the US district court in Baton Rouge on Monday at the start of what is expected to be an epic legal battle that could end up before the US supreme court. Christian nationalists have been itching for this fight, hoping to destroy the countrys longstanding separation of church and state. The new law, HB71, was signed by Louisianas hard right governor Jeff Landry last week, making the state the first in the nation to order the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms. The law stipulates that the text must be shown exactly as written in the legislation in a frame that is at least 11in by 14 in, and in large, easily readable font. Plaintiffs in Mondays lawsuit, who include rabbis and pastors, argue that the law is blatantly unconstitutional. It violates both binding precedent from the supreme court that has stood for almost half a century and the establishment and free exercise clauses of the first amendment, they claim. It sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments do not belong to their own school community, the suit says. The legal action points out that a central pillar of the new law the claim that there is a long tradition linking the Ten Commandments to public education in the US is based on a fabrication. HB71 quotes James Madison, the fourth president, as saying: We have staked the whole future of our new nation upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the 10 Commandments. That quote is fictitious; it is to be found in none of Madisons writings or speeches. It appears to have been drawn from a conspiracy theory popularized by the late rightwing talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Talking to reporters on Monday, one of the plaintiffs, Reverend Jeff Sims, said that HB71 doesnt just interfere with my and my childrens religious freedom, it tramples on it. Sims, a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA and the father of three kids in Louisiana public schools, added that the separation of church and state means that families get to decide if, when and how their children should be introduced to religious scripts and texts. Another plaintiff, Joshua Herlands, a Jewish father of two children in state elementary schools, said the Ten Commandments as promoted by the new law are not the commandments as I and many Jews know them. In his practice of Judaism, for instance, they spell the Lords name as G-d, whereas in the bill it is written in full as God. The displays distort the Jewish significance of the Ten Commandments, and send the troubling message to students, including my kids, that they may be lesser in the eyes of the government, Herlands said. Related: US supreme court opened Pandoras box and Ten Commandments law flew out A third plaintiff, the Unitarian Universalist minister Reverend Darcy Roake, said she joined the suit because we believe it is our childrens right to decide what, if any, faith traditions they will follow. The new law will impact 680,000 students in more than 1,300 public schools across Louisiana. The plaintiffs, who are backed by a coalition of human rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), are hoping that the federal court will impose an immediate injunction to stop the requirement from going ahead. A full hearing would then be held this summer in which the plaintiffs would press for a permanent block. Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State which is supporting the lawsuit, warned that Christian nationalism is on the march across this country. She said that politicians nationwide were trying to violate the religious freedom principles that are core to this countrys founding that everyone should be free to live as themselves. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) Gov. Jeff Landry made Louisiana Department of Health leadership announcements and signed health care bills Tuesday morning. Landry signed HB 853, authored by State Rep. Brach Myers, creating the Office of the Surgeon General. He said Ralph Abraham will be the surgeon general, Michael Harrington will be the new LDH Secretary, Drew Maranto will be the LDH Undersecretary and Bethany Blackson will be the new LDH chief of staff. Landry said, Having a physician in charge and working alongside of a secretary of the LDH who is kind of like a CEO gives us I think, strengthens our health care system and its something that we need to do. Abraham said the new surgeon general position is going to be a public health policy platform where we will work with hospitals, doctors, medical schools, universities, everyone that is in that chain that impacts that health care of that patient. Long a Republican state, Louisiana is redder than ever under new governor More Louisiana health care bills signed into law Myers said HB896 establishes the Louisiana Remote Patient Monitoring Program Law. Landry then signed HB329, also authored by Myers. He said that the H.E.R.O fund serves as a means of doubling remaining and uncommitted funds available within the Health Care Employment Reinvestment Opportunity Fund. The next bill signed by Landry was HB972, authored by State Rep. Daryl Deshotel. The bill allows the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to grant certain temporary permits and licenses. HB579, authored by State Rep. Wayne McMahen, provides relative to pharmacist authorization to dispense HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis. McMahen said the bill is about a workforce and access to health care in Louisiana. Landry said the bill will increase access to those at risk of contracting HIV by adding pharmacists and pharmacies as additional access points. Landry has signed multiple bills into law since he took office in January. Last week he signed the LA Gator Scholarship Program into law. Parents can now use tax dollars to pay for and send their kids to a school of their choice. He also signed a new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. Latest News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minister for Foreign, Trade and European Affairs of Malta Ian Borg has arrived with an official visit to Kazakhstan, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry, as part of the visit, Ian Borg will hold negotiations with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu. A group of families are working to block the new Louisiana law that mandates educators to display the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public-school classroomrendering them unavoidable unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the states favored religious scripture, the complaint reads. It also sends the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandmentsor, more precisely, to the specific version of the Ten Commandments that H.B. 71 requires schools to displaydo not belong in their own school community and should refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the states religious preferences, the complaint continues. The bill requires the religious text to be in a large, easily readable font on a poster-sized display paid through donations. Louisiana is the first state to implement such a law in more than four decades. In the 1980 Supreme Court case of Stone v. Graham, the justices ruled in a 5-4 majority that a Kentucky law requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments was unconstitutional. The court said the religious text had no secular legislative purpose and was plainly religious in nature. The plaintiffs in the present-day lawsuit come from various backgrounds. Some are Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and non-religious. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, as well as Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. They are suing Louisianas education department, Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, several school boards and other individuals connected to those entities. This law is a disturbing abuse of power by state officials, Heather L. Weaver, senior staff attorney for the ACLUs Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said in a statement. Louisiana law requires children to attend school so they can be educated, not evangelized. In the same statement, Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, brought up the importance of the separation of church and state: We must protect the individual right of students and families to choose their own faith or no faith at all. The separation of church and state is a bedrock of our nations founding principles; the ten commandments are not. Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed H.B. 71 into law on Wednesday. If you want to respect the rule of law, youve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses, Landry said at last weeks signing ceremony. The law has gained public support from former President Donald Trump, who posted about it on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Friday: I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG??? Related... Year after year, the Maryland Municipal League (MML) welcomes a bevy of state and local leaders to the stage at its summer conference to discuss the future of Maryland. Among them Monday was Maryland Gov. Wes Moore who, as the official keynote speaker, addressed a large crowd inside Ocean City's Roland E. Powell Convention Center. OCEAN CITY'S LOVE LOCKS: Ocean City's love locks come down, upsetting locals and visitors alike 'Sunshine's our friend' says Ocean City mayor in welcome speech Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan attends the annual Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference inside the Ocean City, Maryland, Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Monday, June 24, 2024. Prior to Moore's warm welcome to the stage, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan spoke candidly to the zealous, early morning crowd. "I always get asked how the summer season is going in Ocean City, and it started off a bit slow because of what's been the unpredictable weather," he said. Although the throng of seasonal vacationers has been noticeably small since Memorial Day weekend which has been deemed the unofficial start to the summer season Meehan, along with the rest of the resort town, is optimistic about the months ahead. "I had the opportunity to speak with Gov. Moore yesterday, and I thanked him for turning up the thermostat throughout the entire state of Maryland," Meehan said, earning laughter from the audience. "Because if there's one place to be as that heatwave crosses our state, it's right here in Ocean City," he added. "Sunshine's our friend." OCEAN CITY REOPENS RENOVATED PARK: Ocean City launches new Bayside Park. Get a look at all it has to offer Gov. Wes Moore stresses four pillars as his priorities in address Maryland Governor Wes Moore speaks to a large crowd at the annual Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference inside the Ocean City, Maryland, Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Monday, June 24, 2024. During his general keynote address, Gov. Moore highlighted an array of Moore-Miller administration pillars, which included the four following ones: Childcare Housing Education Healthcare "These are just four examples of things that we can collectively do to make sure that we're going to grow our economy, and make sure that that economy can be a participatory," Moore said. GOV. MOORE VISITS EASTERN SHORE FARM: Gov. Wes Moore highlights innovation in agriculture with visit to Eastern Shore farm The governor also spoke about a disciplined approach to budgeting that has greatly benefitted, and will continue to benefit, the state. For the first time in nearly a decade, Maryland has passed a budget smaller than the budget the year before. He then shined a spotlight on his Moore-Miller administration team, noting how it is made up of thoughtful, responsive and ambitious individuals who are dedicated to serving their state and country. "In this time of this political vitriol, political tenor, where election season feels like every season, and when people seem to care more about where the idea (came) from than is it a good idea, I believe deeply that service will save us, service will heal us, service will make us better," he said. All in all, the governor shared he is excited about the progress he and his administration are witnessing in the state of Maryland, from low unemployment rates to low homicide rates to low violent crime rates and more. "Maryland is making so much progress because we're working together; Democrats, Republicans, Independents, the Eastern Shore (of Maryland), Western Maryland and everywhere in between," Moore said. "The entire country is taking notice of that." HUMPBACK WHALE SIGHTING IN OCEAN CITY: Two humpback whales spotted off coast of Ocean City, Maryland, over Memorial Day weekend Ocean City exemplifies 'the Maryland spirit, the Maryland way' Maryland Governor Wes Moore attends the annual Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference inside the Ocean City, Maryland, Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Monday, June 24, 2024. Following his time onstage, Moore expressed his enthusiasm about being back in Ocean City. When considering the Eastern Shore of Maryland as a whole, he said he believes it is the people who inhabit the town of Ocean City that allow it to stand out among the crowd. "I love coming back to Ocean City. People always talk about its contributions to the state when it comes to tourism and industry, and all of that is absolutely right," Moore said of the popular resort town destination. "But also, these are the kindest folks. These are people who are optimistic about the future, take care of their neighbors, and take care of each other. That's the Maryland spirit; that's the Maryland way," he added. The governor also shared his plans to visit local mom and pop shop Dumser's Dairyland while he's in town. "There's no way I'm not leaving without getting some Dumser's ice cream," Moore said with a smile. "There's no way." The annual Maryland Municipal League (MML) Summer Conference was held inside the Ocean City, Maryland, Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Monday, June 24, 2024. GOV. MOORE ON BRIDGE REBUILD PROCESS: Maryland moves to starting line for bridge rebuild process. Public meeting scheduled. Moore believes the future of Maryland, as well as that of Ocean City, looks exceptionally bright. "I think we're going to have continued growth," he said. "There are tremendous assets that you have in Ocean City that benefit the state of Maryland. Ocean City is going to have a very important place at our table, a very important place in the conversation about the future of our state." "I love working with the local leaders, and know that everything we do as a state is because we're going to be doing it in partnership with Ocean City," Moore said. The conference will continue in Ocean City through Wednesday, June 26. JULY 4TH FIREWORKS ON LOWER SHORE: 4th of July fireworks 2024: Here's where to enjoy them in Ocean City, Salisbury and more Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City's 'Maryland spirit' hailed by Gov. Wes Moore in address Macon authority created to fight poverty in Pleasant Hill cant say how it spent millions Editors note: This is the first story in a series examining the Macon-Bibb County Community Enhancement Authoritys impact on the historic Pleasant Hill neighborhood. The authority was created by legislation introduced by State Rep. James Beverly, D-Macon, in 2012 with the sole mission of eliminating poverty in the citys poorest neighborhoods. An authority created for the sole purpose of eliminating poverty in Macons poorest neighborhoods cant say how it spent millions in taxpayer dollars or even afford an audit to find out. Though the Macon-Bibb County Community Enhancement Authority (CEA) received millions from the federal and local government, public records show the authority is operating at a loss and struggling to regain financial footing following years of conducting business without oversight or record-keeping. The authoritys deteriorating financial position has reduced its footprint in Pleasant Hill, a historically Black neighborhood that was split in two when the Georgia Department of Transportation built Interstate 75 through it in the 1960s and further damaged decades later when GDOT began widening the highway in 2017. The authority is responsible for building moving and rehabilitating a total of 24 homes affected by the interstates further encroachment into the neighborhood with $5.4 million in federal highway money passed through the state. CEA was also tasked with managing two new parks, operating the Little Richard House as a neighborhood resource center and managing the Booker T. Washington Center, which houses nonprofits. In early June, the Little Richard House closed indefinitely and the CEA moved out. Mayor Lester Miller stopped paying the authority to run the resource center following the CEAs yearslong failure to provide the county with an audit or details showing how the countys dollars were being spent. Macon-Bibb County is exploring options to operate the Little Richard House without CEAs involvement. We do not give another dime to the Community Enhancement Authority is that correct? Mayor Pro-Tem Seth Clark asked at the most recent commission meeting in reference to the Little Richard House. Late last year, the Macon-Bibb County Commission approved paying a private company to maintain the two parks, Linear Park and Jefferson Long Park, along with numerous others. In March, the CEA moved out of the Booker T. Washington Center and told the county operating the building on Monroe Street was not financially viable. Most of the 23 homes the CEA completed are vacant. Several were sold to people and nonprofits with which the authority is connected. Another five are being rented, the authoritys interim executive director Latisha Woods said in a recent interview. Neighborhood leaders like Yolanda Y-O Latimore said accountability is critical to the success of any organization and what is happening with CEA is not a good look. It makes everybody, every entity in Pleasant Hill look kind of funny, because that was supposed to help, Latimore said. She noted the importance of having an authority dedicated to eliminating poverty in Black neighborhoods. Whatever is broken should be repaired, even if that consists of replacing people I dont think the Community Enhancement Authority should disappear because its supposed to be something that helps the neighborhood, Latimore said. And we need it. Lack of oversight The authority has largely operated under the radar since federal dollars first began flowing to it in 2016. In eight years, CEA has never submitted a financial audit to any local, state or federal agency. And now, authority board chairperson Bruce Riggins said it cant afford one. Maybe when we make some more money, he said. While the absence of financial audits prompted the county to cut ties with the authority, CEAs board also doesnt seem to know how all of its money was spent. I think it might have been misplaced, Riggins said, adding that under previous executive directors, money granted from GDOT to build houses may have been used to keep other stuff going. The authority is managed by a board of directors. Riggins said he was appointed by his friend, then-executive director of the authority, Rep. James Beverly. Riggins said he never received any training on board governance and all he knew was people come in, they present you with some stuff, and if it sounds like its good Yes, lets go. Riggins has been on the authority board for at least six years. He said his board development knowledge has grown from serving on boards of other nonprofit organizations. The CEA is supposed to have a chairperson and four board members who serve two-year terms. The chairperson recommends two members, who then are approved by the countys state representatives. A third member should be appointed by the county and the fourth is supposed to be a member of the county government, according to enabling legislation. The county has not appointed anyone to the authority board in years. In 2017, during Mayor Robert Reicherts administration, the county appointed Josh Rogers, president and CEO of NewTown Macon, to serve on the authority board. The first meeting Rogers attended occurred in lawyer Blake Sharptons office with Beverly, the authoritys creator, board chairman and its paid executive director. Another board member present, Isaac J. Culver III, was later convicted of wire fraud and money laundering. I walked out of that meeting and said, I need to get my resignation drafted right now, Rogers recalled recently. I cant even describe to you what it was like being in that room. Really, really unsettling. Nobody was keeping notes about the business discussions, Rogers said. There were no financial reports presented for approval. Sometimes theres a fine line between incompetence and malevolence, he said in a recent interview. I didnt stick around long enough to determine which was the problem. Rogers said recently he is amazed and astounded the authority continues to operate as a governmental body without oversight or financial record-keeping. Im not going to serve on any board thats not able to produce timely and accurate financial statements, Rogers said. Its impossible to fulfill your responsibilities as directors if you cant monitor your financial resources. Where did all the authoritys money go? That question, Rogers said, would take hundreds of thousands of dollars and 10 years for a forensic accountant to answer. (Bloomberg) -- The German government and its allies are succeeding in their efforts to block plans for new joint borrowing to finance critical European Union projects like defense. Most Read from Bloomberg So-called defense bonds are likely to be off the table when European leaders gather Thursday to discuss their top priorities for the next five years, according to officials with knowledge of the preparations. The push to shut down debate on shared debt has been helped by the turmoil in France, said the officials, who asked not to be named discussing private conversations. Heads of government are trying to agree a strategy to counter trade tensions with China and the US, Vladimir Putins expansionist war in Ukraine and the possibility of Donald Trumps return to the White House. At the same time, theyre looking for ways to boost economic growth and support the blocs green deal and joint debt issuance is one solution thats been floated. Those aspirations were dealt a blow in European elections this month which saw gains for far-right groups that have been friendly to Putin and skeptical of climate action. At the summit, Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be nominated for a second term as president of the commission but the political backdrop is making her cautious about expending capital on the controversial idea of shared borrowing. Just days after the EU election, a decision by indexer MSCI Inc. not to include the blocs outstanding bonds in its sovereign gauges hit investor appetite for the debt. A draft of the EU strategy document seen by Bloomberg says the bloc will use innovative options to finance an increase in defense spending and needs a significant collective investment effort to be able to compete with other nations. Theres no mention of joint borrowing. Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has been a long-standing proponent of shared debt but there is a question mark over whether he too will include a reference to that instrument when he publishes a report on how to boost EU competitiveness in the next few weeks, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Draghi was asked by von der Leyen to draw up options for accelerating the blocs industrial and technological development and beefing up its defense capabilities. Having led the European Central Bank through the sovereign debt crisis a decade ago, he has long favored joint bonds to increase the EUs financial muscle. The first major issuance of EU bonds was agreed in 2020 when leaders sealed the post-pandemic recovery fund, an 800 billion ($860 billion) pool designed to help member states recover from Covid and accelerate their economic development. Many investors assumed that, with the taboo broken, collective issuance would gradually become a more common tool for the bloc to address its shared problems, and earlier this year were increasing their holdings of EU bonds. Although the EU plans to sell 65 billion of bonds under existing programs in the second half of 2024 more than many investors were predicting progress toward fresh issuance was dealt a setback this month by MSCI decision on indexing. The increase in support for the far right in this months EU elections and the sudden political turmoil in France have added further headwinds. The spread between 10-year EU bonds and equivalent German notes has widened almost 20 basis points over the past two weeks, practically erasing the tightening seen since the start of the year. Even if wed had a more centrist outcome in EU elections, joint bonds would still have been a contentious topic, said Matt Cairns, head of credit at Rabobank. Now that things have gone far more right-of-center than predicted, this topic is going to get even more fractious. EUs Debt Distribution Cairns said that now it will take another black-swan type of event like the Covid pandemic to drive joint issuance forward. President Emmanuel Macrons decision to trigger legislative elections in which polls suggest hell suffer a heavy defeat potentially represents a black swan of a different type. Even before the result, which could give control of the government to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, French officials who might ordinarily argued in favor of bloc-wide borrowing were distracted by the drama unfolding at home, and Frances hand has been fundamentally weakened, officials said. Russias invasion of Ukraine changed the debate, with some eastern members such as the Baltic states, whod been reluctant to back the recovery fund, turning in favor because of what they see as an existential threat to their security. They are now aligned with longer-term fans of deeper fiscal integration such as France, Italy and Spain. Those countries still have one more opportunity to put down a marker, and there remains live discussion over whether to include eurobonds in a financing options paper being prepared for leaders in the coming days. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is seeking support for common financing for air defense capabilities along his countrys eastern border with Ukraine and Belarus, one diplomat said, as part of a push for more spending in this area across the board. Tusk said last week that he thinks the rest of the EU is ready to put more money into fortifying its eastern border, though he didnt comment on how it would be paid for. One EU diplomat said shared borrowing was the subject of hard-held convictions for a number of member states on an issue that requires unanimity. So including it in the strategic agenda would create more problems than it solves. Some of the biggest problems lie in Berlin. Olaf Scholz helped to push through the recovery fund deal when he was finance minister but now hes struggling to keep his head above water as chancellor, and his successor in the ministry, Christian Lindner, is fiercely opposed to shared debt. German officials argue that they have already gone a long way to increase their military budget, hitting the NATO target to keep defense spending at 2% of GDP this year for the first time since it was agreed a decade ago. A spokesperson for the German chancellery declined to comment. Other EU member states coordinating their opposition to more joint borrowing include the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark, according to people familiar with those countries positions. One person involved in preparations for the EU summit said it wouldnt be appropriate for leaders to discuss eurobonds because there hasnt been enough technical preparation done on how they would actually work. In a sign of how divisive the issue has become, the official said it was typical of Macron that his grand speeches arent backed up by proper work on policy details. --With assistance from Natalia Ojewska, Alberto Nardelli, Aline Oyamada, Sujata Rao and Zoe Schneeweiss. (Updates to show that a spokesperson for the German chancellery declined to comment.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Madalina Cojocaris mother named a suspect in daughters disappearance for first time Nearly two years after Madalina Cojocari was last seen, the Cornelius Police Department called her mother a suspect in her disappearance for the first time on Tuesday. Diana Cojocari, the missing girls mother, was already convicted of failure to report Madalinas disappearance, and she was released from jail after serving her sentence. Cojocaris stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, was also convicted of failure to report her disappearance and is currently serving a suspended sentence. On Tuesday, Cornelius police shared a new flyer on social media asking for information on Madlinas disappearance. Her mother, Diana Cojocari, is considered a suspect in her disappearance, the department wrote. We continue to seek information on the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari who hasn't been seen since November 21st, 2022. Her mother, Diana Cojocari, is considered a suspect in her disappearance.#FindMadalina pic.twitter.com/78bNTvlFLX Cornelius Police Department (@CorneliusPD) June 25, 2024 However, no new charges have been filed against Diana. Channel 9 reached out to CPD to see if Diana is wanted, and the department said she isnt. We asked for clarification on why the department called her a suspect on Tuesday. Deputy Chief Jennifer Thompson wrote in response: Diana Cojocari is Madalinas mother. She is considered a suspect in her disappearance and we remain focused and committed to finding Madalina. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: During Cojocaris and Palmiters trials, multiple possibilities were suggested for Madalinas whereabouts, but she remains missing. Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom said earlier this year, We wont stop until we find her. This is a developing story, check back for updates. (VIDEO: CMPD wont search landfill for missing Belmont man; family not giving up) MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Madison County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) is warning residents about scammers who may be pretending to be someone with the sheriffs office. MCSO said it has been receiving calls about a recent surge in scams targeting local residents. The sheriffs office said the scammers are contacting people saying that they have outstanding warrants and demanding that the person pay a fine. Several agencies respond to field fire on Mooresville Road Authorities said the scam calls may even display an official-looking phone number on the caller ID, and may even appear to be using an MCSO number using a technique called caller ID spoofing. To help protect the community, MCSO said residents should be aware it will never do the following: make telephone calls for donations, inform individuals about warrants over the phone, request money, gift cards or wire transfers to pay off warrants The sheriffs office urges residents to be vigilant and cautious of strangers calling for money to pay off outstanding warrants or fines. MCSO said this is not their normal procedure. Authorities said if you receive a suspicious call, you should not give any personal or financial information. MCSO said the best thing to do is hang up the phone and contact them directly Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. During the meeting of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign, European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg discussed topical issues of the bilateral agenda, as well as interaction within the OSCE, Trend reports via Akorda. Tokayev noted that, given the current security challenges, the OSCE carries out systematic work in all three dimensions in the region and beyond. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan's commitment to close cooperation with all sides in achieving the goals enshrined in the Astana Declaration of the 2010 OSCE Summit. "We are ready to make efforts to achieve these noble goals and to continue working together with the Maltese Chairmanship to ensure comprehensive and cooperative security," he said. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conveyed warm wishes to the President of Malta Myriam Spiteri Debono and showed willingness to roll up sleeves and give a boost to Kazakh-Maltese relations. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Representative Bob Goods primary race for his congressional seat is still too close to call, and his complaints about the election are drawing insults and mockery from his fellow House Republicans. Good is currently trailing state Senator John McGuire III, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, by 373 votes and has called for a do-over in the city of Lynchburg. Good also claimed that three precincts in his district had fires on Election Day last week, despite state election officials saying that there were no fires, only fire alarms. On Thursday, Good even said on Steve Bannons show War Room that he has lawyers at the ready. Were going to have a full recount. Were going to have a full investigation, Good told Bannon. Its going to stretch out for a couple of weeks. Its the swamp versus the Freedom Caucus. Are we going to allow the seat to be bought by the McCarthy revenge tour? Good added, referring to ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthys efforts to target the representatives who vacated his speakership. But Goods Republican colleagues scoffed at his allegations of election misconduct. No one is buying it, but all understand this is one of the several stages of electoral grief, one House Republican told Axios anonymously, adding that Goods attacks on the electoral process are the reflexive thing people who cant accept loss say these days. F**k Bob Good. Bob Good is a sore loser. His defeat strengthens our majority, another House Republican said, while a different anonymous GOP representative said, I assume Bob Good is full of s**t. Other House Republicans called out Good openly. [Of] course Bob is claiming election fraud. He is grasping at straws to help save his political career, said Representative Derrick Van Orden, who endorsed McGuire. Representative Mike Lawler noted that Good mentioned Lynchburg despite winning the majority of votes there. What a loser, Lawler said. The whole reason that Good, who heads the far-right House Freedom Caucus, even had a tough primary battle in the first place was because he endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, earning him Trumps ire. After DeSantis withdrew from the race, Good tried to get into Trumps good graces, even traveling to Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan to help Trump skirt his gag order in the case. That was all for naught, as Trump would endorse McGuire and call out Good as BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA. Donald Trump and his allies are demanding that President Joe Biden be tested for performance-enhancing drugs before this weeks debate, and Fox News and the MAGAverse are wondering if the president is medically experimenting at Camp David in preparation. One substance they think Biden may be jacked up on during the debate: Mountain Dew. Fox Business Network host Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday interviewed MAGA Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) about upcoming CNN presidential showdown. Bartiromo whined about a Trump spokesperson being booted from a CNN interview for personally attacking the networks debate moderators, and mentioned the recent letter from MAGA acolyte Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) demanding Biden take a drug test. Prior to sending that letter, which was endorsed by Trump on Monday night, Jackson told Bartiromo on Sunday about his intent to demand a drug test, feeding into longstanding right-wing conspiracies that the 81-year-old Biden is being fed a cocktail of meds to perform during high-profile appearances. Its embarrassing I have to do this. Its embarrassing as a former White House physician to have to do something like this, Jackson told Bartiromo. Maria Bartiromo Already Laying Groundwork for the Big Lie 2.0 After airing Jacksons remarks, Bartiromo turned to Burlison and said its pretty incredible that Jackson speculated the presidents doctors were probably experimenting with getting doses right ahead of the debate. (Jackson, for his part, has been peddling his claim about Biden using memory-boosting drugs since 2020.) I think any patient or elderly individual or someone who has dementia, they can find some moments of clarity, right, they can find moments throughout the day that they have energy, the Missouri lawmaker responded. And I think we shouldTrumps team should not underestimate Joe Biden and his teams ability towhether theyre going to jack him up on Mountain Dew or whatever. Burlison then brought up Bidens fiery State of the Union address earlier this year, which conservatives chalked up to him being on stimulants. Fox News host and Trump confidant Sean Hannity, for instance, reacted to the speech by calling the president Jacked-Up Joe while suggesting he was hyper-caffeinated or given some unknown magical elixir. He had a lot of energy for about an hour or an hour-and-a-half, but it doesnt mean what were seeing is obviously throughout the day he cant carry that level of energy when hes out and about. Were seeing that decline, Burlison concluded. So I certainly would not, if I were the Trump team, underestimate their ability to do whatever it takes to make sure that he can work for one or two hours that hes on the debate. It was just a month ago when the conspiracy-boosting Bartiromo pumped the brakes when another GOP lawmaker insisted that he had evidence to prove that Biden was jacked up on something during the State of the Union. When the pro-Trump host pressed for proof, the congressman demurred and said he would show her offline. After spending the past few weeks peddling so-called cheap fake videos to depict Biden as senile and setting expectations for the presidents debate performance extremely low, MAGA media and Trump himself are now reversing course and preemptively providing a built-in excuse. The ex-president has even gone so far as to claim that Biden would be using illegal drugs and steroids during the debate. Im sure hell be prepared, he exclaimed at a rally last week. Whatever happened to all that cocaine that was missing a month ago from the White House? (The ex-president was referencing an incident where a small bag of cocaine was found at the White House. A Secret Service investigation was unable to determine who left the drugs.) Even Maria Bartiromo Has Had Enough of Nancy Maces Act Ironically, just a week ago, Trump attempted to mock Bidens mental fitness while boasting that he had aced a cognitive test administered by Jackson. During that speech, however, Trump repeatedly referred to the former White House doctor as Ronny Johnson. While Fox News and Trump have been pushing this baseless conspiracy theory about Biden taking magic pills to suddenly become coherent on the big stage for years now, the assertion itself doesnt really hold up to the slightest of scrutiny. In addition to lacking anything resembling evidence, this argument doesnt make much senseif Biden is mentally disabled but has access to medication that somehow hides it, why would he save the drugs for special occasions rather than taking them all the time? Media Matters senior fellow Matt Gertz noted this week. But Trump and his supporters set a trap for themselves with their deceptive claims of Bidens purported senility and they are desperately trying to escape. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A man allegedly referred to the murder-suicide at a Las Vegas law office when stalking and making threats to other attorneys in an unrelated case, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. Last week, a Clark County grand jury indicted Richard Kohut Jr., 44, on four counts of aggravated stalking and three counts of stalking with the use of the internet or electronic communication. According to the indictment, Kohut allegedly threatened several attorneys at Smith Legal Group with unwanted emails and phone calls while referring to the April shooting. Kohut was also accused of harassing and stalking the attorneys at their practice and posting incendiary and/or intimidating messages on social media. The exact nature of Kohuts allegations was not clear Tuesday nor was why he allegedly targeted the specific law firm. Last week, a Clark County grand jury indicted Richard Kohut Jr., 44, on four counts of aggravated stalking and three counts of stalking with the use of the internet or electronic communication. (LVMPD/KLAS) Kohuts initial arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday. A judge could reconsider his bail then. Joe Houston II, 77, shot and killed Dennis Prince, 57, and his wife, Ashley Prince, 30, during a child custody hearing in Dennis Princes Summerlin law office on Monday, April 8. Joe Houston, another attorney, was at the hearing representing his son, Dylan Houston, in his custody dispute with Ashley Prince. During the deposition, Joe Houston shot and killed the Princes before dying by suicide. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Man accused of starting wildfire with fireworks in Boulder DENVER (KDVR) A 21-year-old man is in custody and accused of starting a wildfire after lighting fireworks near Chautauqua Park in Boulder. On Monday at 9:35 p.m., the Boulder County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to Gregory Canyon at the base of Flagstaff Road on reports of a wildland fire. This embedded content is not available in your region. According to the sheriffs office, the fire was believed to have been started by fireworks. Some Colorado cities prepare for July 4th with firework show of the future Boulder Fire-Rescue quickly extinguished the fire, limiting the damage to a 100-foot by 100-foot area. During the firefighting efforts, Flagstaff Road was temporarily closed. The sheriffs office said a 21-year-old man was located near the fire and taken into custody on a second-degree arson charge. He is currently being held at the Boulder County Jail. As the Fourth of July approaches and Americans prepare to light fireworks in celebration, the Boulder County Sheriffs Office is urging residents to be mindful of the fire danger, especially with the recent high heat. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Man allegedly exposed himself to women near Capital City Mall food court CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Hanover man is accused of exposing himself to multiple women at a local mall near the food court. Alexander Stokes, 26, was arraigned June 17 on a misdemeanor indecent exposure charge, Lower Allen Township Police said Tuesday. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter The alleged incident happened around 2:12 p.m. on May 7 at the Capital City Mall when two women said that a man, later identified as Stokes, exposed himself as he was facing them just prior to entering the restroom. He left in a vehicle marked for a business, and the owner of said business identified Stokes as the driver. Stokes failed to appear at a preliminary hearing on June 13 and was picked up on a bench warrant for an arraignment. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bail and a preliminary hearing is set for August 8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A man has been arrested after three people died in a crash on Tuesday, June 25, near the Paso del Norte bridge in Juarez, according to La Fiscalia de Distrito Zona Norte (The Districts Prosecutors Office for Zona Norte). The Prosecutors Office says Henry R., 45, from the United States, is allegedly responsible for the fatal crash and is being charged with homicide and other related charges. The Prosecutors Office says the crash happened at Bernardo Norzagaray and General Rivas Guillen which is near the Paso Del Norte Bridge. The victims of the crash have not been identified and it is unknown if anyone else was injured from the crash. The Prosecutors Office says it is reserving information as the incident is still being investigated. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A man was arrested after allegedly threatening a person living in a tent at an El Cajon park and then leading police on a high-speed pursuit, which ended at the SDPD headquarters. The El Cajon Police Department reports officers responded to Prescott Promenade at 200 E. Main Street in El Cajon early Monday morning for reports of a serious incident involving a male suspect. Passenger, 19, killed, driver seriously injured in Otay Mesa rollover crash According to the police department, a man identified as 48-year-old Gabriel Quijas of Spring Valley is accused of threatening a man and deliberately driving his vehicle into a tent occupied by the man on Sunday. As officers were at the park gathering information and getting statements from the victim around 5:50 a.m. Monday, Quijas was seen driving by in a Cadillac Escalade. Police say witnesses were able to positively identify him as the suspect. Infant who died after being left in car for 9 hours identified El Cajon Police says officers tried to pull over Quijas, but he took off and a pursuit began. Quijas reportedly led police onto Interstate 8 while driving at high speeds. At one point, police say he abruptly stopped, nearly causing a crash with a pursuing police car. He is also accused of attempting to ram the police vehicle and force it into the freeways concrete center divide barrier. Police say Quijas eventually exited the freeway heading toward downtown San Diego, then stopped in front of the San Diego Police headquarters at 1401 Broadway and got out of his vehicle. Body found believed to be missing hiker: SDPD Despite getting out of his vehicle, police say Quijas continued to disregard commands from officers, which led them to use a police K-9 to assist in arresting him. Gabriel Quijas was booked into San Diego County Central Jail and faces multiple felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon on peace officers, and evading arrest with wanton disregard for safety. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A man has been found guilty of killing another man in downtown Dayton last year. Antonio Murray, 44, of Dayton, was convicted on Tuesday of murder, felonious assault. and weapons charges, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office. The verdict came during a bench trial that started on June 18. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arrested, accused of deadly downtown Dayton shooting The charges were in connection to the August 2023 shooting death of Robert Blackstone, 51. As News Center 7 previously reported, police were on patrol in downtown Dayton in August when they heard gunshots near the intersection of E. Fifth and S. Main Streets. When they got to the scene, they found Blackstone near the intersection. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation, which included gathering surveillance video, determined that Murray shot Blackstone after a brief encounter. >> Husband, wife dead after suspected murder-suicide in Preble Co. Murray was later located that same afternoon walking on Riverside Drive. Murray will remain held in the Montgomery County Jail until his sentencing on July 30. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. Kazakhstan will continue to contribute to strengthening the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu at a meeting with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign, Trade, and European Affairs of Malta Ian Borg, Trend reports. Borg met with Nurtleu during his official visit to Astana. "Kazakhstan will continue to contribute to strengthening the OSCE and support the efforts of the Chairmanship-in-Office following the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the 2010 Astana Declaration. The principles of the Astana Declaration, adopted fourteen years ago, remain consistently relevant. Today, Valletta presides over the Organization and responsibly fulfills this mission," he stated. Chairperson-in-Office Borg presented Malta's priorities for the OSCE, emphasizing efforts to enhance the Organization's sustainability in the pursuit of a secure and peaceful future. The interlocutors reviewed cooperation on issues such as combating international terrorism and extremism, drug and arms trafficking, illegal migration, and border security. They also discussed strengthening transport interconnectivity and addressing environmental issues in the Central Asian region. The sides discussed further constructive interaction between Kazakhstan and the OSCE institutions, including the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, focusing on joint projects promoting systemic reforms and sustainable development in the country. Regarding bilateral cooperation with Malta, they identified the most promising areas as maritime logistics, trade, and tourism. Borg emphasized the heightened need for engagement and cooperation amidst numerous crises in the OSCE area. He expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan across all three dimensions of OSCE security: politico-military, economic and environmental, and humanitarian. Following the talks, the parties agreed to maintain regular dialogue in both bilateral and regional formats. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Man dead after exchanging fire with law enforcement in Carroll County CARROLL COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) A man is dead after allegedly exchanging fire with officers Monday. Virginia State Police say just before 1 p.m., a trooper tried to pull the man over on Route 58 near Glendale Road, but the driver reportedly refused to stop. The trooper pursued him to Wild Turkey Lane, where law enforcement managed to stop him. Then, VSP says the man fired a gun, at which point both a local law enforcement officer and a state trooper fired back. The man was taken to Twin County Regional Healthcare where he died from his injuries. VSP says no law enforcement were injured; the trooper has been placed on leave as per policy. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Man dies in crash after Dodge, Maserati race on Las Vegas street early Monday, police say LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A 31-year-old man who died after a rollover crash early Monday was racing another driver when he lost control on Jones Boulevard just north of Sahara, according to Metro police. The man who died, who police said had a St. Louis, Missouri, address, was racing his Dodge Challenger against a Maserati GHIBLI, traveling north on Jones at about 2:15 a.m. on Monday. The driver of the Dodge and a female passenger were taken to UMC Trauma, but the man was pronounced dead despite efforts to save him. The woman, identified as Stacie Young, 27, also of St. Louis, sustained major injuries in the crash, police said. The driver of the Dodge lost control as he crossed Sahara, leaving the roadway to the right and striking multiple fixed objects and overturning multiple times, police said. The Dodge and the Maserati never collided, but a preliminary investigation found racing being a contributing factory why the collision occurred. The driver of the Maserati, identified as Kashmir Newell, 36, remained at the scene, and was arrested on charges of reckless driving resulting in death and substantial bodily harm. He had a 24-year-old female passenger at the time. The deadly crash is the 80th traffic-related fatality in Metros jurisdiction this year. The collision remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH) One person is dead after a motorcycle crash in southwest Fairfield County Monday. A 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, driven by a 59-year-old Newark man, was traveling west on U.S. Route 22 at approximately 3:37 p.m., the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. At the same time, a 2005 Honda VTX motorcycle driven by Jared O. Ross, of Williamsport, was traveling east on US-22. Columbus woman dies in Pickaway County crash This embedded content is not available in your region. State police said the Mitsubishi crossed the center of the road, hitting the motorcycle head on, which caused the motorcycle to drive off the right side of the road. Ross was thrown from the bike. Ross was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. Man suspected in east Columbus murder found nearly 10 months later in Georgia The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Amanda Township Fire Department, Bloom Township Fire Department, the Fairfield County Sheriffs Office, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Man flies to Florida to try to kill gamer with hammer: deputies Man flies to Florida to try to kill gamer with hammer: deputies TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A New Jersey man who flew to Florida to try to kill a victim he played video games with was arrested for attempted murder, the Nassau County Sheriffs Office announced Monday. Edward Co Kang, 20, flew from Newark, New Jersey, to confront the victim in person at his Fernandina Beach home following an online altercation. Pub-sub thieves: Couple accused of stealing sandwiches from Florida Publix When deputies responded to the home on Sunday around 2 a.m., a significant amount of blood was found in the entryway and bedroom. The victims stepfather told officials he woke up to him screaming for help and found his stepson struggling with Kang who had attacked him with a hammer. Officials said the stepfather restrained Kang until deputies arrived. Nassau County Sheriffs Office Investigation revealed Kang and the victim had played a videogame, ArcheAge, online together, where players interact in a virtual world. Kang Ubered from the Jacksonville International Airport to the Ocean Coast Hotel where hed been staying since Friday. He had told his family he was visiting a friend he met years ago in an online game. Man killed in shootout with deputies after killing mom, 2 other women in Manatee County shooting spree When he landed in Jacksonville, he went to an Ace Hardware store to buy a hammer and a flashlight before heading to the victims home. The sheriffs office said the victim was gaming when he got up to use the bathroom. When he opened the door, Kang was waiting for him with the hammer raised, ready to attack him. They wrestled to the ground. Both were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The victim suffered severe head wounds but his injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect told officials the victim was a bad person online, and thats why he attacked him. Kang was arrested for second-degree attempted murder and remains in jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Seattle Police found a man dead in yet another shooting after they were called to the University District for a report of shots fired Monday night. Officers were called to Pasadena Place Northeast and Northeast 42nd Street shortly after 9:30 p.m., where they found a man with a gunshot wound. They gave him medical help until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived and took over, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Any suspects have yet to be identified. Detectives with the Seattle Police Homicide Unit are investigating what led up to the gunfire. If you have information about the shooting or suspects, youre asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477). Man gets prison term for trying to break into Tumwater credit union with torch, causing fire A 34-year-old man, described as a trained welder, was sentenced to prison on Monday after he pleaded guilty to arson and attempted larceny of a Tumwater credit union in 2022, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington announced. The man used an oxyacetylene welders torch to try to open an ATM and gain access to the building, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office news release. Randall Taufetee, who pleaded guilty in March, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, or more than five years, plus he will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Taufetee and a co-defendant, Brandon Ronald Collado, were indicted in January 2023. Collado pleaded guilty in June 2023 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison, according to the release. They also will be required to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution for damage to the credit union. On Oct. 24, 2022, Tumwater fire crews were dispatched to a fire alarm at an O Bee Credit Union branch. They saw flames coming from the top of the ATM machine which was in a wall of the building. The flames were extinguished but smoke had filled the building, according to the release. Surveillance video showed two men using a pry bar, an electric saw and the torch. Days after the fire, Taufetee was taken into state custody for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Agents then identified Taufetee as one of the men in the surveillance video. Prosecutors had sought a 92-month sentence, saying that Taufetee has more than a dozen criminal convictions as an adult, including for theft, assault, robbery, burglary, and firearms possession, according to the release. The case was investigated by the Tumwater police with the assistance of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. A man is dead after allegedly going on a "killing spree," gunning down three women -- his mother, his cousin and an ex-girlfriend's new partner -- in separate shootings in Florida, authorities said. Before the Monday night shootings unfolded, the suspect, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, first went to an apartment in Palmetto where his sister and ex-girlfriend were located, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said at a news conference. "He looked at the ex-girlfriend and said, 'I have to kill you.' Somehow the sister was able to talk him down and talk him out of him shooting this ex-girlfriend," Wells said. "She later told investigators that he was acting very strange." MORE: US Surgeon General Murthy declares gun violence 'public health crisis' in America Wells then drove to a Motel 6 in Bradenton where his mother, his two young sisters and the mother's boyfriend were staying, the sheriff said. Around 9:15 p.m., "he walked into that hotel room, looked at the mother and said, 'I'm sorry,'" Wells said. PHOTO: Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells speaks at a press conference, June 25, 2024, holding a photograph of triple homicide suspect Javontee Brice. (WFTS) "She asked, 'What did you do?' And he shoots her three times in front of the boyfriend and these two innocent young juveniles," Wells said. Brice then drove to a house in Palmetto where one of his cousins was at a cookout, the sheriff said. Wells allegedly shot his cousin as she was getting into her car to leave, around 9:40 p.m., the sheriff said. The 29-year-old cousin died about one hour later, the sheriff said. Brice then drove to a home in Bradenton, where another ex-girlfriend lived with her new partner, the sheriff said. At about 10:04 p.m., Brice allegedly shot and killed the new partner, Wells said. MORE: Man at large after sexually assaulting 21-year-old woman sunbathing in Central Park The sheriff's office said it issued a statewide "Be On the Lookout" bulletin for Brice's car, which was later tracked to Hamilton County, near the state line with Georgia. Authorities learned Brice "possibly has another ex-girlfriend" in Georgia and may have been driving there to kill her, Wells said. When police pulled Brice over at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in Hamilton County, Brice got out of the car and started firing at officers, Wells said. The officers return fire, fatally shooting Brice, Wells said. MORE: 'I feel terrified': Inventor of 'Glock switch' technology says he regrets creation A woman was with Brice when he was pulled over and she is being interviewed, the sheriff said. "We don't know her relation to him at this point, but she was in the car when the shootout took place," Wells said. Brice's family is "devastated" by the slayings of the mother and cousin, Wells said, but investigators are looking to interview the relatives to determine what Brice "may have been going through the last few days." "He seemed to have an agenda; he knew exactly who he wanted to kill and he did not have a hard time locating them," Wells said. "We don't know what set this man off. We don't know why he chose to kill his loved ones," the sheriff added. "We may never know, but we're going to continue to investigate." Man guns down 3 women, including his mom, in separate shootings within 1 hour: Florida police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Man jumps from second-floor window to escape police in Elmira; man sent to hospital Correction: A previous version of this article contained the wrong police agency, that error has been corrected. UPDATE: The Elmira Police Department has provided more information into the arrest of an Elmira man who now faces three felonies after police said he jumped out of a window to elute officers Tuesday morning. According to police, 32-year-old John-Tel D. Scharborough was arrested on the charges of one count of Burglary in the first degree, a class B felony, one count of menacing a police officer, a class D felony, and one count of criminal contempt in the first degree, a class E felony. Police said that more charges are pending and Scharborough is being held pending his arraignment in court. ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) One man was seen being loaded into an ambulance after jumping from a second-story window as dozens of police were at a house on North Main Street in Elmira. According to an 18 News reporter at the scene, police were locking down the area around 707 North Main St. Tuesday Morning, June 25, after a man was taken into custody and hospitalized. In a release from Elmira Police, units were called to the house for a disturbance around 7:44 a.m. where they learned the suspect had violated an order of protection that was issued from a prior incident on June 15. Police said that officers tried to get the suspect out of the house for an hour before going inside to search for him. The man was located in a room on the second floor and started to throw items at officers before he was tased, but it was ineffective. NYSP look for suspect in Painted Post Walmart altercation The report states that the man broke a window in the room and pulled out a knife in front of police. The report says that An Elmira Police Officer then shot his gun at the suspect, but missed, leading to the man jumping out of the window. Police said the man landed in the driveway before getting up and running, but officers outside grabbed the suspect and took him into custody. The man was then seen being assessed in the driveway by medical crews before he was put onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital. According to the reporter, the man was seen bloodied, but alert and awake. Units from both the Elmira Police Department and Chemung Sheriffs Deputies were on the scene including the Elmira Police Chief along with several investigators and detectives. This is a developing investigation, police state that more information will be released later. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Man kills 3, heads to Georgia to kill another, dies in shootout with Florida deputies, officials say A man who deputies say killed three women in Florida is dead after he fired shots at deputies. The Bradenton Police Department, sharing information on Facebook from the Manatee County Sheriffs Office, identified 28-year-old Javontee Brice as the man behind the killings. He is the father of an estimated 12 children, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said. UPDATE: The Sheriff's Office will brief the media at 10:30. The homicide that occurred in the City of Bradenton is one... Posted by Bradenton Police Department on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 He seemed to have an agenda. He knew exactly who he wanted to kill, Wells said of Brice. Bradenton, where two of the shootings happened, is about 45 miles south of Tampa on Floridas Gulf Coast. Wells said in a Tuesday morning news conference that authorities believe the shootings were preceded by an incident at an apartment in the city of Palmetto. Brice went into an apartment where his sister and a mother of one of the many children Brice has were inside, Wells said. Manatee County Triple Shooting Update WATCH LIVE: Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells speaks following a triple homicide that ended in a deadly shootout with deputies late last night into this morning. MORE: bit.ly/3VVEpfd Posted by FOX 13 News - Tampa Bay on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 READ: Police chase ends when teen fatally crashes into church where her boyfriend died days before Brice walked into the apartment, looked at the ex-girlfriend, and said, I have to kill you, Wells said. Somehow, Brices sister was able to talk him out of shooting the ex-girlfriend. Then around 9:15 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to a Motel 6 in Bradenton, the Facebook post said. When they arrived, they found a 48-year-old woman, Brices mother, dead of a gunshot wound. READ: University of North Florida ranked among Best Colleges in America Also inside the hotel room were Brices mothers boyfriend and Brices two juvenile sisters, Wells said. Wells said that Brice walked in, looked at his mother, and said, Im sorry. She asked, What did you do? and he shot her three times, Wells said. BPD said around 9:40 p.m., deputies were dispatched to another shooting in Palmetto, where a 29-year-old woman was shot while sitting in a parked SUV. READ: Judge postpones decision on motions on alleged prosecution misconduct in Jared Bridegan murder case Wells said the woman who was shot was Brices cousin, who was leaving a cookout. She died about an hour later and witnesses identified Brice as the person who shot her. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Deputies then learned about another woman shot just after 10 p.m. in Bradenton. BPD said officers learned that Brice was also the suspect in this shooting, where the woman later died at a local hospital. Wells said the woman who Brice killed was his ex-girlfriends new partner. MCSO detectives learned that Brice was traveling to Georgia, intending to kill another ex-girlfriend, Wells said. While he was committing the shootings and while he was traveling to Georgia, a woman was in the car with Brice. Wells said investigators will be talking to that woman. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] A statewide BOLO was issued for Brices vehicle and Hamilton County Sheriffs Office deputies located Brice. Hamilton County is just west of Columbia County. BPD said around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Brice was shot and killed after he fired shots at HCSO deputies. Wells said Brice got out of the car shooting at deputies. No deputies were hit by Brice, Wells said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be investigating the Hamilton County deputies shooting of Brice. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. For previous reports on this story, view the video player above. DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) One of three suspects in a fatal August 2023 robbery at a Delaware County auto parts store could spend the next 50-plus years in prison. Zackeyis S. Davis, 23, pleaded guilty last week to one charge each of aggravated murder and attempted murder, both with firearm specifications. Man struck by Kings Island roller coaster dies Davis is one of three men accused of killing Alejandro Fajardo-Torres, 43, in Aug. 2023 at the AutoZone store on Sancus Boulevard near Polaris Fashion Place. Along with Davis, two other men Anthony Blakely and Darius Wynn are charged in the crime. As of Monday, Davis is the only one to enter a guilty plea. Blakely was originally scheduled to plead guilty on May 31 but rejected the plea deal. According to police, Fajardo-Torres was shot and killed when he attempted to stop a robbery at the store. The three suspects were part of a suspected enterprise in which they committed multiple robberies between May 14, 2023, and Sept. 16, 2023, according to court documents. Man suspected in east Columbus murder found nearly 10 months later in Georgia Davis was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for the aggravated murder charge and 10 to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder charge. He was also given three years in prison for each charge due to the firearm specifications. All sentences will be served consecutively. Wynn is currently scheduled to go to trial on July 23; Blakely is scheduled for trial on Aug. 20. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 25. Kyrgyzstan imported 2,096 trucks from South Korea from January through April 2024, which is double the number exported during the same months of 2023 (1,004 trucks), Trend reports. Data from the State Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan indicates that the value of the imports reached $7.121 million, increasing by 2.2 times over JanuaryApril 2024s figures ($3.142 million). Additionally, 939 trucks worth $21.9 million were imported from China, 891 trucks worth $3 million from Lithuania, and 214 trucks worth $7.19 million from the US. Overall, Kyrgyzstan imported 4,432 trucks worth $44.7 million from January through April 2024. The volume of imports increased by 27.7 percent compared to 3,469 cars during the same months of 2023, and the value rose by 27.6 percent year-on-year (compared to $35.094 million in JanuaryApril 2023). Overall, Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover reached $5.171 billion from January through April 2024, which is a 27.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 ($4.051 billion). Exports amounted to $760.6 million, which is an increase of 19.7 percent compared to the $635.678 million recorded in JanuaryApril 2023. Imports grew by 29.2 percent compared to $3.415 billion in the same period in 2023, reaching $4.411 billion from January through April 2024. Man robbed at gunpoint in front of his home, police say Police said three men robbed a victim at gunpoint near his home in Ocoee. Ocoee Police Department said the incident happened on June 14 around 4:30 p.m. on Satin Leaf Circle, where three black men robbed a man. Officers said the victim pulled into his neighborhood and parked on a road next to his house. Read: Machete fight: Man riding tricycle on beach gets into fight with another man over flashlight A man got out of the back passenger seat of the drivers side and pointed a gun at the victim while taking the victims wallet that had $550 in it. Police said the suspects were described as one man having an afro and another having dreads. If you have information about the case, contact Detective Huss at jhuss@ocoee.org or 407-905-3160. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A man who admitted to fatally shooting a bystander who attempted to intervene in a Delaware County robbery and paralyzing a man in another robbery will spend at least 46 years in prison before being eligible for parole. Zackeyis Davis, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated murder and attempted murder charges in Delaware County. Judge David Gormley ordered Davis to serve a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 46 years. One of three men charged in the Aug. 24 shooting death of Alejandro Fajardo-Torres pleaded guilty on Friday in Delaware County. A candelight vigil held days after Fajardo-Torres' death drew dozens of people. The 43-year-old Fajardo-Torres had attempted to intervene in a store robbery when he was fatally shot. Davis is one of three people charged in the Aug. 24 shooting of Alejandro Fajardo-Torres at the Auto Zone located at 8338 Sancus Blvd. near Polaris Fashion Place. Fajardo-Torres, 43, a customer in the store who had a concealed carry permit, attempted to intervene as the store was being robbed. A clerk had been pistol-whipped, according to police. Fajardo-Torres was shot and died at the scene. Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schiffel said in a press release that Fajardo-Torres, who is survived by a young son, died a "hero." "His selfless actions protected a high school student and prevented further harm to him," Schiffel said. "This is senseless violence and Davis' actions show a complete disregard for human life." As part of his plea on Friday, Davis also entered a guilty plea to attempted murder for a Sept. 16 robbery at Mr. Bling King, a jewelry store at 2555 Morse Road. The victim in that case was paralyzed as a result of being shot. The other two suspects in Fajardo-Torres' death, 27-year-old Anthony Blakely and 28-year-old Darius Wynn, have been charged in Delaware County and are awaiting trial. Blakely had been scheduled to change his plea on May 31, however, he changed his mind during the hearing so the case was reset for a trial in August. bbruner@gannett.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man sentenced for shooting bystander trying to stop Auto Zone robbery NEW YORK (PIX11) A popular sneaker reseller was fatally shot during a robbery in Soho on Tuesday morning, according to police. The victim, Javier Osorio-Mejia, 31, of Bayonne, was shot three times in his right leg in his car in front of 43 Greene St. around 5:15 a.m., police said. EMS personnel rushed Osorio-Mejia to the hospital, but he could not be saved. More Local News Officials said Osorio-Mejia was with a woman in a Range Rover followed from a club in Queens by a black SUV. When Osorio-Mejia pulled over, the suspect robbed and shot him before driving off. The woman was not injured. It was unclear what was stolen. Osorio-Mejia was a well-known reseller of sneakers in New York City known as Upscale Cracc. Rest in peace to Upscale Cracc, born Javier Osorio-Mejia, a reseller who was a mainstay at sneaker releases in New York City for years. If there was a lineup happening, Cracc was there, Complex Sneakers shared in a post on X. No arrests have been made. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Man Sneezes Out Loops of His Large Intestine During Breakfast in Florida Diner A man who just had surgical staples removed from his stomach forcibly sneezed, causing his incision site to rupture Getty Stock image of breakfast; Stock image of a man sneezing A man who had recently had abdominal surgery sneezed out parts of his large intestine while eating breakfast with his wife in a Florida diner. What happened to him is known as evisceration, a rare complication of abdominal surgery, says a report on the case in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports. The man, 63, had recently had a cystectomy, which is surgery on his bladder, with the incision site being sealed with surgical staples. He had gone to his urology clinic that morning for a check-up, where his wound appeared well-healed and the overlying staples were removed. He and his wife went to breakfast to celebrate, the report says. Getty Stock image of a man experiencing pain in his stomach. However, during breakfast he sneezed forcibly followed by a coughing fit which caused the surgical site to rupture. He immediately noticed a wet sensation and pain in his lower abdomen, the report says. Looking down, he observed several loops of pink bowel protruding from his recent surgical site. Related: Ozempic and Wegovy May Cause Stomach Paralysis in Some Patients The man considered driving himself to the hospital, but was worried he could injure himself, so his wife called for an ambulance. The paramedics discovered that a 3-inch section of his incision had been ruptured, with large amounts of bowel protruding from it Although the paramedic first considered manually pushing his intestines back in, she was concerned she could injure them; Instead, she kept the exposed bowel moist with a pad soaked in saline fluid, and kept it close to his body by wrapping him in gauze. Getty Stock image of an ambulance. He was admitted to the hospital, where vital signs were within normal limits. No evidence of injury was noted on his bowels during surgery, where his intestine was put back inside his body, and the wound was re-sealed with a variety of sutures And 6 days after sneezing his intestine out, the man was discharged from the hospital, following what was described as a a reassuring abdominal examination. Related: Rare Disorder Makes People Think Theyre Seeing Demonic Faces: 'Like a Creature in a Horror Movie' The report said the man suffered from the tearing of his surgical site, a complication known as wound dehiscence. It is a well-known complication, which the National Library of Medicine explains is a partial or total separation of previously approximated wound edges, due to a failure of proper wound healing. However, evisceration through the abdominal surgical site after cystectomy is poorly described, the report said, adding that there were only seven known cases of evisceration following a cystectomy. 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. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Man speeds through express lane gate barriers into head-on traffic along I-75 to escape GSP A 25-year-old driver faces several charges after leading Georgia State Patrol and Cobb County police on a chase along Interstate 75. It happened Sunday, just before 2 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] GSP patrolled the area of I-75 southbound near mile marker 310, searching for a distinctive orange Dodge pickup suspected of speeding and reckless driving. Troopers spotted the truck traveling two miles south of where they were. GSP said as troopers tried to stop the truck, the driver, identified as 25-year-old Braulio Lopez Cervantes, refused and a chase began. According to officials, Cervantes began driving erratically, weaving through traffic and using the emergency lanes to pass other vehicles. Cervantes also sideswiped a white Isuzu at mile marker 279 and continued to drive, GSP said. TRENDING STORIES: As traffic became heavy, authorities said Cervantes used the left emergency lane as his primary lane of travel. When he approached the I-75 express toll lane near Wade Green Road in Cobb County, Cervantes allegedly destroyed the gate arm barriers to enter the express lane. GSP said due to the danger posed to the public, troopers stopped the chase but continued to track the trucks movement southbound on I-75. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Cervantes was spotted driving head-on into traffic in the express lane between Big Shanty Road and Barrett Parkway, where GSP lost sight of the truck. GSP said Cobb County officers found the abandoned truck in the I-75 express toll lane near mile marker 269. Cervantes ran away but was later caught and arrested. He was taken to the Bartow County Jail. According to GSP, warrants were obtained for multiple charges related to the chase and reckless driving. IN OTHER NEWS: Man and teen drown trying to swim across deceiving and dangerous Northern California river Two people drowned in the American River on the border of El Dorado and Placer counties on Monday after attempting to swim across, the El Dorado County Sheriffs Office said. Authorities responded to a report of a possible drowning and missing person at 5:28 p.m. at the confluence of the American Rivers north and middle forks not far from the Lake Clementine Trail. El Dorado and Placer deputies, fire officials and California State Parks rangers responded to the incident. A 33-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Crews performed life-saving measures on a 15-year-old boy who was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the Sheriffs Office said. A third person, another teen boy, survived and was medically evaluated at the scene before being released. The man who drowned was identified Tuesday by Placer deputies as Mohammad Fahim Hemati, a resident of Sacramento. The deaths come more than a month after a 52-year-old woman drowned at the confluence of the American River. Placer County officials warn that rapids around the confluence can be deceiving and dangerous, with rapids around the confluence having the potential to lead swimmers into rocks and sweep them downstream. People who might think they are in a safe spot can be only a few steps away from being swept downriver into this hazard, Placer County officials said about the rivers strength. A Chicago man was wide awake as he witnessed Northwestern Medicine surgeons place his childhood best friend's kidney inside of him during a cutting-edge kidney transplant procedure. John Nicholas, 28, underwent the surgery on May 24 and "felt no pain" as doctors decided against general anesthesia, and instead opted for a spinal anesthesia shot, the Chicago-based healthcare system said Monday in a news release. Nicholas was discharged from the hospital and at home less than 24 hours after the procedure, which took under two hours to complete, according to the healthcare system. The normal hospitalization for kidney transplant patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is typically two or three days, Northwestern Medicine said. "This is the first case at Northwestern Medicine where a patient was awake during an entire kidney transplant procedure and went home the next day, basically making this an outpatient procedure," Dr. Satish Nadig, one of the transplant surgeons at Northwestern Medicine who performed the procedure, said in the release. "Our hope is that awake kidney transplantation can decrease some of the risks of general anesthesia while also shortening a patients hospital stay." Kidney transplants: Procedures usually last 10 to 15 years. Hers made it 50, but now it's wearing out. John Nicholas, 28, remained awake during his kidney transplant procedure at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois on May 24, 2024. Patient says kidney transplant procedure was 'pretty cool experience' Dr. Vicente Garcia Tomas, an anesthesiologist who assisted during the procedure, said, "Doing anesthesia for the awake kidney transplant was easier than many C-sections." "For Johns case, we placed a spinal anesthesia shot in the operating room with a little bit of sedation for comfort," Tomas said in the release. "It was incredibly simple and uneventful, but allowed John to be awake for the procedure, improving the patient experience." Nadig called the procedure an "incredible experience" because doctors were able to show Nicholas what his new kidney looked like before placing it inside his body. It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and be aware of the magnitude of what they were doing, Nicholas said in the release. At one point during surgery, I recall asking, Should I be expecting the spinal anesthesia to kick in? They had already been doing a lot of work and I had been completely oblivious to that fact. Truly, no sensation whatsoever." John Nicholas receives a kidney from one of his 'ride or die' friends Nicholas needed the transplant after his kidney function declined in 2022 due to his ongoing battle with Crohn's disease, which began when he was 16 years old, according to the healthcare system. He was able to avoid dialysis and manage his kidney inflammation by using medication for years until it became clear he would eventually need a transplant, Northwestern Medicine said. Finding a donor was challenging as his mother initially was supposed to give him her kidney, but she was unable to donate following a breast cancer diagnosis, according to the release. Nicholas would then reach out to his childhood friends who he had known since they attended elementary school in Zionsville, Indiana, and 29-year-old Pat Wise was one of them, the healthcare system said. "I was in my kitchen cooking dinner and John sent a message that read, My doctor says its time for me to start looking for kidney donors. I stared at my phone and without hesitating, filled out the form that night, Wise said about receiving the text from Nicholas, per the release. John is a good friend. He needed a kidney, and I had an extra one. I had to at least explore the potential of being his donor. John Nicholas, 28, and Pat Wise, 29, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois for a kidney transplant procedure on May 24, 2024. Once Wise was declared a match, he traveled from Alexandria, Virginia to Chicago where surgeons removed one of his kidneys and transplanted it into Nicholas, according to Northwestern Medicine. I have been blessed with a friend group that has stayed together from such a young age, Nicholas said in the release. We always called ourselves ride or die friends, and this example shows that we have each others backs. It meant the world to me. Its truly been life-changing. Procedure 'opens up a whole new door' for future kidney transplants Nicholas, who had to limit salt intake before the procedure, is now eager to enjoy a couple of slices of pizza and have more energy to ride his bicycle around Chicago, according to the release. When John agreed to be the first known patient at Northwestern Medicine to undergo an awake kidney transplant and be discharged home the next day, he knew the benefits outweighed the risks, and because of him, hes now helping to move the field of transplantation forward, Dr. Vinayak Rohan, a surgeon who helped perform the procedure, said in the release. John Nicholas, 28, riding his bicycle. Northwestern Medicine is now looking to establish the AWAKE Program (Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation) for patients who want to undergo the operation but can not have general anesthesia because they're at high risk for complications or other reasons. It really opens up a whole new door and is another tool in our toolbelt for the field of transplantation, Nadig said in the release. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northwestern Medicine kidney transplant happens as patient is awake CENTRAL PARK, Manhattan (PIX11) Police on Tuesday were still looking for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Central Park a day earlier. The attack happened in broad daylight, around 1:30 p.m., near West 104th Street and West Drive in the Great Hill area of the park, according to the NYPD. A 21-year-old woman was sunbathing when a man exposed himself to her and then tackled her, per police. More Local News The woman screamed, according to authorities. The NYPD pulled resources from across Manhattan, including a helicopter and drones, to scour every part of the 800-acre park. People walking in the park told PIX11 News that they believe police will soon catch the suspect. While crime is on the rise in Central Park this year, sexual assaults are down by 72%, according to NYPD statistics. The crimes that typically happen in the park are robberies and assaults, per police. The woman was taken to an area hospital and is working with Special Victims detectives. Shes expected to be physically OK, according to authorities. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Mansfields new one-stop shop: Take a look inside the new H-E-B opening this week At a ribbon-cutting for the new H-E-B in Mansfield on Tuesday, the excitement was palpable. H-E-Bs managing director of public affairs, Mabrie Jackson, told the crowd that it has been wonderful to see the communitys enthusiasm for the store, which opens to the public at 6 a.m. Wednesday. HEB representatives and dignitaries prepare to cut the ribbon to celebrate the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A Facebook group called H-E-B Foodie Group Mansfield has amassed over 20,000 members and followed the stores progress for months. The groups administrator, Sheree Kirsch, was at Tuesdays ceremony, and even created a custom T-shirt for the opening of the Mansfield store. The front entrance of the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Also there was 97-year-old Margie Johnson, who has shopped at H-E-B since the 1950s. She told her family she couldnt die until an H-E-B was built in Mansfield. Both Kirsch and Johnson were given gift baskets with an assortment of H-E-B items. Margie Johnson, 97, receives a gift basket on behalf of HEB for being one of HEBs biggest fans during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. H-E-B executives, Mansfield elected officials and leaders of community groups also attended the stores ribbon-cutting. The company donated $10,000 each to Big Hearts Day Habilitation Center and the Mansfield Animal Shelter. The flower section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Located at 1670 E. Broad St., the store is H-E-Bs second in Tarrant County. H-E-B Mansfield will have just under 800 employees, 90 percent of whom were hired locally. Inside the 128,000-square-foot H-E-B, shoppers will find a wealth of grocery and home items. The H-E-B has a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru, a True Texas BBQ restaurant, a Bloom floral department staffed by in-house florists, a Texas Backyard department with outdoor items and a Home by H-E-B decor department with furniture, woven textiles and accent pieces. Curbside pickup services are also available. Popular H-E-B brands including Hill Country Fare and Mi Tienda are available. Those looking for extra discounts can find H-E-Bs yellow coupons on shelves throughout the store; shoppers can also find the coupons in the H-E-B app. An H-E-B fuel station is across the parking lot from the store. The beer and wine section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The produce section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The vice president of H-E-Bs northwest food and drug division, Juan-Carlos Ruck, said the company held focus groups with community members to pinpoint how to best serve the Mansfield area. I remember hearing a lot about very busy families that have made multiple stops in multiple different areas. What were hoping for is that this could be a one-stop shop, Ruck said. Currently in his 10th year working for H-E-B, Mansfields top store leader, Shannon Crites, said hes excited to help his team members succeed. Its cool to get to lead a group of 800 people, and just watch people grow, he said. H-E-B has over 160,000 employees across its 435 stores in Texas and Mexico. The pet section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The dairy section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The tortilleria section in the new HEB location in Mansfield on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Disclosure: H-E-B is a funder of the Star-Telegrams Crossroads Lab. The company has no influence over editorial decisions. How many abortions happened in Kansas last year? In change, state wont say until later Kansas officials wont release annual abortion statistics this summer, breaking with decades of precedent amid the states role as a critical access point in the region for women seeking to end their pregnancies. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a preliminary report about abortions that took place the previous calendar year for at least 25 years. The report, typically coming in spring or more recently in early summer, provides detailed statistics, including on methods used, gestational age and patients county and state of residence. The report provides a wealth of information to researchers and often becomes part of the public debate over abortion. Last years report, the first to include data since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022, documented a surge in abortions driven by out-of-state patients. But the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which compiles the report, said Monday it wont release 2023 statistics until much later this year a decision that effectively means the state will release year-old data. All abortion data will be included in the KDHE Vital Statistics Annual Report, which is released in late fall, Jill Bronaugh, a KDHE spokesperson, said in a statement. Bronaugh gave no reason for the change. The acknowledgment of the decision comes as KDHE prepares to implement a new state law that will mandate two abortion reports every year. The measure, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature over Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys veto, marks another attempt by anti-abortion lawmakers to test the outer bounds of a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that interpreted the state constitution to protect access to abortion. Voters in August 2022 strongly rejected an amendment to the state constitution that would have overturned the high courts decision, paving the way for an abortion ban. While the Legislature hasnt advanced severe restrictions on abortion since the vote, lawmakers have made new efforts to regulate what women are told and asked before the procedure. The law, HB 2749, mandates abortion providers to survey women, asking them to choose the most important reason for getting an abortion. Those reasons include financial stress, rape, fetal disabilities, or the health of the mother as options. The survey does not include an other option, a point of contention for opponents. KDHE will compile the data into a report publicly released twice a year. As Kansas has become a key destination for out-of-state residents seeking abortion, especially from Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, official statistical data has become a valuable resource for abortion opponents. Data on why women sought an abortion could help abortion opponents tailor their arguments against the procedure and provide information to help justify future restrictions, either in Kansas or other states. Even though Kansas wont release 2023 data until this fall, some non-official estimates are available. Guttmacher estimates that 20,700 clinician-provided abortions took place in Kansas in 2023. If accurate, the count would represent a significant increase over the 2022 total. Bronaugh didnt say whether the decision to not release a preliminary report was related to HB 2749, only that it was made before the legislation was codified into law. KDHE made the determination to release all abortion data in the annual report prior to HB2749 being codified, Bronaugh said. KDHE is evaluating the reporting requirements and internal methods to determine when the bi-annual reports will be released, no dates have been set at this time. Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, the organizations advocacy arm, welcomed the decision to not release a preliminary report. It is nice to see abortion treated like other types of statistics in the state, Wales told reporters at a news conference marking the second anniversary of the end of Roe. Instead of being a political report that comes out all on its own and gets lots of attention, it makes sense that public health officials would use data like they do with every other type of medical care, Wales said. So Im happy to hear that there is maybe a depoliticization of abortion in that way. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, called KDHEs negligence in regard to this report a prime example of why the new survey and reporting law is needed. He said lawmakers would watch closely to ensure KDHE isnt suppressing statistics. Im curious why now, after reporting this data since 1998, KDHE would be less transparent and choose not to release this report even under current law? Hawkins said in a statement. This is especially concerning in light of the passage of HB 2749 which requires biannual reporting of anonymous abortion data. Hawkins said better and more accurate data will better inform public debate as was previously stated by the Guttmacher Institute, the abortion industrys research arm a reference to a 2005 paper that included authors from Guttmacher Institute, a research organization supportive of abortion rights. Kansas House Speaker Rep. Dan Hawkins, center, speaks as Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, left, looks on. New abortion reporting law challenged The new survey and reporting law will take effect July 1 unless blocked by a court. Abortion providers are seeking to challenge it in Johnson County District Court, but for now, the law remains on track. The providers are asking permission from Johnson County District Court Judge K. Christopher Jayaram to amend an existing lawsuit to include claims against the new law. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, is defending the law in court and has urged the judge to not allow the new claims. A hearing is set for July 1. Attorneys for the abortion providers in court papers have called HB 2749s requirements another legislative attempt to co-opt abortion providers to serve as the States conduitthis time to pry into patients personal medical decisionmaking via intrusive, government-scripted inquiries. Wales said Planned Parenthoods clinics were preparing to follow the new requirements but that it will be challenging the rules. Wales said the law absolutely violates patients rights to conversations with their providers. We are looking at how to comply, at least at the beginning, and how to do it in a way that causes the least trauma to our patients, Wales said. Emily Wales, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, on Monday. KS abortion providers fighting law that requires asking women why theyre getting one Closed Wichita abortion clinic hires consultant in effort to reopen as interim CEO resigns For many Muslim pilgrims, a dangerous unauthorized Hajj is the only option Abdelzaher Abdo Salem, 81, decided to make the pilgrimage to Mecca from Egypt after fulfilling a mission to get his youngest son Mahmoud married two years ago. This was his last wish, his son Mahmoud said. He couldnt perform the Hajj before that because of the lack of money, and because I was going to get married, and there were a lot of expenses. Due to the high cost of Hajj through official channels 150,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,091), in addition to plane tickets Salem had resorted to a representative of an unlicensed company to organize the trip, at a lower cost of around 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,061). But Salem never made it back to Egypt. He was among the more than 1,300 pilgrims who died during this years Hajj as temperatures in Saudi Arabia reached record levels. Saudi authorities said that the vast majority of those who died were not authorized to conduct the rituals. The tragedy, resulting in one of the highest Hajj death tolls in years, has brought attention to the shadowy industry of unauthorized pilgrimage agents. These agents profit from Muslims desire to fulfill their religious obligations by sidestepping official procedures, leading pilgrims on potentially hazardous journeys. Saudi authorities said many of those who died walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort as the temperature reached a record 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.7 degrees Celsius). For Salem, the process to get to Mecca involved obtaining a personal visit visa to Saudi Arabia instead of a special Hajj visa that would authorize him to access the holy cities and pilgrim facilities, including air-conditioned venues and medical services. A visit visa however bars entry into Mecca, so its holders are forced to take a desert path to access the holy city, often on foot. Abdelzaher Abdo Salem (right) and his wife Om Waleed. - Abdelzaher Abdo Salems family Salem, who was traveling with his wife, had been promised by a representative of the Egyptian travel agency that a bus would be provided to transport the group. However, there was no transport for them to and from Mount Arafat, his son Mahmoud said, so the two had to walk towards Mina, around 8 miles away, to complete the stoning the devil ritual. On the way, Salems wife became exhausted and sat down to rest. Determined to complete the rituals, her husband continued walking. He promised his wife he would return, said Mahmoud. But contact with Salem was subsequently lost. His wife searched for him for five days until she found his name on the list of deceased at Al-Maaisam Hospital in Mecca. Our mother informed us of the news via a voice message on WhatsApp. The news was a tragedy for us, Mahmoud said. Our mother is there, devastated, and no one is there to comfort her. A lucrative industry Each year, Saudi authorities issue licenses permitting legal access to Mecca for pilgrims. These licenses provide access to air-conditioned transportation and accommodation facilities for worshipers. However, the number of licenses is limited 1.8 million this year and they can cost several thousand dollars. Every country is allocated a number of licenses that is proportional to its Muslim population. This process excludes those who cannot afford the license or are not included in the allocation. Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime religious obligation for every able-bodied Muslim. Many Muslims wait their entire lives to make the journey, often delaying the pilgrimage into their old age until they have saved enough money and fulfilled their family obligations. However, millions are left disappointed when they cannot secure a spot through official channels. Each country traditionally gets one Hajj license for every 1,000 Muslims thats a 0.1% rate. But according to Egyptian officials cited in state media, Egypt, a Muslim-majority country of 110 million, was allocated 50,000 Hajj licenses this year, a rate of approximately 0.05%. This has given rise to a lucrative industry of travel agencies that promise to get pilgrims to Saudi Arabia unofficially, often with assurances of transport and accommodation that may not be fulfilled or are below standard. Coupled with the extreme heat this year, this spelled tragedy for many pilgrims. Muslim pilgrims perform the farewell circumambulation or "tawaf", circling seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on June 18 at the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. - AFP/Getty Images While deaths among pilgrims are not uncommon (there were more than 200 last year), this years gathering was held amid particularly high temperatures. Hajj season changes every year according to the Islamic calendar and this year it fell in June, one of the hottest months in the kingdom. Atef Aglan, a member of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association, says there is a lack of awareness about the procedures of the Hajj among many Egyptians, which allows inexperienced tour operators and some mosque imams to exploit the poor, promising a cheaper Hajj without the appropriate visa or accommodation and transport. He proposes criminalizing the phenomenon because it has become a profession for those with no profession. This is premeditated murder because this broker knows that the temperatures are above 50 degrees (Celsius), and he knows that these people do not have decent accommodation, Aglan said. A Hajj package from a licensed agency costs pilgrims approximately $4,760, while unauthorized trips cost around $3,700, Aglan says. The average annual household income in Egypt is $1,429 as of 2019, according to the latest figures. Lack of adequate care for pilgrims The tragedy has also underscored Saudi authorities inability to curb unauthorized pilgrimages or provide adequate care for those who undertake such journeys, which have been taking place for years. It is unclear how many unauthorized pilgrims made it to this years Hajj, but Saudi news outlet Al Sharq Al Awsat reported Tuesday that 141,000 such pilgrims received free medical treatment during the Hajj season. That amounts to approximately 8% of the 1.8 million pilgrims this year. In recent decades, the sheer size of Hajj crowds has been a factor in the number of deadly incidents during the pilgrimage, including a stampede that killed more than 700 people in 2015. Recognizing the economic potential of religious tourism, Saudi Arabia plans to increase Hajj pilgrim numbers to 5 million by 2030 from just under 2 million now. But some pilgrims have lamented the poor infrastructure and organization of the Hajj. Even those on official tours can spend the bulk of their day walking outdoors in searing heat. Hania Hassan Salama, 65, a homemaker from Egypt, asked her children to draw a mural of the Kaaba on the wall of their house, a tradition in Egypt to announce a pilgrimage. The day the mural was completed, the children lost contact with her. The family was later informed that she had died, her relatives told CNN. Salama had purchased a Hajj package from a licensed tour operator. Her nephew Mustafa Mohammed said responsibility for the large number of deaths partly lies with Saudi authorities. This year there was negligence, medical negligence. People were dying in the street and no one was helping them, he told CNN. Even if some people went on a visa not designated for Hajj, they do not deserve to be left to die in the street without finding medical help. Two other pilgrims who recently returned from Hajj told CNN there were insufficient medics or basic facilities to protect worshipers from the effects of the sweltering heat in Saudi Arabia last week. Even those pilgrims who made the journey through official channels said authorities failed to provide enough water, shade or medical support to worshipers. Some witnesses have told CNN of how they saw worshipers losing consciousness and walked past bodies covered in white cloth. A 44-year-old Indonesian man who only wished to be referred to as Ahmad, recalled seeing many dying from the heat. Along the way home, I saw many pilgrims who died. Almost every few hundred meters, there was a body lying and covered with an ihrom (white fabric) cloth. CNN has reached out to Saudi authorities regarding the reportedly inadequate response to this years heat and has yet to hear back. Clamping down on unauthorized pilgrimage Before this years Hajj season started, Saudi authorities warned pilgrims against using agents selling unauthorized Hajj packages and had been in contact with other governments in an effort to crack down on the trend. Authorities had also arrested some illegal agents and issued warnings about penalties for those found to assist unauthorized pilgrims. Ahead of the pilgrimage this month, Director of Public Security and Head of the Hajj Security Committee, Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Bassami, laid out efforts to crack down on unauthorized pilgrims in a televised address, saying the security of the pilgrims is a red line. Regional papers subsequently said that more than 300,000 people had been barred from performing the rites as a result. Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they arrive to cast stones at pillars in the symbolic stoning of the devil, in Mina, near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 18. - Rafiq Maqbool/AP Since the tragedy, Egyptian authorities appear to be clamping down on unauthorized agencies. The government has ordered the revocation of the licenses of 16 Hajj tourism companies involved in making unauthorized pilgrimages to Mecca and has referred their managers to the public prosecutor. Salem, the 81-year-old Egyptian who died during the Hajj, was buried in the Al-Baqi cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia according to an Islamic tradition that a pilgrim is buried in the holy land if he dies during the pilgrimage. His wife plans to return to Cairo Friday after completing the rituals. Until she returns, Mahmoud said the family is trying to contact her to calm and comfort her, and to urge her to take care of herself because she is there alone. CNNs Abbas Al Lawati and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Many Ohio dispensaries move one step closer to being able to sell recreational marijuana BUCKEYE LAKE, Ohio AUGUST 17: Marijuana plants in a flowering room where the artificial sunlight is adjusted to stimulate growth of the flowers, August 17, 2023, at PharmaCann, Inc.s cultivation and processing facility in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal) BUCKEYE LAKE, Ohio AUGUST 17: Marijuana plants in a flowering room where the artificial sunlight is adjusted to stimulate growth of the flowers, August 17, 2023, at PharmaCann, Inc.s cultivation and processing facility in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) Ohioans will likely be able to legally purchase recreational marijuana sooner than initially expected. The state Division of Cannabis Control recently awarded about 60 dual-use provisional licenses to various medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivators, laboratories and processors, according to the states online database. Thirty-one dispensaries, 15 cultivators, 11 processors and five laboratories received licenses. However, a dual-use provisional license does not automatically allow the sale of recreational marijuana, according to an email from Jamie Crawford, spokesman for the Division of Cannabis Control. Rather, it acts as a placeholder while the business works to get a Certificate of Operation by meeting various requirements including having an inspection and demonstrating that employees can tell the difference between medical and recreational sales. There have been no Certificates of Operation issued to dispensaries to begin selling non-medical cannabis at this point, Crawford told the OCJ. Its hard to determine when exactly recreational marijuana sales will begin in the Buckeye State. There will be no one singular day when sales begin, Crawford said. We will start issuing licenses and it will be up to the retailer based on staffing, stock and other considerations as to which day they will begin sales. Ohio legalized marijuana for those 21 and up last year through Issue 2, a citizens initiative that received 57% of the vote. At the time, those behind Issue 2 speculated the first round of licenses wouldnt be issued until August. License applications opened earlier this month and must be approved or denied by Sept. 7. Under Issue 2, Ohioans can grow up to six plants with up to 12 per household. The House and the Senate had different ideas of changing marijuana legalization after Issue 2 passed something lawmakers are able to do with a citizens initiative but neither proposal was able to pass in the opposite chamber. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Many Ohio dispensaries move one step closer to being able to sell recreational marijuana appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story. Weve created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available. AUSTIN (KXAN) After two record-setting years in a row, 2024 is likely to be another incredibly busy year at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Last year saw a little more than 22 million passengers fly in and out of AUS, more than 1 million more than the previous record, set in 2022. Passenger growth at Austins airport is hitting forecasts five years ahead of schedule KXAN is keeping track of all the numbers. Follow along with our interactive charts below. We have created several interactive charts to help break down the data so its easier to navigate all the passenger numbers. Scroll down to explore all the data, or jump to a specific question using these links: Whats the busiest year on record? 2023 was a record year at AUS, by far. More than 22 million passengers boarded a flight in or out of the airport, more than 1 million more than the previous record set in 2022. For 2024, we have passenger totals for January through August at this point. More than 14.5 million passengers have been reported so far, about 20,000 more than this time last year. Whats the busiest month on record? May 2024 stands as the busiest month ever at AUS, with almost 2.07 million passengers. Only seven other months have seen more than 2 million passengers: July 2023, October 2023, July 2024, May 2022, June 2024, June 2023 and October 2022. Were keeping track of the monthly passenger totals in 2024 in the chart below. Last year, nine months set new records. So far this year, January, March, July and August just missed out on setting monthly records, while February, April, May and June set new records. The May total was an all-time record for the airport. Whats the busiest day on record? Oct. 23, 2023, stands as the current busiest day on record, with more than 43,000 passengers reported. The spike in passenger totals came as travelers left Austin after F1 weekend. Days during SXSW, Spring Break and Austin City Limits music festival also feature in the top 10 busiest days on record. Which airline carries the most passengers? Southwest Airlines is the largest airline operating at AUS in terms of passenger traffic. The airline accounts for 41.5% of all passengers so far this year. American Airlines comes next, accounting for 20.3% of passengers. Delta Air Lines accounts for 14.8%, while 11.5% of passengers flew on United Airlines. Alaska Airlines is in a distant fifth place, accounting for 3.6% of passengers. Which airlines are seeing the most growth? The chart below shows how passenger totals have accumulated through the year. Use the drop-down menu at the top to select a specific airline. The chart below shows year-over-year growth in passenger totals. If a month is colored green, passenger totals were higher in 2024 than the same month in 2023. If red, the number of passengers decreased. The chart below shows how passenger totals in 2024 compare to 2023. If an airline has a green box in a certain month, it means the airline saw an increase in passengers compared to the same month in 2023. If the box is red, the airline saw a drop in passengers that month. For example, Delta Air Lines saw a 15% increase in passengers in January 2024 compared to January 2023. Meanwhile, the number of passengers flying with Spirit Airlines dropped by 65%. What new routes are coming in 2024 and 2025? Several airlines have launched or announced new routes in 2024 and 2025. We have a running list in the tables below. If a route is brand new to the airport, it will be highlighted yellow in the right-hand column. Others listed in the table are new routes for a specific airline, but the route is already offered by a competing airline. Heres some of our previous reporting on the new routes coming to AUS in 2024 and 2025: What routes have been canceled in 2024? More than 30 nonstop routes from AUS have been canceled so far this year. The vast majority of those are by American Airlines, which announced in November 2023 that it would cut several routes between January and April. The airline later announced several additional routes would be canceled in October. Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have also canceled routes in 2024. Heres some of our previous reporting on the canceled routes from AUS in 2024: Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Nearly half of all residents in the city of Santa Paula cannot use their tap water because of possible contamination at a local reservoir. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) California officials lifted a "Do Not Drink" water notice for Santa Paula a day after a reported break-in at a reservoir sparked contamination concerns for city residents. Officials determined that the water supply was unaffected but had grown concerned when police found a person's clothing and personal items near a reservoir that supplies nearly half of the city's drinking water, officials announced in a news release on Tuesday. While the notice was in effect, city officials warned the affected residents that they should only use bottled water for drinking, brushing their teeth, making ice and other restrictions were detailed in a news release on Monday. Residents were advised to stick to bottled water for baby formula and other dehydrated foods and drinks. The restriction also applied to people's pets and livestock, according to officials, out of an abundance of caution while the break-in was under investigation. The city provided safe drinking water from its main treatment plant to those affected by the situation. The ability of our staff and [volunteers] to quickly assemble and work together to address this issue, including distributing water to the community, is truly commendable, Deputy City Manager Jonathan Royas said in a statement. "This outcome would not have been possible without their swift action and dedication to our community, as well as the cooperation of our residents. Read more: Thieves are stealing L.A. County fire hydrants by the hundreds. Utility is now trying to outsmart them Although state officials lifted the notice on Tuesday, the reservoir will be kept offline for a cleaning and disinfection, city officials announced. Santa Paula will also install new security measures to increase its surveillance of the 4-million-gallon reservoir that supplies about half of the city with water. On Monday afternoon, employees at the city reservoir discovered someone broke into the storage site. City employees immediately shut off the main water supply from the water tank to prevent the spread of any potential contamination, officials said. Santa Paula police officers arrived at the reservoir to investigate reports of a possible trespasser. When officers searched the area they found clothing, a backpack and personal items nearby, according to officials. While there were no clear signs of a visible contaminant in the reservoir, city officials and the California State Water Resources Control Board issued a preliminary "Do Not Drink" notice for about half of all residents in the Ventura County city. The reservoir is partially buried, according to a spokesperson for the California State Water Resources Control Board. Although someone ripped off a vent screen at the reservoir, further investigation showed that "it doesn't appear to be an intentional contamination event," the spokesperson said. The city's regular water supply source was not affected during the notice period. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Margaritaville at Sea passenger files lawsuit saying she was raped in a hotel booked by the cruise line Margaritaville at Sea passenger files lawsuit saying she was raped in a hotel booked by the cruise line A Margaritaville at Sea passenger is suing Classica, the cruise line's operator, for damages. She alleges rape by an employee of a Bahamas hotel that was booked by the cruise operator. The woman is seeking damages for physical injuries, PTSD, and medical expenses. A Margaritaville at Sea passenger is suing its parent company, Classica Cruise Operator, claiming she was raped by an employee of a hotel booked by the company. According to the lawsuit filed this month in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the Missouri woman stayed at Wyndham Viva Fortuna Beach in the Bahamas during her round-trip cruise from Florida to the island. The complaint said that Classica arranged for the passenger, referred to as "Jane Doe," to stay at the hotel in early August 2023. According to the lawsuit, on August 6 last year, a Wyndham employee tracked and followed her as she left her room at night to get a drink of water. The lawsuit alleges that the employee then forced her into the control room of the hotel's theater, locked the door, and raped her. The lawsuit referenced another allegation of rape in a 2016 TripAdvisor review of the hotel, in which a woman claimed she was gang-raped by staff a day after getting married. According to The Tribune, police investigations concluded that there was no evidence for the incident. But the lawsuit asserted that the resort and the cruise operator "knew or should have known of this prior incident." It accuses Classica of failing to warn her of the prior allegation, investigate the resort, and ensure a reasonably safe environment. The lawsuit also accused the resort of a failure to provide reasonable security and to adequately investigate its employees. Jane Doe is seeking unspecified damages from the cruise operator and resort for physical injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and incurred medical expenses, among other things. "If there's one objective it is to shed light so that people have information about how this happened or how this could happen, and they can make informed decisions," the woman's attorney, L. Alex Perez of Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, said. Wyndham Hotels and Classica Cruise Operator did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. This isn't the first time Margaritaville at Sea has been connected to sexual assault. Last year, a bartender pleaded guilty to a count of abusive sexual conduct after two women said he snuck into their room at night. Business Insider reported last year on a growing number of passengers reporting incidents of sexual assault at sea. BI reviewed 11 lawsuits. filed between 2014 and 2023, which revealed the extent of allegations made on cruise ships. Read the original article on Business Insider Arizona cities cannot pass prevailing wage rules after all, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled. Judge Bradley Astrowsky ruled Friday that Phoenix and Tucson violated state law when they passed ordinances in January that regulated pay rates for construction workers on certain city jobs. The decision could cap a years-long battle waged at multiple city halls across Arizona unless one of the cities chooses to appeal. There's no official decision out of Phoenix or Tucson yet the mayor and city council in each location would likely give such a direction to their attorneys in a closed-door meeting. "Prevailing wage" rules guarantee workers are paid similar rates to others who do comparable work in the area. Supporters say they help level the playing field by protecting laborers from low wages, while critics contend they burden businesses. Astrowsky said cities were banned from passing prevailing wages because of a 1984 state law that plainly says cities "shall not require public works contracts to contain ... prevailing rate of wages." He rejected arguments from the cities and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, which contended that prevailing wage is a type of minimum wage, and thus allowed because of the 2006-voter approved minimum wage law. The 2006 law gave cities authority to enact minimum wages. Mayes said because it was passed directly by voters and more recently than the 1984 law, it should take precedence because it showed the will of the voters. "The earlier prevailing wage statute was obviously enacted with no awareness of the law to come, but the minimum wage law was enacted with the benefit of hindsight," Mayes wrote in her opinion. More: Ariz. attorney general opinion backs prevailing wage 2 months after Phoenix repeals ordinance But Astrowsky said that courts generally disfavor "implied repeal of laws." He said the Attorney General's rationale in this case was wrong because the 1984 and 2006 laws can co-exist. "The two are not calculated in the same method, thus, to equate same is not logical," Astrowsky wrote. Minimum wage, he explained, is an "across-the-board floor," while prevailing wage is an "average wage based on a particular trade and locality." The ruling is a win for The Goldwater Institute, a libertarian-leaning think-tank that filed the lawsuit on behalf of three nonprofit corporations representing the construction industry: the Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona, the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America and the Arizona Builders Alliance. The Goldwater Institute put out a statement Monday saying this decision was "a victory for Arizona taxpayerswho deserve to have public works projects run as closely as possible to true market conditions, instead of having their costs decreed by politicians in order to benefit their political friends." The groups sued Phoenix and Tucson in January after both cities passed similar ordinances. Phoenix's ordinance applied to companies with contract prices higher than $4 million, and Tucson tried to do so for contracts higher than $2 million. Both city ordinances had record-keeping requirements and penalties for violations. The decision means Phoenix and Tucson cannot enforce their ordinances, which were set to take effect in a week. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero responded Monday saying, "Im disappointed in todays ruling. Prevailing wages have been a tool to uplift our communities, improve our local economy and protect workers from being underpaid and taken advantage of. The City of Tucson will continue to find ways to create a better quality of life for workers and their families, as weve done previously. Tucson City Attorney Mike Rankin said, "We will review our appeal options and discuss those options with the Mayor and Council. Mayor Kate Gallego speaks during a news conference in Phoenix on May 7, 2024. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said Monday, "Todays decision is disappointing, and we are exploring potential next steps. Those building the future of our city deserve to be paid fairly and I plan to exhaust every legal avenue to ensure workers earn the wages they deserve. It's unclear exactly how much workers' wages would have been affected, but in Phoenix, City Manager Jeff Barton estimated roughly $17 million per year, plus another $1.4 million annually to hire 12 new positions needed to implement and enforce the ordinance. Also unclear is whether the ruling could affect city leaders' trust and willingness to rely on Mayes' opinion in the future. Gallgo said when the city passed its ordinance they were explicitly relying on Mayes' opinion. She and other city leaders had previously expressed concerns over the legality of prevailing wage. Phoenix ultimately passed its current ordinance after years of emotionally charged back-and-forth on the City Council and after Mayes affirmed its legality in her opinion. Phoenix Councilwoman Debra Stark, who voted against Phoenix's prevailing wage ordinance citing concerns over legality, said the ruling did not affect her trust in Mayes. "I think she's a thoughtful person. She's a very smart person," Stark said. "It's just one opinion." City spokesperson Dan Wilson said Barton and City Attorney Julie Kriegh would wait for guidance from the City Council on next steps. Tucson officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mayes and council members disagree with ruling Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the attorney general, said Mayes' office "respectfully disagrees" with the ruling. He held firm on Mayes' opinion that prevailing wage is a type of minimum wage, and that voters gave cities the authority to enact such regulations. Taylor said that attorneys general are always asked to opine on hard questions, and that, "Inevitably, courts will sometimes disagree." Councilmembers Laura Pastor and Betty Guardado, two of the strongest backers of the ordinance, both said they were "disappointed" in the ruling. Councilmembers Laura Pastor and Betty Guardado celebrate Phoenix passing a prevailing wage ordinance that aims to improve pay for construction workers in the city on Jan. 9, 2024. Pastor said she wants the city to appeal the decision. She rejected questions about whether she should have heeded the mayor and city attorney's concerns over legality. "No," Pastor said. "Prevailing wages are already required on federal projects or city projects that are federally funded. Our workers deserve to be paid what they earn. We should have done this years ago." Guardado did not take questions but released a statement saying she will keep fighting for the rights of city workers to earn decent livings. "When we as a Council passed this ordinance, our hope was that we might uplift our hardworking labor force and guarantee higher quality construction projects for our city by eliminating wage disparities caused by market fluctuations," Guardado said in a statement. "This decision makes it much more difficult to create an environment that promotes fairness and prosperity for every worker." Councilwoman Stark said she thinks the city "should just let it rest," but said she would entertain discussions about living wages in future city contracts. Ruling could end a years-long City Hall battle Friday's ruling could end a years-long battle that ravaged Phoenix City Council. Pastor and Guardado had worked with former Councilmembers Yassamin Ansari and Carlos Garcia for years trying to pass the ordinance. Council first asked staff to consider a prevailing wage ordinance in 2020, Pastor said, but staff needed the council's permission to research any one issue for more than eight hours. The council rejected that request. Later in October 2021, Pastor, Guardado, Ansari and Garcia lobbied to pass the ordinance but were outvoted. They forced the issue again in March 2023. They passed it after former Councilman Sal DiCiccio, a conservative, unexpectedly aligned with them to approve the issue. But just four weeks later, after DiCiccio and Garcia left office, the new council repealed the ordinance. Mayes' issued her opinion backing the legality of prevailing wage shortly after Phoenix's repeal. Barton returned to the council in January 2024 with a more limited version of the prevailing wage ordinance that City Council then passed. Councilmembers Stark, Jim Waring and Ann O'Brien voted no. O'Brien and Stark said at the time that despite Mayes' opinion, they continued to believe prevailing wage was illegal for Phoenix to implement. It could be unlikely Phoenix City Council would direct attorneys to appeal the ruling. A vast majority of the city's current elected leaders previously expressed legal concerns: Gallego, O'Brien, Waring, Stark, Kevin Robinson and Kesha Hodge Washington. Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116. Reporter Sarah Lapidus, who covers southern Arizona, contributed to this report. Reach her at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic's coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County judge: Phoenix, Tucson broke law with prevailing wage MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) The Marion County Democratic Party has asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to investigate allegations of voter fraud during the June 11 primary. Kendra Fling, who lost to incumbent Coroner Jerry Richardson, is alleging voter fraud and criminal activity, party chairman Deon Taylor said. Richardson received 3,101 votes, or 52.62%, while Fling got 2,792, or 47.38%. During a protest hearing on Thursday, Fling alleged that people were getting paid, throwing away ballots, and filling out ballots for elderly people and not allowing them to do it themselves, Taylor said. Under state law, a candidate protesting an election has to prove by the number of votes that are off that those ballots were tampered with. Fling was not able to do that, Taylor said, so the partys committee upheld the results but still asked SLED to investigate the allegations. I welcome any kind of protest she may have, Richardson told News13 on Tuesday. SLED is welcome. Cynthia Ford, who ran for the state House District 57 seat against Lucas Atkinson, cited similar allegations of voter fraud. Atkinson won with 3,035 votes, or 55.75%. Ford had 2,049 votes, or 44.25%. The state Democratic Party upheld the result at a protest hearing on Saturday in Columbia, but the party also asked SLED to investigate the allegations. As the chair, I am going for a better election, Taylor said. I want a fair election as well as how we handle absentee ballots. We want to have a better election. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Mariupol defender, who returned from captivity in her ninth month of pregnancy, started her own foundation. Photo: mamonova.foundation Mariana Mamonova, a Mariupol defender who was imprisoned by the Russians while pregnant and released on 22 September 2022, has established her own humanitarian foundation. Mariana said on her Instagram page that the fund will benefit women who have lived through Russian captivity. "I discovered my pregnancy in Mariupol and was captured by the Russians. My story ends happily, because I returned home before giving birth. Now, I have opened my foundation, which will be geared at helping women who survived Russian captivity. I will continue my babybox business for the wives of soldiers," the woman wrote. Even before the foundation was established, Mariana distributed baby care packages to children whose mothers or fathers served in the military. Women who are in the ninth month of pregnancy or have babies under two months old can apply for a babybox. Mariana packed the care packages with everything a baby would need for the first several months of life, including clothes, food, and hygiene products. Mariana Mamonova stated that assisting women has become not only her livelihood, but also her mission. "For me, these are critical issues because I understand how difficult it is for women who have returned from captivity to adapt and live in society. How tough it is for pregnant women to be fearful and anxious about their husband and child. Faith, hope, and love sustained me during those terrible times, and I want to share this strength and support with others. Let my story be a reflection of the truth that even in the darkest moments, there can be light and hope," Mariana asserts. Mariana Mamonova is a military medic who has been in the military since 2017. She was in Mariupol from the start of Russias full-scale invasion, commanding the medical department of the 501st Separate Marine Infantry Battalion When she discovered her pregnancy, she was able to inform her husband. And then on 4 April, she was taken prisoner at the Ilyich Iron & Steel Works. The Russians kept Mariana in Olenivka before transporting her to a hospital in Donetsk. In September, Mariana was exchanged for pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, along with 214 other Mariupol defenders. Mariana came home on 22 September, and on the night of 25 September, she gave birth to a girl. Support UP or become our patron! Maryland couple among 1,300 who died on pilgrimage in sweltering Mecca Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 17 June 2024. Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 17 June 2024. Photograph: Rafiq Maqbool/AP A Maryland couple died recently while completing the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid extreme heat. Alieu Wurie, 71, and Isatu Wurie, 65, of Bowie, Maryland, were among the more than 1,300 people who died during the pilgrimage as temperatures exceeded 120F (48.9C). The hajj pilgrimage is an annual journey to Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad. Adult Muslims who are physically and financially able to are expected to complete the journey at least once in their lifetime. As devout Muslims, the Wuries had been preparing for the religious pilgrimage together, the Washington Post reported. But relatives say that Ehajj and Umrah Tours, the Maryland-based tourist company with whom the couple traveled, failed to protect them amid extreme temperatures. The company did not have hajj certifications and lacked transportation and accommodations for the Wuries, even though the couple paid $11,500 each for the flight, hotel and transportation. Saida Wurie told the Post that her parents were forced to wait nearly four hours for transportation to Mount Arafat, the peak of the hajj, where it is believed that the prophet Muhammad gave his final speech. Ultimately, the Wuries decided to walk up to the mountaintop with other travelers. The couple reportedly died that day. Our family has to grieve in this way, Saida said to the Post. In our religion, they do believe that if you die in the Holy Land, its a beautiful thing, but there are several things that could have been avoided, so Im just hoping they dont operate again. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest US Muslim civil rights groups, issued a statement of condolences to Wuries loved ones. We are heartbroken to learn of the untimely passing of Alhaji Alieu Dausy and Haja Isatu Wurie, the organization said. Their dedication to their faith and their community was exemplary, and their loss is deeply felt by all who knew them. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks also mourned the Wuriess deaths while celebrating their company contributions in a statement on X. We are extremely saddened by the sudden passing of Haja Isatu Wurie and her husband, Alhaji Dausy Wurie, she wrote. Haja served as a member of our African Diaspora Advisory Board and was also a member of the Jamil-Ul-Jalil Organization. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 25. The Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Subsoil Use, and Industrial Policy of the Kyrgyz Parliament has considered and approved the draft National Energy Program until 2035, Trend reports. According to the information, information about the project was presented by the Minister of Energy of the country, Taalaibek Ibrayev. He noted that the draft program includes measures to ensure sustainable development of fuel and energy complex (FEC) industries, technical re-equipment, and diversification through renewable energy, gas, and other priority areas. The project justification notes that Kyrgyzstan has sufficient reserves of fuel and energy resources (FER), including significant reserves of coal and about 30 percent of hydropower resources in the Central Asian region (CAR). The document reports that the current National Energy Program for 20082010 and the Strategy for the Development of the Fuel and Energy Complex until 2025 were approved 15 years ago. Modern challenges require revision. Besides, the Committee of the Parliament considered and approved the issue of the draft agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the International Development Association (a member of the World Bank Group) on additional financing of Technical Assistance for the Kambarata HPP-1 project. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Maryland Couple Dies In Triple-Digit Heat During Hajj Pilgrimage In Saudi Arabia: They Saved Their Whole Lives For This Maryland Couple Dies In Triple-Digit Heat During Hajj Pilgrimage In Saudi Arabia: They Saved Their Whole Lives For This | Photo: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images A Maryland couple was among the more than 1,300 people who died during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, with their deaths attributed to extreme heat. The couple, identified as Isatu Tejan Wurie, 65, and Alieu Dausy Wurie, 71, from Bowie, Maryland, had dreamed of taking what was deemed a trip of a lifetime in honor of their Muslim faith. They had been looking forward to it all their lives. A husband and wife from Bowie, Maryland, were among the dead on the pilgrimage to Mecca as temperatures soared over 120 degrees. https://t.co/xq1ArJnYyR NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) June 24, 2024 Their daughter, Saida Wurie, confirmed their deaths and told CNN that her parents had exhausted $23,000 of their life savings on an all-inclusive package through a Maryland tour company to be part of the annual Islamic event. They saved their whole lives for this, she told the outlet on Saturday. Saida said she kept in touch with her parents via a family group chat while they were on their trip. She also learned that the tour company did not provide them with the proper credentials and transportation to participate in the journey. According to CNN, Isatu and Alieu were among 100 other travelers who didnt have the appropriate food or supplies to survive the multi-day pilgrimage. Saida heard from her parents on June 15 when Isatu mentioned they had been waiting hours for transportation to Mount Arafat. She believed her parents were in Mina when they decided to continue their journey on foot instead. The couple told her they had been walking for more than two hours, determined to reach their destination. Saida said she received a phone call from a man who was part of Isatu and Alieus group, confirming they had gone missing on Mount Arafat after her father mentioned needing a break and couldnt continue. However, multiple attempts to find the couple were unsuccessful. She later received confirmation of her parents deaths from the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, which stated that natural causes were a factor in their passing. All we know is that it was natural causes and someone from the U.S. Embassy advised the natural causes could have been due to heat stroke, which based on the temperature, people were saying it was 110 degrees, Saida explained to the outlet, according to People. There are millions of people and they have to walk long hours. Saida also learned that her parents had been buried despite her request to the Saudi government to make other arrangements until the family could arrive. We did ask the Saudi government to hold the bodies in order for us to travel to Saudi Arabia to at least give them the proper burial with [their] children being present and to be able to identify the bodies, she said, per CNN. Unfortunately, they have already been buried. Saida expressed her desire for American diplomats to meet her and her siblings upon their arrival to assist in locating their parents burial site and gathering their belongings. As Dominique Dansby was discussing the effects of recent violence in Columbus' Short North with The Dispatch, her phone chimed with a Citizens app alert of yet another shooting, this one just blocks away from "Out of the Closet Thrift Store," where she is manager. As medics loaded the victim for transport to a hospital, she paused. "This just confirms that things are getting out of control," Dansby said. Her store at the northeast corner of 5th Avenue and North High Street has seen a decline in business in recent months, she said. "Our sales have not been what they typically are. We're not reaching our projections," Dansby said. "I think the violence is contributing to that." Businesses and customers on Monday said violence in the Short North area was concerning, but most believed the area was still mostly safe, especially before midnight. Ten people were shot during an incident around 2 a.m. Sunday, June 23, 2024. Sunday's early morning mass shooting. A triple homicide last month a few blocks away. A stabbing. A man with a machete. Dansby can cite a list of incidents, many of which go unreported. "It's supposed to be a peaceful place where you can walk and go to a boutique. But it's quickly declining," she said. A pervasive problem with panhandlers, prostitutes, squealing tires and revving motorcycles creates the perception of insecurity and danger, she and other shop owners say. "I don't want to have to feel like I'm on the defensive when I'm just walking down the street," Dansby said. Fresh bullet holes pock doorways and wood trim just south of 4th Avenue where police say someone opened fire on a crowd early Sunday morning. At least two windows were shattered and covered with boards. "It's sad that it's becoming commonplace in this country," said Joe Wolf, of Atlanta, who was attending the American Society of Virology conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. His colleague, Carolin Lieber, said organizers told the attendees earlier in the week "not to be outside after midnight." Carrie Cisco and Danni Ortega ate lunch on the patio of Michael's Goody Boy diner, oblivious to the weekend violence and a spray of bullets the day before. "It makes you afraid to go out and do stuff," Cisco said. "Especially in crowded places," added Ortega. Justin Nowell, a security guard at The Bluestone, who lives above the vacant storefront where the shootings occurred, cautioned that the violence may get worse as the city continues to grow. "A lot of it is random," he said. "Overall, it's pretty safe here. "It comes with city life. To me, with Columbus growing, it invites crime. It's only going to get worse." Business owners and managers noted that the shootings have nearly all happened after the bars close at 2 a.m. The shooting over the weekend happened around 2:30 a.m. and a mass shooting that left three dead in May on East 5th Avenue near the Short North happened around 2:45 a.m. A shooting a year ago in the 600 block of North High St. that injured at least 10 people also happened around 2:30 a.m. "These shootings generally happen late at night after theater hours so we have not found them a deterrent for our patrons," said Edward Carignan, artistic director of the Short North Stage. Down the street, Magnolia Thunderpussy owner Chuck Kubat said he closes his store at 7 p.m. before "the stupids and the drunks are out." The music store has been in business for more than half a century, always on North High Street, but times have changed, Kubat said. "I've been on this street since 1971," Kubat added. "People used to have problems, theyd fight. Now there are so many guns around, the first thing they do is reach for their guns." Betsy Pandora, executive director of the Short North Alliance, which represents businesses in the strip, expressed gratitude toward the police but frustration at the recent crime. "The safety and security of everyone in the Short North Arts District is our top priority, and any violence in our community is unacceptable," she said in a statement to The Dispatch. "Harmful behavior, like what occurred early Sunday morning, does not reflect the values of those who live, work, and play in our neighborhood." Pandora said the organization is "working with the Columbus Police Department to understand how and why this incident occurred to better prevent future threats and further enhance the safety and security of our dynamic community." Despite the high-profile shootings, Kubat and Carignan say the Short North remains safe. "I live and work in the Short North and find it to be a very safe neighborhood," Carignan said. "Incidents like these are rare and the SNA (Short North Alliance) works closely with Columbus police to ensure it stays that way." Others aren't so sure. Outside Bodega, head chef Kelcey Jones was bringing in supplies. "It's a little rough lately," Jones said. "The violence seems to becoming a weekly thing." Jones said her restaurant staff is trained to go into lockdown and hide with each incident. That happens almost once a week, she said. During the day, the neighborhood is calm and mostly quiet. But after about 10 p.m., "it turns into a whole different world. It's intimidating and scary. It's definitely hard to deal with," she said. Kubat agreed that the area is peaceful and that it's a small minority of people causing trouble after hours. "Its still a great neighborhood besides the occasional stupid people," he said. Kubat said he isn't sure what the answer is to the shootings. ShotSpotter speakers detect gunfire, and pole-mounted surveillance cameras, one across the street from Sunday's shooting, monitor what police can't see. "You cant blame the cops," he said. "But then again, maybe there should be more cops when the bars close up." dnarciso@dispatch.com jweiker@dispatch.com . This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Shorth North businesses concerned with violence, mass shooting Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Drone attacks against the Russian city of Belgorod and settlements in Belgorod Oblast on June 24 damaged multiple buildings, vehicles, and a gas supply line, while injuring four people, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed. Reports of aerial attacks against Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, have become a common occurrence in recent months. According to Gladkov, a "massive" drone attack against Belgorod caused damage to four apartment buildings in the city and shattered windows in three others in the nearby town of Severnyi. A home, four vehicles, and a gas line were also damaged in the city, Gladkov claimed. One woman from the city of Belgorod was allegedly injured and taken to hospital with a head injury and a broken right arm. While in the town of Stroitel, another two people were injured, Gladkov claimed. No details were provided on the alleged fourth victim. According to Gladkov, an administrative building in the city of Shebekino caught fire and "completely burned down." Elsewhere in the region, another four apartment building, eight homes, and two vehicles were also reportedly damaged. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gladkov's claims, and Ukraine's military has yet to comment on the alleged attack. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had intercepted 29 drones over Belgorod Oblast and one drone over nearby Voronezh Oblast. Kyiv does not always claim official responsibility for reported attacks on Russian soil. In some cases, Ukraine has disputed Russian allegations regarding attacks in Belgorod Oblast. Ukraine has targeted Russia's oil infrastructure and defense industry with increasing attacks throughout winter and spring. On June 23, Ukraines military struck a command post of a Russian motorized rifle regiment in Nekhoteyevka in the Belgorod region, the General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces reported. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia increases use of chemical weapons on battlefield, Kyiv says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. After massive flooding, Minnesota tries to sandbag, pump and dig out WATERVILLE, MINN. - Many residents here have left their homes behind, evacuating from the community of about 2,000 residents as area flooding grows worse and volunteers try to prevent the city's two main lakes from combining into one. "People are working around the clock to save their homes," said Margo Boyd, a Waterville resident who watched as volunteers sandbagged her apartment building. Resident Kenny King is one of those people he hadn't slept for more than two days before he collapsed into bed Sunday night. There were some losses a friend of King's has his shop underwater at the moment but some of the homes King helped protect are weathering the recent flooding even as nearby neighborhoods have taken on more than 2 feet of water. "I'm so shot," he said, as he waited for child-care backup before heading out to sandbag again. "This is the worst flooding I can remember. Ever." Residents and volunteers in Waterville and communities throughout Minnesota spent Monday trying to sandbag, pump and dig their way out of massive flooding caused by last week's storms. National Guard members arrived here Monday afternoon to help take care of area lift stations moving wastewater from the city's two lakes, Sakatah and Tetonka. The state Department of Corrections also brought about 75 inmates in to help sandbag, while Minnesota Department of Transportation workers operated machinery to help move water off the roads. But more residents and supplies are needed. State troopers are guarding nearby roadways, preventing would-be spectators from getting too close and creating extra waves. Officials are also concerned the Highway 13 bridge cutting through the two lakes and connecting the community north to south is starting to fail. "We're finding our glitches, and we're fulfilling them," said Tammy Stewig, Le Sueur County's emergency management director. Stewig said almost every community in Le Sueur County faces flood damage to wastewater infrastructure, but even more flooding is expected after the nearby Rapidan Dam just west of Mankato partially failed Monday afternoon. That will affect residents in lower-lying Minnesota River valley areas, compounding the damage to already-flooded streets and homes. Residents at the Parkside North Apartments in Waterville are worried the once-dry creek bed near their home will overflow into their ranch-style building if the dam breaks. They couldn't reach their building owners all weekend and finally had to contact city officials Monday to get volunteers out to their homes. The water has less than a foot to go in some places before the building gets flooded out, just like some of the nearby homes just a few feet away. "If it crests again, it's going to go over," Cheryl Engel said. "No ifs, ands or buts about it." East of Waterville, the Cannon River crested early Monday at 901.5 feet in Northfield tying the record set from that city's historic 2010 flooding. The Cannon has already flooded out roads and a few homes south of Northfield in nearby Dundas. Farther south, officials in Faribault continued to close city streets due to flooding. Faribault received about 10 inches of rain between June 12 and Monday, according to Rice County officials. The community has gotten more than 28 inches thus far in 2024 the average rainfall by this time of year is about 15-16 inches. Across the state, farmers are dealing with makeshift ponds and swamps springing up in their fields which could also get worse as the week goes on. In northeastern Minnesota, the St. Louis River near Cloquet is in danger of flooding through Tuesday afternoon. Sandbagging has begun. As of Sunday night, floodwaters in hard-hit Cook, Minn., have receded, but Biwabik was still experiencing flooding, St. Louis County reported. More than 30 roads throughout the county remain closed, mostly in the northern half. The county has so far collected 1,000 damage reports between public infrastructure and private property. The Superior National Forest warns of scattered blowdown on the eastern side of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and the national forest, and fast-moving rivers and streams throughout, with some continuing to rise. The Forest Service announced Monday night more than 20 road closures as well as the entry point into the BWCAW as it works to fix damage. Another round of storms is expected to wash over Minnesota late Monday, discouraging to residents and volunteers in Waterville who wonder how much more they can take. "Just tell them to pray for us," Engel said. "We need that big time." Star Tribune staff writers Jana Hollingsworth and Christopher Vondracek contributed to this report. NEW YORK The commission assigned by Mayor Eric Adams to propose changes to New York Citys Charter recommended Monday that there be a significant shift in how the city assesses the fiscal impact of new legislation and urged more public input when it comes to bills that affect safety. The proposed changes, if adopted, could allow the mayor to intervene earlier in legislative matters traditionally reserved for the City Council a signal the Adams-controlled Charter Revision Commission believes the lawmaking body cant be trusted with its current level of autonomy. In its first report, the commission, which was created in May, also recommended that a new city agency be formed to promote the hiring of women- and minority-owned businesses. Diane Savino, an Adams adviser and executive director of the Charter Revision Commission, signaled Monday that the body intends to formalize its recommendations in the coming months and have them ready to be put on the ballot for Novembers general election as referendum questions. We know the ideas presented here will spark great discussion from our commissioners, elected officials, community groups and working-class New Yorkers as we all work together to put forward questions to voters so they can flip their ballots and make the ultimate decisions this November, she said in a written statement. The commissions recommendations come several months after the Council overrode mayoral vetoes on two criminal justice bills opposed by Adams. In recent weeks, the commission has held hearings and listened to testimony to help formulate its plan. It plans to continue doing so. A hearing on Staten Island was slated for Monday evening, and several more are scheduled to extend through July. Despite the ostensibly public input, some of the commissions proposals are bound to face pushback from members of the City Council which has been increasingly hostile toward the mayor as well as progressives and moderate Democrats who view him as ineffective. After the reports introduction, the first topic it tackles is fiscal responsibility, a heading squarely directed at the Council. The commission contends that the price tag of proposed legislation often doesnt become clear until after a bill becomes a law and that the Councils initial estimates are sometimes inaccurate. Currently under the charter, fiscal impact statements must accompany new laws, but the commission argues that these statements often arrive too late in the process. The Council typically publishes fiscal impact statements only when proposed legislation is on the cusp of adoption as a law, the report states. This means that much of the public debate around a law including the Councils public hearing on the proposed bill occurs in the absence of the fiscal impact statement. The commissions recommending that fiscal impacts be assessed more accurately and earlier in the legislative process and that additional parties which could potentially involve the mayors administration be involved in assessing that impact early on. The report also report recommends that the commission should consider advancing a proposal that would require the Council to solicit additional public feedback on public safety-related bills before they can be voted on. Currently, all bills, regardless of the legislative focus, undergo hearings where administration officials and other stakeholders, including members of the general public, can offer testimony. The bills are then typically voted on in committees before they come before the full Council for a final vote. But the commissions report suggests legislation related to public safety undergo an additional layer of review, which could come in the form of mandating such bills be subjected to a limited period of additional public review prior to a vote. Such a change would afford more time for consideration and deliberation in matters of public safety, and additional opportunities for formal public input, the report states. It doesnt, however, say how broadly public safety should be defined in this context, but argues that considering additional scrutiny is warranted because the Council frequently passes legislation that may indirectly promote or inadvertently impair public safety. The commission went on to write it heard testimony from members of the public who expressed frustration about opportunities for public comment on the How Many Stops Act, a bill enacted by the Council in January that requires NYPD officers to start documenting more interactions with the public. The mayor, a Democrat, vetoed the How Many Stops Act, claiming itd bury cops in paperwork and hamper public safety. The Council overrode his veto, though, forcing the bill into law over his objection on the auspices that itll improve police transparency and accountability. The mayors Charter Revision Commission has specifically been tasked with presenting referendum questions by Aug. 5 so they can make it onto Novembers ballot. The quick timeline has prompted some Democratic critics of the mayor to accuse him of using the commission as a vehicle to block a separate effort by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to get a question onto Novembers ballot related to expanding oversight of top mayoral hires. The speaker, a Queens Democrat, assailed the commissions preliminary report as wholly unserious. The Commission has shown a lack of understanding of the legislative process, the charter, and the law, or is intentionally failing to provide the public with total clarity, she said in a Monday night statement. This is a poorly constructed attempt to attack the City Council and its oversight of the executive branch, seeking to undermine representative democracy at a time when the Council is fighting to protect New Yorkers from the mayors excessive budget cuts, she added, repeating calls for the commission to slow down the process and submit its proposals for the 2025 general election. City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Democrat whos rumored to be considering a 2025 primary challenge against the mayor, slammed Mondays preliminary report from the commission and suggested the panel should focus on a set of reforms he recently outlined related to fiscal management. The mayors hastily appointed Charter Revision Commission swung and missed today, Lander said. Earlier this month, my office outlined five common-sense proposals to improve our citys financial management practices. No further research is needed to adopt a solid plan for the Citys Rainy Day Fund, or to start paying our vendors on time proposals long-studied and supported by many good-government groups, he added. While the recommendations around fiscal impact and public safety were given top priority, the commission also touched on the possibility of giving the Sanitation Department more responsibility and how to better encourage the success of women- and minority-owned businesses. Those recommendations appeared less fully developed, though. The commissions staff recommended the body further consider how to improve services to minority- and women-owned businesses and the possibility of forming a new agency dedicated to that, but didnt provide many more specifics on its plans moving forward. The report is similarly vague when it comes to the Department of Sanitation, noting, New Yorkers have expressed a desire for cleaner streets and that updating the Charter to clarify and expand DSNY responsibilities could help promote these important objectives. _____ Jennifer McCormick and Terry Goodin in a new campaign video for the Democratic gubernatorial ticket. (Screenshot) Life in Stephen Kings Shawshank State Prison is, at its best, mundane, repetitive and stagnant. As is the state of politics in Indiana. Surviving either or both, doesnt require lightning to strike. It requires hope. Hope that can lead to a movement. Democrats in Indiana nominated former Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jennifer McCormick as their nominee for governor in Mays primary. Last week, McCormick announced her preferred running mate as former Democrat state representative, Terry Goodin. The latter was a mistake. There are three unrelenting, unequivocal policy issues that define what a Democrat is in 2024. To be credible with Democrat voters these days, a candidate must support womens reproductive freedom, equality for all minority communities, and common sense gun safety measures. This isnt the entire platform, but when asking a candidate about their support for these three, they are simple yes/no questions. And the answer to them must be an unwavering yes. I wont vote for any candidate, for any office, who answers any of those questions with a no, a sort of, or even a generally. Yes, that purity test applies to those running for city council, school board and county auditor. Why? Because politics, like culture, is a continuum. That pro-life county auditor might run for U.S. Senate in two years. That pro-gun rights school board member might run for Congress. And then the weakness becomes trouble. The truth is that these deficiencies are always trouble. Theyre indicators a party is willing to bargain with its own morals. To listen to a podcast version of this column, go here. Christian nationalist Micah Beckwith was nominated by Republicans as their lieutenant governor candidate on July 15. The worst part about this is that this absurd candidate will now be in the top echelon of GOP politics for the next decade. His views are dangerous right now and will likely only grow. Unless, of course, he and Mike Braun lose in November. Democrat voters are in the minority in Indiana, but not on these three issues they arent. Hoosiers agree with Democrats on them, by significant and measurable margins. With regard to the big three, Indiana is actually blue, not red. Its time we act like it. McCormick is a former Republican. Overcoming that takes work and time. The average voter should be asking what made her a Republican when she was one, and why she has now switched. She seems to have answers for those questions. But then in her first governing decision, she chose Goodin as her LG candidate. It didnt take much research to learn that when he was in the legislature, he was wrong on the big three. All of them. All of the time. Times change, and people change with them. Goodin said the right things on Thursday with regard to his past stances on two of the big three. On abortion, he said, We must do everything we can to restore the rights of women to make decisions about their own body. On his past votes against marriage equality, he said, At that time, I did not realizeI had totally dehumanized, demeaned and hurt thousands of Hoosiers. No comment about guns yet. Its about hope I appreciate Goodins movement. As a former Republican, McCormick has likely moved on these issues over time also. Though there is no denying they are now playing from behind on these policies. That makes it more difficult for them to represent the beginning of a cultural or political movement. Not impossible, just more difficult. The biggest obstacle for Democrats in Indiana is not a lack of campaign money, candidate name identification, or even gerrymandered district maps. Its apathy. The absence of passion, emotion or excitement is what limits their success from being meaningful or lasting. The party lacks hope, and hope inspires movements. Trying to win elections by picking off Republican voters who can no longer tolerate the cultish MAGA agenda of Braun and Beckwith could bring home that recently elusive victory. However, the more likely outcome is still defeat, which will send the entire notion of a political movement back to the beginning. If McCormick/Goodin lose in November, neither will run again. First-time young voters in Indiana need to be inspired to become part of a sustained movement. That takes an unrelenting commitment to the things that matter to them. Without it, these new voters are less inclined to be lifelong supporters. Democrats cannot afford to lose them. In Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, King probably says it best: Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. Its hope that makes freedom possible in the classic tale. One day our government will match our morals. I hope. Every Democrat campaign needs to run on that hope, until they become a movement. The post When McCormick picked Goodin, the hope of a meaningful Hoosier movement ended appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. Media learn contents of new US$150 million US military aid package for Ukraine A new US military aid package for Ukraine worth US$150 million could be announced on Tuesday, 25 June, and will not include cluster munitions. Source: AP, citing US officials on condition of anonymity, as reported by European Pravda The upcoming shipment is expected to include, among other things, ammunition for HIMARS rocket launcher systems, anti-tank and small arms, grenades, as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery shells. One of the US officials stated that they could not confirm whether this aid package includes ATACMS missiles, which can be launched from HIMARS systems, but indicated that the aid does not include cluster munitions. Background: On 24 June, Carla Babb, correspondent of Voice of America, reported that the US may announce another military aid package for Ukraine valued at US$150 million as early as 25 June. The latest US$225 million military aid package for Ukraine was announced by the US on 7 June. This was made possible after the US Congress approved supplementary funding for the aid for Ukraine and allies valued at US$61 billion in April after months of delay. Moreover, the US decided to prioritise the supply of anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine before honouring other states requests. This mainly concerns Patriot and NASAMS missiles. Support UP or become our patron! Medical marijuana passes NC Senate, heads to the House. Will this time be different? Once more, North Carolina senators threw their support behind a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the state. House Bill 563 passed a final vote in the Senate with bipartisan support. Just 10 lawmakers voted against the bill. Whether lawmakers in the House will have an about-face from past years and approve legalization remains to be seen. But in the midst of a stalemate on budget adjustments and considering House Republicans past aversion to the idea, chances seem low. House Bill 563 allows the use of marijuana statewide for people who have cancer, ALS and other ailments. It also creates an 11-member board tasked with approving, suspending and revoking licenses for suppliers of marijuana. This board would supervise revenue generation and approve 10 licenses from a list of recommendations. Kratom, xylazine and tianeptine would be added to the states list of controlled substances, banning those drugs. The bill also adds more regulation to hemp. It would prohibit sales of hemp and hemp-derived products to people under 21. Sellers would need to have a license, and products would need to be tested before distribution. Packaging of these products would need to be child-resistant and properly labeled with ingredient details. Marijuana and hemp are both born from the cannabis plant. But hemp, which is legal nationally and in the state, must have less than 0.3% of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which produces whats commonly associated with the marijuanas high. Josh Steins position Despite the bipartisan support, not all was praise. Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein said the bill lacks protections and should go further in decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and expunging past convictions. Its past time for N.C. to move forward on medical cannabis, decriminalization of simple possession, and expungement of criminal records, but we have to do it right. HB 563 fails to adequately protect kids, Stein wrote in a statement shared last week. The bill authorizes intoxicating cannabis (THC) for adults, but it does NOT protect kids by requiring an ID check, placing drugs behind the counter and away from kids (or keep kids out of stores altogether), keeping sales away from schools, adequately addressing advertising or packaging, protecting against child poisonings, or holding violators accountable. We can and must do more to keep our kids safe, wrote Stein, who is running for governor. After the Senate vote, Stein said in a statement that he thanked the Senate for improving the bill but there is still real work to be done to better protect kids given the bills authorization of adult use intoxicating cannabis (THC) in North Carolina. Senators amended the bill on Monday to require stricter ID checks for hemp sales. They also amended the bill to require stores open to customers under 21 to make hemp products only accessible with help from an employee. Various Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns with a change to the bill on Monday that says that if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, marijuana shall not be rescheduled or deleted under this Article unless the General Assembly enacts legislation. Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed of Charlotte said he believed that provision infringes on the part of the Constitution that says federal law generally takes precedence over state law. GOP concerns All those who voted against the bill in the Senate were Republicans. Sen. Tom McInnis, a Republican from Moore County, said Monday he had no doubt that this bill sponsors well intended. But as my mother used to say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. McInnis said that he buried a cousin who smoked one marijuana joint at 14 years old and never put it down. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says there are no reports of teens or adults dying from marijuana alone but that marijuana use can lead to a substance use disorder. It also says marijuana can affect brain development, in particular for teens. Republican Sen. Norman Sanderson of Pamlico County said medical marijuana legalization is a slippery slope. Im sad and disappointed because its connected to a bill that I think would have done a lot of good, he said, referring to the provisions regulating hemp and other drugs, drafted in the initial House version of the bill. Sen. Ralph Hise, a Mitchell County Republican, spoke in defense of the bill, saying he had no concern if a terminal cancer patient smokes anything. Ive seen what high doses of OxyContin will do ... and I dont suspect that marijuana is worse. All this bill does is allow the use of that for identified diagnosis from a medical provider and that in itself is not something I oppose. But dont take this as a step away from fighting the impact of marijuana on our kids and on our communities, he said. Next steps The bill now goes back to the House which drafted the initial version of HB 563 without including legalization for a concurrence vote. Legalization came back up on the table during a Senate judiciary committee meeting on Wednesday, when Republican senators amended the bill to add legalization by tacking on the NC Compassionate Care Act, a bill that has cropped up over the years but has failed to pass the House. The Compassionate Care Act is sponsored by Republican Sens. Bill Rabon and Michael Lee and Democratic Sen. Paul Lowe. HB 563 was a solely GOP-sponsored bill. The maneuver by the Senate came as a surprise to many, including one of the primary sponsors of HB 563, Republican Rep. Jeff McNeely, who spoke about the bill during a rules committee meeting before an initial vote by the Senate. Mondays vote was the final Senate vote. I know many of you are just like me, in a little bit of state of shock that something was added to my bill, and well work through that, but dont take your eye off the ball, McNeely said. The thing were trying to do here is regulate a completely unregulated industry so dont forget that part of this when some new shiny object is added or put in or whatever, he said. The bills chances in the House Before the Senates vote, House Speaker Tim Moore said that he supports the Compassionate Care Act and that he has distant family members and cousins who I believe probably use it, and I know there are folks who suffer from PTSD and other conditions who say it helps them, he said. But when we caucused this bill last year and when we got a count, there were not 37 yes votes on the bill, he said. The House has a rule that the majority of Republicans need to support a bill for it to move forward, Moore said. Asked about the bills chance this year, Moore said We havent caucused. So I dont know. Rabon, speaking on his experience battling stage-three colon cancer and using marijuana illegally, said during a rules committee meeting Thursday: I was close to death a long time ago, and I would have died had I not broken the law, and I had not taken the advice of my health care provider and gotten a cannabis product. I was ready to give up. You can sit there and say ohh. No. I lived it. If you havent lived it, dont tell me what it is. I was in it. So thats the way I feel about it and Im going to push it and Im gonna stay in this legislature until it passes. Rabon also said North Carolina needs to take action considering federal moves. National outlets have reported that the federal government could be on the brink of recognizing marijuanas medical uses and reclassifying it from a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III dug, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. In addition to the stalemate on marijuana, the GOP-controlled Senate and House have not come to an agreement on how to amend the two-year budget passed last year. Both chambers have passed separate versions of a budget. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 25. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Head of the Presidential Administration Akylbek Japarov and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov discussed the construction of Kambarata HPP-1, the statement of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan said, Trend reports. According to information, the meeting was held in Urumqi, a city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. "The heads of government of the two countries also discussed the Talas-Chatkal-Tashkent highway construction project. It was noted that a Road Map is currently being developed for this project, and the realization of the project will provide an opportunity to increase mutual trade and increase the tourism potential of the two countries," the statement of the Cabinet reads. Furthermore, Japarov and Aripov discussed the intensification of joint efforts to build a conveyor belt and coal logistics center designed to supply coal from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan. The parties noted that the implementation of these infrastructure projects will contribute to strengthening fraternal strategic relations between the two countries. Moreover, bilateral documents are expected to be signed. To note, the Kambarata HPP-1 on the Naryn River is the largest hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan and is expected to become one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Central Asia. Once completed, the HPP will have a capacity of 1,860 MW and will generate 5.6 billion kWh of electricity per year. The height of the dam is expected to reach 256 meters, and the volume of the reservoir will be more than 5.4 bcm of water. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The city of Holly Hill invites residents to a meet-and-greet welcoming the citys new police chief who is taking over after the department's former police chief and two high-ranking officers resigned amid shocking allegations of sexual harassment. Daytona Beach Police Capt. Byron K. Williams will become Holly Hill's top cop July 15. The meet and greet starts at 6 p.m. Thursday in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 1065 Ridgewood Ave. The department has been without a police chief since Jeff Miller resigned March 15. Capt. Chris Yates resigned May 23. Sgt. Shannon Fountain resigned June 12. Former Sgt. Tom Bentley was demoted last week to master patrol officer. An internal affairs report by the Volusia Sheriffs Office described allegations of sexual harassment at the department where police leadership "fostered an atmosphere of sexual innuendoes, objectifying women and sexually explicit horseplay." The report found "overwhelming evidence" of inappropriate messages between Fountain and a female officer who was his direct subordinate. The report stated Yates unsnapped a woman's bra and asked if an officer's breasts were real. Miller and Yates groped women, according to the report. The report also stated that Miller exposed himself and asked a rookie female officer to perform oral sex on him before he became police chief. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is also investigating the department. The report stated that Miller and Yates declined to be interviewed by the sheriff's office for the internal affairs report. But it stated that Miller participated in an interview with the FDLE in which he denied the most egregious allegations but admitted to groping several women by tickling them and said they reciprocated. He admitted to asking to see his subordinate's breasts but said it was done in a joking manner, the report stated. Bentley denied any inappropriate incidents. But the report stated that he was listed as present for a number of incidents and at no point did he stop the inappropriate comments or sexual innuendoes. New chief on board Williams will earn $105,000 annually as police chief of the 26-member department. Miller earned $112,965 and had been with the department since December 2006. Williams could not be reached for comment. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young also could not be reached. But in a Facebook post, Young congratulated Williams: "Captain Williams truly exemplifies what it means to be a Professional Public Servant! We appreciate his years of service to the Daytona Beach community and wish him continued success in his new role." Williams wrote in a letter to Holly Hill City Manager Joe Forte that he had more than 24 years experience in law enforcement. Williams graduated from Daytona State College and Bethune-Cookman University. Williams listed his experience at Daytona Beach Police as having served as captain of criminal investigations, support services and patrol divisions. He wrote that he received executive leadership training from the Institute for Police Executives and from the Southern Police Institute. He joined the Daytona Beach Police Department in 1999, according to the department's website, which stated that "He has always had a major focus on engaging with the community with an understanding of empathy and respect." Williams has served in a variety of roles, including in the community policing unit and serving as a liaison between police and the residents. He also served as an undercover officer in the street crimes unit and special investigations unit focusing on street level crimes and drug trafficking, the Daytona Beach Police website stated. Holly Hill commissioner: Williams is well-qualified to be police chief Holly Hill City Commissioner Penny Currie said Williams is a good choice for the job. I have looked at his resume and qualifications, and, having previous law enforcement in my background, I really feel he is well-qualified, Currie said. Currie worked as an administrative supervisor for the Ponce Inlet Police Department for nearly 20 years before she retired. She said her husband worked for Holly Hill Police before leaving about 13 or 14 years ago to join the Volusia Sheriffs Office. The couple volunteered for the police explorer group at Holly Hill for 20 years. She said she was unaware of the problems at the department. Absolutely didnt hear or see anything, because if I had it I would have immediately intervened in that, she said. She said the allegations in the 104-page internal affairs report prepared by the Volusia Sheriffs Office were shocking. I can tell you that personally and as city commissioner I was extremely disturbed by what I read in the internal affairs investigation report, she said. She believes that Williams can turn the department around. I absolutely do, she said. She said one of the first things Williams will do is hire a good, qualified captain. Currie said: Its going to take time for this community to heal, but I do believe we can build a stronger police department that they can again be proud of." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet new Holly Hill police chief taking over troubled agency (WHTM) Two members of a Pennsylvania motorcycle club were convicted last week on federal robbery charges. Solomon Rodriguez, 34, of Reading, and Steven Wong, 43, of Shalotte, N.C., were facing Hobbs Act Robbery, firearms, and related charges. Hobbs Act Robbery relates to robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The two were members of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Clubs Schuylkill County chapter, of which Wong was president. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Wong recruited members of the club to participate in a series of brutal home-invasion robberies in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Wong rewarded loyal members involved in the conspiracy with money and free drugs, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. The robberies targeted street-level drug dealers and involved the use of a fully-automatic assault rifle. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania This group acted with extreme violence, invading peoples homes with machine guns drawn, and committing crimes that brutalized their victims, said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. Though our cooperative efforts with the Pennsylvania State police and local police departments, we successfully brought these criminals to justice and ended their trail of crimes, making our communities safer again. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Memphis man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Mississippi. According to records, Christopher Brittenum, 39, pled guilty to taking part in a drug conspiracy. The DEA opened an investigation into Brittenum after he sold fentanyl to an Olive Branch, Miss. man, leading to his death by overdose. The DEA also reportedly gathered evidence showing Brittenum distributed narcotics to two individuals, who also overdosed, but survived. Tunica man sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it was determined that Brittenum was responsible for distributing 1.5 to 5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Brittenum was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Fentanyl has impacted every community in Mississippi and our nation, and those who distribute this poison in our communities need to expect to go to prison without exception, said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. We will continue to work with our partners at DEA and outstanding local partners like the Olive Branch Police Department to remove both fentanyl and those who distribute it from our streets. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The United States Surgeon General declared gun violence as a public health crisis on Tuesday, after the growing number of injuries from shootings and mass shootings around the country so far this summer. Surgeon General declares gun violence a public health crisis Unfortunately, gun violence is something many in the Mid-South are quite familiar with. One of those people is Brittney Ireland, a mother of four children who were shot during a road rage incident that occurred earlier this month. I dont have time to cry, Ireland said. Its just like, ya gotta deal with it. So, thats what Im doing. Im dealing with it. I dont have time to cry: Mother of I-240 shooting victims gives update on their recovery She is like so many Americans who have to deal with the ripple effects of violence. It affects the family members, Dr. Nick Watkins, a Pediatric Emergency Surgeon with Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital said. It affects the community. So, when the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis, Dr. Watkins said it was the right decision. I think its a terrific step in the right direction in the efforts to curb gun violence, Dr. Watkins said. Dr. Watkins told WREG that he believes that gun violence has already been a public health crisis in Memphis. I think we have seen it firsthand, Dr. Watkins said. However, Dr. Watkins also acknowledged that the issue is not just limited to the Bluff City. Just days ago, four people were killed and 10 others were injured in a mass shooting outside of a grocery store in Arkansas. A little more than a week ago, nine people were injured in a shooting at a Michigan splash pad. But, Dr. Watkins said that here at home, the high rate of gun violence cant be ignored. Teen charged in death of Watermelon Man on the run Sadly, these issues trickle down to our most vulnerable population, the children. Last year was a record high number of gunshot wounds treated at Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital, Dr. Watkins said. So, I think weve been dealing with this for quite a while, really since the start of the pandemic. In his address, the Surgeon General called for changed laws and gun control. When WREG asked Dr. Watkins if he thought the address would make a difference, he said he was optimistic changes would occur. When we think back to prior advisories, such as the tobacco advisory back in 1964 and we look at the outcome of that, that probably led to a decrease and 75 percent reduction of smoking, saving eight million lives because of that, Dr. Watkins said. So, you can only imagine what kind of impact it would have if we could have a 75 percent reduction in firearm violence. WREG reached out to Memphis Police for the latest homicide and murder numbers this year. So far, we have not heard back. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A former senior aide to Sen. Bob Menendez testified about the senators unusual behavior toward Egypt during a period prosecutors say the senator was taking bribes to help the country obtain military aid. Sarah Arkin, an aide who worked for Menendez before and while he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was usually involved in meetings the senator took with foreign officials in the Middle East and North Africa. But she began to realize the senator was having conversations with Egyptian officials she wasnt aware of. In 2019, Arkin said the senator told her he wanted to be less publicly critical of the country and do more through private conversations. The remarks were apparently prompted by a letter shed drafted for the senator to sign that would have urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to respect human rights and keep his pledge to leave office after a second term in 2022. He remains in power. One of the earliest incidents Arkin testified to was in March 2018, when the senator handed another staffer an invitation hed written for two men to visit his office. The invitation was to the Egyptian defense attache in Washington, Maj. Gen. Khaled Shawky, and Wael Will Hana, an Egyptian American business person from New Jersey. The handwritten draft invite, Arkin said, was an unusual move. When the meeting happened, on March 13, the senators relatively new girlfriend, Nadine, also attended. Prosecutors say Hana, who was longtime friends with Nadine, would eventually receive a monopoly from Egypt over certifying beef exports to Egypt and would use proceeds from the company to bribe Menendez and Nadine, who the senator married in fall 2020. They accuse the senator of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the country, charges he denies. There was no one harsher on Egypt than I was, Menendez told reporters as he left the courthouse on Monday. Arkin would also learn of interactions between the senator and Egyptian officials that were happening without her knowledge. At one point, the head of Egypts intelligence service, Abbas Kamel, would write Menendez a letter that began with Dear Bob, which Arkin testified was an uncommon salutation for a letter to a senator from a foreign official. As the senators office was planning a trip to the country in fall 2021, another staffer also thought something odd was going on. All of this Egypt stuff is very weird, the other staffer, Damian Murphy, texted Arkin, Ive never seen anything like it. For instance, Arkin said Menendez told his staff to ask an Egyptian intelligence officer posted in the countrys embassy in Washington to help plan the official Senate trip to Egypt trips that are normally planned by the U.S. State Department. That same Egyptian intelligence officer, Mai Abdelmaguid, was also carrying on a running text exchange with Nadine that touched on both hair salons and Egyptian interests in American foreign policy, according to text messages prosecutors submitted into evidence. Menendezs attorney, Avi Weitzman, began what is expected to be a lengthy cross examination of Arkin on Monday afternoon. While hes not finished and attorneys for Menendezs two co-defendants, including Hana, are also expected to ask her questions Weitzman appears to be trying to show that the senator was changing his tactics, not his policy, by going with a quieter approach to Egypt. Menendezs defense team has also portrayed meetings with foreign officials as part of the job he had atop the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a post he stepped down from after the corruption charges were filed last fall. The scope of Arkins testimony has been fought over for months as part of a long-running dispute between Menendezs defense attorneys and prosecutors over the limits of the constitutional speech or debate clause. The judge overseeing the case has already prevented jurors from seeing evidence about Egypt that prosecutors have called critical to their case. A federal judge tossed a Mercer University students lawsuit Friday that alleged Mercer shouldve refunded fees she paid for in-person classes because COVID-19 lockdowns caused the university to move to remote learning. The student, Mary Koerner, filed the lawsuit alleging she was deprived of university experiences that should have come with the fees she paid, according to court records. She said she went without those in-person classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the university should give the money back. Mercer University argued the fees didnt directly correlate to in-person classes. The university also argued that transitioning to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was to protect students, faculty and staff, and wasnt a breach of contract between the students and the university. Judge Tilman Self III, in the Middle District of Georgia, agreed with Mercer. As a matter of law, even if the contract impliedly obligated Mercer to provide in-person services, that very same contract also permitted Mercer to amend its procedures in the event of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, Self said in his ruling. In sum, even assuming that the parties had an implied contract to provide in-person services in exchange for tuition, Mercer unambiguously reserved the right to alter its procedures and method of course delivery in the event of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. Koerner filed the lawsuit against Mercer on March 11. Claiming to represent other students who are similarly situated, the lawsuit argued that on top of the average yearly tuition being $37,508 for undergraduate students, students also paid $150 in mandatory fees, including facility and technology fees. More specifically, Koerner paid $18,754 in tuition, $150 in technology and facility fees, $2,750 in housing, $996 for a health insurance premium and $125 in lab fees in the Spring semester of 2020, when Mercer University transitioned to virtual learning, according to the lawsuit. Since Mercer transitioned from in-person to virtual classes and the services referenced in the mandatory fees were not used, Koerner argued in her lawsuit that the university breached its contract with students because it did not provide in-person educational services and opportunities as promised. She also argued the university placed a financial burden on its students by requiring them to pay tuition and fees not offered at the time. She requested a refund for the fees she paid during the semesters in which Mercer switched to virtual learning because the university had not issued refunds for them. She alleged the university acted in bad faith. Before the pandemic hit, Mercer marketed itself as having immersive learning experiences through in-person classes. However, the students didnt receive the immersive learning experience they were hoping for, the lawsuit argued. Instead, they received sub-par teaching, which included previously recorded Zoom meetings that were posted online for students to view on their own, according to the lawsuit. Koerner argued there was a lack of classroom interaction among instructors and students, which is instrumental in educational development and instruction. Koerner also argued that students were deprived of having the opportunity for collaborative learning, in-person dialogue, feedback and critique, and denied access to facilities such as libraries, laboratories, computer labs, recitations, study rooms and campus activities and services all of which are integral to a college education, the lawsuit said. What was Mercers response? Mercer responded to the allegations on May 3, requesting to dismiss the action, calling it meritless and recycled. Mercer, like almost all universities, responded to that emergency by temporarily transitioning from in-person instruction to remote instruction to protect the health and welfare of its students, faculty, and staff, the universitys response stated. That decision did not benefit Mercer financially. Mercer instead incurred substantial additional costs in implementing that transition. In Mercers response, the university also argued that the New York law firm representing Koerner had sought out students to file these types of lawsuits. The same law firm sued Mercer under similar circumstances with another student as the plaintiff, and that student admitted under oath that she had no complaints about the transition to online classes, according to court records. Additionally, Mercer argued that Koerner did not provide proof in the contract that expressed the promise to its students, and that the $150 mandatory fee was not explicitly in exchange for in-person classes. The university also argued that it had the right to transition to virtual learning as a response to an emergency. Koerner is also not eligible for a refund because, in order to receive one, the student must withdraw from their courses, but she completed and obtained credit for the classes she took during the Spring semester, according to court records. Meridian man hit a moose on his motorcycle. Now he needs help getting home, GoFundMe says A Meridian Navy veteran is looking for help from the community to get back home after suffering serious injuries on a road trip. On June 11, Elsworth Barrington suffered serious injuries after hitting a moose while he was riding his motorcycle from Bonners Ferry in North Idaho to Hamilton, Montana, according to a GoFundMe page. The moose jumped the guardrail and ran into Barrington, who was traveling roughly 30 mph, the page said. Barrington suffered a brain injury, broken pelvis, cracked sternum and eight broken ribs, according to the page. He was airlifted to Kootenai County Hospital in Coeur dAlene. Now his family is asking the community to help raise money to get him home through a medical transport. Barrington has some medical insurance, but a number of his costs will not be covered. The GoFundMe page has asked for $100,000 to help get Barrington home and pay for the remainder of his medical bills. The page has raised $1,390 so far. Barringtons wife and family have already made the eight-hour trip from Meridian to the hospital twice and they anticipate more trips as he continues to recover, according to the GoFundMe page. Here is how Ruidoso fire survivors can get FEMA aid, avoid scammers As thousands of people in New Mexico, Texas and across the U.S. send money and supplies to help those impacted by the South Fork and Salt Fire wildfires in New Mexico, victims must beware of scammers attempting to take advantage of those in need. "After a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors," Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said. "We encourage survivors to watch for and report any suspicious activity." Melted metal is seen near a destroyed vehicle in the Village of Ruidoso on June 19, 2024. FEMA sent Disaster Survivor Assistance crews to meet with wildfires survivors after President Joe Biden approved New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams request for a Major Disaster Declaration for New Mexico. The declaration means federal funds will be given to New Mexicans to support recovery efforts for the ongoing South Fork Fire and Salt Fire. "Recovering from wildfires is difficult and overwhelming," FEMA officials said. "FEMAs Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) crews are meeting New Mexico residents where they are to help them apply for FEMA assistance and to assist them on their road to recovery. Many residents, in the impacted areas, are staying with family, friends or at shelters due to mandatory evacuations. "To ensure these residents have the help they need, these DSA crews are visiting area shelters to help New Mexicans apply for federal assistance, identify potential needs and help make connections with local, state, federal and voluntary agencies." Here is key information New Mexico wildfire victims need to know: How to apply for FEMA's federal disaster assistance New Mexicans do not have to wait until they are allowed back to their homes to determine the damages done to their properties, officials said. Victims can immediately file for FEMA's federal disaster assistance at disasterassistance.gov. More: As residents return to Ruidoso after fires, most still barred from accessing their homes Residents with insurance should file a claim first with their insurance company and then apply with FEMA. Applying for assistance through disasterassistance.gov is the fastest and easiest way to complete an application for federal disaster assistance, officials said. Victims may also apply by downloading FEMA's mobile phone application. Victims can also call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 for help with the application. The helpline operates from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. MT, seven days a week. FEMA officials also have a video published on the agency's YouTube page to show survivors how to apply for aid. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, officials said. Two key assistance programs are: Serious Needs Assistance (SNA) provides funding for households to cover important items like water, food, first aid, breast-feeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, fuel for transportation or other emergency supplies for eligible households. To qualify for SNA, you must be displaced, need shelter or have other emergency costs due to the disaster on your application. Displacement Assistance (DA) provides people with up-front funds to assist with immediate housing options of their choice, to keep people housed. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or other options. Identifying FEMA aid workers FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crew in New Mexico are aiding victims with the application process. FEMA crews are meeting with victims at shelters due to mandatory evacuations. Crew members will be "easily recognizable by their official photo identification," officials said. "If you meet people offering assistance, first ask to see their ID before giving them your personal information," FEMA officials said. "They may have FEMA clothing, but that can be easily imitated." FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crews can help survivors with: Checking the status of an application already in the system and making minor changes to applications. Identifying organizations providing disaster-related services and/or resources to the public for immediate and long-term recovery. Gathering situational awareness about impacts to communities. Providing civil rights and disability integration assistance information to ensure equal access. Protect private information It is vital for survivors to be aware of scammers stealing money and private information from victims in desperate need of help following disasters, officials said. Protect your identity and stay informed: DHS, FEMA, SBA and other federal agencies will never charge you for disaster assistance. Always ask to see I.D. FEMA personnel will always have an official identification badge. Do not offer any personal information unless you are speaking with a verified FEMA representative. Stay tuned to trusted local media for updates from your local officials on disaster fraud and scams. Check with local law enforcement to ensure your identity is protected. Report fraud and other scams Frauds and scams can be reported to FEMA Investigations and Inspections Division by calling 866-223-0814 or emailing to StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov. Victims can report fraud to U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General online at oig.dhs.gov or by calling 1-800-323-8603. Fraud and scams can also be reported to the New Mexico Department of Justice at nmdoj.gov. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: FEMA funds available to New Mexico wildfires survivors BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 25. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov and European Council President Charles Michel held discussions concerning the ban on Kyrgyz flights to the EU, Trend reports. According to the Kyrgyz president's website, the meeting took place in Brussels during Zhaparov's working visit to Belgium. During the talks, Zhaparov highlighted that in 2006, Kyrgyzstan and its airlines were placed on the EU Aviation Safety List, commonly known as the "blacklist," due to non-compliance with flight safety standards. As a result, Kyrgyz planes have been barred from flying to EU countries since then. Zhaparov emphasized his personal commitment to resolving this issue. He pointed out that over the past two years, Kyrgyzstan has reconstructed four airports and plans to build a new airport in Jalal-Abad. Additionally, a special decree has been issued to improve the operations of the State Civil Aviation Agency, with necessary funds allocated for upgrading infrastructure and equipment. The State Civil Aviation Agency has been working closely with EU Commission structures since 2023, providing all required documentation. The president also noted that Kyrgyzstan and the EU are on the brink of a new level of cooperation. He mentioned the recent establishment of a special donor platform in Vienna, Austria, in collaboration with the World Bank, to support the construction of the Kambarata-1 hydroelectric power station, one of Kyrgyzstan's largest projects. In this context, Zhaparov invited the EU to join the project, aligning with the EU's "Global Gateway" strategy. He also underscored the importance of cooperation in the rare metals sector, highlighting that Kyrgyzstan possesses 17 critical metals of interest to European countries, including significant quantities of europium, gadolinium, niobium, and lithium. Zhaparov extended an invitation to potential investors and financial institutions to collaborate on projects involving these rare metals. In turn, Charles Michel reaffirmed his commitment to deepening bilateral, broad-based cooperation founded on principles of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and economic interaction. He identified key areas for future cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, such as energy, clean technologies, and transportation. ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) Mica Millers body was discovered prone and submerged 100 feet from several shell casings found along a Robeson County riverbank where the 30-year-old killed herself in late April, a newly issued medical examiners report reveals. And two days before Mica fatally shot herself at Lumber River State Park on April 27, she had been prescribed anti-anxiety medication the latest in a series of treatments to combat mental health problems that included suicidal ideations and bipolar disorder, according to a preliminary summary conducted by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Three casings from a Sig Sauer 9 mm were recovered along the riverbank: Two live and one spent, the medical examiners office said. The gun itself was pulled from the water by magnet about five feet from the shore. The report, which is not based on an autopsy, said a post-mortem blood test performed the day after her death did not show any drugs or alcohol in her system. There were also no signs of a physical struggle near where authorities said the wife of Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller took her life. The Robeson County Sheriffs Office declined to comment on Monday. When contacted by News13 on Tuesday, John-Paul on Tuesday acknowledged the report but did not comment. Micas family members including her father Michael and sister Sierra Francis have disputed officials claims that she killed herself. Robeson County Medical Examiner Jennifer Altman described Micas cause of death as shot self with handgun. Why didnt they do a complete toxicology test? Why didnt they realize that she had bruises on her hands and defensive wounds and also a bruise on her other arm? Michael Francis told NewsNation last month. Entry and exit wounds were marked just above her ears 4 1/2 inches from the middle of her head. Mica also had seven tattoos including the name John Paul Miller on the right side of her lower chest. John-Paul is the founder and senior pastor at Solid Rock Church in The Market Common. News13 began investigating circumstances around Micas death shortly after her suicide as claims of domestic abuse surfaced including John-Pauls admissions of placing several GPS trackers on her vehicles and leaking an explicit photo of her online. John-Paul has not been charged with any crime. Mica served him with divorce papers on April 25. Timeline: Whats happened so far in the death of Myrtle Beach woman Mica Miller On the day she died, Millers relatives were unable to contact her via photo calls or text messages. She was last seen alive at 1:33 p.m. in Mullins. A kayaker reported to authorities exactly three hours later that he found a body in the river that was determined to be Mica. The report also said medical records showed that Mica was hospitalized twice between 2022 and 2024 the first from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5, 2022, on suicidal precautions for bipolar 1 and recurrent manic episode along with THC dependency and a dependent personality disorder. Mica was admitted again from Feb. 7-12 of this year by a therapist. Mica also was using Delta 8 gummies at the time, according the report said. Meanwhile, John-Paul Miller has been battling Micas family in court over rights to her estate. Less than a week after her death, Micas sister, Sierra Francis, filed court papers seeking to become the special administrator over her estate. On June 5, the sides struck a deal that will turn some of Micas personal belongings over to Conway attorney Regina Ward, who was working with Mica to finalize her divorce. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. * * * Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Midwest flooding: At least 2 dead as heavy rains collapse a bridge, threaten a dam and trigger evacuations Severe flooding in the Midwest has left at least two people dead as heavy rains caused a bridge to collapse, a historic dam to be on the brink of failure and an entire town to be cut off by floodwaters. More than 3 million people from Nebraska to Minnesota have been affected by the days-long deluge. Deadly flooding in Iowa An image taken by a drone shows floodwaters in Rock Valley, Iowa, Saturday. (Chris VB via Reuters) In Clay County, Iowa, on Saturday, a man died while trying to drive around a barricade near a surging river, officials said. According to Sioux Citys KTIV-TV, floodwaters swept the mans truck away, and his body was recovered Monday. On Tuesday, floodwaters breached levees, prompting evacuations, according to the AP. The town of Spencer, Iowa, was cut off from the rest of the state by the floodwaters. Spencer Fire Chief Jesse Coulson told NBC News that nearly 400 people were rescued and hundreds of others were evacuated to shelters. President Biden declared a major disaster in Iowa Monday night and approved federal aid to help recovery efforts. South Dakota railroad bridge collapses into river A railroad bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., and Sioux City, Iowa, partially collapsed on Monday. (Margery A. Beck/AP) In South Dakota, a railroad bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed and fell into the Big Sioux River late Sunday night. A spokesman for the company that operates the bridge said no one was injured in the collapse. Sioux City Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph said that the river crested Monday morning at a record 45 feet, more than 7 feet higher than the previous record. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said that at least one person died as a result of the floodwaters in the state. According to the Argus Leader, an 87-year-old man died Saturday afternoon in a UTV crash on a road that was washed away near Lake Alvin. Dam on verge of 'imminent failure' in Minnesota A home teeters on the brink of collapsing near the Rapidan Dam in Mankato, Minn., on Monday. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) In southern Minnesota, officials warned that a dam built in the early 1900s is on the brink of collapse as a result of the flooding. In a Facebook post, Blue Earth County officials said that the risk to the Rapidan Dam near Mankato is grave. The Dam is in imminent failure condition, according to the Facebook post. We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place, however we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies. More severe weather is on the way A man wades through a flooded park in Northfield, Minn., on Monday. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP) According to the National Weather Service, severe storms were forecast for parts of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska Tuesday afternoon and evening with large hail, damaging winds and even a brief tornado or two possible. Showers and storms are also possible in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota, the agency said. High water levels at the Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River in Mankato, Minnesota on Monday, (Ben Brewer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) TAMPA For more than two decades, Maria Rivera-Hernandez dedicated herself to helping New York Citys homeless. A director of social services at a local nonprofit, she ran shelters, shepherded women off the streets and did her best to offer some semblance of security as housing demand dwarfed supply. I never thought I would be in their shoes, said Rivera-Hernandez, 62. Yet an abusive relationship and addiction eventually landed her on Tampas sunbaked streets, living beside a bridge with a bundle of belongings, trying to claw back stability in a region where the cost of living has soared. She arrived at Tampa Hope, a shelter tucked into the industrial sprawl of the citys eastern edge, in a police cruiser last October. Its here or jail, an officer told her. First, she lived in one of the 125 tents on site. In April, she was among the first to move into the shelters new tiny homes. On Monday, she was among those celebrating as the shelter, run by Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg, marked another milestone: The groundbreaking of a 7,000 square-foot community center. When complete next year, the facility will serve as a hub for residents to access a range of social and medical services in a quest to get people off the streets and into permanent housing. Being homeless is not easy, Rivera-Hernandez said from outside her 64-square-foot tiny home on Monday. Having a safe place to rest and a team supporting you, well, that means everything. As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether cities can criminalize sleeping outdoors or in tents, state and local governments are eying tiny homes as an efficient way to offer temporary relief to a national cost of living crisis. Proponents bet that such housing can provide more privacy and security than traditional shelters where multiple people sleep in communal rooms. In Florida, leaders are looking to Tampa Hope as a potential model one that is gaining more traction after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that bans people from sleeping overnight in parks, on sidewalks and in other public spaces. The ban takes effect Oct. 1. Tampa Hope has served more than 1,100 clients since opening in December 2021, placing about a third into permanent housing. Most are men. Almost a third struggle with substance use. Eleven percent went to college. Five percent are veterans. Residents have three meals a day, as well as access to services including mental health counseling, financial management classes and medical care. The daily cost per person is about $26, according to Catholic Charities. Theyre not just providing the basic needs of shelter and food to keep them alive, Mayor Jane Castor said at Mondays groundbreaking, to a crowd including representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, as well as staff from Hernando, Citrus and Pasco counties. Theyre providing the wrap-around services that can allow someone to get back up on their feet and become productive members of their community, Castor said. The $1.5 million community center, funded entirely by a donation from Drew and Susan Peloubet, will include a kitchen and dining area, restrooms, showers and a laundry room. At the moment, residents use porta toilets and mobile showers. Catholic Charities also operates Pinellas Hope in Clearwater, opened 17 years ago on swampland that has transformed into a sprawling homeless refuge, helping thousands. Tampa Hope opened on Third Avenue in December 2021 with tents on wooden pallets, funded by a mix of private donations and tax dollars. Catholic Charities predicted that 100 tiny homes, dubbed hope cottages would be built sometime in 2022. The city provided $750,000 to pay for 75 of them. The cottages werent assembled until spring of 2023. They werent occupied until this spring. Today, 99 tiny homes have now been hooked up to the electrical grid and grounded to withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds. They come with fold-out beds and air conditioning. Rivera-Hernandez shares her tiny home with her husband, Alfred Rice, 64, who she met on the streets 11 years ago after she left her previous abusive relationship. They moved to Tampa Hope together, staying in separate tents. We are back together as a family, she said. We are made anew. The nonprofit has its eyes on future expansion, hoping to add 100 more tiny homes to the complex. Rivera-Hernandez, though, wont witness the expansion or the centers completion firsthand. Next week, she and her husband are moving into their own apartment near the University of South Floridas Tampa campus. After almost a decade of marriage, theyll finally have a place to cook family meals, their own bathroom and bedroom. One of the three millionaire realtor brothers facing sexual assault allegations has temporarily stepped down from the billion-dollar brokerage firm he co-owns to clear his name following a new lawsuit that alleges he raped a woman. Given the salacious nature of this false allegation and impact on OFFICIAL, Tal and his partners have decided he will take a leave from the company to focus fully on clearing his name, one of Tal Alexanders lawyers, Deanna Paul, said in a statement to The Daily Beast on Tuesday. The statement added that Alexander is eager for the case to be heard in federal court as soon as possible and rejoin the OFFICIAL team in short order. Tal Alexander and his brothers, twins Oren and Alon, are heirs to a real-estate dynasty led by their father. Tal and Oren went on to found Official, a massive real estate firm which has gone viral for closing huge deals, while Alon works as an executive at a private security firm. Official is known for selling some of the highest dollar properties around the country. But Oren and Alon are now facing myriad lawsuits from women alleging they sexually assaulted them in tandem, and lawyers handling those suits claim that 30 more accusers have since contacted them with similar allegations. A new lawsuit filed by a woman named Angelica Parker on June 18 was the first to name all three brothers, and the first to make allegations against Tal. She alleged that Alon and Tal engaged in a group sexual assault organized by Oren in 2012. Parker alleged in her lawsuit that Oren and Alon offered her and her friend ecstasy, to which they declined, one night in 2012. Parkers friend then left the apartment after being allegedly groped and hit on by Alon, the suit said, but Parker stayed. She alleged she was then raped by Tal and Alon despite her very clear verbal protests. On another occasion years later, the lawsuit alleged, Tal barged in on Parker while she was alone in a room and attempted to rape her. Parker allegedly thwarted his attempt by screaming. The lawsuit further alleged that Parker interacted with the brothers on various occasions following her rape due to their overlap in friend groups. The brothers allegedly dubbed her the kings rat to their friends. I have little doubt that given my close relationship with my brothers, at some juncture, a lawyer or many lawyers will soon try to lump me in with the allegations against Alon and Oren, Tal reportedly wrote in an email to colleagues on June 16 right before Parker filed her lawsuit, as previously reported by The Daily Beast. Oren previously wrote in a since deleted Instagram post that he was confident that through review of the extensive evidence, including text messages and other communications, that the truth will be brought to light. Alons lawyer, Isabelle Kirshner, previosly told the Wall Street Journal our preliminary investigation of the claims has uncovered clear and irrefutable evidence that vindicates the Alexanders, which we look forward to presenting in court. Editors note: The headline on this article has been changed to reflect that Alexander plans to take a temporary leave of absence. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Milwaukee man, 42, charged with killing activist 'Rozz' Rogers as she ran from him Prosecutors charged a Milwaukee man with killing local activist Rosalind Rogers with one gunshot to the head as she ran from him through the parking lot of a north side McDonald's, according to a criminal complaint. Rosalind "Rozz" Rogers was shot and killed June 13. Raymond Lee Willis, 42, was charged with first degree reckless homicide. The incident took place on June 13 around 4 a.m. in the 5100 block of North Teutonia Avenue. Rogers, 23, who went by the name "Rozz" was pronounced dead at the scene. Video was recovered from the McDonald's restaurant showing Rogers walking east on W. Villard Ave. around 3:45 a.m. when she was approached by a red vehicle. Rogers ran away from the vehicle, then flashes "consistent with muzzle flashes" appeared from the driver's area of the vehicle. Rogers fell in the McDonald's parking lot as the vehicle drove away. Police arrived at the scene around 3:50 a.m. An autopsy revealed Rogers was shot in the back of the head. The owner of a nearby apartment building identified the red vehicle in the video as belonging to Willis, one of his tenants. Another tenant initially denied recognizing the vehicle, but later concurred that it belonged to Willis. According to the complaint, surveillance footage from a pole camera located at the intersection of Teutonia and Villard captured a vehicle turning west on Villard moments before Rogers' death. Police interviewed Willis, and he admitted that the vehicle looked like his car, but said he sold his vehicle either June 13 or 14. Willis was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting on June 13. He has a previous felony conviction for delivering cocaine that bars him from owning or possessing a gun. Rogers is remembered as an activist who raised objections about the treatment of Black people by law enforcement. She frequented community engagement events and mentored young people. "None of this is adding up. Like what could she have possibly done? So absolutely we want justice," said Dee-Dee Davis, who knew Rogers through a Black activist group called ComForce MKE. "This is not something that is going to go by the wayside. It'll be the same way she stood up and fought for other people in this community." Rogers graduated from Milwaukee's Assata High School after also attending Messmer High School. Fifty-eight homicides have been reported in Milwaukee so far this year, compared with 69 reported in the same period last year, according to Milwaukee Police Department statistics. Willis is being held in Milwaukee County Jail on $200,000 and is scheduled to be back in court July 2 for a preliminary hearing. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man charged with killing activist Rogers as she ran from him U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, Republican of the 7th District, takes the oath. Fischbach is the only current member of Minnesota's congressional delegation who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. U.S. House photo. In the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, many leading Minnesota businesses announced they were pausing their political donations to review their giving strategy. Some went further, vowing not to bankroll political candidates who supported Donald Trumps attempt to overturn the 2020 election. But today, three and a half years later, nearly all of them have resumed giving money to politicians engaging in election denial, according to an analysis by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit that investigates government corruption. Among them were some of Minnesotas blue-chip mega corporations: UnitedHealth, Target, Best Buy, 3M, U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise and Ecolab, which all promised not to donate to members of what CREW calls the sedition caucus. But as of today, theyve given hundreds of thousands of dollars to politicians who voted against certifying the 2020 election, opposed the establishment of the Jan. 6 committee, or otherwise supported Trumps attempt to undo the 2020 results. A number of other Minnesota companies, including CHS, C.H. Robinson, Thrivent and Polaris, never promised to suspend donations and have continued giving money to candidates who sought to undermine the rightful, peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election. One of those companies, Moorhead-based American Crystal Sugar, has for years been one of the biggest financial supporters of the sedition caucus. According to CREWs analysis, theyve given over $1 million since 2021, the third highest amount in the nation. Among other things, theyre focused on maintaining the federal program that keeps sugar prices high and undergirds their profitability. Only one current Minnesota lawmaker voted against certifying the 2020 election results: Rep. Michelle Fischbach of the 7th District, who falsely told Fox News shortly after the 2020 election that vote tabulators were finding votes when in fact they were counting them. In a sign of the state Republican Partys post-Jan. 6 radicalization, she was unable to obtain the partys endorsement this year and is now facing a primary challenge from a Christian nationalist who says his goal is to harness Gods power to lead ordinary Americans and their legislators in Washington back towards the Lord. CREW said the companies should mind the value of a stable democracy. Corporations depend on the stability and laws of a strong democracy in order to do business, CREW writes. Taking a stand against lawlessness aligns with the long-term interests of companies benefiting from government protection of intellectual property, contract enforcement and support for American business interests at home and abroad. According to their analysis, just one Minnesota company has so far upheld a promise to not give money to election deniers: Golden Valley-based Cheerio maker, General Mills. The post Minnesota companies fund election deniers despite vowing not to appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com. Years before becoming Missouris top law enforcement official, Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey was cited for violating the states conservation laws and had the charges wiped from his record. Bailey, who is campaigning for a full term, had those records expunged before working as the general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections in 2018. A spokesperson for Baileys campaign confirmed a St. Louis-Post Dispatch report that the expungements relate to two incidents in which Bailey was fishing. One occurred when Bailey, then 18 years old, was fined $15 for staying in a park after hours after fishing. The other happened when Bailey was in college and was fined $25 for violating another conservation law. The attorney generals prior criminal history has surfaced as he prepares to face off against Will Scharf, a former assistant U.S. attorney, in the Republican primary this August. A political action committee supporting Bailey has started running ads highlighting previous criminal charges against Scharf. Baileys campaign spokesperson Mike Hafner said in an email that the violations against Bailey were not significant enough to prevent him from getting a law license, being a foster parent or anything else. Before Gov. Mike Parson appointed him as attorney general, Bailey served as the top attorney in Parsons office. He also worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Warren County and as an assistant attorney general before working for the Department of Corrections. On the campaign trail, Bailey has frequently cited his time in the U.S. Army, in which he served two combat deployments in Iraq. Scharf, in an interview with The Star, pointed to comments he made with the Post-Dispatch. I love fishing too, Scharf previously told the Post-Dispatch, before adding, Ive never violated state fishing law. Missouri state law allows people to petition the court to have certain crimes expunged from their record. Expunged records are not publicly available. To get a record expunged, a person must pay all fines and not have had any other criminal charges for the previous three years. People found guilty of crimes such as Class A felonies, sex crimes, felony assault and crimes resulting in death are not eligible for expungement. The revelations of the years-old criminal histories of Bailey and Scharf come ahead of the August primary election. Peverill Squire, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, pointed to the similarities between the two candidates on policy issues. Given that there is no daylight between Bailey and Scharf on almost all of the issues, the campaign has degenerated into character attacks, Squire said in an email. The main street Republicans left in the party will have to decide which of the two candidates they find less objectionable. (Getty Images). Its time for the turn card in the poker hand that is the Missouri governors race. Quick review for poker neophytes: in Texas Hold Em, two cards are dealt face down to each player, while five community cards are dealt face up in three rounds first, a group of three cards (the flop), then a single card (the turn) and a final card (the river). Each player seeks the best five-card poker hand from any combination of the seven cards (their two hole cards plus five community cards). Players may bet after each round. The best live hand wins the pot. During the legislative session, I outlined the race, giving starting hands to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (pocket Jacks), Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe (Ace-Queen off-suit), and state Sen. Bill Eigel (3-5 of diamonds). The flop came K-10-6 rainbow (King of clubs, 10 of diamonds, 6 of hearts). It didnt help Ashcroft, though he remained in the lead with pocket jacks. The turn card The turn card is a third Jack, which might seem like it helps Ashcroft but actually means his lead has vanished. Unfortunately for him, the card is even better for Kehoe, giving him the straight (10-J-Q-K-A), which catapults Kehoe ahead of Ashcrofts also-improved hand of JJJ. Despite this, the race remains very fluid. Lets jump in. Mike Kehoe To date, Kehoe has executed a nearly flawless campaign. Hes raised money with striking volume and consistency, and when all is said and done will have likely raised more than all of his opponents in both parties combined. Hes garnered interest group endorsements as comprehensively as any statewide candidate in history even from some groups who had never endorsed. And perhaps just as importantly, hes avoided mistakes. He hasnt expressed skepticism about extra government support for veterans, been photographed in bizarre situations, gotten crosswise with Trump campaign leadership or tangled with fellow statewide Republican elected officials all of which one or both of his opponents have done. Kehoes introductory bio ad was one of the best Ive seen. That doesnt mean I liked every word of it. But Im not the target audience. It effectively situated Kehoes origin story (single mom, six kids, washed cars to help pay the bills, there was no entitlement) in juxtaposition to Ashcrofts adolescence in the governors mansion, emphasized his successful business career, and demonstrated his agricultural bona fides to rural Missouri despite his urban upbringing. Kehoes financial edge enabled him to define himself early, his PAC having been up on TV since February in Springfield and St. Louis, and for the past month statewide. That significant, sustained ad buy pulled Kehoe into a virtual tie with Ashcroft, according to the two latest polls. And Kehoe will likely carry that financial advantage through Election Day, because if he could raise several million dollars while being down 20 points in nearly every poll for a year, then hell surely be able to return to many of those donors and persuade them to double down now that the race is a dogfight. Hell likely raise millions more for the final month because if you can raise $10 million despite no poll ever showing you within single digits, imagine what you can raise when two new polls have you tied. This could produce a virtuous circle with money driving polling, and polling driving money. Jay Ashcroft Its difficult to compete with one hand tied behind your back, and thats essentially what Ashcroft and Eigel have been trying to do for most of this year while Kehoes PAC has been up in two of the states largest markets. Yet, despite running tons of ads attacking Ashcroft without any rebuttal from Ashcrofts campaign or PAC, Kehoes PAC has not been able to drive up Ashcrofts negatives enough to kill him off. And Ashcrofts name ID 50 years worth of it! remains. The downside of that is, despite having name ID hovering around 90% among frequent primary voters, Ashcroft has been stuck around 30% for most of the race. Thats an awful lot of folks who are familiar with a product but not yet sold on it. Ashcrofts theory of the race goes something like this. For five months, Kehoes had the airwaves entirely to themselves. His campaign has introduced him with slick bio ads and his PAC has kicked the crap out of us. And yet were still standing, even or slightly ahead, and now we finally get to untie our hobbled arm and fight back at close to even strength on the airwaves. Lets see how Kehoe fares once his record is exposed. Fighting back means that Ashcrofts campaign begins to define himself with positive ads, and that Ashcrofts PAC attacks Kehoes support for the gas tax to try and make Tax Hike Mike the first thing voters conjure when they hear Kehoes name. Ashcrofts central challenge is one of momentum and inertia: given Kehoes relentless accumulation of money, endorsements and broader support via media buys, there hasnt been a week this cycle when hes been in a stronger position than he was in the week before. Can Ashcrofts PAC buy, which just began, finally change that? And in an era of Trump-fueled anti-establishment rage, can someone with such an established last name claim the insurgent mantle? Bill Eigel Back in my holiday column, I presented various Missouri politicos with Christmas gifts, and bestowed upon Eigel a tumultuous session that boosts a burn-it-all-down candidacy, noting that unlike everyone else on this list, he can gift this to himself. And much to the chagrin of Senate leadership, thats exactly what he did. In the first column of this series, I noted Eigels particular rhetorical gift at framing populist issues. I wrote that absent Ashcrofts brand name and Kehoes money, Eigels campaign hinged on his ability to successfully leverage the Senate floor to capture the attention of grassroots conservatives and mobilize them behind his candidacy. While Eigel had ephemeral successes in doing so especially after Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden martyred him by taking his prime parking space I doubt that most of his session maneuvers have stuck with many voters, or will stick through Election Day. Voters and Im absolutely including myself here have the attention spans of amoebas. While initiative petition reform certainly animated the Freedom Caucuss parliamentary tactics during session and got a band of activists fired up, it didnt spread much beyond the activist base. Does Eigel have the majority of die-hards who show up at county committee meetings? I believe that he does. But as a process issue, IP reform just doesnt carry the emotional valence of hot-button issues like immigration or crime that better resonate with the conservative base. I spent nearly 50 hours straight in the Senate gallery during a filibuster near the end of session flanked at times by a couple of activists who wanted to see IP reform pass, and even they werent backing Eigel. It wasnt because they didnt like his policy stances; indeed, they loved them. It was because they doubted his odds of winning, and believed Ashcroft was the strategic choice for conservative activists. Eigel will keep the diehards hes methodically courted since losing his Senate leadership race years ago. If your civic engagement is focused on the ability to use precious metals as legal tender, youre probably voting for him. But much of his rhetorical fire this session focused on such niche issues. Despite his oratorical flair and the prodigious organizational talents of brawler/manager Sophie Shore, he lacked the money to reach a sufficiently broad audience. That explains why the turn card, a Jack, didnt move Eigel closer towards a winning hand. With his continuing struggle to move beyond single digits in the polls, trial attorneys rather than stalwart conservatives aligned with his platform constituting his only remaining funding source and the low-dollar fundraising kerfuffle that incited displeasure among top Trump aides precluding a Trump endorsement, Im not seeing a catalyst that could vault Eigel to victory. Poker and political probabilities So where does this leave us? Sitting on the nut straight that is, the highest possible straight, since it goes to the ace Kehoe is the new favorite, since his straight edges out Ashcrofts 3-of-a-kind. But hes only a slight favorite. Thats because the river card is still to come, and there are many cards out there that could return Ashcroft to the lead. Both four-of-a-kind and a full house three of a kind, plus a pair beat a straight. Which means that if the river card is a Jack, King, 10 or Six, Ashcroft wins. And so there are still 10 possible cards in the deck giving Ashcroft the win. What, in political terms, might those cards be? The first and most obvious would be a Trump endorsement of Ashcroft. Its not implausible. Ashcroft endorsed Trump early, and tonally is the Trumpier of the two leading candidates, despite Kehoes more recent pro-Trump posture. Youd have to assume that family patriarch John Ashcroft is working every angle he can, likely flagging Kehoes PACs association with Axiom, the firm of former Ron DeSantis strategist Jeff Roe who remains toxic in Trump-world. A second possibility would be if Ashcroft is able to effectively weaponize Kehoes support for the sale of farmland to China in 2013, or a 2021 gas tax increase. I doubt either is likely to move the needle very much, and heres why. On the former, Kehoes PAC spent the last few months muddying the waters on the China farmland issue by attacking Ashcrofts legislative testimony supporting the bill in question, rendering it somewhat harder for Ashcroft to land a clean shot at Kehoe. Im also skeptical that the gas tax issue will be the knockout punch. First, I paid $2.66/gallon in rural Missouri last week its around $3/gallon in the cities so the issue wont pack the punch it might have if gas were still $4/gallon. Second, the tax passed years ago, and while it still annoys some, its not especially onerous about $1 extra per tank. Third, other issues are animating the base the aforementioned issues of crime and immigration, and of course, the persecution of former president Donald Trump. (With the coming debate and the Republican National Convention a couple weeks later, any regional issue will struggle to penetrate the cacophony of national politics.) Finally, between the gubernatorial race, down ballot statewide primaries, and a very expensive St. Louis Democratic congressional clash, $25 million may be spent between today and Aug 6. So, it will be challenging, though not impossible, for $1 million of spending from Ashcrofts PAC to cut through all that clutter. Thats why I see Kehoe entering the primarys final phase with a slight, though far from insurmountable, edge. The post Missouris GOP gubernatorial primary as a hand of Texas Hold Em, part two: The turn appeared first on Missouri Independent. JOPLIN, Mo. Navigating campus is getting easier at Missouri Southern. New wayfinding signs now direct drivers to their destination making it easier to locate places like Billingsly Student Center or Reynolds Hall. The project replaces dozens of signs on campus with the new version sporting school colors and the lion mascot. More on MSSU We have 600 acres here at Missouri Southern with a number of buildings over the last 75 years. So it certainly has become a need for wayfinding because its not a small campus and its not simple. Particularly folks who have never been to Missouri Southern before, said Dr. Brad Hodson, MSSU Exec. VP. The biggest signs also have a bonus safety message on the back like Buckle Up-Phone Down. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. A top Republican candidate for Missouri attorney general was charged with two crimes related to underage drinking while at college. In 2007, Will Scharf was charged with serving alcohol to minors and creating a nuisance at an off-campus club when he was a senior at Princeton University. The charges were later dismissed. The Daily Princetonian, the colleges student newspaper, covered the charges against Scharf at the time. The newspaper reported that Scharfs attorney, Rocco Cipparone, had threatened to file a civil lawsuit against the police department but that lawsuit did not happen. Scharfs prior criminal history, first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has resurfaced as he prepares to face off against Attorney General Andrew Bailey in the Republican primary this August. A political action committee supporting Baileys campaign has started to run ads highlighting the charges against Scharf. Previous criminal citations against Bailey have also resurfaced in the campaign. Scharf, in an interview with The Star, said that there was absolutely no evidence he did anything wrong. He went on to criticize Baileys campaign and framed the resurfaced charges as a political attack. As soon as the case made it into court, it was dismissed unconditionally, he said. I think its outrageous that instead of talking about the very real issues facing Missourians today, Andrew Bailey and his people want to drag up something that happened two decades ago that really has no bearing on anything in this race. Scharf, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and policy director for former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, is mounting a campaign to unseat Bailey, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. Scharf currently serves as one of former President Donald Trumps lawyers. The charges occurred when Scharf was serving as president of one of the colleges eating clubs, a group of social organizations in which students dine and study. Scharfs club held a party in which one student poured beer on another student, resulting in a punch being thrown, according to a newspaper report at the time. The initial police investigation determined that alcohol had been served to minors. Scharf told The Star he was not present at the party but was charged. After the charges were dropped, Cipparone, Scharfs attorney, said that one of the people involved in the altercation, in a videotaped interview with police, clearly and unequivocally said she was not served alcohol by anyone affiliated with Scharfs club, according to a report at the time. Even though they were dismissed, the charges against Scharf loomed over his senior year of college. He told the student newspaper at the time that they affected his applications to law school. Ive had one nervous breakdown. I am sure my thesis adviser thinks I am going crazy, Scharf said in a statement to the student newspaper. The Republican candidate went on to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2011. Mike Hafner, a spokesperson for Baileys campaign, attacked Scharf in an emailed statement. Its clear that Will Scharf and his campaign owe Missourians a clear explanation on why he threatened to sue police for doing their job, he said. We hope Eating Clubs can be safe spaces for all and not like Sodom and Gomorrah. Scharf, in the interview with The Star, criticized Baileys time as attorney general. I think the people of Missouri are much more concerned with Andrew Baileys consistent failures in court and the special interest and lobbyist deals that hes cut practically from the first day that he got into office, he said. The revelations of the years-old criminal histories of both Scharf and Bailey come as the August primary election approaches. Peverill Squire, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, pointed to the similarities between the two candidates on policy issues. Given that there is no daylight between Bailey and Scharf on almost all of the issues, the campaign has degenerated into character attacks, Squire said in an email. The main street Republicans left in the party will have to decide which of the two candidates they find less objectionable. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, June 25. There are 14 investment projects in Turkmenistan with the participation of South Korean companies, the amount of which currently exceeds $11 billion, Trend reports. This was stated by the Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, at the Turkmen-Korean Business Forum on June 11. He noted that these include the construction of a sulfur gas purification plant at the Galkynysh field, the construction of a gas chemical complex for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene in Kiyanli, the modernization of the Turkmenbashi oil processing complex, and the purchase of 1,630 units of buses and 300 units of Hyundai passenger taxi cars. Berdimuhamedov added that at the same time, the construction of two cargo ships continues at the Balkan shipyard and ship repair plant in Turkmenistan with the participation of the South Korean Koryo Shipbuilding Industry Technology Co., Ltd. Meanwhile, the Turkmen-Korean Business Forum was held within the framework of the state visit of the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, to Turkmenistan. He visited Turkmenistan as part of a working visit to Central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. In line with these visits, South Korea plans to hold a six-party summit with Central Asian countries next year, namely Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and hold the first series of meetings in South Korea. The mother shared a video on social media claiming she had cancer Getty A Woman Is Holding A Credit Card, Typing on A Laptop An Australian mother of four has been charged with fraud after sharing a video on social media in which she pleads for donations while claiming to have cancer which according to authorities, was a lie. Tara Enoka, 35, was charged earlier this month, a spokesperson with the Western Australia Police Force tells PEOPLE. Authorities allege Tara Enoka gained roughly $37,000 in donations while lying about having the illness. Authorities allege that Enoka, 35, was the beneficiary of a GoFundMe fundraiser which fooled donors into giving her money to battle a purported cancer diagnosis. The GoFundMe page was allegedly set up by another man who stated the fundraiser was to assist a woman who is known to him who had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition, the spokesperson with the Western Australian Police Force says. "At this time, there is no allegation the male person who created the fundraising account was aware the womans claims were not true," the police spokesperson adds. In the video, which remains uploaded on YouTube, Enoka says: Ive never been the type of person thats ever asked anyone for help. And in the past couple of weeks Ive learned that its OK to ask for help. Choking back tears, Enoka then tells viewers that she was diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer. She then says the money being raised for her would be used for treatments that would potentially save my life. Enoka tells viewers about her four children and shows photos of her with them, breaking down at the end of the minute-long video as she explains that shes raising money so that I can be here for my kids to watch them grow up before a man comes into frame and hugs her. She also implores users to spread the hashtag #StandWithTara. On another YouTube page, Enoka describes herself as an aspiring boxer from Western Australia who is also a mother of four and says shes working full time in the community care sector. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The Western Australian Police Force spokesperson says Enoka received donations from more than 500 people in 16 different countries between March and September 2021. During that time, she transferred roughly $36,000 into her personal bank account. It isn't immediately clear whether Enoka has entered a plea in response to the criminal charge. Enoka is due back in court in August. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Mom Allegedly Claimed She Squeezed Baby Daughter Too Hard While Burping Her. Now She's Charged in Her Death Brooke Kessler, 33, allegedly claimed that she became irritated with the baby and probably squeezed her daughter too hard while burping her Western Regional Jail Brooke Kessler A West Virginia mother has been charged with death of a child by parent or guardian after her newborn baby died at a hospital, according to multiple news outlets. An investigation into Brooke Kessler, 33, of Hurricane, began on June 20 after staff at a hospital where her 16-day-old baby was being treated told state police troopers that the babys injuries appeared to be suspicious, according to WSAZ, WOWK-TV and WCHS-TV. Police said in a criminal complaint that the baby had "multiple, serious injuries, noting that she had bruising on her throat, eye and head, along with a broken arm and ribs, WCHS-TV reports. On June 23, the baby died after being taken off life support, police said, according to WSAZ. Investigators later spoke with Kessler, the babys mother, who allegedly claimed that she became irritated with the baby and probably squeezed her daughter too hard while burping her, per the complaint cited by WCHS-TV. The complaint further alleges that Kessler said she did not intend to squeeze that hard. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to WOWK-TV, Kessler is being held in the Western Regional Jail. Its unclear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Marina Del Rey The president of a California Moms for Liberty chapter went viral this week after a video surfaced of her freaking out at a drag queen in the lobby of a hotel. Beth Bourne, president of the Yolo County chapter of the right-wing group, was staying at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii when she spotted the group of performers. Among them was Marina Del Rey, a local Hawaiian who was slated to perform for a Drag Brunch event at the resort. Del Rey began recording Bourne who, shakily recording herself, berated the group, calling their outfits degrading and insinuating they were misogynistic. While on vacation in Hawaii, this Karen gets shaking mad when she sees a drag queen in the lobby for a Pride Celebration brunch. Most mainlander haoles are unaware that Mahu have been an integral and accepted part of Polynesian society for hundreds of years. pic.twitter.com/FvGcroXbGh StrictlyChristo (@StrictlyChristo) June 24, 2024 Are you in the hotel? Are you dressed up? Are you a man? Are you a man pretending to be a woman? Bourne frantically fired off questions at the queens. What do you think about my son, who might think that he can put on makeup and put on fancy clothing and high heels and have his penis cut off and take estrogen so he can grow fake boobs like those? Bourne added, I paid to be a customer at a hotel where I thought you believed that women were real. As hotel staff attempt to escort her out, Bourne cries for the police to come. Her cries for the police are answered shortly after when they arrived at the hotel to escort her from the property, according to a pair of social media posts made by Del Rey and Bourne after the bizarre incident. Im not here to figure her out, incite hate against her, or call her names Im here to remind you, many meet worse daily, the ugliness of this happens without regard to where, why, how etc.Even in the lobby of your hotel, Del Rey wrote in her post. Bourne posted her side of the interaction, as well as her interaction with the police afterwards, to her X account. Notes from Waikiki, HI: I am not okay with children being exposed to drag queens. Several other Alohilani hotel guests told me they also found it offensive so I spoke up to the manager yesterday. I was briefly detained by @honolulupolice, refunded my hotel charges, and have no pic.twitter.com/LDoq7MEOQr Beth Bourne (@bourne_beth2345) June 24, 2024 I am not okay with children being exposed to drag queens, she wrote. Several other Alohilani hotel guests told me they also found it offensive so I spoke up to the manager yesterday. I was briefly detained by @honolulupolice, refunded my hotel charges, and have no regrets for speaking up. Bourne, who is a program manager of UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, was condemned by her university in a statement on Tuesday. We are aware of a widely circulated video in which a university employee makes a number of offensive statements, the university wrote in the statement. We condemn these statements as deeply hurtful. While the employees comments are protected by the First Amendment, they do not reflect the values of respect and belonging that form the foundation of our campus community. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A single positive measles case in Monongalia County cost the local health department more than $15,000. (Getty Images) Last week, West Virginia Watchs Lori Kersey reported that the Monongalia County Health Department spent over $15,000 in response to one case of measles. One case. The patient who had only received one dose of the measles vaccine potentially exposed approximately 160 people to the measles virus before they started to show symptoms. Fifteen staff members of the health department spent a collective 250 hours doing contact tracing, meaning they had to contact people who were possibly exposed daily for two weeks to make sure they werent showing symptoms. Dr. Lee Smith, health officer for the Monongalia County health department, said that money isnt in the yearly budget. Thats just doing public health work. Smith described it as an arduous and a difficult task. Im telling you that we spent over $15,000, 250 man hours, 15 people on a single case, he said. I cant imagine, I would have lost my mind had we [had] a third, fourth [measles case]. Smith is lucky. West Virginia has some of the strictest vaccination requirements in the United States. Its one of only five states that doesnt allow religious or philosophical exemptions only medical exemptions are permitted. Medical experts often credit those requirements for the states great immunization rates. All West Virginia health departments participate in the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines for parents and guardians who are unable to afford them. That didnt stop the West Virginia Legislature from trying to loosen those restrictions earlier this year. During this past session, both chambers passed House Bill 5105, which would have allowed the states private and parochial schools to establish their own vaccination policies. Gov. Jim Justice vetoed that bill. What would have happened if someone in another county tested positive for measles? Monongalia Countys health department has 84 employees one of the largest in the state. They were able to move 15 staff members to contact tracing. What would have happened to a smaller county that doesnt even have 15 employees? How would they have been able to call patients daily for two weeks to try to stop the spread? Measles is highly contagious. The virus can spread for up to two hours through the air after an infected person leaves an area, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease can lead to hospitalization (which will be expensive), pneumonia (also expensive to treat), swelling of the brain ($$$) and even death a very high price to pay for not getting two doses of a vaccine. The World Health Organization estimated that measles killed more than 130,000 people in 2022 most of which were children. There is no scenario where getting the actual measles infection is somehow better for your child than getting the vaccine, said Priya Soni, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Cedars-Sinai Guerin Childrens. If West Virginia didnt have such a high vaccination rate, this could have been a disaster. Look around us in 2024 alone, theres been between one to nine confirmed cases in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Florida has had 12 cases, and Illinois has had an outbreak with 67 cases. The U.S. has had 11 outbreaks (meaning three or more cases) this year compared to four in 2023. In 2000, measles was considered to be completely eliminated in the United States. New cases were only found when someone contracted the disease when traveling abroad and returned to the U.S., according to the CDC. Now because of vaccine hesitancy, outbreaks are becoming more common. And some of the most vulnerable children under 5 must depend on their parents or guardians to get them both doses of the vaccine. How much money would have been spent if another person had been infected? And if that person infected another person? And it kept going and going? How many thousands would be spent trying to stop the spread of the disease? What programs would have lost funding because money had to be spent on measles, a disease that was once completely eliminated? The case in Morgantown was just a tiny taste of what could happen here if lawmakers loosen vaccine requirements. While legislators say they want health freedom, their actions could have real consequences, including potentially costing some West Virginians their lives. The post Mon County measles case great example of why vaccinations are so important appeared first on West Virginia Watch. From left, Daniel Botmann, Managing Director of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Felix Klein, Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, Bianca Loy, Scientific Officer at the Federal Association RIAS e.V., and Benjamin Steinitz, Managing Director of the Federal Association RIAS e.V. (Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism), present the annual report "Antisemitic Incidents in Germany 2023" by the Federal Association RIAS at a press conference in Berlin, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A group that tracks antisemitism in Germany said Tuesday it recorded an overall increase of more than 80% in incidents last year, with well over half of the total coming after Hamas' attack on Israel in early October. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP) BERLIN (AP) A group that tracks antisemitism in Germany said Tuesday it recorded an overall increase of more than 80% in incidents last year, with well over half of the total coming after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in early October. The RIAS group said it recorded 4,782 antisemitic incidents in 2023, ranging from anti-Jewish comments to attacks. That compared with 2,616 in 2022. The group said that 2,787 of last year's recorded incidents more than the previous year's total took place after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Those incidents included a mid-October attack on a synagogue in Berlin, which caused widespread alarm. The incidents RIAS documented last year included seven cases classified as extreme violence, which did or could endanger lives or result in severe injury, 121 attacks, 329 cases of targeted damage to property, 183 threats and 4,060 incidences of offensive behavior. An open ... but above all carefree Jewish life has become even less possible in Germany as well since Oct. 7, said Benjamin Steinitz, the director of RIAS, or Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism. Of last year's incidents, 1,583 took place in the street, more than double the previous year's figure, and 999 on the internet an increase from 853 in 2022. RIAS recorded 471 incidents at educational institutions and 311 on public transport, both more than double the previous year. A senior official with Germany's Central Council of Jews, Daniel Botmann, said that we are not currently seeing the effect of an emigration of Jews from Germany," contrasting that with movement that has been seen from neighboring France in recent years. Gov. Wes Moore (D) at a recent Cabinet meeting in Caroline County. Photo by Joe Andrucyk/Executive Office of the Governor. Gov. Wes Moores former campaign manager, who spent the last year and a half as a senior adviser and director of engagement to the governor, has left the administration to help run a new super PAC that aims to defeat former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in the U.S. Senate election. Ned Millers new assignment is part of a recent reshuffling of some of Moores top advisers movement that includes the departure of a deputy chief of staff, Lucinda Ware, and the arrival of a new chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D). The exit of Miller and Ware from the State House means two of the governors savviest political strategists are out of the administration. But both remain part of Moores political orbit. Miller left the administration recently to work as a campaign adviser to several candidates and political entities, both in Maryland and beyond. But his primary task is to help helm the Unity First PAC, which was registered with the Federal Election Commission in April. There is little public information available to date about the PACs mission and who set it up. It was registered by Blue Summit Solutions, a national Democratic compliance firm that does campaign finance work, and a Blue Summit executive serves as the committee treasurer. Coincidentally, Miller offers a testimonial on Blue Summits website. Sophia Silbergeld, Moores top political fundraiser and a general adviser for his campaign activities, said Monday that, Unity First supports Democratic candidates in Maryland to ensure we maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate and retake the majority in the House of Representatives. While the super PAC was created to spotlight and play in potentially competitive congressional races in the state, multiple Maryland Democrats said it was primarily organized in opposition to Hogans Senate candidacy, which means it is likely to start putting out anti-Hogan ads and literature deeper into the campaign season. Early donors will be made public when the next quarterly campaign finance reports are submitted to the FEC in mid-July. Hogan is running for the open U.S. Senate seat against Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), a close ally of Moores. Ware, meanwhile, who had one of the longest political resumes in the administration and was one of Moores few top staffers with significant government experience at the state and local level has left to reignite her political consulting business. But Moores campaign committee is a principal client of Wares, and among other things she is focusing on the governors national political work as he becomes a top surrogate for President Bidens reelection and other Democratic campaigns. Obviously this is a huge cycle in Maryland and the governor is committed to keeping Maryland blue, said Connor Lounsbury, a spokesperson for Moores political operation. Before Ware left the State House, Moore promoted two other top aides to deputy chief of staff jobs Emmanuel Welsh, who had been the governors liaison to the Board of Public Works, and Pokuaa Owusu-Acheaw, who had been the lieutenant governors chief of staff. Pokuaa Owusu-Acheaw, deputy chief of staff to Gov. Wes Moore (D). Photo by Joe Andrucyk/Executive Office of the Governor. Owusu-Acheaw was handling both roles for several weeks, but two weeks ago Miller brought on a new chief of staff, Geri Royale Byrd. For the past two-plus years, Byrd has been director of community and external affairs for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and before that she worked for Mayson-Dixon Properties and Development in Baltimore. Byrds government experience includes three-plus years in administrative jobs in Baltimore City Hall under former Mayors Jack Young (D) and Catherine Pugh (D) and time working in the U.S. Treasury Department during the Obama administration. Geri stood out immediately as the right person for this role, and I am confident that she has the experience, expertise, and drive needed to support improved outcomes for Marylanders, the lieutenant governor said in a statement. Geri understands the unique opportunities and challenges within our state and region based on her past work, and she has a proven track record of advancing change through effective partnership building. Two other high-level staffers left the Moore administration in recent weeks for political jobs. Nick London, who had been a special assistant to the governor, exited shortly before the Maryland primary in the spring to become campaign manager for former U.S. Commerce Department official April McClain Delaney (D) in the 6th District. During the 2022 campaign he had served as a field director for Moore and a get-out-the-vote coordinator for the Maryland Democratic Party. Shelby Friedman, who had been a special assistant to Fagan Harris, Moores chief of staff, and later was secretary to the Moore Cabinet, left the administration in April to become finance coalitions deputy director at the Democratic National Committee. She had also worked for Moores campaign, as deputy finance director and then as development director for the Moore-Miller inaugural committee. The post Moores ex-campaign manager helping to run a new anti-Hogan PAC appeared first on Maryland Matters. Pilgrim's Progress This year's hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has been deadly, with more than 1,300 Muslims dying this month, according to the Associated Press, due to extreme hot weather that has averaged over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fatalities are not new to the hajj, which has been beset by deadly stampedes and disease outbreak, but this most recent incident underscores the growing impact of global warming and climate change to Saudi Arabia, which has warmed up considerably compared to other regions. Regarding this year's deaths, Saudi health officials told the AP that more than 80 percent of them were "unauthorized pilgrims" meaning they did not have a dedicated, exclusive hajj travel visa. Some had snuck into the hajj via a regular tourist visa to Saudi Arabia, which does not include the hajj. Because they didn't have authorized access, they had to walk long distances and had no hotel reservation for rest and recuperation from the extreme heat. Holy Mission The extreme heat could be a sign of climate change's impact on Saudi Arabia and the hajj pilgrimage, which is a requirement for every Muslim who has the money and the physical capability to complete it, and is considered the largest gathering in the world with around 2 million visitors each year. A study that came out in March in the Journal of Travel Medicine pointed out that temperatures in Mecca, where the hajj converges, have increased steadily over the last 40 years, with average dry temperature ticking up by 0.72 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. And a 2021 study published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology revealed that Saudi Arabia has become warmer since 1979 at a rate 50 percent higher compared to other regions in the Northern Hemisphere. "If the current trend persists into the future, human survival in the region will be impossible without continuous access to air conditioning," wrote the researchers. This represents a challenge to the hajj, which is performed out in the open air and becomes unbearable if held during the summer months. (Hajj season varies year to year depending on the lunar calendar.) Though it's considered a blessing if you perish during the hajj, more deaths from escalating heat during future hajjs is a tragedy waiting to happen. More on extreme heat: Experts Fear Horrifying Heat Waves That Could Kill Tens of Thousands of People at Once About 8 people are still missing in New Mexico wildfires, mayor says, as Ruidoso residents allowed to return As the search for more victims continues, residents of Ruidoso, New Mexico, were allowed to enter the village Monday for the first time since a pair of wildfires converged on the community, causing massive destruction. The search and rescue teams are in there. Theyre with canines, and theyre still going property to property to property, Mayor Lynn Crawford told radio station KRUI-AM Monday. Eight or less individuals are still missing as of Tuesday, Crawford said. Among the missing are Ruidoso residents who authorities have not been able to get in touch with or people who were in the area on vacation in a short-term rental. The mayor said he couldnt reveal the names or details of the missing people. Two people were confirmed dead and 29 were initially identified as missing on Monday, Crawford said. A large section of the village where searches continue has been designated a no entry or exclusion zone, he added. The good news is that we still havent found any loss of life, other than the two victims, the mayor said. We have not found any bodies or any human remains, and so, we are so pleased about that. The South Fork and Salt Fires, which began last week, have destroyed more than 25,000 acres, with the South Fork Fire 37% contained and the Salt Fire 7% contained, according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team. More than 1,000 firefighting personnel are battling the wildfires, and FBI special agents are helping figure out what started them. The fires keep burning as the nation grapples this week with more extreme heat the deadliest form of weather globally and one that makes wildfires more likely and destructive. In Ruidoso, two wildfire deaths have been confirmed: One victim was identified as Patrick Pearson, 60, who was staying at the Swiss Chalet Inn that was destroyed in the fire; state police have not confirmed the others identity. The look on the childrens faces when you know they dont understand, Crawford told CNN affiliate KOAT, when you see the people, the looks on their faces its very difficult. CNNs Stephanie Elam and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com MORRO BAY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A beach in Morro Bay is closed after there was a broken sewage main at a hotel in the area, according to the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department. Officials say a broken sewage main at The Inn in Morro Bay located at 60 State Park Road caused sewage to daylight on the property and flow into a storm drain, releasing an estimated 7,600 gallons of sewage into the Morro Bay Harbor. According to officials, there is no public beach access at the location of the sewage release, and beach access locations immediately north and south of the sewage release have been posted with advisory signs. Officials say the beach closure will remain in place until bacteriological levels are below California state standards and determined safe for ocean water recreation. Public Health Department officials advise the public to avoid ocean water contact 50 yards north and south of the release location. Contact with the ocean water while swimming or surfing may increase the risk for certain types of illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting, and diarrhea. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, June 25. The 16th specialized exhibition of food and agriculture called Iran AgroFood will be held in Ashgabat city, the capital of Turkmenistan, from August 27 through 29, 2024, Trend reports. According to the Iranian Embassy in Turkmenistan, agriculture machinery, customized seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals from Iran's agro-industrial complex will be on display. Manufacturers and entrepreneurs of food packaging, innovative technologies, and knowledge-intensive companies from Iran will present their products and opportunities. To recall, in November last year, a specialized exhibition of Iran called Iran Proze was held in Ashgabat, where products of Iran's agro-industrial complex, agricultural machinery, modified seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals were presented. The three-day event was attended then by about 100 Iranian companies working in the fields of construction products, technical and engineering services, hydropower, energy, oil, gas, petrochemicals, education, and trade. Editors Note: The sheriffs office has clarified Goracke passed away at a hospital in Kansas City, not a local hospital. This change has been added to the story below. TOPEKA (KSNT) The Shawnee County Sheriffs Office says the mother of a 9-year-old boy who was killed on June 20 has died at a local hospital. The sheriffs office says Shyla M. Goracke, 29, of Topeka died at a Kansas City hospital on Monday, June 24. She was arrested in connection to the death of her 9-year-old son after an incident on Southwest Worwick Town Road near Sherwood Lake. This embedded content is not available in your region. When deputies arrived they found the child suffering from multiple wounds to the chest and neck. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. 27 News discovered the woman who owns the house where the incident took place also owns MuttStaches Mobile Grooming. A company van was seen in the driveway of the home where the child was found dead. Kansas attorney general halts Biden student loan plan A post was made Wednesday on the shops Facebook saying she was shutting her business down. It kills me to still have to go this route, but I would never do anything like this if I felt it wasnt my only option I had. At the end of the day, I have to take care of my son and myself. MuttStaches Mobile Grooming statement excerpt For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Mother says she texted her son 30 minutes before he was shot, killed by Clayton County officer A mother says her son just graduated from high school a month ago and had plans for the future. Now, 18-year-old Hakim Al-Nas is dead after an officer shot him while responding to a suspicious person call. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Al-Nass mother says his death has devastated her family. It has broken us, Chanteris Durham told Channel 2s Tom Jones. She says her son was looking forward to all the world had to offer. He was happy to graduate. He was happy to have his own independence, Durham explained. Then Monday evening around 4:30 p.m. it all came to an end. Thats when Clayton County police say they arrived at a vacant home on Chippewa Drive on a suspicious person call. Police Chief Kevin Roberts says as officers worked to detain three of the four teens in the back of the house, an armed Hakim made a threatening move. The officer perceived that that suspect was moving toward the officers who were also in the rear removing another suspect from the vacant residence. TRENDING STORIES: The officer shot and killed Hakim. Three others were taken into custody. The fence went like (this), neighbor Rodrecus Hancock showed Jones, as he shook the fence that separates his home from the home where the shooting took place. Hancock says he watched the entire incident unfold. He believes that the rattling of the fence was Hakim trying to get away. If you coming towards the officer why would you hear this fence? he asked. Hakims mother didnt want to discuss what happened. But says she needs the truth about her sons last moments. I definitely want answers for my family. For my sons. Durham says she communicated with her son 30 minutes before he was killed. He had texted me and just told me that he was going pick up one of his friends, That was the last communication. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation initially said the four teens were outside of the home when police arrived. They now say two of them were climbing out of the back window, while two remained inside. Jones is still trying to clear up why the GBI said Hakim was running away, while police said he was coming toward them. The GBI will investigate this case and then forward their results to the Clayton County district attorney for her review. IN OTHER NEWS: MSCS has a chronic absenteeism rate of 28%. Here's what the district plans to do about it In May, Memphis-Shelby County Schools leaders brought the districts principals together for a meeting. And whether they led an elementary, middle, or high school, every principal shared the same challenge: chronic absenteeism. Rates for the recently concluded 2023-24 academic year havent been released yet, but in the 2022-23 academic year, MSCS logged a chronic absenteeism rate of 28.1% which equates to nearly 29,000 students. These were students who were enrolled for at least half of the school year but were absent for 10% or more of it. When you look at the number of truant students, the percentage is even higher. A truant student can be enrolled at any point in the year and has at least five unexcused absences. Last year, the district had a truancy rate of 40% or almost 45,000 students. This can have an adverse effect on student performance. So, as it looks to the upcoming academic year, MSCS is planning to combat chronic absenteeism and truancy by placing more attendance agents in schools. And if all goes according to plan, this should help improve student performance. Memphis-Shelby County Schools teachers get ready for the new school year. Ashlee Marshall, fifth grade math teacher, has her classroom ready for her students starting on next week at Snowden on August 4, 2023 at Snowden Elementary School in Memphis, Tenn. On the other side, the outcome is that your chronic absenteeism rate will decrease, said MSCS Chief Financial Officer Tito Langston during a board retreat on June 1. Then your achievement, growth, and all of those things will increase, because of attendance. As part of its fiscal year 2025 proposed budget, MSCS has plans to place attendance agents in 54 schools that have a chronic absenteeism rate of 25% or more. These are all schools that MSCS has designated Supe Schools, which received a D or F letter grade from the Tennessee Department of Education. With each of the 54 attendance agents coming at a price tag of about $53,800, the initiative is expected to cost the district $2.9 million. But this is also money the district could make back, given how MSCS and other public schools in Tennessee receive state funding. The state funds K-12 schools through the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, and funding is based on both enrollment and attendance. The district receives funds per student, and if students are chronically absent, it can lower how much money MSCS receives from the state. In the 2024-25 academic year, MSCS is slated to receive about $783 million from Tennessee, as part of its proposed $1.8 billion budget. MSCS CFO Tito Langston speaks to board members at a board retreat on Saturday, June 1. Not to equate students to just money, but that's exactly the impact, for each student that is missing a certain amount of days, every 20-day period, Superintendent Marie Feagins said during a school board work session on June 18. This isnt the first time MSCS has tried to combat chronic absenteeism. In early March, about a month before Feagins stepped into the superintendent role, MSCS put out a press release detailing the work of attendance engagement specialists who were working with students at 25 schools struggling with their attendance rates. At the time, the specialists were monitoring attendance data and trying to mitigate factors that can lead to chronic absenteeism, like housing insecurity and healthcare access. MSCS also isnt the only district that has wrestled with increasing chronic absenteeism rates, as its an issue that has plagued schools throughout the nation especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Washington DC-based think tank the American Enterprise Institute, the national chronic absenteeism rate in 2019 was 15%. By 2022, it had jumped up to 28%. In 2023, it decreased slightly, to 26%, but remained well above pre-pandemic averages. John Klyce covers education and children's issues for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at John.klyce@commercialappeal.com. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis-Shelby County Schools plans to combat chronic absenteeism rate Police allegedly fired live ammunition at anti-government protesters in Kenya's capital on Tuesday, as thousands of people demonstrated against proposed tax hikes in the East African nation. At least five people were shot dead during Tuesday's clashes between police and protesters in Nairobi, according to Amnesty International. Another 31 people were injured, the organization said. There were also 52 arrests, per Amnesty International. Images and videos circulating online purportedly show several protesters with bullet wounds in the Kenyan capital. PHOTO: Police use a water canon to disperse demonstrators during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes and the Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 25, 2024. (Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: Protesters react after being pushed by Kenya Police officers while demonstrating during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes and the Finance Bill 2024 in downtown Nairobi, on June 25, 2024. (Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images) Kenya announced the country's armed forces were responding "in support of the National Police Service in response to the security emergency caused by the ongoing violent protests in various parts of the Republic of Kenya resulting in destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure." The Kenya Human Rights Commission posted video on the social media platform X showing police shooting at protesters as they marched near Nairobi City Hall. The watchdog body said its staff witnessed at least one protester die from the gunshots. "We strongly condemn the police killing," the Kenya Human Rights Commission wrote in a post on X. "Such actions are unacceptable and constitute a grave violation of human rights. Justice and accountability are imperative. We will vigorously push for police accountability." Scores of protesters were seen breaching the complex housing Kenya's Parliament, where lawmakers had just voted to approve a contentious finance bill that raises some taxes. A section of the building was set on fire, forcing lawmakers to evacuate. PHOTO: People attend a demonstration against Kenya's proposed finance bill 2024/2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2024. (Monicah Mwangi/Reuters) In a joint statement from embassies of several countries, including the United States, Netherlands and Germany, they said, "We are deeply concerned by the violence witnessed in many parts of the country during the recent protests, and are especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament. We regret the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained including by the use of live fire." The Biden administration has cultivated a close relationship with Kenyan President William Ruto, naming the country a major non-NATO ally and honoring Ruto with a state visit just last month. "We condemn the violence reported during protests in Nairobi and around Kenya," State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said, reading from a statement at a briefing Tuesday. "We mourn the loss of life and injuries sustained and offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones. We urge restraint to restore order and provide space for dialogue." MORE: Kenyan protesters clash with police over controversial tax bill The demonstrations have also been taking place nationwide, including in Ruto's hometown of Eldoret. At least 12 people have been allegedly abducted or have forcibly disappeared in connection to the ongoing protests, according to Kenya's Police Reforms Working Group. The abductions reportedly occurred over the past five days, intensifying on Monday. In a statement posted on X, Kenyan Chief Justice Martha Koome said the reports of protesters being abducted are of "deep concern" and a "direct assault on the rule of law." PHOTO: Police in riot gear surround a demonstrator on the ground during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes and the Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 25, 2024. (Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: A protester kicks a tear gas canister while demonstrating during a nationwide strike to protest against tax hikes and the Finance Bill 2024 in downtown Nairobi, on June 25, 2024. (Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images) Several notable Kenyan figures have joined in the nationwide demonstrations, including former U.S. President Barack Obama's half-sister, Auma Obama, who was among those protesting in Nairobi on Tuesday. Auma Obama, 64, was with a group of protesters being interviewed by CNN on a live broadcast when they were apparently tear-gassed. The controversial legislation in question is aimed at raising $2.7 billion in revenue to alleviate debt and reduce borrowing. But critics argue corruption and greed at the hands of Kenya's politicians have stolen money from the economy and that ordinary people should not be the ones to pay the price. Following protests last Tuesday, Ruto's office announced they made amendments to the bill "in account of the views of the people and other stakeholders during public participation sessions." Multiple deaths reported as police clash with anti-tax protesters in Kenya originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Multiple South Carolina homes were damaged Tuesday by an early-morning fire in Columbia, officials said. The 2-Alarm fire ripped through multiple homes in the Summit neighborhood, the Columbia Fire Department said in a news release. At about 1 a.m., members of the departments 1st Shift crews responded to the fire on Gardenhill Drive, according to the release. Thats in the northeast area of Columbia, near the junction of Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge Drive. Members of the Columbia Fire Department battle a 2-Alarm fire. The first firefighters on the scene found one home was fully involved as the blaze quickly spread through the house next door, the fire department said. This prompted the call for a second alarm and more help battling the smoke and flames, according to the release. The fire was ultimately brought under control and extinguished, the fire department said. Information about how long it took to put out the fire was not available. Occupants of all of the homes affected by the fire were able to safely escape, and there were no injuries, according to the fire department. Members of the Columbia Fire Department battle a 2-Alarm fire. Two homes were heavily damaged, while a third also suffered exposure damages because of the high heat, the fire department said. Information about the extent of the damages, and if the homes are considered total losses, was not available. The American Red Cross said its assisting 13 people whose homes were damaged by the fire. Its providing financial assistance for immediate needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, according to the Red Cross. There was no word about the cause of the fire, where it started, or if foul play is suspected. The Richland County Fire Marshal is investigating what caused the fire. Members of the Columbia Fire Department battle a 2-Alarm fire. The Red Cross urged people to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Every second counts when theres a home fire. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes, the Red Cross said. (Bloomberg) -- Myanmars junta leader Min Aung Hlaing made a rare apology to a prominent Buddhist monastery after its abbot was killed by security forces last week, a development that could trigger widespread protests among the monks who traditionally support the military. Most Read from Bloomberg Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture Tin Oo Lwin read out the junta chiefs letter in a live broadcast on the Win Neinmitayon Monasterys Facebook page late Monday. Investigations are underway and action will be seriously taken, he said. The apology is an attempt to defuse tensions as some in the Buddhist clergy are planning protests after the 78-year-old chief monk was shot dead by security forces last week in a village in central Myanmar. Junta-controlled media initially blamed resistance groups for the abbots death but a senior monk traveling with him said the regimes security officials were responsible. Protests by the monks have started on Monday in two townships in Sagaing region a key monastic center near Mandalay. The monks hold considerable sway in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar and have tended to back the junta over the pro-democracy groups. Min Aung Hlaing donated a fleet of luxury cars this month to members of the nations highest Buddhist authority to help them perform their religious duties, state media reported. Sitagu Sayadaw, a senior monk with close ties with the junta chief, told mourners at the Win Neinmitayon Monastery to forgive and forget the killing. If the government and monks cant work together, our country will have lots of trouble, he said in remarks broadcast on Facebook. Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa, the monk killed by junta troops, was a former member of Buddhist leadership council, but he has publicly condemned the military coup that toppled the Aung San Suu Kyi-led government in 2021. He was the head of one of Myanmars biggest monasteries, and his funeral will be held on Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) shared a searing assessment of what she thinks is in the cards for Donald Trump this election year, saying he will be an indicted, impeached, convicted loser again. The subject arose after CNNs Anderson Cooper asked the former House speaker how her husband, Paul Pelosi, is doing following the conviction of the man who broke into their San Francisco home in 2022 and bludgeoned him with a hammer. Hes making progress. Hes about 80% there, physically. Traumatically, its terrible, Pelosi told Cooper. She said they continued to be concerned about the incitement of these people by lies and other comments. But what was awful about it ... was that they made jokes about it, she continued, noting that Trump had made ridiculous statements about the attack. His son said stupid things, some of his supporters, and you know who they are, said awful things, and that was very hurtful to us, to our children, to our grandchildren, but more importantly, to our country, she continued. Who do they think they are? Well, you know what they are, theyre going to be losers in just a few months once again. Indicted, impeached, convicted loser again. Last year, Trump made light of the attack on the Pelosis, joking during rallies about the incident, which left Paul Pelosi with serious injuries, including a skull fracture. Days after the October 2022 violence, Donald Trump Jr. shared a picture of a hammer and a pair of underwear with the words Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready. The attacker, David DePape, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a federal judge in May. In a separate state trial, a San Francisco jury on Friday found him guilty on additional charges, including aggravated kidnapping, first-degree burglary, false imprisonment of an elder and threatening a family member of a public official. Trump, the presumptive presidential nominee for the GOP, was impeached twice during his presidency and acquitted both times by the Senate. He has been criminally indicted four times. Last month, he was convicted on 34 felony charges by a Manhattan jury in his hush money trial. Related... Two NASA astronauts have no set date to return to Earth and are stuck waiting aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to several mechanical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Starliner launched on June 5 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with flight commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and flight pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams onboard, arriving at the ISS one day later. The mission is part of the larger Commercial Crew Program at NASA, which was testing if Boeing's spacecrafts could be certified to perform routine missions to and from the ISS. MORE: Boeing's Starliner launches its 1st astronaut-crewed flight after several delays The pair were originally scheduled to return on June 14 but have since had their return delayed multiple times, and currently do not have a planned date to return to Earth. "We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking." PHOTO: The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5, 2024. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) Boeing and NASA have said the crew is currently not in danger because they are aboard the ISS with plenty of supplies in orbit, and the station's schedule is relatively open through mid-August. NASA and Boeing say Wilmore and Williams are "integrated" with the Expedition 71 crew aboard the ISS and are helping the crew with station operations as needed as well as completing "objectives" needed for NASA's possible certification of Starliner. "The crew's feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews," Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Starliner program, said in a statement. MORE: Boeing Starliner's first astronaut-crewed flight launch called off due to stuck valve Starliner has been plagued by issues even before launch. The flight test was originally tentatively scheduled for May 6, but was scrubbed after a problem with an oxygen valve on a rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), which manufactures and operates the rockets that launch spacecraft into orbit. A new launch date had been set for May 25, but a small helium leak was discovered in the service module, which contains support systems and instruments for operating a spacecraft. Helium leaks and a thruster issue then threatened to delay Starliner's docking. Five days after docking at the ISS, NASA and Boeing said the spacecraft was experiencing five "small" helium leaks and, at the time, said enough helium was available for the return mission. NASA astronauts stuck waiting aboard ISS to return to Earth amid issues with Boeing's Starliner originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, June 25. The Turkmen-Emirati Business Forum was held on June 25 in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat city, Trend reports. According to an official source, the event was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Batyr Atdayev, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mergen Gurdov, and a delegation of representatives of the government and business structures of the UAE headed by Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri. The forum participants discussed the trade, economic, export, and investment potential of the two countries and exchanged views on the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, the forum primarily focused on trade and economic sectors, energy, transportation, and communications, with bilateral meetings held to enhance cooperation. An exhibition was organized at the Expocenter of the Turkmen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, demonstrating the development and effectiveness of international investment and national projects in Turkmenistan, represented by relevant ministries, state concerns, and associations, as well as individual enterprises. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan and the UAE are strengthening their trade and economic cooperation through diverse initiatives, including the active development of mutual investments, the expansion of trade in various goods and services, and joint projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure, and digitalization. Both countries strive to strengthen partnerships that promote sustainable economic growth and cooperation within the framework of international economic initiatives and organizations. Strings of origami cranes decorate the entry hall in The Covenant School Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The decorations were sent by people around the country who were moved by the tragedy at this Christian elementary school. The school reopened in April 2024, a little over a year after three students and three adults were killed in a shooting at the school. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The first time families returned to The Covenant School in Nashville after a shooting last year that killed six people, they were gathering in the chapel when someone noticed a rainbow outside. The group streamed out to find a double rainbow in the clear blue sky with not a cloud or drop of rain in sight, said Christy Foster, Covenant director of communications. She began to tear up Tuesday as she recalled the moment while showing reporters the newly completed renovations of the private school, still recovering from the attack. To see all the children racing outside and playing under these rainbows it was so much hope, so much joy, so much of God saying, Ive got you. I've got you. You are not alone,' Foster said. Rainbows, a biblical symbol of hope, seemed to keep appearing in the sky after that. One showed up at the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ the school's temporary home for a year and again weeks later when they had a meeting at a different church in town, Covenant Head of School Trudy Waters said. Every time we would meet as a group, it felt like the rainbow would show up. And, you know, you just cant make that up, she said. A former student shot through the doors of the Christian elementary school on March 27, 2023, killing three children and three adults before being fatally shot by responding officers, police said. The attack was elaborately planned and the shooter had drawn a detailed map and conducted surveillance of the building, authorities have said. Today, the rainbow has become the overarching theme of the renovated building. A painting of the double rainbow as it appeared over the school after the shooting now decorates the front entry. There are also strings of rainbow-colored paper cranes, spontaneous gifts sent by people around the country who were moved by the tragedy here. They are really a reminder of all the people that have supported us, Waters said. That support has included a design business that donated time and materials to the renovation, which included new paint, carpet, furniture and decor. The Joel Foundation, led by entertainer Billy Joel and wife Alexis Joel, donated musical instruments and helped update the school's performing arts space. And many other groups and individuals contributed their time and talents. Covenant had considered not moving back into their old building, which shares a space with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, and school leaders heard many varying opinions on what was best, Waters said. In the end, we felt like our main way to survive and move forward would be to find the ability to be back in this space," she said. We spent a whole lot of, you know, not just time and money, but real energy in figuring out how to do that. Translucent plastic panels in muted rainbow colors now hang from the ceiling of a hallway leading to a giant painting in similar colors. The canvas has been covered by the school's children and staff with overlapping layers of words and pictures that they associate with the three small children and three adults killed in the building. They include Bible passages, drawings of cats, even the words hot dog for a favorite meal. The painting is one of the few visual reminders of the shooting a way to try to honor the people they lost without triggering traumatic memories. That's not always possible, Waters said. Ive learned that its hard to avoid all of it," she said. ...Its what the story is. And we dont want to stop moving forward and living. So we have to figure out how to live with it." The Covenant School resumed classes in their old building in mid-April, after spending a little more than a year in donated space at the Brentwood Hills church. Waters and Foster said the move back has been challenging but ultimately successful. The building is full of laughter. It is full of joy. ... It is full of learning," Foster said. "People are doing their math facts, their multiplication tables. Theyre taking their spelling tests. Theyre learning to read. Were doing school. And the kids, theyre being kids. For national anti-violence advocate, teen's death in shooting at The Banks is personal For Jackie Jackson, the topic of gun violence is personal. He's a pastor whose work involves consoling and guiding survivors and families who lose loved ones to gun violence. He works for an organization that advocates for gun safety in towns across the United States. And his family is deeply afflicted by it. He is also the grandfather of Jackie Jackson III, a 16-year-old who died in a shooting at The Banks early Saturday morning. Jackie Jackson and his son, Jackie Jackson III. The elder Jackson survived two shootings. His son was shot and killed Saturday at The Banks. Pastor Jackie Jackson, who shares names with his son and grandson, works for an organization that advocates for gun safety in towns across the United States. His son and Jackson III's father was wounded by gunshots in 2007 and again in December of last year, Pastor Jackson said. And Jackson has personal experience, as he was also shot at a young age. "I was shot at 10 years old. Myself and a friend," he recalled. "We chased him into an entrance way. He turned around with a .32, fired a shot, and one bullet shot both of us. So that started my descent or whatever you want to call it into gun violence." Jacksons grandson, Jackie Jackson III, was the victim of a fatal shooting at The Banks over the weekend. 'Just a kid trying to figure it out' Jackie Jackson III, like many teenagers, was aloof and searching for his place in the world, his grandfather said. "He's funny. He's a silly kid big smile, loved to laugh. But a teenager," he said. "Sixteen years old, they're not trying to be around, you know." His grandson had a daughter who is nearly 1 year old, according to Jackson. He was growing into the responsibilities of adulthood while still harboring the naivety and attitude natural for a teenager. "There's times that you probably act more like a kid, there's times you try to act like an adult. And that's what he was. He was a kid, a young teenager, trying to walk into adulthood," Jackson said. Jackie Jackson III would have turned 17 next month. Jackson was in bed when he learned of his grandson's death The pastor had just laid down for bed around 2 a.m. Shortly after, his phone rang. He keeps his phone on "do not disturb" when it's late but has his settings designed to allow certain contacts to reach him at night, he said. The call he received that night was from Jackie Jackson III's mother. "I answered and she was screaming." Being a point of contact after a shooting is nothing new for Jackson. He reacts with a pragmatic and composed demeanor, often without taking a beat to mourn, he said. Once he understood the situation, his attention shifted to taking care of his family. Jackson is a pastor at Come As You Are Reach-Out Ministry. And he works at Everytown For Gun Safety as a program manager, so he's familiar with the trauma gun violence can leave behind. "The first thing for me is to take care of folks, and I've done this work over a decade, and so it's like muscle memory," he said. "Once it hits me and it's kind of like 'oh my God,' my next move, my next thought is what needs to happen for my family." Jackie Jacksons grandson, Jackie Jackson III, was the victim of a fatal shooting at The Banks over the weekend. 'God has anointed me to do this work' Over years of experience, Jackson has developed the skills and self-possession needed to help gun violence survivors and victims' families after an incident, but he also feels as though he was called to do this by something greater. "I'm not some magical or powerful person, but God has anointed me to do this work," Jackson said. Even with familial ties to the victim, as with his grandson's death, he maintained a calm approach. "There's something that he's placed in me that will allow me to detach from me personally and start dealing with the situation at hand," he added. Much of his work as a pastor revolves around gun violence. People look to him as a voice of reason and support as they work through the grieving and trauma, he said, which takes its toll. "They will talk with me sometimes when they won't talk to other people. You know, it's an honor, and it's almost like an anvil being dropped on your head as well." Jackie Jackson and his 16-year-old son, Jackie Jackson III. The elder Jackson survived two shootings. His son was shot and killed Saturday at The Banks. The family is choosing to keep the funeral date and location private for now. What's next for the family A GoFundMe has been organized to raise money for a funeral service. The family is trying to raise $7,500 to cover those costs. The family is choosing to keep the funeral date and location private for now, according to Jackson. Jackie Jackson works as a program manager at Everytown for Gun Safety and is the pastor of Come As You Are Reach-Out Ministries. His message to the culprit Jackson encourages people with information about the shooting to reach out to police. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact Cincinnati police at 513-352-3542. To the shooter, his message is simple: "Go turn yourself in." "If they can't figure out how to care about someone else's family, think about your mom, your dad, your brothers and sisters and just turn yourself in. It's serious." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Teen killed in shooting was grandson of national anti-violence advocate This article was originally published in Arkansas Advocate. Partnership for Educational Choice, a group that defends educational choice nationwide, filed a motion this week asking to join the defense of an Arkansas lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a new school voucher program. Four guardians of public school students filed the lawsuit earlier this month in the Pulaski County Circuit Court. The plaintiffs asked a judge to block enforcement of the Education Freedom Account Program created by the Arkansas LEARNS Act. The complaint alleges that using funds intended for public schools elsewhere violates a Constitutional provision. The complaint also contends, If implemented, the LEARNS Act will drain valuable and necessary resources from the public school system and create a separate and unequal school system that discriminates between children based on economic, racial and physical characteristics and capabilities. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Current defendants include Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, the Arkansas State Board of Education and Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Jim Hudson. Partnership for Educational Choice is described as a joint project of the Institute for Justice and EdChoice. Both of the listed organizations are nonprofits with a history of defending school voucher programs like the one Sanders championed in 2023. If the motion to intervene from Partnership for Educational Choice is approved, attorneys would represent three Arkansas mothers who currently use or intend to use the voucher program, according to a press release. Those mothers are Erika Lara of Little Rock, Katie Parrish of Paragould and Nikita Glendenning of Van Buren. Before I received my Education Freedom Account, my son was being bullied and struggling academically, but now I have the resources to put him into a school where hes thriving, Lara said in a press release. Taking away this program would put my sons academic and social progress in jeopardy. More than 5,400 Arkansas students participated in the first year of the program, which is being phased in over three years. Participation will be capped at about 14,000 students for the 2024-2025 school year. Around $6,600 in state funding was available to each student last year. That will increase to nearly $6,900 this year. Lawmakers recently approved $97.5 million for the states voucher program for the 2025 fiscal year. The program could cost upwards of $175 million in its third year when its available to all Arkansas students, the state finance department has estimated. Among the reasons for intervention, the motion notes the mothers interest in the program is inextricably intertwined with their fundamental liberty interest in directing the upbringing and education of their children. Lara and Parrish each have one child that has switched schools using the Education Freedom Account Program. The motion notes that if the program is struck down, the women would be left in a difficult financial situation. Glendenning intends to use the program for two of her four children during the 2025-2026 school year. Despite repeated court rulings that these types of programs are constitutional, opponents of educational choice continue to attack these programs, said Ed Choice Vice President and Director of Litigation Thomas M. Fisher in a press release. We look forward to defending this program and making clear that it is constitutional. Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on Facebook and X. Including Friendlys, Hersheys, Jeni's, ChipWich, and more. Allrecipes The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall of multiple brands of ice cream. Products by Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland, are potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Products were distributed nationwide, and available in retail locations and direct delivery. Brands include Friendlys, Abilyns Frozen Bakery, Hersheys, Yelloh!, Jeni's, Cumberland Farms, The Frozen Farmer, Marco, ChipWich, AMAFruits, Taharka, Dolcezza Gelato, and LaSalle. To date, no illnesses have been reported. Products Affected by Totally Cool Ice Cream Recall Totally Cool has ceased production and distribution of the affected products after FDA sampling uncovered the presence of Listeria. While the company is taking preventive actions, the investigation is ongoing. The table below reflects a summary of the brands and products: Brand Product Friendlys - 60 fl oz Celebration Ice Cream Cake - 40 fl oz Strawberry Krunch Ice Cream Cake Abilyns Frozen Bakery - Abilyns Frozen Bakery Vanilla & Chocolate 30 fl oz 6 Ice Cream Cake - Abilyns Frozen Bakery Vanilla & Chocolate 60 fl oz 8 Ice Cream Cake - Abilyns Frozen Bakery For Love of Chocolate Ice Cream Cake - Abilyns Frozen Bakery Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake - Abilyns Frozen Bakery Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake Hersheys Ice Cream - 38 fl oz vanilla and chocolate flavored ice cream cake - 110 fl oz vanilla and chocolate flavored ice cream cake - 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cones - 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Polar Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches Yelloh! - 4 fl oz Vanilla Nut Ice Cream Sundae Cones - 4 fl oz Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cones - 4 fl oz Pecan Praline Ice Cream Sundae Cones - 4 fl oz Chip & Mint Ice Cream Sundae Cones - 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches - 4 fl oz Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches Jeni`s - 3.5 fl oz Chocolate Silk Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches - 3.5 fl oz Key Lime Pie Frozen Dessert - 3.5 fl oz Mint Chocolate Truffle Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches - 3.5 fl oz Triple Berry Tart Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches Cumberland Farms - Cumberland Farms, Farmhouse Premium Ice Cream Sandwich, Rich Vanilla, 4 fl oz - Cumberland Farms, Farmhouse Premium Ice Cream Sandwich, Marvelous Mint, 4 fl oz The Frozen Farmer - 4 fl oz Elf On the Shelf Santa`s Cookies Ice Cream Sandwiches - 16 fl oz Elf On the Shelf Santa`s Cookies - 16 fl oz Strawberry Sorbet Pints - 16 fl oz Raspberry Sorbet Pints - 16 fl oz Orange Cream Frobert Pints - 16 fl oz Watermelon Sorbet Pints Marco - 3.8 fl oz Dulce De Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches - 3.8 fl oz Vanilla Chai Ice Cream Sandwiches - 16 fl oz Dulce De Leche & Cookies Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Turkish Mocha Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Chai Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Spicy Peanut Butter Caramel and Peanut Butter Caramel Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Moroccan Honey Nut Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Green Tea White Chocolate Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Aztec Chocolate Ice Cream Pints ChipWich - 4 fl oz The Original Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich 10 Club Pack, 3 Pack, 24 Pack - 16 fl oz Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pint - 16 fl oz Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pint AMAFruits - 3 gal Acai Sorbet Tubs - 3 gal Dragon Fruit Sorbet Tubs Taharka - 16 fl oz Honey Graham Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Pints Dolcezza Gelato - 16 fl oz Mascarpone & Berries Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Peanut Butter Mash and Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Dulce de Leche & Cookies Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Stracciatella Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Peanut Stracciatella Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Coffee & Cookies Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Hot Cocoa Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Sugar Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Dark Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Pints LaSalle - 16 fl oz Chocolate Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Mango Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Raspberry Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Dulce De Leche Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pints - 16 fl oz Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pints The full product list of brands, products, and specific lot codes, along with associated images, can be found on the FDA site here. No other products produced by Totally Cool are impacted by this recall. Consumers who have the recalled products in their freezers are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363- 7801 or regulatory@totallycoolicecream.com between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Listeria is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Otherwise healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. More information on listeria and its signs and symptoms can be found on the Center for Disease Control website. Read the original article on All Recipes. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The North Carolina Senate approved late Monday a budget-adjustment measure that is stripped down and spends less compared to similar legislation advanced by their House GOP counterparts last week. The Senate voted 27-19 along party lines for the Republican-drawn measure, which alters the second year of a two-year budget enacted by the General Assembly last fall. With Republicans from each chamber currently unwilling to consider the other chambers proposal, GOP leaders have signaled theyre ready to send colleagues home after this week without a budget adjustment agreement. They could return later in the summer to act if the standoff eases. Even if we cant get an agreement with the House on these measures, I am confident that the state of North Carolina is going to be in good shape, Sen. Brent Jackson, a Sampson County Republican who is one of the chambers chief budget-writers, told colleagues during floor debate. Jackson suggested lawmakers could even wait until early 2025 if necessary. The Senate plan would spend $31.4 billion during the fiscal year starting July 1, or $287 million less than the House plan. A chief difference is that the House is seeking to raise teacher and state employee pay above what the two-year budget already orders in the coming year. The Senate adjustments dont contain these additional pay increases. Senate GOP leaders also are unhappy with the House for dipping deeper into state reserves to cover expenses, which they say is a bad move with economic uncertainty ahead. The Senate bill text also has over 200 fewer pages than the House plan and omits scores of House policy prescriptions. Still, the two chambers plans agree on allocating $487 million in public money for programs that help K-12 students attend private schools and eliminate a large combined program waiting list. Most of the money would go toward the states Opportunity Scholarships, which saw a dramatic increase in applicants for this fall because family income limits for recipients were eliminated last year. Both chambers also allocate roughly $135 million to cover about 75% of the child care center grants that will no longer be provided by the federal government starting next month. There is nothing in this proposal that I have heard from a House member that they are opposed to, said Republican Sen. Ralph Hise, of Mitchell County, in urging the other chamber to accept the Senate measure. Theres no threat of a government shutdown without an agreement. The state would operate on the $30.9 billion allocated for the second year in the current budget law. But a budget stalemate could threaten passage of voucher and child care spending provisions sought by many parents and businesses and that otherwise enjoy widespread support among Republicans. Monday nights debate allowed Senate Democrats to criticize GOP spending priorities and promote those sought by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. They oppose expanding private-school vouchers, want hundreds of millions of dollars more for child care and pre-K programs and seek even larger teacher and state employees raises. Republicans used parliamentary maneuvers to block votes on the substance of several Democratic amendments that reflected these priorities. Cooper has said the competing House and Senate budgets are terrible and suggested to reporters last week that a budget impasse wouldnt be the worst result. While Cooper could veto any final budget measure, Republicans hold narrow veto-proof majorities. The Republican Supermajoritys refusal to consider any of our amendments is a clear indication of their unwillingness to invest in the future of our state, Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, of Wake County, said in a statement. Coopers proposed budget adjustments to spend $34.7 billion in the next fiscal year were essentially dead on arrival when he announced them on the first day of this years General Assembly work session. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. North Carolina lawmakers discussed legislation to legalize medical marijuana. Photo: Getty Images On a 36-10 vote, the North Carolina Senate passed sweeping legislation Monday evening that would allow for the use of medical marijuana while strictly regulating hemp-derived consumables. Senator Tom McInnis (R- Cumberland, Moore ) said he had no doubt that the bill sponsor was well-intended in bringing forward House Bill 563, but he could not support a bill that his local sheriff adamantly opposed. Senator Tom McInnis I looked further into the bill and the last thing it says under issues that can be treated, it says, and any other serious medical condition or its treatment added by the Compassionate Use Advisory Board, said McInnis. Any condition, ladies and gentlemen, is fair game for treatment under this bill as it is written. Paralysis, gonorrhea, broken heart, anything that that group says is going to be okay. McInnis argued that HB 563 was a precursor to the legalization of recreational marijuana. Bill sponsor Senator Bill Rabon (R- Brunswick) followed with an amendment stating that if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, it cannot be made legal for recreational use at the state level unless approved by the North Carolina General Assembly. While several Senate Democrats worried about the carveout provision, the amendment passed 26-20. Still, Sen. Norm Sanderson (R-Carteret) urged his colleagues not to go down this slippery slope. Right now, North Carolina has a way of stopping something that I think is a mistake, cautioned Sanderson. Wait until this becomes law, if it does, were really going to see an explosion in the black market. Because people are not going to be satisfied with the current level where weve set the THC in this medical marijuana. Theyre going to be wanting something stronger because it always leads to something stronger. Sen. Gladys Robinson But Sen. Gladys Robinson (D-Guilford) said she believed after consulting with medical experts the state should move forward with medicinal cannabis and hemp regulation. I have talked to the medical center doctors at Duke and UNC Chapel Hill that have provided research and care for sickle cell patients. And their advice to me has been that they feel that medical marijuana will help sickle cell patients to regulate the pain. And that pain keeps them from functioning in life. Senator Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) reminded his colleagues that they failed to act when hemp-derived products first came on the market. Sen. Ralph Hise We missed the concept that a single gummy bear could be considered 12 doses. But we didnt see that coming. So, I really ask members as this bill goes forward, dont take your eye off the ball. Make sure that we are regulating the products in North Carolina that contain THC, whether its marijuana or whether its some other derived form of synthetic. Hise added that he has been a caregiver for two family members who died of cancer. Ive seen what high doses of Oxycontin will do to them. And I dont suspect that marijuana is worse. Seventeen Republicans, including Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, joined all Democrats in the chamber in voting for the bill. All ten who opposed the legislation were Republican. House Bill 563 now heads to the North Carolina House. Its unclear if House Speaker Tim Moore will bring the bill up for a vote. He has previously said there was not enough support in the Republican caucus to pass medical marijuana legislation. The post NC Senate passes medical marijuana; legislation faces uncertain future as it heads to the House appeared first on NC Newsline. Line to register to vote and cast a ballot at the University of Michigan, Nov. 8, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins Theres a disparity between young Michiganders who are registered to vote and those who actually cast a ballot which is even larger between young people with college experience and those with none. Thats according to a new report released Monday by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who also hosted a roundtable discussion in Detroit on the topic of youth voting in Michigan. In 2022, Michigan led the nation in youth voter turnout, and what this new report makes clear is weve still got work to do, said Benson. There are still too many young people in Michigan whose voices are not being heard at the ballot box. In 2024, we will work with nonpartisan partners across the state to give every eligible young voter no matter who they vote for the tools and information they need to fully participate in the upcoming elections. And we encourage everyone in our state to be a part of this outreach to help us ensure that all eligible citizens are aware of their options to vote this year and beyond. According to the report, Michigans Youth Vote: Closing the Turnout Gaps, more than 1.36 million Michiganders 18 to 29 were registered to vote in 2022, but only about 556,000 actually voted a difference of 59.2%. While data from the last presidential election in 2020 showed a smaller turnout gap, 38.3% of young active registered voters still did not ultimately vote in that election. Additionally, the voting gap turned into a chasm when considering recent national survey data by CIRCLE, a nonpartisan, independent research organization at Tufts University, which is focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. It found that 87% of voters aged 18 to 29 have some college experience, while 2021 U.S. Census data showed that 40% of Americans in this age group have no college experience. That large, 28-percentage-point gap between the percentage of youth without college experience in the population and in the electorate represents a major disenfranchisement of youth who have a high school degree or lower educational attainment, said CIRCLE. In trying to address the youth voting gaps, Benson met with representatives of nonpartisan organizations at Mondays youth roundtable to better understand the barriers that prevent a higher level of youth voting in Michigan and how to overcome them. Participants included the Michigan Department of State Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, NAACP Detroit, League of Women Voters and APIA Vote. We are excited about engaging our youth and young adults on why we need them to vote for this election and beyond, said LaToya Henry, an adviser to the NAACP Detroit Youth Council. Thats why the work we do to educate and mobilize voters is so important. From early on, we want them to see and understand that their vote today has the ability to shape their power for tomorrow. The report also includes county-by-county data on active registered voters vs. ballots cast for both the 2022 and 2020 elections. Some of the findings are: Counties with the smallest gap between active registered young voters and actual young voters in 2022 were: Washtenaw (43.7% not voting), Ottawa (49.8%), Clinton (49.8%), Livingston (50.2%), and Oakland (51%). Counties with the largest gap in 2022 were: Luce (75.6%), Lake (75.6%), Oscoda (74.8%), Menominee (74.7%) and Iron (74.3%). Counties with the smallest gap between active registered young voters and actual young voters in 2020 were: Livingston (26.9% not voting), Oakland (27.5%), Keweenaw (29.7%), Leelanau (30%), and Clinton (30.1%). Counties with the largest gap in 2020 were: Lake (69%), St. Joseph (52.9%), Roscommon (52.8%), Oscoda (52.1%), and Iosco (51.7%). SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Nearly two-thirds of Michigan youth voters didnt cast a ballot in 2022, report says appeared first on Michigan Advance. Neighborhood complaints led officers to suspect trafficking cocaine out of Athens home Two people are facing charges after being found with illegal drugs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Athens-Clarke County police said they began investigating illegal activity after community complaints. Authorities conducted a search warrant at a home on Rear Arch Street. During the search, officials said they found $11,984 in cash, four ounces of marijuana, a 1/2 kilo of cocaine and a handgun. TRENDING STORIES: Authorities arrested Quran Amaru Steward, 25, of Athens, and Stefon Alfred Robinson, 34, of Rochester, NY. Steward is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Robinson is charged with trafficking cocaine. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Ranchers scanned the Red Rock Canyon for the wounded mustang they were tasked to save, but time was running out as the brutal blizzard conditions set in. Two days prior, on April 5, a group of state officials from the Nevada Lieutenant Governors office toured the Red Rock Canyon area with JP Hoffman, owner of Shiloh Ranch, and his staff to a nearby watering hole for the wild mustangs. JP Hoffman, owner of Shiloh Ranch (KLAS) During the education tour, one official saw something strange on a young female mustang and called for Hoffman to lookit was a gunshot wound. I knew it was bad, Hoffman said. It was bleeding bad and had a lot of fluid coming out. The tour quickly ended, and Hoffman immediately contacted the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to relay the mustangs condition. Officials were already tracking the 11-month-old female mustang, Oakley, due to her bloodlines importance to the small herd, and asked Hoffman to rescue the wounded wild horse. It was quite western, he said. Hoffman geared up with his posse and drove back to Red Rock Canyon to find Oakley but they noticed something in the sky, snow. Oakley standing in the snow as Ranchers try to rescue her (KLAS) It was cloudy, super windy, freezing cold, Hoffman said. It was shocking because it was April, and we are right by Las Vegas. The posse split up upon arrival in search of Oakley, but problems began to arise as the herd spread out and the posses rendezvous points were difficult to manage due to a lack of cell service. We lost daylight pretty quick, Hoffman said. The group ended their days search and returned to the ranch as Oakley continued to struggle, wounded in the blizzard. That next Saturday morning the posse resupplied the trailer and set out again into Red Rock Canyon, but a new obstacle would present a challenge, tourists. There were people coming into take pictures and ride ATVs, Hoffman said. Which is allowed. Finally, the posse spotted Oakley and Hoffman attempted to rope her for hours but due to a hand injury that never quite healed he failed to capture the injured mustang. Again, the group returned to the ranch as Oakleys injuries worsened. The next morning the posse had better luck as they warned off the tourists in the area, but just as Hoffman found and attempted to rope Oakley, a videographer stopped him. He was going off on me, Hoffman said. Which is the right thing, I would have done the same thing. Hoffman lost two hours while he explained to the videographer the permissions they were given by BLM and the organization they worked with, and now Oakley was miles away. We rode literally every inch, he said. We were really concerned she was down somewhere. As daylight and provisions ran low one member left to grab more supplies, but thats when she was spotted again on the side of the road. Luckily, Oakley was not alone as a male stallion, Venture, stayed by her side as she roamed the canyonrecords show he had been attempting to sway her. Venture, fighting off another horse to protect Oakley. (KLAS) Hoffman had one more chance to capture Oakley and his hand wasnt any better. I missed twice with the rope, he said. So, I did a little trick I remembered as a kid, and I was able to get her with the third loop. It would take another two hours before Oakley was calm enough to go into the horse trailer, but finally, she was safe. #Whoshotoakly Doctors and surgeons at Desert Pines Equine Center got to work tending to Oakleys gunshot wound which Hoffman said came from a 9mm round that was still in her shoulder. We want to thank Doctor Ivy and Garcia along with Surgeon Winchell, he said. Hoffman said unfortunately he wasnt too surprised when he realized the scope of the wound since the bullet injury is common. Oakleys wound after being shot in Red Rock Canyon. Weve had issues in Red Rock Canyon before, he said. Arizona had almost an epidemic there with a lot of their wild horses day to day, its a senseless crime. Its like a needle in a haystack according to Hoffman who said he believes BLM and law enforcement are doing the best they can to crack down on people who shoot equine wildlife. Two months after the initial recovery, Oakley has nearly fully recovered and can be seen bouncing her hooves in her water trough. I think shes part labrador, Hoffman said. Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, arriving at Shiloh Ranch. Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, at Shiloh Ranch. Oakley, a mustang who was shot in Red Rock Canyon, at Shiloh Ranch. Shiloh Ranch in Sandy Valley, Nevada has become home for Oakley who is no longer wild, which means she cannot return to Red Rock Canyon. From our understanding, its never been done before, Hoffman said. We knew it was tough, but we werent going to give up on this test. America lives in Germany A major obstacle for the Nevada BLM is the overall horse headcount which has been overwhelming for officials, according to Hoffman. Typically, you look at a 5,000 headcount per year in all western states that have wild mustangs, Hoffman said. This year, BLM needed to ramp that number up to 21,000, thats a big number. Hoffman sees Shiloh Ranch playing a role in horse handling with the Nevada BLM, and he has a plan: training and re-homing. Shiloh Ranch (KLAS) What were trying to do is be that guy in the middle that creates the value of the markets here, he said. We want to take it to an advanced level of training, and then actually turn this into a business by assisting BLM with their goals and help these [horses] get into safe homes where they can afford to be taken care of. Some Nevada mustangs have already gone through the process and following training been shipped to Europe, where they are given a home. Its funny, theres a mustang right off Red Rock, his name is America and he lives in Germany, Hoffman said. It literally is kind of spreading across Europe. Hoffman said his European customers have come calling for true-blue American mustang from Nevada, even asking for an American F-150 and horse trailer to boot. I dont know if its the western thing in the culture, he said. But were definitely seeing that push. JP Hoffman, owner of Shiloh Ranch (KLAS) Hoffman also said its important for people to remind others that Shiloh Ranch is no longer a horse rescue as it was when owned by Hollywood actors Tony and Jill Curtis. Horses would be left tied to the front posts of the ranch according to Hoffman who said he has seen his fair share of horses brushed aside. Volunteers and investors who are seeking to help Hoffman and the staff at Shiloh Ranch are asked to visit their website where they can learn more about the property and even buy a #whoshotoakley t-shirt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Together with the state and private sector partners, the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group) is currently exploring the use of shallow geothermal energy for heating and cooling buildings in Uzbekistan, IFC Regional Manager for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Neil McKain told Trend. "Utilizing this energy source within the country can help reduce reliance on gas and electricity and ease the burden on the grid. We are currently mapping the licensing and permit processes, as well as the local production and distribution of heat pumps," he said. According to him, the IFC is also exploring regulatory and incentive policies to encourage investments, promote the expansion of surface geothermal solutions, and implement surface geothermal projects in Uzbekistan. "Just recently, a financial package for a 250-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant has been signed between the World Bank Group, Masdar, and the government of Uzbekistan. This new solar power plant, to be constructed in the Alat district of the Bukhara region, will provide clean, reliable electricity access to approximately 75,000 households," Neil McKain stressed. He emphasized that the project introduces an innovative battery energy storage system (BESS) component that will help improve the efficiency and flexibility of the power system, providing greater security of supply and helping to mitigate the intermittency of renewable generation. The project, for which IFC also acted as a transaction advisor to the government, marks Central Asia's first renewable energy initiative with an integrated BESS component. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan produced heat energy in the amount of 10.07 million Gcal from January through April 2024. The production volume of heat energy has decreased by 0.2 percent compared to the same period last year (10.09 million Gcal in JanuaryApril 2023). Newsom sends kids to Marin for school, will split time in Sacramento (KRON) California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family will be spending more time in the Bay Area soon. KRON4 confirmed that the family will be splitting time between Sacramento and Marin County this upcoming school year. To ensure continuity in their childrens education, the family will split their time between Sacramento and Marin heading into the coming academic year, a statement from the governors office said. Oakland mayors attorney quits after being surprised by news conference Newsom currently owns a home in Fair Oaks, which is northwest of Sacramento. His kids will stay with family members when they spend the night in Marin, KRON4 has learned. Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom have four children. Siebel Newsom said in May that she had to pull one of her kids out of school due to bullying. The governor, of course, has strong Bay Area ties. He was born and raised in San Francisco, attended Santa Clara University and served as Sam Franciscos mayor from 2004-2011. He previously lived in the Marin County suburb of Kentfield when he was the Lieutenant Governor of California, the Huffington Post reported. He reportedly later sold that home. Newsom is not the only California governor to keep some form of residence in the Bay Area. Jerry Brown kept his Oakland home while serving the position. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Nissan stands by its commitment to not invest in new gas-powered engines despite some competitors folding: 'This is a bold move' Nissan will not invest in new internal combustion engines for its vehicles; instead, it will maintain focus on an electric future. Per Electrek, this commitment comes in contrast to several other Japanese automakers Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru teaming up to develop more efficient next-generation ICE engines, though Toyota also remains a leader in hybrid vehicle sales. This spring, Nissan revealed new business plans to make electric vehicles account for 60% of sales by 2030. In the U.S., Nissan is updating 78% of its lineup with new "e-POWER" and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle models. In Europe, it is launching six new EVs, and has already unveiled plans to be all-electric in Europe by 2030, all per Electrek. "Our future is EV," said Nissan's senior vice president Francois Bailly via Drive. "E-Power is a stepping stone to get there, and each market will go at their own pace. We're not investing in new powertrain for ICE, that's for sure." According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 28% of planet-warming gas pollution in the country is derived from transportation. Though a low-carbon electricity sector will also be necessary, EVs have significant potential for gas pollution reduction, per Earth.org. This kind of commitment to progress from large brands will be hugely necessary in protecting a rapidly heating planet. Fortunately, Nissan is far from alone in its innovation for example, Kellogg's is looking to create eco-friendly boxes, bags, and pouches, and Target has been using old car seats to create new products, including storage crates, for several years. Nissan's announcement was met with praise from members of the public who shared their opinions in the comments section of Electrek's article, with some even calling the joint effort to focus on new combustion engines as feeling like greenwashing. "I am happy for their strategy," one commenter said. "They are not as financially fit as Toyota and Honda so this is a bold move. It is also, IMO, the right one as the others see it as a niche and are treating it as such. "Thus Nissan has an opportunity to leapfrog them and gain market share and momentum. This will give them the funds to move even further ahead. Kind of like Tesla." Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. New Jersey lawmakers are asking the Transportation Department to launch an investigation into Amtrak regarding the lengthy delays that have plagued the Northeast Corridor in recent weeks. Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) led the New Jersey congressional delegation in sending a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday that asked for an investigation into the delays. They wrote that they have been shocked and deeply concerned by the delays, calling them completely unacceptable. We therefore ask that the Department of Transportation conduct a thorough investigation into what led to the breakdowns along the Northeast Corridor route and what additional capital projects need to be completed to fix any structural deficiencies, the lawmakers wrote. The group of lawmakers wrote that their offices have been inundated with comments from their constituents over the dramatic delays in their Amtrak and NJ Transit commutes. The letter cited an incident from last Thursday when Amtrak service was suspended between New Haven, Conn., and Philadelphia due to power outages. The suspension caused havoc for evening commuters using NJ Transit and Amtrak last Thursday, with many reporting that it took them hours to get home. The lawmakers said more than 130 NJ Transit trains were canceled or delayed as a result. The delays continued into Friday morning due to a disabled commuter train. The lawmakers noted that those recent delays were not isolated incidents, saying that Amtrak disruptions caused at least 19 serious delays for NJ Transit commuters over the last six weeks. They noted that NJ Transit is merely a tenant on the Northeast Corridor, adding that Amtrak owns and maintains the route. They are also asking the department to provide more information on how it and Amtrak will respond to disruptions on the trains due to excessive heat. Amtrak warned earlier this week that high temperatures in the Northeast could cause delays. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), one of the lawmakers who signed the letter, posted a photo on the social platform X of a train schedule board in New Yorks Penn Station on Monday night that showed all the trains delayed. I popped into NYC tonight to meet with workers with SEIU 1199 and this was the mess when I got back to Penn Station. Absolutely unacceptable for all the NJ workers trying to get home, he wrote. A Transportation Department spokesperson said they have been monitoring recent delays and outages on NJ Transit and Amtrak. Personnel from the Federal Railroad Administration are onsite assisting ongoing work to identify the cause of earlier disruptions, they added. The Northeast Corridor that exists today is largely the product of investments dating back to the 1830s, and Amtrak continues to make incremental improvements to upgrade this aging infrastructure. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, for the first time in generations, we are funding significant, long-term projects to modernize the NEC and provide safer, faster and more reliable service for travelers and commuters. While these improvements will take time, they are already underway with additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the pipeline, the spokesperson said. The Hill has reached out to Amtrak for comment. Updated 5:20 p.m. ET. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Cows can be seen amid alfalfa fields during the cattle drive on June 21, 2022. Cows can be seen amid alfalfa fields during the cattle drive on June 21, 2022. (Photo by Diana Cervantes for Source NM) WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu a move thats aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to track spread of the virus. Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will be in the first round of voluntary participation, with other states likely to follow, officials said on a call with reporters. This list of participating states is just the beginning, said Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for H5N1 response at USDA. We are in close conversation with about a dozen other states who are very interested in participating as well, Deeble said. But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence. The launch of the pilot program, he said, is an important step forward for efforts to reduce the spread of bird flu, also known as H5N1, as well as for expanding understanding of the virus. Farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks. Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples, Deeble said. 126 cases of bird flu confirmed The announcement is part of the federal governments ongoing response to the months-long outbreak within dairy cattle and years-long challenges faced by the countrys poultry industry. The USDA has confirmed 126 cases of bird flu in dairy cattle herds in a dozen states as of June 21, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Idaho has the most dairy herds affected, with a total of 27. Thats followed by Michigan with 25 herds and Texas with 21 herds. Colorado has reported 18 affected herds, while each of the other states has fewer than 10 herds testing positive for bird flu, according to the USDA data. Three dairy farmworkers have contracted avian flu this year, though all cases were mild. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinforced during the call Tuesday that the risk to the general public remains low, though there is an increased risk of contracting the virus for workers, both on dairy farms and poultry farms. FDA to do more testing The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced Tuesday its broadening its testing for H5N1 to include about 155 additional samples of dairy products, including aged raw milk cheese, cream cheese, butter and ice cream. The FDA has repeatedly tested pasteurized milk from store shelves in the months since the first dairy cattle herd tested positive for H5N1 and has continuously emphasized the nations milk supply remains safe. This retail sampling effort is intended to address remaining geographic and product gaps from the initial sampling of the commercial milk supply that FDA conducted between April and May of this year, said Don Prater, acting director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. It will likely take several weeks before those results are completed and made public, he said. That second round of expanded food safety testing will not include raw milk, since it is not approved for interstate commerce, he said. But the FDA has sent a letter to its local, state and tribal partners, cautioning those that do allow the sale of raw milk to talk with consumers about the additional risks, given that H5N1 is spreading through dairy herds in several parts of the country. Prater, speaking on the call Tuesday, noted the FDA continues to strongly advise against drinking raw milk. We also recommend that the industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with the avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. The post NM joins three states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Source New Mexico. Volunteers with the American Red Cross support evacuees of Ruidoso, Alto and Ruidoso Downs Tuesday, June 18, 2024 because of the South Fork and Salt fires. (Leah Romero / Source NM) A blanked set out on a cot at an evacuation center in Roswell for people fleeing the South Fork and Salt fires. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Otero County was added to the federal disaster declaration in the wake of the South Fork and Salt fires, according to an amendment filed Monday. This means that spending by Lincoln and Otero counties, along with the Mescalero Apache Tribe to address the fires and floods from last week will be eligible for assistance from the U.S. government. People living in those areas will also be able to seek direct aid, such as unemployment payments. The South Fork and Salt fires have burned a combined 25,000 acres in the past week. The fires displaced thousands of people around Ruidoso and destroyed more than 1,400 structures. Storms stalled the fire and rain run off from the Sacramento Mountains flooded the area. People are just now returning to the damage caused by the fire and rain in parts of the Village of Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs. Unemployment assistance from the state is now set up for people losing wages from their displacement last week and moving forward. This is for people living in Lincoln and Otero counties or on Mescalero Apache that are workers or business-owners. People are urged to file as soon as possible to meet an Aug. 19 deadline. Any applications filed after Aug. 19, 2024 may be considered untimely, and may be denied, according to a press release from the Department of Workforce Solutions. Keep the rejection letter Its a two-step process to qualify for the financial benefits. First, people must apply for Standard Unemployment Insurance online at https://www.jobs.state.nm.us, in-person at a New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions office, or calling the Unemployment Insurance Operations number at 1-877-664-6984. To qualify for the disaster benefits, the state agency will first reject the application for the Standard Unemployment Insurance. Only then, can people apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. All disaster benefit applications are accepted in-person or by phone, as a fraud prevention measure, according to a press release from the agency. The assistance is available from June 23, 2024 until December 21, 2024, as long as unemployment is related to the fire and flood disasters. It offers unemployment benefits to people who worked or self-employed before the disasters, or were set to do so, and who are already not qualifying for unemployment and its extensions. To receive benefits, applications must show how their ability to work was impacted by the fire. This can s include if people were unable to travel to their workplace due to evacuation areas or federal, state and local closures; can no longer perform work as a result of the disasters or destruction of the workplace; were injured due to the disaster; or had to become the main income source for their family. Proof of employment documents must be submitted to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions within three weeks after filing for disaster unemployment benefits. Examples of correct documents the state wants include: Recent payroll vouchers. Employment and earnings statements with a name, address and contact information for the employer. Written statement from employer. Business records including bank statements, receipts, licenses, advertisements, invoices, financial statements or appointment books. Notarized statements with name, address and contact information of a person who can verify self-employment or unemployment. For anyone who is self-employed: a 2023 federal income tax return and schedule can be used as proof of prior wages, but is not acceptable for proof of employment. The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions set up an office in the Roswell Convention center, and deployed a van with computers onboard to assist with applications, said Stacy Johnston, a spokesperson for the agency. We also have all of our Workforce Connection Centers, minus Ruidoso, available to help, she said. Local offices are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the 1-877-664-6984 line is available on Monday through Fridays form 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This embedded content is not available in your region. The post NM offers unemployment benefits for South Fork and Salt fires, flood losses appeared first on Source New Mexico. No ruling on gag order in Trump classified documents case as judge admonishes prosecution A federal judge in Florida heard arguments Monday, without issuing a ruling, on whether to impose a limited gag order on former President Donald Trump in his federal classified documents case as he campaigns for president. The former president has gag orders in three other cases, including his criminal hush money conviction in New York. Pool Photo by Steven Hirsch/UPI June 24 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Florida heard arguments Monday, without issuing a ruling, on whether to impose a limited gag order on former President Donald Trump in his federal classified documents case as he campaigns for president. Judge Aileen Cannon did not rule on the government's request that would prevent Trump from making public statements "that pose a significant, imminent and foreseeable danger to the law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case." Instead, Cannon admonished Department of Justice prosecutor David Harbach for his tone and challenged him to produce evidence to justify the constitutionality of the proposed gag order. "I don't appreciate your tone," Cannon told Harbach. "I expect decorum in this courtroom at all times," to which Harbach apologized. "Where on the attachments do you see a call for violence?" Cannon asked, after admonishing prosecutors for failing to produce evidence showing a pattern of conduct from Trump's other cases. The statements stem from comments Trump made about FBI agents who raided his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in August 2022. Special counsel Jack Smith requested the gag order after the Trump campaign released a fundraising email that said, "Joe Biden was locked and loaded ready to take me out and put my family in danger." Language in the search warrant banned force unless the target posed an "imminent danger of death or serious physical injury," which Smith said is "routine practice." In a separate fundraising email, Trump said it was "revealed that Biden's DOJ was authorized to use deadly force for their despicable raid in Mar-a-Lago" and "they're just itching to do the unthinkable." Smith and the government argued in their motion that "these deceptive and inflammatory claims expose law enforcement professionals who are involved in this case to unjustified and unacceptable risks." Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche discounted claims of danger to law enforcement, saying instead that setting a precedent for a defendant to have their bail modified for political speech is "dangerous." Trump has argued that a gag order would violate his right to free speech, especially as he campaigns for president leading up to the November election. Blanche also argued that the gag order is too vague, claiming Trump's statements are attacks against President Joe Biden and not on law enforcement officials. The former president has gag orders in three other cases, including his New York criminal hush money conviction and his election interference case. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to mishandling classified documents and storing them at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida after he left the White House. Last month, Cannon postponed the trial indefinitely due to outstanding pretrial litigation, making it less likely the case will go to trial before Election Day. Norfolk Fire-Rescue names first Black fire chief in its 150-Year history NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) The City of Norfolk will hold the swearing-in ceremony for its new Fire Chief on Friday, June 28. Sidney Carroll was tapped to become Norfolks fire chief in April. The Norfolk native joined Norfolk Fire-Rescue in January of 1982. He has served as a supervisor in all three operational battalions within the city. Carroll is the first African American chief in the departments 150 year history. The ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. at the MacArthur Memorial Theater, 198 Bank St. in Norfolk. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. The head of the agency investigating the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment lashed out on Tuesday at the railroad involved in the accident for what she called unethical conduct and an inappropriately aggressive response to the probe, including efforts to undermine the boards staff. Jennifer Homendy, head of the independent National Transportation Safety Board, called Norfolk Southerns conduct during the investigation, which concluded on Tuesday, unconscionable. She accused the railroad of dragging its feet on releasing information, abusing the board's investigations process, "manufacturing its own evidence" and trying to smear the board's reputation, which she called the gold standard for accident investigations around the world. We are impervious to anything but the truth, Homendy said. I will not allow any entity to impugn that reputation or malign the reputation of our investigative staff. The railroad said it has acted ethically and cooperated throughout the investigation. "Our communications with NTSB staff and Board Members were always motivated by a desire to ensure they had all the relevant information for their independent evaluation and by a shared commitment to advance rail safety," the company said in a statement. Homendys remarks came as the NTSB finalized its investigation into the high-profile derailment last year. During the 16-month process, Homendy said she twice had to threaten to issue subpoenas to pry information out of Norfolk Southern and its contractors. The railroad also lost all but 20 minutes of video footage from the train involved in the wreck, despite being told to preserve it, she said. Homendy also said that during the investigation, Norfolk Southern tried to submit evidence that it had gathered itself, which goes against the NTSBs practice. When the staff rebuffed the request, the railroad went to the NTSBs general counsel to complain. When that didn't work, she said the railroad went on to individual board members asking that the decision be overridden, which she said goes against the structured way the board conducts its investigations. This demonstrated complete disregard for the conduct of our independent investigations, Homendy said, adding that this abuse of the party process was unprecedented and reprehensible. As the investigation wrapped up, Norfolk Southern met with NTSBs board members, and told them that the Department of Justice and the Biden administration wanted to move on from the incident. Homendy, whos a presidential appointee, said shes never heard that from either the Justice Department or the White House. Homendy also claimed that a senior official at Norfolk Southern had made what she considered a threat that the company would use every avenue and opportunity to vigorously defend their decision-making in media and hearings going forward. Her remarks came after the day-long hearing, where among other things the board concluded that Norfolk Southern withheld information from local officials about the need to "vent and burn" carloads of toxic chemicals a few days after the initial incident. The company continued to maintain in a press release that it made the right decision, saying that venting the cars with explosives prevented a larger chemical explosion. Homendy's accusations aside, the NTSB on Tuesday also recommended significant changes to the railroad industry's ability to self-regulate certain aspects of the industry's operations in favor of stronger federal safety regulations. The Association of American Railroads, the trade group for the freight rail industry, creates standards for several practices the industry employs, including some that played a role in the derailment such as how hot is too hot for freight rail wheels, how far apart equipment that detects overheating wheels should be located and other items, investigators said Tuesday. Jessica Kahanek, a spokesperson for AAR, said, "The rail industrys interchange standards allow freight railroads to more rapidly implement learnings that enhance safety than safety regulators can initiate and finalize rulemaking procedures." She noted that an example of that is "the long-standing, industry-wide work to enhance tank car design standards." "Rail remains one of the most regulated industries in the nation and still freight railroads continue to implement standards often exceeding federal requirements," Kahanek said "At the same time, federal regulators often incorporate AAR standards within the regulations by reference in recognition of the industrys long track record for advancing safety-centered expertise in establishing operating practices." And as the day wore on, board members of the independent National Transportation Safety Board, which has been probing the derailment, questioned whether that should continue. A significant portion of the recommendations for how to avoid another East Palestine involves replacing industry standards with federal regulations. NTSB Member Todd Inman compared railroads to the airline industry, saying that even though the airline industry is much younger, it's drastically more regulated, and questioned why this is the case. Those of us who come from the aviation industry, I think are really mystified by the approach in rail, where you do have essentially the trade association setting the regulatory standards, Inman said. He questioned why AAR gets to "regulate themselves versus every other mode of transportation?" The most acute cause for the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, where 38 out of 149 cars flew off their tracks and created an environmental mess, was an overheating wheel that wasn't detected until it was too late. Just before the derailment, the Norfolk Southern train rolled past three "hot bearing" detectors. The third one set off a critical alert for overheating. Crews tried to stop the train, but by that time it was already derailing. According to Greg Scott, an NTSB investigator who testified on Tuesday, one of the earlier bearings did not read the temperature of the wheel accurately, in part because of the way the sensor was pointed. In addition, the NTSB has raised questions about whether those detectors were placed too far apart. There are no federal regulations specifying how far apart these detectors should be, or even what temperature is considered too dangerous to continue operating. Instead, AAR sets these standards, according to the NTSB, which called for new federal rules governing their installation, inspection and maintenance, along with more research into safe temperatures that the Federal Railroad Administration would ultimately implement. NTSB: Norfolk Southern did not disclose critical information on 'vent and burn' The NTSB also scorched Norfolk Southern for withholding information from local fire officials as they scrambled to respond the derailment, saying that it "compromised the integrity" of the controversial decision to burn off toxic vinyl chloride from the tank cars. The train derailment sparked a fire that burned for days. Norfolk Southerns contractors were concerned that five carloads of vinyl chloride were at risk of exploding. To avoid that fate, the contractors told the local fire chief that they needed to "vent and burn" the cars' contents a decision that sent a toxic plume of black smoke soaring over the community and provoking concerns about long-term health impacts. NTSB investigators on Tuesday said the maker of the vinyl chloride, OxyVinyls, had told Norfolk Southern that there was no risk of explosion, because the chemical was being transported in modern tank cars designed to better withstand crashes. In addition, the vinyl chloride had been stabilized to prevent a runaway chemical reaction. But the railroad never conveyed that information to the local fire chief and as a result, its contractors proceeded to break open the cars with explosives and ignite the chemicals, investigators said. Norfolk Southerns contractors, who were in control of the derailment scene assessment, compromised the integrity of the vent and burn decision by withholding complete information from the incident commander, Paul Stancil, a hazardous material investigator for the NTSB, said during the meeting. In a statement responding to the hearing, Norfolk Southern said the NTSB had mischaracterized the "vent and burn" decision-making process. The railroad said the local fire chief knew OxyVinyls' staff was at the scene and could have spoken to them. Norfolk Southern disputed the idea that it had "withheld" information and said "there was no obstacle to them making their views known to the ultimate decision-makers." In addition, Norfolk Southern said OxyVinyls itself had provided Norfolk Southern with "conflicting information." "The vent and burn effectively avoided a potential uncontrolled explosion. There was no loss of life, injuries, or damage to property, and contractors took steps to manage environmental impact," Norfolk Southern said in an emailed statement. The issue provoked sparring between Norfolk Southern and the NTSB throughout the day Tuesday, with Norfolk Southern accusing the NTSB through a press release of mischaracterizing the facts, and the NTSB firing back. (At one point, NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy called Norfolk Southern's response "disgusting.") Older tank cars involved The car that sparked the fire in East Palestine was an older model tank car known as a DOT-111. The NTSB first issued a report on the cars in 1991, saying that they were prone to burst during wreck, and it repeated its warning after dozens of the cars were involved in a disastrous oil-tanker wreck in Lac Megantic, Quebec, that killed 47 people and sparked stronger tank car regulations, including the eventual phase-out of the DOT-111 in 2029. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said there are still 23,500 of the outdated cars in use around the country; theyre mostly owned by companies that ship goods, not by railroads. Stancil of the NTSB said these older DOT-111 cars are much more likely to breach and release products in an average derailment. The breaching rate of the DOT-111s in the East Palestine wreck was 50 percent, according to Stancil. Among the NTSB's recommendations is that DOT-111 tank cars be phased out faster than 2029. The NTSB has been recommending for more than a decade the industry phase out DOT-111 tankers because of their known risk of rupturing. Staffing at issue NTSB investigators also raised concerns about staffing for people monitoring these critical alerts and the way railroads handle them. According to the NTSB, the employee who manages hot bearing detector alerts of alarms for Norfolk Southern said it wasn't uncommon to get "several hundred per shift," Scott, the NTSB investigator, adding that just a small portion, around five percent, were bearing alerts. At the time of the derailment, Norfolk Southern had one analyst per shift with a supervisor who could fill in if the supervisor got overwhelmed, according to NTSB. Currently, there are two analysts per shift and they are looking at potentially adding a third due to added detectors on the railroad since East Palestine. Inman asked how those staffing levels are determined and Scott said, in yet another example of railroad control: Its all dependent on the railroad. So they get to make their own rules, Inman said. Ellie Borst contributed to this report. A report by the North Carolina Medical Examiners Office for Mica Miller says that the Myrtle Beach woman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The report said that there was no concern for foul play. The report also indicated that there was no sign of a physical struggle where bullet casings were recovered at the scene. The report said that the 30-year-old used a 9mm handgun that she purchased from a Myrtle Beach pawn shop to kill herself at Lumber River State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, on April 27, 2024. Millers body was found submerged in the river by trees about 100 feet from the bullet casings by a kayaker, who notified police, the report said. Police also were given a black bag with Millers ID and money that was found by a person on the bank of the river. The death of Miller, who was married to John-Paul Miller, pastor of Solid Rock Church in Market Common in Myrtle Beach at the time, has received national attention and has been reviewed and analyzed by family, friends and online. During the investigation of Mica Millers death, it was revealed that Miller and her estranged husband had been separated and were involved in the legal system. Miller suffered from mental health issues and alluded to abuse in her marriage, which she documented on her Facebook page and in documents. John-Paul Miller has denied that he has abused his wife. Her death has been the basis for #justiceforMica to bring awareness to domestic violence. Her family also is in a legal battle with John-Paul Miller over her belongings. The Robeson County Sheriffs Department ruled Mica Millers death a suicide. According to a Facebook post Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the North Carolina law enforcement agency said the decision was based on surveillance footage, interviews, physical evidence and the examination of the North Carolina Medical Examiners Office. The post said Robeson County E911 Communications Center received a 911 call from a female, who was later identified as Mica Miller, who asked the dispatcher if her phone could be located because she was going to kill herself and wanted her family to be able to find her body. The medical examiners report said that family members had tried to call and text Miller on the day of her death without success. Investigators located a gun case in the passenger seat of the vehicle and a box of ammunition in the center console. Investigators also found a receipt for the handgun from a pawn shop and a receipt from a convenience store in the vehicle. Both receipts were dated for same day of Millers death, April 27, 2024. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 25. Uzbekistan and China will increase the number of regular flights between both countries to 100 per week (50 on each side), Trend reports. The news followed a meeting between the representatives of Uzbekistan and China during the "China-Central Asia Civil Aviation Conference C5+1". During the meeting, the sides discussed the issues of amending the bilateral intergovernmental agreement on air communication between the aviation administrations of Uzbekistan and China, a sharp increase in the number of air flights between the two countries, and the and the opening of new air corridors. Uzbekistan proposed to lift restrictions imposed on the number of airlines and flight points and expand the geography of flights. At the end of the meeting, the aviation administrations of the two countries signed a relevant document on the implementation of the proposed matters. Meanwhile, the trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and China amounted to $5 billion from January through May 2024. This figure has increased by 11.1 percent year-on-year ($4.5 billion in January through May 2023). Just three days after announcing a new chancellor, North Carolina A&T State University received a $20 million anonymous gift. According to WXII, the HBCU will use its funds to form a higher level of distinction. Kenneth E. Sigmon Jr., vice chancellor of University Advancement said the anonymous gift will help propel the HBCU. We are deeply honored and grateful for this extraordinary gift, Sigmon Jr. told WXII. This generous support will provide crucial resources to our students, faculty, and programs, ensuring that N.C. A&T continues to thrive as a leading institution for higher learning and innovation. Per WXII, funds will be allocated to international exchange opportunities and hiring professors with AI experience. In addition, the $20 million donation will be split into four initiatives that include: Contributions to scholarships of $15 million Establishment of AI-endowed professorships with $2 million $2 million reserved for international opportunities With $1 million, the Chancellors Speaker Series will continue to offer opportunities for campus communities to work with thought leaders North Carolina A&T chose these initiatives for funding based on Preeminence 2030: NC A&T Blueprint, the universitys strategic plan. Per WXII, the University of North Carolina A&T is the nations largest HBCU. As a result, the HBCU is in the works to be considered a Carnegie Very High Research Activity institution. North Central High School principal resigns after one year to prioritize his family North Central High School North Central High School is looking for a new principal just one year after hiring their most recent principal. The Washington Township schools district announced Tuesday afternoon that the district is now taking applications for the principal position at North Central. WTS announces the posting for the North Central High School Principal position. The District seeks a highly qualified candidate to lead the school's legacy of excellence. Find out more about the position and search process here: https://t.co/n6NrONaXHm@NCHS_panthers pic.twitter.com/FK9Tj1FMES Washington Township Schools (@msdwt) June 25, 2024 The district also notified parents that the current North Central principal Daniel Mendez had resigned but gave no further explanation. Mendez told IndyStar on Wednesday that he was stepping away from his position to spend time with his family. "After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to resign from my position at North Central to spend more time with my family," Mendez said. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, staff and families of North Central High School. I wish them nothing but continued success. This decision reflects my commitment to prioritizing my family at this time." The Washington Township school board approved Mendez's resignation at a special meeting Wednesday morning and no further comment was made at the meeting about his resignation. Board president Deirdre George Davis told IndyStar after the meeting that the special meeting had been planned a month in advance and posted on the school district's website and that Mendez's resignation was not the reason for the meeting. Mendez was hired last April after the schools previously long-time principal, Evans Branigan III, was suddenly placed on leave in March 2023 following allegations involving verbal misconduct and failure to implement District protocols regarding a student discipline matter, according to a statement released by the district at the time. Mendez previously served as the principal of Seymour Middle School since 2019. Before that he worked as a teacher and in administrative roles for Perry Township schools. From 2017 to 2019 he served as director of secondary education for Decatur Township schools. Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: North Central High School principal Daniel Mendez resigns Chancellor Mark Hagerott gives a presentation Jan. 17, 2024, at the North Dakota State College of Science. He is recommending three-year contracts for college and university presidents. (Photo provided by the North Dakota University System) Chancellor Mark Hagerott will lead the North Dakota University System for another 18 months before transitioning to a professor position, the State Board of Higher Education determined Tuesday. The board met in a closed-door executive session Tuesday to discuss Hagerotts evaluation and extending his contract. Board members then resumed the open meeting and voted unanimously to extend Hagerotts contract by six months through the end of December 2025. Hagerotts current contract is through June 2025. Its typical for the board to renew contracts for one year at a time. Board members agreed to grant Hagerott a three-year position as distinguished professor of artificial intelligence and human security after he completes his contract as chancellor. Board members did not cite during the open meeting their reasons for the transition. Hagerott has led North Dakotas 11 public colleges and universities since 2015. His salary is $424,035, and he will make $440,996 next year with a 4% raise. Hagerott told board members during the meeting that he looks forward to leading the university system through the next legislative session. I want to thank the board for this transition back to academia, Hagerott said. I know some eyes may glaze over, but I still am an academic. The distinguished professor position will be for the entire university system in cooperation with the Dakota Digital Academy and Core Technology Services. Specifics of that contract and salary have yet to be determined. Board Chair Timothy Mihalick thanked Hagerott for his service and said he looked forward to the next 18 months. He added that hes excited for Hagerott to teach North Dakota and the nation about artificial intelligence. Your knowledge is probably second to none in this country, Mihalick said. The board, meeting in Bottineau, also voted after a closed-door executive session to extend the contracts of all campus presidents by one year. In February, board members granted a leave of absence for Hagerott to take time off to prepare to teach a class on artificial intelligence and work on a book. Hagerott will co-teach a class at North Dakota State University this fall. One board member, Jeffry Volk, opposed Hagerotts request for that leave of absence, saying he had received negative feedback about it. Others were supportive of the developmental leave, which is allowed under a board policy for the chancellor and presidents with more than five years on the job. Hagerott will be out of the office from late July through late August to attend conferences, prepare to teach that class and also take some annual leave, said Jerry Rostad, vice chancellor of strategy and strategic engagement. Hagerott and Volk were at odds during the 2023 legislative session. Volk worked with Sen. Judy Lee last year to introduce Senate Bill 2343 after Volk said he experienced challenges as a board member accessing confidential records and documents generated prior to him joining the board. Hagerott testified in opposition to the bill. It was later amended and approved. A one-page evaluation of Hagerott dated June 20 noted some of the chancellors recent accomplishments and expressed the boards appreciation for his work. The evaluation did not identify any concerns with his performance. Emails sent to Volk and Mihalick seeking comment were not returned Tuesday. Hagerotts voicemail was full Tuesday and he did not respond to a text message seeking comment after the meeting. Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, an associate professor of biomedical sciences, was a non-voting faculty member on the State Board of Higher Education when Hagerott was hired. Murphy said Tuesday he thinks Hagerotts communication style may have contributed to the board wanting to move on. I think Mark brought that military experience and that always doesnt work very well with academics, said Murphy, who teaches at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Murphy used an analogy of swimming versus treading water to describe Hagerotts leadership. When you tread water for a long time, its a lot of work, but you dont do anything, he said. When you apply that to Mark, we did a lot of stuff that was sort of like treading water. This story has been updated with additional reporting. The post North Dakota University System chancellor to leave position in 18 months appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. South Korea spotted another 350 North Korean balloons presumed to be carrying waste on Monday, reigniting a tit-for-tat exchange as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to heighten. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said a suspected balloon was seen flying in northern Gyeonggi Province, which borders Seoul, around 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET). About 100 of the balloons fell inside South Korean regions, most of which were found in north of Gyeonggi Province and capital Seoul with no hazardous substances found so far, it said. Seouls Metropolitan government later sent out a push notification alerting the city that a North Korean balloon had entered the sky over Seoul, adding that citizens should refrain from touching downed balloons and report any sightings to authorities. The South Korean military has warned it could restart loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts at the border which it had paused for the last few years adding whether Seoul resumes the loudspeakers is up to North Koreas actions. Our military is ready to immediately start anti-North Korea propaganda broadcasts, and will operate with flexibility according to the strategical and operational situation, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday. North Korea has sent over 1,000 balloons toward the South since May, which it calls reprisals for South Korean activists flying leaflets that contain materials critical of the regime of its leader Kim Jong Un. On Thursday, a South Korean advocacy group flew 20 large balloons carrying thousands of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and USB sticks with South Korean entertainment toward North Korea. A day later, on Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Koreas leader, warned of trouble ahead. When you do something you were clearly warned not to do, its only natural that you will find yourself dealing with something you didnt have to, she said. A South Korean analysis of North Korean balloons sent between late May and early June detected parasites in the balloons soil, which may have originated from human feces, the ministry said, pointing to human genes found in the soil. The analysis found roundworms, whipworms and larva currens along with other waste, such as cloth and wastepaper, the ministry said, adding there was no risk of contamination or infectious disease from the analyzed soil. The balloons also carried damaged clothes from a South Korean brand, signaling hostility towards South Korean goods, as well as clothes with imitations of Disney characters, according to the ministry. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands after a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. - Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik/AP The latest balloon salvo comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula heighten, and inter-Korean diplomacy remains at an impasse. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a defense agreement with North Korea last week as talks on its denuclearization efforts have stalled, and Kim has vowed to expand his countrys nuclear arsenal and threatened to use it against the South. In the meantime, a US Navy aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea over the weekend ahead of trilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in the waters near the peninsula. It is the latest in a series of US military moves aiming to affirm Washingtons ironclad commitment to its treaty ally in South Korea. US and South Korean officials signed a new memorandum of understanding on diplomatic intelligence sharing and analysis on Monday, according to South Koreas foreign ministry. Japanese, South Korean and U.S. officials also held a trilateral call where they issued a joint statement that called the deepening security cooperation between Russia and North Korea a matter of grave concern to those seeking to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. The United States, ROK, and Japan condemn in the strongest possible terms deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including continued arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia that prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe, the statement said. CNNs Mike Valerio contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LYON COUNTY (KSNT) Several law enforcement agencies located in Lyon County are preparing to encrypt their radio broadcasts starting next month. The Lyon County government announced in a press release on social media on June 25 that law enforcement agencies within the county will align with an FBI policy regarding their radio broadcasts. This will impact the following agencies and organizations: Lyon County Emergency Communications Lyon County Sheriffs Office Emporia Police Department City of Emporia Lyon County Emporia State University Police and Safety This change in policy is being mandated by the FBIs Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). This means criminal history records, social security numbers and addresses are considered criminal justice information protected from the public eye. The Lyon County government expects this will help protect people from suffering the effects of identity theft and personal information breaches. We acknowledge that many of our citizens rely on radio broadcasts to stay informed about law enforcement activities and understand the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with our community. While this security change may affect the dissemination of certain information, our commitment to transparency and public safety remains unwavering. We will explore alternative means of communication to keep our community informed while ensuring compliance with the updated security policy. Lyon County Government FDA recall impacts numerous ice cream brands sold nationwide over listeria risk The change will become active starting Monday, July 8. On this date, all law enforcement channels operated by the above agencies will be encrypted. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, shown here in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, was in Cleveland on Tuesday to announce the opening of a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center that will serve Northeast Ohio. Federal officials are taking aim at gun violence in Northeast Ohio. U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was in town Tuesday to announce the opening of a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Cleveland. Such centers are operated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which operates over 60 of them across the country. Last year, the online tracker Gun Violence Archive noted over 43,000 deaths nationwide by gun violence and over 8,000 so far this year. The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis Tuesday morning. Northeast Ohio officials hope the creation of a collaborative intelligence center in Cleveland will help target gun violence across the region. "CGICs help investigators generate leads to get shooters off the streets and dismantle trafficking networks that provide violent criminals with their guns," Garland said. The announcement comes on the two-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which heightened background checks for firearms purchasers under the age of 21. It also created new criminal offenses for illegal firearms trafficking as well as for unlicensed firearms distribution and manufacturing. Summit County crime cited U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio said "crime guns" are often used in offenses across multiple locations, sometimes even by different perpetrators, due to sales on illegal gun markets. Lutzko cited an example of a gun used for violent crime in Cleveland that made its way to Summit County. "These crimes are done without regard for county lines or where one city ends and another begins," Lutzko said. ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney in Cleveland, said these acts are done without regard for the law either, with 60% of recipients of trafficked firearms being convicted felons or other such people prohibited from purchasing firearms legally. What is a Crime Gun Intelligence Center? Each Crime Gun Intelligence Center houses data technology, including the ATF's National Integrated Ballistic and Information Network and eTrace systems. The systems help better identify registered and unregistered firearms used in shootings as well as perpetrators themselves. Integrating these technologies in intelligence centers aims to drive clearance rates up so violent crime rates fall as law enforcement has a more efficient time tracking perpetrators of gun-related crimes. Further, the Northeast Ohio center will be the first to be located within jurisdiction of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Over 30 agencies on federal, state and local levels will collaborate in the Northeast Ohio center, according to the U.S. Attorney General's Office. Prosecutors will also be included in the focus on ballistics testing and firearms tracing through the center so that charging perpetrators is done more swiftly and accurately. "It's a game changer," Dettelbach said. Dettelbach said the Northeast Ohio center is partnering with Summit, Lorain, Lake, Medina and Cuyahoga counties, which are offering the collaboration of their officials, prosecutors and law enforcement. However, other counties like Stark can still use its resources by sending weapons or other evidence there for research. A news release about the efforts indicates the Akron, Barberton, Canton and University of Akron police departments; and the Portage and Summit County sheriff's offices will be supporting the center as well through ATF task forces. Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said the center will help expand the ability to collect intelligence and information. "What really matters is the work done every day in our city using that shared intelligence along with what we collect to improve the lives of Canton's residents," he said. "As previously reported, Canton's gun violence and overall violent crime significantly decreased last year, and that decline continues. Our strategies are effective." The new center will help long-term, second-level investigations tracking guns used in multiple crimes in different communities, he said. "I think the relationships established through those tracings will help solve violent crimes and reduce the number of illegal firearms in Ohio, and that can only have a positive effect on our community," Gabbard said. "They focused the center near Cleveland for a reason, as the need and volume will obviously be greater there. As for our city, I will sit on the executive committee, and Canton will share any statistics and intelligence requested to improve the CGIC processes." Supreme Court gun rulings and funding The Supreme Court has substantially weighed in on the gun violence issue this year, overturning a Trump-era ban on weapon attachments that increase semi-automatic weapons' rates of fire and upholding a ban on domestic abusers' abilities to purchase firearms. However, Garland and Dettelbach both said Congress has endangered these efforts by proposing a cut of approximately $1 billion to the Department of Justice. Dettelbach said this would not only stifle the growth of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center system across the country but also would force some centers to shut down. Garland called the proposed cut "unacceptable." Both emphasized the importance of collaboration with local officials to keep operations running efficiently. "Further, deeper cuts to ATF threaten the closings of facilities like this CGIC and leave our communities less protected and less safe," Dettelbach said. "We cannot let that happen." Keeping the crime decline going Since the passing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Garland said, there have been 525 charges made for acts of illegally purchasing and trafficking firearms, as well as over 800 prevented purchases of firearms by young people prohibited from owning them. Garland said FBI statistics show a decrease in violent crime by 15% and murder by 26%. Violent crimes in Cleveland committed with a firearm have decreased by 33% as well. These efforts have all coalesced into the largest one-year decrease in homicides in the past 50 years. "Those declines are more than just statistics," Garland said. "They represent people who are still here, who are still alive for their families and contribute to their communities." This article originally appeared on The Repository: Crime Gun Intelligence Center opens in Cleveland SALLISAW, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) The man accused of killing two people at a business in Gans, Oklahoma, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on Monday, the Sequoyah County Clerks Office confirmed. Stacy Lee Drake, 50 (Courtesy: Sequoyah County Jail) Stacy Lee Drake, 50, was arrested in Morrilton, Ark., on June 20 after a multi-state search. He was officially charged on June 21 with two counts of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. The clerks office said Drake has until August 7 to find a lawyer to represent him and fill out an application or a public defender will be appointed. WATCH: Stacy Drake arrives at the Sequoyah County Jail According to an affidavit, the Sequoyah County Sheriffs Office was notified on June 18 of an incident at LaFerrys Propane in Gans after a man allegedly found his fiances body and another mans body. The victims were identified as Tara Underwood and Taylor Sharp, according to the filing. He had a court appearance in Conway County Court on June 21 where he signed waive his right to an extradition back to Sequoyah County. He arrived in Sequoyah County later that day and charges were filed against him. Drake is also accused of killing a man at an Alcoholics Anonymous in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 14. He is also accused of killing a man in El Reno, Oklahoma, on June 14. He has a court appearance set for August 26 in Sequoyah County District Court. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday debunked claims that large corporations and their executive are staunch supporters financially and otherwise of Donald Trump, a line the MAGA campaign has been pushing in the weeks ahead of the fast-approaching presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. Heading into the debate, she began, the press has told the public that financiers have turned against Biden on the basis of his record as an incumbent president. How could that be possible, Maddow asked, when we are presented with the "observable truth" of Biden's successes during his White House tenure? "Under Joe Biden, we just had the best year of American job creation in the 21st century," Maddow said, before presenting a series of reports illustrating the Biden administration's wins. "The last time we had a streak this long of unemployment below four percent, it was the early 1960s." Maddow also noted how the U.S. economy has flourished to the point of becoming the "envy of the world," even stabilizing the broader global economy. Additionally, the U.S. stock market is consistently shattering records, crime rates have reached a 50-year low, and Biden continually inks historic bipartisan legislation, such as his infrastructure initiatives. "This is the kind of business landscape hellscape that business leaders have been suffering through under Joe Biden," Maddow quipped sarcastically, before highlighting a few headlines that indicated how U.S. corporate profits have soared under Biden's leadership. The MSNBC host then addressed potential pro-Trump arguments grounded in a need for greater fiscal responsibility and debt relief. "Tell me what the rationale is there in reality," Maddow said, before displaying a recently published report from a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, the Committee for a Responsible Fiscal Budget. The report, which covered the national debt incurred during Trump and Biden's respective presidencies, showed that Trump added $8.4 trillion to the national debt compared to Biden's $4.3 trillion. The report even accounted for COVID-19-related spending; however, as Maddow observed, even eliminating pandemic funds would still show that Trump's spending was leaps and bounds ahead of Biden's. "Despite the massive spin generated by these high-profile, ideological Trumpy billionaires, we're starting now as of today finally, I think to see a corrective in that narrative about what's really happening," Maddow asserted, before displaying a recent New York Times front-page headline: "C.E.O.'s Are Frustrated. That Doesn't Mean They Embrace Trump." Quoting the Times report, Maddow said, "'A number of prominent figures in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street ... have grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of Mr. Biden, their praise of former President Donald J. Trump, or both. Still, that mostly reflects movement among executives who already supported Republican politicians...'" "'There is little evidence of a major shift in allegiance among executives away from Mr. Biden and toward Mr. Trump,'' The Times piece continued. In a separate Times opinion piece, Yale School of Management's senior dean for leadership studies Jerry Sonnenfeld wrote, "Recent headlines suggest that our nation's business leaders are embracing the presidential candidate Donald Trump. His campaign would have you believe that our nation's top chief executives are returning to support Mr. Trump for president, touting declarations of support from some prominent financiers." "That is far from the truth," Sonnenfeld continued. "They didn't flock to him before, and they certainly aren't flocking to him now. Mr. Trump continues to suffer from the lowest level of corporate support in the history of the Republican Party. Not a single Fortune 100 chief executive has donated to the candidate so far this year, which indicates a major break from overwhelming business and executive support for Republican presidential candidates dating back over a century." The Rachel Maddow Show airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC. Aerial view of the train derailment wreckage in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 5, 2023. (NTSB photo). Norfolk Southern and its contractors erred when they made the call to release and burn toxic chemicals leaking from rail cars following the 2023 derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board said during a Tuesday hearing. In addition, the railroad stymied investigators repeatedly over the course of the 17-month probe, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said, and at one point, its representatives made threatening remarks to her about how it would respond to the agencys findings. Five of the rail cars had been heated by a fire caused by the derailment, but the railroad failed to detect that the cars temperatures had started to drop, making the release unnecessary because the danger of explosion was receding, NTSB investigator Paul Stancil said Tuesday. In addition, trackside detectors failed to detect how hot the temperature of a wheel bearing on the train had become 20 miles before the derailment occurred, according to the NTSB. Ultimately, the NTSB investigation determined the defective wheel bearing failed and caused the derailment, which led to the fire. On behalf of the entire agency, I want to recognize the significant impact that this derailment has had on the community in East Palestine, Ohio, in Darlington, Pennsylvania, and all the surrounding areas throughout the state of Ohio, throughout the state of Pennsylvania, Homendy said Tuesday. The agency was presenting its final report on the Feb. 3, 2023 derailment that left residents of the region with health issues and pollution concerns that they say have yet to be fully addressed. The NTSB presented the findings of its 17-month investigation to a full house in East Palestine High Schools auditorium. Unfortunately, some have sought to minimize the wide-ranging impacts of this derailment, pointing to the fact that there were no fatalities or injuries, and for this, we are certainly grateful, Homendy said. But the absence of a fatality or injury doesnt mean the presence of safety. On Feb. 3, 2023 at about 9:30 p.m., a Norfolk Southern train with about a dozen cars carrying vinyl chloride derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border In the days that followed, local emergency officials vented and burned vinyl chloride, creating a black cloud of smoke over the surrounding area that could be seen for miles away. As vinyl chloride burns, it breaks down into carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride. Mixed with water, hydrogen chloride makes hydrochloric acid, which is toxic to fish. Officials estimated 3,500 fish in nearby waterways were killed in the days following the venting. Burning vinyl chloride also creates a small amount of phosgene gas, a chemical used as a weapon during World War I. But Norfolk Southern did not inform local first responders about information it had received from OxyVinyl, the manufacturer of the chemicals, whose on-site team had inspected the train cars and found that the risk of explosion was low and the cars were cooling, NTSB investigators found. Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent-and-burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusion, Stancil said. As a result, the first responders, including local firefighters, remained at the derailment scene longer than they should have, exposing them to post-derailment hazards, NTSB investigator Troy Lloyd said. This meant decision makers at the scene did not have complete information when they agreed to the railroads recommendation to vent the chemicals. During Tuesdays hearing, investigators also said the use of a type of rail car to transport butyl acrylate, a flammable chemical that caused the fire the evening of the derailment, also contributed to the aftermath of the derailment. The design of the cars, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, have a lower ability to survive derailments and fires without releasing its contents compared to current tank car designs. DOT 111 tank cars are being phased out of carrying flammable materials as of 2029, although the Rail Safety Act of 2023 would move that date up to 2025. The events that eventually led to the vent and burn couldve been avoided had there been no DOT 111 tank cars carrying combustible and flammable liquids on this train, Stancil said. The railroad agreed to pay $310 million in a settlement with the federal government, to pay for violations of the Clean Water act and the costs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys cleanup efforts at the scene. In April, Norfolk Southern agreed to a $600 million settlement of a class action suit with residents and businesses. The company did not admit to any liability, wrongdoing or fault in the settlement, which would end all class action claims related to the derailment from residents within a 20-mile radius of the derailment site near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. For those who choose to participate, the company said in a statement the settlement would also cover personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius of the derailment. In a report released June 19, environmental researchers said the chemicals released in the aftermath of the derailment affected 16 states, precipitation and pollution data showed. Norfolk Southern defended its decision-making around the controlled vent-and-burn, saying in a statement Tuesday it made its recommendation based on the information available at the time, and denied that it withheld information. Homendy said the railroad had attempted to interfere with the NTSB investigation process in a way that was unprecedented and reprehensible. The railroad had repeatedly failed to give information to investigators, or tried to delay giving information, to the point that she twice contacted the railroad and threatened to subpoena the information. Homendy had testified to some of the NTSBs findings during a March hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) questioned whether the railroad had made the decision to burn off the chemicals in order to get trains back up and running more quickly. A lot of people, including me, are wondering, did they do this not because it was necessary, but because it allowed them to move traffic and freight more quickly? Vance asked during the March hearing. Homendy said Tuesday that when Norfolk Southern executives met with individual NTSB board members a routine part of the investigation process one of the executives told her it was their hope that in this board meeting and in the community meetings, the NTSB would put to rest the quote, unquote rumor that Norfolk Southern made the decision to vent and burn to move trains, Homendy said, which she called unethical and inappropriate. She went on to say that the Norfolk Southern representatives told her they would use every avenue and opportunity to vigorously defend their decision making in media and hearings going forward, which those in the room at the time interpreted as a threat. That is your right, but it is not our role to defend Norfolk Southern, were here to protect the American people and the traveling public, Homendy said. Norfolk Southerns media relations team sent a statement to the Capital-Star disputing Homendys comments. At all times, Norfolk Southern cooperated fully and ethically with the investigation, with full transparency. Our communications with NTSB staff and Board Members were always motivated by a desire to ensure they had all the relevant information for their independent evaluation and by a shared commitment to advance rail safety, the statement reads. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the Railway Safety Act, said Tuesday he would keep pushing for it to become law. Norfolk Southerns information-sharing failure placed Pennsylvania first responders in needless, irresponsible danger. This final rule is an important step to protect our first responders, but we need to pass legislation that protects our communities from train derailments. Casey said in a statement. The Railway Safety Act included a slew of new rules for railroads, including enhancing safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, and raising fines for rail carriers who violate rules, and requiring railroads to operate with crews of at least two people. Rail carriers would also be required to give advance notice to state emergency response officials about what materials the trains are transporting. The bill, and its companion bill in the House, cosponsored by Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-17th District), have not advanced, despite bipartisan support. The NTSB board approved a series of two dozen recommendations at the conclusion of Tuesdays daylong hearing. It recommended the Federal Railroad Administration review its rules for trackside detectors and how railroads respond to them, and recommended the agency review the decision making process for conducting future vent-and-burn procedures and ensure first responders are informed. The NTSB does not have enforcement authority, but has a team that follows up on recommendations to ensure action is being taken by the proper authorities. Its final report will be available for public review in a few weeks. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post NTSB: Norfolk Southern controlled burn of toxic chemicals in E. Palestine derailment unnecessary appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said Norfolk Southern threatened the board, sought to manufacture evidence and failed to provide documents during its investigation of a 2023 Ohio derailment. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in extraordinary remarks the rail carrier "delayed or failed to provide critical investigative information to our team," prompting her to warn it twice the agency would issue subpoenas to compel disclosure. She described the company's actions as "unconscionable" and "reprehensible." The NTSB also found on Tuesday that Norfolk Southern and its contractors did not need to vent and burn hazardous materials from tank cars after a February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that it said was caused by a defective wheel bearing. The derailment forced residents to temporarily abandon their homes after the train caught fire and released over 1 million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants near the state's border with Pennsylvania. Norfolk Southern said in a statement that it had cooperated "fully and ethically" with the NTSB investigation at all times, with full transparency. "Our communications with NTSB staff and Board Members were always motivated by a desire to ensure they had all the relevant information for their independent evaluation and by a shared commitment to advance rail safety," the company said. Last month, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay a $15 million civil penalty and $57.1 million in past government cleanup costs, as well as millions in future costs to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit. Homendy listed a series of actions during the investigation by the railroad she called unethical or inappropriate, including Norfolk Southern retaining a private company to conduct testing of off-the-shelf vinyl chloride for inclusion in the NTSB record. Parties "are not permitted to manufacture their own evidence and develop their own set of facts outside of the NTSB investigative process, which is exactly what Norfolk Southern did," Homendy said. She said during NTSB meetings this month, a senior Norfolk Southern executive urged the NTSB to "put to rest the 'rumor' that Norfolk Southern made the decision to vent and burn to move trains," calling the railroad's request "unethical and inappropriate." She added "the entire exchange ended with what everyone from the NTSB heard in the room was a threat and it was delivered that way." She also said the railroad had invited the five board members to visit on Monday - the day before the meeting - and that would "have constituted a violation of our ethics standards." 'DISREGARDED EVIDENCE' The NTSB said a key decision by Norfolk Southern and its contractors to seek approval from the unified incident commander to vent and burn hazardous materials from five tank cars was unnecessary after they "misinterpreted and disregarded evidence" and an alternative option to allow the cars to cool was overlooked. The NTSB staff also said Norfolk Southern and its contractors withheld "complete and accurate expert opinions and information." Norfolk Southern said the company and its contractors' "only motivation in recommending the vent and burn to the Unified Command was the health and safety of the community and first responders," adding the decision was to "protect the community from a potential catastrophic explosion." The company said the NTSB mischaracterized the basis of the recommendation and rejected the contention it withheld views from the incident commander. Last week, the railroad said it would convene a vent and burn workgroup to assess current practices and existing protocols. NTSB recommended the Federal Railroad Administration set new safety regulations for inspections and maintenance of heat bearing detectors, also called box detectors or wayside detectors. The devices identify potential train safety issues by measuring temperature as they pass. The NTSB also wants U.S. Department of Transportation to establish a replacement schedule to stop the use of tank cars like some in the Ohio derailment and replace them with newer, safer tank cars with thicker tank walls and thermal protection. CONSENT DECREE Under a proposed consent decree estimated to be worth more than $310 million, the railroad also agreed to significant safety improvements and training, which includes installing additional devices to detect overheated wheel bearings early enough to prevent derailments. Norfolk Southern said under the agreement it will spend $244 million on safety initiatives through 2025. The incident sparked public outrage and calls for railroad safety reforms in Congress but legislation has stalled. Some lawmakers had said they wanted to wait for the NTSB's report before acting on safety changes. Norfolk Southern, which did not admit wrongdoing, said last month that the deal means the company will face no criminal penalties and the settlement is included in the around $1.7 billion in related charges to date for the incident. In April, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay $600 million to settle a class action lawsuit over the derailment. The settlement covers personal injury claims from residents and businesses in the city and impacted surrounding communities. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Aurora Ellis and Jamie Freed) TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 25. Russias Gazprom (a transnational energy company) opened a representative office in Uzbekistan's Tashkent, Trend reports. The news was reflected in the data of Russia's Uniform State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE). Earlier in April 2024, Gazprom announced that it may open a representative office in Uzbekistan. This was reflected in the companys statement on holding a meeting of the issuers board of directors and its agenda. Meanwhile, Uzbekneftegaz (Uzbekistan's oil and gas company) and Russia's Gazprom launched a drilling control center. Uzbekneftegaz held a teleconference with Gazprom's Well Construction Control Center in Muravlenko, which provides remote engineering support for expedited drilling, and Dengizkul field well No. 326 during the ceremony kick-off. The creation of centralized organizational and digital management allows the company to reduce the duration of drilling wells by 45 percent and reduce the cost of their construction by 3 percent. It will be possible to save from 4 billion soums to 10 billion soums (from $316,702 to $791,756) on the construction of each well. Federal investigators confirmed Tuesday that a hot railcar wheel bearing sparked a fire and caused the massive derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying tank cars with hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023. Investigators said a series of missteps, faulty track sensors and delayed communications about the train's toxic cargo from the railroad company contributed to the disaster. In its final report on the Feb. 3, 2023, crash, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the crash which caused the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents and endangered the lives of first responders could have been avoided. "Today we present our findings mindful of the challenges faced by those affected. We are here to ensure that the lessons learned from this derailment will lead to meaningful change so no other community has to relive the challenges faced by the people of East Palestine," Mike Graham, an NTSB board member, said Tuesday during a public hearing in East Palestine. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, opened the hearing by apologizing on behalf of her agency to the residents of East Palestine, saying some outside the NTSB sought to minimize the toxic threat caused by the crash because no one was killed or injured. PHOTO: This video screenshot released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows the site of a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio that ocurres on Feb. 3, 2023. (Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images, FILE) "The absence of a fatality or injury does not mean the presence of safety," Homendy said. Researchers estimate that 110 million residents in 16 states, or one-third of the nation's population, were impacted by pollution, according to a study published in the Environmental Research Letters. The findings released Tuesday confirmed and expanded on findings in the preliminary investigative report the NTSB released about three weeks after the crash. Officials said the train comprised three locomotives and 149 freight rail cars, including 17 tank cars loaded with hazardous materials. The crash caused 38 rail cars to derail, officials said. Eleven of the derailed cars were tank cars carrying flammable and combustible material, including vinyl chloride chloroethene. "Post-accident inspections revealed that about 25% of the cars had federal defective conditions," NTSB investigator Ruben Payan said while giving a summary of the agency's investigative findings. The investigation focused on the wheel bearing of rail car 23 that caught fire and caused the axle to fall off and derail the train in East Palestine around 8:54 p.m. local time, resulting in an explosion and fire, Payan said. The crash occurred as the train was en route from Madison, Illinois, to the Conway Yard in Pennsylvania. Before the crash, the train's rail cars were inspected in Toledo, Ohio, and again in Decatur, Illinois, and no obvious defects were detected, Payan said. He said investigators reviewed video taken from security cameras of private homes and businesses along the route from Decatur to East Palestine and saw the wheel bearing of car 23 initially glowing from being overheated to being in flames as the train approached East Palestine. PHOTO: This photo taken with a drone shows the continuing cleanup of portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 9, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar/AP, FILE) NTSB investigators said the train tracks are equipped with sensors to detect dangerously overheated bearings and trigger critical alarms to the crew. As the train passed through Salem, Ohio, about 17 miles from East Palestine, an alarm was triggered and alerted a Norfolk back office analyst, who deemed it non-critical because the trackside sensor only showed car 23's wheel bearing at 103 degrees, the NTSB investigation found. Investigators said the sensor did not properly detect the true temperature of the overheated bearing and that Norfolk Southern's policies don't call for a train to be stopped and inspected until the hot bearing reaches at least 115 degrees. As the train approached East Palestine, critical alarms sounded on the train indicating that the overheated bearing had reached 253 degrees, prompting the train operator to apply the brakes in an attempt to stop the train, which was traveling at 42 mph, NTSB investigators said. By then, investigators said it was too late to avoid the derailment. MORE: Whistleblower claims EPA wasted critical time after devastating Ohio train derailment The NTSB also found that when East Palestine police and firefighters arrived on the scene at around 9 p.m. the incident commander called the Norfolk Southern center in Atlanta to ask what hazardous materials were in the derailed tank cars. The person who picked up the phone said they would check but did not get back to the incident commander, NTSB officials said. Fire crews attempting to extinguish the fire with water didn't learn of the specific hazardous materials on the train until 10 p.m. MORE: Norfolk Southern agrees to $600 million settlement in East Palestine train derailment About 2,000 residents in the vicinity of the crash were initially ordered to shelter in place, NTSB officials said. But around 11 p.m., fire officials, who learned some of the derailed tankers contained vinyl chloride chloroethene, ordered the residents to evacuate. Around midnight, volunteer firefighters stopped batting the blaze, retreated to a safe distance and moved the command center back, according to the NTSB. NTSB also found it was unnecessary for Norfolk Southern to recommend firefighters perform what was described as a "vent and burn" procedure on the tank cars containing vinyl chloride, sending a toxic plume of smoke into the air and causing further potential health hazards. MORE: Why the toxins from the Ohio train derailment could have posed deadly threats for residents nearby The NTSB made several recommendations to prevent similar incidents, including ways to advance the speed of communication between Norfolk Southern and first responders and establishing standards for how railroads should respond to bearing failure alarms. The agency, whose recommendations are not binding, also suggested that the Federal Railroad Administration establish rules governing railroad responses to the alarms. In addition, the agency recommended establishing a database to report hot wheel-bearing incidents. The agency also recommended that volunteer firefighters receive training on how to handle emergencies involving hazardous materials. "We will continue to pursue and advocate for these safety recommendations until each one is implemented," Graham said. In April, Norfolk Southern agreed to a $600 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit stemming from the train derailment. The settlement was approved by a judge in May. "The agreement is designed to provide finality and flexibility for settlement class members," the company said in a statement at the time. "Individuals and businesses will be able to use compensation from the settlement in any manner they see fit to address potential adverse impacts from the derailment. This could include healthcare needs and medical monitoring, property restoration and diminution, and compensation for any net business loss." On Tuesday, the company issued a new statement saying it has implemented measures to address the Federal Railroad Administration's recommendation from its 2023 Safety Culture Assessment. Some of the recommendations Norfolk Southern addressed are similar to those of the NTSB, including approving communications, training, trust and "going above and beyond" regulatory minimums. "We appreciate the strong partnership with FRA on advancing safety and are grateful for its thorough assessment of our culture and their thoughtful recommendations, all of which serve as building blocks to our goal of becoming the gold standard for safety in the industry," said Alan H. Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern. NTSB reveals cause of 2023 toxic train crash in East Palestine, Ohio originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The number of combat clashes along the entire contact line increased to 121 on 25 June, as Russian troops try to find ways to penetrate Ukrainian defences. Source: General Staff report as of 19:00 on 25 June Quote: "On the Kharkiv front, the Russian invaders do not give up their intention to drive Ukrainian defenders out of their positions near Vovchansk, Tykhe and Hlyboke. As of now, the defence forces have repelled five enemy assaults, and another combat clash is ongoing. On the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 10 attacks of the occupiers near Stepova Novoselivka, Stelmakhivka, Synkivka and Andriivka since the beginning of the day. At present, one combat clash is still ongoing. The aggressor's preliminary losses on this front amounted to 89 military personnel killed and injured. One tank, an armoured combat vehicle and a car were destroyed. The enemy's 12 attempts to advance into the depths of our territory in the areas of Bilohorivka, Verkhniokamianske, Spirne, Rozdolivka and Vyimka on the Siversk front failed. Another battle is underway. Ukrainian soldiers are keeping the situation under control." Details: On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians tried to penetrate Ukrainian defences nine times near Chasiv Yar and Ivanivske. On the Pokrovsk front, the Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian defensive lines 39 times since the beginning of the day in the areas of Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Yevhenivka, Sokil, Novoselivka Persha and Yasnobrodivka. Fighting continues on the Kurakhove front. Since the beginning of the day, the Russians have been attacking near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka and Kostiantynivka. The total number of attacks here has increased to six, two of which were repelled, and four are still ongoing. On the Prydniprovske front, the Russian assault on the positions of our defenders near Krynky ended unsuccessfully. The situation is under control. Support UP or become our patron! NEW YORK The Board of Correction is expected to vote Tuesday on rules about the use of solitary confinement in New York City jails stemming from a law sharply limiting the practice passed in December by the City Council. One dynamic newly at play is a board makeup that is different than it was in 2023 when a five-member majority sued the Adams administration for blocking board access to jail security video. The suit forced the city to reinstate that access. The group also blocked Chairman Dwayne Sampsons attempt to unilaterally fire BOC Executive Director Jasmine Georges-Yilla. Gone from the nine-member board are two members of that group: Dr. Rachel Bedard, who stepped down to become campaign finance chairwoman for state Sen. Zellnor Myries run for mayor, and Jackie Sherman, general counsel with the Independent Budget Office, who was not reappointed by the Adams administration. The Bedard seat, which is controlled by the City Council, was filled Thursday by Helen Skipper, the executive director of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative, who has said she grew up on Rikers Island. Meanwhile, intrigue surrounds the seat previously held by Sherman one of three slots that are nominated under the city Charter by the presiding judges from the 1st and 2nd Departments and then selected by the mayor. She was originally appointed in 2018 by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Three sources familiar with the sequence told the Daily News that Sherman cleared background checks and was nominated by the judges, Hector LaSalle and Dianne Renwick, in October. Seven months passed, and then, the sources said, Shermans name was quietly and abruptly withdrawn, and retired Judge Barry Cozier was nominated by the same judges in May. Presiding Justices LaSalle and Renwick have no comment on this matter, said Alfred Baker, a spokesman for the state Office of Court Administration. Sources said Sherman only learned she was not reappointed in late May from an aide to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks. Sherman declined comment Monday. If the mayor refuses to accept their nomination and instead appoints his own choice, he is removing the input of those justices and makes the BOC effectively compromised and in the pocket of the mayor, Councilwoman Sandy Nurse said Monday. The BOC needs to be in a position to hold the Department of Correction accountable. It cannot do that if it is beholden to the mayor. Said Bedard, Jackie Sherman is an exemplary citizen advocate who provided an incredible service to the city as a longstanding member of the BOC. I was very disappointed to hear that she was unceremoniously terminated despite her willingness to continue to serve. Cozier, 72, was a judge from 1986 to 2006. He is now in private practice focusing on commercial litigation. He has also served on attorney discipline and city buildings commissions and has been an adjunct at the Fordham Law School. Jackie Shermans six-year term has ended, and we thank her for her service, mayoral spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said in a statement. After Judges LaSalle and Renwick recommended Barry Cozier to join the BOC, Mayor Adams accepted their recommendation and made the appointment. Cozier told the New York Daily News on Monday he had no contact with Adams administration officials prior to his appointment. I was nominated by the presiding justices of the 1st and 2nd Department. I went through the clearance and was appointed by the mayor in May, he said. There are a number of major issues before the Board of Correction, and they are all very critical issues and the hope is these will contribute to needed improvements on Rikers Island. The City Council passed Intro 549-A, the solitary confinement bill in December. Adams vetoed the bill and the Council overrode the veto in January. The law, known as Local Law 42, goes into effect July 28 and bans keeping a person alone in a cell for more than two hours, not including sleep. On June 5, the city asked Manhattan Federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain to intervene and suspended implementation of the Council law. Swain is presiding over the Nunez class action lawsuit over violence and staff uses of force in the jails. A hearing on the citys request is expected July 9. Steve Martin, the federal monitor overseeing the jails, has also questioned elements of the solitary law. The three remaining members who sued DOC over the video and have been administration critics are Vice Chairwoman DeAnna Hoskins, Dr. Robert Cohen and Felipe Franco. The core Adams supporters are Sampson, the chairman, and former DOC employees Joseph Ramos and Jacqueline Pitts. Adams appointed Jude Torchenaud, a career child welfare worker for the city, in October. Where he may fall in the spectrum is less clear. The full slate of rules that the board is expected to vote on includes a ban on segregating someone who has been in a fight for more than six hours, bars emergency lock-ins of more than six hours, and bars the use of restraints on people younger than 22 except while being transported. _____ EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) An affordable housing building under construction in Manhattan will have more than half of its units set aside for formerly incarcerated people who are currently homeless. Castle III is being built on East 123rd Street in East Harlem. The building will include 82 units of affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness. Fifty-eight of those units will be set aside for formerly incarcerated people. More Local News The $55 million project is scheduled to be completed by May 2026. The buildings lottery will open next year. The 15-story building will include a laundry room, community room, bike storage and outdoor space. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said its badly needed. The project is a partnership between the city, state, the Fortune Society and JPMorgan Chase. List: NYC affordable housing lotteries ending in June Stanley Richards is the president and CEO of the nonprofit Fortune Society, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated people get job training, social services and affordable housing. Richards spent time in prison and said he needed help to reenter the community in 1991. The Fortune Society helped him get his first job as a counselor helping others. He now runs the organization. Philip Hall, a 58-year-old from Harlem, was released from prison after serving eight years and said it was hard to find a job and an affordable place to live. Hall was listening to a radio station and found out about the Fortune Society. It was a lifesaver for him. There are dozens of other affordable housing lotteries currently open on NYC Housing Connect. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. NYC gunman held on $1M bail after allegedly shooting innocent bystander on UES subway car A Manhattan judge Monday ordered a man held on $1 million bail for allegedly opening fire on a crowded Upper East Side subway car, striking an innocent bystander. Steven Sylvester, 34, faces an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting at a 35-year-old good Samaritan that had tried to break up a fight between the suspect and his girlfriend on a northbound 4 train as it approached 86th St. at 2:30 a.m. on June 2nd, officials said. Steven Sylvester, 34, faces an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting at a 35-year-old good Samaritan. Getty Images But Sylvester, who carried a loaded firearm onto the train, missed the good Samaritan. The bullet instead bounced off the train door and hit the hand of another man, a 32-year-old innocent bystander, who had happened to enter the car at that time, prosecutors said. The bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand and graze wounds to the torso, court papers say. Sylvester fled the scene and was arrested by officers on June 6 in the 19th Precinct. A search of his apartment uncovered clothing and accessories Sylvester wore on the night of the shooting. Sylvester has been held on Rikers Island after he was unable to make his initial bail of $100,000 cash, or $250,000 bond. At a hearing Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Justice Laura A. Ward raised the bail amount to $1 million dollar cash or $2 million bond at prosecutors request. This alleged conduct is very serious and put fellow subway riders at risk of being injured, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. We will continue holding people accountable who misuse our transit system as a hub for dangerous weapons and violence and I wish the victim a speedy recovery. The bystander suffered a gunshot wound to the left hand and graze wounds to the torso, court papers say. Christopher Sadowski Sylvester is charged with one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree attempted assault, one count of second-degree assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count. Attempts to reach Sylvesters attorney, Michael J. Croce, on Monday were unsuccessful. Sylvester is due back in court on September 3. NEW YORK (PIX11) Yet again, this New York City landmarks observation deck and its gorgeous Art Deco interior in Midtown, Manhattan, have been voted the No. 1 attraction in the world, Tripadvisor announced Tuesday. The Empire State Building Observatory has been ranked as the must-see destination for the third consecutive year. More Local News The Empire State Building Observatory is the most authentic New York City attraction, and this incredible global recognition is further proof that our decision to require reservations and avoid crowds at our reimagined Observatory Experience has been a huge success, said Anthony E. Malkin, chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. The iconic Manhattan landmark has over 60,000 5-star reviews. Visitors describe the building and its views as mesmerizing, electrifying, amazing, and breathtaking. The worlds most famous building has been featured in several films, such as King Kong and Superman. Millions of visitors every year travel through the building to admire its art deco metallic touches gilding the halls, elevators, and ceiling. An authentic piece of New York history, the Landmark Preservation Commission designated the building a landmark, according to its website. Things To Do Around NYC The Empire State Building was once the tallest in the world. It is 1,250 feet tall from its top floor and 1,454 feet tall with its antenna. Its the fourth tallest building in New York City, the sixth tallest in the United States, and the 43rd tallest tower in the world. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. This is very uncool. New York Citys elected officials and community boards couldnt be bothered with helping residents cope with the stifling weekend heat wave despite a direct appeal from Mayor Eric Adams administration. The city Office of Emergency Management sent a request to 225 elected officials and staffers including members of the City Council, state Senate and Assembly, Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and the House of Representatives to volunteer their offices as cooling centers over the short but sweltering stretch. The city Office of Emergency Management sent a request to 225 elected officials and staffers to volunteer their offices as cooling centers over the short but sweltering stretch. Paul Martinka Not one of the pols or workers offered to open their offices doors over the sizzling weekend, when temperatures hit well in the 90s, city officials said. Only six elected officials bothered to respond at all to the request and even then, it was only to say they would allow their office to be used as a mini-cooling center on weekdays. The half-dozen pols who responded were state Sen. Leroy Comrie and council members Nantasha Williams and Selvena Brooks-Powers of Queens, Councilwoman Ana Sanchez of The Bronx and state Assemblyman Michael Novakhov and Councilwoman Alexa Aviles of Brooklyn. City Hall said it was obviously disappointed by the lack of help. We are doing everything in our power to help New Yorkers beat the heat, including opening cooling centers across the five boroughs. But we cannot do this alone, a mayoral rep told The Post on Monday. The OEM had insisted in its letter, All that is needed to participate is a working air-conditioner and 1-3 chairs. Some 225 elected officials and staffers were asked to help. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images City Hall said it was obviously disappointed by the lack of help. Stephen Yang As the heat wave continues into the weekend, we ask elected officials to join the Citys Cooling Center Program, an important resource designed to keep New Yorkers safe during extreme heat days, it said. Were always looking for more to join, particularly on weekends (when fewer of our existing partners are able to operate) and in neighborhoods where there is high heat vulnerability due to elevated surface temperatures and lack of air-conditioned living spaces. With this in mind, were seeking opportunities to engage new partners such as the offices of elected officials and community boards like yours that already have trusted and respected roles in the citys diverse communities, OEM said. Wed like to partner with you to expand the Cooling Centers network and give New Yorkers access to more cool spaces where they can cool down when the program is activated during extreme heat days. The OEM had insisted in its letter, All that is needed to participate is a working air-conditioner and 1-3 chairs. AP Six officials did agree to allow their offices to be used on weekdays. Getty Images Comptroller Lander, who issued a critical report in 2022 on the availability of the citys cooling centers, complained last week that many of the Big Apples 500 such sites were closed during the Juneteenth holiday Wednesday. If youre telling people to get to a cooling center, then the cooling centers have to be open, Lander admonished last week. A rep for Lander was asked by The Post why the comptrollers office was not a makeshift cooling center and responded that a mayoral agency the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services controls entry, hours of operation, and access to the public spaces of the Municipal Building. Landers office is in the David Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street. Sen. Comrie, whose office is located on Farmers Boulevard in St. Albans, Queens, said he has not hesitated in using it as a cooling center, although only during office hours on weekdays. He said that over the weekend, he was giving out rain barrels to help constituents with flooding problems. We got a request to participate, and we signed up weve been a cooling center for awhile, Comrie said. If youre telling people to get to a cooling center, then the cooling centers have to be open, Lander said last week. Stephen Yang He said it was important to have a resting spot for elderly residents in his district during extreme heat. A staffer for Assemblyman Novakhov said the office participated during the weekdays but not on Saturday or Sunday. Some Real Ryte gangbangers are about to do some real time behind bars. A leader of the Brooklyn-based street gang and two underlings were each hit with decade-long sentences after a bungling car chase down a wrong-way street that ended with an innocent bystander mistakenly shot, prosecutors said. Semaj Bam Bam Smith, 30, was slapped with an 11-year sentence in a Brooklyn US District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to the office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Real Ryte gang leader Samaj Bam Bam Smith was sentenced to 11 years in prison in Brooklyn US District Court. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York His colleagues Mark Telly Waiters, 26, and Real Ryte honcho Dajahn Jeezy Mula McBean, 28, were each sentenced last month to more than 12 years in prison for their roles in the ongoing feud with rival Breadgang crew, which is affiliated with the 50-Brims, a subset of the Bloods, prosecutors said. We will not tolerate our communities being turned into scenes out of video games with gang warfare, reckless shootings and car chases, said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace. Todays sentence shows that individuals, like these defendants, who dont get that message will be punished with significant time in prison, Between 2015 and 2018, Real Ryte and Breadgang were locked in a street war that included a series of shootings, including one which resulted in the murder of Real Rytes Sean Pert, prosecutors said. Mark Telly Waiters, 26, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison last month. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York In an alleged retaliation attempt, Smith, McBean, and Waiters tracked down a BreadGang member in Manhattan, and chased him in cars down the wrong way of a one-way street, according to officials. An innocent bystander mistaken for the Breadgang rival ended up shot but survived, prosecutors said. The defendants have dedicated themselves to committing violent crimes on behalf of their gang without any regard for endangering the public, Peace said. Dajahn Jeezy Mula McBean was also sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York The brazen gangbangers of the Real Ryte crew were also known to commit other acts of violence, including transgressions involving murder and assault, and engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud and other crimes, according to officials. Oakland mayor blasts FBI raid on her home amid recall push: I have done nothing wrong Oakland mayor blasts FBI raid on her home amid recall push: I have done nothing wrong The mayor of Oakland was defiant saying she is innocent and confused about a recent FBI raid on her home as she fights to keep her political seat in the Bay Area. I want to be crystal clear, I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime and I am confident I will not be charged with a crime because I am innocent, Sheng Thao said during a Monday press conference. On Thursday, FBI agents descended onto Thaos home which she shares with her partner and family as well as three other properties associated with the family that runs California Waste Solutions a company that collects recyclables for the city. It is unclear what or who the target of the federal investigation is or what Thaos role may be, if any. Oakland mayor Sheng Thao defiantly maintained her innocence and ignored calls for resignation after her home was raided by the FBI (AP) Though Thao defiantly proclaimed her innocence, the FBI raid is just the latest in a series of events that have led to public unease about her. The Oakland mayor, who is the first Hmong American mayor of a major city in the U.S., is also facing a recall vote in November. Just two days before the FBI raid, a recall effort largely led by a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge qualified for the November ballot. The group supporting the recall says Thao is responsible for the citys rising crime rates. Robberies in the city grew 38 percent last year while motor vehicle theft jumped 44 percent, according to police data. Violent crime in the city rose 21 percent between 2022 and 2023. On Wednesday alone, 15 people were shot after a street takeover overshadowed a peaceful Juneteenth celebration. The group attributes Thaos firing of Black police chief LeRonne Armstrong and her administrations failure to apply for a state-funded grant to combat retail theft as contributing factors to rising crime. The Oakland mayor called the recall campaign a waste of time and public resources on Monday. But she assured constituents that she plans to remain 100 percent transparent and cooperate fully with the federal investigation while casting doubt over the timing of the FBI raid. I want to know why the day following the qualification of a recall election funded by some of the richest people in the Bay Area seemed like the right day to execute a warrant, Thao said. She also questioned what probable cause the FBI had to execute the search warrant, how members of the media knew to show up at her street to capture footage of the raid and why Fox News and Breitbart were so prepared. Thao ended her emotional speech by saying she would not be threatened out of her office and would fight seemingly to keep her position. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The ride that stalled mid-air at Oaks Amusement Park with its riders hanging upside down resumed service on Tuesday less than two weeks after its malfunction. The park announced the AtmosFEAR would return to service after its manufacturer, Zamperla, finished its inspection of the ride and found no mechanical, technical, or maintenance issues. Darlene Fire prompts Level 3 Go Now evacuation in Deschutes County The exact cause of the rides malfunction remains unclear, though the park said the incident was not the result of operator error. A state-qualified independent inspector has also cleared the ride for use. However, parkgoers who strap in this week will not have the full 360 degree experience the ride once offered. Oaks Park has suspended the operation of the 360 degree mode and, until further notice, will instead offer riders the option of either a 180 degree or 260 degree experience, the park said in a press release. Officials rescue 28 riders trapped upside-down at Oaks Amusement Park (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue). Officials rescue 28 riders trapped upside-down at Oaks Amusement Park (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue). (Courtesy: Illya Plaksey) (PF&R) (PF&R) On June 14, passengers were stuck upside down at a height of 50 feet for nearly 30 minutes before getting lowered back down safety. No major injuries were reported by authorities, but riders have described the experience as traumatic. A lot of people were screaming, throwing up, crying, panicking not knowing what to do. Feeling completely helpless, Evie Yannota told days after her experience on the ride. And no one was really telling us what was going on. PHOTOS: Fire destroys $1 million home, half-acre of land Her mother, Amy Yannotta, has since filed a lawsuit with the help of attorney Michael Fuller in the Multnomah County Circuit Court that accuses Oaks Park of negligence by not making sure the ride was reasonably safe for the 28 passengers. Jason Kafoury, an attorney representing four families also impacted by the rides malfunction. Many of them had broken blood vessels in their face. Many of them are going to have some pretty significant psychological trauma from this, and its going to be a long term situation, Kafoury said. We have no idea, A.) what exactly happened yet that led to this malfunction, and B.) we dont know what the long term consequences are for a lot of these kids. Footage of fatal officer shooting near McDonalds parking lot released He also said he and the families are still in the process of investigating the whys, sending a preservation letter to Oaks Park after the incident asking them to not destroy any evidence though he has yet to get a response from them. Kafoury said he expects to hear from the park in the next week or so. Following the incident, Oaks Park immediately offered refunds for those impacted by the ride, urging visitors to keep their ride bracelets to help expedite the refund or rescheduling process. Since then, an Oaks Park spokesperson has told KOIN 6 News the park cannot comment on pending litigation. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Former President Obamas sister said she was tear gassed during a protest in Nairobi, where she was demonstrating against controversial finance legislation. Auma Obama, a Kenyan activist and half-sister of the former president, was tear gassed before speaking to CNN during a protest in the country on Monday. Widespread protests have gripped Kenya ovder legislation that would impose more taxes on its citizens, according to The Associated Press (AP). I cant even see anymore, were being tear gassed, Obama told CNN as she rubbed her face with a towel. She said she could not believe that protesters were being tear gassed, adding that young people are just trying to demonstrate for their rights. CNNs video footage shows a chaotic scene unfolding, with some protesters holding signs and wearing goggles and masks. The video showed CNN reporter Larry Madowo and the crew moved away from the area at the end of the clip to escape that tear gas smoke. Im here because look at whats happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners, Obama said. CNN reported that protesters are rallying under the banner of 7 Days of Rage to oppose the Finance Bill 2024. The bill was passed later on Tuesday as demonstrators continued to rail against the bill. Later on Tuesday, the AP reported that a section of Kenyas parliament building was on fire amid the large-scale protests. Journalists also spotted at least three bodies outside the building, according to the AP. The protesters moved past police to enter the parliament building shortly after the legislators passed the bill. The AP reported that legislators fled the building through a tunnel and that the protesters allowed members of the opposition party to walk out of the building since they voted against the bill. The BBC reported that gunshots were heard as the parliament passed the bill on Tuesday and that tear gas was used all day. Reuters reported that one of its journalists saw at least five bodies of protesters outside the parliament building, while a paramedic told the outlet that at least 10 protesters were shot dead. The Associated Press contributed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LEAVITT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Deputies say an 18-year-old was airlifted to the hospital after an accidental shooting in Oceana County Monday night. It happened around 9:25 p.m. in Leavitt Township, on the 8000 block of E Filmore Road near N 198th Avenue, according to a release from the Oceana County Sheriffs Office. This embedded content is not available in your region. When they arrived, first responders found an 18-year-old man from Newaygo County with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, the release says. Deputies believe it was an accident. According to the sheriffs office, two friends had been shooting guns that evening. The office says one friend believed the gun was unloaded, and the other person picked it up. Thats when the shooting happened, deputies say. The 18-year-old was airlifted to the hospital, according to the sheriffs office. As of Tuesday morning, he was in fair condition. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. OceanGate co-founder plans to dive into one of worlds deepest ocean sinkholes OceanGate co-founder plans to dive into one of worlds deepest ocean sinkholes Video: Recovering the Titan 12,500 feet underwater was dangerous, complex, emotional TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) More than a year after the tragic implosion of the OceanGate submersible, the companys co-founder is planning on another deep dive into the unknown, this time into a virtually unexplored sinkhole. Guillermo Sohnlein founded OceanGate with Stockton Rushwho died in the implosionin 2009 to take tourists on submersibles to explore the deep ocean. Sohnlein left the company and founded Blue Marble Exploration. Now he plans to lead the expedition into Deans Blue Hole, one of the worlds deepest ocean sinkholes, which is in the Bahamas, with science leader Kenny Broad and Chief Medical Officer Scott Parazynski. 5 aboard Titan sub presumed dead after catastrophic implosion According to Blue Marble Explorations website, the expedition will be the first descent of crewed submersibles into some of Earths least hospitable conditions in search of unprecedented findings. Venturing into uncharted waters, our team will have to expect the unexpected,' the website read. Deans Blue Holes is described as an enigma for geologists as it is the third-deepest blue hole in the world with an extreme depth of 663 feet. LONG ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS JUNE 15: Snorklers swimming over Deans Blue Hole that is with a depth of 202 meters the deepest blue hole in the world and famous with freedivers on June 15, 2012 in Long Island, The Bahamas. (Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images) The sinkhole formed more than 15,000 years ago. The hole is enclosed by three sides of a natural rock amphitheater and a fourth side of a turquoise lagoon and white beach, according to the Bahamas official website. Blue Marble Exploration said the hole is inaccessible to even the most experienced divers and its remote location makes it incredibly difficult to launch major surface-based operations. While the company is confident in its future endeavors, Blue Marble Exploration noted several challenges that lie ahead. Billionaire wants to take sub to Titanic-level depths after OceanGate implosion According to the companys website, there may be openings along the walls of the main chambers that connect the cavern to the Atlantic Ocean, which could potentially cause unforeseen currents and thermal layers that could interfere with underwater operations. The floor of the hole will be in complete darkness with a pressure of almost 300 pounds per square inch, about 20 times more than whats on the surface. We will be relatively isolated should our team run into severe problems or emergencies, the company said. While its unclear what submersible the crew will use for the expedition, the biggest factor is the subs ability to withstand pressure, which is extremely necessary, especially after the Titan submersible incident. Titan tragedy: What happens when a submersible implodes? OceanGate gained notoriety after the companys 21-foot Titan submersible vanished during an attempted exploration of the Titanic wreckage on June 18, 2023. After nearly five days of searching, the U.S. Coast Guard announced debris consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel had been found on the ocean floor near the Titanic. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were killed in the tragic implosion. The Titan sub had been taking tourists to see the ships decay since 2021. The cost for the expedition is about $250,000 per person. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. A demonstrator takes part in Sunday's Pico-Robertson protest, which turned violent. L.A. officials are set to examine the wearing of masks at protests. (Shay Horse / NurPhoto) A violent protest Sunday at a synagogue prompted Mayor Karen Bass to say Los Angeles should consider rules governing demonstrations and the wearing of masks by those protesting. Bass did not offer a specific proposal but said the city needed to look at the issue including the idea of people wearing masks at protests" and permits for demonstrations. A number of pro-Palestinian protesters had their faces covered Sunday. During the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Tuesday, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion to identify additional resources for security services for places of worship as the city waits for $40 million in promised state funding for nonprofit security grants. Yaroslavsky did not make comments on the motion, which will be brought back for discussion at a later meeting. At a news conference Monday, Yaroslavsky said Los Angeles is a city of diversity and mutual respect that values Americans' right to protest, "but we will not tolerate violence, intimidation or any act that seeks to divide us." Hours after the clashes, the mayor ordered the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson area where the protest occurred and at religious venues. Masks have been a part of many pro-Palestinian protests over the war in Gaza, as well as some in support of Israel, including on college campuses, and their use has spurred debate in some circles. Read more: Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action When a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian camp at UCLA in May, it was difficult to identify suspects because many wore masks that hid their identities. Police said they would use technology that captures facial images and outlines and compares them with other photos on the internet and social media to put names to faces. During a news conference outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday, members of several organizations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Southern California Students for Justice in Palestine, said unarmed individuals were "brutalized" by police officers and pro-Israel demonstrators during Sunday's protest. Pro-Palestinian groups hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon on the steps of City Hall. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) "The Zionist attackers followed us and doxxed us with the intent to cause physical harm, targeting those wearing hijabs, pulling them off and throwing eggs at our heads," said a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine who declined to provide her name to The Times. She added that the counterprotesters threatened to use "law enforcement connections to find out our identities and our addresses." Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi told the Police Commission on Tuesday that investigators were working with federal agencies to identify those who committed crimes during Sunday's melee outside the synagogue. A pro-Israel demonstrator who was carrying a sharp pole was arrested, and two incidents of battery were reported during the conflict. Two officers and others were affected by a chemical irritant that was used by a pro-Palestinian protester whom the department is seeking to identify as part of a criminal investigation, Choi said. "We are going to pursue criminal action on those behaving criminally at these protests," he said. Commission President Erroll Southers said the panel has a duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution and echoed similar sentiments made by Bass a day earlier. "The 1st Amendment enforces the right to openly protest, but it also affords the right to openly worship freely," he said. At one point during Southers' comments, a pro-Palestinian protester stood up and yelled, "You're telling lies on behalf of the pro-Israeli protesters." Southers ordered the man removed from the meeting. It is unclear what action the government could take to restrict mask use at protests. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, some health officials urged demonstrators to wear masks to protect against COVID-19. Although coronavirus cases have fallen dramatically since then, masks can still offer protection, especially to those who have underlying health problems. Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was considering a mask ban on the New York subway, saying she was concerned about people with face masks committing antisemitic acts. New York Mayor Eric Adams supported the idea, telling reporters that "cowards cover their faces." Some civil liberties advocates opposed the idea. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, wrote in a May commentary that targeting people who wear face coverings during protests is "a big problem." "At a time when both public and private actors are increasingly turning to invasive surveillance technologies to identify protesters, mask-wearing is an important way for us to safeguard our right to speak out on issues of public concern," he wrote. "While the ACLU has raised concerns about how anti-mask laws have been wielded for decades, we are especially worried about the risk they pose to our constitutional freedoms in the digital age." Read more: Who were the masked men behind the UCLA camp attack? Online sleuths vow to find out There have been no formal proposals in Los Angeles, and it's unclear whether the City Council would support the idea. But a local Anti-Defamation League official expressed support for a mask restriction. Jeffrey Abrams, the ADL's Los Angeles regional director, stood alongside Bass at Monday's news conference and said the city needed to do more to protect the community. "Just as Mayor Bass said, we need to look at every available legal tool, as the city attorney looks at existing anti-masking laws in the state of California," Abrams said. The Sunday protest was condemned by top officials, including Bass, President Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom. A pro-Palestinian protester gets into a car near Adas Torah synagogue Sunday as pro-Israel counterdemonstrators, left, approach. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times) Around noon Sunday, about 100 pro-Palestinian protesters arrived at the Adas Torah synagogue. Choi said the group "attempted to block the entrance of the synagogue," but a handful of police officers and private security preserved the entrance. About half an hour later, an additional 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators and 150 pro-Israel protesters arrived in the area. Roughly an hour after that, Choi said, a mobile field force arrived and attempted to disperse the crowd, which had grown violent. The speaker at Tuesday afternoon's news conference who declined to give her name said the media and elected officials "falsely conflated [Sunday's] action with antisemitism." Those at the news conference said the individuals who gathered outside the synagogue over the weekend sought to "disrupt a Zionist real estate company's illegal auction of stolen Palestinian land." The real estate event was advertised in Fridays issue of the Jewish Journal promising to provide information on "housing projects in all the best Anglo neighborhoods in Israel." "Anglo" is a translation from Hebrew meaning "English-speaking." The ad does not specify where in Israel the real estate is. Similar real estate events that aim to help buyers answer questions about purchasing property in Israel have been held at synagogues across the country, at times sparking demonstrations. An event that was expected to be held in Brooklyn in March was canceled, purportedly because of a planned protest. My Home in Israel and IMP International, the companies listed on the advertisement, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. An archive of the My Home In Israel real estate website showed home listings priced between $435,000 and $4.1 million in locations including Tel Aviv, Giv'ot Eden, Jerusalem and in the West Bank territories Efrat and Ariel. Much of the international community, including the U.S. and the United Nations, say that settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. Israel disputes this claim. One property in Efrat listed at $1.3 million is comprised of 32 residential villas "enveloped by nature," according to the website. "The project offers an array of opulent apartments and private single and two-family villas, each adorned with expansive gardens, private pools, and a dedicated elevator for added exclusivity," the listing read. The company's website appeared to have been taken down as of Tuesday. In response to the advertisements, protest fliers shared on social media by the Southern California chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement said, Our Land Is Not For Sale, condemned land theft, and called for people to rally on Sunday. "In East Jerusalem and the West Bank we continue to witness the expansion of settlements and the forced displacement of Palestinians," said a member of Southern California Students for Justice in Palestine who declined to provide her name to The Times. "We know that the establishment of the Zionist entity was rooted in genocide, violence and displacement. Zionists reside on the mass graves of Palestinians." Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in Los Angeles, said Monday that the protest was in response to the blatant violations of both international law and human rights from agencies that seek to make a profit selling brutally stolen Palestinian land. Elected officials and the mainstream media have politicized this incident as religious discrimination as opposed to a human rights issue, Ayloush added. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Shown is the StratCom Gate at Offutt Air Force Base. (Courtesy of Offutt Air Force Base) BELLEVUE Funding for new facilities at Offutt Air Force Base and better pay for young service members are among the local contributions to the national defense bill that passed the U.S. House this month and heads next for the Senate. Two members of the states all-Republican delegation, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, said in recent days that the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act includes specific projects Nebraskans should welcome. Some parts address renovation and expansion needs at Offutt, one of the states top economic engines, where Bacon led the Air Forces 55th Wing before retiring as a brigadier general. Offutt highlights in the legislation include $158 million for a new Survivable Airborne Operations Center and $6 million toward a training and professional development center. The bill also includes $5 million for research by the 557th Weather Wing. Much of the bill echoes a congressional emphasis this year on improving the quality of life of service members and their families, including a 4.5% pay raise. Bacons panel focused on enlisted pay Bacon chaired a House panel that focused on boosting pay for junior enlisted. The House bill includes a 19.5% pay bump for them. The bill also addresses staffing shortages at some of the child care facilities on military bases and spends more on assistance programs for child care for military families. It also includes provisions similar to what states have started doing in professional licensing, by helping military spouses with professional licenses from another state work where their families are transferred, with fewer delays and tests. Bacon has called easing the strain on military families one of Congress most important jobs. He called families the foundation of Americas military strength and said improving their quality of life was a central national security issue. He told the Examiner the military is missing its recruitment goals, partly because of a more competitive economy and partly because military members want better pay and benefits earlier in their careers. He said those in the military shouldnt need food stamps to feed their kids in the strongest country in the world with the strongest military. The House bill passed 217-199. The Senate expects to take up its version of the bill this summer. Fischer emphasized nuclear deterrence Fischer, a ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which voted recently to advance the bill to the floor, highlighted changes tied to modernizing the nations nuclear deterrence of major powers, including Russia and China. Among the changes was an effort to force quicker Navy adoption of new submarine-based nuclear-armed warhead and cruise missile systems, plus $322 million to speed developing the weapons. Fischer also pressed for formal assessment of national missile defense systems. Her parts of the bill pushed the Pentagon to plan better for restocking munitions for the American military at a time of potential conflict with great powers. Wars in Europe and the Middle East have thinned American stockpiles. A dangerous world demands a strong investment in our military, and thats what our defense bill delivers, both for Nebraska and the country as a whole, Fischer said in a statement, calling many of the investments sorely needed to compete in a multi-polar world. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith emphasized the importance of funding a military ready to counter both Russia and China. Flood, in a floor statement, said the bill would help slow the Chinese Communist Party. All emphasized the importance of adding a layer of auditing oversight for military aid to Ukraine. Questions about other provisions Some critics of the House version of the bill complained that it delved into social issues, including limits on diversity and inclusion education hiring for military training. Others applauded its efforts to protect conservative TV news on bases. Some Senate Democrats have questioned a Fischer-backed provision requiring the Defense Department to notify Congress when the secretary of Defense is unable to perform his or her duties, a measure tied to the recent medical absence of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Fischer and Bacon prioritized cyber defenses, including an effort to guard command and control centers at U.S. Strategic Command and elsewhere. They and the rest of the delegation also supported more funds for defense research at the University of Nebraska, some of which is tied to StratCom. Among changes regarding electronic warfare, the bill would order the Defense Department to create a unified command over defensive efforts in cyberspace, and hiring more white-hat hackers. White-hat hackers are people hired by governments, companies and defense contractors to expose and patch or close gaps in cyber defenses. They are often civilians with special skills who might not otherwise qualify for military service. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Offutt Air Force Base, StratCom, Nebraska see spending bumps in latest defense bill appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. The Ohio State University campus. Photo via Google Maps. Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill in response to the recent rise in antisemitic incidents on college campuses last school year after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Reps. Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, and Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, recently put forth House Bill 606 also known as the Enact Campus Act which would require public and private colleges and universities to adopt and enforce a policy regarding racial, religious and ethnic harassment and intimidation. House Bill 606 is a comprehensive effort to address the alarming rise in racial, religious, and ethnically charged acts of harassment and intimidation on our college campuses, Jarrells said in his testimony. The need for this legislation is evident in recent events on college campuses across Ohio and the nation, he said. Students should not have to live in fear of expressing their identities or beliefs. A recent Hillel and Anti-Defamation League study reported nearly 1,600 antisemitic incidents on college campuses since Oct. 7 a 700% increase, Pizzulli said in his testimony. Eliana Goldner, a junior at Ohio State University, explained to the Ohio House Finance Committee how this bill would help her. As a proud Jew, I have always embraced my identity, she testified during Thursdays meeting. The campus, which once felt like a welcoming home where I could be true to myself, now leaves me feeling isolated. StandWithUs, the Anti-Defamation League and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights against Ohio State earlier this year, arguing Jewish students have faced a litany of antisemitic incidents, verbal taunts and threats (and) outright physical assault since the Israel-Hamas War started Oct. 7. As a college student, the knowledge that my institutions administration, faculty, and staff will be trained to handle incidents of hate and harassment makes me feel significantly safer, Goldner said. The bill comes after several Ohio universities saw protests over the Israel-Hamas War at the end of Spring Semester. About 40 people were arrested at various protests at Ohio State. The Inter-University Council of Ohio said HB 606 would help Ohios colleges and universities prevent racial, religious and ethnic harassment and intimidation. Our universities are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful educational environment for all students and IUC believes that HB 606 provides a framework to help all institutions of higher education in Ohio achieve this, Nick Derksen, IUCs vice president of government relations, testified. What else is included in the bill? HB 606 would create a campus student safety grant program which would appropriate $1 million in fiscal year 2025 to increase student safety and another $1 million to help with outreach between institutionally sanctioned student organizations at universities. It would also require colleges and universities to publicize on its website any time, place or manner restrictions placed on activities. The Campus would require the Chancellor of Higher Education to create a committee to prevent antisemitism and other forms of racial, religious and ethnic harassment and intimidation by creating a model policy, guidance and recommendations for further action for policies for public and private universities. They would issue a report with their recommendations to the governor by July 1. Representatives from the schools legal counsel, offices of student life, organizations representing faith-based and racial communities, institutionally sanctioned student organizations, the Inter-University Council of Ohio and the Ohio Association of Community Colleges would be on the committee. Senate Bill 83 State Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, brought up Senate Bill 83, a massive higher education bill that would among other things prohibit mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training unless it is required to comply with state and federal law, professional licensure requirements or get accreditation or grants. SB 83 passed the Senate and was voted out of the House Higher Education Committee last year, but has yet to be brought to the House floor. The House is in session one more time on Wednesday before going on summer break. If we pass Senate Bill 83 which is anti-diversity, equity and inclusion it will neutralize this bill, Brent said. How would this program be implemented, because it conflicts with Senate Bill 83? Since neither of these bills are law, Derksen said he cant answer that. We cant really speak to how they will be implemented, he said. However, if they both do go into effect, well be working to figure out how to implement that. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohio bill would require colleges adopt racial, religious, ethnic harassment and intimidation policy appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education accepted the resignations of three members of outgoing district Superintendent Sean McDaniels Cabinet on Monday night, just minutes before approving a major reorganization of the districts central office pushed by incoming Superintendent Jamie Polk. The board approved Polks proposal to eliminate 13 leadership positions in the district office four of those currently considered Cabinet-level jobs reduce another position and add five leadership positions. According to a memo, cost savings for those moves will be about $2.23 million. Another Polk proposal approved by the board eliminated 25 positions on the districts operations staff and will outsource work in the grounds, locksmith, painting, roofing, heavy equipment and energy management departments, which she estimated would save about $1.11 million. The majority of these savings will be reinvested into providing adequate staffing at the school site level to ensure we maintain optimal class sizes, Polk said in a memo. In early March, a memo sent to district principals by Deputy Superintendent Jason Brown one of the three McDaniel Cabinet members whose resignation was accepted Monday warned that the end of COVID-era federal funding for the district would result in larger class sizes in all grades. Polk said the goal of her reorganization was to allow OKCPS to maintain the current classroom staffing rates at the elementary schools. In order to accomplish this goal, OKCPS will need to re-employ or hire approximately 43 teachers, at an estimated cost of $3 million. Torie Luster Pennington, the president of the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Federation of Teachers the union which represents the districts teachers praised Polk for taking the leadership to cut positions from the central office instead of forcing larger class sizes upon teachers, because it was in the students and teachers best interests. Not a lot of leadership would do that. After a 49-minute closed session Monday, the seven district board members present at the meeting voted on five proposals from Polk, approving each unanimously, without comment. District communications officials have said Polk wont speak with media until she officially takes office next Monday. Executive-level positions eliminated included deputy superintendent, the assistant superintendent of academics, chief technology officer, executive director of equity, executive director of college and career, executive director of leadership development and executive director of academics. Duties of the deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent of academics will be absorbed by people in other positions, Polks memo said. The five executive-level positions created include assistant superintendent of student achievement and accountability, senior executive director of academics for secondary schools, senior executive director of school leadership for elementary schools, senior executive director of support and accountability, and executive director of elementary curriculum, instruction and professional development. On Tuesday morning, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters praised the district's decision: I am proud of the steps taken by OKCPS to decrease administrative costs and get more resources to the classroom to assist kids and teachers. Cutting administrative bloat and focusing on classroom resources is a model for other districts to follow. Superintendent Polk is boldly beginning her tenure by putting kids and their outcomes first. In addition to Brown, resignations accepted by the Oklahoma City board Monday included those of Gena Koster, the assistant superintendent of academics, and Peter Liesenfeld, the chief technology officer. On the agenda, their reason listed for leaving read personal. Brown, an Oklahoma Christian University graduate, had worked in the Mid-Del, Edmond and Norman districts before joining McDaniels Cabinet in Oklahoma City in 2019. He was a 2023 inductee into the Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame. Koster, who graduated from Oklahoma State University, came to the Oklahoma City district after two years as the assistant superintendent of special populations for the Dallas Independent School District. Shes previously worked in the Broken Arrow and Union school districts in Oklahoma. Before working in the Oklahoma City district, Liesenfeld, a University of Oklahoma graduate, served as chief technology officer in Norman Public Schools from 2019 to 2022 and was the principal at Norman North High School for five years before that. McDaniels six-year tenure as Oklahoma Citys district superintendent ends Sunday. He has not attended a board meeting since the board accepted his surprise resignation in February. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKCPS board approves cuts to central office recommended by Polk OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) After a district board meeting on Monday, Oklahoma City Public Schools sent a statement to staff members announcing their decision to withdraw from the Oklahoma PrideFest Parade on June 30. The statement, which can be read below, cites the organizers Free Palestine stance as their reasoning for withdrawing from the event. Team OKCPS, OKCPS has proudly participated in the Oklahoma City Pride Parade since 2017. Recently, we became aware that the 2024 organizers have aligned with the Soft Hand organization in support of their Free Palestine stance. We believe that the Oklahoma Pride Alliances recent stance with Free Palestine takes away from our original intent of participating in the parade and other Pride activities. After careful consideration, OKCPS has decided to withdraw our participation from this years parade. While we will not be part of this years parade, OKCPS celebrates our LGBTQ+ students, families and staff, and we remain committed to supporting LGBTQ+ students and staff members through other initiatives and partnerships that reflect our core values and contribute to a healthy, vibrant community. Thank you for your continued support. Oklahoma City Public Schools According to their website, Soft Hand is a volunteer-run, shirt-making, fundraising operation based in Oklahoma City. Nex Benedict recognized as Grand Marshall of OKC Pride Parade Many of the shirts shown on Soft Hands social media feature Free Palestine messaging. There are also images of other shirts with designs supportive of 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans, abortion access and overdose harm reduction. On Tuesday, Freedom Oklahoma issued a statement in response to OKCPSs decision to withdraw from the parade. At a time when 2SLGBTQ+ students are disproportionately targeted by those in power, it is a telling choice by the OKCPS Board to remove shows of support for those youth and their broader communities. We may call it a parade, but when folks gather together Sunday June 30 to march through the streets of Oklahoma City, the intention of that space has always been and will always be to honor the legacy of Pride as a riot, a radical demand for freedom, and a commitment to building that freedom together. To pretend that the spirit of Pride celebrations is not rooted in the fight for collective liberation is to willfully misunderstand the 2SLGBTQ+ movement and the ongoing work to secure a future where we all have the safety to thrive. That future is not possible without a Free Palestine. Nicole McAfee, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma Oklahoma PrideFest will start on Friday, June 28, and continue through Sunday, June 30, at Scissortail Park. The PrideFest Parade is set to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, following a route starting at the intersection of N Walker and Couch Drive, and ending on S Robinson. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Deborah Shropshire, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, speaks to an audience in Oklahoma City at an event announcing the state's 10 year "Aging Our Way Oklahoma" plan on June 25, 2024. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Adults over the age of 60 are expected to outnumber children for the first time in Oklahoma by 2034, according to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The agency unveiled a 10-year plan on Tuesday to improve care for older adults and to strengthen the infrastructure for the aging population. Deborah Shropshire, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, said that with the growing population of older adults the state lacks the infrastructure to support the care needed for them like it does for children. With over 650,000 older adults recorded in the state in 2020 by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services projects that number will increase by over 21% by 2034. According to a survey from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, some of older adults biggest challenges include not enough money post-retirement, lack of affordable housing and not knowing how to access the services available to them. The plan, Aging Our Way Oklahoma, provides 13 goals with pathways to achieve them. Included in the targeted goals are affordable housing, transportation, social connection and the workforce. Jeromy Buchanan, director of aging services at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, said to achieve progress in this plan, public agencies and the private sector will need to work together to help older Oklahomans. This is not something Oklahoma Human Services can do alone, Buchanan said. Its really going to take all of us together. Some partners for this plan include: AARP, the Alzheimers Association, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, among many others. When it comes to funding the plan, Shropshire said that each partner will have to commit some of their own funds. Transportation, Buchanan said, is necessary for every older adult to travel to medical appointments, grocery stores and be part of their own communities. Buchanan said the states lacking infrastructure. Oklahoma has 3,000 child care centers but only 21 adult day centers, Buchanan said. An adult center provides a supervised community setting for older adults while caregivers are at work or dealing with other responsibilities. He said the number of adult day cares does not need to match the number of child care centers, but the disparity in available care demonstrates that the state is not ready for the number of people that need care. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahomas aging plan to address needed care for older adults appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. A telephone conversation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been held, Trend reports. According to the information, it was reported by the Turkish Presidential Administration. The information notes that during the telephone conversation, the sides discussed the terrorist acts committed in Dagestan. Erdogan expressed deep condolences to the Russian people over the loss of life and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded, noting that Turkiye opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns such attacks. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma City Animal Shelter is hoping to manage overpopulation with a new intake policy. Effective immediately, the Shelter says its updated policy should address the problem of pet overpopulation in Oklahoma City. LOCAL NEWS: OKC Animal Shelter waives dog adoption fees all summer Officials say beginning Tuesday at 9 a.m., intake will be limited to 30 dogs and 30 cats a day. The revised policy keeps the same limit on dogs and a new limit on cats to combat overcrowding and the need for euthanasia. We are committed to the welfare of all animals in our care, OKC Animal Welfare Superintendent Jon Gary said. This decision underscores our dedication to finding sustainable solutions and maintaining high standards of care. According to the Shelter, animals will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the daily intake limit is reached, a sign will be placed on the front doors. LOCAL NEWS: Oklahomans step in to help after Ohio barn fire The Shelter also has other ways the community can help limit overcrowding: Rehome Pets Responsibly : Prioritize rehoming pets within your network of family and friends before considering surrendering them to the Shelter. Provide Temporary Shelter : If you find a lost pet, consider providing temporary shelter while attempting to locate its owners. Promptly report found pets at okc.gov/animalwelfare. Reserve Shelter for Those in Need: Ensure Shelter resources are reserved for animals in immediate need of care. The updated intake policy will remain in place until further notice. To learn more about the OKC Animal Shelter, visit OKC.gov. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Bible on a school desk in a classroom. (Getty Images) Children in American public schools traditionally learned the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. Today, students in more than half of the U.S. states can study a fourth R: religion. Oklahoma is the most recent state to allow school boards to implement release time: off-site classes with religious or moral instruction that K-12 students can attend for part of school days with parental consent. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1425 into law, which authorized the program, on June 5, 2024. Oklahomas law requires school boards to adopt policies permitting students to attend release-time classes for up to three class periods per week. Sessions must be taught at independent entities not on school property. Instructors need not be certificated educators but must keep attendance records, and students are responsible for making up classwork they miss. In a move likely to generate controversy, the Satanic Temple a nontheistic religious group that advocates for separation of church and state, along with such ideas as rationality, compassion and bodily autonomy announced its intention to offer classes on its Facebook account. Release time may spark debate, but it is not new. Programs were proposed in New York City in 1905, although the first program did not open until 1914, in Gary, Indiana. The number of states with programs grew in the 1930s and 40s and the issue soon made its way to the Supreme Court. Two cases, two outcomes The first of two Supreme Court cases on release time was decided in 1948. Controversy arose when a local board in Illinois allowed Jewish, Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders to enter public schools to offer religion classes to children whose parents agreed to let them miss regular class time to participate. In McCollum v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck the program down for two reasons. First, the justices held that the program impermissibly allowed tax-supported buildings to be used to teach religion, violating the First Amendment which says that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Second, the court invalidated the program because it granted faith-based groups invaluable, impermissible aid by helping them to spread their faiths. Four years later, in Zorach v. Clauson, the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of a different type of release time program from New York City. This program allowed officials to release students from their public schools to attend off-site religion classes. This time, the justices affirmed that public school officials could accommodate the religious wishes of parents by releasing their children for off-site instruction. The court upheld release time because public schools were not used for religious instruction. The justices suggested that release time was consistent with recognizing parental discretion and control over their childrens education. The underlying law remains in place. National landscape As in Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee, Oklahomas law allows students to earn academic credit for these classes, though they cannot attend in lieu of a core curriculum class. The law explicitly directs school boards to establish standards under which release time can qualify for these elective credits. The law also contains a provision stating boards are not responsible for students during off-campus classes. In all, 16 states have laws and one has a regulation giving schools boards the option of adopting policies permitting release time from California and Montana to Massachusetts and West Virginia. Moreover, 11 other states and Oklahoma now require boards to adopt release-time policies. While the remaining 21 states and Washington D.C. do not have laws on release time, parents or religious organizations can petition their local school board to establish a program. Questions that remain Oklahomas release-time law is consistent with those of other states. Even so, two questions arise. First, in light of the Satanic Temples intent to offer classes, will supporters of this bill defend minority religions rights to do so? Second, how does release time affect learning? As one who teaches and researches legal issues involving religion and education, I readily concede the value of learning about religions. Yet, at a time when academic achievement is lagging in so many places, partially due to the pandemic, why have children miss instructional time for lessons about their own faiths that they can learn outside school whether in services, online classes or even online? I must confess, though, that Zorach v. Clauson was my favorite case in elementary school, though I couldnt name it at the time. My classmates and I were released early from our Catholic elementary school on Wednesdays so children from public schools could receive religious instruction the day Carvel ice cream stores had their weekly two-for-one deal. The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Oklahoma joins states with release time laws letting kids leave school for religious lessons appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. The Oklahoma Supreme Court determined that direct public funding for a religious school violated the state's prohibition on funding religious institutions. In June 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved a charter for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School. The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, which submitted the application, would run the school, which would make it the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country. The board approved the application by a 32 vote just two months after unanimously rejecting a previous petition for the same project. The move was controversial: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, said in a statement, "The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers." In October 2023, Drummond sued the charter board to "undo the unlawful sponsorship" of St. Isidore. "Today, Oklahomans are being compelled to fund Catholicism," Drummond said at the time. "As the defender of Oklahoma's religious freedoms, I am prepared to litigate this issue to the United States Supreme Court if that's what is required to protect our Constitutional rights." On the other hand, Republican Gov. J. Kevin Stitt called the lawsuit "a political stunt [that] runs counter to our Oklahoma values and the law." Stitt had called the approval of St. Isidore's charter "a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state." At issue was the fact that charter schools are public schools: They operate independently from traditional school districts, able to set their own curriculum and take in students regardless of zoning, but they are still funded through taxes like traditional public schools. Drummond claimed in his lawsuit that the board's decision violated the state constitution, which forbids any "public money or property" from being directed "for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion." "In its words, St. Isidore intends to conduct its charter school in the same way the Catholic Church operates its schools and educates its students," according to Drummond's lawsuit. "The key difference is St. Isidore will have the direct financial backing and authorization of the State as a sponsored public virtual charter school barring this Court's intervention." In a respondent brief, regarding the provision of the state constitution forbidding "public money or property" from going to any religious sect, attorneys representing St. Isidore claimed that "this Court has held twice" that the same clause "allows the State to disburse funds to a religious entity that provides substantial service in return.The Board's approval of St. Isidore falls squarely within these precedents." In its decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court disagreed. "Although a public charter school, St. Isidore is an instrument of the Catholic church, operated by the Catholic church, and will further the evangelizing mission of the Catholic church in its educational programs," Justice James Winchester wrote for the majority. "The St. Isidore Contract violates the plain terms of Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution. Enforcing the St. Isidore Contract would create a slippery slope and what the framers' warned againstthe destruction of Oklahomans' freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention." "St. Isidore is considering its legal options but today's decision to condone unconstitutional discrimination against religious educators and the children they serve is one that the school will continue to fight," said John Meiser, director of the Religious Liberty Clinic at Notre Dame Law School and an attorney representing the school, in a statement to Reason. "St. Isidore merely seeks to join Oklahoma's diverse array of charter schools, bringing educational choice and opportunity to communities and families in need. The more than 200 children who have applied to attend St. Isidore are a testament to the great promise of this school and we will continue to work so that promise may be fulfilled." Oklahoma currently has multiple school choice programs, though they will likely not be affected by this decision. In 2016's Oliver v. Hofmeister, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld that a state program could authorize scholarships that allowed children with disabilities to attend private institutions, including religious schools. The court affirmed that a state contract with a sectarian institution was allowed, so long as it contained an "element of substantial return to the state and d[id] not amount to a gift, donation, or appropriation to the institution having no relevancy to the affairs of the state." Winchester noted that Oliver did not apply in this case because the scholarship program "did not disperse funds directly to any private sectarian school until a parent of an eligible student made a private, independent selection"unlike St. Isidore, which would automatically receive state funding by virtue of its charter. Ultimately, the case hinged on the idea of what schools would, or could, teach. Allowing the board's approval of St. Isidore to stand "will require the State to permit extreme sects of the Muslim faith to establish a taxpayer funded public charter school teaching Sharia Law," Drummond warned in his lawsuit. "Consequently, absent the intervention of this Court, the Board members' shortsighted votes in violation of their oath of office and the law will pave the way for a proliferation of the direct public funding of religious schools whose tenets are diametrically opposed by most Oklahomans." Indeed, all government policies should be crafted to be as inclusive as possible, giving equal weight and priority to any viewpoint or ideology. But Drummond's contention treats the existing public school system as value-neutral. In fact, any Oklahoman who disagrees with the tenets of the schools in their district still must fund them through his tax dollars. In the past few years, many parents have raged against their local school boards for what they see as inappropriate curriculum; the Department of Justice even deigned to weigh in. But parents should have a say in what their children are taughtand if they don't like it, they should be free to opt out. But if most parents disagree with what the school teaches, or if they would simply prefer for their kids to be educated elsewhere, their taxes still go to that school, and they have to shell out extra to send their kid to their preferred school. Perhaps, then, if public funding for schools is a necessary evil that society has agreed upon, maybe it's not so bad to let people have a little more say in how that funding is used. The post Oklahoma Supreme Court Finds Catholic Charter School Unconstitutional appeared first on Reason.com. Updated A first-of-its-kind public Catholic school proposed for Oklahoma students is unconstitutional and cant open, the state Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, scuttling plans by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma this August to open a virtual K-12 charter school named for the patron saint of the internet. St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School was already recruiting staff and registering students, officials said earlier this month and it was awaiting about $1.2 million in state funds, due next week. But in a closely watched 6-2 ruling, the states high court said the Statewide Virtual Charter School Boards vote last year to approve the school violates both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, which requires public schools to be nonsectarian. Related Up in the Air: Oklahoma Families in Limbo as Courts Decide on Religious Charter Enforcing the St. Isidore Contract would create a slippery slope and what the framers warned against the destruction of Oklahomans freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention, the justices wrote. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The court directed the board to rescind its contract with St. Isidore, but the case will almost certainly be appealed, possibly as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement, the Archdiocese said the ruling was very disappointing for the hundreds of prospective students and their families from across the state hoping to attend the school this August. The Archdiocese said it will consider its legal options, but that it remains committed to its belief that St. Isidore could still be a valuable asset to students, regardless of socioeconomic, race or faith backgrounds. It said the school has received 200-plus applications for admission. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who sued last October to stop the school from opening, said Tuesdays decision was a tremendous victory for religious liberty, ensuring that Oklahomans will not be compelled to fund radical religious schools that violate their faith. The framers of both the U.S. and state constitutions clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom, Drummond said: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism. Related Are We Being Used as a Test Case?: Oklahoma Justices Question Catholic Charter In a court hearing on the school in April, Drummond said members of Oklahomas Virtual Charter School Board betrayed their oath of office in June 2023, when they voted 3-2 to approve a charter with the Catholic church to open the school. Drummond told the justices he couldnt get behind the states plan to begin transferring public funds, in what would have been a matter of days, to St. Isidore. On July 1, he said, we will violate the law. The attorney for the school said St. Isidore is a private entity, and signing a contract with the state did not turn it into a public one. Its not clear what Tuesdays ruling means for a second court case brought by a coalition of parents and advocates, including the ACLU, which is seeking to block the school from opening or receiving public funds. In that case, slated for a July 24 hearing in an Oklahoma County district court, opponents argue that the school will discriminate against LGBTQ students and those with disabilities, as well as families and staff who dont follow Catholic teachings. Charters may not be religious institutions Tuesdays ruling represents a huge, but perhaps temporary, victory for those who maintain that charter schools are public schools, subject to traditional separation of church and state. Eric Paisner, acting CEO for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said the ruling affirmed the unconstitutionality of religious public schools, calling it a resounding victory for the integrity of public education that protects families constitutional rights. Related Choice Supporters to Catholic Charter School Backers: Proceed with Caution Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, called the ruling a masterclass in cutting through the rhetoric that has muddied legal waters in recent years. The Court makes clear that charter schools are not private schools and must comply with the federal constitution like any other public school. Black said the court also offered important historical nuance: While proponents of religious schools claim bans on funding them are born of religious bigotry, he said the Oklahoma high court explained that Oklahomas original constitutional limit on funding religion was really an attempt to prevent government from sinking its teeth into religion. Supporters of the school say that since its a school of choice, the state isnt forcing any student to attend, so it isnt establishing religion. And they maintain that public funding of charters cant exclude religious schools. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said hes hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the St. Isidore Catholic charter school case. (Getty Images) Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said government agencies cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status. He said the decision restricts the choices available to Oklahomans, but that he remains hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case and grant St. Isidore the right to establish their school. John Meiser, director of the Religious Liberty Clinic at Notre Dame Law School, which is representing St. Isidore in the lawsuit, said the school is considering its legal options. He said the courts decision to condone unconstitutional discrimination against religious educators and the children they serve is one that the school will continue to fight. St. Isidore, he said, merely seeks to join Oklahomas diverse array of charter schools, bringing educational choice and opportunity to communities and families in need. The controversy over the school takes place amid a larger effort by Oklahoma officials to ensure that public school students whose parents approve receive religious instruction during the school day. Stitt earlier this month signed a law saying districts can allow students to take up to three religious-related classes each week and receive elective credit. Related Ryan Walters: How a Beloved Teacher Became Oklahomas Top Culture Warrior But Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a supporter of the effort, has sought to cut access to such classes by non-traditional religious groups. He warned that the Satanic Temple, which plans to make its Hellion Academy of Independent Learning available to students, is not welcome. In 2019, the Internal Revenue Service granted the temple tax-exempt status, but Walters has said he doesnt consider satanism a religion. In a statement, Walters said the high court got it wrong, misunderstanding key cases involving the First Amendment and discrimination against Christians based on their faith. Oklahomans have demanded school choice, not religious targeting, he wrote. Walters said contracting with a charter school doesnt violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, adding that enrollment demand for St. Isidore proves that Oklahoma parents want more choices for their kids educations not fewer. 74 senior writer Linda Jacobson contributed to this report. FILE - The Oklahoma Supreme Court is pictured in the state Capitol building in Oklahoma City, May 19, 2014. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that the approval of the nation's first state-funded Catholic charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped what would have been the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S., turning back conservatives and the state's GOP governor who have welcomed religious groups into public education. The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board's 3-2 vote last year to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law respecting an establishment of religion. The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated. The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities. Conservative-led states have targeted public schools: Louisiana required them to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms, while others are under pressure to teach the Bible and ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school, Justice James Winchester, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, wrote in the court's majority opinion. "As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian. However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic school curriculum while sponsored by the state. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa said in a statement they will consider all legal options in response to the court's ruling. The court's decision was 7-1, with one member concurring in part and one member, Chief Justice John Kane IV, recusing himself. Justice Dana Kuehn dissented. Five of Oklahoma's nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republicans, four by Democrats. In her dissent, Kuehn wrote that excluding St. Isidore from operating a charter school based solely on its religious affiliation would violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Oklahoma Constitution does not bar Oklahoma from contracting with religious schools as long as state-funded, nonreligious options are available, Kuehn wrote. Oklahoma's Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who urged the board not to approve the contract, had asked the state's high court to intervene and rule on the case. He praised the court's decision. The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahomas Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the state from sponsoring any religion at all, Drummond said in a statement. The K-12 online public charter school was set to start classes for its first 200 enrollees in the fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith. The archdiocese is seeking guidance from attorneys on whether to open, said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma. A group of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit sued to stop the establishment of the school. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who supported the board's decision, said he was disappointed Drummond challenged it and remained hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court would consider the case. Im concerned weve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system, Stitt said in a statement. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma and all were saying is: we cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status. The countrys first-ever publicly funded religious charter school is an unconstitutional slippery slope infringement of the First Amendment, according to Oklahomas Supreme Court. Last year, a state school board approved the creation of a taxpayer-supported online Catholic school triggering a high-profile legal battle to decide whether public funds can be used to create religious schools. On Tuesday, the states highest court said the contract violates the state constitution as well as the First Amendment of the Constitution. The framers intent is clear, the courts majority wrote. The State is prohibited from using public money for the use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion. The school is an instrument of the Catholic church, operated by the Catholic church, and will further the evangelizing mission of the Catholic church in its educational programs, justices wrote. Enforcing the contract would create a slippery slope and what the framers warned against the destruction of Oklahomans freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention, they added. Oklahomas Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who sued the Republican-appointed board to block the schools creation after warning that it obviously violated the Constitution and would draw costly litigation, called Tuesdays decision a tremendous victory for religious liberty. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism, he said in a statement. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, however, said he is disappointed with Drummond and that the courts ruling sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma and all were saying is: we cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status, he said in a statement shared with The Independent. He intends to appeal to the Supreme Court. Oklahomas Republican Governor Kevin Stitt supported the creation of a publicly funded Catholic school. On June 25, the states Supreme Court said its unconstitutional. (Getty Images) The boards creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School arrived as GOP officials and right-wing groups across the country lured opponents into courtroom battles in the hopes of dismantling the church-and-state firewall. Another brewing federal court battle targets Louisianas first-in-the-nation law requiring the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. A coalition of civil rights groups that sued Oklahoma and Louisiana applauded Tuesdays ruling. Charter schools are public schools that must be secular and serve all students, they said in a statement shared with The Independent. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which plans to discriminate against students, families, and staff and indoctrinate students into one religion, cannot operate as a public charter school. In 2022, the nations highest court ruled that the state of Maine cannot exclude private Christian schools from a taxpayer-funded school voucher program that helps students attend private schools. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the Supreme Court continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state that the Framers fought to build. The consequences of the Courts rapid transformation of the Religion Clauses must not be understated, she wrote, issuing a warning that the court is undermining core First Amendment protections that prevent the government from imposing religious views. Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Supreme Court has rejected the existence of a publicly funded Catholic charter school in the state. In a majority opinion issued Tuesday, six of the states nine justices agreed with Attorney General Gentner Drummond that the contract creating St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Charter School must be rescinded. The ruling blocks St. Isidore from opening for its inaugural school year, which was only weeks away with more than 200 students applying to enroll. Catholic leaders say they will explore all legal options moving forward. St. Isidore, a virtual charter school, would teach Catholic doctrine and require attendance at mass. The state funding such a school would violate both the Oklahoma and U.S. Constitutions prohibition against government-established religion, the majority of the Court decided. From right, Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice John Kane IV, Vice Chief Justice Dustin P. Rowe, Justice James R. Winchester and Justice Douglas L. Combs attend the the governors State of the State Address at the state Capitol on Feb. 5. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) Justice James R. Winchester wrote the opinion and borrowed some of the attorney generals language that permitting a state-funded religious school would create a slippery slope. That slippery slope would lead toward the destruction of Oklahomans freedom to practice religion without governmental interference, Winchester wrote. Justices Yvonne Kauger, James E. Edmondson, Douglas L. Combs, Noma Gurich and Richard Darby agreed. Chief Justice John Kane IV recused. Vice Chief Justice Dustin P. Rowe agreed only that the state Constitution requires charter schools to be non-religious but disagreed with the rest of the majoritys opinion. Justice Dana Kuehn dissented to the entire opinion. She said the decision is destined for the same fate as other rulings, later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, against allowing private religious schools to receive public funds. Contracting with a private entity that has religious affiliations, by itself, does not establish a state religion, nor does it favor one religion over another, Kuehn wrote. Attorney General Gentner Drummond, left, said the creation of a Catholic charter school would present a threat to religious liberty. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) Drummond called the ruling a tremendous victory for religious liberty. The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahomas Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all, he said in a statement. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa created the school and received approval last year from the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board for St. Isidore to open as a state-funded entity. Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop David Konderla said the ruling is very disappointing for the hundreds of prospective students and their families from across the state of Oklahoma who desired the educational experience and promise of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. We will consider all legal options and remain steadfast in our belief that St. Isidore would have and could still be a valuable asset to students, regardless of socioeconomic, race or faith backgrounds, Coakley and Konderla said. The attorney general filed a lawsuit against the school and the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, asking the Supreme Court to intervene. He presented oral arguments to the Court on April 2. Drummond contended the school plainly violates state laws that prohibit publicly funded schools from adopting a religion. He said allowing a school like St. Isidore would open the door for state-funded schools to teach other religious beliefs, such as Sharia law or Satanism. While I understand that the Governor and other politicians are disappointed with this outcome, I hope that the people of Oklahoma can rejoice that they will not be compelled to fund radical religious schools that violate their faith, Drummond said. Gov. Kevin Stitt has been a vocal advocate of opening St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a state-funded Catholic charter school. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Gov. Kevin Stitt and state Superintendent Ryan Walters were vocal advocates of the Catholic charter school as a way to grow education options for families. Stitt said he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will review the case and reverse the ruling. Im concerned weve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system, the governor said in a statement. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma and all were saying is: we cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status. Archdiocese officials said St. Isidore would be open to students of all faiths or no faith, but it would be an environment that is Catholic in all ways. By their own description, the school would be a genuine instrument of the church and would take part in the Catholic Churchs evangelizing mission. Opening St. Isidore as a free, virtual school would allow the church to educate students in all parts of the state, especially in areas where no Catholic school exists, archdiocese officials said. Attorneys representing the school and the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board contended charter schools are private entities and are free to adopt a religion, unlike public schools. Charter schools are governed by a non-profit board subject to state oversight and are granted more freedom to decide their teaching methods. The Court rejected the notion that charter schools are anything but public. Charter schools rely on state funds to operate, and Oklahoma law defines public schools as all free schools supported by public taxation. Although theyre allowed more flexibility, charter schools must comply with all laws in the same manner as a school district, according to state law. The Legislature created Oklahoma charter schools, and Oklahoma law treats them as public schools and governmental bodies, Winchester wrote. They are creatures of state law and may only operate under the authority graduated to them by their charters with the state. St. Isidore will be acting as a surrogate of the state in providing free public education as any other state-sponsored charter school. St. Isidore also meets the criteria of a state actor under at least two tests the U.S. Supreme Court created to determine whether an entity is acting as an arm of the government. The justices found it meets the entwinement test which questions whether the entity is entwined with government policies or whether the government is involved in the entitys management or control. The school also meets the public function test because St. Isidore will provide free public education, a responsibility the Oklahoma Constitution has decided exclusively belongs to the state, according to the opinion. The justices found St. Isidore also violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion. St. Isidores educational philosophy is to establish and operate the school as a Catholic school, Winchester wrote. Under both state and federal law, the state is not authorized to establish or fund St. Isidore. A separate lawsuit against St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is pending in Oklahoma County District Court. (Photo by Miguel Torres Curado/Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished without a Getty subscription.) A separate lawsuit against the school is pending in Oklahoma County District Court. A coalition of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and education advocates were the first to sue the school, contending it would discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and employees, fail to adequately serve children with disabilities and unlawfully indoctrinate into a religion. They are represented by a team of attorneys from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Education Law Center and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, along with local counsel. That case is scheduled for a three-day hearing in late July over whether St. Isidore should be eligible to open and receive state funds. The impact the Supreme Courts ruling will have on that lawsuit is unclear. The legal organizations celebrated the Courts decision on Tuesday, calling it a safeguard for public education and the separation of religion and government. Charter schools are public schools that must be secular and serve all students, they wrote in a statement. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which plans to discriminate against students, families, and staff and indoctrinate students into one religion, cannot operate as a public charter school. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down Catholic charter school appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Oklahoma Veterans Commission considering closing 126 beds, but no veterans would be turned away The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has six veterans homes in the state, five of which are open. (Photo by Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Veterans Commission is considering removing 126 beds across three veterans homes from its inventory. If approved, the beds would no longer be available in the Claremore, Ardmore and Sulphur facilities. In a proposal during the June 10 meeting, commissioners were asked to consider decertifying those beds to bring supply into closer alignment with local demand. The proposed plan would recover about $1.4 million in lost revenue on unoccupied beds, concentrate existing staff and reduce reliance on contract staff, such as nurses. Rob Arrington, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs director of homes, said it would not affect any current or incoming residents. Were not going to be turning anybody away, Arrington said. There would still be plenty of beds to serve everyone that came to us. I mean, we wouldnt have to not admit anybody. We certainly wouldnt have to discharge anybody. The goal is to have 90% occupancy in each home, he said. The current state-wide occupancy rate is 76.4%. It would ensure if a veteran leaves for treatment at a hospital, the federal VA would reimburse the 10-day bed hold for the resident, he said. That would recoup the current loss on bed hold revenue. If implemented, Arrington said it would take a couple of months to decertify the beds. However, the beds could be recertified or reopened. The recertification process would take about six months, he said. Commissioner Kevin Offel, who works as a director and chairman for several private equity portfolio companies, said not enough data has been collected to make a decision. I dont like the optics of it, right? Offel said. It feels like were moving the goalpost to get a different measurement. I understand, mathematically, in terms of the 90%. I dont like that we have less beds available to our veterans, even though, per capita, we may be absolutely higher than Texas, or whatever. Oklahoma has 1,423 beds in its six facilities for about 300,000 veterans, Arrington said during the meeting. Texas has about the same number of beds for about 2.5-3 million veterans, he said. Larry Van Schuyver, state commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said decertifying beds is a terrible idea. The veteran homes were never put in place to make money, Van Schuyver said. They were put in place to serve veterans, our most vulnerable veterans and needy veterans. Van Schuyver is a former commission chairman. He served as a commissioner for 12 years before he claims Gov. Kevin Stitt fired him, along with the rest of the commission. Arrington said other states, such as Idaho, have been successful in downsizing its available beds. Although faced with the possibility of decertifying beds, a new home in Sallisaw is being built. It will be a 175-bed facility, the same as the Talihina home, which it is replacing. The Talihina home was closed in October. Sallisaw is on track to open its doors this fall, Arrington said. Interest in being admitted is based on location and newness of the facility, he said. The homes in Lawton and Norman, which have more demand, typically have a waiting list, he said. We anticipate that Sallisaw will be in high demand, just based on, based on the veterans [that] are there, the newness of the facility, the amenities that itll offer, Arrington said. In February, Stitt called for flat budgets across state agencies. In an effort to comply with the governors orders, Executive Director Greg Slavonic did not ask the legislature for a budget increase. During the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, granted the ODVA a one-time bailout of $11.4 million for the agencys 2024 operating budget. Slavonic said during the meeting the budget for fiscal year 2025 is good. However, Slavonic said he does not want the agency to have to go to the legislature with its hand out again. But with this plan here, this gives us a little bit more flexibility if things did not go the right way, Slavonic said. The commission tabled discussion and said it would address the matter at a later date. A majority vote would be required to pass the proposal, meaning all five commissioners must vote in favor of it. The 9-member commission currently has four vacancies. The Commission will have a special meeting Thursday to potentially appoint a new executive director. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 12. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma Veterans Commission considering closing 126 beds, but no veterans would be turned away appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. An older couple said Milwaukee contractor PL Innovations took their money. They aren't the only ones. Mary Vella, 76, describes the remodeling work that she wanted done in her bathroom that never happened at her home in Belgium on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. BELGIUM Mary Vella, 76, and her husband Joe were looking for a trusted contractor to remodel their bathroom. They wanted to refresh the space and replace the old tub and countertops with modern updates. They decided to work with PL Innovations, a business they found through Home Depot's Pro Referral program earlier that year. The owner, Perry Lindsey, had visited their home before to fix the hood on their oven. "We thought he did good work at a fair price," Vella said. "We treated him like family." But after giving the bathroom project some thought, she decided Lindsey's quote was too high and canceled the project. From there, Vella said, the relationship quickly soured. By then, Lindsey had already cashed a $2,500 check that she had given him as a deposit, though no labor had been done. According to Vella, Lindsey said he would return the money, minus a $100 consultation fee. Instead, she said Lindsey held on to the funds for two months and stopped responding to her texts and calls. Vella and her husband rely on a fixed social security income. The sudden loss of funds overdrafted her bank account, said Vella, who reached out to Public Investigator for help in April. Unknown to her, PL Innovations has faced a long list of lawsuits from disgruntled customers alleging the company left projects incomplete, damaged property and stopped responding, Public Investigator found. Most of them are homeowners and small business owners, such as Niche Book Bar, which hopes to become one of the state's only Black-owned bookstores. If we would have known that, I never would have associated with him, ever, Vella said. In addition to its legal troubles, PL Innovations twice presented a false certificate of insurance to the city to renew its contractor license, Public Investigator found a matter that was brought to the Common Council's attention in 2022. In two interviews in April and May, Lindsey denied disputes with other customers and said he was going to refund Vella her money imminently. However, the funds never arrived. "I don't know what else to do," Vella said. "We're stressed out to the limit." PL Innovations has recent history of negative customer experiences A brief scroll through the Wisconsin Court System website shows that PL Innovations has a list of unhappy customers and is deep in debt. In their lawsuits, homeowners and small business owners almost all of whom are women said they paid hefty deposits to PL Innovations, but the jobs were never completed and Lindsey stopped responding to their messages. In most cases, neither Lindsey nor a representative from PL Innovations showed up in court. According to court records, Niche Book Bar hired PL Innovations in the summer of 2022 to renovate the future bookstore. Lindsey estimated the project would cost about $132,700 and asked for a security deposit of $5,000, which would be returned once the small business paid an installment of around $66,000, the suit alleges. In the lawsuit, Niche Book Bar owner Cetonia Weston-Roy said she paid the security deposit and the installment. But in October 2022, Lindsey stopped responding to her, leaving the project incomplete, she said. This case is still ongoing, according to attorney Elise Ashley. This has been one of the biggest setbacks for us, said Weston-Roy, who launched a crowdfunding campaign to try to recoup some of the losses. The new home of Niche Book Bar, a business founded in 2020 by Cetonia Weston-Roy to higlight Black literature.She hopes to open the bookshop and cafe on North King Drive in September. Natasha Dotson, another former customer, said in her lawsuit that she lost about $31,000 to Lindsey and spent another $40,000 fixing the damage and incomplete work he did to her daycare. Lindsey busted a water pipe in the daycare bathroom twice while trying to hang up a mirror, according to court records. His eight months of shoddy work caused Dotson's daycare to fail several city inspections, she said. "His work looked like a kindergartner did it," Dotson said. Dotson said she dropped her lawsuit in 2022 once she heard of Lindsey's debts, and after the lawsuit became too costly. According to her, the ordeal delayed her business from opening by a year. Court records show that Lindsey filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May 2023. He was also ordered to pay $38,896 in delinquent taxes, according to Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and PL Innovations owes another $92,073 to the Department of Workforce Development for delinquent worker's compensation, according to court records. The Department of Safety and Professional Services is revoking Lindsey's dwelling contractor license due to delinquent taxes, said spokesperson John Beard. Lindsey has held the license since 2016. More: Are you hiring a contractor in Wisconsin? Here's what you should know first PL Innovations submitted false insurance certifications to city and state As a last resort, some former PL Innovations customers considered suing the company's insurance company, only to discover that PL Innovations didn't seem to carry any. On two occasions, Lindsey showed false proof of general liability and property damage insurance to the city, Public Investigator found. Milwaukee requires proof of insurance every two years to renew a home improvement contractor license. General liability insurance typically covers instances of negligence and injuries on the job. Licensing records show that PL Innovations submitted documents showing it was insured by Billy Brown Insurance, formerly called William Brown Insurance Services Inc., in 2016, 2017 and 2022. However, the insurance company confirmed to Public Investigator that PL Innovations was insured by them only for 2016. PL Innovations has worked on at least 35 projects in the city between 2017 and 2022, according to the Department of Neighborhood Services permit records. In October 2022, a former customer of Lindsey's reported his false insurance documents to the Common Council licenses committee and asked members to revoke his license. But at the committee hearing, Lindsey insisted he had valid insurance and promised to send proof. Council members voted to delay a decision. Perry Lindsey, owner of PL Innovations, speaks at a Common Council licensing committee hearing over whether to revoke his contractor license. Marissa Milano, license coordinator for the city, said it is not the license division's practice to verify that insurance documents are valid. Lindsey's license expired in May and he hasn't applied to renew, she said. "It certainly does create the possibility where someone could forge something, but that's definitely going to be the exception and not the rule," said Jim Cooney, the city's license division manager. The license division did not respond to several requests to confirm whether or not Lindsey ever submitted valid proof of insurance after that committee meeting. Ald. Milele Coggs, chair of the licenses committee at the time, confirmed that the committee never scheduled a follow-up hearing. She said requiring city staff to verify contractors' insurance documents could be burdensome. "I think we would have to evaluate the level of resources that will have to go into verification to see if it'd be worth it," Coggs said. Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa became chair of the license committee in April. She said that going forward, the committee will take action if notified that a contractor doesn't have insurance. But Zamarripa shared Coggs' concern about the license division's capacity to verify insurance. "Unfortunately, workers are oftentimes stretched thin," Zamarripa said. A month after the committee hearing, Lindsey submitted valid proof of liability insurance to the state, which requires a separate license, according to Department of Safety and Professional Services records and Next First Insurance Agency. However, the proof of insurance he sent to the state in 2020 was again invalid, Public Investigator found. According to Cornerstone Insurance Services, the insurance Lindsey listed only covered his trucking company, not his contracting company. Perry Lindsey, owner of PL Innovations, speaks at a Common Council licensing committee hearing over whether to revoke his contractor license. Lindsey claims money is returned and denies previous customers complaints In interviews with Public Investigator, Lindsey repeatedly insisted that he planned to return Vella's money. In an April 22 phone call, Lindsey told Public Investigator that Vellas money would be returned to her by April 29. He blamed the delay on Vellas bank and his vacation to North Carolina, and said he was annoyed because Vella had been rude to him. I said, To hell with her. I'll handle it as soon as I get back, Lindsey said. But another month passed and Vella's money was not returned. Public Investigator reporters visited Lindseys home on May 17 to get an update. At the start of the conversation, Lindsey told reporters he sent the check off the other day" and would provide evidence of the money order. Forty minutes into the interview, Lindsey admitted that Vella's check had not been sent. He said he assigned another person to deliver the check but didn't know when Vella would receive it. Lindsey denied ever having disputes with previous customers, and said all lawsuits against PL Innovations were settled, even though at least one lawsuit is open. He asked reporters to contact his lawyer, James McCann, regarding ongoing lawsuits against PL Innovations. Lindsey added that he plans to move his business operations to North Carolina. He added that he wanted to wash [his] hands and leave the situation in the past. In response to a request for an interview, McCann said: "I do not have any comment on any past, present or potential future litigation on any claim about the client. I would refer you to the court records for any questions that you may have." The Vellas take their case to law enforcement and U.S. Bank Like other customers, Vella said a lawyer discouraged her from taking the issue to court due to Lindsey and PL Innovations' growing debt. In an attempt to get her money back, Vella contacted anyone else she thought could help her the police, the FBI and a couple of news outlets. She filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and the Federal Reserve. Maybe $2,500 is not a lot of money for some people, but it is for us, Vella said. Vella also called U.S. Bank's customer service line to report fraud. One piece of evidence she shared: According to Vella and her husband, Lindsey introduced himself to the family as Perry Tisdale. In messages reviewed by Public Investigators, Vella addressed Lindsey as Mr. Tisdale in a text two days prior to his visit to their home. It was the name she wrote on their down payment check as well. Lindsey signed the check as Perry Lindsey and denies telling the couple any other name. U.S. Bank opened a fraud investigation, but has not issued any updates on Vella's case as of June 14. Vella also reported Lindsey to the Ozaukee County Sheriffs Office. After several attempts to resolve the matter with Lindsey, the department referred the case in May to the Ozaukee County District Attorneys Office to pursue criminal charges of theft, said Marshall Hermann, undersheriff for the Ozaukee County Sheriffs Office. The district attorney's office said it is still reviewing the information but takes the matter seriously. Mary Vella, 76, shows new overhead fan that was installed incorrectly and never corrected by the same contractor that was hired remodeling Vellas bathroom that never happened at her home in Belgium on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. - Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Home Depot agrees to compensate Vella In the end, help came from an unlikely place. After Public Investigator reporters contacted Home Depot about Vella's situation, the company followed up with Vella on her complaint. In an email to Public Investigator, spokesperson Terrance Roper said Lindsey had reassured Home Depot that he intended to refund her. Roper said Home Depot monitors its contractors periodically and will remove them from its referral list if they dont meet the requirements. For contractors to be a part of the program, Home Depot requires a background check, insurance and a license, if the state requires it. It's out of our power to guarantee the quality of work or materials, and we make this clear in our customer FAQ, Roper said in an email. Home Depot checked if PL Innovations met its requirements in November 2023 and didnt see any issues, according to Roper. But on May 23, after no follow-up from Lindsey, Home Depot decided to compensate the Vellas the $2,500. Home Depot has since ended its relationship with PL Innovations and removed the business from its database, Roper said. This is not the experience we want for any of our customers, Roper said. Vella remains a little bothered that Lindsey "got away with it," but said she was surprised and grateful for Home Depots offer and Public Investigators help. Im glad Im getting my money back," Vella said. She added: You really opened the doors for us." Gina Castro is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be reached at gcastro@gannett.com. Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at tfowlkes@gannett.com. About Public Investigator Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips. Public Investigator This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Home Depot compensates couple who lost $2,500 to Milwaukee contractor WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Tuesday night Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps appears on Capitol Hill during a primetime hearing on anti-doping efforts ahead of the Paris Olympics. A lot of this has to do with recent accusations of illegal doping by Chinese athletes. Its a rare evening hearing designed to get more public attention. Phelps will be joined by fellow Olympian Allison Schmitt and the CEO of the U.S. anti-doping agency. The focus will be on reports that Chinese athletes who tested positive for banned substances were allowed to compete in the 2021 Olympics. Chinese authorities say those positive tests were the result of contaminated testing samples. The world anti-doping agency didnt question Chinese officials handling of the case and did not to challenge the results. The organization also declined to show up at Tuesdays hearing despite an invitation by Congress. That decision has been blasted by U.S. lawmakers who accuse the world anti-doping agency of turning a blind eye to China breaking the rules. They sat by and said nothing when 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a substance known as tmz, a performance enhancing drug, in the last Olympics, said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) The hearing is expected to get underway at 7 p.m.ET. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Neighbors protested Hooters in Fort Worth and Arlington. Now those restaurants are gone An Atlanta-based chain sports grill known for wings and double entendres has closed southwest Arlington and Fort Worth locations that originally faced legal protests when they opened years ago Hooters shut down restaurants at 5821 Interstate 20 West, Arlington, and 150 Throckmorton St., Fort Worth, along with more than 40 locations nationwide. Five other Tarrant County locations of the 40-year-old chain remain open in southwest Fort Worth, north Arlington, North Richland Hills, Grand Prairie and Grapevine. In a statement to Nations Restaurant News, the company cited current market conditions in closing underperforming stores. The Hooters in downtown Fort Worth faced legal protests when it opened in 2016. The closures come at a time of increased pressure on aging national restaurant chains, partly due to fresher competition and partly due to patrons price concerns that have even affected fast-food drive-thrus. Hooters first area restaurant opened in 1989 in downtown Dallas. It offered what the company described as a beach theme, with women servers dressed cheerleader-style and called Hooters Girls. The restaurants quickly drew attention for the then-shocking skimpy outfits and also for risque and misogynistic themes, jokes and signage. Before the southwest Arlington location opened in 2002, a community group, Decency for Arlington, gathered 1,300 signatures in opposition. Tarrant County Judge Tom Vandergriff eventually rejected the liquor license application, saying the restaurant was too close to nearby schools and churches. Hooters in South Arlington was granted a liquor license on Monday, October 8, 2007. Sheridan Gerth served beer. The restaurant gave away free liquor until a state administrative judge reversed the decision in 2007. The company also agreed to remove some merchandise and signs. The downtown Fort Worth location also faced legal opposition when it opened in 2016. Sundance Square officials and downtown residents said it was too close to the Sundance West apartments. Hooters success quickly spurred a series of copycat restaurants with scantily clad servers and sophomoric names or themes. The chain receives mediocre reviews from users of the social media site Yelp.com. The highest-rated location in Tarrant County is the north Arlington restaurant, scoring 3.0 out of a possible 5. Based on figures quoted by Nations Restaurant News, the closing of 40 restaurants wold leave the company with about 250 locations, down from 333 in 2018. 10 Hooters Girls showed up to support their side in the TABC hearing in regards to Hooters applying for a license for a downtown location in Fort Worth, TX, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. A downtown Fort Worth neighborhood committee is opposing the license. Professional and amateur astronomers alike will be able to see it without the help of a telescope. A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova similar to T Coronae Borealis. (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) A rare nova explosion will soon be visible in the Earths nighttime sky, according to officials at NASA. The event, which could occur anytime between now and September, is creating a buzz within the astronomy community, as both professional and amateur astronomers alike will be able to see the explosion. Were definitely noticing a lot of excitement as skywatchers anticipate the predicted nova, Claire Andreoli, astrophysics communications manager at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, told Yahoo News. Its rare we get the opportunity to witness something like this with our own eyes, which is definitely contributing to the buzz. What causes a star to go nova? Located 3,000 light years from Earth, T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), nicknamed the Blaze Star, is a binary star system in the Coronae Borealis (or northern crown) constellation. In this binary system, a white dwarf (a dead star) and an ancient red giant (a slowly dying star) are gravitationally bound to each other. Every 80 years or so, the hydrogen from the red giant fuses with the surface of the white dwarf, causing a buildup of pressure and heat, resulting in a thermonuclear explosion causing the system to go nova. The last time a T CrB nova was seen from Earth was in 1946. What is the difference between nova and supernova? A nova is an astronomical event in which a star experiences a sudden and dramatic increase in brightness sometimes as much as 100,000 times its normal level. This results in a new star appearing in the night sky (nova is the Latin word for new), that slowly fades over weeks or months. A nova differs from a supernova in that, during a nova, a star flares up then returns to dormancy. In a supernova, the star is completely destroyed. Around the world, professional and amateur astronomers are closely watching T Coronae Borealis a binary system ~3,000 light-years from Earth waiting for an impending nova event so bright it will be visible on Earth with the naked eye. MORE HERE >> https://t.co/HgONmjpy9B pic.twitter.com/L54ZDFmFWA NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) June 6, 2024 T CrB is a once-in-a-lifetime event, Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, astrophysicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, told Yahoo News. This event will inspire a new generation of astronomers as anyone can take part in observing this amazing astronomical event. How to find T Coronae Borealis in the night sky When T CrB goes nova, it will be visible with the naked eye for about a week. To see it, first locate the Hercules constellation, then look to the west for the Northern Crown, a horseshoe-shaped curve of stars. [The Northern Crown] can be identified by locating the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere Arcturus and Vega and tracking a straight line from one to the other, which will lead skywatchers to Hercules and the Corona Borealis, NASA says on its website. This will be a fleeting event and may be difficult to spot, Andreoli told Yahoo News. Were really trying to manage expectations and provide people with as much information as possible so theyre hopefully ready to witness this one-in-a-lifetime cosmic spectacle. Look up after sunset during summer months to find Hercules, then scan between Vega and Arcturus, where the distinct pattern of Corona Borealis may be identified. (NASA) How you can best view the nova Get away from light pollution . Light pollution is stray light from parking lots, sport complexes, street lights and other human activity, which manifests as a glow in the night sky. For darker skies, head at least 20 to 30 miles away from city limits, advises NASA. Check the weather forecast . Make sure its a clear, cloudless night with good transparency (low dust and humidity levels). Websites like Good to Stargaze can tell you whether or not your locations forecast is favorable for stargazing. Use a constellation app or planisphere. Apps like Sky Guide use AR technology to turn your phone into a map to the stars. For those who prefer a more hands-on guide, a planisphere can help locate the Hercules constellation. Damien Bendall was on probation when he murdered his pregnant partner and three children at home in Derbyshire - PA One murder is committed every week by offenders on probation, official figures have revealed. Since 2010, more than 750 convictions for murder have been handed to criminals who were on probation an average of one a week. Nearly 20 murders were committed by offenders previously given life sentences. A further 1,000 convictions for rape, attempted rape or serious sexual assault including attacks on young children have been secured against known offenders in the same time period. The disclosure comes after high-profile cases in which three offenders on probation murdered nine people, including three children, with inspectors blaming failings by the probation service. Inspection reports have suggested shortages of probation officers are to blame, contributing to a decline in the quality of their work and increased risk to the public. Lacey Bennett (left), John Paul Bennett and Connie Gent were murdered by Bendall on probation Ministry of Justice data show that 762 further offences of murder were carried out by criminals on probation between 2010 and 2022. The annual toll rose from 55 in 2020-21 to 65 in 2021-22, though the peak year was 2018-19 with 103. Average of 62 murders a year The average was 62 murders a year, just over one a week since the data was first collected in 2014. Overall reoffending rates have risen to one third of all adults released from custody and 56 per cent for offenders released from jail after less than a year. The three cases that have highlighted probation failings include the murder of the 35-year-old law graduate Zara Aleena in East London by Jordan McSweeney. McSweeney, who had 28 previous convictions for 69 offences, was recorded as being of medium risk to the public by his newly qualified probation officer, rather than high risk. An inquest last week heard that McSweeney could have been recalled to prison earlier. Jordan McSweeney murdered Zara Aleena in London in June 2022 Damien Bendall, dubbed the sleepover killer, was monitored by an inexperienced, unqualified probation officer trained online, before he murdered his pregnant partner and three children An inspection report found probation officers missed multiple chances to prevent the 33-year-old from killing Terri Harris, her two children and a friend of theirs who was sleeping over. They died at their house in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, last September three months after Bendall received a suspended sentence for arson. Serious failings Serious probation failings were also revealed after Joshua Jacques, 29, killed girlfriend Samantha Drummonds and her family with a knife in Bermondsey, south London, on April 25 2022 while intoxicated with cannabis. Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, who conducted an independent review into Jacques supervision by the probation service, said it failed to organise a drug abuse intervention, despite it being a condition of his release. The chief inspectors annual report found that assessments of the risk of harm people on probation pose remain inaccurate and incomplete. The report said: It is clear that reduced staffing levels within local services continue to have an impact on the quality of work we are seeing, both in these serious further offence reviews and the findings from our local inspections. Joshua Jacques was on probation when he killed four people from one family The probation service last year had a leaving rate of more than 10 per cent. In the year to March 2023, nearly 2,300 staff left the service. In 2018, it was only 729. Asked about the figures, Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said: The first duty of any government is to keep people safe. These findings are tragic and it is clear more must be done to protect the public from dangerous offenders. Prison and probation services do a vital job in the proper rehabilitation of prisoners, but under the Tories this has been neglected. They are under-staffed and over-stretched, and deserve better. Labour is the party of law and order. Our mission is to make Britains streets safe we will do so by protecting the public and restoring trust in the criminal justice system. Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, said: Under the Conservatives, reoffending rates have fallen from 31 per cent to 25 per cent since 2010 and an extra 155 million per year is being invested in the Probation Service to recruit more staff and intensify supervision of criminals. We are also harnessing the latest technology to tag a record number of individuals, monitoring offenders movements and enforcing tough unpaid work orders to drive down reoffending and repay criminals debt to society. Under Labour, reoffending rates were higher and all those on sentences of less than 12 months roamed free without probation supervision, showing Labour will never take the tough decisions to keep our communities safe. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A same-sex marriage supporter flies an LGBTQ+ Pride flag at the Supreme Court last year on the anniversary of the Obergefell decision legalizing marriage equality in all 50 state. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images) Its been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs case that overturned the federal right to an abortion, and the troubling concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas in which he expressed a desire to revisit other landmark precedents, including the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, codified nationally by the Obergefell Supreme Court decision, nine years ago Wednesday Since that ruling, the LGBTQ+ and allied community has done much to protect the fundamental freedom to marry passing the Respect for Marriage Act in Congress in 2022; sharing their stories this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the first state legalization of same-sex marriages, in Massachusetts; and in California, Hawaii and Colorado launching ballot campaigns to repeal dormant but still-on-the-books anti-marriage constitutional amendments. Read more: California Democratic Party endorses ballot measures on same-sex marriage, taxes, rent control This winter, I worked with a team at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law to survey nearly 500 married LGBTQ+ people about their relationships. Respondents included couples from every state in the country; on average they had been together for more than 16 years and married for more than nine years. Sixty-two percent married after the courts 2015 Obergefell marriage decision, although their relationships started before before that. More than 30% of the couples had children and another 25% wanted children in the future. One finding that jumped out of the data: Almost 80% of married same-sex couples surveyed said they were very or somewhat concerned about the Obergefell decision being overturned. Around a quarter of them said theyd taken action to shore up their familys legal protections pursuing a second-parent adoption, having children earlier than originally planned or marrying on a faster-than-expected timeline because of concerns about marriage equality being challenged. One respondent said, We got engaged the day that the Supreme Court ruled on the Dobbs decision and got married one week after. Read more: Same-sex marriage ruling creates new constitutional liberty As we examined the survey results, it became clearer than ever why LGBTQ+ families and same-sex couples are fighting so hard to protect marriage access and the answer is really quite simple: The freedom to marry has been transformative for them. It has not only granted them hundreds of additional rights and responsibilities, but it has also strengthened their bonds in very real ways. Nearly every person surveyed (93%) said they married for love; three-quarters added that they married for companionship or legal protections. When asked how marriage changed their lives, 83% reported positive changes in their sense of safety and security, and 75% reported positive changes in terms of life satisfaction. I feel secure in our relationship in a way I never thought would be possible, one participant told us. I love being married. Read more: The evolution of same-sex marriage Ive been studying LGBTQ+ people and families for my entire career and even still, many of the findings of the survey touched and inspired me. Individual respondents talked about the ways that marriage expanded their personal family networks, granting them (for better and worse!) an additional set of parents, siblings and loved ones. More than 40% relied on each others families of origin in times of financial or healthcare crisis, or to help out with childcare. Some told of in-laws who provided financial assistance to buy a house, or cared for them while they were undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Read more: Analysis:: Antonin Scalia's dissent in same-sex marriage ruling even more scornful than usual And then there was the effect on children. Many respondents explained that their marriage has provided security for their children, and dignity and respect for the family unit. Marriage enabled parents to share child-rearing responsibilities to take turns being the primary earner (and carrying the health insurance), and spending more time at home with the kids. The big takeaway from this study is that same-sex couples have a lot on the line when it comes to the freedom to marry and theyre going to do everything possible to ensure that future political shifts dont interfere with their lives. As couples across the country continue to speak out, share their stories and in California, head to the ballot box in November to protect their hard-earned freedoms its clear to me that its because they believe wholeheartedly, and with good reason, that their lives depend on it. Abbie E. Goldberg is an affiliated scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and a psychology professor at Clark University, where she directs the womens and gender studies. 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. President Joe Biden is routinely attacked, mocked, and ridiculed for his supposed physical and cognitive decline, while other comparable political figures like Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Mitch McConnelland even President Ronald Reagangot much gentler treatment from their opponents and the media into their later years. The easy explanation is that being one of a hundred senators is nothing like being president of the country. Also, Reagan was president 40 years ago, which is like being in another galaxy. The traditions that insulated them are vanishing in the age of social media but can help provide context for what Biden and former President Donald Trump, too, face today. Trumps Mass Deportation Plan Is Big Government Gone Mad The late California Sen. Feinstein had shown serious decline for years before dying in office last year at age 90. Her staff covered for her, which is how such things are customarily done in the Senate. She was an icon for women with an illustrious career, and respect for her and what shed accomplished kept her in officeeven when she was no longer a fully functioning senator. After she gave up her seat on the Judiciary Committee, her uneven cognition didnt matter as much, and even her critics backed off. A similar dynamic is at play with Republican Mitch McConnell, who last year became the longest-serving Senate leader in history. Republicans circled the wagons around him after two very public brain freezes knowing that he will step down as leader after the November election. McConnell cemented his legacyfor good or for illwith his outreached hand earlier this month to ex-President Trump, whom he had once castigated as bearing responsibility for Jan. 6. Ronald Reagan giving a speech in the Oval Office of the White House. Diana Walker/Getty Images Reagan likely had the onset of Alzheimers disease in his second term, but he was always detached from details, so his lack of attention to governing wasnt a new thing. He was a Hollywood actor, and he played the role of president beautifully. If he was slipping cognitively, it didnt seem to matter. He was hailed as a Big Picture guy. First elected at age 69 and then the oldest president to hold the office, his schedule was kept light under the orders of first lady Nancy Reagan, who set boundaries like, I want him home for dinner. There was always an understanding that Reagan was not going to work that hard. He made a joke out of it, saying, Its true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? When Reagan traveled to Japan for a G7 meeting in 1986, it took him nearly a week to get therewith two nights in Honolulu and three nights in Bali to get the then-75-year-old president acclimated to the time change. Compare that to Bidens back-to-back trips to France and Italy last week, interspersed with a day at home to be with his sonnewly convicted on gun chargesthen capped with a dash across time zones to a campaign fundraiser on the other coast. Trump allies say somebody else is pulling the strings, that Biden isnt fully present, that hes the puppetan attack for which they have provided no evidence. Biden has been underestimated throughout his career, and his rival says he cant complete a sentence and is too weak and feeble to stand for 90 minutes, the length of the CNN debate next week. Thats a low bar for an incumbent president seeking re-election, and Democrats are cautiously confident Biden will clear it like he did at the State of the Union address in March. CNN Wants to Mute Trump at Its Debate. Good Luck With That Unlike other politicians in the swan song of their careers, Biden is the only thing standing in the way of Trump reclaiming the Oval Office and imposing his dark vision of America with an autocratic government. Bidens stiff gait and his soft voice make him seem older than he is, and theres no getting around the fact that he looks older than he did in 2020. Every president visibly ages while in office because of the passage of time and the stress of the job. But there is no credible evidence of cognitive decline in Biden that would suggest anything beyond normal aging. Lots of people in their eighties cant drive anymore or ride a bicycle, but their mind is fully functioning. Dementia is a real thing, and its more than flubbing a name or a date. Trumps recent rantings about boats powered by batteries competing with a shark attack and calling the fictional Hannibal Lecter a nice guy are drawing more attention to the former presidents mental state. The Trump camp is ginning up anything they can find to make Biden look befuddled and appear like hes not in command. Video last week made the rounds allegedly showing Biden wandering aimlessly away from the G7 leaders and having to be led back by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Turns out Biden had moved away from the group watching an aerial show to talk to one of the skydivers who had just landed. That part of the video was not shown in the clip posted by RNC Research. Joe Biden arrives at Borgo Egnazia Resort during the first day of the G7 meeting on June 13, 2024 in Fasano, Italy. Alessandra Benedetti/Getty Images I got really mad at that, says Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College who was acting director of RNC Research in 1989-91 before he went into academia. We didnt do stuff like that, he told The Daily Beast, recalling that the RNCs (Republican National Committee) communications director had to quit in 1989 after writing a memo saying then-Democratic House Speaker Tom Foley should come out of the Liberal closet, a lame attempt to raise questions about his personal life that President George H. W. Bush at the time called disgusting. Sonia Sotomayor Shouldnt Be Bullied Into Early Retirement Standards have shifted over the years. Attacks on sexual orientation dont carry the sting they did then. The RNCs doctored video on Biden got 2.9 million views on X. Nobody is being shamed into quitting. Two old guys are competing to lead the country. Because of his girth and swagger, Trump gives the illusion of physical vigor. Biden, with his stiffness and controlled movements, seems older, which he is by three and a half years. If we judge presidents by their gait, we never would have had FDR, says Pitney. We shouldnt be fooled about what matters to govern a country and preserve democracy. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the US State Department said in a statement, Trend reports. According to the information, at the meeting Blinken said it was important to prevent an escalation of the Middle East conflict and find a diplomatic solution. "He also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes," the State Department noted. Blinken and Gallant reportedly discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages and alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people. The prosecution of Julian Assange is finally over after the Australian WikiLeaks founder agreed to plead guilty to violating the U.S. Espionage Act on Monday. Thats better than the worst-case scenariotrying Assange in a U.S. court for exposing war crimesbut the case should have never gotten this far. The shameful, years-long saga has left the U.S.s global credibility on press freedom severely diminished. Even worse, it has put national security journalists on notice that the U.S. government stands ready and willing to criminalize their work at its discretion. Reporters Without Borders ranked the U.S. 55th in its Press Freedom Index this year, citing the Assange case. Foreign adversaries, notably China and Russia, have regularly referenced the charges against Assange to question our moral authority to oppose their own crackdowns on free expression: Who are we to talk when our government considers obtaining and publishing government secretsessentially the job description for investigative journalistsa felony under the Espionage Act? And yes, thats what Assange was charged with. Contrary to a common misunderstanding, his indictment has nothing to do with alleged collaboration between WikiLeaks and Russia in publishing DNC emails in 2016. Nor do the Espionage Act charges have anything to do with any alleged hacking by Assange. But they have everything to do with his exposing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan back in 2010. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 The Biden administration needed to settle the case to save face. Last month, the U.K. High Court allowed Assanges appeal of his extradition to proceed, questioning whether the First Amendment would afford him adequate protection if he were tried here. A definitive ruling that the U.S. cant be trusted to adjudicate press freedom matters would be humiliating. But the administration had the opportunity to do more than shield itself from embarrassment. It could have proven that the president meant it when he declared that journalism is not a crime. It could have distinguished itself from Donald Trump, Bidens openly anti-press electoral opponent, whose administration first indicted Assange. It could have dropped the case. The plea agreement does not add any more prison time or punishment for Assange. Its purely symbolic and entirely unnecessary. Its only impact will be to legitimize the criminalization of routine journalistic conduct and encourage future administrations to follow suitincluding a potential second Trump administration. Plea agreements, of course, do not create any binding legal precedent. Ninety-five percent of criminal convictions in the U.S. are secured through plea deals, not because the defendants are all guilty, but because the alternative is too risky, expensive, and exhausting. Its hard to fault Assange for doing what he had to do to end his five-year imprisonment at Belmarsh Prison. But legal precedent or not, plea deals can still send a message, especially in a high-profile test case for a novel and constitutionally dubious legal theory. Judges and prosecutors all over the country will read about the plea deal and feel emboldened to punish journalists for doing their jobs, whether via the Espionage Act or equally convoluted applications of state law. Julian Assange Leaves Prison After Striking U.S. Plea Deal Many have commented on the U.S. judiciarys declining comprehension of, and respect for, press freedom. The Department of Justice is already testing out other alarming theories in prosecutions of journalists, including Florida journalist Tim Burke, who awaits trial for finding and publicizing Yes antisemitic rant to Tucker Carlson last year. Can these same judges and prosecutors be trusted to exercise restraint in determining when future journalists cross whatever blurred line Assange supposedly overstepped? Nobody can articulate where that line is, by the way. U.S. lawyers have suggested Assange went too far by not sufficiently redacting documents he published. But thats arbitrarythe First Amendment does not include a redaction requirement and the Espionage Act does not exempt journalists who redact from its unconstitutional prohibitions on obtaining and disclosing defense documents. Nor does the plea agreement say anything about redaction. Authorities will feel free to come up with their own self-serving takes on what kinds of journalism the law should deem acceptable. Its not as if the Biden administration doesnt realize the potential repercussions of its stubborn insistence on standing behind Trumps Espionage Act prosecution. When Joe Biden was vice president, the Obama administration declined to prosecute Assange, recognizing that any legal theory under which they could prosecute him could also be used against The New York Times. Bidens administration has been warned repeatedly by civil liberties groups, law professors, media publishers and members of Congress that prosecuting a publisher of newsworthy documents poses a cataclysmic threat to press freedom. It knows what its doing. But it apparently doesn't mind keeping investigative journalists guessing whether their next story will be the one that gets them indicted. Its a safe bet that during this weeks debate, President Biden will repeatedly warn voters of the dangers of Trumps authoritarian streak. As he should. Trump has made clear his intention to weaponize federal prosecutors against his adversaries, which, of course, include the press, which he infamously deemed the enemy of the people. But Biden had better hope the moderators dont ask the obvious questions: Why, then, did your administration just go out of its way to validate that same authoritarians attempt to criminalize journalism? If you really think hes such a threat to democracy and the constitution, why would you hand him the perfect weapon to decimate the First Amendment? If they do, the Assange case could end up undermining Bidens credibility on issues far beyond press freedom. Seth Stern is the Director of Advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation and a First Amendment lawyer. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A member of the San Bernardino County sheriff's Marijuana Enforcement Team destroys cannabis plants while raiding an illegal operation in 2022 in Phelan, Calif. Access to the legal weed market has been patchy nationwide. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Cannabis prohibition remains central to Americas failed war on drugs upwards of half a million people were arrested for a cannabis offense in the U.S. in 2018, accounting for more than 43 % of all drug arrests . But times are changing: Cannabis reform is one of the most successful social movements in recent memory. Today, 24 states and Washington, D.C., allow cannabis for adult use. Although the drug remains prohibited at the federal level, the Biden administration recently began the process of reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous substance (going from Schedule I to Schedule III). This will dramatically loosen federal restrictions on the U.S. cannabis industry, which is forecast to generate more than $30 billion in retail sales in 2024. Read more: Editorial: Reclassifying marijuana is not decriminalization, but is a welcome step in that direction Yet legal cannabis has been something of a disappointment. High barriers to entry prevent many small-business owners from breaking into the industry. A 2023 survey found that less than 25% of U.S. cannabis businesses are profitable, with most of the money going to a small group of large multistate corporate operators led by predominantly white ownership groups. A 2021 report found that less than 2% of U.S. cannabis business owners are Black. These are the somewhat predictable outcomes of concessions cannabis activists made to the business community. States that have yet to pursue legal cannabis should take heed of the dangers of these compromises, or they will end up replicating the very power dynamics that legalization was supposed to disrupt. Equity has always been a priority for some legal cannabis activists. Washington state legalized cannabis for adult use in 2012 with a law drafted by a small team of local activists and supported by the American Civil Liberties Union. Advocates were primarily concerned with protecting small independent operators, including protections such as residency requirements for cannabis license holders, caps on the number of licenses owned and tight limits on the amount of canopy a cannabis cultivator was permitted to grow. This has allowed small operators to gain a larger share of the market in Washington than in other states . Read more: The dirty secret of California's legal weed But by the time California legalized cannabis in 2016, corporations had come to realize the enormous profit potential of legal weed. Local activists spent years drafting a progressive legalization initiative in California that included many of the same protections implemented in Washington. This effort was backed by prominent national cannabis advocacy groups such as the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy Project. Before they could qualify their amendment for the ballot, however, Silicon Valley billionaire Sean Parker backed another legalization campaign with $8.5 million of his own money . Some groups pulled funding from the older draft legislation and pressured local activists to support the new, better-resourced campaign instead, which led to a more business-friendly bill without residency requirements or license caps. In other states, activists have tried to develop consumer- and patient-focused legalization bills. Michigans cannabis industry, for example, enjoys relatively low barriers to entry, making it easier for small operators to establish themselves, increasing competition and lowering costs for consumers. This came about only because local activists resisted corporate influence. In the run-up to the 2018 Michigan campaign, they were pressured to draft a business-friendly cannabis legalization bill by national groups and corporate donors seeking the same types of market advantages enjoyed in California. They bucked the pressure and as a result lost a considerable amount of financial support; on average, pro-legalization ballot measure campaigns outraise their opponents by more than 400% , but in Michigan campaign spending was much closer. Voters still overwhelmingly supported the bill. Even so, Michigan has struggled with one of the most stubborn challenges of legalization: racial equity. A 2021 study found that just about 3.8% of cannabis business owners in Michigan were Black and only around 1.5% were Latino. Read more: Inside California's pot legalization failures: Corporate influence, ignored warnings Some states have been experimenting with ways to address these concerns, with mixed results. In 2019 Illinois became the first state to build specific racial equity provisions into its cannabis law , creating a social equity applicant system, providing technical and financial assistance to first-time business owners and distributing 25% of cannabis tax receipts to communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. A recent report estimates that 27% of legal cannabis business owners in Illinois are Black but only 5% identify as Latino, and 3% as Asian. New Yorks cannabis law, passed in 2021, followed in Illinois' footsteps and has been hailed as the most progressive cannabis law instituted, with a goal of awarding at least 50% of its cannabis licenses to equity applicants. But delivering on that promise has so far proved elusive. After the New York cannabis market gained momentum this year, the initial results have been disappointing for equity advocates. Still, these more progressive laws make achieving equity easier. Among the biggest barriers for people of color seeking to enter the industry are excessive regulations and fees, which tend to disproportionately affect small operators. Passing reforms has been challenging because stakeholders that benefit from the current system fight hard to protect their piece of the market, even when the regulations they are protecting make little practical sense. And the reforms that make it face an uphill battle. In Washington, activists finally passed reforms designed to help equity applicants succeed in the cannabis industry in 2020, eight years after marijuana was legalized in that state. Yet in recent years, the percentage of the state's cannabis business owners who are Black has been stuck at 4%. It may be too late to prevent corporate domination of the cannabis industry. The California market is already showing the effects of consolidation : The number of cannabis licenses in the state has fallen from a high of 18,000 to 4,000. Where Californians once had about 6,000 cannabis brands to choose from, now only 1,600 are sold legally in the state. A 2022 L.A. Times analysis found that the 10 companies with the largest growing operations in California hold 22% of the states cultivation licenses. But the beer industry suggests it is possible to secure more for the small operators who are more likely to be people of color. Independently operated craft breweries have grown their market share, hitting the small but significant level of 13% in 2021. If legal cannabis isnt pushed in a more diverse and progressive direction, it will fail to deliver the social change that motivated many activists to pursue it in the first place. Joseph Mello is an associate professor of political science at DePaul University and author of, most recently, Pot for Profit: Cannabis Legalization, Racial Capitalism and the Expansion of the Carceral State. 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. The Oregon Department of Revenue will offer the free federal tax-filing software, Direct File, to taxpayers next year, becoming the first state to join the system. (Courtesy of the Oregon Department of Revenue) The Oregon Department of Revenue will offer the free federal tax-filing software, Direct File, to taxpayers next year, becoming the first state to join the system. (Courtesy of the Oregon Department of Revenue) When Oregonians file their federal taxes next year, theyll have a new free option. According to a release from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, Oregon is the first state to join the IRS Direct File software program, which allows people to file their taxes for free. The program was pilot tested in 12 states Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. The pilot demonstrated the potential for filers to save millions as the program expands. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, about 140,000 taxpayers tested it to file their federal taxes, receiving around $90 million in refunds. The department said they saved $5.6 million in filing fees. Paying accountants or buying tax-filing software can be expensive surveys show the average American spends $270 to file their taxes and companies in the industry have spent millions of dollars lobbying to prevent the IRS from offering free tax preparation services, ProPublica has reported. They forged an agreement with the IRS to offer free software for lower-income earners, but the news organization found theyve tucked the software into the depths of their websites, making it difficult to find. There are several other free options, but theyre mostly for lower-income or older taxpayers. One, FreeFile Oregon, has been available for several years for state taxes, and it doesnt have an income limit. And this year, for the first time, the state offered its own version of Direct File for state taxes through its website. Less than 7,000 taxpayers used it to file their Oregon returns, according to Robin Maxey, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Revenue. He said the state expects to receive more than 2 million total returns this year. The federal Direct File program had a few exceptions during the pilot phase, with taxpayers asked screening questions to make sure they qualified, but Maxey said that based on information from the IRS he expects the program to expand to include more taxpayers. The Oregon Department of Revenue is excited that the IRS is making its Direct File program permanent beginning next year, Maxey said in an email. Next year, the state and federal Direct File programs will be linked on the Oregon Department of Revenues website. Once a taxpayer completes their federal return using the software, theyll be directed to the state system to complete their state return. Both systems are mobile friendly and considered easy to use, based on a survey of 11,000 taxpayers who used the federal system. About 90% ranked it as excellent or above average, the release said. Together, they will give Oregon taxpayers a seamless way to file their federal and state income taxes for free, Maxey said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, called the news that Oregon will offer Direct File for federal taxes a happy day for Oregonian taxpayers who are tired of getting ripped off by the big tax software companies year after year. Direct File is long overdue, and its the kind of public service the federal government ought to be providing to Americans wherever it can, Wyden said. The post Oregon is first state to join free filing option for federal taxes appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. Oregon woman dies on Rogue River after being knocked out of raft A fatal drowning took place on the Rogue River on Saturday. This picture was taken a few miles upstream of where the incident took place. A 66-year-old woman from Powers died Saturday after she was knocked out of a raft on the Rogue River and drowned, according to the Curry County Sheriffs Office. Mary Kohn began a float with three others and a dog from Foster Bar Boat Ramp, near Agness and east of Gold Beach in southern Oregon, officials said. Shortly after being on the water, the two females on the raft and a dog got flipped out at the Two-Mile Rapids, the sheriffs office said. Others in the rafting party were able to get both the females to shore but one (Kohn) had drowned. Marine Sergeant Jared Gray responded to the scene, along with others from search and rescue. There were life vests aboard the raft but no one in the rafting party were wearing them, the sheriff's office said. Two-mile rapids are considered Class II+/III rapids with a large wave train. Teddy, the dog that fell into the water from the raft, has not been located. The dog is a black and white Australian shepherd with a pink collar. The Rogue River is one of Oregons most popular rivers to float but frequently among its deadliest. Three people died on the river in both 2022 and 2023. The section of river the women were floating was below the rivers most famous section, a wilderness stretch that ends at Foster Bar. However, there still are rapids of consequence downstream. Not wearing a life jacket is by far the most common factor in Oregon boating fatalities, year after year. In many fatal incidents, victims have life jackets in the boat but are not wearing them at the time of the incident. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Hiking Southern Oregon. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon woman dies on Rogue River after being knocked out of raft FILE PHOTO: Jules Amour Mahinou, an agronomist, shows a palmful of black soldier fly larvae, intended for animal feed, that is left to dry after harvest, at Elevar Group's production unit in Ouidah By Ange Kasongo KINSHASA (Reuters) - At an orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, more than 60 children stared at their plate of palm weevil larvae fried up in spices, sharing nervous smiles, before curiously digging into the thick white worms. The orphans are being fed the protein-rich larvae, known locally as mpose, as part of an initiative from Kinshasa-based non-profit organisation Farms for Orphans, which is seeking to address malnutrition in the west African nation. Around one quarter of the country's 99 million population faces a food crisis and one half of all orphans are suffering from malnutrition, according to the World Food Programme. Edible insects, including larvae, are increasingly being studied for their potential as a sustainable alternative form of protein to meat, either for human consumption as in Congo, or for animal feed in Benin. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation, insects can be a rich source of fat, protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals. "It is scientifically proven that meat does not have a higher protein concentration than insects, and it's not easy to get meat, so we wanted to make it simpler," said Francoise Lukadi, an agricultural engineer who runs Farm for Orphans. She said the nutrient deficiency was particularly acute in children under five. The larvae are typically cooked with onions, peppers and tomatoes, and have a cheese-like taste. "It is important for children to eat mpose because of the proteins, because some children are abandoned in a state of malnutrition," said Nelly Mimpi, nutritionist and food health supervisor at the orphanage. Farms for Orphans received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its initial research and launch, but Lukadi now hopes to produce enough larvae to sell commercially to subsidise the donations to orphanages. The organisation currently supplies four restaurants in Kinshasa, where palm worms are becoming increasingly popular. Her team produces up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of palm larvae per month and provides meals to several hundred children per quarter but she wants to boost production to satisfy growing commercial demand. Although her team is studying how to grow the larvae and harvest the larvae sustainably in laboratories at the University of Kinshasa and the National Institute of Biomedical Research, some critics say it would be difficult to ramp up production to a commercial scale due to a lack of adequate resources. According to several peer-reviewed studies, commercial-scale insect farming could also pose food safety risks, as some insect farming requires feed crops that could otherwise go directly toward human consumption. Farmers in Benin are also experimenting with the potential for insect protein. Jules Mahinou, a 25-year-old at the head of a group of young poultry farmers called the Elevart Group, breeds black soldier flies in Cotonou, Benin, to produce fly larvae as a source of protein-rich animal feed. "Right now, we're operating on a shoestring. Everything is done manually," Mahinou said, adding that he hopes they'll be able to mechanise and produce substitutes for fish and soybean meal. (Additional reporting by Pulcherie Adjoha; Editing by Portia Crowe, Bate Felix and Sharon Singleton) Chris Kleinjans | Courtesy photo An Ottawa County commissioner is speaking out after filing a lawsuit against Michigan State University alleging he was forced out of his job after being elected to public office. Democrat Chris Kleinjans, 56, defeated Ottawa Impact Republican incumbent Lucy Ebel last month to represent the county commissions 2nd District. Shortly afterward, he was informed by the Michigan State University Extension Office leadership that his new role as a commissioner was incompatible with his employment as a community nutrition instructor. Its difficult to be removed from the people that I have spent over a decade working with, Kleinjans said in a statement released June 24. Through the programs I created, managed or taught, I had the honor of helping improve lives, policies and systems and I had hoped to continue in that role until I retired. Kleinjans filed a lawsuit Friday in the Western District of the U.S. District Court claiming MSU Extension violated his First Amendment Rights after giving him an ultimatum: take an unpaid leave through the remainder of the year or face termination. 05.23.24 Formal meeting summary Christian Kleinjans Letter May 23 2024 Jessica Nakfour, director of human resources for MSU Extension, did not return a request for comment. Kleinjans attorney, Sarah Riley-Howard, said Extension leadership forced him out, bowing to political pressure from Ottawa Impact, which threatened to not renew the Extensions contract with the county in December if Kleinjans was allowed to continue to work there. On May 7, Kleinjans won his seat after a 10-month recall process against Ebel, a member of Ottawa Impact, a far-right fundamentalist group formed in 2021 over frustrations with the county and state over COVID-19 mitigation measures. Since taking office in January, Ebel and other OI-linked commissioners pushed through a series of controversial decisions, resulting in several lawsuits against the county. Two weeks after winning the seat, Kleinjans was informed that his employment would no longer be viable. The universitys legal counsel and administrative human resources determined that holding both positions simultaneously is incompatible, according to an email from MSU Extension District 7 Director Scott Korpak on May 23. If Mr. Kleinhans is re-elected in the November 2024 election, it is the universitys understanding that he will resign. If not, the university would move to terminate his employment with MSU Extension. Howard said the university is in the wrong. [MSUs] actual reason for the decision to place (Kleinjans) on unpaid leave and ultimately to fire him from his job is that they have bowed, and are bowing, to political pressure from the (Ottawa Impact) majority on the Ottawa County Commission, Howard wrote in the filing. The OI majority placed political pressure on (MSU) to retaliate against (Kleinjans) for running against and winning a recall election to unseat their political ally, Lucy Ebel. (MSU) do not have a non-discriminatory reason to fire (Kleinjans) and have merely capitulated to the OI majority. Kleinjans said the loss of his job has deeply affected his familys financial stability. Sarah [his wife] and I have lost the ability to continue in the retirement program Ive been participating in since my first week at Extension, as well as the retiree health program that would have helped minimize the fiscal anxiety associated with retirement and aging, Kleinjans said in the statement. Treatment and stabilization for long-term conditions, like Sarahs macular degeneration, have now become more difficult conversations to have. In choosing this path, MSUE has not only fundamentally altered our lives at present, but every day of our lives moving forward. In Fridays filing, Howard said Commissioners Allison Miedema and Joe Moss, who currently chairs the board and is the president of Ottawa Impact, applied pressure to [MSU] to fire or move [Kleinjans] employment, and otherwise negatively impact [Kleinjans] working conditions and livelihood, in an effort to deter a viable candidate from running against Ebel. Howard said Kleinjans became a target after helping Ottawa Food a collaboration of over 45 local agencies and individuals that exists to ensure all Ottawa County residents have access to healthy, local and affordable food choices issue a news release announcing it was suspending operations after the board made deep cuts to the countys public health department. During budget negotiations, it was brought up repeatedly that the Board of Commissioners didnt want to see Ottawa Food operations reduced or eliminated. However, they also knew that by reducing the Health Education budget, this was a highly probable outcome, according to a media release from the advisory board dated Nov. 13. Prior to the final budget vote on Sept. 26, listening sessions were held with Ottawa Food members to determine possible paths forward. Following the cuts made in late September, 76% of Ottawa Food members voted to pause the model of Ottawa Food as its been operating, rather than continue without a full-time coordinator. Kleinjans, then a member of the Ottawa Food Advisory Board, was listed as the media contact on that news release. The OI majority also hoped to punish and retaliate against (Kleinjans) for his political opposition to the OI majoritys budget cuts that led to the elimination of the Ottawa Food coordinator, and the OI majority applied pressure to (MSU) to punish (Kleinjans) for this reason as well, Howard wrote in the lawsuit. The lawsuit asks that Kleinjans be returned to his position and awarded back wages, as well as punitive damages and attorneys fees. Kleinjans said hes troubled that this scenario potentially could have affected any MSU Extension employee. Looking beyond my own circumstances, this situation seems to indicate that any employee of MSUE, no matter how valuable, knowledgeable or experienced, will be removed without hesitation or recourse if they are perceived as a threat to the funding provided to MSUE by local governments, he said in the statement. That makes clear where Extensions loyalties lie, and its not with the programming and education field staff, who are the true strength and face of the organization. Regardless of the lawsuits outcome, Kleinjans said he will continue to represent his district. He is running for reelection in the fall, where he could face Ebel again. But first, she has a primary against non-OI Republican Jordan Jorritsma on Aug. 6. As we negotiate our new future, Sarah and I do want to be very clear that my efforts to bring transparent, ethical government that is supportive of all the citizens of Ottawa County will not be swayed by this life-altering event, Kleinjans said in the statement. Having come this far, I assure you nothing will deter me from doing the hard work my District 2 constituents chose me to do on May 7. I am committed, and I will continue to work toward mending the recent divisiveness, distraction and delay so we can move forward together. The post Ottawa County commissioner files suit against MSU, says his 1st amendment rights were violated appeared first on Michigan Advance. Over 120 statewide and federal candidates declare to run on first day to file for 2024 elections Pictured on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Central Falls City Hall were back row left to right, Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jonathan Acosta; Ward 2 City Councilor Robert Ferri; Ward 5 Councilor Rafael Peguero; Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Kazarian; Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Joshua Giraldo; and Alberto Rivas, City Council candidate for Ward 1. Front row left to right are Ingrid Franco, candidate for Ward 4 council seat; City Councilor At-Large Tatiana Baena; Mayor Maria Rivera; and City Councilor At-Large Laurilim Rosado Martinez. (Courtesy of Mayor Maria Rivera's reelection campaign) Monday marked the official start to the 2024 election season as the state opened up its three-day period for local, state and federal candidates to declare their intention to run for office. And candidates were quick to declare, as over 120 statewide and federal office seekers filed their papers as of Monday evening. You can see the latest list of candidates who filed declaration forms here. Freshman U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo announced his intention to run for a full term with hopes of keeping his 1st Congressional District seat just after 5 p.m. U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo files his declaration of candidacy papers at the Secretary of State Elections Division in Providence lat Monday afternoon. (Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo) While it seems like it was just yesterday, its been over 200 days since I was sworn into Congress to serve as a voice for Rhode Islanders in Washington, Amo said in a statement. Each one of those days has been an honor and privilege. Another familiar face is running again in the 1st Congressional District: perennial candidate Allen Waters, who came 10th in last years crowded Democratic primary. Waters switched parties and is back to running as a Republican, which he did in 2022 when challenging then-U.S. Rep. David Cicilline. Waters did not respond to requests for comment. Also filing to run in the GOP primary: Jeffrey Edward Lemire, who previously ran for the 1st Congressional District in 2016 and for Providence mayor in 2018. 2nd Congressional District Rep. Seth Magaziner so far is running unopposed in his Democratic primary. His potential opponent in the general election is Republican Steven Corvi, a Warwick resident whose LinkedIn page says he has a Ph.D. in history, is listed as an adjunct history professor at Bentley University and Northeastern University. Incumbent Sheldon Whithouse filed Monday for his bid at a fourth term in the U.S. Senate where, so far, he faces no Democratic challenger. Former Warwick City Administrator Raymond T. McKay filed on the GOP side. His likely primary opponent Patricia Morgan, a former state representative endorsed by the Rhode Island Republican National Committee, did not file her declaration paperwork as of Monday. The bulk of the Mondays fillings were those running for a seat in the General Assembly, most of whom were unchallenged incumbents, including House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. Ruggerio, whose health challenges kept him away late into the 2024 legislative session, announced his bid for re-election June 20. I look forward to continuing to talk with voters over the course of the summer and fall about the ways in which we are working to make North Providence and Providence a better place to raise a family and run a business, Ruggerio said in a statement June 20. I look forward to campaigning and asking my neighbors for their vote, Shekarchi posted on X (formerly Twitter) Monday afternoon. Political office-seekers have until 4 p.m. Wednesday to declare their candidacy. Candidates for federal offices must file with the Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division while those for state and local offices are required to submit their papers to their local board of canvassers. The post Over 120 statewide and federal candidates declare to run on first day to file for 2024 elections appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Over 3,000 Nepalis may have joined the Russian army, a captured Nepali POW told Ukrainian authorities on video obtained exclusively by the Kyiv Independent. Nepal's government previously estimated that up to 200 Nepalis are fighting for Russia. About 100 Nepalis have been reported missing and at least 14 have been confirmed killed while serving in the Russian army. CNN reported in February, citing multiple sources, that 15,000 Nepalis had gone to fight for Russia. "I guess around 3,000 to 4,000 Nepalis joined the Russian army," Rai Bikash, the captured POW said, after estimating that he saw around 200 Nepalis with his own eyes during his short time in the Russian military. The POW said he joined the Russian army due to financial pressures, as he had debts of over $20,000. "If you get a job in the private sector (in Nepal), you will get a maximum of around $200" per month, the POW said. "The only reason (Nepalese join the Russian army) is to make money...the one and only option is to go abroad and make money," Bikash said. The man was captured within one month, so was never paid. The man said that Nepalis are promised a job away from the front line and given a contract that stipulates a 105 day training period, which he did not receive. Russia is "recruiting all nationalities," the POW added. Russia is known to have targeted men from countries including Cuba, Kazakhstan, and Somalia to fight in its army. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Kyrgyz service reported on June 24 that a Kyrgyz national was sentenced to five years in prison for fighting for Russia in Ukraine, as the country's law forbids participating in conflicts on foreign territory. Nepalese fighters have received significant media attention in recent months, as Nepalese law only permits its citizens to serve in the British and Indian armies. Reuters reported in January that Nepal halted issuing foreign work permits for its citizens to work in Russia until further notice due to reports of its citizens being killed while fighting in Ukraine. Over 800 people were issued work permits for civilian work in Russia in the past two years, Reuters said, citing official data. Nepal urged the Russian government to stop recruiting Nepalese citizens into its army in December after at least six of its nationals were confirmed killed. Read also: Id be a king in Somalia with this money: Foreign POWs on being lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An Overland Park teen has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with a double stabbing earlier this month. Christopher D. Curtis, 18, is charged with attempted second-degree murder. Court documents allege he stabbed a 17-year-old, who was not named in court documents due to his age, on June 15. Curtis had attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, according to court records. He also previously attended Arrowhead Day School. The stabbings took place at a home on the 5000 block of Barton Drive in Shawnee, around 12:13 p.m., according to the Shawnee Police Department. When police responded to the home, they found that a teen and a woman had been stabbed. The teen suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the woman suffered minor injuries, according to Shawnee police. Officers began looking for an 18-year-old suspect, now identified as Curtis, the same day. Curtis was also charged with aggravated battery and aggravated burglary, specifically with the intent to harm the woman he stabbed, according to court documents. He has faced three previous charges in juvenile court, according to court records for battery, property damage and criminal threat. Curtis has been booked into the Johnson County Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond. His next court date has not yet been set. Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday was asked if he supports any restrictions on a persons right to contraception. (Photo of a package of birth control pills by Getty Images) The Pennsylvania House passed a bill on a bipartisan basis Tuesday that would expand insurance coverage for contraception in the state. House Bill 1140, sponsored by state Rep. Leanne Krueger (D-Delaware), would require insurance programs like Medicaid and CHIP to provide coverage of contraceptive care without cost sharing, such as deductibles or copays. Simply put, this bill protects and codifies access to contraceptives here in Pennsylvania, Krueger said on the floor, before the House passed the bill by a 133-69 vote. Krueger said that there is currently no protection in state law for contraceptive access and believes this legislation is necessary to ensure Pennsylvanians have the access to medications that they need. Krueger said she first introduced similar legislation in 2020 and has introduced it in every legislative session since. The bill reflects a true compromise, Krueger added, noting it previously passed the Insurance and Rules committees with bipartisan support. Contraceptive care is health care, plain and simple, Krueger said. Insurance coverage of contraception is critical to ensure that people can access and benefit from contraceptive care. In addition to contraceptives being used to prevent unplanned pregnancies, they can also be used by patients to help treat decreased bleeding and pain with menstrual periods, reduce the risk of gynecological disorders, treat endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease and decrease risks of endometrial and ovarian cancer, she noted. When we make policy, it really shouldnt matter why an individual requests contraceptive care from their doctor, Krueger said. If the bill becomes law, Pennsylvania would join at least 30 states and the District of Columbia that require insurers that cover prescription drugs to provide coverage of FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drugs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The bill heads next to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration. The post Pa. House passes bill protecting access to contraceptives appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Chanel, Hermes and LVMH join the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation Board. This integration and openness mark an important step in the Foundations desire to support the watchmaking industry as a whole, with all the stakeholders Founded in September 2022, on the initiative of Rolex, Richemont and Patek Philippe, the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation is pleased to announce the arrival of three new key members, Chanel, Hermes and LVMH, which are joining the founding members on the WWGF Board. After two years as Chairman, Jean-Frederic Dufour, CEO of Rolex, will pass the torch on 1 July 2024 to his successor, Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier, for two years, and will become the Treasurer of WWGF. Watches and Wonders Geneva W&W Under the stewardship of Cyrille Vigneron as Chairman and Claude Peny as ViceChairman, WWGF's Board will focus on defining the strategic and development axes of Watches and Wonders Geneva, a major event which currently brings together the biggest players in the global watchmaking industry. With 54 exhibiting brands and 49,000 visitors at its last edition in April 2024, Watches and Wonders Geneva posted a record result. The Exhibiting Committee, composed of representatives of the exhibiting brands, will continue to ensure the success of the event. Watches and Wonders Geneva W&W The integration of these new members will undoubtedly allow WWGF to make watchmaking shine even more intensely around the world through its flagship event, Watches and Wonders Geneva. The next edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva will be held from 1 to 7 April 2025. Stay tuned for more information. (Getty Images) In September 2016, Eric Puseys Olyphant pharmacy received notification that he owed CVS Caremark $143,594.75. The problem was with a series of prescriptions that Pusey had filled and charged to Caremark, a pharmacy benefit manager or PBM, a representative had written. The prescribing doctor had written instructions that the drug should be taken every six hours. What Pusey wrote on the patients bottle was 4 times a day. PBMs are pharmaceutical industry middlemen hired by insurance companies to oversee the prescription drug side of health care plans. When a patient picks up an expensive drug from a pharmacy and only pays a copay, its the PBMs job to reimburse the pharmacy for the rest of the drugs cost, plus a small dispensing fee. In that role, its common for pharmacy benefit managers to audit individual pharmacies and ensure the drugs theyre being billed for were appropriately prescribed and dispensed. Thats what led to Puseys pharmacy being charged over $143,000. Because the wording Pusey put on the bottle may have resulted in more medicine being taken and dispensed, Caremark wanted back the entire cost of the medicine, and six refills which cost Pusey around $22,000 per bottle. That literally was putting me out of business, Pusey said. I mean that one audit, on that one set of prescriptions. Within months, the practice would become illegal at least theoretically. And even with new legislation working its way through the general assembly, the problem is likely to persist in Pennsylvania, with pharmacy benefit managers finding creative ways to account for every penny, often at independent pharmacies expense. It had no teeth Audit findings like the one that led to Puseys charge are relatively common. So much so that lawmakers had already been working to address it. At the time, Pusey was also the president of the Pennsylvania Pharmacy Association, and he had been lobbying for whats known as a fair audit law. The law was meant to ban PBMs from charging pharmacies large sums of money over clerical errors. As long as a drug is properly dispensed to a patient as prescribed, Pennsylvania law says a pharmacy benefit manager cant request the entire amount reimbursement for the drug back. Everybody was ecstatic, Pusey said about the passage of the bill. But within a few years, Pusey began hearing from other pharmacists that they were still being asked to return massive sums of money when simple clerical errors in their record keeping were found during audits. Now, hes reevaluated the legislation. It had no teeth, Pusey said. It was not written into the legislation that there was any enforcement. Rob Frankil, the current president of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists, agrees. Not a week goes by that I dont get a complaint about an aggressive audit from a PBM, Frankil said. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department said that it received 43 complaints from pharmacists regarding aggressive PBM audits in 2023 alone. And lawyers who represent numerous Pennsylvania pharmacies have confirmed that its still relatively common for PBMs to claw back money for expensive prescriptions over clerical errors despite legislation aimed at stopping the practice. Additionally, both PBMs and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department have interpreted another section of the 2016 audit law to mean that pharmacy benefit managers can still request full reimbursements back. That section of the law, Pusey and other pharmacists thought, was included to ensure that PBMs could still recoup full reimbursements from pharmacies in genuine instances of fraud, waste or abuse. But the insurance department has read it to mean that clerical errors found during what have become known as fraud, waste and abuse investigations, and not audits, are fair game regardless of whether those investigations turn up anything more than record keeping mistakes. Pharmacists say that those investigations are being used in place of audits, and that the process for both procedures are extraordinarily similar, and often lead to the same result. Brad Gallagher, a lawyer who represents numerous pharmacies in audit disputes, confirmed the practice is relatively common in both Pennsylvania and other states with fair audit laws. Theyll claim that they are conducting a fraud, waste and abuse investigation, and basically every law that would apply to a PBM has exceptions for fraud, waste and abuse, Gallagher said. PBMs consider fraud anytime that theres anything wrong with a claim. Another lawyer who represents pharmacies for a different law firm than Gallagher agreed. I dont want to say I see it very often, but I see it on a regular basis, said Dae Lee, a lawyer who represents numerous pharmacies, including in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has PBM fair audit laws, but theres an exception to it, which is a fraud, waste and abuse investigation. Since the beginning of 2023, over 100 independent pharmacies in Pennsylvania have closed, according to the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists. They pin much of the blame on PBMs. The three largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Caremark, Optum and Express Scripts Evernorth, are estimated to work with roughly 70% of Americans insurance plans, both public and private, according to the American Medical Association. Many pharmacists feel they have no choice but to work with PBMs, otherwise theyre likely to lose all customers whose plans are tied to them. Even though Pennsylvania never enforced the fair audit law, lawmakers are already looking to rein in other PBM practices that pharmacists say are harming their businesses. Spokespeople for Optum Rx and Express Scripts did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for CVS Caremark directed questions to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group that represents many of the largest PBMs. David Lumbert, senior director of public affairs for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, said, Auditing terms are based on contracts between pharmacies and plan sponsors, so PCMA cant comment on specifics related to the audits. How the fair audit law failed Pusey blames the fair audit laws failure on its lack of an enforcement mechanism, something he didnt realize was an issue when it was initially passed. The language of the bill tasks the Pennsylvania Insurance Department with promulgating rules to ensure its enforcement and with investigating instances of audit abuse. However, Adrian Sipes, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, told the Capital-Star that the agency hasnt written any such rules. Moreover, Sipes says the departments interpretation of law means that nothing in the Act gives PID the authority to directly regulate or audit PBMs. Sipes attributes this largely to federal laws that set standards for most of the nations health insurance plans and ensure some uniformity in how states regulate the industry. Pharmacy benefit managers lawyers have argued in courts across the country, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, that those laws preempt many state-level regulations of their clients. It is important to note that the Department may only investigate and enforce the provisions of the law insofar as the actions or inactions being investigated relate to prescription drug coverage under a health insurance policy, Sipes wrote. This does not include coverage through self-funded employer plans, Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, or other government-sponsored coverage. According to Sipes, those laws mean more than 75% of health care plans in Pennsylvania are not covered by the fair audit law. The department did not answer follow-up questions about its enforcement of the fair audit law for the PBMs it does have regulatory authority over, or why it never promulgated rules. We have an entire department in Harrisburg the entire floor of an office building the insurance department of Pennsylvania, that only has authority over commercially insured people who are not self funded, Frankil said. Its absolute nonsense, but thats their statutory authority. Lee said that Pennsylvanias fair audit law has given him a tool when negotiating penalties from audit or investigation findings with PBMs on behalf of pharmacies. Im not sure whether [the law] made PBMs recoup less frequently on clerical errors, but it certainly gave the pharmacies ammo when disputing PBM audits, Lee said. Pusey hired an attorney at $500 per hour who was ultimately able to get the penalties against his pharmacy dropped, in exchange for an agreement that Pusey would contact prescribers in any future instance when he would rewrite dosing directions. The total cost, which Pusey estimates at around $15,000, was far cheaper than what Caremark sought from him. Lumbert, the spokesperson for the pharmacy benefit manager trade group that represents many of the largest PBMs, directed questions regarding whether fair audit laws apply to fraud waste and abuse investigations to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. The Insurance Department said it had no authority over what it called investigative audits. Lumbert said in a separate statement that Pharmacy audits protect patients by reducing health care system abuse and other patient dangers. While most pharmacies are responsible stewards, not every pharmacy does the right thing. PBMs work to minimize abrasion when performing these audits and bolster patient safety by catching evolving schemes. Whats next for PBMs in Pennsylvania? Like many issues with pharmacy benefit managers, a number of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have lined up to cry foul. Gov. Josh Shapiro has also announced his support for PBM reform, tweeting out his desire to sign a bill reining them in as recently as June 12 Even Sipes, the Insurance Department spokesperson, voiced his desire to see some sort of change in the status quo. [The Insurance Department] and the Shapiro Administration know that one of the most pressing challenges facing people today are high prescription drug costs, Sipes wrote in a statement. These high costs impact how Pennsylvanians receive the medicine they need and the independent pharmacies who are being forced out of the market and PBMs are part of the problem. A comprehensive PBM reform bill moving through the House clarifies that the companies cannot request full reimbursements back over clerical errors, but its unclear whether the insurance department could enforce that aspect. Are you a pharmacist, patient or doctor who has experience working with pharmacy benefit managers? We want to hear from you. Email reporter Ian Karbal at ikarbal@penncapital-star.com to share your stories and help inform our future reporting on the subject Theres nothing I can really do as a state elected official on that issue other than encourage my friends at the federal government to take action, Rep. Jessica Benham (D-Allegheny), the bills primary sponsor, told the Capital-Star. The bill also aims to set standards for how PBMs determine reimbursement costs for drugs with the aim of making sure pharmacies arent losing money when they dispense medications. And it would limit a practice called patient steering when PBMs push patients to use pharmacies in many cases owned by the same parent company. Another key tenet of the bill would require PBMs to report more information to the insurance department about where the companies make their money and the payments they receive from drug manufacturers. Having a sense of whats happening there is really helpful and could lead to potential future regulation, Benham said. We dont know what more is needed, until we have a little bit more transparency. Rep. Valerie Gaydos, the bills primary Republican co-sponsor, believes that part of the bill will be both the easiest to enforce and the most likely to have future impact. There are a lot of things that are in this bill that prohibit certain practices, but at the end of the day, nothing is going to matter if there isnt transparency in the insurance department, Gaydos said. But Gaydos is also aware that the bills effectiveness will come down to enforcement. If the [insurance] department doesnt use their legal team to follow up on it and they let it go What else can we as legislators do, Gaydos said. She pointed specifically to Shapiros office as being the final arbiter of whether or not the state focuses its legal resources on ensuring pharmacy benefit managers comply with any legislation. For his part, Shapiro has asked lawmakers to send a bill to his desk. Nearly every independent pharmacy owner that I have talked to, has said they only have a couple of years before they can no longer afford to stay in business, Benham said. I think that there is an urgency on this issue that is striking no matter what part of Pennsylvania you live in. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Pa. legislators passed a law to regulate pharmacy middlemen. But the state doesnt enforce it. appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Pa. Senate committee votes to block funding to colleges that divest from or boycott Israel The ceiling of the main Rotunda inside Pennsylvanias Capitol building. May 24, 2022. Harrisburg, Pa. (Photo by Amanda Berg, for the Capital-Star). The ceiling of the main Rotunda inside Pennsylvanias Capitol building. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star). The Senate state government committee voted on Tuesday to advance a bill that would block state funds from going to colleges and universities that boycott or divest from Israeli companies for political reasons. The bills co-sponsors, Sen. Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and Sen. Kristin Phillips-HIll (R-York) wrote in a memo that the bill was introduced in response to protests that sprung up on campuses across the country, opposing the Israel-Hamas war. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and kidnapping roughly 250. In response, Israel has waged a war in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip that is estimated to have killed over 35,000 Palestinians. Many of the protesters, including at the University of Pennsylvania, have demanded their schools divest money in their endowments from companies with financial ties to Israel because of the Israeli governments treatment of Palestinians. I believe it is important for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as a matter of policy, to make it clear that we stand with Israel, Santarsiero said in defense of his bill. No senator on the State Government committee spoke in opposition to the bill, though two members, Katie Muth (D-Montgomery) and Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia), voted against it. Numerous Republicans on the committee, including Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) and Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson) spoke in support of the bill. Were not gonna back or support any moves that hurt our strategic partner and ally and friend, Israel, Mastriano said. Mastriano added that he and other Republicans are considering additional legislation that would stop taxpayer support to any university or college that advocates for antisemitism. Santarsieros bill would also affect funds controlled by the Pennsylvania Treasurers office, as well as numerous state pension funds. Controllers of those funds, which total billions of dollars, would not be able to boycott or divest from Israel or Israeli companies for any reason that isnt strictly financial. Following the vote, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced her support for the bill on social media. Since Oct. 7, Garrity has ordered the investment of $20 million of state funds in Israeli bonds. In the last decade, more than 35 states have adopted some form of what are called anti-BDS laws, named for Boycott, Divest and Sanctions, a Palestinian-led movement encouraging economic protest of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. Pennsylvania is one of those states. In November 2016, former Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law banning the state from doing business with contractors that engage in boycotts or divestment from Israel or Israeli companies. Those laws have led to numerous court cases with plaintiffs citing First Amendment concerns, though for now most remain legal. States like Texas and Arkansas have passed laws banning the state from working with contractors that engage in boycotting or divesting from Israel. Both laws were challenged in courts, but ultimately allowed to stand. The U.S. Supreme Court has so far refused to hear challenges. Solomon Furious Worlds, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, said, regardless of legality, the group is opposing the current bill. Political boycotts have always been lawful, Furious Worlds said. Any infringement on that right is suspect. Now is it automatically illegal? Maybe not, but it certainly goes against the spirit of the First Amendment. Furious Worlds noted that the organization takes particular issue with the bills potential impact on private universities that receive funds from the state. Because of its application to state-related and private education institutions, we believe that it seems to be infringing on First Amendment rights there, Furious Worlds said. Even beyond that, the idea that the government is restricting political speech for these institutions it goes against the principle of the First Amendment, it goes against the spirit of the First Amendment, even in the places where it may be lawful to do so. But Santarsiero stressed to the committee that he believes his bill is not violating anyones First Amendment right. What that means is that there would be a consequence in taking an extreme step of divesting from or boycotting Israel, Santarsiero said. What it does not mean is that we are telling private institutions that they cannot take either of those actions. They are certainly free to do so. There would simply be a consequence as it pertains to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the financial support that they would otherwise receive. Santarsiero added that, students, faculty members, administrators, would still have the ability to speak their minds as it pertains to Israel or any other matter. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote, and would next have to pass the Democratic-controlled House to become law. The post Pa. Senate committee votes to block funding to colleges that divest from or boycott Israel appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. A judge sentenced a 46-year-old Palmetto-area man to federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge William F. Jung sentenced Christopher Thompson to 60 years in federal prison on Friday after he previously pleaded guilty to possessing thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to court records. Prosecutors say Thompson possessed over 18,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse in total, filming at least nine of them himself. Thompsons attorney declined to provide comment to the Bradenton Herald Friday afternoon. Court records show Thompson pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child sexual abuse material in February. The charges carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison with a maximum of up to 30 years each, according to Florida Statutes. Parents of victims addressed the Tampa courtroom Friday, asking the judge to give Thompson the maximum sentence. The family of the victims, prosecutors and Thompson all agreed that he should receive the maximum possible sentence of 60 years. Palmetto man sentenced to 60 years Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office arrested Thompson in April 2022 after detectives say a 5-year-old girl told her parents Thompson lured her from a birthday party, showed her homemade child sexual abuse material and then raped her, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. While those charges still await Thompson in Manatee County, Thompsons arrest led to federal charges after the discovery of child sexual abuse material in his possession, according to court documents. The FBI forensically reviewed Thompsons electronic devices, where investigators say they found thousands of images or videos depicting child sexual abuse on two phones, an external hard drive, an SD card and a box of DVDs. In addition to the more than 18,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse that detectives say they found in Thompsons possession, investigators say they also found approximately four videos and five images of child sexual abuse they say Thompson himself produced. The material produced by Thompson showed him sexually abusing girls as young as 3 and as old as 14, prosecutors say. At least nine victims have been identified according to court documents. Thousands of images and videos, deputies say Based on videos that date back to 2010, detectives said Thompson has a long history of touching and filming young girls. The sheriffs office said the crimes often took place when children went over to Thompsons house to play with his own children. During a girls sleepover at Thompsons house in February 2022, he got in bed with the children, detectives said. A 7-year-old victim reported to her mother and investigators that Thompson began touching her underwear, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. Detectives say another incident happened at one of Thompsons childrens birthday parties, where Thompson allegedly filmed an 11-year-old girls underwear at a trampoline park. Several of the videos found on Thompsons electronic devices were much more graphic in nature, according to court documents. Thompson still faces several charges in Manatee County, including capital sexual battery, exposing minors to harmful images and video voyeurism, according to court records. He is expected to appear in court on Aug. 1. The pandemic is over, but are we still recovering? Take a short survey about how you feel The global pandemic that began in mid-March 2020 and dragged on for years is finally behind us. Nearly 1.2 million Americans died in the pandemic, and over 16,000 in the state of Washington. Research has found that the mental health of those who survived was severely impacted, with spikes in depression. Data shows us that there was significant impact on peoples mental health with the onset of COVID, Shannon Thompson, executive director of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association, said in an email to McClatchy. Americans will be traveling at record-setting numbers this summer, the school year flew by just as in pre-pandemic years. New movies are back in the theaters, and youd be hard-pressed to find even a medical facility that still requires masks. But that doesnt mean that life has gone back to normal, or that everyone feels like they have physically, emotionally and mentally recovered. Research from the National Institutes of Health aimed to quantify how many Americans have suffered from COVID-related post-traumatic stress symptoms. While frontline workers are more than 4 times likely to have suffered from post-traumatic stress, 21% of the adult public have also reported symptoms. McClatchy wants to hear from readers about how they are feeling, what they experienced, and what they learned about their mental and physical health during and after the pandemic. Parts of student debt forgiveness plan halted: What you need to know (NEXSTAR) In yet another blow to the Biden administrations attempts to provide student debt relief to Americans, two federal judges have halted parts of an income-driven repayment plan set to take effect next week. Various benefits related to the SAVE Plan were set to take effect on Monday, July 1. That included cutting payments on some loans in half and granting borrowers credit toward forgiveness for certain bouts of deferment and forbearance. Many borrowers on the SAVE Plan were also scheduled to skip a payment in July thanks to a brief processing forbearance. Two injunctions handed down by federal judges on Monday appear to be putting those plans in jeopardy. Courts block parts of Biden student loan repayment plan Heres what we know. What are the injunctions? In one ruling, a Kansas judge determined the Education Department cannot enact the full scope of the SAVE Plan because it did not receive authority from Congress to do so, The Hill previously reported. In the other, a Missouri judge ruled the department cant forgive any loans under the SAVE Plan because it illegally deprives state loan operators of revenue. These orders, each by a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, stem from two lawsuits in which the suing states sought to invalidate the entire SAVE program. How will the injunctions impact borrowers on the SAVE program? The determinations do not impact the roughly 400,000 borrowers who have seen over $5.5 billion in debt forgiveness under the plan already. Other borrowers on the SAVE Plan may not be as lucky. The assistance they are already receiving through the program is unaffected while other benefits seemingly are. Coffee recalled nationwide due to risk of fatal food poisoning As part of the Kansas ruling, the Education Department wont be allowed to implement parts of the SAVE program meant to help students who had larger loans and could have their monthly payments lowered and their required payment period reduced from 25 years to 20 years. The order from the Missouri judge says the Education Department cant forgive loan balances going forward but could still lower monthly payments. For now, the Biden administration cannot forgive any more debt for borrowers on the SAVE Plan, and cannot cut payments for borrowers as planned in July. Its also currently unclear whether the brief processing forbearance many borrowers were told they would be placed into for July will still happen. What comes next for the SAVE program? The orders are preliminary, meaning the injunctions imposed by the judges would remain in effect through a trial of the separate lawsuits. However, to issue a temporary order each judge had to conclude that the states were likely to prevail in a trial. That also means its too soon to say what longer-term impact the injunctions will have on the SAVE Plan. The White House said it strongly disagrees with the judges rulings and would continue to defend the program, and use every available tool to give relief to students and borrowers. In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration will never stop fighting for students and borrowers no matter how many roadblocks Republican elected officials and special interests put in our way. On Tuesday, she said the Department of Justice will appeal both decisions. 10 US cities where home prices are getting worse and 5 where theyre dropping The Federal Student Aid office of the Department of Education notes that it is assessing the rulings. Officials also explain that these injunctions do not prohibit borrowers from enrolling in the SAVE Plan. The Biden-Harris Administrations SAVE Plan is the most affordable repayment plan in history, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement Tuesday. But Republican elected officials and special interests sued to block their own constituents from being able to benefit from this plan even though the Department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans. More than 8 million borrowers have enrolled in the SAVE Plan since it launched last summer. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. EASTLAND COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A passenger was killed during a two-vehicle crash in Eastland County Monday morning. Brenda Lucas was pronounced dead at the hospital following the crash on FM 2214 south of Eastland around 11:00 a.m., according to a crash report from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The press release states an SUV that was traveling south down the road when crossed the center line in a no passing zone and struck Lucas vehicle, which was traveling north. Lucas was a passenger in the vehicle that was struck. Both drivers involved sustained minor injuries and have been treated and released. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) A man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of attempted manslaughter and armed burglary of a dwelling with a firearm, according to the Florida State Attorneys Office. Michael Jerome Henderson, Jr. was convicted of the crimes on March 15, 2024, for the incident that happened on Oct. 13, 2023. A mugshot of Michael Henderson Jr. (Escambia County Sheriffs Office). Pensacola Police Department officers were called to an apartment complex on North Hayne Street, where they found a woman who had been shot in the chest at point-blank range. Officers found that Henderson had driven to the apartment complex over a domestic issue and had shot the woman, according to a news release. The woman was shot in front of two children, one of whom was Hendersons son. The release said the woman did survive the shooting. Destin man accused in Okaloosa County shooting: OCSO Henderson was originally arrested and charged with attempted murder; however, the jury found him guilty of attempted manslaughter and armed burglary of a dwelling with a firearm instead. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. and Russian defense chiefs spoke by telephone on Tuesday in rare communication between the two powers and with tensions rising after Moscow blamed Washington for a deadly Ukraine attack over the weekend on the Russian-annexed Crimea. The two sides gave widely divergent accounts of the conversation - the first one between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russia's new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who replaced Sergei Shoigu in May. The Pentagon said Austin and Belousov discussed the importance of open lines of communication. Austin initiated the conversation and it was the first such call since March 2023, Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters. Russia's Defense Ministry, however, said that Belousov warned Austin of the dangers of continued U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine in the 28-month-old war. "A.R. Belousov pointed to the danger of further escalating the situation through continued supplies of American weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces," the ministry statement said on the Telegram messaging app after the call. Relations between Moscow and Washington have plunged to their lowest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Diplomatic contacts between President Vladimir Putin's government and President Joe Biden's administration are now at "an absolute minimum," Moscow said last week. Over the weekend, Russia said the United States was directly responsible for a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean peninsula with five U.S.-supplied missiles that killed four people. The Pentagon said earlier this week that Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and views it as an integral part of its territory, although most of the world condemned the annexation and sees the Black Sea peninsula as part of Ukraine. Supplies of U.S. weapons to Ukraine resumed in April with Congressional approval of a $61 billion aid package. The U.S. says it stands by Ukraine's demands for Russian troops to leave and for Ukraine's post-Soviet borders to be restored. On Tuesday, Moscow's arms control point man, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, warned that if the West underestimated Moscow's resolve, it could lead to "tragic and fatal" consequences because the U.S. and its allies were confronting a major nuclear power - Russia. In a 2023 call with Russia's Shoigu, Austin had pointed to risky behavior by Russian fighter pilots that caused a U.S. drone to crash in the Black Sea near Ukraine. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Ron Popeski and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Stephen Coates and Himani Sarkar) Pentagon chief, new Russian defense minister talk for the first time U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a phone call with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on June 25, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said at a briefing. This is the first time Austin spoke to Belousov since the latter was appointed as Russia's defense minister in May, replacing Sergei Shoigu in a surprise reshuffle of Russia's security and defense apparatus. "During the call (with Belousov) the secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amidst Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine," Ryder said. The conversation took place as Russian troops are trying to conduct offensives in Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Moscow has yet to comment on the talks between Austin and Belousov. The Pentagon chief had a call with Shoigu in March 2023 in the wake of a Russian jet downing a U.S. drone over the international waters of the Black Sea. The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on June 25 that it has issued arrest warrants for Shoigu and Russia's General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov for war crimes against Ukraine. Read also: New Defense Minister Belousov to put Russias economy on war footing Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Pentagon head speaks with Russian counterpart for first time in a year U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Russias defense minister the first such conversation in 15 months. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the call in a briefing Tuesday, saying Austin initiated the discussion. The secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russias ongoing war against Ukraine, Ryder said. Russia has blamed the U.S. for an attack on Crimea a Ukrainian peninsula Moscow seized in 2014 in which Ukraine used ATACMS missiles supplied by America. Still considered Ukrainian territory under international law, Crimea is an exception to a U.S. policy that bans Ukraine from shooting long-range weapons into Russia. This week the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy for a scolding over the attack, which killed at least four and left more than 150 injured. Retaliatory measures are certain to follow, the ministry said in a post on Telegram. The last time Austin spoke with Russias defense minister then Sergei Shoigu was March 15, 2023. According to a Pentagon readout, the two discussed unprofessional, dangerous, and reckless behavior by the Russian air force in international airspace over the Black Sea. A day before, a Russian jet had crashed into an American surveillance drone, forcing it down over international waters. Andrei Belousov, the new defense minister, was appointed this May in a major shakeup within the Kremlin. Belousov is an economist by training, and his ascendance in part reflects Russias ability to manage its defense industry two years into the full-scale war in Ukraine. This is the first time Belousov and Austin have spoken. The U.S. treats any conversations with Russia as extremely sensitive, and Ryder wouldnt answer questions about how long the call lasted, why it occurred and the state of U.S.-Russia communication. Princess Anne, 73, the sister of King Charles III of Great Britain, was admitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol due to a traumatic incident that occurred at the Gatcombe Park estate. As the media learned, she was hospitalized after an unsuccessful horseback ride. ADVERTISIMENT In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that Princess Anne had suffered a concussion and "minor injuries," but they are in no hurry to discharge her. Doctors are currently monitoring the condition of the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II. "Her Royal Highness remains at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and speedy recovery. The King is closely monitoring developments and joins the entire royal family in extending his best wishes for a speedy recovery to the Princess," the website says. According to media reports, Princess Anne was injured while practicing her favorite but dangerous hobby, horseback riding. British citizens are inclined to believe that the animal hit the rider or threw her off. ADVERTISIMENT The victim was accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence. It was he who accompanied the chosen one to the hospital. It is expected that the princess will miss at least 9 scheduled appearances, including a trip to Canada and a banquet organized by the king in honor of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. The entire British community is aware of the King's sister's love of horseback riding. In 1976, she rode a horse at the Olympic Games and became the first member of the royal family to do so. Recently, the 73-year-old princess demonstrated her skills at the Trooping the Color parade and almost lost control of the animal. Fortunately, the horse was tamed. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Princess Kate Middleton, who is battling cancer, appeared at the celebration for the first time in six months. Her subjects were looking forward to this meeting. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A district court on Thursday denied the Pentagons request to dismiss a class action lawsuit by LGBTQ+ veterans challenging what advocates call discriminatory paperwork noting their discharge from the military over their actual or perceived sexual orientation. A group of veterans, dubbed Justice for LGBTQ+ Veterans, filed the lawsuit in August 2023, claiming they had been discriminated against by the Pentagons former Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy due to their discharge papers unnecessarily identifying their sexual orientation as grounds for separation. LGBTQ+ veterans face more health problems than peers, study finds The policy, repealed in 2011, prevented LGBTQ+ service members from serving openly. While veterans can apply to have their discharge status reviewed, attorneys for the group previously told Military Times that the process can be onerous for LGBTQ+ veterans. We are very pleased that the Court recognized the merits of this case by denying the Department of Defenses motion to dismiss, attorneys for the veterans said in a statement. This ruling allows us to move forward in rectifying the discriminatory effects of the Department of Defenses policies, ensuring that LGBTQ+ veterans receive the honor they rightfully deserve, having served our country with dignity and integrity. The Pentagon asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, citing a six-year statute of limitations for service members to challenge their discharge papers. In its motion, the Pentagon also argued the lawsuits timing conflicts with the departments efforts to correct military records for service members discharged due to their sexual orientation. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied the Pentagons motion. He noted the burdensome application process required for LGBTQ+ veterans to correct their discharge papers. [LGBTQ+ veterans] suffer new injuries each time they must present their paperwork disclosing their sexual orientation to obtain benefits or are unable to access benefits that would have been available to them had they not been discharged under [the Defense Departments] past unconstitutional policies and forced to bear the burden of seeking correction of that paperwork, Spero wrote in the decision. In September 2023, Pentagon officials announced a proactive review of LGBTQ+ veterans who received less than honorable discharges based on their sexual orientation through its Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy. Army vet still paying the price for bad paper discharge for being gay A less than honorable discharge can limit a veterans access to veterans benefits or impact job prospects once out of the service. The review, however, wont include nearly 20,000 LGBTQ+ veterans expelled from the armed forces before the implementation of Dont Ask, Dont Tell in 1994. The group declined to drop their lawsuit against the Pentagon after it announced the review. According to the Defense Department, more than 32,000 troops were separated from the military under its homosexual conduct policy before and during the Dont Ask, Dont Tell era between 1980 and 2011. Of those, roughly 14,000 LGTBQ+ troops were given less than honorable discharges from the armed forces. Attorneys for Justice for LGBTQ+ Veterans claim the number to be higher, with more than 35,000 troops discharged due to real or perceived homosexuality, homosexual conduct, sexual perversion, or any other related reason, according to the complaint. Further information and results from the Pentagons review are expected later this fall, but defense officials have not provided an exact date. Fans of big boots have convinced Volvo not to withdraw estates like the V60, one of many models that had been set for deletion to make room for SUVs. Volvo/dpa Fans of the big-booted Volvo V60 and V90 estate cars in Britain are rejoicing after their campaign to bring back the load-luggers persuaded the Swedish brand to change its mind about axing the models in favour of SUVs. It is rare for a manufacturer to cave to consumer pressure and bring back a car after phasing it out. After both cars were withdrawn nearly a year ago, leaving lovers of the left-field family car in the lurch, Volvo says it has now resumed taking orders for the cars. Volvo said it responded to media articles and emails from irked customers who complained they did not want to switch to an SUV and pledged to switch to another car brand if the estate did return. "We were thrilled by the many comments from customers and media last year, with many stories and memories of how our estate cars have been a huge part of their lives," Volvo said in a statement. The company told the Times newspaper that it was "blown away" by the outpouring of enthusiasm for the vehicle. Hundreds of people contacted Volvo about the phase out. One owner wrote that he had owned eight Volvo estates down the years. Volvo said both cars were deleted last August amid falling demand for estate cars but admitted to seeing a resurgence in interest in its estate products in recent months. Both V60 and V90 will go on sale again in Britain in the next few weeks, with the V60 offered in mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid trim. The bigger V90 is a plug-in hybrid only. Both models are getting long in the tooth and it is unclear how much longer they will still be around. The V60 was launched in 2018 and the V90 in 2016 and are still being sold in some other markets. Fans of big boots have convinced Volvo not to withdraw estates like the V90, one of many models that car companies have been axing to make room for SUVs. Volvo/dpa When people are under economic stress, their pets suffer too we found parts of Detroit that are animal welfare deserts Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households have at least one pet. More than ever before, companion animals are a part of life particularly in cities, where the majority of Americans live. Cities offer access to many resources, but often its not distributed evenly. Some scholars describe parts of U.S. cities with few or no grocery stores as food deserts. Others have identified zones they call transit deserts, where reliable and convenient public transit is scarce or nonexistent. While the desert framing is controversial, there is little disagreement that access to goods and services in many U.S. cities is unequal. I have studied urban animal welfare issues for the past 15 years, and I have found that the inequities and economic stress humans face affect animals as well. Recently, University of Nebraska geographer Xiaomeng Li and I explored access to animal welfare services in Detroit. We found that pet resources were significantly more likely to be located in ZIP codes with more highly educated residents, higher incomes, fewer children under 18 and higher median rents. If households with pets were located mainly in these areas, it would make sense for pet resources to be similarly concentrated. However, while many Detroit households own animals, some parts of the city offer much more access to basic pet supplies and care than others. Pets come with costs and benefits Detroit had 639,111 residents as of 2020. Assuming that pet ownership in Detroit resembles the national average, nearly two-thirds of its 249,518 households would have at least one pet, which would total just over 157,000 companion animals in the city. Detroit is more economically distressed than the U.S. overall, with a median household income of $36,140, compared with the U.S. median of $67,521. Nearly one-third (30%) of Detroit residents are in poverty, compared with 11.4% nationwide. Racial segregation and income inequality are also high. Detroits well-publicized economic and fiscal struggles undermine the citys ability to provide services, including animal care and control. Other factors, including housing vacancy and abandonment and a high number of stray and feral dogs, add to the animal welfare challenge. Still, there is good reason for Detroit and other cities to support pet ownership. Studies show that having companion animals in the home boosts human mental and physical well-being. Dog owners report getting more exercise than non-dog owners. And surveys conducted during the pandemic suggested that animals reduced the stress and anxiety of lockdowns. Mapping pet care resources For our analysis, we compiled data on locations of pet stores and veterinarians from the ReferenceUSA Business Historical Data Files and Google Maps. We combined it with census data to see how pet resources correlated with the demographic characteristics of Detroit ZIP codes. We also mapped demand for animal support services, which we defined as dog bites and animal cruelty cases, in each ZIP code. Our main finding was that Detroit has few dedicated pet stores and veterinary clinics, and these resources are not evenly distributed. Eleven of the citys 26 ZIP codes, clustered in contiguous areas, have no pet stores or vet clinics. They form two large areas: a band stretching across the mid-city, and a zone in southwest Detroit. We identified 11 specialty pet supply stores that serve Detroits 243,000 households. Four of these stores are in the downtown/midtown area which, due to gentrification, has an increasing number of younger, white and higher-income residents. This map show the locations of dedicated pet supply stores in Detroit, with circles identifying areas within 1 mile of each store. Laura Reese, CC BY-ND The other seven stores are scattered around the periphery of the city. This distribution leaves a large underserved area in between, with many residents living a mile or more away from a pet store. Veterinary practices are not clustered in the same way. While there are very few vet offices relative to our estimated number of pets, these offices are spread relatively evenly across the city and are more likely than pet stores to be located in middle- or lower-income ZIP codes. Overall, we found that Detroit ZIP codes with more young, single and highly educated residents and higher median rents have significantly more pet resources per capita. More densely populated areas such as Mexican Town, with high numbers of Hispanic residents, and the citys far east side, with a high proportion of African Americans have significantly fewer. Overtasked animal shelters Lack of access to pet food and supplies is a problem in low-income areas, even in the age of online providers such as Amazon and Chewy. Shopping online requires internet access and credit card payment. People who cant mail-order pet supplies need physical access to stores. Theres no official data source on Detroits pet abandonment rates, but the city has a long-standing and significant stray dog problem. In 2022, the four largest animal shelters in Detroit took in 7,095 dogs. For comparison, Animal Rescue League shelters in Boston, which has a similar population size, took in 1,049 dogs in 2019. The collective 2022 dog euthanasia rate for the four Detroit shelters was about 22%, although it varied widely among the shelters. Animal shelters that are designated no-kill generally aim to euthanize no more than 10% of the animals they take in, and to do so only when irreparable health or behavioral issues prevent the animals from finding new homes. Detroit Animal Care and Control, a city agency, regularly operates beyond capacity and has to euthanize animals due to lack of space. Having ready access to pet resources could encourage Detroit residents of all income levels to adopt pets and help prevent relinquishment to shelters. Getting more help to pet owners Encouraging more pet-related businesses to open in distressed and underserved areas is an economic development challenge. Small-business incubators could support prospective pet store owners and vets who are open to locating in lower-income areas. These organizations typically provide locations for new businesses, offering below-market rents, startup capital and small revolving loan programs. Incubators are generally run by local governments or public-private partnerships. These organizations could use incentives funded by local taxes to attract businesses in the pet care sector. Community programs also have a role to play. In high-poverty areas, simply educating people about what kinds of resources are available is a useful starting point. Many national organizations have programs to help pet owners who are struggling financially. For example, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provides services in underserved communities, including low-cost veterinary care, supplies and information. Other nonprofit organizations operate mobile veterinary clinics that provide services in areas of need. In Detroit, organizations such as Dog Aide and C.H.A.I.N.E.D., Inc. provide resources for pet owners, including pet food, outdoor housing, fencing, medications such as heart worm pills and flea preventatives, and low-cost spay and neuter services. Many food banks and pantries provide free food for pets an especially effective way to help both animals and humans. Some home delivery programs, such as Meals on Wheels, partner with pet suppliers to bring pet food and medications to elderly and disabled clients. Supporting humans and their four-legged companions can promote human and animal health and reduce pressure on animal shelters. Our research shows that cities like Detroit, where many people are financially distressed and dont have easy access to transportation or online shopping, can meaningfully improve residents lives by helping them meet their pets basic needs. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Laura A. Reese, Michigan State University Read more: Laura A. Reese is president of Professional Animal Welfare Services, a consulting firm focusing on animal welfare issues and management best practices. She is a co-founder and board member of the Un-Shelter, a nonprofit that works with other animal rescue groups to foster and find homes for strays in metro Detroit and Washtenaw County, Michigan, and has volunteered with other Detroit animal welfare organizations. ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM) A bicyclist died after crashing their electric bike into a tree in Ithaca on Monday. According to the Ithaca Police Department, officers were called to the 600 block of Hudson Street at about 10:52 a.m. on June 24 to do a welfare check on a person who was lying on the ground. After arriving, the officers found a person who crashed their electric bike into a nearby tree after losing control. The first officer who responded to the scene immediately gave basic trauma care to the crash victim until Bangs Ambulance arrived. The ambulance took the victim to Cayuga Medical Center to be stabilized before being transported to a regional trauma center. The bicyclist died at Cayuga Medical Center as a result of their injuries. Police have not released the name of the person at this time and wont do so until the next of kin has been notified. Police determined through a preliminary investigation that no other people or vehicles were involved in the crash. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has any information that could help police with this investigation is asked to contact the Ithaca Police Department using one of the methods listed below: Police Dispatch: 607-272-3245 Police Administration: 607-272-9973 Police Tip line: 607-330-0000 Anonymous Email Tip Address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Marks & Spencer has done an about-face on its ban of alpaca wooland it has earned the ire of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the process. The British retailer recently announced that it would be bringing the animal-derived fiber back into its materials portfolio after nixing it in 2020 alongside brands like H&M and Gap. The group was previously pressured by PETA to pull the wool from use after an investigation of the worlds largest alpaca farm revealed the abuse and rough treatment of animals. More from Sourcing Journal In its annual ESG report, released earlier this month, M&S wrote that it began the process of removing the ban on alpaca yarn in 2023. We dont have any alpaca yarn in our products but updated our policy last year after a careful review of the updated industry welfare standards reassured us that should we reintroduce it in the future, our strict animal welfare requirements would be met, the company told Sourcing Journal. We value the quality of this [fiber] as well as the traditional know-how linked to its production and believe the Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) gives us the confidence we need to start sourcing this [fiber] again, the group wrote. Moving forward, the use of this certification will be the minimum standard for all alpaca [fiber] in M&S products, the report stated. The M&S report referred to Textile Exchanges recently revamped Materials Matter Standard Pilot Version V1.0. Released June 4, the framework includes a retooled RAS that sets criteria regarding best practices for producers and traceability and transparency. Textile Exchange said it began a sweeping revision of our standards framework to develop a harmonized system that incorporates our current suite of standards, and outcomes focused on our climate and nature strategy in 2021. With more producers adopting the RAS, M&S doubts about the ethical harvesting of alpaca wool have apparently been assuaged. But PETA vice president for the UK, Europe and Australia Mimi Bekhechi said the reversal represents a slap in the face to compassionate consumers. Unless it changes its mind, customers will turn their backs on Marks & Spencerjust as it has turned its back on animals and sold out to bogus wool industry standard schemes, she said in a statement obtained by Sourcing Journal. Bekhechi described PETAs expose, which showed crying alpacas, including pregnant animals, being roughly shorn and left bleeding from deep wounds. Earlier this spring, PETA released a list of more than 60 brands and retailers that have banned alpaca wool, including Ann Taylor, Barbour, Chicos, Esprit, Express, Helmut Lang, HOKA, Hunter, J Brand, Koolaburra, Lands End, Pottery Barn, Prana, REI, Simon Miller, Ugg, Uniqlo, Victorias Secret and Vince, among others. Bekhechi also took aim at the British retailers policies for animal-derived materials across the board. This isnt the first time M&S has betrayed animals. A PETA Asia investigation previously revealed that the retailer bought feathers from slaughterhouses in Vietnam where workers stab conscious, shrieking ducks in the neck and cut off their legs, she wrote. If M&S wants to stay on the high street and in the good graces of todays conscientious shoppers, it must take the high road and ban alpaca wooland all animal-derived clothing and accessoriesfrom its stores. And thats exactly what PETA is calling on it to do. In its ESG report, M&S wrote that all feather and down used in its offering are either recycled or certified by internationally known animal welfare standards like the International Down and Feather Laboratory (IDFL) Down Standard, the Responsible Down Standard and the Traceable Down Standard. Tashina Exendine, left, signs a petition in June 2024 to refer carbon pipeline regulatory legislation (SB 201) to a public vote during the November 2024 election. At right is petition circulator Lloyd Ringrose. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Tashina Exendine, left, signs a petition in June 2024 to refer carbon pipeline regulatory legislation (SB 201) to a public vote during the November 2024 election. At right is petition circulator Lloyd Ringrose. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota voters might decide on Nov. 5 whether to reject a new state law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines. The ballot measure committee known as the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance submitted an estimated 28,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of States Office on Monday, said Jim Eschenbaum, chairman of the organization. The group needed signatures from 17,508 registered South Dakota voters by todays deadline. The Secretary of States Office will now sample the signatures to determine if enough of them are valid. The group aims to refer Senate Bill 201, which the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem approved last winter. Supporters said the legislation will implement new protections for local governments and landowners while providing a path forward for pipeline projects. Opponents view it as a capitulation to pipeline companies. The bill came in response to an $8.5 billion pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which is headquartered in Iowa. The pipeline would collect carbon dioxide from 57 ethanol plants in South Dakota and neighboring states and pipe it to North Dakota for underground storage. The project could benefit from federal tax credits that incentivize carbon sequestration to fight climate change. The Iowa Utilities Board approved Summits project Tuesday. The company announced shortly afterward that it plans to apply again for a permit in South Dakota next month, after its initial application was denied last year by the Public Utilities Commission. The companys pipeline application in North Dakota is under consideration, and it still needs an underground storage permit in North Dakota. The South Dakota denial was partly due to conflicts with county ordinances that require minimum distances known as setbacks between pipelines and other features. The project has also faced opposition from some landowners concerned about property rights and safety, including health risks associated with potential leaks. Property rights were a factor in several Republican primary races in eastern South Dakota earlier this summer. Out of 14 incumbents who lost their seat, 11 of them voted for SB 201. I think people realize now that people are paying attention and maybe want representation in Pierre that wont be sellouts to corporate America, Eschenbaum said. What the law says Among the protections in the new bill is authority for counties to collect a pipeline surcharge of up to $1 per linear foot, with at least half of the surcharge allocated for property tax relief for affected landowners. The remaining funds could be used at the countys discretion. Companies also must submit an agricultural impact mitigation plan and bury pipelines at least 4 feet deep. The bill mandates public disclosure of modeling to gauge the impact of a pipeline rupture and ensures that pipeline companies, rather than landowners, are liable for damages caused by the projects. In response to controversy about out-of-state contractors working for pipeline companies, the law says a land agent must be a pipeline facility employee, a resident of the state, or a real estate agent licensed in the state. House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, was the prime sponsor of the bill in the House. The legislation provides additional property rights and money for farmers and counties, Mortenson said. He encouraged voters to support the law if its certified for the ballot. If you dont think the pipeline should be held accountable, you should vote no. If you dont think farmers deserve additional compensation, you should vote no. If you dont think counties deserve additional compensation from these pipelines, you should vote no, Mortenson said. But if you want farmers protected and counties benefited if these pipelines are built, you should vote yes like the Legislature did and the governor approved. Setback language The most controversial part of the new law is its language about the Public Utilities Commission and local setback laws. Prior state law allowed the commission to overrule counties pipeline setbacks, although the commission has so far declined to do that. The new law says a permit from the commission automatically overrules local setback laws, unless the commission specifically chooses to uphold them. It took the voice away from county commissioners and gave it to three people in Pierre, said Eschenbaum, who is a Hand County commissioner. They basically say were not smart enough, that we dont understand. I think its an awful precedent to set. Finally, the legislation codifies a Landowner Bill of Rights that includes references to rights in other South Dakota laws, including two other pipeline-related bills passed during the most recent legislative session. If the law is referred to voters, it would join six other measures already approved to be on the ballot. Ballot question status update Measures placed on the Nov. 5 ballot by the Legislature: An amendment to the state constitution updating references to certain officeholders and people (replacing male-specific pronouns with neutral language). An amendment to the state constitution authorizing the state to impose work requirements on certain people who are eligible for expanded Medicaid. Citizen-proposed measures validated for the ballot: An initiated measure prohibiting state sales taxes on items sold for human consumption, specifically targeting state sales taxes on groceries. An initiated amendment to the state constitution re-establishing abortion rights. An initiated amendment to the state constitution establishing open primary elections. An initiated measure legalizing adult recreational use, possession and distribution of marijuana. Referendum petition, pending signature validation: A proposed referendum of a new law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines. The post Petitions filed to refer carbon pipeline law to ballot; Summit plans to reapply for SD permit appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. Tashina Exendine, left, signs a petition in June 2024 to refer carbon pipeline regulatory legislation (SB 201) to a public vote during the November 2024 election. At right is petition circulator Lloyd Ringrose. South Dakota voters might decide on Nov. 5 whether to reject a new state law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines. The ballot measure committee known as the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance submitted an estimated 28,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of States Office on Monday, said Jim Eschenbaum, chairman of the organization. The group needed signatures from 17,508 registered South Dakota voters by todays deadline. The Secretary of States Office will now sample the signatures to determine if enough of them are valid. The group aims to refer Senate Bill 201, which the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem approved last winter. Supporters said the legislation will implement new protections for local governments and landowners while providing a path forward for pipeline projects. Opponents view it as a capitulation to pipeline companies. The bill came in response to an $8.5 billion pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which is headquartered in Iowa. The pipeline would collect carbon dioxide from 57 ethanol plants in South Dakota and neighboring states and pipe it to North Dakota for underground storage. The project could benefit from federal tax credits that incentivize carbon sequestration to fight climate change. The Iowa Utilities Board approved Summits project Tuesday. The company announced shortly afterward that it plans to apply again for a permit in South Dakota next month, after its initial application was denied last year by the Public Utilities Commission. The companys pipeline application in North Dakota is under consideration, and it still needs an underground storage permit in North Dakota. The South Dakota denial was partly due to conflicts with county ordinances that require minimum distances known as setbacks between pipelines and other features. The project has also faced opposition from some landowners concerned about property rights and safety, including health risks associated with potential leaks. Property rights were a factor in several Republican primary races in eastern South Dakota earlier this summer. Out of 14 incumbents who lost their seat, 11 of them voted for SB 201. I think people realize now that people are paying attention and maybe want representation in Pierre that wont be sellouts to corporate America, Eschenbaum said. What the law says Among the protections in the new bill is authority for counties to collect a pipeline surcharge of up to $1 per linear foot, with at least half of the surcharge allocated for property tax relief for affected landowners. The remaining funds could be used at the countys discretion. Companies also must submit an agricultural impact mitigation plan and bury pipelines at least 4 feet deep. The bill mandates public disclosure of modeling to gauge the impact of a pipeline rupture and ensures that pipeline companies, rather than landowners, are liable for damages caused by the projects. In response to controversy about out-of-state contractors working for pipeline companies, the law says a land agent must be a pipeline facility employee, a resident of the state, or a real estate agent licensed in the state. House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, was the prime sponsor of the bill in the House. The legislation provides additional property rights and money for farmers and counties, Mortenson said. He encouraged voters to support the law if its certified for the ballot. If you dont think the pipeline should be held accountable, you should vote no. If you dont think farmers deserve additional compensation, you should vote no. If you dont think counties deserve additional compensation from these pipelines, you should vote no, Mortenson said. But if you want farmers protected and counties benefited if these pipelines are built, you should vote yes like the Legislature did and the governor approved. Setback language The most controversial part of the new law is its language about the Public Utilities Commission and local setback laws. Prior state law allowed the commission to overrule counties pipeline setbacks, although the commission has so far declined to do that. The new law says a permit from the commission automatically overrules local setback laws, unless the commission specifically chooses to uphold them. It took the voice away from county commissioners and gave it to three people in Pierre, said Eschenbaum, who is a Hand County commissioner. They basically say were not smart enough, that we dont understand. I think its an awful precedent to set. Finally, the legislation codifies a Landowner Bill of Rights that includes references to rights in other South Dakota laws, including two other pipeline-related bills passed during the most recent legislative session. If the law is referred to voters, it would join six other measures already approved to be on the ballot. Ballot question status update Measures placed on the Nov. 5 ballot by the Legislature: An amendment to the state constitution updating references to certain officeholders and people (replacing male-specific pronouns with neutral language). An amendment to the state constitution authorizing the state to impose work requirements on certain people who are eligible for expanded Medicaid. Citizen-proposed measures validated for the ballot: An initiated measure prohibiting state sales taxes on items sold for human consumption, specifically targeting state sales taxes on groceries. An initiated amendment to the state constitution re-establishing abortion rights. An initiated amendment to the state constitution establishing open primary elections. An initiated measure legalizing adult recreational use, possession and distribution of marijuana. Referendum petition, pending signature validation: A proposed referendum of a new law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Petitions filed to refer South Dakota carbon pipeline law to ballot Tashina Exendine, left, signs a petition in June 2024 to refer carbon pipeline regulatory legislation (SB 201) to a public vote during the November 2024 election. At right is petition circulator Lloyd Ringrose. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota voters might decide on Nov. 5 whether to reject a new state law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines. The ballot measure committee known as the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance submitted an estimated 28,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of States Office on Monday, said Jim Eschenbaum, chairman of the organization. The group needed signatures from 17,508 registered South Dakota voters by todays deadline. The Secretary of States Office will now sample the signatures to determine if enough of them are valid. The group aims to refer Senate Bill 201, which the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem approved last winter. Supporters said the legislation will implement new protections for local governments and landowners while providing a path forward for pipeline projects. Opponents view it as a capitulation to pipeline companies. The bill came in response to an $8.5 billion pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which is headquartered in Iowa. The pipeline would collect carbon dioxide from 57 ethanol plants in South Dakota and neighboring states and pipe it to North Dakota for underground storage. The project could benefit from federal tax credits that incentivize carbon sequestration to fight climate change. The Iowa Utilities Board approved Summits project Tuesday. The company announced shortly afterward that it plans to apply again for a permit in South Dakota next month, after its initial application was denied last year by the Public Utilities Commission. The companys pipeline application in North Dakota is under consideration, and it still needs an underground storage permit in North Dakota. The South Dakota denial was partly due to conflicts with county ordinances that require minimum distances known as setbacks between pipelines and other features. The project has also faced opposition from some landowners concerned about property rights and safety, including health risks associated with potential leaks. Property rights were a factor in several Republican primary races in eastern South Dakota earlier this summer. Out of 14 incumbents who lost their seat, 11 of them voted for SB 201. I think people realize now that people are paying attention and maybe want representation in Pierre that wont be sellouts to corporate America, Eschenbaum said. What the law says Among the protections in the new bill is authority for counties to collect a pipeline surcharge of up to $1 per linear foot, with at least half of the surcharge allocated for property tax relief for affected landowners. The remaining funds could be used at the countys discretion. Companies also must submit an agricultural impact mitigation plan and bury pipelines at least 4 feet deep. The bill mandates public disclosure of modeling to gauge the impact of a pipeline rupture and ensures that pipeline companies, rather than landowners, are liable for damages caused by the projects. In response to controversy about out-of-state contractors working for pipeline companies, the law says a land agent must be a pipeline facility employee, a resident of the state, or a real estate agent licensed in the state. House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, was the prime sponsor of the bill in the House. The legislation provides additional property rights and money for farmers and counties, Mortenson said. He encouraged voters to support the law if its certified for the ballot. If you dont think the pipeline should be held accountable, you should vote no. If you dont think farmers deserve additional compensation, you should vote no. If you dont think counties deserve additional compensation from these pipelines, you should vote no, Mortenson said. But if you want farmers protected and counties benefited if these pipelines are built, you should vote yes like the Legislature did and the governor approved. Setback language The most controversial part of the new law is its language about the Public Utilities Commission and local setback laws. Prior state law allowed the commission to overrule counties pipeline setbacks, although the commission has so far declined to do that. The new law says a permit from the commission automatically overrules local setback laws, unless the commission specifically chooses to uphold them. It took the voice away from county commissioners and gave it to three people in Pierre, said Eschenbaum, who is a Hand County commissioner. They basically say were not smart enough, that we dont understand. I think its an awful precedent to set. Finally, the legislation codifies a Landowner Bill of Rights that includes references to rights in other South Dakota laws, including two other pipeline-related bills passed during the most recent legislative session. This article first appeared in the South Dakota Searchlight, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network. The post Petitions filed to refer carbon pipeline law to SD ballot; Summit plans to reapply for permit appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Deanna and Blake Martin decided it was time to load up their llamas and head out of town when the South Fork and Salt fires hit Ruidoso Village. The couple live in the Alto area and had to evacuate with their two llamas, Caramel Latte and Macchiato. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) ROSWELL As smoke from the South Fork and Salt fires rose in the sky above Lincoln County, Deanna and Blake Martin decided it was time to load up their llamas and head out of town. The couple live in the Alto area and had to evacuate with their two llamas, Caramel Latte and Macchiato. An estimated 8,000 people in Ruidoso, Alto and Ruidoso Downs were evacuated last week because of the South Fork and Salt fires. When residents received the message to evacuate, they were told to leave their belongings and immediately head to a nearby evacuation location. Many people loaded their pets in their vehicles and took off, but other animals and livestock ran away or were left behind. The Martins and their animals, which include three cats as well, found themselves at the Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Roswell one of the closest evacuation shelters that was taking in both people and animals. They actually spent time here at this facility during another fire evacuation, Deanna Martin said. The couple have lived in Alto for 24 years and evacuated two years ago during the McBride Fire. Martin said they decided to evacuate early in the evening Monday, June 17, the day the fires started, because of their animals. You can just tell this is not something to mess around with, she said. And we knew we had the livestock so we didnt want to be slower with the trailer and back up everybody. People were wanting to fly out. The llamas were seemingly unbothered in their stalls Wednesday by both the evacuation commotion and the attention they received from curious eyes. Hundreds of racehorses removed from Ruidoso Downs by owners, trainers and volunteers The llamas were joined by a rotation of hundreds of quarter horses passing through Roswell while evacuating Ruidoso Downs. According to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams letter requesting federal disaster assistance, about 1,500 racehorses needed to be evacuated from Ruidoso Downs. While not all of the horses were removed from the racetrack, hundreds were moved to facilities in neighboring towns and area farms. Horses were even transported south to Sunland Park Racetrack and Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. Other owners or trainers decided to take their animals home, whether that was in-state or out. Leslie Robertson, office manager at the ENM State Fairgrounds, said the numbers of people and animals who passed through the grounds was fluid Monday and Tuesday. They were also taking in people with trailers or campers. We have a lot of people who are evacuating in and then going to a more permanent location, she explained. Trainer John Stinebaugh said he had 42 horses to move and was able to keep them all together in Artesia at the Eddy County Fairgrounds, south of Roswell. When asked about locations other horses were moved to, Stinebaugh said he was in contact with trainers who relocated their horses across New Mexico and neighboring states. Some of them went home, he said. I dont think the same number of horses will fill back up that left. Justyn Vogel was one volunteer who donated her trailer and time to transport horses. She said shes originally from Ruidoso and decided to drive down from Edgewood with her mother and farm manager to help when she saw people posting about horse evacuations. The group worked with Stinebaugh to move eight of his horses. Its not just evacuating but finding places for all these horses, Vogel said. There were many trailers and people trying to help and horses being evacuated, she said, with people all the way from Texas who came in to try and help move horses. Ruidoso Downs racetrack canceled live horse racing June 22 and 23, but will commence racing June 28 to June 30 with the Mountain Top Futurity and the Rainbow Futurity Trials. A recent news release from the racetrack noted that the current horse population on the grounds is about 1,000 or half of the average. We gotta get the wheels back on the bus, said Rick Baugh, racetrack general manager, in a video on the racetracks Facebook page. It doesnt just affect Ruidoso Downs. Its for Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and California. The post Pets, livestock among the thousands evacuated from Ruidoso wildfires appeared first on Source New Mexico. Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker (Parker campaign photo) As the Pennsylvania General Assembly negotiates the next fiscal budget, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker made an appearance in Harrisburg on Monday to highlight her administrations priorities, while also making a push for the state Legislature to invest in the states biggest city. Parker, a former English teacher and state legislator, said she was unapologetic about her advocacy for public education. She said she worked with Democrats and Republicans to increase funding for the Philadelphia School District. Weve increased that to $129 million over the life of our five year plan. I am happy about that, Parker said at the Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon. But we need the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our General Assembly to act. The specific ask Parker is making of the legislature is $242 million this year and $1.4 billion over the next seven years in adequacy funding. Students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the city of Philadelphia, they deserve it. Weve enhanced our local share, and Philadelphia has already gotten it done. We need the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to act, Parker said. As the state budget deadline approaches, the issue of funding public education vs charter schools has returned to the forefront of discussion for the state Legislature. Parker said that her ask for the citys schools has support from Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, traditional public school advocates, charter school advocates, and the citys superintendent of schools. We will not allow anyone to pit us against each other, Parker said. There are no divisions in Philadelphia to take advantage of. On June 14, Parker signed her first budget since being sworn in earlier this year. She said the $6.37 billion One Philly budget contains $2 billion in new investments, $800 million in operating, and $1.2 billion in capital improvements over the five year plan. Philadelphias fiscal stability as a result of our budget, it passed, but we are also on sound fiscal footing, Parker said. She noted the city recently received a credit upgrade rating to A+ from Fitch. She said in her budget she followed through on a campaign promise not to include any new taxes on Philadelphians. Parker, who represented the 200th District in the state House from 2005 to 2015, credited her tenure in the Legislature with setting her up to serve in her current role. I want you to know that when I was traveling here and we are on the turnpike coming, I really did feel like this was a homecoming, Parker said. So much of the work that I have been able to do in the city of Philadelphia as a member of council, and now as mayor, so much of it started during my tenure here as a member of the Pennsylvania House. During the Q&A portion of the program, Parker was asked about taking a seriously neutral position on expanding school choice for students in low performing schools and what is preventing her from taking sides on this debate. She said in her prior experience leading the Philadelphia House delegation it was important for legislators to not be handcuffed during budget negotiations. Parker said that education is a broad based issue and referenced the Commonwealth Courts decision deeming the states school funding formula to be unconstitutional. Her position appears to differ from her predecessor Jim Kenney, who was not viewed as an ally to charter schools. But for us to take a position, either for or against something you know as significant as what you describe, it doesnt help us and our Philadelphia delegation, Parker said. Parker was also asked about Gov. Josh Shapiros transportation funding plan during the Q&A. Southeastern Pennsylvania doesnt move without an investment in mass transit, Parker said, explaining that around 40% of the states revenue comes from Philadelphia and the suburban counties surrounding it that use SEPTA. Shapiros budget proposal includes a $283 million boost in transit funding across the state. Parker said although shes not at the budget table, she thinks its a no brainer to increase funding to help SEPTA and added an increase in mass transit statewide will help all communities throughout the commonwealth. Like public education, she also said her budget included an increase in local share for mass transit funding. We just increased our budget by $117 million, so if anybody was saying Philadelphia is not paying its fair share, I want you to have the numbers accurately, Parker said, referring to its increase in mass transit funding. Parker also addressed the issue of public safety in Philadelphia. You cant mention Philadelphia without someone talking about public safety, Parker said. Thats the major issue. She said the citys comprehensive safety plan has already seen some positive results, pointing to data from the Center for American Progress that found violent crime and homicides are down in the city in the first four months of the year. This Mayor wont rest until people who live, work and play, and our stakeholders in the city of Philadelphia feel safe in the city of Philadelphia, she said. At the beginning of Parkers address, she asked for a moment of silence to honor the Philadelphia police officer who was shot in the line of duty on Saturday, who remains in critical condition. Officials held a news conference on Monday to provide an update of the status of the police officers condition and release a timeline of the events. Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) will be the featured speaker for the next Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon in July. The post Philadelphia Mayor Parker talks budget and public safety in Harrisburg appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. The world-famous rock band Imagine Dragons has once again demonstrated its support for Ukrainians in the war by performing one of their songs with the Ukrainian flag raised at the concert. Although the "flag" was made of yellow and blue paper, the message on it could definitely be seen by those who enjoyed their favorite band's performance a few dozen meters from the stage. However, Ukrainians online did not take the appeal very well. ADVERTISIMENT The poster read "STOP WAR" ("Stop the War"). At first, it was held in the front rows of the fan zone by visitors, but later the vocalist Dan Reynolds saw the flag and took it with him to the stage. A video of the performance was posted on Instagram by UNITED24, a fundraising platform whose ambassador is Imagine Dragons. The band works to rebuild Ukraine. Reynolds raised the flag during the performance of the hit It's time, which was released 12 years ago. "Is this what you meant when you said you were tired? And now it's time to build everything from the beginning," the song, which is associated with the war in Ukraine, says. ADVERTISIMENT Throughout the performance, the vocalist held the flag up and sometimes made a "V" sign with his hand, which means "Victory". At the end of the song, Reynolds kissed the poster, and it is unknown where he took it afterward. Ukrainians have criticized the call "STOP WAR". They noticed a not-very-correct nuance in it. "Stop Russia" - the poster should say "Destroy Putin" the poster should say "Stop"? How about 'finish'?", "This is not a very good sign because it can be read in different ways: 1. Stop the war, support Ukraine, 2. Ukraine, stop the war!", "It should be 'arm Ukraine' instead of 'stop the war'," the fans said. ADVERTISIMENT In particular, the artists were thanked for their solidarity with Ukraine in the comments: "Thank you for inspiring people to hold on, help each other, and fight for justice." "The best, thank you." "For the victory in Ukraine over Putin and the aggressors, the only acceptable one." "Thank you for your support." This is not the first time Imagine Dragons have supported Ukraine. The band regularly raises the Ukrainian flag during concerts and joins in fundraising for humanitarian aid. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is still seeking clarification from the Pentagon about a secret U.S. propaganda operation that aimed to cast doubt among Filipinos about Chinese vaccines at the height of the COVID pandemic, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday. A Reuters investigation on June 14 detailed how the Pentagon ran a clandestine influence campaign in 2020 and 2021 to denigrate the Sinovac vaccine and other pandemic aid from China across the developing world. The effort was intended to counter what Washington then saw as China's growing geopolitical sway around the globe, including in Southeast Asia. It began under former President Donald Trump and ended months after President Joseph Biden took office. "We have not received an official and formal response yet on any confirmation, denial or anything. We are waiting on that. We continue to monitor and ask for information," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is investigating the U.S. information campaign. As soon as the Reuters article came out, Chan-Gonzaga said the foreign ministry had contacted the U.S. embassy in Manila through "our regular consultations mechanism" but had been referred to the U.S. Defense Department. Contacted for further comment on Tuesday, the U.S. embassy also referred Reuters to the U.S. Defense Department. A senior Defense Department official cited by Reuters in the June 14 report acknowledged that the U.S. military had engaged in secret propaganda to disparage Chinas vaccine in the developing world, but declined to provide details. Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, described the U.S. military campaign as "evil, wicked, dangerous, unethical." Marcos, who is the sister of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, said the number of Filipinos who had fallen ill and died from COVID was "shocking". Nearly 67,000 Filipinos have died of COVID to date, while the number of infections has reached more than 4.1 million, World Health Organization data showed, making the Philippines among the hardest hit by the pandemic in Southeast Asia. Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire told the Senate committee hearing on Tuesday that health officials had been alarmed by the spread of disinformation about vaccines but had thought it was "random" and not organised. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Gareth Jones) The Big Sioux overflows into a local park on Monday, June 24, 2024, at Chautauqua Park in Canton, South Dakota. Flood or no, Kristi Noem will fly. Throughout an ongoing disaster situation in her own backyard, South Dakota's governor has been flying to conservative speaking engagements across the country and gave an interview on national television while the eastern half of her state reels from destructive flooding. Days-long rains contributed to a historic rise in South Dakota's eastern river levels. So far, the resulting flooding has killed one person, knocked out a railroad bridge vital to interstate commerce and inundated residences across the eastern and southeastern half of the state. In a video posted 1:27 p.m. Friday to her personal X page, Noem filmed herself in eastern South Dakota (location undisclosed), where she talked about the flood situation, shared rain totals and generally described her administration's response. Within 24 hours, however, Noem's attention was split between campaigning and managing an emergency flood response. We want to see a revival of faith in 2024, a revival of a love for America. That love started as a small flame in the hearts of the Founders hundreds of years ago. - Patriot Gala keynote speaker and South Dakota Governor @KristiNoem #RTM2024 pic.twitter.com/HWp432xRv5 Faith & Freedom (@FaithandFreedom) June 23, 2024 In Washington, Noem appeared Saturday in front of fellow conservatives and religious voters for a Faith and Freedom Coalition conference, an event former President Donald Trump was slated to keynote. She was a scheduled speaker for the event and tagged to an evening slot. Noem, who was once on Trump's 2024 short list for a vice presidential nomination and whose chances now appear slim, told NBC's Meet The Press interim host Peter Alexander this past weekend she hadn't received vice presidential vetting papers . At the Faith and Freedom coalition conference in DC, awaiting former President Trump. Kristi Noem takes the stage for a brief surprise appearance to praise Trump. She isnt supposed to speak until tonight. Speaker Johnson sent in a video. Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) June 22, 2024 But NBC's Julie Tsirkin spied the governor at the conference as early as 12:30 p.m. Saturday, where she briefly took the stage in a surprise appearance to praise the former president. Then, the governor joined Alexander at his show's Washington studio for the aforementioned Sunday morning interview, before spiriting away by plane to North Sioux City. She invited reporters and community members to a 2 p.m. press conference on storms and flooding, but her communications team later relayed a "timing update," which pushed the presser to 2:30 p.m. During a recent book tour for the governor's newest memoir, "No Going Back," which was widely cscrutinized and criticized for including a gruesome account involving her killing a 14-month-old hunting dog as well as multiple historical inaccuracies, Noem abruptly canceled scheduled TV appearances on CNN and FOX in early May. The justification? Ian Fury, Noem's director of communications, blamed bad weather in a May 8 statement to RealClearPolitics. Indeed, South Dakota did see a strong spring storm around that time, according to a National Weather Service event summary. Wet, heavy snow fell in western South Dakota between May 6 and 7, though it was largely isolated to the Black Hills region. About 1 to 3 inches of rain was also measured in the same area, most significantly in the northern Black Hills, northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana. Two small tornadoes also touched down in Butte County on May 6. The last-minute cancelations on CNN's Inside Politics and FOX's Gutfeld! came the night of May 7. After the Sunday press conference, an Argus Leader reporter asked Fury why Noem's attendance of the recent Washington engagements went on despite the fact that she has canceled on national media opportunities for similar circumstances. He said that's because the most dangerous part of the flood event the dangerous bulk of water that had yet to make its way down the Big Sioux River to the Sioux City area by Sunday evening hadn't arrived yet. "We're here for the worst of it," Fury told the Argus Leader. But that's not entirely true. Gov. Kristi Noem gives a press conference on Sunday, June 23, 2024, in North Sioux City about voluntary evacuations in Dakota Dunes as rivers in South Dakota reach peak levels and are expected to crest. Noem did stick around Dakota Dunes after the 2:30 p.m. presser to tour the construction of a levee along Interstate 29. In a post on X, photos on Noem's personal account show her shaking hands and talking with levee builders sometime Sunday afternoon. But by Sunday evening, Noem had again jetted out of the state when, in fact, the worst of the flood was still yet to come. By 9:40 p.m., Noem was taking photos at a Republican fundraising event in Memphis, Tennessee, evidenced by a post shared to X by U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, R-TN. It was a great night to introduce @GovKristiNoem at the Shelby County Lincoln Day Dinner. Republicans in Shelby County and across West Tennessee are fired up to keep the House, win the Senate, and elect Donald Trump in November. Thank you to Chairman Cary Vaughn and the pic.twitter.com/pFffeNM7It David Kustoff (@DavidKustoff) June 24, 2024 Meanwhile, a destructive surge of floodwater was beginning to cascade into North Sioux City. Union County Emergency Management ordered residents near the town's McCook Lake to evacuate by 8:35 p.m., with swift water rescue teams being sent in to assist in the effort. And according to Sioux City TV station KTIV, a BNSF railroad bridge partially collapsed "shortly before" 11 p.m. Sunday. Flood water on the Big Sioux River flows over a collapsed BNSF rail bridge between between North Sioux City South Dakota and Sioux City, Monday, June 24, 2024. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey reported river measurements of the Big Sioux River near North Sioux City reached an estimated 44.4 feet at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. This falls within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "major flood" stage. Estimated gage measurements in the North Sioux City area peaked 10:30 p.m. Sunday at 44.98 feet and have only dropped by 2.41 feet by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The Argus Leader asked Fury if Noem was in the state at the time of the McCook Lake evacuations or the railroad bridge collapse, and the media outlet also asked why the governor did not opt to use the $130,000 studio installed in the state capitol to conduct the Sunday NBC interview remotely. Those questions went unanswered, with Fury pointing back to his previous comments. Noem's mid-flood campaigning represents break from traditional disaster response However effective the governor might be at balancing her priorities, the idea Noem hasn't been in the state for the entirety of the flood response doesn't sit well with Rep. Linda Duba, D-Sioux Falls. "I understand that she personally isn't the one who plans and executes all of these strategies, but she's the leader," Duba told the Argus Leader on Monday. "She needs to be here when an emergency is taking place." Previous governors have put on more of an obvious presence relative to Noem's latest disaster response, according to University of South Dakota political science professor Mike Card. Former South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow, for example, was known for appearing to take charge of on-scene emergencies. After a deadly tornado struck the town of Spencer in 1998, Janklow raced to area and used a bullhorn to direct cleanup crews. Similarly, former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Noem's predecessor, played the part of someone actively involved in disaster preparations during the 2011 Missouri River Flood one comparable to the ongoing emergency in eastern South Dakota. He wrote of his experiences in 2016 column, where he described walking on the levees in Fort Pierre and watching military helicopters drop off sandbags in North Sioux City and other parts of the state. But with Noem's priorities divided at a critical time, Card said therein lies a perception issue. "Something important was going on in the state, and she wasn't here," Card said Monday. "The haters would say it's a terrible thing that she's not here and that she's not taking care of the symbolic portions of it." But to Card, it also makes sense for Noem to continue campaigning from a political perspective. While "almost no one believes that she still has a shot at the vice presidential position," the political science professor opined, Noem's chances of securing a cabinet secretary or another similar position under a potential Trump administration are probable. "If I were of the position where I could and was inclined to raise money for the party, I would want at least my expenses covered and then maybe a little bit for my own electoral possibilities," Card said. "If nothing happens with the potential Trump administration, she may be running for [a South Dakota] Senate seat." Noem's mid-crisis travels have been scrutinized in the past. In 2020, the governor received some criticism, largely from Democrats and national pundits, for stumping for Trump across the country while coronavirus surged back home. More: Noem has been out of state campaigning eight times this month. Voters don't seem to mind. Voters didn't seem to mind, then. And now, neither does Joe Twidwell, a resident of Dakota Dunes. The Argus Leader spoke with Twidwell at Noem's Sunday press conference, where he said Noem "seemed to have a handle on things." "I appreciate that she's here," Twidwell said. "It shows that she and her team cares." But Twidwell's house was spared as of Tuesday. The same can't be said of Morgan Spiechinger, a North Sioux City resident whose family home was ruined by floodwaters after a levee diverted floodwaters into McCook Lake, where her home closely resides. The view from Morgan Speichinger's Ring camera at her North Sioux City home moments after her family evacuated on Sunday night, June 23, 2024. "I think she is like clapping herself on the back because she saved the Dunes," Spiechinger told the Argus Leader Monday. "But I don't think that they're taking enough credit for how much damage was caused in a community that doesn't have the protections that the Dunes have." Duba would disagree that Noem was here for the worst of it. "You need to prioritize the state and the people of the state and the emergencies we're experiencing over the campaign," Duba said. "She can still campaign. I'm not saying she can't. But you've got to make choices, and she's not making the right choices right now." This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Gov. Kristi Noem jets around the nation as South Dakota floods Egyptian photojournalist and conflict photographer, Asmaa Waguih, takes us on a remarkable visual tour of Yemen, highlighting the country's internal battle for power with ongoing conflicts between pro and anti-government militias. Captured over almost a decade, Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen is a new book by Waguih published by Helion & Company. It includes over 150 images that showcase the contrasting scenes of everyday Yemeni life, and how the nation deals with the effects of the ongoing conflict between rival factions, regional powers, and their proxies and the large humanitarian crisis left as a result. Admittedly, I knew very little about the conflicts in Yemen and how someone might find themselves as a war photographer in its conflict zone. To get a better understanding, I sat down with Waguih to discuss her experience as a photojournalist as well as the subject matter of the book. Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen I thought we could start with a little bit about your photography journey. What was your entry into photography? I started as a reporter but I was always interested in photography. I would get an image in an article once in a while, but I didn't think I would ever be a photographer. While I was working as a reporter and I was out in the field, I would often take my camera with me and provide images to supplement my writing. I started working with local newspapers, and while in Cairo covered a feature in Alexandria of an archaeological excavation of a Roman site. I took my film camera with me and took some photos. They werent technically great images, but I had access others didnt I had to jump over a wall to get them! So this was the start of your career in photojournalism? Yes, as a freelance reporter I would use my camera any chance I could. I was living in Iraq for a while after the fall of Baghdad and started slowly to take photos while working as a journalist. I was not asked to, but I did just in case. I took it step by step while I was in Baghdad building up a large body of work. I then returned to Cairo and continued to take more photos with my writing. It was after I returned to Cairo I started taking photography seriously and I tried to concentrate on working exclusively as a photographer. I started teaching myself more of the technical aspects and joined Reuters one and a half years later. How did you teach yourself photography? I started meeting with photographers in Iraq and sometimes in Egypt. I would ask anyone I could for tips, and having worked as a reporter I knew many photographers who were kind enough to give me some tips. I also Googled some of the basics such as composition, but even today I am still not very technical. The main way I learned was going out and taking photographs, and learning from my mistakes. So did there come a point when photography overtook journalism, or was reporting the priority? After this point, photography became the main priority for me. I started when I was 35 after moving back home to Cairo. After leaving Iraq I wanted to start focusing on photography as a career but it wasn't until I joined Reuters I got my first steady photography job, other than perhaps getting some images in local magazines. Due to my reporting experience in Iraq, I was sent on assignment to Gaza, and I went on to the conflict areas in Lebanon during the war, so I learned a lot on the job. Sometimes if you're in a big situation you learn quickly, so I started going there to learn. Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen That leads us onto the topic of your new book, 'Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen'. What compelled you to photograph this subject in particular? I was working for Reuters when the Arab Spring was happening, and I felt excited about what was occurring in all the countries of the Arab Spring. I told my boss, "I'm ready to go anywhere!" I wanted to go to Bahrain, I wanted to go to Libya, and I wanted to go to Yemen. The priority for Reuters was Libya and I was one of the first few journalists to report from the Libyan side after the Gadaffi rule. Yemen was the one place I had always wanted to go, but there were already enough people there. So I continued to cover Egypt, Libya and Syria. As soon as I left Reuters, I knew I wanted to go to Yemen and see what was happening, as the conflict was growing and it was already the start of the civil war in Yemen. So I started to visit, and kept going back, each time to a different area not necessarily knowing what would happen next. I visited all of the main cities. I wanted to capture something few were aware of, even the Yemeni people themselves. Many thought after Saudi Arabia, England, and America were involved it would be over in a few weeks, but it just kept going. I spent many years going back and forth and the conflict was never-ending, even though reporting had all but stopped. That is until around 2022 when the status cooled but even now has not been fully resolved. Even though there is now technically a truce, every party is still waiting with their weapons in hand, and not one side is winning. The country is still divided and many things are much worse now than when I first went. Although there are no clashes and no war, there is also still no peace. I decided that this would be a good time to bring all of my pictures together and tell what happened in Yemen during this period. How do you plan to capture work like this? Is there planning or are you working on instinct after you arrive at the location? It's a good question because I plan and I don't plan at the same time. The first time I went, I wanted to go to Sanaa particularly as it's the capital and it was where a lot of raids were taking place. I did not see any raids when I visited but the after-effects were very apparent, so I documented this. The planning aspect of the trips is usually the locations, as many areas of the country can be extremely difficult to reach at certain times. But when arriving you don't know what you are going to encounter, so often requires photographing what's there and what is happening at the time. You touched on this briefly, but could you explain a little more about what the title of the book refers to? Yeah, I'm referring to the current situation in Yemen. In general, currently, it's like a war that's finished temporally, but it's not finished. If I go there, I will see exactly what I saw a few years ago. It's not like any war, even in movies. Usually, a war is finished when there is a real agreement, and this agreement puts everyone in a particular place. This is still not the case in Yemen. The north and south of the country have been divided, with the militia occupying some territories and the pro-government holding others. So basically, you cannot say that there is any good achievement to finish the civil war, so essentially, it's a war that's not finished. How do you see it playing out over the next few years? It's very hard to answer because I'm not saying it's entirely worse now, but it's worse in different ways. People are not fighting each other as much, but it remains. There are a lot of people in the center and the north that are tribal and the situation is not stable. There are millions of people displaced. It's a very big percentage of internally displaced people and they are looking forward to going back to their homes, those of course who haven't had their homes destroyed. Even if there's less fighting, everything is still the same, and the south is very divided so it's difficult to foresee the future. When making the work, did you always envision a book as the final output? No, not really at the beginning, but perhaps around halfway through in 2019 when the fighting was beginning to come to a truce. I thought maybe I could start to collect things to document that period of conflict. What do you want people to take away from this work? Well, I think in general, to sum up all that has been happening in Yemen which has been one of the most severely underreported wars over the past few years, and how today they are still suffering from the effects. Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen I am sure many people will be inspired by your work as a photojournalist. Do you have any advice for people looking to get started? I think its difficult to answer as everyone learns differently, but I would say the most important thing is to get out and shoot. You know when someone, says that they want to learn swimming, you just go to the sea and put yourself in the sea and swim. This is how I find my stories. I like to get out and put myself in the middle of the story. When I go, I find out more about what's happening because it's always different when you are experiencing the story, not just reading about it. Its easy to read and read, but when you are inside the place, then you see more of what's happening and then you decide what you take photos for. Lastly, what equipment are you using in the field, and how does it enable you to capture your work? I don't know anything about cameras, I only know the camera I'm using and if anything happened to it, I just go and get the same camera but a new one. I'm very bad with equipment. When I started I had a small Nikon, but I was advised to get a Canon 5D. I didn't even know what full frame meant, but I just went ahead and bought the camera and I have been using it ever since. Getting to know your equipment and how it's going to perform in any given situation is vital, and I know the Canon 5D like the back of my hand. I will say that although equipment can help you get your desired image, I value the access and subject much greater. Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen Asmaa not only depicts the devastation of the once beautiful landscape but also the humanity that continues to shine through despite unfathomable challenges. It is this humanity that is evident in every aspect of Asmaa's images, whether photographs of conflict or everyday life, her images force the viewer into a sense of connection with the subject. In addition to the photographs captured during almost a decade of work, Asmaa writes about her experiences providing fascinating detail and adding another level of context for the reader. Unfinished War: A Journey through Civil War in Yemen by Asmaa Waguih and published by Helion & Company is available now for $50 / 25 (Australian pricing TBC) and is a great example of modern photojournalism of an issue that has been seldom covered yet has affected millions of people's lives for over a decade. Asmaa with some Yemeni women I met at Barren Temple, or You might be interested in more of the best books on photography, including some of the best coffee table books on photography. These Picasso pieces are on display in a ladies restroom inside a museum. Heres why Editors Note: In July 2024, the Picasso artworks detailed in this story were subsequently revealed to be fakes created by museum curator Kirsha Kaechele. A museum in Australia has moved Picasso artworks to a womens restroom, skirting a discrimination complaint by a male visitor who couldnt enter an exhibit where the works were previously hung. Two paintings and a drawing by Pablo Picasso were originally featured in American artist and museum curator Kirsha Kaecheles Ladies Lounge installation at Tasmanias Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) which opened in December 2020 to any and all ladies. The experiential artwork was billed by the museum as a tremendously lavish space where women can indulge in decadent nibbles, fancy tipples, and other ladylike pleasures served by a male butler while they peruse art in a green velvet-draped room. But MONA was ordered to stop refusing entry to persons who do not identify as ladies after the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled in April that the show violated Australias 1998 Anti-Discrimination Act. Kaechele told the tribunal that denying men entry to the mysterious room was indeed part of the art giving them a taste of the discrimination and exclusion many women have experienced through history. The Picasso pieces are now displayed in an upgraded restroom with a fully functional toilet dubbed Ladies Room, located within the art venue, Kaechele said in an e-mail. While the Ladies Lounge undergoes a series of reforms to meet the exemptions required for reopening, Ive been doing a little redecorating. I thought a few of the bathrooms in the museum could do with an update, she added. Some Cubism in the cubicles. The Picasso works were moved into a fully functioning restroom for women. - Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Kaechele (left) and her navy-clad entourage outside the tribunal earlier this year. - Charlotte Vignau On Monday, Kaechele posted on Instagram a video and images of the relocated works in situ, and pointed out that the gendered restroom was also a first for the museum. She encouraged all ladies to enjoy the new exhibition. Ladies Lounge closed We never had female toilets at Mona before, they were all unisex. But then the Ladies Lounge had to close thanks to a lawsuit brought on by a man. And I just didnt know what to do with all those Picassos, wrote Kaechele, who is also the wife of MONAs owner, David Walsh. Jason Lau, a visitor from New South Wales was barred from entering the Ladies Lounge exhibit on April 1 in 2023. Lau, who had paid the $35 AUD ($23 USD) entry fee, believed he experienced direct gender discrimination. He felt strongly enough about this to file a complaint with Equal Opportunities Tasmania, read the tribunals notes. After the judgment, Kaechele said she would challenge the courts decision in the states Supreme Court and offered several possibilities to revive the Ladies Lounge concept. Among those ideas included finding loopholes under Section 27 of the Anti-Discrimination Act which lists exceptions on when discrimination against gender would be permitted. In the meantime the lounge closed so that it wouldnt have to open to men. Kaechele later discussed potential ways to reopen Ladies Lounge as a church, school, toilet and more in a Q&A that was published on the museums website. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The search for exploding comet residue strong enough to have wiped out the woolly mammoth has dipped deep below the Earths surface. Scientists believe they can find a meteor blast in Earths history strong enough to change the climate and, as a result, the animals that lived on Earth. Evidence may exist for a comet shockwave hitting Earth after the last ice age. We dont have the woolly mammoth with us any longer, but we arent sure exactly why. Christopher Moore, an archaeologist at the University of South Carolina, blames a massive meteoreven if he doesnt have a crater to prove it. However, Moore and and his team believe that we may not need a crater to prove the extremely controversial Younger Dryas impact hypothesisthe idea that roughly 12,800 years ago, the climate took a sudden shift in the northern hemisphere that helped wipe out the woolly mammoth. Instead, theyve been thinking something else will fit the bill: a meteor shockwave. In a new study published in the journal Airbursts and Cratering Impacts, the team presents evidence that he believes points to a major meteor exploding near Earthpossibly not actually striking Earth physicallythat would have caused the kind of rapid climate change throughout the northern hemisphere that would lead to a complete shift in our world. They explode in the air before they hit the ground, Moore said about comets in a news release, but if theyre low enough, the shockwave and heat can hit the ground and melt sediment, produce microspherules, and shock the quartz. Were being hit by these things more than most people think. Evidence from Greenlands ice cores show elevated levels of combustion aerosols, which indicate that a large, prehistoric fire raged at the proposed beginning of the climate event. Add in high levels of platinum found from Syria to South Carolinarare in Earths soil, but incredibly common in cometsand the location of both magnetic balls of iron known as microspherules and shock-fractured quartz that melted into silica in different areas, and the researchers believe that a convincing picture is beginning to take shape. With no crater providing modern-day physical evidence, the team has relied on Earths chemical makeup. They sifted through multiple dig sites, from a shallow wetland on the U.S. Department of Energys Savannah River nuclear site to a location in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, and a spot 25 miles inland from Atlantic City in Newtonville, New Jersey. These wildly diverse locations all had something in common: the evidence of platinum, microspherules iron balls, and quartz at depths showing they would have been exposed in the Younger Dryas period. The researchers believes it all adds up to a cometor, at least, the remains of onehitting Earth. And this wouldnt have been a small impact. The evidence collected, the team argues, points to minerals dusting sites across the globe, a fire starting in Greenland, and enough mayhem to launch a dramatic climate event. I suspect that it played a big role in leading to the extinction of the megafauna, Moore said in a news release. Its like putting 75 elephants on a quarter. Its a tremendous amount of pressure that creates what were seeing. What really has pushed Moores theory forward is the discovery of the shock-fractured quartz at all three sites, the first time theyve been located at the Younger Dryas depth in so many locations. He claims that the distribution of the quartz over such a large regioneach having undergone the same changewould have required some sort of significant impact. This all remains theoretical, of course, especially with no crater to show for it. While the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis remains popular in the media as an explanation for certain ancient events, it is not the scientific consensus, and many experts reject the theory entirely. But Moore and his team remain convinced, writing in the study that the collective evidence meets the criteria of an event powerful enough to have set off a chain reaction of global changeone that included the ultimate demise of the woolly mammoth. Only time, and a lot more evidence, will tell if theyre right. You Might Also Like The pier is finally working but aid is still not getting to Gazans Aid is now flowing reliably onto the beach in Gaza via the troubled U.S. military-built pier but it is still not reaching any of the desperate Gazans inside the enclave. Tons of food and medical supplies are now piling up on the beach awaiting distribution, as the humanitarian organizations tasked with moving the aid refuse to resume operations due to security concerns, according to U.S. officials and aid group representatives. And there is increasing alarm about food going bad the longer it sits in the marshaling area, according to people involved in the project. The backlog is part of a wider problem throughout Gaza, where aid groups have suspended much of their work because of fears they could be targeted by Israeli airstrikes. The U.N. has threatened to halt all of its aid operations across the enclave unless Israel takes urgent steps to better protect their workers, the AP reported on Tuesday. The hostile operating environment makes it nearly impossible for humanitarian operations to deliver food aid, said Steve Taravella, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme. Restoring order is crucial for an effective humanitarian response to meet soaring needs. UN agencies and others need a safe environment to be able to access people and scale up. The pier resumed normal operations on Tuesday after a scheduled maintenance pause on Monday, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. The resumption follows weeks of intermittent operations, as bad weather forced U.S. military personnel to remove, repair and then re-anchor the pier to the beach several times. On Sunday, U.S. military personnel moved 720 metric tons, or 1.5 million pounds, of aid across the pier to the beach, the most delivered on a single day so far, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday. But aid groups, including the World Food Programme the U.N. group charged with distributing the aid from the pier have stopped traveling to the beach to pick up the aid in part because of the fallout of a deadly Israeli hostage operation June 8, according to three aid representatives working in Gaza. They and others were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive ground operations. The U.N. has suspended operations as the organization conducts a security assessment, a USAID spokesperson told POLITICO on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces used a truck that bore the appearance of an aid vehicle but did not have an aid group insignia to travel inside Gaza to rescue the four from the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of the enclave, two senior aid representatives working inside Gaza said. The IDF also landed a helicopter near the pier as a staging ground for exfiltration. The raid set off a fierce firefight between Hamas and the IDF, killing hundreds of civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Now, aid staffers fear they will be targeted. The potential risk to aid workers "was something WFP and the UN pushed back on from the beginning, said one senior aid representative. They knew the concerns and expressed those concerns upfront. What the IDF did made everything more difficult. The Pentagon this month dismissed claims made on social media that the IDF used the pier for the raid. The pier, the equipment, the personnel all supporting that humanitarian effort had nothing to do with the Israeli rescue operation, Ryder told reporters on June 11. U.S. officials hope the movement of aid can resume soon. Humanitarian conditions are absolutely dire in Gaza. Particularly with ongoing uncertainty over onward distribution from land crossings, and periodic windows of bad weather, sending more aid into Gaza currently is beneficial so that once the security conditions allow, aid can quickly be moved for onward distribution, the USAID spokesperson said. The spokesperson said officials working on the pier have prioritized shelf-stable aid that is able to withstand fluctuations in weather. But some people involved in the project are particularly concerned that much of the food aid that has been delivered and is sitting exposed to the sun will go bad, for instance beans and flour. "There are food kits that are designed to be more stable and are packaged to withstand the elements. But a good portion will soon be unusable, said one person working on the pier operation. I believe we will have a problem with spoilage with some of the food if it sits too long, the person said. This is not a good story for the Pentagon, one aid representative said. This is something theyve invested a lot of time and money into and it is not unfolding the way they thought it would. Julian Assange pleaded guilty to a felony at a United States federal courthouse in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday and walked out of court a free man. The Justice Department had reached an agreement for Assange to plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information. The judge in the case sentenced Assange to time served. Speaking outside the court in Saipan following the hearing, Assange's chief U.S. lawyer, Barry J. Pollack, called the prosecution of Assange "unprecedented." "[The Espionage Act] has never been used by the United States to pursue a publisher, a journalist," Pollack said. PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at a United States District Court in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., June 26, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters) "He has suffered tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom of the press, and to ensure that the American public and the world gets truthful and important newsworthy information," he continued. "We firmly believe that Mr. Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act and engaged in exercise that journalists engage in every day, and we are thankful that they do." The WikiLeaks founder arrived at the U.S. territory, located in the western Pacific, to "formalize the plea deal," WikiLeaks said. He was photographed arriving at the U.S. District Court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, Wednesday morning local time wearing a dark suit and brown tie. He did not take any questions from reporters, according to the AP. PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at a United States District Court in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., June 26, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters) Following the plea hearing, Assange is expected to travel to his native Australia. Assange was photographed earlier Tuesday boarding a private plane in the United Kingdom after he reached a deal with prosecutors in the U.S. to plead guilty to a single felony count. MORE: Timeline of Julian Assange's 14-year-long saga to dodge extradition Assange had been accused by the United States of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, who, as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, leaked to Assange hundreds of thousands of classified documents, including about 250,000 U.S. Department of State cables. WikiLeaks began publishing those documents in 2010. "Julian Assange is free," WikiLeaks said in a statement posted to social media early on Tuesday. PHOTO:A private jet believed to be carrying Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, after he left a British prison, lands on the tarmac at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, June 25, 2024. (Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters) MORE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange expected to plead guilty, avoid further prison time as part of deal with US Assange on Monday walked out of London's Belmarsh High Security Prison after more than five years at the facility, WikiLeaks said. He'd spent 1901 days there, the group said. "He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK," WikiLeaks said. PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange boards a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released June 25, 2024. (WikiLeaks/X via Reuters) "After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," WikiLeaks added. PHOTO: This screen shot courtesy of WikiLeaks' X page shows Wikileaks founder Julian Assange walking to board a plane from London Stansted Airport on June 24, 2024. (WikiLeaks/AFP via Getty Images) Stella Assange, a longtime partner who married Assange in 2022, released a statement praising the "incredible movement" that had sprung up to protest Assange's detention and the U.S. charges against him. "A movement of people from all walks of life, from around the world who support not just Julian, and not just us and our family, but what Julian stands for: Truth and justice," Stella Assange said. "We still need your help. What starts now with Julian's freedom is a new chapter." ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Patrick Reevell contributed to this report. Julian Assange pleads guilty at hearing in the Northern Mariana Islands originally appeared on abcnews.go.com JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) Pat Walding has installed a lot of landscaping in Johnson Citys public spaces over the years, but the citys forester has never been able to make his mark on a canvas quite as large as the one hes working on now. Washington Co., Va. Planning Commission denies permit for Wolf Hills Solar Project As crews planted a variety of flowering and green shrubs, laid on mulch and gave the thirsty new plants copious amounts of water in the relative cool of early morning, Walding described the West Walnut Street projects aims from a planting perspective. I try to have a planned look, Walding told News Channel 11 while standing near the intersection of West Walnut and Union streets, a stones throw from the recently renovated Ashe Street Courthouse. The plant palette is what I call it, is scattered throughout so youre seeing some of the same patterns. The corridors plant palette will include thousands of low-growing perennials in a variety of colors and blooming seasons. (Photo: WJHL) Wherever theres a section of soil along the .85-mile stretch of West Walnut from Buffalo Street to University Parkway, Walding and his crews will be filling it as their part of the $33 million-plus infrastructure project that began in late 2021. The same will occur on a quarter-mile stretch of Ashe Street, with Walding estimating theyll put in up to 3,000 mostly low-growing plants before this fall. He said the plants are low-maintenance but have a lot of what he called interest for the many walkers and bikers the city expects will traverse the refurbished area that connects East Tennessee State University to downtown. Fall interest, flowering summer interest and they can take the heat and take the cold, Walding said. Its meant to pop youve got lime-colored shrubs, youve got orange shrubs, so its just meant to catch your eye and be kind of a cherry on top of this project. We really do see the light at the end of the tunnel One person happy to see that cherry beginning to top the massive project is Wallace McCullough, Johnson Citys lead engineer. Its huge to be able to see all weve got here, McCullough said, referring to the presence of street lamps, decorative brickwork and now the landscaping. The project starts to look finished. Kingsports Wallace News, J. Fred Johnson buildings in redevelopment pipeline Its been a long time coming, with the original contracted completion date nearly a year in the rear-view mirror. McCullough said crews from Summers-Taylor, the general contractor on the project, are making relatively swift progress on phase two, the section of Walnut that stretches west from Watauga Avenue to University Parkway. Phase one is likely to be done before the end of this year. Johnson City City Forester Pat Walding and a tiny portion of what is the largest single landscaping/design project of his career on West Walnut and Ashe streets. (Photo: WJHL) We really do see the light at the end of the tunnel for this stuff, McCullough said of the project that combines massive infrastructure improvements, including putting all utilities below ground, with beautification. The citys goal has been to create a walkable and bikeable corridor from ETSU to downtown that will attract private enterprise and generate growth and tax revenue that make the public investment worthwhile. This is great. Im loving that were able to see finished intersections. You get a picture of what its really going to look like, and I understand the neighborhoods pretty happy, they come down here to walk some from what Ive heard. And the landscaping really is kind of the finishing touch on this whole thing, and thats kind of a big deal. McCullough is hopeful Summers-Taylor and its subcontractors can complete utilities on phase two within a couple of months, after which theyll construct curbs and gutters and lay down base asphalt. Phase one could get final pavement by the end of 2024. Hawkins County Commission postpones budget approval amid property tax increase concerns By next summer, the dozens of new street lamps that line the corridor should have hanging baskets to complement the ground landscaping, along with the kind of banner art on display downtown and in Founders Park. For Walding, it could be the most significant project of a long career with the city. Ive never done something on this scale, he said. This is probably four or five years worth of work in one season, but weve got good people. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. A screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange (L) upon his arrival in Bangkok. Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on 24 June following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said. @wikileaks/PA Wire/dpa Julian Assange, founder of the Wikileaks whistleblowing publisher, has struck a deal with the United States in the long-running dispute over his extradition and is expected to be released. According to Wikileaks, after being released from British custody, Assange took off for the Western Pacific on Tuesday evening after a stopover of several hours in Bangkok. The agreement in principle will allow Assange - who has been held in jail in the United Kingdom in a years-long extradition dispute - to be released to freedom in exchange for pleading guilty to espionage before a US court. Washington accuses Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with the whistleblower Chlesea Manning, thereby allegedly endangering the lives of US intelligence sources and others. He is expected to be sentenced to more than five years in prison. This is the same length of time that the internet activist has already spent in a high-security prison in London. Assange's plane takes off for US foreign territory Assange is travelling on a Bombardier charter plane from Thailand's capital to the island of Saipan, which belongs to the Northern Mariana Islands and is a foreign territory of the United States. On the flightradar24 flight-tracking platform, flight number VJT199, which Assange's wife Stella and Wikileaks had previously mentioned on social media, was the connection most monitored by users worldwide. A letter from the US Department of Justice to the judge in charge, Ramona Manglona, states that the location was chosen because Assange did not want to travel to the United States and the archipelago is close to Australia. The aircraft is expected to arrive early Wednesday morning. The Australian is due to appear in court in the US territory on Wednesday. The 52-year-old is then expected to travel on to his homeland in Australia. Australia welcomes its citizen's release Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday welcomed the development and said his country was providing assistance to Assange. "The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Mr Julian Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States," Albanese told Australia's parliament during Question Time, calling the news a "welcome development." Family waiting in Australia Wikileaks posted on X that there had been long negotiations with the US Department of Justice. "After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars," Wikileaks wrote on X. His wife published a photo on X that was reportedly taken in Sydney and shows a video call with her husband from Stansted Airport. "Frankly, it's just incredible. It feels like it's not real," Stella Assange told the BBC in an interview. She had not yet had time to discuss what the couple would do after the release but said his health is a priority. Assange's parents thanked the supporters who had campaigned for their son for years and said they were grateful that their ordeal is over. US former vice president Pence unhappy "Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Pence wrote on X. "The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever." The Assange deal could be a topic for Thursday's debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump. Unnoticed departure from Britain It had been speculated for several months that such a deal would put an end to the Assange case. Nevertheless, the timing comes as a surprise. Unnoticed by the public, Assange was released from the London prison on Monday and taken to Stansted Airport. A video released by Wikileaks overnight showed the Australian boarding the jet in a shirt and jeans, glasses pushed into his hair. Germany welcomes planned plea deal German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her approval of the deal during a visit to Jerusalem on Tuesday in response to questions from journalists. "I can only say that I am very happy that this case, which has been discussed very emotionally all over the world and has moved many people, has finally found a solution," Baerbock said. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also welcomed the agreement in principle. Reporters Without Borders: "Long overdue victory" Rebecca Vincent, director of campaigns for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said in a statement: "We are hugely relieved that Julian Assange is finally free - a long overdue victory for journalism and press freedom. "He never should have spent a single day deprived of his liberty for publishing information in the public interest. "Nothing can undo the past 13 years, but it is never too late to do the right thing, and we welcome this move by the US government." Soon, the capital is planning to build two CHP plants that will use garbage as fuel. Thus, Kyiv is studying the experience of other cities in waste management. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the KCSA. In particular, city officials visited Lviv and the construction sites of the mechanical and biological waste processing complex. The delegation also inspected a landfill near the village of Hrybovychi, where reclamation is underway. ADVERTISIMENT "For large cities, this replacement of conventional fuels solves two problems at once: energy shortages and the problem of garbage accumulation. This practice is widely used in European cities, and we want to apply it," the KCSA said. It is noted that in Lviv, these projects are funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, so they are important in the context of international cooperation between Ukrainian cities and the implementation of EU practices. "The topic of waste management and treatment does not lose its urgency despite the martial law in the country. After all, the amount of waste is not decreasing, and its proper and safe disposal requires effective solutions. We see that the construction of a landfill for Lviv is actively continuing. It is important that in the future, the waste processing complex will use the potential of household waste as a source of electricity," explained Petro Panteleev, a representative of the Kyiv City State Administration. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, representatives of Kyiv agreed with their Lviv colleagues on further cooperation in this area and exchange of experience for the most rational use of waste as an energy source. ADVERTISIMENT "Ukraine lives in conditions of energy deficit. The enemy is trying to destroy the existing energy system with systemic attacks, depriving us of electricity and gas. Therefore, we must use all the ways and opportunities that will allow us to produce energy. This is what the Kyiv Energy Sustainability Concept (Energy Recovery: the Way to Distributed Cogeneration) is aimed at," said the KCSA representative. On June 25, blackout schedules will be applied around the clock in Ukraine. Thus, the restrictions will be applied from 00:00 to 24:00. At the same time, twice in the next day, an enhanced blackout regime will be applied - from 02:00 to 05:00 and from 12:00 to 23:00. During this time, there will be more hours without electricity (for example, the "gray zones" of the schedules will be used). Experts say that the situation will not improve in the next 2 months. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine has lost more than 40 GW of power generation due to the occupation and destruction during the war, which poses a serious threat to the country's energy security. Particularly large losses occurred in thermal and hydroelectric generation in 2024. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! HOLLSOPPLE Kristene Dubics and her husband, Tom, are determined to put life jacket loaner stations at public recreation areas across western Pennsylvania and urge people to use them. The latest station opened in June at the Quemahoning Family Recreation Area (QFRA), the same place where, almost six years ago, their 18-year-old son Joey drowned while paddleboarding on the reservoir with friends. Celebrating the USA: Looking for Fourth of July festivities? Here are some we've found Kristene and Tom Dubics stand next to the life jacket loaner station they opened at the Quemahoning Family Recreation Area through Joeys Jackets, their nonprofit organization named in memory of their son, Joey, pictured in the flag at left. Even though Joey was an expert swimmer and had a life jacket with him, Kristene said he was not wearing it when he dove into the reservoir to retrieve an item that fell into the water. After five days of intensive searching by water rescue teams and other volunteers, Joeys body was found 79 feet below the surface of the water. 'Like wearing a seat belt' So now the Dubics, from Seward, have started Joeys Jackets, a nonprofit organization that collects life jackets to hand out or to loan to people at public recreation areas, including the QFRA. An equally important part of their mission is to teach children and adults about water safety and the importance of wearing life jackets when swimming or enjoying any kind of water sports, they said. We lose 4,000 people a year in the United States to drowning 11 busloads of children a year and 80% of that could be prevented if you wear a life jacket, Kristene Dubics said. We want to change that by placing these (loaner) boards, and Im going to keep trying to educate people on the importance of life jackets. We want it to be normal, like (wearing) a seat belt. Don't Forget Your Life Jacket 60-sec PSA So far, they have collected about 500 life jackets, most of which have already been given away or are being used at loaner stations like the one at the QFRA. The loaner stand and 30 life jackets at the QFRA were provided by the Shade Creek Watershed Association. Annette Jones from the Benscreek Watershed, she was such an advocate. She connected me to people who knew people who knew people, and thats how the Shade Watershed got involved. They got a grant for the stand and 30 life jackets, Dubics said. Life jackets are available for infants to adults at the QFRA loaner station, located next to the boat launch. I want to thank the CSA (Cambria Somerset Authority) for allowing this to happen, I want to thank Tausha (Garretson, QFRA manager) and the Que crew for your unwavering support all these years. I want to thank the Shade Watershed for getting the grant for the stand and the life jackets and the Benscreek Watershed for supporting us. The first person to borrow a life jacket at the loaner station was Heidi Draeger, a paramedic with Conemaugh Township EMS who worked on the search detail and has supported the Dubics family since Joey's body was recovered. Long-distance friendship: Somerset PA, and England pen pals still going strong after 77 years Turning grief into action Since Joeys death, Tom and Kristene have often camped at the QFRA in the summer. Despite the circumstances, staying at the reservoir gives them peace and a sense of his presence, Kristene Dubics said. My sons last words were, he was laying on the board and he said, Its so beautiful here. It was my last gift from my son. That was his last gift to us, she said. Its also where they discovered how to turn their grief into something purposeful. Last year when we hit the five-year mark, I knew I wanted to do something, Dubics said. We camp here, and we saw different ones going in (the reservoir) without life jackets, they didnt have them. So we carried them in our camper, and we were giving them out. And one day, Joeys Jackets just popped in my head. I investigated, and there are loaner stands all over the country. Theres 1,300 through the Sea Tow Foundation, theres 650 through the Boat U.S. Foundation. I just took it from there and we started collecting them. We just did it on a small scale and a friend of a friend told someone, it was in the newspaper and we were interviewed and we got more and more life jackets. The loaner stands also have a sign that explains how to put on a life jacket properly, because that is as important as having the life jacket to wear in the first place, Dubics said. A sign at the loaner station gives instructions to put on a life jacket correctly. In the center of the sign is a photo of the Dubics' 18-year-old son, Joey, who drowned in the Quemahoning Reservoir in 2018. If its not fitting right, you can drown, you can slip right out of it. Thats why on the back (of the sign are instructions) to show you how to put it on (correctly), she said. Collecting life jackets will be continually ongoing, Dubics added, and anyone who wants to donate life jackets can message her through the Joeys Jackets Facebook page. Currently, there are loaner stands at Prince Gallitzin State Park and at the QFRA, and Dubics said she is working to place stands at more public recreation areas in western Pennsylvania. Better service: Why 5G cellular service is now available in and around Hooversville There have been liability concerns expressed by some of the organizations that manage these recreational properties, but Dubics said she has learned that Pennsylvania law does protect these landowners from liability. Some of the places are turning me down because of liability (concerns), but there is a Recreation Immunity Act (Act 98 of 2018) that protects all these places, she said. An insurance agent told me that. I looked into it and there is such an act, so Im trying to push that too. 'I want to save them all' Life jackets are available at the loaner station for anyone to use, from infants to adults. Dubics also plans to check the loaner stands weekly and replace any jackets that are worn, damaged or otherwise need to be replaced. She encourages anyone to borrow a life jacket at the loaner station before they go into the water, regardless of whether theyre in the public swimming area or on a paddleboard, kayak or boat on the open water. If they need it, take it, I dont care if theyre swimming or whatever, Dubics said. You can drown in half a cup of water an adult in 60 seconds, and a child in 30 seconds. And thats the other part of their mission to educate the public about the importance of water safety and why wearing a life jacket is so important, even for experienced swimmers. Dubics said shes talked to elementary and high school students, Scout groups, outdoors programs, anywhere she can get the message out that life jackets save lives. Shes also willing to hand out life jackets to those who cant afford them. Ill go anywhere, schools, groups, churches to talk about water safety, Dubics said. I dont want a child to go without (a life jacket) if I can help it. "(Joey) swam since he was 3, but he still died with his life jacket on his board because he didnt need it. He was an excellent swimmer, but you dont realize the difference between open water and pool water I didnt teach him that. This water (at the Quemahoning Reservoir) is 100 feet deep, and our pool is 5 feet deep. Any open water, you dont know deep it is. Im trying to push that, to have a sign that says how deep the water possibly could be. It could be that light bulb moment for someone. People go out here with their life jacket strapped to their board we tell them, 'How are you going to get it?' (They reply,) Oh, Ill get it. No, youre not going to get it. (His life jacket) wasnt strapped onto Joeys board, he couldve grabbed it but he just went down. He was in excellent shape, but his muscles all seized up (because of the water temperature). The divers told us because he had no body fat on him, he seized up quicker. So now Kristene and Tom Dubics and Joeys Jackets will continually promote water safety across the region, in Joeys honor. I dont want another mother to have to go to sleep without her baby, Kristene Dubics said. I want to save them all. Beth covers news in the northern communities of Somerset County for the Daily American. Send any story ideas to her at bethm@dailyamerican.com. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Family starts nonprofit to promote life jacket use and water safety Five suspects who investigators say shot more than 30 rounds at a Nashville police officer were arrested in Wilson County after a "high speed" pursuit that included a helicopter late Monday night. The suspects were identified Tuesday as Eric O. Mario, 23, Ronny I. Edmonds, 19, Mahamed M. Muganga, 18, Abraham G. Mario, 19, and Omar A. Yussuf, 18, all of Nashville, according to police. All of them are charged with multiple crimes that police say include aggravated assault on a first responder, using guns in the commission of a dangerous felony, auto theft, gun theft, felony marijuana possession, and evading arrest. Nashville Detective Chris Lawson was shot at while conducting surveillance in the area of Howerton and North 6th streets as part of a policing mission, according to the department. Lawson saw the men holding guns in a parking lot off North 6th Street and drove his undercover police car down Howerton Street to turn around and get a better view, police said. As he did, the men began walking toward him, split sides of the street, and began firing as Lawson took action to get out of the line of fire, according to police. The detective alerted other units about the suspects, who police said fled the scene in a stolen Infiniti. The pursuit included the helicopter and continued from Interstate 40 into Wilson County, Nashville police said. Mt. Juliet police were notified around 11 p.m. of police pursuit with armed suspects, according to that department. The helicopter relayed the car's location throughout the pursuit, "which allowed our officers to get into a position to successfully deploy spikes to stop the vehicle," Mt. Juliet Deputy Chief Tyler Chandler said. Mt. Juliet police deployed the strips from Interstate 40 to Golden Bear Gateway, the department reported. After the vehicle was disabled, the suspects ran into some nearby woods on Golden Bear Gateway at Volunteer Boulevard, and a perimeter was established until all suspects were taken into custody, according to police. It's uncertain what led up to the shooting in Nashville. Mt. Juliet police car Six guns were recovered after the chase, including two that had been modified be fully automatic weapons, Nashville police said. Lawson's surveillance in the area was part of the TITANS (The Investigative Team Addressing Neighborhood Shootings) Units precision policing mission, according to the department. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Lawson was "extremely fortunate not to have been shot," while on duty. Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police say suspects shot at cop, arrested in Mt. Juliet Tag Sale Someone who apparently really hates Tesla CEO Elon Musk and has access to cans of spray paint tagged "F**k Elon" on each of the 34 Tesla Cybertrucks parked in a lot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, WPLG Local 10 reports. The graffiti came to light in the wee early morning hours of Friday last week when a passerby, walking his dog, took notice of the vandalized Cybertrucks, which start around at $80,000 apiece, and took a video of the cars for posting online. "Vandalism is not acceptable," the passerby, Yasser Rabello, told the local TV news outlet, stating the obvious. "It is illegal." Later that day, all the Cybertrucks which are collectively worth around $2.7 million were wiped clean and started attracting local residents and the curious who had gotten wind of the curse-laden graffiti job on the Tesla vehicles. "It was just one row and then it was a second row, and then a third row and a fourth row," Adam Docktor, who works in the neighborhood, told WPLG Local 10 about when he first say the tagged vehicles. "I just heard about it and I came out here to see if it was true and I see all of these Teslas," TikToker Chase Thomas told the news outlet. Hate Parade Local police are investigating the incident with the Cybertrucks, which were basically sitting ducks because the lot, which Tesla leased for storage, is open to anybody with "no security, no gates, nothing," as described by TikToker AJ Cook to WPLG Local 10. Who would hate on the Cybertruck and Musk and take the time to tag these trucks? Possibilities abound. Perhaps it's a frustrated owner of a Cybertruck, which have had a rocky reception online and in real life. The most recent bad news for the much-hyped vehicle is that Tesla delayed the delivery of some Cybertrucks because the laughably gigantic 62-inch windshield wiper keeps failing. Other bad Cybertruck news is that the vehicle can cause bodily injury or will send you to the mechanic multiple times, frustrating many motorists who were excited about the vehicle when Musk first unveiled it in 2019. Other Cybertruck pain points include range and charging issues and towing capacity. Or perhaps the graffiti vandal just hates Musk period and sees the Cybertruck as representative of his outsize reign on larger society. Like the Cybertruck, Musk is erratic and prone to overpromising and under delivering, from Tesla to Twitter. And he seems to have little care for employees, like the ones at SpaceX and Tesla who get injured. And at a deeper level, Musk as described by his biographer Walter Isaacson can be a "jerk." And that sentiment is aptly described in the tagged graffiti: "F**k Elon." More on the Tesla Cybertruck: Tesla Cancels Cybertruck Deliveries After Their Gigantic Windshield Wipers Start Failing Police suspect no foul play in death of man found in First Bossier parking lot First Baptist Church of Bossier photographed on June 9, 2022. Bossier City Police suspect no foul play after a man was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of a local church. Bossier City Police were dispatched to the parking lot of First Bossier Baptist Church, 2810 Texas St., on June 23, where officers discovered a 65-year-old man unresponsive. According to Louis Johnson, Bossier City public information officer, officers determined in their investigation that no foul play was involved in the death of the man, and it is believed he died of natural causes. It is believed that the man was homeless and was living out of his car. The identity of the man has not yet been released. More: Shreveport Fire Department asks for your help after another vacant apartment building catches fire Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Here's what happened to man found dead in First Baptist Bossier parking lot Politics does not have to be a slog: Pod Save America hosts pen how-to guide on getting involved The hosts behind Pod Save America are setting their sights on saving democracy, with a new how-to guide on becoming politically engaged. Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps, Tommy Vietor said, is for a person who wants to get more involved in politics, is concerned about the state of the country or democracy and doesnt know how. We will walk you through a series of steps from the easiest, lightest lift, to how to get good information, to voting, to donating, to volunteering, said Vietor, who co-hosts Pod Save America along with fellow former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Lovett. The goal is to just sort of put all this helpful information in one place, but do it in a way that its fun and funny and reminds people that politics does not have to be a slog, even if sometimes it can feel like it. Crooked Media Asked what he would say to Americans who might not have time to knock on doors or organize events, the 43-year-old ex-Obama administration spokesperson said, Its not an all or nothing proposition. If you have an hour a month you can give, thatll add up. It can be as simple as thinking about friends you know who live in swing states for the presidential campaign or in states where theyre contested congressional or governors races and encouraging them to get involved, talking to people about issues, Vietor, who penned the book released Tuesday with his co-hosts and writer Josh Halloway, said. Vietor said the or else in the title is more tongue-in-cheek than a scare tactic to propel voters into action, but the critic of former President Trump described the stakes in the November White House race as so high with margins so slim. As it stands right ahead of Thursdays first presidential debate between the two candidates in Atlanta, Vietor said, President Biden has a 50/50 shot. The last election basically boiled down to Joe Biden getting about 40,000 more votes than Donald Trump in some key states, and I imagine its going to be the same this time around, he said. Rather than prognosticating, Vietor said the debate for him is less predictions than anxiety. But Im excited to watch to see if [CNNs co-moderator] Jake Tapper brings like a shock collar or however theyre going to keep these candidates in line, he quipped. Proceeds from the sale of Democracy or Else go to Vote Save America, a hybrid political action committee focused on progressive political fundraising and created by the Pod Save America hosts company, Crooked Media. The Trump era, said Vietor, who just welcomed a son six weeks ago with wife Hanna, felt sort of negative, and nasty and demoralizing. What we want to remind people is that getting involved in politics can be fun and hopeful, and it really, really matters and that they should consider doing it. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In politics, you cant escape your votes. What happens in Sacramento follows you home | Opinion Politicians should always be mindful of the Miranda Rights of politics: Your past votes may be used against you in the court of public opinion. This axiom was on full display last week when the National Republican Congressional Committee unleashed an attack against Asm. Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, who is challenging Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, for his 2017 vote as a state legislator on a climate policy tied to gas price increases. Salas voted to re-authorize Californias Cap and Trade program that allows for emission credits to be sold to industries to offset their carbon pollutants that warm the atmosphere. Opinion How does this vote impact gas prices? Oil refineries have to participate in the Cap-and-Trade program, and the independent Legislative Analyst Office has estimated that the program added 27 cents to the price of a gallon of gas. So is it defensible for the Republican strategists to attack Salas for voting to increase gas prices? Sure. Is it fair? Thats up to voters. But as a Republican strategist observing this race, and as someone who has clients in the oil industry, this line of attack appeared to be effective in 2022 when Salas first challenged Valadao and lost. The upshot is that these are complicated policies and legislators dont always know how their votes will play out in the future. For example, in 1996, lawmakers from both parties passed the deregulation of the state electricity market. It was hailed by its champions as an effort to protect California consumers and promised lower electric bills. Of course, five years later, the state was mired in an electricity crisis and the deregulation was largely blamed for allowing the manipulation of the California power market by Enron and others that led to blackouts. Fast forward to the 2005 Los Angeles mayoral race, when Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, D- Los Angeles, was attacked by incumbent Mayor James Hahn for supporting deregulation. Hertzberg didnt see that coming when he cast that vote in 1996. He lost in the primary. But watching Salas once again attacked years after his Cap-and-Trade vote makes me wonder about the fate of current legislators who last year voted for Senate Bill X1-2, legislation pushed through the legislature by Gov. Gavin Newsom to empower the California Energy Commission to set a maximum profit margin for gasoline refiners and impose a penalty upon them for exceeding that margin. The policy is basically a price control scheme that has historically led to constrained gas supplies which then, of course, leads to higher prices the opposite of the intended policy. Democratic lawmakers acceded to the governors insistence and passed the bill into law. Many legislators privately expressed skepticism that such a penalty would ever be enacted. However, Newsom is pushing the Energy Commission to set the profit cap and directed them last fall to start the regulatory process. The Newsom administration is hoping for a cap as early as around the November election. Will SBX1-2 come back to haunt Democrats in future campaigns? Time will tell. In politics, you cant escape your votes. Its not like a stay in Vegas. What happens in Sacramento follows you home. Rudy Salas is merely the latest example. Rob Stutzman is a Sacramento-based public affairs consultant and former deputy chief of staff for communications for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. New poll shows R.I. likely voters back inspector general. But Gov. McKee has some work to do. Gov. Dan McKee is shown during his State of the State address in the House chamber on Jan. 16, 2024. (Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current) Twice as many likely voters back a state inspector general than their own governor, according to a new survey published Tuesday by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. Nearly three-quarters of the 1,450 likely voters surveyed from June 5 to 14 support a new Rhode Island Office of the Inspector General to root out corruption, fraud and government financial mismanagement. A contingent of state lawmakers, mostly Republicans, have unsuccessfully pushed for this for more than 20 years, even bringing in Massachusetts inspector general to the State House in May to explain how the first-in-the-nation Commonwealth office operates. The proposal failed to advance again during the 2024 legislative session. But among voters, support is strong and spans the political gamut, with nearly 70% support among Democrats and even more from Republican and unaffiliated voters. That stands in stark contrast to the 36% of survey takers who said they strongly or somewhat approve of Gov. Dan McKee a 13 percentage-point decline over the sentiment among voters toward McKee in an April poll by Morning Consult. I would put it toward the Washington Bridge and the continued slog of it, Katie Langford Sonder, Pell Center fellow and associate director, said in an interview on Monday. We are so many months in, and its affecting peoples day-to-day lives so viscerally. People are craving a solution. Orange signs for I-95 hang over the closed westbound side of the Washington Bridge in March 2024. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Fewer than 30% of those surveyed approved of McKees handling of the westbound bridge closure, while nearly six in 10 thought his oversight fell short. Criticism was strongest among Republican voters, though four in 10 Democrats and two-thirds of unaffiliated voters also expressed disapproval. McKees office did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment on the survey results. I would put it toward the Washington Bridge and the continued slog of it. We are so many months in, and its affecting peoples day-to-day lives so viscerally. People are craving a solution. Katie Langford Sonder, Pell Center fellow and associate director The next state gubernatorial election is not until 2026. Much closer: the 2024 presidential election, where the traditionally Democratic stronghold that is the Ocean State looks less blue than usual. President Joe Biden maintained a slim 7% margin over Donald Trump among survey takers if the election were held today. That took Langford Sonder by surprise, especially given the more-than-20 percentage point margin Rhode Island voters gave to Biden in 2020. One explanation: Its still early, Langford Sonder said, noting the poll was conducted ahead of the first presidential debate, slated for Thursday and hosted by CNN. Democrats seem unsure, she said. At the time of the June survey, 10% of Democratic voters were undecided. Also noteworthy: the level of support for independent presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr., especially among unaffiliated voters, 17% of whom backed Kennedy if the election were held the day of the survey. Rhode Islands congressional delegation, three of whom are facing reelection this November, appear much more likely to win based on support of survey takers. Rep. Gabe Amo, who represents the 1st Congressional District following a November 2023 special election, had the strongest showing, with 50% of likely voters saying they would cast ballots for him again if the election was today. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Seth Magaziner garnered 48% and 47%, respectively. Sen. Jack Reed, shown at the official launch of the Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Departments newest pumper truck on June 1, 2024, has the highest approval rating among the states congressional delegation in a new poll. (Courtesy of Office of Sen. Jack Reed) Support highest for Reed Sen. Jack Reed is not up for reelection this year, but in a separate question measuring approval of job performance, Reed had the most support of any members of Rhode Islands congressional delegation at 58% 10 percentage points higher than Whitehouse. Reed is the more moderate candidate, Langford Sonder said. Whitehouse tends to be stronger and more vocal in his views on dark money and climate change. Whitehouse has taken a leading role in calling for the investigation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on the heels of a 2023 ProPublica investigation exposing alleged misconduct by Thomas. Another ethical and criminal scandal involving Trump appeared to have little impact on the states Republican and Democratic voters in the survey. The polling occurred days after a New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts for falsifying records to try to cover up a sex scandal during his 2016 presidential campaign. Reaction to the outcome showcased a clear divide among state voters by party affiliation, with more than 90% of Democrats expressing agreement with the decision, while nearly as many Republicans disagreed. There is certainly a split, but I am not comfortable saying its causation, Langford Sonder said. However, she backed the surveys results with full confidence, noting the extremely low 2.8% margin of error. The survey conducted by Embold Research on behalf of the Pell Center also took stock of voters attitudes on news media, faith in the election outcome and polarization. A second iteration of the survey is planned for September, with an October release, to measure how answers on these topics change closer to the election. The post New poll shows R.I. likely voters back inspector general. But Gov. McKee has some work to do. appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Related video above from July 6, 2023: Olympus Pools owner banned for life from pool business, as part of AG settlement TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida pool company owner was sentenced to 30 years in prison for stealing $1.2 million from homeowners and leaving them with holes in their yards, according to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Chrystal Washburn, who owns Amore Pools, took payments from homeowners but left pools unfinished, Moody said. Washburn and her husband, Brian Washburn, would often leave debris piles along with holes in homeowners backyards. This couple promised to deliver dream pools, but left holes in Floridians hearts and backyards, by abandoning pool projects and stealing more than $1.2 million in cash, Moody said in a statement. Chrystal Washburn started Amore Pools by obtaining a fraudulent contractors license, Moody said, despite having no prior experience in the industry, by lying on the application and forging another contractors signature. Florida pool contractor gets 18 years after pocketing more than $1M from homeowners, leaving holes in backyards She also had a Palm Beach County engineer fraudulently vouch for her experience and said she had worked for his company previously, Moody said. The Washburns took the checks to a third-party check cashing store to receive cash in an attempt to cover up the fraud and make it impossible for customers to receive money back, Moody said. They also forged customers signatures on permit applications. Several homeowners ended up with liens on their homes after Amore Pools failed to pay its vendors. Chrystal Washburn was found guilty of false information on an application for a contractors license; unlicensed contractor, state of emergency; organized scheme to defraud; seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information; two counts of money laundering; omit/conceal information to avoid workers compensation premium; and insurance application fraud. Brian Washburn had already been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Public Libraries, El Paso Countys Community Services Department and Border Network for Human Rights have released their pop-up locations for residents to receive their Enhanced Library Cards (ELC). The pop-up locations will be set up in areas for residents that live outside of the El Paso city limits, according to El Paso County in its news release. The following are the pop-up locations with their respective times: Ilumina Library, 15371 Kentwood Ave., Horizon City Open from 12 to 4 p.m. on Fridays Fabens Community Center, 201 NW Camp St. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays Canutillo Community Center, 7351 Bosque Rd. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays ELCs are a free full-service library card that can also be used as a supplemental form of identification and can be used as ID cards at all El Paso County and City of El Paso offices, the County said. Residents that want to receive a ELC must have a proof of identification and proof of residence within El Paso County, the County said. The card will also have added security features and are non-transferable. ELCs will have personally identifiable information such as a photo, name, address, height, weight, age and gender. For more information on the pop-ups and a complete list of needed documentation and guidelines for ELCs, you can visit the El Pasos Public Library website here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Fujitsu engineer Gareth Jenkins leaving the Horizon IT Inquiry on Tuesday after the first of four days giving evidence - Jamie Lorriman A former Fujitsu engineer who helped to design the Post Office Horizon system has refused to accept a High Court judges ruling that it was not remotely robust. The faulty IT software was the subject of a number of damning High Court rulings by Mr Justice Fraser after it was used to wrongfully prosecute more than 900 sub-postmasters. The scandal was brought to light by former sub-postmaster Sir Alan Bates, who led 554 of his colleagues to a High Court victory in 2019. Sir Alan Bates leaves the Post Office Inquiry after giving his evidence in April - David Rose for The Telegraph But Mr Jenkins, who was part of the team that designed the system, refused to accept several of the findings in Mr Justice Frasers judgment when giving evidence at the Post Office Inquiry on Tuesday. Jason Beer KC, the lead counsel to the inquiry, asked him: Do I take it that you accept his first finding that Legacy Horizon was not remotely robust? Mr Jenkins replied: I dont accept that finding. Pressed on whether he believed Horizon to be susceptible to accounting flaws, he said: There were some discrete bugs that caused problems to the accounts, but they were very discrete and I believe they were all well-controlled and managed at the time. When asked whether he accepted the judges findings on the fact that bugs, errors and defects could cause discrepancies, he said: They could cause discrepancies in branch accounts but not at the sort of level that are being talked about. Mr Jenkins went on to add that he wouldnt like to say that the judge got it wrong, but said: There were clearly problems and he identified a number of problems, I wont dispute those problems happened, but on the whole I felt that the systems were working well. Despite not having the high profile of other inquiry witnesses such as Paula Vennells, the former Post Office chief executive, and Sir Alan, recently knighted in the Kings Birthday Honours List, Mr Jenkins played a notable role in the scandal. He was an expert witness for the Post Office in several sub-postmaster prosecutions. Former sub-postmistress Seema Misra, who was wrongfully jailed, said she was angry Mr Jenkins still did not accept the system was faulty - Andrew Baker One sub-postmistress who was sent to prison on Mr Jenkins expert evidence was Seema Misra, who was handed a 15-month sentence in 2010 over an alleged 74,000 shortfall at her branch in West Byfleet, Surrey. In one of five witness statements he submitted to the inquiry, Mr Jenkins said that he was truly sorry that Mrs Misra was wrongfully convicted, and offered similar apologies in other cases he had been involved in. He also wrote: I did not know that Mrs Misra was pregnant at the time of her conviction and only learned of this many years later. This makes what has happened even more tragic. Mrs Misra, who attended the inquiry in person, told The Telegraph: It made me so angry that even today, he doesnt accept the judges findings - even when its black and white. Ive only seen his apology, I havent heard it yet but nothing is going to change what they put me through, no words can put it right. She added: Its just becoming a ritual with these witnesses, they all come up and they have to apologise. Mr Jenkins described the Post Offices conduct in some sub-postmaster prosecutions as being last-minute and chaotic and said he felt that the organisations lawyers resisted obtaining audit data in some cases. Such information may have assisted an investigation into what was causing a shortfall at a branch. Asked by Mr Beer if he felt under any pressure from the Post Office or its lawyers to refute any suggestion by the defence that there were issues with the software, Mr Jenkins said: There were certainly cases where they were trying to put words into my mouth which I didnt want to say. And I think there are examples of emails where Ive said, Well I agree with what this defence statement is saying and I have nothing really to add to it. Asked what he thought about the pressure, Mr Jenkins said: I just took it as being the way these things happened. There was clearly in some casesthings seemed to be all happening last minute and I just assumed thats how things happened in that kind of environment. When pressed by Mr Beer on his thoughts on the company putting words into his mouth, he said: I wouldnt allow them to put words in my mouth unless I agreed with them. 04:52 PM BST Thats all for today Our live coverage has now ended. Thank you for following. Here is a summary of the days events: Gareth Jenkins, the former Fujitsu engineer who is often referred to as the architect of the faulty Horizon IT system, appeared at Aldwych House in London to face questions from the Post Office inquiry Mr Jenkins issued corrections to his witness statements, of which there are a total of five He told the inquiry the Horizon IT system seemed to be working well most of the time to his knowledge Mr Jenkins also maintained he was not the chief architect of Horizon, despite a witness previously labelling him as such He described the Post Offices conduct in some sub-postmaster prosecutions as being last minute and chaotic Speaking outside the inquiry, sub-postmistress Seema Misra rejected an apology Mr Jenkins made in one of his witness statements Later on, he said he waived his right to refuse to answer some questions because sub-postmasters deserve an explanation for what went so disastrously wrong 04:33 PM BST Inquiry concludes The inquiry has ended for the day and will resume tomorrow morning at 10.05am. 03:32 PM BST Gareth Jenkins says sub-postmasters deserve to know what went so disastrously wrong Gareth Jenkins has said he waived his right to refuse to answer some questions because sub-postmasters deserve an explanation for what went so disastrously wrong. Writing in his witness statement, Mr Jenkins took not an easy decision to rely on his self-incrimination rights in February 2003, declining to answer 36 questions out of concern he had little understanding of the documentary material held by the inquiry. He went on to say that the release of tens of thousands of documents has meant he now felt he had a better understanding of phase three of the inquiry and that he had therefore decided to waive his rights in relation to self-incrimination. Mr Jenkins added: But I also wish to make clear that an important factor in my decision to waive my rights and give this second witness statement is because I have read and, in a number of cases, watched the evidence that the SPMs have given to the Inquiry. I cannot begin to understand the terrible things they suffered. They deserve a full explanation for what went so disastrously wrong. 03:23 PM BST Inquiry returns The inquiry has returned from a short break. 03:13 PM BST Inquiry breaks The Post Office Inquiry has taken a short afternoon break and will resume the questioning of Gareth Jenkins shortly. 03:12 PM BST Post Office barristers comments on Seema Misra made Gareth Jenkins uncomfortable Gareth Jenkins said a Post Office barrister made him feel uncomfortable when he wanted the Fujitsu engineer to say that it looked as though a sub-postmistress had stolen money. In his witness statement, referring to barrister Warwick Tatford, Mr Jenkins said: Mr Tatford made comments on this draft which are visible. He appeared to want me to make some points more strongly in favour of POL [Post Office] than I had done. In particular, he wanted me to say that it looked as though Mrs Misra had stolen money rather than that it was incompetence. Warwick Tatford was the barrister prosecuting for the Post Office in the Seema Misra case. Jason Beer KC said: Did it not make you feel uncomfortable? Mr Jenkins: Yes, because he was trying to change what I was saying to say what he wanted to say rather than what I wanted to say. 02:57 PM BST Gareth Jenkins insists he told the whole truth in witness statements Asked about witness statements he provided to the Post Office which were then used to prosecute sub-postmasters, Gareth Jenkins told the inquiry he believes he told the truth and whole truth as far as the Horizon system was operating. Jason Beer KC said: You signed a statement of truth on each of your witness statements didnt you, a declaration? Mr Jenkins: Yes. Mr Beer: I think you acknowledgethat the witness statements that you signed presented a partial picture of what you were asked about Horizon? Mr Jenkins: Thats correct, yes. Mr Beer then asked if Mr Jenkins thought he was telling about the truth or the whole truth. Mr Jenkins: I was talking about those aspects that related to the Horizon system and I believe I did tell the truth and the whole truth, as far as the Horizon system was operating in the specific branches at the specific times that Id looked at the data. 02:05 PM BST Inquiry returns The Post Office Inquiry has returned from lunch and is continuing to look at a 2009 email from Gareth Jenkins to Thomas Penny regarding the Seema Misra case. Gareth Jenkins being sworn in at the beginning of his first day giving evidence to the Post Office Inquiry - UNPIXS 01:47 PM BST Inquiry breaks for lunch The Post Office Inquiry has taken a short break for lunch and will resume the questioning of Gareth Jenkins, the former Fujitsu engineer, at around 2pm. 01:19 PM BST Sub-postmistress Seema Misra rejects apology from Gareth Jenkins Seema Misra, the former sub-postmistress who was handed a 15-month prison sentence at eight weeks pregnant, has rejected the Fujitsu engineers apology. Speaking to the BBC outside of Aldwych House, Mrs Misra explicitly rejected the apology and said: He could have done it ages ago. Lets see how cooperative he is with the inquiry, she said. Mr Jenkins gave evidence at her trial in 2010, but said sorry for his involvement in one of his five witness statements. 01:11 PM BST Gareth Jenkins not aware sub-postmaster he helped convict was pregnant Gareth Jenkins said he did not know that Seema Misra was pregnant at the time of her conviction. The pregnant sub-postmistress was eight weeks pregnant when she was handed a 15-month sentence in 2010 for an alleged 74,000 shortfall. He gave evidence in her trial and less than three years later, the Post Office would receive legal advice urging the business not to use him in any more cases. In his witness statement, Mr Jenkins said: I did not lie in my written evidence nor in my oral evidence. I did not intend in any way to be misleading. Mr Jenkins, said he thought he had been clear about the limits of his evidence and described lying to convict an innocent person as completely abhorrent. He added: I did not know that Mrs Misra was pregnant at the time of her conviction and only learned of this many years later. This makes what has happened even more tragic. 12:40 PM BST Inquiry resumes The inquiry has returned from a short break and Gareth Jenkins now faces questions on why he was chosen to be an expert witness over other Fujitsu employees. Mr Jenkins has pinpointed his selection because of his overview knowledge of the Post Office account. 12:25 PM BST Inquiry breaks The Post Office Inquiry has once again taken a short break and will resume at 12:35. 12:18 PM BST Horizon engineer deeply affected by prosecutions Gareth Jenkins said he feels deeply affected by the prosecution cases he participated in. The final paragraph in his third witness statement reads: I would like to make clear that I feel deeply affected by the cases I played a part in. I have wanted to explain my part in them. I have apologised to those individuals who were wrongly convicted in the case studies I have addressed and I repeat again how sorry I am. 12:17 PM BST Human error more likely than Horizon fault, says Gareth Jenkins Gareth Jenkins said he does not know why he said the most likely explanation for the losses on former sub-postmaster Lee Castletons accounts was a mistake or fraud. A 2005 email shown to the inquiry from Mr Jenkins to Brian Pinder, a Fujtisu manager, showed the engineer writing: Certainly the most likely explanation is misoperation or fraud. Asked about why this was the case, the former Fujitsu engineer said: Im not sure why I would have said that at the time. I mean looking back at the time there were many options but I accept that those were words I used at the time. Mr Beer KC asked: Why did you use them? To which Mr Jenkins replied: I dont know, is the simple answer. Mr Beer said: Did they disclose the way you were thinking in December 2005. Ie, the most likely cause of what is being described here is a mistake by the sub-postmaster or fraud by the sub-postmaster? Mr Jenkins then responded: My feeling was [human error] was more likely than an error in Horizon, yes. But Im including the option of it being a mistake. 11:55 AM BST Gareth Jenkins unaware of difference between civil and criminal court Gareth Jenkins, who was used as an expert witness to wrongfully prosecute sub-postmasters, has said he did not understand the difference between criminal and civil courts. The Fujitsu engineer has faced questions on an email he sent to Brian Pindar speculating on the cause of errors in the Horizon system, which he determined most likely to be human faults. In the email, he says he appreciates it is not sufficient for a prosecution, which uses the legal terminology of a criminal case despite referring to civil proceedings. Asked at this stage if he understood the difference between criminal and civil proceedings, he responded no. Pressed again by Jason Beer KC on whether he understood courts dealing with money and ones with prison, he answered not really no and continued to say he was probably using loose language as this was an internal email. 11:36 AM BST Gareth Jenkins truly sorry over imprisonment of pregnant sub-postmistress Gareth Jenkins has said he is truly sorry that Seema Misra was wrongfully convicted. The former sub-postmistress was sentenced to a 15-month prison sentence while she was eight-weeks pregnant in 2010. Question on whether he had any concerns about the prosecution proceedings against Mrs Misra, Mr Jenkins wrote in his witness statement: Looking back at my emails and other documentary evidence, I can see that there were concerns on my part and that of Fujitsu about what I was being asked to do and the approach that POL was asking me to take. He went on to say that emails between him and lawyers show he had concerns about whether the Post Office was effectively asking Fujitsu to take on its role. He added: It appears, looking back, that I was doing this [being an expert witness for the Post Office] without much by way of proper guidance or legal oversight. 11:31 AM BST Inquiry resumes The inquiry has returned from a short break and is now looking at documents from the case of Post Office Ltd vs sub-postmaster Lee Castleton. Lee Castleton, 55, was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2007 after the Post Office pursued him through the civil courts as one of the more than 900 sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted as a result of the faulty Horizon IT system. 11:12 AM BST Inquiry takes short break The Post Office Inquiry has taken a short break and will continue at 11:20. 11:09 AM BST Sub-postmaster prosecutions last minute and choatic, says Gareth Jenkins Gareth Jenkins has described the Post Offices conduct in some sub-postmaster prosecutions as being last minute and chaotic. In his witness statement, the former Fujitsu engineer wrote of how Jarnail Singh and Juliet MacFarlane, the in-house Post Office lawyers, would sometimes contact him directly. Mr Jenkins said he had specific difficulties with Mr Singh, the Post Offices head of criminal law, and his approach. Mr Jenkins wrote in the statement: I can say, however, that on occasions the way cases were conducted seemed last minute and chaotic. There were a number of occasions when I had to ask POLs lawyers for clarification of exactly what POL [Post Office Ltd] wanted me to do or details of the Horizon-related issues being raised by the defendant. Mr Jenkins added: I also felt that POLs lawyers resisted obtaining audit data in some cases. 10:59 AM BST Gareth Jenkins confident bugs were being fixed Jason Beer KC continues to press Gareth Jenkins on his suitability as a witness in Post Office prosecutions after telling the telling the inquiry he did not have oversight of all of Horizons known problems. Mr Jenkins said he was confident, possibly wrongly so, that [bugs] were quickly fixed and werent left to fester in the system and have a larger impact. Asked by the lead counsel if it was then appropriate to rely on this confidence in court, he replied: With hindsight, I would have done things differently. 10:53 AM BST Gareth Jenkins maintains he was not the architect of Horizon Gareth Jenkins has told the inquiry he was not the chief architect of Horizon, despite a witness previously labelling him as such. Jason Beer KC asked the former Fujitsu engineer: Were you the chief architect of Horizon? To which Mr Jenkins replied no, I wasnt. Mr Beer then put the question of who the architect of Horizon was, if not him. Mr Jenkins said: Alan Ward was at that time, and I know he was quite involved in the development of EPOSS [the Electronic Point of Sale Service] because there were quite a lot of changes being made and he used to regularly fly off to Boston for a couple of days almost a week to actually work. Gareth Jenkins giving evidence at the Post Office Inquiry at Aldwych House, London - Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry 10:28 AM BST I had no awareness of bugs in Horizon Legacy, says Gareth Jenkins The former expert engineer has said he was not informed of bugs and defects in the Horizon IT system in his role. In one of his witness statement, speaking about his fourth line support role, Mr Jenkins said: I would only have been aware of bugs errors and defects specifically allocated to me by third line support... or when I was asked for specific input. Mr Jenkins confirmed he had no oversight of bugs or defects in the Horizon Legacy system and could not speak on their existence, to which he said not personally no. Jason Beer KC then replied: Who did? 10:15 AM BST Horizon system was working well, says Gareth Jenkins Gareth Jenkins said the Horizon IT system to be working well most of the time to his knowledge. Following questioning on Mr Jenkinss early career at International Computers Ltd, which later became Fujitsu, he was asked by lead counsel Jason Beer whether he believed the system to be working. Most of the time, Mr Jenkins responded. There were clearly problems during the pilots in both cases and there were clearly individual problems that affected individual branches - and Im sure well come onto those in some time - but in general I felt the system was working well. 10:01 AM BST Inquiry hearing Gareth Jenkinss background Gareth Jenkins spent his entire career at Fujitsu, previously known as International Computers Ltd before 2002. Graduating with a mathematics degree from Cambridge University in 1973, he joined the firm upon graduation. He remained employed by the firm until his retirement in 2015. Mr Jenkins tells the inquiry he was one of a team of ten to 20 architects working on the Horizon system, but worked in a technical and not managerial role. 09:52 AM BST Gareth Jenkins files corrections to previous witness statements Mr Jenkins has made five witness statements in total for the inquiry. His fifth witness statement, made only yesterday, is three pages long and consists of three pages of corrections to his previous four witness statements. 09:46 AM BST Gareth Jenkins sworn in Gareth Jenkins has taken his seat to begin giving evidence to the inquiry and been sworn in. It is the first of the four days that will see the former Fujitsu engineer questioned by lead counsel Jason Beer KC. Chair Sir Wyn Williams has given him a direction on self-incrimination. He is not the first witness who has received such advice. 09:46 AM BST Who is left to appear as the inquiry nears its conclusion? Gareth Jenkinss appearance at Tuesdays inquiry marks the last of several high-profile figures who have given evidence as the inquiry nears its conclusion. Over the inquirys fifth and sixth phase, Sir Wyn Williams, the Inquiry chair, has heard from complaints handler Angela van den Bogerd and former Post Office chairman Alice Perkins. Paula Vennells, the former Post Office chief executive, faced three days of questioning from May 22, at which the disgraced boss sobbed while declaring her love for the company. The inquiry will hear from Tim Parker, former Post Office Chair, and politicians Sir Ed Davey and Jo Swinson over the next few weeks. This stage of the inquiry is set to conclude by July 31 with stage seven beginning in September 2024. Paula Vennells arriving to testify at the Post Office Inquiry - Julian Simmonds 09:34 AM BST Gareth Jenkins arrives at Aldwych House The former Fujitsu lawyer has arrived at Aldwych House in London, where the Post Office Inquiry is taking place. It marks the first of Mr Jenkinss four-day testimony giving evidence on his role in the wrongful convictions of over 900 sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015. Gareth Jenkins arrives at Aldwych House for the first of four days giving evidence to the inquiry - Tayfun Salci 09:22 AM BST Mr Jenkins to appear after two postponements The former Fujitsu engineer will appear on Tuesday after his appearance at the testimony was postponed twice. His examination was first scheduled for July 2023 but was postponed following the discovery of over 4,000 key documents that the Post Office had not shared in time for the session. It was then rescheduled for November 2023 but prolonged again after the discovery of another 3,000 documents. Sir Wyn Williams, the Inquiry chair, warned the Post Office that future disclosure requests would be accompanied by the threat of criminal sanction for failure to comply following the first postponement. 09:05 AM BST Gareth Jenkins relinquishes specialist IT title Gareth Jenkins has resigned as a member of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, after he was informed the association could investigate his part in the Post Office scandal. The BCS said: [Our] CEO Rashik Parmar wrote to Jenkins earlier this month to advise him that investigative action under our code of conduct was a potential outcome, pending evidence due to be heard from him at the inquiry. In his reply, Jenkins resigned his membership of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, which includes Chartered IT Professional Status (CITP) . 08:58 AM BST Who is Gareth Jenkins, architect of the Post Office scandal? Gareth Jenkins is a former Fujitsu engineer who helped to design the faulty Horizon IT system that ultimately became responsible for the wrongful convictions of over 900 sub-postmasters. From 2005, he was instrumental in helping the Post Office to defend the software in both criminal and civil cases, testifying as an expert witness in the cases of many sub-postmasters, such as Seema Misra. However, before Mrs Misras trial, Mr Jenkins had already flagged a bug within the IT system that was not disclosed in court. Asked if he was sorry for what happened at his home in Berkshire, Mr Jenkins, 69, told the Telegraph: I dont want to talk. I dont have anything to say to you. He previously demanded immunity before agreeing to appear at todays public inquiry. Mr Jenkins will go under the spotlight this week in four days of questioning by the inquiry the longest run of questioning the inquiry has seen so far. Gareth Jenkins, the former Fujitsu engineer, near his home in Berkshire - Jeff Gilbert 08:55 AM BST Fight is still on for accountability, says wrongfully convicted sub-postmistress Seema Misra, a former Post Office sub-postmaster who was wrongly convicted of stealing 70,000 from her Post Office branch in Surrey, said the fight is still on for compensation and accountability over the Horizon scandal. Asked about what she remembers of the court proceedings, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I clearly remember because it happened in October 2010. She said: I was eight weeks pregnant and on my eldest sons 10th birthday - I was sentenced for 15 months. It was horrible, she added. I lost faith in the system. I thought if I could be sent to prison for the crime I never committed anything is possible. But the fight is still on for compensation and accountability. Seema Misra outside the Post Office Inquiry at Aldwych House on May 22 on the first day of Paula Vennells' appearance - Jordan Pettitt 07:39 AM BST Good morning Welcome to The Telegraphs live coverage of the Post Office Inquiry. On Tuesday, the inquiry will hear from Gareth Jenkins, the former Fujitsu engineer who is often referred to as the architect of the faulty Horizon IT system responsible for the wrongful convictions of over 900 sub-postmasters. Follow along for the latest updates from Fiona Parker, who is reporting live from todays inquiry at Aldwych House, London. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. They are charged with striking civilian objects and civilians in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Both military commanders of the Russian army are individually responsible for the war crimes committed by their subordinates. The ICC decision was made on June 25 and published on its official website. According to the agency, the arrest warrant for Shoigu and Gerasimov was issued on suspicion of their alleged involvement in international crimes committed during the full-scale Russian invasion. The Russian army general and colonel general, respectively, are accused of attacks on civilians in Ukraine and crimes against humanity. These include Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure between October 10, 2022, and at least March 9, 2023. The Hague emphasized that during this period, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a large number of attacks on numerous power plants and substations in different parts of Ukraine. Therefore, there are sufficient grounds to hold Shoigu and Gerasimov responsible for these attacks. ADVERTISIMENT According to the ICC prosecutors, both of them are individually responsible for all these crimes. The Security Service of Ukraine commented on the ICC's decision, noting that it was made, in particular, on the basis of the evidence obtained by the special service's investigators. "It has been documented that at least from October 10, 2022, to March 9, 2023, Shoigu and Gerasimov regularly ordered massive missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities," the SBU said. They clarified that dozens of Ukrainian civilians were killed and injured as a result of enemy attacks, and hundreds of civilian facilities were de-energized during the cold season. Among them are schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and residential buildings. According to the investigation, the occupants used cruise missiles, in particular, of the "Kalibr" and "X-101" types, to carry out air strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities. The aggressor inflicted the main strikes on the energy sector enterprises in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Khmelnytsk, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. ADVERTISIMENT The SBU recalled that in March 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two more Russian officials involved in the shelling of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure: Commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash; Commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov. These individuals were carrying out orders from Shoigu and Gerasimov, launching missile strikes against Ukraine. It should be noted that on March 5, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian Long-Range Aviation Commander Sergei Kobylash and Russian Black Sea Fleet Commander Viktor Sokolov. They are also accused of involvement in a missile campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure from at least October 2022 to March 2023. ADVERTISIMENT An arrest warrant from the ICC means that all of these Russian military leaders, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Russian occupation army, dictator Putin, can be detained and brought to trial in 124 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine has only signed it, but cannot ratify it during the war for certain reasons. As reported by OBOZ.UA, ICC prosecutors are also investigating Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure committed during the full-scale invasion as possible war crimes. This could theoretically lead to the issuance of arrest warrants for the accused. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Dozens of people filed into Department 2 of Kern County Superior Court on Tuesday morning, potential jurors in the highly-anticipated trial of two men charged with murder in the death of a prison counselor who was charging his electric vehicle. They were brought in at about 9:15 a.m. and Judge Judith K. Dulcich explained they were called for the case against Robert Pernell Roberts and Sebastian Parra. The trial is expected to conclude no later than Aug. 9. Sebastian Parra, file image Following the judges initial comments, prosecutor John Allen and the defense attorneys Deputy Public Defender Gordon Lake represents Roberts, Timothy Hennessy represents Parra introduced themselves. The group was then asked to fill out a hardship questionnaire, listing physical and medical conditions that could make it difficult for them to serve and whether their employer pays for jury duty. A separate questionnaire asked about their knowledge of the case and whether they know any of the witnesses expected to be called. On the night of Aug. 24, 2022, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor Benny Alcala was fatally shot while charging an electric vehicle near the Target on Stockdale Highway. Roberts was charged in early September 2022; Parra served as the prosecutions key witness during Roberts preliminary hearing. Parra testified Roberts targeted Alcala, 43, believing he had money since he had an electric vehicle. A grand jury later indicted Parra. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. 'Councils can now decide individually on the depths, widths and lengths of defects before they have to act,' says roads expert Dave Gaster - Getty Every driver knows that potholes are bad. Kwik Fit estimates repairing pothole damage cost UK drivers 1.48 billion last year. And the RAC says pothole-related callouts for the first quarter of 2024 are up by 53 per cent compared with the last three months of 2023. But the pothole problem could be worse than we think because every local authority reports potholes differently. And that means a postcode lottery in England and Wales when drivers seek compensation for pothole damage. Is the problem worse than we think? Currently, the Asphalt Industry Alliances Alarm (annual local authority road maintenance) survey is the most precise pointer to the scale of the pothole problem. It relies on reports from local authorities and has a response rate in England and Wales of about 75 per cent. But what if the figures supplied arent accurate? Even Ian Lancaster, director of the AIA, concedes: Theres always the possibility it could be worse than we say. Roads expert Dave Gaster has been researching pothole reporting for five years. He showed The Telegraph one of the many local authority roads inspection sheets hes obtained over the past year using Freedom of Information access. The report for South Northamptonshire shows 35 roads in the area. It reports only eight defects; most of the routes have none, including six roads in and around Brackley. But Gaster reveals: On those roads, I conducted a volunteer-based inspection and found 121 potholes, of which 25 were reported [to the authority] and repaired. Why isnt this just a local blip? Local authorities arent incentivised to find out about their potholes. If a council doesnt register defects on its roads, it can claim it didnt know about them and doesnt need to compensate drivers for damage its roads cause. Simon Williams, the RACs head of policy, explains: A council that isnt very good at inspecting its roads and doesnt get many pothole reports from drivers wont be liable to pay as much in compensation as one that is good at inspections and gets lots of reports from the public. Dont local authorities have to abide by rules? Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 gave councils across the country the same parameters for inspecting their roads. Then in 2016 the Well-managed Highway Infrastructure code of practice came into force. The local authorities have a responsibility to maintain their roads to a standard. But they set their own standard and therein lies the issue, Lancaster says. Gaster explains: Councils can now decide individually on the depths, widths and lengths of defects before they have to act. In addition, theres no hard and fast rule on how local authorities inspect their roads. Gaster says: When some authorities survey their streets, inspectors stop at every pothole, measure them, geo-locate them and determine the risk. Move to a less thorough neighbouring authority and inspectors may simply drive along the road without stopping, counting potholes as they go. Theyll then jot down their findings at the end. Its all on a sheet of paper, sometimes not even entered into a database. Its easy to see what the problem is with the latter approach. Gaster explains: If Id driven along a road and tried to remember all the defects when I got to the end, Id probably get eight but not all of them. Its probable driven inspections only detect 70 per cent of defects at best. They might record that a road has three defects and the contractor may fill three potholes, but they might not be any of the ones the inspector intended to be filled. This isnt just potentially dangerous, its also hugely inefficient. What does this mean in terms of compensation? Compensation figures from the Asphalt Industry Alliances Alarm survey for Englands nine regions plus Wales, and Department for Transport road-length statistics, show authorities in the North East are by far the most generous. They pay out an average 37 per mile of road to reimburse damage caused to cars. At the other end of the scale, councils in the East Midlands pay only 87p per mile. Excluding these examples as outliers, the average compensation is 3.86 per mile of road. Some of the most successful authorities at defending pothole compensation claims are, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the East Midlands. According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Halfords, in 2022-23 West Northamptonshire received 849 compensation claims for potholes. Of these, only one for a relatively measly 148 was successful. Meanwhile, Wiltshire County Council paid 42 per cent of the claims it received. Some local authorities are being fair and keeping to the spirit of the law, says Gaster. Others wont pay out, not because their roads are better but because their system of inspections is so vague. Is Stan the answer? Safer Travel Around Neighbourhoods (Stan) is a smartphone app thats a quick way to report potholes. Place your phone in a legally positioned windscreen-mounted holder, turn on Stan and the apps tech does the rest, recording road defects and street furniture throughout the journey. A smartphone app called Stan allows users to quickly report potholes Its maker Metricell estimates an hours drive would generate 15,000 images. At the end of the journey, your images are downloaded to Stans database and you can see them on its map. That database currently covers about seven per cent of the UKs roads. But Metricell wants local authorities to embrace the technology. The companys Mike Mockford tells us: Imagine if bin lorries used the app to survey roads. Theyd generate thousands of images and the council could see which ones really needed attention. It would save them time inspecting the roads and make repairing defects more efficient. But the RACs Williams warns: Its currently not in councils interests as they couldnt claim they didnt know about potholes that needed fixing. Ultimately, wed like to get to a point where councils had no choice but to use Stan and fix the defects it highlights. There does need to be a much more joined-up approach, the AIAs Lancaster says. Prevention is always better than cure. Early intervention will always save money in the long term. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. SHAWNEE, Okla. (KFOR) Authorities in Shawnee are looking for a man after being identified in a sexual assault at a skating rink. According to Pottawatomie Sheriffs Office, on April 27, 2024, information was received about a possible sexual assault that occurred at Star Skate in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The suspect was identified as Dominic Allen Holland and police say several more victims have been identified. Dominic Allen Holland, Image courtesy Pottawatomie Sheriff's Office Dominic Allen Holland, Image courtesy Pottawatomie Sheriff's Office Police are asking the public for help with identifying more possible victims. Holland was found to frequent skating rinks in Shawnee, Choctaw and Oklahoma City. If you or someone you know had contact with Dominic Allen Holland, please contact (405) 275-2526 Mon-Fri or Pottawatomie County Central Dispatch at (405) 273-1727 information can be left for Sgt. Richard Finch. Dominic has several tattoos, police say including and infinity symbol on the top of his left hand and a rose with the script Alone on his right hand. Headlines Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Home snarls traffic on Southern California freeway after falling off semi Home snarls traffic on Southern California freeway after falling off semi A prefabricated home that toppled onto the 210 Freeway when the semi-truck pulling it overturned in Pasadena Monday night blocked most of the westbound lanes for more than 13 hours, affecting the Tuesday morning commute. The crash involving the semi-truck and another vehicle was reported shortly before 7 p.m. on the westbound side of the freeway near North Lake Avenue. The semi was transporting a prefabricated home, which fell into lanes and damaged the second vehicle, the California Highway Patrol stated. A prefabricated house is seen on the 210 A SigAlert issued for the closure of four westbound lanes and the Lake Avenue off-ramp was still in place when commuters took to the freeway Tuesday morning. Sky5 was over the scene around 6:30 a.m. where westbound traffic was backed up for about two miles. The SigAlert was finally lifted around 8:30 a.m. No information regarding any injuries or the cause of the crash was released. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Lawmakers in the U.S. House debated three spending bills on Tuesday afternoon, all of which, President Biden has threatened to veto. None of these bills will be signed into law right now, said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). This is all about show business right now. It is a waste of time. The U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee discussed bills to fund the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats consider the Republican versions of the spending bills anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-womens rights. Our military should be laser focused on prevailing in any conflict, said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), chairman of the Rules committee. They dont need Washington to force them to make these woke decisions along the way. The spending bill for the Department of Defense includes a provision that would prevent the Pentagon from funding travel for abortions. Shortly after the Dobbs ruling, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the department would pay for travel for servicemembers who lived in states where abortion was banned. Approximately 800,000 women, servicewomen, live in an area that has banned or limited access to reproductive healthcare, said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.). None of these women can choose where they serve. The White House also took issue with provisions in the State Departments bill that would affect the funding of the United Nations and the Department of Homeland Securitys bill that would help fund a border wall. The bills could pass the Republican-controlled House, but theyre not expected to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. A voter drops off his ballot at the Salt Lake County Government Center in Salt Lake City as votes are cast in Utahs primary election on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The primary is here a crucial election that often decides many of Republican-controlled Utahs seats. Theres been no shortage of last-ditch drama in the weeks leading up to today, from Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs challenger Rep. Phil Lymans campaign attacking state election officials over signature gathering verification, to a final-week endorsement from former President Donald Trump to Rep. Celeste Maloy, challenged by Sen. Mike Lee-backed Colby Jenkins. Todays primary will be a test for Utah. The state has a complex past with Trump, with whom many state and congressional Republican challengers have aligned themselves this election. If MAGA Republicans prevail, it would signal a dramatic sea change for the red state which has largely favored tempered, policy-based politics over brash, populist rhetoric. If history can predict the future, it would tell us these MAGA Republicans many who won at convention, but still face primary contests because of Utahs dual path to the primary ballot via signature gathering have a steep hill to victory. Utah GOP delegates have a track record of rejecting Republican incumbents who go on to win handily in the primary. Its always possible this year could be different, but recent polls also signal established Utah Republicans like incumbent Cox and Rep. John Curtis have leads over their MAGA competitors. Heres the state of play in Utahs high-profile primary elections, and what you need to know to make sure your vote counts before polls close tonight at 8 p.m. Incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox, left, talks with Utah Rep. Phil Lyman before Utahs gubernatorial GOP primary debate held at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (Pool photo by Isaac Hale/Deseret News) Final-week drama in Utah governors race Utahs gubernatorial contest between Cox and Lyman is among the states most heated primary races. A new poll released Monday by Noble Predictive Insights showed Cox is leading Lyman by 13 points (55% to 42%). The poll of 432 likely Republican primary voters in Utah was conducted from June 20-21, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.71 percentage points. The governors race highlights a sharp dividing line among Utah Republicans: support for Trump, the poll report states. The poll, which asked voters to state whether they support either Trump or the Republican Party more, shows Lyman leads Cox by 61 points among Trump-first Republicans (80% to 19%), while Cox leads Lyman by 42 points among party loyalists (70% to 28%). This race has been one of opposites among two Republicans. While Cox parades his National Association of Governors Disagree Better campaign, meant to discourage hyperpartisanship and polarization, Lyman (at least online, though not in an in-person debate earlier this month) has embraced a bulldog style campaign that constantly attacks Cox, accusing him in various ways of not being a true conservative. Cox says hes a governor who tries to represent everyone in the state of Utah while also supporting conservative policies. Lyman has catered more to hard-line MAGA Republicans, pledging to more aggressively take on the federal government. Lyman has fully aligned himself with Trump, while Cox has been critical of the former president and the state of national politics as a whole. Cox has said he hasnt voted for Trump or other major presidential candidates since Mitt Romneys campaign in 2012, opting for write-in candidates instead. This week, Lymans campaign ramped up the rhetoric around the election itself when it posted a video on social media with Lymans running mate, Natalie Clawson, accusing the lieutenant governors office of lacking transparency for not releasing all of the signatures Cox and other candidates submitted to qualify for the ballot. For candidate signature gathering petitions, Utah law requires election officials to redact names from signature packets of voters who have chosen to classify their records as private. Lymans campaign implied it needed to see all of the signatures (even though that would go against state law), because of an investigation regarding signature gathering for a different race in Washington County. Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, ended up qualifying for the primary at convention and not through signature gathering, but Lymans campaign has pointed to the case because the company that collected signatures for Ipson, Gathering Inc., also gathered signatures for Cox and other candidates. Irregularities in Ipsons signature gathering are being investigated, Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke told the Deseret News, but he also said there was no evidence of a candidate or the company acting inappropriately. Ipson hired Gathering Inc. to help him get the 2,000 signatures from registered Republicans needed to qualify for the ballot. However, the Washington County auditor determined 600 were invalid, KSL NewsRadio reported, and Ipson said he got a refund. Clarke told the station that the high number of signatures deemed invalid prompted his office to investigate, but there was definitely no evidence of wrongdoing by any candidate. Tanner Leatham, CEO of Gather Inc., told KSL NewsRadio the errors with Ipsons campaign came from contractors who didnt follow the companys rules or use the correct software, which shows where registered Republican voters live. Meanwhile, while Lymans campaign has criticized the lieutenant governors office, a separate office verified the Cox campaigns candidate signatures, along with petitions for 31 other candidates. Addressing questions raised, Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie issued a statement Friday affirming each signature was reviewed by trained election workers and either validated or rejected in accordance with the requirements set by Utah Law, and that each candidate who qualified submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures. McKenzies statement also outlined the process for verifying signatures. Its not the first time Lymans campaign has raised questions about elections. In a media scrum after debating Cox earlier this month, Lyman wouldnt say hed accept the results of the election but that I will be checking the results of the election, regardless of if he wins or loses, calling for more transparency. Refusing to accept election results comes from the Trump playbook, as he and his allies continue to sow doubts about election legitimacy. In states across the U.S., no evidence supports Trumps continued claims of widespread voter fraud that influenced the 2020 election. From left to right, U.S. Rep. John Curtis, Trent Staggs, Jason Walton and Brad Wilson are on stage during the Utah Senate primary debate for Republican contenders battling to win the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney Monday, June 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (Pool photo by Rick Bowmer/AP) Curtis leading in race for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romneys Senate seat Another race that will be a test for Trumps influence on Utah politics is the Republican contest between Utahs current 3rd District Rep. John Curtis, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, businessman Jason Walton and former House Speaker Brad Wilson. The poll released Monday by Noble Predictive Insights also showed Curtis is the front-runner in this race, leading with 48% of likely Utah primary voters to Staggs 28%. Wilson had 9%, Walton had 6%, while 7% said they didnt vote and 2% were undecided, according to the poll. The poll comes after Staggs, endorsed by Trump, won the Utah Republican Partys nominating convention with over 69% of the vote to Curtis 30.26% (Curtis and the other candidates qualified via signature gathering). Staggs Trump endorsement and his convention win, however, seem to be overcast by Curtis appeal and campaign resources, Noble Predictive Insights wrote. Curtis has dramatically outraised Staggs over the last two months, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Plus, national political action committees have spent over $2 million in the last week on a flood of attack ads against Staggs, the Deseret News reported. If the poll reflects actual primary results, it would indicate that Trump continues to have a fraught standing among many voters in Utah. In most Republican primaries, Trumps endorsement essentially guarantees victory, David Byler, chief of research for Noble Predictive Insights, said about Mondays poll. But in Utah a uniquely conservative, yet Trump-skeptical state the situation is different. Trumps endorsement helps, but its not a golden ticket. A good candidate with the right positioning like Curtis can build a lead without Trumps stamp of approval. Among Trump first Republicans, 55% support Staggs, while only 22% support Curtis, the poll shows. However, among those who put the party first, Curtis leads with 60% to Staggs 18%. In Utah, however, Byler also said its becoming increasingly tough to oppose Trump, pointing to Romneys decision to retire. But, if you can meld the anti-Trump faction in with some pro-Trump voters and lean on GOP women you can create a solid coalition, he said. A lot can happen in the run-up to a primary anything from a surge for the Trump-ian candidates to a bigger-than-expected landslide for the leaders is still on the table. Utahs 2nd Congressional district debate between Colby Jenkins and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy at the KUED studios at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Monday, June 10, 2024. Other congressional races 2nd Congressional District: Perhaps the next race to see the most drama has been the contest between Rep. Celeste Maloy and her Republican challenger, Colby Jenkins. In a twist days before the state Republican nominating convention, Utah Sen. Mike Lee snubbed Maloy and endorsed Jenkins. However, both candidates advanced to the primary ballot with a split vote (Jenkins got 57% from delegates while Maloy got 43%). Then came another twist. A week ago, Trump gave his complete and total endorsement to Maloy in a post on Truth Social. Lacking polling, its unclear how close the race between Maloy and Jenkins could be but it could be a test for the power of endorsements, or if they matter at all. In a debate earlier this month, Jenkins and Maloy argued over how to compromise in Congress. Jenkins heavily criticized Maloys votes on a sweeping spending bill that funded several federal departments and agencies. He called her nods to the bill surrendering and an example of how the slim Republican majority becomes nothing. Maloy defended her votes, arguing that it was the most fiscally responsible option. She also highlighted that whenever theres a narrow margin, the ability to compromise is key. 3rd Congressional District: Its a crowded, five-way Republican contest between Sen. Mike Kennedy, Utah Auditor John Dougall, Case Lawrence, Roosevelt Mayor J.R. Bird and former Utah County Republican Party Chairman Stewart Peay. Kennedy, R-Alpine, who lost to Romney in 2018, was recently endorsed by Lee, a Trump supporter. In a debate earlier this month, the five Republicans jockeyed to differentiate themselves, with some contrasts surfacing when it came to supporting Ukraine or tackling the national deficit. The most difficult task for voters in this race is to choose among fairly similar Republicans, though at least one candidate stands out for choosing to not embrace but reject MAGA politics. Dougall has campaigned on promoting mainstream principles, not MAGA antics. 1st Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Blake Moore is being challenged by South Ogden electrician Paul Miller. Theres not nearly been as much drama in this race, but in a debate earlier this month the two candidates illustrated a divide between rhetoric versus reality, spending and deal breakers in the U.S. House. Moore, who has been in Congress since 2021, spoke about forging relationships with counterparts and reaching compromises in a slim Republican majority. Miller, on the other hand, criticized Moore for voting for spending bills that fund Bidens agenda. Like the debate between Maloy and Jenkins, Moore and Millers race displays a divide among Republicans over whether members of Congress should compromise or negotiate with Democrats. Make your vote count If you had planned to vote by mail, Monday was the last day to postmark your ballot. However, you can still drop your by-mail ballot off at secure ballot drop boxes. Visit your county clerks website for information on where those ballot drop boxes are located. If you plan to vote in person, you can do so at vote centers located throughout your county. Polls will be open until 8 p.m. If youre not registered to vote, its not too late, so long as you vote in person. Vote centers offer same-day voting registration. Be sure to bring two forms of identification (one to verify identity and one to provide proof of residence). After polls close at 8 p.m., county clerks are expected to begin posting early election night results throughout the night. Depending on margins, some races may be called earlier than others. Election results arent final until after counties canvass deadline on July 9, and the statewide canvass certifies the results on July 22. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Primary election day in Utah: The state of play appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. The South Dakota Senate convenes during the 2024 legislative session. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) It has been known for some time that there are two Republican parties in the South Dakota Legislature. Now one of them is getting bigger. The Republican primary earlier this month saw 14 legislators defeated. Add to that 21 Republican legislators who chose not to seek reelection or were term-limited in their chamber and did not try to switch chambers, and thats quite a bit of institutional memory that has been shown the door. The two Republican parties consist of one group of traditional conservatives and another group thats even more conservative and not at all traditional. One group is interested in steering the ship of state while the other would rather run it aground. The primary election losses by traditional Republicans were due partially to a backlash against carbon pipeline legislation that many of them supported. The legislation calls for counties to be paid for allowing the pipelines access, and includes other new protections for local governments and landowners. There is an effort now to get that law referred to a vote of the people in November. Detractors fault the bill for the power it gives to the states Public Utilities Commission. The PUC already had the power to overrule restrictive local pipeline siting laws, but had declined to use it; the legislation makes that power automatic when the PUC issues a pipeline permit, unless the PUC decides to require compliance with local laws. Crucially for pipeline opponents, the legislation does not ban carbon pipeline companies from using the legal process of eminent domain to obtain access to privately owned land. Just as pipeline opponents crowded the primary ballot, leading to 44 GOP contests, many of the people who went to the polls in the lightly attended primary were pipeline opponents, too. Theres no telling yet what, exactly, the next Legislature will look like. While the primary set the Republican field, Democrats will get their turn in November. Democrats have done a better than usual job this year of attracting candidates. However, they are still leaving plenty of legislative openings uncontested. Republicans will get 18 of 35 Senate seats without a fight as well as 36 of 70 House seats. Perhaps this new batch of Republicans will have more on their minds than pipeline legislation. There is a chance that they care about more of the issues facing South Dakota. Maybe, even now, theyre busy studying education standards, familiarizing themselves with tax policy and looking for inventive ways for the state to take care of the people who cant take care of themselves. Heres hoping they approach their work in Pierre in a statesmanlike, workmanlike manner. If, however, as Shakespeare said, the past is prologue, theres a chance their approach to governance will reflect the work for the ultra-conservatives who have gone before them. This could include an emphasis on personal freedom and social hot-button issues. If they behave as their predecessors have, we can expect symbolic commemorations designed to split the party and votes on bills with topics that dont solve problems but are designed to make incumbents vulnerable in the next primary. If this years primary marked a trend, and more candidates like these ultra-conservatives keep getting elected, we may not recognize our state when theyre done with it: Eminent domain will not be nearly so eminent. Vaccinations will go from mandatory to voluntary before they are banned outright. Guns will be free. LGBTQ laws will be so strict that grocery stores will no longer be allowed to sell rainbow sherbet. Once they figure out a Landowners Bill of Rights thats more to their liking, these one-issue wonders will discover that they have two-year terms that come with the expectation that they do the hard work of governing the state. They may think they have a mandate to fix the pipeline laws when they ride into Pierre, but the expectations for all lawmakers are greater than that. Legislators are supposed to serve the people on all the issues, not just the one that helped get them elected. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Primary upsets could cause a hard right turn in the Legislature appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. BOWIE, Md. (DC News Now) Police said a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed in Bowie Monday night. They were my rock and soul: Maryland couple among hundreds dead while on pilgrimage to Mecca amid severe heat The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said around 6:35 p.m. on June 24, officers were called to the 900 block of Lake Overlook Drive for a shooting. Upon arrival, police found 17-year-old ReSheed Reid, of Bowies, in the road with gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. The police department said detectives are still working to determine a motive and identify a suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call 301-516-2512 to speak with a Homicide Unit detective, or call (866) 411-TIPS or submit a tip on the P3 Tips app. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. That Princess Anne was injured, apparently by being kicked or butted in the head by a horse at her home, Gatcombe Park in the Cotswolds, would be deeply concerning for the royal family even in normal times. But these are not normal times. King Charles III has cancer and has reportedly been forced to cancel a tour of New Zealand, and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, is fighting the disease too. She has almost entirely withdrawn from public life since the beginning of the yearexcept for a centerpiece appearance at Trooping the Colour, alongside her family, just over two weeks ago. Princess Anne Hospitalized for Head Injury: Horses Suspected Prince William has also significantly scaled back his public role to support his wife and family. Annes absence means that just three individuals remain as full-time working royals unaffected by illness: Queen Camilla (who has stepped nobly up to the plate to support her husband but never wanted to be queen and does not particularly enjoy the public appearance side of things), and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Anne, already famed for a prodigious work ethic which usually sees her carry out about 500 public engagements a year, has been shouldering a huge amount of the extra load. In this context, her removal from active serviceshe has already withdrawn from a trip to Canada and a state visit by the Japanese emperor to London this weekis the last thing the royal family needs. Some insiders believe that King Charles has only himself to blame for the latest staffing crisis. Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church, as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain December 25, 2022. Toby Melville/Reuters Plenty of people, including Anne, have been saying the royals have been spread too thinly, said one royal insider, This is not a new thing. Prince Andrew did his Newsnight interview [about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, that led to his exit from royal duties] in 2019. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their senior royal duties in 2020. Of course no one could have expected Kate to get so sick, but you hardly had to be a fortune teller back then to see that Charles, Camilla and Anne [Charles is 75, Camilla is 76 and Anne is 73] were all getting older and therefore going to have to do less. Charles should have brought Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie [Prince Andrew and Sarah Fergusons daughters] back. They have both made it very clear they would be willing to help, but he doesnt like admitting mistakes. A friend of Charles however said that characterization was unfair. Charles decided to reduce the number of working royals because he could see that the days of having dozens of minor relatives living off the family are over. No European royal family is expanding their numbers. Annes hospitalization has got absolutely nothing to do with it. The palace have said it is a minor thing and I am sure she will be back very soon. However, the royal writer and youtuber Lady Colin Campbell, a friend of Princess Diana who wrote a bestselling biography of her, told The Daily Beast: I have been saying for the last 30 years, ever since Charles came up with the notion of treating Britain as if its Denmark, that it was a cray idea. And now we have three royals out of actionand Anne is the busiest of them all. Of course, an accident like this is unforeseeable but hopefully it will make Charles realize they really need to rope in Beatrice and Eugenie, and get Edward and Sophies children, Louise and James, to come forward. Unfortunately, William seems to be taking the same view as Charles, that they should keep the numbers of working royals small. Princess Anne at Ascot, June 20, 2024. Samir Hussein/WireImage The bestselling royal biographer of the king, Christopher Andersen, told The Daily Beast: The Princess Royal is 73, and, like her brother Charles obviously more vulnerable physically. Still, what is being described as a mild concussion is nothing new for Anne, or for Charles, for that matter. They have both been riding since early childhood and sustained all sorts of injuries in the process. Charles was ferociously competitive on the polo field, and Anne competed in equestrian events in the 1976 Olympics. Before foxhunting was banned in 2004, Charles and Anne both loved to ride to the hounds. All manner of bruises, fractures, sprains, dislocations, and concussions go with territory. What makes this different, Andersen said, was that Charles could scarcely afford to lose even one working member of the royal familywhen he and Kate are battling cancer, and Harry and Andrew are out of the picture. As the senior royals get older, there will inevitably be more health challenges, Andersen said. But it does seem odd that were witnessing one medical problem after another being heaped on the new sovereign in rapid succession. One gets the sense that the royal family is on the ropes. I think we were all spoiled somewhat by the late Queen Mother, by Queen Elizabeth II, and by Prince Philip, all three of whom avoided serious illness well into their nineties. Looking to the future, Andersen noted Williams plans to further scale down the British monarchy, which could lead Charles to worry that, once he is no longer in the picture, a King William V will take his plans for modernization several steps too far. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Princess Royal was injured on June 23 but the exact details of the accident are unable to be ascertained due to her concussion Karwai Tang/WireImage Princess Anne rides at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. Princess Anne is reportedly suffering memory loss following an "incident" at her home in which she sustained a concussion and minor injuries that caused her to be hospitalized. The Telegraph reports that King Charles' sister, 73, is suffering memory loss related to the incident, which occurred at her Gatcombe Park home on June 23. The Princess Royals memory loss is thought to be temporary, according to the outlet. Due to the concussion Princess Anne sustained, the exact details of the accident are unable to be ascertained. Her injuries are consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs. The Princess Royal is a dedicated equestrian who rode for Team Great Britain at the Olympics in 1976. PEOPLE has contacted Buckingham Palace for further comment. Princess Anne's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, visited her at the hospital on June 25 after she spent her second night in the hospital and gave a brief update to well-wishers. Related: Princess Anne's Witty Response to Unexpected Hug from Staff Member After Queen Elizabeth's Death Karwai Tang/WireImage Princess Anne rides at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. "She is recovering well, thank you. We are both profoundly grateful to the medical team and hospital support staff for their expert care and to the emergency services who were all so wonderful at the scene," he said. "We are both deeply touched by all the kind messages we have received from so many people near and far. It means a great deal," he added. Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence after attending the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on June 17, 2024. As seen in a video shared to X by Chris Ship of ITV, Sir Tim, 69, told reporters, "She's fine. Slow but sure." Related: Princess Anne Expertly Handles Rambunctious Horse During Trooping the Colour Parade On June 24, the palace shared the news about Princess Anne's injuries in a short statement. "The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery," said Buckingham Palace. John Phillips/Getty Princess Anne rides at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. "The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery," the statement continued. A lifelong horseback rider like Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne most recently saddled up to ride in the parade at Trooping the Colour on June 15 with Prince William and Prince Edward. In a viral video shared on X, the Princess Royal expertly navigated her horse forward when it got jittery during the procession through London. Rolf Vennenbernd/Picture Alliance via Getty Princess Anne in June 2023. The Princess Royal's hospitalization means she will miss planned engagements this week, including the state visit of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, which kicked off on June 25. "On doctors advice, Her Royal Highnesss engagements for the week ahead will be postponed. Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. "The Japanese state visit will go ahead as planned, though sadly Her Royal Highness will be unable to attend the state banquet tomorrow," the spokesperson added. Princess Anne also planned to visit Canada this week but will not be able to fly, per medical advice. The palace spokesperson added that Queen Elizabeth's only daughter "is recovering well, is in a comfortable condition and is being kept in hospital as a precautionary measure for further observation." Samir Hussein/WireImage Princess Anne and Lady Sarah Chatto on day three of Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2024. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! It's expected that Princess Anne will be able to return home this week. The Princess Royal has been considered the "hardest-working" member of the royal family for the last several years by the count of official engagements, and she had a busy June with appearances at events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, Trooping the Colour, the Order of the Garter, Royal Ascot and more. She and Sir Tim, who wed in 1992, most recently stepped out together to attend Ascot on June 20, where they traveled by carriage in the Royal Procession with Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The United States of America is against officially recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Washington believes that sanctions and export restrictions are a more effective way to increase pressure on Russia. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Monday, June 24. According to him, the United States believes that tighter export restrictions are much more effective. "We continue to believe that there are more effective ways to hold Russia accountable for its actions than designating it a state sponsor of terrorism," Miller said. The representative of the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs explained that such a status would entail a number of negative consequences, including humanitarian ones. "That's why we continue to pursue them through sanctions against Russian officials, sanctions against Russian companies, export controls that weaken the Russian military machine, and we will continue to do so," he said. As a reminder, the US Senate submitted a bill the day before that would recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism after the signing of the partnership agreement between Russia and the DPRK. The senators believe that the growth of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang should be a decisive factor in making this decision. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, back in May 2023, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken first suggested that Russia could be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism. This would have led to Moscow's international isolation and forced the United States to impose additional restrictions on countries that cooperate with the Kremlin. However, the White House has rejected demands to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. They said that this would tie the hands of the United States in its cooperation with Russia and block all efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the EU has introduced the 14th package against Russia because of its aggression against Ukraine. The new restrictions, in particular, will apply to the re-export of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the circumvention of sanctions that are already in place. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Princess Anne's Hospitalization Is Another Blow for Royal Family as Their 'Hardest Worker' Is Sidelined As King Charles and Kate Middleton receive cancer treatment, another health scare has the royal family operating below full strength Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. Princess Anne's hospitalization following an "incident" at her home is the latest setback for the British royal family. The Princess Royal, 73, is unable to continue with her planned schedule this week after she sustained a concussion and minor injuries on the estate of Gatcombe Park on June 23, for which she remains hospitalized. Due to the concussion Princess Anne sustained, the exact details of the accident are unable to be ascertained, although her injuries are consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs. The Telegraph reported that King Charles' sister has suffered memory loss, believed to be temporary. In the wake of the incident, a spokesperson for the palace said that Princess Anne will not be able to attend the state banquet held in honor of the Japanese state visit to the U.K. on June 25. The royal is a regular presence at the events, including attending the most recent state banquet when South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the U.K. in November 2023. Queen Elizabeth's only daughter also had plans to visit Canada this week but will not be able to fly, per medical advice. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on June 24, "Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result." Karwai Tang/WireImage Princess Anne rides at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. Related: Princess Anne Suffering Memory Loss, Remains Hospitalized After Horse 'Incident': Report The Princess Royal's hospitalization puts the family's "hardest-working" member on the sidelines. She is known for her strong work ethic and often records the highest number of annual royal outings on behalf of the monarch, reportedly clocking 457 engagements in 2023 even more than King Charles' official count. She just gets on with it, often carrying out multiple engagements in one day, Queen Elizabeths former press spokesman Dickie Arbiter told The Telegraph of Princess Annes dedication. Of course, much of what the King does is behind the scenes, in meetings and going through his red boxes, which doesnt warrant a mention in the Court Circular, he added about King Charles. Though the palace said that Princess Anne has been hospitalized as a "precautionary measure" and is "expected to make a full and swift recovery," the incident marks the latest blow for the British royal family in light of King Charles and Kate Middleton's recent health shocks. Neil Mockford/GC Images The Duke of Gloucester, the Duchess of Gloucester, Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Lady Louise, Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. Related: Princess Anne Made Brother King Charles Laugh After His Coronation with This Nickname On Feb. 5, the palace announced that the King was diagnosed with cancer and would postpone public-facing duties amid his treatment. Weeks later, on March 22, Princess Kate announced that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The diagnoses marked the first time that two senior working members of the British royal family simultaneously had cancer, leaving Queen Camilla and Prince William to step up as the faces of the monarchy. Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh also continued with a full royal workload. King Charles, 75, resumed forward-facing royal work in late April, and Princess Kate, 42, attended Trooping the Colour on June 15. The Princess of Wales' presence at the event was highly significant as her first public appearance in nearly six months. However, palace aides emphasized the moment didn't mean Princess Kate was resuming royal duties. Any outings in the near future will be based on when she feels able and under the guidance of her medical team. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Kate Middleton and King Charles at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! "She has been doing whats right for her and recovering privately at home. She is dealing with it the best she can," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in the latest cover story. "The monarchy is going through one of the most difficult sets of challenges," adds Ailsa Anderson, a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Pro-Palestine protest camps have appeared on several campuses including Cambridge, where its vice-president has refused to remove it in commitment to free speech - ZUMA PRESS INC/ALAMY LIVE NEWS Pro-Palestine groups are plotting to disrupt this weeks graduation ceremonies at the University of Cambridge, The Telegraph understands. Palestine Action, a pro-Palestine protest movement, is understood to be targeting a series of events for undergraduates and masters degree holders at the university in the coming days. Most Cambridge students graduating this year are set to receive their degrees in the coming days, meaning the protests could cause widespread disruption across the university. The group told The Telegraph in a statement that it would continue to apply necessary pressure to end complicity in the Gaza genocide. It comes just days after the same group splattered Cambridges Senate House building with red paint. Senate House in Cambridge was the subject of Pro-Palestine protests - JANE WOODWARD/PA Other pro-Palestine groups are also plotting action. A source from one protest group said they were keen to illustrate their claims that Prof Deborah Prentice, Cambridges vice-chancellor, has blood on her hands over the conflict in the Middle East. Pro-Palestine protesters have previously criticised her comments on the war as passive. Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the attack on Senate House last Saturday, which saw the 300-year-old building, used to host Cambridge graduation ceremonies, drenched in paint. The group is not directly linked to the university, though it said the attack on Senate House was done with the help of Cambridge students. The choice of blood-red paint was used to reflect the Palestinian bloodshed, which soaks the universitys financial records, research output, and historical legacy. The group has called for the 800-year-old institution to cut ties with companies linked to Israel. Workers were seen jet-washing the paint off the building on Tuesday afternoon. Cambridgeshire Constabulary are also understood to be investigating whether the attack on Senate House amounted to criminal damage. The university said in a statement on Saturday: We strongly condemn this act of vandalism. Palestine Action has also launched a wave of assaults on banks across the UK in recent weeks demanding divestment from Israels weapons trade and fossil fuels. Emails sent out to Cambridge students by university officials on Tuesday, seen by The Telegraph, indicate the university is bracing for potential further disruption. Cambridge students set to graduate have been informed that they will be awarded their degrees in absentia to ensure they receive them even if the official ceremonies are thwarted by protesters. The measure, which will see degrees ratified en masse each morning, is usually reserved for students who are unable to attend their graduation ceremony in person. The university said the Latin wording of the afternoon graduation ceremonies would be amended slightly to reflect this. It could mark the second year in a row of graduation disruption at the university, following last summers marking boycott. The pay dispute between the University and College Union and employers at 145 institutions left tens of thousands of university students in limbo in 2023. Cambridge was among the worst-affected universities, with half of final-year undergraduates impacted after graduation ceremonies were cancelled. The latest action comes amid mounting political activism across British campuses, partially in response to the Israel-Gaza war. More than a dozen encampments are currently in place across UK campuses, including at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol and University College London. Oxford came under fire from campaigners on Tuesday after a metal fence was erected around a student encampment protesting against the war in Gaza. Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P), a student-led group, described the action as a blatant attempt to intimidate and shut down peaceful protest and a concerning act of suppression. The university said in a statement that it had fenced off the area in preparation for returning it to public use. Pro-Palestine protesters previously disrupted an interview between Prof Prentice in January. A student protester holding a Palestine flag accused the university of being complicit in Israels atrocity, and shouted at the university chief: Are you not ashamed of your silence? Around 200 protesters also marched from the pro-Palestine encampment at Cambridges Kings College last month to deliver their demands over the Israel-Gaza war to university officials, including Prof Prentice. Prof Prentice has previously said the encampment on the lawn of Kings College will be allowed to remain because the university was fully committed to freedom of speech within the law, and the right to protest. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of racial or religious hatred in our community, she said in a statement last month. The university has set out guidance around expectations to the protesters, and the protesters have issued community guidance, which describes a peaceful protest. Palestine Action said in a statement on Tuesday: We can neither confirm nor deny if we will disrupt the graduation ceremonies. For context, all universities in Gaza have been damaged, most of them are completely destroyed. The University of Cambridge is facilitating the ongoing destruction and genocide in Gaza, which is incomparable to paint on the Senate Hall. Palestine Action will continue to apply necessary pressure to end complicity in the Gaza genocide. A Cambridge University spokesman said: We look forward to our students graduating in the Senate House this week. There are always contingency plans in place to manage any form of disruption in ways that will ensure students graduate in a manner that is fitting of the occasion. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. By Elizabeth Pineau and Gabriel Stargardter PARIS (Reuters) - French officials unwilling to work with a potential far right government should find a new job, the National Rally's (RN) immigration tsar told Reuters, as he outlined plans to restrict French citizenship, welfare and healthcare for new arrivals. Fabrice Leggeri, the former director of the European Union's border agency Frontex, joined the RN earlier this year in a major coup for the party and went on to launch a successful run for a seat in the European Parliament. He quit Frontex in 2022 after accusations, which Leggeri has dismissed, that the agency mistreated migrants under his watch. In an interview on Monday, just days before a two-round legislative election that polls show could catapult the eurosceptic, anti-immigrant RN to power, Leggeri said he was already contacting likeminded public servants he knows from years of working for the French government and the European Union to build a potential RN government. He said others had approached him with offers to help. Leggeri also fired a warning shot at civil servants unhappy at the thought of working for a far-right government. "People who aren't happy need to know that they can leave," he said, adding those who support "the Trotskyists" and don't want to work for RN prime ministerial candidate Jordan Bardella can "go back to help the Trotskyists to prepare their program." Leggeri echoed policy proposals made by Bardella in a speech on Monday, saying the RN would prioritize a reform to restrict French citizenship rights to make them harder to acquire for those with foreign-born parents, "drastically reduce" immigrant welfare payments, curtail their healthcare rights and plan a constitutional referendum to toughen immigration laws. Bardella also said the RN planned to ban dual nationals from certain sensitive jobs in security or defence. PUSHING FOR CHANGE Leggeri acknowledged that France has to abide by European law when it comes to immigration policy, leaving it with little room to manoeuvre. However, he said now is the time to capitalise on a shift to the right in countries such as Italy and the Netherlands to try to change the mindset in Brussels to toughen EU rules. "We must show with a strong voice in Brussels that France is not alone. There are lots of European countries that want stricter immigration policies," he said. "The first steps for taking back control are taking advantage of this moment ... to demonstrate force and exercise pressure." There are about 7 million immigrants living in France, or about 10.3% of the population, with numbers rising steadily since 2000. The RN has long argued that mass immigration is draining France's coffers and threatening its identity. Bardella has said immigration costs France 40 billion euros ($42.84 billion) a year, but economists warn that estimate is fanciful as calculating the true costs is almost impossible. Leggeri, who said he did not expect a ministerial position in an RN government, said he hoped to cut social benefits for immigrants. "That's a way we can retake control of our border by reducing the attractiveness for people who are just looking for social aid," he said. Additionally, illegal immigrants would only be offered healthcare in life-threatening situations, he said. Leggeri said the RN's plans for a referendum on changes to the constitution to toughen immigration laws would be difficult if Bardella is prime minister while Emmanuel Macron is president, a rare and politically fraught phenomenon known as "cohabitation." He said he would like asylum seekers to be forced to apply for refuge at consuls of European Union nations outside the bloc, giving the EU time to build asylum processing centres outside its borders. "That would allow us to be extremely firm at the physical border when they arrive, and tell them, 'You won't receive anything,'" he said. ($1 = 0.9337 euros) (Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Sharon Singleton) A promise to Idaho: New National Guard commander says hes ready for any challenges For the first time in seven years, Idaho has a new National Guard commanding general. Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Donnellan was officially named the 26th commander of the Idaho National Guard after a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday morning at Gowen Field in Boise. But the scorching, near-100 degree heat didnt dampen the mood. This was a day Donnellan had waited his entire life for. It is my solemn promise to (Gov. Brad Little) and the citizens of Idaho that the Idaho National Guard will continue to be ready for any challenges, either overseas or at home, Donnellan said. Hundreds of military members, friends and family members of Donnellan packed Gowen Field to witness the moment when his new post became official during the passing of the colors. Outgoing Maj. Gen. Michael J. Garshak handed the National Guard flag to Little, who passed the flag to Donnellan completing the change of command. (Donnellans) extensive leadership, proven experience and commitment to the well being of Idahoans and the defense of our nation make him an exceptional choice as the next adjutant general and commander of the Idaho National Guard, said Little, who appointed Donnellan to the position. I have full confidence that he will lead the Idaho Military Division with integrity and steadfast dedication to excellence. Idaho Gov. Brad Little hands over the National Guard flag from outgoing commander, Michael J. Garshak, to the incoming commander, Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Donnellan, during a ceremony at Gowen Field. Garshak, who held the position for the last seven years, spoke before Donnellan and wiped away tears as he addressed his colleagues, reflecting on his tenure as commander. Garshak had dedicated more than three decades of his life to serving the United States, including as an Apache attack helicopter platoon leader in Desert Storm, a 42-country coalition led by the United States against Iraq, in the early 90s. He joined the National Guard in 1993, where hes served since. It has truly been an honor and a blessing to serve the state of Idaho, Garshak said. Weve accomplished all (my goals) well beyond my highest expectations. Donnellan, a native of Tampa, Florida, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1992 after graduating from Purdue University. He joined the Idaho Air National Guard 10 years later and served as the commander of the Idaho Air National Guard. Donnellan also served as the 124th Fighter Wing commander and director of staff at Joint Force Headquarters before he became air general. He has logged more than 3,300 flight hours, primarily in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the same plane that flew over Gowen Field at the conclusion of the ceremony. A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft perform a flyover during the change of command ceremony held at Gowen Field on Tuesday. Any good investment adviser will tell you past performance does not guarantee future success, Donnellan said. So after 133 years of our highly successful track record in the Idaho National Guard, we must adapt to remain ready and relevant to our commander in chief of the United States of America. The Idaho Army National Guard is composed of nearly 3,300 soldiers, and the Air National Guard is made up of almost 1,300. The Guards largest unit, the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, has a presence in more than 20 Idaho cities, as well as in Montana, Nevada and Oregon. The Idaho National Guard also manages the Orchard Combat Training Center south of Boise, providing armor and medical and leadership training to soldiers from three components of the U.S. Army. The Idaho National Guard has answered the nations call in every conflict and every governors call since 1891, Donnellan said. Incoming Idaho National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Donnellan speaks during a change of command ceremony at Gowen Field on Tuesday. In his closing remarks, Donnellan looked over toward the family and distinguished guest section, took a brief moment of silence to collect himself, and talk about his wife and children, who were in attendance in the first row. We need to look no further than the front row of these ceremonies to remind us what we fight for, Donnellan said. Ive been lucky in many things in this life, but nothing compares to the great, great fortune I had with (my wife) and my incredible kids. Speaker John Arch of La Vista addresses state lawmakers during a legislative retreat at Nebraska Innovation Campus on Dec. 7, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Speaker John Arch of La Vista issued a roadmap Tuesday for a likely special session on property tax reform after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen confirmed he will call a session in late July. In an official letter to Arch, the Legislatures top-ranking member, Pillen confirmed his intentions to bring state senators back for a special session beginning July 25. According to the letter, lawmakers will remain until property tax reform is delivered and senators resolve their unfinished business. Pillens overall goal is that by the end of the year, a total of about $2 billion in property tax reform will have been passed in 2023 and 2024. About $1 billion has already been passed. Status quo of property tax growth Nebraska taxpayers paid $5.3 billion in property taxes in 2023, an increase of $286 million from the year before. That followed a previous record increase of $293 million in the previous year. Nebraska is hurtling toward a status quo in which total property taxes will grow by more than a million dollars per day, Pillen wrote. Yet, Nebraskans received no new property tax reform in the 2024 regular session, despite the best efforts of a committed majority of senators working in partnership with my office, backed by a coalition of hundreds of thousands of hard-working people hoping for relief, Pillen continued. The previous proposal failed in part because legislative critics saw the plan as increasing taxes, such as through a plan to raise the state sales tax rate. Its unclear whether Pillen has secured 33 votes for his new ideas, but hes promised they will receive bipartisan support. Special session schedule Arch said last week, after Pillen issued a save-the-date for a session, that it came as no surprise because property taxes are important to Nebraskans and need to be addressed. In a Monday letter to all senators and staff, Arch said senators should plan to meet July 25-27, Thursday through Saturday, for bill introductions and then Monday, July 29, for the start of legislative hearings. The schedule: July 25, Thursday, at a time to be determined by Pillen in his proclamation. July 26 and July 27, Friday and Saturday, at 10 a.m. July 29, Monday, at 9 a.m. Hearings at 9:30 a.m. In special sessions, bills offered at the governors request are introduced first, followed by all other bills or resolutions within the scope of the special session as indicated by proclamation. Legislation may only be introduced during the first three days of a special session, per the Legislatures rules. The Nebraska Constitution mandates that lawmakers only address matters within the governors official proclamation. That proclamation can be amended later. Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler said Tuesday that historically lawmakers have self-policed when it comes to legislation that could fall outside the governors proclamation. Since 2002, that has included not referencing bills to a committee or holding legislation within a committee after the hearing. Arch said it will be up to the Legislature as a body, not himself, to determine whether a bill doesnt qualify. That could be decided in referencing, within a committee or on the floor of the Legislature through a procedural point of order, which Metzler said happened in the past. Theres a number of steps where that may occur, Arch said of determining qualifying legislation, but its the call of the Legislature for that. Nebraskans retain the right to challenge successful legislation if they believe it did not follow the Nebraska Constitution for legislative procedure. Arch said the Legislature will not address any ceremonial or congratulatory resolutions, and he has asked committee chairs not to schedule interim studies during the special session. The topic of property tax relief, along with our housekeeping task of confirmation hearings, needs to be our focus for the special session without complicating it with competing scheduling issues, Arch told his colleagues. Winner-take-all While Pillen has said a special session would be solely focused on property taxes, he indicated Tuesday he could be open to other time-sensitive unfinished business, if there is enough legislative support to do so. Prominent among our unsolved problems, Pilen said, is how Nebraska allocates its presidential elector votes during the presidential election. Only Nebraska and Maine award their Electoral College votes (five in Nebraska and four in Maine) based on who wins each congressional district as well as who wins statewide. In 2008 and 2020, Nebraska awarded one vote each time to the Democratic candidate while the Republican candidate won four votes. Legislation has been repeatedly introduced to change the system. The notion was revived this spring but the effort fell short when lawmakers sought to attach it to another bill. I believe this practice is inconsistent with our constitutional founding, out of step with most of the rest of America, and signals disunity, Pillen told lawmakers. I continue to await a signal that support exists within the Legislature to justify a special session to address the winner-take-all issue. Its unclear whether any lawmakers have changed their positions since April, when a previous vote count among state senators landed at 31 in favor, short of the 33 votes needed. State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican in April, was one senator who said he was against changing the law. McDonnell confirmed to the Nebraska Examiner on Tuesday night that his stance has not changed. Editors note: This article has been corrected to note that no start time has been determined for a first day of the possible special session. The post Property tax special session likely to begin July 25; Speaker Arch offers schedule appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Protecting just more than 1 percent of land as nature preserves could prevent most extinctions, according to new research published Monday. The research in the Frontiers in Science journal proposed preventing futher extinctions by protecting areas it labeled as Conservative Imperatives, which it defined as currently unprotected sites that contain rare, threatened, and narrow-range endemic species. The research listed 16,825 unprotected sites. These sites should be prioritized for conservation action over the next 5 years as part of a broader strategy to expand the global protected area network, according to the research. The Conservative Imperatives span across about 633,000 square miles, which represents only 1.22 percent of the Earths land surface. Protecting these areas would prevent the most likely and imminent extinctions as they are home to rare and threatened species, according to the research. Protecting all of these sites could cost approximately $263 billion, according to the research. The study outlined a strategy to meet the global goal to protect 30 percent of the world by 2030. This was a proposal introduced by the United Nations in 2020 as part of a conservation plan to address climate change. Conservation Imperatives can contribute to a science-based priority-setting strategy for expanding the global protected area network to at least 30% by 2030, which is in line with ambitious targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the research said. The researchers said conserving these sites is achievable and affordable, especially in the tropics. Nearly three-quarters of the sites listed are in tropical forests, according to the research. Protecting just 0.74 percent of land found in the tropics, which is where most of the Conservative Imperatives are located, could prevent the majority of predicted near-term extinctions once adequately resourced, according to the study. The cost of protecting the land in the tropics is between $29 billion and $46 billion per year over the next five years, the study stated. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The News NAIROBI Protesters on Tuesday stormed Kenyas parliament in Nairobi, getting past a heavy police cordon as MPs voted to pass an unpopular finance bill containing a raft of tax hikes. A section of the parliament building was set on fire and protesters ventured into some of the rooms in parliament, with police struggling to gain control. Police fired live bullets outside parliament in a bid to stop the protesters. Amnesty International reported that at least five people have been killed and dozens wounded in the protests. There has now been at least one credible report of an internet disruption to Kenya. The protests were predominantly organized by young Kenyans over social media platforms. A series of abductions of several social media influencers and mobilizers associated with the youth-led protests is also fuelling public anger against President William Rutos government. Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday that 21 Kenyans had been illegally abducted or disappeared over five days by uniformed and non-uniformed officers in connection to the protests. It is inconceivable that law enforcement officers are the perpetrators of illegalities and we will unmask and take actions against these rogue criminal elements putting our police in ruin, said Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), on Tuesday. Know More Storming parliament was considered a milestone for the protest movement which has had #OccupyParliament as one of its main rallying calls. The protests have spread to cities and towns across the country, including Rutos political strongholds of Eldoret and Kericho in the Rift Valley. Ruto on Sunday had said he was willing to engage the protesters, most of whom are Gen Z and millennial Kenyans. The police heavy-handedness and abductions have, however, put him on a collision course with protesters who accuse him of hypocrisy. I am very proud of our young people... they have stepped forward peacefully and I want to tell them we are going to engage them, Ruto said in his first public comments on the protests. The View From Haiti As images of Kenyan police struggling with unarmed protesters go around the world, Haitian human rights groups have raised concerns on the Kenyan deployment to Haiti. Their particular concern is the reports of police brutality witnessed in the Kenyan protests. The Movement Unforgettable Dessalines Jean Jacques (MUDJJ), last week wrote to the United Nations expressing concern that the conduct of the police in handling domestic protests might foreshadow the use of similar tactics in Haiti. From PTSD to homelessness, Fall River's new Veterans' Services chief has known struggle FALL RIVER The citys new director of Veterans Services, Talos Doc Farris, knows firsthand how the horrors of battle can affect servicemembers mentally and physically. Farris knows, because after serving 15 years as a Navy hospital corpsman on the battlefield for a good portion of his service with the Marine Corps in Iraq the 44-year-old Atlanta native found himself fighting his own personal demons. He got out of the military in 2013 after seeing the toll of war and tending to the dead and dying on the desert battlefield. Farris, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, said he isolated himself from his family and pulled away from society, at one point finding himself homeless down south. Faris is taking over for former veterans agent Michelle Hamilton, who left for a similar job in another community. His appointment is on Tuesdays City Council agenda. City making a new hire: Fall River is looking for a new veterans agent, and may have to increase the salary Talos Farris is due to be appointed Fall River's new director of Veterans' Services. 'Just something about that deployment' The son of an Atlanta police officer with a family history of serving in the Army, Farris said he joined the Navy in 1999. He was trained at Field Medical Services School at Camp Pendleton in California. In addition to a broad array of medical training as a Navy hospital corpsman, Farris said the job often put him in the role of preacher and counselor, in addition to his knowledge of fighting in battle with the Marines. Not only do you have all that on your plate, but you also have to have the knowledge of what the Marines do, because if one of them get hurt, guess who has to fill that spot, said Farris. Farriss first assignment was in Newport, Rhode Island. Its where he met his wife, a New Bedford native. He and his wife decided to live in Fall River because of its proximity to Newport. It's where he raised his family until he left the military in 2013 and started dealing with his post-deployment issues. Farris was assigned to three tours in Iraq, but it was the second time, and the first as a member of a surgical company, that affected him the most. That was probably one of the more eye-opening ones for me. The mission was just slightly off the front lines, and we were taking in the casualties off the battlefield, said Farris. There was just something about that deployment. They did a lot of heavy operations during that deployment, so we saw a lot of casualties. Those casualties not only included members of the U.S. military services on the ground, but locals and the enemy. Talos Farris is due to be appointed Fall River's new director of Veterans' Services. Its difficult to talk about, to be honest with you. I dont talk about it often, said Farris. What struck Farris during that time was when he and the medical team were aiding the injured, the wounded would be talking and interacting with them as they prepared them for operations. Sometimes, the patients took a turn and did not survive. They are doing everything to save this individual, and to not see them again or to have to tote the stretcher they got operated on to the morgue and put [them] into a body bag after you were just talking to them just an hour or two ago, it just doesnt sit well, said Farris. After doing that a few times, it changed me in a way I dont know how to describe. And they were young, said Farris. Eighteen, 19, 20, 21. There are birthdays and children and so many things that will never come from their existence because they died at such a young age, said Farris. I say, when you have a heart, that stuff will get to you. City's first female veterans agent: How her unique experience helped Putting experience to work with other veterans After leaving the military and going through the personal struggles of PTSD and physical issues and pulling away from society, Farris knew he had to get his act together. And with the support of his family, Farris did, returning to Atlanta. He reunited with his family and cared for his father, who had terminal cancer. When Farris father died, he and his family moved back to Massachusetts in 2019. Farirs said he focused on his education and building skills, landing at BCC. Thats where he became involved in the schools Student Veterans of America chapter, the largest veterans organization in the country that supports military veterans pursuing higher education. Thats where he met and interacted with younger veterans entering civilian life. One of my personal dreams was ... after I was continuing to live out my life after getting my stuff back together, was to be there in some kind of way for other veterans, said Farris. That started, he said, with his involvement with the SVA, where he is currently the president of the BCC chapter. It became my passion not seeing other veterans struggle when they didnt have to, or listening to horror stories of interactions with the [Veterans Administration], said Farris, who he acknowledged has gotten a lot better working with veterans. Finding his calling in Fall River When the Fall River veterans agent position recently opened, Farris said he wondered if it was real? Because it was literally right in line with something I wanted to do anyway, said Farris, who also has a background in working as a corpsman and experience with veterans and veteran benefits at Kaiser-Permanente. You add those things and just my general passion with wanting to help veterans, I thought it was a perfect fit. Farris said one of his main goals is to bring in the younger veterans and their families and get them more engaged in the citys veterans services and veterans' activities. And of course, Farris knows what it's like to be a veteran struggling through civilian life, including homelessness, because hes been there. Yes, maam, absolutely. I sit with them differently, I think, than other people, said Farris. Hes working with a veteran currently who is choosing to be homeless and has alcohol issues. Even though that exists, I dont think that lessens what I should be doing, said Farris. Some people may be too easily pushed aside because they have something that they are dealing with, and the person that is pushing them aside doesnt understand why it exists. I, on the other hand, completely understand why that thing exists. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Meet Talos Farris, Fall River's new director of veterans' services The start of official negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union (EU) does not mean that the accession process will be completed quickly. Ukraine expects to fulfill all the requirements only by 2030. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, who heads the Ukrainian delegation to the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference. According to DW, the deadlines were announced before the conference. "This is a historic moment for all of us, marking a new milestone in our relations. The accession negotiations we are starting today will be rigorous and time-consuming. We are confident in your ability to bring them to a successful conclusion with determination and dedication," said Hadja Lahbib, head of the European delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium. Thus, to successfully complete the negotiations with the EU, Ukraine has to implement changes in accordance with 33 chapters in six clusters defined by the negotiating framework. In this regard, Ukraine has to implement many reforms in various areas, from anti-corruption to taxation. ADVERTISIMENT It is unclear how quickly all the conditions will be met. However, the experience of other countries shows that the entire accession process takes at least 5-8 years, which is generally in line with Stefanishyna's forecast. Formally, there are three steps left to Ukraine's membership in the EU. These are: the European Commission's conclusion on the successful completion of negotiations and Ukraine's compliance with the accession criteria; the decision to sign the Agreement on Ukraine's accession to the EU; ratification of the agreement by the parliaments of the EU member states and Ukraine's full membership in the EU. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the European Union started negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc on June 25. This means the actual start of a new stage of Ukraine's European integration, which, however, may be delayed. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Deputies are searching for two suspects who are accused of snatching a pub-sub over the weekend. According to the Lee County Sheriffs Office, a couple walked into the Publix on Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral on Saturday afternoon. They approached the Deli station, looking for their online order containing two whole turkey subs. Publix selling rare plant at select Florida stores for a limited time When they couldnt find their orders, the Deli Clerk made them new ones, but deputies said they left the store without paying. According to the incident report, each sub cost $9.99, bringing the sandwichs total value to $21.28. Lee County Sheriffs Office Lee County Sheriffs Office Security footage captured the couple driving away in a black Ford Explorer around 3:57 p.m. Anyone who recognizes the couple or has any information about this incident is asked to contact Lee County deputies at 239-477-1000. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. FILE - Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority workers repair distribution lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in the Cantera community of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 19, 2017. The private operator of Puerto Ricos power grid confirmed Monday, June 24, 2024, the deferral of $65 million worth of maintenance and improvement projects in the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for at least a year because of budget constraints. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The private operator of Puerto Ricos power grid confirmed Monday the deferral of $65 million worth of maintenance and improvement projects in the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for at least a year because of budget constraints, putting at risk the already troubled grid and sparking a widespread outcry. Some of the deferred projects include maintenance of more than 100,000 light posts, fire mitigation and repairs on underground circuits, among other improvements. Luma Energys head of regulatory affairs, Mario Hurtado, told The Associated Press on Monday that the suspended projects, which he aims to bring back next year, risk more outages across the island. The risk is always that there will be more failures in terms of public lighting, Hurtado said. At a budget hearing on Friday, Hurtado said Luma Energy prioritized other tasks based on professional judgment, which they consider calculated risks. The lack of fire mitigation puts the grid at risk as hotter temperatures seize Puerto Rico, increasing the chances of wildfires disrupting power lines. We make judgments based on what we have available and what our goals are, Hurtado said Friday. Although it entails a risk, its an acceptable risk. Lumas budget, proposed to Puerto Ricos Energy Bureau, includes $1.3 billion for the entire electrical sector, with 65% allocated to Luma, which is in charge of transmission and distribution, 32% to Genera PR, which operates and maintains the grid, and 3% to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The budget aims to inject funds into Lumas customer service, personnel safety and renewable energy projects. Luma's announcement to defer millions of dollars' worth of projects amid chronic power outages has angered many. It is unacceptable that Luma Energy can unilaterally decide to suspend crucial tasks, Jesus Manuel Ortiz, a member of the House of Representatives whos also running for governor, said in a statement Monday. It is evident that Luma continues to fail in its responsibilities, and that no one in the Government of Puerto Rico is responsible. The company confirmed a delay in funds disbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday. Luma has submitted about 400 projects for approval to upgrade the energy grid, and about 100 have been approved, Hurtado said. The budget hearing comes as the island of 3.2 million people contends with frequent power outages more than six years after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm. The combination of storms, earthquakes and underinvestment has hindered recovery efforts. A massive blackout in mid-June left over 340,000 customers in the capital, San Juan, and nearby cities without power during a heat wave. Prior to the blackout, towns in central and southern Puerto Rico were left without power for about five days after a transformer collapsed early June. The company restored the service on June 9, with some residents still experiencing sporadic outages last week. Over the weekend, Luma shipped a transformer via boat from San Juan to the southern coastal city of Ponce and then transported it to the nearby town of Santa Isabel. Governor Pedro Pierluisi activated the National Guard to help with the energy crisis and ordered an investigation into the June 13 blackout. The Energy Bureau is also investigating and has directed Luma and Genera PR to submit a plan to stabilize the islands electrical network. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. Deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office are investigating after a woman was found dead in a home Monday afternoon. The incident happened after deputies were called to a home in the 6900 block of Lee Road where a female was found dead inside. Little Rock police investigating Sunday afternoon homicide Investigators later identified the woman as 70-year-old Deborah Lea Armond. Authorities have not released any information regarding the cause of death but did say this case is being investigated as a homicide. North Little Rock police make arrest in Sunday afternoon shooting Officials with the PCSO said that the investigation is ongoing and ask that anyone with information about the case contact them at 501-340-6963. This is a developing story, please check back for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. The local governor of Russias Dagestan region fired a prominent politician in Russian President Vladimir Putins United Russia party on Monday after reports surfaced that his sons and nephews were involved in the deadly attack in Dagestan over the weekend. Russian authorities had detained and interrogated the politician, Magomed Omarov, the head of Dagestans Sergokalinsky district, on Sunday in connection to his relatives alleged involvement, according to TASS. He was let go but was detained again for petty hooliganism, according to a source in the security services, according to RIA Novosti, Mash, and other popular Russian language Telegram channels. Five suspects have already been killed or eliminated, Russias Investigative Committee announced. Two of those liquidated were Omarovs son, 31-year-old Osman Omarov, and his nephew, 36-year-old Ali Zakarigaev, according to a Russian security service source, RIA Novosti reported. His 37-year-old son Adil Omarov was also killed, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, along with his other nephew, 32-year-old Abdusamad Amadziev, according to Baza. The regional governor, Sergey Melikov, said Magomed Omarov would be held fully accountable if the authorities find out he was involved himself, adding that parents are responsible for those they raise, according to TASS. Why is he, as the head of a municipality, as a member of the United Russia party, as a high-level leader, who has been serving for several years as the head of a municipality, whose duties comes to take care of the entire population of the region, did not pay attention, missed the children, and missed them so much that they became murderers, Melikov asked, according to TASS. Omarov has been expelled from the United Party since Sunday, TASS reported. Police officers clear a building after more than 15 police officers were killed in Dagestan, Russia. National Antiterrorism Committee/Anadolu via Getty Images The region is conducting operational search and investigative activities until all participants in the sleeper cells are identified, Melikov said. Omarov had eight sons, each of which is being checked for links to terrorist organizations, according to a report from Komsomolskaya Pravda. Sundays attack, in which gunmen attacked religious places of worship and a police outpost in Derbent and Makhachkala in Dagestan, killed 21 people, according to a tally from the regional Ministry of Health. Al Azaim Media, a media outlet associated with ISIS-K, an affiliate group of ISIS, claimed the attack was carried out following calls for attacks on behalf of ISIS. The attacks may have been coordinated by Wilayat Kavkaz, an ISIS sleeper cell, according to the Institute for the Study of War. It marks the deadliest attack in Russia since the Moscow shooting in March. Russia has been working to steel itself against the recent flurry of terrorist attacks. Russian authorities initiated a sweeping crackdown on migrants throughout the nation in an attempt to tamp down on any terrorist cells with sights set on plotting attacks after the Moscow attack. And although the anti-terrorism brigades have been on high alert, Russias security and intelligence apparatus appears to have been caught off guardand the call might be coming from inside the house, according to local officials. Mogamed Omarov, the politician from Putins own party who has ties to suspects of the brutal attack, held a counterterrorism meeting as recently as April, according to Reuters. Russian lawmakers are working to cast blame on the west for the incident already, echoing claims from Russian authorities that Ukraine was responsible for the Moscow attack as well. The United States and its European satellites, which cannot come to terms with the actual defeat of their Kyiv puppets on the fronts of the Northern Military District, have turned into outright sponsors of state terrorism, the head of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, said on social media. The blood of the victims of todays terrorist attacks is also on their hands. A man walks past flowers laying in front of the representative office of Dagestan in Moscow. Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images COUSINS-IN-CRIME During interrogation, Omarov acknowledged that his children were Wahhabis, or members of a Sunni Muslim sect, according to a Baza report. His childrens work and connections have raised questions about just how close suspected terrorism circles are to prominent politicians in Russia. Osman Omarov, Omarovs son, appears to have a shady past. He reportedly had connections with Turkey and was recruited there, according to Mash. He just returned from an 18-month stay there in April, Mash reported. A friend, speaking with Komsomolskaya Pravda, described Osman as always with criminal license plates. From 2012 until 2014, he worked at the Derbent Cognac Factory, which was owned by Murad Gadzhiev, a State Duma deputy from United Russia who is also known as the King of Derbent, according to Vorstka. He also was reportedly involved in the construction business, according to MSK1.ru and Mash. (Osman also previously owned a cafe called Lemonade on the coast of the Caspian Sea, Mash reportedalthough reviews suggest the service was poor even if the views were nice. In general, I dont want to go back a second time, one reviewer stated. Another reviewer noted: there is not enough service and the kitchen is lame!!! He gave the food one star.) Ali Zakarigaev, Omarovs nephew, was a former head of the Sergokalinsky district branch of A Just Russia Party. But since the attack, that party has decided to expel him, according to Rodyom. He didnt notice anything like that in the party, we didnt notice, he worked actively, collaborated with us, took part in the elections. There were no [complaints] at all he constantly came to meetings. Were a little shocked here, the party said in a statement. A gun lies in a pool of blood after more than 15 police officers were killed in a suspected terror attack in Dagestan, Russia. National Antiterrorism Committee/Anadolu via Getty Images Abdusamad Amadziev, another one of Omarovs nephews, previously worked as a mechanic and had no problems with the law before, a law enforcement source told RIA Novosti. He worked at Dagestangazservis company, later known as Gazprom Gas Distribution Dagestan, Vorstka reported. Adil Omarov, another one of Omarovs sons, reportedly attended the Faculty of Law of Dagestan State University and participated in freestyle wrestling, according to his father. ISIS-K, which claimed the Moscow shooting, praised the attack in Dagestan, noting that it was carried out by brothers in the Caucasus who showed that they are still strong. The Stealth U.S. Mission to Protect Olympics From Terrorists SCOURGE OF ISIS Its not just Russia thats on edge about the rising scourge of terrorism. ISIS-K recently plotted numerous other attacks on other European countries, according to French authorities. According to the State Department, dismantling ISIS-K clandestine urban cells has proven difficult in recent years. ISIS has been able to regroup and plan attacks in Europe and Asia ever since the United States botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, leaked documents from the Pentagon note. As France prepares for the Olympics, the U.S. intelligence community is gearing up on security support work. Some intelligence officials have been working on the preparations for two years, The Daily Beast reported. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Douglas County, Ga., elections officials Milton Kidd, left, and Tesha Green fear being followed home by angry voters. Nationwide, many election officials are concerned for their safety. (Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline) This story originally appeared on Stateline. Editors note: This story contains profanities and racist slurs. DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. When Milton Kidd leaves work at the end of the day, he slips out the back door of the domed Douglas County Courthouse, avoiding the public entrance where people might berate him or demand his home address. He never takes the same route home two days in a row, and he makes random turns to avoid being followed. Kidd, a Black man, has a very dangerous job: He is the elections and voter registration director for Douglas County. Milton Kidd is a nasty n***** living on tax money like the scum he is, one voter wrote in an email Kidd shared with Stateline. Living on tax money, like a piece of low IQ n***** shit. Another resident from Kidds county of 149,000 west of Atlanta left him a voicemail. I dont know if youre aware, Milton, but the American people have set a precedent for what they do to f***ing tyrants and oppressors who occupy government office, the caller said. Yep, back in the 1700s, they were called the British and the f***ing American people got so fed up with the f***ing British being dicks, kind of like you, and then they just f***ing killed all the f***ing British. Kidd smiled incredulously as he shared his security routine and the hate-filled messages that inspired it. He is dumbfounded that hes the target of such vitriol for administering elections in 2024 but he knows where it originated. The lies told by former President Donald Trump, who faces state felony charges for trying to pressure Georgia officials to change the 2020 results, have resonated with many Douglas County voters, Kidd said. Now this nonpartisan official, like many others across the country, is forced to face their ire. Its an idea that has become insidious in the mindsets of Americans, that because a single individual did not win an election, that now I can behave like this, said Kidd, who has a thick beard and wears a thumb-size crystal on a black string around his neck. As he prepares for the next presidential election, Kidd said he will continue to press his states elected officials for more leadership and money to protect him, his staff and the democratic process. If this office fails, then our democracy has failed, he said. I will never let a detractor who calls with vile language deter me from the work that I do. Like standing in a puddle of gasoline Kidd is far from the only election official who has faced threats inspired by the lies of Trump and his allies, who continue to claim without evidence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Nationally, 38% of local election officials have experienced threats, harassment or abuse since 2020 just for doing their jobs, according to a survey released in May by the Brennan Center for Justice, a voting rights nonprofit housed at the New York University School of Law. More than half of the over 900 respondents said they are concerned about the safety of their colleagues and staff. If this office fails, then our democracy has failed. I will never let a detractor who calls with vile language deter me from the work that I do. Milton Kidd, elections and voter registration director for Douglas County, Ga. Kidds colleagues in neighboring counties also have felt the hostility. In the green hills of Bartow County, a rural community in northwest Georgia, Election Supervisor Joseph Kirk has taken steps to protect himself, though he wont disclose specifics. While harassment has not reached the level it has in other counties, he said he has lost staff members who left their positions because of the changed atmosphere. Theres a lot more animosity now, he said in his Cartersville office, a red-brick building 4 miles from Main Street. Cobb County Director of Elections Tate Fall is also fortifying her suburban Atlanta elections office. In the coming weeks, her office will install a shatterproof safety film on the glass that shields the front desk. More access points will require key cards for entry, and there will be additional panic buttons. Its very surreal, she said. In the office, people have become so desensitized to people yelling at them that they dont consider a lot a threat anymore. At least a dozen states have enacted new protections for local election officials in recent years, including boosting criminal penalties for those who threaten or harass them. This month, Georgia officials announced a first-in-the-nation requirement that all new police officers undergo a course on election security, partly focusing on protecting election officials from threats. This is part of a broader mission to build more coordination between sheriffs offices and elections offices, said Chris Harvey, deputy executive director of the Georgia Police Officer Training and Standards Council, which will lead the effort. Harvey, a former detective, also served as Georgias state elections director for six years, including through the 2020 presidential election. After the January 2021 U.S. Senate runoff, he was doxed his home address and a picture of his house were posted online. He also received an emailed death threat that included a photo of him with crosshairs over his face. While he says he wasnt worried about his safety, he did worry about his wife and four children at home. He called the local police, who posted a car in front of his house for two weeks. In this supercharged environment, its like standing in a puddle of gasoline, he told Stateline. Anything can set it off. It didnt used to be like that. The democratic path Democracys fragile promise has always been part of Kidds life. Kidd, 39, grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, a former manufacturing hub of 18,000 people along the Mississippi River. His family was part of the Great Migration, moving north from Southern states such as Arkansas and Mississippi looking for work and safety. But shortly after his ancestors arrival, white mobs killed hundreds of Black newcomers during several months of 1917, displacing 6,000 Black people in the southern Illinois city. His grandmother was a sharecropper in Luxor, Arkansas, and instilled in his mother the importance of voting. Growing up, he heard stories about civil rights activists Fannie Lou Hamer, who was beaten for registering voters, and Medgar Evers, who was assassinated. It made Kidd a student of history, able to recite the Declaration of Independence and parts of the Constitution. The importance of the ballot box has always been something that has been stressed to me, he said. I know in my own family individuals have tried to register to vote and had dogs sicced on them. These are not words in a book. Its not that far off. Inspired by his father, who left school in the ninth grade to work, and his mother, who received a college education later in her life, Kidd earned his masters degree in public administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2010. He then did what he called a reverse migration back to the South to begin working elections in various counties in the Atlanta area, including Douglas County. He started there in 2015 and was promoted to lead the office three years later. In that time, Kidd has seen the election environment turn nasty. Weve reshaped this nation into an uglier, vile, vitriolic spirit that were just allowing to continue to manifest, he said last month. Election signs planted in soil in front of a courthouse. He and his eight full-time staff members have attempted to bolster their public standing by going to local churches, fairs and political party meetings of both parties to share details about how they run elections and tabulate the vote securely. But he needs more resources from the state. The same lawmakers who wink and nod at the lie that massive fraud is stealing elections do not support additional funding for local election administration, he said, especially for the safety of election administrators. Every one of the security enhancements he made to his office including a series of magnetic locks on the doors came through outside grant funding, a practice the state later outlawed in 2021. Some of Kidds staff members have quit, and hes finding it hard to fill the temporary positions that allow elections to run smoothly. Constant turnover can lead to errors, which leads to more distrust. The workers who have stayed are still fearful. On election night, my husband definitely waits for me to get home, said Tesha Green, the countys deputy elections director. You have to always make sure that no ones there when were leaving out the door. Kidd was encouraged by Georgias announcement that it would require all new police officers to undergo a course on election security. Does Kidd feel supported by his local sheriffs office? He chuckled and said theres a lot more that could be done. Cpt. Trent Wilson of the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said the office took Kidds complaints seriously. Though they were concerning, he said, there was nothing criminal in the voicemails and emails Kidd received. It was very distasteful, Wilson said. But just because theyre distasteful dont mean theyre criminal. Pressed about what constitutes a threat, he added: Look, Im a Black man. So, we dont like to be called a n*****. But calling someone a n***** is not a crime. When election season comes, he said the sheriffs office boosts security, adding more deputies to the courthouse. Visitors already must pass through metal detectors, he noted. As head of the election office, Kidd knows hes a target, and hes accepted that. But he worries about his staff, many of whom are older women who dont feel safe walking to their cars at night. And, closer to home, he worries that if something happens to him, no one will be able to take care of his beloved dogs, Kleo and Knight. In 2024, I work a job that I have to allow myself to be called a n*****, he said. But I do it because I want to make sure people have access to the ballot box. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X. The post Racist slurs and death threats: The dangerous life of a Georgia elections official appeared first on Alabama Reflector. (Photo by Hal Brown) Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea is arguing in a new campaign filing that his weekday radio show on New Jersey 101.5 does not amount to an impermissible in-kind contribution to his campaign because it does not include direct appeals for his election. His two primary opponents are taking the opposite position, claiming in filings made public Tuesday by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission that the platform afforded to Spadea by the radio station amounts to aid well above the states campaign contribution limits. The commission is due to hear arguments on the matter on Friday. An adverse ruling would immediately spell trouble for Spadea, a conservative firebrand who has placed himself firmly in the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Apart from choosing whether to give up his radio show or his campaign, a ruling against him would likely put him in immediate violation of state campaign finance laws. Spadeas filing says his show does not constitute an in-kind contribution thats a non-monetary donation to a political campaign, usually in the form of goods or services because state regulations define political communications as those urging the election or defeat of a given candidate. The radio host claims not to have made any such appeals. Thus, the mere presence of a candidate does not transform a communication into a political communication contribution. It must include an explicit appeal for the election or defeat of a candidate, Spadeas attorneys wrote in their brief, which calls the commissions planned review extraordinary and extralegal. The brief adds that the proper procedure here would be for the commission to investigate only if Spadea engaged in political advocacy on his show, not prospectively restricting speech that might potentially become a campaign contribution. Spadeas attorneys appeared to admit in a footnote that the show could cause campaign finance issues come January. The state regulations say communications absent a direct appeal for election are political communications if their audience is substantially made up of eligible voters, if they contain political objectives or achievements, and if they were made with at least some cooperation or consent from the candidate, subject to a time bar. For most candidates, that rule kicks in 90 days before an election. For gubernatorial candidates, it becomes effective on Jan. 1 of the year of the gubernatorial election in this case, Jan. 1, 2025. Townsquare Media, which owns New Jersey 101.5, echoed its hosts arguments in its own brief. It says a finding that his show is an in-kind contribution would improperly restrict speech. Classifying Spadeas airtime as an in-kind contribution would open the door to excessive regulation of media activities involving any candidate, chilling free speech and hindering political participation, Townsquares attorneys wrote. The station said it has instituted internal rules to bar mentions of Spadeas candidacy or attacks on his opponents, adding he will no longer be allowed to host New Jersey 101.5 radio programs after he becomes a legally qualified candidate as defined by the Federal Communications Commission. Spadea will meet that bar if and when he files nominating petitions and secures a spot on the ballot. The deadline to file nominating petitions is typically in late March or early April of the election year, or a little more than 60 days before the primary. He could become a legally qualified candidate earlier if he declares a write-in campaign, though he is not expected to do so. Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union), one of Spadeas opponents for the Republican nomination, argues the show is an in-kind contribution because it is a contribution of a good or service namely airtime to a candidate. His program offers substantial promotional advantages to his campaign, including unrestricted market access and significant advertising influence typically purchased by other candidates, attorney William Burns wrote for Bramnicks campaign. Bramnicks attorneys cited a 1997 advisory opinion from the Election Law Enforcement Commission that found the publication of political newsletters could be an in-kind contribution. That opinion centered on a newsletter that was to be sent within the 90-day lockout period for non-gubernatorial candidates. Attorneys for Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman mounting a third bid for governor next year, argue Spadeas airtime is a contribution on different grounds. New Jerseys definition of expenditure includes an exemption for some news coverage, but Ciattarellis campaign argues Spadeas show does not qualify for this exception because it does not provide reasonably equal coverage to all opposing candidates as the exception requires. Even Spadea and Townsquare Media cannot credibly contend that they afford reasonable equal coverage to all opposing candidates, attorney Mark Sheridan wrote for the Ciattarelli campaign. Instead, they provide coverage to a single candidate with a single point of view. But that isnt the only test in the news media exception. It also asks whether a candidate or political committee owns or controls the news organizations facility. Spadea does not own or control Townsquare Media, his attorneys said in his filing. Townsquare Media bills $500 per minute of airtime for ads on Spadeas morning show, according to a rate card for political advertisements provided by the firm to Ciattarellis campaign. Spadeas show runs for 20 hours each week and has aired 28 hours since Spadea announced his candidacy. That could be up to $420,000 in airtime, though not all the time would be considered an expenditure even in the case of an adverse ruling. New Jersey caps campaign contributions to $5,800 per election. This situation is entirely of Spadeas making. He could have sought an advisory opinion from this Commission as to whether his airtime constituted a contribution under the Act, Sheridan wrote. Spadea and his employer, Townsquare Media, both failed to avail themselves of that opportunity. The post Radio host Bill Spadea attacks extralegal push to review campaign benefit of his show appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at a Tuesday government forum hosted by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. ERLANGER, Ky. Days before the first presidential debate, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., made it clear he still hasn't decided whether to endorse former President Donald Trump as the party's nominee. After a political forum in Northern Kentucky, Paul told reporters, "I want to know that we're not going to have so much debt next time around. ... But do I like Trump better than Biden? Without question. I think Biden's bad for the country." Paul is one of the last Republicans in Congress to withhold an endorsement, although he did publicly support Trump during the former president's recent criminal trial in Manhattan and called for the district attorney leading the investigation to "be put in jail," USA Today reported. Northern Kentucky renegade U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie has also withheld a Trump endorsement and publicly supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' now-defunct presidential bid. Massie's spokesperson confirmed Tuesday, however, that the representative will be voting for Trump as a delegate at the Republican National Convention next month. Here are a few things Paul had to say at a political forum hosted by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning: What does he think of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? "There are things I disagree with him, also, on on spending and debt as well. But I haven't been critical because I think having more voices is good Robert Kennedy ought to be allowed to debate." He added: "I think it's unfair and actually a campaign contribution from CNN to Trump and to Biden to exclude him (from the presidential debate Thursday.)" Does Rand Paul want to increase Social Security benefits retirement age? Paul said "raising the age very gradually, a couple of months each year" would address dwindling funds in the Social Security Administration. "I think it's better than raising taxes on all of us that are working because a lot of people working now are struggling to pay for their food, and their gas, and everything else.I'd rather keep the taxes similar and gradually have us wait longer." He also suggested "wealthy people, successful people take a little less Social Security." On the 'deception' of COVID-19 U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at a Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event in Erlanger on Tuesday. "Almost all of the things they made you do, there was no science behind it, none. They finally admitted the six-foot rule, there was no science behind that. The masks they had always said 'Masks don't work' until they went crazy and (former chief medical adviser to the president) Anthony Fauci started wearing three masks on TV." "Does that mean they don't work at all? No," he said, adding a recommendation that vulnerable or older people wear a mask when in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Rand called the nation's response to COVID "a big mistake." "It led to the debt," he said. "We spent more money in those times because we basically said 'Shut down, but we'll send you a check.' That is a stupid, stupid ignorant economic theory. You cannot not work and be paid by the government." Rand's position on masks is not supported by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which has reported wearing a face mask reduces the risk of testing positive for COVID-19. Who's at fault for national debt? "One of the biggest obstacles we have long term for our country is our debt. We have a $34 trillion debt. People say, 'Well, whose fault it is? Is that Joe Biden's fault?' Yes. Is it Donald Trump's fault? Yes. I mean, both parties have been terrible with spending." Rand said he's promoted how to address debt for years. "It's called the penny plan. All it does is that it cuts 1% of everything (federal government spending in programs like Medicaid and Social Security), and I do mean everything. If it's not everything, you can't do it." Who is U.S. Sen. Paul Rand? Rand, an ophthalmologist, calls Bowling Green, Kentucky, home. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and ran for president in 2016, seeking the Republican nomination. He lost to now-former President Donald Trump. Paul is known for his conservative and Libertarian-style views. He was re-elected to a third term in 2022, which ends Jan. 3, 2029. His father, Ron Paul, is a former U.S. representative from Texas who ran for president three times. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Rand Paul support Trump for president? Rapper Julio Foolio is dead at 26 after being shot outside a hotel in Florida early Sunday morning (June 23), his attorney confirmed to NBC News. The Pain rapper born Charles Jones was celebrating his 26th birthday Saturday night (June 22) before relocating to a Holiday Inn, where, according to his lawyer Lewis Fusco, the musician was ambushed by assailants. More from Billboard The Tampa Police Department tells Billboard that law enforcement arrived to the scene after receiving a 911 call around 4:40 a.m. ET. There, they found a pair of vehicles that had been peppered with bullets in the parking lot. Jones was pronounced dead, and three others were taken to a local hospital and were in stable condition. Before arriving to the hotel, the rapper and a crew were celebrating his birthday at a nearby Airbnb, but he claimed authorities shut us down and kicked us out, NBC News reported, citing his Instagram Story. Police are working to identify those involved, and are investigating for a motive. The Tampa Police Department requests that anyone with information related to the shooting call 813-231-6130. Jones most recent project arrived in April with Resurrection. When announcing the album, Foolio admitted there had been multiple attempts on his life, but hes continued to persevere. THESE LAST COUPLE MONTHS/YEARS OF MY LIFE BEEN TRAGIC, he wrote to Instagram on April 4. GOD BEEN TRYNNA SEND ME A MESSAGE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE I KEEP SURVIVING..I KEEP LOSING MY BRUDDAS TO JAIL AND GRAVEYARDS BUT I KNOW THE MOST HIGH DOING EVERYTHING FOR A REASON HE LET ME WALK AGAIN FOR A REASON. Best of Billboard Ukraine will be three steps away from full membership in the European Union once the accession negotiations are completed. The negotiations will begin on June 25. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during a telethon. The diplomat noted that Ukraine's accession to the EU will be an event of global significance. "Tomorrow there will be an inaugural part, then there will be six clusters of negotiations that will open and close, specialists in the relevant fields will work and bring Ukraine's legislation in line with EU standards," Kuleba said. According to the Foreign Minister, these three steps will include, in particular: - The European Commission's conclusion on the successful completion of negotiations and Ukraine's compliance with the accession criteria; - the decision to sign the Agreement on Ukraine's accession to the EU; ADVERTISIMENT - ratification of the agreement by the parliaments of the EU member states and Ukraine's full membership in the European Union. As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that June 25, when negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU are to begin, will be the day to which the Ukrainian state has been striving for decades. According to him, Ukraine will not be sidetracked from its path to a united Europe. As reported by OBOZ.UA: - The European Union decided to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc on June 25. Similar negotiations will begin with Moldova. - On June 21, Zelensky signed a decree approving the composition of the delegation to participate in the EU accession talks. It will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna. ADVERTISIMENT - The negotiations will be based on a new model. The agreement contains 35 chapters, and a delegation will be set up for each chapter. According to the standard scheme, one of the chapters is opened and negotiations on another chapter are not opened until it is closed. - President of the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Association Volodymyr Khandohiy believes that 2030 is the most realistic date for Ukraine's accession to the EU. - Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine has set a record by going from applying for EU membership to starting negotiations in just over two years. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In early 2023, following an international conference that included dialogue with China, the United States released a Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, urging states to adopt sensible policies that include ensuring ultimate human control over nuclear weapons. Yet the notion of human control itself is hazier than it might seem. If humans authorized a future AI system to stop an incoming nuclear attack, how much discretion should it have over how to do so? The challenge is that an AI general enough to successfully thwart such an attack could also be used for offensive purposes. We need to recognize the fact that AI technologies are inherently dual-use. This is true even of systems already deployed. For instance, the very same drone that delivers medication to a hospital that is inaccessible by road during a rainy season could later carry an explosive to that same hospital. Keep in mind that military operations have for more than a decade been using drones so precise that they can send a missile through a particular window that is literally on the other side of the earth from its operators. We also have to think through whether we would really want our side to observe a lethal autonomous weapons (LAW) ban if hostile military forces are not doing so. What if an enemy nation sent an AI-controlled contingent of advanced war machines to threaten your security? Wouldnt you want your side to have an even more intelligent capability to defeat them and keep you safe? This is the primary reason that the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots has failed to gain major traction. As of 2024, all major military powers have declined to endorse the campaign, with the notable exception of China, which did so in 2018 but later clarified that it supported a ban on only use, not developmentalthough even this is likely more for strategic and political reasons than moral ones, as autonomous weapons used by the United States and its allies could disadvantage Beijing militarily. Further, what will human even ultimately mean in the context of control when, starting in the 2030s, we introduce a nonbiological addition to our own decision-making with braincomputer interfaces? That nonbiological component will only grow exponentially, while our biological intelligence will stay the same. And as we get to the late 2030s, our thinking itself will be largely nonbiological. Where will the human decision-making be when our own thoughts largely use nonbiological systems? Courtesy of Penguin Random House LLC. Instead of pinning our hopes on the unstable distinction between humans and AI, we should focus on how to make the AI systems safe and aligned with humanitys wellbeing. In 2017, I attended the Asilomar Conference on Beneficial AIa conference inspired by the successful biotechnology safety guidelines established at the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNAto discuss how the world could safely use artificial intelligence. What resulted from the talks are the Asilomar AI Principles, some of which have already been very influential with AI labs and governments. For example, principle 7 (Failure Transparency: If an AI system causes harm, it should be possible to ascertain why) and principle 8 (Judicial Transparency: Any involvement by an autonomous system in judicial decision-making should provide a satisfactory explanation auditable by a competent human authority) are closely reflected in both the voluntary commitments from leading tech giant in July 2023, and in President Bidens executive order several months later. Efforts to render AI decisions more comprehensible are important, but the basic problem is that, regardless of any explanation they provide, we simply wont have the capacity to fully understand most of the decisions made by future superintelligent AI. If a Go-playing program, for instance, far beyond the best human were able to explain its strategic decisions, not even the best player in the world (without the assistance of a cybernetic enhancement) would entirely grasp them. One promising line of research aimed at reducing risks from opaque AI systems is eliciting latent knowledge. This project is trying to develop techniques that can ensure that if we ask an AI a question, it gives us all the relevant information it knows, instead of just telling us what it thinks we want to hearwhich will be a growing risk as machine-learning systems become more powerful. The Asilomar principles also laudably promote noncompetitive dynamics around AI development, notably principle 18 (AI Arms Race: An arms race in lethal autonomous weapons should be avoided) and principle 23 (Common Good: Superintelligence should only be developed in the service of widely shared ethical ideals, and for the benefit of all humanity rather than one state or organization.). Yet, because superintelligent AI could be a decisive advantage in warfare and bring tremendous economic benefits, military powers will have strong incentives to engage in an arms race for it. Not only does this worsen risks of misuse, but it also increases the chances that safety precautions around AI alignment could be neglected. Read more: Dont Fear Artificial Intelligence It is very difficult to usefully restrict development of any fundamental AI capability, especially since the basic idea behind general intelligence is so broad. Yet there are encouraging signs that major governments are now taking the challenge seriously. Following the international AI Safety Summit 2023 in the UK, the Bletchley Declaration by 28 countries pledged to prioritize safe AI development. And already in 2024, the European Union passed the landmark EU AI Act regulating high-risk systems, and the United Nations adopted a historic resolution to promote safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. Much will depend on how such initiatives are actually implemented. Any early regulation will inevitably make mistakes. The key question is how quickly policymakers can learn and adapt. One hopeful argument, which is based on the principle of the free market, is that each step toward superintelligence is subject to market acceptance. In other words, artificial general intelligence will be created by humans to solve real human problems, and there are strong incentives to optimize it for beneficial purposes. Since AI is emerging from a deeply integrated economic infrastructure, it will reflect our values, because in an important sense it will be us. We are already a human-machine civilization. Ultimately, the most important approach we can take to keep AI safe is to protect and improve on our human governance and social institutions. The best way to avoid destructive conflict in the future is to continue the advance of our ethical ideals, which has already profoundly reduced violence in recent centuries and decades. AI is the pivotal technology that will allow us to meet the pressing challenges that confront us, including overcoming disease, poverty, environmental degradation, and all of our human frailties. We have a moral imperative to realize the promise of these new technologies while mitigating the peril. But it wont be the first time weve succeeded in doing so. When I was growing up, most people around me assumed that nuclear war was almost inevitable. The fact that our species found the wisdom to refrain from using these terrible weapons shines as an example of how we have it in our power to likewise use emerging biotechnology, nanotechnology, and superintelligent AI responsibly. We are not doomed to failure in controlling these perils. Overall, we should be cautiously optimistic. While AI is creating new technical threats, it will also radically enhance our ability to deal with those threats. As for abuse, since these methods will enhance our intelligence regardless of our values, they can be used for both promise and peril. We should thus work toward a world where the powers of AI are broadly distributed, so that its effects reflect the values of humanity as a whole. Adapted from The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge With AI by Ray Kurzweil, published by Viking. Copyright 2024 by Ray Kurzweil. Reprinted courtesy of Penguin Random House. Contact us at letters@time.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Raytown School District confirmed it is investigating an altercation between a student and a staff member at one of its high schools Tuesday. In a letter to the families and parents of students at Raytown and Raytown South High School, the school district said, A staff member allegedly engaged in a confrontation with a student that was witnessed by other students and recorded. K-9 officer dies after being left in hot car overnight in Savannah, MO This video has since surfaced on social media and sparked outrage amongst viewers. However, the Raytown School District assured parents and families that administrators and security officers immediately responded and de-escalated the altercation. The school day continued with no further disruptions, the school district said. According to Superintendent Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox, the incident does not align with the values and practices of students and staff. She said, Our environments are established to be safe and orderly for students and staff alike and situations such as this will not be tolerated. When matters like this arise, we take swift and appropriate action to bring resolution for all involved. As a result of this matter, the employee has been dismissed from the Raytown School District, Martin-Knox said. Multiple grocery stores in Kansas City metro to close early Tuesday No other details have been released about the altercation, and the district said there is no update on disciplinary actions. However, parents and families were reassured that the school would take any necessary measures as outlined in Board policy. There are no details regarding the identity of the staff member or the context surrounding the confrontation. Stay tuned at FOX4 News for the latest updates and information. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. AUSTIN (KXAN) The federal bank and wire fraud trial for real estate investor Nate Paul has been delayed until February 2025. Pauls attorneys argued that millions of documents provided by prosecutors are still being uploaded by a third-party vendor, meaning they will need additional time for review before trial, which had been set for Nov. 6, 2024. The defense had asked Judge David Ezra to delay the trial until March 17, 2025. Prosecutors suggested a start date of Jan. 6 instead. I think you both have good points, so Im going to set this case in February, Ezra said in a hearing Tuesday. Jury selection was set for Feb. 18. Stay issued on Nate Paul jail commitment order In general, it is always my inclination to try to have cases, criminal cases in particular, presented to the jury at the earliest possible opportunity, and that certainly isnt anything different here, Ezra said in Tuesdays hearing. Attorneys for Paul said they requested the documents from prosecutors in late January, and the government started the process to copy them almost immediately. Because of the sheer number of documents 4.4 million the defense did not receive them until May 14. The third-party vendor is still in the process of uploading those to a server for the defense team to review. Pauls attorneys dont anticipate being able to start that review process until mid-August. In a government response to Pauls motion requesting a delay, prosecutors said they oppose any continuance beyond what may be absolutely necessary for the preparation of Mr. Pauls defense. In setting the trial date for February, Judge Ezra acknowledged the delay was more of a technical issue, saying, Im not pointing fingers at anybody. Ezra also acknowledged a request from the defense team to transfer the case from Austin to San Antonio. The judge rebuffed that request, saying initial publicity of the case in Austin has died down. I will ensure Mr. Paul gets a fair trial, Ezra said, adding he doesnt think there will be a problem finding a fair and impartial jury in Austin. Paul, 37, has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Federal officials first charged him in June 2023 with eight counts of making false statements or reports to lending institutions. In November 2023, federal officials tacked on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud to the list of charges, according to a superseding indictment. The federal charges against Paul are tied to his work as the head of World Class Holding a real estate investment firm with assets across Austin and beyond, according to media reports. Who is Nate Paul the Austin real estate investor charged with 8 federal counts In the bank fraud counts, Paul is accused of providing false information and statements to multiple banks to obtain $172 million in loans, according to court records. Regarding the wire fraud counts, federal officials accuse Paul of making false statements to partners involved in limited partnerships and wrongfully removing money for other uses, according to charging documents. Each of the eight initial bank fraud charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine of $1 million. The wire fraud charges have a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 each, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Speed bumps on way to trial Pauls trial date has already been pushed twice. It was originally scheduled for August 2023 and moved to July 2024, according to court records. In February, Pauls lawyers asked Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra for more time, and the trial was moved again to November 2024. Paul was linked to allegations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that played a significant role in Paxtons high-profile impeachment. Top officials in the attorney generals office accused Paxton of abusing his power to help Paul, who donated to Paxtons campaign. The federal counts against Paul are unrelated to Paxton, who was acquitted by the Texas Senate in September 2023 of all the articles of impeachment he faced at trial. Paxton remains in a legal battle with whistleblowers over a wrongful termination lawsuit. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. The high-dollar, contentious Virginia primary between Republican Rep. Bob Good and state Sen. John McGuire is too close to call and is likely heading to a recount. Nearly a week after the primary, The Associated Press said Monday that McGuire led Good by 373 votes out of the more than 62,000 ballots counted, a margin of 0.6 percentage points. Under state law, the second-place candidate can request a recount at their expense if the margin is less than 1 percentage point. Good has already indicated that he will seek one. We depleted resources trying to win this primary, we believe we did win the primary even though we were vastly outspent, Good said on Steve Bannons War Room before The AP announced its determination. I need help funding the recount challenge. Good has already sowed doubt about the integrity of the election, drawing pushback from local officials. It is rare, but not unprecedented, The AP said, for a race like this to shift by a few hundred votes in a recount. Good has 10 days from when the state elections board certifies the result of the election, which is scheduled to take place early next month, to file a petition for a recount. After a bitterly divisive race, state Republican Party Chair Rich Andersen greeted the latest development even-handedly congratulating McGuire while acknowledging Good's right to challenge the results. "As Americans, we should respect his right to do so," Andersen said in a statement. Millions of dollars poured into the effort to oust Good, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who has managed to get on the bad side of prominent Republicans. That included former President Donald Trump, who endorsed McGuire after Good initially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the presidency. He also was facing the wrath of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose political operation has mobilized against the eight Republicans including Good who voted to strip him of the gavel. And a number of his fellow colleagues in Congress actively campaigned against Good after he endorsed incumbents primary challengers throughout the cycle. The race was tighter than many were expecting, especially considering the immense resources that flowed in to boost McGuire demonstrating just how difficult it is to oust an incumbent. If McGuires lead holds, Good could be the first Republican kicked out of Congress by a non-incumbent challenger. (Alabama Republican Rep. Jerry Carl lost his primary in a rare member-on-member challenge due to redistricting earlier this year.) McGuire called for Republicans to be united on Monday and discouraged a recount. While I understand the desire to continue the fight, the outcome of this election will not change, he said in a statement. The fight is over, and its time to move on and work together as a team. CORRECTION: A previous headline incorrectly described the next phase in the Good-McGuire race. The Fayette Equity Council Committee is recommending that Fayette school board member Amanda Ferguson be removed from the equity council committee and publicly censured because of social media posts she made in late May. At issue were a laughing emoji and a GIF depicting a Furby interactive toy that Ferguson posted in late May on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ferguson declined to comment to the Herald-Leader about the equity council committees recommendations after Mondays meeting. But she apologized at a June 4 district Equity Council Committee Meeting for social media posts that have received criticism. She represents the school board on the equity council committee. Ferguson said at the June 4 meeting her posts were in response to a post from the account of That Nema -- Ky 120 United-AFT Co-Founder Nema Brewer, who Ferguson said was a friend. Under a photo of Fayette County Education Association President Jessica Hiler , Brewer posted, in part, I didnt realize Hiler was the new FCPS mascot. In response, Ferguson posted a laughing emoji The Fayette County Education Association, which is an arm of the Kentucky Education Association, and KY 120 United -- AFT have at times have had conflicts. Ferguson said she initially posted the GIF of the Furby in the wrong spot on her personal X account so it appeared to be in response to an offensive comment from a third poster who Ferguson noted did not give their true identity. That post said, Whos the lesbian on the left? Ferguson had initially posted the GIF of the Furby under that comment. She said she did not make the comment, Whos the lesbian on the left or intentionally respond to it. She said she later moved, but did not delete, her post. In no way was it meant to spark hate of any particular group, of any particular person, Ferguson said at the meeting. My intent is never to offend anyone. The Fayette County Public Schools board Monday voted to send the recommendations and others from the equity council committee to their board attorney Joshua M. Salsburey for review. Soraya Matthews, the districts chief officer of Unity, Belonging & Student Efficacy, presented recommendations from the boards Equity Council Committee to the school board. The recommendations were prefaced with a statement that said the social media content promotes hate against the LGBTQ community. Remove Amanda Ferguson, effective immediately, as the board representative to the (Equity Council Committee), one recommendation said. That recommendation also said a different board member should be reassigned to the equity council committee. Allowing Mrs. Ferguson to continue to serve as the representative for the ECC sends a contradictory and harmful message to our students, staff, families and school community, the recommendation said. It said Fergusons return to the council committee may be considered in subsequent school years. Another recommendation said the school board should publicly censure and admonish the improper conduct of Ferguson by releasing a statement that such behavior is unacceptable. Other recommendations were for the board to investigate the allegations of misconduct against Ferguson, adopt a social media policy and to require board members to participate in training on cultural competency, implicit bias and equity. On another issue, the board is also asking the attorney to review the equity council committees recommendations -- requested by the school board -- on renaming certain Fayette County Public Schools. Three of Minnehaha County's races from the June 4 primary had an official recount on Monday. And while no races flipped, the recount board did opt to include 132 absentee ballots that had been rejected on Election Day, following a challenge that some state and county officials have said fell outside the bounds of state law. A three-member board recounted three races from Minnehaha County's June 4 primary on June 24, 2024. The recount board consisted of Tyler Haigh, Cynthia Mickelson and Jon Sommervold all three Republicans, as there were no Democratic candidates involved in any of the races. The first two races went by with no changes. The board examined portions of the votes and the entire slate of ballots went back through the tabulators, showing the exact same results for the Precinct 2-03 committeeman race, where Corey Rehfeldt won over Allen Unruh, 90 votes to 89. It was the same story for the District 11 State Representative race, where Brian Mulder and Keri Weems both advanced, each with exactly 627 votes. John Kunnari remained in third place with 617 votes. In the county commissioner race, however, things went a little differently. Dean Karsky had taken the second-place spot in the primary by only 86 more votes than Roger Russell on June 4. The recount board had the option to reinstate 132 votes that had been rejected on June 4, and chose to do so after examining the state statute regarding challenges. While at first glance that appears to be enough votes to potentially flip the race, Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson said early on that her informal count of the registered voters who had been involved showed only 81 registered Republicans the only ballots where the commission race would have appeared. Counting those ballots and invalidating three ballots representing four votes during the recount process that had been counted on election day slightly increased the gap by which Karsky beat Russell by 108 votes. Why were ballots challenged in the first place? On June 4, Jessica Pollema challenged a number of absentee ballots at precincts 4-16 and 5-16. While the precinct board at 5-16 rejected the challenge, the board at 4-16 upheld it, rejecting 132 of the absentee ballots Pollema had challenged. More: Secretary of State's Office: Challenge to Minnehaha County ballots fell outside state law Pollema is the president of South Dakota Canvassing Group, an organization which claims that the 2020 election showed "major problems" with the country's election systems, calls for a ban on mail-in voting, ballot harvesting and all voting machines and has a voracious support Anderson, with members often showing up in droves at Minnehaha County Commission meetings. Pollema told the Argus Leader on June 4 that she was challenging the ballots based on voter registration forms that she said showed shared addresses at Sioux Falls post office boxes, a common practice in South Dakota where people who travel the country all or part of the year can spend a night in the state, establish it as their legal residence and have their mail forwarded to them. But Minnehaha County State's Attorney Daniel Haggar, along with Chief Civil Deputy State's Attorney Eric Bogue, have told the Argus Leader that they presented to both precinct boards that the challenge was not permitted under state law, and that it was possible the voters could be homeless, or living full-time in an RV. The South Dakota Secretary of State's Office agreed, with Director of the Division of Elections Rachel Soulek saying in a statement: "We had advised a Minnehaha County official that per state law SDCL 12-18-10 on items that are challengeable, what was being challenged didnt fall into those parameters. This is a county level matter, but we are deeply concerned and care about the voting right of all eligible voters." The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota celebrated the ballots being counted. "It's vitally important that people be allowed to exercise their rights to vote and to travel or to work and live out of state without repercussions to either," ACLU Advocacy Manager Samantha Chapman said in a Monday morning statement. In an updated statement following the decision, Chapman said: "Because what happens during a primary election is typically a preview of what might come in the general election, we want to ensure that no improper challenges will be entertained in November and that no voters will be disenfranchised now or then." The approval of the ballots was also a relief to Kevin and Carol Alishouse, RVers who spend much of their summers in Sioux Falls before heading out to escape the cold weather. "South Dakota has benefited from us being here," Kevin Alishouse said, noting they license their vehicles here, pay excise taxes, and in his case, even recently served on a jury trial. While the couple voted in-person in the June 4 election, the rejection of the ballots had them worried about whether they'd be able to vote in November or whether their ballots would be "thrown in the trash heap," he said. "Im so glad that everyones vote will be counted who voted" after the board decided to count the ballots, said Carol Alishouse, watching the recount Monday. "I think justice is served," her husband added. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: No races flip after Minnehaha County recount of June 4 primary Workers secure a blue tarp on a house in Selma, Ala., in January 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Disasters driven by climate change have wreaked havoc on insurance companies and homeowners. To address the problem, Alabama pioneered a solution thats taking hold in other states: paying for residents to upgrade their roofs. Stew Milne/The Associated Press When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds. But not Matt Fetner. Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine, said the resident of Orange Beach, a small city on the Gulf Coast. Just a few years before, Fetner had upgraded his roof with materials designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The new roof met a standard known as Fortified by using specialized nails and shingles, stronger edges and a sealed roof deck. Fetners roof was paid for by the state of Alabama, which has spent millions of dollars in recent years to help thousands of residents strengthen their homes. The state has invested that money in hopes of staving off a home insurance crisis, as property insurers have pulled out of some regions of the country or dramatically raised premiums in the wake of escalating disasters driven by climate change. The idea is simple: Homeowners with stronger roofs pay less for their insurance premiums. And over time, as thousands of homes become more resilient, insurance companies will have to pay out less for claims, making Alabama a more attractive place to do business. A lot of these insurance companies were not going into coastal areas, simply from a risk standpoint, said Travis Taylor, acting director of the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, which is overseen by the state Department of Insurance. But now as people have gotten Fortified roofs, the insurance companies are hounding them. Other states have taken notice. In recent years, lawmakers in at least five other states have established similar programs to pay for Fortified roofs. While those efforts are still in their early stages, leaders say they hope to replicate Alabamas success. Alabamas grant program has helped more than 7,000 residents upgrade their roofs. Meanwhile, as participating roofers and contractors have gotten familiar with the standard, theyve begun offering it as a part of their regular business. Of the 60,000 certified Fortified homes nationwide, 50,000 are in Alabama. Every year, the interest keeps growing, said Brent Sellers, a contractor with Alliance Roofing, which operates in Alabama and Mississippi. [Grant] program or not, people want Fortified roofs. Fortified roofs meet a standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry nonprofit that serves as a leader in safety research. Some local governments have adopted building codes based on that standard, and Alabamas program uses the institutes qualification. While state leaders say theyre still collecting data on insurance premiums, some industry leaders say the program is clearly working. There is sufficient resilience now in Alabama that the insurance market is far healthier than the insurance market in neighboring states, said Michael Newman, general counsel with the institute. Serious about resiliency Since Alabama issued its first grant in 2016, the state has doled out more than $70 million to cover roof projects on almost 7,100 homes. Residents are entitled to up to $10,000 per project, issued on a first-come, first-served basis. State officials award the funding directly to contractors who bid on the work. The larger success story, state leaders say, is that more than 40,000 homeowners have installed a Fortified roof without state funding. The change has come as Alabamas coastal counties have updated their building codes to require such roofs on new construction. The builders in Alabama, once they learn how to do the Fortified thing, they really like it, said Lars Powell, executive director of the Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research at the University of Alabama. The Fortified construction movement will be remembered as a very important thing that allowed people to continue to live on the coast without being super-wealthy. Powells research has found that Fortified homes sell for 7% more on average, and owners are far more likely to secure insurance coverage from major carriers. Alabama also mandates that insurers provide discounts of 20% to 60% on wind coverage for Fortified homes, depending on the level of the upgrades. Meanwhile, other states have seen insurance companies leave the market, drop high-risk customers or raise premiums drastically. Experts note climate change is causing more frequent and severe disasters, forcing insurers to adjust as they pay out more and more for claims. Louisianas insurance market has been particularly hard hit, following devastating hurricane seasons in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the state launched the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, modeled on Alabamas, that also offers $10,000 grants. This program is part of our pitch to insurance companies that Louisiana is serious about resiliency, said John Ford, deputy commissioner of the public affairs division of the Louisiana Department of Insurance. The legislature set aside $30 million last year in the programs first round of funding, and lawmakers put in another $15 million this year. In total, state officials say that should cover about 4,500 roofs. The agency has issued 900 grants so far. This year, Louisiana lawmakers passed a measure that will task state regulators with calculating the insurance discounts that Fortified homeowners should receive. Inland areas join the effort While hurricanes on the coast have gotten more attention, Midwestern states have been hit with severe hailstorms, windstorms and tornadoes that have driven up insurance costs. Minnesota lawmakers established a home resilience grant program last year to deal with the crisis. Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage, said Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner for the Insurance Division of Minnesotas Commerce Department. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts. Agency officials are still setting up the program, which has not yet issued grants. Regulators expect the funding for the initial round of grants to be included in next years state budget. But insurance companies have already begun planning to offer discounts to residents who upgrade their roofs. Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts. Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner for the Insurance Division of Minnesotas Commerce Department In Oklahoma, a state that already ranks among the most expensive for home insurance, more than 100 tornadoes have touched down this year. Earlier this year, lawmakers enacted a grant program for Fortified homes similar to the ones other states have adopted. We are hoping to see a lot of the same great results that Alabama has seen not only homeowners seeing premium discounts, but over time lower claim exposure [for insurers], said Ashley Scott, government and community affairs director with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Once its up and running, state leaders expect the program to offer about $10 million a year in grants. The agency expects to start issuing funds next year. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Kentucky and South Carolina have established similar programs, also administered by state insurance regulators. And Mississippi set aside $5 million for a program to help residents shore up their homes, including roof upgrades. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, which created the Fortified standard, expects to see a boom in resilient roof construction as more states promote such upgrades. We cant do a lot in the short term about rising risk from severe weather, said Newman, the groups general counsel. But this particular home can be made more durable, can be made more resilient. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Workers secure a blue tarp on a house in Selma, Alabama, in January 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Workers secure a blue tarp on a house in Selma, Alabama, in January 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Disasters driven by climate change have wreaked havoc on insurance companies and homeowners. To address the problem, Alabama pioneered a solution thats taking hold in other states: paying for residents to upgrade their roofs. (Stew Milne/The Associated Press) When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds. But not Matt Fetner. Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine, said the resident of Orange Beach, a small city on the Gulf Coast. Just a few years before, Fetner had upgraded his roof with materials designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The new roof met a standard known as Fortified by using specialized nails and shingles, stronger edges and a sealed roof deck. Fetners roof was paid for by the state of Alabama, which has spent millions of dollars in recent years to help thousands of residents strengthen their homes. The state has invested that money in hopes of staving off a home insurance crisis, as property insurers have pulled out of some regions of the country or dramatically raised premiums in the wake of escalating disasters driven by climate change. The idea is simple: Homeowners with stronger roofs pay less for their insurance premiums. And over time, as thousands of homes become more resilient, insurance companies will have to pay out less for claims, making Alabama a more attractive place to do business. A lot of these insurance companies were not going into coastal areas, simply from a risk standpoint, said Travis Taylor, acting director of the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, which is overseen by the state Department of Insurance. But now as people have gotten Fortified roofs, the insurance companies are hounding them. Other states have taken notice. In recent years, lawmakers in at least five other states have established similar programs to pay for fortified roofs. While those efforts are still in their early stages, leaders say they hope to replicate Alabamas success. Alabamas grant program has helped more than 7,000 residents upgrade their roofs. Meanwhile, as participating roofers and contractors have gotten familiar with the standard, theyve begun offering it as a part of their regular business. Of the 60,000 certified Fortified homes nationwide, 50,000 are in Alabama. Every year, the interest keeps growing, said Brent Sellers, a contractor with Alliance Roofing, which operates in Alabama and Mississippi. [Grant] program or not, people want Fortified roofs. Fortified roofs meet a standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry nonprofit that serves as a leader in safety research. Some local governments have adopted building codes based on that standard, and Alabamas program uses the institutes qualification. While state leaders say theyre still collecting data on insurance premiums, some industry leaders say the program is clearly working. There is sufficient resilience now in Alabama that the insurance market is far healthier than the insurance market in neighboring states, said Michael Newman, general counsel with the institute. Serious about resiliency Since Alabama issued its first grant in 2016, the state has doled out more than $70 million to cover roof projects on almost 7,100 homes. Residents are entitled to up to $10,000 per project, issued on a first-come, first-served basis. State officials award the funding directly to contractors who bid on the work. The larger success story, state leaders say, is that more than 40,000 homeowners have installed a Fortified roof without state funding. The change has come as Alabamas coastal counties have updated their building codes to require such roofs on new construction. The builders in Alabama, once they learn how to do the Fortified thing, they really like it, said Lars Powell, executive director of the Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research at the University of Alabama. The Fortified construction movement will be remembered as a very important thing that allowed people to continue to live on the coast without being super-wealthy. Powells research has found that Fortified homes sell for 7% more on average, and owners are far more likely to secure insurance coverage from major carriers. Alabama also mandates that insurers provide discounts of 20% to 60% on wind coverage for Fortified homes, depending on the level of the upgrades. Meanwhile, other states have seen insurance companies leave the market, drop high-risk customers or raise premiums drastically. Experts note climate change is causing more frequent and severe disasters, forcing insurers to adjust as they pay out more and more for claims. Louisianas insurance market has been particularly hard hit, following devastating hurricane seasons in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the state launched the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, modeled on Alabamas, that also offers $10,000 grants. This program is part of our pitch to insurance companies that Louisiana is serious about resiliency, said John Ford, deputy commissioner of the public affairs division of the Louisiana Department of Insurance. The Louisiana Legislature set aside $30 million last year in the programs first round of funding, and lawmakers put in another $15 million this year. In total, state officials say that should cover about 4,500 roofs. The agency has issued 900 grants so far. This year, Louisiana lawmakers passed a measure that will task state regulators with calculating the insurance discounts that Fortified homeowners should receive. Inland areas join the effort While hurricanes on the coast have gotten more attention, Midwestern states have been hit with severe hailstorms, windstorms and tornadoes that have driven up insurance costs. Minnesota lawmakers established a home resilience grant program last year to deal with the crisis. Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage, said Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner for the Insurance Division of Minnesotas Commerce Department. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts. Agency officials are still setting up the program, which has not yet issued grants. Regulators expect the funding for the initial round of grants to be included in next years state budget. But insurance companies have already begun planning to offer discounts to residents who upgrade their roofs. Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts. Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner, Minnesota Commerce Department Insurance Division In Oklahoma, a state that already ranks among the most expensive for home insurance, more than 100 tornadoes have touched down this year. Earlier this year, lawmakers enacted a grant program for Fortified homes similar to the ones other states have adopted. We are hoping to see a lot of the same great results that Alabama has seen not only homeowners seeing premium discounts, but over time lower claim exposure [for insurers], said Ashley Scott, government and community affairs director with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Once its up and running, state leaders expect the program to offer about $10 million a year in grants. The agency expects to start issuing funds next year. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Kentucky and South Carolina have established similar programs, also administered by state insurance regulators. And Mississippi set aside $5 million for a program to help residents shore up their homes, including roof upgrades. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, which created the Fortified standard, expects to see a boom in resilient roof construction as more states promote such upgrades. We cant do a lot in the short term about rising risk from severe weather, said Newman, the groups general counsel. But this particular home can be made more durable, can be made more resilient. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE This report was first published by Stateline, part of the States Newsroom nonprofit news network. Its supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X. The post A red state pioneers paying for roof upgrades as storms boost insurance costs appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Nigel Farage is unafraid of saying something unpopular if he believes it to be right. In this, he can be distinguished from many leading politicians in this election campaign, much of which is being conducted on the basis of half-truths and the obfuscation of economic reality. But the Reform UK leader has overreached himself in the eyes of many Conservatives who might have been tempted to vote for his party with his ill-judged analysis of Russias invasion of Ukraine. In a Panorama interview last week, he said the ever-eastward expansion of Nato and the European Union had provoked Vladimir Putin. In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he denied supporting the Russian leader but was not about to apologise for telling the truth. However, the implication that a country seeking a Western-focused future can be construed as having brought its fate upon itself because of the assailants paranoia is an odd argument to be advanced by a champion of national sovereignty. The Russian bear may well have been poked, but history has taught us that despotic dictators cannot be appeased. After all, was Russia provoked into invading Georgia, or bombing cities in Syria or annexing Crimea? Mr Farage said that, unlike many Western leaders, he saw it coming a decade ago, warned that it was coming and am one of the few political figures who has been consistently right and honest about Russias Ukraine war. There is more than an element of braggadocio about this statement that will give pause to many would-be Reform backers ahead of next Thursdays poll, assuming they have not already voted by post. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Denmark will train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s only until the end of 2024. Next year, the country will not be able to train our military because of the transition from these fighters to more modern F-35s. ADVERTISIMENT The Danes will use their Skridstrup air base, where the training is currently taking place, to train them. This was stated by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen on Monday, June 24, at a joint press conference with Norwegian Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram, The Local Denmark reports. At the same time, he assured that Denmark would still contribute to the training of Ukrainian pilots outside the country. Poulsen also said that by the end of the training program in Denmark, about 20 Ukrainian pilots will be trained on the F-16. The other day, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would receive F-16 fighters in the near future. The head of state noted that Denmark would provide the combat aircraft to our country. As reported by OBOZ.UA: - The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the training of Ukrainian pilots on modern American F-16 fighters was slightly delayed. This is due to the fact that this process is very complicated, and there are few places in the world to train F-16s. ADVERTISIMENT - Ukraine is putting pressure on the United States and other countries to intensify training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. The programs that are currently in place cannot train enough pilots to fly the aircraft that our country will soon receive. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 18: DACA recipients and their supporters rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 18, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Thursday morning, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, denied the Trump administration's attempt to end DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) The Biden administration recently announced exciting news that will provide new protections to certain spouses of U.S. citizens and streamline access to work visas for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The announcement comes on the heels of the 12th anniversary of the signing of DACA by President Obama (and Biden as vice-president). Heres some key pieces of the new process announced by the Biden-Harris Administration, via a White House fact sheet: Keeping families together Eligible spouses and children can apply for lawful permanent residence (green card) a status that they are already eligible for without leaving the U.S. (This is often called Parole in Place.) You have to have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen. The White House says those who are eligible for the process have resided in the U.S. for an average of 23 years. The Department of Homeland Security will do a case-by-case assessment of applications. Once approved, people will have three years to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible. This will help a lot of people: About half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and about 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parents are married to U.S. citizens, according to the White House. Easing the visa process for U.S. college graduates, including Dreamers Immigrants inlcuding DACA recipients and other Dreamers who have earned a higher education degree in the U.S., and who have received a job offer from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, will be able to receive work visas more quickly. You can read the announcement from the White House here. More thoughts on what it all means This is an executive order, which means that it can change under a different president. Executive orders come from the president, who is the manager of federal government operations. Only Congress can change the law to fix our broken immigration system, which has not been truly updated for decades. DACA is also an executive order. This new executive order will be posted by the Federal Register here. The process has not been announced, so no one can apply yet. The Department of Homeland Security will announce the application process later this summer. For reference, DACA was announced June 15, 2012. The application process was finalized a few months later, and the process opened and the government started accepting applications in August 2012 (2 months later). Sadly, as with DACA and a similar program known as DAPA, we can expect Republicans to try to block the implementation of this executive order. Politically charged cases are often brought into friendly courts known as forum shopping in order to get the outcome those suing desire. The Trump campaign and Republicans are already blasting the Biden administration for providing these protections to families and Dreamers. DHS will announce the process for qualifying spouses and children. The announcement says that they must be eligible for a green card under current federal law and will also apply for Parole in Place (PIP). Applicants will need to submit documentation to prove to DHS that they qualify for the green card, including being eligible for needed pardons for visa-overstays and others, and with PIP, will not need to leave the U.S., as is currently required. PIP already exists for military members and their families. If applicants provide enough evidence to DHS, they will get a work permit (and Social Security number if they never had one); and PIP will allow applicants to stay in the U.S. during the process to eventually apply for their permanent residence (green card). The PIP will give applicants three years to apply for permanent status (green card). Read the DHS statement here. DHS and the State Department will eventually publish a process for qualifying individuals including DACA-holders, Dreamers and others who will be able to apply for a nonimmigrant employment visa. The announcement makes it clear that State will streamline the visa process by providing D-3 waivers for qualifying individuals to be able to receive these nonimmigrant work visas without the fear of getting stuck outside of the U.S., given that present rules complicate things for people with unlawful presence in the U.S. (also called immigration bars or inadmissibility grounds). This is a game-changer for people to access these visas, which can result in permanent residency (green card) and U.S. citizenship later on. You can read the State announcement here, as we wait for the guidance for consular offices this coming July. For reference, when Advance Parole was opened for DACA-holders, it gave DACA-holders married to a U.S. citizen the ability to obtain a legal entry into the U.S., which then people could apply for a green card through their marriage (if they met all required criteria). Changes like the ones recently announced will benefit many people and change lives. A note of caution: I often get into arguments with family and friends about what people believe is going on. There is always someone who says, So-and-so was able to fix their immigration status and so should you. Its important to consult an immigration attorney before going forward with this process, especially folks who have multiple entries into the U.S., overstays, unlawful presence or a criminal record of any sort (including those darn traffic violations). As with DACA, many were ineligible to benefit because of certain criminal convictions, and we can expect the same with this program. People should be careful. I know too many people who believed what the neighbor said and got into immigration troubles. This is a very serious process, and people should do their research and understand their individual case before going forward. A personal note: As a DACA-holder myself, I was very excited to see the Biden administration announce these changes. As when DACA was announced, I started to think about the people who will benefit. DACA truly did change my life and those around me in many ways. I graduated law school, own a home, and saw my sisters in Mexico with Advance Parole after over a decade of not seeing them in person. I also felt uneasy watching the news, knowing full well that Republicans will do everything they can to block these benefits from materializing for our families. We still need immigration reform, but with Congress failing time and time again, and Republicans taking their instructions to do nothing on immigration to benefit Trumps re-election bid, I am ecstatic to see this announcement. Legal Immigration Resources: Here is a list of legal resources from the Minnesota Latino Affairs Council. And here is a list by the Minnesota State Law Library. The Presidents Alliance of Higher Education and Immigration will be hosting an online event July 10, 2024, at 1 p.m. CST to explain more about the announcement. Register here. The post Rejoice! Biden administration immigration protections for families and Dreamers will change lives. appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. TechCrunch Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest asset managers, has confirmed that over 77,000 customers had personal information compromised during an August data breach, including Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. The Boston, Massachusetts-based investment firm said in a filing with Maines attorney general on Wednesday that an unnamed third party accessed information from its systems between August 17 and August 19 "using two customer accounts that they had recently established. We detected this activity on August 19 and immediately took steps to terminate the access, Fidelity said in a letter sent to those affected, adding that the incident did not involve any access to customers Fidelity accounts. Rep. Randy Fine speaks at an anti-abortion rally on the steps of the Historic Florida Capitol Building. May 24, 2022. Credit: Danielle J. Brown Quality Journalism for Critical Times Jewish day schools can now receive state financing for security measures amid a rise in antisemitic activities since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. A law signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis authorizes the Department of Education to include funds for professional security hardening, as needed, in the state budget for Jewish day schools, funding that has come ad-hoc in the past. The law allows payment for security cameras, lighting, fencing, shatter-resistant glass, security personnel, transportation to minimize security exposure, and other measures. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents more than tripled in the three months following the October attack, including more than 250 in K-12 schools nationwide. The bill passed the House 108-6 and the Senate 39-0 during the 2024 legislative session. Earlier, a November 2023 special session yielded a $25 million line item for Jewish day school security along with $20 million for other locations demonstrating an elevated threat level through a federal grant. The 2024-25 budget, starting July 1, includes $20 million for safety measures at Jewish day schools and preschools. The law was one of two antisemitism-focused measures that DeSantis signed Monday; another brought Florida in line with 36 other states by redefining antisemitism in state law. The law adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition: A certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. The law goes further and prohibits rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism toward people or property or calls to kill or injure of Jewish individuals, plus alleging that Jewish people control the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions and denying the Holocaust. Criticisms of Israel that are similar to criticism of any other country are allowed. Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican representing southern Brevard County, sponsored both bills. People know better than to fight me on this kind of stuff, Im doing the right thing and standing up against Muslim terror and evil in the world. And weve got a pretty good track record of getting these bills passed, Fine said on a phone call with the Phoenix from Jerusalem. It wouldnt be a trip to Israel without one of my antisemitism bills becoming law! David and I had the privilege of touring the Knesset today and meeting with three of its members the same day as HB 187 and HB 1109 became law! HB 187 duplicates language we passed back in 2019 pic.twitter.com/bSFqVYnfZV Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) June 25, 2024 Private signing DeSantis signed the bills behind closed doors and announced it in a press release. It should not be lost on anyone that [DeSantis] had to sign this bill out of public view bc the bills sponsor, [Fine], who is currently in Israel, was critical of DeSantis on Jewish security issues, Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch posted to X Tuesday morning, which Fine reposted. In October, Fine publicly switched his preferred GOP presidential candidate from DeSantis to former President Donald Trump, saying DeSantis was not doing enough to combat antisemitic acts. Fine celebrated the third time he has had bills signed to fight for Floridas Jews and frankly, all good people of Florida, while Ive been in Israel. Im glad that almost everyone in the chamber, maybe everyone in the chamber, every Democrat, agreed that anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Were much different than the Democrats in Washington, Fine said. And Im glad that, should I be able to get recurring safety funding for Jewish day schools, even when Im gone from the Legislature, that will continue. Fine is being term-limited out of his House seat but is running for the Florida Senate. Both laws take effect July 1. The post Rep. Randy Fine, in Israel, welcomes signing of laws addressing antisemitism appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Washington voters will be asked this fall how much salmon recovery is worth. How committed are they to supporting programs that reduce carbon pollution and help communities withstand the impacts of climate change? We already know the world is in a climate crisis. The United Nations has said reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 is the worlds most urgent mission. Our states Climate Commitment Act (CCA) provided $3.2 billion to the 2023-2025 budget, generated by auctioning off emission allowances to businesses that produce greenhouse gasses. Of this, $153 million was awarded to salmon recovery projects. The CCA was passed in 2021 to improve climate resiliency and health disparities across the state. It puts the burden of reducing carbon emissions on the biggest polluters, and everyone benefits because money from the auctions is reinvested into protecting and restoring our estuaries, marine shorelines, floodplains, forestlands and more. CCA-funded projects improve the quality of life for every citizen in the Evergreen State and are essential to protecting the environment for our childrens future. The eventual goal is to help Washington reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050. In the meantime, funding is supporting tribal programs to mitigate flooding and sea level rise, as well as salmon habitat restoration work. For example, $17 million in CCA funding is supporting four projects by Floodplains by Design, including restoration of the historic oxbow in the Quillayute River. The Historic Oxbow Reactivation and Restoration project will reduce flooding and erosion that threaten our homes in La Push, while reconnecting more than 2 miles of important salmon habitat, said Quileute Chairman Douglas Woodruff. Additional funding from the Climate Commitment Act made it possible for us to receive funding for this project through the Floodplains by Design grant program. In all, the CCA provided $155 million to tribal governments for this biennium. This funding is helping many tribes gain a foothold in the fight against the climate crisis, by hiring specialists and building capacity within their natural resources departments. Unfortunately, an initiative on the ballot this year seeks to repeal the act, putting a halt to these critical programs to protect our traditional lands and resources. From warming salmon streams to eroding shorelines, Northwest tribes are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, said Suquamish Tribal Chair Leonard Forsman. In 1854, our ancestral leader Chief Seattle said every part of this soil is sacred to my people just before he signed our ancient lands over to the United States. With the CCA, we honor his vision and provide elders, children and other vulnerable people the means to withstand the impacts of global warming. Forsman is one of the tribal leaders who has joined a coalition to defeat this ballot measure, Initiative 2117. By defeating I-2117, we can defend progress on climate change, and protect the lands, cultures and traditional ways of our region for generations to come, he said. Suquamish is among several tribes intending to use CCA funding to advance climate action plans. The Port Gamble SKlallam Tribes climate action planning includes a comprehensive assessment of the carbon footprint of the tribal community and key opportunities to reduce emissions. They also are working to evaluate the tribes forest and wetland areas for carbon storage potential through active management. The Jamestown SKlallam Tribe has spent the past 15 months building staff capacity to address climate impacts. It also is working with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to assess local clean energy sources. New jobs were created using CCA money, including a Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow doing a climate assessment for the Hoh Tribe, and a climate change specialist at the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe. At Sauk-Suiattle and other tribes, CCA is funding the purchase and installation of solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations, among other energy efficiency projects for tribal buildings. These programs and many more across the state are in jeopardy if Initiative 2117 passes. Its passage will significantly hinder the state Legislatures ability to fund climate resilience efforts, including but not limited to salmon recovery. Everyone who lives in Washington is affected by the impacts of the climate crisis, and everyone benefits from the projects being funded by the Climate Commitment Act. Repealing it comes at too high a cost. Ed Johnstone is chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission based in Olympia. The family of a young woman found dead in Stoughton says the expert they hired disagrees with the State Medical Examiner. They say she did not take her own life they say she was killed. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara says shes disturbed by the new report released on Sandra Birchmores death, and she wants full transparency on this case. 3 Stoughton officers had inappropriate relationships with girl who later died by suicide, chief says Chief McNamara says Sandra was groomed and sexually abused by a rogue and corrupt former police officer and she also had inappropriate relationships with two other officers who no longer work for the department. In 2022, police said Sandra committed suicide following her relationships with three Stoughton Police officers, Matthew Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell, and Robert Devine. Robert Devine (left), William Farwell (right) -- Stoughton Police Department Police say Sandra was found dead in her Canton apartment in 2021 when she was 23 years old. Chief McNamara opened an internal affairs investigation into the officers serious misconduct and determined they exploited the 13-year-old while she was enrolled in the Stoughton Police Explorers program in 2010. The chief confirms the town of Stoughton is being sued by Sandra Birchmores family. While her death was initially ruled a suicide thats now in question. According to the Boston Globe Sandras family attorney hired a pathologist who found evidence showing her death was actually a homicide. The report says she was also pregnant at the time of her death. In a statement today, Chief McNamara says: I was profoundly disturbed and troubled by what I read. While I am not a trained medical examiner, and I am not qualified to draw any direct conclusions, the findings certainly warrant further examination at the highest level. Boston 25 News reached out to Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisseys Office about the update. A spokesperson says while the medical examiner ruled Sandras death a suicide prosecutors will review this new report. 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 Prosecutors are reportedly recommending criminal charges against Boeing to the Department of Justice over allegations that the plane manufacturer violated a settlement related to two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft. Senior DOJ officials are reviewing the recommendations and have until July 7 to make a final decision about whether to prosecute the company, Reuters and CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. A Boeing spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The company has previously denied that it breached the 2021 agreement, which had a three-year term. Boeing has faced renewed scrutiny of its 737 Max planes, like the one pictured here, after a door panel blew off one of them midflight over Oregon in January. via Associated Press The DOJs deferred prosecution agreement protected Boeing from criminal prosecution over both crashes, which killed a combined 346 people, in exchange for the company meeting a number of conditions. These included the company paying more than $2.5 billion in penalties and compensation, a portion of which went to the crash victims families. In a May court filing, the DOJ also said Boeing failed a requirement to design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations. Since the settlement was reached, the company has faced renewed scrutiny of its 737 Max planes after a door panel blew off one of them midflight over Oregon in January. Multiple whistleblowers have since come forward accusing the company of concealing unsafe building practices at its plants. Families of those killed in both crashes asked the DOJ last week not only to prosecute the company but to levy a $24.8 billion fine, the maximum amount that can be brought in a criminal trial. The families continue to believe the appropriate action now is an aggressive criminal prosecution of The Boeing Company, they said in a letter sent by their attorney, Paul Cassell, and obtained by HuffPost. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Related... From left to right, U.S. Rep. John Curtis, Trent Staggs, Jason Walton and Brad Wilson appear on stage during the Utah Senate primary debate for Republican contenders battling to win the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, Monday, June 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City. | Rick Bowmer An earlier version of this article was published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday mornings here. To submit a question to next weeks Friday Mailbag, email onthetrail@deseretnews.com. Hello, friends. Its debate week. Take your vitamins. 3 things to know Days away from the first debate , the Trump team is attacking both President Joe Biden and CNN, the host network. A spokesperson for former President Donald Trump called Dana Bash and Jake Tapper biased and CNN hostile during an appearance on CNN Monday. And Trump is re-upping his accusations that Biden uses performance-enhancing substances and challenged the president to a pre-debate drug test. Read more here. This years deficit is projected to hit $1.9 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office announced. The figure offers Republicans renewed opportunity to criticize spending under the Biden administration even though Trump added $8 trillion to the national debt during his four-year term, much of it related to COVID-19 spending. Read more here. Trump made waves last week by saying he would offer a green card to all international students who graduate with a college degree. It was a deviation from Trumps previous rhetoric on immigration, causing a spokesperson to clarify that such a policy would be accompanied by aggressive vetting. Read more here. The Big Idea In Utah, Republicans take sides Tuesday is primary election day in Colorado, Utah and New York. In Colorado, Democrats have poured half a million dollars behind a far-right election denier (a strategy that caused rifts, but worked, in 2022). In New York, Democratic squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing a tough primary challenge from a pro-Israel centrist. And in Utah, the Republican Partys divisions are on full display. In races from the governorship to the U.S. Senate, Utah Republicans will vote in races where candidates have different ideas of what the GOP should represent. The Senate election has drawn the most national headlines, thanks to the biggest name: outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney. The winner of the Republican primary is likely to win in November to replace Romney in the Senate. The latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll shows Rep. John Curtis with a sizable lead, though a third of voters were undecided; hes followed by Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs and ex-Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson. Romney, notably, has decided to withhold an endorsement. Trump has weighed in, though, backing Staggs instead of Moxie Pest Control CEO Jason Walton, who was expecting Trumps endorsement as late as the day before the GOP convention, my colleague Brigham Tomco reports. Even as Curtis has pitched himself as a staunch conservative on immigration and the economy, Trumps endorsement of Staggs seems to have sway with MAGA voters. Curtis is much more popular among self-described party-first Republicans in Utah than Trump-first Republicans, according to a Noble Predictive Insight poll: Staggs leads Curtis 55%-22% among that group, while Curtis is up 60%-18% among the party-first Republicans. But in the 2nd Congressional District race, its less a MAGA-versus-establishment fight and more a case of MAGA-on-MAGA infighting. Sen. Mike Lee shook Utah Republicans by endorsing political newcomer Colby Jenkins, while Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have since endorsed incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy. To some observers, like Glenn Beck, the conflicting endorsements dont reflect division within the party, but different priorities: Lee wants more fighters in the House Freedom Caucus, and Trump wants to secure a Republican-majority Congress. I just think that they have different objectives in front of them because one is a senator and the other is the nominee of his party for president, Beck said. That sentiment doesnt extend to the gubernatorial race, where incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox the current chair of the National Governors Association faces a challenge from Utah Rep. Phil Lyman. Cox has criticized Trump, previously saying Republicans would make a huge mistake by nominating the former president, while criticizing Biden as well. Lyman has not received Trumps backing but says he has unapologetically supported Trump since 2016. The gubernatorial race is the among the most contentious of the states elections: ever since a largely civil debate two weeks ago, the race has been overshadowed by deepfake videos and accusations of fraud. Lyman has refused to say whether he will accept the results of the election. All three races for U.S. Senate, the 2nd District and the governorship display ongoing debates over the identity of the Republican Party. On Tuesday, Utah Republicans decide where they fall. What Im reading Trump isnt expected to face a trial in any other criminal cases ahead of Novembers election. A trial in the Florida classified documents case is nowhere in sight, thanks to efforts by Trumps legal team to cast doubt on the prosecution. As Trumps Documents Case Crawls Along, Questions About Judge Abound (C. Ryan Barber, The Wall Street Journal) Biden needs Milwaukee, the bluest city in battleground Wisconsin, to win the 2024 election. The citys mayor the first African American to ever hold the position is a staunch supporter. But other Black voters in Milwaukee are tepid. Black Voters in This City Could Determine 2024. And Its Not Looking Good for Biden. (Brakkton Booker, Politico Magazine) Obama is still staunchly in Bidens corner, despite reports to the contrary. As Bidens polling flounders and many Democrats express public concern about a second Trump term, Obama has taken a quiet role supporting the president. Obamas anxiety about what could happen in November is real, a friend said, but that has made the former president more loyal to Biden, not less. What Obama Is Whispering to Biden (Gabriel Debenedetti, New York Magazine) Tuesday trivia Last Tuesdays question: Who was the last independent presidential candidate to participate in a general election debate? The answer is Ross Perot, who participated in all three of the 1992 debates. Kudos to reader Shabbos Kestenbaum for being the first to get this one right. Perot ended up winning nearly 19% of the vote nationally, the best performance by an independent candidate over the past century. Watch some of Perots best debate moments, courtesy of C-SPAN Radio, here. This weeks question, in honor of the upcoming debate: Who is the oldest U.S. presidential candidate ever to participate in a general election debate? See you on the trail. Editors Note: The Deseret News is committed to covering issues of substance in the 2024 presidential race from its unique perspective and editorial values. Our team of political reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Find our complete coverage of the election here. What Republicans Are Hoping Trump Doesn't Do During His Debate With Joe Biden Donald Trumps Republican allies on Capitol Hill want him to play nice in his first 2024 debate with President Joe Biden on Thursday. Theyre urging the former president who frequently veers off script and goes on wild tangents during campaign appearances to stick to policy and contrast his plans for another term in the White House with Bidens tenure as president and his handling of the economy. And they want him to steer clear of talk about supposedly stolen elections, something he often brings up to supporters on the campaign trail. He should focus on looking forward, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. He should look on what our policy needs are, he should have a look at what its going to do to bring down the price of groceries, what hes going to do to bring down the price of gasoline, price of energy. He should leave the past behind. I would talk more about the future and how Ill clean up Joe Bidens mess, added Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). Trump has been focused on other things before the debate kickoff, however. Over the weekend, he suggested, without evidence, that Biden is using medical supplements to get jacked up for their face-off. And on Monday, the former president again challenged Biden to take a drug test, adding that he, too, would immediately agree to take one if Biden accepts. Trump, 78, and his allies have for months attacked the 81-year-old Biden as too old and unfit for the presidency. Polls have shown that Bidens age and Trumps felony conviction are issues for voters in the coming election, and both certainly might come up during Thursdays debate. Asked if Trump should bring up Bidens age on the CNN debate stage, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a top Trump ally, said, You dont have to. I think everybodys already decided Biden cant do the job. All [Trump] has to do is talk about what he did. If he talks about what he did, he should have a great debate, Scott said. The first 2024 general election debate between presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, shown here on Oct. 22, 2020, at their debate in Nashville, will take place Thursday in Atlanta, hosted by CNN. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also urged Trump to focus on drawing a contrast with Biden on major issues, including the economy and foreign policy. Its not just age, its performance, Graham said. To me, its a wrong track, right track debate. If you think were on the wrong track, explain why and how you get back on the right track. The first 2020 debate between Biden and Trump was marked by near-constant interruptions, most often by Trump. At one point, Biden expressed frustration and told Trump, Will you shut up, man? At Thursdays debate, which is being hosted by CNN, microphones will be muted except when a candidate is recognized to speak. Biden has been preparing for the debate this past week with top aides at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, including mock sessions and practice counterpunches on potential Trump weaknesses, such as immigration and abortion access, according to The New York Times. The GOPs strategy of trying to make Biden look feeble and incompetent backfired in March when the president delivered an energetic and forceful State of the Union (SOTU) speech before Congress that earned him bipartisan plaudits. Democrats believe Trump is walking into a similar trap this time around. I think the danger Republicans get into with him, at least before SOTU, is they talk him down, Oh, he cant do it, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said of Biden. Then he does fine, but he not only looks fine he looks better than fine because they talk him down. If anything, they should lower expectations for how Trump will do. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), meanwhile, said Biden shouldnt shy away from concerns about his age. We have two presidential contenders who are both of advanced age, Murphy said. Thats just a reality of this election, so I think [Biden] is at this best when he doesnt hide from his age and makes people understand theres actually wisdom that comes with having a few years on this earth. Trump isnt doing mock debate sessions but rather is holding policy discussions with allies and experts, including members of Congress. Last week, he appeared to be trying to build up expectations of Bidens performance, calling the president a worthy debater. I dont want to underestimate him, Trump said in an appearance on The All-In podcast last week. Related... EDF has been named the worst energy provider in Britain for customer service after average call waiting times rocketed in the space of a year. The French state-owned firm fared the worst in an annual customer service poll, with the firm admitting its call waiting times had fallen below standard. Average call waiting times jumped from just under a minute last year, to more than five minutes in the three months to March this year, according to the findings. In total EDF ranked last, scoring just two stars for service. Several customers have hit out at the firm in recent months after they were wrongly billed tens of thousands of pounds. Sir Grayson Perry criticised the providers call centre for being no help when his his monthly direct debit payments jumped from 300 a month to 39,000, while Jon Sopel, who co-hosts the News Agents podcast, claimed his monthly bill rose from 152 to 19,274 a month. It is understood both issues have now been resolved. Across the board Citizens Advice said energy firms customer service had fallen to an all time low, with suppliers failing to give their customers proper support. Utilita and British Gas also made up the bottom three, while Ecotricity was top of the pile. An EDF spokesman said: We recognise our call answer times havent been up to the high standards we set ourselves and are committed to doing better, getting back to the market-leading service our customers expect. Weve recruited and trained more people at our Sunderland, Brighton and Exeter offices and are nearing the end of a complex transfer of our residential customers to a new IT system, resulting in more customers getting in touch as we navigate this process. While accepting its customer support performance has dropped, EDF has taken issue with Citizens Advices methodology. We get as many emails, texts and WhatsApps as we do calls, but Citizens Advice places heavier weighting on call-wait times to calculate the overall score, which were calling on them to change, a spokesman said. Results were based on customer surveys carried out between January to March this year, when record numbers went to Citizens Advice for help with energy issues. The charity called for a tighter crackdown on energy suppliers to bring an end to widespread poor customer service. Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: When millions are struggling to afford the essentials, its completely unacceptable that energy companies are failing to give their customers proper support. We have long called for Ofgem to be given stronger powers to hold suppliers to account on customer service. That must include tackling the complaints backlog before next winter. The next government must introduce better targeted energy bill support for those struggling to keep the lights on or cook a hot meal. Ovo Energy was in third place, followed by EON Energy, ScottishPower, Octopus Energy, British Gas and EDF. Citizens Advice said it helped a record five million people with their energy bills last year after falling in debt to their supplier. Energy companies are responsible for providing support, such as affordable payment plans, to people who cant afford their bills, however the charity said there is mistrust among consumers, which can make it harder for people to seek help when they need it most. Households are set to benefit from an eventual reprieve in July when energy bills begin to fall. From July a typical household will pay 1,568 a year for their energy bills, following a fall in the price cap. Ofgem said this is a saving of 122 over the course of a year or around 10 a month. Dame Moriarty added: News that bills are dropping slightly from July will be cold comfort for the record numbers seeking help from our advisers. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Allowing the Ukrainian military to strike Russia with Western weapons on a limited basis has helped reduce the terror of the occupiers in Kharkiv. In addition, the army of the aggressor country no longer feels safe beyond the state border. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles UAV battalion of the 92nd Separate Special Forces Brigade named after Ataman Ivan Sirko, in an interview with Espresso. The military noted that the number of Russian attacks on civilian targets in Kharkiv has decreased significantly, which means that there are fewer Ukrainian casualties and injuries. According to him, there are two important components in the permission of Western countries to use the weapons they provide for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation. "The first is that the number of attacks on the city of Kharkiv has decreased significantly after these permits were issued. This means that the infrastructure and, most importantly, the civilian population is less exposed to enemy fire, there are fewer dead and wounded," noted Fedorenko. ADVERTISIMENT With this step, the West has made it possible to reduce the Russian terror, particularly in Kharkiv. In addition, as the serviceman emphasized, Russian troops no longer feel safe behind the state border, as they used to. Now the enemy is forced to maneuver, to pull its forces and means to safe places. "The logistical leverage automatically increases many times over, and the longer the logistical leverage of the state border line, the more capabilities and opportunities we have to detect it in a timely manner and apply combined fire effects - artillery, high-precision weapons and, of course, UAVs, which have become an integral part of modern warfare," he continued. The military added that it is very important that the West gives permission to strike at the military facilities of the Russian terrorist army throughout the Russian Federation, as well as at enterprises that process oil products. This finances the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, and, accordingly, the group of troops that is fighting against Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT He also expressed the opinion that after receiving modern fighters from partners, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be able to stop the air terror of Russian troops, destroying aircraft that attack Ukraine with bombs. As reported by OBOZ.UA: - According to the Associated Press, at the end of May 2024, 90 thousand occupiers were preparing for a new offensive on the border with Ukraine. It was at this point that the United States allowed Russia to strike with its weapons. As a result, entire columns of occupiers moving toward the border with Ukraine were destroyed. - President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his partners to authorize strikes on Russian military airfields and the destruction of the occupiers' combat aircraft. It is terrorizing the entire territory of Ukraine and, in particular, the city of Kharkiv. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! RFK Jr.s campaign said it was on the ballot in Mississippi. States response: Not so fast Despite its statement to the contrary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s We the People party does not qualify for the ballot in Mississippi, at least not yet. The party sent out a press release on June 17 claiming otherwise. Shortly after that went out, the Mississippi Secretary of States Office released a statement explaining that the We the People Party still had to finish submitting paperwork. Currently, the Secretary of States Office has not received the respective documents and fees necessary for any presidential candidate to appear on the general election ballot, according to the June 20 statement. The original press release claimed that In January, Kennedy supporters filed the necessary paperwork to form the new political party in Mississippi. The secretary of states office said that the party started filing in January but had yet to finish. Last October, Kennedy left the Democratic Party and continued his presidential campaign as an independent. He founded the We the People Party to run in states where party candidates needed fewer signatures to get on the ballot. According to the press release, Kennedy is officially on the ballot in at least eight states: Michigan, Utah, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Texas, Hawaii, and South Carolina. To get their names on the ballot, presidential candidates must follow requirements laid out in ballot access laws that vary by state. In Mississippi, independent and party presidential candidates have to submit all required paperwork and fees by Sept. 6, 2024. According to the secretary of states website, party candidates must submit a certificate of nomination, a $2,500 fee, and a list of six qualified electors. Independent candidates must submit all of that and a petition with 1,000 signatures. Mississippi Today reached out to the Kennedy campaigns press contact, Stephanie Spear. She responded in an email that Your request for comment is under consideration and your deadline is noted. If the campaign has a response, we will let you know. The pool of presidential candidates widened in Illinois on Monday, now including five new names alongside President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Among them, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign submitted its nomination papers containing more than 60,000 signatures according to campaign officials with the Illinois State Board of Elections Monday afternoon. If the election board confirms the validity of the papers, Illinois would become the ninth confirmed state that the independent has made it on the ballot. Supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gather on each side of a vehicle carrying his nomination papers as it makes its way to the State Board of Elections office Monday, June 24, 2024, in Springfield. Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, tried to secure the Democratic Party's nominee over Biden. Having lost that bid to the presumptive nominee, he began an independent run in October. More: Party infighting leads to Illinois GOP chairman stepping down Seen as an underdog in the election now approaching four months away, RFK supporters Sean Phillips and Kirsten Bonanza of Springfield see the candidate as a needed change of pace from Biden and Trump. "Most of the way that I create my life is by asking the question, 'What will my life be like in next five years if I make this choice.'... And when I ask that about him (RFK) it's just off the hook," said Bonanza, one of approximately 30 supporters gathering outside the election board's Springfield office. "Bobby Kennedy is a statesman, when the rest are just politicians." Phillips added that Kennedy Jr.'s ideas for handling the border crisis and tackling the national debt had garnered his support. Still, the Kennedy political family is not getting behind him and instead urging voters to back Biden. Gov. JB Pritzker, a Biden surrogate, previously told CNN that Democrats supporting anyone else but Biden would be "throwing away" their vote. Kennedy is trying to secure ballot access in all 50 states, but has seen objections filed in four states this month. Both Biden and Trump staved off challenges in Illinois to having their name appear on the November ballot earlier this year. Who else is running? Joining Kennedy in submitting papers to run as president was Green Party candidate Jill Stein and two Illinois residents Christopher Cisco of Piper City and Heather Lynn Stone of Peoria. Not making the cut was independent Cornel West. Former gubernatorial candidate Scott Schluter submitted papers for the Libertarian ticket. Justin Tucker, the state party's executive director, however confirmed with The State Journal-Register that Schluter is a placeholder for former Georgia Senate candidate Chase Oliver, who is the party's official nominee. Members of the State Board of Elections office, left to right, Brent Davis, Sean Peecher, Jessy Harvey, and Gary Nerone, receive Robert F. Kennedy Jr's nomination papers at the Board of Elections Monday, June 24, 2024. Having a stand-in candidate is necessary, Tucker said, because the party's petition drive started after the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nominating Convention held on Memorial Day weekend. Oliver's name will appear on the ballot, not Schluter's. Objections to any of the candidates who filed between June 17 and June 24 can be filed now until next Monday. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 with early voting beginning on Sept. 26. Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. trying to enter presidential race in Illinois Peter Thomas, the ex-husband of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey, has taken a plea deal after the IRS said he didnt pay taxes on several nightclubs he owns in Charlotte, Miami, and Baltimore. According to court documents, Thomas collected more than $640,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees between 2017-2022, but never turned it over to the IRS. Records show Thomas did the same thing with his bars in Miami Beach and Baltimore, collecting $1.1 million between 2021-2023. TRENDING STORIES: Thomas used the money for withdrawals, travel, real estate purchases, and retail purchases, court documents said. Thomas took to social media Monday to apologize for what he did. Ive done some wrong that I have to make right. I have to stand up, I have to be accountable, I have to be responsible, and I have to pay my debt, Thomas said. This is not the first time Thomas has found himself in legal trouble. In 2019, Thomas was arrested for writing fraudulent checks. Thomas attorney said the incident was an unfortunate misunderstanding. The year before, prosecutors dismissed an assault charge against him. Thomas faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release over his issues with the IRS. So far, no sentencing date has been scheduled. RELATED NEWS: A driver may spend up to two years in prison after admitting on Tuesday to causing a deadly 2023 chain reaction crash on Highway 17. Nicholas L. Abbot, 28, was initially accused of being high on cocaine when he caused an Aug. 7, 2023 crash in northern Franklin County. A 21-year-old Othello man was killed and another was seriously hurt. While he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and vehicular assault on Tuesday, he did not admit to driving under the influence. Instead, he said he was driving recklessly. This version of the crime carries a lesser sentence. In this case, Abbott faces between two and nearly three years in prison. Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Faurholt said prosecutors plan to ask for two years in prison. Abbots attorney Hayden Sebald plans to ask for a waiver that is given to people who commit their first felony. This normally carries a sentence of up to 90 days in jail. Abbott was charged in March, nearly nine months after killing Jesus Camacho-Augustin, 21, and hurting Valentin Galvez-Gonzalez, 24, of Othello. While he had been living in Richland at the time of the crash, he had moved to Virginia before he was charged. When he came back to Franklin County to face the charges, he was booked into the Franklin County jail. Abbot was in a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup on Aug. 7, 2023, heading south on the rural two-lane highway that connects Franklin County with Othello. Abbots supervisor told state troopers he was supposed to be traveling back from Moses Lake to Othello after picking up some hardware. He had driven about 20 miles past the Othello exit when he crashed. Two witnesses said he was driving erratically for 20 miles. He stopped in the road for no reason, swerved across the road and drove into the oncoming lane, according to court documents. When he came upon the line of cars waiting for some road construction in the southbound lane about 12:45 p.m., Abbot didnt stop, said the documents. His pickup slammed into a back of a Honda Civic Five people were inside, including passenger Camacho-Augustin, and driver Galvez-Gonzalez. Camacho-Augustin died at the scene and Galvez-Gonzalez was seriously hurt and taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. The crash pushed the Civic into a Hyundai Sonata in front of it. Two other cars ended up being damaged too. Washington State Patrol toxicology tests on Abbots blood later found signs that he had cocaine in his system, said the documents. For thousands of Republicans descending on Milwaukee for the party's national convention, the first stop will be the city's ultimate party destination. On Sunday, July 14, a day before the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention, a "Red, White and Brew" party is planned on the Summerfest grounds at Henry Maier Festival Park for the state party delegations and partner organizations. Country star Trace Adkins is lined up to perform. Country music star Trace Adkins will perform at the 2024 Republican National Convention welcome party at Milwaukee's Summerfest grounds on Sunday, July 14. The Milwaukee Host Committee, the nonpartisan group working with the RNC, expects about 15,000 guests to attend the opening event. "It's going to be a great welcome to Wisconsin, and especially a salute to our city," said Alison Prange, the 2024 Host Committee chief operation officer. "When the visitors arrive, they are going to have an experience that really shows off the things you'd expect about our Wisconsin culinary offerings and some unexpected things, too." The Host Committee will get an assist from the newly formed 414 Council, a group of Milwaukee area business leaders, individuals and organizations committed to financially supporting the official welcome party for the RNC. Prange said the committee is working with Summerfest and the 414 Council as a "sounding board" to secure local vendors to provide Wisconsin cuisine for guests. "We know this is the first time people will have gotten together since 2016 at the last in-person convention," Prange said. "The Republicans did have a smaller, scaled down version in 2020, but this is the first time a lot of people will have seen each other in-person since 2016, and we really wanted to make this a great destination for people as they come into the state." The co-chairs of the 414 Council are Anne Zizzo, the founder and CEO of Zizzo Group Engagement Marketing; Omar Shaikh, Milwaukee restauranter and developer; Jim Kanter, the chief commercial officer of Central Standard Craft Distillery; and Heather Ladage, market president and publisher of the Milwaukee Business Journal. Joining the 414 Council should be a priority for any business looking to ensure Milwaukee shines on a national stage, Kanter said. The 414 Council will be important in helping the MKE 2024 Host Committee welcome thousands of guests to our city." On July 14, the park will be included in the Secret Service's security perimeter, with the park only accessible to those with credentials. The area directly west of the park will be included in the "vehicle security perimeter." Tristan Hernandez can be reached at thernandez@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Red, White and Brew' party to greet RNC delegates at Summerfest Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke with Sheriff Greg Champagne at the National Sheriffs' Association conference in Oklahoma City on June 24, 2024. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke to a gathering of local law enforcement leaders from around the country on Monday on his long shot campaign for the White House, mostly covering border security and steering clear of false, anti-vaccination conspiracies he has pushed. Theres nothing humanitarian about whats happening there, Kennedy said, touting his visits to the U.S. border with Mexico. Its the obligation of any president to control the border, to seal it, and have immigration policy that actually functions to help our country. Kennedy spoke at a National Sheriffs Association convention in Oklahoma City. Sheriff Greg Champagne, of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, moderated the discussion. Champagne said President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were invited, but only Kennedy accepted the invitation. That meant Kennedy got a nearly uninterrupted half-hour with the sheriffs, who often are the front line of immigration enforcement at the southern border or who sometimes house people jailed on federal immigration charges. When Champagne shifted the conversation to the mental health and drug crisis in jails, Kennedy said marijuana should be fully decriminalized at the federal level. Revenue from government-regulated marijuana sales could then be used to cover the costs of healing farms where people dealing with marijuana addiction could live free-of-charge to recover. When asked about the Israel-Hamas war, Kennedy said that World War II was the last moral war the U.S. has been involved in, calling the rest wars of choice. He repeatedly denounced Hamas for their desire for the annihilation of Israel, but also called himself very pro-Palestinian. As time expired, Kennedy thanked the law enforcement leaders for their service. What you do is the foundation stone of American communities, the foundation stone for our country, its the beginning of local democracy, Kennedy said. Everything we do that were successful in begins at your level of democracy. Earlier Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected two appeals about COVID-19 vaccines from a nonprofit that Kennedy founded. Kennedy is listed as an attorney for the group in court paperwork. Kennedy did not meet the qualifications to participate in Thursdays presidential debate on CNN, meaning only Biden and Trump will appear. CNN said Kennedy did not meet its threshold for qualifying for state ballots and polling. Kennedy filed for candidacy in Oklahoma in May. Among other conspiracy theories, Kennedy has been vocal about his anti-vaccination stance and has falsely claimed that vaccinations cause autism. Kennedy, 70, is the part of one of the most famous political families in the U.S. He is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, and his father was a U.S. senator and attorney general before running for the Democratic nomination for president. Both of those Kennedys were assassinated. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks border, marijuana at national sheriffs conference in Oklahoma City appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. ROCHESTER The YMCA of Strafford County, located at 35 Industrial Way in Rochester, will close its doors at the end of September. The closure will impact the 79 children and their families who receive childcare services at The Learning Center at the facility, as well as those who use the Y's other health facilities and wellness classes. Children who attend The Learning Center in Rochester have been offered placement at the Somersworth Learning Center, located at 35 Bartlett Ave. in Somersworth. The adult health and wellness services will simply be discontinued, with adults advised to transfer their membership to another area YMCA or to join a different fitness club. YMCA staff have said they will assist members who need help transferring to other facilities. Granite YMCA in Somersworth, part of Strafford County YMCA will take on the childcare services of the Rochester location, which will be closing at the end of September. Lorrie Piper, vice president of marketing and communications for the Granite YMCA, assures parents that if they choose to make the switch, spots are open for their children at the Somersworth center. "The Rochester location will be closed," said Piper. "But all the children will have a spot if parents want to make the move with us. The same goes for staff. They are all guaranteed their jobs." Piper said there are 79 children currently enrolled. "We accept babies 6 weeks old to 38 months," she said. "Preschool is (36 to 50 months), and toddler class is (11 months to 38 months) and are our largest segments at that location." Piper said the move will be for the center's child care services only. The wellness center, the gym and classes will not be transferred. "The gym offered some wellness and classes for adults," said Piper. "These will not be continued here or in Somersworth, but there are other locations like Seacoast YMCA where memberships can be transferred. Or we can help our patrons find other area facilities to suit their needs." Members of the current adult programs will not be charged for September and the staff will work with them to transfer memberships if they so desire. Piper said there are 721 memberships currently. "We made the decision to merge to Somersworth because the location is already bigger and has room to grow," she said. "There is a bigger area to play outdoors, and we are planning to make some significant investments in renovating and improving the location. The current location in Rochester does not have room for growth. The two centers are pretty much down the road from each other, no more than 10 minutes away, so it didn't make sense at this time to try and keep both locations." The building on Industrial Way is leased by the YMCA. Piper said they have no information on what the property owner plans for the building. Piper said the Somersworth YMCA Learning Center is a standalone building with lots of amenities. She added the Rochester location is in an industrial park, so the choice to move to Somersworth seemed clear to better serve the Tri-City area of Dover, Rochester and Somersworth. The merger of The Early Learning Center at the YMCA of Strafford County, located in Rochester, with The Granite YMCA of Somersworth Learning Center is expected to take place on or about Oct. 1. All of the children enrolled at the Rochester location will be provided the opportunity to enroll in the Somersworth program without any gap in services. All staff will have jobs to maintain their careers within the Somersworth Learning Center. There are no changes planned at this time for the Strafford County Ys Day camp or Before & After Care programs for Dover Middle, Garrison, and Horne Street schools in Dover, N.H. As a leader in childcare and early learning, we are mindful that the state of New Hampshire has a lack of accessible childcare for many families in need, making this decision even more important for us," said Michele Sheppard, CEO of The Granite YMCA. "After a great deal of planning and due diligence, we are confident that by merging the current program in Rochester with the Somersworth Learning Center, we will be positioned to grow our services, provide improved access to childcare and serve a larger population in the Tri-City area. Piper said the benefits of the planned consolidation include larger learning and play spaces, kitchen facilities with daily meal services, a welcoming outdoor space, and planning for future space to grow and serve more children and families. "We hope our families will choose to stay with us," Piper said. We will begin our initial phase of capital improvements this summer with the expectation to complete this phase of work on or about Oct. 1, when we will welcome the children and families from the Rochester, Strafford County, location, Sheppard said. Though we understand and appreciate that this type of change is hard, we believe that we are best positioned to fulfill our mission to serve the Tri-City area through this strategic plan for initial consolidation and future growth and accessibility for all. Funding for the renovations has come from a partnership with the City of Somersworth, the Community Center Investment Program/Resource and assistance of a Community Development Block Grant (which aims to develop viable urban communities and by expanding economic opportunities). Sheppard said they will work with their Tri-City partners to find alternative locations to offer their Health Management and Older Adult programs. For more information, visit https://www.graniteymca.org/news/. This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester YMCA to close, childcare services move to Somersworth YMCA From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: The Birmingham bombing, and the aftermath Emily Lyons and husband Jeff Lyons speak to reporters outside the Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse on April 13, 2005 in Birmingham Alabama. Emily Lyons, the head nurse at New Woman All Women Clinic in Birmingham, lost an eye after Eric Rudolph bombed the clinic on Jan. 29, 1998. Robert Sanderson, an off-duty Birmingham police officer who worked security at the clinic, was killed in the attack. Rudolph later pled guilty to the attack and three others, receiving two life sentences in prison. (Brian Schoenhals/Getty Images) From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond Diane Derzis Lifetime in Abortion Care Monday was the 2nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which ended federal abortion rights protections in the United States. This is the second of a four-part profile of Diane Derzis, the owner of the clinic at the center of the decision, and her lifetime in abortion care. Part 1: Diane Derzis went from working at an abortion clinic in Birmingham in the 1970s to running Summit Medical Center in the 1980s and 90s. She quickly became acquainted with the need and the threats. Part 2: Diane Derzis bought an abortion clinic in Birmingham and came face-to-face with violence. Part 3: She had an opportunity to buy an abortion clinic in Mississippi, and took it. And that clinic, Jackson Womens Health Organization, was at the center of a lawsuit that ended abortion rights protections in the United States. Part 4: How Derzis navigated the post-Dobbs landscape, and found a new home for the Jackson clinic. Diane Derzis had worked in abortion care in Birmingham in the 1980s and 1990s. She had lobbied the Alabama Legislature for abortion rights protections, earning the nickname The Abortion Queen. She had faced threats to her life. And protestors who once trapped her and her patients in the clinic. By her early 40s, she was burned out. On her therapists advice, she left Alabama and returned to Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she first went to college. In Virginia, life was slower and less exciting compared with what she had just given up. But it was peaceful. She served as an instructor in a vocational higher education setting and worked in real estate. She lived about 15 minutes away from her family and often had Sunday dinner with them. Derzis hadnt had that kind of time with family in years. But life away from abortion care would prove to be fleeting. Just six months. In 1996, Derzis got a phone call about a clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. Did Derzis want to buy it? The clinic, New Woman All Women Health Care Clinic, would be the first Derzis owned. The clinic wasnt brand new, and her co-owner was one of the physicians who worked there. Derzis didnt have to worry about the minute-by-minute, day-by-day operations. She hoped she would be able to do the work she loved in a new way that might address the burnout that led her to leave the field. But that was not how it played out. At least every other day, Derzis was on the phone. Sometimes shed visit the clinic in person, driving over in her recreational vehicle. Derzis would stay for four or five days, once again the Abortion Queen. On Jan. 29, 1998, Derzis was getting dressed and having some coffee in Harrisonburg. She got a call. On the other end of the line was New Woman All Women Health Care Clinics administrator. The sirens you hear are coming for us, Derzis remembered the administrator saying. Theyve blown up the clinic. The line disconnected. Derzis turned on the TV. Every channel she flipped to had coverage of the bombing. She repeatedly tried calling the administrator back. No answer. It was cloudy and frigid that morning in Birmingham. Robert Sanderson, an off-duty Birmingham police officer, was at the clinic, working a shift as a security guard. Outside the front door, before any patients had arrived for appointments, Sanderson noticed something odd in the shrubbery. Just then, New Woman All Women Health Care Clinics head nurse, Emily Lyons, was at the door about to enter. As Sanderson leaned over to investigate, a man named Eric Rudolph, watching from across the street, used a remote control to detonate the bomb. It was 7:33 a.m. The blast was felt for miles. Sanderson was killed by the bomb. Lyons was severely injured. The explosion damaged her eyes, tore off teeth and eyelashes, and put a hole in her chest. Her face was full of rocks. The right side of her skull was broken. The bomb shattered her left leg, ripped skin from her shins and burned her right arm. Shrapnel lodged itself in her chest. The bomb was housed in a plastic toolbox. The toolbox had been purchased at Walmart. Nails and gravel made up at least some of the shrapnel that was inside the bomb. Shrapnel reached the chairs and the front desk inside the clinics lobby on the ground floor and even up into a second floor waiting area. Derzis doesnt think the bomb was designed to damage the clinic. Instead, she said, it was made to kill patients and staff. At the time of the bombing, Rudolph was 31 years old and a resident of Murphy, North Carolina. Later that year, the U.S. Department of Justice would charge Rudolph with the 1996 bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, that killed one person and injured at least 111 others, and bombings that happened in 1997 at an area health clinic in Atlanta and an Atlanta nightclub. The latter injured five people. By the time the Justice Department announced those charges, Rudolph had already been charged for the bombing attack at New Woman All Women Clinic. Instantly that morning in Virginia, Derzis thought the bombing was her fault. Clinics in the country at that time, most of them were very quiet. People didnt do press, she said. It was just quiet, but thats not how I thought it should be. I thought it should be not tucked aside and shameful, but it should be talked about. There should be a face there, and theres someone to answer questions and, you know, and all of that. But all of that also had a price, cause I called attention. People at the clinic paid the price for Derzis being who she was, she felt. After all, there were three clinics in Birmingham at the time, and Rudolph chose hers. Derzis had to get to the clinic the morning of the bombing. She got a flight out of Charlottesville, Virginia, to Birmingham, with a connecting flight in Atlanta. While watching the news in Atlanta and waiting to board her flight, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives walked over and introduced himself. Theyd sit with each other on the flight to Birmingham and talk for the whole flight. A crowd of journalists was waiting for Derzis at the airport in Birmingham. Hollering at her, they tried to get a comment. They stunned her. She wasnt expecting them and there were so many of them. Skipping them, Derzis headed straight to her clinic. But she couldnt get to it. Streets were barricaded off for three or four blocks. Derzis didnt see any option but to stay in Birmingham and make sure the clinic was running again. She needed to do something positive. And there was an emotional-support element, too. She wanted to help. New Woman All Women Health Care Clinic would reopen a week after the bombing. On reopening day Feb. 5, 1998 the clinics windows were still damaged. Replacements had to be specially ordered. A handful of TV satellite trucks were there. Friends of hers owners of other clinics were there, too. Two were from North Carolina, one from Atlanta. They helped out. Despite everything, the clinics phones rang nonstop that day, just like normal. Women came in for care, even coming from some from as far as Huntsville, a 90-minute drive. Most of the women that showed up didnt even know a bombing had occurred. That normalcy, it was such I dont even know. You think about, you know, Emilys fighting for her life, Sandys dead, and were open and back in business, Derzis said. It was just surreal. Derzis would stay in Birmingham for about a week or so after her clinic reopened. The clinic didnt need me there, Derzis explained. That healing had to be from within. Her first week home at her farm in Virginia, Derzis was antsy. Naturally a big reader, she started devouring books left and right. She slept little. This would go on for weeks. And she couldnt shake the thought that the bombing was her fault. Randomly, shed start crying. Crying made her think she was weak Derzis doesnt like weakness. The clinic didnt need me there. That healing had to be from within. Diane Derzis Family dinners during those first few weeks back home were filled with silence from her loved ones about the bombing. That silence ate Derzis up. Derzis had hardly known Lyons before the bombing. But she visited Lyons during her monthlong stay in the hospital. For at least two of those weeks in the hospital, Lyons was on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma. Shortly after the explosion, her left eye had to be removed along with some of her intestine. The first time after the bombing that Lyons remembers seeing Derzis was after her stint in the hospital and then a monthlong stay in rehab for physical therapy. Derzis visited her at her house. She was in a hospital bed in the living room. The second time, they went out to dinner. Lyonss husband, Jeff, went, too. Lyons was in a wheelchair. Jeff had to read the menu to her. And she had to have help with eating. The first year after the bombing was physically challenging for Lyons. There was physical therapy. She had to relearn how to walk up the stairs in their three-story home. Doctor visits took place every week. A nurse would come to the house and do dressing changes every day. Lyons remembers the nurse cleaning holes in Lyonss legs with Q-tips and peroxide before applying gauze soaked in iodine. She would try to take a pain pill before the visits, because its like pouring salt in a wound, Lyons said. The fire is unimaginable, she said. And then at nighttime, Jeffrey would have to do the same thing. And he hated to see that he had to cause pain. Seeing Lyons in that first year was a reality check for Derzis. She said Lyons suffering put her own struggles in perspective. Over the years, Lyons would have more than 50 surgeries resulting from the bombing. At some point, a doctor told her he had never seen anything outside of war like what Lyons endured. In one operation, in April 2023, a piece of plastic about a quarter of an inch in size was removed from Lyonss sinus. That piece of plastic was part of the tool box that the bomb was housed in. It had been in her sinus for 25 years. Though faded, there was still a hint of green to it. Dinners with Lyons and Jeff would continue over the years for Derzis. Theyd become friends. A man behind a stand of microphones. The morning of the bombing at New Woman All Women Health Care Clinic, Doug Jones was headed to Birminghams Southside neighborhood. Jones was the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama at the time. Hed later become a U.S. Senator, representing Alabama as a Democrat. He had a breakfast meeting with a journalist from the Birmingham News to get to. They were going to talk about Joness first five months on the job. On the way to breakfast, he heard about the bombing. Jones made his way to the scene. Robert Sandersons dead body was still there when he arrived. A task force was created that morning to work on the investigation into the attack. Birminghams police department, the FBI, and the Justice Departments Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were all part of it. Jones helped coordinate things for the task force: where investigations should go, who would be doing those investigations and how, as well as the legal ramifications that always come up, he explained. For instance, when you needed to get a search warrant, when you need to get an arrest warrant, when you need to get a material witness warrant, when to go public. That morning, a student attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham noticed something. This was an 18-year-old kid, OK? This was an 18-year-old kid at the time, who heard the bomb, Jones said. He was doing his laundry in the basement of a dorm, heard the explosion, looked out the window, saw people moving toward the plume of smoke from the bombing except for one person, who appeared to be wearing a disguise and was walking very hurriedly away. And he thought that was very suspicious, and he went outside, walked around his car, [and] saw him. That was Eric Rudolph. But then the student lost sight of him. After a little while, the student got another person to help search. Before long, the two spotted Rudolph getting into a gray Nissan pickup truck. And theyd go on to get the trucks license plate information. And thats how we identified him. Of course, we didnt know Eric Rudolphs name at the time. We knew that Eric Rudolph owned the truck, but we werent able to identify him, per se, Jones said. But Im tellin you, without the fortitude of that 18-year-old kid, I dont know if that case would ever have been solved. Rudolph would get charged with the bombing within weeks. By then, he was on the run. During his time on the case, Jones interacted with Derzis. He remembers she was thankful for the work that law enforcement was doing on the case. In 2003, the manhunt for Rudolph came to an end. Five years had come and gone since he bombed Derziss clinic and then disappeared. Finally, he was caught. A journalist called Derzis within an hour of Rudolphs apprehension. She was at the clinic, and hadnt heard yet. Thank God, she thought. In 2005, Rudolph pleaded guilty to the bombings. He was sentenced to two life terms behind bars. Next: Diane Derzis gets an opportunity to buy an abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi one that will be at the center of the most important Supreme Court case of the 21st Century. The post From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: The Birmingham bombing, and the aftermath appeared first on Alabama Reflector. ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Rogers man accused of supplying a man with fentanyl who later died of an overdose has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents. Enrique De Jesus Valdez, 23, (Courtesy: Benton County Detention Center) Enrique De Jesus Valdez, 23, was arrested on May 9 by Benton County Drug Units during an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. He was booked on aggravated assault, drug possession, intent to deliver, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm charges. On May 13, Valdez was additionally charged with aggravated death by delivery for his alleged involvement in the death of 19-year-old Charles Gephart. Rogers man accused of fentanyl death A news release from the Rogers Police Department said the department started an investigation on November 11, 2023, into Gepharts death. The Benton County Coroners Office originally listed Gepharts death as an accidental overdose and it was later confirmed as fentanyl intoxication. RPD said the investigation revealed that Valdez supplied the fentanyl to Gephart. Aggravated death by delivery is a new charge that was created by the passage of Act 584 in April 2023, also known as the Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act, by the Arkansas House of Representatives. The charge is applied when a person gives fentanyl or another controlled substance to someone who dies from it, according to the law. Judge orders Amber Waterman to be transferred to Benton County for Arkansas court date Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Robinson said in the release that this is the first prosecution of the newly codified crime in the county. This drug has caused tremendous damage to families across this region and this county, and my office will aggressively prosecute individuals accused of distributing and profiting from the addiction of others, Robinson said. We will not abide nor turn a blind eye to this business in our county; rather, we will actively investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations that choose to distribute this poison. The release said if convicted, the aggravated death by delivery charge can carry a sentence of 20 to 60 years. Valdez has an omnibus hearing scheduled for September 25. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. Karen Read's jurors must now decide: Was it deadly romance or police corruption? Karen Read, center, departs Norfolk Superior, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. Jury deliberations began in the trial Tuesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) The fate of Karen Read was handed Tuesday to jurors who must decide whether she ended a rocky romance by angrily striking her boyfriend with her SUV and leaving him mortally injured in the snow, or is a victim of police corruption, framed to cover up a fight at the home of his fellow Boston officer. Jurors got to work after a two-month murder trial in the death of Boston officer John OKeefe in January 2022. The case has drawn outsized attention, fanned by true crime bloggers and Reads pink-shirted supporters. Defense lawyer Alan Jackson described a cancer of lies that turned into a cover-up, and told jurors theyre the only thing standing between Karen Read and the tyranny of injustice. You have been lied to in this courtroom. Your job is to make sure you dont ever ever look the other way, he said Tuesday. But Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally told jurors there is no conspiracy. He began his closing argument with the words four witnesses reported hearing Read say after OKeefe was discovered on the snowy lawn: The defendant repeatedly said I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God. I hit him. Those were the words that came from the defendants mouth, Lally said. Read, a former adjunct professor at Bentley College, is charged with second-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, along with manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving a scene of personal injury and death. The manslaughter charge carries a penalty of five to 20 years in prison, and the other charge has a maximum penalty of 10 years. Her lawyers contend OKeefe was dragged outside after he was beaten up in the basement and bitten by a dog at Boston officer Brian Alberts home in Canton. Ladies and gentlemen, there was a cover-up in this case, plain and simple, Jackson said. Lally, however, showed the jurors what Read herself said that night, in a voice message she left for OKeefe moments after her car recorded her driving in reverse at approximately 24 mph (39 kph) and then leaving the scene: He said she was seething in rage as shes screaming, John, I (expletive) hate you! The defense said witnesses who claimed to have heard her say she hit OKeefe had changed their story or couldnt have heard her comments in the chaos of that moment. Jackson said investigators focused on Read because she was a convenient outsider who saved them from having to consider other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers at the house party. He also pointed to connections between Albert and the state trooper who led the investigation. Michael Proctor didnt draw a thin blue line, he erected a tall blue wall, Jackson said. A wall that you cant scale, a wall that Karen Read certainly couldnt get over. A wall between us and them. A place you folk are not invited. We protect our own. Jackson suggested that Brian Higgins, a federal agent who had exchanged flirty texts with Read, lured OKeefe to the house party, where the two got into a fight, leading to punches and a fall. The panic sets in, he said. It wasnt intended to go that far but what is done is done. Prosecutors spent most of the trial methodically presenting evidence from the scene. The defense called only a handful of witnesses but used its time in cross-examining prosecution witnesses to raise questions about the investigation, echoed by a chorus of supporters outside. - This story has been corrected to show defense attorney Alan Jackson used the word coverup and not conspiracy' in addressing jurors. Germany has authorized Ukraine to use the weapons it has provided to strike at Russian military targets located only on the territory of the Russian Federation adjacent to the Kharkiv region. The range of the German weapons does not allow for an extension of this permission, so there are no changes to the restriction from Berlin. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by German Federal Government spokesman Steffen Gebestreit at a briefing on Monday, June 24. "As for German weapons, their range is much shorter than the range of American weapons. So, there are no changes on the part of Berlin. We are talking very specifically about the territories bordering Ukraine, about the border.... German weapons cannot be compared to American weapons because the range cannot be compared," the spokesman said. As you know, initially Germany did not allow the use of the weapons it supplied for strikes on Russian territory at all. Gebestreit reminded that the "adjustment" of the conditions for the use of weapons occurred because Russia is shelling the large city of Kharkiv and the entire region from Russian territory. The spokesman added that Berlin took into account the Pentagon's information that Ukraine could use weapons provided by the United States to strike at Russian troops anywhere in the Russian Federation, not just near the Kharkiv region. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA: The United States has authorized the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike with American weapons at all objects dangerous to Ukraine "anywhere" in Russia. Now it's not just about enemy forces on the border of Kharkiv region. Thanks to the U.S. permission to strike with their weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian defenders destroyed entire columns of occupiers along the border. At the time, they were waiting for an order to invade again. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! DEDHAM, Mass. (AP/Boston 25) Jurors in the long-running murder trial of Karen Read must decide whether she was a callous girlfriend who drove off after running over her Boston police officer boyfriend with her luxury SUV, or whether police framed her to cover up a brutal beatdown by his fellow officers. Karen Read shares her thoughts going into closing arguments, jury deliberations in murder trial After nearly two months of testimony and a media storm fanned by true crime bloggers, lawyers delivered closing arguments Tuesday before jurors were tasked with sifting the wildly differing accounts of the death of Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. The start of closing arguments was delayed by more than an hour after a juror was dismissed. Attorney Alan Jackson then addressed jurors on behalf of Reads defense team. Adam Lally addressed the court on behalf of the prosecution. Judge Beverly Cannone provided the jury with instructions before sending them off to deliberate Reads fate shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Jurors now must decide in the Karen Read trial: Was it deadly romance or police corruption? LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES: 4:24 p.m. Jury is excused for the day and will resume deliberations tomorrow. No verdict reached. 1:26 p.m. The jury begins deliberations in the Karen Read trial. Verdict watch begins. 12:30 p.m. In her instructions, Judge Cannone tells the jury, If there are conflicts in the testimony its your job to resolve those. 12:15 p.m. Lally closes with a quote from John Adams. The judge cuts him for time and gives him one more sentence. Closings are done. The judge says jury instructions should take an hour. Court takes a short break. 12:10 p.m. AL: They found the evidence where it had been in the snow. 12:05 p.m. AL: (Speaking about Brian Albert a then Boston Police Officer), Hes just going to leave Mr. OKeefes body on the front lawn? 12 p.m. Lally talks about a video of KRs vehicle backing into JOs: You dont see snow moving off the vehicle or taillight pieces. He says the magic hair (referring to AJs description) was frozen to the vehicle. 11:55 a.m. Lally brings up that KR did not take her off her shoes at JOs house when others did because she knows she left him in the snow. 11:50 a.m. AL: (JMs Google search) These searches were done at 6:23 and 6:24, not at 2:27. 11:45 a.m. Lally tells the jury, There are only 2 videos missing from the ring system (meadows). One is the defendant returning after murdering him the other is when KR shows JM and KR damage to her Lexus. 11:38 a.m. AL: The defendant shows up at the house left with a bag of her belongings in the height of a blizzard drove all the way down to her parents house in Dighton. 11:35 a.m. AL says KR doesnt call 911 as JO is laying freezing from a skull fracture at 34 Fairview Rd. He says KR knew exactly where he was because he says she returned to 34 Fairview in the 5 am hour and left. 11:20 a.m. AL: Its a 3 card Monte trick. Dont pay attention to the facts and evidence. because it will lead to the defendant is guilty Lally calls Proctors texts inexcusable: What do you not see in those text messages? He says there is nothing about a conspiracy or cover-up in Proctors texts. Lally puts up this timeline for jury pic.twitter.com/oItymL9iET Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 11:15 a.m. Lally references testimony from Officer Saraf, The defendant saying this is all my fault and left him freezing to death in a blizzard. 11:13 a.m. The prosecution begins closing arguments. ADA Lally begins with: I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him. The defendant said, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him, I hit him. 11:10 a.m. AJ: I think Im being kind when I say Trooper Pauls analysis lacks credibility. Its nonsensical and borders on laughable. 11 a.m. AJ: John went into the house.. injuries did not come by being hit by a car. John was attacked inside the home where Chloe (dog) was 10:55 a.m. AJ: Ladies and Gentlemen, you were lied to. Its inexcusable, its abhorrent. 10:50 a.m. AJ: This brings us to the magic hair...you would have to believe that little hair survived 75 miles of a raging blizzard outside that hair was placed there. 10:45 a.m. AJ: Whos she by the way (points to KR)? A nobody, an outsider. AJ: You have to believe when the Alberts found that out they thought they hit the lottery. The guy who catches the case is Michael Proctor. 10:40 a.m. AJ: She called him 53 times before finding his body. Think about that. The Commonwealth wants you to think she murdered this man. 10:38 a.m. AJ: She dropped off John, he walked into 34 Fairview and thats all she knows. AJ: By 12:30, Karen is mad. By 12:37, shes getting furious. She does not know somethings happened to John. 10:35 a.m. AJ on Jen McCabes Google search: There is no innocent explanation for that Google search.. none. AJ: The only person to use the actual IOS (analyzing search time) was Rick Green (defense expert). 10:30 a.m. AJ: It wasnt intended to go that far but it did. AJ: They actually got rid of the dog all together... this is the dog they had for 7 years. Aj: Was there something about that dog they didnt want law enforcement to find out? 10:20 a.m. AJ: She was gone by 12:30 (am) and JOs phone was taking 36 steps after she left. AJ: Theres only one place JO could have been... and thats in the house. 10:15 a.m. AJ: Magic hairs, magic glass... butt dials... Just look the other way... thats what they want you to do. AJ: They will look you in the eye and deny phone calls, Destroy your phone, destroy your SIM card. AJ: They even stooped so low to call the children to say Karen spoiled them too much. 10:10 a.m. The jury is seated and defense attorney Alan Jackson begins his closing arguments. 10:05 a.m. Breaking: A juror was just dismissed from the Karen Read trial on the morning before closing arguments. This is the juror who was brought in 2x to the sidebar. 14 jurors remain. They stacked the jury box during selection to have enough ready to deliberate in case some were lost along the way. Breaking: A juror was just dismissed from the Karen Read trial on the morning before closing arguments. This is the juror who was brought in 2x to sidebar Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 10 a.m. The same juror has come in again and is back up at sidebar. She is sent out again. 9:45 a.m. There is a potential juror issue in the Karen Read trial. One juror came in briefly. The rest of the jury has not entered yet. We wait... I'm told there is a "potential juror issue" in the Karen Read trial. I have no idea what it might be. One juror came in briefly. The rest of the jury has not entered yet. We wait.... Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 9:35 a.m. The camera operator was given an advanced warning that a juror would be coming in to speak with the lawyers and the judge at the sidebar. Thats why the camera fanned up. She spoke briefly with everyone at the sidebar and then left. 9:10 a.m. We have reached closing arguments. Alan Jackson is expected to go first followed by ADA Adam Lally. Some witnesses are in the courtroom today including Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe. They all previously testified for the Commonwealth. Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe. Read is charged with 2nd-degree murder, manslaughter OUI, and leaving the scene of a fatality. Good morning from inside courtroom in the Commonwealth vs. Read. We have reached closing arguments. Alan Jackson is expected to go first followed by ADA Adam Lally. -Some witnesses are in the courtroom today including Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe. They all Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 25, 2024 PREVIOUS STORY: Prosecutors contend Read struck OKeefe with her Lexus SUV in January 2022, leaving him unconscious outside in the snow after a night of bar hopping. He died in a hospital after being found unresponsive hours later outside the Canton home of another Boston police officer who had hosted a party. The cause of death was hypothermia and blunt force trauma, a medical examiner testified. Arguing that Read was framed, her lawyers contend OKeefe was dragged outside after he was beaten up in the basement of fellow officer Brian Alberts home in Canton and bitten by Alberts dog. EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - An autopsy photo showing injuries to John O'Keefe's arm is displayed during Karen Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool) Read, a former adjunct professor at Bentley College, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. On Monday, three witnesses for the defense cast doubt on the prosecutions version of events. Dr. Frank Sheridan, a retired forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner for San Bernardino County in California, testified that OKeefe should have had more bruising if hed been struck by the SUV. He also suggested that scratch marks on OKeefes arm couldve come from a dog and that other injuries were consistent with an altercation. Retired forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Sheridan is questioned by defense attorney Elizabeth Little during the murder trial for Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) Two witnesses from an independent consulting firm that conducts forensic engineering also suggested some of the evidence didnt line up with the prosecutions version of events. Describing their detailed reconstructions, the witnesses said they concluded that damage to Reads SUV, including a broken taillight, didnt match OKeefes injuries. You cant deny the science and the physics, Andrew Rentschler from the firm ARCCA said at one point, describing an analysis of the level of injuries associated with various speeds of a vehicle like Reads. ARCCA was hired by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a federal investigation into state law enforcements handling of the Read case. The defense contends investigators focused on Read because she was a convenient outsider who saved them from having to consider other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers who were at the party. Testimony began on April 29 after several days of jury selection. Prosecutors spent most of the trial methodically presenting evidence from the scene. The defense called only a handful of witnesses but used its time in cross-examining prosecution witnesses to raise questions about the investigation, including what it described as conflicts of interest and sloppy police work. The defense was echoed by complaints from a chorus of supporters that often camp outside the courthouse. A photo of Karen Read's Lexis SUV is shown during her trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. on Wednesday June 5, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) A copy of text messages between trooper Michael Proctor and his sister Courtney Elberg related to a thank you gift appears on a screen during the Karen Read murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 12, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) Evidence collected on Fairview Road, Canton is presented on day 20 of the Karen Read murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. on Wednesday June 5, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) Evidence collected on Fairview Road, Canton is presented on day 20 of the Karen Read murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. on Wednesday June 5, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) John O'Keefes t-shirt John O'Keefe sweatshirt John O'Keefe sweatshirt Jennifer McCabe searches Video from John O'Keefe Ring doorbell DNA Evidence (Karen Read Trial) DNA Evidence (Karen Read Trial) Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW In 1921, 17-year-old Edna Smith boarded a city streetcar in Nashville on what was known as the Broadway and West End Line. Smith, a young Black woman, was instructed by the driver to sit in the non-white section of the streetcar. She refused and then refused again when told to exit the car. Smith was issued a ticket to appear in court with a fine of $250 (nearly $3,500 in todays currency) if she failed to show. Instead of being honored for her act (almost 34 years before the similar one done by Rosa Parks), Smith was rejected from society and died of typhoid fever only four years later at the age of 21. Her story nearly lost to time. Working to uncover and spread Smiths story is Nashville native Stokes Nielson. The country singer, turned congressional candidate, turned music and film producer was first led to the story of Edna Smith when researching a reservoir on Eighth Avenue. A 2019 Nashville Public Library blog post on the reservoir featured a paragraph on a criminal court case from the early 1900s as part of a Nashville Public Library archival project. The case was none other than The State vs. Edna Smith. Stokes Nielson Nielson was taken by her story and the bravery of her action, but ultimately did not take further action. However, after nearly losing his life to COVID-19 in 2020, Nielson vowed to do more for his community. Naturally, he found himself returning to the story of Edna Smith. She, to me captures the spirit of America, Nielson said in our interview. Smith was just being herself, without the backing of an organization or a movement. Like, youre not going to impede upon my dignity and my liberty, and so I think shes so courageous. Who is Edna Smith? Notice of Edna Smith's criminal court case in the Tennessean, Aug. 24, 1921 Smith grew up in the era of Jim Crow, when federal and state laws enforced segregation of "whites and colored races" in all areas of life, including using the same water fountains, going to the same schools or sitting in the same section of the bus. Extensive research done by Nielson revealed that Smith was the granddaughter of Robert Bob Green, a formerly enslaved person, who became one of the most prominent horse breeders of the 19th century, even garnering the attention of President Grover Cleveland in 1887. Nielson believes it was this background that drove Smith to refuse her seat on that day in 1921, Nielson said. There had to be something inside of her that, you know, that kind of torch of dignity that makes somebody stick up for themselves, Nielson said, She, I'm sure spent a lot of time with her grandfather out. He's a very respected man in the community, and she got on there and [was] like, I'm not gonna let this guy tell me what to do. Edna Smith's story is larger than Nashville Since 2020, Nielson has worked to gather details on Smiths story. He has also created three demands regarding her recognition at the city, local, and national levels. 1. The city of Nashville should null the ticket issued against Edna Smith in 1921, and to name a street in Nashville Edna Smith Way. This first demand was set in motion at June 11s Metro Council meeting, where Nielson brought Ednas story to the councils attention during the public comment period. Despite inevitable bureaucratic delays, he says for a matter such as this, the city should move swiftly to meet this demand. 2. The state of Tennessee should rescind the case The State vs. Edna Smith. In this case against Smith, the state of Tennessee claims she remained on the car against the peace and dignity of the state. Nielson described this language as disturbing, and I have to agree. We as individuals dont exist for the dignity of the state, Nielson said, Heres this young lady speaking up for herself, and then the next thing you know, you have the whole state coming down on her. Institutions coming down on the most marginalized of us with full force is an ugly practice we still see today. Take for example recent rulings on the state and local levels on reproductive or transgender rights. 3. The federal government should recognize Edna Smith on the national level. Toward the end of our interview, Nielson paused to take a call to confirm a meeting shortly after ours. Edna Smiths story is larger than Nashville, Nielson said, which is why he is traveling to city councils and meeting with both Republican and Democratic politicians across the South. Nielson even plans to take her story global, starting with Paris, and then going to Tokyo and London. I think its bigger than race, Nielson said, I think that the story of this 17-year-old [standing] up against the most powerful institution, thats something that resonates throughout the globe and probably throughout history. The work toward racial equity cannot stop here Nielson told me he is inspired by his Terrific 12: the seven members of K-Pop boy group BTS, the four members of K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK, and this curve ball, Muhammad Ali. He carries, and lives by the interactions he has had with each of the 12 in his day-to-day. Stokes Nielson with BTS on the 2019 Billboard Music Awards red carpet After waiting to see if someone else would pick up Smith's story, which according to Nielson no one ever did, he was inspired to lead the charge after covering BTS 2018 speech at the 73rd session of the United Nations general assembly. Leader Kim Namjoon, better known as RM, urged the youth to Speak Yourself, and tell their stories with conviction. "The legacy of those guys going to the UN and opening their mouth set in motion, a lot of other things, not just here in Nashville, Tennessee, [but] globally," said Nielson. "I believe you have people all around the world that maybe were waiting to hear this kind of clarion call. Nielson went on to say that he wishes for young people like the then-20-somethings of BTS who spoke at the U.N., the members of BLACKPINK or 17-year-old Edna Smith to be able to express themselves loudly and without fear. I think the determination of the youth to take our futures into our hands is something we all need to believe in. Several times in the interview Stokes invoked the ideals of liberty and dignity. On the surface, they are no-brainer American ideals, but it is precisely that notion that makes them contentious for me as a Black woman in this country. They are words often touted by deeply patriotic, white Americans. Simultaneously they have been systemically denied from Black people both historically, and even now as we struggle with new forms of oppression through the prison industrial complex, violent policing, and disparities in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, the list goes on. Even when I think of Edna Smiths act, which indeed embodied the values of liberty and dignity, especially in a time when Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruling that upheld racial segregation, was enforced, I cant ignore the end of her story. Discarded to the edges of society, taking up work as a laundress and dying of typhoid fever. We have every equal right to claim these ideals, but they feel distant when so often the same people who champion them act as our oppressors. How can Black Americans reach a point where we too can preach these American values without a feeling of disconnect? Uplifting stories like Smiths is a necessary step, but it is far from the last one to achieve a more equitable climate for marginalized groups in this country. I hope Nielson realizes this as well. Elena Wilson is a summer intern on The Tennessean's opinion and engagement journalism team. She is a rising senior and journalism major at University of Missouri. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Before Rosa Parks, this Nashville teen defied Jim Crow-era segregation RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) Its been one week since the South Fork and Salt Fires were sparked, and thousands started returning to Ruidoso after re-entry efforts began this weekend. Although a list of approved areas was announced, some residents have been turned away. People trying to get back to check on their homes began lining up outside Ruidoso as early as 6 a.m. Monday morning. The Village of Ruidoso stated 5,000 to 6,000 citizens were allowed to return, and residents are eager to know if their homes were still there. I dont have words for the emotion, you know, its just a wonder, an angst, maybe, said returning resident Jorge Nevarez. I dont know, after a while, you get worrisome and tiresome of just even. So if its there, its there. If its not, its not. Wildfire Resources A week after being forced to evacuate Ruidoso, dozens of cars lined up on Highway 70 Monday morning, filled with people hoping to get inside. The Village of Ruidoso announced evacuation orders were lifted and people within specific areas could return as early as 8:00 a.m. However, some residents were told their homes were in a closed-off area and would have to turn around. Ray Barela says he left at 5:00 a.m. Monday from Carlsbad to check on his home but was immediately told he couldnt go in. Im confused because you read something that says if youre a resident, bring your papers, identification, and youll be good to go. Well, I have all that they didnt even look at it, he said. According to the Village of Ruidoso, exclusion zones have been set up in areas where there was extensive burn damage. These areas will be opened as authorities have a chance to search for bodies and damage. So far, two people have been killed in the fire, but the number could climb. The Village of Ruidoso confirmed no active burning in the exclusion zones. Residents trying to return can look up if their homes are in an approved return area on the Village of Ruidoso website. Officials are urging residents to survey their property and damages and head out of town again because a lot of services arent available. The FBI is currently offering a reward, up to $10,000, for information leading to the person who may have started the fire. Meanwhile, the State Fire Marshals Office confirmed it received reports of a possible arsonist ahead of the South Fork Fire. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. A Bond County, Illinois, man was sentenced Monday for injuring a family in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 70. The crash happened just after 5:15 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2019, in Madison County. Kyle T. Heimsath, 36, had been driving the wrong way on the interstate with the lights off and stopped his vehicle. A minivan collided with Heimsaths vehicle. The minivan was occupied by an Indiana family on their way home from visiting relatives in Missouri. K-9 officer dies after being left in hot car overnight in rural Missouri Investigators determined Heimsaths blood-alcohol level to be 0.249, more than three times the legal limit. Heimsath pleaded guilty in February to one count of aggravated DUI. At Mondays sentencing hearing, members of the Indiana family gave victim-impact statements to the judge, describing injuries and ongoing traumas suffered as a result of the crash. The Madison County Circuit Court judge sentenced Heimsath to six years in state prison. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The aftermath of Russia attack on railway infrastructure facilities in Donetsk Oblast on 24 June. Photo: Ukrzaliznytsia Russia attacked railway infrastructure facilities in Donetsk Oblast on 24 June, injuring two railway workers and damaging infrastructure and rolling stock in Pokrovsk. Source: Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) A train driver and a lab technician sustained moderate injuries. The workers received the necessary medical assistance and are in hospital in a stable condition. Additionally, the attack damaged administrative buildings, the overhead contact system, tracks, signalling and communication devices, and a shunting locomotive. The aftermath of Russia attack on railway infrastructure facilities in Donetsk Oblast on 24 June Photo: Ukrzaliznytsia "We are continuing operations on schedule despite enemy shelling!" emphasised Ukrzaliznytsia. Background: The Russians struck a residential area in one of the largest districts of Kharkiv with a guided bomb on 25 June. Support UP or become our patron! Insights from Mimikama, The Hill, and The Conversation The News Russias Foreign Ministry issued bans on the distribution of 81 media outlets from 25 European Union member states on Tuesday. The bans are a retaliation to the EUs own block on some Russian outlets and broadcasters, issued in May. The ministry accused the European outlets including Frances Agence France-Presse, Austrias ORF state TV company, Irelands RTE broadcaster, and Politico of systematically distributing inaccurate information about Russias special military operation the Kremlins terminology for the war in Ukraine. The ministry said the ban may be lifted if the EU removes its restrictions on RIA, Izvestia and the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, which the EU has accused of being Kremlin propaganda. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Tit-for-tat bans are a dangerous game Source: Mimikama While Moscows ban further tightens the Kremlins grip on information getting in and out of Russia, the European Unions ban on Russian outlets is also part of a dangerous game, as it risks continuing down a slippery slope of restricting freedom of speech, a core value for the EU, argued Mimikama, an Austrian fact-checking site. The real losers are the citizens, Mimikama wrote, adding that a ban on Russian content could erode public confidence that Brussels will tolerate criticism of the bloc from the media at large. Advisories not bans may be more effective in Europe Source: The Hill EU bans on Russian content have limited success: There are myriad other pro-Russian outlets and channels that can replicate whatever the restricted outlets are running, according to Thomas Kent, a professor of international affairs at Columbia University. Rather than bans, the EU could instead work to make clear to its citizens which outlets may spread Kremlin-approved misinformation, Kent wrote for The Hill. He highlighted French President Emmanuel Macrons naming and shaming strategy to single out Russian outlets like RT and Sputnik as a potential model. Evan Gershkovichs trial echoes Stalin-era threats to journalists Source: The Conversation The espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich begins on Wednesday, marking a new, dangerous era for foreign media in Russia that bears hallmarks of life under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Then, skeptical Western journalists were persecuted and often prosecuted for spying, according to two UK academics writing in The Conversation. And while Gershkovichs arrest could be a Kremlin ploy to broker a favorable hostage exchange with Washington, his detention signals to all the foreign correspondents still in Russia that a foreign passport even from the most powerful nation on earth is no longer protection. Russia has blocked more than 80 European media outlets, Foreign Ministry says Russia is blocking access to 81 European media outlets, the Foreign Ministry said on June 25. The announcement was in response to a decision by the Council of the EU the previous day that banned access within the bloc to four key Russian state-run or controlled media outlets, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, and Izvestiya. "The Russian side has repeatedly and at various levels warned that politically motivated harassment of domestic journalists and unfounded bans on Russian media in the EU will not go unnoticed," the Foreign Ministry said. The list of blocked media outlets spanned across 25 countries in the EU, as well as four pan-European organizations. It includes both local media outlets and more international-leaning news outlets, such as Agence-France Presse (AFP), Politico, and Spain's Agencia EFE. The previous day, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia was preparing an unspecified response to the EU's measures impacting Russian media. The ministry's announcement added that the restrictions would be reconsidered if the EU lifted its access bans. Russia has taken extensive measures to crack down on independent media. The Kremlin passed a bill in May to expand the purview of its media bans to include foreign state-funded organizations, such as media outlets like the BBC or Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also estimated that Russia currently has imprisoned at least 22 journalists. Two of those detained, Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, have U.S. citizenship. Read also: How Czechia busted Russian propaganda network targeting European elections Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia can end civilian suffering US responds to attacks in Crimea The US has been providing weapons to Ukraine so that it can defend its own territory, including the Crimean peninsula. In contrast, Russia could stop the suffering of civilians right now if it ends its aggression. Source: Ukrinform citing US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller at a briefing Quote: "We provide weapons to Ukraine so it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression. That includes in Crimea, which of course is part of Ukraine." Details: Miller noted that any civilian casualties during the war are tragic. He emphasised that Russia could end the suffering caused by the war now if it stops the occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and attacks on civilians. Background: On 23 June, the Russian occupation authorities of Crimea and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation claimed there had been a Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol which had killed five people, including three children, and injured over 120 others. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on 24 June in connection with a missile strike on Crimea last weekend. The Russian authorities claimed that a US-supplied ATACMS missile with a cluster warhead had hit Sevastopol. The Ministry said the missile went off course due to interception by the air defence system and its wreckage fell, including on the beaches. Support UP or become our patron! Russia keeps up pressure on the front line as Ukraine gets a boost from Western military aid Ukrainian soldiers, of 43rd artillery brigade, fire by 2s7 self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions at the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) Relentless Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions defending the strategically important eastern town of Chasiv Yar are disrupting troop rotations and the delivery of some supplies, soldiers in the area say. Russian troops are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukrainian forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid that is already trickling to the front line, analysts say. The Kremlin's military has been hitting civilian targets just as hard, using powerful glide bombs that obliterate buildings and leave huge craters. Its monthslong campaign to cripple Ukraines electricity supply aims to sap public morale and deny energy to Ukraines burgeoning arms industry. Attacks on such civilian targets brought arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov for alleged war crimes. Judges said there is evidence they intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health of Ukrainian civilians. For Ukrainian soldiers defending the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian ground assaults and aerial barrages allow little respite after more than two years of war. We work, you could say, without rest, said a platoon commander who, in line with his brigade's rules, identified himself only by his first name, Oleksandr. So no two days are alike. You always need to be ready to work day and night, he told The Associated Press on Monday. His platoon is part of Ukraines 43rd Artillery Brigade. It dashes to positions and without delay fires a Soviet-era Pion self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions before it can be targeted itself. Holding Chasiv Yar is crucial. The town, highly sought-after due to its strategic location and elevated position but now largely in ruins, lies to the west of neighboring Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia last year after a 10-month battle. Ukraine is racing to stabilize parts of the about 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line after badly needed military assistance was approved by the United States in April. A six-month delay in U.S. aid threw Ukraines military onto the defensive. Members of the artillery brigade in Chasiv Yar reported that supplies of American ammunition have started to arrive. The U.S. is expected to announce this week an additional $150 million in critically needed munitions to Ukraine, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Tuesday that the first shipment of ammunition under a Czech initiative has been delivered to Ukraine. Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the war. The last time Austin, who initiated the call, spoke to his Russian counterpart was with then-minister Shoigu on March 15, 2023. There was no immediate report of the call by Russian officials. The Czechs are looking to acquire from countries outside the European Union at least 800,000 artillery shells that Ukraine badly needs. The war has drained stockpiles in Europe, the U.S. and Russia. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said it will take time for the effects of the new Western weaponry to be felt on the front line. Meanwhile, it said, Russian forces are attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains before it arrives. Elsewhere, the Kremlins forces kept up their barrages of civilian infrastructure with three aerial strikes in the northeastern Kharkiv region Tuesday, local officials said, though nobody was injured. Russia has pounded Kharkiv in recent months, apparently to draw some Ukrainian forces away from the defense of Donetsk while trying to create a buffer zone to prevent cross-border Ukrainian attacks. Russian launched 42 glide bombs against the Kharkiv region in the previous 24 hours, authorities said Tuesday. In other developments, the Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that each side had released 90 war prisoners to the other in an exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates. The Emirati Foreign Ministry said it was the fifth swap mediated by the country this year alone. The deal is the outcome of the UAE leveraging its distinct ties and partnership with both sides, including as a reliable mediator among both parties, the UAE said in a statement. Zelenskyy said the swap included troops across the countrys military and its border guard, including those who fought at the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and other regions. Also Tuesday, Moscow responded to the EUs decision to suspend the broadcasting activities of Russias Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta by banning the broadcasts of 81 European media outlets. The Russian side has repeatedly warned that politically motivated repressions against Russian journalists and unfounded bans of the Russian media in the EU wont go unanswered, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in the statement. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Advisors to US presidential candidate Donald Trump have presented a plan to end the war in Ukraine. It provides for the restriction of military aid if Kyiv does not negotiate with Moscow. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Trump warned Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would lead to increased American support for Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters. According to Trump's national security adviser Keith Kellogg, if he wins the presidential election, the United States will be ready to put forward a number of demands to both Ukraine and Russia. According to the plan drawn up by Kellogg and another adviser, Fred Fleitz, the ceasefire would be based on the front lines at the time of the start of peace talks. Fleitz emphasized that Trump reacted positively to this proposal. At the same time, he added that if he wins the election, Trump could still change his mind. At the same time, Trump's spokesman, Stephen Cheung, said that only statements made by Trump personally or by authorized members of his campaign staff should be considered official. However, the strategy outlined by Kellogg and Fleitz is a detailed plan of Trump's associates. ADVERTISIMENT "We're telling the Ukrainians: you have to come to the table, and if you don't come to the table, the support from the United States will dry up. And we are telling Russian President Vladimir Putin: he must come to the negotiating table, and if you do not come to the negotiating table, we will give the Ukrainians everything they need to kill you on the battlefield," Trump's advisors said in their plan. Also, according to this plan, Trump's associates intend to persuade Moscow to come to the negotiating table if the promise of Ukraine's membership in NATO is postponed for a long period of time. Moreover, Fleitz hinted that Ukraine might have to make territorial concessions to the aggressor country, Russia. Some analysts have expressed concern that Kellogg and Fleitz's plan could give Moscow an advantage in the negotiations. Former Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said that the so-called Kellogg-Fleitz plan is aimed at Ukraine's giving up all the territory currently occupied by Russia. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, former US President and Joe Biden's current rival in the upcoming election, Donald Trump, said that Biden should not promise Ukraine to join NATO. Trump believes that this is why the war allegedly "started." Earlier, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine quickly if he won - within "24 hours," even before taking office. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Donald Trump's public statements indicate his opposite position. Recently, during a campaign event in Detroit, the politician criticized the extent of support for Ukraine and, distorting the facts, called President Volodymyr Zelensky "the best sales agent of all politicians." Trump promised that if he wins the election, he will "resolve the issue" before he "enters the White House as president." Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Russian forces have lost 1,180 soldiers killed and wounded over the past 24 hours which has brought Russian army losses in the war to 536,840 people. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 25 June 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 536,840 (+1,180) military personnel; 8,035 (+4) tanks; 15,431 (+18) armoured combat vehicles; 14,281 (+35) artillery systems; 1,108 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems; 863 (+0) air defence systems; 359 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 326 (+0) helicopters; 11,413 (+31) strategic and tactical UAVs; 2,324 (+1) cruise missiles; 28 (+0) ships and boats; 1 (+0) submarines; 19,362 (+58) vehicles and tankers; 2,403 (+6) special vehicles and other equipment. Support UP or become our patron! Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia, likely in July, a Russian official and Indian and Russian media reported on Tuesday. "I can confirm that we are preparing the visit of the Indian prime minister," said Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. He did not provide a date, but the Russian news agency TASS reported that the visit is set for July 8 and 9. There was no confirmation from the Indian government, but India's PTI news agency, citing diplomatic sources, wrote that a visit by Modi to Moscow was being considered in early July. A trip to Russia would be Modi's second trip abroad after his re-election as prime minister earlier this month. His first trip was to the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy in mid-June. Experts say the timing of a Russian visit points to the importance that Delhi attaches to relations with Moscow. India is neutral in Russia's war against Ukraine. This would be Modi's first visit to Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, as he previously visited in 2019. A 67-year-old woman has been killed due to the morning Russian attack on Toretsk and Zolota Nyva in Donetsk Oblast, and four other civilians have been injured. Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "A woman, 67, has been killed by artillery shelling in Zolota Nyva in Velyka Novosilka hromada. In Toretsk, the Russians launched six airstrikes this morning, injuring four people. All of them have been taken to hospital [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]." Details: Filashkin also noted that the Russians are deliberately targeting civilians in the oblast and urged people to evacuate. Background: Seven people were killed and 49 others injured as a result of Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast on 24 June. Support UP or become our patron! Russian troops attacked the village of Bobrivka in the Kharkiv district with guided aerial bombs on June 25, injuring four people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. At least four guided bombs were used, damaging houses in the village, the governor said. Two women, aged 40 and 87, as well as two men, aged 56 and 67, suffered injuries, he added. The latter two were hospitalized. Moscow has intensified attacks against Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as well as Kharkiv Oblast, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians. A Russian attack on a residential building and an enterprise in Kharkiv on June 22 killed three people and injured over 50, according to the local authorities. Read also: The Counteroffensive: Crossing the gray zone from Russia into Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian troops attack Nikopol district with kamikaze drones and artillery photos The aftermath of the shelling of Nikopol district on 25 june. Photo: Serhii Lysak's Telegram channel On 25 June, the Russian forces attacked Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with kamikaze drones and artillery. Source: Serhii Lysak, the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The district centre, Pokrovsk, Marhanets and Myrivka hromadas shook from the strikes [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.]. Two outbuildings were damaged. Another one was destroyed. A fire broke out there, rescuer workers extinguished the fire." The aftermath of the shelling of Nikopol district on 25 June. Photo: Serhii Lysak's Telegram channel Details: Four private houses, a garage, a truck, power lines and gas pipelines were also damaged. Support UP or become our patron! Russians attack Nikopol and Marhanets community with kamikaze drones in morning photos Russian kamikaze drones attacked the city of Nikopol and Marhanets hromada in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the morning of 25 June. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "There were no attacks on the oblast at night. However, the aggressor struck Nikopol and Marhanets hromada with kamikaze drones in the morning." Aftermath of Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in the morning of 25 June Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Details: Lysak said the Russian attack had caused damage to infrastructure and destroyed a car, without affecting people. Aftermath of Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in the morning of 25 June Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram He also reported that, according to updated information, a 71-year-old woman had been injured due to the attack that occurred in the evening. She has been hospitalised in a moderate condition. Four people were injured yesterday. In addition, two houses were damaged. A car was also hit. Support UP or become our patron! The Russians struck the village of Bobrivka in the Vilkhivka hromada in the Kharkiv district with at least four guided aerial bombs on the evening of 25 June. There is information about four people injured. (A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.) Source: Oleh Syniehubov, the Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Quote: "At about 16:50, the occupiers struck the village of Bobrivka in the Vilkhivka hromada of the Kharkiv district with at least four guided aerial bombs. Cottages were damaged, and two civilian women aged 87 and 40 were injured. Medics provided urgent aid on site." Details: Two men aged 67 and 56 were also injured and hospitalised. Support UP or become our patron! If Russia's concerned about casualties, they should stop this war Pentagon on strikes on Crimea The Pentagon has responded to Russia's accusations that the US is involved in a "hybrid war" against it after Ukraine's strikes on Crimea by noting that Ukraine chooses its own targets. Source: Major General Pat Ryder, press secretary of the US Department of Defense, at a briefing Quote: "It's important to take a look back at how we got to where we are today, which was Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and if they [Russia] are concerned about casualties among their forces then they should stop this war immediately and return Ukraine's sovereign territory versus throwing their forces unnecessarily into this." Details: Ryder also reiterated that it was Russia that was responsible for the invasion of Ukraine, which has led to the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainians. Background: Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack supposedly "on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Sevastopol with US-supplied ATACMS tactical missiles". The Russian authorities claimed that four people had been killed and more than 150 injured. At the same time, Russia's Defence Ministry also acknowledged that civilian casualties had occurred due to Russian air defence operations. On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, to whom it issued a demarche, stated that the United States "is waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict", and promised that there would be "retaliatory measures". Support UP or become our patron! In 2002, Jeremy Puckett of Sacramento was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 19-year-old Anthony Galati off White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova. He spent the next 19 years behind bars, but he always maintained his optimism and innocence. Lawyers from the Northern California Innocence Project proved his case, and Puckett was finally able to go home to a family that hadnt held him in nearly two decades, just six days before Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down the state for COVID precautions in March of 2020. Opinion Now, todays Sacramento Countys prosecutors and officials are only adding insult to injury by again withholding evidence; delaying the inevitable and large financial reward Puckett is due, thanks to the original prosecutors withholding hundreds of pages of exonerating evidence. Sacramento County is slow-walking Pucketts lawsuit seeking justice and the judge has had enough of their games. The sham murder trial In March of 1998, Galati was found murdered on the side of a road in Sacramento County, with two gunshots to his head. Puckett had no ties to Galati and even had a strong alibi for his whereabouts that night: He said he was at a family barbecue, then went home to care for his sick son. But after another man implicated in the crime, Israel Sept, named Puckett as an accomplice in an attempt to lessen his sentence, Sacramento police targeted the father of two and ignored all evidence to the contrary even Septs recantation. Eventually, police arrested Puckett in 2001. Septs testimony, along with other evidence, including a diary that implicated the true accomplice, were never shown to the jury. Puckett was convicted of murder and robbery in a jury trial in which deliberations lasted almost as long as the trial itself, writes the Northern California Innocence Project about the case on their website. On March 14, 2002, after jury deliberations that took nearly as long as the trial itself, Puckett was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. For the next 18 years, Puckett remained incarcerated. All that time, he steadfastly maintained his innocence. Then, his case came to the attention of the Innocence Project. Its investigation found more than 700 pages of materials that the Sacramento County government had withheld from Puckett and his original lawyers, which corroborated Septs recantation, implicated others in the murder-robbery and provided evidence against the prosecutions trial witnesses. In March 2020, Pucketts murder conviction was overturned and he walked free. Now, hes suing the county, the district attorneys office, the sheriffs office and others. But its going about as well as the first time. I have not had any case in my experience, either as a litigator or on the bench, where Ive had a public entity or observed a public entity be so reluctant to engage in the discovery process, Judge Deborah Barnes said at the last trial hearing, where she fined the countys lawyers. Barnes has repeatedly called out the defendants conduct as absurd, without merit and unwarranted. Because the defendants abused the discovery process, the judge has now ordered the defendants to pay monetary sanctions to Pucketts lawyers four times, totaling tens of thousands of dollars. County lawyers avert justice Puckett has every right to sue Sacramento County for the 18 years he spent in prison and the year he spent in jail awaiting trial, for a murder he did not commit and for withholding evidence that would have exonerated him. The defendants in this civil lawsuit are the County of Sacramento, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office; the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office; Deputy District Attorney Marjorie Durenberger; Sheriffs Office detectives Marci Minter, Lori Gregersen, Willard Bayles, Robert Bell and Kay Maulsby; forensic pathologist Dr. Donald Henrikson; and 50 unnamed Doe defendants who participated in the case. But instead of settling with Puckett as he deserves lawyers from Porter Scott, representing the county and other defendants, have done nothing but stall. They have repeatedly ignored court orders and incurred tens of thousands of dollars in fines money coming directly out of Sacramento County taxpayer funds. According to the Risk Management Division annual report for the fiscal year 2022-2023, Sacramento County paid more than $1.9 million to Porter Scott for their legal services last year. The county is personally liable for up to $2 million, after which their insurance policy pays out up to $25 million. I want to get it over with, Puckett said. Ive done 19 years for something I didnt do. I have to keep reliving that every time I go to court. Neither Sacramento County nor representatives for Porter Scott returned a request for comment, only stating they could not publicly discuss ongoing litigation. The way that the county and the other defendants have approached this entire case is just basically back of the hand salt in the wound, said Pucketts lawyer, Harrison Buzz Frahn. Theyve never acknowledged the injustice that was done to (Puckett), theyve never acknowledged the shortcomings in the original trial and investigation. Pucketts civil trial is in the discovery phase, where each side shares information about the witnesses and evidence they will present at trial. Pucketts team has repeatedly asked the countys lawyers to provide information about the original case, but the county has provided only a smattering of documents, claiming theyve done the required searches without actually providing any evidence of that. What are they fighting? Puckett asked. I feel like I almost have prison on me still, because of the stalling tactics. Every time I go in there I feel every feeling, sitting there and dealing with this nonsense every week, he said. Why do we have to keep doing this? Ive been through this, and every time my innocence is proven. Why are you fighting this so hard? Puckett deserves restitution Puckett told me he just wants to keep his job at a distribution center in Sacramento and reconnect with his children who grew up without him; a son, 26, and a daughter, 24. They were just children when their father was sent to prison. (Puckett is) the most humble, grateful and hopeful individual, even though our society treated worse than anybody ever deserves to be treated, he maintained that core of integrity, humility and hopefulness, Frahn said. (If you or) I were put in that same position, wed become incredibly bitter and lash out. He found a centered part of himself that allowed him to have hope and to have gratitude. Thats what got him through. Wrongful conviction lawsuits like this would typically pay millions. According to the Innocence Project, federal compensation laws should provide $50,000 per year of wrongful incarceration. In California, the state provides a maximum of $140 per day of wrongful incarceration, including any time spent in custody before incarceration, as well as $70 per day served on parole. Puckett received $968,800 in 2021 from the California Victim Compensation Board for spending nearly 7,000 days in prison. Frahn says cases like this are typically resolved in the tens of millions. Sacramento County owes Puckett restitution, and every day they spend delaying payment is a further injustice inflicted upon an innocent man. What is the county hiding? We already know Puckett was wrongfully convicted, and we know something had to have gone terribly wrong in the county government in 2001. But its 2024 now. Its time to apologize and punish the illegal behavior of the then-district attorney, sheriff and detectives and pay up. The county cant even seem to acknowledge it did anything wrong. When I tell people I was wrongfully convicted, I (either) get sympathy or Did you really do it? Puckett said. I feel like I will always have people looking at me like I did the crime and got away with it. Its hard to open up and tell people who I am; I dont want to walk around like a convict. Theres a hearing almost every week downtown on the case, where both sides come together often only to find that the county still has not complied with the judges orders. In August, Judge Barnes has ordered the county to come forward with evidence as to why it should not be held in contempt of court. Puckett goes to every court hearing, even though he often works a night shift directly after. This is my life, he said. Im showing up and standing up for my life. The man accused of stealing a Sacramento Fire Department vehicle, leading police on a chase across the city, will remain in custody until at least July 2. Formal bail review Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court was delayed to next month as lawyers and the judge work to determine whether Desi Sanchez Jr. should be allowed bail ahead of his trial. A city-owned F-150 pickup truck was stolen the evening of May 18 from Sacramento Fire Department Station 12, according to the Sacramento Police Department. The truck is used by the departments emergency medical services captain, fire officials said. Sanchez, who is also wanted for previous misdemeanor warrants of willful disobedience of a court order, is being held on four felony counts including reckless evading, driving in the opposite direction of traffic, vehicle theft and obstruction of police officers. His bail is currently set at $50,000. The driver allegedly led police on a pursuit for over an hour, until the vehicle was disabled in Old North Sacramento near Calvados Avenue and Fairfield Street. After he refused to exit the vehicle, officers fired pepper balls into the truck to get him to comply, authorities said. The bail review will continue during a hearing scheduled for July 2. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. They are accused of crimes against civilians in Ukraine during the Russian bombing of critical civilian infrastructure. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenskyy emphasized that this decision of the ICC is a clear indication of the inevitability of justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians. He wrote about this on his Telegram channel. "I welcome today's arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against two key figures in the Russian military leadership. Both are accused of committing heinous crimes against civilians in Ukraine during Russia's reckless bombardment of critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. These barbaric missile and drone strikes continue, killing people and causing damage across Ukraine. Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes should know that justice will be served. And we hope to see them behind bars," the head of state wrote. The President also emphasized that the decision of the International Criminal Court clearly shows that no military rank will help Russian criminals to get rid of responsibility. ADVERTISIMENT "We are looking forward to further arrest warrants to deprive Russia of the feeling of impunity. A feeling that has fueled Russian crimes for decades. Accountability is the only way to put an end to them," Zelenskyy stated. As a reminder, the ICC in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. They are accused of striking civilian objects and civilians in Ukraine. Both military leaders of the Russian army are individually responsible for these war crimes committed by their subordinates. The ICC arrest warrant means that all of these Russian military leaders, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Russian occupation army, dictator Putin, can be detained and brought to justice in 124 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine has only signed it, but cannot ratify it during the war for certain reasons. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Samsungs next Unpacked event will be on July 10. The Paris showcase will be the companys second of the year, following its Galaxy S24 unveiling (and Galaxy Ring render reveal!) in January. Samsungs announcement teases the next generation of Galaxy AI and the ever-expanding Galaxy ecosystem. The invitation noted the citys trendsetting reputation, describing it as the perfect backdrop for the rollout of our latest cutting-edge innovations. Januarys Unpacked was in San Jose, ideal for the AI features it debuted; perhaps Paris could set the scene for something fashion-related. Paris will also host the 2024 Summer Olympics starting later that month, and Samsung is a sponsor. So brace yourself for some potential promotional tie-ins, like the oh-so-exciting Olympic-branded editions of Galaxy S flagships. A person wearing the Galaxy Ring wearable on their right hand as they hold a phone with their left. (Samsung) Samsung already let slip in a court filing that the Galaxy Ring will arrive in the US in or around August of this year, making launch details about the upcoming wearable virtually inevitable. (The company proactively sued Oura this month to try to prevent the startup from filing a lawsuit of its own.) In addition to wearables, foldable phones tend to feature prominently in Samsungs summer Unpacked events (replacing the Galaxy Note, which occupied that slot in the old days). Backing that up is SamMobile, which accurately reported the events date and location in April. The blog also claimed Samsung would reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 at the event, along with new earbuds and more about the Galaxy Ring. The company said it has a bonus for US customers who know they want one of the new devices before theyre announced. If you reserve an upcoming device from today through July 10 through Samsungs website or Shop Samsung app, it will throw in a $50 Samsung Credit for your pre-order. Reservation orders will also be entered in a sweepstakes to win $5,000 in Samsung Credit. Samsung will stream the summer Unpacked event on its YouTube channel, main website and Newsroom site. The event kicks off at 9AM ET on July 10. A former SAP account manager is breaking her NDA to speak out about a workplace sexual assault. Nondisclosure agreements are often used to silence employees following claims of workplace abuse. The use of NDAs has now expanded from employers to insurance providers. By March of 2020, Ashley Kostial thought she'd been through the worst of it. She'd worked through months of intensive treatment for post-traumatic stress and was focused on managing her mental health and landing a new job. It had been nearly a year since Kostial reported being raped by a colleague during a work trip for a subsidiary of the global enterprise software firm, SAP. She'd met him for the first time in May 2019, when she was an account manager, as they prepared for a sales meeting in Plano, Texas. Afterward, they got drinks at the Marriott hotel bar. The last thing Kostial remembered from that night, she later told a police detective, was getting into the elevator with him. Her account of what happened next is based on interviews, a forensic exam, and a police report. The next morning, Kostial woke up in a panic, fearing she'd missed her flight, only to find scratches on her body and her bra and underwear ripped. Disoriented, she walked into the bathroom and saw her colleague's credit card on the white shag carpet. She looked at her phone and realized that around 2 a.m., she'd called her then-girlfriend repeatedly, in what dawned on her were frantic cries for help. Only later, after rushing to the airport, did another memory come back, she told police: her colleague on top of her on the hotel bed. Surveillance footage showed her exiting the hotel elevator with her colleague that night; a rape exam conducted after she flew back home documented bruising on her shoulder, arm, and thigh, and abrasions on her pelvis. Kostial recounted what she could piece together about that night to police in Plano, where the incident took place, and in Phoenix, where she lived. She cooperated with an HR investigation by SAP. All that was left was to sit through a grueling all-day mediation to reach a settlement agreement that would both end her employment with Ariba, the SAP subsidiary, and gag her from ever speaking about the most traumatic day of her life. That's when the men with cameras started showing up. Men, parked outside of her house, who she came to suspect were representatives of her employer-sponsored disability insurance provider, Aetna Life Insurance Company. Unable to work and consumed by her recovery, Kostial had filed for long-term disability care as she grappled with symptoms of PTSD that her psychologist attributed to the sexual assault. In a letter to Aetna, her psychologist had written that Kostial was experiencing insomnia, depression, emotional turmoil, dissociation, and intrusive thoughts, and she had been unable to return to work "due to clinically significant symptoms and major impairment to occupational and social functioning." Aetna denied her claim. It was in March 2020, after Kostial fought back, appealing Aetna's decision, that the men showed up. Kostial would spot them, or her security camera would, so often that she began to wonder whether she could take her dog for a walk without being followed. Her attorney, Brad Schleier, would later tell her it wasn't unusual for insurance companies to monitor people appealing denials. (Schleier declined to comment.) "It was harder than the initial assault," Kostial said of being stalked. She started carrying a knife. The men only disappeared after Aetna denied her appeal. In a lengthy phone call with Aetna, her psychologist described the details of her assault and the array of trauma symptoms that still persisted. But Aetna's representative was not swayed. "Psychological complaints themselves are not sufficient in determining functional impairment," she wrote. A week later, in April 2020, Aetna issued its formal denial. Kostial turned to an option of last resort, hiring Schleier to file a lawsuit alleging she'd been wrongfully denied coverage. By the time Schleier called her with Aetna's settlement offer, in June 2021, she hadn't received a paycheck from SAP in almost two years. She was exhausted and broke, facing mounting medical bills. The offer, after attorney's fees, amounted to just a few months of her old salary and it came with another non-disclosure agreement. Read more: How tech giants use NDAs to create a culture of silence in Silicon Valley Apple agrees to "make improvements" to its NDAs after whistleblower comes forward These are the 6 most important things to watch out for when you sign an NDA A SpaceX flight attendant said Elon Musk exposed himself and propositioned her for sex. The company paid $250,000 for her silence. Like so many in her situation, Kostial took the money and signed. The pair of NDAs weighed heavily on her. Her agreement with SAP specified damages of up to $20,000 "for each occurrence of a breach of this confidentiality provision," a terrifying prospect while she was out of work. The NDA with Aetna allowed the insurer to claw back the settlement money she needed to pay her mortgage, and it didn't cap the amount of additional damages the firm could seek if she broke it. "It feels like you're wearing this bomb that's strapped to you, which could detonate at any time if you speak up," she said. An effort to hide insurance settlements NDAs have become ubiquitous in the workplace. The secrecy pacts, originally designed to protect sensitive intellectual property from being shared, are also used by companies to silence employees following allegations of sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and other workplace misconduct. When Kostial entered into one with Aetna, she became one of an untold number of Americans who have agreed to NDAs in another context altogether: to hide settlement terms with an insurance provider in the wake of a coverage dispute. The Aetna NDA only silenced her about the terms of her settlement, not the sexual assault. She remembers being stunned that she would have to sign a second NDA. Kostial reviews the nondisclosure agreement that she felt pressured to sign with SAP and its subsidiary, Ariba. Taylor Glascock for BI Initially, Kostial planned to return to her job at SAP once she was cleared to work again. Before the assault, she had loved working for the company, she said, and envisioned a long career with the firm. But then SAP's HR officer alerted Kostial to the results of the firm's investigation. SAP found that her colleague's conduct was "contrary" to company policy and that he "exhibited poor judgment," an email message shows, yet he would be allowed to continue working for SAP. "That's when I knew that I couldn't work there anymore," Kostial said. SAP and Aetna, through spokespeople, declined to comment on Kostial's case or answer questions about their use of NDAs, such as whether they remain standard practice today. BI documented the spread of these enforced secrecy pacts in the tech industry in 2021, finding that tech companies both large and small routinely deploy NDAs in all sorts of situations, from protecting intellectual property to restricting discussion of workplace misconduct. BI reported Kostial's story then but referred to her by a pseudonym, Kira. She's decided to risk coming forward now because she views the NDAs she signed as unjust and would like to see the use of NDAs ended for other victims of sexual assault. At BI's request, seven employment attorneys and scholars reviewed Kostial's settlement with Aetna. Several said that while it's common for health insurance firms to include NDAs in settlement agreements as a way to maintain negotiating leverage with other insured members, there is no way to know exactly how many are reached. That's because most NDAs are subject to mandatory arbitration, a private process that creates minimal publicly available records. "Disability insurance has a lot of leverage in these situations. The insured typically doesn't have any income," said Nina Wasow, an attorney in Berkeley, California, who often represents clients with disability claims. "It's in their best interest not to have people be well-informed about what the marketplace is for the disability settlements. They don't want people talking about how crappy they are." Collecting data on the prevalence of NDAs is nearly impossible, legal experts said, as companies can use multiple statutes to go after breaches and the vast majority of individuals who sign such agreements never disclose them publicly. A lack of data on the spread of NDAs Even as NDAs have spread into more and more sectors, how often they're enforced has remained a mystery. In 2022, Congress passed the Speak Out Act, which bans the use of NDAs to gag victims of sexual abuse that were signed before the dispute arises, typically in employment agreements completed on the first day of an employee's new job. But the law doesn't prevent NDAs in settlements reached after the fact, such as the one Kostial signed. Judges in California and New York have historically refused to enforce NDAs, legal scholars said. New state laws in Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico and elsewhere have further limited their use in settlements where sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace was alleged, based on where the employee lives. But Arizona, where Kostial was living at the time she was assaulted, doesn't prohibit NDAs in workplace settlements. "Under some state laws, her employer would not be able to enforce an NDA against her for speaking out about this situation," said Jodi Short, a law professor at University of California College of the Law, San Francisco who has studied NDAs. "It seems odd that an insurer would be able to." While the National Labor Relations Board keeps statistics on complaints related to noncompete agreements, the agency doesn't track how often companies pursue employees for violating the terms of an NDA. In a sample of more than 100 state and federal court records containing the words "nondisclosure" and "sexual harassment" reviewed by BI, none had to do with the enforcement of NDAs. Several experts who study NDAs, including Evan Starr of the University of Maryland's business school, who co-authored a 2022 white paper examining the spread of NDAs in the workplace, told BI that their primary purpose is to intimidate signatories from speaking publicly about something that could embarrass the company. Kostial experienced a form of this intimidation recently. Soon after BI sought comment on her case from Aetna, an email from Schleier, the lawyer who previously represented her, landed in her inbox. Aetna's attorneys "wanted me to contact you and remind you of the confidentiality obligation in the agreement," Schleier wrote. "Look forward to hearing back from you." Kostial at home in Morton, Illinois Taylor Glascock for BI After Kostial settled her case against Aetna, she began to pick up the pieces of her life. She spent nearly a year applying for jobs and landed several first-round interviews. But she was often stymied during those conversations, she said, when questions would come up about her previous employer. "I couldn't answer the questions," Kostial recalled. Anything she said, she feared, would risk breaking the terms of her first NDA. "SAP always loomed large in the back of my mind." Many other tech workers bound by NDAs told BI that the agreements posed similar obstacles to a new job search. Eventually, in 2021, Kostial landed a job at a small Oakland-based software company working in data analytics, where she remained for nearly three years. She often finds herself thinking back to the chain of events that led her to this point. Especially galling was the wall of disbelief Kostial encountered, from HR officials to police. SAP's HR team seemingly gave credence to the claim by her alleged attacker that the two had consensual sex, ignoring Kostial's bruises and scrapes that were documented during her rape exam and the fact that she is gay. In an email to Kostial, the detective assigned to her case from the Plano Police Department in Texas said of her alleged attacker, "I am not able to prove any part of his story that night was a lie." (No criminal charges were filed against Kostial's colleague and Plano police closed their investigation a month after the alleged assault.) Kostial has discussed her situation with Vincent White, a New York city-based lawyer who specializes in workplace NDAs and advises signatories on the risks associated with breaking them. Kostial said that whenever she has brought up wanting to speak out about her agreement, White has reminded her that doing so could entail "inflicting self-harm," whether by triggering attempts by SAP or Aetna to claw back her settlement monies or by effectively blacklisting herself from future work in the tech industry. Kostial's journey has led her to meet with lawmakers in Arizona and advocates in Illinois. She's participated in an international advocacy campaign, Can't Buy My Silence, led by Zelda Perkins, a former assistant of Harvey Weinstein's, and legal scholar Julie Macfarlane, to bring awareness to how NDAs are used to silence victims of assault and harassment. She's also developing an app, called Face Uncomfortable, to help employees report instances of workplace misconduct and save documentation. Kostial recently left her software job to focus on preventing other workers from being silenced by the kinds of secrecy pacts that have shaped her life. Though she's long been engaged, the couple have put off marriage. Kostial is fearful that if they wed, her wife's finances could be affected if either SAP or Aetna pursues her for breaking her NDA. Whenever she's seized by anxiety, Kostial reminds herself of how hard she's fought to move past the sexual assault and why she's coming forward. "There's nothing that could happen after this that would be worse than what I've already been through," she said. "I hope that if there's one person who needs to hear this, they will." Just two weeks ago, Kostial received another email from her former lawyer. "Hey Ashley Just following up," he wrote. He said he'd received another message from Aetna, reminding him about her NDA. Kostial never replied. Clarification: An earlier version of this story did not specify which Aetna entity was involved in the settlement with Ashley Kostial. It was the Aetna Life Insurance Company. Read the original article on Business Insider SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The San Angelo Police Department has announced that Police Chief Frank Carter, Assistant Chief David Howard and Lt. Mike Hernandez are retiring. According to the SAPD, the three law enforcement officers careers span over 30 years individually and collectively amount to 99 years of service. These three men served our country, our community, and their chosen profession with honor, sacrifice and endurance, Lt. Tim Pucci said. They now move on to retirement and perhaps other career options. The trios retirement announcement comes just one day before soon-to-be Police Chief Travis Griffith is scheduled to be sworn into office by the City of San Angelo. The oath is slated to be administered during a special meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, at the McNease Convention Center, according to the City. These three leaders knowledge, experience, capability, technical understanding, and leadership are invaluable, Pucci said. Their absence from the San Angelo Police Department will leave a significant gap in leadership, which will be there for many years to come. The SAPD also released biographies of each retirees service to the community and country through law enforcement, military service or other roles. Below are each of these biographies. Frank Carter Chief Frank Carter has served our country and our community for 38 years. Throughout those 38 years of service, he displayed courage, determination, endurance, competence, and integrity. Those who knew Frank respected his judgment and relied on his leadership during stressful times. Numerous awards marked his career, but his true impact was improving the quality of life for everyone who calls San Angelo home. Franks service to the country began in 1986 when he enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard. Here, he laid the groundwork for his future accomplishments through his unwavering dedication to professional conduct and selfless service. Frank made a significant decision in 1992 while still serving in the Texas Army National Guard. He joined the San Angelo Police Department, a move that exemplified his unique ability to serve both his country and his community. In 1994, Franks dedication and competence were recognized with a promotion to Master Patrol Officer. This role saw him serving in the patrol division and the K9 unit, where he honed his skills and developed a reputation for commitment, reliability, physical endurance, and competency as a K9 handler. By 1996, after ten years of service, Frank ended his career in the Texas Army National Guard. He received an Honorable Discharge and focused on his chosen career path in law enforcement. By 1997, Frank had been promoted to Sergeant. He quickly developed a reputation as a no-nonsense supervisor who insisted on competence and dedication from his subordinates. As Frank progressed down the leadership path, he decided to advance in rank. In 2003, Frank was promoted to Lieutenant. In this capacity, he served as a Patrol Commander, CID Commander, and supervisor of the Lake/Airport Section and the K9 unit. For several years, Frank continued to serve in numerous leadership roles. During his off-duty time, he helped host hunts for disabled veterans and supported many other charitable causes. In 2016, Frank chose to answer the call of leadership again. He entered the race for Chief of Police, and after a contested primary, he went on to win the run-off election. As Chief, Frank wisely selected his two assistant chiefs. Over the next eight years, Franks leadership led to a reduction in the crime rate of 44 percent, the implementation of a new Records Management System, the creation of a Drone Unit, and the formation of the ARC (Anti-Riot Control) unit. Frank also created a Cold Case Unit. The Cold Case Unit worked on some of the most challenging unsolved homicide cases. Several of those cases were solved. The work of the Cold Case Unit continues to this day. He also reorganized the Department to be more efficient by instituting 12-hour shifts, added 15 additional positions to the police force, and strengthened the relationships with our local criminal justice partners. These and many more changes improved the quality of life for everyone in San Angelo. Franks impressive career in the San Angelo Police Department spans 31 years. Those 31 years demonstrate how service to your country, community, fellow officers, and family can lead to success. Our country and community are better off because of Franks service and sacrifice. Thank you, Chief Carter, for your leadership, commitment to excellence, and nearly four decades of service. David Howard Assistant Chief David Howard has served the San Angelo Police Department and our community for 35 years. During those 35 years, he successfully led and managed hundreds of officers and civilian employees. Moreover, Davids career is a shining example of competency, endurance, and determination, qualities that have inspired and motivated those who worked with him. His intelligence and ability to relate to anyone have made him a respected figure in our department. During his career, David earned numerous awards and commendations as a K9 officer, task force officer, narcotics detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and assistant chief, a testament to his dedication and hard work. Davids journey with the San Angelo Police Department began in 1988. He started in the patrol division when the rank of Master Peace Officer was still available. In 1994, David tested for and obtained the rank of Master Peace Officer. David became a K9 officer shortly after this promotion, marking the start of his distinguished career. During his tenure as a K9 officer, David earned numerous awards and accolades. His K9 partners performance and capabilities were a testament to his training and dedication. As a K9 officer, David apprehended high-risk suspects and shielded fellow officers by deploying his K9. He and his K9 partner discovered significant amounts of illegal narcotics, and undoubtedly, his actions saved many officer and citizen lives. David then served in the Rio Concho Multi-Agency Drug Enforcement Task Force. Serving in the task force allowed David to make substantial impacts on the drug trade in and around San Angelo. Those impacts directly affected everyones quality of life in San Angelo. Additionally, his time on the task force enabled David to build the skills necessary to become a narcotics officer for the Department. While serving in the Narcotics Unit, David tested for the rank of Sergeant. Shortly after that testing, in 2001, David was promoted to sergeant. David then served for several years as a narcotics sergeant. In 2010, David was promoted to Lieutenant. He served as the lieutenant of Community Services, Patrol, and in the Criminal Investigation Division. Davids reputation as a competent leader and manager grew. He experienced numerous successes, setting him up for the next phase of his career. By 2016, Davids career had reached a pinnacle when the newly elected Chief of Police, Frank Carter, recognized his exceptional leadership skills and elevated him to the appointed position of Assistant Chief. In this role, Davids management of the departments support divisions led to significant positive changes, directly benefiting our community. Over the next eight years, he not only improved the San Angelo Police Department but also left a profound impact on our community. Some of his notable achievements include managing the departments Records Management System, securing funding for body-worn cameras, implementing loyalty pay for every officer, and assisting in securing numerous grants related to technologies that have directly enhanced the capabilities of officers, all of which have made our community safer and more secure. All told, David spent 23 of the 35 years of his career in leadership roles. Those two decades of leadership allowed David to implement positive change and mentor fellow officers toward professional development. Thank you, David, for your invaluable contributions to our Department and community. Your service, dedication, leadership, and endurance have left an indelible mark on countless officers and citizens. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement. Mike Hernandez Lieutenant Mike Hernandezs unwavering sacrifice, unyielding determination, unbreakable discipline, and dedication to service have not only left an indelible mark on our Department but also significantly influenced our community. His service, spanning over 33 years in the San Angelo Police Department and several years in the Marine Corps., is a testament to his leadership and strength of character. A career marked by such high levels of distinction and honor is worthy of remembrance and respect and inspires all of us. Joining the San Angelo Police Department in 1990, Mike swiftly established himself as a respected and professional officer known for his balanced and firm approach. Early in Mikes career, he joined the gang unit. Mike then undertook a personal mission to combat gang-related crime and relentlessly pursue gang members. His unique blend of courage, determination, and relentless pursuit of justice significantly reduced the wave of gang-related violence in San Angelo during the 1990s. This accomplishment earned him the admiration and respect of his peers and the community. Many officers would have been satisfied with Mikes early career achievements. Nevertheless, Mike knew he could do more to serve his community. Mike chose the path of leadership and supervision. In 2004, he was promoted to Sergeant, a role he fulfilled in various units and divisions. His decision to step into a leadership role was a foreshadowing of his career to come. As Mike progressed in his career, he took on the formidable challenge of joining the SWAT team. The physical and mental fortitude required to be part of the SWAT team is daunting. Once Mike became a member, he went on to lead the team for a significant portion of his 20-year tenure, demonstrating his ability to overcome challenges and lead in high-pressure situations. Building on his leadership and management accomplishments, Mike endeavored to advance further in the promotional ranks. In 2010, Mike promoted to Lieutenant. From 2010 to the present, Mike has served at almost every level of the San Angelo Police Department. Most notably, during this timeframe, Mike became a critical incident commander. The knowledge and experience necessary to lead others during critical incidents are rare in our profession. Mike excelled under pressure and resolved some of the most stressful critical incidents over the last ten years. Mike again chose leadership and professional development when, in 2014, Mike attended the FBI National Academy. The percentage of law enforcement professionals who gain acceptance and graduate from the FBI National Academy is less than 1%. Fast-forward to today, Mikes impact on our department and community is almost immeasurable. Mikes career spanning almost three and a half decades exemplifies service, sacrifice, dedication, discipline, and professionalism. Thank you, Mike, for serving with honor and distinction. Thank you for leading others toward positive professional development. Thank you for enduring sacrifices on our behalf. Thank you for showing us all what true leadership looks like. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. A former finance director for Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $388,000 owed to the organization. Ashley Ingram, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of embezzling COVID-19 relief funds. She admitted guilt under a plea deal that calls for her to avoid the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. It was unclear how much jail time, if any, she might face. No date has been set for her sentencing. Let me ask you, did you commit this offense, U.S. District Judge Mary Lewis asked Ingram. Yes, maam, I did, Ingram said. On six occasions, Ingram transferred money from a corporate Fidelity Bank account owned by Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina to her personal Fidelity account. From there, she transferred the money to other personal checking accounts at Navy Federal, AllSouth Federal and South Carolina State credit unions, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews said. Habitat for Humanity is a national non profit organization that assists low income families in securing affordable new construction housing. The funds Ingram embezzled stemmed from employee retention credits, administered by the Internal Revenue Service, during the COVID 19 pandemic. Because the money was embezzled and not used for its original purpose, Habitat for Humanity of Central South Carolina must now pay it back to the IRS. Ingram, represented by attorney Jim Griffin, signed a plea deal on May 14, where she agreed to fully restore the money she stole, which, with interest, amounts to around $514,000. Griffin has drawn worldwide attention as one of convicted double-murderer Alex Murdaughs defense lawyers. Ms. Ingram has made an extraordinary attempt to pay back this money, Matthews said. So far, Ingram has repaid $432,000, according to Matthews. As part of Ingrams plea, she agreed to surrender all assets, property and possessions purchased with the COVID-19 relief funds. She currently has her house up for sale to help satisfy the remaining balance. Griffin acknowledged in court that if Ingram went to trial, the prosecution wouldve likely been able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Sentencing for Ingram, who is out on bond, has not yet been scheduled. Regardless of her sentence, Ingram has lost her right to vote, the ability to hold public office or to carry a firearm. In addition, she will be subjected to three years of court supervision following any prison time served, if any. LaNisha Hemingway, an 18-year-old high school graduate in South Carolina, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against three police officers after she was wrongfully detained Bailey Law Firm, the group representing Hemingway, stated in a press release that Hemingway was on her way to meet friends on May 3 when she was pulled over and made to walk at gunpoint in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., WPDE reported. Just finished a press conference announcing a Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit against the City North Myrtle Beach Police Department following a distressing incident involving my client, LaNisha Hemingway, when she was wrongfully removed from her car and "forced her to walk https://t.co/0FBqcksvf1 Tyler D. Bailey (@TylerDBaileyEsq) June 18, 2024 The law firm stated that the three officers, who were looking for a stolen vehicle, removed Hemingway from the car and forced her to walk backwards at gunpoint and then handcuffed her. Police later admitted that they stopped the wrong car, Bailey Law Firm added. One of the officers seen in the bodycam footage can be heard saying, Thats not it. In a press conference, attorney Tyler Bailey said police didnt ask for Hemingways license or registration when they pulled her over nor after she was released. Additionally, police didnt file a report for the incident until days later, Bailey said. Hemingway, who lost her father due to gun violence, is now facing additional trauma, her attorney added. Hemingways uncle, Dr. Aaron Cox, also spoke to reporters, saying he has been in law enforcement for decades and is very familiar with what should have happened. The police didnt do stuff right from the beginning, Cox told WPDE. People that should have been her protectors, treated her like less than a human. Hemingways grandmother, Janet, said her granddaughter hasnt been the same since she was detained. All you had to do was run the plate, she said. It wouldve told you about her, the car, everything you needed to know you wouldve found out about had you run; they didnt even know her name at the end of the day- didnt even ask it. Bailey said the family has filed a lawsuit against the City of North Myrtle Beach in addition to officers Michael Pacileo, Kayla Wallace and Dana Crowell. According to the lawsuit, Hemingway was driving a dark gray Dodge Charger at an appropriate speed around 7 p.m. when she was pulled over. The officers stopped the teen after they received information about a stolen silver Dodge Challenger. According to the complaint, Pacileo flashed his blue lights and sirens negligently, as well as recklessly pulled his duty vehicle in oncoming traffic in front of Hemingways car. Pacileo then pointed his weapon at Hemingway while demanding her to put her hands out the window, the lawsuit states. At the same time, Wallace pointed her weapon at the teen and ordered her to show her hands, face away from her, and walk backward to the sound of her voice, the lawsuit adds. Wallace, according to the lawsuit, proceeded to detain Hemingway and later uncuffed her when one of the other officers said that was not the car they were looking for. Hemingways loved ones are relieved to see her alive, but theyre still outraged by what happened. I was thinking, thank God that she is alive and is OK, Cox said. But then the more I learned and the more I reflected on it and thought about it, I got angry. Actors Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum are calling out the lack of safeguards surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). The two movies stars, who are promoting their new film Fly me to the Moon, both expressed support for Washington to take action on the emerging technology, which has created worried in Hollywood ranging from actors having their images misused to scripts being written by software programs. Obviously, were all waiting and supporting like this, like the passing of legislation to protect everybodys individual rights, Johansson said in an interview with The Associated Press. The Avengers star said hew own dispute with OpenAI shows how vulnerable everybody is to it, while noting that she is still waiting on legislation to address the issue. OpenAI released a voiced AI assistant last month that Johansson said sounds eerily similar to her voice. She also said it shows how little protection people do have, if any, of their work and their likeness. Tatum also said in the interview that jobs outside the movie industry could also be impacted by AI. Well, Im wondering which one is going to be addressed first in a way. I mean, is it going to be like this industry or like out just in the normal world? he said. People are going to start losing jobs, like not in the movie industry at all. So many people are going to lose their jobs just to an AI that can do so much. And I just cant believe thats not even a bigger story than it is right now, he added. Johansson said last month that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously reached out to her about voicing the AI assistant for the company, but she declined. She said at the time that she hired legal counsel to request OpenAI take down the voice, which it reluctantly agreed to do. In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity, she said at the time. I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing thousands of actors and other media professionals, also threw its support behind Johansson at the time. The union struck a deal last year with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that established guidelines for the use of AI, including allowing members to give their consent and be compensated for generative AI used to replicate their likeness. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Fayette Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins had an exceptional performance this past year and met expectations in every area that school board members evaluated him on, district officials said Monday. One of the responsibilities of school boards in Kentucky is to evaluate their superintendents. Tonight we are pleased to formally approve and officially release our shared assessment of Dr. Liggins exceptional performance during the 2023-24 contract year in the form of his evaluation, board Chairman Tyler Murphy said at the boards monthly meeting. Murphy mentioned that the evaluation is a rigorous year-long process. As part of that effort, the board simplified the rating scale from previous years, introducing a scoring system of Meets Expectations or Does Not Meet Expectations. Meets Expectations signifies that the superintendent has successfully met or exceeded the expected criteria, demonstrating proficiency and competence in fulfilling the standard. Specifically, the rating implies satisfactory or higher performance. The seven areas in the evaluation included strategic, instructional, cultural, human resource, managerial, collaborative and influential leadership. The Board recognizes the significant efforts of Superintendent Liggins and his team in expanding student opportunities, streamlining the transition out of (COVID recovery funds) strengthening the organizational health and efficiency of FCPS, and prioritizing investments in our staff, a board statement said. In a news release, Liggins called his review a reflection of the accomplishments achieved by the entire FCPS community. I am honored by the boards recognition of our collective efforts, he said. This positive evaluation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff, students and community partners. Together, we have made great strides in providing a high-quality education for all our students, and I am excited to continue this important work. Murphy said the Fayette County Board of Educations would begin the first-ever self-evaluation process during the 2024-25 school year. That initiative will involve a comprehensive review of governance practices, policies and decision-making procedures, with input sought from each board member. In 2021, the Fayette County Public Schools board approved a four-year contract with Demetrus Liggins beginning July 26, 2021, with an annual base salary of $275,000. The contract, which runs through June 30, 2025, set out terms of Liggins salary, benefits and other conditions of his employment. The board approved an addendum to Liggins contract in April that included a wellness package and an executive coach costing up to $25,000 per year. Scientists make incredible find when observing way plants react to pests: 'Could potentially be used to develop new crop treatments to arm the plants' Scientists have discovered that plants can defend themselves against pesky pests like mites that eat their nutrients. According to Phys.org, while these pests are invisible to the naked eye, they can cause extreme damage to crop yields of fruit, vegetables, and salads. They can also damage house plants. This discovery could help prevent crop damage from pest infestations. Researchers from the Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics in Spain and Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University found that plants use a drought-survival mechanism to defend themselves against pests. The researchers used an advanced fluorescent biosensor to detect hormonal changes in the plant. They found that within five hours of spider mite infestation, they started producing abscisic acid, usually employed during a drought. When the plants produced this acid, their microscopic leaf pores began closing. They do this to conserve water in a drought, but it also prevents the pests from sucking the plants dry. The mites are no longer able to get their mouths into the pores. While studying the plant thale cress' reaction to spider mite infestation, the scientists found that the plants almost immediately started to protect themselves, significantly reducing plant damage. Dr. Alexander Jones, part of the research group at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, said the next step is to find out what signals the mites are sending to the plants that make them produce the acid and start closing their microscopic leaf pores. Dr. Jones said, "Identifying the initial triggers could potentially be used to develop new crop treatments to arm the plants ahead of predicted pest infestations." These pests can cause extensive damage. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually," costing the global economy about $220 billion. Farmers often use pesticides to combat these pests. A recent Consumer Reports study found that 20% of the food examined had harmful levels of pesticides. Prolonged exposure to pesticides can cause serious health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, as the Guardian reported. Pesticides can also harm wildlife, including birds, and contaminate soil and waterways. Even supposedly safe insecticides can be detrimental to the environment. For example, a brand was found to be harmful to bees. If researchers discover a more natural way of using the plant's capabilities, that will be safer for humans and wildlife. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. The United States of America has added Russia and Belarus to the list of countries sponsoring human trafficking. In total, the list published as part of the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report includes 13 countries with documented evidence of participation in such a serious crime. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the press service of the US State Department. As for Russia, the authors of the report are particularly concerned about the fact that the Russian occupiers use children for military purposes: the invaders use them as human shields, turn them into informants, or force them to perform military service. The U.S. government's website published a report on human trafficking in the world for 2024, compiled by experts from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. It names the countries that practice such shameful crimes. "The report covers the following 13 countries that have documented a 'policy or pattern' of human trafficking, trafficking in persons within government-funded programs, forced labor in government-related health services or other sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, and the employment or recruitment of child soldiers," the report says. ADVERTISIMENT The list includes Russia and Belarus. "They were joined by such states as: Afghanistan; Burma; China; Cuba; Eritrea; Iran; DPRK; South Sudan; Sudan; Syria; Turkmenistan. At the same time, the United States has noted a number of disturbing trends in Russia. This was emphasized during the briefing by the Ambassador-at-Large for Monitoring and Combating Trafficking in Persons, Cindy Dyer, who presented the report. "We are tracking a number of disturbing trends in the case of Russia that are cause for concern. Obviously, one of them is Russia's war against Ukraine and the greater vulnerability of refugees fleeing this war, especially women and children. This is something that we are paying particular attention to in the human trafficking report," she said. According to Dyer, the State Department is implementing programs to help Ukraine counter the threats posed by human trafficking in the world. The same assistance is also provided to Eastern European countries, which host a significant number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. ADVERTISIMENT The State Department is particularly concerned about the treatment of children by the Russian occupiers in Ukraine. "We are also closely monitoring Russian troops, including the use of children for military purposes in Ukraine. We have noticed that there are reports that children are being forced to perform military duty, as well as to serve as informants and human shields," said the US Ambassador-at-Large for Monitoring and Combating Trafficking in Persons. According to her, all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia are at "extreme risk of human trafficking," so they should all return to their homeland, to their families. In addition, the State Department considers Russia's recruitment of mercenaries for the war against Ukraine, which the aggressor state is looking for in other countries, using coercion, deception, and sometimes force, to be a serious problem. ADVERTISIMENT "Reports indicate that the Russian authorities, their intermediaries, private military companies, and forces affiliated with Russia are using coercion, deception and possibly force to recruit foreign nationals. We know that many countries have actually stopped issuing visas, so their citizens can't even travel to Russia because of this particular issue," Dyer said. The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, reacted to the inclusion of Russia and Belarus in the list of countries sponsoring human trafficking. He emphasized that the fact that Russia systematically commits such crimes is not surprising. After all, the aggressor state has been violating human rights in Ukraine for 10 years, since the beginning of the war against Ukraine in 2014. "However, such lists, condemnation of Russia's actions by other states, may eventually have a powerful result in stopping crimes and bringing the perpetrators to justice," he emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier that day, on June 25, it became known that the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants for Shoigu and Gerasimov, who are charged with attacks on civilians, civilian objects, and Ukraine's energy sector. Both Russian officials, according to the ICC, are individually responsible for these war crimes committed by their subordinates. In addition, it was reported that Ukraine won a case against Russia over Crimea in the European Court of Human Rights. The ECHR recognized that the Ukrainian government had proven the existence of systematic violations of the rights of Ukrainian citizens since the beginning of the occupation of Crimea in February 2014. The ECHR judges unanimously found that Russia implements administrative practices of ill-treatment and illegal detention of people, illegal dissemination of Russian legislation, forced change of Ukrainian citizenship to Russian, systematic mass searches, and forced transfer of convicts to the territory of the Russian Federation. ADVERTISIMENT It was also proved in court that Russia is attacking and persecuting religious leaders who do not belong to the Russian Orthodox Church on the Crimean peninsula, and closing down non-Russian media, including Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar TV channels. Constant harassment and attacks on journalists bans on peaceful gatherings and protests, attacks and persecution of their organizers, and expropriation of private property have also become a daily reality in occupied Crimea. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! FILE PHOTO: A flag is pictured outside a building of the WHO in Geneva By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) -The spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as scientists warned separately of a dangerous strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa," Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's technical lead for mpox, said in a briefing note to journalists. In a separate briefing, John Claude Udahemuka of the University of Rwanda, who has been working on an outbreak in Congo's hard-to-reach South Kivu province, said the strain spreading there - a mutated version of the clade I mpox endemic in Congo for decades - was extremely dangerous. It has fatality rates of around 5% in adults and 10% in children. This year, roughly 8,600 mpox cases have been reported in Congo, and 410 deaths, Cris Kacita, the doctor in charge of operations in the country's mpox control programme, told Reuters last week. Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild but it can kill. A different, less severe form of the virus - clade IIb - spread globally in 2022, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. This prompted the WHO to declare a public health emergency. Although that has ended, Lewis said on Tuesday the disease remained a health threat. Two people died in South Africa this month of this form of the virus after a handful of cases were diagnosed. Vaccines and treatments were used to combat the global outbreak, but they are not available in Congo. The WHO and scientists said efforts were ongoing to address that. In South Kivu, Adahemuka and other researchers said the new strain was spreading partly by sexual contact among men and women, and particularly among sex workers. He said other close contact routes needed study, with evidence of transmission at school and from caregiver to child. The disease also seemed to be causing miscarriages among pregnant women as well as a longer-term rash and other lingering symptoms, the team said. Leandre Murhula Masirika, research co-ordinator in the health department in South Kivu province, said 20 cases were arriving at hospital in the mining town of Kamituga every week. "At the rate things are going, we risk becoming a source of cases for other countries," said Kacita. South Kivu borders Rwanda and Burundi. He said 24 of 26 provinces in Congo were affected and the outbreak was the worst mpox epidemic yet. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, additional reporting by Emma Farge and Sonia Rolley; Editing by Susan Fenton and Barbara Lewis) (FOX40.COM) A search is underway for a missing jet skier at Rollins Reservoir in Placer County after three fell off the watercraft on Monday morning, according to the Placer County Sheriffs Office. Three people were ridding the jet skit at around 11:45 a.m. when they all fell off and two were able to get out of the water. California county creates mountain lion protocols after increased number of sightings The sheriffs office said the third person was reportedly not wearing a life jacket at the time of the crash and remains missing. CAL FIRE and the Nevada County Sheriffs Office are assisting in the search. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. "When We See Us": Swiss museum showcases 100 years of Black figurative painting "When We See Us": Swiss museum showcases 100 years of Black figurative painting African art is currently experiencing quite the Renaissance in Europe. At long last, major museums, art fairs, and private collections across the continent are starting to embrace works by artists of African descent and those of African nationalities like never before. In London, this cultural wave has surged spectacularly. In 2024, there have already been several major exhibitions celebrating African creativity, such as The Time is Always Now exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which explored contemporary portrayals of Black figures, to Yinka Shonibare's historic colonial statues showcase at the Serpentine Gallery. Adding to the excitement, the Tate Modern has just announced Nigerian Modernism for 2025. Away from the UK, one of the latest exhibition's to make its way to Europe is When We See Us, which was originally conceived by the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town, and is temporarily being housed at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland. 'Sundials and Sonnets' by Wangari Mathenge (2019) - Credit: Pascale M. Thomas and Tayo E. Famakinwa An inside view of the 'When We See Us' exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel - Credit: Julian Salinas The monumental exhibition is a first of its kind, bringing together 100 years of Black figurative painting to celebrate the multifaceted nature of Black experiences across the globe, both from the African continent and its vast diaspora. Most of the over 150 works on display, created by both prominent and emerging talents in the African art scene, have never been seen in Switzerland, nor have they ever been shown on such a scale in Europe. "It's a sprawling panorama of 100 years of Pan-African painting, starting roughly in 1922 today. There's around 120 artists from various generations, representing diverse styles, forms, and genres, yet consistently rooted in the figurative medium," Daniel Kurjakovic, who helped adapt the exhibition for the Kunstmuseum Basel, told Euronews Culture. Shifting perspectives of the Black experience The title of the exhibition, inspired by Ava DuVernays poignant 2019 miniseries When They See Us, flips "they" into "we", indicates a reversal of the gaze. Here the artists' and subject's views take centre stage, moving away from the recurring misrepresentation of Black lives through oversimplified and distorted narratives. Exhibitions globally have often explored Blackness through the lens of trauma, violence and colonial legacies. When We See Us curators Koyo Kouoh and Tandazani Dhlakama instead decided to focus on everyday life and the "power of Black joy". As Kurjakovic states, "Here, Black curators, Black subjects, look at each other, look towards themselves, to try to take over a more positive notion of Black subjectivities." 'The Card Game' by Jacob Lawrence (1953) - Credit: SCAD Museum of Art/Gift of Dr. Walter O. Evans and Mrs. Linda J. Evans At the clinic by George Pemba (1979) - Credit: Revisions Collection Courtesy of Norval Foundation The exhibition is organised around six themes - The Everyday, Joy and Revelry, Repose, Sensuality, Spirituality, and Triumph and Emancipation - rather than following a chronological or geographical categorisation. Through these themes, When We See Us celebrates Black joy in all its quotidian forms. Black figures are seen enjoying the simple pleasures of life, such as a young couple sitting in a cinema, as seen in George Pembas The Audience (1960), or a group playing cards, like in Jacob Lawrence's The Card Game (1953). Esiri Erheriene-Essi's The Birthday Party (2020) offers an incredibly poignant portrayal of South African activist Steve Biko, in an intimate moment of celebration. Despite the tragic end to Biko's life - he was a key figure in the Black Consciousness Movement who was beaten to death by state security officers in 1977 - Erheriene-Essi's painting strikingly immortalises him in a moment of pure joy and connection, surrounded by loved ones. 'The Birthday Party' by Esiri Erheriene-Essi (2021) - Credit: Courtesy of Jorge M. Perez Collection, Miami Interior view of "When We See Us" exhibition - Credit: Gina Folly There are prominent names in the show that will be recognisable to many visitors, including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Jacob Lawrence, Amy Sherald and Michael Armitage, yet a huge part of the exhibition's appeal lies in discovering lesser-known artists from the past and rising stars in contemporary art. The exhibition is enormous and you can easily spend a full day taking in the vibrant and culturally rich paintings spaced across the three floors of the Kunstmuseum Basel's Gegenwert building. When you attend the exhibition, pick up the booklet at the museums entrance it shines a light on the story behind the artworks and the conversation between them. From the moment you step inside, you are greeted with powerful imagery of defiance and pride in the Triumph and Emancipation section, perfectly setting the tone for the journey ahead. Cheri Cherins exuberant Revolution Obama (2009) is a standout piece here, portraying President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in a celebration of Black excellence, surrounded by other towering historical figures like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. As you explore the vast exhibition space, the experience is enhanced by a gorgeous soundtrack (curated by composer and sound artist Neo Muyanga) that helps breathes life into the paintings. Though there is still much progress to be made in the representation and appreciation of African art, this exhibition is another shining example that things are heading in the right direction. Running until 27 October 2024, When We See Us is well worth a visit. Check out our video above for a look inside the exhibition. The big story: Closing neighborhood schools is not the only way to resolve capacity concerns that have plagued districts around Florida. While some of the states biggest school systems are shuttering under-used campuses, others are looking at less divisive approaches to the problem. Theyre focusing on ideas such as creating new programs to attract more students and establishing community partnerships to use the vacant space. If they close buildings, they target the ones that have the lowest profile, and they try to make sure the community sees benefits in the change rather than getting upset about the loss of a cultural touchstone in the neighborhoods it serves. The Pinellas and Pasco districts are two of those seeking the lighter touch. Its a sensitive topic that we have to look at carefully, said Pasco assistant superintendent Betsy Kuhn. Read more here. Duval County is among the districts preparing to close campuses. Some parents there are questioning the reports driving recommendations to raze some of the buildings, WTLV reports. Officials say they are looking into the concerns. Hot topics Career education: A Broward County private school is working to prepare Black talent to take the world of fashion by storm, the Miami Herald reports. College costs: The Florida State University System Board of Governors will consider removing physics from a list of degree programs that are eligible for tuition and fee waivers, News Service of Florida reports. Olympics bound: A Lake County middle school teacher quit his job to vie for Olympic competition in javelin. Hes on his way to Paris, WESH reports. School leadership: Two Hernando County schools are getting new principals, Suncoast News reports. Security: The Broward County school districts efforts to implement upgraded high school intercom systems for security measures have been bungled, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to allow recurring security funding for private Jewish schools, Florida Politics reports University presidents: The president of south Floridas only historically Black university stepped down, citing health concerns, the Miami Herald reports. From the police blotter ... A Palm Beach County middle school teacher was arrested on accusations of inappropriately touching a student, WPTV reports. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has launched an investigation into the activities of a small Christian private college operated by a central Florida lawmaker and her family, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Dont miss a story. Heres a link to yesterdays roundup. Before you go ... Enjoy this 60s soul take on 80s hair metal. The News Semafor has appointed PBS News Hour co-anchor, Amna Nawaz, former Wall Street Journal writer, Jon Hilsenrath, former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post editor, Marcus Brauchli, and former New York Magazine journalist and Mixed Signals co-host, Nayeema Raza, as contributors. The appointments underscore Semafors commitment to world-class journalism and strategic focus on events. The contributors will work alongside Semafors editorial and events teams in Washington D.C to produce and moderate compelling news-driven events, bringing their reporting skills to the stage through in-depth interviews and news making conversations. Overseen by Semafors senior editor, Gina Chon, their contributions will also be reflected in Semafors editorial coverage and newsletter products. In addition, Semafor has promoted Meera Pattni, its global head of communications, to oversee its global live journalism business. Pattni, a founding member of the Semafor leadership team since its launch, will be responsible for expanding and enhancing the companys global events portfolio. Maggie Soergel, formerly the head of events, has been promoted to general manager of live journalism. Know More Semafor has built an innovative live journalism platform within eighteen months and will produce over 75 global events this year, significantly expanding its live journalism operation and capabilities. Last year the company executed over 50 global events. In April, Semafor produced its largest live journalism event to date, the 2024 World Economy Summit, held alongside the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington D.C. The two-day summit featured 10 current administration officials, seven current and former cabinet secretaries, 20 Fortune 500 CEOs and was attended by nearly 3,000 individuals with headlines generated in 14 countries. Notable Amna Nawaz is the Peabody and Emmy-Award winning co-anchor of PBS News Hour. Prior to joining PBS News Hour in April 2018, Nawaz was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, anchoring breaking news coverage and leading the networks live stream coverage of the 2016 presidential election. Before that, she served as foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief at NBC News. She is also the founder and former managing editor of NBCs Asian America platform, built in 2014, to elevate stories from Americas fastest-growing and most diverse population. In 2019, Nawaz became the first Asian American and the first Muslim American to moderate a presidential debate. She also serves as an NBC News and MSNBC contributor. Jon Hilsenrath is a former senior writer for The Wall Street Journal, where he specialized in economics and finance, serving as economics editor, markets editor, and chief economics correspondent. Hes the author of , a biography of the Treasury Secretary and former Federal Reserve Chairwoman, which The Economist called elegant and erudite. Hilsenrath was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2014 for his Federal Reserve coverage and in 2009 for financial crisis reporter. His on-the-scene reporting of 9/11 contributed to The Wall Street Journals Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage in 2002. Marcus Brauchli is co-founder and managing partner of North Base Media, a partnership that invests in and advises media and media-technology companies globally. Brauchli was executive editor and vice president of The Washington Post from 2008-2012, during which the Post won seven Pulitzer prizes, integrated its print and digital newsrooms, and quadrupled its audience. He came to the Post from The Wall Street Journal, where he became the top editor in 2007 after holding a series of other top editorial roles. He was National Editor on Sept. 11, 2001, and played a central role in its coverage of the terrorist attacks that day, for which the paper won a Pulitzer. Brauchli spent 15 years as a Journal correspondent in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Stockholm, and has written for The New York Times, the Financial Times and the Associated Press. Nayeema Raza currently serves as producer and co-host for Semafor Medias inaugural podcast, A journalist whose writing, podcasts, and films have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the Tribeca Film Festival. Her work explores the intersection of global power, culture and technology. Nayeema was previously the on-air Executive Producer of Vox Medias Prior to that, she was a Senior Editor at The Times where she ran the podcast and was on the Opinion Video desk. Nayeema came into journalism with a background in international development and geopolitics. Sen. John Fetterman taunts Bob Menendez with nickname in hallways of US Capitol Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman reportedly taunts New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez with the nickname Gold Bar Bob whenever the two senators cross paths in Washington, D.C. Hell presumably continue to do so if Menendez doesnt step down amid his ongoing legal troubles. Menendez was hit with corruption charges in September after investigators found gold bars and cash in his home, which prosecutors have linked to alleged acts of bribery advancing the interests of Qatar and Egypt. The 70-year-old lawmaker headed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prior to being charged. Menendez insists he did nothing wrong, but that doesnt stop Fetterman from badgering his fellow Democrat on sight in the U.S. Capitol, according to a New Yorker profile on the towering Pennsylvanian. Every time Fetterman saw Menendez, he would just shout out, Gold Bar Bob!' a veteran HuffPost political reporter told the New Yorker. Fetterman was quick to criticize Menendez when allegations against his neighbor and colleague arose in 2023. Senator Menendez should resign, Fetterman said in a statement in September while he was running for the Senate. Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. The hulking 68 Democrat added that he hoped Menendez would make an honorable exit and prepare for his criminal trial. Fetterman served as Pennsylvanias 34th lieutenant governor before being elected to the Senate in 2022. He defeated Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz whose close ties to New Jersey became an issue during Pennsylvanias Senate election. The magazine profile claims Fetterman routinely uses profane terms not normally heard in the Senate to describe members of the Republican party too. Following a nasty May spat in the House of Representatives involving Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Fetterman raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle by likening Congress to The Jerry Springer Show. Longtime Fetterman adviser Rebecca Katz described her boss to the New Yorker as the guy who says the emperor has no clothes. ______ Sen. Bob Menendez stands pictured with his wife Nadine, Egyptian Major General Khaled Ahmed Shawky Osman (beside the senator), and businessman Wael Hana, far left, during a 2021 meeting in the senator's Washington, D.C. office. (Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York) In her work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sarah Arkin was tasked with briefing senators on global affairs, coordinating their diplomatic meetings and trips, and accompanying them on those encounters both at home and abroad. So when Sen. Bob Menendez began secretly meeting and corresponding with Egyptian officials in 2018 outside those traditional channels, she and her colleagues found it weird, she testified Monday. Arkins testimony kicked off the seventh week of Menendezs federal bribery trial in Manhattan. Menendez was chair of the powerful committee from January 2021 until after his indictment in September. A critical part of my job is preparing him for those meetings, Arkin said. I didnt know exactly who he was talking to or what information he had or didnt have or who he might want to meet or where information was coming from. Prosecutors say that was intentional. They allege New Jerseys senior senator, a Democrat, flouted normal protocols because he had an illicit deal with his friend and co-defendant Wael Hana, who gave him cash and gold bars in exchange for the senator currying favor with Egyptian officials so that they would grant Hana a lucrative monopoly on exporting halal meat there. Arkin told jurors she became Menendezs foreign policy adviser in 2016 and in 2018 joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where shes now a senior professional staffer. Under questioning by prosecutor Daniel Richenthal, Arkin testified that Menendez had always been an outspoken critic of Egypt because of its dismal human rights record. But in the spring of 2019, he told Arkin he wanted to be more quiet and private in expressing his humanitarian concerns about Egypt and instructed her to soften a letter shed drafted calling out the countrys mistreatment and detention of critics and other affronts to democracy, Arkin testified. He also organized several meetings without his staffs knowledge with Egyptian officials they didnt know and did not brief staff afterward, as he typically did, Arkin said. Even Egyptian nationals who worked at Egypts embassy in Washington, D.C., werent familiar with an official Menendez directed Arkin to call, she added. Soooo my guy at the embassy isnt aware of anyone with that name but is going to try to run it down, Arkin texted her colleague Damian Murphy, whos now the committees staff director. Thats weird. How big is the embassy? Murphy responded. Arkin answered: Its pretty big but not THAT big. The more questions Arkin asked, though, the more irked Menendez got, according to testimony. When he decided to travel to Egypt, he told Arkin shed angered the Egyptians and barred her from going, even though she typically went on such trips and had been urging him specifically to visit Egypt, which historically has received more U.S. military aid than any other country besides Israel, she said. Instead, he took his then-girlfriend and now-wife Nadine, who had a lot of opinions on the trip and was very involved in its planning, Arkin said. Richenthal showed jurors a text exchange in which Arkin and Murphy puzzled over it all. All of this Egypt stuff is very weird. Ive never seen anything like it, Murphy texted Arkin. Richenthal also showed jurors messages indicating an unusually friendly relationship between the Menendezes and the Egyptian officials. In one, Egyptian Major General Khaled Ahmed Shawky Osman called the senator Bob a familiarity uncommon among those who interacted with the senator, Arkin said. During the time of his weird approach to the Egyptian officials, Arkin testified, the committee released billions in military aid and arms to Egypt and Menendez was involved in several Middle Eastern initiatives, including a dam in Ethiopia that would impact the Nile River and Egypt and a natural gas deal off the Egyptian coast. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Avi Weitzman, Arkin testified that Menendez said he wanted to tone down his public criticism of Egypt because New Jersey is home to a large population of Coptic Christian Egyptians who support Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Looking ahead Earlier Monday, defense attorneys cross-examined FBI Special Agent Paul Van Wie, who presented a chain of emails, texts, and other correspondence and documents prosecutors introduced to bolster their case. Under Weitzmans questioning, Van Wie read texts prosecutors did not show jurors, which suggested a Bulgari purse and extravagant flower bouquet co-defendant Fred Daibes gave Nadine Menendez werent bribes, but rather birthday presents. Weitzman also tried to poke holes in Van Wies testimony last week, when he narrated texts, Zillow listings, and other documents that showed the Menendezes were house-hunting and had looked at homes priced over $5 million. This was just a month before FBI agents visited their Englewood Cliffs home in June 2022 with a search warrant and seized more than $486,000 in cash, 13 gold bars, and other items they said were bribes. Are you aware that Zillow is often used as escapist fantasy by people? Weitzman asked, prompting laughter from the jury. Weitzman also pushed back on prosecutors claims that Menendez repeatedly Googled the price of gold, showing other online searches suggesting that the senators wife Googled things on his account. Menendezs online history showed searches for everything from the best blow dry bars in Washington, D.C. to how do you say girlfriend in Spanish. The senator is fluent in Spanish. Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni deflated that defense, though, by showing, on re-direct, texts between the senator and his wife after she had asked him to track down hair salon details for a friend. Arkin is expected to remain on the stand Tuesday for further cross-examination. Prosecutors have said they will question several more witnesses, including Shannon Kopplin, chief counsel and staff director for the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, and expect to rest their case this week. Defense attorneys for Menendez and his co-defendants Hana and Fred Daibes expect to take up to two weeks to present their defense, with the case going to the jury for deliberations possibly the week of July 8. The case is running behind schedule. Monday was marked with several tongue-lashings from Judge Sidney H. Stein, who scolded defense attorneys for sand-bagging the government with frequent last-minute motions. Menendez, 70, who has held his Senate seat since 2006, is charged with acting as a foreign agent, fraud, extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and related offenses. Its his second corruption trial in seven years; the first ended in a hung jury in 2017. The post Sen. Menendez held weird secret meetings with Egyptian officials, Senate staffer testifies appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. FORT EISENHOWER, Ga. (WJBF) U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff announced he is introducing legislation that would improve national security with the construction of new facilities at Fort Eisenhower. According to a press release from Sen. Ossoffs office, the bill, entitled the Fort Eisenhower National Support Act, would authorize the construction of a National Guard and Reserve Readiness Center on the military base. Fort Eisenhower is critical to U.S. national security, and Georgias servicemembers and reservists are always on my mind, Sen. Ossoff said. This is why I have introduced the Fort Eisenhower National Guard Support Act to ensure they have state-of-the-art facilities to carry out important missions and training. ALSO ON WJBF: Fort Eisenhower to hold Hiring Our Heroes career summit this week As the current facility lacks adequate space for assigned units and equipment, the act, if passed, will enhance the Georgia Army National Guards readiness and capabilities, according to the press release. Back in January of this year, Sen. Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock passed into law the Fort Eisenhower Development Center Expansion Act, which will assist in providing high-quality education to the areas military children. View the Fort Eisenhower National Guard Support Act here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine during a meeting in Beijing. The Polish leader emphasized that he hopes China will help find a solution for peace in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT In his opinion, Beijing should strive for peace based on the principles of international law. Duda's words were quoted by his press service at the briefing. The Polish president said he presented the Chinese leader with the Polish point of view on the security situation in Europe and the world. He also expressed hope that China, as a great power and a member of the UN Security Council, would support efforts to peacefully end the war started by Russia in Ukraine. But, as Duda emphasized, first and foremost, the end of the war should be in line with the principles of international law. According to him, Xi Jinping emphasized in the conversation that China seeks peace and peaceful development of the situation in Europe. ADVERTISIMENT "Today, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that China seeks peace because China is a country that seeks peaceful development. Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized this in our conversation today. I have outlined our situation and our opinion in detail. And I can say that we were listened to. I don't want to talk here about the details of our face-to-face conversation," the Polish president said. He emphasized that he had repeatedly emphasized that Warsaw's position is that no one has the right to change the borders of states. "I have emphasized several times here today that we stand on the position of unchanging borders, that borders cannot be changed by force, neither in Europe nor in any other part of the world. The sovereignty and independence of states must be respected," Duda said. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, earlier, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested that China's absence at the peace summit in Switzerland was due to a request from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. According to him, this is China's true position on the war in Ukraine. Earlier, China responded to Volodymyr Zelensky's accusations of attempts to disrupt the Peace Summit. Beijing said that China has never "fanned or stoked the flames" of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! I sent my kids to summer camp in Spain. It was affordable and they got to experience independence. I sent my 9-year-old and my 5-year-old on a sailing camp in Spain. Our friends had offered us to stay at their house near Barcelona for two months. The camp cost between 170 to 260 euros per week, and they both got a spot a week before it started. The homemade videos came through in quick succession on the camp WhatsApp channel. Seven tiny sailboats with children manning them dotted crystal blue Mediterranean waters. The children were in pairs, seemingly matched according to age. Then there was my little one, the 5-year-old, who had insisted on tagging along with her 9-year-old brother, and the camp had agreed. It was a blistering summer in the little seaside town of Caldes d'Estrac, an enchanting getaway thirty minutes outside Barcelona. We were staying there for two months because our friends had generously invited us to their masia, or country home, for July and August. Caldes used to be a fashionable spa town for the Barcelona bourgeoisie in the 1920s and is now known for its thermal baths and stunning beaches. When our friends suggested we put the children in a sailing casale, or summer camp, together at the local seaport, we enthusiastically agreed. It was more affordable than camp in the US There was one catch: How much was this going to cost us, and would we even be able to get a spot? In the US, or at least in California, where we live, summer camps usually start around $250 per child per week and can run upwards of $1000 for specialty camps. In addition, securing a spot is challenging, with parents already beginning to register for summer camps as early as March. We drove the five minutes down to port Balis in Caldes and went to register in person. It was less than a week from the beginning of camp, yet the experience was seamless. They not only waived the membership fee for the yacht club, but the tuition ranged between 170 and 260 euros depending on how long they stayed, and it included lunch. They experienced independence After just the first day, the children came back with exciting and harrowing tales of adventure. They had gone out solo in dinghies with a couple of adults following alongside them in speedboats. They had experienced the thrill of being independent out on the water from the very start and had been forced to problem-solve tricky situations using teamwork to prevent their boats from capsizing or getting stuck. This was especially challenging for my children as they did not speak Spanish, but somehow they managed. They, of course, took the necessary precautions of life jackets and basic training, but then they were let loose very quickly and had to learn as they went. It felt as if there was a much more laid-back attitude and push toward personal responsibility than we had experienced in the US. When my 5-year-old refused to stay with the little kids in her age group because she was so attached to her brother, the camp counselors let her tag along and ride in the boats with the older children or inside the speedboats with the adults. I'm not sure that would ever have happened in a California camp, and frankly I'm grateful for it. The rest of the time, the kids learned basic principles of sailing, had free-play in kayaks and SUPs, and ate bowls full of crab and shrimp for lunch. They came back every afternoon exhausted but happy and woke up each morning with enthusiasm, ready for their next big adventure out on the water. Read the original article on Business Insider A brush fire erupted Monday afternoon in the city of Corona, threatening dozens of homes, closing streets and prompting some evacuations, according to the Corona Fire Department. The brush fire, dubbed the Serrano fire, broke out around 2:42 p.m. in the 600 block of Corona Avenue, not far from Serrano Drive, according to Corona fire spokesman Daniel Yonan. Late afternoon sunlight seeps through the brush as firefighters fight the Serrano fire from the ground and air in Corona on Monday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) He said the fire started to move toward dozens of homes up on Mandevilla Way, prompting fire officials to call for two water helicopters and other reinforcements. Later in the afternoon, officials reported that the fire's spread had been stopped and the blaze contained to less than 12 acres, although crews from 18 engines were on the scene and continuing to put out hot spots. No official evacuation orders were issued, but law enforcement officers asked residents living along Mandevilla Way, Via Blairo and Tampico Circle to evacuate out of precaution. Those orders were to remain in place until 8 p.m. Monday. Police also closed several major roads into the area, including Parkridge Avenue at Tesoro Way, Hidden Valley Parkway at Via Blairo and Corona Avenue at Gilmore Drive. No homes had been lost and no injuries reported as of 5 p.m. Monday. The cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation. Fire officials plan to send more updates for residents on social media. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The U.S. Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on a what it calls a shadow banking network for Irans military. The sprawling network expands to 50 people and firms in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands, and is used by Irans Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the department said. According to the Treasury Departments announcement, the network has gained illicit access to international finance system, allowing it to process the equivalent of billions of dollars since 2020. The release said the individuals and organizations are involved in the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals, and use the money to purchase weapons, some of which are transferred to Russia for its war in Ukraine, and fund groups like Yemens Houthi rebels, which have caused a crisis in Red Sea shipping lanes amid the war in Gaza. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement that the U.S. is taking action against the shadow banking network like hundreds of other targets involved in Irans activity since President Biden took office. We will continue to pursue those who seek to finance Irans destabilizing terrorist activities, Adeyemo said. We continue to work with allies and partners, as well as the global financial industry, to increase vigilance against the movement of funds supporting terrorism. The Treasury said Irans defense ministry is responsible for the development, production, funding for all its defense operations, including the manufacturing of weapons. In March 2023, the department took action against a group of several dozen entities operating as part of an Iranian shadow banking network. The shadow banking networks allow certain Iranian entities to access the international financial system by creating cover companies in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong that launder the money into clean foreign currency, the Treasury said. Seyyed Mohammad MosannaI Najibi is an Iranian-Turkish money changer who controls 27 of the companies being sanctioned. Other individuals in the latest sanctions list are Asadollah Seifi, Ramin Jalalian and Siavash Nourian. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A stealthy-looking flying wing drone with a hybrid-electric propulsion system the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing now has a designation: XRQ-73. DARPA hopes to flight test this uncrewed aircraft later this year and eventually demonstrate it can be operationalized relatively quickly to meet an unspecified urgent operational need. The new designation reflects the designs leveraging of previous work on the secretive ultra-quiet, high-efficiency XRQ-72A drone, which The War Zone was first to report on in detail. DARPA announced the assignment of the XRQ-73 designation to the drone being developed under what is currently called the Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program in a press release earlier today. A new rendering of the design, or what may very well be an actual picture overlaid on top of a computer-generated background, seen at the top of this story, accompanied that release. DARPA has been running SHEPARD in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) since 2021. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for SHEPARD and its subsidiary Scaled Composites is described as a major supplier. Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies are also involved in the project. Scaled Composites developed the XRQ-72 and is well known for producing advanced and novel crewed and uncrewed aircraft designs. A rendering of the XRQ-72A design. USAF via FOIA From what can be seen in the current rendering, the XRQ-73 has a tailless flying wing planform. The wing tips notably run on the same plane as the lower airfoil surface, but they are tapered and clipped. A close-up look of the XRQ-73s right wing tip showing the tapered and clipped design. DARPA The SHEPARD drone has a general flying wing planform that is similar in some respects to a number of known existing designs, like Lockheed Martin Skunk Works RQ-170 Sentinel, P-175 Polecat, and X-44A, as well as Scaled Composites XRQ-72A. A top-secret Northrop Grumman design commonly referred to as the RQ-180 is also speculated to have a general shape that is similar in broad strokes, but be much larger than the XRQ-73 design. A top-down rendering of the XRQ-72 showing its wing shape, as well as is vertical wingtip stabilizers USAF via FOIA However, unlike many of the existing U.S. flying wing drone designs, the XRQ-73 has a pair of air intakes on top of the central section of the fuselage instead of just one. The SHEPARD uncrewed aircrafts two intakes flank a fairing in the center. This is a distinctly different configuration from the one seen in the first public rendering DARPA put out for the program, which had four separate intakes. A close-up look at two intakes and the rest of the XRQ-73s center fuselage. DARPA A rendering DARPA previously released in relation to the SHEPARD program showing a design with four distinct intakes at the front. This rendering also highlights the XRQ-73s direct evolution from the XRQ-72A, seen at left. DARPA Beyond it featuring a hybrid-electric propulsion system, details about how the XRQ-73 is powered are limited. Hybrid-electric propulsion systems combine fuel-powered engines and electric motors offering improved fuel economy and other benefits. The addition of batteries further allows for operation in a quieter all-electric mode. We do know that the preceding XRQ-72A featured two multi-sectioned inlets at the front of its fuselage that fed air, in part, to two fuel-powered generators. Those generators then provided electric power to four ducted fan propulsors mounted on top of the rear of the central fuselage. Diagrams showing details about the internal configuration of the XRQ-72A. USAF via FOIA No details about the XRQ-73s expected performance appear to have been released so far, but DARPA says it is a Group 3 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) weighing approximately 1,250 pounds, which will include operationally representative mission systems. By the U.S. militarys definitions, a Group 3 UAS weighs between 55 and 1,320, can fly at altitudes between 3,500 and 180,000 feet, and has a top speed of between 100 and 250 knots. At 1,250 pounds, the XRQ-73 is set to be substantially larger than the XRQ-72A, the requirements for which called for a drone weighing between 300 and 400 pounds. The XRQ-72A also had a 30-foot wingspan, a length of 11.2 feet measured from the nose to the ends of the wingtips, and a height of four feet when including the vertical wingtip stabilizers, according to schematics The War Zone previously obtained via the FFreedom of Information Act. DARPAs release today says that SHEPARD is leveraging the series hybrid electric architecture and some of the component technologies from the Great Horned Owl (GHO) program, which produced the XRQ-72A. The U.S. Intelligence Communitys Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), in cooperation with AFRL, led the GHO program, which ran from the early 2000s until sometime in the 2010s. You can read more about what is known about the GHO program and the XRQ-72A in The War Zones past feature on that drone. The SHEPARD program logo has clear references to GHO. The SHEPARD program logo, which shows clear references to the Great Horned Owl program. DARPA DARPA has not specified what kinds of missions the XRQ-73 might be suited for, but the RQ clearly points to an ISR platform. The War Zone previously highlighted how the XRQ-72As stealthy and ultra-quiet design looked ideally positioned to conduct covert surveillance in denied areas, and would be even more capable of doing so if the platform could operate persistently at extended ranges. Crafting a drone with a significantly reduced acoustic signature, but without the historic limitations of an all-electric propulsion system was a major focus of the original GHO effort. A hybrid-electric design could also have a notably reduced infrared signature. Demand within the U.S. military for drones capable of operating in contested or semi-contested environments is growing, in general. Though SHEPARD is now being run through the Department of Defense via DARPA, the U.S. Intelligence Community, especially the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with its long history of operating specialized ultra-quiet crewed and uncrewed aircraft, likely still has an interest in the kinds of capabilities the XRQ-73 could offer, as well. The SHEPHARD design could sit below the RQ-170, another program the CIA was also involved in. The SHEPARD program is maturing a specific propulsion architecture and power class as an exemplar of potential benefits for the Department of Defense, Steve Komadina, DARPAs program manager for SHEPARD, which is also a so-called X-prime effort, did say in a statement accompanying todays release about the XRQ-73. The idea behind a DARPA X-prime program is to take emerging technologies and burn down system-level integration risks to quickly mature a new missionized long endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly. DARPA previously said it hoped to be able to get to first flight within 20 months of starting active development on a SHEPARD design by taking advantage of GHO. Its unclear if the program is still on track to meet that goal. Additional computer-generated views of the XRQ-72A design. USAF via FOIA Shepard is taking a pure X-plane, the Great Horned Owl, which was a great demonstration of a capability for hybrid-electric propulsion but wasnt something you can use in the battlespace, Michael Leahy, then-director of DARPAs Tactical Technology Office (TTO), also said back in 2021 about SHEPARD, according to Aviation Week. Were going to wrap a new skin around it to give it the survivability that it needs. And were going to try to demonstrate we can do that quickly. Pentagon budget documents also show that SHEPARD was previously a much broader DARPA effort focused on novel approaches to hybrid-electric propulsion for use in uncrewed platforms called Air-Ground Autonomous VEhicles (AGAVE). Sometime circa 2021, the goal shifted to specifically integrating that technology into a unique military aircraft application. DARPA has received at least $42.77 million for AGAVE and SHEPARD, combined, since Fiscal Year 2020, but curiously does not appear to have requested any money for the latter program since Fiscal Year 2023. It is possible, if not probable that additional funding is (and has been) coming from other streams, including ones in the classified realm. A portion of the SHEPARD program entry from the Pentagons 2022 Fiscal Year budget request, which was released in May 2021, discussing its relationship to the previous AGAVE effort. DOD The SHEPARD program entry from the Pentagons 2025 Fiscal Year budget request, released earlier this year. This shows $22 million for the program in Fiscal Year 2023, but two blank columns for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. DOD Whether or not more details about the XRQ-73 and how it me be used operationally emerge, especially around the expected first flight this year, remains to be seen. Details about the preceding XRQ-72 are still scant more than a decade since that program was first publicly disclosed. Regardless, there is a clear need for a drone like this and its still exotic propulsion system would be a large leap ahead. While maybe not high-profile in nature, the XRQ-73 could end up being an incredibly important aircraft for these two factors alone. Contact the author: joe@twz.com View comments She fought remodel evictions for years. Now she's the one being evicted Maria Lopez faces eviction from her home in Long Beach after a new landlord is planning a substantial remodel. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times) As a housing activist, Maria Lopez spent years working to close what she saw as a significant, if little known, loophole in eviction law. Working with the Long Beach Tenants Union, Lopez organized dozens of renters facing substantial remodel evictions across her hometown, speaking at City Council meetings and leading protests to draw attention to the rule, which allows landlords to evict tenants if they plan significant renovations to their properties. From Lopezs perspective, the rules allowed landlords looking to raise rents to evict tenants for minor upgrades or remodels that never happened once the tenant was gone. Her work helped push Long Beach to impose regulations on such evictions and influenced a recent change in state law aimed at tightening restrictions on them. Then late last year, not long after a new owner bought the duplex Lopez has lived in since she was 6 years old, she was handed an eviction notice of her own. The reason? Substantial remodel. My heart just sank, Lopez, 32, said of the moment when she got the notice. Read more: L.A. eviction cases rose significantly this year. But it's not all bad news for renters Tenant advocates have raised concerns about substantial remodel evictions since the 2019 Tenant Protection Act was approved in California to limit rent increases and offer renters some protections against being evicted without cause. Under that law, one permissible reason for eviction is if an owner is planning a "substantial remodel" of a unit. "We were getting stories from advocates telling us 'We got a bunch of tenants that got these substantial remodel notices and we learned there was never any work done or it was something like new cabinets in the kitchen.' And there wasnt any recourse for those tenants," said Lorraine Lopez, senior attorney at Western Center on Law & Poverty. Maria Lopez began to get involved in fighting substantial remodel evictions when she started hearing about a number of evictions soon after the 2019 law was approved. She met tenants at apartment complexes across Long Beach who had been served with notices to evict and began working with them to try to stop the evictions. Maria Lopez, outside her Long Beach home this month, is facing a remodel-based eviction. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times) The issue gained urgency during the pandemic, when advocates say it appeared that some landlords were using the rules to get around eviction moratoriums. At a Long Beach City Council meeting in 2021, Lopez pleaded with officials to adjust the law. Many tenants are being kicked out for minor cosmetic repairs like cabinet or tile replacement, not substantial remodels, Lopez was quoted as saying in the Signal Tribune. Please, I beg you, I implore you, keep our families housed. That year, in response to advocates, the city temporarily banned substantial remodel evictions. Later, it moved to begin tracking remodel-based evictions, increase relocation assistance for displaced renters and allow for penalties for landlords who violate the law. This year, the state also tightened rules, including making it clear that tenants cannot be evicted for minor cosmetic repairs. Lopez was proud of the accomplishment but felt remodel-based evictions should have been banned outright. Last August, she learned that Dr. Femi Akinnagbe, a family medicine doctor, had bought the property she has lived in for nearly three decades. Lopez moved in as a child with her family and stayed after her mother, father and siblings left. In downtown Long Beach, she was paying $675 a month until the new owners increased it to $734 soon after buying the property. The one-bedroom unit is adorned with posters and mementos from her work as a housing advocate there's a painting a local artist made of her, cradling a small home in her hands, a poster that says "End Eviction Loopholes Now" and numerous books on housing and evictions. Maria Lopez shows photos of her family home when she was a child in Long Beach. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times) Akinnagbe and his wife, Laura, told The Times they see themselves as stewards of the aging Craftsman-style homes on the property, which are more than 100 years old. They live with their children in the front house and want to remodel the duplex in the back to rent it out as subsidized housing. "We know housing instability personally and we do not want to contribute to the problem of housing instability in Long Beach," Femi Akinnagbe told the council earlier this year. "Which is why we are renovating our home in order to create Section 8 housing for the most needy and vulnerable individuals in our community." He said he bought the property in significant disrepair and it needs to be fixed. Lopez agrees that there are repairs that should be done, but doesn't believe she should be evicted for them to happen. Early on, Akinnagbe said he told Lopez he hoped to raise her rent to a "market rate goal" of $2,500, which he said would make it easier to do some of the renovations. He asked her to apply for rental subsidies and grants to help cover the cost, which he said would have been a "win-win for everybody." Lopez did not agree to the increase, which would have been significantly above state limits. As of August 2023, the maximum allowable annual rent increase under state law was limited to 8.8%. Ultimately, Akinnagbe raised her rent by that amount. About two months after buying the property Akinnagbe served Lopez with a 60-day notice to vacate, saying he intended to substantially remodel the unit. A description of the work included with the notice said the plan was for an interior home remodel to "remove and replace shower, vanity, toilets, sinks, countertops, cabinets, garbage disposal, electrical fixtures, outlets, flooring, painting, drywall and refurnish ceiling." There would be "no structural work," the notice added. Lopez reached out to the city to ask whether the work was sufficient to constitute a substantial remodel. Under state and city rules, a substantial remodel "means the replacement or substantial modification of any structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical system that requires a permit from a governmental agency, or the abatement of hazardous materials, including lead-based paint, mold or asbestos, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, that cannot be reasonably accomplished in a safe manner with the tenant in place and that requires the tenant to vacate the residential real property for at least 30 days." The proposed work likely did not meet the standard, city officials said. "Based on the facts as you have presented them to us, and in the experience of our Building and Safety experts, it is the citys nonbinding opinion that your proposed project does not constitute a substantial remodel," city officials wrote in a letter to Akinnagbe. Then, earlier this year, the landlord served Lopez with another notice. This one added to the work, saying it would include a complete kitchen and bathroom remodel, a complete or partial removal of interior walls, creation of a new entrance and asbestos and lead abatement. This time the city said it was "unable to confirm or deny whether the scope of work meets the threshold." The Akinnagbes say they didn't change the initial plans much, but that they just didn't understand the level of detail they were required to provide to show that the work was indeed a substantial remodel. "We walked into this with her knowing the law and knowing how to navigate it much more than us," Femi Akinnagbe said. Both sides say the dispute has led them to feel unsafe on the property. In May, Lopez was again in front of the council, this time advocating for herself and asking them to end substantial remodel outright. She is also fighting the eviction in court based on technicalities. But she's uncertain about her long-term chances as long as remodel evictions are permitted. "Unfortunately, until the law is changed, the landlord does have the legal right to evict Maria," said her lawyer, Stephano Medina, of the nonprofit law firm Public Counsel. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Gov. Maura Healey has sent a team of state officials to the southern border to discuss the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts, as record numbers of migrants continue to arrive in Boston. The goal of the trip is to connect with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and non-governmental organizations and families to educate them about the lack of shelter availability in Massachusetts, the governors office said in a statement Tuesday. This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the U.S. and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts, Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice said in a statement. It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go. The team is visiting the San Antonio Airport, Centro de Bienvenida/San Antonio Migrant Resource Center and Shelter, Ursula Processing Facility in McAllen, Hidalgo Port of Entry, and Brownsville Migrant Welcome Center, officials said. San Antonio, McAllen, Hidalgo and Brownsville are the most common points of entry for families that later arrive in Massachusetts. In a statement Tuesday, MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale called the trip a publicity stunt. The Healey-Driscoll Administrations recent decision to send its members to the border is nothing more than a publicity stunt that will neither address the migrant crisis in Massachusetts nor reduce the influx of migrants entering the Commonwealth, Carnevale said. Rice is leading the team, which includes the Emergency Assistance Incident Command deputy director, pre-shelter policy lead for Incident Command, executive director of the state Office of Refugees and Immigrants, and strategy manager at the Division of Housing Stabilization. Earlier this month, state officials announced that notices to families reaching length-of-stay limits in the states emergency shelter system will begin going out in July, amid a migrant crisis in Massachusetts. In March, state officials announced new requirements for migrants. The states Emergency Assistance family shelter system has been operating at capacity for months amid a large influx of migrants to the Bay State. Dozens of migrants have been often seen sleeping overnight inside Logan International Airport. The Emergency Assistance program is for families with children or pregnant women who are experiencing homelessness, state officials said. Approximately half of families in the states Emergency Assistance system are new arrivals to Massachusetts. Last fall, state officials said that the system could no longer safely or responsibly expand and the state established a waiting list. Families who qualify for Emergency Assistance and are on the waiting list are eligible to stay at the states safety-net sites. Unexpected influx: Norfolk officials share concerns about turning former state prison into shelter Last year, Healey announced the system reached capacity at 7,500 families. The state has appropriated $10 million for workforce training programs to assist residents in the states emergency shelter system. The Department of Revenue has also issued guidance on Wednesday on the administration of a Temporary Authorized Training Tax Credit for businesses and corporations that provide training to residents of the states emergency assistance shelters. Healey said her office has prioritized work authorizations, job training and placement, English as a second language classes, and rehousing assistance to help families leave emergency assistance sites for more stable housing. Since November 2023, the state has helped 3,785 immigrants apply for work authorizations, and it is expected the vast majority have been approved, Healey said. Overall, 1,120 emergency assistance program residents have gotten jobs in the past few months. The number of families leaving the states emergency shelter system has steadily increased each month, with more than 331 families leaving in May, the highest number in years, officials said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Man killed in shootout with deputies after killing mom, 2 other women in Manatee County shooting spree Man killed in shootout with deputies after killing mom, 2 other women in Manatee County shooting spree MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A man was killed in a shootout with deputies near the Florida-Georgia line after deputies said he killed his mom and two other women in Manatee County on Monday night. In a press conference Tuesday morning, the Manatee County sheriff said they believe the events began at the Palmetto Trace Apartments before 9 p.m. Inside was the suspects sister and one of the mothers of his many children. Girlfriend of drowning victim describes his last moments at Florida beach The sheriff said when the suspect, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, walked into the apartment, he told his ex-girlfriend, U have to kill you. The sister was able to talk him out of shooting the ex-girlfriend, who later told investigators he was acting strange. Deputies said they responded to a shooting at the Motel 6 on 68th Street Circle East in Bradenton around 9:15 p.m. When they arrived, they found a 48-year-old woman dead from a gunshot wound. Witnesses told deputies that Brice came to the motel, told his mother Im sorry, and shot her three times in front of his mothers boyfriend and Brices two young sisters. He shot her for unknown reasons, then fled the area, possibly heading to Georgia, according to the sheriffs office. Around 9:40 p.m., deputies said they were called to another shooting in the 900 block of 26th Street Court East in Palmetto. There, a 29-year-old woman, identified as Brices cousin, had been shot while sitting inside a parked SUV while leaving a cookout. Palmetto police officers tried to save the womans life, however, she died about an hour later. Witnesses identified Brice as the shooter. A 29-year-old woman died after she was shot while sitting inside a parked SUV on 26th Street Court East in Palmetto. Deputies said they received information that another shooting happened shortly after 10 p.m. at 4800 51st Street East in Bradenton. Bradenton police officers said they learned that this was the home of Brices ex-girlfriends and her new partner. He shot the ex-girlfriends partner, an unidentified woman, before fleeing the area. She later died at a hospital. Deputies issued a statewide be on the lookout for Brices vehicle. Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in tracking Brice to Hamilton County, near the state line. Polk County deputy arrested after showing up to work drunk: PCSO Manatee County deputies said Brice was shot and killed by Hamilton County deputies after he fired shots at them around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Detectives in Manatee County said they learned that Brice was traveling to Georgia with the intent to kill another ex-girlfriend. He knew exactly who he wanted to kill, the Sheriff said. In a press conference Tuesday morning, the Sheriff said they dont know, and may never know, the motive behind this shooting spree. This family is devastated, he added. This remains an active investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Following the adoption of the M17/M18 pistols, the XM7 carbine and the XM250 light machine gun, SIG became a premiere manufacturer of U.S. military small arms. The M17/M18 is in the process of replacing the M9 manufactured by Beretta while the XM7 and XM250 were selected under the Next Generation Squad Weapon program to replace the M4 carbine and M249 machine gun made by FN. However, concerns in and out of the courtroom raise questions about SIG Sauers XM7 replacing the M4. The SIG P320 has been adopted by all branches as the M17/M18 pistol (U.S. Navy) Starting with the M17/M18, the SIG P320 on which the military pistols are based, is the subject of dozens of lawsuits filed since 2018. At the core of these lawsuits is the allegation that the P320 is capable of uncommanded firing as the result of a faulty design. Two of these cases, both involving law enforcement officers and department-issued P320s, were settled out of court. However, on June 20, 2024, a Georgia federal jury awarded over $2.35 million to Robert Lang who sued SIG Sauer after he was shot in the thigh while unholstering his P320. Before he could even lift the gun off of his belt, the weapon discharged, according to the claim by Langs legal representative. SIG Sauer issued a statement saying that it will appeal the ruling, stating, Sig Sauer does not believe that the plaintiff has met his burden to prove the P320 model pistol was designed defectively or negligently as claimed. There are no facts on the record to support that Mr. Langs discharge claim was the result of anything other than his own negligent handling causing him to pull the trigger on the P320 pistol. In court records, Lang is described as a lifelong gun enthusiast with hundreds of hours behind the trigger. In 2017, the same year that the P320 was adopted by the Army, videos surfaced on the internet of the P320 firing when dropped at certain angles. Although SIG Sauer maintained that the weapon was not faulty, the company did enact a voluntary upgrade program to change hardware in the pistols trigger and striker. The military M17/M18, which features a thumb safety, was not recalled. However, military production M17/M18 pistols were released to the civilian market after testing and evaluation by the Army. This could be seen as an unusual move given that a government supplier would be pressed to fulfill contract orders within an agreed timeframe. SIG Sauer and General Dynamics/True Velocity submitted rifles and machine guns to the NGSW competition (U.S. Army) The Next Generation Squad Weapons prototypes (U.S. Army) The next legal issue for SIG Sauer involves machine guns. On April 9, 2024, True Velocity and LoneStar Future Weapons filed a complaint against SIG Sauer in Vermont Superior Court. The complaint alleges that SIG brazenly and wrongfully misappropriated Plaintiffs trade secrets to obtain an unfair competitive advantage. To compete for the NGSW contract, LoneStar first collaborated with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems who provided its machine gun technical data to LoneStar. LoneStar later took over as the primary contractor and teamed up with True Velocity. The LWMMG provides increased ballistic performance without added weight or size (True Velocity) Over nearly two decades, GD-OTS developed proprietary machine gun technology at its Vermont facilities that went into its Lightweight Medium Machine Gun. The complaint notes that at the core of the LWMMG is a revolutionary mitigation system called Short Recoil Impulse Averaging (SRIA). SRIA allows a weapon system to fire a more powerful cartridge like .338 Norma Magnum without increasing its weight or size. True Velocity and LoneStar allege that SIG Sauer acquired this proprietary technology by aggressively recruiting GD-OTS employees who had spent years designing and developing these technologies and obtaining crucial and highly confidential design data. Cold weather testing of the XM250 in Alaska following its adoption (U.S. Army) Beginning in the Fall of 2013, SIG Sauer hired three notable GD-OTS engineers including David Steimke. A 19-year employee of General Dynamics, Steimke was the senior principal design engineer at one of the Vermont facilities. According to the complaint, he also worked on nearly every belt-fed machine gun design at GD-OTS. Steimke was the original designer for the LWMMG and is now the chief engineer at SIG Sauer. Although not the subject of legal action, the XM7 faces a different issue (U.S. Army) Steimke maintains that he did not divulge proprietary information to SIG. According to Mr. Steimkes representations, Sig was able to design and manufacture a competing .338 belt-fed machine gun in less than [18] months when it took GD-OTS more than a decade to develop and mature its impulse averaging and [Lightweight Medium Machine Gun] technology, the court filing notes. Although SIG Sauer was awarded the NGSW contract which included its XM250 LMG, SIG Sauer and True Velocity are currently competing for a Special Operations contract for a .338-caliber medium machine gun. A member of Combat Applications Group armed with a SIG Sauer Low Visibility Assault Weapon chambered in .300 BLK (Reddit.com/r/JSOCarchive) In addition to domestic legal issues, the SIG NGSW contract faces an international challenge: NATO. The XM7 and XM250 are both chambered in a 6.8x51mm cartridge. This new round is not standardized by NATO or produced outside of the U.S. A key advantage of NATO is that the militaries of member nations can share ammunition. While this presents an issue for mass adoption of the NGSW systems, it is possible that the XM7 and XM250 will replace the M4 and M249 specifically for frontline soldiers and special operations units. The big idea behind this weapon is for close-combat forces, Steve Prewitt, a Project Manager at U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, said in an Army article. Its a capability gap-filler for infantry and special forces, not necessarily an M4 replacement. It gives them a different tool. This small-scale adoption of a non-NATO caliber happened recently with the .300 Blackout cartridge being adopted by USSOCOM in the SIG Sauer Rattler PDW. View comments WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, 52, has decided to plead guilty as part of an agreement with the United States Department of Justice that allows him to be released and return to his native Australia after spending five years in a British prison. Assange is pleading guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act conspiracy to disseminate national defense information over his role in obtaining and publishing classified military and diplomatic records in 2010, according to court documents. The plea deal, which will have to be ratified on Wednesday, ends a long legal standoff with the United States. Julian Assange is free, read a post on Wikileaks X account. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. His wife Stella Assange tweeted: Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. She also posted a video showing the former hacker signing documents, traveling by van to Stansted airport and boarding a plane. A filing made on Monday afternoon in a courthouse in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, and dated June 25 says that Assange knowingly and unlawfully conspired to receive and obtain documents, writings, and notes connected with the national defense, and willfully communicate that information to persons not entitled to receive them. Assange will appear in this courthouse on Wednesday, according to the filings. It is expected that the guilty plea and the agreement will be formalized there. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walks to board a plane at a location given as London, Britain, in this still image from video released on June 25. "@wikileaks" via X (via REUTERS) Assange is expected to appear before that court at 9 a.m. local time and be sentenced to about 62 months, the equivalent of the time he has already spent in the British prison, meaning that he would be free to go home. According to the Justice Department, Assange refused to appear before a continental court. The Northern Mariana Islands are much closer to his native Australia, where he is expected to return, according to the court documents. The case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia, said Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been defending Assanges release for months. Albaneses decision to support this cause helped shore up an international campaign for the release of the WikiLeaks founder and for global press freedom. Assange was held in the high-security Belmarsh prison outside London for five years, and before that he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London until his asylum was withdrawn and he was forcibly removed and detained in April 2019. During his stay at the embassy he had two children with Stella Assange. The extradition process was at a standstill for a long time. Judges at the High Court in London considered insufficient Washingtons assurances that the Wikileaks co-founder would receive a fair trial if sent to the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden, acknowledged last April that the United States was considering accepting a request from Australia to end the legal process against Assange. WikiLeaks considers that Assanges release is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. [...] As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom. Julians freedom is our freedom. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition It is now over two weeks since the terrorists of Hamas were offered a ceasefire which would end the war in Gaza. According to US secretary of state Antony Blinken, the terms of the deal had been approved by Israels war cabinet and the governments of Egypt and Qatar, who acted as mediators. Yet the proposal has not been accepted by Yahya Sinwar and his partners in terror. The leadership of Hamas do not care about the lives of ordinary Palestinians. For them, casualties of war are a price worth paying for their genocidal aims. Hamas wants to maintain its military capability at all costs so that it can attempt to kill more Jews in the future. An interview this month with Hamas representative in Lebanon Ahmad Abd Al-Hadi should leave no one in doubt of this. We would do it again, he declared to the Annahar newspaper. In other words, if given the chance, Hamas would repeat the rape, kidnapping and slaughter of October 7. Murderous ambition is what we must expect of Hamas, but what of others? What of all the people in Western countries who have expressed such anger about the war in Gaza and who have placed huge pressure on Israel to end it? Why now is there no popular protest against Hamas to do the very same thing? If people cared so much about innocent Palestinians caught up in the fighting, why are there not tens of thousands on the streets of London every Saturday demanding that Hamas accept the ceasefire? As yet, I have seen no marches organised for this purpose, nor have I seen any university campus protests demanding that the terrorists agree terms to end the war. At book festivals, writers felt so strongly about links to Israel that organisers were forced to terminate their relationships with sponsors. I have not noticed any of these writers now putting pressure on Hamas to accept the ceasefire. This, it seems, is a less worthy use of their influence. The same is true of a multitude of celebrities on social media. I am confident that the majority of those who have attacked Israel online in recent months have said nothing about the terrorists of Hamas. I have not seen any popular hashtags calling for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire that would end the war. I have not seen the masses on TikTok mobilised against Sinwar and his backers in Iran. We should expect more of the same at the Glastonbury music festival. A number of artists will surely take the opportunity of their live televised performance on the BBC to condemn Israel and speak up for the rights of Palestinians. It is a terrible shame they do not realise that the best way to protect the civilians of Gaza is to pressure Hamas to stop the war and that the only way to Free Palestine is to end the tyranny and prejudice of its murderous government. The world feels upside down. Why is it that a democratic state that was the victim of the worst massacre in its history faces all the protest, all the opprobrium, all the demands to end the war, but the terrorist organisation which started it faces none? There is something so perverse about this that it should act as a warning to us all. It is not just that terrorists are avoiding responsibility for their crimes. What we are seeing is the growth of a movement, particularly among younger people, that seeks to de-legitimise the state of Israel. No other democratic country faces this kind of challenge to its right to exist. It is time for more people to speak up for Israel and understand that the threat it faces is not just at its borders but to the very right of Jewish people to have a homeland. Danny Cohen was the director of BBC Television from 2013 until 2015 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy oversees state-licensed pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Iowa. (Photo by Getty Images; logo courtesy the State of Iowa) The Iowa Board of Pharmacy alleges it is no longer in the public interest to let a western Iowa Walgreens store distribute controlled substances. The board has charged a Walgreens store in Sioux City with committing acts that render its registration under the Controlled Substances Act inconsistent with the public interest. The board has not publicly disclosed the nature of the alleged acts or any other basis for the charges. Businesses that stock or dispense controlled substance are required by law to be registered under both the Iowa and the federal Controlled Substances Acts. Federal registration is handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, while state regulations are the province of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. The Board of Pharmacy has also charged the Sioux City store with failure to create and maintain complete and accurate records, and with failure to maintain accountability of controlled substances. A hearing on the charges has been scheduled for Sept. 11. The street address of the Sioux City store has not been publicly disclosed by the board, but the corporate store number referenced in the charging documents corresponds to that of the store located at 4650 Morningside Ave. Earlier this year, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy charged eight other Walgreens stores in central and eastern Iowa with violating pharmacy-recordkeeping regulations related to controlled substances. While the basis of those charges was not publicly disclosed, they could be tied to a set of sanctions imposed in 2022, when the stores were penalized for a variety of alleged violations, including missing narcotics, a lack of qualified personnel and issues that caused some Iowans to lose access to their medications. The post Sioux City pharmacy faces charges from state licensing board appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. SLCPD raises money for children who lost their only parent SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Recently, SLCPD raised thousands of dollars to help five children who lost their only parent, offering them support through a difficult time. In a post by SLCPD, the department wrote that officers responded to a call for service involving five young children who had lost their mother, their only parent. Officers then spent hours with the children to help them cope with trauma. READ NEXT: Utah Treasure Hunt 2024 narrows down location with first set of hints According to the post, officers spent more than $600 of their own money to buy the kids new shoes, which the children said they desperately needed. Afterward, SLCPD officers and employees worked together to raise more funds, amounting to thousands of dollars, that went toward providing the children with new clothes and other needs. We couldnt be prouder of our officers. Each day they meet and exceed our expectations with their commitment to our community, the post said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Residents in a small Alabama town will be able to vote in their own municipal elections for the first time in decades after a four-year legal battle. A proposed settlement has been reached in the towns voting rights case, allowing Newbern, a predominantly Black town with 133 residents, to hold its first legitimate elections in more than 60 years. The towns next elections will be held in 2025. The settlement was filed June 21 and must be approved by U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose. For decades, white officials appointed Newberns mayor and council members in lieu of holding elections. Most residents werent even aware that there were supposed to be elections for these positions. This is just one of many examples of the countrys longstanding racist practices that deny Black folks the right to vote, said Leah Wong, a voting rights attorney with the Legal Defense Fund. White folks in this town essentially handed down the positions of power to one another. Throughout the decades, there were never any municipal elections held for mayor or town council. Black folks werent even told how to get on the town council. Newbern is about an hour away from Selma, where civil rights activists were brutally attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge while marching for voting rights in 1965. The settlement will reinstate Patrick Braxton as the mayor of Newbern, the first Black person to hold the position in the towns 170-year history. Capital B News had first reported about Braxtons fight. Braxton was the only candidate who filed qualifying paperwork with the county clerk in 2020, so he won the mayoral race by default. The incumbent, Haywood Woody Stokes III, hadnt even bothered to fill out the paperwork to run again. Haywood Stokes Jr., his father, had previously been mayor of the rural Black Belt town. After Braxton assumed office, he faced several obstacles. He discovered the locks to the town hall had been changed, and that the town council had held a secret special election in which they simply reelected themselves. They then reappointed Stokes III as mayor of Newbern in 2021. He has been acting as mayor ever since. There were no public notices announcing the special election, so the majority of residents didnt know about it, as the Legal Defense Fund noted in its lawsuit. This case matters so much because, on its face, it sounds so absurd that this could happen, but we see it mirrored in different parts of society all the time, said Wong, explaining the dynamics that can lead to the blatant racial disenfranchisement of an entire community, even in the digital age. Its not until we challenge those conditions do we realize how much work is being done from other folks to keep it that way. Braxton, who was born in Newbern and described himself as a handyman for the community, hasnt been able to access town funds since Stokes was appointed as mayor four years ago. He has used his own money to provide residents with COVID-19 supplies, as well as to host food drives and other events, according to The Guardian. My heart goes out to the town and the people in the town, he told HuffPost. Whatever I can do to make sure everything goes on and goes smoothly, I would do it for the community. Moving forward, my plans are trying to keep the community together and not be divided, he said. Related... BONNE TERRE, Mo. Local and state authorities have been made aware of an alligator sighting at Bonne Terre Lake. The lake is a public area and attracts frequent visitors, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. There is also a walking path around the edge of the lake. The alligator was said to be approximately 20 inches long and was not aggressive. The DNR alerted the Bonne Terre Police Department to the sighting. If you see the alligator, do not approach or attempt to wrangle the reptile. Youre asked to call St. Francois County Joint Communications at 573-431-3131 and report the sighting. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Members of Smart & Final Warehouse Workers, holding signs protest during a news conference outside Smart & Final Super Market in Burbank last year. (Ringo Chiu / For The Times) Hundreds of employees at two Smart & Final warehouses went on strike last week amid accusations the retail chain's parent company retaliated against them for unionizing and is planning mass layoffs. About 600 workers at the facilities in the City of Commerce and Riverside walked off the job Thursday. The work stoppage comes after a year of increasing tensions between the workers and Grupo Chedraui, the Mexican company that owns Smart & Final. At a meeting with employees in May last year, a Smart & Final executive announced that the company planned to close five Southern California distribution centers. The executive told employees at the warehouses they would be terminated and have to reapply for their jobs for lower pay when a new 1.4-million-square-foot facility in Rancho Cucamonga opened, according to several workers who attended the meeting. The announcement came shortly after workers at the City of Commerce facility had voted to unionize and days before a union election was scheduled to be held at the Riverside distribution center, leading to claims by employees and union officials that the move was in retaliation for the unionization push. Teamsters Local 630, which represents the workers, has filed more than 30 unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company is interfering with workers' right to organize, among other claims. Chedraui denies that its actions were retaliatory, saying the planned warehouse closures are part of a plan to integrate "five outdated and capacity-strained facilities that are spread across 2,000 square miles." "The Teamsters claims are simply not true," the company said in an emailed statement. "Our new facility will employ nearly 1000 people, creating hundreds more American jobs than exist today. This will substantially reduce our carbon footprint and enable us to continue providing affordable food to communities in California that need it the most." Chedraui said the strike, which began Thursday, hasn't caused any major disruptions in its operation of distribution centers. Grupo Chedraui acquired Smart & Final in 2021 for $620 million through its American subsidiary, Chedraui USA. Along with Smart & Final it operates two other chains in the U.S., El Super and Fiesta Mart, making it the fourth-largest grocery retailer in California, according to company news releases. It also operates stores in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Nevada. Many of the Smart & Final warehouse workers have been with the company for more than 20 or 30 years and make about $32 per hour, union organizers and workers said in interviews. At job fairs for prospective hires at the new distribution center, Chedraui is advertising pay at $20 an hour, the organizers and employees claim. "Things are very uncertain for us," said Daniel Delgado, who has worked for more than 19 years at Smart & Finals distribution center in Riverside. With the strike, "we are trying to send the company a message a message that we are tired of being looked at as a faceless number." "We know this company has made billions of dollars off our backs," he said. Chedraui USA had $7.5 billion in domestic sales in 2022, a 137% increase over its 2021 revenue, according to an analysis of the nation's top 100 retailers by the National Retail Federation. In April, state Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) wrote to Chedraui , warning that the company's plan to force warehouse workers to reapply for jobs appeared to violate a law he authored last year. The measure, Assembly Bill 647, aims to protect jobs of grocery employees, including warehouse workers, in the event of mergers or reorganizations of companies. And Daniel Yu, assistant chief of the California Labor Commissioner's Office, sent a letter in May to Chedraui, urging the company to suspend its plans to relocate its facility and delay hiring in order for his office to collect evidence to determine whether the company's actions violate labor law. The decision to strike this month came after a three-week work stoppage last year and other protests by employees. Maurice Thomas was among hundreds of workers who rallied outside a Smart & Final in Burbank in August. He joined the company about three years ago, leaving his job at a Frito-Lay plant in Texas to take care of his parents in California. "It's been real, real tough," Thomas said. "The company has no interest in bargaining with us, they are delaying until either we give up or they move to this new facility without us. But we are not going down without a fight," he said. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A viral social media post with more than 250,000 views and 24,000 likes claims that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has earned tens of millions of dollars despite having never held a job outside of elected office. Chuck Schumer has NEVER held a job in the private sector, and his net worth is $81 MILLION. He is just one example of why we need term limits. pic.twitter.com/uxjfoqkdeu C8 (@PecanC8) June 20, 2024 The post is false. New Yorks Schumer has spent his entire professional career in politics, but there is no evidence that he is worth nearly $81 million. Schumer began his nearly 50-year political career shortly after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1974. That year, Schumer ran for and won election to the New York State Assembly, where he served until he was elected to Congress in 1980. After serving in the U.S. House for almost two decades, Schumer won election to the U.S. Senate in 1998a position he has held ever since. Because specific financial data for individuals is rarely available publicly, it is difficult and often impossible to determine any one persons exact net worth, even for public officials. Some online resources, such as Open Secrets, make rough wealth estimates based on a persons public disclosures, but others often report net worth figures that are completely made up. The $81 million figure cited for Schumer originates from an Indian website that regularly shares false net worth figures. False financial claims against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which The Dispatch Fact Check debunked last month, originated from the same site. So, how much is Schumer actually worth? Members of the U.S. Senate are required by the Ethics in Government Act, Senate Rule 34, and Senate Rule 41, to file financial disclosure reports (FDRs) each year they are in office. FDRs require individuals to indicate only which range of values an asset falls within, so they cannot be used to determine someones precise wealth. However, they are the most reliable source of financial information for many elected officials. In his 2023 FDR, Schumer reported $100,001 to $250,000 of savings held jointly with his wife at the Congressional Federal Credit Union, and an additional $15,001 to $50,000 held jointly at Citibank. His only individual holding was an IRA account worth between $1,001 and $15,000, and the only reported liability was a jointly held mortgage worth between $100,001 and $250,000. Alongside his personal holdings, Schumer reported several accounts belonging solely to his wife, Iris Weinshall, who served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2000 to 2007 and now serves as the CEO of the New York Public Library. The accounts belonging to Weinshall include a New York State retirement and pension plan worth between $260,000 to $775,000, an IRA worth between $1,001 to $15,000, a City University of New York annuity plan worth between $42,000 and $185,000, a New York Public Library tax-deferred annuity plan worth between $450,000 and $1.1 million, and $1,001 and $15,000 in savings held at the Municipal Credit Union. Schumers exact net worth cannot be calculated from these numbers alone, however, his FDR suggests that his total wealth is significantly less than the $81 million claimed by the post. Even using the highest possible estimate for every reported asset value, Schumer and his wifes combined assets totaled only around $2.5 million in 2023. If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. (Bloomberg) -- South Africa is risking a $9.3 billion climate finance pact by delaying the closing of a number of coal-fired power plants, a panel appointed by the countrys environment minister said. Most Read from Bloomberg In an agreement known as the Just Energy Transition Partnership, South Africa won the bulk of the pledges from some of the worlds richest nations in loans, grants and guarantees in 2021. They offered to help the country reduce its dependence on coal for power generation on condition it phased out a number of its older plants using the dirtiest fuel. The worst power cuts on record last year prompted Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the state power utility, to delay shutting down the facilities. Eskom has said it has decided to postpone the decommissioning of three power plants Grootvlei, Hendrina and Camden until 2030. A unit in the South African presidency earlier this month made a presentation about the nations new plans to the World Bank-linked Climate Investment Funds, which is considering allocating $500 million to South Africa. Financing from the fund could trigger a further $2 billion in investment from other partners. The content and outcome of those discussions havent been disclosed. The JETP partner nations have been understanding of the energy security concerns but a misalignment with the goal of rapid decarbonization to the lower level of an emissions target range the government submitted to the United Nations could risk this finance, the National Environmental Consultative and Advisory Forum said in its report. They are unlikely to tolerate a significant reversal of the plans, according to the report. The UK, US, France, Germany and the European Union signed up to the pact in 2021 while the Netherlands and Denmark joined later. South Africa generates about 80% of its electricity from coal and has the most carbon intensive economy of any of the Group of 20 nations, which compromises most of the worlds largest economies. The 531-page report, parts of which were redacted, was commissioned by Environment Minister Barbara Creecy to advise her on an appeal by Eskom to keep power plants capable of producing 16 gigawatts of electricity open despite the breaching of emission limits. She accepted the recommendation that retrofitting five of the oldest plants with equipment to reduce sulfur-dioxide pollution was impractical and granted them exemptions until 2030. The panel expressed concern about Eskoms plans to keep the plants open for longer than initially planned, saying they emit the most greenhouse gases per unit of power produced of any of Eskoms 14 facilities. It also said a separate report commissioned by the minister on sulfur-dioxide pollution from Eskoms plants, which it studied, showed that the health impact of the pollutant has been underestimated. Morbidity impacts are likely to be orders of magnitude greater than any of the likely underestimated mortality impacts calculated to date for sulfur dioxide in South Africa, it cited the authors of the report, which hasnt been released publicly, as writing. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. SOUTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Right now, South Carolina is the only state in the country to not have a revenge porn law. It comes after Massachusetts passed a law last week criminalizing the act of sharing intimate images without consent. We have to address the fact that we are the only state in the United States without a revenge porn law, said South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey. Two years ago, Rep. Guffeys 17-year-old son shot and killed himself. While searching for answers as to why, the South Carolina lawmaker started receiving messages on Instagram from someone demanding money in exchange for nude pictures of his late son. The family soon discovered Gavin was a victim of sextortion. As a father, its our job to protect our families, Guffey told Queen City News. Not only did I let my son down by not being there, but I feel like I let my wife down and my other kid. I let my family down. That doesnt mean that I think I was a horrible father, but I would be wrong if I cant look back and say, what could I have done better? Since then, Guffey has filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the social media company of not doing more to protect children from online predators. He also created Gavins Law, which makes sexual extortion, including the blackmailing that comes with it, a felony offense. He says it still runs rampant in South Carolinas backyard. I deal with a lot, I mean, hundreds and hundreds, and Im not exaggerating that, of sextortion cases consistently, Guffey said. I dealt with three in one day last week just within the Charlotte metro area. While Gavins Law holds these predators accountable, Guffey says it doesnt go far enough, and unfortunately, South Carolina legislation doesnt move fast enough. Too often, we are looking at things and saying, how did this state do this? he said. Bills have been introduced, but none have made it across the finish line. Guffey would like to see something on the books and make adjustments as needed. We could couple it in so many different ways just to stop it, but ultimately, we get caught up in semantics, said Guffey. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. With at least 20 dead 15 of them security agents the terrorist attack carried out on Sunday against several churches and synagogues in the Caucasian Republic of Dagestan was one of the worst attacks suffered by Russia in recent years. The tragedy took place just a couple of weeks after Islamic State (ISIS) prisoners shocked Russia by taking guards hostage in the southern city of Rostov on Don, and three months after the massacre committed by the same Islamist group in the Crocus concert hall, on the outskirts of Moscow, where 145 people were killed. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, absolutely absorbed by his invasion of Ukraine, has chosen to relegate this terrorist escalation to the background. No. At the moment, no, Putin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday when asked by the Russian media if the president planned to address the people. No terrorist organization has yet taken responsibility for Sundays attack. On the Kremlins website, the only mention of the tragedy are the telephone conversation between Putin and the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, who both separately offered their condolences. By way of comparison, the last attack on Russian soil of this gravity Crocus aside took place in the St. Petersburg Metro on April 3, 2017, when a Russian-Uzbek citizen killed 15 people with a bomb. Putin who visited the scene of the crime that same day has not even commented on Sundays attack in Dagestan, nor has he set foot in the Crocus concert hall since the tragedy occurred in March. The war in Ukraine is consuming a large part of the resources available to Russian intelligence. Washington warned Moscow that Islamic terrorists were preparing a series of attacks on Russian territory before the Crocus tragedy, and on Monday, it became known that the attackers had been preparing the assault since at least mid-May, according to the Telegram channel Shot, which is specialized in police leaks. Then there is the astonishing ease with which on June 16, six ISIS prisoners took several employees of the Rostov-on-Don prison hostage. According to the official version, the prisoners broke the bars on their windows and went down several floors before silently capturing their own guards. However, this explanation has raised doubts even among the Russian elite, who are struck by how easily the terrorists were able to move about the prison. Where did those demons get the phones from? Where did they get the Islamic State flags from? Why didnt they shave their beards as prison rules dictate? State Duma deputy Yevgeny Popov asked on Telegram. His question was shared by other lawmakers such as Alexander Khinshtein. Police shortage Likewise, Russian authorities themselves recognize that there is a police shortage. We need 150,000 police officers, said Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of the Federation Council, on Monday. A district police officer works as many as four, 10 officers, and the salary they receive is not competitive at all, often lower than that of a courier or a taxi driver, she added. While there is a police shortage, spy and military organizations, such as the National Guard a separate army that only obeys the president have thousands of troops. Authorities are also concerned by how terrorists are becoming involved with social institutions. Three of the attackers killed in Dagestan were sons and nephews of the current head of the Sergokalinskiy district, Magomed Omarov. Whats more, another of the dead terrorists, Ali Zakarigayev, had been the chairman of the A Just Russia For Truth party one of the few groups with a presence in the state Duma in that same district until two years ago. Indeed, Zakarigayevs father, of the same name, had been locked up in preventive detention along with 35 other people two months ago for allegedly defrauding the local energy company Dagenergo of 2.8 billion rubles ($3 million), as revealed by the independent Russian media Agentsvo. Despite the Kremlins apparent control over the Caucasus, there is still the threat that there could be a new surge of violence. The resurgence of secessionist movements in the Caucasus regions after the demise of the Soviet Union has been compounded in the last decade by the proliferation of jihadist cells in the region. The Federal Security Service (FSB, heir of the KGB) often reports arrests and liquidations of people an official euphemism linked to the Islamic State. On May 17, officers of Russias omnipresent FSB killed a soldier from the Russian 49th Army who had defected to the Islamic State and was preparing an attack in the Caucasian region of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, according to the Baza Telegram channel. And on March 7, weeks before the Crocus concert hall attack, the FSB announced that it had prevented a cell of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) the same jihadist faction that would later carry out the concert hall massacre from attacking a synagogue in Moscow. Although the Kremlin has tried to link the March attack with Ukraine, the FSB itself announced on April 1 the arrest of several citizens in Dagestan who directly participated in the financing and provision of terrorist funds to the perpetrators of the terrorist act committed on March 22, 2024 at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Moscow. Russian authorities fear that the attacks will shake the countrys already fragile stability, which has been rocked by the war in Ukraine. They are trying to destabilize the social situation, Sergey Melikov, the head of the Republic of Dagestan, said on social media after the attacks. At that time, the police were arresting a group of men in the city of Pyatigorsk, also in southern Russia. They were arrested for dancing the lezginka a traditional Caucasian dance in the street while Russian forces were fighting the terrorist in Dagestan. Why are these people so happy? For the death of children, police officers and civilians? asked Dagestan Mayor Dmitry Voroshilov, on Telegram. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A South Carolina man was arrested after shots were fired from a vehicle and hit another, according to the Fairfield County Sheriffs Office. Taures Price, a 40-year-old Chester resident, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, unlawful possession of a firearm, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, the sheriffs office said in a news release. The shooting happened last Saturday, according to the release. At about 10 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the Peay Ridge community of Fairfield County, the sheriffs office said. Shots were fired from one vehicle toward another, according to the release. There were two people inside one vehicle that was hit by gunfire, but no one was injured in the shooting, according to the sheriffs office. Price was quickly identified ... as a shooter involved in this incident, the sheriffs office said. He was arrested Sunday, Fairfield County court records show. Price was taken to the Fairfield County Detention Center, according to the release. No bond was set and Price remains locked up at the jail, court records show. There was no word about a motive for the shooting, or if Price had a previous connection with either of the people in the vehicle that was hit by gunfire. Despite the arrest, the shooting continues to be investigated by the sheriffs office. In 2004, Price was arrested on a murder charge but eventually pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge, as well as two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill in 2005, according to court records. He was sentenced to serve 18 years in prison, followed by five years of probation, for the manslaughter charge, in addition to 10 year sentences for the assault charges, court records show. S.Korea battery maker apologises for deadly fire but says it complied with safety rules S.Korea battery maker apologises for deadly fire but says it complied with safety rules By Hyunsu Yim, Dogyun Kim and Daewoung Kim HWASEONG, South Korea (Reuters) -The CEO of a South Korean lithium battery manufacturer apologised on Tuesday following a massive factory fire that killed 23 workers, but said the company had complied with all required safety precautions and training. The fire on Monday, which began at a factory with 35,000 lithium batteries, produced thick smoke that spread quickly and the workers inside the second-floor location likely lost consciousness and succumbed within seconds, fire officials said. Firefighters with search dogs combed the gutted structure on Tuesday in Hwaseong, an industrial cluster southwest of the capital Seoul, and found the last person who had been unaccounted for, raising the death toll to 23. Seventeen of those who died were Chinese, and one was Laotian. The rest were South Koreans. Most of them were temporary workers at the plant which is run by South Korea-based Aricell, majority-owned by S-Connect. Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in South Korea are at risk from accidents like the factory fire, as they make up a large portion of the workforce but face a greater risk of injury or death. Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan offered condolences to the workers who were killed and apologised to everyone who had been affected by the accident. "We will be conscientiously taking part in the investigation by authorities and will do our best to determine the cause of the accident and to take measures to prevent a repeat of such an accident," Park told reporters at the scene of the fire. Officials from agencies including the National Forensic Service, police and the fire department entered the factory as part of a joint investigation. The fire was the latest industrial accident in a country where dozens of manufacturing workers lose their lives on the job each year despite repeated calls to improve workplace safety. "I ask the ministries of labour and industry and the National Fire Agency to conduct an urgent safety inspection and, where there is concern of an accident, take immediate measures," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said at a cabinet meeting. Park, the Aricell CEO, said the company had fully complied with safety procedures and training, but more than half of the 103 workers at the factory, including some of those killed, were contract workers dispatched by a manpower company. Established in 2020, Aricell makes lithium primary batteries for sensors and radio communication devices. It has 48 full-time employees, according to its latest regulatory filing and its LinkedIn profile. Its parent S-Connect supplies lithium-ion battery parts to Samsung SDI, one of the country's major secondary battery makers, according to S-Connect's website. Regulatory filings showed Aricell recorded a 2.6 billion won ($1.9 million) operating loss last year on 4.8 billion won revenue, and a 14% increase in accumulated debt to 23.8 billion won. It has recorded net losses every year since its founding. Shares of S-Connect, registered on the junior Kosdaq index, were trading 1.37% lower on Tuesday after plunging 22.5% on Monday following the news of the fire. A labour ministry official told Reuters it was investigating whether Aricell complied with safety regulations and gave adequate safety training for temporary foreign workers. Violations of those regulations are subject to criminal prosecution, the official said, requesting anonymity. When the fire started, sparks burst and white smoke rose, followed by several explosions from piles of batteries, according to a video footage of the inside of the factory, shown on local media. The workers tried to contain the flame with extinguishers but failed, and the factory room was soon engulfed in smoke, the video showed. Reuters could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video. Many of the bodies remain unidentified. Reuters journalists saw some wailing family members trying to enter the site, which had been cordoned off. ($1 = 1,386.2000 won) (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim, Daewoung Kim, Dogyun Kim in Hwaseong, Ju-min Park, Heekyong Yang in Seoul; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates, Jamie Freed and Raju Gopalakrishnan) South Korea on Tuesday announced North Korea sent another round of trash-filled balloons into the country. South Koreas president called the move despicable and irrational, and vowed to uphold military readiness at the border. South Korea said the North launched about 350 balloons carrying plastic bags of rubbish across the border on Monday, marking the Norths fifth campaign since late May, The Associated Press reported. About 100 of the balloons eventually landed on South Korean soil, mostly in Seoul and surrounding areas, the news wire added. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the Norths balloon campaign a despicable and irrational provocation in a speech Tuesday marking the anniversary of the Korean Wars outbreak, The AP reported. South Koreas Yonhap News Agency reported the North sent more balloons Tuesday, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who advised the public to not touch the balloons, and to report them to authorities. Trash balloons in previous launches have not carried dangerous substances, but have included cigarette butts, wastepaper, vinyl and plastic bags. South Korea briefly turned on its loudspeakers along the border in response on June 9, and resumed anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts. The loudspeaker blasts stopped in 2018 after a rare meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Reuters reported. The balloon launches are an apparent response to a campaign organized by South Korean activists and North Korean defectors who have launched balloons with anti-North Korea leaflets and other items, The AP reported. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters Tuesday the South Korean military is prepared to turn on its border loudspeakers again in response, The AP added. Tensions between North and South Korea have persisted in recent months, and escalated last week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an official partnership during Putins state visit. In the treaty, the leaders vowed to increase trade and defend each other in the event of an attack. The agreement marks a blow to the U.S., which has tried to isolate both nations for security purposes. Yoon on Tuesday slammed the treaty, describing it as anachronistic, per The AP. Last week, reports circulated that North Korea began building an apparent wall along the North Korean border, according to a BBC Verify analysis. An area of land inside of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which serves as a 155-mile-long buffer zone between the two nations, also appeared to be cleared, per BBC. The Associated Press reported last week North Koreas construction could be seeking to make it harder for North Korean civilians to move to the south. The Associated Press contributed reporting. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. South Korea says North Korea is again flying balloons toward the South, probably carrying trash In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korean soldiers wearing protective gears check the trash from a balloon presumably sent by North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. South Korea threatened Tuesday to restart anti-Pyongyang frontline propaganda broadcasts in the latest bout of Cold War-style campaigns between the rivals after North Korea resumed its trash-carrying balloon launches. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korea said North Korea was flying balloons likely carrying trash across the border for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, despite the Souths threat to retaliate with anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts in border areas. The development comes as the latest round of Cold War-style campaigns between the rival Koreas is flaring after North Korea recently signed a major defense deal with Russia that experts say could embolden the North to direct more provocations at its southern neighbor. A U.S. aircraft carrier temporarily docked at a South Korea port is to leave on Wednesday for a new trilateral military training involving the United States, South Korea and Japan. North Koreas military on Monday called the carriers deployment reckless and dangerous. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the balloons were moving southeast on Tuesday night after crossing the border. It asked the South Korean public not to touch any North Korean balloons that fall to the ground and to report them to police or military authorities. Seoul's city government later sent text messages to residents, telling them the balloons had reached the city, about an hour's drive from the border, and urging them to be beware of any falling objects. The balloons are North Koreas sixth launch since late May. North Korea says the balloons activities are a tit-for-tat response to South Korean activists flying political leaflets via balloons. On Monday night, about 100 North Korean balloons eventually landed on South Korean soil, mostly in Seoul and nearby areas. The trash carried by those balloons was largely paper and no hazardous items were discovered, according to South Korea's military. Previous North Korean balloon launches included manure, cigarette butts and waste batteries, along with scraps of cloth and waste papers. No major damage was reported. In response, South Korea redeployed gigantic loudspeakers on June 9 along the border for the first time in six years and briefly resumed anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts. Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters earlier Tuesday that the South Korean military was ready to turn on its border loudspeakers again. A written Joint Chiefs of Staff statement said officials would examine unspecified strategic operational circumstances and that broadcasts resumption would depend on how North Korea acts. The South Korean military didnt immediately say how it would respond to North Koreas latest balloon campaign. In a Tuesday speech marking a Korean War anniversary, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called North Koreas balloon activities a despicable and irrational provocation. He said South Korea will maintain a firm military readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea. Balloon launches and loudspeaker broadcasts were among psychological campaigns that the two Koreas specialized in during the Cold War. The rivals agreed to halt such activities in recent years, but have occasionally resumed them when animosities rekindled. North Korea is highly sensitive to South Korean border broadcasts and civilian leafletting campaigns as it bans most of its 26 million people official access to foreign news. Past South Korean border broadcasts included K-pop songs, weather forecasts and outside news. South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns have been led by North Korean defectors, who say they want to help the North Korean people learn the truth of their authoritarian government. In a statement Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called those North Korea-born activists human scum and disgusting defectors. South Korean officials maintain they do not restrict activists from flying leaflets to North Korea in line with a 2023 constitutional court ruling that struck down a law criminalizing such leafleting, calling it a violation of free speech. Many experts say the North Korean balloon campaign is also likely designed to deepen a debate in South Korea over the civilian leafleting and trigger a broader internal divide. Worries about North Korea intensified last week, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on a deal requiring each country to provide aid if attacked and vowed to boost other cooperation. Observers say the accord represents the strongest connection between the two countries since the end of the Cold War. The U.S. and its partners believe North Korea has been providing Russia with much-needed conventional arms for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance. In his Korean War speech, Yoon described the Kim-Putin deal as anachronistic. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan issued a joint statement Monday strongly condemning expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Later Tuesday, Yoon boarded the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier docked at a southeastern port and told American and South Korean troops there that the two countries alliance is the worlds greatest and can defeat any enemy. Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to board a U.S. aircraft carrier since 1994. Yoon said the U.S. carrier is to leave the South Korean port Wednesday for a new trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan drill. The multidomain Freedom Edge exercise is aimed at sharpening the countries combined response in various areas of operation, including air, sea and cyberspace. The U.S. aircraft carrier's arrival is meant to cope with North Koreas nuclear threats and its advancing military partnerships with Russia, South Korean officials said. North Korea has previously called major U.S.-South Korean drills invasion rehearsals and reacted with missile tests. Antelope run as they migrate through national parks and surrounding areas in South Sudan, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, June 25, found about 6 million antelope. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) BADINGILO and BOMA NATIONAL PARKS, South Sudan (AP) Seen from the air, they ripple across the landscape a river of antelope racing across the vast grasslands of South Sudan in what conservationists say is the world's largest land mammal migration. The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday, found about 6 million antelope. The survey over a two-week period last year in two national parks and nearby areas relied on spotters in airplanes, nearly 60,000 photos and tracking more than a hundred collared animals over about 46,000 square miles (120,000 square kilometers). The estimate from the nonprofit African Parks, which conducted the work along with the government, far surpasses other large migratory herds such as the estimated 1.36 million wildebeests surveyed last year in the Serengeti straddling Tanzania and Kenya. But they warned that the animals face a rising threat from commercial poaching in a nation rife with weapons and without strong law enforcement. Saving the last great migration of wildlife on the planet is an incredibly important thing," said Mike Fay, a conservation scientist who led the survey. Theres so much evidence that the worlds ecosystems are collapsing, the world resources are being severely degraded and its causing gigantic disruption on the planet. The east African nation is still emerging from five years of fighting that erupted in 2013 and killed nearly 400,000 people. Elections scheduled for last year were postponed to this December, but few preparations are in place for those. Violence continues in some areas, with some 2 million people displaced and 9 million 75% of the population reliant on humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. The migration is already being touted as a point of national pride by a country trying to move beyond its conflict-riddled past. Billboards of the migration recently went up in the capital of Juba, and the government has aspirations that the animals may someday be a magnet for tourists. South Sudan has six national parks and a dozen game reserves covering more than 13% of the terrain. The migration stretches from east of the Nile in Badingilo and Boma parks into neighboring Ethiopia an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Georgia. It includes four main antelope, the white-eared kob of which there are some 5 million the tiang, the Mongalla gazelle and bohor reedbuck. The survey said some animals have increased since a more limited one in 2010. But it described a catastrophic decline of most non-migratory species in the last 40 years, such as the hippo, elephant and warthog. Associated Press journalists flying over the stunning migration of thousands of antelope last week saw few giraffes and no elephants, lions or cheetahs. Trying to protect the animals over such a vast terrain is challenging. In recent years, new roads have increased people's access to markets, contributing to poaching. Years of flooding have meant crop failures that have left some people with little choice but to hunt for food. Some 30,000 animals were being killed each month between March and May this year, African Parks estimated. The government hasn't made a priority of protecting wildlife. Less than 1% of its budget is allocated to the wildlife ministry, which said it has few cars to move rangers around to protect animals. Those rangers say they haven't been paid a salary since October and are outgunned by poachers. South Sudan President H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit said the country is committed to turning its wealth of wildlife into sustainable tourism. He called on the Ministry of Wildlife to prioritize training and equipping rangers to fight poaching. Matthew Kauffman, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey and a professor of zoology at the University of Wyoming, said the work fits a growing global effort to map these migrations." One benefit is to be smarter when landscapes are developed to make way for these seasonal movements, he said. Villagers near the parks told AP they mostly hunted to feed their families or to barter for goods. A newly paved road between Juba and Bor the epicenter of the illegal commercial bushmeat trade has made it easier for trucks to carry large quantities of animals. Bor sits along the Nile, about 27 miles (45 kilometers) from Badingilo Park. In the dry season, animals coming closer to the town to drink are vulnerable to killing. Officials at the wildlife ministry in Bor told AP the killing of animals had doubled in the last two years. Even when those involved in the industry are caught, the consequences can be minor. A few years ago, when wildlife rangers came to arrest Lina Garang for selling animals, she said they let her go, instead telling her to conduct business more discreetly. Garang, 38, said her competition has only grown, with 15 new shops opening along her strip to buy and sell animals. Part of the challenge is that there is no national land management plan, so roads and infrastructure are built without initial discussions about where best placed. The governments also allocated an oil concession to a South African company in the middle of Badingilo that spans nearly 90% of the park. African Parks is trying to square modernizing the country with preserving the wildlife. The organization has been criticized in the past for not engaging enough with communities and taking an overly militarized approach in some of the nearly two dozen areas it manages in Africa. The group says its strategy in South Sudan is focused on community relations and aligning the benefits of wildlife and economic development. One plan is to create land conservancies that local communities would manage, with input from national authorities. African Parks has set up small hubs in several remote villages and is spreading messages of sustainable practices, such as not killing female or baby animals. Peter Alberto, undersecretary for the ministry of wildlife, conservation and tourism, said the government hopes the migration can become a point of pride, and reshape how the world thinks of South Sudan. As for tourism, that may take a while. There aren't hotels or roads to host people near the parks, and the only option is high-end trips for what one tour company official called a high-risk audience. Theres fighting between tribes and attacks by gunmen in the area, and pilots told AP theyve been shot at while flying. Will Jones, chief exploration officer for Journeys by Design, a UK-based tour company, charges roughly $150,000 per person for a weeklong tour in South Sudan. He said there isn't strong demand. Locals trying to protect the wildlife say its hard to shift people's mentality. In the remote village of Otallo on the border with Ethiopia, young men have started buying motorbikes. What had been an all-day trip on foot to cross the border to sell animals now takes just five hours, allowing them to double the number of animals they take and make multiple trips. One of them, Charo Ochogi, said he'd rather be doing something else but there are few options, and he's not worried about the animals disappearing. The kob isn't going to finish. They'll reproduce, he said. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. South Sudan is trying to protect the largest land mammal migration in history by partnering with the nonprofit organization African Parks to safeguard the migratory species that rely on the ecosystem to survive. The migration has enabled animals such as the white-eared kob, tiang, Mongalla gazelle and bohor reedbuck -- all types of antelope -- to survive seasonal changes for decades. The partnership aims to protect up to six million animals on the east bank of the White Nile, a tributary of the Nile. Despite several challenges in the country -- including destructive fooding, famine and a recent Civil War -- many animals have survived by sticking to ancient migration routes. The animals travel through a so-called "No Man's Land," which are vacant areas bordering the various tribes that indigenous people leave free for the animals to journey through. MORE: Nearly half of the world's migratory species are in decline, UN report warns In 2022, African Parks and the government of the Republic of South Sudan signed a 10-year agreement for the management of Boma National Park and Bandingilo National Park, which both fall in "No Man's Land" to help protect the species. Researchers have long known the migration existed, but didn't understand exactly how it worked. To learn the animals' migration patterns, African Parks with South Sudanese students at Juba University and people from ethnic groups conducted aerial surveys over six months in 2023. The aerial surveys collected eight hours of daily data, counting every animal and identifying each species. PHOTO: Antelopes migrating from South Sudan in search of water resources during the dry season. (African Parks) After observing their patterns, African Parks noticed that the animals moved in a circular route influenced by rainfall, meaning the animals were trying to find water resources during their migration -- typical for them during migration. "We flew for the first 30 to 40 minutes, and we didn't see anything. I was like, 'Oh, no, maybe it's over. Maybe the wildlife has already disappeared,'" David Simpson, park manager for African Parks, told ABC News, sharing his insights from being aboard an aircraft for one of the surveys. "Then we get out there and we start hitting one, two, three, four. Then we start hitting hundreds and then we start hitting thousands, and then tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands." African Parks began collaring species involved in the migration, as well as giraffes, lions, Nile lechwe, elephants and cheetahs, to track their movements and understand the factors driving them. Last year, African Parks rangers collared 126 animals across different species, and this year they collared 127 animals, with plans to increase the number each subsequent year. There are seventeen ethnic groups in South Sudan, each depending on the animals for clothing, shelter materials, medicine and to uphold their cultural traditions. The groups said they believe the migration is a sacred symbol of abundance and prosperity, believing it reflects the relationship with nature that they've known from generation to generation. MORE: Loss of sea ice putting migrating beluga whales in danger The communities are also collaborating with African Parks to learn how to implement conservation measures that reduce threats to wildlife and help preserve various species. "Most of the people view the migration as something that has been going on for centuries," Anthony Abang John Urbano, a member of the Bahr el Ghazal tribe, told ABC News. Urbano has worked as a backseat observer during African Parks' aerial surveys and continues to work as control operator with the organization. "When it comes to some specific communities, [the migration is] a mystery, but they all are benefiting from the same migration -- it's a mutual benefit," he said. PHOTO: An elephant being collared to track its movement across the landscape. (African Parks) In an effort to bridge the gaps between conservation and indigenous survival, African Parks has brought on numerous indigenous members to be part of its team. Together they say they are working with ethnic communities to raise awareness about animal conservation, preserving the ecosystem and fostering community involvement. "They are really proud that we are exposing that natural resource, especially the wildlife under conservation of South Sudan," Juanna Kenneth Ali, a member of the Moru tribe and technician for African Parks, told ABC News. "They are really proud that I am part of a group who did great work exposing our nature to the world". It comes as South Sudan faces increasing human development including the creation of roads and the commercialization of bushmeat poaching, which poses a threat to the sustainability of wildlife and ethnic communities. African Parks predicts that if the partnership with the South Sudanese government doesn't continue and indigenous groups are not educated about conservation, the animals could vanish within five to 10 years. However, conservation must be balanced with tourism, which is needed to help boost the economy., the group says. "When it comes to understanding the wildlife and interacting communities, human development can only lead to a sign of an animal losing its natural behaviors and, some suggest losing agility," noted Mapour Kuot Mungu, a control operator of African Parks' South Sudan team and a member of the Bahr el Ghazal tribe, told ABC News. "With time, these animals become vulnerable to practices being caused by humans." South Sudan's epic effort to protect the world's largest mammal migration originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Spain sends second batch of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, media says Spain has delivered a second batch of anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine. Source: Spanish news agency EFE, citing sources in the Spanish government, as reported by El Mundo Sources said that the second batch of missiles from Spain arrived in Ukraine last Friday, 21 June, in addition to the first batch that was delivered at the end of April. The missiles for the Patriot are part of a "significant shipment" expected to take place in June this year, as reported by Defence Minister Margarita Robles on 25 May during a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format. Background: Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned an agreement with Spain regarding assistance in strengthening air defence, but he did not disclose the details until all deliveries were approved. Prior to that, there were media reports that Spain would send Patriot air defence missiles and Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine as part of a previously announced aid package. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Spanish Prime Minister signed a bilateral security agreement, according to which Spain will provide 1 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2024. Support UP or become our patron! Spain's Socialist Justice Minister Felix Bolanos (L) and EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova (C) speak before signing an agreement on the replacement of key judicial posts. Spain's ruling Socialists and the largest opposition party, the People's Party (PP), were able to reach an agreement after a good five years of dispute. Comision Europea/EUROPA PRESS/dpa After a dispute lasting more than five years, Spain's ruling Socialists (PSOE) and the largest opposition party, the conservative People's Party (PP), have reached an agreement, mediated by the EU, on the replacement of key judicial posts. Spain's Socialist Justice Minister Felix Bolanos and conservative member of the European Parliament (MEP) Esteban Gonzalez Pons reached the agreement with the support of European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova in Brussels on Tuesday. "It is a great day for our democracy and for our rule of law," Bolanos told journalists in Brussels. Due to the blockade, the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) had only been in office on an acting basis since 2018 and many judicial posts could not be filled. The two parties have now agreed on a list of names for the future members of the CGPJ, state TV channel RTVE reported. The agreement came just before the expiry of an ultimatum that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had given the PP. If no agreement had been reached by Sunday, the government planned to introduce a law that would have withdrawn the authority to appoint judges to the supreme courts from the CGPJ, which now only holds executive power. The judicial dispute was about overcoming the blockade in the renewal of posts in the CGPJ. The EU had repeatedly called on Spain to resolve the dispute swiftly. The CGPJ is a judicial control council which also appoints the judges of the supreme courts. It is authorized to elect two members of the Constitutional Court. Conservatives have held the majority on the council since the times when the PP was in power. In 2018, the PP lost power and had to go into opposition. Since then, it has tried to maintain the conservative majority in the CGPJ. As recommended by the European Commission in its report on the rule of law in Spain for the years 2022 and 2023, the agreement includes the decision to press ahead with the immediate renewal of the CGPJ and to present a proposal for an organic law to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and, finally, to appoint a new judge to the Constitutional Court. This should be approved at a plenary session of the Congress of Deputies in July. Twelve of the 20 members of the CGPJ are nominated by the judges and must be confirmed by parliament with a 60% majority, while the remaining eight are elected directly by parliament without any input from the judges. This procedure gives political parties considerable influence over the judiciary. (L-R) Conservative MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons, EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova and Spain's Socialist Justice Minister Felix Bolanos sign an agreement on the replacement of key judicial posts. Spain's ruling Socialists and the largest opposition party, the People's Party (PP), were able to reach an agreement after a good five years of dispute. Comision Europea/EUROPA PRESS/dpa EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova speaks at a press conference after the signing of an agreement between Spain's ruling Socialists and the largest Spanish opposition party, the People's Party (PP). Comision Europea/EUROPA PRESS/dpa When Amara Harris was a junior at Naperville High School in 2019, she realized that she had lost her airpods. As a result, she went back to the table in the area where students get together before class. When she got there, she found a pair of AirPods. Assuming they were hers, she grabbed them and continued her day. But when she was told that the serial number of the AirPods she grabbed matched the number of a students pair, Harris immediately turned them in to the school dean so they could be returned, according to NBC News. Despite this, Harris was accused of stealing the Bluetooth headphones two weeks later after an officer from the Naperville Police ticketed her for $100. Harris denied paying the fine, claiming she never stole the headphones. This led to an ensuing four-year legal battle that ended in August 2023, when it was found that she did not steal the Airpods and was not required to pay the $100 fine for violating the ordinance against theft. Now, the recent Spelman College graduate is getting back at the city of Naperville, and the members of the police department who accused her of stealing the Airpods. In a $20 million civil rights lawsuit, Harris claims that she was the victim of a police department that has a history of improperly issuing tickets to students for minor infractions, and disproportionately targeting students of color, according to the lawsuit. More from NBC News: It was just very hard because I was in school with the accusation, Harris said. It was a shocking surprise to me that took a really huge toll on my mental state. I was angry. I was sad. I felt that I was targeted. Harris mother, Marla Baker, said her daughter, once an outgoing cheerleader, now barely speaks above a whisper and keeps to herself. I try to hold my tears back because I know shes fighting through depression, and shes fighting through anxiety. She is building up trust for people again, Baker said. She is persevering through all of those things right now and she is getting back to that big personality, that big smile. Its estimated that Harris had to attend nearly 50 hearings before her case went to trial and she had to constantly travel back and forth from Atlanta (where Spelman College is located) and Naperville to fight her case, according to NBC News. The two members of the Naperville Police Department Harris named in her lawsuit are Juan Leon, the man who originally ticketed her, and Sgt. Jonathan W. Pope, Leons supervisor. Despite the lawsuit, Naperville City Attorney Mike DiSanto claims both the city and the police department handled the case perfectly, as the allegations made against them are without merit, per the report from NBC News. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger adjourns the Senate after a vote to override a veto on an abortion restrictions bill on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C. Republicans have a veto-proof supermajority in the General Assembly, with the ability to overturn a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. With a budget agreement remaining elusive, Republicans in the North Carolina Senate approved their own spending proposal on Monday. The GOP-controlled General Assembly convened for the short session in April, and one of the items on the legislative agenda was an adjustment bill to make any changes needed to spending in the second year of the two-year state budget that Republicans enacted in October. Over the last few weeks, however, talks between House and Senate Republicans have broken down. Last week, House Republicans released and voted on their own version of a budget. Neither chamber is willing to take up the others bill, and GOP leaders are running out of time to reach an agreement, with the House and Senate planning to go home at the end of this week. That isnt necessarily a bad thing, House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate leader Phil Berger, and other top Republicans have said, since theres already a two-year spending plan in place. If an agreement on making adjustments isnt reached, spending for the second year will go in effect as passed. The Senate convened Monday evening to take up its spending plan and seven other bills, including a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana to treat certain ailments like cancer and ALS. The chamber approved its spending plan in a 27-18 vote, sending the proposal to the House. Berger has said that there remains a wide gulf between the Senate and House, and that the two chambers have yet to get close on agreeing on even an overall spending number. Moore said last week that the chambers were only $30 million apart on a $32 billion budget, while Berger put the difference at $312 million in new net general fund spending, and $523.8 million in total spending. Might need to buy a calculator, Berger told reporters last week. The Senates proposal doesnt contain any additional raises on top of the raises that were passed for the coming fiscal year in last years budget. Most state employees will get a 3% raise under the second year of the budget in place. The Houses proposal would add an additional 1% raise, giving most state employees 4% this year. Both the House and Senate plans would provide millions to clear a backlog of more than 55,000 students who applied for private school vouchers this year. Demand for the Opportunity Scholarship program surged after Republicans removed income eligibility limits last year. The two proposals also provide similar amounts of funding around $135 million for child care, to address the expiration of federal COVID-19 pandemic relief grants on June 30. Child care advocates have said the state needs $300 million to prevent the widespread closure of child care centers. During Mondays debate, Sen. Brent Jackson of Sampson County, one of the Senates budget chairs, said that even if the Senate isnt able to reach an agreement with the House, he was confident the state would continue to be in good shape. Another top GOP budget writer, Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County, said that there was nothing in the Senates proposal that he had heard that the House was opposed to. Republicans voted down a number of amendments filed by Democrats, including proposals to increase teacher pay and provide money to improve and modernize election administration. Under the Dome Get the latest news about North Carolina politics from The News & Observer's award-winning team. Get the free digest sent to your inbox by signing up here. The life of Michael DeBruhl, 67, has evolved on the border. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, DeBruhl has gone from being a border patrol agent to directing a migrant reception center. It is an unusual trajectory that he takes in stride (I grew up two blocks from the border) but which involves an unusual journey: after years spent detaining migrants and controlling access to the U.S., he now receives the new arrivals and welcomes them in their first days in the country. Michael DeBruhl chatting with a migrant at a Texas shelter. In the mid-1980s, DeBruhl was working as a teacher when his father took him to a job fair. There he came across the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stand, and decided to join them. CBP agents have good working conditions and a generous pension, which can be considered a luxury in a country like the United States. They are in charge, among other tasks, of controlling the border and arresting people who try to enter the country illegally. Being a border patrol agent is like being a police officer, you only think about law enforcement, explains the former agent. His father had worked for 40 years at the ports of entry. These are the places to access the country legally, such as airports, roads or seaports. DeBruhl says that when he graduated from the CBP academy, his father gave him advice that would shape his career. Border patrol is not like customs; you deal with people, with human beings. Always treat people with respect, give them the dignity they deserve. Never eat in front of anyone unless you are going to share your lunch with them; treat people how you would like to be treated yourself. DeBruhl never forgot those words. Michael DeBruhl with then-U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in 1993. After 26 years as an agent, it was time to retire agents must do so when they turn 55. From then on, time opened before his eyes and he made the decision to volunteer at the Casa del Sagrado Corazon (House of the Sacred Heart) Church in El Paso, which serves migrants who have just crossed the border, helping them with basic needs before they go on their way. Since late 2022, DeBruhl has taken over as director of the church-linked migrant shelter. The shelter was opened a couple of years ago in a critical situation. Its actual capacity is 120 people, but at that time they were able to provide shelter to between 200 and 250 people, while about 800 more were on the streets. All this happened just two days before Christmas. It was a very delicate moment, he explains. A mother and her son, from Venezuela, hope to cross in El Paso (Texas). Adrees Latif (REUTERS) For newcomers, the House of the Sacred Heart is just a brief stop on their journey north. The shelter welcomes migrants for two to five days, so they can take a break. The main thing is to make them feel safe, to ensure they have three meals a day, clothing, that they are in contact with their sponsors (relatives or friends living legally in the U.S. who agree to financially support the newcomers), and that they can find out how they are going to move north. As for what migrants appreciate most when they arrive at the shelter, DeBruhl says its the little things, like the simple act of choosing your own clothes. The former border patrol agent knows the two sides of the same coin. And that is why he emphasizes the gap between the orders given from Washington and what actually happens on the border. President Joe Bidens new executive order, which has been in effect for three weeks, makes it even more difficult for migrants to request asylum. What will happen on the ground remains to be seen, says DeBruhl. The lies and false ideas that people have about migrants, their demonization, pushed the agent to work to help the new arrivals. I heard things like everyone is a criminal. Ive interviewed hundreds of migrants, maybe a thousand, and I know that is not true. Therefore, I wanted to bring some truth to the discussion: the history of migrants in the United States is positive, migrants built this country. Children play at the Pan y Vida shelter, located in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, on the border with El Paso. Monica Gonzalez His own past also helped him bring a lot of knowledge to his new role. He knew how the system worked, the paperwork, the problems of migrants when they arrive, and how to get them on their way with information. As a volunteer and now as the shelter director, he has had to sit across the table from border patrol agents on multiple occasions. After 26 years of service during which he was rarely in his hometown, DeBruhl returned to El Paso. I never expected to return, but the mountains called me, theres no place like home. The Texas native, who considers himself Mexican-American, explains that he moved near the mountains, which was a full circle because it reminded him of his routes as a Border Patrol agent and the place where he grew up. The shelter he runs is in Segundo Barrio, a district of El Paso known for being one of the most humble neighborhoods in the city. It is also a historically migrant, Hispanic area, specifically of people of Mexican descent, although now there are other Latinos as well. Currently 80% or 90% of the people who come to the shelter are Venezuelans, says its director. For him, Segundo Barrio is also home. When I was eight years old I used to play here, my parents parents lived here for a time. DeBruhl has a critical and courageous view of the immigration system, which is surely why his trajectory is so unusual. We have to open more avenues for migrants, he says, and demands more resources. Funding is needed to support the (legalization) pathways that already exist, such as appointments to apply for asylum. Securing the border is important, but it is also necessary to expand the avenues for legal migration. You can have both at the same time, it doesnt have to be one or the other. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition What is a spoilt ballot and what happens when someone does it? The UK will hold a referendum on July 4 to choose the person who will represent them in parliament. The issue that remains, though, is what one should do if they disagree with any candidate's policies. There are two options you can take. Naturally, abstaining from voting is the first option, but there is also another, more efficient way for people to voice their political disapproval: tampering with votes. At least thats what Sadiq Khan said he would do in the Rochdale by-election in February. The Mayor of London was speaking in response to the Labour party's rejection of a previous nominee, Azhar Ali, after he made controversial remarks about Gaza. Khan told the News Agents podcast, because I believe in democracy and I believe in voting and the sacrifices made, I would go and vote. I would go to the polling station and I would probably spoil my ballot paper. George Galloway, a former Labour MP who defected from the party during the Iraq war, is the current incumbent, for the Workers Party. His main opposition in the general election is Labours new candidate, Paul Waugh, a senior political journalist who grew up in Rochdale. What does it mean to spoil a ballot? A spoiled ballot is a voting card that has been filled out improperly on purpose. Vote tampering is not prohibited by law and can take several different forms. On the other hand, there are specific methods by which a deliberately spoiled ballot could be counted. How do people generally do it? Upon receiving your ballot whether in person or via mail you can spoil it by writing a private note, placing an X where it shouldn't be, drawing a big X across the page, or leaving it blank. Identifying yourself by writing down personal information, like your address, is another technique to tamper with an election. In order to achieve this goal of perceived voter indistinguishability, all "doubtful ballots" are arranged separately and placed on a tray for finalisation. Nevertheless, if you put another symbol like an exclamation point or smiley face in the box next to a candidate's name instead of an X, the vote can still be tallied. What happens if a ballot is spoilt? When ballots are counted, a spoilt vote is often rejected, meaning it wont count towards anything. How many spoilt ballots were there at previous elections? During the 2015 elections, spoilt votes made up 0.3 per cent. The same year, not voting took up the largest category, with a third of registered voters not voting (nearly 16 million). It is not known how many spoiled their vote during the 2019 general election, but it was most likely an increase from 2015 due to many demanding to take the UK out of the EU. ST. CLOUD Inspiration Mock Orbiter arrived in St. Cloud this weekend. Its arrival comes after months of high anticipation. We are excited to have the space shuttle and its part of space travel history in St. Cloud, Mayor Dave Kleis said. Inspiration will be a big draw to our community and Minnesota. Pieces of St. Cloud's new space shuttle sitting at the public works building, with its future up in the air. The full-scale space shuttle orbiter replica came to St. Cloud from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will likely be used to simulate a virtual, data-based spaceflight experience, LVX System Founder and CEO Felicity John Pederson said. Wanna visit Saturn? Pederson said. Scientists and astronomers have collected enough data with probes and telescopes to virtually recreate what itd be like to see, almost feel Saturn up close. Not to mention countless other places in deep space. However, the plans for this virtual reality experience arent set in stone. Pederson said an official proposal will be announced in roughly two months. During its roughly 10-day trip up to Minnesota, the 140'-long truck carrying Inspirations 25-ton fuselage (main body) and another vehicle hauling its support equipment rolled through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. As it was such a large load, there were a few challenges, including two-lane highways, special permits in a few states, a police escort in Indiana, mountainous roads and a tight squeeze under a bridge. Eight truckloads of Inspiration parts have already arrived in the Granite City. Inspiration, according to Pedersons general plan, is going to be re-assembled inside a large dome,serving as a main attraction of a new, non-profit educational spaceport complex. He expects three or four moresuch spheres, each sponsored by its own partner, to be part of the attraction. Pederson chose St. Cloud in part due to its central location, which will make the shuttle accessible to Minnesotans across the state. More: The space shuttle's unclear future St. Cloud's future space shuttle doesn't have set-in-stone plans Pederson said the state has shown interest in the project, as well as an airline carrier and Minnesota Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-14, who represents the St. Cloud area. The space shuttle Inspiration is going to contribute so much to our community, Putnam said. Sure, itll provide an economic boom, but Im most excited by how its presence is going to inspire young people to dream big. Corey Schmidt covers local government for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Inspiration Mock Orbiter space shuttle lands in St. Cloud DENVER (KDVR) One of two inspection reports released Monday on the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System hospital in Aurora showed that staffing changes led to two pauses on cardiothoracic surgeries including one that lasted more than a year, and leadership did not inform the Central VA office. The VA Office of the Inspector General was tasked with seeing if facility leaders had changed staffing in such a way that it adversely affected the provision of cardiothoracic surgeries in the surgical ICU without adequate planning. Will TSA stop you for edibles, CBD products in your luggage? In April 2022, five adult critical care nurses resigned, transferred or retired due to unfavorable changes to surgical nurse schedules. Because of this, cardiothoracic surgeries were soon paused that year, from June 13 to July 12, while the facility attempted to emergently hire providers. A second CT surgery pause was implemented a few months later and lasted from September 2022 through October 2023. The OIG report said during that time, all former CT surgical staff had either resigned (three) or were terminated (one). However, leadership failed to notify the Veterans Affairs central office of the second pause on surgeries, according to the report. OIG investigators could not determine if the changes were made without adequate planning when the five critical care nurses resigned in April 2022, but the lack of a 24/7 ICU care team for surgical patients adversely affected the provision of CT surgical services. The facility contracted with the University of Colorado to resume the CT surgeries, according to the OIG. Image shows the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Aurora. ICU changes affect residencies, report finds In addition, facility leaders made the medical ICU a closed unit in January 2023 without appropriate planning or discussion with service leaders and staff involved in ICU processes and patient care. According to the OIG report, the change had been discussed at the facility since 2021, and an assessment of the facility had recommended a closed ICU model. None of this was shared with the central VA, according to the OIG. The OIG found that the suddenly closed ICU resulted in a lack of ICU resident supervision and an ineffective teaching environment for ICU residents. The OIG report said that ICU residents did not have overnight and on-site supervision and instead were instructed to rely on TeleCritical Care. The OIG report found that residents felt insufficiently supported and increasingly concerned about not being able to perform their duties well or safely.' Denverites spend almost 2 hours on travel every day, report finds The overnight resident rotation was discontinued in May 2023 after more staff was brought on board, according to the report. However, the OIG found that residents did meet the needs of critically ill patients as required, but found that the unclear guidance for staff may put patients at risk for adverse clinical outcomes. VA Rocky Mountain responds to Inspector General report As a result, the OIG recommended that the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System director: Review and finalize a policy for call escalation and train attendings, fellows, residents, and staff members on the policy Review root cause analysis requirements for interviewing individuals relevant to the root cause analyses and ensure staff are trained accordingly VA Rocky Mountain Network Director Sunaina Kumar-Giebel told FOX31 in a statement that the VA is committed to patient care and safety. Allegations of unsafe patient care or misconduct are taken seriously. As part of existing allegations against former VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System leadership and risks associated with patient care in the ICU, VA OIG conducted an inspection to determine the full and complete details of the allegations and their validity, Kumar-Giebel said. These investigations will help ensure Veterans, employees, and stakeholders have full confidence in the quality and integrity of the leaders and care delivery provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Throughout the last Parliament, a number of both Labour and Conservative MPs sought to pressure the Government into banning so-called conversion therapy. On the face of it, this may seem a noble aim. Some of the therapies employed in the past to attempt to change a persons sexual orientation were utterly abhorrent and included the use of electric shock treatment and rape. But of course mercifully these practices are now very much illegal, and the Government Equalities Office found no evidence that they are taking place today in the UK. Non-violent but coercive practices are also illegal, and we have a whole host of legislation that covers harassment, sexual abuse, domestic abuse and homophobic speech and discrimination. Yet for many campaigners, this isnt enough and they have repeatedly called not only for a ban on attempts to alter someones sexuality, but for this ban to include a prohibition on changing someones gender identity. And this is where the task of drafting effective legislation moves from the difficult to the impossible pile. Because, in law or in fact, there is no objectively verifiable definition or test of gender identity. This is why two attempts to bring Private Members Bills this year one in the Commons and one in the Lords have both failed. In speech after speech, MPs and Peers pointed out the Bills flaws, exposing the weaknesses of any legislation that would prevent parents, teachers and therapists from asking sensible questions and providing wise guidance to children who are questioning their gender. Both of these discredited laws could have resulted in parents, teachers and clinicians being criminalised if they deliberately set out to dissuade a child from changing sex. The sad truth is that, over the last 15 years, more and more children have been exposed to gender ideology, which is now rampant in school, institutions and social media across the Western world. The Tavistock scandal and the Cass Review exposed just how pernicious and dangerous this ideology is, especially to vulnerable children such as those with autism or who have experienced trauma. Countless thousands of children treated at NHS gender clinics were put on a path of irreversible physical and biological change including the loss of healthy body parts, infertility, sexual dysfunction and lifelong health problems. This scandal happened because too many adults failed to question the idea that a child can or should change sex. Instead of giving these children wise and evidence-based counsel, clinicians and some activist charities and even teachers accepted that feelings of gender dysphoria in children as young as ten or eleven should be celebrated and treated as a real and irrefutable sign that they had been born in the wrong body. Yet rather than considering how to avoid a repeat of this tragedy the Labour Partys response is to commit to bringing in a trans inclusive conversion therapy ban that would make it even harder for responsible adults to protect children from the harms of gender ideology. Seemingly dismissive or perhaps unaware of the very serious unintended consequences for child protection and free speech that such a ban would invoke, Keir Starmer believes he can succeed where the Government and Parliament have failed. We understand that Labours ban would include safeguards similar to those included in former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyles unsuccessful Private Members Bill. But these safeguards were worthless, containing a multitude of contradictions, circular definitions and a failure precisely to define key terms such as transgender. Incomprehensibly, under Russell-Moyles Bill, a parent would have been protected from prosecution under the conversion practices legislation, except if they were guilty of a conversion practice. As we have seen from cases brought under the Equality Act, it would take just one successful prosecution to induce a chilling effect on anyone who seeks to protect children. Conservatives who stand up to such extreme attempts to undermine society are frequently accused of stoking a culture war. But the truth is that it is those on the Left who are waging a full-on war on our culture, a culture which until now at least upholds the rights of parents to protect and guide their children as they see fit. The fact that Keir Starmer is willing to risk criminalising responsible parents tells us all we need to know about his changed Labour Party. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR) The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and Virginia State Police are encouraging local farmers to ensure their farm vehicles are up to date with the new law enforcing farm use tags. The change was passed by lawmakers in 2023 with a one-year grace period for vehicle owners. The law requires unregistered farm-use vehicles to display a DMV-issued permanent placard on panel trucks, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating under 7,500 lbs. As farm vehicles are key to agricultural productivity, it is important that Virginia farmers can continue to use them in their operations while preventing farm use tags from being used on other vehicles inappropriately, said VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie. We hope those who have not already done so will apply for their DMV-issued permanent farm use tag today. The law goes into effect on July 1, and placards are to be displayed on the front and back of vehicles at all times. The government agencies say the first violation will be punished by a fine of not more than $250. The second will result in a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $250. In order to register a vehicle, owners who bought or leased an eligible farm vehicle must return an application form to their local DMV. The application includes a $15 fee plus an additional $15 fee if the owner does not already hold a title for the vehicle. RELATED STORY: New Virginia laws taking effect July 2024 We are hopeful that the 12-month grace period has allowed farmers the necessary time to familiarize themselves with these farm use tag changes, said VSP Superintendent, Colonel Gary Settle. State police looks forward to working with the farming community to gain full compliance and ensure all vehicles have their proper tags on display. According to the state agencies, unregistered farm-use panel trucks, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles obtaining a DMV placard must be: Used exclusively for agricultural or horticultural purposes on lands owned or leased by the vehicles owner, and not operated on or over any public highway except for specific purposes. Used by the farm owner or lessee on a seasonal basis in transporting farm produce and livestock along public highways for a distance of no more than 75 miles or to a storage house, packing plant or market. Owned by a farm owner when the vehicle is operated or moved along a highway for no more than 75 miles between a sawmill or sawmill site and their farm to transport sawdust, wood shavings, slab wood, and other wood wastes. Drawn by a farm tractor, used by a farmer, their tenant, agent, or employee or a cotton ginner, peanut buyer, or fertilizer distributor to transport unginned cotton, peanuts, or fertilizer owned by the farmer, cotton ginner, peanut buyer, or fertilizer distributor from one farm to another, from farm to gin, from farm to dryer, from farm to market, or from fertilizer distributor to farm and on return to the distributor. Making a return trip from any marketplace, transporting back to a farm ordinary and essential food, including procuring a meal for a farmer or his employees, and other products for home and farm use while engaged in activities stated above, or transporting supplies to the farm. For more information, visit the DMVs website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. State keeps benefits intended for foster kids. A push is on to end the practice. Dawson Hayes, 16, of Concord, learned when he was adopted out of foster care that the state was keeping the $16,000 hed received in federal Social Security benefits. He urged lawmakers to pass a bill ending that practice. Dawson Hayes spent about three years in foster care before he was adopted in February at age 16. As he was moved from foster home to foster home, Hayes thought about something his state case worker had told him. Once he was adopted or aged out of foster care, the state would hand over the nearly $16,000 in Social Security payments it had collected on his behalf. Hayes planned to invest it and maybe put the earnings into a duplex that would pay its own returns. Hayes, of Concord, told lawmakers this year that he never saw the $16,000. New Hampshire, like many states, keeps Social Security and veterans benefits awarded to children while they are in foster care to help cover the cost of that care. That makes them the only foster care children in New Hampshire who pick up part of that expense. Last year, the state collected about $521,000 in benefits from about 90 kids, who are eligible for benefits due to their own disability or based on a parents death or disability. The practice is legal but struck Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, a Concord Democrat, as wrong. It also surprised her even after working on state budgets for nearly 30 years. After hearing about this practice in other states from an NPR story, Wallner discovered New Hampshire was doing the same. She introduced House Bill 1598 in January with hopes of redirecting the Social Security benefits from state coffers to children like Hayes. Obviously, half a million dollars is significant, Wallner said, referring to the associated loss in state revenue. But its not in comparison to what it would mean to those children as they aged out of foster care. In May, Hayes joined Wallner in testifying in support of the bill before the Senate Health and Human Service Committee, the first time he had spoken to lawmakers. Foster kids need every advantage they can get, he said. And this obviously includes the Social Security or veterans benefits that are intended for them. Hayes then gave lawmakers some statistics backed up by the National Foster Youth Institute: Fewer than half of foster kids graduate high school and only 3 percent get a college degree. Far more, about 22 percent, experience homelessness their first year out of foster care. In an interview last week, Hayes put his decision to testify this way: I cant get that money back, so what can I do to help? In 2021, nearly every state held onto Social Security benefits for children in foster care. To do so, states had to use the money to reimburse themselves for the cost of foster care. Far fewer states do so today. The Childrens Advocacy Institute reported in April that approximately half of the states had reformed that practice, had tried to, or were considering it. Massachusetts ended its diversion of federal benefits this year. Missouri lawmakers appeared on track to stop the practice this year but failed to reach an agreement before the end of the legislative session. Similar efforts have failed in Maine and Washington. Wallners bill put New Hampshire among those states that tried to return benefits to foster children and fell short. While no one spoke against the bill and the Department of Health and Human Services legislative liaison said the department supported it, the department asked for more time to consider its implications. Lawmakers obliged and sent Gov. Chris Sununu an amended version of the bill that would leave the current practice in place and instead require DHHS to file a report by November detailing how Wallners proposal would impact the state budget. Hayes sent Sununu a letter urging him to sign the bill, ending it with a presumption he would. I hope you will take my story into account when you sign HB 1598, he wrote. Wallner remains optimistic enough that if shes reelected to the House, she plans to bring a new bill forward that incorporates the reports findings. If she does, Hayes intends to again urge lawmakers to pass it. He will tell them again that receiving those federal benefits could be a first step toward self-sufficiency, whether its to pay rent, go to college, or buy a car. Hayes knows he has been fortunate to succeed without that money, in part because he has a stability other foster kids do not. He will graduate from Concord High School next year as a junior and begin pursuing electrician classes. He has a summer job. With help from his adoptive father and financial advisers hes met, hes learned to invest wisely. His adoptive mother, Carolyn Mallon of Concord, thinks about the children who dont have that kind of stability and support. She and her husband fostered Hayes older sister, now 19, and bought her a car when she moved out. That car has allowed her to get a job, Mallon said. When she ages out of foster care in the next couple of years, shell lose her housing assistance. If she didnt have a car right now, she would be living on food stamps, Mallon said. These are real kids who can really end up homeless and the state is keeping that money. This money comes straight out of the pockets of the children who need it most right now and thats absurd. This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: State keeps benefits intended for foster kids. Push is on to stop it. RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) The New Mexico Department of Emergency Management announced they will open shelter space in Ruidoso to house those displaced by the fires. The shelter will be located at the White Mountain Recreation Center and will provide meals, showers, laundry, and private rooms for those who cannot stay in their homes. Wildfire Resources A distribution center will also be established at the Roswell National Guard Armory. The boxes will include hygiene kits, personal protective equipment, and a weeks worth of food. Fire victims can also get clothing from the center. The center will be open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. On June 8, three people were injured by two shark attacks, the first in WaterSound Beach and the second just 3.7 miles away, in Seacrest Beach, in Walton County, in western Florida. One of the victims suffered significant trauma to the pelvic area and his left forearm was amputated, the South Walton Fire District reported. That same day, another woman who was swimming in the water near Oahus North Shore, in Hawaii, was bitten by a shark, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services reported; and this week saw the death of Tamayo Perry, a surfer, instructor, lifeguard and actor in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), also due to a shark attack in the North Shore. This year there have been 24 incidents in the world, as tallied by Tracking Sharks, and 12 in the United States (three in Hawaii, four in Florida, two in California, one in New York and another two in North Carolina). Although these facts contribute to the perception that these incidents are on the rise, attacks have actually decreased. The Florida Museum, which keeps track, says the odds of being attacked by a shark are one in 11.5 million. How often do sharks attack? The Florida Museums International Shark Attack File carried out a report in which it listed 69 attacks in 2023. Of these, 36 occurred on the coasts of the United States, with a balance of two fatalities: one in Hawaii and the other one in California. Florida had more attacks than any other state: 16 in total. Last year there was also a 12.2% decrease in shark bites compared to 2022. The institution also reported that since 1837 there have been 1,632 shark attacks in the United States. The first place again goes to Florida with 928. The reason is none other than the size of its coastlines: 1,350 miles, with locals and tourists enjoying its beaches throughout the year. Those in the know have a nickname for Volusia County, where the popular Daytona Beach is located: Shark Bite Capital of the World, with a historical record of 351 cases. Neighboring Brevard and Palm Beach counties come in second and third with 158 and 83, respectively. Who are the most affected Surfers suffered the most incidents in 2023, sustaining 42% of attacks. Attacks on swimmers and sunbathers were slightly lower, at 39%. Divers with a tank or lung accounted for 13% of the mishaps. How sharks usually attack They almost always attack near the coast. Unlike what you see in the movies, it is not common for victims to see a shark approaching. Most of the time, they dont bite more than once. They typically employ three attack tactics: hit and run, hit and bite, and sneak attack. Hit and run: in most cases a person is mistaken for a different kind of prey. The shark approaches quickly, bites, and then swims away. The wounds are usually small and rarely life-threatening. Hit and bite: Sharks surround and hit the victim before attacking. It is the typical attack that scuba divers and divers experience. In this case, the victim may suffer moderate to severe injuries. Sneak attack: it is the most dangerous. It starts out similar to the hitting and biting attacks, but this time the shark strikes repeatedly and can be deadly. How to reduce the risk of being attacked The International Shark Attack File recommends swimming in company and avoiding the hours of dawn or dusk because the light is poor and this can increase the risk of a shark mistaking a human for other prey. It is also advisable to swim on coasts without fishing activity and not wear shiny jewelry in the water (the sparkles resemble the fish that are prey to sharks). Finally, avoid splashing because it produces a sound similar to that of fish fighting, which can attract the attention of sharks. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Photo illustration by Getty Images. Thousands of Montanans lost Medicaid coverage, not because they werent eligible, but due to unapproachable and unmanageable administrative barriers at the state health department. Thats according to a letter signed by 66 national and state organizations sent to Gov. Greg Gianforte last week asking him to include money to add additional staff to the Department of Public Health and Human Services and update outdated software, among other requests, in his budget proposal for the 2027 biennium. The Medicaid redetermination process took place following a freeze on disenrollments during the Covid-19 pandemic, and took a total 135,000 enrollees off of Medicaid. The states redetermination dashboard cites the most frequent reason for disenrolling as a lack of correspondence with the department. Many former enrollees who may still be eligible now have to apply for Medicaid again for health coverage, with longer-than-usual wait times and Medicaid providers struggling to make ends meet as applications are processed. The letter suggested consumer advisory groups, focus groups, surveys, and end-user testing to improve the states communication with clients and said health department staffers should use plain language with clients to help reduce delays. The state health department previously told the Daily Montanan it meets all federal standards for processing both redeterminations and new applications. Spokesperson for the department Jon Ebelt said Monday it is taking the requests in the letter under consideration in its budget planning. The letter makes specific budget requests, and at this time, DPHHS is in the preliminary stages of the executive budget planning process for the upcoming legislative session, Ebelt said in a statement. DPHHS appreciates the feedback and suggestions included in the letter and will consider them. The letter was addressed to Gianforte, but the Governors Office on Monday deferred to DPHHS in response to questions. DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton, as well as Human Services Executive Director Jessie Counts, Medicaid Chief Financial Manager Gene Hermanson and Director of Budget and Program Planning Ryan Osmundson were copied on the letter as well. Jackie Semmens with the Montana Budget and Policy Center, told legislators Thursday the organizations who signed onto the letter included food pantries, healthcare providers and faith organizations places people turn to when they cant get the benefits they qualify for in a timely manner. These organizations see people coming to food pantries when they are forced to choose between paying out of pocket for prescription or feeding their family because their Medicaid determination is delayed, Semmens said. These 60 plus organizations have seen firsthand how strapped the department has been during the past year, which is why they have joined together to ask the governor to improve access to public assistance. Organizations include the Montana Food Bank Network, the Fort Peck Tribal Health Department, Montana Head Start Association and the American Heart Association. The letter, sent June 17, said the health department cuts made in 2017 led to 19 public assistance offices across the state to close and resulted in pressure on the staff that was left. Medicaid unwinding exacerbated these existing issues, the letter said, and highlighted the ways in which Montanas safety net is outdated, inaccessible, and cumbersome for those most in need. The organizations asked that as the governors administration develops its 2027 biennial budget, they invest and modernize access to Montanas safety net services. Prior to each legislative session, the governor releases a budget with proposals for spending for the upcoming two fiscal years. The legislature ultimately has the power to appropriate funds, but the budget is a public statement of the investments the executive office wishes to make and approve. The legislature will meet again in January 2025. The organizations want to see more options for in-person assistance, which could include the reopening of rural public assistance offices. Applications completed in person are less likely to contain errors, the letter said, and would reduce procedural delays. In-person assistance is an essential lifeline for elderly, disabled, and rural individuals, the organizations said. The state health departments website to apply for safety net services like Medicaid or food assistance is hard to navigate, the letter said, and during the unwinding process, phone lines were jammed with people having to wait hours to speak to someone. The organizations believe the solution to the problems is better staffing at the department, although their letter did not specify how many more employees they believe are needed. With rural Montanans relying on these means of application, Montana should make significant investments to improve their functionality, the letter read. The letter said understaffing was what led to procedural delays during the Medicaid unwinding. Ebelt previously listed limited staff as one reason for Medicaid delays, along with prioritization for individuals with current inactive coverage as well as verifying previously unreported resources. He said the state meets the federal standard of paying 90 percent of clean claims (claims not needing additional verification) within 30 days, and 99 percent of clean claims in 90 days. About 9% of cases are still pending eligibility, Counts told legislators, translating to a little under 20,000 cases. The post State organizations request health department investment following Medicaid redetermination appeared first on Daily Montanan. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma Supreme Court in Oklahoma on Tuesday ruled that the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation is unconstitutional. In June 2023, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond had warned the board that such a decision clearly violated the Oklahoma Constitution. The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers, Drummond said in a statement shortly after the boards vote. Its extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the state to potential legal action that could be costly. Unlawful: OK Attorney General files lawsuit over religious charter school In June 2023, the board voted 3-2 to approve the application for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt applauded the vote by the board saying, This is a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state, and I am encouraged by these efforts to give parents more options when it comes to their childs education, Stitt said in a statement. PREVIOUS ST. ISIDORE COVERAGE: OK Co. judge moves St. Isidore lawsuit forward, denies motion to dismiss Challengers hope to block virtual Catholic charter school from receiving public funds AG Drummond preps argument in pivotal religious liberty case Walterss request to join Catholic charter school lawsuit denied The approval however, did not come without facing challenges. Americans United for Separation of Church and State denounced the boards approval. Its hard to think of a clearer violation of the religious freedom of Oklahoma taxpayers and public-school families than the state establishing the nations first religious public charter school, the groups president and CEO Rachel Laser said in a statement. This is a sea change for American democracy. Americans United will work with our Oklahoma and national partners to take all possible legal action to fight this decision and defend the separation of church and state thats promised in both the Oklahoma and U.S. Constitutions. Laser told KFOR Americans United is not against faith, but it is against protecting each individuals freedom of religion. The lawsuit filed with the Oklahoma State Supreme Court and says the state Constitution expressly prohibits sectarian control of public schools. The suit also says the proposed school impinged on religious liberty by violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty. The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahomas Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism. While I understand that the Governor and other politicians are disappointed with this outcome, I hope that the people of Oklahoma can rejoice that they will not be compelled to fund radical religious schools that violate their faith. Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma State Attorney General OK Supreme Court hears case against nations first, faith-based charter school The Constitution is crystal clear on religious liberty, but that fundamental truth is lost on some people. Oklahomans hold their faith and their liberty sacred, and atheism should not be the state-sponsored religion. We should not play politics with the future of our kids through this misguided lawsuit, previous statement from State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Oklahoma Supreme Court Conclusion: Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school. As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian. However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic faith as part of its school curriculum while sponsored by the State. This States establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause. St. Isidore cannot justify its creation by invoking Free Exercise Rights as a religious entity. St. Isidore came into existence through its charter with the State and will function as a component of the States public school system. This case turns on the States contracted-for religious teachings and activities through a new public charter school, not the States exclusion of a religious entity. The Court grants the extraordinary and declaratory relief sought by the State. The St. Isidore Contract violates state and federal law and is unconstitutional. By writ of mandamus, we direct the Charter School Board to rescind its contract with St. Isidore. OK Supreme Court ruling on St. Isidore Charter School by KFOR on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. Petitions for appeal must be filed in 10 days according to court records. Dissenting Opinion: OK Supreme Court Religious Charter School dissent by KFOR on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. Todays ruling is very disappointing for the hundreds of prospective students and their families from across the state of Oklahoma who desired the educational experience and promise of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. We will consider all legal options and remain steadfast in our belief that St. Isidore would have and could still be a valuable asset to students, regardless of socioeconomic, race or faith backgrounds. Joint Response from Bishop David Konderla, Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Governor Kevin Stitt also responded to the ruling on Tuesday. Im concerned weve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma and all were saying is: we cant choose who gets state dollars based on a private entitys religious status. Religious freedom is foundational to our values, and todays decision undermines that freedom and restricts the choices available to Oklahomans. Im disappointed by AG Drummonds attack on religious liberty and the school choice movement, but I remain hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case and grant St. Isidore the right to establish their school. Governor Kevin Stitt. This is a developing story. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Ohio was the most recent state to legalize recreational marijuana. Read on to learn which other states share its company. Carol Yepes / Getty Images As a remnant of the legacy of President Nixon and the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, cannabis plants are still categorized as Schedule I narcotics at the federal level. Although federal law remains less progressive than state laws, several states with legal weed permit medical or recreational use for citizens. As of publication, there are currently 24 states plus the District of Columbia which have fully legalized weed for adult use, while only six states are standing their ground with no path to marijuana legalization in the foreseeable future. Marijuana laws are dynamic across all 50 states, and specific laws around the legalization of medical and recreational use can quickly change within a state. Although varied and changing laws can be confusing, it's important to research and respect the laws within a state if you are a current resident or visiting as a tourist. What Is the Difference Between Medical Marijuana and Recreational Marijuana? One of the most important distinctions in state laws on marijuana focuses on recreational and medical use. Accepted medical marijuana laws provide a legal exception for citizens smoking marijuana (or consuming via another method) for medical purposes. Medical weed laws vary widely, with some permitting home cultivation of marijuana plants, typically with a limit ranging up to six plants per patient or household. However, some states, like South Carolina or Texas, may only allow concentrated cannabis oil high in CBD or other byproducts of the cannabis plant. Recreational cannabis state laws also vary from universal adult-use marijuana legalization to strong legalized medical marijuana legislation with a clear path to surpass accepted medical use. Revision of state law by ballot measure can take a strong medical program to a legalized marijuana state in a short time. For example, Ohio voters recently passed Section 3780 on December 7, 2023, to become the most recent state where it is legal to grow, cultivate, sell and consume marijuana. 14 States Where Marijuana Is Legalized for Medical Use If a state has firm laws on medical cannabis use, it allows its citizens to consume marijuana for an accepted medical use, like to treat symptoms of a chronic medical condition such as glaucoma or cancer. In these instances smoking cannabis plants and growing medical marijuana is legal as long as all stipulations are met. Medical cannabis users may opt to grow a single plant outdoors or take their green thumb to the next level with a grow house to cultivate their own medical marijuana. However, some state medical cannabis laws are either confusing or under threat of reversing. For example, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah are all states with a medical marijuana law, but recreational marijuana legalization or decriminalized cannabis statutes are still under debate. The following states have legalized marijuana for medical use only. Alabama Arkansas Florida Hawaii Kentucky Lousiana Mississippi New Hampshire North Dakota Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota Utah West Virginia 24 States Where Marijuana Is Legalized for Recreational Use The push to legalize marijuana for commercial production and retail sales for adults 21 and over has become a hot-button issue as states with recreational weed income have enjoyed increased taxes from legal marijuana sales. However, these first states with legalized recreational cannabis sales have also become the pioneers of marijuana regulation. In most cases, states rely on systems already in place for alcohol sales and depend heavily on government organizations like the OLCC in Oregon to regulate cannabis and ensure safety for minors. The following states have state-sanctioned recreational marijuana dispensaries and have made leaps and bounds on the decriminalized marijuana front. Alaska Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Illinois Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Virginia Washington 7 States Where Marijuana Is Decriminalized but Not Fully Legal Different from legalization, some states have opted to pass laws to decriminalize marijuana without going so far as to legalize recreational marijuana. Typically, decriminalization would mean that arrest, a prison sentence or a criminal record would not be in the cards for a first-time offender. Possession of a small amount of marijuana intended for personal consumption could be treated with the severity of a minor traffic violation in states or municipalities that have decriminalized marijuana. Some of the states that have decriminalized marijuana have also legalized its use, for either medical or recreational purposes, while in other states possession of cannabis is still considered a criminal offense, but the historic repercussion of jail time has been removed. The following states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana, to varying degrees. Delaware Hawaii Mississippi Nebraska New Hampshire North Carolina North Dakota Ongoing Debates Over Legalizing Marijuana Although the federal government still ranks marijuana at the same destructive level as heroin and other hard drugs, the growing trend of states moving toward marijuana legalization has pressured the justice department to reevaluate how they handle certain cannabis offenses in the court of law. This example of when a state law contradicts a U.S. federal law challenges governing bodies and can prompt changes in enforcement. Federal prosecution still leans on the controlled substance legislation in place. However, the Obama administration began supporting decriminalized cannabis and cannabis offense record clearance as early as the 2010s. Now That's Ironic With quotes like, "Good people don't smoke marijuana," and "This drug is dangerous," it's no leap of the imagination to say that Jeff Sessions was anti-cannabis. However, by openly rejecting popular belief and damning the idea of ever achieving federal cannabis legalization, former attorney general Sessions ignited a passionate group of pro-cannabis states to enact legislation for recreational use. Through his staunch opposition, Sessions became the unlikely hero of the marijuana legalization cause. Original article: States With Legal Weed Outnumber Those Without Copyright 2024 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House on June 4, 2024. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images To some extent, I understand the frustration White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre exhibited during a press briefing last week as reporters asked her about a viral video that sparked speculation that President Joe Biden had frozen onstage during a recent campaign fundraiser with former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles. Even before then, the Biden administration has had to contend with a 3,000-word hit piece from The Wall Street Journalthat claimed Biden appears slower and has both good moments and bad ones based solely on the word of Republicans in Congress. As reported by Popular Information, that piece was then repackaged by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates 185 local television stations across the country. (Sinclair has denied any wrongdoing for that, so please dont email me, people who work over there.) Those deepfake videos floating around the internet that feature Biden freezing in front of world leaders at the G7 Summit have made their impact, too. Plus, the other Rupert Murdoch-owned entities the New York Postand Fox have stoked their own audiences with fears about Bidens physical fitness and cognitive abilities based on equally dubious evidence/reporting. Lets not forget President Obama, President Biden have a relationship. They are friends, Jean-Pierre explained to reporters. Theyre like family to each other, and I think thats what you saw. You saw the president put his hand on the back of President Biden and they walked off the stage after taking questions from Jimmy Kimmel. That is what you saw. OK, they were two friends onstage together, but Jean-Pierre is sidestepping a bit and giving the Fox prime-time block way too much material to play with. Biden is actively fighting a disinformation campaign designed to make him appear old and feeble to the public while those same forces help excuse former President Donald Trump for repeatedly short-circuiting on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Trump benefits from the de facto assistance of the mainstream press, since many outlets fail to cover concerns about his cognitive abilities and physical ability with the same vigor as they do Bidens. Earlier this year, an ABC News/Ipsos poll showed that 86% of Americans think Biden is too old to serve another term as president, compared to 59% of Americans who think both he and Trump are too old. Considering Biden and Trump are only three years apart in age, some of the lopsided treatment and its effects at least when it comes to campaign polling has to be attributable to press bias and disinformation. Even so, given that voters have expressed legitimate concerns about Bidens age for years now, shouldnt the administration have developed stronger answers to obvious questions that will be posed whenever the 81-year-old president steps outside? As of now, though, the forces largely driving coverage and questions about Bidens age are right-wing agitators in social and traditional media. Jean-Pierre is correct that there are several recent videos of Biden freezing at public events that are done in bad faith and part of a disinformation campaign promoted by right-wing critics. And there is reason to worry about the deceptive attacks against Biden, as we dont need repeats of what happened to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. (For what its worth, Democrats have former President Bill Clinton to blame for the wealthy conservatives ability to buy a bunch of TV stations/networks and publications and spew their propaganda.) But in the meantime, the White House should be better prepared for the expected pile-on. In response to a separate clip of Biden at a recent Juneteenth concert at the White House where he seemingly stood stoic as others clapped and sang along, Jean-Pierre replied, He didnt dance. I didnt think dancing was a health issue. She described it as a weird thing to focus on. Its in Jean-Pierres job description to characterize such worries as weird, but it must be maddening to have to come up with so many answers for concerns about why an old man moves like an old man. For all the chatter of fake videos, there are plenty of legitimate images of Biden that spark the same fears as the distorted ones. Joe Biden is 81 years old, and if reelected, would be 86 by the end of his second term. A recent report from Axios reveals that in spite of growing concerns from senior Democrats, Biden continues to believe that voter concerns about democracy, the insurrection on Jan. 6, and Trumps character will lead to his own reelection. It is reasonable to interrogate Bidens supposition by asking him and his campaign that if democracy is so important, isnt it too risky to put the fate of the republic on the shoulders of a man turning 82 in November? I wish this issue were being covered more seriously and even-handedly by the mainstream press. I wouldnt mind fewer questions about video clips and more about health records and thoughts on gerontocracies. And more of a push to get Biden to do more interviews. His people may not like it, but more interviews could help assuage questions and concerns about how old he is. As of now, though, the forces largely driving coverage and questions about Bidens age are right-wing agitators in social and traditional media. Such hijacking might pose a nuisance to Biden and his supporters, but more broadly, allowing them to lead is a detriment to all concerned voters. By Kate Holton and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Stella Assange, the wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian, told Reuters on Tuesday they would seek a pardon after he agreed to plead guilty to violating U.S. espionage law, bringing his long-running legal saga in Britain to an end. Assange, 52, will plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents and is expected to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. He will then be free to return home to Australia. Stella Assange, a lawyer who has worked on his campaign almost since the start of his legal battles, said she was elated at the move but still angry that he had been held for so long. The couple married while he was in Belmarsh maximum security jail in London, and they had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. She said they would seek a pardon because the acceptance of guilt on an espionage charge was a "very serious concern" for journalists around the world. She also said they would launch a fundraising campaign as the flight from London to Saipan for a court hearing and then to Australia would cost around half a million U.S. dollars. "The fact that there is a guilty plea, under the Espionage Act in relation to obtaining and disclosing National Defence information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists and national security journalists in general," she said. ELATED, WORRIED AND ANGRY Stella Assange said she had always believed this moment would come but she would not relax until he had arrived in Australia, where he is expected on Wednesday. She said on Tuesday morning that she had still not broken the news to their children. "I feel elated. I also feel worried, you know, because I'm so used to this. Anything could happen. I'm worried that until it's fully signed off, I worry, but it looks like we've got there," she said, speaking from Sydney. "I'll really believe it when I have him in front of me and I can take him and hug him and then it will be real you know?" The deal marks the end of a legal saga which has seen Assange spend more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London following WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history. Stella said Julian had been a "so much lighter" as the agreement became closer and they would likely spend time in Australia now - a good place, she said, to regain your health and sanity. "I think that goes not just for Julian but for me as well," she said. "It's been a rough, very rough few years and we need some time." First, she said they needed to raise money. "It's Australian policy that he will have to pay his own return flight so he's had to charter a flight and so he will basically be in debt when he lands in Canberra. "We're going to launch an emergency fund to try to get this money so that we can pay the Australian government back for his freedom flight. "It's half a million U.S. dollars." (This story has been refiled to edit the headline) (Reporting by Kate Holton and Michael Holden; editing by Andrew MacAskill, Alexandra Hudson) (Bloomberg) -- Stellantis NV will quit making vehicles in the UK unless the government eases electric-vehicle sales targets, just months after retooling one of its British plants to make only battery-powered vans. Most Read from Bloomberg The zero-emissions vehicle sales targets are unsustainable, Maria Grazia Davino, the companys managing director for the region, told reporters Tuesday. The comments come as the UK heads for a general election on July 4 with both the incumbent Conservative as well as the Labour Party set to stick with current electric sales targets. The UK has introduced rules requiring that 22% of each manufacturers new car sales be zero-emission this year, rising to 80% in 2030. For vans, 70% of new sales have to be electric by then. With demand for EVs slowing, Davino said Stellantis would be forced to make discounts to meet the targets that risk fines of as much as 15,000 ($19,022) per vehicle for those failing to comply. Labour has committed to keeping the mandate in place should it win the general election next week. Stellantis makes small electric vans across its Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Opel and Fiat brands at its site in Ellesmere Port, following a 100 million investment to turn the factory into an electric-only plant last year. The company also manufactures mid-size vans in Luton near London. We have undertaken big investments both in Ellesmere Port and in Luton and more to come, Davino said at the SMMT International Automotive Summit in London. But if this market becomes hostile for us we will enter an evaluation of producing elsewhere. Its not the first time Stellantis has threatened to leave the UK. Last year, the company warned it would shut factories unless upcoming tariffs on its electric vans exported to the European Union were renegotiated. A deal between the EU and UK was ultimately struck before the deadline. The UKs goals on EV sales come as consumer demand has slowed in recent months amid persistently high prices and patchy charging infrastructure. Davino said the rising targets through 2030 could be very damaging. If demand does not follow the offer then we will be forced to take decisions because we manage profit and loss, we manage operational decisions that are impacting the UK, she said. Asked how long Stellantis the UKs best-selling van manufacturer could continue without changes to the regime, she said: Less than a year. Stellantis sold almost 216,000 new cars in the UK last year, accounting for about 11% of the total market, including more than 100,000 under the Vauxhall nameplate. --With assistance from Craig Trudell. (Updates with detail on Stellantis in the UK) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Soviet-era Mil Mi-6 Hook was a colossal helicopter. It was the largest production rotary-wing craft until its successor, the Mi-26, came into existence. Clocking in with a greater overall length than the C-130 Hercules transport, the Mi-6 was used for all manner of military and civil aviation applications within the USSR. However, a little-known commercial variant was developed in the mid-1960s to help usher in a new rotary-wing era for Soviet air travel. That aircraft, the Mil Mi-6P (passazhirskyi, meaning passenger) seen in the feature image above, never made it to full-scale production the precise reasons for which are unclear. Only one Mi-6P demonstrator, registered as CCCP-58647, c/n 6682905V, was ever built. However, imagery from the time period shows that, if the monster passenger-carrying Mi-6 variant had been mass-produced, it would have offered a flying experience like no other. Created from a stock Mi-6, CCCP-58647 measured roughly 109 feet long and over 32 feet high. This particular Mi-6 featured relatively large stub wings mounted on the upper-mid fuselage area, which were used to create lift and unload the rotor, improving overall performance and efficiency substantially during the cruise phase of flight. These wings were not specific to this sub-variant, but they made especially good sense for commercial passanger applications. Unknown author The other primary change for the demonstrator came inside the helicopters interior. Airliner seating, accommodating up to 80 passengers, five-abreast in a three plus two configuration, was added, along with carpeting, overhead storage areas and reading lights. Passengers were able to look outside the aircraft thanks to large rectangular windows. An on-board toilet was also installed, alongside heat- and sound-proofing. Interior of CCCP-58647. Unknown author In terms of other modifications, the rear clam-shell doors and cargo ramp of the underlying Mi-6 were replaced with an identically shaped fairing, incorporating built-in airstairs on the centerline and an AI-8 auxiliary power unit. The idea of developing the already mammoth Mi-6 into a passenger-carrying helicopter was pushed by Aeroflot Soviet Airlines in 1965. However, Aeroflot had already shown significant interest in the Mi-6 military testing of which began in the late-1950s by this point. An early 1965 model of the Mi-6P helm-liner. Source: Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov, MIL Mi-6/-26:Heavy-Lift Helicopters In 1963, the airline stressed the need for a civilian transport version of the Mi-6 in order to help support construction as well as oil and gas work in the eastern parts of the USSR. A demonstrator of that aircraft, registered as CCCP-06174, c/n 06175, made its international debut at the 25th Paris Air Show in May of 1965 and later went on to enter production. CCCP-06174 in flight. Date/source unknown It was not until a few years later that the completed passenger demonstrator of the Mi-6 made its first appearance at the 1967 Paris Air Show. Held June at the ParisLe Bourget Airport, the Mi-6P was revealed to the public. Featuring the 1967 Le Bourget exhibit code H-239, images of the helicopter taking to the air, captured at the air show, can be seen below. CCCP-58647 in flight at the 1967 Paris Air Show. Author unknown Other pictures of the demonstrator, taken at the Moscow-Domodedovo airshow held at Domodedovo airport in July 1967, can be seen below. CCCP-58647 pictured at the Moscow-Domodedovo airshow, 1967. Source: Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov, MIL Mi-6/-26:Heavy-Lift Helicopters Source: Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov, MIL Mi-6/-26:Heavy-Lift Helicopters Aeroflots need for a large-capacity passenger helicopter in the mid-1960s came due to its increasing operation of commercial helicopter flights within the USSR and in the context of its fleet of smaller-sized helicopters. The airline had provided customers with the ability to fly via helicopter to various locales within the USSR for some time. In 1958, for example, it began offering an air taxi service between the cities of Simferopol and Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula, via 16-seat Mil Mi-4s. Flight routes were later expanded in the Black Sea region, and others were opened up between Moscow and its various airports. As the number of commercial helicopter routes within the USSR increased into the 1960s, the need for higher-capacity passenger helicopters, able to travel greater distances, increased. In 1967, for example, the 2831 seat Mil Mi-8 entered service with Aeroflot at around the same time that the colossal Mi-6P was being shown off to the world as part of the future of Soviet civil aviation. Aeroflot Mil Mi-8 pictured in 1992. AlainDurand via Wikimedia Commons However, for reasons that remain murky, the Mi-6P was never put into mass production. Eventually, CCCP-58647 was transferred over to the Soviet Air Force on May 12, 1970. Despite the fact that Aeroflot never operated the Mi-6P, it should be noted that other large passenger aircraft concepts were later explored by the USSR. In the 1980s, for example, a special passenger version of the Mil Mi-26 (NATO name Halo) the Mi-26P (passazhirskyi), a later-day Mi-6P which could accommodate up to 63 passengers, was mocked-up in model form. Later, studies for a 70-seat heli-liner version of the Mi-26TS were conducted, although the project was not brought to fruition. Although design work for the Mi-26 began in the early- to mid-1970s, it was not until the early-1980s that the helicopter was introduced into service. The Mi-26 was created due to the need for a heavy-lift helicopter capable of transporting greater loads than the Mi-6. While the Mi-6P was never used as intended, its certainly interesting to look back at what this monster of a passenger helicopter and others it inspired could have been. Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com View comments New strain of monkeypox causes miscarriages and spreads rapidly without sexual contact, experts warn The virus is behaving 'extremely' differently to clades 1 and 2 of mpox and does not require sexual contact to spread - NIAID via AP A new strain of monkeypox that causes miscarriage and has a fatality rate of up to 10 per cent is spreading rapidly in central Africa, a team of experts warned in a press briefing today. There are fears the new virus now officially called mpox could quickly spread to Europe and beyond. The mutant variant, clade 1b, is undoubtedly the most dangerous strain of mpox yet, stressed Prof Trudie Lang, the director of Global Health Network at Oxford University. First identified in February in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the virus is behaving extremely differently to clades 1 and 2 of mpox the latter of which exploded internationally in 2022, primarily amongst gay men. The new strain of the virus does not require sexual contact to spread. People queue for an mpox vaccination in London. Europe was at the centre of a huge outbreak of clade 2 mpox in 2022 - Henry Nicholls/REUTERS On a Zoom call with journalists on Tuesday, the researchers confirmed that clade 1b is spreading through touch, something which is incredibly worrying, according to Prof Lang. It was spreading mother to child, as well as in schools and workplaces, they said. Presentation of the diseases also differs markedly from previous stains. The virus had caused an alarming number of miscarriages in young women, said the researchers, and the lesions and blistering it causes were spread across the entire body, rather than confined to the genital area. The death rate was estimated at five and 10 per cent in adults and children respectively. Its causing extreme danger in terms of disease severity, said Leandre Murhula Masirika, who is leading the research on the new strain in the DRC. Whole-body rashes, eye problems, and fever were common symptoms, he added. The tip of the iceberg The virus appears to be spreading fast. The researchers believe it has already jumped borders in Africa and there are fears that like Clade 2 it could spread around the globe. Cases have been reported in DRC towns that border Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. Experts believe it is highly likely that the virus has already reached these neighbouring countries, although no cases have been officially reported anywhere other than the DRC. Sex workers regularly travel between the DRC and its neighbours an obvious route of transmission. The city of Goma, which has a population of nearly one million, including tens of thousands of refugees, has an international airport which operates frequent direct flights to and from Europe. The virus can cause a rash consisting of sores - BRIAN W.J. MAHY/Centers for Disease Control/AFP via Getty Images The health authorities in Goma announced a large outbreak of the new mpox strain on Monday. When asked whether countries outside of Africa should prepare themselves for cases, John Claude Udahemuaka, a researcher at the University of Rwanda working on the ground in the DRC to tackle the outbreak, warned that everyone should be prepared. There are no controls on the borders and people with lesions can go outside the DRC and easily spread this infection, he added. So far, around 600 patients have been identified in Kamituga the town where the mutant virus was first identified although experts estimate the actual numbers are significantly higher due to the lack of comprehensive surveillance. Overall, 7,850 mpox cases have been reported in DRC, and 384 deaths, according to the World Health Organization although it is unclear how many are attributed to clade 1b. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The cases are getting higher and higher every day, and its only a question of time before it spreads to other countries, said Mr Masirika. The smallpox vaccine the routine rollout of which was halted in large parts of Africa in the 1980s protects against mpox, but there is no guarantee that it will work against clade 1b, the experts said. PCR tests designed to diagnose the disease also dont work for the new strain meaning thousands could be spreading the illness asymptotically, with no way of knowing whether or not they are infectious. Experts have linked the new outbreak to a man who travelled from elsewhere in the DRC to Kamuitga, a small mining town just 170 miles from the Rwandan border. He is thought to have had intercourse with multiple sex workers, who then transmitted the virus further into the community. However, the researchers still dont understand why or how the mpox virus mutated and have added that question to the growing list of unknowns about this mutant strain. The World Health Organisation, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and governments of the DRC and Rwanda are said to be in talks for securing vaccines to try and tackle the outbreak although whether they will work is another question. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The Scene HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY On Friday afternoon, before he brought Bernie Sanders onstage at a riverside rally, Rep. Jamaal Bowman introduced the crowd to Mayor Nicola Armacost. When I got into office, she opened this municipality to me, said Bowman. Whats this, a village? A village! She opened this village to me. He praised her courage, her experience, and her willingness to stand up to his challenger, Westchester County executive George Latimer. And thats it, Bowman said. We aint got no more local endorsements. Davids view Elected in 2020 after ousting a longtime Democratic incumbent with a surge of progressive votes, Bowman is heading into Election Day on Tuesday as an out-spent underdog. Just four years ago, he was part of a successful progressive strategy, kicked off by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her nearby Bronx district, to vault the left into greater political relevance. With the help of groups like Justice Democrats, activists targeted safe blue seats held by longtime moderates and recruited allied candidates to build a growing Squad in Congress. Momentum was on their side. This year, the same movement is playing defense instead and Bowmans race is seen as a potential turning point. The congressman and his allies describe his race as a test of whether the most expensive House primary in history more than $21 million on Latimers behalf, $14.5 million of it from the pro-Israel group AIPACs super PAC can break what the left spent years building. It is one of the most significant elections in the modern history of this country, said Sanders. This election is about whether billionaire super PACs can buy our democracy. If Bowman wins this primary, hell have overcome nonstop negative ads, abandonment by some former supporters, and a turnout effort thats driven out votes in Latimers best areas. If he loses as no member of the extended Squad ever has the progressive effort to humble AIPAC, which theyve tried to define as a pro-Republican front group, will absorb a massive defeat. No Democrat has made that argument as consistently and passionately as Bowman. According to him, Latimer is both an anti-Black racist and an anti-Muslim racist. The evidence: His tongue-tied comments about the ethnic advantage Bowman has with Black voters, and his comment that Bowmans constituency is Dearborn, Mich., not Westchester County. (Latimer has since explained that he was talking about Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who represents Dearborn, raising money for Bowman.) Im an outspoken Black man, Bowman said at the close of his final debate with Latimer, explaining why AIPAC had targeted him. I fight against genocide in Gaza, and I fight for justice right here. When I asked Bowman what hed say to AIPAC if he won his race, a question I asked AIPAC target Dave Min a few months ago, Bowman said he wouldnt call the group at all. I think the win will speak for itself, said Bowman. I think what we have to do is double down and continue to organize the grassroots, and labor, and the American people, to save and preserve our democracy. That worked in April, when Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee fended off a challenger who criticized her support for a ceasefire and accused her of being an anti-Biden chaos agent. AIPAC stayed out of that race, surmising that Lee couldnt lose; Lee made moves to keep them out, backing out of an appearance at a Muslim event after learning that one speaker made positive comments about Oct. 7. Pro-Israel groups focused on this race instead. Bowman spent most of it on his back heel, buffeted by negative stories that no one had written in 2020, and abandoned by some endorsers, like the progressive pro-Israel group J Street, over his louder criticism of Israel. He told Democratic Socialists of America that he now supported the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, reversing his 2020 position; he accused Latimer of supporting genocide, and called AIPAC a Zionist regime. Know More The strategists at participating PACs are confident that theyll beat Bowman, whose grasp on the 16th Congressional District was shaky before a dollar was spent this year. Two years ago, as an incumbent seeking his first re-election, Bowman won just 54% of the primary vote a landslide in the small Bronx portion of the seat, and a weak performance in Westchester. The hatred against the congressman was just phenomenal, said Brook Packard, a local who canvassed for Bowman that year in Rye, where Latimer lives. People slammed the door in our face. They said they were disgusted with him and the Squad. It wasnt so much that they loved his opponents. They were anti-Bowman. Over the next year, the anti-Bowman resistance mobilized. After Hamass attack on Israel, the congressman called for an immediate ceasefire and accused the country of peddling propaganda, telling a crowd that theres still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women comments hed retract months later as reports of sexual violence continued to emerge. Days before the 10/7 attack against Israel, Bowman was caught on camera pulling a House office fire alarm, which he called a mistake, generating what-was-he-thinking coverage back home that had nothing to do with Israel. He later pleaded guilty to a related charge and was censured on the House floor. In January, shortly after Latimer entered the race, the county executives own polling showed him 10 points ahead of Bowman. Armacost, the mayor of a small, progressive village, stuck by Bowman; the mayor of Yonkers, Bowmans home and the districts biggest city, went for Latimer. AIPAC found a candidate that was willing to be bought, said Ana Maria Archila, the co-director of New Yorks Working Families Party, which has organized for Bowman in every race. They havent been able to do that in other places. Since 2018, when veterans of Bernie Sanderss first presidential bid began running progressive candidates in deep blue districts, theyd elected nine of them, from Rep. Ayanna Pressley in Boston to Rep. Greg Casar in Austin. In each race, the goal was to find a compelling young leader that reflects the community, as Justice Democrats co-founder Alexandra Rojas explained in 2019, replacing an older career establishment politician that does not reflect the true diversity of that district. Bowman, a Black high school principal whod never sought office before, epitomized what JD wanted. In 2020, he defeated Rep. Eliot Engel by 15 points, capitalizing on an awkward incident when the elderly congressman, who had hunkered down in his Maryland residence during COVID, pleaded for speaking time at a New York Black Lives Matter rally. If I didnt have a primary, he explained, I wouldnt care. Latimer presented a different challenge a well-liked name brand, with an electoral career in the district that he started when the 46-year old Bowman was in elementary school. Pro-Bowman media amplified his argument, that the county executive was a secret racist tasked with eliminating a Black member of Congress. He says Ive taken money from Hamas, Bowman told me. Hes made outlandish comments about Emmett Till and Governor Cuomo. Hes taking money from a PAC which targets 85% people of color. In the races closing days, Bowman has honed that argument, asking if Westchester County really wants to oust its first Black congressman. On Saturday, when Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez rallied for Bowman in the Bronx, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said that the congressmans enemies kept putting this caricature on him, of an angry Black man. When he took the stage, Bowman rapped the first four bars of Wu Tang Clans Triumph, rolled up his shirtsleeves (let me get the guns out), hoisted a three-legged stool in the air, and called himself the hip-hop congressman who AIPAC was scared to death of. Were gonna show fucking AIPAC the motherfucking power of the South Bronx, said Bowman; the South Bronx is not in his district, but buses were ready to take volunteers north when it was over. People ask me, why I got a foul mouth? What am I supposed to do? You comin after me. You comin after my family. You comin after my children. Im not supposed to fight back? The View From The Left The bulk of the progressive movement, including Jewish Voices for Peace and organizations built by Sanders campaign veterans, is behind Bowman. They share his view that the race is an existential test of whether big money can remove their allies from Congress. Democrats always talk about how we dont like Citizens United, Sanders told Semafor. I requested over a year ago, to Democratic leadership: Keep Super PACs out of Democratic primaries. That, they could have done. At the Bronx rally, where hundreds of progressives rallied under ruthless heat two attendees fainted Bowman volunteers worried that any victory for AIPAC would be seen as a warning to Democrats, that they could not criticize Israel and keep their seats. I am really worried about the far right and about the normalization of genocidal rhetoric in America, said Genevieve Rand, a 27-year old trans woman who had taken a five-hour bus ride from Ithaca to canvass for Bowman. This is the front line of that fight in this country right now. Others disagree. In 2020, at the height of what progressives called the George Floyd uprising, the left was united behind Bowman. This year, in addition to losing J Street, the Bronx rally was protested by drum-banging members of pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime, who chanted that Bowman, Sanders, and Ocasio-Cortez were supporting genocide by supporting Joe Biden. The View From AIPAC Rep. Bowmans scurrilous and shameful attacks wont hide his record of aligning with the extremist, anti-Israel fringe, said AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittman. In contrast to his opponent, George Latimer is a pro-Israel progressive who stands with the Jewish state as it battles Iranian terrorist proxies. Notable In the Huffington Post, Daniel Marans looks at mistakes that cost Bowman some support before the spending started. His shift away from an even-handed posture on Israel-Palestine toward a hard left-wing stance cost him some progressive Jewish support and motivated existing Jewish detractors to get more active in politics. In Jacobin, Branko Marcetic argues that Latimers own record, which could have been a political problem in the majority non-white district, has largely escaped notice throughout the race. In New York, Jonathan Chait asks whether Bowman missed opportunities to reverse the trajectory of the race, such as Latimers promise not to raise taxes, which is at odds with the Biden agenda. Despite making some efforts to exploit this wedge in their debate, Bowman has chosen instead to focus on AIPAC. KYODO NEWS - Jun 26, 2024 - 14:23 | All, World, Japan Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako started a three-day state visit to Britain on Tuesday as King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed them with an array of ceremonies and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. It marked the Japanese couple's second goodwill overseas trip since Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne in May 2019. Initial plans for the visit in 2020 were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the start of his speech at an evening banquet, the king addressed the emperor, who had studied in the country and last visited in 2022, saying in Japanese, "Welcome back to Britain." "At the core of our partnership is a close friendship, one based on mutual understanding of the importance of international rules and global institutions forged from the lessons of history, including its darkest years," he said before some 170 people in attendance. In his speech, the emperor expressed his admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth and said he was "privileged" to have enjoyed the "very warm company" of Britain's royal family during his studies in the country. "It is my sincere hope that both Japan and the U.K., as friends like no other, will continue to make untiring efforts for true mutual understanding through exchanges of their people, thereby building an enduring relationship based on friendship, goodwill and cooperation," the emperor said. He also referred to the "sad period" in which bilateral ties were strained by World War II, saying he was struck by "profound feelings as I extend my thoughts to what was in the minds of my grandfather, the Emperor Showa, and subsequently, my father, the Emperor Emeritus, as they set foot in this country after times of great difficulty." Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, visited Britain in 1971, while Emperor Akihito did so in 1998. During the latter visit, former prisoners of war turned their backs on his carriage in a protest. Turning to the future, Emperor Naruhito said, "We can say that we are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to climb even higher on this grand, broad-based mountain, guided by the path trodden by our forebears." It was announced on Tuesday that King Charles has been presented with Japan's highest honor -- the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum. In return, the emperor was appointed to the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Britain's highest order of chivalry. The official state visit began earlier Tuesday for the couple, who arrived in the country on Saturday. Prince William, first in line to the British throne, greeted them at their central London hotel before traveling to the Horse Guards Parade for a ceremonial welcome accompanied by a 41-gun salute. Alongside the royal family, the imperial couple exchanged greetings with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Home Secretary James Cleverly. King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in February, and the emperor inspected a guard of honor, formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards with the Band of the Welsh Guards, who played the Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo" and the traditional folk song "Sakura Sakura" (cherry blossoms) during the inspection. The royal party then traveled up the Mall in horse-drawn carriages to the king's official residence. The route was lined with the flags of Britain and Japan. Following lunch at Buckingham Palace, the imperial couple visited the Picture Gallery, where the king showed the emperor a scroll from 1855 that once belonged to Queen Victoria depicting the 17th-century coronation of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, according to PA Media. The emperor could be heard saying "wonderful, wonderful" as he examined the items on show. Also on display were photographs of the late Queen Elizabeth's first state visit to Japan in 1975. Later in the afternoon, the imperial couple laid a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. Their state visit will formally end on Thursday morning when the king and queen will bid them farewell. Catherine, Princess of Wales, who is undergoing cancer treatment, is not expected to make an appearance during the state visit. To avoid distracting attention from Britain's general election on July 4, the visit has been slightly adjusted. Typically, state guests are hosted by the prime minister at No. 10 Downing Street, but this part of the visit has been canceled due to the election. After arriving in Britain, the emperor conducted a series of private engagements, including a visit to Japan House in London and the Thames Barrier, ahead of the official part of the trip. Related coverage: Japan's imperial couple leaves for Britain as state guests Japan emperor thanks visiting Luxembourg crown prince for quake aid Japan emperor, empress's rustic holiday photos show relaxed side Stuart may regulate recreational marijuana before Florida voters decide on it in November STUART City officials may start regulating recreational marijuana even before it goes to voters in the form of a ballot measure in the general election this year. A statewide ballot initiative to allow recreational marijuana goes before voters Nov. 5. It would allow people 21 and older to use marijuana as a recreational drug. Florida currently allows the possession and use of marijuana only for medicinal purposes. City Attorney Lee Baggett decided to bring the issue before the City Commission Monday. He wouldn't be surprised if the statewide ballot measure passes, he said by email Friday. "I think that it would be best to start the conversation now versus later," Baggett said. Marijuana plants are displayed for sale at Canna Pi medical marijuana dispensary in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 2012. He and other city employees want direction from commissioners about their "interest in adopting any ordinances" that would "best serve the public in the event that Amendment 3 passes in November," Baggett wrote. City Commissioner Troy McDonald agreed at the meeting, saying, "We should get ahead of this." Location may be regulated McDonald said he would want sales of recreational marijuana to take place outside of the city's core on U.S. 1, for example, rather than in the historic downtown district or South Colorado Avenue. Commissioners asked city employees to give them their recommendations at a future meeting. "I just want us to be deliberate" about it, rather than be reactive, City Manager Michael Mortell said after the meeting. McDonald said he also would like the city to require potential businesses to get commission approval before setting up shop. That would give commissioners the ability to vet shop owners before allowing them open, he said. Details of the ballot measure Medical marijuana treatment centers, which currently sell marijuana for medical use, would be able to "acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute" marijuana and marijuana products, according to the proposed amendment. The Legislature, whose March-to-May session will occur after the November election, could allow other types of businesses to do the same. More: Again, Republicans will decide primary for the District 1 Martin County Commission seat More: Another golf course expected in Martin County following commissioners approval Federal marijuana laws still would apply even if Florida voters pass the proposed amendment. Sixty percent of voters will need to say "yes" in November for the measure to pass. Possession of the marijuana plant would be limited to 3 ounces. Users could smoke it, ingest it or otherwise, the proposed amendment says. Users would be limited to possessing 5 grams of marijuana concentrate. Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart debates recreational marijuana rules ahead of Nov. 5 election The Atlanta City Council will vote on a settlement for two college students who were pulled from their car and tased during 2020 protests in downtown Atlanta. A council spokesperson confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a $2 million settlement for Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim is on the agenda for Mondays meeting. Legal experts break down what the settlement and others paid recently by the city means, on Channel 2 Action News This Morning. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On May 30, 2020, Morehouse student Messiah Young and Spelman student Taniyah Pilgrim got stuck in Atlanta traffic as the streets were filled with protesters in the wake of George Floyds death. Young and Pilgrim, who were not part of the protests, said they pulled out their phones to record what they were seeing. A viral video showed officers using their Tasers and forcing the Morehouse and Spelman students out of their car. I just cant stop thinking about if cameras werent there or if they would have went a little bit further, Pilgrim told Channel 2 Action News in 2020. Its all that can cross my mind. Police released body camera video from the incident and later fired two of the officers for excessive force. A special prosecutor later dismissed the charges against the officers. Young and Pilgrim filed a civil lawsuit against the city, saying they wanted officials to take responsibility for what happened to them that night. The city will vote on a settlement regarding their case at 1 p.m. on Monday. Channel 2 Action News will bring you a decision as soon as its announced. RELATED STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Summer blood shortage in metro Atlanta cause emergency need for all blood types Blood donations have declined and blood usage at metro Atlanta hospitals has increased, causing a blood shortage. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is urging the community to donate now. Your blood donation is needed to help patients suffering from traumas, cancers, and chronic illnesses. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] All donors at LifeSouth receive a $20 e-gift card and double red cell and platelet donors receive a $40 e-gift card, plus a mini-physical which includes blood pressure, temperature, iron level, and cholesterol screening. LifeSouth says there is only an average 1-2 day supply available. To get information about donating or to find a blood drive near you, call LifeSouth toll-free at 888-795-2707, visit www.lifesouth.org or download the LifeSouth app. Appointments can also be made on their website. LifeSouth serves over 150 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Sun Metro gets grant to restart free rides for veterans EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Sun Metro has received a grant from the State of Texas that will allow the transit service to reinstate a popular program and allow veterans and their dependents and spouses to ride for free, according to a news release sent out by the City of El Paso. The grant, through the Texas Veterans Commission, will cover up to $50,000 of rides on Sun Metros Fixed Routes, Brio and the LIFT paratransit service. The free rides will start on July 1, according to a news release sent out by the City. Veterans comprise a significant portion of the City of El Pasos population, and we are proud to reinstate this program to support them and their families, said Sun Metro Director Anthony Dekeyzer. To apply, veterans and their dependents/spouses can visit Vets Ride Free (sunmetro.net) or call Sun Metro at (915) 212-3333. Individuals who previously participated in the program do not need to reapply. The service offers rides in the form of 30-day passes. Qualified veterans and eligible dependents/spouses can request a new pass within one week of the current passs expiration date. The program is subject to funding availability, with funds distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, the City said. Veterans currently receive a discount fare of $1. Sun Metros standard fare is $1.50. For more information about Sun Metro, visit https://SunMetro.net/. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Sunaks home targeted by eco-protestors for second time in a year Greenpeace activists go to climb onto the roof of Rishi Sunak's home in protest of his backing for a major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling - Greenpeace/Reuters The Prime Ministers home has been targeted for a second time in a year after an environmental protester pretended to defecate in his lake. Youth Demand, which opposes arms exports to Israel and oil and gas licences, said that Oliver Clegg, a university student, carried out the dirty protest at Mr Sunaks 2 million manor house in North Yorkshire on Tuesday afternoon. The stunt came 10 months after Greenpeace activists scaled the Prime Ministers Grade II-listed Kirby Sigston Manor, near Northallerton, in August last year to protest against new fossil fuel licences. Greenpeace activists on the roof of Rishi Sunak's house in Richmond, North Yorkshire - Danny Lawson/PA Clegg, 21, wore a shirt emblazoned with eat s--- Rishi on the back as he waded into the lake shortly before 1pm and appeared to defecate. A silicone stool was used instead of genuine faecal matter, Youth Demand said. Clegg was previously handed a 12-month conditional discharge and 250 in costs in February 2023 after being arrested for blocking the Esso Fuel Terminal in Birmingham in April 2022. Greenpeace eco-protesters on the roof of the Prime Minister's country mansion - Danny Lawson/PA Youth Demand said four people were detained by North Yorkshire Police at the scene after what they said was a thank you and parting gift to Rishi Sunak. The force was approached for comment. The protest group added that it was planning a week of action in London beginning on July 13. The incident is set to cause concerns about the quality of security at Mr Sunaks constituency home. In footage of the incident, the protester can be seen walking through an unlocked gate into the grounds of the house. A No 10 spokesman said: The Prime Minister thanks the police for their swift response to keep him and his family safe. Last August, the Greenpeace activists who targeted the Prime Ministers home spent no fewer than five hours on its roof. Environmentalists protest about new oil licences - Luca Marino/Greenpeace United Kingdom/AFP via Getty North Yorkshire Polices handling of the incident was criticised by a former senior officer who said the protesters could have been terrorists looking to plant a bomb. Mr Sunak was away on holiday with his family at the time of the incident. The Government ceased all contact with Greenpeace in response, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman saying they should not have a seat at the table. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A line of strong storms swept through West Michigan Tuesday morning, leaving a path of damage and tens of thousands without power. There were reports of downed trees, hail, and damage across West Michigan, including damaged windows at the post office in downtown Grand Rapids and a large downed tree brought down power lines on Lake Drive in Grand Rapids. A thunderstorm moves through the Holland State Park on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy Michael Barnhart) A downed tree in the roadway in Grand Rapids Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A downed tree in the roadway in Grand Rapids Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A downed tree and power lines on Lake Drive in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy Jason Christopherson) A damaged window at the post office in downtown Grand Rapids on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. A thunderstorm moves through the Holland State Park on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy Michael Barnhart) Sarah Clark, the Allegan County Emergency Management coordinator, said sirens were activated Tuesday morning due to winds in excess of 70 mph, not a tornado. Sirens were also activated in Kent County. As the storms move through West Michigan, thousands have lost power. According to the Consumers Energy outage map, more than 129,000 customers were without power around 9 a.m. The following counties had more than 100 customers without power: Allegan County: 3,631 customers Barry County: 4,009 customers Calhoun County: 2,721 customers Ionia County: 1,402 customers Kalamazoo County: 10,672 customers Kent County: 45,448 customers Muskegon County: 34,852 customers Newaygo County: 1,451 customers Oceana County: 1,557 customers Ottawa County: 8,756 customers St. Joseph County: 793 customers Van Buren County: 1,250 customers The utility company reminds customers to stay away from downed wires and call 911 immediately, then Consumers Energy at 800.477.5050. Traffic signals across West Michigan have been impacted by the power outages, including on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. Drivers are reminded to treat non-functioning traffic signals like four-way stops. Brian Wheeler with Consumers Energy said it would have crews working throughout the day to restore power to affected customers. However, some customers may not have power back on until Wednesday. A storm moves through Hamilton on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Courtesy Mindy Vanden Berg) While the stronger storms have passed through West Michigan, another round could occur this evening. A Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) remains in place for areas south of I-94. There is still quite a bit of uncertainty in place, depending on how the atmosphere can destabilize once again. Stay with Storm Team 8 today for the latest updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. (NewsNation) In a startling new anti-SPF trend, influencers on social media are claiming that wearing sunscreen causes cancer rather than preventing it. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with the American Academy of Dermatology estimating around 20% of the population will be diagnosed with the disease in their life. Human trials to begin for new teeth regeneration drug But social media personalities on such sites as TikTok are strongly warning their young audiences to avoid sunscreen products. Doctors are reporting seeing younger patients with sun damage and premature aging due to sun exposure, Nexstars WGN reported. But is sunscreen to blame? Dermatologists say no. Does sunscreen cause cancer? The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and dermatologist Anisha Patel, M.D., debunked some of the same myths spreading on TikTok. According to Patel, there is no evidence wearing sunscreen causes cancer. Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal, a dermatologist with Cleveland Clinic, shared similar advice during an interview with Nexstar. As far as we know, the sunscreen ingredients sold in the U.S. are FDA-approved and none of them have been linked to cause cancer, she explained, adding that, by not wearing sunscreen, [you] are increasing their risk of developing skin cancer, specifically basal cell and squamous cell. These medications can increase risk for heat-related illnesses Basal cell carcinoma causes lumps, bumps or lesions to form on the outer layer of your skin, primarily exposed to lots of sun, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It is considered the most common form of skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second-most common and often forms on the head, arms, legs, or other parts of the body that receive the most sun exposure. The statistics in the U.S. are that one in every three fair-skinned individuals will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. We know sunscreen is one of the ways to reduce that, Khetarpal said. Picking the right sunscreen Patel recommends picking a formula that covers both UVA and UVB radiation with an SPF of 30 or higher for maximum protection. There are two main types of sunscreen you will find on store shelves: physical sunscreens, which were once commonly referred to as sunblock (manufacturers are no longer allowed to label it as such), and chemical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which function like shields and reflect sun rays off our skin, Khetarpal explained. They are generally considered to be better at blocking UV rays and are recommended for those who are more prone to burn in the sun, have a history of skin cancer, and those with fair skin, including infants. Sunscreen vs. sunblock: Whats the difference, and which should you use? Chemical sunscreens work more like sponges, essentially absorbing the sun and breaking it down, preventing us from the negative effects. These sunscreens can contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that some communities have banned as a way to protect marine ecosystems. Its worth noting that oxybenzone and octinoxate are among a group of chemicals commonly used in sunscreen that are not considered GRASE, or generally recognized as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. Instead, the agency says additional data is needed to show sunscreens containing the chemicals are GRASE. The FDA notes, however, that this does not mean oxybenzone and octinoxate are unsafe to use in sunscreens. More information is necessary to determine whether they are GRASE. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises using sunscreens with less than 5% of either. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered GRASE ingredients because the FDA has found sufficient safety data to support a proposal that sunscreen products containing these ingredients (at concentrations of up to 25%) are GRASE. It is also important to keep a few factors in mind when applying. Expired sunscreen, belatedly applied sunscreen and sunscreen washed off by water or sweat are not as effective. Sunscreen alternatives There are some alternatives to avoid cancerous UV rays, including wearing: Protective clothing that is dark and tightly woven Wide-brimmed hats Sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection Khetarpal notes there is clothing that is UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) protective, which can block about 99% of ultraviolet light. You can also avoid sun damage by seeking shade, though Patel clarified that shade is not as effective as wearing sunscreen or protective clothing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!) In United States v. Rahimi, the Supreme Court affirmed the commonsense notion that the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit someone who poses a risk of perpetrating domestic violence from possessing a firearm. Some will laud this decision as a victory for survivors of intimate partner violence. And the court did reach a reasonable outcome in upholding the federal statute at issue. But the majority opinion glosses over the pernicious realities of domestic violence, and after its first section, it actually ceases to mention domestic violence at all. Moreover, Rahimi does not erase the fact that this court put pregnant survivors in extreme danger with its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. Intimate partner violence is incredibly widespread throughout the United States, and pregnant people are particularly vulnerable to this violence. Homicide is a leading cause of death for pregnant women. In fact, homicide causes more pregnant people to die than the three leading medical causes of death during pregnancy. More than half of female murder victims writ large are killed by an intimate partner, and nearly 7 out of 10 pregnancy-associated homicides involve a firearm. And pregnant people who survive intimate partner violence are at significantly increased risk of obstetric complications. Ensuring that pregnant survivors have means of accessing freedom and social supports is critical to ameliorating violence. The federal statute at issue in Rahimi can help with that. Though it utilizes the carceral system to do soa far-from-perfect solution to intimate partner violence, as Ria Tabacco Mar has highlightedthe law prohibits firearms possessions by people with domestic violence restraining orders against them, which can prevent apparent abusers from wielding a lethal weapon. But the idea that the Supreme Court is actually concerned with intimate partner violence was already shattered by the opinion in Dobbs. In the year following Dobbs, calls to a domestic violence hotline that mentioned reproductive coercion nearly doubled, and this is unsurprising given the relationship between reproductive rights and intimate partner violence. A critical measure to ameliorate domestic violence is ensuring that pregnant people experiencing violence have the autonomy to make decisions about their own reproductive health care, including having the choice of whether to carry a pregnancy to term. In the Turnaway Study, a longitudinal study of women who were able to have an abortion and women who wanted an abortion but were not able to have one, women who were prevented from having an abortion were slower to terminate relationships with abusive partners. And those who had children were more likely to have sustained contact with their abuser over time, putting them and their child or children at greater risk for violence. This makes complete sense; these women were not only forced to carry a pregnancy to term, but then often had to deal with long-term ramifications of raising a child whose other parent is a perpetrator of abuse. Of course they were more likely to continue to have contact with their abusive partner, as compared to women who were not forced to have children with their abuser. These long-term consequences underscore the importance of the ability to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy for someone experiencing intimate partner violence. But in Dobbs, the Supreme Court enabled states to rob women of their ability to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term, ignoring the ramifications of limited access to abortion on intimate partner violence that a prior iteration of the court had underscored during the 1990s in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. In Casey, the court upheld Roe v. Wade and discussed the prevalence and severity of domestic violence, even highlighting the district courts finding that often the worst abuse can be associated with pregnancy. By overturning Roe in Dobbs, the court allowed states to prevent pregnant people from having abortions. And in the numerous states that have since banned abortion, pregnant people experiencing intimate partner violence now have even less ability to control their own bodies and fates, especially given the lifelong consequences and dangers of childrearing and co-parenting with an abusive partner or ex-partner. The Supreme Courts historical analyses in Dobbs and New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen further illuminate the extent to which the court does not care about intimate partner violence. In both cases, the court explored whether history and tradition supported the right at issue. The history and tradition that the court examined occurred before women and people of color had the right to vote, let alone were treated as equal members of American society, and certainly before widespread public acknowledgement that intimate partner violence should result in civil and/or criminal penalties. In Rahimi, the court attempts to apply the same historical analysis, but that attempt falls flat, especially given that courts invoked notions of privacy to ignore and/or allow intimate partner violence throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. And as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson highlights in her concurrence, the majority fails to provide a coherent description of how lower courts should evaluate historical sources in Second Amendment cases moving forward. Rahimi put the courts treatment of intimate partner violence on display, and perhaps that is partly why the court upheld the federal statute at issuewhile also almost entirely ignoring that this case was about intimate partner violence. Dont let this opinion convince you that this court cares about survivors of intimate partner violence broadly. By allowing states to remove bodily autonomy from pregnant people who are subject to abusethat is, people whose autonomy has already been limitedthis court has shown that it is not interested in preserving the rights of survivors. As Americans prepare for what is likely to be a landmark ruling on whether Donald Trump enjoys absolute immunity from prosecution for his acts in office as president, Democrats are getting out the rhetorical axes to bash the conservative court where six Republican-appointed justices have the power to railroad Democratic appointees who hold half as many seats. As one, a chorus of Democratic opinion leaders and politicos are trashing the court before it even has its say in the matter. Harvard Legal scholar Laurence Tribe says the court aided Trumps 2024 election strategy and damaged our democracy. Washington Post commentator Jennifer Rubin blasts the court for the bad faith and bias on the part of the right-wing Supreme Court majority. If the Supreme Court grants Trump immunity, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff writes, there will be no hiding the Courts culpability in the unraveling of our republic. Bill Clinton cabinet member and widely followed progressive Robert Reich argues that the courts MAGA justices are granting (Trump) de facto immunity by delaying their decision so long. Progressive MSNBC eminence Rachel Maddow calls the court flagrantly corrupt. It is almost as if liberals are tearing down the institutions of our democracy just as they accuse Trump and his followers of doing. Before the court rules, as early as Wednesday, perhaps we should take a moment to consider the Supreme Court with a more judicious eye than the rhetorical fire breathers of social media It is true that the Supreme Court is taking its time in ruling on Trumps farcical immunity claims. I sure wish they were not taking more than 100 days. At the same time, it is also true that the case was the last one argued before the court, so it shouldnt come as a surprise if it is one of the last decided. Crafting credible court decisions cant be hurried. One reason the court takes its time is that justices need to work together to come to agreement on the arcane details of rulings that can run dozens of footnoted pages where one turn of phrase can completely reshape American law. Nonpartisan court decisions where the justices come down 9-0 or 8-1 are more credible and widely accepted than narrow 6-3 or 5-4 rulings divided largely along partisan lines. Thats why Chief Justice John Roberts tries to lead the court in a nuanced way that produces those credible decisions. Indeed, his record is that the plurality of court decisions are 9-0 and many more are of overwhelming majorities of 7-2 or 8-1. The facts undermine the argument that the courts right-wing justices are out of control. Moreover, the majority of 6-3 decisions so far this term have not been decided along partisan lines with all the right-leaning justices on one side and all the left-leaning justices on the other no, in most cases, on both sides, the winners and the losers are bipartisan. A perfect example of this careful decision-making came last Friday when an 8-1 court in the United States v. Rahimi case ruled that states can strip those accused of domestic violence of their gun rights when the gun owner is under a restraining order from a court. If an out-of-control right-wing court were out to ram through its pro-gun policy preferences, thats exactly the kind of ruling youd expect to be 6-3. And in Trumps immunity case, it is particularly important to get the nuances are right. It is possible, even likely, that Trump will be president this time next year. He and his newly-installed lackeys at the Justice Department would have the power to indict then-former President Joe Biden. The Supreme Court decision will have to be careful in drawing exacting lines between the extraordinary reckless abuses of power committed by Trump around his 2020 election denialism and the normal abuses of power and law-bending that every president engages in say, Bidens border policies or decisions to forgive student loans piecemeal, despite a Supreme Court ruling that he could not do it wholesale. If it takes some time to explain why Trump should face trial and Biden should not with a bipartisan majority of Supreme Court justices agreeing, then we should be willing to wait a little while to get the results our democracy needs. David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com A marcher carries a sign that reads Protect Trans Lives while walking through the French Quarter in New Orleans for Transgender Day of Visibility A marcher carries a sign while walking through the French Quarter in New Orleans for Transgender Day of Visibility. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether gender-affirming care bans for transgender youth are unconstitutional, in response to the Biden administration petitioning on behalf of trans youth and their families. The high courts ruling on this issue has the potential to curtail or bolster access to gender-affirming care across the country, as 25 states now ban such medical care for trans youth. The specific question before the Supreme Court is whether a gender-affirming care ban in Tennessee violates the 14th Amendments equal protection and due process clauses. This report was originally published by The 19th. The Illuminator is a founding member of The 19th News Network. The court will hear arguments in the case next fall. The Supreme Courts ultimate decision could also impact how transgender people are protected under the Constitution more broadly, since the legal case out of Tennessee deals with whether gender-affirming care bans discriminate on the basis of sex and whether transgender people are a class of individuals who have been historically subject to discrimination and are thereby entitled to more protection. The fact that the justices decided to take up this question at all is significant. The Supreme Court has declined to intervene on many issues related to transgender rights, including cases on bathroom access, school sports, whether trans people are protected under disability law, and whether trans students should receive confidential support in school. This inaction has repeatedly granted wins to LGBTQ+ advocates. Even when the Supreme Court allowed Idaho to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth in April, it did not address the constitutionality of such bans or debate political interventions in medical care. Now, for the first time, the high court will take up the issue, which is what LGBTQ+ rights attorneys were hoping for. Attorneys working for LGBTQ+ rights involved in these cases are aware of the high stakes of asking a conservative-majority Supreme Court the same one that overturned Roe v. Wade to weigh in on gender-affirming care. But they feel obligated to use every tool available to them in response to a tidal wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The future of countless transgender youth in this and future generations rests on this court adhering to the facts, the Constitution and its own modern precedent, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLUs LGBTQ & HIV Project, in a press release. Last year, the Biden administration made its own appeal for the Supreme Court to take up the case, siding with transgender youth and their families in Tennessee. Tennessees case is focused on whether banning gender-affirming care violates the 14th Amendment, whether such laws burden parents right to direct the medical treatment of their children, and whether these bans should be subjected to heightened scrutiny a more rigorous legal review to determine whether a law is constitutional or not. Tennessees ban on the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender minors took effect last July, after a three-judge panel on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made a preliminary decision in the states favor. Trans youth already receiving gender-affirming care were allowed to continue it until this March. Despite that brief grace period, physicians were forced to begin weaning trans adolescents off of their hormone treatments last year, in order to avoid suddenly stopping care. In Kentucky, a similar gender-affirming care ban also went into effect in July 2023. U.S. District Judge David Hale, who had previously blocked the states ban amid an ongoing lawsuit, changed course after that 6th Circuit ruling in Tenneessees favor. Hale also acted in anticipation of the 6th Circuit intervening on Kentuckys ban. In September 2023, the full 6th Circuit responded to both cases as it ruled that gender-affirming care bans for trans youth in Kentucky and Tennessee must remain in place amid ongoing lawsuits. The 6th Circuit argued that gender-affirming care bans do not discriminate on the basis of sex. If laws restricting abortion dont trigger heightened scrutiny, then laws restricting gender-affirming care dont either, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote in the courts decision. Although both cases had been appealed to the Supreme Court, no action was taken on Monday in response to the petition from Kentucky. The Supreme Court will not hear arguments for this case out of Tennessee until next fall, after the courts term begins in October so a final ruling may not come until 2025. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Supreme Court to decide whether its unconstitutional to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 20:11 | All, Expo Iran and Pakistan have given up on plans to construct their own pavilions at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka and will instead exhibit in pavilions prepared by the event's organizer, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. According to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, 51 countries are planning to build their own pavilions, called Type A, but 11 of them had still not secured contractors as of last Wednesday. The organizer is planning to request participants whose construction of Type A pavilions is running behind schedule to return the rented-out lots, according to senior officials of the association. It wants to avoid a situation where empty lots or unfinished pavilions remain when the exposition opens in April 2025, ensuring sufficient time to repurpose these areas for other uses. "We are able to ask parties concerned to return their lots based on the contract," a senior official of the organizer said. Iran plans to shift from Type A to simpler Type X, built by the organizer and rented out to participants who will arrange the interiors and exteriors, while Pakistan plans to switch to Type C, another less costly option that will be built by the organizer and shared by multiple participants. The organizer is set to construct nine Type X rental pavilions, while only three countries, other than Iran, have decided to move into Type X pavilions so far. Type A pavilions are considered a key attraction but design complexities pose additional challenges, while inflated material and labor costs have affected the construction plans of participants in the global event in western Japan. Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has suggested that Japan urge participants who are finding it difficult to build Type A pavilions to switch to those built by the organizer. As of June 18, over 160 countries and regions, as well as nine international organizations, had confirmed their participation in the expo, slated for April 13 to Oct. 13 next year on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, according to the Foreign Ministry. Related coverage: Osaka Expo pavilion cost may further increase by 7.7 billion yen Argentina withdraws from 2025 World Expo in Japan Osaka Expo seeks to tap into youth power to drum up support for event The Supreme Court, nearing the end of its term, is poised to soon deliver rulings in high-profile cases on everything from presidential power to abortion access. The justices will release opinions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. It will mark the first time in at least a decade the justices have done three opinion days in a row. The timing means key decisions, some with enormous consequences for the 2024 campaign, could be handed down just before President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump meet on stage in Atlanta for their first debate. MORE: 1st Biden-Trump debate: What to know and how to watch Blockbuster cases still to be resolved include whether Trump is immune from criminal prosecution on charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss; whether hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters were improperly charged with obstruction; and whether a federal law protecting emergency care overrides a state abortion ban. Here is a deeper dive into the some of the dozen cases pending before the nations high court. Presidential immunity In what is likely the most consequential case before the court this term, the justices will decide whether a former president is shielded from criminal liability for "official acts" taken while in the White House. In Trump v. United States, Trump is seeking to quash the federal election subversion case brought by special counsel Jack Smith by claiming immunity. MORE: Trump has good day arguing immunity but that doesn't nix Jan. 6 prosecution: ANALYSIS Lower courts flatly rejected Trump's argument, but the justices appeared open to the idea of some level of immunity for former presidents when they heard arguments in April. Their questioning largely focused on what types of official acts would be protected and which would not. How the justices make that determination will set a new standard for presidential power, and will affect whether Trump stands trial for his unprecedented actions in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Jan. 6 obstruction charges A felony obstruction charge used by federal prosecutors against alleged Jan. 6 rioters is being put to the test in Fischer v. United States. A former Pennsylvania police officer charged for his alleged participation in the U.S. Capitol attack is challenging the government's use of a 2002 law enacted to prevent the destruction of evidence in financial crimes. The law includes a sweeping provision for any conduct that "otherwise obstructs, influences or impedes an official proceeding." The Supreme Court appeared divided on whether the government's broad interpretation of the law should stand or be narrowed, with conservatives on the bench questioning the lack of prosecutions under the law for matters unrelated to financial or documentary crimes. The court's decision could upend hundreds of Jan. 6 cases, including Trump's. Felony obstruction is one of the four charges the former president is facing in his federal election subversion case. PHOTO: U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Reuters) Idaho abortion ban and emergency care In Moyle v. United States, the question before the court is whether a federal law requiring emergency rooms to provide stabilizing care to all patients overrides Idahos strict abortion ban. Idaho's law prohibits nearly all abortions, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk. MORE: 2 years after Roe v. Wade, physicians still struggle to provide essential care The Biden administration argues the law is conflict with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which requires hospitals receiving Medicare funds to provide necessary stabilizing treatment." The case marks the first time the court is evaluating state-level abortion restrictions passed after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Since the court's conservative majority struck down Roe, 21 states have successfully enacted restrictions or bans on abortion and 14 of those states have total bans with few exceptions. Homeless encampment ban In the most significant case on homelessness in decades, the justices are weighing whether a local ordinance to bar anyone without a permanent residency from sleeping outside amounts to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. Officials in Grants Pass, Oregon argue the ordinance is necessary to protect public spaces and encourage a growing tide of unhoused residents to seek shelter. A lower court ruled that punishing homeless people with fines and the possibility of jail time for public camping when they have nowhere else to go is unconstitutional. A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed to favor the city's arguments when it heard the case in April. Social media regulation and free speech The Supreme Court will determine whether state laws restricting how social media companies moderate content violate the First Amendment. The measures from Florida and Texas seek to place limits on how the private companies can manage user accounts and feeds on their platforms. Both were passed amid conservative concerns that Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, were censoring viewpoints on their site based on politics. MORE: Supreme Court hears major cases on free speech, laws regulating social media In another case, Murthy v. Missouri, the justices will decide if the Biden administration went too far in communicating with social media companies about misinformation on their sites about COVID-19 and the 2020 election. Republican-led states argued the government's conduct amounted to illegally coercion, while the administration argued their contact with the companies was aimed at protecting national security and public health. The justices appeared likely to reject the states' challenge and side with the Biden administration when it heard arguments in March. Supreme Court poised to deliver major rulings on presidential immunity, abortion access originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Supreme Court today rejected Josh Duggars appeal of his 2021 conviction on two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to multiple reports. The court did not comment on the decision. Lower courts have upheld the conviction, which came after police in Little Rock, Arkansas found sexually abusive material related to children was being shared by a computer at a car dealership that Dugger, now 36, owned at the time. More from Deadline The father of seven was sentenced to twelve-and-a-half years in prison after the judge today dropped one of the charges before sentencing. Each count carried a maximum sentence of 20 years. Prosecutors argued Duggar had a deep-seated, pervasive and violent sexual interest in children. After being released, the former 19 Kids and Counting star was given mandated supervision for 20 years. He will not be allowed to have unsupervised contact with any children, including his own. Duggar was among the family members who appeared on TLCs 19 Kids and Counting until the network pulled the show in 2015 after revelations he had molested four of his sisters and another girl. A spin-off focused just on the kids called Counting On was canceled by TLC after Duggars arrest. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. TechCrunch Tesla is gearing up to reveal its Robotaxi this Thursday, and everyone wants to know what it will look like, whether Tesla will unveil a commercialization strategy, and what outrageous timelines Elon Musk might announce to bump Teslas stock. Musk had originally planned to reveal the Robotaxi which he has also referred to as a Cybercab on August 8. While Musk initially accused Reuters of lying, over the next couple of weeks, Tesla indeed laid off 10% of staff to usher in a next phase of growth, and Musk said Tesla would be going balls to the wall for autonomy. The Supreme Courts decision to hear a challenge to Tennessees gender-affirming care ban for minors sets the stage for a potentially blockbuster case implicating transgender protections. It marks the first time the justices will weigh in on the issue, which could impact laws passed by 24 Republican-led states since 2021 that ban medications like puberty blockers and hormones for transgender children and teens. Legal challenges mounted by transgender youths, their families and medical providers have been met with mixed results. A federal judge earlier this month struck down a Florida law barring access to gender-affirming health care for minors and certain adults, and a similar Arkansas law was ruled unconstitutional last year. Federal court orders are blocking the enforcement of bans in Montana and Ohio. Mondays announcement has left LGBTQ rights advocates grateful they will get their day in the nations highest court to object to Tennessees ban but also apprehensive about where the conservative-leaning court will land. The future of countless transgender youth in this and future generations rests on this Court adhering to the facts, the Constitution, and its own modern precedent, Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberty Unions LGBTQ & HIV project, said in a statement. The Supreme Courts decision to hear the case comes at the urging of the Biden administration, which appealed to the justices after intervening in the challenge brought by a group of anonymous transgender children and their parents. Tennessee Republicans passed the law, Senate Bill 1, in 2023 amid a wave of gender-affirming care bans enacted in states across the country. The law bars health care providers from administering puberty blockers, hormones or surgery to help a minor transition, though the restrictions dont apply to adults. Violations can lead to professional discipline and carry a $25,000 civil penalty and private lawsuits. The Supreme Court is not expected to hear arguments until next fall, with a decision likely by June 2025. The Justice Department contends Tennessees statute, and others like it, violate the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause because they unconstitutionally discriminate against transgender individuals. Puberty blockers and doses of testosterone and estrogen are still available to minors who are not transgender under Tennessees and similar laws that restrict access to such care. Those laws, and the conflicting court decisions about their validity, are creating profound uncertainty for transgender adolescents and their families around the Nation and inflicting particularly acute harms in Tennessee and other States where the laws have been allowed to take effect, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in the administrations petition. The Department of Justice and the White House declined to comment on the courts decision to hear the case, saying they do not comment on pending litigation. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R), whose office has argued the law was enacted to protect children, urged the justices to let a lower ruling upholding it stand. We fought hard to defend Tennessees law protecting kids from irreversible gender treatments and secured a thoughtful and well-reasoned opinion from the Sixth Circuit. I look forward to finishing the fight in the United States Supreme Court, Skrmetti said in a statement Monday. This case will bring much-needed clarity to whether the Constitution contains special protections for gender identity, he said. The Supreme Court in April narrowed an injunction blocking Idahos felony ban on gender-affirming care for minors. But that emergency ruling did not address the laws constitutionality, and the court has otherwise abstained from intervening in most cases involving transgender rights. This is a high-stakes moment for transgender youth and their families, and were glad that trans youth and their families will have their day in court to make the case that the bans are unconstitutional, interfere with private medical decisions, and severely harm families, said Allison Scott, director of impact and innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, which supports LGBTQ people living in the South. Everyone who needs gender-affirming care should be able to access it affordably, and close to home, and our team will never stop working to make that happen. Gender-affirming health care for transgender adults and minors is considered medically necessary by every major medical organization, though not every trans person chooses to medically transition or has access to care. Groups including the Campaign for Southern Equality have poured hundreds of thousands into emergency funds meant to ease the financial burden of traveling out of state for treatment. In a national survey in February, more than half of trans people said they considered moving to another state because of laws that threaten access to gender-affirming health care. Tara Borelli, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, in a statement on Monday said the Supreme Court has historically rejected efforts to uphold discriminatory laws. Without similar action here, these punitive, categorical bans on the provision of gender-affirming care will continue to wreak havoc on the lives of transgender youth and their families, she said. Two of the Supreme Courts leading conservatives Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have long appeared eager to wade into disputes implicating transgender rights. The duo publicly dissented from their colleagues when the court turned away a school districts defense of its transgender bathroom policy and an appeal of a ruling that found a transgender womans rights were violated in jail. This case presents a question of great national importance that calls out for prompt review, Alito wrote, joined by Thomas, in the latter case. Agreeing to hear the challenge to Tennessees ban means at least four of the nine justices voted to do so. Cases that earn the high courts review tend to be taken up after they are distributed consecutively for two of the justices closed-door conferences, where they vote on which appeals to hear. The Biden administrations challenge to Tennessees law moved at an unusually sluggish pace, with it granted after being listed for the last six conferences, according to the cases docket. Justices have indicated they sometimes relist petitions when persuading a colleague to provide the critical fourth vote. Mondays vote tally was not disclosed. Despite the courts conservative majority, advocates hope that the justices ruling next term will be broad enough to overturn laws passed across the country that restrict access to gender-affirming care. Certainly, we can hope that there is a ruling that summarily is restoring access to care, said Cait Smith, director of LGBTQI+ policy at the Center for American Progress. I think that theres a path towards restoration. Smith linked efforts to limit access to gender-affirming care to attempts to restrict or ban abortion. The Supreme Courts decision to take up the Tennessee case falls on the second anniversary of its landmark ruling that rolled back federal abortion protections. The fight for access to abortion and reproductive care and the fight for access to practice transgender medical care are intertwined, Smith said. This is all about access to best practice medical care. This is all about bodily autonomy for all of us, they added. Yes, this is incredibly crucial and important for young trans folks and for their families, but this is important for all of us and our access to health care. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear a challenge to Tennessees ban on gender-affirming care for minors, setting up a major fall-term showdown over transgender rights and the Constitution. That battle will be extraordinarily difficult for transgender rights advocates to winand the justices appear to have designed it that way. At issue in United States v. Skrmetti is Tennessee Senate Bill 1, which was enacted in March 2023. It generally bans physicians, hospitals, and other medical professionals in the state from prescribing drugs or performing surgeries that would [enable] a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minors sex or [treat] purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minors sex and asserted identity. Tennessee passed S.B. 1 alongside other laws aimed at transgender Americans, including a statutory definition of sex that excludes them, a ban on transgender student-athletes competing in events under their preferred gender identity, and more. Three transgender Tennessee minors, their parents, and a physician sued to challenge S.B. 1 on a variety of grounds, including the equal protection clause, the due process clause, parental rights, and more. The Biden administration also intervened in the case on equal protection grounds. In equal protection clause cases, courts use different tiers of scrutiny to interpret laws that treat people differently. The higher the level of scrutiny, the more difficult it is for a law to survive. At one end of the spectrum is whats known as rational basis scrutiny, meaning that it survives so long as the government can demonstrate a rational basis for it. At the other end is strict scrutiny, which is reserved for laws that discriminate on the basis of certain immutable personal characteristics, such as race, religion, and national origin. Those laws are presumptively unconstitutional unless the government has an exceptionally urgent and necessary reason for passing them, and it almost never does. Somewhere in the middle is heightened scrutiny, also known as intermediate scrutiny. While race, religion, and national origin are eligible for strict scrutiny, the Supreme Court has held that sex is one step below those categories. Laws that discriminate on the basis of sex are considered more permissible than racially or religiously discriminatory laws, but they still receive more scrutiny than the baseline. Last year, federal district court ruled in favor of the minors, their parents, and the Justice Department on equal protection clause grounds and issued an injunction to block S.B. 1. (The lower courts addressed the other claims as well, but Ill come back to those later.) Judge Eli Richardson concluded that transgender Americans are a protected class thats eligible for heightened scrutiny. He also ruled that even if they werent, they would fall under the existing framework for sex-based discrimination. Accordingly, Richardson concluded that S.B. 1 failed to meet the threshold necessary to pass muster under heightened scrutiny. The Court acknowledges that the state feels strongly that the medical procedures banned by SB1 are harmful to minors, he wrote. The medical evidence on the record, however, indicates otherwise. He cited the positions of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other major medical organizations, which have held that puberty blockers and hormone therapy can be appropriate and medically necessary treatments for adolescents when clinically indicated. Tennessee appealed Richardsons ruling to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned it last September. Writing for the majority, Judge Jeffrey Sutton rejected the equal protection arguments on both levels by holding that the laws were not discriminatory at all. The laws regulate sex-transition treatments for all minors, regardless of sex, he wrote. Under each law, no minor may receive puberty blockers or hormones or surgery in order to transition from one sex to another. Such an across-the-board regulation lacks any of the hallmarks of sex discrimination. He also held that transgender Americans were not a suspect class, a legal term used to describe the groups for whom higher levels of scrutiny apply. Sutton rejected it based on the prongs of the test that courts typically use to determine this. He argued that being transgender is not an immutable characteristic because a small number of transgender people later detransition. He rejected claims that they are politically powerless because the Justice Department and most major medical groups are on their side. He claimed there was no evidence that S.B. 1 was driven by animus. The unsettled, developing, in truth still experimental, nature of treatments in this area surely permits more than one policy approach, and the Constitution does not favor one over the other, Sutton concluded, quoting from precedent. This ongoing debate provides persuasive evidence that Kentucky and Tennessee could choose fair-minded caution and their own approach to child welfare, just as other jurisdictions could rationally adopt another path. An entire generation of Americans has now lived with a Supreme Court that is, at minimum, not hostile to LGBTQ rights. But the T in LGBTQ has never really come before the court until now. Skrmetti will be the first Supreme Court case that specifically addresses transgender Americans constitutional rights on their own. The justices handed down a series of rulings over the past three decades that expanded gay and lesbian Americans rights and protections, culminating in 2015s landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which struck down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Some of those rulings also benefited transgender Americans, but they were not the focus of them and the justices did not address their specific circumstances. The courts first and only brush so far with transgender-specific issues came only four years ago. In 2020, the high court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the main federal workplace-discrimination law, covered sexual orientation and gender identity. Title VII generally bans employers from discriminating on the basis of sex. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote for the 63 majority, held that this specific language also applied to gay and transgender workers. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex, he wrote. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids. Chief Justice John Roberts and the courts four liberal justices at the time joined his decision. While the Bostock ruling was a major victory for the plaintiffs in that case, there are reasons to doubt that a similar majority will emerge in this case. For one thing, Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death and replacement by Justice Amy Coney Barrett shifted the court further to the right. If one uses the Bostock majority as the starting point for a potential ruling, it starts at 54 instead of 63. The Bostock ruling was also narrowly tailored to the case at hand. Gorsuchs decision only addressed a particular statutein that case, Title VIIand did not automatically extend to similar anti-discrimination laws for housing and public accommodations. In Title VII cases, the court has regularly held that the statutes text prohibits conduct that would not have necessarily been seen as discriminatory by its drafters, such as sexual harassment. (The law was passed in the Mad Men era, after all.) And as a statutory interpretation case, it does not serve as precedent on its own for a constitutional law case. The Supreme Court has also avoided taking up cases in recent years in which Americans might be more sympathetic to the transgender plaintiffs. As recently as January, the court has left lower court rulings intact that allow transgender school students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity. A Pew Research Center survey in 2022 found that 64 percent of Americans support laws that prohibit discrimination against transgender Americans in jobs, housing, and public spaces. Forty-six percent of Americans, by comparison, said they favored laws that banned medical professionals from helping minors transition. When taking up Skrmetti, the justices also conspicuously declined to consider other pending appeals that involve state bans on gender-affirming care. This is more meaningful than it might seem at first glance: The Biden administration originally intervened in the Tennessee case under a federal law that allows it to intervene in certain lower court cases where the equal protection clause is implicated. As a result, its appeal focuses solely on that question. The three transgender Tennessee minors and their parents who originally filed the lawsuit had also filed a petition for justices to review the Sixth Circuits ruling on other grounds. Richardson had ruled in favor of the parents right to make medical decisions for their children on due process clause grounds; the Sixth Circuit panel rejected that argument. The Justice Department had urged the court to accept its petition and consolidate it with the other plaintiffs appeal so it could hear all sides. The court silently declined to do so on Monday and left the other petitions hanging, so to speak. That would allow them to sidestep the other issuesand their opticsuntil after they hand down a ruling on the narrower grounds that they chose. Finally, there is the lower courts ruling itself. Sutton framed his ruling in small-c conservative terms, arguing that the issue of gender-affirming careand transgender issues in generalis too novel for courts to constitutionalize under the Fourteenth Amendment. Life-tenured federal judges should be wary of removing a vexing and novel topic of medical debate from the ebbs and flows of democracy by construing a largely unamendable Constitution to occupy the field, he wrote. When the Supreme Court decides to take up an appeal, its most fundamental decision is whether to affirm or reverse the lower courts ruling. Sutton made the conservative justices job as easy as possible. He narrowly interpreted the courts equal protection clause precedents without defying them and framed the decision as one of judicial humility and democratic debate. The courts conservative justices, who spent most of this term repairing the shoddy overreaches of the Fifth Circuit, probably wanted to hug him when they read it. Chief Justice John Roberts, who took an almost identical approach in his dissent from Obergefell nine years ago, will likely be receptive to this line of reasoning. Understand well what this dissent is about: It is not about whether, in my judgment, the institution of marriage should be changed to include same-sex couples, he wrote. It is instead about whether, in our democratic republic, that decision should rest with the people acting through their elected representatives, or with five lawyers who happen to hold commissions authorizing them to resolve legal disputes according to law. The net result of the court deciding to hear Skrmetti is that the justices are taking up what will likely be a landmark case on transgender rights where no transgender person is actually a plaintiff, where the now-faceless dispute can be reduced to a battle between the Biden administration and Tennessee Republicans, and where questions of constitutional rights and equal protection can be glazed over by paeans to the laboratories of democracy. In short, the Supreme Court has done everything it possibly can to engineer a palatable case for eliminating equal protection claims for transgender Americans if it wishes to do so. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is shown speaking at a hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee on June 08, 2023 in Washington, DC. Murthy is the first surgeon general to issue a gun violence advisory while in office. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The U.S. surgeon general has issued an unprecedented warning about the deadly and far-reaching effects of gun violence, a move that could draw resources to the issue and influence public policy. This story was reported by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for The Traces newsletters here. Dr. Vivek Murthys advisory on June 25 marks the first time that the Office of the Surgeon General has issued a publication focused on gun violence, an epidemic that claimed more than 48,000 lives in the United States in 2022, the latest year for which complete data is available. Over 32 pages, Murthy labels gun violence an urgent public health crisis, pointing to an increase in gun deaths and injuries over the past two decades and to cascading effects including trauma and other mental health issues that spread beyond those who are wounded or killed. Historically, the surgeon general has reserved advisories for significant public health challenges that demand the American peoples immediate attention. Murthy noted a recent national survey that found that more than half of U.S. adults reported that they or their family members have experienced gun violence by being threatened with a gun, witnessing a shooting, being shot themselves, shooting in self defense, or losing a family member to gun violence. There are many experts and leaders who work tirelessly each day to protect families and communities from the trauma and suffering that have become all too common in our country, the advisory reads. But it will take more the collective commitment of the nation to turn the tide on the crisis of firearm violence in America. The advisory comes a year and a half after The Trace first reported that a group of former surgeons general had called on President Joe Biden to direct Murthy to issue a report on gun violence. There is little question that firearm violence is a public health crisis, the former surgeons general wrote at the time. And yet, unlike for homelessness, opioids or other determinants of health, there has never been a U.S. Surgeon Generals Report on gun violence in America. Not one. The advisory is not a full Surgeon Generals Report. In an advisory, the surgeon general and his staff review available scientific evidence and provide recommendations for how the issue should be addressed. A report is a longer, comprehensive review prepared by experts on behalf of the surgeon general. Both advisories and reports are often landmark publications with the potential to influence public policy and resource allocation, and rally public attention. The first modern Surgeon Generals Report, released in 1964, concluded that cigarette smoking was a cause of lung cancer. That report and more than a dozen follow-ups led to national efforts that helped cut smoking rates by nearly two-thirds. Since the 1980s, several reports have studied HIV, suicide, and mental health, and at least one examined youth violence, though not exclusively gun violence. In May 2023, Murthy issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health, leading to calls for policy changes to better protect young people online. Last week, Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms to advise parents that social media is potentially damaging to the mental health of teenagers. The gun violence advisory found that the rate of firearm-related deaths in the U.S. has been rising and reached a near three-decade high in 2021, driven by increases in homicides over the past decade and suicides over the past two decades. Children and young people in particular have experienced a staggering increase. The increasing number of children and adolescents dying from firearm-related injuries and the reverberating mental health impacts on society make firearm violence an urgent public health crisis in America, Murthy wrote. The report does note that after the spike in violence in 2020 and 2021, gun homicides declined in 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provisional CDC data shows homicides decreased in 2023, and data from police departments and other sources indicates that the decline was historic. Suicides, however, have not declined. Its good to see the surgeon general recognize this problem, its magnitude, and the enormous impact that it has on health, said Daniel Webster, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. The surgeon general does not have the authority to enact significant policy changes himself, but his recommendations do influence hospitals, local and state health departments, and other government agencies as they make policy. For years to come, people will look at this document, Webster said. It is a path to take to have lower rates of gun violence. I also am realistic enough to know that there will be parts of the country and parts of the political spectrum that will ignore it at best, and at worst, try to discredit it. Citing past research, the advisory describes layers of harm for families and communities, including collective trauma and fear that affect mental health and well-being. Socioeconomic and racial inequities play a role, as does the availability of firearms. The advisory notes: The presence of a firearm in the home has been associated with higher risk of being a victim of homicide and suicide among all household members, and an unlocked firearm in the home is associated with higher risk of suicide and unintentional firearm injury among children and adolescents. Murthy lays out an approach to mitigate gun violence by drawing on successful strategies used in other public health crises, like smoking and motor vehicle deaths. The advisory highlights the need for increased research funding, data collection, community violence intervention programs, and safe firearm storage education. Murthy also calls for better access to affordable mental health care and substance use treatment, and throws his support behind certain legislative measures, including banning assault weapons and expanding background checks to all gun sales. It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands, the advisory reads. The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake. Read the original version of this story in The Trace here. The post Surgeon general issues first-ever gun violence advisory appeared first on Rhode Island Current. CHICAGO For the first time at Northwestern Medicine, surgeons performed a kidney transplant while the recipient was still awake. Chicago resident John Nicholas successfully received a kidney transplant and was able to walk out of the hospital the next day thanks to the groundbreaking procedure. It was the first time at Northwestern Medicine that surgeons performed this kind of procedure while the patient was fully conscious. More Coverage: WGNs Medical Watch It took less than two hours and John was discharged and able to walk out of the hospital 24 hours later, a normal hospital stay at Northwestern Medicine is about two to three days, and nationally about five to seven days, Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, transplant surgeon and Director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center said. Doctors used a single-spinal anesthesia shot, similar to what is used for cesarean sections. The option could soon open the door to increased access to transplantation for patients who are at high risk of undergoing general anesthesia. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines Now on the other hand, when patients receive general anesthesia theyre under a lot more medication, it requires intubation and is overall more invasive than an injection in the back, Vicente Garcia Tomas, MD, anesthesiologist and Chief of Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital said. The 28-year-old patient said he felt great immediately after the procedure. Ive been up and walking and all that, really since the first day after the surgery, Nicholas said. Nicholas has also been cleared to eat his favorite food again, pizza, which was delivered by a very special surprise guest, his best friend and kidney donor who traveled from Virginia. It is a life-saving surgery that could soon become life-changing for even more patients in need. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland To give an incredible gift to a friend is always a good feeling in your heart and the fact that it contributed to this incredible medical advancement is just kind of the icing on the cake really, kidney donor Pat Wise said. Nicholas said before the transplant, he had to limit his salt intake. He is now looking forward to enjoying pizza and having more energy to ride his bike around Chicago. Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGNs Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BAIRD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A suspected drunk driver has been charged with manslaughter in connection to the death of three Baird teens. Ashlie Haynes, 36, of Clyde, was booked into the Callahan County Jail Tuesday on three counts of Intoxication Manslaughter and two counts of Aggravated Assault. Mother of Baird teen speaks out following fatal drunk driving accident All charges were issued for the crash the claimed the lives of Layni Potter, 18, Madi Buchanan, 18, and Ryan Bilby, 16, on West 3rd Street and Peyton Road in Baird May 5. Investigators say five teens, including the deceased, were in a car that was stopped at a stop sign on Peyton Road when they failed to yield to the right of way and pulled out in front of Haynes, who was driving south into the intersection. Where our friends took their last breaths: Bereaved community gathers at crash site-turned candlelight vigil for 3 Baird teens killed by drunk driver Three of the teens were ejected upon impact. The driver and one of the passengers survived after receiving treatment at the hosptial. 3 Baird teens killed in Sunday morning crash Haynes was treated at the scene for minor injures. She was then arrested for Driving While Intoxicated when a breath analysis indicated her blood alcohol level was over the legal limit. Haynes currently remains held on jail on bonds totaling $400,000. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Women's rights advocates said on Tuesday they regretted that Julian Assange was not questioned over rape and other sex crime allegations in Sweden, as the WikiLeaks founder eyes freedom after a long legal odyssey in Britain. The Australian is due to make a deal in a U.S. court on Wednesday that will set him free after five years in British prison. Between 2012 and 2019, Assange took refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London to duck extradition to Sweden over the 2010 allegations, claiming the Nordic country may in turn extradite him to the U.S. where he faced espionage charges. Assange has rejected the Swedish accusations. Swedish prosecutors in 2019 dropped their remaining probe, into rape, saying the plaintiff's account of events was credible but the many years passed had weakened evidence. "It's a betrayal against the women who reported him and who have not been given a chance for legal redress," said Clara Berglund, head of the Swedish Women's Lobby, an umbrella organisation for women's rights groups. "It's a chapter of shame and betrayal that ends with his release," she said. "This is about a case that takes place on the major political stages, and men's violence against women is given incredibly little weight." A spokesperson for Assange was not immediately available for comment. Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the rape case plaintiff's lawyer, said it is bad that Assange could not be tried in Sweden. "There was evidence and it would have been of great importance to have the evidence tested in a Swedish court. For a plaintiff, it is extremely important," she said. One of the women who filed complaints against Assange in Sweden over sexual assault, Anna Ardin, said on X she welcomed his release. "I have had zero power here but I'm happy that he is out and hope he can fight for transparency and human rights, without molesting women," she said. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Marie Mannes; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 19:27 | All, Japan, World A Japanese woman and her son were wounded and a Chinese woman was seriously injured Monday in a knife attack at a bus stop and aboard a Japanese school bus in Suzhou near Shanghai, according to a consulate general official. There was no indication that the suspect, believed to be Chinese, intentionally targeted Japanese nationals, the official of the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai said. Chinese police said the man is 52 years old and unemployed. According to the official, the two Japanese victims were taken to a hospital. While their injuries were not life-threatening, the boy had a deep stab wound to the back and cuts. The attacker was subdued at the scene. The woman in her 30s and her son were waiting for another child to return from school in the city in Jiangsu Province, home to many Japanese nationals and production facilities, the official said, adding the Chinese woman was a bus attendant. After the man stabbed the Japanese woman and her son at the bus stop, he got on the school bus as it arrived there and attacked the Chinese woman, according to Japanese government sources. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning expressed regret over the stabbing and told a press conference it was an "isolated incident" that could happen in any country in the world. She pledged that China will take effective measures to protect the safety of foreigners in the country. The attack sparked concern among the local Japanese community, with one male resident saying, "I was really surprised because this area was known to be safe. I feel sorry" for those injured. The school was closed Tuesday. Security guards and those believed to be plainclothes officers kept watch near its front gate. A cleaner who visited the stabbing scene immediately after the incident told Kyodo News that police had confiscated what appeared to be a 20-centimeter-long knife. Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference in Tokyo that the attack was regrettable, adding the consulate general had requested that Chinese authorities share detailed information. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing issued a safety alert, saying stabbings have occurred recently at crowded locations in China including parks and schools. On June 10, four teachers from Cornell College in the U.S. state of Iowa and a Chinese person were stabbed by a man at a park in Jilin Province, northeastern China, after one of the teachers and the assailant bumped against each other. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to local police. Related coverage: 32-yr-old arrested over stabbing death of Japanese chef in Vancouver Man arrested for killing his probation officer in western Japan Doctor at scene of Akihabara mass killing recalls pain of lives lost SWEETWATER, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A Sweetwater police officer accused of hitting a handcuffed suspect in the face has been indicted on an Official Oppression charge. Corporal Caleb Norman received his indictment from a Nolan County Grand Jury last week and was arrested Saturday, June 22. Sweetwater police say they received a complaint that Norman struck a handcuffed individual in the face while he was taking this suspect into custody in March 2024. Sweetwater PD began investigating internally and the Texas Rangers also launched a criminal investigation. The results of those investigations led to Normans indictment and arrest. He was also suspended from the police department indefinitely June 12. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Bernard Stevens, who is a candidate in the City Commission Seat 2 race, stands and responds to a question at a candidate forum, June 24, 2024. A Tallahassee City Commission candidate forum sponsored by the Tallahassee Branch of the NAACP and progressive groups Monday night devolved at times into an angry free-for-all, sparking fiery outbursts from some office-seekers and heated arguments among audience members. Candidates discussed topics proposed by NAACP local president and forum moderator Mutaqee Akbar, including the area's unabated gun violence and what they plan to do about it. The civil rights organization organized the forum, held at Watson Temple Church of God in Christ, along with Tallahassee ALERT and Black Voters Matter. On stage were City Commissioner Jack Porter, Rudy Ferguson Sr. and Louis Dilbert who are running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 1 and City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, Dot Inman-Johnson and Bernard Stevens Jr. running for Seat 2. Absent from the debate was Donna Nyack, also in the running for Seat 2. Nyack, a political unknown who moved to Tallahassee from California last year, has avoided the public eye since she entered the race May 28. She hasn't responded to phone calls or emails and didn't answer the door earlier this month when a reporter knocked. The six candidates who were present, however, arrived ready to share their platforms and didn't miss an opportunity to take jabs at their opponents when they could. Here are four takeaways from the 2-hour forum: Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Richardson gives brief remarks during a groundbreaking ceremony held for the new Senior Center, located on Welaunee Boulevard, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. On their ability to maintain decorum, integrity, respect The atmosphere in City Hall has long been criticized by commissioners and residents who regularly attend city commission meetings as "hostile" and "toxic." And that growing tension has caught voters' attention. One audience member asked the panel to speak to their ability to maintain decorum, integrity and respect amid the deep divide on the commission a question that came after several audience members began arguing and stepped outside. Lee Johnson, a local pastor and Inman-Johnson's husband, challenged Akbar when he felt the rules on rebuttals weren't being followed consistently. Akbar pressed on, angering Johnson, who approached Akbar to get in his face. Other audience members then started shouting at each other while others tried to calm Johnson, who would later go on to apologize. (On Wednesday, Johnson called a Tallahassee Democrat reporter to say he confronted Akbar only because he had "said some aggressive things" to him first.) Stanley Sims, a frequent speaker at public meetings, and Gregory James, another local pastor and community activist, were among several who continued yelling at each other outside. Meantime, Inman-Johnson, who served on the commission 1984-94, said she never breached decorum at any time she served: "I was a little taken aback when that situation happened earlier, but I take responsibility for me." Ferguson said when "fighting, arguing and name calling" seep into City Hall, nothing gets done: "The people that need (help) most are affected the most." Porter, who frequently points out the shortcomings of her colleagues' behavior on the dais, maintains she has been cut off repeatedly while discussing city business during meetings. While admitting to occasionally falling short, she pointed to a lack of collegiality on the commission. Dot Inman-Johnson, who is running for a seat on the City Commission, speaks during a press conference at the Florida Education building where she and other community members called upon Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz to reverse the decision made on the AP African studies Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. "I believe that as an elected official, I certainly am held to a higher standard," Porter said. "And I'm responsible for treating my colleagues with respect because of the respect that I have for the public." On crime, gun violence in community Over the last five years, the capital has seen a major spike in violent crime. Gun violence is at the forefront of residents' minds as they live with the threat of gunfire every day, and candidates say reducing crime and violence is a top priority. The city has dropped the ball and not taken the initiative it should have, Porter said, but she feels it's on the right track: "I believe crime is a response to people in crisis. Oftentimes, the people who are committing crimes need our support the most." Tallahassee City Commission Seat 1 candidate incumbent Jack Porter answers questions during a forum hosted by WFSU, the Tallahassee Democrat and the League of Women Voters on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The city should be investing in social services and working to provide people with affordable, quality housing, she added. Dilbert said the best way to reign in the violence is to attack the problem at the root: "We have to start earlier and earlier to prevent our youth from getting into the system." The community needs young role models to keep children from going astray, he said. Numerous programs are in place and run by the city; Richardson said they're working. The incumbent pointed to the city's TEMPO program, the Tallahassee Future Leaders Academy and the restorative justice program at the Palmer Munroe Teen Center. Tallahassee City Commission Seat 1 candidate Louis Dilbert answers questions during a forum hosted by WFSU, the Tallahassee Democrat and the League of Women Voters on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. "I know what my neighbors have experienced throughout this community and it's my top priority," Richardson said. "And in our strategic plan as a commission, reducing crime is our top priority." But Stevens pushed back, saying the city has been given thousands of dollars to fix a problem, and "they're doing nothing." Rating the police chief, Tallahassee Police Department The Tallahassee Police Department has received both high praise and staunch criticism, which was echoed as the candidates offered their individual perspectives on the city's force. Porter criticized Chief Lawrence Revell, saying he's been unwilling to meet with or respond to those who disagree with him. She proposed the idea of having the police chief report directly to the commission, not the city manager, to ensure accountability. Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. She also said that she thinks Tallahassee's law enforcement officers need to be better equipped to do the jobs they are hired for: "Our law enforcement officers are not social workers, they are not counselors, and we should be supporting people who can do that while supporting our law enforcement officers to do what it is that they are trained to do and want to do." Dilbert acknowledged that he doesn't know Revell well but said he wouldn't support allowing a commission that could be partisan to appoint a police chief. "We have issues with policing in America, and we do not need those offices to be subject to partisan politics," he said. Richardson defended Revell, saying he isn't a perfect person "but he's running a good police department." And "he has a police department that reflects this community," he added. "Two of his deputy chiefs are African American, female and male." Policies adversely affecting the African American community Ferguson blasted Porter, saying she hasn't supported policies that benefit the Black community. He maintains she voted against the arrival of Amazon, a big source of jobs for the community, particularly in the state's poorest ZIP code, 32304. "My motto is this: When jobs go up, guns go down," Ferguson said. "It is important that we make decisions to give our young people an opportunity to have a job to improve themselves." In response, Porter clarified that what she voted against was tax incentives for Amazon because she said she doesn't believe those jobs are the type of work that retain talent in the community. She also emphasized her advocacy for increased public transportation, low-income housing and more amenities like sidewalks, greenspaces and parks in the southside. Tallahassee City Commission Seat 1 candidate Rudolph "Rudy" Ferguson, Sr. answers questions during a forum hosted by WFSU, the Tallahassee Democrat and the League of Women Voters on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Inman-Johnson criticized Richardson for supporting a tax increase that will largely contribute to the salaries of additional police officers, as well as the increasing costs of construction for TPD's new headquarters. "There is a real problem with good stewardship over our finances in city government," she said. Stevens echoed this sentiment while also condemning the funds going into the new police station. "These are your dollars that have been spent wastefully," he said. He also pointed out that conditions at low-income housing, such as on Joe Louis Street, are horrible and that Richardson could've done something about that but didn't. "We're not securing the rights of the constituents (to) life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Stevens said. Richardson called such statements "misinformation," adding that "it's apparent that Mr. Stevens knows nothing about city government or how it's run." Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee City Commission forum features some angry confrontations The original version of this story was published on The Inertia. Tamayo Perry was a dominant force at Pipeline, the North Shores crown jewel, and its South Pacific cousin, Teahupoo. He was a dedicated public servant guarding Hawaiis waters for locals and beachgoers alike. He even played a small role as an actor in Pirates of the Caribbean, among other movies. And according to friends, he did it all humbly. That beautiful life came to a tragic end on Oahus east side this weekend when Perry was killed in a shark attack. Perry was reportedly surfing near Laie, where county and Honolulu police and fire crews responded to a shark attack incident. Perry was at a surf spot known as Goat Island when an emergency call was made reporting someone had been injured in the water. Rescuers used a Jet Ski to recover Perry, but they pronounced him dead at the scene. A spokesperson told Hawaii News Now that the surfer might have suffered multiple bites and that the shark was most likely a tiger shark (but the species has not been confirmed yet). The attack was reportedly gruesome in nature. Tamayo Perry: A Life Well-Lived Perrys death did not take away from the life he lived. He was well-loved and had worked for Honolulu Ocean Safety as a North Shore lifeguard since 2016. Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all, well-known on the North Shore, a professional surfer known worldwide, Acting Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager said, speaking at a news conference Sunday. Tamayos personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more. Perry was a skilled barrel rider. In the early 2000s, his prowess for finding himself deep in the tube became legendary. A skilled waterman, he also ran a surf school with his wife, Emilia, Oahu Surfing Experience. The surf world mourned the death of Perry, whose good nature endeared him to so many. (Just heard the) news of the passing of my great mate, neighbor, and brother, Tamayo Perry, wrote Barton Lynch. He lives less than 50 meters from us, we see each other nearly every day and our whole family is devastated by the news and finding it hard to believe. It was only a couple weeks ago that Lion and I surfed the very spot with Tamayo and @emiliaperry and our hearts are broken for her, his family and our entire community for we will all miss his joyful, grateful and loving energy and aloha that he would always share. Perry was 49 years old. The post Tamayo Perry, Legendary Surfer & Pirates of the Caribbean Actor, Dies in Oahu Shark Attack appeared first on GearJunkie. TAMPA Some expressed concern for their families. Others were looking for answers. More than 150 people packed in from wall to wall at the New Tampa Center Monday night to hear from the Tampa Police Department about a series of deadly shootings in the area in recent days. A panel of officials including police Chief Lee Bercaw and Tampa City Council member Luis Viera addressed questions and comments from the audience. Longtime residents of the area took the mic to voice fears about what the violence might mean for their community. Bercaw said ongoing investigations into the shootings have led detectives to believe they are unrelated and were not random crimes. He said each case involves people who are known to each other and some are not from the Tampa Bay area. Officials called the meeting after a spate of violence that began June 17, when a man later identified as 24-year-old Kyle Prisco was fatally shot on Regents Park Drive, just east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. No arrests have been made. On Friday, two people were found fatally shot on New Tampa Boulevard. No arrests have been made in that case, either. Also Friday, the decomposing body of a man was found on Dona Michelle Drive near New Tampa Nature Park. Bercaw said Monday night that police had made an arrest in the case but did not elaborate. After the meeting, police issued a news release announcing the arrest of Andre Aris, 29 on first-degree murder with a firearm and other charges. Aris is accused of killing the man and stealing his car. Early Sunday morning, Jacksonville rapper Charles Jones, who goes by the stage name Julio Foolio, was among four people shot in a hotel parking lot at 11606 N McKinley Drive, just south of the University of South Florida campus. Jones died from his wounds. The other three people were expected to survive, police said. Officials said Monday that investigators believe the parties involved were from the Jacksonville area. Despite the recent violence, Deputy police Chief Calvin Johnson said New Tampa is safe. Criminals from other cities sometimes seek out good neighborhoods to commit interpersonal violence under the radar, because they believe police in the area wont go looking for them but that wont happen here, said Johnson, who is the departments chief of community outreach. Theyre going to understand that weve got a great police department, Johnson said. We take what occurs very seriously. Were trying to get folks time in prison. The area has experienced about seven homicides related to gun violence over the past month, according to Johnson. The past week was an anomaly, he said. Some residents said they were unhappy with the lack of police presence in the area after the shootings. Bercaw said the department is in the process of hiring 30 new police officers with grant money but in the meantime, they are stretched thin over the city. New Tampa resident Darnell Eason is a retired New York police officer, and the response so far seems lackluster to him, he said. You never see them, even off duty, Eason said. Theyre just not there, which is troublesome for me. Im hyper-focused on law enforcement and when I dont see them, thats a problem. Several elected officials attended the meeting including U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, a Hillsborough Republican, state Sen. Jay Collins, a Tampa Republican, and state Rep. Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat. Former Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, who is running this year to get his job back after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him, was also in the audience and said he was impressed by the showing New Tampa residents made. This isnt political, Warren said. You have a room full of Democrats and Republicans, and all for the same reason, because we all go home nights like these and hug our kids a little bit tighter. Bercaw asked anyone with information about the shootings report it to the police department. He also said that New Tampa residents should get involved with their neighborhood watches to help police prevent violent crimes like the ones from the past week. Taylor would never disappear: Chicago woman goes missing in the Bahamas during yoga retreat NASSAU, Bahamas (WGN) Family members of a Chicago woman are searching for answers on Monday after she vanished while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas. The whereabouts of 41-year-old Taylor Casey are unknown almost a week later according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. She was last seen in the area of Paradise Island, in Nassau, on June 19th. Since her disappearance, a Facebook group called Find Taylor Casey has been started. A family spokesperson said Casey left Chicago to participate in a yoga teacher training program in the Caribbean, to fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice. Casey has been practicing yoga for 15 years. Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, said she is gravely concerned for her daughters safety and well-being. I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return. Taylor would never disappear like this. Colette Seymore Caseys disappearance comes months after the U.S. government issued a Level 2 Travel Advisory for the Bahamas. In the advisory, which was issued in late January, government officials warned visitors about water hazards and crime in certain parts of the country, including the area where Casey had traveled. The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the Over the Hill area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population, the advisory said in part. Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence. It does seem to still be a popular destination despite the warnings. We did see its the second most popular destination for spring break travelers, travel insurance expert Megan Walch said. According to Walch, under the advisory, it is crucial to exercise increased caution: Always be aware of your surroundings. Dont answer your door at your hotel or where youre staying if you dont know who it is. A family spokesperson described the missing woman as a vibrant individual with a loving personality and added that family members found it unusual that Casey would cut off communication with them. While there has been complete silence from Casey, loved ones said they are staying hopeful that she will be found safe and sound. To help authorities in the search, Caseys mother and a group of supporters will be going to the Bahamas on Tuesday. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Taylor sets up hotline for tips on DA Mulroy as he pursues ouster Taylor sets up hotline for tips on DA Mulroy as he pursues ouster MEMPHIS, Tenn. State Sen. Brent Taylor created a hotline so those who have had a negative experience with the District Attorneys office can share information privately. Taylor will pursue ouster for Mulroy; D.A. drops diversion plan Taylor said he set up the line so crime victims and current and former staff members could share their experiences with Mulroy. The number to call or text is 901-501-5079. Those interested can also email DAInfo2024@gmail.com How do you feel about the possible ouster effort against Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy by Sen. Brent Taylor? WREG News Channel 3 (@3onyourside) June 25, 2024 According to Taylor, names will be kept confidential. Any relevant information will be shared with the legal counsel for inclusion in the ouster resolution. DA Steve Mulroy responds after TN Speaker Sexton seeks his removal Earlier this month, Taylor sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally saying he plans to file a Senate Joint Resolution to remove Mulroy from office. It will be filed immediately after the November elections, he said. The causes listed for Mulroy will include dereliction of duty for failing to properly prosecute convicted felons in possession of a firearm, the letter states. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Teachers are increasingly trying to turn artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to their advantage in the face of concerns over cheating and equity. A survey released this month from Imagine Learning found 50 percent of educators reported an increased use of AI in the last academic year, and, just days later, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) released new AI guidelines ahead of the 2024-2025 one. Experts say teachers have so far mostly used AI to help complete lesson plans quicker or create individualized instruction more efficiently, and that more training is needed to ensure the technology is used to its fullest potential. I think its still not every teacher whos using AI, but the trend seems to be increasing that more teachers are interested in using these tools both for their own practice and for supporting student learning and engagement, said Torrey Trust, an associate professor of teacher education and curriculum studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. From the research that Ive seen, the most common usage by teachers is to save them time, so to help with lesson planning, to generate texts for communications with administrative tasks and then to support student learning, Trust said. Then also just with creative thinking, support and helping with improving their academic success. In the Imagine Learning report, 68 percent of teachers said they use AI for analyzing student data, 67 percent create instructional material with it and 65 percent use it for grading. I think teachers are getting a little more comfortable with the technology and what it can do, said Sari Factor, Imagine Learnings chief strategy officer. While 55 percent of educators think generative AI will have a positive impact on the classroom and 84 percent say training sessions on AI are valuable, only 28 percent in the survey say they have the necessary resources to properly implement AI in their teaching. I really, really, really want the schools and leaders to take time to have conversations about how AI has already been used in our schools. That is probably the most foundational piece of any training that Im seeing, said Jody Britten, head of innovation and research at Team4Tech, adding that educators have already been using Grammarly and other resources that are powered by AI without even thinking about it. I think starting with that foundational element of all the ways that theyre already using AI and then getting into the conversation of how they could use it were seeing a lot more educator buy-in that way, because it takes some of the fear and some of the anxiety out of the picture because theyre realizing how theyve already used all these tools for so long and they just never called it AI, Britten said. The AFT is specifically investing $200,000 in 11 school districts for solutions to understanding and working with AI, an announcement that came as the union released guidelines for educators to follow when working with AI in the classrooms. The guidelines have six key tenets: ensuring student safety and data privacy, centering human interaction, empowering educators to decide how AI is used, promoting equity and fairness, advancing democracy and teaching digital citizenship. It was really important to get a group of practitioners from all across the country to do this work. And so, what we put out is because AI both has great potential and great peril, AFT President Randi Weingarten told The Hill. The federal and some state governments have also been working with teachers to stay on top of the issue, as concerns regarding AI have refused to abate. The dissatisfaction that remains is still large. The worries about cheating we havent really changed that at all, Factor said. Teachers need to focus on academic integrity and the purpose for learning. AFT also released what its calling the AI Educator Brain, in collaboration with New York City Public Schools teacher Sari Beth Rosenberg and EdBrAIn, seeking to offer educators free online resources on the topic. I hesitate to say this, because every time we have a new issue, somebody says, Oh, we should have professional development on it. But its really worth the time, to carve out the time, to have fluency and knowledge and professional support and professional development for AI and the use of AI, it is really worth the time, Weingarten said. Schools face a long road ahead as the technology becomes an integral part of the education process even as it continues to develop rapidly. Were just on the very early stages right now from what Ive seen people figuring out what these tools are capable of and how they might shape education, Trust said. The hope is that this upcoming school year will no longer be just a discussion about AI but will also yield concrete plans for a long-term vision. I think we have another year of just experimenting, and figuring out what works, and Im really hopeful that during that year, organizationally, schools and districts can come up with some goals for themselves around AI, Britten said. Im hoping this year results in that hard, visionary work across all of our states so that teachers can move out of experimentation into some really great sustained ways to kind of change things up. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CHICAGO A teen facing a first-degree murder charge in adult court in the shooting death of a retired police officer was on court-ordered home confinement in connection with a previous vehicle theft and chase, a court heard Tuesday. A juvenile court judge placed Lazarius Watt, 16, on electronic monitoring last August related to charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and an Interstate 290 chase two months earlier. He was ordered to home confinement in February after numerous violations of his electronic monitoring. Watt was then charged in March in connection with a carjacking. He was arraigned in that case in juvenile court later Tuesday. The teen is one of two people police believe are responsible for killing 73-year-old Larry Neuman in an exchange of gunfire last Thursday morning on the 4300 block of West Monroe Street in the citys Garfield Park neighborhood. Neuman retired from the Chicago Police Department in 2010 after working for several years as a bomb technician. He was working for the Transportation Security Administration at the time of his death. Watt was arrested Sunday. In adult court Tuesday, his family members covered their faces as they exited. Sources told WGN it was Watts mother who recognized her son on TV and arranged for his surrender. Four different witnesses who are very familiar with this defendant from the neighborhood and from a school where the defendant attended, identified the defendant in multiple video surveillance stills taken from video in the area before the murder, Cook County Assistant States Attorney Anne McCord told reporters outside the courtroom. Judge Antara Nath Rivera ordered Watt held until trial. His next court date was scheduled for July 16. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) For months, Tehachapi police fielded calls of a police vehicle driving recklessly throughout the city. They got a similar call last week and arrived in time to find the apparent culprit: an older model Crown Victoria belonging to 25-year-old Colton Jorian. KCSO to conduct more investigation into ex-Delano police chief Mark DeRosias sex sting case Police cited and released Jorian on June 20 on suspicion of reckless driving and operating a replica police car, according to a Tehachapi Police Department release. Charges were not listed against him as of noon Tuesday. Police found the car in the parking lot of the Burger King at West Tehachapi Boulevard and Mulberry Street. The vehicle appears to have previously belonged to a Southern California police agency and auctioned off, according to the release. It was towed and placed on a 30-day impound. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage Anyone with information is asked to call the Tehachapi Police Department at 661-822-2222. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 12:53 | All, World North Korea could get a boost from Russia in advancing its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities in exchange for providing weapons to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, a high-ranking U.S. diplomat said Monday. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also said at a think tank event in Washington that China has indicated in its interactions with the United States that it too is anxious about Russia's deepening ties with North Korea. "We believe that there are discussions about what North Korea gets in exchange, and they could be associated with its nuclear or long-range missile development plans, perhaps other things, in energy and the like," Campbell said. "We are concerned." He said the United States knows North Korea has provided an enormous amount of shells and some long-range missiles, as well as other capabilities, to Russia since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "I think it would be fair to say that China is probably worried that North Korea will be somehow encouraged to take provocative steps that could lead to a crisis in Northeast Asia," he said at the event organized by the Council on Foreign Relations. Campbell added that although China and Russia have been "working very closely" with regard to Ukraine, the United States believes there are tensions between Beijing and Moscow over North Korea. About a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in more than two decades and signed a new mutual defense deal with its leader Kim Jong Un, Campbell said he sees Pyongyang as trying to redefine its role in global politics. "We've also seen a recurring pattern of absolute clear determination to avoid diplomacy with the United States, Japan or South Korea on any terms," he said. "This is a dangerous set of developments and one that we're watching and engaged on very closely." Related coverage: New North Korea-Russia pact stipulates "all means" of military aid OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Residents at an Overland Park luxury apartment complex say theyve been dealing with inefficient or non-working air conditioning for months. Now, because of a heat advisory, what was an inconvenience at apartments that lease for up to almost $3,000 per month is potentially dangerous. Taylor Swift still swooning over Travis Kelces Eras Tour debut You can feel it right now. Its hot. Its like the same temperature outside, one tenant said from inside his dark warm apartment. The man says he went for months without air conditioning at The Lakes at Lionsgate. Everyday we are going to the office and they are not even responding about our issue, he explained. So last week, they say they waited for hours and refused to leave until they were given a portable air conditioner. But if you plug it in the whole house is being short circuited, he said, explaining the dark apartment. Brian Schwartz also has been living and working without air conditioning in a toasty 88 degree apartment. People get aggravated with the heat and you dont want to live in a situation where you feel like you are just constantly ignored. Its been four months since I moved in here, Schwartz said. He eventually got a new air conditioning unit installed outside. Major cyberattack hits Kansas City area car dealers That was about six weeks ago and I told him immediately that it didnt solve the problem. So he turned to FOX4 Problem Solvers. Working for you, we called The Lakes at Lionsgate with questions multiple times but received no answer. We left a message to say we were on our way to the complex, and within minutes of our arrival, four maintenance workers were at Schwartz door. At first they seemed dubious of his concerns with the A/C efficiency, despite the thermostats 88 degree reading. That feel cool to you? one worker asked. Its cool, its not cold, another worker responded. Its also 90 degrees outside, the first man said. I know but still something isnt working, the second man said. So they opened up the unit and within two minutes the vents were pumping out cold air. Hes got to slow down, a frustrated employee said. Raytown South alum Quincy Hall makes Olympic Team after winning 400-meter Thats exactly what it was, a third worker said, blaming both the months-long delay and the A/C blowing hot air on wires getting crossed during installation, both figuratively and literally. This is a large property and some issues are user error, some are bad parts and we are only as many people as we can be. We try to get to people as quick as we can, the apologetic maintenance worker said. Multiple residents told FOX4 maintenance informed them that waiting list for A/C repairs is more than 100 residents long. We went to the leasing office, where they had no comment. Kansas man identified by DNA on beer bottle, sentenced to prison The resident inside the dark warm apartment said he hoped maintenance would be on their way to his apartment, though a thankful Schwartz wasnt confident. This is all I needed. I want everybody to have that same service. But unless they all call you they are going to be ignored, Schwartz said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A British hiker was rescued by police searching for Jay Slater in the same Tenerife national park where the 19-year-old disappeared. The Scottish hiker, 51, was found by officers on Friday as they searched for Mr Slater in the Rural de Teno national park, police said on Tuesday. He had failed to return to the start of his hike after several hours, and locals alerted search teams. Police said the hiker had gone into a difficult area that is not suitable for travel, adding: Tired and disoriented, he was located by the agents and the rescue team who helped him get out of the ravine. We want to thank these neighbours for giving alert to this situation because, due to the difficulty and lack of communication in the area, this hiker would not have managed to get out by his own means without the help received. The search for Mr Slater, whose phone last pinged at 8.50am in the national park on June 17, hours after he left a dance music festival, is continuing. It was reported on Tuesday that Mark Williams-Thomas, a television investigator and former police detective, had arrived in Tenerife to work on the case. Mr Williams-Thomas, who investigated the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, a dog walker who drowned after falling into a Lancashire river last year, has offered his services free to the Slater family, according to The Mirror. Police are using dogs in the search for Jay Slater - Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph He was seen on Tuesday carrying out inquiries at the holiday rental where Mr Slater was last seen. Approached outside the property, he said: I dont want to talk in detail at the moment, but Ive spent time with the family and my focus now is to build a clear timeline of the last 24 hours before Jay disappeared. My focus is very much to ensure that Im here to support the family and work with the Spanish authorities to get answers. His involvement emerged as Spanish police confirmed they were investigating growing online conspiracy theories surrounding Mr Slaters disappearance. Two theories that have been suggested are that he has been kidnapped or is simply hiding. As the search entered its ninth day on Tuesday, a source close to Spains Guardia Civil told The Telegraph: Yes, of course it is being investigated. From the beginning they have been considering all possibilities. Other wild online theories have seen people compare Debbie Duncan, Mr Slaters mother, to Karen Matthews, who faked the kidnapping of her daughter Shannon 16 years ago. Some have questioned what more than 34,000 raised on a GoFundMe page will be used for. Ms Duncan said she felt let down by the theories, writing on Monday: I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag. I really cannot believe the British public are not supporting me in trying to find Jay. This may happen to any of you one day. Very let down by you all. Warren Slater, Mr Slaters father, has criticised the police for a lack of communication with the family. Some family members have travelled to Tenerife as the search continues. He told Sky News: The mountain police have been brilliant, but I dont know how the other police force works. They could be doing everything, but if they are doing something theyre not telling us what theyre doing. The search for the apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire is focused on the mountain village of Masca, near where his phone last pinged. On Monday, his family released a CCTV image of a figure walking through Santiago del Teide, a town a few miles away, captured at 6pm last Monday. Although the image is blurry, they believe it could be Mr Slater, which would mean he was alive 10 hours after he was last heard from. The Guardia Civil has not confirmed the sighting, but told The Telegraph nothing has been ruled out. Mr Slater, who travelled to Tenerife with two friends to attend the NRG music festival, left between 3am and 6am in a car with two other British men he had met that night. At 7.30am, he posted a picture on Snapchat showing him smoking a cigarette at the doorway of a cottage in Parque Rural de Teno, more than 30 miles from where the festival was held in the south of the island. At around 8am Ofelia Medina Hernandez, the owner of the cottage, which is rented out on Airbnb, saw the teenager standing at a nearby bus stop. He asked when the next bus was to Los Cristianos, where he had been staying, and she said it was not for another two hours. Instead of waiting, Mr Slater decided to walk. After setting off he rang his friend Lucy Law, who had been with him at the music festival, and said he was lost, thirsty, had one per cent charge left on his phone, and had cut his leg on a cactus. His phone ran out of power shortly after the call, and its last location was north of the cottage. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) By July 1, 2024, it will be illegal for Tennessee drivers to purchase or possess a device commonly known as a license plate flipper. Under the new law, anyone who purchases a license plate flipper could face a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $500. The device, which allows drivers to change or hide their license plates with the push of a button, has been popping up in multiple states over the past few years. Jillians Law, other new crime laws that take effect in Tennessee July 1, 2024 In 2022, two suspected burglars made national news after California police realized they were using a license plate flipper, likening it to something out of [a] 007 movie. In 19 years, Ive never seen anything like this, Irvine police Sgt. Karie Davies said. The James Bond-style contraptions have made it easier for people to avoid tolls and identification by law enforcement. Officials said the California couple was tied to at least six burglaries in Irvine and one in Newport Beach before they were caught. Online, the devices are sold for anywhere between $50 to over $300, with videos demonstrating how one license plate can be changed to another within seconds. Some devices also flip the plate to hide the license number from view. New laws that take effect July 1 in Tennessee In addition to owning a license plate flipper, selling or offering to sell one in Tennessee could now land people in trouble. Under the new bill, anyone who manufactures, sells, or offers to sell or otherwise distribute the device commits a Class A misdemeanor. So far, Tennessee is only the third state to ban license plate flippers. Lawmakers in Texas and Washington voted to make the devices illegal in 2013. The mayor of Philadelphia also recently signed a bill banning the use of the devices within the city. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. FILE - A "vote here" sign is seen at the Brainerd Youth and Family Development Center, Aug. 1, 2020, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tennessee's top election office sent letters to more than 14,000 registered voters asking them to prove their citizenship, a move that alarmed voting rights advocates as possible intimidation. (C.B. Schmelter/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee's top election office has sent letters to more than 14,000 registered voters asking them to prove their citizenship, a move that alarmed voting rights advocates as possible intimidation. The letters, dated June 13, warned that it is illegal in Tennessee for noncitizens to vote and provided instructions on how to update voter information. The list was developed after comparing voter rolls with data from the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said Doug Kufner, spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office, in a statement Tuesday. Kufner described the data from the state's homeland security department as a snapshot of a person's first interaction with that agency. Some may not have been U.S. citizens when they obtained a driver's license or ID card but have since been naturalized and likely did not update their records," he said. Driver's licenses in Tennessee must be renewed every eight years. Accurate voter rolls are a vital component to ensuring election integrity, and Tennessee law makes it clear that only eligible voters are allowed to participate in Tennessee elections, Kufner said. The letter does not, however, reveal what would happen to those who do not update their records including whether people who fail to respond will be purged from the voter rolls. Kufner did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on if voters were at risk of being removed. Instead, the letter contains warnings that illegal voting is a felony and carries penalties of up to two years in prison. Voting rights advocates began raising the alarm after photos of the letter started circulating on social media. Democrats have long criticized the Secretary of State's office for its stances on voting issues in the Republican-dominant state. The fact legal citizens of the United States and residents of Tennessee are being accused of not being eligible to vote is an affront to democracy," said state Rep. Jason Powell, a Democrat from Nashville, in a statement. These fine Tennesseans are being burdened with re-proving their own voter eligibility and threatened with imprisonment in a scare tactic reminiscent of Jim Crow laws. Powell and fellow Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons on Tuesday urged Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to investigate the issue. Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Democrat from Knoxville, said she was informed that one of the letter recipients included a respected scientist in Oak Ridge who had become a citizen and registered to vote in 2022. Maybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal government before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens, Johnson posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Other leaders encouraged those who received a letter to reach out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee for possible legal resources. "It is surely capturing many, many, many eligible citizens on the rolls and threatening them with criminal prosecution," said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights program at The Brennan Center for Justice at New York Universitys School of Law. I think its unconscionable. And I think that it likely violates a number of federal laws as well. The effort bears some resemblance to the rollout of a sweeping Texas voting law passed in 2021, in which thousands of Texans including some U.S. citizens received letters saying they have been flagged as potential noncitizens who could be kicked off voting rolls. Texas officials had just settled a lawsuit in 2019 after a prior search for ineligible voters flagged nearly 100,000 registered voters but wrongly captured naturalized citizens. A federal judge who halted the search the month after it began noted that only about 80 people to that point had been identified as potentially ineligible to vote. LSUs Memorial Tower on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator) A tenured LSU Shreveport professor has been terminated for what system President William Tate described as disruptive behavior, but what the professor calls free speech. Brian Salvatore, a tenured chemistry professor and longtime LSU Shreveport Faculty Senate member, was dismissed from his position effective Friday. In April, a panel of his colleagues recommended his dismissal based on 13 allegations university administrators levied against him. The charges center on Salvatores speech. Salvatore said his ouster involves his reminders to the Faculty Senate when they violate the states public meetings law. My decision is not directed to your exercise of free speech, Tate wrote to Salvatore in a termination notice. Instead, it is based on your own disruptive behavior on the LSUS campus and the reported impact on faculty, staff, administration, and, most importantly, students. Read the full letter below. At the hearing in April, LSU Shreveport Provost Helen Taylor said Salvatores speech affected the efficiency of the university by disrupting Faculty Senate meetings. This isnt about freedom of speech. This is about the disruption of shared governance, Taylor said at the hearing. She added that when shared governance breaks down, the administration doesnt have the means to run the university. The shared governance model of higher education delegates certain powers, primarily those dealing with academics, to faculty. Most universities divulge little authority to faculty senates. Despite arguments that Salvatore disruption was related to faculty governance, most of the accusations against him were unrelated to his role as a faculty senator, something LSU Shreveport economics professor Timothy Shaughnessy, chair of the hearing committee, pointed out during the April meeting. Instead, they were about statements Salvatore contends are protected speech that the administration found objectionable. Salvatore is an outspoken environmental advocate. Much of his advocacy has centered on open-air burn pits at the Clean Harbors waste disposal facility in Colfax. Salvatore argued this advocacy has put him crosswise with the administration, and he has filed a federal free speech lawsuit against the university. At other times, Salvatore spoke out about university policies he believed to conflict with system policy or state law, which is why he said he believes its ironic his termination letter cites conflicting policies. Tates letter, which was obtained by the Illuminator from Salvatore, said he is being dismissed under an LSU Shreveport-specific policy as well as an LSU System permanent memorandum, which applies to all of its campuses. The LSU Shreveport policy lays out a different standard for faculty due process than the LSU System policy, requiring the LSU Board of Supervisors to weigh in on the dismissal of a tenured faculty member. But the LSU System policy gives final authority to its president, so Tate had final say on Salvatores dismissal, rather than the board. When reached for comment about what policy is used in conflicts such as this, LSU spokesperson Todd Woodward said a permanent memorandum supersedes campus-specific rules. Such conflicting policies cause confusion, said LSU Professor Kevin Cope, a longtime officer for the Louisiana conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a professional organization dedicated to academic freedom on university campuses. Its complicated, difficult and to use less fancy language screwed up, Cope said in an interview. Cope, who served as LSU Faculty Senate president for approximately 10 years, said it would be better to have the board of supervisors weigh in on the dismissal of a tenured faculty member. This is one of the most serious actions in academia its the entire remaining academic life of a person that needs a little bit more scrutiny than say, just the campus chancellor and then the system president, Cope said. Across the nation, shared governance the relationship between a faculty body, an administration and a management board has been under attack by conservatives who want to consolidate power in administrators or politically connected boards. Advocates for shared governance believe the more checks and balances a university has, the better. Cope argued even if any of the charges against Salvatore are true, they are not enough to justify firing a tenured professor. Cope noted the LSU System is under two AAUP censures, which are given to universities in violation of principles of academic freedom or tenure. Firing Salvatore puts the system at risk of being issued a third censure, Cope said, which could potentially harm the universitys ability to attract faculty. No other university system has been censured for a third time, he said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE This embedded content is not available in your region. The post Tenured LSU Shreveport professor fired for disruptive behavior appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. SEBRING, Fla. (WFLA) Jurors have heard all the testimony being presented by state prosecutors and defense attorneys in the sentencing trial of Zephen Xaver, who pleaded guilty to murdering five women at a SunTrust Bank in Sebring in 2019. Prosecutors wrapped up their rebuttal Tuesday with a psychiatrist who testified she does not believe Xaver was suffering from mental or emotional distress on the day of the shooting. State witness rebuts claim Zephen Xaver has a growing brain tumor Instead, Dr. Emily Lazarou argued Xaver has very severe personality disorders. Attorneys had argued over Dr. Lazarous testimony Friday and Monday, outside of the view of the jury, with particular concerns from the defense about Dr. Lazarou using the terms psychopath or psychopathy. The judge ruled she was not allowed to use those terms during her testimony on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. This is a dream come true for this person, testified Dr. Emily Lazarou, about how Xavers homicidal fantasies became a reality on the day of the shooting. Zephen Xaver never heard voices, state witness testifies in Sebring bank killers sentencing Dr. Lazarou was called by the state to rebut a psychologists claims during the defenses evidence Xaver was under severe mental and emotional distress and hearing voices at the time of the shooting. It was so calm and just the way the movement was, said Dr. Lazarou, about how Xaver appeared on bank surveillance video. You would not see that in someone that is under extreme mental or emotional disturbance. It would be harried, it would be disorganized a little bit. After interviewing Xaver twice and reviewing evidence, Dr. Lazarou determined Xaver meets all the criteria for borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. She noted events from his past including arguments with family, irritability and anger, violence at the behavioral health centers and impulsivity. In turn, she determined he was in control of his behavior at the time of the shooting. She also analyzed his 911 call from inside the bank. The system failed Zephen: Doctor, therapist, school officials take stand in bank shooter sentencing trial [The 911 dispatcher] asked why did you do it? I felt like doing it. This wasnt the voices told me to do it, I had to do it and all this kind of stuff. That wasnt going on. None of it, testified Dr. Lazarou. During cross-examination from Xavers defense attorney Jane McNeill, Dr. Lazarou acknowledged her opinions about Xaver were subjective. Youre using your judgments, your experience and youre coming up with your own opinions about whether the person makes criteria? asked attorney McNeill. Yes, replied Dr. Lazarou. In one exchange, Dr. Lazarou testified she could read peoples thoughts. You can read my thoughts? asked McNeill. If we sit together long enough, yes, replied Dr. Lazarou. You have the ability to do that? asked McNeill. I do, said Dr. Lazarou. You read thoughts? asked McNeill. I do, said Dr. Lazarou. Life was great: Sebring bank shooters mom recalls conversation with son on night before massacre McNeill questioned Dr. Lazarou about how childhood abuse and neglect from parents, plus genetics, can lead to personality disorders. Dr. Lazarou testified, from what she can tell, that one or both of Xavers parents have a personality disorder. A child being raised by a parent with this disorder, there can be an impact on the child? asked McNeill. Yeah, what that impact is, we dont know, answered Dr. Lazarou. The last testimony the jury heard in this trial was this question from Assistant State Attorney Bonde Johnson, referring to the surveillance video of the shooting. Did you see Zephen Xavers mother or father in that bank? asked Johnson. No, said Dr. Lazarou. Defense calls Zephen Xavers mother, elementary school teachers in sentencing trial After closing arguments tomorrow, the jury will begin deliberating whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison. The judge informed the jurors if they were not able to come to a decision by Wednesday evening, they would be sequestered in a hotel for the night. Per new Florida law, the jury does not have to come to a unanimous decision on the death penalty. It will take eight jurors to sentence Xaver to death. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Texas allocates more than $6.3M in workforce grants Editors Note: The above video shows KXAN News top morning headlines from Tuesday, June 25, 2024. AUSTIN (KXAN) Twenty workforce skills training and job placement programs received more than $6.3 million in grant funding, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday. The funding came via the Texas Talent Connection grant program, an initiative designed to aid innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention, per the release. That grant program is overseen by the Texas Workforce Investment Council, a part of the Governors Office of Economic Development & Tourism. Collectively, more than $50 million in grants have been rewarded through the program since 2015. The latest recipients for grant funding include: American YouthWorks: $350,000 for one year of YouthBuild, a pre-apprenticeship for opportunity youth project serving Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties Will serve teenagers and young adults ages 16 to 24 who arent sufficiently engaged in employment or education Bay area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium: nearly $215,000 for one year of High Demand Hidden Careers Connection project, which will encompass Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties Offers job training and placement services in the medical research administrators field to unemployed participants Community Learning Centers, Inc.: $325,000 for first year of the Maintenance and Repair Technician Training project in Tarrant County Training and employment program for veterans, unemployed, underemployed and those who come from low-income and low-skill backgrounds Houstons Capital IDEA, Inc.: $350,000 for second year of the Future-Focused Texas Workforce Pathways in Nursing and Technology project catering to Brazoria, chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller counties Education and training services for nursing and technology fields JPS Health Network: Just over $347,000 for first year of the Students in Healthcare for Individual Empowerment project in Tarrant County Clinical and non-clinical job opportunities, training and certifications to high school interns ages 16 to 18 Lamar State College Port Arthur: $350,000 for second year of the Sempra LNG Clean Energy and Fair Jobs project in Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton and Orange counties Training for transportation and construction jobs for minority, underserved and rural students Lamar Institute of Technology: More than $247,000 for second year of the Drive Southeast Texas Talent project in Jefferson County Online and in-person technical skills training for students in need of upskilling, career counseling, and job placement My Possibilities: $350,000 for second year of My Possibilities Employment Innovation School project in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant counties Offers hands-on vocational training and certification programs to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities North Central Texas College: $350,000 for first year of the Career Circuit: Accelerating Information Technology Careers Through Work-Based Partnership project offered to students in Cooke, Denton, Montague and Young counties Hands-on experience offered to student interns with area employers in fields such as computer information systems and technology, cybersecurity, networking and data analytics and managements Oak Cliff Empowered: Just over $349,000 for first year of the Oak Cliff Works project in Dallas County Training and certification opportunities to lower income and moderate income Dallas Independent School District high school graduates seeking jobs in the healthcare industry Per Scholas, Inc.: $350,000 for first year of the Creating Economic Mobility and Robust Futures Through Information Technology Training project in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Harris, Houston and Tarrant counties Tuition-free technical skill trainings in the information technology industry Project ARRIBA: $350,000 for year one of Educare: Elevating Nursing and Education in El Paso project in El Paso County Aiding participants in postsecondary education and helping connect graduates with secure employment in nursing, education and healthcare fields Restore Education: $350,000 for first year of Opportunity Youth Job Training to Success project in Bexar, Frio, Gillespie, Karnes, Kendall, McMullen, Medina and Wilson counties Paid work experience and internship eligibility for opportunity youth, foster youth and justice-involved youth Skillpoint Alliance: $210,000 for second year of Expanding Rural Community Economic Pathways project serving Andrews, Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Dawson, Fayette, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Howard, Lampasas, Lee, Llano, Milan, Mills, Pecos, Reeves, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis and Williamson counties Skill-building and placement opportunities for veterans and their spouses in rural communities South Texas College: More than $126,000 for first year of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) Technician Assistant project in Starr and Hidalgo counties Training offered throughout Rio Grande Valley for HVACR assistant industry certification Tarrant To and Through Partnership: More than $347,000 for first year of the Pathways to Postsecondary Success project in Tarrant and Dallas counties Increasing educational and credential attainment and offering career advising and placement for economically vulnerable opportunity youth Texas A&M Prairie View: $350,000 for first year of the PathFinderU project in Harris, Liberty, Fort Bend and Waller counties Career trainings and certifications, job opportunities available in fields of cybersecurity, carpentry, plumbing and low-voltage electrical wiring Texas Tech University: $350,000 for second year of the Data Science Training Program for Industry, University, and High School Students in Armstrong, Bailey, Carson, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Terry and Yoakum counties Data science training program for skills acquisition, job placement and career enhancements Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement: $350,000 for first year of the Rio Grande Valley Healthcare Professional Expansion Initiative project in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties Grant project partners with 13 area hospitals and offers training for certification and employment in healthcare fields Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County: $350,000 for first year of the Neighborhood Initiative Strategy project in Tarrant County Full-time workforce center staff provided within two Fort Worth neighborhood community centers to bolster work opportunities for residents 18 and older Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Texas man accused of killing 2 gas station clerks in Dallas area less than 48 hours apart Two separate shooting deaths of gas station clerks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have been linked to the same suspect, 21-year-old Davonta Mathis, of Waco. He now faces multiple charges, including two counts of capital murder. On Thursday, around 11:05 p.m., Mesquite police were called to a shooting at a gas station in the 1700 block of West Bruton Road. Officers found Muhammad Hussain, a 60-year-old man from Carrollton, with multiple gunshot wounds. Hussain was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Surveillance footage provided detailed information about the suspect vehicle, which led to a breakthrough in the case, Mesquite police said. Just two days later, on Saturday, around 12:30 a.m., Dallas police responded to a shooting at another gas station located in the 8600 block of Lake June Road. The suspect, later identified as Mathis, entered the store, approached the counter, and shot 32-year-old Gopi Krishna Dasari, Dallas police said. The victim was immediately transported to a local hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries the next day. Following both shootings, according to police, Mathis stole merchandise and tried to break into the cash registers, but couldnt and fled the scene. Shortly after the Dallas robbery was reported, a Mesquite officer on patrol spotted the suspect vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended with the arrest of Mathis. Initially charged with evading arrest with a vehicle, further investigation confirmed Mathiss involvement in the killing of Hussain and later his charge from robbery was upgraded to murder after investigators linked him to the death of Dasari, authorities said. More top stories from our newsroom: More abuse claims surface at Gateway Church protest North Texas community denounces alleged attempted murder of 2 Palestinian kids Roaches found at multiple Fort Worth restaurants [Get our breaking news alerts.] Both departments have stated that the investigations are ongoing and have urged anyone with additional information to come forward. Bishop Demetrius Sinegal calls for investigation of Bishop Dwight Reed at the Revival Center Church in Des Moines in 2022. A Texas clergyman has been ordered to pay nearly $700,000 for accusing a Des Moines minister of being a "child predator." The judgment comes in a libel case Bishop Dwight Reed, leader of the Christ Apostolic Temple in Des Moines, who sued Bishop Demetrius Sinegal of Houston for libel. The dispute centered on the 2021 marriage of Reed, then 63, to a 19-year-old member of his congregation. Former Christ Apostolic members alleged to the Register that Reed had inappropriately pressured the younger woman and her family and had heaped abuse on current and former church members who criticized him. Sinegal, founder of a group that advocates for victims of clergy abuse, publicly denounced Reed in 2022, describing him as a "child predator," among other remarks. Reed sued Sinegal, his nonprofit and his church, and Sinegal later filed counterclaims against Reed. Polk County Judge Jeffrey Farrell entered the default judgment last week against Sinegal. writing that Sinegal had attacked Reed's marriage "for the clear purpose of fund-raising ... to make money for his own selfish purpose." Christ Apostolic Temple at 1230 E. 17th St. in Des Moines is seen in this 2015 photo taken by the Polk County assessor's office. He called Sinegal's conduct "puzzling and disturbing" and said Sinegal had failed to comply with court orders, appear for hearings or answer discovery questions for more than two years, effectively abandoning the case. Accordingly, Farrell granted judgment in Reed's' favor and dismissed Sinegal's counterclaims. To assess damages, Farrell considered the reported drop in donations to Christ Apostolic after Sinegal's accusations and ordered him to pay $345,000. And because he found Sinegal's statements "were willfully and wantonly in disregard of the Reeds, who had entered into a legal marriage," he also assessed punitive damages, doubling the total owed to $690,000. From 2021: Iowa Attorney General's report reviews dozens of 'overwhelming' sex-abuse complaints against Catholic priests The Reeds, in a statement through their attorney, praised the ruling and said they intended to pursue all options to collect the judgment. "The court's detailed judgment found that the allegations brought against us were unfounded," they said. "The judges ruling noted 'it is questionable under this record whether Bishop Sinegal operates a legitimate church and that [the] defendants seized on the age difference in the Reeds' marriage and made libelous social media statements for the purpose of making money.' Sinegal, in a news conference streamed online after the order, blamed the default judgment on miscommunications with his previous attorney a claim Farrell found "not credible" in his order and said he intends to continue the fight. "Dwight Reed will never see a dime of any of that," Sinegal said of the judgment. "New counsel will be filing the motion to set aside the default judgment so that the merits of the case can be litigated in the court." As of June 24, one week after the default judgment, no new attorneys have filed to appear on Sinegal's behalf. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines minister who married teen congregant wins libel lawsuit KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 22:43 | All, Japan, World Naha prosecutors have indicted a U.S. Air Force member in Okinawa Prefecture for allegedly sexually assaulting and kidnapping a girl under the age of 16 in December, local authorities said Tuesday, with this latest incident involving military personnel likely to further inflame local opposition to their presence. According to the indictment dated March 27, Brennon Washington, 25, invited the girl to speak to him in his car at a park in Yomitan on Dec. 24 and drove her to his residence before committing indecent acts such as touching the lower half of the girl's body with the knowledge that she was under 16. The Japanese Foreign Ministry became aware of the indictment on March 27 and lodged a complaint with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, but it did not inform the Okinawa prefectural government until an inquiry was made on Tuesday, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said. Tamaki said the development "brought a significant level of distrust" to relations and described the allegations as "not just disturbing to prefectural residents but also a violation of the girl's dignity." The girl is Japanese and resides in the southern Japan prefecture, a government source said. She was between 13 and 15 years old at the time of the incident, an investigative source said. A person known to the girl reported the incident on the day it occurred, police said. Washington and the girl did not know each other, and he does not reside on U.S. military base property, the police said. Prosecutors have not disclosed Washington's response to the allegations. The case's first hearing is set for July 12 at the Naha District Court. Okinawa continues to host the majority of U.S. military facilities in Japan, almost 80 years after the country's defeat in World War II. Crimes committed by U.S. service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals. The rape of a 12-year-old Okinawa schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen in 1995 prompted a wave of public outrage. Other cases include the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman in 2016 by a former U.S. base worker who was later sentenced to life in prison. Related coverage: Okinawa marks 79th anniversary of end of WWII ground battle Bloc backing Okinawa's anti-U.S. base governor fails to win majority U.S. Marines' transfer to Guam from Okinawa to start in December Texas State University in San Marcos was expected to host the first presidential debate of the 2024 general election. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Any lingering hope that Texas would host a presidential debate this cycle was dashed Monday after the Commission on Presidential Debates released Texas State University from its contract. The San Marcos campus was expected to host the first debate of the 2024 general election on Sept. 16 until President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sidestepped the commission, which has historically organized the forums, and brokered their own. Biden and Trump are expected to debate for the first time Thursday. It will be hosted by CNN in Atlanta. Lafayette College, Virginia State University and the University of Utah, Salt Lake City were also selected by the commission to host debates in the fall. Like Texas State, they were released from their contracts on Monday. It is unfair to ask the four campuses to continue to prepare for their debates, as they have been doing since their November 2023 selection, commission co-chairs Antonia Hernandez and Frank Fahrenkopf said in a statement. We are grateful to the sites, and we are sorry to come to this decision. We are dismayed that students of the four campuses will not have the opportunity to participate in these historic voter education forums. Texas State would have been the first Texas university to host a presidential debate. Officials were expecting to spend about $5 million to host its debate and had appointed Jack Martin, a former chair of the Texas State University Systems Board of Regents, to lead fundraising. The university said on Monday that it had immediately stopped planning and spending related to the debate when Biden and Trump announced their alternative plans last month. We remain steadfast in supporting our students and the entire university community as they continue to learn about democracy, to engage in civil discourse and to participate in the electoral process throughout the upcoming election cycle, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said in a statement on Monday, adding that the university had been excited to host the forum as the only Texas university to have graduated a U.S. president and the only Hispanic-Serving Institution selected to host a debate. While news organizations frequently host debates during the primary, the nonpartisan debate commission was established in 1987 to provide a neutral forum for candidates ahead of the general election. The commission said in its statement that it would be ready to sponsor debates this election cycle should circumstances change. The reason for the CPDs creation remains compelling: a neutral organization with no other role during the general election is well-positioned to offer formats that focus on the candidate and the issues that are most important to the American people, Hernandez and Fahrenkopf said. In a letter to the commission last month, the Biden campaign said that the commissions debate format was no longer up to date with contemporary voting trends, with debates scheduled to take place after early voting in many states has already begun. The campaign also said the commission failed to enforce its own rules during the 2020 debates. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for this weeks debate in Georgia after falling short of criterion CNN set out requiring participants to have qualified for ballot spots in states that totaled at least 270 Electoral College votes the minimum to win the White House. Trump and Biden are also expected to debate Sept. 10. Disclosure: Texas State University System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The Texas Tribune answering reader questions about 2024 elections. To share your question or feedback with us, you can fill out this form. Just in: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today! SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) The presidential candidates will not go head-to-head in a debate at Texas State University ahead of the November general election, according to an announcement released Monday afternoon. The Commission on Presidential Debates shared none of the four universities selected to serve as possible debate locations will actually host one now. The commission confirmed it released Texas State, Lafayette College, Virginia State University and the University of Utah from their contracts. The debate at Texas State University would have been the first presidential debate ever in Texas. The commissions co-chairs, Antonia Hernandez and Frank Fahrenkopf, said in a news release that they reached this decision after the Biden campaign will not agree to debate under the sponsorship of the Commission during the 2024 general election campaign. We are grateful to the sites, and we are sorry to come to this decision, Hernandez and Fahrenkopf said. We are dismayed that students of the four campuses will not have the opportunity to participate in these historic voter education forums. The commission told Texas State on Monday afternoon that its planned debates were canceled, the university said in a statement. The university said it paused planning and expenditures for the debate once the presumptive presidential candidates announced an alternative plan for debates several weeks ago. While receiving this official news is disappointing, we understand the CPDs position. As the only Texas university to have graduated a U.S. president, we were excited to host the first-ever presidential debate in our great state. We are also proud to be the only Hispanic Serving Institution chosen to host a presidential debate. In the words of our alumnus President Lyndon B. Johnson, Let no one ever think for a moment that national debate means national division. We remain steadfast in supporting our students and the entire university community as they continue to learn about democracy, to engage in civil discourse, and to participate in the electoral process throughout the upcoming election cycle. Texas State President Kelly Damphousse The university would have hosted the first debate on Sept. 16 if the candidates agreed to the commissions conditions. The Biden-Harris campaign sent a letter to the commission in May. It listed several reasons it did not agree with the commissions conditions, including that the commission scheduled the debates after early voting for some Americans would begin. Still, the commission said, if circumstances change, it would be ready to sponsor 2034 debates. I was just disappointed, said Averyann Guggenheim, president of the College Democrats at Texas State University. I thought it was a great opportunity for students. Guggenheim said she was excited when Texas State University was chosen for the debate instead of other colleges in Texas. I thought it was a great opportunity, especially for the freshmen, to get more politically involved, Guggenheim added. She said she hopes that Texas State students still watch the debates which will not be hosted by news organizations instead of universities. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are gearing up Thursday for their first general election debate, which will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. At the end of the day, this election is not going away, Guggenheim said. Voting is very important, and politics is very important. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Dr. Eithan Haim walks out of the Bob Casey United States Courthouse after appearing for an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 17, 2024, in Houston. Haim, who calls himself a whistleblower on transgender care for minors, has been indicted on federal charges of illegally obtaining private information on patients who were not under his care, with intent to cause harm to the nation's largest pediatric hospital. He has pleaded not guilty. | Yi-Chin Lee A Texas surgeon could face up to 10 years in prison after allegedly handing over information that showed Texas Childrens Hospital had performed transgender medical interventions on minors after saying they stopped. Earlier this month, the Justice Department unsealed its four-count indictment of the surgeon named Eithan Haim. Haim was indicted for allegedly obtaining protected health information of patients under false pretenses and without authorization. I have maintained from day one that I have done nothing wrong, said Haim to CBS News. Were going to fight this tooth and nail, stand up for whistleblowers everywhere. In response to a 2022 opinion from the Texas Attorney Generals Office and an order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Childrens Hospital said it paused hormone-related prescription therapies for gender-affirming services. This step was taken to safeguard our health care professionals and impacted families from potential criminal legal ramifications. A year later on May 16, 2023, Christopher Rufo posted an essay on Substack saying he obtained exclusive whistleblower documents showing that, despite its public statements, the Houston-based childrens hospital the largest in the United States has secretly continued to perform transgender medical interventions, including the use of implantable puberty blockers, on minor children. The hospital declined to comment at the time. By June of that same year, Abbott signed a bill into law that prevented physicians from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies to children. The law is currently being challenged in court. Haim wrote an essay for City Journal on Jan. 12, 2024, identifying himself as the person who handed over information to Rufo. Haim said he did it out of moral responsibility. He said a month after Rufos essay came out, two agents from the federal Department of Health and Human Services knocked on his door and said they were investigating a case. Before leaving, they handed me a letter revealing that I was a potential target of an investigation involving alleged violation of federal criminal law related to medical records, wrote Haim. Haim has now been formally charged following that investigation. The Justice Department said Haim allegedly obtained this information with the intent to cause harm to TCHs physicians and patients. Haim has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has raised over $845,000 as of Monday afternoon for his legal defense. Haim was a resident at Baylor College of Medicine and did rotations in the general surgery division at Texas Childrens Hospital from 2019 to 2021. As a Baylor resident, he received log-in credentials for the hospital in 2018 to review patient records. The Justice Department alleged Haim tried to reactivate his credentials from September 2022 to April 2023 after his credentials had expired. Haim obtained personal information including patient names, treatment codes, dates of service and attending physician from TCHs electronic system without authorization and under the false pretenses that he needed to urgently attend to adult care services, the indictment alleged. In fact, no TCH pediatric or adult patients were assigned to Haims care. Haim has appeared at his initial court appearance. Texas lawmakers had an opportunity to take bold action on school choice in 2023. Instead, they sided with teachers unions and chose to preserve an educational monopoly that abandons millions of families in a one-size-fits-all system. Voters paid attention to the do-nothing approach. The result was a shellacking for the 21 House Republicans who joined Democrats to kill school choice during four special sessions ending on December 5, 2023. Of this group, only seven Republicans survived their 2024 primary election season. The other 14 GOP incumbents either lost in the first round on March 5, lost in a runoff on May 28, or retired and did not face reelection. In contrast, 54 of 63 Republicans who supported school choice cruised through their primariesan 86 percent victory. Cassandra Posey, a former public school teacher who now fights for school choice, followed the races closely and said school choice was a central issue. This was by design. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who called the special sessions, made clear to lawmakers that if a school choice bill was not passed and sent to his desk, he would bring the issue to primary voters. "We will have everything teed up in a way where we will be giving voters in the primary a choice," Abbott said in September during a virtual town hall. Voters have now made their choice clear: They want educational savings accounts (ESAs), a tool that empowers students and their families. When opting for an ESA, participating families receive a designated amount of funds from the state to offset K-12 costs. Educational options previously out of reachsuch as private school tuition, tutoring services, homeschool materials, and services for special needsall become more affordable and accessible. Finding room in the state budget is not the issue. The money for educating Texas children is there. The real fight is about power. Teachers unions like using ZIP codes to assign schools. They oppose ESAs because these accounts give parents myriad options to tailor their children's learning experiences. That is why the unions celebrated when lawmakers rejected ESAs, which are sometimes called "vouchers" by those who oppose them even though ESAs give far more control to parents and students. The status quo means fewer families can escape union influence and the underperforming school system they control. "We stopped vouchers in their tracks," the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers wrote in a news release at the end of the 2023 special sessions. Texas voters can now boast right back that they stopped 14 anti-choice lawmakers in their tracks. The changing of the guard dramatically alters the composition of the Texas House and will give ESA supporters new momentum when they try again in the 2025 legislative session. "Our goal is to level the playing field," says Posey, who now homeschools her three daughters in Waller, Texas, outside Houston. Posey says every child learns differently, and local schools do not always meet a student's needs. "ESAs put families in control," she says. "Parents can shop around when a child needs something different." This is how things already work in 13 states that operate ESAs. Another 33 states have school choice programs that let education funds follow students to the schools or services that fit their needs. Texas will have many models to consider in 2025. The Texas State Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, opposes all of them. Union president Ovidia Molina calls every ESA proposal an attack against public schools because families might take their money and go elsewhere. Specifically, Molina worries that funds might go to support private schools or possibly homeschools. What she misunderstandsor chooses to ignoreis that parents, not the government, make decisions with ESAs. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, has successfully defended ESAs in court, including in North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Most recently on June 4, we joined a legal battle to defend ESAs in Utah on behalf of parents. The teachers union sued to stop the popular program after 27,000 students applied for the state's first 10,000 savings accounts. These programs are not only constitutional, they're also popular. Posey has nothing against public schoolsshe just wants families to have choice. The post Texas Voters Punish Lawmakers Who Oppose School Choice appeared first on Reason.com. Texas woman fighting for life after hit-&-run accident when she fell out of moms truck A GoFundMe has been set up for a 21-year-old North Texas woman who was struck and injured by traffic after falling out of her mothers truck early Sunday. Sherryta Smith said in the fundraiser that her daughter Sasha is battling for her life in the hospital and will need several surgeries. Officers responded to Farm Road 917 after receiving a call from Smith shortly before 1:15 a.m., Mansfield police said. Smith told them that her 21-year-old daughter had fallen out of her truck and was hit by two vehicles before she could be pulled to safety. When officers arrived they found Sasha unconscious but breathing, according to the news release. She had major injuries, and officers and medics performed life-saving efforts until she could be transported via CareFlite to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Smith told KXAS-TV that she picked up Sasha in Grand Prairie early Sunday morning. Sasha told her mom shed been drinking and didnt want to drive herself. The two women were on their way to Smiths home in Cleburne when the accident occurred. I said something to Sasha to make her laugh, Smith said in an interview with KXAS. She leaned back on a door and flew out. Smith wasnt able to stop right away because of traffic, she told KXAS. When she did stop, she saw two vehicles hit her daughter as she was in the road and keep on going. Please if anyone knows something come forward, Smith pleaded in a public social media post. No arrests have been announced. Mansfield police are asking anybody who witnessed what happened or who has any video, such as dash-camera video, to contact Officer Casey Knowles at casey.knowles@mansfieldtexas.gov. More top stories from our newsroom: More abuse claims surface at Gateway Church protest North Texas community denounces alleged attempted murder of 2 Palestinian kids Roaches found at multiple Fort Worth restaurants [Get our breaking news alerts.] HARTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW) It was a slow night at the Pizza Hut in Hartsville. Not too many calls were coming through, and the night in July 2019 seemed to be a loss. The night crew was preparing for closing until one call came in. Last-minute calls arent unusual in the pizza delivery business, so Hartsville native Joshua Poole, who was 19, grabbed the order and made his way to the Palmetto Apartments, where he parked his car and walked out as usual. Poole said he took only a few steps from his car before two masked men hopped out with guns from behind the apartment complex. Get in the car, one masked man demanded. Poole, a quick-thinker, responded, Ill give you my cell phone, my money, but I am not getting into the car. Then, one of the men pulled out a gun, pointed it at Poole and demanded that he get into the backseat of his own car. Poole conceded. While one of the masked men held him at gunpoint, Poole said the other man started digging through his front-seat console, presumably looking for money. An item from the console dropped and made a noise. When the man who had Poole at gunpoint looked back, Poole took the opportunity to fight for his life. The fight for his life Poole grabbed the masked mans wrist and started beating him. I didnt know what else to do, Poole said. In the moment, I felt like either way I would die, so either fight to get out of this or get taken somewhere for them to kill me. The two were fighting, and Poole almost grabbed the gun when he heard a shot ring out. At the time, he didnt realize he was hit. Courtesy: Joshua Poole All I knew was that my legs werent working, Poole said. I guess it was the adrenaline. After being shot, Poole said he can recall how one of the masked men was standing over him with a gun. He pointed the gun at Poole and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. The two men than ran away. Im not sure where they went, Poole said. They just kind of ran off in the distance. Maybe the gun jammed because of the fight. Im not sure why, but it didnt work. Poole crawled to his car, drove it as best he could to a well-lit area, and called 911. The next days to follow were a fight for his life. Before tragedy Poole is no stranger to hard work. He had just graduated from Mayo High School for Math, Science, and Technology in 2018, and had just come home from Marine Corp job training where he was stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Courtsey: Joshua Poole Courtesy: Joshua Poole Courtesy: Joshua Poole He was working to save money before going to college. He had plans to go to the Citadel, a military college in Charleston, where he hoped to graduate and eventually become an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. But those plans were changed. His injury made him unfit for service. I sometimes get bummed about that, Poole said. I really wanted to make a career out of the Marine Corps. When people ask me about the incident, this part gets to me. It was a confidence blow. The irony of the situation is Poole wasnt supposed to be on the schedule the night he was shot. He was called in to work after another delivery driver couldnt make it to work. It seemed like such a horrific night was fate. Fate Even though the situation was bad, the things I have learned through this have made me such a better person, Poole said. I am a much more compassionate person. I understand everyone has their own battles and are just hanging on sometimes. Poole went through several surgeries. At one point, he said he feared his leg would need to be amputated. I was terrified that I would wake up from surgery and my leg would be gone, he said. Poole was shot in the left leg in his upper thigh and his femur was shattered. The doctors told him it would probably take up to a year for him to start walking again and that he would always need assistance from either a cane or a walker. He spent 13 days in the hospital and even had emergency surgery after finding out that the bullet had grazed an artery in his leg. He received 13 vials of blood, and the doctors had to cut his thigh open to find out where he was bleeding and stop it. I thought I was going to die many times, Poole said. Aftermath When I saw my family and actually told them the story, I broke down for the first time, Poole said. It hit me that these men tried to kill me. I could have died. Poole said he battled with anxiety and depression from the incident and instead of relying on drugs and alcohol to cope, he began to hit the gym. I just used that energy to be in the best shape as possible and become the best version of myself, Poole said. Courtesy: Joshua Poole Courtesy: Joshua Poole Poole, now 24, works as a UPS delivery driver. He is married and just welcomed twins. I started my family because I realized how short life is, Poole said. If you want something, its best to get it done. A lot of people feel like they have a lot of time, but you never know. Poole said he went from feeling indestructible to understanding we are all one step away from catastrophe. My family is my biggest accomplishment in life, Poole said. I just want to provide the best life possible for my sons and teach them that nothing in life is given and to work hard. * * * Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylors work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks found after bust in Porterville PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Two men were arrested after being discovered with thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks in Tulare County, according to the Porterville Police Department. Officers say on June 21, a search warrant at a business on the 800 block of West Olive Avenue in Porterville revealed 26-year-old Marten Ghanem from Visalia harboring 50 pounds of commercial-grade aerial fireworks. Ghanem was also found in possession of an illegal assault rifle. The investigation led detectives to the home of 23-year-old Eric Ceballos-Ramos in Woodville, where they reported discovering additional aerial fireworks and a firearm with a large-capacity magazine. Ceballos-Ramos was also found storing 2,200 pounds of illegal fireworks at a residence in Terra Bella. In total, 2,337 pounds, or approximately $30,000 worth of fireworks, were seized by detectives, officials say. According to the Porterville Police Department, mortar-style fireworks, roman candles, bottle rockets, and any other fireworks that do not bear the Safe and Sane seal are illegal in California. Fines for the sale, possession, or use of such fireworks range from $1,000.00 to $10,000.00. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. FORT SALONGA, N.Y. (PIX11) Three Long Island men are praised for jumping into action and rescuing a driver after she crashed into a utility pole. A drive back home turned into a rescue mission for Michael Susinno. I was stopped at the light down the road I could see from across the intersection that had just crashed into a utility pole, Susinno said. More Local News It happened on Bread and Cheese Hollow Road in Salonga. As he pulled alongside the car, he realized the driver was still inside, and thats when he called 911. The operator asked him if the vehicle was sparking. I said no, it was not, and then it was at that moment the hood of the car caught on fire, he said. With the help of another unidentified man, he got out of his vehicle and pulled the driver, identified as Tempestt Harris-Buckner, out of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra vehicle. The two of us dragged her across the street and set her down safely, and it was at that point the car became fully engulfed in flames, Susinno said. We could feel the heat of the fire, and there were popping noises and small explosions happening at the time, said Michael Pitre, a third man who didnt hesitate to help out and put to good use his CPR and first aid training I looked down to assess her injuries and noticed that she had a severe laceration that was right below her knee that extended to her ankle. He said the driver was losing a lot of blood and knew he needed to act quickly. I knew that a tourniquet was the best option. Luckily, someone nearby had a belt and handed it to me. It was a nylon belt that I applied to her right above her knee and tightened to slow the bleeding, and it did, Pitre said. More Long Island News Susinno, a Northport high school orchestra director, asked the driver for her name to distract her. Then, he realized she was a familiar face. I said I dont know if you remember me. I know you, and I know your brother and your whole family; you play the cello. That was the moment she opened her eyes and started being more communicative, he recalled. The road where the crash happened is very busy, especially during rush hour. The two men didnt think twice about risking their lives to help the driver. This really wasnt about anyone else but her. No one was thinking about the car, what might happen to us, or if we can get injured, he said. The driver was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, both men hope this experience sets an example for people to jump in and act. Waiting for even or five seconds can make the difference between saving a life or losing a life, Susinno said. I think the main message here is always do what you would want done for yourself, Pitre added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Three teens and a 20-year-old charged after crime spree in Columbia, SC police say Three teenagers and a 20-year-old were arrested on multiple charges following a recent crime spree, the Columbia Police Department said Monday night. The crimes include three armed robberies and carjackings in June, including one incident where a child was held at gunpoint, police said in a news release. Michael Jyrel Davis, 19, was charged with armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release. Davis bond was set at $75,000, but he remains behind bars at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, jail records show. The other young men were denied bond, police said. Jayden Nyheim Rainey, 18, was charged with two counts of armed robbery, carjacking, two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and criminal conspiracy, according to the release. His brother, 20-year-old JeKorey Demond Rainey-Smith, was also arrested on the same charges, police said. Rainey-Smith is on probation for previous weapons charges, according to the release. Lamar Donelle Wilson, 18, was charged with two counts of armed robbery, carjacking, and criminal conspiracy, according to police. Davis, Rainey, Rainey-Smith, and Wilson are accused of stealing vehicles at gunpoint from unsuspecting victims, police said. No injuries were reported by police, who said the victims did not resist demands issued by Davis, Rainey, Rainey-Smith, and Wilson. June 9 One incident happened shortly before midnight on June 9, according to the release. In the 4200 block of Grand Street, police said the four men demanded keys to a 2020 Chevy Equinox from a male victim. Officers recovered the stolen SUV a short time later in the 3400 block of West Avenue, according to the release. Thats less than a mile from where the Chevy was stolen. June 16 Another incident happened at about 2 a.m. on June 16, police said. In the 1400 block of Grand Street, the men demanded keys to a 2024 Toyota Camry from a male victim, according to the release. The car, which was a rental vehicle, was recovered a short time later by officers in the 1500 block of Lorick Avenue, police said. Thats about half a mile from where the Toyota was stolen. June 23 The most recent incident occurred at about 7 p.m. Sunday, and it led to the arrest of Davis, Rainey, Rainey-Smith, and Wilson, according to the release. In the 4000 block of Ulmer Road, police said the men demanded the keys to a 2008 Chevy Silverado. Both a male victim and his 8-year-old son were held at gunpoint during the carjacking, according to the release. At about 8:15 p.m., the pickup truck was found by officers the 3700 block of Marstellar Street, police said. Thats at least 12 miles from where the pickup truck was stolen. After recovering the Chevy pickup, officers located the men at Latimer Manor Apartments at 100 Lorick Circle, according to the release. The men tried to escape and went into an apartment where they were arrested without further incident, police said. During a search of the apartment, officers seized four guns, two of which were reported stolen, and drug paraphernalia, according to the release. There was no word if Davis, Rainey, Rainey-Smith, and Wilson are suspected of being involved in any other incidents. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to an espionage charge in a deal hashed out with federal prosecutors, ending his 14-year-long fight to avoid extradition to the United States to face prosecution. Under the plea deal, the 52-year-old Australian former computer programmer was sentenced Wednesday by a judge in the Northern Mariana Islands to time served and set free. Here is a timeline of events marking Assange's long legal saga: 2006 -- Assange forms WikiLeaks in Australia and begins publishing classified and other sensitive documents. PHOTO: In this May 19, 2017 file photo, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks on the balcony of the Embassy of Ecuador in London. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) April to July 2010 -- WikiLeaks begins releasing hundreds of thousands of classified documents related to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, provided to the website by Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, then known as Bradley Manning. August 2010 -- Prosecutors in Sweden announce that an arrest warrant has been issued for Assange after two women accused him of rape and molestation. Assange denies the charges. December 2010 -- Assange surrenders to police in London in response to the Swedish arrest warrant. He is released on bail pending an extradition hearing. February 2011 -- A British magistrates' court orders Assange to be extradited to Sweden. Assange appeals the ruling. June 2012 -- Assange takes refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and asks for political asylum after his appeal efforts are unsuccessful. August 2012 -- The Ecuadorian government grants Assange political asylum, allowing him to legally reside at their embassy in London. PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange looks out a plane window as he approaches Bangkok airport for layover, according to the post by Wikileaks on X, in this picture released to social media on June 25, 2024. (Wikileaks/X via Reuters) August 2013 -- Court martial proceedings against Manning commence, leading to a conviction on espionage charges. Manning is sentenced to 35 years in prison. July 2014 -- A Swedish judge rejects Assange's request to dismiss the arrest warrants. January 2017 -- Then-President Barack Obama commutes the prison sentence of Manning, who became the first person to receive health care related to gender transition while in military prison. May 2017 -- Swedish authorities drop the rape and molestation charges against Assange. His attorney, Per Samuelson, calls the decision a "total victory." April 2019 -- British authorities arrest Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and he is sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail. At the same time, U.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with conspiring with Manning to hack into U.S. Department of Defense computers in March 2010 in "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States." PHOTO: In this Aug. 14, 2010 file photo, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in Stockholm. (Bertil Ericson/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) June 2019 -- The U.S. Department of Justice formally asks the British court to extradite Assange to the United States to face charges in the hacking case. January 2021 -- British Judge Vanessa Baraitser blocks the attempt to extradite Assange to the United States, ruling his mental health could become worse under the prison conditions he would likely face in U.S. jails. Baraitser ordered Assange to be released from prison. July 2021 -- The U.S. government is granted permission by the British High Court to appeal the ruling blocking Assange's extradition. June 2022 -- The British government orders Assange to be extradited to the United States, prompting an appeal from Assange. May 2023 --Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the U.S. government should cease efforts to prosecute Assange, saying, "Enough is enough" and that he is concerned about Assange's mental health. February 2024 -- British High Court judges rule Assange can appeal his extradition to the United States based on arguments about whether he will receive free-speech protections or be at a disadvantage because he is not a U.S. citizen. June 24, 2024 -- Assange pleads guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain classified information and is sentenced to time served. "He has suffered tremendously in his fight for free speech, for freedom of the press, and to ensure that the American public and the world gets truthful and important newsworthy information," Assange's lawyer, Barry J. Pollack, said. "We firmly believe that Mr. Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act and engaged in exercise that journalists engage in every day, and we are thankful that they do." Timeline of Julian Assange's 14-year-long saga to dodge extradition originally appeared on abcnews.go.com KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 20:42 | World, All An unmanned Chinese probe touched down on Earth on Tuesday, bringing back samples from the far side of the Moon in the world's first such mission, with President Xi Jinping extending his congratulations, according to state-run media. The Chang'e-6 spacecraft, launched on May 3, successfully landed in a designated area in the country's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the China National Space Administration said. Analysis of the samples is expected to help scientists find out about the Moon's origins and structure. The project is part of China's efforts to become a space power and take the lead in space development amid intensifying competition with countries such as the United States and India. In his message to the Chang'e-6 mission headquarters and all those who participated in the project, Xi said the success marked "another landmark achievement in China's endeavor to become a space and sci-tech power," the official Xinhua News Agency said. "The outstanding contributions you have made will always be remembered by the country and the people," he said. On June 2, Chang'e-6 successfully landed in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon, a rarely-explored area that does not face Earth, and collected samples. The probe took off from the Moon two days later and remained in lunar orbit while it waited for the right opportunity to return to Earth, Xinhua said. A Chinese satellite helped enable communications between Earth-based controllers and the Chang'e-6, CNSA said. "The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution," Xinhua quoted Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as saying. The spacecraft was also carrying payloads from the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan, according to Chinese media. Alongside the mission, China's space program has also seen the country put a Chinese space station into orbit. Beijing aims to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030 and complete a lunar research base by 2035. (ALAMOSA, Colo.) A tip from a watchful community member led to the arrest of a suspect in a triple shooting at the Sunset Inn Hotel in Alamosa on Sunday, June 24. The manhunt began on Sunday morning, after shots were fired around 2 a.m. at the Sunset Inn Hotel on West 8th Street in Alamosa. When officers of the Alamosa Police Department (APD) arrived on scene, they found three victims had been shot. APD reported that a person of interest, 44-year-old Henry Corral, left the scene and was later involved in a crash on County Road 106 and 12 South. He allegedly attempted to carjack a car before running away. ORIGINAL STORY: Alamosa Police seek armed and dangerous shooting suspect Multiple agencies responded to search for Corral, including the U.S. Marshals Service, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Fountain Police Department, and Colorado Department of Corrections. The U.S. Marshals Air Surveillance Unit in Denver also deployed to aid in the search. Once on scene, all agencies met up with APD and the Alamosa County Sheriffs Office to conduct numerous interviews and go door-to-door as far west as Del Norte, Colorado. During their search, a tip came in from a local who reported that they had seen Corral at a farm near the intersection of County Road 106 South and County Road 10 S, approximately five miles southwest of Alamosa. The responding agencies set up a perimeter, and Corral was taken into custody. Courtesy: U.S. Marshals Service Id like to recognize and thank the tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this dangerous fugitive, said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor. I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible work of all involved Law Enforcement Officers who pursued Corral with limited information, and yet were able to still safely take him into custody. At the time of his arrest, Corral was facing charges of First Degree Murder, two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, Tampering with Physical Evidence, Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender, and Attempted Aggravated Robbery. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. National fireworks distributor TNT Fireworks has launched a campaign to curb the flow of illegal fireworks from Nevada to California and to remind residents to be responsible by disposing of used fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday. As part of the campaign, TNT provided a report to State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant that offers ideas on addressing the continued sales and distribution of illegal fireworks from the Silver State. Under TNTs recommendations, which were endorsed by the fire marshals General Fireworks Advisory Committee, the Alabama-based company proposes stricter regulations on the sales and transportation of fireworks across state lines and stronger collaboration between officials in the two states. Firework companies and state officials pointed to fireworks stores right over the border in Nevada towns such as Schurz, Pyramid Lake and Battle Mountain as easy sources of illegal fireworks for Northern Californians. According to a company news release, officials said that fireworks are frequently purchased from those stores, sometimes in mass quantities, and then resold in California and set off, prompting concerns because they can be more powerful and lack the Safe and Sane seal of Californias fire marshal for safety. Seven Northwest Nevada fireworks stores and six in Pahrump, just west of Las Vegas sell Class 1.4G consumer-grade fireworks, which are federally approved but illegal in California, a state that has stringent rules in part because the explosives can increase the threat for devastating fires throughout all of California, according to Cal Fire. Designation 1.4G, a shipping classification defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation, were once known as Class C common fireworks 1.4G refers to the type of hazard, 1 being an explosive; the danger of the hazard, 4 considered no significant hazard; and G for a designation of the explosive, in this case a pyrotechnic that produces effects through a combination of heat, light, sound, gas and smoke, according to federal regulations. In the past, firework stores in Pahrump, which make up the towns second-largest revenue generator, according to TNT representative Dennis Revell, have provided cause for alarm because of mass amounts of fireworks being bought in bulk and transported to California. Pahrump is a somewhat remote town, and the news release said that each of the 38,000 residents would have to buy thousands of dollars of fireworks to account for the sales made in Pahrump, where it is illegal to set them off. The company estimates that 60% to 70% of the illegal fireworks in the Golden State come from those 13 stores over the border. A 2023-24 report by the San Francisco grand jury found that most explosions in the city were from fireworks that are illegal in California, but which are for sale in the neighboring state of Nevada. TNT recommended in its report that an interstate compact and task force could help curtail the flow of illegal fireworks over I-80 and other roadways going west. This year at all of its stands, which are run by charity and nonprofit groups, TNT will share fliers and other information featuring a QR code that customers can scan to learn of effective disposal techniques after lighting their fireworks. The message, from TNT and fire officials: Let your fireworks take a bath! In other words, consumers are encouraged to have a bucket or bin filled with water where fireworks can cool off before being thrown away the next day. The public service campaign will also be featured in cable TV spots and on social media. By submerging fireworks overnight in water in a non-combustible container and ensuring they are cool to the touch before disposing of them TNT and fire officials hope to cut down on the number of fires unintentionally sparked at homes and in open spaces. In the past to address unsafe fireworks, TNT backed Senate Bill 839 in 2007, which allows local jurisdictions to impose fines for possession or use of illegal fireworks and made the Nailem app available to report illegal fireworks activity to authorities. In 296 California neighborhoods where the sale of state-approved fireworks is legal, TNT generates $110 million of revenue for the over 2,700 nonprofit groups they collaborate with during the July 4th season. Rules on fireworks vary across the capital region. For example, fireworks sales and use are OK in most parts of Sacramento County, including the city, as well as in Placer County and three of its western-slope cities, and Yolo County and in several of its incorporated cities excluding Davis. Sacramento County supervisors earlier this year tightened restrictions on when fireworks can be set off and boosting fines for lighting pyrotechnics at schoolyards and in parks. Were trying to be part of the solution, Revell said. Gov. Ron DeSantis is making a stop in Central Florida on Tuesday morning. DeSantis plans to hold a news conference in Lake County at 10 a.m. The governor will be speaking at Caldwell Park Community Building in Umatilla. READ: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to launch GOES-U weather satellite from Floridas Space Coast Channel 9 will have a news crew at this mornings press conference. To watch it live when it happens, click here. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia committed rights violations in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow occupied and annexed in violation of international law in 2014. Russia violated the right to life, the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, and freedom of expression and assembly, the court said, among other abuses. The ruling means the judges in Strasbourg have sided with Ukraine, which had filed a complaint with the court alleging a "pattern of persecution" of non-Russians in Crimea. Ukraine's allegations included unlawful detentions, ill-treatment of civilians, and the suppression of the Ukrainian media and the Ukrainian language in schools. The court's unanimous judgement said there was sufficient evidence - corroborated by a range of witness testimony and reports from non-governmental organizations - to find Russia guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt." It said the "incidents had been sufficiently numerous and interconnected" and amounted to a "system of violations." The impact of the decision is likely to be limited as Russia refuses to recognize the judgements of the court. The country was expelled from the Council of Europe in the wake of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As a result, it is no longer a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, which the court in Strasbourg enforces. However, the court can still rule on incidents that occurred before Russia's expulsion. The case in question on Tuesday dates back to March 2014. The Council of Europe is an institution independent of the European Union. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a road during a demonstration against army conscription in Bnei Brak. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must also be required to serve in the Israeli army, the country's highest court said in a unanimous ruling on Tuesday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must also be required to serve in the Israeli army, the country's highest court said in a unanimous ruling seen as a bitter setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing religious government. On Tuesday, the nine Supreme Court judges in Jerusalem ruled that there is no legal basis for exempting the ultra-Orthodox from compulsory military service and approved two petitions that had called for their immediate conscription. The ruling involves around 63,000 men, which, in light of the Gaza war and a possible escalation with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement on Israel's northern border, could bolster the troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently warned of a severe shortage of combat soldiers. "At the height of a harsh war, the burden of an unequal distribution is greater than ever and requires a solution," the court said in its judgement. Netanyahu's right-wing conservative ruling party Likud criticized the ruling. In an initial statement, it said that only a "historic law," which is currently being prepared for approval in parliament, could provide a real solution to the dispute over compulsory military service. The religious exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews has been criticized by many Israelis, a large proportion of whom are secular. Likud accused the opposition of not actually wanting compulsory military service for the ultra-Orthodox, but merely using it to topple the government. A new law should ensure that more strictly religious men serve in the army. The opposition, on the other hand, accuses the government of endeavouring to exempt most ultra-Orthodox from military service. The draft along with the future course of the Gaza war have increasingly tested Netanyahu's government. Observers believe the stability of the coalition is jeopardized by the dispute over the draft since Netanyahu's coalition is reliant on ultra-Orthodox partners who reject conscription of their young men. There have been exemptions from compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox men in Israel for decades. However, these exemptions expired three months ago and Netanyahu's government failed to pass legislation that would have cemented them in law. As a result, the highest court ordered the cancellation of state subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men of conscription age who study in religious schools. At the end of March, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also ruled that the military was obliged to conscript religious students who had previously been largely exempt. In Israel, men have to do three years of military service and women do two years. Some ultra-Orthodox men serve voluntarily. Strictly religious women are only recruited on a voluntary basis. Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer speaks to reporters during a press conference at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on November 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona. Justin Sullivan via Getty Images A high-ranking Republican in Maricopa County, Arizona, said earlier this year that she would lynch one of the countys top election officials if he walked into the room. At an event in March for a GOP congressional candidate, Shelby Busch, the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, spoke about the importance of finding unity with good, Christian people before mentioning county recorder Stephen Richer. Richer is the elected official in charge of overseeing elections in the county, along with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. He has become a target for Arizona Republicans because, despite being a Republican himself, he has stood up for the integrity of elections and shot down baseless conspiracy theories about widespread fraud. (Hes also up for reelection this year.) Lets pretend that this gentleman over here was running for county recorder, and hes a good, Christian man that believes what we believe. We can work with that, right? Thats unity, Busch said, pointing to someone in the crowd. Thats saying, Hey, were going to shake hands and were going to agree that were going to run a good, Christian foundation campaign, and were going to treat each other well, and were going to get through this together, right? Thats unity. She continued, But if Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him. I dont unify with people who dont believe in the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country. And so I want to make that clear when we talk about what it means to unify. "If Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him." This is Shelby Busch. She is second-in-command for the Maricopa County Republican Committee (@MaricopaGOP). She was the county party's 2023 "volunteer of the year." She's an advisor to Kari Lake and others. She also pic.twitter.com/L7lWTm3oSk Stephen RicherMaricopaCountyRecorder (prsnl acct) (@stephen_richer) June 24, 2024 Richer posted a clip of Buschs comments from March 20 on X (formerly Twitter) Monday, saying in another post that the clip was just shared with me this weekend. Busch denied that her comments about religion were related to Richers Jewish faith and said her remark about lynching was done in jest. Everyone knows I dont like richer, Busch wrote in an email to HuffPost on Tuesday. The statement was a joke and was said in jest. I do not condone and would never condone violence against anyone. This was a small event from several months ago. These comments had nothing to do with his Jewish faith. I did not even know he was Jewish. In a longer video from that same campaign event, Busch tells the crowd, The word unity makes my skin crawl because there is a lot of earthly, fake and vile unity talk going around in our state. She added, So what does unity mean to me? It means unifying with those that share the core, Biblical, Christian-Judeo principles that we share. I think it was Paul that told us that we are not to unify with the swindlers, and the adulterers, and the filth, and bring it into our world, and so we have to be careful when we talk about unity, and make sure we really understand what that means. At that point, Busch praised Don Hiatt, a Republican running against Richer for the partys county recorder nomination, who was in the room. She said he was a good, Christian man, and he believes in what we believe in before proceeding with the attack against Richer. Neither the Maricopa County Republican Committee nor the Arizona Republican Party immediately responded to HuffPosts requests for comment. Busch is also chair of We The People AZ Alliance, a right-wing election conspiracy theory group that has receivedfunding from ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrnes group, The America Project, as Issue One and AZ Mirror have reported. Related... The Scoop The unfolding internal crisis at the Washington Post has obscured drama playing out across the river in Rosslyn, Virginia. Three high-profile employees plan to leave Politico in the coming weeks: Alex Ward, the co-author of Politicos massive scoop about the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, is leaving for The Wall Street Journal along with fellow Pentagon reporter Lara Seligman. Jack Shafer, the longtime Politico columnist, confirmed to Semafor that he is also leaving amid the companys waning interest in media coverage. I had a really good run with a long leash at Politico and appreciate all the great people I worked with, Shafer said. But the job has changed in recent months and I think its best for me to hit the ground dancing someplace else where media criticism is important to the mix. Earlier this month, Sam Stein, a high-profile Washington editor, left for The Bulwark following publicly reported friction with Politicos new management. Longtime congressional reporter Burgess Everett also announced last week that hes leaving the company (This is where media reporting gets messy. Everett is joining Semafor in September; Stein was this reporters former editor at Politico in 2022). Know More The high-profile departures come amid a yearlong transformation of Politicos newsroom by a new leadership group, which has attempted to refocus the companys editorial offerings, but has also at times clashed with former employees. In a series of interviews with Vanity Fair earlier this year, top editor John Harris, head of news Alex Burns, and CEO Goli Sheikholeslami said that the organization had lost its edge, created complacent commodity news, and needed to compete harder with new digital upstarts on Capitol Hill. The leadership team made it clear to employees: Changes needed to be made for Politico to adapt to a turbulent news media environment and increasingly crowded DC media landscape. Part of this has meant an editorial overhaul in which nearly all news stories are read by top editors to ensure consistency with Politicos new brand. Burns himself has often rewritten individual stories filed by reporters. Some journalists, in turn, felt that some of the new editorial leaders were too focused on changing the editorial output, slowing down stories and causing journalists to get scooped by competitors. Semafor previously reported friction between Burns and other top editorial leaders. Vanity Fair reported that Stein had disputes with Burns before they left the publication this year. Deputy White House editor Eun Kim similarly left this year following well-known frustrations with the new leadership team. Two people with knowledge of the situation told Semafor that in recent months, the company has fielded complaints about the abrasive treatment of editors by the new upper management. In an email with Semafor, Harris said he wants Politicos journalism to be even more original, more topical, more rigorously edited, and more responsive to our publications long-term strategy, and some reporters may not fit within that strategy. These cases you cite involve different circumstances, he said. There are journalists I really respect, and I think respect me, but who dont like some of the changes I have asked for. I want people to find the right home for their work, even if sometimes it is elsewhere. There are also times when competitors occasionally snag people I want with us here. My response to that is to compete even harder tomorrow. We have 600 journalists worldwide who show we are winning that competition way more often than not. Maxs view Two years after its sale to German media giant Axel Springer, Politicos future is somewhat unclear. The publication and its paid subscription product has retained a core, dedicated audience. It remains a must-read for congressional aides, bureaucrats, White House officials, and all of the lobbying organizations built to tilt the federal government in their favor. And the companys new leadership team are far from alone in feeling unsatisfied and alarmed with what it perceives as editorial drift of their news offerings much of what Burns and Harris told Vanity Fair sounds fairly similar to the changes embattled Washington Post CEO Will Lewis and new Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker have attempted to implement in their D.C. newsrooms. But many of the stars it cultivated have moved on to other news organizations competing directly against the publication for eyeballs and event dollars. And while it has been less than a year since the new leadership team took the reins, the new regimes tough-love approach in the newsroom has alienated well-known employees who have left for competitors, effectively working against its plan. Politicos attempt to recapture the glory days of the 2000s when it disrupted political journalism with speedy blogging and scoops seems to be ironically built on painstakingly rewriting pieces. The well-documented internal firestorms at the Washington Post and in the Washington, D.C. bureau of The Wall Street Journal should be creating an opening for Politico to retake some turf in D.C. media. But Politicos own internal drama seems to be hindering the companys ability to do it. Room for Disagreement Part of the tensions within Politico are an attempt to rebalance a newsroom that management felt was unfairly weighted towards certain teams. Politico has felt that it can withstand individual staff losses without a real impact on its Washington, D.C. business. Some reporters at Politico in other policy areas have felt that the new editorial focus has created a more equitable newsroom. Politico has shown a remarkable way of regenerating itself, one staffer with no discernable agenda told Semafor. These cycles have happened in the past, but its a large newsroom. I think its still a good place to work. Top Trump advisors prepare plan for US to halt military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to peace talks Two top advisors to former U.S. President Donald Trump have proposed a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia, Reuters reported on June 25, citing the advisors, retired General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has repeatedly suggested that he would end the war within 24 hours if elected, but has so far refrained from detailing the specifics of his plan. Kellogg and Fleitz, who previously served on the National Security Council in the Trump administration, said the proposed ceasefire would freeze the frontlines in their current position. At the same time, Kellogg said the plan would entail additional warnings to Russia that the U.S. would increase its military support to Ukraine if it refused the terms of the ceasefire. Fleitz said Trump reacted positively to the plan but added, "I'm not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it." Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung nonetheless emphasized that only statements from Trump or the campaign should be taken as official policy positions. Many of the details of the plan were published in a policy paper released by the Trump-affiliated America First Policy Institute in April. One of the elements of the paper was that Ukraine's NATO accession would be taken off the table for "an extended period in exchange for a comprehensive and verifiable peace deal with security guarantees." President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have pushed back against the notion of such a ceasefire that would cement Russian battlefield gains. "And there will be many such conditions, depending on how strong (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is at that moment. Therefore, a ceasefire is a trap," Zelensky said earlier in June. Putin recently explicitly outlined his own ceasefire conditions, which included Ukraine's complete withdrawal from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and abandoning any future NATO ambitions. Such a plan would entail Ukraine ceding significant parts of its territory that it currently controls. The paper by Kellogg and Fleitz also repeatedly referenced the unsubstantiated theory that NATO expansion triggered Russia's full-scale invasion, which Trump also mentioned in an interview earlier in June. Kellogg and Fleitz also reiterated another misconstrued argument from Trump, in which he claimed that President Joe Biden had said, "Ukraine will go into NATO" in the leadup to the full-scale invasion. Trump claimed that it had unnecessarily antagonized Russia. "Biden's approach ignored Putin's fear of Ukraine moving closer to the West and joining NATO," Kellog and Fleitz wrote. Kellogg and Fleitz acknowledged that "Biden and his senior officials never explicitly called for Ukraine to join NATO," but said that "they dangled NATO membership before Ukraine and repeatedly said this decision was up to Ukraine." Similar statements were also made by officials in the Trump administration, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assertion in January 2020 that "we have maintained support for Ukraine's efforts to join NATO." "We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraine's control over its sovereign territory," Pompeo added in the same speech. Kellogg served in the Trump administration at the time. Read also: Trump criticizes Ukraine for requesting aid, promises to settle it Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Rishi Sunaks governing Conservative Party withdrew support from two candidates caught up in an investigation into bets placed on the timing of the UKs general election before the prime minister called it. Most Read from Bloomberg The Tories will no longer help Craig Williams a close aide to Sunak who said he put a flutter on the election date win re-election in the Welsh seat of Montgomeryshire. The party also withdrew support from Laura Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West. Her husband, the Tory director of campaigning Tony Lee, has taken a leave of absence, the party said last week. The announcement comes after days of criticism leveled against Sunak following revelations that the candidates as well as officials and a police officer in the premiers close protection team are being probed over wagers placed on when the national vote would be held, in the run-up to Sunak announcing it on May 22. The Gambling Commission is probing the bets placed by officials, while the police officer has been arrested and is subject to a Metropolitan Police probe. The expanding scandal The Sunday Times at the weekend said the Gambling Commission is looking into hundreds of suspicious bets, as well as probing a fourth Tory threatens to derail the Conservatives efforts to close a wide polling deficit behind Labour ahead of the July 4 ballot. On Tuesday, the police issued a statement saying that while only one officer is under criminal investigation, the commission has passed on information alleging a further five placed bets about the election timing. It is yet another example of Rishi Sunaks staggeringly weak leadership that it has taken him nearly two weeks to see what was obvious to everyone else, said Labours Jonathan Ashworth. Sunak had previously said he was incredibly angry at the gambling revelations but had stopped short of suspending the parliamentary candidates, citing the ongoing investigation. With voters already casting postal ballots, the timing could hardly be worse for Sunak. Even Conservatives are drawing parallels with the so-called Partygate scandal, which derailed Boris Johnsons premiership after revelations of rule-breaking parties in Downing Street during the pandemic became public. If it was one of my candidates, theyd be gone and their feet would not have even touched the floor, Keir Starmer, who stands to replace Sunak as prime minister next week if the polls prove correct, said last week. While the announcement means the Tories will no longer put resources behind the two candidates election bid, its too late to change their names on ballot papers, meaning they will still appear next to the Conservative Party logo. Moreover, its also too late for the Conservatives to install new candidates in those seats, meaning theyll lose Tory-held Montgomeryshire, and wont be able to challenge in the Bristol seat, where they came second in 2019. We have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election, the Conservatives said in a statement. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing. --With assistance from Alex Wickham. (Updates with police statement in fifth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Residents pack into Monday night's public hearing over the future of large wind and solar projects in Stark County townships. CANTON With more than 30 people taking the microphone at Monday night's public hearing, speakers were evenly split between those who want solar and wind projects banned around Stark County and those who support the efforts for future development. Stark County commissioners hosted the gathering at the County Office Building to help gauge interest in large wind and solar projects in the townships. Commissioners want input on a proposed restricted area that would disallow development of wind farms and solar facilities in 14 townships. The restricted area would prohibit large solar facilities and large wind farms of 50 megawatts or more, as well as economically significant wind farms between five and 50 megawatts in Canton, Jackson, Lake, Lawrence, Lexington, Nimishillen, Osnaburg, Paris, Pike, Plain, Sugar Creek, Tuscarawas and Washington townships. In Marlboro Township, the restricted area would prohibit large solar facilities and large wind farms but allow economically significant wind farms. Fourteen Stark County townships want large wind and solar banned in their communities. Proposed restricted areas shown on the map would be off limits for any future construction of some wind and solar projects. Community members can weigh in on the proposal June 24. The proposed restricted area reflects responses of the township leaders to a countywide survey about the energy projects. Three townships, Bethlehem, Perry and Sandy, did not take any action and are not included in the restricted area. Countywide survey: 14 Stark County townships want large solar, wind farms prohibited. See which ones. The commissioners will consider the public comments before making any restrictions. Stark County Commissioner Richard Regula speaks to attendees at Monday's public hearing at the Stark County Office Building to hear public input on restrictions to large wind and large solar projects. Local unions show up in force at wind, solar hearing Representatives and members from laborer, electrician and operating engineer unions spoke in favor of large wind and solar projects. They said such investments are good for the economy and create jobs. "We need more electrical generation here in Ohio to meet our energy demands," said Erik Hann from Louisville, business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 540. "We need an all-in approach, including fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy. We need them all." Hann said outlawing wind and solar would force Stark County "to put all of our eggs in one basket." During his public comment, Hann asked people in the crowd who are "for labor or support renewable energy" to stand up. A speaker invited union workers who would be affected by restrictions to large wind and large solar projects to stand during Monday's public hearing hosted by Stark County commissioners at the Stark County Office Building in Canton. "These are all the folks that are going to be constructing these new solar panels," he said, "and we are asking you not to close Stark County for business." When approached after the meeting, he said he was pleased by the turnout and support. "It was absolutely amazing, the solidarity between the electricians, the laborers and the operators, I was blown away," he said. "It shows how important this job is to our members ... to have these large renewable energy projects in our backyard." Members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 540, Laborers Union 1015 and Ohio Operating Engineers Trade Union attended the hearing. Stark County Commissioners Richard Regula, Janet Weir Creighton and Bill Smith listen to remarks during Monday's public hearing at the Stark County Office Building on restrictions to large wind and large solar projects. Farmers and landowners express concerns Many residents of the townships spoke up during the meeting to express concerns about property values, environmental impact and potential impact on local farmers. Laura Schmucker, who lives on a farm in Washington Township, said land in the township is best suited for farming. She said large energy projects should go in other areas, preferably on vacant land. "People are there [in Washington Township] because they like the rural feel. They are there because of clean water and the community," she said after the hearing. "We are not willing to compromise those things." Laura's husband Danny Schmucker also spoke at the hearing. During his public comment, he said he has doubts that land used for solar and wind can be returned to farmland after the project is decommissioned. He said he worries about potential land damage. Nancy Dollard of Lake Township speaks at Monday's public hearing on restrictions to large wind and large solar projects in Stark County. After the meeting, Commissioner Bill Smith said he was sympathetic to their argument. He said the energy projects can look elsewhere to put wind and solar, citing the three townships that would not be restricted under the proposed plan. "The residents seem to be pretty much against it in their area. We only have so much farmland," he said. "There's plenty of other places in this county they can look for projects, I believe." Deb Hatherill of Washington Township speaks at Monday's public hearing on restrictions to large wind and large solar projects in Stark County. Smith said the commissioners will take time to consider thoughts from the public, possibly following up with some of the speakers when needed. He said he expects the final decision to be made at a regular commissioners meeting in a few weeks. Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16. Stark County Commissioners Richard Regula, Janet Weir Creighton and Bill Smith listen to remarks during Monday's public hearing at the Stark County Office Building to hear the public input on restrictions to large wind and large solar projects. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark residents turn out to give views on large wind and solar farms Press Release June 25, 2024 CHIZ OPTIMISTIC ON LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AFTER HIS FIRST LEDAC MEETING WITH PBBM, SPEAKER ROMUALDEZ Senate President Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero emerged from his first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting with a positive outlook, expressing confidence in the collaborative efforts among the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Executive Branch. "Magandang karanasan," Escudero said, reflecting on his first LEDAC meeting presided over by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacanang on Tuesday. He noted the productive discussions with President Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez, as he emphasized the shared commitment to prioritize essential and meaningful legislation in the remaining 73 session days of the 19th Congress. "Maganda ang naging usapan sa pagitan ng Kamara at Senado, gayundin ang Ehekutibo kaugnay sa mga mahahalaga at makabuluhang batas na kailangang tutukan sa natitirang 73 araw ng sesyon ng Kamara at Senado. Buo ang pag-asa at paniniwala ko na kaya naming magawa ito," Escudero said. Escudero said the upper chamber will prioritize the passage of six of the remaining 10 priority measures identified by the LEDAC, along with three key Senate priority bills, when session resumes next month. "The Senate is committed to working diligently toward the passage of these essential measures. We aim to address critical areas that will enhance our economic framework, environmental sustainability, and governance," Escudero said, after emerging from his first LEDAC meeting as Senate President. Escudero said the six LEDAC priorities, which are now set for plenary deliberation and approval on final reading in the Senate, are the proposed Blue Economy Act, Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act, amendments to the Universal Health Care Act, establishment of the Department of Water Resources, Open Access in Data Transmission Act, and Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy or CREATE MORE. The Senate chief also pushed for the inclusion of three Senate priority measures in LEDAC's Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). These are the proposed amendments to the Right-of-Way Act (Republic Act 10752), the Investors' Lease Act (R.A. 7652), and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (R.A. 6657). The proposed amendments to R.A. 10752 aim to make it easier to grant Right-of-Way for public projects, while changes to R.A. 7652 would allow leasing private lands for up to 99 years to attract foreign investments. The amendments to R.A. 6657 aim to lift restrictions on the ownership and transfer of lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to boost agricultural productivity. "The amendments to these laws will provide the necessary legal framework to expedite infrastructure projects and attract more foreign investments, thereby creating more jobs and boosting our economy," Escudero explained. "Lifting restrictions on agrarian reform lands will also help increase agricultural productivity and improve the lives of our farmers," he added. On the other hand, Escudero said that further clarification is needed for four LEDAC measures, namely, the Waste-to-Energy (Senate Bill No. 2267), the Mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (SB No. 2034), Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension of Military and Uniformed Personnel (SB No. 2501), and the E-Government Act /E-Governance Act. Of the 20 CLA bills due for passage by end of June 2024, three have already been enacted into law. These are the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act (R.A. 11995), the Negros Island Region Act (R.A. 12000), and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (R.A. 12001). Three more measures are currently awaiting presidential approval: the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act (SB No. 2432/House Bill No. 3917), the New Government Procurement Act (SB No. 2593/HB No. 9648), and the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act (AFASA) (SB No. 2560/HB No. 7393). Four measures are in the Bicameral Conference Committee, including the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act, the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, and the VAT on Digital Services. According to Escudero, the Senate's legislative agenda is geared toward inclusive and sustainable development. "By focusing on these measures, we aim to foster economic resilience, improve public service delivery, and enhance the quality of life for all Filipinos," Escudero said. "We are optimistic that with collaboration and dedication, we can achieve these legislative goals and make a meaningful impact on the lives of our citizens," he concluded. KYODO NEWS - Jun 25, 2024 - 09:43 | All, World, Japan Japan's failure to criminally investigate and prosecute more labor and child sex trafficking cases has led the United States to leave it at the second-highest tier of a four-level scale published by the State Department, its annual report said Monday. The 2024 report said the Japanese government "does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so," recognizing that the situation has modestly improved compared with a year earlier. The report took note of a bill aimed at reducing vulnerabilities to forced labor under Japan's so-called technical intern program submitted by the government to parliament in March, which was enacted earlier this month. Still, it said, "Overall efforts, particularly to prevent trafficking among the highly vulnerable migrant worker population, remained inadequate." The training program, introduced in 1993 as a way of transferring skills from Japan to developing countries, has been criticized for a long time as a cover for it to import cheap labor. Since the launch of the program, for example, many trainees have run away due to abuses such as unpaid wages and harassment, as its tough rules have effectively prohibited them from switching workplaces. The report also pointed to Japan's deficiencies in addressing the issue of child sex trafficking. "Law enforcement continued to identify hundreds of children exploited in the commercial sex industry without sufficient screening for trafficking indicators, which allowed a majority of child sex traffickers to operate with impunity," the report noted. The Trafficking in Persons Report said a total of 33 countries and territories, including Australia, Bahrain, Finland, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States, were listed in the Tier 1 group, the highest level in the rating system. As well as Tier 2, there is the Tier 2 Watch List level at which nations that have a large and increasing number of people impacted by trafficking are placed. Meanwhile, countries known for poor human rights records such as China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Syria remained in Tier 3, the lowest level. Related coverage: FOCUS: Allowing foreign trainees to switch jobs stirs debate in rural Japan Japan enacts laws for new foreign worker scheme amid labor crisis TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is officially under our belt. Tropical Storm Alberto was short lived in the Bay of Campeche, but brought flooding rains and storm surge to the western Gulf of Mexico coastline. Although there have been a couple other areas of interest over the past week, nothing that developed before dissipating. The National Hurricane Center is now highlighting a tropical wave that just moved into the eastern Caribbean Sea. Environmental conditions are not favorable over the next couple of days, but by the time it gets into the western Caribbean Sea, development is possible. Although the 7 day chance of development is just at a 20% right now, that chance will likely go up heading toward the end of the week. The next name on the list is Beryl. The rest of the tropics are quiet, mainly thanks to Saharan dust. Thick dust typically limits tropical development because it is dry air. A thick plume is coming across the Atlantic this week and moving toward the Gulf of Mexico. This may make for prettier sunrises and sunsets. If the dust is too thick, the sunsets will be quite hazy. Dust is normal this time of the year and typically tapers off toward the end of July. Despite the dust, longer range forecast models try to develop a tropical wave toward the end of next week as it moves from Africa toward the Caribbean. Although there are indications from both the American and the European models of weak development, this is more than a week away and the models are not nearly as reliable, but it will be something to watch over the next week or so. Watch Tracking the Tropics on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT. Be prepared with the 2024 Hurricane Guide and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Trader Joe's in East Lansing is opening Friday. Here's what you need to know MERIDIAN TWP. The Lansing area has been pining and actively advocating for a Trader Joe's for at least 15 years. That's how long ago Brenda Resch started "Bring Trader Joe's to Lansing, MI," a Facebook group aimed at catching the California-based company's attention. Today the group, started in 2009 and now entitled "Trader Joe's in East Lansing, MI," has more than 17,000 members and the specialty grocer is preparing to open its first Lansing-area store. The new store, 2755 E. Grand River Ave., will open at 9 a.m. Friday. From what products are most popular to how busy the location's first few days could be and what parking will be available, here's everything you need to know before you visit. How many Trader Joe's stores are in Michigan? The first Trader Joe's opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967. Today, the national specialty grocery chain operates nearly 550 stores in 42 states. The East Lansing store will be the state's ninth Trader Joe's. The eight other locations throughout Michigan are: Ann Arbor Bloomfield Hills Grosse Pointe Kalamazoo Kentwood Northville Rochester Hills Royal Oak What can I expect on opening day? The new store will open at 9 a.m. on Friday after hosting a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. While no one can predict how busy it will be, Meridian Township Supervisor Scott Hendrickson points out "Trader Joe's is wildly popular at all of its locations on a normal day... I would urge folks to be very careful in the parking lot, as well as turning onto and off of Grand River," he said in an email. "We have a team of awesome crew members ready to welcome and support our customers if anyone wants help navigating their grocery shopping adventure. Look for crew in colorful shirts with red name tags if you need help," Nakia Rohde, a Trader Joes public relations manager, said in an email. The store will close at 9 p.m. Friday. The Trader Joe's on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in East Lansing. Why did Trader Joe's choose to open near East Lansing? In 2021, a Trader Joe's spokesperson told the State Journal the company considers several factors when deciding where it should open a new store. Among those are potential customer demand, distance from a potential location to a Trader Joe's distribution center and properties that are the right size for a store, typically no more than 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. "Trader Joes came to East Lansing because it was time," said Rohde. "We feel the community and location are a great fit, we have a great crew and weve been really fortunate to receive such a warm welcome from the neighborhood." How much parking is available? A strip mall and restaurant were demolished on just over 2 acres where the new store sits off East Grand River Avenue. In late 2021 the Meridian Township Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance allowing for the creation of a store parking lot with 115 spaces. It was more parking than the township's ordinance allowed "and I expect they will use all of it this weekend," Hendrickson said. "I sat on the Zoning Board for that request and we granted their request, knowing how popular this store would be." How many people will the store employ? Expect Trader Joe's to hire 65 people for the new location. According to a company press release management, including store captain Mike McGinnis, are still filling those positions for "crew members." Their role includes "a little bit of everything," Rohde said. "From running the register, to stocking shelves, to creating a beautiful display, all while making sure that every customer has a fun, friendly, and informative shopping experience." Starting pay ranges from $15 to $17 per hour, and that rate can range up to $30 per hour, she said. Anyone interested in applying to work at the East Lansing store can apply online at https://traderjoes.avature.net/careers/JobDetail/United-States-Crew/16380. Who owns Trader Joes? Trader Joe's is a privately held company and does not offer franchising. It is owned by families that also own part of Aldi Nord, the company says on its website. Trader Joe's and Aldi Nord operate independently. Trader Joe's has no business or ownership relationship with Aldi Sud (including Aldi U.S.). What makes Trader Joe's so special? Each location carries meats, fruits and vegetables, cheeses and other dairy products, baked goods, snacks, and other items. You'll find various pastas, dips and sauces, spices and pantry staples, soup dumplings, desserts, and fresh-cut flowers among other items. How many of the products are from Trader Joe's private label? "Almost 90% of what we sell in our stores is made under our private label, and thats by design," Rohde said. "When a customer sees 'Trader Joes' on the package, they know it comes with our private label guarantees and that it stands for quality, deliciousness, and value. Youll discover a store full of unique and interesting products, along with everyday basics, in the Trader Joe's label." What are some of the most popular items? Perhaps the best way to gauge what products Trader Joe's customers love is to look at the winners of the store's annual "Customer Choice Awards." The company has been collecting data and listing them for 15 years. The 2024 victors include chili-and-lime-flavored, rolled-corn tortilla chips, seasonal apple cider, goat cheese, creamy spinach and artichoke dip, and butter chicken with basmati rice. See the full list here. Does Trader Joe's offer discounts or weekly sales? According to the company's website, you'll find neither at its locations, but you will find "everyday value." "'Sale' is a four-letter word to us," it says. "We have low prices, every day. No coupons. No membership cards. No discounts. No glitzy promotions or couponing wars at our stores." Does the store offer curbside pickup or delivery? Trader Joe's doesn't offer curbside pickup or delivery, "and we dont work with third-party delivery services like Instacart or Dumpling because they cant match our outstanding in-store value and shopping experience. We set up our stores with care, finding just the right crew and creating a rewarding shopping experience, full of discovery and welcome," according to its website. READ MORE: Trader Joe's to open first Lansing-area store later this week Summer brunch, anyone? 10 Lansing-area spots worth the visit How do I stay up-to-date on new products, and other news? The store's website at www. traderjoes.com includes details about new and popular products, recipes and company news. Trader Joe's also releases a regular podcast that covers new and seasonal items, information about how leadership determines pricing and more. It's available on streaming services, including Apple podcasts and Spotify. Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ . This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Trader Joe's opens Friday in Meridian Township: What to know NEW YORK (PIX11) Plans are in the works to transform waterfronts into hubs to stimulate New York Citys economy. The CEO of the citys Economic Development Corporation, Andrew Kimball, joins PIX11 to discuss the development of a hub in Kips Bay, when the city could break ground, and the projects partnership with public schools. Watch the video player for more on this story. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) On Tuesday, Travis County Judge Andy Brown hosted the fourth annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony to hoist the Progress Pride Flag at the countys administration building. During the ceremony, Brown read parts of a resolution brought forth by himself and Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea showing that Travis County recognizes the month of June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. At a time when our LGBTQIA+ community is being attacked for being their authentic selves, we hope the flag serves as a reminder and a sign of hope that you are welcome, you are valued, and you will be supported here in Travis County, Brown said as part of his remarks. Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Travis County hosts Pride Flag ceremony at the Travis County administration building on June 25, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Other speakers included Shea, Judge Denise Hernandez, former State Rep. Glen Maxey, ACLU Texas Policy & Advocacy Strategist Ash Hall and Kim Romero, who previously worked for Brown and helped initiate this annual flag raising for the county. In 2021, Travis County Commissioners Court voted for the first time to approve the flying of the flag over the building. PAST COVERAGE: Pride flag raised at Travis County government building for first time The government direction was part of a resolution that adopted comprehensive policies that prohibit contractors from discriminating against race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or veteran status. You can watch the full ceremony including all speakers in the video player at the top of this story. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) The Travis County Commissioners Court is to consider action that could provide affordable childcare to thousands of local families at its meeting Tuesday morning. In May, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion touted support for the proposal. The program would cost $77 million per year, and the county is considering asking tax payers to pay for it through a tax rate election. Travis County to discuss how taxpayers can help low-income families access child care If commissioners approve moving forward with the tax rate election, it would go on the ballot Nov. 5. If voters approve the program, it would cost the average household around $10 more per month. Back in May, Brown said the initiative would help thousands of local families. Were going to help aid that over 8,000 families get assistance in some way of either childcare, after school assistance, Brown said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Who is Travis Posey? Look into the Fordyce mass shooting suspects background Who is Travis Posey? Look into the Fordyce mass shooting suspects background FORDYCE, Ark. Some of the biggest questions following the mass shooting in Fordyce that killed four people and injured 10 others have been Why do this? and Whats the motive? In an effort to try and determine the shootings cause, KARK 4 News dove into the past of Travis Eugene Posey, the man facing charges in the deadly incident. Suspect identified after mass shooting in Fordyce leaves 3 people dead, 10 others injured Posey goes by Joey to most who know him in his hometown of New Edinburg, 12 miles southeast of Fordyce. He has a trucking business, and a tree service is listed in his name. Former classmates of Posey said he went to the New Edinburg and Kingsland High School post-consolidation. Poseys LinkedIn page states he went to the University of Arkansas Monticello at the turn of the century and got a masters in forestry resources. Travis Posey, suspect in Fordyce Mad Butcher mass shooting, to go before judge Tuesday As far as earlier brushes with the law, though, the Arkansas State Police said Sunday that Poseys criminal history is nearly nonexistent. An article from the New York-based news site NNY360.com from 2011 claims that when he was working as a trucker, Posey had a gun confiscated from him when he arrived at the gates of Fort Drum, a military installation in upstate New York. The article reported Posey was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct in Town of LeRay Court. Fordyce community honors victims in Friday shooting, holds candlelight vigil That slight infraction is a far cry from the horrific actions Posey is accused of committing Friday. Norma McCoy said when Posey removed a tree from her yard, she couldnt have asked for a nicer guy. Hearing he was the gunman stunned her. Heartbreaking, McCoy said of the revelation. I said, I cant believe it. Arkansas State Police update injury count in deadly Fordyce mass shooting McCoy and her neighbor Patricia Huddleston both know Poseys family as well and said they dont think the motive will ever be known. McCoy fears Posey may have snapped, while Huddleston said the devil got him. If thats the way he felt, he should have shot his own self, Huddleston asserted. He should have took his own life instead of someone elses. Deadly mass shooting in Fordyce joins a grim list in Arkansas history Records from the bankruptcy court for the Eastern District of Arkansas shows Posey filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010. His father passed away in 2021, but his other family are still very involved in his life. KARK 4 News went to Poseys address in an effort to speak with someone about Fridays shooting. Those on the property said they did not wish to speak, asking crews to leave their property upon meeting. Victims killed in Fordyce mass shooting identified McCoy said that even with the grief she feels for those killed and injured in the shooting, she also has feelings for the family of the man accused of the heinous act. That mother of Joey and the sisters, cause they are going through their mind (asking), What could I have done? What was going on that I didnt see? she said. So thats going to be hard for them. Weve got to let them know Hey, youre not to blame. Were behind you. You have our prayers and our support. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen speaks to the Economic Club of Chicago luncheon on Jan. 25, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Yellen used the address to highlight the state of the U.S. economy. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen touted investments in affordable housing and community development on a visit to Minnesota this week, promoting the policies of President Joe Biden as he campaigns for reelection. Yellen, the former chair of the Federal Reserve and the nations first woman secretary of the Treasury, visited the Neighborhood Development Center in St. Paul with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to draw attention to a Treasury program that rewards lenders that invest in underserved communities, called community development financial institutions, or CDFIs. The Neighborhood Development Center offers loans and training to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities. Since 2006, the organization has received $11 million in Treasury funding which the organization matched with private funds to help businesses get off the ground. In her remarks, Yellen said she is working with other agencies to get more money out the door demand for the CDFI Fund programs are three to five times higher than the available funds, she said. On Monday, Yellen announced a new Treasury program part of the CDFI Fund that will pay out $100 million over three years to support the financing of new affordable housing projects. The funding is a drop in the bucket compared to the need; in Minnesota alone, around $3.9 billion was available for affordable housing programs from 2022 to 2023, including around $500 million in COVID-19 recovery funding. But the federal dollars are meant to leverage and encourage private investment in new affordable housing construction. Yellen also promised a streamlining of the application process for CDFI funds and encouraged banks to devote more money to housing programs. She attributed the countrys strong economy and recovery from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic to efforts by Biden, who is neck-and-neck with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in presidential polls. But President Biden and I know that prices for key household expenses like health care, energy and housing are still too high, in large part due to challenges that have been mounting over decades, Yellen said. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates the U.S. needs to build more than 7 million housing units for extremely low-income renters in order to alleviate the pressure of rising housing costs on the countrys poorest households. The post Treasury Secretary promotes Biden housing, economic development policies in Minnesota visit appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Triple-digit heat, rain and storms forecast in Wichita. Here are the details Another round of 100-degree heat is expected Tuesday in Wichita with the chance for showers and thunderstorms in the evening. A second heat advisory has been issued for Wichita on Tuesday, which is forecast to have a high of 100. The advisory will run from noon to 8 p.m., according the National Weather Service office in Wichita. The advisory also covers portions of central, south central and southeast Kansas. Adding to the heat is a slim 10% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m., jumping to 40% between 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., a detailed forecast shows. During this time, residents could see up to nickel-sized hail, 50-60 mph wind gusts and heavy rain. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible late Tuesday afternoon and into the overnight. Some of these storms could be locally strong or possibly severe. 60 mph winds are possible with the strongest storms. #kswx pic.twitter.com/6UWCtIaD1d NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) June 24, 2024 Mondays high reached the century mark, falling a few degrees short of the record for the hottest June 24, which was set in 1980 at 103 degrees, NWS archives show. Mondays temperature was unusually high for this time of year, when the high is usually in the 90s, a Wichita meteorologist said. Normally, the first time we reach 100 [degrees] is July 3, NWS meteorologist Robb Lawson said. Normally the last time we reach 100 is August 19. Lawson said these time frames for high heat are based off NWS historical data dating back to 1888. Looking ahead, Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be a little cooler with a high of 91 for both. But Friday has an expected high of 101. Saturday and Sundays temps are forecast at 91 and 87, respectively. The good news is its hot, but were not looking at a long stretch of over 100, yet, Lawson said. Dangerous heat is expected for the remainder of this afternoon and early evening. Tuesday will again be very hot with dangerous heat indices likely. Don't leave children and pets in a hot car. #kswx pic.twitter.com/bbkSAZy3zR NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) June 24, 2024 This photo taken by a mobile phone on June 24, 2024 shows Sudanese volunteer women cooking Kisra, a sorghum bread, for displaced families in Omdurman city, Sudan. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday said Sudan continues to spiral into chaos, with the humanitarian crisis worsening. Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, 2023. The conflicts have so far claimed more than 15,550 lives and displaced over 8.8 million people nationwide, according to recent estimates by the OCHA. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) KHARTOUM, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday said Sudan continues to spiral into chaos, with the humanitarian crisis worsening. "The lives of 800,000 people -- of women, children, men, the elderly and people with disabilities -- are hanging in the balance as bombing and shelling continue in densely populated areas, causing widespread and long-term harm to civilians and severely disrupting the essential services they very much depend on," the OCHA said in its latest update on Monday. Over the past three months, it noted, up to 143,000 people may have been displaced from Al Fasher, the capital city of Sudan's North Darfur State due to clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The intensifying fighting in and around Al Fasher has claimed over 300 lives, according to Ibrahim Abdullah Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's Health Ministry. Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. The conflicts have so far claimed more than 15,550 lives and displaced over 8.8 million people nationwide, according to recent estimates by the OCHA. Troubled housing authority in East St. Louis under scrutiny this week by HUD review team The troubled public housing authority in East St. Louis is getting additional federal scrutiny this week with the visit of a review team to assess ``distressed housing units and provide training for the local authoritys board of commissioners. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments top Illinois official, William O. Dawson III, notified the local housing authority and city leaders of the visit in a letter earlier this month. The review team began its work Monday, June 24. It will be here through the week, Dawson said in the letter obtained by the BND. HUD officials had no comment on the visit. HUD has been critical of local leaders management of public housing during a year of controversy and upheaval for the Housing Authority of East St. Louis. The authority has had at least five major leadership changes since mid-2023. An authority director, an acting director and an interim director, plus a former Board of Commissioners chair and her replacement, have left their posts for various reasons. This weeks visit comes two months after HUDs on-site management risk review to determine whether the local authority is complying with the federal agencys regulations and requirements. The Housing Authority of East St. Louis manages over 1,600 units of low-rent and public housing. One of federal officials most recent concerns has been the East St. Louis city governments policies and procedures for appointing members of the local housing authoritys Board of Commissioners. In an April 29 letter to Mayor Charles Powell III and the city council, Dawson said HUD staffers discovered in the review of the local housing authority that city officials had appointed two people to the board who did not live in East St. Louis, a violation of state law. Dawson warned that the city could face a takeover of the local housing authority or other sanctions if it didnt fix its appointment policies and procedures. The city council has since appointed two new board members in place of the two people mentioned in Dawsons letter. On May 23, the city council appointed Pamela Sargent to fill the unexpired term of Naomi Purchase Gilbert, who had resigned from the board. The term ends April 4, 2027, according to city records. On June 13, the city council appointed Edmond Brown to fill the vacancy of Natascha Jefferies, according to a city legislative bill form. The term ends May 11, 2028, the form states. In an interview with the BND earlier this month, City Manager Robert Betts said Jefferies had never officially served on the board, having declined the city councils appointment. We brought her name forward, but never moved forward with the process, he told the BND. No action was ever taken with her. He also said he did not necessarily agree with HUDs determination that the council had appointed two people who didnt live in the city. People live in multiple places. You cant dictate where people stay and sleep at, he said. Thats all subjective. We dont sneak around to see where people sleep. Besides Sargent and Brown, the local housing authority also has another new member who the city council appointed in the past month. Dinah Campbell is filling the unexpired term of DeMarko M. Ward Sr., who had resigned from the board. The term ends June 10, 2025, according to city council records. The HUD team visiting this week is set to provide formal Board of Commissioners training, according to Dawsons most recent letter to city officials. The letter does not elaborate on the nature of the training. The team also plans to do the following, according to Dawsons letter: On-site visits to your most distressed Public Housing developments and selected individual units to conduct a comprehensive Physical Conditions Assessment of your portfolio. Confirmation of completion of all identified Exigent Health and Safety (EHS) Deficiency mitigations. PIH Information Center (PIC) data cleanup and recommendations for repositioning of development(s), if applicable. The letter did not include details about the nature of the ``distressed housing units. Troubled NYC man who tried to drown his twin toddlers at Conn. beach ordered held on $2M bail A disturbed Queens man accused of trying to drown his twin toddlers at a Connecticut beach over the weekend was ordered held on $2 million bail at his first court appearance Monday. Romney Desronvil, 41, is charged with attempted murder following the harrowing Saturday morning incident that saw hero West Haven cops save the frightened 3-year-olds from a watery grave. West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer called the incident unthinkable on Sunday. Romney Desronvil, 41, allegedly confessed to cops that he tried to drown his 3-year-old twins on a Connecticut beach. AP Romney Desronvil, 41, allegedly told cops he was in a tumultuous relationship with the mother of his two children, so he tried to drown them. AP I went with one of the officers to see their mom this morning at the hospital, Dorer said on Facebook. She had rushed from NY in the middle of the night to be with her children and has been at the hospital around the clock so I wanted to let her know that even though they are far from home they have an entire community here that cares for them and we will provide whatever she needs; a hotel, meals, clothing, or a big hug, Dorer said in the post. In a separate Facebook post Monday police said both kids are doing well. The West Haven Police Department was informed that both children have made significant improvement and are no longer intubated, the post said. Theyre still under care of medical staff but are progressing daily! Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Police said one of their officers was on patrol near Ocean and Dawson avenues around 2:30 a.m. Saturday when he spotted a Nissan SUV parked on the beach and heard significant screaming. An alert West Haven cop spotted Romney Desronvils SUV on the beach in West Haven and heard screaming. CBS News New York The cop allegedly spotted Desronvil in the water holding the two youngsters. The distraught father, who told police he was in a tumultuous relationship with the childrens mother, yelled for cops to stay back and waded deeper into the surf, cops said. The cop, convinced the father was deliberately drowning his children, called for backup and went after the children, who were pulled away from Desronvil and onto the shore. Both were taken to Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital, where they are in critical condition. Three West Haven officers involved in the rescue suffered minor injuries, officials said. In records released Monday, Desronvil allegedly admitted to police that he took the children to the beach amid a troubled relationship with their mom, and claimed he found she had witchcraft material. His attorney declined to comment after the court proceedings. With Post wires (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he hears voters concerns and frustrations and vowed to work hard to address their problems after his Liberal Party suffered a stunning defeat in a special election in Toronto. Most Read from Bloomberg The Conservative Partys upset victory in the TorontoSt. Pauls parliamentary race on Monday dealt a substantial blow to Trudeau and his government ahead of a national election expected next year. The results flip a district that has voted Liberal in every election since 1993, showing that even the safest liberal enclaves are up for grabs as Trudeaus popularity plummets. The loss will likely raise pressure on Trudeau to step aside before the next election as Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre surges in national polls. The results show that the Conservatives, which typically rely on rural and western districts for support, are now competitive in urban areas that have been key to Trudeaus electoral success. This was obviously not the result we wanted, but I want to be clear that I hear your concerns and frustrations, Trudeau said in a statement issued Tuesday. These are not easy times. And it is clear, I and my entire team, have much more hard work to do to deliver tangible, real progress that Canadians can see and feel. The prime minister, who appeared at a media event in Vancouver but didnt take questions, gave no indication that hes planning to quit. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters Tuesday that Trudeau is committed to leading the Liberals into the next election. While the result doesnt change the balance of power in Ottawa, it was widely seen as an important litmus test for Trudeau. Poilievres Conservatives hold a double-digit lead in polling and would be on track to win a majority government if those numbers were to hold up in a national vote. Mondays results are nothing short of catastrophic for the Liberals, said David Coletto, chief executive officer of polling firm Abacus Data. If all Ontario ridings experienced the same electoral shift that TorontoSt. Pauls did on Monday, the Liberals could lose more than 55 seats to the Conservatives in the next election, Coletto estimated. Many of those are seats that only a few months ago the Liberals couldnt even imagine losing to Conservatives, he said. The Liberals currently have 155 of 338 seats in the House of Commons. --With assistance from Brian Platt and Thomas Seal. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Its anyones guess at this point how Donald Trump intends to actually deliver on his claim that hell quickly end Russias war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election in November. But his advisers are starting to share details of one potential course of action which could force Kyiv into deciding to negotiate with Vladimir Putin or face the prospect of being deprived of vital American weapons. Two of the former presidents advisers, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, have presented Trump with the plan to present Ukraine with the ultimatum if he returns to the White House, according to Reuters. Fleitz told the news agency that Trump responded favorably to the plans, saying: Im not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it, but we were pleased to get the feedback we did. Kremlin Joy as Trump Sucks Up to Controversial Russian Tough Guys Kelloggwho, like Fleitz, served as a chief of staff in Trumps National Security Council during Trumps presidencysaid the plan would simultaneously involve telling Putin that a refusal to negotiate with Ukraine would lead to the U.S. ramping up its aid to Kyiv. A ceasefire would take place based on existing battle lines while the hypothetical peace talks took place. We tell the Ukrainians, Youve got to come to the table, and if you dont come to the table, support from the United States will dry up, Kellogg told Reuters of the plan. And you tell Putin, Hes got to come to the table and if you dont come to the table, then well give Ukrainians everything they need to kill you in the field. A research paper from the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank where Kellogg and Fleitz have leadership roles, reportedly outlines the central proposals of the plan. The paper says the U.S. and other NATO countries should make an offer to Russia to put off NATO membership for an extended period in exchange for a peace deal and security guarantees in order to convince Putin to join peace talks. Earlier this month, Putin shared a list of demands for him to stop the war. One of those demands was for Ukraine to give up its hopes of joining the military bloc, saying Kyiv would have to do so before peace talks could begin. Another called for Ukraine to withdraw its troops from areas in its own territory which Moscow claims to have annexed. A Washington Post report in April claimed Trump had privately said he could bring the conflict to an end by pressuring Ukraine to cede some of its territory to Russia, which some foreign policy experts denounced as tantamount to rewarding Putin for his invasion (a Trump campaign adviser dismissed the report as fake news). Fleitz now says the plan floated to Trump wouldnt involve Ukraine needing to formally relinquish land, but he said its unlikely that Kyiv would re-establish effective control of the entirety of its territory in the near future. Our concern is that this has become a war of attrition thats going to kill a whole generation of young men, he told Reuters. Kyiv has remained steadfast in its view that peace negotiations will only begin once Moscow removes all its troops from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also dismissed Putins recent demands as ultimatum messages. Its the same thing Hitler did, when he said give me a part of Czechoslovakia and itll end here, Zelensky told Italian media, according to the BBC. President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told Reuters, adding that only statements made by Trump himself or authorized members of his campaign should be considered official. The war between Russia and Ukraine never would have happened if Donald J. Trump were president, Cheung said. So sad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the news agency that Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has been and remains open to negotiations, taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground. We remain open to negotiations, Peskov said. Elsewhere on Tuesday, Putin again pushed his own demands in a message read out at a summit in Moscow. I hope that, unlike many Western politicians who did not even want to delve into the essence of the initiative we put forward, the forum participants will approach its consideration thoughtfully and rationally and will be able to see that it really provides for the possibility of stopping the conflict and moving on to its political and diplomatic settlement, the message read, according to state media. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Donald Trump is throwing his considerable weight behind his former physicians demand that Joe Biden submit to a drug test immediately before and after Thursdays presidential debate, endorsing the doctors baseless claim that the incumbent is operating on performance-enhancing drugs. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who served as White House physician between 2013 and 2018, treating both Trump and Barack Obama, announced his intention to send a letter requesting Biden take the tests in a Sunday interview on Fox News. Because we seewe have seen recently in his State of the Union addressthat there was a Joe Biden that came out that was not similar at all to what we see on a day-to-day basis for the last 3.5 years, Jackson added. And theres just really no way to explain that, other than he was on something, that theyd given him medications. Trump, who backed Jacksons 2020 congressional campaign, praised the lawmaker for his remarks on Truth Social on Monday, saying that Jackson happens to be totally right. He also shared a copy of Jacksons letter, dated Monday and addressed to Biden and his physician, Kevin OConnor. In his appearance on Sunday Morning Futures, Jackson speculated that Biden was using the week hunkered down at Camp David to tinker with the alleged cocktail of drugs hes supposedly taking. Hes going to be there at Camp David for a full week before the debate, part of that is probably experimenting with getting the doses just right, Jackson said. They have to treat his cognition, give him something to help him think straighter, to wake him up for his alertness and then, you know, hes been agitated. We see that all the time. And thats a common symptom or sign of this cognitive disorder that he seems to be suffering from. The congressman told host Maria Bartiromo that hed previously sent five letters to the White House demanding Biden be subjected to tests. In 2020, Jackson echoed similar comments prior to a Trump-Biden debate, alleging Biden was using memory-enhancing drugs in private to strengthen his debate performance. Jackson is not the only legislator calling for the president to prove his mettle. Rep. Earl Carter (R-GA) sent a letter to Jeff Zients, Bidens chief of staff, expressing serious concern about the presidents fragile mental state. As a consultant pharmacist for several decades, I have treated patients in nursing homes and recognize the signs of cognitive decline, Carter wrote on Monday, according to Fox News Digital. The voices challenging the 81-year-old Democrats abilities as he seeks a second term in office have grown louder in recent months as hes been caught on camera slurring his words, mixing up the names of foreign dignitaries, and blanking on dates. The White House has largely refused to entertain Bidens critics. Politico reported on Friday that it had reached out to Bidens team to jokingly ask if he planned to juice himself up for the debateand had received a stony-faced response. Its telling that Republican officials are unable to stop announcing how intimidated they remain by [the] Presidents State of the Union performance, spokesperson Andrew Bates said. ... [It] tracks that those same Republican officials mistake confidence for a drug. Trump, at 78, has faced similar accusations of cognitive decline, with clips of him rambling incoherently or confusing his words at rallies regularly going viral online. At an event earlier this month, he misidentified Jackson as Ronny Johnson while bragging about how awesome his own brain is. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? Trump asked a Detroit crowd. He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history, so I liked him very much indeed, immediately. Biden campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu brought the incident up when asked about Jacksons claims on CNN last week. The other day, you may remember, he was trying to question our presidents mental acuity and he could not remember the name of his own doctor, Landrieu remarked. So tell President Trump: Bring whatever hes got. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Will Trump chicken out of the presidential debate? Probably. He's a Grade-A coward. The breathless advance coverage of the first debate between President Joe Biden and a well-known convicted felon has overlooked one key question: Will Donald Trump actually show up? Until we see him set foot on the debate stage Thursday night in Atlanta, theres a strong chance the former president chickens out and runs to the safety of a rally where he can comfortably air his myriad grievances and extract money from his gullible fans. It wouldnt be the first time he has blown off a debate. He refused to attend the second of three scheduled presidential debates in 2020 because it would be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And this year, he blew off all the GOP presidential primary debates. Trump blasts out conspiracy theories ahead of a debate he clearly fears Former President Donald Trump campaigns for reelection in Philadelphia on June 22, 2024. Thursday's debate is on CNN with hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating. There will be no audience, and the microphones will be cut off so only one candidate can speak at a time. These are all things Trump agreed to, but that hasn't stopped him and his allies from using unhinged conspiracy theories to lay down suppressive fire ahead of what theyre already claiming will be a rigged debate. Its on CNN, so its rigged against Trump! The moderators are Trump haters! Best of all, of course, is the now-gospel belief in the right-wing media ecosystem that Biden will be juiced up on some kind of magical elixir of youth. Presidential debate prep: Trump spent the weekend lying. Biden prepped. Thursday's debate will be interesting. Hes gonna be so pumped up, Trump said of Biden at a recent Wisconsin rally. Hes gonna be pumped up. With what? The Super Soldier Serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America? Trump's MAGA minions peddle pathetic claim Biden will be on drugs President Joe Biden on June 17, 2024. Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller said the former president is always demonstrating elite stamina and does not need to be programmed by staff or shot up with chemicals like Joe Biden does. What are the chemicals? Who knows? The lunkheaded speculation runs from simple caffeine to cocaine to vague performance-enhancing drugs. Where is the evidence? There is none. When you live in MAGA-Fantasyland, no evidence is required, just fever-swamp daydreams. Trump has called for a drug test prior to the debate, ironic coming from a guy who keeps getting on rally stages and babbling nonsensically about sharks and Hannibal Lecter. We must stop pretending Trump is a normal candidate But despite all this preemptive excuse-making, many in the news media continue to presume Trump will show up at Thursday nights debate and behave like a normal political candidate. He wont because he is not in any way, nor has he ever been, a normal political candidate. Presidential debate banner on the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, ahead of the first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024. He is a narcissist and a liar. He is a convicted felon and an election denier. He is wholly disinterested in policy and singularly focused on grifting his followers and covering his own behind. Either Trump won't show up at the debate, or he'll storm out There are only a few honest scenarios that can be teased out ahead of the debate. The first, as mentioned before, is Trump turns tail and runs away from the debate, screaming about how its unfair and hes treated so horribly and everyone is out to get him. A WHAAAAAAAAmbulance is dispatched to pick him up and deliver him to a nearby MAGA rally, where he delivers a record-breaking two continuous hours of woe-is-me-ing. Young voters are watching: Gen Z will be watching Trump and Biden debate. Will the old guys say the right things? The second possibility is Trump shows up to the debate and then, after having his microphone cut off a couple of times or hearing a question about his own behavior that he considers unfair, storms off the stage, creating a dramatic, faux-tough-guy scene he can use to raise more money to pay his copious legal bills. And if Trump does stay, it will be all noise and chaos and lies The third possibility is Trump shows up and goes through the whole debate, acting like the oafish boor he is, hollering when his mic is off, making up fact-free nonsense about rigged elections and a Biden crime wave and whatever else passes through his spider-filled brain. Then, afterward, he rails against the moderators, makes up more lies about Biden being on drugs, claims complete and total victory, says that many are calling it the greatest debate performance theyve ever seen, and then puts out a slew of transparently scam-like fundraising emails trumpeting how the media and the deep state are trying to destroy him. How some still pretend theres anything remotely normal about Trump is beyond me. The only thing he is at this point is predictable. You know he'll do all these crazy things because those are EXACTLY the same crazy things he has always done. The bar for Biden at the debate has been set so low a snake could trip over it. But despite all the Sleepy Joe rhetoric coming from Trump and his Republican allies, its clear they know Thursday night might not end well for Trump. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Thats why my money is on him fleeing like the coward he has repeatedly shown himself to be. Hes going to say he won, no matter what. Why bother showing up in the first place? Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Trump show up to Thursday's debate with Biden? Probably not Beneath his usual bluster, Donald Trump is concerned about his debate with President Joe Biden on Thursday, according to former RNC spokesperson Tim Miller. Miller pointed to Trumps suggestion that Biden has been using performance-enhancing drugs to get jacked up before campaign events and his insistence that Biden take a drug test before Thursday as proof that the former president is worried about Bidens attacks on him at the debate. I do think that what we can see publicly is that Donald Trump is concerned about how this debate is being framed up as you lead into the debate. That is why hes doing all the weird stuff about Joe Biden being on drugs. Its worth reminding everybody that he tried this exact same playbook in 2020. But he already tried this Joe Biden is on drugs thing. It didnt work then, Miller said on MSNBC. Indeed, analysts agreed that Trump handed Biden an easy win in the first debate in 2020 by lowering expectations, attacking Biden as a feeble basement dweller, only to appear unhinged beside Bidens relative composure. This year, not only Trump but the entire Republican apparatus may be setting itself up for a similar blunder. The RNC has made Bidens age, depicted in selectively edited videos of gaffes by Biden on the campaign trail, a centerpiece of its campaign strategy. Trump isnt alone in calling for Biden to take a drug test; Texas GOP Representative Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician freshly accused of ethics violations, also accused Biden of taking performance enhancers and demanded that he submit to a pre-debate test. If Miller is right, a strong showing by Biden at the debate could be disastrous for Trump and a Republican messaging machine that seems pot committed to depicting Biden as senile. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utahs primary elections are slated for Tuesday, and it could prove a test on how much sway former President Donald Trump has among Republican Utah voters. So far, Trump has endorsed only three Utah Republicans running for federal office: Trent Staggs in the senate race, Celeste Maloy in the race for Utahs 2nd Congressional District, and Burgess Owens, who is running unopposed in the primary for Utahs 4th Congressional District. Trump has not explicitly endorsed a candidate in the Republican primary for Utahs gubernatorial race, in which current Gov. Spencer Cox is facing a challenge from state Rep. Phil Lyman, who bills himself as a pro-MAGA candidate. Trent Staggs Over the weekend, Trump endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs in the race to replace Sen. Mitt Romney. The former president praised Staggs, calling him very conservative and MAGA all the way. READ NEXT: Gov. Cox endorses Celeste Maloy in primary race for Utahs 2nd District [Staggs is] running for the seat of one of the worst senators in the history of the Republican Party, Mitt Romney. You dont get much worse, Trump said in a short video posted online Saturday. Some people may not like me saying that but thats the way I feel. You dont get much worse. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for the presidential election, also backed Staggs ahead of the Utah Republican Party nominating convention in April, propelling him to victory among state delegates. Yet, a last-minute Noble Predictive Insights poll released Monday week put U.S. Rep. John Curtis as the primary races clear frontrunner. The more moderate Curtis who currently represents Utahs Third Congressional District led Staggs by 20 percentage points, with 48% support of likely primary GOP voters to Staggs 28%. The two other candidates in the race, former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, and entrepreneur Jason Walton, failed to get double-digit support. Wilson, Walton, and Curtis all got on the primary ballot through the signature-gathering process. The winner of this weeks primary will go on to face Democratic candidate Caroline Gleich in the November general election. Celeste Maloy The other Utah Republican whom Trump endorsed in recent days was U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy, who is running for re-election in Utahs 2nd Congressional District. In a June 17 post on his Truth Social platform, the former president praised Maloy for fighting to secure the border, create jobs, and protect the Second Amendment. Celeste Maloy has my Complete and Total Endorsement, Trump wrote. Trumps backing of Maloy came after one of his main allies in Washington, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), endorsed Maloys opponent, Colby Jenkins, ahead of the Utah Republican partys nominating convention. Following Trumps announcement backing Maloy, Lee posted on Twitter/X that voting for Maloy is voting to keep the status quo in Congress and southwestern Utah. Now more than ever, we need lawmakers in Congress who wont drink the Swamp Kool-Aid, Lee posted on Twitter/X on June 17. Colby Jenkins doesnt even like Kool-Aid. Maloy is running for her first full term in Congress. Jenkins, a businessman and veteran, is working to unseat her. The winner of Tuesdays primary will go on to face Democratic candidate Nathaniel Woodward in November. Burgess Owens Congressman Burgess Owens is running unopposed for re-election in the primary for Utahs 4th Congressional District. Even so, Trump endorsed Owens last week on his Truth Social platform, calling him a fantastic representative for the district that covers central Utah and suburbs along the Wasatch Front. Owens is will face Democratic candidate Katrina Fallick-Wang in Novembers general election. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Donald Trump privately expressed concerns that turning over potentially classified documents in his possession after a May 2022 subpoena could result in criminal charges while repeatedly engaging in what prosecutors have described as an effort to enlist his lawyers to lie and destroy documents for his benefit, according to transcripts of audio notes reviewed by ABC News. Prosecutors allege that rather than comply with the subpoena, Trump opted to hide dozens of classified documents from his own lawyers, and federal agents eventually seized 102 classified documents -- including 17 top secret documents -- after they executed a search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022. The notes, which ABC News first reported on last year, are at the center of an ongoing legal battle in the former president's federal classified documents case, where prosecutors have used the detailed notes about Trump's behavior and statements as key evidence to demonstrate that the former president attempted to obstruct justice by hiding documents from investigators. MORE: Sources: Special counsel claims Trump deliberately misled his attorneys about classified documents, judge wrote Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing the case, is hearing arguments today on Trump's effort to limit prosecutors' use of the notes and to have the entire case dismissed based on the role of the notes in the government's case. Two months before agents searched Mar-a-Lago, Trump's former lead attorney Evan Corcoran's notes -- which prosecutors have used to bolster their case against the former president -- describe that Trump repeatedly blamed his legal troubles on his "political enemies," was reluctant to allow the review of boxes that prosecutors say contained dozens of classified documents, and engaged in conduct that prosecutors believe was an effort to "corrupt" his attorneys by concealing Trump's alleged retention of classified documents. "He raised a question as to, if we gave them additional documents now, would they, would they, the Department of Justice, come back and say well, why did you withhold them and try to use that as a basis for criminal liability or to make him look bad in the press," according to Corcoran's notes about what Trump asked his attorneys in May 2022 after prosecutors subpoenaed the former president to turn over any classified documents in his possession, records reviewed by ABC News say. "Well look isn't it better if there are no documents?" Trump also asked his attorneys after raising concerns about prosecutors "opening up new fronts against him," according to Corcoran's notes. PHOTO: This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and partially redacted by the source, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. (Department of Justice via AP, FILE) Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, contacted by ABC News, accused prosecutors -- without providing evidence -- of lying and illegally leaking material. "The entire documents case was a political sham from the very beginning and it should be thrown out entirely," Cheung said. A spokesperson for the special counsel's office declined to comment. Prosecutors alleged in a recent court filing that Trump attempted to "enlist [Corcoran] in the corrupt endeavor" by suggesting he falsely tell the FBI that Trump did not have classified documents or that he hide or destroy them rather than turn them over. "Trump tried to enlist his attorney in his criminal endeavor, tested his attorney's receptiveness, and then manipulated his attorney to achieve his criminal ends when the attorney did not accept his overtures," prosecutors wrote in a recent filing. Trump pleaded not guilty last year to a 40-count indictment related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back. Trump has denied all charges and denounced the probe as a political witch hunt. Defense lawyers have repeatedly argued that the notes from Trump's lawyer are protected by attorney-client privilege, but a federal judge in Washington D.C. last year determined that notes could be used as evidence after prosecutors demonstrated that Trump deliberately misled his attorneys in furtherance of a crime, piercing attorney-client privileges invoked by two of his lawyers. 'I don't want anybody looking through my boxes' Corcoran made multiple audio recordings to memorialize his interactions with the former president, including meeting with Trump on May 23, 2022 to discuss his response to a subpoena for any classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago. During an approximately one-and-a-half-hour meeting with both Trump and attorney Jennifer Little, Trump brought a box to their first meeting to demonstrate its contents, showing the attorneys his newspaper clippings, Post-it notes, and photos, and other materials. "I don't want anybody looking, I don't want anybody looking through my boxes, I really don't, I don't want you looking through my boxes," Trump said, according to a portion of the notes included in the indictment against Trump. "Look I just don't want anybody going through these things." Corcoran wrote that he attempted to focus on Trump's response to the subpoena, though the former president frequently returned to the topic that he was being targeted by political opponents. "He repeated many times that he felt he was really being targeted," Corcoran noted. "Look, you know, I have ten different actions against me. They are trying to get me. They're going after me. These people are ruthless," Trump remarked while boasting about his own administration. "I've done all these great things for the country. I improved the economy, I lowered taxes, I did this, I did that, built the wall." Corcoran recalled that he tried to steer the conversation back to the boxes and warned the former president about the legal consequences of not complying with the subpoena. "Well what if we, what happens if we just don't respond at all or don't play ball with them?" Trump asked, according to a portion of the notes included in the indictment. "Well, there's a prospect that they could go to a judge and get a search warrant and that they could arrive here and get a search warrant," Corcoran responded. According to Corcoran, Trump repeatedly asked during their meeting if it would be "better if we just told them we don't have anything here." During an interview with Smith's team, Little largely corroborated Corcoran's recollection of the meeting, telling investigators that she "very clearly" warned Trump about the seriousness of the subpoena and told him "it's going to be a crime" if he failed to comply but swore otherwise. After speaking about the subpoena for more than an hour, Trump concluded the meeting to attend a series of interviews before reconvening with the attorneys in the afternoon. According to Corcoran, Trump suggested that the attorneys -- who he noted were both single -- "take a walk along the beach" and that "maybe ... sparks will fly." But while waiting poolside at Mar-a-Lago for their next meeting with Trump, Corcoran said Little warned -- based on her conversation with two other Trump attorneys -- that if they pushed Trump to comply with the subpoena, "he's just going to go ballistic," Corcoran noted. Little added that "there's no way he's going to agree to anything and that, that he was going to deny that there were any more boxes at all," according to Corcoran's notes. 'Isn't it better if there are no documents?' Later in the afternoon on May 23, 2022, Corcoran and Little met with Trump in a small library at Mar-a-Lago, ditching their phones outside the room at the direction of the former president, according to Corcoran. Sitting feet from Trump across a small table, Corcoran said Trump asked about the legal consequences for complying with the subpoena while cautioning that prosecutors "really wanted to get him anyway they could." Trump blamed the investigation on his "political enemies" who wanted to "weaken him and get him not to run" for president." Trump said he was "just trying to understand what the best way" was to respond to the investigations and claimed that prosecutors would "keep opening up new fronts against him." According to Corcoran's notes, Trump expressed concerns that returning "additional documents" following the subpoena could become the "basis for criminal liability. "He asked again, he said -- Well look, isn't it better if there are no documents?" Corcoran noted. Corcoran added that during their meeting, Trump repeatedly recounted that a lawyer for Hillary Clinton "deleted all of her emails" so "she didn't get into any trouble." MORE: Trump was warned that FBI could raid Mar-a-Lago months ahead of time, lawyer's notes show "He was great, he did a great job," Trump told the lawyers, according to the notes. Prosecutors allege that during the meetings with his attorneys, Trump attempted to test Corcoran's receptiveness to evading the subpoena, though the meeting concluded with the two setting a plan for Corcoran to return to Mar-a-Lago to search through the boxes for documents responsive to the subpoena. "Look, so you're -- so if I'm hearing you right, what you want is to come back and have me or somebody go through and find some, get any classified documents if there are any. That, that, sounds like that's the plan you want, is it?" Trump said, repeating the plan multiple times, according to the notes. "We will figure this out. Go through the documents, if we've got any classified stuff, get it to DOJ," Trump said, according to the notes. Prosecutors allege that Corcoran's rebuff to Trump's suggestions resulted in the former president adopting a different plan -- deceiving his attorney by having his "trusted body man" and co-defendant Walt Nauta move the boxes from the storage room in Mar-a-Lago to prevent Corcoran from conducting a complete search. In the days between the May 23 meeting with Trump and Corcoran's June 2 review of the boxes at Mar-a-Lago, prosecutors allege that Trump coordinated for Nauta to remove 64 boxes out of the storage room to Trump's personal residence, where Trump planned to "pick from them," according to text messages between Nauta and a Trump family member. By the time Corcoran returned to Mar-a-Lago to review the boxes, only about 30 of the 64 boxes moved by Nauta were returned for the search. 'Don't call me with any bad news' Corcoran described the process of searching through the boxes in the cramped storage room during a humid June day as a "laborious" and unpleasant task, though Corcoran noted that contents of the boxes -- "thousands" of Post-it notes, magazines, emails with senators and heads of state, books, notebooks, and briefing materials -- offered a unique window into Trump's state of mind as president. "If Robert Caro or some other presidential biographer had been in my position, they would have been absolutely in heaven," Corcoran said in his notes. Corcoran also noted that the boxes included an odd variety of contents, including presidential memorabilia, Make America Great Again hats, gifts from foreign leaders, clothing -- including underwear and socks -- and toiletries like mouthwash, toothpaste, and razors. Some of the boxes were sealed with white duct tape and many included a typed note about the destination for the box, such as "W-H to M-A-L." According to Corcoran, Trump's description of the boxes' contents suggested they became "catch-all depositories for what he'd gone through day after day" when he reviewed materials in the White House residence. "I had to read these things at night so that I could be ready, that's the only time I could read something, and I had to read them so I could be ready for calls or meetings the next day," Trump told Corcoran about how briefing memos, notes, and emails ended up in the boxes. "I just had boxes in the, in my bedroom, you know, a lot of boxes and I'd just, you know, read these things and then throw them in there." While Trump told Corcoran he instructed others to declassify any of the documents that entered his residence, the former president appeared to acknowledge in his conversation with Corcoran that simply bringing the documents into his residence did not result in declassifying the documents. "I told people to declassify -- anything that comes into the residence should be declassified. And I told people. I told lawyers that. I don't know what was done, I don't know how they were marked. But that was my position," Trump said, according to Corcoran. Corcoran's search of the room ultimately resulted in a half-inch stack of classified documents, which he sealed in a redweld envelope using duct tape. "Did you find anything?" Trump asked Corcoran after he concluded his search. "Is it bad? Good?" According to Corcoran, Trump asked Corcoran about how he planned to store the documents, particularly "anything really bad in there." "He made a funny motion as though -- well okay why don't you take them with you to your hotel room and if there's anything really bad in there, like, you know, pluck it out. And that was the motion that he made. He didn't say that," Corcoran noted. The following day, Corcoran coordinated for Jay Bratt, then the deputy chief of the Department of Justice's National Security Division, and FBI agents to visit Mar-a-Lago to take custody of the responsive documents. MORE: Timeline: Special counsel's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents Corcoran received a panicked call from Trump about the visit from federal officials on the morning of their visit, according to Corcoran's notes. "Oh that's very bad. What, you know, what do they want? What are they trying to, why are they trying to get something on me again?" Trump said, according to the notes. While Corcoran emphasized that the meeting was a routine step that he coordinated, Trump still expressed concern that "this is very bad" and was particularly interested in Bratt's attendance at the meeting. "Why is the top guy coming? It's very unusual, very unusual, you know?" Trump remarked, though Corcoran noted that Trump's tone about the meeting appeared to change over the day. According to Corcoran, Trump personally encouraged showing Bratt and the FBI agents the storage room where the documents were stored, over the advice of Corcoran. According to prosecutors, despite Corcoran's search resulting in return of 38 documents bearing classification markings, Trump still possessed 102 classified documents in Mar-a-Lago -- in part due to his effort to hide documents from Corcoran when he attempted to comply with the subpoena -- which would be discovered when federal agents returned to Mar-a-Lago two months later with a search warrant. "I've got nothing to hide. I've got nothing to hide. If they ask. I want you to show them," Trump told Corcoran in June. Later that day, Trump walked into the meeting where Corcoran handed over the classified documents to federal officials, personally shaking the hands of Bratt and the FBI agents. "I'm glad you're here. I -- I appreciate what you're doing. If you need anything at all just ask Evan," Trump said, according to Corcoran. After Trump left the meeting, Corcoran escorted the federal officials to the storage room where Trump's boxes were stored, allowing them to look at the room but not touch any of the boxes. Later that day, Corcoran noted that he received a phone call from Trump, who was onboard his plane en route to New Jersey for the summer. "Well we're taking off. But look, Evan, don't call me with any bad news, okay? Don't call me with any bad news," Trump said, according to the notes. Trump expressed concern that returning classified docs after subpoena could result in criminal charges, according to sealed notes originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Over 200 global experts, scientists and entrepreneurs convened on Monday for the World Canals Conference 2024 in the inland port city of Bydgoszcz, northern Poland. #GLOBALink Trump kept classified documents in cardboard boxes with Christmas ornaments and photos of himself: feds Trump kept classified documents in cardboard boxes with Christmas ornaments and photos of himself: feds The feds released new details of the "haphazard" way they say Trump kept documents at Mar-a-Lago. Classified documents were found in boxes with Christmas ornaments and photos of himself, they said. Prosecutors revealed these details in fighting Trump's claims that they, not he, were careless. Federal prosecutors released new details of the "haphazard" way they say Donald Trump stored classified documents at Mar-a-Lago including inside boxes that also held Christmas ornaments. Trump treated the nation's secrets like random "keepsakes," special counsel Jack Smith complained in a new classified documents case filing Monday night. The 30-page filing challenges defense claims that prosecutors were the ones who were reckless with classified documents. It alleges in the greatest detail yet how Trump commingled secrets and mementos in "disordered" stacks of tumbling, spilling boxes. It's the latest court battle to delay a trial date indefinitely. Classified documents on the floor of a storage area at Mar-a-Lago, next to presidential gifts and a case of Diet Coke. DOJ/Business Insider "Trump personally chose to keep documents containing some of the nation's most highly guarded secrets in cardboard boxes," including printer-paper boxes with lids, Smith's team wrote. Classified documents were stored "along with a collection of other personally chosen keepsakes of various sizes and shapes from his presidency newspapers, thank you notes, Christmas ornaments, magazines, clothing, and photographs of himself and others." "At the end of his presidency, he took his cluttered collection of keepsakes to Mar-a-Lago, his personal residence and social club, where the boxes traveled from one readily accessible location to another a public ballroom, an office space, a bathroom, and a basement storage area," prosecutors wrote. Newly released photographs from the filing shows boxes stored alongside a case of Diet Coke, Trump's beverage of choice. "After they landed in stacks in the storage room, several boxes fell and splayed their contents on the floor, and boxes were moved to Trump's residence on more than one occasion so he could pick through them." Trump's lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out by complaining about the FBI's admitted shuffling of the order of some documents and objects within their individual boxes as they seized evidence in August, 2022. The precise order of the items in each box as it left the White House is critical to his defense, Trump's lawyers argue. The defense has said that dates on news clippings and other personal items demonstrate how long ago classified documents were placed among them, allowing Trump to argue that he then forgot about them and never knowingly possessed them at Mar-a-Lago. An apparent Christmas decoration in a box that also contained a folder marked "Top Secret." DOJ/Business Insider In pushing back Monday, prosecutors said that Trump can raise this as a defense and the case doesn't need to be thrown out entirely because they have always maintained "box-to-box integrity." And Trump himself often rifled through their contents, which also shifted as boxes toppled and spilled, prosecutors also said. "The FBI agents who conducted the search did so professionally, thoroughly, and carefully under challenging circumstances," they wrote Monday, "particularly given the cluttered state of the boxes and the substantial volume of highly classified documents Trump had retained." This story was updated to add additional photos. Read the original article on Business Insider Trump leading by 3 points in head-to-head match-up with Biden in Nevada Trump leading by 3 points in head-to-head match-up with Biden in Nevada Former President Trump has a 3-point lead over President Biden in Nevada, according to a new poll published Tuesday by the AARP. The poll found that 48 percent of Silver State voters side with Trump, while 45 percent back Biden. Among older voters, Trump holds a significant 12-point advantage over the president. The result is an improvement for Biden, as polls found him trailing Trump by double digits in the state earlier this year. With independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. included, Trumps lead extends to 7 points. Kennedy has not yet qualified for the Nevada ballot, but has pledged to make the ballot in all 50 states as he leads a long-shot bid, which has threatened to shake the balance of the election. Nevada is expected to be one of the most important states in the presidential election, with its three electoral votes up for grabs in one of only a handful of true swing states. Biden won the state by just 2.7 percent in 2020. The state also features a close Senate race this year, in which Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) is vying for another term. The AARP poll found Rosen with a 5-point lead over GOP candidate Sam Brown among all voters, though Brown led by 5 points among older voters. Split-ticket voters those backing both Trump and Rosen, or Biden and Brown could play a key factor, pollster Jeff Liszt predicted. When you look at the older voters, 43 percent are straight-ticket Republican and 35 percent are straight-ticket Democrat, but 23 percent are splitting their tickets, Liszt told AARP. [Thats] an indicator that there are more voters up for grabs right now than there may have been in recent elections. The AARP poll surveyed about 1,400 likely voters between June 12-18. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Attorneys for former President Trump argued in a court filing Monday that a Georgia appeals court should overturn a lower court decision and disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) from her prosecution of Trump, alleging misconduct. Revelations that Willis was in a romantic relationship with one of Trumps top prosecutors caused a multimonth delay in his Georgia election interference case, including a series of hearings that culminated in the district attorney being allowed to remain. The lower court ruled in April that Willis could stay on the case, as long as prosecutor Nathan Wade stepped down. Trumps attorneys argue that the court should instead order both Wade and Willis off the case, citing their relationship and other allegations of misconduct. Once the trial court found that a significant appearance of impropriety infect[ed] the current structure of the prosecution team, the remedy was to disqualify each affected prosecutor and the entire DAs office, the attorneys wrote. Trump attorney Steven Sadow said in a statement that hes optimistic that the Georgia Court of Appeals will disqualify Willis. The brief persuasively argues that the trial court should have dismissed the case and disqualified DA Willis for her forensic misconduct and the appearance of impropriety between her and former Special Assistant DA Wade, who was her lover and taxpayer-funded financial benefactor, Sadow wrote. We are optimistic that the Court will favorably decide the appeal in our favor. The filing also alleges that Willis made politically charged comments in interviews, on social media and during public speaking appearances, and that she initially lied to cover up her relationship with Wade. Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing Trumps election interference case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, has not yet set a trial date, and the higher courts decision to hear the appeal is likely to cause further delays. McAfee has signaled he plans to continue addressing various pending motions in the meantime, though the defendants could attempt to pause the trial. Any trial in the case would likely not take place until after the November election. Willis said last year, before the disqualification-related delays, that the case could drag into 2025. The disqualification effort was first mounted by 2020 Trump campaign operative Michael Roman, a defendant in the case. Others, including Trump, rapidly joined his efforts, causing the case to take a weeks-long detour. Willis charged Trump and more than a dozen of his allies last summer with attempting to subvert the states 2020 presidential election results, accusing them of entering an unlawful conspiracy to overturn President Bidens victory in the state. Trump pleaded not guilty. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Trump is stepping up efforts to encourage voters to cast their ballots early and by mail after years spent railing against the practice. Trumps outreach team and the Republican National Committee (RNC) launched the Swamp the Vote program earlier this month, calling on supporters to overwhelm Democrats in the election with massive turnout through mail-in and early voting. This comes despite Trump blaming mail-in voting as part of his false claims of the 2020 election being stolen. The program could start to change some attitudes on the right toward mail-ins even if its just on the margins in what is expected to be a razor-tight election. But there are risks Trump could fail to stay on message in what could be a deciding factor in November. When [Trumps] pushing back on these things, it doesnt really matter how much the party is pushing it, said Republican strategist Samuel Chen. The head of your party, the person that youre trying to get everyone to vote for is pushing back on it, and thats going to create a divided message. A divided message, especially in election season, is never a good thing, he added. Some form of mail-in voting has taken place in the United States going back to even before the country was officially founded. It began happening on a larger scale during the Civil War with so many soldiers away from their homes and expanded further in the decades following. It played perhaps its most significant role in U.S. history in 2020, with the election taking place against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. State officials broadly encouraged mail-in voting, and several states took steps to make methods of voting other than in-person easier for the public heading into Election Day. But Trump homed in on mail-in voting ahead of and following his loss to President Biden, claiming that the ballots cast by mail were prevalent with fake votes from individuals committing voter fraud, despite analyses of voting regularly showing minimal instances of fraud being committed. Still, Trumps claims struck a chord with many Republican voters, who have continued to question the legitimacy of Bidens win and this other form of voting. Even before Trump raised these doubts, Democrats tended to be much more likely to vote early than Republicans, who voted more often on the day of the election. The 2024 race is likely to be just as close if not closer than 2020, and Republicans have a lot of room to grow to catch up to Democrats, who are more likely to trust in the election process. Trumps approach regarding the early-vote program has appeared to be combining his questioning of the elections legitimacy with the need to improve early vote totals for the GOP. We must swamp the radical Democrats with massive turnout, Trump said in a statement when the program launched. The way to win is to swamp them, if we swamp them with votes they cant cheat. Trump also acknowledged the role that early voting will play in the race during comments he gave following his visit to Capitol Hill this month with House and Senate Republicans. He noted that key battleground states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania start their early voting in September. These are things different from the old days. We had Election Day and you had paper ballots and you had voter ID. Unfortunately maybe someday well get back to that, but you dont have that right now, Trump said. This approach has allowed him to continue his claims surrounding the 2020 race and advocate for what he hopes could help him eke out a win in a close race. One can have concerns about mail-in voting, or even disagree with certain states laws, but its smart for the Republican Party to work within the system that exists for this election, said Republican strategist Michael Zona. Thats not inconsistent, its realistic. GOP strategist Nicole Schlinger said the concerns that Republican voters have with voting are understandable given the changes in rules that states passed because of the pandemic in 2020 and its aftermath in 2022. Since Michael Whatley became chair of the RNC earlier this year, he has pushed for greater turnout and efforts to ensure ballots are properly counted and protected. He told ABC News that he expects almost half of all votes to be cast before Election Day. We want to make sure that everybody understands on the Republican side, as the president has said, multiple times, its great to vote early, Whatley said. Its great to vote by mail. Its great to vote on Election Day. Many Republicans see it as an advantage that Whatley is at the helm. Im really impressed with the leadership Michael Whatley has shown at the RNC on this issue, Schlinger said. He has the longest and deepest experience with this of anyone in our party. But at the same time, only a few weeks have gone by since the early and mail-in vote program launched, and Trump has spent much more time rejecting early and mail-in ballots legitimacy than defending it. He is also known for shifting his messaging on various topics often. Some Republicans said Trump may undermine his own efforts either because of his rhetoric in the past or in the future. Chen said he expects the presumptive Republican nominees message on early voting will be that even though theyre cheating with this, we have to do it, but it will fall short of a full-throated endorsement. He said Trump may be more willing to back it in some areas where he has previously complimented the process, like Florida, but not others, like Pennsylvania. He added that some element of GOP voters trust in mail-ins may be beyond Trumps control, pointing to the instance where Trump was booed onstage by supporters when he encouraged them to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That movement has moved away from him a little bit. Theyre gonna vote for him. This is his movement, but hes lost complete control of it, Chen said. I think if he came out today and said You should vote by mail, you should trust the system, I dont know that that changes this narrative that much. Democratic strategist Matthew Rey said Democrats have excelled at early voting and voting by mail especially in the past three or four years. He said Republicans arent just trying to improve their numbers but are doing so in the face of a long pattern of unnecessary, capricious attacks on the process. So what is normally not a huge expense and messaging hurdle to overcome, it is now a much trickier thing for them to do, and I think theyre going to meet a lot of resistance in doing that, Rey said. He said Democrats still need to be prepared for a concentrated, well-funded campaign from Republicans and stay competitive with all the different ways to vote. So I dont want to say that [Republicans are] not going to be successful, but I will say that it just means that we have to redouble our efforts in terms of the turnout and voter education programs that are run on the Democratic side, Rey said. And Republicans said in a race decided on the margins, the effort could still be decisive. Smart campaigns have aggressive early voting strategies, and in close contests, it can make all the difference, Zona said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach By Andrew Goudsward FORT PIERCE, Florida (Reuters) -The judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents case indicated on Tuesday that she was unlikely to grant his lawyers' request to exclude swaths of evidence from trial on the grounds that FBI agents had been given too much leeway to search his property. At a hearing in a federal court in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon told Trump's lawyers she was "failing to see" why a search which turned up dozens of boxes of haphazardly stored national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago home was legally problematic. Cannon, a Trump, appointee, questioned Trump's lawyers' assertion that the FBI might not have won court permission for the search if they had included certain information, such as the fact that FBI officials had debated whether to seek permission from Trump's lawyers for the search. "Why would that have mattered legally?" Cannon asked Trump lawyer Emil Bove. "Couldn't it just be that reasonable minds disagree?" The evidence at issue is central to the criminal case, which charges Trump with illegally holding on to sensitive national security documents after he left office in 2021. Trump has pleaded not guilty. The Republican presidential candidate also has pleaded not guilty in separate criminal cases in Georgia and Washington that charge him with trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. A Manhattan jury in May found Trump guilty of covering up his former lawyer's hush money payment to an adult film actress. Cannon, who was nominated for her job by Trump, ruled in his favor in a prior challenge of the FBI's 2022 search. She has allowed other legal challenges by Trump's lawyers to delay any trial until likely after the Nov. 5 election, when Trump and Biden will face each other again. Trumps lawyers argued that the Mar-a-Lago search warrant violated the U.S. Constitution because it gave agents overly broad authority to comb the property to seize potential evidence. They also argued that prosecutors did not inform the judge who approved the warrant of information helpful to Trumps defense. The search turned up about 100 classified documents stashed on the property. Prosecutors defended the court-approved search as appropriate and necessary. The search came after prosecutors learned that Trump had deliberately thwarted a legal demand to return any classified documents that remained at Mar-a-Lago, according to the indictment. Trumps lawyers were also expected to ask Cannon to quash evidence collected from Trumps former attorney Evan Corcoran, who was compelled to testify in the investigation. That portion of the hearing took place out of public view. Notes from Corcoran, who represented Trump earlier in the documents probe, form an important part of the case that Trump obstructed government efforts to retrieve the records after being told to return them. Trump asked Corcoran at one point in the investigation why he could not falsely tell the government that no classified documents remained at Mar-a-Lago, according to prosecutors. Trump has argued in court filings that prosecutors violated his attorney-client privilege, which generally protects conversations between lawyers and the people they represent from disclosure, when they brought Corcoran before a grand jury and obtained notes on his conversations with Trump. A different federal judge previously ruled that Corcoran must testify because prosecutors had shown that his legal advice was used to further criminal activity. Corcoran has not been accused of wrongdoing. The hearing concluded three days of arguments before Cannon on Trumps challenges to the case. Trumps lawyers pressed an argument on Friday and Monday that Smith was unlawfully appointed and that his investigation has been improperly funded. Cannon has yet to rule on any of those motions. (Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Alistair Bell) Trump spiritual adviser says he asked her what God thought about presidential run Televangelist Paula White-Cain has claimed Donald Trump asked her for Gods opinion when he was considering a potential presidential run (Copyright 2020 Jacquelyn Martin. All rights reserved.) Televangelist Paula White-Cain has claimed Donald Trump asked her for God's opinion over his run for the presidency. White-Cain, who previously served as Trumps spiritual adviser and helped lead the Evangelical advisory board during his presidency in 2016, made the remarks during the Faith and Freedom Coalitions Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton, telling the audience that her first conversation with the former president was long before he even started thinking about politics. Trump began to repeat to me almost verbatim the three sermons Value of Vision, she recalled. At the end of it, he said, You have the it factor. And I said, Oh sir, we call that the anointing, White-Cain added. At that point, I really felt that the Lord said, show him who I am. So for 24 years, Ive been in his life and have had the great privilege of really being his pastor. White-Cain went on to reveal that Trump first began considering a career in politics in 2011 when he reached out to her and told her he didnt like the way this country is going and that he was thinking of running for president. I told him what I thought, she said. And then he turned around, and he said, Well, what does God say? White-Cain then prayed with dozens of her friends before delivering an answer to Trump. I said, Sir youre going to be president one day. But that wouldnt come without its costs, she said she warned Trump. I hate the price that youre going to pay, she allegedly told him. She concluded that her prediction was correct, reflecting on the price this man, his family and many of us have paid. Pastor Paula White, left, and other faith leaders pray with President Donald Trump, center, during a rally for evangelical supporters at the King Jesus International Ministry church, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Trump is currently involved in a number of legal cases. He denies all charges against him. White-Cain was among those who decried Trumps recent conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, repeating the baseless claim made by the former president that charges were brought against him for political reasons. In May, she tweeted that the day Trump was convicted was a sad day for all Americans as we watched firsthand the judicial system weaponized to go after President Trump for political gain. May God bless you, my long time friend, President Trump, and may God bless all of us who stand for righteousness! she added. As well as using her Road to Majority summit speech to discuss her relationship with Trump, White-Cain also used it to slam President Biden - whom she has been critical of in the past. During her speech, she lamented the current state of affairs in the United States, claiming religious freedom is under attack as never before ever in our lifetime, pointing to 18 pro-life policies enacted by the Trump administration as well as over 12 religious liberty and freedom policies during his first year in office that were overturned by Biden. White-Cain concluded her address by describing the ideology of the Biden administration as against God, against our faith and vowing to the audience that we will put a stop to it come November. Donald Trumps advisers have revealed their new plan for resolving the war between Russia and Ukraineand it involves Ukraines immediate submission. The plan effectively promises an increase in U.S. weapons aid to Ukraine so long as it shows up for peace talks with Russia, reported Reuters. And while that deal may not sound so bad, the writing between the lines isnt so simple. Trumps advisers envision that the peace talkswhich Trump would facilitate should he win the November electionwould also quietly include Ukraine ceding part of its territory that is currently occupied by Russian forces. The concept was drawn up by retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, both former chiefs of staff on Trumps National Security Council. Trump did not immediately sign on to every word of the plan, but Fleitz told Reuters that they were pleased to get the feedback we did. The Kremlin told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to peace talks, but that any proposal by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground. When pressed on the details of the plan, Fleitz explained that Ukraine would not formally need to relinquish its land to Russian forces. He did concede, however, that Ukraine was unlikely to regain control of all of its territory in the near future. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that ending the war on the borders of its current front lineswhere Russia has gained a foothold in the southeast portion of Ukrainewould be strange, pointing to the fact that Russia had violated international law by invading it in the first place. Ukraine has an absolutely clear understanding and it is spelled out in the peace formula proposed by President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy, it is clearly stated therepeace can only be fair and peace can only be based on international law, Podolyak told Reuters. The plans promise to send more military aid to Ukraine only if it admits defeat and ends the war seems a bit counterintuitiveand disingenuous, considering that Trump and his advisers have done practically everything within their power to undermine sending more military aid to the embattled nation since the beginning of the year. And the plans obvious benefit to Russia also raises further concerns over Trumps notoriously cushyand sometimes subservientrelationship with Putin. With the Republican National Convention less than a month away, former President Donald Trump's timeline to select a vice president is dwindling. While Trump continues to weigh his options on who he might select for the No. 2 slot, the abortion stances held by prospective shortlist candidates have become an issue of focus. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum -- a potential veepstakes candidate -- backed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country, something the Trump campaign is aware of as they move forward in the selection process. In April 2023, Burgum banned abortion in his state with very limited exceptions -- some of which only apply up to six weeks' gestation, before many women know they are pregnant. MORE: Trump team asks VP contenders Burgum, Vance, Rubio for documents The exceptions within the first six weeks of pregnancy allow abortion in cases of rape or incest, while exceptions for medical emergencies are allowed throughout pregnancy. "This bill clarifies and refines existing state law ... and reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state," Burgum said in a statement when he signed the law. Burgum's signature came almost a year after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that reversed Roe v. Wade. At the time of his signature, there were no abortion clinics in the state of North Dakota. On the second day of his GOP presidential primary campaign, Burgum shifted his narrative, saying he would not support a similar nationwide law if he was elected to the White House. He advocated that the issue should be decided on a state-by-state basis, a stance that Trump has since adopted on the campaign trail. PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Philadelphia, June 22, 2024. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) Trump has said he supports abortion with three exceptions: in cases of rape, in cases of incest, and in cases where it's necessary to save the life of the mother. In contrast, Burgum's ban doesn't allow for rape and incest exceptions after the first six weeks of pregnancy. "I think the decision that was made returning the power to the states was the right one. And I think we're going to have -- we have a lot of division on this issue in America. And what's right for North Dakota may not be right for another state ... the best decisions are made locally," Burgum said on "CNN This Morning" in early June. Another candidate on the former president's shortlist, Ohio Gov. JD Vance, has danced carefully around the issue of abortion, applauding the overturning of Roe v. Wade and supporting Texas' ban on abortion, which does not allow exceptions except in cases where the mother's life is at risk. Late last year, though, Vance called on Republicans to respond to abortion in a more sensible way, saying on CNN's State of the Union, "We have to accept people do not want blanket abortion bans, and I say this as a person who wants to protect as many unborn babies as possible." Last November, in Vance's home state of Ohio, voters approved a constitutional amendment that protects access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. Vance, who opposed the amendment, called the passing of the initiative a "gut punch" but also spoke to his party on how they must accept the "political reality of abortion," writing on X last year voters do not trust Republicans on the issue. "Donald Trump has said, 'You've got to have the exceptions.' I am as pro-life as anyone, and I want to save as many babies as possible. This is not about moral legitimacy but political reality," Vance said. Another VP hopeful, Sen. Marco Rubio, famously said during his 2016 presidential bid that "every one abortion is too many," and in 2022 he co-sponsored federal legislation that would ban abortion after 15 weeks. In recent years Rubio has said that he supports any legislation that "protects unborn human life," but has also acknowledged that not everyone shares his views on abortion. "I support any bill that protects unborn human life, but I don't consider other people in the pro-life movement who have a different view to be apostate," Rubio said during an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press last month when pressed on whether he disagrees with Trump's opposition to Florida's six-week ban. In the past, Trump has criticized Republicans for signing strict abortion bans, publicly slamming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after he signed a six-week abortion ban into law in April of last year. "I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," Trump said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. MORE: What Trump's VP hopefuls have to say about accepting the 2024 election results Trump's comments were indicative of the political approach he has taken on the issue of reproductive rights, arguing that Republicans need to be cognizant of the need to win elections and not alienate voters with extreme policies. Early in April, he stated that since Roe v. Wade had reversed the nation's prohibitions against abortion access, the matter should be left to the discretion of the individual states, advocating that they maintain laws allowing abortion access for victims of rape and incest, and to save the life of the pregnant woman. "You must follow your heart on this issue but remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly, a nation in decline," Trump said in an abortion policy video released on his social media platform. "Always go by your heart. But we must win. We have to win, we are a failing nation." Since then, Trump has reiterated his belief on numerous occasions -- including at a religious convention just this past weekend while courting conservative Christians -- as he has publicly pushed for Republicans to move away from spotlighting abortion, demonstrating an awareness that voters tend to disagree with Republican abortion bans. When South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham "respectfully" disagreed with Trump's state's rights stance and advocated for a 15-week national ban in April, Trump grew irate, highlighting how comments like Graham's feed into Democratic narratives of Republican extremism that have cost the party electoral victories. "Many Good Republicans lost Elections because of this Issue, and people like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, in a rare public rebuke of his congressional ally. MORE: Mike Pence calls Trump's abortion position 'a slap in the face' Trump similarly lashed out against his former Vice President Mike Pence when he called Trump's stance on abortion "a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020," earlier this year. "Mike Pence has been doing a lot of talking about Abortion lately ... He started at no abortion for any reason, and then allowing abortions for up to 6 weeks, then up to 15 weeks, and then, who knows?" Trump wrote on his social media platform in April. "But it doesn't matter because the Radical Left Democrats will never approve anything on this issue, and Republicans don't have anywhere close to the number of Senators necessary to make it matter," Trump continued, suggesting that his former running mate was polling at 1%-2% because he was getting bad advice. And though abortion is a key issue as Trump considers his choices for a running mate, he continues to try to shift the focus of the race away from reproductive rights toward other issues like the economy and immigration that he feels are more likely to generate support among Republicans. As Trump weighs vice presidential pick, abortion becomes issue of focus originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Former President Donald Trump might drop the name of his running mate this week, possibly ahead of Thursdays highly anticipated presidential debate, according to reports. NBC News reported that four sources, who all asked for anonymity, said Trump could soon reveal his vice presidential selection for the November election. But the timing isnt final, the sources said, adding that he might still decide to announce his choice closer to the Republican National Convention, which is July 15-18, as Trump had previously stated. The reports come just days after Trump told NBC that he had made a decision on a vice president but that nobody knows who it is. Trump previously said he would announce a running mate around the time of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, where hes expected to be nominated as the partys presidential nominee. His campaign had been deliberating about whether he should make the announcement before or after his July 11 sentencing for his New York conviction of falsifying business records to mask a hush-money payment to a porn star just before the 2016 election. Now sources say his campaign is discussing making the announcement sooner. The short list of likely Republican running mates includes Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), J.D. Vance (Ohio) and Tim Scott (S.C.); Reps. Byron Donalds (Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (N.Y.); North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum; and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Notably, the list excludes his former vice president, Mike Pence, who had criticized Trumps attempt to overturn the 2020 election based on unfounded claims that President Joe Biden stole the election. Trump supporters directed their anger at Pence in the attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress met to certify the electoral votes for Biden. Trump told reporters on Saturday he has not even told the individual he has selected that they would be his vice presidential choice, but he said that person will be at Thursdays debate. Senior Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes said on Friday that the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes. On Wednesday, Fox News Fox & Friends is hosting a series of interviews with the possible running mates, along with their significant others, to discuss what they would focus on if they were selected as Trumps vice president and what qualities they would bring to the administration. Related... Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming (3rd L) learns about the rescue work at a command center at the site of a battery plant fire in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 24, 2024. South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) SEOUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. South Korean officials said the accident has killed 22 people, 17 of them presumably to be Chinese nationals. Eight other people were injured, including one Chinese who was slightly injured, and all the injured have been properly treated. Firemen are still searching for the missing. The South Korean side deeply mourns the tragic death of Chinese citizens in the accident and will assist China in doing its utmost to rescue and deal with the aftermath. Xing urged the South Korean side to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, properly deal with the aftermath, and provide all necessary support for the families of the Chinese victims. Xing told media at the scene that the Chinese embassy is working with the South Korean side to do its best to deal with the aftermath of the accident. It is hoped that South Korean businesses will learn a painful lesson, refrain from similar incidents in the future and earnestly safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in South Korea. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming (1st R) learns about the accident at the site of a battery plant fire in Hwaseong, South Korea, June 24, 2024. South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) In Tuesdays primary elections in New York and Colorado, 2 incumbents fight to keep their congressional seats U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., talks to attendees before the first Republican primary debate for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Ken Buck on Jan. 25, 2024, in Fort Lupton, Colo. Tuesday marks tight primary elections in Colorado and New York amid controversies. | David Zalubowski Two controversial incumbent members of Congress are at risk in Tuesdays primary elections in Colorado and New York. Heres what you need to know about Rep. Lauren Boeberts and Rep. Jamaal Bowmans primary races. Colorado 4th Congressional District Republican Rep. Ken Bucks decision to not run for reelection this year unleashed heavy competition for an open seat in eastern Colorados 4th District. Incumbent Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert decided to switch districts after her district was redrawn, and run for Bucks open seat. CBS News reported that Boebert said, in a video announcing her campaign, It is the right decision for me personally, and it is the right decision for those who support our conservative movement. This is the right decision for Colorado, for us. Candidates running against Boebert in the Republican primary include parents rights activist and radio host Deborah Flora; former state senator and cattle rancher Jerry Sonnenberg; state House members Richard Holtorf and Mike Lynch; and Peter Yu, a business executive, according to Roll Call. The Associated Press reported last Septembers scandal involving Boebert and a boyfriend behaving inappropriately at a theatre may have hurt her chances at reelection. She later apologized for the incident. The Democratic primary candidates running for the full term seat are Trisha Calvarese, Ike McCorkle and John Padora. The former mayor of Parker, Colorado, Republican Greg Lopez, is running in the special election to fill Bucks unexpired term, but Lopez is not running for a full term in November, meaning his term would end in January. Those also competing for Bucks unfinished term include Frank Atwood, Hannah Goodman and Trisha Calvarese. Primary ballots are due by 7 p.m. Tuesday. New York 16th Congressional District About 1,848.8 miles away from Colorado, the New York state primaries will be also be held Tuesday with polls closing at 9 p.m. ET. Rep. Jamaal Bowman is going head to head with Westchester County Executive George Latimer in New Yorks 16th Congressional District. According to The Associated Press, tensions are high in this primary race, as friction continues to divide the Democratic Party. Politico said this particular primary election ... is the highest-profile battle this year over the direction of the Democratic Party as the progressive movement is tested by the partys fracture over the Israel-Hamas war. Trying to secure the votes of young adults in Westchester County, Bowman rapped at a youth mobilization concert. He also spoke at a rally, his remarks laced with profanities where he targeted pro-Israel groups who he claims are trying to remove him from office, according to Politico. The Associated Press reported both candidates have spent millions of dollars on this election. Bowman is backed by progressive groups, while Latimer has been endorsed by Hillary Clinton and pro-Israel groups. Whoever wins the Democratic primary will likely win the seat in November. Tunica man sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Tunica man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the shooting death of an 18-year-old. Quinterrance Vardaman, 26, is set to serve 20 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the shooting death of Trevon Bell, an 18-year-old Tunica resident. The shooting occurred at Kirby Estates Apartments in Robinsonville, Mississippi. As of July 27, 2023, Vardaman has been detained and charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Jimmy Dotson, a 35-year-old from Tunica. Girlfriend charged after man fatally shot outside Tunica restaurant That shooting occurred on July 3, 2023. As of now, Vardaman has not been indicted on this charge, but other arrests have been made in relation to Dotsons death and indictments will be sought. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a contract extension Tuesday for a controversial residential facility in Turlock for adults with serious mental illness. Turlock city officials and residents have strongly opposed the facilitys location on Colorado Avenue, saying its too close to schools, pediatric medical offices and vulnerable children. About 200 city residents packed a Turlock council meeting in February to oppose the adult residential care facility and a change in state licensing that would allow Bay Area-based A&A Health Services to care for 84 mentally ill adults, 75% of whom would be 18 to 59 years old. People expressed fears that adult clients with serious mental illness would endanger students at nearby Dutcher Middle School and Turlock Christian Elementary School. Carlos Pereira of Genesis Behavior Center said the proposal also puts psychiatric patients across the street from a program for children with autism. Placing high-risk individuals near children not only is irresponsible but its also dangerous, he said. These children deserve a safe supportive environment. Turlock officials wanted county leaders to postpone Tuesdays decision on the contract extension and first hold a community meeting to discuss a better location for the facility. They said they didnt learn the contract with A&A was on the board agenda until last week. Our community has told you we are not good with that location, Mayor Amy Bublak told supervisors Tuesday. You heard us and we still have not had this dialogue. A&A Health purchased the former Las Palmas Estates at 1617 Colorado Ave. last year and has been remaking the facility to reopen with 84 beds. Two county supervisors objected that the controversy has put the county in the spotlight. Supervisor Terry Withrow said the Turlock City Council could stop the project by denying land use and building permits. County officials said the county has placed clients with mental illness at the center for decades. If the board did not approve the $7.76 million contract extension with A&A Health, the county would have to send clients to facilities in other counties, and other counties could place people at the Colorado Avenue facility, officials said. The property on Colorado was annexed to the city in the 1990s and Las Palmas Estates was operated as a legal nonconforming use. Cities cant legally reject projects at the whim of elected officials, but usually have to make findings to approve or reject development. City Manager Reagan Wilson said A&A has been filing permits with the city building department one at a time. The projects status in the citys permitting process was still hazy Tuesday. The contract extension with A&A was among 104 service provider contracts up for annual renewal with county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and was buried in a 132-page staff report. Supervisor Vito Chiesa, whose district includes Turlock, said he heard few complaints about the county clients who received care at Las Palmas Estates. He said he has wanted to know more about the city permitting for the renovations. Tony Vartan, director of county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said the adults who will stay at the residential care facility are psychiatrically stable and have been evaluated to ensure its the appropriate level of care for them. The adults need assistance with daily activities like hygiene, eating, bathing and transportation. Vartan said they are not able to live by themselves but do not require 24-hour care. The center wont be a locked facility, allowing the residents to come and go as they like. About 25% will be 60 and older. Without the Turlock facility, the county will have to send clients to facilities in other counties, and those clients wont have interaction with family that helps them improve, Vartan said. The Tuscaloosa Public Library will temporarily close its main branch next month as the library undergoes renovations. Library officials say the main branch at 1801 Jack Warner Parkway will be closed to the public for improvements from July 1 to July 10. Improvements will include a new roof, HVAC system, LED lighting and an upgraded circulation department featuring self-checkout and return stations. The library will re-open July 11. More: Tuscaloosa Public Library gets a major upgrade with $2.4 million grant These improvements were made possible due to a $2.4 million grant from the city of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County and the city of Northport. Jennifer Pearson, Tuscaloosa Public Library executive director, previously said these improvements will enhance the libary experience. June 10 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Construction workers replace ceiling tiles and upgrade the HVAC system at the Tuscaloosa Public Library. Second floor book shelves are sheathed in plastic as worker hang new ceiling tiles after the leaky roof was repaired. According to a news release, although the interior of the building will be closed, patrons will still be allowed to return materials to the main branch book drop. Staff will also continue to process eCard applications for digital resource access. During the closure, the Weaver Bolden Branch, 2522 Lanier Ave., will remain open, excluding the Fourth of July holiday, July 4-5. June 10 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Construction workers replace ceiling tiles and upgrade the HVAC system at the Tuscaloosa Public Library. A new HVAC system will increase heating and cooling efficiency and will allow climate control in various sections of the library instead of only having one control for the entire building. Tuscaloosa Public Library resources can also be accessed through the Vending Libraries at the Faucett Brothers Activity Center and Northport City Hall. According to its website, the Tuscaloosa Public Library serves 192,000 residents in Tuscaloosa County, plus students attending the University of Alabama, Shelton State Community College and Stillman College. Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa Public Library to close main branch temporarily in July COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Two people are dead after a shooting Tuesday morning in south Columbus. A police dispatcher said they received a call just before 10 a.m. regarding a possible shooting near the 1200 block of Seymour Avenue in the area of Deshler Park. Officers arrived and found two people inside a house with gunshot wounds. Petland facing two new lawsuits in Ohio, accused of selling sick puppies According to police, one of the victims was identified as 45-year-old Darrell Walker. The identity of the second victim has not been released. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene at 10:06 a.m. A police dispatcher said a woman went to the house to check on a man living there and found him on the ground with a gunshot wound. The house had a broken window in the back, according to a dispatcher. This embedded content is not available in your region. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Two men have been arrested for allegedly impersonating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to steal money from Latino residents, according to the Anaheim Police Department. Law enforcement officials said they responded to consecutive robberies on Thursday between 5 and 6 p.m. the first on the 900 block of South Euclid Street and the second at the intersection of Brookhurst Street and La Palma Avenue. Several hours later, they identified the suspects as Laurentiu Baceanu and Vasile Alexandru, 19, according to a news release. According to the victims' testimony to police, the two men spoke Spanish, presented fake badges and proceeded to coerce money out of residents before taking off in a blue SUV. Anaheim police gave Baceanu's age as 19, but Orange County jail records show that he is 20. Impersonating a federal agent is a crime that can carry up to three years in prison and there is a possibility that they will face additional charges locally. Neither man was armed, police said. Both are booked without bail and facing several counts of robbery. Read more: Federal judge orders ICE to end 'knock and talk' arrests of immigrants in Southern California Last year, A San Ysidro man was indicted by a Santa Ana grand jury for stealing $200,000 from undocumented immigrants who sought legal help with their immigration status. In 2018, another man was sentenced to eight months in prison after dressing up as an ICE official to extort a woman of $5,000 under the threat of deportation. Anaheim police are working with local, state and federal agencies to as part of the investigation, said Sgt. Jon McClintock. The U.S. attorney's office in Santa Ana declined to comment on the case. The Orange County District Attorney's office did not respond to a phone call or email request for comment. Anaheim isn't the only municipality dealing with fake ICE officials, McClintock said. The department has been collaborating with other agencies across California, investigating similar robberies that have been happening "for several weeks throughout the state," he said. "We believe they're connected." He said he knows of at least five identical thefts that happened in Anaheim and more across Orange County. The department is investigating whether other suspects or accomplices are involved. Detectives say they think the vehicles involved in this series of robberies include a silver or gray Volkswagen Atlas SUV and a blue Audi Q7 SUV. McClintock asked other victims to come forward. The detective assigned to the case is John Carey, who can be reached at (714) 765-1973 or JCarey@anaheim.net Read more: Four arrested in Glendale believed to be part of 'burglary tourism' ring He added that undocumented victims don't have to fear over their legal immigration status if they report a crime, saying that their department does not cooperate with federal ICE officials. "We will not inquire about their [citizenship]," McClintock said. "It might be pertinent, potentially to some type of crime if that's related, but the Anaheim Police Department will not enforce any type of immigration [law]." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said two people, a woman and a man, were shot Monday night in Northwest D.C. At around 11:25 p.m., MPD responded to a hospital for two walk-in shooting victims. Police said both victims were breathing, however the man was reported unconscious. Bowie State University womens softball coach leading by example, helping shape lives of players MPD said the shooting happened at Georgia and Morton Street. Homicide was requested for the man who is still alive, according to police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The U.S. Navys Ohio class nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee recently cruised on the surface in the Norwegian Sea alongside the Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Normandy. The unusual show of force also included an E-6B Mercury and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane flying overhead. The Ohio class nuclear missile submarine USS Tennessee in the Norwegian Sea on June 23, 2024. USN USN Any decision to highlight the presence of one of these submarines, which are key components of Americas nuclear deterrent arsenal and typically keep well out of sight while deployed, inherently sends a message to potential adversaries, such as Russia. Tennessees appearance in the waters to the northwest of Norway notably follows a first-of-its-kind visit by Russias advanced Yasen-M class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Kazan (along with other Russian naval vessels) to Cuba earlier this month, which was also clearly meant to send a signal to the United States. Another view of Tennessee, as well as the Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Normandy, at right, and a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) at left. USN U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) and U.S. Sixth Fleet, the Navys top commands in Europe, released pictures of Tennessee together with the other naval assets, which were taken on June 23, earlier today. This, at least in part, explains the rare deployment of a Mercury jet to the Royal Norwegian Air Forces Rygge Air Station in the southern end of the country last week. Earlier this morning, US Navy E-6B Mercury #AE0413 as IRON01 departed from NAS Pax River, MD and arrived in Rygge, Norway. This is the first deployment to Norway that I've seen. Heading to the Arctic? pic.twitter.com/YICyABfxLO TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) June 20, 2024 Also known as doomsday planes, the Navys fleet of 16 Boeing 707-based E-6B jets are critical airborne strategic command posts through which nuclear strike orders would flow, including to Air Force nuclear bomber units in the air and missile silos on the ground, if the need were to ever arise. On the naval side, the Mercury aircraft are equipped with specialized five-mile-long antennas to communicate directly with Ohio class ballistic missile submarines, or SSBNs, allowing the boats to remain submerged where they are less vulnerable to attack. The Navy calls this mission set Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO), and is looking to supplant the E-6Bs in this role with a variant of the C-130J Hercules turboprop aircraft in the future. The Air Forces airborne nuclear command and control mission set, commonly called Looking Glass, looks set to transition to other platforms, possibly including the services future Boeing 747-based Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) jets. A picture of an E-6B with a red arrow pointing to the tip of the five-mile-long antenna the aircraft can unspool to communicate with submerged Ohio class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. USAF A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) was put out last week warning of military flight operations with invisible flight hazard over an area of the Norwegian Sea on June 23. This had suggested that the E-6B at Rygge would conduct a sortie using its trailing antenna to communicate with a submerged SSBN. With what we know now, it is very probable that the E-6B and Tennessee, along with Normandy and the P-8A, and potentially other assets, trained together ahead of the photo op. Its certainly true that where Ohio SSBNs go, in general, an E-6B is usually not that far away. E-6B airborne command post landed this morning at Ryyge Air Base in Norway. The aircraft main mission is relaying launch order toward submarines (SSBN) at sea using ~8km long VLF antenna A NOTAM consistent with this type of mission will be active off pic.twitter.com/7BRhaUXrPy Etienne Marcuz (@M51_4ever) June 20, 2024 For their part, NAVEUR-NAVAF and U.S. Sixth Fleet described the show of force as Multi-Domain Readiness in action in a post on their shared official account on X. The War Zone has reached out for more information about the circumstances behind the newly released pictures and USS Tennessees general presence in the region. Multi-Domain Readiness in action @USNavy guided-missile cruiser #USSNormandy (CG 60) and ballistic missile submarine #USSTennessee (SSBN 734) steam alongside in the #NorwegianSea while a P-8A Poseidon and E-6B Mercury fly overhead, June 23, 2024. pic.twitter.com/8Uttvmkny9 U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) June 25, 2024 The U.S. Navy generally offers scant details about the activities of its 14 Ohio class nuclear ballistic missile submarines, or SSBNs, as well as the four other boats in this class converted into guided missile submarines (SSGNs), while they are deployed, though this has been changing more recently. In particular, the Ohio SSBNs, also known as boomers, effectively disappear for months on end during patrols to ensure that they can provide credible second-strike nuclear deterrent capability. These submarines are arguably the most destructive weapon systems the United States have ever built. As such, the public announcement of the presence of an Ohio SSBN in a region has a strategic signaling function, both to potential adversaries and allies and partners, whether explicit or not, as already noted. The pair of USS Tennessee with USS Normandy, should not be ignored, either. While the Navy is moving ahead with plans to decommission the last of its Ticonderoga class cruisers before the end of the decade, their 122 vertical launch system cells and extensive air defense command and control capabilities mean they are still among the services most capable surface warships. Navy P-8As are also really more than just maritime patrol aircraft with their extensive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and capabilities. We have already discussed the significance of the E-6B. With this in mind, Tennessees appearance with the other Navy assets in the waters to the northwest of Norway, a NATO ally, over the weekend notably came around a week after Kazan and three other Russian naval vessels wrapped up their visit to Cubas capital Havana. Though U.S., Russian, and Cuban authorities downplayed the port call as routine, Russias Ministry of Defense did highlight the flotillas training to conduct strikes on enemy naval vessels while on their way to the Caribbean. Earlier in the naval task groups voyage, Russian authorities had also released a video, seen in part below, showing a P-8A in the sights of one of the Palash close-in weapon systems on the Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov. Just a couple weeks ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin also threatened to send weapons to unspecified regions from where they could be used to strike Western targets. He suggested this as a means of retaliation in response to Ukraine getting approval from the U.S. government and some of its other Western partners to use munitions those countries had supplied to hit targets in Russia proper. The Navys attitude toward openly discussing SSBN movements has been explicitly changing in recent years amid renewed geopolitical friction, especially with near-peer competitors like China and Russia. In 2022, the USS Tennessee itself took part in another highly unusual show of force together with an unknown British Vanguard class SSBN somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. An E-6B Mercury and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were also involved in that show of force. The primary armament on both Ohio and Vanguard class boats are Trident D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These weapons have a multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) configuration and can be loaded with several different nuclear warheads, as you can read more about here. For the United Kingdom, the Vanguards represent the entirety of its current nuclear deterrent capabilities. The USS Tennessee, in the foreground, sails together with an unknown British Vanguard class submarine, in the background, in 2022. An E-6B and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter are seen flying overhead. USN The recent U.S. naval show of force in the Norwegian Sea also underscores the broader strategic significance of this region, which is a major corridor for Russian submarines and other naval vessels heading to the Atlantic, as well as the High North more generally. The U.S. militarys relationship with its counterparts in Norway, as well as the other Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden all of which are now members of the NATO alliance has steadily grown in recent years. This includes work to refurbish a Norwegian naval base built under a mountain in part to help support U.S. submarine operations in the region and increased utilization of Norwegian air bases by American military aircraft. All this being said, an Ohio class SSBN, Ticonderoga class cruiser, E-6B Mecury, and P-8A Posideon together in the Norwegian Sea is still a particularly unusual display of both U.S. nuclear and conventional maritime capabilities in a highly strategic region. Contact the author: joe@twz.com View comments NEW MEXICO (KRQE) The U.S. Forest Service is looking for 18 to 25-year-olds to join the Forest Stewards Youth Corps. The program lasts 13 weeks and provides paid training for would-be wildland firefighters. The youth corps program gives participants on-the-ground training in prescribed burns, firefighting, and natural resource management. The New Mexico program is based at Mountainair, the Pueblo of Jemez, and Espanola, the U.S. Forest Service says. Wildfires raise flood risk for New Mexico communities The 2024 fall class is taking applicants now. To apply, email apearson@forestguild.org or go to this link for more information. The program pays $17 to $19 per hour, depending on position. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. U.S. House reps for Indiana collect almost $200,000 in meal and lodging reimbursements According to a Washington Post database of the 2023 reimbursements, the 328 House of Representatives members who reported reimbursements received $5.8 million under the program. (Getty Images) Indianas nine U.S. House members received a combined $199,332 in reimbursements for lodging, meals and incidentals in 2023 as part of a new program that allows federal lawmakers to recoup expenses without providing receipts. The U.S. House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress approved the program in 2022. It is considered an alternative to representatives giving themselves a raise and aims to encourage more people to run for office, according to the committees December 2022 report. House members receive a base salary of $174,000. The committee also said in its report that there should be reasonable reimbursement limits, ethics requirements and that the process should be transparent to the public, but did not specify how to achieve these goals. The reimbursements aim to help representatives cover the costs of living and maintaining households in both their home district and in D.C. However, the program does not require members to keep and submit receipts of the specific expenses, so it is unclear exactly when the expenses occurred and what they covered. Reimbursements to Indianas representatives According to a Washington Post database of the 2023 reimbursements, the 328 House of Representatives members who reported reimbursements received $5.8 million under the program. Representatives received an average reimbursement around $18,000. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird, R-4th, received the third highest reimbursement $41,549 of any member of the House. Most of this reimbursement, $29,875, was allocated for lodging, while the remaining $11,674 covered meals and incidentals. Bairds office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on these reimbursements. Baird spent $9,790 more than the next highest-reimbursed Indiana representative, Republican Larry Bucshon, R-8th, who received a total of $31,759. Bucshon received almost $14,000 more than the typical reimbursement. The next highest Indiana spenders Republicans Victoria Spartz (R-5th) and Greg Pence (R-6th), and Democrat Andre Carson (D-7th) all received at least $9,000 more than the average reimbursement. Caroline Ellert, a spokesperson for Carson, said in a statement to the Indiana Capital Chronicle the reimbursement program was a recommendation to improve and strengthen the House. Congressman Carson continues to support a legislative branch that is effective, efficient, and transparent, Ellert said. According to the Posts database, 107 representatives reported $0 in reimbursements under the program. Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-2nd, received the lowest reimbursement of the Indiana representatives, around $4,000. Representatives Jim Banks, R-3rd, Erin Houchin, R-9th, and Frank Mrvan, D-1st, also received less than the $18,000 typical reimbursement. Even though they are not required to submit receipts, representatives can still face criminal prosecution for lying about expenses under the program. The post U.S. House reps for Indiana collect almost $200,000 in meal and lodging reimbursements appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. THE HAGUE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Judges on the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Russia's former defense minister Sergei Shoigu and former chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, the court said in a statement on Tuesday. The arrest warrants were issued on Monday "in the context of the situation in Ukraine for alleged international crimes committed from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023," said the ICC statement. The Russian Security Council has said that the ICC decision is void, Russia's Sputnik news agency reported on Tuesday. "This is shaking of the air, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, and was adopted as part of the West's hybrid war against our country," Sputnik cited the security council as saying in a statement. U.S. pier in Gaza may be extended past July, U.S. official says By Phil Stewart GABORONE (Reuters) - The U.S. military's pier off Gaza may be extended well beyond its July 31 authorization date if the United States and aid organizations can get aid flowing again to Palestinians in the coming days and weeks, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. "While the pier was authorized through July 31st, I think it is entirely possible that it will continue on for at least another month, if not longer," said Isobel Coleman, deputy administrator for policy and programming at the United States Agency for International Development. U.S. President Joe Biden announced in March the plan to put the pier in place for aid deliveries as famine loomed in Gaza, a Hamas-run enclave of 2.3 million people, during the war between Israel and the Palestinian militants. Aid began arriving via the U.S.-built pier on May 17, and the U.N. said it transported 137 trucks of aid to warehouses, some 900 metric tons. But then rough seas damaged the pier, forcing repairs, and poor weather and security considerations have limited the number of days the pier has been operational and aid has flowed from its shores onward to Gazans. Pentagon officials have cautioned that sea could become too rough for the floating pier after the summer. "I understand there are some weather-related issues in the fall that will put a hard stop to the pier," Coleman said while attending an Africa security conference in Botswana. "But prior to that, if we can get the pier back up and running and (if) it is being an effective conduit for aid into Gaza, I think we'll find a way to keep it going beyond that July 31st authorization." The U.S. military estimates the pier will cost more than $200 million for the first 90 days alone and has involved about 1,000 service members. No estimate has been given for the cost of extending its operations. Although the U.S. military's pier has allowed international aid to be brought on shore, because of security concerns the assistance has been piling up in recent days in a marshalling area instead of being moved into Gaza. It is not clear how much more aid can be stockpiled in the marshalling area before it becomes too full. Coleman said the United Nations was seeking assurances for the safety of humanitarian workers before resuming aid. "That's the part that is most complicated right now. And you've seen some very credible threats in the north, where that (pier) aid is meant to be going," she said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Graff) U.S. Sees Increased Risk of Dengue Virus. But What Is It? Frontal view of a tropical disease vector mosquito biting human skin and sucking blood, known carrier of chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever, in Brazil it's commonly known as mosquito da dengue Credit - Getty ImagesJoao P. Burini The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert on Tuesday advising health care providers and public health authorities about an elevated risk of dengue fever infections in the U.S. The viral disease, which spreads through mosquito bites, has affected at least 2,241 people in the nation this year, according to the CDC. The greatest number of cases on the continental U.S. have been recorded in Florida, New York and Massachusetts. But the crux of U.S. cases has been recorded in Puerto Rico, where nearly 1,500 cases have been reported in 2024. (U.S. travelers also reported a high number of infections at 745 cases.) The U.S. territory issued their own public health emergency this March, while the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an emergency related to the virus last December. Read More: Dengue Fever Is Soaring Worldwide. Heres What to Knowand How to Stay Protected The spread of the disease has been exacerbated by increasingly wet and warm summer months brought forward by El Nino. Experts say that the climate is ideal for mosquitoes that can carry the virus to reproduce and continue to spread dengue. Dengue affects about 400 million people annually. Heres what to know about the virus. What is dengue? Dengue is a viral disease more commonly experienced in tropical and subtropical climates, according to WHO. There are four different virus types. Infected Aedes species mosquitoes can spread the disease to humans. Many infected persons have mild or no symptoms, though others can experience aches, pains, nausea, rashes, and vomiting. High fever may also be indicative of dengue. WHO says symptoms usually start about 4-10 days after infection, while the CDC points to a broader timeframe: within two weeks of being bitten by a mosquito. Symptoms usually clear in about a week, the CDC says. Dengue is only fatal in severe cases, which can bring symptoms like severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, fatigue, bloody stools, pale and cold skin, and more. How to prevent dengue infection In the U.S., the majority of the cases occurred in travelers who went to areas with risk of dengue. But because the mosquitoes that spread the disease live across the country, local spread of dengue is possible, the CDC says. Because dengue is transmitted through pesky, flying insects, the best way to prevent catching the disease is to avoid mosquito bites. That can be done by wearing insect repellent, or opting to wear loose, long-sleeved clothes. Dengue outbreaks happen every two to five years. People should be especially cautious about catching the virus if they are planning to travel to Latin America, which has seen a record-breaking number of cases thus far, per the CDC. Is there a way to treat dengue? Most doctors treat symptoms of dengue through prescribing acetaminophen, or asking patients to stay hydrated. But there is no special medication to bypass the disease. There is a dengue vaccine for children aged 9 to sixteen if they have confirmation of a previous infection, or live in an area where dengue is common. Vaccines are recommended for U.S. territories, per the CDC. Under the new advisory, doctors are advised to be aware of the increased possibility of dengue among patients, and to consider issuing dengue tests if necessary. Is dengue fever common in the U.S.? The CDC lists freely associated states and six U.S. territories as areas with frequent or continuous dengue transmission, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There have been 197 cases reported in Florida, followed by 134 in New York, and 50 in Massachusetts. Infections in these states have been small or sporadic, per the CDCs alert. Virus transmission has also been reported in Arizona and California in the last two years. Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here Contact us at letters@time.com. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in a lawsuit challenging the way Georgia elects members of the state Public Service Commission (PSC). The courts decision not to take up the case, issued on Monday, means members of the PSC will continue to be elected statewide under a new schedule adopted by the General Assembly this year. While the five members of the commission serve as representatives of districts, each member is elected statewide. A federal lawsuit filed by four Black Fulton County residents argued that electing members of the PSC statewide diluted Black voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act, making it more difficult for Black voters to elect a candidate of their choice. While a lower federal court agreed and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned that decision. Mondays ruling by the Supreme Court not to hear the case upheld the appellate court, meaning statewide PSC elections that had been delayed while the lawsuit was pending now may go forward. Under the schedule the legislature approved in March, the election for the PSCs District 2 seat now held by Commissioner Tim Echols will take place in May of next year in conjunction with municipal election primaries. The elections for districts 3 and 5 seats now held by commissioners Fitz Johnson and Tricia Pridemore will be held in 2026. Elections for PSC districts 1 and 4 now served by commissioners Jason Shaw and Lauren Bubba McDonald, will take place in 2028. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He is pictured here in October. (SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAGES) U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis, as gun deaths and injuries punctuate daily life in America. On nearly every day of 2024 so far, a burst of gunfire has hit at least four people somewhere in the country. Some days, communities have endured four or five such shootings. The nations top doctor called on policymakers to consider gun safety measures such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for all firearm purchases. His advisory also urges a significant increase in funding for research on gun injuries and deaths, as well as greater access to mental health care and trauma-informed resources for people who have experienced firearm violence. In 2022, more than 48,000 people were killed by guns in the U.S., or about 132 people a day, and suicides accounted for more than half of those deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 200-plus Americans seek emergency care for firearm injuries each day, according to estimates from Johns Hopkins University research. No federal database records nonfatal gun injuries. The Office of the Surgeon General does not set or carry out gun policy, but historically its reports and warnings have nudged policymakers and lawmakers to act. Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He cited soaring gun deaths among children and teens and noted that the mental health toll of firearm violence is far more profound and pervasive than many of us recognize. Every day that passes we lose more kids to gun violence, Murthy said, the more children who are witnessing episodes of gun violence, the more children who are shot and survive that are dealing with a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts. Firearm-related homicides over the past decade and suicides over the past two decades have driven the sharp rise in gun deaths, the advisory says. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, with higher death rates among Black and Hispanic youths. Researchers from Boston University found that during the height of the covid pandemic, Black children were 100 times as likely as white children to experience gun injuries. Hispanic and Asian children also saw major increases in firearm assault injuries during that time, that study showed. Joseph Sakran, executive vice chair of surgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and chief medical officer for Brady United Against Gun Violence, said the surgeon generals declaration is a historic moment that sounds the alarm for all Americans. But Sakran added: It cannot stop here. We have to use this as another step in the right direction. No one wants to see more children gunned down. Murthy has long said gun violence should be framed as a health issue. He argued that the approach has been successful in combating significant societal problems, citing tobacco control efforts that took hold following the then-surgeon generals landmark 1964 report concluding that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer and other diseases. We saved so many lives, and thats what we can do here, too, Murthy said. Murthys move is one of several recent Biden administration actions designed to combat gun violence, as most gun-related measures remain political nonstarters in Congress. Federal officials have allowed states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for gun violence prevention, and the White House has called on hospital executives and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and to routinely counsel patients about the safe use of firearms. While available data points to tragic outcomes across American communities, government officials and public health researchers have long been stymied by sparse federal funding devoted to gun violence research and the scope of its health effects. Ive been studying gun violence for about 33 years now and theres still some really basic and fundamental questions I cant answer, said Daniel Webster, a gun violence researcher at Johns Hopkins University. To really understand gun violence, you need to do more than just look at publicly available surveillance data, he said. You need to actually do in-depth studies involving the populations at highest risk for shooting or being shot. A Brady analysis found that of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S., firearm injuries received the third-lowest amount of federal research funding through the National Institutes of Health for each person who died. The only causes of death that garnered less research funding through NIH were poisonings and falls, according to the analysis. Sonali Rajan, an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who researches the effects of gun violence on children, said political leaders and others need to reframe the debate on gun violence from crime to public health. We are raising a whole generation of children for whom exposure to gun violence is normal, Rajan said. In Michigan, we had a kid survive the Oxford High School shooting only to go to Michigan State University and see another mass shooting, she said. It is unbelievably shameful. Serving as President Joe Bidens surgeon general since 2021, Murthy has, at times, caused political controversy with his views on gun violence. Over a decade ago, former President Barack Obama nominated Murthy to be the nations top doctor. But Murthys support for a federal ban on the sale of assault weapons and ammunition and additional restrictions on gun purchases drew the ire of the National Rifle Association, as well as Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Murthy to the job in December 2014, more than a year after his nomination. Murthy has previously issued advisories on social isolation and loneliness, youth mental health, and the well-being of health workers. He said gun violence comes up in many of his conversations with young people about the mental health challenges theyre facing. Fears around gun violence have really pervaded so much of the psyche of America in ways that are very harmful to our mental health and well-being, Murthy said. Many other causes of death are treated differently as to understanding the problems and developing solutions, Webster said. But thats generally not what weve done with gun violence. Weve oversimplified it and overpoliticized it. As Sakran put it: As we look at firearm injuries, theres arguably no public issue thats as urgent. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News free Morning Briefing. The post U.S. surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis appeared first on Washington State Standard. ORLANDO, Fla. In the wake of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses nationwide, the University of Central Florida on Tuesday banned camping on its grounds and limited the duration of protests. The UCF Board of Trustees approved the ban as part of an update to university regulations regarding university facilities; events and protests. Your proposed amendments will never restrict us, said Haiden McTee, a senior at UCF, who spoke against the new rule before the board voted. McTee, who was wearing a keffiyeh, a patterned scarf viewed as a symbol of Palestinians, is convinced the rule change stemmed from the pro-Palestinian protests staged on campus this spring, though a UCF official said the update was routine and in the works more than a year ago. Trustees didnt comment on the regulation before they voted to approve it. The university already banned overnight events and camping tents, UCF attorney Youndey Cook said during a committee meeting held before the full board met, but the updated regulation defines and bans camping altogether. Were making explicit the camping prohibition with its own paragraph, she said. The updates to the regulations started more than a year ago, Cook added, an effort to merge rules that contained similar material and make them easier to read. The proposed changes come in wake of nationwide campus protests in April and May calling for universities to divest from ties to Israel, sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7. UCF students staged several protests on the east Orlando campus this spring about the war. On April 26, more than 200 protesters gathered near UCFs main library. On May 7, a group set up blankets and folding chairs near Memory Mall in the center of campus as part of another protest. The UCF protesters did not engage in confrontations with police and left campus before midnight as police instructed. No one was arrested. Ali Carleton, a 22-year-old UCF graduate student, was one of a handful of people who attended the trustees meeting wearing a keffiyeh, showing their opposition to the regulation. Despite the new regulations, Carleton said, student protesters will continue to show their discontent with the universitys investments. They are clearly engaging in student suppression, Carleton said, and theyre trying to limit our avenues of using our voices against the horrible contributions that UCF makes. The updated rules prohibit camping and shorten the length of protests and other expressive activities to five days in a row and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. five days a week two hours fewer than the previous regulation. Those activities are ones that are exercises of free speech under the First Amendment and include marches, protests, parades and picket lines, the regulation says. Florida State Universitys trustees approved a similar change to their policies Thursday, banning tents, the blocking of entrances to buildings and the wearing hoods that cover their faces, according to documents on the FSU website. -------- Editor's note: This story is being updated. Ukraine has brought back 90 people from Russian captivity on June 25 as part of a prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. This includes service personnel of the Armed Forces and the National Guard, and border guards. The former captives were exchanged for 90 Russian soldiers, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country's Defense Ministry. "We remember all our people in Russian captivity. We continue to work for the release of everyone. We are looking for the truth about everyone who may be held by the enemy," Zelensky said. The released captives include 32 personnel of the National Guard, including those who defended the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, 18 border guards, 17 personnel of the Navy, 15 soldiers of the Armed Forces as well as eight of the territorial defense, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. Ukraine brought back 59 defenders of the city of Mariupol, including 52 soldiers who left its stronghold the Azovstal steel plant, according to the headquarters. This is the 53rd prisoner exchange since the outbreak of the full-scale war. As of June 25, 3,300 Ukrainians have been freed from Russian captivity, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. The headquarters thanked the United Arab Emirates for their role in facilitating the latest exchange. The previous prisoner exchange occurred on May 31, with 75 Ukrainians freed from Russian captivity. Before that, on Jan. 3, 230 prisoners were exchanged in the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the subjects at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June. Read also: The Counteroffensive: Inside Ukraines prisoner of war negotiations with Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine and Moldova began long-awaited talks on their respective accession to the EU in Luxembourg on June 25. "We have surpassed the barrier of promise to delivery," Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times (FT) ahead of the opening of the negotiations. "It's a decision that's merit-based," she said, emphasizing that Ukraine had reached all the necessary criteria for the talks to begin. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that it was a day that "will go down in history." "This is an important moment that strengthens us, that binds us together as one family. Our shared future starts now," she added. The formal start to the negotiations follows an agreement by EU ambassadors last week. Officials in Kyiv and Brussels were pushing for the June starting date before Hungary takes over from Belgium as the EU chair the following month. Ukraine received EU membership candidate status in June 2022. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council agreed on it a month later. The commission then presented the negotiation framework and said the two countries are ready to begin the talks by the end of June. Despite the agreement, Ukraine's entry into the EU most likely remains years away. Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said last month that Kyiv could join the bloc in 2030. Read also: Zelensky to sign EU-Ukraine security agreement in Brussels this week Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Formal talks on Ukraine and Moldovas accession to the European Union kick off on Tuesday, in a development hailed historic and set to bolster hopes both countries will one day become EU members despite the war raging in Ukraine. The opening of talks will take place in two consecutive Intergovernmental Conferences on Tuesday afternoon in Luxembourg, with the two hopeful countries, the European Commission and the rotating presidency of the Council, currently held by Belgium, all represented. The Ukrainian delegation will be headed by the countrys deputy prime minister for European integration, Olga Stefanishyna, while Prime Minister Dorin Recean will lead the Moldovan delegation. Speaking upon her arrival, Stefanishyna described the meeting as a "historic moment" for Ukraine and a decision behind which "all the nation stands as one." "Ukraine, despite the war and the extremely difficult situation, has decided to continue with intensive reforms while they are underneath the bombs and their lives are at risk," the Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib said. "Let me assure Ukraine that you can always count on the Commission's continuous support on your path to the EU," the European Commissioner for enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, said following the conference with the Ukrainian delegation. "I am confident in the determination of Ukraine to work hard during the negotiations." 'Our shared future starts now' Tuesdays meeting is mostly symbolic, but it does mean that the European Commission can make headway in the process of screening both Kyiv and Chisinaus national laws to determine alignment with the EUs own in areas including energy, financial services and food safety. The negotiating frameworks, designed to guide the accession talks and approved by EU member states last week, will also be presented to both countries. An EU diplomat said that while the initial screening process can typically take one to two years, it could be quicker this time given that the 2014 free trade agreements with both Ukraine and Moldova mean both countries are already aligned with several EU standards and regulations. The start of negotiations is one of many milestones in a typically years-long process, where countries are required to make judicial, economic and constitutional reforms before they can be considered ready to join the EU. It has taken around a decade on average for previous candidates to join the bloc. Seven more countries are currently waiting in the wings to become EU members, five of which - the Western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia - are already in formal negotiations. We stand at the threshold of a significant and transformative moment for these two countries (Ukraine and Moldova), and for our Union, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a video message on Tuesday. She added that Ukraine and Moldova's journeys to EU membership will be rigorous and demanding, The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said: Our shared future starts now. Charles Michel, who presides the European Council, described Tuesday's talks as "a proud moment for both nations and a strategic step for the EU." "Ukraines efforts are even more admirable considering Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has brought about unprecedented hardship and adversity," Michel added. "The people of Ukraine have shown extraordinary courage and solidarity in defending their sovereignty and their European future." Michel has previously called for the EU itself to speed up its preparations for enlargement, suggesting the bloc should be ready to accept new members by 2030. 'Difficult to be enthusiastic' Ukraine's deputy prime minister Stefanishyna claimed on Tuesday Kyiv will be able to "complete everything by 2030." "Rest assured that Ukraine is very capable to deliver in a fast way, so if the European Commission is ready we can do it even faster," she added. But when pressed on whether the EU could accept new members during the next five-year mandate - due to end in late 2029 - Varhelyi said that it's "not a question of the EU giving deadlines." "If it would depend only on Ukraine, the deadlines would be much more optimistic," Stefanishyna added. Speaking to Euronews on Tuesday, John O'Brennan, Professor of European Integration at Maynooth University warned the accession process will likely be long and complex. "If you look at the recent history of the enlargement process, it's very difficult to be enthusiastic. Why? Because for most of the last 15 years, the entire process has been flatlining and simply hasn't been delivering," O'Brennan said. "The simple truth is that there hasn't been the political will in the EU to really get behind enlargement and to ensure that it becomes a much more serious item on the agenda of the European Council." He pointed to the recent friction between Poland and Ukraine over tariff-free Ukrainian agricultural imports as a sign that even the most pro-Ukrainian of the bloc's member states will object to Kyiv's integration if it comes at a cost. Ukraine's GDP per capita is three times smaller than that of Bulgaria, the EU's smallest economy, meaning its entry could destabilise the bloc's budgetary structure and mean many EU countries would switch from being net beneficiaries to net contributors. "Potentially it (Ukraine's accession) means the complete transformation of the EU budget. We are not going to be able to keep the EU budget at 1% of GDP. It's going to have to be doubled or tripled, potentially. And many of the more recent member states that have benefited from EU structural funds (...) are going to see their share of the pie reduced significantly," he added. 'No shortcuts' EU leaders have been quick to point out that enlargement remains a "merit-based" process, despite appetite to fast-track Ukraine and Moldova's bids. "The accession negotiations are designed to prepare the candidates for the responsibilities of membership, and this is why there are no shortcuts," von der Leyen said. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has injected a new sense of urgency into an EU enlargement policy that has been stagnating for years, with Michel recently asserting that the bloc must either enlarge to integrate its eastern flank, or face a new Iron Curtain. The negotiating frameworks for both Ukraine and Moldova were swiftly adopted, with the Commission breaking with precedent by recommending the opening of talks last December before either country had fully implemented the necessary reforms. In response, Hungary has opposed the fast-tracking of Ukraine's membership bid, with the government of Viktor Orban citing concerns over the levels of corruption in the country and the lack of measures to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority in the border region of Transcarpathia. EU member states have so far been able to swerve Orban's opposition campaign, for example by tactically asking him to abstain from the decision on opening talks by leaving the negotiating room. There are fears Ukraine's progress could be slowed down over the coming six months, as Hungary's nationalist, conservative government takes over the rotating six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU from Belgium. Tuesday's Intergovernmental Conferences were convened in a bid to push both countries along the accession path before the Hungarian takeover of the Council. Exasperation with Orban's government has been brewing among EU diplomats over recent months as it continues to veto key decisions on military aid to Kyiv. On Monday, the bloc agreed to send 1.4 billion in arms and industrial aid to Ukraine, in a deal sealed by bypassing Hungary. Stefanishyna, however, said on Tuesday that Ukraine "does not think the Hungarian presidency could be an obstacle." The EU executive's enlargement portfolio has also been led by Hungarian commissioner Oliver Varhelyi over the past five-year mandate. The chair of the European Parliaments EU-Moldova delegation, Siegfried Muresan, told reporters last week that a Hungarian should no longer steer the EU's enlargement agenda, saying Orbans man in Brussels has been a "problem" for the accession push. Update: Despite numerous reports in Ukrainian media, as of the time of this update, the negotiations have not yet begun. An EU-Ukraine intergovernmental conference will be held in Luxembourg on Tuesday, 25 June to mark the official opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The intergovernmental conference with Ukraine is scheduled for 16:30 Kyiv time, and with Moldova at 19:00. Source: European Pravda Details: On 21 June, the EU Council approved the negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova, which paves the way for the launch of accession talks. The intergovernmental conference with Ukraine is scheduled for 16:30 Kyiv time. It will be followed by a similar first Intergovernmental Conference for Moldova's Accession to the EU, which is set for 19:00 Kyiv time. The day before, a European diplomat said that the conference would consist of three parts: opening remarks, including video messages, an opening statement by Belgium which holds the EU presidency, and a statement by Ukraine. The third part would include speeches and remarks by member states. At the conference, the EU will provide Ukraine with a broad framework of negotiations outlining the essential principles of the negotiating process. Ukraine's delegation will be headed by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and the European delegation will be led by Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. The intergovernmental conference will provide a formal start to the negotiations, which will essentially begin with the opening of the negotiating chapters. The chapters and clusters focused on the European Union's fundamental challenges will be launched first. Ukraine's optimistic forecast expects the first chapters to open in early 2025. Negotiations will begin before 1 July, when Hungary, which is sceptical of Ukraine's European integration, succeeds Belgium and assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving it greater influence over EU decision-making. The negotiations come more than 10 years after thousands of Ukrainians flocked to the EuroMaidan to defend their country's path towards the EU, and more than two years after Russia started a full-scale invasion to keep Ukraine in its orbit. Ukraine wants to join the European Union by 2030, but it is unclear how long the negotiations will take. Also, on Tuesday, 25 June, the Council of the EU will approve the text of the security agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Support UP or become our patron! Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a symposium for foreign business representatives at the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) DALIAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended a symposium for foreign business representatives at the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, on Tuesday in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian. Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, chaired the symposium. A total of 200 business representatives from more than 40 countries and regions attended the symposium. After hearing the representatives' speeches, Li said that China's continuous recovery and long-term improvement, as well as the transformation, upgrading, and profound changes in its economy, will surely provide new and broad space for the development of global enterprises. The premier noted that China has been strengthening counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical regulation of macro policies, pooling policy resources to promote high-quality development with a long-term view, and optimizing the economic structure. "We have the confidence to achieve the economic and social development targets set for this year and the ability to maintain sound economic growth in the long run," Li said. China will focus on boosting industrial innovation via sci-tech innovation and accelerating the development of a modern industrial system, Li said, adding that efforts will be made to foster the growth of emerging industries, advance the layout of future-oriented industries, and transform and upgrade traditional industries with advanced technologies to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. Li said China is ready to work with enterprises worldwide to promote the innovative development of the global economy. "Enterprises are the key to economic vitality," the premier stressed, emphasizing the country has been making great efforts in fostering a market-oriented, law-based world-class business environment, building a unified national market, and promoting the development and growth of all types of business entities. Li said China will continue to expand high-level opening-up, further relax market access, continue to open up the service sector, and steadily expand institutional opening-up to provide more opportunities and a better environment for global investors. Li said he hoped that entrepreneurs from all countries would firmly support economic globalization and free trade. He welcomed them to invest in China and share the dividends of China's high-quality development. Participating representatives said that foreign enterprises appreciate the Chinese government's efforts in improving its business environment and will support and participate in China's development of new quality productive forces, as well as continue to invest in China to make positive contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries. Commemorations marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels Commemorations marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union opened membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, giving the country a political boost in the midst of its war against Russia's invasion, although a long and tough road still lies ahead before it could join the bloc. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, addressing the meeting in Luxembourg by video link, said the start of the talks was a historic moment and a significant step for both Kyiv and the EU towards "our shared great victory". "For our nation, the European Union signifies much more than a physical space," he said. "It represents values and home." The meeting was more about symbolism than the nitty-gritty of negotiations, which will start in earnest only after the EU has screened reams of Ukrainian legislation to assess all the reforms needed to meet the bloc's standards. But by marking the start of talks with Ukraine, and with its neighbour Moldova later in the day, the EU signalled that both countries are on a path away from Russian influence and towards greater integration with the West. "The future for Ukraine is for the Ukrainians to decide," Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, told the meeting. "The EU will continue to support the right of the Ukrainian people to choose their own destiny." The moment was poignant for many Ukrainians, who trace their current conflict with Moscow back to the Maidan uprising a decade ago, when protesters toppled a pro-Russian president who reneged on a pledge to develop closer ties with the EU. ARDUOUS JOURNEY The journey to EU membership is arduous for candidate countries, as they must reform to meet EU standards on a wide range of issues, from fighting corruption through regulating agriculture to harmonising customs rules. But the war adds a huge extra layer of challenges for both Kyiv and Brussels, raising questions that neither wants to answer at the moment - such as whether Ukraine could join if part of its territory was still occupied by Russian forces. The prospect of Moldovan membership poses similar questions, albeit on a smaller scale, as Russian soldiers are stationed in the country's breakaway Transdniestria region. Ukraine and Moldova will have to navigate not just technical and legal obstacles to membership but also political hurdles. Candidate countries need approval from all 27 EU members to open and close each step of membership negotiations, giving EU governments numerous opportunities to hold up the process. Hungary - which maintains closer ties to Russia than other EU members and does not give arms to Kyiv - held up the start of the talks, citing concerns about the rights and treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine, according to diplomats. Enlarging the EU to include Ukraine and Moldova - and other hopefuls such as Western Balkan countries and Georgia - would need a radical overhaul of EU rules on everything from farm and economic development subsidies to decision-making, analysts say. (Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth and Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (R) arrives before the start of the NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels. -/NATO/dpa Ukraine started negotiations with the European Union on joining the bloc on Tuesday, an important ambition of the country defending against a full-scale invasion from Russia. The negotiations are going to be "rigorous and demanding," Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said to open the talks, speaking on behalf of the EU. "With determination and commitment, we are confident in your capacity to bring it to a successful conclusion," she said. Representatives from the EU and Ukraine met in Luxembourg to officially open the talks on the sidelines of a meeting of EU affairs ministers. The process does not get underway for a few months and is set to last years but opening talks is an important show of EU support. Ukraine is unable to join the bloc while at war with Russia. Moldova is to start their own membership negotiations a few hours later on Tuesday. Olha Stefanishyna (L), Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, follows the speech of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (on screen) during the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. -/European Council/dpa Ukraine started negotiations with the European Union on joining the bloc on Tuesday, an important ambition of the country defending against a full-scale invasion from Russia. The negotiations are going to be "rigorous and demanding," Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said to open the talks, speaking on behalf of the EU. "With determination and commitment, we are confident in your capacity to bring it to a successful conclusion," she said. Joining the EU is a symbol that "thousands of the best sons and daughters of Ukraine have given their lives for," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the opening session via video link. Representatives from the EU and Ukraine met in Luxembourg to officially open the talks on the sidelines of a meeting of EU affairs ministers. The process does not get underway for a few months and is set to last years but opening talks is an important show of EU support. Ukraine is unable to join the bloc while at war with Russia. Moldova is to start their own membership negotiations a few hours later on Tuesday. The EU plans to present the guidelines and principles for the negotiations to the two candidate countries. Substantive talks can then begin within the next twelve months, EU diplomats said. Until then the European Commission is still carrying out an important process called "screening." This examines the extent to which the national law of the candidate countries deviates from EU law. Ukraine applied for EU membership after Russia's full-scale invasion of the former in February 2022. Moldova also applied at the same time. Moldova, like its larger neighbour Ukraine, has a breakaway region called Transnistria that aligns itself with Russia. For Ukraine, the opening of EU accession negotiations is an important symbol of defiance and motivation to continue their defence against Russia. "Today is a historic day as we proceed to actual, real negotiations," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X. "I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine, our country and people. I am grateful to the team that is doing everything to make us part of the European Union," he said. But the start of talks does not mean Ukraine and Moldova will be joining the EU any time soon: every step of the process requires unanimous agreement among current member states, and several other countries have been waiting far longer. EU leaders formally recognized Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for membership one year ago, in June 2023. They granted candidate status to Georgia in December 2023, at the same time as agreeing to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova. The other official candidates are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The last country to be admitted to the EU was Croatia, which joined in 2013. Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 and 10 countries joined in 2004. Olha Stefanishyna (L), Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, and Hadja Lahbib, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, arrive to attend EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference. -/European Council/dpa A general view of the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. -/European Council/dpa Olha Stefanishyna (L), Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, meets with Hadja Lahbib, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, during the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference. -/European Council/dpa Ukraine started negotiations with the European Union on joining the bloc on Tuesday, an important ambition of the country defending against a full-scale invasion from Russia. "The road will be long and [...] will not always be an easy one," Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said afterwards on behalf of the EU in a press conference. "But with unwavering determination, we are confident Ukraine can make it," she said. Marking the symbolic importance of the EU talks for Ukraine, Lahbib paid tribute to the memory of Ukrainian demonstrators shot 10 years ago during pro-Western protests on Kiev's Maidan Square in 2014. "We remember what Ukraine has endured since that day," she said. Ukraine's "historic day" Representatives from the EU and Ukraine met in Luxembourg to officially open the talks on the sidelines of a meeting of EU affairs ministers. The process does not get underway for a few months and is set to last years but opening talks is an important show of EU support. Ukraine is unable to join the bloc while at war with Russia. Moldova started their own membership negotiations a few hours later on Tuesday. Earlier to open the talks, Lahbib said the negotiations were going to be "rigorous and demanding." Joining the EU is a symbol that "thousands of the best sons and daughters of Ukraine have given their lives for," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the opening session via video link. The EU presented the guidelines and principles for the negotiations to the two candidate countries. Substantive talks can then begin within the next twelve months, EU diplomats said. EU symbol of hope for Ukraine Until then the European Commission is still carrying out an important process called "screening." This examines the extent to which the national law of the candidate countries deviates from EU law. Ukraine applied for EU membership after Russia's full-scale invasion of the former in February 2022. Moldova also applied at the same time. Moldova, like its larger neighbour Ukraine, has a breakaway region called Transnistria that aligns itself with Russia. For Ukraine, the opening of EU accession negotiations is an important symbol of defiance and motivation to continue their defence against Russia. "Today is a historic day as we proceed to actual, real negotiations," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X. "I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine, our country and people. I am grateful to the team that is doing everything to make us part of the European Union," he said. Long road ahead for Ukraine But the start of talks does not mean Ukraine and Moldova will be joining the EU any time soon: every step of the process requires unanimous agreement among current member states, and several other countries have been waiting far longer. EU leaders formally recognized Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for membership one year ago, in June 2023. They granted candidate status to Georgia in December 2023, at the same time as agreeing to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova. The other official candidates are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The last country to be admitted to the EU was Croatia, which joined in 2013. Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 and 10 countries joined in 2004. A general view of the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. -/European Council/dpa Olha Stefanishyna (L), Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, follows the speech of Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (on screen) during the EU-Ukraine Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. -/European Council/dpa Key developments on June 25: International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Russia's Shoigu, Gerasimov Czech PM confirms Ukraine received first batch of shells under Prague-led initiative European Court of Human Rights finds Russia guilty of violating human rights in occupied Crimea Ukraine brings back 90 POWs from Russian captivity Ukraine's military intelligence says it set fire to ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on June 25 that it has issued arrest warrants for two Russian security officials leading the country's war effort. Sergei Shoigu, head of Russia's Security Council, and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, are charged with war crimes, particularly "directing attacks at civilian objects," and "causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects." Shoigu and Gerasimov are accused of the "crime against humanity." The charges relate to Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023, the ICC said. Shoigu served as Russia's defense minister at the time of the alleged crimes. The court found that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged strikes were directed against civilian objects." While the energy infrastructure "may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time," the ICC said that "the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage." "Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars," President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted on X. The ICC's decision "clearly demonstrates that no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability," Zelensky said. The charges against Shoigu and Gerasimov follow similar arrest warrants issued against two lower-ranking Russian commanders deemed allegedly responsible for carrying out strikes on Ukraine's electrical infrastructure during the same time period. Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov "are each allegedly responsible" for a number of war crimes, including "directing attacks at civilian objects," the ICC said in March 2024. Only the 2023 winter strikes had caused an estimated $10 billion in damages across Ukraine and left 12 million people with no or limited access to power, according to the United Nations Development Program. The ICC also issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the presidential commissioner for children's rights, for the forcible transfer of children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Russia withdrew from the ICC in 2016 following the court's criticism of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Read also: Who are the 5 Russian propagandists accused of hate crimes against Ukraine? Czech PM confirms Ukraine received first batch of shells under Prague-led initiative Ukraine has received the first batch of artillery shells under the Czech-led initiative, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on June 25. Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Canada, and the Netherlands, have since contributed funds to the Czech initiative, which may result in the delivery of 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in late March. More than 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 million) have been allocated for the effort, according to the prime minister. "The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes," Fiala said. Lipavsky said in mid-June that the first shells purchased under the initiative were arriving in Ukraine "these days." Czech officials did not specify the amount of incoming ammunition. Pavel launched the initiative against the backdrop of Ukraine losing the key front-line city of Avdiivka in February amid a severe ammunition shortage. Russia has since intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and launched a new offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, which has reportedly been halted by the first line of defense. Moscow is still outpacing the West in securing artillery supplies on international markets, the Czech government said, fearing that delayed payments to arms companies could result in millions of munitions being shipped to Moscow rather than Kyiv, the Financial Times reported in late May. Read also: EU Commissioner: EU will match Russias ammunition production in 2025 European Court of Human Rights finds Russia guilty of violating human rights in occupied Crimea The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Russia guilty on June 25 of committing a "pattern or system of violations" of human rights in occupied Crimea since the peninsula was illegally annexed in 2014. The decision stems from several complaints Ukraine brought to the court in the years following Russia's occupation of Crimea. Ukraine argued that Russia had engaged in a "campaign of repression," which included "disappearances; ill-treatment; unlawful detention; impossibility to opt out of Russian citizenship; suppression of Ukrainian media and of the Ukrainian language in schools; pre-trial detention in overcrowded conditions; prosecution and conviction on fabricated charges without a fair trial in reprisal for any pro-Ukrainian stance; and, transfers from Crimea to prisons in Russia." The court unanimously ruled that Russia was guilty of violating 11 different articles of the European Convention of Human Rights: the right to life the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment the right to liberty and security the right to a fair trial no punishment without law the right to respect for private and family life freedom of religion freedom of expression freedom of assembly prohibition of discrimination limitation on (the) use of restrictions on rights The court also found that Russia had violated three protocols of the European Convention: the protection of property, the right to education, and the freedom of movement. Lastly, the ECHR ruled that Russia had failed in its obligations to "furnish necessary facilities for the examination of the case" and that Russia "had to take measures as soon as possible" to bring back prisoners illegally transferred from occupied Crimea to Russia. While the court's ruling did not address the legality of Russia's unlawful annexation, it said that Russia had a duty "to respect the laws already in force on occupied territory, which in this case would have been the pre-existing Ukrainian law." Read also: Top Trump advisors prepare plan for US to halt military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to peace talks Ukraine brings back 90 POWs from Russian captivity Ukraine has brought back 90 people from Russian captivity on June 25 as part of a prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The released captives include 32 personnel of the National Guard, including those who defended the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, 18 border guards, 17 personnel of the Navy, 15 soldiers of the Armed Forces as well as eight of the territorial defense, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. Ukraine brought back 59 defenders of the city of Mariupol, including 52 soldiers who left its stronghold the Azovstal steel plant, according to the headquarters. The former captives were exchanged for 90 Russian soldiers, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country's Defense Ministry. "We remember all our people in Russian captivity. We continue to work for the release of everyone. We are looking for the truth about everyone who may be held by the enemy," Zelensky said. This is the 53rd prisoner exchange since the outbreak of the full-scale war. As of May 31, 3,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been freed from Russian captivity, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. The headquarters thanked the United Arab Emirates for their role in facilitating the latest exchange. The previous prisoner exchange occurred on May 31, with 75 Ukrainians freed from Russian captivity. Before that, on Jan. 3, 230 prisoners were exchanged in the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the subjects at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June. Ukraine's military intelligence says it set fire to ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) set an ammunition depot ablaze in Russia's Voronezh Oblast on June 25, the agency's press service said. The depot is located some 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the border with Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast. The agency shared a video that showed a large plume of smoke in the distance, which it said came from the ammunition depot. Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities. The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the military intelligence claim. Read also: The Counteroffensive: Crossing the gray zone from Russia into Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's military intelligence says it set fire to ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast Operatives from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) detonated an ammunition depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast on June 25, the agency's press service said. Operatives reportedly set fire to a depot in the oblast's Olkhovatsky district, located some 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the border with Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast. The fire resulted in an explosion, the agency said. The ensuing blaze reportedly spread to an area of 3,500 square meters. The agency shared a video that showed a large plume of smoke in the distance, which it said came from the ammunition depot. Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities. Read also: Source: Ukraine destroys Russian Ka-32 helicopter at Moscow airfield Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian musicians, members of armed forces, perform concerts of thanks in Pittsburgh area Musicians from Ukraine who are active in the armed forces are performing around the Pittsburgh area. From the Ukrainian Frontline with Thanks is a music tour dedicated to expressing gratitude to America for its support. The free concerts showcase the stories of the cultural ambassadors. This tour not only highlights the resilience of the Ukrainian people but also underscores the vital role of artistic expression in times of conflict, said June Esser, who with her husband, brought the tour to the region. These world-class musicians will perform Ukrainian music with storytelling and time for the audience to ask questions of their experiences. These will be rich events helping us to understand how Ukrainians are living with the trauma of war while staying true to their profession of music. Performances will be held: June 25 7 p.m., Moondogs, 378 Freeport Road, Blawnox June 26 5 p.m., Ukraine American Club, 302 Mansfield Blvd., Carnegie 7 p.m. Starlite Lounge, 364 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh June 27 11:30 a.m., Market Square Downtown Concert Series, Downtown 7 p.m., Pittsburgh Shrine Center, 1877 Shriners Way, Cheswick Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Long lines at Pittsburgh International Airport cause travelers to miss flights Student loan forgiveness: Federal judges block part of Bidens SAVE plan Security guards walk off the job at Homewood House VIDEO: Ohio man, Butler woman accused of trying to flee traffic stop, pulling state trooper into their car DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Journalists from Ukrainska Pravda have recorded what the centre of Chasiv Yar now looks like after five months of intense offensive by the Russian military. The town in Donetsk Oblast used to be home to 14,000 people, but now it is a battlefield and a strategically important height to deter the offensive on the adjacent Kramatorsk agglomeration. Source: UP journalists; Serhii Chaus, mayor of Chasiv Yar, in a comment to UP Details: The UP journalists, who have been covering the Russian offensive on Chasiv Yar since February, have observed an increase in the number of damaged high-rise buildings, cars burnt by FPV (first-person view) drone attacks, and trees split in half. It is impossible to cross to the part of the city beyond the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal. A local resident named Andrii told UP: "We dont go there anymore. Russia is there." However, we know from the military in the area that the Defence Forces still have positions on the other side of the canal. Some locals have stayed in the town despite the regular Russian bombardments. Mayor Serhii Chaus said that as of 25 June, there are about 650 people living there. The locals live in the basements of high-rise buildings and collect humanitarian aid at the invincibility centre [a heated premises stocked with food and power banks to assist residents facing hardships due to power cuts ed.]. There is only one place in the city where you can get drinking water. Otherwise you have to wait for volunteers to bring it in bottles. There are no communications in the town, only occasional mobile phone coverage. People in Chasiv Yar send messages to their families, including children abroad, through a local volunteer, Yevhen Tkachov, a member of the UN Refugee Agency's Proliska humanitarian mission. The only way to get around the city is by bicycle. On one occasion, UP journalists saw two young men with backpacks on their bicycles evacuating from Chasiv Yar towards the neighbouring settlement of Kostiantynivka. The journalists also met people who have evacuated to nearly relatively peaceful settlements but regularly drive to Chasiv Yar to check whether their homes are still standing. Photos: UP journalists Olha Kyrylenko and Alex Klymov from Chasiv Yar Support UP or become our patron! LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles welcomed Japan's Emperor Naruhito and his wife to London at a Buckingham Palace banquet on Tuesday, celebrating economic, diplomatic and cultural ties on the first day of a three-day state visit. "Our governments are working together to provide a stable world for future generations," said Charles, flanked by Queen Camilla on one side and Naruhito on the other. "Supporting all these shared endeavours are the enduring ties between our people that transcend geography - and that does not just mean how much we enjoy tea and talking about the weather." The emperor's trip, postponed from 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, seeks to deepen the military, cultural and scientific links between the two countries. Naruhito paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was on the throne when the invitation was first issued, highlighted Charles' work on environmental projects and spoke of the strength of diplomatic ties. "The multi-layered collaboration and exchange between our two countries is accelerating in various areas including politics and diplomacy, the economy, culture and the arts, science and technology as well as education," he said. "Our bilateral relations have never been more robust." Charles' son and heir to the throne Prince William had earlier travelled to the hotel where the 64-year-old emperor and Empress Masako were staying, before the trio arrived for a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade on Tuesday. The two heads of state, Charles wearing a top hat, then inspected the Guard of Honour as the rows of soldiers in their traditional scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats stood in the summer heat. They then travelled to Buckingham Palace in a gold-edged horse-driven carriage. The visit is taking place in the run up to an election in Britain on July 4, meaning that some of the usual political elements will be missing. There will be no meeting at Downing Street between the emperor and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, although Sunak and opposition leader Kier Starmer both attended the banquet. The visit comes at a difficult time for the British monarchy, after Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and as William's wife Catherine undergoes preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer. In another setback, Princess Anne, Charles' younger sister, suffered a head injury on Sunday after an incident believed to have involved a horse. While she is expected to make a full recovery, she pulled out of attending the state banquet. Emperor Naruhito came to London in 2022 to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral, and is fond of Britain, having studied here in the early 1980s. He has spoken of the kindness the British royals showed him at that time, including a visit to the royal family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Charles took him fly fishing. The pair took lunch at Buckingham Palace and then viewed Japanese-related items from the royal collection before a tour of Westminster Abbey. (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar, Alexandra Hudson and Bill Berkrot) (KRON) The Colma Police Department is asking for the publics assistance in locating a suspected thief. At 7:19 p.m. on June 9, Colma PD responded to Ulta Beauty in the 100 block of Colma Boulevard for the report of a theft. According to police, officers were informed that the female suspect stole approximately $921 worth of merchandise. The suspect reportedly fled the scene prior to the officers arrival. Nearly $10K of goods stolen from San Mateo Lululemon, 4 arrested Colma PD said the investigation is ongoing Anyone with information or who can identify the suspect is asked to contact the Colma Police Department Detective Bureau at (650) 997-8321. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. NEW DELHI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The indefinite hunger strike of Atishi, a senior minister in the Delhi government, over the ongoing water crisis in India's capital Delhi, ended Tuesday after her hospitalization following a deterioration in her health. The 43-year-old minister was admitted to a local hospital after her blood sugar level dropped to 36. According to Aam Aadmi Party, Atishi did not eat anything for the last five days. Atishi began her hunger strike on June 21 amid a heatwave in Delhi after writing a letter to the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ongoing water shortage, seeking his intervention. She accused neighboring Haryana of not providing adequate water to Delhi, resulting in the water crisis. Police from Kenya stand on the tarmac of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport after landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The first U.N.-backed contingent of foreign police arrived nearly two years after the Caribbean country requested help to quell a surge in gang violence. (AP Photo/Marckinson Pierre) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) The first U.N.-backed contingent of foreign police arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, nearly two years after the troubled Caribbean country urgently requested help to quell a surge in gang violence. A couple hundred police officers from Kenya landed in the capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport reopened in late May after gang violence forced it to close for nearly three months. It wasnt immediately known what the Kenyans first assignment would be, but they will face violent gangs that control 80% of Haitis capital and have left more than 580,000 people homeless across the country as they pillage neighborhoods in their quest to control more territory. Gangs also have killed several thousand people in recent years. The Kenyans arrival marks the fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti. While some Haitians welcome them, others view the force with caution, given that the previous intervention the U.N.s 2004-2017 peacekeeping mission was marred by allegations of sexual assault and the introduction of cholera, which killed nearly 10,000 people. Romain Le Cour, senior expert at Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, urged the international community and government officials to share details, including the missions rules of engagement and concept of operation. What is going to happen vis-a-vis the gangs, he said. Is it a static mission? Is it a moving mission? All those details are still missing, and I think its about time that theres actually transparency. Hours after the Kenyans landed, Prime Minister Garry Conille thanked the East African country for its solidarity, noting that gangs have vandalized homes and hospitals and set libraries on fire, making Haiti unlivable. The country is going through very difficult times, he said at a news conference. Enough is enough. ... Were going to start working little by little to retake the country." Conille said the Kenyans would be deployed in the next couple of days, but he did not provide details. He was accompanied by Monica Juma, Kenya's former minister of foreign affairs who now serves as national security advisor to President William Ruto. She said the Kenyans will serve as agents of peace, of stability, of hope. We stand united in our commitment to support Haiti's National Police to restore public order and security, she said. It is our hope that this will not become a permanent mission. The deployment comes nearly four months after gangs launched coordinated attacks, targeting key government infrastructure in Haitis capital and beyond. They seized control of more than two dozen police stations, fired on the main international airport and stormed Haitis two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Weve been asking for security for the longest time, said Orgline Bossicot, a 47-year-old mother of two who sells carrots and charcoal as a wholesale distributor. Gang violence has stymied her sales, and she tries to stay out as late as possible before sundown to make up for the losses despite being afraid. You dont know whos waiting for you around the corner, she said, adding that she is hopeful about the Kenyan police joining forces with local authorities. Critics say the gang attacks that began Feb. 29 could have been prevented if the foreign force had been deployed sooner, but multiple setbacks including a legal challenge filed in Kenya and political upheaval in Haiti delayed its arrival. The attacks prevented then-Prime Minister Ariel Heny, who at the time was in Kenya to push for the deployment, from returning to Haiti. He resigned in late April as the violence surged. Afterward, a nine-member transitional presidential council chose former U.N. official Conille as prime minister and appointed a new Cabinet in mid-June. Still, the gang violence has persisted, and experts say it will continue unless the government also addresses socioeconomic factors that fuel the existence of gangs in a deeply impoverished country with a severely understaffed and under-resourced police department. Le Cour said the reaction of the gangs to the mission is difficult to predict. Some of them might fight. Some of them might want to negotiate and open dialogue with the Haitian government," he said. In a recent video, Jimmy Cherizier, a former elite police officer who now leads a powerful gang federation known as G9 Family and Allies, addressed the new prime minister for the first time. Do not play into the hands of traditional politicians and businessmen, who used violence for political and economic ends," said Cherizier, best known as Barbecue. "The problem that exists today can only be resolved through dialogue. When asked about Barbecue's comments on Tuesday, Conille responded with a message of his own: Put down the guns and recognize the authority of the state, and then we will see where we go from there. The U.N. Security Council authorized Kenya to lead the multinational police mission in October 2023, a year after Henry first requested immediate help. President Joe Biden praised the arrival of the first contingent, saying that the mission overall will bring much needed relief." The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe in their homes, build better lives for their families, and enjoy democratic freedoms, he said. "While these goals may not be accomplished overnight, this mission provides the best chance of achieving them. Rights groups and others have questioned the use Kenyan police, pointing out the years of allegations against officers of abuses, including extrajudicial killings. On Tuesday, police again were accused of opening fire in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where thousands of protesters stormed the parliament. Kenyan police in Haiti will be joined by police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica for a total of 2,500 officers. They will be deployed in phases at a cost of some $600 million a year, according to the U.N. Security Council. So far, the U.N.-administered fund for the mission has received only $18 million in contributions from Canada, France and the United States. The U.S. also has pledged a total of $300 million in support. While gang violence appears to have receded from its peak earlier this year, the countrys security situation remains dire, the U.N. Security Council said in a June 21 statement. More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in the first three months of this year, a more than 50% increase from the same period last year. Many Haitians live in fear, including Jannette Oville, a 54-year-old mother of two university-age boys. She sells crops like plantains and green peppers, and gangs have robbed her several times as she travels aboard public buses with her goods. She tucks money in her armpit or underwear to try to keep it safe, she said. I need security. I need to work. I need the roads to open up so I can provide for my family, she said. Being a female entrepreneur in Haiti is never easy. Theres a lot of risk. But we take a risk to make sure our families are good. An estimated 1.6 million Haitians are on the brink of starvation, the highest number recorded since the devastating 2010 earthquake, according to the U.N. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Good morning! Working into the night on Monday, the state Senate passed medical marijuana legalization again and then signed off on the Senate GOPs version of the budget. But there was no sign that House and Senate Republicans were moving closer to each other on either issue. Heres what else you need to know about North Carolina politics today, from our team and correspondent Stephanie Loder. MARKING AN ABORTION ANNIVERSARY On the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, North Carolina groups and politicians alternatively denounced and celebrated the ruling on Monday. Two years ago today, the Supreme Court destroyed the constitutional right to abortion access, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. Now Republican leaders are launching assaults that put extreme politicians in control of decisions that should be made between women and their doctors. Your vote this November can stop them. Last year, the Republican-controlled General Assembly enacted a 12-week ban on abortion. Democratic lawmakers invited doctors to a news conference to discuss the impact of the ban on womens health care across the state. The rights we cherish, including access to birth control, are under siege by those who seek to impose their beliefs on others, undermining our autonomy and personal choices, said Sen. Mary Wills Bode, a Granville County Democrat. Robin Wallace, a family physician and abortion provider, said new anti-abortion laws passed since the Dobbs decision have created an intentional chaos, forcing thousands of people to remain pregnant with unwanted or unhealthy pregnancies or to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to obtain routine health care. At the press conference, Bode noted that she and several of her Democratic colleagues had introduced a bill that would guarantee the right to contraception in North Carolina. The NC Values Coalition, a socially conservative, Christian advocacy group, also held a news conference Monday morning to mark the anniversary, which overturned Roe v. Wade and declared the Constitution did not protect a persons right to an abortion. Tami Fitzgerald, the executive director of NC Values, shared statistics on the frequency of abortions in North Carolina. She said abortion regret is a huge issue and brought speakers to the press conference who said they regretted their abortions. A primary concern today are the 1.7 million people who have lost their lives in abortion clinics in North Carolina today, Fitzgerald said. Those are only the ones whove been counted; of equal importance are their mothers. Lawmakers last year reduced the time allowed for an abortion from 20 weeks to 12 weeks, with exceptions. North Carolina still has more permissive abortion laws than many of its Southeast neighbors, which has led patients from neighboring states to travel here for an abortion. But Fitzgerald said these women will always regret their decisions, noting they will remember they brought their babies to North Carolina to die. Hallie Butts, who said she had four abortions, spoke at the press conference and tearfully recounted the impact abortion has had on her wellbeing. She said she was told abortion was a method of birth control, and was coerced and abused into getting the procedures. Never was I given an opportunity to hear about alternatives to ending the lives of my children, Butts said. Stephanie Reinhart, founder of another advocacy group, Restored Life, also spoke about her personal experience with abortion. Reinhart said the father of her baby began pressuring her to get an abortion at the age of 20, which she deemed the greatest regret of her lifetime. After my last abortion, I just wanted to die, Reinhart said. Fitzgerald ended the press conference by urging pregnant women, notably those with unexpected pregnancies, to reach out for resources as they seek guidance and alternatives beyond abortion. -Vivienne Serret and Kyle Ingram DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PROTEST DHHS Disability rights activists in wheelchairs chanted Id rather go to jail than die in a nursing home on Monday and blocked the doors outside the Department of Health and Human Services in Raleigh in protest. An estimated 50 protesters with ADAPT, a national grassroots disability rights group, worked in 90-degree temperatures and handed out leaflets with their demands for North Carolina, including: Affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities. Support to live in integrated settings. Increased state funding for people with disabilities. Equitable person-centered care delivered in homes. ADAPT wants to stop institutional bias in Medicaid and argues that people with disabilities are forced from their homes and into institutions and nursing homes, according to a leaflet. Protesters some from as far away as Boston, Minnesota and Pennsylvania demanded to speak Monday with Kody Kinsley, secretary of DHHS. N.C. ADAPT chapter member Nicky Voyte, of Greensboro, said her group has been unsuccessful in meeting with Kinsley. A DHHS spokesperson said the activists declined an opportunity Monday to come inside the building and talk with senior executives. Get the full story from Emmy Martin here. DMV TO DRIVE UP COSTS JULY 1 Prices have gone up for real estate and grocery shopping, so it just seems like a natural progression that the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles would raise fees this year. The DMV is required by state law to raise fees every four years, in keeping with any Consumer Price Index changes. A few examples of DMV cost increases beginning July 1 include: A Class C drivers license will cost $52 instead of $44. The annual fee for a private vehicle registration increases from $38.75 to $46.25. A learners permit and a provisional license go up to $25.50, an increase of $4. A duplicate license or ID will cost $16.75 instead of $14. Overall, fees are increasing an average of more than 19% for about 90 different DMV transactions. As if the fee increases arent enough,tack on a processing fee of up to 2% for using your credit or debit card when making a DMV transaction. The fee is part of a provision in last years state budget. Get the full story from Richard Stradling here. Thats all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol news. You can sign up to receive the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters . Want your friends to get our email, too? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up. We want to know what you would like to see in the Under the Dome newsletter . Do you like highlights from the legislature? Political analysis? Do you have a question youd like The News & Observer team to answer? Tell us here. You can also email us at dome@newsobserver.com Dont forget to follow our tweets and listen to our Under the Dome podcast for more developments. When asked how he was able to get off the streets, Eric Brewer said, supports and housing. Before that I could not take care of my mental state, he said, I was in survival mode. (Maine Morning Star) Theres all different kinds of homelessness, said Eric Brewer, addressing a small crowd of advocates and unhoused people who gathered in Tommys Park in Portland on Tuesday. People tend to stereotype those who are unhoused, he continued, but this population includes folks who are couch surfing, staying with a relative for a while or in a sober living residence. Brewer, who is on disability, lived in and out of shelters for 15 months beginning in May 2019, when he lost his apartment after his parents died and he was unable to afford rent. What were doing here is putting a face to all of this, he said. People are not homeless by choice. Brewer is a member of Homeless Voices for Justice, which hosted its 17th annual Longest Day of Homelessness sit-out Tuesday to highlight the tragedy and injustice of homelessness regardless of the time of year. Other local groups including Milestone Recovery, Equality Maine, the Homeless Services Center, the Portland Public Library and Preble Street had tables of information for passersby. The event, which was held days after the summer solstice, coincided with potentially significant developments both in Maine and nationally for unhoused people. On Monday evening, the Bangor City Council passed an ordinance banning people from loitering on certain road medians a move the ACLU of Maine argues violates the First Amendment rights of unhoused people. And later this week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on an Oregon town ordinance that banned people from sleeping outdoors, which could have broad implications for the rights of unhoused people across the country. Homeless Voices for Justice and other groups hosted the 17th annual Longest Day of Homelessness sit-out on June 25, 2024. (Maine Morning Star) Every January, the state counts how many people are experiencing homelessness. This year, 2,695 people were counted living in shelters, transitional housing, emergency motels or unsheltered. Although that is about 1,000 fewer than the year before, the Maine State Housing Authority said the drop reflects a change in available support programs, rather than fewer people actually facing a housing crisis. Like Brewer, several of the speakers Tuesday are either currently or formerly unhoused. Many pointed to the challenges they face living on the streets. Theres only so much trauma a human can endure, said Brian Arborio, who recently got housing after living in shelters for nearly three years. In addition to surviving outdoors, he said unhoused people experience violence, stigma from the public, and harassment from law enforcement. In addition to drawing attention to the hazards of homelessness, the sit-out is meant to educate the public and promote discussion on the policies needed to make Portland and Maine more welcoming. The solution to homelessness is more homes, Arborio said to applause. On Tuesday, the Portland City Planning Board is meeting to discuss a proposal from Avesta to develop 48 housing first units that include crisis intervention, harm reduction and wrap-around services. This proposal was held up by several speakers as a model that should be supported and replicated across the state. Brewer said the relocation of services in recent years from Portlands city center to its outskirts is making it harder for people to get the support they need. A better approach, he said, would be to centralize services. When asked how he was able to get off the streets, Brewer said, supports and housing. Before that I could not take care of my mental state, he said, I was in survival mode. Brewer was able to get into a shelter that gave him access to counselors who, along with his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, helped him stay on track. With those supports in place I could build a community around me, a network. Now for the past three and half years hes been living in an apartment, he has a car, he volunteers with the Portland Recovery Community Center. Hes finishing up his bachelors degree with the University of Southern Maine in social and behavioral sciences. He said hes now in a position where he can give back, and it feels good. AnnMarie Hilton contributed to this report. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Unhoused people, advocates put a face to Maines homelessness crisis appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Insights from the BBC, The New Arab, Reuters, and ReliefWeb The News Nearly four million children in Sudan face acute malnutrition as a result of the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, the head of the United Nations childrens agency warned. Catherine Russell told the BBC that as many as nine million children in Sudan dont get enough to eat, and that it may already be too late to save some of them. The war, which began in April 2023, has restricted organizations capabilities to deliver vital aid. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Ongoing conflict limits aid deliveries Sources: The New Arab, BBC Both warring sides are blocking humanitarian aid from reaching people in need, creating obstacles like bureaucratic hurdles, limits to entry points, lack of security guarantees, attacks on humanitarian workers, looting, and telecommunications outages, The New Arab wrote. Russell told the BBC that while she couldnt confirm hunger was being used as a weapon of war, it was a 100% man made crisis, while the head of a UN fact-finding Mission for Sudan said last week that it was hard to see the situation improving without an immediate ceasefire. Parts of Sudan are likely already in famine despite lack of official declaration Sources: Reuters, International Rescue Committee, The New Arab A famine has not been officially declared in Sudan, but a US special envoy to the country told Reuters that some parts have already reached that stage. Because both the army and paramiltary are blocking access to data collection, famine may never be formally declared, the International Rescue Committee noted. Even if it were, a senior researcher at a Dutch think tank told The New Arab that a formal determination often comes when the situation on the ground has already reached the point of catastrophe. By that time, any food aid will come too late to rescue anyone in this category, she said. Humanitarian crisis extends beyond countrys border Sources: ReliefWeb, UNHCR, National Centre for Social Research The consequences of the Sudan conflict are also being felt in neighboring countries, a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted, with border nations like Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan becoming destinations for refugees. Almost 600,000 people have fled from Sudan to Chad since early 2023, according to the UNHCR, contributing to a humanitarian crisis in the country. In Egypt, the arrival of refugees adds new pressure to an already struggling economy, the National Centre for Social Research wrote. Years after questions were raised about their integrity, two of the University of Minnesota's highest-profile scientific discoveries have been retracted in one week one that offered hope over the therapeutic potential of stem cells and another that offered a promising path toward treating Alzheimer's disease. The studies are more than a decade old and superseded by other discoveries in their fields. But the retractions of the Alzheimer's paper on Monday and the stem cell paper on June 17 are setbacks for an institution that is fighting to move up the U.S. rankings in academic reputation and federal research dollars. Both studies were published in the prestigious journal Nature and collectively have been cited nearly 7,000 times. Researchers worldwide were using these papers to support their work years after they had been disputed. That shows the harm in the drawn-out university investigation and the journal's retractions, said Dr. Matthew Schrag, a neurologist who scrutinized the Alzheimer's paper in 2022 outside of his role at Vanderbilt University. "We are squandering not only resources but the credibility and reputation of our profession by failing to address obvious misconduct." The university in a statement on Tuesday said that it has many ethics requirements that weren't in place when these papers were published that should prevent future disputes and retractions. The discoveries were notable in their days because they offered unexpected solutions to vexing scientific and political problems. Dr. Catherine Verfaillie and colleagues in 2002 reported that they coaxed mesenchymal stem cells from adult bone marrow into growing numerous other cell types and tissues in the body. Only stem cells from early-stage human embryos had shown such regenerative potential at that time, and they were controversial because they were derived from aborted fetuses or leftover embryos from infertility treatments. President George W. Bush had banned federal funding for embryonic research, fueling a search for alternative stem cell sources. Dr. Karen Ashe and colleagues similarly gained global attention in 2006 when they found a molecular target that appeared influential in the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which remains incurable and a leading source of dementia and death in America's aging population. Mice mimicking that molecule, amyloid beta star 56, showed worse memory loss based on their ability to navigate a maze. Ashe theorized that a drug targeting that molecule could help people overcome or slow Alzheimer's debilitating effects. The problems leading to the retractions were remarkably similar. Colleagues at other institutions struggled to replicate their findings, which prompted others to look closer at the images of cellular or molecular activity in mice on which their findings were based. Peter Aldhous first raised concerns in 2006 over the stem cell discovery as a science journalist and San Francisco bureau chief for New Scientist magazine. "The big claim that these were essentially the same as embryonic stem cells and can differentiate into anything, nobody was able to replicate that," he said. Verfaillie and colleagues corrected the Nature paper in 2007, which contained an image of cellular activity in mice that appeared identical to an image in a different paper that supposedly came from different mice. The U then launched an investigation over complaints of image duplications or manipulations in more of Verfaillie's papers. It eventually cleared her of misconduct, but blamed her for inadequate training and oversight and claimed that a junior researcher had falsified data in a similar study published in the journal Blood. That article was retracted in 2009. Concerns resurfaced in 2019 over the Nature stem cell paper when Elisabeth Bik, a microbiologist-turned-research detective, found more examples of image duplication. Bik also turned out to be a key critic of Ashe's Alzheimer's discoveries, raising concerns about images in her Nature paper and related studies. Much of the blame has fallen on coauthor Sylvain Lesne, a U neuroscientist who was responsible for the published images. Lesne did not reply to a request for comment, but authorized the university to disclose that it completed its internal investigation into the Nature paper without finding evidence of misconduct. Reviews of other publications from Lesne's lab are ongoing. Changes over the past decade at the university have sought to reduce academic scandals, including a system added in 2008 for anonymous reporting and for managing accusations. All researchers leading studies at the U are now trained in avoiding conflicts of interest, plagiarism and misconduct. The retractions are "painful" but the university accepts the journal's decisions and remains committed to ethical research, said Shashank Priya, vice president for research and innovation. "What I know is that the vast majority of researchers ... go to their labs, their fields or their classrooms everyday with a strong sense of purpose and integrity." Even as the papers continue to be cited, researchers have turned to other targets. Ashe has pivoted to the search for a medication that can prevent dysfunctional tau proteins from disrupting the brain's thinking cells, or neurons. Ashe said she agreed to the Nature retraction reluctantly because she had published follow-up research that offered fresh proof of her findings and recommended a correction to the Nature paper that would have further upheld those findings. "When the editors decided not to publish the correction, however, I opted to retract the article," she said in an email, adding that "we are encouraged by results of ongoing experiments about Abeta*56, and continue to believe that it could improve our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and the development of better treatments." Lesne was the only coauthor to disagree with the retraction, even though Nature stated that the paper contained "excessive manipulation, including splicing, duplication and the use of an eraser tool" to edit the images. Verfaillie directed the university's stem cell institute and remained involved in its research even after returning to Belgium in 2006. The recent retiree did not reply to an email for comment, but said in a translation of a Belgium newspaper article that the retraction is "a stain on our reputation." Nature called for the correction because Verfaillie and other authors couldn't locate authentic images to prove the validity of their research. "There is indeed a problem with a photo," she said. "We have not found the correct photo twenty years after the research was conducted. But even without that photo, the conclusion still stands." The dispute over the utility of mesenchymal stem cells became less important in 2007, when Shinya Yamanaka revealed a process for reprogramming mouse skin cells so that they could mimic the versatility of embryonic stem cells. Others were able to repeat the process, which earned the Japanese researcher a share of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2012. Aldhous said it is disappointing that it took years to resolve questions over the Alzheimer's paper, and much longer to do the same over the stem cell paper. He said he doesn't believe the university has adequately solved whether the researchers made repeated mistakes or committed intentional misconduct. The junior researcher blamed for errors in one stem cell paper was not involved in other disputed papers, he noted. However, he said it is arguably more important to quickly correct the scientific record so that faulty or unsubstantiated research doesn't influence other scientists and send them in wrong directions. "Why have we had to wait for so long to consign this to the trash can, essentially?" he asked. "This should have happened years ago." SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The University of Utah said some of its student resource centers will soon be closed or otherwise reorganized once House Bill 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives goes into effect on July 1. Under HB 261, Equal Opportunity Initiatives, student services must be available to all students and not provided to individual students based on personal identity characteristics,' the university explained in a press release. READ NEXT: Weber States LGBTQ+ Center closing amid DEI overhaul HB 261 was signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in January 2024, and prohibits higher education institutions, government employers, and the public education system from taking certain actions and engaging in discriminatory practices. To comply with the new law, the U of U will close three current resource centers the Center for Equity and Student Belonging, the Womens Resource Center, and the LGBT Resource Center. Those resources will then be reorganized into two different centralized centers, the university said. As weve evaluated how best to comply with the legislation, I want to be clear that weve faced very difficult decisions, Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald said in the release. The U of U also said it will centralize other resources for students including advising, mental health and wellness services, and scholarship coordination in its new Center for Student Access and Resources. The university is also planning to create a new Community and Cultural Engagement Center, should it be approved by the Utah Board of Higher Education. This center is expected to focus on cultural education and celebration among other similar topics. Additionally, the universitys American Indian Resource Center will undergo a name change, and will be called the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement. That center will continue to work with tribal nations. The law and subsequent guidance require a foundational change in how we approach student support, and we will follow the law, McDonald said. This isnt about changing the words we use; were changing how we approach the work. Another resource that will remain open is the Black Cultural Center building at Fort Douglas, which will be a community gathering space. While some of the centers are being closed and moved around, the university said no staff positions have been eliminated, but some work and job descriptions will change. The university also said it will continue to celebrate cultural heritage months, Juneteenth, Pride Week, Womens Week, and Martin Luther King Jr. Week. As this new organization takes shape, I am confident that our students, faculty and staff will continue to receive the personalized support and services they need to thrive and succeed as we foster an ongoing culture of care, Provost Mitzi Montoya said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. UNLV police officers to be honored as heroes for actions during Las Vegas campus shooting LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Two UNLV police officers are being honored for their actions during a shooting last year that left three people dead and another injured on the campus. UNLV Detective Nathaniel Drum and UNLV Officer Damian Garcia were selected to receive the 2023-24 Award for Valor by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The two men are being honored for their valiant actions during the shooting on Dec. 6, 2023, on the UNLV campus. On Jan. 2, 2024, signs remained on the doors at UNLVs Beam Hall indicating the building is closed for repairs following a campus shooting on Dec. 6, 2023. (KLAS) These heroes epitomize the true essence of bravery, and I am proud of all they did on that dark day, said Vice President and Director Garcia in making the announcement. Three UNLV professors died in the shooting and a visiting professor was critically injured. Police shot the shooter during a gunfight. The award will be presented to the officers on Wednesday in New Orleans, Louisiana. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Unsafe abandoned building still causing problems for neighbors AUSTIN (KXAN) The City of Austin approved the demolition of an abandoned building on Old Koenig Lane, just north of Lamar Boulevard, in April, but the timeline of when it will actually get torn down is in flux. Encampments have popped up and neighbors have reported an uptick in crime nearby, as well as visible illicit drug activity in and around the property itself. Those buildings, being empty as they are, theyve attracted a lot of folks that are doing a lot of drugs and things Id rather not have right here in the neighborhood, said Travis Jordan, who lives nearby. Im concerned for my kids, we go that way to school, a lot of kids walk by there. The property is across the street from McCallum High School and next to a daycare. Brentwood residences have created a neighborhood watch in response to the activity. You can see the letter of concern they sent to elected city officials below. City-Council-Letter-Demo-of-900-Old-Koenig-Lane-Download That letter cites previous KXAN coverage of a fire at the building in March. The fire department said a person experiencing homelessness caused the fire. City: Property owner misses deadline to complete demolition In the beginning of May, the Building and Standards Commission provided the property owner with a notification that began a 45-day window for them to acquire permits and complete the demolition and subsequent inspection, according to the Citys Development Services Department. As noted in the order, since that timeline has passed, the City is now authorized to proceed with the demolition process, the department said in a statement. The next step in this process is to issue a letter to the property owner notifying them of Failure to Comply with the BSC Order. RELATED: North Austin abandoned building catches fire amid community concerns The City is issuing that letter this week, the department said. From there, if the property owner still does not do anything, the capacity for the City to move forward with the demolition process will depend on available funding. There is no current timeline as to when the city will be able to tear down the structure. The Building and Standards Commission noted 15 official complaints about the building over the course of about one year, and the City has previously told KXAN its aware of concerns relating to the substandard structure. Commissioners noted safety concerns at the public hearing addressing the demolition. An attorney speaking on behalf of the property owner asked for the standard 45-day timeline to get extended to 90 days. The majority of commissioners moved to deny that claim, citing safety concerns from community members and the Austin Fire Department. The property owners attorney said the owner wants to demolish the buildings and tried to last year, but some glitches prevented them from doing so. Austins Development Services Department said the property owner is still responsible for the costs of the demolition as outlined below via the Building and Standards Commission: The Commission ORDERS on the forty-sixth (46th) day if compliance is not achieved: a. the Code Official is authorized to proceed with demolition and, to consider all portions of the commercial structure including any items in and around the structure, as debris, and dispose of as such; and b. the property owner shall be on notice that the Code Official is authorized to assess all expenses incurred against the property unless exempted by the Texas Constitution. A lien for those expenses may be filed by the City of Austin and recorded with Travis County Deed Records. Interest shall accrue at a rate of 10 percent per year from the date of the assessment until paid in full. City of Austin Development Services Departmeny As this scenario plays out through the complexities of city politics, neighbors have a simple message. I would like to see the buildings cleared off, Jordan said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Counter-narcotics police have destroyed a total of 517 acres of poppy farms in north Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, said a statement of provincial police on Tuesday. The illegal crop has been destroyed in Argo and Khash districts over the past two days, the statement asserted. Without providing more details, the statement noted that police will not allow anyone to cultivate poppy or any other illegal crops in the province. Thousands of acres of poppy fields have been destroyed in Afghanistan since early this year, according to the officials. The Afghan caretaker government banned poppy cultivation and its processing to drug and drug trafficking in April 2022, and since then, the administration has been fighting to eliminate the drug menace in the once poppy-growing country. NORTH PORT The most significant revelations from the first of two workshop days about the city of North Ports 2024-25 budget is that the property tax rate will remain unchanged, as city officials are using about $2 million in unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds to make ends meet, while leaving its reserve fund $537,432 above the required cushion of 20% of operating budget. On the surface, things look rosy. A 16% increase in taxable city property values a jump from $8.5 billion to almost $9.9 billion combined with the 3.7667 mill property tax rate will generate at least $35.8 million in property taxes, a healthy $4.9 million more than this years budget, with more than $3 million of that coming through new construction. The North Port City Commission hosted the first day of a two-day budget workshop Monday. Mondays proceedings did little to change the overall budget. Commissioners achieved consensus to save $6,800 by ending its membership to the National League of Cities and $1,900 by canceling the purchase of challenge coins but also told staff they wanted to spend $75,600 that had been left out of the budget, so the IT department can replace a computer system firewall. American Rescue Plan Act funds shore up North Port general fund budget Most of the American Rescue Plan money being used to balance the budget had been earmarked for a joint project with Charlotte County to improve the intersection of Hillsborough and Cranberry boulevards. Delays in acquiring land needed for drainage pushed the anticipated completion date beyond the required December 2026 deadline. In addition to the $1.3 million earmarked for that, the expansion of water and sewer to Toledo Blade Boulevard is coming in $274,699 under budget, while expansion of water and sewer to Sumter Boulevard and Interstate 75 came in $451,822 under budget. Combined, that creates the pool of about $2 million. The federal grant allowed municipalities to use funding for general government services, something North Port did with $570,000 for the 2022-23 budget year. In total, North Port received $8.4 million in federal ARPA funding following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some city services to be reduced City Manager Jeome Fletcher said that overall, the budget is built to fulfill the citys strategic plan, as established by the five city commissioners, though there also about $4.1 million in unfunded budget requests. When I say that were starting to compromise services, were there, Fletcher said. The reality is, if we dont have more revenue coming in, were going to have to cut more expenses. The board got through 11 departments Monday and were scheduled to finish up with four departments and capital improvement budgets Tuesday morning. But this year's budget talks were somewhat overshadowed by a Wednesday morning special meeting where the commission will discuss language for a proposed charter amendment that would give the city the ability to borrow money through revenue bonds without repeatedly seeking voter approval. The city would still need to hold a referendum to issue general obligation bonds, which are backed by property taxes. Police wait out need for a new station The commission ended Mondays workshop with the Police Department. Fletcher pointed out that even with a proposed $35.5 million in spending and the hiring of nine new people, it was a prime example for his caution about an area where services would be sacrificed without additional revenue. For example, the department is meeting its goal of a 10-minute average response time within the 104 square mile city, but is straining to do so. The police are doing the best that they can and keeping up their (response) rates with the team that they have but they need more than we can provide in this budget, Fletcher said. Commissioner Debbie McDowell, pointing to two unfunded 911 operator positions, asked Police Chief Todd Garrison whether the hiring of a proposed recruiting specialist could be cut back. Garrison noted that as all departments in the area continue to raise their salaries, recruiting is becoming tougher, while the talent pool for 911 operators needs to be restocked too, with that recruiter making an appeal in schools. The current recruiter also serves as a background investigator. Were starting to see the breaking point of our staff, Garrison said. Were asking staff to keep doing more and more with less and less and its a moral issue; people start to break and before you know it, people start leaving you. Both McDowell and Vice Mayor Phil Stokes were surprised that a $485,000 request to lease two portable units for extra space went unfunded too. Garrison said what he needs is a new police station, but added that the department will be as creative as possible. The citys going to continue to grow, our needs, our resources are going to continue to grow and I have a police department to run," Garrison said. The safety and security of the city and the people within it are paramount and well make do. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Unspent federal funds help North Port balance proposed 2024-25 budget Transmission lines | Robert Zullo/States Newsroom After filing a request earlier this year for a permanent waiver in how it counts power outages, Upper Peninsula Power Co. has withdrawn its application, according to a Monday announcement from the Department of Attorney General. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel intervened in April on the case before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The MPSC which regulates energy companies within the state introduced updated service quality rules in 2023, which included stricter requirements on repeated outages. Customers who experience six or more outages in a 12 month period are entitled to a $38 outage credit. Under the updated rules, energy utilities are required to track the number of outages and provide an automatic credit to customers, who previously had to apply for it. In its request to the MPSC, Upper Peninsula Power Co. asked for a permanent waiver of one of the rules tied to repeated power interruptions, asking the commission to allow it to report a single sustained outage during catastrophic conditions even if service was lost and restored multiple times. Catastrophic conditions are defined as events where 10% or more of a companys customers are without power. While the company cited the rural and heavily wooded nature of its coverage area when justifying its request, Nessel deemed the request unreasonable and unnecessary. On Thursday, the company filed its request to withdraw the waiver request. In a statement, Nessel said she was glad to see the request withdrawn, but voiced concerns about Upper Peninsula Power Co.s compliance with the outage credit rules. In response, she filed a request with the MPSC, asking staff to ensure the company has effective processes in place to evaluate all outages eligible for automatic credit, and to issue those credits in a timely manner. She also asked the commission to determine if Upper Peninsula Power Co. has issued billing credits in a timely manner since April 10, 2023, when the revised rules on outage credits took effect. If not, Nessel urged the company to provide supplemental credits for each month of delay. Under the updated service quality rules, companies are required to issue the credit within 90 days. While I am glad that [Upper Peninsula Power Co.] has withdrawn its request, I remain deeply concerned about the companys compliance with the outage credits rules, Nessel said. As the state regulator of [the company] the MPSC must carefully oversee the companys adherence, and all audit results should be made public. If [the company] fails to issue bill credits in a timely manner, they must compensate affected customers. Just as [Upper Peninsula Power Co.] charges late fees on customers for overdue bills, the company should face consequences for failing to issue the legally required outage credits on time, Nessel said. In her request, Nessel stressed that the company should not attempt to recover the supplemental outage credit costs in future rate cases. The MPSC will determine how the matter is resolved. Brett French, Upper Peninsula Power Co.s vice president of business development and communications, did not respond to a request for comment. The post Upper Peninsula Power Co. withdraws request for waiver on outage credit rules appeared first on Michigan Advance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the US will provide funding for the printing of childrens books and school textbooks. Source: President Zelenskyys video address on 24 June Quote from Zelenskyy: "I also want to thank the United States today for a new decision that will support the people of Ukraine. This timely humanitarian decision involves US funding for the urgent printing of childrens books in Ukraine." Details: Zelenskyy said that the US funding will enable three million books to be printed, including textbooks that will be printed ahead of the new school year. Ukrainian publisher Chytomo said that the US White House has officially announced this funding decision. As part of the announcement, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the textbooks will be delivered to more than 12,000 schools across the country. Sullivans statement makes it clear that this funding decision was made in part in response to Russias attack on the Faktor-Druk printing house in Kharkiv. Background: A Russian missile strike on the Faktor-Druk printing house in Kharkiv on 23 May destroyed 50,000 books, and put Ukraines publishing capacity at risk of being reduced by almost 40%. Following the attack, Ukrainians began offering support to the publishers that had printed in this printing house: fundraising, buying books, and sharing information about the destruction. The destroyed books were later presented during the Book Arsenal book fair. During a Book Arsenal panel discussion, it was reported that American billionaire Howard Buffett and his foundation would help restore the printing facilities of the destroyed printing house in Kharkiv and provide grants for Ukrainian publishers and printing houses. Support UP or become our patron! The U.S. is preparing to announce a military aid package for Ukraine worth about $150 million, the Associated Press reported on June 24, citing two unnamed American officials. The new package, which is set to be unveiled on Tuesday, will include new HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rockets, anti-armor weaponry, small arms and grenades, as well as 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells, AP reported, citing its sources. On June 1, the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use American-supplied weapons, including HIMARS rockets, to strike targets in Russia located near the border with Kharkiv Oblast, and over the past month, Ukraine's armed forces have used U.S.-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Washington still prohibits Ukraine from using ATACMS and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons for strikes deeper inside Russia, according to U.S. officials. Earlier on Monday, Russia claimed Ukraine used American-provided weapons in a strike on occupied Crimea on June 23 that allegedly killed four people and injured 151. The reports could not be independently verified, and Ukraine has not commented on the news at this time. U.S. officials speaking to the Associated Press could not verify whether ATACMS were included in the next tranche of support for Ukraine. In April, the U.S. passed a long-awaited $61 billion aid package, with much of it covering military aid. The Pentagon announced on April 26 that it was ready to move forward with sending $1 billion worth of weapons to Kyiv from U.S. stockpiles. The U.S. subsequently sent three other aid packages in the following months, authorizing a $400 million defense aid package, followed by $275 million, and a $225 million aid package in early June. Over the winter months, Ukraine suffered a critical shortage of artillery shells, in large part due to delays in U.S. military aid. Russia has taken advantage of this, taking the city of Avdiivka in February. Read also: Zelensky to sign EU-Ukraine security agreement in Brussels this week Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. Army said it fired its newly fielded Precision Strike Missile from the Pacific island of Palau and engaged a moving target at sea, marking the first time the weapon has been used outside of American-based testing sites. The first set of Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSM, were delivered to the Army in December 2023 to begin replacing the legacy Army Tactical Missile System. Soldiers from the 3rd Multidomain Task Force and the 1-181 Artillery Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard participating in Valiant Shield a major U.S. Pacific Command exercise launched two PrSMs from the Armys Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (AML) and was able to engage a moving maritime target in conjunction with other joint assets, the Army said in a statement. The participation of PrSM and AML in the Combined Joint Live Fire SINKEX in Palau is a significant milestone in the Armys development of long-range fires capabilities, according to the statement. The AML launcher, still in prototype form, will be able to operate in a convoy and use autonomous way point navigation, tele-operation and remote launcher turret and fire control operations. The missile which can launch from both the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System will be critical to the service as it seeks a deep-strike capability that can counter Russian and Chinese technologies. Both European- and Indo-Pacific-based U.S. commanders have been eager to receive the capability that can hit targets at standoff locations greater than 400 kilometers. Hitting a moving target at sea from land is extremely challenging. For example, the Armys HIMARS rockets missed a ship during a live-fire exercise off the coast of a Philippine training facility near Subic Bay in 2023. The service identified challenges with targeting because the munitions were not able to easily account for drift. Drifting at sea is a complex problem because ships can move 30 to 40 meters in the time it takes to lock in a target and fire a munition. A PrSM with a ship-killing seeker would make the task much easier. Lockheed development The program originally began as a competition between Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), but the latter struggled to get the weapon ready for flight tests during the programs technology maturation and risk reduction phase. The Army and RTX mutually decided to end the effort in March 2020. Lockheed continued alone in development and flight testing for the first increment. The Army approved the PrSM program to move into the engineering and manufacturing development phase in September 2021, awarding the company a $62 million contract for early operational capability production. The service again awarded Lockheed another $158 million a year later for additional early operational-capability PrSMs. The Army is planning add-ons, including an enhanced seeker to better defeat moving targets at sea as well as technology to provide increased lethality and extended range. The priority for the PrSM in the near term is to pursue a maritime, ship-killing capability. Lockheed and an RTX and Northrop Grumman team will compete for a subsequent phase of the PrSM program. The Army awarded RTX a $97.7 million contract in February 2023 to advance its design for a Long Range Maneuverable Fires program, planned to become the PrSM Increment 4 effort. Lockheed won a $33 million contract to develop capability for the increment around the same time. That increment focuses on dramatically extending the range of PrSM, possibly from its planned 499 kilometers (310 miles) to more than double that distance. Americas 2019 withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia has allowed the U.S. Army to develop the missile to fly farther. The treaty had prevented the development of missiles with ranges between 499 kilometers and 5,000 kilometers. In October 2021, the Army conducted a long-range flight test of PrSM that is believed to have exceeded the current range requirement of 499 kilometers. US to clarify enforcement of antitrust laws in meatpacking By Leah Douglas (Reuters) -Livestock farmers in the U.S. would have a clearer path to bringing antitrust complaints against meatpacking companies for unfair business practices under a rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday. The proposed rule is the fourth introduced by President Joe Biden's administration to boost competition in the highly consolidated meatpacking industry. Earlier rules would require fairer pay to chicken farmers, enhance transparency in poultry contracts, and prohibit retaliation against chicken farmers for raising concerns about anti-competitive behavior. The rule proposed on Tuesday would clarify how farmers and ranchers should prove they have been harmed by alleged anti-competitive behavior of meatpackers and will better enable the USDA to enforce antitrust laws, the agency said in a press release. "Entrenched market power and the abuses that flow from it remain an obstacle to achieving lower prices for consumers and fairer practices for producers," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. "Todays proposed rule stands for clear, transparent standards so that markets function fairly and competitively for consumers and producers alike." Farmers have argued that current regulations set the bar too high for proving they have been harmed by anti-competitive behavior, hindering their ability to seek recourse from USDA. "Farmers have long deserved this certainty," said Sarah Carden, research and policy development director for Farm Action, a farmer advocacy group. The North American Meat Institute, a trade group, said in a statement the rule would expose meat packers to litigation and uncertainty. "Under these proposed rules, everyone loses, the livestock producer, the packer and ultimately the consumer," said Julie Anna Potts, the group's president and CEO, in the statement. The proposed rule will be open to public comment for 60 days. (Reporting by Leah DouglasEditing by Bill Berkrot and David Gregorio) US will finance printing of 3 million textbooks for Ukrainian students The United States, through USAID, will finance the printing of over 3 million textbooks for primary school students in Ukraine, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced. These textbooks, produced in Ukraine, will be distributed to more than 12,000 schools across the country. Last year, Ukraine received its first batch of free textbooks for the New Ukrainian School curriculum from the EU. This USAID initiative supports Ukraine's publishing industry, following the destruction of the Faktor Druk printing house in Kharkiv by Russian forces. Faktor-Druk produces books for 30 Ukrainian publishing houses and accounts for a third of books in Ukraine, the companys CEO Tatyana Grinyuk told the Kyiv Independent. Operating since 1996, the facility employs over 400 people and churned out 450 million books, newspapers, and magazines every year before the full-scale invasion. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, 20% of the printing house's output was foreign orders for around 200 publishing houses. Sullivan emphasized that Russia's attacks on Ukrainian printing houses are an attempt to undermine the education system. The countrys literary mecca, Kharkiv, prints 80% of all books published in Ukraine. In recent weeks the city has come under constant attack as Russia opened a new offensive just dozens of kilometers north of the city on May 10. Read also: Education Ministry changes postgraduate enrolment conditions to fight draft evasion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. FILE PHOTO: A screen displays the company logo for Mastercard Inc. on the floor at the NYSE in New York By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected a $30 billion antitrust settlement in which Visa and Mastercard agreed to limit fees they charge merchants that accept their credit and debit cards. U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn said she was not likely to grant final approval to the settlement, and therefore denied the request by a group of merchants, primarily small businesses, for preliminary approval. Many merchants and trade groups including the National Retail Federation opposed the accord, saying card fees would remain too high, while Visa and Mastercard would retain too much control over card transactions. The decision could force Visa and Mastercard to negotiate a settlement more favorable to merchants, or go to trial. Brodie will issue a written opinion explaining her reasoning after giving merchants and the card networks until June 28 to propose redactions. Visa and Mastercard said they were disappointed with the outcome. Lawyers for merchants that wanted to settle did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The settlement announced on March 26 was intended to resolve most litigation that began in 2005 over so-called swipe fees, also known as interchange fees, that merchants pay to accept Visa and Mastercard, and which the card networks set. Those fees, typically 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, totaled about $72 billion in 2023 according to the Nilson Report. They generate profits for bank and other card issuers, which funnel many fees into rewards programs that encourage consumers to spend more. The settlement called for the average swipe fee to fall at least 0.04 percentage point for three years, and stay at least 0.07 percentage point below the current average for five years. SMALL AND TEMPORARY RELIEF Visa and Mastercard also agreed to cap rates for five years and remove anti-steering provisions that prevent merchants from steering customers to cheaper cards, while merchants would have gotten more discretion to offer discounts or impose surcharges. Many merchants objected to rules forbidding them from telling customers why some cards cost more than others, as well as from steering customers to cheaper cards. Some critics also said the fees lead to higher prices for consumers, who are now sometimes charged less by paying in cash. Trade groups said the settlement would have given merchants only small and temporary relief, and made it difficult for them to mount future legal challenges. "It didn't address the problem of Visa, Mastercard and banks forming a cartel to issue credit cards and set fees, such that merchants have to accept all cards or none," Doug Kantor, general counsel of the National Association of Convenience Stores, said in an interview. "The next step, presumably, is a trial," he added. Brodie had signaled at a June 13 hearing that she would likely reject the settlement. Some U.S. senators have promoted legislation, the Credit Card Competition Act, to let merchants use other payment networks to process Visa and Mastercard transactions. The judge's decision does not affect an earlier $5.6 billion class action swipe fee settlement among Visa, Mastercard and about 12 million merchants. A federal appeals court in Manhattan upheld that accord in March 2023, seven years after throwing out a $7.25 billion settlement that short-changed some retailers. The case is In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No 05-md-01720. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Deepa Babington and Leslie Adler) South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. #XinhuaNews US military contractors may be allowed to go to Ukraine The US administration is moving closer to lifting a de facto ban on the deployment of US military contractors to Ukraine to help the Ukrainian military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems. Source: CNN, citing four officials with knowledge of the matter, European Pravda reports. Details: The United States withdrew all of its instructors from Ukraine before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has decisively ruled out a military presence on Ukrainian territory since then. As a result, US-provided military equipment that has been heavily damaged in the fighting has to be taken out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs, a process that takes a long time. CNN sources said that over the past few months, the Biden administration has been re-examining restrictions on contractors in Ukraine in light of the continued advance of Russian troops and the delay in military assistance. They stressed that the decision is currently being discussed and has not received final approval from the US president. But if it's approved, the Pentagon will be able to sign contracts for the deployment of American contractors in Ukraine to help the local engineers repair equipment for the first time since 2022. For example, CNN reports that F-16 fighter jets are expected to require regular repairs after Ukraine starts using them. One of the sources pointed out that American companies participating in the Pentagon's tenders will have to develop reliable mechanisms to reduce threats to their employees in Ukraine. France launched a discussion about possible Western military presence in Ukraine and is believed to be gathering a group of countries that are willing to send their instructors there. Support UP or become our patron! US military delivers supplies to Gaza via pier, but there's no one to distribute them U.S. officials are defending President Joe Biden's decision to build a $230 million temporary pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid as a better-than-nothing solution to the worsening crisis there, even as rough waves have forced its closure several times in the past month and aid workers on shore say it's nearly impossible to distribute the supplies due to safety concerns. According to the military, which invited reporters to tour the pier for the first time on Tuesday, the structure has enabled the delivery of some 13.6 million pounds of food to a United Nations-run warehouse on shore. The amount is roughly equivalent to what the U.N. says can fit inside 200 to 600 of its ground trucks -- less than half of what aid organizations say Gaza's 2 million residents might need in a day. "This is a temporary solution to help rush aid into the zone, again recognizing the dire security situation there. But we're going to continue to look at all ways to get security in there," said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary. PHOTO: The Gaza shoreline can be seen from the pier, with smoke visible. (ABC News) US humanitarian aid pier off Gaza to halt shipments for third time in a month Biden's decision to build the pier came amid frustration with the Israelis that they were allowing too few aid trucks inside Gaza, citing security concerns. The plan was that the pier would enable some 2 million meals a day -- or 150 trucks -- that could augment ground convoys carrying supplies through border crossings like Kerem Shalom in Israel and Rafah in Egypt. But that hasn't happened. Since being anchored in mid-May, the pier has been operational about half the time it has been in place. The temporary structure, built to rise and fall with the waves, has had to be moved twice to the Israeli port of Ashdod due to rough seas -- including once because portions of the pier broke and it had to be repaired. Biden's military pier to deliver aid to Gaza off to slow start In an interview with ABC News, Army Col. Samuel Miller, commander of the 7th Transportation Brigade, said the hope is that seas are calmer in July. He said it's possible though that weather will become more of a factor in August and into fall. "We knew coming here there were going to be challenges. And we've seen just about every one of those challenges," Miller told ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz in an interview on Tuesday from the pier. PHOTO: ABC News' Martha Raddatz reports from the U.S. military pier floating off the coast of Gaza. (ABC News) For now, he later added, "We're resolute and we're back out here." Officials say the military warned the White House beforehand of the likely complications, including high seas, that would make the pier inoperable. But with few other options, Biden announced his decision during his State of the Union speech last March and ordered 1,000 U.S. troops to deploy to facilitate the maritime corridor. PHOTO: A truck prepares to deliver aid to Gaza. (ABC News) Aid organizations say an even bigger problem is that there's no system to distribute the aid once it arrives. The U.N.'s World Food Programme had struck an agreement with the military to deliver the aid that arrives via the pier, as Biden has insisted that no U.S. troops deploy on shore in Gaza. But WFP temporarily suspended operations earlier this month, pending a security review, and has not resumed operations. "The risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general, told reporters on Tuesday. Number of children missing, separated from families in Gaza may be as high as 21,000: Report Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of global policy and advocacy for Mercy Corps, which operates inside Gaza, said the issue isn't with the pier itself but the "complete lack" of safety guarantees to aid workers from the Israelis. "It doesn't matter if the aid comes in over land or through the sea. It's impossible to deliver at a scale that would prevent massive food insecurity and potential famine" without guarantees given to aid workers and safe corridors, Phillips-Barrasso said. PHOTO: The Gaza shoreline can be seen from the pier, with smoke visible. (ABC News) When asked about the U.N. potentially suspending humanitarian operations across Gaza, the Pentagon's Ryder said there were no plans for U.S. service members to fill that role should that happen. "We're going to continue to work with humanitarian organizations via USAID and other regional partners to ensure that we can find a way to get that," he said. In the meantime, Col. Miller said the military troops tending to the pier will keep going until they are told to stop. "We're out here to do our mission -- to move those pallets -- and those above us will make those decisions," he said. ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report. US military delivers supplies to Gaza via pier, but there's no one to distribute them originally appeared on abcnews.go.com US says Ukraine's success in war requires depriving Russia of advances in Ukraine's east and its impact on economy James OBrien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has said Ukraine's success in the war primarily requires depriving Russia of the ability to advance in the east, use close-in firing positions and inflict economic damage on Ukraine. Source: Ukrinform, citing OBrien Quote: "When I talk about the strategy for Ukraine to thrive now, that Im talking about right now and thats you have to stop the sort of Russian attempt to nibble their way forward in the east." Details: OBrien noted that this involves depriving Russia of the ability to use its close-in firing positions and hindering Ukraine from restarting its economy. This can be achieved by adequately supplying Ukrainians with air defence systems and other weapons so that they can continue to fight over a prolonged period. Quote: "Then we come to the point where Russia has to think: Can we go forward?" Details: OBrien also pointed out that defining Ukraine's success also involves the country ultimately being able to control all of its internationally recognised territory. Support UP or become our patron! By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is urgently working toward a diplomatic agreement that would allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes on both sides of the border, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday. Shelling on Israel's northern border has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from areas on both sides of the frontier, and has escalated in recent weeks, leading to fears of an all-out Israel-Hezbollah war. "Hezbollah's provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want. Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians," Austin said at the start of his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon. "Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation. So we're urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that restores lasting calm to Israel's northern border and enables civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border," he added. Israel's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, has said that Israel will spend the coming weeks trying to resolve the conflict with Lebanon's Iran-backed, heavily armed Hezbollah group and would prefer a diplomatic solution. Hanegbi said Israel had been discussing with U.S. officials the possibility that an expected end of intense Israeli military operations in Gaza would allow an "arrangement" to be reached with Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel for more than eight months in parallel with the Gaza war. At the Pentagon, Gallant said that he would discuss military readiness with Austin. "We are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness on every possible scenario," Gallant said. Gallant told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that Israel would prefer a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Hezbollah, the State Department said. "We think a diplomatic resolution is possible. We think it is in the interests of all parties," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday. Gallant, at the Pentagon, said he would discuss close defense ties between Israel and the United State but also areas of disagreement. The Biden administration in May paused a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs due to concern over the impact they could have in densely populated areas, but Israel was still due to get billions of dollars worth of U.S. weaponry. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis; editing by Mark Heinrich and Leslie Adler) US slaps sanctions on network it accuses of moving billions for Iran's military By Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on nearly 50 entities and people it accused of moving billions of dollars for Iran's military. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said those targeted on Tuesday constitute a "shadow banking network" used by Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both of which are under U.S. sanctions. The network helped the MODAFL and IRGC - which earn money notably from the sale of oil and petrochemicals - gain access to the international financial system and process the equivalent of billions of dollars since 2020, the Treasury said. The Treasury said the revenue generated by the MODAFL and IRGC through networks of Iranian exchange houses and foreign cover companies supported the provision of weapons and funding to Iran's proxy groups, including Yemen's Houthi group, and the transfer of drones to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. Washington has issued rafts of sanctions targeting Iranian drones and the Houthis, who have been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza. "We continue to work with allies and partners, as well as the global financial industry, to increase vigilance against the movement of funds supporting terrorism," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement. Iran's mission to the United Nations said the sanctions issued on Tuesday were part of the "economic war" against Iran. This is part of the economic war unjustly waged against the Iranian people by the United States. They have attacked, and we are defending ourselves accordingly. The outcome of this economic war will be determined by the strength of will, not by the capabilities of imposing sanctions," the mission said. Tuesday's action targeted dozens of companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Marshall Islands, as well as Iran and Turkey-based firms. The Treasury said the MODAFL Supply Division uses exchange houses in Iran that manage numerous cover companies registered in jurisdictions such as Hong Kong or the UAE to launder revenue, including from oil sales conducted by Sahara Thunder, which the U.S. imposed sanctions on in April. The Treasury at the time accused Sahara Thunder of being a front company that oversees MODAFL's commercial activities in support of the IRGC and Russia's war in Ukraine, playing a key role in Iran's design, development, manufacture and sale of thousands of drones. The move freezes the U.S. assets of banned companies and individuals, and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Jasper Ward and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Customer Matt Schonbachler (left) of Scotts Mills, hands a handgun back to assistant manager Trent Bergerson at Tick Licker Firearms in Salem on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. Sales have been brisk since voters passed Measure 114, tightening Oregon's gun laws. (Connor Radnovich/Oregon Capital Chronicle) U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis, as gun deaths and injuries punctuate daily life in America. On nearly every day of 2024 so far, a burst of gunfire has hit at least four people somewhere in the country. Some days, communities have endured four or five such shootings. The nations top doctor called on policymakers to consider gun safety measures such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for all firearm purchases. His advisory also urges a significant increase in funding for research on gun injuries and deaths, as well as greater access to mental health care and trauma-informed resources for people who have experienced firearm violence. In 2022, more than 48,000 people were killed by guns in the U.S., or about 132 people a day, and suicides accounted for more than half of those deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 200-plus Americans seek emergency care for firearm injuries each day, according to estimates from Johns Hopkins University research. No federal database records nonfatal gun injuries. The Office of the Surgeon General does not set or carry out gun policy, but historically its reports and warnings have nudged policymakers and lawmakers to act. Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He cited soaring gun deaths among children and teens and noted that the mental health toll of firearm violence is far more profound and pervasive than many of us recognize. Every day that passes we lose more kids to gun violence, Murthy said, the more children who are witnessing episodes of gun violence, the more children who are shot and survive that are dealing with a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts. Firearm-related homicides over the past decade and suicides over the past two decades have driven the sharp rise in gun deaths, the advisory says. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, with higher death rates among Black and Hispanic youths. Researchers from Boston University found that during the height of the covid pandemic, Black children were 100 times as likely as white children to experience gun injuries. Hispanic and Asian children also saw major increases in firearm assault injuries during that time, that study showed. Joseph Sakran, executive vice chair of surgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and chief medical officer for Brady United Against Gun Violence, said the surgeon generals declaration is a historic moment that sounds the alarm for all Americans. But Sakran added: It cannot stop here. We have to use this as another step in the right direction. No one wants to see more children gunned down. Murthy has long said gun violence should be framed as a health issue. He argued that the approach has been successful in combating significant societal problems, citing tobacco control efforts that took hold following the then-surgeon generals landmark 1964 report concluding that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer and other diseases. We saved so many lives, and thats what we can do here, too, Murthy said. Murthys move is one of several recent Biden administration actions designed to combat gun violence, as most gun-related measures remain political nonstarters in Congress. Federal officials have allowed states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for gun violence prevention, and the White House has called on hospital executives and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and to routinely counsel patients about the safe use of firearms. While available data points to tragic outcomes across American communities, government officials and public health researchers have long been stymied by sparse federal funding devoted to gun violence research and the scope of its health effects. Ive been studying gun violence for about 33 years now and theres still some really basic and fundamental questions I cant answer, said Daniel Webster, a gun violence researcher at Johns Hopkins University. To really understand gun violence, you need to do more than just look at publicly available surveillance data, he said. You need to actually do in-depth studies involving the populations at highest risk for shooting or being shot. A Brady analysis found that of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S., firearm injuries received the third-lowest amount of federal research funding through the National Institutes of Health for each person who died. The only causes of death that garnered less research funding through NIH were poisonings and falls, according to the analysis. Sonali Rajan, an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who researches the effects of gun violence on children, said political leaders and others need to reframe the debate on gun violence from crime to public health. We are raising a whole generation of children for whom exposure to gun violence is normal, Rajan said. In Michigan, we had a kid survive the Oxford High School shooting only to go to Michigan State University and see another mass shooting, she said. It is unbelievably shameful. Serving as President Joe Bidens surgeon general since 2021, Murthy has, at times, caused political controversy with his views on gun violence. Over a decade ago, former President Barack Obama nominated Murthy to be the nations top doctor. But Murthys support for a federal ban on the sale of assault weapons and ammunition and additional restrictions on gun purchases drew the ire of the National Rifle Association, as well as Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Murthy to the job in December 2014, more than a year after his nomination. Murthy has previously issued advisories on social isolation and loneliness, youth mental health, and the well-being of health workers. He said gun violence comes up in many of his conversations with young people about the mental health challenges theyre facing. Fears around gun violence have really pervaded so much of the psyche of America in ways that are very harmful to our mental health and well-being, Murthy said. Many other causes of death are treated differently as to understanding the problems and developing solutions, Webster said. But thats generally not what weve done with gun violence. Weve oversimplified it and overpoliticized it. As Sakran put it: As we look at firearm injuries, theres arguably no public issue thats as urgent. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. The post US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez looks on during a news conference in Hanoi By Simon Lewis and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. welcomed Vietnam's planning and investment minister on Tuesday for talks on enhancing economic cooperation, and said ties were stronger than ever, days after Hanoi upset Washington by hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The State Department said this week's dialogue would cover economic security, semiconductors, the investment climate, digital economy, cyberspace, energy, and critical minerals. Last year, Washington upgraded U.S.-Vietnam ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership". Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vietnam last week drew sharp U.S. criticism. Washington subsequently said it would stay focused on deepening ties with Hanoi as the U.S. works to counter rivalry with China. The U.S. is to decide by July 26 on whether to elevate Vietnam to market-economy status, which would reduce punitive anti-dumping duties set on Vietnamese imports given its current status as a non-market economy marked by heavy state influence. "The relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. is as strong, we believe, as it has ever been," said U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez. He told the opening session that U.S.-Vietnam trade was now worth $124 billion, making Vietnam the U.S.'s ninth largest partner in trade in goods. Addressing Vietnam's Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Fernandez said U.S. business were "very excited," about Vietnam but added: "We have to keep in mind while investors are bullish on Vietnam, we want to make sure that they have the regulatory and decision-making environment ... they require in order to continue their expansion in your country." In January, Fernandez said in Vietnam that 15 U.S. companies, including semiconductors firms, had expressed interest in investing $8 billion in Vietnam in clean energy infrastructure, contingent on the country's progress on renewable energy rules. Vietnam wants to attract chipmakers and boost its renewable energy sector but has struggled to adopt rules to allow expansion of its solar and onshore wind industry and development of offshore wind farms. On Monday, the U.S. boosted Vietnam's ranking on a human trafficking report while citing concerns Hanoi had failed to launch investigations into government officials complicit in trafficking crimes. Hanoi has warned that maintaining non-market economy status would be very bad for bilateral ties. U.S. steelmakers, Gulf Coast shrimpers and honey farmers oppose an upgrade, but it is backed by U.S. retailers and some other business groups. (Reporting by Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom; Editing by David Gregorio) EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A professor from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has received a nationally recognized award. Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UTEP and is also the recipient of the Professor of the Year Award for Conference USA (CUSA), according to a news release by the university. Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D. Photo credit: The University of Texas at El Paso Dr. Gardea-Torresdeys career at UTEP is nothing short of remarkable, John Wiebe, Ph.D., UTEP provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. He has earned distinction at the national and international levels, and has transformed the lives of students and scientists for over three decades. He embodies our Universitys unwavering commitment to access, excellence and impact. The award honors professors from conference member institutions who have demonstrated a record of teaching, research, services and/or scholarly activity within their academic discipline, UTEP said. The award also comes with a $15,000 reward and special recognition by Conference USA. Gardea-Torresdey has served as department chair for 17 years at UTEP and help start the doctorate programs in chemistry and environmental science and engineering, according to UTEP. He has also became a leading researcher worldwide in environmental chemistry. My impact in my students lives is my most cherished accomplishment, Gardea-Torresdey said. Through my help and attentive mentoring, I hope I have positively influenced their lives. I am extremely proud and humbled by my students success and their accomplishments. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. CANBERRA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the news that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to be released by U.S. authorities. Assange, 52, on Tuesday agreed to plead guilty to U.S. espionage charges in a deal that ended his imprisonment in the United Kingdom (UK), allowing him to return to Australia pending court proceedings in Saipan on Wednesday. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Albanese welcomed the news and said he plans to speak more once the legal process is complete. "While this is a welcome development we recognize these proceedings are crucial and delicate," he said. "We have engaged and advocated Australia's interest using all appropriate channels to support a positive outcome and I have done that since very early on in my prime ministership." He reiterated that the U.S. case against Assange has dragged on so long that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration. Penny Wong, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said in the Senate that Albanese had raised Assange's case with U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak since coming to office in 2022 and that the government had offered Assange and his family consular support while he was imprisoned in the UK. Biden said in April that he was considering a request from Australia to drop the prosecution of Assange over WikiLeaks' 2010 release of classified military records relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and diplomatic cables. Utilities regulator's new rule undercuts community projects intended to help renters and low-income homeowners save on energy: 'Fatally flawed' California's utility regulator adopted new rules for community solar, which some say will deter new projects from being built and hurt low-income communities. What's happened? The California Public Utilities Commission adopted a new rule that will reduce the compensation that solar providers receive for the value of the benefits of community solar projects, CalMatters reported. The publication added that this de-incentivizes the building of new community solar projects. For now, the incentives and subsidies will stay in place thanks to a $250 million grant that the state received as part of the Solar For All program, but advocates are concerned about what will happen once that funding runs out. During a hearing on the changes, Rep. Christopher Ward called the proposal "fatally flawed," per CalMatters. Why is this change concerning? Solar advocates argue that this change will prevent new community solar projects from being built and will also undercut efforts to provide solar options to disadvantaged communities. This is concerning, as community solar helps lower subscribers' energy bills without them investing in a rooftop solar array. It can also help communities cope during blackouts or weather events, and supports the local economy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Plus, clean, renewable energy sources like solar are important tools to help in the fight against an overheating planet the dirty energy sources traditionally used to power homes contribute more than 75% of all planet-warming pollution, per the United Nations. If we don't curb the warming of the earth, we can expect to face dangerous impacts like more frequent and severe storms that can damage property and endanger people. What's being done to support community solar? Community solar has experienced an average growth rate of 80% each year over the last decade, and programs exist in nearly every U.S. state, per the Department of Energy. Meanwhile, it's estimated to double by 2028, according to CBRE, a global firm specializing in real estate services and investments. For example, Virginia lawmakers passed new measures that will make community solar more accessible to residents. Plus, solar developer Nexamp has raised $520 million to build community solar projects across the United States. You, too, can save money on your utility bills and do good by Mother Earth by signing up for a community solar program 10 year savings is estimated at around $1,500. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. The Darden School of Education at Old Dominion University. (ODU photo) On Friday, the Virginia Board of Education approved lab school applications for five colleges, with Old Dominion University acting as fiscal agent for all of them. Old Dominions Lab School Network will comprise nine schools, representing a portion of the 15 school applications the board approved, the first of which, Virginia Commonwealth Universitys lab school, opened in January. Approved applications Paul D. Camp Community College Old Dominion University (Eastern Shore) Emory and Henry College George Mason University (Frederick) George Mason University (NOVA) Germanna Community College James Madison University Mountain Gateway Community College Old Dominion University (Suffolk) Old Dominion University (Chesapeake) Old Dominion University (Newport News) Roanoke College University of Mary Washington University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University The colleges and universities that have received approval from the state will offer specialized instruction in areas such as computer science and technology. Lab school admission is based on a lottery system. ODUs lab school collaboration will expand high-quality educational opportunities for their students, and has expanded the definition of what it means to be a fiscal agent, in part going above and beyond in multiple different ways, said Grace Creasey, president of the Virginia Board of Education, during a work session before Fridays vote. Last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and lawmakers agreed to a state budget requiring private and two-year institutions to partner with public institutions to obtain their respective lab school funding from the state. The governors administration, which has supported the establishment of lab schools institutions similar to charter schools has gone back and forth with the General Assembly over whether state law allows lab school applications from both private and public institutions to be considered. The administration, with support from the attorneys general office, previously said that state law does not prohibit the lab school committee from accepting applications from all institutions. However, the legislature disagreed. Opponents, including state Democrats, have repeatedly said the schools take away from public school funding. Due to the budgetary decision, five schools Emory & Henry and Roanoke Colleges, and Mountain Gateway, Paul D. Camp and Germanna Community Colleges chose to resubmit their applications. The schools applications were recommended for approval by the lab school committee and subsequently approved by the board. Applications are reviewed by the department and review committee before reaching the board. The groups review such areas as lab school curriculum details and budget assumptions. The five newly approved lab schools will use the rest of the states lab school funds in the current budget, expiring June 30. Gov. Youngkin had proposed $60 million for lab schools over the next two years but the legislature declined to add the funds to the spending plan they and Youngkin signed off on last month. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the five lab school applications were previously rejected because they were private and two-year institutions. They were instead approved. The post Va. education board approves Old Dominion as fiscal agent for five lab schools appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Stellantis has warned that UK rules on EVs would force it to close its Ellesmere Port plant - Phil Noble/Reuters The car giant behind Vauxhall has threatened to mothball its UK factories amid a row over net zero targets for electric vehicle (EV) sales. Stellantis warned on Tuesday that it would be forced to close plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton, where it makes vans, unless the Government relaxed rules forcing manufacturers to sell a certain proportion of EVs. It has also threatened to reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars it sells in the UK. The warning dramatically escalates a dispute with the Government over the so-called zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires car makers to sell rising proportions of electric cars annually. From this year, at least 22pc of cars they sell must be electric and the figure rises gradually to 80pc by 2030. In 2035 the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will then be banned. However, Maria Grazia Davino, UK managing director for Stellantis, said the rules were out of step with consumer demand and risked making sales unprofitable. Stellantis makes electric cars and vans at its Ellesmere Port plant and vans in Luton, employing more than 1,000 workers across both sites. Speaking at a car industry conference in London, Ms Davino told journalists the mandate would have a big impact and damage the UK. Hostile market Speaking at a car industry conference, she told journalists the mandate would have a big impact and damages the UK. Ms Davino added: We have undertaken big investments in Ellesmere Port and in Luton, with more to come. But if this market becomes hostile to us, we will enter an evaluation for producing elsewhere. Asked how long Stellantis would wait for a decision from the Government, she said: Less than a year. Her warning comes after Carlos Tavares, the chief executive of Stellantis, also said that the carmaker would be forced to cut back on sales of petrol cars in the UK to meet the ZEV mandate. Stellantis is calling for the electric vans it makes in the UK to count towards its quota and for the Government to introduce more financial incentives to boost take up of EVs, which remain too expensive for many consumers. Ms Davino said: It means that you have to increase discounts to push the market that isnt there. And this has a number of consequences for the business case. The Stellantis boss is the latest car executive to warn that a slowdown in EV sales will make it harder to meet tough net zero targets set out by governments across Europe. Her comments came as Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), called on the Conservatives and Labour to revive flagging EV sales with tax breaks or other financial giveaways to consumers. He said: Weve seen the uptake of EVs over the last decade or so. But like with any new technology, when you move from the early adopters to mainstream it slows down and it plateaus. Were on that plateau at the moment. So we need to push on and get things moving. And that does mean incentives. He also urged politicians not to move the goalposts and said Labours plan to bring forward a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 to 2030 risked yet more uncertainty. The ban was previously due to come into force in 2030 but was delayed by Rishi Sunak in September last year. But Labour which according to polling is on course to win the election with a large majority has vowed to reinstate the original target. Asked about the proposal, Mr Hawes said: Theres not much time between 2024 and 2030 to adjust to things, and that would just increase uncertainty. However, everyone remains committed to 2035 in terms of decarbonisation of road transport. He also questioned what Labours 2030 ban meant in practice, noting that the previous government plan had left an opening for carmakers to continue selling hybrids until 2035. It was never clear what was going to be permitted for sale between 2030 and 2035, Mr Hawes added. That is still an open question ... Everyone needs to know what they can sell beyond 2030 and thats still unclear. A Labour spokesman said: Under the Conservatives, the automotive industry has been set targets without being given the necessary support to meet them. Electric vehicles are already cheaper to run, and will soon be cheaper to make than petrol cars. More delay means higher costs for drivers, billions in investment lost, and more good jobs shipped overseas. Labour will work with the automotive industry to secure its future, by investing in battery gigafactories and accelerating the electric vehicle charge point rollout to give consumers confidence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. By Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) - Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA has begun using tankers that navigate off radar to supply its closest political ally, Cuba, as a fleet of state-owned vessels that have historically covered the route dwindles, according to documents and ship monitoring services. Cuba and its main oil supplier, Venezuela, for over a decade had exclusively used their own tankers to navigate between the two countries. Delayed maintenance, however, has taken some ships out of service and the emergence of Mexico as a new supplier to Cuba using some of the same vessels have the two revamping routes to get desperately needed crude oil and fuel to the island. A large portion of tanker fleets owned by Venezuela and Cuba are under U.S. sanctions, which also limits their travel. Operated by third parties, dark fleet vessels often lack western insurance and send false location signals to disguise their movement. PDVSA in June began co-loading crude and fuel oil cargoes that deliver a portion in Cuban waters, and from there depart to destinations in Asia to discharge the remaining volume, according to company shipping documents. The vessels spoof their signal, making them look elsewhere in the Caribbean while they are discharging in Cuba, often by ship-to-ship transfers, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com and a satellite photo by Planet Labs seen by Reuters. One of the vessels, the Panama-flagged Neptune 6, was last week near Cuba's Nipe Bay transferring Venezuelan heavy crude and fuel oil to Cuba-flagged vessel Esperanza, according to the documents and photo, analyzed by TankerTrackers.com. The ship's transponder is signaling a location north of Curacao since late May, according to LSEG data. PDVSA and the foreign affairs ministries of Venezuela and Cuba did not provide comment. It was not immediately clear if the use of third-party vessels to supply Cuba is temporary. IN NEED OF BARRELS The extra vessels could help boost Venezuela's oil supply to Cuba, which so far this year is at 27,000 barrels per day (bpd), compared with 51,500 bpd in the same period of 2023. The covert help comes as demand for electricity produced by oil-fired plants soars during sultry Cuban summers. Blackouts that were occasional in Cuba have become routine as imported supplies are limited and logistical issues complicate domestic fuel distribution to its aging power plants. Cuban energy officials also have said workers are tuning up and providing maintenance to power generating plants ahead of the high-demand summer season, and hope the coming months will see fewer blackouts. Cuba has not been able to fully recover its oil storage capacity since a devastating fire destroyed a portion of the island's largest oil terminal, Matanzas. The lack of tanks forces suppliers to transfer cargoes to other ships used for floating storage by Cuba. In May, Mexico's state company Pemex resumed oil shipments to Cuba after a three-month pause in the same vessels used to ship oil from Venezuela, Reuters reported. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston, additional reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana; Editing by Marguerita Choy) AKRON, Ohio The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that burning off chemicals after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio in 2023 was unnecessary, with an agency official later accusing the company of failing to disclose information to investigators. Officials intentionally released and burned off toxic vinyl chloride from five derailed cars, sending smoke and chemicals into the air despite the potential health effects. NTSB officials said Tuesday that the train operator and its contractors failed to tell incident commanders that the maker and shipper of the vinyl chloride had said venting and burning the chemicals wasn't needed. At the end of Tuesday's meeting, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy slammed Norfolk Southern's behavior during the investigation and accused the company of delaying or failing to disclose information to investigators. Twice, Homendy threatened to subpoena the company to get the information they were looking for, she said. Norfolk Southern also attempted to submit its investigation four times. "Parties are not permitted to manufacture their own evidence," Homendy said, calling Norfolk Southern's attempts to influence the investigation "unprecedented and reprehensible." She noted a recent meeting with a Norfolk Southern senior executive with her and staff that ended with a "threat." Homendy did not name the executive. Homendy added that she struggled for days on whether to share what's happened between the NTSB and Norfolk Southern, worried that it might overshadow the agency findings about the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. She ultimately decided to go public because she said Norfolk-Southern's actions were "unconscionable." "We are impervious to anything but the truth," Homendy said. The findings came as NTSB officials returned to East Palestine Tuesday to share findings of their investigation into the calamitous 2023 train derailment and offer recommendations to prevent similar disasters from happening in the future. In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in a tiny Ohio town near the Pennsylvania border. Residents initially watched the fires from the crash and were later evacuated as officials feared a potential hazardous chemical explosion, and they executed the vent and burn. NTSB officials have said an overheated bearing on one of the railcars likely caused the crash, but questions remained about whether that could have been prevented and whether officials made the right choice to burn off the vinyl chloride. The NTSB recommended Tuesday that Norfolk Southern revise its incident report about the derailment to reflect that the vent and burn of vinyl chloride were not necessary. The agency listed 47 findings from its investigation, covering everything from rail car bearings and DOT-111 rail car failures to melted placards, and outlined recommendations ranging from creating a nationwide database to track overheated wheel bearings, to increasing training for Ohio volunteer firefighters. The recommendations are not binding, but U.S. lawmakers could act to enforce them. A screenshot from video released by NTSB of the controlled burn fire after East Palestine train derailment. What caused the bearing to fail? It was impossible to tell what caused the bearing failure in East Palestine because the fire destroyed the components, according to the NTSB. When asked what causes bearings to fail, NTSB Investigator Joey Rhine said when there's a bearing defect, it causes friction, which leads to heat. "It's like putting an iron skillet on a stove," Rhine said. But the bearing that failed was attached to a car that sat in a flooded area for an extended time and water intrusion can also cause bearing failures, Homendy said. Timken, the manufacturer of the bearing, recommends replacing bearings that sit in floods. There was no evidence this bearing was replaced and, Homendy pointed out, there was no way for Norfolk Southern to know because railroads generally don't own the cars they transport. Most bearings on freight trains in the U.S. are re-conditioned, according to Rhine, meaning they have only about half the life of new bearings. The NTSB has investigated two other train derailments since East Palestine that also involved a bearing failure, he said. Each bearing that failed was reconditioned and in the same axle position as East Palestine, he said. When investigators tried to find data to see if this was a larger pattern, they discovered that there isn't a single database. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) maintains a database, but it's broken down by car, not train. The NTSB recommended that AAR create a single database to illuminate patterns in wheel bearing failures across the industry. Bearing failures are the primary cause of U.S. train derailments, the NTSB said. NTSB recommends tank cars with built-in protections The fire that began at the East Palestine derailment likely happened when a DOT-111 type of train car was punctured, the NTSB said, "spilling fire" onto a 1,100-foot section of track. NTSB member Michael Graham said the breach of those DOT-111s in East Palestine "led to the large, raging fire" that overwhelmed firefighters and ultimately led to the vent and burn. DOT-111 cars are susceptible to breaching and are due to be phased out for carrying flammable material after May 2029. The NTSB recommended mandating an accelerated phase-out. Flammable and hazardous materials should instead be carried in tank cars with more built-in protections, the board said. But the scheduled phase-out of the DOT-111 in 2029 will not take this rail car off of America's rail lines. Veteran NTSB Inspector Paul Stancil said that two of the three DOT-111 cars that were part of the East Palestine derailment would still be allowed to carry the same material after 2029. The NTSB has been raising safety concerns about the DOT-111 rail car since 1991, Homendy said. It recommended changes to the car's construction at least twice. A train with the cars derailed in 2013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, unleashing a flood of oil and 47 people died, Stancil said. "An entire town was literally decimated," Homendy said, noting that 25,300 DOT-111 rail cars are still in service today. "People are dying." Homendy pointed out that shippers own the rail cars and it's up to them to get rid of them. She also noted that railroads are required to carry hazardous materials. At least five different chemicals were carried in the train cars that derailed in East Palestine, according to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Norfolk Southern. The chemicals included vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and isobutylene. Vinyl chloride, which is a chemical used to make PVC pipes, is considered a carcinogen. Exposure to vinyl chloride is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer as well as brain and lung cancers. Burning it, which was part of the controlled release, creates the toxic gas phosgene and hydrogen chloride. The gas was used as a weapon during World War I. In the days following the train derailment in East Palestine, a group of investigators fell ill while looking into the chemical exposure of residents. NTSB member Thomas Chapman said he and other members continue to be "mystified" that the American railroad industry, unlike the airline and other transportation industries, continues to largely regulate itself. NTSB says Norfolk Southern failed to disclose key information NTSB member Michael Graham said when the decision was made to vent rail cars and burn off toxins, what no one knew, including the incident commander, was that there was disagreement over whether the vent and burn should happen. The temperatures in the tanks were dropping, not rising, which means the immediate risk was not as great, investigators said. It's not clear why, but Norfolk Southern contractors continued to urge a vent and burn, Stancil said. Norfolk Southern, he said, didn't reveal the declining temperature readings to NTSB until two months afterward. The NTSB investigation showed that local officials made decisions based on incomplete information provided by Norfolk Southern contractors. Those contractors failed to disclose that technical experts for the company that made the chemicals disagreed with their recommendation, saying no vent and burn was required. Ohio Gov. DeWine sent out a statement before the toxic burnoff reflecting what Norfolk Southern contractors were telling officials about the dangers at the time. Officials believed at the time that there was a danger chemical reaction would turn tanker cars into exploding bombs, sending deadly shrapnel and hazardous fumes across the areas. People in Ohio and Pennsylvania evacuated the area, many fearing for their lives and safety. NTSB calls for increased firefighter training, updating placards on tankers Quickly finding out what hazardous chemicals are on derailed trains in the U.S. is a chronic, recurring problem that's stretches over decades, NTSB members and agency investigators said. In East Palestine, dispatchers called the Norfolk Southern dispatch center in Atlanta to find out what the train was carrying within minutes of the derailment. Norfolk Southern said it would call back, but there's no evidence it ever did, according to NTSB investigator Troy Lloyd. Meanwhile, placards on the rail cars were melted or missing. One simple change NTSB recommended is updating the standard for placards displayed on tankers showing what hazardous materials they are carrying. The NTSB said the placards now must only be able to withstand weather for 30 days. There are no mandates about the placards standing up to derailments or fires. The NTSB showed missing and damaged placards caused by the East Palestine derailment. Stancil added that the railroads shouldn't wait for first responders to reach out to them after a derailment. He said the railroads' first call should be to the 911 dispatch center in the area where a train derails, so first responders know what the train is carrying. Additionally, none of the local volunteer firefighters had hazardous materials training. Two weeks before the East Palestine train derailment, the state of Ohio published a report that said, in part, that the 36 hours of training mandated for volunteer firefighters in the state was an outdated model. Instead of setting up a command post a 1/2 mile away, as recommended in such cases, firefighters initially set up inside the "danger zone," 400 or 500 feet from burning rail cars without knowing what was in them. It's really fortunate that one of the volunteer firefighters from that department was also a chemistry teacher who evaluated some of the dangers, Homenday said. It wasn't ideal, she said, but it was the "best immediate guidance" first responders had as they rushed to East Palestine from 48 area departments. The NTSB recommended increasing training for Ohio volunteer firefighters, who often face the same hazardous situations as professionally-trained career firefighters. NTSB officials pointed across the state line to Pennsylvania, which mandates and funds additional training for volunteers. Time and money is an issue with volunteers, Lloyd said. Hazardous material training can also cost $2,000 per firefighter, plus another $25,000 per firefighter for necessary hazardous response gear. Some states, he said, are now offering incentives to volunteer firefighters, including tax breaks. Contributing: Max Filby, Columbus Dispatch This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Vent and burn after East Palestine derailment was unnecessary: NTSB Verdict in for man accused of beating man to death with hatchet: Officials MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) A verdict was reached for a man who officials said beat a man to death with a hatchet and shovel in March of 2021, according to the District Attorneys Office. Man found dead on side of I-10 in Santa Rosa County: FHP Erik Perez was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the killing of 53-year-old Clinton Maxwell Phillips, News 5 has learned. The verdict comes after officials said experts for the state and the defense came to the conclusion that Erik Perez could not appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the offense. Every mental health expert agreed, and today the judge found, that the defendant was not guilty because of mental disease or defect, said District Attorney Keith Blackwood. We will seek a full commitment to the most secure mental health facility in the state. Today we built a record for future prosecutors to oppose any less restrictive treatment. In addition to handing a verdict, the judge found that Perez was a danger to himself and others and is having him involuntarily committed to the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala. UPDATE: Escambia County firefighter dies in Santa Rosa County crash There will be no sentencing due to the not-guilty verdict, according to officials. However, there is a hearing scheduled on July 11 for the victims family, who previously said, I want justice, I dont want to see him go free from what hes done, to give victim impact statements. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reproductive rights supporters on June 24, 2024, the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Photo by Danielle J. Brown Vice President Kamala Harris (D) stood in Ritchie Coliseum at the University of Maryland, College Park underneath a blue banner that said Trust WOMEN in large white text. Just underneath, in significantly smaller text, was a disclaimer: Paid for by Biden for President. At the Monday campaign event doubling as an abortion rights rally, supporters held hundreds of Biden-Harris or reproductive freedom signs. In the upcoming general election, Democrats insist their candidates, not Republicans, will ensure that Marylanders and voters across the United States have access to abortion care. Harris wasted little time, telling the enthusiastic crowd that a second presidency for Republican Donald Trump would pose a threat to reproductive rights across the country. The rally came on the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion access as a constitutional right for nearly 50 years. Today, our daughters know fewer rights than their grandmothers. This is a health care crisis. And we all know who is to blame: Donald Trump, Harris said. He proudly takes credit for overturning Roe, she said, noting that Trump appointed three justices who were key to reversing Roe. My fellow Americans, in a court of law, that would be called an admission, and some would say a confession. In the case of stealing reproductive freedom away from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty. The event also effectively functioned as a rally for Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) in her run against former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Harris gave a shout out to her dear friend Alsobrooks, whose Senate candidacy the vice president endorsed earlier this month. Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) speaks to reproductive rights supporters on June 24, 2024, the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Photo by Danielle J. Brown If successful, Alsobrooks would be the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate, a glass ceiling that would echo Harriss historic election as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to serve as vice president. The question of abortion is expected to have an outsized role in the campaign for Marylands Senate seat, which has become an unexpectedly tough race in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1. Today is more than just an anniversary. Its proof that we should never take for granted our liberties, Alsobrooks said. It is the confirmation that we must be vigilant in fighting for and protecting, with everything we have, our rights. Alsobrooks took some jabs at her opponent, saying that Republicans hope Hogan is the key to securing a conservative majority in Congress. They believe that Larry Hogan is the best opportunity that the Republicans have to get the 51st vote, in the Senate, she said. In fact, Donald Trump endorsed him because the two of them share something in common they share the goal of handing the over the Senate to the Republican Party. Trump has said in recent days that he believes the question of abortion restrictions should be left up to the states, a key part of the Dobbs decision. And Hogan, who has long said he is personally pro-life, has insisted that as senator he would defend Roe-style abortion protections. He reiterated that in a statement posted Monday on his campaign website in recognition of the second anniversary of Dobbs, saying that he would work in the Sentate to codify Roe v. Wade, as the law of the land. A womans health care decisions are her own. Whether it be the decision to start a family with the help of IVF, or exercise her reproductive rights, nothing and no oneespecially partisan politicsshould come between a woman and her doctor, according to the written statement. Related story U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who spoke at Mondays rally, went to bat for Alsobrooks and said that she would be the best choice to protect abortion access in the U.S. Senate. He ridiculed Hogans recent promises to support Roe-style abortion protections. Her opponent Larry Hogan is undergoing some election year conversion like none Ive ever seen, Van Hollen said. This guy now goes around saying that hes quote, pro-choice. The problem is he has a record that tells us the exact opposite. Democrats, including Alsobrooks, have criticized Hogans claims on abortion rights, pointing to his previous actions as Maryland governor. Hogan vetoed a measure in 2022 that would have expanded abortion access in the state. When the legislature overrode his veto, Hogan withheld state funding to train nonphysicians to perform abortions, funding that Gov. Wes Moore (D) released on his first day in office in 2023. So now we see Larry Hogan bobbing and weaving. Zigging and zagging. Flipping and flopping, Van Hollen said. And as we watch this, we know one things for sure: Marylanders just cannot trust Larry Hogan with this one. Hogans campaign which released a video Monday criticizing Alsobrooks record on crime as county executive pushed back on the characterization that he has flipped on supporting Roe v. Wade. Governor Hogan protected choice in Maryland for eight years as Governor, funding access to abortion in the budget every year and being the first governor in America to provide over-the-counter birth control paid for by Medicaid, according to an email from the campaign. In the Senate, Governor Hogan will work to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. The post Vice president holds College Park abortion rights rally with all the trappings of a campaign event appeared first on Maryland Matters. Central American migrants held for smuggling ransoms were tortured, burned, forced to drink toilet water and sexually assaulted at a Juarez stash house discovered in coordination with U.S. agents, authorities said. The stash house, which featured an altar to the Santa Muerte, hid "vile and horrific crimes" allegedly committed by members of a transnational border smuggling group, U.S. and Mexican officials said. Chihuahua state police, acting in coordination with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, rescued 13 migrants, including two minors, and arrested six suspected kidnappers during a June 11 raid on the stash house, authorities said. Immigration: Juarez pastor who ran Aposento Alto migrant shelter gets prison in forced labor case Nine of the migrants were from Guatemala and there were two each from El Salvador and Honduras, the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office said in a news statement. Four were hospitalized due to various torture wounds. Investigators learned that two migrants may have been killed at the stash house and police are searching for the bodies as part of an ongoing investigation in Mexico, HSI officials said. Migrants tell of torture at the border Investigators learned of the torture occurring at the stash house on June 8 when two migrants illegally crossed the border and surrendered to the U.S. Border Patrol in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Homeland Security Investigations said. Anniversary: Border Patrol celebrates 100 years: First agents were issued badge, pistol and little else The migrants told federal agents how they were severely beaten and burned in various parts of their bodies in order for the kidnappers to extort their families for additional smuggling fees. The kidnappers released the migrants only after their families paid the ransom, HSI said. An altar to the Santa Muerte stands in a stash house raided on June 11 by Chihuahua state police where Central American migrants were tortured while held for ransom by border smugglers in Juarez, Mexico. HSI agents assigned to Las Cruces and an attache office in Juarez obtained information that was then passed along to Chihuahua state police and the Mexican military, who located the stash house, HSI said in a statement. Horrors discovered at Juarez stash house When state police raided the stash house, investigators found the kidnapped migrants with various injuries "bruising from beatings, burns, broken ribs, and ligature marks," HSI stated. Some of the female migrants had been sexually assaulted. Migrants also reported that they were poorly fed and forced to drink water from the toilet by their captors, officials said. A photo released by the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office shows an altar of the Santa Muerte in the stash house with what appears to be typical offerings to the skeletal folk saint such as red apples, alcohol, cigarettes and cash. Believers of the Santa Muerte (meaning "Saint Death or "Holy Death"), including those involved in border smuggling and other criminal activity, pray to the entity for protection, good luck and other needs. Chihuahua authorities said that state police seized two handguns and marijuana packages at the stash house and arrested six people for their alleged involvement in the guarding and torture of the migrants. Those arrested were Jesus Tomas C.S., 24; Oswaldo P.M., 19; Lilia Estefani C.P., 22 and Diana Michell S.V., 20, along with two minors, police said. Last names were not disclosed by Chihuahua authorities in keeping with rules in Mexico regarding the naming of crime suspects. More: Juarez police officers arrested in migrant kidnapping 'network of corruption' "This investigation is a prime example of Homeland Security Investigations' unwavering commitment to identifying and holding transnational criminal organizations accountable for perpetrating vile and horrific crimes," Jason T. Stevens, acting special agent in charge of HSI El Paso, said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on both sides of the border so that together we can leverage the full force of our governments to protect victims of crime and bring the perpetrators to justice," Stevens said. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Migrants kidnapped, tortured at stash house in Mexico Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna issued a warning to the Georgian government regarding its EU membership prospects, stating that no further steps will be taken unless the government changes its behavior and repeals the controversial law on 'Foreign Agents'. Tsahkna made the remarks to reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting."The first, very important message is that there will be no further steps regarding Georgia's EU membership unless its government changes its behavior, unless its government repeals the law on foreign agents," Tsahkna said.He also mentioned that the council would discuss various measures affecting Georgia, including the potential prohibition of Schengen visas for high-level officials and other support funds. "So, the situation regarding Georgia is serious, and all this responsibility rests with the Georgian authorities, because the Georgian people support the path to the European Union," Tsahkna emphasized.Public Defender Levan Ioseliani provided an update on the health of former President Mikheil Saakashvili following his visit to the VivaMedi clinic, where Saakashvili is currently held. Ioseliani noted that Saakashvili's physical condition has improved compared to his previous visit but did not discuss specific health details."I can't talk about Mikheil Saakashvili's health, although if we compare him physically with what I found during the previous visit, he looks much better today," Ioseliani told journalists. He also clarified that there was no discussion about Saakashvili's return to the penitentiary, as this decision is outside his and the clinic's authority.Ioseliani emphasized that his visit was part of a routine check on the health conditions of all prisoners at the clinic. He reported that Saakashvili expressed gratitude for the Public Defender's ongoing monitoring of his condition."It was a short meeting. He thanked the Office of the Public Defender for regularly monitoring his condition throughout the year and providing information about it to the public," Ioseliani said.Ioseliani also mentioned that no special requests were made by Saakashvili or other prisoners during his visit, and he noted that timely transfers to treatment facilities are sometimes delayed, a concern reflected in the Public Defender's report. Fang Zhong briefs on research achievements at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Fang Zhong (2nd R) and his team member Weng Hongming talk with students at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Dai Xi, Wang Zhijun, Fang Zhong, Weng Hongming and Yu Rui (L to R) pose for a group photo at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 22, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Fang Zhong (R) and his team member Weng Hongming talk on research progress at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Fang Zhong (C) and his team members Wang Zhijun (1st L), Weng Hongming (2nd L), Dai Xi (2nd R), Yu Rui (1st R) pose for a group photo at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 22, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Dai Xi, Wang Zhijun, Fang Zhong, Weng Hongming and Yu Rui (L to R) pose for a group photo at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, June 22, 2024. Research on the computational prediction of topological electronic materials was on Monday honored with the first prize of State Natural Science Award. The research project is led by Fang Zhong and his team from Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team's achievements has promoted the research development in the topological electronic field and made China stand in the forefront worldwide in this field of research. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) This article was originally published in Virginia Mercury. The Virginia Board of Education took another step on Friday to clarify how schools will be rated and student performance measured to better determine how to direct state resources. The board, on the superintendents recommendation, approved four performance descriptors: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track and Needs Intensive Support. Schools considered distinguished are those that exceed the states expectations for growth, achievement, and readiness, while needs intensive support schools are those that significantly do not meet any of the states expectations. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The on-track and off track descriptors mean schools are either meeting or not meeting expectations. However, questions surfaced on where the terms came from, the benchmarks, and the descriptions behind the labels. Under the proposed plan, Virginia will begin collecting data for the new performance framework starting in August. Results will be released during the 2025-26 school year. Board President Grace Creasey, a Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointee, said the department will do more work to flush out the descriptions as the revision of the states accreditation system moves forward. I would like to remind us that the purpose here is transparency and understanding on behalf of not just people in schools, not just those of us sitting here in this room, not people who do education every day, said Creasey on Friday. This is for people to understand who are parents and families; and so while were deciding what the main categories are, these descriptors have yet to be fully baked at this point. Earlier in the process of revising the accreditation system, the board considered two different measures to track academic performance: an achievement index and an overall school rating, which raised concerns about the potential impact on low-performing schools and efforts to recruit teachers and influencing parents to seek other school choices for their children. Since April, teachers, parents, students, and education leaders have told the board they support using category descriptions instead of an A-F rating scale. The category descriptors are part of a larger plan by Youngkins administration to overhaul the existing accountability system, which focuses on accreditation and measures schools based on academic achievement, performance gaps, student attendance and graduation and dropout rates, and factors like building safety, student-teacher ratios and licensure. Schools are then labeled accredited, accredited with conditions or not accredited. Members of the administration and the board have criticized the current system for being vague and failing to address declines in student performance in subjects such as math and reading. The administrations process includes splitting up the states accreditation system into two parts: an accreditation system, to assess whether schools meet all requirements laid out in state laws and regulations; and an accountability system, to provide timely and transparent information on student and school performance. Under the new system, schools will be rated based on students success, measured by their mastery of subjects and academic growth. Stakeholders and the board are split on the weight factors totaling the overall score for each school level. Earlier the board expressed that mastery is important to make sure students thoroughly understand the concepts before graduating to the next grade level. Others have urged the board to keep mastery and growth at an equal weight. The overall score for elementary schools consists of three weight factors: 65% mastery, 25% growth, and 10% readiness. In middle schools, the performance score is weighted 60% mastery, 20% growth and 20% readiness; high schools performance score is weighted 50% mastery, 35% readiness and 15% graduation. VDOE staff said the performance descriptors would be in addition to the three federally required support and improvement identification categories: Comprehensive, Targeted and Additional Targeted. The designations are given to schools because a specific group of students may need assistance in catching up to the instruction. Schools identified as comprehensive receive full federal support for the entire school, compared to targeted schools, which receive support for low-performing subgroups. This is all about providing a holistic picture to the public thats more transparent, more clear about where schools are performing across all the indicators in the system, said Anne Hyslop, director of policy development for All4Ed. Last year, the department contracted with Hyslop to work on changes to the accreditation system along with Chad Aldeman, the Edunomics Lab policy director at Georgetown University. Board member Anne Holton, former state secretary of education and an appointee of Democratic Govs. Terry McAuliffee and Ralph Northam, was the lone vote against accepting the recommendation, saying she needed more information about the descriptors. There are at least a dozen significant decisions, including one of the most important decisions of these where the lines are going to be drawn that we havent made yet, even though were implementing the system starting with the school year that starts in six weeks, Holton said. She added that shes concerned that the proposed accreditation system has not been fully thought out and will have unintended consequences on teachers, families and our neediest students. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X. When preparing for a recent weekend getaway to Asheville, North Carolina, a relative who lives in nearby Hendersonville suggested we check out a new boutique hotel called Zelda Dearest. You can't visit an eclectic, artsy mountain town like Asheville and stay in a vanilla chain hotel with mass-produced synthetic charm, after all. Instead, we opted for one of the three lovingly restored historic homes that line Biltmore Ave. just outside of downtown Asheville. The homes, all surrounded by new development, were saved from certain demolition by Atlanta-based commercial real estate firm Hatteras Sky and rebranded as a "love letter" to Asheville from one of its heroines, Zelda Fitzgerald. The property, under the management of Lark Hotels, opened in October 2023 after nearly five years of renovations. Fitzgerald's presence and legacy are felt throughout the property. From the original bold and colorful artwork lining the walls to the art deco vibe and wonderfully charming uses of shades of purples, blush pinks and blacks throughout, the world's original flapper and wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald now has a permanent home perched atop a tree-lined hillside just outside of town. This image shows a finished guest suite at Zelda Dearest, a boutique hotel in Asheville, N.C. that encompasses three restored turn-of-the-century homes. Zelda Fitzgerald led a seemingly glamorous life Fitzgerald's story is an interesting one, which made for what seemed like a somewhat odd choice for a boutique hotel's muse. At the end of a seemingly glamorous life traversing the world, writing, dancing and painting, Fitzgerald died alone in 1948. She was reportedly sedated and awaiting electroshock therapy in an Asheville mental institution when the building caught fire. She had been in and out of institutions most of her adult life after a schizophrenia diagnosis. The legend that floats among many Ashevillians is that F. Scott drove her crazy and had her institutionalized. The truth, however, we will never know. Hatteras Sky chose to model this property after her style and her character, rather than the darkness that often shadowed her troubled life and untimely death. The property exudes her love of art and ballet and all things shiny and decorative, and it makes for a wonderful respite that almost feels like a sleepover at her house might have felt. The Wine & Roses Parlour Bar at Asheville, N.C.'s Zelda Dearest boutique hotel after the circa 1885 historic home underwent a complete restoration. Incorporating Fitzgerald's style created something 'singular, irreplaceable and unique' Amy Michaelson Kelly, principal at Hatteras Sky, said theming the property after Zelda was the idea of her partner Jason Cordon, who said the Fitzgerald name itself has a brand, so why not celebrate that? "Independent hotels are businesses, and they have no brand. Thats why they are independent," Kelly said. "Jason wanted to have a brand that people know that isnt hospitality and establish a unique local connection that no hotel is offering. He did some research on Zelda, that she died in Asheville and they had traveled there and stayed in hotels. They never owned a home, but stayed in hotels or with other people. We wanted Zelda Dearest to feel very residential." She added visitors to Asheville might rather stay in a property that is "singular, irreplaceable and unique," so preserving the homes creates a much different experience than a box hotel. This is the Rosalind house, which is part of Zelda Dearest, a boutique hotel in Asheville, N.C., that saved three historic homes and turned them into a unique hotel themed after Zelda Fitzgerald. Access to the property is granted through the front door of each of the homes, which are named after one of Fitzgerald's sisters: Rosalind, Marjorie and Tilde. While the homes were given back their historic beauty on the outside, the interiors and 20 guest rooms maintain their quirkiness with slanted walls and unorthodox floor plans but feel new in the most respectful ways. Kelly added they didn't want the homes to feel like a bed and breakfast with creaky floors and musty smells, so much of the interiors were gutted, while decorative features were saved and reused. And Hatteras Sky did all of this with the permission of and assistance from the Fitzgerald estate. "We did our research and went to New York to have tea at the Plaza Hotel with the granddaughter, Eleanor 'Bobbie' Lanahan," Kelly said. "We hashed out what our plan would be. She has been involved. We'd send her designs and she would make notes of things she liked and didn't like. Zelda was ahead of her time and she liked smart design that wasn't overly frilly." Lanahan commented in an email that she was thrilled to have a hotel named after her grandmother and Zelda would have been, too. "Asheville is one of the loveliest places on the planet and my grandmother was at home in the surrounding mountains where she found inspiration and tranquility. I hope the hotel will give the same respite and rejuvenation to all its guests," she wrote. This historic photo shows the Snider-Sawyer-Leonard House in Asheville, N.C. The home dates back to the late 1800s and was purchased and restored by real estate development firm Hatteras Sky. It is now part of Zelda Dearest, a boutique hotel themed after Zelda Fitzgerald. Sticking to a 'vision' instead of 'taking the easy way out' Neal Reed, director of operations for New Morning Ltd., also owns the historic Fine Arts Theater just a few blocks away from Zelda Dearest. He's an Asheville native who has watched many historic homes be demolished in the wake of development. "Growing up and seeing these historic properties fall to development is heartbreaking," he said. "It is sometimes a difficult balancing act between progress and the past. Homes such as these were in such bad repair, if they had been anywhere else, they would have been torn down long ago. Its great to see those homes preserved. I admire the dedication it took from owners and developers to have a vision instead of the easy way out." Jessie Landl, executive director of The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, said the home at 137 Biltmore, known as the Mears house, dates back to 1885 on the National Register of Historic Places, but could be even older. The other two homes also date back to the late 1800s. "I think adaptive reuse is one of the most important tools in preservation," Landl said. "Whether I agree with the end use or not, and I dont disagree with this use, but the truth is, these buildings were at risk and someone had the forethought to put preservation easements on them." A guest room at Zelda Dearest in Asheville, N.C. The boutique hotel is named and themed after Zelda Fitzgerald The result of the hard work is a beautiful, unique hotel experience Thanks to a beautiful combination of history and luxury, a stay at Zelda Dearest is not only comfortable, it's unique. Several rooms even have small libraries with many of both Fitzgeralds' books on display. The main floor of the Rosalind house, which was a short brick pathway walk from our room in the Tilde house, housed breakfast and coffee each morning and converted into Wine & Roses, a boutique bar with a speakeasy vibe, in the evenings. Staff is on hand if you need them, but disappear when you don't, further enhancing the feel that you are a guest in someone's home, versus staying in a hotel. Rates at Zelda Dearest start at $350 per night. For more information, visit www.zeldadearest.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Zelda Dearest might be Asheville, North Carolina's coolest getaway Von der Leyen reportedly nominated for second term as European Commission president EU leaders have reportedly nominated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term, Politico reported on June 25, citing five EU officials. Von der Leyen's bid for a second term was buoyed by the European Parliament elections earlier in June. The center-right European People's Party (EPP), which includes von der Leyen's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), remains the largest grouping with 189 seats. The decision still has to be formalized at the European Council summit on June 27-28, and then approved by members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Von der Leyen will therefore have to seek support from MEPs in the coming weeks, as her bid requires approval from more than half of the European Parliament's 720 seats. As a strong supporter of Ukraine, von der Leyen previously ruled out working with Kremlin-friendly parties. According to Politico, Kaja Kallas was also approved as the next EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, a position currently held by Josep Borrell. Antonio Costa will reportedly be the next president of the European Council, a position held by Charles Michel. The decision was negotiated by six EU leaders, namely Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Read also: Why European elections matter for Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Native Vote 2024. Last Tuesday, June 18, the Navajo Voters Coalition recognized the 25th Navajo Nation Council for its efforts at the Navajo Voters Coalition Conference with an honorary recognition. At the conference, the attendees had the opportunity to learn issues impacting the Native Vote, the 100th Anniversary of Indian Citizenship, Native Veterans role in gaining the right to vote, and other present issues affecting the Native vote. In an effort to improve Native voter turnout, the Navajo Nation Council passed emergency legislation in March to move its tribal primary election from August to July, matching the state of Arizonas voting schedule. The move was in response to an Arizona bill changing the states primary election date to July 30. The coordination between the Navajo Nation and the state of Arizona is considered a win for Navajo citizens who often have to drive long distancessometimes hoursto vote over poor roads. Instead of making two trips to vote, they will now only have to make one. The Navajo Nation Council hopes that this change will increase voter turnout. In 2020, Native Americans voted in historical numbers, and the Navajo Nation reported turnout rates as high as 90%. Sometimes our rights are complicated with challenges, said Council Delegate Shawna Ann Claw at Tuesdays coalition. Our elders laid the foundation to ensure our right to vote. Our vote can create change within our communities and nationally. Yet, on the Navajo Nation, we face obstacles in rural addressing, accessibility of polling locations, Navajo translation, and the redistricting of voter boundaries. Our people constantly overcome obstacles and disparities to show up at the polls. Lets continue to instill hope and motivation for our people to vote. Council Delegate Dr. Andy Nez underscored the gravity of the Native vote. Navajo voters possess so much power that we must ensure our presence is known this election season, Nez told attendees. Its important for our Navajo Nation and our respective states, like Arizona, this primary and general election. Coconino County District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler pressed the need to spread the word about the updated primary date to ensure optimal voter turnout. People are still under the impression that the Navajo primary date hasnt changed. We need to keep the word out there, Fowler said. Additionally, in this years general election, we will have many voter decisions that state legislators have added. We need to get education out to our voters on these initiatives. About the Author: "Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a staff reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American studies. " Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net A gray wolf. (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission will decide next month on lowering gray wolves status under the states endangered species law. Environmentalists and others say this would lead to inadequate protection for the animals when they still havent recovered in parts of the state. State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials and others contend that not much would change in terms of how the animals are shielded from hunting and argue the move makes sense because wolf numbers have strongly rebounded. The Department of Fish and Wildlifes recommendation is to downlist wolves from endangered to sensitive. In a Saturday meeting, wildlife commissioners had many questions about what that would mean for the species and appeared split on how to proceed. A downlisting recommendation has nothing to do with a wolfs value, said Julia Smith, Fish and Wildlifes endangered species recovery manager. It has everything to do with their legal and biological status. Even if the commission chooses to downlist the animals, wolves in the western two-thirds of the state would still be classified and protected as an endangered species under federal law. The commission will meet next on July 19 to vote on the status change. The stakes Gray wolves were first put on the states endangered species list 40 years ago and recovery efforts since appear to be working. Last years annual wolf report found the states wolf population increased by 20%, the 15th year in a row it grew. As of the end of 2023, Washington had 260 wolves in 42 packs. Thats up from 216 wolves in 37 packs the previous year. Since the first breeding pack was confirmed in 2008, the gray wolf population has grown by an average of 23% every year. Most of the growth has occurred in eastern Washington and the northern Cascades. The wolf population in other areas where theyve historically lived, like the southern Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula, is still lacking. Wolf management in Washington has long been controversial, and as Chair Barbara Baker said Saturday, the commission will be judged regardless of what they decide on downlisting. While environmentalists often argue the state is not doing enough to protect the animals, ranchers say the state is not doing enough to protect livestock, which wolves can injure or kill. I hope that were careful, Baker said. I hope we dont alienate any of our partners. The law Washingtons endangered species list has three categories: endangered, threatened and sensitive. Endangered means a species is seriously threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state. The sensitive classification, which the commission is considering for wolves, means a species is vulnerable or declining and is likely to become endangered or threatened in a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats. The commission The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission establishes policy and provides oversight for the states Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is made up of nine citizen members appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The members must include three west of the Cascades, three east of the Cascades, and three at-large members who can be from anywhere. What would change? If the downlisting is adopted, gray wolves would still be protected from hunting, though the penalties would be slightly lower. Current law dictates that hunting or killing an endangered species can result in up to a $5,000 fine and one year in jail. Under the sensitive category, possible punishment for illegally hunting or killing a species is up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Another significant change under the sensitive category is how the state administers permits to kill wolves. In general, livestock owners are restricted from using deadly measures against wolves. But Fish and Wildlife may issue permits to kill the animals in certain circumstances where the agency believes that the state lacks the resources needed to control them. Under the proposed changes, livestock owners could have more access to those permits, though they would still need approval and training from the department before getting one. On Saturday, some commissioners were concerned about whether these changes could push the species back toward extinction or delay its recovery. Smith, with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, pushed against that argument. Wolf poachings happen regardless of protections, she said, and there should be very steep punishments for them. Increasing those punishments, however, is the job of the Legislature. On the changes in livestock owner permits, she said the department rarely approves them, and many times livestock owners dont even want them. Remaining questions On Saturday, some commissioners grilled Smith and the department on their recommendation. One major question is whether wolves are properly spreading across the state in their historical range, and there were concerns among commissioners that without many wolves in the southern Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula, its too early to remove the species from the endangered list. Its a similar argument from environmental groups who are against the shift. There was also concern that the models used to predict future wolf populations dont account for all of the risks that the species could face if downlisted. There are details that need to be cleaned up, and we need to have a common understanding, said Commissioner Tim Ragen, who represents Skagit County. Despite the questions, some commissioners appeared ready to support the downlisting. Commissioner Molly Linville, representing Douglas County, said it was time to acknowledge the success that Washington has had with wolf recovery. I ask that you all show some progress because progress has been made, she said. Similarly, commissioner John Lehmkuhl, who represents Chelan County, said downlisting is just another step in Washingtons successful efforts. A lot of people think the proposal is going to eliminate wolves or reduce our efforts for recovery, and thats simply not true, Lehmkuhl said. This is a good faith effort to continue our wolf recovery program. The post Vote nears on ending endangered status for WA wolves appeared first on Washington State Standard. This is just a hunch, but I imagine some of you are as sick as I am of hearing that a vote for Reform is a wasted vote. Let me tell you what a wasted vote is. Casting my ballot in December 2019 with a song in my heart for the Conservatives. Nothing I voted for came to pass. Worse than that, in many cases the alleged Tory government did precisely the opposite of what I wanted. Every Conservative principle I held dear trashed. We can all recite our favourites from the List of Blue Betrayal. The abject failure to put British people first at every conceivable opportunity. After promising a high-skilled, Australian-style points-based system the Governments stated aim was to make the UK a magnet for the best and brightest, meaning that there will be fewer lower-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down the Tories lowered the admission criteria, triggering a housing crisis, a health service crisis, a sewage crisis, and the biggest rise in private rental costs since records began. That is why my young adult children are having to find 800 a month out of wages that havent grown for a poky room in a shared London flat. Prospect of ever saving for their own place, let alone producing my grandchildren: remote. As author and professor Matthew Goodwin has observed, voters were told a big, fat barefaced Tory lie. Over the last five years, about 2.2 million people from outside Europe arrived in Britain through net migration. Astonishingly, only 15 per cent of those came to work. Yes, thats a puny 15 per cent. The rest entered the UK as the relatives of workers, international students, the dependants of the students, or as asylum-seekers and refugees. Soon to be the dependants of thee and me and our post-war record taxes. Oh, joy! Rishi Sunak now boasts that the numbers are coming down. What he means is immigration is finally decreasing a bit from the stratospheric levels caused by those people I voted for in good faith. In the words of poor, doomed Ophelia: I was the more deceived! Plus, as Nigel Farage pointed out, today marked the arrival of the 50,000th illegal migrant overwhelmingly young, undocumented males crossing the Channel under Rishi Stop the Boats Sunaks premiership. And yet, if we say we refuse to vote Conservative and will be voting Reform (which promises net-zero immigration one out, one in) we find ourselves on the Naughty Step. Dont you know, you will give Labour a supermajority, you stupid, uneducated Farage supporter? Yes, folks, its our fault. We are constantly letting down our political parties when we should be jolly grateful were allowed to vote for them to betray us again. The truth is, the Conservatives are not going to win next week whatever happens. Sir Keir Starmer could announce he had fallen in love with a giraffe at London Zoo and the polls would barely blink. (Given how paralysingly dull he is, necking the giraffe might even improve them.) Disillusion with the Tories is a powerful fuel for the Reform rocket but, long before Nigel Farage announced he was running, there were 10 by-elections in safe Tory seats and the Conservatives lost every single one. Not because the Labour vote shot up it barely increased but because thousands upon thousands of Conservatives simply refused to vote. How is a vote for Reform (or the excellent SDP, for that matter) wasted if it sends a message to that arrogant cadre of One Nation Tories (which nation would that be, darling? Not mine) that their clear disregard for ordinary British people, their abject failure to plan for long-term energy security, their casual disregard for our culture, their witless obeisance to a ruinous net-zero target that will bankrupt us, their bloody potholes, is not acceptable. To those among the doomed MPs who try to claim their pending evisceration has been caused by the party moving away from the centre, let me direct you to a recent poll by Lord Ashcroft. It quite clearly shows that the number of former Conservative voters who feel their party swung too far to the Right is miniscule. It was forming a Nick Clegg Tribute Band, and lurching Left, which lost the Conservative some of its most loyal followers. We had not moved at all, but absurdly found ourselves branded far-Right. And now, with the sirens screeching, with just a week to go till Starmergeddon, they purse their lips and whistle for us to return to the fold like the sheep they think we are. Sorry. Dont you know we ignorant xenophobes only respond to dog whistles? Two dear friends tell me they are now Reform voters. I was surprised but not surprised. Both are far from the caricature that label implies: feisty, foxy feminists in their forties, they are done with politics as usual and want things shaken up. Reform has the best manifesto, they both say. Critics have focused on whether the sums add up (they are scarcely more fanciful than any other partys), but there are many imaginative and appealing plans: scrap interest on student loans, tax breaks on private healthcare to relieve NHS waiting lists, remodel our atrocious health system, copying one of the many European ones that deliver better outcomes and dont kill people as they queue for treatment. Abandon net zero, build nuclear, take the shackles off our own oil and gas production so we stop giving Norway the Education budget every year. Sensible on gender, ban the teaching of trans ideology and critical race theory in schools. Teach children to be proud of their country (would it ever catch on?). Embed free speech rights via a Free Speech Bill and a Bill of Rights. Never again can our entire country be locked down on shoddy evidence and lies, the manifesto states boldly. And proportional representation to break the duopoly which has so corrupted our politics leading to the current malaise. To be honest, it reads like the Tory Party manifesto if the party hadnt ceased to be Conservative. How is voting for that a wasted vote? A vote that says, these are my values and Id like them to be represented if you dont mind. Readers of this paper are thoughtful people, concerned citizens. I know you will carefully weigh up how to vote, as am I. No one should be insulted for whatever decision they make. Regardless of wider dismay with CCHQ, some of us will be supporting our local Tory if they have been a great public servant or constituency MP, or if there is no Reform candidate, which is the case here. My MP is Kemi Badenoch, a warrior among wimps, who showed her mettle today when the irksome David Tennant, collecting a celebrity ally gong for his support of the trans community at the British LGBT awards, said he wished he could wake up and find that Kemi Badenoch doesnt exist anymore. Absolute sweeties these Be Kind trans allies, arent they? Wishing a mum to three children would cease to be. Kemi shot back on X (formerly Twitter): I will not shut up. I will not be silenced by men who prioritise applause from Stonewall over the safety of women and girls A rich, Lefty, white, male celebrity so blinded by ideology he cant see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end. If only her government had channelled more of that defiant spirit instead of allowing trans allies to influence policy at the Department of Education. Talking about spirit, I was in Clacton on Saturday watching Nigel Farage campaign (full report later in the week). The public enthusiasm was extraordinary, especially among the young of all people. If Reform get more votes than the Tories on election day not impossible with the two currently neck and neck, Reform slightly edging ahead in a couple of polls and still with a lot of undecided and cross Tories then a new party of the Right will form to fight for what millions of us believe in. Putting the British people first. I dont think thats a wasted vote. Do you? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. This man attended a press conference held by the Pinellas Watchdog group in front the Pinellas County Courthouse on April 24, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) Quality Journalism for Critical Times With concerns about election dis- and misinformation coursing through the election cycle this year, a group of Florida voting rights and social justice groups are calling on every state and county elected official to be aware of election laws and communicate that information accurately to their constituents. More than two dozen groups led by All Voting is Local Florida, the NAACP Florida State Conference, Common Cause Florida, and the ACLU of Florida have written a letter to state legislators and county commissioners stressing the critical role that they play in combating bogus information. While dis- and misinformation about our elections have circulated for many years, the 2020 election acted as the impetus for sowing doubt regarding the safety and security of our voting systems, particularly in relation to falsehoods perpetuated around the safety and reliability of vote-by-mail ballots, the missive begins. All election disinformation is dangerous; according to POLITICO, disinformation alone has now become the single biggest threat to electoral integrity in many countries around the world, meaning that what election authorities have traditionally seen as their biggest obligation organizing technically competent free and fair elections is no longer enough. The letter lists nine specific problems that lawmakers should be versed in, including voter list maintenance; logic and accuracy testing of voting equipment; paper ballots; reporting of vote-by-mail count; recounts; certification; audits; hand counts; and mass challenges. Take hand counts, for example Florida law does not allow that, although many election integrity advocates have been pushing for it since the 2020 election. A bill sponsored by Pinellas County Republican Berny Jacques and Lake County Republican Taylor Yarkowsky in the state House (HB 359) would have authorized counties to hand count ballots at the precinct level, but it never received a hearing in any committee during the most recent legislative session. Regarding maintenance of voter rolls, the groups note that [its] particularly important to underscore that unless the voter requests it in written form, the voter moves out of the state or passes away, or the voter is determined to be ineligible, their name may not be removed from the statewide voter registration system any later than 90 days before the date of a federal election. For the August 20th Primary Election, the 90-day deadline was May 22, 2024. Mass challenges And regarding mass challenges, the letter tells lawmakers that they may receive lists from private organizations or individuals naming potentially ineligible voters and asking that election officials remove them from the voting rolls. The groups response? First, its important to understand that Florida law prohibits the use of non-governmental entities to conduct list maintenance, they write. These types of lists aim to circumvent Florida laws governing the voter challenge process, and forwarding these requests to election officials validates these individuals actions. Florida law only permits challenges during a 30-day window before and on election day, and they must come from a registered voter or poll watcher from the same county as the voter who is being challenged. Challenges must be delivered to the supervisor of elections or to the clerk or inspector at a polling place not emailed en masse to other officials. The letter comes as an insurgent group of Republican challengers are running for county supervisor of elections on a platform questioning the operations of individual incumbent supervisors throughout the state, with most of those candidates strongly disputing the results of the 2020 presidential election, as the Phoenix reported last month. The post Voting rights groups call on FL elected officials to combat election disinformation appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Gov. Tim Walz, center, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, right, spoke at a Democratic Governors Association press conference in Minneapolis on June 24, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer. Gov. Tim Walz used the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision to highlight what he said would be the major role abortion will play in the November presidential election, and he argued that limiting access to reproductive health care is still a priority for many Republicans. Walz, who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association, was joined in Minneapolis on Monday by six other Democratic governors, including some facing close reelection battles in their home states. They said a persons geography shouldnt determine whether they can get an abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and gave states permission to set abortion policy, 14 states enacted total abortion bans, and many more have enacted bans with gestational limits. Walz leaned into the stakes of the presidential election on one of the few issues that has been a clear winner for Democrats during the presidency of Joe Biden. Youre going to get a choice in November, whether its to vote for President Biden to protect those rights to continue on making sure that women have bodily autonomy, or to turn that clock back, Walz said. As Donald Trump said, he was so proud to be the architect in bringing down Roe v. Wade, so it becomes critically important. Minnesota Democrats last year passed a law codifying the right to abortion and reproductive health care, and pregnant people appear to be coming to Minnesota as a safe haven. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the proportion of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents in Minnesota increased from about 9% in 2020 when Roe was still in place to about 21% in 2023. There were about 14,700 clinician-provided abortions in Minnesota last year, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month upheld broad access to an abortion pill mifepristone used in medication abortions. Medication abortions account for the vast majority of abortions in the U.S. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith last week introduced a bill to repeal the 1873 Comstock Act, which bans the mailing of obscene material, including abortion-related materials. Although the law is not being enforced, Smith and abortion advocates say a future Trump administration could weaponize the law to ban abortion pills from being sent in the mail. Now that Trump has overturned Roe, a future Republican administration could try to misapply this 150-year-old Comstock law to deny American women their rights, even in states where abortion rights are protected by state law, Smith said in a press release. This is why Im introducing legislation to repeal Comstock. It is too dangerous to leave this law on the books. A few of the governors during the Monday press conference criticized their Republican opponents challenging them in November. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said his state has one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, only allowing exceptions if the mothers life is at risk. Beshear said leaving abortion access up to individual states endangers people in GOP states, particularly abuse survivors. There shouldnt be a state in the United States of America where victims of rape and incest should have no options or where someone has to carry a non-viable pregnancy. Thats just wrong, Beshear said. Walz said the right to an abortion is sure to be among the factors people consider when voting. This is one thats very personal to people. Its not theoretical. Republicans keep trying to tell you that Oh, this is over. Whatever, keep saying that because its far from over, he said. At the end of the press conference, Walz addressed the flooding caused by heavy rains affecting cities across Minnesota. Walz said that the damage could rival the 1997 Red River flooding that devastated many cities along the Minnesota-North Dakota border. Walz said the state is preparing mitigation efforts and is ready to perform evacuations when necessary. He also said hes ready to call a special legislative session if needed to allocate more funding to combat the flood, but the state isnt at that point yet and the situation is developing. The post Walz, Democratic governors say abortion will be on the November ballot appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Gen Valery Gerasimov and Sergei Shoigu both have ICC warrants out for their arrests - Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for the head of Russias military and its recently sacked defence minister over strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine. Gen Valery Gerasimov and Sergei Shoigu were accused of orchestrating a campaign of long-range bombardments against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the winter of 2022. The announcement is the second round of largely symbolic arrest warrants issued for Russian officials in response to the invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin and his childrens rights tsar were last year slapped with warrants for the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. They now face arrest in more than 100 countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC. Gen Gerasimov and Shoigu, who now serves on Russias powerful security council, are considered to be the architects of Putins invasion to Ukraine. But their plans to seize capital Kyiv within days and decapitate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskys government ended in failure. They subsequently triggered a war of attrition that has resulted in over 500,000 Russian personnel being killed or wounded, according to British intelligence estimates. Part of their strategy was to plunge Ukraine into darkness during the countrys bitterly cold winters, the ICC alleged. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least Oct 10 2022 until at least March 9 2023, The Hague-based court said in a statement on Tuesday. A Ukrainian soldier of the 43rd artillery brigade fires a self-propelled howitzer - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP During this timeframe, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine. The expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage, the court added. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, said the fresh round of arrest warrants targeted two key figures in Russian military leadership. This decision is a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians is inevitable. It clearly demonstrates that no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability, he added. Arrests unlikely The future arrest of any Russian official with an outstanding ICC arrest warrant is considered highly unlikely. The tribunal has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests. This means that the decisions would only curb their ability to travel to countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the court, because it could end with them being detained and sent to The Hague for trial. The court does not conduct trials in absentia. Russia, which is not one of the 123 countries that are parties to the ICC under the Rome Statute, has said it doesnt recognise the courts decisions, and denies war crimes charges. Dmytro Lubinets, one of Ukraines top war crimes investigators, said: Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal. Andriy Yermak, president Zelenskys chief of staff, said: This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil. 03:51 PM BST Todays live coverage has ended. Heres a roundup of the days events: The ICC issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defence minister, and Valery Gerasimov, a leading Russian general. Ukraine and Moldova began EU accession talks. The ECHR found Russia guilty of human rights violations in Crimea. Munitions from a Czech-led fundraising drive began to reach Ukraine. The Kremlin said that plans for Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, to visit Russia were in the works. 02:56 PM BST Ukraine shoots down 86% of Russian Shahed drones, air force commander says Ukraine has shot down 86 per cent of the Russian Shahed drones fired at the country since the start of 2024, the head of Kyivs air force has said. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk said that his forces had destroyed 1,953 out of a total of 2,277 of the so-called kamikaze weapons. These results were achieved due to an increase in the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian militarys mobile fire groups, Mr Oleshchuk added. Shahed drones are an Iranian-designed unmanned attack weapon fitted with warheads of up to 50kg and with a range of up to 1250 miles. Typically launched in swarms, they are flown into targets and detonate on impact. 02:07 PM BST Pictured: Sergei Shoigu & Valery Gerasimov Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov - SPUTNIK/REUTERS The International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of the two Russian military chiefs on Tuesday. 02:02 PM BST Russia attempts to take Chasiv Yar as Western aid starts to arrive Russian forces are attempting relentless attacks on the strategically important town of Chasiv Yar before its Ukrainian defenders are boosted by incoming Western aid, analysts and soldiers have said. The Kremlins army is pressing the Ukrainian forces with ground assaults and aerial barrages that allow soldiers little time to recover. We work, you could say, without rest, said Oleksandr, a platoon commander from Ukraines 43rd Artillery Brigade. So no two days are alike. You always need to be ready to work day and night, he added. Ukraine is racing to stabilise the front after badly needed assistance was approved by the United States in April following a six-month delay. Members of Oleksandrs artillery brigade however said that supplies of American ammunition have now started to arrive. 01:36 PM BST ECHR finds Russia guilty of violating human rights in Crimea The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found Russia guilty of violating human rights on the occupied Crimean Peninsula. The ECHR said Russia had engaged in a pattern or system of violations of human rights since it annexed the territory in 2014. The decision stems from several complaints that Ukraine brought to the court in the years following the annexation. Ukraine argued that Russia had engaged in a campaign of repression that included, among other things, disappearances, unlawful detention, suppression of Ukrainian media and culture and barring residents from opting out of taking Russian citizenship. 01:10 PM BST ICC arrest warrants part of hybrid Western war against Russia The Russian security council has said that the ICC arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defence minister, and Valery Gerasimov, a leading general, are part of the hybrid war of the West against our country. This is a shock, since the jurisdiction of the ICC does not extend to Russia, the security council added, according to state-run news agency Ria Novosti. 12:01 PM BST Shells from Czech-led initiative arrive in Ukraine The first batch of shells from a Czech-led drive to buy ammunition for Ukraine has arrived in the war-ravaged country, Prague has said. The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing what it takes, Petr Fiala, the Czech prime minister, said on X on Tuesday. Czech government officials said last month that Ukraine would receive up to 100,000 155-millimetre shells in June via the plan. The project saw the Czech Republic lead a fundraising drive outside the EU, after the bloc fell well short of meeting a target of providing one million shells by the end of March. 18 countries had signed up to the plan as of mid-June, Prague said. 11:24 AM BST Pictured: Ukrainian artillery in action near Donetsk Ukrainian soldiers fire a howitzer at Russian positions near Donetsk - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Anton, a Ukrainian artilleryman, shows his howitzer tattoo - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP 11:01 AM BST Dagestan attack death toll reaches 21 Moscow has said that the death toll from Sundays Islamist terror attack in Russias southern region of Dagestan has risen to 21. A wounded police officer died in hospital, officials said on Tuesday, raising the figure from an earlier total of 20. On Sunday, Islamic militants assaulted Churches and Synagogues and fired at police in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala in the predominantly Muslim region of the North Caucasus. Some Russian officials have suggested Western involvement. Abdulkhakim Gadzhiyev, the State Duma deputy, claimed that there is no doubt the attacks are connected to the intelligence services of Ukraine and NATO countries. 10:22 AM BST Modi will visit Russia, Kremlin says Moscow has said that Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, is scheduled to visit Russia. Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putins foreign affairs aide, said that Mr Modis visit is being prepared and that a date would be jointly announced in the future. Under Modis leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia directly but has urged for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. 09:46 AM BST Ukraine strikes ammo depot in Russia Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that it hit an ammunition depot in the Voronezh region of Russia. A field ammunition depot of the Russian aggressor army was hit in the Olkhovatsky district of Russias Voronezh region, the Ukrainian defence ministry said. Corroborating Ukraines claims, Alexander Gusev, the governor of Voronezh, said that two of his districts had been attacked by Ukraine overnight. He added that no civilians had been injured. Local state media footage showed fire raging and several loud explosions ringing out from a site surrounded by fields and trees. 09:28 AM BST Russia expects to sign new cooperation pact with Iran Moscow expects to sign a new cooperation pact with Iran in the very future. We expect that this agreement will be signed in the very near future, since work on the text is already close to completion. All the necessary wording has been found, Andrei Rudenko, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said. Very few details have emerged on what the new agreement would include. 09:03 AM BST Russia responds to Trump advisers peace plan Russia has said that any plan for peace in Ukraine must take into account the real situation on the ground. The value of any plan lies in the nuances and in taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said. We do not know what kind of plan we are talking about, or what is set out in it, he added. The comments come after Reuters reported that two key advisers to Trump have presented him with a plan to end the war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election in November. The proposal reportedly involves telling Ukraine it will only get more US weapons if it enters into peace talks. 08:39 AM BST Training exercise in Scotland is of vital importance, Ukrainian navy says The importance of a minehunting exercise in Scottish waters cannot be understated, a senior Ukrainian navy officer has said. Final preparations are underway for Exercise Sea Breeze 2024, which will provide Ukrainian sailors with new skills to help detect mines underwater, as well as train for a post-conflict era in the Black Sea. Training is to take place on two former Royal Navy vessels, which have been repurposed and given to the Ukrainian navy. Commodore Dmytro Kovalenko, a training chief in the Ukrainian navy, said: The ships are fully capable and combat ready. They have boosted significantly our efforts. They have also provided our ship crews with the opportunity to gain Nato-standard knowledge and to work according to Nato standards and procedures. We have a wide range of courses here for training in Great Britain, the Sea Breeze gathers all these groups, all these people who were trained here and its more practical, more in field training of the mining skills, so the importance of Sea Breeze cannot be underestimated. 08:28 AM BST Pictured: Yuri Sodol, the replaced Ukrainian commander Lt Gen Yuri Sodol, who has been replaced as Ukrainian joint forces commander after accusations of under performance - Alamy 08:24 AM BST Massive Ukrainian strike on Belgorod kills elderly woman and injures 4 A major Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Belgorod killed an elderly woman and injured four other people, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the region, said. The city of Belgorod and the Belgorod district were subjected to a massive attack by UAVs, Gladkov wrote late on Monday. On Tuesday, Mr Gladkov said an elderly woman had been found dead in a destroyed house and that assistance would be given to the family. The Russian defence ministry said that its air defence destroyed a total of 29 Ukrainian drones fired towards Belgorod. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. People gather at the site where an Israeli airstrike targeted in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 25, 2024. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,658, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) GAZA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,658, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 32 Palestinians and wounded 139 others, bringing the total number of injuries to 86,237 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October 2023, the health authorities said in a statement. Also on Tuesday, the Hamas-run health authorities warned in a press statement of a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies necessary to continue its services. The statement called on international institutions to quickly intervene and provide the needed medicines and medical supplies to save the lives of patients and injured people. In a separate statement, Hamas accused the Israeli government of continuing to "challenge" all international laws, customs and humanitarian values by deliberately targeting "innocent civilians and committing the most horrific massacres against them." The movement held the U.S. administration responsible for enabling what they described as "genocidal war" in the Gaza Strip by providing political and military support to Israel, allowing it to continue its mission of destruction and annihilation in the Strip. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. People search in the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 25, 2024. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,658, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man stands among the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 25, 2024. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,658, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People inspect the damage of a house after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 25, 2024. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,658, health authorities in the enclave said on Tuesday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Safa Peera of Seattle speaks at the Washington State Democratic Party convention in favor of resolutions to halt U.S. military aid to Israel until it achieves a permanent ceasefire in its war with Hamas. Delegates passed three Gaza-related resolutions on June 23, 2024. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard) BELLEVUE Yaz Kader of Seattle is heading to Chicago in August, one of Washingtons two uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention. His aim is to amplify the desire of party progressives and Palestinians to see President Joe Biden apply more pressure on Israel to end its military offensive against Hamas thats led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza. On Sunday, delegates at the Washington State Democratic Party convention added their collective voice to the effort by passing resolutions that call for halting U.S. military aid to Israel until a permanent ceasefire is in place, restoring U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and establishing a steady flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn region. The much-anticipated votes came in the conventions final hour. Emotions surged throughout the ballroom of the Meydenbauer Center when the debate began. Supporters spoke of the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians, and the need for the U.S. to stop supplying Israel with weapons used in its deadly military offensive. They stressed that passing each one would send a resounding message of the partys solidarity with Palestinians. If you believe that Palestinians are equal and their lives are worth saving, I ask you to vote with your hearts, show the world and the country that the Washington state Democrats stand on the side of human rights and freedom, Kader said in his convention speech. Tamara Erickson of Lake Forest Park said as a Jewish Democrat shes told to tow the party line and support unlimited resources going to the State of Israel. But my values, my Jewish values, affirm the intrinsic worth and quality of all human life and compel me to stand in solidarity with my Palestinian brothers and sisters as they continue to watch their families and communities suffer and die under American bombs, she said. Delegates holding signs calling for a ceasefire stood behind Wafa Hassouneh, a Palestinian American, who said she was terrified for the safety of herself and her community, and for the future of those living in Gaza. I wonder about how a child is supposed to heal when he carries his brother into a hospital in a backpack, his dead body in a backpack, she said. Those speaking against the three measures voiced fear that passing them all could spur increased expressions of anti-Semitism. David Kaplan of Seattle speaks at the Washington State Democratic Party convention about passing a resolution focused on achieving a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. He opposed measures that he said did not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. A majority of delegates passed three measures on June 23, 2024. (Jerry Cornfield/ Washington State Standard) Resolutions like this can raise the temperature of the conversation locally, and that can lead to hate crimes against Washingtonians of the Jewish faith, while doing little to actually end the conflict thousands of miles away, said Karol Brown. Tana Senn, a delegate and state representative from Mercer Island, spoke in favor of passing a resolution that expressed profound sorrow over the loss of life in Gaza and Israel, that we want the ceasefire agreement that includes the release of hostages. But she opposed the measure with a provision to restart U.S. funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. She said that would be wrong because the group doesnt recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. Lets not ostracize Jewish voters, who are a key voting bloc for Democrats and our friends and neighbors. Rather, lets together send the message in the first [resolution] that we want peace in the Middle East and in our Democratic Party, she said. David Kaplan of Seattle echoed Senn, saying one resolution conveys the partys desire for a permanent ceasefire without conditions. Much of what is happening in Gaza is evil, he said. Lets vote for a resolution that reflects our values and and get on with going out into the world and electing Democrats. Meanwhile, about two dozen protesters conducted a vigil in support of the resolutions outside the center. I would like to stop the genocide in Gaza. I would like the Democrats to start doing the right thing and stop sending bombs that are getting used to kill civilians, said Rabbi Fern Feldman of IfNotNow, which organized the daylong presence. Unlike the state Republican Partys open and, at times, chaotic convention, the Democrats conducted theirs with precision, hewing to a tight script that limited numbers of speakers and debate on platform matters in pursuit of finishing party business on schedule. There was trepidation, even concern, backers of the Gaza resolutions might disrupt proceedings. And delegates wondered if protesters might block the entrance to the center. Party leaders struck a deal with resolution supporters: Stay cool and the measures would come to the floor which is what happened. What we wanted was the opportunity to vote on them, Kader said, The outcome is obviously what we wanted. The post Washington Democratic Party backs ending U.S. aid to Israel until ceasefire with Hamas appeared first on Washington State Standard. FILE - A Seattle Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform, July 17, 2016, in Seattle. The Washington Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in a case that will decide whether the names of four Seattle police officers who attended events in the nations capital on the day of the insurrection are protected under the state's public records law. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) The Washington Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine whether the names of four Seattle police officers who attended events in the nations capital on the day of the insurrection are protected under the state's public records law and whether an investigation into their activities should be made public. The officers say they did nothing wrong and revealing their names would violate their privacy, but those seeking disclosure say the officers' attendance at a widely covered public demonstration that drew thousands on Jan. 6, 2021, was not a private activity. The justices must also decide whether agencies that handle public records requests must consider a person's Constitutional rights before releasing documents a new standard created by an appeals court ruling in this case. When then-Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz learned that six of his officers traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend former President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally, he ordered the Office of Police Accountability to conduct an investigation into their activities to see if they violated any laws or department policies. The investigation found that married officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett crossed barriers set up by the Capitol police and were next to the Capitol Building, in violation of the law, prompting Diaz to fire the pair. Investigators said three other officers had not violated policies and the fourth case was ruled inconclusive. Sam Sueoka, a law student at the time, filed a Public Records Act request for the OPA investigation. The officers, filing under the pseudonym John Doe 1-5, filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop their release. The trial court twice denied their request, but the appeals court ruled in the officers' favor on the second appeal, saying the agency handling the records must consider a person's First Amendment rights before granting disclosure. That's a different standard than considering a privacy exemption under state laws. The City of Seattle and others objected, saying government agencies that handle records requests would be burdened by this new standard. Jessica Leiser, a Seattle assistant city attorney, told the justices that the appeals court ruling changed the way agencies must review records requests by adding an extra review to see if any Constitutional rights would be violated by releasing the documents. The Public Records Act already includes a level of protection by allowing agencies to notify a person if their records are requested. At that point, the person can take legal action to protect their own Constitutional rights. It should not be up to the agency to make that determination, she said. If the legislature had intended to require agencies to independently assert third-party rights, it could have easily said so, Leiser said. Likewise, if the legislature had intended to create separate procedural processes for judicial review of constitutional exemptions, it could have done so. Justice G. Helen Whitener asked Neil Fox, Sueoka's attorney, whether a person who attends a rally automatically gives up their right to privacy. My concern is this country is built on dissent, and thats done through protesting and for marginalized populations, many of which I belong to, this is how individuals literally effectuated changes, she said. If participating in rallies means you give up your privacy, what youre doing is chilling an individuals ability to participate in what is supposed to be a constitutionally protected event. Fox said the officers names have already been made public through social media, but they have not been fired or suffered harassment or attacks. In order to claim a First Amendment anonymity protection, Fox argued that the officers must show they would suffer harm. He said that after two years of litigation, no harm has been inflicted and therefore their names should be on the court records. If casual visitors to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge were paying attention this month, they might have spotted a wader-clad duo hanging off the bow of an airboat and pulling Canada geese out of the Great Salt Lake. The airboat would rip across the water, only slowing so one woman could snatch a goose as it swam through the shallows. And it was all in the name of science. The two goose catchers in question are volunteer wildlife biologists with the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources, and their unorthodox technique appeared in an Instagram video shared June 14. The two were helping with the agencys goose-banding program, which for decades has provided ample data for the states wildlife managers. DWRs waterfowl banding program has been in operation since 1965, program lead Rich Hansen tells Outdoor Life. He says that while there are several different ways to catch and band geese, the DWR often focuses its efforts on the shallow flats of the refuge because the geese cant dive down to unreachable depths there. Instead, the birds submerge themselves and swim along the shallow lake bottom, where volunteers can easily snatch them. The geese are carefully caged, brought to shore, banded, and released within a few hours. The marshes of the Great Salt Lake are so shallow, anywhere from a foot deep to two-and-a-half feet deep, Hansen says. If theyre on deeper water, theyre really tough to catch. We actually have to set a trap up on shore, put wing walls out, and funnel them into the trap but we have all these wetlands associated with the Great Salt Lake, so we have a lot of waterfowl biologists, and a lot of airboats and equipment. The DWR uses a fleet of shallow-running airboats to catch the geese before theyre banded. Photo courtesy Utah DWR Hansen and other members of the waterfowl team do observational flights over the refuge about a week before a banding day to get an idea of where the geese are congregating. Flocks tend to gather on any one of the refuges many impoundments, Hansen says, on the northeast corner of the Great Salt Lake. Once the biologists have an idea of where to go, they launch their airboats and surround the flock, singling out individuals to fit with durable stainless-steel leg bands. Read Next: Watch: Hundreds of Mallards Swim Out of Flooded Timber, Swarming Hunters Once an airboat pulls up on them, they tend to duck out of the way, so we put volunteers at the front of the boat to pluck them out of the water, Hansen says of the techniqu. Hansen estimates that roughly 10 percent of the geese they capture in a typical year are already banded. Theyll run those unique band numbers through the USGS Bird Banding laboratory database and update what biological information they can. This is the same resource waterfowl hunters should use to report the banded birds they harvest so they can add to a growing body of research around the birds, Hansen points out. A biologist with the Utah DWR takes a sample from a goose during the banding process. Photo courtesy Utah DWR Many of these banded geese are captured multiple times, and Hansen says a handful of birds between 17 and 21 years old end up in the DWRs banding stations every year. They recently captured a Canada goose that was first banded in 2005. Part of the reason some of these geese live so long is because theyre a resident population, Hansen says. There are some geese that migrate through the area, Hansen says, since the Great Salt Lake and the larger Bear River watershed provide crucial stopover habitat for birds in the Pacific Flyway. But the resident birds that stick around tend to wise up pretty quickly. They live a lot longer than most people would think, Hansen says. Those birds typically go to the city as soon as the shooting starts These birds are pretty smart, and to survive that long they know when to get to the city and they know how long to stay in the city. Read Next: What Happens to Duck Hunting When the Great Salt Lake Dries Up? Hansen says 2024 marks the 59th year of the DWRs banding program. And over all that time, theyve handled hundreds of thousands of birds. I think we have one of the longest-running banding projects in the nation, and I know weve banded more geese than any other state west of the Rockies, Hansen says. From 1965 through 2003, the state had banded about 65,000 geese. I took over in 2004 and weve banded another 60,000 since then. So weve banded about 125,000 geese. Its a pretty big effort and its helped us a lot. Rocket debris has appeared to rain down on terrified villagers in China after the launch of a satellite. Footage posted on Chinese social media seemed to show a rocket booster followed by a bright orange plume of smoke falling on a town in Guizhou, one of Chinas poorest provinces. The images take the shine off Beijings latest successful unmanned mission to the far side of the Moon, which returned to Earth on Tuesday. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has set ambitious goals to become a leading space power, including landing astronauts on the Moon and building a research base on its south pole, but images of falling debris from rocket launches are frequently shared on social media. This is not how a major space power operates, said Todd Harrison, an aerospace and defence expert at the American Enterprise Institute think tank. Footage posted on Chinese social media seemed to show a rocket booster followed by a bright orange plume of smoke falling While the US is landing and reusing rocket boosters, China is dropping them over populated areas, he wrote on X, formerly, Twitter, adding that the orange trail in the sky is a highly toxic propellant. Videos of the debris surfaced on Chinese social media networks including Douyin, TikToks sister site, a few days after a Sino-French satellite blasted off in Sichuan province, which neighbours Guizhou. The satellite, which is part of a civilian research mission intended to capture and observe gamma-ray bursts from distant explosions of stars, headed into orbit on a Long March 2C carrier rocket that took off at 3pm local time on Saturday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The launch mission was a complete success said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, one of the main contractors for Beijings space programme, in a message on the Weixin microblogging site after the launch on Saturday. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) Several ducklings that wandered into a gutter and got trapped were rescued by Hillsborough County deputies over the weekend. Officials stationed in Brandon spotted the baby ducks in a gutter on Sunday, going above and beyond to save them, the sheriffs office said. Publix selling rare plant at select Florida stores for a limited time With the help of Animal Control and a net, deputies were able to safely rescue the little ones and take them to a nearby lake. Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office The video also shows a momma duck following her ducklings as a deputy carries them to the water. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. June 25 (UPI) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation apologized for a highway sign that misspelled the world "Central" as "Cenrtal." Drivers on Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia noticed the new sign directing travelers to southbound Interstate 95 read, "Cenrtal Phila," and photos of the sign quickly went viral Monday. PennDOT apologized Tuesday on social media. "We were so focused on getting this done and reopening the 95 Cottman ramp that we moved a little too quickly... and forgot to proofread. Sorry, Philadelphia," the post said. We were so focused on getting this done and reopening the 95 Cottman ramp that we moved a little too quickly...and forgot to proofread. Sorry, Philadelphia. https://t.co/9hxxzLsoaj pic.twitter.com/KZdNnYASgB PA Department of Transportation (@PennDOTNews) June 25, 2024 The post was accompanied by a photo of the corrected "Central Phila" sign. June 25 (UPI) -- The San Diego Zoo announced the birth of a female Baird's tapir, an endangered animal native to Mexico and Central America. The zoo said the calf, born June 3 to mother Luna, is now on display alongside the facility's capybaras in an enclosure located in the Elephant Odyssey section of the zoo. "Luna is bonding with her calf by vocalizing to her, licking her and keeping a close eye on her at all times," the zoo said in the announcement. "The calf is starting to get 'zoomies' and likes to mouth and play with leaves and food even if she's not eating it. They spend their time grooming, nursing and laying together." The birth was hailed as a milestone for conservation efforts for the Baird's tapir, which is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The animals are threatened by sport hunting in Costa Rica and habitat loss due to farming, cattle grazing, and palm oil and rubber plantations, the zoo said. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it will extend its visa-free policy to New Zealand, Australia, and Poland. On the same day, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that from July 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025, citizens of these countries with ordinary passports will be allowed to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit. Individuals from the aforementioned countries who do not meet the visa exemption criteria are still required to obtain a Chinese visa prior to entry, Mao added. "At the same time, it is hoped that relevant countries could provide Chinese nationals with more visa conveniences," said the spokesperson. CARTERET Plans for a waterfront restaurant pavilion will not impact access to the fishing areas at and on the waterfront pier, according to a borough official. Rather the waterfront amenities planned are intended to make the area more enjoyable for everyone, according to Frank Bellino, Carteret chief of staff. Earlier this month the borough announced plans for the construction of a three-season waterfront restaurant at Carteret Waterfront Park with bids for the project due on June 25. The plans call for a 70-by-46-foot, 3,220-square-foot steel and wood pavilion that will operate from the spring to the fall, as well as a 6-by-25-foot access gangway on Veteran's Pier in Waterfront Park, with the pavilion connecting to Veteran's Pier. Carteret is scheduled to receive bids later this month for a seasonal restaurant pavilion at Waterfront Park Resident Bob Witanek said people fish, run and do other exercise, boat, fly kites, play catch, ride, listen to music and enjoy the closest thing Carteret has to a beach at the Carteret Waterfront Park, and now it seems the borough is privatizing the pier which is currently dedicated to public use. In an email to Mayor Dan Reiman, Witanek called the idea for the restaurant on the pier "disgusting." More: Major work on Carteret ferry terminal to begin this summer He said the pier is a place where he runs and he sees children and their families playing and other people fishing. He said the restaurant will take a public recreational resource and turn it into privately controlled property. "The mayor is trying to privatize the pier and to build a restaurant on it," said Witanek, who in the 1990s apparently fought plans for a sewerage and industrial sludge incinerator on the site where the pier is now located. "I am proud of the pier and that Carteret saved the waterfront but now it is in peril. Protect the pier and do not turn it into a front porch for a speculative high-end restaurant that might not even be successful." Witanek said he's concerned the restaurant management will likely try to restrict fishing and other recreational activities in the front area of the restaurant and that parking for recreational park users will no longer be available and instead will be earmarked for restaurant patrons. He also questioned if sewer lines to the restaurant would run over the wetlands and if an environmental impact assessment had been conducted. Bellino said the borough is excited about the upcoming pier pavilion at Carteret Waterfront Park and new improvements at the park will "in no way" impact access to fishing areas. "As is authorized by New Jersey State law and NJDEP Green Acres regulations this covered pavilion is to provide our residents and visitors with added amenities such as lite refreshments, a beverage or snow cone at the waterfront park. This will greatly improve the amenities that we already offer at the waterfront and make this a more enjoyable and open public destination for everyone," he said. Bellino explained that for more than two decades the mayor and his administration has fought private polluters and bureaucratic agencies to provide what is now miles of public access along the Carteret waterfront; from building the pier, the park and improvements such as active and passive recreational amenities. "Carteret Waterfront Park is an award-winning urban waterfront public park that we are proud to have," Bellino said. Email: srussell@gannettnj.com Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Will waterfront restaurant in Carteret NJ block public access to pier? A man, believed to be Jonathan Kaye, was seen punching a woman in the face in video footage. He has resigned from his job at an investment bank, his company announced in a statement (Twitter) The New York banker who police say punched a woman in the face after a heated discussion about the Israel-Hamas War at a Brooklyn Pride event has resigned from his job. Jonathan Kaye, 52, previously worked as a managing director at Moelis & Company, a publicly traded investment bank. He had overseen the Global Business Services franchise at the firm since 2013. Previously, he worked as the managing director of Citi Banks Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Melissa Chiles, a spokesperson for Moelis & Company, confirmed the information in an email to The Independent. Jonathan Kaye has resigned and is no longer with the firm, she said on Monday. The man was caught on camera earlier this month apparently hitting the woman in the face following a tense argument. In the video, the man claimed that the woman, who has not been identified, threw s*** all over me. According to the New York Post, it wasnt clear how the exchange escalated. The victim, who is reportedly in her 30s, suffered a broken nose, lacerations and a black eye. Officials with the New York City Police Department are still investigating the incident. The Independent has reached out to Kaye and NYPD for comment. Sources close to the man told the Daily Mail that a group of women with Queers for Palestine, an advocacy organization, taunted him because of his Jewish ancestry after a parade. The banker then accused them of being on the wrong side. The women then targeted the man, one of his friends said, and threw liquids on him. Kaye apparently didnt know what the liquid was and the woman shouted slurs at him. He fell or he was chest bumped, and cant remember that bit. But he ended up on the pavement with them four over him. He got up and swung at one as he was trying to escape and then he ran, the source told the outlet. In a statement to The Daily Beast, the man said Kaye feared for his physical safety when he was surrounded by an angry mob of agitators who encircled him, physically assaulted him, and threw liquids on him. It continued: He could not identify any of these individuals and was left bloodied from the attack. Kaye had a bloodied ankle after he fell during the incident. He reportedly lives in a $4m home in the boroughs Park Slope neighborhood, holds a bachelors degree from Tufts University, and graduated cum laude from Duke University School of Law. Ford BlueOval City, photographed while under construction in April 2023. (Photo: John Partipilo) A coalition of labor and faith leaders from West Tennessee is urging Ford Motor Co. to sign a community benefit agreement ensuring environmental standards, local hiring and affordable housing investments before opening its new factory. The organization, called BlueOval Neighbors and supported by the advocacy group Tennessee For All, has been trying to engage with Ford for two years, meeting the company at a couple public events, but continues to run into problems forging a pact, according to Rebekah Gorbea, a spokesperson for the group. Ford expressed concern over the legally-binding part of a Community Benefits Agreement, Gorbea said in an email to the Lookout. The group sent a letter to a Ford vice president and held a news conference in Mason last week trying to force the company to the table. Jessica Enoch, a spokesperson for Ford, said that company was engaging directly with the West Tennessee community, having spent more than 1,000 hours meeting with community members and learning about their priorities. With the help of the Equitable Growth Advisory Council, we are working on a Good Neighbor Plan to address barriers that might prevent residents and local businesses from participating in upcoming economic growth, Enoch said. Community benefit agreements have become increasingly popular across Tennessee as a way for advocacy groups to make sure locals benefit from major projects. Tennessee lawmakers in 2021 committed $900 million in incentives and infrastructure upgrades to attract Ford to open an electric vehicle and battery plant on a 3,600-acre state-owned property known as the Memphis Megasite. The property is about 50 miles east of Memphis, closer to Brownsville and Jackson, in an area with a higher percentage of Black farmers than anywhere in the state. Since the announcement, state officials have used eminent domain to force several Black farmers to sell their land for a new highway to the Ford facility. The farmers previously told the Lookout they believed the states offers would be below the market value when accounting for the increased demand once the nearly 6,000 workers for the plant are hired. During the same period, the Tennessee Comptrollers Office attempted to force the city of Mason to relinquish its charter. Mason is a largely Black, majority Democratic community, and if dissolved, its governance would fall under Tipton County, which is predominantly white and Republican. The Comptrollers push stemmed from Masons history of fraud and mismanagement by past elected officials, causing it to fall under financial oversight from state. But the Comptroller backed down from its demands to dissolve the city after community pushback. The eminent domain actions and the potential dissolution of Mason prompted Tennessee For All to start organizing in the communities around the new facility. These efforts eventually led to the creation of the BlueOval Good Neighbors organization. BlueOval neighbors letter to Ford BlueOval neighbors letter to Ford The post West Tennessee group makes another push for Ford to negotiate a community benefit agreement appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. A white couple in Sissonville, West Virginia, faced additional charges of human sex trafficking and neglect after reportedly confining their five adoptive Black children in a barn for forced labor. According to WV Metro News, this is the second time the couple has been arrested on charges relating to minor children. Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, appeared in Kanawha County court on Tuesday and entered not guilty pleas to over a dozen new charges, which include human trafficking of a minor, using a minor in forced labor, and child neglect posing significant risk of serious bodily harm or death. Lantz and Whitefeather were initially arrested, with their bonds set at $200,000, following a separate incident in October 2023. At the time, a wellness check was conducted at their home when someone discovered that two of the five adoptive children were living in deplorable conditions while locked in a shed behind the couples home. According to the indictment, the couple allegedly violated the childrens human rights by forcing them to work based on their skin color. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers remarked that in her career, she had never encountered a case where children were exploited as slave workers. It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labor, Akers said, per WV Metro News. Human rights violations specific to the fact that these children were targeted because of their race and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges. In Tuesdays court hearing, Akers stated that the couples initial bond was insufficient, and she raised it to $500,000 each in light of the egregious nature of the crimes that occurred. Along with human trafficking and neglect was serious risk of bodily injuries or death, I dont find the bond to be sufficient, Akers said. Prosecutors in the case expressed concerns about the couples financial resources, alleging that they used profits from trafficking and family assistance to post their initial bond back in February. However, that money remains in the Kanawha County Circuit Court Clerks office. Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak proposed placing the money in a trust fund for the children. Each child, aged 6 to 16, reportedly endured severe mistreatment at the hands of the couple, with neighbors verifying that they were compelled to work and were not permitted inside the home. Instead, they were allegedly forced to sleep on concrete floors without mattresses, endured inadequate food supplies, faced inhumane bathroom conditions, and suffered injuries. A trial date has been scheduled for Sept. 9. Lauren Boeberts run for Congress in 2024 is unlike any race shes run before. The two-term congresswoman is now being derided by her critics as a carpetbagger, having left the purpleish 3rd district of Colorado for the relatively safer-Republican seat in the 4th district. Its a clearly political move aimed at protecting her career though one she and her allies, who include Donald Trump and Mike Johnson, are spinning as being done for the good of the Republican Party. Her departure from the 3rd district means that the staunchly conservative Boebert will face GOP primary voters on Tuesday in a district where she will be much more popular, or at least tolerated, by the general voting base which has far fewer Democrats than her old district, which included larger urban centers such as Aspen. Even so, shes facing criticism from opponents in her new primary over votes on issues such as water saving as well as support for Israel. So where does Boebert stand on the issues as she seeks her first term representing the eastern plains? Gun control Boebert is a Second Amendment absolutist. Where other Republicans in her party have sought to work with Democrats to pass laws banning domestic abusers from owning guns or allowing authorities to restrict the possession of firearms for those flagged to police as a danger to themselves or others, the congresswoman has fought every step of the way against any restriction to gun ownership in the US. She has opposed red flag laws, background check law expansions, and attacked members of Congress for hiring their own security while supporting such measures. Border security/immigration Another position where Boebert has found herself aligned with many conservatives is immigration she voted for the impeachment of Joe Bidens Homeland Security director earlier this year, and has also argued in favor of impeaching Biden himself over the same issue, a supposed failure to enforce US immigration laws. She, like Donald Trump, also favors a sharp increase in deportations. One piece of legislation she sponsored in March (which, like most of her bills, did not become law) was called the Build the Wall and Deport Them All Act. Boebert also was one of many Republicans who came out against a compromise framework hammered out by Democrats and her own GOP colleagues in the Senate this year. Abortion/reproductive rights The congresswoman says on her website that she believes life begins at conception, an unsurprising take for a conservative. But Boebert does not specify whether she would support an abortion ban at the national level; she describes herself as a supporter of the Tenth Amendment, which remands powers to the states not explicitly granted to Congress, and says that she supports states making their own decisions on abortion rights. Her campaign has not specified whether she would back restrictions on contraception or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Water usage An issue of real importance to many in the western US, where freshwater access is a growing concern in the face of a changing climate and more unpredictable weather patterns, Boebert has found herself the target of repeated criticism from one of her rivals as well as the White House on this issue. The Colorado congresswoman voted against infrastructure funding that included more than $20m for water retention projects around her state, yet still found the time to take credit for them after the bill passed without her support. I didnt agree to the swampy way it came to the floor but I fought to get the stuff in the bills and its there, she told The Independent in March. And Colorado is going to benefit from it. Lauren Boebert speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Climate change Boebert, like every single GOP candidate in the 4th congressional district, rejects the scientific consensus on man-made emissions as the primary driver of rising global temperatures. The candidates were asked about the issue at a debate in late May. Climate change occurs four times every year. Its absolutely real, Boebert said, referring to the concept of seasons. She then hedged slightly: Theres many things we can do to manage our environment. LGBTQ rights Boebert is a staunch opponent of transgender rights and frequently attacks the greater LGBTQ community. In at least one instance, she has accused them of seeking supremacy in the United States. Her comments on drag bars after the deadly shooting at Club Q in her home state in 2022 were immediately blamed by LGBTQ groups for inciting such violence, which she denied. In some cases, she has spread false accusations about drag queens supposedly grooming children with sexual intentions. The White House on Tuesday said the Biden administration will appeal two court orders that blocked key parts of its student loan repayment plan known as SAVE. "The Department of Justice will be appealing both decisions to block key provisions of our SAVE Plan," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote on the social media platform X." We will never stop fighting to lower monthly payments and help borrowers get out from under the burden of student debt no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us." Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the Biden administration would vigorously defend its SAVE plan after being dealt two major legal blows Monday. The two federal judges, in response to lawsuits filed by Republican-led states, blocked the Education Department from moving forward with major provisions to further reduce monthly payments for borrowers and cancel more debt under the plan known as SAVE. More than 8 million loan borrowers are enrolled in SAVE, which the Biden administration launched last year. The Education Department has already canceled $5.5 billion of debt for 414,000 borrowers enrolled in the plan, with more scheduled. The SAVE program has been a cornerstone of President Joe Biden's efforts to provide student debt relief to borrowers after his sweeping loan forgiveness plan was blocked at the Supreme Court last year. Republican elected officials and special interests sued to block their own constituents from being able to benefit from this plan even though the department has relied on the authority under the Higher Education Act three times over the last 30 years to implement income-driven repayment plans, Cardona said in a statement. We will continue to provide this long-overdue relief, no matter how many times Republican elected officials and their allies try to stop us." The Education Department is still reviewing the rulings, but Cardona emphasized the parts of the plan that were upheld by the courts. He said SAVE still lowers monthly payments for millions of borrowers, and that millions will continue to have a $0 monthly payment. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and I remain committed to our work to fix a broken student loan system and make college more affordable for more Americans, Cardona said. We remain proud of our work providing debt relief to more than 4.75 million Americans. Illustration (Getty Images). A Whitefish physician was charged Monday by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Montana with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly helping facilitate about $39 million in fraudulent billing of Medicare and other federal benefits programs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ronald David Dean entered into a plea deal with federal prosecutors in which he agreed to help the government continue its investigation into the fraud, according to federal court documents, and as part of the agreement will have to pay back around $780,500 in restitution to the Medicare program and two other federal programs. According to a criminal charging document filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Missoula by the U.S. Attorneys Office, Dean would sign prescriptions and other documents for medical devices and Covid-19 tests for people who did not need them. In turn, two unnamed people running different telemedicine companies incorporated in Florida then billed the federal government for the costs. Dean would then receive payments as part of a kickback scheme, according to the documents. The charging document says the entire conspiracy resulted in Dean and the two others billing Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Railroad Retirement Board $39.6 million in fraudulent claims, of which the three programs paid out at least $18 million. In order to receive reimbursement through Medicare for durable medical equipment things like prosthetics, braces and orthotics a provider must sign an agreement saying they will abide by the programs laws and regulations, including an anti-kickback statute, only submit claims for medically necessary prescriptions, document requests for Covid-19 tests, and attest that they will not present false or fraudulent claims. There are similar requirements under the Railroad Retirement Board, which provides benefits to railroad workers, and the VA. But according to the charging document, from January 2022 to July 2023, Dean and the unnamed co-conspirators devised a scheme in which Dean worked as an independent contractor for the two others and signed doctors orders for durable medical equipment and Covid-19 tests that were used to submit false and fraudulent claims to government health care programs. The two others would send Dean an unsigned prescription for the durable medical equipment, which he would electronically sign without seeing or communicating with the patients, according to the documents. That included a certification saying Dean had personally assessed the patient and found the prescription was medically necessary. For Covid-19 tests, Dean signed documents allowing the two others to order the over-the-counter Covid-19 tests in Deans name, according to the filings. The others billed the government programs for the tests, which werent requested by patients. The court filing says payments for those tests then went to Dean, and he would send most of the money back to the two others. Person A and Person B, through Company A and Company B, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to the defendant in exchange for signing doctors orders for DME and over-the-counter Covid-19 tests, the charging document says. The defendant used a personal bank account at First Interstate Bank for the purpose of, among other things, receiving illegal kickbacks and bribes from Company A and Company B in exchange for signing doctors orders for DME and over-the-counter Covid tests. Under the plea agreement with the government, if a judge signs off on it, the U.S. Attorneys Office would recommend decreases in Deans offense level for accepting responsibility. The agreement says Dean had agreed to work with the government and maintains he can provide substantial assistance in other ongoing investigations information which the government agreed not to use against him. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Montana said it could not comment further on pending litigation and cases when asked about the two unnamed co-conspirators and if they had been charged. The plea agreement also says the government will not seek detention for Dean in the case but will defer to the court on that question. He will, under the agreement, have to pay the roughly $708,000 in restitution most of that going to Medicare. Ten days before he is sentenced, Dean will have to deliver a $250,000 deposit of that money to the court, according to the agreement. The charge that Dean agreed to plead guilty to was conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum punishment of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Dean is listed as an emergency department physician at St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan on the hospitals website. Steve Todd, the chief executive officer for St. Luke, said Tuesday afternoon the charges were new information to the company and were not related to Deans work as a contracted emergency physician in Ronan. Todd said the company would investigate the allegations but would keep employment matters confidential. A WebMD profile of Dean includes 10 one-star reviews, most of which were left last summer and fall and say they believe Dean is running a Medicare billing scam by prescribing medical equipment for which they did not ask. Editors note: This story has been updated to include comments from Todd, who said the allegations do not involve Deans work as a contracted physician at St. Luke Community Healthcare. dean-criminal-info-defraud The post Whitefish physician charged in multi-million-dollar Medicare billing fraud case appeared first on Daily Montanan. Why the Empress of Japan Masked Up to Meet the Royal Family Empress Masako of Japan, visiting the U.K. as part of a state visit with her husband Emperor Naruhito Tuesday, surprised onlookers when she rode into central London in a carriage with Queen Camilla while wearing a face mask. However, before full-blown pandemic PTSD set in, an official source at Buckingham Palace told The Daily Beast Tuesday that the Empress was wearing the mask due to an allergy to horse hair rather than for pathogen-related reasons. The horse-drawn carriage ride into London saw the Empress and Camilla take one carriage while King Charles, who appeared determined to brush off the minor inconvenience of his cancer diagnosis, traveled with the Emperor. King Charles III and Emperor Naruhito of Japan Chris Jackson/Getty Images Although the state visit officially started Tuesday, the Emperor and his wife, both Anglophiles who were educated at Oxford University, have been in the U.K. since Saturday. The Emperor has used his time to undertake an unusual extra-curricular activity for a head of state; a visit to the Thames Barrier, the giant set of sluices near the mouth of the Thames that regulate water levels in Londons biggest river and prevent the capital from flooding. Naruhitos interest in the river goes back 40 years when, as a graduate student at Oxford, he wrote a dissertation, titled, A Study of Navigation and Traffic on the Upper Thames in the 18th Century. He has since used his position to campaign and advocate for a wide range of water conservation and sustainability issues. He titled his memoir of his life in the U.K. The Thames and I, and he has often spoken of his special affection for Britain. The state visit was originally scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic, and there were renewed question marks over whether it would proceed when King Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis. Prince William, Prince of Wales greets Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan Jordan Pettitt/Getty Images The visit has been tweaked to take account of Charles medical needs. For instance, Charles son William performed the initial welcome at a London hotel, but Charles rode in a carriage with the Emperor as planned through central London, after which the Emperor was invited to inspect a ceremonial guard. On Tuesday evening, Charles and Camilla attend a state banquet in honor of the visitors, with the royal familys social media accounts offering an insight into the meticulous preparations. Finishing touches and a sneak peek ahead of this evenings State Banquet pic.twitter.com/BFVRNKx1g7 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 25, 2024 Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Since the Supreme Court reversed constitutional abortion rights two years ago, the conservative majority has avoided referring to that decision while dissenting liberals have at times invoked it in rebuke or to warn of other rights that may fall. Ahead of the dramatic final week of the current session, liberals on Friday fired a startling new warning shot in what was otherwise a low-profile dispute over a Salvadoran husbands immigrant visa. Justice Sonia Sotomayor cited the 5-4 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization as she asserted the majority was threatening marriage rights, particularly same-sex marriage as established in the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges. Liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the dissent. The Dobbs majority had asserted that its elimination of abortion rights does not undermine in any way other entrenched rights, such as those involving contraception or marriage, Sotomayor wrote. Despite that assurance, the Court fails at the first pass. As the dueling sides spoke past each other, there may have been a larger message of liberal frustration and despair. That could reflect what the liberal justices know is coming in cases soon to be announced. It could also reflect foreboding for the next set of issues that relate to same-sex marriage, including those intersecting with Dobbs, such as in vitro fertilization and other reproductive interests. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wrote the 6-3 decision in the visa case Friday, deemed Sotomayors dissenting opinion an overreaction to a straightforward immigration dispute, which landed before the justices on appeal by the Biden administration. The dissent never addresses the actual issue in this case, which is whether the Judiciary has any authority to review visa determinations made by the State Department, Barrett wrote. Instead, the dissent chooses the rhetorically easier path of charging the Court with endangering the fundamental right to marriage. To be clear: Todays decision does not remotely call into question any precedent of this Court, including those protecting marriage as a fundamental right. The case may indeed be confined to the immigration realm. Yet, the right-wing pattern of diminishing individual rights lurks in the background. And the liberals defiant statement may foreshadow divisions this week as the justices try to complete their 2023-24 session. Among the cases to be announced as soon as Wednesday is a significant test of access to abortion. That dispute from Idaho centers on a federal law intended to ensure emergency room treatment for people in need. The case tests whether in states that now ban abortion, the law would cover women requiring the procedure due to serious complications. The case will mark the high courts first substantive action on abortion access since its Dobbs decision, issued on June 24, 2022. The ruling overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade milestone and allowed states to begin outlawing abortion. Other cases to be decided in the next few days include those arising from the actions of former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election, notably whether he should be immune from criminal prosecution related to his efforts to overturn the election results. Another pending dispute may reverse a 40-year-old case, Chevron USA v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which gave US agencies considerable latitude to enforce regulations, for example, over the environment and public health. That precedent has been a target of the business community, as well as conservative justices. Turning an immigration case into a broad holding on marriage Reversal of Roe v. Wade, a goal sought for decades by the anti-abortion movement but unachievable until the appointment of three Trump justices, immediately unsettled reproductive care and has since dominated cultural and political spheres. Dobbs has ignited new debate over reproductive issues, including in vitro fertilization, and remains a flashpoint for the 2024 presidential election. As much as it has permeated American life, Dobbs has been rarely cited at the high court, especially by the conservative justices who made it the law. When liberals have quoted from their dissent in the case, it has mainly been to admonish the majoritys approach to precedent. Last year, for example, when the conservative majority reversed another milestone that dated to the 1970s (the Bakke decision that allowed racial affirmative action in college admissions), the three liberals invoked the Dobbs dissent to condemn another reckless course. What they wrote Friday, however, ratcheted up the rhetoric and could be a clarion call for what they see on the horizon for substantive rights, if not in the next few days, then in upcoming sessions. The visa case, which had come to the justices with comparatively little national attention, was brought by Sandra Munoz, who argued she had a constitutional liberty interest in a consular officers denial of a visa for her husband. Immigration law bars anyone an officer believes would engage in unlawful activity, and Munoz and her husband thought, according to the record in the case, he was rejected because he was suspected of membership in the MS-13 criminal gang. (He has denied affiliation with MS-13 or any other gang.) The constitutional question was whether a US citizen has a fundamental liberty interest in their noncitizen spouse being admitted to the United States. (A lower federal court, the California-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, had ruled that a constitutionally protected liberty interest existed in such situations.) As Barretts opinion reversed the 9th Circuit, she relied on the federal governments long-standing authority to decide the admission and exclusion of noncitizens. Then, using a 1997 case as a touchstone, she pointed to the absence of a history and tradition of any right to bring a spouse into the country. To liberal dissenters, Barretts approach to any possible marriage right based on the 1997 case, rather than the 2015 Obergefell case, turned what could have been a narrow procedural decision into a broad holding on marriage. Sotomayor said the majority was making the same fatal error it made in Dobbs as it weighed the liberty interest at stake. Rather than adopting a legal approach that this Court has used in discussing the fundamental rights of marriage and intimacy, Sotomayor noted, the majority employed a less protective framework from the 1997 case of Washington v. Glucksberg, which tested (and rejected) a constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide. Almost 10 years ago, this Court vindicated the expansiveness of the right to marriage, Sotomayor emphasized Friday before highlighting the individual lives affected: It upheld the right of James Obergefell and his terminally ill husband, John Arthur, to have their marriage from Maryland recognized in Ohio. Rejecting the idea that Ohio can erase Obergefells marriage to John Arthur for all time by declining to place Obergefell as the surviving spouse on Arthurs death certificate, this Court reasoned that marriage is a right older than the Bill of Rights. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com YANGON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar exported 181,996 tons of green grams between April 1 and June 14 of this fiscal year 2024-25, earning more than 118 million U.S. dollars, according to the country's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. During the period, the Southeast Asian country shipped 179,554 tons of green grams via sea routes and 2,442 tons via land borders, the ministry's figures showed. According to Myanmar Pulses, Beans, Maize and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association, green gram is grown in Myanmar in two seasons, the winter season that starts in October and the rainy season that starts in August. Myanmar exported green grams to China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries, according to the association. During the 2023-24 fiscal year, Myanmar earned 336 million dollars from the export of 503,970 tons of green grams, official figures showed. Why Lauren Boebert will probably win her primary and Jamaal Bowman will probably lose his Why Lauren Boebert will probably win her primary and Jamaal Bowman will probably lose his On the surface, Lauren Boebert and Jamaal Bowman could not be more different members of Congress. One is a white ultra-MAGA devotee of Donald Trump and a high school dropout who earned notoriety thanks to running a restaurant where the waitresses all carried firearms. The other is a Black former middle school principal who represents the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. While Bowman seems to care deeply about moving the Democratic Partys policy significantly to the left, Boeberts tenure in Congress seems devoid of any real substance, absent being Trumps fan although its clear shed be happy to see her own party move even further to the right. But they came to Washington in similar manners. Boebert beat a placeholder incumbent congressman in Colorados third district in 2020 and Bowman pulled off a stunner when he beat the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Since then, both hoped to shake up the dynamics of their party to make them adhere closer to their own ideologies. Boebert alongside Representative Matt Gaetz led the charge against making Kevin McCarthy speaker in January of last year, though she ultimately voted against Gaetzs motion to vacate that removed McCarthy. Bowman, a member of the progressive Squad, was one of only six Democrats to oppose the bipartisan infrastructure bill and is one of the most vocal supporters of a ceasefire in Gaza. Theyve also both attracted some less-than-desirable headlines. Many roundly mocked Boebert recently after she was thrown out of a theater during a live musical performance of Beetlejuice for vaping and inappropriately touching her date. Bowman received unwanted attention when, during a vote to keep the government open, he pulled the fire alarm in his House office building, for which House Republicans later censured him. But this week, the two found themselves in the political fight for their lives. After narrowly winning re-election in 2022, Boebert stands a good chance of winning after running in a different district. Conversely, Bowman has faced an onslaught of more than $14 million from a pro-Israel campaign group, making his the most expensive congressional primary in US history. So why are these two members both from the most ideological camps in their parties stand to face such different fates? For one, there is the simple matter of opponents. Bowman has the misfortune of facing only one opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer. This has allowed his critics to coalesce around him. Not only has the American Israel Public Affairs Committee gotten behind Latimer, but so has Hillary Clinton, who lives in Westchester County. Even Bowmans former colleague Mondaire Jones, an ex-congressman who came to DC in the same year as him, endorsed Latimer since as he is running for another congressional seat in Westchester County against incumbent Republican Representative Mike Lawler. By contrast, Boebert faces more of a split field. After she only won re-election in the third district by 546 votes last time around, Boebert jumped to the fourth district, which is far more conservative, when Representative Ken Buck announced he would retire. The race already had multiple candidates by the time Boebert jumped in. A split field meant that a clear anti-Boebert candidate did not exist for Republicans to take her out, even though plenty of people do not like her. Another major difference is that Boebert does not have a clear record of crossing the leader of her party. Boeberts time in Congress only overlapped with Trumps presidency for 17 days, yet she stood by him on the two most important votes one against impeachment, and one opposing the certification of the 2020 presidential election results even after the January 6 riot. Similarly, much of the Republican base identifies as conservative, according to a Gallup poll from 2022. And Boebert has maintained her conservative credentials throughout her time in the House since Trump left, continuing to antagonize leadership and going up to New York to support Trump during his criminal trial. Bowman, in contrast, does have a record of opposing the leader of his party. A large swath of the Democrats does not like that he has voted against Biden on big-ticket legislation such as the infrastructure bill or providing more aid to Israel. Strangely enough, the dynamics in Bowmans primary are the reverse of the normal Democratic primary dynamics; historically, Black and Latino Democrats tend to be more right-leaning than their white counterparts. But Bowman will need to have maximized turnout in the Bronx to counteract the more moderate and affluent neighborhoods outside of New York City. This would also explain partially why fellow Squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the Bronx and Queens, does not face as strong of a challenge in her own race and why Summer Lee, who represented large parts of Pittsburgh, survived her primary challenge in April. Of course, nothing is set in stone. Boebert might yet come up short and Bowman might pull off a miracle. But the fact that we feel confident enough to make these predictions now says as much about their parties as it does them. Both Sunak and Starmer have come up with a figure for how much they will raise from the collection of unpaid tax - Anadolu At each election when political parties produce their tax and spending plans, they come up with a figure for how much they will raise from reducing tax avoidance and the collection of unpaid tax. This often feels like a convenient amount that allows them to claim that their spending plans are fully costed and funded. In their manifestos for this election, the Conservatives say they will raise a further 6bn a year from tackling tax avoidance and evasion by the end of the Parliament. Labour says they will raise 5.1bn a year by the end of the Parliament through the modernisation of HMRC and investing in new technology. The Lib Dems claim that they can raise over 7bn a year by tackling tax avoidance and evasion. Reform agrees. None of them, however, explain in any detail how they have arrived at these amounts or how their claims will be achieved. It begs an obvious question. If this is possible, why is it not being done already? HMRC produces a report every year on what it refers to as the tax gap. This is the difference between how much tax is collected each year, and how much tax it thinks should be. For 2021-22, the tax gap was estimated to be 4.8pc of total theoretical tax liabilities, being 35.8bn in absolute terms. Put another way HMRC only collected 95.2pc of all tax theoretically due. The head of the National Audit Office (NAO) told Parliament in January that 6bn a year could be recovered through a concerted effort on tax avoidance. What is the tax gap? Cynics might assume that the tax gap is little more than an educated guess. However, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has produced a helpful guide on exactly this issue, and you may find the results surprising. For example, the largest part of the gap at over 20bn is not from multinationals but from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Big companies represented less than 4bn of the gap, and wealthy individuals just 1.7bn. Only 1.4bn is related to tax avoidance. Interestingly, the gap has been closing. The amount that HMRC thinks it would bring in if everyone was perfectly compliant has fallen by about a third from 7.5pc of the total liability in 2005-06 to 4.8pc in 2021-22. A number of important measures have been introduced over the years to help achieve this. In 2004, Gordon Brown brought in the disclosure of tax avoidance schemes regime. George Osborne introduced the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) in 2013, and then in 2014 brought in measures to encourage adherence to court decisions. Public attitudes to tax avoidance have also changed, partly as a result of media pressure. Story continues This has resulted in the large fall in tax avoidance. In 2005-06, it was estimated that 11 in every 1,000 of tax was avoided, but that has now been cut to just 2 in every 1,000. The numbers also show a success in tackling illegal activity, with that part of the tax gap halving between 2005-06 and 2021-22. It is now estimated to be 15 in every 1,000, split 6 to criminal attacks, 6 to evasion and 3 to the hidden economy. How could the tax gap be improved? I think there are two main ways in which the position could be further improved. With a few exceptions, taxpayers want to pay what they owe and sleep easy at night having done so. Firstly, tax is far too complicated, particularly for the vast majority of taxpayers who cannot afford professional advisers, and errors arise from this. All chancellors regularly say that they want to simplify taxes but seldom do so. A new chancellor could be the one that does. Secondly, we urgently need better guidance from HMRC and the ability to access help from the department when needed. As we have regularly reported, HMRC service levels have been falling and that must be reversed. In summary, further improvements could be made and the targets being proposed might be achieved, but tackling the gap from here on will require additional resources and that carries a cost. It also requires the political will to do so. For example, the NAO says 5.5bn a year continues to be lost through fraud and error on Universal Credit. Remember also that the Government gave up chasing 4.9bn of Covid loans, prompting Rachel Reeves to claim it was a source of enduring shame to the chancellor. In addition, a law of diminishing returns applies. Many small businesses simply do not have the money to pay the tax due and putting them into receivership is no solution. Multinationals are not necessarily to blame Finally, it is often claimed that revenue is lost through large multinational companies finding clever ways of getting round the rules. Much of this flows from heavy criticism a few years from the Public Accounts Committee, directed at Amazon in particular. In my view, this criticism arose from a misunderstanding by the committee of the way the tax rules work, particularly for UK subsidiaries of offshore quoted companies. I will take Amazon as an example, but there are many others. Most commentators look no further than the corporation tax charge disclosed in the company accounts. In 2018, the Amazon UK Services Ltd accounts disclosed a tax charge of 1m on profits of 75m. However, note eight in the accounts shows that this amount was calculated after taking relief of 23m for share-based awards. Amazon has a generous share scheme for UK employees with shares awarded in and by the US parent company. This, and a rapidly rising share price, meant that the UK employees realised large profits when they exercised their share options, typically three years after they were awarded. These profits were subject to income tax and National Insurance in the UK through the PAYE system, despite the award being in shares in the US parent company. Under an entirely logical rule introduced by Gordon Brown, companies are entitled to claim a corporation tax deduction on the amount of this profit. So, although the reduction on corporation tax was 23m, the UK Treasury collected about three times that amount in PAYE/NICs over and above the tax on their employees wages. Now that the Amazon share price has stabilised the equivalent amounts in the 2022 accounts show that the share-based relief has virtually disappeared, leaving a corporation tax charge of 66m on profits of 222m, an effective rate of 30pc. Strangely, the Public Accounts Committee has been silent on this. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A couple of months ago the BBC reported some deeply worrying news about our railways. Apparently, theyre not diverse enough. Train drivers, the BBC website solemnly informed us, remain overwhelmingly male, and overwhelmingly white. No less than 91.5 per cent of train drivers, it explained, are men while 90.8 per cent of them have white skin. Presumably we were meant to infer that this is a scandalous injustice, because these percentages do not reflect the precise demographic composition of the wider public. If they did, only 49 per cent of train drivers would be male, while only 82 per cent would be white. This type of thinking, however, contains quite a large flaw. Because, if we seriously believe that an organisations staff should reflect the precise demographic composition of the wider public, were going to create an awful lot of problems for ourselves. This point was beautifully illustrated by a story at the weekend about the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. According to the museums latest report on diversity and inclusion, a mere 25.2 per cent of its staff, as of March this year, are male. So, in order to make the staff more reflective of the wider public, the museum plans to recruit more men. An admirable goal or so I thought, until I read about the target that the museum has set itself. It wants to increase the percentage of staff who are male to 30 per cent. But hang on a minute. Why only 30? To be truly reflective of the wider public, the target would have to be 49 per cent, because men account for 49 per cent of the population. So, to achieve this, the V&A should either hire an enormous number of men or sack an enormous number of women. The former of these two suggestions would of course be extremely expensive. The latter, meanwhile, would seem somewhat harsh on the women, who have done nothing to deserve the sack. Still, I suppose it wouldnt matter as long as the magical figure of 49 per cent were reached. Thats what counts. After all, if we believe that an organisations staff should reflect the precise demographic composition of the wider public, weve got to be consistent. No exceptions. True gender equality, therefore, will not be achieved until this scandalous injustice against men is rectified. To this end, no doubt well soon be reading a story on the BBC website, wringing its hands over the fact that the V&As employees are overwhelmingly female. Alternatively, we could always just tell employers to forget about spurious diversity targets, and encourage them simply to hire whichever candidates they think are best for the job. The idea might sound a little old-fashioned, but I really think it could catch on. Votes for villains Michael Gove has issued a dire warning to the British electorate. If Labour wins a landslide majority, he told Sky News, Sir Keir Starmer and friends could rig the system by cynically granting the right to vote to certain groups that are overwhelmingly likely to support Labour. For example: prisoners. Quite why Mr Gove thinks prisoners would be bound to vote Labour, he did not explain. Nor did he present any evidence that Sir Keir, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, is planning to reward convicted criminals in this fashion. If Mr Gove turns out to be right, however, it would certainly have a dramatic effect on British politics. Mainly because, during election campaigns, candidates would be seen going from cell to cell, obsequiously competing for prisoners votes Scene: a prison corridor. A smiling man in a suit and a red rosette knocks on the door of the nearest cell. Man in suit: Good evening, sir. Im your local Labour candidate, and I was wondering whether we could count on your support. Prisoner: Sorry, mate. Im voting Tory. Man in suit: May I ask why? Prisoner: Well, theyve done a lot for the criminal community. Theyve slashed the number of police officers. Burglaries are barely investigated any more. Nearly 95 per cent of crimes now go unsolved. And, because the Tories havent built any new prisons, loads of criminals are being let out early or not even being sent to prison in the first place. Their record in office is really very impressive. Man in suit: Oh, but youd be much better off under Labour. Were pledging weekly conjugal visits, all prison slop to be Michelin-starred, and a free file inside every cake. Anyway, Labour is the natural party for criminals. We share your values. Prisoner: Oh yeah? Hows that? Man in suit: We passionately believe in the redistribution of wealth. And so do you. Way of the World is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 7am every Tuesday and Saturday Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What message do you think Donald Trump would like to broadcast about President Joe Biden ahead of the first presidential debate on Thursday? We dont need to think too hard about this one. Trump would like to brag about how hes going to destroy Biden in a victory that will be scored unanimously by the punditry. Hed like to boast about how Biden wont be able to find words, so powerful a force will he be facing in Donald Trump. Hed like to project certain excellence. This, however, would be a direct violation of the predebate playbook, and Trumpperhaps recognizing a future involving a jail cell should he lose the electionis running more of a controlled campaign than in runs past. A trap that Republicans, including Trump, often fall into with Biden is lowering expectations to the point that Biden can declare victory afterward by maintaining a consistent respiratory cycle for 90 minutes. Members of Team Trump, as well as the candidate himself, have recognized this tendency and are attempting to raise Bidens expectations. In a podcast interview last week, Trump said of Biden, I assume hes going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater, adding that he does not want to underestimate him. In the interview, he repeatedly referenced Bidens performance in his 2012 vice presidential debate with Paul Ryan. I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan, Trump said. So, Im not underestimating him. Im not underestimating him. It is what it is. Well see what happens. Needing to hype up Biden mustnt have been the easiest pill for the Trump campaign to get its candidate to swallow. Promising he could do so by taking a shot at Ryan, though, likely made it a little more palatable. Among the Trump surrogates making the case that Biden is actually one of Americas finest debaters is North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, the current betting favorite to be Trumps running mate. When he needs to, he can step up, Burgum said of Biden on CNN this past weekend. This guy has got the abilityand weve seen it, weve seen him in debate four years ago, weve seen him in the State of the Union this yearthat when he needs to, he can step up. Theres a touch of shade in there: that Biden can, once in a blue moon, become not actively terrible. And yet its hard to avoid the observation that what Trump and Burgum are saying in the debate run-up contradicts the campaigns central point of attack against Biden: Hes senile. And so, the way theyve harmonized these two competing thoughtsBiden is great at debates, but also he has no idea where he is or whats happeningis by saying that hes on drugs. Right now, Crooked Joe has gone to a log cabin to study, Trump said at a rally this past weekend, referring to Bidens debate prep at Camp David. Hes sleeping now because they want to get him good and strong. So a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass. He then said, Im sure hell be prepared, adding, Whatever happened to all that cocaine that was missing a month ago from the White House? (That incident actually occurred last year, so the powder could by this point be a little tainted.) Now, thats a little more like it. And the Trump orbits refrain Biden will be on drugs has gone a little further than Trump talking shit at a rally. Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as the White House doctor under multiple presidents before going just insane enough to land a seat in Congress, sent a letter to Biden (ccd to the entire Cabinet), saying, I demand that you submit to an appropriate and clinically validated drug test prior to and after the upcoming debate. He pushed this demand over the weekend too, in a Fox News interview. DRUG TEST BIDEN BEFORE THE DEBATE! Will we see Sleepy Joe, who lives in the White House Basement, or will we see Jacked-Up Joe who made an appearance at the State Of The Union??? The American people deserve to know if their "President" is taking Performance Enhancing Drugs! pic.twitter.com/bAriC4LxaY Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) June 23, 2024 I am posting the clip here, and I encourage you to watch it because its well past the line of people making a few gags. Jackson is saying, with a straight faceto a deeply credulous Maria Bartiromothat what Biden was really doing at Camp David was experimenting with just getting the doses just right on his drug cocktail. In Jacksons opinion, the blend included something to help him think straighter, something to wake him up, and something to take the edge off so hes not quite so agitated. He then names medications that he believes that Biden is taking. Its understandable Jackson would assume that White House doctors sling around drugs this liberally, given that Jackson was reportedly nicknamed the Candyman for doing so himself during his tenure there. Yet this speculation is presented as an actual news report. They are dead serious. I know that this is a naive thing to be saying in 2024, but its surprising that this was cleared by even a perfunctory standards department at any television network whatsoever. Another zero on that $787 million settlement with Dominion couldve made a world of difference. So, to recap, the Trump message is: Biden stinks. Well, Biden doesnt stink at debates. Well, Biden doesnt stink at debates because hes on drugs, mixtures of which are being tested on him at the Camp David apothecary. But even if the team cant get the presidents humors in balance, Trumps team argues, there is one more Biden advantage: The moderators are rigged against Trump. On Monday morning, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt appeared on CNN, the network hosting the debate, to raise hell about its choices of Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators. President Trump is knowingly going into a hostile environment on this very network, on CNN, with debate moderators who have made their opinions about him very well known over the past eight years in the biased coverage of him, Leavitt said to host Kasie Hunt. After Hunt defended the moderators, Leavitt continued, over Hunts objections: It would take someone five minutes to google Jake Tapper Donald Trump to see that Jake Tapper has consistently, frequently likened President Trump to Adolf Hilter. (She meant Hitler.) After a little more cross talk, Hunt booted her off the air. Ill go out on a limb here and guess that being kicked off didnt hurt Leavitts feelings. She immediately went on Fox News Radio to argue that the episode just shows that exactly what were saying is truethat CNN is not a friendly Trump network and it wont be friendly to him on Thursday night. The railing against CNN, which has not been limited to Leavitt, serves a few purposes. Its an attempt to work the refs and force Tapper, Bash, and the network itself to go to extra lengths to prove theyre not biased. It allows Trump, after the debate, to say that he either did well in spite of a rigged setup or did poorly because of a rigged setup. And lastly, it gives Trump an excuse to back out of the debate, either before or during it, should he get bored and decide to blow everything up for kicks. Its a lot. Its exactly what youd expect. By Peter Hobson and Kirsty Needham CANBERRA (Reuters) -WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed to an ecstatic welcome in Australia on Wednesday after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage law in a deal that sets him free from a 14-year legal battle. Assange disembarked from a private jet at Canberra airport just after 7:30 p.m. (0930 GMT), waving to waiting media and cheering supporters before passionately kissing his wife, Stella, and lifting her off the ground. He embraced his father before entering the terminal building with his legal team. Assange has not spoken publicly since being released and did not appear at a Wikileaks press conference at a hotel in Canberra, where Stella Assange said it was too soon to say what her husband would do next. "Julian needs time to recover, to get used to freedom," she said. "I want Julian to have that space to rediscover that freedom." She added she believed her husband would one day be pardoned. Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has lobbied for years to free Assange, said he had spoken to him by phone after his plane landed. "I had a very warm discussion with him this evening, he was very generous in his praise of the Australian government's efforts," Albanese told an earlier press conference. "The Australian government stands up for Australian citizens, that's what we do." Assange's arrival ends a saga in which he spent more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London battling extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations and to the U.S., where he faced 18 criminal charges. Those charges stemmed from WikiLeaks' release in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - one of the largest breaches of secret information in U.S. history. During a three-hour hearing held earlier in the U.S. territory of Saipan, Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defence documents but said he had believed the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities. "Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information," he told the court. "I believed the First Amendment protected that activity but I accept that it was...a violation of the espionage statute." Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted his guilty plea, noting that the U.S. government indicated there was no personal victim from Assange's actions. She wished Assange, who turns 53 on July 3, an early happy birthday as she released him due to time already served in a British jail. HAILED AS HERO While the U.S. government viewed Assange as reckless for putting its agents at risk of harm by publishing their names, his supporters hailed him as a hero for promoting free speech and exposing war crimes. "We firmly believe that Mr. Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act and engaged in (an) exercise that journalists engage in every day," his U.S. lawyer, Barry Pollack, told reporters outside the court. He said WikiLeaks' work would continue. Assange's British and Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson thanked the Australian government for securing Assange's release. His father, John Shipton, told Reuters he was relieved. "That Julian can come home to Australia and see his family regularly and do the ordinary things of life is a treasure," Shipton said in Canberra, where he was waiting for his son. "The beauty of the ordinary is the essence of life." Assange had agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. The U.S. territory in the western Pacific was chosen due to his opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Politicians in Australia who had campaigned for his release raised concern about the guilty plea on U.S. soil, saying he was a journalist who had been convicted for doing his job. "That is a really alarming precedent. It is the sort of thing we'd expect in an authoritarian or totalitarian country," said Andrew Wilkie, an independent lawmaker who led a parliamentary group advocating for Assange. Assange spent more than five years in what Judge Manglona called one of Britain's harshest prisons and seven years holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought extradition. While stuck at the embassy he had two sons with Stella, who had been one of his lawyers. They married in 2022 at Belmarsh prison in London. (Reporting by Minwoo Park in Saipan, Peter Hobson and Kirsty Needham in Canberra and Renju Jose and Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Writing by Alasdair Pal and Miral Fahmy; Editing by Stephen Coates, Sonali Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alex Richardson) The Justice Department has reached an agreement with Julian Assange to plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information, in a deal that is expected to resolve the WikiLeaks founder's charges in the U.S. with no further time in prison, according to court documents unsealed Monday evening. The deal is expected to effectively bring to an end to a yearslong legal battle by the U.S. to prosecute Assange over the publishing of classified military and diplomatic materials that were leaked by former American soldier Chelsea Manning in 2010, including some that showed possible war crimes committed by American forces in Iraq. According to a letter posted by U.S. prosecutors, Assange will plead guilty in U.S. federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands and is expected to return afterward to Australia, indicating prosecutors will not be requesting a judge sentence him beyond the term of time served for the five years he has spent in London's Belmarsh prison fighting extradition. The plea deal would resolve charges federal prosecutors brought against Assange under the Espionage Act over WikiLeaks' publication of the leaked diplomatic and military documents that has come under criticism by First Amendment advocates over its potential implications for media freedom, as well as Assange's ongoing detention in the U.K. which has been widely condemned by human rights organizations. The deal should mean that Assange will finally walk free after spending more than a decade in some form of confinement while seeking to avoid prosecution by the U.S. For the past five years, Assange has been imprisoned in London's Belmarsh prison, one of the U.K.'s most secure jails, while he fought a U.S. extradition effort. PHOTO: Supporters of Julian Assange demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice as the High Court is set to deliver a ruling whether Assange can appeal against the US's extradition order in London, United Kingdom on May 20, 2024. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images) MORE: UK High Court allows Julian Assange to continue appealing extradition to US Before that, Assange spent seven years confined inside Ecuador's embassy in London, where he fled in 2011 to avoid potential sexual assault charges brought in Sweden. Assange was granted asylum by Ecuador's government, which permitted him to live in the embassy building while British police mounted a permanent watch outside. But in 2019, Ecuador's government evicted Assange, and British police arrested him on the embassy steps. Although by then, Swedish prosecutors had dropped the sexual assault case, a U.K. court convicted Assange of breaching his bail conditions and sentenced him to 50 weeks in prison. Despite long since serving that sentence, he has remained held in Belmarsh ever since. After his arrest in London, U.S. prosecutors swiftly revealed a sealed indictment charging Assange with conspiring to hack into a classified Pentagon computer network and sought his extradition. Weeks later, the Justice Department under the Trump administration then announced a second superseding indictment charging Assange with 17 additional counts of violating the Espionage Act. That decision to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act prompted heavy criticism from press freedom groups as well as major U.S. media organizations, which feared it risked setting a precedent that could criminalize any media outlet publishing classified information. Leading news organizations, including the New York Times, had urged the Biden administration to drop the case. But the Biden administration continued to pursue the Espionage Act charges and after years of legal challenges, Assange appeared to be inching closer to extradition in the past year. But in May, Britain's High Court ruled Assange had grounds to again appeal against the U.K. government's effort to extradite him, once more prolonging the legal battle. Amid the court fight, President Joe Biden earlier this year said publicly he was "considering" a request from Australia to end the prosecution against Assange. MORE: Hunter Biden requests new trial after conviction in gun case An international campaign to free Assange has been ongoing for years, joined by celebrities and press freedom advocates. In 2019, a UN Special Rapporteur on torture criticized Assange's treatment by U.K. authorities, saying the handling of his case put in doubt Britain's commitment to human rights and that his treatment in Belmarsh amounted to "psychological torture." Assange's wife, Stella Assange, has been helping lead the campaign to free him. Stella, who has two young sons with Assange, had said she feared for her husband if he was extradited to the U.S. Speaking to ABC News outside Belmarsh prison last summer after visiting Assange, Stella said, "If hes taken to the U.S., I can feel it that he will never come home." WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange expected to plead guilty, avoid further prison time as part of deal with US originally appeared on abcnews.go.com After spending five years in a high-security British prison, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has entered a plea deal with the U.S. government. Assange is expected to plead guilty to a single count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, and will be sentenced in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday, according to a letter filed by the Justice Department and obtained by The Washington Post. The letter notes that he will return to his native country of Australia after the proceedings. The WikiLeaks founder had faced numerous charges in the U.S. under the Espionage Act stemming from classified military and diplomatic documents leaked by Chelsea Manning in 2010 that were published by WikiLeaks and five newspapers through 2010 and 2011. That material exposed the details of hundreds of thousands of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the deaths of two Reuters journalists via the Collateral Murder video, and of the shocking conditions and deteriorating mental and physical health of Guantanamo Bays detainees. In May, the High Court in London allowed him to appeal his extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States after his legal team raised concerns that he would not be able to rely on his right to free speech if he were extradited. The decision arrived after a previous judge rejected Assanges effort to appeal. The hearing on the issue had been scheduled for July 9-10. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but former President Barack Obama commuted the rest of her term after she served seven years. In 2019, the former Army intelligence officer was held in contempt of court and sent to jail again for refusing to testify to a grand jury about WikiLeaks. After 10 months, she was later released after a judge ruled her testimony before the grand jury was no longer needed. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to admit violating Espionage Act, will be sentenced to time served: DOJ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has fought extradition for years to avoid facing charges of releasing an enormous trove of classified information about U.S. military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act, according to federal court records. Under the terms of the plea with U.S. prosecutors, Assange will get no more detention time than the 62 months he has already served in the United Kingdom. Assange is set to be released to Australia, his country of citizenship, after a Tuesday court proceeding is over, according to federal records. Assange agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, according to a letter accompanying charging documents filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific. The court hearing federal court in Saipan was arranged because of Assange's opposition to visiting the continental U.S. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van as he is driven out of Southwark Crown Court in London on May 1, 2019, after having been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions in 2012. Assange is scheduled to plead guilty and be sentenced at the same hearing on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT, according to a letter from U.S. Attorney Shawn Anderson. Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona Manglona agreed to hear the plea. Assanges wife, Stella, posted a short video that appeared to show him boarding a plane for the court appearance. Julian is free!!!! Stella Assange posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, while thanking his supporters. The 52-year-old Assange gained worldwide attention in 2010 after revealing the biggest security breach of its kind in U.S. military history. WikiLeaks released more than 90,000 documents related to Afghanistan and later published more than 400,000 documents from the war in Iraq. The documents included information about civilian deaths, the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Iran's backing of militants in Iraq. Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning served years in prison for leaking the documents to WikiLeaks. Former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence after she served seven of 35 years. But Assanges case proved difficult to prosecute both politically and geographically. He argued that he was a journalist and that Wikileaks published secret documents as major American newspapers routinely do. A banner placed by a supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, is pictured on the railings outside The Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on May 20, 2024. The Justice Department under Obama didnt charge him. But during former President Donald Trumps administration, the department secured an indictment in 2019 on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. Assange's critics argued he wasnt a journalist because he didnt write stories or interview anyone or provide sufficient explanatory context to explain the raw classified documents and data that he released. "WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service," then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, said in April 2017 in his first public speech as head of the spy agency. "Assange and his ilk," Pompeo said, seek "personal self-aggrandizement through the destruction of Western values." People attend a protest outside the High Court on the day of an extradition hearing of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in London, Britain, on May 20, 2024. Journalism advocates lamented the plea agreement. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the agreement ratified Assange spending five years in prison for activities journalists engage in every day. It will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in this country but around the world, Jaffer said. David Greene, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group for free speech and digital privacy, called the plea agreement a conviction for basic journalistic acts. This sets a dangerous precedent, and all those who value a free press should work to make sure that it never happens again, Green said. Assanges lawyers argued the charges were politically motivated. He fought extradition, initially taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid charges in Sweden, which have since been dropped, because he feared Sweden would extradite him to the U.S. Assange has been jailed for years in Belmarsh Prison, first for jumping bail on the Swedish charge and later because he was considered a flight risk during his extradition fight. The United Kingdom High Court ruled in May that he would have another chance to fight his extradition in the yearslong court battle. The Justice Department reached the plea agreement because of uncertainty about the case after recent court rulings. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julian Assange agrees to admit violating Espionage Act: DOJ (Bloomberg) -- Julian Assange has walked free after pleading guilty to leaking US national security secrets, ending a 14-year legal drama that has seen him spend time in UK jails and self-imposed exile in a London embassy. Most Read from Bloomberg The Wikileaks founder left a courtroom in Saipan in the US Northern Mariana Islands at around midday on Wednesday, surrounded by his legal team and Australian officials after receiving a 62-month time-served sentence. Today is a historic day, Assanges lawyer Jen Robinson told reporters outside the courthouse. Finally after 14 years of legal battles, Julian Assange can go home a free man. Assange pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents relating to the national defense, according to a statement from the US Justice Department. He had arrived in the US territory after being released from a London jail. Under a deal with federal prosecutors, the 52-year-olds next move will be a flight back to his home country of Australia specifically, its capital Canberra. The agreement resolves an international fight to prosecute Assange that has been underway since sensitive US military documents, war logs and diplomatic cables were publicly leaked in 2010 and 2011, including footage of a US airstrike in Baghdad a few years earlier. While Assange will avoid a lengthy prison sentence the plea deal gives him credit for the five years he spent in a high-security UK prison as he fought extradition to the US Wikileaks is raising funds on his behalf to cover what it says is an additional half a million US dollars he must pay. It is unclear whether Assange will meet with Australian government officials when he touches down in Canberra on Wednesday evening. However, his lawyer Robinson paid tribute to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for advocating on behalf of the Wikileaks founder. I want to thank our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his statesmanship, his principled leadership and his diplomacy, which made this outcome possible, she said. In one of the largest breaches of state secrets in US history, Assange was accused of assisting Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining around 750,000 classified or sensitive documents. Manning was convicted of leaking classified material in 2013, but then-President Barack Obama commuted her 35-year prison sentence in 2017. Assange and Manning unlawfully conspired to receive and obtain documents, writings, and notes connected with the national defense, including such materials classified up to the SECRET level, according to a four-page filing by the Justice Department. The leaks and an unrelated Swedish rape investigation that triggered his years on the run gained Assange global notoriety. He was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in a 2013 film about the early days of Wikileaks and was frequently lampooned on Saturday Night Live as a shadowy and mysterious figure. The US criminally charged Assange in 2019 under the Trump administration with violating the Espionage Act and was seeking to extradite him from the UK, where he has been in prison ever since. The initial charges 17 related to espionage and one to computer misuse carried a maximum penalty of 175 years in prison if he was found guilty on all counts, although sentences for federal crimes are typically less than that. But the US charges came years after the Swedish investigation, which led to his being detained in 2010 in London. Assange said the Swedish case was politically motivated and after months of fighting extradition while on bail fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Those charges were dropped in 2017, but Assange remained in a small apartment in the embassy as he continued to dodge UK police and American prosecutors. Ecuador dropped his asylum status in 2019, leading to his dramatic arrest early one morning in April of that year. That kicked off his incarceration in Londons Belmarsh prison and another five years of legal wrangling as he fought the US charges before the current deal was hammered out. --With assistance from Katharine Gemmell, Jennifer Jacobs and Justin Sink. (Updates with comments from lawyer.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By Alasdair Pal and Sarah N. Lynch SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will set him free after a 14-year British legal odyssey and allow his return home to Australia. Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. The deal marks the end of a legal saga that has seen Assange spend more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought accusations of sex crimes in Sweden and battled extradition to the U.S., where he faced 18 criminal charges. The U.S. government viewed him as a reckless villain who had endangered the lives of agents through WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents - the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history. But to free press advocates and his supporters, which includes world leaders, celebrities and some prominent journalists, he is a hero for exposing wrongdoing and alleged war crimes, and was persecuted for embarrassing U.S. authorities. On Wednesday, Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Tuesday). The U.S. territory in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange's opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. Australian-born Assange left Belmarsh maximum security jail in the early hours of Monday, before being bailed by the London High Court and later boarding a flight, his wife, Stella Assange said. He was currently on a stopover in Bangkok, she said. "I feel elated," Stella, who flew to Australia from London on Sunday with the couple's two children, told Reuters. "I also feel worried ... Until it's fully signed off, I worry, but it looks like we've got there." A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. After the hearing in Saipan, Assange will fly to Canberra where he will arrive on Wednesday, his wife said. He had recently won permission to appeal against the approval of his U.S. extradition and the case was due to be heard at London's High Court next month, a factor that Stella Assange said helped galvanise talks over a deal. 'TOO LONG' The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has been pressing U.S. President Joe Biden for Assange's release but declined to comment on the legal proceedings as they were ongoing. "There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia," Albanese said in the country's parliament. WikiLeaks came to prominence in 2010 after it released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq along with swaths of diplomatic cables. The trove of more than 700,000 documents included battlefield accounts such as a 2007 video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. That video was released in 2010. "Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Mike Pence, who served as U.S. Vice President under Donald Trump when the charges were brought against Assange. "The Biden administrations plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families," he said on X. The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that as the publisher of Wikileaks he should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. Many press freedom advocates have argued that criminally charging Assange is a threat to free speech and journalism. Alan Rusbridger, a former editor of Britain's Guardian newspaper, one of the global titles which worked with WikiLeaks to publish some of the leaked material, said it was "pretty disturbing" that espionage laws were being used to target those who revealed uncomfortable information for states. Stella Assange said the U.S. government should have dropped the case against her husband altogether. "We will be seeking a pardon, obviously, but the fact that there is a guilty plea, under the Espionage Act, in relation to obtaining and disclosing national defence information is obviously a very serious concern for journalists," she said. SWEDISH ALLEGATIONS Assange was first arrested in Britain in 2010 on a European arrest warrant after Swedish authorities said they wanted to question him over sex-crime allegations that were later dropped. He fled to Ecuador's embassy, where he remained for seven years, to avoid extradition to Sweden. He and Stella, a lawyer who worked on his case, had two children during his time there. He was dragged out of the embassy in 2019 after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status. He was jailed for skipping bail and has been in Belmarsh ever since, latterly fighting extradition to the United States. "Millions of people who have been advocating for Julian, it is almost time for them to have a drink and a celebration," his brother Gabriel Shipton told Reuters from France. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Andrew Goudsward and Kanishka Singh in Washington, Michael Holden and Kate Holton in London, Lisa Barrington in Seoul and Alasdair Pal, Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis, Sonali Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Alexandra Hudson) BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's intellectual property (IP) talent pool had grown to 860,000 by the end of 2023, the country's top IP regulator said Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference, Zhang Zhicheng, an official of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, noted that in terms of IP protection, over 30,000 professionals were engaged in administrative management and enforcement, while more than 2,200 talents staffed the established IP protection centers, significantly bolstering IP protection capabilities. When it comes to IP applications, the country boasts 34,000 practicing patent agents and over 76,000 qualified patent agents. The number of IP experts in enterprises, universities and research institutions has significantly surged, accelerating the effective utilization of IP assets. Internationally, about 270 talents were trained as international patent examiners. Additionally, China has selected more than 150 educators specializing in international IP affairs and 119 experts in overseas IP dispute resolution, underscoring the country's commitment to high-level international engagement. In response to emerging trends, efforts have been ramped up to train essential talents in IP protection, focusing on new domains such as big data and artificial intelligence, as well as handling international IP disputes. To widen the avenues for training, there is an ongoing emphasis on developing remote IP courses. To date, 98 high-quality courses have been launched online, continuously expanding the reach of training efforts. Statistics indicate that more than 250 IP training sessions have been held since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), benefitting over 57,000 participants. Across the nation, there are nearly 200 diverse IP research institutions, forming an interconnected and collaborative network for IP research. This network has cultivated a research team of around 6,000 professionals, providing essential support for local governments in making well-informed policy decisions. In the development of talent hubs, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong have made significant strides in IP initiatives. According to the Global Innovation Index 2023 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China leads globally with 24 science and technology clusters landing in the top 100, with the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou clusters ranked 2nd, 4th and 5th, respectively. Tsinghua University and WIPO jointly signed an agreement in November 2023 to establish a new master's program, "Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy," at the university's Law School. This English program aims to enroll around 30 students globally, focusing on cultivating high-level IP professionals with a global vision. The inaugural cohort is scheduled to commence studies in September this year. The program will feature top-tier faculty from Tsinghua University, WIPO, government bodies, courts, other renowned universities, multinational corporations and law firms. It is dedicated to cultivating outstanding international IP talent for both China and the broader global community, according to Zhou Guangquan, dean of School of Law, Tsinghua University. In New Hampshire, utility companies essentially write their own rules for the process to hook up, or interconnect, solar projects larger than 1 megawatt. (Getty Images) Nearly two years ago, a Goshen couple signed a contract to allow an energy company to build a solar farm on their mountainside property. But the project has faced continuous delays stalling, too, the life plans the family made around it. Kearsarge Energy approached the couple, Kathryn and Peter Hanson, about the project in the summer of 2022, Kathryn Hanson said. It would span between 23 and 25 acres and take about two years to complete. The expectation of extra income on the way meant Peter Hanson could start planning his retirement, his wife said. But that timeline has been pushed by what has been a 21-month-and-counting wait to get Eversource to complete an interconnection study, a step the utility company takes to see how large energy projects would affect the rest of the electrical grid. In August, it will be two years since the Hansons signed the contract, but theres little indication of when the project will finally materialize. Without that OK, nothing can move forward, Kathryn Hanson said. In New Hampshire, utility companies essentially write their own rules for the process to hook up, or interconnect, solar projects larger than 1 megawatt about enough energy to power 173 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association to the grid. Developers say this has resulted in lengthy, unpredictable delays. Its a little bit the Wild West, said Sam Evans-Brown, executive director of the nonprofit Clean Energy New Hampshire, and they (the utilities) have no deadlines. Theres nothing really enforceable, and they just get to sort of run roughshod over developers. Kearsarge Energy is one of three companies including ReWild Renewables and Lodestar Energy that filed a complaint against Eversource with the Department of Energy in March, alleging the interconnection delays violate state law, have cost the developers and landowners money, and prevented municipalities from accessing energy savings. The companies pointed to 28 projects stuck in the queue, unable to connect to the grid. Eversource rejected these claims, arguing that the company has often gone above and beyond any legal or regulatory requirements by conducting proactive outreach to expedite the projects. It also said the companies played a role in the projects delays, pointing, for instance, to six projects that changed in size, sometimes multiple times. One of those projects that changed in size was the Goshen solar farm, said William Hinkle, the media relations manager for Eversource, which means the project essentially had to start all over again in the queue. He also said it required a study by ISO New England, the regions grid operator. Legislative involvement The interconnection process for large solar projects might soon be dictated by the state instead of the utilities. Legislation heading to the governors desk, Senate Bill 391, would push the Department of Energy to set cost effective, timely, and predictable processes for customer generators wishing to interconnect to the states electric grid. It would require that, within 60 days of the bills passage, the department open a proceeding to examine and draft regulations to set uniform procedures for interconnection to utilities infrastructure. If Gov. Chris Sununu signs the bill, the department would have 15 months to submit the draft regulations to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, a body that provides legislative oversight to the regulatory process. Clean Energy New Hampshire supports SB 391. Hinkle said Eversource doesnt have any concerns with the final bill as amended. The lack of regulation for larger solar projects in New Hampshire has compounded with an exploding interest in clean energy development in recent years, driven by less-expensive technology, federal tax credits, and high electricity prices, Evans-Brown said. Five years ago, Eversource, the states largest utility, received about 20 interconnection applications a week, Hinkle said. In 2022 and 2023, that number climbed to 200 a week and, now, sits at around 100. Ninety-five percent of those projects typically residential ones under 100 kilowatts are approved for interconnection by Eversource within a matter of days, Hinkle said. Larger projects those between 500 kilowatts and 1 megawatt may take 60 to 90 days for approval, he said. The largest projects those over 1 megawatt often take much longer. Part of the reason, Hinkle said, is because they may trigger a review by ISO New England. He also said moving projects through the queue in a timely manner is a shared responsibility between Eversource and developers and that delays from one developer may affect others farther down the waitlist. Interconnection studies take about 60 days for Eversource to complete, Hinkle said, but theres really not necessarily a typical time a project might wait on the queue. Developers and property owners said this wait often spans many months. A frustrating journey Howie Wemyss, a partial owner of the Glen House Hotel at the base of Mount Washington in Gorham, said the interconnection process was much longer and more frustrating than he had first expected. This project was in the range of about 300 kilowatts, he said, which means it wasnt among the largest class of projects. The hotel set out to be as sustainable as possible when it opened in 2018. They had geothermal heating and cooling and a small hydroelectric station. Solar power was the next piece to minimize or eliminate the need for electricity off the grid, Wemyss said. So the hotel hired a contractor and submitted an application to Eversource in May 2023 to interconnect a solar array. Wemyss thought they could get approved in time to reap the energy benefits of the summer months. That hope soon evaporated. Months went by, and nothing, Wemyss said. And we would email or call them and nobody seemed to know anything, and it was very frustrating because we thought we were going to build the array in 2023. He started calling some elected officials in hopes it would help move the process along. Coincidentally or not, he said, it did but the project appeared at the end of Eversources long list, despite the application having been submitted months earlier. Some prodding later, the hotel moved to the front of the waitlist. This May, it got the results of the interconnection study, learning it would have to pay much less than expected, Wemyss said. Hinkle, the Eversource spokesman, said this project was fast-tracked and moved up in the queue by months in an effort to more quickly approve medium-sized projects. The project should break ground in early July and be up and running in the fall, but the disappointment and the impact remain. It was so frustrating, Wemyss said. We lost an entire year of production because of that and, of course, everything gets a little more expensive as you go. For some developers, the unpredictability of New Hampshires interconnection process makes it a less attractive place to invest. Kate Tohme, the director of interconnection policy at the renewable energy company New Leaf Energy, told a House committee in March that a clear set of interconnection standards is one of the key factors the company considers before investing in the state. Tohme said in written testimony that the company is extremely limited in moving its three projects in the interconnection queue forward due to lack of access to information and regulatory certainty of timelines and costs. (She did not specify the utility company with which New Leaf was trying to interconnect.) And without clear guidelines in New Hampshire, she said, the company is forced to focus our attention and resources in other states. CUMBERLAND The Wilds will be the recipient of a $2.5 million grant from the Ohio Senates One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund to build a new giraffe barn as part of its conservation efforts and to build innovative lodging that allows guests to interact more freely with the animals in its 30th year of being open to the public. Its apartment-style lodging that will serve as a way for guests to be more deeply engaged with giraffes, said Vice President of The Wilds Dr. Joe Smith, who added the new lodging will also provide a revenue source to make the giraffe program and The Wilds more sustainable. A family can rent out the second-floor apartment with windows that look into the giraffe barn. Were getting lots of excitement around that idea and we think it will be very popular. The new lodging will also be ADA accessible, Smith said. As shown here, the second-floor of the guest lodging will allow for guests to directly feed and interact with the giraffes in their new conservation space. We will be able to bring people of all abilities up to experience the feeding of giraffes, he said. The closer we can get people to animals and to connect and know them, the more they care and can make a positive impact on wild animals and places. Thats the core of what were doing. Thats the greater purpose of the Wilds. Were a conservation center. We bring animals and people together that might not normally engage with one another. The Wilds is a private, non-profit safari park and conservation center that combines conservation science and education programs. It sits on more than 10,000 acres and is home to threatened and endangered species. The money for the project was awarded by State Senator Al Landis (R-Dover) who gave a total of $8 million to several projects in Senate District 31 including the Cambridge YMCA, Wooster Community Hospital, Shreve Wastewater Treatment Plant System, and the Tuscarawas County Engineer. It is crucial that we fund projects that will make a meaningful impact in the lives of our constituents, said Landis. The (One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund) is a unique opportunity for communities to look at projects that will make their area a better place to live, work, and raise a family. The new giraffe barn and conservation space at The Wilds will have guest lodging built right into the space, allowing guests to interact with the giraffes. The money stems from a $700 million pot of federal cash Ohio received during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ohio House and Ohio Senate agreed that each chamber would decide how $350 million would be spent. The Wilds money is part of Senate Bill 288 introduced the week of June 10 to the Senate Finance Committee, according to Landis spokesperson Susan Wittstock. She said they anticipate it will be voted on by the full Senate on the floor on June 26 before moving to the House for approval and finally being signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. The state budget wraps June 30. New facility could open in 2026 Smith said he recently received a call from Landis himself giving him the good news. He said they are ecstatic to receive the funds that will go towards the $6 million project. Were already engaged with the architect, and they have conceptual drawings done, said Smith. With this additional funding, we can move into construction drawings which allows us to go to bid. We should be able to finish the design this summer and put out to bid this winter. Smith said hes hoping for construction to start next year thanks to this funding, with the new facility opening in 2026. But thats all dependent on funding. Some of the additional funds have come from private donations and fundraising events held by the Wilds, said Smith. But we still have a little bit of a gap, so we are continuing our fundraising efforts by asking private donors and foundations. The new guest lodging inside the giraffe conservation space is built out apartment-style and will allow families to rent for overnight stays. Guests can interact from the second-floor windows with the giraffes. Campground opening next year The next step for the Wilds after building the giraffe barn wont be another conservation project, said Smith, it will be infrastructure. The Wilds have a new RV campground opening in the spring of 2025, which allowed them to bring Muskingum county water to the property for the first time since it began. Currently, outside of the new campground, the Wilds and all its operations use a potable water system, which includes underground storage tanks that pump water into the facility. Were looking at expanding that county water hook-up to the rest of our facility, he said. We also want to re-do our high-speed internet network, as well as upgrading our roads, parking, and drainage infrastructure. Those are some of the challenges we really need to address. Those foundational basics must be complete before we start expanding with additional, brand-new exhibits and guest features. But for now, Smith is grateful for the influx of money from Senator Landis to move forward with the new giraffe barn and guest lodging. Our mission is empowering people and saving wildlife, said Smith. This project perfectly embodies our mission. Were involving people in these overnight lodgings to conserve giraffes. Part of those proceeds will also go to our conservation funds. Just by staying in the new giraffe lodging, guests will be helping us contribute to conservation. Thats the core of what the Wilds are all about. The Wilds is located at 14000 International Road Cumberland. For more information, visit www.thewilds.org/. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Innovative lodging will allow guests to look into new giraffe barn Woman accused of kidnapping man on fake date where he was stabbed 19 times pleads guilty GENEVA COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) A woman accused of luring a man on a fake date where he was nearly stabbed to death has pled guilty on the day her trial was meant to start. On Monday, June 24, Shalyn Diaz pled guilty to one count of attempted murder in the kidnapping and stabbing of Matthew Angelino. Diazs trial was set to start on Monday; however, after she entered a guilty plea, Judge William Filmore sentenced her to ten years in prison and ordered her to pay a $1,000 fine. After she was sentenced, Diazs attorneys requested a lighter sentence. Judge Filmore will hear their argument for a lesser sentence on August 14. Diaz was arrested alongside her alleged co-conspirator, Robert Lane Hall, in January 2024. RELATED: Two accused of kidnapping, choking, and stabbing man multiple times in rural Geneva County, sheriff According to the Geneva County Sheriffs Office, Diaz lured Angelino onto a fake date in January and rode together on rural Geneva County roads with Hall hiding in the trunk of Diazs car. Investigator Cory Dean says after pulling over, Diaz convinced Angelino to wear handcuffs and a blindfold while Hall exited the trunk, snuck into the backseat, and began choking Angelino with a cord and stabbing him with a knife. Diaz opened the door, and Hall drug Angelino out of the car by the cord around his neck and stabbed him several times on the side of the road before driving away, leaving him to die, Investigator Dean told WDHN. Angelino was stabbed a total of 19 times. Angelino was later found by a driver on Holmes Creek Road, still wearing handcuffs with the cord around his neck. Hall pled guilty to the same charge earlier this month and was sentenced to life in prison. RELATED: Dothan man receives life after pleading guilty to kidnapping, stabbing victim 19 times Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms said he believes Halls hefty sentence was due to his lengthy criminal history across at least two counties. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. A 32-year-old woman has been arrested after police found a dead woman in the backseat of her car that authorities say was not a result of the single-vehicle accident she had been involved in. The Olmstead County Sheriffs Office in Minnesota responded to a single-vehicle accident at approximately 7 a.m. on Saturday morning on Interstate 90 going eastbound near the Highway 42 Exit in Olmstead county when police encountered Margot Lewis, a 32-year-old woman being tended to by somebody passing by, according to a statement from the Olmstead County Sheriff's Office released on Monday. MORE: 26-year-old woman plunges to death after being swept over waterfall at Glacier National Park The driver of the vehicle, identified as Margot Lewis, a 32-year-old female of an unknown residence, was out of the vehicle and being tended to by a passerby. In checking to see if anyone else was in the vehicle, a deceased individual, a 35-year-old female, was located in the back seat, police said. The condition of the deceased was suspicious, and it was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident. Police were able to eventually identify the victim but said that the name of the deceased is currently being withheld until her next of kin has been notified. MORE: Woman whose husband died by hot tub electrocution at Mexican beach resort speaks out Ms. Lewis was transported by Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service (MCAS) to the hospital, where she was medically cleared. Ms. Lewis was then transported to the Adult Detention Center (ADC) and placed under arrest for Interference with a Dead Body, authorities said. Lewis is now expected to make an appearance in court on this case on sometime on Tuesday, according to the Olmstead County Sheriffs Office. MORE: New Jersey man stabs mother to death while she was sleeping: Police Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Eyota Fire Department, and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service assisted with the initial call and authorities from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said that they extend sincere condolences to the friends and family of the deceased. The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing and no further information will be released at this time. Woman arrested after police find dead body in backseat of crashed car originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A French woman is currently recovering from a traumatizing attack at a zoo outside Paris. It all happened when she was out on a morning jog in the safari-style venue. According to Le Parisien, an unnamed 36-year-old woman was jogging in the safari zone of Thoiry Safari Park, which is off-limits for pedestrians and only open to motorists, around 9 a.m. on June 23 when an Arctic wolf attacked and seriously injured her. Versailles prosecutor Maryvonne Caillibotte confirmed that the victim "suffered particularly serious bites, causing injuries to the neck, calf, and back." "Luckily the medical staff intervened very quickly and we were able to save this person," the zoos president Christelle Bercheny told reporters, per CNN. The woman was transported to the hospital and was stabilized later that afternoon. Authorities told Le Parisien that zookeepers heard the woman screaming and came to the rescue. The woman was staying with her baby at one of the lodges offered within the park. These experiences are meant to mimic that of being on a real African safari as you spend a night close to the animals. Lodges in the zoo's Arctic wolf zone go for anywhere between 220 and 760 ($235$810) per night. "Silence, rest and disconnection will be at the heart of your immersion in nature," the zoo says of the accommodations. "You will have the opportunity to relax and live a unique experience in complete privacy with the Arctic wolves that you can observe night and day from your living room." A woman says UofL Health wants to deport her comatose dad. The hospital denies it Marvin C. has been hospitalized since June 12 after suffering a significant head injury prompted by a seizure. It was a traumatic shock for his daughter, 23-year-old Virginia C., who recalls seeing him fit and healthy the day prior. Now, Marvin lies unconscious in a hospital bed, dependent on a ventilator. He's missing a piece of skull, Virginia said, because medical staff had to remove a portion in order to drain internal bleeding. Less than a week after he was first admitted, Virginia said hospital staff asked if she wanted to take her father off life support or continue his treatment by performing a surgery. She chose the latter. Days later, Virginia said she and her family were informed that, as soon as the surgery was completed and he was considered stabilized, Marvin would be sent on a plane back to his home country of Guatemala the same country where he hadn't lived in 30 years. "I just felt devastated," said Virginia, who asked that her and Marvin's last name not be used because of his undocumented status. "I'm his daughter. I've known him my whole life. He's sacrificed so much for me and my family." Virginia has since connected with two nonprofits who she said have helped stave off Marvin's deportation. However, a UofL Health spokesperson has fiercely denied a deportation would ever take place. "A transfer of this patient is not imminent," spokesperson David McArthur said in an emailed statement. "We are working to do everything we can to make sure the family has the ability to make the best decision possible." McArthur added that while the hospital can't comment on a particular patient's care, "to suggest we have threatened to remove a patient from the country is incorrect." "When a transfer of care is recommended from UofL Hospital, it is not about an ability to pay, but to ensure the patient is receiving the appropriate level of care while also preserving the unique resources of the regions only Level I trauma center," he said. One of the Intensive Care Unit rooms in the new UofL Health South Hospital, slated to open on March 18, 2024. According to McArthur, repatriating a patient also known as sending them back to their country of origin would require permission from their next of kin. Virginia, however, believes UofL was attempting something advocates call "medical deportation." Advocacy group Free Migration Project uses that term to describe a process where hospital systems can arrange a patient's removal from the U.S. based on their undocumented and uninsured status without any hearing or associated legal proceeding attached. The group's deputy director Adrianna Torres-Garcia said it has seen around a dozen cases across the U.S. in the last three years, though the practice has existed for much longer. "(Hospital systems) want to empty that bed. They don't want to be stuck with the care of that person and the bills that come with that," Torres-Garcia said. "In their eyes, they're not gonna get as much money as they possibly could with someone who has insurance." Virginia connected with the Free Migration Project, based in Philadelphia, after frantically researching her options on her own. "At first, I felt so helpless," she said. That stress causes family members to "doubly suffer," according to Torres-Garcia, as they worry both about their family member's health as well as whether they will be able to keep that family member in the U.S. According to Virginia, her father has no lasting connection or close family in Guatemala. He would be alone in Central America without anyone to ensure his long-term care. As his eldest daughter, Virginia said, "I am my father's support system. I am his voice." Virginia has also connected with Chloe Atwater, a health justice attorney with the nonprofit Kentucky Equal Justice Center. Atwater told The Courier Journal she had never heard of a case like Virginia's and has been working with the family on their options. Atwater said undocumented residents in Kentucky can have access to temporary health coverage for emergency medical crises through Emergency Time-Limited Medicaid. Virginia said she applied for the temporary coverage but was initially denied. After receiving help from advocates, she said her father's eligibility has now been approved. But even that protection has limits. "Even if he gets the Emergency Time-Limited Medicaid, you know, it might prevent it from happening now, but it might not prevent it forever," Atwater said. Virginia said a social worker tied to the hospital told her Monday afternoon that her father's deportation process has halted due to the severity of his condition. But she still harbors fears he will be deported without her knowledge or consent. In his email, McArthur reiterated a patient transfer is not imminent and "our commitment is to work with families in finding the best solution to provide ongoing care for any patient." Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Undocumented man faces deportation by UofL Health, daughter says WAYNE The school district is investigating how a certain question ended up on a seventh-grade quiz after some parents complained that it advances anti-Muslim stereotypes. The multiple-choice question, which appeared on a makeup assessment on the second-to-last day of the school year at Schuyler-Colfax Middle School, asked quiz takers to identify the correct terrorist organization. Students in the social studies class had to choose between Al-Qaeda; Palestinian Liberation Organization; Shining Path; and the correct answer, Islamic State. Entrance to Schuyler-Colfax Middle School on Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne. Superintendent of schools Mark Toback apologized for the quiz question in an email response to upset parents last week. It was offensive and contrary to our values of respect, inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, he wrote. Such incidents are unacceptable and do not reflect the standards we uphold for our educational community, he added. We understand the deep concern and disappointment this has caused among students, parents and the broader community. The incident evoked a response on social media from Teaching While Muslim, a group of educators who spread lesson plans that seek to counter Islamophobia in New Jersey classrooms. The group posted a statement Monday to its Instagram account, asserting that the quiz question was flawed and that it revealed an explicit bias in the way current affairs of the Middle East are taught in U.S. schools. This type of framing causes the perpetuation of hate toward the Muslim community and Muslim students both by their peers AND their teachers, the group said. The Muslim educators explained that the quiz question poses multiple problems. Islamic State is designated by the federal government as a foreign terrorist organization, but the group said referring to it in such a manner, rather than by its acronym of ISIL or ISIS, legitimizes its claim that it represents all Muslims. Story continues below Instagram post. https://www.instagram.com/p/C8mapeyRSh5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== It further indoctrinates students to link ISIS with Islam, and to link terrorism with Islam, the group said. The Muslim educators also took issue with Palestinian Liberation Organization a legitimate governing agency being listed as a possible answer to the quiz question. Toback said the quiz question was derived, in part, from software employed as a class resource. As part of the ongoing investigation, he said, the K-12 district is reviewing its use of that program. POTENTIAL SALE: Wayne negotiating purchase of YMCA to expand recreation offerings Toback said by phone Monday that he could not discuss the status of the teacher who administered the quiz. Schuyler-Colfax on Hamburg Turnpike is one of three middle schools in the district. It enrolls 633 students, according to the most recent available state data. Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: devencentis@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ middle school quiz question upsets Muslim parents BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China will hold the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friday in Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. At a regular news briefing, spokesperson Mao Ning briefed the media concerning the conference and other commemorative events. Seven decades ago, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai put forth in full these principles for the first time -- "mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence." The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been widely accepted and recognized by countries across the world. They have become an important norm governing contemporary international relations, the spokesperson added. The commemorative events include a commemorative conference, a luncheon and parallel forums. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the conference and deliver a speech, and Premier Li Qiang will preside over the conference, she said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the luncheon and deliver a speech. Former political leaders, experts, scholars, friendly individuals, media representatives, and business delegates from various countries will be invited to attend the conference and deliver speeches at the luncheon and parallel forums, Mao said. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Fake versions of Ozempic, the injectable diabetes drug many use for weight loss, are springing up around the world. We have reports coming in from 14 countries, WHO team lead for incidents of substandard and falsified medical products Rutendo Kuwana said. The World Health Organization confirms counterfeit semaglutide, the active ingredient in the drug, was found in the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil late last year. The group is currently investigating reports in 11 other countries. Kuwana wants people to know these fakes could have anything in them. In one instance, the semaglutide was replaced with insulin. Thats a very, very dangerous situation, Kuwana said. He says if the color of the drug, the spelling on the label and especially the source is questionable, One must be suspicious that the product is potentially falsified. A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, said the company is working with the FDA to crack down on counterfeits. Some members of Congress say high drug prices are to blame for fueling the black market and want more regulation of drug companies. It costs 15 times more, 15 times more, in this country for Ozempic, than it does in other countries, so thats one of the reasons you have off-market drugs that are not safe, California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said. Khanna supports a bill that would direct drugmakers to lower prices to be on par with other countries, and if they dont, the government could approve cheaper, generic versions, regardless of any patents in place. Americans shouldnt pay a dime more than people in other countries for these drugs, including Ozempic, Khanna said. A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said in a statement that 80% of people with insurance that covers the drug pay $25 or less per prescription. The companys CEO is expected to testify before a U.S. Senate Committee about drug costs in September. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The worlds largest mammal migration happens here every year. War means no one knows about it Editors Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolexs Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. From an aerial view, golden-brown specks cover the grass like ants. Zoom in and youll see horns, backs, legs moving all in the same direction. Antelopes, hundreds of thousands of them, are crossing the savannas of South Sudan. The central African country has been ravaged by war over the last few decades, making it unsafe for scientific research, and data on the movement of wildlife there has been limited. But a report published today estimates that South Sudan is home to the largest known migration of land mammals on Earth. Five million white-eared kob, 300,000 tiang, 350,000 Mongalla gazelle and 160,000 Bohor reedbuck (all species of antelope) are thought to traverse the landscape each year, moving from the savannas in the south of the country towards the wetlands in the north and east. The estimates come from a 2023 aerial survey of the land around the Boma and Badingilo national parks and Jonglei region, referred to as the Great Nile Migration Landscape. A plane flew over transects of land at a constant height above ground, sampling almost 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles) of a 122,000-square-kilometer (47,000-square-mile) area, while an observer recorded what they saw, and a camera, fixed to the plane, took a photo every two seconds. The method is commonly used to assess the distribution of wild animals in large open spaces and was previously done in the region in the 2000s and the 1980s, during relatively peaceful intervals between periods of unrest. unknown content item - The latest results have astounded scientists: while wildlife has decreased in many areas of the world due to human development and climate change, this data shows that the migration has not only survived years of war but expanded. If the numbers are right with these species, it looks like theyve increased since 2007. It looks like theyve increased since the 1980s even, says Mike Fay, lead researcher and conservation director for African Parks in South Sudan. He cautions that the margins of error are large, but even at its lowest estimate of four million antelope, the figure dwarfs the roughly two million wildebeest that move across Tanzanias Serengeti, in what has long been considered the worlds largest land mammal migration. The distances covered also rival the worlds longest annual land migration. While routes vary between species, the survey found that some tiang covered more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) putting them on a par with caribou in Canadas Arctic. Fay, who has been working on conservation projects in Africa for more than 40 years, admits his exposure to natural phenomena has been extensive. Hes seen countless elephants, lions, gorillas and other iconic animals. Its hard to impress me, right? he says. Yet, when he observed thousands upon thousands of antelope running across the landscape, even he was flabbergasted. How is it even possible that there can be this many wild animals? he marvels. Its not so much a sentimental thing for me, its more about the biological and ecological capacity of this land to produce so much wildlife. Its truly phenomenal. War and peace The migrations survival and growth is likely to be linked to the decades of instability in the country, says Fay. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war. Quickly after that it descended into its own civil war, which ended in 2018, although local violence continues. As a result, the human footprint has remained low the United Nations lists it among the least developed countries in the world. Maybe that provided this opportunity where the animals were left alone for a period of 10 to 12 years, and thats when they became much more numerous, Fay speculates. This idea is supported by data from GPS devices that were fixed onto around 125 antelopes, tracking their movements over the last year. While the sample is too small to make big assumptions, one thing is clear, says Fay: These animals try to avoid humans as much as they can. Their tracks form a pattern like a donut, he says, with the antelopes circling around human settlements. In contrast, non-migratory animals that were unable to avoid human populations have not fared so well. The survey cites catastrophic declines in sedentary species such as giraffe, buffalo, zebra, hartebeest and waterbuck. There was a gigantic proliferation of guns in the country, and you had thousands and thousands of people living in the bush. They werent cultivating, so they were eating a lot of wildlife and feeding the troops with wildlife, says Fay. While moving wildlife populations could head to remote hinterlands, sedentary species were easy targets. Those species got hammered, he adds. However, the lack of development has meant that the natural ecosystem around the migration remains more or less intact. South Sudan often refers to itself as the land of great abundance and in many respects, it lives up to this, says Fay. Despite being land-locked, South Sudan has vast freshwater resources, including Africas largest wetland, the Sudd, which is fed by the overflow of the White Nile. The name is derived from the Arabic word for barrier, and for centuries the area was deemed impenetrable the Sudd marked the southern limit of the Roman Empires expansion into Africa. This remoteness has helped to protect the regions biodiversity. On most places on Earth, major river floodplains have had levees built along them, or theyve been overused and degraded, says Fay. Whereas here, the water comes out of the mountains, hits that gigantic floodplain and just fans out The fact that youve got this enormous floodplain still functioning in this modern world is phenomenal. It is this unique floodplain that brought conservation biologist Steve Boyes to South Sudan to support African Parks in the survey. As part of his Great Spine of Africa expedition, in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, he wanted to document how the watersheds and rivers what he calls the lifelines of these landscapes were playing into the annual migration. He explains that the region has experienced record-breaking floods in recent years, in part due to pollution from South Sudans capital Juba, as plastic and human waste enter the river that flows into the Sudd and block the waterways. This could threaten the wider ecosystem and wildlife populations. Weve got water consuming the landscape, restricting where a migration can go, he says. Weve got growing human settlements, creating a smaller corridor. Those dynamics human development, encroachment, and the flooding of the White Nile will become more of a problem for migration. Often in these post-war wildernesses, peace becomes a serious threat to wildlife populations, he adds. Opportunity Fay fears the same. Wildlife has thrived in the no mans land enforced by the conflict, but now that the nation is in a period of relative calm, efforts to restore it are firing up. Roads are being built, industrial activities are starting to happen, peoples mobility is increasing, the tribal boundaries are becoming diluted, he says. As they erode, as transport infrastructure becomes possible, thats when were going to see a massive collapse of these animals. He explains that migratory species are particularly vulnerable to linear developments such as roads because a physical barrier can cut off their migration path, while also exposing them to hunting. But development doesnt have to be bad for wildlife, he argues. If looked after, the migration could bring a number of benefits it could even be an engine for development, Fay says, pointing to Tanzania, where the Serengeti national park, home to a vast wildebeest migration, pulls in as many as 200,000 tourists each year. Boyes notes there could also be opportunities to generate carbon revenue from the Sudd swamps or establish community-run conservancies that bring benefits to both nature and people. But Fay warns that conservation is always hard, and it takes time. If youre going to build an economy around this migration, the lag time between the cost and the benefit is great, he says. Mass tourism is still a long way off in a country that has the reputation for being one of the most dangerous in the world, and as it struggles with a fragile and stagnant economy and the ongoing conflict and crisis in neighboring Sudan, wildlife may pay the price. Liquidation of natural resources is the fastest way to make a buck, he says. For a country like South Sudan to forgo some aspect of development for something that might not produce tomorrow, thats where the political will comes in, and the will of the people. Currently, political will does seem to be there. African Parks carried out the survey with the support of the South Sudan government and the results will be used to inform the countrys wildlife conservation strategy for the area. At a press conference announcing the results of the survey, the countrys president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, said, As South Sudan continues to develop we are committed to transforming the wildlife sector into a sustainable tourism industry. To activate this I call upon the security forces, particularly the Ministry of Wildlife and its partners to prioritize the training and equipping of wildlife rangers to combat poaching and trafficking of illegal wildlife products in protected areas. Fay believes funding will be key. The nation has to decide, do we want to maintain this migration or not? he says. If yes, it then needs to invest heavily in conservation and land management, to preserve these unique natural areas. We have a window of opportunity, he says, but its closing as we speak. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Descending up to 40 meters beneath the Baltic Sea, the worlds longest immersed tunnel will link Denmark and Germany, slashing journey times between the two countries when it opens in 2029. The first tunnel element of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel was inaugurated June 17 by King Frederik X of Denmark, in what was a milestone moment four years after construction began in 2020, with more than a decade of planning preceding that. On the Danish side, east of Rdbyhavn, the factory that will build the 89 massive concrete sections that will make up the tunnel was completed last year. Fermern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project, says its the largest and most advanced production facility of its kind. The tunnel, which will be 18 kilometers (11.1 miles) long, is one of Europes largest infrastructure projects, with a construction budget of over 7 billion euros ($7.1 billion). By way of comparison, the 50-kilometer (31-mile) Channel Tunnel linking England and France, completed in 1993, cost the equivalent of 12 billion ($13.6 billion) in todays money. Although longer than the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, the Channel Tunnel was made using a boring machine, rather than by immersing pre-built tunnel sections. It will be built across the Fehmarn Belt, a strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland, and is designed as an alternative to the current ferry service from Rdby and Puttgarden, which carries millions of passengers every year. Where the crossing now takes 45 minutes by ferry, it will take just seven minutes by train and 10 minutes by car. Faster journey The tunnel, whose official name is Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, will also be the longest combined road and rail tunnel anywhere in the world. It will comprise two double-lane motorways separated by a service passageway and two electrified rail tracks. Today, if you were to take a train trip from Copenhagen to Hamburg, it would take you around four and a half hours, Jens Ole Kaslund, technical director at Femern A/S, said in 2022. When the tunnel will be completed, the same journey will take two and a half hours. Today a lot of people fly between the two cities, but in the future it will be better to just take the train, he adds. The same trip by car will be around an hour faster than today, taking into account time saved by not lining up for the ferry. Besides the benefits to passenger trains and cars, the tunnel will have a positive impact on freight trucks and trains, Kaslund said, because it creates a land route between Sweden and Central Europe that will be 160 kilometers shorter than today. At the moment, traffic between the Scandinavian peninsula and Germany via Denmark can either take the ferry across the Fehmarnbelt or a longer route via bridges between the islands of Zealand, Funen and the Jutland peninsula. The excavation pit for the tunnel on the German side. - Femern A/S Work underway The project dates back to 2008, when Germany and Denmark signed a treaty to build the tunnel. It then took over a decade for the necessary legislation to be passed by both countries and for geotechnical and environmental impact studies to be carried out. While the process completed smoothly on the Danish side, in Germany a number of organizations including ferry companies, environmental groups and local municipalities appealed against the approval of the project over claims of unfair competition or environmental and noise concerns. In November 2020 a federal court in Germany dismissed the complaints. The ruling came with a set of conditions, which we kind of expected and we were prepared for, on how we monitor the environment while we are constructing, on things like noise and sediment spill. I believe that we really need to make sure that the impact on the environment is as little as possible, Henrik Vincentsen, CEO of Femern A/S, said in 2022. Several other phases of the project are underway, including the digging of the actual trench that will host the tunnel. Each section will be 217 meters long (roughly half the length of the worlds largest container ship), 42 meters wide and 9 meters tall. Weighing in at 73,000 metric tons each, they will be as heavy as more than 13,000 elephants. The factory has three halls and six production lines. The sections will be placed just beneath the seabed, about 40 meters below sea level at the deepest point, and moved into place by barges and cranes. Positioning the sections will take roughly three years. A wider impact Up to 2,500 people will work directly on the construction project. Michael Svane of the Confederation of Danish Industry, one of Denmarks largest business organizations, told CNN in 2022 that he believes the tunnel will be beneficial to businesses beyond Denmark itself. The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will create a strategic corridor between Scandinavia and Central Europe. The upgraded railway transfer means more freight moving from road to rail, supporting a climate-friendly means of transport. We consider cross-border connections a tool for creating growth and jobs not only locally, but also nationally, he said. While some environmental groups have expressed concerns about the impact of the tunnel on porpoises in the Fehmarn Belt, Michael Lvendal Kruse of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation thinks the project will have environmental benefits. As part of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, new natural areas and stone reefs on the Danish and German sides will be created. Nature needs space and there will be more space for nature as a result, he says. But the biggest advantage will be the benefit for the climate. Faster passage of the Belt will make trains a strong challenger for air traffic, and cargo on electric trains is by far the best solution for the environment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com "World is not watching" as famine risk looms in Sudan, agency says Johannesburg - An aid agency issued a "crisis alert" Tuesday over war-torn Sudan, calling out the international community for its failure to address the civil war that has raged there for over a year. The International Rescue Committee warned that a risk of famine is looming and said the lack of any political solution has left Sudan on the brink of a "catastrophe of historic scale." "The world is not watching us, we are heading for famine, massive loss of life, and a failed state," the IRC's country director for Sudan, Eatizaz Yousif, told CBS News. Yousif warned that the world's worst displacement crisis was quickly becoming the world's worst hunger crisis and that the situation was worsening. Two million people could die of hunger-related causes if the situation does not improve and no additional humanitarian aid gets into the country, according to several humanitarian groups CBS News spoke to. IRC said it is too late to avert a major loss of life, but warned the country is on the brink of widespread famine, with some areas already in a famine-like situation. More than 222,000 children will die in the next few months if nothing changes, experts estimate. Sudanese children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, on April 6, 2024. / Credit: Patricia Simon/AP Over 10 million people have fled their homes and remain displaced inside the country. At least 2 million more have fled to refugee camps in neighboring nations. In most parts of Sudan, no hospitals, banks or schools are functioning, aid agencies say. "We currently have 7 million kids in malnutrition, with all schools closed and more than 70% of hospitals closed," Yousif told CBS News, adding that his biggest overriding concern "is the collapse of the country into civil war and statelessness." The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization and its World Food Program, along with other agencies, are working to update their data, but say 3 million people in Sudan are living at the highest level of food insecurity, which indicates famine conditions, while another 18 million people are in need of emergency food assistance. The U.N. has stopped short of declaring a famine in Sudan as aid agencies have struggled to collect the necessary data to show the catastrophe meets the requirements for such a formal declaration. A famine declaration requires evidence that certain prescribed criteria on mortality rates, insecurity and other metrics have been met. It doesn't trigger any legal response, but can galvanize will in the international community to rush help to those in need. Sudan's army which has been at war with the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary faction since April 2023 has prevented a lot of the data collection that would be required for a famine declaration, charity workers in the country have told CBS News. The worst-hit part of the country is the Darfur region, where international aid organizations have leveled allegations of genocide amid intense shelling in the city of El Fasher, which was once home to 3 million people. Residents in the region, now largely under RSF control, report hearing bombs throughout the day and night. The three hospitals in El Fasher, which has not fallen to RSF forces, have stopped functioning, and the city has little water. If RSF seizes El Fasher, the paramilitary group will control almost a third of Sudan, including its western borders with Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic and South Sudan, as well as Khartoum. The military has started encouraging young men to take up arms to fight alongside the regular army, with rumors suggesting the RSF is using forced conscription in the Darfur region to bolster its numbers. No reliable death toll in the conflict is available, but it is widely thought that tens of thousands of people have been killed. Electricity, health and telecommunications infrastructure has largely been destroyed, and the government has been forced to move out of the capital Khartoum to the coastal city of Port Sudan. The U.N. Security Council voted earlier this month to demand an immediate cease-fire in Darfur. "This council has sent a strong signal to the parties to this conflict today, that this brutal and unjust conflict needs to end," Britain's U.N. ambassador Barbara Woodward said after the vote. Aid workers who have spoken to CBS News say nothing has changed on the ground since that vote. And the U.N. has received only about 16% of the $2.6 billion it says is urgently needed to assist the Sudanese people. There was hope over the last few weeks that pressure from the U.S. and other countries could help usher in a peace deal, but all lines seem to have gone quiet in spite of the regional and global security implications, Yousif said. U.S. special envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello warned earlier this month that, without a lasting peace deal, Sudan will continue to unravel, and could spiral into a regional conflict with geopolitical implications. When Social Security mistakenly overpays benefits, you might get a bill | 60 Minutes Couple who went viral for recreating Taylor Swift's album covers give back Some states consider face mask bans after harassment incidents, protests The world's largest independent McDonald's franchise is giving lovers of the brand's iconic golden arches another reason to smile after announcing a healthier and more sustainable packaging solution. As detailed by Packaging Strategies, Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc., which operates in Latin America and the Caribbean, has adopted J&J Green Paper's "revolutionary" Janus technology to guard against greasy or soggy food packaging. The organic compound will replace a dirty fuel-based polyethylene coating that has been criticized for the worrying presence of cancer-linked PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances also commonly known as "forever chemicals." "We are pleased to take a leadership role in introducing JANUS technology into the global food and beverage industry with Arcos Dorados and a local packaging supplier," J&J Green Paper CEO Rick Bulman said in a statement published by Packaging Strategies. "We see the incorporation of viable green technologies like JANUS into that ecosystem as a pivotal step towards our shared vision of a healthy, sustainable future devoid of toxic materials." The Janus coating is fully biodegradable, as well as recyclable and compostable, providing a path toward reducing the incredible amount of toxic waste generated by the fast-food industry's excess of 500,000 restaurants worldwide, according to IBIS World. "Each day that goes by we learn more about the catastrophic effects of nanoplastics on our health. Our JANUS solution uses what otherwise would be waste to immediately combat the dangers of plastic in paper and food packaging," Bulman added, per Packaging Strategies. McDonald's has taken promising steps to contribute to a more environmentally rosy future, including by reducing dirty energy-based virgin plastics in its Happy Meal toys by nearly 50% since 2018, switching to paper-based straws in European markets, and working with its suppliers to donate food to support charitable organizations in the United States. It has also made adjustments to reduce pollution from its restaurants, businesses, and supply chains, signing on to the United Nations Race to Zero campaign along with thousands of other companies committed to eco-friendly initiatives. However, the brand's reliance on single-use packaging a problem in the fast-food industry as a whole is still a significant concern. Karma Wallet estimates the fast-food giant is responsible for around 3.3 tons of packaging waste every single minute. While it's unclear if McDonald's will eventually phase in reusable options, using your own to-go containers when possible is one way to individually reduce your contributions to single-use waste. Meanwhile, the recent announcement is a positive development in the brand's goal of adopting more circular solutions to create a healthier and cleaner tomorrow. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Worth the drive: Ohio's and Kentucky's best, most scenic waterfalls "Don't go chasing waterfalls," the group TLC advises. But how can you not? Ohio and Kentucky have so many scenic waterfalls that are worth the drive. Here's a look at some of the best, per TripAdvisor, Kentucky Tourism and more. The best waterfalls in Ohio Brandywine Falls - Cuyahoga Valley National Park. (CantonRep.com / Michael Balash) Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Carved by Brandywine Creek, the 60-foot Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park show classic geological features of waterfalls, according to the National Park Service. The falls are partially accessible by boardwalk and steps, which take visitors into the waterfall's gorge. There's also a 1.5-mile trail, the Brandywine Gorge Loop, which follows the edge of the gorge and eventually leads hikers down to creek level. Location: 8176 Brandywine Road, Northfield, OH 44067 Hayden Run Falls, Hayden Falls Park Hayden Falls Park in Dublin offers a unique ecosystem that includes a 35-foot waterfall and rare plants. (4326 Hayden Run Rd., Dublin, OH) Natural Ohio Adventures calls Hayden Run Falls "easily Central Ohio's best-known waterfall." It's a "hidden gem in the Dublin area," according to Visit Dublin Ohio. The 30-foot falls are accessible from a wooden path surrounded by trees that leads to an observation platform. Location: 4326 Hayden Run Road, Dublin, OH 43017 An overlook from the Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills on Saturday, April 20, 2019. [Maddie Schroeder/For The Dispatch] Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park Ohio Natural Adventures calls the Upper and Lower falls at Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills State Park "some of the most photographed spots in Ohio." The pair fall a total of 40 feet and are accessible using the Grandma Gatewood Trail. Location: 19852 State Route 664, Logan, OH 43138 Worth the hike: Hocking Hills hiking trail named best in the nation in USA TODAY 10Best awards Ludlow Falls The river at Ludlow Falls drops about 15 feet on one step, according to Ohio Natural Adventures, which advises people to visit in the spring, "when the waterfall has a very powerful and beautiful flow." The falls are under Route 48 in the Village of Ludlow Falls and are accessible from a trail starting at the town park. Location: 11 Greenville Ave., Ludlow Falls, OH 45339 The Great Falls of Tinkers Creek, Cleveland Metroparks Once a center of industry, evidence remains of a sawmill, grist mill and a power plant along Tinkers Creek, according to Cleveland Metroparks. The falls make a 20-foot drop along a 100-foot-wide section of the creek, according to Ohio Natural Adventures. The site advises visiting after a little rain for the best view. Otherwise, the falls shrink to about 10 feet wide. Location: Viaduct Park, 205 Willis St., Bedford, OH 44146 The best waterfalls in Kentucky According to Kentucky Tourism, the Bluegrass State is home to "some of the most breathtaking waterfalls found anywhere in the nation." Its list of 12 of the most gorgeous includes: This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: The best waterfalls in Ohio and Kentucky are worth the drive CANYON - Public education at all levels carries no greater responsibility than that of character building and the sound development of the emotional and moral resources of our youth, Joseph A. Hill wrote 75 years ago. Sunday afternoon, one of the few chapels on a campus of a public university in Texas was celebrated after a $1.5 million renovation was complete. A special tea party was held in the shade of the beautiful trees surrounding the iconic red sandstone church. Named for the universitys second president, Joseph A. Hill, the chapels first cornerstone was laid on June 9, 1950. The Joseph A. Hill Memorial Chapel has served students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community at large and hundreds of marriages have been recorded in the beautiful sanctuary. Sunday afternoon, the Joseph A. Hill Memorial Chapel was celebrated after a $1.5 million renovation was complete. A special tea party was held in the shade of the beautiful trees surrounding the iconic red sandstone church on West Texas A&M University's campus in Canyon. The first major renovations in the chapel's 74-year-history were made possible by a $1.5 million gift from the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation announced in April 2022. Exterior and interior work began in summer 2023. The gift, which did not include any new naming rights for the chapel, included $1.1 million for renovations and $400,000 to establish an endowment to provide for ongoing maintenance. It will supplement an existing endowment for the chapel set up in 2018 by Patsy Cunningham Vaughn in memory of her husband, Dr. Ronald D. Vaughn, a longtime dentist in Guymon, Oklahoma, among other cities. The couple attended WTAMU and were married in the chapel in 1959. Renovations included new exterior doors, repaired stonework and sidewalks, LED lighting, remodeling of rooms on each side of the chancel, new flooring and extensive landscaping. The chapel also will be brought into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Landscaping maintenance and fresh flowers inside the Hill Chapel year-long have been made possible by an endowment from Jim and the late Peggy Pollard, who were married there. From left, Chad Logsdon, Jim Pollard, and Julie Logsdon attended the ceremony to memorialize Peggy Pollard. Landscaping maintenance and fresh flowers inside the chapel year-long have been made possible by an endowment from Jim and the late Peggy Pollard, who were married there. Jim Pollard was at the ceremony with his daughter, Julie Logsdon, and her husband, Chad. Blake Baird and Ronna Vaughn Baird donated funding for furniture in the foyer and updating the bride and groom's rooms. Dr. Todd Raspberry, WT's vice president for philanthropy and external relations, led the ceremony by telling of the first campaign, which fell short by $7,000. There was a total of 611 gifts, with the largest one being $2,400 by Dr. & Mrs. O.H. Lloyd of Vega. The total cost at that time for the building was $45,000, to put the cost in context of todays costs. Let It always be remembered that this is a place of worship, Hill was quoted as saying at the dedication on Oct. 21, 1950. Let everyone who comes here come with an open heart as into the presence of God himself. The red sandstone facility includes stained-glass windows and still rings carillon bells daily. Students use the space for prayer, religious studies, meetings, inductions, memorials, worship services and weddings. West Texas A&M University President Dr. Walter Wendler and Julie Logsdon enjoy the inside of the Hill Chapel, brightened and renovated by donations. Logsdon is the daughter of Jim & Peggy Pollard, who dedicated funding for maintenance of landscaping and floral arrangements for the interior of the chapel on the WT campus in Canyon. Those on hand to take part in Sunday's ceremony were WT President Walter Wendler; Dr. Raspberry, who gave the welcome; Pastor Todd Hunt; Steve Dalrymple, who explained the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation; WT Student Body President Kyal Browne; Rev. Dr. Howie Batson of the First Baptist Church in Amarillo; and the Brooks family, who sang hymns to honor the occasion. Wendler was praised for this dedication to the inclusion of values and highlighting faith as a part of the educational experience. During his talk, he mentioned a letter by Hill speaking of the importance of faith in life and in the education process. In the letter, Hill said, I believe I can say with assurance that this beautiful symbol will assure the best values in education." Wendler also said, Hill recognized the values of higher education and the role values play in how and in what students learn. He recognized the value of Panhandle values, Texas values and I believe, American values. He highlighted faith as a central and true core value which should not be held at bay in public education, but acknowledged and nurtured in the educational experience. He continued to read, True education sinks its tap deep in the soil of sound spiritual values. All sound thinkers in this country agree that if this nation is to survive and fill the place of international leadership, to which destiny is calling her, the masses of her people must be grounded in moral and spiritual values. Technological intelligence must be matched by better understanding and wider application of the basic values of life. Public education at all levels carries no greater responsibility than that of character building and the sound development of the emotional and moral resources of our youth, Hill wrote. Former West Texas A&M University students, from left, Becky Hopper, Urueleby Khagn and Addie Hooper enjoy the shade while watching the ceremony of the Hill Chapel Sunday. Rev. Batson said that the big questions have not gone away, such as What is my purpose in life? He said, All universities in American must be prepared to nurture development in every area of the students life. Every freshman that will come up to this campus will need to develop intellectually, physically, emotionally and yes, spiritually. At their deepest purpose, universities are insitituions that seek to discover and teach truth. No doubt, science plays a dominant role in this search for and transmission of knowledge. At the end of the day, universities that only deal with the secular but not the spiritual cant approach lifes hardest questions. As Harvey Lewis of Harvey University reminds us, the big questions of life havent gone away. Does life have meaning? Do suffering and death have purpose? Are we more than our material lives and finally, does love really matter? These are questions that go beyond the biochemistry or engineer or mathematician, Batson said. Historians can tell us how they were answered in the past, but not in the future. Scientists are asking "can we do something," but our spiritual selves are asking "should we do something?" Batson said such questions can only be answered at the intersection of faith and learning. He said that WTAMU was fortunate to be one of the few public universities have a beautiful chapel right there on the grounds. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT Hill Chapel reopens with ceremony after $1.5M renovations complete A propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft has appeared with an impressive collection of kill marks displayed on its fuselage; seemingly confirmation of its success in having been pressed into service as a drone-killer. While we reported on a series of previous videos showing the use of Soviet-era Yak-52s to shoot down Russian drones, the latest evidence suggests that the unorthodox solution could be becoming a more important part of Ukraines multilayered air defenses. Drone kills marked on the side of the Yak-52. via X via X The same Yak-52 in a hangar, with its cockpit covered by a tarpaulin. via X Two new photos that first appeared today on Facebook, before being deleted, show a Yak-52 in a hangar, with a geometric or digital camouflage scheme, apparently tailored for low-level operations over the ground. An aircraft in this same scheme was previously seen in a video captured from the perspective of a Russian drone, as you can see here. In one of the new photos, the tally of kills is displayed below the cockpit and shows, in yellow, two ZALA 421-16E and six Orlan-10/30 series drones. The ZALA 421-16E is a flying-wing type, weighing around 20 pounds and used primarily for surveillance over the front line of the battlefield. The Orlan-10/30 series is among the most widely used Russian drones in Ukraine, the smaller Orlan-10 weighing around 35 pounds, while the larger Orlan-30 tips the scales at around 90 pounds. Its also primarily used for surveillance and targeting, being fitted with an electro-optical sensor package and laser designator. A Russian Zala 421-16E that came down somewhere in the Belgorod region of Russia. via X A Russian Orlan-10 is prepared for flight. Russian Ministry of Defense More intriguingly, there are additional marks showing single examples of the Iranian-designed Mohajer-6, with its characteristic twin-boom configuration, and another Orlan-10/30 series drone. Both are crossed through with a single red line and, below them, there are depictions of a pelican and a stylized thundercloud, respectively. There have been suggestions that the crew of the Yak-52 witnessed the destruction of these last two drones when they fell victim to the bird and a lightning strike. Its also possible that the Yak-52 survived both a bird strike and a thunderstorm, although we simply dont know for sure. What appears to be clear is the increasing adoption of Yak-52s for drone-hunting duties, especially in the south of Ukraine, far behind the front lines. So far, at least two and possibly three of the aircraft have been noted in a counter-drone role, although there remain a number of uncertainties around the details of how they actually go about their missions. It should also be noted that the Yak-52 seen in the photos today may reflect that one of the earlier examples was repainted. The scale of Russian drone activity over their country means that the Ukrainians are employing a wide range of air defense systems to counter them. Putting aside non-kinetic options such as electronic warfare, these extend all the way from mobile fire teams equipped with machine guns and searchlights to Patriot air defense systems with their long-range surface-to-air missiles. A drone-hunting mobile fire team of the 241st Independent Brigades air defense platoon on combat alert somewhere in the Kyiv region. Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine The first time we observed a Yak-52 intercepting a drone was in April of this year. The target in that footage was another Orlan, which had deployed its orange-colored landing parachute, although it was unclear if this was activated before or after the Yak-52 wearing distinctive blue and yellow wing stripes began its attack, which was seen maneuvering around the drone in tight circles. View from the cabin of Yak-52 which helped to down a Russian drone over Odesa today. https://t.co/XqkJhEn1DP https://t.co/u3PkwwZ9Cw pic.twitter.com/sOKgq7Nqbq Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) April 27, 2024 Reports so far indicate that the Yak-52 carries a gunner in the rear cockpit, who takes aim on drones using some kind of infantry weapon, likely a light machine gun. Another video, showing the Yak-52 with a digital camouflage scheme, or one painted in the same way, emerged earlier this month, the engagement being recorded by the drone that was apparently under attack. An individual could be seen in the open rear cockpit of the Yak-52, but its not possible to make out what weapon they were carrying. Ukrainian Yak-52 which is used to hunt down Russian reconnaissance UAVs over the southern Ukraine. Video from a Russian drone. https://t.co/5Ba0xy7cWM pic.twitter.com/99havoXGSf Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 8, 2024 The Yak-52 drone-killer aircraft is said to be operated by crew from Ukraines Civil Air Patrol, a civilian organization that consists mainly of amateur aviators and private aircraft owners. The needs of the conflict, and specifically the drone threat, have seen the organization field a so-called Tactical Aviation Group to destroy enemy UAVs. An earlier video of a Yak-52 apparently operated by the Tactical Aviation Group of Ukraines Civil Air Patrol: Previous videos emphasized the World War I-style nature of this kind of air combat, fought purely within visual range, likely with hand-operated rifle-caliber armament, and at very low level. What was less clear was how successful the Yak-52 has been in actually shooting down drones. In their favor, a lot of the drones of the types being intercepted operate on autopilot, with no pilot in the loop, so they are unable to maneuver away or take evasive action. As we have pointed out before, aiming a weapon by hand, using iron sights, with the slipstream of the aircraft to contend with, and two separate bodies moving three-dimensionally through the air, is hardly easy. While slow flying, the kinds of drones being intercepted are, for the most, also very small targets. As well as the challenges in actually getting into a suitable firing position, there is the wider problem of detecting the drone in the first place and vectoring the Yak-52 pilot onto it. This part of the engagement process may rely on the system of ground observers that Ukraine has implemented, driven by the drone threat, which also includes microphone and cellphone-based alert systems. The Yak-52 with a digital camouflage scheme, seen here from the perspective of a Russian drone that it was attempting to intercept. via X As for the Yak-52, it is an aerobatic platform, a feature which would be useful in certain engagements with drones, and the fact that its a popular mount for flying clubs and civilian organizations around the country should mean that these aircraft and people to fly them are available in useful numbers. Spare parts and maintenance shouldnt be a major problem, either. On the other hand, while a dedicated armed version of the Yak-52 was developed in Soviet times, the aircraft now available to Ukraine are strictly civilian in terms of their equipment. Their armament fit, at best, will be highly extemporized if not outright crude, although its possible that some kind of gun mounting and sighting system has been developed. If the kill marks seen on the Yak-52 in the recent photo all represent genuine shoot downs, this would certainly speak to the utility of the platform, at least on some level, as well as to the training that its operators have received. This is the other major burden to consider, although its reasonable to assume that there is a cadre of experienced former military aviators who are too old for Ukrainian Air Force service but can nonetheless take part in these anti-drome efforts. A pilot takes a selfie as he flies a Yak-52 over Ukraine in 2015. Dmitriy Fedorenko/Wikimedia Commons Overall, operating a light, slow-flying, agile platform like the Yak-52 could make some sense, especially in areas where Russian drones proliferate most deep behind the front lines. On the other hand, operating an aircraft like this anywhere near Russian air defense systems would be extremely unwise bearing in mind their inherent vulnerability. This kind of exigency also points to the continued need for additional and more modern ground-based air defense systems for Ukraine, to ensure more effective coverage against drones as well as missiles and aircraft can be extended over the areas its needed. Hopefully, now that the kill tally has come to light, it might be followed by more details about how these diminutive propeller aircraft are being used to tackle day-flying drones, and what their overall success rate looks like. At the very least, we now have further evidence of Ukraines willingness to successfully adapt to the demands of the drone war in particular, putting to use the equipment they have to hand as this threat continues to intensify. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com View comments After Years of Litigation, First Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Town Gets to Serve Patrick Braxton is overwhelmed with gratitude. Hes been juggling a yearslong legal battle to serve as the lawful mayor of his hometown, Newbern, Alabama. After years of harassment, his rural town enters a new chapter: Its first Black mayor will finally get to serve. Braxton will be reinstated as mayor of Newbern, according to a settlement reached on July 23 and signed by U.S. District Judge Kristi K. Dubose. After 60 years of no elections, residents will get to exercise their right to vote. The town has also pledged to hold regular municipal elections beginning in 2025. In nearly a year since Capital B was among the first to report on Braxtons fight, he has garnered support locally and nationally. On a recent morning in May, he traveled nearly three hours from his hometown to Mobile for a preliminary injunction hearing, asking the courts to demand the town hold regular elections in November. When he and his council members arrived, they were met by a busload of more than 30 residents who also traveled nearly three hours to showcase their support. In 2020, Braxton became the first Black mayor in Newbern and experienced harassment and intimidation for doing so. However, the previous majority-white town council blocked him from the post. He and his council filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against them in 2022 for conspiring to deny his civil rights and position because of his race, challenging the racially discriminatory voting and electoral practices in Newbern in the process, Capital B previously reported. Read More: A Black Man Was Elected Mayor in Rural Alabama, but the White Town Leaders Wont Let Him Serve For at least 60 years, theres been no elections in this 80% Black town of fewer than 200 people, which Braxtons attorneys argued is a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Act provides an avenue to challenge states and jurisdictions using racially discriminatory voting policies. Since 2020, when Braxton ran for mayor, he says some white residents have moved away. Though the court denied the request to hold an election in November, Braxton didnt feel defeated. In fact, he felt optimistic. I knew I was gonna be able to serve again, you know, he told Capital B in a phone call last week. Its just how long it was gonna take for us to get some kind of resolution first for this. This week, that long overdue resolution came. When he received the news that hed get reinstated, Braxton shared it with his pastor, who exclaimed, Finally. Its been a long time coming. You know if you pray, change will come. This win in Newbern is important because it shows citizens nationwide can still use the courts to be heard, despite the attacks on the Voting Rights Act, said Morenike Fajana, co-counsel on the case and senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund Inc. Its important just to highlight Mayor Braxtons tenacity, and the fact that this is a four-year battle that hes had to fight in different courts and at different levels and now finally, a court is going to say, Yes, we agree. You were wronged. And you were the mayor, Fajana told Capital B. I think that is very inspirational and important. And its also very sobering, just the amount of work that it takes and time that it takes to have your rights vindicated. Setbacks, frustration, and the will to keep fighting For the past few years, its been a heap of long nights and early mornings for Braxton, a volunteer firefighter for years. Not only was he locked out of the town hall and forced to fight fires alone, but he was also followed by a drone and denied access to the towns mail and financial accounts, he told Capital B last year. Rather than concede, Haywood Woody Stokes III, the former white mayor, and his council members reappointed themselves to their positions after ordering a special election that no one knew about. It hurt my heart because I couldnt do what I wanted to do, Braxton said. We had some plans to do some work in Newbern. It might not have been the time for us to do it. The setback didnt stop him, he said. Hes hosted several community events for the youth and the towns elders. Two months ago, he used his personal funds to feed more than 125 people at his church, First Baptist. This week, he helped plan a Fun Day Out, a type of summer reading program, at the local library. Hes also been working overtime to build a racially diverse city council amid the lawsuit. He wakes up early in the morning, knocking on doors and running down people to talk to him. In 2020, no white person seemed interested. That has changed. Braxton must submit the names of his council members to Gov. Kay Ivey for confirmation 14 days after the order; and the parties agree to hold a public town meeting at Town Hall no later than August 30 to provide information to residents about the settlement. One of those people: his ride or die Janice Quarles, a Newbern native and plaintiff who volunteered to serve on Braxtons council in 2020. Read More: How Some States Are Responding to the Worst Attack on Voting Rights in Decades The most stressful part of this journey for Quarles has been finding adequate legal representation and a listening ear to hear their concerns. It seemed as if we werent moving. It seemed to me as if we werent being heard, Quarles said. By being from such a small little town, I kind of felt like we werent getting enough attention. But eventually, we kept pushing and got into the courts. With the recent news, she is beyond elated and hopeful it will bring together the community across racial lines. We dont do a lot of integrating. We dont do too many things together. But I just feel that its gonna be a change because sometimes it has to work on both sides, Quarles said. Im just filled with joy because there always comes a time for change everywhere in every country, every state, every city. And now the time has come for us here in Newbern. While this chapter is closed, the fight is not over, Braxton said. Hes hoping his journey will inspire others. Like I told the pastor, Im not fighting for myself, Braxton said. Im fighting for all the younger generations coming up behind me. They can do the same thing and be successful in this town. You dont have to move away from your hometown just to accomplish something. We finally got the door open for me, so yall can come in. I dont want to hold this seat forever. This story has been updated. The post After Years of Litigation, First Black Mayor in Rural Alabama Town Gets to Serve appeared first on Capital B News. TAIPEI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Public opinion in Taiwan holds that the recent judicial guidelines on punishing diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists will help prevent the situation in the Taiwan Strait from worsening further. Chinese authorities on Friday issued a set of guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession, allowing the death penalty and trials in absentia in relevant cases. Based on the Anti-Secession Law, the Criminal Law, and the Criminal Procedure Law, the guidelines took effect upon release. The move has attracted great attention from a wide spectrum in Taiwan, and local people believe that the document, with teeth to enforce, will effectively deter the diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists. The Taiwan-based China Times on Monday said in an editorial that judicial actions against "Taiwan independence" statements and acts are not surprising, given the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cares nothing about the kinship among the people on the two sides of the Strait, turns a blind eye to the historical bond between the two sides that share the same culture and roots, and is frequently obstructing cross-Strait exchanges. An editorial published by Taiwan's Want Daily said the guidelines, which came after Lai Ching-te, leader of the Taiwan region, publicly advocated the "two states" theory, will prevent the situation across the Strait from sliding to an extreme one and will serve as a guarantee for cross-Strait exchanges and peaceful reunification. Liu Xing-ren, an associate professor at Chinese Culture University, noted that the mainland has zero tolerance for acts by diehard separatists seeking "Taiwan independence." Liu said the guidelines explicitly target "Taiwan independence" and have dealt a thorough and precise blow against separatist forces. Chi Hsing, with the Taiwan-based magazine The Observer, believes the guidelines are aimed at a very small number of diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists and will not affect the outlook of cross-Strait exchanges. "Taiwan residents will not worry as long as they learn about it," Chi said. Hsiao Hsu-tsen, director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, says that the mainland has drawn a clear line between "the vast majority of people in Taiwan" and "Taiwan independence" separatists, indicating that the cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges will not be interrupted. "The best way for cross-Strait peace is to return to the '1992 Consensus'," said Lai Cheng-yi, honorable chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. Yemen's Houthis say they launch attacks on 3 ships including one in Mediterranean CAIRO (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday that they used a new ballistic missile to hit the MSC Sarah V vessel in the Arabian Sea, claiming responsibility for an attack reported a day earlier. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center on Monday said the Liberian-flagged vessel was targeted by a missile in the Arabian Sea, but was not hit. It said it was likely attacked due to perceived Israeli association. Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni group's spokesperson, claimed a "accurate and direct" hit on the ship, describing the vessel as "Israeli." The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has said the crew were reported safe and that the vessel, which was sailing 246 nautical miles off Yemen's Nishtun when it was targeted, was heading to its next port of call. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, saying they are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In dozens of attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers. (Reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly, Jaidaa Taha, Adam Makary and Mohammed Ghobari; Editing by Leslie Adler and Deepa Babington) June 25 was one of the most jam-packed primary election days of the year: Democrats and Republicans in Colorado, New York, Utah and parts of South Carolina picked their party's nominees for this fall's elections. Two incumbent representatives Jamaal Bowman and Lauren Boebert who have made enemies inside and outside their own parties faced serious challengers in their primaries, but they met with different fates. Bowman lost to a more moderate Democrat, George Latimer, in what was the most expensive congressional primary in history. However, Boebert easily prevailed in her Republican primary despite running in an entirely new district. It was also a bad night for former President Donald Trump. Going into these primaries, only one candidate he had endorsed for Senate, House or governor had lost; tonight alone, three did, including his preferred candidate to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney in Utah. In addition, the fields are now set in some key congressional matchups this fall. In Colorado, Republicans avoided nominating far-right candidates who could have put normally safe red districts in play. Meanwhile, Democrats picked their fighters in two competitive New York House districts that could help them reclaim the House majority. 538 reporters and contributors broke down the election results as they came in with live updates, analysis and commentary. Read our full live blog below. Latest Developments Jun 26, 12:24 AM Thats a wrap! And with that, were calling a lid on one of the busiest primary nights of the year! Heres a recap of what went down. PHOTO: 'I Voted' stickers at a polling center inside PS 103 Hector Fontanez in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx borough of New York, June 25, 2024. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images) First, in the two highest-profile races of the night, controversial incumbents went 1-for-2: - In New Yorks 16th District, the AP has projected that Westchester County Executive George Latimer will defeat progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the Democratic primary. This race was defined largely by internal Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas conflict and the influence of pro-Israel groups, although controversies about Bowman's past behavior certainly made him more vulnerable. - In Colorados 4th District, the AP has projected that Rep. Lauren Boebert will win the GOP nomination. Boebert caused a lot of grumbling after switching districts from the 3rd, on the other side of the state, but she ultimately won easily thanks to her big fundraising advantage, Trumps endorsement and ton of name recognition. It was a bad night for Trump-endorsed candidates in competitive races, three of whom lost: - The AP has projected that Air National Guard Lt. Col. Sheri Biggs will narrowly defeat Trump-endorsed pastor Mark Burns in the Republican runoff in South Carolinas 3rd District.. - According to the AP, Jeff Crank, a conservative talk radio host, won the Republican primary in Colorados 5th District, defeating state party chair and Trump endorsee Dave Williams. -In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Utah, Rep. John Curtis defeated Trump-endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. Curtis will follow in the moderate footsteps of Sen. Mitt Romney, who is retiring from this seat. Both parties also chose their nominees for some competitive House races this fall and in general, they chose the more electable options. - The AP has projected attorney Jeff Hurd will win the Republican primary in Colorado's 3rd District. Republicans avoided nominating former state Rep. Ron Hanks, who was so conservative he risked losing this light-red seat to Democrat Adam Frisch. - The AP has projected that state Rep. Gabe Evans has won the Republican primary for Colorado's 8th District over state-party-endorsed Janak Joshi. Evans will face off in November against Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who won this district by just over 1,600 votes in 2022. - In New Yorks 1st District, former CNN anchor John Avlon won the Democratic primary against 2020 nominee Nancy Goroff. Hell face Republican Rep. Nick LaLota this fall. - In New Yorks 22nd District, the AP has projected that state Sen. John Mannion will win the Democratic primary against DeWitt Town Councilor Sarah Klee Hood. Mannion will face Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in this blue-leaning district in the general. However, conservative Republicans did score a win in one solid-red open seat: - In Utahs 3rd District, the AP has projected that state Sen. Mike Kennedy, who was endorsed by Sen. Mike Lee, will win the GOP nomination to succeed Curtis. Kennedy outpaced four other contenders, including trampoline tycoon Case Lawrence, who self-funded his bid but came in second place. Finally, a number of other incumbents also beat back notable challengers tonight: - The AP has projected that incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox will defeat state Rep. Phil Lyman in the Republican primary for Utah governor. However, Lyman, who was running to Coxs right, still took more than 40 percent of the vote. - Moderate Rep. Blake Moore also won renomination in Utahs 1st District, according to the AP, easily dispatching a more conservative challenger. - The AP has projected that Rep. Claudia Tenney will win the Republican primary in New York's 24th District over businessman Mario Fratto, who came within 14 points of unseating her in 2022. G. Elliott Morris, Monica Potts, Nathaniel Rakich, Kaleigh Rogers and Geoffrey Skelley, 538; Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor; and Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections Jun 26, 12:22 AM Its still tight in Utahs 2nd Theres only one unprojected race that were still tracking: the Republican primary in Utahs 2nd District. The AP estimates that 83 percent of the final vote has been counted there, and Maloy is clinging to a 52 percent to 48 percent lead over Jenkins. However, its getting late, so unfortunately I dont think well be sticking around for the bitter end for this one. (Its very possible we wont even get a projection tonight.) Nathaniel Rakich, 538 PHOTO: Rep. Celeste Maloy and Colby Jenkins look on during Utah's 2nd Congressional district debate, June 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (Scott G. Winterton/The Deseret News via AP, Pool) Jun 26, 12:06 AM How did women do tonight in competitive primaries? Tonight I tracked several primaries in which women had a chance to win. On the Republican side, in the runoff in South Carolinas 3rd, Biggss projected victory over the Trump-endorsed candidate should add a woman to the GOP conference in November given that districts rightward lean. In Colorados 4th, another safe red district, it was likely a woman would win we just werent sure who and Boebert ended up the winner there. However, were still waiting to see whether Maloy will ward off her challenger to prevail in Utahs 2nd. Among Democrats, nonincumbent women didnt have a remarkable night. In New Yorks 1st District, Goroff is projected to lose despite her support from the Democratic-aligned powerhouse EMILYs List. Also in New York, the AP has projected that Sarah Klee Hood will lose the primary in the 22nd. The only nonincumbent Democratic woman who prevailed tonight in a district winnable in November is probably Laura Gillen in New Yorks 4th District. Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor Jun 26, 12:02 AM Boebert mightve had more trouble against one opponent Boebert easily won the Republican primary in Colorados solidly red 4th District, making it almost certain shell successfully switch over from the more competitive 3rd District and remain in Congress after the 2024 election. However, its easy to wonder if she mightve had more trouble against one notable opponent. With 89 percent of the expected vote reporting, per the AP, Boebert has 43 percent against five other candidates, four of whom have at least 10 percent. Had one of those candidates, especially one of the better-funded or well-known contenders with long-standing local ties (such as Sonnenberg) gotten a one-on-one crack at Boebert, perhaps she would have had more trouble. Well never know, of course, and outside of states with runoffs or ranked-choice voting, a plurality win is all a candidate needs. Geoffrey Skelley, 538 Jun 25, 11:59 PM Final thought: A good night for House Republicans On the whole, House Republicans got good news tonight, especially in Colorado. Having Evans, Crank and Hurd as their nominees doesnt guarantee theyll win (maybe just the 5th District), but it substantially raises the party's chances of winning each of those seats compared to what any of their unsuccessful primary opponents' odds would have looked like. Elsewhere, GOP leadership avoided a firebrand winning a safe seat in South Carolina and can enjoy a little schadenfreude as Bowman loses in New Yorks 16th District, while Mondaire Jones gets an additional headache in the highly competitive 17th District by losing the Working Families Party primary. Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections Jun 25, 11:50 PM Final thought: Abortion may not be as big an issue in blue states this year As Mary wrote earlier, only 3 percent of New Yorkers said that abortion was a key issue in advance of these primaries, down from 11 percent last year. Abortion access is protected in the state, but Democrats were hoping to nationalize it as an issue to win key races this fall. A vote for a Republican in the House or Senate, the thinking goes, is one step closer to a national abortion ban. However, that strategy didnt work for Klee Hood, who made access to abortion a centerpiece of her campaign. She lost to Mannion, who also supports abortion rights but also supports some restrictions after 24 weeks. If that issue isnt as top of mind for New York voters, or other blue state voters, by the time November comes, that could make it harder for Democrats to gain an advantage in tighter general election races in close districts. Thats especially because voters do still care a lot about economic issues and rate Bidens handling of the economy poorly. Whether abortion will be as much of a deciding factor this year as it was in the midterms, which proved to be good for Democrats, remains one of the biggest questions of this election cycle. Monica Potts, 538 Jun 25, 11:48 PM Final thought: Outside groups can help sway a primary, but the ground needs to be fertile We've talked a lot about the many millions AIPAC spent to take down Bowman in New York's 16th District and about losing GOP candidates who faced sizable outside opposition from groups that opposed more anti-establishment Republicans in primaries. In many of these cases, these outside groups came in and spent a lot of money to oppose or support a candidate, and, unsurprisingly, that influenced the outcome! But the candidates also mattered a great deal in making outside groups' lines of attack and support count in these primaries. Bowman wasn't that strong to begin with, for instance, and he'd made headlines for many wrong reasons in recent months. Someone like Williams in Colorado had angered a lot of people in his party, making it easier for the sizable outside investment against him to work. In South Carolina, Burns had Trump's endorsement, but he also had a very controversial background that may have encouraged outside groups to invest in Biggs to beat him. Geoffrey Skelley, 538 Jun 25, 11:43 PM Final thought: Trump should stick to padding his endorsements Trump's out-of-pocket endorsements of non-incumbent, contested candidates who really didnt seem favored to win were a gamble that didnt pay off. What it did demonstrate is that a Trump endorsement, though it does carry weight in a Republican primary, is not the Midas touch he likes to pretend it is. Kaleigh Rogers, 538 Jun 25, 11:42 PM Takeaways from tonight? Only one race were watching is still unresolved (the Republican primary for Utahs 2nd District), so its time for some final thoughts. What big-picture takeaways do folks have from tonights results? Nathaniel Rakich, 538 Jun 25, 11:32 PM Kennedy wins Utahs 3rd The AP projects that state Sen. Mike Kennedy will win the GOP nomination in Utahs 3rd District, which is currently held by Curtis. Kennedy leads the field with 36 percent, with 72 percent of the expected vote counted. Trampoline tycoon Case Lawrence is set to finish in second with 23 percent. Kennedy, a physician who ran an underdog primary campaign for Senate against Mitt Romney in 2018, will be a shoo-in in the fall. Jacob Rubashkin, Inside Elections Click here to read the rest of the blog. Fernando Hermida drives to Orlando, Florida, to attend a medical appointment for HIV care on May 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld) Policy, politics and progressive commentary CHARLOTTE, N.C. Four months after seeking asylum in the U.S., Fernando Hermida began coughing and feeling tired. He thought it was a cold. Then sores appeared in his groin and he would soak his bed with sweat. He took a test. On New Years Day 2022, at age 31, Hermida learned he had HIV. I thought I was going to die, he said, recalling how a chill washed over him as he reviewed his results. He struggled to navigate a new, convoluted health care system. Through an HIV organization he found online, he received a list of medical providers to call in Washington, D.C., where he was at the time, but they didnt return his calls for weeks. Hermida, who speaks only Spanish, didnt know where to turn. By the time of Hermidas diagnosis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was about three years into a federal initiative to end the nations HIV epidemic by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars annually into certain states, counties, and U.S. territories with the highest infection rates. The goal was to reach the estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV, including some who dont know they have the disease. Overall, estimated new HIV infection rates declined 23% from 2012 to 2022. But a KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found the rate has not fallen for Latinos as much as it has for other racial and ethnic groups. While African Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates in the United States overall, Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among gay and bisexual men in 2022, per the most recent data available, compared with other racial and ethnic groups. Latinos, who make up about 19% of the U.S. population, accounted for about 33% of new HIV infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The analysis found Latinos are experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and diagnoses across the U.S., with diagnosis rates highest in the Southeast. Public health officials in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and Shelby County, Tennessee, where data shows diagnosis rates have gone up among Latinos, told KFF Health News and the AP that they either dont have specific plans to address HIV in this population or that plans are still in the works. Even in well-resourced places like San Francisco, California, HIV diagnosis rates grew among Latinos in the last few years while falling among other racial and ethnic groups despite the countys goals to reduce infections among Latinos. HIV disparities are not inevitable, Robyn Neblett Fanfair, director of the CDCs Division of HIV Prevention, said in a statement. She noted the systemic, cultural, and economic inequities such as racism, language differences, and medical mistrust. And though the CDC provides some funds for minority groups, Latino health policy advocates want HHS to declare a public health emergency in hopes of directing more money to Latino communities, saying current efforts arent enough. Our invisibility is no longer tolerable, said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Lost Without an Interpreter Hermida suspects he contracted the virus while he was in an open relationship with a male partner before he came to the U.S. In late January 2022, months after his symptoms started, he went to a clinic in New York City that a friend had helped him find to finally get treatment for HIV. Too sick to care for himself alone, Hermida eventually moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to be closer to family and in hopes of receiving more consistent health care. He enrolled in an Amity Medical Group clinic that receives funding from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a federal safety-net plan that serves over half of those in the nation diagnosed with HIV, regardless of their citizenship status. His HIV became undetectable after he was connected with case managers. But over time, communication with the clinic grew less frequent, he said, and he didnt get regular interpretation help during visits with his English-speaking doctor. An Amity Medical Group representative confirmed Hermida was a client but didnt answer questions about his experience at the clinic. Hermida said he had a hard time filling out paperwork to stay enrolled in the Ryan White program, and when his eligibility expired in September 2023, he couldnt get his medication. He left the clinic and enrolled in a health plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But Hermida didnt realize the insurer required him to pay for a share of his HIV treatment. In January, the Lyft driver received a $1,275 bill for his antiretroviral the equivalent of 120 rides, he said. He paid the bill with a coupon he found online. In April, he got a second bill he couldnt afford. For two weeks, he stopped taking the medication that keeps the virus undetectable and intransmissible. Estoy que colapso, he said. Im falling apart. Tengo que vivir para pagar la medicacion. I have to live to pay for my medication. One way to prevent HIV is preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which is regularly taken to reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex or intravenous drug use. It was approved by the federal government in 2012 but the uptake has not been even across racial and ethnic groups: CDC data show much lower rates of PrEP coverage among Latinos than among white Americans. Epidemiologists say high PrEP use and consistent access to treatment are necessary to build community-level resistance. Carlos Saldana, an infectious disease specialist and former medical adviser for Georgias health department, helped identify five clusters of rapid HIV transmission involving about 40 gay Latinos and men who have sex with men from February 2021 to June 2022. Many people in the cluster told researchers they had not taken PrEP and struggled to understand the health care system. They experienced other barriers, too, Saldana said, including lack of transportation and fear of deportation if they sought treatment. Latino health policy advocates want the federal government to redistribute funding for HIV prevention, including testing and access to PrEP. Of the nearly $30 billion in federal money that went toward things like HIV health care services, treatment, and prevention in 2022, only 4% went to prevention, according to a KFF analysis. They suggest more money could help reach Latino communities through efforts like faith-based outreach at churches, testing at clubs on Latin nights, and training bilingual HIV testers. Latino Rates Going Up Congress has appropriated $2.3 billion over five years to the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and jurisdictions that get the money are to invest 25% of it in community-based organizations. But the initiative lacks requirements to target any particular groups, including Latinos, leaving it up to the cities, counties, and states to come up with specific strategies. In 34 of the 57 areas getting the money, cases are going the wrong way: Diagnosis rates among Latinos increased from 2019 to 2022 while declining for other racial and ethnic groups, the KFF Health News-AP analysis found. Starting Aug. 1, state and local health departments will have to provide annual spending reports on funding in places that account for 30% or more of HIV diagnoses, the CDC said. Previously, it had been required for only a small number of states. In some states and counties, initiative funding has not been enough to cover the needs of Latinos. South Carolina, which saw rates nearly double for Latinos from 2012 to 2022, hasn't expanded HIV mobile testing in rural areas, where the need is high among Latinos, said Tony Price, HIV program manager in the state health department. South Carolina can pay for only four community health workers focused on HIV outreach and not all of them are bilingual. In Shelby County, Tennessee, home to Memphis, the Latino HIV diagnosis rate rose 86% from 2012 to 2022. The health department said it got $2 million in initiative funding in 2023 and while the county plan acknowledges that Latinos are a target group, department director Michelle Taylor said: There are no specific campaigns just among Latino people. Up to now, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, didnt include specific targets to address HIV in the Latino population where rates of new diagnoses more than doubled in a decade but fell slightly among other racial and ethnic groups. The health department has used funding for bilingual marketing campaigns and awareness about PrEP. Moving for Medicine When it was time to pack up and move to Hermidas third city in two years, his fiance, who is taking PrEP, suggested seeking care in Orlando, Florida. The couple, who were friends in high school in Venezuela, had some family and friends in Florida, and they had heard about Pineapple Healthcare, a nonprofit primary care clinic dedicated to supporting Latinos living with HIV. The clinic is housed in a medical office south of downtown Orlando. Inside, the mostly Latino staff is dressed in pineapple-print turquoise shirts, and Spanish, not English, is most commonly heard in appointment rooms and hallways. At the core of it, if the organization is not led by and for people of color, then we're just an afterthought, said Andres Acosta Ardila, the community outreach director at Pineapple Healthcare, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2013. Te mudaste reciente, ya por fin? asked nurse practitioner Eliza Otero. Did you finally move? She started treating Hermida while he still lived in Charlotte. Hace un mes que no nos vemos. Its been a month since we last saw each other. They still need to work on lowering his cholesterol and blood pressure, she told him. Though his viral load remains high, Otero said it should improve with regular, consistent care. Pineapple Healthcare, which doesnt receive initiative money, offers full-scope primary care to mostly Latino males. Hermida gets his HIV medication at no cost there because the clinic is part of a federal drug discount program. The clinic is in many ways an oasis. The new diagnosis rate for Latinos in Orange County, Florida, which includes Orlando, rose by about a third from 2012 through 2022, while dropping by a third for others. Florida has the third-largest Latino population in the U.S., and had the seventh-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among Latinos in the nation in 2022. Hermida, whose asylum case is pending, never imagined getting medication would be so difficult, he said during the 500-mile drive from North Carolina to Florida. After hotel rooms, jobs lost, and family goodbyes, he is hopeful his search for consistent HIV treatment which has come to define his life the past two years can finally come to an end. Soy un nomada a la fuerza, pero bueno, como me comenta mi prometido y mis familiares, yo tengo que estar donde me den buenos servicios medicos, he said. I'm forced to be a nomad, but like my family and my fiance say, I have to be where I can get good medical services. Thats the priority, he said. Esa es la prioridad ahora." KFF Health News and The Associated Press analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the number of new HIV diagnoses and infections among Americans ages 13 and older at the local, state, and national levels. This story primarily uses incidence rate data estimates of new infections at the national level and diagnosis rate data at the state and county level. Bose reported from Orlando, Florida. Reese reported from Sacramento, California. AP video journalist Laura Bargfeld contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is responsible for all content. This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. The post Young gay Latinos see rising share of new HIV cases, leading to call for targeted funding appeared first on Nevada Current. A screenshot of the homepage of the Virginia Permit Transparency website, which went live Friday, June 21, 2024. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the expansion of an online platform to give the public more information on the status of permits across several agencies, a process that started with the states environmental protection agency. The Virginia Permit Transparency website went public Friday, giving an increased view of permit reviews for six state agencies: the Department of Environmental Quality; the Virginia Marine Resources Commission; the Department of Energy; the Department of Health; the Department of Transportation; and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Youngkin, in a release, said the website reaffirms our ongoing commitment to enhancing government transparency and ensuring it serves all Virginians effectively. The website, called VPT for short, is a continuation of the Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform, known as PEEP, used by DEQ. PEEP was created after DEQ Director Michael Rolband, a former privately-employed stormwater professional, wanted a platform so the public could keep tabs on permit requests. Prior to 2022, when Rolband joined DEQ, it took the agency an average of 339 days to process a permit. Once we get an alert that an application has come in [via DEQs website], or somebody submits it the old fashioned way the entire process from receipt of application, to issuance of a final permit, should not be more than 255 days, said Eric Seavey, water withdrawal permitting manager with DEQ. Seavey noted the timeframe on Monday during a PEEP presentation, at a meeting with the states workgroup to oversee groundwater management in the eastern portion of the state. On VPTs site, members of the public can search for permit applications by the agency reviewing them, their assigned numbers, the locality theyre proposed in and more. Clicking on a permit reveals a timeline of when the application was submitted, how long a step in the review process like a site visit may take, and when the whole thing is expected to be completed. The types of permits currently on the website include requests for habitat management with the VMRC, Comcasts undergrounding of utility lines with VDOT and construction of onsite sewage with VDH. VPT is a game changer for Virginia businesses and citizens as well as state agencies, said Reeve Bull, director of the Office of Regulatory Management, in the statement. The VPT website falls under the purview of the Office of Regulatory Management, created by Youngkin, who also proposed reducing regulatory requirements by 25%. In instances of certifications for professional geologists, wetland delineators and cosmetologists, members of those fields have raised concerns over losing the integrity of the programs by removing qualifications from state code. The post Youngkin unveils new permit transparency website appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked a top commander accused of killing more Ukrainians than any Russian general. The Ukrainian president said he was replacing Lt-Gen Yurii Sodol as the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces, in his nightly address to the nation late on Monday. The dismissal came after Bohdan Krotevych, chief of staff of the Azov brigade, called for an investigation into the commanders poor leadership in a withering letter to Ukraines State Bureau of Investigation. I wrote a letter to the SBI calling for an investigation into one military general who, in my opinion, killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general, Mr Krotevych later wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Sometimes I think the world sends us scumbags to rally us. And all the military now understand what kind of person Im talking about, because 99 per cent of the military hate him for what he does, he added, without naming Lt-Gen Sodol. Ukrainian howitzer gunners fire at Russian front-line positions in Donetsk - EVGENIY MALOLETKA/AP Mariana Bezuhla, a member of the Ukrainian parliaments defence committee, subsequently claimed the Azov chief was referring to Lt-Gen Sodol in a social media post. Mr Zelensky did not outline why he had decided to replace the spurned military leader. The Ukrainian leader only announced that he had replaced Lt-Gen Sodol with Brig-Gen Andrii Hnatov. Lt-Gen Sodol was previously the commander of Ukraines marines before earning his most recent promotion in February, as part of a wider shake-up of the military command structures. He had been accused of ordering suicide missions by anonymous marines sent across the Dnipro River into Russian-occupied territory. His dismissal is a sign of the struggles to maintain military unity faced by Mr Zelensky following the sacking of General Valery Zaluzhny as the commander-in-chief of his armed forces. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Zelensky says he's sure Ukraine will become EU member as accession talks kick off President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 25 he was confident that Ukraine would become a full member of the European Union. The first intergovernmental conference on Ukraine's accession was held in Luxembourg on 25 June, marking the official beginning of accession negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine. The launch of the talks follows an agreement by EU ambassadors last week. Officials in Kyiv and Brussels had been pushing for the June starting date before Hungary takes over from Belgium as the EU chair the following month. "As of today, we have full confidence Ukraine will definitely become a full member of the European Union," Zelensky said in his evening address. "Now, the focus is on the technical work between Ukraine and the EU, adapting our system to the EU, and Europe's political will to make the European project truly complete." Intergovernmental conferences are the format in which Ukraine and representatives of all EU countries will work on parts of the future accession agreement, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Ukraine should continue working on reforms to strengthen the rule of law and the protection of human rights, focusing on judicial reform, the fight against corruption, and the protection of ethnic minorities, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said at the conference. "According to the approved negotiating framework, we will go through all the sections of our relations and reach an agreement on each of them," Shmyhal said. Ukraine received EU candidate status in June 2022. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council agreed on it a month later. The commission then presented the negotiation framework and said the two countries were ready to begin the talks by the end of June. Despite the agreement, Ukraine's entry into the EU most likely remains years away. Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said last month that Kyiv could join the bloc in 2030. Read also: Alexander Query - The Kyiv Independent Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree implementing the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) dated 24 June 2024 to extend sanctions against Ukrainian businessmen Dmytro Firtash and Pavlo Fuks, as well as several Russian oligarchs, for 10 years. Source: decree no. 376/2024 Quote: "To implement the decision by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine On the Application, Revocation and Amendment of Personal Special Economic and Other Restrictive Measures (Sanctions) dated 24 June 2024." Details: The NSDC decision specified that the proposals regarding the application, revocation and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) had been submitted by the Security Service of Ukraine. The decision also stated that sanctions are imposed on both individuals and legal entities. The list of individuals included 390 people. Among them are Dmytro Firtash and Pavlo Fuks. The list of legal entities includes 366 companies. Background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree in 2021 implementing the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine dated 18 June to impose sanctions against 540 companies and 538 individuals for a period of three years and indefinitely. Support UP or become our patron! Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Summer savings are alive and well at Amazon ahead of the mega retailer's Prime Day sale happening on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17. To prepare for the popular discount extravaganza, we recommend checking out early Prime Day tech deals this week. If you're in the market to upgrade your wearable devices or need to replace any outdated tech, Amazon has you covered. 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Read Our Review BUY NOW (20% off) Save $50 at Amazon Product image of Apple Magic Keyboard Apple Magic Keyboard $249.99 Save $49 on a top-of-the-line Apple keyboard. Read Our Review BUY NOW (16% off) Save $50 at Amazon When is Prime Day 2024? The Amazon Prime Day dates are set for Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17. What are our favorite tech brands to shop? We've tested a lot of tech in our day. Apple is often a favorite of ours, as its simple but useful innovations are perfect for working from home, making calls, surfing the web, listening to music, and so much more. Apple AirPods, Pencils, keyboards, and more are all on sale at Amazon ahead of Prime Day 2024. If you're shopping for Amazon devices, we've found plenty of Alexa-enabled early Prime Day deals on the newest Echo Spot smart speaker, Kindle e-readers, and more. Do I need an Amazon Prime membership to shop Amazon Prime Day deals? Technically, no. But if you want to make the most out of Prime Day, yes. 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The breakthrough is a "high-ionic" electrolyte for lithium-ion power packs, according to a press release from the Japan-based team. Electrolyte is the substance that lithium ions travel through in common batteries. The ions move between the anode and cathode as the power pack operates. Asahi isn't new to working with the substance. The tech outfit has been studying high-ionic versions since 2010. As part of the research, acetonitrile was identified as a "promising ingredient" for lithium-ion electrolyte. Acetonitrile is a fairly dangerous substance, per the Michigan Department of Community Health. But when tucked safely inside battery chemistry with cylindrical cells, it helps power packs to operate at reduced size with strong power release "contributing to higher battery energy density and lower overall pack cost," according to Asahi. The battery uses fewer cells and "enhanced electrode thickness" to help achieve its solid performance. "This proof of concept is a technological breakthrough," Kazuya Noda, company senior general manager of innovation strategy, said in the statement. The big win could be the wide temperature range at which the prototype tested well. The cells showed high power at minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and double the cycle life and durability at 140 degrees Fahrenheit before reaching a state of health of 80%. The state of health measurement gauges battery degradation. Battery innovations are happening at labs around the world. Experts are pursuing materials for pack chemistry that are cheap, efficient, and reliable. Providing hundreds of miles of range on a minutes-long charge is also a key target for many programs. If achieved, the science could lower the cost of EVs. Mainstay brands like Nissan are already planning for cheaper production in the coming years. What's more, data collector Cox Automotive expects 2024 to be the best year on record for U.S. EV sales. Buying an EV can already result in about $1,500 a year in gas and maintenance savings while also eliminating 10,000 pounds of planet-warming air pollution if it replaces a gas guzzler. The switchover's impact which can be amplified by simply riding a bike or walking a little more for short trips can improve the air for everyone. Popular Science reported that vehicle exhaust "is responsible for four million new cases of childhood asthma each year." If successful, Asahi's better battery electrolyte could help the cause by providing lower-cost power packs with high performance. The team plans to have their mix ready for commercialization in 2025. "By licensing the electrolyte technology to (battery) manufacturers worldwide, Asahi Kasei aims to contribute to lower cost and more compact battery systems, which are a key driver to achieve a more sustainable society," Noda said in the press release. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet. Samsung fans, its time to start getting excited. Why? Because we finally have the official date for Samsungs next Galaxy Unpacked event. If youve been following Samsung rumors over the last few weeks, it wont come as any surprise at all. Samsung has confirmed that this summers Galaxy Unpacked is happening on Wednesday, July 10, in Paris. This is a bit earlier in the year than Samsung typically holds its summer Unpacked (last years happened on July 26). Describing this years Paris setting, Samsung says it is where historic and iconic culture meet to inspire all those who visit, creating the ultimate backdrop for the rollout of Samsungs latest innovations. Unpacked officially kicks off at 9 a.m. ET /6 a.m. PT on July 10 or 3 p.m. Paris time. If you arent attending in person, Samsung will be live-streaming the event on its website and YouTube channel for everyone to see. The event teaser hints at a folding phone with Samsungs Galaxy AI logo, giving us a pretty good idea of what to expect. Samsung As the rumors have suggested for months, were expecting a lot from next months Unpacked. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 will likely be the two smartphone announcements. There have been murmurs of a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, but its unclear if thats still happening. Well also likely see the Galaxy Watch 7, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and the Galaxy Ring. Its possible Samsung will introduce a new series of Galaxy S10 tablets, but that one is more uncertain. The Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are expected to be minor upgrades over their predecessors, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Galaxy Watch 7 also appears to be a tame release. The Galaxy Watch Ultra should be a lot more interesting, as itll be the first Galaxy Watch with the Ultra moniker. And, of course, a full release for Samsungs first smart ring is worth looking forward to. In typical Samsung fashion, todays Unpacked announcement is accompanied by a new Reserve offer. Starting today, June 25, at 7 p.m. ET and going through July 10, you can reserve one of the upcoming Galaxy devices to receive an instant $50 discount and an offer to save up to $1,500 when you place your preorder next month. Samsungs Reserve program simply requires you to enter your email address with no money down, so if youre even slightly interested in whats coming from Unpacked next month, you might as well take advantage of it. Well have a lot more coverage about Unpacked soon, so stay tuned. An aerial drone photo taken on June 15, 2024 shows a view of the Tianshui River in the Changtang National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Tianshui River is an important migratory passage for pregnant Tibetan antelopes in the Changtang National Nature Reserve. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) LHASA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- In a short video made last summer, Kalzang Lhundrup fed three lost baby Tibetan antelopes with a milk bottle. The tiny creatures huddled closely together, their black noses glistening. "Those little ones successfully returned to nature last November," said Kalzang Lhundrup, head of the Norbu Yugyel wildlife conservation station in Nyima County, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China. His phone was filled with photos taken during work: a small Tibetan antelope eating tsampa (a traditional Tibetan staple made from barley flour) from his hand, a recovering wolf lying beside him, a large brown bear he and his colleagues had rescued... The stories behind the photos all trace back to Norbu Yugyel, once the guardian of countless creatures on the plateau and a hero to Kalzang Lhundrup. Norbu Yugyel, formerly a police officer at the local forest public security police station, sacrificed his life while apprehending poachers in Changtang National Nature Reserve in 2002. The reserve, home to 10 national first-level protected wild animals and 21 national second-level protected wild animals, covers a total area of 298,000 square kilometers. The station bears his name and guards a critical access point into the sparsely populated area with an average altitude exceeding 4,600 meters. There are 14 conservation officers at the station. A pregnant Tibetan antelope licks herself to ease off the discomfort before parturition in Changtang National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan) "I have known about Norbu Yugyel since childhood," Kalzang Lhundrup said. "In the 1990s, he caught many poachers and confiscated hundreds of Tibetan antelope pelts." Records show that within 20 days before Norbu Yugyel's death, he patrolled over 3,000 km. For years, Kalzang Lhundrup and his colleagues have bravely endured extreme weather conditions, scarce supplies, a complete absence of phone and internet signal, and the arduous, lengthy patrol "road" as there are no ready-paved roads for the patrol. Without signals and roads, their convoy relied on memory, tire tracks from previous patrols, and the uniquely shaped mountains served as their guideposts. "Several bursts of snow can fall in a single day, even during summer, and we have to wait for the snow to stop before we can proceed," said Kalzang Lhundrup. Gagya Darmang, a conservation officer at the station, recalled that a one-way journey to "sweet water bay," where Tibetan antelopes give birth every June, took three days on horseback in the past. Today, it only takes five hours by car. Back then, without laptops or smartphones, they could only roughly estimate that around 10,000 pregnant Tibetan antelopes migrated to "sweet water" to give birth. "The number of Tibetan antelopes giving birth here this year has exceeded 100,000," said Gagya Darmang. A ranger comforts an injured Tibetan antelope in Changtang National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, June 14, 2024. Not far from a wildlife protection camp deep in the reserve, a wolf attacked a pregnant Tibetan antelope among a migrating herd, leaving wounds in her stomach and neck. (Photo by Tenzing/Xinhua) The conservation station welcomed a new member -- Pema Drakpa, the son of Gagya Darmang. Under the influence of his father and predecessors, Pema Drakpa joined the wildlife conservation cause. "Since I was a child, I have followed my father to patrol in the reserve, and I can understand the deep feeling he has for this land," Pema Drakpa said. Above their work, the central and regional governments have also approved and implemented the plan and the law on ecological protection on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau over recent years. Official figures show that the population of Tibetan antelopes in the region had grown to over 300,000 as of 2023. You are the owner of this article. Just a few of the 51 works of art included in "MAD STUDIO," MadArt's final exhibition. Mural by Nikita Ares, sculpture by Zack Bent, drawing by Gala Bent and wall hanging by Julia Haack. (James Harnois / Courtesy MadArt) BRUSSELS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will officially open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in Luxembourg on Tuesday. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, described the negotiations as the "threshold of a significant and transformative moment" for both the EU and the two countries. "The path ahead will be challenging but full of opportunities," von der Leyen said on the social media platform X. Moldovan President Maia Sandu expressed optimism about the future by saying on X, "Our future is within the European family." Janos Boka, Hungary's minister for EU affairs, offered a cautious note. Speaking to reporters at the doorstep of the General Affairs Council meeting, Boka commented on the progress of Ukraine's accession efforts, "It's very difficult to say at what stage Ukraine is. From what I see here as we speak, they are very far from meeting the accession criteria." Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, while Ukraine applied in February of the same year. Both countries were granted candidate status in June 2022. In December last year, EU leaders agreed to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova. PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Lancang-Mekong Cambodia TCM Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Cultural Exchange was launched here on Tuesday. Located within the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh, the center is aimed at promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and countries along the Belt and Road. "This center was established to promote the culture of traditional Chinese medicine so that our people will better understand the efficacy of TCM treatment," Tan Sokun, director of the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital, told Xinhua after the ceremony. "Cambodian patients are confident in the effectiveness of TCM diagnosis and treatment," he said. "The combination of TCM and modern medicine has made treatment more efficacious." Sokun said China has sent its TCM medical aid team to help Cambodia fight COVID-19 pandemic at the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital since March 2022. So far, two batches of the TCM medical aid team have completed their missions in Cambodia, providing free medical checkup and treatment, and organizing short-term training courses on TCM for hundreds of local medical practitioners. "TCM has gained its popularity in Cambodia, thanks to its efficacy in treating a number of diseases," he said. "It's just over two years, more than 20,000 Cambodian people have received TCM treatment." TCM consists of therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and Tuina remedial massage. It has been used to diagnose, cure and prevent illness effectively. "Its significance is to promote the culture of traditional Chinese medicine in Cambodia, countries along the Belt and Road," Liu Zhen, president of Guang' anmen Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine told Xinhua. The center will serve Cambodian people in TCM diagnosis, treatment, education, and scientific research, he said, adding that the center will make great contributions to the improvement of Cambodia's medical level. Prior to the center's launching ceremony, a symposium between the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital and China's Guang'anmen Hospital was held, reviewing past achievements and setting action plans for future cooperation. The 2024 Jawa 350 has received notable updates, just months after its initial launch in India. These updates include the introduction of a new alloy wheel variant and four new colour options. Responding to customer feedback, Jawa has introduced alloy wheels with tubeless tyres for the Jawa 350. Priced at an additional Rs 10,000, this upgrade simplifies puncture repairs. Unlike wire-spoke wheels with tube-type tyres, which require unmounting the tyre and removing the tube to fix a puncture, tubeless tyres can be more easily repaired, saving time and effort. For those who prioritize aesthetics, the traditional wire-spoke wheels are still available. New Colour Options Jawa has expanded its colour palette for the Jawa 350. The new solid colours include Obsidian Black, Grey, and Deep Forest. Additionally, the Chrome series has been updated with a new White colour, which joins the existing Maroon, Black, and Mystique Orange options. Powertrain The Jawa 350 remains mechanically unchanged. It continues to be powered by a 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, producing 22bhp and 28.2Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox. Chassis and Suspension The bike features a dual-cradle chassis, supported by a telescopic front fork and a five-step preload-adjustable dual shock absorbers at the rear. For braking, it is equipped with a 280mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc, both with dual-channel ABS. The starting price for the Jawa 350 is Rs 1.99 lakh, ex-showroom, with the Chrome series starting at Rs 2.14 lakh. The addition of alloy wheels is priced at Rs 10,000 extra. An Air India London-bound flight received a bomb threat in the early hours of Tuesday, causing alarm at Cochin International Airport. The Air India call centre in Mumbai received the threat in the early hours of Tuesday for flight AI-149, scheduled to fly from Cochin (COK) to London Gatwick (LGW). According to officials, the alert was promptly communicated to Air India in Cochin and Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) at 01:22 hours. Following established protocols, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened at CIAL. The threat was assessed and declared specific.This prompted a thorough security check by the Airport Security Group (ASG-CISF), airline security personnel, and inline baggage screening systems, with officials trying to identify the caller who reported the threat to the Mumbai call centre.Investigations revealed that the call was made by Suhaib (29), a native of Kondotty Malappuram, who was scheduled to travel to London on AI-149.Suhaib, along with his wife and daughter, was intercepted by ASG at Cochin Airport's international departure terminal during check-in, and was later handed over to the police for further questioning and action, said officials.Following recommendations from the Cochin Airport BTAC, the aircraft was moved to an isolated parking point, and comprehensive security measures were undertaken.The aircraft was thoroughly checked and subsequently cleared for flight. The check-in process for AI-149 was completed by 10:30 am. The boarding procedure for 215 passengers was to start soon and the flight was expected to depart at 11:50 am. Passengers faced a mid air scare when a Korean Air plane experienced a dramatic drop of over 25,000 feet within 15 minutes. According to the reports, this sudden drop was due to a pressurization system malfunction which led to an emergency landing. The incident occurred on June 22, 2024, during flight KE189 from Seoul's Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan. Approximately 50 minutes into the flight, while the aircraft was over Jeju Island, the Boeing 737 Max 8 encountered an issue with its pressure control system, which caused a rapid descent of about 26,900 feet. As the aircraft plummeted, oxygen masks were automatically deployed, causing alarm among passengers. Reports indicate that many experienced hyperventilation, ear pain, and nosebleeds due to the sudden change in cabin pressure. Medical Evaluation Upon the flights emergency landing in Taiwan's Taichung, 17 individuals were taken to medical facilities for evaluation. Fortunately, all were discharged without severe injuries, though they had experienced significant discomfort and anxiety during the ordeal. Korean Air's Response In response to the incident, Korean Air issued an apology to those affected. The airline assured passengers that it is fully cooperating with relevant authorities to investigate the malfunction. A spokesperson for Korean Air emphasized that the airline is thoroughly examining the pressurization system issue and is committed to addressing any maintenance concerns before the aircraft returns to service. Impacted passengers were provided with support, including accommodations, meals, and alternative travel arrangements. Korean Air is conducting a detailed investigation into the pressurization system malfunction. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday put a stay on trial court order that granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam. The Aam Aadmi Party chief will continue to stay in jail. In his written submission filed on Monday, the AAP leader defended the bail order, claiming that releasing him at this stage would cause no prejudice to the ED because he could be returned to custody if the high court later decides to overturn the order. Staying the operation of "the well-reasoned bail order" would essentially allow the petition to cancel the bail, Kejriwal argued. The AAP national convenor, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, could have escaped Tihar jail if the high court had not granted the central anti-money laundering agency interim relief. On June 20, the trial court granted Kejriwal bail and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, with certain conditions, including that he not attempt to obstruct the investigation or influence witnesses. The ED claims that the trial court's decision was "perverse," "one-sided," and "wrong-sided," and that the findings were based on irrelevant facts. Judge Niyay Bindu, who was sitting as a vacationing special judge on June 20, granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case on the grounds that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not provided direct evidence connecting him to the proceeds of crime. The parties were requested to submit written arguments by June 24 after the high court on June 21 postponed the enforcement of the bail order until after it made a decision regarding the stay. In opposition to the imterim stay on his bail, Kejriwal has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. His plea hearing was scheduled for June 26 by the Supreme Court on Monday. The court expressed deferred the hearing until High Court issues its ruling on the matter. Lok Sabha Speaker Election: Kota MP Om Birla, who previously served as Lok Sabha Speaker of the previous House, submitted his nomination as an NDA candidate on Tuesday. Birla's name was unanimously agreed upon by all NDA parties, and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh also sought the opposition's support. The INDIA bloc fielded Congress leader K Suresh as its candidate for the Speaker's position against Om Birla, accusing the ruling NDA of failing to follow convention in handing over the Dy speaker position to the opposition. Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK's T R Baalu walked out of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office, refusing to endorse NDA candidate Birla unless they were offered the position of Deputy Speaker. Venugopal stated that the BJP refused to commit to offering the Deputy Speaker position to the opposition. Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Lalan Singh accused the Congress of imposing conditions, adding that the ruling alliance was willing to discuss their demand when the election for Deputy Speaker took place. According to sources, over ten sets of nominations were filed in support of Birla's candidature, including those from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh, and Nadda, as well as BJP allies such as the TDP, JD(U), JD(S), and LJP(R). Three nominations were submitted in support of Suresh, a Dalit leader and eight-term MP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had clarified on Tuesday that the INDIA bloc will only support the government's nomination if the opposition is given the deputy speaker's position. He also said that Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh had yet to respond to the opposition's request for the post of deputy speaker. Gandhi also accused the BJP of insulting Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. While speaking to reporters outside the Parliament house, Gandhi said, "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the Govt constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the Speaker but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition." #WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the Govt constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire pic.twitter.com/yR5CzlagEx June 25, 2024 "Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted...," he said. Here are the live updates on Lok Sabha speaker's election: 01:00 pm: "There is a convention in Lok Sabha... the Speaker will be of the ruling party and the deputy Speaker will be of the opposition. They denied us in the last two terms of the Lok Sabha, saying that you are not the recognised opposition. Now, we are recognised opposition. Deputy Speaker post is our right, but they are not ready to give us. We were waiting for their reply, but they didn't and that's why we filed (our nomination for the post of Speaker)," says Congress leader K Suresh , who is opposition's candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker's position against Om Birla. 12:30 pm: Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK's T R Baalu walked out of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office, refusing to endorse NDA candidate Birla unless they were offered the position of Deputy Speaker. Venugopal stated that the BJP refused to commit to offering the Deputy Speaker position to the opposition. 12:00 pm: Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Lalan Singh accused the Congress of imposing conditions, saying the ruling alliance was willing to discuss their demand when the election for Deputy Speaker was held. After questions being raised over various institutions conducting examinations across the country, selection processes are under scrutiny. Conducting entrance or recruitment exams for a large number of candidates using new scientific processes in the computer age is itself challenging. Until the allegations against NTA regarding NEET exams are proven or deserving students get selected, not only will there be a delay, but the mental state of children will be so adversely impacted that it is impossible to fathom. Whether entrance exams or recruitment exams, if there are any allegations, there must definitely be a thorough investigation and the governments must fix responsibility. Otherwise, the courage of professional paper leakers will keep rising. It is a different matter that the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has admitted that there were irregularities in the NEET recruitment. Admitting the truth was also his duty. However, no official system has the right to play with the lives of lakhs of children. In fact, whenever any kind of entrance exam is conducted and the number of candidates runs into lakhs, every agency adopts a different method of conducting the exam. UGC has a different pattern and NTA has a different one, while at the state level, selection agencies conduct exams differently. Similarly, the exam process of State Selection Commissions or State Public Service Commissions or UPSC is also different. When everyone adopts new methods, flaws are natural to occur. It is these flaws that paper leakers are exploiting. It has been observed that the officers responsible for conducting the exams often portray most of the processes as confidential. These are limited to a few individuals, lacking transparency. This is where the possibility of irregularity arises. In Himachal Pradesh too, there was an MBBS exam scam in Himachal Pradesh University in the year 2006. NEET-like processes did not exist then. Although the paper leak was exposed in 2006, who knows since when doctors recruited through cheating have been practicing at big hospitals. It is an irony that the former accused could not be caught due to lack of evidence. It is also important to know that scams come to light only when they are caught. The doctor recruitment scam is one issue, but in recent years, Himachal Pradesh, a small state, has seen a spate of recruitment scams. From 2021 to 2022, two major scams took place the Patwari recruitment scam and the Police Constable recruitment scam. The BJP govt was in power in the state at that time. After that, the paper leak was exposed at the State Selection Commission in Hamirpur. In all these cases, more than 9 lakh youths from Himachal Pradesh had applied for various exams. All of these were Class III exams with no interviews or any other external assessment basis. When the SIT and CBI investigated, it was revealed how a large network was involved in paper leaks. Didn't the government get any hint of this? Or wasn't the exam conducting agency aware of any flaws? In any case, capable students lost their time, and several major questions arose. For instance thousands of applications were received for police constable recruitment these were the people who were supposed to catch thieves. Did the government get the police department itself to conduct their exam? The police department is not an exam conducting agency, nor is the revenue department an agency for Patwari recruitment exams. Similarly, the medical university was entrusted with doctor recruitment. As soon as one scam after another was exposed, influential people could have been held accountable, but new exams were hastily conducted, and the matter was buried. In fact, universities, education boards, or state public service commissions are institutions accustomed to conducting exams either on line or offline. Their rules of business, syllabi, or multi-layer protection mechanisms are defined. Changes are made to the rules over time. In such cases, the revenue department or the police department does not have a confidential team, facilities for question paper printing, computer-based checking etc., and they have to outsource. In such a scenario, it is highly unlikely that the officers or the government were unaware of the flaws in the exam system. The biggest joke was played on the candidates at the Hamirpur State Selection Commission three years ago . As soon as the government changed, the state vigilance caught those involved in paper leaks. Here, the question paper selling racket had been going on for who knows how long, involving the very employees who had been working in the same office for a long time. Wasn't anyone aware of this irregularity? Why didn't the authorities or the government notice it then? It was an excellent decision to dissolve the Hamirpur State Selection Commission. But the big question is why this action by the vigilance was not taken before the elections? Probably because along with the constable and Patwari scams, the issue would have become heated. In the past, bizarre cases have also surfaced where advertisements were issued to fill 300 posts, but 378 posts were filled. The action on these incidents that mock the youth and raise questions is mere lip service. Didn't it occur to the policymakers that the same individuals have been working for thirty years in confidential tasks at any recruitment agency? Where will the question papers be printed, who will print them, who will keep them in their custody, will the exam centers be the same repeatedly, what will be the parameters for printing question papers, transportation , answer keys sheets ,what is the question bank, etc.? For years, the same few people have known and done this, as happened in the Hamirpur State Selection Commission. The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission so far been spared from paper leak cases. In this commission, members and chairpersons come for a fixed tenure and have no direct connection with the secrecy. However, the officers and employees sitting in various branches here are not in the transfer cadre. There are over 100 such employees who can never be transferred and are solely responsible for exam centers. It is also an irony that in such institutions where employees have to be recruited for higher positions, their selection is directly linked to these permanent employees who are either third-grade pass or working in clerical jobs. In other words, those involved in the exam process have the lowest educational qualifications compared to the candidates appearing for those positions. Systemic flaws will not wait for a major disaster to occur. Recent examples like NEET, Hamirpur Commission, Patwari, Constable, and MBBS recruitment scams, when taken together, clearly point to the government's negligence regarding the flaws. The surprising thing is that the leaders of the very governments under which scams took place do not speak about the scams but only raise slogans of expediting recruitments, making it a political issue in every street. The Hamirpur Selection Commission scam and other scams like Patwari or Constable directly fall under the responsibility of those ruling. The story of irregularity can end with strict rules. Political parties should also block the back-door entries. In Himachal Pradesh, the previous BJP government decided to have direct recruitment of doctors in the health department, meaning they do not have to appear for an entrance exam. The medical university will directly call them and hand over the job letter, whether the student has studied from a paid seat in Ukraine or a college in China. The NEET paper leak case is not the only instance of cheating. The governments themselves will have to fix this system through strict rules, especially after the recurring scams in Himachal Pradesh. Views expressed in the article are solely writer's opinions. By Dr. Rachna Gupta (writer is Senior Journalist and Former Member, Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission). Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday cleared an ordinance to prevent question paper leaks and use of unauthorised means in exams, awarding jail term of two years to life imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1 crore. The move comes following recent incidents of question paper leak in the state police constable recruitment exam and public service commission test for review officers and assistant review officers. The ordinance was given a go ahead at a state cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Finance minister Suresh Khanna told reporters. Under the ordinance, those arrested for question paper leak would face a jail term ranging from two years up to life imprisonment, Khanna said at a press meet after the cabinet meeting. Fines of up to Rs 1 crore would also be imposed on such offenders, he added. The minister said the ordinance includes exams of state public service commission, Subordinate Service Selection Board, Uttar Pradesh Board, universities and institutions nominated by them. It will also be applicable on any kind of recruitment examinations, regularisation or promotion examinations, entrance examinations for degree-diploma certificates or educational certificates, he added. Under this ordinance, distributing fake question papers and making fake employment websites have also been marked as punishable offences, Khanna said. He said in case the examination is affected, the financial burden will be recovered from the "paper solving gang" and the institution. The service providers who commit irregularities in the examination will be permanently blacklisted and their property could also be confiscated. All the offences under the ordinance are cognizable, non-bailable and they can be heard in the sessions court. Strict provisions have also been made with regard to bail, he added. The minister also informed that since the assembly is not in session at present, an ordinance has been proposed in place of a bill. After the cabinet approves the proposal, the process of the ordinance will be completed and it will be implemented. He stated that the ordinance is being introduced in response to its urgent necessity and will be enacted under the provisions of the Constitution. The move also comes at a time when the issue of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams is raging in the country. China intensifies disaster control efforts as torrential rain leads more floods Xinhua) 08:15, June 25, 2024 BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China's flood control efforts have entered a critical phase, with 33 rivers nationwide exceeding warning levels by Monday, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. Triggered by persistent heavy downpours, 22 rivers in Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang and Guizhou have reported floods exceeding alert marks. Meanwhile, 11 rivers in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province saw above warning-line floods. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised the emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan, following the decision by the national observatory to issue red alerts for rainstorms in these areas. China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most urgent response, and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. The flood prevention situation of the Yangtze River basin becomes rather stern, as water levels in the tributaries of the Poyang Lake basin have exceeded warning levels, and the water level in the main stream of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River continued to rise, according to the Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources. Over the following 10 days, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will experience extreme heavy rainfall, potentially causing flooding in both tributaries and the main stream, according to the commission's forecast. China is sparing no efforts in combating the flooding. The local governments have decided to increase the outflow of the Three Gorges Reservoir, starting from Tuesday, in preparation for subsequent floods. One more work team will be sent to Zhejiang to assist in local flood prevention efforts, said the State's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, adding that work teams dispatched to Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan will continue their work there. China's National Meteorological Center on Monday morning renewed a red alert for rainstorms as heavy rainfall is expected in several regions of the country. From Monday to Sunday, continuous torrential rain is expected to lash parts of the regions south of the Yangtze River, the Jianghan Plain, and regions along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Reuters: The Chinese Embassy in South Korea said preliminary assessments indicate 17 Chinese nationals were killed in a fire at a lithium factory in South Korea yesterday. Is the Foreign Ministry able to provide an update on this incident? Mao Ning: Based on the information provided by the ROK side, a deadly fire broke out in a battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do on June 24, which has killed 22 people. Seventeen of them are preliminarily found to be Chinese nationals, whose identities require further verification. The fire also left eight people injured, including one Chinese national with minor injuries who has received timely treatment. The ROK side is further investigating and ascertaining the cause of the fire and the deaths and injuries it has caused. We express our deep condolences over the lives lost in the accident and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. The Chinese government is paying close attention to the fire incident and taking very seriously the serious deaths and injuries of Chinese nationals caused by the fire. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy in the ROK immediately activated the consular emergency response mechanism and fully engaged in the emergency response and handling of the aftermath. Ambassador Xing Haiming rushed to the site overnight to learn more about how the accident happened and the search and rescue effort as well as how the aftermath is being handled, and hear the briefing from competent ROK authorities. China has asked the ROK side to find the cause of the accident as soon as possible, make every effort to save and treat the injured, make proper arrangements for people affected, and assist the families of the deceased Chinese nationals. We will continue doing everything we can for the incident to be properly handled. China News Service: China announced today that President Xi Jinping will attend and deliver an important address at the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Could you share more on the commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence? Mao Ning: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Seven decades ago, Premier Zhou Enlai put forth those five principles in their entirety for the first timemutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each others internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. Over the 70 years that followed, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been widely accepted and recognized by countries across the world. They have become part and parcel of the fundamental norm governing international relations and basic principles of international law. To carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new circumstances, promote global response to the multiple crises and challenges facing the world, and answer the call for peace, development and cooperation by people across the world, China will host commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in Beijing on June 28. The commemorative events, to be held under the theme From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, will begin with a commemorative conference, followed by a luncheon and sub-forums. President Xi Jinping will attend and deliver an important address at the commemorative conference, and Premier Li Qiang will moderate the conference. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will attend and address the luncheon. Former state leaders, experts and scholars, friendly personages and representatives of the media and business communities from various countries will be invited to attend the commemorative conference and speak at the luncheon or sub-forums. We look forward to full discussions under the theme of the commemoration and hope to see solid commitment to the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and hear wisdom and input for the global response to crises and challenges and efforts to create a bright future for all. AFP: According to WikiLeaks, Julian Assange has been released from jail in the UK and reached a plea deal with the US. Whats Chinas comment on the latest development of the case? Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports. I will not comment on the specific case. The information previously revealed by WikiLeaks allowed the international community to access more facts and truth. TV Tokyo: I have two questions. The first question, yesterday in Suzhou, Japanese parent and child were stabbed in an incident. Was this incident targeted at Japanese people or random attack? Do you have any more detailed information? The second question, on the 10th of this month, three Americans were stabbed in Jilin Province. There have been two incidents in a short period of time where foreigners have been victims. Do you have any comment on this situation? Mao Ning: On the afternoon of 24 June, two Japanese nationals living in Suzhou of Jiangsu Province were attacked. One Chinese national was wounded on the scene. They were immediately taken to hospital and given timely treatment. The injuries of the two Japanese nationals are non-life threatening. The wounded Chinese national is still being rescued at the hospital. The attacker was captured on the spot. The case is under further investigation. It was a regrettable incident. As Ive learned, according to preliminary police assessment, this was an isolated incident. Further investigation is still under way. Such isolated incidents could happen in any country in the world. China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreign nationals in China like protecting our own citizens. Shenzhen TV: The China National Space Administration announced just now that the return capsule of Change-6 landed precisely at a predetermined site in Siziwang Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and is functioning normally. This marks the complete success of the Change-6 lunar mission. What is your comment on this? Mao Ning: This year marks the 20th anniversary of Chinas lunar exploration program. From Change-1 to Change-6, this program has made solid steps forward and opened a new chapter of humanitys lunar exploration. After 53 days of traveling in space since its launch into orbit on May 3, the Change-6 probe has returned with its collection from the lunar trove, completing the worlds first-ever mission of collecting samples from the far side of the moon and returning to the Earth. This is truly exciting news and we would like to extend our warmest congratulations! China stands ready to continue working with like-minded international partners to explore humanitys common domain of the outer space, realize the shared dream of people around the world to discover more about the moon, and strive to advance the worlds common endeavor of peacefully using the outer space. Reuters: Sri Lankas Foreign Minister said earlier today that the country expects to sign bilateral debt restructuring agreements with key creditors Japan and India on Wednesday. Is the Foreign Ministry able to update on where Sri Lanka stands with coming to a similar arrangement with the Export-Import Bank of China? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent Chinese authorities for specifics. More broadly, China always attaches importance to Sri Lankas debt issue and stands ready to provide assistance to Sri Lankas socioeconomic development to the best of our capability and support the country in achieving debt sustainability. AFP: The EU imposed sanctions on 19 Chinese companies saying that they supported Russias military industry system during the Ukraine crisis. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorization of the UN Security Council. We have lodged serious representations to the EU. The normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies do not target any third party and should not be disrupted or interfered with by any third party. We urge the EU to lift the sanctions and China will do what is necessary to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Folha de S.Paulo: Brazilian tariffs were mentioned by German Vice Chancellor to back up European ones. Is the Brazilian action against Chinese steel ill-advised and could it harm the Sino-Brazilian trade? For example, can they lead to fewer imports of iron ore from Brazil? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent Chinese authorities for your specific questions. Let me say that China and Brazil are respectively the biggest developing country in the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. Both countries firmly support free trade and oppose protectionism, and are actively committed to the sound and steady growth of bilateral trade. Both China and Brazil benefit from the trade ties. We believe our two sides can handle well relevant issues. Reuters: Canada said on Monday it was considering whether to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles due to a state-directed policy of overcapacity. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent Chinese authorities as well on that. Let me just say more broadly that we have made clear several times Chinas position on the so-called overcapacity. Chinas EV industry contributes significantly to worlds response to climate change and green energy transition. We believe that politicizing trade and economic issues and imposing trade barriers will only damage normal trade between China and Canada and in the world and disrupt global industrial and supply chains. It also hurts the global response to climate change and serves no ones interests. CRI: China recently announced the decision to extend its visa-free policy to New Zealand, Australia and Poland. Can you share more information? Mao Ning: To further promote cross-border travel, China decided to include more countries in its visa waiver program and extend the visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from New Zealand, Australia and Poland on a trial basis. From July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from these three countries can be exempted from visa to enter China and stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes. In that spirit, we encourage relevant countries to offer more visa facilitation measures to Chinese nationals. Polish Press Agency: Yesterday, the Chinese side underscored the importance of Poland as a trade partner, particularly given the railway that connects China with Europe and runs through the Polish-Belarusian border. During the talks with President Xi Jinping, the Polish President Duda raised concerns about the hybrid war that Belarus has been waging against Poland due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, which includes pushing hundreds of migrants to cross Polands border. The Polish Foreign Ministry has indicated that it is considering the possibility of fully closing the border for reasons of national security. This may have an impact on the trade route. Will China use its influence on Belarus and Russia to stop the hybrid war against Poland? Mao Ning: China hopes relevant parties will properly handle this issue through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect, and refrain from escalating the tensions. Nikkei: My question is about the Japanese mother and child injured in an attack in Suzhou. Can you provide the nationality, profession and motive of the attacker? How do you view the impact of the incident on Japan-China relations and on Japanese nationals working and studying in China? Mao Ning: Since the incident is still under investigation, I suggest that we wait for the release of further information by the police authority on those specific inquiries. Let me just say that according to preliminary police assessment, this was an isolated incident. China is widely recognized as one of the safest countries in the world. We always welcome foreign nationals to visit China as tourists and to study, do business and live in China. We will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreign nationals in China. Global Times: On June 25, the 4th Training Course of the 1540 Points of Contact in the Asia and Pacific Region took place in Beijing. Can you give us more details? Mao Ning: This training course was jointly held by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations Security Council 1540 Committee and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Representatives from 27 Asia-Pacific countries and 14 international organizations and institutions participated in the course. Resolution 1540 requires Member States to enhance export controls and other measures, fulfill the international obligations of non-proliferation and prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; meanwhile it regulates that non-proliferation actions shall not damage Member States legitimate right of peaceful use of science and technology. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 1540. The training course takes stock of the past and envisions the future. China will continue to advance the Global Security Initiative, enhance cooperation with the United Nations and other parties to carry forward the implementation of Resolution 1540 and support Asia-Pacific countries in capacity building to establish a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory international order of non-proliferation export control. China Review News: On June 24, the spokesperson of the US State Department condemned Chinas Guidelines on Imposing Criminal Punishments on Diehard Taiwan Independence Separatists for Conducting or Inciting Secession, saying that Chinas decision will escalate the situation and undermine stability, and that China should exercise restraint and stop any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. What is the spokespersons comment on this? Mao Ning: China deplores and strongly opposes the remarks made by the US side. Every sovereign state has the sacred right to safeguard its national unity and territorial integrity. It is a universal practice to punish secessionists and safeguard the core interests of the country through criminal jurisdiction. No external force is in any position to point fingers. The investigation on the criminal responsibility for hellbent attempts of Taiwan separatist forces to split the country and undermine national unity is necessary for making sure the law is abided by and anyone who breaks the law is brought to justice. It is critical for safeguarding the one-China principle and national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and for upholding the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The true status quo in the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. Taiwan independence is as incompatible with peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait as fire with water. The greatest threat to cross-Strait peace is Taiwan independence separatist activities and foreign interference and disruption. If the US side truly hopes to contribute to peace and stability in the region, it should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and act on its commitment of not supporting Taiwan independence, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs and stop sending any wrong signal in any form to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence. Bloomberg: You say that China is one of the safest countries in the world but I just wonder what measure are you using and how do you back that up? Mao Ning: I said that because that is what many say about China, including other Chinese and foreign tourists who have been to this country. You live in China as well. I would say that you too could feel that this is a quite safe country to be in. Beijing Youth Daily: We noted that the Senior Officials Meeting of the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference was held in Beijing yesterday. Can you share with us more details? Mao Ning: The Senior Officials Meeting of the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference was convened in Beijing yesterday. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Xiaodong attended the meeting and delivered opening remarks. Senior officials from the foreign affairs departments and diplomatic envoys of countries in Horn of Africa such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda attended the meeting. Participants had a full exchange of views in an atmosphere of solidarity and candor. They together reviewed the positive outcomes achieved by China and Horn of Africa countries in implementing the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa since the first peace conference in 2022. They also reached important five-point consensus on implementing the Outlook going forward. First, focusing on peace. The parties reaffirmed the desire to solve differences and disputes in the region through peaceful means and welcomed China to play a constructive role for regional peace. Second, focusing on security. The parties stressed the need to follow the guidance of the Global Security Initiative and enhance cooperation in such areas as military, anti-terrorism, demining and training. Third, focusing on cooperation. The parties reaffirmed that they will jointly advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Fourth, focusing on development. The parties are committed to further implementing the Global Development Initiative, supporting the effort of fostering a development framework of two axes plus two coastal areas in the Horn of Africa, accelerating the building of industrial belts and economic belts and enhancing independent development capability. Fifth, focusing on governance. The parties reiterated that they will strengthen communication and coordination, advance the reform of international governance system and jointly defend the legitimate rights of the Global South. China stands ready to work with Horn of Africa countries to strive for in-depth implementation of the Outlook, focus on the three main goals of security, development and governance, jointly promote peace, cooperation and common development, and help turn the Horn of Africa into a region of peace, cooperation, development and prosperity. SANYA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's inbound tourism market continues to recover this year and is expected to reach as much as 80 percent of the pre-pandemic level in 2019 in terms of the number of foreign tourists, according to the latest industrial report released Tuesday. The China Tourism Academy released the China inbound tourism development report (2023-2024) in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province. The number of overseas tourists who search for flights to and accommodation in China has increased significantly, suggesting the growing potential demand for travelling in China, according to the report. With continuous resumption of international flights, further improvement of entry convenience and inbound tourism supply chain, and active promotion of tourist destinations across China, the prospect of the inbound tourism market is relatively optimistic, said the report. Chinese culture and high-quality life experiences are the core attractions of the destinations, as more than 60 percent of the surveyed listed experiencing Chinese culture as their top reason for traveling to the country, said the report. Fascinating experiences such as delicacies, healthcare services, and shopping are also part of their to-do lists during travels, it added. Statistics released by the National Immigration Administration show that the number of foreigners coming to China recorded a threefold increase year on year in the first quarter of this year. Notably, some 1.98 million foreigners enjoyed visa-free entry into China during the first three months of this year, soaring 266 percent year on year. New Delhi: Shares of Amara Raja, one of Indias leading battery manufacturers, on Monday morning jumped 20 percent to hit its upper circuit limit, amid news of strategic technology collaboration with Gotion-InoBat-Batteries (GIB). Amara Raja shares touched a new lifetime high of Rs 1,656 apiece on Monday morning trade. At 11.51 am, shares of the company were trading higher by Rs 235 or 17.04% at 1614.35 apiece. The company's shares have risen 17.74 percent in the last five days, giving a yearly return of 149.61 percentage. Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Pvt. Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd (ARE&M), had yesterday signed a technical licensing agreement with GIB EnergyX Slovakia s.r.o., a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech Co Ltd. As part of the agreement GIB EnergyX will license Gotions world class LFP technology for lithium-ion cells to ARACT. This comprehensive agreement enables Amara Raja to manufacture world class LFP cells in both cylindrical and prismatic form factors. "The scope of licensing provides access to cell technology IP, support in establishing Gigafactory facilities conforming to latest generation process technologies, integration with Gotions global supply chain network for critical battery materials, and customer technical support for solution deployment," the company has said. New Delhi: Sensex and Nifty finished higher on Monday. BSE Sensex closed 131.18 points, or 0.17 percent, higher at 77,341.08 while the Nifty jumped 36.75 points, or 0.16 percent, to settle at 23,537.85. Nifty opened gap down on Monday, influenced by global cues. After an initial knee-jerk reaction, the index recovered and traded in a narrow range. Finally, Nifty settled on positive note at 23,538. Technically, since last couple of weeks, the index is consolidating in the band of 23,330-23,670. Thus, for fresh bullish momentum, index need to sustain above 23,670-23,700 zone. If it manages to sustain above 23,700, the rally could extend towards 24,000 levels. On the downside, 23,300 will act as strong support for the index," said Hrishikesh Yedve, AVP Technical and Derivatives Research at Asit C. Mehta Investment Interrmediates Ltd. Meanwhile, ahead of the market opening today, as per Zeebiz, Amara Raja, Tata Elxsi, Voltas, ixigo, Sun Pharma, are a couple of stocks that will likely be in focus today. 1. Amara Raja Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Pvt. Ltd (ARACT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Ltd (ARE&M), one of Indias leading battery manufacturers, has signed a technical licensing agreement with GIB EnergyX Slovakia s.r.o., a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech Co Ltd. As part of the agreement GIB EnergyX will license Gotions world class LFP technology for lithium-ion cells to ARACT. 2. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has informed the regulators that it has successfully completed the merger of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd with its subsidiary. As part of this merger, Sun Pharma acquired all outstanding ordinary shares of Taro other than the shares already held by Sun Pharma or its affiliates. As a result of the merger, Taro is now a private company and wholly-owned by Sun Pharma. Sun Pharma has been the majority shareholder of Taro since 2010. 3. Tata Elxsi Tata Elxsi shares are scheduled to trade ex-dividend today. The company's Board of Directors has recommended a dividend of 700% at Rs 70 per equity share of Rs 10 each, for the financial year 2023-24, subject to tax. 4. Tata Group Stocks -Voltas Shares of Voltas Ltd will trade ex-dividend today. The Board of Directors had at their Meeting held in May recommended a dividend of 550% at Rs 5.50 per Equity Share of Re 1 each for the financial year ended 31st March, 2024. 5. Ixigo Le Travenues Technology Ltd, which operates travel booking platform ixigo, announced an expansion of its exclusive partnership with PhonePe, Indias leading fintech platform for offering flight & bus bookings on the PhonePe app in addition to its existing train partnership. ixigo will exclusively power these travel booking options on PhonePe, integrating services from ixigo Flights for flight bookings, AbhiBus for bus bookings as well as expanding its prior partnership with ConfirmTkt for train bookings, the company said. Bengal Government Advisory For School Buses: All school buses and pool cars transporting children in West Bengal should be fitted with vehicle location tracking devices, panic buttons and speed limiting devices, according to an advisory issued by the State government. The maximum allowable speed for school buses and pool cars is 40 kmph, the state transport department informed all educational institutes. The advisories were issued by Transport Secretary Saumitra Mohan to reinforce the safety and security of school-going children. The advisory said, "All school buses should be painted in mustard yellow colour with a navy blue band and the name of the school shall be inscribed on the band in white." The words SCHOOL BUS' should be written on the front, rear and sides of the bus. The advisory which was issued recently said school buses should not be fitted with curtains or glasses having films and sufficient white-lighting inside the buses to ensure that activities inside the buses are visible from outside. Suitable school bag racks protected with grill should be provided in the bus, fire extinguisher and first-aid box should be made available inside and every seat shall be provided with a seatbelt. The contact details of the school authority including the cell numbers with the designation of the competent person, the number of the control room of the local police station and the Child Line Helpline shall be displayed inside and outside the bus prominently in a conspicuous place. No soft top vehicle shall be allowed to be used as a pool car, it said, adding that fixation of additional seats, other than the approved capacity on a pool car, shall not be allowed. The advisory was framed in consultation with different stakeholders - the transport department, school education department, police, school authorities, bus operators and pool car operators, civil society organisations, guardians and students. Chinese Spy Agency Warning: China's top spy agency on Monday warned air passengers against opening window shades during take-off and landing to take photos at dual civil-military use airports after a foreigner was found snapping pictures from a mobile phone, according to a media report. The Ministry of State Security in a post on its official WeChat account, akin X, urged passengers to comply with instructions to close window shades during take-off, landing and taxiing at dual airports. They must not take unauthorised photos or videos, or upload the content online, it said, noting that the practice was in line with the standard approach of countries worldwide to maintain secrecy around military facilities, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The ministry said the warning was issued in reference to a recent case involving a foreigner, but did not give further details. According to domestic media reports, a foreign national on board a flight from the eastern Chinese city Yiwu to Beijing earlier this month allegedly used a mobile phone to take photos of a joint-use airport, and a fellow passenger reported the issue following which the local officials alerted the police. Safeguarding national security is the responsibility and duty of every citizen. Unauthorised filming of military facilities and equipment poses a serious threat to national security, the ministry said, while also calling on the public to cooperate in maintaining the security and confidentiality of joint-use airports. In the post on WeChat, the ministry said joint-use facilities which make up nearly one-third of China's airports, usually deploy important military equipment and passengers are not permitted to take photos of the sensitive military areas. These airports are used for both civil aviation and regular air force training, and will be available for military use during wartime, the ministry said. Also, many of them are located near coastal and border areas holding prominent strategic positions and significant military value, it noted. China in recent months stepped up the public and security of its military installations amid its intensified strategic rivalry with the US and its allies especially over the disputed South China Sea and Taiwan. While China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, it also asserts that the self-ruled Taiwan island as part of the mainland and vows to take over it. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea. New Delhi: Sonakshi Sinha's brothers Luv and Kush Sinha went missing from her wedding. There have been strong speculations that the Sinha family wasn't happy with her wedding decision with Zaheer Iqbal. Shatrughan Sinha reacted in his iconic dialogue 'Khamosh' to all these rumours, but there has still been lots of gossip around as her brothers went missing from the wedding. It was noticed that the Heeramandi actress's brothers skipped the wedding and went even present for the special ritual and Bollywood actor Saqib Saleem fulfilled the brother's duties. Luv Sinha who was earlier asked about the wedding, chose not to comment and said he has no involvement in it. "Im out of Mumbai at the moment, and if its regarding the news published, I have no comment or involvement in the matter". A close source to HT confirmed, "Sonakshis parents attended the wedding, and were naturally elated about the day. However, her brothers didnt come to the wedding as well as the reception. The photographers didn't spot the two entering the venue, till the very end. And everyone found it to be really weird" In his latest interaction when contacted the actor about his miss from the wedding, he said, "Please give it a day or two. Ill respond to your question then if I feel I can. Thank you for asking". Luv told this to HT. Sonakshi Sinha got married to Bollywood actor Zaheer Iqbal on June 23 and it was one helluva party hosted by the newlywed. The newlywed even faced heavy criticism for interfaith marriage, and to avoid any such negativity in their married life, both Sonakshi and Zaheer disabled their comments section on the pictures of their wedding that they shared on social media. Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal got hitched after being in a relationship for 7 years and it was reported before her wedding, the couple stayed in a live-in for one year at their new pad in Worli, Mumbai. New Delhi: Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's son Sidhartha got married to his longtime girlfriend Jasmine in London. According to several media reports, the couple got married at Vijay Mallyas $14 million estate in Hertfordshire with family and close friends in attendance. SIDHARTHA MALLYA GETS MARRIED Several photos and videos of the couple's wedding white wedding have surfaced on social media. Industrialist Harsh Goenka shared inside videos on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption reading: Liquor tycoons son Sidharth Mallya gets married with fanfare today in London." Liquor tycoons son Sidharth Mallya gets married with fanfare today in London pic.twitter.com/tkgSiOCsGG Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 23, 2024 Sidhartha Mallya also shared the photos from the wedding ceremony on Instagram. The couple's first dance video has hogged attention and was shared by popular celeb pap Viral Bhayani. Take a look here: WHO IS JASMINE? Reportedly, Sidhartha and Jasmine have been dating for a longtime now. In November last year, he proposed to Jasmine on Halloween. In one of the pictures shared online, he can be seen kneeling down and proposing to his girlfriend, who wore a witch costume. In the second picture, the duo looks happy as Jasmine flaunts her engagement ring. Not much is known about Jasmine, except that she bats for human rights and is associated with 'Ceasefire' - Centre for Civilian Rights'. It is an international initiative to develop civilian-led monitoring of violations of international humanitarian law or human rights. She has shared the links to the page on her IG bio. Sidhartha Mallya started off as a model-actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in London and the UAE. He studied at Wellington College and Queen Mary University of London and attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He turned author and wrote two books on mental health - If I'm Honest: A Memoir of My Mental Health Journey and Sad-Glad. He is an advocate for mental health awareness among young people. In an agreement that would end his in imprisonment in Britain and enable him to return to Australia, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is scheduled to enter a guilty plea this week to violating US espionage law. This will put an end to a long legal court battle for Assange. According to records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange, 52, has agreeed to enter a guilty plea to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and publish sensitive U.S. national defence materials. Many believed that he acted as a journalist to expose wrongdoing by the United States military. Investigators, on the other hand, have repeatedly stated that his actions violated laws designed to protect sensitive information and jeopardised the country's national security. The agreement ensures that Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from further prison time. He had spent years hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Swedish authorities wanted to arrest him on rape charges before being imprisoned in the United Kingdom. Prosecutors have agreed to a sentence equal to the five years Assange has already spent in a high-security British prison fighting extradition to the United States to face charges, a process that has taken place over several hearings in London. He is expected to return to Australia after his plea and sentencing, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time in Saipan, the largest island in the Mariana Islands. The hearing is taking place there because of Assanges opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the courts proximity to Australia. Who Is Julia Assange? Timeline Of Wikileaks Case Assange has been heralded by many around the world as a hero who brought to light military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. But his reputation was also tarnished by rape allegations, which he has denied. In 2010, Wikileaks published hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the greatest security breach in US military history, as well as swaths of diplomatic cables. During former President Donald Trump's administration, Assange was indicted for WikiLeaks' mass publication of classified US papers hacked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also tried under the Espionage Act. The collection of over 700,000 papers included diplomatic cables and battlefield testimonies, such as a 2007 video of a US Apache helicopter firing on suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people, including two Reuters reporters. That video was published in 2010. Many of Assange's admirers around the world, who have long maintained that Assange, as the publisher of Wikileaks, shouldn't be charged with crimes usually reserved for federal government employees who steal or leak information, were outraged by the charges brought against him. A lot of people who support press freedom have claimed that putting Assange under criminal prosecution would endanger free speech. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing on Monday. Zhao noted that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership has enjoyed a sound momentum of development. China is ready to work with Poland to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen strategic mutual trust, and strengthen practical cooperation, to push for the steady and long-term development of China-Poland relations and promote the development of China-EU relations, Zhao added. He said that the NPC of China is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Polish parliament at various levels and in various fields, share experience on legislative supervision, governance and environmental protection, enhance understanding of each other's national conditions, development paths and domestic and foreign policies, and provide favourable legal guarantees for bilateral cooperation in various fields. Duda said Poland always adheres to the one-China principle, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in various fields under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, promote exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries and actively promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of EU-China relations, he said. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) This screenshot captured from a video released on June 24, 2024 shows rescuers working to extinguish the fire at a multi-story office building in the city of Fryazino of the Moscow region, Russia. At least eight people were killed in a multi-story office building fire in the city of Fryazino of the Moscow region, local emergencies service said on Monday. (The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations/Handout via Xinhua) MOSCOW, June 24 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in a multi-story office building fire in the city of Fryazino of the Moscow region, local emergencies service said on Monday. "Two people died after jumping out of a window. Six others inside the building were killed while the interior structures collapsed," Tass news agency reported, citing local emergencies service. Footage online shows thick smoke billowing from the upper floors of the eight-storey complex. According to Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov, 12 fire fighting trucks and hundreds of firefighters were sent to the site to extinguish the fire. It is not immediately clear what caused the fire, but one eyewitness told Tass that it broke out on the sixth floor before spreading. This screenshot captured from a video released on June 24, 2024 shows rescuers working to extinguish the fire at a multi-story office building in the city of Fryazino of the Moscow region, Russia. At least eight people were killed in a multi-story office building fire in the city of Fryazino of the Moscow region, local emergencies service said on Monday. (The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations/Handout via Xinhua) * The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, opened on Tuesday in the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province. * Though there are diverse views on the "Next Frontiers for Growth," the theme of the event, there is consensus that cooperation is paramount to successfully navigating the rapidly evolving world. * China has emerged as a significant force in bolstering global economic expansion, sharing its development dividends with global partners. DALIAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The call for strengthened partnership has rung clear at the ongoing 2024 Summer Davos as the world seeks new growth engines to propel a sluggish global economy. Over 1,700 representatives of the political, business, academic and media communities from more than 100 countries and regions are attending the three-day meeting, which kicked off on Tuesday in the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Though there are diverse views on the "Next Frontiers for Growth," the theme of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, there is consensus that cooperation is paramount to successfully navigating the rapidly evolving world. This photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows the opening plenary of the 2024 Summer Davos at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) EXPANDING THE PIE TOGETHER The grand gathering is taking place amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, highlighted the significant issues facing the world today -- issues such as environmental concerns, geopolitical tensions, and social challenges like pandemics and rising income inequality. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy has been mired in sluggish recovery. While the World Bank and the United Nations have raised their projections for global economic growth in 2024, they caution that the pace of growth remains below the annual average of the decade before the pandemic. Facing the global economic growth dilemma, countries that prioritize maximizing their own interests without considering the interests of others -- even backtracking by promoting decoupling and erecting barriers -- will drag the world into a vicious cycle of competing for a diminishing pie, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said when addressing the event's opening plenary. "The correct course of action is to approach development issues with a broader perspective and a more inclusive mindset, seeking one's own legitimate interests within the framework of expanding the pie together," Li said. Global cooperation and long-term cooperation to move to new horizons is essential, Schwab said, echoing Li's sentiment. People walk past a light installation inspired by the Rubik's Cube at the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) CHINA REMAINS KEY GROWTH ENGINE Owing to China's resilient recovery, the world's second-largest economy has emerged as a significant force in bolstering global economic expansion. The Chinese economy has shown a robust performance this year, with a year-on-year growth rate of 5.3 percent in the first quarter and a sustained positive trajectory in the second quarter. Recognizing this, the International Monetary Fund has revised its 2024 GDP growth forecast for China from 4.6 percent to 5 percent, citing the country's strong first-quarter growth and recent policy initiatives. "China is confident it will meet its annual GDP growth target for this year," Li said. Fred Hu, founder, chairman and CEO of Primavera Capital Group, said that China has the ability to drive global economic growth, particularly in developing countries. This photo taken on June 14, 2024 shows samples of the hydrogen fuel cell power system in Mixwell Technology (Dalian) Co., Ltd. in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Yang Qing) SHARED GROWTH DIVIDENDS With its huge market, strong manufacturing capabilities and leaps in technological innovation, China is both a beneficiary of openness and a catalyst for a virtuous global economic cycle, Hu said. A total of 21,764 foreign-invested firms were established in China in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 17.4 percent. Over the past six years, the China International Import Expo, the world's first national-level expo to promote imports, has attracted the participation of more than 10,000 overseas enterprises and seen the release of more than 2,400 new products, technologies and services. "We're bullish about China going forward," said Shin Hak-Cheol, CEO of LG Chem. The chemical giant from the Republic of Korea has built over 10 production bases in China since it entered the market over three decades ago. "We're not downsizing here, and we're really investing for the future." While opening up its market, China has also contributed to the global green shift by providing high-quality and cost-effective new energy products, including electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products. "We are willing to share our technology with others around the world as addressing climate change and promoting sustainability are so important for each and every one of us," said Robin Zeng, founder and chairman of leading Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (Video reporters: Mu Xuyao, Zhang Nan, Gao Ming, Han He, Li Ang, Liu Bin, Jiang Zhaochen; Video editors: Li Ziwei, Liu Xiaorui) HERAT, Afghanistan, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The construction of 150 agricultural and infrastructural projects worth 4.5 million U.S. dollars has begun in west Afghanistan's Herat province in less than one year, a local official said on Monday. The projects include water reservoir dams, roads, protective walls and water canals, as well as wells in vicinities of the province's Anjel, Guzara, and Zendajan districts, said Herat's provincial government spokesperson Nisar Ahmad Elyas. Job opportunities have been created for 6,000 villagers with the implementation of the public utility projects, said Elyas, who emphasized that local officials have paid attention to balanced development, job creation, and improvement of people's livelihood in the province. The Afghan caretaker government has planned to launch more agricultural and infrastructural projects across the war-ravaged country, aiming at tackling economic challenges and creating job opportunities. TEHRAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday emphasized the significance of a strong turnout in the country's upcoming presidential election, scheduled for Friday. He made the remarks in an address to thousands of Iranians from different provinces gathered in Iran's capital Tehran, three days ahead of the 14th presidential election and on the occasion of the religious holiday of Eid al-Ghadir, according to a statement published on the leader's website. "In three days, the Iranian people will face the important test of election, whose importance is greater than ever," Khamenei said, stressing that maximum participation and the selection of the most qualified candidate would bring pride to the nation. Listing the characteristics of the "most qualified" candidate, Iran's leader stated that the next president should firmly believe in the principles and foundations of the Islamic Revolution and establishment, demonstrate efficiency and liveliness in fulfilling responsibilities, and possess the ability to harness the country's diverse and abundant resources to drive progress. He emphasized that Iran had always managed to make progress without reliance on foreigners, adding the Iranian people would never let others decide their fate. "We have from the very beginning sought to interact with the entire world, with one or two exceptions," he said. Iran's 14th presidential election, initially set for 2025, was rescheduled following the unexpected death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19 in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan. The candidates for the upcoming election include Alireza Zakani, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi. UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on all parties in Somalia to prioritize the interests of the country and its people, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. "The international community should adhere to the Somali-led and Somali-owned principle and avoid external pressure and interference or imposing any governance model," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council briefing on Somalia. The envoy highlighted the importance of advancing the political process in Somalia. He welcomed the National Consultative Council meeting held by the federal government of Somalia with the federal member states government in May this year, where they discussed significant issues such as constitutional review and the electoral system. The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has made substantial efforts over the years to support Somalia in advancing political transition and security sector reform. "China supports UNSOM in formulating as soon as possible a scientific and reasonable transition timetable that corresponds to the development of the situation and in accordance with the requirements of the Somali government," Dai said. Addressing the security situation, Dai noted the challenges posed by recent terrorist attacks by Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu and other places, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. "The international community should continue to support Somalia in building up its security forces, carrying out counter-terrorism operations, and gradually taking over security responsibilities independently," he said. Dai acknowledged the significant contributions of the African Union (AU) to peace and stability in Somalia. He mentioned the recent communique by the AU Peace and Security Council on the future arrangement of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and supported the Security Council in making appropriate adjustments to the drawdown plan of ATMIS. The ambassador called for proactive exploration on how to continue providing support to Somalia to avoid a security vacuum and highlighted the funding shortages faced by ATMIS and follow-on arrangements. "China hopes that the traditional developed country donors will respond to the Secretary-General's appeal and actively close the funding gap," he said. Dai also underscored the importance of maintaining overall regional stability. He pointed out that Somalia is a crucial country in the Horn of Africa, and peace and stability in Somalia and good neighborly relations among regional countries serve their interests. "We have consistently advocated upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and supported the efforts of the federal government of Somalia to safeguard national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," he said. In support of regional stability, China introduced the initiative of peaceful development in the Horn of Africa in 2022. "China is ready to work with the countries of the Horn of Africa to jointly make the Horn of Africa an area of peace and cooperation with development and prosperity," Dai said, referencing the senior officials meeting of the Second Horn of Africa Peace Conference held in Beijing on Monday. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The returner of the Chang'e-6 probe touched down on Earth on Tuesday, bringing back the world's first samples collected from the moon's far side. The return capsule landed precisely in the designated area in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the mission is a complete success, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Chang'e-6 is one of the most complex and challenging missions in China's space exploration efforts to date. Consisting of an orbiter, a returner, a lander and an ascender, it was launched on May 3 this year, and has gone through various stages such as Earth-moon transfer, near-moon braking, lunar orbiting and separation of the lander-ascender combination and the orbiter-returner combination. Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination landed at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the moon on June 2 and carried out sampling work. On June 4, the ascender took off from the moon with samples and entered the lunar orbit. On June 6, it completed rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner combination and transferred samples to the returner. The ascender then separated from the combination and landed on the moon under ground control to avoid becoming space junk. The orbiter-returner combination spent 13 days in lunar orbit, awaiting the right opportunity to return to Earth. After completing two moon-Earth transfer maneuvers and one orbital correction, the returner separated from the orbiter and delivered the samples to Earth. "The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution," said Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "New samples will inevitably lead to new discoveries. Fascination with the moon is rooted in Chinese culture down the ages, as evidenced by the mythological narrative of Chang'e, a lady who journeyed to and resided on the moon. Now, Chinese scientists are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to contribute to lunar science," Yang added. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to stop sending any wrong signal in any form to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. In response to the U.S. condemnation of China's guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession, spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily press briefing, "China deplores and strongly opposes the remarks made by the U.S. side." Noting that safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity is the sacred right of every sovereign state, Mao said it is a universal practice to punish secessionists and safeguard the core interests of the country through criminal jurisdiction. "No external force is in any position to point fingers," she said. Mao said that the investigation on the criminal responsibility for hellbent attempts of Taiwan separatist forces to split the country and undermine national unity is necessary for making sure the law is abided by and anyone who breaks the law is brought to justice. It is also critical for safeguarding the one-China principle and national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and for upholding the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, she added. "The true status quo in the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory," Mao said, adding that "Taiwan independence" is as incompatible with peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait as fire with water. Mao said that the greatest threat to cross-Strait peace is "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and foreign interference and disruption. "If the U.S. side truly hopes to contribute to peace and stability in the region, it should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques and act on its commitment of not supporting 'Taiwan independence,' stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop sending any wrong signal in any form to the separatist forces for 'Taiwan independence'," Mao said. This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the welcome sign at the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. The 2024 Summer Davos meeting will be held from June 25 to 27 in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian, according to the city's coordination office for Summer Davos. Also known as the 15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, this year's forum will feature the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth." Over 1,600 representatives from the political, business, academic and media communities of close to 80 countries and regions will take part in the meeting. (Xinhua/Li Gang) An aerial drone photo taken on June 22, 2024 shows villagers walking on a temporary bridge built by armed police force in Xiaoxi Village of Shaolian Township, Shexian County, east China's Anhui Province. Heavy rainfall that battered Shaolian Township had cut off power and telecommunication supplies in some villages. Armed police force has been carrying out clean-up work and bridge building to resume transportation in flood-affected areas. (Xinhua/Du Yu) This photo taken on June 23, 2024 shows lanterns afloat on the water during the Water Lantern Festival held in San Jose, California, the United States. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua) Competitors take part in a wife-carrying contest in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, June 23, 2024. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) Zhu Yuanling, Zeng Wenhui and Cui Chenxi (from L to R) of China pose for photos after the women's street final of skateboarding at the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest in Budapest, Hungary, June 23, 2024. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the battery plant fire site in Hwaseong, South Korea. South Korean fire department officials said late Monday night that around 17 Chinese nationals were killed in the Hwaseong battery plant fire on the day earlier, but the exact number still needs to be further confirmed. South Korean officials, including Gyeonggi Province Second Vice Governor Oh Who-seok, Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and officials from the fire department, briefed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on the accident and the progress of search and rescue efforts at the scene. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) Li Deren (1st R), an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) from Wuhan University, and his wife (2nd R), pose for a group photo with Xue Qikun (1st L), an academician of the CAS from Tsinghua University, and his wife at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. A meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) was held here on Monday. Li Deren and Xue Qikun won the national top sci-tech award for the year 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) An aerial drone photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the Xin'an River Reservoir releasing water for flood control in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) By Ulviyya Shahin The joint venture between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, AZFEN, has tripled its income from operations in Georgia. In 2023, the venture generated 10,422,000 manats in revenue for the country, equivalent to 6,131,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate of USD/AZN 1.7. This marks a threefold increase compared to the previous year, when AZFEN earned 3,488,000 manats from its Georgian operations. AZFEN LLC, a partnership between SOCAR and Turkiye's Tekfen, provides manufacturing, installation, construction, and repair services for control and measurement devices and electrical equipment in Georgia. Despite changing its organisational and legal form from a joint venture to an LLC in 2023, AZFEN maintained its ownership structure unchanged: 60% owned by SOCAR and 40% by Tekfen. However, in 2023, AZFEN reported a total income of 217.55 million manats and achieved a net profit of 11.46 million manats. In contrast, income from its activities in Azerbaijan decreased by 63%, amounting to 207.13 million manats, compared to 566.27 million manats in 2022. Head of the Innovative Economic Research Centre of Azerbaijan Technical University, professor and economist Elshad Mammadov, stated to Azernews that the decline in AZFEN's revenue in Azerbaijan may be attributed to a decrease in the share of investment projects involving the company. In my view, companies of this nature primarily engage in projects associated with state-owned entities. Generally, state institutions serve as the primary source of domestic investment in Azerbaijan. As the volume of projects undertaken by these institutions under agreements, contracts, and directives diminishes, and the participation of specific companies in these projects decreases, it directly impacts the economic indicators of those companies. Therefore, I believe that the reduction in AZFEN's revenues in Azerbaijan can primarily be explained by a weakening of economic ties between relevant state institutions and the company, the economist noted. As for AZFEN's international participation and the expansion of the company's activities in this direction, the economist believes that it appears somewhat challenging given the current opportunities. Entering foreign markets is not a simple matter. However, considering the company's relevant experience, especially in the context of regional developments such as the escalating tensions between Russia and the West, there may be contracts and projects involving AZFEN in the post-Soviet space, which could facilitate expanding the company's geographic footprint. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that expanding market positions abroad is inherently challenging. Therefore, it will not be easy for AZFEN and other companies operating in our country to establish themselves and expand their activities in foreign markets, E.Mammadov concluded. Edward Mermelstein, commissioner for international affairs of New York City, speaks during Beijing City Promotion and Beijing-New York Sister City Concert in New York, the United States, June 24, 2024. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) NEW YORK, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Beijing, the capital city of China, hosted a promotional event here on Monday for the locals in celebration of the sister city relationship established with New York in 1980. The event featured inspiring speeches and showcased Chinese and American folk music performed with traditional Chinese instruments. U.S. bilingual comedian Jesse Appell highlighted Beijing's tourist attractions to around 150 participants in both languages. Attendees enjoyed a photo exhibition depicting Beijing and had the opportunity to win lucky draws for free stays in Beijing's five-star hotels. The year 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. Xia Linmao, executive vice mayor of Beijing municipality, noted that New York was the first American city to form a sister city relationship with Beijing. "Over the years, the two cities have enjoyed close economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and frequent interactions among the people. Together, the two cities have witnessed the development of our state-to-state relations, serving as a model of friendly exchanges," said Xia. Xia also highlighted the strategic partnership between Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts and New York's Carnegie Hall, which led to the establishment of the World Association for Performing Arts. Additionally, the Universal Beijing Resort, jointly developed by New York City-based NBC Universal and Beijing, has attracted over 20 million visitors since its opening in 2021, becoming one of China's most popular tourist destinations. "These are vivid illustrations and splendid reflections of the interactions between the two countries and cities," Xia said. Xia invited New Yorkers to share development opportunities in Beijing, strengthen business and trade cooperation, deepen cultural exchanges, and contribute to sub-national exchanges between China and the United States. The partnership between New York City and Beijing marked by cooperation across numerous sectors stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration, said Edward Mermelstein, commissioner for international affairs of New York City. "These relationships between New York City and Beijing are a powerful example of how international cooperation can lead to shared success. Both cities benefit immensely from their collaborative spirit," said Mermelstein. "So as we continue to work together, I am confident that this partnership will only grow stronger, bringing even greater prosperity and understanding to both our cities and the world," Mermelstein said. The consensus reached by Chinese and U.S. leaders last November in San Francisco guided the direction and paved the way for restarting or jump-starting connections between the two countries, said Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping. "Right now, China and the United States have 284 sister cities and sister provinces," said Huang, who hosted the event. In an interview with Xinhua, Appell encouraged Americans to visit Beijing, emphasizing the wealth of activities available and the importance of cultural exchanges in U.S.-China relations. George Joseph, a travel business owner from the Bronx, won the prize for a free stay of five nights at a five-star hotel in Beijing. He said he hoped to have an enjoyable trip to China with enriching educational and cultural experiences and then share what he had learned with others. "I'm looking forward to hopefully going to China, and especially going to Beijing," he said. Artists from Beijing perform during Beijing City Promotion and Beijing-New York Sister City Concert, in New York, the United States, June 24, 2024. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) U.S. bilingual comedian Jesse Appell introduces Beijing's tourist attractions during Beijing City Promotion and Beijing-New York Sister City Concert in New York, the United States, June 24, 2024. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) TOKYO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan's food safety panel concluded Tuesday that the effects of chemicals known as PFAS on birthweight loss and reduced immunity are "undeniable" in its first health assessment of the substances, after their detection across the country fueled concern among local residents, local media reported. The Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission, meanwhile, stated that "evidence is limited" regarding the potential of PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, to cause cancer, with much still unknown about their adverse health effects, Kyodo News reported. PFAS, used in various products such as frying pan coatings and water-repellent clothing, have been detected in high concentrations at places near Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military bases as well as industrial areas in Japan. PFAS is a general term for a group of over 10,000 artificial chemicals that include PFOS, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, the two most representative forms of PFAS. The commission assessed that the allowable daily intake of PFOS and PFOA for a person is 20 nanograms per 1 kg of body weight for each substance, the report said. The government currently sets a provisional cap for the two chemicals at a total of 50 nanograms per liter for tap water and rivers. Known as "forever chemicals" that are extremely persistent in the environment and human bodies, PFAS could accumulate and lead to health problems as they do not degrade over time. Based on the assessment and a separate, ongoing nationwide survey on the concentration of PFAS in tap water, the Environment Ministry is set to discuss reviewing the provisional cap, the report added. A 2022 environment ministry study covering rivers and groundwater in 38 of Japan's 47 prefectures found PFAS levels exceeding government targets in 16 prefectures. The upcoming survey will provide a more comprehensive understanding of PFAS contamination across the country. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) DALIAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called on nations to keep an open mindset, enhance their mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly seek new frontiers of economic growth. Li made the remarks when meeting with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. Li said amid the current sluggish global economic recovery, it is crucial to find new drivers of growth. The future industry will be the most active force boosting global economic growth. Technological breakthroughs, represented by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green energy, among others, will foster new tracks and new business formats that will enjoy high growth. China's proposal to carry out the "artificial intelligence+" action is to inject stronger impetus into economic development through the extensive empowerment of artificial intelligence, Li added. Li went on to point out that the slowdown of world economic growth in recent years has a lot to do with various forms of "decoupling and breaking chains" and "building walls and barriers" by certain countries, adding that the interconnectivity of the economy of all countries can lead to common progress while shutting oneself off from others will only result in regress. For his part, Schwab said under the current complex international situation, it is more imperative than ever to strengthen international cooperation. He said the WEF is committed to continuing close cooperation with China to work for the stable and healthy development of the world economy and jointly respond to global challenges. VIENTIANE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government is set to introduce a visa-free policy for Chinese visitors to promote tourism in the second half of Visit Laos Year 2024. The policy will focus on Chinese travelers accompanied by travel agents, Lao News Agency reported Tuesday, quoting Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Darany Phommavongsa. The Lao government is also planning to offer multiple-entry visas and extend the duration of stay for more international visitors from 30 days to 60 days. To further facilitate the travel experience for tourists, the Lao government is enhancing road infrastructure in transit areas and improving access roads to popular attractions, Darany told media. The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has been working with provincial authorities and tourism stakeholders along the China-Laos Railway to improve tourist attractions to meet tourism standards and install directional signs of well-known places along the transit routes. The ministry is also working with private investors to explore and develop more tourist attractions and facilities to accommodate visitors. An ultra-Orthodox man walks past a sign of a recruiting office of Israeli army in Jerusalem, on June 25, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. In a unanimous ruling, the judges concluded that "there is no legal foundation" for the long-standing military exemption granted to Jewish ultra-Orthodox seminary students and that the country's mandatory service laws must also be enforced for ultra-Orthodox men. Referring to Israel's almost nine-month-long war in Gaza, the court said that "at the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute." Most Jewish Israeli men and women are required to serve under the mandatory conscription law, while ultra-Orthodox students have largely been exempted for decades. The longstanding exemptions have been a growing source of anger and controversy, particularly since the onset of the war, in which more than 660 soldiers have been killed. The ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu's far-right governing coalition, strongly object to any change to these waivers. They have threatened to leave the coalition should the exemptions be revoked, potentially causing the government to dissolve and triggering new elections. Ultra-Orthodox men are seen near a sign of a recruiting office of Israeli army in Jerusalem, on June 25, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows a sign of a recruiting office of Israeli army in Jerusalem. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An ultra-Orthodox man stands by a sign of a recruiting office of Israeli army in Jerusalem, on June 25, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Members of Israeli police take away an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man protesting against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Members of Israeli police take away an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man protesting against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man protests against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Members of Israeli police take away an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man protesting against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling in Bnei Brak, Israel, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men confront with police as they protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling that government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling that government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men confront with police as they protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling that government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against Israeli Supreme Court's ruling that government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2024. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that threatens to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government amid the war in Gaza. (Xinhua/Chen Junqing) LHASA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- In a short video made last summer, Kalzang Lhundrup fed three lost baby Tibetan antelopes with a milk bottle. The tiny creatures huddled closely together, their black noses glistening. "Those little ones successfully returned to nature last November," said Kalzang Lhundrup, head of the Norbu Yugyel wildlife conservation station in Nyima County, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China. His phone was filled with photos taken during work: a small Tibetan antelope eating tsampa (a traditional Tibetan staple made from barley flour) from his hand, a recovering wolf lying beside him, a large brown bear he and his colleagues had rescued... The stories behind the photos all trace back to Norbu Yugyel, once the guardian of countless creatures on the plateau and a hero to Kalzang Lhundrup. Norbu Yugyel, formerly a police officer at the local forest public security police station, sacrificed his life while apprehending poachers in Changtang National Nature Reserve in 2002. The reserve, home to 10 national first-level protected wild animals and 21 national second-level protected wild animals, covers a total area of 298,000 square kilometers. The station bears his name and guards a critical access point into the sparsely populated area with an average altitude exceeding 4,600 meters. There are 14 conservation officers at the station. "I have known about Norbu Yugyel since childhood," Kalzang Lhundrup said. "In the 1990s, he caught many poachers and confiscated hundreds of Tibetan antelope pelts." Records show that within 20 days before Norbu Yugyel's death, he patrolled over 3,000 km. For years, Kalzang Lhundrup and his colleagues have bravely endured extreme weather conditions, scarce supplies, a complete absence of phone and internet signal, and the arduous, lengthy patrol "road" as there are no ready-paved roads for the patrol. Without signals and roads, their convoy relied on memory, tire tracks from previous patrols, and the uniquely shaped mountains served as their guideposts. "Several bursts of snow can fall in a single day, even during summer, and we have to wait for the snow to stop before we can proceed," said Kalzang Lhundrup. Gagya Darmang, a conservation officer at the station, recalled that a one-way journey to "sweet water bay," where Tibetan antelopes give birth every June, took three days on horseback in the past. Today, it only takes five hours by car. Back then, without laptops or smartphones, they could only roughly estimate that around 10,000 pregnant Tibetan antelopes migrated to "sweet water" to give birth. "The number of Tibetan antelopes giving birth here this year has exceeded 100,000," said Gagya Darmang. The conservation station welcomed a new member -- Pema Drakpa, the son of Gagya Darmang. Under the influence of his father and predecessors, Pema Drakpa joined the wildlife conservation cause. "Since I was a child, I have followed my father to patrol in the reserve, and I can understand the deep feeling he has for this land," Pema Drakpa said. Above their work, the central and regional governments have also approved and implemented the plan and the law on ecological protection on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau over recent years. Official figures show that the population of Tibetan antelopes in the region had grown to over 300,000 as of 2023. Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a delegation of chief justices of African countries in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chen Wenqing, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met with a delegation of chief justices of African countries in Beijing on Tuesday. Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, said that in recent years, Chinese and African leaders have reached many consensuses on developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Africa, and on building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, drawing a blueprint for the long-term development of bilateral relations. He said that China is ready to work with Africa to implement the consensuses reached by the leaders, have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Africa relations -- particularly concerning judicial cooperation -- and carry out high-quality legal and judicial cooperation. The members of the delegation said they will promote the exchange and mutual learning in judicial affairs between Africa and China. WELLINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has committed funds to boost the country's efforts to reduce agricultural emissions and safeguard the food and fiber sector, on which the country's economic security depends. The government and the Bank of New Zealand are together committing an additional 8 million NZ dollars (5.08 million U.S. dollars) towards AgriZeroNZ to help farmers reduce agricultural emissions. The strength of the New Zealand economy relies on effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand's farmers, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said on Tuesday. "The AgriZeroNZ public-private joint venture is accelerating the development, commercialization and uptake of practical tools and solutions for our farmers to meet our international obligations," McClay said. Other shareholders include milk producers such as the a2 Milk Company, Fonterra and Synlait, as well as major banks including ANZ, ASB, Rabobank, among others, which will take the overall investment in AgriZeroNZ to 191 million NZ dollars (116.95 million dollars) over the first four years, with half of this funding from the government. The government is focused on finding practical tools and technology to reduce agricultural emissions in a way that won't reduce production or export revenue, McClay said. Government investments in the sector will support the development and progress of identifying and breeding low-emission animals; developing methane and nitrous oxide inhibitors and supporting global collaborations and research with partners to find solutions that will benefit New Zealand farming systems, the minister said. Innovative emission-reducing technology is the key to retaining production and rebuilding the economy, he said. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chang'e-6 returner, carrying the world's first samples from the far side of the moon, landed in north China on Tuesday, marking a significant step in China's lunar exploration and a new hope for humanity's journey into the vastness of outer space. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a pioneer of astronautics and spaceflight, once said Earth is the cradle of humanity, but that one cannot live in the cradle forever. The Chang'e-6 mission is one of our tottering steps away from that cradle, which will eventually constitute a giant leap for humanity's cosmic future. Launched on May 3, the mission lasted more than 50 days and is one of the most complex and challenging missions in China's space endeavors to date. It is also a highlight among decades of global lunar exploration efforts. Previous lunar sampling missions carried out by the United States, the Soviet Union and China all collected samples from the moon's near side. Samples of Chang'e-6 will open a new window for scientists to study the moon's evolutionary history and even the origins of the solar system, laying a solid foundation for deep space adventure. A milestone in China's space exploration history, the Chang'e-6 mission not only embodies the ingenuity and efforts of China's scientists and engineers, but also exemplifies the country's commitment to open cooperation for the common interest of humanity. The spacecraft carried four international payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy and Pakistan, and they all functioned as planned. Neil Melville-Kenney, ESA technical officer for the Negative Ions on the Lunar Surface project, said this was ESA's first activity on the surface of the moon, and they managed to collect data of a quantity and quality far beyond their expectations. Also, as a part of the cooperation, the ESA provided support to the mission on its way to the moon and back, with its ground stations tracking the spacecraft to confirm its orbit. The French payload, named Detection of Outgassing RadoN (DORN), on board Chang'e-6 was the first French instrument to operate on the moon. After the landing, the first set of measurement results provided by DORN, eagerly awaited by the French scientists, confirmed its normal operation. As shown by the Chang'e-6 mission, many countries and international organizations have advanced the collective understanding and exploration of the cosmos through sharing of technology and expertise. The success of the mission stands as a testament to the power of global cooperation in humanity's journey to deep space. But regrettably, there are also some political hurdles on this long journey. Notably, some American politicians, obsessed with a zero-sum mentality, cannot bear to witness the success of other countries and are resistant to this trend of open cooperation. To block exchanges and cooperation with China in the space sector, they have created a slew of barriers, such as the Wolf Amendment, which the global science community has met with criticism and discontent. These narrow-minded actions have hindered the efforts of American scientists who are seeking space cooperation with China. Ironically, the United States has expressed the hope to share China's lunar samples. In contrast to these barriers, China and its partner nations have set a good example by sharing in joint efforts in their pursuit of space exploration. After the Chang'e-6 mission, China will continue to work with more nations to embrace the moon in future missions such as Chang'e-7, Chang'e-8 and the International Lunar Research Station. Cooperation instead of confrontation, and win-win outcomes rather than a monopoly are the approaches that should become the fundamental consensus for space exploration. In this regard, China has demonstrated itself as a reliable and responsible partner with its concrete actions. With space exploration venturing into broader frontiers, the risks and challenges humanity may face are becoming immense. This means the human race should unite and work together on this long journey. Only by discarding the narrow concept of zero-sum games and fostering a sense of collective wisdom and efforts can we travel further into our universe. CHANGSHA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- In the predawn mist off Kenya's coast, fishermen cast their nets into the sea, chasing wild anchovies. Little did they know, this catch would soon embark on a journey to China, where it would be made into tasty snacks destined for supermarkets across over 30 countries. Jinzai Food Group Co., Ltd. in central China's Hunan Province drives this international operation. Since 2022, after Kenya's aquatic products gained access to the Chinese market, the company has emerged as one of the largest importers of these products. "The company's sales of dried small deep-sea fish, have surpassed 1 billion yuan (around 140 million U.S. dollars) and tens of thousands of tonnes of fish are imported each year," said Zhou Jinsong, the company's chairman. Zhou added that the company has set up a fish-processing factory in Kenya, supports the local government in conducting fishing surveys, and helps train fishermen into skilled industrial workers. Jinzai exemplifies the thriving economic and trade exchanges between Hunan and Africa. The province has stayed at the forefront of China-Africa economic and trade relations. Featuring advanced agricultural technology, equipment manufacturing and infrastructure construction, Hunan has sustained an annual growth rate of 23.1 percent in economic and trade cooperation with Africa, according to official data. In addition to Hunan, the five other central provinces of China, have been encouraged to establish inland reform and opening-up highlands. The region will accelerate the development of platforms such as the pilot zone for deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa, as highlighted in a May press briefing by the Ministry of Commerce. Guided by the national strategy, the provinces, located far away from borders and coastlines, are actively driving institutional and practical innovations in economic and trade cooperation with Africa. The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, regularly held in Changsha, Hunan's capital city, has become a crucial showcase for African agricultural products, enhancing their international visibility. In the city's China-Africa Economic and Trade Headquarters Building, hosts from both countries sell African products via livestreaming to help them gain a footing in Chinese and global markets. Spanning over 100,000 square meters, the building commenced operations in mid-June and is expected to achieve a trade volume with Africa totaling 30 billion yuan over the next three years. Numerous construction companies from neighboring Hubei Province have ventured into Africa, undertaking diverse engineering projects in sectors such as energy, transportation, municipal construction, housing, telecommunications, and metallurgy. North of Zambia's capital Lusaka, about 88 kilometers along a major highway, lies rows of modern standard factories and a grid of straight roads. This area is Jiangxi Province's first overseas economic and trade zone, the Zambia-Jiangxi Economic Cooperation Zone, which was completed after five years of construction. The area will be developed into a new eco-friendly urban area that combines industry, trade, logistics, comprehensive services, leisure, healthcare, education, and essential living facilities, said Xu Jianfeng, the zone's general manager. "We see the booming trade as a win-win situation which keeps growing," said South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele. "And the massive growth in bilateral trade has been translated into direct benefits to our people." Nazrin Abdul Chairman Rovshan Rustamov of "Azerbaijan Railways" CJSC (ADY), currently on a business trip to Turkmenistan, convened with Azat Atamuradov, Chairman of Turkmenistan Railways Agency, alongside a senior delegation from Turkmenistan Maritime Agency in Ashgabat, Azernews reports. ADY reports indicate substantial potential for collaboration between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in railway development and freight transport. The discussions focused on enhancing multimodal cargo movement along the Central Asia - Europe - Central Asia and China - Europe - China routes, underscoring the opportunity to introduce these services effectively into the European market. During the visit, Chairman Rustamov also engaged with key entities, including "Turkmanneft," "Turkmengas," and "Turkmenkimya," as well as officials from the State Raw Materials and Products Exchange of Turkmenistan. He provided detailed insights into ADY's initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities within the Middle Corridor. * The returner of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe on Tuesday brought back samples collected from the moon's far side for the first time in human history. * Chinese President Xi Jinping extended congratulations on the complete success of the Chang'e-6 mission. * The lunar samples will be transferred to a team of scientists for subsequent storage, analysis and study. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The returner of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe on Tuesday brought back samples collected from the moon's far side for the first time in human history, marking another milestone in China's space exploration endeavors. The return capsule landed precisely in the designated area in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 2:07 p.m. (Beijing Time), operating normally. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) declared the mission "a complete success." The return capsule of the Chang'e-6 probe lands in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended congratulations on the complete success of the Chang'e-6 mission. He called for meticulous research on the lunar samples, the continued implementation of the country's major space projects, including deep space exploration, and enhancement of international exchanges and cooperation. He also urged efforts to make new contributions to revealing the mysteries of the universe, to promoting the well-being of humanity, and to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. Under ground control, the returner separated from the orbiter approximately 5,000 km above the South Atlantic. The capsule entered the Earth's atmosphere at about 1:41 p.m. at an altitude of about 120 km and a speed of nearly 11.2 km per second. After aerodynamic deceleration, it skipped out of the atmosphere and then glided downwards, before re-entering the atmosphere and decelerating for a second time. At around 10 km above the ground, a parachute opened, and the returner later landed precisely and smoothly in the predetermined area, where it was recovered by a search team. This photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows the retrieval site of the return capsule of the Chang'e-6 probe in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Chang'e-6 is so far the most complicated mission in China's lunar exploration program, and its control difficulty is extremely high, said Peng Deyun, an engineer at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. Although the whole process of the spacecraft's re-entry into the atmosphere was quite challenging, the recovery of the returner went on smoothly, Peng said. The returner is set to be airlifted to Beijing for opening, and the lunar samples will be transferred to a team of scientists for subsequent storage, analysis and study, said the CNSA. "After the lunar samples are delivered to the laboratory, we will first unseal the sample container, extract the samples, and separate the samples collected on the lunar surface from those drilled under the surface," said Wang Qiong, deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission. "A portion of the samples will be stored permanently, while another portion will be stored at a different location as backup in case of disasters. Then we will prepare the remaining portion, and distribute them to scientists in China and foreign countries in accordance with the lunar sample management regulations," he said. Consisting of an orbiter, a returner, a lander and an ascender, the Chang'e-6 spacecraft was launched on May 3, and has gone through various stages such as Earth-moon transfer, near-moon braking, lunar orbiting and separation of the lander-ascender combination and the orbiter-returner combination. A Long March-5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 spacecraft, blasts off from its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 3, 2024. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) Supported by the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, the lander-ascender combination landed at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the moon on June 2 and carried out sampling work. On June 4, the ascender took off from the moon with samples and entered the lunar orbit. On June 6, it completed rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner combination and transferred samples to the returner. The ascender then separated from the combination and landed on the moon under ground control to avoid becoming space junk. The orbiter-returner combination spent 13 days in lunar orbit, awaiting the right opportunity to return to Earth. After completing two moon-Earth transfer maneuvers and one orbital correction, the returner separated from the orbiter and eventually delivered the samples to Earth. Following its contribution to the Chang'e-6 mission, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite will choose appropriate times to carry out scientific detection work. Its payloads, including an extreme ultraviolet camera, an array neutral atom imager and an Earth-moon very long baseline interferometry experiment system, will collect scientific data from the moon and deep space. "The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution," said Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "New samples will inevitably lead to new discoveries. Fascination with the moon is rooted in Chinese culture down the ages, as evidenced by the mythological narrative of Chang'e, a lady who journeyed to and resided on the moon. Now, Chinese scientists are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to contribute to lunar science," Yang added. This photo taken and beamed back to Earth autonomously by a mini rover released from the lander-ascender combination of Chang'e-6 probe shows a view of the combination itself on the lunar surface, June 3, 2024. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) Lunar samples brought by the earlier Chang'e-5 mission have already drawn applications for access from international scholars, with the process well underway. The Chang'e-6 lunar probe carried four international payloads that were developed jointly by Chinese and foreign scientists. It is conceivable that the openness of Chinese lunar exploration activities will be mirrored in the study of Chang'e-6 lunar samples, said Yang. The lunar scientific community and the entire humankind are anticipated to reap the rewards of collaborative efforts undertaken by international scientists from a wide range of geographical and disciplinary backgrounds, Yang added. Zhang Kejian, head of the CNSA, said that exploring the vast universe is a common dream for all of humanity, and only open cooperation is the right path. China's space endeavors will adhere to the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization, and inclusive development. "We will continue to embrace openness and expand international cooperation channels. We will organize and carry out future major projects and missions, striving to expand human understanding and improve the well-being of humanity," he added. (Video reporters: Ruan Shuai, Peng Yuan, Da Rihan, Ye Ziyan, Zhang Sheng, Ren Yanyi; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Zhao Xiaoqing, Cao Ying, Liu Xiaorui) BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- This year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) military spending is skyrocketing. Defense spending across Europe and Canada is up 18 percent, the biggest increase in decades, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his recent visit to the United States. The NATO chief did not mince words about where the money would go. "Much of this increased defense spending is spent right here in the United States," he said, adding that 23 allies will meet the target of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense in 2024. In fact, a major driver behind the significant increase in NATO's military spending is the United States' persistent use of fear-mongering to foster "security anxiety" among its allies, primarily for its own benefit. By fabricating imaginary enemies and employing fear-mongering, the United States compels NATO members to increase their military spending. During the Ukraine crisis, the fear propagated by the United States has immersed European allies in security concerns, leading them to enhance their military readiness. This has benefited American defense industries immensely. Over the past two years, European allies have signed contracts with American companies worth 140 billion U.S. dollars. Therefore, it is not surprising when the NATO secretary general admitted that "NATO is good for U.S. security, good for U.S. industry, and good for U.S. jobs." Beyond economic benefits, the United States also fosters security dependency among its allies through manipulating their security strategies so as to maintain its dominant position in the Western world. Take Finland and Sweden, for instance. These traditionally neutral countries have both joined NATO after the U.S.-led military alliance successfully dragged Russia into war with Ukraine. At the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition in Paris, a trade show for the air and land defense as well as security industry, the United States stood out as the largest exhibitor after France, the host country. The strong American presence turned this defense exhibition into a symbol of Europe's dependence, said French media Le Figaro. In reality, American fear-mongering conceals carefully orchestrated tactics of sacrificing allies for self-gain, sharply diverging from the interests of its allies. Under the leadership of the United States, NATO has persistently advanced towards Russia, intensifying the Ukraine crisis and reigniting conflicts in Europe. Exploiting this situation, the United States has been supplying weapons to NATO allies, effectively turning Europe into a powder keg on the brink of peril. As a matter of fact, more military spending does not necessarily lead to greater security. Security cannot be achieved through unilateral militarization because this will prompt other countries to take similar actions. As for the U.S. allies, diverting substantial resources to defense neglects critical domestic social and economic needs, which could lead to public dissatisfaction and increasing instability. It's worth noting that the United States is seeking to extend this fear-mongering strategy to more regions in pursuit of its dual objectives of alliance-building and arms sales. The U.S. move reveals a stubborn Cold War mentality that risks escalating international tensions, deteriorating global security, and propelling more countries into an arms race, threatening world peace and stability. ANKARA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attacks in Dagestan region of Russia during phone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Turkiye's Communications Directorate said on Tuesday. In the phone call held on Tuesday, Erdogan said that "Turkiye is against all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the attacks," expressing his condolences to the Russian people for those who lost their lives, and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured people, the directorate said on social media platform X. The shootings occurred on Sunday at two orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in the coastal city of Derbent and Dagestan's capital city of Makhachkala, leaving 20 people dead and 46 others injured. UNITED NATIONS, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, emphasized on Monday that China remains committed to collaborating with relevant parties to swiftly reach an agreement on reinstating the implementation of the Iranian nuclear plan. "Going forward, China will continue to work with all parties to ensure an early agreement on restoring the plan's implementation, to push for a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, to safeguard the international non-proliferation regime, and strive tirelessly for peace and stability in the Middle East," Fu told the Security Council briefing on the Iranian nuclear issue. "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a major achievement of multilateral diplomacy endorsed by the Security Council," Fu said, emphasizing the critical importance of the agreement. The envoy stressed the urgency of achieving an "earlier breakthrough" in negotiations to restore JCPOA's implementation, which remains "deadlocked." The ambassador highlighted four key observations. First, he emphasized the need to adhere to the goal of political and diplomatic settlement, urging parties to "step up dialogue and engagement" to resume JCPOA's complete and effective implementation. He noted the crucial role of the EU as a coordinator and called on the United States to take responsibility, show goodwill, and create conditions conducive to the plan's prompt return to the right track. Second, Fu criticized the "unilateral sanctions" imposed by the United States against Iran, describing them as detrimental to international fairness and justice. He urged the United States to "swiftly lift its illegal sanctions" and create conditions for normalized trade and economic cooperation with Iran, paving the way for future negotiations. Third, Fu called for fostering a positive atmosphere for negotiation, stating that "pressuring Iran does not help the matter." Fourth, Fu addressed regional security issues, emphasizing that safeguarding JCPOA contributes to regional peace and stability. He called on regional countries to uphold the concept of common security, mitigate tensions through dialogue, and build mutual trust. Fu warned against exploiting the Iranian nuclear issue for geopolitical agendas, as this would disrupt negotiations and undermine diplomatic efforts. The ambassador concluded by reaffirming China's commitment to multilateralism, fairness, and justice. "Safeguarding JCPOA means upholding multilateralism, means maintaining international fairness and justice, and means preserving the authority of this council." A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines receives a ceremonial water salute on its arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) PRAGUE, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. Noting at a ceremony held at the airport that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao expressed the hope that the renewed flight service will promote exchanges and interactions between the peoples of the two countries, as well as revitalizing bilateral tourism cooperation. Jiri Pos, chief executive officer of the Prague Airport, said, "We have trust in the potential of the market in both directions. Together with Hainan Airlines, we are building a bridge." The Czech tourism sector is "very much looking forward to getting a new wave of Chinese tourists coming to the Czech Republic," he added. Wen Rui'an, a Chinese student who was preparing to board the return flight to Beijing in the afternoon, said she had long been looking forward to the resumption of direct flights. "The return flight is faster, taking just over nine hours to reach Beijing," she said. "I also know some Czechs who are starting businesses or engaging in trade in China. The resumption of direct flights will bring convenience to their future travels as well," she added. Hainan Airlines is now offering three flights a week between Beijing and Prague, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. According to an official from HNA Aviation Group, with the successful resumption of this route, Hainan Airlines now has 11 destinations in Europe, with routes spanning Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe. A passenger plane of Hainan Airlines arrives at the Prague Airport, Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) Passengers from a Hainan Airlines plane are welcomed upon their arrival at the Prague Airport in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 24, 2024. Direct flights between the capital cities of China and the Czech Republic officially resumed on Monday, with the arrival of a Hainan Airlines aircraft at the Prague Airport in the early morning after a 10-hour flight. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua) ROME, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni here on Monday as Hungary prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). During their meeting, the two leaders praised what Meloni called the "excellent state" of bilateral relations. They discussed demographic challenges in both countries, which are intensified by low birth rates and aging populations. Noting that the topic is not unique to Italy and Hungary, Orban said he identified the issue as one priority for Hungary during its presidency of the EU Council. The two leaders discussed the issue of refugees, an important topic for Italy, as the country has been the main landing point in Europe for would-be asylum seekers arriving from Africa over the last three years. Meloni and Orban also discussed the conflict in Ukraine. Orban stopped in Rome on the first stop of a whirlwind tour of Western European capitals as his country will replace Belgium as the president of the EU's collegiate body responsible for directing political priorities from July 1 until the end of the year. After Rome, Orban will also visit Paris and Berlin. A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) CHONGQING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 600 skilled professionals from 61 countries and regions have arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for an international skills competition. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition, scheduled for June 24-26, is jointly organized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, the China International Development Cooperation Agency and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government. The event aims to provide a platform for talented young individuals to communicate and exchange skills, as well as promote international exchange and cooperation in the field of vocational skills and to further advance the Belt and Road Initiative. Themed "Skills cooperation for common development," 18 events will be held covering a wide range of fields, including digital construction, logistics and freight forwarding, electronic technology, electrical installation, automotive technology (new energy) and internet marketing. The organizer said the average age of the participants is 22 years old, with over 95 percent of them being 30 years old or younger. Diverse activities including exhibitions, seminars, dialogues and talent exchanges will also be held during the event. The competition's first edition was held in 2019 in Chongqing, and featured contestants from 44 countries and regions. Contestants are pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows an installation marking the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant (front) is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant (front) is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant (back) is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) A contestant (L) is pictured during a contest of the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 24, 2024. The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition kicked off at Chongqing International Expo Center here on Monday, attracting participants from 61 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) BERLIN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- German tech giant Siemens AG launched on Tuesday one of Europe's largest urban development projects. The Siemensstadt Square "district of future" will cover a residential and working area of approximately 188 acres (about 76 hectares), to accommodate around 35,000 people, according to the company's press release. Digital technologies from the entire Siemens Xcelerator platform, including an end-to-end digital twin and artificial intelligence, are expected to enhance the district's futuristic livable space. By 2035, Siemens plans to invest 750 million euros (803 million U.S. dollars) in the project, aiming to develop Siemensstadt Square into a partnership hub, with the total project volume expected to reach up to 4.5 billion euros. Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner highlighted the project's significance marking the start of an advanced, sustainable smart city in the fast-growing Berlin. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of the construction phase for Module 1, with the initial two buildings expected to be completed by the fall of 2026. BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Monday issued this year's first red alert for rainstorms, the highest level in the country's weather warning system, with different provinces implementing various measures to battle the extreme weather. The National Meteorological Center at 10 a.m. Monday issued a red alert for rainstorms, which was later maintained at 6 p.m., forecasting heavy rains in the provincial-level regions of Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Guizhou and Guangxi. The country's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi. China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most urgent response and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. One more work team will be sent to Zhejiang to assist in local flood prevention efforts, the headquarters said. Work teams dispatched to Anhui and Jiangxi will continue their work there, according to the headquarters. Torrential rains have triggered mountain torrents in Yuanling County in central China's Hunan Province, leaving four dead and one missing, according to the county's emergency management department. The county has activated its emergency response and organized efforts to ensure the necessary supplies and restore power, telecommunications and transportation services. On Monday, the provincial capital Changsha saw 15 waterlogged roads after intense rain. The city's subway Line 2 and Line 3 have suspended operations. In response to the weather warning, the Xin'anjiang Reservoir, built on the upper reaches of the Qiantang River in Zhejiang Province, opened five of its nine floodgates at 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to the provincial water resources department. As the largest reservoir in east China, the Xin'anjiang Reservoir plays a vital role in flood control in the Qiantang River area. In the neighboring Anhui Province, the provincial authorities activated red alerts for mountain torrents and geological disasters in three county-level areas in the city of Huangshan, expecting a high probability of mountain torrents and geological disasters from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Heavy rain has battered the city of Huangshan since June 18, with the water levels of 99 of its 188 reservoirs recorded above the danger level as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The lives of over 400,000 residents had been affected and 54,109 people had been evacuated as of 3 p.m. Sunday. By Monday morning, a total of 43 national A-level tourist attractions in Huangshan had been temporarily shut due to the extreme weather. Mount Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its magnificent natural beauty, has been partially closed since June 20, with the reopening date depending on weather conditions. Palestinian children are seen in a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) GAZA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. The General Directorate of Civil Defense said in a statement that its crews dealt with three attacks respectively on a school in the Al-Darraj area, east of Gaza City, and another school in the Shati camp, west of the city, and a house belonging to the Al-Zamili family in the Al-Shuja'iya neighborhood. The statement added that its crews recovered the bodies of 13 people from the these locations and attended to dozens of wounded people, all of whom were transferred to hospitals for treatment. Meanwhile, security sources reported that Israeli aircraft launched several missiles targeting a house belonging to the Haniyeh family in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of the city, and it was leveled to the ground. Medical sources told Xinhua that the raid killed 10 people, including the sister of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and a number of his family members remained trapped under the rubble. Later, Israeli aircraft struck a gathering of Palestinians west of Gaza City, killing three people and wounding a number of them, according to local sources and eyewitnesses. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday that the Israeli army struck two structures that were being used by Hamas "terrorists" in Shati and Daraj Tuffah in the northern Gaza Strip. "The terrorists operated inside school compounds that were used by Hamas as a shield for its terrorist activities," it said. "The terrorist operatives were involved in the planning of numerous terror attacks against Israel, and some of the terrorists were involved in holding hostages captive and took part in the October 7th massacre," it added. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. Palestinian children are seen in a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) A Palestinian man inspects the damage of a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) A Palestinian woman inspects the damage of a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) Palestinian people are seen in a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) Palestinian children are seen among the rubble of a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) Palestinian people inspect the damage of a school after Israeli airstrikes in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 25, 2024. At least 26 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit two residential homes, two schools housing displaced people east and west of Gaza City, and a gathering on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua) The National Art Museum has opened an exhibition themed "Vajia Samadova-100: Pages of the Artist's Life", Azernews reports. The exhibition was timed to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding artist, Honoured Artist Vajia Samadova (19241965) The museum director, Honoured Cultural Worker Shirin Malikova, Vice-Rector of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts, People's Artist Salhab Mammadov, and grandson of Vajia Samadova Agshin Feyzullayev, spoke at the event about the life and work of the master of the brush, the country's first female painter. Co-organized by the Culture Ministry and National Art Museum, the exhibition presents 60 works of painting and graphics created by the artist in various genres. In landscape works, the mysterious nature of the Azerbaijani land comes to life, which the artist reflected on canvases based on her observations. And the art works created after a creative visit to Bulgaria demonstrate compositions dedicated to nature, architecture, and the people of this country. The artist's paintings are distinguished by their depiction of vivid feelings and emotions, excellent compositional solutions, and female images. The concept of the exhibition is given special meaning by the video material about the charming image of the author together with his beloved life partner, artist Latif Feyzullayev (1918-1987), as well as about his personality and creative world. When his spouse died, Latif Feyzullayev was 45 years old. He lived with her for 22 years. It was unbearably difficult for him to endure separation. Through his paintings "Old Cemetery", "Lonely Grave", "Portrait of the Artist Vajia Samadov," and "Morning", Latif Feyzullayev reflected his love for his wife and longing for her. After his death, he was buried next to his beloved. Vajia Samadova lived a short life, only 41 years old, but this life contained unimaginably much - hundreds of canvases, several generations of artists trained by her, beautiful and talented children she raised, and the exhibition centre of the Azerbaijan Artists' Union bearing her name. That is why the memory of her continues to live in the hearts of lovers of Azerbaijani painting. The freshness of colours and originality of composition inherent in her works reflect a special view of the world. She was not afraid of colours and feelings - the variety of colours logically followed the circumstances of her life, the Baku environment, and a happy childhood spent in the ancient part of Baku - Icherisheher, which the artist considered the concentration of beauty. Her canvases are a constant joy of recognition. All the main signs of Baku are here: pomegranate seeds dripping with juice and colourful bouquets painted with large strokes, sea foam marked with powerful white strokes on the Caspian shore; and an emerald palette of greenery in the courtyard. The exciting landscapes of the pearls of our native nature - Goygol, Kura, Kapaz, Absheron, beautiful portraits of contemporary women - smart, educated, self-confident, strong-willed beauties, but with the tenderness, modesty and even shyness characteristic of an eastern woman, Bulgarian motifs, full of national flavour paintings about the lives of rural workers, self-portraits - all this is so naturally, sincerely, and movingly conveyed on the canvases that it is impossible to describe in the most beautiful words. The exhibition "Vajia Samadova-100: Pages of the Artist's Life" will last until November 25. MAPUTO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique's Constitutional Council (CC) has approved four candidates for the October presidential elections. Out of 11 applicants, only Daniel Chapo of the ruling party Frelimo, Ossufo Momade of the main opposition party Renamo, Lutero Simango of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and Venancio Mondlane of the newly formed Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD) were validated. In an official statement released on Monday, the CC judges confirmed that the approved candidates met all constitutional and legal requirements. "Daniel Chapo, Ossufo Momade, Lutero Simango and Venancio Mondlane are advancing to the electoral contest, representing the main parties and coalitions in the country," the CC statement said. The remaining seven would-be candidates from minor parties were not approved by the CC. The reasons cited include insufficient supporting signatures and failures to meet formal and material requirements. "The judges detailed that during the verification process, there were significant irregularities in the rejected applications," the document states. The thorough verification process was essential to ensure the authenticity of signatures and compliance with electoral requirements, the CC added. "The approval of the candidates comes at a crucial moment for Mozambican democracy, with attention focused on the transparency and integrity of the electoral process. International observers will closely monitor the elections, which are seen as an important test for political stability in the region," the council said. This photo shows a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Kafr Kila, Lebanon, June 24, 2024. A Lebanese civilian was killed, and a civil defense member wounded on Monday in Israeli airstrikes that targeted several areas in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. Israeli drones and warplanes carried out eight air strikes on six towns and villages in the border area in southern Lebanon, destroying dozens of houses and infrastructure, according to the sources. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua) BEIRUT, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese civilian was killed, and a civil defense member wounded on Monday in Israeli airstrikes that targeted several areas in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. The sources, who spoke anonymously, said that the civilian was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the city of Bint Jbeil, and the civil defense member was wounded in an airstrike in al-Taybeh village. Israeli drones and warplanes carried out eight air strikes on six towns and villages in the border area in southern Lebanon, destroying dozens of houses and infrastructure, according to the sources. The sources added that an Israeli drone attacked the Massa camp of Lebanese Hezbollah, located in the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, with four air-to-surface missiles. "The Massa camp includes military sites, an air defense unit, and a training center for Hezbollah, and it was evacuated with the beginning of the battles between Hezbollah and the Israeli army," said the sources. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and deliver an important speech on June 28 in Beijing. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. China will hold the conference and other commemorative events on Friday in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the announcement on Tuesday. An aerial drone photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the Xin'an River Reservoir releasing water for flood control in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows a sign of a waterlogged street on the bank of the Xin'an River in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) An aerial drone photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the Xin'an River Reservoir releasing water for flood control in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the Xin'an River Reservoir releasing water for flood control in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) Citizens check the flood water on the bank of the Xin'an River in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province on June 24, 2024. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows an almost submerged signboard on the bank of the Xin'an River in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Since 3:30 pm Monday, five spillway tunnels of the Xin'an River Reservoir have been opened to release water for flood control. The Xin'an River Hydropower Station, a water control hub on the main stream of the upper Qiantang River, has put all its generator units into full-capacity operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Despite increasingly pessimistic sentiments regarding future U.S.-China bilateral and economic relations, the majority of Chinese companies operating in the United States expressed positive future revenue expectations, according to a report released Monday. The China General Chamber of Commerce - USA (CGCC)'s 11th Annual Business Survey on Chinese Enterprises in the United States, released during the ongoing SelectUSA Investment Summit, showed that over 60 percent of the surveyed companies reported a deteriorating business and investment environment; 27 percent did not perceive any significant change; and only 13 percent noted a slight improvement compared to the previous year. The profit margin distribution showed a significant decline, reminiscent of the early pandemic period in 2020. Notably, there was an increase in the number of companies experiencing a decline in profit margins over the years. Regardless of the overall deteriorating environment and declining profit margins in some cases, a notable degree of long-term optimism persisted, with the majority of Chinese companies expressing positive future revenue expectations, the report said. Nearly 90 percent of companies maintained or planned to increase their investment levels in the United States, reflecting a commendable sense of optimism, determination, and resilience, the report said. "From a longer-term perspective, trade and investments have always been the cornerstone of the U.S.-China relations," said Hu Wei, Chairman of the CGCC, who is also president and CEO of Bank of China U.S.A. Despite the various uncertainties, China remains the United States' third-largest trading partner and its largest importer, Hu noted. Under the guidance of the "San Francisco Vision" outlined by the presidents of the two countries, companies from both sides need to strengthen communication and coordination to reduce unnecessary trade frictions and policy barriers and foster a more stable and open bilateral trade environment, Hu said. "This will not only help promote the recovery of the two countries' economies but also lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the global economy," Hu said. This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows a Delta flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Flight DL475 from Boston to San Francisco reversed course mid-flight when one engine failed during takeoff on Thursday, according to a report. SAN FRANCISCO, June 24, (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Delta Airlines jets encountered four major incidents within 48 hours last week, including two flights bound for San Francisco, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report on Monday. Flight DL475 from Boston to San Francisco reversed course mid-flight when one engine failed during takeoff on Thursday, it said, adding that the Airbus A321-200N crew safely returned to Boston Logan International Airport approximately 20 minutes after departure. The aircraft has been in service since October 2022 and remained grounded in Boston as of Monday morning. On Friday, another Delta flight, DL916 from Atlanta to San Francisco, lost its right-hand engine mid-flight due to loss of oil quantity and pressure. The Boeing 757-200 was diverted to Salt Lake City, landing safely. Flight DL92 from New York to Berlin encountered a problem with the anti-skid brakes. The Boeing 767-300ER crew requested the longest runway available in Berlin and emergency services upon landing. The aircraft landed safely in Berlin on Friday and was cleared for the return sector by emergency and maintenance crews, according to the report. Additionally, flight DL1245 from West Palm Beach to Boston experienced a left-hand engine fire shortly after takeoff on Thursday. The Airbus A320 crew extinguished the fire during a U-turn back to West Palm Beach and landed safely, according to the report. BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday started deliberating a draft revision to the Law on Penalties for Administration of Public Security. The draft was submitted to an ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for the second reading. A stipulation on the law's application concerning acts against the public security administration on foreign ships and aircraft was added to the draft revision, in a bid to enhance the law's connection to international treaties on aviation safety and other issues, according to a report by the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC. Another stipulation elaborating on citizens' defense against unlawful infringements was also added to the draft. The draft revision stipulates that in the case of minors who commit illegal acts but will not be subject to punishments in accordance with the law, public security organs should impose correctional education measures on them according to the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. TOKYO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Duty-free sales at department stores across Japan totaled 71.8 billion yen (449 million U.S. dollars) in May, up about 3.3-fold from a year earlier, setting a new record for the third consecutive month, data by an industry body showed. Overall sales at 177 stores operated by 71 companies rose 14.4 percent from a year earlier to 469.2 billion yen, marking the 27th consecutive month of growth, bolstered by increasing numbers of foreign visitors to Japan and strong purchases of luxury brands and other high-end items, the Japan Department Stores Association said Monday. The increase in visitors led to a 19.4 percent increase in total sales across 10 major cities in Japan, while high-end art, jewelry and precious metals saw a 36.7 percent jump in sales, the association said. An association official said the stores will likely continue benefitting from foreign visitors for a while, adding that the strong purchasing trends among Chinese visitors have pushed up sales and average spending per consumer for the month. VILNIUS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Spanish King Felipe VI visited a Lithuanian air force base on Monday and met with the Spanish troop participating in the Baltic air policing mission. Nauseda thanked the king for Spain's contribution to the security of the Baltic region, highlighting Spain's participation in the Baltic air policing mission for the eleventh time, according to a press release from the Lithuanian presidential office. They were briefed on the operations of the Baltic air policing mission. During the meeting, members of the Spanish Air Force contingent leading the mission presented their tasks, activities, equipment, and fighter jets, said the release. The NATO air policing mission in the Baltic States was launched at the end of March 2004, following Lithuania's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The mission aims to safeguard the airspace of the Baltic States, thus ensuring the integrity of NATO's European airspace. Airplanes of the Dutch airline KLM are parked at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 31, 2020. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua) The number of weekly flights to China has increased to 42 from 29 last year, Airline Partnerships Director at Schiphol Airport Wilco Sweijen told Xinhua. AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's visa-free policy has boosted passenger flows from Schiphol Airport in the Dutch city of Amsterdam to China, with major airlines expanding capacity to meet rising demand. The number of weekly flights to China has increased to 42 from 29 last year, Airline Partnerships Director at Schiphol Airport Wilco Sweijen told Xinhua on Tuesday. "We are now seeing a much higher demand of passengers going to China," he said, adding that Schiphol Airport has recently ramped up its security and ground handling staff to accommodate the surge in passengers during the summer travel season. Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) Su Jie, sales director of China Southern Airlines' Europe and Amsterdam Office, said that from July 1, the airline will increase weekly flights from Amsterdam to Beijing and Guangzhou to 14. It uses the latest Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft to provide an enhanced travel experience for passengers. Other airlines flying to China have either already increased or plan to increase their flight frequencies in response to the growing demand spurred by the visa-free policy. In May, China extended its visa-free policy until Dec. 31, 2025, for citizens of the Netherlands and 11 other countries. Holders of valid ordinary passports from these countries can now enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, or transit, for stays for up to 15 days. Laman Ismayilova A concert dedicated to the 127th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Azerbaijani professional vocal art and one of the founders of the national musical theatre, People's Artist Murtuza Mammadov (Bulbul), has been held in Baku, Azernews reports. The event was organised by Bulbul Memorial House-Museum as well as Bulbul Vocal School, founded by Honoured Artist Ramil Gasimov. The museum director, Fargana Jabbarova, spoke about Bulbul's life and work as an outstanding musician who made a huge contribution to the development of national culture. For his rare musical gift, as a child he was nicknamed "Bulbul" (translated from Azerbaijani as nightingale), which became his stage name. Bulbul spent his childhood and youth in Shusha; the atmosphere of this city, permeated with poetry and mugham, served as a fruitful basis for his work. The strength of his talent and uniqueness lay in his wide range of voice, clear artistic diction, and high stage culture. Bulbul's repertoire was incredibly rich and rich. Performing classical works in several languages, Bulbul paid great attention to the Azerbaijani language. He was also an outstanding teacher, passing on his experience and the secrets of art to talented youth. His creativity and activities had a great influence on the vocal art of the entire East, becoming an excellent example for our modern performers. Ramil Gasimov noted that the name of the brilliant Bulbul is associated with the formation and widespread dissemination of classical vocal traditions in Azerbaijan, and the established educational institution is based precisely on the national vocal traditions inherited from the great master. He emphasised that he is proud to be the successor of Bulbul's school, and the educational institution will preserve and pass on the traditions of the Master to future generations. During the concert, students of the Bulbul Vocal School performed classical works by world and Azerbaijani composers. TAIPEI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A digitalized and animated version of the Chinese painting "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" will soon give viewers in Taipei an immersive tour of Chinese city life over 900 years ago. The multimedia exhibition of the ancient Chinese painting, one of the most famous, will be held from Wednesday to Sept. 15 in Taipei, according to the organizer Firenze Cultural Exchange at a press conference on Tuesday. The original painting, a scroll 528.7 cm long and 24.8 cm wide, vividly records the buzzing daily life of Bianliang (today's Kaifeng), the imperial capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), in the 12th century. Using digital animation and projection technologies, the show will allow people to watch 1,068 figures in the painting moving, trees swaying in the wind, and horses and donkeys running, while experiencing the city during the daytime and at night. By viewing the painting, audiences will learn more about literature, arts, architecture, geographic details and even military arrangements in ancient China, said Garrick Cheng, general manager of Firenze Cultural Exchange. "We hope that more people in Taiwan, particularly young people, will learn about this masterpiece," Cheng said. Together with the multimedia show, there will also be supplementary exhibitions introducing the economic, scientific and cultural achievements and people's life during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with Hungary to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and keep China-Hungary relations at the forefront of China-Europe relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Tuesday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks over a phone call with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. Wang said that during Chinese President Xi Jinping's successful visit to Hungary not long ago, he and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban jointly announced the elevation of China-Hungary relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, injecting strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations. Congratulating Hungary on its upcoming rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), he stressed that China has always supported European integration and the EU's strategic independence, and regards the Europe side as an important partner on the Chinese path to modernization. Noting that China maintains a high degree of stability and continuity in its policy toward Europe, Wang said it is hoped that the Europe side will pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China, uphold an open stance and work with China to ensure the sound and steady development of China-Europe relations. It is believed that Hungary will play a positive and constructive role in the sound interaction between China and Europe, he added. Szijjarto said Xi's visit to Hungary was a complete success with fruitful outcomes. The positive results in Hungary-China friendly relations have demonstrated that deepening cooperation with China aligns with Europe's fundamental interests. He said that Hungary is willing to take the opportunity of assuming the rotating presidency of the EU to promote mutual understanding between Europe and China, enhance cooperation efficiency, oppose protectionism and insist on resolving trade frictions through dialogue and consultation. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Szijjarto said that the "six common understandings" jointly issued by China and Brazil has laid a good foundation for future peace talks, noting that Hungary fully agrees with this important peace initiative and thanks China for its contribution to peace. Wang said that with the conflict continuing to drag on and even intensify, the world needs more objective, balanced and constructive voices and more pragmatic and effective efforts to promote peace. China will continue to work with all like-minded countries to accumulate factors for peace and make unremitting efforts to ultimately achieve peace talks. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the tenth session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday deliberated a draft law on rural collective economic organizations as the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, started its 10th session. The draft, submitted to lawmakers for its third reading, aims to promote the development of rural collective economic organizations and safeguard the interests of farmers. Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting. At the meeting, lawmakers also reviewed a draft law on emergency response and management, a draft financial stability law, a draft preschool education law, and a draft amendment to the accounting law. They also deliberated on the draft revisions to the frontier health and quarantine law, the public security administration punishments law, the cultural relics protection law and the mineral resources law, among other bills. Lawmakers reviewed a draft decision on adjusting the application of the food safety law in the Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as two bills concerning the Minamata Convention on Mercury and an extradition treaty between China and Panama, respectively. In addition, they heard multiple reports and personnel-related bills. NAIROBI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday flagged off the first group of 400 police officers, marking their deployment to Haiti to combat gang violence. The ceremony in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, saw the president hand over the Kenyan flag to the officers who will participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. This mission was authorized by the United Nations Security Council on Oct. 2, 2023, under Resolution 2699. The deployment has faced several delays and legal challenges, including being declared illegal by the Kenyan High Court at one point. Despite these obstacles, the group is set to leave for Haiti on Tuesday. Kenyan Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has appointed Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Godfrey Otunge as the new commander for the more than 2,500 police officers involved in the Haiti operation. An advance team has already departed for Haiti ahead of the main group's arrival. Last week, Kenya reached an agreement with the Haitian government on rules of engagement for the security personnel, who may face fierce opposition from the well-armed gangs that have taken control of Haiti's capital and overwhelmed local police. More than 1,000 Kenyan police officers will join other international teams in Haiti to address the gang violence. In addition to Kenya, countries such as Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritius will also send officers to Haiti. UNITED NATIONS, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A UN official on Monday highlighted the ongoing terrorist threats and dire humanitarian needs in Somalia, urging global partners to provide funding to help improve the situation there. James Swan, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), told a UN Security Council meeting that the Somali government is prioritizing security and combating Al-Shabaab fighters on many fronts. "For its part, Al-Shabaab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little regard for the loss of civilian life," he said. "I condemn these terrorist attacks and extend my condolences to the families of those killed." Swan, also the acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, informed council members that more than 3.8 million people in the country remain displaced, adding that "extreme weather, insecurity, and disease outbreaks are all increasing demand for lifesaving support." Emphasizing that these challenges can be addressed through investments to reinforce the "longer-term resilience" of communities, infrastructure, and the economy, Swan urged international partners to provide funding to meet humanitarian needs, as the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, requiring 1.6 billion U.S. dollars, is only 24 percent funded. "At the current rate, the impact of climate change is outpacing our ability to support adaptation and humanitarian response," he said. Swan also addressed tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, urging both nations to resolve their differences peacefully. "I encourage Somalia and Ethiopia to resolve this matter peacefully in accordance with these principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity as enshrined in the UN Charter and international law," he added. NAIROBI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least four protesters were shot dead on Tuesday by anti-riot police outside parliament buildings in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, during a demonstration against a proposed tax hike. Protesters took to the streets to oppose a finance bill that aims to raise taxes on a wide range of items, which they argue will exacerbate the economic hardships faced by citizens. Nairobi County Police Commander Adamson Bungei confirmed that several people were injured during the protest. The situation in Nairobi escalated when protesters breached police barricades and assaulted the parliament building, according to the police. Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin meets with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 25, 2024. Liu led a CPC delegation to visit Bangladesh from Sunday to Tuesday. (Xinhua/Sun Nan) DHAKA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Bangladesh from Sunday to Tuesday. During the visit, Liu met and exchanged views with Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin, President of Bangladesh's Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Joint General Secretary of Awami League and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, and held talks with Bangladeshi people from all walks of life. Liu attended the donation activity of the "China-Bangladesh Healthy Children Initiative: Strengthening Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity." He also inspected the Padma Bridge and other projects, and visited the memorial hall of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation. Both sides agreed to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen inter-party exchanges, align development strategies, jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality, and push China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership to a new level. President of Bangladesh's Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 24, 2024. Liu led a CPC delegation to visit Bangladesh from Sunday to Tuesday. (Xinhua) COLOMBO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet gave approval for the identification of an investor through a competitive process for the implementation of a geo gas terminal project, the government's information department said on Tuesday. The department said the project at the area called Kerawalapitiya in western Sri Lanka comprised of internal burner engines of 200 megawatts with twin fuel capacity. According to the department, it is a project recognized by the long term electricity generating plan for 2023 to 2042 and approved by Sri Lanka public utilities commission. It is expected to be developed under build, own, operate, transfer basis for 20 years as an independent power generator, the department said. COLOMBO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Forty-six known thieves in Male have been intercepted over 4,000 times by police in the first six months of 2024, Maldivian Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan said on Tuesday, speaking at the Parliament Committee on National Security Services. He added that most robberies in Male region are generally being committed by these 46 repeat offenders. Ihusaan said due to the lapses in existing laws, these thieves are released without action being taken. "It is due to this challenge that all these days, even after 4,000 interactions, they remain out in society," Ihusaan said. He said the police are allowed to hold persons in custody for 24 hours from the time of arrest. Ihusaan said a special operation targeting 21 most critical individuals commenced last week, which has led to the arrest of 14 individuals. CANBERRA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has welcomed UNESCO's recommendation that the Great Barrier Reef remain off the World Heritage in-danger list. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Monday released a draft report urging Australia to set more ambitious climate change targets to preserve the reef but recommending against the 21-member World Heritage Committee listing it as in-danger at its meeting in July. Responding to the report, Australian Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said the decision recognized the ongoing efforts of the governments of Australia and the state of Queensland to make significant progress on climate change, water quality and sustainable fishing. In a joint statement with Nita Green, Australia's Special Envoy for the Reef, Queensland Premier Steven Miles and Di Farmer, Queensland's Acting Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Plibersek said the two governments have invested a combined 2.2 billion Australian dollars (1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in protecting the reef. "The Great Barrier Reef is part of our national heritage. We have a duty to safeguard it, to care for it, and to pass it on, so our kids and grandkids can enjoy it like we do," she said. "Together with the Queensland Government, we are acting on climate change, improving local water quality, protecting our marine life, dealing with invasive species, and investing a record amount of money into reef programs." In its report, UNESCO experts expressed their utmost concern over a mass coral bleaching event that occurred across the reef in the summer of 2023/24. It was the fifth time in eight years that the reef has experienced mass coral bleaching, a phenomenon whereby coral enduring heat stress expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissue, turning the coral completely white and increasing the risk of starvation. The UNESCO report also raised concerns about ongoing water quality problems on the reef, calling for tougher laws to prevent land clearing in the reef's catchment area. Australia will be required to provide further progress reports on its reef management efforts to UNESCO in February 2025 and 2026. Laman Ismayilova The Days of Russian Culture have kicked off at Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku, Azernews reports. Well-known public, cultural, and artistic figures attended the opening ceremony of the event. The Azerbaijan Deputy Culture Minister, Murad Huseynov, welcomed the guests of the opening ceremony. Murad Huseynov stressed that Azerbaijani-Russian relations, including in the field of culture, are built on mutual understanding and friendship. "In Azerbaijan, Russian culture is treated with great respect, and Azerbaijani culture is highly valued in Russia. The holding of the Culture Days and joint projects is a key factor in the cooperation of cultural and artistic figures of our countries, and also contributes to getting acquainted with the rich culture and history," Huseynov said . Russian Deputy Culture Minister Andrey Malyshev expressed gratitude for the warm welcome of Russian artists. "We haven't held cross-cultural days since 2019, and now we return to cross-events on an annual basis. Today's concert is also an indicator of our century-old friendship. I am convinced that the cultures of our two great countries will always be together, Malyshev said. The opening ceremony was followed by a gala concert, "Russian Classics," with the participation of Honoured Artist of Russia Ivan Rudin, the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra. The soloists of the concert were Maria Barakova (mezzo-soprano), Alexey Melnikov (piano), Sergey Dogadin (violin). The guests of the event welcomed the concert program consisting of musical masterpieces by Russian composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Dmitry Shostakovich, with great enthusiasm. The Days of Russian Culture in Azerbaijan will last until June 26. COLOMBO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved 150 million U.S. dollars in financing for Sri Lanka to improve the quality and utilization of its primary healthcare services, according to a statement on Monday. The World Bank said the project will help improve quality of care and increase the use of primary medical care institutions, which provide essential health services to local communities. Capacity challenges and absence of a formal referral mechanism have led to the underutilization of primary healthcare facilities and overcrowding in tertiary care facilities in Sri Lanka, according to the statement. The previous World Bank supported project already enhanced 550 Primary Medical Care Institutions with essential equipment, medicines, health workers and basic laboratory testing facilities. The new project will scale up these efforts to cover 100 percent of Primary Medical Care Institutions across all districts of Sri Lanka, expanding to over 1,000 facilities with a more comprehensive service package and improved quality of care, it said. PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A truck transporting garment workers to their factory flipped onto its side in southwest Cambodia's Kampong Speu province on Tuesday, leaving 61 people injured, a provincial senior police official said. The accident took place at 6:25 a.m. local time on National Road 4 in Samraong Tong district when the truck's driver rear-ended a car before crashing into a motorist, said Tab Lon, Kampong Speu provincial deputy police chief in charge of road traffic. "The truck overturned and threw workers onto the street," he told Xinhua. "A total of 61 people, including 52 women, got injured in the crash, but none of them is in serious condition." The injured people had been rushed to a nearby hospital, Lon said, adding that police were hunting the 34-year-old truck driver, who escaped the scene soon after the collision. Transporting workers in open trucks to and from factories is common in the Southeast Asian country. Late last month, some 45 garment workers sustained injuries when their truck hit head-on with another truck from an opposition direction in central Kampong Chhnang province. The country's multi-billion-U.S.-dollar garment, footwear and travel products industry consists of about 1,680 factories, employing around 918,000 workers, mostly female, according to the Ministry of Labor. People stand in a queue to buy rice outside the Rice and Paddy Wholesale Depot in Yangon, Myanmar, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe) YANGON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- People are lining up at the Rice and Paddy Wholesale Depot (Wardan) in Myanmar's Yangon to purchase rice at reduced prices amid rising prices. Hla Hla Thein, 63, said, "I came here to buy rice because it's more affordable than in the outside markets. The price difference is about 40,000 kyats (about 19.04 U.S. dollars) per rice bag of 108 lb. Buying here provides some relief, and with the extra money, we can buy oil and other kitchen essentials." Ma Swe, 42, said, "I came here to buy rice because I heard that the rice federation distributes rice at affordable prices. By buying rice here, we save around 40,000 to 50,000 kyats (about 19.04 to 23.8 dollars) per bag compared to other markets." Zin Phyu Soe, 26, said while queuing to buy rice, "For ordinary people like us, these reduced prices make a big difference, allowing us to buy other necessities. For our family, a rice bag is sufficient for a month. I waited for nearly two hours because it was crowded." Under the leadership of the Myanmar Rice Federation, the Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders' Association, the Myanmar Rice Millers Association, and the Myanmar Paddy Producers Association, rice and paddy wholesale depots have conducted a program to sell rice at reduced prices to consumers, according to the federation. This program, which began three years ago, is conducted annually. For this year, it started on Monday and will continue until rice prices stabilize in the markets, according to the Rice and Paddy Wholesale Depot (Wardan). Nwe Nwe Win, 44, said, "This program is currently only in Yangon. It's great for people here, but it would be best if it could reach the whole country. They use a rationing system, selling two packs per household. This ensures everyone gets a fair share and prevents hoarding. Even if you have more money, you can't buy extra, so it's balanced and avoids panic buying." Each household is allowed to purchase two packs, one of high quality and one of regular quality, and can buy only once a month. Traders and wholesale sellers are prohibited from buying. Buyers must bring a copy of their household registration and National Registration Card, according to the Myanmar Rice Federation. People stand in a queue to buy rice outside the Rice and Paddy Wholesale Depot in Yangon, Myanmar, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe) A participant walks to the venue for Dragon 5 final results and Dragon 6 kick-off symposium in Lisbon, Portugal, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) LISBON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Dragon Program conference, a major China-Europe science collaboration, opened in Lisbon on Monday, marking the transition from Earth observation plan Dragon 5 to Dragon 6 and included a new agreement on climate change and big data. Organized by China's Ministry of Science and Technology and the European Space Agency (ESA), the five-day symposium attracted nearly 300 experts and scholars from China and Europe to discuss the achievements of Dragon 5, and introductions to Dragon 6 projects, focusing on the latest developments in Earth observation technology and the application of satellite remote sensing technology in environmental protection and disaster mitigation. At the opening ceremony, China and Europe signed the cooperation agreement for Phase 6 of the Dragon Program, which spans from 2024 to 2028. This agreement covers ten key themes, including land, atmosphere, climate change and big data. Under the agreement, both sides will continue to promote the sharing and application of Earth observation data through collaborative research, academic exchanges, and talent training. Starting in 2024, the China Science and Technology Exchange Center will take over the Chinese side's management of the Dragon Program, working alongside ESA's Earth Observation Department. In his opening remarks, China's ambassador to Portugal Zhao Bentang highlighted that the Dragon Program is a model of China-Europe scientific and technological cooperation. Zhao emphasized that both parties have contributed significantly to global scientific innovation and talent cultivation. China and Europe have supported collaborative research, technical training, academic exchanges, and data sharing within the framework of the Dragon Program, said Dai Gang, director-general of the Department of International Cooperation at China's Ministry of Science and Technology in a video speech. These efforts have fostered a stable joint research team for Earth observation, achieved internationally leading research results, and provided technological support for tackling global challenges such as climate change. Gao Xiang, director general of the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, said the Dragon Program has seen continuous improvement in its cooperation mechanisms, expansion in funding scope, and enhancement in the level of cooperation and technical expertise over the past 20 years. The program has broadened its research fields, data sources, and the number of participating scientists, contributing to the economic and social development of both sides, Gao noted. Josef Aschbacher, director-general of ESA, said the Dragon Program is one of the longest-standing and most fruitful cooperative projects between China and Europe. He noted that the program has not only facilitated profound exchanges between scientists from both regions, but also promoted the application of technological achievements. This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the exterior view of the venue for Dragon 5 final results and Dragon 6 kick-off symposium in Lisbon, Portugal. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) MOSCOW, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine have each exchanged 90 prisoners who were captured during their ongoing conflict, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The United Arab Emirates provided mediation efforts during return of the Russian servicemen, the ministry said in a statement. The freed Russian soldiers will be taken to Moscow by military transport aircraft, and will receive medical treatment and rehabilitation in the Defense Ministry's medical facilities, the ministry added. WASHINGTON/LONDON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has reached a tentative deal with U.S. Justice Department to plead guilty to a single felony count of violating the Espionage Act, with no additional prison time, according to court filings released Monday evening. Assange left a British prison on Monday and flew out of Britain, Wikileaks said on social media platform X. "The defendant will plead guilty to the charge in the (Criminal) Information of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States," a letter filed by the Justice Department showed. The Criminal Information, filed alongside the letter, says that Assange "knowingly and unlawfully conspired" with Chelsea Manning to "receive and obtain documents, writings, and notes connected with the national defense" and "willfully communicate" the documents to "persons not entitled to receive them." Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who gained prominence for leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks in 2010, was convicted of violating the Espionage Act and sentenced to prison in 2013, but her sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama in 2017. Assange was embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the U.S. government due to his role in acquiring and releasing classified military and diplomatic documents between 2009 and 2011. These files included hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. military documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. His supporters viewed him as a brave journalist and whistleblower exposing government wrongdoing, while his critics share grave concerns about the potential harm caused by his leaks. Assange fled to the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 to avoid potential sexual assault charges brought by Swedish authorities. He was granted asylum by Ecuador's government and spent seven years in the embassy, but was evicted in 2019. British police arrested him immediately after, and he has been imprisoned in London's high-security Belmarsh prison for the past five years, where he has been fighting extradition effort by the U.S. government. Downtown Cadiz (Kat Nickola) The ancient city of Cadiz can be seen across the Bay of Cadiz from Rota. It is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe and makes a great day trip destination. Cadiz was founded as early as 1100 BC by Phoenician traders who called it Gadir. At the time, the bustling trading port was made up of two islands. Nowadays, Cadiz is connected to the mainland by a sliver of sand. You can visit the ancient city at the free Yacimiento Arqueologico Gadir, an archaeological site of Phoenician houses that now lies under Cadiz. Cadiz skyline from atop the cathedral (Kat Nickola) Over time, Cadiz was absorbed into the Roman Empire and the citys name evolved into Gades. It became a thriving, wealthy port and naval base. Today you can visit the Teatro Romano de Cadiz for free to wander under the amphitheater stands and learn about life in Roman Gades. Later, under Muslim rule, the city was called Qadis which translated into Cadiz following the Reconquista. Tunnel under the Teatro Romano de Cadiz (Kat Nickola) A short walk from the amphitheater through the cobbled alleyways will lead you to the Arco de la Rosa. It is one of the few vestiges of the medieval city wall. Just beyond the arch the tiny alley opens onto a palm-tree lined plaza with the Catedral de la Santa Cruz de Cadiz and the Iglesia de Santiago. The small Iglesia, or Church of Saint James, marks the starting point for the Camino de Santiagos Via Augusta route. The huge baroque cathedral took over 100 years to build in the 1700s and has an ornately decorated interior with numerous chapels and relics, a display of religious trappings and a massive crypt. Your ticket includes a visit to the tower, which is accessed from a separate door outside. After a winding climb up the ramp (not stairs), the view from the top is incredible and the bells will chime right over your head. Catedral de la Santa Cruz de Cadiz (Kat Nickola) For food, you cannot beat lunchtime in the Mercado Central. In the morning, the central aisle of this market is busy with produce and fish vendors. Around 1 p.m., however, the outer aisles begin to set up and open for lunch. It is a great place to taste new tapas and pinxtos (tapas on a baguette) since you can buy them individually from display cases. Pinxtos at the Mercado Central (Kat Nickola) Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas from the port of Cadiz on two of his voyages. It became a target for pirates and raids since it had become the homes port for the Spanish treasure fleet. To protect these assets, a series of fortifications and sea walls were built along the western waterfront over the centuries. The Castillo de Santa Catalina was built in the 1600s and reflects the style Spanish conquistadors would carry to their forts in the southwestern United States. Across the small Caleta Beach is access to the long causeway out to the Castillo de San Sebastian, built in the 1700s. The castle has been used in James Bond and Die Hard films. The walk out along the causeway is windy, even in nice weather, but the castle is often closed. At low tide, it is fun to explore the tide pools and coastline below the fortifications. You can get to Cadiz via the ferry from Rotas port or you can drive. Paid parking at the train station is straightforward and within easy walking distance from the old town. Description Everyone's favorite yoga program returns to Bryant Park for summer 2024! From May 29 through September 25, join us for classes Tuesday mornings on the Upper Terrace, and Wednesday evenings on the lawn. Our yoga classes are appropriate for all levels of practice. Join us on Tuesday, June 25 for a yoga class led by Mona Anand, co-owner and managing director of ISHTA Yoga and a Yogiraj or yoga master in the ISHTA lineage and has recently opened ISHTAs new flagship studio in New York City. Mona leads ISHTAs world renowned 200 hour and 300 hour international teacher training. Mona created a nine-step system of yoga nidra with ISHTA founder, Alan Finger called Mona Anands ISHTA Yoga Nidra. She is passionate about restorative yoga and yoga nidra, which led her to develop her signature Restorative/Yoga Nidra Workshops over fifteen years ago, a style being emulated by teachers around the globe. Yoga mats are not provided, and bringing your own water and towel is recommended. The program is free, but please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bryant-park-yoga-tuesday-morning-classes-2024-tickets-893695345837 The $150 Billion Opportunity SoftBank Lost By Selling Nvidia Shares Too Soon In 2019, SoftBanks Vision Fund decided to sell all of its Nvidia shares, which comprised 4.9% of the company. Although back then this seemed like a smart move because SoftBank had originally spent around $700 million to buy the shares and ended up making a huge profit of $3.3 billion from the sale, now its clear: had Softbank held onto those shares, they would be worth more than $150 billion just a couple of days ago. By selling in 2019, SoftBank missed out on a gain of more than $150 billion. Don't Miss: Even though Softbanks Vision Funds main goal was to invest in artificial intelligence, being too early can sometimes mean missing out on bigger opportunities. In 2019, Nvidia was struggling, with its share price nearly cut in half over the previous four months. But fast-forward to today. Nvidia is valued at about $2.9 trillion, just behind Apple and Microsoft, making SoftBank's decision to sell look like a missed golden opportunity. However, its important to remember that investment decisions are made based on the information and market conditions available at the time. Predicting the future market is always uncertain. The tech industry, especially in areas like AI and semiconductors, grows rapidly and can be unpredictable. Nvidia, which makes GPUs, turned things around significantly. As AI technologies advanced, Nvidias products became more and more essential, causing the companys value to shoot up. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? But even as Nvidias stock has significantly increased by over 1,000% since October 2022, making it now the third-largest company in the world by market value, investors are wondering if Nvidias growth can continue, especially since its so dominant in making AI chips. The world of investing is never straightforward, and what seems like a good idea today might turn out to be a terrible decision down the road and vice versa. Naturally, Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group, regrets his decision. He recently said, "The fish that got away was big" and "I had to tearfully sell the shares." Still, Masayoshi Son remains committed to AI. In fact, he recently said, "I seriously believe the reason why Masayoshi Son was born is to make ASI come true," revealing his intent to make a significant investment in the AI space. Story continues As The Wall Street Journal reports, Son believes in "artificial superintelligence" (ASI), which he said would be 10,000 times smarter than human intelligence and would be widely used in 10 years to help humans with problems like diseases, car accidents, wars, and even potential meteor crashes. Keep Reading: No generation before Gen Z has had this investment opportunity How successful Zoomers plan to retire in their 30's . Are you rich? Heres what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article The $150 Billion Opportunity SoftBank Lost By Selling Nvidia Shares Too Soon originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Ulviyya Shahin Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the country, Maksat Mamytkanov, Azernews reports. Ambassador Maksat Mamytkanov presented a copy of his credentials to Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Minister Bayramov congratulated the ambassador on his appointment, and wished him success in his future endeavours. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on various aspects of the bilateral cooperation agenda, as well as enhancing cooperation in political, economic, transport, humanitarian, and cultural domains and implementing joint projects. Touching upon the friendly relations between the two countries based on ethnic, cultural, and religious bonds that have existed for centuries, the minister emphasised the prospects for the development of these relations. Noting that there is mutual understanding between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan at all levels, FM Bayramov underscored that thanks to the contacts and reciprocal visits between the heads of the two countries, relations between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership. The parties hailed the development of cooperation between the two countries on multilateral platforms, especially the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), SPECA, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other regional organisations. They underlined great prospects for cooperation within the framework of the OTS, as well as stressed the significance of intensive contacts between the OTS member states in order to use the existing potential. In this regard, the sides expressed confidence that the extraordinary summit meeting of OTS scheduled to be held in Shusha city in July this year and the official summit to be held in Bishkek in October would contribute to the development of the organisation. During the meeting, the pair pointed out that there are great prospects for cooperation within the framework of COP29. FM Bayramov commended the support of Kyrgyzstan for the peace and construction process, noting that the high school, the foundation of which was laid in Khydyrly village of Aghdam on the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic, is a clear example of this support. Ambassador Maksat Mamytkanov said that he would spare no effort to further strengthen the relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Amidst a generally positive trend in European markets, where Germany's DAX index recently saw a notable gain of 0.90%, investors continue to seek opportunities that combine growth potential with strong insider commitment. In this context, stocks with high insider ownership can be particularly appealing, as they often indicate confidence from those who know the company bestits executives and key stakeholders. Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Germany Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth pferdewetten.de (XTRA:EMH) 26.8% 75.4% Deutsche Beteiligungs (XTRA:DBAN) 35.4% 31.6% YOC (XTRA:YOC) 24.8% 22.2% Exasol (XTRA:EXL) 25.3% 105.4% NAGA Group (XTRA:N4G) 14.1% 58.1% Alelion Energy Systems (DB:2FZ) 37.4% 106.6% Stratec (XTRA:SBS) 30.9% 22% elumeo (XTRA:ELB) 25.8% 99.1% Redcare Pharmacy (XTRA:RDC) 17.7% 46.9% Friedrich Vorwerk Group (XTRA:VH2) 18% 30.4% Click here to see the full list of 18 stocks from our Fast Growing German Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. Let's dive into some prime choices out of from the screener. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Deutsche Beteiligungs AG is a private equity and venture capital firm that focuses on direct and fund of funds investments, with a market capitalization of approximately 519.94 million. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through Private Equity Investments and Fund Investment Services, amounting to 55.15 million and 47.85 million respectively. Insider Ownership: 35.4% Earnings Growth Forecast: 31.6% p.a. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, a notable entity in the German market, demonstrates robust growth potential with earnings expected to increase by 31.56% annually. Despite recent revenue declinesfrom 103.33 million to 49.98 millionfuture revenue is projected to grow at 24.7% per year, outpacing the German market's 5.2%. The firm's strategic buyback program, involving up to 25 million for share repurchases until February 2025, underscores strong insider confidence despite its current undervaluation at 73.8% below fair value estimates and a low forecasted Return on Equity of 17.5%. XTRA:DBAN Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Hypoport SE is a technology-based financial service provider in Germany, with a market capitalization of approximately 1.997 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its Credit Platform and Insurance Platform, with 155.60 million and 66.29 million respectively. Story continues Insider Ownership: 35.1% Earnings Growth Forecast: 31.9% p.a. Hypoport SE, a growth-oriented company in Germany, reported a significant increase in first-quarter earnings for 2024, with sales rising to 107.47 million from 93.72 million year-over-year and net income increasing to 3.04 million from 0.503 million. Despite the high volatility in its share price over the past three months, Hypoport's earnings are expected to grow by 31.9% annually, outperforming the German market forecast of 18.6%. However, its forecasted Return on Equity is considered low at 9.1% in three years' time. XTRA:HYQ Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Redcare Pharmacy NV is an online pharmacy operating across the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and France with a market capitalization of approximately 2.38 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its DACH segment, which contributed 1.62 billion, and its International operations, which added 0.37 billion. Insider Ownership: 17.7% Earnings Growth Forecast: 46.9% p.a. Redcare Pharmacy, a growth company in Germany, reported an increase in Q1 2024 sales to 560.22 million from 372.05 million year-over-year, while reducing its net loss to 7.81 million from 10.22 million. Despite trading at 40.7% below its estimated fair value and lacking recent insider buying or selling data, Redcare is anticipated to turn profitable within three years with expected revenue growth outpacing the German market at 17% annually versus 5.2%. However, shareholder dilution occurred over the past year and its forecasted Return on Equity remains low at 12.9%. XTRA:RDC Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024 Key Takeaways Unlock our comprehensive list of 18 Fast Growing German Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking here. Have a stake in these businesses? Integrate your holdings into Simply Wall St's portfolio for notifications and detailed stock reports. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Looking For Alternative Opportunities? 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.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years. Companies discussed in this article include XTRA:DBAN XTRA:HYQXTRA:RDC and Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: River Sub, a Subway franchisee operating 48 stores in Texas filed for Chapter 11 on June 20, just over a week after a Texas appeals judge rejected the operators effort to vacate an arbitrators decision to award nearly $3 million in a wrongful death case. In 2021, Marisela Cadena, a manager employed by River Sub, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend who had previously kidnapped her. River Sub allegedly refused a transfer request by Cadena following the kidnapping and declined to take further security measures. River Sub owes Cadenas survivors approximately 38 times as much money as its next largest creditor, a landlord to which River Sub owes $78,000, according to documents filed by the franchisee. Dive Insight: The franchisee said its store footprint peaked at 69 restaurants in 2012, declining to 48 at the time of filing, according to documents one of its owners filed in support of its Chapter 11 petition. River Sub said it saw sales fall by 80% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year its restaurants managed about $30 million in sales, and the franchisee currently employs about 454 people. Subway does not include information on the financial performance of franchisees in Item 19 of its Franchise Disclosure Document, making it difficult to compare River Subs performance to a company standard. River Sub tried to avoid the arbitrators award to Cadenas survivors by alleging the arbitrator was biased. A trial court and an appeals court rejected the claim. While River Sub did not disclose a specific reason for seeking Chapter 11, its filing is not the first example in recent years of a franchisee seeking bankruptcy while facing the prospect of a significant payment following violence against an employee. Rice Enterprises, for instance, a multi-unit McDonalds operator, sought Chapter 11 protections to reduce liability in a suit after a manager employed by Rice raped an employee; Rice eventually settled for $4.35 million. Subway is currently facing a similar lawsuit against itself and franchisee GRB Investments. Investing in dividend stocks is a great way to start collecting passive income. Many companies pay dividends, with some offering very attractive payouts. Several high-quality dividend stocks currently yield over 5%, significantly above the S&P 500's average of around 1.3%. Here are five great higher-yielding dividend stocks to buy right now for passive income. Generating lots of income Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) currently has a dividend yield of around 5.5%. The utility generates very stable income backed by government-regulated rate structures and stable electricity demand to support its hefty payout. Its current focus is on providing dividend stability while investing in expanding its operations and transitioning its power generation fleet to lower-carbon energy. Those investments should grow its operating earnings at a 5% to 7% annual rate while steadily reducing its dividend payout ratio (from its current level of around 80% down to its target of 60%). That will put its payout on a stronger foundation and eventually put Dominion into a position where it can start growing its dividend again. More growth ahead Enbridge's (NYSE: ENB) dividend yield is currently over 7.5%. The Canadian pipeline and utility company produces very predictable income backed by long-term contracts and government-regulated rate structures. That gives it the fuel to pay dividends and invest in expanding its infrastructure portfolio. It currently has a multibillion-dollar backlog of expansion projects underway. It also routinely makes accretive acquisitions (it's currently working to close a once-in-a-generation purchase of three gas utilities from Dominion). Enbridge expects these catalysts to grow its cash flow per share by 3% annually through 2026, and by 5% per year after that. Its growing cash flow should enable it to continue increasing its dividend, which Enbridge has done for 29 straight years. Living up to its name Realty Income (NYSE: O) currently offers a dividend yield approaching 6%. The real estate investment trust (REIT) owns a diversified portfolio of income-producing commercial properties, which supplies it with a steady stream of cash flow. The REIT stands out for its ability to routinely increase its monthly dividend. It recently declared its 126th dividend increase since going public in 1994, during which time it has grown its payout at a 4.3% annual rate. Realty Income should be able to continue increasing its dividend. It expects to grow its cash flow per share by 4% to 5% annually, driven by rent growth and additional property acquisitions. It has been expanding its opportunity set in recent years by adding new property types (e.g., gaming and data centers) and regions (additional European countries) to enhance its ability to continue growing its dividend. Story continues A healthy dividend Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) currently offers a dividend yield above 6%. The pharmaceutical giant has paid 342 consecutive quarterly dividends. It delivered its 15th straight year of increasing its dividend late last year. The company is also investing heavily in growing its business. It bought Seagen in a $43 billion blockbuster deal late last year to enhance its ability to develop new cancer treatments. It's also investing heavily in research and development. Pfizer wants to double the number of cancer patients it treats by 2030 by launching several more blockbuster medicines. Those investments should grow its earnings and cash flow so that it can continue increasing its dividend. A free cash flow machine Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) dividend yield is over 6.5%. The telecom giant generates lots of cash flow, which it uses to reinvest in its business, pay dividends, and strengthen its balance sheet. Last year, Verizon generated $18.7 billion in free cash flow after funding capital expenses. That easily covered its $11 billion in dividend payments. It used its excess free cash flow to continue pushing its already solid leverage ratio lower (from 2.7 times to 2.6x over the past year). The telecom giant has a great record of increasing its dividend. It delivered its 17th consecutive annual dividend increase late last year, the longest current streak in the U.S. telecom sector. That upward trend should continue. Verizon's investments in 5G are growing its revenue. Meanwhile, cost reductions and debt repayment should boost its free cash flow. Excellent income stocks Dividend stocks can be an excellent source of passive income. Dominion, Enbridge, Realty Income, Pfizer, and Verizon stand out for their above-average income streams. Their payouts are all on rock-solid ground and should head higher in the future, making them great options for those seeking sustainable income streams. Should you invest $1,000 in Enbridge right now? Before you buy stock in Enbridge, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Enbridge wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $775,568!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 24, 2024 Matt DiLallo has positions in Enbridge, Realty Income, and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Enbridge, Pfizer, and Realty Income. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Energy and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 5 Dividend Stocks Yielding at Least 5% to Buy Right Now for Passive Income was originally published by The Motley Fool Image source: Getty Images As someone who not only shops at Costco weekly but also writes about the store often, my love affair with Costco is pretty obvious. I've even been known to visit Costco stores while on vacation just to check out the inventory and see what other locations look like. But while I'm definitely a huge fan of Costco, some aspects of shopping there really get under my skin. Here are five things I can't stand that I'd like to see Costco try to improve on. 1. The parking lot I can't say with certainty that Costco parking lots are a nightmare everywhere. But in my home state of New Jersey, that's sort of a universal truth. And I've spoken to friends in other parts of the country who say the same thing. In a nutshell, it's rare for me to pull into a local Costco parking lot and get a spot without having to wait for someone to leave. And this is coming from someone who's willing to take the absolute farthest spot in the lot. I wish Costco would find a way to add more spaces. It would not only save shoppers time, but also make the parking lots safer. 2. The long lines at the pump Costco offers some of the cheapest gas in town, so I usually try to fill up my car before I do my shopping. But pretty much no matter when I go to Costco, there's always a wait to get gas. And sometimes, that wait is so long that I end up skipping the fill-up and paying extra at a more expensive station with no wait. Costco could solve this problem by adding a few more pumps or by adding a few more attendants. The latter is probably easier and it seems simple enough. The good thing is that I have several credit cards that give me extra cash back on gas. So if I can't endure the wait at Costco, I at least get that savings. 3. The long lines inside the store As much as the lines to get gas can be annoying, an even more frustrating experience is waiting in long lines to check out at Costco -- even when you shop at off-peak times like I do, such as when the store first opens. The introduction of self-checkout also hasn't helped matters, because often, you need a store employee to scan heavy items from your cart. One potential solution would be for Costco to have an express lane for shoppers with, say, 10 items or less. See, I shop at Costco every week, so I don't often have all that many individual items in my cart. But I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck behind people whose carts are overflowing with products because they only come to Costco once a month. 4. The arctic temperatures you need to endure to buy produce or milk I appreciate Costco's effort to keep perishable goods cold. But if you've ever been inside the dairy or produce section at Costco, you're no doubt familiar with the "I'm this close to frostbite" sensation that comes with grabbing a couple of gallons of milk or a few bags of salad. Story continues Of course, it's not as if I'm hanging out in the dairy section for more than a couple of minutes. But I do like to check the dates on the items I'm buying. It's harder to do that when you're so instantly cold that you're immediately planning your escape route. I'm not sure there's much Costco can do about this. But free hand warmers would be nice. 5. The constant temptation to spend OK, so this one isn't Costco's fault, per se -- it's my fault for not exercising self-control. But because Costco is constantly updating its inventory, I'm constantly tempted to buy extra items and bust my budget. I don't expect Costco to end this practice anytime soon. In fact, it's a key component of the store's strategy. I just wish Costco would at least hide the yummy seasonal products at the back of the store, so I'm less likely to find them. However, when I'm trying to be cautious about spending, I make a point to steer clear of aisles that don't contain an item from my weekly Costco list. You may want to do the same if you've been known to fall victim to Costco impulse buys. Overall, there are plenty of things I love about Costco, from the low prices to the generous return policy. But a few tweaks could make my Costco shopping experience -- and yours -- even better. If you have suggestions for how Costco can improve, you can write to the company at: Costco Wholesale P.O. Box 34331 Seattle, WA 98124 You can also leave feedback by phone at 425-313-8100. I can admit that I haven't yet gone this route. But I'm considering it, because if there's any store that's likely to take customer feedback to heart, it's Costco. Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!) If youre shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, youll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period. Click here to read our expert recommendations for free! We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 5 Things I Hate About Costco was originally published by The Motley Fool Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images Constellation Research said Nvidia stock will soar 65% to $200 per share over the next year. The research firm said it expects Nvidia stock to continue soaring for the next 18 to 24 months as it benefits from its AI dominance. There are seven moats around Nvidia's business that will enable continued growth. Nvidia stock will surge to $200 per share over the next 12 months, and its ongoing rally is set to last up to another two years, according to Constellation Research. Constellation founder R "Ray" Wang told CNBC on Monday that he believes Nvidia has seven moats that will help it maintain its dominant position in the market for GPUs that are fueling the AI boom. "Nvidia is the foundational stock in the Age of AI. CEO Jensen Huang intends to achieve vertically integrated domination from silicon to software through partnerships and direct routes to market. Unlike the PC age where Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco served as a triumvirate foundational players, this new era will have new players all tied back to Nvidia," Wang told Business Insider in an e-mail on Monday. These are the seven reasons Wang expects Nvidia stock to soar 65% from current levels. 1. Visionary founder-led CEO "It's a visionary-led CEO, and that's very very important as you've seen in the valley. Those are the ones that have led, like the Larry Ellisons of the world, the scott Mcnealys, the Mark Zuckerbergs," Wang said. 2. High barrier to entry "There's few competitors that can come into this chip market, and it takes a long time to get a chip to market, and if you can do that and if you succeed and then if you can actually get the right chip, that's a very hard thing to do." 3. High switching costs "Once you're in, you're locked in because of the CUDA software and all the access to the chips, the software, and the entire stack. You're going to be locked in for quite some time and they've got quite a lead in terms of doing that." 4. Dominant market share "Nvidia has had dominant market share, and I think that makes a big difference because they've been in this market for quite some time and the competitors are behind by 24 months." 5. Strong product roadmap "We're only seeing one-tenth, maybe one-one hundredth of the product roadmap that Nvidia has out there, and that's really exciting for those who actually have some insight into what they have next, because it's more than just chips, and it's more than just what's happening in software. That ability to go from silicon all the way to the end side, that's where we're going to see a lot of the innovation." Story continues 6. GPU is the default standard in AI "The ecosystem has made the GPU a default standard. It's the standard everyone's looking to for AI from inference and testing." 7. The numbers don't lie "We're seeing some amazing growth here that actually matches the P/E ratio, and that's what everyone is looking at, they're trying to figure out how this is going to continue, but gross margins are 78%, 262% growth compared to a year ago, this is going to continue for at least the next 18 to 24 months." Wang said the current 14% decline in the stock since it peaked at about $140 per share last week represents yet another buying opportunity for investors. "The pullback is coming at a macro level. People are worried about the consumer side, people worried about where the economy is going to head, and they're doing some profit-taking before the summer, so I think it's a good time to buy the dip," Wang said. Wang isn't the only analyst on Wall Street with a $200 price target for Nvidia stock. Last week, Rosenblatt raised its Nvidia price target to $200 per share on the prospect of the company better monetizing its CUDA software platform. Read the original article on Business Insider Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 10% in the last month. But the silver lining is the stock is up over five years. In that time, it is up 78%, which isn't bad, but is below the market return of 93%. So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns. See our latest analysis for Agilent Technologies To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Over half a decade, Agilent Technologies managed to grow its earnings per share at 4.0% a year. This EPS growth is slower than the share price growth of 12% per year, over the same period. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. And that's hardly shocking given the track record of growth. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Agilent Technologies' earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Agilent Technologies' TSR for the last 5 years was 84%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective Agilent Technologies shareholders are up 15% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 13% per year over five year. It is possible that returns will improve along with the business fundamentals. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Agilent Technologies . Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) stands against the other utility stocks. You can also check out the 20 States With the Most Expensive Electricity In The US here. The power and utilities industry in 2023 saw mixed outcomes. Despite a 53% year-on-year drop in natural gas prices for power generation, customer bills went up by 1.9%. This increase was due to record-breaking investments of nearly $171 billion in grid modernization and decarbonization efforts, along with rising interest rates. Overall, electricity sales dipped slightly by 1.2% year-on-year (YoY). Looking ahead to 2024, the outlook for clean energy is bright. Forecasts predict stable electricity prices alongside a 2% growth in sales. This growth is fueled by a rise in clean energy investment, from both utility companies and the government. Investments are being directed towards renewable energy generation, with solar expected to double in capacity in 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts a significant year for solar power, with utilities planning a 30% increase in capacity by adding 31 gigawatts. Wind energy is also projected to grow by 5% or 7 gigawatts. As a result, solar and wind power are set to become the dominant sources of electricity generation in the US, potentially surpassing coal. Renewables are expected to reach 18% of total generation, while coal may fall to 17%, marking a historic milestone in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, there is a forecast of accelerating demand for electricity in the US in the next few years. According to a report by consulting firm Grid Strategies, electricity demand forecasts for 2024 have been significantly revised upward based on filings submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2023. Grid planners now anticipate a nationwide increase of 4.7% over the next five years, which is a sharp rise from the 2.6% growth projected just last year. This rise in demand is expected to be accompanied by a substantial increase in peak demand, with forecasts indicating a growth of 38 gigawatts (GW) over the next five years. This increase in electricity demand is driven by multiple factors. Industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, and data centers are experiencing a construction boom, with data centers in some areas like Virginia seeing unprecedented growth at 6% to 8% every year. Electric vehicles are also expected to contribute to the demand increase as BloombergNEF (BNEF) forecasts a 20% YoY increase in global battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2024. On the supply side, challenges remain. According to Senior Partner for Energy & Utilities at West Monroe, Danny Freeman, utilities are going to prioritize grid reliability and resilience in response to climate change. Extreme heat and drought are likely to continue disrupting power generation in 2024, with summer 2023's record-breaking heat likely marking the start of a long-term trend. The American West is facing its driest period in 1,200 years, and researchers predict a long-term pattern of aridification. These conditions can significantly reduce power output, especially during peak demand periods. Thus, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $3.5 billion in October 2023 to projects that will improve grid flexibility and resilience. The funding for this project is provided by the Grid Resilience Program (GRIP), created by the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). The rapid transformation of the utilities sector presents many exciting opportunities for investors. With this context in mind, lets take a look at the 10 best utility stocks to buy now. Our Methodology To shortlist the best utility stocks, we relied on Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds as of Q1 2024 to analyze the hedge fund sentiment for each stock. We picked the utility stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). A technician in a deep-water treatment facility, ensuring clean water for public safety. American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36 American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) is a major US water utility company. Established in 1886 and headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, this company delivers water and wastewater services to millions of residents across 14 states. The company reported solid first-quarter earnings of $0.95 per share as compared to $0.91 in 2023, meeting expectations. American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) also reaffirmed its full-year EPS guidance of $5.20 to $5.30 per share. American Water Works is progressing well with its $3.1 billion capital investment plan and recently finalized the acquisition of a wastewater treatment plant in Granite City, IL, for $86 million. Analysts are moderately bullish on American Water Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) with a rating of "Moderate Buy." The average price target for the next 12 months is $134.20, suggesting a potential upside of 2.8%. Heres what ClearBridge Investments said about American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) in its Q3 2023 investor letter: At the same time, an out of favor utilities sector created an opening for us to be opportunistic. During the quarter we added American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK), the largest publicly traded water utility in the U.S., operating across 24 states and providing drinking water, wastewater services and other related services to 14 million customers. Continuous investments in infrastructure improvement, resiliency and water quality should drive solid growth and generate attractive regulated returns for the company for the foreseeable future. In addition, the water infrastructure market remains very fragmented, with 80% of community water systems serving a population of 3,000 or less, enabling American Water Works to continue its strategy of accretive acquisitions to bolster its growth rate. Overall AWK ranks 8th on our list of the best utility stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now to see the other utility stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of AWK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AWK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Mg Biologics, an Ames antibody manufacturer, is planning a $5 million expansion in rural Boone County. An Ames antibody manufacturer has announced plans for a $5 million dollar expansion in rural Boone County. Mg Biologics, a manufacturer of plasma and antibody products, will expand its property at 2366 270th Street, where Boone County overlaps city limits. The project will enhance the company's manufacturing, warehouse and research footprint by erecting two new facilities on 80 acres of land. The expansion will also add eight technical positions with a minimum starting wage of $31 per hour, according to a Boone County Economic Growth Corporation press release. The Iowa Economic Development Authority authorized state funding support for Mg Biologics on June 21. The board approved $225,000 of incentives through Iowa's High-Quality Jobs Program. The Boone County Supervisors also approved a local match and resolution of state funds on June 12, supporting the project with tax abatement incentives on a 10-year schedule. The schedule initiates an 80% abatement for the first year. The amount will decrease by 10% each year for five years: 40% for the fifth and sixth years, 30% for the seventh and eighth years, and 20% for the ninth and 10th years. More: Ames Animal Shelter given $40,000 grant to help prevent pet diseases Mg Biologics, an Ames antibody manufacturer, is planning a $5 million expansion in rural Boone County. Using antibodies to treat, prevent diseases Mg Biologics was founded in 1999 and celebrates its 25th anniversary in September. The company manufactures products for equine, canine, feline, bovine and porcine species. Mg products are focused on benefiting animals' health, from neonatal to critical care needs. Their products include plasma, IgG, antibody products, and antivenom for canine and equine. The company also makes and manufactures a Rattler Antivenom that neutralizes venom from rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins. The product has undergone several studies and is licensed by the USDA. "We believe (and research shows) that antibodies (and antivenoms) are beneficial in reducing the duration and severity of a disease or in arresting the disease entirely," a statement says on Mg Biologics' website. More: Old Burger King restaurant on Lincoln Way may become Dunkin' coffee shop More: Only hospital program in Iowa provides free summer meals to Collins-Maxwell kids Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Local plasma manufacturer plans $5 million Boone County expansion The Ames Chamber of Commerce revealed its rebrand Tuesday, June 25. They are now known as the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, covering Story, Boone and Hamilton Counties. The Ames Chamber of Commerce has entered a new era, with visions of growing Story County and the surrounding communities. The local entity, which has recently expanded into Boone and Hamilton County in addition to several Story County communities, has rebranded as the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. The rebrand was revealed Tuesday morning with the launch of the organization's new website. The Ames Chamber and the Ames Economic Development Commission are now affiliate organizations of the Alliance. Vice President of Marketing and Communications Eric Smidt said the Chamber's work will continue under the new brand. "In many ways, this brand is playing catch-up to the work that's already taken place," Smidt said. "As the work already includes all that stuff, now the brand will reflect that." The rebranding initially started last fall when the Chamber cemented its reach well beyond Story County. They no longer serve only the Ames community, and it was time to reflect that work. With the recent expansion into Hamilton County, the timing reinforced why the rebrand was necessary, Ames Regional Economic Alliance President and CEO Dan Culhane said. Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, poses after unveiling the Ames Chamber of Commerce's rebrand on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. "We've expanded; that doesn't mean we're not still doing the work in the Ames community we've always done, but we've taken on more responsibility across Story County, then to Boone and Hamilton Counties," Culhane said. "Consequently, the organizational name that we've had for all these years didn't properly reflect who we represent." The CEO said the rebrand better includes all the communities the Alliance is working with, not just Ames. The organization, which was founded in 1939 as the Ames Chamber of Commerce, is "beyond excited" for its new era. "There hasn't been a week that's gone by since we've started the project in earnest that we haven't been reinforced in a positive way by the work that's happening in this building, that this is moving in the right direction," Smidt said. "Once we are officially the Alliance, it makes all the sense in the world for the type of work that we do." More: Old Burger King restaurant on Lincoln Way may become Dunkin' coffee shop Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, speaks at a rebrand unveiling on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Ames, Iowa., Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune What does the new name symbolize? "Ames" is featured in the Alliance's new name because the city geographically centers the organization in the region, while "Regional" and "Economic" describe the organization's role. Whatever community the organization is working in, be it in Ames, Boone or Hamilton County, it simply can be referred to as "the Alliance." "(The rebrand) is a way to make the region we're working in right now feel more included in the name of the organization," Culhane said. "It is about the Alliance brand being something that's bigger than the Ames community." Story continues When broken down into an acronym, the name spells out "AREA," though Alliance is still the preferred shortened name. More: Helping Ames thrive: Ames Chamber CEO Dan Culhane receives Leadership for Iowa Award The Ames Chamber of Commerce has rebranded to the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. Rebrand won't impact Chamber membership Members of the Ames Chamber of Commerce will still receive the benefits they have now, Culhane said. Businesses that are Chamber members and support Ames Economic Development Commission will fall under the Alliance. The organizationizational boards will remain, Culhane said. "We like having multiple boards because it gives people lots of opportunities to serve and be engaged in a wide variety of things we do," Culhane said. "We're giving people the opportunity to maintain those options going forward." Dan Culhane, president & CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, poses in-front of Alliance building after unveiling the new Alliance at Ames Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. More: Only hospital program in Iowa provides free summer meals to Collins-Maxwell kids Alliance encompasses three counties The infrastructure of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Ames Economic Development Commission initially stopped at the corporate limits of the Ames community. The organization has expanded in the last 10 years to include communities throughout Story County, like Huxley, Nevada and Story City. The city of Boone was added into the mix three years ago, and the entirety of Boone County followed shortly after. With the recent addition of Hamilton County, the Alliance now works in three central Iowa counties. "We're full-time in all these communities," Culhane said. "As opportunities and challenges present themselves, or a variety of initiatives, we can respond immediately." More: Ames antibody manufacturer receives state, local support for $5 million expansion Bringing economic opportunities to the region The Ames Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development engineered 13 regional economic development projects in 2023. According to the Alliance's annual report, that resulted in $18 million worth of approved applications and 484 new jobs. With the Chamber and Economic Development under the Alliance, the regional organization will continue to assist with economic projects in all its communities. One such project is the Daisy Brand facility coming to Boone, which was announced in April. The company plans to invest $626.5 million in a 750,000-square-foot facility to make sour cream and cottage cheese. The facility will create 106 initial jobs and anticipates growing to 255 as demand increases. The Alliance is collaborating with the City of Boone, Boone County Economic Growth Corporation, and Iowa Economic Development Authority. More: Mullets will open soon in Ames. Unlike in Des Moines, the menu will include dinner. Bringing Daisy to the region is just the start of what's to come as the Alliance expands its economic impact. "Given the strength of the organization we have today versus 15 years ago, it's easy for us to pick up a project of that size and magnitude and bring it to fruition, because we've got the expertise and team and place," Culhane said. "That's what the Alliance really is a team of people to support multiple communities across the region." Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames Chamber of Commerce rebrands to better reflect regional coverage By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) -Engine maker CFM's wariness to ramp up supplies significantly to Airbus at a time of stress for its other key customer Boeing was likely one factor in Airbus' move to delay planned jet output increases, industry sources said on Tuesday. On Monday, Airbus delayed a multi-year hike in narrowbody production, cut profit forecasts and trimmed its 2024 delivery target, blaming shortages of engines and other parts and sending shares in Europe's largest aerospace group tumbling on Tuesday. CFM, a transatlantic venture of GE Aerospace and France's Safran, makes LEAP engines that power all Boeing 737 MAX jets and typically just over half of the competing Airbus A320neo family, where they compete with the Geared Turbofan of RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney. Airbus is racing to increase production to meet demand in the face of scepticism by many suppliers over its output plans. Negotiations to secure the necessary number of engines for 2025 to keep the previous targets on track hit a snag after Airbus asked CFM to increase its share of narrowbody deliveries to compensate for industrial woes at Pratt, the sources said. Airbus was hoping CFM would hike its share of Airbus production to the equivalent of around 75% of A320neo deliveries from about 60% now, two people familiar with the matter said. That raised industrial questions after CFM engine deliveries had already fallen in the current quarter, following a flat performance in the previous three months, industry sources said. Airbus has also highlighted other shortages including cabins. But Airbus's request also put the world's largest engine maker in an increasingly delicate strategic position ahead of its 50th anniversary, as it threatened to worsen severe headaches at its other major customer, Boeing. CFM's market share depends on a triangle of factors: Airbus's production rate, Boeing's production rate and the contribution of CFM's rival Pratt & Whitney to Airbus output. Before the pandemic, these were roughly in equilibrium, though CFM's share of the Airbus deliveries was drifting steadily higher amid industrial problems at its rival. Now, the industry faces not one but two ongoing crises - an in-flight blowout that slowed Boeing's recovery from earlier safety woes and chronic bottlenecks at Pratt and Whitney. And the sheer scale of disruption to the usual balance of power between top players has put CFM under pressure to produce more. By contrast, Airbus is racing to meet demand. With Boeing still lingering at low rates, that heralded a crushing lead for its European rival if CFM could give it all the engines it needed. Story continues "CFM will try to accommodate both sides but ultimately it will never do anything that structurally disadvantages Boeing," its first and largest partner, a senior industry source said. Another person familiar with the engine maker said its reluctance to harm Boeing unduly may not be articulated directly with Airbus, but weighed in internal discussions. "CFM will try to put the brakes on Airbus for sure," the person said. A spokesperson for CFM said: "The supply chain environment remains challenging and we are working to meet LEAP engine demand from all our customers". It has also repeatedly said it favours neither Boeing nor Airbus. Airbus said it doesn't comment on confidential discussions with suppliers. CFM makes up 65% of Airbus's A320neo-family order backlog in cases where airlines have made an engine choice and accounted for 50% of Airbus narrowbody deliveries in 2023, according to Rob Morris, global head of consultancy at Cirium Ascend. STAUNCH SUPPORT Founded in 1974, CFM was the brainchild of industrialists with colourful war records: a German-born fighter engineer who fought for the allies, Gerhard Neumann, and French resistance hero Rene Ravaud, who lost an arm in British bombing of Brest. Little known to the public, it sailed unnoticed through the industry's biggest battles including a trade war between its clients Airbus and Boeing and stormy transatlantic trade ties. Safran's chairman pointedly reminded an audience including French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and senior Boeing executives of the importance of Boeing to CFM and French aerospace in an anniversary ceremony in early June. Speaking in the gilded state rooms of France's former naval ministry, Ross McInnes said: "We have stood staunchly behind Airbus and Boeing through both their respective ups and downs, and indeed the ups and downs of transatlantic relations. The success story would not have been possible otherwise." Top Airbus officials did not attend the event which coincided with management talks at the Berlin Airshow. On Tuesday, with Airbus shares down 11% on the production delays and a surprise charge at its Space business, another executive summit was under way at its Toulouse headquarters in a sombre atmosphere, insiders said. CFM must agree engine volumes about 18 months ahead, so mid-2024 was looming as a pressing deadline for clarity on 2025. On Monday, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged that 2025 had not been set in stone but sought to limit ramp-up concerns. "When it comes to the 2025 volumes, we have what we need in terms of commitment from the engine makers," he told analysts. "It doesn't mean that we are fully in agreement for the final volumes that we will retain but we have what we need to be supported for their ramp-up in '25. That's what matters to me." (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter) Fatime Letifova The second day of the Azerbaijani NGO Cooperation Forum, jointly organised by the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations and the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan, has started at the Congress Centre in Zangilan district, Azernews reports. According to AZERTAC's regional correspondent, panel discussions on the topics "The Ecological Consequences of Armenia's Mining Industry" and "COP29 and the Solidarity Movement for a Green World" will be held on the second day of the forum, which is attended by around 200 representatives of public associations. Additionally, the "Solidarity Appeal of Azerbaijani NGOs for a Green World" will be read. Later, NGO representatives will visit the Zangilan mosque. Note that the first day of the forum was held yesterday at the Congress Centre in Zangilan district. Apple has paused development on its promised $552 million campus in Research Triangle Park, the company told The News & Observer on Monday, as it looks to extend its construction timeline in North Carolina. The company has informed the state Department of Commerce it seeks to suspend the project for four years, according to a source familiar with the site. In a statement Monday, Apple said it is still looking forward to developing our new campus in the coming years and noted it has added around 600 positions in the Raleigh area since the company announced its RTP campus in April 2021. Three years ago, Apple committed to invest at least a half-billion dollars to build a new campus on the Wake County side of RTP by the end of 2031. No construction has begun. Site plans filed last summer showed the campus would include three office buildings, three accessory buildings and a parking garage totaling nearly 900,000 square feet on either side of N.C. 540. The company will only benefit from North Carolinas job development investment grant worth up to $845 million in payroll tax benefits through the year 2061 if it reaches certain annual hiring and investment targets. While the company has more than six years to complete its campus, its hiring clock began last year with an obligation to have added a minimum of 126 local workers. This jobs target increases to 378 total positions by the end of 2024 and increases up to 2,700 jobs in 2032. This week was the first time Apple has publicly commented on its RTP campus plans since announcing the project in 2021. The Triangle Business Journal initially reported the companys planned pause Monday. For now, Apple leases office space at the MetLife campus in Cary. The California-based tech giant has also purchased a four-story, 139,000-square-foot building in Durham, near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, according to multiple sources familiar with that site. What NC leaders say Apple said it would not expect to receive taxpayer benefits while its agreement is delayed, but it is not yet clear what actions North Carolina could take at this time to adjust the companys incentive deal timeline. In a statement Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper expressed confidence in Apples future in the Triangle. I have spoken with officials at Apple, and they emphasized their commitment to build this transformative campus here in North Carolina, Cooper said. North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger addressed the news of Apples delay Monday night while speaking to reporters. Its something obviously wed prefer that they go forward, he said. But again, none of the state level incentives get paid until they start creating the jobs that were promised. And so, theyve got to make decisions based on whats best for their business. And theyve apparently decided that slowing down moving forward is whats best for their business. Story continues Avi Bajpai contributed to this report. Enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly newsletter, and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. Apple in NC: Five things we learned from 1,000 pages of state records Apple still plans to build an RTP campus. The company just wont say when. Newly released records hint at timing for Apples RTP campus, and the traffic itll bring Apple has paused development on its promised $552 million campus in Research Triangle Park, the company told The News & Observer on Monday, as it looks to extend its construction timeline in North Carolina. The company has informed the state Department of Commerce it seeks to suspend the project for four years, according to a source familiar with the site. In a statement Monday, Apple said it is still looking forward to developing our new campus in the coming years and noted it has added around 600 positions in the Raleigh area since the company announced its RTP campus in April 2021. Three years ago, Apple committed to invest at least a half-billion dollars to build a new campus on the Wake County side of RTP by the end of 2031. No construction has begun. Site plans filed last summer showed the campus would include three office buildings, three accessory buildings and a parking garage totaling nearly 900,000 square feet on either side of N.C. 540. The company will only benefit from North Carolinas job development investment grant worth up to $845 million in payroll tax benefits through the year 2061 if it reaches certain annual hiring and investment targets. While the company has more than six years to complete its campus, its hiring clock began last year with an obligation to have added a minimum of 126 local workers. This jobs target increases to 378 total positions by the end of 2024 and increases up to 2,700 jobs in 2032. For now, Apple leases office space at the MetLife campus in Cary. The California-based tech giant has also purchased a four-story, 139,000-square-foot building in Durham, near the RDU airport, according to multiple sources familiar with that site. The Triangle Business Journal first reported on Apples planned pause Monday. Apple said it would not expect to receive taxpayer benefits while its agreement is delayed, but it is not yet clear what actions North Carolina could take at this time to adjust the companys incentive deal timeline. In a statement Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper expressed confidence in Apples future in the Triangle. I have spoken with officials at Apple, and they emphasized their commitment to build this transformative campus here in North Carolina, Cooper said. Enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly newsletter, and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. Apple in NC: Five things we learned from 1,000 pages of state records Apple still plans to build an RTP campus. The company just wont say when. Newly released records hint at timing for Apples RTP campus, and the traffic itll bring We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Residential Real Estate Stocks to Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) stands against the other residential real estate stocks. Residential real estate has become one of the most popular types of real estate investment in recent years. In 2024, the residential real estate market reached a valuation of $11.14 trillion. The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.07% to reach a value of almost $15 trillion by 2029. One of the main drivers of this growth is urbanization. People are moving from small towns and rural areas to cities to improve their standard of living and integrate into the modern world. Around 4.4 billion people, or 56% of the global population, currently live in cities. By 2050, it's expected that about 70% of people will reside in urban areas. Even though more resale homes are hitting the market, the inventory shortage is still high and is expected to continue due to several factors. One major issue is that many homeowners are "locked in" with low mortgage rates and are reluctant to exchange at higher rates in the current expensive market. As a result, demand continues to exceed the supply of homes. Rick Sharga, founder, and CEO of CJ Patrick Company, a market intelligence and business advisory firm, predicts that we wont see a significant increase in the supply of existing homes for sale until mortgage rates drop back to the low 5% range, which likely wont happen until after 2024. However, the market outlook is not that bleak. There is optimism that both property buyers and sellers are adjusting to a sustained period of higher interest rates. With consensus on pricing, there is hope that the real estate market can rebound from one of its most severe downturns in years. A significant recovery in activity is expected more strongly in 2025 than in 2024. Andrew Alperstein, Partner, Real Estate, PwC US also thinks that despite the economic challenges and difficulties in accessing credit, there are opportunities in the market for top-tier properties that align with the demands of todays investors. Companies need to adjust their growth strategies to perform well in this period of higher interest rates. Another Global Investment Manager at PwC commented: While event risk remains high, 2024 appears to be a pivot point, moving towards greater liquidity in real estate markets. Though there are good reasons why investors have been hesitant, we're moving towards a period where there's greater clarity. It should be an opportune time to buy. Story continues Our Methodology For this article, we conducted an analysis of our database of 919 hedge funds as of Q1 2024. From this extensive dataset, we selected the best residential real estate stocks based on the hedge fund sentiment. The top residential real estate stocks have been ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding a stake in them as of the first quarter of the year. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). An aerial view of a bustling metropolitan area with high-rise buildings and busy streets. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42 Value of Hedge Fund Holdings: $699,292,000 AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) is a multifamily REIT with 30 years of experience in developing, maintaining, and managing apartment units. The apartments span across 12 American states and Washington DC. In Q1 2024, AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) recorded core funds from operations growth of 5.1%. This was 350 basis points higher than the companys previous outlook. Furthermore, the same-store revenue growth rose by 4.2%, which was 90 basis points higher than the previous forecast. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) also shared that its developments and lease-ups are experiencing strong absorption rates and recording rents and returns above pro forma expectations. The average price target for AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB) is $207.5, as per the projections of 14 analysts from Wall Street over the past 3 months. Among these, the highest price target is $230, while the lowest forecast stands at $194. On average, this implies a 5.2% upside from the last stock price of $197.2. At the end of Q1 2024, 42 hedge funds reported owning a stake in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE:AVB). Citadel Investment Group was the leading investor in the company, with a stake worth over $141 million. Overall AVB ranks 1st on our list of the best residential real estate stocks to buy. You can visit the 10 Best Residential Real Estate Stocks to Buy to see the other residential real estate stocks that are on the hedge fund radar. While we acknowledge the potential of AVB as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AVB but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion "Opportunity" for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure. None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey. As global markets navigate through fluctuating economic signals, the Hong Kong stock market presents a landscape of potential opportunities, particularly in undervalued stocks. In this context, identifying stocks that trade below their intrinsic value could be advantageous for investors looking to capitalize on discrepancies between current market prices and underlying business fundamentals. Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Hong Kong Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Best Pacific International Holdings (SEHK:2111) HK$2.12 HK$3.82 44.4% Bairong (SEHK:6608) HK$9.03 HK$15.81 42.9% China Cinda Asset Management (SEHK:1359) HK$0.71 HK$1.29 45% Super Hi International Holding (SEHK:9658) HK$13.20 HK$25.97 49.2% Zylox-Tonbridge Medical Technology (SEHK:2190) HK$10.10 HK$19.08 47.1% REPT BATTERO Energy (SEHK:666) HK$14.34 HK$27.33 47.5% Zhaojin Mining Industry (SEHK:1818) HK$13.40 HK$24.88 46.1% Innovent Biologics (SEHK:1801) HK$37.95 HK$66.90 43.3% CGN Mining (SEHK:1164) HK$2.59 HK$4.83 46.4% Vobile Group (SEHK:3738) HK$1.19 HK$2.12 43.8% Click here to see the full list of 41 stocks from our Undervalued SEHK Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener Overview: Best Pacific International Holdings Limited operates in the manufacturing, trading, and selling of elastic fabric, elastic webbing, and lace with a market capitalization of approximately HK$2.20 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through two segments: manufacturing and trading of elastic webbing, which brought in HK$834.34 million, and the production and sales of elastic fabric and lace, contributing HK$3.37 billion. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 44.4% Best Pacific International Holdings, trading at HK$2.12, significantly below its estimated fair value of HK$3.82, appears undervalued based on cash flow analysis. The company's earnings are expected to grow by 24.29% annually over the next three years, outpacing the Hong Kong market's growth. Despite a volatile share price and unstable dividend track record, recent increases in dividends suggest improving financial health. However, its forecasted Return on Equity of 19.4% suggests potential challenges in achieving higher profitability levels. SEHK:2111 Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Vobile Group Limited is an investment holding company that offers software as a service for digital content assets protection and transaction across the United States, Japan, Mainland China, and other international markets, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$2.69 billion. Operations: The company generates HK$2.00 billion in revenue primarily through its SaaS offerings focused on digital content assets protection and transactions. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 43.8% Vobile Group, priced at HK$1.19, is trading significantly under its estimated fair value of HK$2.12, suggesting it's undervalued based on cash flow metrics. Despite a recent net loss, the company's revenue is expected to grow by 22.7% annually, outperforming the Hong Kong market forecast of 7.8%. However, shareholder dilution occurred over the past year and its forecasted Return on Equity in three years is relatively low at 6.6%, indicating potential future profitability challenges despite current growth trajectories. SEHK:3738 Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Super Hi International Holding Ltd. operates Haidilao branded Chinese cuisine restaurants across Asia, North America, and other international locations, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$8.58 billion. Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from its Haidilao branded Chinese cuisine restaurants, totaling $712.07 million. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 49.2% Super Hi International Holding, currently priced at HK$13.2, is significantly below its estimated fair value of HK$25.97, indicating potential undervaluation based on cash flow analysis. The company's earnings are expected to grow significantly by 67% annually over the next three years, outpacing the Hong Kong market's forecasted growth. However, recent financials show a net loss of US$4.46 million for Q1 2024 and shareholder dilution has occurred in the past year, presenting some investment risks despite strong growth prospects and a new CEO appointment poised to drive future strategy. SEHK:9658 Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Key Takeaways Click this link to deep-dive into the 41 companies within our Undervalued SEHK Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. Have a stake in these businesses? Integrate your holdings into Simply Wall St's portfolio for notifications and detailed stock reports. Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors. Ready To Venture Into Other Investment Styles? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SEHK:2111 SEHK:3738 and SEHK:9658. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Better Earth, a compostable foodservice packaging provider based in Atlanta, Georgia, US, is striving to make sustainability and regenerative circularity achievable within the foodservice industry through the adoption of compostable packaging. Its vice-president of sustainability Savannah Seydel tells Packaging Gateway that while the widespread adoption of compostable foodservice packaging isnt without its obstacles, the future looks bright. Accelerating sustainable foodservice packaging The global foodservice sector has a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 7% by 2027 and packaging is playing a crucial role in this growth. Companies are hastening to adapt their packaging materials and formats to meet evolving sustainable regulations and consumer expectations. For a sector that has historically relied heavily on single-use packaging made from harmful materials such as plastic, foodservice providers face the mammoth challenge of entirely rethinking packaging as they know it. Food-contact-certified compostables - a critical catalyst Seydel emphasises that the global foodservice industry is facing two main crises: food waste and climate change. Roughly one-third of the world's food is wasted per year, contributing to nearly 60% of municipal landfills' uncontrolled methane emissions. Add to this the emissions associated with continuing to depend on petrochemicals for single-use items, like foodservice packaging, and one can quickly see the snowball effect on our environment, she explains. Seydel believes that food-contact-certified compostable packaging can serve as a critical catalyst to turn the tide. However, she also recognises that eliminating single-use disposable packaging from the foodservice supply chain is unrealistic given the industrys fast-paced operations. Wherever single-use packaging must be used, we can divert more food and packaging waste away from landfills and back into our soil that so desperately needs it through compostables, says Seydel. She points out that policy remains another critical tool to drive the foodservice industrys plastic-free transition. In the US, the term "compostable is legally binding". Any item marketed as such must meet the American Society for Testing and Materials D6400 standard, which guarantees the product will break down in a commercial composting environment within 90 to180 days and leave no toxicity in the soil. Nine US states have introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation thus far. Washington operates a mandated organics collection programme, while California implemented a kerbside composting law known as SB1383 in 2022, aiming to achieve a 75% reduction in organic waste going to landfill by 2025. Story continues If the US continues to pass such legislation for the nations foodservice industry, it could join other global leaders such as Australia in the compostable revolution. Consumer education is crucial Consumers are more conscious than ever about the environmental and health implications of plastic production and pollution. But this awareness is hindered by confusing messaging, particularly around compostable packaging. Marketing and terminology have begun to read like the nutrition label on processed foods: vague, confusing, or simply chemical, laments Seydel. Such confusion means that even the most well-intentioned consumers are left swimming through a sea of language as they decipher what is truly compostable, what is recyclable, or what will become waste going to a landfill. For compostable packaging to be successful in its mission to divert food waste and packaging from landfill, third-party certification and clear, standardised labelling is necessary. Seydel highlights the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification programme as providing clear guidelines for assessing the compostability of packaging materials. Better Earth has achieved BPI certification for its products, which include compostable catering trays, cutlery and touch-free dispensers. Clear standardised labelling ensures that all stakeholders handling packaging, from operators to consumers and composters, can readily identify and differentiate compostable packaging from greenwashing alternatives and ensure proper disposal and processing. Even once a consumer has done their part, the efficacy of compostable packaging remains a point of uncertainty due to the inadequacy of global infrastructure, ultimately negating the environmental benefits. If composting facilities can adhere to reasonable operational parameters such as turning, agitation and maintaining moisture levels above 50%, compostable packaging can disintegrate effectively. For Better Earths research and development, Seydel explains that the company engages its network of partner composters to regularly test our packaging in field environments and get stakeholder feedback on packaging design. We are also always striving to employ innovative substrates that support faster disintegration, regenerate the soil and sequester carbon at the source. What lies ahead for foodservice packaging Compostable packaging can continue to leverage rapidly renewable, natural materials and upcycled waste from other agricultural industries, such as sugarcane bagasse. Seydel states that the next generation of compostable packaging goes a step beyond to utilise regenerative substrates like native perennial grasses which comprise Better Earths Farmers Fiber line, or seaweed and mycelium that follow regenerative agricultural methodologies to naturally sequester carbon, replenish the soil and nurture local economies. The foodservice industry is also increasingly looking to packaging for decarbonisation initiatives. Better Earth has debuted its Climate Smart Packaging Program, which aims to draw down the carbon footprint of its packaging across its lifecycle, from sourcing to production and utilisation to disposal. The programme encompasses rigorous ISO [International Organization of Standardization]-compliant life cycle assessments, the development of a carbon reduction plan, and carbon offsets for remaining unavoidable emissions. Another key trend Seydel identifies is production efficiency. Customers and manufacturers alike are developing goals to further reduce the environmental footprint of packaging through lightweighting, removal of unnecessary components and parts, and more efficient nesting and case packs. Outside of environmental concerns, consumers are also becoming aware of mounting research that has called into question the safety of "forever chemicals" used in foodservice packaging, such as per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). While consumers have come to expect a certain degree of oil and grease resistance in packaging due to the prevalent use of PFAS across consumer goods, fluorinated chemicals have been identified in water supplies and bloodstreams and studies have connected PFAS exposure to several health issues. Seydel indicates that although fears around PFAS have led to packaging innovations and more consumer options, a lack of federal regulation in the US is a major barrier. Consumers should look for the BPI logo on compostable packaging, which indicates the packaging is third-party verified to not have any intentionally added fluorine chemistry and breaks down in a commercial composting environment. If manufacturers, foodservice companies, consumers and composting facilities can work together across the value chain, compostable packaging will be a boon to the future of foodservice. "Better Earth: compostable packaging boosts foodservice industry" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Paul Tudor Jones is a billionaire investor, probably most famous for shorting the market before the 1987 stock market crash. In recent years, he traded more conservatively, but he remains an active investor. In his 13-F for the first quarter of 2024, Jones's Tudor Investment Corp. revealed it had opened a position in memory chipmaker Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU). Over most of its history, Micron has become better known for its volatility but has begun to gain traction in recent years. The question for active investors is whether they should follow Jones into this stock. The state of Micron Micron is likely a "once in a generation" bet because it took about a generation to return to record highs. The memory chip business is the most volatile part of the semiconductor industry. After posting gains in the 2000 dot-com bubble, Micron technology stock struggled as down cycles in the semiconductor industry wiped out all stock market gains in that industry between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s. MU Chart However, the factor likely driving Jones and other investors into Micron stock is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to AI, Micron benefits from a long-awaited increase in the secular demand for memory chips. It supercharged this demand by partnering with Nvidia and producing a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) semiconductor that will support Nvidia's next-generation H200 GPUs. Jones' investment began in the first quarter of this year, likely around the time Micron and Nvidia made that announcement. Amid this agreement, Micron has surged higher by approximately 75% since the beginning of this year, taking its stock to all-time highs. Effects on the financials Production has just begun on the HBM chip, so it is too early to see the effects. However, revenue for the first two quarters of fiscal 2024 (ended Feb. 29) was just under $11 billion, a 36% increase compared with the same period last year. Over that time, Micron limited the rise in cost of goods sold and cut operating expenses. This led to a $441 million loss in the first six months of fiscal 2024, up from the $2.5 billion net loss in the same year-ago period. Additionally, Micron reported a profit of $793 million in fiscal Q2, so its financials seem to have improved without the recent Nvidia deal. Moreover, Micron projects revenue of $6.6 billion at the midpoint in Q3 of fiscal 2024. Since it only reported $3.75 billion in revenue in Q3 of fiscal 2023, Micron is probably on track to sustain its recovery. Nonetheless, amid the increasing stock price, Micron's rising valuation should give investors pause. The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio increased to 9. While that is not high for other types of semiconductor stocks, investors should keep in mind that this is Micron's highest sales multiple in over 20 years. For the first two months of this year, the P/S ratio was under 6, indicating that Micron has become an expensive stock. Story continues Should investors follow Jones into Micron? Given the stock's history, shareholders should buy cautiously if they choose to invest at all. Admittedly, Nvidia and AI have put Micron stock into a secular bull market, and with revenue projected to keep rising, even the most bearish investors should not expect it to return to multiyear lows. However, the stock is at a record high, and a change in investor sentiment will probably bring about a considerable decline at some point. Thus, investors should not consider any aggressive moves into Micron until the stock falls back into a bear market. Should you invest $1,000 in Micron Technology right now? Before you buy stock in Micron Technology, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Micron Technology wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $775,568!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 24, 2024 Will Healy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Billionaire Paul Tudor Jones Just Made a Once-in-a-Generation Bet on This Stock. Time to Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool Celebrity Chef Refuses To Open New Businesses In California Until They 'Fix Things' Celebrity chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of popular restaurants in California, a judge on Food Networks Food Truck Face Off, and a host of FYIs Say It to My Face!, said he wont open another business in California until they "actually fix things." In an interview with Fox Business, Gruel discussed how California restaurants continue to grapple with the repercussions of COVID-19 restrictions. According to Fox, 30% of restaurants were forced to shutdown due to the pandemic, and Gruel said that number "actually seems even low." Don't Miss: Executives and founders of Uber, Facebook and Apple are bullish on this wellness app that you can coinvest in at $1.15 per share . If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Gruel pointed out, "The pandemic, obviously, kicked off this astronomical firestorm of chaos that now weve seen reverberate and grow many lives of their own in regards to all this chaos, especially across the restaurant industry." He continued to say that things are "constantly getting worse every single day." Although he doesnt hold animosity toward Dr. Fauci, Gruel still thinks hes "the man behind all of the science that was constantly held in front of our faces to justify everything that we have had to go through, and he sits there, and theres absolutely no reckoning." Rise Of The Minimum Wage And Cost Of Doing Business In September 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 1287 into law, introducing a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers, up from $16.21. According to the Hoover Institution, California fast-food restaurants cut about 9,500 jobs between last fall and January, with more job losses to come. Fast-food prices have also increased since April 1, when the law took effect. Per Kalinowski Equity Research, Wendys prices went up 8%, Chipotles 7.5%, Starbucks' 7%, and others between 3% and 4%, reports NBC Los Angeles. According to their estimates, California is now the state with the highest fast-food prices in the country, while others put it in fourth place, just behind Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey. Trending: No generation before Gen Z has had this investment opportunity How successful Zoomers plan to retire in their 30's. Some restaurant chains went further than slashing jobs; they shutdown some or all of their locations in the state. One such chain is Rubios Coastal Grill, a popular Mexican chain known for its fish tacos. As of May 31, the company closed 48 underperforming restaurants in California, citing "the rising cost of doing business in California." Story continues For Gruel, apart from rising labor costs and doing business in general, crime, regulation, and taxes are even more to blame for these closures and layoffs. He believes that the rise in crime has "ripped apart the social fabric," which is the foundation of business. He also says that regulations have piled up when, at the same time, business was going down. When asked directly whether he thought of leaving California, Gruel said that hell keep his one restaurant in the state and plans to franchise out of California, concluding, "I will not open another business in California until they fix things on a go-forward basis." Keep Reading: The average millionaire has 7 sources of income. Here are 3 passive income opportunities you can add today . The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare? "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Celebrity Chef Refuses To Open New Businesses In California Until They 'Fix Things' originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. As global markets navigate through a landscape marked by cautious optimism and mixed economic signals, Hong Kong's stock market presents a unique tableau. Amid these conditions, dividend stocks like China Kepei Education Group offer investors potential resilience and steady income streams in an otherwise fluctuating market environment. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Hong Kong Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank (SEHK:3618) 8.23% CITIC Telecom International Holdings (SEHK:1883) 9.77% China Construction Bank (SEHK:939) 7.41% S.A.S. Dragon Holdings (SEHK:1184) 8.84% China Electronics Huada Technology (SEHK:85) 8.54% Bank of China (SEHK:3988) 6.62% China Mobile (SEHK:941) 6.42% Sinopharm Group (SEHK:1099) 4.11% International Housewares Retail (SEHK:1373) 8.82% Shougang Fushan Resources Group (SEHK:639) 8.86% Click here to see the full list of 89 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: China Kepei Education Group Limited, an investment holding company, offers private vocational education services primarily in China, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$3.14 billion. Operations: China Kepei Education Group Limited generates its revenue primarily through the provision of education services, totaling CN1.60 billion. Dividend Yield: 8.9% China Kepei Education Group's recent financial performance shows a positive trajectory with sales increasing to CNY 871.97 million and net income rising to CNY 452.49 million in the first half of 2024. Despite this, the company's dividend history is marked by instability, as indicated by its volatile dividend payments over the past five years. However, the interim dividend has been declared at HKD 0.07 per share for H1 2024, showcasing a commitment to returning value to shareholders amidst earnings growth forecasted at 6.67% annually. SEHK:1890 Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited operates as an investment holding company that manufactures and distributes dairy products under the MENGNIU brand in the Peoples Republic of China and internationally, with a market cap of approximately HK$54.86 billion. Story continues Operations: China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited generates revenue primarily through its Liquid Milk Business at CN83.20 billion, followed by the Ice Cream Business at CN6.08 billion, Cheese Business at CN4.38 billion, and Milk Powder Business at CN3.83 billion. Dividend Yield: 3.8% China Mengniu Dairy's recent dividend increase to RMB 0.489 per share, payable on 26 June 2024, reflects a commitment to shareholder returns despite its historically unstable dividend track record and low yield compared to Hong Kong's top dividend payers. The company reported a decrease in net income from CNY 5.30 billion in 2022 to CNY 4.81 billion in 2023 but maintains reasonable coverage with earnings and cash flows supporting dividends at payout ratios of 40.1% and 44.8%, respectively. Recent executive changes could signal strategic shifts potentially impacting future performance and governance stability. SEHK:2319 Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Jiangxi Copper Company Limited operates in the exploration, mining, smelting, and refining of copper across Mainland China, Hong Kong, and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$75.71 billion. Operations: Jiangxi Copper Company Limited generates its revenue primarily through the exploration, mining, smelting, and refining of copper. Dividend Yield: 4% Jiangxi Copper has shown a mixed performance in terms of dividends, with an increase over the past decade but marked by volatility. Its current dividend yield of 4.01% is lower than many Hong Kong peers. The company's dividends are well-supported by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios at 32.1% and cash payout ratio at 79.8%, respectively, suggesting sustainability despite its unstable history. Recent board reshuffles and executive changes could influence future governance and financial strategies, impacting dividend reliability further. SEHK:358 Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Where To Now? Investigate our full lineup of 89 Top Dividend Stocks right here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Streamline your investment strategy with Simply Wall St's app for free and benefit from extensive research on stocks across all corners of the world. Looking For Alternative Opportunities? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SEHK:1890 SEHK:2319 and SEHK:358. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Slovenia Natasa Pirc Musar on the occasion of the country's national holiday, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "Dear Madame President, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Slovenia - Statehood Day. I believe that we will continue to make joint efforts towards the development of Azerbaijan-Slovenia relations in an atmosphere of friendship, and the continuation of our mutually beneficial cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples. On this festive day, I convey my best wishes to you, and wish everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Slovenia. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 22 June 2024" TOKYO (Reuters) -China's BYD launched its third electric vehicle in Japan, it said on Tuesday, a sedan that will be its most expensive model so far in a market where consumers have long favoured domestic brands. The Shenzhen-based automaker said it had started taking orders for its flagship Seal EV in Japan from Tuesday, setting the suggested retail pricing for the rear-wheel-drive version of the vehicle in the country at 5.28 million yen ($33,111.75). The model starts from 179,800 yuan ($24,759.70) in China. The expansion of BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, in Japan could become a worry for domestic automakers, which are struggling in China against BYD and other Chinese EV brands. The automaker has only rolled out battery-powered cars for the Japanese market, but not vehicles with other powertrain technology such as plug-in hybrids, in which it is a big player in China. BYD's sales in Japan have lost some momentum in April-June compared with last year, BYD Auto Japan president Atsuki Tofukuji said at a Seal launch event in Tokyo's Shibuya district. A big reduction in the Japanese government electric-vehicle subsidies the company's models qualify for in the business year that started in April put a drag on sales, he told reporters. The company will offer a rear-wheel-drive and an all-wheel-drive version in Japan that will both come with a 82.56 kilowatt per hour battery pack, the company said in a news release. The rear-wheel-drive version has a cruising range of 640 km (398 miles), while the 6.05 million yen all-wheel-drive version can drive 575 km on a single charge. BYD launched the Atto 3 and Dolphin EVs in Japan last year, selling about 2,500 since opening its first Japanese dealership in Yokohama in February 2023. It said it plans to add at least one new model to its lineup in Japan each year. ($1 = 159.4600 yen) ($1 = 7.2618 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle) By Carolina Mandl NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund Coatue Management's founder Philippe Laffont said on Tuesday that he is concerned about how geopolitical conflicts could affect the chip industry and the development of artificial intelligence, including Nvidia. Speaking at the Bloomberg Invest conference, Laffont said if China invaded Taiwan, it would disrupt chip production, as most of the industry capital expenditure is concentrated in the island with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which has Nvidia as one of its major clients. "That's very risky because the highest market capitalization is dependent on production in Taiwan," he said about the risks posed to AI chipmaker Nvidia. Last week, Nvidia became the most valuable company at $3.3 trillion. On Tuesday, it was the third biggest company by market capitalization, behind Microsoft and Apple. Coatue ended March with roughly $1.3 billion invested in Nvidia, according to a securities filing. Laffont did not mention his current position. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in New York; Editing by Josie Kao) JACKSON Jupiter Power and Consumers Energy announced a partnership on Monday for the 100-megawatt Tibbits battery storage project off North Michigan Avenue and State Road in Coldwater. Consumers said the agreement represents a significant milestone toward the company's goal of reaching 550 megawatts of power storage capacity by 2040. The Coldwater Jupiter Power battery will be similar to this plant now in operation in Texas. Jupiter Power said it expects to begin construction before the end of this summer. With Coldwater Township permits issued, Jupiter is currently working with the county on all relevant construction permits, the company said Tuesday. David Hicks, Consumers Energy vice president of clean energy development, said, "Battery storage is a critical part of our Clean Energy Plan, improving efficiency and boosting reliability during the transition away from coal to renewable fuel sources such as solar and wind." Sam Malin, Jupiter's vice president of origination, said, "Jupiter's long-term 100 MW power purchase agreement with Consumers represents our investment in dispatchable battery energy storage in Michigan." The $110 million project approved by Coldwater Township is four rows of 40 shipping container-sized batteries on about seven of the 70 acres the company purchased alongside the ITC grid line from the Michigan Avenue substation. Jupiter maintains ownership of the 100 MW, but under the power purchase agreement, the battery energy storage systems become part of Consumers' power capacity requirement in Michigan. Under new energy laws, Michigan requires all power providers to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030, 60% renewable energy by 2035, and 100% clean energy statewide by 2040. A state law passed last year sets a statewide energy storage requirement of 2.5 gigawatts of utility-scale battery capacity by 2030 to store wind and solar power and reach the 2040 goal. Prior story Jupiter Energy receives permits to build battery storage in Coldwater Township The Coldwater battery operation adds to Consumers Energy storage systems already operational in Kalamazoo, Cadillac, Grand Rapids, and Standish. Consumers plan to develop 75 megawatts more power storage by 2027. Jupiter Power is based in Austin, Dallas, and Chicago. The Coldwater Tibbits project is the first in Michigan. Subscribe Follow this story. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter. Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Jupiter Power Consumers Energy partner on Coldwater battery storage marekuliasz / iStock.com Living in Colorado can come with a steep price tag, especially if you hope to live in a major city like Denver or Boulder. While both cities have lots to offer their residents, like a booming job market and stunning natural beauty, home prices and living expenses are sky-high. You can find more affordable options if youre willing to settle in a smaller town. Discover More: Cheapest Places To Buy a Home in Every State Try This: Become a Real Estate Investor for Just $1K Using This Bezos-Backed Startup One option is Pueblo, a midsize city located about 40 minutes south of Colorado Springs. With 300 days of sunshine a year, its perfect for outdoor adventurists who cant get enough of Colorados mountainous peaks and hiking opportunities. If youre unwilling to be too far from bustling Boulder or Denver, you might consider Broomfield. While housing costs in Broomfield are comparable to those in Denver, the average home value is nearly half that of Boulder, despite being only 20 minutes away. Several smaller towns throughout Colorado offer affordable living, particularly in the states western and eastern rural areas. Delta and Montrose are located within driving distance of Grand Junction and Telluride and have significantly lower housing costs than Colorados bigger cities, for instance. If youre really hunting for a bargain, check out Las Animas. Home values in Las Animas average just $96,176, well below the national average of $360,681. However, Las Animas is a rural city with just over 2,000 residents, so employment opportunities may be limited. Heres a breakdown of 18 Colorado cities, including population, livability, home values and cost of living. Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto Alamosa Population: 9,792 Livability: 72 Average home value: $291,365 Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,734 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,799 Total monthly cost of living: $3,533 Check Out: Housing Market 2024: Home Prices Are Plummeting in 10 Formerly Overpriced Housing Markets Be Aware: Dont Buy a House in These 10 US Cities: Growing Populations and Overcrowding Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them. Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images/iStockphoto Montrose Population: 20,394 Livability: 70 Average home value: $438,665 Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,611 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,749 Total monthly cost of living: $4,359 For You: Net Worth for US Families: How To Tell If Youre Poor, Middle Class, Upper Middle Class or Rich SWKrullImaging / Getty Images Delta Population: 9,137 Livability: 58 Average home value: $348,406 Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,074 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,760 Total monthly cost of living: $3,834 Story continues Kruck20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Saguache Population: 535 Livability: 59 Average home value: $206,996 Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,232 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,823 Total monthly cost of living: $3,055 okeyphotos / Getty Images Ouray Population: 1,007 Livability: 62 Average home value: $716,127 Average monthly mortgage cost: $4,262 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,907 Total monthly cost of living: $6,169 Find Out: Heres How Much the Definition of Middle Class Has Changed in Every State milehightraveler / Getty Images/iStockphoto Dolores Population: 852 Livability: 58 Average home value: $454,468 Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,705 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,828 Total monthly cost of living: $4,533 milehightraveler / Getty Images Pueblo Population: 111,430 Livability: 74 Average home value: $292,455 Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,741 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,950 Total monthly cost of living: $3,690 AndreyKrav / Getty Images/iStockphoto Las Animas Population: 2,421 Livability: 70 Average home value: $96,176 Average monthly mortgage cost: $572 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,842 Total monthly cost of living: $2,414 Explore More: 5 Midwest Cities Where You Can Buy Luxury Homes for $100,000 or Less iStock.com Kiowa Population: 609 Livability: 56 Average home value: $635,824 Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,784 Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,177 Total monthly cost of living: $5,961 Jeremy Janus / Getty Images/iStockphoto Gunnison Population: 6,629 Livability: 75 Average home value: $604,838 Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,600 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,745 Total monthly cost of living: $5,345 Kit Carson Population: 228 Livability: 64 Average home value: $160,630 Average monthly mortgage cost: $956 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,767 Total monthly cost of living: $2,723 Read Next: Dont Buy a House in These 3 Cities Facing a Climate Change Real Estate Bubble arinahabich / Getty Images/iStockphoto Yuma Population: 3,443 Livability: 66 Average home value: $246,483 Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,467 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,779 Total monthly cost of living: $3,246 Craig McCausland / Getty Images Eagle Population: 7,481 Livability: 61 Average home value: $1,062,689 Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,325 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,869 Total monthly cost of living: $8,194 bauhaus1000 / Getty Images Broomfield Population: 73,946 Livability: 85 Average home value: $679,344 Average monthly mortgage cost: $4,043 Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,074 Total monthly cost of living: $6,117 Learn More: The 50 Happiest States in America and How Much It Costs to Live There Muhammad Zulkifal / Getty Images/iStockphoto Denver Population: 710,800 Livability: 72 Average home value: $625,555 Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,723 Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,247 Total monthly cost of living: $5,970 Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto Elbert Population: 203 Livability: 59 Average home value: $577,392 Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,436 Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,188 Total monthly cost of living: $5,625 Kyle Allingham / Getty Images/iStockphoto Pitkin Population: 122 Livability: 59 Average home value: $377,839 Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,249 Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,797 Total monthly cost of living: $4,046 Trending Now: 10 Dangerous Cities You Shouldnt Buy a Home in No Matter the Price MattGush / Getty Images/iStockphoto Boulder Population: 106,598 Livability: 74 Average home value: $1,203,042 Average monthly mortgage cost: $7,160 Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,287 Total monthly cost of living: $9,447 For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the sunniest cities in the United States to find the cost of expenses. First, GOBankingRates found the sunniest cities by using the National Centers for Environmental Informations Climate at a Glance data to find the total amount of precipitation a location received from March 2023 to April 2024, in order to estimate the amount of sunshine a location gets. For each city, a number of factors were found, including: cost of living indexes as sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces, livability index as sourced from AreaVibes and the average single family home value from April 2024 as sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. The cost of living indexes were used along with the average expenditure costs for all residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, to find the average cost of expenditures in each city. By assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be calculated for each city. Using the mortgage and expenditure costs, the total average monthly cost of living can be calculated. The cost of living expenditures were listed to show some of the monthly expenditure costs, including grocery, transportation, utilities, healthcare and misc. The cities were sorted to show the sunniest cities first. Only cities located in Colorado were included for this piece. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 4, 2024. Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. As a result, some of the photos might not reflect the locations listed in this article. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres the Cost of Living in 18 Colorado Cities: Could You Afford To Live There? Denmark is looking to introduce the worlds first tax on carbon emissions from livestock farming, the countrys government has confirmed. From 2030, farmers will be charged DKr300 ($43) per ton of carbon dioxide produced per year. In 2035, this will go up to DKr750 per ton of CO2 released. A 60% tax deduction, however, means farmers effectively pay DKr 120 per ton of CO2 emitted and DKr300 five years later. To support the move, the government will also offer around Dkr40bn in subsidies. The tax proposals were agreed by seven negotiation parties yesterday evening (25 June). These included the Danish Society for Nature Preservation, the Council of Food & Agriculture, Danish Metal Workers Union, the farm workers union NNF, Local Government Denmark and the Confederation of Danish Industry. Denmark's government has been assessing a possible farming emissions tax since February. The implementation of the plans is contingent on approval from the national parliament, which is expected occur in August. If approved, the carbon tax is predicted to cut Denmark's greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8m tonnes of CO2 in 2030. This in turn, the government says, will help it move closer to its 2030 target of slashing emissions by 70% compared to a 1990 baseline. In a statement, Jacob Jensen, the country's Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, said the country was writing a new chapter in Danish agricultural history with the latest agreement. He added: Denmark is a proud food-producing nation, where we have some of the world's most skilled farmers, for whom we now ensure a stable framework to continue producing world-class food for many years into the future. With the agreement, we create growth and jobs throughout the country, while taking good care of our climate, environment and nature. At the same time, we are investing in the young farmers of the future, who must carry on the torch and ensure continued development - and not winding down - of Danish food production. The world lacks food and climate solutions, and Danish agriculture can contribute to both parts, helped by this agreement. Nicolai Wammen, the country's Finance Minister, said: Today is truly historic for Denmark. For the climate, for our nature and for Danish agriculture. We are investing in the future of our agricultural sector, initiating a transition with shared ambitions and goals - laying the tracks to what our country will look like in five, ten and 20 years from now. "We know that a CO2 tax model aligned across all sectors gives us the lowest societal costs in total. What we have now done from industry sectors to agriculture shows us that an ambitious green transition is possible. Story continues Mark Howden, director of the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University and a member of the Expert Panel on Livestock Methane added the move should act as an example for other nations to follow. The world can no longer afford to ignore the third of global emissions produced by the agri-food sector, he said. The solutions needed to make a significant cut in agricultures climate footprint already exist - but financial incentives like the Danish tax could assist them being implemented at scale. This policy package looks like it can push down on greenhouse gas emissions efficiently at the same time as generating benefits for farmers and for biodiversity. Recirculating the proceeds of the tax into a transition support fund for the farm sector, if handled strategically with an appropriate research and development component, could generate a new wave of innovation and new opportunities. New Zealand also presented a plan to charge agricultural farmers for their greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. The proposal, which looked to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions, received heavy criticism at the time from the national farmers' federation, Federated Farmers of New Zealand. Reports earlier this month indicated the centre-right coalition government, elected last November, intended to scrap such plans. "Denmark to bring in worlds first tax on livestock emissions" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) stands against the other utility stocks. You can also check out the 20 States With the Most Expensive Electricity In The US here. The power and utilities industry in 2023 saw mixed outcomes. Despite a 53% year-on-year drop in natural gas prices for power generation, customer bills went up by 1.9%. This increase was due to record-breaking investments of nearly $171 billion in grid modernization and decarbonization efforts, along with rising interest rates. Overall, electricity sales dipped slightly by 1.2% year-on-year (YoY). Looking ahead to 2024, the outlook for clean energy is bright. Forecasts predict stable electricity prices alongside a 2% growth in sales. This growth is fueled by a rise in clean energy investment, from both utility companies and the government. Investments are being directed towards renewable energy generation, with solar expected to double in capacity in 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts a significant year for solar power, with utilities planning a 30% increase in capacity by adding 31 gigawatts. Wind energy is also projected to grow by 5% or 7 gigawatts. As a result, solar and wind power are set to become the dominant sources of electricity generation in the US, potentially surpassing coal. Renewables are expected to reach 18% of total generation, while coal may fall to 17%, marking a historic milestone in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, there is a forecast of accelerating demand for electricity in the US in the next few years. According to a report by consulting firm Grid Strategies, electricity demand forecasts for 2024 have been significantly revised upward based on filings submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2023. Grid planners now anticipate a nationwide increase of 4.7% over the next five years, which is a sharp rise from the 2.6% growth projected just last year. This rise in demand is expected to be accompanied by a substantial increase in peak demand, with forecasts indicating a growth of 38 gigawatts (GW) over the next five years. This increase in electricity demand is driven by multiple factors. Industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, and data centers are experiencing a construction boom, with data centers in some areas like Virginia seeing unprecedented growth at 6% to 8% every year. Electric vehicles are also expected to contribute to the demand increase as BloombergNEF (BNEF) forecasts a 20% YoY increase in global battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2024. On the supply side, challenges remain. According to Senior Partner for Energy & Utilities at West Monroe, Danny Freeman, utilities are going to prioritize grid reliability and resilience in response to climate change. Extreme heat and drought are likely to continue disrupting power generation in 2024, with summer 2023's record-breaking heat likely marking the start of a long-term trend. The American West is facing its driest period in 1,200 years, and researchers predict a long-term pattern of aridification. These conditions can significantly reduce power output, especially during peak demand periods. Thus, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $3.5 billion in October 2023 to projects that will improve grid flexibility and resilience. The funding for this project is provided by the Grid Resilience Program (GRIP), created by the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). The rapid transformation of the utilities sector presents many exciting opportunities for investors. With this context in mind, lets take a look at the 10 best utility stocks to buy now. Our Methodology To shortlist the best utility stocks, we relied on Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds as of Q1 2024 to analyze the hedge fund sentiment for each stock. We picked the utility stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). An executive in a power plant control booth overseeing the efficient energy production. The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45 The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) is a global power company that generates and sells electricity through various sources like coal, gas, wind, and solar. With a portfolio exceeding 34,500 megawatts, AES has established itself as a significant player in the global energy sector since its founding in 1981. The corporation is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) recently declared its Q1 2024 financial results. The results were positive, with earnings per share jumping to $0.50 compared to $0.22 last year. Furthermore, The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) revealed that it had secured a massive 1 GW solar-plus-storage deal with Amazon. The company has reaffirmed its 2024 and long-term growth targets, including an adjusted EPS of $1.87 to $1.97 this year. In 2024, AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) anticipates adding 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, with 92% of the required major equipment already on site. Analysts rate the companys stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $23.50, suggesting a potential upside of 27.23%. This forecast ranges from a high of $28 to a low of $19. Of the 920 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey at the end of Q1 2024, the AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) was held by 45 hedge funds, making it one of the best utility stocks to buy now. Overall AES ranks 5th on our list of the best utility stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now to see the other utility stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of AES as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AES but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Residential Real Estate Stocks to Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) stands against the other residential real estate stocks. Residential real estate has become one of the most popular types of real estate investment in recent years. In 2024, the residential real estate market reached a valuation of $11.14 trillion. The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.07% to reach a value of almost $15 trillion by 2029. One of the main drivers of this growth is urbanization. People are moving from small towns and rural areas to cities to improve their standard of living and integrate into the modern world. Around 4.4 billion people, or 56% of the global population, currently live in cities. By 2050, it's expected that about 70% of people will reside in urban areas. Even though more resale homes are hitting the market, the inventory shortage is still high and is expected to continue due to several factors. One major issue is that many homeowners are "locked in" with low mortgage rates and are reluctant to exchange at higher rates in the current expensive market. As a result, demand continues to exceed the supply of homes. Rick Sharga, founder, and CEO of CJ Patrick Company, a market intelligence and business advisory firm, predicts that we wont see a significant increase in the supply of existing homes for sale until mortgage rates drop back to the low 5% range, which likely wont happen until after 2024. However, the market outlook is not that bleak. There is optimism that both property buyers and sellers are adjusting to a sustained period of higher interest rates. With consensus on pricing, there is hope that the real estate market can rebound from one of its most severe downturns in years. A significant recovery in activity is expected more strongly in 2025 than in 2024. Andrew Alperstein, Partner, Real Estate, PwC US also thinks that despite the economic challenges and difficulties in accessing credit, there are opportunities in the market for top-tier properties that align with the demands of todays investors. Companies need to adjust their growth strategies to perform well in this period of higher interest rates. Another Global Investment Manager at PwC commented: While event risk remains high, 2024 appears to be a pivot point, moving towards greater liquidity in real estate markets. Though there are good reasons why investors have been hesitant, we're moving towards a period where there's greater clarity. It should be an opportune time to buy. Story continues Our Methodology For this article, we conducted an analysis of our database of 919 hedge funds as of Q1 2024. From this extensive dataset, we selected the best residential real estate stocks based on the hedge fund sentiment. The top residential real estate stocks have been ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding a stake in them as of the first quarter of the year. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). Is AvalonBay Communities Inc. (NYSE:AVB) the Most Popular Apartment Stock to Buy? A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) property manager inspecting a newly acquired apartment complex. Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24 Value of Hedge Fund Holdings: $127,190,000 Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust, based in San Mateo, California, United States. In Q1 2024, Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) recorded core funds from operations (FFO) per share of 4.9%. The companys solid performance has mainly been driven by two factors: limited housing supply and higher rental affordability due to wages rising more quickly than rents in Essex markets. In the companys markets, the median cost of homeownership is 2.5 times higher than renting. Hence, the percentage of turnover due to home purchases has decreased from the historical average of around 12% to just 5% currently. This trend indicates a strong potential for continued rent growth in Essex markets due to rental affordability. In the first quarter, Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS) saw a 2.2% increase in blended lease rates, with new leases rising by 10 basis points and renewals by 3.9%. Analysts have set 12-month price targets for the stock, with an average target of $264.54. The estimates range from a high of $315 to a low of $236. On May 30, Mizuho Securities maintained a Buy rating on Essex Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESS). Overall ESS ranks 9th on our list of the best residential real estate stocks to buy. You can visit the 10 Best Residential Real Estate Stocks to Buy to see the other residential real estate stocks that are on the hedge fund radar. While we acknowledge the potential of ESS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ESS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion "Opportunity" for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure. None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey. LONDON (AP) Microsoft violated European Union antitrust rules with possibly abusive practices by tying its Teams messaging and videoconferencing app to its widely used business software, the bloc said. The European Commission said Monday it informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that the U.S. tech giant has been restricting competition by bundling Teams with core office productivity applications such as Office 365 and Microsoft 365. The commission, the 27-nation bloc's top antitrust enforcer, said it suspects Microsoft might have granted Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers a choice on whether to have Teams when they purchased the software. The advantage might have been widened by limits on the ability of rival messaging apps to work with Microsoft software, it said. We are concerned that Microsoft may be giving its own communication product Teams an undue advantage over competitors, by tying it to its popular productivity suites for businesses, Margrethe Vestager, the commission's executive vice-president for competition policy, said in a statement. And preserving competition for remote communication and collaboration tools is essential as it also fosters innovation on these markets. The commission took aim at Microsoft a day after accusing Apple of breaching the bloc's new digital competition rulebook, in a flurry of regulatory action underlining Brussels' leading role as a watchdog for Big Tech companies. Microsoft made some changes last year in an effort to head off an penalty, including offering the software packages without Teams for European customers. But the commission said Tuesday the changes are not enough to address its concerns and that it needs to do more to "restore competition." Having unbundled Teams and taken initial interoperability steps, we appreciate the additional clarity provided today and will work to find solutions to address the Commissions remaining concerns. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a prepared statement. In April, the company also gave customers worldwide the option to get Microsoft 365 and Office 365 without Teams. The two software suites include programs like Word, Excel and Outlook. Microsoft now has a chance to respond to the accusations, formally known as a statement of objections, before the commission makes its final decision. The company could face a fine worth up to 10% of its annual global revenue, or be forced to carry out remedies" to satisfy the competition concerns. The commission opened its investigation in July 2023 after rival Slack Technologies, which makes popular workplace messaging software, filed a complaint with Brussels. Alfaview, which makes videoconferencing software, also filed a separate complaint. Story continues Slack, owned by business software maker Salesforce, had alleged that Microsoft abused its market dominance to eliminate competition in violation of EU laws. The Statement of Objections issued today by the European Commission is a win for customer choice and an affirmation that Microsofts practices with Teams have harmed competition, Salesforce President Sabastian Niles said. We appreciate the Commissions thorough investigation of Slacks complaint and urge the Commission to move towards a swift, binding, and effective remedy that restores free and fair choice and promotes competition, interoperability, and innovation in the digital ecosystem. Nazrin Abdul Azerbaijan has taken significant steps to ease travel restrictions with Gambia and Morocco, Azernews reports. The draft laws approving agreements to exempt holders of diplomatic passports from visa requirements between Azerbaijan and Gambia, and holders of general civil passports from visa requirements between Azerbaijan and Morocco were presented for discussion at today's session of the Milli Majlis (Parliament). MPs highlighted that these initiatives will strengthen bilateral relations. After deliberation, both drafts were voted on and adopted, marking a positive development towards enhanced diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges between Azerbaijan, Gambia, and Morocco. In the past year, the Indian market has seen a robust increase of 46%, though it has remained flat over the last seven days. With earnings expected to grow by 16% per annum, companies with high insider ownership can be particularly appealing as they often indicate a strong commitment from those who know the business best. Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In India Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Archean Chemical Industries (NSEI:ACI) 22.9% 28.9% Pitti Engineering (BSE:513519) 33.6% 28.0% Rajratan Global Wire (BSE:517522) 19.8% 33.5% Dixon Technologies (India) (NSEI:DIXON) 24.9% 33.5% Happiest Minds Technologies (NSEI:HAPPSTMNDS) 37.8% 22.7% Jupiter Wagons (NSEI:JWL) 11.1% 27.2% Paisalo Digital (BSE:532900) 16.3% 23.8% JNK India (NSEI:JNKINDIA) 23.8% 31.8% Chalet Hotels (NSEI:CHALET) 13.1% 27.6% Kirloskar Pneumatic (BSE:505283) 30.6% 27.7% Click here to see the full list of 83 stocks from our Fast Growing Indian Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Astral Limited operates in the manufacturing and marketing of pipes, water tanks, and adhesives and sealants both in India and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately 610.76 billion. Operations: The company generates 41.42 billion from plumbing and 14.99 billion from paints and adhesives. Insider Ownership: 39.4% Earnings Growth Forecast: 23% p.a. Astral Limited has demonstrated robust financial performance with a consistent increase in earnings, reporting a 19.1% annual growth over the past five years and an expected acceleration to 23% per year going forward. This growth outpaces the Indian market's average, reflecting strong revenue projections of 17.4% annually against a market rate of 9.6%. However, insider transactions have not shown significant buying activity recently, indicating potential caution among those closest to the company's operations. NSEI:ASTRAL Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Info Edge (India) Limited is an online classifieds company focusing on recruitment, matrimony, real estate, and education services both in India and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately 823.70 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through Recruitment Solutions and 99acres for Real Estate, earning 187.99 billion and 3.51 billion respectively. Story continues Insider Ownership: 37.9% Earnings Growth Forecast: 24.3% p.a. Info Edge (India) has shown promising growth with its earnings forecast to increase by 24.34% annually, outpacing the Indian market's average of 15.9%. Despite this, the company's Return on Equity is expected to remain low at 5.9% in three years. Insider activity has been relatively stable with more shares bought than sold recently, although no substantial purchases were made in the last quarter. The firm became profitable this year and announced a dividend increase, reflecting its improving financial health. NSEI:NAUKRI Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Solara Active Pharma Sciences Limited is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in India, with a market capitalization of 21.72 billion. Operations: The company's revenue from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) totals 12.89 billion. Insider Ownership: 10.4% Earnings Growth Forecast: 141.2% p.a. Solara Active Pharma Sciences, despite recent financial struggles including a net loss in Q4 2024, is poised for recovery with expected revenue growth of INR 15 billion and a return to profitability within three years. The company has recently completed a significant equity offering of INR 4.5 billion, which may dilute shareholder value but also funds expansion, like its new FDA-compliant facility in Visakhapatnam. This facility underscores Solara's commitment to compliance and market expansion, aligning with its strategic growth plans despite current volatility. NSEI:SOLARA Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024 Summing It All Up Access the full spectrum of 83 Fast Growing Indian Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking on this link. Already own these companies? Bring clarity to your investment decisions by linking up your portfolio with Simply Wall St, where you can monitor all the vital signs of your stocks effortlessly. Maximize your investment potential with Simply Wall St, the comprehensive app that offers global market insights for free. Seeking Other Investments? 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.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years. Companies discussed in this article include NSEI:ASTRAL NSEI:NAUKRI and NSEI:SOLARA. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com PARIS (Reuters) - ExxonMobil may need to suspend production at its Gravenchon refinery in northern France if striking workers continue to block access to the site, the oil major said on Tuesday. The refinery accounts for about 20% of France's refining capacity, the company's website showed. Blockades since Friday have prevented deliveries of goods and materials needed to maintain refinery operations, it said in an emailed statement. A small group of workers called a strike last month after the company said it would shut down the refinery's steam cracker and close chemical production this year. The site has lost more than 500 million euros ($535.55 million) since 2018 and remains uncompetitive, Exxon said. Another strike was called on Friday that shut some of the chemical manufacturing units, including the steam cracker. A "limited number of strikers" are still blocking access, Exxon said. "If this continues, we may have no choice but to suspend production from the refinery." ($1 = 0.9336 euros) (Reporting by America Hernandez and Dominique Patton; Editing by Mark Potter and Richard Chang) Father of the 401(K) is very disturbed by the corporate greed in workplace retirement plans heres why Ted Benna is considered the father of the 401(k), thanks to his redesign of the popular investment vehicle back in 1978 a design thats still used today. Nowadays, 34.6% of working-age Americans have a 401(k)-style account, with an overall $7.4 trillion in assets. Don't miss Beating the market is no myth: These expert stock-pickers' recent success could help you build generational wealth 'It's not taxed at all': Warren Buffett shares the 'best investment' you can make when battling rising costs take advantage today These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Despite the widespread adoption and popularity of the employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, Benna recently told the Daily Mail that he has misgivings about some of the developments in 401(k)s. Greedy employers are charging higher fees In 1978, Benna was working as a benefits consultant when he designed an employee retirement savings plan for a client using an innovative interpretation of the 401(k) section of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code. This section of the code allows employees to contribute a portion of their pay on a pre-tax basis and employers to match those contributions with tax-deductible company contributions. The client didnt use the plan, but Bennas own company chose to start one, and soon after the Treasury and IRS sanctioned it. Fast forward to today: one of Bennas greatest misgivings is how plan fees have evolved. I am very disturbed by what's happening with the investment expenses, Benna told the Daily Mail. Originally, he said, the employer was supposed to cover all of the administrative fees. But that isnt whats happening now, he says, as greedy employers charge high administrative fees. Benna has seen fees as high as 2.75% which would have a material impact on investment returns. For example, after 20 years, the value of a $100,000 portfolio earning 4% with a 1% annual fee would be reduced by $30,000 versus the same portfolio with a 0.25% annual fee. To make matters worse, even though the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requires plans to disclose their fees, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that four in 10 participants in 401(k) plans dont understand the fee information in plan disclosures. Read more: You didnt want to risk it: 80-year-old woman from South Carolina is looking for the safest place for her familys $250,000 savings. Dave Ramsey responds So how can you reduce the fees on your 401(k)? First, you need to understand what fees youre being charged. The DOL publication A Look at 401(k) Plan Fees is a good place to start. It explains what fees are charged and how to interpret fee disclosure statements. Story continues Basically, there are three types of fees charged by 401(k) plans: administrative, service and investment fees. Administrative fees help to cover the cost of operating the plan and typically theres not much you can do about those. Service fees are similar to administration fees, but relate to taking an action, such as making an early withdrawal or rolling over your investment to an IRA. You can keep these fees to a minimum by taking as few actions as possible. Investment fees are charged by the funds in your portfolio. You may be able to reduce these by moving to funds that typically have lower fees, such as passive index funds. If these funds arent among the choices your plan offers, you may want to see if your employer offers the option for a self-directed 401(k) plan, which will give you more investment choice. If youre paying a high administrative fee on your 401(k) and cant do anything about it one way to potentially reduce the fee burden on your investments is to contribute to your 401(k) plan only to the amount needed to maximize employer contributions, then direct the rest of your annual savings to another plan, such as an individual retirement account (IRA), where it may be possible to pay less in fees. Before doing this, you may want to consult a financial planner. You can withdraw your whole plan but you probably shouldnt A second misgiving that Benna has about 401(k) plans is that you can withdraw the total amount when you switch employers. This can be tempting, but can greatly reduce the size of your future nest egg. Depending on the size of your portfolio, you have several other options: leaving it where it is, rolling it into the 401(k) plan at your new employer or rolling it into a traditional or Roth IRA. If youre leaving your current job, its worth speaking to a financial adviser about your best move. Although Benna has misgivings, 401(k)s remain a powerful tool for achieving financial security in retirement. By understanding and managing your feesand resisting the temptation to withdraw the funds before you retireyou can get the most out of your plan. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light for metabolic therapeutics company, Fractyl Health, to expand the REVITALIZE-1 clinical study for its endoscopic device to include patients with type 2 diabetes. The REVITALIZE-1 (NCT04419779) trial is set to examine the companys device which is designed to address the symptoms of obesity and type 2 diabetes by relining a patients duodenum. Previously the trial was set only to examine the devices effect on patients taking insulin and up to three non-insulin drugs, including GLP-1-based therapies, but now the FDA has given the go-ahead for the trial to involve patients with inadequately controlled diabetes. Harith Rajagopalan, co-founder and CEO of Fractyl, said: We are excited about the expansion of the protocol for REVITALIZE-1 because we believe Revita holds unique potential for tackling disease progression and prevention in the huge public health crisis that is T2D. For patients currently managing T2D with medications or insulin, Revita aims to enhance glucose regulation and halt or slow down the disease's advancement, representing a paradigm shift in the way in which we treat these patients. At the same time, the company is launching its REMAIN-1 trial. The randomised, double-blind trial of Revita will examine patients who have lost at least 15% of total body weight on tirzepatide therapy against a sham therapy. It is expected to begin treating its first cohort of patients in the third quarter of 2024 with mid-point data analysis from this cohort in Q2 2025. The trial is aimed at proving the devices efficacy by way of a percentage change in body weight from baseline to week 24. Secondary endpoints aim to demonstrate that most patients treated with Revita maintain clinically significant weight loss after stopping tirzepatide. Rajagopalan added: If successful and approved, Revita may offer a reliable off-ramp to the millions of people currently taking GLP-1 therapies, potentially providing durable weight maintenance without having to continue taking these medications. Elsewhere in the field of devices designed for the treatment of diabetes, Tandem Diabetes Care shared positive new data from a user satisfaction and wearability survey that found the majority of patients were satisfied with its automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Mobi. Medtronic also published positive results from a trial of its MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system during the American Diabetes Association (ADA) meeting in Orlando, Florida. "FDA expands Fractyl endoscopy trial to include untreated diabetes patients" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. Story continues The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Federal food safety regulators said Tuesday that they have warned a top U.S. bakery to stop using labels that say its products contain potentially dangerous allergens when they don't. U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found that Bimbo Bakeries USA which includes brands such as Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas', Entenmann's and Ball Park buns and rolls listed ingredients such as sesame or tree nuts on labels even when they weren't in the foods. Under FDA regulations, such products are misbranded," FDA officials said in a warning letter sent to officials at the companys Horsham, Pennsylvania, headquarters earlier this month. Food labels must be truthful and not misleading, officials said. The warning followed inspections late last year at Bimbo plants in Phoenix, Arizona, and Topeka, Kansas, that make Sara Lee and Brownberry breads. In addition, FDA officials indicated that allergen labeling is a not a substitute for preventing cross-contamination in factories. Advocates with the nonprofit group FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education, said such labeling does a disservice to the estimated 33 million people in the U.S. with food allergies. Those consumers have to be constantly aware of foods that can cause potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, said Sung Poblete, FARE's chief executive. Our community relies on accurate product labeling for their health and safety, Poblete said in an email. These findings about Bimbo Bakeries products undermine their trust and further limit their choices. Bimbo, a Mexico City-based food giant, bills its U.S. operations as the largest commercial baking company in the country. In an email, company officials said they take their role in protecting consumers with allergen sensitivities very seriously and that they are corresponding with FDA to resolve the issue. Concerns over labels at Bimbo and other companies followed a law that took effect in 2022, which added sesame to the list of major allergens that must be listed on packaging. Because it can be difficult and expensive to keep sesame in one part of a baking plant out of another, some companies began adding small amounts of sesame to products that didn't previously contain the ingredient to avoid liability and cost. FDA officials said that violated the spirit, but not the letter, of federal regulations. Some companies, including Bimbo, began listing allergens such as sesame on labels as a precaution in case of cross-contamination. FDA officials acknowledged Tuesday that statements that a product may contain certain allergens could be considered truthful and not misleading. Bimbo officials have until July 8 to identify steps taken to remedy the issue or to explain why the labeling doesn't violate FDA standards. Story continues ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Key Insights Forbo Holding's estimated fair value is CHF1,528 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of CHF1,076 suggests Forbo Holding is potentially 30% undervalued The CHF1,154 analyst price target for FORN is 24% less than our estimate of fair value In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Forbo Holding AG (VTX:FORN) by projecting its future cash flows and then 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. 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 Forbo Holding Is Forbo Holding Fairly Valued? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (CHF, Millions) CHF112.0m CHF100.8m CHF116.7m CHF114.4m CHF113.0m CHF112.0m CHF111.4m CHF111.1m CHF110.9m CHF110.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ -1.93% Est @ -1.29% Est @ -0.85% Est @ -0.54% Est @ -0.32% Est @ -0.17% Est @ -0.06% Present Value (CHF, Millions) Discounted @ 5.3% CHF106 CHF90.9 CHF100 CHF93.2 CHF87.3 CHF82.3 CHF77.7 CHF73.6 CHF69.8 CHF66.2 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CHF847m 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 0.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.3%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = CHF111m (1 + 0.2%) (5.3% 0.2%) = CHF2.2b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CHF2.2b ( 1 + 5.3%)10= CHF1.3b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CHF2.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of CHF1.1k, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 30% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Forbo Holding 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 5.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.107. 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 Forbo Holding Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Currently debt free. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Building market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Swiss market. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize 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. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Forbo Holding, we've put together three important aspects you should look at: Financial Health: Does FORN have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does FORN'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 Swiss 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com France's Conseil d'Etat has suspended a government decree proposing to ban plant-based food producers from using meat descriptors. The supreme administrative court said it had "serious doubts about the legality" of the ban, intended to come into force on 1 May. It added that it believed the ruling would "cause serious and immediate harm to the interests of manufacturers selling exclusively this type of product". In February, the Ministry of Agriculture attempted to ban alternative-protein manufacturers from using meat terms such as steak, ham, escalope and butcher, among others. The proposal also listed over 100 terms that could be used for animal-based products that contain plant-based proteins, though these products could only include a certain amount of plant-based protein. If manufacturers wanted to use the term bacon, for instance, their product could only be made up of a maximum of 0.5% plant-protein. Producers would have faced fines ranging from 1,500 ($1,609) to 7,500 for failing to comply with the regulations. The news marks the second time the Conseil d'Etat has suspended such a decree in France, with the first dismissal taking place in 2022. Following the first suspension, the council sent a request to annul the decree to the EU Court of Justice in July 2023. It is still awaiting a response to that request, which is due "in the coming months", it said. Responding to the court's latest decision, co-founder and CEO of plant-based bacon and ham group La Vie, Nicolas Schweitzer, told Just Food: "We are obviously very happy that, once again, the Conseil d'Etat has decided to suspend this silly decree." He added that "the war is not over", and that the plant-based sector should "stay vigilant", with French meat lobbyists likely to continue to push for implementation of the ban in the future. Co-founder of meat alternatives brand HappyVore, Cedric Meston, described the decision as a "victory" for the category, in a post on LinkedIn. "Indeed, the point that bothered us the most was the creation of unfair competition between companies producing in France and those producing abroad," he said. "By suspending the decree, the Conseil d'Etat chooses in particular to go in the direction of the reindustrialisation of France, a major axis in the priorities of the current policy." He added: "We have fought, and we will continue to fight if necessary, for the preservation of French industry, for our jobs and our agriculture." Story continues "France plant-based meat descriptors ban suspended by court for second time" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Amidst welcome proposals for road repairs and EV infrastructure, the motoring industry stresses the need for clearer targets and funding mechanisms from political parties vying to form the next government as the UK approaches the General Election on 4 July. In that light, it is understandable the Conservative Party is planning to bring forward 8.3 billion of funding to repair potholes, resurface roads and improve road connectivity in Wales and Scotland. The Labour Party is proposing to fill one million more potholes in England every year of the next Parliament. This is to be funded by cancelling the A27 Arundel Bypass, a main route through the south-east of England, due to start in 2025. It also wants to tackle the high cost of insurance. Reform UK, like the Conservatives, is attacking schemes aimed at limiting road use. It would scrap Londons Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) scheme, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and 20mph schemes, unless critical for road safety. The Conservatives would reverse the expansion of ULEZ, and impose local referendums to decide on 20mph zones and LTNs. It would also ban mayors and local councils from introducing road pricing, and offer the right to challenge existing schemes. The Conservatives would increase the roll-out of the electric charging infrastructure, including rapid charging points. Labour plans to do much the same, while restoring the 2030 phase-out of new internal combustion engine (ICE) transmission vehicles. Labour, moreover, plans to support the second-hand market for electric vehicles (EVs) by standardising information on battery conditions. The LibDems are calling for a national grid upgrade to cope with more charging points. It wants to make all charging points accessible with a bank card, and it would harmonise VAT rates on EV charging with a reduction to 5% for using public charging points. Boldly, the Greens want all new petrol and diesel vehicles replaced by EVs by 2027, contrasting with Reform UK, which would ditch net zero, while removing bans on petrol and diesel vehicles, and the legal requirements to sell EVs. Labour Party Manifesto 2024: Our plan to change Britain The Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2024 Liberal Democrats, For a Fair Deal, Manifesto 2024 Green Party, Manifesto 2024 Reform UK, Our Contract with the People, 2024 Expert reactions Commenting on these manifesto pledges, Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), argues that improvements to EV charging infrastructure be undertaken. Quoting the NFDAs own survey, she says dealerships ranked lack of charging infrastructure as the third most important issue affecting their business, before mentioning that not all parties address the necessity of introducing price incentives for EVs, which is crucial for stimulating private demand. The LibDems proposal for harmonising 5% VAT on public charging is welcome, she says, with public charging currently levying a 20% VAT rate compared to 5% on home charging. Story continues Others agree on the VAT point, as the cost of EVs is clearly a big issue affecting its take-up. Only 17% of UK cars are EVs, lagging behind the worlds leaders Norway and Sweden, or even China (at 25%). Many experts believe it would make great sense to incentivise EV ownership and lay out specific details and targets for the charging infrastructure. Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ Fleet at Corpay makes the point that perhaps taking funds from the sales of ICE vehicles and fossil fuels and earmarking them for incentives for EVs would help to increase their uptake. Labour seems odds-on to form the next government, and in that light, it is natural that its manifesto pledges are being given more attention. As with the other parties, Paul Hollick, chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) says, the key ideas that it contains are fine in principle, but much more detail is needed on the proposals. He says the 2030 EV production deadline is now of limited importance compared to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, stipulating that 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in Great Britain must be zero emissions by 2030, and 100% by 2035. This is really the main control mechanism affecting EV sales in the UK, he says, adding that it would be useful to know whether Labour intends to keep the same rate of adoption as currently stipulated. Philip Nothard, chair of the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA), welcomes the plans for a new standardised used-EV battery health check, but also warns of the potential dangers of reintroducing the 2030 ICE sales ban. The chopping and changing of the EV production deadline from 2030 to 2035, and back again, is confusing for consumers, who are arguably already showing increasing antipathy towards electrification, and bad news for long-term industry investment. He says global motor manufacturers demand certainty as they need to plan. This switching from one policy to another is a disincentive for them to work in the UK, especially when one of the thrusts of the Labour campaign is policy stability. It also has repercussions for the remarketing sector in terms of planning to handle the rate of electrification, although arguably the ZEV Mandate is a bigger issue here and Labour has made no indication that will change, says Nothard. Hollick meanwhile welcomes the plan to accelerate the roll-out of EV charge points, but berates the lack of detail, and targets. Labour has previously talked about removing planning restrictions and providing better guidance to councils, he says, adding that, these measures could have an effect. Especially, there needs to be much greater emphasis on getting chargers in the right places. The government-standardised battery health check proposed by Labour would undoubtedly be very useful, he says, providing a high degree of reassurance for used EV buyers, but we also believe that this is an area that almost certainly needs a degree of financial support, such as through used EV grants or low-cost loans. How likely we are to see those moves from a Labour Party that continually stresses the need for financial control is open to question, however. Hollick welcomes the commitment to repair an additional one million potholes every year and the promise to retain a full expensing system for capital investment. However, uncertainty over fuel duty would be a worry for some fleets, he says, adding that Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to rule out future increases, with no mention of this in the manifesto. Weve now had more than a decade of fuel duty freezes, so fleets have very much become accustomed to taxation at the current rate. At a point in time when company transport budgets are very much under pressure, any increase will be very much unwelcome, Hollick points out. The AFP has outlined its own recommendations, which include sorting out the ongoing confusion affecting 4.25 tonne electric vans and producing company car benefit-in-kind taxation tables up to 2030. That could be done easy and quickly, and would win friends in fleet, he says. Labour promises to reinstate 2030 ICE car ban but remains silent on vans "General Election 2024: motor industry calls for clarity on political pledges" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Christian Lindner, Germany's Finance Minister, arrives for the Day of German Industry 2024 organized by the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa Acrimonious negotiations within Germany's coalition government over the 2025 budget are expected to drag on past an initial July 3 deadline to put forward a draft. There remain deep disagreements over how to address major budget gaps, with several ministers rejecting deep cuts put forward by Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business liberal Free Democrats (FDP). The shortfalls run into the tens of billions of dollars. Lindner has so far firmly rejected any effort to waive strict rules against government borrowing an deficit spending, despite appeals from some members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens. Both the SPD and Greens are fighting to protect budget priorities, including spending on social welfare programmes, efforts to address climate change and investments in infrastructure. Delays in striking a deal between leaders of the three parties in Scholz's coalition mean the Finance Ministry does not believe a complete budget can be drawn up based on any political deal by the July 3, dpa has learned. Instead, the Cabinet is now aiming to approve a proposed budget by July 17, which would still allow the government to meet its deadline to submit a budget to parliament. Dpa has learned that experts in the Finance Ministry need around two weeks to translate a political agreement into a draft that is ready for a decision. Politicians from the coalition parties sought in recent days to downplay speculation that the government could break up over budget issues. Beijing, Hanoi vow to strengthen friendship 08:16, June 25, 2024 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily Premier Li Qiang meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during the World Economic Forum's 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, or 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, Liaoning province on Monday. (Photo/Xinhua) China and Vietnam vowed on Monday to promote the building of their bilateral community with a shared future to make more fruitful achievements and contribute to regional peace, stability, and development. Premier Li Qiang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement during their meeting in Dalian, Liaoning province. Both leaders are in the coastal city to attend the World Economic Forum's 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, or 2024 Summer Davos, which will open on Tuesday and run until Thursday. Li said that China and Vietnam share a profound friendship akin to "comrades and brothers". Last year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, jointly announced the establishment of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, outlining a grand blueprint for comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries in the new era, Li said. The premier expressed China's willingness to work with Vietnam to further implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of both parties and promote the construction of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future to benefit the people of both countries. Li called on both countries to give top priority to developing bilateral relations in their respective foreign policy. Both sides should fully utilize their economic complementarities, focus on the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, continuously expand trade and investment, further enhance connectivity, and create new growth drivers through cooperation in the fields of new energy and the digital economy, he said. China is willing to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam in areas such as tourism, healthcare, education, and youth development, continuously consolidating the foundation of friendship between the two countries, the premier added. Chinh arrived in Dalian on Monday, his third visit to China in a year. Last year, Chinh visited China from June 25 to 28 to attend the 2023 Summer Davos in Tianjin, and then from Sept 16 to 19 to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. During his meeting with Li, Chinh said that strengthening long-term friendly cooperation with China is an essential requirement, strategic choice, and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy. Vietnam always remembers and sincerely appreciates the strong support provided by China for its national independence and reunification, as well as the promotion of the country's economic and social development, he said. The prime minister said that Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and supports China's development and its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Fatime Letifova As a result of joint operations by the State Border Service and the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, members of an organised smuggling group who tried to cross the state border from the Caspian Sea into the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan were detained, Azernews reports. During the investigation, it was determined that the detained persons are citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, residents of Bender-Turkmen city, Gulistan province, Behman Gasim, born in 1984, Nuri Nurmammad Bahramkhalid, born in 1983, and Rahim Ounek Anna, born in 1984, and they violated the state border with the purpose of illegally transporting drugs into Azerbaijan. As a result of the ongoing operational measures, citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Aliyev Elkhan Nadir, born in 1982, and Mammadova Esmira Gulaga, born in 1976, who came to the coast of the sea with the intention of meeting the organised group of smugglers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, were detained. Currently, the border guard ships of the State Border Service Coast Guard and divers are searching for another missing border violator, a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hamid Vakili, born in 1985, and other material evidence thrown into the sea. Investigation and search measures are ongoing in cooperation with the General Prosecutor's Office. Dan Berce, president and CEO of GM Financial, said the company plans to refile its ILC application with both the FDIC and the state regulator in Utah, which has more industrial banks than any other state. Credit: Cole Burston/Bloomberg General Motors has decided to shelve its effort to get a controversial bank charter . But the Detroit automaker is vowing to reapply, and observers say it could have a better shot at approval following a leadership change at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. GM's financial arm has been trying to obtain an industrial loan company charter since December 2020 . It announced Monday that it is withdrawing its application for deposit insurance. The latest development comes less than two weeks after the Utah Department of Financial Institutions approved GM Financial's application to establish an ILC. And it comes just days after the FDIC approved a separate deposit insurance application by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans , which plans to establish a newly chartered industrial bank in Salt Lake City. The withdrawal of GM Financial's application is not likely to be the end of its multiyear effort to establish an ILC. Dan Berce, president and CEO of GM Financial, said the company plans to refile with both the FDIC and the state regulator in Utah, which has more industrial banks than any other state. "GM Financial remains confident in the viability of our bank application, which is anchored by a proven, well-capitalized business model led by an experienced management team and supported by the company's decades of financial services expertise," Berce said in a press release. "Utah's approval validates the strength of the bank's proposed business plan and management team, and we look forward to refiling with the FDIC and UDFI." GM declined Tuesday to comment further on its decision. Some industry observers expect the auto giant to wait until after this year's presidential election to determine how to move forward. GM's voluntary withdrawal of its application which means it cannot sue the FDIC over the matter may signal that it is waiting for a more favorable regulatory environment, said Michele Alt, a partner at the Klaros Group who specializes in bank licensing applications. Under the Biden administration, bank regulators have upped the scrutiny they apply to those applications . The fact that GM withdrew its application "suggests that GM decided to wait, given that this is an election year and it's too close to call," said Alt, who has not been involved with GM's ILC application. "GM may have just decided to say, 'We'll wait a few months and then resubmit.'" GM's decision to retreat, coupled with the FDIC's approval of Thrivent's application, is again putting the spotlight on ILCs, which have long been mired in controversy. Those who support the charter say that ILCs have historically been stable, but some traditional bankers and other critics argue that ILCs can present too much risk by mixing banking with commerce. Story continues Prior to Thrivent, the most recent applicants to be okayed were Block, previously known as Square Financial Services, and Nelnet Bank , a student loan provider, both in March 2020. Before those two approvals, the FDIC had not approved an ILC charter in 14 years. What the latest developments imply for other potential ILC applicants remains unclear. Industry observers have assumed that as long as Martin Gruenberg remains the FDIC's chairman, very few or no ILC approvals would occur . Amid a harassment scandal at the FDIC , Gruenberg has vowed to resign once the Senate confirms his successor, and Biden has nominated Christy Goldsmith Romero , a commissioner at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, for the job. Another U.S. automaker, Ford Motor Company, has long sought an ILC charter and reapplied for one in 2022 . Ford's application is still pending with the FDIC and with the Utah regulator, a company spokesperson said in an email. Isaac Boltansky, an analyst with BTIG, said he would caution against interpreting the approval of Thrivent's application as a green light for other ILC hopefuls. "GM and other applicants are in the brackish water where commerce and banking mix," he said, adding that Thrivent is directly engaged in the traditional business of banking. "Thrivent is a unique case, given its business," Boltansky said before pointing to comments Gruenberg has made about the need to focus on the strength of applicants' parent companies. "All said, the approval of Thrivent's charter allows Gruenberg to say that they are actively considering charters, even though the FDIC appears closed for business on this front." Todd Baker, a senior fellow at Columbia University's business and law schools, said Thrivent's approval challenges the traditional expectations about ILC approvals during the Biden administration, demonstrating that, in very limited cases, an ILC charter is achievable. Other pending ILC applications are from non-financial companies without an established banking presence in the U.S., which raises the bar on operational and compliance preparation, Baker noted. "It is important not to get giddy about future ILC approvals," said Baker, who is also managing principal of Broadmoor Consulting. "This is a very unusual case where a credit union an insured depository institution subject to comprehensive regulation but which is not subject to holding company regulation is converting into an ILC. There is a strong parent which has committed to high levels of capital and agreed to serve as a source of financial strength." "This is a far cry from a startup fintech," he added. Baker said he anticipates there will eventually be more approvals if the GOP takes the White House, given that the most recent Republican FDIC chair, Jelena McWilliams, pushed through several ILC applications. But he does not expect more approvals before the fall election. The National Community Reinvestment Coalition a consumer advocacy group that has publicly opposed GM's ILC application based on concerns about the automaker's commitment to fair lending said it's pleased that GM won't have a banking charter anytime soon. The withdrawal of GM's application "is a win for the lower-income and marginalized communities and consumers that NCRC and our members serve," said Eden Forsythe, chief policy counsel at NCRC. "The law has kept banking and commerce separate for generations for a good reason." The FDIC's recent actions on ILCs may provide some clarity about the kinds of companies that stand a chance of getting approved. Regulators will continue to seriously consider approvals only for firms that pose lower systemic riskiness, Baker said. "I would expect to see continued focus on low-risk business plans and parent financial support commitments backed by true financial strength, [so] 'fintechs need not apply'" Baker said. In March, a bipartisan group of senators, led by long-time ILC proponent Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, urged the FDIC to fairly consider pending industrial loan company applications and provide specific feedback if an application fails to meet the agency's criteria. Romney's office did not return emails Tuesday seeking comment. The Independent Community Bankers of America, a small-bank lobbying group that has long opposed the approval of deposit insurance applications for ILCs, continues to express concern about industrial banks. In a statement following the FDIC's approval of Thrivent's application, ICBA President and CEO Rebecca Romero Rainey said "the FDIC should deny ILC applications to prevent firms from skirting full regulatory oversight and violating U.S. policy separating banking and commerce." In an interview Tuesday, Susan Sullivan, the ICBA's senior vice president of congressional relations, reiterated that point and said the group would be "concerned about any increase in applications from companies seeking ILC" charters. As for whether GM's withdrawal will deter other companies from pursuing the charter, Sullivan said, "We hope so." "If you want to be a bank, seek a regular bank charter." Google is awarding Black and Latino startup founders who are disrupting the artificial intelligence (AI) space. The tech giant established the Google for Startups Founders Funds to ensure Black and Latino entrepreneurs receive financial assistance and necessary support to influence multiple sectors. According to information provided to AFROTECH, each recipient will receive $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and $100,000 in Google Cloud credits. Recipients also receive mental health resources and mentorship from Googles experts across AI and sales. This is Googles fifth year in funding, and it has allocated more than $50 million to 570 Black and Latino founders. Moreover, founders who received funding support have later secured more than $590 million in additional investments. Google has unveiled its latest round of recipients, whose work encompasses using AI in preventative wildfires, keeping fast fashion out of landfills, and education. The 2024 Google for Startups cohort includes Manny Smith, the founder of EdVisorly, a platform to help college students apply to public and private universities through its mobile app. Seke Ballard is also listed for his AI-powered company Beta Financial Systems, which helps small businesses connect with opportunities to access capital. Additional companies listed include Hue, a Software-as-a-Service platform; Akeptus, a smart home energy management system; Bountiful, an agricultural tech company; Hacware, an email security awareness platform; and Improving Aviation, a company providing AI and emerging vehicle technologies to enhance public safety, aviation, and wildfire management operation. AI can enable startups to build transformative products and solve complex challenges, but founders need access to capital to realize this potential, said Maya Kulycky, vice president of strategy and operations at Google Research, in a news release. Through the Google for Startups Founders Funds, we are proud to invest in promising Black and Latino founders who are leveraging AI technology to help address some of todays most pressing issues. We are inspired by the groundbreaking work of these founders and their potential to shape the future of AI. NEW YORK (Reuters) - John Hess, CEO of Hess Corp , has joined the board of Goldman Sachs as independent director, the Wall Street firm said on Monday. He is the latest addition to the board after senior banking executive Tom Montag joined as an independent director last year. He will also become a member of the Goldman board's compensation, governance and risk committees, the statement said. Hess Corp did not offer a comment on the matter. Since 1995, Hess has served as chief executive officer of Hess Corp, which is being sold to Chevron in a $53 billion deal, which is still under review by U.S. regulators. The deal is also embroiled in an arbitration battle with Exxon Mobil and CNOOC, Hess' partners in a lucrative Guyana oil-production joint venture. Goldman Sachs is advising Hess on the deal. "Advising companies and their management teams is a core part of our business, and were thrilled to have John Hess, a long-standing client, join our board," Goldman said in an email. Hess will retire from his company roles and join the board of directors of Chevron. He has also served as an independent director at KKR & Co and Dow Chemical in the past. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in the statement the company's board, management team and shareholders will benefit from Hess' nearly 30 years of experience as a public company CEO. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Marguerita Choy) Huawei Technologies founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei has whipped up a storm on Chinese social media after he was seen with disgraced Chinese classical pianist Li Yundi, when they visited the telecommunications equipment giant's Songshan Lake campus in Dongguan over the weekend. Ren, 79, accompanied Li on a tour of the European-themed campus - the Shenzhen-based company's research and development base - according to photos and videos circulating on various Chinese social media platforms. Both wore casual attire during their visit. The photos and videos sparked discussion on Chinese social media, as netizens were puzzled about Ren's jaunt with the musician formerly known in China as the "piano prince", who was arrested and briefly detained in 2021 by the police in Beijing on suspicion of patronising a prostitute. 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. "Li's appearance is so unexpected, and I can see controversy brewing," a user wrote on microblogging service Weibo. Employees are seen at Huawei Technologies' picturesque Songshan Lake research and development campus in Dongguan, southern Guangdong province. Photo: Reuters alt=Employees are seen at Huawei Technologies' picturesque Songshan Lake research and development campus in Dongguan, southern Guangdong province. Photo: Reuters> Some Weibo users described Ren's meeting with Li as "inappropriate". One commenter wrote: "It's natural to hold a public figure to a higher standard, and they should pay the price for making a mistake." Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The negative publicity received by Ren, one of the best-known Chinese tech industry leaders, for meeting Li is in stark contrast to the public goodwill the low-profile Huawei leader earned for his efforts to overcome US sanctions after Washington added the company to a trade blacklist in May 2019. Before this Li brouhaha, Ren last made a public appearance on June 5 during a visit to Sichuan University in southwestern China, where he said that US-sanctioned Huawei is working closely with universities around the world on basic theoretical research to "overcome its shortcomings". Huawei Technologies founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei, centre, in conversation with disgraced Chinese classical pianist Li Yundi at the company's Songshan Lake campus in Dongguan. Photo: Weibo alt=Huawei Technologies founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei, centre, in conversation with disgraced Chinese classical pianist Li Yundi at the company's Songshan Lake campus in Dongguan. Photo: Weibo> Story continues Other Weibo users defended Li by pointing out that he had already paid the price for his past mistake. "We should be more tolerant about Li for his rare talent, and Ren has set an example," a user wrote. Li rose to international fame at age 18 in 2000 by winning the prestigious International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which is held every five years in Warsaw, capital of Poland. He was widely discredited in China following his misconduct and stayed away from the public limelight. Li, however, remained active on social media and regularly shared updates this year about his latest tour in Europe. Ren met Li during Huawei's annual developer conference last week, where the company pledged to break the dominance of Western mobile operating systems in the country with its self-developed HarmonyOS. 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 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Hyundai Motor said it planned to establish a production hub dedicated to hydrogen trucks and buses at its Jeonju commercial vehicle facility in South Korea, according to local reports. The automaker wants to leverage its experience in hydrogen fuel cell technology to get a head start on other global manufacturers in the emerging global market for hydrogen powered commercial vehicles. It aims to head off the threat of fast rising competition from Chinese and European companies in the zero emissions commercial vehicle market. Hyundai began selling its Xcient hydrogen fuel cell heavy truck in 2021 in Switzerland. Earlier this month, it announced plans to roll out a new range of hydrogen trucks in the US in the second half of 2024, including car carriers and refrigerator trucks featuring twin 180 kilowatt (kW) hydrogen fuel cell stacks and 350kW drive motors providing a range of 400km. The company also plans to launch hydrogen buses next year. Hyundai described the Jeonju plant as a highly automated, high tech truck and bus manufacturing plant equipped with cutting edge production equipment. It was understood to operate at just 40% of capacity, however, due to strong global competition. The plant currently produces conventional trucks and buses, the Staria minibus and battery powered versions of the County medium bus and the Porter EV light truck. "Hyundai to build hydrogen CV hub in Jeonju" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Frozen food retailer Iceland Foods has unveiled its inaugural supermarket manifesto, Frozen Out', aiming to amplify customer concerns as the UK approaches a general election on 4 July. The initiative is a response to research revealing widespread dissatisfaction among Britons with the current political landscape. The manifesto draws on a comprehensive survey of more than 6,500 customers, coupled with insights from colleagues and customer panels across the country. It highlights the pressing issues faced by consumers, particularly the cost-of-living crisis. According to the survey, 74% of respondents feel financially worse off than in 2021, with the current cost of living identified as their primary concern. Another significant finding from the research is that 67% of respondents do not feel represented by any of the UK's major political parties. This sense of political disenfranchisement is compounded by practical issues such as lack of access to public services. For instance, 16% of respondents reported being unable to secure a general practitioner appointment, and 22% have given up trying altogether. Additionally, only 27% expressed satisfaction with local council services, and there are widespread concerns about the quality of state education. The survey also revealed a notable political ambivalence among Iceland customers, with 39% undecided on their voting choice. Despite this, a strong majority (94%) intend to vote in the upcoming election, though 32% were unaware of their current Member of Parliament's identity. The document will be shared with all domestic political parties ahead of the impending election. It challenges political leaders to focus on tangible impacts rather than abstract statistics and urges collaboration with businesses to drive meaningful change, according to the retailer. Iceland's manifesto represents a unique move in the retail sector, aiming to bring high-street concerns to the forefront of political discourse in the country. By leveraging its platform, Iceland hopes to advocate for its customers and influence policy in a way that addresses the everyday challenges faced by Britons. "Iceland releases Frozen Out manifesto amid customer discontent" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Illinois lawmakers in the closing hours of the General Assemblys spring session last month became the first in the nation to ban banks and credit card companies from charging retailers a seemingly small fee on sales taxes and tips. But since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban into law, financial institutions that opposed the measure have ratcheted up their opposition and amplified their rhetoric, saying the move isnt just bad for them but will also cause headaches for consumers. Just last week a trade association representing credit card companies and banks began running online ads in Illinois declaring the ban MAY FORCE YOU TO PAY FOR PARTS OF PURCHASE IN CASH, and print ads saying, Tipping on your credit card is closed to Illinoisans. While some supporters which include many Democrats and Illinois main association for retailers say those claims are hyperbolic, the new law is setting up what could be a yearslong fight between the state and financial institutions that argue the overhaul is not only a bad idea but is unrealistic because it calls for implementation in a little more than a year. At issue are fees charged to retailers, restaurants and other businesses when they accept credit or debit card payments. Credit card companies and financial institutions currently charge the retailers and restaurants a fee when consumers use cards, based on the total transaction amount of the goods, tax and any tip. The new law would bar the financial institutions from charging the so-called interchange fees on the tax or gratuity portions of customers bills, with the goal being to lower the amount that credit card companies can charge retailers. Both sides say they are advocating for consumers. Supporters of the ban say the interchange fees are hidden charges that get passed down to customers. Opponents argue the law will create chaos for anyone in Illinois who uses a credit or debit card by potentially forcing separate transactions one for purchases of goods and another for taxes and tips while also creating paperwork nightmares for small businesses. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat leading the charge on credit card reform at the national level, said earlier this month that he supports Illinois ban. Durbin introduced federal legislation that would create greater competition among credit card processors Visa and Mastercard in an attempt to lower transaction fees. I like what the state of Illinois did. I think both of those are a step in the right direction, Durbin said of his bill and Illinois law. Story continues The Illinois Retail Merchants Association also backs the new law. The elimination of the fees will provide savings for retailers facing some $101 million in tax hikes included in Illinois recently passed budget. IRMA President Rob Karr said the deal will require financial institutions and retailers to alter how they do business, but many of the retail associations members are small businesses that support the change because it would lower fees, he said. While it will require some change for them it will result in a much fairer system, Karr said in an interview before the measure passed. Credit card fees average just over 2% of retail transactions, according to the National Retail Federation, meaning about $98 of every $100 sale goes to the retailer. In addition to the banks and credit card companies being generally opposed to the law, one of their bigger sticking points is that companies must overhaul their systems by July 2025 to comply. That means Illinois would be the first state to require a distinction on consumer retail transactions between goods, taxes and tips, creating the need for a complicated software change, the groups say. If those new systems arent in place by July 2025, they say, thats when the chaos kicks in and consumers could be forced to pay taxes and tips with cash because the credit card companies cant or wont process them. Former Republican state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger is a consultant aligned with the Electronic Payments Coalition, a trade association representing the interests of Visa, Mastercard, Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Capital One and other large financial institutions. Rauschenberger said that even if the industry could create and deploy new software to separate out different portions of a transaction and I think that is a big if it could take three to five years, much longer than the implementation date expected for the new law. Unless there are serious efforts to repeal this new law, issuing banks and credit unions will be forced to inform some 7 million Illinois card holders of the changes required by Illinois new law as the effective date approaches, Rauschenberger said, adding: I would expect we will hear an outcry. Its silliness that credit card companies and banks claim they cant find a way to distinguish tax and tip charges, Karr said in response to the financial institutions concerns. They claim this every time theres a change to debit or credit functions. Reforms to credit card fees have gained momentum across the nation in recent months, with Illinois at the forefront, Karr said, noting Durbins bill in the U.S. Senate. While Karr said his members support the measure, at least a few smaller business owners are aligning themselves with the financial institutions. If its not broken, why fix it? asked Alex Cabrera, the owner of Lalos Restaurant on Maxwell Street just east of Halsted Street. Business owners in Chicago so far know little about how the change would be implemented, Jose Garcia, president of Northwest Community Credit Union and a member of the Illinois Credit Union League Board of Directors, added in a joint interview with Cabrera. The prospect of requiring cash in transactions is especially worrisome to Cabrera and some other business owners who see it as a potential inconvenience to tip-paying customers and a liability to businesses. There are a lot of unanswered questions about how the change will be implemented, Cabrera said, but he predicted its going to be burdensome. Yes, its going to be a pain. Even if credit card companies continue to allow transactions for taxes and tips, customers may need to swipe multiple times, according to a letter sent to Pritzker earlier this month from financial institutions that unsuccessfully lobbied the governor to veto the provision. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, which each operate their own credit card programs, last month also sent a letter to Pritzker and legislative leaders asking them to reject the proposal. Opponents have additionally complained that the provision was introduced just days before the adjournment of the Illinois legislatures spring session. Legislative leaders and Pritzker agreed to include the provision in the broader revenue proposal after IRMA proposed it, a spokesperson for the governor said in an email last week. The change was suggested by retailers because of the separate tax hike on retail elsewhere in the revenue package, said state Rep. Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park, who sponsored the bill. The hike caps a discount for retailers at $1,000 per month versus the currently allowed 1.75% of sales taxes retailers collect for the state. Burke said the quick legislative process for omnibus bills at the end of session shouldnt be new to anybody. Things come together quickly, she said. But Burke didnt close the door when asked about the potential for some sort of compromise with the financial institutions. The General Assembly gathers again in the fall for the veto session and, in general its not unusual for measures to be amended or implementation dates pushed, she said. If we decide at the end of the day that we can call the credit card companies and the banks bluff and say, We think that you can very much implement this, then Illinois will be the first to do it, said Democratic Rep. Margaret Croke, who nevertheless voiced concerns about the credit card change in a committee hearing on the day of the vote. And Im OK with Illinois being the first to do something like this, but just not without all this information, she said, echoing in part the call of some opponents, who have called for a study of the issue rather than implementing the change. Croke, who still voted for the larger revenue package, said she fears the measure opens Illinois to costly lawsuits. Working with some of these companies that have bigger pocketbooks and are resistant to change, without having a solid argument and thoughtful conversation about why this change needs to occur their initial reaction is going to sue, Croke said in an interview earlier this month. The moderate lawmaker from Chicagos North Side said shes also concerned about privacy: If credit card issuers or processors itemize transactions, that could result in a valuable trove of data about Illinois consumers purchases, she speculated. Rauschenberger, the former Republican lawmaker, said credit card companies are concerned Illinois law will open a Pandoras box of regulation potentially an existential threat to the current payment system. In the days before signing the revenue package, Pritzker said he didnt foresee any changes, but that the credit card issue is certainly something I think were always willing to discuss, revisit, have a conversation about. Theres time to do that through the rest of the year. Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner contributed. BENGALURU (Reuters) - India has offered telecom spectrum worth around 962.38 billion rupees ($11.53 billion) for auction on Tuesday, it said in a release, even as analysts expect lacklustre participation from players as they shore up their existing spectrum. A total of 10 GHz of radiowaves is up for sale in this auction, ranging between 800 MHz to 26 GHz. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The Indian government derives a big chunk of its revenue from spectrum auctions, which award telecom companies rights over airwaves for a particular period. During the previous auction in August 2022, telecom players Vodafone Idea (VI), Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries' Jio Infocomm together picked up 5G spectrum worth $19 billion to boost capacities in the world's second-largest smartphone market. The amount of spectrum up for auction this time around is lower than the previous year's, as telecom firms have already acquired enough to meet most of their bandwidth requirements in the previous auction, also a likely indication that they would not be bidding for bigger blocks. KEY CONTEXT "Bidding unlikely to be a spirited exercise... we do not expect any player to bid aggressively at the auction," analysts at Antique Stock Broking said in a note. Antique expects Bharti to bid for some of its expiring spectrum - airwaves where its license is expiring - worth 38.2 billion rupees, while Jio, which has no spectrum pending for renewal, is likely to be selective. Debt-ridden VI may only bid for spectrum that is expiring or to fill in gaps, the note added. The auction was delayed twice until a new government was elected, local newspaper The New Indian Express reported earlier this month, citing unnamed officials. MARKET REACTION Shares of the two listed telecom firms erased early gains on the day, with VI down 0.17% and Bharti Airtel down 0.3%. (Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Indonesia's national data center has been compromised by a hacking group asking for a $8 million ransom that the government says it won't pay. The cyberattack has disrupted services of more than 200 government agencies at both the national and regional levels since last Thursday, said Samuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the director general of informatics applications with the Communications and Informatics Ministry. Some government services have returned immigration services at airports and elsewhere are now functional but efforts continue at restoring other services such as investment licensing, Pangerapan told reporters Monday. The attackers have held data hostage and offered a key for access in return for the $8 million ransom, said PT Telkom Indonesias director of network & IT solutions, Herlan Wijanarko, without giving further details. Wijanarko said the company, in collaboration with authorities at home and abroad, is investigating and trying to break the encryption that made data inaccessible. Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told journalists that the government wont pay the ransom. We have tried our best to carry out recovery while the (National Cyber and Crypto Agency) is currently carrying out forensics, Setiadi added. The head of that agency, Hinsa Siburian, said they had detected samples of the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware. Pratama Persadha, Indonesias Cybersecurity Research Institute chairman, said the current cyberattack was the most severe in a series of ransomware attacks that have hit Indonesian government agencies and companies since 2017. The disruption to the national data center and days-long needed to recover the system means this ransomware attack was extraordinary, Persadha said. It shows that our cyber infrastructure and its server systems were not being handled well. He said a ransomware attack would be meaningless if the government had a good backup that could automatically take over the main server of the national data center during a cyberattack. Indonesias central bank was attacked by ransomware in 2022 but public services were not affected. The health ministrys COVID-19 app was hacked in 2021, exposing the personal data and health status of 1.3 million people. Last year, an intelligence platform that monitors malicious activities in cyberspace, Dark Tracer, revealed that a hacker group known as the LockBit ransomware had claimed to have stolen 1.5 terabytes of data managed by Indonesias largest Islamic bank, Bank Syariah Indonesia. Fatime Letifova The resolution of the long-standing Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict in the South Caucasus is of significant interest not only to regional states but also to countries worldwide. The nearly 30-year-long war claimed thousands of lives. The aggressive policies of Armenia's former government aimed to erase Azerbaijan's Garabagh region from the map and establish the so-called Republic of Artsakh. During this period, many Azerbaijani border areas were shelled, targeting civilians. In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation, resulting in the withdrawal of the Armenian army from Garabagh. Following local anti-terror operations in 2023, Armenian separatists in the region were neutralised and arrested. The 44-day war shifted the political dynamics in the South Caucasus, marking the beginning of a new historical chapter. After the liberation of Garabagh, reconstruction and repair efforts were undertaken, and Azerbaijani residents returned to their homeland. Currently, peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain outstanding. Last month's meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Almaty marked another step towards peace. However, forces seeking to disrupt stability and hinder peace in the region remain active. The Armenian lobby in the West, particularly in France, strives to create unrest within Armenia and escalate tensions with Azerbaijan. The Macron government continues to arm Armenia, while radical groups incite domestic unrest. During the peace process, there were seven instances in June alone where the Armenian army fired at Azerbaijani positionsfive times in Nakhchivan and twice in Kalbajar. The violation of the ceasefire, especially towards Nakhchivan, can be seen as an action by provocative forces within Armenia against the realisation of the Zangazur corridor and the return of the Karki village to Azerbaijan. It appears that opposition forces in Armenia or the 'Karabakh clan' are ordering their supporters in the army to fire towards Azerbaijan. For Azerbaijan, this issue may merely strain relations with Armenia again. However, for Armenia, the problem is more significant. The opposition's influence within the army could spark a sudden military coup in the country. In February of this year, when Armenian forces wounded an Azerbaijani soldier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan understood this as a provocation and made some changes within the Armenian army. This situation proves that radical forces could take control of the Armenian army and act contrary to Pashinyan's decisions. Although Pashinyan's peace-oriented actions have somewhat managed to keep these forces in check, elements aiming to overthrow the government still exist within the country. Following the recent ceasefire violation, Armenia proposed creating a mechanism to investigate these incidents in Azerbaijan. In an official statement, Yerevan emphasised the Armenian government's commitment to preventing tensions. However, Paris intervened during the ceasefire breach, expressing its "support" for Armenia with new weapons. This raises the question: If the war is over, what is France's true intention in arming Armenia and signing the delivery of nearly 40 self-propelled howitzers? Is it really to support Pashinyan's government? While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared his readiness to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, the provocative activities of the French government and revanchist forces currently hinder peace between Baku and Yerevan. It is unfortunate that the Armenian Prime Minister is struggling to contend with both the church and the army yet fails to achieve a decisive outcome. Pashinyan either cannot or does not dare to conclude this process. In any case, the increasing frequency of ceasefire violations and the West's militarization of Armenia intensify the tension in the South Caucasus, adversely affecting the negotiation process. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) stands against the other farmland and agriculture stocks. There is seen to be quick consolidation in the agricultural market of U.S., especially, and the industry is marked by a rapid boom in technological and operating efficiency. Agricultural farms, which have internet access, saw an uptick, as the percentage of such farms grew from 75% in 2017 to 79% in 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Moreover, a 15% increase in farms was seen that relied on renewable energy-producing systems, whereby, 76% of the total farms in the U.S. were reported using solar energy. Furthermore, supply chain efficiency is also on the rise as the value of direct sales to consumers in 2022 by 116,617 farms rose by 16% to $3.3 billion, as compared to 2017. As such, the number of farms in the U.S. is falling; there exist 1.89 million farms in 2023, which is a fall of 7%, as compared to 2.04 million farms in 2017. Likewise, the land size has also seen a decrease of 21 million acres of land from 900 million acres in 2017 to 879 million acres in 2023. One of the driving forces for this loss is growing urbanization, which is resulting in the loss of 2,000 acres of farmland every day for residential or commercial purposes, according to the American Farmland Trust. Thus, the industry marked by technological advancements and innovation in animal and crop genetics, equipment, and chemicals means farmers getting out more from less land, meaning a fall in total farms. After a stellar performance in 2022, wherein the industry recorded $196.4 billion in inflation-adjusted net farm income, it is expected to hit $116.1 billion in the broader sense (not adjusted for inflation) in 2024, which would be a decrease of $39.8 billion, as compared to 2023, a year which also saw a decrease of $29.7 billion relative to 2022. This is seen on the back of rising operating costs, lower animal products receipts, and lower direct government payments in the industry. On a side note, the industry has also faced challenges due to the Russia-Ukraine war - primarily because both countries are two of the biggest exporters of grain globally, with the level of their exports in 2022 being 11.2 million tons and 21.6 million tons, respectively! Nevertheless, considering the challenges the agricultural sector is facing right now, we will take you back to what Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors of all time, said amidst the 2008 financial crisis, Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. Thus, on this note, lets now have a look at the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. Story continues Methodology To curate our list of 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds, we referred to the Yahoo Finance stocks screener filtering out around 20 stocks based on the industry and market. From the preliminary list, we then ranked the stocks based on the number of hedge fund holdings, as of 1st quarter of 2024, in an ascending order. With this, lets now jump to our list of the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Also, its important to note that all the stock prices quoted anywhere are as of 24th June 2024, unless otherwise stated. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). 15 Highest Quality Flours for Any Type of Recipe A close up of a baker stirring a bowl of flour and sugar in a bakery. Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 26 Engaged in the operations of making and selling sweeteners, starches, nutrition ingredients, and biomaterial solutions made from wet milling and processing corn, Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) is 8th on our list of 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) has an interest of 26 hedge funds, boasting a value of $468.5 million. Earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter of 2024, ending June, is expected to be somewhere around $2.56, according to analysts at Yahoo Finance, as compared to its year-ago EPS of $2.32. From its current price of $115.5, the analysts eye a target price of $128, which would mean an upside potential of a staggering 10.8%! A total of 26 hedge funds have invested in the stock, with the value of investment being $468.5 million, wherein, the biggest chunks belong to Yacktman Asset Management and Millennium Management who have invested amounts of $257.8 million and $81.5 million, respectively, as of 1st quarter of 2024. Overall INGR ranks 8th on our list of the best farmland and agriculture stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds to see the other farmland and agriculture stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of INGR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than INGR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Key Insights James Fisher and Sons' estimated fair value is UK4.83 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of UK3.18 suggests James Fisher and Sons is potentially 34% undervalued The UK4.80 analyst price target for FSJis comparable to our estimate of fair value. In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of James Fisher and Sons plc (LON:FSJ) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. 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. 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 James Fisher and Sons What's The Estimated Valuation? 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK12.5m UK13.9m UK19.5m UK23.8m UK27.6m UK30.9m UK33.6m UK35.8m UK37.7m UK39.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ 22.14% Est @ 16.03% Est @ 11.75% Est @ 8.76% Est @ 6.66% Est @ 5.19% Est @ 4.17% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 13% UK11.1 UK10.9 UK13.6 UK14.7 UK15.2 UK15.0 UK14.5 UK13.7 UK12.8 UK11.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK133m 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 (1.8%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 13%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = UK39m (1 + 1.8%) (13% 1.8%) = UK364m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK364m ( 1 + 13%)10= UK110m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK243m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK3.2, the company appears quite good value at a 34% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at James Fisher and Sons as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 13%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. 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 James Fisher and Sons Strength No major strengths identified for FSJ. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Opportunity Forecast to reduce losses next year. Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Revenue is forecast to decrease over the next 2 years. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. 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. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For James Fisher and Sons, we've put together three relevant aspects you should explore: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with James Fisher and Sons , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does FSJ'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 LSE 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) stands against the other farmland and agriculture stocks. There is seen to be quick consolidation in the agricultural market of U.S., especially, and the industry is marked by a rapid boom in technological and operating efficiency. Agricultural farms, which have internet access, saw an uptick, as the percentage of such farms grew from 75% in 2017 to 79% in 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Moreover, a 15% increase in farms was seen that relied on renewable energy-producing systems, whereby, 76% of the total farms in the U.S. were reported using solar energy. Furthermore, supply chain efficiency is also on the rise as the value of direct sales to consumers in 2022 by 116,617 farms rose by 16% to $3.3 billion, as compared to 2017. As such, the number of farms in the U.S. is falling; there exist 1.89 million farms in 2023, which is a fall of 7%, as compared to 2.04 million farms in 2017. Likewise, the land size has also seen a decrease of 21 million acres of land from 900 million acres in 2017 to 879 million acres in 2023. One of the driving forces for this loss is growing urbanization, which is resulting in the loss of 2,000 acres of farmland every day for residential or commercial purposes, according to the American Farmland Trust. Thus, the industry marked by technological advancements and innovation in animal and crop genetics, equipment, and chemicals means farmers getting out more from less land, meaning a fall in total farms. After a stellar performance in 2022, wherein the industry recorded $196.4 billion in inflation-adjusted net farm income, it is expected to hit $116.1 billion in the broader sense (not adjusted for inflation) in 2024, which would be a decrease of $39.8 billion, as compared to 2023, a year which also saw a decrease of $29.7 billion relative to 2022. This is seen on the back of rising operating costs, lower animal products receipts, and lower direct government payments in the industry. On a side note, the industry has also faced challenges due to the Russia-Ukraine war - primarily because both countries are two of the biggest exporters of grain globally, with the level of their exports in 2022 being 11.2 million tons and 21.6 million tons, respectively! Nevertheless, considering the challenges the agricultural sector is facing right now, we will take you back to what Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors of all time, said amidst the 2008 financial crisis, Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. Thus, on this note, lets now have a look at the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. Story continues Methodology To curate our list of 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds, we referred to the Yahoo Finance stocks screener filtering out around 20 stocks based on the industry and market. From the preliminary list, we then ranked the stocks based on the number of hedge fund holdings, as of 1st quarter of 2024, in an ascending order. With this, lets now jump to our list of the 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Also, its important to note that all the stock prices quoted anywhere are as of 24th June 2024, unless otherwise stated. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). Potatoes being sorted on a conveyor belt in a modern packing facility. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 42 Headquartered in Idaho, U.S., Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) makes and sells frozen potato products, along with other vegetables and dairy products. The stock is quite popular amongst investors, as 42 hedge funds have stakes in the stock worth $1.979 billion; Stockbridge Partners is the biggest investor in the stock with an investment of $401.4 million! Furthermore, scenes are quite the same with analysts as well, as they have set a price target of a staggering $108.24, as compared to its current price of $84.85; thats an upside potential of a massive 27.57%! Analysts judgment about the stock can be justified through the companys performance in its fiscal 3rd quarter of 2024, wherein, the net sales shot up 16% YoY to $1.458 billion; furthermore, the company managed to pay $40 million in cash dividends to its common shareholders. Moreover, for the year 2024, the company eyes an adjusted EPS of somewhere between $5.5 to $5.65, on the back of a forecasted net income of around $800 million. Overall LW ranks 2nd on our list of the best farmland and agriculture stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Farmland and Agriculture Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds to see the other farmland and agriculture stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of LW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Key Insights The projected fair value for Pilbara Minerals is AU$5.85 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$3.15 suggests Pilbara Minerals is potentially 46% undervalued The AU$3.59 analyst price target for PLS is 39% less than our estimate of fair value In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Pilbara Minerals Limited (ASX:PLS) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for Pilbara Minerals The Calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) -AU$1.19b AU$106.8m AU$700.9m AU$1.04b AU$1.13b AU$1.19b AU$1.24b AU$1.29b AU$1.33b AU$1.37b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x6 Analyst x6 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ 5.51% Est @ 4.54% Est @ 3.85% Est @ 3.38% Est @ 3.04% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.5% -AU$1.1k AU$92.3 AU$564 AU$781 AU$783 AU$769 AU$747 AU$722 AU$694 AU$665 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$4.7b 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 (2.3%) 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 7.5%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$1.4b (1 + 2.3%) (7.5% 2.3%) = AU$27b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$27b ( 1 + 7.5%)10= AU$13b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$18b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$3.2, the company appears quite good value at a 46% 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 Now 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 Pilbara Minerals 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 7.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.146. 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 Pilbara Minerals Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. 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 instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Pilbara Minerals, there are three important elements you should assess: Risks: Be aware that Pilbara Minerals is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does PLS'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 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Officials with the Japanese company that owns the Vinton Steel minimill are considering a $420.5 million expansion of the 62-year-old facility located in El Paso Countys Upper Valley. The expansion would replace the steel mills two electric arc furnaces with a new, state-of-the-art furnace, construct 1.5 million square feet of new buildings, and make other improvements that would double the facilitys production of steel products from recycled steel, according to Vinton Steels application for a Texas economic incentive program. The new furnace would be designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also reduce electricity consumption. The minimill turns old motor vehicles, discarded major household appliances, and industrial scrap metal into new steel products reinforcing steel bars, or rebar, grinding steel balls and smooth steel bars for industrial construction and mining industries. A water tower is part of the Vinton Steel mill facility located along Interstate 10 and near Vinton Road in El Paso's Upper Valley, as seen June 24. The facility is located on about 230 acres along Interstate 10 and near Vinton Road. Besides the steel mill, the facility also includes metal scrap processing, a rolling steel mill, and grinding steel ball mill, according to company information. Kyoei Steel board weighs competing plans Whether the expansion will be done wont be known until the middle to late August when the Kyoei Steel Ltd., board of directors is expected to make a decision, said Eduardo Gonzalez, who oversees Vinton Steel as assistant vice president. Company officials won't discuss details of the possible expansion until the board makes a decision, said Gonzalez, who has worked for Vinton Steel about 15 years. If the expansion isn't approved, then other options will be considered, Gonzalez said. However, he declined to provide details about the other options. This map shows the location of the Vinton Steel mill's current operations and vacant land where new facilities would be built under an expansion plan being considered by officials with Japan's Kyoei Steel LTD, which bought the Vinton facility in El Paso County in 2016. Officials with Kyoei, a 75-year-old company based in Oska, Japan, are considering other sites for the steel mill expansion besides Vinton: A group's proposal for a new steel mill in the Miami, Florida area, and Kyoei's AltaSteel mill in Edmonton, Canada, according to the companys state incentive application filed in April with the Texas comptroller's office and other company information. The application is for the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act, or JETI, economic incentive program. Part of the expansion competition is Kyoei's possible acquisition of another steel mill in the United States, Gonzalez said. The name of the possible acquisition has not been disclosed, he said. The company is being offered incentives at all the possible sites, including millions of dollars of possible property tax incentives from the village of Vinton and El Paso County, according to the application. Story continues Metal bars made at the Vinton Steel minimill are stored outside the facility located along Interstate 10 and near Vinton Road in El Paso's Upper Valley, as seen June 24. Kyoei Steel purchased Vinton Steel in December 2016 for $52 million from Black Diamond Capital Management, a Connecticut-based investment and business turnaround firm. Vinton is Kyoeis only steel mill in the United States. It also has the one in Canada, and several steel mills in Vitenam and Japan. Vinton Steel employs 356 people Vinton Steel, which currently employs 356 people, is a major employer in the El Paso area and important to the area economy and for Vinton, a community of about 2,800 people, near the New Mexico state line. The application indicates possible growth in jobs from the expansion, but job numbers and other details are not final because the company is negotiating terms of possible incentives with the county and others, Gonzalez said. The Vinton Steel minimill stands behind a billboard along Interstate 10 advertising the facility in El Paso's Upper Valley, as seen June 24. Vinton facility has record of safety problems The steel mill has a tarnished safety record. In April 2022, it was placed in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, Severe Violator Enforcement Program because it had 10 safety issues over five years, including five amputation injuries. It remains in that program today. It also was cited for 19 safety violations in April 2022. On May 4, 2022, Kyoei Steel officials agreed to pay a negotiated fine of $250,000 and corrected the 19 safety violations at the Vinton facility, OSHA information shows. The Vinton Steel minimill is located along Interstate 10 and near Vinton Road in El Paso County's Upper Valley, as seen June 24. In October 2010, prior to Kyoei Steel buying the steel mill, an explosion at the facility killed a worker, according to El Paso Times archives. Changes have been made at the facility in recent years to fix safety problems, Gonzalez said. Vinton, El Paso County offer incentives The village of Vinton and El Paso County have offered almost $19 million in unspecified property-tax incentives for Kyoei Steel to expand the Vinton facility, according to Vinton Steels application. Vinton and El Paso County officials declined to comment on the possible expansion. More: Preferred route picked for $79M New Mexico highway from Santa Teresa to Sunland Park Vinton Steel's scrap metal processing yard in El Paso's Upper Valley, as seen June 18, near the minimill, which recycles the metal into steel bars and other products for the construction industry. The countys proposed $7.4 million worth of incentives reported in the application are preliminary and have changed as we have not yet finalized the negotiations, Desiree Gonzalez, a county spokesperson, said in an email. Vinton officials have offered incentives of $11.6 million, the application shows. Under the Texas JETI program, Vinton Steel could get a property tax appraisal decrease for 10 years with the Canutillo Independent School District. The company also has applied for a Texas Enterprise Fund grant. Vic Kolenc may be reached at 915-546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter, now known as X. More: El Paso's second-largest hotel, first Marriott, getting multimillion-dollar renovation This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Japanese firm considers Vinton Steel mill expansion in El Paso County As the British parliamentary election looms and market caution heightens, investors are closely monitoring the FTSE 100, which shows a mixed response amid global economic uncertainties. Amidst this cautious environment, identifying undervalued stocks becomes crucial as they may offer potential for appreciation when market sentiment stabilizes. In such times, a good stock often features solid fundamentals like strong balance sheets and consistent earnings, which can provide some resilience against market volatility. Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In The United Kingdom Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Kier Group (LSE:KIE) 1.40 2.73 48.7% Morgan Advanced Materials (LSE:MGAM) 3.13 6.09 48.6% Mercia Asset Management (AIM:MERC) 0.295 0.58 49.3% Loungers (AIM:LGRS) 2.68 5.26 49.1% Deliveroo (LSE:ROO) 1.286 2.48 48.1% Nexxen International (AIM:NEXN) 2.47 4.91 49.7% Franchise Brands (AIM:FRAN) 1.51 2.96 49% Elementis (LSE:ELM) 1.44 2.80 48.5% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (LSE:AML) 1.512 2.95 48.7% eEnergy Group (AIM:EAAS) 0.055 0.11 49.8% Click here to see the full list of 65 stocks from our Undervalued UK Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool Overview: Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc is a global luxury sports car manufacturer with operations spanning design, development, and marketing, boasting a market capitalization of approximately 1.25 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its automotive segment, which amounted to 1.60 billion. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 48.7% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings is trading at 1.51, significantly below the estimated fair value of 2.95, indicating a potential undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. Despite recent challenges, including a substantial net loss reported in Q1 2024, the company is expected to become profitable within three years with an anticipated earnings growth of 81.69% per year. However, its forecasted Return on Equity remains low at 1.7%, suggesting cautious optimism for long-term growth prospects. LSE:AML Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: NCC Group plc operates in the cyber and software resilience sector across the United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe, with a market capitalization of approximately 481.38 million. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its Cyber Security segment, which contributes 251.90 million, and its Escode division, which adds another 65.10 million. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 33.5% NCC Group, priced at 1.54, is considered undervalued by approximately 33.5% against its fair value of 2.31, based on discounted cash flow analysis. Recent corporate guidance anticipates revenues around 100 million for the upcoming quarter, with a steady dividend of 3.15p expected in October 2024. While earnings are projected to surge by 94.04% annually, the company's return on equity is forecasted to remain low at 6.2%, highlighting potential concerns over profitability and efficiency in capital use. LSE:NCC Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Severfield plc is a UK-based structural steelwork company involved in design, manufacturing, fabrication, construction, and erection of steel structures across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Europe, and India, with a market cap of approximately 232.86 million. Operations: The core construction operations of the company generate revenue of 463.47 million. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 29.3% Severfield, trading at 0.76, is perceived as undervalued with a fair value estimate of 1.07. Despite a recent dip in sales to 463.47 million and net income falling to 15.9 million, the company's earnings are expected to grow by 23.38% annually, outpacing the UK market forecast of 12.5%. Analyst consensus suggests a potential price increase of 46.5%. However, concerns include a volatile share price and an unstable dividend track record which might deter risk-averse investors. LSE:SFR Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Turning Ideas Into Actions Navigate through the entire inventory of 65 Undervalued UK Stocks Based On Cash Flows here. Have a stake in these businesses? Integrate your holdings into Simply Wall St's portfolio for notifications and detailed stock reports. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Want To Explore Some Alternatives? 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. Companies discussed in this article include LSE:AML LSE:NCCLSE:SFR and Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Reuters) -Investment firm KKR acquired a portfolio of 18 multifamily real estate assets on Tuesday from a closed end fund sponsored by developer Quarterra Multifamily for about $2.1 billion. The portfolio includes 5,200 units across California, Washington, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Colorado and New Jersey. The global commercial property industry, in particular offices, is still in the grip of its biggest slump since the 2007-9 financial crisis. But non-bank lenders believe the worst may have passed and that they can generate attractive returns as valuations recover. "We believe this is a great moment to invest in real estate, as transaction activity starts to pick up on the heels of two-years of dislocation in commercial real estate markets," said Justin Pattner, KKR's head of real estate equity in the Americas. KKR will partner with prominent multifamily real estate operators Carter-Haston, MG Properties and Dalan Real Estate to operate the assets. (Reporting by Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri) Tuesday marked the conclusion of a hearing into the capsizing of the Golden Ray in September 2019. (Photo: St. Simons Sound Response) A federal lawsuit filed in 2022 over the sinking of the Golden Ray cargo ship, which was carrying some $142 million worth of cargo when it capsized off the coast of Georgia, has been settled. The Marshall Islands-flagged roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier sank on Sept. 8, 2019, after leaving the Port of Brunswick on its way to Baltimore. It was carrying nearly 4,200 vehicles. Local shrimpers, crabbers and business owners sued the owners and operators of the vessel, but the suit was dismissed Monday after those involved agreed to settle. The details of the settlement werent publicly available. Related: Chief officers ballast level error blamed for Golden Ray capsizing Golden Ray, ship that capsized at Port of Brunswick, to be cut up Pilot radioed Im losing her as Golden Ray capsized Golden Ray a tourist attraction Golden Ray wreckage continues leaking oil off Georgia coast The National Transportation Safety Board determined that an error by the chief officer led to the capsizing. The Golden Ray was also carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel, according to the 2022 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Fires burned for nearly 24 hours after the ship capsized, the now-dismissed lawsuit says. It took crews more than two years to remove the wreckage, which caused fires and numerous oil spills, the lawsuit says. One spill spurred health officials to issue warnings to swimmers and fishers. The aftermath of the ships sinking harmed the environment and the livelihoods of local fishers, the suit claims. The post Lawsuit settled in 2019 Golden Ray sinking off Georgia coast appeared first on FreightWaves. By Leyla Tarverdiyeva France's "green" transition may be under threat. The country, whose current leader is vociferously opposed to fossil fuels, may withdraw from the ranks of active fighters for a planetary climate. According to Bloomberg, in case of obtaining a majority in the parliamentary elections, the far-right National Union party plans to abandon key environmental policy measures within a few weeks. Party leader Marine Le Pen wants to repeal the main provisions of the historic "green agreement" of the European Union. Representatives of the National Association announced that in the event of the formation of the next government, the development of wind energy will be stopped, the ban on the sale of cars with gasoline and diesel engines planned for 2035 will be lifted, housing repair requirements will be relaxed and plans to remove the most polluting vehicles from large cities will be limited. Instead, the far-right intends to increase the number of nuclear reactors. What does it mean? This means that France will need even more uranium than it produces in other countries today. In light of this prospect, the news spread recently by the media that the French company Orano has been stripped of its license to operate a large uranium mine in Niger sounds very relevant. Representatives of the company said that they were not allowed to work at the Imuraren mine in northern Niger, where about 200,000 tons of uranium are concentrated. Niger is the seventh largest producer of uranium in the world and has the highest grade ores on the African continent. In recent years, Chinese, Australian, American, British, Italian, Canadian, Russian and Indian companies have received licenses to mine uranium here. In 2022, 31 exploration permits and 11 production licenses were issued. According to the World Nuclear Association, Niger accounted for about 4 percent of global uranium production in 2022. And according to calculations by the Euratom Supply Agency, EU utilities depended on uranium supplies from Niger by 25 percent in the same year. After the military coup of July last year, Niger drove away the French military contingent, and now takes away from the French one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. Niger now covers 15 percent of France's uranium needs for nuclear power plants, which account for 65 percent, and according to some sources, more than 70 percent of the country's electricity production. Realizing that he was losing African uranium, Macron rushed around the world in search of a replacement. I ran all the way to Central Asia. The result of this march was Orano's decision to invest up to $500 million in uranium mining and processing in Uzbekistan. During his visit to Samarkand, Macron said that Orano, through a local joint venture, Nurlikum Mining, had launched a pilot uranium mining project. In October 2023, Orano also signed a preliminary agreement on uranium mining in Mongolia. It should be noted that the French are already mining uranium in Central Asia - at the Moinkum deposit in the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan. After the loss of Niger, Paris declared Kazakhstan the key to France's energy security and undertook to expand the presence of the French nuclear company Orano in this country. Orano has been working, or rather, has been working in Niger for more than 50 years. Production at the Imuraren mine was supposed to begin in 2015, but was suspended due to a sharp drop in uranium prices after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. What happened in Japan has called into question the bet on nuclear energy, but the energy crisis of recent years has forced this allegedly environmentally friendly method of energy production back on the agenda. At COP28 in Dubai, it was decided to triple the amount of electricity produced at nuclear power plants by 2050 in order to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons and reduce the amount of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This means that the demand for uranium is increasing. And the countries with its reserves are in a hurry to take advantage of it. For example, the Kyrgyz parliament recently approved a bill that authorizes the development of uranium and thorium deposits located on the territory of the republic. The development of uranium deposits in this country was prohibited by law in 2019. The changes may also attract the French to the country, who are particularly interested in Central Asian uranium. And France needs a lot of uranium. There are about 60 operating industrial nuclear reactors in France. In terms of the amount of energy generated by nuclear power plants, it is the second in the world. and the share of nuclear energy is the first. Most of the reactors were built in the 70s and 80s, with an operational life of 30-40 years. This period has been extended several times, and billions of euros have been spent on modernization and repairs. Nevertheless, France plans to build new reactors. For comparison, in April last year, the last three nuclear reactors operating in the country were shut down in Germany. Faced with a closed door in Niger, the French company issued a statement promising to take legal action against the revocation of its license, as well as warning that "the decision to revoke the permit for the development of the field will have a negative impact on the economic, social and social development of the region." What kind of economic and social development are the French talking about in Niger and "French" Africa? Niger exports oil, uranium, and gold and is one of the poorest countries in the world. In recent years, other states have begun to appear in the mining industry of Niger, but the demand for the low level of development of this country is from France. Niger consistently ranks the lowest in the human development index. France, which has been actually plundering the bowels of the country for many years, leaves it crumbs and does not invest in social and economic programs. Uranium could have become a serious source of income for the Niger economy if it, and not the French, had managed its wealth. France, of course, is not interested in this, so the low level of development of the former colony suits it perfectly. Having ceased to be a de jure colony, Niger remained in de facto colonial dependence on France. The new authorities of the country are trying to change this and build relations with foreign investors on an equal footing. It will be a difficult process. As Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni once said while chastising Macron, "Let's call a spade a spade. The disgusting ones are those who, like France, continue to exploit Africa, printing money for 14 African states on seigniorage terms, and forcing African children to work in their mines, such as in Niger, where France extracts 30 percent of uranium ore to operate its nuclear power plants, while 90 percent of Nigerians live without electricity". 90 percent of Niger's population lives without electricity... What other deterioration in the socio-economic situation does Orano threaten Nigerians due to the revocation of the mining license? It is difficult to imagine a worse situation in which this African country finds itself today. By the way, information has leaked to the media about Rosatom's negotiations with the authorities of Niger on the acquisition of uranium assets owned by Orano. The negotiations relate to the signing of permits for mining in the region. Although the French company denies everything. Levis largest store in India is open for business. The denim brand opened an owned-and-operated 9,150 square foot store in New Delhis Pacific Mall, which attracts approximately 1 million visitors each month. More from Sourcing Journal Featuring Levis Icon design concept, the store provides consumers with an elevated shopping experience centered around the brands denim roots. The store boasts indigo ceilings and indigo ombre pillars. Bespoke elements such as LED displays with visual animations are displayed throughout the day. A comprehensive assortment of Levis iconic styles like the 501 jean and Trucker jacket are available as well as trend-focused collections for men and women. The store also houses a Levis Tailor Shop, offering enhanced personalization services such as custom embroidery and distressing, enabling customers to create unique products tailored to their preferences. Levis said the store reaffirms its commitment to enhancing brand expansion and its direct-to-consumer strategy, providing a larger footprint for an extensive display of Levis products, ensuring both new and returning customers can effortlessly find their favorite styles and explore exciting new offerings. The store is Levis largest in a mall globally. It is also the brands third recent store opening in Asia. In April, the brand landed in Bangladesh opening its first store in the capital city of Dhaka. Levis also reopened of its store in the popular mall, CentralWorld, in Bangkok, Thailand. As we continue to expand our footprint in India, this opening underscores Levi Strauss & Co.s commitment to a direct-to-consumer approach complemented by elevated shopping experiences for consumers at our stores, said Hiren Gor, Levi Strauss & Co. general manager, South Asia. With the expanded floor space, fashion seekers and style curators alike visiting our Pacific Mall store can also expect to find a wide assortment of products to achieve their desired top-to-bottom denim lifestyle looks. Key Insights Nordic Group's estimated fair value is S$0.29 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of S$0.29 suggests Nordic Group is potentially trading close to its fair value The average premium for Nordic Group's competitorsis currently 101% Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Nordic Group Limited (SGX:MR7) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you 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 Nordic Group Is Nordic Group Fairly Valued? We have to calculate the value of Nordic Group slightly differently to other stocks because it is a construction company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. 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 (2.1%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.5%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.3, the company appears about fair value at a 0.8% 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. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = S$0.02 / (7.5% 2.1%) = S$0.3 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. 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 Nordic Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.182. 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. Story continues SWOT Analysis for Nordic Group Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. 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 Construction market. Opportunity Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine MR7'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 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. 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 Nordic Group, there are three additional items you should look at: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Nordic Group that you should be aware of before investing here. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Key Insights The projected fair value for Paul Hartmann is 180 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of 200 suggests Paul Hartmann is potentially trading close to its fair value Paul Hartmann's peers are currently trading at a discount of 41% on average Does the June share price for Paul Hartmann AG (FRA:PHH2) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for Paul Hartmann Is Paul Hartmann Fairly Valued? We have to calculate the value of Paul Hartmann slightly differently to other stocks because it is a medical equipment 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. 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 0.7%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.1%. Compared to the current share price of 200, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = 8.0 / (5.1% 0.7%) = 180 dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Paul Hartmann 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 5.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.968. 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. Story continues SWOT Analysis for Paul Hartmann Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Medical Equipment market. Current share price is above our estimate of fair value. Opportunity PHH2's financial characteristics indicate limited near-term opportunities for shareholders. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine PHH2's earnings prospects. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. 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 instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Paul Hartmann, there are three pertinent aspects you should consider: 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Key Insights Uchi Technologies Berhad's estimated fair value is RM4.70 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of RM3.95 suggests Uchi Technologies Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 14% higher than Uchi Technologies Berhad's analyst price target of RM4.10 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Uchi Technologies Berhad (KLSE:UCHITEC) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Uchi Technologies Berhad 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. 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. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM123.7m RM149.5m RM157.7m RM164.8m RM171.8m RM178.7m RM185.6m RM192.6m RM199.7m RM207.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.51% Est @ 4.22% Est @ 4.02% Est @ 3.88% Est @ 3.78% Est @ 3.71% Est @ 3.66% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM112 RM123 RM117 RM111 RM105 RM98.5 RM92.7 RM87.1 RM81.8 RM76.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM1.0b 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 (3.6%) 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 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM207m (1 + 3.6%) (10% 3.6%) = RM3.1b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM3.1b ( 1 + 10%)10= RM1.2b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM2.2b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM4.0, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Uchi Technologies Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.083. 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 Uchi Technologies Berhad Strength Currently debt free. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by cash flow. Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Malaysian market. Next Steps: 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. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Uchi Technologies Berhad, there are three essential items you should further examine: Risks: Take risks, for example - Uchi Technologies Berhad has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does UCHITEC's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Lufthansa flags waving in the wind in front of the Lufthansa Aviation Center. The newest airline from Germany's Lufthansa Group, feeder airline City Airlines, is due to depart on its inaugural flight on 26 June without collective agreements for airline staff. Andreas Arnold/dpa The newest airline from Germany's Lufthansa Group, feeder airline City Airlines, is due to depart on its inaugural flight on Wednesday without collective agreements for airline staff. The first departure scheduled is at 9:10 am (0710GMT) from Munich headed for the central English city of Birmingham. On Tuesday, the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and the flight attendants' union UFO confirmed that no agreement on the working conditions had been reached with the new airline. This means that the transfer of staff from the existing subsidiary Lufthansa Cityline to the new company remains unclear. The existing Cityline is expected to be wound down and replaced by the new City Airlines. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr had repeatedly pointed to restrictions on Cityline in the existing collective bargaining agreement as a key reason for the move. The new City Airlines has offered voluntary transferees a bonus equivalent to one year's salary to make the jump. However, the cabin crew union UFO has advised its members not to accept the offer, as many of the conditions unilaterally set by the airline on things like pay and working hours lag behind those under the collective bargaining deal at Cityline. The Lufthansa Group intends to equip the new company for short and medium-haul routes with five aircraft before the end of this year. In addition to Munich, the Lufthansa Group says that Frankfurt will follow next year as a second base and the City Airlines fleet is planned to grow by at least eight more jets. A further 40 aircraft have been ordered for delivery after 2026. The new City Airlines is fully integrated into Lufthansa's systems, and can only be booked through Lufthansa, similar to the arrangement with predecessor Cityline. The pilots' union VC has described the launch of the new airline as unnecessary and superfluous but has indicated its willingness to negotiate over the Cityline deal. ZURICH (Reuters) - French billionaire Bernard Arnault, Europe's richest man and the chairman of high fashion to champagne group LVMH, has bought a stake in smaller luxury rival Richemont, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The exact size of the shareholding in the owner of Cartier jewellery and Arnault's intentions are unclear, the report said. Representatives of Arnault did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The report said the investment was small and part of a broader Arnault family-owned portfolio of investments in publicly listed companies. Richemont, whose shares rose 2.8% after the news, declined to comment. The company's stock has gained 21% this year. Paris-based LVMH, whose brands include Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior fashion houses, watchmakers Hublot and Tag Heuer, and champagne maker Dom Perignon, has previously bought stakes in rivals. The world's biggest luxury company in 2010 revealed it had amassed a stake in Birkin bag maker Hermes. Hermes' family owners reacted by binding their holdings, and LVMH eventually relinquished its stake in 2014. Richemont could also prove a hard target to take over, if that is Arnault's intention. The company, which also owns Swiss watchmakers IWC, Piaget and Jaeger-LeCoulture, is controlled by Chairman Johan Rupert via a combination of two categories of shares that gives him 51% of the voting rights. Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Jon Cox said the investment seemed to be more a personal stake of the Arnault family, although he noted Bernard Arnault's admiration of Richemont's jewellery businesses. "Arnault has made no secret that he thinks Richemonts Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels are two world class brands and I am sure LVMH is interested and has the financial resources to do a deal," Cox said. "However, Richemont's Johann Rupert has repeatedly said the company is not for sale and he has no interest in any sort of tie up." Arnault in January said that Rupert was an "outstanding leader" and that he did not want to "upset his strategy." He added: "I understand he wants to remain independent. I find that very good. If he wants support to maintain his independence, I'll be there." Richemont last month unveiled a management overhaul, promoting Nicolas Bos, the head of its Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery brand, to become group CEO. Still, Rupert said he was not reducing his role in the company he created. "I'm not stepping back but I'm asking Nicolas to assume some of the direct line reporting," the 74-year-old said last month. (Reporting by John Revill and Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Mark Potter) A company that manufactures electrical products is expanding two of its South Carolina facilities and adding hundreds of jobs. Schneider Electric announced Tuesday that it will expand facilities in Seneca and in the Columbia area. The company is making a collective $23.8 million investment in those facilities, and will create 280 new jobs. Of those jobs, 130 are planned for the Seneca facility, and 150 are planned for the Columbia area facility, which is on Garners Ferry Road in Hopkins. A release from Schneider Electric said the workers from the expansion will manufacture custom power distribution products that are integral to electrification and energy efficiency, bolstering support for critical infrastructure, industries particularly healthcare and wastewater treatment and the escalating demand for data center solutions across the U.S. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster touted Schneiders commitment to its facilities in the Upstate and in the Midlands. Schneider Electrics further investment in South Carolina is a testament to our strong business climate and skilled manufacturing workforce, and we look forward to the economic opportunities this expansion will create for residents in Oconee and Richland counties, McMaster said in a statement. The expansions announced Tuesday are part of a larger effort from Schneider, announced earlier this year, to invest $140 million in its facilities across the U.S. As our economy becomes more digitized and electrified, Schneider Electric is spearheading this transformation through investments in a robust domestic supply chain, Schneider Electric President of North American Operations Aamir Paul said. By improving our factory efficiency and growing our talented South Carolina workforce, were further contributing to the revitalization of American manufacturing. Richland County Council Chairwoman Jessica Mackey said shes thrilled to see Schneider affirm its commitment to doing business in the county. Schneider Electric has a long history in Richland County and has become an integral part of our community, Mackey said in a statement. It is always exciting to hear that a successful company is expanding, but county council is especially thrilled to have an established business partner continuing to add to the impressive economic growth in Southeast Richland. We look forward to supporting Schneider Electrics future success. The Appointment underscores the company's continued commitment to pioneering future-ready financial management that bridges traditional and crypto finance globally. SINGAPORE, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MetaComp Pte Ltd, Singapore's leading Digital Payment Token Service Provider, licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the MVGX Holdings (MVGXH), welcomes Ms Tin Pei Ling on board as its Co-President. Ms Tin Pei Ling, Co-President, MetaComp Pte. Ltd. MVGXH is a licensed Singaporean fintech group with four subsidiaries focusing on digital and green sectors: MetaComp, a Major Payment Institution offering Digital Payment Token Service and Cross-border Money Transfer Service; MVGX Tech, providing end-to-end Carbon SaaS with a unique Scope 3 and advanced carbon emission factor database; Metaverse Green Exchange (MVGX), licensed by MAS with Recognised Market Operator (RMO) and Capital Market (CMS) License, focusing on Securities/Tokens backed by increasingly digital and green asset classes such as voluntary carbon credits or hash rate, as well as providing other CMS financial services such as custodian; and the Asia Green Fund (AGF), a venture capital fund managing over USD 2.8 billion in assets, investing in green impact and sustainability industries driven by green and digital technology. Commencing on 24th June 2024, Ms Tin's portfolio will focus on strategic partnerships and corporate development. Her appointment is expected to significantly strengthen MetaComp's strategic partnerships, driving momentum and advancing MetaComp's position as a leader in bridging traditional and crypto finance, paving the way for new partnerships and the growth of our client offerings. Ms Tin brings a distinguished blend of digital and financial acumen plus industry experience in payment platforms and the financial technology space. With a MBA from Chicago Booth School, she brings both practical and theoretical understanding. Dr Bo Bai, Chairman and Co-Founder of MetaComp, says, "In today's bustling fintech space, MetaComp is at the forefront of driving financial solutions that help our customers navigate money management between traditional finance and crypto finance. Technology and innovation are only part of the equation, and at MetaComp, we emphasise that our people are our DNA, serving as the compass for our clients." Dr Bai adds, "We are delighted to welcome Pei Ling to the MetaComp family. Her extensive experience, coupled with her expertise in strategic development, makes her an invaluable asset to our leadership team. Her vision and drive perfectly align with our aspirations at MetaComp, and I am confident she will significantly contribute to our continued success." Before her tenure with MetaComp, Ms Tin held several key corporate positions, including Managing Director for Strategic Partnership & Business Development at DCS Card Centre and Chief Executive Officer of Business China, an organisation that harnesses the support of public sector and private enterprises to strengthen the ties between Singapore and China, so as to sustain and grow the global connectivity of Singapore. Ms Tin affirmed, "Sustainability is a global imperative and there is still much that can be done in the fintech sector to enable this. Hence, I am delighted to accept the opportunity to join MetaComp, given it being a part of the MVGXH conglomerate, a licensed fintech group specialising in green and digital assets. I look forward to doing my part in supporting sustainable finance by driving growth through partnerships and bridging traditional finance with digital assets alongside my fellow Co-President, Mr Eddie Hui." Eddie Hui, Co-President, and Chief Operating Officer of MetaComp, brings over twenty years of experience in the financial services sector. Formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Societe Generale for Proprietary Trading, Fixed Income, Credit and FX, Prime Services, and Equity Market Making desk in Asia, Eddie oversees the ideation and execution of MetaComp's business strategy and drives service excellence. The two Co-President's leadership and expertise will be instrumental in driving MetaComp's success. With the addition of Ms Tin Pei Ling, MetaComp, together with its parent company MVGX, aim to secure and launch a wide range of initiatives bridging traditional finance with digital assets. For more information, please visit www.mce.sg About MetaComp Pte Ltd MetaComp is a leading Singapore-based digital asset platform licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019. Operating under a P2B2C (platform-to-business, partners-to-clients) model, MetaComp provides its clients with an integrated end-to-end suite of services, empowering them to confidently enter the digital asset market with the much-needed safety, security, and compliance. Together with its parent company, Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd. (a MAS-licensed CMS holder permitted to carry out, inter alia, brokerage and custody services), MetaComp introduces its suite of services through CAMP by MetaComp, a regulated Client Assets Management Platform, allowing businesses to develop and scale their digital asset offerings through OTC and exchange trading services, fiat payment, digital asset custody and prime brokerage. About MVGX Holdings Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore, MVGX Holdings (MVGXH) is a leading digital green fintech group that provides regulated financial services and end-to-end Carbon SaaS (software as a service solution) for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Compliant by design, MVGXH's subsidiaries hold licenses from the Monetary Authority of Singapore including the Recognised Market Operator License, Capital Market Services License and Major Payment Institution License. Enabled by its proprietary carbon SaaS software and products, its digital green exchange for voluntary carbon credits and asset-backed securities and tokens, and an impact investment arm for green technologies and infrastructure, MVGX Group strives to be a key partner for its client's decarbonisation journeys through the stages of define, measure, mitigate, offset, certify, and finance. MetaComp Logo (PRNewsfoto/MetaComp Pte. Ltd.) MVGX Holdings Pte. Ltd. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ms-tin-pei-ling-joins-metacomp-as-its-co-president-to-grow-its-partnerships-across-asia-pacific-302181112.html SOURCE MetaComp Pte Ltd By Alimat Aliyeva China calls on the international community to cooperate and opposes the severance of global economic ties. This was stated by Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang during the meeting of the new leaders of the World Economic Forum (Summer Davos) in Dalian, Azernews reports. "All countries and regions need to cooperate closely, resist block confrontation and severance of ties, maintain stability and uninterrupted operation of industrial and logistics chains, as well as promote liberalization and simplification of trade and investment procedures," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China also called on the international community to deepen scientific and technological exchanges. "If countries only think about maximizing their own interests, without taking into account the interests of others, the cost of global economic transactions will increase, economic ties between regions will break off, and contradictions and disputes will only intensify," Li Qiang said. In recent years, the United States and its allies have increased economic and technological pressure on China. Western countries regularly impose new sanctions against Chinese companies under the pretext of ties with the Russian military-industrial complex, infringement of human rights, threats to national security from Chinese technological enterprises, etc. In addition, the United States and the EU are increasing pressure through protectionist measures on such fast-growing industries in China as the production of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. Rich Lynch / Shutterstock.com Every year, droves of Americans flock to other countries to retire. The trend of retiring overseas is picking up momentum. According to Harvey Law Group, the number of Americans collecting their Social Security benefits from overseas increased from 413,000 to 760,000 between 2019 and 2022. Made up of 44 countries, Europe boasts many popular spots for expats to live out their golden years. Why Europe? There are several reasons. Some people just want to experience something new or return to where their ancestors came from. Or, perhaps more commonly, they want to save money; retiring in Europe can, in certain cases, be cheaper than retiring in the U.S. But how much money exactly do you need to comfortably retire in Europe? It depends on the country. To help narrow things down, GOBankingRates has taken a look at the cost of living in 12 cities in Europe where English is widely spoken. According to research from Insider Monkey, these may be best for Americans looking to live, visit or retire. GOBankingRates then sourced cost of living data from Expatistan, current as of June 2024. Here is how much you need to retire in these 12 European cities. Find Out: 16 Best Places To Retire in the US That Feel Like Europe Read Next: The Surprising Way You Can Get Guaranteed Retirement Income for Life Kotkoa / Shutterstock.com Paris Ah, Paris. Who could visit this city and not be utterly entranced by the romance? Theres no need to go on about the legendary beauties of Paris, but there is reason to go on about the cost of living in this gorgeous city. If youre looking for a budget-friendly place to retire, you may want to scratch this one off your list. Its the most expensive city in France, with the average monthly costs for one person hovering at around 3,617 euros, or $3,882. Trending Now: 5 Places in America To Retire That Are Just as Cheap as Mexico, Portugal and Costa Rica Learn More: 7 Vacation Destinations To Avoid on a Retirement Budget Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them. bluejayphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto Helsinki Famously considered one of the happiest cities in the world, Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a lively city that blends fine Nordic design with stunning natural beauty. But it can be a pricey place to get by. A single person spends around 2,665 euros or $2,861 a month to live here. Try This: 10 Best US Vacation Destinations for Retirees on a Budget Shutterstock.com Oslo, Norway The capital of Norway is the countrys economic hub for banking, industry and shipping. Like Helsinki, its been ranked among the happiest places to live in the world. But happiness isnt cheap, in this case. The estimated monthly cost for a single person here is 30,058 kroner, or about $2,851. Story continues querbeet / Getty Images/iStockphoto Brussels Though situated in a small country, Brussels has a big-city feel. Here, youll be wowed by Gothic architecture and Flemish art and enjoy no shortage of waffles, French fries and beer. This is not a particularly affordable city. A single person can expect to dish out some 2,344 euros, or around $2,516 a month here. nejdetduzen / Getty Images/iStockphoto Rome If you appreciate a mild Mediterranean climate, an assortment of architectural styles, including Classical and Imperial Roman, and some of the best cuisine on the planet, you might want to retire in Rome. The cost of living for one person in the Eternal City is roughly 2,298 euros, or $2,467 per month. Check Out: 3 Cities To Retire In That Are as Awesome as Honolulu and San Francisco but Way Cheaper holgs / Getty Images/iStockphoto Madrid The capital city of Spain is famous for its royal palaces, sprawling parks and amazing street food. Though enchanting, Madrid is not a particularly affordable city. The estimated monthly cost for a single person is 2,151 euros, or about $2,309. Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com Lisbon, Portugal One of the most popular places in the world for Americans to spend their golden years is Lisbon. Its a sought-after spot not only because its absolutely gorgeous and has a gentle, sunny climate, but also because its more affordable than some popular U.S. retirement hubs like, say, Miami Beach. Still, objectively, wed be amiss to call it cheap. A single persons estimated monthly cost of living is 2,083 euros, or around $2,236. espiegle / Getty Images/iStockphoto Warsaw, Poland Warsaw has cold and snowy winters, so it certainly isnt the ideal spot for retirees looking for mild weather. But there is a lot of cultural riches to be absorbed in this capital city particularly for World War II history buffs. An individual can get by here on around 8,764 zoty, or $2,191 a month. Explore More: 8 States To Move to If You Dont Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security Pamela Loreto Perez / Shutterstock.com Athens, Greece Hailed as the birthplace of democracy, arts, science and Western philosophy, Athens is brimming with cultural wonders. This ancient city has a welcoming vibe, making it an especially inviting place for expats. For one person, the estimated monthly cost of living in Athens is 1,609 euros, or about $1,727. Yasonya / iStock.com Budapest, Hungary Situated along the Danube River, Hungarys capital city is a treasure trove of wonders. Youll find magnificent castles, exciting festivals and tons of spas boasting thermal baths. This is one of the more affordable places to hang your hat. A single persons estimated monthly cost of living is 540,925 forint, or about $1,470. PatrikV / Shutterstock.com Bratislava, Slovakia This 2,000-year-old city is the political and economic epicenter of Slovakia. Its definitely worth checking out if youre looking to retire on a frugal budget in Europe. The estimated monthly cost of living for one person is 1,367 euros, or about $1,467. Discover More: Im a Financial Planner: 5 Ways Not To Spend Down Your Savings in Retirement Shutterstock.com Bucharest, Romania Long ago, Bucharest was nicknamed Little Paris thanks to its French influence on culture and architecture. The city boasts refreshing parks, ancient villas and palatial elegance. Its a great bargain for retirees looking to live in Europe on a shoestring budget. Its the cheapest place on this list. A single persons monthly estimated cost of living here hovers at around 5,573 lei, or $1,202. All currency conversion figures are as of June 24, 2024, and are subject to change. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Money You Need To Comfortably Retire in Europe WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The world was beset by conflict in 2023 as the war between Ukraine and Russia dragged on and a new one broke out between Israel and Hamas but it was in a better place emotionally than it was at the height of the pandemic. Negative emotions dipped for the first time in a decade, and positive emotions rebounded to their pre-pandemic highs. The Gallup Global Emotions 2024 report offers a snapshot of Gallups latest measurements of peoples positive and negative daily experiences. The findings are based on nearly 146,000 interviews with adults in 142 countries and areas in 2023. Gallups Positive and Negative Experience Indexes measure lifes intangibles feelings and emotions that traditional economic indicators such as GDP were never intended to capture. Each index provides a real-time snapshot of peoples daily experiences, offering leaders insights into the health of their societies that they cannot gather from economic measures alone. Negative Experience Index Slipped On a global level, Gallups Negative Experience Index declined for the first time since 2014. All five negative emotions that make up the index fell between 2022 and 2023, with stress dropping the most. Thirty-seven percent of adults worldwide felt stressed in 2023, down three percentage points from the previous year but well above where it was a decade ago (33%) and the years before that. Guinea and Israel Led the World in Negative Experiences Afghanistan no longer scores the worst on the Negative Experience Index. Guinea, which continues to grapple with uncertainty after a military coup in 2021, scored the highest in the world on the index in 2023, with a 53. Stress skyrocketed to record levels in Guinea, rising 10 points between 2022 and 2023. Israel, which Gallup surveyed two weeks after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, earned a spot on this list for the first time with a score of 47 on par with Afghanistan and Liberia. In 2022, Israel ranked among the countries with the lowest scores in the world on this index. Israels index score was inflated by record-level surges in negative emotions in the aftermath of the attacks. Majorities of Israelis experienced worry (67%), stress (62%) and sadness (51%) at unprecedented levels. Over one in three Israelis (36%) said they experienced a lot of anger not a new high, but still the highest percentage since 2013. Positive Experience Index Rebound Complete Further reinforcing that 2023 was a better year for the worlds emotional health, positive experiences rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels, completing the recovery that started in 2022. Story continues People younger than 30 continued to be the most positive of all age groups. Further, their positivity rebounded faster, with emotions returning to pre-pandemic levels a year earlier than their older peers. Most of the improvement on the index in 2023 took place among those aged 30 and older. The World Learned Something in 2023 For almost two decades, the percentage of people worldwide who said they learned or did something interesting the previous day has seldom topped 50%. The 54% who did so in 2023 represents a new record high. India, Iceland, Greece and China saw double-digit increases on this measure in 2023. More people in all age groups said they had these opportunities in 2023 compared with the previous year, but people younger than 30 continued to be the most likely to say so (59%). Percentages among older age groups also reached new highs (54% for those aged 30 to 49 and 50% for those aged 50 and older). Afghanistan Slightly Less Bleak, but Still Least Positive in the World Positive Experience Index scores worldwide ranged from a high of 86 in Paraguay and Panama to a low of 38 in Afghanistan, which posted the lowest score in the world, as it has almost every year since 2017. Afghanistans score on the index was slightly higher in 2023 than it was in either 2021 or 2022 after the Talibans takeover. However, its score of 38 remains the lowest in the world, and most Afghans are still living in misery. Gallups surveys showed Afghans universally were still rating their lives so poorly that they were considered suffering. Much of the recent limited improvement in positive emotions has occurred among Afghan men. In 2023, Afghan men scored a 42 on the index, compared with 34 for Afghan women. Afghanistan has ranked as the least positive country in the world every year since 2017, apart from 2020, when Gallup could not survey the country because of the pandemic. After dropping to a record global low of 32 in 2021, scores have crept upward each year, reaching 38 in 2023. Over One in Five Adults Worldwide Felt Lonely Given the substantial threat that loneliness and isolation pose to peoples health and wellbeing, Gallup recently added loneliness to the list of negative emotions that it asks the world about. An analysis of the relationships between loneliness and other emotions reveals that people who said they felt lonely were substantially more likely than those who did not to experience the five other negative emotions and were less likely to experience the positive ones. Gallups initial measure in 2023 showed that over one in five adults worldwide (23%) reported feeling loneliness during a lot of the previous day. However, experiences of loneliness ranged widely around the world, from a high of 45% on the island nation of Comoros to a low of 6% in Vietnam. About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. About the Gallup World Poll The Gallup World Poll is the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world. The survey connects with more than 99% of the world's adult population through annual, nationally representative surveys with comparable metrics across countries. The Gallup World Poll is used to measure and track progress on several U.N. sustainable development goals and is the official statistic for work and life for more than 55 indexes and metrics associated with the most important aspects of individuals lives, their communities and their countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240624179368/en/ Contacts khorshied_nusratty@gallup.com We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) stands against the other utility stocks. You can also check out the 20 States With the Most Expensive Electricity In The US here. The power and utilities industry in 2023 saw mixed outcomes. Despite a 53% year-on-year drop in natural gas prices for power generation, customer bills went up by 1.9%. This increase was due to record-breaking investments of nearly $171 billion in grid modernization and decarbonization efforts, along with rising interest rates. Overall, electricity sales dipped slightly by 1.2% year-on-year (YoY). Looking ahead to 2024, the outlook for clean energy is bright. Forecasts predict stable electricity prices alongside a 2% growth in sales. This growth is fueled by a rise in clean energy investment, from both utility companies and the government. Investments are being directed towards renewable energy generation, with solar expected to double in capacity in 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts a significant year for solar power, with utilities planning a 30% increase in capacity by adding 31 gigawatts. Wind energy is also projected to grow by 5% or 7 gigawatts. As a result, solar and wind power are set to become the dominant sources of electricity generation in the US, potentially surpassing coal. Renewables are expected to reach 18% of total generation, while coal may fall to 17%, marking a historic milestone in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, there is a forecast of accelerating demand for electricity in the US in the next few years. According to a report by consulting firm Grid Strategies, electricity demand forecasts for 2024 have been significantly revised upward based on filings submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2023. Grid planners now anticipate a nationwide increase of 4.7% over the next five years, which is a sharp rise from the 2.6% growth projected just last year. This rise in demand is expected to be accompanied by a substantial increase in peak demand, with forecasts indicating a growth of 38 gigawatts (GW) over the next five years. This increase in electricity demand is driven by multiple factors. Industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, and data centers are experiencing a construction boom, with data centers in some areas like Virginia seeing unprecedented growth at 6% to 8% every year. Electric vehicles are also expected to contribute to the demand increase as BloombergNEF (BNEF) forecasts a 20% YoY increase in global battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2024. On the supply side, challenges remain. According to Senior Partner for Energy & Utilities at West Monroe, Danny Freeman, utilities are going to prioritize grid reliability and resilience in response to climate change. Extreme heat and drought are likely to continue disrupting power generation in 2024, with summer 2023's record-breaking heat likely marking the start of a long-term trend. The American West is facing its driest period in 1,200 years, and researchers predict a long-term pattern of aridification. These conditions can significantly reduce power output, especially during peak demand periods. Thus, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $3.5 billion in October 2023 to projects that will improve grid flexibility and resilience. The funding for this project is provided by the Grid Resilience Program (GRIP), created by the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). The rapid transformation of the utilities sector presents many exciting opportunities for investors. With this context in mind, lets take a look at the 10 best utility stocks to buy now. Our Methodology To shortlist the best utility stocks, we relied on Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds as of Q1 2024 to analyze the hedge fund sentiment for each stock. We picked the utility stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). 10 Best Paying Jobs With High School Degrees Close up image of an engineer inspecting the control panel of a modern power plant. NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44 NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG), a North American energy and home services company, offers electricity, natural gas, and home security solutions. It generates power from various sources including coal, solar, and natural gas. This company caters to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the US and Canada. Its well-known brands include NRG, Reliant, Direct Energy, Green Mountain Energy, and Vivint. NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) reported a strong Q1 2024 with a net income of $511 million, reversing a loss from the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA climbed to $849 million during Q1, up from $646 million in Q1 2023. The company has expressed optimism about future prospects, citing strong performance and promising growth opportunities ahead. Furthermore, NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) successfully completed its previously announced $950 million accelerated share repurchase program, buying back shares at an average price of $50.43 per share. Additionally, it reaffirmed its commitment to capital allocation in 2024, with plans to allocate an additional $825 million towards share repurchases. Analysts have given NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) stock a Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $87.4. The price target reflects an upside potential of over 9% from the current price levels. NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) ranks sixth on our list of the best utility stocks to buy now. Overall NRG ranks 6th on our list of the best utility stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now to see the other utility stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of NRG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NRG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. UK sparkling-winemaker Nyetimber has finalised its acquisition of domestic spirits manufacturer The Lakes Distillery. The deal, announced in April, sees the West Sussex and Hampshire-based winery scoop the Cumbrian whisky and gin maker for 71m ($90.01m). The Lakes Distillery was founded in 2011 by Paul Currie, co-founder of Scotland's Isle of Arran Distillery. Initially producing gin (RRP 36.50), the distiller launched its inaugural single malt whisky, The Whiskymakers Reserve, in 2019. The Lakes Distillery sells its products in 14 countries, including EU states and the US. Nyetimber described The Lakes Distillery as the leading English distiller of premium-quality single malt whisky. It said the company had a sizeable opportunity to grow its market share within the UK single-malt whisky market. The deal values the companys issued and to be issued share capital at around 46.1m. The Lakes Distillerys shareholders approved the deal at a general meeting on 10 May. James Pennefather, former Diageo and William Grant & Sons executive who became The Lakes Distillery CEO last year, said a sale to Nyetimber would help the business meet its international ambitions. The Lakes Board is enthusiastic about its ambitious new ten-year plan to achieve a 1% share of the global luxury dark spirits market by 2030, he said in April. This plan entails an additional funding requirement of 10m over the next three years to provide the necessary growth capital to increase production capacity, to further invest in laying down maturing spirit stocks and to grow the brands footprint in international markets. The offer by Nyetimber offers the prospect of an owner with the same shared strategic vision and, crucially, certainty of funding, Pennefather added. Each of The Lakes Distillerys managing directors are due to resign following the share buyout. Nyetimber managing directors Heerema and Hans Sleeuwenhoek will be appointed as directors of The Lakes Distillery. Writing for Just Drinks at the time of the deal, industry analyst Richard Woodard expressed skepticism about The Lake Distillerys route-to-market capabilities. Nyetimber CEO Eric Heerema described the company as having an inherent understanding and strong relationships with the worlds leading luxury restaurants, bars and retailers. Woodard wrote: Well, yes. The creation of a luxury English wine/spirits tag-team has a neat symmetry about it, but I suspect itll take a bit more than having an in with a few fancy restaurants for The Lakes to achieve its avowed target of a 1% share of the global luxury dark spirits market by 2030. Story continues Heerema purchased Nyetimber for 7.4m in 2006 ($14.1m at the time) and the estate has more than 850 acres across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. "Nyetimber finalises The Lakes Distillery acquisition" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. David McNew/Getty Images The oil market could see a supply crunch, Goldman Sachs said. Oil demand will rise for another 10 years, though producers are pulling back on new investment. The bank estimated oil demand would peak around 110 million barrels a day in 2034. The global oil market could run into a supply shortage as peak demand is still a decade away, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. The investment bank estimated the world's oil demand would continue to rise for at least the next 10 years, with crude demand peaking at around 110 million barrels a day in 2034. That's due to rising oil demand in Asia and increasing demand for petroleum products, the analysts said. Rising demand could spark a supply shortage, especially if companies continue to dial back on capital expenditures, the bank added. Spending by six major oil producers, including ExxonMobil and Chevron, could fall as much as $3.8 billion this year, according to a survey conducted by Oil & Gas Journal. "We think peak demand is another decade away, and more importantly, after the decade it takes to peak, it plateaus, rather than sharply declines, for another few years," Nikhil Bhandari, a managing director at Goldman, and Amber Cai, an analyst at the bank, said in a recent report. "While peak oil demand is still a decade away, capital is slowing for the production of crude oil and oil products, contributing to constrained supply in the medium term," they later added. Oil prices slumped at the end of 2023, in part due to booming crude production in the US and other countries. But US production is set to see a slowdown, with the US Energy Information Agency forecasting domestic crude production to grow by just 2% from levels in 2023. Other oil producers are continuing to pull back on production, too. OPEC+, the oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia, has decided to extend its 2.2 million barrel-a-day supply cut into 2025, according to a release from its last meeting. Oil prices have climbed higher over the past month as markets weigh the supply and demand outlook. Brent crude has surged 8% from its low in early June, trading around $84.51 a barrel on Monday. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Paramount Global is talking to potential partners for its streaming TV business internationally, saying a deal could significantly transform the online service. Most Read from Bloomberg Co-Chief Executive Officer Chris McCarthy made the announcement Tuesday at a town hall with employees. He said a tie-up could alter the scale and economics of the service, making it profitable and driving long-term value. The partnership could also serve as model for what the company does with its Paramount+ service in the US, he said. The companys three co-CEOs addressed employees two months after they were named to replace Bob Bakish. Earlier this month, Paramounts controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, turned down a merger offer from independent producer David Ellisons Skydance Media. Co-CEO Brian Robbins addressed the merger discussions at the start of the meeting. While we cannot say that the noise will disappear, we are here today to lay out a go-forward plan that can set us up for success no matter what path the company chooses to go down, he said. The trio emphasized progress made with plans announced at the companys annual meeting earlier this month. Those include $500 million in cost cutting and additional asset sales. George Cheeks, the third co-CEO, said Paramount has hired investment bankers to sell certain assets and that the proceeds will be used to reduce debt. Paramount, the parent of CBS, MTV and other media businesses, raised the prices on its streaming service this week, including a 33% hike in the ad-supported version of Paramount+ to $8 a month, starting in August for new customers. Bloomberg reported in May that the company was in discussions with Amazon.com Inc. about a partnership. Class B shares of Paramount were down 2.2% to $10.07 at 1:30 p.m. in New York. On Monday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reinstated coverage with a sell recommendation on the stock, setting a price target of $9.50. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Keir Starmer has committed to increasing investment from pension funds in UK markets, prompting experts to warn that savers could miss out on growth - Justin Tallis/AFP Retirees stand to lose thousands under Labours plans to force pension funds to switch investments to Britain, analysis shows. The party has committed to increasing investment from pension funds in UK markets, prompting experts to warn that savers could miss out on growth. An average pension fund would be 11,000 worse off over 37 years if it were invested in FTSE shares versus global equities, according to analysis by wealth management firm True Potential. The average pension pot of a 25 to 34-year-old is 9,300. If a 30-year-olds pension fund invested this sum into the FTSE All-Share Index, the pot would be worth 124,360 by the time they retire aged 67. However, if the pot were instead invested in the MSCI ACWI, a global equities index, it would be worth 180,165 over the same period 55,805 more than if the money had been invested domestically. If 20pc of investments were switched from the MSCI ACWI to the FTSE All-Share, a pensioner would have lost out on 11,161 of investment growth by the time they come to retire. The analysis assumes the 20-year average annual growth rate for the FTSE All-Share Index (7.26pc) and the MSCI ACWI (8.34pc). Despite Labours manifesto pledge to increase pension fund investment in Britain, it is unclear what proportion of assets will need to be allocated domestically. The party has also not stated whether funds will be mandated or simply encouraged to switch to UK markets. Labour will also act to increase investment from pension funds in UK markets, the partys manifesto, released on June 13, explained. We will also undertake a review of the pensions landscape to consider what further steps are needed to improve pension outcomes and increase investment in UK markets. Neil Rayner, of investment platform True Potential, said that while Britain was in need of more investment from private business, plans to force pension funds to invest their clients money in domestic markets could have unintended consequences for savers. He added: This uncertainty could come at the cost of a future generation of retirees who are currently diligently saving up for their retirement. Restricting investments based on geography increases the risk and volatility for these portfolios which could harm long-term results and make financial planning far more difficult for millions of people. Jeremy Hunt is already pushing pension schemes to invest in UK assets. In March, the Chancellor announced that all defined contribution (DC) pension schemes would be required to disclose their investment in UK assets from 2027, as well as their net investment returns and costs. Story continues The measure built on plans announced last year as part of the Mansion House compact, in which some of the countrys largest DC scheme providers committed to invest at least 5pc of their assets in unlisted equities by 2030. Jason Hollands, of wealth management group Evelyn Partners, said Labour would likely go one step further than the Chancellor. He added: With Jeremy Hunts compact, pension funds agreed voluntarily. But there were those who thought this should be a requirement. The question we need to wait and see is: will Labour go for a carrot or stick approach will schemes be forced to invest in the UK or merely be encouraged to do so? As an investor, you just want your pensions to be invested in the most attractive places, so more requirements are not necessarily a good thing. [Mandating investment domestically] would be good for the UK stock market but not necessarily the end investor. The Labour Party was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The News Pfizer is currently testing three new weight-loss drugs, the CEO Albert Bourla told Semafor. Two of the drugs would use the same GLP-1 technology as rival Novo Nordisks brand Ozempic, while a third uses a different mechanism that is under wraps, Bourla said at a Semafor business event on Monday. He did not elaborate on how this third drug might work; the new mechanism has not been previously disclosed publicly. The company, which developed some of the leading COVID-19 vaccines, whiffed on its first attempt to get in on the weight-loss drug boom, but Bourla said Pfizer plans to release data later this year showing its the progress it has made on at least one, Danuglipron. Bourla predicted that as more companies wade into the market, the high price of drugs like Ozempic will drop. The remarks offered a very different outlook to that of COVID vaccines. Bourla said he anticipates that even as the populations immunity to COVID-19 wanes over time, people will remain reluctant to get boosters. The utilization of vaccines is way smaller than what I was expecting it to be, he said. I dont think that this will change dramatically over the next few years. It's obvious why Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is eager to produce a medicine like Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's (NYSE: NVO) smash-hit obesity therapy that's essentially a slightly different version of its type 2 diabetes drug called Ozempic. With such a gargantuan market at stake, there's likely more than enough room for multiple major competitors to find a home. But that doesn't mean the contenders have an equal chance of winning any competitive fight once such a conflict eventually occurs. And even with Pfizer's latest attempt at making a Wegovy competitor, it could struggle significantly relative to Novo Nordisk in this area. Here's why. Pfizer is the underdog here Right now, Pfizer only has two programs for obesity in development, both of which are in phase 1 clinical trials. It's lagging far behind Novo Nordisk, and it'll be years before it can get either program to the market, assuming that everything goes right along the way. That will take some time to change, but there's already another plan afoot. Recently, Pfizer signed an expansive collaboration with Flagship Pioneering, one of the largest and most prestigious venture capital (VC) groups in the biomedical sector. The pair agreed to work on up to 10 candidates together, leaving Pfizer liable to pay up to $700 million in milestone fees, royalties, and other payments. So far, the target diseases for those candidates have not been released, save for one, which is intended to treat obesity. In that effort, one of Flagship's portfolio biotechs, ProFound Therapeutics, will be taking the lead. ProFound focuses on developing protein-based medicines, though it is still in the discovery stage at the moment, meaning that it has no clinical trials yet. Try to remember that ProFound's focus is on proteins, as we'll be diving into more detail in a moment. But first, there are a couple of important implications of this effort. The most obvious one is that Pfizer's work with ProFound and Flagship, though positive for its long-term growth potential, will not significantly accelerate its entry into the weight loss market. The timeline is still several years at the very best. It will, however, provide a backup plan in case its other programs that are in clinical trials today ultimately fail to deliver. That's somewhat positive news. However, the subtler implication is that if a suitable drug eventually results from Pfizer's collaboration with ProFound, it will probably be more difficult and expensive to manufacture than Novo's Wegovy. Here's why. Story continues It gets more complicated The molecule that's the active ingredient of Wegovy is called semaglutide, and semaglutide is technically what's known as a peptide. For our purposes here, you can think of peptides as molecules that are constructed from a chain of smaller components (amino acids), which come in a few different types. But there's a somewhat arbitrary limit to the confines of the term "peptide" when it is used correctly. After enough of those smaller components are chained together in sequence, the chain itself becomes a large enough molecule that scientists refer to it as a protein to denote that it's significantly more complex than a mere peptide. Each additional component of the therapy is a complication of the manufacturing process. That's before even getting into more technical matters, like the difficulty of controlling the conformation (shape) of the protein's intended structure after the components are assembled and linked together in a chain. Those finer points are not at all trivial to figure out in the laboratory, never mind in the context of the additional concerns that are attendant with manufacturing a therapy at scale. To recap, Pfizer's collaborator ProFound is a protein-focused biotech, making it distinct from the other operators that make somewhat simpler peptide-based medicines like semaglutide. Scientists don't use these terms loosely even if the terminology is arbitrary at the margin. See where this is going? The candidates that Pfizer is working on with ProFound are going to be bigger molecules that are very likely to be significantly more complex to produce than what Novo Nordisk has on the market and is struggling to manufacture enough of, despite billions of dollars of investment in expanding its output capacity. Pfizer's entrants could potentially be safer, more convenient for patients, and more effective than Novo's, but those upsides are not at all guaranteed in comparison to the near-certainty of dramatically higher manufacturing costs. No matter how you slice it, there's a significant risk of a slimmer-than-desired gross margin for Pfizer with these candidates. There's also a risk that the price point it would need to charge to justify the costs of manufacturing would be prohibitively high for patients to pay. For such a lucrative market, the pharma is thus facing a bearish approach vector where it's a latecomer as well as an underdog. Can Pfizer beat Novo Nordisk in the obesity market? Probably not, so don't bet on it. There are still plenty of other reasons that make it a stock worth buying, of course. But if you're looking for exposure to growth from a business competing in the weight loss market specifically, there's no contest between these two today, and by the looks of it, there won't be a contest in the future either. Should you invest $1,000 in Pfizer right now? Before you buy stock in Pfizer, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Pfizer wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $723,729!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 24, 2024 Alex Carchidi has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Pfizer. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Pfizer's Working on the Next Wegovy, but Can It Beat Novo Nordisk? was originally published by The Motley Fool By Alimat Aliyeva The Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces will conduct separate exercises with the Air Forces of France, Germany and Spain in the summer, Azernews reports. According to him, the air forces of three European countries will visit Japan in July. "This demonstrates the readiness and capabilities of these states to be present in the Asian-Pacific region," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying. Since the beginning of the year, the Japanese Navy and Air Force have conducted bilateral exercises with ships and aircraft from 14 countries in the waters and airspace adjacent to the country. We are mainly talking about NATO members and other US military allies. The number of such trainings was almost 30 times more than in the same period last year. The exercises of the Japanese Armed Forces with NATO countries have been intensified since about 2021. They are connected, among other things, with the noticeable expansion of Tokyo's contacts with the North Atlantic Alliance. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida intends to attend the NATO summit in Washington in July. In previous years, he attended such meetings in Madrid and Vilnius. When a single insider purchases stock, it is typically not a major deal. However, when multiple insiders purchase stock, like in Gaming Realms plc's (LON:GMR) instance, it's good news for shareholders. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. View our latest analysis for Gaming Realms Gaming Realms Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non Executive Director Mark Blandford for UK180k worth of shares, at about UK0.35 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is UK0.39. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices. Gaming Realms insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Gaming Realms is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insider Ownership Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Gaming Realms insiders own 20% of the company, worth about UK23m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Gaming Realms Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Gaming Realms shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Gaming Realms insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Therefore, you should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Gaming Realms. But note: Gaming Realms 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. Story continues 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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Polands competition and consumer protection office (UOKiK) has approved two applications for deposit return scheme (DRS) operators from manufacturers including Carlsberg and Coca-Cola. The scheme will include soft drinks and beer and will take effect from 1 January 2025, subject to operators' approval from the countrys climate and environment minster. Under Polands DRS first announced last December customers will pay a refundable deposit when buying beverages in plastic, glass bottles and cans. Germany has had a similar system in place since 2003, while Ireland and Hungary introduced a DRS earlier this year. The DRS will be run by beverage producers or importers, which will be in charge of collecting waste packaging from designated sites like supermarkets. Most countries have a single operator of the deposit-return system, formed by beverage producers, in some cases also with the state participation, UOKiK explained. Poland has adopted a different model in which different operators will operate. The first of two approved schemes involves a joint venture, or operator, being formed between Coca-Cola HBC, family-run food and drink company Colian, bottled-water manufacturer Zywiec-Zdroj, Polish food company Maspex Group, Nestle Poland, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland, Red Bull, isotonic drinks maker Oshee Poland, soft-drinks maker Zbyszko Company, Orangina Schweppes Polska, water bottler Naeczow Zdroj and Polish brewer Van Pur. The second, a joint venture operator formed by beer producers Carlsberg Poland, Kompania Piwowarska and the Zywiec Group. Further schemes run by other importers and manufacturers will be able to operate in Poland if approved by UOKiK and the Minister of Climate Affairs. Carlsberg said the DRS would include single-use plastic bottles up to 3 litres, reusable glass bottles up to 1.5 litres, and metal cans up to 1 litre. Preventing a false start for Poland's DRS However, the Danish brewer said consultations on amendments to the law around the transition period were ongoing in order to prevent a false start for the scheme. It said manufacturers had been give an unrealistic and extremely short deadline of one year to set up the national DRS. As the beer industry, we have over thirty years of experience managing the deposit system for returnable glass bottles, Agata Koppa, Corporate and ESG Director of Carlsberg Polska, said. However, this does not guarantee that the system will work without the government taking into account the producers' demands. Among all the demands we have submitted, the most important seems to be the request to change the transitional provision, ensuring that we can continue operating the existing systems after January 1, 2025, until the system is launched in its final version. Story continues This is the only good solution for the environment. We hope that during the ongoing work on amending the law, we will be able to develop its optimal shape so that it does not turn out to be a false start. Poland's scheme follows a disastrous DRS plan in Scotland, which saw the company overseeing the scheme Circularity Scotland collapse in 2023. The scheme has been delayed until 2025. "Poland competition office gives green light to two manufacturer-led DRS operators" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) stands against the other utility stocks. You can also check out the 20 States With the Most Expensive Electricity In The US here. The power and utilities industry in 2023 saw mixed outcomes. Despite a 53% year-on-year drop in natural gas prices for power generation, customer bills went up by 1.9%. This increase was due to record-breaking investments of nearly $171 billion in grid modernization and decarbonization efforts, along with rising interest rates. Overall, electricity sales dipped slightly by 1.2% year-on-year (YoY). Looking ahead to 2024, the outlook for clean energy is bright. Forecasts predict stable electricity prices alongside a 2% growth in sales. This growth is fueled by a rise in clean energy investment, from both utility companies and the government. Investments are being directed towards renewable energy generation, with solar expected to double in capacity in 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts a significant year for solar power, with utilities planning a 30% increase in capacity by adding 31 gigawatts. Wind energy is also projected to grow by 5% or 7 gigawatts. As a result, solar and wind power are set to become the dominant sources of electricity generation in the US, potentially surpassing coal. Renewables are expected to reach 18% of total generation, while coal may fall to 17%, marking a historic milestone in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, there is a forecast of accelerating demand for electricity in the US in the next few years. According to a report by consulting firm Grid Strategies, electricity demand forecasts for 2024 have been significantly revised upward based on filings submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2023. Grid planners now anticipate a nationwide increase of 4.7% over the next five years, which is a sharp rise from the 2.6% growth projected just last year. This rise in demand is expected to be accompanied by a substantial increase in peak demand, with forecasts indicating a growth of 38 gigawatts (GW) over the next five years. This increase in electricity demand is driven by multiple factors. Industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, and data centers are experiencing a construction boom, with data centers in some areas like Virginia seeing unprecedented growth at 6% to 8% every year. Electric vehicles are also expected to contribute to the demand increase as BloombergNEF (BNEF) forecasts a 20% YoY increase in global battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in 2024. On the supply side, challenges remain. According to Senior Partner for Energy & Utilities at West Monroe, Danny Freeman, utilities are going to prioritize grid reliability and resilience in response to climate change. Extreme heat and drought are likely to continue disrupting power generation in 2024, with summer 2023's record-breaking heat likely marking the start of a long-term trend. The American West is facing its driest period in 1,200 years, and researchers predict a long-term pattern of aridification. These conditions can significantly reduce power output, especially during peak demand periods. Thus, the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $3.5 billion in October 2023 to projects that will improve grid flexibility and resilience. The funding for this project is provided by the Grid Resilience Program (GRIP), created by the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). The rapid transformation of the utilities sector presents many exciting opportunities for investors. With this context in mind, lets take a look at the 10 best utility stocks to buy now. Our Methodology To shortlist the best utility stocks, we relied on Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds as of Q1 2024 to analyze the hedge fund sentiment for each stock. We picked the utility stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). A view of a transmission tower carrying electric wires over the horizon. Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35 Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) is a significant US utility company that provides electricity and natural gas through an extensive network of power plants, pipelines, and solar generation facilities. Founded in 1903 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, the company operates primarily through its subsidiaries, PSE&G and PSEG. In Q1 2024, Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) reported earnings of $1.31 per share. The company remains optimistic about achieving its full-year guidance range of $3.60 to $3.70 per share in operating earnings. Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) attributes this confidence to anticipated rate adjustments and the continued benefit of the Production Tax Credit (PTC). Furthermore, the company is actively investing $3.4 billion in capital expenditures for infrastructure upgrades and electrification initiatives. Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) maintains a 5-year capital spending plan of $18 billion to $21 billion. Moreover, analysts are bullish on Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG), with an average price target of $74.8. Overall, 15 analysts have rated the stock a Strong Buy, while 6 have given a Buy rating to Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG). Bank of America (BofA) sees potential for the companys earnings per share to grow by 31 cents by 2027 if the company develops a data center campus in New Jersey. Overall PEG ranks 10th on our list of the best utility stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Utility Stocks to Buy Now to see the other utility stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of PEG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PEG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Radisson Hotel Group is expanding in Africa and has announced seven new hotels offering more than 1,200 rooms. The strategic move solidifies its position as the leading hotel operator on the continent, bringing its portfolio close to 100 hotels in operation and development. The expansion keeps the company on track to achieve its ambitious goal of reaching 150 hotels by 2028. Tanzania to have its first Radisson hotels A key highlight of the expansion is Radisson's debut in Tanzania, a market identified as crucial for its growth strategy. Two hotels are planned for the East African nation. The Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments, Dar es Salaam, will be part of a mixed-use development in the heart of the city's business district. Mwanza, Tanzania's second-largest city, will welcome the Radisson Hotel Mwanza. The 196-room property caters to both business travellers and tourists seeking adventures in the Serengeti National Park. Established markets see continued growth The expansion is about more than just new territories, and Radisson is also strengthening its presence in existing markets. Morocco will see two new dual-branded hotels, including North Africa's first Radisson RED. These hotels will be built in Casablanca Finance City and will solidify the company's ambition to reach 25 hotels in Morocco by 2030. Nigeria continues to be a focus, with five new hotels signed in 2023. The addition of the Radisson RED Abuja brings the total number of hotels under development in the capital city to four. Tunisia will gain a Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center through the conversion of an existing property. This addition will be the group's fourth hotel in Tunis and the city's largest conference centre. Ethiopia welcomes its first Park Inn by Radisson with a new hotel planned for Addis Ababa. This marks the introduction of the brand to the country and brings the group's total to three hotels in Ethiopia. Building on a strong foundation Since 2022, Radisson has seen impressive growth in Africa, opening 14 hotels and introducing new brands such as Radisson RED and Park Inn by Radisson. Its expansion has translated into a significant 15% annual net operating growth for its African portfolio. The group plans to maintain this momentum by focusing on key markets such as Morocco and South Africa, where it aims to double its presence by 2030. "Radisson accelerates African expansion with seven new hotels" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 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'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Guan Chong Berhad (KLSE:GCB) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Guan Chong Berhad, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.13 = RM338m (RM6.1b - RM3.5b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024). Thus, Guan Chong Berhad has an ROCE of 13%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 6.9% generated by the Food industry. Check out our latest analysis for Guan Chong Berhad roce In the above chart we have measured Guan Chong Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Guan Chong Berhad . So How Is Guan Chong Berhad's ROCE Trending? On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Guan Chong Berhad doesn't inspire confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 30%, but since then they've fallen to 13%. However, given capital employed and revenue have both increased it appears that the business is currently pursuing growth, at the consequence of short term returns. If these investments prove successful, this can bode very well for long term stock performance. On a side note, Guan Chong Berhad's current liabilities are still rather high at 56% of total assets. This effectively means that suppliers (or short-term creditors) are funding a large portion of the business, so just be aware that this can introduce some elements of risk. Ideally we'd like to see this reduce as that would mean fewer obligations bearing risks. In Conclusion... While returns have fallen for Guan Chong Berhad in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. And the stock has done incredibly well with a 116% return over the last five years, so long term investors are no doubt ecstatic with that result. So should these growth trends continue, we'd be optimistic on the stock going forward. Story continues On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Guan Chong Berhad that we think you should be aware of. While Guan Chong Berhad isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com LONDON (Reuters) - Sanctions on shipping companies are undermining safety at sea and pose dangers for trade as ship standards are impacted, the chief executive of sanctioned Russian shipping group Sovcomflot said. The European Union imposed sanctions on Russia's state-owned and top tanker company Sovcomflot (SCF) and its CEO Igor Tonkovidov, according to the measures published in the EU's Official Journal on Monday. Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury's enforcement arm OFAC separately designated 14 crude oil tankers as property in which Sovcomflot has an interest. "Sovcomflot is genuinely disappointed that high-quality safe maritime transportation is sacrificed for short-term geopolitical motivations, which certainly does not contribute to improving the safety of maritime transportation, especially in European waters," Tonkovidov said in comments sent to Reuters on Tuesday. "SCF strongly objects (to the) separation of the worlds trade fleet into antagonistic camps, destruction of safety culture and values gained by maritime industry over the past decades." Tonkovidov said the group would "certainly continue to adhere to the highest standards." His comments were first reported by shipping publication Tradewinds. In April, Tonkovidov told reporters that sanctions had impacted the company's operations, "limiting our geography and commercial prospects". SCF, which was previously one of the world's leading tanker operators, transported 75 million metric tons of oil in 2023, mainly to the markets of China, India and the Mediterranean. Western sanctions imposed on Russia have prompted the exit of international service companies such as ship engine makers and also safety certifiers, which have added to challenges for the country's fleet. Global shipping industry officials have also warned of the safety dangers posed by hundreds of ageing and unregulated tankers in the so-called shadow fleet transporting oil from countries hit by sanctions and other restrictions including Russia, Iran and Venezuela. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul in London and Gleb Stolyarov in Russia; Editing by Matthew Lewis) By Alimat Aliyeva The finance Ministers of the Republic of Korea and Japan, Choi Sang Mok and Shunichi Suzuki, discussed the weakening of their national currencies. This was announced by the Ministry of Planning and Finance of the Republic of Korea, Azernews reports. On June 25, the ninth meeting of the bilateral dialogue at the level of finance ministers was held in Seoul. Choi Sang Mok and Shunichi Suzuki said that the region's economy is recovering faster than the global average. "However, they noted the persistence of uncertainty factors, including ongoing geopolitical conflicts, a possible slowdown in the economic growth of [their] major trading partners, and increased volatility in the foreign exchange market. They also shared serious concerns about the recent sharp weakening of the Korean won and the Japanese yen," the press release said. The finance Ministers of the Republic of Korea and Japan said they were acting together in connection with the special military operation in Ukraine. According to them, it has led to an aggravation of economic risks in the field of supply chains, energy and food security. Representatives of South Korea and Japan also agreed to further facilitate the exchange of information between customs authorities in order to prevent circumvention of sanctions against the Russian Federation and the DPRK. In recent times, the Singapore market has shown resilience amidst global economic challenges, reflecting a robust financial environment that continues to attract investors. Given the current landscape where consumer fraud is on the rise, as evidenced by significant increases in reported losses, dividend stocks could be considered a potentially safer option for those looking to maintain steady income streams from their investments. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Singapore Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating BRC Asia (SGX:BEC) 7.58% China Sunsine Chemical Holdings (SGX:QES) 6.34% Civmec (SGX:P9D) 6.07% Singapore Exchange (SGX:S68) 3.58% Multi-Chem (SGX:AWZ) 9.20% UOB-Kay Hian Holdings (SGX:U10) 6.92% UOL Group (SGX:U14) 3.84% Bumitama Agri (SGX:P8Z) 6.63% Singapore Airlines (SGX:C6L) 7.09% YHI International (SGX:BPF) 6.77% Click here to see the full list of 21 stocks from our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener. Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Aztech Global Ltd. operates in the design, development, and manufacturing of IoT devices, data-communication products, and LED lighting products across various regions including Singapore, North America, China, and Europe with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 0.75 billion. Operations: Aztech Global Ltd. generates its revenue primarily from the design and production of IoT devices, data-communication products, and LED lighting solutions. Dividend Yield: 8.2% Aztech Global recently declared a final dividend of SGD 0.05 per share for FY2023, reflecting a commitment to shareholder returns despite a challenging quarter with sales dropping to SGD 128.6 million from SGD 161.6 million year-over-year. However, the company's net income rose to SGD 15.9 million, supporting a sustainable dividend with earnings and cash flow coverage ratios at 61.7% and 77.9%, respectively. Yet, Aztech's dividend history over the past three years shows inconsistency, raising concerns about future reliability amidst modest earnings growth projections of 7.69% annually. SGX:8AZ Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Multi-Chem Limited is an investment holding company that distributes information technology products across Singapore, Greater China, Australia, India, and other international markets with a market capitalization of SGD 231.54 million. Story continues Operations: Multi-Chem Limited generates revenue from its IT business in Singapore (SGD 372.78 million), Australia (SGD 54.60 million), India (SGD 40.56 million), and Greater China (SGD 34.96 million), along with a smaller PCB business segment in Singapore contributing SGD 1.79 million. Dividend Yield: 9.2% Multi-Chem's dividend yield stands at a competitive 9.2%, ranking in the top quartile of Singaporean dividend payers. The company's dividends are well-supported by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 80.7% and 88.1% respectively, indicating a strong coverage that aligns with sustainable payment practices despite a volatile history over the last decade. Recent board changes, including the appointment of Chong Teck Sin as chairman, could signal strategic shifts or stability enhancements going forward. SGX:AWZ Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Sheng Siong Group Ltd is an investment holding company that operates a chain of supermarket retail stores in Singapore, with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 2.24 billion. Operations: Sheng Siong Group Ltd primarily generates its revenue through supermarket operations, which amounted to SGD 1.39 billion from selling consumer goods. Dividend Yield: 4.2% Sheng Siong Group's recent financial performance shows a positive trend with first-quarter sales rising to SGD 376.19 million and net income increasing to SGD 36.32 million. The company declared a final dividend of 3.20 cents per share, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders despite its historically unstable dividend track record and lower yield compared to the market's top dividend payers. Recent executive appointments could influence operational efficiency and future growth trajectories, potentially impacting its dividend sustainability and attractiveness as a dividend stock in Singapore's competitive landscape. SGX:OV8 Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Turning Ideas Into Actions Unlock more gems! Our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener has unearthed 18 more companies for you to explore.Click here to unveil our expertly curated list of 21 Top SGX Dividend Stocks. Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive. Streamline your investment strategy with Simply Wall St's app for free and benefit from extensive research on stocks across all corners of the world. Seeking Other Investments? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SGX:8AZ SGX:AWZ and SGX:OV8. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com The truth is that if you invest for long enough, you're going to end up with some losing stocks. But the long term shareholders of Corbion N.V. (AMS:CRBN) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. So they might be feeling emotional about the 61% share price collapse, in that time. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 11% in thirty days. 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. View our latest analysis for Corbion 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. Corbion saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 0.2% per year, over the last three years. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 27% annual reduction in the share price. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Corbion's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Corbion the TSR over the last 3 years was -58%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective Investors in Corbion had a tough year, with a total loss of 10% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 25%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 5% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Corbion you should be aware of. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: many of them are unnoticed AND have attractive valuation). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Dutch 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com After a somewhat slow start, the Swiss market demonstrated resilience and growth on Monday, buoyed by optimism surrounding potential interest rate cuts from major central banks. The benchmark SMI index notably increased, reflecting a robust appetite for equities among investors. In such an environment, identifying stocks that appear undervalued could be particularly compelling for those looking to potentially capitalize on market movements and underlying economic strengths. Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Switzerland Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) COLTENE Holding (SWX:CLTN) CHF48.30 CHF76.14 36.6% Burckhardt Compression Holding (SWX:BCHN) CHF581.00 CHF823.07 29.4% Julius Bar Gruppe (SWX:BAER) CHF50.74 CHF96.33 47.3% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) CHF271.20 CHF449.27 39.6% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) CHF61.00 CHF84.02 27.4% SGS (SWX:SGSN) CHF81.20 CHF122.47 33.7% Comet Holding (SWX:COTN) CHF364.50 CHF546.28 33.3% Medartis Holding (SWX:MED) CHF71.00 CHF120.79 41.2% Kudelski (SWX:KUD) CHF1.42 CHF1.86 23.6% Galderma Group (SWX:GALD) CHF74.86 CHF149.48 49.9% Click here to see the full list of 13 stocks from our Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. Underneath we present a selection of stocks filtered out by our screen Overview: Sika AG is a specialty chemicals company that offers solutions for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building and automotive industries globally, with a market capitalization of CHF 40.97 billion. Operations: Sika's revenue is generated primarily from two segments: CHF 9.45 billion from construction industry products and CHF 1.78 billion from industrial manufacturing products. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 20.2% Sika, a Swiss company, is currently trading at CHF 255.4, which is 20.2% below the estimated fair value of CHF 319.89, indicating it may be undervalued based on discounted cash flow analysis. Despite high levels of debt and past shareholder dilution, Sika's Return on Equity is expected to remain robust at 20.2% in three years. The company's earnings are projected to grow by 12.5% annually, outpacing the Swiss market forecast of 8.3%. Recent expansions in China and Peru underscore its strategic growth initiatives in emerging markets. SWX:SIKA Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Swissquote Group Holding Ltd operates globally, offering a range of online financial services to retail, affluent, and professional institutional clients with a market capitalization of CHF 4.22 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through leveraged Forex and securities trading, amounting to CHF 101.09 million and CHF 429.78 million respectively. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 21.8% Swissquote Group Holding, priced at CHF 284, appears undervalued by cash flow metrics, trading 21.8% below its estimated fair value of CHF 363.38. The company has experienced a substantial earnings growth of 38.3% over the past year and is projected to grow earnings by approximately 14% annually, surpassing the Swiss market's average of 8.3%. Despite slower revenue growth forecasts at around 10.3% per year compared to higher industry standards, Swissquote's forecasted high Return on Equity of about 23.1% in three years highlights its potential efficiency gains. SWX:SQN Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Temenos AG is a global company that develops, markets, and sells integrated banking software systems to financial institutions, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 4.42 billion. Operations: The company generates its revenue by providing integrated banking software solutions to financial institutions globally. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 27.4% Temenos, trading below its estimated fair value by 27.4%, shows promise as an undervalued stock based on cash flow metrics. Recent share buyback announcements indicate a proactive approach to capital management, potentially enhancing shareholder value. The company's earnings have grown by 16.2% over the past year and are projected to increase by 14.66% annually, outpacing the Swiss market's growth rate of 8.3%. Additionally, Temenos' revenue is expected to grow at 7.6% per year, surpassing the Swiss market average of 4.4%. Despite these positive indicators, the highly volatile share price and high level of debt pose risks that warrant caution. SWX:TEMN Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Where To Now? Click here to access our complete index of 13 Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Streamline your investment strategy with Simply Wall St's app for free and benefit from extensive research on stocks across all corners of the world. Interested In Other Possibilities? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SWX:SIKA SWX:SQN and SWX:TEMN. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Rescue workers were combing through the charred ruins of a factory building near South Korea's capital to find any more fire victims Tuesday, a day after a devastating blaze likely triggered by exploding lithium batteries killed 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers. More than 100 people were working at the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, when the fire tore through it Monday morning. Security cameras showed smoke engulfing the second-floor worksite of the factory, soon after sparks were detected from a site where lithium batteries were stored, fire officials said. One victim was pronounced dead at a hospital, and fire workers retrieved 21 bodies from the factory one by one later Monday. Eighteen victims were Chinese, two were South Korean and one was Laotian. The nationality of one of the dead was being verified. Many Chinese people, including ethnic Koreans, have migrated to South Korea to find jobs since China and South Korea established diplomatic ties in 1992. Like other migrant laborers from Southeast Asian countries, they often work in factories, construction sites and restaurants, engaging in the so-called difficult, dangerous and dirty jobs that are shunned by more affluent South Koreans. Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming visited the factory site on Monday night and reportedly expressed condolences to the victims. Police were extracting DNA samples from the dead bodies and their potential relatives to confirm their relations, according to fire officials. One factory worker remains out of contact but his mobile phone signal was detected at the building on Monday afternoon. Eight were injured, two of them in serious condition. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also visited the factory site Monday. He expressed condolences to the dead people and ordered officials to put in place measures to effectively deal with battery-related fires, according to Yoons office. On Tuesday, more than 50 fire officers, aided by two rescue dogs and other equipment, were mobilized to continue searching the burned factory, local fire official Kim Jin-young told a televised briefing. He said partial remains had been discovered but it wasnt immediately known if they belonged to the missing person. Kim said a separate team of fire, police and other experts were also set to examine the site later Tuesday to investigate what exactly caused the blaze. Labor officials said the government will separately investigate whether any safety issues were involved in the fire. The factory is owned by a battery manufacturer, Aricell. Story continues Most of the dead workers were daily laborers so they were not likely familiar with the buildings internal structure, senior fire officer Jo Seon-ho told reporters Monday. He said the video of the fire site showed they rushed to an area where there was no exit after failing to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers. He said the victims likely inhaled toxic smoke. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in consumer goods from laptops to cellphones. They can overheat if damaged, defective or packaged improperly, leading to fires and explosions and making them a hazard for shipment aboard aircraft. Mondays blaze is one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent years. In 2020, a fire at a warehouse being built in Icheon City, south of Seoul, killed 38 construction workers. In 2018, 46 people died after a fire ripped through a small hospital with no sprinkler systems in the southern city of Miryang. In 2008, 40 workers, 12 of them ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality, died after a fire and accompanying explosions tore through a refrigerated warehouse in Icheon city. South Korea has struggled for decades to improve safety standards and change widespread attitudes that regard safety as subservient to economic progress and convenience. Watch These Key Price Levels Source: TradingView.com Key Takeaways Spirit AeroSystems shares dropped in pre-market trading Tuesday following reports Boeing changed the terms of its all-cash offer to reacquire the company for a mostly stock deal valuing Spirit at about $35 per share. If accepted, that offer would represent a premium of about 6% to Spirits closing price Monday of $33.07. The deal will reportedly require Spirit to spin off some of its manufacturing plants to Boeings European rival Airbus. A volume-backed breakout above the neckline of an inverse head and shoulders pattern in Spirit AeroSystems shares at $35 could see the stock climb to overhead resistance around $54. Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) shares dropped more than 3% in pre-market trading Tuesday after Bloomberg reported late Monday that Boeing (BA) changed the terms of its all-cash offer to reacquire the parts supplier for a mostly stock deal valuing the aerostructure supplier at about $35 per share. If accepted, the offer of $35 per share would represent a premium of about 6% to Spirits $33.07 Monday close and implies 22% upside from the stocks Feb. 29, close, the day prior to the takeover discussions becoming public. In addition, the deal will require Spirit to spin off some of its manufacturing plants to Boeings European rival Airbus (EADSY), Bloomberg reported. Discussions have faced headwinds in recent months after Airbus threatened to block the deal if it involved Boeing building any of its newest aircraft. Boeing has said that buying back Spirit, a former subsidiary it sold in 2005, would improve the safety and quality in its plants, after leveling blame at the airframe manufacturer for supplying incomplete or faulty parts to its factories. The embattled plane maker has come under intense scrutiny from federal aviation regulators and lawmakers this year following a door plug of an Alaska Airlines (ALK) 737 Max jet detaching mid-flight in January. Chart Levels To Watch in Spirit AeroSystems Stock Taking a look at the weekly chart, Spirit AeroSystems shares broke above a multi-year downtrend line in early March after news of Boeings potential takeover of the company emerged. Since that time, the price initially retraced, but found support from the breakout point and now trades just below the neckline of an inverse head and shoulders pattern, a chart formation that indicates a potential reversal back to the upside. Looking ahead, investors may monitor for a volume-backed breakout above the patterns neckline at $35. Such a move could mark the beginning of a new uptrend and see the stock climb to around $54 where it would likely encounter overhead resistance from a horizontal line that connects a series of price action stretching back to May 2017. Story continues The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes only. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info. As of the date this article was written, the author does not own any of the above securities. Read the original article on Investopedia. WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Gallup Global Emotions 2024 Report offers a snapshot from Gallups latest measurements of peoples positive and negative daily experiences. The findings are based on nearly 146,000 interviews with adults in 142 countries and areas in 2023. Gallups Positive and Negative Experience Indexes measure lifes intangibles feelings and emotions that traditional economic indicators such as GDP were never intended to capture. Each index provides a real-time snapshot of peoples daily experiences, offering leaders insights into the health of their societies that they cannot gather from economic measures alone. Guinea Leads the World on Negative Emotions Among the top 10 countries with the highest negative experiences worldwide, more than half were from sub-Saharan Africa. Following Guinea are Chad, scoring second highest on the index with a 51, Sierra Leone (50) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (49), with Liberia (47) and Benin and Comoros (both 45) further down the list. On a global level, Gallups Negative Experience Index declined for the first time since 2014. All five negative emotions that make up the index fell between 2022 and 2023, but stress levels dropped the most. Thirty-seven percent of the world felt stressed in 2023, down three percentage points from the previous year, but notably remaining well above where it was a decade ago (33%) and the years before that. Emotional experiences varied greatly across regions. Some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Gambia (down 15 points) and Eswatini (down 11 points), saw double-digit declines in stress. Guinea, which continues to grapple with uncertainty after a military coup in 2021, scored the highest in the world on the index in 2023 with a 53. Majorities in Guinea were sad, stressed, worried and in pain. Stress skyrocketed to record levels, rising 10 points between 2022 and 2023. As in past years, people in many of the countries and areas with the highest negative scores in 2023 were contending with economic and political turmoil or military conflict. For example, in Sierra Leone, which scored 50, people witnessed failed alleged coup attempts after their election earlier in the year. Senegal Was the Sole African Country With Highest Positive Emotions Globally, however, 2023 was still a better year for the worlds emotional health. Positive experiences rebounded to their pre-pandemic levels, completing the recovery that started in 2022. Most of the improvement on the index in 2023 occurred among those aged 30 and older. Story continues The Positive Experience Index is a measure of experienced wellbeing on the day before the survey. Questions provide a real-time measure of respondents positive experiences. It is based on people's responses to five questions about positive experiences they had the day before the survey. Higher scores indicate that more of the population reported experiencing these emotions, and lower scores indicate the opposite. Senegal was the sole African country on the top 10 list of countries with its score of 82, but it was not the first time the country appeared here: It also made the top of the list in 2021. More than three in four Senegalese said they experienced enjoyment during a lot of the previous day. About nine in 10 people in Senegal reported smiling or laughing a lot during the previous day and seven in 10 reported feeling well-rested. More than nine in 10 reported feeling treated with respect. Sierra Leone (56) was among the countries with the lowest positive experience scores in the world, on par with Ukraine and Bangladesh. Ethiopia (55) also made this list. The World Learned Something in 2023 For almost two decades, the percentage of people worldwide who said they learned or did something interesting the previous day has seldom topped 50%. The 54% who did so in 2023 represents a new record high. Senegalese ranked No. 1 on this measure, with 79% in 2023 saying they learned or did something interesting, like the 77% who said so in 2022. In the region, half of people said the same in Sierra Leone and Republic of the Congo, close to reported rates in Chad and Democratic Republic of the Congo (49%). But far fewer had the same opportunity in Ethiopia (33%). About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. About Gallup World Poll The Gallup World Poll is the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world. The survey connects with more than 99% of the world's adult population through annual, nationally representative surveys with comparable metrics across countries. The Gallup World Poll is used to measure and track progress on several U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and is the official statistic for work and life for more than 55 indexes and metrics associated with the most important aspects of individuals lives, their communities and their countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240624447871/en/ Contacts Riada_akyol@gallup.com Generally speaking the aim of active stock picking is to find companies that provide returns that are superior to the market average. And the truth is, you can make significant gains if you buy good quality businesses at the right price. To wit, the AGROB Immobilien share price has climbed 71% in five years, easily topping the market return of 1.4% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 5.7%. 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. Check out our latest analysis for AGROB Immobilien While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, AGROB Immobilien actually saw its EPS drop 45% per year. The impact of extraordinary items on earnings, in the last year, partially explain the diversion. Essentially, it doesn't seem likely that investors are focused on EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. We are not particularly impressed by the annual compound revenue growth of 2.1% over five years. So why is the share price up? It's not immediately obvious to us, but a closer look at the company's progress over time might yield answers. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). Take a more thorough look at AGROB Immobilien's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of AGROB Immobilien, it has a TSR of 78% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective AGROB Immobilien shareholders are up 5.7% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 12% over five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. 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 example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for AGROB Immobilien (2 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on German 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com The Switzerland market recently demonstrated resilience, gaining strength amid optimism for potential interest rate cuts by major central banks. The benchmark SMI index notably climbed, reflecting a robust appetite for Swiss equities. In such a buoyant market environment, dividend stocks can be particularly appealing, offering investors steady income streams alongside the potential for capital appreciation. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Switzerland Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Vontobel Holding (SWX:VONN) 5.43% Cembra Money Bank (SWX:CMBN) 5.14% Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (SWX:BCVN) 4.45% St. Galler Kantonalbank (SWX:SGKN) 4.32% Novartis (SWX:NOVN) 3.41% Roche Holding (SWX:ROG) 3.80% EFG International (SWX:EFGN) 4.20% Julius Bar Gruppe (SWX:BAER) 5.12% Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (SWX:BLKB) 4.74% Helvetia Holding (SWX:HELN) 5.13% Click here to see the full list of 28 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Burkhalter Holding AG specializes in providing electrical engineering services to the construction industry across Switzerland, with a market capitalization of CHF 985.06 million. Operations: Burkhalter Holding AG generates CHF 1.16 billion in revenue primarily from its electrical engineering services tailored for the construction sector. Dividend Yield: 4.8% Burkhalter Holding AG's recent financial performance shows a significant revenue increase to CHF 1.13 billion and net income rise to CHF 51.87 million in 2023, with earnings per share at CHF 4.95. Despite a high payout ratio of 89.9%, both earnings and cash flows adequately cover the dividend payments, which are set at CHF 2.225 for regular and special distributions each, slated for May-16-2024 distribution. However, the company's dividend history over the past decade reveals instability and unreliability in its growth trajectory, reflecting volatility that might concern conservative dividend investors seeking steady returns. SWX:BRKN Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: St. Galler Kantonalbank AG operates as a cantonal bank offering banking products and services primarily to residents and small to mid-sized businesses in the Canton of St. Gallen, with a market capitalization of CHF 2.63 billion. Story continues Operations: St. Galler Kantonalbank AG generates its revenue by providing banking services tailored to the needs of residents and small to mid-sized enterprises in the Canton of St. Gallen. Dividend Yield: 4.3% St. Galler Kantonalbank (SGKN) offers a compelling 4.32% dividend yield, ranking in the top 25% of Swiss dividend payers. Over the last decade, SGKN has consistently increased its dividends, supported by a stable payout ratio of 54.9%. Dividends are projected to remain well-covered by earnings with a future payout ratio forecast at 49.2%. Additionally, SGKN maintains a low allowance for bad loans at 55%, enhancing its financial stability and supporting sustained dividend payments. Trading at 23.8% below estimated fair value also suggests potential upside for value investors. SWX:SGKN Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Swiss Re AG operates globally, offering wholesale reinsurance, insurance, and various insurance-based risk transfer services with a market capitalization of CHF 32.66 billion. Operations: Swiss Re AG generates revenue through its Corporate Solutions, Life & Health Reinsurance, and Property & Casualty Reinsurance segments, with earnings of $6.06 billion, $18.09 billion, and $23.74 billion respectively. Dividend Yield: 5.4% Swiss Re reported a Q1 2024 net income of US$1.09 billion, reflecting robust financial health. Despite a volatile dividend history over the past decade, current dividends are supported by a sustainable payout ratio of 53.9% and cash flows with a cash payout ratio of 48.3%. Recent strategic enhancements, including the launch of Connected Underwriting Life Workbench in collaboration with Appian, aim to streamline operations and may bolster future profitability despite historical dividend inconsistencies. SWX:SREN Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Where To Now? Click this link to deep-dive into the 28 companies within our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Are any of these part of your asset mix? Tap into the analytical power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to get a 360-degree view on how they're shaping up. Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world. Seeking Other Investments? 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. Companies discussed in this article include SWX:BRKN SWX:SGKN and SWX:SREN. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Credit - Getty Images/Andriy Onufriyenko For the first time, TIME has partnered with Statista to identify the Worlds Most Sustainable Companies for 2024, aiming to highlight corporate responsibility and promote sustainable practices. In an era marked by significant environmental challenges and social inequalities, it is crucial to recognize and reward companies prioritizing sustainability. By featuring these leading entities, the ranking sets a benchmark for other businesses, fostering transparency and accountability and encouraging the integration of sustainability into core corporate strategies. Methodology The ranking process began with a comprehensive selection from over 5,000 of the world's largest and most influential companies, considering factors such as revenue, market capitalization, and public prominence. The process involved a rigorous 4-step methodology to identify the top 500 companies, evaluated on more than 20 key data points. Exclusion of Non-Sustainable Businesses: The first step excluded companies involved in non-sustainable industries like fossil fuels or deforestation. Additionally, companies appearing on negative lists related to sustainability issues, such as those identified as carbon majors or associated with environmental catastrophes, were automatically disqualified. This step also considered significant scandals or controversies related to sustainability. Commitment & Ratings: The second step involved assessing companies based on external sustainability ratings and commitments from reputable organizations. Key criteria included CDP ratings, adherence to the UN Global Compact, alignment with the Science Based Targets initiative, inclusion in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook, participation in the UNFCCC Race to Zero, and MSCI ESG & SRI evaluations. Reporting & Transparency: The third step evaluated the availability and quality of sustainability reports. This included verifying whether companies published an ESG report for 2022, ensuring these reports had undergone external assurance, and assessing compliance with international reporting standards such as GRI, SASB, and TCFD. Environmental & Social Stewardship: The final step involved researching various environmental and social Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from companies' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports. Environmental metrics included emission intensity, emission reduction rates, energy intensity, and the proportion of renewable energy used. Social metrics covered aspects like gender diversity on board and in leadership, gender pay gap, work safety, and employee turnover rate. Story continues An overall sustainability score was calculated, with a maximum achievable score of 100. The top 500 companies with the highest scores were awarded the title of Worlds Most Sustainable Companies 2024. These companies are spread across more than 30 countries, with the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom hosting the highest numbers. See the full list here. About Statista Statista R is a world leader in the creation of company, brand, and product rankings and top lists, based on comprehensive market research and data analysis: Statista R recognizes the best. With a team of over 100 expert analysts and in cooperation with more than 40 high profile media brands across all continents, Statista R creates transparency for consumers and business decision makers and helps companies build trust and recognition across a plethora of industries and product categories. Statista R is a division of Statista. The leading data and business intelligence portal provides an extensive collection of statistics, reports, and insights on over 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources in 170 industries. About GRI GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is an independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing them with the global common language to communicate those impacts. The GRI Secretariat is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and they have a network of seven regional offices to ensure support for organizations and stakeholders worldwide. GRI provided the data for the evaluation. Contact us at letters@time.com. As of June 2024, the U.S. stock market presents a mixed landscape, with the Dow Jones advancing while sectors like semiconductors weigh heavily on the Nasdaq. Amidst these fluctuations, identifying stocks that are potentially undervalued becomes crucial for investors looking for opportunities that may not yet reflect their intrinsic worth in their current market prices. Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In The United States Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Noble (NYSE:NE) $44.99 $88.34 49.1% Selective Insurance Group (NasdaqGS:SIGI) $92.78 $179.49 48.3% Hanover Bancorp (NasdaqGS:HNVR) $16.48 $32.76 49.7% USCB Financial Holdings (NasdaqGM:USCB) $11.88 $23.66 49.8% Bowhead Specialty Holdings (NYSE:BOW) $24.18 $46.81 48.3% Vasta Platform (NasdaqGS:VSTA) $3.01 $5.93 49.3% HeartCore Enterprises (NasdaqCM:HTCR) $0.71395 $1.41 49.2% BeiGene (NasdaqGS:BGNE) $159.15 $317.72 49.9% Open Lending (NasdaqGM:LPRO) $5.79 $11.30 48.7% Hesai Group (NasdaqGS:HSAI) $4.30 $8.33 48.4% Click here to see the full list of 180 stocks from our Undervalued US Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. Let's dive into some prime choices out of from the screener Overview: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutics based on ribonucleic acid interference, with a market capitalization of approximately $20.96 billion. Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from the discovery, development, and commercialization of RNAi therapeutics, totaling approximately $2.00 billion. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 46.7% Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is positioned as an undervalued stock based on cash flows, trading at 46.7% below its estimated fair value of US$417.98 with a forecasted significant growth in earnings (63.8% per year) and revenue (19.5% per year), outpacing the US market average (8.6%). Despite its current non-profitability, Alnylam is expected to become profitable within three years, supported by robust projected returns on equity (98.4%). Recent successful Phase 3 studies of vutrisiran further underline potential future revenue streams and profitability enhancements. NasdaqGS:ALNY Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: New Oriental Education & Technology Group, with a market cap of $11.81 billion, is a provider of private educational services in China. Operations: The company generates its revenue from private educational services in China. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 24.7% New Oriental Education & Technology Group is seen as undervalued based on cash flows, trading 24.7% below its estimated fair value of US$101.95. The company shows strong financial health with recent earnings growth and a robust revenue forecast, growing at 18.2% annually, surpassing the US market's 8.6%. Despite this, its Return on Equity is projected to remain modest at 13.9%. Recent corporate actions include an extended buyback plan and positive revenue guidance for Q4 FY2024, indicating confidence in continued financial performance. NYSE:EDU Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Overview: Leidos Holdings, Inc. operates globally, offering a range of services and solutions across defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets with a market capitalization of approximately $19.82 billion. Operations: The company's revenue segments total approximately $15.71 billion, spanning defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 30.7% Leidos Holdings, recently awarded significant contracts including a US$738 million deal for IT and telecom support to the Air Force, appears undervalued based on cash flows. Despite slower revenue growth projections at 4.3% annually, its earnings are expected to grow substantially by 33.96% per year. Trading 30.7% below its estimated fair value of US$214.32, Leidos combines promising contract prospects with strong future earnings potential, although it is challenged by a high debt level and lower than last year's profit margins at 2%. NYSE:LDOS Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024 Make It Happen Take a closer look at our Undervalued US Stocks Based On Cash Flows list of 180 companies by clicking here. Already own these companies? Bring clarity to your investment decisions by linking up your portfolio with Simply Wall St, where you can monitor all the vital signs of your stocks effortlessly. Elevate your portfolio with Simply Wall St, the ultimate app for investors seeking global market coverage. Searching for a Fresh Perspective? 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. Companies discussed in this article include NasdaqGS:ALNY NYSE:EDU and NYSE:LDOS. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) has had a rough three months with its share price down 6.3%. However, the company's fundamentals look pretty decent, and long-term financials are usually aligned with future market price movements. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Travelers Companies' ROE today. Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital. See our latest analysis for Travelers Companies How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Travelers Companies is: 13% = US$3.1b US$25b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024). The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn $0.13 in profit. Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth? Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a companys earnings growth potential. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features. Travelers Companies' Earnings Growth And 13% ROE At first glance, Travelers Companies seems to have a decent ROE. Even when compared to the industry average of 13% the company's ROE looks quite decent. Despite the modest returns, Travelers Companies' five year net income growth was quite low, averaging at only 3.6%. A few likely reasons that could be keeping earnings growth low are - the company has a high payout ratio or the business has allocated capital poorly, for instance. Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Travelers Companies' reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 8.4% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see. Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is Travelers Companies fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide. Story continues Is Travelers Companies Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits? Despite having a normal three-year median payout ratio of 29% (or a retention ratio of 71% over the past three years, Travelers Companies has seen very little growth in earnings as we saw above. Therefore, there might be some other reasons to explain the lack in that respect. For example, the business could be in decline. Moreover, Travelers Companies has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more suggesting that management must have perceived that the shareholders prefer dividends over earnings growth. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company's future payout ratio is expected to drop to 21% over the next three years. As a result, the expected drop in Travelers Companies' payout ratio explains the anticipated rise in the company's future ROE to 15%, over the same period. Conclusion Overall, we feel that Travelers Companies certainly does have some positive factors to consider. However, given the high ROE and high profit retention, we would expect the company to be delivering strong earnings growth, but that isn't the case here. This suggests that there might be some external threat to the business, that's hampering its growth. That being so, the latest analyst forecasts show that the company will continue to see an expansion in its earnings. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Tulare wants your business to flourish, and the city is looking to help more than a dozen entrepreneurs. The Tulare Business Innovation Zone (TBIZ) is expected to open by the end of September or early October, according to Bryan Cahill, city project manager. The facility, also known as a business incubator or accelerator, will be in the renovated courthouse building adjacent to Tulare City Hall. It will offer about 15,000 square feet of space to a range of start-up businesses, expected to include technology, data processing, research and development, welding, woodworking, sewing, and embroidery. The building is large enough to accommodate between 12-24 start-up businesses. The project is on schedule and within budget, according to Tulare City Manager Marc Mondell. Construction is expected to cost $5,803,300, and the general contractor is 4CG Construction. Tulare Mayor Terry Sayre tours a new incubator project in downtown on June 12, 2024. We're going to create an incubator, which basically takes small start-up companies, Mondell said. These companies may have good ideas, but they may not be well capitalized. They may not understand business yet. They know how to make their product but they don't understand all the rules and regulations involved in having a business. The center will offer services from business experts in a variety of areas, from rules and regulations to taxes to how to get funding. The goal here is to get these businesses in, wrap these services around them, help them grow, and within a three-to-five-year period, they're ready to move out of the incubator, take up a storefront somewhere in the city of Tulare, hire more people, and we have another successful business, Mondell said. The Tulare Chamber of Commerce will be the managing partner of TBIZ, said Tulare Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter. We will be responsible for convening the committee that will do the selections of the tenants to be in there those emerging entrepreneurs that want to take their concept to launch a business, she explained. The chamber will also be responsible for daily operations, managing the facility, scheduling the various seminars to be held there, and ensuring trained staff to work with new entrepreneurs in the Makers Space, a room with a range of equipment, such as a 3D printer, to develop products. The Tulare Police Department will occupy about 5,000 square feet of the building. The business incubator will occupy the other half, as well as almost the entire downstairs portion. Artist rendering of the Tulare Business Innovation Zone (business incubator) Partnering organizations The chamber will bring in partners to share their expertise, including Small Business Development Centers, which assists with business plan development and access to capital; the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County; and the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation, Silva Carter said. Story continues Weve spoken with U.S. Trade & Commerce, which conducts regular workshops to show people how to get into global markets, she added. Weve also spoken with the Mexican Consulate out of Fresno about being a partner as well, because a portion of our goal is making sure that we have diverse entrepreneurs that are part of the center, she said. Some partnerships are also closer to home. Were also going to be partnering with the local high school district so that we have an opportunity for kids to look at the equipment, said Silva Carter, adding that TBIZ may offer students career technical education. We are going to launch a youth entrepreneurship program, but we are not going to do that until after the first full year of operation, she said. We have a lot of young people who have ideas and they want to be entrepreneurs. Carter suggested that, in addition to seminars, two of the larger rooms in the facility could be used for town hall meetings or to offer educational presentations on such topics as disaster preparedness and active shooter scenarios. Some presentations would be open to the public. TBIZ is considering providing space to allow small businesses to receive mail and make copies on a contract basis. This is an innovative center, said Carter. It is going to be a place where we are going to create a synergy for emerging entrepreneurs and give them the opportunity to actually create their dream and to bring it to fruition. The renovated building should be big enough to accommodate the chambers ambitious plans. Theres quite a bit of space for the chamber to work with, said Cahill, who helped collaborate between the city and local organizations. The City plans to use Federal ARPA funds to convert a portion of the former courthouse into the police investigations unit and a Business Accelerator. Parking with solar canopies is being added in the back. Benefits to the city When the state closed the courthouse, it left a hole in downtown Tulare. I think we all benefit as a community to take a building that has been vacant for almost a decade and put it back into a new use, Mondell said. He added that the city is "always trying to find ways to increase private sector investment in our community downtown or throughout the community, especially when there's opportunity to generate tax revenue. The incubator is only intended for start-up businesses, according to Mondell. However, there will absolutely be resources available to existing businesses, including from the Small Business Administration, which will provide support services on day one. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare ready to give business a boost with Innovation Zone this fall BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union on Tuesday launched membership talks with Ukraine, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbors on the path to war. Ukraines accession negotiations were set in motion at an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg. Just a few hours later, Moldova also launched its membership talks. While the events are a major milestone on their European paths, the talks could take years to conclude. In opening remarks presented via video-link, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal described it as a historic day that marks a new chapter in his countrys ties with the bloc, particularly as the war with Russia rages on. We fully understand that there is still much work ahead of us on the path to accession. We are ready for it. We have demonstrated that we can move swiftly and achieve the impossible, Shmyhal said. Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country currently holds the EUs rotating presidency, described it as a historic moment for us all, and marks a milestone in our relationship. Lahbib said the EU condemns Russias unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and salutes the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and added that the bloc will continue to support Ukraine in the war for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Ukraine's delegation was led in Luxembourg by deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Olga Stefanishyna. This is a truly historical moment for my country. All the nation stands as one behind this decision, she told reporters as she arrived for the ceremony. Stefanishyna said the hope embodied in the opening of the talks will give Ukraine's citizens the moral power to continue withstanding the Russian invasion. The intergovernmental conferences officially started the process of aligning the countries' laws and standards with those of the 27-nation bloc, which is notably concerned about corruption in both. However, the actual negotiations are unlikely to begin for a few months. Ukraine and Moldova applied to join the EU in the days and weeks after Russia invaded in February 2022. By June 2022, EU leaders had quickly made it all official. But things have moved more slowly since then for Kyiv and membership, if it comes, might be years away. Turkeys accession talks have lasted almost two decades without result. Still, starting the talks process is sending another strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine beyond the financial support the EU has provided, which officials estimate at around 100 billion euros ($107 billion). Its also a show of support for Moldova, which has faced its own challenges with Russia. Story continues It is a historic event for us in historical times for Europe and it signifies the strong commitment of both sides to European peace, security, stability and prosperity," said Prime Minister Dorin Recean. We will spare no effort to achieve our strategic goal of becoming an EU member. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, neighboring Moldova has faced several crises that have at times raised fears the country might also be in Russias crosshairs, from errant missiles landing on its territory, to an energy crisis sparked after Moscow cut gas supplies. We are very much affected by the brutal war of Russia in Ukraine, and we are helping each other in the security matters but also in the European accession and we will continue to do so, Recean told reporters. Candidate countries must bring their laws and standards into line with those of the EU in 35 policy areas, known as chapters, ranging from the free movement of goods through fisheries, taxation, energy and the environment to judicial rights and security. Unanimous agreement must be given by all 27 member countries to open or close chapters, providing ample opportunity for EU nations to demand more work or to delay proceedings. Hungary, which takes over the EUs rotating presidency from Belgium in July, has routinely put the brakes on EU and NATO support for Ukraine. We are still at the beginning of the screening process. Its very difficult to say at what stage Ukraine is in. From what I see here, as we speak, they are very far from meeting the accession criteria, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka said as he arrived at the venue. Bordering EU members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, Ukraine would overtake France to become the largest member of the bloc if it joined, shifting its center of gravity further eastward. As a top grain producer its entry would have a huge impact on EU agriculture policy. Together with Moldova, Ukraine stands in a long line of EU hopefuls Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey with years-long membership aspirations and which have felt left behind by Kyivs rapid progress. Ukraine wants to join by 2030, but it must carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms first. That daunting list is led by steps to combat corruption and includes broad reforms to public administration and judiciary. In the past year, the United States stock market has shown robust growth, climbing 24%, while recent performance over the last 7 days has remained flat. In this context of anticipated annual earnings growth of 15%, dividend stocks like ACNB can be particularly appealing for investors seeking steady income alongside potential market gains. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The United States Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Columbia Banking System (NasdaqGS:COLB) 7.58% Resources Connection (NasdaqGS:RGP) 5.19% OceanFirst Financial (NasdaqGS:OCFC) 5.37% Silvercrest Asset Management Group (NasdaqGM:SAMG) 5.08% Regions Financial (NYSE:RF) 4.97% Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) 4.82% CompX International (NYSEAM:CIX) 5.22% Premier Financial (NasdaqGS:PFC) 6.44% Southside Bancshares (NasdaqGS:SBSI) 5.54% Huntington Bancshares (NasdaqGS:HBAN) 4.78% Click here to see the full list of 205 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. We'll examine a selection from our screener results. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: ACNB Corporation, a financial holding company based in the United States, provides banking, insurance, and financial services to individuals, businesses, and government entities with a market capitalization of approximately $279.76 million. Operations: ACNB Corporation generates its revenue primarily through two segments: banking, which contributes $95.42 million, and insurance services, adding $9.53 million. Dividend Yield: 3.8% ACNB offers a dividend yield of 3.85%, which is modest compared to the US market's top dividend payers. Despite this, its dividends are well-supported by a low payout ratio of 33.5%, indicating financial stability and potential for continued payments. However, earnings are expected to decline annually by 2.1% over the next three years, raising concerns about future growth and sustainability of dividends despite past increases and stability over ten years. Recent board enhancements with Alexandra Chiaruttini could bring strategic improvements, aligning with governance that supports shareholder interests. NasdaqCM:ACNB Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: C&F Financial Corporation serves as the holding company for Citizens and Farmers Bank, offering banking services to individuals and businesses, with a market capitalization of approximately $160.44 million. Story continues Operations: C&F Financial Corporation generates revenue through three primary segments: Community Banking with $86.97 million, Consumer Finance contributing $17.69 million, and Mortgage Banking at $10.96 million. Dividend Yield: 3.6% C&F Financial recently affirmed a quarterly dividend of US$0.44 per share, demonstrating its commitment to consistent shareholder returns. Despite a dip in Q1 2024 earnings, with net income falling to US$3.44 million from US$6.5 million year-over-year and basic EPS decreasing to US$1.01 from US$1.86, the company maintains a low payout ratio at 29%, suggesting dividends are well-covered by earnings. However, its dividend yield of 3.61% trails behind the top quartile of U.S dividend payers at 4.79%. NasdaqGS:CFFI Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Global Ship Lease, Inc. operates by owning and chartering out containerships on fixed-rate charters to container shipping companies globally, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.03 billion. Operations: Global Ship Lease, Inc. generates its revenue primarily from the transportation and shipping segment, totaling approximately $688.85 million. Dividend Yield: 5% Global Ship Lease's recent introduction of a quarterly supplemental dividend reflects its strong cash flows, driven by robust charter market conditions. Despite this positive development and a sustainable dividend payout, the company's overall dividend history is marked by instability, with payments showing significant fluctuations over the past nine years. While currently trading below its estimated fair value and offering dividends well-covered by earnings and cash flows, GSL's forecast suggests potential earnings decline, posing risks to future dividend reliability. NYSE:GSL Dividend History as at Jun 2024 Turning Ideas Into Actions Dive into all 205 of the Top Dividend Stocks we have identified here. Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments. Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors. Looking For Alternative Opportunities? 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. Companies discussed in this article include NasdaqCM:ACNB NasdaqGS:CFFI and NYSE:GSL. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued premarket approval for Endotronixs Cordella PA sensor system. The PA sensor system is designed for treating New York Heart Association class III heart failure patients. Said to be the first and only PA pressure-guided platform, Cordella offers comprehensive patient management. It makes use of PA pressure along with vital signs from home to guide therapeutic management, aiming to improve patient outcomes. Using implantable sensor and non-invasive health tools, the platform provides proactive heart failure management by delivering daily PA pressure and other vital data. These tools allow clinicians to remotely monitor patients, guiding clinical decision-making and medication dosing. The system supports the adoption of guideline-directed medical therapy to reduce congestion and enhance patient outcomes. Regulatory approval for the Cordella system was based on the results from the PROACTIVE-HF trial, which showcased a significantly low heart failure hospitalisation rate and all-cause mortality at six months, with a rate of 0.159. In January this year, the company submitted a premarket approval application to the FDA for the Cordella system. It offers several features, including seated PA pressure measurements using a handheld reader, patient access to key health trends to encourage lifestyle changes, and secure messaging between the clinical team, patients and caregivers. Endotronix CEO and co-founder Harry Rowland said: At Endotronix, we firmly believe that innovation can drive patient care excellence in the home and ultimately change outcomes for patients with heart failure, one of the largest cost categories in healthcare. The FDAs approval validates this foundational belief and is a major milestone for our company and the field of HF management. With this approval, we will deliver proactive, comprehensive care that extends optimal HF therapeutic management to more patients, keeping them out of the hospital and living more fulfilling lives. Endotronix plans to launch the system in the US later this year. Additionally, the company has submitted a dossier for CE Mark review and anticipates a decision on European market access next year. "US FDA issues premarket approval for Endotronixs Cordella PA system" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. The No 2 envoy in US President Joe Biden's administration said on Monday that Beijing was "somewhat anxious" over growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. "It is fair to say that China is somewhat anxious about what's going on between Russia and North Korea," Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said in a discussion at the Council of Foreign Relations. "They have indicated so in some of our interactions, and we can see some tension associated with" a defence pact Moscow and Pyongyang announced last week. "China is probably worried that North Korea will be somehow encouraged to take provocative steps that could lead to a crisis in Northeast Asia," said Campbell, who participated in the launch event for a China Strategy Initiative the think tank has set up to develop policy recommendations for Washington policymakers. 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. Campbell said that Pyongyang has provided "an enormous number" of artillery shells to support Moscow's war against Ukraine and that in exchange, North Korea may get support for its long-range, nuclear missile development plans. Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines with his trip last week to Pyongyang, a move that widens the scope of players involved in the war that he launched against Ukraine in February 2022. Biden administration officials including Campbell, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan have accused Beijing of supporting Russia's war effort with shipments of electronics and other materials used in weapons systems, but add that the country has stopped short of delivering "lethal aid". In his remarks at the event, Campbell said that pressure on China from Nato allies and defence treaty partners in the Indo-Pacific - Japan, South Korea and the Philippines - as well as Australia and New Zealand had already been increasing over concerns about how much a Russian victory over Ukraine would upset global stability. "The steps that Russia and North Korea are taking are causing countries in the region to rethink all of their military and other steps. And so what we've seen is substantial increases in military spending, different focus in South Korea and Japan, elsewhere, through across the Indo-Pacific more generally," he said. Story continues US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Photo: Reuters alt=US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Photo: Reuters> "The United States is quite focused on underscoring the strength of our extended deterrence commitments to the countries of Northeast Asia, Japan and South Korea in particular," he added. Asked how close the US and the Philippines are to invoking their mutual defence treaty, Campbell said that he would not speculate on that in public. "I will say we have reaffirmed [the treaty's] significance and its relevance to these situations, continually and at the highest level - the president, secretary of defence, secretary of state - so we've sent a clear and unambiguous message of our determination to stand by our Philippine friends," he added. Questions about that treaty have swelled since Manila has condemned Beijing for the "dangerous manoeuvres" of Chinese ships - "including ramming and towing" - to disrupt a resupply mission to a vessel grounded by Manila on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Speaking in another panel discussion at the council, Bonny Lin of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, agreed that Beijing was concerned about the Russia-North Korea pact, but played down the extent to which the Chinese government would counter it. She cited the lack of any language condemning North Korea's nuclear programmes in the statement issued by China, Japan and South Korea in their trilateral meeting last month. "China is put in a somewhat difficult spot, because it does recognize longer term that Russia's ambition for the Korean peninsula is quite different" from its own, Lin said. "Russia is generally more willing to tolerate a greater level instability and perhaps a nuclear North Korea, whereas China has traditionally in the past been more wary of them. But we have been seeing subtle changes in China's position on this." China, she said, "downplayed the role of the need for complete denuclearization in the China-Japan-ROK joint statement, which is different from four years ago", she added. "The unfortunate reality is China is siding more and more with Russia and North Korea." Also on Monday, James O'Brien, the State Department's assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, said that the coming Nato summit would prioritise partnerships with the Indo-Pacific. He noted the strategic similarities in security concerns the two regions face. "A focus of the summit will be on partnership with the Indo-Pacific, and we expect to have leaders from several of our Indo-Pacific partners participating in the events of the summit," he said. "We are doing this because the security concerns faced in the Indo-Pacific are very similar to those that are faced in Nato's Article 5 territory, and so it makes sense to share lessons and to work together against similar collective threats," O'Brien added. Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan - all Indo-Pacific partners of Nato - have been invited to attend the summit in Washington in July. The Philippines is not a Nato partner and has not been invited to the gathering. But it is a member of the "Squad", the new US-led military cooperation alliance that includes Japan and Australia as well. In April, Biden also hosted a trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. In a joint statement, the leaders expressed "serious concerns" about China's "dangerous and aggressive behaviour" in the South China Sea, welcoming recent cooperation in support of what they called a "free and fair" Indo-Pacific. Reiterating that Russia was able to conduct its war in Ukraine because China was helping it, O'Brien said that the US had been asking Chinese officials to use their "leverage" to bring Russia to the negotiation table but "they've been unwilling to do that". Earlier this month, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that China's support for Russia's efforts in Ukraine had made it necessary for Nato to forge global partnerships, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, and significantly ramp up defence spending. Stoltenberg said that Beijing's position had intensified the largest armed conflict in Europe since the end of World War II, requiring the allies to act and "impose a cost". Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Nato has enhanced its cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries, inviting the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea to participate in that year's Nato summit in Madrid, Spain. 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 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But on the bright side, if you buy shares in a high quality company at the right price, you can gain well over 100%. For instance, the price of ViTrox Corporation Berhad (KLSE:VITROX) stock is up an impressive 138% over the last five years. It's also good to see the share price up 14% over the last quarter. But this move may well have been assisted by the reasonably buoyant market (up 6.5% in 90 days). Although ViTrox Corporation Berhad has shed RM757m from its market cap this week, let's take a look at its longer term fundamental trends and see if they've driven returns. See our latest analysis for ViTrox Corporation Berhad To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During five years of share price growth, ViTrox Corporation Berhad achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 0.6% per year. This EPS growth is slower than the share price growth of 19% per year, over the same period. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. That's not necessarily surprising considering the five-year track record of earnings growth. This optimism is visible in its fairly high P/E ratio of 70.61. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. This free interactive report on ViTrox Corporation Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of ViTrox Corporation Berhad, it has a TSR of 143% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective ViTrox Corporation Berhad shareholders are up 7.2% for the year (even including dividends). But that return falls short of the market. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 19% over five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand ViTrox Corporation Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for ViTrox Corporation Berhad you should be aware of. We will like ViTrox Corporation Berhad better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued stocks (mostly small caps) with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com The VW logo stands on the brand tower at the Volkswagen main plant. Julian Stratenschulte/dpa German auto giant Volkswagen plans to invest up to $5 billion in the US electric car manufacturer Rivian in the coming years, both companies announced. The partnership is expected to accelerate software development, Volkswagen announced in a statement after the US stock market closed on Tuesday. Following the establishment of the joint venture, Volkswagen will have direct access to Rivian's electric car technology for implementation in its electric vehicles. "Through our cooperation, we will bring the best solutions to our vehicles faster and at lower cost," Volkswagen Group chief executive Oliver Blume said. The Volkswagen Group will invest an initial $1 billion in Rivian, with a planned additional investment of up to $4 billion, bringing the total expected deal size to $5 billion. Nolan Westrope, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Manufacturing Lead for UT Dallas Formula SAE team, Dallas Formula Racing, joined the latest episode of the Gen Z in Manufacturing podcast to discuss how college students view careers in manufacturing. Most Read on IEN: Westrope was introduced to the manufacturing process when he was a child helping his father work on a 1971 Chevelle Super Sport. By the time he was 15, Westrope was tearing apart two broken down Chevys in an attempt to assemble his own truck, which he completed at 17. Prior to college, Westropes education included architecture and TIG welding courses at his high schools Career Center. In this episode, Westrope identified where educational institutions succeed and fail when it comes to promoting manufacturing as a career choice. He also emphasized the value of student organizations on college campuses, noting skills he gained through Dallas Formula Racing over traditional classes at UT Dallas, such as FEA, CFD and welding skills. Westrope also provided analysis on how this generation's college students think and what characteristics employers can expect from Gen Z workers. "They should expect a whole range of personalities," Westrope said. "With the internet and how it's facilitated our communication, we're allowed to find people who are like us, even if we have such a weird, niche personality. Being able to find those people means you don't want to change yourself. Older generations all had the same world they were growing up in. Gen Z doesn't. We all have our own echo chambers we find ourselves in." Other topics discussed in the episode include: Putting a cap on working hours versus allowing overtime Which education and training proves most beneficial Skills Gen Z can offer that employers assume can only be found in senior workers How manufacturers can fill factory floor jobs Click here to view previous episodes of Gen Z in Manufacturing. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please get in touch with Nolan Beilstein, at nolan@ien.com. Key Insights The considerable ownership by individual investors in Singapore Airlines indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy 50% of the business is held by the top 16 shareholders Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business To get a sense of who is truly in control of Singapore Airlines Limited (SGX:C6L), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual investors own the lion's share in the company with 48% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Private equity firms, on the other hand, account for 45% of the company's stockholders. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Singapore Airlines. View our latest analysis for Singapore Airlines What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Singapore Airlines? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. Singapore Airlines already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Singapore Airlines' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Singapore Airlines. Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited is currently the company's largest shareholder with 45% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 1.5% and 1.2% of the stock. Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 16 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Singapore Airlines The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Singapore Airlines Limited in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own S$70m of stock. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 48% stake in Singapore Airlines. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 45% stake in Singapore Airlines. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Singapore Airlines better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Singapore Airlines (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com AJ Mast / Bloomberg via Getty Images Key Takeaways Eli Lilly is partnering with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to use artificial intelligence to develop new treatments to combat drug-resistant diseases. The companies called drug-resistant diseases one of the "top public health and development threats" in global health. The partnership joins Eli Lilly's other efforts in this area, including investments of millions into funds that promote the creation of antibiotics. Eli Lilly (LLY) said it is partnering with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop new treatments to combat drug-resistant diseases. The companies said Tuesday that they will work together to create "novel antimicrobials" to fight drug-resistant pathogens, calling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the "top public health and development threats across the global health landscape." Eli Lilly Says Partnership Could Be 'Groundbreaking Step Forward' "Our collaboration with OpenAI represents a groundbreaking step forward in the fight against the growing but overlooked threat of antimicrobial resistance," Eli Lilly Chief Information and Digital Officer Diogo Rau said in a statement. "Generative AI opens a new opportunity to accelerate the discovery of novel antimicrobials and the development of custom, purpose-built technologies in the battle against drug-resistant pathogens. This partnership underscores our commitment to addressing significant health challenges experienced by people around the world," Rau said. Tuesday's announcement didn't discuss financial terms. Eli Lilly in 2020 committed $100 million to developing two to four new antibiotics by 2030. Not First Use of AI in Pharmaceuticals OpenAI Chief Operating Officer (COO) Brad Lightcap said the company believes its AI has the potential to deliver "innovative breakthroughs" in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies have used various forms of AI for years before the recent generative AI boom for drug development, for uses including increasing manufacturing efficiency and clinical trials. Eli Lilly shares rose 1.6% to close at $904.61 Tuesday following the news and have gained over 55% so far this year. Read the original article on Investopedia. (Reuters) - Canadian workers' union Unifor said on Tuesday its members at Bombardier will continue their ongoing strike action after rejecting, what it called, a "final proposal" from the business-jet maker. Two of the union's local units, 112 and 673, announced the strike action at the company after failing to reach an agreement by June 22. The 1,350 workers from these units are engaged in building Bombardier's long-range Global series aircraft at the Toronto-based Pearson international airport facility. The union said on Tuesday it considered the company's offer as "insufficient", adding that "both the parties remain apart on key union priorities". Bombardier and Unifor are to continue negotiations, the union said, without disclosing details. Bombardier was not available immediately for comment. (Reporting by Aatreyee Dasgupta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Mohammed Safi Shamsi) Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in Zotefoams implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price 51% of the business is held by the top 8 shareholders Insiders have been selling lately If you want to know who really controls Zotefoams plc (LON:ZTF), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 76% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Zotefoams, beginning with the chart below. See our latest analysis for Zotefoams What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Zotefoams? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Zotefoams. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Zotefoams' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Zotefoams. Our data shows that Schroder Investment Management Limited is the largest shareholder with 16% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 6.6% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 5.4% by the third-largest shareholder. We did some more digging and found that 8 of the top shareholders account for roughly 51% of the register, implying that along with larger shareholders, there are a few smaller shareholders, thereby balancing out each others interests somewhat. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Zotefoams The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. We can report that insiders do own shares in Zotefoams plc. In their own names, insiders own UK12m worth of stock in the UK228m company. This shows at least some alignment. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 11% stake in Zotefoams. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Equity Ownership With an ownership of 6.6%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Zotefoams you should be aware of. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com There have been news reports in recent weeks about a Zyn shortage across the United States. Phillip Morris International has been unable to keep up with demand for the popular nicotine pouches as consumers increasingly look for alternatives to smoking cigarettes. The Zyn brand holds a dominant position in the nascent nicotine pouch category, with an estimated 75% volume share in the United States. Now, with many customers unable to get their nicotine fixes from Zyn, some may switch to other nicotine pouch brands. British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) -- and its high-yielding stock -- should benefit. British American Tobacco: Betting on the future of nicotine Cigarette giant British American Tobacco owns the Camel and Newport brands (among others), and the vast majority of its profits still come from these legacy operations. However, it is increasingly investing in new nicotine products for consumers. Among these products are Velo nicotine pouches, which compete head-to-head with Zyn. Velo is a tobacco-free pouch made from nicotine powder that serves as a replacement for chewing tobacco, but with what the company says are reduced health risks compared to smoking. U.S. sales of these pouches have been surging, and are expected to grow at 30% a year through 2030. Given the Zyn shortages around the country, many consumers might switch to the British American Tobacco brand instead. Velo sales grew by 39% in 2023, and those gains could accelerate in 2024 if Zyn pouches remain hard to find. Over the long term, there is still a huge market for both companies to go after in this niche. Crackdown on illegal vaping products British American Tobacco should also benefit from a federal crackdown on illegal electronic vaping products. Earlier this month, U.S. regulators and law enforcement agencies announced increased scrutiny on convenience stores selling unapproved vaping products that have taken the nation by storm. British American Tobacco owns Vuse, one of the few approved vaping brands. If illegal vapes largely go away, a lot of their users could switch to Vuse as their new nicotine supplier. Despite the major headwinds caused by illegal competition, British American Tobacco's "vapour" category sales grew by 27% in 2023. Overall, British American Tobacco's new categories are approaching $5 billion in annual sales, and those segments just became profitable on a consolidated basis. This should help boost the company's earnings over the next five to 10 years and counteract the sales volume declines in traditional cigarettes. Story continues BTI Dividend Yield Chart The stock is cheap, but should you buy it? Today, British American Tobacco trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of just 6 and offers a sky-high dividend yield of 9.2%. Investors are pessimistic about the ongoing sales volume declines for traditional tobacco. For example, in 2023, cigarette sales volumes were 8% lower than in 2020. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years. However, tobacco companies have consistently compensated for those volume declines by hiking their prices, which is why British American Tobacco's combustibles revenue barely declined on a constant-currency basis last year. There are still many years left of cash flow to be had from the cigarette business, especially in international markets. Wall Street also seems to be underestimating the potential of these non-tobacco nicotine products. $5 billion in annual sales is sizable, and these products could drive a ton of profit growth over the next five years and beyond. In a few years, I think it is likely that investors will look back at a P/E of 6 as having been much too cheap for this company. The narrative about it on Wall Street today does not match its actual financial data. In that light, British American Tobacco looks like a safe stock for value-focused and income investors at current prices. Should you invest $1,000 in British American Tobacco right now? Before you buy stock in British American Tobacco, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and British American Tobacco wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $775,568!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 24, 2024 Brett Schafer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends British American Tobacco P.l.c. and Philip Morris International and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $40 calls on British American Tobacco and short January 2026 $40 puts on British American Tobacco. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Zyn Shortage: 1 Ultra-High-Yield Dividend Stock That Should Benefit was originally published by The Motley Fool The Spotsylvania County School Board announced Clint M. Mitchell as the new superintendent of Spotsylvania County Public Schools at Mondays School Board meeting. He has over 19 years of educational leadership experience in Virginia school systems, according to a news release from the school system. Mitchell currently is superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools, and his Spotsylvania contract is set to begin Aug. 1. Dr. Mitchell brings experience, enthusiasm for public education, and a solid commitment to fostering a positive interaction and culture for students and staff, School Board Chair Dr. Lorita Daniels said in the release. We look forward to his expertise in community-building and new ideas to help carry out SCPSs mission of preparing our students for their future while also promoting a student-centered learning experience for all students. Meet-and-greets are planned for July with school division staff. It is an honor to be selected as the next Spotsylvania County Public Schools superintendent, Mitchell said in the news release. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with Spotsylvania students, staff, families, and community members. My first priority will be conducting listening sessions across the county to ensure that I have a great understanding of the traditions, values, strengths, challenges, and needs in order to lead the development of a strategic plan that takes the school division to the next level. Mitchell has been the superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools since 2021. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Governors Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) task force on chronic absenteeism, chairs the Virginia Alliance of Black School Educators membership committee, is the Region 3 Virginia Association of School Superintendents professional development lead, and is a principal adviser for Share Our Strength-No Kid Hungry regarding best practices to address student chronic absenteeism and the impacts of food insecurity on students. He was nominated for 2024 Virginia Region 3 Superintendent of the Year, received the 2021 National Association Elementary School Principals National Distinguished Principal Award, and was selected as both the 2021 Virginia Principal of the Year and the 2013 Prince William County Public Schools Principal of the Year. Mitchell received a Doctor of Education in education leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech University, an AASA-Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy Certificate, a Master of Education in education leadership from George Mason University, a Master of Arts in urban policy and public administration from the City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Brooklyn College. The Colorado Supreme Court recently signaled it may intervene in four ongoing cases in the trial courts on subjects that include a tenant's right to a jury trial in eviction proceedings and whether defendants should remain incarcerated pending a sanity evaluation to a judge's decision to sanction prosecutors for late-disclosed evidence. Voters in El Paso and Teller counties have just a little more time to cast their votes for several Democratic and Republican candidates in federal, state and county offices in Colorados 2024 Primary Election on Tuesday. Polls will close at 7 p.m. Tuesday night and all ballots must be returned by then. Postmarks do not count. This year, one of the most highly anticipated races includes the El Paso County-based 5th Congressional District. Congressional hopefuls seeking to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican, include Republicans Jeff Crank and state Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams, and Democrats River Gassen and Joe Reagan. El Paso County voters will select new representatives in three of the five commissioner districts, Districts 2, 3 and 4. Twelve candidates total, Republican and Democrat, are running for election to the three seats. Just one incumbent Republican El Paso County commissioner Carrie Geitner in District 2 is running for reelection. The contested races are on the Republican ballots. One Democrat each is running in the three El Paso County district races, and will shore up their partys nominations. The Democrats will face the Republican victors in Tuesdays races for their respective seats in the Nov 5 General Election. El Paso County has not had a Democratic commissioner in about 50 years. Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleikers office previously said District 3 is now the most competitive, with a deviation from zero or even competitiveness of just under 1% in favor of Republicans. In Teller County, incumbent Republican Commissioners Dan Williams and Erik Stone are running unopposed in Districts 1 and 3, respectively. Krystal Brown, who was formerly the countys clerk and recorder and whom Teller County commissioners appointed Jan. 2 to serve as county treasurer, is running unopposed on the Republican ballot for the role as treasurer. All three candidates will be reelected or elected to their seats because they have no Democratic challengers. El Paso and Teller county voters will also cast votes for the 4th Judicial District Attorney. Incumbent Michael Allen faces Republican challenger and attorney David Willson in the Republican primary. The victor will face the sole Democrat in the race, attorney Jeremy Dowell, in November. Featured Local Savings About 81,552 active, registered El Paso County voters have returned ballots at voter and service polling centers and by mail as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday night, according to data provided Monday afternoon by the Colorado Secretary of States Office. That includes 21,822 Democratic ballots and 46,108 Republican ballots, with another 13,602 ballots being processed, according to secretary of state data. In primary elections, unaffiliated voters receive a ballot packet containing a Republican candidate ballot and a Democratic candidate ballot but they may only vote and return one ballot. If unaffiliated voters return both ballots voted, neither ballot will be counted. In El Paso County, unaffiliated voters have returned 5,728 Democratic ballots and 8,738 Republican ballots, with another 13,596 unaffiliated ballots being processed, data show. How to vote Residents can register to vote, update their voter registration, receive a ballot, drop off a ballot and vote in person at a voting center until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Residents can also register to vote online at govotecolorado.gov. It is too late to return primary ballots by mail. There are 39 secure 24-hour ballot drop-box locations throughout El Paso County. Each drop box is under 24/7 camera surveillance that was upgraded last year, and the public can view motion-triggered events at any of the ballot boxes online at epcvotes.com. Click on the Election Security and Ballot Box Camera section on the webpage. Voters in Teller County who wish to register to vote by form can download voter registration forms from the Teller County elections website at tellercounty.gov/Elections. Residents can also pick up the forms at either of the Teller County Clerk and Recorders offices, at 101 W. Bennett Ave. in Cripple Creek or at 800 Research Drive, Suite 200 in Woodland Park. Teller County voters can submit ballots at the voter service and polling center at the Woodland Park Library, on the ground floor, 218 E. Midland Ave., Monday through 5 p.m. and Tuesday, Election Day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find a ballot drop box in Teller County, visit coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/VIP.html. The Colorado Supreme Court decided on Monday that a person on sex offender probation does not have his constitutional rights violated anytime his contact is restricted with minor relatives who are not his children. Instead, the Supreme Court decided such relationships fall on a "spectrum of protection," with parent-child relationships requiring the greatest degree of safeguarding and those with no parental or custodial aspect entitled to less protection. "Courts have looked to the nature of the relationship in question to determine whether a probationer has established a right to familial association with an extended family member. Why the nature of the relationship?" wrote Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter in the June 24 opinion. "Because the right to familial association is rooted in the objective characteristics of a given relationship. That is what determines where on a spectrum from the most intimate to the most attenuated of personal attachments the relationship lies." Abdullahi Salah, whose case the Supreme Court considered, previously warned the justices against a rule requiring inquiry into a familial relationship, contending it would invite judges to make subjective determinations about which relationships from which cultures deserve greater constitutional protection. Adams County jurors found Salah guilty in 2018 of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, among other offenses. He received sex offender probation for 20 years to life, with a prohibition on contacting or living with children. There was an exception for those children with whom he had a "parental role." After sentencing, Salah's probation officer alleged Salah violated those terms by moving in with his sister and her infant. Salah countered there was no reason to believe the crime against his female victim would make him a danger to a 1-year-old male child. Then-District Court Judge Roberto Ramirez heard testimony that in Salah's Somali culture, individuals "are expected to help other members of the Somali community" and Salah "would have had a parent-like role" with his nephew. However, Ramirez found "no evidence before this court that as it relates to defendant and his nephew, that there is a parental-like role." He agreed Salah violated his probation, reinstated the original sentence and added 90 days in jail. Featured Local Savings A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals cautioned that for parent-child relationships, the right to familial association can be infringed upon if there are compelling circumstances. But a defendant on probation has no unconditional right to live with family members generally. "Salah had no parental or custodial role with his nephew, and he otherwise failed to demonstrate the nature of his relationship with his sister and nephew," wrote Judge Jerry N. Jones. During oral arguments to the Supreme Court earlier this year, Salah argued blood relationships are constitutionally protected and the government should need to show compelling circumstances to prohibit contact. Some members of the court acknowledged the diversity of family configurations should be a consideration, but so should the government's need to protect potential child victims. "I certainly recognize that not all families meet a nuclear mother-father-child sort of setup. We have blended families. We have families blended through marriage. We have LGBTQ families," said Justice Monica M. Marquez. "Where is the line properly drawn here?" In the court's opinion, Berkenkotter explained most courts that have addressed the question have settled on the requirement for a probationer to demonstrate the nature of their relationship with a minor relative who is not their child. That way, judges can determine "where on the spectrum of protection" the relationship lies. "Because Salah didnt present any evidence demonstrating the nature of his relationship with his nephew, his right to familial association wasnt implicated," she wrote, "and the trial court therefore didnt err by prohibiting him from contacting or living with his nephew or by failing to make specific findings regarding the compelling circumstances justifying the imposition of these probation conditions." Berkenkotter conceded that in one instance, the federal appeals court based in Denver overturned a similar restriction on a defendant's contact with minor male relatives because it was overly broad in light of his sex offense against a female victim. But most other courts, she concluded, require the probationer to show their relationship resembles a "parental or custodial one" to establish a right of association. The case is Salah v. People. A former Tri-Lakes area pastor was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Jonathan Shaheen, 31, was accused of receiving sexually explicit images of two underage girls one 9 and the other 5 years old from a couple in New Mexico in 2022, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit states that Shaheen expressed interest via text message in having sexual intercourse with the two children as well as their mother, who was sending the photos to Shaheen. The FBI discovered Shaheen's contact with the couple in their cellphone while executing a search warrant at the New Mexico couple's home. Shaheen appeared in court Monday afternoon for a sentencing hearing, where Judge Jill Brady was tasked with determining if Shaheen would be given a prison sentence. The terms of the plea agreement, according to prosecutor Blake Whitcomb, included the possibility of a two-year stint in the Department of Corrections or an extended stint on sex offender intensive supervised probation (SOISP) with no prison sentence. Whitcomb, during the sentencing hearing, advocated strongly for Judge Brady to impose a prison sentence on Shaheen. To outline the seriousness of Shaheen's actions, Whitcomb read several of the messages sent by Shaheen to the victims' mother to the court. In the highly graphic messages, Shaheen writes about his desire to have sexual relations with both of the victims; Whitcomb also notes that Shaheen was sent graphic photos of the victims and sent nude photos of himself that he asked the victims' mother to show the victims. Whitcomb also claimed that he believed it would be appropriate for Shaheen to serve a prison sentence due to a "clear" lack of remorse on his part. "(Shaheen) has downplayed his involvement in this," Whitcomb said to the court. Additionally, Whitcomb noted that probation recommended a prison sentence for Shaheen in its report. Featured Local Savings In a statement read to the court, Shaheen attempted to tell Brady that he was extremely remorseful for his actions, and that he wishes he had done something to report the New Mexico couple to police. Shaheen also talked to the court about how in his mind it was all "fantasy" and he had no intentions of acting upon the words he was sending to the New Mexico couple. Shaheen's attorney, Joshua Lindley, added that Shaheen's evaluator recommended probation and labeled his client as low-risk of reoffending. After hearing Shaheen's lengthy statement, Brady decided that the accountability Shaheen was attempting to show was not enough. "The accountability stops a little short in many ways," Brady said. "I don't think Mr. Shaheen fully grasps this." Speaking directly to Shaheen, Brady talked about how the defendant was a "very willing" participant in the crime, and expressing remorse over not reporting it to the police wasn't enough. Brady also addressed Shaheen's statement that the texts were "just a fantasy," disagreeing strongly with that claim. "(The messages sent by Shaheen) really do not make it seem like it was just a fantasy," Brady said. Brady went on to sentence Shaheen to two years in the Department of Corrections with a mandatory three years parole upon release. Shaheen was arrested by deputies just moments after Brady sentenced him. According to a now deleted LinkedIn profile under the same name, Shaheen was employed as the general manager of the School of Rock in northern Colorado Springs and has worked as a pastor at TimberCreek Church. The victims of the double homicide at Lake Pueblo State Park have been identified as Pueblo locals. On June 21, Dustyn Courtney, 29, and Trevion Lucas, 20, were shot and killed near Sailboard Beach just after midnight by an unidentified male suspect, Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced today. "It appears the unknown suspect and Courtney got into an argument and a physical fight that resulted in the suspect pulling out a handgun and shooting Courtney," Rob Low, a spokesman for CBI, said in the announcement. It does not appear Lucas was part of the original dispute, and the investigation in why he was shot is still ongoing. The shooting occurred on the north side of the lake, not far from the dam by a group of nearby fishers. Featured Local Savings Witnesses saw the suspect flee from the park, and he is still on the run. Sailboat beach reopened the afternoon of June 22, and the rest of the park has remained open. Autopsies for both victims are scheduled for tomorrow in Pueblo County. The CBI reported Monday that investigators are continuing to conduct witness interviews in hopes of identifying the suspect. Old Colorado City residents, property owners and businesses may get to vote this fall to create a new special district proponents say would help revitalize and enliven the historic neighborhood on the far western edge of Colorado Springs. Neighborhood stakeholders want to celebrate Old Colorado City and its historic main street; make it a destination for locals, out-of-town visitors, and local and eclectic businesses; make it more walkable, safe and people-focused; and bring together various stakeholder groups through a collective vision, said Jamie Giellis, president of Denver-based consultant firm Centro Inc. The firm came aboard last year to assist local efforts to invest in and revitalize Old Colorado City. Public and private investment made possible by the proposed Old Colorado City Downtown Development Authority will help transform the area, she said. The City Council at a work session Monday informally agreed to place on its July 9 and July 23 regular meetings agenda items that would, if the council voted in favor, submit a question to the Nov. 5 ballot to create the Old Colorado City DDA and establish a special tax rate within district boundaries to fund it. Giellis and Sara Vaas, president of the OCC Partnership, said Monday the proposed special district is the best way to implement the improvements residents and business owners have said, through public surveys and focus groups, they want to see. If Old Colorado City voters created the special district, Colorado Springs would become the first municipality in the state to have two board-governed development authorities in its boundaries, Giellis said. Its Downtown Development Authority, approved by voters in 2006, encompasses just over 1 square mile of downtown. A DDA uses its tax revenue for downtown development and redevelopment. Like the Downtown Development Authority, the proposed Old Colorado City Downtown Development Authority would be funded first through a capped, annual 5-mill tax levy to support operations. The mill levy taxes all commercial and residential property owners in the district's boundaries. It would also be funded through a mechanism called tax increment financing. This is when the district collects sales and property tax revenue from new and redeveloped properties to help pay for development and redevelopment projects; the DDA often partners with the private sector in these cases. The Old Colorado City DDA is proposed to be bounded at the Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs line to the west; to the north by the alley between West Pikes Peak Avenue and Colorado Boulevard; to the east by Interstate 25; and to the south by the alley between West Cucharras Street and Colorado Boulevard. It would also include the southern nodes at I-25 and 21st Street, according to Giellis' presentation. Featured Local Savings The district would be made up of about 425 businesses, 350 commercial properties, and 250 residential properties representing about 700 residents, she said. Councilwoman Nancy Henjum wondered why a business improvement district is not a better option for Old Colorado City. A downtown development authority is not necessarily the easiest pathway to revitalize the area but makes the most sense, Giellis told the City Council. Business Improvement and general improvement districts don't cap the assessed tax rate within their boundaries; but business improvement districts are not the correct tools for targeted re-development and general improvement district funds can't be used for economic development, redevelopment or other events, she said. They also don't allow access to the tax increment financing that will allow the district to leverage funding from various sources, she added. Under the DDA, the average Old Colorado City residential owner within the district would pay about $136 a year in assessed special taxes. The average commercial owner would pay around $686 a year, according to financial projections. The tax increment financing revenue was not presented Monday. The proposed district tax rate would generate about $280,505 a year, according to the presentation. It would generate low revenue in its early years, until additional economic activity generates larger tax increment financing revenues. A DDA would also allow the district to recapture tax revenues it is already generating and use them to improve the district, rather than go into the city or county general funds, she said. If approved, the Old Colorado City DDA would replace and take over the two special improvement maintenance districts located within proposed DDA boundaries. Residents would no longer pay the SIMD's assessed tax rate of about 13 mills if the DDA took over, Giellis said. Chinese premier meets with Polish president Xinhua) 08:24, June 25, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing on Monday, expressing China's readiness to enhance the alignment of development strategies with Poland. Li said that since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Poland in 2016, exchanges and cooperation in various fields have achieved leapfrog development, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. China is willing to work with Poland to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, further carry forward traditional friendship, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and push for greater development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Li said. He said China stands ready to strengthen the docking of development strategies with Poland, take high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the guide to promote the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation, foster optimized and balanced development of bilateral trade, achieve more efficient and smooth connectivity, expand cooperation in emerging fields like new energy, digital economy and artificial intelligence, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. China welcomes more quality Polish products to enter the Chinese market and hopes that Poland will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Li said, adding that the two sides should strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation on youth and education and continue to enhance mutual understanding and friendship. It is hoped that the European Union will view China's development in an objective and rational way, honor its commitment to support free trade, create a fair and non-discriminatory market environment for China-EU economic and trade cooperation, and promote the steady and healthy development of China-EU relations, he added. Duda said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, Poland and China have always adhered to mutual respect, and bilateral relations have withstood the test of changing international situation and maintained a strong momentum of development. Poland attaches great importance to relations with China, firmly abides by the one-China principle and supports the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, Duda said, adding that Poland is willing to provide an equal and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises and work with China to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on economy, trade and culture to push bilateral relations to a new level. He said Poland supports the development of EU-China relations and is willing to play a positive role in strengthening EU-China cooperation. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) vibhaj As part of our program to halt the influx of illegal immigrants, the administration is proposing the creation of a national identity card. The card would be available only to U.S. citizens and to registered aliens, and all persons would be required to produce the card before they could be given a job. Of course, such a system holds the potential, however slight , for the abuse of civil liberties . Therefore, all personal information gathered through this system would be held strictly confidential, to be released only by authorized personnel under appropriate circumstances . Those who are in compliance with U.S. laws would have nothing to fear from the identity card system. In evaluating the above proposal, a person concerned about the misuse of confidential information would be most interested in having the author clarify the meaning of which of the following phrases? (A) all persons (line 5) (B) however slight (line 7) (C) civil liberties (line 8) (D) appropriate circumstances (line 11) (E) U.S. laws (line 2) Everything needed is in the question before you start reading. The phrase "misuse of confidential information" is the focus, and will help us narrow down the bold words.D is correct because of the preceding phrase "all personal information gathered through this system would be held strictly confidential", clarifying "appropriate circumstances" would define what "misuse" is in the argument. As the battle for Guam advanced from the beachheads and the concentration camps were liberat-ed, people began traveling from the camps or their jungle hideouts to safety behind the front lines. Above, boys on carabaos and on foot are part of the stream of people fleeing the fighting be-tween the Japanese and American forces. (Photos and Illustration courtesy of War in the Pacific National Historic Park) Editors Note: The story was first published on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam. The Liberation of Guam was a matter of military necessity. Its people and their suffering aside, Guam was seen as a naval and air base from which to bomb Japan and supply the force needed to subdue the enemy. But in Guam, the Marine in the jungle and the soldier in the trenches discovered something very special - that his effort was recognized and that he actually made a difference in peoples lives. Marine Cpl. Maury T. Williams, Jr., a reconnaissance scout for the 21st Marines, and Wesley T. Bush, of the 22nd Marines, both recall their experience in meeting Guamanians during the battle to recapture Guam. For Bush, who wrote to the Guam Veterans Affairs Office asking for information on 50th anniversary activities, he first met with local people when his unit was relieved and he and his fellow Marines were moving back toward more secure areas. We had battled continuously for 14 days, then got a rest. As we marched to the rear, we went through an area where the lovely people of Guam had been gathered. The youngsters ran alongside of us holding on to our rifles. Old men held our hands and the women cried and cheered and patted our backs. All the hardship and misery and wounds we had suffered melted away at that moment and I said to myself, It has been worth it all. I will never forget how grateful the people were. Bushs unit was to fight in Okinawa but would return to Guam, where he would meet and befriend a local family. Invited to a party by the family, Bush would experience something he never experienced before - tuba, the fermented, and yes, alcoholic product of the coconut tree. The aftermath of the party was predictable. Exchanging salutes and smiles, Chamorro children and Navy Lt. Sheldon Dietz have some fun in Agat. (Illustration courtesy of War in the Pacific National Historic Park) I made friends with a family named Cruz. They did my laundry and once, graciously invited us to their humble home, where the father plied us with something called TUBA and we tried to find our way back to camp. Williams was also affected by the emotions of the people as they passed his unit in Agana where he and his comrades had been assigned positions. Moving to the rear of the battle, Chamorros would walk past the positions held by Williams and other Marines. They (the people) were understandably quite emotional as they approached, considering their months of oppression under the Japanese, and nearly all had tears streaming down their faces. Many were on foot but some came in the trucks that had been dispatched to a pickup point a short distance ahead. But one large group, being brought through the lines in the back end of a six-by-six truck, were singing a song that must have been composed during the occupation. Their words expressed their love of America and Americans, including a line that said something like, Thank you, Uncle Sam. I noticed that those people were not the only ones having tears streaming down their cheeks that day, wrote Williams, the Marine from Memphis. (Illustration courtesy of War in the Pacific National Historic Park) February 19 March 16, 1944 The siege of Iwo Jima nearly takes a month to complete. The volcanic isle leaves behind a legacy written in blood by the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions: U.S. casualties are 6,800 dead, 20,000 wounded, There are practically no survivors of the 21,000 Japanese defenders. April 1 June 22, 1944 With American forces nearing the Japanese home islands, the Japanese up the ante at Okinawa. Kamikazes spearhead the defense of the homeland, and nearly 2,000 soar to attack the U.S. fleet supporting the invasion force. It is bloody at battles end: 12,500 American troops and 110,000 Japanese dead. Conservation and sporting groups circled up Monday around Montana's western district congressman in support of a proposal that would buttress wildlife migration corridors through federal grant funds and state-level direction. Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke on Monday announced the planned Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act at Missoula's Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation visitor center, flanked by representatives from conservation and wildlife advocacy organizations who each offered their support. "There's a system in wildlife corridors and flyways," Zinke said. "This is all part of it, of protecting them." Zinke, a Republican up for re-election this year, will submit the bill on Tuesday with Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, will introduce companion legislation in the Senate. The bill would provide funding to local projects through grants administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The legislation will look to advance the work done under a directive Zinke issued in 2018 during his time as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Called Secretarial Order 3362, the directive set out to foster collaboration between federal agencies, states, conservation groups and landowners to identify critical wintering habitat and conserve wildlife migration corridors, particularly to the aid of big game species. In Montana and in much of the West, that means focusing on the routes elk, mule deer and pronghorn travel each year to survive, be it to and from Yellowstone National Park, or back and forth over the Canadian border. Research into mapping these areas and how they're fragmented by roads, fencing and development has blossomed as a result of more technology becoming readily available. "Over the last several years as a result of Secretarial Order 3362 lots of things have been happening in this world," Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Chief Conservation Officer Blake Henning said during the press conference. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into migration corridor work so far, oftentimes joining Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which has purchased land to preserve wildlife corridors through Wildlife Management Areas. Since the 2018 direction from Zinke's Department of the Interior, FWP created a Montana Action Plan, developed five priority areas and raised money for projects such as fence removal and easement programs. Henning and others on Monday said they hoped to see Congress becoming an active player with dedicated funding through the proposal. Ryan Callaghan, director of conservation at the Montana-based outdoor media company MeatEater, spoke on behalf of Zinke's track record in conservation and public access projects, including opening the Sabinoso Wilderness in 2017. "If migration corridors are your legacy, that is not a small thing," Callahan said. Jessie Shallow, a partner biologist in Idaho with the Mule Deer Foundation, said priority areas for mule deer and elk have emerged straddling that state's border with Montana. That points to the boundary-hopping nature of wildlife, she said, and the need for cooperation between the federal and state governments, along with tribes and local-level organizations. "That's a lot of what this effort has been, is to not just stay in one place but to go bigger, across state boundaries, between state and federal partners," she said. Zinke said he's done a turnabout on certain solutions, notably the wildlife crossing near the Flathead Indian Reservation on Highway 93, which is perhaps the most prominent corridor protection feature in his district. "I was absolutely opposed to it, this is a waste of money," he recalled. "But over time, animals do learn, right, and migration routes can be recovered." It's the second piece of legislation Zinke has announced this year focused on outdoor access and conservation in bipartisan fashion. Working across the aisle has fallen out of fashion, Zinke noted on Monday, but he said bipartisanship would chart the best course toward the bill's passage. "We live in a very angry, partisan world," he said. "There are some issues, specifically public lands, that rise above partisan issues. So how do you break through partisanship? You find something that's largely bipartisan, that Montana can agree on, and you start working together." KINGSPORT, Tenn. Randy Adams, health and safety manager at Domtars Kingsport Mill, recently received the Pulp and Paper Safety Associations most prestigious honor the Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes individuals for their leadership and service to the PPSA and the paper industry during their careers. Domtar is a Paper Excellence Group company. I was surprised, but honored to be recognized by the PPSA, Adams said. Personally, it means that I left a legacy with my organization. Professionally, it means I got to share this with an organization that values safety just as I do. Adams began his career as a clerk in 1979 and soon moved into managerial roles in production, quality and raw materials, as well as environmental, health and safety. He joined the paper industry in 2009 as the EHS manager for Kruger Products. After a decade, he moved to Graphic Packaging Internationals mill in West Monroe, Louisiana, as the health and safety manager. Adams briefly returned to Kruger Products before joining Domtars Kingsport Mill in April 2024. My very diverse background has taught me many life lessons over the years, but building lasting relationships has been the steppingstone for success, Adams said. Health and safety are a value, not a priority. Values do not change, but priorities do. Adams continues to build relationships with his co-workers in Kingsport. I see my current role as an effective way to show the employees I care about them, he said. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. That is all part of building the relationships to partner for safety success. Listening to the employees and their safety concerns will always add value to the conversation. For Troy Wilson, mill manager, Adams efforts are key to ensuring employees return home safely after each shift. Randy is very deserving of this award, not only for his work at our mill, but for his successful career in the health and safety field, Wilson said. We are very happy to have him as a member of our team. As for the cause of Merrick's deformities, the explanation is still somewhat of a mystery. He himself reportedly believed that his physical characteristics were a result of his mother's encounter with an elephant, but experts originally thought they were caused by elephantiasis. Now, scientists believe Merrick suffered from an extremely severe case of neurofibromatosis and/or a rare disease called Proteus syndrome. In 1884, Merrick made a life-changing decision. "He decided to check himself out [of the workhouse] in order to put himself on display as a 'freak,'" Durbach says. Merrick reached out to Sam Torr, the proprietor of a Leicester music hall called the Gaiety Palace of Varieties. Soon, Torr was exhibiting Merrick as "The Elephant Man, Half-Man, Half-Elephant" and he achieved great local success before moving his act to London. To avoid harassment in public, Merrick often donned a cape and veil to conceal his appearance. Advertisement "I am interested in him because he deliberately chose to exhibit himself as a 'freak' because he felt that this was a form of labor and he preferred honest work and earning his own living and the independence that provided to charity or government welfare," Durbach says. A surgeon named Frederick Treves came across Merrick's story and invited him to visit his hospital for an examination. At that point, Merrick's head had grown to a circumference of 36 inches (90 centimeters) and his right wrist measured 12 inches (30 centimeters) around. He had tumors covering his entire body and now exclusively walked with a cane, but Treves found he was otherwise in good health. Treves presented Merrick to the Pathological Society of London and asked him to come back to the hospital for more exams. But Merrick refused. He later said the experience made him feel like "an animal in a cattle market." "Merrick was a very independent and intelligent young man," Vigor-Mungovin says. "No one forced him into exhibiting himself this was his decision. He could either live out his days in the bleak, grim, harsh Leicester Union Workhouse, or go out there and make a life for himself. Merrick chose life." " " A photograph of Joseph Merrick shows the severe bodily deformities that were caused by his disease. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Merrick relocated and tried to find success in Belgium, but he was taken advantage of by an unscrupulous manager there, who robbed him of his life savings and abandoned him. The sum that was stolen from him was considerable, indicating that he had been able to make a decent living and find some success. By June 1886, Merrick was able to find a passenger ship back to England, where he was subsequently deemed "incurable" by doctors at the London Hospital. The chairman of the hospital, Francis Carr-Gomm, published a letter in The Times describing Merrick's case and requesting assistance. The letter garnered an outpouring of financial donations, which Merrick was able to use for housing through the remainder of his life. Merrick's condition, however, continued to worsen, and on April 11, 1890, he was found dead at age 27, lying flat on his back in bed. Because of the size of his head, he'd spent the majority of life sleeping upright, resting his head against his knees. "I think that people should understand that it is highly likely that Merrick committed suicide," Durbach says. "It appears that he requested to be released from the hospital so that he could return to the show world, but his support network outside the hospital was repeatedly denied access to him. There is really no better explanation for his death than he understood that lying flat would lead to his death." Durbach says Merrick was also very likely keenly aware of his fate. "The most interesting thing about Merrick is that he understood that after his death, he would become an anatomical specimen for display by the hospital that had claimed to give him refuge," Durbach says. "He used to talk about ending up 'in a huge bottle of alcohol,' indicating that he believed that the hospital was not really that different from the freak show." While many accounts claim Treves was Merrick's close friend and confidante (he even wrote a book about him), Durbach says that likely wasn't the case. "Treves didn't even remember that his name was Joseph, calling him 'John' in his memoirs," she says. "Thus I don't think Treves knew him that well or cared much for him." When Merrick died, the hospital declared that there would be no post mortem, but it did take tissue samples and made body casts, presenting one to the Royal College of Surgeons, "presumably for installation in the Hunterian Museum alongside the remains of 'the Irish Giant' and the 'the Sicilian Fairy,'" Dubach says. "Thomas Horrocks Openshaw, the pathological specimens curator at the London Medical College's Pathological Museum, then stripped the body of its flesh and boiled down the bones for articulation, as the House Committee had decided that the skeleton should be set up in the College Museum." Merrick's solitary life was capped by an impersonal, unceremonious end in which an undertaker removed his remaining flesh and internal organs and buried them in an unmarked grave. "If Treves and the hospital cared for Merrick, why did they not bury his remains in a marked grave instead of disposing of them in this cheap way?" Durbach says. "I think they just saw him as a pathological specimen." COMPANY NEWS: Boomi, the intelligent integration and automation leader, along with Connor Group, a leading specialised professional services firm, in association with professors David Wood (Brigham Young University Marriott School), Scott Emett (Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business), and Marc Eulerich (University of Duisberg-Essen) Mercator School of Management), today announced the Enterprise genAI Governance Framework the first-ever enterprise risk framework for generative artificial intelligence (genAI). Built in collaboration with over 1,000 business leaders, academics, and industry bodies, the Enterprise genAI Governance Framework provides a detailed guide and comprehensive methodology for organisations of all sizes to assess their AI readiness, identify and manage enterprise risks associated with genAI technologies, and move into responsible genAI adoption. The framework can be easily customised to align with a company's unique objectives, needs, and risk appetite, and empowers those responsible for risk management and governance such as Internal Audit, IT/CISO, Legal, and Audit Committees to identify, evaluate, and proactively address high-priority exposures. It also provides a structured approach to pinpointing vulnerabilities and implementing controls, facilitating the secure and responsible deployment of genAI technologies. Effective AI adoption will be a massive competitive advantage, but many dont know where to start and how to apply it, said Connor Group chair and founder Jeff Pickett. A few AI tools exist now, with many on the way, and they are coming fast. Having a smart AI adoption strategy with underlying controls, data, and processes that are ready for AI takes time. The most competitive companies are doing these things now. "At Boomi, we understand the power of clarity and action. The Enterprise genAI Governance Framework, which I had the privilege to help shape, epitomises that by providing a one-page summary ideal for boardroom discussions, alongside a detailed breakdown of controls for practical implementation, said Boomi chief audit and risk officer Waseem Samaan. Its designed not only to be adopted, but also to be adapted, allowing companies to assess their compliance and maturity, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Were proud to be among the first to implement and champion a tool that so effectively bridges the gap between strategic oversight and operational excellence." Provided as a free resource by Connor Group, the genAI Framework includes comprehensive documentation and a robust set of risk and control considerations. To enhance the utility of the genAI Governance Framework, organisations can leverage the genAI Governance Framework Maturity Model developed by David A. Wood, PhD. Professor, Brigham Young University; Scott A. Emett, PhD Associate Professor, Arizona State University; and Marc Eulerich, PhD, CIA Dean and Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen. The maturity model, along with consulting services offered by Connor Group, allows businesses to evaluate their current governance practices, identify areas for improvement, and strategically plan for future enhancements. By assessing maturity levels across various control considerations, companies can gain insights into their own strengths and weaknesses and take targeted actions to bolster their AI governance. Overall, the genAI Governance Framework and accompanying Maturity Model serve as essential resources for organisations seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of AI, said David A. Wood. By adopting these tools, organisations can enhance their preparedness, resilience, and capability to harness the benefits of AI while effectively managing its risks. Learn more about the Enterprise genAI Framework here. WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange has been freed from prison on Monday and left the UK as part of a plea deal, reports say. The Australian had been holed up in the maximum-security Belmarsh prison for 1901 days. He is reported to have been granted bail by the British High Court. In a statement, WikiLeaks said: "Julian Assange is free. He left Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK. "This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organisers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations. This created the space for a long period of negotiations with the US Department of Justice, leading to a deal that has not yet been formally finalised. We will provide more information as soon as possible. Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport at 5PM (BST) Monday June 24th. This is for everyone who worked for his freedom: thank you.#FreedJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Pqp5pBAhSQ WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2024 "After more than five years in a 2x3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars. "WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people's right to know. "As he returns to Australia, we thank all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom." Assange is expected back in Australia after he pleads guilty to a US espionage charge at a location in Saipan, an American territory in the Western Pacific. Richard Oldham as Head of Pre-Sales and Technology for Australia and New Zealand at Kore.ai COMPANY NEWS: Kore.ai , a leader in enterprise conversational and generative AI platform technology, today announced the appointment of Richard Oldham as Head of Pre-Sales and Technology for Australia and New Zealand further advancing the companys presence in the region. Based in Sydney, Oldham will be responsible for supporting business growth by providing pre-sales customer technical support and working closely with channel partners to realize the value from customer deployment of Kore.ai optimal conversational experiences. At the same time, he will work with Kore.ais global technical teams to facilitate skill sharing and training, and co-ordinate projects that span the region and support the companys program for a unified global technical support strategy. Oldham has more than two decades of IT industry experience during which time he has developed and supported a broad portfolio of technology solutions to directly address business outcomes. During this time he has worked in organisations ranging from small start-ups to multi-national companies. Oldham was previously Senior Solutions Consultant at Huawei Technologies where he drove cross-portfolio solution selling through expert consultative support on Huawei's full portfolio of enterprise products and services. Prior, he also worked for Cisco Systems for more than 15 years in several senior software and engineering roles before being appointed Solutions Practice Architect where he was responsible for working with local, regional and global teams to orchestrate the delivery of repeatable and scalable business offerings across engineering, marketing, sales, services and partners teams. We are thrilled that Richard has joined Kore.ai at this time and look forward to the addition of his skills to support customer technical requirements and best practice industry consultation that will in turn accelerate our ability to scale and continuously deliver customer value, said Sreeni Unnamatla, Executive Vice President, Kore.ai. Richard Oldham added, Im extremely honoured and excited to be joining Kore.ai at a pivotal moment in the companys history as it continues to achieve rapid growth globally as well as has an increased focus on the ANZ market. I look forward to working with our current and future customers and partners to allow them to leverage the market leading capabilities of the Kore.ai platform combining Conversational AI and Generative AI to drive business efficiencies and improved customer, employee and contact centre agent experiences. Earlier this year, Kore.ai announced it was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Conversational AI for Customer Service, Q2 2024. Kore.ai was evaluated alongside 13 other conversational AI providers, and ranked as a Leader with the highest score in the Current Offering category. Providers were evaluated against 23 criteria. Kore.ai received the top-scores possible in the Vision, Roadmap and Partner Ecosystem criteria (in the Strategy category) as well as in the Language Models and Generative AI support, Orchestration of AI Assets, Omnichannel, Digital User Experience, Voice Support, Answer Management, Business Insights and Trust, Security and Privacy criteria (in the Current Offering category). (FONDA MEXICANA New York) On June 14, 2024, Tokyo welcomed the first Japanese branch of FONDA MEXICANA New York at Ginzas Granbell Square. A fine dining restaurant renowned for its modern Mexican cuisine, the establishment is a long cherished gem of in-the-know sophisticated New Yorkers. The trendy Ginza location marks its first expansion into Japan, promising the same level of excellence as its American counterparts. Led by the award-winning chef and culinary director, Roberto Santibanez, the restaurant spices up the New-York dining experience with an authentic taste of Mexico. (FONDA MEXICANA New York) Meet the chef Chef Roberto Santibanez (FONDA MEXICANA New York) Chef Santibanez is from Mexico City and is a graduate of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. His distinguished career includes opening three restaurants in Mexico City, serving as the culinary director at Fonda San Miguel in Austin, Texas and at Rosa Mexicano. His modern yet tradition-respecting approach to Mexican cuisine has made him a beloved figure in the culinary world, appearing on shows like Good Morning America, and expanding locations to Las Vegas, Boston and even at Disney World. Exclusive menu FONDA MEXICANA New York in Tokyo offers course options as well as a la carte. The former is designed to offer guests a chance to try several different dishes. The Introduction course includes traditional Mexican dishes like Guacamole Chicharron, Tuna Tostada and Mixote Grilled Chicken. The FONDA Medley course features a more diverse selection, including Mexican Crab Cake and US Skirt Steak Sizzling Fajitas. For a more comprehensive course, the Especial course includes Spicy Grilled Jumbo Shrimp and Miyazaki Beef Steak, showcasing the best of FONDAs menu. (FONDA MEXICANA New York) (FONDA MEXICANA New York) The lunch menu includes lighter options such as the Three-Taco set, Birria Burrito set and regular specials. The Gusto lunch course and Primera course include a main dish choice of Mixote Grilled Chicken or Sizzling Fajitas along with Guacamole Chicharron, a green salad, and a seasonal soup. These courses provide a perfect introduction to the flavors of FONDA MEXICANA New York. NYC-Inspired interior design The restaurants interior, designed by Junpei Yamagiwa, has worked on iconic establishments such as Peter Luger Steak House and Lawrys The Prime Rib in Ebisu. Yamagiwa visited the original FONDA locations in New York to capture its essence and collaborated closely with Chef Santibanez to ensure the design reflects the authentic spirit of FONDA. The result is a space that encompasses sleek, stylish New York vibes. Made warm and inviting not only through the food but also through accessories such as the rosy cushion decor, FONDA MEXICANA is a must-visit for Tokyos finest diners. Check out FONDA MEXICANAs official website for more information. IG: @fonda.ginza metropolisjapan.com Q: Has the expanded N.C. Opportunity Scholarship legislation been completely approved? If so, when does it become effective and when will those who applied be notified? R.P. Answer: Its going to take a while longer, according to Kathy Hastings, a spokeswoman for the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority, the agency that administers financial aid and education savings programs in North Carolina. The bills which would provide additional funding for Opportunity Scholarships have not been approved. If legislation providing additional funding is enacted (approved), SEAA will begin notifying families as quickly as possible. The N.C. General Assembly created the school voucher program in 2013 to pay tuition and fees for a student to attend an eligible private school. The amount of the scholarship is based on the familys income. Hastings said that the agencys website, https://www.ncseaa.edu/, will post updates as they become available. Q: I received a phone call recently from a woman I could hardly understand. She indicated that she was calling for Duke Energy and, I think, said something about a new program they were starting soon in my neighborhood. Thats when I hung up. Was that a scam? J.L. Answer: Jimmy Flythe, the central region director for government and community relations for Duke Energy NC, said they think it was probably a scam. Duke Energy does have energy and money saving programs, and they have vendors calling customers who qualify to offer these programs. In fact, we checked records that indicated your reader had been called about a program and a voice message had been left. Your reader is smart to be alert for scams as there are many scams pretending to represent Duke Energy, Flythe said. People calling for Duke will not ask for personal information, or for payment on the call, he said. For more information on energy saving products and services go to, https://www.duke-energy.com/home/products For more information on scam protection go to, https://www.duke-energy.com/resource-hub/residential/for-your-safety/stay-protected-from-scams Q: What is the building at U.S. 158 and Farmington Road and who owns it? It looks empty. D.D. Answer: Terry Bralley, the president of the Davie County Economic Development Commission, said the building is being built on speculation to bring new industry into Davie County. It is currently still vacant and still looking for the right tenant. It is owned by Crown Industries, he said. We were wrongSaturdays column had incorrect information about Forsyth Countys congressional districts for Novembers general election. Most of Forsyth County will be in the 10th district, currently represented by Patrick McHenry, who chose not to run for reelection. The candidates are Ralph Scott Jr., a Democrat, Pat Harrigan, a Republican, and Steven Feldman, a Libertarian. Most of eastern, southern, and bit of southwestern Forsyth County will be in the 6th district, currently represented by Kathy Manning, who also chose not to run for reelection. The candidate is Addison McDowell, a Republican, who is running unopposed. The UNC School of the Arts School of Drama again ranks No. 3 on The Hollywood Reporters list of the worlds 25 Best Drama Schools. Ahead of UNCSA are the The Juilliard School from New York City and Yale University. UNC Chapel Hill was ranked 16th. The publication consulted with members of the industry and educators for the rankings, which appeared in the June 19 print issue and online Monday. Factors in the rankings include overall training, cost and alumni success. UNCSAs drama school is ranked second among bachelors of fine arts programs on the list and is the only public American school in the top eight. UNCSA has appeared annually in the publications rankings since 2012. The Hollywood Reporter cites the School of Drama for its undergraduate program, which has placed an emphasis in recent years on student work and devised theater, added on-camera training for students across all four years and expanded its performance repertoire to include more underrepresented voices, under the leadership of retiring Dean Scott Zigler. The school has placed an emphasis on diversity, and the student body has been majority Black, indigenous and other people of color-identifying for several years. This past year, the school added more opportunities for voiceover work, along with courses on entrepreneurship. UNCSA also was cited for its work with trans and nonbinary performers. The Hollywood Reporters accompanying article notes that alumnus John Langs, the former artistic director of ACT Contemporary Theatre in Seattle, will begin his tenure as drama school dean on July 1. The overarching theme of the 2024 ranking was more drama schools becoming tuition-free as part of looking to expand accessibility and mitigate the debt many drama students bring into continuing education Its a big positive step in a year when many schools have been emerging from the pandemic era of largely online classes and leaning into more inclusive, tech-forward curriculums. The publication cited UNCSAs comparably low $24,231-per-year out-of-state tuition, less than other bachelors of fine arts programs ranked in the top five. In-state tuition at UNCSA is $6,497. The school offers a four-year undergraduate drama program for actors and directors and a one-year acting program for high school seniors. UNC Chapel Hills Masters of Fine Arts acting program is closely affiliated with a professional regional theater, PlayMakers Repertory Co., which the publication cited for giving students the opportunity to play roles in productions. Smoking Tuesday. Here's hoping your AC doesn't blow up. The kids students wont like it. Nor will some of their parents. Teachers and principals, who see the hypnotic, disruptive and antisocial effects of near constant cell-phone use, might appreciate an anticipated move tonight by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education to restrict their use on campus. Item N on the boards action agenda Consider Approval of Cell Phone Policy Revisions would make uniform across the 55,000student, 81-school district rules for using phones during the school day. High-school students would only be allowed to use them during lunch or between classes. Middle and elementary school kids wouldnt be allowed to use or display them at all. Previously, official school policy could best be described as hodge-podge, uneven, hands off and all over the map. Individual principals set the policy, and like most things in classrooms, enforcement fell at the feet of teachers. Same as it ever was. So in the respect that whats good for Reynolds is good for West Forsyth, setting a uniform, district-wide policy for cell phones sounds like a fine idea. Even if it is a half-measure with laughable, escalating disciplinary recommendations that fall short of even requiring a kid to write I will not look at my phone 500 times on a chalkboard. Did you expect anything different? Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is, like most public-school districts, a hidebound bureaucracy that moves at the pace of a glacier. Still, any move toward taking cell-phones out of the classroom is better than nothing. It doesnt take a room filled with PhDs to realize that cell phones addictive, time-sucking apps specifically exact a terrible toll on a kids mental health, self-image and ability to concentrate. Hell, the Surgeon General recommended that social media come with warning labels similar to those on cigarettes. Another approach championed by at least one teacher would have the school system try something really radical by having students place their phones in locking pouches that remain secure until waved over an unlocking station. If that sounds like George Jetson-type technology, its not. A California company called Yondr is selling such systems for about $25-$30 per student. School systems across the country, at least those with deeper pockets, better grant writers or deeper public-private partnerships, have tried it and seen success. The teacher who pitched it here floated having it underwritten by, say, telegenic lawyers well accustomed to the benefits of self-promotion. Slap a logo on those pouches; theyre more practical than T-shirts. (Yondr also markets to courts, hospitals and venues. Places where phones arent appropriate and where people have been shown to either not have enough sense or self-control to stay off them.) The Yondr system is in use in 21 countries. Anyone want to wager whether most, if not all, of them outperform us? Even considering the source the company itself statistical analysis shows an 83% improvement in student engagement, 74% improvement in comportment and 65 percent increase in academic performance. Common sense tells us that removing distraction can only help. The board, in all likelihood, will vote tonight to approve the recommended changes. And given the opposition by some parents and board members to going the Full Monty, a total ban, no matter how great the opportunity for improvements to academic performance and kids mental health, wasnt going to fly. At least not yet. It took decades for public opinion (and behavior) to catch up with the science about the dangers of smoking. Itll be similar with the damage caused by social media and cell-phone usage. But a half measure is better than none at all. Legislature moves on local governments RALEIGH Dont look now but the Legislature perhaps has rounded the corner in the so-called short session and headed for home. How do we know this? Because the honorables have turned their attention to micromanaging local affairs. Typically those pop up as work and we use the word loosely winds down. To wit, the state Senate went ahead and voted in favor of de-annexing some 1,000 acres from the Village of Summerfield so that a developer can go ahead with plans to build a sprawling mixed-use neighborhood in Guilford County. In addition, senators voted in favor of a House bill to inject more politics into local elections by switching to partisan elections in Forsyth County municipalities including Bethania, Clemmons, Kernersville, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville and Walkertown as soon as November. Sen. Joyce Krawiec made a valid point when she suggested that making local elections partisan helps voter turnout and gives lazy voters my word, not hers an indication of where candidates might stand philosophically. The counter argument, of course, is that injecting more partisanship in elections increases and exacerbates political divisions that threaten and soil democratic institutions. A bipartisan and controversial N.C. Senate medical marijuana bill cleared the chamber by a 36-10 vote Monday for the second time during the 2023-24 sessions. Its unclear whether the legislation, HB563, will have a better fate in the waning days of the 2024 session. Meanwhile, Republican House leadership as expected placed House Bill 237 on Wednesdays floor calendar for a potential veto override vote. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Friday HB237 that would loosen campaign-financing laws and significantly restrict public mask wearing for health and safety reasons. The Republican super-majorities in both chambers have the votes to override the veto at full attendance. The Senate cleared similar medical marijuana legislation in Senate Bill 3, also by a 36-10 vote on March 1, 2023, only to have House speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, shelve the bill five days later. HB563 was sent back to the House to either accept or reject the Senates insertion of the medical marijuana language. Moore has told legislative media outlets that for a medical marijuana bill to clear the House, there would need to be reasonable controls, and a balance to have enough distributors to prescribe and avoid a monopoly. Still, a block of House Republicans has opposed any medical marijuana language out of concern that it could serve as a gateway to legalized recreation marijuana use. They also claim that medical research isnt definitive that it benefits users. The bill also contains language that would: place Tianeptine, Xylazine and Kratom on the states controlled substance schedules; create criminal penalties for criminal possession and unlawful sale of embalming fluid; and create penalties for exposing a minor to a controlled substance. Several HB563 amendments HB563 would permit the use of medical marijuana prescribed only by licensed physician for individuals with ALS, cancer, epilepsy, Parkinsons disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments, but not for those experiencing chronic pain. Importantly, the bill does not allow recreational marijuana usage or the marketing of medical marijuana to anyone under age 21. The bill was amended on the Senate floor to clarify that even if the use of recreational marijuana is made legal under federal law, the N.C. legislature must approve as well. The amendments opened the door to an atypical level of personal floor debate for a bill facing a typically procedural third vote. Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Mecklenburg, asked if the amendment was designed to assure bill opponents that North Carolina would not be on a slippery slope when it comes to federal approval of recreational marijuana. Several senators voting against HB563 did invoke slippery slope concerns about opening the door winking was a common denominator to eventually encouraging recreational use. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-McDowell, said that the passage of HB563 doesnt relieve legislators from keeping their eye on the ball in terms of efforts to dilute the symptoms required to access medical marijuana, as well as for potential loopholes that could allow for illegal access. Sen. Mujtaba Mohammad, D-Mecklenburg, said the amendment could face constitutional challenges, particularly the supremacy clause that the U.S. Constitution takes precedence over state laws and constitutions. The bill also was amended to ensure that licensed distributors of medical marijuana check the identification of anyone who looks to be age 30 and under, and to verify that no medical marijuana can be sold to anyone under age 21. Rabon plea Sen. Bill Rabon, R-New Hanover, and chairman of the Senate Rules and Operations committee, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2000 at age 48. He has said his oncologist initially told him he had as much as 18 months to live. Rabon has acknowledged limited use of marijuana a few puffs enabled him to withstand the worst of his chemotherapy treatments as he continued to work at his veterinarian practice. On Thursday, Rabon made another impassioned plea for recommendation of the medical marijuana language, particularly addressing its provision requiring the necessity of a doctor experienced in cannabis involved in treatment. The people who need and can benefit from medical-grade cannabis are dying every day, Rabon said. They are at their wits end. People are buying marijuana on the street and they dont know what theyre getting and no idea the interaction with the drugs they are taking. We have a right-to-try bill that has passed the House unanimously and is going to be added on the (Senate) floor to the bill because people are dying. They need help to stay alive, to stay with their loved ones another day, to feel good about life, to have a meal, not be put on morphine so they dont know what world theyre in. Addressing opponents of medical marijuana language, Rabon said that if you are scared of the boogeyman, sleep with the lights on. This is something we should do. I have lived it. Those who are dead-set against it should walk in my shoes, know what Ive done. You can preach to me, folks, all you want about loving your fellow man, Rabon said. If you love your fellow man, you will try every day to make their life better. Hemp language Rep. Jeffrey McNeely, R-Iredell, and primary sponsor of HB563, asked Senate Rules members to back out of the medical marijuana language, saying the proposed language in the previous version of the House bill should not be tied to language unlikely to pass the House. Dont take your eye off the ball, McNeely said. Were trying to regulate a completely unregulated industry that is hooking our children on marijuana at a very early age. Its a pathway, and we need to be very mindful of that. So, dont forget that part of this when some shining new object is added. Were trying to save our children from a path of destruction. Rabon said the tightening of the hemp vaping regulation is important, saying, Were in the ninth inning on that one. That language, according to Rabon, attempts to fix our dropping of the ball and letting something that should have been tightly regulated make it to our (retail) shelves, into our homes and into our childrens lives with absolutely no control. John Dinan, a Wake Forest University political science professor who is a national expert on state legislatures, said Rabon is likely to continue pushing for a legalization bill. It could end up as part of negotiations over a budget adjustment bill where the House and Senate are currently very far apart. A 2-year-old girl presents to the primary care provider (PCP) with her foster mother for a well-child examination. She was removed from her biological mother's care 1 week ago when her younger sister was diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome following in utero exposure to heroin. The foster mother reports that the child struggles to express her needs and appears easily frustrated. When frustrated, she hits others or breaks things. She has been clingy, preferring to be held by the foster mother. Sleep has been challenging; even with a consistent bedtime routine, a night light, and white noise machine, the child struggles to fall asleep and cries out two or three times per night. THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF FOSTER CARE In 2023, the United States had nearly 200,000 licensed foster homes, with an estimated 342,981 children and youth in foster care.1,2 Trended national data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, part of the federal Administration for Children and Families, demonstrate that the number of children in foster care across the United States increased from 396,000 in 2013 to a high of 437,000 in 2017 and 2018 before slowly declining to 369,000 in 2022.3 Up to 80% of children entering out-of-home care have at least one physical health problem.4 A 2021 study showed that 75% of children in foster care younger than age 36 months had a failing Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) score.5 In addition to physical problems, children in foster care also experience high rates of mental health problems and educational challenges.4 Experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction has been associated with poor outcomes for children. Analyzing data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health, Webster observed that the incidence of special health needs (developmental delay, increased need for services or therapy, regular medication use) increased proportionally to the number of ACEs the child had experienced.6 Whether the children lived in foster care was not captured in the study, but the ACEs (poverty, parental divorce, incarceration, substance abuse, mental illness, death of a household member, and exposure to various types of violence) are common among children removed from the care of one or both biological parents.7 THE LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE OF FOSTER CARE A glossary of child welfare terms and definitions may be found at www.childwelfare.gov/glossary/glossarya, the website for the Child Welfare Information Gateway of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The federal foster care program is authorized by the Social Security Act, Title IV, Part E, and managed by the states. The title of the government agency responsible for removing children from their legal parent into the care of the state varies from state to state. Some examples include Child Protective Services (CPS), Department of Child Services (DCS), Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Human Services.7 When children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, placement options include moving them to a foster family, kinship family, or a group home setting. Their care and the services they receive are monitored by CPS workers and the court. Though the policies guiding out-of-home care vary from state to state, involvement of the biological parents in case planning and reunification with the parents or another biological relative receive top priority. Foster families are trained and licensed to provide care for children and are provided with financial support to assist in that care. Kinship families are biological relatives or other adults who have an established bond with the child. Like foster families, kinship families must pass background checks, but may not receive financial support unless they undergo foster parent training and become licensed. Group home (residential) placement generally occurs when the child's behaviors or needs preclude safe placement in a foster or kinship home or when no other options are available. In addition to foster or kinship families, states assign various professionals to participate in the care of the foster child. These professionals may include a family case manager from CPS; guardian ad litem; and court-appointed special advocate; as well as play, occupational, physical, developmental, or speech therapists. Medically fragile children also may be under the care of several subspecialists in addition to their PCP. Because of the complexity of managing multiple physical, developmental, and mental health problems, and because the PCP is responsible for coordination of the child's medical needs, the PCP (often a physician associate/assistant) must be aware of all the specialists caring for the foster child. CHILDHOOD NEURODEVELOPMENT Children have a known trajectory of growth and neurologic development, including three natural periods during which they are most susceptible to change. Attachment develops during the first year. The attachment theory suggests that basic trust or attachment develops when a caregiver responds to a young child's basic needs. 6 During adolescence, the brain experiences changes and the child develops their identity. The transition to adulthood is the final period of development and a crucial time in which the child develops self-efficacy, purpose, meaning, and experiences opportunities for success.8 During early childhood (the first 5 years of life), the brain is rapidly developing, and a child not only grows in size but also in complexity of function.8 During these years, a child learns to sit, crawl, walk, climb, run, smile, coo, talk, recognize colors, count, identify body parts, and play with peers. This period of time, when rapid neurologic development is occurring, is a critical time to monitor appropriate developmental skills. Experiencing trauma during this rapid growth period can impair development and adversely affect the child in later years.6 NEURODEVELOPMENT IN FOSTER CHILDREN Removal from the care of biological parents and placement in foster care is associated with altered neurodevelopment in children.5 Any neglect, abuse, or household or environmental threats experienced by children before entering foster care results in ongoing neurohormonal release that impairs their physical and emotional health. Insecure attachment was identified in 43% and mental health problems in 39% of the pooled sample.9 Children with one household challenge ACE had 55% greater odds of developmental delay and those with three or more ACEs had three times the odds of developmental delays, compared with a reference group with no ACEs.6 THE WELL-CHILD VISIT The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has established a periodicity schedule of well-child visits in its Bright Futures guidelines that should be followed by all PCPs caring for children.10 The well-child visit is an opportunity to assess growth; social development; neurodevelopment; medical needs; perform a risk assessment; give anticipatory guidance; update immunizations; and to respond to the medical, social, and neurodevelopmental needs of a child. The primary care of a foster child is best provided by a PCP or medical home provider who has built a therapeutic relationship with the child to ensure that all health problems are addressed and tracked and to coordinate medical care.11 A PCP provides consistent care for the child and has a relationship with the child and the family. Developmental screenings and growth assessments should be obtained during every well-child visit. The neurodevelopmental evaluation documents the child's level of development in language, motor, visual-spatial, attention, and social domains.10 The ASQ is a commonly used screening tool for PCPs to assess child development.12 The parents or guardians complete the screening form, which includes a series of questions about fine and gross motor development, communication, and intellectual development.12 Although developmental surveillance is important for each well-child visit, formal screenings such as the ASQ are recommended by Bright Futures and AAP for children at certain ages, and for those with a history of trauma or red flags on the surveillance (https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/periodicity_schedule.pdf). The ASQ is recommended at ages 9, 18, and 30 months.10 At 18 and 24 months, a screening for autism spectrum disorder also is recommended. At ages 4 to 5 years, before school entry, special emphasis is placed on developmental surveillance with a screening administered for any concerns. At any other age, if the PCP or caregiver has a concern about the child's development, the PCP should administer a nonroutine age-appropriate developmental screening, such as the 36-month-old ASQ.13 Identifying psychosocial problems in children is an important aspect of well-child care, and is especially important for foster children, who are at increased risk for psychosocial problems.4,14 To identify psychosocial problems, PCPs should consider administering a well-studied screening tool such as the Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC).14 The SWYC assesses developmental, social, and emotional domains of psychosocial health from birth to age 5 years, as well as family context. The screening does not diagnose mental health disorders, but only identifies problems or concerns that may need to be addressed.10 Implementing a comprehensive psychosocial screening in primary care is both feasible and can help target referrals to address psychosocial health needs. PCPs should be aware of the increased risk of attachment issues and disorders in young foster children related to family instability. Foster parents are trained in the effects of trauma and insecure attachment in children, but PCPs who understand insecure attachment and the effects of trauma on children will be in a better position to help parents and patients interpret and respond to the behaviors and needs of the foster children in their care.4 The AAP offers a resource called the Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care to help PCPs learn about trauma-informed care and develop skills in treating children who have experienced trauma.15,16 In addition to taking a careful psychosocial history of the child and current caregivers, PCPs should assess the quality of interaction and the level of connection between the child and caregiver.17 Evidence of a caregiver-child connection includes the child making visual contact with the parent for reassurance, the child bringing an object of interest to the parent, and the parent responding with praise for the child.10 Providing acute, chronic, and preventive care for children in foster care can be challenging for several reasons. The foster child will come to the appointment or well-child check with a foster or kinship parent who may be unaware of the child's needs, developmental skills, or delays. When the child enters foster care, the foster or kinship parent chooses a PCP who is either local or known to them, but who may not be the child's usual PCP. Transfer of medical records may not be possible if the child did not receive regular medical care or may be delayed if appropriate contact information for those records has not been provided by the biological parents.10 Development may need to be assessed over a series of visits after the foster parent has had time to observe the child's development. The developmental screening questionnaire also can be sent home with the foster parents so that they may complete it over a few weeks as the child's development is observed in a home setting. When there is uncertainty about developmental delay in a foster child, for example because of a new placement, close follow-up (within 30 days) and screening sent home with the foster parent may be needed to review the developmental screening again. Because of the high occurrence of ACEs in foster children, the risk for developmental delays is high.6 Prompt intervention and referrals are key to addressing developmental, emotional, or physical health concerns, particularly when the length of the foster placement is uncertain.6 The AAP and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) have developed standards of care for foster children.18 These standards, along with Bright Futures, help PCPs navigate the complex needs of children in foster care. The AAP and CWLA standards recommend that children in foster care be evaluated within 72 hours of placement to be assessed for signs of abuse and neglect, the presence of acute or chronic illness, and for signs of mental health problems.18 In addition, the initial visit will monitor adjustment to foster care, and ensure that the child has all the necessary medical equipment and medications. A comprehensive admission health visit or well-child visit is recommended within 30 days of entry into foster care. At this visit, dental and mental health evaluations should be performed, as well as developmental screening for children under age 6 years, and an educational evaluation for children age 5 years and older. The PCP is essential in performing some of these and coordinating the rest of the comprehensive evaluation. A follow-up visit, ideally by the same PCP, is recommended within 60 to 90 days of placement.18 The standards also recommend seeing foster children in primary care more often than the AAP periodicity schedule. Children in foster care should be seen monthly through age 6 months, every 3 months for ages 6 to 24 months, and every 6 months for ages 24 months to 21 years.18 Other factors that will affect the primary care visit include whether the biological parents are present at the visit, if biological siblings are placed in the same home, and whether the out-of-home care is being provided by a licensed foster parent or kinship parent. Although licensed foster parents usually have had training about the effects of trauma on young children, a kinship parent may lack education on common behaviors for foster children and trauma-informed parenting.18 ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS FOR PRIMARY CARE The primary care team will need a copy of the child's placement letter and must accept Medicaid as the primary insurance. All diagnostic studies, laboratory tests, immunizations, and referrals will need to comply with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines. This may include scheduling CMS-provided vaccinations at another office or the local health department. The office will need contact information for the foster parents, the family case manager, and the court-appointed special advocate, and a clear understanding of the legal access that the biological parents have to the child's protected health information. In addition, the office should collect the appropriate consent forms to release protected health information to CPS workers and the court-appointed special advocate or guardian ad litem. The front office staff must be aware of the more frequent scheduling needs of the foster child. In addition to medical appointments, children in foster care may have regular visits with physical, occupational, speech, or developmental therapists in addition to visits with a family case manager, a guardian ad litem or court-appointed special advocate, and various members of their biological families. To reduce stress on the foster family and strengthen adherence to the management plan, PCPs scheduling follow-up appointments or making referrals should aim to be as accommodating as possible to foster family scheduling needs. Consider scheduling at-home services for therapy for small children. As a best practice, the primary care office staff should schedule necessary appointments and follow-up visits for the foster child before the child leaves the primary care visit. PROMOTING PROTECTIVE FACTORS Anticipatory guidance includes educating foster or kinship parents about milestones, safety issues, and expected development, along with recommendations to promote protective factors. The promotion of strengths and protective factors is included in Bright Futures as a recommendation at every well-child visit.10 Protective factors are positive experiences that help buffer children and families from the negative effects of ACEs. Protective factors include nurturing and attachment, knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development, personal resilience, social connections, concrete parental supports, and the social and emotional competence of children. The promotion of protective factors is recommended for all children at well-child visits to help reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect, but in foster children can help build resilience to further mitigate the effects of ACEs.19 An example of the promotion of protective factors for a 12-month-old well-child visit is discussing daycare for the child; a social support network for the foster parent; and involvement in a faith-based community, recreational center, or volunteer organization.10 This discussion could be tailored to the foster or kinship parent to include discussion of parenting resources available to them through DCS. MANAGEMENT AND REFERRALS Treatment referrals should be made at the time of the identification of any diagnoses, concerns, or delays. For diagnoses or concerns related to foster children and trauma, the AAP's trauma toolbox can help PCPs organize and make local referrals for behavioral therapy.15 Wrap-around service teams for children in foster care may include social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors. Children also may benefit from referrals for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, which often are provided at home for very young children in an early intervention program such as Indiana's First Steps (www.indianafirststeps.org). Children in foster care may have an attachment disorder. Specific therapies aimed at attachment disorders can help establish a bond between caregiver and child. One of these therapies includes video feedback with caregivers facilitated by a trained social worker. This involves a video recording, often in the caregiver's home, and consists of multiple sessions over several months. The feedback encourages the caregiver to become more aware of the child's behavior and respond positively to the child's cues. The program also includes information on how caregivers can regulate their emotions when interacting with the child.17 The foster or kinship parents may benefit from counseling with a marriage and family therapist for their own self-care and to help them build healthful attachments with their children.19 For children with developmental delays, ensure proper follow-up either at the primary care office or at a pediatric specialist, such as a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, developmental-behavioral pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, or pediatric physiatrist.13 PCPs who care for foster children are encouraged to learn about their county's DCS policies and guidelines, local resources through the school system, local community resources, and the effects of ACEs on the health of children. Resources are available to help educate PCPs and foster and kinship parents about the effects of ACEs and about protective factors (Table 1). PCPs should consider having a resource page or books to share with foster and kinship parents. TABLE 1. - Sample resources for foster and kinship families Sample resources for foster and kinship families Books The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma , Bessel van der Kolk, MD The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment, Karen Purvis, PhD, and Lisa Qualls Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies That Really Work , Robyn Gobbel, MSW What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience & Healing , Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, and Oprah Winfrey The Deepest Well, Nadine Burke Harris, MD Movies and videos How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime, www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk Healing From Toxic Stress with Nadine Burke Harris, MD, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta5tbuFVkHY Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD: Social & Emotional Development in Early Childhood, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkJwFRAwDNE Dr. Bruce PerryEarly Brain Development: Reducing the Effects of Trauma, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp6fZrzgiHg Trust-Based Parenting Preview, www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGqwz8L6JBo Websites Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, https://child.tcu.edu/blog_6_books_parents/#sthash.BRGchGWb.dpbs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Violence prevention: adverse childhood experiences, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html ACEs and toxic stress: Frequently asked questions, https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions Empowered to Connect, https://empoweredtoconnect.org PACES Connection, www.pacesconnection.com Podcasts The Adoption Wise Podcast, https://adoptionwise.org/listen The TBRI podcast, https://child.tcu.edu/podcast/#sthash.AyFxDzJJ.dpbs The Baffling Behavior Show with Robyn Gobbel, https://robyngobbel.com/podcast CARING FOR THE CASE PATIENT Although the case patient was scheduled for a well-child visit, the PCP must pay attention to potential acute needs, especially signs of physical abuse, and must address the foster mother's concerns. The child has only been in placement for 1 week, and the foster mother may not be aware of developmental milestones. This initial visit should focus on assessing any signs of abuse or neglect, acute or chronic illness, and any signs of mental illness. Consider discussing this with the foster mother, sending home a 24-month ASQ screening, and rescheduling a well-child visit in the next few weeks to attend to the well-child visit needs.18 At this initial visit, attention must be given to administrative tasks such as consent forms, contact information, medical information transfer requests, and immunizations record requests. A complete medical history needs to be obtained (if the foster mother knows it) or requested from the previous PCP. A family and social history should be obtained, including details about the social environment and any exposure to drugs, alcohol, or secondhand smoke. A thorough physical examination needs to be performed to assess for any signs of neglect or abuse. Because the child was removed from a biological mother who recently gave birth to an infant with illicit drugs in their system, consider ordering a drug screen for the case patient to assess for potential environmental exposure if the child is displaying symptoms of toxicity.16 Finally, discuss the foster mother's concerns about the child's behavior and sleep habits, and provide relevant anticipatory guidance or other strategies to help address that concern in a 2-year-old. Some of the child's behaviors, such as sleep difficulties, may be developmentally appropriate or related to the recent trauma of being removed from the biological parent. Bright Futures is a useful resource for parental education on sleep habits and routines for 2-year-olds and the promotion of protective factors at this age.10 Another appointment should be scheduled within the next 3 weeks to perform a well-child examination, update immunizations, and review the developmental screening that the foster mother will have completed at home. A second follow-up visit should be scheduled within 60 to 90 days. While the child is in foster care, she should be seen at least every 6 months for preventive visits. The frequency of these visits will allow the PCP to monitor the progression of any developmental delays, new trauma-related behaviors, and address foster parent concerns such as hitting or breaking things and sleep issues. During these regular visits, the PCP also can monitor that appropriate follow-up on any referrals has occurred. CONCLUSION Primary care PAs who understand the effect that early adversity has on the health and well-being of a child, as well as the importance of screening for developmental delays, and who deliver trauma-informed care, will be tremendous assets to the foster parents, social workers, and others involved in helping the child heal. PCPs not only provide medical care for the foster child but also advocate for the child's physical and mental health and well-being. Evidence-based resources and expert consensus guidelines through the AAP and Bright Futures, along with local community and state resources such as the DCS child welfare team, are available to PCPs who care for children in foster care. PCPs have a tremendous opportunity to serve as positive, caring adults and promote resilience and healing in the life of a child. Two teen boys face juvenile court cases following an investigation into allegations of hazing at the hands of fellow students at Bishop Neumann High School. Saunders County prosecutors filed a petition accusing a 17- and 15-year-old of hazing and attempted first-degree sexual assault. The older boy also faces a count of distributing a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving minors. The younger faces a second count of hazing and assault. They made their first court appearances last week and denied the allegations. Last month, Wahoo police obtained search warrants to seize cellphones alleged to contain recordings of two separate assaults involving different victims, according to court records filed in Saunders County District Court. Wahoo police were called to Bishop Neumann on April 19 on a report by the assistant principal about a rumor going around the school about a possible sexual assault of a student at a home in Wahoo. Investigators learned in late March a boy had been pinned down, had his pants pulled down and was assaulted with a Gatorade bottle while another boy made a video and sent it to friends. In a separate incident, Wahoo police learned of a video of three students holding down another boy and attempting to strip him of his gym shorts and roll him onto his stomach. The incident was alleged to have happened on Bishop Neumann school grounds during religion class on April 5. The Journal Star has chosen not to include the grades of the students in order to protect the victims. The boys have been expelled from the school. The Saunders County Attorney's Office later charged four more boys with hazing and related conduct. Top Journal Star photos for June 2024 (Link to Jerry Miculek video with bump stock Bump stocks are not machine guns. Not only are they not machine guns in the legal definition, they are significantly different from machine guns in other ways as well. In the recent Supreme Court decision on Garland v Cargill, Justice Clarance Thomas wrote: A semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock is not a "machinegun" as defined by 5845(b) because: (1) it cannot fire more than one shot "by a single function of the trigger" and (2) even if it could, it would not do so "automatically." Far left VOX claimed Thomas was lying. From Vox.com: The six Republican justices handed down a decision on Friday that effectively legalizes civilian ownership of automatic weapons. All three of the Court's Democrats dissented. In fairness, Ian Millhiser at Vox goes on to explain the arguments on both sides of the decision. ..... 1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them. 2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound. 3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes. 4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic. Vote View Results () Busan is home to seven great beaches which has made it one of the best places to visit during the year. Heres a look at what the beaches have to offer. Beaches Around the City Haeundae () Over the past several months, ships have been busy just offshore dredging sand and pumping it up onto the beach to double the width of Koreas famed strip of coastline. While the summer bookend months of June and September are the best times to enjoy the beach with moderate crowds, July and August is when Haeundae explodes with upwards of 700,000 people swimming, lounging or shuffling along the boardwalk in the summer heat. Nearby there are plenty of great restaurants and good backstreets leading off in all sorts of interesting directions. To get there, take subway line 2 to Haeundae Station. Its about a five-minute walk. Gwangalli () If Haeundae feels a bit like South Beach, Miami, then Gwangalli is Coney Island: laid back, more room to stretch out and a semi-abandoned, rusting amusement park. At the end of the Suyeong River trail, the beach makes a great destination for a morning bike ride or jog. The absence of towering hotels means there are more dining and drinking options with ocean views. If youre feeling brave, you can grab a kayak at the southwest end of the beach and dodge the wind surfers and jet skis on the open water. After sunset, the Diamond Bridge, an iconic suspension bridge that spans the horizon, comes to life with an elaborate LED light show. To get there, take subway line 2 to Gwangan or Geumnyeonsan Station. Its about a five-minute walk. Daedaepo () Located at the estuary of the Nakdonggang River and just eight kilometers from downtown, Dadaepo Beach is a great place to chill out and have a picnic, collect a few seashells and go for a swim in the shallow surf. Just up the river is one of the best places in Korea to check out migratory birds chilling in the marshes. At just under a kilometer long, it is beautiful but little-known to foreigners because of how far away it is from the city center. To get there, take bus number 2 or 98 from Busan Station or get off the subway at Sinpyeong. Songjeong () It may be just on the other side of Dalmaji Hill, but Songjeong feels much further away. The skyscrapers of Busan proper are blocked from view, and the crowds are much smaller. It also has the only reliable breaks, attracting surfers who chase waves and girls who chase surfers. At the end of the day, Songjeong is one of the only nearby beaches that allows camping, but with no restrictions on fireworks or soju, dont expect a quiet nights rest. To get there, take subway line 2 and get off at Haeundae Station (exit 7), and take bus 100, 100-1, 139 or 142. Get off at Songjeong Station and walk 600 meters. Songdo () Officially Koreas first beach (as of 1913), Song-do has re-emerged as a must-stop on local tours. Song-do, which translates into Pine Island, was given its name due to the lush pine trees adorning the outskirts of the beach. Located just three kilometers from Nampo-dong, Song-do offers a romantic backdrop for couples looking for some peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. To get there, take bus 34 or 134 from Busan Station southward. Imrang () The 1.5-km-long Imrang Beach is also located in Gijang County and is famous for its fresh water and fishing. With the water level only four feet deep, many families with young children find the beach ideal for swimming, while the neighborhood has a distinct character of its own. Tongdosa Temple and Jangansa Temple are located nearby for those looking to get out of the beach scene for the afternoon. Though relatively quiet, more tourists have been frequenting the area lately due to its golden sand. To get there, take bus 37, 180 or 188 from Jangsan Station. Ilgwang (Image: Gijang-gun Office) One of the two major beaches in Gyesang County, the horseshoe-shaped beach, which runs from the point where the Icheon River meets the Icheon Port to Horyeok Port, gives a warm and cozy feeling. You can get to the seaside in 5 minutes by walking out of Exit No.1 of Donghae Line. Ilgwang Beach, which is the background of Oh Yeongsoos novel Seommaeu and the film My Brother, boasts beautiful scenery and has become a popular tourist spot in recent years for those looking to avoid the more crowded beaches. To get there, Ilgwang Station on Donghae line, exit 1 then about 5 minutes walking to the beach and take local bus numbers 180, 182, 188 Get off at Ilgwang Beach bus stop The Rotary Club of La Crosse announced Monday that one of its current Rotarians, Todd Restel, has been chosen as governor of Rotary District 6250. Restel will take over the role at noon Thursday at the Cargill Room in La Crosse during the regular Rotary Club of La Crosse meeting. With over 12 past district governors in attendance, the current governor, Michelle McGrath from Madison, will swear in Restel. During Restels year, he will visit over 52 Rotary clubs and share his Rotary goal to become a Rotary Peace district. He will also encourage clubs within the 6250 district to focus on water sanitation. Current Rotary Club of La Crosse president, Eva Marie Restel, will welcome upcoming president Mark Jolivett. Daniel del Valle Blanco, the International Youth Organization's ambassador and permanent observer to the United Nations, as well as chair of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board, recently visited the International Montessori School of Beijing as a major stop during his visit to China. During the event, Blanco collaborated with students to create a large mixed-media artwork, symbolizing world peace. The artwork, showcasing the students' creative talents, will later be displayed at the United Nations, representing the voices of children and conveying their longing for peace to the world. Blanco also delivered a speech titled "Child Growth and International Development", emphasizing the importance of education in shaping children into global citizens. He encouraged students to actively participate in the globalization process to contribute to a more harmonious world. He said: "Chinese students consistently achieve remarkable results in international assessments, demonstrating their proficiency in mathematics, science and cultural literacy. These accomplishments reflect the nation's firm commitment to establishing a strong educational foundation." "Moreover, China's adoption of modern technology and innovative teaching methods prepares students for the challenges of the digital age. By integrating cutting-edge tools into classrooms nationwide, educators empower students with the skills and adaptability needed to thrive in an interconnected and dynamic world", he added. This speech will be included in the educational documentary series "Everyone's Enlightenment BP talks", held by the International Montessori School of Beijing, with Blanco honored as the first featured guest in the series. Blanco is the youngest permanent ambassador of any country or agency to the United Nations. He is dedicated to supporting the implementation of the UN Youth 2030 Strategy and played an active role in the historic official consultations and negotiations to establish the first-ever UN Youth Office. Additionally, Blanco was appointed as International Montessori School of Beijing's Goodwill Ambassador. The school principal remarked, "Blanco's visit and speech provided our students with a unique learning opportunity, allowing them to think about issues from an international perspective." Very often, when shoots appear on garlic bushes, housewives throw them away. But in vain because they can be deliciously cooked fried in sour cream in a pan. To do this, you need only two main ingredients: garlic greens and sour cream, as well as your favorite spices for a spicy taste. This dish will definitely become your favorite when you want something tasty and unusual at the same time. ADVERTISIMENT Food blogger Raya Bogush shared a recipe for fried garlic shoots in sour cream on her YouTube channel. Ingredients: garlic arrows sour cream dried breadcrumbs spices: salt, pepper, dried basil and ground bay leaves Method of preparation: 1. Wash and chop the garlic shoots. 2. Fry them over medium heat until half cooked. ADVERTISIMENT 3. Next, add the spices: salt, dried basil, and ground bay leaves. Fry for a few more minutes. 4. Add sour cream, stir and simmer under the lid for a while until the ingredients are combined. 5. Add the dried bread crumbs. Cook for about a few more minutes. The 20th French Film Panorama in China, organized by Unifrance with support from the French Embassy in China, opened yesterday, with "The Taste of Things" directed by Tran Anh Hung as the opening film. Since its inception in Beijing in 2004, the French Film Panorama has been an integral part of the "Croisements Festival," actively promoting French cinema to Chinese audiences and fostering Sino-French cultural exchange. This year, the festival features eight recent French feature films and one short film, showcasing the diversity of contemporary French cinema. At the opening ceremony, French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary highlighted that 2024 is a particularly special year. It marks both the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France and the 20th anniversary of the French Film Panorama. Over the years, the event has become an unmissable festival for Chinese film enthusiasts, offering a unique cinematic feast and an excellent opportunity to explore French films, interact with artists, and share their insights. Daniela Elstner, General Manager of Unifrance, announced that renowned Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi will be the ambassador for the 20th French Film Panorama. Zhang Ziyi, who has been invited three times to serve as a jury member for different sections of the Cannes Film Festival, has had several of her works selected for both the main competition and non-competition sections of Cannes. She is also the first Asian actor invited to give a master class at the festival. Following the announcement, Ms Elstner invited Zhang Ziyi to the stage and presented her with a commemorative gift for the 20th anniversary of the French Film Panorama. As the festival's ambassador, Zhang Ziyi shared her admiration and enthusiasm for French cinema and filmmakers. She spoke of her numerous connections with the Cannes Film Festival, which has not only witnessed her growth but also provided a platform for Chinese films and filmmakers to showcase their talents. Consequently, she has developed a deep affection for French cinema and its creators. "There are many cultural exchange activities between China and France. For example, in Beijing, one could watch the musical 'Notre Dame de Paris' and appreciate Rodin's sculpture exhibition. In Paris, there have been exhibitions of Han Dynasty artifacts and various Chinese cultural activities," said Zhang. After the screenings in Beijing, this year's French Film Panorama will continue in Nanjing, Wuhan, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Jinan, with screenings running until August 31. North Korea has invaded South Korea at several points along the two countries joint border. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has denounced North Koreas actions as a breach of the peace and has called for an immediate ceasefire. The United States President Harry S Truman has gone a step further and urged western nations to go out to Korea and help repel the communist invasion. By their actions in Korea, communist leaders have demonstrated their contempt for the basic moral principles on which the United Nations is founded, he said. The invasion took the international community by surprise, even though the American Economic Co-operation Administration has its biggest mission about 2,000 staff in South Korea. The seven-power commission of the United Nations in Korea (Uncok) confirmed North Korean troops crossed the border known as the 38th parallel in 11 places after artillery bombardments were reported in South Korea at 0400 local time. Uncok has identified northern forces in the Ongjin peninsula and the north-western town of Kaesong and northerly town of Chunchon and landings on the east coast around Skagnung, almost 40 miles from the border. Their statement also contained details of machine-gun attacks by four Yak aircraft on military and civilian airfields outside the South Korean capital Seoul, destroying aircraft and jeeps and setting fire to petrol tanks. President Syngman Rhee of South Korea who denied early rumours of war told Uncok at least 36 North Korean tanks and armoured cars had been counted on their way to Seoul by the shortest routes. The North Korean wireless station, in the capital Pyongyang, justified the invasion saying communist forces were counter-attacking against border incursions by the South Koreans in the early hours of the morning and reported a state of war shortly after noon local time. After an emergency meeting with his cabinet South Koreas foreign minister Ben Limb urged the people of the republic to resist the dastardly attack. The UN Security Council met at Lake Success, Detroit after the Korean Ambassador John Myung Changan sent an urgent petition to the State Department in Washington. Korea has been divided since the Japanese withdrawal at the end of World War II left the USSR occupying the area north of the 38th parallel and the US to the south. Courtesy BBC News In context For the first time the UN asked broadcasters including the BBC and Voice of America to transmit the UN ceasefire resolution to North Korea. The republican government fled Seoul and the following day America offered military aid including air and sea support to South Korea. On 28 June North Korean troops entered the capital and took control. The UN invoked military sanctions shortly afterwards. President Truman and his government interpreted the invasion as Russian-backed communist aggression. The USSR and North Korean authorities claimed they were responding to attacks from the republican south. The war cost about two million lives. Fighting did not stop until 1953 with the signing of the armistice on 27 July. But a peace deal has never been reached. American troops remain stationed in the de-militarized zone on and around the 38th parallel separating North and South Korea. In a move to bolster small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the government has opened another round of applications for catastrophic insurance and subsidies. Since its launch in 2019, the program has already issued 89 policies worth a total insured amount of MOP13.1 million. The Small and Medium Enterprises Catastrophe Property Insurance and the accompanying Small and Medium Enterprises Catastrophe Property Insurance Subsidy Scheme are now accepting applications from June 21 to Dec. 31 of this year. SMEs can purchase catastrophe insurance policies through five participating local insurance companies, with coverage options ranging from MOP100,000 to MOP500,000. To ease the financial burden on merchants, the government, through the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund, will provide eligible SMEs with a 50% premium subsidy, up to a maximum of $30,000. This means businesses can pay as little as 15% of the standard premium, depending on their insurance situation. The catastrophe insurance program was launched in 2019 to address the problem of commercial property losses not covered by insurance during severe weather events, such as typhoons and storm surges, particularly for SMEs in low-lying areas in Macau prone to flooding. This initiative aims to support local small and medium-sized businesses, which are the backbone of the local economy. By providing affordable catastrophic insurance and subsidies, the government hopes to give these enterprises the financial protection they need to weather any unexpected disasters. Howard Tong China and the European Union are open to holding talks on the EUs recent decision to sharply raise tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, officials from both sides say. Chinas Commerce Ministry and Germanys economy minister said over the weekend that each side was willing to hold talks on the issue. Meanwhile, Chinese state media said yesterday that Beijing is pushing for the EU to give up plans to sharply raise provisional tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles by July 4. Escalating a trade dispute over Beijings subsidies that Brussels worries are hurting European automakers, the EU plans to impose provisional tariffs of 17.4% to 38.1% on EVs from China for four months starting on July 4. Thats on top of the 10% dutues for all imported EVs. They would apply to vehicles exported to Europe by both Chinese and foreign brands, including Tesla. The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, said preliminary results from an investigation into Chinese EV subsidies showed the countrys battery electric vehicle value chain benefits from unfair subsidization that hurts EU rivals. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video conference with European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a notice Saturday on its website. The two sides agreed to launch consultations on the EUs anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, it said. The doors are open for discussions. And I hope that this message was heard, Germanys economy and vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, said Sunday while on a visit to China. Chinas Commerce Ministry last week accused the EU of making unreasonable demands in its investigation into imports of Chinese electric vehicles before it announced it was raising tariffs by as much as 38%. Ministry spokesman He Yadong said the European side had demanded excessive amounts of information from Chinese automakers and then unfairly accused the Chinese companies of failing to cooperate. Beijing said last week that it was opening an anti-dumping investigation into pork exports from Europe. In announcing that, the Commerce Ministry did not mention EV tariffs. But the investigation into various pork products was widely seen as a response to the EU measures on electric cars. The European side has said it wants to discuss the findings of its investigation with Chinese authorities to find ways to resolve the issues. ELAINE KURTENBACH, BANGKOK, MDT/AP The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) ensures that all possible impacts on the preservation of the Chinese white dolphin species, existing in the waters of the Pearl River Delta, will be assessed in the context of the construction of the controversial ecological island. In a reply to lawmaker Ron Lam, DSPA director Raymond Tam confirmed that the upcoming phase of the projects environmental impact assessment will include the publication of the consultation text on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. The report will feature findings from the research conducted on Chinese white dolphins. Additionally, details on environmental mitigation measures will also be disclosed. DSPA emphasizes that the initial phase of the environmental impact assessment for the ecological island adhered to the standards outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment Law of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Public Participation Measures in Environmental Impact Assessment. Tam also addressed the issue of construction waste management, stating that the use of inert construction and demolition materials for reclamation can only be a supplementary method, and that the government has set up mobile screening facilities at the landfill to prioritize the use of screened and qualified materials. The construction of the ecological island is seen as a long-term solution to Macaus construction waste problem, contributing to the citys sustainable urban development. The bureau director acknowledged the limitations of Macaus natural endowments, geographical location, and water quality conditions in determining the site selection for the ecological island. However, Tam emphasized that the current site is the best option after comprehensive consideration. The government has emphasized on multiple occasions that the choice of the site for the ecological island is contingent upon various factors including nature, geographic location, water quality conditions, and the current state of exploration and utilization of maritime areas. Consequently, after careful deliberation, the current location has been determined to possess the highest level of feasibility, Tam said. The ecological island project drew criticisms from lawmaker and environmental groups. Earlier this year, there was a call to halt the proposal to put a landfill off the southern coast of Coloane. In the description of an online petition, the group predicted the landfill will damage marine life, intensify water pollution, and risk the health of aquatic activities practitioners. More importantly, it will destroy the ecology of Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, he said. The dolphin is a national Tier-1 key protected animal. The government was also criticized for failing to provide any scientific data to support the unique necessity of the project, and no environmental assessments were produced. The Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society has also urged Macau authorities to build construction waste screening and processing facilities instead of an artificial island made from the debris. In a statement, the group has said the ecological island proposal is not an effective solution to Macaus waste issues. Victoria Chan A fire likely sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept through a manufacturing factory near South Koreas capital yesterday, killing 22 mostly Chinese migrant workers and injuring eight, officials said. The fire began after batteries exploded while workers were examining and packaging them on the second floor of the factory in Hwaseong city, just south of Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m., fire officials said, citing a witness. They said they would investigate the cause of the blaze. The dead included 18 Chinese, two South Koreans and one Laotian, local fire official Kim Jin-young told a televised briefing. He said the nationality of one of the dead couldnt be immediately verified. In the past few decades, many people from China, including ethnic Koreans, have migrated to South Korea to seek jobs. Like other foreign migrants from Southeast Asian nations, they often end up in factories or in physically demanding and low-paying jobs shunned by more affluent South Koreans. Kim said that one factory worker remained out of contact and rescuers continued to search the site. He said that two of the eight injured were in serious condition. The fire started at one of the factory buildings owned by a battery manufacturer, Aricell. He said that authorities would investigate whether fire extinguishing systems were at the site and if they worked. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in consumer goods from laptops to cellphones. They can overheat if damaged, defective or packaged improperly, leading to fires and explosions and making them a hazard for shipment aboard aircraft. The video of the incident showed the factorys second floor being engulfed with blaze, about 15 seconds after a small amount of white smoke was seen billowing from a battery, senior fire official Jo Seon-ho told a briefing later yesterday. Jo, citing the footage, said workers at the site mobilized fire extinguishers but failed to put out the blaze. They later rushed to an area where there was no exit before they likely inhaled toxic smoke and lost their consciousness, he said. The dead foreign workers were daily laborers so they were not likely familiar with the buildings internal structure, he added. Fire officials said a total of 102 people were working at the factory at the time of the fire. President Yoon Suk Yeol, wearing a safety helmet and a mask, visited the site with other officials. He expressed condolences to the dead people and ordered officials to put in place measures to effectively deal with battery-related fires, according to Yoons office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the countrys No. 2 official, and Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min also came to the site. Han asked officials to provide government assistance for funeral services and support programs for victims relatives, according to his office. Yesterdays blaze is one of the deadliest in South Korea in recent years. In 2020, a fire at a warehouse being built in Icheon City, south of Seoul, killed 38 construction workers. In 2018, 46 people died after a fire ripped through a small hospital with no sprinkler systems in the southern city of Miryang. In 2008, 40 workers, 12 of them ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality, died after a fire and accompanying explosions tore through a refrigerated warehouse in Icheon city. South Korea has struggled for decades to improve safety standards and change widespread attitudes that regard safety as subservient to economic progress and convenience. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, MDT/AP The refusal by some merchants in the neighboring region of Hong Kong to accept payments using Macau credit cards is not illegal, the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) told the Times in a response to an inquiry. In the response, the AMCM explained, Some overseas online merchants may, subject to their commercial decisions, only accept payments through designated payment channels. On the line were several reports of local buyers who saw their local credit cards (from different banks and using different networks) being refused by merchants in Hong Kong. According to AMCM, no issue justifies this refusal besides the merchant policies or commercial decisions that are not linked to the banking system. Reports received by the Times over a relatively long period noted that some merchants in Hong Kong, namely from the sector of home appliances and electronics as well as some clothing, would not accept local credit cards as payment methods, although they would accept the Hong Kong ones. In some cases, involving online purchases to be shipped to Macau, some of the retailers requested Macau customers send bank cheques by post or to perform interbank money transfers. Most of the reports that the Times heard were related to online shopping but there were also a few cases of people reporting refusal of local credit cards in physical stores. Although AMCM noted that the decision to refuse some credit cards by stores is not illegal, the authority could not find any justification for such a commercial decision based on any implications for the merchants. exclusion from PayPal a decision by the company In the same response, the AMCM also noted that the exclusion of Macau from the payment and money transfer platform PayPal is unilateral and related also to a commercial decision of the American multinational financial technology company. On the topic, the AMCM said, To facilitate online shopping by Macau residents, the AMCM has liaised with PayPal several times, persuading it to accept Macau-issued credit cards. However, whether PayPal finally accepts Macau-issued credit cards depends on its commercial decision. PayPal is available in over 200 countries and regions, and it accepts 25 currencies. Among the countries and regions that cannot enjoy this service are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote DIvoire (Ivory Coast), Paraguay, Saint Lucia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, North Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. PayPal service is currently available in China, as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In HK only residents over 18 years of age can have a PayPal account, while in the mainland users are required to use their full names in Chinese characters (just like in their IDs) to open an account. No pinyin is allowed. For those non-Chinese nationals residing in China, they must use the name from their passport. Mainland credit as well as debit cards can be added to PayPal accounts. Over 140 people gathered at The Lawn at The Parisian Macao for Sands Lifestyles first yoga class in celebration of International Yoga Day on June 22. The complimentary 60-minute Sunrise Flow class was jointly organized with Macao and Hong Kong yoga studio Yoga Light. Led by five expert yoga instructors, participants enjoyed the chance to practice hatha yoga styles and relax both body and mind in the unique outdoor setting. Seeing the yoga community, wellness enthusiasts, and health advocates come together to positively influence wellbeing was truly remarkable, said Mariana de Oliveira Dias, executive director of Health and Wellness at Sands China Ltd. Sands Lifestyle aims to continue hosting exceptional wellness events for the community. Sands Resorts Macao also offers spa treatments focusing on wellness, such as crystal singing bowl meditation at Conrad Macaos Bodhi Spa, leaving guests feeling nourished. Polish President Andrzej Duda met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping yesterday on a visit to Beijing. At the meeting at the Great Hall of the People accompanied with a full honor guard and 21-gun salute, Duda told Xi that relations between the former Russian-allied nation, which inspired democratic movements with its push for democracy, and China, remain strong. The Russia-Ukraine conflict was on the agenda for talks, but no remarks on the issue were delivered before journalists were ushered from the vast carpeted meeting room. Over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations have maintained steady development, constantly injecting new vitality into the traditional friendship between the two countries. Xi said after the two leaders took their seats while surrounded by aides and security guards . Duda said Poland was hoping for closer commercial relations with China particularly under Xis signature Belt and Road Initiative to build transport connections and other infrastructure between China, Europe, Southeast Asia and other regions largely as a response to overcapacity within Chinas huge manufacturing industries, the need to find foreign markets and expand Beijings political and economic influence to counter the U.S.-led liberal domestic order. Poland borders Ukraine and has maintained a hard line against further expansion of Russian aggression, but the grinding conflict has raised questions over how to maintain the countrys economic health and democratic institutions with right-wing political politicians making major gains in this months European Parliament election. Duda had said he would talk to Xi about Russian ally Belarus exerting migration pressure on the border with Poland, as a form of hybrid war that also includes cyberattacks. Duda is also seeking a visa waiver for Poles traveling to China and is looking for possibilities of increasing Polands exports to the country to balance their trade relations. State Statistics Poland said that 13.9% of the nations imports last year were from China, while Polish exports to China were just a fraction of that amount. Several trade agreements were signed following the meeting between the two leaders, including on Polish agricultural exports and educational exchanges. Duda has further meetings in Beijing and will fly to the financial hub of Shanghai to attend a Poland-China economic forum. MDT/AP The Judiciary Police (PJ) has issued a warning to the public regarding a large series of fake social media pages impersonating local department stores, gambling corporations, and watch retailers in Macau, to lure users with promotions. According to the PJ, the pages falsely claimed that the stores were conducting promotional campaigns that offered limited edition designer handbags and luxury watches at meager prices. These fraudulent pages also used sponsored advertisements to proactively push these posts to a broader range of users, luring them to click on the ads and place orders through the links. The PJ suspects that the purpose of such ads is to collect personal information to be used for illicit purposes. The ads presented luxury goods offered at a small fraction of the market value; in some cases the price to pay was just 1% of the regular product price. The I.T. Crimes Division Anti-Fraud Coordination Centre of the Macau Judiciary Police is urging residents to take a closer look at the sponsored advertisements pushed by online social platforms, as scammers may use fake accounts to purchase ads and commit fraud. When in doubt, use the PJs Anti-Fraud Program to check the risk index or report information, or call the force hotline at 8800 7777. Additionally since yesterday, the Times has learned that a similar scam page was making use of the same method of sponsored ads on several social media platforms to advertise an alleged news report published by the Times. The Times hereby states that this is a false report and no interview was ever conducted by the Times with someone named Wu Chun on an alleged topic involving a government bureau. The Times cautions our readers to pay attention to any links that are based anywhere outside our official webpage (www.macaudailytimes.com.mo). Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in Macau until today. As a broad trough of low pressure over the central to northern parts of the South China Sea, SMG warn residents that showers and thunderstorms are likely throughout the week. A southerly airstream will bring the wet weather to the Guangdong coast until today. Temperatures are forecast to be extremely high, ranging between 27 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius. Residents are advised to keep cool and stay hydrated. Flooding is also possible, as heavy rainfall of up to 74mm per hour has been recorded in the region. Related